cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Boys Will Be Boys (and Girls Will Be Girls): The Attribution of Gender Role Stereotypes in a Gaming Situation.

This study tested one hypothesis concerning the attribution of gender role stereotypes about competitive behavior and three hypotheses concerning differences in attribution of sex between male and female subjects. The study used a Prisoner's Dilemma Game setting to expose subjects to one of three conditions (competitive, cooperative, or tit-for-tat) to measure attribution of sex to an unknown confederate. A chi-square analysis revealed significant differences in the attribution of sex to the anonymous confederate between the competitive and the combined cooperative and tit-for-tat groups. In the competitive condition, subjects were more prone to think that the anonymous confederate was male than were subjects in the cooperative and tit-for-tat condition. This finding is consistent with the gender role stereotype that generally associates competitive behavior with masculinity and not with femininity. Post hoc chi-squares also revealed no difference between male and female subjects in the attribution of sex in any of the three conditions. Implications of these findings are discussed.
Search for Giant Cells in the Solar Convection Zone

The Mount Wilson Observatory has obtained daily full disk digital magnetograms of the Sun since 1966, with 12 to 17 arcsecond resolution. As each magnetogram is taken, the position of the Doppler line shift compensator is also recorded, thus giving a full disk map of the longitudinal velocity. This entire dataset is currently being rereduced on a uniform basis (Howard et al., 1980), and daily arrays of residual velocities are being formed by removing large scale patterns, e.g., Earth’s motions, solar rotation, limbshift. Data from the years 1972 through 1978 are used here.
Evaluation of variables affecting intraoperative aberrometry.

Purpose To understand some of the variable refractive changes that occur during routine cataract surgery that could affect the accuracy and effectiveness of intraoperative aberrometry as it relates to the postoperative refractive state. Setting John A. Moran Eye Center, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah, USA. Design Comparative case series. Methods Phase 1 of this study assessed the cylinder induced by 2 eyelid speculums (open wire and closed wire) with corneal topographic images from participants without cataract. Phase 2 assessed the refractive change in cylinder, its axis, and the spherical equivalent (SE) in cataract patients within 1 hour of cataract surgery compared with 1 week after surgery. These measurements were taken using wavefront aberrometry, manual refraction, and corneal topography. Results Phase 1 evaluated 99 corneal topographic images from 5 participants. The presence of a speculum induced erratic changes in cylinder and a statistically significant difference in axis when comparing the open-wire speculum and the closed-wire speculum (both P P =.039). Conclusion Cataract surgery induced changes in cylinder, its axis, and the SE. This suggests that decisions based on intraoperative aberrometry may be inaccurate. Financial Disclosure Dr. Olson has been a consultant to Abbott Medical Optics, Inc., Becton, Dickinson and Co., and Allergan, Inc., and has received grant support from Abbott Medical Optics, Inc. and Allergan, Inc. No author has a financial or proprietary interest in any material or method mentioned.
Rapid-Sequence Intubation A Review of the Process and Considerations When Choosing Medications

Objective: To summarize published data regarding the steps of rapid-sequence intubation (RSI); review premedications, induction agents, neuromuscular blockers (NMB), and studies supporting use or avoidance; and discuss the benefits and deficits of combinations of induction agents and NMBs used when drug shortages occur. Data Source: A search of Medline databases (1966–October 2013) was conducted. Study Selection and Data Extraction: Databases were searched using the terms rapid-sequence intubation, fentanyl, midazolam, atropine, lidocaine, phenylephrine, ketamine, propofol, etomidate thiopental, succinylcholine, vecuronium, atracurium, and rocuronium. Citations from publications were reviewed for additional references. Data Synthesis: Data were reviewed to support the use or avoidance of premedications, induction agents, and paralytics and combinations to consider when drug shortages occur. Conclusions: RSI is used to secure a definitive airway in often uncooperative, nonfasted, unstable, and/or criticall...
Effectiveness of smoking cessation self-help materials in a lung cancer screening population

Randomized controlled trials of smoking interventions have not been well-documented for lung cancer screening populations. In this study, we randomly assigned 171 current smokers who were undergoing low-dose fast spiral chest CT (SCTS) for lung cancer screening to receive either standard written self-help materials or a written list of Internet resources for smoking cessation. At the 1-year follow-up, more of the subjects receiving Internet-based resources reported making a stop attempt (68% versus 48%, P=0.011). However, there were no statistically significant differences in 7-day point prevalence quit rates (5% versus 10%) or advancement in motivational readiness to stop smoking (27% versus 30%), respectively, between the groups. Clearly, more investigation is warranted into how to tailor smoking interventions for cancer screening participants.
Report of the first international liver transplantation society expert panel consensus conference on renal insufficiency in liver transplantation

