cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Advancing the efficiency and efficacy of patient reported outcomes with multivariate computer adaptive testing

Objective The Patient Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS) initiative developed an array of patient reported outcome (PRO) measures. To reduce the number of questions administered, PROMIS utilizes unidimensional item response theory and unidimensional computer adaptive testing (UCAT), which means a separate set of questions is administered for each measured trait. Multidimensional item response theory (MIRT) and multidimensional computer adaptive testing (MCAT) simultaneously assess correlated traits. The objective was to investigate the extent to which MCAT reduces patient burden relative to UCAT in the case of PROs. Methods One MIRT and 3 unidimensional item response theory models were developed using the related traits anxiety, depression, and anger. Using these models, MCAT and UCAT performance was compared with simulated individuals. Results Surprisingly, the root mean squared error for both methods increased with the number of items. These results were driven by large errors for individuals with low trait levels. A second analysis focused on individuals aligned with item content. For these individuals, both MCAT and UCAT accuracies improved with additional items. Furthermore, MCAT reduced the test length by 50%. Discussion For the PROMIS Emotional Distress banks, neither UCAT nor MCAT provided accurate estimates for individuals at low trait levels. Because the items in these banks were designed to detect clinical levels of distress, there is little information for individuals with low trait values. However, trait estimates for individuals targeted by the banks were accurate and MCAT asked substantially fewer questions. Conclusion By reducing the number of items administered, MCAT can allow clinicians and researchers to assess a wider range of PROs with less patient burden.
US drug marketing: how does promotion correspond with health value?

Tyler Greenway and Joseph S Ross assess the effectiveness, usefulness, and affordability of the drugs that get the heaviest promotion
Fear of Immigration Enforcement Among Older Latino Immigrants in the United States.

Objective: The passage of the 1996 Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act (IIRIRA) and other subsequent restrictive immigration policies have created fear among Latino immigran...
Wet-dry cycles impact DOM retention in subsurface soils

Abstract. Transport and reactivity of carbon in the critical zone are highly controlled by reactions of dissolved organic matter (DOM) with subsurface soils, including adsorption, transformation and exchange. These reactions are dependent on frequent wet–dry cycles common to the unsaturated zone, particularly in semi-arid regions. To test for an effect of wet–dry cycles on DOM interaction and stabilization in subsoils, samples were collected from subsurface (Bw) horizons of an Entisol and an Alfisol from the Catalina-Jemez Critical Zone Observatory and sequentially reacted (four batch steps) with DOM extracted from the corresponding soil litter layers. Between each reaction step, soils either were allowed to air dry ( wet–dry treatment) before introduction of the following DOM solution or were maintained under constant wetness ( continually wet treatment). Microbial degradation was the dominant mechanism of DOM loss from solution for the Entisol subsoil, which had higher initial organic C content, whereas sorptive retention predominated in the lower C Alfisol subsoil. For a given soil, bulk dissolved organic C losses from solution were similar across treatments. However, a combination of Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) and near-edge X-ray absorption fine structure (NEXAFS) spectroscopic analyses revealed that wet–dry treatments enhanced the interactions between carboxyl functional groups and soil particle surfaces. Scanning transmission X-ray microscopy (STXM) data suggested that cation bridging by Ca2+ was the primary mechanism for carboxyl association with soil surfaces. STXM data also showed that spatial fractionation of adsorbed OM on soil organo-mineral surfaces was diminished relative to what might be inferred from previously published observations pertaining to DOM fractionation on reaction with specimen mineral phases. This study provides direct evidence of the role of wet–dry cycles in affecting sorption reactions of DOM to a complex soil matrix. In the soil environment, where wet–dry cycles occur at different frequencies from site to site and along the soil profile, different interactions between DOM and soil surfaces are expected and need to be considered for the overall assessment of carbon dynamics.
The Two-Dimensional Convolution Theorem

Just as in one dimension, the convolution theorem in two dimensions plays a pervasive role wherever linearity and shift invariance are simultaneously present. In one dimension shift invariance most commonly means time invariance. A time-invariant system has the property that the response to an input impulse is independent of epoch. In other words, if two different input impulses are considered, one shifted in time by any amount with respect to the other, then the responses will be the same, allowing for the time shift. In two dimensions, where the variables represent space, the corresponding attribute of a system is space invariance. Suppose that a television camera is pointed at a blackboard. Then a space-invariant system has the property of imaging the blackboard onto the screen of the television display so that two different white dots of chalk, no matter where they are in the plane of the board, produce appropriately shifted identical images (Fig. 6-1).
Human-in-the-loop: application of the double exponential probability distribution function enables one to quantify the role of the human factor

