cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Prospects for high-aspect-ratio FinFETs in low-power logic

As we reduce transistor capacitances, node capacitances are limited by wiring, setting a minimum power dissipation determined by the number of gates, the mean wire length, the mean switching rate, and the supply voltage VDD. With thermally-activated, FETs, the off-state leakage Ioff and target on-current Ion then determine the minimum feasible VDD, and the IC clock frequency can then be increased only at the expense of increased power consumption. Tunnel transistors [1] offer subthreshold characteristics steeper than 60mV/decade, but achieving high Ion at low Ioff and low VDD is challenging. Subthreshold logic [2] operates at lowVDD, but is slow because of low Ion. Here we propose low-power logic using high-aspect-ratio finFETs, devices we have fabricated with few-nm body thicknesses and 180nm height [3]. If these can fabricated at ~20nm pitch, then the fin surface area can exceed its footprint area - i.e. the area the transistor occupies on the IC - by ~10:1. IC performance can be then improved by maintaining fixed VDD, but with reduced FET footprint area hence reduced die size and therefore reduced wiring capacitance, or can be improved by reducing VDD to ~300mV while maintaining large Ion per unit IC die area.
A comparison of transforms and quaternions in robotics

Three-dimensional modeling of rotations and translations in robot kinematics is most commonly performed using homogeneous transforms. An alternate approach, using quaternion/vector pairs as spatial operators, is discussed and analyzed. Sequential and parallel algorithms for some of the common spatial operations are given for both homogeneous transforms and quaternion/vector pairs and compared in terms of computational efficiency. The two approaches are shown to be essentially equivalent in the absence of the need for frequent renormalization of rotational operators. >
Flutter of Flat Finite Element Panels in a Supersonic Potential Flow

A finite element formulation and a solution procedure are developed for the flutter analysis of twodimensional flat panels with one surface exposed to a supersonic potential flow and supported at the leading and trailing edges. The aerodynamic forces due to supersonic flow are obtained from the exact theory for linearized two-dimensional unsteady flow where no limitations on the order of the frequency are imposed. Thus the Mach number need not be limited to beyond approximately 1.6. When using this theory, the aerodynamic matrix becomes location-dependent and must be formulated for each element. This difficulty is overcome by first assembling the element shape functions for the entire structure and then finding the aerodynamic forces and the element aerodynamic matrix by numerical integration. The effects of structural damping and initial inplane tension are included. Examples for finding the panel thickness required to prevent flutter at various Mach numbers are demonstrated and the results are compared with an alternative Galerkin's modal solution as well as experiments.
Electromagnetic production of kaons from protons, and baryon electromagnetic form factors

The reactions $\ensuremath{\gamma}p\ensuremath{\rightarrow}{K}^{+}\ensuremath{\Lambda}$ and $ep\ensuremath{\rightarrow}{e}^{\ensuremath{'}}{K}^{+}\ensuremath{\Lambda}$ have been investigated in a tree-level effective Lagrangian model that incorporates most of the well-established baryon resonances with spins up to $\frac{5}{2}$, four less well-established nucleon resonances with larger mass, and the ${K}^{\ensuremath{\star}}(892)$ and $K1(1270)$ resonances in the $t$ channel. The off-shell structure of the electromagnetic vertices in electroproduction is incorporated by the addition of electromagnetic form factors. To achieve a good fit to the electroproduction data, it was found necessary to treat the ground-state hyperon form factors as adjustable parameters rather than simply equating them with the neutron form factors as was done in past studies. Photoproduction data consisting of unpolarized differential cross sections from the CLAS Collaboration, hyperon polarization asymmetries from CLAS, GRAAL, and SAPHIR, photon beam asymmetries from GRAAL and LEPS, and double polarization observables from CLAS were fit over the c.m. energy range from threshold up to 2.3 GeV. Electroproduction data for the virtual photoproduction structure functions ${\ensuremath{\sigma}}_{U}$, ${\ensuremath{\sigma}}_{T}$, ${\ensuremath{\sigma}}_{L}$, ${\ensuremath{\sigma}}_{TT}$, and ${\ensuremath{\sigma}}_{LT}$ from the CLAS collaboration were fit over the $\ensuremath{\Sigma}K$ c.m. energy range from threshold up to 2.3 Gev and for several values of ${q}^{2}$, the square of the virtual photon 4-momentum. For each intermediate resonance included, the fitted parameters in the photoproduction fit consist of the products of the coupling strengths at the electromagnetic and strong interaction vertices. In the electroproduction fit, there were, in addition, two form-factor parameters for each intermediate baryon in the $s$ and $u$ channels and one form factor parameter for each kaon resonance in the $t$ channel. Results are presented for the fitted photoproduction and electroproduction observables and compared with the data for several sets of kinematical variables.
Formaldehyde Absorption at z = 0.685 toward the “Einstein Ring” B0218+357

