cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Susceptibility of Murine Norovirus and Hepatitis A Virus to Electron Beam Irradiation in Oysters and Quantifying the Reduction in Potential Infection Risks

Consumption of raw oysters is an exposure route for human norovirus (NoV) and hepatitis A virus (HAV). Therefore, efficient postharvest oyster treatment technology is needed to reduce public health risks. This study evaluated the inactivation of HAV and the NoV research surrogate, murine norovirus-1 (MNV-1), in oysters (Crassostrea virginica) by electron beam (E-beam) irradiation. The reduction of potential infection risks was quantified for E-beam irradiation technology employed on raw oysters at various virus contamination levels. The E-beam dose required to reduce the MNV and HAV titer by 90% (D(10) value) in whole oysters was 4.05 (standard deviations [SD], ±0.63) and 4.83 (SD, ±0.08) kGy, respectively. Microbial risk assessment suggests that if a typical serving of 12 raw oysters was contaminated with 10(5) PFU, a 5-kGy treatment would achieve a 12% reduction (from 4.49 out of 10 persons to 3.95 out of 10 persons) in NoV infection and a 16% reduction (from 9.21 out of 10 persons to 7.76 out of 10 persons) in HAV infections. If the serving size contained only 10(2) PFU of viruses, a 5-kGy treatment would achieve a 26% reduction (2.74 out of 10 persons to 2.03 out of 10 persons) of NoV and 91% reduction (2.1 out of 10 persons to 1.93 out of 100 persons) of HAV infection risks. This study shows that although E-beam processing cannot completely eliminate the risk of viral illness, infection risks can be reduced.
A comparison of analog and digital circuit implementations of low power matched filters for use in portable wireless communication terminals

In this paper, analog and digital circuit realizations of a parallel programmable matched filter are examined. Through wide variations of the design space parameters, the general trend that is observed is that short, fast circuits tend to favor an analog implementation, while longer, slower circuits make a digital implementation more appropriate. A methodology is provided for choosing the preferable circuit-implementing technology when power consumption-as a function of data precision, filter length, operating frequency, technology scaling, and the maturity of the fabrication process-is used as the primary metric of comparison. It is shown that neither the analog nor the digital matched filter implementation is universally more power efficient than the other. Rather, a surface is mapped in the multidimensional design space where, on one side of this surface, a digital solution is preferable, while on the other side of the surface, an analog circuit is appropriate. Equations are given which delineate the position of this transitional surface in terms of the design space parameters, and example calculations and plots depicting the regions of dominance for the digital and analog matched filters for specific process and system parameters are presented.
Design of Energy Management Strategy in Hybrid Vehicles by Evolutionary Fuzzy System Part I: Fuzzy Logic Controller Development

In this two-part paper presents an evolutionary fuzzy design method based energy management strategy for parallel Hybrid Electric Vehicles. The proposed method consists of two steps. In the first phase, a fuzzy logic controller was employed to quantify the energy management system behavior. In the second stage, a genetic algorithm was used for fine-tuning the parameters of the fuzzy controller based on a goal of minimizing fuel consumption. We employed a novel method to cope with the difficulty often encountered in designing a fitness function. The simulation study reveals that the proposed "evolutionary fuzzy system" based energy management strategy provide a platform of new energy management system and gives improved performance of a parallel hybrid vehicle. In part I, the basic framework of energy management strategies is discussed and a detailed description of developing a fuzzy logic controller. The second stage work is presented in the second part of this paper.
Does Gender have any Effect on Aggregate Saving? An empirical analysis

This study investigates the effects of gender on aggregate saving. We test the hypothesis that shifts in women's relative income, which can affect their bargaining power within the household, have a discernible impact on household saving and, by extension, gross domestic saving, due to differing saving propensities by gender. The empirical analysis is based on panel data for a set of semi-industrialised economies, covering the period 1975-95. The results indicate that, as some measures of women's relative income and bargaining power increase, gross domestic saving rates rise. The implied gender disparity in saving propensities may be linked to differences in saving motives based on gender roles, and well as divergent experiences of economic vulnerability. These findings suggest the importance of understanding gender differences in planning for savings mobilisation and in the formulation of financial and investment policies.
An Objective Method of Compliance Assessment with Metered-Dose Inhalers

Evaluation of compliance with metered-dose inhalers (MDIs) is especially difficult. We investigated the correlation between serial weight change of the MDI canister and the number of doses delivered. Canister weight strongly correlated with number of activations for three different bronchodilators (metaproterenol, r2 = 0.9965; albuterol, r2 = 0.9984; terbutaline, r2 = 0.9913). To validate these results, a one-month trial designed to mimic patient use was conducted. Nine aerosol bronchodilator MDIs (three each of terbutaline, albuterol, and metaproterenol) were evaluated by three volunteers, each given one of each type of MDI. Number of activations were recorded in a diary and canisters were weighed weekly. At the end of the four-week period the number of activations were determined from weekly canister weight. Predicted activation numbers, calculated from both regression line and baseline weight, were compared to actual activation number. Statistical analysis was done using analysis of variance. Predicted number of activations for all three drugs ranged from 77 to 125 percent of observed and did not significantly differ depending on the type of bronchodilator (p = 0.3340). The method of prediction, regression intercept or baseline weight, led to significantly different predictions (p = 0.0569). The interaction between the method of prediction and type of bronchodilator was significant (p = 0.0197). Using either method, the actual number of doses dispensed can be predicted within 25 percent.
Book Review: A Law Unto Itself: The Untold Story of the Law Firm Sullivan & Cromwell