The probabilistic predictive modelling approach in human-in-the-loop related aerospace problems enables one to predict, quantify, assure and even specify the probability of the favourable outcome of an aerospace mission or a situation, when the performance of the never perfect human, never 100%-reliable instrumentation (equipment), never absolutely predictable response of the object of control (aero- or space-craft), uncertain and often harsh environment, as well as the interaction (interfaces) of the above uncertainties, contribute jointly to the likelihood of such an outcome. As to the human factor, it includes two major aspects: human performance (error) and his/her state of health. While the reliability of the navigation instrumentation (equipment) could be evaluated using suitable and more or less well established modelling means, the role of the human factor, when quantification of the human role is critical, could be considered by using the double-exponential-probability-distribution-function (DEPDF).
Complications of Abdominal Surgery (Abdominal, Urologic and Gynecologic Emergencies)

CT has become the standard reference technique for the diagnosis of most common complications following abdominal, urologic, or gynecologic surgery. An adapted CT technique and knowledge of normal postoperative anatomy are essential for accurate interpretation of CT scans. The main complications following abdominal, urologic, or gynecologic surgery include peritonitis, abscesses, hemorrhage, small-bowel obstruction, abdominal wall wound or hematoma, and anastomotic leaks.
Ecological and Reproductive Correlates to Range Use in Red-Bellied Lemurs ( Eulemur Rubriventer ) and Rufous Lemurs ( Eulemur Fulvus Rufus )

In this paper, I describe how ecological variables (diet, food availability, patch characteristics) and variables unrelated to food availability such as reproduction and territoriality, affect daily and long-term ranging patterns in two primate species in southeastern Madagascar: the rufous lemur (Eulemur fulvus rufus) and the red-bellied lemur (Eulemur rubriventer). Daily path lengths (DPL), home range size, and the distance traveled between patches were compared and contrasted between lemur species. Rufous lemurs ranged further on a daily and long-term basis than red-bellied lemurs. Group ranges overlapped extensively and rufous lemurs did not defend home range borders. In contrast, red-bellied lemurs maintained exclusive use of their home range and actively defended boundaries. Additionally, rufous lemurs used more scattered patches and traveled further between these patches than red-bellied lemurs Ranging patterns in both lemur species were not correlated with food availability but were influenced by three seasonal variations in diet: the number of food patches visited, dietary diversity, and the number of feeding bouts. Rufous lemurs traveled furthest when each of these variables was highest and coincided to the same time period when females were lactating. A similar seasonal peak in red-bellied lemurs ranging patterns was not observed although they traveled further when daily diet was more diverse. It is suggested that the presence of several reproductively active females in rufous lemur groups may influence food choice and consequently, ranging patterns. In contrast, red-bellied lemur’s territoriality may limit group movements and constrain daily and seasonal ranging.
Neorepublicanism and the Domination of Posterity

AbstractSome have recently argued that the current generation dominates future generations by causing long-term climate change. They relate these claims to Philip Pettit and Frank Lovett's neorepublican theory of domination. In this paper, I examine their claims and ask whether the neorepublican conception of domination remains theoretically coherent when the relation is between current agents and non-overlapping future subjects. I differentiate between an ‘outcome’ and a ‘relational’ conception of domination. I show how both are theoretically coherent when extended to posterity but only if we make different definitional and normative choices than those made by Pettit and Lovett.
A novel role for sox7 in Xenopus early primordial germ cell development: mining the PGC transcriptome

ABSTRACT Xenopus primordial germ cells (PGCs) are determined by the presence of maternally derived germ plasm. Germ plasm components both protect PGCs from somatic differentiation and begin a unique gene expression program. Segregation of the germline from the endodermal lineage occurs during gastrulation, and PGCs subsequently initiate zygotic transcription. However, the gene network(s) that operate to both preserve and promote germline differentiation are poorly understood. Here, we utilized RNA-sequencing analysis to comprehensively interrogate PGC and neighboring endoderm cell mRNAs after lineage segregation. We identified 1865 transcripts enriched in PGCs compared with endoderm cells. We next compared the PGC-enriched transcripts with previously identified maternal, vegetally enriched transcripts and found that ∼38% of maternal transcripts were enriched in PGCs, including sox7 . PGC-directed sox7 knockdown and overexpression studies revealed an early requirement for sox7 in germ plasm localization, zygotic transcription and PGC number. We identified pou5f3.3 as the most highly expressed and enriched POU5F1 homolog in PGCs. We compared the Xenopus PGC transcriptome with human PGC transcripts and showed that 80% of genes are conserved, underscoring the potential usefulness of Xenopus for understanding human germline specification.
Demographics and socioeconomic status as predictors of weight loss after laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy: A prospective cohort study

