cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The Market Price of Risk and the Equity Premium: A Legacy of the Great Depression? ∗

Abstract By positing learning and a pessimistic initial prior, we build a model that disconnects a representative consumer's subjective attitudes toward risk from the high price of risk that a rational-expectations econometrician would deduce from financial market data. We follow Friedman and Schwartz [1963. A Monetary History of the United States, 1857–1960. Princeton University Press, Princeton, NJ] in hypothesizing that the Great Depression heightened fears of economic instability. We use a robustness calculation to elicit a pessimistic prior for a representative consumer and let him update beliefs via Bayes’ law. Learning eventually erases pessimism, but while it persists, pessimism contributes a volatile multiplicative component to the stochastic discount factor that a rational-expectation econometrician would detect. With sufficient initial pessimism, the model generates substantial values for the market price of risk and equity premium and predicts high Sharpe ratios and forecastable excess stock returns.
Analysis of fiber dispersion effects on phase modulated signals using constellation diagram

Effects of CD and first order PMD on the shape of the constellation diagrams of DQPSK systems are presented, and by quantifying variations in the constellation diagrams, a figure of merit is obtained which can be used for computing the amount of dispersion.
Cortical Indexes of Saccade Planning in Infants

This article briefly reviews the development of cortical involvement in saccadic eye movement in young infants. A distinction between reflexive and voluntary saccadic eye movements is made, and developmental changes in the neural systems controlling these eye movements are discussed. Cortical indexes of saccade planning in adults have been measured using scalp-recorded, event-related potential (ERP). The ERP may be useful in distinguishing reflexive and voluntary saccadic eye movements in infants. In the remainder of this Thematic Collection, 3 studies are introduced that used ERP measures to infer saccade planning in young infants, and 2 short articles comment on these studies.
Interactions Between Variants in the β3-Adrenergic Receptor and Peroxisome Proliferator–Activated Receptor-γ2 Genes and Obesity

OBJECTIVE —Previous studies have reported modest associations between measures of obesity and the Trp64Arg variant of the β 3 -adrenergic receptor (ADRβ3) and the Pro12Ala variant of the peroxisome proliferator–activated receptor (PPAR)-γ2. We hypothesized that these single gene variants may mark mutations that act through convergent pathways to produce synergistic effects on obesity. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS —The sample included 453 subjects from 10 large Mexican-American families participating in the population-based San Antonio Family Heart Study. The effects of each gene variant singly and jointly were estimated as fixed effects using the measured genotype approach framework. Analyses were conditioned on the pedigree structures to account for the correlations among family members. Statistical significance was evaluated by the likelihood ratio test with adjustment for age, sex, and diabetes status. RESULTS —The allele frequencies for the ADRβ3 Trp64Arg and PPARγ2 Pro12Ala variants were 18 and 12%, respectively. The ADRβ3 variant was not significantly associated with any of the obesity-related traits, but subjects with the PPARγ2 variant ( n = 98) had significantly higher levels of fasting insulin ( P = 0.03), leptin ( P = 0.009), and waist circumference ( P = 0.03) than those without. Subjects with both gene variants ( n = 32) had significantly higher BMI, insulin, and leptin levels than those with only the PPARγ2 variant ( n = 66) ( P for interaction: 0.04, 0.02, and 0.01 for BMI, fasting insulin, and leptin, respectively). CONCLUSIONS —Our results suggest that epistatic models with genes that have modest individual effects may be useful in understanding the genetic underpinnings of typical obesity in humans.
A double-blind, placebo-controlled assessment of the safety of potential interactions between intravenous cocaine, ethanol, and oral disulfiram

Abstract Background A majority of cocaine addicts have a comorbid alcohol use disorder. Previous studies demonstrated efficacy of disulfiram in the treatment of cocaine dependence among patients with comorbid alcohol use disorder or opioid dependence. However, the cardiac risks of a disulfiram–ethanol reaction (DER) in individuals who drink, when coupled with the cardiac effects of cocaine, could result in significant toxicity or lethality due to the 3-way drug interaction. Aims This study examined the safety of combining cocaine (30 mg i.v.) and ethanol (0.4 g/kg i.v.) in disulfiram-treated (0, 250, and 500 mg/d, p.o.) cocaine-dependent research volunteers. Results The results showed that disulfiram did not enhance the cardiovascular effects of cocaine and may have reduced the subjective high from cocaine. In contrast, ethanol produced adverse ECG changes including QTc prolongation and a DER consisting of hypotension, tachycardia, nausea, and flushing in disulfiram-treated subjects. The severity of the DER was related to disulfiram dose and the trial with 500 mg/d was stopped prematurely due to safety concerns. The DER-related hypotension and tachycardia seen with ethanol infusion alone in disulfiram-treated subjects, was not exacerbated when combined with cocaine. In fact, cocaine tended to counteract the ethanol-related hypotension though it did exacerbate the tachycardia in two of seven subjects. Conclusions Though conclusions are limited by the moderate doses of cocaine, ethanol, and disulfiram tested, the data do suggest that the risks of the moderate use of cocaine and ethanol in individuals treated with moderate doses of disulfiram (≤250 mg/d) may not be as problematic as some may assume.
Unpacking the neural associations of emotion and judgment in emotion-congruent judgment

