cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Local transdermal therapy to the breast for breast cancer prevention and DCIS therapy: preclinical and clinical evaluation.

Women at high risk of breast cancer and those with carcinoma in situ need non-toxic, well-tolerated preventive interventions. One promising approach is drug delivery through the breast skin (local transdermal therapy, LTT). Our goal was to test novel drugs for LTT, to establish that LTT is applicable to non-steroidal drugs. Athymic nude rats were treated with oral tamoxifen, transdermal 4-hydroxytamoxifen (4-OHT) or endoxifen gel applied daily to the axillary mammary gland for 6 weeks (Study 1). Study 2 was identical to Study 1, testing transdermal telapristone acetate (telapristone) gel versus subcutaneous implant. At euthanasia, mammary glands and blood were collected. In Study 3, consenting women requiring mastectomy were randomized to diclofenac patch applied to the abdomen or the breast for 3 days preoperatively. At surgery, eight tissue samples per breast were collected from predetermined locations, along with venous blood. Drug concentrations were measured using liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectroscopy. Mammary tissue concentrations of 4-OHT, endoxifen, and telapristone were significantly higher in the axillary glands of the gel-treated animals, compared to inguinal glands or to systemically treated animals. Plasma concentrations were similar in gel and systemically treated animals. The clinical trial showed significantly higher mammary concentrations when diclofenac was applied to the breast skin versus the abdominal skin, but concentrations were variable. These results demonstrate that lipophilic drugs can be developed for LTT; although the nude rat is suitable for testing drug permeability, delivery is systemic. In human, however, transdermal application to the breast skin provides local delivery.
Theory of resonantly enhanced near-field imaging

We investigate the fundamental issues of power transfer and far-field retrieval of subwavelength information in resonantly enhanced near-field imaging systems. It is found that high-quality resonance of the imaging system, such as that provided by dielectric resonators, can drastically enhance the power transfer from the object to the detector or the working distance. The optimal power transfer condition is shown to be the same as the critical coupling condition for resonators. The combination of a dielectric planar resonator with a solid immersion lens is proposed to project resonantly enhanced near-field spatial frequency components into the far field with the same resolution limit as that for solid immersion microscopy, but with much improved signal power throughput or working distance for resonant spatial frequencies.
Techniques and predictive models to improve prostate cancer detection.

The use of prostate-specific antigen (PSA) as a screening test remains controversial. There have been several attempts to refine PSA measurements to improve its predictive value. These modifications, including PSA density, PSA kinetics, and the measurement of PSA isoforms, have met with limited success. Therefore, complex statistical and computational models have been created to assess an individual's risk of prostate cancer more accurately. In this review, the authors examined the methods used to modify PSA as well as various predictive models used in prostate cancer detection. They described the mathematical underpinnings of these techniques along with their intrinsic strengths and weaknesses, and they assessed the accuracy of these methods, which have been shown to be better than physicians' judgment at predicting a man's risk of cancer. Without understanding the design and limitations of these methods, they can be applied inappropriately, leading to incorrect conclusions. These models are important components in counseling patients on their risk of prostate cancer and also help in the design of clinical trials by stratifying patients into different risk categories. Thus, it is incumbent on both clinicians and researchers to become familiar with these tools. Cancer 2009;115(13 suppl):3085–99. © 2009 American Cancer Society.
Diagenesis by Burial Fluids, Middle Ordovician Platform to Platform-Margin Limestones, East Tennessee: Relationship to Mississippi Valley-Type Deposits

ABSTRACT We compare relative timing and geochemistry of different paragenetic phases in platform-margin and platform-interior limestones within a nearly 400-m-thick succession of Middle Ordovician strata. Emphasis is on late-stage cements that include ferroan, coarse sparry calcite and ferroan baroque dolomite. Platform-interior rocks contain two late cements (clear, sparry calcite and nonferroan dolomite) not observed in platform-margin rocks. Depleted 18O and high iron content of these four calcite and dolomite phases indicate a fluid that had interacted with siliciclastic material. Late-stage diagenetic cements in the platform-margin limestones generally have more lower values of 18O, higher iron and manganese contents, and more radiogenic 87Sr than their counterparts from the platform. Multiple interpretations for the different diagenetic phases and geochemistry are possible. We favor a water-rock interaction hypothesis because it requires a single source and is therefore the simplest explanation. Ferroan, coarse sparry calcite and ferroan baroque dolomite could have been generated from brines expelled from the Sevier Basin before the end of the Middle Ordovician (ca. 450 Ma). These fluids could have moved up dip into platform carbonates under pressures induced by burial alone. This is based on an analysis of burial curves, possible temperatures, and an assumed range of likely brine compositions. Bitumen associated with some ferroan baroque dolomite may be synchronous with Mississippi Valley-type, main ore-stage sphalerite. The timing for fluid migration that we suggest here contrasts with conventional thinking, which places the major fluid migration during the Alleghenian orogeny (332-250 Ma) at the end of the late Paleozoic.
Does Mother Nature Punish Rotten Kids