Michael R. Charlton, William J. Wall, Akinlolu O. Ojo, Pere Gines, Stephen Textor, Fuad S. Shihab, Paul Marotta, Marcelo Cantarovich, James D. Eason, Russell H. Wiesner, Michael A. Ramsay, Juan C. Garcia-Valdecasas, James M. Neuberger, Sandy Feng, Connie L. Davis, Thomas A. Gonwa, and the International Liver Transplantation Society Expert Panel Mayo Clinic, Rochester MN; Department of General Surgery, London Health Science Center, London, Ontario, Canada; Department of Internal Medicine, University of Michigan Health System, Ann Arbor, MI; Liver Unit, Hospital Clinic, University of Barcelona School of Medicine, Barcelona, Spain; Department of Nephrology, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, UT; Medical School, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada; Department of Medicine, McGill University Health Center, Montreal, Quebec, Canada; Transplant Institute, University of Tennessee, Memphis, TN; Baylor University Medical Center, Dallas, TX; Hospital Clinic I Provincial, Barcelona, Spain; Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Birmingham, England; Department of Transplant Surgery, University of California San Francisco Medical Center, San Francisco, CA; Department of Medicine, University of Washington Medical Center, Seattle, WA; and Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, FL
Cellular and animal models for high-throughput screening of therapeutic agents for the treatment of the diseases of the elderly in general and alzheimer's disease in particular

It is currently thought that the dementia of Alzheimer’s disease is due to the neurotoxicity of the deposits or aggregates of amyloid-β (Aβ). Drug discovery has employed mice tranfected with mutant genes responsible for early onset Alzheimer’s disease. Yet, nine trials of drugs that were effective in transgenic mice were ineffective in patients. Further, a major unresolved issue is that Aβ is produced in everyone but deposits are only seen in the elderly. Our published studies indicate that in CSF Aβ is only present as a complex with two chaperones, ERp57 and calreticulin and is N-glycosylated thereby keeping Aβ in solution. This complex formation is catalyzed by the posttranslational protein processing system of the endoplasmic reticulum (ER). These findings suggest that both plaque and dementia are secondary to an age related decline in the capacity of the ER to catalyze the processing of the synaptic membrane proteins necessary for memory. In support of this paradigm components of this ER pathway decline with age. Our observations also suggest that declining ER function has a role in a loss of mitochondrial function and a decrease in myelin. Finally, our findings suggest new cellular and animals models for drug discovery.
Correlation of aromatase and cyclooxygenase gene expression in human breast cancer specimens

Aromatase, the enzyme system catalyzing estrogen biosynthesis, is found in stromal tissue in the breast. The increased expression of the aromatase CYP19 gene in breast cancer tissues was recently associated with a promoter region regulated through cAMP-mediated pathways. PGE2, derived from cyclooxygenase, increases intracellular cAMP levels and stimulates estrogen biosynthesis. This association suggest that local production of PGE2 via cyclooxgenase isozymes may influence estrogen biosynthesis. The present study represents the first to examine the levels of mRNA expression of CYP19, COX-1, and COX-2 genes in human breast cancer specimens and normal breast tissue samples using semi-quantitative RT-PCR methods. Positive correlations were observed between CYP19 and COX-2 and the greater extent of breast cancer cellularity. Linear regression analysis using a bivariate model shows a strong linear association between CYP19 expression and the sum of COX-1 and COX-2 expression. This significant relationship between the aromatase and cyclooxygenase enzyme systems suggests that autocrine and paracrine mechanisms may be involved in hormone-dependent breast cancer development via growth stimulation from local estrogen biosynthesis.
Schizophrenia: A Neurodevelopmental Perspective

Diverse lines of research suggest that schizophrenia is a genetically influenced neurodevelopmental disorder. Family, twin, and adoption studies suggest that most cases of schizophrenia involve a genetic diathesis that is necessary but not sufficient for development of the disorder. Histological, neuroimaging, and neuropsychological findings converge in providing evidence for medial-temporal and frontal lobe dysfunction that likely predates the onset of psychosis. Behavioral phenomenology and neurobiology suggest that dopamine plays a crucial moderating role between these structural abnormalities and functional impairment. Recently, investigators have used animal models and clinical syndromes to integrate these findings into neurodevelopmental models of schizophrenia that hold great potential for yielding etiological insight.
Bond Order in Two-Dimensional Metals with Antiferromagnetic Exchange Interactions

We present an unrestricted Hartree-Fock computation of charge-ordering instabilities of two-dimensional metals with antiferromagnetic exchange interactions, allowing for arbitrary ordering wavevectors and internal wavefunctions of the particle-hole pair condensate. We find that the ordering has a dominant d symmetry of rotations about lattice points for a range of ordering wavevectors, including those observed in recent experiments at low temperatures on YBa2Cu3Oy. This d symmetry implies the charge ordering is primarily on the bonds of the Cu lattice, and we propose incommensurate bond order parameters for the underdoped cuprates. The field theory for the onset of N´ eel order in a metal has an emergent pseudospin symmetry which ‘rotates’ d-wave Cooper pairs to particle-hole pairs (Metlitski et al., Phys. Rev. B 82, 075128 (2010)): our results show that this symmetry has consequences even when the spin correlations are short-ranged and incommensurate.
Screening for ovarian cancer.

