cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Sediment transport on the mid-continental shelf in Onslow Bay, North Carolina during Hurricane Isabel

Abstract Hurricane Isabel made landfall on the southeastern U.S. coast along the lower Outer Banks of North Carolina near Cape Lookout, NC on September 18, 2003. An instrumented quadrapod frame moored approximately 43.5 km off the coast of Wilmington, NC in Onslow Bay, at a depth of approximately 30 m, was present on the shelf when the hurricane passed approximately 160 km from Onslow Bay. The attached instrumentation includes a downward-looking Pulse-Coherent Acoustic Doppler Profiler (PC-ADP) and an upward-looking Acoustic Doppler Current Profiler (ADCP). Simultaneous measurements of flow velocities from the surface to the seabed along with acoustic backscatter measurements and seabed elevation were obtained during this storm event. Three days prior to the direct effects of the hurricane, long-period swells (14–17 s) began to impact the area causing sediment transport to occur on the mid-shelf. Shear velocities calculated from a bottom boundary layer model ranged from approximately 6 to 10 cm s−1 over the course of the sediment transport event. Based on shear velocity calculations, bedload and suspended sediment transport were occurring at the site 72 h prior to the passage of the hurricane as long-period swells reached heights of 4 m. The seabed altimeter recorded large fluctuations during the storm but was unable to trace elevation changes due to the presence of a highly concentrated layer of suspended sediments in the lower 10 cm of the bottom boundary layer. Large amounts of suspended sediment transport occurred in the along-shelf direction towards the southwest after tropical storm force winds of 30 m s−1 began to directly affect the area and wind-driven currents were generated. Wind-driven, subtidal currents responded rapidly to local wind forcing and shifted from 15 cm s−1 towards the southwest to 16 cm s−1 towards the northeast. Model calculated velocity profiles compared well with measured current velocity profiles. Boxcores collected pre- and post-storm show a storm layer of approximately 5 cm and a sediment trap that was attached to the frame 30 cm above the bed collected approximately 400 cm3 of fine to medium sands that were suspended during the storm.
A cross-national comparison of reform curricula in Korea and the US in terms of cognitive complexity: the case of fraction addition and subtraction

The overall level of conceptual understanding and mathematical proficiency of students has been a matter of increasing national interest in South Korea. Recently, a new edition of mathematics textbooks aligned with the amendment of the 7th national mathematics curriculum has become available for all elementary grade levels. To characterize the current reform efforts in South Korea, this study examined the quality of the mathematical problems in the current version of the Korean reform textbooks (KM 2) compared with the previous version (KM 1) and one representative US reform curriculum text (EM). Webb’s (Research monograph No. 18: Alignment of science and mathematics standards and assessments in four states. National Institute for Science Education, Madison, 1999) depth of knowledge framework and Son and Senk’s (Educ Stud Math 74(2):117–142, 2010) cognitive expectation feature were employed to examine the kind and level of students’ opportunities to learn along with the type of word problems presented in the three sets of materials. Analysis revealed that the KM 2 provided better opportunities for students to learn fraction addition and subtraction than the KM 1 in terms of the depth and breadth of cognitive complexity. However, there was little difference in addressing and developing the meaning of fraction addition and subtraction through word problems. Moreover, compared with the US reform curriculum materials, the KM 2 provided more problems requiring lower depth of knowledge levels than the US counterpart. Implications of these findings for curriculum developers, textbook and learning materials developers, teachers and future researchers are discussed.
Quadcopter control in three-dimensional space using a noninvasive motor imagery-based brain–computer interface

Objective. At the balanced intersection of human and machine adaptation is found the optimally functioning brain–computer interface (BCI). In this study, we report a novel experiment of BCI controlling a robotic quadcopter in three-dimensional (3D) physical space using noninvasive scalp electroencephalogram (EEG) in human subjects. We then quantify the performance of this system using metrics suitable for asynchronous BCI. Lastly, we examine the impact that the operation of a real world device has on subjects' control in comparison to a 2D virtual cursor task. Approach. Five human subjects were trained to modulate their sensorimotor rhythms to control an AR Drone navigating a 3D physical space. Visual feedback was provided via a forward facing camera on the hull of the drone. Main results. Individual subjects were able to accurately acquire up to 90.5% of all valid targets presented while travelling at an average straight-line speed of 0.69 m s−1. Significance. Freely exploring and interacting with the world around us is a crucial element of autonomy that is lost in the context of neurodegenerative disease. Brain–computer interfaces are systems that aim to restore or enhance a user's ability to interact with the environment via a computer and through the use of only thought. We demonstrate for the first time the ability to control a flying robot in 3D physical space using noninvasive scalp recorded EEG in humans. Our work indicates the potential of noninvasive EEG-based BCI systems for accomplish complex control in 3D physical space. The present study may serve as a framework for the investigation of multidimensional noninvasive BCI control in a physical environment using telepresence robotics.
Differences in follicle-stimulating hormone secretion between 45,X monosomy Turner syndrome and 45,X/46,XX mosaicism are evident at an early age

