cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Adherence to surgical and oncologic standards improves survival in breast cancer patients

Background Adherence to evidence-based standards can lead to improved outcomes for patients with breast cancer. However, adherence rates to standards and their effects on patient outcomes are unknown. Objectives To examine adherence rates to standards compiled by the American College of Surgeons Clinical Research Program and its effects on patient outcomes. Methods Using the National Cancer Database (2004-2015), we identified cohorts of breast cancer patients: clinical T1N0M0 under age of 70 (cT1), clinical T2N0M0 or T3N0M0 (cT2/3), and clinical M0 and pathologic N2 or N3 (pN2/3). Standards included negative margins, any adjuvant therapy, and two or more lymph nodes (LNs) examined (for cT1 or cT2/3 patients) or more than 10 LNs examined (for pN2/3 patients). We performed Kaplan-Meier and Cox proportional hazards analysis. Results We identified 318 853 (65.0%) cT1, 164 593 (67.3%) cT2/3, and 77 626 (67.7%) pN2/3 patients who met the standards. More than 90% of patients had negative margins and adjuvant therapy, but less than 80% met LN standards. The median overall survival (OS) was significantly longer for patients who met the standards. Individual components of the standards were predictors of improved OS. Conclusions One-third of patients did not meet the evidence-based standards in their treatment for breast cancer. Efforts to improve the knowledge of and adherence to these standards should be emphasized.
Possible inhibitory effect of teichoic acid on Bacillus subtilis transfer ribonucleic acid

1. tRNA of Bacillus subtilis was found to be variably contaminated with membrane teichoic acid. 2. Samples with high contents of teichoic acid showed no accepting activity for tRNAPhe and tRNATyr. 3. Removal of teichoic acid restored accepting activity and fractions containing teichoic acid, separated on Sephadex G-150, inhibited the charging of tRNATyr. 4. The presence of teichoic acid did not inhibit the charging of tRNAHis.
Abstract 066: Perioperative Stroke as a Predictor of Mortality and Morbidity in Patients Undergoing CABG

Background: Perioperative stroke is a devastating neurological complication of Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting surgery (CABG). It results in significantly increased rates of mortality and morbidity...
Gravity Models in Competitive Facility Location

I dedicate this chapter to my husband, Zvi Drezner, who has been the inspiration for my work. As a Ph.D. student in Urban Planning, I was looking for a topic for my dissertation. One evening, I asked Zvi to tell me more about his area of research. He told me about facility location, a topic about which I knew little. The conversation meandered through the different branches of location theory until Zvi mentioned one of his papers about retail location and the “fact” that people patronize the facility closest to them. I thought that this was not the case, people patronize a more attractive facility at a greater distance, and a discussion about facility attractiveness ensued. My advisor was intrigued by this new approach to modeling competitive facility location. My dissertation was born. Zvi has been an inspiration ever since. We have co-authored many papers about competitive facility location and other location topics. It has been a pleasure and honor working with him.
Single-shot three-dimensional imaging with a metasurface depth camera

Depth imaging is vital for many emerging technologies with applications in augmented reality, robotics, gesture detection, and facial recognition. These applications, however, demand compact and low-power systems beyond the capabilities of state-of-the-art depth cameras. Here, we leverage ultrathin dielectric metasurfaces to demonstrate a solution that, with a single surface, replicates the functionality of a high-performance depth camera typically comprising a spatial light modulator, polarizer, and three lenses. Using cylindrical nano-scatterers that can arbitrarily modify the phase of an incident wavefront, our metasurface passively encodes two complementary optical responses to depth information in a scene with a single camera snapshot. By decoding the captured data in software, our system produces a fully reconstructed image and transverse depth map of three-dimensional scenes with a fractional ranging error of 1.7%. We demonstrate the first visible wavelength and polarization-insensitive metasurface depth camera, representing a significant form factor reduction for such systems.
CRIMINAL CODE BILL ARTICLE 414 AND SEX EDUCATION IN INDONESIA

Sex education in Indonesia still taboos to talk in an educational context; however, sexual abuse, free sex, and abortion are increasing more and more. This situation more likely will get in an emergency when criminal code bill article 414 about showing contraception tools to children is applied because it is considered cut off sexual education teaching and against HIV/AIDS and family planning campaign. This article focuses on analyzing criminal code bill article 414 toward sex education in Indonesia and discussing possible solutions for including sex education in the school curriculum. Several critics addressed in criminal code article 414, and several solutions were given in this article for including sex education in the Indonesian curriculum. There is some limitation occurred toward this article, especially, the literature which addressed this issue is limited. In addition, it seems the experts are not discussing about this issue regularly.
Mitochondrial Dysfunction and Disorganized Microtubules in Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy are Not Related to Altered α Tubulin-Voltage Dependent Anion Channel (VDAC) 2 Interactions

