cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Nanotextured thin films for detection of chemicals by surface enhanced Raman scattering

We report on the development of large area, nanostructured films that function as substrates for surface enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) detection of chemicals. The films are made of polyethylene terephthalate layers partially embedded with multi-walled carbon nanotubes and coated with a thin layer of gold. The films are fabricated by a facile method involving spin-coating, acid dip, and magnetron sputtering. The films perform effectively as SERS substrates when used in the detection of dye pollutants such as Congo red dye, with an enhancement factor of 1.1 × 106 and a detection limit of 10−7 M which is the lowest reported for CR detection by freestanding SERS film substrates. The films have a long shelf life, and cost US$0.20 per cm2 of active area, far less than commercially available SERS substrates. This is the first such work on the use of a polymer layer modified with carbon nanotubes to create a nano-scale texture and arbitrary 'hot-spots', contributing to the SERS effect.
Engineered Glycocalyx Regulates Stem Cell Proliferation in Murine Crypt Organoids

At the base of the intestinal crypt, long-lived Lgr5+ stem cells are intercalated by Paneth cells that provide essential niche signals for stem cell maintenance. This unique epithelial anatomy makes the intestinal crypt one of the most accessible models for the study of adult stem cell biology. The glycosylation patterns of this compartment are poorly characterized, and the impact of glycans on stem cell differentiation remains largely unexplored. We find that Paneth cells, but not Lgr5+ stem cells, express abundant terminal N-acetyllactosamine (LacNAc). Employing an enzymatic method to edit glycans in cultured crypt organoids, we assess the functional role of LacNAc in the intestinal crypt. We discover that blocking access to LacNAc on Paneth cells leads to hyperproliferation of the neighboring Lgr5+ stem cells, which is accompanied by the downregulation of genes that are known as negative regulators of proliferation.
Physics and data driven models for ultrasound image reconstruction

Ultrasound imaging is widely used in medicine, but image quality is often poor. To address this shortcoming, we developed physical model driven approaches for ultrasound beamforming. We have shown that these methods work well, but they are slow and are unlikely to achieve video frame rates in the near term. We also recently introduced a flexible data-based approach for ultrasound beamforming using deep neural networks (DNN). In principal, the performance between these two methods should be fairly similar. We performed this comparison using anechoic cysts, and the outcomes show that ADMIRE still has slightly better contrast, but that the deep networks had the best contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR). The two approaches do perform similarly, but the DNN training should still be refined.
A protocol development kit for wireless systems

The popularity of Wi-Fi and cellular demonstrate the demand for, and usefulness of wireless systems. Both are designed specifically for their applications; which can be loosely described as an indoor/outdoor solution offering a high data rate. Multiple other applications to be served by wireless systems exist, such as those requiring a lower data rate solution, lower cost, and/or lower power. But, the extreme cost and time spent to develop Wi-Fi and cellular protocols are prohibitive, particularly for applications serving less lucrative markets or those demanding rapid development. We seek to reduce these burdens through automated protocol design, opening up new markets and applications. In this paper, we present a protocol development kit (PDK). This PDK starts with general requirements, such as desired range, data rate, etc. The PDK then recommends a viable protocol for that scenario, and demonstrates the protocol in a wireless simulation. The intent of our PDK is to automate, and therefore greatly reduce both the workload and the time to develop a new wireless protocol, facilitating wireless deployment in new applications.
Adventures in Bionic Hearing

When the idea of restoring hearing by electrical stimulation of the cochlear was first proposed scientists were highly skeptical, arguing that the complexity of the cochlea and auditory nerve could not be usefully replicated with a handful of electrodes, each activating large swatches of nerve. Yet early single channel cochlear implants were received enthusiastically by deaf patients because even the rudimentary sound they provided helped with lip reading and lessened the sense of isolation caused by deafness. Over the years cochlear implants have improved to the point that deaf recipients can now expect to be able to converse on the phone with their implant. Further developments have resulted in similar abilities in some patients who received an auditory brain stem implant—similar to a cochlear implant but designed to stimulate the cochlear nucleus complex in the brain stem. These developments show the power of the brain to adapt to new or distorted patterns of sensory information. Peripheral sensory information does not have to be restored in all its detailed glory to be useful. Complex sensory experience depends on both the information of the sensory end organ as well pattern processing in the brain. Successful prosthesis design must take both ear and brain into account.
The limitations of transsubstantive procedure: an essay on adjusting the "one size fits all" assumption

In this Essay, I explain both the nineteenth and twentieth century decisions to adopt transsubstantive procedure, borrowing from equity as the model. I then discuss the strengths and weaknesses of the transsubstantive/equity decision, and why, on balance, I think the combined decision needs readjustment. I end with suggestions for change, including a simpler procedural track for some cases and non-binding protocols for discovery and other procedural incidents for some of the more expansive and expensive case-types.
Diagnostic Effect of Complete Histologic Sampling of Prostate Needle Biopsy Specimens

