cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
High-k / metal gate innovations enabling continued CMOS scaling

High-k dielectrics and metal gate electrodes have entered complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) logic technology, integrated in both gate-first and gate-last schemes. We review gate-first high-k / metal gate (HKMG) innovations enabling continued device scaling to the 22 and 14 nm nodes and beyond. First, we summarize some of the insight that allowed early HKMG challenges such as equivalent oxide thickness (EOT) and threshold voltage control to be overcome. Then, we discuss HKMG approaches that enable ultimate EOT scaling, pitch scaling via borderless source/drain contact formation, and the fabrication of multi-gate field-effect transistors. Finally, we summarize recent progress in gate stack development for high-mobility channel materials such as germanium and III-V compound semiconductors.
Toward a Platform for Comprehensive Glycan Sequencing

From a series of recently published reports, an analytical platform has been proposed for a quantitative and qualitative measure of N- and O-glycosylation, complete with peptide-glycan connectivity and detailed structural understanding. As distant as this may appear, a best methods approach will appear that must move us beyond the cartoon stage of structural understanding. Thus, with this unifying goal in mind, we summarize a series of individually promising first phase protocols of sample preparation (release, purification, and quantification) that remain congruent with a concluding phase (methylation and MSn) for documented structural detail. Sequential enzymatic N-glycan and chemical O-glycan release from glycopeptides with intervening solid phase extraction and derivatization will provide for a comparative quantification measure of glycosylation. The O-glycan release will be nonreductive and coupled with Michael addition to a pyrazolone analog (1-phenyl-3-methyl-5-pyrazolone) with both the peptide and glycan labeled. The product glycans are stable to methylation and appropriate for sequential disassembly (MSn). An application using human serum and cancer samples has been detailed characterizing sLex and comparable valence epitopes. This integrated platform will provide opportunities at variable points to contrast, share, and advance alternative protocols in a collaborative effort that is greatly needed. This integrated platform provides end point opportunities to confirm structural details compiled from synthetic standards and well characterized biologics by MSn.
The evolution and impact of bank regulations

This paper reassesses what works in banking regulation based on the new World Bank survey (Survey IV) of bank regulation and supervision around world. The paper briefly presents new and official survey information on bank regulations in more than 125 countries, makes comparisons with earlier surveys since 1999, and assesses the relationship between changes in bank regulations and banking system performance. The data suggest that many countries made capital regulations more stringent and granted greater discretionary power to official supervisory agencies over the past 12 years, but most countries have not enhanced the ability and incentives of private investors to monitor banks rigorously -- and several have weakened such private monitoring incentives. Although it is difficult to draw causal inferences from these data, and while there are material cross-country differences in the evolution of regulatory reforms, existing evidence suggests that many countries are making counterproductive changes to their bank regulations by not enhancing the ability and incentives of private investors to scrutinize banks.
Density of orbits in complex dynamics

In this paper we discuss whether germs of holomorphic self maps of $\mathbb{C}^n$ can have a dense orbit. We give both a positive and a negative answer depending on how the problem is interpreted more precisely.
Algebraic network coding approach to deterministic wireless relay networks

The deterministic wireless relay network model, introduced by Avestimehr et al., has been proposed for approximating Gaussian relay networks. This model, known as the ADT network model, takes into account the broadcast nature of wireless medium and interference. Avestimehr et al. showed that the Min-cut Max-flow theorem holds in the ADT network.
Complexity analysis of the cost-table approach to the design of multiple-valued logic circuits

We analyze the computational complexity of the cost-table approach to designing multiple-valued logic circuits that is applicable to I/sup 2/L, CCDs, current-mode CMOS, and RTDs. We show that this approach is NP-complete. An efficient algorithm is shown for finding the exact minimal realization of a given function by a given cost-table.
Smart chemistry in polymeric nanomedicine

This review provides an overview of smart chemistry developed and utilized in the last 5–10 years in polymer-based drug delivery nanomedicine. Smart chemistry not only facilitates the controlled drug loading in a highly specific manner, but also potentially controls the drug release kinetics at the targeted tissues. This review highlights the emergence of new chemistry or unique utilization of conventional chemistry in drug delivery, which is believed to play an important role in developing next generation nanomedicine.
Velocity-independent time-domain seismic imaging using local event slopes

By estimating local event slopes in prestack seismic reflection data, it is possible to accomplish all common time-domain imaging tasks, from normal moveout to prestack time migration, without the need to estimate seismic velocities or any other attributes. Local slopes contain complete information about the reflection geometry. Once they are estimated, seismic velocities and all other moveout parameters turn into data attributes and are directly mappable from the prestack data domain into the time-migrated image domain. I develop an analytical theory, which defines the transformation from data and local slopes to the image space for different time-domain imaging operators. Computational experiments with synthetic and field data examples confirm theoretical expectations and demonstrate practical effectiveness of the proposed method.
Escape routing from chip scale packages