Rationale In Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD), a genetic mutation results in a loss of dystrophin which leads to microtubular disorganization, cellular degeneration and muscle weakness. However, a...
Enhanced Hybridization Selectivity Using Structured GammaPNA Probes

High affinity nucleic acid analogues such as gammaPNA (γPNA) are capable of invading stable secondary and tertiary structures in DNA and RNA targets but are susceptible to off-target binding to mismatch-containing sequences. We introduced a hairpin secondary structure into a γPNA oligomer to enhance hybridization selectivity compared with a hairpin-free analogue. The hairpin structure features a five base PNA mask that covers the proximal five bases of the γPNA probe, leaving an additional five γPNA bases available as a toehold for target hybridization. Surface plasmon resonance experiments demonstrated that the hairpin probe exhibited slower on-rates and faster off-rates (i.e., lower affinity) compared with the linear probe but improved single mismatch discrimination by up to a factor of five, due primarily to slower on-rates for mismatch vs. perfect match targets. The ability to discriminate against single mismatches was also determined in a cell-free mRNA translation assay using a luciferase reporter gene, where the hairpin probe was two-fold more selective than the linear probe. These results validate the hairpin design and present a generalizable approach to improving hybridization selectivity.
Comparing hemoglobin distributions between population-based surveys matched by country and time

Valid measurement of hemoglobin is important for tracking and targeting interventions. This study compares hemoglobin distributions between surveys matched by country and time from The Demographic and Health Survey (DHS) Program and the Biomarkers Reflecting Inflammation and Nutritional Determinants of Anemia (BRINDA) project. Four pairs of nationally representative surveys measuring hemoglobin using HemoCue® with capillary (DHS) or venous (BRINDA) blood were matched by country and time. Data included 17,719 children (6–59 months) and 21,594 non-pregnant women (15–49 y). Across paired surveys, we compared distributional statistics and anemia prevalence. Surveys from three of the four countries showed substantial differences in anemia estimates (9 to 31 percentage point differences) which were consistently lower in BRINDA compared to DHS (2 to 31 points for children, 1 to 16 points for women). We identify substantial differences in anemia estimates from surveys of similar populations. Further work is needed to identify the cause of these differences to improve the robustness of anemia estimates for comparing populations and tracking improvements over time.
The Intersection of Age and Tumor Biology with Postoperative Outcomes in Patients After Cytoreductive Surgery and HIPEC.

Patient age is a significant factor in preoperative selection for major abdominal surgery. The association of age, tumor biology, and postoperative outcomes in patients undergoing cytoreductive surgery (CRS) and hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC) remains ill-defined. Retrospective analysis was performed for patients who underwent a CCR0/1 CRS/HIPEC from the US HIPEC Collaborative Database (2000–2017). Age was categorized into < 65 or ≥ 65 years. Primary outcome was postoperative major complications. Secondary outcomes were non-home discharge (NHD) and readmission. Analysis was stratified by disease histology: non-invasive (appendiceal LAMN/HAMN), and invasive (appendiceal/colorectal adenocarcinoma). Of 1090 patients identified, 22% were ≥ 65 (n = 240), 59% were female (n = 646), 25% had non-invasive (n = 276) and 51% had invasive (n = 555) histology. Median PCI was 13 (IQR 7–20). Patients ≥ 65 had a higher rate of major complications (37 vs 26%, p = 0.02), NHD (12 vs 5%, p < 0.01), and readmission (28 vs 22%, p = 0.05), compared to those < 65. For non-invasive histology, age ≥ 65 was not associated with major complications or NHD on multivariable analysis. For invasive histology, when accounting for PCI and CCR, age ≥ 65 was associated with major complications (OR 2.04, 95% CI 1.16–3.59, p = 0.01). When accounting for major complications, age ≥ 65 was associated with NHD (OR 2.54, 95% CI 1.08–5.98, p = 0.03). Age ≥ 65 was not predictive of readmission for any histology when accounting for major complications. Age ≥ 65 years is an independent predictor for postoperative major complications and non-home discharge for invasive histology, but not non-invasive histology. These data inform preoperative counseling, risk stratification, and early discharge planning.
Abstract WP140: Activation of Endothelial Ras-Related C3 Botulinum Toxin Substrate (Rac) 1 Improves Post-Stroke Recovery and Angiogenesis via Activating P21 Activating Kinases (Pak) 1 in Mice

Introduction: Cerebral angiogenesis is correlated with post-stroke prognosis yet its mechanism is far from clear. Accumulating evidence shows that Rac1, a Rho-related GTPase, plays a central role i...
Speed Competition and Segmentation in Illiquid Markets

