cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
An integrated low resistance aluminum plug and low-k polymer dielectric for high performance 0.25 /spl mu/m interconnects

Low temperature aluminum plug fill schemes such as CVD Al and high pressure ForceFill/sup TM/ Al offer significant advantages in terms of lower via resistance and compatibility with low-k polymer dielectrics. The low processing temperature is desirable for advanced high performance sub-half micron interconnects with polymeric dielectrics. While the CVD Al process enables sub-300/spl deg/C plug processing, the ForceFill/sup TM/ process has also been shown to of relatively low temperature (400/spl deg/C). An embedded dielectric scheme is particularly attractive for integrating polymeric materials as this structure offers improved structural stability and alleviates many of the difficulties associated with via process integration. In this paper we present a comparison of CVD Al and ForceFill/sup TM/ Al for double level metal structures using embedded low-k dielectrics such as Parylene (N) (k=2.7) and Hydrogen Silsesquioxane (HSQ). Integration of Al and Parylene is shown to provide significant performance advantage for metal RC delay.
Cardiac mast cell-mediated activation of gelatinase and alteration of ventricular diastolic function

Mast cells contain proteases capable of activating matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs). However, given the relatively low density of mast cells in the myocardium (i.e., 1.5-5.3 cells/mm(2)), it is unknown whether these enzymes are present in sufficient quantities in the normal heart to mediate MMP activation. Accordingly, this study sought to determine whether chemically induced degranulation of cardiac mast cells (with compound 48/80) would have an effect in isolated, blood-perfused, functioning rat hearts. Mast cell degranulation produced a 15% increase in histamine levels present in the coronary efflux, a significant increase in myocardial water (i.e., edema) relative to normal values (80.1 +/- 3.4% vs. 77.4 +/- 1.08%, P < or = 0.03), a substantial activation of MMP-2 (126% increase relative to controls, P < or = 0.02), and a marked decrease in myocardial collagen volume fraction (0.46 +/- 0.10% vs. 0.97 +/- 0.33%, P < or = 0.001). Furthermore, although an increase in ventricular stiffness was expected due to the extent of edema resulting from mast cell degranulation, modest ventricular dilatation was observed. These findings clearly demonstrate that the number of mast cells present in normal hearts is sufficient to mediate activation of MMPs and produce extracellular matrix degradation, thereby potentially causing subsequent ventricular dilatation.
A positive illusion about “positive illusions”?

Rather than being a genuine adaptation, "positive illusions" are examples of doxastically uncommitted policies implemented at both the individual and societal levels. Even when they are genuine misbeliefs, most positive illusions are not evolved but ephemeral - a phenomenon limited to a particular social and economic moment. They are essentially a consumer response to messages from the pop-psychology industry in the recently terminated era of easy credit.
Cognitive Methods for Visualizing Space, Time, and Agents

Visualizations of space, time, and agents (or objects) are ubiquitous in science, business, and everyday life, from weather maps to scheduling meetings. Effective communications, including visual ones, emerge from use in the field, but no conventional visualization form has yet emerged for this confluence of information. The real-world spiral of production, comprehension, and use that fine-tunes communications can be accelerated in the laboratory. Here we do so in search of effective visualizations of space, time, and agents. Users' production, preference, and performance aligned to favor matrix representations with time as rows or columns and space and agents as entries. Both the diagram type and the technique have broader applications.
Double-fused 1.5 [micro sign]m vertical cavity lasers with record high To of 132 K at room temperature

The authors report record high temperature performance of a novel long wavelength vertical cavity laser using an electron barrier, operating continuous-wave up to 71°C. A record high characteristic temperature (To) of 132 K has been measured over an operating range of –75 to 35°C.
Cell context of BCRP (ABCG2) affects clofarabine cytotoxicity

AACR Annual Meeting-- Apr 12-16, 2008; San Diego, CA 3248 Breast cancer resistance protein (BCRP) is a member of ATP-binding cassette transporters, also known as ABCG2, and is involved in resistance to multiple structurally diverse compounds. We have recently demonstrated that BCRP reduces the intracellular accumulation of purine analogues (Cancer Res 67: 6965, 2007). Among these is cladribine. Based upon these findings we speculated that a structural analog, clofarabine, a promising agent in the treatment of patients with hematological malignancies, might also be a BCRP substrate. To address this issue we used cell lines engineered to overexpress BCRP. One cell line was the human osteosarcoma cell line, Saos-2, and the other cell line was an acute myeloid leukemia cell line, OCI-AML3. Immunoblot analysis indicated that both cell lines expressed similar levels of BCRP. Both cell lines showed that BCRP reduced intracellular accumulation of clofarabine and that a specific BCRP inhibitor, fumitremorgin C (FTC) increased intracellular retention. Further studies showed that in the BCRP overexpressing Saos-2 cell line addition of FTC sensitized these cells to clofarabine thus demonstrating that intracellular concentration of clofarabine was limiting to its cytotoxicity. Unexpectedly, OCI-AML3 cells overexpressing BCRP did not exhibit reduced sensitivity to clofarabine. These studies suggest that cell context plays a fundamental role in determining how BCRP impacts a cell’s cytotoxic response to a chemotherapeutic agent.
Being There, Being the RRT: Space-Filling and Searching in Place with Minimalist Robots