Synopsis: The theory of parent-offspring conflict predicts that mothers and their offspring may not agree about how resources should be allocated among family members. An offspring, for example, may favor a later weaning date than does its mother. Despite a parent’s physical superiority, it may be that offspring are able to manipulate their parents’ behavior. In this paper, we investigate a two-locus population genetic model of weaning conflict in which offspring can attempt to extort resources from their parents by reducing their own chances of survival if their demands are not met. We find that the frequency of recombination between the genes controlling maternal behavior and those controlling juvenile behavior determines the evolutionary outcome of this genetic conflict. When these genes are tightly linked, the mother will be able to get her way. When they are not, offspring can successfully ‘blackmail’ their parents into providing additional resources.
Invariants of theta-curves and other graphs in 3-space"

Kauffman, L., J. Simon, K. Wolcott and P. Zhao, Invariants of theta-curves and other graphs in 3-space, Topology and its Applications 49 (1993) 193-216. Given a graph in 3-space, in general knotted, can one construct a surface containing the graph in some canonical way so that the embedding of the surface in space, or even the link type of its boundary, is an invariant of the knotted graph? We consider, in particular, surfaces that contain the graph as a spine and that are canonical in the sense of having trivial Seifert linking form. It turns out that &curves and &-graphs are the unique graphs for which this approach works.
Jealousy and commitment: Perceived threat and the effect of relationship alternatives

Most research on jealousy has focused on the correlation between one psychological factor and jealousy. In contrast, the current work examined how the link between relationship commitment and jealousy depends on the interplay of two situational factors: attractiveness of relationship alternatives and receiving threatening information about the self and the romantic relationship. In two studies, participants completed measures of relationship commitment for their current relationship and then received feedback that manipulated their perceptions of relationship alternatives (Study 1) or their perceptions of relationship compatibility (Study 2). Participants jealousy was assessed by their responses to a mildly threatening relationship situation (Studies 1 and 2) and on a jealousy scale (Study 2). Study 1 showed that those in more committed relationships experienced greater jealousy when they were induced to consider having unattractive relationship alternatives. Study 2 showed that those with greater relationship commitment reported more jealousy when they received negative information about their relationship compatibility. Implications for how threat plays a causal role in experiencing jealousy are discussed. Numerous factors have been proposed to explain when and why jealousy occurs. Personality variables such as neuroticism and obsessiveness (e.g., Buunk, 1997), relation
Stage III & IV colon and rectal cancers share a similar genetic profile: a review of the Oregon Colorectal Cancer Registry

Abstract Background Determining the molecular profile of colon and rectal cancers offers the possibility of personalized cancer treatment. The purpose of this study was to determine whether known genetic mutations associated with colorectal carcinogenesis differ between colon and rectal cancers and whether they are associated with survival. Methods The Oregon Colorectal Cancer Registry is a prospectively maintained, institutional review board–approved tissue repository with associated demographic and clinical information. The registry was queried for any patient with molecular analysis paired with clinical data. Patient demographics, tumor characteristics, microsatellite instability status, and mutational analysis for p53, AKT , BRAF , KRAS , MET , NRAS , and PIK3CA were analyzed. Categorical variables were compared using chi-square tests. Continuous variables between groups were analyzed using Mann-Whitney U tests. Kaplan-Meier analysis was used for survival studies. Comparisons of survival were made using log-rank tests. Results The registry included 370 patients: 69% with colon cancer and 31% with rectal cancer. Eighty percent of colon cancers and 68% of rectal cancers were stages III and IV. Mutational analysis found no significant differences in detected mutations between colon and rectal cancers, except that there were significantly more BRAF mutations in colon cancers compared with rectal cancers (10% vs 0%, P KRAS , PIK3CA , and BRAF mutations. Conclusions Stage III and IV colon and rectal cancers share similar molecular profiles, except that there were significantly more BRAF mutations in colon cancers compared with rectal cancers.
Consensus on asynchronous communication networks in presence of external input

This paper presents a class of multi-agent systems where the state of each agent is driven by its own local protocol, and by exogenous time-varying input signal. These inputs may represent agent dynamics and, in presence of unreliable communication medium, transmission noise. We consider multi-agent systems operating over asynchronous networks. Examples of such systems are message-passing systems in which agents don't share a global clock and communicate only by sending and receiving messages that may be lost, delayed arbitrarily, and delivered out of order. We present conditions on the protocols and input signals that ensure zero or bounded steady-state error over asynchronous communication networks. We discuss two specific examples and apply our general results to them. These systems are an iterative group-based protocol for average consensus of time-varying quantities, and a scheme for spatial pattern configuration, where mobile agents communicate via message-passing.
Innovative endodontic therapy for anti-inflammatory direct pulp capping of permanent teeth with a mature apex

