cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
7/5nm logic manufacturing capabilities and requirements of metrology

This paper will provide an update to previous works [2][4][9] to our view of the future for in-line high volume manufacturing (HVM) metrology for the semiconductor industry, concentrating on logic technology for foundries. First, we will review of the needs of patterned defect, critical dimensional (CD/3D), overlay and films metrology, and present the extensive list of applications for which metrology solutions are needed. We will then update the industry’s progress towards addressing gating technical limits of the most important of these metrology solutions, highlighting key metrology technology gaps requiring industry attention and investment.
Evaluation of a hepatitis C clinical care coordination programme's effect on treatment initiation and cure: A surveillance-based propensity score matching approach.

Hepatitis C (HCV) is a viral infection that if left untreated can severely damage the liver. Project INSPIRE was a 3 year HCV care coordination programme in New York City (NYC) that aimed to address barriers to treatment initiation and cure by providing patients with supportive services and health promotion. We examined whether enrolment in Project INSPIRE was associated with differences in HCV treatment and cure compared with a demographically similar group not enrolled in the programme. INSPIRE participants in 2015 were matched with a cohort of HCV-infected persons identified in the NYC surveillance registry, using full optimal matching on propensity scores and stratified by INSPIRE enrolment status. Conditional logistic regression was used to assess group differences in the two treatment outcomes. Two follow-up sensitivity analyses using individual pair-matched sets and the full unadjusted cohort were also conducted. Treatment was initiated by 72% (790/1130) of INSPIRE participants and 36% (11 960/32 819) of study-eligible controls. Among initiators, 65% (514/790) of INSPIRE participants compared with 47% (5641/11 960) of controls achieved cure. In the matched analysis, enrolment in INSPIRE increased the odds of treatment initiation (OR: 5.25, 95% CI: 4.47-6.17) and cure (OR: 2.52, 95% CI: 2.00-3.16). Results from the sensitivity analyses showed agreement with the results from the full optimal match. Participation in the HCV care coordination programme significantly increased the probability of treatment initiation and cure, demonstrating that care coordination for HCV-infected individuals improves treatment outcomes.
Non-Line-of-Sight Imaging using Superheterodyne Interferometry

The paper describes an interferometric imager concept capable of recovering the shape and geometry of objects hidden from view, with a resolution that exceeds the state-of-the-art.
Toward an Integrated Ecological-Sociological Theory of Suburbanization

The faster rate of population growth in suburbs than central cities that commenced at the turn of the century had transformed the United States into a suburban nation by 1970 (Berry and Kasarda 1977). Despite the nonmetropolitan population turnaround (Fuguitt 1985; Johnson and Beale 1994) and scattered incidences of gentrification in the 1970s, the secular trend toward suburban concentration continued during the 1980s (Forstall 1988). Moreover, population suburbanization is not unique to the United States. It has become a worldwide phenomenon occurring in most advanced industrial countries, including Eastern Europe (Wardwell 1980; Vining 1982; Friedrichs 1988; Hall 1988). The significance of suburbanization is apparent. Despite a growing number of empirical analyses, however, sociologists have yet to develop a general theory of suburbanization.
A Time-Split Difference Scheme for the Compressible Navier–Stokes Equations with Applications to Flows in Slotted Nozzles

Publisher Summary This chapter presents a time-split difference scheme for solving the compressible Navier–Stokes equations and describes the implementation of that scheme on the control data corporation STAR-100 vector processor. The scheme is vectorizable and suitable for pipeline processors. The computational grid is not rectangular; however, it is two rectangular regions joined along a part of one side. The scheme has been used to compute flows in two-dimensional and axisymmetric nozzles. The nozzles were either conventional converging–diverging Laval nozzles or nozzles with suction slots located ahead of the throat. These computations aid in the design of the quiet wind tunnel being developed at National Aeronautics and Space Administration ( NASA ), Langley Research Center. A modification of this method has also been used to compute the flow at a wing-elevon junction. The difference scheme for the Navier–Stokes equations is a time-split scheme with three splittings. One splitting encompasses the parabolic or viscous terms and two splittings are for the hyperbolic or inertial terms, one for each direction.
Memory Testing by Means of Memory BIST

This chapter is on memory testing, and our focus is on memory BIST (MBIST) structures. In today’s technology, there is hardly any chip that does not contain some form of a memory. In addition, there is hardly any system that does not contain several dedicated memory chips. In the small scale, memories come as register files as part of digital system, and in the large scale, memories come as chips with memory cells that are reaching 1G cells in the next few years. Furthermore, memories come in many forms of volatile, nonvolatile, static, and dynamic, each of which has its own subcategories and structures. Regardless of the size, type, and hardware structures, memory cannot be tested in the same way as logic testing and it requires its own test methods.
Preliminary Theoretical Considerations: Coulombic and Jahn Teller Effects

In this chapter, we start the theoretical study of manganites and related compounds. Instead of directly defining semi phenomenological models, such as the double-exchange model, as frequently done in the manganite literature, we will describe the foundations of those models in detail. This includes the analysis of Coulombic interactions among the five d-levels of relevance for manganites, as well as the Jahn Teller distortions that also are very important in Mn oxides and other materials. The main ideas and calculations presented in this chapter can be applied without many modifications to several compounds, and thus this chapter fulfils one of the goals of the book: using the manganites as a focal point, a variety of general concepts and ideas will be presented that are useful far beyond the Mn oxides.
Stochastic Timed Automata