Inspired by the Rapidly Exploring Random Tree data-structure and algorithm for path planning in high-dimensional, continuous spaces, we consider an approach for spanning a space with a group of simple robots. We employ a minimalist approach in which InfraRed and contact sensors form the primary means of communication; the agents physically embody the elements of the tree through their position and other agents can either follow the tree to useful locations or expand the tree by becoming part of it. Although robots are constrained in some of the operations they may perform in space, we argue that our approach remains consistent with the original data-structure. We demonstrate that one may perform a planning query from a point to the tree origin directly via message passing where passing involves direct physical motion or simple IR messages. Based on the work done by Werger and Mataric , our implementation proves that it is possible to form and maintain a RRT using simple position unaware robots. The work is important because it demonstrates that decentralized path planning can be performed by simple agents using purely reactive behaviors and at the same time poses significant challenges to keep the shape of the tree intact.
Release of free fatty acids by adipose tissue in vivo

A technique is described to determine changes in plasma FFA on passage through adipose tissue in vivo. The subcutaneous adipose tissue of the abdominal region was shown to be constantly releasing FFA. After the injection of insulin, mobilization of FFA was depressed in normal as well as in diabetic dogs, but seldom was there any evidence of FFA uptake. Lymph infusion from fat-absorbing donors did not seem to influence the release of FFA by adipose tissue in the recipient animals.
Semantics-Sensitive Integrated Matching

We present here SIMPLIcity (Semantics-sensitive Integrated Matching for Picture Libraries), an image database retrieval system, which uses high-level semantics classification and integrated region matching (IRM) based upon image segmentation. The SIMPLIcity system represents an image by a set of regions, roughly corresponding to objects, which are characterized by color, texture, shape, and location. Based on segmented regions, the system classifies images into semantically meaningful categories. These high-level categories, such as textured-nontextured, indoor-outdoor, objectionable-benign, graph-photograph, enhance retrieval by narrowing down the searching range in a database and permitting semantically-adaptive searching methods. A measure for the overall similarity between images is defined by a region-matching scheme that integrates properties of all the regions in the images. Armed with this global similarity measure, the system provides users a simple querying interface. The integrated region matching (IRM) similarity measure is insensitive to inaccurate segmentation.
Cerebral microcirculatory failure after subarachnoid hemorrhage is reversed by hyaluronidase

Aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage remains one of the more devastating forms of stroke due in large part to delayed cerebral ischemia that appears days to weeks following the initial hemorrhage. Therapies exclusively targeting large caliber arterial vasospasm have fallen short, and thus we asked whether capillary dysfunction contributes to delayed cerebral ischemia after subarachnoid hemorrhage. Using a mouse model of subarachnoid hemorrhage and two-photon microscopy we showed capillary dysfunction unrelated to upstream arterial constriction. Subarachnoid hemorrhage decreased RBC velocity by 30%, decreased capillary pulsatility by 50%, and increased length of non-perfusing capillaries by 15%. This was accompanied by severe brain hypoxia and neuronal loss. Hyaluronidase, an enzyme that alters capillary blood flow by removing the luminal glycocalyx, returned RBC velocity and pulsatility to normal. Hyaluronidase also reversed brain hypoxia and prevented neuron loss typically seen after subarachnoid hemorrhage. Thus, subarachnoid hemorrhage causes specific changes in capillary RBC flow independent of arterial spasm, and hyaluronidase treatment that normalizes capillary blood flow can prevent brain hypoxia and injury after subarachnoid hemorrhage. Prevention or treatment of capillary dysfunction after subarachnoid hemorrhage may reduce the incidence or severity of subarachnoid hemorrhage-induced delayed cerebral ischemia.
Genetic transformation of protoplasts from an ectomycorrhizal fungus

While the majority of ectomycorrhizal fungi grow vegetatively in culture, they do not sporulate or complete a sexual cycle in the laboratory. These limitations are principal reasons why these fungi have not been studied genetically. We have evaluated conditions for the generation of protoplasts from several species in an effort to identify and develop systems with potential for transformation (Barrett et al., 1989).
Aging Women, Living Poorer:

Sociologist Stacy Torres examines why higher poverty rates persist among older women compared with older men and finds that women continue to face significant economic disadvantages in old age, partly due to a lifetime of unpaid, work-interrupting care giving responsibilities.
A Genealogy of 120° and 60° Natural Triangles

(1982). A Genealogy of 120° and 60° Natural Triangles. Mathematics Magazine: Vol. 55, No. 3, pp. 157-162.
True polar wander and supercontinent cycles: Implications for lithospheric elasticity and the triaxial earth

