cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Where the Money Really Went: A New Understanding of the AJCA Tax Holiday

International tax policy debate has been informed by a belief based on prior research that, notwithstanding legal prohibitions, shareholder payouts in 2005 accounted for $0.60-$0.92 per dollar repatriated under the AJCA tax holiday. I analyze total payouts that year and prove that this is false. Additionally, I estimate actual spending changes using firm-by-firm constrained regressions over a 5-year post-holiday window. Top-20 repatriators (56% of all repatriated cash) spent heterogeneously, with $0.72 per repatriated dollar associated with AJCA-permissible uses, including cash acquisitions ($0.49), debt reductions ($0.10), and R&D ($0.09). For smaller repatriators, $0.59 per dollar was associated with permissible uses.
A Suite of Schemes for User-Level Network Diagnosis without Infrastructure

It is highly desirable and important for end users, with no special privileges, identify and pinpoint faults inside the network that degrade the performance of their applications. However, existing tools are inaccurate to infer the link-level loss rates and have large diagnosis granularity (in terms of the number of hops). To address these problems, we propose a suite of user-level diagnosis approaches in two categories: (1) only need to be deployed at the source and (2) deployed at both source and destination. For the former, we propose two fragmentation aided diagnosis approaches (FAD), Algebraic FAD and Opportunistic FAD, which uses IP fragmentation to enable accurate link-level loss rate inference. For the latter category, we propose Striped Probe Analysis (SPA) which significantly improves the diagnosis granularity over those of the source-only approaches. Internet experiments are applied to evaluate each individual schemes (including an improved version of the state-of-the-art tool, Tulip [1]) and various hybrid approaches. The results indicate that our approaches dramatically outperform existing work (especially for diagnosis granularity) and provide not only the best performance but also smooth tradeoff among deployment requirement, diagnosis accuracy and granularity.
Descriptive models of restorative treatment decisions.

Objectives: This study developed descriptive models of dentists' restorative treatment decisions for individual teeth. Such models could be useful in personnel planning, in assessing the effects of dental treatment programs, and in furthering understanding of dentists' decision-making processes. Methods: Logistic regression was used to construct models of the probability of individual teeth receiving a recommendation for restorative treatment. Independent variables for the models were data from epidemiologic oral examinations and self-administered questionnaires of subjects who were seeking treatment at a dental school. Data for the dependent variable, the probability of treatment, were collected from multiple dentists' treatment plans of these subjects. Separate models were constructed for molar, premolar, and anterior teeth. An assessment of the models' utilities in a different population consisted of comparing the treatment probabilities estimated by the models with those actually experienced by a community sample of 317 individuals who visited dentists in the 18 months following our examination. Results: Constructed models for molar, premolar, and anterior teeth returned kappa values of 0.60, 0.62, and 0.65, respectively, for the original data set. The models were less accurate in identifying which teeth received treatment among subjects in the community sample, with kappas of 0.10, 0.18, and 0.20, respectively. Conclusion: Models of dentists' restorative treatment decision making based on clinical and nonclinical data can determine the probability of treatment for individual teeth with reasonable accuracy. Hence, the approach holds promise for developing measures of normative treatment need. However, the models are not accurate predictors of dichotomous decisions by individual dentists regarding treatment interventions. Both differences in the subject samples used to develop and assess the models and individual dentist idiosyncrasies may contribute to this inaccuracy.
Evaluation of In Situ Electroenzymatic Regeneration of Coenzyme NADH in Packed Bed Membrane Reactors Biosynthesis of Lactate

Characterization of our electroenzymatic membrane reactors with respect to transport and reaction processes has been accomplished. Both batch and flow configurations were evaluated using the biosynthesis of lactate from pyruvate as a model system. A key feature is the in situ regeneration of the coenzyme nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NADH). Cyclic voltammetry was used to investigate the mechanisms present in the free solution and on porous enzyme immobilized, graphite electrodes. These results were essential for the design and evaluation of the flow-by electrode and subsequent reactor performance studies. The electrodes utilize an immobilized enzyme system [lipoamide dehydrogenase (LipDH) and methyl viologen as a mediator] within porous graphite cathodes, encapsulated by a cation exchange membrane (Nafion 124, DuPont). The free flowing fluid contains the pyruvate/lactate (and coproducts), the enzyme lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) and the coenzyme NADH/NAD + system. Lactate yields up to 70% were obtained when the reactor system was operated in a semibatch (i.e., recirculation) mode for 24 h, as compared to only 50% when operated in a simple batch mode for 200 h. The multipass operating scheme permits optimization studies to be conducted on system parameters. Operating regimes where either mass transfer or kinetics control the process synthesis were identified by flow perturbation studies.
Visualizing Revision: Leveraging Student-Generated Between-Draft Diagramming Data in Support of Academic Writing Development

