cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The Davis Heart and Lung Research Institute: Building a Sustainable Platform for Translation

The Dorothy M. Davis Heart and Lung Research Institute (DHLRI) at the Ohio State University (OSU) in Columbus, Ohio, has evolved over the past decade to serve as a platform to translate discovery from the laboratory to new practices in the clinic. Governing concepts for this evolution have been focused mission, leadership and investigator accountability, cross-disciplinary collaboration, and ultimately patient-centered discovery. The DHLRI is one of the largest and most comprehensive Institutes/Centers at the OSU and among the largest freestanding Institutes in the country devoted to cardiovascular, pulmonary, renal, and metabolic disease. The DHLRI was born from the multidisciplinary, programmatic study of heart, lung, and kidney disease at OSU in the late 1990s. In 2000, the DHLRI opened the doors of its new freestanding home—one of the most advanced interdisciplinary facilities on the Ohio State campus (Figure A). In 2001, ≈40 DHLRI investigators published 114 manuscripts. Over the past 16 years, the DHLRI has expanded its scientific scope and research footprint across OSU. Beyond serving as the research arm of OSU Heart and Vascular Center (HVC), the DHLRI now serves >700 faculty, staff, and trainees and generated >600 manuscripts in 2016. In 2017, the DHLRI continues to strive to fulfill its overarching mission to develop innovative strategies to diagnose, prevent, and treat cardiovascular, pulmonary, renal, and metabolic diseases. Numerous core laboratories within the DHLRI offer innovative technologies to support all aspects of basic and clinical research. The clinical care provided nearby at the Richard M. Ross Heart Hospital and OSU Wexner Medical Center offers first-hand perspectives on how research is involved in the prevention, detection, and treatment of disease. Figure. The Dorothy M. Davis Heart and Lung Research Institute. A , Freestanding Institute serves as platform for translational discovery. B , The first demonstration of sinoatrial node exit block during parasympathetic …
Design and Performance of a Photobioreactor Utilizing Spatial Light Dilution

A photobioreactor with an optical system that spatially dilutes solar photosynthetic active radiation has been designed, built, and tested at the Utah State University Biofuels Center. This photobioreactor could be used to produce microalgal biomass for a number of purposes, such as feedstock for an energy conversion process or high-value products such as pharmaceuticals and nutraceuticals. In addition, the reactor could be used to perform services such as removing nitrates, phosphates, and other contaminants from waste water, as well as scrubbing toxic gases and carbon dioxide from flue gas. Preliminary tests were performed that compared growth and productivity kinetics of this reactor with that of a control reactor simulating a pond. Tests indicated higher specific growth rates and higher areal and volumetric yields compared with the control reactor. The maximum specific growth rate, volumetric yield, and areal yield were 0.21 day−1 , 0.059 gm L−1 day−1 , and 15 gm m−2 day−1 , respectively. Over 10 days of sequential-batch operation, the prototype photobioreactor converted direct-normal solar energy to energy stored in biomass at an average efficiency of 1%. The areal productivity, as mass per aperture per time, was three times higher than that of the control reactor, indicating the photobioreactor design investigated holds promise.Copyright © 2010 by ASME
Framing Disaster: News Media Coverage of Environmental Justice

This research assesses news media coverage of two environmental justice cases involving Native American groups in Washington State. Through inductive framing analysis, this work evaluates the way i...
The Failure of the Black Greek-Letter Organization:

Between 1906 and 1920, eight of the most prominent Black Greek-letter organizations were established. The creation of the Black fraternity had a dual purpose. First, these organizations were establ...
Socio-economic and Ecological Sustainability of Smallholder Agricultural Holdings in Bulgaria

Abstract. The issue of adequate assessment of socio-economic and ecological sustainability of divers agricultural holdingsis among most topical academic and practical problems. It is particularly important for smallholder farms accounting for the majority of all farms in the globe. In Bulgaria unregistered farms of Natural Personsaccount for almost 98% of all farms in the country, cultivate a third of all farmlands, graze 85% of cows, 90% of sheep, and around a third of pigs, and employ almost 93% of workforce in the sectors. This article applies a holistic framework and assesses sustainability of farms of Natural Persons in Bulgaria during current stage of EU CAP implementation. Initially a new governance aspect of farm sustainability is justified and method outlined. After that assessment is made of integral, governance, economic, social, environmental sustainability of farms of Natural Persons of different size, specialization, and location, and comparative sustainability to other type of farms. Finally, directions for further research and amelioration of sustainability assessment practices are suggested. Overall sustainability of Natural Persons in the country is at a good level, with superior levels for environmental and social sustainability, close to the low level governance sustainability, and inferior economic sustainability. Comparative sustainability of holdings is lower than other juridical type. There are great variations in sustainability levels of farms of different kind and location. Share of Natural Persons with good and high sustainability is smaller than other categories of farms and majority of Natural Persons have no comparative advantages in terms of sustainability, and in a middle term will cease to exist. Keywords: Smallholders sustainability, Governance, Economic social environmental aspects, Bulgaria. JEL. Q10, Q56, R33.
A single dose of melatonin prevents the phase delay associated with a delayed weekend sleep pattern

