cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Characterization of the hot-electron-induced degradation in thin SiO2 gate oxides

Abstract With decreasing oxide thickness, some of the established methods to characterize oxide degradation become inapplicable because of limited sensitivity and because of direct tunneling which gives rise to large leakage currents through the oxide. However, new techniques are emerging which could not previously be used on thicker oxides, such as stress-induced leakage current measurements, current noise measurements, hot-electron emission microscopy, ballistic electron emission microscopy and hot-carrier luminescence. Some of these techniques provide unprecedented information on the local current densities with high spatial resolution and can be used to study inhomogeneous degradation in thin oxides at low voltages where homogeneous hot-carrier degradation becomes energetically unfavorable. In Si/SiO2/poly-Si structures, three different, homogeneous, hot-electron induced degradation processes have been identified, with threshold voltages at 12 V, 7.5 V and about 4 V. These are the generation of holes by impact ionization in the oxide, the injection of holes from the anode, and the release of hydrogen mostly from near the anode, respectively. The released hydrogen is very reactive and is responsible for the generation of many stress-induced defects. The existence of energy thresholds for homogeneous defect generation may limit the use of voltage acceleration for reliability evaluations.
Hydroprocessing catalysis on metal sulfides prepared from molecular complexes

Abstract This article gives an overview of preparation, characterization, and activity/selectivity of bulk and dispersed metal sulfide catalysts prepared from two families of molecular complexes. New promoter metals are identified. Behavioral features of these molecular-complex-derived catalysts for different hydroprocessing applications are discussed. These catalysts share some common characteristics that make them distinct from conventional Al 2 O 3 -supported catalysts. Examples are given to show the importance of understanding catalyst–feedstock interactions and balancing catalyst hydrogenation and hydrogenolysis functionalities.
The history of subcutaneous oxygen therapy

Soon after the discovery of oxygen, experiments began on the use of oxygen for therapeutic purposes, including subcutaneous administration of oxygen, on humans and animals. The history of subcutaneous oxygen therapy (SQOT) is examined in the context of the growing understanding of the use and methods of oxygen administration. Little was written about this therapy until the 19th century, despite an advocacy for its use in some circles. There was resurgence in the use of SQOT in the early 20th century. Investigators in the field of anesthesia, including such notable figures as Paul M. Wood, Ralph M. Waters, and John Henry Evans, contributed to the growth in popularity of the therapy and to the literature on the subject. Although SQOT has been supplanted by other means of administration, it may have a role in management of some inflammatory or pain conditions.
On the Extension of the Utilitarian and Suppes–Sen Social Welfare Relations to Infinite Utility Streams

Extensions of a utilitarian and a Suppes–Sen grading principle defined on infinite utility streams are characterized with a stronger notion of Anonymity and without any consistency postulate. The relative merits of the Extended Utilitarian relation are discussed and its rankings are compared with those of the overtaking criterion and the Basu–Mitra Utilitarian relation.
Mechanically induced alterations in cultured skeletal muscle growth.

Model systems are available for mechanically stimulating cultured skeletal muscle cells by passive tensile forces which simulate those found in vivo. When applied to embryonic muscle cells in vitro these forces induce tissue organogenesis, metabolic adaptations, and muscle cell growth. The mechanical stimulation of muscle cell growth correlates with stretch-induced increases in the efflux of prostaglandins PGE2 and PGF2(alpha) in a time and frequency dependent manner. These prostaglandins act as mechanical 'second messengers' regulating skeletal muscle protein turnover rates. Since they also effect bone remodelling in response to tissue loading and unloading, secreted prostaglandins may serve as paracrine growth factors, coordinating the growth rates of muscle and bone in response to external mechanical forces. Cell culture model systems will supplement other models in understanding mechanical transduction processes at the molecular level.
The Beautiful Risk of Education

The last two decades have witnessed an intensification of the push to standardize education and subject it to neoliberal accountability mechanisms and technologies, at least in the advanced capital...
Production Uncertainty and Factor Price Disparity in the Slaughter Cattle Market: Theory and Evidence

A model of a competitive firm facing uncertainty with respect to input quality is applied to the issue of price differentials existing between slaughter cattle marketing alternatives. The marketing alternatives are live weight, dressed weight, and dressed weight and grade. The model demonstrates that price differentials between marketing alternatives are the result of buyer uncertainty over cattle quality. If buyers are assumed risk averse, then the price differential between alternatives increases. These results lead to the proposition of a theory of factor price disparity, and empirical evidence is presented in support of this theory.
Active Modal Control of Vortex-Induced Vibrations of a Flexible Cylinder

Abstract Vibration induced by the periodic shedding of vortices from the surface of a flexible cylinder is controlled actively using an independent modal controller. The controller utilizes piezo-electric actuators and sensors, placed at critical locations, to generate the control action necessary to attenuate the vortex-induced vibration of the dominant modes. A multi-mode of vibration model, based on the wake oscillator approach, is developed and validated experimentally using a 3·175 cm diameter cylinder tested inside a low speed wind tunnel. The performance of the active controller is obtained at various flow speeds and controller parameters. It was found that the controller is effective in attenuating the transverse vibrations of the cylinder by approximately 40%, for the flow speeds considered.
Drug Therapy? Let's Take a Closer Look