In 1997, approximately 1 million 18-gauge prostate needle core biopsies were performed in the United States. Yet limited data exist on the effect of histologic sampling on detection of carcinoma in needle biopsy tissue, and no data have been published on the diagnostic yield of complete histopathologic examination of prostate needle biopsy specimens. We sought to evaluate the diagnostic effect of obtaining additional sections after a nonmalignant diagnosis was given on three initial slides. This prospective study was of 200 consecutively identified cases. Complete histologic examination of all needle biopsy tissue from 100 cases diagnosed as atypia (encompassing high-grade prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia [PIN] and focal glandular atypia) on the initial three slides was compared with complete examination for a control population of 100 cases diagnosed as benign prostatic tissue on the initial three slides. New histologic abnormalities in levels were characterized as to diagnostic category, distribution in additional slides and morphometrically determined size. Complete histologic sampling of prostate needle biopsy specimens with serial sections entirely through the paraffin block required a mean of 30 slides per block, with a mean of 4 sections per slide. In 17 (17%) cases with atypia diagnosed on the initial three slides, a new histologic abnormality was detected in levels. In 4 (10%) of 40 cases of focal glandular atypia, definitive carcinoma was present on additional sections, including the first additional slide. In no case with a diagnosis of benign prostatic tissue (n = 100) or high-grade PIN (n = 60) on the three initial slides was carcinoma diagnosed on additional slides. Additional histologic sampling after a diagnosis of isolated high-grade PIN does not seem necessary; these patients with high-grade PIN should undergo rebiopsy. Because of the profound consequences of a definitive diagnosis of prostatic carcinoma, we recommend obtaining a single additional slide with several 3-microm sections after a diagnosis of focal glandular atypia has been given for three initial slides of needle biopsy specimens from the prostate.
ZONATION IN DEEP - SEA GASTROPODS: THE IMPORTANCE OF BIOLOGICAL INTERACTIONS TO RATES OF ZONATION

The multivariate techniques of cluster analysis and factor analysis were used to study depth-correlated changes in the species composition of deep-sea gastropod assemblages. The most pronounced faunal change occurred at the shelf-slope transition. The fauna changed continuously from the upper slope to the abyss and the rate of change seemed proportional to the rate of change in depth, being highest on the slope, lowest on the abyss and intermediate on the abyssal rise. This pattern may reflect an increasingly uniform environment with increasing depth. It is suggested that differing rates of zonation among components of the deep-sea benthos are determined, in part, by biological interactions. Groups dominated by croppers and predators such as the epibenthic macrofauna and gastropods are zoned more rapidly than infaunal deposit feeders. This may result because vertical ranges along the depth gradient are more compressed by interspecific competition in members of higher trophic levels. Predation may alleviate competition among infaunal groups at lower trophic levels permitting their ranges to overlap more extensively and consequently diminishing their rates of faunal change with depth. In support of this hypothesis, it is shown that rates of zonation in the epifauna, gastropods and the infaunal polychaetebivalve fraction correspond to their relative positions in the trophic structure.
Causal learning from joint action: Collaboration helps first graders but hinders kindergartners.

Abstract This study investigated whether early school-aged children’s causal learning from collaborative joint action differs from their learning from their own individual action or observation. Children in a joint condition performed causal interventions with an adult on two causal systems. Children in an independent condition took turns and observed an adult perform the same interventions on one system and performed the same interventions themselves on the other system. Joint action improved first graders’ (n = 60) causal inference compared with individual action and observation. However, joint action impaired kindergartners’ (n = 60) inference relative to individual action and observation. These findings demonstrate that joint action, as a component of collaborative activity, can help or hinder inductive causal learning depending on features of the learner. Children’s abilities to learn from collaborative joint action undergo a developmental shift during the early school years.
“We the People”: Epistemological Moves Through Cultural Praxis:

How do young people embody activism and artistic praxis as they commit to community-based participatory action research for social change? We consider how the arts might provide a social and shared...
Systematic and comprehensive benchmarking of an exome sequencing based germline copy-number variant detection pipeline in a clinical setting

Purpose Detecting germline copy-number variants (CNVs) from exome sequencing (ES) is not a standard practice in clinical settings owing to several reasons concerning performance. We added a CNV pipeline to our clinical ES workflow and comprehensively characterized its performance. Methods We used a cohort of 387 individuals (351 probands and 36 family members) with both clinical chromosomal microarray (CMA) and ES data available to compare the CNV calls and comprehensively characterize the CNVs from ES. We excluded the exons with low mappability scores prior to variant calling to reduce the number of false positives. Reproducibility was assessed by running 1,000 iterations per sample using permuted random subsets of 200 controls. Results The ES-based CNV pipeline was 93% sensitive for all deletions and duplications as compared to the gold-standard baseline true-positive CNV calls defined by the CMA. The modified workflow resulted in a drastic reduction of the total number of CNVs identified per sample and the number of false positives while retaining a high sensitivity of 90%. The exome-based CNV pipeline was 100% sensitive for clinically-relevant, rare variants (including single exon deletions), and was highly reproducible. Conclusion Exome-based CNV detection can be reliably used in a clinical setting and can increase the overall diagnostic yield.
(Z)-2-(1-(4-Methylphenylsulfonyl)-1H- indol-3-ylmethylene)-1-azabicyclo(2.2.2)- octan-3-one