The current study takes a new approach to understand the neural systems that support emotion-congruent judgment. The bulk of previous neural research has inferred emotional influences on judgment from disadvantageous judgments or non-random individual differences. The current study manipulated the influence of emotional information on judgments of stimuli that were equivocally composed of positive and negative attributes. Emotion-congruent processing was operationalized in two ways: neural activation significantly associated with primes that lead to emotionally congruent judgments and neural activation significantly associated with judgments that were preceded by emotionally congruent primes. Distinct regions of medial orbitofrontal cortex were associated with these patterns of emotion-congruent processing. Judgments that were incongruent with preceding primes were associated with dorsomedial prefrontal cortex, ventrolateral prefrontal cortex and lateral orbitofrontal cortex activity. The current study demonstrates a new approach to investigate the neural systems associated with emotioncongruent judgment. The findings suggest that medial OFC may support attentional processes that underlie emotion-congruent judgment.
Management of Spotted Wilt Vectored by Frankliniella fusca (Thysanoptera: Thripidae) in Virginia Market-Type Peanut

Field tests were conducted during 2001 and 2002 in northeastern North Carolina to evaluate the impact of cultural practices and in-furrow insecticides on the incidence of Tomato spotted wilt virus (genus Tospovirus, family Bunyaviridae, TSWV), which is transmitted to peanut, Arachis hypogaea L., primarily by tobacco thrips, Frankliniella fusca Hinds (Thysanoptera: Thripidae). Treatments included in row plant populations of 7, 13, and 17 plants per meter; the virginia market-type 'NC V-11' and 'Perry'; planting dates of early and late May; and phorate and aldicarb insecticide applied in-furrow. The incidence of plants expressing visual symptoms of spotted wilt was recorded from mid-June through mid-September. Treatment factors that reduced the incidence of symptoms of plants expressing spotted wilt symptoms included establishing higher plant densities, delaying planting from early May until late May, and applying the in-furrow insecticide phorate. Peanut cultivar did not have a consistent, significant effect on the incidence of symptomatic plants in this experiment.
Antiviral drug resistance in herpes simplex virus.

Studies of drug resistance in herpesviruses have provided insights into the mechanisms of action of antiviral drugs, into the potential for drug resistance in the clinic and possible solutions, into virus enzyme structure-function relationships, and into mechanisms of basic viral processes ranging from gene expression to pathogenesis. Herpesvirus drug resistance has been reviewed extensively. 1–7 Therefore, rather than simply adding yet another factual review to this literature, I will instead mainly offer opinions on examples of each of the above kinds of insights and their potential clinical relevance. I will cite very few original papers, the reader can find ample citations to the original literature in the reviews listed above.
Traditional Knowledge and the Fight for the Public Domain

What are the challenges facing the protection of traditional knowledge internationally? Can the protection of such rights, which have traditionally existed outside the boundaries of intellectual property, be achieved in the face of current challenges to protection epitomized by such emerging international movements as enhanced access to information and culture as a human right? This article examines some of the emerging issues in this hotly contested area and suggests that such movements are not actually adverse to intellectual property or traditional knowledge rights and should be used to craft a new method for addressing the issue of traditional knowledge protection internationally.
Management of Carotid Bifurication Disease

A 72-year-old white male was referred for evaluation and management following the finding of an asymptomatic carotid bruit, picked up on routine physical examination by his primary-care physician. The patient was asymptomatic with respect to ocular or hemispheric ischaemic events. His risk factors included a 30-year history of smoking one pack of cigarettes a day, which he quit a year ago. He had hypertension that was controlled well by two drugs. He had no history of coronary artery disease, diabetes mellitus, or symptoms of peripheral vascular disease. On physical examination, his temporal pulses were equal. His carotid pulses were full and equal, but there was a loud bruit over the right carotid bifurcation. His femoral, popliteal, dorsalis paedis and posterior tibial pulses were normally palpable bilaterally.
Spin dependence of massive lepton pair production in proton-proton collisions

The authors calculate the transverse momentum distribution for the production of massive lepton-pairs in longitudinally polarized, proton-proton collider energies within the context of perturbative quantum chromodynamics. For values of the transverse momentum Q{sub {Tau}} greater than roughly half the pair mass Q, Q{sub {Tau}} > Q/2, they show that the differential cross section is dominated by subprocesses initiated by incident gluons, provided that the polarized gluon density is not too small. Massive lepton-pair differential cross sections should be a good source of independent constraints on the polarized gluon density, free from the experimental and theoretical complications of photon isolation that beset studies of prompt photon production. They provide predictions for the spin-averaged and spin-dependent differential cross sections as a function of Q{sub {Tau}} at energies relevant for the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider (RHIC) at Brookhaven, and they compare these with predictions for real prompt photon production.
A Chopped Ultrasonic Radiometer Operating in the Milliwatt Acoustical Power Levels with Digital Readout