BackgroundOvarian cancer remains the most deadly of the gynecologic cancers. It is difficult to diagnose until in advanced stages. An effective screening test may help to decrease mortality from ov...
Essentials of Medical Genomics. Stuart M. Brown, with contributions by John G. Hay and Harry Ostrer. Hoboken, NJ: Wiley-Liss, Inc., 2003, 256 pp., $89.95, hardcover. ISBN 0-471-21003-X.

It should be no surprise to the readers of Clinical Chemistry that the age of the “-omic” technologies is upon us. Indeed, one cannot read the scientific or lay literature without repeatedly coming across breathless predictions of the marvelous scientific advances that await us “right around the corner”. All of us are undoubtedly familiar with the terms genomics and proteomics; many of those working in the field of laboratory medicine are taking advantage of the technologies and discoveries of these fields and are quite comfortable with advances that are closely related to their own work. However, not all are conversant with the length and breadth of the burgeoning discipline of medical genomics. It is to practicing clinicians and laboratorians who are not working in the field or who do not have expertise in all areas of genomics that this book is aimed—it sets out to give an overview of medical genomics, and it succeeds admirably. Before further consideration, it …
Outer membrane protein gene expression traced by immunogold labelling in Rhizobium Leguminosarum bv. viciae strain 248 in Vicia sativa ssp. nigra.

During differentiation from bacterium into nitrogen fixing bacteroid, the outer membrane protein RopA decreases in density. Comparison between size increase of the rhizobia and density decrease of a RopA protein epitope after immuno-gold labelling, indicates that although ropA gene expression stops at the onset of nitrogen fixation, the amount of RopA protein probably remains the same.
Aggressive Scheduling and Speculation in Multithreaded Architectures: Is it Worth its Salt?

This paper investigates and quantifies the impacts of several aggressive performance-boosting techniques designed for superscalar processors on the performance of SMT architectures. First, we examine the synergy of multithreading and speculative execution. Second, we quantify the performance impact of not supporting the load-hit speculation. Finally, we consider the impact of pipelining instruction scheduling logic over two cycles. The general conclusion of our studies is that while speculative execution is still important to achieve high SMT performance, scheduler-related mechanisms can be relaxed because the pipeline bubbles created in the execution schedule of one thread are often filled by the instructions from other threads.
A study on the reconstruction of moderate contrast targets using the distorted born iterative method

Previous tomographic methods using ultrasound for reconstructing sound speed and attenuation images suffered from convergence issues for targets with moderate speed of sound contrast. Convergence problems can be overcome by the use of the multiple frequency, distorted Born iterative method (DBIM). The implementation of DBIM for measurement configurations in which receiver positions are fixed was studied, and a novel regularization scheme was developed. The regularization parameter needed to stabilize the inversion process initially was found through the Rayleigh quotient iteration, then relaxed according to the relative residual error between the measured and estimated scattered fields. The DBIM was successfully stabilized for both full and partial receiver angular coverage without a significant loss in spatial resolution. The effects of variable density in the reconstructions were briefly explored through simulations. The ability to reconstruct targets with moderate contrast was validated through experimental measurements. Speed of sound profiles for balloons filled with saline in a background of water were reconstructed using multiple frequency DBIM techniques. The mean squared error for speed of sound reconstructions of the balloon phantoms with 16.4% sound speed contrast was 1.1%.
THE POPULATION GENETICS OF PHENOTYPIC DETERIORATION IN EXPERIMENTAL POPULATIONS OF BACILLUS SUBTILIS

Although many examples of trait loss exist in nature, the underlying population genetic mechanism responsible for the loss is usually unknown. Selective or neutral processes can result in the deterioration of a trait, and often one of these is inferred based on indirect evidence. Furthermore, selective pressures that are unique to particular environments and the effect these might have on the population genetic cause of trait loss are not well understood. Here we describe an experimental evolution system where two different environments were used for addressing the population genetic cause of trait loss throughout evolutionary time. We found that growth in minimal medium (i.e., prototrophy) was lost in all populations regardless of the experimental environment and that the pattern of trait loss in one environment was due to selection, whereas in the other environment the cause remains inconclusive.
Simultaneous bilateral multiligamentous knee injuries are associated with more severe multisystem trauma compared to unilateral injuries

To compare the knee ligamentous injury patterns and associated multisystem trauma in patients who have sustained simultaneous bilateral knee multiligamentous injuries (MLI) to patients with unilateral MLIs. Patients with simultaneous bilateral and unilateral knee MLIs after motor vehicle accidents were identified from 2007 to 2014 at a single institution. Chart and radiographic reviews were performed to identify patient demographics, extremity fractures and associated head, thoracic, abdominal and spine injuries. The MLIs were characterized by ligamentous injury pattern and associated neurovascular deficits. Injury Severity Score (ISS) and New ISS (NISS) were calculated. Seven bilateral MLIs and 32 unilateral MLIs were identified. Between the cohorts, there were no significant differences in ligamentous injury pattern or associated neurovascular injuries. For the bilateral MLI cohorts, 71.4 % of patients sustained chest trauma, 57.1 % abdominal trauma, 57.1 % at least a single-level spine injury and 28.6 % head trauma. The ISS was 33.4 ± 23.4 with patients spending an average of 12.4 days in the intensive care unit. Other than the number of days in the ICU, these values were all significantly higher than those of the unilateral knee MLI cohort. Additionally, there was a significantly higher post-operative complication rate in the bilateral MLI cohort (71.4 vs. 6.3 %, P < 0.0001). Compared to unilateral MLIs with similar mechanisms, patients with traumatic simultaneous bilateral knee multiligamentous knee injuries are at high risk of concomitant head, chest and abdominal injuries. Although the ligament injury profile is similar, the post-operative complication rate is higher for simultaneous bilateral injuries. Case control study, Level III.
Quando Se Cruzam Fronteiras Diaspóricas e Identidades Distópicas (When Diasporic Borders and Dystopian Identities Cross)

