cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Differential Polymer Structure Tunes Mechanism of Cellular Uptake and Transfection Routes of Poly(β-amino ester) Polyplexes in Human Breast Cancer Cells

Successful gene delivery with nonviral particles has several barriers, including cellular uptake, endosomal escape, and nuclear transport. Understanding the mechanisms behind these steps is critical to enhancing the effectiveness of gene delivery. Polyplexes formed with poly(β-amino ester)s (PBAEs) have been shown to effectively transfer DNA to various cell types, but the mechanism of their cellular uptake has not been identified. This is the first study to evaluate the uptake mechanism of PBAE polyplexes and the dependence of cellular uptake on the end group and molecular weight of the polymer. We synthesized three different analogues of PBAEs with the same base polymer poly(1,4-butanediol diacrylate-co-4-amino-1-butanol) (B4S4) but with small changes in the end group or molecular weight. We quantified the uptake and transfection efficiencies of the pDNA polyplexes formulated from these polymers in hard-to-transfect triple negative human breast cancer cells (MDA-MB 231). All polymers formed positively charged (10-17 mV) nanoparticles of ∼200 nm in size. Cellular internalization of all three formulations was inhibited the most (60-90% decrease in cellular uptake) by blocking caveolae-mediated endocytosis. Greater inhibition was shown with polymers that had a 1-(3-aminopropyl)-4-methylpiperazine end group (E7) than the others with a 2-(3-aminopropylamino)-ethanol end group (E6) or higher molecular weight. However, caveolae-mediated endocytosis was generally not as efficient as clathrin-mediated endocytosis in leading to transfection. These findings indicate that PBAE polyplexes can be used to transfect triple negative human breast cancer cells and that small changes to the same base polymer can modulate their cellular uptake and transfection routes.
The Racialization - Deracialization Concept in Political Science: Concepts, Controversies, and Critiques

Panel Proposed by: Joseph McCormick (Penn State York) and David C. Wilson (University of Delaware)We propose a panel that addresses one of the most controversial, but important, concepts in the racial politics literature: framing. Policies, issues, and candidates are framed in many ways, and of the most prevalent and effects frames is that of race. Racial framing centers around two essential polar opposites, racialized and deracialized. Many Black political scientists (e.g., McCormick, Jones, Orey, Gillespie) have actually focused on the “deracialized” side of the continuum, constructing arguments about the behavioral and institutional forms of politics that avoid race; while many white political scientists (e.g., Mendelberg, Tesler and Sears, Kinder and Sanders) have focused on the “racialized” side, proclaiming that racial thinking is easily activated because of deeply held predispositions about race. Unfortunately, the two ends of the continuum rarely meet in an effort to understand the array of causes and consequences of racialized-deracialized politics.
Diffusion Simulation Analysis of Radioactive Nuclides of Liquid in Nuclear Accidents Emergency Decision

The prediction of the concentration of radioactive nuclides is the basis and premise of emergency action and radioprotection.This paper built up radioactive nuclides transient,continous and steady state pollution spot source model of 3-dimension diffusion of radioactive nuclides in liquid on the basis of 1.dimension diffusion model.The quick simulation analysis of radioactive nuclides pollution diffusion is carried out by writing procedure and the diffusion trend of radioactive nuclides is well imitated.The research results could help to determine the emergency-rescue plan and tactics during nuclear accidents for related agency.
Comparison of good clinical practice and its inspection system between China and Japan

To accelerate good clinical practice(GCP) implementation in China,and improve the competitiveness of China in international clinical trial area,we should use the experience of developed countries for reference.Introduced the GCP implementation,legal basis,inspection system and training in Japan,compared with China′s situation,and made a conclusion of the useful points.China and Japan have a lot of similarities in GCP regulation and inspection system,and also have their own advantages and characteristics.
Surgical anatomy in aesthetic and corrective rhinoplasty.

Artistic skill and anatomic knowledge of the nose and its variations are essential in recognizing abnormalities and in planning treatment. The successful rhinoplasty results in a nose aesthetically pleasing to the patient and surgeon and restores or retains the normal functional elements of the internal nose.
Introduction: The Practical Import of Political Inquiry

Chapter 1 introduces some of the major themes of the work, such as the practical nature of the participant’s perspective, and delineates this perspective in relation to a number of approaches to the question of practical import put forward by participants in the Perestroika list: primarily realist, post-modern, Wittgenstein and phronetic approaches.
Clinical Presentation of Mucosal Acute and Chronic Graft-Versus-Host Disease

Graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) may affect any mucosal site and is a significant source of patient morbidity. Acute and chronic GVHD at various mucosal sites share similarities in symptoms, clinical signs, and histopathologic features. Early and accurate diagnosis of GVHD, in conjunction with timely intervention, is key to minimizing discomfort and unnecessary medication exposure, and to preventing irreversible organ damage and functional deficits. In stem cell transplant patients, GVHD must be distinguished from other causes of mucosal inflammation and discomfort, including medication effect, infection, and malignancy. Careful surveillance of mucosal sites is key to prevention, detection, and management of GVHD and other complications of stem cell transplantation. Significant advances in our understanding of the presentation and pathogenesis of GVHD continue to drive further clarification of classification, staging, and management of GVHD at mucosal sites (Figs. 4.1, 4.2, 4.3, 4.4, 4.5, and 4.6; Tables 4.1, 4.2, 4.3, 4.4, 4.5, and 4.6).
Dynamic erasure-coded data retrieval in elastic optical data center networks

A flexible data retrieval service is needed in data center networks, where erasure coding has been widely adopted. Elastic Optical Networks, based on Nyquist wavelength division multiplexing or optical orthogonal frequency division multiplexing is an ideal backbone for data centers, since they can efficiently utilize the optical fiber's bandwidth in an elastic manner by partitioning the bandwidth into hundreds or even thousands of subcarriers. In this paper, we study the erasure-coded data retrieval problem for dynamic traffic in elastic optical networks, the objective is to minimize the blocking ratio. A heuristic based on List Scheduling was proposed. Simulation results show that the blocking ratio is reduced in comparison to a benchmark method.
Venous Phase Timing Does Not Predict SPECT Results During Balloon Test Occlusion of the Internal Carotid Artery

Introduction The purpose of this study is to evaluate the role of venous phase timing when compared with technetium-99m Single Photon Emission Computed Tomography (SPECT) during angiographic balloon test occlusion of the internal carotid artery (ICA) and subsequent sacrifice of the ICA. Methods Fifty-six patients underwent formal balloon test occlusion from April 2008 to February 2014 at our institution. Venous phase timing was calculated for each patient. SPECT imaging for each patient was interpreted by the nuclear medicine radiologist. Statistical analysis on the 3 groups (No Hypoperfusion, Mild Hypoperfusion, Moderate/Severe Hypoperfusion) was calculated using analysis of variance. Results Twenty-six patients showed no hypoperfusion during SPECT. The average delay of venous phase for these patients was 0.65 seconds. Eight of the 26 patients went on to have vessel sacrifice, with none showing evidence of infarction at the time of discharge. Six patients showed evidence of mild hypoperfusion on SPECT. None of these patients went on to have vessel sacrifice. The average venous delay was 0.5 seconds. Twenty-four patients were found to have moderate or severe hypoperfusion. The average venous delay was 1.08 seconds. Analysis of variance among the 3 groups demonstrated no significant difference (P = 0.22). Conclusion Our study demonstrated no correlation between venous phase timing and SPECT. Future studies comparing multiple tests with patients who have had vessel occlusion are necessary to determine the best adjunctive measures to predict delayed ischemia following carotid occlusion.
Acetylation of mitochondrial proteins by GCN5L1 promotes enhanced fatty acid oxidation in the heart.

Recent research has shown that acetylation of mitochondrial fatty acid oxidation enzymes has greatly contrasting effects on their activity in different tissues. Here, we provide new evidence that a...
User-preference-driven model predictive control of residential building loads and battery storage for demand response

This paper presents a user-preference-driven home energy management system (HEMS) for demand response (DR) with residential building loads and battery storage. The HEMS is based on a multi-objective model predictive control algorithm, where the objectives include energy cost, thermal comfort, and carbon emission. A multi-criterion decision making method originating from social science is used to quickly determine user preferences based on a brief survey and derive the weights of different objectives used in the optimization process. Besides the residential appliances used in the traditional DR programs, a home battery system is integrated into the HEMS to improve the flexibility and reliability of the DR resources. Simulation studies have been performed on field data from a residential building stock data set. Appliance models and usage patterns were learned from the data to predict the DR resource availability. Results indicate the HEMS was able to provide a significant amount of load reduction with less than 20% prediction error in both heating and cooling cases.
The Role of Inference in Attribute Framing Effects

Previous research has shown that a speaker's choice between logically equivalent frames is influenced by reference point information, and that listeners draw accurate inferences based on the frame. Less clear, however, is whether these inferences play a causal role in generating attribute framing effects. Two experiments are reported, which suggest that frame-dependent inferences are sufficient to generate attribute framing effects, and that blocking such inferences may block framing effects. Experiment 1 decomposed the typical framing design into two parts: One group of participants saw a target described in one of two attribute frames and reported their estimates (inferences) of the typical attribute value. These estimates were then given to a second group of yoked participants, who evaluated the target. Although this latter group was not exposed to different attribute frames, they nevertheless exhibited a “framing effect” as a result of receiving systematically different inferences. In contrast, Experiment 2 shows that experts—who are familiar with an attribute's distribution and are therefore less likely to draw strong frame-based inferences—exhibit a diminished framing effect. Together, these findings underscore the role of inferences in the generation and attenuation of attribute framing effects. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Validation of New Tests

