cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Challenges of Explicating Assumptions

The process of explicating assumptions requires an analytical stance that is different from the empathetic, responsive, and intuitive stance of many stakeholders (Weiss New Approaches to Evaluating Community Initiatives, Theory, Measurement and Analysis, vol 2, pp. 65–92, 1995). Because developing and questioning the underlying assumptions of a program’s theory can be threatening to participants, it is important that the process be done in a sensitive and collaborative way, so that it strengthens the program without dampening enthusiasm or weakening stakeholder commitment. Explicating implicit assumptions is something stakeholders may be uncomfortable with for different reasons. Some of these are outlined below.
Advancing Care Together by Integrating Primary Care and Behavioral Health.

Separating the care of people with emotional and behavioral problems into physical and mental compartments and organizing 2 systems of care to meet their needs has been known to be a mistake for decades.[1][1][⇓][2]–[3][3] Progress on actually changing clinical practice to integrate care has
Anatomy of β-strands at protein-protein interfaces.

The development of inhibitors for protein–protein interactions frequently involves the mimicry of secondary structure motifs. While helical protein–protein interactions have been heavily targeted, a similar level of success for the inhibition of β-strand and β-sheet rich interfaces has been elusive. We describe an assessment of the full range of β-strand interfaces whose high-resolution structures are available in the Protein Data Bank. This analysis identifies complexes where a β-stand or β-sheet contributes significantly to binding. The results highlight the molecular recognition complexity in strand-mediated interactions relative to helical interfaces and offer guidelines for the construction of β-strand and β-sheet mimics as ligands for protein receptors. The online data set will potentially serve as an entry-point to new classes of protein–protein interaction inhibitors.
An Electrochemical Quartz Crystal Microbalance Study of a Prospective Alkaline Anion Exchange Membrane Material for Fuel Cells: Anion Exchange Dynamics and Membrane Swelling

A strategy has been devised to study the incorporation and exchange of anions in a candidate alkaline anion exchange membrane (AAEM) material for alkaline fuel cells using the electrochemical quartz crystal microbalance (EQCM) technique. It involves the electro-oxidation of methanol (CH3OH) under alkaline conditions to generate carbonate (CO3(2-)) and formate (HCOO(-)) ions at the electrode of a quartz crystal resonator coated with an AAEM film, while simultaneously monitoring changes in the frequency (Δf) and the motional resistance (ΔR(m)) of the resonator. A decrease in Δf, indicating an apparent mass increase in the film, and a decrease in ΔR(m), signifying a deswelling of the film, were observed during methanol oxidation. A series of additional QCM experiments, in which the effects of CH3OH, CO3(2-), and HCOO(-) were individually examined by changing the solution concentration of these species, confirmed the changes to be due to the incorporation of electrogenerated CO3(2-)/HCOO(-) into the film. Furthermore, the AAEM films were found to have finite anion uptake, validating the expected tolerance of the material to salt precipitation in the AAEM. The EQCM results obtained indicated that HCOO(-) and CO3(2-), in particular, interact strongly with the AAEM film and readily displace OH(-) from the film. Notwithstanding, the anion exchange between CO3(2-)/HCOO(-) and OH(-) was found to be reversible. It is also inferred that the film exhibits increased swelling in the OH(-) form versus the CO3(2-)/HCOO(-) form. Acoustic impedance analysis of the AAEM-film coated quartz resonators immersed in water showed that the hydrated AAEM material exhibits significant viscoelastic effects due to solvent plasticization.
Determination of arsenic in dietary supplements for infants by microwave digestion-hydride generation atomic fluorescence

Objective:To detect total arsenic in infant food by microwave digestion-hydride generation atomic fluorescence method.Methods:Nitrate was used as the digestive system after microwave digestion,atomic fluorescence method.Results:The linear range was 0~10.00 ng/ml the detection limit 0.00080 mg/kg,recoveries 85.7%~112%,RSD less than 8.7%.Conclusion:The method is simple,fast,energy-saving,accurate and reliable.It is suitable for dietary supplements for infants and young children in the determination of total arsenic.
Pretransplant Locoregional Therapy for Hepatocellular Carcinoma: Evaluation of Explant Pathology and Overall Survival

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Liver transplant is an important treatment option for patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) within Milan Criteria. We sought to determine the rate of complete tumor necrosis after bridging therapy. METHODS: The medical records of all 178 patients undergoing liver transplantation between 1/1/2008 and 7/31/2015 were reviewed. Response to therapy by imaging was based on mRECIST criteria (Lencioni & Llovet, 2010). RESULTS: Sixty-three (35%) patients had HCC. Forty-three (68%) were treated with at least one bridging therapy and 14 (22%) were diagnosed incidentally. Eighteen (42%) underwent TACE and 25 (58%) underwent ablation. Twenty (80%) patients who underwent ablation and 9 (60%) who underwent TACE had complete response based on imaging. Viable tumor was identified in explant pathology in 32 patients (74%). The presence or absence of viable tumor was not associated with overall survival. CONCLUSION: Rates of viable tumor based on pathologic analysis in the hepatic explant were high after bridging therapy, but not associated with worse outcome. We conclude that serial bridging to achieve complete pathologic tumor response is not needed prior to transplant for HCC and presence of complete response by imaging is adequate. Further studies are needed to determine if cancer cells that appear viable are alive.
Shopping for People, or Shopping for People?: Deciphering the Object of Consumption Among Tourists in Banaras