Context: Little information exists regarding FSH values in very young girls with Turner syndrome (TS). Objectives: The objective of the study was to evaluate the pattern, natural progression, and karyotype-related differences in FSH secretion in young, prepubertal girls with TS. Study Design: FSH was measured at study entry and annually for 2 yr. Setting: The Toddler Turner study was conducted at 11 U.S. pediatric endocrine centers. Study Participants: Eighty-eight girls with karyotype-proven TS aged 9 months to 4 yr participated in the study. Main Outcome Measures: By-karyotype differences in FSH concentration and age-related changes in FSH were measured. Results: Mean (± sd) FSH was markedly elevated in the 45,X (n = 56: 68.3 ± 36.0 IU/liter) and Other groups [n = 15 (excluding three subjects with Y-containing karyotypes): 52.7 ± 50.8 IU/liter] but was minimally elevated in girls with 45,X/46,XX mosaicism (n = 14: 10.1 ± 13.5 IU/liter, P < 0.005 both comparisons). Over the 2-yr period, FSH declined in t...
Molecular Identification of Host Feeding Patterns of Snow-Melt Mosquitoes (Diptera: Culicidae): Potential Implications for the Transmission Ecology of Jamestown Canyon Virus

We collected blood-fed, snow-melt mosquitoes (Culicidae: Culiseta and Aedes) to describe the feeding patterns of potential mosquito vectors of Jamestown Canyon virus (JCV, Bunyaviridae: Orthobunyavirus). JCV is an arthropod-borne, zoonotic virus with deer as the primary amplifying host in western alpine ecosystems. We collected mosquitoes from natural resting areas, fiber pots, and carbon-dioxide baited miniature light traps in the Colorado Rocky Mountains in 2007. We conducted two polymerase chain reactions to amplify and sequence vertebrate DNA extracted from blood-fed mosquitoes, which yielded comparable, but not identical, results. Mammal-specific primers found mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus) and elk (Cervus elaphus canadensis) as the source of all bloodmeals. To determine if unamplified bloodmeals were from nonmammalian sources, we screened all samples with conserved vertebrate primers, which confirmed the initial polymerase chain reaction results, but also found porcupine (Erethizon dorsatum) and human (Homo sapiens) as additional bloodmeal sources. We consistently found that mule deer were the primary hosts for mosquitoes in this system. These results suggest that snow-melt mosquitoes, in particular A. cataphylla, may be important vectors in western JCV alpine systems and may also act as a bridge vector for JCV from cervid virus reservoirs to humans.
Squamous Islands in Clear Cell Hidradenoma : A Potential Diagnostic Pitfall

Clear cell hidradenoma is a benign eccrine tumor with nodular-cystic architecture, ductal differentiation and poroid cytology. Squamous islands occurring in eccrine neoplasms are classified into three types, according to their location, histologic characteristics and degrees of cellular atypia. Type I squamous islands resemble normal epidermis and are present in the superficial to middle portion of eccrine poromas. Type II squamous islands are localised in the deeper portion of eccrine poromas and show lumen formation suggestive of acrosyringeal differentiation. Type III squamous islands show atypical features and are limited to malignant eccrine tumors. A 55-year-old man was biopsied for a dermal nodule on his left arm. The initial shave biopsy revealed the surface of an intradermal cystic nodule with numerous whorls and horn pearls of squamatization, reminiscentÂof a well-differentiated squamous cell carcinoma; however, no cytologic atypia, necrosis or mitotic activity were identified; focal clear cell and ductal differentiation were also present. Complete excision revealed clear cell hidradenoma with extensive mixed type I and type II squamous islands. The presence of whorls and pearls of squamoid cells is a rare finding in clear cell hidradenoma that, moreover, in the setting of a superficial biopsy, may be a diagnostic pitfall.
Characterization and origin of the 'B' and 'C' compounds in the acid/neutral forensic signatures of heroin - products from the acylation of porphyroxine and subsequent hydrolysis

Two significant compounds often found in the gas chromatographic analysis of the acid/neutral extracts from illicit heroin have remained uncharacterized for 30 years. The unknown compounds are referred to as the 'B' and 'C' compounds. It has been postulated that these compounds arise from acetylation of porphyroxine, a rhoeadine alkaloid found at trace levels in the opium poppy, Papaver somniferum. Porphyroxine was isolated from opium and acetylated to produce N,O8 -diacetylporphyroxine. Mild hydrolysis produced N,O8 -diacetyl-O14 -desmethyl-epi-porphyroxine (the C compound) and N-acetyl-O14 -desmethyl-epi-porphyroxine (the B compound). Both N,O8 -diacetyl-O14 -desmethyl-epi-porphyroxine and N-acetyl-O14 -desmethyl-epi-porphyroxine were determined to be C-14 epimers of porphyroxine and N,O8 -diacetylporphyroxine. The non-epimerized isomers of the B and C compounds were also detected in illicit heroin, but at much lower levels. Chromatographic and spectroscopic data are presented for the aforementioned compounds. The presence/absence and relative concentrations of these compounds is presented for the four types of heroin (Southwest Asian, South American, Southeast Asian, and Mexican). The prevalence of detection for the B and C compounds are Southwest Asian = 92-93%, South American = 64-72%, Southeast Asian = 45-49%, and Mexican ≤ 3%. When detected, the overall trend of relative concentrations of dicaetylporhyroxine, the B-compound, and C-compound is Southwest Asian > South American > Southeast Asian, each by an order of magnitude. These compounds were rarely detected in Mexican heroin. The presence/absence and relative concentrations of these compounds provide pertinent forensic signature characteristics that significantly enhance the final regional classifications. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Incorporating costs in LCA