Electronic packaging has steadily been miniaturized to reduce component weight and volume for portable applications and to enhance system speed performance. Package sizes approach the chip size in the chip size package (CSP) while retaining discrete package advantages in handling and test. In the CSP approach the ball interconnect (C5 balls) between package and mother board may be placed at pitches as low as 0.5 mm. There are, however, limitations to the number of escape vias/traces which mother boards can handle. These limits are a function of the C5 pad size and pitch, via land size and pitch, trace pitch and the number of C5 pads. In addition, features such as blind and buried vias can enhance the under-package escape routability but for PWBs these features bring a significant board cost penalty. This paper addresses escape layer count for full array CSPs and also depopulated array CSPs where C5 pads are only in outer C5 rings. For a full C5 array, using high density (0.5 mm) C5 pitch and leading edge PWB technology for the mother board (projected for the year 2000), only one signal ring can escape per PWB layer. The inner, smaller rings in this calculation with /spl sim/30% power and ground are routed to common power and ground planes. In order to succeed in full array escape within the PWB, the costly add-ons of filled, blind vias are required. With emerging high density interconnect (HDI) where via pads are in the range of 0.2 mm or less and trace pitch is about 0.1 mm, escape routing is readily achieved.
Nothing to Declare Mandatory and Voluntary Disclosure Leads Advisors to Avoid Conflicts of Interest

Professionals face conflicts of interest when they have a personal interest in giving biased advice. Mandatory disclosure— informing consumers of the conflict—is a widely adopted strategy in numerous professions, such as medicine, finance, and accounting. Prior research has shown, however, that such disclosures have little impact on consumer behavior, and can backfire by leading advisors to give even more biased advice. We present results from three experiments with real monetary stakes. These results show that, although disclosure has generally been found to be ineffective for dealing with unavoidable conflicts of interest, it can be beneficial when providers have the ability to avoid conflicts. Mandatory and voluntary disclosure can deter advisors from accepting conflicts of interest so that they have nothing to disclose except the absence of conflicts. We propose that people are averse to being viewed as biased, and that policies designed to activate reputational and ethical concerns will motivate advisors to avoid conflicts of interest.
Empirical null and false discovery rate inference for exponential families

In large scale multiple testing, the use of an empirical null distribution rather than the theoretical null distribution can be critical for correct inference. This paper proposes a “mode matching” method for fitting an empirical null when the theoretical null belongs to any exponential family. Based on the central matching method for z-scores, mode matching estimates the null density by fitting an appropriate exponential family to the histogram of the test statistics by Poisson regression in a region surrounding the mode. The empirical null estimate is then used to estimate local and tail false discovery rate (FDR) for inference. Delta-method covariance formulas and approximate asymptotic bias formulas are provided, as well as simulation studies of the effect of the tuning parameters of the procedure on the bias-variance trade-off. The standard FDR estimates are found to be biased down at the far tails. Correlation between test statistics is taken into account in the covariance estimates, providing a generalization of Efron’s “wing function” for exponential families. Applications with χ2 statistics are shown in a family-based genome-wide association study from the Framingham Heart Study and an anatomical brain imaging study of dyslexia in children.
The Cleo III Upgrade

Abstract The CLEO detector at the Cornell Electron Storage Ring (CESR) is completing a major upgrade that significantly extends its physics reach in the study of heavy quarks and leptons. The major elements of this detector upgrade are the installation of a “fast” ring imaging Cherenkov detector, a new central drift chamber and a new barrel-style silicon strip vertex detector. Trigger and data acquisition systems are also upgraded. We summarize the status of these detector subsystems as well as the parallel CESR upgrade.
Complex actions in two-dimensional topology change

We investigate topology change in (1 + 1) dimensions by analysing the scalar-curvature action at the points of metric-degeneration that (with minor exceptions) any non-trivial Lorentzian cobordism necessarily possesses. In two dimensions any cobordism can be built up as a combination of only two elementary types, the `yarmulke' and the `trousers.' For each of these elementary cobordisms, we consider a family of Morse-theory inspired Lorentzian metrics that vanish smoothly at a single point, resulting in a conical-type singularity there. In the yarmulke case, the distinguished point is analogous to a cosmological initial (or final) singularity, with the spacetime as a whole being obtained from one causal region of Misner space by adjoining a single point. In the trousers case, the distinguished point is a `crotch singularity' that signals a change in the spacetime topology (this being also the fundamental vertex of string theory, if one makes that interpretation). We regularize the metrics by adding a small imaginary part, whose sign is fixed to be positive by the condition that it lead to a convergent scalar field path integral on the regularized spacetime. As the regulator is removed, the scalar density approaches a delta-function, whose strength is complex: for the yarmulke family the strength is , where is the rapidity parameter of the associated Misner space; for the trousers family it is simply . This implies that in the path integral over spacetime metrics for Einstein gravity in three or more spacetime dimensions, topology change via a crotch singularity is exponentially suppressed, whereas appearance or disappearance of a universe via a yarmulke singularity is exponentially enhanced. We also contrast these results with the situation in a vielbein-cum-connection formulation of Einstein gravity.
Active Sites in Heterogeneous Catalysis: Development of Molecular Concepts and Future Challenges

