cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Recent progress in inflammatory bowel disease genetics.

Introduction O ne approach toward understanding the pathophysiology of Crohn s disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC) is through genetic linkage and association studies. These approaches have provided support for general genomic regions (linkage studies) potentially containing inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) genes, as well as specific genetic variants observed at higher allelic frequencies in IBD patients compared to case-matched controls (association studies). Both approaches have been utilized to characterize multiple likely disease associations in IBD. Of particular importance is the association of NOD2/CARD15 variants with CD.^'2 That NOD2/CARD15 likely frmctions as an intracellular sensing mechanism for a component of bacterial cell wall peptidoglycan^' is fully consistent with existing murine models of IBD, where the role of intraluminal bacteria is critical in disease pathogenesis. The underlying engine for these advances has been the large amount of sequence information now available on inter-individual differences in genomic DNA structure. In this chapter, we review the epidemiology of IBD, in particular with respect to the insight these data provide on genetic pathogenesis. Following a brief review of the Human Genome Project, we discuss the present state of understanding of IBD pathogenesis as defined by linkage and association studies. Finally, future challenges of defining IBD pathogenesis through genetic approaches are discussed. IBD Epidemiology The incidence estimates in North American European cohorts have ranged between 2.2-14.3/ 100,000/year for UC and 3.1-14.6/100,000/year for CD. The corresponding prevalence estimates range between 37.5-229/100,000 for UC and 26.0-198.5/100,000 for CD.^ Rates of IBD have generally been estimated to be lower in nonwhite populations. In a health maintenance organization-based mail survey, the CD prevalences per 100,000 were 43.6 among Caucasians, 29.8 among African Americans, 4.1 among Hispanics, and 5.6 among Asians. However, a recent study among African-Americans in Georgia estimated a relatively high CD incidence of 7-12/100,000, more comparable to estimates for Caucasian cohorts. While these estimates place IBD as an important public health priority, like other common, chronic inflammatory disorders, its prevalence is relatively low compared to other intensively studied genetic disorders such as diabetes, obesity, and asthma. Clustering of IBD cases within families reflects shared genetic, developmental and environmental contributions. In population-based cohorts, it is estimated that 5-10% of all IBD cases have a positive family history. ' ^ The relative risk of both UC and CD among first degree relatives of developing the same disease is 10-15. ' "^ The risk to first degree relatives of a CD proband of developing UC (or conversely) is also increased, but significandy lower than that for the same disease. These data are consistent with present association findings in IBD,
Living History—Challenging Citizen Science and Youth Activism Through Historical Re-enacting

In sixth grade, I told my teacher, Mr. Miller, that he was wrong. As a “good” student, this was unusual behavior for me. I normally remained very quiet and compliant in the classroom, following directions, accepting the daily dose of knowledge provided by the teacher. Mr. Miller’s lecture on the beginnings of the American Revolution, however, based on the traditional, clean narratives in our school history books, left out a number of what I felt were important details and information. Particularly of interest (to me anyway) was the story of George Washington’s rise to fame as a General and then President of this new country. Mr. Miller’s story told of Washington’s bravery in the French and Indian War, which then led to his role as a leader in our American history. As a child re-enactor of the French and Indian War and the American Revolution, I rejected that story because I had experienced a different one. I had “re-lived” the events of the French and Indian War. I had learned of Washington’s blunders that drove the colonies into the French and Indian War by re-enacting those events. As far as I was concerned Washington, although a revered leader, was also a flawed person who had made mistakes and the history books, and my teacher, were wrong.
Fast dynamic simulation of highly articulated robots with contact via Θ( n 2 ) time dense generalized inertia matrix inversion

The generalized inertia matrix and its inverse are used extensively in robotics applications. While construction of the inertia matrix requires Θ(n2) time, inverting it traditionally employs algorithms running in time O(n3). We describe an algorithm that reduces the asymptotic time complexity of this operation to the theoretical minimum: Θ(n2). We also present simple modifications that reduce the number of arithmetic operations (and thereby the running time). We compare our approach against fast Cholesky factorization both theoretically (using number of arithmetic operations) and empirically (using running times). We demonstrate our method to dynamically simulate a highly articulated robot undergoing contact, yielding an order of magnitude decrease in running time over existing methods.
Should Courts Give Stare Decisis Effect to Statutory Interpretation Methodology