Validating new tests is a recurring problem that pathologists face. The field of diagnostic medicine has a high rate of innovation and the laboratories need to adapt and implement new tests to address clinical needs and remain relevant. Validation ensures that the test performs as expected and satisfies the requirements of the lab, manufacturer, and regulatory bodies.The validation process requires the test to fulfill the requirements of its specific intended use through objective measures. The tests need to satisfy these requirements and they need to do it consistently. This process has three steps: define performance goals, assess error and finally compare the error with the goals. In this chapter, we will explain the steps involved in validation of new tests and explain the objective measurements that are needed for validation.
Multi-view object-based classification of wetland land covers using unmanned aircraft system images

Abstract Traditionally, the multiple images collected by cameras mounted on Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) are mosaicked into a single orthophoto on which Object-Based Image Analysis (OBIA) is conducted. This approach does not take advantage of the Multi-View (MV) information of the individual images. In this study, we introduce a new OBIA approach utilizing multi-view information of original UAS images and compare its performance with that of traditional OBIA, which uses only the orthophoto (Ortho-OBIA). The proposed approach, called multi-view object-based image analysis (MV-OBIA), classifies multi-view object instances on UAS images corresponding to each orthophoto object and utilizes a voting procedure to assign a final label to the orthophoto object. The proposed MV-OBIA is also compared with the classification approaches based on Bidirectional Reflectance Distribution Function (BRDF) simulation. Finally, to reduce the computational burden of multi-view object-based data generation for MV-OBIA and make the proposed approach more operational in practice, this study proposes two window-based implementations of MV-OBIA that utilize a window positioned at the geometric centroid of the object instance, instead of the object instance itself, to extract features. The first window-based MV-OBIA adopts a fixed window size (denoted as FWMV-OBIA), while the second window-based MV-OBIA uses an adaptive window size (denoted as AWMV-OBIA). Our results show that the MV-OBIA substantially improves the overall accuracy compared with Ortho-OBIA, regardless of the features used for classification and types of wetland land covers in our study site. Furthermore, the MV-OBIA also demonstrates a much higher efficiency in utilizing the multi-view information for classification based on its considerably higher overall accuracy compared with BRDF-based methods. Lastly, FWMV-OBIA and AWMV-OBIA both show potential in generating an equal if not higher overall accuracy compared with MV-OBIA at substantially reduced computational costs.
Why the Human Perceiver Is a Bad Machine

Abstract The human perceiver exhibits weaknesses that would not be tolerated in a machine perceiving system, for instance gross lapses of metric accuracy and limited abilities for error correction, backup, and top-down control. These weaknesses, taken together with the obvious success of the human perceiver, suggest that the human visual system employs tactics quite different from those of most machine systems: aspects of the scene are processed on a need-to-know basis, errors outside the current need to know are tolerated, only high probability inferences are made, and searches through alternative interpretations are avoided. More attention to the human tactics in machine perception research might yield both a better understanding of our visual system and a fruitful alternative approach to designing machines that see.
Peanut skin phenolic extract attenuates hyperglycemic responses in vivo and in vitro

Diabetes affects at least 285 million people globally, and this number continues to increase. Clinical complications include impaired glucose metabolism, hyperglycemia, dyslipidemia, atherosclerosis and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. Evidence has shown that natural phenolics play a protective effect on both the development and management of type 2 diabetes. This study evaluated effects of the extract from peanut skins containing polyphenols on induced- hyperglycemia using in vivo and in vitro methods. A human hepatocellular liver carcinoma cell line (HepG2) was used to investigate the effect of the peanut skin extract on cell viability after exposure to high glucose concentrations. In vivo, the effect of peanut skin extract on an oral glucose tolerance was investigated in human subjects. Fifteen participants aged 21-32 underwent an oral glucose tolerance test with five treatments: 1) 50-gram glucose solution (reference); 2). 50-gram glucose solution, followed by 12 mg of vegi-capsulated maltodextrin; 3) 50-gram glucose solution, followed by 120 mg of vegi-capsulated maltodextrin-encapsulated peanut skin extract; 4). 50-gram glucose solution, followed by 28 grams of unfortified coated peanuts; 5) 50-gram glucose solution, followed by 28 grams of chili lime coated peanuts fortified with encapsulated peanut skin extract. Glucose levels were measured using a continuous monitor. Peanut skin extract was found to attenuate the decrease in cell viability in high glucose treated HepG2 cells, showing a protective effect against hyperglycemia induced cell death. No difference in the glycemic response area under the curve between any treatments using the tolerance test, but the treatment of the peanut skin extract with the glucose reference resulted in a significantly lower peak blood glucose response at 45 minutes, indicating that it was effective at reducing the glycemic response. The present study shows that the phenolic extract of peanut skins has an antidiabetic effect, further confirming their value as a functional food ingredient.
Germination ecology for Florida populations of carpetweed (Mollugo verticillata), Carolina geranium (Geranium carolinianum), eclipta (Eclipta prostrata), and goosegrass (Eleusine indica).