Once writers complete a first draft, they are often encouraged to evaluate their writing and prioritize what to revise. Yet, this process can be both daunting and difficult. This study looks at how students used a semantic concept mapping tool to re-present the content and organization of their initial draft of an informational text. We examine the processes of students at two different schools as they remediated their own texts and how those processes impacted the development of their rhetorical, conceptual, and communicative capacities. Our analysis suggests that students creating visualizations of their completed first drafts scaffolded self-evaluation. The mapping tool aided visualization by converting compositions into discrete persistent visual data elements that represented concepts and connections. This often led to students’ meta-awareness of what was missing or misaligned in their draft. Our findings have implications for how students approach, educators perceive, and designers support the drafting and revision process.
Seed-Flax Improvement

Publisher Summary The flax plant essentially produces two valuable products, flaxseed and fiber. Seed-flax or linseed types are grown principally for their seed. Fiber-flax types, on the other hand, are grown for the high-quality fibers from which linen yarn is spun. In specific, flaxseed has excellent keeping qualities when stored in a relatively dry state. In context to grain respiration and under aerobic conditions, respiration involves the oxidation of organic constituents of the seed, particularly carbohydrates and fats, with the formation of carbon dioxide and water as the ultimate end products. The total respiration of a particular lot of grain free from insects can arise from the biological processes of the seeds themselves and of the microorganisms that are invariably present on the surface of grain and under the seed coat. The rates at which chemical changes occur in stored grain are largely determined by the moisture content, the storage temperature, the oxygen supply, and the degree of soundness of the grain.
Thrombocythemia and Pulmonary Intra-Alveolar Coagulum in a Young Woman

A description is given of the clinical course and findings at autopsy in a 19-year-old girl with a myeloproliferative syndrome characterized primarily by thrombocythemia. This was associated with an unusual pulmonary disorder in which the alveoli were filled by a non-cellular exudate comprised of carbohydrate, fat and protein which resembled in some respects pneumonia attributed to Pneumocystis carinii . The possible interrelationship of the thrombocythemia and the intra-alveolar coagulum is discussed.
De-Biasing Discussion

This group exercise induces students to: a) recollect and share personal experiences with cognitive biases; b) reflect on how such biases can be countered. The exercise assumes that students are familiar with mental biases, especially those that might affect strategic decisions such as anchoring, confirmatory traps, overconfidence, et cetera.Learning Objective: To help students recognize and counter mental biases when they manifest themselves in real-life decision settings.
Water and Temperature Relations of Two Hemipteran Members of a Predator-Prey Complex

Certain aspects of temperature and water relations were investigated in individuals of two hemipteran species that live in arid habitats. Thermal tolerance, measured as critical thermal maximum (CTM), was considerably higher in Geocoris punctipes (Say) (Hemiptera: Lygaeidae) (CTM = 47.8) than in Lygus hesperus (Knight) (Hemiptera: Miridae) (CTM = 42.4). L. hesperus had higher resistance to water loss at high temperatures than G. punctipes , whereas both species had rates of water loss that were generally higher than other arthropods that inhabit arid zones. Fecal water loss was higher in L. hesperus than it was in G. punctipes (5.5%·day−1 compared with 2.7%·day−1) L. hesperus had a significantly lesser amount of cuticular lipid per cm2; $\bar x$ = 33.2 mg·cm−2 (SD = 8.4) than did G. punctipes ; $\bar x$ = 53.4 (SD = 16.2). Older adults had lower rates of water loss than did newly emerged adults ( P < 0.001).
Tuning the dielectric properties of organic semiconductors via salt doping

Enhancing the dielectric permittivity of organic semiconductors may open new opportunities to control charge generation and recombination dynamics in organic solar cells. The potential to tune the dielectric permittivity of organic semiconductors by doping them with redox inactive salts was explored using a combination of organic synthesis, electrical characterization, and time-resolved infrared spectroscopy. The addition of the salt, LiTFSI (lithium bis(trifluoro-methyl-sulfonyl)imide), to a conjugated polymer specifically designed to incorporate ions into its bulk phase increased the density of holes and enhanced the static dielectric permittivity of the polymer blend by more than an order of magnitude. The frequency and phase dependence of the real dielectric function demonstrates that the increase in dielectric permittivity resulted from dipolar motion of bound ion pairs or clusters of ions. Interestingly, the increases in the hole density and dielectric permittivity were associated with enhancement o...
Simultaneous determination of twenty trace sulfonamides residues in honey by ultra-fast liquid chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrometry

