cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A competency-based, integrated approach to accounting education

Brigham Young University (BYU) received a grant from the Accounting Education Change Commission in 1990. BYU's approach to innovative accounting education makes a useful contribution to accounting education as a result of the following features: (1) a heavy systems orientation with a database that can be drawn upon by all accounting disciplines; (2) an integrative approach in teaching accounting subjects based on a business-cycle approach; and (3) the integration of various competencies into the skill base of the students as they learn accounting subject material. These features are achieved through the use of well-developed teaching plans, a cooperative faculty, specific calendaring of teaching days and specific topical coverage identified for each business cycle topic area. The results indicate that many features are transportable to other accounting programmes. The Brigham Young University School of Accountancy Information Systems received an award from the American Accounting Association at the August...
Does parental monitoring moderate the relation between parent–child communication and pre-coital sexual behaviours among urban, minority early adolescents?

This study examined parental monitoring (PM) as a potential moderator of the relation between parent–child communication (PCC) and pre-coital sexual behaviours (PCSB) in an urban, minority, early adolescent population. Seventh-grade students (n = 1609) reported PCC, PM and PCSB. Multivariable logistic regression was conducted to assess for moderation. PM moderated the association between PCC and PCSB. Specifically, young people reporting both high PCC and high PM had the lowest odds of PCSB. Findings suggest that PCC is more protective in combination with high PM. However, young people reporting low levels of PM had an increased probability of PCSB with higher levels of PCC. No moderating effect between PCC, PM and PCSB was found by race/ethnicity or gender. However, race/ethnicity was found to moderate the effect of PCC on PCSB. This knowledge highlights the protective role of parental factors on PCSB and may inform the development of more effective parent-based adolescent sexual health interventions tha...
Self-Folding of Three-Dimensional Hydrogel Microstructures

This letter describes the fabrication of three-dimensional particulate-like hydrogel microstructures using a combination of soft lithography and volume expansion induced self-folding. Bilayer structures are produced by solvent casting and photocuring of liquid resins. They curl into three-dimensional (3D) structures upon contacting with water due to differential swelling of the two layers. The curvature can be controlled by adjusting the polymer composition of the primary swelling layer. A simple semiempirical mathematical model is used to predict this self-folding behavior. By designing the two-dimensional (2D) shapes of the bilayers, this technique can lead to complicated 3D microstructures.
Globalization, interdependence and education

Contemporary globalization is marked by rapidly and dramatically increasing interdependence, which operates both within and among countries. Increasing global interdependence has profound influence on education at all levels, such as how to deal with a world with more permeable boundaries in which people are on the move more frequently (migration) than ever before in human history, and in which urbanization is increasing at an unprecedented rate. This paper proposes a transformational analysis of contemporary globalization and identifies the increasing challenge for education due to the globalization, including the struggle to match the pace of technology change in society, to provide graduates with skills relevant to contemporary society, and to lead education students to an accommodation with persistent and rapid social change.
Chiral invariance in the soliton bag model

Abstract The soliton bag model of quark confinement is shown to give the same pionic coupling as the cloudy bag model, explicitly independent of details of the soliton field. The Goldberger-Treiman relation is satisfied in this development.
Age-related changes in the daily rhythm of photoreceptor functioning and circuitry in a melatonin-proficient mouse strain.

Retinal melatonin is involved in the modulation of many important retinal functions. Our previous studies have shown that the viability of photoreceptors and ganglion cells is reduced during aging in mice that lack melatonin receptor type 1. This demonstrates that melatonin signaling is important for the survival of retinal neurons. In the present study, we investigate the effects of aging on photoreceptor physiology and retinal organization in CH3-f+/+ mice, a melatonin proficient mouse strain. Our data indicate that the amplitude of the a and b waves of the scotopic and photopic electroretinogram decreases with age. Moreover, the daily rhythm in the amplitude of the a- and b- waves is lost during the aging process. Similarly, the scotopic threshold response is significantly affected by aging, but only when it is measured during the night. Interestingly, the changes observed in the ERGs are not paralleled by relevant changes in retinal morphological features, and administration of exogenous melatonin does not affect the ERGs in C3H-f+/+ at 12 months of age. This suggests that the responsiveness of the photoreceptors to exogenous melatonin is reduced during aging.
Substituent NMR effects in triple-decked sandwich metallocarboranes

Abstract The electronic structure of the triple-decked metallocarborane complexes 1,7,2,3- and 1,7,2,4-(η5-C5H5)2Co2C2B3H5 has been examined via 11B and 1H pulse Fourier transform nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy of a series of derivatives containing substituents on the central (C2B3H54-) or end (C5H5-) rings. The results suggest that the 1,7,2,4 complex contains a highly electron-delocalized, metallocene-like central ring, while the 1,7,2,3 system is dominated by strong localπ-interactions between the metals and an ethylenic CC bond in the central ring. In both isomers, the substitution of CH3, C6H5, or Si(CH3)3 at a carboranyl ring carbon atom, or of Br or I at B(5), produces moderate to large changes in chemical shift (relative to the parent molecule) at all boron positions and at all hydrogens in each ring. End-ring substitution by CH3, C2H5, or Si(CH3)3 in each isomer generates strong chemical shift effects in the central ring, and the Si(CH3)3 species also show a small effect in the unsubstituted C5H5 ring. A direct trans-polyhedral electronic interaction between the metal atoms is proposed to account for the observed antipodal effects.
Cooper channel and the singularities in the thermodynamics of a Fermi liquid