In practice, systems always operate in environments which are constantly plagued by uncertainty. This is especially true in dealing with DES, which, by their nature, often involve unpredictable human actions and machine failures. The process of resource sharing (which provides an important motivation for studying DES) is inherently characterized by such unpredictability: changing user demand, computer breakdowns, inconsistencies in human decision making, etc. While the untimed (or logical) models considered in Chapters 2 to 4 do account for “all possible behaviors” of the system, their use is limited to logical (or qualitative) performance objectives. Deterministic timed models of the type considered in Chapter 5 certainly contribute to our basic understanding of some quantitative properties of the dynamic behavior of a system (for instance, the periodic behavior of systems that can be modeled as marked graphs). But their use is limited since models with deterministic clock structures only capture a single timed string of events (or states), or, in other words, a single sample path of the system. If we are to develop either descriptive or prescriptive techniques for evaluating performance and for “optimally” controlling timed DES with respect to quantitative performance measures and in the presence of uncertainty, more refined models that incorporate stochastic elements are required.
Differential T cell reactivity to hypocretin and flu antigen epitopes provides clues to the pathophysiology of Type 1 narcolepsy

Type 1 narcolepsy (T1N) is caused by a loss of hypocretin (HCRT) neurons. Association with HLA DQB1*06:02/DQA1*01:02 (98% vs 25%) heterodimer (DQ0602), T cell receptor (TCR) and other immune loci suggest autoimmunity but autoantigens are unknown. Onset is seasonal in children and associated with influenza-A. During the 2009-10 season, cases were triggered by pH1N12009 Pandemrix vaccination in Europe. We screened 966 peptides derived from 1) Pandemrix vaccine 2) H1N1, and 3) HCRT and RFX4, autoantigens primarily expressed in HCRT neurons for DQ0602 binding, identifying 109 binders. Screening cognate tetramer-specific CD4+ T cells in 6 DQ0602 T1N (5 post-Pandemrix, one recent onset) and 4 post-Pandemrix controls showed differential reactivity to 3 immunodominant influenza epitopes, one from pH1N12009 (pHA273-287) and two from vaccine backbone strain PR8 (NP17-31 and NP261-275). Among autoantigens, we discovered extensive reactivity to C-amidated but not native version of HCRT54-66 and HCRT86-97, two highly homologous peptides, suggesting reduced CD4+ tolerance for post-translational modifications of HCRT. Replication in 35 cases and 22 controls showed higher frequency of tetramer positive CD4+ cells for pHA273-287, NP17-31 and HCRT54-66-NH2 but not NP261-275 or HCRT86-97-NH2. Single cell TCR sequencing revealed TCRalpha/beta usage biases consistent with in-vitro clonal expansion. TCRalpha/beta CDR3 motifs found in pHA273-287, NP17-31 tetramer positive CD4+ cells were also found in INFgamma secreting CD4+ cells stimulated with Pandemrix, confirming dominance in DQ0602-mediated influenza responses. Usage of NP17-31 specific CD4+ cells was biased toward Vβ4-2, a segment increased by narcolepsy-associated Single Nucleotide Polymorphism (SNP) rs1008599. TCRα/β CDR3 motifs of HCRT54-66-NH2 and HCRT86-97-NH2 tetramers were often shared and more diverse. Particularly notable was extensive sharing of a single CDR3α (associated with various CDR3beta using TRAJ24, a chain modulated by SNPs rs1154155 and rs1483979, two SNPs strongly associated with T1N. This particular CDR3 was not enriched in TCRs isolated with pHA273-287 or other flu epitopes so that mimicry with these sequences is still uncertain. Higher HCRT54-66-NH2 and HCRT86-97-NH2 positive CD4+ T cell numbers in T1N together with J24 usage in the corresponding TCRs, suggest that DQ0602-mediated CD4+ responses to HCRT are causal to T1N. Our results provide the first evidence for autoimmunity and flu involvement in T1N pathophysiology.
On the Significance of the Graphic Novel to Contemporary Literary Studies: A Review of The Cambridge Companion to the Graphic Novel

Stephen Tabachnick’s edited collection The Cambridge Companion to the Graphic Novel (2017) is reviewed in light of the graphic novel’s relevance for contemporary literary studies. This review gives a special focus to the terminological debate surrounding the term ‘graphic novel’ and what that debate can mean for the field of literary studies as a whole.
Impact and Timing of Smoking Cessation on Reducing Risk of Rheumatoid Arthritis Among Women in the Nurses’ Health Studies