In the title compound, C23H22N2O3S, the indole ring system is planar and makes a dihedral angle with the 4-methyl­benzene ring of 83.37 (3)°. The double bond connecting the aza­bicyclic and indole groups adopts a Z geometry. The H atoms of the 4-methyl group are disordered.
Cohabitation or Marriage? How Relationship Status and Community Context Influence the Well-being of Children in Developing Nations

Drawing upon the developmental idealism framework (Thornton et al. Sociol Dev 1(2):69–112, 2015), this study examines the relationship between mother’s marital status (formal versus informal) and the health and schooling of children in 27 developing nations. More specifically, we consider the role of couple characteristics and the spread of modern cultural values on the relationship between marital status and child well-being. Using the Demographic and Health Surveys of 27 less developed countries, we focus on five child outcomes: delivery by a skilled birth attendant, vaccinations, child nutritional status, child mortality, and school enrollment. We find that child health and educational outcomes are positive when mothers are in informal unions, but that this benefit is largely explained by individual characteristics, as well as the community context. We conclude that both couple characteristics and trends toward greater choice and equality in family life account for the positive association between informal unions and child well-being.
A Note on Cross-Validation for Lasso Under Measurement Errors

AbstractVariants of the Lasso or l1 -penalized regression have been proposed to accommodate for presence of measurement errors in the covariates. Theoretical guarantees of these estimates have been...
Open Your Hand: Teaching as a Jew, Teaching as an American: by Ilana M. Blumberg, New Brunswick and London, Rutgers University Press, 2019, 195 pp., ISBN 978-1-9788-0081-6

Readers are doubly privileged when a compelling memoir of one life resonates with the lives of others. Ilana Blumberg’s Open Your Hand offers a rich opportunity for pedagogical reflection as it fol...
Clergie , Clerkly Studium , and the Medieval Literary History of Chréétien De Troyes's Romances

This article traces the development of medieval literary history across the thirteenth century through manuscript readings of Chretien de Troyes’s romances. Redefining clergie as the clerkly pursuit of learning, the author argues that scribes played an important role in shaping Chretien’s romances and establishing their place in medieval literary history. Through a close examination of manuscript collections centered on Cliges, the author delineates synchronic and diachronic shifts in the organization and presentation of Chretien’s individual manuscripts, while evaluating the roles that different scribes and compilers played in the formation of a Chretien corpus and the development of a romance genre.
High-resolution approaches to ionospheric exploration

Abstract This chapter develops a mathematical framework for the fusion of high-resolution ionospheric observations obtained from sensors and sensor networks that observe the same physical system through different manifestations. A use case is presented involving the fusion of incoherent scatter radar and Global Navigation Satellite System observations to resolve extreme density gradients in the polar ionosphere. The approach is broadly applicable to any set of measurements that constitute a projection (i.e., Fredholm integral equation) of the physical parameters of interest.
Critically ill children with hyponatremia and hypernatremia

Hyponatremia and hyponatremia are the most common diseases in the PICU, which are easily lead to serious complications.If severe hyponatremia, hypernatremia or high sodium crisis happened, it can be expressed as repeated convulsions, coma and other serious neurological symptoms, even life-threatening.The most causes are diarrhea disease, intracranial disease, the heat syndrome and so on.We can formulate the best management method of these disease based on they different causes, pathogenesis, clinical manifestations and clinical manifestations. Key words: Critically illness; Hyponatremia; Hypernatremia; Children,
Genetic Testing Is Beneficial to the Entire Family.

Upon reading a recent CJASN article titled “Preimplantation Genetic Testing for Monogenic Kidney Disease” ([1][1]), I felt as if I had gained some insight into the future and knowledge that could help my future unborn child. As I was reading, I envisioned a wedding that was in the near future,
Abstract B20: STK3/4-mediated phosphorylation of LC3B regulates directional intracellular transport of autophagic vesicles

