cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The mFIT (Motivating Families with Interactive Technology) Study: a Randomized Pilot to Promote Physical Activity and Healthy Eating Through Mobile Technology

Scalable and convenient programs for family obesity prevention have proven difficult to design/implement. Mobile technology could be helpful tools to engage busy families. The Motivating Families with Interactive Technology (mFIT) study tested the feasibility, acceptability, and effectiveness of two remotely delivered family-based programs targeting physical activity (PA) and healthy eating (HE). Parent–child dyads were randomized to one of two 12-week mobile interventions delivered via weekly email newsletters; programs differed in focus of content (individual vs. family) and method of tracking (paper vs. mobile website). At baseline and 12 weeks, height and weight were objectively measured and participants completed questionnaires. Multivariable models were used to examine changes from baseline to 12 weeks by parent/child, group, and time; Cohen’s d was used to calculate effect sizes. Of the 33 randomized dyads (parents 43 ± 5.8 years, 87.9% female, 69.7% white, BMI 31.1 ± 8.3 kg/m2; children 11 ± 0.9 years, 63.6% female, 66.7% white, BMI 77.6 ± 27.8 percentile), 31 (94.0%) had follow-up data. Baseline means for all measures of parent–child communication and engagement were high. There were no group by time differences for PA or HE. However, combining groups and parents/children, there was a significant increase in average daily steps (1397 steps, p = 0.04, d = 0.4) and servings of fruit (0.3 servings, p = 0.02, d = 0.2), a marginally significant decrease in children’s daily servings of sugar-sweetened beverages (− 0.1 servings, p = 0.05, d = −0.1), and good adherence to self-monitoring protocols. The mFIT program showed excellent feasibility and acceptability as a low-cost, remotely delivered family intervention for PA and HE promotion.
Virus Assembly and Its Genetic Control

The genetic specification of virus parts is relatively well understood, but mechanisms of assembly to form complete viruses remain somewhat obscure. A simple virus like the tobacco mosaic virus can form by the process of self-assembly, in which all participating proteins are included in the final structure. Such viruses can spontaneously reassemble following dissociation of their parts. T4, a more complex virus, cannot do so. T4 has three major body parts: tail fibers, a tail, and a head composed of a DNA-containing capsid (head). These parts are assembled independently. Several T4 genes code for nonstructural proteins that are essential to the assembly of one of these parts but are not present in the finished virus. This dependency represents a clear departure from simple self-assembly. At least two features of T4 assembly cannot be explained in terms of thermodynamic equilibria alone: many assembly steps can occur in only one particular order, and only one capsid structure generally forms despite the possibility of alternative structures with roughly equal thermodynamic stability. Both features can be explained by rate controls on assembly steps. In T4, different kinds of protein subunits may affect each other’s association by means of induced conformational changes, so that each assembly step increases the rate of the next step. This hypothetical process is called heterocooperativity. (It has features reminiscent of the kinetics discussed by Schuster and Sigmund in Chapter 5.) Maintenance of protein ratios may confer another kind of kinetic control on capsid formation. At least three kinds of nonstructural accessory proteins are found in T4: scaffolding proteins, proteolytic enzymes, and promoters of noncovalent bonding. Self-assembly, kinetic controls, and accessory protein functions provide significant insight into the mechanism of self-organization in viruses. (The glossary in Chapter 5 may be helpful for this chapter also.) —The Editor
Transjugular Intrahepatic Portosystemic Shunt (TIPS) Insertion

Transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt (TIPS) placement is an established and vital treatment option for relieving complications of portal hypertension, including gastroesophageal variceal bleeding which has been unsuccessfully controlled medically. Acute variceal bleeding can be a life-threatening event, with immediate mortality ranging from 5 to 8 % and reaching up to 20 % within 6 weeks. Medical therapy, including vasoactive drugs, prophylactic antibiotics, and endoscopic intervention, is the recommended standard of care for patients with acute variceal bleeding, but may result in treatment failure in 10–15 % of patients. Use of TIPS for treatment of variceal hemorrhage has been validated in large clinical studies, and early TIPS application in acute variceal hemorrhage, particularly with a covered stent-graft, has been shown to be associated with reductions in failure to control bleeding, rebleeding, and mortality. The purpose of this chapter is to review the interventional approach to TIPS placement, focusing on the treatment of medically refractory variceal hemorrhage.
Coffee Hour and the Conway–Soifer Cover-Up

During the years 2002–2004 I was visiting Princeton University with its fabulous mathematics department, a great fixture of which was a daily coffee hour in the commons room, attended by everyone, from students to the Beautiful Mind (John F.Nash, Jr.). For one such coffee hour I came thinking again about the drawing depicted in this book in Figure 2.2. This time I imagined that we dealt with equilateral triangles, and the crux of the figure was a demonstration that n 2 unit triangles can cover a triangle of side n.
Determining the Performance Ratio of Algorithm Multifit for Scheduling