OBJECTIVE To investigate the impact and timing of smoking cessation on developing rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and serologic phenotypes. METHODS We investigated smoking cessation and RA risk in the Nurses' Health Study (NHS) (1976-2014) and the NHS II (1989-2015). Smoking exposures and covariates were obtained by biennial questionnaires. Self-reported RA was confirmed by medical record review for American College of Rheumatology/European League Against Rheumatism criteria. Cox regression was used to estimate hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs) for RA serologic phenotypes (all, seropositive, seronegative) according to smoking status, intensity, pack-years, and years since cessation. RESULTS Among 230,732 women, we identified 1,528 incident cases of RA (63.4% of which were seropositive) during 6,037,151 person-years of follow-up. Compared with never smoking, current smoking increased the risk of all RA (multivariable HR 1.47, 95% CI 1.27-1.72) and seropositive RA (HR 1.67, 95% CI 1.38-2.01) but not seronegative RA (HR 1.20, 95% CI 0.93-1.55). An increasing number of smoking pack-years was associated with an increased trend for the risk of all RA (P < 0.0001) and seropositive RA (P < 0.0001). With increasing duration of smoking cessation, a decreased trend for the risk of all RA was observed (P = 0.009) and seropositive RA (P = 0.002). Compared to recent quitters (<5 years), those who quit ≥30 years ago had an HR of 0.63 (95% CI 0.44-0.90) for seropositive RA. However, a modestly increased risk of RA was still detectable 30 years after quitting smoking (for all RA, HR 1.25 [95% CI 1.02-1.53]; for seropositive RA, HR 1.30 [95% CI 1.01-1.68]; reference, never smoking). CONCLUSION These results confirm that smoking is a strong risk factor for developing seropositive RA and demonstrate for the first time that a behavior change of sustained smoking cessation could delay or even prevent seropositive RA.
Along-the-channel impacts of water management and carbon-dioxide contamination in hydroxide-exchange-membrane fuel cells: A modeling study

Author(s): Gerhardt, MR; Pant, LM; Weber, AZ | Abstract: Water management and carbon-dioxide contamination from ambient air remain key challenges for development and operation of high-performance hydroxide-exchange-membrane fuel cells (HEMFCs). In this work, a 2D computational model of an HEMFC cell, coupled with a 1D down-channel stepping algorithm, is used to explore water management and carbon-dioxide contamination issues along the channel. Variations in local current density along the channel due to changes in membrane hydration and a reduction in oxygen content of the cathode gas are quantified. Water transport from anode to cathode is critical for replenishing water consumed at the cathode, and the effects of varying flow rates and membrane transport properties on water management are explored. We then include carbon dioxide gas in the cathode and show that the formation of a pH gradient could explain the observed decrease in current density in HEMFCs exposed to CO2. Furthermore, the HEMFC acts as an electrochemical CO2 pump, causing an increasing concentration of CO2 gas in the anode stream that prevents self-purging of the membrane from carbonate to hydroxide form. These issues highlight the need for careful engineering of HEMFC systems and for advanced membrane development to enhance water transport and hydroxide selectivity.
Oral microbiome and obesity in a large study of low-income and African-American populations.

Few studies have evaluated the relationship of oral microbiome with obesity. We investigated the oral microbiome among 647 obese and 969 non-obese individuals from the Southern Community Cohort Study, through 16S rRNA gene sequencing in mouth rinse samples. We first investigated 16 taxa in two probiotic genera, Bifidobacterium and Lactobacillus. Among them, eight showed nominal associations with obesity (P < 0.05). Especially, Bifidobacterium (odds ratio [OR] = 0.67, 95% confidence interval [CI]:0.54, 0.83) and Bifidobacterium longum (OR = 0.57, 95% CI: 0.45, 0.73) were significantly associated with decreased obesity prevalence with false-discovery rate (FDR)-corrected P of 0.01 and 5.41 × 10-4, respectively. Multiple other bacterial taxa were also significantly associated with obesity prevalence at FDR-corrected P < 0.05. Among them, five in Firmicutes and two respectively in Actinobacteria and Proteobacteria were significantly associated with increased obesity prevalence. Significant associations with decreased obesity prevalence were observed for two taxa respectively in Actinobacteria and Firmicutes. Most of these taxa were associated with body mass index at study enrollment and weight gain during adulthood. Also, most of these associations were observed in both European- and African-Americans. Our findings indicate that multiple oral bacterial taxa, including several probiotic taxa, were significantly associated with obesity.
Elicit a Developmental History

This chapter discusses taking a developmental and autism-focused history and acknowledging that developmental and behavioral problems are stories that unfold over time. Going back to infancy is critical to this process, and questions to ask regarding infancy, toddlerhood, and childhood are included. Your history may be complicated by the broader autism phenotype, the tendency of close relatives of the child to have some language and social differences. There is a cautionary warning regarding an invalid way for nonverbal children to communicate. For the verbal older child and adolescent with ASD, using their very special interests can give insight into how a child views their world. Important communication and social milestones are discussed.
The surprisingly small impact of magnetic fields on the inner accretion flow of Sagittarius A* fueled by stellar winds