This essay reviews a book about the venerable Wall Street law firm of Sullivan & Cromwell. Written when the firm was being hit by allegations of ethical impropriety - including suggestions that the firm had been welcoming to Nazi provincial governments in pre-War Germany - the book at times is sensationalistic in tone. And the book seems to view the firm as all-powerful. That characterization might make S&C lawyers happy - it’s good for business - but the authors sometimes forget that what they are writing about is just an often dull law firm.
Taurus Telecommunications Corporation: A New Prepaid Phonecard

A small firm operating in the U.S. prepaid-phone-card industry is considering a new $5 phone card offering 60 minutes of service to Mexico. The sales group at the company believes the card will be a market success. The brand manager, skeptical of the card's potential profitability, has been assigned the task of analyzing its costs. Three carriers have offered different pricing proposals for the new card. Students are introduced to a spreadsheet model to evaluate the potential profitability and relative merits of the three proposals and single-point estimates of numerous inputs.
Effects of heat-treatment on the stability and composition of metabolomic extracts from the earthworm Eisenia fetida

Environmental metabolomics studies employing earthworms as sentinels for soil contamination are numerous, but the instability of the metabolite extracts from these organisms has been minimally addressed. This study evaluated the efficacy of adding a heat-treatment step in two commonly used extraction protocols (Bligh and Dyer and D2O phosphate buffer) as a pre-analytical stabilization method. The resulting metabolic profiles of Eisenia fetida were assessed using principal component analysis and NMR spectral evaluations. The heated Bligh and Dyer extractions produced stabilized profiles with minimal variation of the extracted metabolomic profiles over time, providing a more suitable method for metabolomic analysis of earthworm extracts.
Costs associated with instrument sterilization in gynecologic surgery.

Background With rising health care expenditures, hospitals must contain costs in ways that maintain high-quality patient care. A significant portion of perioperative costs are associated with materials and supplies; many reusable instruments on surgical trays go unused, which may account for significant annual excess processing costs. Reorganizing gynecologic trays to contain fewer instruments can result in significant cost savings. In the field of operative gynecology, there has been considerable attention to the various costs and surgical outcomes that are associated with hysterectomy performed in the abdominal, vaginal, and laparoscopic approaches; however, little research has been done on the cost differences that are associated with the reusable instruments that are used in these approaches. Objectives This study aimed to identify the percent usage of instruments within gynecologic surgery and to identify differences by surgical approach. We further aimed to estimate the costs of sterilizing surgical instruments and estimate the excess costs that are associated with processing unused instruments. Study Design This was a single site observational study. Specific instruments that were used from incision to closure were recorded on operating room count sheets via direct observation of surgeries that were performed in the gynecologic operating rooms by a trained investigator. Cost data on instrument transportation, employee wages, and instrument replacement was obtained from institutional supply chain management. Results In total, 28 surgical cases (5 abdominal, 11 laparoscopic, and 12 vaginal) were analyzed, with an average of 2 hours 37 minutes operating room time and 5.4 instrument trays for each case. One hundred fifty trays were observed. Trays had an average of 38 instruments per tray (range, 1–141). Surgeons used an average of 36.7 instruments of 184 available instruments per case, for a usage rate of 20.5±2.8%. A significant difference was noted between usage rates in abdominal cases (26.3±6.5%) and vaginal cases (13.6±3.3%) but not between laparoscopic (19.4±4.2%) vs other approaches. Instrument use was correlated inversely with the number of instruments, with an average usage rate of 18.7% for trays that contained ≥10 instruments. Total annual institutional cost associated with instrument processing was estimated at $3.19 per instrument. Conclusion Instrument usage in the gynecologic operating room is low, and the cost of processing instruments is significant. Availability of certain instruments is necessary for patient safety in the event of rare unexpected events. However, given that less than one quarter of the instruments pulled for surgery are used and that total processing cost per instrument exceeds $3.00, careful review of what instruments are included in each tray is warranted. Clearly, significant cost-savings are possible while concurrently balancing safety concerns.
Nonlinear Direct Adaptive Control and Disturba nce Rejection for Spacecraft