The concept that catalytic turnover occurs at a small fraction of the surface sites dates back to the 1920s. The application of modern surface science techniques and model catalysts confirmed the presence of active sites and identified their structures in some cases. Low coordination defect sites on transition metals, steps and kinks, or open “rough” crystal faces that make high coordination metal sites available have been uniquely active for breaking H–H, C–H, C–C, C=O, O=O and N≡N bonds. Oxide–metal interfaces provide highly active sites for reactions of C–H and C=O bonds. Electron acceptor and proton donor sites are implicated in hydrocarbon conversion (acid–base catalysis), and sites where metal ion–carbon bonds can form are active for polymerization. The observations of dynamic restructuring of catalytic surfaces upon adsorption of reactants indicate that many catalytic sites are created during the chemical reaction. Similar restructuring is detected for enzyme catalysts. The high mobility of both surface metal atoms and adsorbed molecules during the catalytic process observed recently bring into focus the dynamic nature of active sites that may have a finite lifetime as they form and disassemble. The development of techniques that provide improved time resolution and spatial resolution, and can be employed under catalytic reaction conditions will provide information about the time dependent changes of active site structure and molecular intermediates at these active sites as the reaction products form.
Education as Liberation

This paper studies the political and social impacts of increased education by utilizing a randomized girls' merit scholarship programme in Kenya that raised test scores and secondary schooling. Consistent with the view that education empowers the disadvantaged to challenge authority, we find that the programme reduced the acceptance of domestic violence and political authority. Young women in programme schools also increased their objective political knowledge. We find that this rejection of the status quo did not translate into greater perceived political efficacy, community participation or voting intentions. Instead, there is suggestive evidence that the perceived legitimacy of political violence increased.
M‐estimation of Boolean models for particle flow experiments

Summary. Probability models are proposed for passage time data collected in experiments with a device that was designed to measure particle flow during aerial application of fertilizer. Maximum likelihood estimation of flow intensity is reviewed for the simple linear Boolean model, which arises with the assumption that each particle requires the same known passage time. M-estimation is developed for a generalization of the model in which passage times behave as a random sample from a distribution with a known mean. The generalized model improves the fit in these experiments. An estimator of total particle flow is constructed by conditioning on lengths of multiparticle clumps.
Quantum computation by measurements

We first consider various methods for the indirect implementation of unitary gates. We apply these methods to rederive the universality of 4-qubit measurements based on a scheme much simpler than Nielsen's original construction [quant-ph/0108020]. Then, we prove the universality of simple discrete sets of 2-qubit measurements, again using a scheme simplifying the initial construction [quant-ph/0111122]. Finally, we show how to use a single 4-qubit measurement to achieve universal quantum computation, and outline a proof for the universality of almost all maximally entangling 4-qubit measurements.
C/EBPα is an essential collaborator in Hoxa9/Meis1-mediated leukemogenesis

Homeobox A9 (HOXA9) is a homeodomain-containing transcription factor that plays a key role in hematopoietic stem cell expansion and is commonly deregulated in human acute leukemias. A variety of upstream genetic alterations in acute myeloid leukemia (AML) lead to overexpression of HOXA9, almost always in association with overexpression of its cofactor meis homeobox 1 (MEIS1) . A wide range of data suggests that HOXA9 and MEIS1 play a synergistic causative role in AML, although the molecular mechanisms leading to transformation by HOXA9 and MEIS1 remain elusive. In this study, we identify CCAAT/enhancer binding protein alpha (C/EBPα) as a critical collaborator required for Hoxa9/Meis1-mediated leukemogenesis. We show that C/EBPα is required for the proliferation of Hoxa9/Meis1-transformed cells in culture and that loss of C/EBPα greatly improves survival in both primary and secondary murine models of Hoxa9/Meis1-induced leukemia. Over 50% of Hoxa9 genome-wide binding sites are cobound by C/EBPα, which coregulates a number of downstream target genes involved in the regulation of cell proliferation and differentiation. Finally, we show that Hoxa9 represses the locus of the cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitors Cdkn2a/b in concert with C/EBPα to overcome a block in G1 cell cycle progression. Together, our results suggest a previously unidentified role for C/EBPα in maintaining the proliferation required for Hoxa9/Meis1-mediated leukemogenesis.
A direct reading oscilloscope for 100 kv pulses

A cathode-ray tube with an electrostatic deflection system operated directly by high-voltage pulses would circumvent many of the problems encountered in the measurement and display of such pulses. The conventional techniques of measurement have not kept up with recent advances in the techniques of generation of high-voltage pulses. This difficulty of measurement seems to be particularly great in the radar field, where modern requirements demand shorter pulses of higher peak powers than ever before. As radar transmitter powers have increased, the problems of measuring and timing modulator pulse shapes and amplitudes have become increasingly difficult.
N-vinyl-, N-allyl-, N-propenyl- and N-propargyl-benzotriazoles : reactions of their lithium derivatives