Abstract Background Prior studies have established that race and socioeconomic factors may influence weight loss after bariatric surgery. Few studies have focused on laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy (LSG). The objective of this study is to determine if demographic factors may predict postoperative weight loss following LSG. Methods Prospectively collected data on 713 consecutive primary LSG operations performed with the same technique between February 2010 and May 2016 by a single surgeon (PG) were analyzed. Multiple regression analysis was done to determine if gender, race, or socioeconomic factors such as insurance and employment status correlated with postoperative weight loss. The presence of chronic comorbidities affecting quality of life such as Type II Diabetes and Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) were also recorded and analyzed. Results All studied groups had similar preoperative body mass index (BMI) (mean 46 kg/m 2 ). Race was not significantly associated with weight loss at any postoperative interval. Male gender was associated with increased weight loss through the first three months (48.2 ± 12.5 lbs vs. 40.5 ± 11 lbs; p = 0.0001). Patients with diabetes had significantly less weight loss at the 6 through 18 month intervals (50.4 ± 17.9 lbs vs. 59.6 ± 15.6 lbs at six months; p = 0.00032; 53.3 ± 25.4lbs vs. 80.5 ± 31.3lbs at 18 months; p = 0.008). Patients with obstructive sleep apnea had significantly less weight loss at the two-year interval (57.5 ± 29.2 lbs) vs. those without obstructive sleep apnea (69.6 ± 23.5 lbs; p = 0.047). Those with Medicare compared to Medicaid or commercial insurance had decreased weight loss through the first year (52.8 ± 20.8 lbs vs. 71.4 ± 26.4 lbs vs. 68.6 ± 24.7 lbs; p = 0.0496). Notably, a higher percentage of patients in the Medicare insurance group were also diabetic and had OSA (65% vs. 34% vs. 36%; p = 0.002; 80% vs. 55% vs. 57%; p = 0.01). Finally, those patients who were students had the greatest weight loss at two years postoperatively with the least weight loss seen in retired patients followed by those on disability (108.0 ± 21.5 lbs vs. 26.0 lbs vs. 46.0 ± 19.7 lbs; p = 0.04). Conclusions Several demographic factors including comorbidities, insurance status, and employment may significantly affect weight loss patterns following LSG. Further studies are needed to evaluate whether demographic differences impact long term weight loss. Differences in outcomes based on patient demographics may be beneficial in the planning of the allocation of healthcare resources.
Genetic transformation in E. coli: the inhibitory role of the recBC DNase.

Abstract Genetic transformation of E. coli for various chromosomal markers was accomplished by (i) using recipient cells that lack the recBC DNase but were recombination proficient due to sbcA or sbcB mutations and (ii) treating the recipient cells with CaCl2 at a concentration that facilitates transfection by λ DNA. Cotransformation of three markers ( thr + ara +. leu + ) was found to depend on the molecular weight of the transforming DNA.
STOCHASTICITY IN NATURE, AND ITS CONSEQUENCES

Starting from the awareness that stochastic, or locally independent, fluctuations occur at molecular and smaller sizes, it is argued that relative mean extension as well as relaxation occur, for those scales, in essentially all inertia-possessing stochastic systems with fluidity and more than one dimension. By observing how stochasticity and deterministic action interrelate, it is then argued that stochasticity and relaxation are also present in meaningful degree at all scale sizes, and indeed give meaning to time direction. The several consequences include dynamical justifications for information-theory statistical mechanics and for the existence and character of the background stochastic aether needed for the Nelson-type derivation of a generalized form of quantum mechanics.
Topical Perspective and the Rhetorical Grounds of Practical Reason in Arguments about Science

Only four decades ago, scholars across the disciplines assumed that science is unique among human activities in its rigorous conformity both to empirical criteria for evidential appraisal and to formal rules for testing logical inference. Science, at its best, sought answers to questions of inquiry with recourse to foundations which, purportedly, are impervious to the inquirer’s own interests, values, and preferences. Accordingly, the discourses of science, with such firm foundations in nature and in logic, are the best vehicle for bringing forward claims to knowledge that approximated, as far as humanly possible, that which is true.
Influenza Vaccination Documentation Rates During the First Year After Diagnosis of Diffuse Large B Cell Lymphoma

Abstract Introduction Influenza infection causes significant morbidity and mortality in patients with cancer, and annual influenza vaccination for individuals with cancer is recommended. We sought to examine the documentation rate of influenza vaccine administration, refusal, or counseling in the first year after diagnosis of diffuse large B cell lymphoma (DLBCL) for patients across 3 hospitals in 2 health care systems. Patients and Methods Documentation of vaccine administration, refusal, or counseling by physicians, advanced practice providers, or nursing staff during the first period of influenza vaccine availability after diagnosis (August to April) was assessed in medical records of patients diagnosed with DLBCL between February 2015 and October 2017 who presented to Emory St. Joseph Hospital (community hospital), Winship Cancer Institute of Emory University (academic medical center), or Grady Memorial Hospital (county hospital). Results Of the 57% (61/107) of newly diagnosed patients with DLBCL who had vaccine-related documentation, 43% refused vaccination. Counseling was not documented for any patient. Inpatient nursing performed 75% of all documentation. Primary oncologists documented vaccination in 4% of all cases. Conclusion Despite the limited immunization documentation and high refusal rates observed in this study, the influenza vaccine refusal rate was lower than the average for the United States, the state of Georgia, and the previous studies of patients with cancer. Although routine outpatient vaccination occurs, improvements in screening, strategies for sharing patient vaccine-related information, and counseling of patients who refuse the vaccine are needed. Further work is also needed to determine the effectiveness of influenza vaccination in patients receiving anti-cancer therapy.
Islamic Banking and Finance in the Global North: Secular Incubators, Elementary Accommodation and Strategic Negligence