Biofeedback and relaxation are considered to be practical alternatives to drug therapy in controlling the behavior of hyperactive children and youth.
Psychosocial, Behavioral, and Biological Aspects of Chronic Diseases

Behavioral, psychosocial, and societal risk factors have been associated with several chronic diseases. Biological processes closely linked to lifestyle, stress, and psychological status appear to mediate the associations. Lifestyle and psychosocial interventions have been developed to prevent and manage chronic diseases. Field and laboratory studies help to specify causal pathways connecting lifestyle and psychosocial variables to disease processes. However, large-scale randomized clinical trials are required to determine whether interventions lower rates of illness and death.
Scheduling of Loading and Unloading of Crude Oil in a Refinery with Optimal Mixture Preparation

Production scheduling defines what products should be produced and what products should be consumed at each point in time over a short period; hence, it defines which run-mode to use and when to perform changeovers to meet the market needs and to satisfy the demand. The study presented in this Article focuses on the scheduling of the loading and unloading of crude oil in intermediate storage tanks, between ports and crude distillation units. Analysis of this activity gives rise to better use of a system’s resources, as well as improved total visibility and control of production units and the entire supply chain. It is very important that the crude oil is loaded and unloaded continuously, primarily for security reasons but also to reduce the setup costs incurred when flow between a port and a tank or between a tank and a crude distillation unit is reinitialized. The aim of the present Article is to develop an exact solution approach based on a generic mixed integer model, which provides not only the optima...
Spatial distribution of primates in a mosaic of colonizing and old growth forest at Ngogo, Kibale National Park, Uganda

Primate censuses were conducted in a mosaic of colonizing (two locations) and old-growth forests using line transect methods at the Ngogo study site, Kibale National Park, Uganda. Black and white colobus monkeys (Colobus guereza) were encountered more frequently in the colonizing forests than in the old growth forest, while chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes) were encountered more frequently in the old growth forest than in colonizing forests. Although not significant, results suggest that blue monkeys (Cercopithecus mitis) frequented colonizing forests more often than old growth forest. The encounter rates of mangabey (Lophocebus albigena), and redtail (Cercopithecus ascanius) groups were ambiguous with their density being higher in some colonizing forests but not others as compared to old-growth forest. No significant differences were detected for baboons (Papio anubis), L’hoest’s (Cercopithecus lhoesti), and red colobus monkeys (Piliocolobus tephroscales). The conversion of forests to farmland is one of the major problems encountered in primate conservation. This study shows that secondary forests replacing anthropogenic grasslands have the potential of supporting some primate species such as black and white colobus, redtail monkeys, and possibly blue monkeys. Therefore, such areas should not be given up but should be conserved for the benefit of primates that can survive in secondary forests; as the forests mature further, primate species that are adapted to old growth forest will colonize the area provided there is a nearby source.
Binary object representation and recognition using the Hilbert morphological skeleton transform

Abstract A binary shape representation called the Hilbert Morphological Skeleton Transform ( HMST ) is introduced. This representation combines the Morphological Skeleton Transform ( MST ) with the clustering capabilities of the Hilbert transform. The HMST preserves the skeleton properties including information preservation, progressive visualization and compact representation. Then, an object recognition algorithm, the Hilbert Skeleton Matching Algorithm ( HSMA ), is introduced. This algorithm performs a single sweep over the HMST s and renders the similarity between them as a distance measure. Testing the HSMA against the Skeleton Matching algorithm ( SMA ) and invariant moments revealed that the HSMA algorithm achieves slightly better object recognition rates while substantially reducing the complexity. In an experiment of 14,400 shape matches, the HSMA achieved a 90.36% recognition rate as opposed to 89.76% for the SMA and 89.49% for invariant moments. On the other hand, the HSMA improved the SMA processing more than 40%.
A Case Study of Administrative Structure in a Health Department

This is a report of a participant-observer study made by the anthropologist-director of a small county health department. This was regarded as an unusual opportunity, not only to contribute to the knowledge of the inner workings of a health institution, but also to use this information as a basis upon which to modify the organizational structure toward a more appropriate environment in which health personnel may work. The investigator was cognizant of the hazards of his dual role in this undertaking, as the chief executive of the organization on the one hand and as a social scientist examining the organization on the other. In such situations, one may risk being accused of bias because of vested interest on the one hand, or he may be indicted for not hewing to the traditional boundaries which separate these different roles on the other. To these possible criticisms, the investigator can only state that he attempted to be objective, since only factual material could be useful in this undertaking. In regard...
The serial position function for lists learned by a narrative-story mnemonic

In a free recall task when recall is delayed after input, the serial position function exhibits higher performance in the initial positions and depressed performance in the final positions relative to the middle positions. The nature of a S’s learning strategy in free recall has been a matter of speculation. The present study examined delayed recall for a learning strategy involving the construction of a story around list items. The delayed serial position function under these conditions differed from the standard paradigm in displaying an elevated performance over the final positions. To the extent that Ss use a story as a mnemonic in a free recall task, delayed performance on the final inputted items should be enhanced.
Tests Whether a Head to Head Condensation Mechanism Occurs in the Biosynthesis of n-Hentriacontane, the Paraffin of Spinach and Pea Leaves.