The goal of LCA is to identify the environmental impacts resulting from a product, process, or activity. While LCA is useful for evaluating environmental attributes, it stops short of providing information that business managers routinely utilize for decision-making — i.e., dollars. Thus, decisions regarding the processes used for manufacturing products and the materials comprising those products can be enhanced by weaving cost and environmental information into the decision-making process. Various approaches have been used during the past decade to supplement environmental information with cost information. One of these tools is environmental accounting, the identification, analysis, reporting, and use of environmental information, including environmental cost data. Environmental cost accounting provides information necessary for identifying the true costs of products and processes and for evaluating opportunities to minimize those costs. As demonstrated through two case studies, many companies are incorporating environmental cost information into their accounting systems to prioritize investments in new technologies and products.
Impact of a personal CYP2D6 testing workshop on physician assistant student attitudes toward pharmacogenetics.

Aim: We assessed the impact of personal CYP2D6 testing on physician assistant student competency in, and attitudes toward, pharmacogenetics (PGx). Materials & methods: Buccal samples were genotyped for CYP2D6 polymorphisms. Results were discussed during a 3-h PGx workshop. PGx knowledge was assessed by pre- and post-tests. Focus groups assessed the impact of the workshop on attitudes toward the clinical utility of PGx. Results: Both student knowledge of PGx, and its perceived clinical utility, increased immediately following the workshop. However, exposure to PGx on clinical rotations following the workshop seemed to influence student attitudes toward PGx utility. Conclusion: Personal CYP2D6 testing improves both knowledge and comfort with PGx. Continued exposure to PGx concepts is important for transfer of learning.
Failure analysis of drillstring in petroleum industry: A review

Abstract Understanding the failure analysis of drillstring and its components i.e., drill collar and drilling bit is one of the essential issues in the oil and gas industry for the high cost of oil well drilling. Different ways such as air drilling, percussion drilling and downhole hydraulic ultra-high pressure (UHP) jet assisted drilling have been often used to improve the rate of penetration (ROP), minimize the cost of drilling per foot and diminish well deviation. Nevertheless, these drilling ways aggravate the working conditions of the downhole drilling tools materials and hence their properties cannot meet the demands of these conditions and consequently causing a risk drillstring failure. The unfavorable geological conditions and the repeated impact for breaking the rock may also cause severe bit bouncing and violent vibration. Tooth loss, tooth fracture, tooth wear and microcracks in addition to drill pipe fatigue from bending stress caused by buckling load are realistic examples of failure modes which occurred in the drilling tools. This study comprehensively describes the reasons causing these failure modes in order to manage risks and achieve high performance of wells and borehole sections. The role of working parameters i.e., bottom hole temperature and solid content on the drilling tools' life time, and the role of predrill predictions of pore pressure or wellbore stability on the drilling process are presented.
A Frequency Domain Technique to De-Dopplerize the Acoustic Signal from a Moving Source of Sound

The acoustic signal emitted by a moving source of sound and sampled by a stationary microphone is distorted in amplitude and frequency by the Doppler effect. For years, recovery of the original (undistorted) source signal has been done by means of a time domain de-Dopplerization technique. This technique requires the interpolation of every data point of the microphone signal in order to remove the Doppler effect. As a consequence, this technique is computationally intensive. This paper presents an alternative de-Dopplerization technique that performs all the computations in the frequency domain. This technique requires the linearization of the relation between emission time, i.e. the time at which the signal is emitted by the source, and reception time, i.e. the time at which the signal arrives to the microphone. Then, the linear, translation, and scaling properties of the Fourier transform are used to remove the Doppler effect. In essence, this technique computes the Fourier transform of the original (undistorted) source signal directly from the Dopplerized microphone signal. Since this frequency domain de-Dopplerization technique does not require interpolation of the microphone signal, it is computationally more efficient than the traditional time domain de-Dopplerization technique.
A Telemetry Communication Network Design for Hydrologic Information Automatic Telemeter System