Study objectives This study was designed to test the hypotheses that a delayed weekend sleep pattern may lead to a phase delay of the endogenous circadian rhythm, and that melatonin administration can counteract the phase delay and prevent the sleep and functional impairments associated with this sleep pattern. Design A within-subject, counterbalanced design was used in which each subject participated in both placebo and melatonin conditions. Subjects' sleep-wake schedules were delayed by two hours on Friday and Saturday to simulate the delayed weekend sleep pattern. Six mg of melatonin or a placebo pill was administered double blind on Sunday late afternoon. Setting N/A. Participants Ten healthy volunteers (mean age = 22.1 years old). Measurements and results Salivary dim-light melatonin onset (DLMO) was measured on Friday and Monday nights. Subject's sleep was recorded with polysomnography on Sunday night and their levels of sleepiness, cognitive functioning and mood were assessed on Sunday night and Monday morning. Results show that the delayed weekend sleep pattern caused a 31.6 min delay of the endogenous melatonin rhythm. Melatonin administration counteracted the phase delay of endogenous melatonin onset. On Sunday, melatonin administration increased the sleepiness throughout the evening and reduced sleep onset latency at bedtime. On Monday morning, subjective sleepiness was decreased in the melatonin condition. Conclusion A delayed weekend sleep pattern did show a mild phase-delay effect on the endogenous circadian rhythm. A single dose of melatonin can acutely reverse the weekend drift.
Local Initiatives to Reduce the Incidence of Sexual Assault in the North

Sexual assault rates in Alaska and northern Canada far exceed their respective national rates. Multiple historical and current conditions are thought to contribute to sexual violence in the far north, including a culture of silence that discourages victims from speaking out and inhibits communities from establishing healthier norms. This article examines a number of local initiatives to reduce the incidence of sexual assault. Local leadership, coordinated community response among service providers, and outside funding and programmatic support are key characteristics of these promising programs. Such locally initiated programs offer a model of local self-determination as northern communities face various challenges in the twenty-first century.
Ideo- and Auto-reflexive Quotation

I focus on the two uses of quotation marks illustrated by The word ‘car’ expresses the idea “automobile,” in which the single quotation marks are used “auto-reflexively” to mark reference to the word quoted and the double quotation marks are used “ideo-reflexively” to mark reference to the idea expressed by the word quoted. I account for the difference between auto- and ideo-reflexive reference within my theory of meaning and indexical reference. Meaning consists in the expression of mental states, principally thoughts and their parts. Indexicals express a type of thought part that links to another mental state that determines its referent. Determinants can be other concepts (as in the anaphoric use of indexicals) or presentations (as in their deictic use). On my account, the idea “automobile” expresses the indexical concept expressed by the idea (a definite noun phrase used restrictively) linked to an introspective presentation of the idea expressed by the word in quotes. The word ‘car’ expresses the indexical concept expressed by the word linked to a perceptual presentation of the word in quotes. The quotation marks are optional punctuation marks, with no referents of their own. I observe that a word ‘w’ can also be used elliptically to mean “the word ‘w.’” I show that my deictic indexical theory avoids the defects of other accounts, including the demonstrative theory and Davidson’s theory.
Automatic Creation of Daily News Digests from Internet News Sites

With the advent of 24-hour news channels and Internet news sites, the ease of finding news sources has become easier than ever. However, with the increased number of sources covering a greater variety of topics it is becoming increasingly difficult for users to weed through the important and not so important news of the day. This paper presents a system that automatically creates a daily digest of the important news topics of the day. News articles are mined from Internet news sites and the articles are stored for later analysis. At the end of the day, or specified period, the articles are analyzed to determine the important news topics and to create a listing of the top stories of the day. The digest shows the top stories with their title, keywords, link and summary information. Through human judged evaluation it is shown that the created digests satisfy users.
Preoccupied Attachment as Predictor of Enabling Behavior: Clinical Implications and Treatment for Partners of Substance Abusers

Substance use can affect partners in innumerable ways. The emotional pain, turmoil, stress, and strain alone leave family members searching for ways to help, or simply to cope. Enabling is one such method. A common coping mechanism in families struggling with substance use, enabling involves actions and behaviors employed by loved ones to incite change, regain control, and increase stability. Enabling is unique however. Rather than minimizing use, enabling has an adverse effect of contributing to, and reinforcing the partner’s substance use and addictive behaviors. For Clinical Social Workers, Licensed Addiction Specialists, and other Mental Health Practitioners, working with family members who enable their partners can be challenging, complex, and still, even with one’s best efforts, fail to reduce or eliminate the behavior. Looking at a single case through the lens of Classical and Modern Attachment Theory, a close examination of enabling and its correlation with preoccupied attachment style is provided, contributing to the current research on affect regulation through the marital dyad, attunement, attachment repair through therapeutic relationship, and enabling behavior, concluding that the characteristics of an insecure/preoccupied attachment generate a very specific vulnerability to, and motivation towards, enabling behavior.
VehiCache: Vehicle Updates via Mobile Phones