This paper examines the correlation between migration to the United States from Mexico, ethnicity, and changing gender relations among Mexicans on both sides of the international border. For example, the idea that Mexican society is homogenous and static, and therefore that only when they arrive in the United States do men and women from Mexico confront challenges to gender roles associated with traditionalism and patriarchy, is demonstrably false if nonetheless persistent. Using changing gender relations as illustrative of transformations associated more broadly with transnationalism, modernity, and ethnicity, I argue that an understanding of shifting relations between men and women as husbands and wives, sons and daughters, brothers and sisters, must be grounded in a rich knowledge of the changing conditions in the country of origin, Mexico, as well as the country of destination, the United States.
Receipt of surgical treatment in US women with early stage breast cancer: does place of birth matter?

Background: While effects of age, race, place of residence, and marital status on receipt of treatment among female breast cancer patients have been well documented, place of birth is a relatively less studied factor. The purpose of our study was to assess the relationship between birth place and type of surgery performed for early-stage breast cancer among US women of different racial and ethnic backgrounds. Methods: Eligible cases (n=119,560) were selected from the SEER registries for the period 2004–2009. US-born and foreign-born patients of different racial/ethnic groups were compared to US-born non-Hispanic Whites (NHW) with respect to receipt of breast conserving surgery (BCS) or mastectomy. Results of multivariable logistic regression analyses were expressed as adjusted odds ratios (OR) and the corresponding 95% confidence intervals (CI). Results: The proportion of BCS was highest in foreign-born Whites (62.5%) and lowest in foreign-born Asians (50.3%). Relative to US-born NHW, BCS was more common in foreign-born Whites (OR=1.21. 95% CI: 1.15–1.28) and foreign-born Blacks (OR=1.21. 95% CI: 1.15–1.28). In contrast, foreign-born Asians received less BCS compared to both US-born NHW (OR=.76, 95% CI: .72–.80) and US-born Asians (OR=.74, 95% CI: .64–.86). Conclusions: Foreign-born Asian breast cancer patients are less likely to receive BSC compared to US-born Whites or Asian-Americans, whereas foreign-born Whites and foreign-born Blacks are more likely to receive BCS than US-born Whites. Further studies are needed to understand cultural and or health systems factors that may explain these observations. (Ethn Dis. 2014;24[1]:110–115)
Black Phosphorus Schottky Diodes: Channel Length Scaling and Application as Photodetectors

Black phosphorus (BP) Schottky diodes with asymmetric metal contacts are demonstrated using gold and aluminum electrodes. The devices exhibit rectifying characteristics with current rectification ratio up to 1.5 × 103. The effect of channel length on the electrical characteristics of the BP Schottky diodes is also studied and the results reveal that the device loses its rectifying behavior (rectification ratio = 1.37) at ultrashort channel length of around 30 nm. The transition from rectifying to nonrectifying characteristics at extremely small channel length is attributed to the electric-field-induced barrier thinning, which results in significantly increased tunneling current under reverse bias. Using the BP Schottky diodes with relatively long channel length (≈1 μm), photodetectors with fast response time of less than 2 ms are demonstrated. This work demonstrates the potential of using BP-based diode devices for optoelectronic applications.
Time-Resolved Measurements of Temperature and Species Concentrations Distributions in Ar-Based Mixtures Excited by a Nanosecond Pulse Discharge