In this paper, a Nonlinear Direct Model Reference Adaptive Control (NDMRAC) i s derived. The NDMRAC controller is compared to the Full State Feedback (FSFB) controller. Both of the controllers are applied to a rigid body spacecraft. To compare the controllers, the inertia matrix is suddenly changed in the simulation. Euler equations are used to estimate the evolution of the rigid body angular velocity and quaternions are used to describe the attitude position of the rigid body. The system is augmented or modified to account for the disturbances affecting the system under observation, so the NDMRAC control also implements a Direct Adaptive Disturbance Rejection (DADR) control which partially or fully eliminates the disturbance coming into the simulated system. The error of the system and the power spectrum density of the disturbance ar e used to analyze the performance of t he NDMRAC and DADR controllers.
Laparoscopy-assisted supracervical hysterectomy for ovarian cancer: cervical recurrence.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES The purpose of our study is to evaluate the incidence of cervical recurrence after laparoscopic supracervical hysterectomy for ovarian cancer debulking or staging. METHODS From a prospective surgical database, we identified 51 cases of laparoscopic supracervical hysterectomy for ovarian cancer debulking or staging. No cases were excluded. RESULTS From 2009 to 2012, 51 patients were identified. The median age was 62 years (range, 32-83 years), and the median body mass index was 29 kg/m2 (range, 16-41 kg/m2). Medical comorbidities were present in 40 patients (78%), and 53% had prior abdominal surgery. The median operative time was 2 hours (range, 1-3.5 hours), and the median blood loss was 200 mL (range, 50-900 mL). The median length of stay was 1 day (range, 0-12 days). The stage was I in 12 patients, II in 6, and III/IV in 33. At a median follow-up time of 1.7 years (range, 0.3-2.6 years), 20 patients (39%) had recurrence of cancer, with a median time of recurrence of 1.1 years (range, 0.3-2.3 years). All recurrences were in the abdomen or pelvis except for 1 axillary node recurrence and 1 recurrence in the distal vagina. There were no recurrences in the remaining cervical stump. No patient had a postoperative vaginal cuff infection. Among the 104 cycles of intraperitoneal chemotherapy, there was no vaginal leakage of intraperitoneal chemotherapy. CONCLUSION Laparoscopic supracervical hysterectomy for ovarian cancer debulking or staging does not result in cervical recurrence.
Overlay Automata and Algorithms for Fast and Scalable Regular Expression Matching

Regular expression (RegEx) matching, the core operation of intrusion detection and prevention systems, remains a fundamentally challenging problem. A desired RegEx matching scheme should satisfy four requirements: deterministic finite state automata (DFA) speed, nondeterministic finite state automata (NFA) size, automated construction, and scalable construction. Despite lots of work on RegEx matching, no prior scheme satisfies all four of these requirements. In this paper, we approach this holy grail by proposing OverlayCAM, a RegEx matching scheme that satisfies all four requirements. The theoretical underpinning of our scheme is overlay delayed input DFA, a new automata model proposed in this paper that captures both state replication and transition replication, which are inherent in DFAs. Our RegEx matching solution processes one input character per lookup like a DFA, requires only the space of an NFA, is grounded in sound automata models, is easy to deploy in existing network devices, and comes with scalable and automated construction algorithms.
Fabrication and Properties of Zr_(0.92)Mg_(0.08)O_(1.92) and Zr_(0.92)Y_(0.08)O_(1.96) Solid Electrolyte

Zr0.92Mg0.08O1.92and Zr0.92Y0.08O1.96solid electrolyte were synthesized by a solid state reaction method at 1 650 ℃, respectively.The relative densities of Zr0.92Mg0.08O1.92and Zr0.92Y0.08O1.96are 96.19%and 95.12%.According to the analysis by X-ray diffraction,the two solid electrolytes both contain a cubic solid solution phase.The scanning electron microscope photograph demonstrates that the microstructure morphology of Zr0.92Mg0.08O1.92and Zr0.92Y0.08O1.96are compact.The ionic conductivity of Zr0.92Mg0.08O1.92and Zr0.92Y0.08O1.96solid electrolyte were measured by AC impedance spectroscopy at 1 000—1 600℃.The ionic conductivity of Zr0.92Mg0.08O1.92increases with increase of temperature.The conductivity of Zr0.92Y0.08O1.96 firstly increases and then decreases with the increase of temperature,and reaches the optimum value of 7.24×10-2 S/cm at 1 400℃.The conductivity of Zr0.92Y0.08O1.96is greater than that of Zr0.92Mg0.08O1.92at 1 000—1 450℃.The conductive activation energies of Zr0.92Mg0.08O1.92and Zr0.92Y0.08O1.96obtained are 1.61and 0.20eV at 1 000—1 450 ℃,respectively,and they are 0.55and 0.85eV at 1 450—1 600℃,respectively.
Hepatitis C Screening of the “Birth Cohort” (Born 1945–1965) and Younger Inmates of New York City Jails

Objectives. To examine uptake of screening for all individuals born between 1945 and 1965 (referred to by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as the “birth cohort”) and outline preliminary HCV prevalence data in the New York City jail system.Methods. Data were extracted from electronic health records for all individuals screened for HCV between June 13, 2013, and June 13, 2014, in New York City jails. We used the Abbott EIA 2.0 HCV antibody assay for testing.Results. In the year of study, 56 590 individuals were incarcerated; 15.1% were born between 1945 and 1965, and 84.6% were born after 1965. HCV screening was completed for 64.1% of the birth cohort and for 11.1% born after 1965, with 55.1% and 43.8% of cases found in these groups, respectively. The overall seropositivity rate was 20.6%.Conclusions. Birth cohort screening in a large jail system identified many HCV cases, but HCV infection was common among younger age groups.Public Health Implications. Universal screening may be warranted pen...
Abstract T P74: Mild Stroke in a Telemedicine Network: Identification, Treatment, and Outcomes