As over-the-air (OTA) vehicle software and ﬁrmware updates become a common and frequent practice, Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) seek ways to reduce costs by utilizing opportunistic free wireless links into the vehicle. Unlike previous works that rely on opportunistic direct wireless links between the vehicle and network infrastructure (or other vehicles), our proposed VehiCache system uses trusted mobile devices, e.g., smart phones, as agents, to bridge between the cloud and the vehicle, and seamlessly convey OTA data into the vehicle, in a secure, and a cost effective manner. VehiCache was simulated and analyzed under both the traditional car-ownership, and the popularity-gaining-car-sharing usage models, showing that VehiCache is capable of distributing non-critical OTA content with high probability within a reasonable amount of time. Finally, preliminary observations from a VehiCache proof-of-concept demonstrator are reported.
Vibration Monitoring and Load Distribution Characterization of I-89 Bridge 58-N

The University of Vermont Structural Monitoring and Diagnostics Lab is collaborating with the Vermont Agency of Transportation to instrument and monitor traffic induced vibrations in bridge 58N on interstate 89 in the town of Richmond, VT. The bridge consists of an unorthodox concrete and steel deck supported on reinforced concrete piers. A critical portion of the deck is strategically instrumented with 24 strain sensors and 10 accelerometers. The main objective of the monitoring project is to use multi-scale vibration data to formulate a finite element model of the bridge deck that allows engineers to accurately assess the structural capacity of the deck under heavy traffic loads. Two methods are combined: (1) A direct method based on dynamic strain measurements at maximum stress locations in the deck and (2) An indirect method based on an updated sub-structured finite element model of the bridge deck updated based on frequencies and mode shapes identified from traffic induced acceleration measurements.
The Similarity of the Halo Field K Giant Population with the Globular Cluster System of Our Galaxy

Line-of-sight velocities and improved metal abundance estimates are available for a representative sample of 58 giants located by an objective prism survey (Ratnatunga and Freeman 1985), in a 20 square degree field near SA 127 (1 = 272, b = +39). These in-situ K-giants of the outer regions of our galactic halo give a direct comparison of the field population with the globular cluster system. Fig. 1 illustrates the distribution of line-of-sight velocity with abundance for the sample of giant stars in SA 127. The mean and dispersion of the sample appears to be discontinuous at [FeH] ∼ -0.8. Fig. 2 shows the distribution of [Fe/H] with distance from the Sun for the same stars. The metal stronger giants (filled symbols) represent a population of stars up to 6 kpc above the plane of the disk and have a velocity dispersion of about 50 km/s. In contrast, the metal weaker giants have a typical halo dispersion of about 120 km/s.
Attention Mechanisms in Behavioral Inhibition: Exploring and Exploiting the Environment

Attention mechanisms may play a pivotal role in the emergence of socioemotional profiles. In the case of behavioral inhibition (BI), sensitivity to novelty, coupled with an attention bias to threat, may increase the risk for socially reticent behavior and anxiety. Early work suggests that behaviorally inhibited children may be more vigilant to novelty and threat in the environment, which then leads to behavioral avoidance. In addition, attention bias to threat, in particular, may moderate the relation between early behavioral inhibition and the later emergence of anxiety. However, we are only now examining how these early attentional processes act to shape observed outcomes. The current chapter speculates that attention mechanisms may lead behaviorally inhibited children to resort to habitual and inflexible repertoires for dealing with unfamiliar and unexpected environments. Thus, rather than explore new contexts, which may lead to new knowledge and reward, behaviorally inhibited children may instead exploit prior knowledge and behaviors, limiting their exposure to new experiences. The lack of new experiences, in turn, decreases the probability that behaviorally inhibited children will recognize that their initial fears and concerns are often unwarranted.
100.38 Orbital Atherectomy Treatment in Calcified Coronary Artery Disease: A Pooled Meta-Analysis

Orbital atherectomy (OA) is the first device specifically approved to facilitate stent delivery in calcified coronary artery disease (CAD). OA is an adjunctive tool for lesion preparation that alters the compliance of a calcified lesion to allow for adequate stent expansion. We sought to examine the
Immediate Preoperative Transthoracic Echocardiography for the Prediction of Postoperative Atrial Fibrillation in High-Risk Cardiac Surgery