We report VLA observations of absorption in the 211 → 212 transition of formaldehyde (H2CO) at a redshift of 0.68466 toward the Einstein ring gravitational lens system B0218+357. We observe the H2CO line at 8.6 GHz only toward the stronger of the two compact images of this system. The column densities of H2CO and other molecules previously observed at millimeter wavelengths, as well as their relative abundances, are comparable to the values one finds for molecular clouds within the Milky Way. We argue that the material seen in absorption has a molecular hydrogen column density between 5 × 1021 and 5 × 1022 cm-2.
An Optimized Assay for Adenosine Deaminase Using Reverse Phase High Pressure Liquid Chromatography

A sensitive, optimized assay for adenosine deaminase (E.C. 3.5.4.4), is presented which is based on a reverse phase HPLC analysis of adenosine. In this method a sample of erythrocytes was incubated with adenosine and the decrease in the adenosine concentration with time was analyzed by HPLC. The precision of the method averaged approximately 5% RSD with a sensitivity of about 0.1 U/ml of packed erythrocytes. Comparison with other literature values showed similar activities for adenosine deaminase in erythrocytes (0.229 +/- 0.025) U/ml (alpha = 0.05). The optimization included studies on the ionic strength, pH, enzyme and substrate concentration, and reaction time. The Km for adenosine deaminase was found to be (0.178 +/- 0.018) mM (alpha = 0.05). The method offers several advantages over other assay methods, including an improved capability to discern competing side reactions from other enzymes.
Microscopic and Nanoscale Perspective of the Metal−Insulator Phase Transitions of VO2: Some New Twists to an Old Tale

The peculiarities in the electronic structure of the seemingly simple binary vanadium oxide VO2, as manifested in a pronounced metal−insulator phase transition in proximity to room temperature, have made it the subject of extensive theoretical and experimental investigations over the last several decades. We review some recent advances in theoretical treatments of strongly correlated systems along with ultrafast measurements of VO2 samples that provide unprecedented mechanistic insight into the nature of the phase transition. Scaling VO2 to nanoscale dimensions has recently been possible and has allowed well-defined VO2 nanostructures to serve as model systems for measurements of intrinsic properties without obscuration from grain boundary connectivities and domain dynamics. Geometric confinement, substrate interactions, and varying defect densities of VO2 nanostructures give rise to an electronic and structural phase diagram that is substantially altered from the bulk. We postulate that design principles...
Propagation of nitrogen gas in a liquid helium cooled vacuum tube following sudden vacuum loss – Part II: Analysis of the propagation speed

Abstract The propagation of near-atmospheric nitrogen gas entering a liquid helium (LHe) cooled vacuum tube following an accidental loss of vacuum will be strongly influenced by condensation of the gas on the tube wall. Our previous experimental study revealed that in presence of condensation, the propagation speed of the gas front decreases nearly exponentially as the front advances in the tube. In the present paper, the exponential decrease is studied semi-analytically. We reduce the analytical model of the front speed, using assumptions, to show its derivative in the direction of propagation to be proportional to the mass deposition rate near the front. The deposition rate is then obtained at discreet locations along the tube from the condensation heat transfer rate at these locations. We find the deposition rate to diminish nearly exponentially along the tube so that the spatial derivative of the speed will show the same effect. In this special case, the front speed will also fall exponentially along the tube. Within the experimental and procedural uncertainty, the exponential decay length-scale of the mass deposition rate also agrees reasonably with the empirically determined exponential decay length-scale of the propagation speed.
Abstract P1-11-04: Long-term patient satisfaction with cosmetic outcome and psychosocial wellbeing after breast conserving therapy is affected only by lumpectomy volume

Introduction: Breast conserving therapy (BCT) is considered the treatment of choice for early stage breast cancer by National Cancer Institute guidelines. Little data exists on patient-reported satisfaction and quality of life outcomes after lumpectomy with radiation. This study aims to identify factors influencing satisfaction with cosmetic outcome and quality of life in patients receiving BCT using a validated instrument. Methods: All patients treated with lumpectomy and radiation for breast cancer at our institution from 1997-2012 received a mailed questionnaire containing the BREAST-Q breast conservation module (graciously provided by Dr A. Pusic, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center), a validated quality of life survey instrument. A retrospective chart review was performed for survey responders for demographic, treatment, and staging information. Scores were calculated for satisfaction with appearance of the breast, adverse effects of radiation, sexual wellbeing, psychosocial wellbeing and physical wellbeing: upper body and arm. Pearson correlation coefficients were obtained. Wilcoxon rank-sum and one-way ANOVA were used to identify associations between patient variables and satisfaction scores. Multivariate regression was used to assess confounding variables. Results: A total of 110 questionnaires (response rate of 29.5%) fit criteria for analysis. The mean age of respondents was 65.9±11.2 yrs, and mean time since diagnosis was 91.8±53.1 mos. We observed the strongest correlations between satisfaction with breast appearance and sexual wellbeing (r=0.66, p Conclusions: In women undergoing BCT, patient satisfaction with appearance of the breast and psychosocial wellbeing at 7.6 years of follow-up correlated with the volume of tissue removed but no other patient or tumor characteristics. Increasing age at diagnosis was associated with greater satisfaction in multiple domains. These results emphasize the importance of precise surgical technique and patient selection in order to achieve long-term patient satisfaction with BCT. Citation Format: Welsh JL, Fu S, Liao J, Sugg SL, Scott-Conner CE, Weigel RJ, Erdahl LM, Lizarraga IM. Long-term patient satisfaction with cosmetic outcome and psychosocial wellbeing after breast conserving therapy is affected only by lumpectomy volume. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the Thirty-Eighth Annual CTRC-AACR San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium: 2015 Dec 8-12; San Antonio, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2016;76(4 Suppl):Abstract nr P1-11-04.
Quantum Diffusion-Controlled Chemistry: Reactions of Atomic Hydrogen with Nitric Oxide in Solid Parahydrogen