Introduction: "Mild" stroke is not well defined, but is a relative contraindication for the administration of IV rtPA. Advances in telemedicine have allowed for specialized practitioners to observe the examination, rather than rely on the on-scene examiner. We investigated whether there were differences in rates of identification, treatment, and outcomes of mild stroke patients in the phone compared to the video arms of a telestroke network. Methods: The STRokE DOC trials were prospective, randomized, outcome-blinded trials comparing video telemedicine to phone-only evaluations, which assessed eligibility for IV rtPA and correctness of decision-making for 2 hubs and 6 spokes. This analysis included all adult acute ischemic stroke patients from the STRokE DOC trials who were defined as “mild” using a recent definition from the TREAT Task Force. Rates of ICH, mortality, and dichotomized 90-day mRS scores were compared between the video and phone arms. Results: Mild stroke accounted for 32% and 29% of the video and phone arms, respectively. The two groups had similar baseline characteristics except hypertension (higher rate in video arm). Of the video mild stroke patients, 13% had poor outcome (mRS>1) compared to 24% of the phone arm (p=0.45). There were no symptomatic ICH or deaths. Among IV rtPA treated mild stroke patients, all of the video arm had good outcome, versus 25% of the phone arm. Of 100 non-treated patients, 34 were excluded because of "too mild" a deficit (TMT). In the phone arm, 7 of these did not meet the TREAT-derived criteria for mild stroke (p=0.03). One TMT patient in the phone arm had poor outcome. Conclusions: Mild stroke made up a third of the patients in each group. Some TMT patients in the phone arm did not meet the criteria for mild stroke; their subtle findings may not have been conveyed adequately over the phone. Among IV rtPA treated patients, the phone arm had worse outcomes. The results raise concern regarding accuracy of predicting outcomes for mild stroke patients, especially when based on a phone description. The study numbers were small, so conclusions cannot be definitively made. Future studies are necessary to determine decision making factors within the telemedicine process that influence treatment outcomes among mild stroke patients.
Steep sub-threshold current slope (∼2 mV/dec) Pt/Cu2S/Pt gated memristor with lon/Ioff > 100

Abstract Memristors with steep off-on transitions and high “on” currents are excellent candidates for very low power and efficient electronics. Owing to their switching mechanism based on ion motion and oxidation/reduction process, memristors bridge the gap between MEMS and MOSFETs. They have better reliability similar to MOSFETS and at the same time have the more desirable off-to-on current ratios of MEMS. Here we show that by adding a gate electrode to memristors, the SET/RESET voltages in electrochemical memristors can be controlled enabling their applications in circuits with high input/output isolations. We discuss devices with 2 mV/dec sub-threshold slope and show that the gate field effect can be used to modify the SET/RESET voltages considerably. In addition to enabling very low power switches using memristors, the gate can also be used as a global RESET.
Abstract 5462: Extracellular ATP promotes cancer cell drug resistance to tyrosine kinase inhibitors by competing for the ATP-binding site of tyrosine kinase

ATP plays important roles in cellular processes in cancer cells, which are a heterogeneous population in tumors regarding their genetic background and oxygen and energy supplies. The fact that cancer cells undergo rapid proliferation suggests that they must possess mechanisms, which may not be present in normal cells, to meet their high energy needs. Studies by others revealed that extracellular ATP levels of various cancer types are 10^3 to 10^4 times higher than those in their corresponding normal tissues (1). We recently reported that extracellular ATP can be taken up directly by cancer cells by macropinocytosis (2). Based on these results, we hypothesized that the internalized extracellular ATP not only promotes cancer cell growth and survival, but also drug resistance. In this study, human lung cancer A549 and breast cancer MCF7 cells were used as cell models to determine the effects of extracellular ATP on drug resistance to tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) in cancer cells. Cancer cell viability and intracellular ATP measurement results showed that extracellular ATP substantially increased intracellular ATP levels and promoted cancer cell drug resistance to TKIs. Viability of TKI treated cancer cells was significantly increased in the presence of extracellular ATP, compared to cancer cells with TKI treatment alone. Administration of macropinocytosis inhibitors significantly reduced the drug resistance induced by extracellular ATP, suggesting that extracellular ATP promoted drug resistance by contributing to the intracellular ATP pool. Protein and protein phosphorylation analyses results suggested that the increased intracellular ATP reversed the inhibition of TKIs by competing with the inhibitor for the ATP-binding site of platelet-derived growth factor receptor (PDGFR) and enhancing Akt and MAPK signaling pathways. These findings identify, for the first time, new biological functions of extracellular ATP in tumors and may lead to novel anti-cancer strategies combating drug resistance in cancers. 1. Pellegatti P, et al. PLoS ONE 2008;3:e2599. 2. Qian Y, et al. Cancer Lett 2014;351:242-51. Citation Format: Xuan Wang, Yanrong Qian, Yunsheng Li, Xiaozhuo Chen. Extracellular ATP promotes cancer cell drug resistance to tyrosine kinase inhibitors by competing for the ATP-binding site of tyrosine kinase. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 106th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2015 Apr 18-22; Philadelphia, PA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2015;75(15 Suppl):Abstract nr 5462. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2015-5462
Initiation, Progression, and Sustained Waterpipe Use: A Nationally Representative Longitudinal Study of U.S. Young Adults