Objective The present study aimed to validate the utility of bedside cardiac ultrasound to identify patients for the risk of postoperative atrial fibrillation (POAF). Design A prospective cohort study of consecutive patients. Setting Single-center tertiary referral center. Participants After Institutional Review Board consent, 169 patients undergoing elective cardiac surgery were enrolled in the study. Interventions A preoperative transthoracic echocardiographic interrogation assessing diastolic function was performed. Measurements were assessed offline with experienced echocardiographers blinded to clinical outcomes. Measurements and Main Results The primary outcome was POAF during the first 72 hours after surgery. A total of 169 patients completed the study, 44 of whom (26.0%) developed POAF, and 39 (25.2%) had diastolic dysfunction. Patients with POAF had a higher rate of postoperative heart failure, reintubation within 24 hours of surgery, and length of stay (p = 0.002, 0.01, and 0.0006, respectively). Predictors significant for POAF included increasing age, left atrial volume indexed to body surface area (LAVI), and diastolic dysfunction (p = 0.02, 0.0001, and 0.001, respectively). Multivariate spline regressions demonstrated a nonlinear correlation between increasing LAVI and risk of POAF. Conclusion Left atrial volume can be assessed efficiently preoperatively to provide superior risk stratification over clinical factors and diastolic parameters alone for the prediction of POAF. Furthermore, the present study demonstrated that the cutoffs of chamber quantification currently used do not appropriately capture the increased risk of POAF. Thus, LAVI provides a simple measure to identify patients who are in need of targeted prophylaxis for POAF.
Sweatshops, Structural Injustice, and the Wrong of Exploitation: Why Multinational Corporations Have Positive Duties to the Global Poor

It is widely thought that firms that employ workers in “sweatshop” conditions wrongfully exploit those workers. This claim has been challenged by those who argue that because companies are not obligated to hire their workers in the first place, employing them cannot be wrong so long as they voluntarily accept their jobs and genuinely benefit from them. In this article, I argue that we can maintain that at least many sweatshop employees are wrongfully exploited, while accepting the plausible claim at the core of many defenses of sweatshops, namely that engaging in a voluntary and mutually beneficial transaction with a person in need cannot constitute morally worse treatment of that person than doing nothing at all to benefit her. We can do this, I claim, by accepting that wealthy multinational corporations have positive duties to employ or otherwise benefit the global poor. I argue that these duties can be plausibly grounded in the fact that potential sweatshop workers are victims of global structural injustice, from which multinational corporations typically benefit.
Treadmill exercise rescues mitochondrial function and motor behavior in the CAG140 knock-in mouse model of Huntington's disease.

Abstract Background Huntington's disease (HD) is an autosomal dominant neurodegenerative disorder caused by polyglutamine (CAG) expansion in the Huntingtin (HTT) gene. The CAG140 knock-in (KI) mouse model recapitulates the progression of motor symptoms emerging at 12 months of age. Objective This study was aimed at assessing the effects of exercise, in the form of treadmill running, and examining its impact on motor behavior and markers of metabolism in the CAG140 KI mouse model of HD after motor symptoms have emerged. Methods CAG140 KI mice at 13–15 months of age were subjected to treadmill exercise 3 days per week for 1 h per day or remained sedentary. After 12 weeks of exercise brain tissues were analyzed for enzymatic activity including mitochondria Complexes I, II/III, and IV, transglutaminase, aconitase, pyruvate dehydrogenase, and phosphofructokinase1/2. In addition, the concentration was determined for nitrate/nitrite, pyruvate carboxylase, NAD+/NADH, and glutamate as well as the ratio of mitochondria and nuclear DNA. Motor behavior was tested using the rotarod. Results Exercise resulted in increased [nitrite + nitrate] levels (surmised as nitric oxide), reduced transglutaminase activity, increased aconitase activity with increased tricarboxylic acid-generated reducing equivalents and mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation complexes activity. Mitochondrial function was strengthened by increases in glycolysis, pyruvate dehydrogenase activity, and anaplerosis component represented by pyruvate carboxylase. Conclusions These changes in mitochondrial function were associated with improved motor performance on the rotarod test. These findings suggest that exercise may have beneficial effects on motor behavior by reversing deficits in mitochondrial function in a rodent model of HD.
Structural damage identification using multi-objective optimization based inverse analysis

In this research, we report a new fault identification algorithm utilizing multi-objective optimization. Fault identification problem is commonly under-determined, as measurement information may not be sufficient to facilitate a direct inversion. We formulate an optimization problem, aiming at minimizing the discrepancy between model prediction and measurement. This yields multiple possible fault scenarios, which lays down foundation for further inspection.
Prepubertal Environmental Enrichment Prevents Dopamine Dysregulation and Hippocampal Hyperactivity in MAM Schizophrenia Model Rats.