Direct pulp capping is treatment of an exposed vital pulp with a dental material to facilitate the formation of reparative dentin and maintenance of vital pulp. It has been studied as an alternate way to avoid vital pulp extirpation. However, the success rate of pulp capping is much lower than that of vital pulp extirpation. Therefore, direct pulp capping is currently considered controversial by many clinicians. To increase the success rate, a critical need exists to develop new biologically based therapeutics that reduce pulp inflammation, promote the continued formation of new dentin-pulp complex, and restore vitality by stimulating the regrowth of pulpal tissue. Bioengineered anti-inflammatory direct pulp-capping materials, together with adhesive materials for leakage prevention, have great potential to improve the condition of the existing pulp from an inflamed to a noninflamed status and lead to a high rate of long-term success.
Feeling Misunderstood: A Concept Analysis

TOPIC. Feeling misunderstood. PURPOSE. The purpose of this study was to analyze the concept of feeling misunderstood to explicate the antecedents, attributes, and consequences of this phenomenon. SOURCE. A comprehensive review of literature, from 1957 to 2005, was completed with the keywords feeling misunderstood to guide the search. CONCLUSIONS. Three defining attributes of feeling misunderstood were identified: (a) disquietude; (b) discordant perceptions; and (c) heightened cognizance of emotions. Antecedents, including presence of an issue, communication barrier, and unexpected response from receiver, are explicated, along with the consequences, or transformations in behavior.
Optimizing conservative breast surgery

The potential advantages of conservative breast surgery include the minor outpatient nature of the procedures, lower incidence of postoperative pain and complications, preservation of the breast and nipple areolar complex, and shorter delay to adjuvant therapy. In order to optimize the number of patients eligible for conservative breast surgery, one must utilize a multidisciplinary team approach. Imaging implications, use of neoadjuvant therapy for downsizing tumors, oncoplastic techniques, adjuvant radiation options, and pathological assessment are discussed. J. Surg. Oncol. 2011; 103:306–312. © 2011 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Composition of semantic relations: Theoretical framework and case study

Extracting semantic relations from text is a preliminary step towards understanding the meaning of text. The more semantic relations are extracted from a sentence, the better the representation of the knowledge encoded into that sentence. This article introduces a framework for the Composition of Semantic Relations (CSR). CSR aims to reveal more text semantics than existing semantic parsers by composing new relations out of previously extracted relations. Semantic relations are defined using vectors of semantic primitives, and an algebra is suggested to manipulate these vectors according to a CSR algorithm. Inference axioms that combine two relations and yield another relation are generated automatically. CSR is a language-agnostic, inventory-independent method to extract semantic relations. The formalism has been applied to a set of 26 well-known relations and results are reported.
Topical Review: ADHD and Health-Risk Behaviors: Toward Prevention and Health Promotion

Across the lifespan, attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is associated with increased health risk behaviors including substance abuse, binge eating and obesity, and unsafe sexual behavior. These risks are directly linked to the neurocognitive deficits associated with ADHD, and are also mediated by the cascade of psychosocial impairments and stressors caused by ADHD across development. However, little is known about optimal approaches to improve health outcomes in this high-risk population. This topical review provides an overview of health risks associated with ADHD and the limited existing research relevant to health promotion for children and adolescents with ADHD. Future research questions and implications for clinicians are also addressed-especially how psychologists and medical practitioners may improve child health through early screenings, increasing medication adherence, and treating psychosocial impairments.
Absolute left ventricular volume using the build up factor

A new method for determining absolute left ventricular (LV) volumes from radionuclide gated blood pool images has been validated at our institution (1). Only four parameters are needed to determine LV volumes: the LV count rates from an LAO and an RPO image (180° opposed to the LAO), a venous blood sample, and a patient thickness measurement. The procedure can easily be performed as a part of routine gated blood pool imaging. The technique is non-geometric, corrects for tissue attenuation, and uses an experimentally determined build up factor to account for the effects of scatter.
Final infarct volume discriminates outcome in mild strokes.

INTRODUCTION Knowledge of whether final infarct volume (FIV) predicts disability after mild stroke is limited. We sought to determine if FIV could differentiate good versus poor outcome after mild stroke. METHODS We retrospectively identified 65 patients with mild stroke (National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale≤5) in a multicenter registry of 2453 patients. We evaluated associations between FIV and clinical outcome and evaluated the optimal FIV threshold that discriminated favorable (modified Rankin scale (mRS) 0-1) versus poor (mRS 2-6) outcome. RESULTS The FIV cut-point of 20 mL differentiated favorable and poor outcomes (area under curve (AUC) 0.73, 95% confidence interval: 0.58-0.88). Favorable outcome was observed in 37/45 (82%) with FIV<20 mL, compared to 5/14 (36%) with FIV≥20 mL (p<0.01). FIV≥20 mL remained strongly associated with poor outcome independent of age, gender, stroke severity, Alberta Stroke Program Early CT Score (ASPECTS), and proximal arterial occlusion. CONCLUSION In our small sample size, an FIV of 20 mL best differentiated between the likelihood of good versus poor outcome in patients with mild stroke. Further validation of infarct volume as a surrogate marker in mild stroke is warranted.
Greater physical activity is associated with better cognitive function in heart failure.