The amplitude of true polar wander events is shown to occur in cycles out of phase with the formation of supercontinents over the past 3 Gyr. Associated with small-amplitude true polar wander, supercontinents act to stabilize the spin axis. Stabilization can be explained by reduced lithospheric elasticity and/or the triaxial (oblate) figure of the Earth, both of which are legacies of the supercontinent cycle. An excess triaxial ellipticity would only be expected to affect the first transition between supercontinents, whereas decreased lithospheric elasticity would have also influenced formation of the first supercontinent, if sizable enough. My analysis indicates the presence of 4 supercontinents since 3 Ga and proposes that the triaxial Earth originates from the supercontinent cycle.
Botnet Detection Based on Anomaly and Community Detection

We introduce a novel two-stage approach for the important cybersecurity problem of detecting the presence of a botnet and identifying the compromised nodes (the bots), ideally before the botnet becomes active. The first stage detects anomalies by leveraging large deviations of an empirical distribution. We propose two approaches to create the empirical distribution: 1) a flow-based approach estimating the histogram of quantized flows and 2) a graph-based approach estimating the degree distribution of node interaction graphs, encompassing both Erdős-Renyi graphs and scale-free graphs. The second stage detects the bots using ideas from social network community detection in a graph that captures correlations of interactions among nodes over time. Community detection is performed by maximizing a modularity measure in this graph. The modularity maximization problem is nonconvex. We propose a convex relaxation, an effective randomization algorithm, and establish sharp bounds on the suboptimality gap. We apply our method to real-world botnet traffic and compare its performance with other methods.
Negotiating Ethnic Boundaries: Multiethnic Mexican Americans and Ethnic Identity in the United States

This article examines the ethnic identity of the offspring of Mexican/white (non-Hispanic) intermarriages, or multiethnic Mexican Americans, using 20 in-depth interviews with multiethnic Mexican Americans in California. Interviews indicate that respondents gravitate toward a Mexican American ethnic identity since it is the most salient ethnicity in their social environment. But as respondents choose their identities, they confront ethnic boundaries, or sharp division between ethnic categories, that influence the extent to which they feel free to assert any one particular identity. They respond to these boundaries by taking a symbolic approach, a Mexican American approach, a multiethnic approach to their ethnicity, and a combination of these approaches.
John Jackson’s Legacy: Defining a Field

John Jackson belongs in that small set of legal academics whose intellectual contribution is best described not by a single idea or article, but by defining a subject area, in John’s case international trade law. That accomplishment is rare enough that it is worth additional examination. This reflection focuses on three key moments of his half-century scholarly career: the beginning period in the 1960s when he locked-in on an area of international interactions mostly ignored by the legal academy; the time leading up to the conclusion of the Uruguay Round of multilateral trade negotiations in the 1990s that transformed the world’s institutional structure for dealing with trade in ways that reflected John’s rules-oriented approach to international relations; and the most recent period, illustrating John’s lifelong curiosity and the pursuit of knowledge, as he extended his study into other areas of international economic relationships including environment and financial regulation.
Ionizing Radiation and Thyroid Cancer

The relationship between radiation and thyroid cancer is so well established that one might forget that a great deal remains to be learned, especially about how this association arises. One way to illustrate this point is to draw an analogy with a traditional hormonal system such as the effects of TSH on the thyroid gland (Table 1). The analogy emphasizes the need to characterize all of the steps from the stimulus to the fmal effect, particularly the intermediate steps where much work is now focused. The purpose of this chapter is to outline the current understanding of the pathway leading from radiation to thyroid cancer.
Fusion in degenerative spondylolisthesis: how to reconcile conflicting evidence.

The role of fusion in degenerative spondylolisthesis (DS) was hotly debated in the 1990s, until two studies were performed suggesting that patients undergoing fusion in addition to laminectomy had better outcomes and less progression of listhesis than patients undergoing laminectomy alone (1,2). These were single center studies that used rudimentary randomization techniques and generally subjective, surgeon-reported outcomes. While relatively high quality studies for the time, they would be viewed as no better than Level 2 evidence today. Based largely on the results of these studies, laminectomy and fusion became the standard treatment for DS, and over 95% of DS patients undergoing surgery in the United States now undergo a fusion (3). More recently, the role of fusion has been questioned, especially as less invasive decompressive techniques have been developed (4). As a result, two RCTs were performed comparing laminectomy to laminectomy and fusion, with the results recently published in the New England Journal of Medicine.
Impact of Die Pin Capacitance and Package Crosstalk on DDR4 Channel Jitter

Design of memory I/O channels or general purpose I/O (GPIO) has become very complicated as we aim for higher speeds, higher I/O count and cost-effective solutions. At these speeds, package and die discontinuities cause more deterministic jitter and noise due to inter-symbol interference (ISI) effects and crosstalk. Therefore, to improve timing margins, engineers have to carefully study impact of package and die capacitive/inductive discontinuities in order to improve the portion contributing to eye diagram closure. This paper specifically shows how these discontinuities affect DDR4 memory system simulations differently based on the direction of communication, that is, Write (die to DRAM) and Read (DRAM to die) and then offers practical solutions that can be used to mitigate jitter and improve margins.
Diagnostics techniques and dosimetric evaluations for environmental radioactivity investigations