Jorgen was a 31-year-old Dutch tourist who was visiting the city of Banaras, India. On the afternoon of his arrival, as he sat along the city’s scenic riverfront sipping tea, he was approached by a twelve-year-old boy named Mohan who began asking him questions about where he was from, what he did for a living, and how he was enjoying his travels in India. After an hour or so of conversation, Mohan offered to guide Jorgen around the city. Jorgen agreed and the next morning they set out on their first excursion. For the next eight days of Jorgen’s stay, Mohan accompanied him virtually everywhere, and he even invited Jorgen home to meet his family. In describing the relationship that was developing between them, Jorgen commented: ‘I know that he’s selling me something but it doesn’t feel like he is. There is something extra. I am very lucky that I met him.’
Sterically directed nitronate complexes of 2,6-di-tert-butyl-4-nitrophenoxide with Cu(II) and Zn(II) and their H-atom transfer reactivity

The bulky 2,6-di-tert-butyl-4-nitrophenolate ligand forms complexes with [TptBuCuII]+ and [TptBuZnII]+ binding via the nitro group in an unusual nitronato-quinone resonance form (TptBu = hydro-tris(3-tert-butyl-pyrazol-1-yl)borate). The Cu complex in the solid state has a five-coordinate κ2-nitronate structure, while the Zn analogue has a four-coordinate κ1-nitronate ligand. 4-Nitrophenol, without the 2,6-di-tert-butyl substituents, instead binds to [TptBuCuII]+ through the phenolate oxygen. This difference in binding is very likely due to the steric difficulty in binding a 2,6-di-tert-butyl-phenolate ligand to the [TptBuMII]+ unit. TptBuCuII(κ2-O2NtBu2C6H2O) reacts with the hydroxylamine TEMPO-H (2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidin-1-ol) by abstracting a hydrogen atom. This system thus shows an unusual sterically enforced transition metal-ligand binding motif and a copper-phenolate interaction that differs from what is typically observed in biological and chemical catalysis.
Drying models to estimate moisture change in switchgrass and corn stover based on weather conditions and swath density

Abstract An environmental chamber was built to evaluate the effect of weather parameters and swath density that affect the drying rate of crops during field drying. A series of 52 drying experiments was conducted on corn stover (CS) of which 27 were used for model development and 25 were used for model validation. Similarly, 80 experiments were performed on switchgrass of which 72 were used for model development and eight were used for model validation. Regression models were developed for switchgrass and CS that predicted the drying rate based on environmental conditions and swath density. During the day, radiation was found to be the most significant variable that affected the drying rate of switchgrass with a correlation coefficient (r) of 0.5 and 0.49 during different maturity stages. During the night, VPD was the most significant variable that affected the drying rate with r of 0.69 for corn stover (CS) and 0.83–0.85 for switchgrass. The effect of wind speed was variable and was found to be dependent on solar radiation. During the day time, an increase in wind speed removed the heat produced by radiation and thus decreased the drying rate. However, at night, the wind speed was positively correlated with drying rate. Swath density was negatively correlated (r = −0.38) with the drying rate of switchgrass which suggested that biomass should be dried in wide swaths if possible. The model should be a useful tool for planning field logistics and transportation operations for biomass supply.
Assessing Mathematical Thinking and Learning Potential in Primary Grade Children

In this paper we make three arguments concerning assessment in mathematics education: Teachers need to assess students’ thinking and learning potential, not just the rote memorization of number facts or ability to use calculational procedures in a mechanical fashion. Researchers have already developed assessment methods of this type and they can be adapted for classroom use. The resulting assessment of students’ thinking transforms classroom practice, leading to the “thinking curriculum”. Although our work has focused on the primary grades, we believe that our arguments are relevant for children at all levels of schooling.
Complications and Postoperative Care

TORS has been described for the treatment of benign and malignant neoplasms of the upper aerodigestive tract. Interest in TORS has increased because of its minimally invasive nature when compared to traditional open approaches that require mandibulotomy for access to the oropharynx.However, there is a risk of serious complications following TORS, including life-threatening bleeding, and the learning curve for TORS is steep. This chapter will focus on common complictions following TORS and techniques to minimize these risks.
Clinical evaluation of a novel transmission detector for 3D quality assurance of IMRT and SBRT

This work aims at clinically evaluating the performance of a novel transmission detector (TD). The evaluation was done using a comprehensive, structure-specific, patient pre-treatment 3D QA protocol. A total of 19 IMRT and SBRT patient treatment deliveries were measured twice on an Elekta Agility linear accelerator, once with the TD and once with the MatriXX detector for comparison. According to the QA protocol statistical parameters, the results showed good agreement between any pair of the following three doses, treatment planning system computed dose, TD measurement reconstructed dose and MatriXX detector measurement reconstructed dose.
Comprehensive Prevention with HIV Positive Gay Men