We analyze how the logarithmic renormalizations in the Cooper channel affect the nonanalytic temperature dependence of the specific heat coefficient $\ensuremath{\gamma}(T)\ensuremath{-}\ensuremath{\gamma}(0)=A(T)T$ in a two-dimensional Fermi liquid. We show that $A(T)$ is expressed exactly in terms of the fully renormalized backscattering amplitude, which includes the renormalization in the Cooper channel. In contrast to the one-dimensional case, both charge and spin components of the backscattering amplitudes are subject to this renormalization. We show that the logarithmic renormalization of the charge amplitude vanishes for a flat Fermi surface when the system becomes effectively one dimensional.
Min-protein oscillations in round bacteria.

In rod-shaped Escherichia coli cells, the Min proteins, which are involved in division-site selection, oscillate from pole-to-pole. The homologs of the Min proteins from the round bacterium Neisseria gonorrhoeae also form a spatial oscillator when expressed in wild-type and round, rodA− mutants of E. coli, suggesting that the Min proteins form an oscillator in N. gonorrhoeae. Here we report that a numerical model for Min-protein oscillations in rod-shaped cells also produces oscillations in round cells (cocci). Our numerical results explain why the MinE-protein rings found in wild-type E. coli are absent in round mutants. In addition, we find that for round cells there is a minimum radius below which oscillations do not occur, and a maximum radius above which oscillations become mislocalized. Finally, we demonstrate that Min-protein oscillations can select the long axis in nearly round cells based solely on geometry, a potentially important factor in division-plane selection in cocci.
Phantom dark energy, cosmic doomsday, and the coincidence problem

Phantom dark-energy models, with w<-1, are characterized by a future singularity and therefore a finite lifetime for the universe. Because the future singularity is triggered by the onset of dark-energy domination, the universe spends a significant fraction of its total lifetime in a state for which the dark-energy and matter densities are roughly comparable. We calculate, as a function of w, the fraction of the total lifetime of the universe for which the dark-energy and matter densities differ by less than the ratio r{sub 0} in either direction. For r{sub 0}=10, this fraction varies from 1/3 to 1/8 as w varies from -1.5 to -1.1; the fraction is smaller for smaller values of r{sub 0}. This result indicates that the coincidence problem is significantly ameliorated in phantom-dominated cosmologies with a future singularity.
Extrarenal citrulline disposal in mice with impaired renal function

The endogenous synthesis of arginine, a semiessential amino acid, relies on the production of citrulline by the gut and its conversion into arginine by the kidney in what has been called the “intes...
The impact of a student-led pedometer intervention incorporating cognitive-behavioral strategies on step count and self-efficacy.

Abstract This study evaluated the effectiveness of a student-led physical activity intervention that incorporated pedometers and cognitive-behavioral strategies. Undergraduate students (N = 117) enrolled in upper division exercise and sport science courses recruited participants. Participants in the cognitive-behavioral intervention condition received weekly mentoring from students on strategies to foster self-regulation, whereas those in a minimal intervention control condition (i.e., pedometer and self-monitoring) did not. All volunteers wore a pedometer for 6 weeks, maintained a step-count log, and completed physical activity and barrier self-efficacy measures pre- and postintervention. Repeated measures analysis of variance revealed that intervention condition participants increased their steps more so than those in the control condition, F(5, 570) = 10.1, p < .0001, starting at Week 3, with effect sizes in the moderate range. Intervention condition participants also reported increased physical activi...
A cognitive architecture for adversary intent inferencing: structure of knowledge and computation

Existing target-based and objectives-based (“strategy-to-task”) approaches to mission planning do not explicitly address the adversary’s decision-making processes. Obviously, the adversary’s courses of action (COA) are influenced in a cause-and-effect manner by actions taken by friendly forces. Given the iterative/interleaved nature of actions taken by enemy and friendly forces, mission planning must clearly take adversarial decision making into account especially during concurrent mission planning and execution. Currently, adversarial behaviour with regards to cause-and-effect are difficult to account for within the framework of existing planning approaches. This paper describes a cognitive architecture for computationally modeling, predicting, and explaining adversarial behaviors and COAs and proposes an integrated framework for mission planning. Our framework fits naturally within the Effects-Based Operations (EBO) approach to mission planning.
Structural properties of Mojave toxin of crotalus scutulatus (Mojave rattlesnake) determined by laser Raman Ssectroscopy