A comprehensive study was conducted about the investigation of the natural/anthropo-genic radioactivity of various environmental matrices. Different diagnostics techniques were employed: high resolution HpGe gamma spectrometry, to quantify the activity concentration of radionuclides that emit gamma photons; alpha spectrometry, for the determination of the specific activity of α -emitters radioisotopes; liquid scintillation, to measure the activity concentration of tritium, radon and total alpha/beta in liquid samples; alpha spectrometry through the Rad7 setup, to estimate the gas radon activity concentration in air, water and soil; total alpha/beta counter, for the activity concentration quantification of radionuclides, in solid samples, emitting alpha/beta particles. From the dosimetric point of view, knowledge of the radioactivity level in the environmental matrices allows to evaluate any possible radiological hazard for the population, through the calculation of the appropriate parameters of radioprotection and their comparison with the safety limits reported by the literature.
High voltage radio frequency dielectric breakdown equipment

The equipment used in this work consists of a very stable 2000 watt radio transmitter, an r.f. transformer with tuned secondary, an immersion type specimen cell and a vacuum tube voltmeter. Figure 1 shows the circuit arrangement of these components.
Enhancing continuity between gender diversity interventions using hybrid social networks

Increasing gender diversity within the engineering workforce is crucial for ensuring competitive advantage in the global marketplace. Although non-systemic gender diversity interventions in engineering education report positive outcomes throughout the literature, the cumulative effect of such efforts has proven insufficient. While resource intensive mechanisms for improving coordination between offerings in order to enhance aggregate outcomes have been proposed, constrained funding environments limit the feasibility of such solutions. We have recently introduced a hybrid social networking-based framework for extending continuity between in-person programming in a work-in-progress paper. Such an approach offers the capacity to increase engagement between in-person interventions while introducing only limited marginal costs. The research described herein expands upon this effort by providing a more detailed description of the coordination effort, and also enhancing the survey pool used to examine potential barriers to participation amongst the target user population. Results from a survey of over 130 high school and college students are presented, with a particular focus on examining factors which threaten the feasibility of the proposed implementation.
On the Stability of Solutions of Evolutionary Equations with Nonfixed Times of Pulse Actions

In an abstract Banach space, we establish conditions for the stability of bounded solutions of a nonlinear evolutionary equation with sectorial operator in the linear part of the equation and nonfixed times of pulse action.
Diagnosis, classification, and treatment of femoropopliteal artery in-stent restenosis

In-stent restenosis is a pervasive challenge to the durability of stenting for the treatment of lower extremity ischemia. There is considerable controversy about the criteria for diagnosis, indications for treatment, and preferred algorithm for addressing in-stent restenosis. This evidence summary seeks to review existing information on strategies for the treatment of this difficult problem.
A Mutation in Sec15l1 Disrupts the Transferrin Cycle and Causes Anemia in Hemoglobin Deficit (hbd) Mice.

Abstract Mouse mutants have been used to identify and characterize genes involved in iron homeostasis. The mouse mutant hemoglobin deficit (hbd), has inherited hypochromic, microcytic anemia and elevated zinc protoporphyrin in the setting of replete iron stores, consistent with a selective defect in erythroid iron assimilation. Circulating soluble transferrin receptor, a marker of iron-restricted erythropoiesis, is elevated out of proportion to the anemia. A mapping population of >3300 backcross animals allowed assignment of the hbd locus to a 0.5 Mb region on chromosome 19. Seven candidate genes were identified in mouse genome databases. Only Sec15l1, encoding one of two mouse homologs of yeast Sec15p, carried a mutation unique to hbd. The mutation deleted 4.5 kb of Sec15l1 genomic DNA including a 69 bp exon. Two distinct antibodies elicited against murine Sec15l1 demonstrated that there was little or no Sec15l1 protein detectable in tissues from hbd animals, suggesting that the mutant form was unstable in vivo. To confirm that mutation of Sec15l1 was responsible for the hbd phenotype, hbd bone marrow cells were transduced with a retrovirus expressing wild type Sec15l1 and transplanted into hbd mice. Expression of the wild type protein partially corrected the anemia. For further confirmation, mice carrying a different, targeted mutation in Sec15l1 were bred with hbd mice. Compound mutant mice carrying both the targeted and hbd alleles recapitulated the hbd phenotype. Sec15l1 functions as a component of the mammalian multi-protein exocyst complex. Previous studies in model organisms suggested that the exocyst is critical for a variety of cellular functions; loss of other exocyst proteins caused early lethality. We speculate that Sec15l2, a mammalian homolog of Sec15l1, can substitute in non-erythroid tissues. Expression analysis showed that little or no Sec15l2 was present in hbd spleen, which is massively infiltrated with erythroid precursors. The exocyst is an effector for Rab11, a GTPase involved in recycling of transferrin cycle endosomes. In S. cerevisiae, Sec15p interacts both with Sec10p, another exocyst component, and with a yeast homolog of Rab11. Preliminary studies suggest that the hbd form of mammalian Sec15l1, expressed in yeast, retains its ability to interact with both of its mammalian partner proteins - Rab11 and Sec10. We conclude that depletion of Sec15 in hbd mice alters transferrin receptor recycling and, possibly, enhances transferrin receptor shedding. As a consequence, erythroid iron assimilation is impaired. Sec15L1 should be considered a candidate gene in patients with inherited iron-resistant iron deficiency anemia.
Abstract P4-21-20: Lapatinib after pertuzumab and ado-trastuzumab emtansine in metastatic HER2-positive breast cancer