HIV positive gay men have always been powerful advocates for HIV prevention and care. Renewed efforts to strengthen prevention with this group may benefit from the touchstone concepts of combination prevention and sexual health promotion. These concepts suggest that comprehensive HIV prevention should holistically promote the physical and mental health of HIV positive gay men, and must additionally extend to wider relationship, community, and policy contexts. We therefore chart a multicomponent prevention strategy with HIV positive gay men across four domains: improving HIV diagnosis and care continuum participation; enhancing risk reduction through counseling and treatment of comorbidities; engaging partner-related strategies; and mobilizing communities and structural interventions. Like a table with four legs, efforts to address prevention with HIV positive gay men will be unsteady without one or more of these components. Substantial gaps in the research evidence base for such an approach remain, and must be addressed.
Dynamic biological systems characterization using non-stationary stochastic optical probe

Enhanced fluctuations of integrated scattered intensity in response to non-stationary random illumination are exploited to characterize the spatial and temporal properties of complex biological systems. To reduce radiant energy density applied to the sample, we demonstrated experimentally the effectiveness of a compressive sensing approach.
Levels of Nature and Stress Response.

A growing number of studies have shown that visiting green spaces and being exposed to natural environments can reduce psychological stress. A number of questions concerning the effects of natural environments on levels of stress remain including, “Are activities engaged in natural environments more or less beneficial at reducing stress when compared to those done in more urban settings?” This study examined this question from the perspective of “levels of nature”. That is, data on levels of stress were collected from three sites, one site having wilderness-like characteristics, a second site representing a municipal-type park, and a third site representing a built environment (indoor exercise facility) within a city. Data were generated using biophysical markers (cortisol and amylase) and a psychological measure within a pre- and post-visit format. Findings suggest that visiting natural environments can be beneficial in reducing both physical and psychological stress levels, with visitors to a natural environment reporting significantly lower levels of stress than their counterparts visiting a more urbanized outdoor setting or indoor exercise facility.
Stabilization of miscible viscous fingering by a step growth polymerization reaction

Fingering is a hydrodynamic instability that occurs when a more mobile fluid displaces a fluid of lower mobility. When the primary source of the mobility difference is viscosity, the instability is termed viscous fingering. Viscous fingering is often, though not always, undesirable in industrial processes, particularly secondary petroleum recovery. Linear stability analysis by Hejazi et al. has indicated that the production of a non-monotonic viscosity profile can stabilize the interface. Herein, we use step-growth polymerization at the interface between two miscible monomers as a model system. In particular, a dithiol monomer displaced a diacrylate that reacted to form a linear polymer that behaves as a Newtonian fluid. Viscous fingering was imaged in a horizontal Hele-Shaw cell via Schlieren, which is sensitive to changes in index of refraction, and therefore polymer conversion. By varying reaction rate via initiator concentration along with flow rate via a syringe pump, we were able to demonstrate increasing stabilization of the flow with increasing Damkohler number.
Scattered Data and Aggregated Inference

Scattered Data and Aggregated Inference (SDAI) represents a class of problems where data cannot be at a centralized location, while modeling and inference is pursued. Distributed statistical inference is a technique to tackle a type of the above problem, and has recently attracted enormous attention. Many existing work focus on the averaging estimator, e.g., Zhang et al. (2013) and many others. In this chapter, we propose a one-step approach to enhance a simple-averaging based distributed estimator. We derive the corresponding asymptotic properties of the newly proposed estimator. We find that the proposed one-step estimator enjoys the same asymptotic properties as the centralized estimator. The proposed one-step approach merely requires one additional round of communication in relative to the averaging estimator; so the extra communication burden is insignificant. In finite-sample cases, numerical examples show that the proposed estimator outperforms the simple averaging estimator with a large margin in terms of the mean squared errors. A potential application of the one-step approach is that one can use multiple machines to speed up large-scale statistical inference with little compromise in the quality of estimators. The proposed method becomes more valuable when data can only be available at distributed machines with limited communication bandwidth. We discuss other types of SDAI problems at the end.
The roles of African American fathers: An ecological perspective.

The author provides a theoretical perspective for understanding the roles African American fathers play in their families. Ecological theory considers the context in which African American fathers ...
DNA entombed in archival seashells reveals low historical mitochondrial genetic diversity of endangered white abalone Haliotis sorenseni

In this study we used decades-old shells of the endangered Northeast Pacific white abalone Haliotis sorenseni to produce high-quality DNA sequences for identification and historical diversity analysis. We obtained mitochondrial (mt) and nuclear DNA sequences (cytochrome c oxidase subunit I and histone H3 respectively) from shells with collection dates bracketing a period of population decline due to overexploitation, from throughout the species’ range. Illustrating the potential of shell DNA for forensic and conservation studies, we found two cases of misidentification among archival shell specimens. Diversity at the mitochondrial marker was lower in H. sorenseni throughout the 20th century than levels recently observed in two sympatric species that also suffered declines. The cause of comparatively low mtDNA diversity in white abalone is unclear; however, it cannot be exclusively linked to exploitation. DNA entombed in shells allowed us to directly establish historical genetic baselines for restoration of this endangered species. Vast repositories of shells exist in museum, aquaculture and private collections; the DNA contained within may be broadly investigated for studies of evolution, archaeology and conservation.
Intercrystal Scatter Studies for a Clinical PET System with 1mm 3 Resolution 3D Position Sensitive Scintillation Detectors