Abstract Background Schizophrenia (SCZ) is a neurodevelopmental disorder with a progressive, prolonged course. Early prevention for SCZ is promising but overall lacks support from preclinical evidence. Previous studies have tested environmental enrichment (EE) in certain models of SCZ and discovered a broadly beneficial effect in preventing behavioral abnormalities relevant, yet not specific, to the disorder. Nonetheless, whether EE can prevent dopamine (DA) dysregulation, a hallmark of psychosis and SCZ, had not been tested. Methods Using the MAM (methylazoxymethanol acetate) rat model of schizophrenia and saline-treated control animals, we investigated the long-term electrophysiological effects of prepubertal (postnatal day 21–40) EE on DA neurons, pyramidal neurons in the ventral hippocampus, and projection neurons in the basolateral amygdala. Anxiety-related behaviors in the elevated plus maze and locomotor responses to amphetamine were also analyzed. Results Prepubertal EE prevented the increased population activity of DA neurons and the associated increase in locomotor response to amphetamine. Prepubertal EE also prevented hyperactivity in the ventral hippocampus but did not prevent hyperactivity in the basolateral amygdala. Anxiety-like behaviors in MAM rats were not ameliorated by prepubertal exposure to EE. Conclusions Twenty-day prepubertal EE is sufficient to prevent DA hyperresponsivity in the MAM model, measured by electrophysiological recordings and locomotor response to amphetamine. This effect is potentially mediated by normalizing excessive firing in the ventral hippocampus without affecting anxiety-like behaviors and basolateral amygdala firing. This study identified EE as a useful preventative approach that may protect against the pathophysiological development of SCZ.
High-Energy Coherent X-Ray Diffraction Microscopy of Polycrystal Grains: Steps Toward a Multiscale Approach

We present proof-of-concept imaging measurements of a polycrystalline material that integrate the elements of conventional high-energy x-ray diffraction microscopy with coherent diffraction-imaging techniques, and that can enable in situ strain-sensitive imaging of lattice structure in ensembles of deeply embedded crystals over five decades of length scale upon full realization. We demonstrate that the combination of these two characterization methods enables a more complete picture of the crystal-lattice strain than either method is capable of providing individually. Such complementary imaging capabilities are critical to addressing questions in a variety of research areas such as materials science and engineering, chemistry, and solid-state physics. Towards this eventual goal, the following key aspects are demonstrated: (1) high-energy Bragg coherent diffraction imaging (HE BCDI) of submicron-scale crystallites at 52 keV at current third-generation synchrotron light sources, (2) HE BCDI performed in conjunction with far-field high-energy diffraction microscopy (FF HEDM) on the grains of a polycrystalline sample in a smoothly integrated manner, and (3) the orientation information of an ensemble of grains obtained via FF HEDM used to perform complementary HE BCDI on multiple Bragg reflections of a single targeted grain. The imaged structures are seen to be $477\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}50$ nm or smaller in size, with an estimated strain resolution of $2.5\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}{10}^{\ensuremath{-}4}$. These steps lay the foundation for integration of HE BCDI, which typically provides a spatial resolution tens of nanometers, into a broad suite of well-established HEDM methods, extending HEDM beyond the few-micrometer resolution bound and into the nanoscale, and positioning the approach to take full advantage of the orders-of-magnitude improvement of x-ray coherence expected at fourth-generation light sources presently being built and commissioned worldwide.
Use of a Noninvasive Ventilation Respiratory Therapist-Driven Weaning Protocol Decreases Patient Time on Noninvasive Ventilation

Background: Protocol driven care has been well documented to provide effective and efficient care for patient needs. There has been scarce data documenting the value of a noninvasive (NIV) weaning protocol with the goal of decreasing hours (h) patients are on NIV. In order to validate the hypothesis that patients with acute respiratory or cardiac decompensation an evidenced based RT driven weaning protocol would decrease total NIV h. Methods: An IRB approved Quality Improvement Project conducted in a Medical Intensive Care Unit. Data from a pre-intervention period of physician directed weaning was compared to prospective data obtained during post-intervention of RT protocol directed use. The Mann-Whitney U test was used to analyze the continuous variables of NIV hours (h) and ICU hours. Results: A total of 24 non-OSA diagnosed patients’ who experienced acute decompensation due to pulmonary or cardiac reasons NIV hours were compared. Review of 11 randomly selected patients in the pre-protocol physician directed NIV period was compared to 13 consecutive patients in the post-protocol period when placed on a three day RT directed NIV wean. Pre-intervention period median NIV h for the physician directed NIV wean: Day One 8.44 h, Day Two 4.34 h, and Day Three 0.0 h. Median overall ICU hours were 179.5 in the pre-intervention period. Post intervention Protocol managed median NIV hours; Day One 4.5 h, Day Two 0.0 h, and Day Three 0.0 h. Median overall ICU hours during the post period was 73.1. Mann-Whitney Test η1 = η2 vs η1 ≠ η2 was used for analysis of significance of change for both NIV and ICU hours. The decrease in NIV hours was statistically significant at 0.035. The decrease in ICU hours was not statistically significant at 0.271, No complications or adverse events occurred for any of the patients in the pre or post period. Conclusions: The statistically significantly decrease in NIV hours validates the hypothesis that use of a RT driven protocol is effective in decreasing time on NIV. Although ICU hours decreased for the RT protocol group, it was not statistically significant. In conclusion the RT Protocol directed NIV wean is safe and led to a statistically significant decrease in median hours of NIV with RT driven protocol use. Additionally, RT labor hours and ICU bed availability may be gained by implementation of a RT directed NIV weaning protocol.
Seasonal and Diurnal Variations of Backcalculated Layers Moduli in Flexible Pavements and FWD Testing Guidelines