Abstract Laser Raman Spectra were obtained on aqueous and solid samples of Mojave toxin isolated from the venom of the Mojave rattlesnake ( Crotalus scutulatus ). The Raman spectra reveal that the Mojave toxin, an acidic protein of molecular weight about 22,000, contains a predominantly α-helical secondary structure and that the tyrosyl residues, on the basis of the Raman frequencies and intensities, are exposed to the solvent. These features of the Mojave toxin distinguish it structurally from the neurotoxins of sea snake venoms. However, like the sea snake venom toxins, Mojave toxin contains four disulfide bridges and is not greatly altered in structure by removal of the aqueous solvent.
First Hand: Harold E. Kleinert, MD: A Tribute and Personal Reflections

Two Sunday mornings ago, I was at my computer, making last minute revisions for my upcoming talk at the American Society for Surgery of the Hand (ASSH) annual meeting. I received a characteristically brief e-mail from Graham Lister: Harold Kleinert died yesterday, September 28, 1913. He would have been 92 on October 5. Like all who knew him, I was left with a lump in my throat and became deeply reflective. Why? Because he had had a profound effect on me as a person, on my career, and on how I approach the many problems we deal with in our discipline. There are many qualities that made Harold E. Kleinert (or H.E.K., as his office staff called him) an extraordinary man. First, and foremost, his interpersonal skills were unequaled. His outpatient clinics were fabled, beginning at 8:00 AM and often lasting until midnight. The flow of patients was never ending, officeswere packed, and some days patients waited in the stairwell. They came from all over the world and frequently waited 3 to 4 hours to see him. His ability to interact and care for patients from all walks of life, rich and poor, famous and infamous, was unsurpassed. He had a mesmerizing effect on them; they hung on every word. No one ever second-guessed him or even wanted to; hiswordwas gospel. Hewas never rushed, never raised his voice, and instilled unparalleled trust. He was confident yet never arrogant. I still am amazed by the number of patients who said, “DrKleinert, I trust you.” I remember evaluating a trial attorney who was full of himself. He had come from the East Coast for a third opinion. Within minutes, the attorney accepted H.E.K.’s recommendations, subsequently had surgery, and left effusively thankful for H.E.K.’s care.
Quasi-Lagrangian Models of Nascent Thermals

Slab-symmetric and axisymmetric geometries are considered in the modeling of thermals by considering their boundaries as self-advecting vortex sheets, for the case of a neutral environment without turbulent processes. The initial accelerations for circular cross section thermals are obtained analytically, and a numerical method is developed to simulate the evolution of thermals by time-marching in which the vortex sheet is divided into finite segments whose positions are tracked in a quasi-Lagrangian fashion. Self-advection is considered, and a redistribution procedure is adopted to prevent the segments from bunching unmanageably. The induced field of motion is determined both inside and outside the thermal. It is shown that (1) the axisymmetric thermal rises more quickly than the slab-symmetric thermal, (2) vorticity maxima occur both within the concavities and on the trailing edges, and (3) the leading edges are very smooth.
Discarding and fishing mortality trends in the U.S. west coast groundfish demersal trawl fishery

Abstract Quantifying discarded catch is needed to guide effective fishery management and recognize the unintended impacts of fishing; ultimately to promote a more sustainable fishery. To understand fishing mortality prior to the establishment of an IFQ management system, we provide estimates of discarded and total catch (sum of discard and landings) in the U.S. west coast groundfish demersal trawl fishery from 2002 to 2009. West Coast Groundfish Observer Program (WCGOP) data were expanded to fleet-level discard estimates using a ratio estimator. Total estimated discard in the fishery declined by 52% across the study period. On average, 29% of the annual groundfish catch was discarded at-sea. A high proportion of catch was discarded during 2002, but subsequently overall discard decreased even though fishing effort (landings and trawl tow hours) increased in the fishery from 2004 to 2009. The largest components of discard (by weight) were Pacific hake (Merluccius productus), arrowtooth flounder (Atheresthes stomias), skates (Rajidae sp.) and spiny dogfish (Squalus acanthias). In 2009 relative to 2002, the discarded fraction of catch for rebuilding species, which constrain the fishery, had increased by 39%. In contrast, the discarded fraction of catch for target species had decreased by 24%. In addition, much of the fishing effort shifted to deeper waters. Our results represent a baseline for future comparisons as the fishery shifted from trip limit management to an Individual Fishing Quota (IFQ) program in 2011.
Pediatric palliative care, Costa Rica's experience.