1-Vinylbenzotriazole undergoes lithiation at the α-carbon and subsequent reactions with electrophiles to afford 1-(1-substituted vinyl)benzotriazoles (3a–d). Similarly, 1-(1-substituted propenyl)- (9a–c, 9e, 10a–c, 10e) and 2-(1-methylpropenyl)-benzotriazoles (14 and 15) were prepared by lithiation of the corresponding 1- and 2-propenyl-benzotriazoles followed by alkylation. 1- and 2-Allylbenzotriazoles 4 and 5 are also lithiated at the α-carbon and the intermediates react with electrophiles at this position. The structures of the propenyl derivatives were supported by an alternative synthetic route via rearrangements of the corresponding allyl isomers. 1-Propargylbenzotriazole (16) undergoes lithiation first at the acetylenic CH and then at the CH2 group. The dilithiated species, produced by treatment of 16 with two equivalents of butyllithium, reacts with an electrophile first at the carbon atom adjacent to the nitrogen atom, and then at the terminal carbon atom. Hence lithiation of 16 and subsequent reactions with electrophiles afford alkylated products 17a–d, 18a–d, 19a–b and 20a–c depending upon the amount of butyllithium and of the electrophile(s) used. The structures of each class of product were supported by spectral and analytical data.
THE TRANSVERSE PECULIAR VELOCITY OF THE Q2237+0305 LENS GALAXY AND THE MEAN MASS OF ITS STARS

Using 11 years of OGLE V-band photometry of Q2237+0305, we measure the transverse velocity of the lens galaxy and the mean mass of its stars. We can do so because, for the first time, we fully include the random motions of the stars in the lens galaxy in the analysis of the light curves. In doing so, we are also able to correctly account for Earth's parallax motion and the rotation of the lens galaxy, further reducing systematic errors. We measure a lower limit on the transverse speed of the lens galaxy, v t > 338 km s-1 (68% confidence) and find a preferred direction to the east. The mean stellar mass estimate, including a well-defined velocity prior, is 0.12 ≤ M/M ☉ ≤ 1.94 at 68% confidence, with a median of 0.52 M ☉. We also show for the first time that analyzing subsets of a microlensing light curve, in this case the first and second halves of the OGLE V-band light curve, gives mutually consistent physical results.
Aldol addition reaction of a lithium ester enolate in the solid state

Abstract The first solid state aldol addition of the lithium enolate of methyl 3,3-dimethylbutanoate to aromatic aldehydes is reported. The diastereoselectivity of the reactions in the solid state is similar to that in solution, suggesting that the same reacting species and transition states might be involved.
Cars, Cows, and Checkerspot Butterflies: Nitrogen Deposition and Management of Nutrient-Poor Grasslands for a Threatened Species

Nutrient-poor, serpentinitic soils in the San Francisco Bay area sustain a native grassland that sup- ports many rare species, including the Bay checkerspot butterfly ( Euphydryas editha bayensis ). Nitrogen (N) deposition from air pollution threatens biodiversity in these grasslands because N is the primary limiting nu- trient for plant growth on serpentinitic soils. I investigated the role of N deposition through surveys of butter- fly and plant populations across different grazing regimes, by literature review, and with estimates of N dep- osition in the region. Several populations of the butterfly in south San Jose crashed following the cessation of cattle grazing. Nearby populations under continued grazing did not suffer similar declines. The immediate cause of the population crashes was rapid invasion by introduced annual grasses that crowded out the larval host plants of the butterfly. Ungrazed serpentinitic grasslands on the San Francisco Peninsula have largely re- sisted grass invasions for nearly four decades. Several lines of evidence indicate that dry N deposition from smog is responsible for the observed grass invasion. Fertilization experiments have shown that soil N limits grass invasion in serpentinitic soils. Estimated N deposition rates in south San Jose grasslands are 10-15 kg N/ha/year; Peninsula sites have lower deposition, 4-6 kg N/ha/year. Grazing cattle select grasses over forbs, and grazing leads to a net export of N as cattle are removed for slaughter. Although poorly managed cattle grazing can significantly disrupt native ecosystems, in this case moderate, well-managed grazing is essential for maintaining native biodiversity in the face of invasive species and exogenous inputs of N from nearby ur- ban areas.
VISCOSITY REDUCTION IN LIQUID SUSPENSIONS BY ELECTRIC OR MAGNETIC FIELDS

Reducing the viscosity of liquid suspensions is of great importance in science and engineering. We present a theory and experiments that a suitable electric or magnetic field pulse can effectively reduce the viscosity for several hours with no appreciable change of temperature. Positive experimental results with magnetorheological fluids and crude oil suggest a broad range of practical applications.
B-trees, shadowing, and clones

B-trees are used by many file systems to represent files and directories. They provide guaranteed logarithmic time key-search, insert, and remove. File systems like WAFL and ZFS use shadowing, or copy-on-write, to implement snapshots, crash recovery, write-batching, and RAID. Serious difficulties arise when trying to use b-trees and shadowing in a single system.This article is about a set of b-tree algorithms that respects shadowing, achieves good concurrency, and implements cloning (writeable snapshots). Our cloning algorithm is efficient and allows the creation of a large number of clones.We believe that using our b-trees would allow shadowing file systems to better scale their on-disk data structures.
Baeyer–Villiger oxidation of substituted cyclohexanones via lipase-mediated perhydrolysis utilizing urea–hydrogen peroxide in ethyl acetate