In this paper we present a general equilibrium model to analyze competition between multiple venues (dealers), endogenous market segmentation, transaction speeds and fees, trading volume, optimal regulator's choice for taxing traders, and welfare in illiquid asset markets. Differences in trading speed between different venues lead to endogenous market segmentation, which in- creases trading volume and thus overall liquidity. Specifically, we find that liquidity increases in trading speeds, while decreasing in transaction fees and regulatory taxes. With competition, the optimal choice of transaction fees are increasing (resp. decreasing) in the trading speed of the faster (resp. slower) venue. When venue entry is sequential, the entrant's optimal choice of trading speed increases with lower entry costs and regulatory taxes. We further consider different notions of welfare: surplus from trade, trading volume, and trading revenue. In each of these cases, we consider the optimal regulator's choice for taxing traders, and the resulting optimal choice of speed for the entrant. Depending on the regulator’s objective, the optimal trading tax choice can be zero or strictly positive. Finally, we investigate welfare loss due to competition and the speed choice of the entrant.
Trajectory Guarding: Managing Unwanted, Ambiguously Sexual Interactions at Work:

Sexual interactions often involve implicit, ambiguous behavior, yet research on unwanted sexual interactions in the workplace largely focuses on interactions that are explicitly sexual. Drawing on ...
Short communication: Towards an integrated Flood Information System: Centralized data access, analysis, and visualization

The Iowa Flood Information System (IFIS) is a web-based platform developed at the Iowa Flood Center (IFC) in order to provide access to flood inundation maps, real-time flood conditions, flood forecasts, flood-related data, information, applications, and interactive visualizations for communities in Iowa. The IFIS provides community-centric watershed and river characteristics, rainfall conditions, and stream-flow data and visualization tools. Interactive interfaces allow access to inundation maps for different stage and return period values as well as to flooding scenarios with contributions from multiple rivers. Real-time and historical data of water levels, gauge heights, hourly and seasonal flood forecasts, and rainfall conditions are made available by integrating data from NEXRAD radars, IFC stream sensors, and USGS and National Weather Service (NWS) stream gauges. The IFIS provides customized flood-related data, information, and visualization for over 1000 communities in Iowa. To help reduce the damage from floods, the IFIS helps communities make better-informed decisions about the occurrence of floods and alerts communities in advance using NWS and IFC forecasts. The integrated and modular design and structure of the IFIS allows easy adaptation of the system in other regional and scientific domains. This paper provides an overview of the design and capabilities of the IFIS that was developed as a platform to provide one-stop access to flood-related information.
Usability studies of geovisualization software in the workplace

"Quality Graphics for Federal Statistical Agencies" is a three-year project funded by the National Science Foundation (under the Digital Government Program) and eight federal agencies. The project research objectives are to develop and assess software that will enable data exploration by federal-agency users (who are evaluating data quality and looking for trends in data) and that will communicate statistical summaries to the public. Of the larger research project, this paper covers one part: Census Bureau participation with The Pennsylvania State University in usability studies of software for geographic data visualization. The Census Bureau is working with the university researchers to provide early feedback, even as the researchers are creating and evaluating a variety of tools for visual representation, that ultimately federal agencies can share. Analysts at the Census Bureau were interviewed for information on types of data and analysis tools currently used and for opinions on geovisualization tools that would support their data exploration and analysis tasks. This paper discusses the workplace interview as a data-gathering technique. It reports the interview results, to-wit, users would like to explore their demographic data in adjacent and more remote geographic context, as time series, in conjunction with other variables, would like to be able to compare results of two models and see their differing effects in different geographic regions, and more. Even at early stages of software development, Census Bureau analysts need to be able to explore their own data (not a test data set). That function will be added to the geovisualization tools and analysts again will be interviewed as the next step in the iterative software development and usability checks.
CHET: a system for checking dynamic specifications

Software specifications describe how code is supposed to behave. Software model-checking and related activities statically investigate software behavior to ensure that it meets a particular specification. We have developed a tool, CHET, that uses model-checking techniques to do large-scale checking of dynamic specifications in real systems. The tool uses a finite state specification of the properties to check in terms of abstract events. It first finds all instances in the system where this specification is applicable. For each such instance, it creates an abstract model of the software with respect to the events and then checks this model against the specification. Key aspects of CHET include a full inter procedural flow analysis to identify instances of the specifications and restrict the resultant models, and greatly simplified abstract programs that are easily checked. The system has been used to check a variety of specifications in moderate-sized Java programs.
Patterns of gene expression in Bacillus subtilis colonies