Background: This article describes the patients and activities of the Pediatric Palliative Care and Pain Control Clinic of the National Children’s Hospital (PPCPCC NCH) in San Jose, Costa Rica Central America, founded in 1990, is the first such clinic in the country. Methods: This study includes all the children and adolescents referred to the PPCPCC NCH from January 2000 to December 2008. This is a quantitative and descriptive study. We used a simple format that included variables such as age, sex, diagnostic, place of reference, pain, and other symptoms. Results: The database initially registered a total of 1470 patients; 25 of these were excluded from the study because of incomplete information, leaving a total of 1445 registered cases for the analysis. The average number of patients admitted was 156 per year. Malignant tumor was the principal diagnosis at the time of admission, followed by central nervous system abnormalities. Pain was the most frequent symptom. Most patients were visited or examined ...
A Diagrammatic Method of Presenting the History of Reproduction in a Dairy Herd

Summary A diagrammatic method of showing the history of reproduction in dairy herds is presented. The advantages of this method are as follows: 1. The reproductive history of the entire herd, over a long period, may be seen at a glance. 2. The individual performance of each animal can be easily followed. 3. Frequent recordings of data on the chart permit an early diagnosis of abnormal reproduction. 4. The method greatly facilitates the analysis of the data from various angles.
Office-based practice and opioid-use disorders.

In the case of Webb v. United States, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that the 1914 Harrison Narcotic Drug Act made it illegal for physicians to prescribe narcotics for the purpose of keeping a patien...
Effect of Age on Vitamin E Concentrations in Various Regions of the Brain and a Few Selected Peripheral Tissues of the Rat, and on the Uptake of Radioactive Vitamin E by Various Regions of Rat Brain

The concentrations of tocopherols in selected areas of the brains and a few peripheral tissues of 3-, 14-, and 30-month-old male Fischer 344 rats were determined by a high-performance liquid chromatographic method. Throughout the time period studied, alpha-tocopherol was the only tocopherol detected in the brain. Concentrations of alpha-tocopherol increased significantly with age in medulla and spinal cord whereas no such change was seen in other brain areas. Among the peripheral tissues, total tocopherol concentrations increased with age in the liver and adipose tissue while no significant changes were observed in the heart. The pattern of uptake of radioactive alpha-tocopherol from the serum by the various areas of the brain was similar for the 3- and 14-month-old animals even though the brains from the 14-month-old animals took up less of the radioactive compound. Measurable amounts of tocopherol esters were not present in the tissues of the 30-month-old animals.
Microstructural development in the near-surface region during thermal annealing of Al2O3 implanted with cationic impurities

Single-crystal Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} was implanted with cationic impurities in the dose range 1--4{times}10{sup 16}/cm{sup 2} and subsequently annealed in either an oxidizing or reducing environment. Following annealing at 1200 {degree}C or higher crystalline precipitates or solid solutions are observed which are consistent with what is expected from the equilibrium phase diagram.
Oxyanion Specificity of Aspartate-beta-semialdehyde Dehydrogenase.

A variety of oxyanions were examined as possible substrates or competitive inhibitors against phosphate for the oxidative reaction catalyzed by aspartate-β-semialdehyde dehydrogenase. Arsenate and vanadate were found to be good alternative substrates, periodate is a strong competitive inhibitor, and several oxyanions were identified as weak inhibitors. Analysis of these results shows that tetrahedral geometry is required for binding, and a high negative charge density on the peripheral oxygens is an important component for substrate recognition.
Application of a Wollaston wire probe for quantitative thermal analysis

Abstract In this work, we have investigated the properties of the Wollaston wire thermal resistive probe which is frequently used for microthermal analysis. Special attention was drawn to the frequency dependence of the performance of the probe. We demonstrated that at frequencies above 5 kHz, the temperature of the Wollaston wire probe becomes increasingly insensitive to modulations of the driving current. We submerged such a probe in air and a number of liquids to measure the heat conductivities by simultaneous determination of the applied power and increase in temperature. The heat conductivities were established both by application of direct current (dc) and modulated current. The advantages and disadvantages of different techniques of thermal analysis with this type of resistive probe are discussed. A method of multifrequency analysis at a fixed location for the elimination of the effects of contact area and thermal resistance is proposed for analyses in the frequency range of 10–100 Hz.
Treating adaptive living skills of persons with autism using applied behavior analysis: A review

Abstract Work, self-help, leisure, and hygiene skill deficits are often associated with Autistic Disorder, a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by pervasive impairments in socialization, communication, and repetitive and restricted behaviors or interests. A number of interventions have been established to assist individuals with these impairments. This paper is a review of the use of techniques specific to applied behavior analysis (ABA) as an intervention for these adaptive living skill deficits for individuals with autism. The current status and future directions for research are discussed.
Beyond the Narrational Frame: Interpretation and Metafiction.