Objective Nearly 6 million Americans have heart failure (HF), up to 80% of which exhibit cognitive deficits on testing. Physical inactivity is common in HF, yet little is known about the possible contribution of physical inactivity to cognitive dysfunction in this population. Method Older adults with HF (N = 93; Mage = 68.5 years, 33.7% women) completed neuropsychological testing, as well as cardiac and physical activity assessment as part of a larger protocol. HF severity was measured via impedance cardiography. Physical activity was assessed via an Actigraph accelerometer and operationalized using daily step count and time engaged in moderate-vigorous activity (minutes/day). Results Linear regression analyses controlling for sex, high blood pressure, diabetes, depressive symptomatology, and HF severity showed that greater physical activity (both step count and minutes spent in moderate-vigorous activity) was associated with better executive function/attention, processing speed, and scores on a screening measure of cognition. Conclusions These findings indicate that physical activity is an independent predictor of cognitive function in persons with HF. Future work is needed to clarify the mechanisms by which physical activity benefits cognitive function in HF and determine whether interventions to promote physical activity can attenuate cognitive decline over time.
How we treat hand eczema.

Treatment failures in hand eczema are usually the result of diagnostic error, failure to determine the cause or to remove it, ineffective or injurious medication, or psychologic factors. Finding The cause requires consistency, thoroughness, individualization, time and often a bit of luck.
Antimicrobial Therapy in Long-Term Care: Controversy, Colonization, and Criteria.

OBJECTIVE To empower pharmacists to improve the outcomes of residents in long-term care facilities with urinary tract (UTIs) and skin and soft-tissue infections (SSTIs). DATA SOURCES Relevant articles published since 1990 to date were found via PubMed regarding: long-term care, urinary tract infection, skin and soft-tissue infection, antimicrobials, multi-drug-resistant organisms, antimicrobial resistance, and dementia. Two additional Web sites were included for pharmacists' resources. A total of 28 sources were used (studies, Web sites, and review articles). STUDY SELECTION Sixteen studies were included regarding treatment of suspected infections, antimicrobial resistance of organisms present in long-term care facilities, and interventions previously attempted toward antimicrobial stewardship. DATA EXTRACTION The types of infection seen in long-term care facilities were narrowed to UTIs and SSTIs. Data were extracted regarding the type/resistance of bacteria and treatment outcomes. DATA ANALYSIS The review demonstrates growing antimicrobial resistance in long-term care for pathogens causing UTIs and SSTIs. The review outlines guidelines for the treatment of such infections, and the incidence of asymptomatic bacteriuria, and subsequent overtreatment. Also included is a discussion of antimicrobial usage in dementia and resources for antimicrobial stewardship. CONCLUSION Pharmacists can aid with antimicrobial stewardship in long-term care by educating providers on the need for changes in prescribing habits and the criteria for treating UTIs and SSTIs.
Lactate production in isolated segments of the rat nephron

Lactate production was measured directly in individual segments of the rat nephron. Tubules were dissected and then incubated in vitro with glucose as the only metabolic substrate. Each segment was incubated with and without antimycin A, an inhibitor of oxidative metabolism. Proximal tubules produced no lactate with or without antimycin A. The distal segments all produced lactate. The rate of lactate production without antimycin A ranged from 0.4 to 0.9 pmol X min-1 X mm-1 in all distal segments except one, the inner medullary collecting duct, which produced lactate at the significantly higher rate of 2.8 pmol X min-1 X mm-1. Antimycin A increased lactate production significantly in all of the distal segments. The increase was largest in medullary thick ascending limbs (1,400%) and cortical (798%) and outer medullary collecting ducts (357%). Increments were smaller in cortical thick ascending limbs (98%) and distal convoluted tubules (98%) and least in the inner medullary collecting ducts (28%). We conclude that lactate production occurs only in distal segments of the nephron and that under anoxic conditions significant amounts of ATP are produced by anaerobic glycolysis in these segments.
Studies on the Geometry of Urban Layouts: A Review of the Literature

The purpose of this chapter is twofold. First, it presents a review of the studies that have used different geometric approaches and measures to describe, explain, and understand the significance of urban layout for over a century. Second, it defines the purpose of this book based on the findings of the review.
A radiologist’s guide to the clinical scales used in the 2015 Endovascular Stroke Trials and the Revised American Heart Association/American Stroke Association Guidelines for Endovascular Stroke Treatment

In 2015, five trials demonstrated the efficacy of endovascular treatment for acute stroke, culminating in the revised American Heart Association/American Stroke Association (AHA/ASA) recommendations for stroke management. The different clinical scales used in these trials may be unfamiliar to emergency and on-call radiologists. The modified Rankin Scale was used to describe patient disability for prestroke assessment in three of the trials and for the 90-day follow up in all five trials. The Barthel index was used in one trial to score prestroke ability to perform activities of daily living. The NIH Stroke Scale was used as part of eligibility criteria in four of the stroke trials to assess pre-existing neurological deficits. Also, the modified Rankin Scale and the NIH Stroke Scale are used in the revised AHA/ASA recommendations. By understanding these scales, emergency and on-call radiologists will better appreciate the stroke patient’s condition and will be able to more actively collaborate in the care of acute stroke patients.
Age-Related Maturation of Wave V Latency of Auditory Brainstem Response in Children.