Background: Lapatinib (L) is approved in combination with capecitabine for patients with trastuzumab-resistant HER2-positive metastatic breast cancer (MBC) and in combination with letrozole for HER2-positive and ER/PR-receptor-positive MBC for whom hormonal therapy is indicated. However, there are no data on the activity of L in patients who received prior pertuzumab (P) and ado-trastuzumab emtansine (TDM-1), now included as standard first and second line therapies. The goal of this study was to assess the efficacy of L in routine clinical practice in a contemporary patient population that received prior P and/or TDM-1. Methods: We identified all patients with trastuzumab-resistant HER2-positive MBC who received L-based therapy (n=570) between 2003 and 2016 through a departmental database at MD Anderson Cancer Center and reviewed the medical records of each patient to confirm treatment sequencing and outcome. Of these patients, we identified a target cohort who received L after prior P or TDM-1 (n=34). Analysis used Kaplan-Meier statistics. Results: Of the 34 patients identified as the target cohort with prior P and/or TDM-1 exposure, 29 patients were available for outcome analysis since 5 patients were started on L-based treatment within 4 months of this analysis. In the comparison cohort (n=536) who had received L-based therapy without prior P and/or TDM-1 exposure, 445 patients were available for outcome analysis. In we display the patient characteristics and results. Clinical benefit rate (CBR), defined as complete or partial response or stable disease > 6 months, was 58% (95% CI, 39%, 79%) for the target cohort and 78% (74%, 84%) for the comparison cohort. In the target cohort, nearly 25% (n=8) had received > 3 lines of therapy and in the comparison cohort only 10% (n=71) had received > 3 lines of therapy. The median duration on L was 4.9 months (range 0.7-19.2) in the target cohort and 5.6 months (range 0.0-82.3) in the comparison cohort. In both cohorts, median TTP and OS were longer in patients with de novo disease compared to patients with disease recurrence. Conclusions: In the target cohort with prior P and TDM-1, nearly one third of patients received L for > 6 months and over half the patients obtained clinical benefit for > 6 months with no significant toxicity. This suggests clinically relevant benefit to L in a contemporary population of patients who have received prior P and TDM-1. However, clinical benefit and median duration on L were decreased in the target cohort versus the comparison cohort, which may reflect heavier pretreatment. Citation Format: Baez-Vallecillo L, Singareeka Raghavendra A, Hess K, Moulder SL, Tripathy D, Valero V, Murthy RK. Lapatinib after pertuzumab and ado-trastuzumab emtansine in metastatic HER2-positive breast cancer [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 2016 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium; 2016 Dec 6-10; San Antonio, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2017;77(4 Suppl):Abstract nr P4-21-20.
Yik Yak and the knowledge community

Yik Yak is an anonymous, location-based social networking application that is extremely popular on college campuses across the United States. Because it is known mainly for the controversies it breeds, both scholars and professionals have largely overlooked Yik Yak's complexities and have instead focused on its more negative traits. This article discusses Yik Yak as a site for critical research, especially in the field of technical and professional communication. Yik Yak fuses physical and virtual space, places an emphasis on interactivity, and subverts traditional user hierarchies. By examining these characteristics and the posts that users generate, this article explores how Yik Yak serves as an impetus for the formation of knowledge communities---communities in which individuals work together to create and maintain collective knowledge. This article also advocates further critical study of Yik Yak communities and posits Yik Yak communication patterns have important implications for communication designers.
Fundamentals of EUV resist-inorganic hardmask interactions

High resolution Extreme Ultraviolet (EUV) patterning is currently limited by EUV resist thickness and pattern collapse, thus impacting the faithful image transfer into the underlying stack. Such limitation requires the investigation of improved hardmasks (HMs) as etch transfer layers for EUV patterning. Ultrathin (<5nm) inorganic HMs can provide higher etch selectivity, lower post-etch LWR, decreased defectivity and wet strippability compared to spin-on hybrid HMs (e.g., SiARC), however such novel layers can induce resist adhesion failure and resist residue. Therefore, a fundamental understanding of EUV resist-inorganic HM interactions is needed in order to optimize the EUV resist interfacial behavior. In this paper, novel materials and processing techniques are introduced to characterize and improve the EUV resist-inorganic HM interface. HM surface interactions with specific EUV resist components are evaluated for open-source experimental resist formulations dissected into its individual additives using EUV contrast curves as an effective characterization method to determine post-development residue formation. Separately, an alternative adhesion promoter platform specifically tailored for a selected ultrathin inorganic HM based on amorphous silicon (aSi) is presented and the mitigation of resist delamination is exemplified for the cases of positive-tone and negative-tone development (PTD, NTD). Additionally, original wafer priming hardware for the deposition of such novel adhesion promoters is unveiled. The lessons learned in this work can be directly applied to the engineering of EUV resist materials and processes specifically designed to work on such novel HMs.
Compulsion and Desire in Three Zombie Films: Colin, Fido, and Otto; or, Up With Dead People