Autophagy is a fundamental catabolic process that allows the degradation of cytosolic components to supply the cell with nutrients in response to starvation, among other functions. Recently, our lab discovered that the Hippo pathway members, STK3 and STK4, phosphorylate the autophagy protein LC3B, a key component of autophagic vesicles that participates in specifying their content and their intracellular transport. Depletion of STK3/4 kinases or generation of an LC3B phospho-null mutant (T50A) causes a block of the autophagy process evidenced by an accumulation of autophagic vesicles throughout the cell. However, these studies did not clarify which step of the autophagy process was impaired. To address this question, we employed proteomics to analyze LC3B-binding partners affected by LC3B phosphorylation, and identified multiple proteins implicated in intracellular vesicle transport. Accordingly, we hypothesized that LC3B phosphorylation may affect transport of autophagic vesicles. We tested this hypothesis directly by live-cell imaging in multiple cell types and found that the absence of LC3B phosphorylation was accompanied by an aberrantly high transport of LC3B-positive autophagic vesicles toward the periphery of the cell, and a low transport of the vesicles toward the perinuclear area, where the autophagy process is normally completed. Moreover, starvation-induced perinuclear positioning of autophagic vesicles was prevented in the absence of LC3B phosphorylation. Collectively, these findings indicate that STK3/4-mediated phosphorylation of LC3B regulates the directional transport of autophagic vesicles and this may promote autophagy completion. Notably, this regulatory axis may be triggered when the nutrient availability is low and autophagy is induced. Understanding how input signals regulate STK3/4, and in turn control autophagy, may prove important to develop therapies against diseases such as cancer. Citation Format: Jose L. Nieto-Torres, Sean-Luc Shanahan, Romain Chassefeyre, Sara Landeras-Bueno, Lee R. Lee, Sviatlana Zaretski, Sandra Encalada, Malene Hansen. STK3/4-mediated phosphorylation of LC3B regulates directional intracellular transport of autophagic vesicles [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR Special Conference on the Hippo Pathway: Signaling, Cancer, and Beyond; 2019 May 8-11; San Diego, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Mol Cancer Res 2020;18(8_Suppl):Abstract nr B20.
Vaping Influences and Perceptions Among College Students With Asthma

Background: The long-term health risks associated with the use of electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS) is still a topic of concern in public health. The use of these devices has been linked to the inhalation of many harmful chemicals, carcinogens, heavy metals, nicotine, and irritants that can trigger the inflammation of an asthmatic user’s airways. Our study sought to assess influencers of use with asthmatic students. Methods: An online survey was administered in 2019 via Qualtrics to undergraduates attending the University of Tampa. The data was analyzed using SPSS version 25.0 to evaluate behaviors, demographics, and attitudes pertaining to vaping/JUULing among students who have been diagnosed with asthma. Results: Our sample size consisted of 315 participants who self-reported having asthma (N=315). Most participants were White/Caucasian females of ages 18 and 19 years. Of these, 33.3% said that their friend influenced them to vape (n=105). Students responded that their preferred ENDS was the JUUL and that they had primarily vaped nicotine and THC. There was a positive correlation between how many times a student vapes in a day and their attitude about vaping (r= 0.289; P-value Conclusions: Students who vape more frequently during the day are more likely to find vaping favorable. Programs should focus on changing behaviors early in the experimentation phase to deter vaping.
Spurious Signal in SMAP Fourth Stokes Parameter

The radiometer on the NASA Soil Moisture Active/Passive (SMAP) mission is a fully polarimetric instrument that operates at L-band in the spectrum window at 1400–1427 MHz protected for passive use only. A unique feature of the radiometer is the fully digital back-end which permits direct computation of the third and fourth Stokes parameters: the real and imaginary part of the correlation of signal at horizontal and vertical polarizations, respectively. In particular, the SMAP conical scanning geometry provides the opportunity to look at the global distribution of the fourth Stokes parameter, TA4, at constant incidence angle (40°). A striking feature of TA4 is the existence of a strong (±10 K) spurious signal at coastlines. This article provides examples of the spikes and an explanation of the cause. Simulations have shown that the spurious signal is associated with antenna imperfections, such as cross polarization coupling and phase mismatch between polarizations.
Dimensionality Reduction with Weighted K-Means for Hyperspectral Image Classification

Classification of remotely sensed images is a challenging task due to their inherently high dimensionality. Conventional methods to combat this issue involves using feature selection or extraction before feeding data to a discriminator. An intuitive approach known as Automatic Variable Weighting K-Means (W-K-means) incorporates the use of learned feature weights to the K - Means clustering algorithm to place emphasis on more prominent features. The inclusion of feature weights assists in the discovery of optimal cluster centers, thus increasing classification accuracy. As W-K-means was proposed for high-dimensional data, it is possible to achieve excellent hyperspectral image segmentation. However, the effectiveness in a high-dimensional setting was not thoroughly explored as the original experiments used datasets of low to medium dimensions. By combining feature extraction with W-K-means, essential features can be used to influence clustering. The experimental results show that Principal Component Analysis (PCA) with W-K-means performs exceptionally well in high-dimensional space when compared to W-K-means solely.
Colossal intrinsic exchange bias from interfacial reconstruction in epitaxial CoFe 2 O 4 / Al 2 O 3 thin films