An ultrasonic power radiometer working on the radiation pressure principle utilizes the chopped-beam principle to extend the sensitivity of direct radiation pressure measurements into the range of ultrasonic power emission levels commonly associated with diagnostic medical instruments.
Food Fixations: Reconfiguring Class in Contemporary US Food Discourse

In this article, I engage the culturally prevalent contemporary discourse in the United States around “good” foods—broadly understood as whole, organic, slow and local—within the broader political economic context of the current economic crisis, specifically as it relates to class. A commonplace in both coverage and public understanding of that crisis is that it has decimated the middle class. Although a number of problematic assumptions inform this commonplace, I contend that the contemporary discourse around “good” foods is a prominent way in which class is rhetorically recreated and reconfigured, specifically to the end of remaking the myth of the middle class.
Adsorption and Diffusion of Small Alcohols in Zeolitic Imidazolate Frameworks ZIF-8 and ZIF-90

We examine the adsorption and diffusion of small alcohols in ZIF-8 and ZIF-90 with a combined experimental and modeling approach. Our Grand Canonical Monte Carlo (GCMC) simulations predict that both ZIFs exhibit a slight adsorption selectivity for ethanol over methanol, in good agreement with previous experimental data. The adsorption uptake of the alcohols at low pressures is found to be significantly higher in ZIF-90 than ZIF-8. Our simulations indicate that this is due to hydrogen bonding between the alcohols and the carbonyl group of ZIF-90 but that this effect is not strong enough to cause appreciable flexibility of the ZIF-90 framework during adsorption. We also report alcohol self-diffusivities and Arrhenius parameters measured using pulsed field gradient NMR (PFG-NMR) and molecular dynamics (MD) simulations. The diffusivities measured using PFG-NMR indicate that the diffusion selectivity of methanol over ethanol is significantly higher in ZIF-8 (S = 229) than in ZIF-90 (S = 6) at T = 25 °C. Qualit...
ID: 32: AGENESIS OF GALLBLADDER PRESENTING WITH OBSTRUCTIVE JAUNDICE

Case presentation A 64 years old Female with no past medical or surgical history presented with yellowish discoloration of skin for two days duration associated with vague and non-radiating abdominal pain. Patient also endorses 8 pounds unintentional weight loss over the past 2–3 months. On physical exam; scleral icterus and jaundiced skin were noted. Abdominal exam was non-significant, no rash or discoloration on inspection, abdomen is soft with no tenderness or rebound tenderness, murphy sign is negative, no organomegaly, and bowel sounds are positive upon auscultation. No renal costo-vertebral angle tenderness noted. Laboratory testing was significant for: Alanine Aminotransferase (ALT) 448 U/L; Aspartate Aminotransferase (AST) 330 U/L, Alkaline Phosphatase (ALK) 225, Gamma-Glutamyltransferase (GGT) 530 IU/L, Leukocyte Dehydrogenase (LDH) 328 U/L, Total Protein 7.1; Albumin 4; Total Bilirubin 9.3 6 mg/dL and Direct Bilirubin 6.2 6 mg/dL. Hepatitis serology showed previously infected with Hepatitis A infection, HbA total AB+ and negative for Hepatitis B Surface Ag (HBsAg), Hepatitis B Core AB (HBcAb), Hepatitis B Surface AB (HBsAb) and Hepatitis C AB (HC ab). Tumor marker (CA 19–9) level of 27. Imaging studies including chest X-Ray were normal without any acute cardio-pulmonary event. Abdominal-Pelvic CT scan with oral and IV contrasts showed moderate dilated intrahepatic & extra hepatic bile ducts consistent with common bile duct obstruction with no mass or stones seen. There is no liver lesion or mass. No pancreatic lesion or mass. No Gall bladder identified. Abdominal MRCP was recommended, procedure showed intra-extra hepatic and common bile duct dilatation of maximum diameter of 1.3 cm. An ovoid filling defect was identified on distal common bile duct consistent with choledocholithiasis. No gallbladder was identified figure 1A. Patient developed Fever 102 F with elevated WBC count of 15,000/mm3 for which she was started on IV Antibiotics empirically. Urgent ERCP was attempted and revealed marked dilatation in the region of the proximal common bile duct after contrast injection and ballooning. Proximal to the balloon there was a marked dilatation of the CBD and mild dilatation of central intra-bililary ducts. Intra-pancreatic portion of distal common bile duct is of normal caliber without filling defects. Successful extraction CBD biliary stone biliary stent placed. No gall bladder was identified figure 1B. Patient improved over the course of one to two days with normal WBC count and normal liver enzymes. Total Bilirubin dropped to 1.5. Patient9s abdominal pain resolved. She remains afebrile more than two days and was able to tolerate oral diet. Patient was discharged home and was seen one month later in gastroenterology clinic with normal liver function test.
Subclinical Hypothyroidism in Childhood Cancer Survivors

