cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Identification of A Prednisolone Derivative Interacting with Calf Thymus Histones

Prednisolone dissolved in 0.2 M phosphate buffer, pH 7.4, was analyzed by TLC and found to undergo degradative changes. One of the products on the chromatogram was identified as 21-dehydroprednisolone which interacted with calf thymus histones. Minimal or no binding occurred with prednisolone and the carboxylic derivative. The transformation of prednisolone to 21-dehydroprednisolone was blocked by EDTA and facilitated by cupric ions. However, the binding of histones with prednisolone in phosphate buffer was depressed when cupric ions were added to the media. The results of this study suggest that prednisolone in phosphate buffer is transformed to 21-dehydroprednisolone which interacts with calf thymus histones.
Short Sleep Times Predict Obesity in Internal Medicine Clinic Patients

Study Objectives:Epidemiological studies have demonstrated an association between short sleep times and obesity as defined by body mass index (BMI). We wanted to determine whether this association ...
A Review of the Advances in Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Treatment

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality across the globe and within the United States. Although several medication classes are used for COPD treatment, none of these medications have been shown to significantly improve long-term lung function or mitigate overall disease progression. This review describes the pharmacologic treatment options for COPD and highlights recent studies evaluating the impact of bronchodilators and combination therapy on lung function, mortality, quality of life, and exacerbations. Additionally, indacaterol and roflumilast, 2 new COPD treatment agents approved by the Food and Drug Administration in 2011, are discussed. Pharmacists play an important role in managing and educating patients with COPD and should utilize new evidence to make recommendations.
Familial Alzheimer Dementia: a prevalent disorder with specific clinical features

The early literature on Alzheimer Dementia (AD) describes the clinical features aphasia, apraxia and agraphia as characteristic. We investigated the hypothesis that these features would specifically identify the familial form of AD (FAD). Since pedigree studies had suggested that FAD is an autosomal dominant genetic disorder, we hypothesized that the first-degree relatives of language-disordered or apractic AD probands would show at least 50% lifetime risks of dementia. Using standardized methods, we screened 3500 nursing home beds for stringently defined AD cases and controls, tested for agraphia, and obtained probands' clinical and family histories from multiple informants. Language disorder and apraxia were found in 78% of AD cases. They strongly predicted familial aggregation of dementia, with a 90-year lifetime incidence among relatives exceeding 50%, or 7 times the control values. The results suggest that language disorder and apraxia specifically identify a distinct clinical entity, Familial Alzheimer Dementia, that is among the commonest forms of senile dementia.
Object-oriented tool for controlling a multipurpose robot cell

As the piece cost of completed circuit boards increases and production quantities decrease, reworking of defective boards has become an important part of the production process. The lead-pitch of surface mount components has also been decreasing, which has required increased training and skill level of the rework operators. Fully-automated rework provides a solution to these problems. In order to simplify the control of automated rework of surface mount circuit boards from an operator's viewpoint, an Object-Oriented Tool was developed at Rensselaer for an automated rework cell that uses the Apple Macintosh Graphical Interface. The interface reduces operator skill and training requirements for the operation of the automated cell. This paper includes a description of the fully-automated rework cell created at Rensselaer and describes the Object-Oriented Tool development and its final structure.© (1995) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Detection and identification of viruses by electron microscopy.

Electron microscopy can aid in the rapid diagnosis of viral diseases, as it can be performed in a matter of hours, but on a routine basis it should be used in conjunction with other techniques. Initially, the specimen source and patient symptoms should be ascertained, as these will lend suggestions of possible agents while eliminating others; however, this information should not be allowed to prejudice observation in such a way as to cause oversight of an unlikely pathogen. Second, selection of the method of preparation should be based on sample consistency; extraction, debris clarification, concentration, tissue culture amplification, or embedment may be necessary. Finally, false-positive results must be avoided by differentiating viruses from cell organelles or debris, mycoplasmal or bacterial contamination, and bacteriophages.
Olfactory dysfunction in Parkinson disease

Olfactory dysfunction is among the earliest nonmotor features of Parkinson disease (PD). Such dysfunction is present in approximately 90% of early-stage PD cases and can precede the onset of motor symptoms by years. The mechanisms responsible for olfactory dysfunction are currently unknown. As equivalent deficits are observed in Alzheimer disease, Down syndrome, and the Parkinson-dementia complex of Guam, a common pathological substrate may be involved. Given that olfactory loss occurs to a lesser extent or is absent in disorders such as multiple system atrophy, corticobasal degeneration, and progressive supranuclear palsy, olfactory testing can be useful in differential diagnosis. The olfactory dysfunction in PD and a number of related diseases with smell loss correlates with decreased numbers of neurons in structures such as the locus coeruleus, the raphe nuclei, and the nucleus basalis of Meynart. These neuroanatomical findings, together with evidence for involvement of the autonomic nervous system in numerous PD-related symptoms, suggest that deficits in cholinergic, noradrenergic and serotonergic function may contribute to the olfactory loss. This Review discusses the current understanding of olfactory dysfunction in PD, including factors that may be related to its cause.
Execution Time Analysis of a Parallel Steiner Tree Algorithm on Server-Client Model of Computation

