cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
New arsenate reductase gene (arrA) PCR primers for diversity assessment and quantification in environmental samples

The extent of arsenic contamination in drinking water and its potential threat to human health have resulted in considerable research interest in the microbial species responsible for arsenic reduction. The arsenate reductase gene (arrA), an important component of the microbial arsenate reduction system, has been widely used as a biomarker to study arsenate-reducing microorganisms. A new primer pair was designed and evaluated for quantitative PCR (qPCR) and high-throughput sequencing of the arrA gene, because currently available PCR primers are not suitable for these applications. The primers were evaluated in silico and empirically tested for amplification of arrA genes in clones and for amplification and high-throughput sequencing of arrA genes from soil and groundwater samples. In silico, this primer pair matched (≥90% DNA identity) 86% of arrA gene sequences from GenBank. Empirical evaluation showed successful amplification of arrA gene clones of diverse phylogenetic groups, as well as amplification and high-throughput sequencing of independent soil and groundwater samples without preenrichment, suggesting that these primers are highly specific and can amplify a broad diversity of arrA genes. The arrA gene diversity from soil and groundwater samples from the Cache Valley Basin (CVB) in Utah was greater than anticipated. We observed a significant correlation between arrA gene abundance, quantified through qPCR, and reduced arsenic (AsIII) concentrations in the groundwater samples. Furthermore, we demonstrated that these primers can be useful for studying the diversity of arsenate-reducing microbial communities and the ways in which their relative abundance in groundwater may be associated with different groundwater quality parameters. Importance Arsenic is a major drinking water contaminant that threatens the health of millions of people worldwide. The extent of arsenic contamination and its potential threat to human health have resulted in considerable interest in the study of microbial species responsible for the reduction of arsenic, i.e., the conversion of AsV to AsIII In this study, we developed a new primer pair to evaluate the diversity and abundance of arsenate-reducing microorganisms in soil and groundwater samples from the CVB in Utah. We observed significant arrA gene diversity in the CVB soil and groundwater samples, and arrA gene abundance was significantly correlated with the reduced arsenic (AsIII) concentrations in the groundwater samples. We think that these primers are useful for studying the ecology of arsenate-reducing microorganisms in different environments.
Relationship of nicotine deprivation and indices of alcohol use behavior to implicit alcohol and cigarette approach cognitions in smokers.

Abstract Alcohol and smoking frequently co-occur and alcohol is a primary trigger for smoking behavior and relapse back to smoking. This study examined whether several indices of alcohol use behavior and consequences of use would be associated with changes in implicit alcohol-approach versus implicit cigarette-approach cognitions under cigarette deprived and non-deprived cognitions in 109 smokers who drank at risky or non-risky levels. An Implicit Association Task (IAT) measured how quickly respondents paired alcohol and cigarette pictures with approach and avoid words. Regression analyses examined the associations of quantity/frequency, proportion heavy drinking days, number of DSM-IV alcohol use disorder (AUD) symptoms, and risky drinking status to IAT scores under deprived conditions, controlling for IAT order effects, non-deprived IAT score, and deprived cigarette craving and withdrawal. Interactions with craving and withdrawal intensity were also examined. Results showed a significant positive association between proportion of heavy drinking days and stronger alcohol-approach than cigarette-approach motivations when deprived. There was also a conditional association of AUD symptoms to alcohol-approach motivations among respondents reporting more intense withdrawal when deprived. Alcohol quantity and frequency, as well as risky drinking status were unrelated to change in IAT scores. Findings suggest that cigarette deprivation may magnify motivation to drink, rather than smoke, among smokers who engage in more frequent bouts of heavy drinking and who report more alcohol-related problems. Results also show relative momentary and unconscious “preference” or choice for alcohol over cigarettes in some high-risk smokers, when cigarette craving and withdrawal are high.
Reflective Ethical Decision: A Model for Ethics in Accounting Education

This conceptual paper describes a Reflective Ethical Decision Model (REDM), which uses the underpinnings of philosophical humanism in collaboration with self-directed learning to help students determine and design their own personal model construct of ethical values. This model analyzes the necessary ingredients for applying ethics in accounting and business education and offers a hands-on pedagogical approach to the ethics curriculum. It is an illustration that students can use to reflect on personal orientations to ethical behavior and lifelong values. The rationale for proffering such an approach is the notion that the “operational orientations” that guide human behavior are not fully developed until early adulthood. This concept is also applicable in professional training and development as a move towards improving ethical decision-making constructs in organizations. The idea is to evoke the personal ethics each of us has, not to promote more avenues to extend the fallacy surrounding “business ethics.” The designer and author hopes this model concept will encourage future research about ethical decision-making as a result of any critique that may arise from this endeavor. Key words: Ethics, philosophy, self-directed learning, reflective decision model
The Impact of the Monographs Crisis on the Field of Communication