Abstract Bacillus subtilis 5:7, a derivative of macrofiber-producing strain FJ7, carries the lacZ reporter gene within Tn917 at an unknown location in the host genome. Expression of the host gene carrying lacZ within colonies of 5:7 was observed by examining growth under different conditions in the presence of 5-bromo-4-chloro-3-indolyl-beta-D-galactopyranoside (X-Gal). At a high plating density small colonies arose that expressed the host gene early and throughout the colony, whereas at a low density large colonies were produced that expressed the host gene late in development and only in cells forming a ring pattern close to the colony periphery. A highly regulated spatial and temporal gene expression pattern was observed in growth from cross-streaks, suggesting that gene expression is responsive to concentration gradient fields established by neighboring growth. Colonies cultured on agar blocks revealed that expression was governed by depletion of a medium component and also by the geometry of the substrate upon which the colonies grew. At least three factors influenced the control of expression: (i) the concentration of a diffusible component of the medium exhausted by cell growth, (ii) a spatial-temporal factor related to growth within the colony, and (iii) the geometry of the growth substrate.
Neuromodulatory Role of Serotonin in the Ferret Thalamus

Serotonergic fibers broadly innervate the thalamus and may influence the sleep wake cycle, attention, and other processes through modulation of neurons in this structure. However, the actions of serotonin in the dorsal thalamus have been investigated in detail only in the dorsal lateral geniculate nucleus. In the present study, we examined the action of serotonin in several different regions of the ferret dorsal thalamus, including the associative nuclei, using the in vitro slice preparation and intracellular recording techniques. In nearly all nuclei examined, the predominant action of serotonin was one of hyperpolarization and inhibition of the tonic firing mode. The magnitude of the hyperpolarizing response decreased with age and varied greatly across and somewhat within nuclei maintaining the following relationship (in descending order of magnitude): lateral posterior, lateral dorsal, pulvinar, mediodorsal, center median, anteroventral, central lateral, ventral basal, and medial geniculate. This hyper...
JAK/STAT inhibition improves macrophage phagocytosis of bacteria

In COPD, the lower airways are colonised with bacteria that contribute to exacerbations. This may be due to defective macrophage phagocytosis. IFNγ is elevated in COPD and can suppress macrophage phagocytosis. IFNγ activates the JAK/STAT pathway, thus we hypothesise that inhibiting this pathway will ablate the IFNγ effect on macrophage phagocytosis. Human lung macrophages were treated with two structurally distinct JAK/STAT inhibitors (PF95 & PF13, 10-4-10-10M), stimulated with 10ng/ml IFNγ for 18h. Phagocytosis was measured after 4h exposure to beads, H. influenzae (HI) or S. pneumoniae (SP) . CXCL10 and IL-6 release after IFNγ or IFNγ+TNFα (10ng/ml) stimulation for 24h was measured by ELISA n=5. Cell viability was assessed by MTT. IFNγ increased bead phagocytosis by 30±6% which was not altered by PF95 or PF13. However IFNγ significantly inhibited uptake of HI by 24±9% and SP by 29±9%. Both PF95 and PF13 reversed these effects in a concentration-dependent manner [Table 1]. PF13, but not PF95, was cytotoxic at concentrations ≥10μM. Both PF95 and PF13 decreased CXCL10 release after IFNγ stimulation (EC50 0.31±0.17μM & 15±9.5nM respectively) and IFNγ+TNFα (EC50 0.57±0.2μM & 19±8.2nM respectively). Only PF13 decreased IL-6 after IFNγ or IFNγ+TNFα stimulation (EC50 0.45±0.72μM and 2.3±2.1μM respectively). View this table: Table 1. Effect of JAK/STAT inhibitors on IFNγ suppression of bacterial phagocytosis Inhibiting the JAK/STAT pathway diminishes the decrease in phagocytosis of HI and SP caused by IFNγ and decreases the release of inflammatory cytokines and has potential as a novel target in COPD.
Percent of longitudinal body contraction and latency of response onset in planaria as a function of intensity of electric shock

A videotape technique was used to obtain two quantitative measures of longitudinal body contraction of four planaria (Dugesia dorotocephala) elicited by five shock intensities, delivered four times each over 5 successive days. Percent of longitudinal contraction and response onset latency both increased significantly as a function of shock intensity. Contractions increased with increases in intensity and then tended to reduce at the highest intensity. Latency reduced monotonically with intensity increase. It was concluded that both measures could be used productively in habituation and conditioning studies with planaria.
COHERENT SYNCHROTRON DECELERATION AND THE EMISSION OF TYPE-II AND TYPE-III SOLAR RADIO BURSTS.

TYPE II and type III solar radio bursts are spectacular radio emissions which accompany the flash phase of a solar flare. Appleton and Hey1 discovered these phenomena and Payne-Scott, Yabsly and Bolton2 recognized the respective slow and fast frequency drift which these emissions show. Wild3 and his colleagues, observing with a swept frequency spectrometer, found second harmonic components4 and further verified the frequency drift. The widely accepted explanation of type III bursts, that they are related to electrostatic plasma oscillations which are partially converted into transverse electromagnetic radiation by non-linear phenomena, was first put forward by Ginzburg and Zheleznykov5.
Income disparities in body mass index and obesity in the United States, 1971-2002.