Our group has been working to develop parahydrogen (pH2) matrix isolation spectroscopy as a method to study low-temperature condensed-phase reactions of atomic hydrogen with various reaction partners. Guided by the well-defined studies of cold atom chemistry in rare-gas solids, the special properties of quantum hosts such as solid pH2 afford new opportunities to study the analogous chemical reactions under quantum diffusion conditions in hopes of discovering new types of chemical reaction mechanisms. In this study, we present Fourier transform infrared spectroscopic studies of the 193 nm photoinduced chemistry of nitric oxide (NO) isolated in solid pH2 over the 1.8 to 4.3 K temperature range. Upon short-term in situ irradiation the NO readily undergoes photolysis to yield HNO, NOH, NH, NH3, H2O, and H atoms. We map the postphotolysis reactions of mobile H atoms with NO and document first-order growth in HNO and NOH reaction products for up to 5 h after photolysis. We perform three experiments at 4.3 K and...
Migration in a World of Citizens, Nonsensical Morality and Academia’s Role in Addressing Hidden Poverty

In a world that is built upon the logic of citizenship, the fact of an unrecognized noncitizen relationship between an individual and a State gives rise to some problematic outcomes. This chapter presents two main ones, using some extreme real-world cases, and explores the particular role of academics in resolving these difficulties. First, the chapter shows how a nonsensical morality towards noncitizens within their State of noncitizenship can develop. This is demonstrated through the example of some irregular immigrants who may find facts of life nonsensically illegalized, a problem even more basic than human rights concerns. Second, the chapter presents how the non-recognition of some persons who do not have any form of citizenship or citizen-like relationship with the State where they live gives rise to a form of intractable hidden poverty impairing access even to basic rights. This chapter then goes on to explore how academia can play a special role in addressing this, emphasizing four main aspects. First, academia itself is dependent upon the possibility of alternative forms of individual-State relationships. Second, academics have the space and time to research topics that may otherwise go un-explored. Third, academics, if they draw a conclusion that something that they have found is unjust, have an obligation to try to correct it. Fourth, the status of the academic, as interlocutor, and as legitimizer of interlocutors, gives rise to a special role in enabling often silenced voices to be heard.
Extended Households at Work: Living Arrangements and Inequality in Single Mothers' Employment

This paper investigates how the presence of other adults in the household influences employment rates and inequality among single mothers who are White, Black, Mexican, or Puerto Rican. Data from the 1998 to 2000 Current Population Surveys shows that Black single mothers experience no employment inequality compared to Whites if they are cohabiting outside marriage or hosting an extended household. For Black single mothers, the employment disadvantage is concentrated among those without other adults in the household. Mexican and Puerto Rican single mothers, however, display an employment disadvantage across all household types. Although the presence of other adults in a single mother's household appears to increase employment, this advantage has important limits.
Intraindividual Evaluation of Low Dose Iterative CT Compared to Conventional CT for PET Attenuation Correction and Clinical Diagnostic Image Quality: Validation for A Next Generation Digital Detector PET/CT System

1699 Objectives To evaluate CT dose response and the capability of low dose CT using iterative reconstruction compared to conventional CT for PET AC and satisfying clinical diagnostic CT image quality (IQ) on a next generation digital PET/CT system Methods A pre-commercial release digital detector PET/CT system (Vereos TF 64, Philips Healthcare, Cleveland) was evaluated and compared to a conventional PET/CT system (Gemini TF 64). A combined clinical & cadaver trial was initiated for optimizing CT dose response and clinical demonstration. CT sweeps of 5 cadavers (180±13cm) were scanned on Vereos in arms up & down at 6 exposures (150, 100, 80, 50, 30 & 15mAs) and 3 energies (120, 100 & 80kV). PET/CT of 15 oncology patients (1.7±0.1m) were scanned with higher CT dose (164mAs) on Gemini vs lower CT dose (50mAs) on Vereos. Vereos CT was reconstructed w & w/o iterative (iDose) tech. Blinded image reviews were performed by radiologists & physicists. Quantitative analysis in HU on cadaver CTs was analyzed by image subtraction. Effective dose equivalent (EDE) for all subjects were compared Results The cadaver studies revealed the lowest acceptable dose (8.9±0.8mSv EDE) at 50mAs/120kV using iDose whcih led to ~66% dose reduction compared to the conventional approach. No significant differences in CT HU were found (p>0.05) which led to Conclusions Low dose CT (50mAs/120kV) with iterative iDose reconstruction presented equivalent image quality in clinical patients by intraindividual comparison to conventional CT (164mAs/120kV) while reducing EDE by 66%. Low dose, iterative reconstructed CT can be fully implemented in the next generation Vereos PET/CT Research Support Ohio Third Frontier Innovation Platform grant TECH 10-012 and 13-060
Access Spacing Based on Turning-Vehicle Acceleration:

Spacing between access connections—whether between a public roadway and a driveway or between two successive driveways—is one of the core techniques employed to effect access management. Several rationales reflecting different types of traffic interactions have been developed as a basis for minimum spacing distances. A small study was done in which two attributes were recorded: positions of vehicles turning from a side street and accelerating along the through roadway and time required for vehicles to turn left from the through roadway into a driveway. The vehicle movement described—a vehicle turning right from the side street into the through roadway—may be more likely to surprise the driver contemplating a left turn from the through roadway. Information derived from these observations, combined with perception–reaction values found in the literature, offers a basis for minimum spacing criteria that addresses one of many types of traffic interactions related to spacing, where a left turn is allowed acros...
MOS Transistors and CMOS Circuits

The third chapter explains the N-channel and the P-channel MOS transistors, their current-voltage characteristics and CMOS gates. It explains the proper circuit design techniques that lead to transistor sizing to meet design requirements prior to simulation. The estimation of rise and fall times, rise and fall delays are also given in this chapter as a function of load capacitance or gate fan-out.
Thinking Outside the Box: Using Multisector Approaches to Address the Wicked Problem of Homelessness Among LGBTQ Youth

According to national statistics there are somewhere between 1.6 and 2.8 million homeless youth in the United States. An inordinate percentage of these homeless youth identify as LGBTQ. The causes of homelessness among this group as well as the needed services are multifaceted and complex, making it what many would refer to as a wicked problem. This article argues that in order to address the wicked problem of homelessness among LGBTQ youth, collaborations across the public, private, and nonprofit sectors must occur. Examples of such collaborations are offered for consideration of others looking to address the issue.
The past, present, and future of power electronics integration technology in motor drives

The physical integration of power electronics and electric machines to form integrated motor drives (IMDs) eliminates the need for special enclosures and connecting cables in order to achieve mass, volume, and cost savings. The objective of this paper is to examine the future of integrated motor drive technology by first reviewing the history of IMD products from the 1960s to today, highlighting both the reasons for their success as well the significant technical obstacles that they had to overcome. Special attention is directed to the application of IMD technology to electric vehicle traction motor drives during the past 15 years. A long-term vision for IMDs is presented that calls for embedding the drive electronics directly inside the machine enclosure. In keeping with this vision, wide-bandgap (WBG) power semiconductor switches (SiC and GaN) offer exciting prospects for shrinking the size of power converters and simplifying their cooling requirements. New concepts for applying this WBG technology to IMDs are introduced, including revived interest in PWM current-source inverters. In the concluding section, a variety of other promising technologies are introduced that will be critical to realizing the full potential of integrated motor drives.
Files and Streams

Both the Directory and DirectoryInfo class provide a means to create, move, and enumerate directories. However, the DirectoryInfo class is preferred, because it eliminates some security checks when reusing an object.
The ORAC model: a layered view of data abstractions

The history of data model development can be viewed as a migration process from application programs to generic facilities for data management. At the core of such data management is a data model which plays the role of a bridge between human beings and computers in dealing with information processing tasks. An ideal data model should satisfy the criteria of formality, simplicity, and expressiveness. While classic data models are too primitive to handle complex database applications, current advanced data models are usually defined in intuitive narrative terms, resulting in imprecise and even conflicting definitions of semantic modeling concepts. The key to tackling such problems is to identify a set of essential semantic modeling generics which are humanly intuitive, semantically expressive, and can be naturally mapped into simple mathematical concepts. In this dissertation, we introduce a new data model, called the object-relationship-abstraction-constraint (ORAC) model, with a layered view of data abstractions. We focus on two types of generics: structural constructs and constraint primitives. The structural constructs are the basic semantic building blocks and abstraction mechanisms which include literal objects, abstract objects, attribute functions, relationships, and advanced abstractions such as generalization, categorization, and aggregation. The constraint primitives are data integrity rules which include the uniqueness and cardinality constraints on objects, on functions, and on relationships; and the disjoint, subset, equality, cover, partition, equal-cover constraints on super-sub structures. The ORAC model provides a formal basis for the precise definition of the structural constructs and constraint primitives. It employs sets as the formal basis for object types, power sets for generalization and categorization abstractions, relations for relationship types and aggregation abstraction, and functions for attributes of object and relationship types. Furthermore, object identity and existence dependency concepts are introduced to precisely differentiate between abstract objects and literal objects, and between relationships and attribute functions. We also investigate semantic equivalence between different semantic modeling concepts by studying the role concept and its semantic transformations. We propose rules and heuristics for object clustering for schema management and documentation in large scale database applications.
Differential Risk Factors for Unhealthy Weight Control Behaviors by Sex and Weight Status Among U.S. Adolescents.