A green method for Baeyer–Villiger oxidation based on the chemo-enzymatic perhydrolysis of carboxylic acids and esters has been optimized using Novozyme-435, the immobilized form of Candida antarctica lipase B, and the complex urea–hydrogen peroxide (UHP) in ethyl acetate. This protocol previously employed for the chemo-enzymatic epoxidation of unfunctionalized olefins was shown to be effective for the Baeyer–Villiger oxidation of cyclohexanone and substituted cyclohexanones. The absence of water in the reaction media avoided any hydrolysis of the oxidized product. A minimum amount of enzyme was necessary to show the catalytic effect. The reaction yields of substituted e-caprolactones varied depending on the nature of the substituent.
A scaled feedback stabilization of power integrator triangular systems

Using unbounded time-varying scaling of the states we design C1 feedback laws for power integrator triangular systems which globally asymptotically stabilize (GAS) the origin despite the uncontrollability of the linearization. With bounded scaling the feedback laws achieve global practical stability (GPS). For a trade-off between GAS/GPS of the origin and unboundedness/boundedness of the scaling we construct a dynamic version of these feedback laws.
Characterization of NSLS accelerating cavities using impedance measurement techniques

Impedance measurements, using a central wire to simulate the electron beam, were performed on a 52 MHz accelerating cavity at the National Synchrotron Light Source (NSLS). To damp higher-order modes (HOM) in this cavity, damping antennas have been installed. We implemented the impedance measurement technique to characterize the cavity modes up to 1 GHz and confirm the effectiveness of the damping antennas. Scattering parameters were measured using a network analyzer (HP 8510B) and values for R and Q were extracted using a new analytical technique. Our results showed good agreement with URMEL simulations and with other independent Q measurements. This technique offers a more time-effective technique for obtaining R/Q, compared with the bead-pull method. >
Investing in people for the 21st century

The paper draws upon the work of T.W. Schultz to show that human capital theory and labor market adjustments have important implications for investing in people for the 21 st Century.
POLYGONAL KNOT SPACE NEAR ROPELENGTH-MINIMIZED KNOTS

For a polygonal knot K, it is shown that a tube of radius R(K), the polygonal thickness radius, is an embedded torus. Given a thick configuration K, perturbations of size r < R(K) define satellite structures, or local knotting. We explore knotting within these tubes both theoretically and numerically. We provide bounds on perturbation radii for which one can obtain small trefoil and figure-eight summands and use Monte Carlo simulations to estimate the relative probabilities of these structures as a function of the number of edges.
Thiazolium-catalyzed additions of acylsilanes: a general strategy for acyl anion addition reactions.

A strategy utilizing N-heterocyclic carbenes (NHCs) derived from thiazolium salts has been developed for the generation of carbonyl anions from acylsilanes. Synthetically useful 1,4-diketones and N-phosphinoyl-α-aminoketones have been prepared in good to excellent yields via NHC-catalyzed additions of acylsilanes to the corresponding α,β-unsaturated systems and N-phosphinoylimines. These organocatalytic reactions are air- and water-tolerant methods to execute robust carbonyl anion addition reactions. Additionally, polysubstituted aromatic furans and pyrroles have been efficiently synthesized in a one-pot process using this carbonyl anion methodology. The addition of alcohols to the reaction renders the process catalytic in thiazolium salt. In an effort to synthesize a potential intermediate along the proposed reaction pathway, silylated thiazolium carbinols have been identified to provide good yields of carbonyl anion addition products when subjected to the standard reaction conditions in the presence of ...
Adsorption of solutes at liquid–vapor interfaces: insights from lattice gas models

The adsorption behavior of ions at liquid–vapor interfaces exhibits several unexpected yet generic features. In particular, energy and entropy are both minimum when the solute resides near the surface, for a variety of ions in a range of polar solvents, contrary to predictions of classical theories. Motivated by this generality, and by the simple physical ingredients implicated by computational studies, we have examined interfacial solvation in highly schematic models, which resolve only coarse fluctuations in solvent density and cohesive energy. Here we show that even such lattice gas models recapitulate surprising thermodynamic trends observed in detailed simulations and experiments. Attention is focused on the case of two dimensions, for which approximate energy and entropy profiles can be calculated analytically. Simulations and theoretical analysis of the lattice gas highlight the role of capillary wave-like fluctuations in mediating adsorption. They further point to ranges of temperature and solute–solvent interaction strength where surface propensity is expected to be strongest.
Surface‐tension prediction for liquid mixtures

Recently Escobedo and Mansoori (AIChE J. 42(5): 1425, 1996) proposed a new expression, originally derived from statistical mechanics, for the surface tension prediction of pure fluids. In this report, the same theory is extended to the case of mixtures of organic liquids with the following expression,
Estrogen Receptor α Antagonists Mediate Changes in CCL20 and CXCL1 Secretions in the Murine Female Reproductive Tract