Paraffins are widely distributed in nature (10), the major site of occurrence being in the surface lipids. Although the structure of paraffins that occur in a variety of organisms has been elucidated in recent years, the mechanism of their biosynthesis is not yet well understood. The most common paraffins of leaf surface lipids are n-nonacosane (C99) and n-hentriacontane (IC31). The presence of nonacosan-15-one and of nonacosan15-ol with the ;C, paraffin in the plant waxes lead to the suggestion that a head to head condensation of 2 molecules of C13 acid followed by decarboxylation could give rise to the ketone which on reduction would give the secondary alcohol and the paraffin (1,7). However, C15 acid is found only in minute quantities, and tracer studies with specifically labeled fatty acids showed that the head to head condensation involving 2 molecules of C1, acid or between 2 molecules of the common fatty acids is highly unlikely ('10). On the other hand, in the case of the other most common paraffin ({l-C31) the head to head condensation hypothesis would require 2 molecules of palmitic acid, the most common saturated fatty acid in living organisms. Furthermore, palmitone, which would be the hypothetical intermediate, has been found in plant waxes (2,12). The head to head condensation hypothesis was therefore experimentally tested with specifically labeled C6, acid. In order to test the above hypothesis, young pea leaves (Pistnm savtizum, var. Freezonian) and young spinach leaves (Spinacia oleracea, var. Virginia bright resistant savoy) were used for the following reasons. Extraction of their surface lipids, purification of the paraffin fractions by column and thinlayer chromatography, and analysis of the paraffins by gas-liquid chromatography (7, 8) showed that the major paraffin is n-CG, in both cases (about 90 % in spinach and 98 % in pea). The difference between the 2 tissues was that spinach paraffin contained about 10 % of n-C,o but pea paraffins contained less than 1 %. In both tissues n-C,, to n-C33 paraffins could be detected. Young leaves from both pea and spinach plants readily incorporated exogenous labeled fatty acids into paraffins, most of the label being in n-C,3 paraffin (fig la and lb). T e rate of incorporation varied a great deal apparently due to the uncontrolled growth environment in the greenhouse. Pea leaves incorporated stearic acid up to 3 times as fast and spinach leaves about one-third as fast as the rate previously reported for broccoli leaves (9). If a head to head condensation between 2 molecules of C,1 acid followed by decarboxylation gives rise to niC31 paraffin, one of the C16 acid molecules should lose its carboxyl carbon atom during the process (fig 2). Therefore, when compared to the
Sensitivity study of the CUSUM control chart with an economic model

Economic control chart designs have not been universally implemented in industry for several reasons. For example, the parameters are too numerous and are often difficult to estimate accurately. A possible solution to these problems involves performing a sensitivity analysis of the inputs to determine which parameters are significant and how parameter misspecification impacts the results. Using two-level fractional factorial designs, we identify highly significant parameters in the Lorenzen and Vance economic control chart model under a Cumulative Sum (CUSUM) condition. The response variables examined include the expected cost per time unit and the decision variables sample size, sampling interval, control chart decision interval and reference value. Verification and misspecification analysis support our conclusions with respect to the expected cost per time unit response variable. The sensitivity study highlights the importance of experiment design in understanding the underlying behavior of the model inputs. Results of testing several scenarios indicate that a small subset of model inputs actually drive the cost response, which should make industrial implementation an easier task. The search for significant inputs can be aided by a study of the relative magnitudes of some factors such as the assignable cause rate and the ratio of out-of-control to in-control quality costs.
Attack countermeasure trees (ACT): towards unifying the constructs of attack and defense trees

Attack tree (AT) is one of the widely used non-state-space models for security analysis. The basic formalism of AT does not take into account defense mechanisms. Defense trees (DTs) have been developed to investigate the effect of defense mechanisms using measures such as attack cost, security investment cost, return on attack (ROA), and return on investment (ROI). DT, however, places defense mechanisms only at the leaf nodes and the corresponding ROI/ROA analysis does not incorporate the probabilities of attack. In attack response tree (ART), attack and response are both captured but ART suffers from the problem of state-space explosion, since solution of ART is obtained by means of a state-space model. In this paper, we present a novel attack tree paradigm called attack countermeasure tree (ACT) which avoids the generation and solution of a state-space model and takes into account attacks as well as countermeasures (in the form of detection and mitigation events). In ACT, detection and mitigation are allowed not just at the leaf node but also at the intermediate nodes while at the same time the state-space explosion problem is avoided in its analysis. We study the consequences of incorporating countermeasures in the ACT using three case studies (ACT for BGP attack, ACT for a SCADA attack and ACT for malicious insider attacks). Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Abstract 679: Glutamine metabolism in MYC-driven antiestrogen resistant breast cancer cells confers metabolic flexibility through the unfolded protein response