Background: Waterpipe tobacco smoking (WTS) is increasing in popularity despite evidence of harm and potential for dependence. Intervention development has been hampered by a lack of longitudinal, nationally representative data on usage patterns and factors independently associated with WTS initiation. Therefore, we aimed to characterize key transitions between WTS states in a nationally representative group of young adults, with particular attention to factors independently associated with initiation.Methods: Participants were randomly selected from a national probability-based panel representing 97% of the United States. A total of 1,785 adults ages 18 to 30 at baseline completed two Web-based surveys 18 months apart in 2013 and 2014. Assessments included knowledge of waterpipe tobacco smoke composition, positive and negative attitudes toward WTS, normative beliefs, intention to use waterpipe, and WTS behavior. We used multivariable logistic regression to assess the association between predictive factors and subsequent WTS initiation.Results: In fully adjusted models, overall knowledge about toxicants associated with WTS was not associated with subsequent WTS initiation. Similarly, negative attitudes and normative beliefs were not associated with WTS uptake. However, baseline positive attitudes were strongly and significantly associated with WTS initiation [adjusted OR (AOR) = 1.7; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.2-2.3]. Similarly, baseline intention to use WTS was strongly associated with subsequent initiation (AOR = 7.0; 95% CI, 3.5-13.7).Conclusions: Prevention efforts may be most successful if they target individuals with clear intentions to use WTS and challenge positive attitudes surrounding WTS.Impact: Surveillance of WTS trajectories will help inform health care and policy surrounding this emerging risk behavior among U.S. young adults. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev; 26(5); 748-55. ©2017 AACR.
Selective hydrogenation of citral over supported Pt catalysts: insight into support effects

Highly dispersed platinum (Pt) nanoparticles (NPs) were deposited on various substrates by atomic layer deposition (ALD) in a fluidized bed reactor at 300 °C. The substrates included multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs), silica gel (SiO2), commercial γ-Al2O3, and ALD-prepared porous Al2O3 particles (ALD-Al2O3). The results of TEM analysis showed that ~1.3 nm Pt NPs were highly dispersed on all different supports. All catalysts were used for the reaction of selective hydrogenation of citral to unsaturated alcohols (UA), geraniol, and nerol. Both the structure and acidity of supports affected the activity and selectivity of Pt catalysts. Pt/SiO2 showed the highest activity due to the strong acidity of SiO2 and the conversion of citral reached 82% after 12 h with a selectivity of 58% of UA. Pt/MWCNTs showed the highest selectivity of UA, which reached 65% with a conversion of 38% due to its unique structure and electronic effect. The cycling experiments indicated that Pt/MWCNTs and Pt/ALD-Al2O3 catalysts were more stable than Pt/SiO2, as a result of the different interactions between the Pt NPs and the supports.
Orotidine-Containing RNA: Implications for the Hierarchical Selection (Systems Chemistry Emergence) of RNA.

The prebiotic synthesis of canonical nucleobases from HCN is a cornerstone for the RNA world hypothesis. However, their role in the primordial pathways to RNA is still debated. The very same process starting from HCN also gives rise to orotic acid, which (via orotidine) plays a crucial role in extant biology in the de novo synthesis of uridine and cytidine, the informational base-pairs in RNA. However, orotidine itself is absent in RNA. Given the prebiotic and biological relevance of orotic acid vis-a-vis uracil, we investigated orotidine-containing RNA oligonucleotides and show that they have severely compromised base-pairing properties. While not unexpected, these results suggest that the emergence of extant RNA cannot just be a consequence of the plausible prebiotic formation of its chemical constituents/building blocks. In combination with other investigations on alternative prebiotic nucleobases, sugars, and linkers, these findings imply that the selection of the components of extant RNA occurred at a higher hierarchical level of an oligomer/polymer based on its functional properties-pointing to a systems chemistry emergence of RNA from a library of precursors.
A Wide Dynamic Range Buck Converter With Sub-nW Quiescent Power

A buck converter in 65-nm CMOS is optimized for a low quiescent power of 240 pW. It operates with input 1.2–3.3 V and regulates the output from 0.7–0.9 V. Control circuits are designed for low leakage and static current, and scale in power over a hertz to megahertz frequency range, resulting in a wide load current dynamic range of $2\times 10^{6}$ . With a 2-V input, the converter has a peak efficiency of 89% and delivers load currents of 500 pA to 1 mA with efficiency better than 50%. The peak efficiency is 92% for a 1.2-V input.
Vertical charge transport through transition metal dichalcogenides – a quantitative analysis

Based on the careful design of two-terminal devices from multi-layer transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs) such as MoS2 and WSe2, truly vertical transport has been experimentally evaluated and theoretically analyzed. By exploring, the electric field and temperature dependence of in total 28 TMD devices of various thicknesses, a model that describes vertical transport as Fowler Nordheim mediated at high electric fields and thermal injection dominated at low fields has been developed. Our approach is similar to the description chosen to capture gate leakage current levels through amorphous materials such as SiO2. Employing our quantitative analysis, an effective vertical transport mass of m*/m0 (MoS2) ≈ 0.18 and m*/m0 (WSe2) ≈ 0.14 has been extracted for the first time and barriers at the metal contact-to-TMD interface of heights similar to those extracted for lateral transport in TMD transistors have been confirmed.
Chemical encoding of risk perception and predator detection among estuarine invertebrates.