We are constructing the world’s first 1 mm3resolution clinical PET system dedicatedto locoregional imaging (e.g. breast, head/neck), which, when completed, will comprise two panels, each with sensitivearea of 16x10 cm2. The edge-on layout of densely-packed 8x8 arrays of 0.9x0.9x1 mm3 LYSO crystal elements [two arrays in depth coupled to two position sensitive avalanchephotodiodes (PSAPDs)] provides high sensitivity and the capability to position the individual 3-D coordinates of intercrystal scatter (ICS) interactions, which are events where the annihilation photon scatters from one scintillation crystalelement to another, depositing a portion of its energy in each. In this work, we evaluate the capability of our systemto detect ICS interaction pairs, which are defined as two ICS interactionsoriginating from the same annihilation photon, and measure the contributions from these ICS events to coincidence timing resolution (CTR) and effective photon sensitivity. A 100 uCi22Na line source was scanned for 20 minutes, and a 200 uCi18 F-FDG micro-hollow spheres phantom with an activity to background ratio of 5:1 was scanned for 120 minuteswith a global hardware energy threshold of 50 keV (over 1536 PSAPDs / 98,304 crystal elements). Prior to coincidence sorting, ICS interaction pairs can be seenin the energy histograms, while the measured time difference andmedian distance between ICS interactions over asubsetof 672k events are 58.2 ns and 9.0 mm, respectively. Coincidence sorting was then performed with a timing window of +/- 100 ns, first limited only to photoelectric (PE) events (one interaction inone crystal element in one LYSO array that falls in the energy window), and then expanded to include ICS interaction pairs. The measured CTR for PE-PE/PE-ICS/ICS-ICS coincident events are 15.2 / 23.3/ 32.0 ns FWHM, respectively. By expanding coincidence sorting to include ICS events, the number of coincidence LORsincreased from 19.2M to 30.1M, corresponding to a 56%increase in effective photon sensitivity.
(244) Development of Cephalic and Extra-Cephalic Tactile Allodynia in Two Models of Post-Traumatic Headache in Mice

Post-traumatic headache (PTH) after traumatic brain injury (TBI) is debilitating and hard to diagnose. Unfortunately, PTH is highly prevalent in active duty personnel, Veterans, as well as in sport athletes. The high incidence and chronic nature of PTH underscores the need to study these problems in animal models in order to develop new and effective treatments. The foundation of our study is the fact that PTH has many symptoms of chronic migraine. We proposed to evaluate photosensitivity and tactile hypersensitivity in two mouse models of mild TBI: the blast-induced TBI model and the closed-head injury (mCHI) model induced by weight drop. Here we show that neither model is able to induce photophobia as assessed by the light-aversion assay. However, in both models, injured mice develop tactile hypersensitivity. The blast-injured animals develop both cephalic and extra-cephalic allodynia starting 1 week after the injury and persisting for at least 9 weeks. In the mCHI model, injured mice only develop cephalic hypersensitivity between day 1 and day 5 after the injury. Preliminary data show that treatments with the neuroprotective compound P7C3 was not sufficient to reverse this tactile allodynia, although other tests are on-going. In sum, we report here for the first time the development of a chronic pain phenotype following TBI in mice. Other phenotypes need to be explored to finish characterizing those models. Support: Dept. Defense W81XWH-16-1-0071, W81XWH-16-1-0211; VA-ORD (RR&D) 1IO1RX002101 and C6810-C.
Reducing Hospital-acquired Catheter-associated Urinary Tract Infections and Clostridium difficile Infection Rates through a Multi-disciplinary Approach

BACKGROUND Outcome data in 2017 from a 400-bed hospital in Michigan demonstrated an opportunity for improvement in the reduction of hospital-acquired catheter-associated urinary tract infections (CAUTIs) and Clostridium difficile infections (CDIs). Inappropriate urine cultures and C. difficile toxin tests were being collected, leading to an increased risk of over diagnosis involving cases of colonization as opposed to true hospital-acquired infection. Our aim was to develop a multi-disciplinary process that would lead to sustainable practice in reducing hospital-acquired CAUTIs and CDIs. METHODS Best practices were reviewed to design a daily culture monitoring process that met the needs for the hospital. Based on that process, all urine cultures and C. difficile toxin tests were reviewed by Infection Prevention, nursing leadership, and the Infection Prevention Medical Director. If the culture was not clinically indicated, the order would be cancelled. A CDI policy was created and implemented for early identification, testing, and appropriate isolation of cases. All indwelling urinary catheters were monitored daily to assess the appropriateness in order to potentially reduce the length of device utilization. Emphasis on the hospital's antimicrobial stewardship program was increased to monitor the appropriateness of antibiotic use. RESULTS Between the first three quarters of 2017 and 2018, the CAUTI rate reduction was 52% (7 cases and 3 cases, respectively) and CDI rate reduction was 64% (29 cases and 11 cases, respectively). The average Standardized Interval Ratio (SIR) for the first three quarters of 2017 and 2018 for CAUTI was 0.763 and 0.374, respectively and for CDI was 0.786 and 0.315, respectively. CONCLUSIONS Based on the results, monitoring urine cultures and C. difficile toxin test appropriateness is an achievable and sustainable practice to reducing hospital-acquired CAUTIs and CDIs. Daily multi-disciplinary collaboration is essential to the sustainability of reducing these infections.
Identification and assessment of two major QTLs for dwarf bunt resistance in winter wheat line ‘IDO835’