Background and objectives Auditory brainstem response (ABR) is a noninvasive measurement of a stimulus-locked, synchronous electrical event. ABR provides information concerning the functional integrity of brainstem nuclei. Age is a key factor in the interpretation of ABR peak latency among different age groups. Progressively with time it follows a "maturation pattern" during which latencies decrease. Wave V is very prominent and reliable for detection of threshold in children. The present study was performed to see the effect of age related auditory maturation on ABR wave V latency in children. Subjects and methods The study involved 80 subjects ranging in age from birth to 12 years. The subjects were divided equally into eight age groups. ABR were elicited by an acoustic click stimuli, brainstem responses collected through electrode and recorded at the same time. Latency of wave V was acknowledged. Results Wave V latency decreased rapidly in early childhood, became slower after 3 years of age and completely matured by 12 years of age. There was no significant difference in latency of wave V between the ears with age. Conclusions There is a distinct maturation pattern of wave V latency in ABR for both ears. ABR is a reliable test to assess the functional maturation of wave V in children.
Etiologies of Chronic Cough in Pediatric Cohorts: CHEST Guideline and Expert Panel Report

Background There is no published systematic review on the etiologies of chronic cough or the relationship between OSA and chronic cough in children aged ≤ 14 years. We thus undertook a systematic review based on key questions (KQs) using the Population, Intervention, Comparison, Outcome format. The KQs follow: Among children with chronic (> 4 weeks) cough (KQ 1) are the common etiologies different from those in adults? (KQ 2) Are the common etiologies age or setting dependent, or both? (KQ 3) Is OSA a cause of chronic cough in children? Methods We used the CHEST Expert Cough Panel's protocol and the American College of Chest Physicians (CHEST) methodological guidelines and Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation framework. Data from the systematic reviews in conjunction with patients' values and preferences and the clinical context were used to form recommendations. Delphi methodology was used to obtain consensus. Results Combining KQs 1 and 2, we found moderate-level evidence from 10 prospective studies that the etiologies of cough in children are different from those in adults and are setting dependent. Data from three studies found that common etiologies of cough in young children were different from those in older children. However, data relating sleep abnormalities to chronic cough in children were found only in case studies. Conclusions There is moderate-quality evidence that common etiologies of chronic cough in children are different from those in adults and are dependent on age and setting. As there are few data relating OSA and chronic cough in children, the panel suggested that these children should be managed in accordance with pediatric sleep guidelines.
Mechanical and Barrier Properties of Wheat Gluten Films Coated with Polylactic Acid

Development of biopolymer films and coatings from protein, polysaccharide, and lipid materials has received increased interest in recent years. In the midst of rising concerns over solid packaging waste and dwindling petroleum reserves, the renewable and degradable nature of biopolymer fiilm ingredients make such fiilms particularly appealing for innovative uses in the fiield of packaging. However, unlike some proteins, few nonfood applications for wheat gluten have been developed. In 1990 world wheat production was 589 million metric tonnes, of which 12.6% was produced in the US. Industrial Uses of Agricultural Materials (June, 1993) reported consolidated sales for low density polyethylene (LDPE) at about 3.1 million metric tonnes for various food and nonfood packaging uses in the US in 1992. The total LDPE sales, agricultural uses and trash bags sales accounted for 770,000 metric tonnes in 1992. A 30% market penetration of wheat gluten polymer in agricultural mulches and trash bags would use around 230,000 metric tonnes of gluten in the US alone.
Why Lie?: Deception of Health Information.

Individuals provide deceptive information in many contexts and for many reasons. We explore the phenomenon of medical patients providing deceptive information to their healthcare providers via both face-to-face and online interactions. We will employ the scenario-based factorial survey method to present research respondents with various situations in which they may consider whether or not to provide accurate or deceptive information. This method has been demonstrated to yield valid data for investigations of norm-violating behaviors. Results will be presented at the conference.
GALEX far-ultraviolet observations of metal-poor subdwarfs

