cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
An Empirical Analysis of Territorial Encroachment Within Franchised and Company-Owned Branded Chains

Franchisees within large branded chains loudly complain of a form of channel conflict known as "encroachment" or "impact." Encroachment occurs when franchisors add new units of their brand proximately to their franchisees' existing units. Franchisees claim that their revenues have substantially decreased as a result of encroaching same-brand entry. The topic of encroachment has not only dominated franchisee association agendas and trade journal headlines but has also become a hot topic for politicians and policymakers. Yet, until now, evidence of encroachment has been strictly anecdotal. This paper provides the first systematic evidence of encroachment. Using revenue data from the Texas lodging industry in the 1990s, I find that when franchisors approve new same-brand units in the vicinity of incumbent units, these new units cannibalize the incumbents' revenues. In contrast to the result for franchisors, the addition of a new unit by company-owned brands in the vicinity of same-brand units is associated with an increase in the incumbents' revenues. This contrast suggests that encroaching behavior is caused by incentives that result from the governance form of franchising and is not simply an outcome that accompanies all expansion. This finding informs theory on governance forms and exclusive territories. Implications for practitioners and policy are also discussed.
Multi-component signal analysis using the polynomial transform

An iterative algorithm for estimating the parameters of multiple superimposed polynomial phase signals is presented. The algorithm is based on the ability of the discrete polynomial transform (DPT) to estimate the parameters of a polynomial phase signal in the presence of other interfering signals. Once the parameters of one of the signals are estimated, it can be filtered out from the composite signal. The procedure is then applied to the remainder, which contains a small number of components. The DPT is applied to the analysis of the signal emitted by the big brown bat. >
A study to determine the incidence and prevalence of newly discovered human immunodeficiency virus infection during the prenatal care period.

Objectives: This study asked the following questions: 1) Does HIV testing in pregnancy identify women who previously were not known to be HIV positive? 2) When in pregnancy are women identified as HIV infected? 3) Does HIV seroconversion occur during the prenatal care period?
Tax Progressivity and State Economic Performance

Principles offiscal federalism suggest that subnational units of government should rely on benefits-received financing, implying regressivity in state and local taxes. Empirically, however, states and their localities vary enormously in the degree of progressivity of their tax systems. This article investigates the effect of tax progressivity on economic growth. Using a pooled cross-section model from 1977 to 1993, the author found that the degree of progressivity has no effect on the rate of growth of state personal income per capita. Measuring growth rates over the entire period, the author found that progressivity has a significant negative effect on economic growth. The long-period result is driven by the high growth rates of a small number of northeastern states, who benefited from strong regional growth and their tax haven status adjacent to more progressive states. The weak progressivity effect suggests that there is considerable scope for differences in tax incidence across states.
An efficient wireless IPTV analysis for heterogeneous networks operating at both 802.11b and 802.11g Sdandards

Both Weibull and Rayleigh distributions have a great performance for the testbed realized when a person walks through an indoor environment. The results presented previously can confirm a better behavior for the 802.11g standard with respect to the analysis of the jitter effect. For the other hand, the packet loss for this standard is greater than the 802.11b one with respect to the video streaming. Although the package loss can be tolerated if a constant jitter is achieved, we should expect a better behavior of the 802.11b for the maximum envelop that requires a stronger signal, which really does not occurs. In the whole set of measurements it is possible to conclude that the 802.11g standard has a better performance when we transmit a video streaming through a wireless net. As a future work, we can perform the analysis of the video being transmitted together with a concurrent UDP traffic.
Interactive Animated Visualizations of Breast, Ovarian Cancer and Other Health Indicator Data Using Weave, an Interactive Web -- based Analysis and Visualization Environment

Recent research in genomics and biomedical studies has shown a relationship between heredity, mutations in certain genes and the corresponding probabilities of developing certain cancers. In this study we looked at breast and ovarian cancer distributions across all states and counties in the United States over time. We describe briefly Weave, our Web -- based Analysis and Visualization Environment and use it to explore these cancers and present interactive animated visualizations of family hereditary patterns and genetic distributions, not only for these cancers, but also for other lifethreatening cancers and related health indicators. We also show how Weave can be used to integrate other diverse epidemiological data, in particular obesity, and explore its relationship with cancer data.
Solution of large, sparse systems of linear equations in massively parallel applications

A general-purpose parallel iterative solver for large, sparse systems of linear equations is presented. This solver is used in two applications, a piezoelectric crystal vibration problem and a superconductor model, which could be solved only on the largest available massively parallel machine. Results obtained on the Intel DELTA show computational rates of up to 3.25 Gflops for these applications. >
Association between soft tissue sarcomas, malignant lymphomas, and phenoxy herbicides/chlorophenols: evidence from occupational cohort studies