Dating from the mid-1970s, Islamic banking and finance (IBF) is an ongoing experiment to critique the conventional interest-based financial system and to construct an alternative “Sharia-compliant” industry. This chapter develops an analytic typology to describe how states respond to this project based on whether the state 1) practices industrial policy to promote the IBF industry and/or 2) whether it promotes a legislative and regulative divarication of the dominant financial market to accommodate IBF. This response can and does differ between the IBF wholesale and retail markets, and such government accommodations are more important in retail than wholesale financial markets. This chapter develops this framework to investigate the social forces promoting and inhibiting Islamic finance in Muslim-minority countries in the global North. Specifically, it argues that Islamic finance has expanded in the United Kingdom after the state moved from a position of elementary accommodation to that of a secular incubator. In contrast, only wholesale Islamic finance has flourished in Luxembourg, in part because the state continues a strategy of elementary accommodation. More pointedly, in spite of a more favorable environment than either the UK or Luxembourg, in the United States IBF has failed to take root because of the government’s position of strategic negligence.
Depression as a moderator and a mediator of marital quality's effect on older adults' self-rated physical health

Abstract Background Depression and marital quality are both established correlates of physical health for older adults. However, there is a lack of research on the interaction between depression and marital quality on physical health, and on depression’s role as a mediator of the mechanism by which marital quality affects physical health. Objective This study aims to test the moderation and mediation effects of depression on marital quality’s impact on older adults’ self-rated physical health. Method Data from the National Social Life, Health, and Aging Project (Wave 2) (N = 2118) were used to test a latent moderated mediation structural equation model. Marital quality was constructed as a latent variable with indicators measuring its various aspects. Results Depression had a significant moderating effect (β = .17, SE = .04, p Conclusions Depression plays an important role in explaining the mechanism by which older adults’ marital quality affects their self-rated physical health. For marital quality to positively affect physical health, older adults need to attend to their personal mental health needs.
A survey of thrips (Thysanoptera) species infesting cotton seedlings in Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Tennessee.

The common species of thrips that are considered pests of cotton, Gossypium hirsutum (L.), include flower thrips, Frankliniella tritici (Fitch); tobacco thrips, Frankliniella fusca (Hinds); western flower thrips, Frankliniella occidentalis (Pergande); onion thrips, Thrips tabaci (Lindeman); and soybean thrips, Neohydatothrips variabilis (Beach). Thrips feeding on cotton seedlings can inhibit plant growth, reduce plant stand, delay crop maturity, and reduce seed-cotton yield. Surveys were conducted in Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Tennessee to determine the thrips species infesting cotton seedlings during 1996 to 1999. Cotton seedlings were sampled weekly between 7 and 48 days after plant emergence at one to four field sites in each state. Over 12,000 thrips adults were collected using plant washing procedures with 9,005 individuals mounted on slides, and identified to species. The tobacco thrips was the most common species collected in all states, except Georgia, and comprised at...
When Should The Network Be The Computer

Researchers have repurposed programmable network devices to place small amounts of application computation in the network, sometimes yielding orders-of-magnitude performance gains. At the same time, effectively using these devices requires careful use of limited resources and managing deployment challenges. This paper provides a framework for principled use of in-network processing. We provide a set of guidelines for building robust and deployable in-network primives, along with a taxonomy to help identify which applications can benefit from in-network processing and what types of devices they should use.
A Digital Voice for Russian Rock: Perspectives on Digitization of Russian Rock Zines

ABSTRACTSoviet and post-Soviet rock music zines comprise a fascinating resource not only for historians of music, but also for cultural historians, graphic designers, linguists, and specialists in ...
Abstract 3691: XPC inhibits lung cancer cell dedifferentiation by suppressing Snail expression