Fifty years ago, Henry Hart and Albert Sacks famously observed that the methods that courts use to interpret statutes are unpredictable and inconsistent, a conclusion that scholars and judges agree remains equally true today. While there is vehement disagreement over which doctrines of statutory interpretation are best, there is widespread consensus that increased consistency would be superior to the status quo. Scholars and judges have considered a range of ways to remedy this situation, but they have overlooked a path to consistency that is tailor-made to render the unpredictable more predictable: stare decisis doctrine. This Article argues not only that courts should give doctrines of statutory interpretation methodology stare decisis effect, but also that courts should give even stronger stare decisis effect to doctrines of statutory interpretation than they give to doctrines of substantive law. The interests that stare decisis doctrine serves in the substantive law setting are served equally well in the statutory interpretation methodology setting; moreover, stare decisis serves important rule-of-law and coordination interests in the statutory interpretation methodology setting that it does not serve in the substantive law setting. Because the case for giving stare decisis effect to doctrines of statutory interpretation is stronger than the case for giving stare decisis effect to doctrines of substantive law, courts should give doctrines of statutory interpretation stronger stare decisis effect than their substantive law counterparts.
Study of Electrical and Mechanical Characteristics of Inkjet-Printed Patch Antenna Under Uniaxial and Biaxial Bending

This paper discusses the electrical and mechanical characterization of an inkjet-printed patch antenna under uniaxial and biaxial bending. A 30 mm × 40 mm patch antenna design with a truncated copper ground plane was designed and fabricated by inkjet printing on a polyethylene terephthalate (PET) substrate. The fabricated antenna samples were then fixtured on cylindrical polycarbonate mandrels as well as on 3D printed saddle-like structures using polylactic acid (PLA). S11 was measured in both bent and flat configurations, and a shift in resonant frequency was observed. A maximum decrease of about 12.6% in resonant frequency under cylindrical bending was observed, and this decrease can be attributed to the decrease in conductance in the printed components due to small radius of some of the mandrels and due to sequential repetitive bending. The change in resonant frequency under biaxial saddle-like bending was small due to larger radii of the saddle-like surfaces and due to one-time bending. Electrical simulations in ANSYSTM HFSS were carried out to determine S11 of the patch antenna under flat configuration and was compared favorably against experimental data. Mechanical finite-element models in ANSYSTM Workbench were carried out to determine the strain distribution under both uniaxial and biaxial bending. A maximum strain of 0.0169 under uniaxial bending and 0.0029 under biaxial bending was observed.
The Patient and Family Member Experience of Financial Stress Related to Critical Illness.

Background: The experience of financial stress during and after critical illness for patients and their family is poorly understood. Objectives: Our objectives were to (1) explore common financial concerns, their contribution to emotional stress, and potential opportunities for interventions to reduce financial stress in patients with critical illness and their family members; and (2) confirm patient and family members' willingness to provide information on this topic. Design: Cross-sectional survey study. Setting/Subjects: Patients (18/24, response rate 75%) and their family members (32/58, response rate 55%) from two prior randomized trials at an urban, level 1 Trauma center. Results: Ten (56%) patients and 19 (70%) family members reported financial worries during an intensive care unit (ICU) stay; 70% of both groups reported financial worries post-ICU discharge. Thirty percent (3/10) of patients and 43% (10/23) of family members who were not asked about financial concerns by hospital staff wished that they had been asked. Both patients and family believed that it would have been helpful to have information about insurance coverage, interpreting hospital bills, and estimated out-of-pocket costs. Among patients, 47% favored receiving these services after the ICU stay (7/15), while 20% (3/15) preferred these services in the ICU; 73% of family members preferred receiving them during the ICU stay (22/30), while 27% (8/30) preferred these services after the ICU stay. Conclusion: Our findings suggest that the experience of financial stress and the worry it causes during and after critical illness are common and potentially modifiable with simple targeted interventions.
Healthcare Chaplains’ Perspectives on Nurse–Chaplain Collaboration: An Online Survey

The collaboration between nurses and chaplains is essential to provide spiritual support in healthcare institutions. Given challenges in collaboration exist between these disciplines, this study sought to further understand the nature of the chaplain–nurse relationship. Data obtained from an online survey of members of the Association of Professional Chaplains (N = 266) provide a quantified and nuanced picture of how chaplains perceive nurse collaboration and provision of spiritual care. This study not only provides evidence that can inform chaplain and nurse practice, but also an instrument for measuring perceptions about collaboration to provide spiritual care.
Surgical treatment of metastatic spine disease: an update on national trends and clinical outcomes from 2010 to 2014.

Abstract BACKGROUND CONTEXT Metastatic spine disease (MSD) is becoming more prevalent as medical treatment for cancers advance and extend survival. More MSD patients are treated surgically to maintain neurological function, ambulation, and quality of life. PURPOSE The purpose of this study was to use a large, nationally representative database to examine the trends, patient outcomes, and health-care resource utilization associated with surgical treatment of MSD. DESIGN This was an epidemiologic study using national administrative data from the Nationwide Readmissions Database (NRD). PATIENT SAMPLE All patients in the NRD from 2010 to 2014 who underwent spinal surgery were included in the study. OUTCOME MEASURES Mortality, blood transfusion, complications, length of stay, cost, and discharge location during index hospitalization as well as hospital readmission and revision surgery within 90-days of surgery were analyzed. METHODS International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision, (ICD-9) codes was used to identify patients of interest within the NRD from 2010 to 2014. Patients were separated into two cohorts – those with MSD and those without. Trends for surgical treatment of MSD were assessed and outcomes measures for both cohorts were analyzed and compared. RESULTS The number of surgical treatments for MSD increased from 6,007 in 2010 to 7,032 in 2014 (p-trend CONCLUSIONS The number of MSD patients who undergo surgical treatments is increasing. Not only do these patients have worse outcomes during index hospitalization, but they are also at an increased risk of hospital readmission for surgical site infection and neurologic complications. These findings stress the need for multidisciplinary perioperative treatment plans that mitigate risks and facilitate quick, effective recovery in these unique, at-risk patients.
Youth, climate change and visions of the future in Miami