Objective:To develop a fast,efficient,accurate and sensitive method for determination of sulfonamides residues in honey by ultra-fast liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry.Methods: Honey samples were extracted using 0.1%(V/V) phosphoric acid,and purified by MCX solid-phase extraction(SPE) cartridges.The separation was carried out on a Shim-pack XR-ODS Ⅱ(100 mm×2.0 mm i.d.,2.2 μm) with acetonitrile and water as mobile phase by gradient elution,which containing 0.1%(V/V) formic acid and 5 mmol/L ammonium acetate.Detection was performed by an ultra-fast liquid chromatography-triple quadrupole tandem mass spectrometry(UFLC-MS/MS) with an electrospray ion(ESI) source in the positive multipile reaction monitoring(MRM) mode.Results: Calibration curves for the sulfonamides except sulfaguanidine and sulfacetamide were linear within the range of 0.25 μg/kg～25.0 μg/kg,and 1.0 μg/kg～25.0 μg/kg for sulfaguanidine and sulfacetamide.The correlation coefficients were more than 0.99,the limits of detection(LODs)were between 0.004 μg/kg～0.25 μg/kg,and the limits of quantification(LOQs)were between 0.01 μg/kg～0.83 μg/kg.The extraction recoveries ranged from 63.3% to 106.9% at three spiked levels of 0.5 μg/kg,2.5 μg/kg,5.0 μg/kg for each sulfonamide,and the RSDs ranged from 1.7% to 12.3%.Conclusion: The developed method can be detected simultaneously 20 sulfonamides within 5.5 min.It is fast and efficient,and which has used satisfactorily for the determination of trace sulfonamides in actual honey samples.
Unwinding JAZ7 – enigma to harmony

JASMONATE ZIM-DOMAIN (JAZ) proteins are primary transcriptional repressors in the jasmonate (JA) signaling pathway that regulate a broad range of JA-dependent responses. A mechanistic mode of action is well established, but what are the biological roles of individual JAZs, and how do they contribute to the specification of JA signaling outputs? Two recent articles in Journal of Experimental Botany reveal roles of JAZ7 in regulating dark-induced senescence and susceptibility to fungal pathogens. Jasmonates (JAs) regulate a broad range of processes, from growth and development to biotic and abiotic stress responses. JASMONATE ZIM-DOMAIN (JAZ) proteins are key regulators in controlling JA signaling outputs. Since the discovery of JAZs in 2007, over 100 research articles have been published on the characterization of JAZ functions, genomic or transcriptomic analyses of JAZs, or the identification of down-stream transcription factors in the JA signaling pathway through yeast two-hybrid screens using JAZs as bait (reviewed in Pauwels and Goossens, 2011; Shyu and Brutnell, 2015). Biochemical and molecular functions of JAZ proteins have been extensively studied, but surprisingly little is known about the biological role of JAZs and how they contribute to specific JA signaling outputs.
Changing Trends in U.S. Alcohol Demand

This study uses the Fourier globally flexible functional form and shows that elasticities of substitution for beer, wine and spirits vary over time. Own-price elasticities show that demand for alcohol is inelastic. Estimates of cross-price elasticities show much variation over time between spirits, wine and beer. Cross-price elasticities between beer and wine are generally elastic. Evidence of asymmetric substitution involving beer with wine or spirits suggests alcohol expenditure depends on which product undergoes a price change, which is typically not the case for spirits and wine. Changes in the demand for alcohol over time have important implications for the effectiveness of policy aimed at reducing externalities associated with heavy drinking. Morishima elasticities of substitution have different magnitudes compared to the cross-price elasticities but similar trends.
The Scilingo Effect and the Specified

This chapter is an unprecedented investigation into the testimony of Adolfo Scilingo, a Navy lieutenant during the Argentine dictatorship and official state murderer of over 30 political prisoners, and de facto leader of the junta, General Jorge Videla. I first take on the famous text of his confession to journalist Horacio Verbitsky, El vuelo and argue for the necessary understanding of his confession as a failure of the strength of dictatorship and state terrorism to maintain its commitment to the specified logic of individuation. I then take Videla’s confession to illustrate the movement of the specified as the formation of a bellic subjectivity.
Transposition of the Compressed Spinal Cord in Kyphoscoliotic Patients with Neurological Deficit: With Special Reference to the Vascular Supply of the Cord

There is a definite place for transposition of the spinal cord in selected cases of kyphoscoliosis with neurological deficit due to spinal-cord compression. In the three cases presented, there was recovery ranging from a considerable degree to complete restoration of normal function after operation. The normal vascular supply of the spinal cord is discussed, and the two zones of poor collateral blood supply at the fourth thoracic and first lumbar cord levels are pointed out. Anterior transposition of the spinal cord without rhizotomy may be more desirable in these areas of critical blood supply. Lateral transposition of the cord achieved by removal of bone and section of the nerve roots may be without danger between the fifth and ninth thoracic vertebral segments. The three case reports are discussed with relation to the dangers of rhizotomy with associated vascular insufficiency to the spinal cord.
Site-Controlled Growth of Monolithic InGaAs/InP Quantum Well Nanopillar Lasers on Silicon

In this Letter, we report the site-controlled growth of InP nanolasers on a silicon substrate with patterned SiO2 nanomasks by low-temperature metal–organic chemical vapor deposition, compatible with silicon complementary metal–oxide–semiconductor (CMOS) post-processing. A two-step growth procedure is presented to achieve smooth wurtzite faceting of vertical nanopillars. By incorporating InGaAs multiquantum wells, the nanopillar emission can be tuned over a wide spectral range. Enhanced quality factors of the intrinsic InP nanopillar cavities promote lasing at 0.87 and 1.21 μm, located within two important optical telecommunication bands. This is the first demonstration of a site-controlled III–V nanolaser monolithically integrated on silicon with a silicon-transparent emission wavelength, paving the way for energy-efficient on-chip optical links at typical telecommunication wavelengths.
Transport and Retention of Heavy Metal in Soils: Competitive Sorption