Some case-control studies have reported a significant association between occupational use of phenoxy herbicides and chlorophenols and soft-tissue sarcomas and malignant lymphomas. However, persons who spray or apply these substances are concomitantly exposed to other potentially carcinogenic chemicals and oncogenic viruses, which have been found or suspected to play a role in the etiology of these tumors. No study has thoroughly controlled for these other exposures, some of which have been shown to be independently associated with these tumors even after controlling for exposure to phenoxy acids or chlorophenols. On the other hand, it has been found that an observed risk from exposure to phenoxy herbicides disappeared on controlling for some of these concomitant exposures in the rare instance this was attempted. Also, on several occasions, an association has been observed with occupations in which exposure to phenoxys and chlorophenols may occur, but not with the compounds themselves. Accordingly, a detailed review of the evidence from occupational cohort studies was conducted, to see if it corroborates that from case-control studies. It was found that the evidence does not unequivocally incriminate phenoxys and chlorophenols as a cause of these tumors. The results obtained with cohort studies of sprayers and applicators do not corroborate the association reported among this occupational group, in case-control studies. It is possible that the suspected association may well be due, partly or wholly, to one or more of the other concomitant exposures. However, in view of the fact that the majority of the cohorts need further follow-up to be informative, it is concluded that further studies of these cohorts are required before it can be determined whether or not these tumors are caused by exposure to phenoxy acids and chlorophenols.
Hepatocyte autophagy is linked to C/EBP-homologous protein, Bcl2-interacting mediator of cell death, and BH3-interacting domain death agonist gene expression

Abstract Background Endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress and autophagy each play important roles in hepatocyte cell injury. We hypothesized that gene expression of C/EBP-homologous protein (CHOP) and the BH3 proteins Bcl2-interacting mediator of cell death (BIM) and BH3-interacting domain death agonist (BID) are involved in a complex interplay that regulates ER stress-induced autophagy and cell death. Materials and methods Hepatocytes were cultured from lean Zucker rats. Confluent hepatocytes were incubated with single or combined small interfering RNA for CHOP, BIM, and/or BID for 24 h providing gene inhibition. Incubation with tunicamycin (TM) for another 24 h stimulated ER stress. Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction determined the expression levels of CHOP, BIM, and BID. Immunostaining with microtubule-associated protein 1 light chain 3 measured autophagy activity. Trypan blue exclusion determined the cell viability. Results TM treatment increased the messenger RNA levels of CHOP and BIM but decreased the messenger RNA levels of BID. TM increased autophagy and decreased cell viability. Individual inhibition of CHOP, BIM, or BID protected against autophagy and cell death. However, simultaneous treatment with any combination of CHOP, BIM, and BID small interfering RNAs reduced autophagy activity but increased cell death independent of ER stress induction. Conclusions Autophagy in hepatocytes results from acute ER stress and involves interplay, at the gene expression level, of CHOP, BIM, and BID. Inhibition of any one of these individual genes during acute ER stress is protective against cell death. Conversely, inhibition of any two of the three genes results in increased nonautophagic cell death independent of ER stress induction. This study suggests interplay between CHOP, BIM, and BID expression that can be leveraged for protection against ER stress-related cell death. However, disruption of the CHOP/BH3 gene expression homeostasis is detrimental to cell survival independent of other cellular stress.
Fault-tolerant DSM on the SOME-Bus multiprocessor architecture with message combining

Summary form only given. We present a broadcast-based architecture called the SOME-Bus interconnection network, which directly links processor nodes without contention, and can efficiently interconnect several hundred nodes. Each node has a dedicated output channel and an array of receivers, with one receiver dedicated to every other node's output channel. The SOME-Bus eliminates the need for global arbitration and provides bandwidth that scales directly with the number of nodes in the system. Under the distributed shared memory (DSM) paradigm, the SOME-bus allows strong integration of the transmitter, receiver and cache controller hardware to produce a highly integrated system-wide cache coherence mechanism. Backward error recovery fault-tolerance techniques can exploit DSM data replication and SOME-Bus broadcasts with little additional network traffic and corresponding performance degradation. Simulation results show that in the SOME-Bus architecture under the DSM paradigm, messages tend to wait at the node output network interface. Consequently, to minimize the effect of increased network traffic, messages can be combined at the node output queue to form a new message containing the payloads of all original messages. We use simulation to examine the effect of such message combining on the performance of SOME-Bus, in the presence of additional traffic due to fault tolerance, and we compare it to similar performance measures of a reduced SOME-Bus network where two nodes share one channel.
Bandgap shifting of an ultra-thin InGaAs/InP quantum well infrared photodetector via rapid thermal annealing

We demonstrate that SiO2 cap rapid thermal annealing in ultra-thin p-type InGaAs/InP quantum wells can be used to produce large blue shifts of the band edge. A substantial bandgap blue shift, as much as 292.5 meV at 900°C has been measured and the value of the bandgap shift can be controlled by the anneal time. Theoretical modeling of the intermixing effect on the energy levels is performed based on the effective bond-orbital method, and we obtain a very good fit to the photoluminescence data. Compared to the as-grown detector, the peak spectral response of the annealed detector was shifted to longer wavelength without any major degradation in the responsivity characteristics.
Vestibular toxicity due to gentamicin in peritoneal dialysis patients