Abstract This study replicates and extends Yates and Chapman's [(2007), Behavioral & Social Sciences Librarian, 26(1), 39–51] study of references from Communication Monographs, Communication Research, and Journal of Communication for the years 2010 and 2015 to draw further conclusions on the use of monographs in journal literature in the field of communication. Results show that the use of monographs in these journals has been outpaced by references to journal articles by a ratio of 5 to 1. The references were further analyzed by date and publisher. The authors then selected a random sample of the monographs cited in the journals to explore the availability of these monographs in electronic format and found that many are available as ebooks, particularly the more recent titles. The authors also examined the references from a collection of scholarly books in communication from 2005, 2010, and 2015 and found that the use of monographs may be declining slightly. The most notable trend in these references was the increase in the number of references to items in other formats such as film, television, comic books, and websites. The authors conclude that the monographs crisis is indeed affecting citation patterns in the field of communication.
Biological Evaluation of a Fluorescent-Imaging Agent for Medullary Thyroid Cancer in an Orthotopic Model.

Context The primary and definitive treatment of medullary thyroid cancer (MTC) is surgical resection. Recurrent or residual disease is typically a result of incomplete surgical removal. Objective Our objective is to develop a compound that assists in intraoperative visualization of cancer, which would have the potential to improve surgical cure rates and outcomes. Results We report the biological characterization of Compound-17, which is labeled with IRdye800, allowing fluorescent visualization of MTC mouse models. We found that the agent has high affinity for two human MTC cell lines (TT and MZ-CRC1) in vitro and in vivo. We further tested the affinity of the compound in a newly developed MTC orthotopic xenograft model and found that Compound-17 produces fluorescent signals within MTC-derived orthotopic xenografts in comparison with a sequence-jumbled control compound and surrounding normal tissues. Conclusions Compound-17 is a unique and effective molecule for MTC identification that may have therapeutic potential.
A Bayesian Machine Learning Approach for Optimizing Dynamic Treatment Regimes

Medical therapy often consists of multiple stages, with a treatment chosen by the physician at each stage based on the patient's history of treatments and clinical outcomes. These decisions can be formalized as a dynamic treatment regime. This paper describes a new approach for optimizing dynamic treatment regimes that bridges the gap between Bayesian inference and existing approaches, like Q-learning. The proposed approach fits a series of Bayesian regression models, one for each stage, in reverse sequential order. Each model uses as a response variable the remaining payoff assuming optimal actions are taken at subsequent stages, and as covariates the current history and relevant actions at that stage. The key difficulty is that the optimal decision rules at subsequent stages are unknown, and even if these decision rules were known the relevant response variables may be counterfactual. However, posterior distributions can be derived from the previously fitted regression models for the optimal decision rules and the counterfactual response variables under a particular set of rules. The proposed approach averages over these posterior distributions when fitting each regression model. An efficient sampling algorithm for estimation is presented, along with simulation studies that compare the proposed approach with Q-learning.
‘What can one do against democracy?’ The co-construction and destruction of ‘Student Democracy’ in a Chilean public high school

AbstractThis article examines how the actors of a Chilean public high school navigated the political scenario produced when its students decided to occupy their school to protest a national Educational Reform. Using ethnographic data and interviews with high school students, it proposes to understand this process in the context of a figured world directly linked with youth activism and student contentious politics: that of ‘Student Democracy’. The article argues that this figured world is constantly being produced by students, teachers and parents engaging in contentious local practices and that, in doing so, they create new opportunities for political action and citizenship education within school settings. It also argues that, by engaging with this figured world, students are participating in both ‘Student Democracy’ and the broader societal democracy, learning to be citizens in the present, and to deal with the possibilities, risks, and responsibilities that democratic participation always entails.
The Lady in White: British Imperial Loyalism and Women’s Volunteerism in Second World War Durban

Perla Siedle Gibson, known as ‘The Lady in White’, was an upper-class woman from Durban, who in the Second World War became famous for appearing in the city’s harbour and singing to the numerous Br...
Are We Keeping Up with Oprah?: A Treatment and Training Model for Addictions and Interpersonal Violence

Addiction treatment trauma theory and the connections between female addiction patterns and interpersonal violence are central clinical issues in current practice. This paper argues for the inclusion of these specialized areas in family therapy and other professional training. An account of the author's personal, political and professional route toward an understanding of interpersonal violence culminates in her model of clinical assessment and treatment. This training model integrates family systems and psychodynamic theory as well as advocating the uses of self-help groups.
The Woman Warrior, by Maxine Hong Kingston: A Bridging of Autobiography and Fiction