Row-middle weed control in Florida vegetable production is challenging and often necessitates several PRE and POST herbicide applications. Coordinating POST spray applications with emergence timings should increase herbicide efficacy by targeting susceptible growth stages. Most published emergence models were developed in temperate climates, and adapting them to subtropical climates can be complex and requires reductionist insights into seed ecology, particularly germination and dormancy. The study objective was to examine the influence of temperature and osmotic potential on seed germination of carpetweed (Mollugo verticillata L.), Carolina geranium (Geranium carolinianum L.), eclipta [Eclipta prostrata (L.) L.], and goosegrass [Eleusine indica (L.) Gaertn.]. Mollugo verticillata seed germination was positively photoblastic, with increased germination at high temperatures (≥35 C), more so with high fluctuating temperatures (35/20 and 35/25 C), and occurred at osmotic potentials as low as −0.5 MPa. Geranium carolinianum seed germinated between 10 and 20 C in light or darkness and at osmotic potentials as low as −0.4 MPa. Eclipta prostrata seed germination was entirely positively photoblastic, occurring optimally between 15 and 25 C and at osmotic potentials as low as −1 MPa. Eleusine indica seed germination demonstrated some degree of positive photoblasticity, with greater germination in the light, peak germination at 35 C, and germination occurring at osmotic potentials as low as −0.5 MPa. Described germination ecology for selected species will provide insights for building ecology-based growing degree-day accounting restrictions for empirically derived emergence models.
Biggest concerns of school personnel about students raised by grandparents

Abstract An electronic survey was administered to school personnel in the state of Kentucky to examine their biggest concerns about students raised by grandparents. Targeted school personnel were teachers, administrators, youth family service staff, and guidance counselors. 188 school personnel answered the question “What is the biggest concern that you have about your students who reside in grandparent-headed households?” The most common concerns were students' social, emotional, and academic needs and grandparent caregivers' wellbeing, involvement, and parenting style. Less frequent identified concerns were role modeling and awareness within schools. School personnel had very little prior knowledge or training about grandparents raising grandchildren. These findings can inform intergenerational learning between school personnel and grandparents raising grandchildren.
PERAN INSEMINASI BUATAN ( IB ) TERHADAP SISTEM PERKAWINAN DIKELOMPOK TANI TERNAK LEMBU KAROMAH KECAMATAN TALUDITI KABUPATEN POHUWATO

This study aims to determine the role of artificial insemination (IB) on the marriage system in the group of caromah cattle farmers in Taluditi Sub-District, Pohuwato Regency. The livestock population of 60 cows consisting of A 32 cages and enclosure B 28 tails. The analysis used was descriptive analysis to get the percentage and average number of pregnancies. Parameters observed include: Service Per Conception (S / C) and Conception Rate (C / R). The results showed that (Service Per Conception) obtained results at enclosure A, the S / C value was 1.7 times, and at enclosure B the S / C value was 1.7 times. The percentage of pregnancy (Conception Rate) is obtained at A cage 79% and the result in cage B is C / R value of 67%. The results obtained are strongly influenced by 4 factors, namely; namely frozen semen, female cattle as IB acceptors, inseminator skills and zooteknis knowledge of farmers. The conclusion of this study is that the success rate of Artificial Insemination in Taluditi District, Pohuwato Regency can be categorized as good.
Effect of dough conditioners and refinement on intermediate wheatgrass (Thinopyrum intermedium) bread

Abstract Efforts are underway to establish the perennial grain intermediate wheatgrass (IWG, Thinopyrum intermedium) as food ingredient due to environmental benefits provided by its cultivation. IWG contains more protein than wheat but exhibits poor gluten-forming ability. This study evaluated if refinement or dough conditioners (wheat protein isolate, vital wheat gluten, ascorbic acid, a commercial enzyme blend, and transglutaminase) could compensate for this characteristic. Dough stickiness and physical attributes of breads made with IWG from two growing locations that was either completely, partly or un-refined were measured. In completely or partially refined breads from one location, transglutaminase reduced stickiness (from 0.721 ± 0.022 and 0.494 ± 0.012 to 0.602 ± 0.007 and 0.309 ± 0.006 N, respectively). However, in unrefined breads it resulted in unacceptably dense crumb, decreasing cell counts from 237 ± 16 to 93 ± 22 and 311 ± 28 to 86 ± 7 per area viewed, depending on growing location. In contrast, ascorbic acid improved crumb structure in completely refined breads, decreasing cell counts (from 247 ± 3 to 129 ± 6 and 356 ± 23 to 104 ± 4 per area viewed, depending on growing location) while increasing average cell size. Moreover, surfaces of breads made with ascorbic acid were smooth, while absence or use of other conditioners resulted in uneven, unappealing appearance. These results highlight how processing can improve IWG functionality.
Acceleration and Stabilization of Electron TransferProducts with Improved Quantum Yields upon Cation Binding to a FusedBis-Zinc Porphyrin-Quinone Donor–Acceptor Conjugate

The role of metal ions in promoting electron transfer processes in biological coenzymes is of great significance not only to understand their mechanistic details but also due to their direct utiliz...
Not all predators are equal: miticide non-target effects and differential selectivity.