Appreciable amounts of various heavy metals (e.g. As, Cu, Ni, and Zn) are found in surface soils of lands as a result of accidental spills or industrial waste and sewage sludge applications. Such conditions often create environmental risks and potential contamination of soil, surface and groundwater resources. Competitive adsorption and desorption processes of heavy metals by the soil matrix have significant importance on their fate and mobility in soils. In this contribution, equilibrium and kinetic models governing competitive heavy-metal sorption and transport in soils were presented. Several examples were discussed to illustrate the impact of competing ions on the reactivities and mobility of heavy metals in the soil–water environment. The examples exhibited that competition among various heavy-metal species for available adsorption sites on soil matrix surfaces often results in the enhancement of the mobility of contaminants in the soil environment. Competitive sorption based on equilibrium Freundlich and Langmuir models were derived in order to account for competitive sorption of cations and anions in soils. Competitive models of the multiple reaction type including the two-site nonlinear equilibrium-kinetic models, the concurrent- and consecutive multireaction models were modified to describe kinetic adsorption–desorption of heavy metals behavior in soil. It was shown that equilibrium Langmuir and kinetic second-order models can be extended to simulate the competitive sorption and transport in soils. A drawback of Freundlich and Langmuir approaches is that their associated parameters are specific for each soil. Moreover, since predictions of the transport of heavy metals were sometime inadequate, improved competitive modeling approaches are needed. On the other hand, geochemical models, which are based on ion exchange and surface complexation concepts, are frequently utilized to quantify competitive behavior of several chemical species under a wide range of environmental conditions. However, further research is also needed since geochemical models are incapable of describing kinetic sorption–desorption of heavy metal ions in competitive systems.
The Physiologic Basis for the Temperature Raising Effect of Progesterone

The body temperature of regularly ovulating women tends to be about 0.75° F higher in the interval between ovulation and the next menstrual period than in the interval between menses and the next ovulation (1,2). This phenomenon, which has been recognized since before the turn of the century (3–5), has been shown to be due to the progesterone secreted by the corpus luteum (6–8,1,2). During pregnancy the tremendously increased duration of progesterone secretion is also associated with a prolongation of the body temperature elevation, although the latter does not last as long as does the secretion of progesterone (9). Other animals in which either an elevation of body temperature occurs during the luteal phase or in response to treatment with progesterone or both, are the cow (10–12), African dwarf goat (13), rat (14–16) and monkey (17). No relation between the ovulation cycle and the body temperature has been seen in the pig (18). Several other steroids of the pregnane and androstane series also raise the body temperature of human subjects, some to a much greater degree than progesterone does (19: See 20 for review).
Human Rights Global Education

The question of how best to prepare students to build meaningful lives and strong societies has long challenged educators. In this chapter, we look at some educational trends and propose that an emphasis on unifying human rights education with global education holds significant potential for assisting students to be responsible citizens in a changing world. Both global education (GE) and human rights education (HRE) have merits of their own. However, while there is some overlap in what they cover, we argue that merging them together into a more unified, formalized pedagogical approach called Human Rights Global Education (HRGE) will provide students with a stronger framework than teaching either HRE or GE alone. Guidelines and resources for the development and implementation of HRGE are provided.
Understanding conflict and consensus regarding wood bison management in Alaska, USA

Context Wood bison (Bison bison athabascae) have been absent from Alaska for over 170 years. In the spring and summer of 2015, however, 130 animals were reintroduced to the state. These wood bison were restored through a consensus-based planning process, but it remains unknown how the animals will be managed. Aims To survey urban and rural Alaska residents to understand the effect of proximity to the resource on residents’ preferences for management of wood bison in different scenarios. Methods Data were collected in urban areas using a mail-back questionnaire (n = 515) and by on-site interviews with rural residents (n = 31), between June and September 2015. Respondents were asked to state their preferred wood bison management strategies under specific situations of potential human–bison conflict. Key results Residents from urban and rural study areas differed in their preference of bison management, particularly in more severe situations (i.e. damage to property, causing injury to people). Conclusions Urban and rural residents were reluctant to use lethal management of wood bison, even under situations that threaten human property. Implications Backlash from urban residents could occur if managers use lethal management. Rural residents, however, favour lethal management when human injury occurs.
Mapping Cerebral Glutamate 13C Turnover and Oxygen Consumption by in Vivo NMR