Background Although obesity is frequently associated with poverty, recent increases in obesity may not occur disproportionately among the poor. Furthermore, the relationship between income and weight status may be changing with time. Methods We use nationally representative data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys (1971-2002) to examine (1) income differentials in body mass index (calculated as weight in kilograms divided by the square of height in meters) and (2) change over time in the prevalence of obesity (body mass index, ≥30) at different levels of income. Results Over the course of 3 decades, obesity has increased at all levels of income. Moreover, it is typically not the poor who have experienced the largest gains. For example, among black women, the absolute increase in obesity is 27.0% (1.05% per year) for those at middle incomes, but only 14.5% (0.54% per year) for the poor. Among black men, the increase in obesity is 21.1% (0.77% per year) for those at the highest level of income, but only 4.5% (0.06% per year) for the near poor and 5.4% (0.50% per year) for the poor. Furthermore, all race-sex groups show income differentials on body mass index, but patterns show substantial variation between groups and consistency and change within groups over time. For example, white women consistently show a strong inverse gradient, while a positive gradient emerges in later waves for black and Mexican American men. Conclusion The persistence and emergence of income gradients suggests that disparities in weight status are only partially attributable to poverty and that efforts aimed at reducing disparities need to consider a much broader array of contributing factors.
Hope for progress after 40 years of futility? Novel approaches in the treatment of advanced stage III and IV non-small-cell-lung cancer: Stereotactic body radiation therapy, mediastinal lymphadenectomy, and novel systemic therapy

Non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) remains a leading cause of cancer mortality. The majority of patients present with advanced (stage III-IV) disease. Such patients are treated with a variety of therapies including surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy. Despite decades of work, however, overall survival in this group has been resistant to any substantial improvement. This review briefly details the evolution to the current standard of care for advanced NSCLC, advances in systemic therapy, and novel techniques (stereotactic body radiation therapy [SBRT], and transcervical extended mediastinal lymphadenectomy [TEMLA] or video-assisted mediastinal lymphadenectomy [VAMLA]) that have been used in localized NSCLC. The utility of these techniques in advanced stage therapy and potential methods of combining these novel techniques with systemic therapy to improve survival are discussed.
Wall shear over high degree stenoses pertinent to atherothrombosis

Atherothrombosis can induce acute myocardial infarction and stroke by progressive stenosis of a blood vessel lumen to full occlusion. Since thrombus formation and embolization may be shear-dependent, we quantify the magnitude of shear rates in idealized severely stenotic coronary arteries (≥75% by diameter) using computational fluid dynamics to characterize the shear environment that may exist during atherothrombosis. Maximum shear rates in severe short stenoses were found to exceed 250,000s(-1) (9500dynes/cm(2)) and can reach a peak value of 425,000s(-1) for a 98% stenosis. These high shear rates exceed typical shear used for in vitro blood flow experiments by an order of magnitude, indicating the need to examine thrombosis at very high shear rates. Pulsatility and stenosis eccentricity were found to have minor effects on the maximum wall shear rates in severe stenoses. In contrast, increases in the stenosis length reduced the maximum shear to 107,000s(-1) (98% stenosis), while surface roughness could increase focal wall shear rates to a value reaching 610,000s(-1) (90% stenosis). The "shear histories" of circulating platelets in these stenoses are far below reported activation thresholds. Platelets may be required to form bonds in 5μs and resist shear forces reaching 8000pN per platelet. Arterial thrombosis occurs in the face of pathological high shear stress, creating rapid and strong bonds without prior activation of circulating platelets.
Sediment Entrainment and Transport in Complex Flows

Predicting the entrainment and transport rates of sediment grains making up an erodible bed underlying an arbitrary flow field requires a mechanistic understanding of the coupling between the flow and the forces on sediment grains. To help develop such an understanding, a suite of flow and sediment-transport experiments are described; these may be loosely divided into two categories. First, measurements of near-bed flow structure and sediment motion in a variety of spatially or temporally accelerating flows are used to show the manner in which changes in flow structure can impact sediment entrainment and transport. Second, direct high-frequency measurements of lift and drag on sediment particles in various turbulent flows are used to make a more direct connection between nearbed flow structure and sediment dynamics. Taken together, these experiments show how even changes in turbulence structure due to spatial and/or temporal accelerations can have a significant effect on the sediment-transport field. Finally, a method is briefly outlined for predicting sediment motion under arbitrary flows using either measured nearbed velocity time series or flow information predicted from direct numerical simulations or large-eddy simulations.
Semistability of Nonlinear Systems Having a Connected Set of Equilibria and Time-Delays