Miami, FL, is one of the most climate-vulnerable cities in the United States. At an average elevation of only 6 feet above sea level, parts of the city could be made uninhabitable by rising oceans ...
Chapter 31 – Viral Diseases

Publisher Summary Compared to other species, such as the mouse and the rat, there are only very few viruses that have definitively been associated with the hamster and those that generally affect the Syrian hamster. The number of viruses found in laboratory rodents seems to be directly proportional to their popularity as experimental animals. Most rodent viruses and the hamster only produce subclinical infections in their hosts and were only discovered accidentally. Most viral infections in hamsters are clinically silent with the notable exception of the hamster polyomavirus and to a lesser degree the hamster parvovirus. These seem to be the only agents that consistently produce clinical disease and these viruses may actually not be natural pathogens of the Syrian hamster. However, despite the lack of clinical signs the agents described in this chapter may have a significant negative impact on the research that is conducted while using infected animals. The one hamster virus that has the most significant impact on human medicine is lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus (LCMV) due to its zoonotic potential. Although it is primarily a mouse virus, the hamster, albeit the pet hamster, is the most common animal species to transmit the virus to humans.
A drivable optrode for use in chronic electrophysiology and optogenetic experiments.

Abstract Background Combining optogenetic tools with behaving electrophysiology is a powerful approach for investigating the neural mechanisms underlying behavior. A traditional approach to ensure viable recordings during chronic long-term electrophysiological experiments is the use of drivable electrodes. However, few options exist for drivable optrodes. New Method Here, we describe the design and construction of an economical drivable optrode for chronic experiments in behaving rodents, which allows for the simultaneous photo-stimulation and recording of distinct neuronal populations. Results We demonstrate the utility of the drivable optrode by recording light-evoked modulation in awake behaving rats over multiple recording sessions and across different depths. Using a virus to drive expression of channelrhodopsin-2 (ChR2) in the anterior piriform cortex, the drivable optrode was used to record consistent light-evoked modulation of neural activity in the gustatory cortex during photo-activation of the axonal projections from anterior piriform cortex in behaving rats. Comparison with existing methods Although sophisticated optrodes have been developed, many are expensive, unmodifiable, require advanced engineering techniques, and/or lack drivability. The drivable optrode uses relatively inexpensive materials, requires no machined parts, and can be fabricated with tools available in most labs. In addition, it can be easily modified to accommodate different experimental parameters. Conclusion In summary, we believe that the cost-effective and relatively simple-to-prepare design makes this drivable optrode a practical option for researchers using optogenetic and electrophysiological tools to investigate network and circuit function.
Introduction to Neural Networks

This text introduces the fundamental concepts and practice of neural networks, emphasizing their applications in bioprocessing and chemical engineering. In this chapter, we introduce the basic concepts, beginning with simple definitions, and then present a brief overview of the structure of neural networks and describe their development. Next, we explain their properties, compare them to empirical modeling techniques, and list many of their strengths and limitations. Finally, we describe the potential applications of neural networks (both in general and as applied to bioprocessing and chemical engineering), and cite some recent reports of commercial and emerging uses. We note that parts of Sections 1.1 and 1.2 have been adopted and updated from Quantrille and Liu (1991; pp. 440-445; 481-483) .
Drivers of Hsp104 potentiation revealed by scanning mutagenesis of the middle domain.

Hsp104, a yeast protein disaggregase, can be potentiated via numerous missense mutations at disparate locations throughout the coiled-coil middle domain (MD). Potentiated Hsp104 variants can counter the toxicity and misfolding of TDP-43, FUS, and α-synuclein, proteins which are implicated in neurodegenerative disorders. However, potentiated MD variants typically exhibit off-target toxicity. Further, it has remained confounding how numerous seemingly degenerate mutations confer potentiation, hampering engineering of therapeutic Hsp104 variants. Here, we sought to comprehensively define the key drivers of Hsp104 potentiation. Using scanning mutagenesis, we iteratively studied the effects of modulation at each position in the Hsp104 MD. Screening this library to identify enhanced variants reveals that missense mutations at 26% of positions in the MD yield variants that counter FUS toxicity. Modulation of the helix 2-helix 3/4 MD interface potentiates Hsp104, whereas mutations in the analogous helix 1-2 interface do not. Surprisingly, we find that there is a higher likelihood of enhancing Hsp104 activity against human disease substrates than impairing Hsp104 native function. We find that single mutations can broadly destabilize the MD structure and lead to functional potentiation, suggesting this may be a common mechanism conferring Hsp104 potentiation. Using this approach, we have demonstrated that modulation of the MD can yield engineered variants with decreased off-target effects. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
EEG Phase Amplitude Coupling Strength and Phase Preference: Association with Age over the First Three Years After Birth.