American girlhood in California are spliced with myths and anecdotes told by her imposing and thoroughly Chinese mother. Chapters are arranged in blocks against opposing chapters, some gaps bridged with cries of self-doubt or victo ry, while others are left for the reader to interpret. Kingston breaks up time as she breaks up the usual distinctions between fact and fantasy, and in doing so, separates her book from more traditional, chronological autobiographies. Her first chapter relates and then embroiders a story that was told by her mother, Brave Orchid, when Kingston first menstruated. It is a cautionary tale about a real aunt in China who bore an illegitimate child, brought down the village's violence on her house, drowned herself and was then excluded by the retaliatory silence of the family from the comforts that family ghosts expect. Her name was suppressed, all talk of her forbidden. Kingston's second section relates an entirely different tale about Fa Mu Lan, the mythical Warrior Woman. This "talk-story," which was repeatedly chanted by Brave Orchid and her daughter, told of a girl taken to the mountains by a magic bird, who trained herself to become strong in self-discipline and magic and later returned to wreak vengeance on her family's and country's enemies. These introductory myths juxtapose a woman who, as an outlaw, became a victim against a second woman, dutiful and heroic. Kingston jumps from these stories to the central history of her mother in China, then to the tale of another aunt, Moon Orchid, a delicate and giggling old woman who emigrated and ended in madness, broken by the U.S., which Kingston's mother had survived. Kingston, the narrator, the expected subject of this autobiography, never set foot in China, where her mother was a medical student, nor was she present in Los Angeles, when her fragile aunt received the rebuff that led to her madness. This distance of the narrator, this self-effacing quality, contrasts with the intimacy one can sense in reading the book. Kingston links inherited stories with explications and memories of her own. She also works to see these people clearly, trying to construct a picture of her relatives from fragments and to enter their world in much the same way that a sympathetic reader would. She is as involved in this process of learning as we are. Her labor becomes most apparent when we compare the writer's detailed, scenic conjectures about the crises that overwhelmed her aunts in China and Los Angeles with the bare tales which were actually given to her. Her outlawed aunt was raped ... or no, she was in love, a flirt, who combed her hair into wisps and burned out a freckle;
Ex Ante/Ex Post

This paper was written for a conference on legal transitions. The central question in legal transitions is whether it is appropriate for the government to offset (through grandfathering, direct compensation or other mechanisms) the ex post changes in wealth occasioned by changes in legal rules. Put this way, the government's appropriate response to the risk of legal change is just an instance of the larger question whether (and when) the government ought to intervene to bail people out of the bad ex post consequences of their (ex ante) risky choices. Over the past twenty years, a substantial literature has emerged in both philosophy and economics on this larger question. While economists have analyzed the case for ex post compensation primarily on welfarist grounds and philosophers primarily on egalitarian grounds, the two literatures have proceeded along strikingly similar lines, and converge on strikingly similar conclusions, albeit for their very different reasons: People should bear the consequences of their risky choices, subject to a limited exception when the risk in question is undesired but uninsurable. This convergence on an "ex ante" view of distributive justice results straightforwardly from the fact that the dominant strain in philosophy that has taken up this question over the past 20 years - so-called "luck egalitarianism" - is committed to the same strong ex ante perspective (for its very different reasons) as the rational expectations model of individual decision-making that dominates welfarist policy analysis. This article examines the convergence on "ex ante" justice in economics and philosophy, and the normative and empirical assumptions on which it rests. It then considers various challenges to the sanctity of ex ante choice. It concludes that many of these challenges deserve to be taken more seriously than they have been, and would argue in at least some cases for "ex post" justice - for bailing people out of the bad consequences of their risky choices - on fairness as well as welfarist grounds. It concludes, however, that most legal transitions do not themselves present a compelling case for ex post justice on fairness or welfarist grounds.
The Globalization of Light Skin Colorism: From Critical Race to Critical Skin Theory:

On the cusp of Western civilization, Caucasians aspired to a racial world order defining Caucasian as superior race status. Today, racial diversity is a societal theme facilitated by laws, which de...
The Importance of Wage Growth Assumptions in Calculating Economic Damages

Abstract This study examines the importance of incorporating age-earnings profiles into the estimation of future earnings. Using data from the 2000 Census of the Population and the 2001-2015 Americ...
"I's" on the prize: A systematic review of individual differences in Contingency Management treatment response.