Far-ultraviolet photometry derived from the GALEX satellite observatory has been compiled for a sample of metal-poor subdwarfs with $\mathrm{[Fe/H]} < -1.0$ . The FUV properties of these subdwarfs are compared with those of a set of Population I dwarfs that are known to have low levels of chromospheric activity. Comparisons are made via a number of photometric plots, including an absolute FUV magnitude versus $(V-K_{s})$ diagram, two-colour diagrams involving both $(m_{ \mathrm{FUV}}-B)$ and $(m_{\mathrm{FUV}}-V)$ versus $B-V$ , and a two-colour diagram composed of $(m_{\mathrm{FUV}}-V)$ versus $(V-K_{s})$ . The warmest subdwarfs with $(V-K_{s}) \sim1.2\mbox{--}1.4$ show FUV excesses ranging from $\sim2\mbox{--}3~\mbox{mag}$ relative to the Population I dwarfs, with the amount of FUV enhancement decreasing among subdwarfs of decreasing effective temperature. The coolest dwarfs that are compared have $(V-K_{s}) \sim1.8$ , and among these stars the subdwarfs with $-2.0 \leq{\mathrm{[Fe/H]}} \leq-1.0$ approach the locus of low activity Population I dwarfs in the $(m_{\mathrm{FUV}}-V, V-K_{s})$ diagram. In the $(m_{\mathrm{FUV}}-B, B-V)$ diagram the subdwarfs in this metallicity range overlap the Population I dwarf sequence for $(B-V) > 0.6$ . The behaviour of the subdwarfs is consistent with their FUV fluxes being determined by a combination of a photospheric FUV spectrum, the strength of which diminishes towards cooler effective temperatures, and a spectrum of emission lines arising from a chromosphere and/or transition region which are of comparable strength between the coolest dwarfs and subdwarfs.
Health and appearance reasons for weight loss as predictors of long-term weight change:

This study investigated whether women’s initial reasons (health, appearance to others, or appearance to self) for wanting to lose weight influenced their weight change over a 30-month web-based int...
A Boost Converter Design with Low Output Ripple Based on Harmonics Feedback.

Conventional boost converters are essential to connect low-voltage energy source such as battery with high voltage DC bus in Electric Vehicles due to its simple construction and high conversion efficiency. However, large output capacitor banks must be used in order to reduce the output voltage ripples when an inverter is connected to a boost converter. In a typical series hybrid electric vehicle powertrain, significant voltage and current perturbations will impact on battery system performance and result in considerable power loss. To address this issue, this paper proposes a new control strategy for ripple reduction in the dc-link of power electronic converters. In the proposed method, an observer is designed to adaptively estimate the dc-link voltage and current harmonics. The harmonic terms are multiplied by optimized gains to control the converter's duty cycle by negative feedback law. Entire control model for the proposed converter is illustrated and robustness is verified. Simulation and experiments show that original voltage and current ripple magnitude can be reduced significantly.
Breast cancer prognostic staging and internal mammary lymph node metastases: a brief overview

The incidence of cancer worldwide continues to increase, and it remains the second leading cause of death (1). Of the 17.5 million cancer cases worldwide in 2015, breast cancer was the most common in women (2.4 million cases) and was the leading cause of cancer deaths (523,000) in women (1). As such, the importance of effectively and efficiently communicating disease characteristics and prognosis remains essential to patients, clinicians, and researchers.
Sanctification as a Human Process: Reading Calvin Alongside Child Development Theory

In Calvin’s doctrine of sanctification and in recent work on children’s moral formation within developmental psychology, we find a surprising convergence. In both cases, moral formation or transformation takes place within the context of a parent’s (divine or human) loving and unconditional commitment to a child. Although Reformed doctrines of sanctification have struggled to articulate how the graced change of sanctification is intelligible as a human process, a comparison between these two approaches shows that sanctification is both intelligible to the moral agent and a genuinely human process. This comparison also highlights affective social acceptance as a condition for moral agency that is infrequently addressed in theoretical accounts of moral formation. WHEN DISCUSSIONS OF MORAL FORMATION TURN TO A CONsideration of children, the goal is generally practical: How can we, the adults, so organize the lives of children that they grow up to be good? These questions certainly have their place, but in moving so quickly from the empirical to the practical, an opportunity is missed to reflect on the person of the child and to consider what his or her emerging moral capacities tell us about human morality as a whole.1 Recent studies of children’s moral development in the human sciences vividly display early familial relationships as the crucial context for moral development.2 They suggest that when these relationships are characterized by unconditional commitment, attentiveness, mutual trust, and affection, the stage is set for optimal developmental outcomes. If the picture of children’s moral development emerging from the last few decades of research is correct, this relational grounding is so foundational that scholars of moral formation from a variety of disciplines would do well to consider the implications for understanding moral growth and transformation throughout the life span.
Evaluation of Controlled Static Exertions in Various Muscle Groups

The definition and description of static muscular exertions is a problem encountered in the attempt to create realistic and applicable mathematical models of the human body characteristics. When asked for a maximal effort, the human subject may present less than genuine maximal voluntary exertions (due to various motivational factors). Therefore these inaccurate inputs may account for some of the wide variability of results and the inability of many mathematical models to describe accurately the biomechanical situation.
Sulfamyl Radicals Direct Photoredox-Mediated Giese Reactions at Unactivated C(3)–H Bonds