Scheduling n independent tasks nonpreemptively on m identical processors with the aim of minimizing the makespan is well-known to be NP-complete. Coffman, Garey and Johnson [1] described an algorithm-MULTIFIT and proved that it satisfies a bound of 1.22. Friesen [2] showed an example in which the upper bound is no less than 13/11. Yue, Keller and Yu proved an upper bound of 1.2. Yue gave a proof for the upper bound of 13/11, but the proof missed some casesIn this paper, a complete and simple proof is presented.
Biofilms and Ventilation

The need for mechanical ventilation (MV) has paralleled the growth of the ICU for an ageing population with multiple disease entities, particularly those associated with pulmonary diseases. As the process of ventilation has improved, the etiology of ventilator Associated Pneumonia (VAP) has moved from the instrumentation to the colonization of the patient, focusing most recently on the link of normal oral flora as the initial, catalyzing insult in patients at risk for pneumonia through a biofilm in the lumen of the endotracheal tube (ETT).
The effect of current density on properties of electrodeposited nanocrystalline nickel

Nanocrystalline nickel electrodeposits were fabricated at 18, 25 and 50 mA cm−2 using a sulfamate-based electrolyte. The crystallite size of the deposits was evaluated by XRD technique and their mechanical properties were characterized by tensile testing. The results of this study confirmed that increasing the current density results in an increase in the grain size of nickel deposits. The strength of the deposits decreased consistently with increasing the crystallite size. However, the deposit fabricated at 50 mA cm−2, in comparison to nickel with conventional grain size (>1 μm), showed a relatively low strength and a surprisingly low tensile elongation. It is suggested that the enhanced evolution of hydrogen at high current densities is responsible for the formation of larger crystals and the unusual low tensile elongation.
Carotenoids in Medicine

Since Peto et al 1 hypothesized that s-carotene might function to reduce human cancer rates, much interest has been generated in attempting to relate the known carotenoid functions to the possible mechanism whereby s-carotene, or other carotenoids, might serve as dietary chemopreventive agents. In this chapter, I am assuming that the anticarcinogenic action of carotenoids will have as its basis one of the known functions that these molecules possess. These functions will be described along with results obtained with bacteria, cell and organ cultures and animals where carotenoids have been shown to prevent mutagenicity, malignant transformation, or prevent the formation of tumors in experimental animals.Mathews-Roth2,3 and Krinsky4 have reviewed earlier the role of carotenoids in preventive medicine.
Mouse C-reactive protein. Generation of cDNA clones, structural analysis, and induction of mRNA during inflammation

A full-length C-reactive protein (CRP) cDNA clone has been isolated from a CBA/J-strain-mouse acute-phase liver library. The 1614-nucleotide cDNA specifies mRNA 5' and 3' untranslated regions of 81 and 858 bases respectively that flank 675 bases encoding mouse pre-CRP. The derived amino acid sequence predicts a 19-residue leader peptide followed by a 206-residue mature mouse CRP that shows considerable sequence identity with both human and rabbit CRP. Northern-blot analysis of mouse liver CRP mRNA concentrations after inflammatory stimuli and comparison with hepatic induction of mRNA for the major mouse acute-phase protein serum amyloid P component established that CRP, a major acute-phase reactant in human and rabbit, is a minor acute-phase reactant in mouse. The size and organization of the mouse CRP mRNA 5' and 3' untranslated regions are significantly different from those of human and rabbit CRP mRNA and may have implications for its anomalous minimal induction during acute inflammation.
Recall of emotional and neutral words and paragraphs in traumatic brain injury

ABSTRACTBackground: Traumatic brain injury (TBI) results in verbal recall deficits and impaired processing of emotion encoded in facial appearance, prosody and the linguistic content of messages. Emotion facilitates memory (emotional memory advantage) for non-brain injured (NBI) individuals but the impact of emotion on verbal recall for linguistically encoded stimuli in TBI has not been explored.Aims: The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of stimulus emotional content on verbal recall of words and paragraphs in TBI compared to NBI individuals.Methods and procedures: Six 10-item lists, each with five emotional and five neutral words, and six paragraphs (three emotional, three neutral) were counterbalanced and presented in random order to 20 individuals with TBI and 44 NBI. The number of words from lists and the number of content units from paragraphs were compared for the two groups.Outcomes and results: The NBI participants recalled more words from the lists and content units from the par...
Acute skeletal fluorosis in the setting of 1,1-difluoroethane abuse

Dear Editor,Systemic fluorosis is described in regions with elevated water fluoride concentrations, after industrial exposures, from chronic ingestion of certain teas or fluoridated toothpaste, and...
Reducing Alcohol Intake

School-based prevention education needs to be reinforced through a community-based coalition that seeks restrictions on irresponsible alcohol advertising and marketing, strict enforcement of laws to reduce youth access, and new policies to reduce alcohol availability, including higher excise taxes. In addition to providing direct prevention messages, mass media campaigns can be used to shift social norms regarding alcohol consumption, enhance school and community programs, encourage public debate on policy initiatives to reduce alcohol consumption, and publicize new laws and regulations or increased enforcement efforts. Community-wide responsible beverage service (RBS) programs can be effective in preventing alcohol service to minors, decreasing the number of patrons who become intoxicated, and preventing those who are impaired from driving.
Direct and indirect effects of prejudice: sexism, information, and voting behavior in political campaigns

This paper examines the effects of gender-based prejudice on candidate evaluation and voting behavior. It uses a unique experimental design to test for direct effects of sexism on candidate evaluat...
3 fraction pencil-beam scanning proton accelerated partial breast irradiation: early provider and patient reported outcomes of a novel regimen.