Proceedings: AACR Annual Meeting 2014; April 5-9, 2014; San Diego, CA Antiestrogens are used to treat estrogen receptor positive (ER+) breast tumors that constitute 70% of all breast cancer cases. Unfortunately, acquired resistance to antiestrogen therapy remains a critical clinical obstacle. Here we show that human breast cancer cells and rat mammary tumors that have acquired resistance to antiestrogens express increased levels of MYC, a major regulator of both glutamine and glucose. Glutamine metabolism and glucose uptake were elevated in ER+ antiestrogen resistant cells (LCC9) compared with sensitive cells (LCC1). Inhibition of MYC, with siRNA or small molecule inhibitor, reduced cell viability and uptake of both glutamine and glucose in resistant cells. In resistant cells, MYC expression controlled protein levels of glutamine, glutamate and glucose transporters as well as GLUL and GLS, two enzymes that promote glutamate-glutamine inter-conversion. Increased MYC function in resistant cells correlated with increased cellular sensitivity to deprivation of, and also inhibitors of, both glutamine and glucose. While apoptosis eliminated all resistant cells in glucose-only conditions beyond 72 h, in glutamine-only conditions, the unfolded protein response (UPR) via GRP78-IRE1α and activating JNK and increased CHOP, induced apoptosis in majority of the cells but promoted survival in some. The antiestrogen faslodex (FAS; ICI 182,780) significantly reduced glucose uptake in antiestrogen resistant cells compared with sensitive cells. Thus, our findings reveal unique roles for MYC in promoting metabolic flexibility in and promoting survival in antiestrogen resistant breast cancer cells via the UPR. Targeting glutamine and glucose metabolism pathways, therefore, may provide novel strategies in treating endocrine resistant breast cancers. Citation Format: Ayesha N. Shajahan-Haq, Katherine L. Cook, Jessica L. Schwartz-Roberts, Ahreej E. Eltayeb, Diane M. Demas, Anni M. Warri, Leena A. Hilakivi-Clarke, Robert Clarke. Glutamine metabolism in MYC-driven antiestrogen resistant breast cancer cells confers metabolic flexibility through the unfolded protein response. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 105th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2014 Apr 5-9; San Diego, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2014;74(19 Suppl):Abstract nr 679. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2014-679
Some remarks on molecular biology

The binding energy of a very long molecular chain, composed of different classes of molecules, depends in general on the order of the molecules. It is shown that under very general conditions there exists for a givenbrutto chemical composition of a chain, a class of chains which is characterized by a total binding energy which is equal to the total binding energy of any other prescribed chain of different composition within the limits of unsharpness of the energy level. This establishes a criterion formapping of a class of configurations of long chain molecules on another class. To the extent that a mapping constitutes a generalized code those results contribute to the theory of molecular codes.
What you need to know about GB virus C.

GB virus C (GBV-C) is a nonpathogenic member of the Flaviviridae family most closely related to hepatitis C virus (HCV). Infection is common in healthy and immunocompromised people and may persist for years. GBV-C infection is associated with improved survival, improved AIDSfree survival, higher CD4+ T-cell counts, and lower HIV viral loads in HIV-infected people compared with people infected with HIV but not GBV-C. The mechanism of this effect is not yet clear, but GBV-C has been shown to inhibit HIV replication in vitro through increased synthesis and secretion of anti-HIV β.chemokines MIP-1’a, MIP-1β, RANTES, SDF-1, and SDF-2 and downregulation of CCR5 receptor expression. GBV-C also inhibits apoptosis of its host cell, similar to HCV. GBV-C E2 protein in serum has also been associated with prolonged survival in HIV infection; recent evidence indicates that GBV-C E2 protein may neutralize HIV infection in vitro.
Simultaneous Vapor−Liquid−Liquid Equilibria and Phase Molar Densities of a Quaternary System of Propane + Pentane + Octane + Water

This paper presents a new procedure to measure simultaneously equilibrium phase compositions and phase densities of multicomponent fluid mixtures. This is accomplished using a uniquely designed pressure/volume/temperature-vapor/liquid/liquid equilibrium apparatus (PVT-VLLE) connected to a modified sampling system for gas chromatographic analysis (GC) at high pressures and temperatures. The data reported in this paper include (1) three-phase equilibrium compositions and pressures of hexane + water and (2) three-phase equilibrium compositions and phase molar densities for a quaternary system of propane + pentane + octane + water. The equilibrium compositions and three-phase equilibrium pressures for hexane and water compare well with the published data of Tsonopolous and Wilson, which are considered as a calibration test to validate our procedure. Thus we conclude that this methodology is suitable for determining volumetric and phase equilibria properties of multiphase systems.
Herpes virus replication