We study the flow structure in 3D magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) simulations of accretion onto Sagittarius A* via the magnetized winds of the orbiting Wolf-Rayet stars. These simulations cover over 3 orders of magnitude in radius to reach $\approx$ 300 gravitational radii, with only one poorly constrained parameter (the magnetic field in the stellar winds). Even for winds with relatively weak magnetic fields (e.g., plasma $\beta$ $\sim$ $10^6$), flux freezing/compression in the inflowing gas amplifies the field to $\beta$ $\sim$ few well before it reaches the event horizon. Overall, the dynamics, accretion rate, and spherically averaged flow profiles (e.g., density, velocity) in our MHD simulations are remarkably similar to analogous hydrodynamic simulations. We attribute this to the broad distribution of angular momentum provided by the stellar winds, which sources accretion even absent much angular momentum transport. We find that the magneto-rotational instability is not important because of i) strong magnetic fields that are amplified by flux freezing/compression, and ii) the rapid inflow/outflow times of the gas and inefficient radiative cooling preclude circularization. The primary effect of magnetic fields is that they drive a polar outflow that is absent in hydrodynamics. The dynamical state of the accretion flow found in our simulations is unlike the rotationally supported tori used as initial conditions in horizon scale simulations, which could have implications for models being used to interpret Event Horizon Telescope and GRAVITY observations of Sgr A*.
A Prospective Phase II Clinical Trial of CD26/Dipeptidyl Peptidase (DPP)-IV Inhibition for Prevention of Acute Graft Versus Host Disease (aGVHD) Following Myeloablative Allogeneic Peripheral Blood Stem Cell (PBSC) Transplantation.

Introduction DPP-IV is a homodimeric type II transmembrane receptor identical to the leucocyte surface antigen CD26. The interaction of CD26/DPP-IV on T cells with its ligand caveolin-1 on antigen-presenting cells (APC) enhances T cell activation, proliferation, and cytokine production. It also upregulates CD86 on APC resulting in co-stimulation. In a xenograft mouse model, reducing CD26 expression by a monoclonal antibody prevented aGVHD and preserved graft-versus-tumor effects (Hatano et al. BJH 2013). In a pilot trial testing sitagliptin for enhancement of cord blood engraftment, we observed a lower than expected rate of aGVHD (Farag et al. Stem Cell Dev 2013) and hypothesized that CD26/DPP-IV inhibition with sitagliptin may prevent aGVHD following allogeneic PBSC transplants. Objective Conduct a prospective phase II trial to test if sitagliptin can reduce the rate of grade II-IV aGVHD by day +100 following myeloablative allogeneic PBSC transplants (ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT02683525). The primary endpoint was grade II-IV aGVHD by day +100. Methods Patients received thiotepa (15 mg/kg) and cyclophosphamide (120 mg/kg), followed by G-CSF mobilized PBSC from matched related (6/6 HLA match) or unrelated (10/10 HLA match) donors. Sitagliptin (600 mg q12 hours) was given on days -1 to day +14, together with tacrolimus and sirolimus through day +100, then tapering until day +180. In a Simon two-stage design, Results Thirty-six (17 M; 19 F) patients of median age 46 (20-59) years were enrolled. Patients had AML (n=19), ALL (n=9), MDS (n=4), and CML (n=4). Transplants were from matched related (13 patients) or unrelated (23 patients) donors. Acute GVHD occurred in 2 of 36 patients by day +100 (1 grade II; 1 grade IV), for cumulative incidences of 5.6% (95% confidence interval [CI], 0% - 13.2%) and 2.8% (95% CI, 0% - 8.2%) for grade II-IV aGVHD and grade III-IV aGVHD at day +100, respectively (Fig 1). An additional patient developed late-onset grade II aGVHD at day +140 following abrupt stopping of immunosuppression on day +100 for low donor chimerism in absence of relapse. Significant toxicities though day +30 included grades III-IV mucositis (n=15), acute kidney injury (4 with high tacrolimus levels, 1 sepsis), viral reactivation/infection (4 CMV, 2 BK, 1 EBV, 1 HHV6), and passenger lymphocyte syndrome (n=2). Non-relapse mortality was 0% at 12 months. With median follow-up of 699 (118-1312) days, the relapse-free survival was 77.2% (95% CI, 63.2% - 91.1%) and overall survival was 94.3% (95% CI, 86.7% - 100%) at 12 months (Fig 2a-b). Conclusion CD26/DPP-IV inhibition with sitagliptin is well-tolerated and significantly reduced the rate of aGVHD by day +100 in patients undergoing myeloablative allogeneic PBSCT transplantation.
Opportunity to Influence at the Intersection of Dispute Resolution and Technology

This paper argues that technology innovation and dispute resolution should go hand in hand and presents three pathways for the DR field to influence the diffusion of technology in the practice of law. They include: 1. Adopt a new competency model integrating skills from both DR and technology 2. Explore the use of legal technology & innovation platforms in OFFline DR processes 3. Teach DR skills in legal technology & innovation courses
Linear Noisy Networks with Stochastic Components

All circuit components have uncertainties inherent to the underlying fabrication process that, in large networks, may change the overall circuit response unpredictably. In the absence of a robust general model to incorporate individual component uncertainties and the concomitant stochastic thermal noise characteristics, under-simulating from the massively high-dimensional experiment space via Monte Carlo techniques and over-designing the final product against potentially undiscovered faults have become de facto standard. Such practices do not only cost simulation time, circuit area, and power, but also provide a partial understanding of the underlying uncertainty and of ways to exploit it. This paper investigates the impact of component uncertainties in linear resistive networks, where individual elements are subject to Johnson-Nyquist noise.
Chapter 6 – Pericyclic Reactions