Temperature and absolute concentrations of OH and H are measured by UV Rayleigh scattering, Laser-Induced Fluorescence (LIF), and Two-Photon Absorption LIF (TALIF), respectively, in Ar-based mixtures (Ar:H2=100:2 and Ar:O2:H2=80:20:2) at P=40 torr and T0=300 K. Each mixture is excited by a 50-pulse burst of a repetitive nanosecond pulse filament discharge, operated at 100 kHz pulse repetition rate and 5 Hz burst repetition rate. Onedimensional radial distributions of temperature and species concentrations across the filament during and after the discharge burst are obtained from Rayleigh scattering and fluorescent images of the laser beam, taken by an intensified charge-coupled device (ICCD) camera. Both temperature and species concentration profiles are found to expand with time in both mixtures, with peak values of Tpeak≈1200 K and [H]peak≈4.0·10 15 cm -3 in the Ar:H2=100:2 mixture, and Tpeak≈1200 K, [H]peak≈6.0·10 15 cm -3 , and [OH]peak≈1.0·10 15 cm -3 in the Ar:O2:H2=80:20:2 mixture. H atom radial profile develops a local minimum on the discharge centerline in both mixtures, but is much more pronounced in the Ar:H2=100:2 mixture. In the Ar:O2:H2=80:20:2 mixture, secondary maxima in OH distributions are detected near the periphery of the filament after a few tens of discharge pulses. Experimental results from the Ar:O2:H2=80:20:2 mixture are compared with predictions of a plasma-assisted combustion chemistry model. The model reproduces trends in time evolution of radial distributions of temperature, as well as OH and H concentrations. Based on rate of species production analysis, the secondary peaks in OH radial distributions are caused by radial diffusion of H atoms from the central region of the discharge filament, with subsequent formation of HO2 and OH via reactions H+O2+M→HO2+M and H+HO2→OH+OH in the low-temperature peripheral regions. The results demonstrate significant potential of the present approach for quantitative, time- and spatially-resolved studies of coupled radical reaction kinetics and diffusion over a wide range of temperatures, pressures, and mixture compositions.
Experimental Study of Test Medium Vitiation Effects on Dual-Mode Scramjet Mode Transition

An experimental study was performed to characterize the effect of vitiates due to combustion air preheating on dual-mode scramjet combustion. Major vitiate species (H2O and CO2) were added to the freestream of an electrically heated, direct connect facility simulating Mach 5 flight enthalpy. With dry air, the combustor operated in the supersonic mode at fuel equivalence ratios below 0.22 and in the subsonic mode for equivalence ratios above 0.26. Hysteresis was observed in the transitional region between 0.22 and 0.26, as the mode of combustion was dependent on whether the fuel flow rate was increasing or decreasing. Adding increasing amounts of water vapor and carbon dioxide to the freestream decreased combustor pressures by 10% to 30% for the same fuel equivalence ratio. Vitiates also caused the transition between supersonic to subsonic combustion to occur at a higher fuel equivalence ratio than with clean air. These results indicate the importance of accounting for vitiates when extrapolating from ground testing to flight, particularly in the transition region between subsonic and supersonic combustion regimes.
Value of Antimalarial Drugs in the Treatment of Lupus

Abstract Antimalarial agents are now used as the standard of care for the treatment of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). The first documented use of antimalarial medications dates back to the sixteenth century. However, it was not until 1951 when Page, extrapolating from the observations he made during the Second World War, demonstrated clear success in treating 18 patients with cutaneous lupus. This was the beginning of a new era. Hydroxychloroquine came on the market in 1955 and, over the course of a few decades. became the cornerstone of SLE treatment.
Design of Digital Video Tracker Based on 1394 Interface

This paper introduces a hardware platform for video tracker in three aspects: the application of 1394 serial BUS for digital video signal transfer, MEP (motion estimating processor) in correlation calculation, and how to configure a tracker with various tracking windows and its realization under the control of DSP.
The finding of the L. E. (Lupus Erythematosus) cells in smears of untreated, freshly drawn peripheral blood

A case of lupus erythematosus is reported in which L.E. cells were found in the smears of freshly drawn peripheral blood.
Abstract 4608: Survivin downregulation by α-santalol is not mediated through PI3K-Akt pathway in human breast cancer cells

α-Santalol, a terpenoid found in sandalwood oil, has been shown to inhibit cancer cell growth in vitro by inducing apoptosis. This study was performed to investigate the anticancer properties of α-santalol associated with the induction of apoptosis in cultured MCF-7 (estrogen receptor (ER) positive, and wild type p53) and MDA-MB-231 (ER-negative and mutant p53) breast cancer cells. Expression of major proteins examined in the study were determined using standard Western blot protocol and analyzed by LICOR-Odyssey infra-red scanner. Total protein levels of survivin were confirmed by survivin ELISA kit. Cell viability was assessed by trypan blue dye exclusion assay, and caspase-3 activity was determined by caspase-3 (active) ELISA kit. Treatment of breast cancer cells for 6 and 9 hour time intervals with α-santalol (20, 40 μM) resulted in statistically significant concentration-dependent downregulation of survivin. pAkt levels were found to be slightly upregulated despite the downregulation of survivin. Pharmacological inhibition of the PI3K-Akt pathway did not result in a synergistic/additive increase in cell death or caspase-3 activity caused by α-santalol. The study reveals that survivin downregulation by α-santalol in breast cancer cells is not mediated through the PI3K-Akt pathway. Citation Format: AJAY BOMMAREDDY, KARRYN CRISAMORE, SARAH FILLMAN, SARAH BROZENA, JAMES STEIGERWALT, TERRA LANDIS, ADAM L. VANWERT, CHANDRADHAR DWIVEDI. Survivin downregulation by α-santalol is not mediated through PI3K-Akt pathway in human breast cancer cells. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 107th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2016 Apr 16-20; New Orleans, LA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2016;76(14 Suppl):Abstract nr 4608.
Impact of global expansion of restaurant franchises