Herpesviruses are large double stranded DNA animal viruses with the distinguishing ability to establish latent, life-long infections. To date, eight human herpesviruses that exhibit distinct biological and corresponding pathological/clinical properties have been identified. During their life cycles, herpesviruses execute an intricate chain of events geared towards optimizing their replication. This sets an interesting paradigm to study fundamental biological processes. This review summarizes recent developments in herpesvirus research with emphasis on genome transactions, particularly with respect to the prototypic herpes simplex virus type-1.
Phase Diagrams Describing Fibrillization by Polyalanine Peptides

Amyloid fibrils are the structural components underlying the intra- and extracellular protein deposits that are associated with a variety of human diseases, including Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, and the prion diseases. In this work, we examine the thermodynamics of fibril formation using our newly-developed off-lattice intermediate-resolution protein model, PRIME. The model is simple enough to allow the treatment of large multichain systems while maintaining a fairly realistic description of protein dynamics when used in conjunction with constant-temperature discontinuous molecular dynamics, a fast alternative to conventional molecular dynamics. We conduct equilibrium simulations on systems containing 96 Ac-KA14K-NH2 peptides over a wide range of temperatures and peptide concentrations using the replica-exchange method. Based on measured values of the heat capacity, radius of gyration, and percentage of peptides that form the various structures, a phase diagram in the temperature-concentration plane is constructed delineating the regions where each structure is stable. There are four distinct single-phase regions: α-helices, fibrils, nonfibrillar β-sheets, and random coils; and four two-phase regions: random coils/nonfibrillar β-sheets, random coils/fibrils, fibrils/nonfibrillar β-sheets, and α-helices/nonfibrillar β-sheets. The α-helical region is at low temperature and low concentration. The nonfibrillar β-sheet region is at intermediate temperatures and low concentrations and expands to higher temperatures as concentration is increased. The fibril region occurs at intermediate temperatures and intermediate concentrations and expands to lower as the peptide concentration is increased. The random-coil region is at high temperatures and all concentrations; this region shifts to higher temperatures as the concentration is increased.
Reversing the Financial Accelerator: Credit Conditions and Macro-Financial Linkages

This paper examines the role of credit markets in the transmission of U.S. macro-financial shocks through the prism of a financial conditions index (FCI) based on a vector autoregression (VAR) methodology. It explores the relative predictive power of market variables compared to credit standards/conditions. The main conclusion is that under plausible specifications credit conditions dominate market variables, highlighting the importance of credit supply. The fact that direct measures of credit conditions anticipate future movements in asset prices has an extremely important implication. Most models of the credit channel see it as an amplifier of underlying changes in financial wealth. The impact of credit conditions on growth compared to other market variables implies that credit supply drives other financial variables rather than responding to them.
Cardiac embryology: basic review and clinical correlations.

In this review, our goal is to proceed through the various embryologic portions of the primitive heart tube and to emphasize how developmental changes relate to definitive cardiac structure. In addition, we will describe common cardiac defects of clinical significance and emphasize how their structures deviate from normal. Finally, we will discuss potential hemodynamic consequences of defective fetal and postnatal circulations. It is our intention that this review be used as an introduction to cardiac embryology by students in cardiology and cardiac ultrasound. The primordial heart begins as paired groups of angioplastic cells in the splanchnic mesoderm on both sides of the primitive foregut (Figure 1, A and B). As development continues, these cell accumulations arrange themselves into two concentric tubes, an inner endocardial and an outer myoepicardial tube. At this stage, no connection has been made with the primitive venous umbilical-vitelline vessels, so that the primitive cardiac structure is initially a blind tube. At approximately 21 to 23 days after ovulation in the human, (fetal length, 2 mm), the paired endocardial and myoepicardial tubes fuse (Figure 1, C). The newly formed single straight cardiac tube connects at the cephalic end with the developing aortic arch system, and it connects caudally with the vitelline and umbilical venous systems. 1-3 The primitive straight heart tube invaginates at distinct sites, forming recognizable regions (Figure 2, A). From caudal to cephalad, these regions are designated as a paired systemic venous system ~ sinus venosus ~ primitive atrium ~ primitive ventricle ~ bulbus cordis ~ truncus ~ paired aortic arch system. Further growth and development of the primitive heart tube involves looping of the tube, as described in the following sections (Figure 2, B and C).
Analyzing and forecasting global business markets: Reflections and recommendations

My goal in this article is to distill some key ideas I have learned over 50 years of analyzing and forecasting global markets that should be useful to academics as well as practitioners. The discussion moves from the general to the specific and back, offers illustrations, and concludes with a few lessons and guidelines. Part 1 shows why a two-fold view of categorization is far too narrow in a complex world. Part 2 demonstrates that both academics and practitioners face three underlying challenges, namely topic choice, budgeting and procedure; then Part 3 reveals how to tackle these and related issues. In Part 4 the discussion traces the expanding scope of global market research and the key challenge of building consistent market analysis and forecasts in an age of information overload. Part 5 shows illustrative case studies drawn from books and monographs. Finally, Part 6 offers lessons and guidelines. A bibliography and a short biography are provided.
Effects of Estrogen on Fetal Rabbit Lung Maturation: Morphological and Biochemical Studies