An organic reaction in which a cyclic transition state leads to a concerted transformation. A majority of these reactions are rearrangements and are consistent to the point of being very predictable using systems that have been developed upon numerous observations and hypotheses associated with molecular orbital theory. These transformations are commonly used because of their predictability and consistent performance. The reaction types are presented and the hypotheses and key influencing factors are described as general theories, systems of prediction, and supporting examples for the key transformations.
Admiral Gorshkov: the man who challenged the U.S. navy: by Norman Polmar, Thomas A. Brooks and George E. Fedoroff, Annapolis, MD, Naval Institute Press, 2019, 264 pp., $39.95 (hardback), ISBN: 978 1682 473306

This biography fills a gap in the historiography. While a crucial figure in Soviet naval history, no one has dedicated a monograph in English to Admiral Sergei Gorshkov (1910–1988) until now. Gorsh...
End of Life During the COVID19 Pandemic - Highlighting the role of a dedicated Palliative care Social worker during this time of crisis.

Our world has become more complex and difficult with the emergence of the COVID19 pandemic. We are forced to face challenging situations we have never experienced before. Death toll grew exponentia...
Forest Management Under Megadrought: Urgent Needs at Finer-Scale and Higher-Intensity

Drought and warming increasingly are causing widespread tree die-offs and extreme wildfires. Forest managers are struggling to improve anticipatory forest management practices given more frequent, extensive, and severe wildfire and tree die-off events triggered by “hotter drought”—drought under warmer than historical average conditions. Of even greater concern is the increasing probability of multi-year droughts, or “megadroughts”—persistent droughts that span years to decades, and that under a still-warming climate, will also be hotter than historical norms. Megadroughts under warmer temperatures are disconcerting because of their potential to trigger more severe forest die-off, fire cycles, pathogens, and insect outbreaks. In this Perspective, we identify potential anticipatory and/or concurrent options for non-timber forest management actions under megadrought, which by necessity are focused more at finer spatial scales such as the stand level using higher-intensity management. These management actions build on silvicultural practices focused on growth and yield (but not harvest). Current management options that can be focused at finer scales include key silvicultural practices: selective thinning; use of carefully selected forward-thinking seed mixes; site contouring; vegetation and pest management; soil erosion control; and fire management. For the extreme challenges posed by megadroughts, management will necessarily focus even more on finer-scale, higher-intensity actions for priority locations such as fostering stand refugia; assisted stand recovery via soil amendments; enhanced root development; deep soil water retention; and shallow water impoundments. Drought-induced forest die-off from megadrought likely will lead to fundamental changes in the structure, function, and composition of forest stands and the ecosystem services they provide.
AI as Social Glue: Uncovering the Roles of Deep Generative AI during Social Music Composition

Recent advances in deep generative neural networks have made it possible for artificial intelligence to actively collaborate with human beings in co-creating novel content (e.g. music, art). While substantial research focuses on (individual) human-AI collaborations, comparatively less research examines how AI can play a role in human-human collaborations during co-creation. In a qualitative lab study, we observed 30 participants (15 pairs) compose a musical phrase in pairs, both with and without AI. Our findings reveal that AI may play important roles in influencing human social dynamics during creativity, including: 1) implicitly seeding a common ground at the start of collaboration, 2) acting as a psychological safety net in creative risk-taking, 3) providing a force for group progress, 4) mitigating interpersonal stalling and friction, and 5) altering users’ collaborative and creative roles. This work contributes to the future of generative AI in social creativity by providing implications for how AI could enrich, impede, or alter creative social dynamics in the years to come.
Association of insurance status with timing of hemodialysis access placement.

OBJECTIVE Patients without adequate outpatient follow-up often present requiring emergency hemodialysis and then undergo permanent dialysis access placement at a later time. We sought to examine the relationship between type of insurance and whether a patient was already on dialysis at time of surgery. METHODS The Vascular Quality Initiative Hemodialysis Access registry was queried for all adult patients undergoing first time permanent hemodialysis access between January 2015 and September 2019. Patient and procedural characteristics were examined in patients split by private insurance-Medicare more than 65 years of age, Medicare less than 65 years of age, and Medicaid. The primary outcome was whether patients were on dialysis at the time of surgery. RESULTS There were 19,307 adult patients that underwent first time placement of an arteriovenous fistula or graft. Of these patients, 9729 (50%) had Medicare, 7179 (37%) had private insurance, and 2399 (12%) had Medicaid. The patients with Medicare were subgrouped by age with 2968 (31%) being less than 65 years of age and 6761 (69%) being more than 65 years of age. Patients with Medicare and less than 65 were the most likely to be on dialysis at the time of surgical access placement at 67%, whereas 59% of Medicaid patients were on dialysis, and 53% each group of patients with Medicare and more than 65 years of age and private insurance were on dialysis. After adjustment for patient characteristics, patients with Medicare who were less than 65 and more than 65 years of age were both significantly more likely to be on dialysis at time of surgery compared with private insurance with odds ratio (OR) of 1.64 (95% confidence interval [CI], 1.49-1.80; P < .001) and an OR of 1.11 (95% CI, 1.03-1.20; P = .007), respectively. After adjustment, patients with Medicaid were no longer significantly more likely to be on dialysis. Secondary outcomes demonstrated, after adjustment, no difference in the association between a surgical fistula vs graft in any insurance groups; however, patients with Medicare and who were less than 65 years of age were more likely to have a nonradial artery used for anastomosis with an OR of 1.18 (95% CI, 1.04-1.34; P = .011). CONCLUSIONS Certain types of insurance are correlated with being on dialysis at the time of access placement. Although associations were seen between insurance type and surgical access characteristics, these were associations predominantly insignificant when patient demographics and status of dialysis were controlled for. These potential gaps in care represent an area for improvement that deserves further exploration.
Conventional treatment in inflammatory bowel disease- recent trends. Immunosuppressants and biologic agents: should they or need they be used together?: How to use immunosuppressive therapy better (and safer) tomorrow?