To report dosimetry and early adverse effects, aesthetic, and patient-reported outcomes of a prospective study of 3-fraction pencil-beam scanning (PBS) proton accelerated partial irradiation (APBI). Eligibility included women age ≥ 50 years with estrogen receptor positive (ER+), sentinel lymph node negative invasive or in-situ breast cancer measuring ≤2.5 cm. The prescription was 21.9 Gy (RBE 1.1) in 3 daily fractions to the post-operative tumor bed with a 1 cm expansion. Toxicities were collected using Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events (CTCAE) version 4.0, 10-point Linear Analog Scale Assessment, Patient-Reported Outcomes Version of the CTCAE, and the Harvard Breast Cosmesis Scale. Seventy-six women were treated between 2015 and 2017. The median breast volume receiving 50% of prescription or more was 28%. Median mean heart, mean ipsilateral lung, and maximum skin dose were 0 Gy, 0.1 Gy, and 20.6 Gy, respectively. With a median follow-up of 12 months, no treatment-related toxicity grade ≥ 2 has been observed. Most common grade 1 adverse events were dermatitis (68%) and skin hyperpigmentation (18%). At 12 months, the only persistent toxicities were one patient with grade 1 breast edema and one patient with a grade 1 seroma. 90% of patients reported quality of life as ≥7 out of 10 (0 indicating “as bad as it can be” and 10 indicating “as good as it can be”) and 98% of patients reported excellent or good cosmesis. 3-fraction PBS proton APBI is well tolerated with low rates of physician and patient reported early adverse effects. Follow-up is ongoing to assess late toxicities and disease control outcomes. Further investigation of this novel adjuvant treatment strategy is warranted.
The Real Estate Brokerage: Commissioned Sales and Market Values

This paper develops a valuation model of the real estate brokerage firm. A brokerage has a positive market valuation, while having a negligible book value. Options theory is used to value the firm....
Current concepts of cross-sectional and functional anatomy of the cerebellum: a pictorial review and atlas

Recognition of key concepts of structural and functional anatomy of the cerebellum can facilitate image interpretation and clinical correlation. Recently, the human brain mapping literature has increased our understanding of cerebellar anatomy, function, connectivity with the cerebrum, and significance of lesions involving specific areas.Both the common names and numerically based Schmahmann classifications of cerebellar lobules are illustrated. Anatomic patterns, or signs, of key fissures and white matter branching are introduced to facilitate easy recognition of the major anatomic features. Color-coded overlays of cross-sectional imaging are provided for reference of more complex detail. Examples of exquisite detail of structural and functional cerebellar anatomy at 7 T MRI are also depicted.The functions of the cerebellum are manifold with the majority of areas involved with non-motor association function. Key concepts of lesion-symptom mapping which correlates lesion location to clinical manifestation are introduced, emphasizing that lesions in most areas of the cerebellum are associated with predominantly non-motor deficits. Clinical correlation is reinforced with examples of intrinsic pathologic derangement of cerebellar anatomy and altered functional connectivity due to pathology of the cerebral hemisphere. The purpose of this pictorial review is to illustrate basic concepts of these topics in a cross-sectional imaging-based format that can be easily understood and applied by radiologists.
Maximum Permissible Load Demand for Electric Vehicles at Power System Buses

This paper introduces an iterative approach to determine the maximum permissible number of electric vehicles (EVs) that can be allocated at power system buses with existing resources. The continuous growth in the use of EVs will increase the challenges to allocate power system resources to satisfy their loads. Existing methods to handle these challenges analyze the effects of EVs on power systems and develop controlled charging/discharging strategies to increase their penetration levels. In this paper, the proposed approach quantifies the maximum permissible number of EVs at different system buses based on the extra accessible loading capacity at each bus. The maximum permissible number of EVs at each bus is calculated through maximizing their load demand. The linear programming optimization method is used to evaluate the extra accessible loading capacities at each bus. The proposed approach is demonstrated on the IEEE Reliability Test System through four different case studies. The results show that the proposed approach effectively determines the maximum permissible number of EVs at system buses.
Detection of Mild Traumatic Brain Injury via Topological Graph Embedding and 2D Convolutional Neural Networks

Early diagnosis of mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) is challenging, yet significantly important in order to grant the patients with timely treatment and mitigating the risks of possible long-term psychiatric and neurological disorders. To tackle this problem, in this paper, we develop an mTBI detection framework based on graph embedding features combined with convolutional neural networks (CNN). Cortical activity in transgenic calcium reporter mice expressing Thy1-GCaMP6s is recorded in two sessions, prior to and after inducing injury. Functional networks are then constructed for recordings obtained in each session. The Node2vec algorithm is employed to represent nodes of these networks in the node embedding space. Node embedding feature vectors are then aligned, compressed, and represented as three-channel images. A CNN model is used for the classification of brain networks into two categories of normal and mTBI. A maximum classification accuracy of 95.4% is achieved. Our results suggest that functional networks as biomarkers along with the proposed method can effectively be used for detecting mTBI.
Correlates of Incarceration of Fathers, Socioeconomic Influences, and Mental Illness