Summary: 17β-Estradiol (0.44 to 4.4 μg/kg) was intramuscularly administered to pregnant rabbits on day 25 or 26 of gestation, and the fetuses were delivered by cesarean section 24 hr later. On light microscopy, the lungs from the treated group had larger alveoli and thinner interalveolar septa than did those from the controls at the same gestational age. The lumen:septa ratio was 0.62 ± 0.06 in the control group and 0.88 ± 0.05 in the treated group (P < 0.01). Blood vessels in the lungs of the treated group were also more mature than were those in the control group. Alveolar epithelial cells consisted of 52% undifferentiated, 21% type II, and 27% type I cells in the control group. In the estrogen-treated group, the corresponding distribution was 25, 29, and 45%. There were 0.82 ± 0.16 lamellar bodies per alveolar cell in the treated group compared to 0.38 ± 0.06 in the controls (P < 0.05). Estrogen decreased fetal lung glycogen content from 247 ± 15 μg/mg protein to 70 ± 9 on day 26 and from 103 ± 13 to 13 ± 2 on day 27 (P < 0.001). Estrogen administration increased the rate of incorporation of choline into phosphatidylcholine in fetal lung slices, decreased the rate of thymidine incorporation into DNA, but had no effect on the rates of incorporation of ethanolamine into phosphatidylethanolamine or of leucine into protein. These data indicate that estrogen accelerates the rate of fetal lung maturation. It appears to stimulate lung differentiation at the expense of lung growth. Speculation: Estrogen may be involved in the physiologic control of fetal lung maturation and pulmonary surfactant production.
Substrate aware OPC rules for edge effect in block levels

Implant level photolithography processes are becoming more challenging each node due to everdecreasing CD and resist edge placement requirements, and the technical challenge is exacerbated by the business need to develop and maintain low-cost processes. Optical Proximity Correction (OPC) using models created based on data from plain silicon substrate is not able to accommodate the various real device/design scenarios due to substrate pattern effects. In this paper, we show our systematic study on substrate effect (RX/STI) on implant level lithography CD printing. We also explain the CD variation mechanism and validate by simulation using well calibrated physical resist model. Based on the results, we propose an approach to generate substrate-aware OPC rules to correct for such substrate effects.
Theory and Application of Early Warning Systems for High School and Beyond.

This article describes the development of early warning indicators for high school and beyond in the Milwaukee Public Schools (MPS) by the Value-Added Research Center (VARC) at the University of Wisconsin–Madison, working in conjunction with staff from the Division of Research and Evaluation at MPS. Our work in MPS builds on prior early warning work by using both preexisting and new district data sets to build predictive models for identifying students at elevated risk of an entire series of adverse outcomes in high school and beyond, beginning with grade 9 retention and continuing into postsecondary education. This early warning work in MPS makes at least 2 significant contributions to the existing base of research: (a) broadening the set of outcomes that early warning work can predict; and (b) investigating new ways of conveying early warning information to practitioners, such as probability estimates for each outcome and the total quality credits (TQC) measure.
Prior Coronary Artery Bypass Surgery- Is It Still a Contraindication for Lung Transplantation?

Purpose: Historically, coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) has been a contraindication to lung transplantation (LTx) due to the severity of coronary artery disease and technical considerations of injuring a left internal mammary artery during LTx. However, an increasing number of patients with previous CABG are being referred for and receiving LTx. Whether prior CABG should remain a contraindication to LTx is unknown. We, therefore, used the UNOS data set to define the prevalence of LTx following CABG and determine its effect on short and long-term outcomes. Methods: The UNOS STAR dataset was queried to define the prevalence of patients undergoing LTx following CABG through end of 2013. Only adult LTx patients who underwent primary left, right or bilateral LTx were included. The primary end points were 30-day and 1-year survival. Results: During the study period, 24,655 primary lung transplants were performed. CABG became a mandatory reporting field in UNOS in 2004 so our study cohort included 14,791 patients transplanted between 2004 and 2013 (single left (SL) n= 2,787, single right (SR) n= 2,447, bilateral (B) n= 9,557). During that time period, a total of 292 transplants were performed in patients who had previously undergone CABG (SL n= 68, SR n= 181, B n= 43) representing 2% of all transplants. Over the past 10 years, we observed a 4-fold rise in LTx following CABG which increased from 0.5% to 2.5%. SR LTx was the most common type of LTx in CABG patients representing 62% (181/292). Thirty-day survival 95% for the entire cohort (n= 292) with no difference observed between the CABG-LTx and LTx groups. In contrast, 1-year survival was 80% for CABG-LTx cohort compared to 85% for the non-CABG cohort (P= 0.004). CABG persisted as a predictor of 1-year mortality on multivariable analysis (P= 0.03; HR 1.34; CI 1.03, 1.74). Conclusion: LTx following CABG is uncommon but being performed more frequently in the current era. Single right LTx is the most common procedure performed in patients with prior CABG. Despite a higher risk cohort, CABG LTx patients had equivalent short-term and only slightly inferior 1-year survival. This suggests CABG should not be a contraindication to LTx in well-selected patients.
Imaging techniques in the diagnosis of carcinoma of the colon