According to the working conditions and characteristics of hydrologic information automatic telemeter system, this paper introduces the telemetry communication network channel, communication protocol and working system in detail, focuses on the communication protocol of NARI Group according to the development of new communication mode. A design strategy and implementation method of constructing a low power consumption network based on the system scale and requirements is proposed in detail, including the choice of telemetry communication channel, notification mode and choice of communication protocol. The feasibility and effectiveness of this method has been proved by a large number of field application.
A Preliminary Study on the Ecological Benefit of Different Cropping-Breeding Coupled Mode in Rice Field of North Cold Region

Three-year experiment was carried out to study the soil chemical and physical properties,rice yield,and economic benefit among conventional farming(CK),rice-duck farming(A),rice-fish farming(B) and rice-crab farming(C) system.The results showed that rice farming systems on improving physical property of soil are listed: CAB.On increasing soil phosphorus nutrients and quality: ACB.Rice yields of rice-duck farming dropped the least among these systems,then was rice-crab farming.Compared with conventional farming,the economic benefit of these systems added 760.5 yuan/hectare,287.5 yuan/hectare,491.9 yuan/hectare,separately.The results indicated that rice-duck farming system was better than conventional farming system and the other two systems for improving rice growing environment and increasing economic benefit.Rice-duck farming system can be extended and applied as the mainstay model of rice compound ecological technology in this area.
Wole Soyinka: The “drama of existence”: sources and scope

Event in literature is experienced according to the scale of its treatment. Wole Soyinka, Myth, Literature and the African World Drama in particular, no doubt because it is the most social of the arts, provides the site in which this inherent menace is most strident. In whatever country in black Africa that you open the curtain, you will find that in the absence of genuine democracy, the life of drama is lived on the edge of the cliff … The stark reality impresses itself upon us: all dramatists with a conscience know that when they play, they play dangerously. Femi Osofisan, “Playing Dangerously” Bad playwrights in every epoch fail to understand the enormous efficacy of the transformations that take place before the spectators' eyes. Theatre is change and not simple presentation of what exists; it is becoming and not being. Augusto Boal, Theatre of the Oppressed . Soyinka's achievement in drama, relative to the other forms and genres of literary expression, is a fascinating combination and synthesis of individual talent and sensibility, formal institutional training and practical theatre experience, and the weight of received, subliminally absorbed cultural tradition. His early work in the British theatre at a time of important aesthetic and political redirection in that theatre has been amply documented, though not critically assessed.
The Evolution of SunYat-sen's View on National Interest

The core of SunYat-sen's view on national interest evolves from the ideals of the Democratic Republic to sovereignty by the strain between country and national state.The evolution impels the first Kuomingtang-Communist cooperation.
Global Intercountry Adoptions

Chapter 8, the third chapter addressing intercountry adoptions (ICAs), addresses ICAs from a global level. This perspective examines ICAs through an analysis of the top twelve Hague convention member nations: Australia, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, France, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, and the U. S. These countries were selected as they adopted over 1,500 ICAs from 2005 to 2009. This period was selected as was the most recent period reported. The sending countries including in the examination are those countries sending over 250 ICAs to the top twelve sending nations during this period. This examination includes the U. S. as both a sending nation and a receiving nation as Hague data indicate that 217 ICAs were sent from the U. S. to the other top nations from 2005 to 2009 and 92,897 ICAs were received by the U. S. during this time. This dominance of the U. S. as a top recipient of ICAs is longstanding. Of the approximately 260,000 children who are adopted globally each year almost half (about 127,000 children in 2001) were adopted in the U. S. (United Nations, 2009, p. xv).
Surgical Pathology of Inflammatory Conditions of the Gastrointestinal Tract

Inflammatory disorders of the gastrointestinal system cumulatively comprise the most common class of gastrointestinal disease and represent a major health burden. The anatomical complexity, environmental heterogeneity, and the associated microbiome of the gastrointestinal tract all contribute to a myriad of inflammatory disease mechanisms and clinical presentations and make the gastrointestinal tract an ideal model system in which to explore the general features of inflammatory disorders. This article highlights the histological features of several of the most common inflammatory disorders of the tubal gastrointestinal system with a focus on comparing pathogenesis and host response between disease types. While by no means a complete survey of inflammatory gastrointestinal disorders, the selected diseases serve as examples of the major classes of gastrointestinal inflammatory disease to illustrate the range of shared and unique features.
Chapter 6 – Toll-like Receptors in Innate Immunity

Since the first description of mammalian toll-like receptors (TLRs) in 1997, enormous progress has been made in elucidating the role of TLRs in disease through combining in vitro cellular/molecular studies, in vivo animal studies, and human genetic population studies of the innate immune response. The family of mammalian TLRs plays a key role in innate immune responses to a wide range of bacteria, viruses, fungi, and parasites. Further, variations in human susceptibility to infection are linked to polymorphisms in TLRs and components of TLR signaling pathways. Mammalian TLRs are type I transmembrane proteins with large extracellular domains consisting of multiple leucine-rich repeat structures that vary substantially between the receptors. The intracellular domains are more highly conserved and consist largely of a well-defined domain called the Toll/IL-1 receptor (TIR) homology domain. TLRs are expressed widely, but the specific subsets expressed vary considerably between different tissues and cell types. TLRs are implicated in inflammatory responses to a wide range of microbial products. There is increasing evidence that TLRs directly bind the microbial products that they respond to. Genetic evidence strongly suggests that lipopolysaccharide (LPS) binds to TLR4. Certain minimal LPS structures such as lipid IVa and Rhodobacter sphaeroides lipid A are antagonists for human cells, but agonists in mouse cells.
A New Cross-Link for an Old Cross-Linking Drug: The Nitrogen Mustard Anticancer Agent Mechlorethamine Generates Cross-Links Derived from Abasic Sites in Addition to the Expected Drug-Bridged Cross-Links.