The United States leads globally in incarceration. Incarceration can disrupt families in both immediate and long-term ways, including finances and mental illness. We examined the relationship between father incarceration during adolescence and the development of mental illness in adulthood as well as the relationship of household assets and debts in relation to the mental illness outcomes. Wave IV data of the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health were used with a final analytic sample of 2129 participants. Data were analyzed using MANOVA in Stata 13.1. The findings indicated that biological father incarceration correlates with more adolescent mental illness. Enhanced model residuals were also significant for father incarceration, household assets, and household debts. Incarceration of biological fathers correlates with poorer mental health outcomes. Household assets and debts correlate with changes in adolescent outcomes as well, giving us more target areas for intervention development and testing. Clinically, assessing for adolescent experiences with father incarceration may be useful in supporting improved mental health over the life course. Policy work should give more attention to promotion of health and well-being of adolescents via reduction of the negative experience of fathers serving and/or having served time in prison. More discussion on family-level assets and debts is warranted to promote health and well-being for adolescents and adults.
Machine Learning Meets Astronomy

Astronomy meets a great development during recent period. With the help of novel instrument, the astronomers meet with a large volume of the data sets. However, it also brings a lot of challenges to them. On the other side, there is also an innovation of the machine learning starts from the 21st century. The robustness of the computer provides a powerful tool for analyzing such large volume of data. Therefore, in this paper, three different algorithms (support vector machine, principal component analyze and neural network) and their application are introduced in this paper. The high accuracy achieved from this application indicated that such algorithms can be applied for the data sets and some further researches are suggested for better development of astronomy knowledge.
Alternative Work Arrangements, Payout Policy, and Employment: Evidence from Independent Contractor Misclassification Statute

Using the 2004 Massachusetts Independent Contractor Law that discourages the use of independent contractors, I find that firms adopt conservative financial policies by reducing payout since companies attempt to reduce financial risk in response to increased operating leverage. I find that the effect is more pronounced in industries with a higher proportion of independent contractors, and in firms with high financial constraints and operating leverage. I also find that the state government’s attempt to improve the mis-classified worker’s status reduces the number of employees at the firm level by 4.4%, highlighting that reclassification does not lead to an increase in the number of employees. The findings imply that heightened operating risk caused by the law may lead to risk-averse financial policies and subdued job creation at the firm level.
Diversification spins a heatwave safety net for fisheries

Both stock markets and ecosystems experience shocks. Some shocks spark dramatic recessions or ecological collapse; others are just small bumps in the road of history. Understanding why some systems are fragile and others resilient to shocks is a major question across research fields, from economics to engineering, ecology to climate science (1). In PNAS, Fisher et al. (2) leverage a natural experiment involving crabs, fishing communities, and an extreme climate event to provide insight. The findings provide lessons for adaptation to climate change and an elegant validation of predictions from network theory. A key finding is that the least vulnerable systems are those that are more connected, are more modular, and rely on a larger set of resources. Despite the relatively steady global increase in temperatures, most ecological and social impacts occur during extreme climate events like storms, floods, and heatwaves that push ecological and social systems beyond their typical tolerances (3). Unfortunately, heatwaves in the ocean have already become 20-fold more frequent as a result of anthropogenic climate change (4). Because fisheries directly harvest wild animals, they are tightly coupled to oceanographic and biological conditions. This fact makes disruptions from extreme events particularly clear in fisheries. One particularly notable heatwave nicknamed the “Blob” struck the Northeast Pacific from 2014 to 2016, with cascading ecological impacts that ranged from very low ocean productivity to high mortality in seabirds and salmon, altered whale migrations, and a harmful algal bloom along the West Coast of the United States (5, 6). The algae were then eaten by Dungeness crabs and other animals, contaminating the meat with toxic domoic acid and forcing the closure of the lucrative crab fishery for months. With a massive closure to one of the most valuable fisheries on the West Coast, the economic shock to coastal communities and … [↵][1]1Email: malin.pinsky{at}rutgers.edu. [1]: #xref-corresp-1-1
Peritoneal Dialysis Access: Catheters and Placement

The success of peritoneal dialysis as kidney replacement therapy depends upon a functional peritoneal catheter. Familiarity with a basic inventory of catheter types and the process for selecting the most appropriate device is essential to patient-specific customization of the peritoneal access. Methods of catheter placement include percutaneous needle-guidewire, open dissection, peritoneoscopy, and laparoscopy. The selected approach must consider patient factors, facility resources, and the expertise and availability of the operating team.
An action language for multi-agent domains