Purpose In childhood cancer survivors, the most common late effect is thyroid dysfunction, most notably subclinical hypothyroidism (SCH). Our study evaluated the risk factors for persistent SCH in survivors.
Quasilinearization-based controllability analysis of neuronal rate networks

Recent interest has developed around the problem of assaying the controllability of networks in the brain. The analysis of such networks is highly nontrivial, owing to their overwhelming complexity. Thus, any controllability analysis must tradeoff against model complexity/explanatory power, and analysis tractability. Here, we consider a class of neuronal network models with nearly linear dynamics, whose primary complication arises due to a sigmoidal nonlinearity in the neuronal coupling. Exploiting the equivalence between the controllability gramian and the steady state covariance matrix of a linear system under white noise, we develop an approximate controllability analysis based on the method of stochastic linearization (quasilinearization). We show that for this relatively simple system, the quasilinear approach generates a significantly better characterization of controllability as compared with a Jacobian linearization. Our results provide a new tool for assessing controllability of networks with sigmoidal interactions, and, moreover, highlight the potential inaccuracy of linear characterizations of networks with even relatively mild nonlinearities.
Hormones and Neuroendocrine Factors in Atypical Human Sexual Behavior

Exactly 100 years ago, Brown-Sequard reported apparent physiological and behavioral consequences of self-injection of animal testicular extracts (Brown-Sequard, 1889). Such self-experimentation among scientists and physicians was not uncommon during those “frontier days” of endocrinology and medicine. What was unusual was Brown-Sequard’s descriptive report of astonishing and fast-acting (within days) rejuvenating effects of guinea pig and dog testicular fluids on human affect, physiology, and behavior. He claimed that his appetite, energy level, mood, demeanor, intellectual capacities, muscular strength, and digestive and excretory systems were all improved. He also claimed that stopping the injections resulted in a gradual but complete return to his preexperimental condition. Brown-Sequard concluded that some “great dynamogenic power is possessed by some substance or substances which our blood owes to the testicles” (Brown-Sequard, 1889, p. 105).
Wave Energy Conversion

Although the principle of the wave energy conversion concept was proposed more than one century ago, many scientific, technical, as well as economic aspects still have to be clarified before any industrial development can be seriously envisaged. Currently, many ideas and projects are emerging and being proposed in various parts of the world. A number of projects include the proposal to make use of wave energy devices as coastal protection barriers; however, such an approach is carefully considered as such systems, for safety reasons, are retracted as soon as the wave height exceeds a certain critical design value. From a structural-constructional aspect, wave energy systems in general offer the possibility of using various steel and concrete products selected on the basis of a near optimal combination of labor, material, and energy costs. The promising sites for wave energy conversion identified are located in the northern and southern temperate regions, but a number of other suitable sites exist in the rest of the world and especially along the coasts of some developing countries. However, further wave data collection and processing are needed before definite conclusions can be reached. It is recommended that all countries having coastal engineering and/or harbor construction projects under consideration assess the possibilities of including in the forecasted structures some wave energy conversion systems capable of easing their local energy requirements.
Beyond the syndemic: condom negotiation and use among women experiencing partner violence

ABSTRACTBackground: HIV and sexually transmitted infections (STIs) disproportionately affect women who experience intimate partner violence (IPV). Objective: The current study (1) applied a syndemic framework to study the collective effects of problematic drug use, hazardous drinking, depression, and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) on fear of condom negotiation, condom negotiation, and condom use and (2) evaluated condom negotiation (controlling for fear of condom negotiation) as a mediator of the association between syndemic severity and condom use among low-income IPV-exposed women. Methods: Participants were 158 women living in the community and experiencing ongoing IPV who completed face-to-face, computer-assisted interviews. Results: Almost three-fourths of the participants reported problematic drug use, hazardous drinking, depression, and/or PTSD; many of these factors were correlated, indicating a syndemic. Multivariate logistic and linear regression analyses revealed associations between synd...
Western Diet Affects the Murine Circadian System Possibly Through the Gastrointestinal Microbiota

AbstractConsumption of a high-fat diet characteristic of human Western diet has been shown to affect the circadian system of laboratory rodents. The present study confirms an effect of Western diet on the circadian system of mice, specifically a shortening of the free-running circadian period of running-wheel activity, in addition to increased weight gain. Decimation of the gut microbiota by broad spectrum antibiotic treatment reversed the effect of Western-diet feeding on the free-running period, which suggests that the effect of Western-diet feeding on the circadian system is mediated by the gastrointestinal microbiota. This finding is particularly relevant in view of recent studies describing a relationship between gut microbes, circadian clock function, and obesity.
Operative management of chronic pancreatitis: A review.