R franchises are expanding globally at an unprecedented pace. This presentation highlights the factors and impact of global expansion of restaurant franchises. Considering the lack of available information this study explores factors that should be considered in decision making pertaining to expansion in foreign markets. Using data of restaurant franchises particularly McDonald's and KFC this study outlines some of the factors that need consideration in global expansion. On the flip side this study also examines the impact of global expansion on local businesses. The study focuses on the following aspects (a) the growth of restaurant franchises in selected emerging economies; (b) social, economic, political and environmental factors that need consideration prior to entering a foreign market; (c) identification of potential markets; (d) impact on local markets; and (e) competing with local markets. A list of factors as well as potential impact will be provided as a summary for use by hospitality corporations.
The Effect of High-Frequency Market Making on Option Market Liquidity

The transition from manual to electronic markets in options paved the way for pricing efficiencies and improved liquidity from options high-frequency market making (HFMM). We find that HFMM reduces option bid–ask spreads, although with differences across both option and firm characteristics. Depth increases with the number of market maker quote revisions, conflicting with extant high-frequency research in other markets. The largest absolute change for spreads (depth) is for mid-size (large) companies. However, the change to penny quotes for options caused HFMM to have less of an effect on both spreads and depth, showing that penny quoting exacerbates the pricing efficiency generated by more frequent quote revisions.
Algorithms utilizing peripheral blood hematopoietic progenitor cell counts in lieu of some CD34+ cell counts predict successful peripheral blood stem cell collections with substantial time and cost savings.

Background and Objectives Hematopoietic progenitor cell (HPC) counts from Sysmex hematology analyzers have been shown to correlate with peripheral blood (PB) CD34+ cell counts by flow cytometry. Algorithms utilizing HPC counts to guide stem cell collections have been proposed but rarely tested. This study describes the development and validation of algorithms utilizing HPC and PB CD34+ cell counts to predict adequate peripheral blood stem cell (PBSC) collections for chemomobilized and cytokine-mobilized individuals. Materials and Methods Utilizing a test set of 83 PB samples from chemomobilized or cytokine-mobilized PBSC collection patients, PB CD34+ counts were correlated with HPC counts and a receiver operating characteristic curve was constructed. Cut-offs of ≤0·5 HPC/μl and ≥7 HPC/μl were established to maximize sensitivity and specificity for using HPC to predict PB CD34+ ≥ 10 cells/μl. These cut-offs were subsequently validated using a separate prospective validation set of 88 HPC/CD34+ cell sample pairs. Results Using the algorithms, all patients in the prospective validation data set achieved adequate collections of ≥1 × 106 CD34+ cells/kg, and a 67% reduction in the number of CD34+ cell counts performed was achieved. This lead to a direct cost savings of at least $18 700 USD over a 21-month period (88% reduction in direct costs). Conclusion Use of the algorithms provides significant time and cost savings for the laboratory while accurately predicting (i) timing of PBSC collections to obtain adequate CD34+ product yields for chemomobilized patients and (ii) when to administer plerixafor to cytokine-mobilized patients to improve the likelihood of achieving adequate collections.
Diagnosing Thrombocytopenia in the Clinic

With blood work being routinely done for multiple reasons many patients present in clinic with thrombocytopenia. Clinicians should be aware of when to refer patients to hematologists, when patients need immediate admission, and how to work up different causes of thrombocytopenia. This chapter helps clinicians understand when to hospitalize patients with thrombocytopenia, how to establish a diagnosis, and the different causes of thrombocytopenia. Flow charts are provided for a reference on how to work up thrombocytopenia in different situations.
Association between process measures and mortality in individuals with opioid use disorders.

Abstract Background Individuals with opioid use disorders have high rates of mortality relative to the general population. The relationship between treatment process and mortality is unknown. Aim To examine the association between 7 process measures and 12- and 24-month mortality. Methods Retrospective cohort study of patients with opioid use disorders who received care from the Veterans Administration between October 2006 and September 2007. Logistic regression models were used to examine the association between 12 and 24-month mortality and 7 patient-level process measures, while risk-adjusting for patient characteristics. Process measures included quarterly physician visits, any opioid use disorder pharmacotherapy, continuous pharmacotherapy, psychosocial treatment, Hepatitis B/C and HIV screening, and no prescriptions for benzodiazepines or opioids. We conducted sensitivity analyses to examine the robustness of our findings to an unobserved confounder. Results Among individuals with opioid use disorders, not being prescribed opioids or benzodiazepines, receipt of any psychosocial treatment and quarterly physician visits were significantly associated with lower mortality at both 12 and 24 months, but Hepatitis and HIV screening, and measures related to opioid use disorder pharmacotherapy were not. Sensitivity analyses indicated that the difference in the prevalence of an unobserved confounder would have to be unrealistically large given the observed data, or there would need to be a large effect of the confounder, to render these findings non-significant. Conclusions and relevance This is the first study to show an association between process measures and mortality in patients with opioid use disorders and provides initial evidence for their use as quality measures.
The Use of Ambulatory Blood Pressure Monitoring As Standard of Care in Pediatrics