Regional rates of 13C incorporation from glucose to glutamate were detected in anesthetized rat brain in vivo at 7T with high temporal and spatial resolution using NMR method ICED PEPSI (in vivo carbon edited detection with proton echo planar spectroscopic imaging). Time courses of regional glutamate 13C turnover were fitted by a metabolic model to obtain regional tri-carboxylic acid (TCA) cycle flux and cerebral metabolic rate of oxygen consumption (CMRO2) in each voxel (8µL) of rat cortex. CMRO2 maps obtained for rats under either α-chloralose or morphine anesthesia revealed average cortical values of 1.5± 0.2 (n=3) and 3.2 ± 0.3 (n=4)µmol/g/min, respectively. These values of CMRO2 are in good agreement with previous cortical measurements with coarser spatial resolution. The heterogeneity within each map, which depicted predominantly gray and white matter differences, was significantly greater under morphine (higher cortical activity) than under α-chloralose (lower cortical activity) anesthesia. The regional variations in the basal awake state, which are expected to be even greater, should be considered to avoid partial-volume artifacts in functional activation studies of awake subjects.
Psychophysical evidence for post-receptoral sensitivity loss in diabetics.

Although numerous reports show that the sensitivity of the S cone system is decreased in diabetic patients, few studies have been directed toward identifying the possible sites of the sensitivity loss. In this study, a psychophysical technique was used to test hypotheses about sites of S cone system sensitivity loss in a group of patients with early diabetic retinopathy. A model of the S cone system was assumed and the experimental conditions were chosen to distinguish between explanations for S cone sensitivity loss at the receptor level from explanations for loss at a post-receptoral level. Within the context of the model, the data were consistent with S cone system sensitivity loss occurring at a post-receptoral level. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci 33:2781-2790, 1992 Diabetes is known to affect the sensitivity of the short wavelength sensitive (S) cone system. There are reports of tritan-type defects using hue discrimination techniques and reports of reduced S cone pathway sensitivity using spectral sensitivity techniques. These defects are evident even in the early stages of diabetic retinopathy. 1 " 5 These measurements, however, reflect the sensitivity of the S cone system as a whole and thus do not provide sufficient information for identifying the anatomical sites or physiologic mechanisms of S cone sensitivity loss. The anatomic sites may be at the level of the inner retina, reflecting a disturbance of retinal circulation. Evidence for inner retinal dysfunction comes from reports of reductions in the scotopic threshold response amplitude 6 and in oscillatory potential amplitudes 7 " 9 in patients with mild degrees of retinopathy. It is possible, however, that inner retinal disease may compromise outer retinal function,
A service system for BT‘s major customers

Customer service excellence is regarded as one of the key differentiators of BT‘s product and service protfolio. This paper discusses, from a technical perspective, the major customer service system (MCSS), and how it is helping to achieve excellent customer service for BT‘s global and major customers.
Nuance, complexity, and context: qualitative methods in genetic counseling research.

Because of its potential for capturing complexity and process and its focus on communicating the meaning in human action, qualitative research is rapidly gaining acceptance in a wide variety of disciplines. Various qualitative approaches to research support its potential usefulness in genetic counseling research. Formulation of research questions and selection of appropriate qualitative methods are the first step. Interviewing, narrative analysis, focus groups, ethnography/participant observation, and participatory action research are only some of the most popular techniques that may be suitable in various situations. Processes of evaluation, analysis, and even ethical issues often differ somewhat from quantitative research. This article discusses these issues and the potential value of qualitative methods for research related to genetic counseling.
Citizenship and Violence: The Past and Future of Civility

In the debates over citizenship and civil society and its different models the main division has been primarily characterized by give-and-take between liberals and communitarians over what makes for “the good society.” Here I examine a key, additional element that has been largely forgotten in the contemporary discussion on citizenship in Europe or North America—namely, keeping civil violence at bay. What are the limits in the shaping of civil society, before we tip over into growing levels of violence? After examining the liberal and communitarian arguments for what generates a civic (non-violent) order, and their respective limits, I offer an alternative sociological explanation, inspired by Subrata Mitra’s work.
Reactions of N-Heterocyclic Carbene Boranes with 5-Diazo-2,2-dimethyl-1,3-dioxane-4,6-dione: Synthesis of Mono- and Bis-hydrazonyl NHC-Boranes

N-Heterocyclic carbene boranes (NHC-boranes) react with 5-diazo-2,2-dimethyl-1,3-dioxane-4,6-dione at 40 °C in dichloromethane to provide NHC-boryl hydrazone derivatives of 2,2-dimethyl-1,3-dioxane-4,6-dione. These hydrazones disproportionate to bis-hydrazones on treatment with diiodine in dichloromethane at room temperature. The mono- and bis-hydrazones are yellow solids that are stable to chromatography and storage.
Spatiotemporal Information Coupling in Network Navigation

Network navigation, encompassing both spatial and temporal cooperation to locate mobile agents, is a key enabler for numerous emerging location-based applications. In such cooperative networks, the positional information obtained by each agent is a complex compound due to the interaction among its neighbors. This information coupling may result in poor performance: algorithms that discard information coupling are often inaccurate, and algorithms that keep track of all the neighbors’ interactions are often inefficient. In this paper, we develop a principled framework to characterize the information coupling present in network navigation. Specifically, we derive the equivalent Fisher information matrix for individual agents as the sum of effective information from each neighbor and the coupled information induced by the neighbors’ interaction. We further characterize how coupled information decays with the network distance in representative case studies. The results of this paper can offer guidelines for the development of distributed techniques that adequately account for information coupling, and hence enable accurate and efficient network navigation.
Abstract 5121: Obesity and prostate cancer progression: Role of the chemokine CXCL12