Abstract Background Pain secondary to chronic pancreatitis is a difficult clinical problem to manage. Many patients are treated medically or undergo endoscopic therapy and surgical intervention is often reserved for those who have failed to gain adequate pain relief from a more conservative approach. Results There have been a number of advances in the operative management of chronic pancreatitis over the last few decades and current therapies include drainage procedures (pancreaticojejunostomy, etc.), resection (pancreticoduodenectomy, etc.) and combined drainage/resection procedures (Frey procedure, etc.). Additionally, many centers currently perform total pancreatectomy with islet autotransplantation, in addition to minimally invasive options that are intended to tailor therapy to individual patients. Discussion Operative management of chronic pancreatitis often improves quality of life, and is associated with low rates of morbidity and mortality. The decision as to which procedure is optimal for each patient should be based on a combination of pathologic changes, prior interventions, and individual surgeon and center experience.
On the nature of catastrophic forms

The impact of humans on the Earth’s ecosystem has led to the declaration of a new geological era, the Anthropocene. Earth systems stable for millennia are now threatened by anthropogenic climate change, but this pending instability is not well understood. Researchers from varied disciplines have assembled conceptual toolkits of “abrupt change” science to theorize and model nonlinear shifts. We offer a genealogy of these toolkits, tracing them back to the early and mid-twentieth century problematic of morphogenesis, or the development and evolution of organic form. Mathematician Rene Thom, inspired by iconoclastic biologists D’Arcy Thompson's and Conrad Hal Waddington’s studies of growth and form, formalized his so-called catastrophe theory in the 1970s. This theory not only purported to explain abrupt change in complex systems, but also presented a novel heuristic of a “nature” of catastrophic form. Thom’s catastrophe theory was applied as a method of thought in the physical, social, and life sciences, but waned after criticism. However, as elements of this theory recycle into today’s abrupt change science, the nature of catastrophic form assumes importance in a scientific imaginary’s response to ecosystemic behaviors that are not subject to, or do not even correspond to, conventional expectations about the future.
Multislice Applications and Examples

The multislice method of calculating electron microscope images of thicker specimen is applied to several different specimen. First, some simple examples are worked through to help understand how to use the method and then some more complicated specimens are investigated to illustrate the method.
Youth sexting and the First Amendment: Rhetoric and child pornography doctrine in the age of translation:

Sexting has become a common mode of communicative sexual expression in the United States. Youths who sext with their peers are sometimes charged for the crime of producing and distributing child pornography. Such charges are inconsistent with the intent of American child pornography law, which is to protect children from abuse and exploitation. Understanding sext messages as a type of media content, this essay offers rhetorical translation as one strategy for identifying resources in Supreme Court doctrine to help distinguish between youth sexts and child pornography. Through rhetorical translation, this manuscript finds resources in four opinions concerning child pornography and the First Amendment for distinguishing sexting from child pornography. These distinctions pertain to how the two types of media are produced and distributed as demonstrated in a three-part interpretive model: motive and consent, privacy and consent, and market.
Survey of the American Neurotology Society on Cochlear Implantation: Part 1, Candidacy Assessment and Expanding Indications.

Objective To examine practice variance of cochlear implant candidacy assessment and off-label indications across centers in the United States. Methods Cross-sectional survey of the American Neurotology Society (ANS). Results A total of 81 surveys were returned from ANS members who report regular involvement in cochlear implant care. Overall there was a broad distribution in age and clinical experience, with most respondents reporting ACGME accreditation in neurotology and employment at an academic center. The annual volume of cochlear implant surgeries varied considerably across centers.Seventy-eight percent of respondents performed cochlear implantation for at least one of the following indications within the last 2 years: profound hearing loss in children less than 12 months of age (35, 43%), children with asymmetrical hearing loss where at least one ear was better than performance cutoff for age (25, 31%), adults with asymmetrical hearing where at least one ear was better than the performance cutoff for adult criteria (49, 61%), single-sided deafness (37, 46%), and ipsilateral vestibular schwannoma (28, 35%). Centers with a higher annual implant volume more frequently performed off-label implantation in all queried populations (all, p≤0.001), and performed surgery on infants with congenital deafness at a younger age (p = 0.013), compared with centers with lower surgical volume.When surveyed regarding speech perception testing practices for adult candidacy assessment, 75 (100%) respondents who answered this question reported routine use of AzBio sentences, 42 (56%) CNC word scores, and 26 (35%) HINT testing; only 7 (9%) reported using BKB-SIN testing and 6 (8%) reported using CUNY scores. Fifty-one (68%) reported routine use of speech-in-noise testing to determine adult cochlear implant candidacy, 21 (28%) reported selective use only when patient scores were borderline in quiet, and 3 (4%) reported that their center does not currently use testing in noise for candidacy determination. Nineteen (26%) solely used +10 dB signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), 12 (16%) solely used +5 dB SNR, and 41 (55%) used both +10 and +5 dB SNR. Overall, 19% (N = 14) only perform unilateral implantation in the Medicare population, while 81% (N = 58) consider bilateral implantation. Conclusion Significant variation in cochlear implant candidacy assessment and off-label implantation exists across centers and providers in the United States resulting in healthcare inequities. The high percentage of surgeons performing implantations for off-label or nontraditional indications reflects the overly restrictive and dated status of current implant guidelines. With greater adoption of more difficult speech perception testing in noise, careful clinical judgment is needed to maintain a favorable risk-benefit balance for prospective implant candidates.
On the Making of Endocasts: The New and the Old in Paleoneurology