Gentamicin is well known to be a cause of vestibular toxicity. Despite this, gentamicin is often used to treat peritonitis and exitsite infections in peritoneal dialysis patients because of the ease of intraperitoneal administration and the broad coverage of aerobic Gram-nega tive bacilli, including Pseudomonas aeruginosa. We report 4 cases of severe vestibular toxicity occurring in peritoneal dialysis patients treated with gentamicin. They were all treated as outpatients for peritonitis or an exit-site infection while on continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAPD) or continuous cyclic peritoneal dialysis (CCPD). The drug was administered to 3 patients in each peritoneal exchange (5 mglL) after a loading dose. A fourth patient was given 1 mglkg of intraperitoneal gentamicin every other day. The mean length of treatment was 21 days. Levels were not used to adjust the doses. All developed severe vertigo from which there was incomplete or no recovery. We suggest that gentamicin and the other aminoglycosides should be used in peritoneal dialysis patients only when there is no suitable alternative antibiotic. When gentamicin is administered, levels should be carefully followed. Studies should be performed in peritoneal dialysis patients on the feasibility of dosing gentamicin intermittently, which may be less toxic than continuous intraperitoneal administration.
DNA methylome in human CD4+ T cells identifies transcriptionally repressive and non-repressive methylation peaks

DNA methylation is an epigenetic mark that is critical in determining chromatin accessibility and regulating gene expression. This epigenetic mechanism has an important role in T-cell function. We used genome-wide methylation profiling to characterize the DNA methylome in primary human CD4 þ T cells. We found that only 5% of CpG islands are methylated in CD4 þ T cells, and that DNA methylation peak density is increased in subtelomeric chromosomal regions. We also found an inverse relationship between methylation peak density and chromosomal length. Our data indicate that DNA methylation in gene promoter regions is not always a repressive epigenetic mark. Indeed, about 27% of methylated genes are actively expressed in CD4 þ T cells. We demonstrate that repressive methylation peaks are located closer to the transcription start site (TSS) compared with functionally non-repressive peaks (� 893±110bp versus � 1342±218bp (mean±s.e.m.), P-value o0.05). We also show that both a larger number and an increased CpG island density in promoter sequences predict transcriptional permissiveness of DNA methylation. TSS in the majority of genes with permissive DNA methylation peaks is in DNase I hypersensitive sites, indicating a failure of DNA methylation to induce chromatin inaccessibility in these loci. Genes and Immunity (2010) 11, 554–560; doi:10.1038/gene.2010.24; published online 13 May 2010
Psychological Adaptation of Mothers of Children with Spina Bifida: Association with Dimensions of Social Relationships

Investigated the hypothesis that dimensions of social relationships such as family support, conflict, and control; marital quality/support, social support, and social coping are associated with the psychological adjustment of mothers of children with spina bifida. A representative sample of 66 mothers answered a series of questionnaires including the Family Environment Scale. Dyadic Adjustment Scale, Social Support Questionnaire (6-item form), Social Coping Questionnaire, and SCL-90-R. Results indicated that mothers with more supportive families and marriages and less conflicted and controlling families reported lower levels of psychological symptoms. Coping strategies directed at friends were related to more symptoms.
The Invisible Man: How the Sex Offender Registry Results in Social Death

This Article establishes that over-criminalization serves to marginalize unwanted groups of society, and particularly regarding the sex offender registry, it results in social death. The author relies upon the notion of crime as a social construct to establish that the concept of “sex offense” changes over time as society and culture evolve. From there, the author incorporates the work of Michele Foucault involving the relationship of power, knowledge, and sexuality to show how the trend toward more repressive social controls over sex-related activity is related to a shift in this relationship. The Author identifies three characteristics and the associated traits which arise when over-criminalization exists, and further shows how these characteristics and traits are present with respect to the sex offender registry. This Article offers critical insight into the relationship between over-criminalization and repressive control systems and concludes that over-criminalization exists when repressive governmental controls seize power and render non-existent informal social controls. It follows that the sex offender registry is a repressive governmental control that has concentrated power in the government and criminal laws while shifting power away from informal social controls to result in the social death of those unwanted, those labeled sex offender.
The optimal number of response alternatives for a scale: A review.