Prostate cancer (PCa) is the third leading cause of cancer in men in the United States. Many epidemiologic studies suggest that obesity increases PCa progression and mortality. However, the mechanistic relationship between PCa progression and obesity is very complex and not fully understood. In previous studies, we have shown that obesity enhances PCa growth and progression in the HiMyc mouse model of PCa by changing the surrounding tumor microenvironment, especially in white adipose tissue (WAT). WAT consists of many cells including mature adipocytes, adipose stromal cells (ASCs) and inflammatory cells, which secrete chemokines, cytokines and proinflammatory molecules. ASCs are an important component of the stromal vascular fraction (SVF) from WAT that secretes such factors. In this study, we evaluated the role of ASCs and ASC-derived CXCL12 in driving PCa progression in obesity. We observed upregulation of mRNA expression of CXCL12 in the SVF of the periprostatic WAT from obese HiMyc mice. In HMVP2 cells, a PCa cell line derived from HiMyc mice expressing high levels of CXCR4 and CXCR7, CXCL12 treatment increased activation of MAPKs (JNK and ERK), AKT, STAT3 and NFkB. In further studies, HMVP2 cells were treated with the CXCR4 antagonist, AMD3100, alone or together with CXCL12 and the CXCL12-induced signaling was abolished in AMD3100-treated cells. Similar results were observed in CXCR4 knockdown cells and CXCR7 knockdown cells. In addition, knockdown of CXCR4 and CXCR7 significantly decreased migration and invasion of the HMVP2 cells. Lastly, a tumor study was performed by injecting HMVP2 cells into the flank of FVB/N mice, which were fed either a control diet or obese diet. AMD3100 significantly inhibited the growth of HMVP2 tumors in both obese and control diet groups. AMD3100 also inhibited proliferation and epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) in both obese and control diet groups. In conclusion, this study provides evidence that the CXCL12/CXCR4/CXCR7 signaling pathway is important for obesity-driven PCa progression in HiMyc mice. Furthermore, this pathway may represent a novel therapeutic target for inhibiting obesity-driven PCa growth and progression. Citation Format: Songyeon Ahn, Achinto Saha, Mikhail G. Kolonin, John DiGiovanni. Obesity and prostate cancer progression: Role of the chemokine CXCL12 [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2018; 2018 Apr 14-18; Chicago, IL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2018;78(13 Suppl):Abstract nr 5121.
Evidence-Based School Counseling: Models for Integrated Practice and School Counselor Education

Although school counselors and school counselor educators have an ethical responsibility to use and to teach evidence-based practices (EBPs), recent research has illustrated a lack of EBP in counse...
Uncovering unintended and shadow practices of users of decision support system dashboards in higher education institutions

Higher education institutions' (HEI) have begun to develop decision support system data dashboards (DSS‐DD) to improve the data‐informed decision making practices of institutional decision makers. This qualitative study examines the practices of decision makers as they engage with DSS‐DD at a large U.S. Midwestern university and uncovers the socio‐technical characteristics that lead to limited or non‐use of dashboards. To examine these practices and characteristics, this study presents a framework grounded in socio‐technical interaction networks from social informatics and sociomateriality from information systems that explores the socio‐technical practices of users within organizations, while acknowledging the impact of the users' socio‐technical contexts on their DSS‐DD practices. The results show that during the design and implementation phases of these dashboards the institutional contexts that the dashboards are meant to inform are often ignored; and that as users interact with these systems they develop unintended and shadow practices that lead to limited or non‐use of the dashboards for decision making purposes. Additionally, the study finds that users' practices are influenced by their local socio‐technical networks, which includes their prior experiences using institutional data, other actors within their institutional unit, and the political and social contexts which shape the users' decision making behavior and data‐use practices.
The Role of Spreading Depression-Like Hypoxic Depolarization in Irreversible Neuron Damage, and its Prevention

We investigated the role of spreading depression (SD)-like depolarization in hypoxic neuron damage. In hippocampal tissue slices, drugs that delayed the onset of the SD-like depolarization triggered by hypoxia (and therefore shortened the time spent in SD) also improved the chances of recovery of neural function after reoxygenation. The protective effect and the delay of SD onset were linked: in the few cases when SD was not delayed, neuronal function did not recover. By contrast, if SD-like depolarization was provoked (by high K+) early during hypoxia, functional recovery did not occur in spite of the presence of a protective drug. Dentate granule cells recovered function more frequently than did CA1 pyramidal cells, and during hypoxia SD-like depolarization began later and was milder in fascia dentata (FD) than in CA1 sector of hippocampal tissue slices. SD-induced damage was dependent on the availability of extracellular calcium: if Ca2+ was withdrawn before and during a hypoxic episode, then synaptic function recovered even after SD of extended duration. Iontophoretic injection of Ca2+ but not of Mg2+ into giant neurons of Aplysia caused irreversible loss of electric excitability and membrane impedance. We conclude that prolonged SD-like depolarization injures neurons because it allows excessive intracellular accumulation of calcium. We argue that SD is one, but not the only, mechanism by which hypoxic/ischemic neurons can be injured, and we advocate a multi-pronged approach to clinical management.
Lack of consensus in ALS genetic testing practices and divergent views between ALS clinicians and patients.

