cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Restructuring Government: The Abandonment of Metropolitan Government

Metropolitan or tiered government that was championed by many academics and practitioners as the answer to governance problems besetting metropolitan areas has been discredited and abandoned by most of the countries that instituted this form of regional government. The general movement to abandon tiered government commenced in the 1980s. The countries that instituted tiered or metropolitan governments, some for not much more than 10 years, found them not to be the answer to their regional problems. Great Britain was one of the leaders in the movement to eliminate the tiered structure. Britain had followed the Toronto model and had established a metropolitan tier over its major metropolitan areas, with the Greater London Council established in 1965 and tiers over six other metropolitan areas established in 1974. In 1986 these upper tiers were abolished by the Thatcher government. These changes were made without a vote of affirmation by the residents. There were political considerations in the abolition of these tiers of government as none of the governments were controlled by the Thatcher government, but there was also a desire to reduce the scope and autonomy of local government and to further centralize power. There was little support for these metropolitan tiers and their passing was not contested by the constituent governments (Norris, 2001).
Signatures of reproductive events on blood counts and biomarkers of inflammation: Implications for chronic disease risk

Whether inflammation mediates how reproductive events affect chronic-disease risk is unclear. We studied inflammatory biomarkers in the context of reproductive events using National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) data. From 15,986 eligible women from the 1999-2011 data cycles, we accessed information on reproductive events, blood counts, C-reactive protein (CRP), and total homocysteine (tHCY). We calculated blood-count ratios including: platelet-lymphocyte (PLR), lymphocyte-monocyte (LMR), platelet-monocyte (PMR), and neutrophil-monocyte (NMR). Using sampling weights per NHANES guidelines, means for counts, ratios, or biomarkers by reproductive events were compared using linear regression. We performed trend tests and calculated p-values with partial sum of squares F-tests. Higher PLR and lower LMR were associated with nulliparity. In postmenopausal women, lower PMR was associated with early age at first birth and higher NMR with later age at and shorter interval since last birth. Lower PNR and higher neutrophils and tHCY were associated with early natural menopause. In all women, the neutrophil count correlated positively with CRP; but, in premenopausal women, correlated inversely with tHCY. Reproductive events leave residual signatures on blood counts and inflammatory biomarkers that could underlie their links to chronic disease risk.
An Approach to Organizational Cybersecurity

Large organizations must plan for Cybersecurity throughout their entire network, taking into account network granularity and outside subcontractors. The United States Department of Defense (DoD) has large networked systems that span the globe, crossing multiple intra-organizational systems. This larger network includes Information Systems typical of enterprise networks, SCADA Systems monitoring critical infrastructure, newer Cyber-physical systems, and mobile networks. With increased connectivity within the DoD and to external organizations, Cybersecurity is seen as a critical organizational need. There is not currently a standard evaluation process to gauge whether various Cybersecurity technologies adequately meet the needs of either the DoD at large or the context of lower-tier organizations. We introduce the DoD-Centric and Independent Technology Evaluation Capability (DITEC), an enterprise-ready evaluation tool that offers a repeatable evaluation process, the ability to take prior product evaluations into account during the acquisition process, and tools to assist security non-experts in understanding which technologies meet their specific needs. This work describes DITEC and the Cyber-SCADA Evaluation Capability (C-SEC), an implementation of DITEC in a Cyber-Physical context.
Efficient Critical Path Selection Under a Probabilistic Delay Model

In this paper, an approach to select critical paths using a probabilistic delay model is presented. Paths through each fault site are selected to effectively test a device for small delay defects that may occur due to random process shifts in different pockets of the physical layout. Experimental evaluation shows significant improvement in time performance and quality of selected paths over existing work.
Fatalism and educational disparities in beliefs about the curability of advanced cancer.

Abstract Objective Understanding socioeconomic disparities in the care of patients with incurable cancer is a high priority. We hypothesized that patients without a high school education are more likely to believe that they could be cured and we explored the role of fatalism. Methods We studied 977 patients with advanced, incurable cancer. Two logistic regression analyses were conducted. Model One examined the effect of education on beliefs about curability. Model Two added fatalism. Results The significant association between having less than a high school education and the belief that advanced cancer can be cured (OR = 2.55; 95% CI: 1.09–5.96) in Model One was attenuated by 39% and rendered nonsignificant in Model Two. Fatalism was associated with the belief that advanced cancer can be cured. Whites were less likely to believe they could be cured than Blacks and Asians/Pacific Islanders. Beliefs about curability were not associated with income or insurance status. Conclusions People who do not complete high school are more likely to believe that their advanced cancer is curable, in part because they are more likely to hold fatalistic worldviews. Practice implications Interventions to help oncologists care for patients with fatalistic beliefs could mitigate socioeconomic disparities in end-of-life care.
E pluribus unum: Combining Molecular Strategies to Defeat Head and Neck Cancer.

Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) is one of the most treatment-resistant human malignant diseases. The disease is all too frequently impervious to the classic triad of surgery, radiotherapy, and chemotherapy. Better treatment for this miserable disease remains an unmet need, but the cancer is largely resistant to newer immunotherapeutic approaches with antibodies and immune cells.1 In this issue of Molecular Therapy, using mouse xenograft models of the human tumor, Shaw and colleagues2 first demonstrated partial efficacy of several molecular and immunotherapeutics in controlling tumor growth.
340mV–1.1V, 289Gbps/W, 2090-gate NanoAES hardware accelerator with area-optimized encrypt/decrypt GF(2 4 ) 2 polynomials in 22nm tri-gate CMOS

An on-die, lightweight nanoAES hardware accelerator is fabricated in 22nm tri-gate CMOS, targeted for ultra-low power mobile SOCs. Compared to conventional 128-bit AES implementations, this design uses an 8-bit Sbox datapath along with ShiftRow byte-order processing to compute all AES rounds in native GF(2 4 ) 2 composite-field. This approach along with a serial-accumulating MixColumns circuit, area-optimized encrypt and decrypt Galois-field polynomials and integrated on-the-fly key generation circuit results in a compact 2090-gate design, enabling peak energy-efficiency of 289Gbps/W and AES-128 encrypt/decrypt throughput of 432/671Mbps with total energy consumption of 4.7/3nJ measured at 0.9V, 25°C.
Resonance Raman Spectroscopy of Heme Proteins

Resonance Raman spectroscopy can monitor the vibrational modes of the heme prosthetic group in situ. Porphyrin ring vibrations are dominant, enhanced by the strong π-π* transitions. Some of them are sensitive to the competition for iron dπ electrons between the π* orbitals on porphyrin and on π-acceptor axial ligands. In this context O2 is shown to be as good a π-acceptor as NO. Other modes are sensitive to iron spin-state, an effect attributable to expansion of the porphyrin core in the high-spin complexes. Although weak, axial ligand vibrational modes can sometimes be detected, and confirmed via isotope shifts. These include V Fe-O of O2Hb, whose frequency is consistent with appreciable Fe-O2 multiple bonding.
BDDC for Higher-Order Discontinuous Galerkin Discretizations

The BDDC algorithm is extended to a large class of discontinuous Galerkin (DG) discretizations of second order elliptic problems in two spatial dimensions. An estimate of C(1 + log(p 2 H ∕ h))2 is obtained for the condition number of the preconditioned system where C is a constant independent of p, h or H. Numerical simulations are presented which confirm the theoretical results
Weiteres über die höheren Sinne und das nervöse Zentralorgan

Volkstumliche Redewendungen geben oft den Dingen einen besonders treffenden Ausdruck. So spiegelt sich die Tatsache, das wir mit der Ausenwelt in erster Linie durch Vermittlung der hoheren Sinnesorgane in Verbindung stehen, gut in der Redewendung wieder: „das einem Horen und Sehen vergeht“. Wollten wir das gleiche fur eine Biene ausdrucken, so musten wir sagen: „das ihr Sehen und Riechen vergeht“, und fur den Spulwurm hiese es gar: „das ihm Schmecken und Tasten vergeht“. Vom Schmecken, Tasten, Riechen und Sehen haben wir nun schon allerlei erfahren und sind jetzt begierig, auch etwas uber die Sinnesorgane zu lernen, die das Horen vermitteln.
Development of Sensor-Based Measures of Upper Extremity Interlimb Coordination

The development of motor impairment after the onset of an injury such as stroke may result in long-term compensatory behaviors. Because compensation often evolves in ambient settings (outside the purview of monitoring clinicians), there is a need for quantitative tools capable of accurately detecting the subtleties of compensation and related reduction in interlimb coordination. Improvement in interlimb coordination may serve as a marker of recovery from stroke, and rehabilitation progress. The current study investigates measures of upper extremity interlimb coordination in persons post-stroke and healthy controls. It introduces a novel algorithm for objective characterization of interlimb coordination during the performance of real-world tasks.
Reflections on Architectural History Forty Years after Edward Said's Orientalism

This journal's acknowledgment of Edward Said's impact on our discipline on the fortieth anniversary of Orientalism marks a significant turn. No other scholar and no other single book outside the field have been given this kind of attention. Despite the fact that the cover of Orientalism , which featured Jean-Leon Gerome's painting The Snake Charmer as a shorthand to the book's contents, triggered loaded questions about the power of visual representation, Said himself did not engage with architecture and did so only marginally with art (Figure 1). Architectural and urban historians, and not only those working on “non-Western” topics, nevertheless found a fertile field of inspiration in Said's work. Figure 1 Edward Said, Orientalism , 1978 (photo courtesy Penguin Random House). The book appeared just as architectural historians were becoming increasingly fascinated with critical theory and philosophy. The subsequent haste to construct scholarly bridges between built forms and “higher” intellectual realms has created some curious outcomes, such as a series of short books that is perhaps sarcastically titled Thinkers for Architects. These books summarize the work of theorists from Immanuel Kant to Luce Irigaray, but only as their thinking pertains to and serves architecture.1 For better or for worse, Said and his work have not (yet) been included in this group, and thus the place dedicated to Orientalism here, in the Journal of the Society of Architectural Historians , is especially meaningful (Figure 2). Figure 2 Edward Said (photo by Brigitte Lacombe, courtesy of Mariam Said). In this essay, I do not seek to provide a comprehensive and neutral map of the past four decades of architectural history; rather, I will filter some of the developments that have arisen in the aftermath of Orientalism 's publication through my subjective lens as a scholar, a critic, and a teacher. I have been taking …
Relationships Between Vein Repairs, Postoperative Transfusions, and Survival in Single Digit Replantation.