Making endocasts with latex rubber has been around for many years. This chapter describes my methods which were not original and some of the experiences encountered. Other methods, using plaster of Paris, various silicon-based rubbers, and Admold (dental caulk), for sectioned crania are examined and their relative merits and problems compared, such as damage to original specimens, deterioration with time (especially with latex rubber), and tensile strength of silicon-based molds. The resolution is as good as it can get, compared to “virtual” endocasts. These older methods have largely been succeeded by the making of “virtual” endocasts through various scanning procedures, with numerous advantages such as being noninvasive of original fossil specimens, immediate coordinates for morphometric analyses, scan data sharing and replication, and production of actual virtual endocasts through 3-D printing.
Multidimensional stress test for hydropower investments facing climate, geophysical and financial uncertainty

Abstract Investors, developers, policy makers and engineers are rightly concerned about the potential effects of climate change on the future performance of hydropower investments. Hydroelectricity offers potentially low greenhouse-gas emission, renewable energy and reliable energy storage. However, hydroelectricity developments are large, complicated projects and possibly critically vulnerable to changes in climate and other assumptions related to future uncertainties. This paper presents a general assessment approach for evaluating the resilience of hydroelectricity projects to uncertainty in climate and other risk factors (e.g., financial, natural hazard). The process uses a decision analytic framework based on a decision scaling approach, which combines scenario neutral analysis and vulnerability-specific probability assessment. The technical evaluation process involves identification of project objectives, specification of uncertain factors, multi-dimensional sensitivity analysis, and data mining to identify vulnerability-specific scenarios and vulnerability-specific estimations of risk. The process is demonstrated with an application to a proposed hydropower facility on the Arun River in Nepal. The findings of the case study illustrate an example in which climate change is not the critical future uncertainty, and consequently highlight the importance of considering multiple uncertainties in combination.
Social Learning, Self-Control, and Offending Specialization and Versatility among Friends.

While it is generally understood that people tend not to specialize in specific types of deviance, less is understood about offending specialization and versatility in the context of friendships. Using a large sample of persons nested within friendship pairs, this study’s goal is to explore how self-control and social learning theories contribute to an explanation for specialization and versatility in offending among friends. We estimate a series of multilevel, dyadic, mixed-effects models which regress offending versatility onto measures of perceptual peer versatility, self-reported peer versatility, attitudinal self-control, behavioral self-control, and demographic controls. Results indicate that higher amounts of perceptual peer versatility and peer self-reported versatility are both related to increases in versatility among friends. Lower levels of the target respondent’s attitudinal and behavioral self-control are also related to higher amounts of offending versatility. However, the peer’s self-control shares no relationship with offending versatility – a point which both supports and fails to support self-control theory’s expectations about how peer effects should operate. Learning and self-control perspectives both appear to explain offending versatility among friends. However, self-control theory’s propositions about how peer effects should operate are contradictory. The concept of opportunity may help remediate this inconsistency in Gottfredson and Hirschi’s theory.
Nested pictorial structures

We propose a theoretical construct coined nested pictorial structure to represent an object by parts that are recursively nested. Three innovative ideas are proposed: First, the nested pictorial structure finds a part configuration that is allowed to be deformed in geometric arrangement, while being confined to be topologically nested. Second, we define nested features which lend themselves to better, more detailed accounting of pixel data cost and describe occlusion in a principled way. Third, we develop the concept of constrained distance transform, a variation of the generalized distance transform, to guarantee the topological nesting relations and to further enforce that parts have no overlap with each other. We show that matching an optimal nested pictorial structure of K parts on an image of N pixels takes O(NK) time using dynamic programming and constrained distance transform. In our MATLAB/C++ implementation, it takes less than 0.1 seconds to do the global optimal matching when K=10 and N=400 ×400. We demonstrate the usefulness of nested pictorial structures in the matching of objects of nested patterns, objects in occlusion, and objects that live in a context.
The history of development through the evolution of molecules: gene trees, hearts, eyes and dorsoventral inversion