Abstract Purpose To determine if previously reported risk factors for the development of unhealthy weight control behaviors differ by sex and weight status using a nationally representative longitudinal sample of adolescents followed through young adulthood. Methods We used nationally representative longitudinal cohort data collected from baseline (11–18 years old, 1994–1995, Wave I) and seven-year follow-up (18–24 years old, 2001–2002, Wave III) of the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health (Add Health). We examined potential risk factors (adverse childhood events and adolescent family, school, body image, and mental health factors) for the development of unhealthy weight control behaviors including vomiting, fasting/skipping meals, or laxative/diuretic use to lose weight at seven-year follow-up in young adulthood. Results Of the 14,322 included subjects, 11% reported unhealthy weight control behavior at follow-up in young adulthood, with the highest proportion (23.7%) among overweight/obese females and the lowest proportion (3.7%) among underweight/normal weight males. All adolescent family factors were significantly associated with unhealthy weight control behaviors in underweight/normal weight females, whereas none were significantly associated in overweight/obese males. Similar trends were noted for adverse childhood events, and adolescent school and community factors. Adolescent self-perception of being overweight was associated with young adult unhealthy weight control behaviors among all subgroups. Conclusions Risk factors for unhealthy weight control behaviors may differ based on sex and weight status. Screening, prevention, and treatment interventions for unhealthy weight control behaviors in adolescents and young adults may need to be tailored based on sex and weight status.
Passing experiences on to future generations: endocrine disruptors and transgenerational inheritance of epimutations in brain and sperm

All animals have body burdens of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) despite their ban decades ago. These and modern endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) such as the fungicide vinclozolin (VIN) perturb hormone signaling and lead to dysfunctions following prenatal exposures. Beyond direct exposures, transgenerational disease phenotypes can persist for multiple generations without subsequent exposure. The mechanisms of action of these EDCs differ: VIN is anti-androgenic while the PCB mixture Aroclor 1221 (A1221) is weakly estrogenic. Based on limited evidence for the inheritance of epimutations in germline, we measured DNA methylation in brain and sperm of rats. Pregnant dams were exposed from day 8-18 of gestation to low dosages of VIN, A1221, or the vehicle. To produce paternal lineages, exposed F1 males were bred with untreated females, creating the F2 and subsequently F3 generations. In adult F1 and F3 males, mature sperm was collected, and brain nuclei involved in anxiety and social behaviors (CA3 of the hippocampus; central amygdala) were selected for assays of epimutations in CpG islands using reduced representation bisulfite sequencing. In F1 sperm, VIN and PCBs induced differential methylation in 215 and 284 CpG islands, respectively, compared to vehicle. The majority of effects were associated with hypermethylation. Fewer epimutations were detected in the brain. A subset of differentially methylated regions were retained from the F1 to the F3 generation, suggesting a common mechanism of EDC and germline epigenome interaction. Thus, EDCs can cause heritable epimutations in the sperm that may embody the future phenotype of brain-behavior disorders caused by direct or transgenerational exposures.
Stigma and drug use settings as correlates of self-reported, non-fatal overdose among people who use drugs in Baltimore, Maryland.

Abstract Background Fatalities from opioid overdose quadrupled during the last 15 years as illicit opioid use increased. This study assesses how stigma and drug use settings are associated with non-fatal overdose to identify targets for overdose risk reduction interventions and inform overdose education and naloxone distribution programs. Methods We surveyed 444 people who used drugs in Baltimore, Maryland, USA, from 2009 to 2013 as part of a randomized clinical trial of a harm reduction intervention. Participants reported demographic characteristics, drug use, overdose history, use of a local syringe services program, involvement in the local drug economy, and whether they experienced discrimination from others (i.e., enacted stigma) or stigmatized themselves (i.e., internalized stigma) related to their drug use. We used multinomial logistic regression models to identify correlates of experiencing a non-fatal overdose within the past year or >1 year ago relative to participants who never experienced an overdose. Results Stigma was positively associated with experiencing a non-fatal overdose in the past year (adjusted Odds Ratio [aOR]: 1.7, 95% Confidence Interval [CI]: 1.1–2.7) and >1 year ago (aOR [95% CI]: 1.5 [1.1–2.0]) after adjustment for demographic and substance use characteristics. The association of stigma with overdose was stronger for enacted versus internalized stigma. The number of public settings (shooting gallery, crack house, abandoned building, public bathroom, outside) where participants used drugs was also positively associated with experiencing an overdose. Conclusions Stigma related to drug use and using drugs in more settings may increase overdose risk. The effectiveness of overdose prevention and naloxone training may be improved by reducing discrimination against people who use drugs in community and medical settings and diversifying the settings in which overdose prevention trainings are delivered. These efforts may be enhanced by use of peer outreach approaches in which people who use drugs diffuse prevention messages through their social networks and within settings of drug consumption outside the medical setting.
Initiative in a Social Context: Interpersonal Outcomes of Interdependent Proactive Behaviour

Organisations increasingly expect employees to take initiative at work (i.e., enact proactive behaviour) while simultaneously relying on individuals to work with others to complete tasks. We argue ...
Complete Genome Sequences and Transmission Electron Micrographs of Listeria Phages of the Genus Homburgvirus.