This paper presents the computational analysis and simulation of the parallel Steiner tree problem on the client- sever model of computation. In particular, this work analyzes the time delays among server and clients, presents an algorithm for an event-driven simulation of Steiner tree problem on server-client model, and examines some consequences of time delays on the execution time. In addition, the paper calculates the expression for the optimal number of client processors required by the parallel algorithm for optimal efficiency. The compact mathematical expressions can be use confidently to simulate or implement parallel Steiner tree on the server-client model of computation.
Feed Lot Tests with Ronnel for Control of Cattle Grubs

Ronnel ( O,O -dimethyl O -(2,4,5-trichlorophenyl) phosphorothioate; formerly designated Dow ET-57 and manufactured under the trade name Trolene) was administered orally to steers and heifers in a commercial feed lot in the Imperial Valley, California for control of Hypoderma lineatum (De Vill.) and H. bovis (L.). It was given in a bolus at the rate of 100 mg./kg. of body weight. Effective control of cattle grubs was obtained even in animals treated late following infestation. Best results were obtained when treatment was made before the grubs reached the animal’s back. Hide damage and carcass trim were greatly reduced on the treated animals as compared with the controls. No significant weight gain of the treated animals over the controls was noted.
A combined approach for distinguishing different types of jamming attacks against wireless networks

In this paper, we devised a combined approach to distinguish different types of jamming attacks against wireless networks. Based on the shared characteristics of the wireless medium, a wireless network can be easily affected by jamming attacks, which is one of the most effective forms of denial-of-service (DoS) attacks against this type of networking architecture. Attacks can be implemented by either corrupting the operations of the medium access control (MAC) protocols or transmitting large amounts of interfering wireless signals without obeying the MAC protocols. Most jamming detection approaches cannot provide an effective way for differentiating between the various categories of jamming attacks. To enable the network to perform defense strategies more effectively, distinguishing the type of different jamming attacks is necessary. In this paper, we improve existing jamming detection approaches by using a novel statistical model and evaluate it both theoretically and experimentally. We begin by combining two existing jamming detection methods together to sort the jamming types roughly. Then, based on the statistical data of Packets Send Ratio (PSR) and Packets Delivery Ratio (PDR) in different jamming situations, we built a model to further subdivide the jamming attacks. Finally, we evaluate our proposed strategy using the ns-2 simulation platform.
Transcriptional profiling and regulation of the extracellular matrix during muscle regeneration.

Muscle regeneration is a complex process requiring the coordinated interaction between the myogenic progenitor cells or satellite cells, growth factors, cytokines, inflammatory components, vascular components and the extracellular matrix (ECM). Previous studies have elegantly described the physiological modulation of the regenerative process in response to muscle injury, but the molecular response that characterizes stages of the repair process remains ill-defined. The recent completion of the Human and Mouse Genome Projects and the advent of technologies such as high-density oligonucleotide array analysis facilitate an expanded analysis of complex processes such as muscle regeneration. In the present study, we define cellular and molecular events that characterize stages of muscle injury and regeneration. Utilization of transcriptional profiling strategies revealed coordinated expression of growth factors [i.e., Tgfb1, Igf1, Egf, chemokine (C-C motif) ligand 6 and 7], the fetal myogenic program (Myod1, Myf5, Myf6), and the biomatrix (procollagen genes, Mmp3, Mmp9, biglycan, periostin) during muscle regeneration. Corroboration of the transcriptional profiling analysis included quantitative real-time RT-PCR and in situ hybridization analyses of selected candidate genes. In situ hybridization studies for periostin [osteoblast-specific factor 2 (fasciclin I-like)] and biglycan revealed that these genes are restricted to mesenchymal derivatives during embryogenesis and are significantly regulated during regeneration of the injured hindlimb skeletal muscle. We conclude that muscle regeneration is a complex process that requires the coordinated modulation of the inflammatory response, myogenic progenitor cells, growth factors, and ECM for complete restoration of muscle architecture.
Radiotherapy service delivery models for a dispersed patient population.