Two major dwarf bunt resistance QTLs were mapped to a known Bt9 locus and a novel locus. The associated KASP markers were developed and validated in other two populations. Dwarf bunt (DB), caused by Tilletia controversa J.G. Kuhn, and common bunt (CB), caused by T. caries and T. foetida, are two destructive diseases that reduce grain yield and quality in wheat. Breeding for bunt-resistant cultivars is important in many wheat production areas, especially where organic wheat is grown. However, few molecular markers have been used in selection of bunt resistance. In the present study, a doubled haploid (DH) population derived from the bunt-resistant line ‘IDO835’ and the susceptible cultivar ‘Moreland’ was evaluated for DB resistance in a field nursery in Logan, Utah, for four growing seasons. The population was genotyped with the Illumina 90 K SNP iSelect marker platform. Two major QTLs were consistently identified on chromosomes 6DL (Q.DB.ui-6DL) and 7AL (Q.DB.ui-7AL), explaining up to 53% and 38% of the phenotypic variation, respectively. Comparative study suggested that Q.DB.ui-6DL was located in the same region as the CB resistance gene Bt9, and Q.DB.ui-7AL was located at a novel locus for bunt resistance. Based on Chinese Spring reference sequence and annotations (IWGSC RefSeq v1.1), both resistance QTLs were mapped to disease resistance gene-rich (NBS-LRR and kinase genes) regions. To validate the identified QTL and design user-friendly markers for MAS, five SNPs were converted to Kompetitive Allele-Specific PCR (KASP) markers and used to genotype two validation panels, including a DH population and a diverse winter wheat population from USDA-ARS National Small Grain Collection, as well as a Bt gene investigation panel, consisting of 15 bunt differential lines and 11 resistant lines.
Direct laser shock surface patterning of an AZ31B magnesium alloy: Microstructure evolution and friction performance

Abstract Tribological performance remains as a challenge for industrial applications of Magnesium (Mg) and its alloys. Surface patterning and/or strengthening techniques have been extensively used to tackle the tribological issues. In this study, a novel laser surface texturing process, named direct laser shock surface patterning (LSSP) was developed. This process utilizes laser shock loading instead of laser ablation to introduce surface patterning and strengthening effects simultaneously, leading to the fabrication of skew surfaces of patterned micro-protrusions with enhanced surface hardness towards tribological applications. LSSP experiments were carried out on an AZ31B Mg alloy. The laser-processed surface morphology and microstructure evolution were characterized. Dry scratch tests were performed on laser-patterned surface with a focus on friction performance. The plastic anisotropy of Mg alloys subjected to LSSP was investigated. The effects of surface strengthening and patterning on reduction of coefficient of friction (COF) were discussed.
Elliptical modeling and pattern analysis for perturbation models and classification

The characteristics of a feature vector in the transform domain of a perturbation model differ significantly from those of its corresponding feature vector in the input domain. These differences—caused by the perturbation techniques used for the transformation of feature patterns—degrade the performance of machine learning techniques in the transform domain. In this paper, we proposed a semi-parametric perturbation model that transforms the input feature patterns to a set of elliptical patterns and studied the performance degradation issues associated with random forest classification technique using both the input and transform domain features. Compared with the linear transformation such as principal component analysis (PCA), the proposed method requires less statistical assumptions and is highly suitable for the applications such as data privacy and security due to the difficulty of inverting the elliptical patterns from the transform domain to the input domain. In addition, we adopted a flexible block-wise dimensionality reduction step in the proposed method to accommodate the possible high-dimensional data in modern applications. We evaluated the empirical performance of the proposed method on a network intrusion data set and a biological data set, and compared the results with PCA in terms of classification performance and data privacy protection (measured by the blind source separation attack and signal interference ratio). Both results confirmed the superior performance of the proposed elliptical transformation.
Senning Procedure for Physiological Atrial Inversion With Left Atrial Isomerism.