Phase-amplitude coupling (PAC), the coupling of the phase of slower electrophysiological oscillations with the amplitude of faster oscillations, is thought to facilitate dynamic integration of neural activity in the brain. Though the brain undergoes dramatic change and development during the first few years of life, how PAC changes through this developmental period has not been extensively studied. Here, we examined PAC through electroencephalography (EEG) data collected during an awake, eyes-open EEG collection paradigm in 98 children between the ages of 3 months and 3 years. We employed non-parametric clustering methods to identify areas of significant PAC across a range of frequency pairs and electrode locations, and examined how PAC strength and phase preference develops in these areas. We found that PAC, primarily between the alpha-beta and gamma frequencies, was positively correlated with age from early infancy to early childhood (p = 2.035 x 10−6). Additionally, we found gamma over anterior electrodes coupled with the rising phase of the alpha-beta waveform, while gamma over posterior electrodes coupled with the falling phase of the alpha-beta waveform; this regionalized phase preference became more prominent with age. This opposing trend may reflect each region’s specialization towards feedback or feedforward processing, respectively, suggesting opportunities for back translation in future studies. Significance Statement The brain undergoes significant development during infancy and early childhood, enabling the emergence of higher-level cognition. Phase-amplitude coupling (PAC) is thought to support the integration of information within the brain. Our data suggest PAC increases from 3 months to 3 years of age. We additionally report the anterior and posterior electrodes show opposing forms of PAC; this regional phase preference also increases with age of EEG collection. These findings help set the stage for future analyses of PAC in young children with neurodevelopmental disorders, in which development of biomarkers during early life is a burgeoning field and measures of cross-frequency coupling may offer new promise.
Deficiency of arcuate nucleus kisspeptin results in postpubertal central hypogonadism.

We demonstrate through a novel, conditional knockout mouse model of arcuate nucleus (ARC)-specific kisspeptin in the KNDy neuron that ARC kisspeptin is critical for estrous cyclicity in female mice...
Liquid-free covalent reinforcement of carbon nanotube dry-spun yarns and free-standing sheets

Abstract Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) possess exceptional mechanical properties, surpassing stiffness and strength metrics of common materials such as steel alloys by 100 × at the nanoscale. However, when myriads of individual CNTs are bundled together into macroscopic ensembles like fibers or sheets, the result is a 100-fold drop in strength compared to its individual components. Here we present a general strategy aimed to close this gap in property scaling. By using vapor-phase polymerization of a crosslinkable polymer, we reinforced the weak interlinkages among individual CNTs within both yarns and sheets to promote a better transference of mechanical load across the structure. After the treatment, dry-spun, low-density 2.3 μm thin yarns increased their elastic moduli by at least 300%, and free-standing CNT sheets exhibited a 10 × boost. In-situ synchrotron small-angle X-ray scattering revealed that polymer-reinforced yarns undergo limited CNT bundle rearrangement when subjected to tensile loads compared to pristine yarns. This evidence supports the hypothesis that the polymer hinders CNTs slippage, the root cause of the poor scaling of mechanical properties in these materials. While we demonstrated this reinforcement method for CNT structures, it is not specific to CNTs and could be used in a wide variety of other hierarchical nanostructured ensembles.
Analysis of wave-induced submarine landslides in nearly saturated sediments at intermediate water depths

Evaluation of wave impacts on submarine landslides is an essential element in geohazard studies. The slight desaturation of sediments (due to dissociation of gas hydrates) has been found to adverse...
Scientific Uncertainties and How They Affect Risk Communication

The past several years have seen a great increase in demand from the judiciary (Aqua Slide ‘N’ Dive Corp. v. CPSC; Industrial Union Dept. v. American Petroleum Institute; American Petroleum Institute v. OSHA) and executive agencies (Ruckelshaus, 1983) for both 1. More assessment of risks and the expected benefits from potential control measures in quantitative form. 2. “Better science” in the assessment of all kinds of risks to public health and safety.
Studies of Cerebral Capillary Endothelial Membrane