Access to health care interventions can be impeded when significant patient travel is required. In this economic evaluation we compare, from a societal perspective, three scenarios for the delivery of radiation treatment to an idealized population of 1600 patients distributed between two urban nodes (1200 + 400 patients each) separated by up to 500 km. As it is implicitly assumed that the clinical outcome for those patients who access the system is independent of the service delivery model, this study constitutes a cost minimization analysis from a societal perspective. The costs to the health care system are based on an activity costing model developed by us and consistent with recent Canadian studies. The costs to the patient are approximated by a formula that includes direct costs (travel and accommodation) and indirect (time) costs, with the latter based on a human capital approach. A sensitivity analysis has been performed to confirm the robustness of our conclusions both to uncertainties in the input data and to the inclusion of time costs, the estimation of which remains controversial. From a societal cost perspective only, we show that outreach radiotherapy (central comprehensive facility and satellite) is the economically superior service delivery model for separations between 30 km and 170 km. Beyond 170 km, a fully decentralized service would be warranted if the only consideration were societal economic advantage.
Market survey of acceleration-insensitive SAW oscillators

In order to determine how closely commercially available surface acoustic wave (SAW)-stabilized oscillators approach required acceleration sensitivity, a market survey of both fixed frequency and voltage controlled oscillators (VCOs) is being conducted. The results will provide a greater understanding of the ability of commercial vendors to satisfy the hostile vibration environment of the battlefield. A preliminary report on devices tested to date is provided. >
Congressional Opposition, the Economy, and U.S. Dispute Initiation, 1946-2000

Does congressional opposition constrain the president's conflict behavior in response to poor economic performance? Other research has shown that legislative constraints such as divided government reduce the executive's propensity to initiate conflict. But institutional constraints on democratic leaders may also make them likely to use force abroad when faced with deteriorating domestic conditions. The author argues that legislative constraints on presidential action during periods of economic decline compel the president to pursue alternatives that he can implement without congressional approval to display his leadership skills—including the use of military force abroad. The author examines the interactive effects of congressional opposition and economic performance on the propensity to initiate militarized interstate disputes from 1946 to 2000. The president is more likely to use force in response to economic decline when facing an opposition Congress than during years in which he enjoys partisan suppor...
Constructive results from graph minors: linkless embeddings

A formal study of three-dimensional topological graph theory is initiated. The problem of deciding whether a graph can be embedded in 3-space so that no collection of vertex-disjoint cycles is topologically linked is considered first. The Robertson-Seymour Theory of Graph Minors is applicable to this problem and guarantees the existence of an O(n/sup 3/) algorithm for the decision problem. However, not even a finite-time decision procedure was known for this problem. A small set of forbidden minors for linkless embeddable graphs is exhibited, and it is shown that any graph with these minors cannot be embedded without linked cycles. It is further established that any graph that does not contain these minors is embeddable without linked cycles. Thus, an O(n/sup 3/) algorithm for the decision problem is demonstrated. It is believed that the proof technique will lead to an algorithm for actually embedding a graph, provided it does not contain the forbidden minors. >
Groups in Context: A New Perspective on Group Dynamics

This article presents a review of the book “Groups In Context: A New Perspective on Group Dynamics,” edited by Jonathan Gillette and Marion McCollom.
What went wrong: a taxonomy of video game bugs

Video games are complex, emergent systems that are difficult to design and test. This difficulty invariably leads to failures being present in the game, negatively impacting the play experience of some. We present a taxonomy of possible failures, divided into temporal and non-temporal failures. The taxonomy can guide the thinking of designers and testers alike, helping them expose bugs in the game. This will lead to games being better tested and designed, with fewer failures when released.
Conservative Weather in a Liberalizing Climate: Change in Selected NORC General Social Survey Items, 1972–78

This paper traces the changes in 12 especially volatile items in the NORC General Social Survey 1972-78 (11 national priority questions and reports of changes in one's finances) and an abortion item that showed an unexpected plateau pattern. Despite sociological predictions of a trend toward liberalism stemming from demographic changes (the Stouffer hypothesis) the set, as a whole, showed a conservative direction consistent with the claims of recent pop sociology. The paradox is resolved by a multivariate causal model that shows both patterns of change to be operating. The metaphor of a slow, long-tern trend toward liberalism in the opinion climate plus a sharp, shortterm shift toward conservativism in the opinion weather is introduced to interpret the results. The striking absence of interactions in the data casts doubt on the hypothesis that the young or the better educated tend to lead other groups as opinions shift. In the months of February and March of 1972 through 1978, the National Opinion Research Center (NORC), with heroic inhibition of its urge to improve their wording, asked identical questions of national samples of adult Americans in its General Social Survey (GSS). (For details, see Appendix.) This rigidity was, oddly enough, in the service of studying change. Because the questions are repeated, one may use the cumulative file (N = 10,652) to track trends for some 200 items, over six years within a variety of social groups, using repeated samples from the same statistical universe.
NAMD: a Parallel, Object-Oriented Molecular Dynamics Program