Seasonal and diurnal variations can significantly impact falling weight deflectometer (FWD) measurements and, thus, deflection-based parameters such as back-calculated layer moduli. Therefore, it i...
Designing San Francisco: art, land, and urban renewal in the city by the Bay

In an engaging text that offers a sweeping view of land struggles in and around the city of San Francisco, Alison Isenberg’s Designing San Francisco argues that postwar west coast urban planning pr...
Stay Competitive in the Digital Age: The Future of Banks

The latest advancement in financial technology has posed unprecedented challenges for incumbent banks. This paper analyzes the implications of these challenges on bank competitveness, and explores the factors that could support digital advancement in banks. The analysis shows that the traditionally leading role of banks in advancing financial technology has diminished in recent years, and suggests that onoing efforts to catch up to the digital frontier could lead to a more concentrated banking industry, as smaller and less tech-savvy banks struggle to survive. Cross-country evidence has suggested that banks in high-income economies appear to have been the digital leaders, likely benefiting from a sound digital infrastructure, a strong legal and business environment, and healthy competition. Nonetheless, some digital leaders may fall behind in the coming years in adopting newer technologies due to entrenched consumer behavior favoring older technologies, less active fintech and bigtech companies, and weak bank balance sheets.
The Copyright Tax

In 1841, Lord Babington described copyright “as a tax on readers for the purpose of giving a bounty to writers.” In this article, I take that description literally. Treating copyright as a tax-and-subsidy system, I use a novel data set to estimate the amount of the copyright tax and to demonstrate that the copyright tax has increased significantly for books and music with the transition from analog to digital distribution. I then explore who pays it. Finally, I use the rise-and-fall of the sound recording copyright as a natural experiment to explore what, if anything, taxpayers have received in return for paying their copyright taxes. Using a second new data set of stream counts scraped from last.fm for the year-end Hot 100 songs for the last fifty-seven years, I show that in the recording industry, a higher copyright tax-and-subsidy did not give taxpayers more and better music. If anything, it gave them less and worse, ceteris paribus. In other words, I show that copyright is the most pernicious kind of tax. It takes and gives nothing in return.
Racial Disparities at the End of Life

Black people diagnosed with terminal cancer have greater odds of intensive care unit and emergency department admissions, and those with lung cancer are also more likely to undergo mechanical ventilation.1 Black patients with trauma are more likely to undergo highly invasive procedures and experience physician and systems-based biases compared with White patients with trauma.2 When addressing end-of-life matters, physicians offer less information about a diagnosis, prognosis, and treatments to Black patients.1,2 Failure to share such information can lead to care that is discordant with patient values and late referrals to hospice or palliative care services. Black patients are more likely to have difficulty accessing medications;their caregivers are less likely to receive home visits from care providers and aides, even when enrolled in hospice.3 Successful end-of-life care relies on trusting relationships between physicians and patients.5,6 Trust in physicians is associated with higher patient satisfaction, better perceived quality of care, enhanced treatment adherence, improved satisfaction, and higher quality of life with fewer symptoms.7–9 Extra effort is needed to build trust with minority patients in interracial settings.10–12 Research shows that building trust depends on the physician's communication skills and knowledge about the patient.8 Successful communication in end-of-life care includes the assessment of patients' values, beliefs, and preferences before life-altering decisions need to be made. Black patients often rely on religious community support for medical decision-making.24 Spiritual beliefs may influence care preferences, as evidenced by belief in divine intervention or miracles, that suffering is redemptive, and that God alone determines life and death.25 Racial disparities at the end of life can be mitigated through improved communication, relationship building, advance care planning, and community outreach.
Gene transfer of MRCKα rescues lipopolysaccharide-induced acute lung injury by restoring alveolar capillary barrier function

Acute Lung Injury/Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ALI/ARDS) is characterized by alveolar edema accumulation with reduced alveolar fluid clearance (AFC), alveolar-capillary barrier disruption, and substantial inflammation, all leading to acute respiratory failure. Enhancing AFC has long been considered one of the primary therapeutic goals in gene therapy treatments for ARDS. We previously showed that electroporation-mediated gene delivery of the Na+, K+-ATPase β1 subunit not only increased AFC, but also restored alveolar barrier function through upregulation of tight junction proteins, leading to treatment of LPS-induced ALI in mice. We identified MRCKα as an interaction partner of β1 which mediates this upregulation in cultured alveolar epithelial cells. In this study, we investigate whether electroporation-mediated gene transfer of MRCKα to the lungs can attenuate LPS-induced acute lung injury in vivo. Compared to mice that received a non-expressing plasmid, those receiving the MRCKα plasmid showed attenuated LPS-increased pulmonary edema and lung leakage, restored tight junction protein expression, and improved overall outcomes. Interestingly, gene transfer of MRCKα did not alter AFC rates. Studies using both cultured microvascular endothelial cells and mice suggest that β1 and MRCKα upregulate junctional complexes in both alveolar epithelial and capillary endothelial cells, and that one or both barriers may be positively affected by our approach. Our data support a model of treatment for ALI/ARDS in which improvement of alveolar-capillary barrier function alone may be of more benefit than improvement of alveolar fluid clearance.
Mobile health and neurocognitive domains evaluation through smartphones: A meta-analysis.