In this technical note, we develop a semistability analysis framework for nonlinear systems with bounded time-varying delays with applications to stability analysis of multiagent dynamic networks with consensus protocols in the presence of unknown heterogeneous time-varying delays along the communication links. We show that for such a nonlinear system having nonisolated equilibria, if the system asymptotically converges to a constant time-delay system and this new system is semistable, then the original time-varying delay system is semistable. In proving our results, we extend the limiting differential equation approach to time-varying delay systems and also develop some new convergence results for functional differential equations.
Effect of shrinkage and moisture content on the physical characteristics of blended cement mortars

Abstract The effects of drying on mortars containing Portland cement blended with fly ash or slag on the shrinkage, extent of surface cracking, pore size distribution as measured by mercury intrusion porosimetry, flexural strength, fracture toughness, and Young’s modulus are reported. Specimens were exposed to conditions of 100% relative humidity (RH), 50% RH, and/or oven-drying at 105°C. Drying coarsened the pore structure and increased the density of surface cracks, but surprisingly increased the flexural strength and the fracture toughness, and as anticipated lowered the Young’s modulus. This was regardless of the content of mineral admixture.
Chemotherapy-induced ovarian failure: manifestations and management.

Thanks to improvements in treatment regimens, more and more patients are now surviving cancer. However, cancer survivors are faced with the serious long-term effects of the different modalities of cancer treatments. One of these adverse effects is chemotherapy-induced irreversible damage to the ovarian tissues, which leads to premature ovarian failure and its resulting consequences such as hot flashes, osteoporosis, sexual dysfunction and the risk of infertility. Chemotherapy-induced ovarian failure (or chemotherapy-induced premature menopause) affects the quality of life of female cancer survivors. Although there is no clear definition of chemotherapy-induced ovarian failure, irreversible amenorrhoea lasting for several months (>12 months) following chemotherapy and a follicle stimulating hormone level of ≥30 MIU/mL in the presence of a negative pregnancy test seems to be an appropriate characterisation. Different chemotherapy agents, alkylating cytotoxics in particular, have the potential to cause progressive and irreversible damage to the ovaries. The result of this damage is a state of premature ovarian failure, with progressive declining of estrogen levels, decreasing bone mass and an increased risk of fractures. Historically, hormonal replacement therapy (HRT) has been used to treat menopausal problems in the general population, but concerns about the potential of estrogen to increase the risk of breast cancer in women at high-risk or increase the risk of recurrence in cancer survivors, have forced physicians to utilise alternative treatments. This review discusses some of the newer therapies that are now available to provide appropriate symptom control, avoid complications such as fractures and possibly prevent infertility by making the ovarian epithelium less susceptible to cytotoxic agents.
A natural history of religion

A darwinian philosopher turns his attention to the strength of religion in the United States. In Daniel Dennett's ‘Breaking the Spell: Religion as a Natural Phenomenon’, the Tufts University cognitive scientist takes on religion. In particular, religion in the United States. But, according to Nature's reviewer, this is not the book to help believer and non-believer understand each other.
Engineering calculations of three-dimensional inviscid hypersonic flowfields

An approximate solution technique has been developed for three-dimensional, inviscid, hypersonic flows. The method uses Maslen's explicit pressure equation and the assumption of approximate stream surfaces in the shock layer. This approximation represents a simplification of Maslen's asymmetric method. The solution procedure involves iteratively changing the shock shape in the subsonic-transonic region until the correct body shape is obtained. Beyond this region, the shock surface is determined by using a marching procedure. Results are presented herein for a paraboloid and elliptic cone at angle of attack. Calculated surface pressure distributions, shock shapes, and property profiles are compared with experimental data and finite-difference solutions of the Euler equations. Comparisons of the results of the present method with experimental data and detailed predictions are very good. Since the present method provides a very rapid computational procedure, it can be used for parametric or preliminary design applications. One useful application would be to incorporate a heating procedure for aerothermal studies.
Improving patient and user safety during endoscopic investigation of the pancreatic and biliary ducts

Endoscopic investigation of the main pancreatic duct and biliary ducts is called endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP), and carries a risk of pancreatitis for the patient. During ERCP, a metal guidewire is inserted into the pancreatobiliary duct from a side-viewing large endoscope within the duodenum. To verify correct placement of the ERCP guidewire, an injection of radiopaque dye is required for fluoroscopic imaging, which exposes the patient and clinical team to x-ray radiation. A safer and more effective means to access the pancreatobiliary system can use direct optical imaging, although the endoscope diameter and stiffness will be significantly larger than a guidewire's. To quantify this invasiveness before human testing, a synthetic force-sensing pancreas was fabricated and attached to an ERCP training model. The invasiveness of a new, 1.7-mm diameter, steerable scanning fiber endoscope (SFE) was compared to the standard ERCP guidewire of 0.89-mm (0.035") diameter that is not steerable. Although twice as large and significantly stiffer than the ERCP guidewire, the SFE generated lower or significantly less average force during insertion at all 4 sensor locations (P<0.05) within the main pancreatic duct. Therefore, the addition of steering and forward visualization at the tip of the endoscope reduced the invasiveness of the in vitro ERCP procedure. Since fluoroscopy is not required, risks associated with dye injection and x-ray exposure can be eliminated when using direct optical visualization. Finally, the SFE provides wide-field high resolution imaging for image-guided interventions, laser-based fluorescence biomarker imaging, and spot spectral analysis for future optical biopsy.
Structure of zinc tetraphenylporphyrin dimethyl formamide-methylene chloride