Nitrogen mustard anticancer drugs generate highly reactive aziridinium ions that alkylate DNA. Monoadducts arising from reaction with position N7 of guanine residues are the major DNA adducts generated by these agents. Interstrand cross-links in which the drug bridges position N7 of two guanine residues are formed in low yields relative to those of the monoadducts but are generally thought to be central to medicinal activity. The N7-alkylguanine residues generated by nitrogen mustards are depurinated to yield abasic (Ap) sites in duplex DNA. Here, we show that Ap sites generated by the nitrogen mustard mechlorethamine lead to interstrand cross-links of a type not previously associated with this drug. Gel electrophoretic data were consistent with early evolution of the expected drug-bridged cross-links, followed by the appearance of Ap-derived cross-links. The evidence is further consistent with a reaction pathway involving alkylation of a guanine residue in a 5′-GT sequence, followed by depurination to ge...
“Beyond EFL Writing Anxiety”: Tapping into the Individual Emotionality of Proficient EFL Writers Through Semi-structured Analysis and Wearable Sensing Technology

A high level of writing proficiency is a critical foundation for undergraduate writing performance and general academic success in an English-medium university. The present study proposes a model of “deconstruction” of the “anxiety” plaguing EFL writers by using a case study (Study one). The purpose of this qualitative single embedded case study is to explore both perceived/real challenges and positive affective factors experienced and harnessed by competent Chinese EFL writers studying at an English-medium university. In order to further objectively uncover the writers’ temporal emotion change, we will conduct a second study to continuously collect their physiological data through wearable and sensing technology. Both studies aim to add depth into our understanding of the link between anxiety and writing efficacy. Gaining an understanding of what is perceived as positive affective factors by competent EFL writers, stakeholders, instructors and institutions can utilize these facts to develop/adjust writing teaching techniques, methods, or beneficial interventions, thereby increasing the potential for academic success.
Explicating communicative competence as a theoretical term.

There is a vast research literature on communicative competence. By searching the PsyInfo database in January 2000, using only the terms communicative competence and communication competence, we generated a list of 570 dissertations, articles, books, and book chapters. Although our list includes entries dating back to the mid-1950s, more than 90% of the works have been published since 1980, and 50% have appeared since 1990. A parallel search of PsyInfo using the broader term social competence produced 2,616 relevant works.
Foraging Games Between Fierce Predators and Their Prey

Abstract Carnivores and their prey often represent behaviorally sophisticated games of stealth and fear. However, traditional mass-action models of predator-prey dynamics treat individuals as behaviorally unresponsive “molecules” in Brownian motion. Here, the goal is to extend foraging theory to consider a predator-prey game of stealth and fear and then consider the consequences of this game for predator-prey population dynamics.At the ESS of the game, the prey select an optimal level of apprehension and vigilance while the predator selects the optimal amount of time to remain in a hunting patch before moving onto another patch of prey.
Changes in urine albumin to creatinine ratio with the initiation of hydroxyurea therapy among children and adolescents with sickle cell disease.

Background Renal damage is a progressive complication of sickle cell disease (SCD) that begins in childhood and may progress to renal failure and early mortality in 12% of adults with hemoglobin SS (HbSS) SCD. Early sickle nephropathy is characterized by hyperfiltration and microalbuminuria; therefore, urine albumin to creatinine ratio (ACR) is an effective screening tool for its detection. Procedure This study investigated the effect of hydroxyurea (HU) therapy on urine ACR levels among children with SCD. A retrospective review was conducted to identify all patients with HbSS or HbSβ0 thalassemia of age 7–18 years who began HU therapy in 2011–2013; a control group of patients not on HU were matched by age and baseline hemoglobin. All urine ACR measurements ≤24 months prior to and ≥24 months after HU initiation were recorded. Results There were 63 eligible patients on HU and 13 (25%) with albuminuria prior to HU initiation. Among those with baseline albuminuria, the median ACR was 96 mg/g prior to HU, 39 mg/g at 1 year (P = 0.02), and 25 mg/g at 2 years (P = 0.03). Albuminuria normalized in 37.5% (6/16) after 1 year and 61% (8/13) after 2 years of HU therapy. Among those without albuminuria prior to HU, 13% (6/47) developed albuminuria during HU therapy. Sixteen percent (13/80) of control patients had albuminuria in the beginning of study period, which normalized in 15% (two of 13) of patients at 1-year follow up. Conclusion Introduction of HU is associated with significant decreases in urine ACR in children with SCD and albuminuria.
CMieux: Adaptive strategies for competitive supply chain trading