Alcohol-anchored sulfamate esters guide the alkylation of tertiary and secondary aliphatic C(3)-H bonds. The transformation proceeds directly from N-H bonds with a catalytic oxidant, a contrast to prior methods which have required preoxidation of the reactive nitrogen center, or employed stoichiometric amounts of strong oxidants to obtain the sulfamyl radical. These sulfamyl radicals template otherwise rare 1,6-hydrogen-atom transfer (HAT) processes via seven-membered ring transition states to enable C(3)-H functionalization during Giese reactions.
Child protection involvement among homeless families

Linked administrative records were leveraged to characterize the demographics, prevalence and timing of child protection system (CPS) involvement of families receiving services from a homeless serv...
Zika Virus Infection, Reproductive Organ Targeting, and Semen Transmission in the Male Olive Baboon.

Zika virus (ZIKV) infection in pregnant women is a serious threat to the development and viability of the fetus. The primary mode of ZIKV transmission to humans is through mosquito bites, but sexual transmission has also been well documented in humans. However, little is known of the short- and long-term effects of ZIKV infection on the human male reproductive system. This study examines the effects of ZIKV infection on the male reproductive organs and semen and the immune response of the olive baboon (Papio anubis). Nine mature male baboons were infected with ZIKV (French Polynesian strain) subcutaneously. Six animals were euthanized at 41 days, while three animals were euthanized at 10 or 11 days postinfection (dpi). Viremia and clinical evidence of infection were present in all nine baboons. ZIKV RNA was present in the semen of five of nine baboons. ZIKV was present in the testes of two of three males euthanized at 10 or 11 dpi, but in none of six males at 41 dpi. Immunofluorescence of testes suggested the presence of ZIKV in sperm progenitor cells, macrophage penetration of seminiferous tubules, and increased tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α), particularly in vascular walls. These data demonstrate that male olive baboons approximate the male human ZIKV response, including viremia, the adaptive immune response, and persistent ZIKV in semen. Although gross testicular pathology was not seen, the demonstrated breach of the testes-blood barrier and targeting of spermatogenic precursors suggest possible long-term implications in ZIKV-infected primates.IMPORTANCE Zika virus (ZIKV) is an emerging flavivirus spread through mosquitoes and sexual contact. ZIKV infection during pregnancy can lead to severe fetal outcomes, including miscarriage, fetal death, preterm birth, intrauterine growth restriction, and fetal microcephaly, collectively known as congenital Zika syndrome. Therefore, it is important to understand how this virus spreads, as well as the resulting pathogenesis in translational animal models that faithfully mimic ZIKV infection in humans. Such models will contribute to the future development of efficient therapeutics and prevention mechanisms. Through our previous work in olive baboons, we developed a nonhuman primate model that is permissive to ZIKV infection and transfers the virus vertically from mother to fetus, modeling human observations. The present study contributes to understanding of ZIKV infection in male baboon reproductive tissues and begins to elucidate how this may affect fertility, reproductive capacity, and sexual transmission of the virus.
Chemical pathways for the formation of benzofuran and dibenzofuran in combustion

Abstract Understanding and predicting the formation of polycyclic aromatic compounds (PACs) and their role in the formation of high molecular mass compounds is still an unresolved topic in combustion. PACs characteristics, such as chemical composition, size, and presence of side chains, play an important role not only in terms of environmental and health impact, but also when developing models that describe the formation of nanoparticles and soot. In this paper, we report on a detailed analysis of the reaction pathways describing the chemistry of furan-embedded PACs using ab initio G3-type electronic structure calculations leading to the formation of benzofuran and dibenzofuran from benzene and biphenyl. The 82 elementary reactions, identified in this work, contain unexplored pathways involving triplet oxygen atom and hydroxyl radical addition reactions. A protocol for improving the calculations of reaction energetics from ab initio compound methods is proposed, which consists of the thorough usage of IRCmax scheme to identify the transition state structure and an energy correction ( ~ 0.2 kcal/mol) to the empirical term in G3 formula for systems with open-shell singlet type of electronic configurations. Based on these ab initio calculations, temperature dependent reaction rate constants are calculated according to statistical theories, together with thermodynamics data. Branching ratio analysis based on steady-state approximation is carried out to illustrate the relative importance of the new pathways in an ethylene premixed flame. Results show that the newly discovered benzofuran formation pathways can play a relative important role when in presence of phenol or phenoxyl radicals at various locations in the flame.
A Computational Efficient Space-Vector Modulation Scheme for A Hybrid Seven-Level Converter for Medium Voltage Grid-Tied Applications

In this paper, a fast space-vector modulation (SVM) scheme is proposed for a hybrid 7-level (7-L) converter, i.e., cascaded T-type converter and H-bridge converters, for grid-tied applications. Using oblique coordinate reference, the proposed SVM can quickly locate the switching triangle enclosing the reference vector in the 7-L space vector diagram. Then all available switching sequences and vector duty cycles are acquired by straightforward calculation without using any look-up tables, which significantly reduces the computational cost. The floating capacitor voltages are also stabilized by using the proposed SVM. Experimental studies on a scale-down prototype are presented in this work to validate the effectiveness of the proposed scheme.
Category norms with a cross-sectional sample of adults in the United States: Consideration of cohort, age, and historical effects on semantic categories