The focus on subjectivity in zombies garners increased interest. In Fido, the increased subjectivity of Billy Collins’ mute zombie butler plays well to the film’s comedic flow; in addition, this subjectivity reveals the extent to which this film, Colin, and Otto evolve from the familiar Romero-inspired flesh eater to the socially and politically freighted zombie of Haiti, a figure of repression and rebellion. Indeed, character development of the three protagonists underscores the conflicts of each film.
Strength of the repulsive part of the interatomic potential determines fragility in metallic liquids

Liquid fragility is a basic characteristic of glasses and there is debate as to what controls it. X-ray scattering of several metallic liquids now suggests that the strength of the repulsive part of the interatomic potential is key.
P161 Kidney allograft outcomes associated with locus specific IgG antibodies to donor class I

Aim Early and late post transplant complications have been associated with antibodies (Abs) directed against donor HLA; however, the impact of pre-transplant Abs directed against donor HLA-C remains unresolved. In view of diminished display of HLA-C antigens on the cell surface compared to HLA-A or-B antigens, we hypothesized that the impact of pre-transplant Abs to donor HLA-C will be lesser compared to Abs directed at donor HLA-A and B. In the current investigation we studied the impact of circulating pre-transplant IgG antibodies to donor HLA-C locus antigens alone as compared to Abs to HLA- or B locus antigens. Methods We conducted a retrospective review of records of 1252 kidney allograft recipients transplanted at our center between January 2010 and January 2016 to identify patients with circulating pre-transplant IgG Abs directed at kidney donor HLA-A, B or C locus antigens. Abs were detected and reported using the Luminex Single Antigen Bead assay for HLA Class I. Pre and post-transplant data were collected and graft outcomes of 16 kidney graft recipients with Abs to HLA-C locus antigens alone were compared to the outcomes of 56 recipients with Abs to HLA-A or B locus antigens. Results The mean pre-transplant MFI value of DSA in those with Abs to HLA- A or B antigens was 3880 ± 3023 and 4331 ± 5540 in those with Abs to HLA- C antigens (P = 0.4). The one-year acute rejection rate was 6% in those with DSA to HLA-C antigens and 20% in those with DSA to HLA-A or B antigens (Fig. 1A). Incidence of AMR was increased in those with DSA-MFI value greater than 6000 (Fig. 1B). Kidney allograft survival rate was 100% in those with DSA to HLA-C antigens and 95% in those with DSA to HLA-A or B locus antigens (P > 0.05). Conclusions Our observations support the concept that circulating pre-transplant IgG antibodies directed at kidney donor HLA-C locus alone do not negatively impact kidney allograft outcomes and suggests that listing unacceptable HLA C locus antigens based on MFI of Single Antigen Bead Assay requires additional scrutiny and due caution. Download high-res image (125KB) Download full-size image
Improved dielectric properties of polyetherimide and polyaniline-coated few-layer graphene based nanocomposites

The dispersion of various nanofillers in the polymer matrix is a challenging problem, which limits their potential use. To overcome this problem, few-layer graphene was grafted with polyaniline to improve its dispersion in the polymer matrix. In this work, a methodology to improve the properties of polyetherimide composites with few-layer graphene grafted with polyaniline is proposed. First, few-layer graphene (FLG) was exfoliated by liquid phase exfoliation by using N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone (NMP) as a solvent. For creating defects on the surface of graphene sheets, they were treated with nitric acid. The acid treated few-layer graphene was grafted by the polyaniline (PANI) by the in-situ polymerization method. The concentration of FLG with polyaniline was varied from 0 to 5 wt%. The polyaniline grafted few-layer graphene (PANI-g-FLG) samples were then blended with polyetherimide. The composite systems displayed an insulator-to-conductor percolating transition as the filler loading increased, and the percolation thresholds were estimated to be 1.5 wt% of the FLG loading. The structural features and morphology of PANI, PANI-g-FLG, and nanocomposites were studied by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and scanning electron microscope (SEM). The mechanical properties of composites were studied by universal testing machine. The tensile strength was also improved significantly up to 57% in the three-component hybrid system as compared to PEI. Similarly, the AC conductivity of PEI has also increased seven orders of magnitude from 1.47 × 10−9 to 5.91 × 10−2 S cm−1 (at 100 HZ) in the hybrid nanocomposites by adding PANI-g-FLG containing 1.5% FLG. The dielectric constant of the PEI increased from 2.73 × 100 to 3.72 × 105 for nanocomposites at the frequency of 100 Hz. This work provides a potential design strategy for brilliant performance flexible dielectric graphene-based polymeric material.
Abstracts presented at the Association for Medical Education and Research in Substance Abuse (AMERSA) 41st Annual Conference, Washington, DC, USA, November 2017.