Supply chains are a central element of today's global economy. Existing management practices consist primarily of static interactions between established partners. Global competition, shorter product life cycles and the emergence of Internet-mediated business solutions create an incentive for exploring more dynamic supply chain practices. The supply chain trading agent competition (TAC SCM) was designed to explore approaches to dynamic supply chain trading between automated software agents. TAC SCM pits trading agents developed by teams from around the world against one another. Each agent is responsible for running the procurement, planning and bidding operations of a PC assembly company, while competing with others for both customer orders and supplies under varying market conditions. This paper presents Carnegie Mellon University's 2005 TAC SCM entry, the CMieux supply chain trading agent. CMieux implements a novel approach for coordinating supply chain bidding, procurement and planning, with an emphasis on the ability to rapidly adapt to changing market conditions. We present empirical results based on 200 games involving agents entered by 25 different teams during what can be seen as the most competitive phase of the 2005 tournament. Not only did CMieux perform among the top five agents, it significantly outperformed these agents in procurement while matching their bidding performance. We also simulated 40 games against the best publicly available agent binaries. Our results show CMieux has significantly better average overall performance than any of these agents.
Bariatric Surgery and the Risk of Cancer in a Large Multisite Cohort

Objective:To determine whether bariatric surgery is associated with a lower risk of cancer.Background:Obesity is strongly associated with many types of cancer. Few studies have examined the relationship between bariatric surgery and cancer risk.Methods:We conducted a retrospective cohort study of pa
Assessing Multiple Abstract Algebra Assessments

AbstractIn this qualitative study, we initiate a discussion as to why instructors should implement numerous assessments into their mathematics courses. We describe the purpose and structure of formative and summative assessments implemented in an undergraduate two-semester sequence of abstract algebra. The evaluations included homework, exams, projects, oral assessments, worksheets, and presentations. We discuss students’ reactions to these assessments and summarize how the students believed the assessments contributed to their learning. We describe students’ perceptions of how the assessments measured their abstract algebra knowledge and helped them learn the material in an interactive environment. Through the students’ voices, we illustrate how the assessments promoted interaction among the students and modeled potential alternative assessments for preservice teachers.
Chapter IX – Oral Manifestations of Diseases of the Skin

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses oral manifestations of the diseases of the skin. The skin is composed of layers of dense collagen and elastic tissue covered by keratinized stratified squamous epithelium. Rete ridges extend from the surface epithelium into the subjacent connective tissue resulting in a very irregular junction separating the epidermis from the dermis. A zone of fatty tissue attaches the skin to the underlying tissues. The thickness of the skin is dependent on function. The epidermis of the skin has various degrees of hornification depending upon function. The skin of the palms and soles has a thick layer of keratin because of the degree of mechanical friction encountered by these surfaces. The skin and oral mucosa are permeable to various drug and chemical substances. The permeability of the oral mucosa is dependent upon the degree of hornification. Scleroderma is a rare disease accompanied by thick and stiff skin. The disease occurs in two forms, that is, localized and systemic scleroderma. The oral cavity is frequently involved during scleroderma. Allergic stomatitis may result in the oral cavity from numerous exciting agents which may be classified as vegetable and mineral substances, foods, chemicals and drugs, tobacco, bacteria and physical factors (heat, cold, trauma). Pityriasis rosea is an acute skin disease of unknown etiology. The oral lesions appear primarily on the buccal mucosa, tongue, and palate as asymptomatic erythematous macules. The oral lesions occur simultaneously with the skin lesions. Psoriasis is a chronic inflammatory skin disease characterized by red-brown papules or plaques covered by silvery-white scales.
Interferon γ and Its Important Roles in Promoting and Inhibiting Spontaneous and Therapeutic Cancer Immunity

Originally identified in studies of cellular resistance to viral infection, interferon (IFN)-γ is now known to represent a distinct member of the IFN family and plays critical roles not only in orchestrating both innate and adaptive immune responses against viruses, bacteria, and tumors, but also in promoting pathologic inflammatory processes. IFN-γ production is largely restricted to T lymphocytes and natural killer (NK) cells and can ultimately lead to the generation of a polarized immune response composed of T helper (Th)1 CD4+ T cells and CD8+ cytolytic T cells. In contrast, the temporally distinct elaboration of IFN-γ in progressively growing tumors also promotes a state of adaptive resistance caused by the up-regulation of inhibitory molecules, such as programmed-death ligand 1 (PD-L1) on tumor cell targets, and additional host cells within the tumor microenvironment. This review focuses on the diverse positive and negative roles of IFN-γ in immune cell activation and differentiation leading to protective immune responses, as well as the paradoxical effects of IFN-γ within the tumor microenvironment that determine the ultimate fate of that tumor in a cancer-bearing individual.
Long-term results after radiosurgery for benign intracranial tumors.