A conceptual framework employing the distinction between stimulus-centered and subject-centered scales is presented as a basis for reviewing 80 years of literature on the optimal number of response...
Isolation and PC12 cell proliferative protein fraction from pilose antler and its activity

Objective The lyophilized pilose antler water extract(PAE) was isolated,and their cell proliferation on PC12 cells was observed.Methods S-200 Size-exclusive gel and DEAE negative ion-exchange liquid chromatograph were employed to fractionate the PAE.SDS-PAGE was employed to analyze the proteins composition of PAE.The protein concentration was determined by Folin-Phenol assay.The proliferation rates of PC12 cells were measured by MTT assay.Results The proliferation rate of PAE on PC12 cells at 13.3 mg/mL was 47%(P0.01).PAE′s protein content is 84.2%.The PAE was fractionated and obtained two active fractions: S200-P2 and DEAE-P1,whose cells proliferation rates were 46%(97.0 μg/mL,P0.01) and 111.5%(51.0 μg/mL,P0.001),respectively.DEAE-P1 mainly had proteins of Mr 56 000 and higher than Mr 100 000 molecular weight.Conclusion The cell proliferation of PAE and its chromatographic fraction indicate that this fraction may attribute to pilose antler′s never growth factor-like activity.
Sleep disturbances in various nonaffective psychiatric disorders

This article reviews electroencephalographic sleep studies in schizophrenia, obsessive-compulsive disorder, eating disorders, panic disorder, borderline personality disorder, Alzheimer's disease, and certain instances of substance abuse.
EmotioNet: An Accurate, Real-Time Algorithm for the Automatic Annotation of a Million Facial Expressions in the Wild

Research in face perception and emotion theory requires very large annotated databases of images of facial expressions of emotion. Annotations should include Action Units (AUs) and their intensities as well as emotion category. This goal cannot be readily achieved manually. Herein, we present a novel computer vision algorithm to annotate a large database of one million images of facial expressions of emotion in the wild (i.e., face images downloaded from the Internet). First, we show that this newly proposed algorithm can recognize AUs and their intensities reliably across databases. To our knowledge, this is the first published algorithm to achieve highly-accurate results in the recognition of AUs and their intensities across multiple databases. Our algorithm also runs in real-time (>30 images/second), allowing it to work with large numbers of images and video sequences. Second, we use WordNet to download 1,000,000 images of facial expressions with associated emotion keywords from the Internet. These images are then automatically annotated with AUs, AU intensities and emotion categories by our algorithm. The result is a highly useful database that can be readily queried using semantic descriptions for applications in computer vision, affective computing, social and cognitive psychology and neuroscience, e.g., "show me all the images with happy faces" or "all images with AU 1 at intensity c."
Laredo Utility Relocation Project, Chacon Creek, Webb County, Texas

i Figures iii Acknowledgments iv Introduction 1 Methods 2 Results 2 Recommendations 4
Heterogeneous Processing for Computational Imaging

Modern systems-on-a-chip (SoC) have many different types of processors that could be used in computational imaging. Unfortunately, they all have different programming models, and are thus difficult to optimize as a system.In this talk we discuss the suitability of two emerging standards, OpenCL and OpenVX for accelerating processing for computational imaging. Article not available.
Introduction: When political interest leads to disinterested politics

When the Socialists passed decentralizing legislation from 1982 to 1986 that redefined the role of the state in the periphery and gave extensive new powers to territorial units of government, they fulfilled one of the last imperatives of the French Revolution. The history of decentralization over the previous two centuries had not been a very successful one. Only once before the Socialist reforms, one hundred years ago during the beginning years of the Third Republic, had Parliament passed significant, lasting decentralizing legislation. Before the Third Republic, the legislative pattern was one of recurring centralization, which from the first years of the Revolution consisted of short periods of decentralization in times of governmental crisis followed by long periods of recentralization in times of relative governmental stability. Between the laws passed at the beginning of the Third Republic and those at the beginning of the Socialist Fifth Republic, although the century-old pattern of recurring centralization did end, formal decentralization itself did not advance much; the legislative history was one of endless parliamentary debates and countless failed initiatives on an ever expanding list of reforms. However, each time Parliament did pass decentralizing legislation, no matter how minor it might have been in terms of the formal exercise of power, local autonomy and political participation increased, producing local elected officials who were more representative of, and responsive to, the local electorate.
Magnet status impact on 30-day mortality and readmission rates

Background: As of 2013-2014, hospitals are reimbursed based on hospital’s VBP scores. The VBP score is based 70% on clinical processes and outcomes and 30% on patient reports of care. Purpose: The purpose of this study was to determine if magnet (N=160), magnet-in-progress (N=99), and non-magnet hospitals (N=1742) have significant differences in the occurrence of 30-day mortality and readmission rates (for MIs, CHF, and pneumonia); and the percent of patients that assign hospitals the highest ranked rating on questions related to patient satisfaction with care. Methodology: This study utilized a secondary data analysis methodology. Measures /Outcomes: Outcome measures included 30-day mortality and readmission rates (for MIs, CHF, and pneumonia); and patient satisfaction rates on the HCAHPS Survey. Conclusion: Analysis revealed that 30 day mortality rates for MIs were found to be significantly lower (p<0.001) in magnet hospitals (14.87) than in non-Magnet hospitals (15.43). Magnet and Magnet-in-progress hospitals were found to have significantly (p<0.007) higher scores than non-magnet hospitals on six of the seven subjective outcome variables investigated regarding patient reported satisfaction with care. The implication of these results for nursing practice, policy, and future research are discussed. Sarah A. Smith, J Nurs Care 2013, 2:3 http://dx.doi.org/10.4172/2167-1168.S1.004
Consumer Acceptability of Fresh‐Market Muscadine Grapes