Abstract Contingency Management is an evidence-based treatment for substance use disorders with strong potential for measurement-based customization. Previous work has examined individual difference factors in Contingency Management treatment response of potential relevance to treatment targeting and adaptive implementation; however, a systematic review of such factors has not yet been conducted. Here, we summarize and evaluate the existing literature on patient-level predictors, mediators, and moderators of Contingency Management treatment response in stimulant and/or opioid using outpatients – clinical populations most frequently targeted in Contingency Management research and clinical practice. Our search strategy identified 648 unique, peer-reviewed publications, of which 39 met full inclusion criteria for the current review. These publications considered a variety of individual difference factors, including (1) motivation to change and substance use before and during treatment (8/39 publications), (2) substance use comorbidity and chronicity (8/39 publications), (3) psychiatric comorbidity and severity (8/39 publications), (4) medical, legal, and sociodemographic considerations (15/39 publications), and (5) cognitive-behavioral variables (1/39 publications). Contingency Management was generally associated with improved treatment outcomes (e.g., longer periods of continuous abstinence, better retention), regardless of individual difference factors; however, specific patient-level characteristics were associated with either an enhanced (e.g., more previous treatment attempts, history of sexual abuse, diagnosis of antisocial personality disorder) or diminished (e.g., complex post-traumatic stress symptoms, pretreatment benzodiazepine use) response to Contingency Management. Overall, the current literature is limited but existing evidence generally supports greater benefits of Contingency Management in patients who would otherwise have a poorer prognosis in standard outpatient care. It was also identified that the majority of previous work represents a posteriori analysis of pre-existing clinical samples and has therefore rarely considered pre-specified, hypothesis-driven individual difference factors. We therefore additionally highlight patient-level factors that are currently understudied, as well as promising future directions for measurement-based treatment adaptations that may directly respond to patient traits and states to improve Contingency Management effectiveness across individuals and over time.
Palliative care services in families of males with muscular dystrophy: Data from MD STARnet:

Introduction:Information on use of palliative care services among individuals with Duchenne and Becker muscular dystrophy is scant despite the clearly documented need.Methods:We examined associatio...
PTN and IP-Based Mobile Backhaul

Packet Transport Network(PTN) integrates the advantages of packet technology and TDM technology.Taking the packet switch as its core,PTN has a high statistical multiplexing ability,which allows it to become a more efficient packet transfer service.Its strong Operation Administration and Maintenance(OAM)—similar to SDH and carrier-class security protection services—ensure efficient mobile backhaul business management and transmission quality.MPLS Transport Profile-based(MPLS-TP) packet transport network eliminates its connectionless features(such as Penultimate Hop Popping(PHP),label merge,and Equal-cost multi-path(ECMP)),and is enhanced in terms of OAM,protection,and synchronization.This is ideally suitable for carrying IP-based mobile backhaul services and key account services.PTN,and the original Multi-Service Transport Platform(MSTP),Metro Ethernet,and the IP over WDM/OTN network of organic complexes,contribute to an "all IP" era of telecommunications services.
Intraductal carcinoma of the prostate in the absence of high‐grade invasive carcinoma represents a molecularly distinct type of in situ carcinoma enriched with oncogenic driver mutations

Intraductal carcinoma of the prostate (IDC-P) most often appears associated with high-grade invasive prostate carcinoma (PCa), where it is believed to represent retrograde spread. However, IDC-P rarely occurs as an isolated finding at radical prostatectomy or with concurrent low-grade (Grade Group 1) invasive carcinoma. We hypothesized that isolated IDC-P (iIDC-P) in these unusual cases may represent a distinct in situ lesion and molecularly profiled 15 cases. iIDC-P was characterized by copy number alteration (CNA) profiling and targeted next generation sequencing in cases with sufficient tissue (n = 7). Immunohistochemistry for PTEN and ERG was performed on the total cohort (n = 15), where areas of iIDC-P and associated invasive disease were evaluated separately (n = 9). By copy number profiling, iIDC-P alterations were similar to those previously described in high-grade invasive PCa (PTEN, RB1, and CHD1 loss; MYC gain). However, in four cases, targeted sequencing revealed a striking number of activating oncogenic driver mutations in MAPK and PI3K pathway genes, which are extraordinarily rare in conventional PCa. In addition, pathogenic mutations in DNA repair genes were found in two cases of iIDC-P (BRCA2, CHEK2, CDK12) and other known PCa-associated mutations (FOXA1, SPOP) in two cases. Overall, ERG was expressed in 7% (1/15) of the iIDC-P lesions and PTEN was lost in 53% (8/15). Discordance for ERG or PTEN status between IDC-P and the low-grade PCa was observed in five of nine cases, with intact PTEN in the invasive tumor and PTEN loss in IDC-P in four. Despite a CNA profile similar to conventional PCa, iIDC-P is enriched with potentially targetable oncogenic driver mutations in MAPK/PI3K genes. Based on PTEN and ERG status, iIDC-P is not likely a precursor to the associated low-grade invasive PCa, but represents a molecularly unique in situ tumor of unclear clinical significance. © 2019 Pathological Society of Great Britain and Ireland. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Recent Trends in Electively Treated Unruptured Intracranial Aneurysms