Contemporary fiction, or, rather, metafiction, emphasizes a new relationship between subject and reader that challenges traditional practice of point of view in fiction. This article investigates that challenge and suggests ways for the interpreter to deal with the performance of metafiction.
Large discrepancies between calculated Dmax and diode readings for small field sizes and small SSDs of 15 MV photon beams

Clinical observations have revealed that diode readings from 15 MV photon beams with small field sizes and small SSD values were consistently 5%–10% higher than doses calculated at the maximum depth. Dose at depth depends on the collimatorscattering factor and the phantom scattering factor—both field size dependent. Diodes are placed on the skin surface, and therefore the phantom scatter factor is different than at depth. In addition, inverse square corrections should be calculated with respect to the location of the diode itself rather than the location of D max within the tissue. This may account for about 8% difference between calculated D max and diode readings for very small radiation fields and small SSDs, e.g., a prostate boost.
Blood chemistry and immune cell changes during 1 week of intensive firefighting training

Abstract Blood chemistry and immune cell parameters were examined in firefighters in a 1-week program of “live fire” training exercises. Blood samples were obtained at the beginning (AM) and end (PM) of each of the last 4 days of training. Analyses revealed significant time (AM-to-PM) effects for of the blood chemistry and immune variables along with significant leukocytosis over the 4 days of training. Despite the significant changes, these data suggest that serial days of supervised firefighting training do not appear to cause dangerous changes in blood chemistry or immunosuppression.
Existence and dynamic stability of solitary wave solutions of equations arising in long wave propagation

We obtain conditions for the nonlinear stability (Theorem 5.1) of solitary waves fro two classes of nonlinear dispersive equations which arise in the mathematical description of long wave propagation:(u is in general complex-valued), where the linear operator L, typically nonlocal, and the nonlinearity, are of some general class.For the case of homogeneous nonlinearities, A(u), a new variational characterization of solitary waves for I and II is presented (Theorem 3.1) and is exploited in the dynamic stability analysis. The existence of solitary waves in higher dimensions is also considered (Theorem 7.1).
How African States Keep Their People Poor: The Legal Issues

Many of the problems of inequity and poverty in Africa are the result of the state's own policies and legal requirements that serve to marginalise the poor and hamper the access of communities to environmental and other assets. The article looks at case studies of the regulation of forest access in Cameroon and the allocation of public revenues in Uganda.
Complexity of nuclear and polysomal RNAs in growing Dictyostelium discoideum cells.

Abstract As a first step in quantitating gene expression during differentiation of Dictyostelium discoideum, we have measured the complexity of polysomal, cytoplasmic, and total cellular polyadenylated RNA in growing cells. We have employed two different types of RNA excess hybridization reactions: kinetic cDNA-RNA and saturation single-copy genomic DNA-RNA hybridization. Both types of measurements indicate that about 4000 to 5000 different mRNA-sized, polyadenylated sequences are found in the cytoplasm in greater than one copy per cell. All of these are present on polysomes. These sequences correspond to the expression of 19% of the single-copy portion of the genome. Polyadenylated transcripts of an additional 9000 averaged-sized genes are found in the nucleus, but are transferred very poorly, if at all, to the cytoplasm. These nuclear polyadenylated RNA species corresponded to the expression of an additional 34% of the single-copy portion of the genome.
The effect of the minimum wage on covered teenage employment

Unlike previous studies on the minimum wage, which focused on its effect on total teenage employment, we examine its effect on covered employment. A covered job was defined to be one paying the minimum wage or more. Using contemporary wages to classify workers this way may inflate the estimated effect of minimum wages on covered employment. To avoid this bias, covered jobs are identified using a logit procedure run over years in which the minimum age was not increased. We find that minimum wages reduced covered employment significantly more than total employment. We also show that covered employment may be overstated in the period following an increase in the minimum wage.
Ventricular Septal Defect: A Review

cardial thickening, with this muscular septum below, and the right and left conus ridges from above. The posterior septum arises from the posterior atrioventricular cushion and the portion of the muscular septum that arises from the apical and dorsal walls of the embryo.2 The central points of fusion of these regions occurs at the pars membranacea. The anlagen of this part of the septum are a matter of dispute. Classification of Ventricular Septal DefectsDefects of the septum may involve regions of the septum related to either the outflow or inflow tracts.3- � The outflow portion of the right ventricle lies between the pulmonary valve above and the nearest part of the tricuspid valve below. Defects in this region are all spoken of as high defects. The inflow tract lies posterior and caudal to the outflow tract. The outflow tract of the right side of the ventricular septum is divided into superior and inferior regions by the crista supraventricularis. This muscular ridge lies on the floor of the right ventricle between the papillary muscle of the conus below and posteriorly, and the pulmonary valve above and anteriorly. The lesions inferior to the crista represent the most common site for ventricular septal defects, and anatomically lie just below the aortic valve cusps. This is generally spoken of as a membranous ventricular septal defect, but in most cases Becu et a13 found that the defect involved little or none of the membranous septum, but that the size of the defect was mainly related to the muscular part of the septum that was malformed. The lesions superior to the crista are closely related to the pulmonary valve whose tissue forms their upper border. The membranous septum is generally intact. Also known as high defects are those lesions in the upper or basal portion of the septum that are in close relation to the mitral and tricuspid valves.
A Controlled Trial of a Novel Primary Prevention Program for Lyme Disease and Other Tick-Borne Illnesses