The objective of this research was to investigate the acceptability of muscadine grape (Vitis rotundifolia) genotypes (cultivars and selections) and to correlate overall liking to other quality measurements to determine the main drivers of liking. Twenty-two genotypes grown at the Univ. of Georgia–Tifton Campus were evaluated. Four retail commercial grape genotypes (Vitis vinifera and “Concord”) were also evaluated for comparison. Panelists familiar with muscadine grapes used the hedonic general labeled magnitude scale (HgLMS, –100 = strongest disliking of any kind ever experienced, +100 = strongest liking of any kind ever experienced) to rate overall liking and the liking of appearance, flavor, pulp texture, and skin texture. Puncture testing was done to assess grape berry texture, and compositional attributes soluble solids and pH were also measured. The sensory results indicated that the grapes were variable with overall liking scores from 12.2 to 39.6. The factors highly correlated with overall liking scores were muscadine flavor, pulp and skin liking, while a significant negative correlation was found between skin liking and skin texture and mechanical texture measures. The muscadine grapes with the highest overall liking scores were Ga. 5-1-34 and Ga. 2-8-21. Principal component analysis confirmed that grapes with a thinner skin and a higher pH tended to group around overall liking and flavor points. These results indicate that even among panelists familiar with muscadine grapes, skin thickness is a negative characteristic. Breeding for thinner skins may be a positive step in muscadines gaining a more widespread appeal in the fresh fruit market.
(De)Constructing symbols: Charlottesville, the confederate flag, and a case for disrupting symbolic meaning

Political symbols such as the Confederate flag and Confederate monuments present a certain kind of “stickiness” in meaning, interpretation, and ownership. In some instances, a symbol is deeply tied...
Facebook recruitment of Chinese-speaking participants for hypertension education

Abstract Effective dissemination of health information to a desired population can be a challenging and expensive process, particularly to Chinese-Americans. Print and radio advertisements are limited by geographic, language, cost, and demographic barriers. The expense and efforts necessary to overcome these challenges can delay the distribution of knowledge and make it more expensive than necessary. The advent of web-based advertisements through media platforms such as Facebook offers a new method of reaching target audiences who can be both cost-effective and specific. A Facebook advertisement was displayed for 48 hours and consisted of a 26-character Chinese text body. The advertisement linked to an external informational video on hypertension prevention. Demographic information including age and gender were recorded. Descriptive statistics were used to compare reach and number of ad clicks between age groups. The 48-hour campaign reached a total of 508 people. Of those reached, 289 participants (56.9%) were between the ages of 55–64 years, and 170 participants (33.5%) were 65 years or older. The campaign also generated 52 link clicks. The results show that Facebook is a promising method of engaging Chinese-Americans. It is particularly effective in reaching the older female population and is a cost-effective alternative to print-based advertisements.
TESTS OF A NEARLY IDEAL, HIGH RATE THERMOMECHANICAL PUMP

A thermomechanical pump has been fabricated from inexpensive off-the-shelf parts. In tests for pressure head and pump flow performance the pump is shown to behave as a nearly ideal thermomechanical pump, described by very simple equations. Flow rates as high as 850 dm3 per hour have been measured with an expected maximum flow rate of 1700 dm3 per hour for the device.
Ultrastructural studies of the interaction of spectrin with phosphatidylserine liposomes

Spectrin was shown previously to interact with phosphatidylserine and phosphatidylethanolamine, which are preferentially localized in the inner half of the membrane lipid bilayer, but this interaction is not well characterized. In the present study we used electron microscopy of rotary-shadowed platinum replicas of spectrin dimer-phosphatidylserine complexes to study the interaction of spectrin with phosphatidylserine vesicles. At a spectrin concentration of 0.6 mg/mL, 60% of spectrin dimers were associated with phosphatidylserine vesicles and at a spectrin concentration of 1.2 mg/mL, some vesicles were crosslinked by spectrin dimers. The length of the protruding segment of spectrin dimer from the liposome edge ranged from 400 to 960A degrees and the contact region to phosphatidylserine extended 272 +/- 144A degrees from either end of the molecule. Therefore, these data are consistent with multiple binding sites to phosphatidylserine throughout the spectrin dimer molecule. Spectrin tetramers, when bound to phosphatidylserine liposomes, extended 1804 +/- 79A degrees from the liposome edge and crosslinked liposomes, suggesting that some of the binding sites to phosphatidylserine vesicles is in the proximity of the tail end of spectrin. The association between spectrin dimers to phosphatidylserine was demonstrated by nondenaturing gel electrophoresis. The complexes were separated into multiple bands with molecular weight of 1.4 X 10(6), 1.8 X 10(6), and 2.3 X 10(6). These bands did not represent self- associated spectrin oligomers, since postincubation treatment with Triton-X-100 dissociated them into spectrin dimers. Furthermore, these spectrin high molecular weight bands, as visualized by Coomassie blue absorbance, closely corresponded to the 14C-phosphatidylserine distribution. These data provide ultrastructural and biochemical evidence that spectrin binds to phosphatidylserine at multiple sites including the tail end region.
Abstract A03: Circulating CCL2 and CXCL8 chemokine levels and receptor interactions differ in African-Americans and Caucasians with breast cancer