PROBLEM Estradiol regulates chemokine secretion from uterine epithelial cells, but little is known about estradiol regulation in vivo or the role of estrogen receptors (ERs). METHOD CCL20 and CXCL1 present in reproductive washes following treatment with selective estrogen receptor modulators (SERMs) were compared with that during estrous and following estradiol-treated ovariectomized BALB/c mice. Cellular regulation was determined using isolated vaginal and uterine epithelial/stromal cells in vitro. RESULTS Uterine and vaginal chemokine secretion is cyclically regulated with CCL20 at low levels but CXCL1 at high levels during high estradiol, generally mimicking estradiol effect in vivo. ERα but not ERβ regulated CCL20/CXCL1 secretion by uterine epithelial cells in vitro and vaginal CCL20 in vivo. Estradiol/SERMs failed to alter uterine CCL20 secretion in ovariectomized mice. Diminished uterine epithelial ERα staining following ovariectomy corresponded with estradiol unresponsiveness of uterine tissue. CONCLUSION Estrogen receptors α regulates CCL20/CXCL1 secretion in the female reproductive tract, and ERα antagonists directly oppose the regulation by estradiol. Understanding ER-mediated antimicrobial chemokine expression is important to elucidate cyclic susceptibility to sexually transmitted pathogens.
On the Spatial Economic Impact of Global Warming

We propose a dynamic spatial theory to analyze the geographic impact of climate change. Agricultural and manufacturing firms locate on a hemisphere. Trade is costly, firms innovate, and technology diffuses over space. Emissions from energy used in production contribute to the atmospheric stock of carbon, which increases temperature. Warming differs across latitudes and its effect on productivity varies across sectors. We calibrate the model to analyze how climate change affects the spatial distribution of economic activity, trade, migration, growth, and welfare. We assess quantitatively the impact of migration and trade restrictions, energy taxes, and innovation subsidies.
High-temperature testing and evaluation of graphite helical-screw expanders and compressors.

A graphite expander, utilizing intermeshing helical rotors and following concepts of Lysholm, was demonstrated for possible use with inert gas cycles. Two demonstration assemblies were tested. Each assembly consisted of a graphite expander and an identical compressor. They were operated in an argon atmosphere where the motor-driven compressor provided pressurized argon to drive the expander. The graphite-on-graphite sliding bearings used were adequate for demonstration but probably not for application. Work is under way on graphite roller and gas bearings. In the first assembly the compressor failed catastrophically because of rotor dragging. The second assembly ran for 274 hr at furnace temperatures between 2350° and 2730°F before voluntary shutdown. Expander inlet temperatures are estimated to have exceeded 2900°F. Speeds to 14,100 rpm in the compressor and efficiencies to 37% in the expander were achieved. Shaft power to the compressor exceeded 10 hp and from the expander approached 1 hp. Pressure ratios in excess of 1.5 were achieved.
Theoretical estimates of intrinsic galaxy alignment

ABSTRA C T It has recently been argued that the observed ellipticities of galaxies may be determined at least in part by the primordial tidal gravitational field in which the galaxy formed. Long-range correlations in the tidal field could thus lead to an ellipticity ‐ ellipticity correlation for widely separated galaxies. We present a new model relating ellipticity to angular momentum, which can be calculated in linear theory. We use this model to calculate the angular power spectrum of intrinsic galaxy shape correlations. We show that, for low-redshift galaxy surveys, our model predicts that intrinsic correlations will dominate correlations induced by weak lensing, in good agreement with previous theoretical work and observations. We find that our model produces ‘E-mode’ correlations enhanced by a factor of 3.5 over B-modes on small scales, making it harder to disentangle intrinsic correlations from those induced by weak gravitational lensing.
Telesurgical Mentoring. Initial Clinical Experience

Background Minimally invasive surgical techniques yield significant individual, economic, and social benefits when performed by experienced surgeons. Unfortunately, many of these techniques, such as laparoscopy, are associated with steep learning curves, and the incidence of complications has clearly been shown to be inversely related to experience. The initial high complication rate and the dearth of experienced endoscopic surgeons have raised concerns over training, granting of hospital privileges, and most importantly patient safety. The goal of this study was to employ current telecommunications technology in a system for the mentoring of relatively inexperienced surgeons. Therefore, we created a telesurgical system that would allow an endoscopic specialist at a central site to offer guidance and assistance to a surgeon during a laparoscopic procedure. Methods We developed a system that connected a central site and an operative site, a distance of approximately 3.5 miles, via a single T1 (1.54 Mbs) point-to-point communications link. The system provided real-time video display from either the laparoscope or an externally mounted camera located in the operating room, full duplex audio, telestration over live video, control of a robotic arm that manipulated the laparoscope, and access to electrocautery for tissue cutting or hemostasis. Results Seven patients underwent laparoscopic procedures using the telesurgical consultation system over the communications link. In all cases, the primary surgeon had limited experience with the laparoscopic approach but still had the basic skills required to obtain intraperitoneal access. All seven cases were completed successfully without complications. Conclusion These initial studies have demonstrated the feasibility, effectiveness, and safety of telementoring. Telesurgical applications have the potential to greatly improve surgical education credentialing, and patient care by offering patients and their surgeons global access to surgical specialists.
Discovery of 1-(4-(4-propionylpiperazin-1-yl)-3-(trifluoromethyl)phenyl)-9-(quinolin-3-yl)benzo[h][1,6]naphthyridin-2(1H)-one as a highly potent, selective Mammalian Target of Rapamycin (mTOR) inhibitor for the treatment of cancer