BACKGROUND Biological control in conventional agroecosystems involves the integration of chemical and conservation tactics, requiring knowledge of pesticide non-target effects on key natural enemies. Even for natural enemy groups such as predatory mites (Acari: Phytoseiidae), where pesticide non-target effects have been thoroughly examined, there may be significant differences in species susceptibility to specific active ingredients, including newer selective products. Using bioassays, we examined lethal (female mortality) and sublethal (fecundity, egg hatch, larval survival) effects of ten miticides on a spider mite pest (Tetranychus urticae) and three insectary-purchased predatory mites (Phytoseiulus persimilis, Neoseiulus californicus, and N. fallacis) commonly used for its management. Susceptibility of field-collected and insectary-reared populations of P. persimilis was also compared. Cumulative impacts on production of larvae by treated female spider mites and predators were compared to create a metric that simultaneously accounted for miticide efficacy and selectivity. RESULTS Bifenthrin was the least selective, as it caused acute toxicity to all predators and had little efficacy against T. urticae. Hexythiazox and cyflumetofen were the most selectively favorable. Phytoseiulus persimilis populations were similar in which miticides they were sensitive to, although the insectary-purchased population was generally more sensitive. CONCLUSIONS All products, including those considered selective (cyflumetofen, bifenazate, acequinocyl) had non-target effects on at least one species of predator tested. This work emphasizes that there is high variability in selectivity among species, highlighting the need to examine key natural enemies individually when creating management programs. Published 2020. This article is a U.S. Government work and is in the public domain in the USA.
Needles in a haystack: Detrital zircon UPb ages and the maximum depositional age of modern global sediment

Abstract The practice of using the youngest detrital grains from a sedimentary deposit to constrain its depositional age has grown rapidly over the past two decades. Researchers that use the maximum depositional age (MDA) as a proxy for a deposit's true depositional age (TDA) assume that processes of mineral crystallization, exhumation, and transport are rapid, such that minimal time elapses between the time recorded by a mineral's age and time of deposition. However, this assumption is in many cases untestable, as it requires independent age constraints that would preclude the need to interpret MDAs as TDAs. This study uses a global compilation of >70,000 detrital zircon U Pb ages from 792 modern and Holocene sediment samples to evaluate the frequency with which various MDA methods approximate the TDA (~0 Ma) and to determine the geologic factors that control the global distribution of Earth's youngest detrital zircon. We show that young ( 106 km2), causing the youngest grains to be missed during routine provenance analysis. Methods of calculating the MDA that rely on just one or two grains yield results that are closest to the TDA in the modern-Holocene dataset. However, use of more conservative MDA methods that rely on multiple, overlapping age measurements are likely necessary for avoiding calculation of an MDA that is younger than the TDA in ancient samples. A number of strategies can be used to increase the likelihood of finding young grains, if present, including conservative mineral separation, ‘high-n’ sampling strategies, and depth-profiling of whole zircon grains. Future efforts to maximize the benefit of MDA analysis could include increased sampling of modern sedimentary systems in underrepresented tectonic settings and depositional environments, development of improved methods for recognizing Pb loss in detrital zircon, and improvements to the precision and accuracy of high-throughput detrital geochronology.
Comment on "A standardized method of classifying pulsed sounds and its application to pulse rate measurement of blue whale southeast Pacific song units" [J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 146, 2145-2154 (2019)].

Patris, Malige, Glotin, Asch, and Buchan [(2019). Acoust. Soc. Am. 146, 2145–2154] proposed a technique for classifying and describing pulsed sounds produced by whales that can improve the precision and objectivity of acoustic measurements from song units. Their analyses revealed that blue whales produce units at precise pulse rates. The structure and precision of the song phrase they describe is remarkably similar to what is seen in song production by chickadees. In both species, precise control of shifts in pulse rate may produce reverberation-related cues that enable listeners to localize singers. The techniques developed by Patris and colleagues thus can provide more accurate measures as well as insights into how animals produce and use songs.
5 – Whole-body Computed Tomography Screening

Publisher Summary This chapter gives an introduction to whole-body computed tomography (CT) screening (WBS). Dr. Harvey Eisenberg began performing WBS with an electron beam CT scanner, using a technique involving a 20-sec scanning acquisition from the neck to the pelvis to include coronary calcium scoring, lung cancer screening, bone densitometry, and an abdominal survey. WBS includes a scan of the head, neck, chest, abdomen, and pelvis. However, WBS is practiced variably in conjunction with other targeted screening examinations such as a chest, abdomen, and pelvis. A serious concern among critics of WBS is that no standards exist for equipment, techniques, personnel, interpretation, or quality for untargeted scans of the whole body. Most practitioners appear to avoid the use of intravenous contrast material because it adds risk, requires monitoring, and add substantial time and cost. However, others observe that many findings are considerably more difficult to detect or characterize without contrast material and that there is limited value to noncontrast examinations for the abdomen. Overdiagnoses represent histologically malignant lesions or other potentially serious diseases that do not progress rapidly enough to harm the patient. Such overdiagnoses, false-positive tests, and incidental findings are the primary flaws of screening because they cause anxiety, procedures, and costs that do not lead to medical benefit. However, among these categories, perhaps incidental findings have received the least attention. Incidental findings may be defined as those that are not related to symptoms or previously detected abnormal physical findings or laboratory results. They are often benign lesions that lead to no symptoms, morbidity, or mortality if ignored.
Emerging financial markets and early US growth