Abstract The goal of this paper is to investigate an action language, called m A ⁎ , for representing and reasoning about actions and change in multi-agent domains. The language, as designed, can also serve as a specification language for epistemic planning, thereby addressing an important issue in the development of multi-agent epistemic planning systems. The m A ⁎ action language is a generalization of the single-agent action languages, extensively studied in the literature, to the case of multi-agent domains. The language allows the representation of different types of actions that an agent can perform in a domain where many other agents might be present—such as world-altering actions, sensing actions, and communication actions. The action language also allows the specification of agents' dynamic awareness of action occurrences—which has implications on what agents' know about the world and other agents' knowledge about the world. These features are embedded in a language that is simple, yet powerful enough to address a large variety of knowledge manipulation scenarios in multi-agent domains. The semantics of m A ⁎ relies on the notion of state, which is described by a pointed Kripke model and is used to encode the agents' knowledge 1 and the real state of the world. The semantics is defined by a transition function that maps pairs of actions and states into sets of states. The paper presents a number of properties of the action theories and relates m A ⁎ to other relevant formalisms in the area of reasoning about actions in multi-agent domains.
Mitoxantrone as rescue therapy in two children with worsening multiple sclerosis

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is an inflammatory, demyelinating disease of the central nervous system of unknown etiology. In the acute phase, MS is treated with corticosteroids, whereas drugs, such as interferon-beta and glatiramer acetate, are currently used as continuous immunomodulatory therapies. Recently, the cytostatic drug mitoxantrone was reported to be well tolerated and therapeutically effective in deteriorating MS in adults. Under the concept of an escalating therapy regimen, we addressed if mitoxantrone could decrease the frequency of relapses and stabilize the course of the disease not only in adults but also in children. Two adolescents (female 13 yrs.; male 14 yrs.) with deteriorating relapsing-remitting MS were selected after various immunomodulatory treatments had failed before. After informed consent had been obtained from the parents and the patients, we administered mitoxantrone intravenously in three-month intervals for 3.5 years and 12 months, respectively. Therapy with mitoxantrone was well tolerated in both patients. In the female patient a decrease in the number of relapses, and an improvement in clinical disability as measured by the Expanded Disability Status Scale was observed. In the male patient, a stabilization of the clinical course was achieved. We conclude that treatment with mitoxantrone could be considered in children with deteriorating MS when other therapeutic agents have failed. However, controlled studies in the pediatric age group are needed in order to assess the benefit of this chemotherapeutic agent and to rule out long-term adverse effects.
Myers-Briggs Type Indicator and Academic Achievement in Engineering Education*

The study reported here was conducted to investigate patterns of psychological types among students in a lower division engineering course and differences in the academic performance of those students associated with differences in psychological type. The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator was administered to 83 undergraduate engineering students enrolled in CE 214 Engineering Mechanics Statics at North Carolina State University. Analysis of variance was used to explore differences in numeric end-of-course grades of the students in relation to their different personality types. One of the most interesting findings was that students exhibiting the Intuitive type had significantly higher grades in the course than students preferring the Sensing type.
Risk of Recurrent Neurologic Stroke or Transient Ischemic Attack in Patients with Cryptogenic Stroke and Intrapulmonary Shunt

Background and Purpose Cardio-embolic phenomenon is believed to underlie a significant proportion of cryptogenic strokes. We recently showed that intrapulmonary shunt (IPS) was associated with cryptogenic stroke and transient ischemic attack (TIA). We hypothesized that patients with prior cryptogenic stroke or TIA that had an IPS were at a higher risk for recurrent ischemic events. Methods The population included subjects with cryptogenic cerebrovascular accident (CVA) or TIA. Inclusion criteria were age ≥18 years, sinus rhythm, and clinically indicated transesophageal echocardiography (TEE). Exclusion criteria were hemorrhagic CVA, septal defect, and patent foramen. Patients were followed from index TEE. Results Of 71 patients, 8 were lost to follow-up. A total of 23 patients had and 40 were without IPS. Average follow-up duration was 38.3 ± 19.2 months. Groups were similar at baseline. There was no significant difference in the recurrence of ischemic CVA or TIA in the IPS versus non-IPS groups (0% vs. 7.5%; P = NS). There was no difference between the incidence of hemorrhagic CVA in the IPS and non-IPS groups (4.3% vs. 5.0%; P = NS). The proportion of patients on warfarin in the IPS group was significantly higher compared to the non-IPS group (17.4% vs. 0%; P < 0.05). Conclusions Patients with IPS and cryptogenic stroke or TIA did not have a higher recurrence of ischemic cerebral events. Warfarin was significantly higher at follow-up in the IPS compared to the non-IPS group, which may explain these findings. A study randomizing patients with IPS and cryptogenic stroke or TIA to warfarin or no warfarin would be of great interest.
Bonding of SiC chips to copper substrates using Ag-In system

Silicon carbide (SiC) is one of wide bandgap semiconductors which has attracted much attention in manufacturing high power devices because they have better physical properties over silicon (Si). Compared with Si, SiC has wider bandgap, lower intrinsic carrier concentration, higher saturated electron drift velocity, higher saturated electron drift velocity, higher thermal conductivity, and higher electric breakdown field. These superior properties make it suitable for high power or high voltage applications. Most power devices operate at high temperatures in excess of 200°C, which limits the choices of proper solder because most lead-free solders have melting points below 220°C. In this research, we have developed a bonding process using Ag-In system, in which the resulting solder joints have melting temperature higher than 900°C. To demonstrate this process, 4H SiC chips were bonded to copper (Cu) substrates. The process is entirely fluxless. The joint was evaluated by observing the microstructure by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and the chemical composition was determined using energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX). The joint consists of Ag, solid solution phase (Ag), and Ag 2 In in stack of Ag/(Ag)/Ag 2 In/(Ag)/Ag. In reacts with Ag thoroughly and transforms into (Ag) and Ag 2 In. The bonded sample was also annealed at 350°C for 100 hours. After annealing, it is observed that Ag 2 In has been converted into (Ag) solid solution phase.
Managerial entrenchment and the effectiveness of internal governance mechanisms