ABSTRACT Bacteriophages that infect the foodborne pathogen Listeria monocytogenes were previously isolated from New York dairy farms. The complete genome sequences for three of these Listeria phages, with genome sizes of 64.6 to 65.7 kb, are presented here. Listeria phages LP-010, LP-013, and LP-031-2 are siphoviruses that belong to the genus Homburgvirus.
Evaluating the Catalytic Potential of a General RNA‐Cleaving FANA Enzyme

The discovery of synthetic genetic polymers (XNAs) with catalytic activity demonstrates that natural genetic polymers are not unique in their ability to function as enzymes. However, all known examples of in vitro selected XNA enzymes function with lower activity than their natural counterparts, suggesting that XNAs might be limited in their ability to fold into structures with high catalytic activity. To explore this problem, we evaluated the catalytic potential of FANAzyme 12-7, an RNA-cleaving catalyst composed entirely of 2'-fluoroarabino nucleic acid (FANA) that was evolved to cleave RNA at a specific phosphodiester bond located between an unpaired guanine and a paired uracil in the substrate recognition arm. Here, we show that this activity extends to chimeric DNA substrates that contain a central riboguanosine (riboG) residue at the cleavage site. Surprisingly, FANAzyme 12-7 rivals known DNAzymes that were previously evolved to cleave chimeric DNA substrates under physiological conditions. These data provide convincing evidence that FANAzyme 12-7 maintains the catalytic potential of equivalent DNAzymes, which has important implications for the evolution of XNA catalysts and their contributions to future applications in synthetic biology.
Understanding Ecuador’s Growth Prospects in the Aftermath of the Citizens’ Revolution

This chapter sheds some light on the prospects for the Ecuadorian economy in the aftermath of the Revolucion Ciudadana and a permanent reduction in oil prices. Given that the economy’s progress is contingent on whether or not private sector investment can take over and replace the public sector as the main engine of the economy, I have focused on how fiscal policy can affect private investment decisions. So, this analysis relates to the importance of solving the implementation problem in order to ensure that the economy moves toward a period of growth and increasing living standards. Whether fiscal authorities manage to construct a credible and strategic fiscal policy will determine the economic outcomes to be realized in the future. Moreover, given that individual preferences may not be separable from government expenditures, the need to create a fiscal stabilization fund has been emphasized, as well as the importance of focusing adjustments on current rather than capital expenditures.
Horizontal Gene Transfer in Fungi

Horizontal gene transfer (HGT), the sharing of genes between species outside of inheritance, is a common feature among prokaryotes, but a growing body of evidence supports HGT in eukaryotic genomes. The driving forces behind horizontal gene transfer occur within a shared environment and are selective—meaning they improve survivability of stress, increase nutrient access, or provide an evolutionary advantage. The development of toxic and pathogenic properties was one of the first indications of phenotypic transfer among fungal species. A growing species diversity of genome sequences has brought a new set of tools to tracking HGT. The detection of HGT based on sequence similarity utilizes species tree phylogenies, which compare similarity of core-conserved genes to determine lineage. Divergence of an HGT candidate gene from a phylogenetic background tree can show interspecies DNA transfer. It is by following phenotypes and analysis of DNA sequence context and content that we can uncover previous transfer events and track lab-fostered and recorded HGT. Evidence of HGT is found heavily in parasitic and pathogenic fungi; both of these lifestyles rely on phagocytosis and assimilation of host parts and pieces, suggesting phagocytosis is implicated in DNA uptake mechanisms. Our understanding of the molecular mechanisms of DNA uptake and incorporation of foreign DNA into fungal genomes, i.e., natural competence, remains based on a set of laboratory conditions used in molecular transformation. The mechanism of DNA uptake in the natural world and new DNA incorporation remain under investigation.
Consistency of the Horvitz–Thompson estimator under general sampling and experimental designs

Abstract We extend current concentration results for the Horvitz–Thompson estimator in finite population settings. The estimator is demonstrated to converge in quadratic mean to its target under weaker and more general conditions than previously known. Specifically, we do not require that the variables of interest nor the normalized inclusion probabilities are bounded. Rates of convergence are provided.
Digital imaging biomarkers for quantitative guidance of pluripotent stem cell passaging (Conference Presentation)