Background: The general teaching is that increased number of vein repairs in digit replantation leads to improved venous outflow, resulting in lower need for iatrogenic bleeding, lower postoperativ...
An Asymmetric Dual Output On-Chip DC-DC Converter for Dynamic Workloads

We propose a novel two-stage hybrid on-chip DC-DC converter targeting low power applications with multiple supply voltage domains and dynamic workloads. The converter has a nominal input voltage of 1.2V and generates two asymmetrically regulated output voltages simultaneously. The high-power output channel provides voltages ranging from 0.3V to 1.1V and up to 12mA load current; on the other hand, the low power output channel delivers voltages varying from 0.3V to 0.5V with up to 1mA load current. The high-power output is able to respond to load transition requests with a peak voltage slew rate of 16V/µs and maximum voltage ripple of 49mV. During load transitions at the high-power channel, the low-power output voltage with fixed load remains stable with less than 7.6% ripples and a worst case droop of 45 mV. In addition, when load transitions are requested at both output channels simultaneously, there are no observable voltage droops/spikes at the outputs; thus, cross regulations are significantly reduced. Even with input voltage glitches, additional voltage spikes/droops at each output are less than 5%. Peak power efficiency achieved is 73%.
Not gone with the wind: Planet occurrence is independent of stellar galactocentric velocity

We demonstrate that planet occurrence does not depend on stellar galactocentric velocity in the Solar neighborhood. Using Gaia DR2 astrometry and radial velocity data, we calculate 3D galactocentric velocities for 197,090 Kepler field stars, 1647 of which are confirmed planet hosts. When we compare the galactocentric velocities of planet hosts to those of the entire field star sample, we observe a statistically significant (KS p-value = $10^{-70}$) distinction, with planet hosts being apparently slower than field stars by $\sim$40 km/s. We explore some potential explanations for this difference and conclude that it is not a consequence of the planet-metallicity relation or distinctions in the samples' thin/thick disk membership, but rather an artefact of Kepler's selection function. Non Kepler-host stars that have nearly identical distances, temperatures, surface gravities, and Kepler magnitudes to the confirmed planet hosts also have nearly identical velocity distributions. Using one of these identical non-host samples, we consider that the probability of a star with velocity $v_{\mathrm{tot}}$ hosting a planet can be described by an exponential function proportional to $e^{(-v_{\mathrm{tot}}/v_0)}$. Using a Markov Chain Monte Carlo sampler, we determine that $v_0 > $976 km/s to 99% confidence, which implies that planets in the Solar neighborhood are just as likely to form around fast stars as they are around slow stars. Our work highlights the subtle ways in which selection biases can create strong correlations without physical underpinnings.
Plasma Citrulline Concentrations in Neonates With or Without Gastrointestinal Disease During Periods of Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition

Introduction Citrulline is synthesized primarily in enterocytes. Retrospective work revealed higher plasma concentrations in patients without gastrointestinal (GI) disease than in those with GI disease, regardless of bowel resection, leading us to speculate whether it could be used as a marker of gut function prospectively. Our purpose was to analyze plasma citrulline in these patients, comparing a period of exclusive parenteral nutrition (PN) vs both PN and enteral nutrition (PN/EN). Methods Premature neonates were included in this study. Plasma samples were collected during 2 periods, PN and PN/EN. They were classified into groups: patients without GI disease (Group 1), patients with GI disease without resection (Group 2), and patients with GI disease and resection (Group 3). Plasma was analyzed by high-performance liquid chromatography and tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). Data were described as median with ranges. Results Fifty patients were recruited for this study, from which 164 samples were obtained and analyzed by LC-MS. Median plasma citrulline concentrations were 12.3 (5.6-39.4) µmol/L, 14.9 (6.8-39.8) µmol/L, and 10.8 (2.0-23.6) µmol/L for Groups 1, 2, and 3, respectively. After Bonferroni correction, only Group 3 had a significantly different median from the others. No differences were observed within periods of nutrition (PN vs PN/EN). Postconceptual age (PCA), among others, was assessed to determine differences for which the former demonstrated significance. Conclusion Premature neonates with bowel resection had lower plasma citrulline concentrations, confirming its role as gut mass marker, though without differences during transitional feeding. PCA may affect expression of this protein.
Are drought resistance strategies associated with life history strategy? A commentary on: 'Arabidopsis species deploy distinct strategies to cope with drought stress'.