Abstract We present the case of an infant with left atrial isomerism with complex pulmonary and systemic venous connections that resulted in physiological parallel circulation in the setting of ventriculoarterial concordance who was surgically treated using the Senning procedure. This case highlights a rare cause for cyanosis due to poor mixing from a parallel circulation and an issue with nomenclature. (Level of Difficulty: Advanced.)
Bifurcation Analysis and Experimentation of Peak Current-controlled Boost Converter

Switched-mode power converters are being widely used in power conversion systems. Due to the presence of highly nonlinear dynamics, a rich group of bifurcation and chaotic behaviors have been found in this family of converters. In most cases, these abnormal system behaviors can potentially cause instability issue for the converter operation. This paper presents the mathematical and experimental study of the period-doubling bifurcation in peak current-controlled boost converter. This study reveals the evolution of subharmonic orbits within the converter system under variation of supply voltage. The discrete-time model of the converter and computation results of the eigenvalues for the corresponding periodic orbits are demonstrated and discussed. Moreover, a brief guideline for establishing the experimental settings is also covered. The prototype converter has been built and tested, and the obtained results confirm the validity of the theoretical analysis.
Diagnosis of Heart Failure with Reduced Ejection Fraction.

Can signs, symptoms, and simple tests be used to determine the likelihood of heart failure with reduced ejection fraction?
Becoming Backpack: Towards a Counter-Inscription of Young Adult Collegian Identity Work

This article invites readers to encounter the author’s early attempts at engaging creatively with data produced during a research project called Life Lines: The Art of Being Alive to Young Adulthood. Launched in January 2019, the Life Lines project was conceived as a critical participatory arts-engaged research endeavor aimed at opening up conventional theoretical wisdom about the nature of young adult college student identity formation. In addition to providing details of the inquiry project’s design and aims, a series of visual and poetic prose narratives open and become threaded throughout the article. These multimodal expressive forms function as a type of creative counter-inscription device, working both to complicate identity development models that limit subjectivity to human consciousness and agency, and to illustrate a more expansive, somatically attuned, and materially-entangled set of practices and productions of young adult identity work’s work and its study.
Estimating the probability density function of nonlinear stochastic processes by use of asymptotic expansions in the Kubo number

In this article, a method to find evolution equations for the probability density function (pdf) of a stochastic process governed by a nonlinear stochastic ordinary differential equation is presented. According to Van Kampen's lemma, the pdf of a stochastic process is equal to the ensemble average of the phase-space density. The conservation of the phase-space density is dictated by a stochastic Liouville equation, which is a linear stochastic partial differential equation. Thus, finding the governing equation for the evolution of the pdf of the nonlinear stochastic process amounts to finding the ensemble average form of a linear stochastic partial differential equation. In this article, the cumulant expansion approach is used and combined with an asymptotic expansion of the phase-space density in the Kubo number in order to develop recursive linear deterministic partial differential equations for the pdf of the stochastic process. Finally, as an illustration, the method is applied to a weakly diffusive nonlinear wave problem. Although this problem is initially described by a nonlinear stochastic partial differential equation, it can be recast into a nonlinear stochastic ordinary differential equation using the method of characteristics.
Increasing Yttrium-90 Dose Conformality Using Proximal Radioembolization Enabled by Distal Angiosomal Truncation for the Treatment of Hepatic Malignancy.

Abstract Purpose To evaluate safety and feasibility of improving radiation dose conformality via proximal radioembolization enabled by distal angiosomal truncation where selective administration was not practical. Materials and Methods Hepatic malignancies treated via angiosomal truncation between January 2017 and March 2019 were retrospectively evaluated. Thirty-three patients (8 women, 25 men; mean age, 62.2 y; range, 36–78 y) underwent 39 treatments. Of treatments, 74.3% (n = 29) were for hepatocellular carcinomas, 10.2% (n = 4) were for cholangiocarcinomas, and 15.4% (n = 6) were for metastatic tumors (1 colorectal adenocarcinoma, 1 pancreatic adenocarcinoma, 3 melanomas, and 1 endometroid carcinoma). Truncation was achieved using temporary embolic devices including a microvascular plug, detachable coil, gelatin slurry, and balloon microcatheter, after which proximal radioembolization was performed. Range of treatment activity was 0.47–5.75 GBq. Technetium-99m macroaggregated albumin and bremsstrahlung single photon emission computed tomography (CT)/CT threshold analysis was conducted to delineate and compare distribution of activity within the treatment angiosome before and after radioembolization. Results Dosimetric analysis of 14 patients demonstrated a significant reduction in nontarget liver radiation exposure at 5, 20, and 40% thresholds (P = .002, P = .001, and P = .008, respectively). There were no grade 3 or higher adverse events. There was no significant change in Albumin-Bilirubin grade and Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group Performance Status (P = .09 and P = .74) before and 3 months after the procedure. Truncated arteries were patent on subsequent angiography in 11 cases and on MR angiography or CT angiography in 38 of 39 cases. Conclusions Proximal radioembolization enabled by distal angiosomal truncation is safe and decreases nontarget parenchymal radioembolization dose in cases not amenable to selective administration.
Analysis of surgicaltreatment for congenital blepharophimosis syndrome