Abstract Studies of early US growth traditionally emphasize real-sector explanations for an acceleration that is evident by the period 1815–1840. Interestingly, establishment of the nation's modern financial structure predated by three decades the transportation improvements and widespread use of water- and steam-powered machinery that are thought to have triggered modernization. We argue that an innovative and expanding financial system, by providing debt and equity financing to businesses and governments as new technologies emerged, was central to early growth and modernization. To test the hypothesis, we employ a set of multivariate time series models that relate measures of banking and equity market activity to investment and business incorporations from 1790 to 1850. The results support the hypothesis of “finance-led” growth. Our new view is at odds with earlier views that emphasize the deficiencies rather than the advantages of the early US financial system.
Molecular Profiling of Thyroid Nodules-Are These Findings Meaningful, or Merely Measurable?: A Review.

Importance Advances in genomic technologies have facilitated the development of sophisticated molecular diagnostic tests for thyroid nodules, in the hopes of better risk stratifying nodules with indeterminate cytopathologic diagnosis. It is unclear whether the widespread, or reflexive, use of these tests will improve outcomes for patients with thyroid nodules. Observations Thyroid nodules are a common and essentially normal finding. Even cytologically indeterminate thyroid nodules have a very low probability (approximately 1%) of representing clinically aggressive cancers and an even lower probability (approximately 0.1%) of representing lethal cancers. Therefore, most indeterminate thyroid nodules are low risk. Even if some will eventually require surgery, many can initially be kept under surveillance rather than requiring immediate surgery. Clinical and radiographic features can be helpful in risk stratifying these nodules. Molecular assays are marketed as tools to improve risk stratification for cytologically indeterminate thyroid nodules. However, the performance of these tests varies markedly across different practice settings, and the predictive value of these tests in real world practice may be lower than the numbers provided on laboratory reports. It is unclear whether these assays improve patient outcomes, such as survival or quality of life, or substantially reduce the number of thyroid surgeries performed. Conclusions and Relevance Because of variable performance, unclear benefit to patients, and questionable cost-effectiveness, clinical practice guidelines in the US and Europe currently do not recommend the universal, reflexive use of molecular assays for cytologically indeterminate thyroid nodules. These tests might offer value when used in selected scenarios, although this is not well understood. Future research should address whether the routine use of these molecular diagnostic tests leads to superior patient survival or quality-of-life outcomes compared with management based on clinical and radiographic criteria.
Roles of Lycopene During Neurite Development of Primary Hippocampal Neurons

Objectives Neurite outgrowth and branching is critical during neuronal development. Failure to achieve proper neurite complexity is highly associated with developmental disorders. We have previously shown that oxidative stress contributes to alteration of neurite morphology. Therefore, nutrients capable of regulating neuronal redox balance may help maintain normal neurite development. We have recently found that lycopene, a nutritional antioxidant, protects mitochondria by preventing generation of mitochondrial superoxide. In this study, we hypothesize that treatment with lycopene improves development of primary hippocampal neurons under physiological conditions.
Circumventing Section 230: Product Liability Lawsuits Threaten Internet Speech

Over the past decade, social media platforms have radically expanded our ability to communicate and transact with one another. Privately owned apps and websites provide spaces for every conceivable sort of human interaction on a hitherto unimaginable scale. As a matter of law, these platforms cannot be treated as the speaker of their users’ speech; Section 230 of the Communications Act places liability for hosted content on its creator. This statute ensures that Americans are served by a wide range of digital publishing platforms. Far from a handout, it should be considered a restatement of the First Amendment’s free speech guarantee for the Internet Age. Although Section 230 enables the creation of tools integral to the exercise of free speech, this intermediary liability protection is increasingly seen as a special protection for industry. Several innovative lawsuits threaten to circumvent Section 230’s protections by alleging that platforms’ scale and ease of use constitute negligent design. These lawsuits present a novel threat to Americans’ access to digital publishing tools by offering a sweeping theory of liability that contravenes the purpose of existing intermediary liability protections. If accepted, the claims would open the door to the continual redesign of social media platforms by lawsuit, limiting and frustrating Americans’ use of the internet.
Removing the ceiling on droplet microfluidics

Abstract We developed an open channel droplet microfluidics system that autonomously generates droplets by utilizing competing hydrostatic and capillary pressure. With only our open channel PTFE device, pipettes, and commercially available carrier fluid, we produce hundreds of microliter droplets; tubing, electronics, or pumps are not required, making droplet technology feasible for research labs without external flow generators. Furthermore, we demonstrated conceptual applications that showcase the process of droplet generation, splitting, transport, incubation, mixing, and sorting in our system. Unlike conventional droplet microfluidics, the open nature of the device enables the use of physical tools such as tweezers and styli to directly access the system; with this, we developed a new method of droplet sorting and transfer that capitalizes on the Cheerios effect, the aggregation of buoyant objects along a liquid interface. Our open channel platform offers enhanced usability, direct access to the droplet contents, easy manufacturability, compact footprint, and high customizability.
Post-Stroke Depression in Patients with Large Spontaneous Intracerebral Hemorrhage.