Summary Although the use of concomitant immunosuppressants (IS) with biologics has been demonstrated to reduce the immunogenicity of chimeric (infliximab), humanized (natalizumab), human (adalimumab) antibodies and antibody fragments (certolizumab pegol), to date concomitant IS with biologics has not impacted on the short or intermediate responses in the treatment of Crohn's disease in most induction and maintenance trials. The optimal strategy to reduce antibodies to infliximab is to use an induction and maintenance strategy rather than episodic therapy. Any potential benefit of concomitant IS use with biologic agents needs to be balanced against the risk of combination therapy including serious infections and the risk of neoplasia. The discovery of genetic polymorphism for production of thiopurine methyltransferase (TPMT), a key enzyme in the metabolism of thiopurine antimetabolites, has made it possible to rationalize therapy in terms of patient and dosage selection. TPMT screening prior to initiation of thiopurine antimetabolites is currently recommended to avoid treating patients with low or absent TPMT activity with potentially toxic doses of thiopurines. Routine monitoring of blood counts and liver enzymes is recommended even in individuals with normal TPMT activity. The ability to monitor thiopurine metabolites may make it possible to optimize therapeutic response by guiding clinicians on dose escalation.
Identification of individual isotopes in a polymer blend using tip enhanced Raman spectroscopy

We use tip enhanced Raman spectroscopy (TERS) blinking measurements to identify the individual isotopes of non-Raman resonant polystyrene in a miscible, binary blend. Thus it demonstrates the sensitivity and selectivity required for nanoscale chemical imaging and broadens the types of surface components potentially identifiable with TERS.
HRM effectiveness as a moderator of the relationships between abusive supervision and technology work overload and job outcomes for technology end users

Based on conservation of resources theory, this study examined the impact of two stressors: abusive supervision, an interpersonal stressor; and technology work overload, a contextual stressor, on job strain and perceived organizational support. These linkages have not been previously examined, but are of importance for managing employees who complete work on their computers. In a sample of 219 technology end users from a wide range of jobs and industries, we found that both of the stressors we examined had negative impacts on desired outcome variables. Additionally, we found that human resource management effectiveness moderated these relationships. These findings have important implications for theory and application which are discussed. Limitations and directions for future are also offered.
An Overview of Arsenic Metabolism and Toxicity

It is likely that at least some of the toxic and carcinogenic effects associated with exposure to inorganic arsenic are, in fact, due to actions of its methylated metabolites. Here, we provide an overview of current models for the biological methylation of arsenicals. This information provides a context for understanding the chemical, biochemical, and genetic approaches to elucidation of the formation and function of metahylated arsenicals which are presented in the following manuscripts.
Stabilization and asymptotic path tracking of a rolling disk

In this paper, the dynamics and control of a uniform disk (a thin wheel) rolling without slipping on a horizontal plane are considered. A model of the rolling disk is derived using the Lagrangian formulation, assuming that rolling, steering and leaning torques are available as control inputs. A dynamic extension is used to achieve a well defined vector relative degree. On the basis of the dynamic extension, a feedback control law is designed to stabilize the disk from falling over, while simultaneously allowing the disk to asymptotically track a ground reference trajectory. For this class of stabilization and tracking problems, the nonholonomic rolling without slipping constraint does not preclude the existence of smooth feedback that accomplishes the control objectives.
The Politics of the Minimum Wage. By Jerold Waltman. Urbana: University of Illinois Press, 2000. 172p. $24.95.

Upon receiving Jerald Waltman's book, the first thing I read was the dedication to the author's "coworkers at A. & W. Root Beer, Ruston, Louisiana, 1963­67." I like root beer, but I wondered whether a mistake had been made in sending me this book to review. It did not take long to realize no mistake had been made. This is a book that treats minimum wage as symbolic politics, but, more important, it entirely reexamines public policy.
Fiber optic probe for determining heavy metals in solids based on laser-induced plasmas

A fiber-optic probe suitable for remote elemental analysis using laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) has been developed and has been used to determine the concentration of lead in samples of dry paint. To develop a suitable fiber- optic sensor for remote measurements using LIBS a number of key issues must be addressed. The issue of coupling high-power laser pulses into optical fibers without fiber damage was first addressed by measuring damage threshold values, and by performing long-term durability tests for several different fiber types and sizes. This study led to the design of a highly flexible fiber-optic LIBS probe that can be used for a variety of sample substrates. To address the issue of reproducibility, we are investigating matrix affects and the dynamics of the laser ablation and laser-induced plasma processes by using a variety of spectroscopic techniques including time-resolved spectroscopic imaging. We have also modified the probe so that laser ablated material can be injected into a mass spectrometer.© (1997) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Myelogenous leukemia in rodents inhaling benzene