An effective strategy for prey to survive in habitats rich in predators is to avoid being noticed. Thus, prey are under selection pressure to recognize predators and adjust their behavior, which can impact numerous community-wide interactions. Many animals in murky and turbulent aquatic environments rely on waterborne chemical cues. Previous research showed that the mud crab, Panopeus herbstii, recognizes the predatory blue crab, Callinectus sapidus, via a cue in blue crab urine. This cue is strongest if blue crabs recently preyed upon mud crabs. Subsequently, mud crabs suppress their foraging activity, reducing predation by blue crabs. Using NMR spectroscopy- and mass spectrometry-based metabolomics, chemical variation in urine from blue crabs fed different diets was related to prey behavior. We identified the urinary metabolites trigonelline and homarine as components of the cue that mud crabs use to detect blue crabs, with concentrations of each metabolite dependent on the blue crab’s diet. At concentrations found naturally in blue crab urine, trigonelline and homarine, alone as well as in a mixture, alerted mud crabs to the presence of blue crabs, leading to decreased foraging by mud crabs. Risk perception by waterborne cues has been widely observed by ecologists, but the molecular nature of these cues has not been previously identified. Metabolomics provides an opportunity to study waterborne cues where other approaches have historically failed, advancing our understanding of the chemical nature of a wide range of ecological interactions.
The Clean Energy Century: The Path Forward for Renewable Energy in the New Millennium

Publisher Summary This chapter focuses on the path forward for renewable energy in the new millennium. A doubling of automobile efficiency over the last quarter century has made a major contribution to the 11 percent reduction in the United States' per capita use of petroleum; the world has diversified its sources of oil, with the share supplied by OPEC dropping from 55 to 43 percent; U.S. energy consumption of all fuels per dollar of the gross domestic product (commonly referred to as energy intensity) has dropped by a third. But these signs of progress, by trends, have been offset in the United States after the collapse of oil prices in the mid-1980s. The energy investments of the past, such as the creation of a strategic petroleum reserve and, many argue, the massive military investment needed to protect U.S. strategic energy interests in the Middle East, are the results of these shifting trends The United States faces major energy-related challenges entering the 21st century. Population growth and economic development in Asia, Africa, and Latin America have combined to lead a rapid expansion of global energy demand. New approaches to energy production and use, in addition to new models of collaboration between developed and developing countries, are required as developing nations struggle; first to finance the expensive infrastructure required to transport and use fossil fuels and then to gain access to dwindling supplies of these fuels.
Soil respiration and extracellular enzyme production respond differently across seasons to elevated temperatures

The activity of extracellular enzymes is one control on soil organic matter decomposition and serves as a driver of heterotrophic soil respiration. To understand how temperature sensitive enzyme reactions will influence the processing of soil carbon substrates at elevated temperatures, we deployed a passive warming experiment in a deciduous forest with highly invaded understory plant communities and high soil nitrogen concentrations. We seasonally assessed six extracellular enzyme activities and measured soil respiration in the field and in laboratory incubations, to determine if soil carbon use and nutrient cycling responded to 3.5 years of warming. Field measurements indicate soil respiration was 24% lower and the production of the recalcitrant C-acquiring enzyme phenoloxidase was also lower in warmed plots during fall and winter. In the spring, phosphate (P) acquiring enzyme activity increased in response to warming. In lab incubations, soil respiration was not different between warmed and control soils. Despite minimal changes to C stores after 3.5 years of warming, recalcitrant C-use and nutrient processing enzymes responded differentially to higher temperatures in fall, winter, and spring. This suggests that C- and nutrient cycle responses to warming can change throughout the seasons, perhaps mediated by plant phenological changes.
Using the System of Least Prompts to Teach Personal Hygiene Skills to a High School Student with Comorbid Visual Impairment and Autism Spectrum Disorder.