Background Mobile health (mHealth) have significantly advanced evaluating neurocognitive functions; but, few reports have documented whether they validate neurocognitive impairments as well as paper-and-pencil neuropsychological tests. Objective To meta-analyze the correlation between mobile applications for neuropsychological tests and validated paper-and-pencil neuropsychological tests for evaluating neurocognitive impairments. Method We used PubMed, Embase, Cochrane, Web of Science, and IEEE Explorer through January 2020 to identify studies that compared mobile applications for neuropsychological tests vs. paper-and-pencil neurophysiological tests. We used random-effects models via the DerSimonian and Laird method to extract pooled Pearson's correlation coefficients and we stratified by study design. Result Nine out of 4639 screened articles (one RCT and eight prospective longitudinal case series) were included. For the observational studies, there was a statistically significant strong and direct correlation between mobile applications for neuropsychological test scores and validated paper-and-pencil neuropsychological assessment scores (r = 0.70; 95% CI 0.59, 0.79; I2 = 74.5%; p- heterogeneity Conclusion This meta-analysis showed a statistically significant correlation between mobile applications and the validated paper-and-pencil neuropsychological assessments analyzed for the evaluation of neurocognitive impairments.
Expedient Knocks and Cowering Citizens: The Supreme Court Enables Police to Manufacture Emergencies by Pounding on Doors at Will in Kentucky v. King

This article analyzes Kentucky v. King, in which the Supreme Court considered whether a warrantless entry based on exigent circumstances satisfied Fourth Amendment reasonableness even though officers, in knocking on the door, could have foreseen that their own actions could provoke the emergency of occupants attempting to destroy contraband. The King Court ruled that the entry would be reasonable so long as the conduct of police prior to entry was, in itself, entirely lawful. This work examines the concerns created by King’s ruling. This article asserts that King has diminished the Court’s warrant requirement by undermining its status as a constitutional rule. King’s reasoning has also altered the definition of exigent circumstances by inserting a new component based on the occupant’s reaction to police conduct. Moreover, King’s new formulation of exigency has potentially impacted the Fourth Amendment’s definition of seizure of a person. Finally, King’s refusal to consider the foreseeability of police behavior has altered the balance between the interests of law enforcement and the citizenry.  Professor at California State University Fullerton at the Division of Politics, Administration, and Justice. J.D., Loyola Law School; B.A., University of California, Los Angeles. 1 Dery: Expedient Knocks and Cowering Citizens: The Supreme Court Enables Published by Berkeley Law Scholarship Repository, 2012
Rabs and Other G Proteins

All G proteins contain a canonical GTPase fold for binding and hydrolyzing GTP, and consequently alternate between GTP- and GDP-bound conformations and can regulate diverse cellular functions. Small 20–30 kDa G proteins contain only the GTPase domain while large G proteins contain additional regulatory domains. The Rab family consists of a large number of small G proteins involved in regulation of intracellular membrane trafficking in all eukaryotes from the last eukaryotic common ancestor (LECA) to human. In addition, other small and large G proteins discussed in this overview are essential regulators of signal transduction, cytoskeleton organization, and protein synthesis and translocation in the cell.
Polymer translocation through a nanopore: a geometry dependence study

The translocation of a single stranded nucleic acid polymer through a nanopore, by an external electric field applied across the pore, may be well described by a 1-D drift-diffusion model. Translocation times and velocities are calculated for a homopolymer driven through a nanopore, where the polymer-pore interaction dominates the polymer dynamics. In this model a purely electrostatic polymer-pore interaction is introduced, calculated from atomic charges on the polymer and pore. Simulation results show that the peak repulsion force occurs on the polymer during entry into the pore. In addition, the peak polymer-pore interaction is shown to decrease with polymer length for homopolymers with less than 20 nucleotides. The modeling results offer an explanation for the enhanced drift velocities experimentally observed for such short polymers. The dependence of the polymer translocation time on the pore geometry is investigated. For increasing pore radius the translocation velocity approaches the free space drift velocity for the surrounding ionic solution.
Molecular Characterization of Notch1 Positive Progenitor Cells in the Developing Retina.