Lung cancer remains a leading cause of cancer-related deaths in the United States with unfavorable prognosis mainly due to tumor relapse and metastasis, which are recently believed to be caused by a specific population of cancer cells within tumor termed “cancer stem cells (CSCs)”. These cells share the common characteristic of self-renewal and differentiation as normal stem cell, but also show resistance to chemotherapy and radiation therapy. Thus, targeting CSC populations in lung tumors is critical to the prevention of tumor metastasis. Xeroderma pigmentosum group C (XPC) was first recognized as a DNA repair protein. As a DNA repair factor, XPC plays an important role in preventing carcinogenesis. However, it has also been reported that XPC insufficiency is associated with poor treatment outcomes for a variety of cancers, and low expression of XPC is correlated with poor prognosis of lung cancer patients, suggesting that XPC may suppress lung cancer progression. Here, we show that downregulation of XPC expanded lung CSCs characterized by CD133+, while overexpression of XPC limited this cell population, as well as reduced the tumorigenic potential of the lung cancer cell line. Furthermore, we found that XPC knockdown is able to promote the CD133--to-CD133+ cell conversion in A549 cells, indicating that XPC can inhibit lung cancer cell dedifferentiation. Mechanistic investigation demonstrated that XPC can suppress Snail expression by directly binding to the promoter region of the SNAI1 gene, leading to the enrichment of histone H3 trimethylation at serine 27 (H3K27me3) and loss of histone H3 acetylation at serine 27 (H3K27Ac) in this region. Given that Snail plays a critical role in the induction of epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), which is a major mechanism for the acquisition of stem cell-like properties, we believe that XPC can limit the CSC population by inhibiting cancer cell dedifferentiation. In summary, we conclude that low expression of XPC in lung tumors can de-repress the expression of Snail, promote EMT, and increase the de novo production of CSCs, eventually facilitating lung tumor progression. Citation Format: Shurui Cai, Dayong Wu, Ananya Banerjee, Lu Liu, Chunhua Han, Tiantian Cui, Qi-En Wang. XPC inhibits lung cancer cell dedifferentiation by suppressing Snail expression [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2019; 2019 Mar 29-Apr 3; Atlanta, GA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2019;79(13 Suppl):Abstract nr 3691.
The Rethink campaign to reduce the normalization of prescription stimulant misuse on college campuses

The illegal use of prescription stimulants has become an established health risk among the college student population. To address this phenomenon, a student-driven campaign informed was developed, ...
Rosette Colonies of Choanoflagellates (Salpingoeca rosetta) Show Increased Food Vacuole Formation Compared with Single Swimming Cells

Choanoflagellates exist as both single-celled and colonial forms and filter-feed by generating water currents using a single apical flagellum. Hydrodynamic modeling studies have differed in predictions of whether single cells or colonies produce greater fluid flow to enhance feeding, and a recent study reported no increase in feeding efficiency of stalked colonies of choanoflagellates compared with single cells. We report that rosette colonies of Salpingoeca rosetta demonstrate higher rates of food vacuole formation compared with unicellular, slow swimmers.
Drugs Suitable for Moderate Periodontal Sedation

The safety and efficacy of moderate sedation depend upon the administration of drugs that have a low potential to progress to the level of deep sedation or general anesthesia. Drugs described in this chapter have a wide enough therapeutic index to be useful for moderate sedation. Opioids raise the pain threshold, modulate stress, and act to potentiate the effects of other agents. Benzodiazepines provide anxiolysis, sedation, and amnesia. They provide the backbone for the moderate sedation technique. Alpha-2 agonists such as dexmedetomidine also produce sedation, elevate the pain threshold, and attenuate cardiovascular stress. The key to drug administration is not fixed dosing, but rather slow titration to a defined clinical endpoint. In this way patient comfort is achieved, consciousness is maintained, and treatment conditions are optimized.
Spaces of care and resistance in China: public engagement during the COVID-19 outbreak

As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to unfold, the approach of the Chinese government remains under the spotlight, obscuring the complex landscape of responses to the outbreak within the country. Dr...
The life satisfaction among older East Asian immigrants: sexual attitudes and knowledge

Sexuality in later life is an essential factor for quality of life among older adults However, little is known about the sexuality of older adult immigrants from East Asia who have experienced both...
Interpolation by Contractive Multipliers Between Fock Spaces

We survey various Nevanlinna-Pick type interpolation problems for contractive multipliers between two vector Fock spaces of noncommutative formal power series. An adaptation of Potapov’s method leads to a chain-matrix linear-fractional parametrization for the set of all solutions for the case where the Pick operator is invertible. The most general problem considered here is a noncommutative multivariable analogue of the Abstract Interpolation Problem formulated by Katsnelson, Kheifets and Yuditskii for the single-variable case; we obtain a Redheffer-type linear-fractional parametrization for the set of all solutions (including in degenerate cases) via an adaptation of ideas of Arov and Grossman.
Preconditioning of overcast-to-broken cloud transitions by riming in marine cold air outbreaks