BACKGROUND: Stereotactic radiosurgery is the priocipal therapeutic alternative to resecting benign intracranial tumors. The goals of radiosurgery are the long-term prevention of tumor growth, the maintenance of patient function, and the prevention of new neurological deficits or adverse radiation effects. Evaluation of long-term outcomes more than 10 years after radiosurgery is needed. METHODS: We evaluated 285 consecutive patients who underwent radiosurgery for benign intracranial tumors between 1987 and 1992. Serial imaging studies were obtained, and clinical evaluations were performed. Our series included 157 patients with vestibular schwannomas, 85 patients with meningiomas, 28 patients with pituitary adenomas, 10 patients with other cranial nerve schwannomas, and 5 patients with craniopharyngiomas. Prior surgical resection had been performed in 44% of these patients, and prior radiotherapy had been administered in 5%. The median follow-up period was 10 years. RESULTS: Overall, 95% of the 285 patients in this series had imaging-defined local tumor control (63% had tumor regression, and 32% had no further tumor growth). The actuarial tumor control rate at 15 years was 93.7%. In 5% of the patients, delayed tumor growth was identified. Resection was performed after radiosurgery in 13 patients (5%). No patient developed a radiation-induced tumor. Eighty-one percent of the patients were still alive at the time of this analysis. Normal facial nerve function was maintained in 95% of patients who had normal function before undergoing treatment for acoustic neuromas. CONCLUSION: Stereotactic radiosurgery provided high rates of tumor growth control, often with tumor regression, and low morbidity rates in patients with benign intracranial tumors when evaluated over the long term. This study supports radiosurgery as a reliable alternative to surgical resection for selected patients with benign intracranial tumors.
Adherence to Weight Loss and Nutritional Regimens

The King: You have a physician. What does he do? Moliere: Sire, we converse. He gives me advice, which I do not follow, and then I get better. —Treue (1958) (cited in Taylor, 1991, p. 312)
A Mispricing-Based Explanation of How Flow Affects Mutual Fund Performance

Using fund raw return as a proxy for unsophisticated flows, I find that future fund performance increases in alpha and decreases in flow. I show that funds holding stocks which, in aggregate, have been sold by funds with low flows do better in the future. Such stocks have had their prices pushed down, and therefore outperform. A measure of these “aggregate flow-induced sales” of a fund’s portfolio largely subsumes raw return in predicting future fund performance. These results have implications for the debate on whether flows are responsible for the lack of mutual fund performance persistence.
Effect of microgravity on grain coarsening during liquid phase sintering in the Fe–Cu system

Samples within the Fe–Cu system with three different volume fractions of solid (50, 60 and 70 vol% Fe) and four different sintering times (2.5, 5, 17 and 66 min) were liquid phase sintered (LPS) in microgravity. Particle coarsening during LPS is generally known to increase with increasing volume fraction of solid. Contrary to expectations, there was an enhancement in particle coarsening with a decrease in the volume fraction of solid. The agglomerated microstructures observed in these samples (especially those with a lower volume fraction of solid) also exhibited a higher grain growth constant consistent with their higher 3D coordination number. The relevant analysis discussed in this paper strongly suggests that agglomeration is promoted by Brownian motion that dominates any density-driven force in the absence of gravity. The observed particle growth characteristics were in excellent agreement with the Lifshitz–Slyozov encounter modified theory, which incorporates the effect of higher solid volume fraction and particle coalescence into the LSW theory. The particle distributions appear to remain unchanged with processing time beyond 2.5 min, suggesting thereby, that agglomeration promotes an equilibrium particle configuration early on in the process and enables scaled grain growth with time.
Taxation, redistribution, and models of fiscal politics in Latin America

Latin American fiscal policy presents a stark challenge to standard analytical models of political economy. Most importantly, since about 1990 the combination of drastic inequality, electoral democracy, and weak redistributive efforts appears to contradict the economists’ workhorse, the median-voter model, which predicts significant fiscal redistribution under these conditions (Meltzer and Richard, 1981; Profeta and Scabrosetti, 2008: 70–71; Huber and Stephens, 2012). However, recent innovations – a “basic universalism” in social welfare and a couple of progressive tax reforms – might be thought to bring the region more in line with the model's predictions, or perhaps those of other approaches. In short, this field could benefit from theoretical clarification. This paper evaluates the performance of median-voter and several other models in an attempt to explain longstanding differences in fiscal policy. It compares Latin America with other world regions, first and mainly, before examining variation across the region. It then turns its attention to the new developments in policy.
Improving Family Functioning Following Diagnosis of ASD: A Randomized Trial of a Parent Mentorship Program