The movement of nutrients from blood to brain, at the exclusion of many other blood-born substances, ranks high in significance among the unique properties of cerebral capillaries identified thus far. The presence and the activity of transport systems for glucose, amino acids, and various other metabolic substrates clearly demonstrates the role of this endothelia in supplying brain cells with fuel for energy metabolism and biosynthetic pathways. The dynamics of water and ion permeability (1) of the cerebral microvasculature, as well as its involvement in blood flow regulation (2), further indicate an important role for endothelial cells in cerebral metabolic homeostasis. The mechanisms by which capillary functions are energized and regulated are most certainly related to capillary cell metabolism. Therefore, the metabolic activity of the endothelium is of major significance. Based on current information about the enzymatic and metabolic activities of isolated cerebral microvessels (3,4), it appears that brain endothelial cells have versatile substrate requirements and possess a significantly high metabolic capability.
INERTIAL FUSION REACTOR STUDIES AT LAWRENCE LIVERMORE NATIONAL LABORATORY

We present results of our reactor studies for inertial fusion energy production. Design studies of liquid-metal wall chambers have led to reactors that are remarkably simple in design, and that promise long life and low cost. Variants of the same basic design, called HYLIFE, can be used for electricity production, as a fissile fuel factory, a dedicated tritium breeder, or hybrids of each.
Immunoadjuvant activity of pyran copolymer. I. Evidence for direct stimulation of T-lymphocytes and macrophages.

Abstract A single injection of pyran copolymer has been shown to greatly increase the number of hemolytic plaque forming cells to sheep erythrocytes (sRBC). Pyran given from 1 day before to 2 days after sRBC inoculation increased both specific activity and plaques/spleen, suggesting that macrophage activation was probably not responsible for the enhancement seen. In addition, pyran given 1 day prior to the primary injection of sRBC was found to increase the secondary response to SRBC given alone. As similar experiments using thymectomized irradiated bone marrow reconstituted mice showed no increase in specific activity following pyran administration, it was unlikely that pyran was acting directly on B cells. Furthermore, experiments measuring the antibody response to Escherichia coli lipopolysaccharide, a thymic independent antigen, pyran did not increase the response to this antigen. In contrast to the above, pyran delayed and depressed cell mediated cytotoxicity to the allogeneic DBA/2 P815 mastocytoma. However, no difference in the titers of cytotoxic antibody against mastocytoma cells was seen between pyran-treated and normal animals. Pyran was mitogenic for spleen cells in vitro . However, following the administration of pyran in vivo , mitogen induced blastogenesis in vitro to PHA and LPS was inhibited and this inhibition was determined to be macrophage-dependent. These results are consistent with a model in which the immunoregulatory effects of pyran act through macrophages and T-lymphocytes.
Evaluation of anisotropic non-coincident g2, A2, D, P and gn2 from EPR and endor data by the method of least-squares fitting: II. Use of second-order perturbed eigenvalues

Details of a rigorous least-squares (LSF) procedure for the evaluation of the components of non-coincident tensors g2, A2, D, P and gn2 using eigenvalues calculated tt second-order in perturbation for electron-nuclear spin-coupled systems are given. The complexities associated with the presence of non-coincident tensors in the spin Hamiltonian are discussed. Details are provided of how the components of the various tensors can be evaluated by choosing either special, or arbitrary, coordinate axes for their descriptions. The procedure is illustrated by application to the X-band EPR data obtained at room temperature for VO2+-doped K2C2O4·H2O single crystal. It is found that, for this case, the LSF procedure, based on the use of second-order eigenvalues, as described here, yields the χ2 value, representing the goodness of fit, one-fortieth that found employing the LSF procedure, based on the use of first-order eigenvalues.
Acquisition, tracking, and pointing using Earth thermal images for deep space optical communications

The feasibility of using long wavelength Earth thermal (infrared) images for telescope tracking/pointing applications for both deep space free-space optical communications has been investigated and is reported here. The advantage of this technology rests on using full Earth images in this band, which yield more accurate estimates of geometric centroids than that of Earth images in the visible band. Another major advantage is that these images are nearly independent of Earth phase angle. The results of the study show that at a Mars range, with currently available sensors, a noise equivalent angle of 10 to 150 nanoradians and a bias error of better than 80 nanoradians can be obtained. This enables precise pointing of the optical communications beam for high data rate links.
Growing Political Will from the Grassroots: How Social Movement Principles Can Reverse the Dismal Legacy of Rule of Law Interventions

The international community’s efforts to promote the rule of law and human rights in developing countries have been largely unsuccessful. This record of disappointment is typically attributed to a lack of political will for reform in the host societies. As a result, an estimated four billion people worldwide are without access to human rights, and suffer without recourse from discrimination, theft, and other forms of physical and emotional harm.In order to more effectively bring about reform, it is time for rule of law promoters to draw upon the lessons of social science, and particularly the study of social movements. This Article represents the first effort to view the challenge of instilling political will for law reform through the prism of social movement theory and its analysis of events like the U.S. civil rights movement, the South African antiapartheid movement, and the Eastern European democracy movement. This social movement analysis reveals substantial reason for optimism about achieving significant law reform in developing countries. Rule of law promoters must re-orient their approach and begin supporting the existing and evolving grassroots law reform organizations that mirror in key respects the organizations that have proven to be the catalysts for change in social movements. Properly supported, these organizations can grow and nurture the political will for access to justice that is so desperately needed by billions of people in the developing world.
Making assisted reproductive techniques a disruptive innovation in production agriculture