Abstract Objectives To determine factors associated with post-stroke depression (PSD) and relationship between PSD and functional outcomes in spontaneous intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) using prospective data from a large clinical trial. Materials and Methods MISTIE III, a randomized, multicenter, placebo-controlled trial, was conducted to determine if minimally invasive surgery with thrombolysis improves outcome compared to standard medical care. Our primary outcome was post-stroke depression at 180 days. Secondary outcomes were change in blinded assessment of modified Rankin Scale (mRS) from 30 to 180 days, and from 180 to 365 days. Logistic regression models were used to assess the relationship between PSD and outcomes. Results Among 379 survivors at day 180, 308 completed Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale, of which 111 (36%) were depressed. In the multivariable analysis, female sex (Adjusted Odds Ratio [AOR], 95% Confidence Interval [CI]: 1.93 [1.07-3.48]), Hispanic ethnicity (3.05 [1.19-7.85]), intraventricular hemorrhage (1.88 [1.02-3.45]), right-sided lesions (3.00 [1.43-6.29]), impaired mini mental state examination at day 30 (2.50 [1.13-5.54]), and not being at home at day 30 (3.17 [1.05-9.57]) were significantly associated with higher odds of PSD. Patients with PSD were significantly more likely to have unchanged or worsening mRS from day 30 to 180 (42.3% vs. 25.9%; p=0.004), but not from day 180 to 365. Conclusions We report high burden of PSD in patients with large volume ICH. Impaired cognition and not living at home may be more important than physical limitations in predicting PSD. Increased screening of high-risk post-stroke patients for depression, especially females and Hispanics may be warranted.
Calvin's Christology

Introduction 1. Christ as mediator 2. Christ and the covenant history 3. Christ as priest 4. Christ as king 5. Christ as prophet 6. The person of the mediator.
Continuous Time Behavioral Equilibrium Models

This chapter focused on three contributions that advance the application of continuous time stochastic models to behavioral asset pricing theory. These contributions establish that key results in the discrete time framework extend to continuous time. It describes progress on this front, and offers some comments about the future direction of asset pricing research. A key message here is that future advances in asset pricing will combine the SDF methods favored by neoclassical asset pricing theorists with the psychological assumptions favored by behavioral asset pricing theorists. It first reviews key ideas developed. These reviews appear at the beginning of each major section. In addition, the general layout of the chapter describes new insights associated with the extension from discrete time to continuous time, from a single Brownian motion model featuring no public signal to a dual Brownian motion model featuring a public signal, and from a diffusion framework to a mixed framework featuring both diffusion and jumps. Some remarks about the future direction of asset pricing research appear at the end of the chapter. It also discusses a continuous time model featuring a single Brownian motion, the implications of adding a second Brownian motion to capture the introduction of a public signal, the application of a mixed diffusion-jump process model to study the dynamics of the premium for risk around the bubble period, and finally some subtle issues involving the restrictions in some of the assumptions used in these models.
Trading for National Security? United States Free Trade Agreement in the Middle East and North Africa

Free trade and customs union agreements are the rage. Hundreds of bilateral and regional free trade agreements have been notified to the World Trade Organization (WTO), which in theory "regulates" them under Article XXIV of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT).1 For example, free trade fever has reached such partners as Chile-China, Japan-Mexico, Canada-Costa Rica, Mexico-European Union, and New Zealand-Singapore. This contagion is a relatively recent phenomenon, one which poses systemic risk to the WTO.2 Far more than elsewhere in the world, United States free trade agreements in the Middle East and North Africa pursue economic policies in a seething political cauldron. This environment has led to a distinct friend or foe approach to a region most notable for its subtleties. This article commences with an analysis of free trade with a hard-core ally, Israel. It progresses to free trade with less obvious U.S. allies, Jordan, Morocco, Bahrain and Oman. The United Arab Emirates, with which U.S. free trade negotiations are in progress, is then reviewed as a problematic case study. Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Turkey and other key players in the Middle East and North Africa are woven into the analysis. Various themes permeate this article: The use by the United States of bilateral trade and investment treaties and WTO membership as prerequisites to free trade, links between U.S. free trade agreements and Middle Eastern oil and politics, the future of the Bush Administration's Middle East Free Trade Area (MEFTA) initiative, and the premise that national security can be enhanced and terrorism can be fought through trade. Analysis of these themes is comparative, with particular reference to the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) and WTO law.
Energy security for rural communities in the developing world: The role of fertigated bamboo fencing