Abstract. Marine cold air outbreaks (CAOs) commonly form overcast cloud decks that transition into broken cloud fields downwind, dramatically altering the local radiation budget. In this study, we investigate the impact of frozen hydrometeors on these transitions. We focus on a CAO case in the NW Atlantic, the location of the multi-year flight campaign ACTIVATE (Aerosol Cloud meTeorology Interactions oVer the western ATlantic Experiment). We use MERRA-2 (Modern-Era Retrospective analysis for Research and Applications, version 2) reanalysis fields to drive large eddy simulations with mixed-phase two-moment microphysics in a Lagrangian framework. We find that transitions are triggered by substantial rain (rainwater paths >25 g m−2 ), and only simulations that allow for aerosol depletion result in sustained breakups, as observed. Using a range of diagnostic ice nucleating particle concentrations, Ninp , we find that increasing ice progressively accelerates transitions, thus abbreviating the overcast state. Ice particles affect the cloud-topped boundary layer evolution, primarily through riming-related processes prior to substantial rain, leading to (1) a reduction in cloud liquid water, (2) early consumption of cloud condensation nuclei, and (3) early and light precipitation cooling and moistening below cloud. We refer to these three effects collectively as “preconditioning by riming”. Greater boundary layer aerosol concentrations available as cloud condensation nuclei (CCN) delay the onset of substantial rain. However, cloud breakup and low CCN concentration final stages are found to be inevitable in this case, due, primarily, to liquid water path buildup. An ice-modulated cloud transition speed suggests the possibility of a negative cloud–climate feedback. To address prevailing uncertainties in the model representation of mixed-phase processes, the magnitude of ice formation and riming impacts and, thereby, the strength of an associated negative cloud–climate feedback process, requires further observational evaluation by targeting riming hot spots with in situ imaging probes that allow for both the characterization of ice particles and abundance of supercooled droplets.
AutomataDAO: A Blockchain-Based Data Marketplace for Interactive Robot and IoT Data Exchanges Using Ethermint and State Channels

We present AutomataDAO, a decentralized data marketplace for robot and IoT cyberphysical systems. Unlike present literature on blockchain-based data marketplaces, AutomataDAO is implemented as a decentralized autonomous organization (DAO) through a set of governance smart contracts that account for both human and synthetic agents that may take part in the DAO. Concerns over transactional costs and throughput are resolved using state channel technology, and a preliminary decentralized ID (DID) solution is leveraged to establish a reputation system that is considered within the cryptoeconomics of the system; the latter is also accounted for in the market’s data pricing model.
Facilitating Surveillance of Incidental Findings Using a Novel Reporting Template: Proof of Concept in Patients with Pancreatic Abnormalities

OBJECTIVE To determine the surveillance impact of utilizing a discrete field in structured radiology reports in patients with incidental pancreatic findings. METHODS We implemented a dictation template containing a discrete structured field element to auto-trigger listing of patients with incidental pancreatic findings on a pancreas clinic registry in the electronic health record. We isolated CT and MRI reports with incidental pancreatic findings over a 24-month period. We stratified patients by presence or absence of the discrete field element in reports (flagged versus unflagged) and evaluated the impact of report flagging on likelihood of clinic follow-up, follow-up imaging, endoscopic ultrasound, surgical intervention, genetics referral, obtaining pathologic diagnosis, and time interval between index imaging to various outcomes. RESULTS Patients with flagged reports were more likely to be seen or discussed in a pancreas clinic compared with those with unflagged reports (189 of 376, 50.3% versus 79 of 474, 16.7%; P <. 001). Patients with flagged reports were more likely to get follow-up imaging than patients with unflagged reports (188 of 376, 50.0% versus 121 of 474, 25.5%; P < .001) and were more likely to undergo appropriate management of actionable findings compared with patients in the unflagged group (23 of 62, 37.1% versus 28 of 129, 21.7%; P = .036). DISCUSSION Implementation of a structured discrete field element for reporting of patients with incidental pancreatic findings had positive impact on surveillance measures and can be applied in other organ systems with established surveillance guidelines to standardize patient care.
Impossible policy evaluations and impossible conclusions: a comment on Koper and Roth

Koper and Roth (this issue) are clearly skilled and knowledgeable analysts who have carried out what is probably about the best evaluation of the 1994 federal assault weapon (AW) ban that one could reasonably expect. Nevertheless, the nature of the intervention makes even a minimally strong evaluation impossible. Their evaluation is extremely weak, and for reasons that they themselves often concede, their main conclusion is almost certainly impossible. This paper raises troubling issues for scholars. When the best feasible policy evaluation is as weak as the present one, should it be done at all? Are there some evaluations that are so weak that their results are likely to be misleading and should not be disseminated at all?
Community Readiness for Prevention

SUMMARY This study presents an effort to adapt the community readiness model to a multi-community intervention to reduce youth access to tobacco. The background of the original community readiness model is outlined, and a behaviorally based adaptation specific to tobacco sales and tobacco possession enforcement is presented. Data on behaviorally based readiness ratings for 11 communities are presented. Correlational analyses indicate a significant relationship between ratings for sales enforcement readiness and the number of tobacco compliance checks conducted by the local police departments. The relationship between possession enforcement readiness and the rate of citations issued was in the expected direction, but was not significant. The results indicate that the behavioral adaptation of the community readiness model can: (a) provide a conceptual heuristic to understand community dynamics; (b) increase responsiveness to each community's unique needs; (c) measure changes over time; and (d) inform future...
The effect of dopamine D4 receptor density on novelty seeking, activity, social interaction, and alcohol binge drinking in adult mice.