Hypertension is a significant global health problem, responsible for 7.5 million deaths each year worldwide. The prevalence of hypertension is increasing in the pediatric population likely attributed to the increase in childhood obesity. Recent work has also shown that blood pressure tends to track from childhood to adulthood including blood pressure related target organ damage. In the last 25 to 30 years, pediatric use of ambulatory blood pressure monitoring (ABPM) has been expanding mainly in the setting of initial elevated blood pressure measurement evaluation, hypertension therapy efficacy follow-up, and renal disease. However, there are many clinical areas where ABPM could potentially be used but is currently underutilized. This review summarizes the current knowledge and the uses of pediatric ABPM and explores clinical areas where it can be very useful both to detect hypertension and its longitudinal follow-up. And thus, ABPM could serve as a critical tool to potentially prevent early cardiovascular mortality and morbidity in wide variety of populations. With solid data to support ABPM’s superiority over clinic blood pressure measurements and these clinical areas for its expansion, ABPM should now be part of standard of care in blood pressure evaluation and management in pediatrics.
Comparative Analysis of Fuzzy Logic and PI Controller Based Electronic Load Controller for Self-Excited Induction Generator

Rural areas suffer from limited grid connectivity. Small hydroplants can provide electricity at a cheap cost with low environmental impact in these regions. Self-excited induction generators are widely used in hydroplants since they operate on a standalone basis because of the connection of capacitor bank that provides reactive power at no load. However, SEIGs suffer from poor voltage and frequency regulation. Thus, an electronic load controller (ELC) is connected across SEIG to regulate voltage and frequency. Generally, the control scheme for an ELC circuit is based on the conventional proportional integral control, which is easy to implement and performs well under linear load conditions. However, PI controllers handle nonlinearity poorly. This paper presents a fuzzy logic control (FLC) based control scheme for ELC in a constant power generation system (SEIG). The control scheme is designed and simulated in MATLAB under both linear and nonlinear load conditions. A comparison of both the controllers is conducted which highlights the superiority of the fuzzy logic control scheme.
Epidermal growth factor synergism with TGF-beta1 via PI-3 kinase activity in corneal keratocyte differentiation.

Purpose To investigate the action of epidermal growth factor (EGF) on corneal keratocyte differentiation and its effects in conjunction with transforming growth factor (TGF)-β1.
Cooperative Aerial Payload Transport Guided by an In Situ Human Supervisor

This paper defines and analyzes a cooperative aerial payload transport mission in which an onsite human supervisor provides haptic motion cues. While multiple small aerial robots (e.g., quadcopters) carry the weight of the payload, a human specifies traversal direction changes to the quadcopter team by exerting a pushing force on the payload. We show how the principle of linear momentum can be used for limited human intent recognition in this supervisory control application. This problem is formulated as real-time path planning of the quadcopter team using a continuum deformation cooperative control protocol that assures avoidance of interagent and obstacle collisions as well as safety of the human supervisor.
Utilization and outcomes of adjuvant radiation therapy after cystectomy for urothelial carcinoma.

487Background: Positive surgical margins with radical cystectomy for invasive urothelial cancer are associated with adverse prognosis. In non-metastatic patients, adjuvant radiation therapy (ART) i...
Feminist (dis)pleasure and Anita Loos’s whisper networks

Q: How many feminists does it take to screw in a lightbulb? A: That’s not funnyTo misquote Nora Ephron, I feel bad about my Loos. I return to Anita Loos again and again because I love her and wish ...
Complications of biologic therapy for pediatric cancer - What the surgeon needs to know.

Abstract Biologic therapy for pediatric cancer has gained much enthusiasm over the past two decades. Recent advances in the clinical sequencing of tumors, have also allowed for the identification of targetable mutations. These findings have created a new avenue of biologic agent development and study. As experience with biologic agents builds, so too must the awareness of the surgeon to identify potential complications of these drugs. Complications can result from the direct effect of a biologic on the patient, such as gastrointestinal perforation or secondary spontaneous pneumothorax, or they can be related to the effect a biologic has on another aspect of a patient's care, such as wound complications following surgery. The morbidity caused by these complications must be weighed against any potential benefit of an agent, when determining the role for biologic therapy in the overall cancer treatment strategy.
Regulation by proxy. How the USDA relies on public, and non-profit intermediaries to oversee organic food in the U.S.: by David P. Carter, London, Lexington Books, 2019, 245 pp., ISBN 978-1-4985-7419-8

Regulation by Proxy offers a detailed understanding of how the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Organic Certification Program matches the theory of regulatory design with the program’...
Joint line elevation and tibial slope are associated with increased polyethylene wear in cruciate-retaining total knee replacement