C48H37N5ZnOCl2,M r+836.13, triclinic, $$P\bar 1$$ ,a+11.2231(15),b+12.5155(18),c+14.6013(19)A, α=99.001(7), β=94.600(8), γ=103.221(7)o,V+1957.6(5)A3,Z+2, Dx+1.419 gcm−3, MoKα (λ=0.7107A), µcale,F(000)=1670,T+173±1K, final discrepancy factor 2.8% for 5274 unique reflections above 2.5σ(I) in the range 3<2θ<48o. The metal is coordinated to the four nitrogen atoms of the porphyrin ring and the oxygen of the dimethyl formamide moiety. The geometry of this porphyrin is nonplanar with respect to the overall structure, although the pyrrole rings are nearly coplanar with the zine metal pulled out of the plane in the familiar domed-shaped geometry.
Correlation length exponent of the 2-d Z(4) model using an exact method

Abstract Using a recently suggested exact method to determine the partition function of a discrete model, the correlation length exponent v for the two-dimensional Z (4) spin model is estimated. This estimation is made from a study of the zeros of the partition function on finite lattices.
A survey of faculty use of a reserve collection for class readings

The automation of the reserve system at Southeast Missouri State University prompted a call for determining usage patterns of the reserve collection and services by the faculty. Reports the findings of the survey used to collect this information. Examples of questions are: whether the faculty knew the reserve system had been automated; whether the computerized list of a faculty’s reserve material was beneficial; and which semester the faculty used reserves the most? Presents raw data, along with comments about answers to several of the questions, conclusions that can be drawn from the survey, and a recommendation.
Self-generated magnetic fields in blast-wave driven Rayleigh-Taylor experiments

Abstract We study the effect of self-generated magnetic fields in two-dimensional computer models of blast-wave driven high-energy density Rayleigh-Taylor instability (RTI) experiments. Previous works [1] , [2] suggested that such fields have the potential to influence the RTI morphology and mixing. When neglecting the friction force between electrons and ions, we do indeed find that dynamically important ( β ≲ 10 3 ) magnetic fields are generated. However, in the more realistic case where the friction force is accounted for, the resulting fields are much weaker, β ≳ 10 5 , and can no longer influence the dynamics of the system. Although we find no evidence for dynamically important magnetic fields being created in the two-dimensional case studied here, the situation might be different in a three-dimensional setup, which will be addressed in a future study.
Oscillation of mass transfer in a magnetoelectrolytic system

Abstract Planar magnetic effect on an electrolytic system is studied. The observation of a sine oscillation in current density perpendicular to the primary current in the system is reported. It has been shown that the amplitude of this oscillation of mass transfer varies with the external magnetic field, ion content of the electrolyte and the frequency of the rotating magnetic field. The coefficient of the planar magnetic effect is estimated.
Comparison between the hot spot and geomagnetic field reference frames

Hot spots are located on the Earth's surface and are caused by hot plumes of upwelling mantle material. They manifest themselves by volcanic activity which changes its location in response to the movement of the lithosphere over the mantle plume. It has been suggested1–3 that hot spots are relatively stationary with respect to each other, and also that they represent a frame of reference with which to measure the absolute movement of the lithospheric plates over the surface of the Earth. Another frame of reference can be partially defined by the position of the mean magnetic dipole field of the Earth. As the dipolar field is believed to be closely related to the spin axis, this frame of reference automatically gives information about the palaeolatitude and orientation of the lithospheric plates. But since the position of the ancient dipole field of the Earth does not give any information about palaeolongitude, and since in many cases the definition of the field is relatively poor due to less than adequate rock collections during the time of interest, hot spot reference frames have been favoured by many people. We now report a comparison of the two frames of reference and show that over the past 200 Myr there has been relative movement between the two frames of reference of about 20°, and that this motion has not been constant with time.
Measurements of Binary Stars with the Starfire Optical Range Adaptive Optics Systems