In 2013, the breast cancer mortality rate of African-American (AA) women in the U.S. was significantly higher than Caucasian women, even though incidence rates were about equal. Undoubtedly, access to health care and socioeconomic status could contribute to this health disparities gap, but inherent biologic differences may also be a contributing factor. The purpose of this study is to determine if differences in immunobiology, particularly the abundance of two proinflammatory chemokines, differs between AA and Caucasian women with breast cancer. Differences in these signaling molecules can affect the migration of immune cells, in addition to having a significant effect on cancer progression and tumor biology. We are also interested in the interactions between these chemokines and one of their receptors, ACKR1, which harbors ancestry-specific alleles. Generally, those of AA descent express less of this receptor on their tumor cells, producing a yet to be determined immune response when it comes to breast cancer. Using plasma samples obtained from breast cancer patients pretreatment, in addition to plasma samples from control patients, we were able to determine any differences in chemokine protein levels from these participants using a Luminex immunoassay. Our molecules of interest, CCL2 (MCP-1) and CXCL8 (IL-8), were both chosen due to their ability to influence immune cell migration, in addition to angiogenesis and cancer cell progression. From our analysis, race-specific differences were observed for these particular chemokines between AA and Caucasians with breast cancer. When considering CCL2, it appears that AA had significantly less CCL2 present in circulation when compared to Caucasians. For CXCL8, the median concentration for AA cancer patients was much lower than that of the Caucasian group. The presence or absence of ACKR1 on the tumors of these patients also seems to play a role in circulating chemokine levels, with higher circulating levels being associated with those who have the receptor present on tumor cells. Overall, there appear to be biologic differences in immune response between AA and Caucasians with breast cancer, especially when considering CCL2 and CXCL8, and their interactions with ACKR1. This difference could account for variations in treatment responses, in addition to differences in breast cancer aggressiveness and progression seen within these two groups. Citation Format: Brittany Denise Jenkins, Rupali Hire, Rachel N. Martini, Melissa B. Davis. Circulating CCL2 and CXCL8 chemokine levels and receptor interactions differ in African-Americans and Caucasians with breast cancer [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR Special Conference: Advances in Breast Cancer Research; 2017 Oct 7-10; Hollywood, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Mol Cancer Res 2018;16(8_Suppl):Abstract nr A03.
The macrocyclic lactone protein kinase C activator, bryostatin 1, either alone, or in conjunction with recombinant murine granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor, protects Balb/c and C3H/HeN mice from the lethal in vivo effects of ionizing radiation.

We have examined the in vivo radioprotective effects of the macrocyclic lactone protein kinase C (PK-C) activator, bryostatin 1, administered either alone or in conjunction with recombinant murine granulocyte- macrophage colony-stimulating factor (rmGM-CSF), in Balb/c and C3H/HeN mice subjected to lethal total body irradiation (TBI). When administered alone on a divided dose schedule (24 hours and 30 minutes before TBI), rmGM-CSF (20 micrograms/kg) was ineffective in increasing survival in either strain. However, in Balb/c mice, bryostatin 1 alone (1 microgram) permitted the long-term survival (60 days) of 70% of the animals following TBI, and 80% when administered in conjunction with rmGM-CSF. Bryostatin 1 administered alone according to this schedule exerted minimal radioprotective effects in C3H/HeN mice, but, when combined with a subeffective dose of rmGM-CSF, allowed 50% of the animals to survive. Treatment of Balb/c mice with bryostatin 1 administered as a single dose 4 hours before TBI resulted in a 20% survival rate, and 45% when administered with rmGM-CSF; corresponding values for the C3H/HeN strain were 60% and 40%, respectively. Lastly, the survival rates of Balb/c mice treated with bryostatin 1 administered as a single dose 4 hours following TBI was 20%, and 25% with rmGM-CSF; corresponding values were 50% and 25% for C3H/HeN mice. These findings indicate that the PK-C activator bryostatin 1 exhibits intrinsic in vivo radioprotective effects in lethally irradiated Balb/c and C3H/HeN mice, and may, under some circumstances, augment the radioprotective capacity of rmGM-CSF. They also underscore the critical role that strain differences and scheduling considerations play in determining the in vivo radioprotective capacity of bryostatin 1, as well as its interactions with rmGM-CSF.
Changes in Health-Related Outcomes in Youth With Obesity in Response to a Home-Based Parent-Led Physical Activity Program