So while it is generally agreed that AI is the most efficient means currently available for rapid and widespread dissemination of superior male genetics and embryo transfer represents the equivalent for the female of the species; why has their use not been more widely accepted across the entire field of agriculture? Quite simply it can be reduced to a few factors; some technical, some logistical and some based on upfront cost.
Analysis and modeling of CD variation for statistical static timing

Statistical static timing analysis (SSTA) has become a key method for analyzing the effect of process variation in aggressively scaled CMOS technologies. Much research has focused on the modeling of spatial correlation in SSTA. However, the vast majority of these works used artificially generated process data to test the proposed models. Hence, it is difficult to determine the actual effectiveness of these methods, the conditions under which they are necessary, and whether they lead to a significant increase in accuracy that warrants their increased runtime and complexity. In this paper, we study 5 different correlation models and their associated SSTA methods using 35420 critical dimension (CD) measurements that were extracted from 23 reticles on 5 wafers in a 130nm CMOS process. Based on the measured CD data, we analyze the correlation as a function of distance and generate 5 distinct correlation models, ranging from simple models which incorporate one or two variation components to more complex models that utilize principle component analysis and quad-trees. We then study the accuracy of the different models and compare their SSTA results with the result of running STA directly on the extracted data. We also examine the trade-off between model accuracy and run time, as well as the impact of die size on model accuracy. We show that, especially for small dies (6.6mm times 5.7mm), the simple models provide comparable accuracy to that of the more complex ones, while incurring significantly less runtime and implementation difficulty. The results of this study demonstrate that correlation models for SSTA must be carefully tested on actual process data and must be used judiciously
Stereotactic Radiosurgery Yields Long-term Control for Benign Intradural, Extramedullary Spinal Tumors

BACKGROUND: The role of stereotactic radiosurgery in the treatment of benign intracranial lesions is well established. Although a growing body of evidence supports its role in the treatment of malignant spinal lesions, a much less extensive dataset exists for treatment of benign spinal tumors. OBJECTIVE: To examine the safety and efficacy of stereotactic radiosurgery for treatment of benign, intradural extramedullary spinal tumors. METHODS: From 1999 to 2008, 87 patients with 103 benign intradural extramedullary spinal tumors (32 meningiomas, 24 neurofibromas, and 47 schwannomas) were treated with stereotactic radiosurgery at Stanford University Medical Center. Forty-three males and 44 females had a median age of 53 years (range, 12-86). Twenty-five patients had neurofibromatosis. Treatment was delivered in 1 to 5 sessions (median, 2) with a mean prescription dose of 19.4 Gy (range, 14-30 Gy) to an average tumor volume of 5.24 cm 3 (range, 0.049-54.52 cm 3 ). RESULTS: After a mean radiographic follow-up period of 33 months (range, 6-87), including 21 lesions followed for ≥ 48 months, 59% were stable, 40% decreased in size, and a single tumor (1%) increased in size. Clinically, 91%, 67%, and 86% of meningiomas, neurofibromas, and schwannomas, respectively, were symptomatically stable to improved at last follow-up. One patient with a meningioma developed a new, transient myelopathy at 9 months, although the tumor was smaller at last follow-up. CONCLUSION: As a viable alternative to microsurgical resection, stereotactic radiosurgery provides safe and efficacious long-term control of benign intradural, extramedullary spinal tumors with a low rate of complication.
‘‘Ab initio’’ liquid water

An ab initio molecular dynamics simulation of liquid water has been performed using density functional theory in the Kohn–Sham formulation and a plane wave basis set to determine the electronic structure and the forces at each time step. For an accurate description of the hydrogen bonding in the liquid, it was necessary to extend the exchange functional with a term that depends on the gradient of the electron density. A further important technical detail is that supersoft pseudopotentials were used to treat the valence orbitals of the oxygen atoms in a plane wave expansion. The structural and dynamical properties of the liquid were found to be in good agreement with experiment. The ab initio molecular dynamics also yields information on the electronic structure. The electronic feature of special interest is the lowest unoccupied molecular orbital (LUMO) of the liquid which is the state occupied by a thermalized excess electron in the conductive state. The main result of calculating the liquid LUMO is that it is a delocalized state distributed over interstitial space between the molecules with a significant admixture of the σ* orbitals of the individual water molecules.
Metafor: visualizing stories as code