To evaluate a theory-based educational program to prevent Lyme disease and other tick-borne illnesses (TBI), a randomized controlled trial of an educational program was delivered to ferry passengers traveling to an endemic area in southeastern Massachusetts. Rates of TBI and precautionary and tick check behaviors were measured over three summers in 30,164 passengers. There were lower rates of TBI among participants receiving TBI education compared with control participants receiving bicycle safety education (relative risk [RR] = 0.79) and a 60% reduction in risk among those receiving TBI education who visited Nantucket Island for more than 2 weeks compared to control participants (RR = 0.41, 95% confidence intervals = 0.18 to 0.95, p < .038). TBI-educated participants were also significantly more likely to take precautions (use repellent, protective clothing, limit time in tick areas) and check themselves for ticks. The study demonstrates that a theory-based Lyme disease prevention program can increase precautionary behavior and result in a significant reduction in TBI.
A Probability Theory Based Price Determination Framework for Utility Companies in an Oligopolistic Energy Market

Distributed power generation and distribution network with the dynamic pricing scheme are the major trend of the future smart grid. A smart grid is a network which contains multiple non-cooperative utility companies that offer time-of-use dependent energy prices to energy consumers and aim to maximize their own profits. Decentralized power network allows each energy consumer to have multiple choices among different utility companies. In this paper, an optimization framework is introduced to determine the energy price for utility companies in an oligopolistic energy market. At the beginning of each billing period (a day), each utility company will announce the time-of-use dependent pricing policy during the billing period, and each energy consumer will subsequently choose a utility company for energy supply to minimize the expected energy cost. The energy pricing competition among utility companies forms an n-person game because the pricing strategy of each utility company will affect the profits of others. To be realistic, the prediction error of a user's energy consumption is properly accounted for in this paper and is assumed to satisfy certain probability distribution at each time slot. We start from the most commonly-used normal distribution and extend our optimization framework to a more general case. A Nash equilibrium-based pricing policy is presented for the utility companies and the uniqueness of Nash equilibrium is proved. Experimental results show the effectiveness of our game theoretic price determination framework.
QUANTITATIVE TRAIT LOCI (QTL) FOR CIRCADIAN RHYTHMS OF LOCOMOTOR ACTIVITY IN MICE

The loomotor activity of male mice (Mus musculus) was monitored by infrared photoelectric beams under three lighting regimens: LD (12 h of light and 12 h of dark), DD (constant dark), and LL (constant broad-spectrum light, 10 lux). Circadian period of locomotor activioty (τ) was compared among 3 inbred strains of mice, C57BL/6J (B6), BALB/c (C), and DBA/2J (D2), and 26 recombinant inbred strains B×D (B6×D2). the τ under both continuous low-intensity light and continuous darkenss varied significantly among strains. Under DD the mean τ was 23.8 h for B6, 23.7 h for D2, and 23.6 h for C. Under LL the mean τ was 25.1 for B6, 23.9 h for D2, and 25.5 h for C. Frequency histograms of the mean τ of 26B×D RI mouse strains (three to seven animals per strain) in either DD or LL and the difference between them, Δτ, had distributions which appeared unimodal, suggesting polygenic inheritances. The narrow-sense heritability determined using 26 strains of B×D RI mice was about 55% for τ and about 38% for both τ in LL and Δτ. An estimated four loci contribute to the variance of τ in constant darkness and five to the variance of τ in constant low-intensity light among the strains studied. Quantitative trait locus (QTL) analysis identified several potential genetic loci associated with τ in constant darkness, τ in constant low-intensity light, and Δτ. The associations of highest probability for each of these traits were theD1Nds4 locus (p<0.001) on mouse chromosome 1, theD5Ncvs52 locus (p<.05) on mouse chromosome 5, and thePmv12 locus (p<.01) at 70 cM on mouse chromosome 5, respectively. A QTL identified for τ was associated (p<.05) with theD2NDS1 marker at 45 cM on chromsome 2 near the Ea 6 marker at 46 cM associated (p<.05) with that reported for the period of wheel running activity in seven C×B RI strains (Schwartz, W. J., and Zimmerman, P.,J. Neurosci. 10:3685 1990).
Undergraduates' source selection behavior: A correspondence analysis

With advances in information technologies, a wide variety of sources and channels have been made available to provide access to information. As different sources offer information with varying qualities, evaluating and selecting quality information sources is crucial and has become a key element in bibliographic instruction and information literacy training. Despite efforts in helping them to select optimal sources, individuals choose to use sources that are not necessarily accurate or reliable. Users often turn to information sources that are not suitable to their tasks. This study aims at understanding the relationship between the perception and selection of information sources. Surveying undergraduate students, this study examines three aspects related to their source selection behavior: (1) perceived characteristics of different sources; (2) source characteristics considered to be important for the source selection; and (3) frequently selected/used sources. The study will help understand how users view sources differently and how such perception is related to the source selection behavior. Based on the study findings, suggestions will be made to improve information literacy programs that can support the selection of the best sources.
Soul Made Flesh: The Discovery of the Brain – And How It Changed the World by Carl Zimmer

This book is an entertaining journey into the transformation of world views during the birth of medical physics, discussed in the general context of the social, political, and spiritual struggles o...
A method for selecting streptomycin-sensitive mutants of R factors which adenylate streptomycin.