Founder CEOs of poorly performing firms are less likely to be replaced than non founders. Furthermore, founder CEO firms are much more prevalent in our sample of poor performing firms than in the general population. We also report that simply replacing a founder CEO is not sufficient to increase long-term stock returns unless the founder leaves both the firm and the board. In addition founder CEO firms are less likely than non founder CEO firms to: (i) replace the CEO with a financier; (ii) experience financial distress; (iii) file for bankruptcy; (iv) restructure assets; or (v) be targeted for takeover.
Novel oral anticoagulants vs warfarin for the management of postoperative atrial fibrillation: clinical outcomes and cost analysis.

Abstract Background The novel oral anticoagulants (NOACs) apixaban, rivaroxaban, and dabigatran are indicated for the treatment of nonvalvular atrial fibrillation, but their use in patients with postoperative atrial fibrillation (POAF) is less well defined. Methods All patients undergoing isolated coronary artery bypass grafting from 2013 to 2015 (n = 598) were studied. Patients with POAF anticoagulated with either warfarin or NOACs were evaluated for differences in length of stay, blood product use, bleeding, and cost of therapy. Results There was no significant difference between the NOAC and warfarin group for any of the clinical outcomes evaluated. Time to therapeutic anticoagulation was significantly longer with warfarin. Neither group had a major bleeding event during the initial hospitalization, but 2 patients in the warfarin group had delayed major bleeding complications. Total costs were significantly reduced in patients treated with NOACs. Conclusions Both NOACs and warfarin are safe and effective means of anticoagulation for POAF after coronary artery bypass grafting. Patients were therapeutic more rapidly and with less cost of treatment when NOACs were used.
A conceptual design for a Reliable Optical Bus (ROBUS)

The Scalable Processor-Independent Design for Electromagnetic Resilience (SPIDER) is a new family of fault-tolerant architectures under development at NASA Langley Research Center (LaRC). The SPIDER is a general-purpose computational platform suitable for use in ultrareliable embedded control applications. The design scales from a small configuration supporting a single aircraft function to a large distributed configuration capable of supporting several functions simultaneously. SPIDER consists of a collection of simplex processing elements communicating via a Reliable Optical Bus (ROBUS). The ROBUS is an ultra-reliable, time-division multiple access broadcast bus with strictly enforced write access providing basic fault-tolerant services using formally verified fault-tolerance protocols including Interactive Consistency (Byzantine Agreement), Internal Clock Synchronization, and Distributed Diagnosis. The conceptual design of the ROBUS is presented in this paper including requirements, topology, protocols, and the block-level design. Verification activities, including the use of formal methods, are also discussed.
Relation of renin status to neurogenic vascular resistance in borderline hypertension

The relation of renin-angiotensin status to general hemodynamics and to neurogenic vascular resistance was studied in patients with border-line hypertension. Plasma renin activity during standing was referred to a standard renin-urinary sodium nomogram derived from 18 normal subjects. Among 22 patients with borderline hypertension the renin level was high in 8, low in 4 and within normal limits in the remaining 10. In patients with borderline hypertension and high or normal levels of plasma renin activity, the blood pressure elevation was due to increased total peripheral vascular resistance. In contrast, in patients with low renin borderline hypertension, total peripheral resistance was not significantly elevated; the blood pressure elevation reflected a cardiac index 12 percent higher than that in normal subjects. The neurogenic contribution to total peripheral vascular resistance was assessed by studying the effects of alpha adrenergic blockade with phentolamine, after prior autonomic blockade of the heart with atropine (0.04 mg/kg body weight) and propranolol (0.2 mg/kg). Phentolamine (15 mg) produced an immediate reduction in total peripheral resistance of 12.0 +/- 6.7 percent in patients with high renin borderline hypertension (P less than 0.01) but no change in normal subjects or those with borderline hypertension and normal or low renin levels. Normalization of the blood pressure followed "total" autonomic blockade with atropine, propranolol or phentolamine only in patients with high renin borderline hypertension. It is concluded from these preliminary data that in high renin borderline hypertension the blood pressure elevation is sustained by neurogenic mechanisms. The elevated renin level in these patients is probably an expression of increased sympathetic nervous activity. Although the elevated plasma renin level may possibly be contributing to the generation of higher sympathetic tone, or data do not support a direct role of circulating angiotensin in the maintenance of the elevated vascular resistance.
Synthesis of the tetracyclic framework of the erythrina alkaloids using a [4 + 2]-cycloaddition/Rh(I)-catalyzed cascade of 2-imidofurans.