The mTOR protein is a master regulator of cell growth and proliferation, and inhibitors of its kinase activity have the potential to become new class of anticancer drugs. Starting from quinoline 1, which was identified in a biochemical mTOR assay, we developed a tricyclic benzonaphthyridinone inhibitor 37 (Torin1), which inhibited phosphorylation of mTORC1 and mTORC2 substrates in cells at concentrations of 2 and 10 nM, respectively. Moreover, Torin1 exhibits 1000-fold selectivity for mTOR over PI3K (EC50 = 1800 nM) and exhibits 100-fold binding selectivity relative to 450 other protein kinases. Torin1 was efficacious at a dose of 20 mg/kg in a U87MG xenograft model and demonstrated good pharmacodynamic inhibition of downstream effectors of mTOR in tumor and peripheral tissues. These results demonstrate that Torin1 is a useful probe of mTOR-dependent phenomena and that benzonaphthridinones represent a promising scaffold for the further development of mTOR-specific inhibitors with the potential for clinica...
Selective pyrone functionalization: reductive alkylation of triacetic acid lactone

The one-pot reaction of aldehydes, triacetic acid lactone, and Hantzsch 1,4-dihydropyridine affords 3-alkyl pyrones via a reductive alkylation strategy.
Single chamber fuel cells: Flow geometry, rate and composition considerations

Single Chamber Fuel Cells: Flow Geometry, Rate and Composition Considerations Ionel C. Stefan, ∗ Craig P. Jacobson, Steven J. Visco, Lutgard C. De Jonghe Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory 1 Cyclotron Rd, Berkeley, CA 94720 ABSTRACT Four different single chamber fuel cell designs were compared using propane-air gas mixtures. Gas flow around the electrodes has a significant influence on the open circuit voltage and the power density of the cell. The strong influence of flow geometry is likely due to its effect on gas composition, particularly on the oxygen chemical potential at the two electrodes as a result of gas mixing. The chamber design which exposes the cathode first to the inlet gas was found to yield the best performance at lower flow rates, while the open tube design with the electrodes equally exposed to the inlet gas worked best at higher flow rates. INTRODUCTION Single chamber fuel cells (SCFCs) have no seal separating the anode and cathode, and consequently both electrodes are simultaneously exposed to the fuel/air mixture. Although SCFCs were proposed more than four decades ago, 1,2 only recently have these devices surpassed the level of laboratory curiosity by achieving electrode power densities comparable to those of the much more studied dual chamber, sealed cells. 3,4 While the SCFC research is still at an early stage, new applications are emerging, such as simple low-power sources 5 and hydrocarbon sensors. 6 The principle of operation for a single chamber fuel cell is based on the different electrocatalytic properties of fuel cell electrodes toward anodic oxidation of fuel and cathodic reduction of oxygen, respectively, thus resulting in an EMF even in a uniform atmosphere containing E-mail: CIStefan@lbl.gov
Full-chip multilevel routing for power and signal integrity

Conventional physical design flow separates the design of power network and signal network. Such a separated approach results in slow design convergence for wire-limited deep sub-micron designs. In this paper, we present a novel design methodology that simultaneously considers global signal routing and power network design under integrity constraints. The key part to this approach is a simple yet accurate power net estimation formula that decides the minimum number of power nets needed to satisfy both power and signal integrity constraints prior to detailed layout. The proposed design methodology is a one-pass solution to the co-design of power and signal networks in the sense that no iteration between them is required in order to meet design closure. Experiment results using large industrial benchmarks show that compared to the state-of-the-art alternative design approach, the proposed method can reduce the power network area by 19.4% on average under the same signal and power integrity constraints with better routing quality, yet use less runtime.
Linking Benefits to Investment Performance in US Public Pension Systems

Abstract This paper calculates the effect that introducing risk-sharing during either retirement or the working life would have on public sector pension liabilities. We begin by considering the introduction of a variable annuity for the retirement phase in which positive benefit adjustments are granted each year only if asset returns surpass 5%. This change would reduce unfunded accrued liabilities by over half, and would lower the annual contribution increases required to target full funding in 30 years by 44%. Alternative measures that have similar effects on costs include increasing employee contributions by 10.3% of pay while keeping benefits unchanged; or giving employees a collective DC plan with an employer contribution of 10% of pay for future service. If there is a minimum guarantee that benefits cannot fall below their initial levels, the impact of introducing variable annuities is substantially smaller. We discuss these results in the context of models of lifecycle portfolio choice, and analyze the conditions under which lifecycle agents might receive utility gains from the implementation of variable annuities.
“Rewiring” Filterbanks for Local Fourier Analysis: Theory and Practice