The 41st annual meeting of the Association for Medical Education and Research in Substance Abuse (AMERSA) was held in Washington, DC, USA, in November 2017. Contained in this paper are the abstract...
First principles investigation of the structural and bonding properties of hydrated actinide (IV) oxalates, An(C2O4)2·6H2O (An = U, Pu)

Abstract The structural and bonding properties of actinide (IV) oxalates, U(C2O4)2·6H2O and Pu(C2O4)2·6H2O, are investigated using the generalized gradient approximation (GGA) to spin-polarized density functional theory (DFT) with van der Waals corrections. The GGA optimized structures, ground state magnetic moments, site-projected density of states, and Bader charges are reported. We calculate the energy differences between ferromagnetic (FM) and antiferromagnetic (AFM) spin configurations on the Pu or U sites to determine the preferred magnetic structure of these materials. The relaxed AFM-spin structure of Pu(C2O4)2·6H2O was found to be considerably lower in energy than the corresponding relaxed FM-spin structure; whereas, there was negligible energy difference in the relaxed AFM and FM-spin structures of U(C2O4)2·6H2O. Weak hybridization between the actinide (Pu or U) 5f and O (2p) states in the site-projected density of states suggests that these systems are ionic. Furthermore, Bader charge analysis reveals charges on the actinide and oxalate oxygen sites in both U(C2O4)2·6H2O and Pu(C2O4)2·6H2O that are similar to literature data on other actinide species which are ionic, in particular the actinide dioxides. Calculating the density of states using a Hubbard correction parameter of U = 4.0 eV based on the GGA + U method shows band gaps of ∼1 eV for Pu(C2O4)2·6H2O and ∼3 eV for U(C2O4)2·6H2O. Both systems are predicted to be charge-transfer insulators.
Interactions of water, mulch and nitrogen on sorghum in Niger

Water and nutrients are the main limiting factors to sorghum (Sorghum bicolor L. Moench) production in the Sahel. Our objective was to quantify the interactions of irrigation, mulch and N on sorghum yield and water use efficiency (WUE) in Sahelian agroecosystems. Sorghum was grown in eight management systems as a factorial arrangement of irrigation (none and 125 mm), mulch (none and 12 Mg ha-1 ) and N (none and 50 kg ha-1) on an Ustifluvent in Niger (13°17'N, 7°3'E). Rainfall during the growth period of sorghum was 283 mm with an unfavorable distribution causing three dry spells. Irrigation and mulch induced more intensive root growth at the soil surface. Irrigation increased root density by 52% when N was applied. Few and small differences in sorghum height and leaf area index (LAI) among sorghum management systems indicated little influence of these crop properties on the water balance. Irrigation, mulch and nitrogen as sole amendments increased biomass by 55%, 20% and 30%, respectively. Averaged across the sorghum management systems, grain yield was increased by 41%, 17% and 20% by irrigation, mulch and N, respectively. This study showed that in a Sahelian agroecosystem, nitrogen as a sole amendment increased water use efficiency of sorghum by 21%. Mulch reduced evaporation from soil by 28% in both dryland and irrigated treatments, but not all of the saved water was subsequently transpired by the crop. Irrigation improved water use efficiency by 9 to 40% but did not greatly increase the total transpired water.
Effectiveness of zinc oxide-assisted photocatalysis for concerned constituents in reclaimed wastewater: 1,4-Dioxane, trihalomethanes, antibiotics, antibiotic resistant bacteria (ARB), and antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs)

Abstract Microbial and emerging chemical contaminants are unwanted constituents in reclaimed wastewater, due to the health concerns of using the water for agricultural irrigation, aquifer recharges, and potable water. Removal of these contaminants is required but it is currently challenging, given that there is no simple treatment technology to effectively remove the mixture of these contaminants. This study examined the effectiveness of ZnO-assisted photocatalytic degradation of several constituents, including 1,4-dioxane, trihalomethanes (THMs), triclosan (TCS), triclocarban (TCC), antibiotic resistant bacteria (ARB) and antibiotic resistant genes (ARGs), under low intensity of UV exposure. E. coli with an ARGs-carrying circular plasmid (pUC19) was used as a model antibiotic resistant bacterium. Our results show that commercial zinc oxide (C-ZnO) assisted photodegradation of 1,4-dioxane, and dehalogenation of THMs, TCS, and TCC, while tetrapodal zinc oxide (T-ZnO) enhanced the dehalogenation of TCS and TCC. Additionally, T-ZnO assisted the photocatalytic inactivation of the E. coli within 6 h and caused structural changes in the plasmid DNA (pUC19) with additional UV exposure, resulting in non-functional AGR-containing plasmids. These results also suggest that higher UV dose is required not only to inactivate ARB but also to damage ARGs in the ARB in order to decrease risks in promoting ARB population in the environment. Overall, our results implicated that, under low UV intensity, ZnO-assisted photocatalysis is a promising alternative to simultaneously remove biological and emerging chemical contaminants in treated wastewater for safe reuse.
On the equivalence of robustness to canonical and general elaborations