We have studied the epitaxial ${\mathrm{CoFe}}_{2}{\mathrm{O}}_{4}$ (111) films grown on ${\mathrm{Al}}_{2}{\mathrm{O}}_{3}$ (0001) substrates of different thickness at various temperature and discovered colossal intrinsic exchange bias up to 7 \ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{} 2 kOe. X-ray and electron diffraction clearly indicate an interfacial layer about 2 nm of different crystal structure from the ``bulk'' part of the ${\mathrm{CoFe}}_{2}{\mathrm{O}}_{4}$ film. The thickness dependence of the exchange bias suggests a hidden antiferromagnetic composition in the interfacial layer that couples to the ferrimagnetic ``bulk'' part of the ${\mathrm{CoFe}}_{2}{\mathrm{O}}_{4}$ film as the origin of the exchange bias. Considering the structural, magnetic, and electronic structure, CoO has been identified as the most likely candidate of the antiferromagnetic composition in the interfacial layer. This work suggests a path for enhancing intrinsic exchange bias using combination of film and substrate of large structural differences, highlighting the role of interfacial atomic and electronic reconstructions.
Jigsaw: A High-Utilization, Interference-Free Job Scheduler for Fat-Tree Clusters

Jobs on HPC clusters can suffer significant performance degradation due to inter-job network interference. Approaches to mitigating this interference primarily focus on reactive routing schemes. A better approach---in that it completely eliminates inter-job interference---is to implement scheduling policies that proactively enforce network isolation for every job. However, existing schedulers that allocate isolated partitions lead to lowered system utilization, which creates a barrier to adoption. Accordingly, we design and implement Jigsaw, a new job-isolating scheduling approach for three-level fat-trees that overcomes this barrier. Jigsaw typically achieves system utilization of 95-96%, while guaranteeing dedicated network links to jobs. In scenarios where jobs experience even modest performance improvements from interference-freedom, Jigsaw typically leads to lower job turnaround times and higher throughput than traditional job scheduling. To the best of our knowledge, Jigsaw is the first scheduler to eliminate inter-job network interference while maintaining high system utilization, leading to improved job and system performance.
Fracture Modeling and Characterization of Underfill/Polymer Interfacial Adhesion in RDL Interposer Package

In order to ensure good performance and long-term reliability of fan-out package, the interfacial strength of Underfill (UF) and polymer (PM) lamination plays an important role because of physical strength and electrical requirement. Accordingly, the present study presents a combined experimental and finite element modeling approach for quantitatively determining the interfacial adhesive strength of UF-PM structures. In the proposed approach, four points bending (FPB) testing is used to evaluate the adhesion strength between UF-PM. The test results are used to determine the critical strain energy release rate ( $G_{c}$ ) at the UF-PM interface. The experimental results are then taken as a reference for finite element (FE) simulations. The virtual crack closure technique (VCCT) in FE model is introduced here for risk assessment such as delamination or crack risk at the interface of UF-PM. In general, the results confirm that the proposed predictive modeling approach provides an effective means of evaluating the delamination risk in UF-PM systems. As such, it provides a convenient and cost-effective method for evaluating the new material interface of UF-PM.
Family functioning assessment and child psychosocial symptoms in family medicine.

Abstract Purpose Children and young adults underutilize behavioral health services, in part due to the challenges with identifying and providing services for child behavioral health in primary care. The objective of this study was to determine if a brief assessment of family functioning captures specific child psychosocial symptoms in a Family Medicine practice. Design and methods Eighty-three parent child dyads, in which the parent or child was a patient at the Family Medicine practice, participated in a cross-sectional study, including assessments of demographics, family functioning, child behavioral health symptoms, and health related pediatric quality of life (HRQOL). Bivariate correlations, independent samples t-test, and linear and logistic regression tested associations of parent and child reported family functioning with child behavioral health symptoms and HRQOL. Results Parent and child reports of family functioning were significantly associated. Child, but not parent reports of family functioning were significantly associated with parent and child reports of behavioral health symptoms. Parent's reports of increased family functioning impairment were only significantly associated with parent's reports of decreased HRQOL. Family functioning impairment was associated with parent and child reports of increased behavioral health symptoms and decreased HRQOL. Conclusion Future work should determine if screening for family functioning impairment, may serve as a means of identifying and treating child behavioral health symptoms in Family Medicine. Practice Implications: Identifying impaired family functioning may serve to engage children and their parents in services, who may otherwise not be identified as having symptoms.
Feminism in the House of Anthropology

Although early feminist insights about reflexivity and fieldwork relations have become core tenets of anthropological theories, feminism itself has been marginalized in anthropology. This review ex...
Transient Response in Mesoscopic Devices