The initial surprise generated by the discovery of sequence-similar regulatory genes patterning the anterior/posterior axes of flies and mice has passed. Statements regarding the evolutionary implications of comparative developmental genetic data are now commonplace in the literature. However, despite the continued generation of developmental data, and citation of these data in reference to evolutionary issues, it is less than clear that there has been adequate integration of the developmental and evolutionary disciplines1. This is most evident in the language and examples chosen by developmental biologists when they turn to evolutionary themes. Here one finds frequent recourse to transcendentalism and typology. Thus, developmental workers seem to still hold Darwinism, with its unseemly aspects of natural selection, and the complexly branched evolutionary tree, at arm’s length. Here, we examine some uses of typology and transcendentalism that pass for evolutionary analyses and apply phylogenetic methods to developmental genetic data. In particular, we use character tracing in phylogeny and gene trees of conserved homeobox regulators to examine the homology of hearts and eyes and the “inversion of the dorsoventral axis”, topics of current interest in our rapidly increasing understanding of the evolution of metazoan development.
Theory of α matter

Abstract The usual concept of nuclear matter is discussed, and a generalization of this concept which allows a qualitative understanding of the effects of clustering phenomena is proposed. As an example of “generalized nuclear matter,” the properties of the ground state of a uniform extended system of structureless α particles are studied using the method developed by Wu and Feenberg for liquid He 4 . The Wu-Feenberg method requires the use of (i) a Bijl-Dingle-Jastrow wave function and (ii) the Kirkwood superposition approximation. The assumed α-α interactions fit the S -wave phase shifts up to a c.m. energy of 10 MeV. The results, in comparison with results from theoretical nuclear-matter calculations which entertain no clustering (both expressed in terms of the energy per nucleon as a function of the radius of the (average) volume per nucleon) are of value in making crude estimates of the percentage of the surface matter of a heavy nucleus which prefers to form into α clusters and in interpreting empirical values for the compressibility of nuclear matter.
Development and Integration of a New Animal-Component-Free Process for the Production of UK-279,276

UK-279,276 is a 257 amino acid glycosylated and highly sialylated protein with a relative molecular weight of 36 to 61 kDa. This compound, a neutrophil inhibitory factor, was investigated for the potential prevention of neutrophil-dependent ischaemia-reperfusion injury in stroke patients. Early clinical lots were produced using a Chinese Hamster Ovary cell line in culture medium containing bovine serum albumin. It was then decided to develop a new process using a protein- and animal-component-free culture medium produced by fluidized-bed granulation. Many challenges were faced in this development, but ultimately productivity was increased approximately five-fold, while retaining robust and reproducible product glycosylation and sialylation. Pharmacokinetic analysis in rats resulted in essentially the same clearance properties for both products.
Prevalence of master plans supportive of active living in US municipalities.

Community planning documents can play an important role in promoting the design and maintenance of walkable communities. This study estimates the prevalence among US municipalities of (1) community wide planning documents and (2) inclusion of plan objectives supportive of active living within these documents. Data from the 2014 National Survey of Community-Based Policy and Environmental Supports for Healthy Eating and Active Living (CBS HEAL), a survey of local officials, were analyzed (n = 2005). Prevalence of comprehensive or general plans, 3 specific plan types, and 3 objectives supportive of active living were analyzed using survey weights to create national estimates. Overall, 64% of municipalities had a comprehensive/general plan, 46% had a transportation plan, 48% had a bicycle or pedestrian plan and 76% had a land use plan. Of municipalities with a plan, 78% included at least one of the three objectives measured supportive of active living. Differences in presence of plans and objectives were observed by population size of the municipality, urban status, region, and median education. Helping communities, especially smaller or rural municipalities and those with lower median education levels, create and adopt planning documents supportive of active living may be an important step in creating more walkable communities.
Meta-Analysis of Bleeding Risk Prediction Scores in Patients After Percutaneous Coronary Intervention on Dual Antiplatelet Therapy.

The duration and type of dual antiplatelet therapy (DAPT) prescribed to patients after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) involves carefully balancing reduced ischemia and increased bleeding risk for individual patients. Whereas multiple bleeding risk scores exist, the performance of these models to predict long-term bleeding in the setting of DAPT across different settings and populations is unclear. Therefore, we performed a systematic review and meta-analysis to compare the performance of current bleeding risk prediction scores for predicting major long-term bleeding events in patients on DAPT post-PCI. Based on a search of MEDLINE (January 1, 1946 to March 3, 2017) and EMBASE (January 1, 1974 to March 3, 2017) for studies published in the English language, we identified 10 published studies of 11 risk unique risk prediction models across a wide variety of settings. Area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) was used to measure discrimination, when available. Our findings reveal that the prediction models created to date demonstrate only modest accuracy, with the reported AUCs ranging from 0.54 to 0.89; aggregated AUC 0.68 (95% confidence intervals 0.65 to 0.72). Although only 5 studies (50%) reported measures of calibration, the reported models were reasonably well calibrated. Only 3 models (33%) were externally validated. Meta-regression demonstrated lack of influence by age (p = 0.99) or length of follow up (p = 0.42). Sensitivity analysis did not significantly change the results. Novel prediction models are warranted to aid in maximizing the benefit of DAPT after PCI while minimizing harm.
Influence of corneal diameter on surgically induced astigmatism in small-incision cataract surgery.