We investigate the process of induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) passaging. Subcultures are created by transferring cells from iPSC cultures to new growth mediums. We found that standard protocols for iPSC passaging primarily have researchers use their eyesight to determine cultures' confluencies and cell counts. With the consequences of inaccurate estimates going as far as cell death due to passaging at the suboptimal confluency, we sought to circumvent human error and develop a culture analyzing algorithm (CAA) that calculates both confluency and cell count primarily through Otsu's method. We incorporate multi-image machine learning into our CAA, improving its ability to recognize colonies as it is fed more images. In comparing our algorithm to standard protocols, we found that there was a significant percent difference between both methods when measuring the confluency and cell count of iPSC cultures. Through further refinement, we hope to streamline our CAA for large-scale use.
Racism and Health-Related Quality of Life in Pediatric Sickle Cell Disease: Roles of Depression and Support

Introductions Sickle cell disease (SCD) is the most commonly inherited blood disorder in the United States, and it predominately affects the Black community. SCD is characterized by a number of symptoms, including unpredictable pain, which can lead to hospitalizations. Data indicate that people with SCD experience racism and ample data indicate that racism predicts depressive symptoms and impaired health-related quality of life (HRQOL). In contrast, research suggests that social support might buffer the impact of racism on depression. The aim of this study was to explore associations among perceived racism, depressive symptoms, and HRQOL in adolescents with SCD. Consistent with the literature, it was predicted that perceived racism would predict HRQOL through depression, and social support would moderate the negative impact of racism on depression. Methods In a cross-sectional design, 75 inpatient adolescents with SCD completed measures of perceived racism, depressive symptoms, HRQOL, and social support. Results This results indicated a moderated mediation model with greater perceived racism predicting more depressive symptoms, which in turn related to poorer HRQOL; greater access to social support from individuals with SCD strengthened the perceived racism-depressive symptom association. Conclusions Findings suggest a model for how racism, depressive symptoms, HRQOL, and social support might interact in hospitalized adolescents with SCD. Longitudinal or experimental designs are needed to substantiate directionality among these variables. Results highlight several areas for future research and clinical avenues to improve the welfare of youth with SCD.
Behavioral and physiological characteristics associated with learning performance on an appetitive probabilistic selection task

Abstract Individuals show meaningful variability in food choices. Choices are affected by individual differences in sensitivity to food reward and punishment, so understanding correlates of response to food reinforcement can help characterize food choices. Here, we examined behavioral and physiological correlates of individual differences in how individuals learn from food reward and punishment, as measured by performance on an appetitive probabilistic selection task that used sweet and bitter tastes as reinforcement. Sensitivity to food reward, sensitivity to food punishment, and overall learning performance were measured in 89 adults. Multivariate linear regressions were used to test if variables including body mass index (BMI), external eating, emotional eating, behavioral inhibition/behavioral activation scales (BIS/BAS), and perceived sensitivity to reward and punishment (SPQ/SRQ) were associated with measures of learning performance. External eating (β=-.035, p=.019), BIS (β=-.066, p=.004), and SPQ (β=.003, p=.023) were associated with overall learning performance. BMI (β=-.000, p=.012), emotional eating (β=.055, p=.006), and external eating (β=-.062, p=.004) were associated with sensitivity to food reward. No variables were associated with sensitivity to food punishment. In post hoc analyses, the interaction of sex and SPQ was associated with overall performance (β=-.005, p=.025), such that the relationship was positive in women only (β=.006, p=0.002). Results support that, controlling for key individual characteristics, BMI and susceptibility to food cues are associated with lower sensitivity to food reward, which may affect future food choices and eating behavior.
The silent development of counterfeit medications in developing countries - A systematic review of detection technologies.

Abstract Drug counterfeiting detection is very important for the safety of patients around the world. Counterfeit pharmaceutical products can be referred to the production and distribution of mislabeled medications in which the identity, authenticity, and/or effectiveness is altered. Drugs are often counterfeited to reduce manufacture costs, while still marketing it at as an authentic product. Increased incidence of drug counterfeiting is most noticeable in developing countries, which may not have the resources to supply counterfeit detection devices at a large scale. It is important to consider the direct problems that it may cause and to propose options for controlling and reducing the prevalence of counterfeit medications. Certain counterfeit detection devices have been successfully used for qualitative and quantitative assessment to differentiate counterfeit medications from the reference product. Different technologies are needed to identify the chemical properties of a questioned drug product, which can then be used to determine its authenticity. This review examines the implications of counterfeit medications and the current technological approaches that are able to detect counterfeited pharmaceuticals.
Abstract 6473: Outcomes of advanced renal cell carcinoma with sarcomatoid features post-cytoreductive nephrectomy in clear cell and non-clear cell disease