Preliminary results of a numerical method for modeling translent through steady-state conditions in mesoscopic devices are presented. Here, the time-evolution of n-dimensional carrier wave functions are simulated, rather than corresponding 2n-dimensional density matrices or Wigner functions, to allow more ready simulation in two and three-dimensional devices structures. The primary features of this numerical method are (1) a tight-binding formulation of the quantum mechanical Hamiltonian, (2) near-ideal open boundary conditions, and (3) Crank-Nichols on evaluation of the resulting spatially discrete time-dependent Schrodinger equation. Example mesoscopic device structures considered are a two-dimensional quantum wire and an idealized T-structure based translstor.
The modern business judgment rule

For over 150 years, the business judgment rule performed a relatively straightforward task in the corporate governance system of the United States, namely, protecting corporate directors from liability for honest mistakes. Under the traditional version of the business judgment rule, when the board of directors is careful, loyal, and acting in good faith, courts refuse to second-guess the merits of the board’s decisions, even if the corporation and its shareholders are harmed by those decisions. While modern courts continue to insulate directors from liability for honest mistakes according to this traditional formula, in the 1980s Delaware courts began assigning the business judgment rule a more expansive role. The modern business judgment rule is applied not only in cases without procedural infirmities, but in cases where procedural infirmities at the board level have been mitigated by a special committee, stockholder approval, or partial substantive review by the court. In these new contexts, a court must satisfy itself that a board decision is worthy of respect, not because the decision was substantively correct, but because the effect of the procedural infirmities was sufficiently muted. After the court reaches that point, the business judgment rule “attaches” to protect the substantive merits of the decision from (further) review. The modern business judgment rule is not a one-size-fits-all doctrine, but rather a movable boundary, marking the shifting line between judicial scrutiny and judicial deference. In describing the transformation of the business judgment rule, this chapter focuses on Delaware judicial opinions, with special attention to cases involving mergers and acquisitions, where the most important changes in the business judgment rule have been forged. The scripting of the business judgment rule’s new role by the Delaware courts is a work in progress, and the current law is inconsistent and confusing. Nevertheless, I trace the development of the modern business judgment rule and attempt to rationalize that development around the simple idea that the rule guides courts through the review of director conduct and marks the point at which judicial evaluation of a decision ends.
Hepatitis B virus X protein is not central to the viral life cycle in vitro

The hepatitis B x (HBx) gene is the smallest open reading frame of the hepatitis B virus (HBV) genome. It is conserved among all mammalian hepadnaviruses and is expressed during viral infection. While the HBx protein (pX) has been shown to trans-activate the transcription of a wide range of viral and cellular genes and to induce liver cancer in transgenic mice, the significance of pX for the life cycle of HBV itself has not been elucidated. To assess the function of pX in viral replication and virion export, we designed an X-minus mutant by introduction of a stop codon at the beginning of the HBx gene without affecting the viral polymerase gene product. Transient transfection analyses using different cell lines revealed that this X-minus mutant directs the synthesis of wild-type levels of viral proteins, replicative intermediates, and virion export. These data suggest that the expression of the highly conserved HBx gene is not central for the life cycle of HBV in vitro but may be involved in the pathogenicity of hepadnavirus infection, including liver cancer development.
The use of percentage change from baseline as an outcome in a controlled trial is statistically inefficient: a simulation study

Many randomized trials involve measuring a continuous outcome - such as pain, body weight or blood pressure - at baseline and after treatment. In this paper, I compare four possibilities for how such trials can be analyzed: post-treatment; change between baseline and post-treatment; percentage change between baseline and post-treatment and analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) with baseline score as a covariate. The statistical power of each method was determined for a hypothetical randomized trial under a range of correlations between baseline and post-treatment scores. ANCOVA has the highest statistical power. Change from baseline has acceptable power when correlation between baseline and post-treatment scores is high;when correlation is low, analyzing only post-treatment scores has reasonable power. Percentage change from baseline has the lowest statistical power and was highly sensitive to changes in variance. Theoretical considerations suggest that percentage change from baseline will also fail to protect from bias in the case of baseline imbalance and will lead to an excess of trials with non-normally distributed outcome data. Percentage change from baseline should not be used in statistical analysis. Trialists wishing to report this statistic should use another method, such as ANCOVA, and convert the results to a percentage change by using mean baseline scores.
Life Participation Approaches to Aphasia: International Perspectives on Communication Rehabilitation

ABSTRACT This paper discusses a recent development in aphasia treatment, termed the Life Participation Approach to Aphasia (LPAA) (Chapey et al., 2001). LPAA is a model of aphasia rehabilitation that is being practiced internationally in Canada, Australia, England, and the United States. This approach is consumer-driven, and emphasizes reengagement in life. LPAA views family members and the larger community as active contributors to the rehabilitation process. Rather than focusing on the hypothetical situations depicted in pictures, real-life social interactions comprise the therapy context with LPAA.
Formation of Dense Partonic Matter in High Energy Heavy-Ion Collisions: Highlights of RHIC Results