Abstract Objective Clear corneal incisions (CCI) in cataract surgery create a variable amount of surgically induced astigmatism (SIA). As refractive outcomes become increasingly important, it is necessary to understand factors that impact SIA and refractive surprises. In this study, we evaluate the effect of horizontal corneal diameter (white-to-white, WTW) on SIA in 2.2 mm small-incision cataract surgery. Design Prospective study at an academic-university-based outpatient clinic (Duke Eye Center). Participants We enrolled adults ≥18 years of age without prior corneal surgery or corneal pathology undergoing cataract surgery with a single surgeon (R.R.V.). Methods All surgeries were uncomplicated and performed through a manually constructed, limbal, temporal, or superotemporal 2.2 mm CCI. Enrolled participants received standard-of-care evaluations and postoperative management. SIA was calculated at the first postoperative month using the Jaffe and Clayman vector analysis equation. Results We enrolled 43 subjects (55 eyes) with a mean age of 71 years with WTW corneal diameter values ranging from 11.34 to 12.99 mm obtained from Lenstar® (Haag-Streit Group, Koeniz, Switzerland). Postoperative SIA ranged from 0.072 to 1.6 D (mean 0.47 D, standard deviation 0.33 D). SIA was plotted against WTW and best fit to a linear regression model with a slope of −0.056 and an R2 value of 0.006. Conclusions In this prospective study, WTW diameter had minimal effects on the SIA in uncomplicated small-incisional cataract surgery through a 2.2 mm temporal or superotemporal CCI with a single surgeon. Our findings suggest that corneal diameter does not play a clinically significant role in this population undergoing small-incisional cataract surgery.
Assessing interprofessional collaboration: Pilot of an interprofessional feedback survey for first-year medical students

Abstract Purpose Most medical students graduate without receiving feedback from a non-physician – a missed opportunity given the important role that interprofessional (IP) feedback plays in helping students develop IP competencies and increasingly IP clinical settings. To address this gap, we piloted a two-item, open-ended IP feedback survey for medical students. Methods We required 152 first-year medical students enrolled in a 15-month longitudinal clinical placement to request IP feedback twice. We used directed content analysis to examine feedback for quality (behavioral-orientation, specificity, valence, actionability) and content relevant to IP competencies. We then interviewed 14 students about their perceived usefulness of the feedback. Results The majority of feedback comments (85%) were behavior-oriented. Thirty-four percent of comments were constructive, of which 43% contained a specific strategy for improvement. Comments spanned the range of IP competency domains. Perceived usefulness was hindered by lack of student relationships with IP providers. Conclusions IP providers wrote specific, behavior-oriented feedback on collaboration skills that was comparable in quality to typical feedback in health professions education. However, limited student-provider relationships and perceived constructive feedback influenced student perceptions of its usefulness. To maximize usefulness of IP feedback, IP educational experiences should be designed to maximize frequency and depth of IP interactions, students should receive guidance on who to approach for IP feedback, and IP feedback should be reviewed with a faculty member.
THE USE OF PATIENT REPORTED OUTCOME MEASURES BY PRIMARY MEDICAL PROVIDERS IN THE PEDIATRIC SPORTS POPULATION

Background:Patient reported outcome measures (PROs) allow medical providers to assess functional limitations, track progress, and evaluate outcomes. Although progress has been made developing and v...
Transforming growth factor (TGF)-β pathway as a therapeutic target in lower risk myelodysplastic syndromes.

The transforming growth factor (TGF)-β superfamily comprises more than 30 soluble growth factors that play a central role in erythropoiesis and are part of a tightly regulated myelosuppressive negative feedback loop under physiologic conditions. TGF-β receptor activation and phosphorylation trigger a regulatory circuit of activating and inhibitory SMAD proteins and increased activation of the TGF-β signaling pathway either by a loss of negative feedback or constitutive activation has been associated with the myelosuppression and ineffective erythropoiesis in myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS). Anemia is the predominant cause of morbidity and quality of life impairment in patients with lower-risk (LR)-MDS, and there are very limited therapy options for these patients after failure of erythropoiesis stimulating agents (ESAs). Targeting the aberrant TGF-s signaling pathway has therefore been investigated as a promising therapeutic approach to resolve the ineffective erythropoiesis in LR-MDS. In this article, we provide a brief overview of the TGF-β signaling cascade in hematopoiesis under physiologic conditions and its role in MDS pathogenesis. We also review preclinical and clinical data for the activin receptor type IIA ligand traps sotatercept and luspatercept that have recently shown promising results in overcoming the myelosuppressive effects of TGF-β signaling alterations to improve hematopoiesis in transfusion-dependent, non-del(5q) LR-MDS patients. Additional potential targets within the TGF-β pathway have also been identified in preclinical experiments and may provide further therapeutic options. Finally, combining different TGF-β pathway inhibitors or using them in combination with ESAs or the immunomodulator lenalidomide might have synergistic effects as well.