An Arg − conditionally streptomycin (Sm)-dependent strain of E. coli B that carries an R factor mediating Sm adenylation cannot grow on minimal agar containing 20 μg Sm/ml unless the strain either becomes Arg + or loses the ability to adenylate Sm (Harwood & Smith, 1969 b ). We have therefore studied the efficacy of this selection with respect to enriching for Sm S mutants of such R factors. Following u.v. mutagenesis, cells were plated on the selective medium; of the clones which were examined, Arg − R-Sm S colonies were found up to 3000 times more frequently than Arg + R-Sm R colonies.
Cognitive complexity effects in perceptual classification are dissociable

It has been proposed that a procedural-based classification system mediates the learning of informationintegration categories, whereas a hypothesis-testing system mediates the learning of rule-based categories. Ashby, Ell and Waldron (2003) provided support for this claim by showing that a button switch introduced during classification transfer adversely affected information-integration but not rule-based performance. Nosofsky, Stanton and Zaki (2005) showed that increasing “cognitive complexity” can lead to button switch costs on rule-based performance. They argue that “cognitive complexity,” and not the existence of separable classification systems, accounts for Ashby et al.’s empirical dissociation. The present study shows that experimental manipulations that increase “cognitive complexity” often have dissociable effects on information-integration and rule-based classification that are predicted a priori from the processing characteristics associated with the procedural-based and hypothesis-testing systems. These results suggest that manipulations of “cognitive complexity” can be dissociated, suggesting that “cognitive complexity” in not a unitary construct that affects a single psychological process.
Targeted overexpression of sarcolipin in the mouse heart decreases sarcoplasmic reticulum calcium transport and cardiac contractility.

The role of sarcolipin (SLN) in cardiac physiology was critically evaluated by generating a transgenic (TG) mouse model in which the SLN to sarco(endoplasmic)reticulum (SR) Ca2+ ATPase (SERCA) ratio was increased in the ventricle. Overexpression of SLN decreases SR calcium transport function and results in decreased calcium transient amplitude and rate of relaxation. SLN TG hearts exhibit a significant decrease in rates of contraction and relaxation when assessed by ex vivo work-performing heart preparations. Similar results were also observed with muscle preparations and myocytes from SLN TG ventricles. Interestingly, the inhibitory effect of SLN was partially relieved upon high dose of isoproterenol treatment and stimulation at high frequency. Biochemical analyses show that an increase in SLN level does not affect PLB levels, monomer to pentamer ratio, or its phosphorylation status. No compensatory changes were seen in the expression of other calcium-handling proteins. These studies suggest that the SLN effect on SERCA pump is direct and is not mediated through increased monomerization of PLB or by a change in PLB phosphorylation status. We conclude that SLN is a novel regulator of SERCA pump activity, and its inhibitory effect can be reversed by β-adrenergic agonists.
A Comparison of Automatic Rain Gauges

Abstract Automatic rain gauge systems are required to collect rainfall data at remote locations, especially oceanic sites where logistics prevent regular visits. Rainfall data from six different types of automatic rain gauge systems have been collected for a set of summertime subtropical rain events and for a set of wintertime rain events at Miami, Florida. The rain gauge systems include three types of collection gauges: weighing, capacitance, and tipping bucket; two gauges that inherently measure rainfall rate: optical scintillation and underwater acoustical inversion; and one gauge that detects individual raindrops: the disdrometer. All of these measurement techniques perform well; that is, they produce rainfall estimates that are highly correlated to one another. However, each method has limitations. The collection gauges are affected by flow irregularities between the catchment basin and the measurement chambers. This affects the accuracy of rainfall-rate measurements from these instruments, especiall...
Recurrent bilateral pleural effusions without ascites as an initial presentation of Budd-Chiari syndrome.

Budd-Chiari syndrome (BCS) typically presents with abdominal pain, ascites, and hepatomegaly [1-2]. Bilateral pleural effusion without ascites is a rare presentation of BCS [3]. A 51-year-old female presented with right-sided abdominal pain with recurrent bilateral pleural effusions for 3 months. She was referred for recurrent dyspnea that required repeated thoracentesis. Pleural fluid analysis revealed a transudative process. Her physical exam showed decreased breath sounds in bilateral lung fields and right-sided abdominal tenderness. There was no bulging flanks or shifting dullness. Laboratory tests included: hemoglobin 17.2 g/dL, hematocrit 52%, erythropoietin 7.2 mIU/mL (2.5-18.5), mean corpuscular volume 81 fL, aspartate transaminase 116 U/L, alanine transaminase 71 U/L, alkaline phosphatase 190 U/L and bilirubin of 2 mg/ dL. An echocardiogram showed preserved ejection fraction. CT scan of the chest and abdomen revealed bilateral pleural effusions (Fig. 1A) and hepatomegaly with caudate lobe enlargement (Fig. 1B). Figure 1 (A) CT chest with bilateral pleural effusions. (B) CT abdomen showing hepatomegaly and caudate lobe enlargement Abdominal ultrasound with Doppler demonstrated dampened hepatic venous waveforms. Hepatic venogram demonstrated central hepatic vein branches that were patent but with very slow flow. The peripheral hepatic vein branches were irregular suggestive of BCS (Fig. 2). A transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt was deployed which resulted in improvement of the hepatic portal venous gradient from 18 to 3 mmHg. The liver biopsy demonstrated centrilobular congestion and fibrosis consistent with BCS. Polycythemia vera was diagnosed as the predisposing etiology for the patient’s BCS. She was positive for JAK2 mutation. She underwent therapeutic phlebotomy and long-term anticoagulation. There was no recurrence of pleural effusions after 2 months on follow up. Figure 2 Angiography showing spider collaterals
Measurement of SOI MOSFET I-V characteristics without self-heating