The purpose of this retrieval study was to determine the effect of implant positioning on wear, taking patient-related factors into account. Therefore, the volumetric material loss of 59 retrieved tibial liners was quantitatively determined using a coordinate measuring-machine. All retrievals were made of the same polyethylene and design by a single manufacturer. Using time in-situ and linear regression, a wear rate for each liner was determined and corrected for bedding-in. Backside damage was qualitatively scored. The following implant positioning parameters were obtained from radiographs: anatomical lateral-distal femoral angle, anatomical medial-proximal tibial angle, femoral tilt angle, and posterior tibial slope. The patella position was assessed by the Blackburne-Peel index and the Insall-Salvati ratio. Unlike the Insall-Salvati ratio, the Blackburne-Peel index is known to detect surgical joint line elevation. Using general linear modeling the most impactful factors on wear rate and backside damage was determined, thereby taking patient demographic factors into account. The mean volumetric wear rate was 11.6 mm3 /y. Wear decreased with older age (P = .021) and female sex (P = .001). The wear rate increased with joint line elevation as indicated from a decreased Blackburne-Peel index (P = .019), and increased with increased posterior tibial slope (P = .026). The backside damage score also increased with joint line elevation (P = .036). A Blackburne-Peel index decrease of 0.1, signifying joint line elevation, was found to increase the wear rate by 1.8 mm3 /y and increase back-sided wear. A high tibial slope (>7°) led to a 9.3 mm3 /y increase in wear rate compared with a low tibial slope (<3°). The results of this study demonstrate that tibial liner positioning has a significant impact on polyethylene wear with potential implications on osteolysis over time.
Three-dimensional (3D) lung segmentation for diagnosis of COVID-19 and the communication of disease impact to the public.

Three individuals were admitted to the hospital (ages 46–56; to men and one woman) with a multiday history of symptoms associated with the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) and underwent contrast-enhanced thoracic CT due to worsening symptomatology. Three-dimensional (3D
The Political Branding of COVID-19: A Narrative Explained by President Trump’s Five Stages of Grief

COVID-19 was particularly deadly and widespread in the United States because of political incompetence at both state and federal levels, a non-compliant public that flouted prescribed safety measures, and a distrust of science and expertise. At the heart of all of these issues was the branding of the disease as a partisan problem. In 2019, I published the book "Political Brands," which described the hardening of partisan information silos among the American electorate. I wrote this book before the novel SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus (“COVID-19”) pandemic erupted in the United States. A coronavirus cannot pick a side of a political fight. But the way the American public processed COVID-19 fell into the same information silos described in "Political Brands" that facilitated partisan differences of opinion on the presidency of Donald Trump, the legality of his actions, and the appropriateness of his impeachment. To over-simplify, the disease itself became branded politically, and how the individual responded to the deadly pandemic was determined by which silo they occupied.
M-Fractional Integral Type Inequalities

Here we present M-fractional integral inequalities of Ostrowski and Polya types. See also [5].
Thermal Spin Photonics In Nonequilibrium And Nonreciprocal Systems

We show new possibilities related to the spin angular momentum of thermal radiation using fluctuational electrodynamic theory. First, we reveal that a dimer of coupled nanoantennas held at unequal temperatures (nonequilibrium) can emit circularly polarized (CP) light; a mechanism fundamentally unrelated to usual concepts of linear to circular polarization conversion or structural chirality of the light source. Furthermore, the handedness can be flipped by simply interchanging the antenna temperatures, thereby enabling reconfigurability of the polarization state lacked by most CP light sources. Second, we reveal that a nonreciprocal planar slab (e.g. semiconductor or metal in magnetic field), despite being at thermal equilibrium with its environment, can lead to nonzero photon spin angular momentum and nonzero radiative heat flux in its vicinity. We identify them as the persistent thermal photon spin and the persistent planar heat current respectively. With a practical example system, we show that the fundamental origin of these phenomena is connected to the spin-momentum locking of thermally excited evanescent waves. Our work paves the way for new practical and fundamental avenues based on the interplay of photon spin and radiative heat.
Epidemiology of Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis Among U.S. Veterans, 2010 - 2019.

Rationale: The development of novel therapies for idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) has brought increased attention to the population burden of disease. However, little is known about the epidemi...
Sodium: Volume Depletion and Hyponatremia

Publisher Summary The two most common complications of diuretic therapy are volume depletion and hypokalemia; the latter is discussed in this chapter. The diuretics, most commonly associated with volume depletion, are thiazides and loop diuretics. The symptoms of volume depletion depend on the etiology, magnitude, and presence of accompanying electrolyte and acid–base disorders. The earliest complaints are lassitude, thirst, easy fatigability, muscle cramps, and postural dizziness. More severe hypovolemia may cause symptoms of decreased tissue perfusion. The elderly are especially prone to developing symptoms of cerebral or coronary insufficiency, mesenteric ischemia, and renal under perfusion manifested by a rise in blood urea nitrogen and creatinine. In extreme cases, hypovolemic shock is associated with a marked increase in sympathetic activity (tachycardia, cold, and clammy extremities), cyanosis, a low urine output. Monitoring plasma sodium concentration for the first few days of diuretic therapy is prudent. This is especially true in elderly women, patients who ingest large volumes of water, or patients on nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs. If hyponatremia develops, the treatment consists of stopping the diuretic, water restriction, and replacement of any sodium deficit by administering isosmotic saline. Paradoxically, loop diuretics are sometimes used in conjunction with hypertonic saline infusion in the treatment of hyponatremia. By limiting medullary hypertonicity, they decrease urinary concentration and net electrolyte-free water excretion. The combination reduces the risk of volume overload.