The variability in the published results for colonoscopy and barium enema examinations is confusing. With both, optimum results are dependent on meticulous preparation, technical excellence, and operator proficiency. It is a mistake to place colonoscopy and the barium enema in competitive positions; the two methods ideally complement one another in the evaluation of high risk individuals, including those with positive Hemoccult tests. The exclusion of significant pathology by the double-contrast enema can be relied on and is less costly to the patient. Detection of abnormalities by a barium enema should, when necessary, be followed by colonoscopic verification and/or biopsy. When used in this sequence, the procedures provide a cost-effective approach to the early detection and control of cancer; it is estimated that observance of the ACS guidelines can reduce mortality rates by 30%.
Comparison of a Salmonella enteritidis-specific polymerase chain reaction assay to delayed secondary enrichment culture for the detection of Salmonella enteritidis in environmental drag swab samples.

Abstract The California Egg Quality Assurance Program uses the delayed secondary enrichment culture method for detecting Salmonella Enteritidis in environmental drag swabs obtained from commercial layer complexes. The turnaround time for this method is variable and is dependent on the prevalence of Salmonella, level of the Salmonella identification, and capabilities of the performing laboratory. On a sample basis, a range of 4 to 8 days is required to identify a Salmonella sp. to the serogroup level. Additional time is required to serotype group D Salmonella isolates. A Salmonella Enteritidis-specific polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay was developed for use on drag swabs and chick box papers, and had a turnaround time of 3–4 days. The delayed secondary enrichment culture method and the Salmonella Enteritidis-specific PCR assay were compared on 942 drag swab and 85 chick box paper samples submitted from 217 and 22 premises, respectively, as part of the California Egg Quality Assurance Program. The PCR a...
Experimental investigation of the excess charge

The open-circuit voltage of about 600 mV developed by 0.1 ohm-cm silicon solar cells under air mass zero illumination is about 100 mV less than voltages predicted from simple diffusion theory. The lower measured voltages appear to be controlled by junction current transport processes associated with the thin top diffused layer. Mechanisms such as low n+ layer minority carrier lifetime and bandgap narrowing due to heavy doping effects (HDE) have been suggested to explain these results. Experimental determinations of the properties of the diffused layer are required to assess which of these mechanisms predominate. While direct measurement is difficult, an indirect measurement methodology exists by which the lifetime or transit time in the diffused layer can be obtained. Nine p-type, 1×2 cm, 〈111〉 orientation silicon wafers were phosphorus diffused at 880°C for 45 minutes using P0Cl3. Open-circuit voltages of 595-612 mV, typical of all 0.1 ohm-cm cell voltages, were obtained. From the open-circuit voltage and short-circuit current, the diffusion controlled I0 was obtained. In addition to illuminated I-V characteristics, the time constants from the Open-Circuit Voltage Decay method, and the minority carrier diffusion lengths in the base region were measured. The base region charge was determined using the base region diffusion length measured by an X-ray method. The data from these experiments combined with simple theory can imply the minority carrier time constant and the excess charge in the diffused layer. From this, certain conclusions are drawn about the relative roles of bandgap shrinkage and recombination rates in the diffused layer.
Controlled Blinking Statistics of Single Colloidal Quantum Dots in a Half Cavity

The blinking statistics of single CdSe/ZnS quantum dots can be modified and controlled by an optical mirror. We study the modified statistical and correlation properties of single quantum dots as a function of dot-mirror distance.
Osmotic deformation of red blood cell ghosts induced by carbohydrates.

Abstract The osmotic response of bovine red blood cell ghosts to a series of sugars is studied by light scattering. The sealed and right-side-out ghosts are prepared by the procedure of Steck and Kant (Steck, T.L. and Kant, J.A. (1974) Methods Enzymol. 31, 172–180), swollen in a hypotonic phosphate-buffered saline solution and their size and shape determined by elastic and quasielastic light scattering. Different carbohydrates are then added to the suspending medium in order to examine the osmotic responses, and the osmotic deformation of ghosts is shown to be spherically symmetric. Having thus established the deformation behavior, we then rank the osmotic activity of a carbohydrate relative to a standard, i.e., raffinose. It is found that the osmotic response of the ghosts to sucrose is about the same as that to raffinose, and the response to the smaller carbohydrates simply follows the number of carbons in various sugars; glucose and fractose are about 1.7 times less effective than raffinose, and pentaerythritol and meso -erythritol are 2.3 times less effective. Glyceraldehyde, which is 3.6 times less effective than raffinose, is the least effective sugar analog among those that we have tested.
Assessing Perturbation and Suicide in Families