In addition to offering advantages, the isolation provided by silicon-on-insulator (SOI) MOSFET device technology also poses some problems. Because the channel is thermally insulated from the substrate, the channel temperature can differ from its surroundings, and current through the channel can cause self-heating. Because the channel is isolated, the floating body can cause the kink effect. Self-heating is thought to occur for power-on times longer than 100 ns, and the time constant for the kink effect depends on the silicon film quality. Thus static, DC, measurements of output characteristics may not reveal the dynamic characteristics of a rapidly switching device in a digital circuit. This paper demonstrates, for the first time, a simple and direct method of measuring I-V curves on a nanosecond time scale, thus avoiding the self-heating problem. The method has been implemented in an automated system.
Participatory testing and reporting in an environmental-justice community of Worcester, Massachusetts: a pilot project

Background: Despite indoor home environments being where people spend most time, involving residents in testing those environments has been very limited, especially in marginalized communities. We piloted participatory testing and reporting that combined relatively simple tests with actionable reporting to empower residents in Main South/Piedmont neighborhoods of Worcester, Massachusetts. We answered: 1) How do we design and implement the approach for neighborhood and household environments using participatory methods? 2) What do pilot tests reveal? 3) How does our experience inform testing practice? Methods: The approach was designed and implemented with community partners using community-based participatory research. Residents and researchers tested fourteen homes for: lead in dust indoors, soil outdoors, paint indoors and drinking water; radon in basement air; PM2.5 in indoor air; mold spores in indoor/outdoor air; and drinking water quality. Monitoring of neighborhood particulates by residents and researchers used real-time data to stimulate dialogue. Results: Given the newness of our partnership and unforeseen conflicts, we achieved moderate-high success overall based on process and outcome criteria: methods, test results, reporting, lessons learned. The conflict burden we experienced may be attributable less to generic university-community differences in interests/culture, and more to territoriality and interpersonal issues. Lead-in-paint touch-swab results were poor proxies for lead-in-dust. Of eight units tested in summer, three had very high lead-in-dust (>1000 μg/ft 2 ), six exceeded at least one USEPA standard for lead-in-dust and/or soil. Tap water tests showed no significant exposures. Monitoring of neighborhood particulates raised awareness of environmental health risks, especially asthma. Conclusions: Timely reporting back home-toxics’ results to residents is ethical but it must be empowering. Future work should fund the active participation of a few motivated residents as representatives of the target population. Although difficult and demanding in time and effort, the approach can educate residents and inform exposure assessment. It should be considered as a core ingredient of comprehensive household toxics’ testing, and has potential to improve participant retention and the overall positive impact of long-term environmental health research efforts.
A late energy trigger for experiment E864 at the AGS

A level-2 late energy trigger (LET) was built to select events from the E864 experiment at the AGS in which a heavy particle is detected in a hadronic calorimeter with deposited energy and TOF exceeding preset values. Details of LET hardware and software design are given along with performance results.
First-order PMD monitoring for NRZ data using RF clock regeneration techniques

We propose and demonstrate two novel techniques for 10 Gb/s polarization-mode-dispersion (PMD) monitoring for NRZ signals that use a regenerated RF clock tone as a monitoring signal. Our techniques regenerate the RF clock tone that is usually absent after square-law detection in the electrical NRZ data spectrum (in the absence of dispersion). Our first technique uses a dispersive element in the monitoring tap-line to put the beat terms between the optical clock sidebands and the carrier in phase and thus regenerates the RF clock tone after detection. Our second technique involves the use of an optical filter that is centered at the bit rate frequency on either the upper or lower sideband of the optical spectrum, removing one of the sidebands and thus preventing the beating that normally cancels the RF clock tone. We show (theoretically, via simulation, and experimentally) the effect that PMD has on these regenerated RF clock tones. We also demonstrate PMD compensation at 10 Gb/s using these techniques for monitoring and show a 6-dB improvement in the 1% power penalty tail. Our techniques are simple, do not require modification at the transmitter, and can be applied to WDM systems via the use of a multichannel dispersive element or a tunable filter swept across all channels.