The dopamine D4 receptor has been postulated to play a role in the pathophysiology of alcoholism. This study examined how varying levels of D4 expression and their associated behaviors in male and female mice correlate with future alcohol intake. We hypothesized that: (1) mice with low (Drd4+/−) or deficient (Drd4−/−) in D4 receptors would show enhanced ethanol consumption compared with control mice (Drd4+/+), and (2) a specific phenotype in these mice is associated with future vulnerability for alcohol consumption. Individually housed mice were allowed free access to ethanol (20% vv) in the dark (DID). The behaviors measured in male and female mice were: novel object recognition, open-field locomotor activity, and social interaction. Correlation analyses showed that in male Drd4−/− mice (relative to Drd4+/+ controls), anxiolytic behavior was significantly correlated with increased alcohol consumption. Also, in male Drd4−/− mice, there was a significant positive correlation between increased exploratory behavior and increased alcohol consumption. These findings were not observed in females. In conclusion, our data suggest that the dopamine D4 receptor gene has an important role in increased exploratory and anxiolytic behavior only in males and these behaviors were positively correlated with increased alcohol consumption. This interaction between sex hormones and dopamine D4 receptor genotype/function predicting future alcohol abuse and correlation with anxiolytic and exploratory behavior in male mice could have important implications for better understanding of vulnerabilities associated with addiction. Synapse 69:356–364, 2015. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Genesis of longitudinal vortices in near-wall turbulence

Using direct numerical simulations of turbulent channel flow, we present new insight into the formation mechanism of near-wall longitudinal vortices. Instability of lifted, vortex-free low-speed streaks is shown to generate, upon nonlinear saturation, new streamwise vortices, which dominate near-wall turbulence production, drag, and heat transfer. The instability requires sufficiently strong streaks (y circulation per unit x > 7.6) and is inviscid in nature, despite the proximity of the no-slip wall. Streamwise vortex formation (collapse) is dominated by stretching, rather than rollup, of instability-generated ωx sheets. In turn, direct stretching results from the positive ∂u/∂x (i.e. positive VISA) associated with streak waviness in the (x,z) plane, generated upon finite-amplitude evolution of the sinuous instability mode. Significantly, the 3D features of the (instantaneous) instability-generated vortices agree well with the coherent structures educed (i.e. ensemble averaged) from fully turbulent flow, suggesting the prevalence of this instability mechanism. These results suggest promising new drag reduction strategies, involving large-scale (hence more durable) actuation and requiring no wall sensors or feedback logic.
Simplicity and Complexity in Contracts

Standard economic models of contract imply that contracts should be highly "complex," by which we mean (1) rich in the expected number of payoff-relevant contingencies; (2) variable in the magnitude of payoffs contracted to flow between parties; and (3) severe in the cognitive load necessary to understand the contract. Yet most real-world contracts are simple along all three of these dimensions. We argue that many factors, often neglected in the literature, account for this discrepancy. The factors are categorized as asymmetric information, monitoring dynamics, evolutionary pressures, conventions, reliance on trust and reputation, enforcement costs, bounded rationality, and renegotiation. This positive analysis has normative implications for how lawyers draft contracts, and for how courts rely on the form of a contract (specifically, its degree of complexity) in order to interpret it.
Intraoperative anaphylaxis to gelatin in topical hemostatic agents during anterior spinal fusion: a case report.

Abstract Background context The use of topical hemostatic agents is widespread and has been shown to reduce bleeding during a wide variety of surgical procedures. Nonetheless, as biologically active agents, there is potential for allergic reactions to these products. Purpose This is a report of intraoperative anaphylaxis to gelatin associated with the use of two topical hemostatic agents. Study design Case report. There is no outside funding or potential conflict of interest. Patient sample A patient with anaphylaxis during anterior spinal fusion. Outcome measures Laboratory assays for tryptase, gelatin-specific immunoglobulin E (IgE), and total IgE. Methods A 14-year-old male with myelomeningocele and scoliosis was treated with anterior spinal fusion from T12 to L3. Gelfoam sponges were applied during the preparation of the disc spaces. Approximately 1 hour later, Floseal hemostatic matrix was applied to a briskly bleeding screw hole in the L3 vertebral body, and the patient experienced an abrupt onset of hypotension and ventilatory difficulty. Epinephrine, dexamethasone, and blood products were administered for hemodynamic support while the surgical site was closed. Removal of the drapes revealed a widespread erythematous rash, and the patient was then transferred to the intensive care unit. When stable 3 days later, he returned to the operating room for completion of the spinal fusion. Results Postoperative laboratory assays were sent that revealed elevated levels of tryptase, total IgE, porcine, and bovine gelatin–specific IgE. The patient was counseled to avoid gelatin-containing products. At 6-month follow-up, his instrumented spine was radiographically fused and he reported no further allergic issues. Conclusions Anaphylaxis may occur because of animal gelatin components of topical hemostatic agents. Previous reports have focused on the thrombin components. Care should be taken in the administration of these products, particularly in the atopic individual.
Apparent viscosity of sol-gel processed silica