IntroductionThis study evaluated the effectiveness of a workshop and follow-up coaching sessions on the implementation of the system of least prompts procedure by classroom team members and explore...
The Fluid Mosaic Model of Membrane Structure: Some Applications to Ligand-Receptor and Cell-Cell Interactions

The general principles governing the molecular organization of membranes have become clarified in recent years, and we are in the midst of a period when increasingly detailed experimental information about the structures of membranes and their molecular constituents is being obtained at an explosive rate. This structural information must be relevant to an understanding of membrane functions, and in this paper, we attempt briefly to show how these structural insights may illuminate some aspects of the two main problem areas that are the foci of this symposium: ligand-receptor and cell-cell interactions.
Soft-Tissue Sarcomas: Etiology, Pathology, and Clinical Features

Soft-tissue sarcomas are uncommon cancers representing only 1% of all malignant neoplasms (excluding skin) in adults. The total number of soft-tissue sarcomas diagnosed each year in the United States is about 5000. In view of this, few surgeons have had enough experience with these lesions to appreciate the many variations in their clinical presentation or natural history. Also, owing to this limited incidence of sarcomas, few controlled clinical trials have been carried out to determine optimal treatment programs. Accordingly, many of the observations in this book will be based on our personal clinical experience, rather than thorough scientific study, but the available data will be reviewed.
Models of Large-Scale Nervous Activity

Consequences of a theory based on simple properties of excitatory and inhibitory nerve cells spatially organized into sheets are examined. Because of spatial organization, such sheets respond maximally to a limited range of optical contrast. Because of the temporal properties of individual cells, such sheets respond only to a limited range of temporal variations in stimuli. Because of the threshold properties of nerve cells, the responses themselves exhibit stable sub-and super-threshold behaviours. These properties are sufficient to build a theory for the simpler aspects of sensory perception and for the classification of regions of the brain in terms of their dynamical properties. Finally, for more complicated neural phenomena involving changes in neural responses and sensory adaptation, an extended theory involving synaptic plasticity is described and applied to various sensory phenomena.
reflections on the negation of Blackness//affirmations of our clairvoyance through creative healing praxes

The negation of Black people is pervasive in the historical genealogy of white supremacy. Black society, and Blackness, as defined and fabricated by Western thought and action, exists in “outer-space” (Sexton, 2011). However, white constructs of Blackness are merely that—constructs. This piece acts in three parts: 1) an intellectual conversation with scholarly thought holders, 2) a space of personal reflection and interpersonal dialogue, and 3) pieces of prose and imagery that embody various forms of Blackness. This piece explores Black clairvoyance through examples of Black youth identities, social movement politics and practices, and affirmations of our creations, sacred spaces, and rituals. Our praxes are visible in our daily gestures even as we hold trauma—sometimes informal or episodic—but always seeped in love, creativity, ancestry, and spirituality, existing as moments of movement and healing resistance.
Amphibian responses to livestock use of wetlands: new empirical data and a global review

Pastureland currently occupies 26% of Earth's ice-free land surface. As the global human population continues to increase and developing countries consume more protein-rich diets, the amount of land devoted to livestock grazing will only continue to rise. To mitigate the loss of global biodiversity as a consequence of the ever-expanding amount of land converted from native habitat into pastureland for livestock grazing, an understanding of how livestock impact wildlife is critical. While previous reviews have examined the impact of livestock on a wide variety of taxa, there have been no reviews examining how global livestock grazing affects amphibians. We conducted both an empirical study in south-central Florida examining the impact of cattle on amphibian communities and a quantitative literature review of similar studies on five continents. Our empirical study analyzed amphibian community responses to cattle as both a binary (presence/absence) variable, and as a continuous variable based on cow pie density. Across all analyses, we were unable to find any evidence that cattle affected the amphibian community at our study site. The literature review returned 46 papers that met our criteria for inclusion. Of these studies, 15 found positive effects of livestock on amphibians, 21 found neutral/mixed effects, and 10 found negative effects. Our quantitative analysis of these data indicates that amphibian species that historically occurred in closed-canopy habitats are generally negatively affected by livestock presence. In contrast, open-canopy amphibians are likely to experience positive effects from the presence of livestock, and these positive effects are most likely to occur in locations with cooler climates and/or greater precipitation seasonality. Collectively, our empirical work and literature review demonstrate that under the correct conditions well-managed rangelands are able to support diverse assemblages of amphibians. These rangeland ecosystems may play a critical role in protecting future amphibian biodiversity by serving as an "off-reserve" system to supplement the biodiversity conserved within traditional protected areas.
The TLE1 Tumor Suppressor Regulates Myc Induced Leukemogenesis