Abstract Background and Purpose: To determine recent treatment and outcome trends in patients undergoing elective surgical clipping (SC) or endovascular therapy (EVT) for unruptured intracranial aneurysms (UIAs) in the United States. Methods: Data were extracted and analyzed from the National Inpatient Sample, Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project, Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality for all patients admitted for elective EVT or SC of UIAs between 2011 and 2014. Treatment trends, in-hospital mortality, complication rates, length of stay (LOS) and total hospital costs were evaluated and analyzed. Results: A total of 31,070 patients with UIAs were included in our analysis, of which 14,411 and 16,659 underwent elective SC and EVT, respectively. There was no significant difference in in-hospital mortality rates between the 2 groups. EVT was associated with lower in-hospital complication rates, decreased median LOS (.8 days versus 3.3 days, P ≤ .0001), and an increased likelihood of discharge to home (92.9% versus 72.9%, P = .0001). Median total hospital charges were similar in both treatment cohorts. Independent predictors of mortality in the elective population were age over 40 years ( P ≤ .0001), weekend treatment ( P ≤ .0001), and high co-morbidity status ( P ≤ .0001). Conclusions: In-hospital mortality rates were similar in elective EVT and SC UIA patients; however, EVT was associated with lower in-hospital complication rates and shorter LOS.
Diffuse-reflectance and luminescence study of the reduction of samarium in lead borate

AbstractTrivalent samarium has been observed for the first time to be reduced to samarium(II) in lead borate matrices fired under an air atmosphere. Air-firing of equivalent masses of co-precipitated samarium(III):lead(II) borate and boric acid at 650 °C resulted in the reduction of a portion of the trivalent samarium to the divalent state. The diffuse reflectance spectrum characteristic of the sample as well as the low-temperature emission spectrum both provided confirmation of the reduction of samarium. The diffuse reflectance spectrum indicated a nearly complete reduction of the samarium ion, however, an immensely strong emission from residual trivalent samarium appeared to overwhelm the divalent samarium emission. Divalent samarium emission appears to be quenched at room temperature, but becomes apparent when cooled to 77K.
Emotional reactivity to grief-related expressive writing.

The efficacy of expressive writing for bereavement remains unclear, although some evidence suggests that writing about positive memories of one’s loved one may be particularly beneficial. The curre...
Soil C and N stocks of Alfisols under native tallgrass prairie in the mid-Southern, USA

Abstract The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of soil moisture regime (i.e., aquic and udic) and physiographic region (i.e., Ozark Highlands of northwest Arkansas and Grand Prairie region of east-central Arkansas) on the change in soil carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) storage and other soil properties over a 15-year period. Soil samples were collected from the top 10 cm in 2001/2002 and again in 2016/2017 and the change over time was directly quantified for numerous soil properties. Averaged across soil moisture regime, TC content and concentration, C:N ratio, and TC fraction of soil organic matter all increased (P
Social Networks in Policy Making

Recent advances in data collection, computing power, and theoretical modeling have stimulated a growing literature in economics and political science studying how social networks affect policy maki...
A new spatial modeling and interpolation approach for high-resolution temperature maps combining reanalysis data and ground measurements

Abstract Despite of their increasing importance as inputs to models for a wide range of scientific fields, high-resolution meteorological variables are not recorded very often on spatially regular grids. This problem is usually overcome by using data from reanalysis models, although they are less accurate. This paper discusses the development of a new spatial downscaling methodology to provide high-resolution maps of daily maximum and minimum air temperature. The application of this approach provides thorough observations in sparsely sampled areas by combining the accuracy of measurements from ground-based stations with the high availability and uniformity of model-based data. The dataset includes more than a decade (2003–2013) of data collected at 113 stations, about 30% of which constituted an independent set for the validation procedure. The efficacy of this approach is evaluated using statistical scores that are regularly employed in model evaluation studies and the improvements over the classical approach are remarkable. The results show that overall the our "hybrid" method provides fair estimates of temperature values. Particularly, MBE is less than 0.29 °C and 0.60 °C for the daily maximum and minimum air temperature respectively; RMSE is less than 1.24 °C for the maximum temperature and 1.86 °C for the minimum temperature, the analysis on MAE assures that there is not contribution of the errors in the spatial variability (MAE ≈ RMSE). The correlation coefficient, close to 1 (ρ ≈ 0.97), indicates a strong positive linear relationship.
Exchange-Rate-Based Stabilization; A Critical Look at the Stylized Facts

Do exchange-rate-based stabilizations generate distinctive economic dynamics? To address this question, this paper identifies stabilization episodes using criteria that differ from those in previous empirical studies of exchange-rate-based stabilizations. We find that, while some differences can be detected between exchange-rate-based stabilizations and stabilizations where the exchange rate is not the anchor, the behavior of important variables does not appear to differ—especially output growth, which is good in both cases. There is also no evidence that fiscal discipline is enhanced by adopting an exchange-rate anchor, or that there are any systematic differences in the success records of stabilizations that use the exchange rate as a nominal anchor and those that do not.
Local therapy for cancer therapy-associated uveitis: a case series and review of the literature