To investigate the relative photometry produced by adaptive optics within the isoplanatic patch, we observed four binaries, 10 UMa, UMa, 81 Cnc, and κ UMa, with adaptive optics using natural guide stars on the 3.5 m telescope, as well as one binary, β Del, with adaptive optics using a laser guide star on the 1.5 m telescope at the Starfire Optical Range. Iterative blind deconvolution (IBD) and parametric blind deconvolution (PBD) techniques were used to postprocess the data, which produced consistent results for position angles, separations, and magnitude differences. We also conducted simulations that verify the agreement between IBD and PBD and compared their measurements to truth data. From the results of both observations and simulations, we conclude that adaptive optics is well suited for providing not only position angles and separations for close binaries, but also good relative magnitudes without quadrant ambiguity. From the observations, we find that the secondary of 81 Cnc (separation = 012) appears to be 0.12 mag brighter than the primary at 0.85 μm and is, therefore, cooler. We also derive a new orbit for κ UMa (separation = 0067). Our results for β Del (ADS 14073) have significantly improved precision compared with the 1998 analyses of the same data by ten Brummelaar and colleagues and by Roberts, ten Brummelaar, and Mason.
Race, Poverty, and Welfare: Du Bois's Legacy for Policy

This article discusses Du Bois's analysis of poverty, charity, and relief in Philadelphia, and places it in the context of his research methods and agenda. It uses this consideration of method and agenda as a framework for an overview of the relations between race and the American welfare state. After describing the structure of the American welfare state, the article limns some of the themes in the historic imbrication of race in social welfare. The article then turns to the implication for African Americans of the post-1980 redefinition of the welfare state by the three great forces of dependence, devolution, and markets. These forces not only redefine benefits; they also recast the idea of citizenship and what it means to be an American.
Breakthroughs in Photonics 2013: X-Ray Optics

This review discusses the latest advances in extreme ultraviolet/X-ray optics development, which are motivated by the availability and demands of new X-ray sources and scientific and industrial applications. Among the breakthroughs highlighted are the following: i) fabrication, metrology, and mounting technologies for large-area optical substrates with improved figure, roughness, and focusing properties; ii) multilayer coatings with especially optimized layer properties, achieving improved reflectance, stability, and out-of-band suppression; and iii) nanodiffractive optics with improved efficiency and resolution.
On Convergence Time and Disturbance Rejection of Super-Twisting Control

Super-twisting algorithm is one of the versions of high-order sliding mode control. The interest to this algorithm is explained by its attractive properties: continuous control input, finite convergence time, disturbance rejection. In this paper, the upper bound of admissible unknown disturbances and low bound of the convergence time are found and shown that both the values can be achieved with any desired accuracy.
International year of shelter for the homeless

The author is Director, International Year of Shelter for The Homeless, United Nations Centre for Human Settlements (Habitat), PO Box 30030, Nairobi, Kenya. The proclamation of the International Year of Shelter for the Homeless (IYSH) has come about at a critical time in the development of human settlements world-wide. Shelter is the main physical component in the process of urbanization which has been taking place at very high rates in most developing countries throughout the world. According to official United Nations estimates and projections, by the year 2010, for the first time in history, the majority of the world's population approximately 54% of humanity will be living in settlements classified as urban. In the developing countries the urban population is expected to double from slightly over one billion in 1985 to well over two billion by the year 2000. This presents a major challenge not only to governments but also to professionals and to the private sector. The problem is further described by the fact that most of the new urban dwellers in developing countries are poor people with little or no possibility of finding a home outside the squatter areas and slums. It is estimated that one billion people a quarter of the world's population live in absolute poverty and are either literally homeless or live in extremely inadequate shelters and unhealthy environments. The magnitude of the problem is further described by the fact that, in spite of increased government action during the last decade, the housing situation of the poor in developing countries has been continuously deteriorating. Thus increased and changed government action is necessary, even merely to avoid a continuous increase in the number of homeless and poor living in appalling shelter and neighbourhoods. The three-phased programme of the IYSH, coordinated by the United Nations Centre for Human Settlements (Habitat) provides the opportunity for governments to take the bold new measures now required.
Synthesis and Characterization of Photocurable Polyamidoamine Dendrimer Hydrogels as a Versatile Platform for Tissue Engineering and Drug Delivery

In this work, we describe a novel polyamidoamine (PAMAM) dendrimer hydrogel (DH) platform with potential for tissue engineering and drug delivery. With PAMAM dendrimer G3.0 being the underlying carrier, polyethylene glycol (PEG) chains of various lengths (MW = 1500, 6000, or 12000 g mol−1) were coupled to the dendrimer to different extents, and the resulting PEGylated PAMAM dendrimers were further coupled with acrylate groups to yield photoreactive dendrimer macromonomers for gel formation. It was found that gelation based on photoreactive PAMAM G3.0 macromonomers was restricted by the degree of PEGylation, PEG chain length, and the distribution of acrylate groups on the dendrimer surface. Further, the architecture of the photoreactive macromonomers affects the structural stability and swelling of the resultant networks. A completely cross-linked network (DH-G3.0-12000H) with a high water swelling ratio was created by UV-curing of PAMAM dendrimer G3.0 coupled with 28 PEG 12000 chains in the presence of th...