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is known to impact family functioning and decrease family quality of life. Unfortunately, many parents of children with ASD are left to coordinate their child’s care with little ongoing support or education. There is a growing interest in parent-to-parent (P2P) programs to provide family supports with the goal of improving family outcomes. This study investigates a P2P program for families of children newly diagnosed with ASD that combines (1) family-centered action planning, (2) education on accessing complex systems of care, and (3) ongoing mentorship by a trained Parent Mentor for six months. In a randomized controlled trial, the intervention was given to a group of parents (N = 33) and compared to a waitlist group (N = 34). The intervention consisted of development of an individualized action plan and training on navigating service systems immediately after entry into the program, followed by monthly check-ins by a trained parent mentor for six months. An intent-to-treat analysis examined the impact of CPM on family quality of life, family functioning, service utilization, and program acceptability and satisfaction. The intervention improved satisfaction with disability-related services and prevented rigidity in family functioning. Services used outside of school increased for both groups but did not meet the national recommendation. Participants described the program as highly acceptable and indicated that it improved their emotional wellbeing. The CPM program may be a useful tool for helping families cope with their child’s ASD; although, additional research is needed to confirm these effects.
Effective interdisciplinary collaboration between statisticians and other subject matter experts

Progress and innovative solutions to challenging problems often come at the intersection of multiple disciplines. Statisticians frequently are presented with opportunities to participate on or lead...
Clustering and supervisory voltage control in power systems

Abstract In this paper, the problem of decomposing a large interconnected power network into smaller loosely-coupled zones in order to facilitate easy and flexible management of power transmission systems is addressed. This decomposition enables secondary level voltage control at regional levels and controlled islanding, which can be used to prevent the spreading of large-area blackouts. An electrical power transmission system is viewed as a fully-connected, weighted directed graph, where nodes and edge-weights of the graph represent buses and quantifications of electrical similarity between any two buses, respectively. Unlike impedance or admittance based similarity measures which are largely restrictive and do not account for topology of power networks, the electrical similarity between any two buses in this work is considered in terms of their influence over the remainder of the network. In particular, the electrical similarity between two buses is quantified in terms of the respective voltage fluctuations over all the buses in the network as a result of reactive power perturbations at these buses. Moreover, quantification of electrical influence does not have significant bearing on the computational complexity since it is computed using jacobians obtained as byproducts of solving power flow equations. The resulting directed graph is then clustered into prespecified number of zones that are weakly coupled electrically using a graph-theoretic clustering algorithm. A rule-based decentralized control strategy is proposed for effective management of bus voltages in the weakly coupled zones that are obtained as a result of the clustering process. The proposed approach is then tested on IEEE test systems for applications such as supervisory voltage control and islanding, and results in excellent identification of mutually decoupled sub-networks within a large power network.
A Technique for Seamless Forecast Construction and Validation from Weather to Monthly Time Scales

AbstractSub-seasonal time scales lie in the middle of the range of "seamless" prediction spanning discrete forecasts for weather prediction issued on the shortest time interval forecasts are report...
Free and cued memory in relation to biomarker-defined abnormalities in clinically normal older adults and those at risk for Alzheimer's disease.

Abstract Objectives Furthering our understanding of the relationship between amyloidosis (Aβ), neurodegeneration (ND), and cognition is imperative for early identification and early intervention of Alzheimer's disease (AD). However, the subtle cognitive decline differentially associated with each biomarker-defined stage of preclinical AD has yet to be fully characterized. Recent work indicates that different components of memory performance (free and cued recall) may be differentially specific to memory decline in prodromal AD. We sought to examine the relationship between free and cued recall paradigms, in addition to global composites of memory, executive functioning, and processing speed in relation to stages of preclinical AD. Methods A total of 260 clinically normal (CN) older adults (CDR=0) from the Harvard Aging Brain study were grouped according to preclinical AD stages including Stage 0 (Aβ-/ND-), Stage 1 (Aβ+/ND-), Stage 2 (Aβ+/ND+), and suspected non-Alzheimer’s associated pathology (SNAP; Aβ-/ND+). General linear models controlling for age, sex, and education were used to assess for stage-based performance differences on cognitive composites of executive functioning, processing speed, and memory in addition to free and cued delayed recall on the Selective Reminding Test (SRT) and Memory Capacity Test (MCT). Results Global memory performance differed between preclinical stages with Stage 2 performing worse compared with Stage 0. When examining free and cued paradigms by memory test, only the MCT (and not the SRT) revealed group differences. More specifically, Stage 1 was associated with decrements in free recall compared with Stage 0 while Stage 2 was associated with decrements in both free and cued recall. There was a trend for the SNAP group to perform worse on free recall compared with Stage 0. Finally, there was no association between preclinical stage and global composites of executive functioning or processing speed. Conclusions Clinically normal older adults with underlying evidence of amyloidosis and neurodegeneration exhibit subtle, yet measurable differences in memory performance, but only on a challenging associative test. The sensitivity of free vs. cued memory paradigms may be dependent on preclinical stage such that reduced free recall is associated with amyloidosis alone (Stage 1) while a decline in cued recall may represent progression to amyloidosis and neurodegeneration (Stage 2). These findings may have practical applications for clinical assessment and clinical trial design.