NAMD is a molecular dynamics program designed for high performance simulations of large biomolecular systems on parallel computers. An object-oriented design imple mented using C++ facilitates the incorporation of new algorithms into the program. NAMD uses spatial decom position coupled with a multithreaded, message-driven design, which is shown to scale efficiently to multiple processors. Also, NAMD incorporates the distributed par allel multipole tree algorithm for full electrostatic force evaluation in ON time. NAMD can be connected via a communication system to a molecular graphics program in order to provide an interactive modeling tool for viewing and modifying a running simulation. The application of NAMD to a protein-water system of 32,867 atoms illus trates the performance of NAMD.
Some distribution and moment formulae for the Markov renewal process

Abstract : A Markov Renewal Process (M.R.P.) is a Markov chain, in which the time taken to move from one state to another is not fixed, but is a random variable, whose distribution depends on the two states between which the transition is made. If f sub ij (t) denotes the number of transitions from i to j (i,j = 1, ... , m) of such an M.R.P. in the time interval (0,6), F(t) = (f sub ij (t)) is called the transition count matrix of the M.R.P. The distribution of this matrix is derived in this paper; its first and second order moments are obtained and asymptotic expressions for these moments, when t is large, are also derived. These expressions are in terms of the basic quantities p sub ij, Q sub ij of the M.R.P. and not in terms of recurrence times, as obtained by Pyke, and hence more suitable. Distributions, moments, and cross moments of cumulative processes associated with the M.R.P. are also derived. (Author)
Equity, Justice and Standards: Assessment Decision Making in Higher Education.

Recent concerns about ‘fairness’ in university entrance have highlighted the need to review existing practices in admissions processes. The agendas for equity and social inclusion, however, must also apply to the processes and outcomes of higher education, where considerations of ‘standards’ are additionally crucial. As principles underpinning the assessment process, ‘equity’ and ‘justice’ and ‘academic standards’ are part of taken‐for‐granted cultures and practices which impact on decisions about progression, eligibility for awards and degree classification for individual students. Changing discourses of academic standards have given rise to contrasting decision‐making processes rooted in the role and operation of assessment boards. Contrasting models of assessment board cultures are developed to highlight how practices are beset by conceptual confusions about what is being assessed and the basis for judgements about success and failure in higher education. There is a strong case, not only for critical r...
Pump thrombosis redux.

Left ventricular assist devices (LVADs) are now a durable mainstay of therapy for medically refractory advanced heart failure (HF). Continuous-flow LVADs demonstrated increased longevity and enhanced quality of life in a series of landmark trials, ushering in an era where more LVADs are now implanted annually than hearts transplanted. Less than 50% of current LVAD recipients are listed for heart transplantation at the time of implant, and many stand-alone VAD programs, outside of transplant centers, are well established. Enthusiasm grew in the early part of this decade to investigate expanded indications for LVADs in ambulatory patients before transition to inotrope dependence. Even as adoption of this technology accelerated, concerns about a rise in pump malfunction due to device thrombosis were reported in the most widely implanted LVAD platform worldwide, the HeartMate (HM) II (Thoratec Inc, Pleasanton, CA). Two separate reports in 2013 documented a spike in HM II pump thrombosis rates beginning in 2011, several years after U.S. Food and Drug Administration approval of the device. These reports estimated the risk of thrombosis at 6 months to be between 6% and 12%, at least 3-fold higher than noted in the registration trials. Another report suggested that this problem was not confined to the HM II device but was also observed with the HeartWare HVAD (HeartWare International Inc, Framingham, MA) pump. Fueling more uneasiness, thrombosis rates appeared to be increasing with each subsequent year, threatening the viability of mechanical support in expanded indications. Although rising thrombosis rates were not initially linked to a decline in overall post-LVAD survival, the diagnosis of pump thrombosis conferred substantial morbidity, need for pump exchange, and increased cost of care. Awareness of the effect of pump thrombosis on patient outcomes prompted the United Network of Organ Sharing in 2013 to allow emergency priority listing for patients with impending or manifest pump thrombosis, whereas no
Color Coding and Size Enhancements of Switch Symbol Critical Features