I review some important results from RHIC experiments. They were obtained in a unique envi- ronment for studying QCD bulk matter at temperatures and densities that surpass the limits where hadrons can exist as individual entities, raising the quark-gluon degrees of freedom to prominence. These findings support the major experimental observations from measuring the bulk properties of particle production, particle ratios and chemical freeze-out conditions, elliptic flow followed by hard probes measurements: di-jet fragment azimuthal correlations, high-p T hadron suppression, and heavy-flavors probes. I present the measurements as a function of collision centrality, energy, system size and for different particle species. These results reveal that a dense strongly interacting medium was created in central Au + Au collisions at √ sNN = 200 GeV: the RHIC discovery. Further, they suggest that this medium is partonic. However, the discoveries so far observed at RHIC are far from being understood fully. Accordingly, the focus of the experiments has shifted from the discovery phase to the detailed exploration phase of the properties of this medium.
An innovative form of credit enhancement for securitized reverse mortgages

Purpose – One of the main risks to investors in securitized reverse mortgages is that the value of the reverse mortgage exceeds that of the property. The purpose of this paper is to develop a model that determines paths of constant cross‐over points across any pairs of interest and inflation rate.Design/methodology/approach – To study the behavior of hyper‐surfaces, multivariate calculus was used.Findings – Knowing that the value of a reverse mortgage increases above that of the property value once it goes beyond the cross‐over point t*, it is possible to construct a pool of reverse mortgages, such that for any pairs of inflation rate and interest rate (x, r), these reverse mortgages move along lines of constant cross‐over points t*.Originality/value – The paper develops a model that determines paths of constant cross‐over points across any pairs of interest and inflation rate, which can be used when structuring pools of reverse mortgage‐backed securities, to credit‐enhance investors.
Envelopes of red giant stars

A discussion is presented of the observations of circumstellar envelopes around late-type giant stars. The results are treated in two broad categories. First, there are extensive surveys which provide a few basic parameters of the flows (vexp, dM/dt and/or abundance information). These indicate the importance of rapid mass-loss to stellar evolution and to the enrichment of the interstellar medium in nucleosynthetic products. Second, there are the more detailed observations of structure in the flows, giving information about the mass-loss mechanisms which may be operating, but restricted so far to only a handful of the brightest objects.
Factors affecting natural antiallotype antibody production in rabbits

Since not all rabbits that have receivedb locus-incompatible antigens from the mother respond with natural antiallotype antibody, various factors were studied to determine their role in the expression or nonexpression of antibody production in the individual rabbit. It was found that the mother-offspring allotype relationship is important in determining the probability that a given individual will respond to maternally derived allotype differences, and that the ability to respond is under genetic control. The genetic basis appears to be polygenie with the response status of a given animal determined by a threshold of response-positive genes needed for response. A greater number of response-positive genes seems to be required if there is an antigenic relationship between the incompatibleb-locus antigen from the mother and the individual's ownb-locus antigens.
The interaction of methyl chloride and Si(100) 2 × 1

The interaction of methyl chloride with Si(100) has been studied with electron energy loss spectroscopy (EELS), Auger electron spectroscopy (AES), and temperature programmed desorption (TPD). Dissociative adsorption occurs with near unity sticking probability to form adsorbed CH3 and Cl at ≤ 300 K. Molecularly adsorbed species are also present at < 100 K. The sticking coefficient is reduced at higher surface temperatures and the possibility of a precursor is discussed. Moderate exposures (100 L) at substrate temperatures above 500 K result in a carbon layer possessing C-C single bonds. In addition, no chlorine is observed on the surface for exposure temperatures ≥ 700 K, making methyl chloride a promising candidate for carbon film growth.
Optimization of dietary macronutrients for Atlantic salmon post-smolts using increasing ration levels

Three fishmeal-based diets differing in macronutrient levels (crude protein/crude lipid (%) ratios of 40/26, 49/26 and 60/18) were studied in a requirement by ration level (RRL) trial with Atlantic salmon post-smolts. The diets were fed in excess (N = 6, 3, 3, respectively) and feed intake was estimated. Triplicate groups of fish were also fed each diet at ration levels of 20, 40 and 75% of the full ration. The fish were fed for 53 days. In fish fed full rations, feed intake and growth rates were not significantly affected by dietary treatment, but feed efficiency was significantly higher in fish fed diets 49/26 or 60/18 compared with those fed diet 40/26. No significant effect of diet was found on utilization efficiency of digestible energy (DE) for energy gain above maintenance (pooled slope 0.82). DE maintenance was estimated at 38 kJ kg− 0.8 d− 1. Linear regressions between digestible protein (DP) intake and protein gain were found for diets 49/26 or 60/18, but a second-order polynomial relationship was found for diet 40/26. Using the two highest ration levels for diet 40/26 (near satiety), the efficiency of utilization of DP for protein gain (kDP) was 0.50. The kDP values for diets 49/26 and 60/18 were 0.76 and 0.65, respectively (P < 0.05). Using data from the two lowest ration levels for diet 40/26 and the complete regressions for the other diets, the maintenance requirements for DP for the fish fed diets 40/26, 49/26 and 60/18 were 561, 542 and 651 mg kg− 0.7 d− 1, respectively. The diminishing returns in protein growth as intake of diet 40/26 increased suggest that the dietary amino acid level was not high enough to elicit further protein gain. Diet 60/18 led to numerically higher growth rates, but diet 49/26 resulted in lower DP maintenance and higher efficiency of utilization of DP for growth above maintenance than diet 60/18. Thus, the results obtained with full-fed fish and those generated using the RRL technique, seem to indicate that diet 49/26 contains more optimal dietary nutrient and energy levels for post-smolts.
Effect of Beta Blockers, Particularly Carvedilol, on Reducing the Risk of Events After Acute Myocardial Infarction