Background: Cytoreductive nephrectomy in the setting of treatment of advanced renal cell carcinoma with sarcomatoid features (sRCC) has been highly contested in terms of added benefit for survival. Patients with sRCC are known to have a poor prognosis and more aggressive tumor biology. Methods: Pts with clear cell RCC and non-clear cell RCC underwent cytoreductive nephrectomy in efforts to improve overall survival. Patients were stratified by presence or absence of histologic presence of sarcomatoid features within the tumor samples. Results: Of 167 patients who underwent cytoreductive nephrectomy, 127 had clear cell, of which 14 had sarcomatoid features and 40 had non-clear cell RCC of which 13 had sarcomatoid features. Median age in the cohort was 62 (range, 56.5-69). The cohort included 119 male (71.3%) and 48 (28.7%) female patients. There were 121 patients with >T3 disease, 24 (14.4%) with T2a/b disease, and 22 (13.2%) with T1a/b disease. In all patients with advanced RCC having sRCC had a significant impact on survival post-cytoreductive nephrectomy (30 vs. 8 mos; HR 2.88; p 10% or ≤10% present within the sample, there was no significant difference in overall survival (8 vs 8.5; p = 0.32). Conclusions: Sarcomatoid features within tumor histology confers significantly poor prognosis. Patients with sRCC regardless of clear cell vs non-clear cell histology have significantly shorter overall survival. Even among patients with 10% or less sarcomatoid features there was no overall survival benefit to cytoreductive nephrectomy. Based on our findings, there appears to be a limited to no role of cytoreductive nephrectomy, if sRCC is identified on pre-treatment biopsy. Citation Format: Jacob J. Adashek, Alyssa Bilotta, Jad Chahoud, Jiannong Li, Philippe E. Spiess. Outcomes of advanced renal cell carcinoma with sarcomatoid features post-cytoreductive nephrectomy in clear cell and non-clear cell disease [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research 2020; 2020 Apr 27-28 and Jun 22-24. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2020;80(16 Suppl):Abstract nr 6473.
GALEX MEASUREMENTS OF THE BIG BLUE BUMP IN SOFT X-RAY-SELECTED ACTIVE GALACTIC NUCLEUS

We study the UV properties of Type I active galactic nuclei (AGNs) from the ROSAT All-Sky Survey that have been selected to show unusually soft X-ray continua. We examine a sample of 54 Seyfert 1 galaxies with detections in both Near-UV and Far-UV bands of the Galaxy Evolution Explorer (GALEX) satellite. Our sample is systematically fainter in the UV than galaxies studied in similar work by previous authors. We look for correlations between their UV and X-ray properties as well as correlations of these properties with either black hole mass or Eddington ratio. The shape of the big blue bump (BBB) in the GALEX regime does not appear to correlate with its strength relative to the power-law continuum, which conflicts with results reported by previous authors. The strength of the BBB is correlated with the shape of the X-ray continuum, in agreement with previous work, but the slope of the correlation is different than previously reported. The properties of the accretion disks of Type I AGN in the GALEX regime are relatively independent of black hole mass and Eddington ratio. We compare our measurements to the predictions of alternative theories for the origin of the soft excess, but we are unable to distinguish between Comptonization of BBB photons by a hot plasma and absorption in relativistic winds as the most likely origins for the soft X-ray excess.
SDRBench: Scientific Data Reduction Benchmark for Lossy Compressors

Efficient error-controlled lossy compressors are becoming critical to the success of today's large-scale scientific applications because of the ever-increasing volume of data produced by the applications. In the past decade, many lossless and lossy compressors have been developed with distinct design principles for different scientific datasets in largely diverse scientific domains. In order to support researchers and users assessing and comparing compressors in a fair and convenient way, we establish a standard compression assessment benchmark -- Scientific Data Reduction Benchmark (SDRBench). SDRBench contains a vast variety of real-world scientific datasets across different domains, summarizes several critical compression quality evaluation metrics, and integrates many state-of-the-art lossy and lossless compressors. We demonstrate evaluation results using SDRBench and summarize six valuable takeaways that are helpful to the in-depth understanding of lossy compressors.
Medicaid Expansion Reduced Uncompensated Care Costs At Louisiana Hospitals; May Be A Model For Other States

We examined changes in hospital uncompensated care costs in the context of Louisiana’s Medicaid expansion. Louisiana remains the only state in the Deep South to have expanded Medicaid under the Aff...
Atomistic insights into the nucleation and growth of platinum on palladium nanocrystals

Despite the large number of reports on colloidal nanocrystals, very little is known about the mechanistic details in terms of nucleation and growth at the atomistic level. Taking bimetallic core-shell nanocrystals as an example, here we integrate in situ liquid-cell transmission electron microscopy with first-principles calculations to shed light on the atomistic details involved in the nucleation and growth of Pt on Pd cubic seeds. We elucidate the roles played by key synthesis parameters, including capping agent and precursor concentration, in controlling the nucleation site, diffusion path, and growth pattern of the Pt atoms. When the faces of a cubic seed are capped by Br-, Pt atoms preferentially nucleate from corners and then diffuse to edges and faces for the creation of a uniform shell. The diffusion does not occur until the Pt deposited at the corner has reached a threshold thickness. At a high concentration of the precursor, self-nucleation takes place and the Pt clusters then randomly attach to the surface of a seed for the formation of a non-uniform shell. These atomistic insights offer a general guideline for the rational synthesis of nanocrystals with diverse compositions, structures, shapes, and related properties.