The purpose of these two studies was to evaluate recognition performance of symbols on programmable switches using different critical feature enhancement techniques. Based on previous studies, it was assumed that subjects were processing the meaning of the symbols at a holistic level. Enhancing a critical feature (the specific part of the symbol which makes it most identifiable) was proposed as a method for creating a more unique symbol, thereby improving recognition performance. Color coding and size enhancement of the critical feature were evaluated to determine if either technique improved symbol recognition performance. In the first study the size enhancement was between 60–75% in total number of pixels for the critical feature. The amount of size enhancement was limited by the display surface area. In the second study, a new method of size enhancement was utilized whereby the longest axis of the critical feature was increased by 0.10 of an inch. In this study, there was no display surface constraint....
Application of selected viroids for dwarfing and enhancement of production of ‘Valencia’ orange

Citrus viroids, CVd-la, CVd-IIa, and CVd-IIIb, representative of three distinct Citrus Viroid Groups, resulted in a statistically significant reduction of 20-50% in tree size of Valencia orange, Ci...
Effects of Age and Meal Composition on Feeding Behavior and Postfeeding Diuresis in Adult Helicoverpa zea (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae)

The effects of age and meal composition on feeding behavior and postfeeding diuresis in corn earworm moths have been investigated. Meal size is governed by the type of sugar present and its concentration, and postfeeding weight loss appears to be regulated by the effect of the ingested meal on hemolymph osmolarity by the control of crop emptying. For each age group tested, meal size increased with increasing sucrose concentration. Meal size also increased with insect age at any given sucrose concentration. High concentrations of ingested sucrose resulted in an increase in hemolymph osmolarity, and a reduction in crop emptying and subsequent postfeeding weight loss. Intrahemocoelic injection of glucose or trehalose following low-concentration sucrose meals was also effective in reducing postfeeding weight loss. Glucose and fructose meals were usually smaller than sucrose meals, but the patterns of postfeeding diuresis were similar. These results strongly suggest that there is a postdigestion control site for the regulation of postfeeding diuresis in this insect, and that hemolymph osmolarity and its effect on crop emptying serve to control the processing of a meal following feeding.
Ablation of eNOS does not promote adipose tissue inflammation.

Adipose tissue (AT) inflammation is a hallmark characteristic of obesity and an important determinant of insulin resistance and cardiovascular disease; therefore, a better understanding of factors ...
The mechanism of adenosylcobalamin-dependent rearrangements.

Abstract Adenosylcobalamin (AdoCbl)-dependent rearrangements are a group of reactions with no obvious precedents in organic chemistry. In every case, they are characterized by a mechanism in which a hydrogen atom on one carbon atom exchanges places with a group X on an adjacent carbon: (formula; see text) Much experimental work indicates that an AdoCbl rearrangement is initiated by homolysis of the C-Co bond of the cofactor. The migrating hydrogen is then abstracted from the substrate by the resulting 5'-deoxyadenosyl radical, or by a second radical that is generated elsewhere at the active site, and, after the migration of group X, is returned to the product in a similar reaction. In at least some of the rearrangements, group X migration may occur via a cation radical intermediate that formed by the departure of X with its electrons, a process assisted by the unpaired electron left behind on the adjacent carbon after the abstraction of the migrating hydrogen. Once C-Co bond cleavage has initiated the reaction by producing a free radical at the active site, the corrin ring plays no further role in the rearrangements.
In Vivo Support System for Brain Imaging in Live Mice

In order to image the brain of live animals, a system is required to position an animal's head under the microscope while keeping it anesthetized and warm. Most available heating systems are thick and uneven, limiting the number of microscopes they can be used with. Most available stereotaxic devices are bulky and have difficulty aligning mice across imaging sessions. We have developed an in vivo imaging support system that provides secure head fixation, gas anesthesia delivery, and warmth. The system is built around a low-profile, heated plate with a serpentine water channel connected to a heated water reservoir. Integrated into the plate are two posts for securing a head plate. The head plate is permanently glued to the skull of the mouse. This system aligns the head consistently over multiple imaging sessions. An anesthesia nose cone with an elastomeric shroud minimizes the release of anesthetic gas into the room. It securely attaches to the plate so that the whole system can be easily moved from a table top to the microscope and back again. This system is more compact than a comparable system consisting of discrete components with an immobilization frame and a traditional heated pad. Its small size allows it to be used with more microscope systems. We have used our novel system for over 40 imaging sessions. This integrated system prevents hyperthermia while securely positioning the head, and keeping them anesthetized for the duration of each 2-hr imaging session.
Study of Structural Dynamic Selection of Foreign Reserve:Based on DCC-GARCH Model