Perturbation refers to a client’s level or degree of emotional pain. Such perturbation has been identified as a critical component in a family member’s suicidal ideation. This article describes how to assess perturbation by using scaling questions and how to process the impact of a suicidal family member’s perturbation.
X-ray mask temperature distribution and magnification control

Abstract The fabrication of X-ray masks may leave a nonuniform stress distribution in the membrane, thus leading to placement errors when the circuit pattern is transferred to the device wafer. In general, these intrinsic errors include magnification. Additionally, other extrinsic effects can introduce independent distortions. One of the possible extrinsic sources of distortion is the temperature distribution within the membrane resulting from the energy absorbed from the X-rays. The physical process during exposure needs to be carefully analyzed in order to control and minimize error during pattern transfer.
Analysis of Events Leading to Neuronal Death after Infection with E1-Deficient Adenoviral Vectors

Although recombinant adenoviral vectors are being widely used to target genes to the nervous system, the cellular and genetic effects of recombinant adenoviral infection on neuronal function have not been well characterized. Using sympathetic neuronal cultures, we analyzed the effect of adenoviral infection on viral and neuronal gene expression and on neuronal function and viability. While a delayed cytotoxicity occurred 5 days after infection, numerous biochemical and genetic perturbations occurred within the infected cell prior to this time. This study demonstrates that numerous cellular alterations were produced by recombinant adenoviral vectors and, therefore, emphasizes the need for an analysis of the effects of these viral vectors on neuronal function in the interpretation of data regarding transgene expression induced by these vectors in neurons. It also suggests that continued improvements made to the viral vectors themselves might decrease this direct cytotoxicity and lead to improved safety and function of recombinant adenovirus in vivo.
Energy resource potential of natural gas hydrates

The discovery of large gas hydrate accumulations in terrestrial per mafrost regions of the Arctic and beneath the sea along the outer continental margins of the world's oceans has heightened interest in gas hydrates as a possible energy resource. However, significant to potentially insurmountable technical issues must be resolved be fore gas hydrates can be considered a viable option for affordable supplies of natural gas. The combined information from Arctic gas hydrate studies shows that, in permafrost regions, gas hydrates may exist at subsurface depths ranging from about 130 to 2000 m. The presence of gas hydrates in offshore continental margins has been inferred mainly from anomalous seismic reflectors, known as bottom-simulating reflectors, that have been mapped at depths below the sea floor ranging from about 100 to 1100 m. Current estimates of the amount of gas in the world's marine and permafrost gas hydrate accumulations are in rough accord at about 20,000 trillion m3. Disagreements over fundamental issues such as the volume of gas stored within delineated gas hydrate accumulations and the concentration of gas hydrates within hydrate-bearing strata have demonstrated that we know little about gas hydrates. Recently, however, several countries, including Japan, India, and the United States, have launched ambitious national projects to further examine the resource potential of gas hydrates. These projects may help answer key questions dealing with the properties of gas hydrate reservoirs, the design of production systems, and, most important, the costs and economics of gas hydrate production.
Imaging Contrast and Resolution in Multiply Scattered Low Coherence Interferometry

With recent results demonstrating imaging using low coherence interferometry to detect multiply scattered light, signal attenuation and imaging resolution remains to be an open question. To address this, we present detailed modeling results of light propagation in the multiply scattered low-coherence interferometry (ms/LCI) configuration. Analytical and Monte Carlo models are used to assess the theoretical resolution and contrast of the system, and to explore the effect of media anisotropy on imaging parameters. Imaging resolution and depth penetration are found to depend on the fraction of photons scattered into a narrow range of forward scattering angles rather than the overall media anisotropy.
Guaranteed: quality parallel delaunay refinement for restricted polyhedral domains

We describe a distributed memory parallel Delaunay refinement algorithm for polyhedral domains which can generate meshes containing tetrahedra with circumradius to shortest edge ratio less than 2, as long as the angle separating any two incident segments and/or facets is between 90° and 270° degrees. Input to our implementation is an element--wise partitioned, conforming Delaunay mesh of a restricted polyhedral domain which has been distributed to the processors of a parallel system. The submeshes of the distributed mesh are then independently refined by concurrently inserting new mesh vertices.Our algorithm allows a new mesh vertex to affect both the submesh tetrahedralizations and the submesh interfaces induced by the partitioning. This flexibility is crucial to ensure mesh quality, but it introduces unpredictable and variable latencies due to long delays in gathering remote data required for updating mesh data structures. In our experiments, more than 80% of this latency was masked with computation due to the fine--grained concurrency of our algorithm.Our experiments also show that the algorithm is efficient in practice, even for certain domains whose boundaries do not conform to the theoretical limits imposed by the algorithm. The algorithm we describe is the first step in the development of much more sophisticated guaranteed--quality parallel mesh generation algorithms.