This article comments on: M. Bouzid, F. He, G. Schmitz, R. E. Hausler, A. P. M. Weber, T. Mettler-Altmann and J. de Meaux. 2019. Arabidopsis species deploy distinct strategies to cope with drought stress. Annals of Botany 124(1): 27–40 .
Systematic Review of Malpractice Litigation in the Diagnosis and Treatment of Acute Stroke

Background and Purpose— The emergency management of stroke is complex and highly time-sensitive. Recent landmark trials demonstrating the strong benefit of thrombectomy have led to rapid change in ...
Identifying profiles of need among psychiatric inpatients approaching discharge in New York City: a latent class analysis

Understanding the needs of individuals transitioning to the community following a psychiatric hospitalization can inform community service planning. This study is among the first to examine the needs of a sample of psychiatric inpatients approaching discharge in a large urban area in the USA. Representative data were drawn from 1129 acutely hospitalized psychiatric inpatients from eight New York City hospitals. Descriptive statistics were used to estimate patient needs at discharge across nine domains: housing, employment, income, transportation, education, time use, social support, and help accessing medical and mental health care. Latent class analysis (LCA) was applied to identify subgroups of patients based on needs profiles. Multinomial logistic regression was used to investigate socio-demographic associations with class membership. Respondents were most likely to have needs related to income (50.7%), housing (49.2%), and employment (48.7%). Results from the LCA suggested a five class solution of patient needs: three domain-specific classes whose members endorsed needs for ‘housing and employment’ (22.5%), ‘social support and time use’ (15.0%) and ‘access to care’ (6.4%) and two classes where overall member needs were high (‘high needs,’18.4%) or low (‘low needs,’ 37.7%) across all needs. Compared to the ‘low needs’ class, members of the ‘high needs’ class had significantly greater odds of being black or Latino, male, uninsured, and parents of a child under 18 years. Patients have unique profiles of need that are significantly associated with the socio-demographic characteristics. These findings may help practitioners and policymakers improve mental health services.
The race discipline gap: A cautionary note on archival measures of behavioral misconduct

Abstract Research on employee misconduct has increasingly adopted behavioral measures in field settings, such as archival organizational records, to circumvent potential issues of external validity and social desirability associated with laboratory experiments and self-reported surveys. However, similar to the issues facing the criminal justice and education systems, where racial disparities in punishment are well-documented, organizations face a difficult challenge in detecting and enforcing misconduct. Even when organizations adopt seemingly objective policies for addressing misconduct, it is still possible for certain groups to be disproportionately accused of misconduct and/or disciplined. Drawing from social psychological theories of social identity and aversive racism, we examined the extent to which Black employees (in contrast to White employees) are more likely to have formal incidences of misconduct documented in their employment records, even when there are no racial differences in the number of allegations of misconduct. Across three datasets collected from the police departments of three major metropolitan areas (Chicago, Los Angeles, and Philadelphia), we identified the presence of a race discipline gap in archival organizational records of behavioral misconduct. We discuss the implications of these findings and highlight the need for caution when researchers and practitioners use archival measures of behavioral misconduct.
Hospital Costs and Reimbursement Model for a Geriatric Emergency Department

Objectives The American College of Emergency Physicians' geriatric emergency department (GED) guidelines recommend additional staff and geriatric equipment, which may not be financially feasible for every ED. Data from an accredited Level 1 GED was used to report equipment costs and to develop a business model for financial sustainability of a GED. Methods Staff salaries including the cost of fringe benefits were obtained from a Midwestern hospital with an academic ED of 80,000 annual visits. Reimbursement assumptions included 100% Medicare/Medicaid insurance payor and 8-hour workdays with 4.5 weeks of leave annually. Equipment costs from hospital invoices were collated. Operational and patient safety metrics were compared before and after the GED. Results A geriatric nurse practitioner in the ED is financially self-sustaining at 7.1 consultations, a pharmacist is self-sustaining at 7.7 medication reconciliation consultations, and physical and occupational therapist evaluations are self-sustaining at 5.7 and 4.6 consults per workday, respectively. Total annual equipment costs for mobility aids, delirium aids, sensory aids, and personal care items for the GED was $4,513. Comparing the 2 years before and after, in regard to operational metrics the proportions of patients with lengths of stay > 8 hours and patients placed in observation did not change. In regard to patient safety, the rate of falls decreased from 0.60/1,000 patient visits to 0.42/1,000 in the ED observation unit and 0.42/1,000 to 0.36/1,000 in the ED. ED recidivism at 7 and 30 days did not change. Estimated cost savings from the reduction in falls was $80,328. Conclusion The additional equipment and personnel costs for comprehensive geriatric assessment in the ED are potentially financially justified by revenue generation and improvements in patient safety measures. A geriatric ED was associated with a decrease in patient falls in the ED but did not decrease admissions or ED recidivism.
Computing β-Stretch Paths in Drawings of Graphs.

Let f be a drawing in the Euclidean plane of a graph G, which is understood to be a 1-dimensional simplicial complex. We assume that every edge of G is drawn by f as a curve of constant algebraic complexity, and the ratio of the length of the longest simple path to the the length of the shortest edge is poly(n). In the drawing f, a path P of G, or its image in the drawing π=f(P), is β-stretch if π is a simple (non-self-intersecting) curve, and for every pair of distinct points p∈P and q∈P, the length of the sub-curve of π connecting f(p) with f(q) is at most β||f(p)-f(q)‖, where ‖.‖ denotes the Euclidean distance. We introduce and study the β-stretch Path Problem (βSP for short), in which we are given a pair of vertices s and t of G, and we are to decide whether in the given drawing of G there exists a β-stretch path P connecting s and t. The βSP also asks that we output P if it exists. The βSP quantifies a notion of "near straightness" for paths in a graph G, motivated by gerrymandering regions in a map, where edges of G represent natural geographical/political boundaries that may be chosen to bound election districts. The notion of a β-stretch path naturally extends to cycles, and the extension gives a measure of how gerrymandered a district is. Furthermore, we show that the extension is closely related to several studied measures of local fatness of geometric shapes. We prove that βSP is strongly NP-complete. We complement this result by giving a quasi-polynomial time algorithm, that for a given e>0, β∈O(poly(log |V(G)|)), and s,t∈V(G), outputs a β-stretch path between s and t, if a (1-e)β-stretch path between s and t exists in the drawing.
Future Hot-Rolled Asymmetric Steel I-Beams