Several 2-imido substituted furans were found to undergo a rapid intramolecular [4 + 2]-cycloaddition to deliver oxabicyclo adducts in good to excellent yields. By using a Rh(I)-catalyzed ring opening of the resulting oxabicyclic adduct, it was possible to prepare several highly functionalized tetrahydro-1H-indol-2(3H)-one derivatives which were then used to prepare several erythrina alkaloids. By taking advantage of the Rh(I)-catalyzed reaction, it was possible to convert tert-butyl 3-oxo-5-carbomethoxy-10-oxa-2-azatricyclo[5.2.1.01,5]dec-8-ene-2-carboxylate into the ring opened boronate by reaction with phenylboronic acid. Treatment of the boronate with pinacol/acetic acid afforded the corresponding diol which was used in a successful synthesis of racemic 3-demethoxyerythratidinone. During the course of these studies, several novel rearrangement reactions were encountered while attempting to induce an acid-initiated Pictet Spengler cyclization of a key lactam intermediate. The IMDAF/Rh(I)-catalyzed ring...
From the Editor in Chief: The Many Faces of Adaptation

Adaptive behavior is a recurring theme in pervasive computing. The need for adaptation arises when a significant mismatch exists between a resources supply and demand. Learn what causes this mismatch and read about three strategies for dealing with it in pervasive computing.
Inhibition of enzymic transamination of aspartic acid by hydroxyaspartate, 2,3-diaminosuccinate and 2,3-diaminopropionate☆

An extract of acetone powder of pig kidney mitochondria, which is rich in aspartic-a-ketoglutaric acid transaminase, also catalyzes the transamination of hydroxyaspartate. This second reaction is much slower than the first one. Hydroxyaspartic acid is a competitive inhibitor of the transamination of aspartate and a-ketoglutarate. Diaminopropionic and diaminosuccinic acids also inhibit transamination of aspartate. The inhibition by diaminopropionic acid is non-competitive. The inhibition by diaminosuccinic acid is a combination of competitive and non-competitive type.
Alzheimer's families: Decisions for caring

In this article the authors discuss the complexities involved when the family of a pa tient with AD must make a decision about whether to care for the patient at home or to pursue institutionalization. The definition of behavioral intent is explored, and con crete interventions are discussed so that the home care professional may assist families during and after the decision making process.
The good, the bad, the complex: Computers and Composition in transition

Abstract In this article I use Albert Borgmann’s (1984) four-part theory of technology to analyze various contributions to Computers and Composition—initially enthusiastic, sometimes fearful, and later aware of the complexities of technology and the need for anchoring discussions of technology in theory and pedagogy. By applying Borgmann’s theory, I show how readers of Computers and Composition can follow the 20-year development of technological awareness in the journal, and I also show possibilities for future directions the journal can take.
Bioactivation of halogenated hydrocarbons

Halogenated hydrocarbons are an economically and toxicologically important group of chemicals. These compounds may produce toxic effects after metabolism to stable, but toxic, products or to reactive, electrophilic intermediates. The biotransformation reaction may involve oxidative or reductive reactions or may proceed with no change in oxidation state. The bioactivation reactions are catalyzed most frequently by cytochrome P-450-dependent monooxygenases, but glutathione S-transferases may also catalyze bioactivation reactions. Detailed reaction mechanism studies are useful in understanding the biotransformation and bioactivation pathways of halogenated hydrocarbons.
Arbitrary Modulus Indexing

Modern high performance processors require memory systems that can provide access to data at a rate that is well matched to the processor's computation rate. Common to such systems is the organization of memory into local high speed memory banks that can be accessed in parallel. Associative look up of values is made efficient through indexing instead of associative memories. These techniques lose effectiveness when data locations are not mapped uniformly to the banks or cache locations, leading to bottlenecks that arise from excess demand on a subset of locations. Address mapping is most easily performed by indexing the banks using a mod (2 N) indexing scheme, but such schemes interact poorly with the memory access patterns of many computations, making resource conflicts a significant memory system bottleneck. Previous work has assumed that prime moduli are the best choices to alleviate conflicts and has concentrated on finding efficient implementations for them. In this paper, we introduce a new scheme called Arbitrary Modulus Indexing (AMI) that can be implemented efficiently for all moduli, matching or improving the efficiency of the best existing schemes for primes while allowing great flexibility in choosing a modulus to optimize cost/performance trade-offs. We also demonstrate that, for a memory-intensive workload on a modern replay-style GPU architecture, prime moduli are not in general the best choices for memory bank and cache set mappings. Applying AMI to set of memory intensive benchmarks eliminates 98% of bank and set conflicts, resulting in an average speedup of 24% over an aggressive baseline system and a 64% average reduction in memory system replays at reasonable implementation cost.
New Clutter Rejection Waveforms for Long-Range Radar

A frequent compromise in the design of long-range search radars has to be made between the maximum unambiguous detection range and the achievable coherent clutter rejection performance. A new class of waveforms is introduced which offers the designer a previously unavailable flexibility in arriving at radar designs with improved clutter rejection without seriously affecting the maximum unambiguous search range. The key to these new waveforms is the recognition that a class of useful N-pulse, nonrecursive, moving target indicator (MTI) canceler designs exists which only requires the radar to transmit a total of N -1 (nonuniformly spaced) pulses.
Desmopressin induced hyponatremia and seizures after laparoscopic radical nephrectomy