Recent advances in ALS gene discovery have both empowered and challenged clinicians providing evaluation and care for persons with ALS, many of whom seek an answer as to the cause of their conditio...
Shopping Malls and Social Democracy: Victor Gruen’s Postwar Campaign for Conscientious Consumption in American Suburbia

The Viennese architect and urban planner Victor Gruen, who emigrated to the United States in 1938, is best known as the inventor of the suburban shopping center and the downtown pedestrian mall. His original, idealistic vision had much in common with the Social Democrats’ municipal housing complexes of 1920s “Red Vienna,” which were organized around central courtyards. Gruen’s idea came to fruition with Detroit’s Northland in 1954. A paradigmatic shopping center designed as a pedestrian-only community space, it was a new downtown for the sprawling suburbs. Northland was a triumph of rational planning during the Cold War, when such efforts at social engineering smacked of communism and threatened “free enterprise.” The liberty of American-style consumption, it turned out, required the rational planning of a Viennese socialist.
Fourteenth Annual Brown Lecture in Education Research: Reenvisioning Equity Research: Disability Identification Disparities as a Case in Point:

I engage longstanding challenges and risks associated with conducting and using research on complex equity problems. I engage these challenges in the context of research on disability identificatio...
An Oblivious Ellipsoid Algorithm for Solving a System of (In)Feasible Linear Inequalities.

The ellipsoid algorithm is a fundamental algorithm for computing a solution to the system of $m$ linear inequalities in $n$ variables $(P): A^{\top}x \le u$ when its set of solutions has positive volume. However, when $(P)$ is infeasible, the ellipsoid algorithm has no mechanism for proving that $(P)$ is infeasible. This is in contrast to the other two fundamental algorithms for tackling $(P)$, namely the simplex method and interior-point methods, each of which can be easily implemented in a way that either produces a solution of $(P)$ or proves that $(P)$ is infeasible by producing a solution to the alternative system $\mathrm{({\it Alt})}: A\lambda= 0$, $u^{\top}\lambda < 0$, $\lambda \ge 0$. This paper develops an Oblivious Ellipsoid Algorithm (OEA) that either produces a solution of $(P)$ or produces a solution of $\mathrm{({\it Alt})}$. Depending on the dimensions and on other natural condition measures, the computational complexity of the basic OEA may be worse than, the same as, or better than that of the standard ellipsoid algorithm. We also present two modified versions of OEA, whose computational complexity is superior to that of OEA when $n \ll m$. This is achieved in the first modified version by proving infeasibility without actually producing a solution of $\mathrm{({\it Alt})}$, and in the second modified version by using more memory.
Going Local: Do Consent Decrees and Other Forms of Federal Intervention in Municipal Police Departments Reduce Police Killings?

Despite calls for police reform to address lethal use of force, there has been little empirical evaluation of consent decrees—settlement agreements that address police departments’ use of force pol...
Plant–pollinator network structural properties differentially affect pollen transfer dynamics and pollination success

Plant-pollinator network studies have uncovered important generalities in the structure of these communities, rapidly advancing our understanding of the underlying drivers of such a structure. In spite of this, however, it is still unclear how changes in structural network properties influence overall plant pollination success. One key limitation is the lack of information on the relationship between network structural properties and aspects of pollination and plant reproductive success. Here, we estimate four plant species network structural metrics (interaction strength, weighted degree, closeness centrality, and specialization level), commonly used to describe their importance within plant-pollinator networks, at two different sites, and evaluate their effects on pollen deposition and pollen tube success. We found a positive effect of plant-pollinator specialization and a negative effect of closeness centrality on heterospecific pollen load size. We also found a marginal negative effect of closeness centrality on pollen tube success. Our results suggest that increasing plant-pollinator specialization within nested communities (pollinated by one or very few generalist insect species) may result in high levels of heterospecific pollen transfer. Furthermore, the differential effects of plant-pollinator network metrics on pollination success (pollen receipt and pollen tube success), highlight the need to integrate quantity (e.g. visitation rate) and quality (e.g. pollen delivery) aspects of pollination to achieve a more mechanistic understanding of the relationship between plant-pollinator network structure and function. Such knowledge is key to evaluate the resilience and stability of plant-pollinator communities and the services they provide in the face of increasing human disturbances.
Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Diabetes Care Quality among Women of Reproductive Age in an Integrated Delivery System.