AbstractThe purpose of the presented research is to evaluate the potential future manufacturing of hot-rolled asymmetric I-beams (AIBs) for construction in building floor systems. This technical no...
Electromagnetic Versus Blind Guidance of a Postpyloric Feeding Tube in Critically Ill Children.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Postpyloric feeding tube placement is a time-consuming procedure associated with multiple attempts and radiation exposure. Our objective with this study is to compare the time, attempts, and radiation exposure using the electromagnetic versus blind method to place a postpyloric feeding tube in critically ill children. Our hypothesis is that using electromagnetic guidance decreases the procedure time, number of x-rays, and number of attempts, compared to the blind method. METHODS: Eleven pediatric nurses participated in a randomized controlled intention-to-treat study at an academic pediatric medical, surgical, and congenital cardiac ICU. University of Texas Health Epidemiology and Biostatistics generated a randomization sequence with sealed envelopes. A standard (2-sided) F-test of association between the electromagnetic and blind method yielded 40 subjects with 86% power. Data were analyzed with Fisher’s exact test for categorical variables and the Wilcoxon rank test for continuous variables, with data documented as median (interquartile range [IQR]). RESULTS: We randomly assigned 52 patients to either the electromagnetic (n = 28) or blind method (n = 24). The number of attempts and radiographs was at a median of 2 (IQR: 1–2.25) using the blind method, compared to the electromagnetic method at a median of 1 (IQR: 1.0–1.0; P = .001). Successful guidance was 96.4% with the electromagnetic method, compared to only 66.7% with the blind technique (P = .008). The total time required was 2.5 minutes (IQR: 2.0–7.25) with the electromagnetic method, compared to 19 minutes (IQR: 9.25–27.0) for the blind method (P = .001). CONCLUSIONS: Electromagnetic guidance is a superior, faster, and overall safer method to place a postpyloric feeding tube in critically ill children.
Tracking natural CO2 migration through a sandstone aquifer using Sr, U and C isotopes: Chimayó, New Mexico, USA

Abstract The geochemical and isotopic characteristics of groundwaters in Chimayo, New Mexico, reflect processes that affect water quality in the Tesuque Aquifer, which overlies a leaking natural CO2 source in a structurally complex region. In this study, select isotopes (δ13C, 87Sr/86Sr, 234U/238U) are applied to groundwaters to better understand CO2 transport mechanisms and related water-rock interactions that impact Chimayo groundwater. Carbon stable isotope ratios of dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC; δ13CDIC = -15.10‰ to 4.50‰) identify a distinct source of upward-migrating CO2 that interacts with the groundwater. Groundwater 87Sr/86Sr compositions (0.7098 to 0.7154) reflect intrusion of varying amounts of saline water associated with the high CO2 source, while 234U/238U ratios corroborate presence of deep groundwater and suggest impacts from distinctive natural uranium sources are affecting groundwater. Previous work proposed two CO2 transport mechanisms at the site: (1) dissolved in deep brine that underlies the aquifer and (2) in the gas phase; this study uses isotope mixing models to identify wells that are affected by these CO2 transport mechanisms and demonstrates that both transport mechanisms are associated with impaired groundwaters. Overall, this study demonstrates that applying multiple isotope systems (δ13CDIC, 87Sr/86Sr, 234U/238U) is a dynamic tool for identifying and measuring the impact of CO2 leakage from a sequestration site.
Reform and Retrenchment in International Investment Law

These Keynote Remarks were prepared for the Santander Roundtable Discussions on International Economic Law, co-hosted by Kenyatta University School of Law, (Nairobi); Riara Law School, (Nairobi); and the International Investment Law Center, at University of Cologne, January 13, 2021. The main claim is that the ISDS-centric focus of the current UNCITRAL Working Group III and ICSID Rule processes do not deal with some of the most fundamental challenges international investment law poses. These challenges are: How rights conferred on investors by international investment law effectively undermine domestic regulatory choices; How international investment law creates an asymmetrical private system of justice in which only investors have rights, whereas States are duty-bearers with no rights; How ISDS cases, and even the threat of investors bringing ISDS claims, creates a regulatory chilling effect; and how reform processes overlook market failures arising from the incentive structure of the international investment law system, allowing investors to externalize massive environmental, human rights and other costs. Perhaps therefore, the ISDS centric nature of the reforms raises the possibility that this reform process has the hallmarks of the most organized constituencies that benefit from its continuation.
All-in-one: a new approach toward robust and solution-processable copper halide hybrid semiconductors by integrating covalent, coordinate and ionic bonds in their structures