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to demonstrate the viability of using bamboo hybrid fencing fertigated with grey water as a means of providing energy to rural communities in developing countries. Design/methodology/approach – The paper establishes such returns by developing a decision support system (DSS) model populated with parameters obtained from literature and field data. The DSS allows for a sensitivity analysis that examines the robustness of the hybrid bio-fencing under varying scenarios and the interactions among species, management, and technological variables. Findings – Critical variables identified include the technological efficiency, number of clumps per m2 planted and the influence of grey water on growth rates. Practical implications – In the developing countries, uncertainty abounds in rural “green” interventions. Such uncertainties can be quite problematic especially for marginal communities. This research provides developmental agents with the ability to derive specific economic...
Population increase, economic growth, educational inequality, and income distribution: Some recent evidence☆

Abstract Using a recent inter-country sample, impacts of population increase, short-run growth rate, and educational level and inequality on income distribution are assessed. As in almost all other studies, high population increase is observed to be a disequalizer. However, unlike the position indicated in several earlier studies, rapid short-run economic growth seems to reduce income inequality. While higher mean schooling level appears to be a mild equalizer, contrary to the results reported by earlier researchers, no adverse effect of educational inequality on income distribution is found.
Pursuing parity for women in science

Although women studying in and entering scientific fields have made significant strides in both academia and industry over the past several decades, many of these gains toward parity have stalled, according to a new report, “Balancing the Equation: Where Are Women and Girls in Science, Engineering and Technology?” The report was issued July 17 by the U.S. National Council for Research on Women (NCRW). The council is an alliance of 95 research centers, policy organizations, and educational coalitions.
Elimination of ALDH+ breast tumor initiating cells by docosahexanoic acid and/or gamma tocotrienol through SHP-1 inhibition of Stat3 signaling

Study investigated the ability of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) alone and in combination with gamma-tocotrienol (γT3) to eliminate aldehyde dehydrogenase positive (ALDH+) cells and to inhibit mammosphere formation, biomarker and functional assay for tumor initiating cells (TICs), respectively, in human triple negative breast cancer cells (TNBCs), and investigated possible mechanisms of action. DHA upregulated Src homology region 2 domain-containing protein tyrosine phosphatase-1 (SHP-1) protein levels and suppressed levels of phosphorylated signal transducer and activator of transcription-3 (pStat3) and its downstream mediators c-Myc, and cyclin D1. siRNA to SHP-1 enhanced the percentage of ALDH+ cells and Stat-3 signaling, as well as inhibited, in part, the ability of DHA to reduce the percentage of ALDH+ cells and Stat-3 signaling. γT3 alone and in combination with DHA reduced ALDH+ TNBCs, up-regulated SHP-1 protein levels, and suppressed Stat-3 signaling. Taken together, data demonstrate the anti-TIC potential of achievable concentrations of DHA alone as well as in combination with γT3.
Profile of internet access in active cocaine users.

Background and Objectives Web-based interventions have received attention for substance abuse treatment. Few studies have examined Internet use among substance users. Methods Internet-use data were examined for 66 participants screened to participate in behavioral pharmacology studies. Results A majority of active cocaine users reported regular Internet use. Demographic profiles generally did not impact Internet use, but Internet users were more likely to be younger and report other drug use. Discussion and Conclusions Active cocaine users have similar rates of Internet access as the general population. Scientific Significance Our findings contribute to the limited data on Internet use in active drug users by demonstrating Internet access in cocaine-using populations, supporting the use of this medium to conduct research and clinical interventions. (Am J Addict 2015;XX:XX –XX)
Efficient sequential and parallel algorithms for maximal bipartite sets

Abstract A maximal bipartite set (MBS) in an undirected graph G = ( V , E ) is a maximal collection of vertices B ⊆ V whose induced subgraph is bipartite. In this paper we present efficient sequential (linear time) and parallel (NC) algorithms for constructing an MBS.
Notes on Cyperus sect. Incurvi (Cyperaceae) from the New World Tropics

Abstract Tucker G. C.: Notes on Cyperus sect. Incurvi (Cyperaceae) from the New World Tropics — Willdenowia 44: 253–261. 2014. — Version of record first published online on 8 July 2014 ahead of inclusion in August 2014 issue; ISSN 1868-6397; © 2014 BGBM Berlin-Dahlem. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3372/wi.44.44207 Based on study of herbarium specimens of Cyperus sect. Incurvi Kuk., three species are described from the lowlands of N South America and Mesoamerica: C. conservator-davidii G. C. Tucker is a new species occurring in several countries and is morphologically similar to C. simplex Kunth; C. lacustris Schrad. ex Nees is an overlooked species that has been confused with C. miliifolius Poepp. & Kunth; C. altsonii Kuk. and C. hoppiifolius Uittien pertain to the same species, for which the former is the earlier name. An identification key is provided for all species of C. sect. Incurvi occurring in the New World.