Every program tells a story. Programming, then, is the art of constructing a story about the objects in the program and what they do in various situations. So-called programming languages, while easy for the computer to accurately convert into code, are, unfortunately, difficult for people to write and understand.We explore the idea of using descriptions in a natural language as a representation for programs. While we cannot yet convert arbitrary English to fully specified code, we can use a reasonably expressive subset of English as a visualization tool. Simple descriptions of program objects and their behavior generate scaffolding (underspecified) code fragments, that can be used as feedback for the designer. Roughly speaking, noun phrases can be interpreted as program objects; verbs can be functions, adjectives can be properties. A surprising amount of what we call programmatic semantics can be inferred from linguistic structure. We present a program editor, Metafor, that dynamically converts a user's stories into program code, and in a user study, participants found it useful as a brainstorming tool.
The role of equivalence ratio oscillations in driving combustion instabilities in low NOx gas turbines

This paper presents a theoretical investigation of combustion instabilities in low NOX gas turbines (LNGT) that burn fuel in a lean premixed mode. It is shown that these instabilities may be caused by interactions of combustor pressure oscillations with the reactants' supply rates, producing equivalence ratio perturbations in the inlet duct. These perturbations are convected by the mean flow to the combustor where they produce large-amplitude heat-release oscillations that drive combustor pressure oscillations. It is shown in this study that in contrast to earlier analyses, which assumed a uniform instantaneous heat release throughout the flame region, the heat release within the flame may exhibit strong spatial dependence that can significantly affect the combustor stability. The proposed instability mechanism is incorporated into a model that is used to predict LNGT stability limits. The model results show that LNGT are highly prone to combustion instabilities, especially under lean operating conditions, and that the regions of instability can be approximately described in terms of a ratio of the reactants' convective time from the fuel injector to the combustor and the period of the oscillations (with some modifications that account for the structure of the combustion region). Significantly, the developed model's predictions are in good agreement with available experimental data, strongly suggesting that the proposed mechanism and the developed model properly account for the essential physics of the problem.
Occupation-number-based energy functional for nuclear masses

We develop an energy functional with shell-model occupations as the relevant degrees of freedom and compute nuclear masses across the nuclear chart. The functional is based on Hohenberg-Kohn theory with phenomenologically motivated terms. A global fit of the 17-parameter functional to 2049 nuclear masses yields a root-mean-square deviation of $\ensuremath{\chi}=1.31$ MeV. Nuclear radii are computed within a model that employs the resulting occupation numbers.
Characteristics of the Upper-Tropospheric Environmental Flow around Hurricanes

Abstract The upper-tropospheric flow out to a radius of 2000 km around Atlantic hurricanes is described using rotated coordinate composite analysis of the NOAA National Hurricane Center operational wind set. The rotated coordinate methodology, designed to preserve some of the asymmetry of hurricane outflow during compositing, is described in detail. A rotated coordinate composite of all hurricanes from a five-year period is used to study the general properties of the hurricane outflow layer. Coordinate rotation improves the representation of the outflow jet and the associated extrema of radial and tangential wind, but tends to obscure the geographically persistent features of the upper-tropospheric environment such as the midlatitude westerlies. The amplitude of the asymmetric radial wind is twice that of the symmetric, while the amplitudes of tangential winds are equivalent. A comparison of geographic and rotated coordinate composites indicates that both the outflow jet and the midlatitude westerlies are...
Geometric Fourier Analysis for Computational Vision

Projective Fourier analysis — geometric Fourier analysis of the group SL(2,ℂ), the group identified in the conformal camera that provides image perspective transformations—is discussed in the framework of representation theory of semisimple Lie groups. The compact model of projective Fourier analysis is constructed, complementing the noncompact model proposed before. Detailed mathematical formulation of both models is presented. It is demonstrated that the projective Fourier analysis provides the data model for efficient perspectively covariant digital image representation well adapted to the retino-cortical mapping of biological visual system, and therefore, explicitly designed for the foveated sensors of a silicon retina, the use of which in active vision systems is presently limited due to the lack of such a model.
Gene identification and protein classification in microbial metagenomic sequence data via incremental clustering

The identification and study of proteins from metagenomic datasets can shed light on the roles and interactions of the source organisms in their communities. However, metagenomic datasets are characterized by the presence of organisms with varying GC composition, codon usage biases etc., and consequently gene identification is challenging. The vast amount of sequence data also requires faster protein family classification tools. We present a computational improvement to a sequence clustering approach that we developed previously to identify and classify protein coding genes in large microbial metagenomic datasets. The clustering approach can be used to identify protein coding genes in prokaryotes, viruses, and intron-less eukaryotes. The computational improvement is based on an incremental clustering method that does not require the expensive all-against-all compute that was required by the original approach, while still preserving the remote homology detection capabilities. We present evaluations of the clustering approach in protein-coding gene identification and classification, and also present the results of updating the protein clusters from our previous work with recent genomic and metagenomic sequences. The clustering results are available via CAMERA, (http://camera.calit2.net). The clustering paradigm is shown to be a very useful tool in the analysis of microbial metagenomic data. The incremental clustering method is shown to be much faster than the original approach in identifying genes, grouping sequences into existing protein families, and also identifying novel families that have multiple members in a metagenomic dataset. These clusters provide a basis for further studies of protein families.
Triphosphanato (R3P32−), primary phosphido (RPH−) and diphosphanato (diphosphene) (R2P22−) complexes of zirconium and hafnium metallocenes