Studies during the past five decades have failed to demonstrate myelogenous leukemia in laboratory animals exposed to benzene despite epidemiologic evidence linking such exposure to myelogenous leukemia in man. We report four cases of myeloproliferative disease among rodents exposed to benzene, 6 h a day, 5 days weekly, for life. There was one case of chronic myelogenous leukemia, one of acute myeloblastic leukemia, and one of granulocytic hyperplasia among 40 CD-1 mice exposed to 300 ppm benzene; and one case of chronic myelogenous leukemia among 40 rats exposed to 100 ppm benzene. Although not statistically significant as compared to the respective control groups, the fact that myelogenous leukemia has not been reported in control animals of these two strains is suggestive of a causative role for benzene.
Computerized Administration and Scoring of the Dichotic Nonsense Syllable Test

Purpose A user-friendly computer program was designed to administer the dichotic nonsense syllable test (DNST). Computer automation makes it easier for listeners to perform the response task approp...
Shear Recovery Accuracy in Weak-Lensing Analysis with the Elliptical Gauss-Laguerre Method

We implement the elliptical Gauss-Laguerre (EGL) galaxy-shape measurement method proposed by Bernstein & Jarvis and quantify the shear recovery accuracy in weak-lensing analysis. This method uses a deconvolution fitting scheme to remove the effects of the point-spread function (PSF). The test simulates >107 noisy galaxy images convolved with anisotropic PSFs and attempts to recover an input shear. The tests are designed to be immune to statistical (random) distributions of shapes, selection biases, and crowding, in order to test more rigorously the effects of detection significance (signal-to-noise ratio [S/N]), PSF, and galaxy resolution. The systematic error in shear recovery is divided into two classes, calibration (multiplicative) and additive, with the latter arising from PSF anisotropy. At S/N > 50, the deconvolution method measures the galaxy shape and input shear to ~1% multiplicative accuracy and suppresses >99% of the PSF anisotropy. These systematic errors increase to ~4% for the worst conditions, with poorly resolved galaxies at S/N 20. The EGL weak-lensing analysis has the best demonstrated accuracy to date, sufficient for the next generation of weak-lensing surveys.
Prüfer Conditions and the Total Quotient Ring

In this article, we consider two of the five well-studied extensions of the Prufer domain notion to arbitrary commutative rings. In particular, we consider a class of rings that lies properly between Gaussian and Prufer rings. We give a characterization of this property in terms of the total quotient ring and show that this property behaves nicely in conductor squares.
Study of polymer/ZnO nanostructure interfaces by Kelvin probe force microscopy

Abstract ZnO nanostructured films including nano-ridge and nanorod morphologies were used as electron acceptors/transporters and poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT) as light absorber and electron donor in organic–inorganic hybrid solar cells. Bilayer solar cells with ZnO nano-ridges and ordered heterojunction solar cells with ZnO nanorods were each fabricated and characterized. ZnO nanorod/P3HT ordered heterojunction devices exhibited higher efficiency (0.31%) than the bilayer cells (0.094%) because the photocurrent was increased, attributed to the larger P3HT/ZnO interface area. Surface potential (SP) of P3HT/ZnO nano-ridges and P3HT/ZnO nanorods was studied by Kelvin probe force microscopy (KPFM). The SP difference between P3HT and ZnO nano-ridges was ∼0.10 V in the dark, but increased to ∼0.25 V under illumination. In the ZnO nanorod/P3HT films, ZnO nanorods showed lower SP with darker color, while P3HT exhibited higher SP with lighter color. In both nano-ridge/P3HT and nanorod/P3HT films, the SP difference demonstrated that electron transfer is energetically favorable from P3HT to ZnO.
A sex comparison of serotonin immunoreactivity and content in the ferret preoptic area/anterior hypothalamus

Previous studies with rats raised the possibility that sexually dimorphic features of the medial preoptic area/anterior hypothalamus (POA/AH) may result, in part, from a sex difference in the serotonergic innervation of this region. We asked whether a similar phenomenon may occur in a carnivore, the ferret. A sexually dimorphic male nucleus of the dorsal POA/AH (Mn-POA/AH) has previously been characterized in Nissl-stained sections of the male ferret forebrain; this nucleus is absent in females. A nondimorphic ventral nucleus of the POA/AH is found in both sexes. In the present study numerous serotonin (5-HT) immunoreactive (ir) fibers were observed in the dorsal POA/AH of gonadectomized adult ferrets of both sexes. By contrast, in both sexes the ventral nucleus of the POA/AH had many fewer 5-HTir fibers. A similar difference in the distribution of immunoreactivity between dorsal and ventral POA/AH was observed for tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) localized in cell bodies and in nerve fibers and for H222ir estrogen receptors localized in cell nuclei. Likewise, in both sexes the content of 5-HT and dopamine (DA), measured by high pressure liquid chromatography with electrochemical detection, were significantly higher in the dorsal than the ventral POA/AH, thereby corroborating observed regional differences in 5-HTir and THir fibers, respectively. The present findings provide no support for the notion that sexually dimorphic cytoarchitectonic features of the dorsal POA/AH in ferrets are associated with a sex difference in the serotonergic innervation of this region.
The "Cannot Decide" Option in Thurstone-Type Attitude Scales