Abstract The densification behavior of a sol-gel processed silica was studied. Thermogravimetric weight loss analysis was used to study dehydration. Gas (He) pycnometry was used to measure skeletal density and to estimate an apparent fictive temperature. Isothermal shrinkage data were used to calculate apparent viscosities. Isothermal changes in apparent viscosity are due to dehydration and skeletal relaxation. Shrinkage data from step heat treatments were used to separate the effects of relaxation from those of dehydration.
Attribution of responsibility: A theoretical note

Abstract Research on factors influencing attribution of responsibility has resulted in inconsistent and inconclusive findings. A theoretical analysis suggests that Heider's levels of causality represent two dimensions underlying attribution of responsibility. It is suggested that conflicting findings result from failures to control at least one of these two dimensions.
NEUROLOGICAL COMPLICATIONS IN INFANTS WITH AIDS

The clinical symptomatology of children with AIDS is similar to that observed in adults including fever, weight loss, diffuse lymphadenopathy and opportunistic infections. In adults, unusual neurological complications including progressive encephalopathy were recently reported. Since 1979, we have noted neurological abnormalities in 6 children with AIDS. 5 patients have not attained appropriate milestones, with severe global delay in areas of gross motor control, fine motor control, social functioning and language. Physical examination revealed spastic diplegia, hyperreflexia and positive Babinski in 4 with diminished muscular tone in 5 infants. 1 had seizures. Cerebrospinal fluid was acellular with normal protein and glucose. Skull X-rays have been negative. CT scans, with and without contrast in 4 children, displayed progressive cerebral atrophy. 1 showed intracerebral calcifications. EEG's showed diffuse slow waves with subsequent studies demonstrating further slowing of electrical activity. 4 of the 6 patients have continued neurologic deterioration with further loss of developmental milestones.
Basal extracellular dopamine is decreased in the rat nucleus accumbens during abstinence from chronic cocaine.

Rats were treated for 10 days with cocaine (20 mg/kg, i.p.) followed by either 1 or 10 days of abstinence. On the test day a microdialysis method was performed in which dopamine (DA) was added to the perfusate at concentrations above and below the expected extracellular concentration (0, 2.5, 5, and 10 nM) to generate a series of points that can be interpolated to determine the concentration of no net flux, which represents the extracellular DA concentration. The slope of the line generated by this method is the in vivo recovery of the dialysis probe. After 1 day of abstinence, there was no significant difference in basal DA levels in the nucleus accumbens (N ACC) between cocaine treated (4.1 ± 0.3 nM; mean ± SEM) and saline-treated (3.9 ± 0.2 nM) groups. However, there was a significant increase in the slope of the cocaine-treated group (0.91 ± 0.04 vs. 0.67 ± 0.08; P >0.03). After 10 days of abstinence, there were reduced basal extracellular levels of DA in the N ACC of the cocaine-treated group as compared with saline-treated controls (P <0.002). The basal extracellular DA concentration in the N ACC was 2.1 ± 0.3 nM for the cocaine group and 3.9 ± 0.2 nM for the control group. The slopes of the curves were not significantly different for the cocaine (0.63 ± 0.07) and saline (0.64 ± 0.09) groups. There was a significant interaction between cocaine and the length of abstinence with respect to the reduction in basal extracellular DA in the N ACC (P <0.0008) and also an interaction between cocaine and the length of abstinence with respect to the slope of the regression lines (P <0.03). The results suggest that both basal levels and the dynamics of extracellular DA in the N ACC are altered by chronic cocaine. These alterations may have relevance to the dopamine depletion hypothesis of cocaine addiction.
Consolidation Intraperitoneal Chemotherapy in Epithelial Ovarian Cancer Patients Following Negative Second-Look Laparotomy

Fifty-six patients with Stage III ovarian carcinoma who had a negative second-look laparotomy following optimum cytoreduction, cisplatin, and cyclophosphamide chemotherapy were enrolled in a pilot study to receive consolidation intraperitoneal (IP) chemotherapy. Forty-one patients received three courses of IP cisplatin (80 mg/m2). Fifteen patients with cisplatin-induced toxicity received three courses of IP mitoxantrone (10 mg/m2). Toxicity was minimal, with only 2 patients suffering peritonitis and 1 patient developing an enterotomy at the time of catheter removal. Median follow-up for the IP cisplatin and IP mitoxantrone group has been 24 and 30 months, respectively. Ten of the 41 patients (24%) who received IP cisplatin and 4/15 (26%) of the IP mitoxantrone patients have recurred (P = ns). Median time to recurrence was 18 months for both groups. This study indicates that consolidation intraperitoneal chemotherapy following negative second-look laparotomy is feasible with either cisplatin or mitoxantrone. However, many of these patients still recurred and prospective trials will be required to determine which (if any) consolidation intraperitoneal treatment is best following a negative second-look laparotomy.