The morbidity and mortality rates of patients who have had acute myocardial infarctions (AMIs) are high. Clinical guidelines recommend that most survivors of AMIs without contraindications should receive long-term treatment with β blockade. Beta blockers have been shown to reduce mortality and reinfarction after AMI, but the pharmacologic differences among β blockers may affect their ability to reduce these adverse events. The β blocker carvedilol has adjunctive pharmacologic properties, including α 1 -blocking, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and antiarrhythmic activities that appear to underlie the outcomes demonstrated in experimental models and clinical trials. In conclusion, this review explores the experimental and clinical evidence supporting the preferential use of carvedilol in post-AMI patients with left ventricular dysfunction.
A stage of change approach to addiction in the medical setting

Despite recent advances in its understanding and treatment, addiction remains a difficult challenge for clinicians within medical settings such as the general hospital. The use of single, traditional paradigms (disciplinary, therapeutic, educational, or libertarian) for approaching addiction-related problems have often failed to embrace the complexity of the patients' motivation to change. Prochaska and DiClemente's [7] stage of change model offers a realistic, practical, and broadly applicable means by which clinicians can facilitate behavioral change from the stage of denial (precontemplation) through that of sustained recovery (maintenance). Clinicians can help addicted individuals to move from precontemplation to contemplation by enhancing their ambivalence; from contemplation to preparation by considering their history of change; from preparation to action by flexibly intervening based on this understanding; and from action to maintenance by evaluating the outcomes of these interventions. A stage of change model is also useful in understanding the process of change in clinicians' own approaches to patients with substance use disorders.
Effect of Autumn Planting Date and Stand Age on Severity of Stem Rust in Seed Crops of Perennial Ryegrass

Pfender, W. F. 2004. Effect of autumn planting date and stand age on severity of stem rust in seed crops of perennial ryegrass. Plant Dis. 88:1017-1020. Perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne) grown for seed is planted in autumn for July harvest (firstyear seed crop), then kept in production for subsequent yearly harvests. Plots of first-year perennial ryegrass planted in early November had only 3% as much stem rust in June as plots planted in mid-September. In other plots where fungicides were used to prevent rust development, seed yield from the November-planted plots was reduced by 23% compared with September-planted plots. In the second-year seed crop, stem rust severity in June was intermediate between severities in early- and late-planted first-year plots. The association of reduced stem rust severity with late planting for first-year crops was observed for five of six perennial ryegrass cultivars tested. Degree of reduction in disease severity due to planting date was greatest for the cultivars that had the highest disease severity in early-planted stands. Delay of autumn planting date may provide a useful cultural control method for first-year stands of perennial ryegrass seed crops. Additional keywords: Puccinia graminis subsp. graminicola
Optimal city size, land tenure and the economic theory of clubs

Abstract In this paper, a connection is made between urban population size in the presence of increasing returns to scale, and the economic theory of clubs. It is shown that under certain conditions, the optimal size of the population is finite and that collective action are transferable concepts from the theory of clubs. The model is also solved in a closed format, i.e., including rent payments as part of total income, under two redistribution schemes. It is shown that the optimal size of the population is independent of the mode of ownership of the urban residential land, when the transportation cost function is linear.
Interaction concepts of personality

"Personality" is an intimidatingly complex area of human behaviour, where empirically valid generalizations are not easily established or formulated, and where investigators at the time of publication were themselves a long way from the development of a commonly shared language and conceptual system. Originally published in 1969, Dr Carson’s book provided, for the first time, an empirically grounded, systematic framework to analyse, describe, and to some extent explain the transactions that occur between people from a standpoint of a personologist. The author starts from a Sullivanian base, which views "personality" as a largely interpersonal phenomenon. He then reformulates Sullivanian conceptions into a more complete framework, one more firmly tied to observable events or empirically testable hypotheses. This work represents a unique effort to integrate, from available empirical findings and conceptual formulations within psychology and the social sciences, a comprehensive account of socially significant personal conduct. It brings together, within an integrating framework, diverse trends from modern behaviour theory, personality, social psychology, and behaviour disorder.