Background/aims Immunotherapy and targeted therapy for metastatic cancer may cause immune-related adverse events (irAEs) such as uveitis. If irAEs are severe or require systemic steroids, cancer therapy is often held or discontinued. Local steroid therapy for cancer therapy-associated uveitis allows the continuation of cancer therapy. This series demonstrates successful management of cancer therapy-associated uveitis with local therapy based on uveitis subtype. Methods This is an Institutional Review Board-approved retrospective case series of patients with uveitis secondary to immunotherapy or targeted therapy managed with local treatment, and focused literature review. Results Five patients (median age: 54, range 31 to 75) were included. Time to uveitis onset following cancer therapy initiation was 3 to 12 months. All patients received checkpoint inhibitor therapy; one patient additionally received targeted therapy. Two patients presented with anterior uveitis, two with panuveitis and one with posterior uveitis. Four of five patients demonstrated evidence of posterior segment inflammation on multimodal imaging. Anterior uveitis was successfully treated with topical prednisolone acetate 1% (PA 1%) alone, and posterior segment involvement recalcitrant to topical PA 1% was treated successfully with topical difluprednate, intravitreal triamcinolone acetonide or a combination. Patients with isolated anterior uveitis did not require maintenance topical therapy; those with posterior and panuveitis required chronic low-dose topical therapy. Conclusion Based on our series as well as the existing literature demonstrating the use of local therapy for irAEs, we propose an approach to local therapy for cancer therapy-associated uveitis starting with topical steroids and initiating injectable steroids in cases of recalcitrant panuveitis or posterior uveitis. Subclinical inflammation on posterior segment imaging responds robustly to difluprednate or intravitreal steroid therapy, and patients with posterior segment involvement may require more aggressive management and long-term maintenance.
Improving Vitamin D Supplementation Rates in the Neonate

Background and Objective: In 2008 the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommended that formula fed infants who are consuming less than 34 ounces of formula per day and all breastfed infants receive 400 International Units of vitamin D (vit D) supplementation daily. Compliance with this guideline is historically low. At Tripler Army Medical Center (TAMC), vit D supplementation is prescribed by primary care pediatricians in …
A canonical form for pairs consisting of a Hermitian form and a self-adjoint antilinear operator

Abstract Motivated by a problem in local differential geometry of Cauchy–Riemann (CR) structures of hypersurface type, we find a canonical form for pairs consisting of a nondegenerate Hermitian form and a self-adjoint antilinear operator, or, equivalently, consisting of a nondegenerate Hermitian form and a symmetric bilinear form. This generalizes the only previously known results on simultaneous normalization of such pairs, namely, the results of [2] on simultaneous diagonalization of these pairs in the case where the Hermitian form is positive definite and of [11] , where a criterion for simultaneous diagonalization is given.
Depth-Extended High-Resolution Microscopy with Double-Ring Phase Modulation

We report a depth-extended, high-resolution fluorescence microscopy with double-ring modulated Bessel beams. A 4-to-5-fold improved depth-of-focus and an axially-uniform PSF has been achieved for diffraction-limited, depth-extended cell imaging.
No Strings Attached: Faith Divested of Reciprocity.

A mature faith, as exemplified by David, confirmed by Jesus, and explained by Gerkin, is one that is not contingent on a preferred outcome: there is no positive or negative reciprocal altruism with...
FFT-based solver for higher-order and multi-phase-field fracture models applied to strongly anisotropic brittle materials

Abstract This paper presents the application of a fast Fourier transform (FFT) based method to solve two phase field models designed to simulate crack growth of strongly anisotropic materials in the brittle regime. By leveraging the ability of the FFT-based solver to generate solutions with higher-order and global continuities, we design two simple algorithms to capture the complex fracture patterns (e.g. sawtooth, and curved crack growth) common in materials with strongly anisotropic surface energy via the multi-phase-field and high-order phase-field frameworks. A staggered operator-split solver is used where both the balance of linear momentum and the phase field governing equations are formulated in the periodic domain. The unit phase field of the initial failure region is prescribed by the penalty method to alleviate the sharp material contrast between the initial failure region and the base material. The discrete frequency vectors are generalized to estimate the second and fourth order gradients such that the Gibbs effect near shape interfaces or jump conditions can be suppressed. Furthermore, a preconditioner is adopted to improve the convergence rate of the iterative linear solver. Three numerical experiments are used to systematically compare the performance of the FFT-based method in the multi-phase-field and high-order phase-field frameworks.
Abstract P452: Urinary Metal Levels After Repeated Chelation With Edetate Disodium: Additional Evidence in Support of Metals as Cardiovascular Risk Factors

Background: Epidemiologic evidence supports lead and cadmium as CVD risk factors. In the Trial to Assess Chelation Therapy (TACT), edetate disodium infusions lowered CVD risk in patients with a pri...
Original contributionAwareness of genetic testing for colorectal cancer predisposition among specialists in gastroenterology