Under the framework of "Return-Risk",this paper constructs a structural dynamic model on foreign reserve based on DCC-GARCH,which includes three amendments:take the dynamic conditional correlation GARCH model to gauge the risk,utilize the UIP to reflect the comparable currency return and incorporate the gold as the alternative asset into the whole analysis framework.The empirical results show that the time-varying feature of optimal portfolio of foreign reserve is not obvious,and China can adjust its asset structure with his own steps without disturbing the international financial market.We also find the importance of Euro might be overestimated before,while the weight of Dollar did not decline even if the crisis happened in US.Obviously,this result is kind of unreasonable,which indicates the whole reserves system needs reform largely.Moreover,we suggest it is necessary for China to add the gold reserve to make its asset structure more reasonable.
Regulation of Phospholipase Activity in Potato Leaves by Protein Phosphorylation-dephosphorylation and Proteolytic Activation

We have recently reported that calcium and calmodulin stimulate the rate of autolysis of phospholipids in potato leaf homogenates (1). Further studies (2) revealed that a soluble phospholipase activity in potato leaves could be stimulated to the same degree (30–50%) by either calmodulin or protein kinase (+ATP). Two other plant enzymes, quinate: NAD+ oxidoreductase (3) and isofloridoside-phosphate synthase (4), have also been shown to be similarly stimulated by both calmodulin and protein phosphorylation. However, the latter enzyme was also shown to be stimulated to an even greater degree by proteolysis with trypsin or chymotrypsin (4). This study was undertaken to investigate whether the phospholipase activity in potato leaves may also respond to proteolytic activation.
On profit maximization in mechanism design

Mechanism design is a subfield of game theory and microeconomics focused on incentive engineering. A mechanism is a protocol, typically taking the form of an auction, that is explicitly designed so that rational but non-cooperative agents, motivated solely by their self-interest, end up achieving the designer's goals. The challenge of mechanism design is to apply these methods to traditional computer science goals such as worst-case or competitive analysis. We consider two challenging problems related to mechanism design for profit maximization: the analysis of natural bidding strategies used by participants in sponsored search auctions, and the design of a mechanism for matroid procurement with provable performance guarantees. The sponsored search auctions of web search engines such as Google or Yahoo! use the generalized second-price (GSP) mechanism, in which bidders do not have a dominant strategy. We develop a framework for studying a variety of greedy bidding strategies and analyze their revenue, convergence and robustness properties. We compare the performance of greedy bidding strategies to that of a Nash equilibrium, quantifying how close these bidding strategies are to one of the most natural and rational stable points of the system. In the procurement problem a buyer is given a set of agents with values, along with a family of feasible sets over the agents. The goal is to procure a feasible set of maximum value, for minimum cost. Assuming that a buyer obtains a decreasing marginal benefit per feasible set procured, the problem is to determine the optimal number of feasible sets to procure in order to maximize the buyer's profit. We develop a mechanism that approximates the optimal profit to within a constant factor, when the set system is a matroid. Matroids are important structures in combinatorial optimization: for example, minimum spanning trees and node-weighted maximum matchings are both matroid problems. We also show that the well-known cost sharing revenue extraction mechanism is only truthful for matroid set systems, so that procurement problems over non-matroid set systems are not likely to be solved with current techniques.
Incorporating big data technology into computing curriculum: conference tutorial

Description: In this era of mobile devices, cloud computing, social networking and big data, organizations are collecting and generating data in massive quantities at unprecedented rates. The rapid decline in the cost of technology has enabled firms to expand their utilization of data analytics in an attempt to achieve a greater understanding of their business processes. As the tsunami of data continues to increase in volume, velocity and variety, the traditional methods of information management through which relational database systems were primarily, if not singularly, utilized have evolved to incorporate a combination of new hardware and software solutions to address the relatively nascent problems that accompany expanded data collection and utilization.
Teaching in a world of ubiquitous data access

Today’s students are “digital natives”, having grown up with ready access to the internet and thus to a world of information. Do we still expect our students to memorize facts and formulae in this new era or should we be exploring new ways to prepare them for their chosen professions and to function in our participatory democracy? What should be taught – dates, names, workplace skills, ways of thinking, learning skills – and how? And how can we better assess that learning? A panel of four faculty members, representing the sciences, history, communication, and engineering, will discuss how their teaching and assessment methodologies have changed in response to technological advances affecting students. Our panel will also discuss the traits of the “digital native” and how their learning interactions might be different than earlier student cohorts. Effects on distance learning will also be addressed. After brief presentations by each panelist, attendees will be invited to ask questions and/or contribute to the learning process.
Gradenigo’s Syndrome with Lateral Venous Sinus Thrombosis

A 4-year-old girl was admitted to the Department of Pediatrics, University of Chieti, Italy, with a 2-week history of fever and right otitis media, headache and vomiting.
Performing postcolonial homophobia: A decolonial analysis of the 2013 public demonstrations against same-sex marriage in Haiti