Abstract 2473 The Groucho/TLE family of corepressors has been described as master regulatory genes during development, affecting multiple cell fate decisions. These proteins bind to a variety of transcription factors and recruit inhibitory proteins to repress transcription. We previously identified TLE1 as a novel tumor suppressor gene that is deleted or methylated in subgroups of acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and other hematological malignancies. We find the loss of Tle1 alone is insufficient to induce leukemia in mice and apparently requires cooperation with additional oncogenes. Our studies, and those from other groups, have shown that over-expression of TLE1 in leukemia cells slows cell cycle progression, colony formation and tumor growth in xenografts, while silencing results in increased cell proliferation. The pathways by which TLE1 affects oncogenesis is unclear, but this gene family is capable of interacting with effectors of Myc, Wnt, Notch, TGFB signaling–prominent pathways dysregulated in malignancies. Myc is important for hematopoietic stem cell proliferation, survival and differentiation and is over-expressed in most AML samples. The TLE homologue Groucho binds and represses Drosophila Myc expression of target genes, thus we postulated that TLE1 could be an important regulator of Myc activity in leukemia. Using hematopoietic progenitor cells from Tle1 knockout and wild-type fetal livers we found that the loss of Tle1 dramatically increased proliferation and serial replating efficiency. Expression of N-Myc by itself in wild type fetal liver cells triggered significant cell death and apoptosis. However, when N-Myc expression was combined with the additional loss of Tle1, not only was N-Myc induced apoptosis inhibited, but a dramatic cell proliferation, well in excess of that seen with Tle1 loss by itself, was seen. Furthermore, mice transplanted with N-Myc transduced hematopoietic cells from Tle1 knockout mice fetal liver developed a more aggressive leukemia, compared to N-Myc transfected wild type mice fetal liver hematopoietic cells, with increased proliferation of leukemic cells as demonstrated by in vitro colony assays and higher secondary transplantability. We extended these studies to a zebrafish model of Rag2-Myc mediated T-ALL. Using these zebrafish we demonstrated over-expression of the TLE homologue, Groucho , completely blocked the initiation and progression of Myc induced leukemia development. Expression of a truncated version of Groucho reduced the initiation of T-ALL and prolonged the survival of fish developing leukemia. These studies demonstrate TLE1 can inhibit the oncogenicity of Myc, and suggests modulation of expression of this gene family may be of importance for a variety of malignancies. Disclosures: No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.
Automatic Fingerprinting of Vulnerable BLE IoT Devices with Static UUIDs from Mobile Apps

Being an easy-to-deploy and cost-effective low power wireless solution, Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) has been widely used by Internet-of-Things (IoT) devices. In a typical IoT scenario, an IoT device first needs to be connected with its companion mobile app which serves as a gateway for its Internet access. To establish a connection, a device first broadcasts advertisement packets with UUIDs to nearby smartphone apps. Leveraging these UUIDs, a companion app is able to identify the device, pairs and bonds with it, and allows further data communication. However, we show that there is a fundamental flaw in the current design and implementation of the communication protocols between a BLE device and its companion mobile app, which allows an attacker to precisely fingerprint a BLE device with static UUIDs from the apps. Meanwhile, we also discover that many BLE IoT devices adopt "just works" pairing, allowing attackers to actively connect with these devices if there is no app-level authentication. Even worse, this vulnerability can also be directly uncovered from mobile apps. Furthermore, we also identify that there is an alarming number of vulnerable app-level authentication apps, which means the devices connected by these apps can be directly controlled by attackers. To raise the public awareness of IoT device fingerprinting and also uncover these vulnerable BLE IoT devices before attackers, we develop an automated mobile app analysis tool BLESCOPE and evaluate it with all of the free BLE IoT apps in Google Play store. Our tool has identified 1,757 vulnerable mobile apps in total. We also performed a field test in a 1.28 square miles region, and identified 5,822 real BLE devices, among them 5,509 (94.6%) are fingerprintable by attackers, and 431 (7.4%) are vulnerable to unauthorized access. We have made responsible disclosures to the corresponding app developers, and also reported the fingerprinting issues to the Bluetooth Special Interest Group.
Readiness to engage in assertive responding, self-protective dating behaviors, and sexual communication: A transtheoretical model-based analysis of college women

Objective: Most sexual assault prevention approaches are universal in nature. The present study evaluated a Transtheoretical Model (TTM)–based Stages of Change (SOC) measure assessing readiness to ...
Migration and urban food accessibility in Mumbwa, a tertiary city of Zambia

Urbanization is occurring across sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), both from migration and natural growth, and often without urban planning, which can hamper the ability of households to obtain affordable,...
Prolonged inpatient stay after upfront total laryngectomy is associated with overall survival.

Objectives To investigate factors and complications associated with prolonged inpatient length of stay (LOS) in patients who receive total laryngectomy (TL), and to analyze its effect on short-term and long-term overall survival (OS). Methods The National Cancer Database (NCDB) was queried from 2004 to 2016 for patients with laryngeal cancer, who received TL within 60 days of diagnosis, and who had an inpatient LOS ≥1 night. Multivariable binary logistic regression and survival analyses on propensity score matched cohorts with Kaplan-Meier analysis and extended Cox regression were utilized. Results Eight thousand two hundred and ninety-eight patients from the NCDB were included. Median inpatient LOS was 8 days after TL (IQR: 7, 12). Prolonged LOS was defined as above the 75th percentile or 13 days or greater. On multivariable analysis, increasing patient age (OR 1.14 per 10 years, P = .003), female sex (OR 1.35, P < .001), and Charlson-Deyo comorbidity score of ≥2 compared to a score of 0 (OR 1.43, P < .001) were associated with prolonged LOS. Patients treated at high surgical case volume centers had a decreased likelihood for prolonged LOS (OR 0.67, P < .001). Ninety-day mortality increased over time in patients who stayed ≥13 days. Prolonged LOS was independently associated with worse OS on multivariable analysis (HR 1.40, 95% CI: 1.22, 1.61) in a matched cohort. Conclusions Prolonged LOS after TL serves as a strong indicator for postoperative long-term mortality and may help identify patients who warrant closer surveillance. Level of Evidence 3.