OBJECTIVES: Adult gastroenterologists practicing in New York State were surveyed to determine their practice with regard to identifying family histories consistent with inherited forms of colorectal cancer, and to assess their awareness of cancer genetic counseling and molecular genetic testing for familial adenomatous polyposis (FAP) and hereditary nonpolyposis colorectal cancer (HNPCC). METHODS: A closed-ended questionnaire was mailed to 815 gastroenterologists identified through the membership Directory of the American Gastroenterological Association (1998). Two mailings resulted in a response rate of 35%. RESULTS: In all, 99% of the gastroenterologists obtained a family history from their patients, and 95% were aware of cancer genetic counseling. However, only 51% would routinely refer patients for genetic counseling before providing cancer predisposition testing. In addition, only 52% were aware of the availability of genetic tests for FAP and 34% for HNPCC. Presented with a family history consistent with HNPCC, 79% could identify the syndrome, 26% recommended genetic counseling for the consultand, and 16% advised appropriate screening, according to current recommendations. CONCLUSIONS: The majority of gastroenterologists do obtain a family history on their patients. However, there is a need for physician education regarding the recognition of pedigrees consistent with inherited colorectal cancer, the genetic counseling process, and the availability of mutation testing for FAP and HNPCC.
Breast Reconstruction Disparities in the United States and Internationally

Women electing to undergo breast reconstruction following mastectomy have increased in frequency. Classically studied healthcare disparities have an influence on whether women undergo reconstruction. This review evaluates these domains, globally, while exploring why they exist. In the USA, women who are young, white, with higher income and education level, private insurance, and those treated at private or academic hospitals are most likely to undergo reconstruction. Women of a minority race or ethnicity, lower socioeconomic group, early education status, and with public or no insurance remain less likely to undergo reconstruction. Breast reconstruction is not commonly available to women in low- and middle-income countries. Disparities in breast reconstruction persist though significant strides have been made in many high-income nations. Internationally, concerted efforts are needed that focus on health literacy education, access to surgical consultations, and an inclusion of breast reconstruction in the breast cancer treatment process.
Integration of solar thermal energy to improve NGCC with CO2 capture plant performance

Abstract A large percentage of CO2 emissions are due to the combustion of fossil fuels for electricity generation. While a transition away from coal towards natural gas will reduce CO2 emissions, an even greater reduction in CO2 emissions can be achieved by retrofitting natural gas combined cycle (NGCC) plants with post-combustion CO2 capture (PCC) systems. A typical NGCC plant equipped with PCC was modeled in Aspen Plus and validated against similar models generated by the National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL), and then adjusted to match the conditions of a plant located at Poza Rica, Mexico. After validation of the NGCC plant model with PCC, heat integration options were considered where heat from the flue gas cooler, CO2 dryer, and CO2 compressor intercoolers was used for heating of feedwater or low pressure (LP) steam in the steam cycle. The model was further modified to include solar-assisted carbon capture (SACC), to offset the detrimental impact of the PCC system on plant operations. The use of parabolic trough solar thermal collectors for heating of the stripper reboiler in the PCC system was considered in the Aspen Plus modeling. It was found that by using solar thermal energy for PCC reboiler heating, the LP steam extraction used to supply heat to the carbon capture reboiler element could be reduced in flow rate or eliminated depending on the quantity of solar thermal energy available. Modeling showed that if 100 % of the reboiler duty could be supplied via solar thermal energy, net plant power would increase significantly relative to the case without solar thermal collectors. The availability of the solar resource was also predicted for the target location in Mexico using the System Advisor Model (SAM) developed by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL). By coupling the modeling results from SAM with those produced by Aspen Plus, annual plant energy production for an NGCC plant with PCC and using solar thermal energy for reboiler heating was found. A final case was modeled in both Aspen and SAM, where solar thermal energy was used for LP steam heating. While this case has marginally better performance than the case where solar thermal heat was applied to the reboiler, the added complexity of this system outweighs the slight increase in net annual power generation. This modeling effort demonstrated that solar thermal heating of the stripper reboiler in an NGCC plant with PCC could meaningfully offset the detrimental impact of carbon capture on plant efficiency and power generation loss, offering an attractive renewable energy option to NGCC carbon mitigation.
Phenotyping the Association between Nocturia and Hypertension: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Purpose:The association between nocturia and hypertension has been widely reported yet remains poorly characterized, precluding a more refined understanding of blood pressure as it relates to the c...
Dentate Gyrus Proliferative Responses After Traumatic Brain Injury and Binge Alcohol in Adult Rats

Background:Traumatic brain injury is a significant public health issue that results in serious disability in survivors. Traumatic brain injury patients are often intoxicated with alcohol when admit...
Immunoembolization of Liver Metastases from Uveal Melanoma

The authors review the use of immunoembolization as a liver-directed treatment for uveal melanoma metastatic to the liver.
Algorithmic Collusion and Algorithmic Compliance: Risks and Opportunities