Conventional inorganic semiconductors are best known for their superior physical properties and chemical robustness, and their widespread use in optoelectronic devices. However, implementation of these materials in many other applications has been hindered by their poor solubility and/or solution-processability, a longstanding drawback that is largely responsible for issues such as high cost. While recent progress on hybrid perovskites, an important class of inorganic–organic hybrid materials, has shed light on the development of high-performance solution processable semiconductors, they rely heavily on toxic metals and generally suffer from framework instability. To address these issues, a new group of hybrid semiconductors based on anionic copper(I) halide and cationic organic ligands has been developed. These compounds are noted as All-In-One (AIO) structures as they consist of covalently bonded anionic CuX inorganic modules that form both coordinate and ionic bonds with cationic organic ligands. Studies demonstrate that framework stability and solution processibility of these materials are greatly enhanced as a result of such bonds. In the perspective, we highlight the development of this newly emerged type of materials including their crystal structures, chemical and physical properties and possible applications. The untapped potential that the AIO approach can offer for other hybrid families is also discussed.
The Course of Weight/Shape Concerns and Disordered Eating Symptoms Among Adolescent and Young Adult Males.

Abstract Purpose Male weight concerns tend to focus on shape and muscularity as opposed to a desire for thinness and remain underdetected by conventional eating disorder assessments. We aimed to describe the longitudinal course of weight concerns and disordered eating behaviors among males across adolescence and young adulthood. Methods We used prospective assessments of 4,489 U S. males, aged 11 to 18 years at baseline of analyses, in the Growing Up Today Study. We assigned mutually exclusive classifications of behaviors consistent with bulimia nervosa (BN), binge eating disorder (BED), purging disorder (PD); high levels of concern with thinness and/or muscularity; and use of muscle-enhancing products. We estimated the probability of maintenance, resolution, or transition to different weight concerns and/or disordered eating behaviors across consecutive survey waves. Results Less than 1% of participants met full or partial criteria for BN, PD, or BED at baseline. One-quarter (25.4%, n = 1,137) of males reported high weight concerns during follow-up; nearly all these cases (93.7%, n = 1,065) had high muscularity concerns. The most common transition in concerns or behaviors involved the addition of muscularity concerns to a preoccupation with thinness. Eleven percent of participants used muscle-building products during follow-up. Multi-year product use (23.0% [standard deviation 1.0%] of males who used products) was more common than maintenance of bulimic behaviors (3.0% [.7%] of BN/PD, 10.5% [1.2%] of BED cases). Conclusions Integrating muscularity concerns and product use into health promotion and screening tools may improve prevention and early detection of harmful body image and weight control among adolescent and young adult males.
Give the Earth a Rest: A Spiritual Lesson from the Virus

The bible talks about how the earth needs to rest every seven years and then again every fifty years. If we do not give it rest, earth will expel us so that it gets its rest. Today, the concept of earth encompasses the economy. The spiritual lesson from the virus is that the economy is not meant to be squeezed to the last bit. The drive to efficiency and profit maximization has harmed people. A higher power is sending us a message: if we will not tone down our hyper-economy, nature/god will do it for us.
Role of affective reactivity induced by cigarette packaging including graphic warning labels: the CASA Study.

Author(s): Stone, Matthew; Strong, David; Dimofte, Claudiu; Brighton, Elizabeth; Oratowski, Jesica; Yang, Tingyi; Alkuzweny, Manar; Asslani, Atean; Velasco, Katherine; Skipworth, Michael; Crespo, Noe C; Hurst, Samantha; Leas, Eric C; Pulvers, Kim; Pierce, John P | Abstract: ObjectiveTo identify whether three types of cigarette pack designs, including three versions of graphic warning label (GWL) plain packs, one GWL absent and branding absent pack (blank) and the smoker's own GWL absent and branding present pack (US), elicit different valence, type and levels of affect.DesignUS daily smokers (n=324) were asked to handle each of the five pack types and 'think aloud' their reactions. To avoid a muted familiarity response, exposure to their own US pack followed exposure to at least one GWL plain pack. Reactions were scored on a reactivity scale (-3 to +3) and the text was coded for speech polarity (-1 to +1) and emotive word frequency.ResultsReactivity scores had excellent inter-rater reliability (agreement ≥86%; intraclass correlation coefficient ≥0.89) and were correlated with speech polarity (r=0.21-0.37, pl0.001). When considering their US pack, approximately two-thirds of smokers had a low (31.5%) to medium (34.6%) positive response (reactivity=1.29; polarity=0.14) with expressed feelings of joy and trust. Blank packaging prompted a largely (65.4%) neutral response (reactivity=0.03; polarity=0.00). The gangrenous foot GWL provoked mostly medium (46.9%) to high (48.1%) negative responses (reactivity=-2.44; polarity=-0.20), followed by neonatal baby (reactivity=-1.85; polarity=-0.10) and throat cancer (reactivity=-1.76; polarity=-0.08) warnings. GWLs varied in their elicitation of disgust, anger, fear and sadness.ConclusionInitial reactions to GWL packs, a blank pack, and smokers' current US pack reflected negative, neutral, and positive affect, respectively. Different versions of the GWL pack elicited different levels and types of immediate negative affect.
Impact of Fin Sidewall Taper Angle on Sub-14 nm FinFET Device Performance