This paper describes a series of new results outlining equivalences between certain “rewirings” of filterbank system block diagrams, and the corresponding actions of convolution, modulation, and downsampling operators. This gives rise to a general framework of reverse-order and convolution subband structures in filterbank transforms, which we show to be well suited to the analysis of filterbank coefficients arising from subsampled or multiplexed signals. These results thus provide a means to understand time-localized aliasing and modulation properties of such signals and their subband representations - notions that are notably absent from the global viewpoint afforded by Fourier analysis - as well as signal recovery from sampled sequences based on their filterbank characterizations. The utility of filterbank rewirings is demonstrated by the closed-form analysis of signals subject to degradations such as missing data, spatially or temporally multiplexed data acquisition, or signal-dependent noise, the likes of which are often encountered in practical signal processing applications.
Identification of avian W-linked contigs by short-read sequencing

The female-specific W chromosomes and male-specific Y chromosomes have proven difficult to assemble with whole-genome shotgun methods, creating a demand for new approaches to identify sequence contigs specific to these sex chromosomes. Here, we develop and apply a novel method for identifying sequences that are W-specific. Using the Illumina Genome Analyzer, we generated sequence reads from a male domestic chicken (ZZ) and mapped them to the existing female (ZW) genome sequence. This method allowed us to identify segments of the female genome that are underrepresented in the male genome and are therefore likely to be female specific. We developed a Bayesian classifier to automate the calling of W-linked contigs and successfully identified more than 60 novel W-specific sequences. Our classifier can be applied to improve heterogametic whole-genome shotgun assemblies of the W or Y chromosome of any organism. This study greatly improves our knowledge of the W chromosome and will enhance future studies of avian sex determination and sex chromosome evolution.
Birds of the Same Feather Tweet Together: Bayesian Ideal Point Estimation Using Twitter Data

Parties, candidates, and voters are becoming increasingly engaged in political conversations through the micro-blogging platform Twitter. In this paper I show that the structure of the social networks in which they are embedded has the potential to become a source of information about policy positions. Under the assumption that social networks are homophilic (McPherson et al., 2001), this is, the propensity of users to cluster along partisan lines, I develop a Bayesian Spatial Following model that scales Twitter users along a common ideological dimension based on who they follow. I apply this network-based method to estimate ideal points for Twitter users in the US, the UK, Spain, Italy, and the Netherlands. The resulting positions of the party accounts on Twitter are highly correlated with oine measures based on their voting records and their manifestos. Similarly, this method is able to successfully classify individuals who state their political orientation publicly, and a sample of users from the state of Ohio whose Twitter accounts are matched with their voter registration history. To illustrate the potential contribution of these estimates, I examine the extent to which online behavior is polarized along ideological lines. Using the 2012 US presidential election campaign as a case study, I nd that public exchanges on Twitter take place predominantly among users with similar viewpoints.
The scientific basis for carcinogen detection and primary cancer prevention

The primary prevention of specific human cancers must take into account the likelihood that most cancers result from a complex interaction between multiple environmental (exogenous) and host (endogenous) factors. In addition, the carcinogenic process often proceeds via multiple steps, including initiation, promotion, and progression. Therefore, assays are required that detect not only initiating carcinogens, but also tumor promoters, hormones, and various cofactors. The known biologic and biochemical properties of initiating carcinogens are reviewed and contrasted with those of tumor promoters. The implications of these differences with respect to the detection and assay of these agents are stressed. At present, the assay for tumor induction in rodents represents the major laboratory approach to carcinogen detection. The advantages and limitations of such studies are discussed. Certain recently developed short-term tests for detecting initiating carcinogens are critically evaluated. Progress has also been made in the development of short-term assays for tumor promoters and in vitro systems that demonstrate synergistic interactions between initiating chemical carcinogens, promoters, and oncogenic viruses. Problems encountered in extrapolating findings from rodent bioassays and from short-term tests to the assessment of human risks are emphasized. Much more emphasis must be given to studies that integrate human clinical, laboratory and epidemiologicmore » approaches, if we are to achieve more rational approaches to cancer prevention.« less
Computer simulation of IGBT losses in PFC circuits

An analysis is presented that forms the basis for an algorithm for calculating the IGBT losses in a power factor correction (PFC) circuit. The method employs experimental data from an off-line test circuit that closely resembles the switching conditions in the actual PFC. This technique provides calculated values of both the conduction and switching losses of the main transistor in a boost-type PFC circuit. Results for a 6 kW PFC are included. >
Draper unmanned vehicle systems

Draper Small Autonomous Aerial Vehicle (DSAAV), MITy and SMART micro-rovers, Companion mini-rover, and Vorticity Control Unmanned Undersea Vehicle (VCUUV) are highlighted. DSAAV demonstrated autonomy with GPS/INS integration and vision processing. The micro- and mini-rovers investigated ground based autonomy with extensive mapping and planning integration. VCUUV is a flexible-hull UUV which propels and maneuvers like a tuna.