Abstract A variety of triphosphanato (R3P32−) primary phosphido (RPH−) and diphosphanato (diphosphene) (R2P22−) derivatives of zirconium and hafnium (I–IV) have been prepared via reactions of primary phosphides LiPH(R) (R = Ph, t-Bu) with Cp2MCl2 (Cp = η5-C5H5, C5Me3, C5H3(SiMe3)2). The products depend on the steric bulk of the P R group and the Cp (or substituted Cp) group. When Cp = C5H5 or C5Me5 and R = Ph, triphosphanato complexes of type I are produced (E. Hey, S. G. Bott and J. L. Atwood, Chem. Ber. 1988, 121, 561). When R = t-Bu, types II and III are also formed. For Cp = C5H3(SiMe3)2 diphosphanato complexes IV and the diphosphides III are formed.
Ethics in Business: Answering the Call

What might happen if business leaders across the globe viewed their work as a sacred calling in a religious sense? Might not the world be a far better place? This paper is an effort to stimulate debate and discussion on this topic. Concepts addressed include: (a) ethics in business, (b) ethical standards in business settings, (c) the role of law, (d) levels of corporate responsibility, (e) the role of religion in business ethics, (f) the idea of business as a calling in a religious sense, (g) the elements of modern corporate culture, (h) creating an ethical corporate culture, (i) demonstrating corporate social responsibility, and (j) providing servant leadership. The introduction to the paper shows how these concepts interrelate; its conclusion offers a challenge to business leaders to answer their call to business in the truest sense.
Shrink assist film for enhanced resolution (SAFIER) process for printing of 20-nm trench with high aspect ratio

SAFIER TM process has been applied to electron beam lithography for the fabrication of the write pole for thin film heads (TFH). The SAFIER process is a physical shrinkage process designed to shrink trench patterns and contact holes with very little deterioration of the profile. This process also improves line edge roughness (LER). In this paper, we will present the experimental results about our evaluation of the SAFIER process for write pole process. To understand the SAFIER process, our evaluation will focus on the following key processing issues: 1) SAFIER resolution capability; 2) repetition of the SAFIER process; 3) process optimization for the minimum CD variation; 4) resist sidewall profile; and 5) LER with the SAFIER process. We demonstrate the capability of printing narrow write pole trench patterns with a critical dimension (CD) of 20 nm in 0.30 μm resist (aspect ratio=15:1) and a CD of 30 nm in 0.60 μm resist (aspect ratio=20:1) using the electron beam SAFIER process.
Ecotourism, sustainable development, and conservation education: Development of a tour guide training program in Tortuguero, Costa Rica

A tour guide training program was developed for rural communities near Costa Rica's Tortuguero National Park to respond to the impacts of the 24-fold increase in park visitation in the past decade, to involve local communities in resource management, and to provide regional environmental education. The development of the training course involved a survey of scientists and park managers to ascertain resource management needs, priorities for information to be disseminated, and impacts of tourism on the resource base. Current and potential tour guides were surveyed to identify their information needs, solicit their input in the training program, and to determine their knowledge and skills. Written questionnaires were developed and given to 400 tourists to determine their activities and environmental information needs, and hotel owners were censused to examine the economic feasibility of a local guide program. A pilot training course and guide program involving 12 Tortuguero residents demonstrated that a tour guide program: (1) helped mitigate negative tourism impacts on Tortuguero National Park's natural resources, particularly by regulating tourists on the park's 35-km beach used for nesting by endangered sea turtles; (2) provided environmental education to an important segment of the local community not traditionally reached through school or government development projects; (3) provided environmental information to tourists, thus enhancing their visit; and (4) provided local economic benefits through lucrative part-time employment, thereby allowing local people to participate more fully in the tourism system. An extended training course is being planned to provide further environmental education programming and to increase year-round employment opportunities for the tour guides.
The Urban Quality of Life and Entrepreneurship

This paper examines the influence of quality of life on entrepreneurial activity in 70 urban metropolitan areas. Economic and health/educational quality of life were found to have a positive impact...
BASIS RISK AND HEDGING STRATEGIES FOR AUSTRALIAN WHEAT EXPORTS

Basis risk can play a significant role in the determination of effective hedging strategies. In this paper a portfolio framework is developed to examine the effect of basis risk on hedging strategies for Australian wheat exports. Monthly data for the period 1977 to 1984 were used to implement the analytical framework. While the traditional definition of hedging implies a hedge ratio of unity, the results of this research show that the average ratio of optimal hedge to stockholding is well below unity. Evolving market conditions can also cause the optimal hedge ratio to vary substantially over time.