Desmopressin acetate, most commonly used to treat nocturnal enuresis in children, is also used to correct bleeding disorders and as prophylaxis for surgical bleeding in patients with certain bleeding diatheses. However, desmopressin also has a potent antidiuretic effect, impairing free water resorption by the kidney. Consequently, retention of free water and hyponatremia can ensue. We report on a patient who, after treatment with desmopressin as prophylaxis for surgical bleeding secondary to von Willebrand disease, experienced complications of hyponatremia and seizures secondary to water intoxication following laparoscopic radical nephrectomy.
Gonadotropin therapy in men with isolated hypogonadotropic hypogonadism: the response to human chorionic gonadotropin is predicted by initial testicular size.

This study was designed to determine whether exogenous hCG alone can complete spermiogenesis in men with isolated hypogonadotropic hypogonadism (IHH). hCG was administered to 22 men with IHH until maximal testicular growth was achieved. Their mean testicular volume increased from 5.5 ± 1.1 (±se) mL (pretreatment) to 10.8 ± 1.6 mL (maximum) during treatment (P < 10−6). The maximum mean testicular volume was highly positively correlated with initial volume (r = 0.84; P < 10−6). All men attained normal serum testosterone levels, and 7 of 22 men achieved supraphysiological serum estradiol levels. During hCG treatment, 14 of the 22 men had sperm appear in their semen. Six of 11 men with complete gonadotropin deficiency, defined as an initial mean testicular volume less than 4 mL, became sperm positive during hCG treatment. In contrast, 9 of 11 men with partial gonadotropin deficiency (initial mean testicular volume of 4 mL or more) produced sperm during treatment (P < 0.001). Sperm concentration was highly pos...
X-RAY CRYSTAL STRUCTURES OF Cis- AND Trans-3-(DIPHENYLHYDROXYMETHYL)-2-ETHOXY-2-OXO-1,2-OXAPHOSPHORINANES AND AN ASSOCIATED STUDY OF HYDROGEN BONDING

Abstract The molecular structures of both the cis(4a) and trans(4b) isomers of 3-(diphenylhydroxymethyl)-2-ethoxy-2-oxo-1,2-oxaphosphorinane were determined by the single crystal X-ray diffraction method. The cis and trans designation refer to the relative spacial arrangements of the phosphoryl oxygen and the substituent group on the α-carbon. The crystallographic data are for 4a: C19H23O4P, Mr = 346.36 monoclinic, P21/c, a = 13.2774(9) A, b = 8.5543(9) A, c = 16.7289(25) A, β = 111.142(10)°, V = 1772.2(4) A3, Z = 4, Dcalc = 1.298 g cm−3, λ(MoKα) = 0.71069 A, μ = 1.70 cm−1, F(000) = 736, T = 298 K, R = 0.065 for 2099 reflections; and for 4b: C19H23O4P, Mr = 346.36, monoclinic, P21/c, a = 9.5120(15) A, b = 12.317(4) A, c = 15.309(3) A, β = 100.717(15)°, V = 1762.3(7) A3, Z = 4, Dcalc = 1.305 g cm−3, μ(MoKα) = 0.71069 A, μ = 1.60 cm−1, F(000) = 736, T = 298 K, R = 0.041 for 1638 reflections. In both structures the diphenylhydroxymethyl group is in an equatorial position, and the 1,2-oxaphosphorinane ring ad...
Identifying hidden social circles for advanced privacy configuration

With the dramatic increase of users on social network websites, the needs to assist users to manage their large number of contacts as well as providing privacy protection become more and more evident. Unfortunately, limited tools are available to address such needs and reduce users' workload on managing their social relationships. To tackle this issue, we propose an approach to facilitate online social network users to group their contacts into social circles with common interests. Further, we leverage the social group practice to automate the privacy setting process for users who add new contacts or upload new data items. We evaluate our approach using real-world data collected through a user study. The study also includes an analysis of the properties that are most critical for privacy related decisions.
Steroid influences upon the discharge frequencies of a weakly electric fish

Sternopygus dariensis, a weakly electric gymnotiform fish, possesses sexually different electric organ discharges (EODs), with females emitting EODs at higher frequencies than males. This difference can be accounted for by the effects of gonadal steroids: laboratory experiments indicate that daily injections (0.25 to 20 μg/g body weight) of androgens lower discharge frequencies while injections of estrogens raise discharge frequencies. Clear changes in discharge frequencies can be noted over the course of days, and persist until several days after injections are terminated. These effects are noted irrespective of age or sex, and can be seen in both intact and gonadectomized animals. The discharge frequencies of these animals are established by a neuronal oscillator, the medullary pacemaker nucleus. Thus, the steroid-elicited changes in discharge frequencies are indicative of changes in the activity of the pacemaker nucleus. Steroids may be exerting their effects either through indirect effects upon those neurons which provide input to the pacemaker, or through direct effects upon the spontaneous depolarizations of the pacemaker itself.