This paper describes normative data for newly collected exemplar responses to 70 semantic categories described in previous norming studies (Battig & Montague, Journal of Experimental Psychology, 80(3, pt.2): 1-46, 1969; Van Overschelde, Rawson, & Dunlosky, Journal of Memory and Language, 50(3): 289-335, 2004; Yoon et al., Psychology and Aging, 19(3), 379-393, 2004). These categories were presented to 246 young (18-39 years), middle (40-59 years), and older (60 years and older) English-speaking adults living in the United States who were asked to generate as many category exemplars as possible for each of the 70 categories. In order to understand differences in normative responses, we analyzed these responses a) between age groups within the current sample and b) in comparison to three previously published sets of norms. Experimental studies using such norms typically assume invariance of normative likelihoods across age and historical time. We replicate previous findings such that exemplar frequency correlations suggest moderate stability in generated category members between age groups and cohorts for many, but not all, categories. Further, analyses of rank-order correlations highlight that the traditional measure of typicality may not capture all aspects of typicality, namely that for some categories there is high consistency in the frequency of exemplars across age groups and/or norms, but the ordering of those exemplars differs significantly. We include a cluster analysis to aid in grouping categories based on relative stability across time, cohort, and age groups. These results emphasize the importance of maintaining and updating age-differentiated category norms.
Chain of Gold: Greek Rhetoric in the Roman Empire: by Susan C. Jarratt, Carbondale, Southern Illinois UP, 2019, 200 pp., $38 (paperback), ISBN: 978-0-8093-3753-8

When, after having registered for the ninth grade, I told my dad I was going to take Latin, he raised an eyebrow and a question: “Why?” Thinking it would be a reason a practical person like him wou...
A note on the applications of Wick products and Feynman diagrams in the study of singular partial differential equations

Abstract The study of singular partial differential equations has seen rapid significant developments very recently. In particular, the works of Hairer (2013, 2014), and Gubinelli et al. (2015) paved the way for others to follow, providing blueprints for further study. Yet, many manuscripts in this field consist of extensive applications of techniques from physics, specifically quantum field theory, such as Wick products which are best explained in terms of Feynman diagrams. The purpose of this short note is to describe how the necessity of Wick products comes about, their applications using Feynman diagrams, as well as the utility of Gaussian hypercontractivity theorem. We also conclude with a description of an open problem that seems to be very mathematically challenging and physically meaningful. The author’s intention is to make this note as accessible as possible to a wide audience by providing sufficient details, as well as relatively self-contained by including all relevant results which are necessary for our discussions.
The Foundations of Limited Authoritarian Government: Institutions, Commitment, and Power-Sharing in Dictatorships

Why do some dictatorships establish institutions that may constrain their leaders? We argue that institutions promote the survival of dictatorships by facilitating authoritarian power-sharing. Specifically, institutions such as parties, legislatures, and advisory councils alleviate commitment and monitoring problems between the dictator and his allies caused by the secrecy in authoritarian governance. However, because authoritarian power-sharing succeeds only when it is backed by a credible threat of a rebellion by the dictator’s allies, institutions will be ineffective or break down when an imbalance of power within the ruling coalition undermines this threat’s credibility. Our arguments clarify the complex interaction between collective action, commitment, and monitoring problems in authoritarian governance. We use both historical and large-N data to assess new empirical predictions about the relationship between political institutions, leader survival, and the concentration of power in dictatorships.
Influence-based Voronoi diagrams of clusters

Abstract In this paper, we study a generalization of Voronoi diagram, called the Influence-based Voronoi Diagram (IVD). The input consists of a point set P in R d , a collection C = { C 1 , C 2 , … , C n } where each C i ⊆ P , i = 1 , 2 , … , n , is a cluster of points of P, and an influence function F ( C , q ) measuring the influence from a set C of points to any point q in R d , and the goal is to construct an influence-based Voronoi diagram for C . By making use of a recent work called the Clustering Induced Voronoi Diagram (CIVD) for unclustered points, we are able to show that it is possible to utilize CIVD's space-partition ability and combine it with a divide-and-conquer algorithm to simultaneously resolve the space partition and assignment problems for a large class of influence functions. This overcomes a major difficulty of CIVD on the assignment problem. Our technique yields a ( 1 − ϵ ) -approximate IVD with size O ( N log ⁡ N ) in O ( T 2 ( N ) N log 2 ⁡ N + T 1 ( N ) ) time, where N is the total cardinalities of clusters in C , ϵ > 0 is a small constant, and T 1 and T 2 are functions measuring how efficiently F ( C , q ) can be evaluated.