Abstract Purpose The purpose of this study was to elucidate whether implementation of a parent-led physical activity (PA) curriculum improved health parameters in youth with obesity. Methods This prospective study included 45 youth with Prader-Willi syndrome (PWS) and 66 youth classified as obese without PWS. Participants were quasi-randomly assigned to an intervention (I) group which completed PA sessions (25–45+ minutes long) 4 days/week for 24 weeks or to a control (C) group. Generalized estimating equations analyzed differences in body composition, PA, and health-related quality of life (HRQL) by youth group, time, and treatment group. A secondary analysis in the I-group compared outcomes based on whether youth showed increases (n = 12) or decreases (n = 19) of ≥2 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous PA (MVPA). Results Body mass index increased from baseline to 24 weeks in youth with obesity (p = .032) but not in youth with PWS. There were no changes in MVPA, total PA, or body fat indicators over time. The I-group demonstrated an increase of 7.2% and 7.6% in social and school HRQL, respectively, and a 3.3% improvement in total HRQL. Youth in the I-group who increased MVPA demonstrated decreased body mass (p = .010), body mass index z-score (p = .018), and body fat mass (p = .011); these changes were not observed in those who decreased MVPA over time. Conclusions Participation in a parent-led PA intervention at home can positively influence HRQL in youth with obesity and/or PWS. Increases in MVPA ≥2 minutes above baseline led to decreases in body mass and fat, while maintaining lean mass.
Conservation logics that reshape mega-event spaces: San Antonio and Brisbane post expo

International expositions (expos) are significant to the history of urban planning. Analysis of post-event urban spaces can provide valuable insights into the study of spatial planning, parks plann...
High-resolution specificity profiling and off-target prediction for site-specific DNA recombinases

The development of site-specific recombinases (SSRs) as genome editing agents is limited by the difficulty of altering their native DNA specificities. Here we describe Rec-seq, a method for revealing the DNA specificity determinants and potential off-target substrates of SSRs in a comprehensive and unbiased manner. We applied Rec-seq to characterize the DNA specificity determinants of several natural and evolved SSRs including Cre, evolved variants of Cre, and other SSR family members. Rec-seq profiling of these enzymes and mutants thereof revealed previously uncharacterized SSR interactions, including specificity determinants not evident from SSR:DNA structures. Finally, we used Rec-seq specificity profiles to predict off-target substrates of Tre and Brec1 recombinases, including endogenous human genomic sequences, and confirmed their ability to recombine these off-target sequences in human cells. These findings establish Rec-seq as a high-resolution method for rapidly characterizing the DNA specificity of recombinases with single-nucleotide resolution, and for informing their further development.
Management of localized low-grade follicular lymphoma

Follicular lymphoma (FL) is the most common indolent non-Hodgkin lymphoma. A long natural history and an evolution in staging modalities and treatment options has complicated studies regarding its optimal management. As a result, there is great variety in the therapeutic approaches used for low-grade (grade 1–2) early-stage FL. Definitive radiation therapy (RT) to a generous involved site volume to 24 Gy remains the recommended treatment for patients with stage I or contiguous stage II disease, based on retrospective data demonstrating prolonged disease-free intervals and even cure. An alternative is an even lower-dose RT to 4 Gy, which results in high response rates, with less toxicity but inferior local control. Additionally, observation may be appropriate in selected cases. The use of immunochemotherapy may improve progression-free survival (PFS) when added to RT but does not appear to affect overall survival, so its use in combination with RT or alone remains under investigation. This chapter review focuses on current understanding of these issues in localized grade 1–2 FL.
Towards Compassionate Care: A Critical Race Analysis of Teaching in Township Schools.

This article presents findings from a critical race theory-informed qualitative study of three teachers in a township secondary school outside of Cape Town, South Africa. Based on a series of interviews conducted throughout the school day, this study demonstrates how teachers intentionally empower learners to navigate school infrastructures that reinforce racial disparities. Findings centre a commitment to empowering instructional strategies, including code-switching and an ethic of compassionate care for learners of colour navigating resource-poor schools. The article concludes by arguing for immediate attention to remedying historic racialised disparities, fostering code-switching as intentional instructional approaches, and considering an ethic of care that helps learners navigate the daily conditions of township life.
Chronic renal disease among lead-exposed workers

Background Very high exposure to inorganic lead causes serious kidney damage. We have studied workers with occupational exposure and data on blood lead. Methods We extended follow-up for 7 more years, for a previously studied cohort of 58 307 male workers who were part of a surveillance programme in 11 different states. Mortality was assessed using the National Death Index, and end-stage renal disease (ESRD) incidence was assessed using the US Renal Data System. We conducted internal analyses via Cox regression adjusting for age, calendar time and race. Results The cohort was followed for a median of 18 years and had 524 cases of ESRD and 6527 deaths. Average maximum blood lead was 26 µg/dL; the mean year of first blood lead test was 1997. No trends by lead level were seen overall or when restricting to those with 15+ years follow-up. Among non-Caucasians with >15 years of follow-up, there was a positive but inconsistent trend (Rate ratios (RRs) 1.00, 2.10, 1.33, 2.20 and 2.76 for maximum blood lead categories of 50 µg/dL, respectively (p for linear trend 0.26). Those with >15 years of follow-up and birth year Conclusions We found no association between higher lead exposure and ESRD. There were positive but not statistically significant trends of increased risk for non-Caucasians with >15 years of follow-up and for older men with >15 years of follow-up.
Massively Parallel Liquid Metal Wiring for Soft Electronics and Robotics