Sociology students were administered two Thurstone-type attitude scales (Capital Punishment and Sunday Observance), each under two conditions (with and without the option of responding"?" for "Cannot Decide"), and a measure of Ambiguity Tolerance. When available, "?" was used by a slight majority of subjects on both scales. The use of "?" was not found to be related to scores on the measure of ambiguity tolerance. Correlations between "?" and "no?" administrations were significant, and significantly stronger for Capital Punishment than for Sunday Observance, but means did not differ significantly between conditions, and mean differences did not differ significantly between scales. More use of "?" appeared in the Capital Punishment scale than in the Sunday Observance scale but "?" substituted fairly evenly for "Agree" and "Disagree" in Capital Punishment, while in Sunday Observance "?" substituted mainly for "Disagree." Allowance for "?" is recommended. Observed differences are discussed in terms of assimi...
Vacancy charging on Si(1 1 1)-(7 × 7) investigated by density functional theory

Abstract The structure and energetics of charged vacancies on Si(1 1 1)-(7 × 7) are investigated using density functional theory calculations supplemented by estimates of ionization entropy. The calculations predict multiple possible charge states for the unfaulted edge vacancy in the adatom layer, although the −2 state is most stable on real Si(1 1 1) surfaces for which the Fermi level lies near the middle of the band gap.
Analysis of Constant-Rate Aerosol Reactors

Aerosol nucleation and growth in constant-rate aerosol reactors are considered for the free-molecular and continuum limits. Asymptotic techniques are used to predict supersaturation histories, nucleation rates, and particle number densities in nucleation bursts that result from increasing the supersaturation by continuously adding condensable monomer. A variable present in expressions for homogeneous nucleation is treated as a large parameter, and asymptotic analyses are developed in terms of this parameter. Scaling relations for average particle sizes, particle number densities, and onset times and durations of nucleation bursts are presented. Numerical and asymptotic solutions compare well, demonstrating the usefulness of asymptotic techniques for analyzing problems of this type.
Social Creativity: Exploiting the Power of Cultures of Participation

Most interesting, important, and pressing problems facing our societies in the 21st century transcend the individual human mind. They require social creativity to explore, frame, solve, and assess their solutions. To bring social creativity alive, cultures of participation need to be fostered and supported with socio-technical environments in which all stakeholders are able to express themselves, combine different perspectives, and generate new understandings. Social creativity and cultures of participation are facilitated by meta-design that allows stakeholders to act as designers, contributors, and decision makers in personally meaningful activities. This paper defines conceptual frameworks and briefly describes different applications contexts in gaining a deeper understanding of the challenges how to exploit the power of cultures of participation to enhance social creativity.
Cor biloculare and associated malformations.

We report the clinical and autopsy findings of four unusual cases of the rare entity, cor biloculare, collected within a 4-year period. The cases are interesting for (1) the striking similarity of the associated anomalies, in contrast with the diversity of associated anomalies reported before; (2) the greater incidence of anomalous pulmonary and systemic venous return, pulmonic valve malformations and visceral heterotaxia than reported before; and (3) the normal, full-term, uncomplicated pregnancies. Family and gestational histories were unrevealing. All four cases had severe pulmonic valve malformations, pulmonary artery atresia, and visceral heterotaxia. Three of the four had anomalous pulmonary venous drainage and the fourth had anomalous systemic venous drainage. All four cases had polysplenia or asplenia. Correlating these associated anomalies with stages of embryonic development and with various studies of altered embryonic blood flow, suggests an etiologic role for altered blood flow in the development of this complex malformation.
Red Shift in the Anagalactic Nebulæ

A PHOTON hv emitted by a distant nebula toward our galaxy possesses a mass and the equation for its energy is The mass μ of the photon is acted upon by the gravitational field of our galaxy, whatever this field may be: Newtonian, LeSagian1, or the relativistic curvature of space caused by the mass of the galaxy.
Reconstruction of ionization probabilities from spatially averaged data in N dimensions

We present an analytical inversion technique, which can be used to recover ionization probabilities from spatially averaged data in an $N$-dimensional detection scheme. The solution is given as a power series in intensity. For this reason, we call this technique a multiphoton expansion (MPE). The MPE formalism was verified with an exactly solvable inversion problem in two dimensions, and probabilities in the postsaturation region, where the intensity-selective scanning approach breaks down, were recovered. In three dimensions, ionization probabilities of $\mathrm{Xe}$ were successfully recovered with MPE from simulated (using the Ammosov-Delone-Krainov tunneling theory) ion yields. Finally, we tested our approach with intensity-resolved benzene-ion yields, which show a resonant multiphoton ionization process. By applying MPE to this data (which were artificially averaged), the resonant structure was recovered, which suggests that the resonance in benzene may have been observed in spatially averaged data taken elsewhere.