This article analyzes a public demonstration against same-sex marriage in Port-au-Prince, Haiti. The author provides a thick description of this performance led by Protestant Haitians, focusing on creative displays of evangelical Christian antigay sexual politics. While the author intends to represent the demonstration in ways that are recognizable to its organizers and participants, the author comes at this project through a concern about the public performance’s effects on Haitians with same-sex desires, with whom the author has been conducting multi-sited ethnographic research since 2008. As the author contends, the demonstration was more than an enactment of “Haitian homophobia.” The author situates the contemporary conflicts and controversies about (homo)sexual politics in the context of French colonial and U.S. imperialist legacies, as performances of “postcolonial homophobia.” Postcolonial homophobia refers to the cumulative effects of historical and contemporary Western imperialist biopolitical in...
Measuring the promise of Big Data syllabi

Growing interest in Big Data is leading industries, academics and governments to accelerate Big Data research. However, how teachers should teach Big Data has not been fully examined. This article ...
Atuando com coisas: o mundo material em cena

O estudo problematiza as concepcoes recorrentes sobre o que e Teatro de Bonecos e discute a importância de pensar essa arte de modo expandido e para isso usa a expressao “atuacao com coisas”. Analisa diferentes facetas que envolvem a ideia de representar com coisas, suas especificidades e diferencas com outras formas de expressao cenica, destacando as relacoes do ator com os objetos que atuam.Palavras-chave: Teatro de bonecos; atuacao com coisas; bonequeiro.Abstract: This study analyses the recurring concepts about what is Puppet Theatre and discusses the importance of considering this art more broadly. To do so, it uses the expression “acting with things”. It analyses different facets involved with the idea of representing with things, and its specificities and differences with other forms of scenic expression, highlighting the relationships of the actor with the objects that act.Keywords: Puppet theatre; playing with stuff; puppetry.
Hairpulling causing vision loss: a case report.

ABSTRACTSubperiosteal extension of a subgaleal hematoma (SGH) to the orbit is a reported, but rare complication of trauma. This report details a 13-year-old African-American male who originally pre...
Does impaired contrast sensitivity explain the spatial uncertainty of amblyopes

We investigated the possibility that the spatial imprecision of amblyopic eyes can be accounted for by the relative insensitivity to contrast that has been documented for these eyes. Thresholds for the discrimination of spatial misalignment, a measure of spatial uncertainty, were determined for three amblyopes and one normal for targets ranging in contrast from detection threshold to 99%. We found that spatial uncertainty was greater in amblyopic eyes than non-amblyopic eyes for targets equally above contrast threshold, and when the targets were presented at threshold contrast to the nonamblyopic eyes and at 99% contrast to the amblyopic eyes. Our results fail to support the possibility that the spatial imprecision of amblyopic eyes can, in general, be attributed to reduced contrast sensitivity. Different neural abnormalities are presumed to limit amblyopes' performance on different spatial tasks.
The Procaryotic Photosynthetic Apparatus

Publisher Summary This chapter focuses on the prokaryotic photosynthetic apparatus. It describes the nature of the structures responsible for the performance of photosynthesis in blue-green algae and bacteria, and their possible analogies to chloroplasts. There are three major groups of organisms in which photosynthesis is not associated with the presence of chloroplasts in the cells: (1) the blue-green algae, (2) the purple bacteria, and (3) the green bacteria. The absence of chloroplasts from the cells of these three groups is only one of many distinctive cellular properties that set apart bacteria and blue-green algae from all other groups of living organisms. The term prokaryotic has been adopted to designate their cellular organization as opposed to the eukaryotic cellular organization characteristic of all the other organisms. The differences in structural organization between eukaryotic and prokaryotic cells raise a whole series of important questions concerning the relationships between structure and function. There are at least two ways in which photosynthetic bacteria can vary the amount of bacteriochlorophyll per cell. The first, exemplified by the behavior of Rhodopseudomonas palustris, involves an increase in the amount of chromatophore material with no change in the amount of bacteriochlorophyll per unit chromatophore material. The second, exemplified by Rhodospirillum rubrum, involves an increase in both the amount and specific bacteriochlorophyll content of the chromatophore material.
Compactness in Abstract Spaces

Theorem 7.9 asserts that in ℝn, every closed and bounded set is compact. The converse is also true.
Novel Sales Tracking Method to Evaluate a Healthy Corner Store Intervention.