We report a simple method to wire more than hundreds of microscale electrical components for soft and stretchable electronics by selective batch-patterning of liquid metal (LM) interconnections. Rather than forming independent interconnections in series, such as 3-D printing or traditional microfluidics, our method parallelly disconnects short-circuited LM interconnections to form a circuit. For the first time, we have demonstrated patterning of more than 1000 LM wires in just a few seconds and forming ∼300 isolated electrical connections. Furthermore, our method simplifies LM filling to just one single filling port, replacing hundreds to thousands of filling ports required by existing microfluidic technology for devices with the same scale.
Chapter 11 – ION LASERS

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses ion lasers. There are a number of gaseous media in which laser action has been obtained in the ionized species. These can be broken down into the rare gas—argon and krypton—and the metal vapor—lead, calcium, germanium, indium, tin, mercury, cadmium, and zinc systems. The chapter describes helium–cadmium (He–Cd) laser as an example of metal vapor lasers. The He–Cd laser is simple to construct and operates at high efficiency. This laser uses inelastic atom–atom collisions as an excitation method. The rare-gas ion lasers includes argon and krypton ion lasers and is of considerable interest because high powers (∼ 100 W) are available on a continuous wave (CW) basis in the visible through ultraviolet spectrum. These lasers are of quite low efficiency; therefore, the power supplied must be high to obtain appreciable power out. The chapter also discusses argon ion laser. For the CW argon ion laser, there is a two-step excitation process leading to a quadratic dependence of the upper laser level population on discharge current.
The Perception Process

Different people tend to perceive the events around them in different ways. This tendency is a result of their personalities and their differing backgrounds and experiences. It is also a result of how we, as individuals, process various stimuli. Perception is a process where a person selects, organizes, identifies and interprets the sensory information he receives in order to understand his environment. Perceptions act as filters, thus preventing us from being overwhelmed by all of the noise (stimuli) around us. Perceptions can be shaped by learning, memory, and expectations. Our perceptual systems also enable us to see the world around us as stable, even when the stimulus we receive is incomplete and/or changing.
Harnessing Natural Modularity of Metabolism with Goal Attainment Optimization to Design a Modular Chassis Cell for Production of Diverse Chemicals.

Modular design is key to achieve efficient and robust systems across engineering disciplines. Modular design potentially offers advantages to engineer microbial systems for biocatalysis, bioremedia...
Systemic Racism and the Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA): Using Critical Race Theory to Build Equitable Family Leave Policies

Past and current policies have led to the creation and sustainment of systemic racism. The Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) is a key contributor to sustaining health disparities for working Black women in the USA. Black women have a longstanding history of disadvantage and the current family leave policies make this demographic more vulnerable to economic hardship and eventually disparate health outcomes. Using data from the Family and Medical Leave Act in 2012 – Employee Survey (N = 1266), this study conducts logistic regression analyses to examine if this policy disparately benefits white men and white women compared to women of color. Respondents were categorized into leave takers (those who took family and medical leave as needed), leave needers (those who had an unmet need for leave), and employed only (those who neither needed nor took leave). As hypothesized, Black working women (vs. White working men) have the highest odds of having an unmet need for taking a leave followed by Latina women. In addition, Black working women (vs. White working men) had the highest odds of difficulty in making ends meet when they did take leave. The authors also conduct a policy analysis of the FMLA through a critical race theory (CRT) lens to offer policy recommendations, which deconstruct the role structural racism plays in the structure and implementation of the FMLA.
Concerning CT features predict outcome of treatment in patients with malignant peritoneal mesothelioma.

BACKGROUND Malignant peritoneal mesothelioma is an aggressive local-regional disease with dissemination to all parts of the abdomen and pelvis at the time of diagnosis. Recently, cytoreductive surgery (CRS) and hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC) has been used and improved survival was documented with this local-regional treatment strategy. METHOD Concerning CT features were described that were specific for malignant peritoneal mesothelioma. The incidence of concerning radiologic features and their impact on survival was determined. The prognostic assessment of concerning CT features was compared to the peritoneal cancer index (PCI) and the completeness of cytoreduction score (CC score). RESULTS One hundred patients with a preoperative CT were evaluated by 11 concerning CT features. The incidence of these CT features varied between 5% and 41%. Nine of the 11 CT features statistically significantly predicted a reduced survival in these patients treated in a uniform manner. When concerning radiologic features were grouped as none, a single feature or two or more features, a significant composite analysis was achieved with p < 0.001. The prognostic information from concerning CT features compared favorably with the prognostic implications of PCI and CC score. CONCLUSIONS The availability of the concerning CT features to predict prognosis at the initiation of treatments for malignant peritoneal mesothelioma shows that this radiologic assessment may be of great value to the clinician in planning a treatment strategy for an individual patient.