Recent advances in FinFET technology include fins with tapered sidewalls in addition to conventional vertical sidewall fins. Our 3-D TCAD simulation results suggest that for low to moderately doped fins, vertical sidewall fins have superior electrical performance. Only at extremely high fin doping concentrations could tapered sidewall fins be electrically beneficial.
5 The Arbitral Tribunal: Selection and Replacement of Arbitrators

The great majority of international investment arbitrations are decided by a three-member arbitral panel, where each party selects one arbitrator, and the presiding arbitrator is selected either by agreement of the parties, the party appointed arbitrators, or, more often, by a neutral appointing authority. The selection of arbitrators is made after serious and in-depth research by counsel, in consultation with the client. Arbitrators are the adjudicators of essentially all the disputes between the parties. During the course of the proceedings, they will have the power to decide both substantive and procedural issues relevant to parties' dispute. The quality of the arbitrators is essential for a successful arbitration and, more generally, for the reputation of the arbitration process itself. This chapter describes how, and assesses who, to select as arbitrators, it then reviews challenges procedures, and finally explains how arbitrators' vacancies are filled. Keywords: arbitrator; neutral appointing authority; procedural issues; selection
A novel ALD SiBCN low-k spacer for parasitic capacitance reduction in FinFETs

FinFET has become the mainstream logic device architecture in recent technology nodes due to its superior electrostatic and leakage control [1,2,3,4]. However, parasitic capacitance has been a key performance detractor in 3D FinFETs. In this work, a novel low temperature ALD-based SiBCN material has been identified, with an optimized spacer RIE process developed to preserve the low-k value and provide compatibility with the down-stream processes. The material has been integrated into a manufacturable 14nm replacement-metal-gate (RMG) FinFET baseline with a demonstrated ∼8% performance improvement in the RO delay with reliability meeting the technology requirement [4]. A guideline for spacer design consideration for 10nm node and beyond is also provided based on the comprehensive material properties and reliability evaluations.
Parental report of health-related quality of life in children with sickle cell disease.

Health-related quality of life (HRQOL) of youths with sickle cell disease (SCD) has not been described, despite the psychosocial and physical consequences associated with the disease. We compared the HRQOL of 58 children with SCD to a demographically similar sample of 120 healthy children and examined predictors of HRQOL. Child HRQOL was assessed using the Child Health Questionnaire--Parent Report Form. Review of medical charts of children with SCD provided data on disease-related complications. Results demonstrated that caregivers of children with SCD reported that their children had more limited physical, psychological, and social well-being than healthy children. Older child age, female gender, and more disease-related complications predicted limitations in the physical health of children with SCD. The findings indicated that SCD significantly affects the HRQOL of youths. Certain subgroups of patients (e.g., children with more disease complications) may benefit from interventions specifically designed to improve their physical functioning.
The effects of ultraviolet light on the degradation of organic compounds: a possible explanation for the absence of organic matter on Mars.

The analysis of the top layer of the Martian regolith at the two Viking landing sites did not reveal any indigenous organic compounds. However, the existence of such compounds at deeper layers cannot be ruled out. Cosmochemical considerations indicate various potential sources for organic matter on Mars, such as comets and meteorites. The study tested the stability of a sample of the Murchison meteorite and various organic substances which have been detected in carbonaceous chondrites, such as glycine, adenine and naphthalene, to the action of ultraviolet light. The compounds were adsorbed on powdered quartz and on California desert soil and were irradiated in the presence or absence of oxygen. The organic content, before and after irradiation, was measured by carbon elementary analysis, UV-absorption, amino acid analysis or pyrolysis-gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. In the absence of oxygen, adenine and glycine appear to be stable over the given part of irradiation. A definite degradation was noticed in the case of naphtalene and the Murchison meteorite. In the presence of oxygen in amounts comparable to those on Mars all compounds were degraded. The degree of degradation was influenced by the irradiation time, temperature and oxygen content.
Chromothripsis from DNA damage in micronuclei

Genome sequencing has uncovered a new mutational phenomenon in cancer and congenital disorders called chromothripsis. Chromothripsis is characterized by extensive genomic rearrangements and an oscillating pattern of DNA copy number levels, all curiously restricted to one or a few chromosomes. The mechanism for chromothripsis is unknown, but we previously proposed that it could occur through the physical isolation of chromosomes in aberrant nuclear structures called micronuclei. Here, using a combination of live cell imaging and single-cell genome sequencing, we demonstrate that micronucleus formation can indeed generate a spectrum of genomic rearrangements, some of which recapitulate all known features of chromothripsis. These events are restricted to the mis-segregated chromosome and occur within one cell division. We demonstrate that the mechanism for chromothripsis can involve the fragmentation and subsequent reassembly of a single chromatid from a micronucleus. Collectively, these experiments establish a new mutational process of which chromothripsis is one extreme outcome.
Reflections on pathways to teaching, learning and curriculum community relationship building☆