The oscillatory expression of Notch signaling in neural progenitors suggests that both repressors and activators of neural fate specification are expressed in the same progenitors. Since Notch1 regulates photoreceptor differentiation and contributes (together with Notch3) to ganglion cell fate specification, we hypothesized that genes encoding photoreceptor and ganglion cell fate activators would be highly expressed in Notch1 receptor-bearing (Notch1+) progenitors, directing these cells to differentiate into photoreceptors or into ganglion cells when Notch1 activity is diminished. To identify these genes, we used microarray analysis to study expression profiles of whole retinas and isolated from them Notch1+ cells at embryonic day 14 (E14) and postnatal day 0 (P0). To isolate Notch1+ cells, we utilized immunomagnetic cell separation. We also used Notch3 knockout (Notch3KO) animals to evaluate the contribution of Notch3 signaling in ganglion cell differentiation. Hierarchical clustering of 6,301 differentially expressed genes showed that Notch1+ cells grouped near the same developmental stage retina cluster. At E14, we found higher expression of repressors (Notch1, Hes5) and activators (Dll3, Atoh7, Otx2) of neuronal differentiation in Notch1+ cells compared to whole retinal cell populations. At P0, Notch1, Hes5, and Dll1 expression was significantly higher in Notch1+ cells than in whole retinas. Otx2 expression was more than thirty times higher than Atoh7 expression in Notch1+ cells at P0. We also observed that retinas of wild type animals had only 14% (P < 0.05) more ganglion cells compared to Notch3KO mice. Since this number is relatively small and Notch1 has been shown to contribute to ganglion cell fate specification, we suggested that Notch1 signaling may play a more significant role in RGC development than the Notch3 signaling cascade. Finally, our findings suggest that Notch1+ progenitors—since they heavily express both pro-ganglion cell (Atoh7) and pro-photoreceptor cell (Otx2) activators—can differentiate into either ganglion cells or photoreceptors.
Pulmonary and Cardiovascular Complications of Obesity: An Autopsy Study of 76 Obese Subjects

Abstract Context.—Obesity is associated with sleep disordered breathing and cardiovascular morbidity, but the relationship between pulmonary hypertension, heart disease, and obesity is unknown. Objective.—To determine the prevalence of pulmonary and cardiovascular disease in obese subjects undergoing autopsy at a large medical center. Design.—A search through autopsy records from an 11-year period identified 76 subjects with a body mass index greater than 30 kg/m2 and 46 age-matched, nonobese controls. Clinical data were collected from medical charts and autopsy records. Formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded sections of lungs and heart were reviewed for each subject. The presence of pulmonary edema, hemorrhage, diffuse alveolar damage, thrombi, and pulmonary hypertensive changes, including intimal fibrosis, medial hypertrophy, muscularization of arterioles, alveolar capillary hemangiomatosis, hemosiderosis, and iron encrustation were documented. Hearts were examined for the presence of cardiomegaly, ventricul...
Sa1153 Cost-Effectiveness of Nonmelanoma Skin Cancer Screening in Crohn's Disease Patients

BACKGROUND Several studies have demonstrated an increased risk of nonmelanoma skin cancer (NMSC) in patients with inflammatory bowel disease, with the greatest risk in patients with Crohn's disease (CD). We investigated the cost-effectiveness of NMSC screening in patients with CD. METHODS A mathematical model was used to compare lifetime costs, life expectancies, and benefits of NMSC screening in a hypothetical cohort of 100,000 patients with CD. Strategies studied include: (1) Treat NMSC cases as they present and follow affected patients annually; (2) Screen patients with CD annually once they turn 50 years old, treat NMSC cases as they present and follow affected patients annually; (3) Screen patients with CD annually once they start receiving thiopurines, treat NMSC cases as they present and follow affected patients annually; (4) Screen patients with CD annually when they turn 50 years old or start receiving thiopurines, treat NMSC cases as they present, and follow affected patients annually; (5) Screen all patients with CD annually. These strategies were then studied on a biennial basis, accounting for 10 competing strategies. RESULTS Screening all patients with CD annually proved the most cost-effective strategy with an average lifetime cost of more than $333,000, a quality-adjusted life expectancy of about 26 QALYs (95% confidence interval: 22-29), ICER of $3263/QALY, and led to early detection of about 94% of incident NMSC cases. The next best strategy was screening all CD patients biennially with an average lifetime cost of more than $328,000 with 24.5 QALYs (95% confidence interval: 21-25). Only 47% of new NMSC cases were detected early with this strategy. CONCLUSION At a willingness-to-pay threshold of $50,000, screening all patients with CD annually for NMSC proved the most cost-effective strategy.
Role of host cellular response in differential susceptibility of nonimmunized BALB/c mice to Plasmodium berghei and Plasmodium yoelii sporozoites.

We found BALB/c mice to be on the order of 2,000 times more susceptible to Plasmodium yoelii than Plasmodium berghei sporozoites, as measured by the ability of these sporozoites to differentiate into microscopically detectable hepatic schizonts in the livers of immunologically naive mice. One of the factors that determine the relative insusceptibility of mice to P. berghei sporozoites is the innate cellular inflammatory response that the mice mount after injection with sporozoites. The cellular inflammatory response against P. berghei is initiated soon after sporozoite injection; by 24 h, substantial histopathological changes have developed within the liver. There is considerably less of a cellular inflammatory response against P. yoelii; significant histopathological changes within the liver are not observed until well after hepatic schizonts have begun to rupture at around 44 h postinjection of sporozoites. These differences in the cellular inflammatory response against two different, closely related species of sporozoites are of considerable interest. The data strongly suggest that the BALB/c-P. berghei sporozoite system is a relatively poor biological model for sporozoite immunization studies. Images