：Objective To investigatethe outcome of the surgical treatment for congenital blepharophimosis syndrome. MethodsThis was a retrospective case study to analyze a treatment approach for congenitalblepharophimosis syndrome and its clinical efficacy. A bilateral correction of theepicanthus and blepharoptosis was performed simultaneously. Suitable methods were adoptedto correct the epicanthus: Y-V, Stallars "Z" , Speath and classic Mastands.Twenty-three patients (46 eyes) were involved in the study, ranging in age from 2 to 11years. All patients suffered from eye or systemic disease. There were cases of strabismus,refractive error, amblyopia, inherited and systemic disease. The study analyzedeffectiveness by comparing the preoperative and postoperative status of palpebral fissurelength, palpebral fissure width, inner canthic diameter and eyebrow-eyelid diameter usinga paired t-test. Patients were followed up for 1 to 24 months after the operation. ResultsThere was an obvious improvement in palpebral fissure length and palpebral fissure widthin all patients, and an obvious decrease in the inner canthic diameter and eyebrow-eyeliddiameter. Comparisons one month after the operation showed that palpebral fissure lengthchanged from (18.5±1.1)mm to (23.4±1.2)mm, palpebral fissure width changed from (2.1±1.2)mmto (6.7±0.9)mm, inner canthic diameter changed from (35.2±1.4)mm to (31.1±1.1)mm, andeyebrow-eyelid diameter changed from (13.6±1.3)mm to (9.8±1.2)mm. The differences werestatistically significant (P<0.05). There was only one case with complication ofexposure keratitis after the operation. Conclusion For congenital blepharophimosissyndrome with refractive errors and amblyopia, it is better to perform a bilateralcorrection of the epicanthus and blepharoptosis simultaneously, which is a more idealapproach than other treatments.
Membrane tension may define the deadliest virus infection

This manuscript describes the potentially significant role of interfacial tension in viral infection. Our hypothesis is based on evidence from drop coalescence hydrodynamics. A change in membrane tension can trigger fusion between the vesicle and cell such that genetic material, like viral RNA, can subsequently be transported to the cell interior. In other cases, RNA may reside near the cell membrane inside the cell, which could make their removal energetically unfavorable because of hydrodynamic interactions between membrane and RNA. Interfacial tension of the virus membrane can be modulated by temperature, among many other factors, of the mucosa layer. We discuss our hypothesis within the scope of recent SARS-CoV-2 studies where temperature-dependent membrane surface tension could be impacted through different atmospheric conditions, air conditioning systems, and the use of masks.
Barriers to Attendance of Prenatal and Well-Child Visits.

Abstract Objective Prenatal care (PNC) and well child visit (WCV) attendance are associated with improved health outcomes. We aimed to determine if the factors affecting maternal and child attendance are similar or different. Methods We conducted a retrospective case control study at Virginia Commonwealth University Health System. We used the Adequacy of Prenatal Care Utilization Index and the American Academy of Pediatrics recommendations to assess the adequacy of PNC and WCV attendance, respectively. Mothers with less than 50% visit adherence or initiation after 5 months gestation were eligible as cases and those with 80% or more adherence and initiation before 5 months were eligible as controls. Children in the lowest quintile of adherence were eligible as cases and those with 80% or more adherence were eligible as controls. Cases and controls were randomly selected at a 1:2 ratio from the eligible subjects and frequency matched on birth month. Results In adjusted analyses, mothers and children who were publicly insured or who were uninsured had higher odds of poor preventive visit attendance. Mothers who experienced intimate partner violence and had more living children were more likely to have poor attendance. Children whose mothers had younger age, greater number of pregnancies and transportation difficulties had poorer attendance. Conclusions While lack of insurance and public insurance remained significantly associated with both poor PNC and WCV attendance, other factors varied between groups. Expanding eligibility requirements and streamlining enrollment and renewal processes may improve two generations of preventive visit attendance.
Social Media, Employee Engagement, and Human Resource Management

Organizations that are actively pursuing social media opportunities to communicate, collaborate, and build relationships should consider reviewing how social media might best be leveraged by the or...
Sequential design and analysis in the randomized clinical trial: A historical perspective

Sequential analysis, as invented by Wald, was not targeted to clinical trials; in fact, the randomized clinical trial was being invented nearly simultaneously by Hill on the other side of the Atlan...
Long-Term Risk of Ischemic Stroke among Elderly Survivors of Non-Traumatic Subarachnoid Hemorrhage.

INTRODUCTION Non-traumatic subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) is associated with poor long-term functional outcomes, but the risk of ischemic stroke among SAH survivors is poorly understood. OBJECTIVES The aim of this study was to evaluate the risk of ischemic stroke among survivors of SAH. METHODS We performed a retrospective cohort study using claims data from Medicare beneficiaries from 2008 to 2015. The exposure was a diagnosis of SAH, while the outcome was an acute ischemic stroke, both identified using previously validated ICD-9-CM diagnosis codes. We used Cox regression analysis adjusting for demographics and stroke risk factors to evaluate the association between SAH and long-term risk of ischemic stroke. RESULTS Among 1.7 million Medicare beneficiaries, 912 were hospitalized with non-traumatic SAH. During a median follow-up of 5.2 years (IQR, 2.7-6.7), the cumulative incidence of ischemic stroke was 22 per 1,000 patients per year among patients with SAH, and 7 per 1,000 patients per year in those without SAH. In adjusted Cox models, SAH was associated with an increased risk of ischemic stroke (HR, 2.0; 95% confidence interval, 1.4-2.8) as compared to beneficiaries without SAH. Similar results were obtained in sensitivity analyses, when treating death as a competing risk (sub HR, 3.0; 95% CI, 2.8-3.3) and after excluding ischemic stroke within 30 days of SAH discharge (HR, 1.5; 95% CI, 1.1-2.3). CONCLUSIONS In a large, heterogeneous national cohort of elderly patients, survivors of SAH had double the long-term risk of ischemic stroke. SAH survivors should be closely monitored and risk stratified for ischemic stroke.
Has social psychology lost touch with reality? Exploring public perceptions of the realism and consequentiality of social psychological research