Abstract Significant time and talent have been applied in recent years toward the enhancement of the quality of accounting education. The Pathways Commission has been visible in sponsoring the pursuit of a national strategy to guide future “higher education for the accounting profession.” Pathways reports to date cover diverse issue areas and assert the value of academic/practice partnering. Attention is placed also on the need to create a national implementation structure to assure the sustainability of future gains. This paper provides evidence derived from author experiences in developing past academic/practice partnering activities. These pursuits reflect the value of a focus on pathways to relationship building involving interactions by a variety of interested participants (stakeholders) for mutual benefit. Insights are shared on the development of multiple partnering vehicles. Experiences suggest the potential for transfer gains among local initiatives and extensions to national venues. Implications for possible national Pathways-related implementation are suggested.
Studies of the biosynthesis of 3,6-dideoxyhexoses: molecular cloning and characterization of the asc (ascarylose) region from Yersinia pseudotuberculosis serogroup VA.

Abstract The 3,6-dideoxyhexoses are found in the lipopolysaccharides of gram-negative bacteria, where they have been shown to be the dominant antigenic determinants. Of the five 3,6-dideoxyhexoses known to occur naturally, four have been found in various strains of Salmonella enterica (abequose, tyvelose, paratose, and colitose) and all five, including ascarylose, are present among the serotypes of Yersinia pseudotuberculosis. Although there exists one report of the cloning of the rfb region harboring the abequose biosynthetic genes from Y. pseudotuberculosis serogroup HA, the detailed genetic principles underlying a 3,6-dideoxyhexose polymorphism in Y. pseudotuberculosis have not been addressed. To extend the available information on the genes responsible for 3,6-dideoxyhexose formation in Yersinia spp. and facilitate a comparison with the established rfb (O antigen) cluster of Salmonella spp., we report the production of three overlapping clones containing the entire gene cluster required for CDP-ascarylose biosynthesis. On the basis of a detailed sequence analysis, the implications regarding 3,6-dideoxyhexose polymorphism among Salmonella and Yersinia spp. are discussed. In addition, the functional cloning of this region has allowed the expression of Ep (alpha-D-glucose cytidylyltransferase), Eod (CDP-D-glucose 4,6-dehydratase), E1 (CDP-6-deoxy-L-threo-D-glycero-4- hexulose-3-dehydrase), E3 (CDP-6-deoxy-delta 3,4-glucoseen reductase), Eep (CDP-3,6-dideoxy-D-glycero-D- glycero-4-hexulose-5-epimerase), and Ered (CDP-3,6-dideoxy-L-glycero-D-glycero-4-hexulose-4-reductase), facilitating future mechanistic studies of this intriguing biosynthetic pathway.
Material Design Considerations Based on Thermoelectric Quality Factor

In this chapter several aspects of the electronic and phonon structure are considered for the design and engineering of advanced thermoelectric materials. For a given compound, its thermoelectric figure of merit, zT, is fully exploited only when the free carrier density is optimized. Achieving higher zT beyond this requires the improvement in the material quality factor B. Using experimental data on lead chalcogenides as well as examples of other good thermoelectric materials, we demonstrate how the fundamental material parameters: effective mass, band anisotropy, deformation potential, and band degeneracy, among others, impact the thermoelectric properties and lead to desirable thermoelectric materials. As the quality factor B is introduced under the assumption of acoustic phonon (deformation potential) scattering, a brief discussion about carrier scattering mechanisms is also included. This simple model with the use of an effective deformation potential coefficient fits the experimental properties of real materials with complex structures and multi-valley Fermi surfaces remarkably well—which is fortunate as these are features likely found in advanced thermoelectric materials.
Analysis of Borrelia burgdorferi membrane architecture by freeze-fracture electron microscopy

Freeze-fracture electron microscopy was used to investigate the membrane architectures of high-passage Borrelia burgdorferi B31 and low- and high-passage isolates of B. burgdorferi N40. In all three organisms, fractures occurred almost exclusively through the outer membrane (OM), and the large majority of intramembranous particles were distributed randomly throughout the concave OM leaflet. The density of intramembranous particles in the concave OM leaflet of the high-passage N40 isolate was significantly greater than that in the corresponding leaflet of the low-passage N40 isolate. Also noted in the OMs of all three organisms were unusual structures, designated linear bodies, which typically were more or less perpendicular to the axis of the bacterium. A comparison of freeze-fractured B. burgdorferi and Treponema pallidum, the syphilis spirochete, revealed that the OM architectures of these two pathogens differed markedly. All large membrane blebs appeared to be bounded by a membrane identical to the OM of B. burgdorferi whole cells; in some blebs, the fracture plane also revealed a second bilayer closely resembling the B. burgdorferi cytoplasmic membrane. Aggregation of the lipoprotein immunogens outer surface protein A (OspA) and OspB on the bacterial surface by incubation of B. burgdorferi B31 with specific polyclonal antisera did not affect the distribution of OM particles, supporting the contention that lipoproteins do not form particles in freeze-fractured OMs. The expression of poorly immunogenic, surface-exposed proteins as virulence determinants may be part of the parasitic strategy used by B. burgdorferi to establish and maintain chronic infection in Lyme disease.