Abstract Background Diabetes is increasingly prevalent among women of reproductive age, yet little is known about quality of diabetes care for this population at increased risk of diabetes complications and poor maternal and infant health outcomes. Previous studies have identified racial/ethnic disparities in diabetes care, but patterns among women of reproductive age have not been examined. Methods This retrospective cohort study analyzed 2016 data from Kaiser Permanente Northern California, a large integrated delivery system. Outcomes were quality of diabetes care measures—glycemic testing, glycemic control, and medication adherence—among women ages 18 to 44 with type 1 or type 2 diabetes (N = 9,923). Poisson regression was used to estimate the association between patient race/ethnicity and each outcome, adjusting for other patient characteristics and health care use. Results In this cohort, 83% of participants had type 2 diabetes; 31% and 36% of women with type 2 and type 1 diabetes, respectively, had poor glycemic control (hemoglobin A1c of ≥9%), and approximately one-third of women with type 2 diabetes exhibited nonadherence to diabetes medications. Compared with non-Hispanic White women with type 2 diabetes, non-Hispanic Black women (adjusted risk ratio, 1.2; 95% confidence interval, 1.1–1.3) and Hispanic women (adjusted risk ratio, 1.2; 95% confidence interval, 1.1–1.3) were more likely to have poor control. Findings among women with type 1 diabetes were similar. Conclusions Our findings indicate opportunities to decrease disparities and improve quality of diabetes care for reproductive-aged women. Elucidating the contributing factors to poor glycemic control and medication adherence in this population, particularly among Black, Hispanic, and Asian women, should be a high research and practice priority.
Do market share and demand uncertainty influence the relation between advertising expenditures and shareholder value

Abstract Evidence from multivariate regression models suggests market share and demand uncertainty influence the value to shareholders of advertising expenditures. Shareholder returns to advertising are lower for firms with greater market share over the full sample period; however, this market share effect dissipates during non-recession years. Results also show higher returns to advertising for sellers with more volatile revenues. From these results we infer that low market share firms with less predictable customer demand may be better positioned to unlock the full strategic value of advertising.
Physical Time: A Model for Generating Rhythmic Gestures Based on Time Metaphors

Possibilities for cross disciplinary interactive performance continue to grow as new tools are developed and adapted. Yet, the qualitative aspects of cross disciplinary interaction has not advanced at the same rate. We suggest that new models for understanding gesture in different media will support the development of nuanced interaction for interactive performance. We have explored this premise by considering models for generating musical rhythmic gestures that enable implicit interaction between the gestures of a dancer and the generated music. We create a model that focuses on understanding rhythms as dynamic gestures that flow in, around, or out of goal points. Goal points can be layered and quantized to a meter, providing the rhythmic structure expected in music, while the figurations enable the generated rhythms to flow with the performer responding to the more qualitative aspects of performer. We have made a simple implementation of this model to test the conceptual and technical viability. We discuss both the model and our implementations suggesting that the model, even with a simple implementation, affords a unique ability to reflect the dynamic flow of gestures in movement paradigms while still providing a sense of structured time indicative of a musical paradigm.
The Lesser Sac and Foramen of Winslow: Anatomy, Embryology, and CT Appearance of Pathologic Processes

OBJECTIVE. This article reviews the embryologic development, relevant anatomy, and imaging features, on CT, of pathologic processes involving the lesser sac and foramen of Winslow. CONCLUSION. The lesser peritoneal sac is an intricate anatomic region involved in many disease processes. It is a significant conduit for the spread of disease within the peritoneal cavity. The spectrum of pathologic processes pertaining to the lesser sac can be classified on the basis of the type of involvement, such as a fluid collection (e.g., transudate, exudate, bile, and blood), a mass (e.g., neoplastic or nonneoplastic conditions and lymphadenopathy), or an internal hernia into the lesser sac.
Neck CT imaging and correlation with thyroid cancer incidence across age, gender and race.

Objective Incidental detection of thyroid cancers has been proposed as a cause of thyroid cancer increases over past decades, but few studies assess the impact of imaging utilization on thyroid cancer incidence. This study quantifies neck CT prevalence and its relationship with thyroid cancer incidence as a function of age, sex and race. Design and patients Medical records of over 1 million patients at our institution were retrospectively analysed to quantify neck CT prevalence from 2004 to 2011 (study period). A national cancer database was used to compute thyroid cancer incidences over the study period and a reference period (1974-81) and to calculate change in thyroid incidence between the two periods. Both populations were partitioned into demographic subgroups of varying age, sex and race. Linear correlation between neck imaging and thyroid cancer incidence changes among subgroups was assessed using Pearson's correlation. Results Neck CT imaging and change in thyroid cancer incidence varied across all examined demographic variables, particularly age. When stratifying by age, CT use correlated strongly with recent national thyroid cancer incidence (R = .97) and with 30-year change in thyroid cancer incidence (R = .87). Across all demographic subgroups, CT prevalence correlated strongly and positively with change in thyroid cancer incidence (R = .60), greater for whites (R = .60) and blacks (R = .70) than other races (R = .28). Conclusion Differences in neck CT usage strongly and positively correlates with the variation in thyroid cancer trends based on age, gender and race.