Abstract Do public perceptions of social psychological research align with this field's ostensible goal of describing and explaining real-world social behavior? There has been mounting concern about a disconnect between social psychological research and reality, which in turn raises concerns about social psychology's public image. But do non-experts agree with social psychologists that this field in its current state has little to say about real-world behavior? In a preregistered study (N = 335), we assessed perceptions of recent (2018–2019) social psychological research published in the field's “top” journals along three dimensions: perceived verisimilitude (i.e., whether study procedures are representative of everyday life), perceived veridicality (i.e., whether findings seem likely to generalize to real-world settings), and perceived consequentiality (i.e., whether research questions and findings are relevant to everyday life and important social issues). In contrast to social psychologists themselves, an online sample of non-experts expressed relatively favorable perceptions of social psychological research along all three dimensions. Additionally, perceptions of realism (i.e., verisimilitude and veridicality) and consequentiality were positively correlated at the article level and participants' attitudes toward psychology predicted these perceptions. Our findings suggest that despite widespread unease about social psychology's real-world relevance among social psychologists, members of the public do not appear to share this view, a finding that may help alleviate concerns about the field's ability to continue to attract funding, new talent, and interdisciplinary collaboration.
Eigenfunctionals of Homogeneous Order-Preserving Maps with Applications to Sexually Reproducing Populations

Homogeneous bounded maps B on cones $$X_+$$ of ordered normed vector spaces X allow the definition of a cone spectral radius which is analogous to the spectral radius of a bounded linear operator. If $$X_+$$ is complete and B is also order-preserving, conditions are derived for B to have a homogeneous order-preserving eigenfunctional $$\theta : X_+ \rightarrow { \mathbb {R}}_+$$ associated with the cone spectral radius in analogy to one part of the Krein–Rutman theorem. Since homogeneous B arise as first order approximations at 0 of maps that describe the year-to-year development of sexually reproducing populations, these eigenfunctionals are an important ingredient in the persistence theory of structured populations with mating.
Fundamentals of Electroencephalography — Kenneth A. Kooi. (Harper and Row, New York, 1971, 260 p., $12.95).

(1971). Fundamentals of Electroencephalography — Kenneth A. Kooi. (Harper and Row, New York, 1971, 260 p., $12.95). American Journal of EEG Technology: Vol. 11, Index Issue, pp. 167-169.
Effects of acid concentration, temperature, and time on recycling of post-vehicle-application lithium-ion batteries of varying chemistries

The purpose of this project was to develop and validate a common process for separating the active materials from the copper and aluminum foils of post-vehicle-application lithium-ion batteries. Batteries from two different manufacturers were disassembled, and anode and cathode samples were used for recycling testing. The materials tested from a third manufacturer were scraps of coated foils from the manufacturing process that had never been assembled into cells. The cathodes from each manufacturer were aluminum foils with coatings of differing chemistries. The anode foils from each manufacturer were copper with a carbon coating. The process developed used acid baths to separate the active materials from the foils. To allow for separation of the differing active materials (depending on supplier and battery chemistry) from the foils, the acids were selected to react with the aluminum and copper foils. The processes were stopped once sufficient reaction had occurred so that the coatings no longer adhered to the foils. The optimum recycling condition was identified as the lowest acid concentration, the lowest temperature, and the shortest time required for full separation of the coatings from the foils for all cell chemistries (manufacturers). Full separation of the graphite coating from the copper foils of the anodes was achieved within 35 s by using 0.5 mol/L of H2SO4 (sulfuric acid) at 40 °C. Full separation of the active materials from the aluminum foils of the cathodes was achieved within 83 s by using 2.0 mol/L of HNO3 (nitric acid) at 70 °C.
Radiotherapy for the Treatment of Locally Advanced Prostate Cancer

Radiation therapy (RT) is the primary modality of treatment for locally advanced prostate cancer, as well as patients with a high risk of disease recurrence, regardless of clinical stage. Advances in external beam radiation delivery have provided the ability to safely apply higher doses of radiation than previously possible, leading to improvements in biochemical control rates for certain subsets of patients. Brachytherapy using either high-dose rate or low-dose rate sources is an alternative means of performing dose escalation, most commonly used as a boost treatment in conjunction with external beam radiation. Androgen deprivation in conjunction with definitive radiation has been shown to improve both disease control and overall survival when compared with radiation alone in randomized studies, although toxicity may also be increased. The optimal duration and sequencing of androgen deprivation is still under investigation. For patients at significant risk of nodal metasatasis, preliminary results suggest that the addition of whole pelvic radiation improves biochemical control.