Algorithms are becoming ubiquitous in our society. They are powerful and, in some cases, indispensable tools in today’s economy. In terms of the technology, we do not yet have AI sophisticated enough to, with a reasonable degree of certainty, reach autonomous tacit collusion in most real markets. This does not mean that we should ignore the potential risks. In fact, in their effort to design AIs that can learn to cooperate with each other and with humans for social good, AI researchers have shown that autonomous algorithmic coordination is possible. But there are also several positive takeaways from this research. For example, given the technical challenges, I argue that just like emails leave a trail of evidence when a cartel uses them to coordinate, a similar trail of evidence is likely present when collusive algorithms are being designed. The literature also gives us a good deal of insights about the types of design features and capabilities that could lead to algorithmic collusion. I highlighted the role of algorithmic communication as a leading example and argued that these known collusive features should raise red flags even if collusion is ultimately reached autonomously by algorithms.
The Measurement and Macro-Relevance of Corruption: A Big Data Approach

Corruption is macro-relevant for many countries, but is often hidden, making measurement of it-and its effects-inherently difficult. Existing indicators suffer from several weaknesses, including a lack of time variation due to the sticky nature of perception-based measures, reliance on a limited pool of experts, and an inability to distinguish between corruption and institutional capacity gaps. This paper attempts to address these limitations by leveraging news media coverage of corruption. We contribute to the literature by constructing the first big data, cross-country news flow indices of corruption (NIC) and anti-corruption (anti-NIC) by running country-specific search algorithms over more than 665 million international news articles. These indices correlate well with existing measures of corruption but offer additional richness in their time-series variation. Drawing on theory from the corporate finance and behavioral economics literature, we also test to what extent news about corruption and anti-corruption efforts affects economic agents' assessments of corruption and, in turn, economic outcomes. We find that NIC shocks appear to negatively impact both financial (e.g., stock market returns and yield spreads) and real variables (e.g., growth), albeit with some country heterogeneity. On average, NIC shocks lower real per capita GDP growth by 3 percentage points over a two-year period, illustrating persistence in the effect of such shocks. Conversely, there is suggestive evidence that anti-NIC efforts appear to have a sustained positive macro impact only when paired with meaningful institutional strengthening, proxied by capacity development efforts.
The limited role of hippocampal declarative memory in transient semantic activation during online language processing.

Recent findings point to a role for hippocampus in the moment-by-moment processing of language, including the use and generation of semantic features in certain contexts. What role the hippocampus might play in the processing of semantic relations in spoken language comprehension, however, is unknown. Here we test patients with bilateral hippocampal damage and dense amnesia in order to examine the necessity of hippocampus for lexico-semantic mapping processes in spoken language understanding. In two visual-world eye-tracking experiments, we monitor eye movements to images that are semantically related to spoken words and sentences. We find no impairment in amnesia, relative to matched healthy comparison participants. These findings suggest, at least for close semantic links and simple language comprehension tasks, a lack of necessity for hippocampus in lexico-semantic mapping between spoken words and simple pictures.
The Costs of Secrecy: Economic Arguments for Transparency in Public Procurement

This report examines data from three selected procurement systems to demonstrate the practical benefits of openness in public contracting, and specifically to demonstrate that the adoption of open contracting leads to more competitive procurement processes, and ultimately to cost-savings and gains in efficiency.
Pulmonary Rehabilitation and Readmission Rates for Medicare Beneficiaries with Acute Exacerbation of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease.

Rationale Clinical trials outside of the United States have assessed whether pulmonary rehabilitation (PR) decreases readmission rates for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). We investigated if PR was associated with lower readmission risk for Medicare patients hospitalized for COPD. Methods We identified adults enrolled in Medicare hospitalized for COPD exacerbation from a random sample of 5 million Medicare beneficiaries (2010-2012). Patients received PR if they attended ≥1 outpatient session. A cohort was identified to study non-elective, 30-day all-cause readmissions; a subcohort was identified to study 1-year all-cause readmissions. We used stabilized inverse probability weights to balance groups by patient demographics, comorbidities, frailty, smoking status, and long-term oxygen use. We performed cause-specific regression with death as a competing risk. Results Of 1,839,827 hospitalizations from 2011-2012, we identified 78,074 for COPD. The 30-day cohort contained 7825 COPD index hospitalizations, of which 235 (3%) received PR; the1-year cohort contained 3401, of which 108 (3%) received PR. The median number of PR sessions was 3 (interquartile range 1-11) for both cohorts. The hazard ratio for 30-day readmission was 0.47 (95% confidence interval [CI] 0.33-0.68, P<0.0001). The hazard ratio for 1-year readmission was 1.45 (95% CI 1.19-1.76, P<0.001). Conclusions This is one of the first studies of PR and readmissions in Medicare patients. We found that PR was associated with a lower risk of 30-day all-cause readmissions but a higher risk of 1-year all-cause readmission.