Abstract A target equilibrium in a game of complete information is called robust to incomplete information when all nearby games of incomplete information have equilibria that generate similar ex-ante distributions over actions to the distribution generated by the target equilibrium. Robustness to canonical elaborations considers only nearby games with a special structure. I show that robustness to incomplete information and robustness to canonical elaborations are equivalent when the equilibrium concept in the nearby incomplete information games is agent normal form correlated equilibrium.
Conservation by Voltage Reduction Using a Single-Phase Residential Static VAR Compensator

Conservation by Voltage Reduction (CVR) is the implementation of a distribution voltage strategy whereby all voltages are lowered to the minimum allowed by the equipment manufacturer. This is a consequence of the observation that loads with primarily impedance only characteristics consume less power when they are fed with a voltage lower than nominal. By reducing feeder voltages, especially during peak demand hours, utilities will benefit through lower energy losses and lower peak generation capacity. Although CVR holds great potential in saving energy, it has been overlooked due to problems associated with cost, implementation, and loads which border on undervoltage violations during peak loading hours. There exists a need to develop a smart demand-side management device based on the concept of CVR that helps in regulating residential voltages, especially during heavy loading where the lowest voltage loads dictate the substation voltage for the distribution feeder. This paper investigates a solution to the CVR problem based on the novel concept of a Residential Static VAR Compensator (RSVC) for regulating residential voltages on distribution feeders.
Viral Hepatitis B—Management in Children

Chronic hepatitis B (CHB) infection is a worldwide health problem with significant morbidity. Children with CHB require a lifetime of monitoring for infection activation, hepatic disease and its complications, and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Children with CHB which is in the immune active stage are candidates for antiviral treatment. As new medications have been approved for children, the treatment recommendations have changed. This review summarizes the recent data. With the demonstration of safety and efficacy of entecavir and tenofovir in children, previously used medications like lamivudine and adefovir are no longer recommended as the first-line treatments. Health care providers should provide counseling regarding monitoring, natural history, and transmission to children with CHB and their families. Children in the immune active stage are candidates for antiviral treatment. With more approved therapies over the last few years for a wider age range of children, there are safe, effective, and well-tolerated therapeutic options.
A cross-sectional study exploring the relationship between burnout, absenteeism, and job performance among American nurses

Studies suggest a high prevalence of burnout among nurses. The aim of this study was to evaluate the relationship between burnout among nurses and absenteeism and work performance. A national sample of U.S. nurses was sent an anonymous, cross-sectional survey in 2016. The survey included items about demographics, fatigue, and validated instruments to measure burnout, absenteeism, and poor work performance in the last month. Of the 3098 nurses who received the survey, 812 (26.2%) responded. The mean age was 52.3 years (SD 12.5), nearly all were women (94.5%) and most were married (61.9%) and had a child (75.2%). Participating nurses had a mean of 25.7 (SD 13.9) years of experience working as nurse and most held a baccalaureate (38.2%) or masters of science (37.1%) degree in nursing. A quarter worked in the inpatient setting (25.5%) and the average hours worked per week was 41.3 (SD 14.1). Overall, 35.3% had symptoms of burnout, 30.7% had symptoms of depression, 8.3% had been absent 1 or more days in the last month due to personal health, and 43.8% had poor work performance in the last month. Nurses who had burnout were more likely to have been absent 1 or more days in the last month (OR 1.85, 95% CI 1.25–2.72) and have poor work performance (referent: high performer; medium performer, OR 2.68,95% CI 1.82–3.99; poor performer, OR 5.01, 95% CI 3.09–8.14). After adjusting for age, sex, relationship and parental status, highest academic degree, practice setting, burnout, depression, and satisfaction with work-life integration, nurses who were more fatigued (for each point worsening, OR 1.22, 95% CI 1.10–1.37) were more likely to have had absenteeism while those who worked more hours (for each additional hour OR 0.98, 95% CI 0.96–1.00) were less likely to have had absenteeism. Factors independently associated with poor work performance included burnout (OR 2.15, 95% CI 1.43–3.24) and fatigue (for each point of worsening, OR 1.22, 95% CI 1.12–1.33). These findings suggest burnout is prevalent among nurses and likely impacts work performance.
Frequency and severity of pain in hospitalized cancer patients at a tertiary cancer center.

103Background: Recent regulations in response to the opioid crisis has presented unforeseen challenges in treating cancer patients with pain, such as frequent opioid shortages and clinicians moving...