This article describes a Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program—Education-funded (SNAP-Ed) healthy corner store intervention and novel evaluation method for tracking sales of promoted foods in two corner stores in North Carolina. The healthy corner store intervention was designed to encourage the purchase of healthy foods among SNAP participants. Stickers were placed on eligible foods to highlight healthy options as well as assist with tracking the sales of those products. Store staff removed the sticker and placed it on a tracking sheet that recorded the date, number of healthy foods purchased, whether the purchased item(s) contained a fruit or vegetable, and the type of payment. Storeowners were interested in participating and remained engaged throughout the program; however, there were challenges with fidelity to the intervention and its evaluation using the sticker method to track sales. Additional research on methods for evaluating healthy retail interventions that are simple, low cost, and feasib...
Evaluating the Impact of Online Professional Development on Teachers’ Use of a Targeted Behavioral Classroom Intervention

The use of technology for delivering professional development (PD) shows promise for reducing common barriers (e.g., feasibility, access) to dissemination of teacher-implemented classroom interventions. However, prior programs have been unable to produce satisfactory uptake and outcomes when used in isolation. Thus, the aim of this study was to examine a potentially more feasible level of support that leverages both online PD and low-intensity consultation to produce successful adoption of a daily report card (DRC) intervention and positive student outcomes. Using a quasi-experimental design, elementary school teachers (N = 33) were provided access to an interactive online program and brief, in-person consultation, as needed. Over half of teachers (51.5%) who received access to the Web site adopted the intervention for at least 8 weeks. These teachers demonstrated acceptable levels of implementation integrity, and their students demonstrated improvements in overall (d = .53) and hyperactive and inattentive (d = .83) problems. Importantly, teachers achieved these outcomes using an average of 32 min of face-to-face consultation. The results suggest that, for some teachers, online supports may offer a more feasible means of supporting implementation of a DRC than traditional face-to-face consultation. Online supports may provide a promising direction for increasing the dissemination of the DRC and other evidence-based interventions. Future directions for improving technology and implications for integrating online PD into a continuum of supports for teachers are discussed.
Dielectric Response of Cross-Linked Polyethylene (XLPE) Cable Insulation Material to Radiation and Thermal Aging

This work seeks dielectric indicators of the aged state of cross-linked polyethylene (XLPE) that has been simultaneously irradiated and thermally aged. The XLPE samples studied here were of the same material formulation as XLPE insulation found in RSCC I46-0021 instrumentation cable, formed into tapes with dimensions approximately 20 × 0.7 × 100 mm3. Aging was conducted by suspending the samples from a rack within an oven and subsequently exposing oven and samples to gamma radiation. Samples were aged at 60, 90, and 115 °C, with gamma-radiation dose rates from 0 to 450 Gy/h with total received doses from 0 to 216 kGy. The dielectric spectra of these samples were measured over the frequency range 1 Hz to 1 MHz using custom electrodes and a Novocontrol dielectric spectrometer before dielectric breakdown strength was measured on the same samples. Dielectric loss tangent was observed to increase as a function of dose, dose rate and exposure time for XLPE samples exposed as described above. Dielectric loss tangent did not, however, show sensitivity to thermal aging for the range of temperatures studied. Dielectric breakdown strength initially increased as the material oxidized, then decreased for more extreme aging, due to chain scission. It is concluded that dielectric loss tangent is a promising indicator of XLPE aging due to gamma radiation exposure.
Population Pyramids Yield Accurate Estimates of Total Fertility Rates

The primary fertility index for a population, the total fertility rate (TFR), cannot be calculated for many areas and periods because it requires disaggregation of births by mother’s age. Here we discuss a flexible framework for estimating TFR using inputs as minimal as a population pyramid. We develop five variants, each with increasing complexity and data requirements. We test accuracy across a diverse set of data sources that comprise more than 2,400 fertility schedules with known TFR values, including the Human Fertility Database, Demographic and Health Surveys, U.S. counties, and nonhuman species. We show that even the simplest and least accurate variant has a median error of only 0.09 births per woman over 2,400 fertility schedules, suggesting accurate TFR estimation over a wide range of demographic conditions. We anticipate that this framework will extend fertility analysis to new subpopulations, periods, geographies, and even species. To demonstrate the framework’s utility in new applications, we produce subnational estimates of African fertility levels, reconstruct historical European TFRs for periods up to 150 years before the collection of detailed birth records, and estimate TFR for the United States conditional on race and household income.
Suprising Coordination for Plutonium in the First Plutonium(III) Borate.

Compound (II) crystallizes in the monoclinic space group Pn with Z = 1 (single crystal XRD).
A Meta‐Analytic Review of Supply Chain Risk Management: Assessing Buffering and Bridging Strategies and Firm Performance

Supply chain risk management has received considerable attention as firms experience more frequent and severe impact disruptions. We meta‐analytically test the Bode et al. (2011) framework of buffering and bridging supply chain risk management strategies to determine their effect on supply chain risk management. We analyze the supply chain risk management literature to find that both buffering and bridging strategies contribute to supply chain risk management. We also address the benefit of supply chain risk management. Results indicate that supply chain risk management provides a strong contribution to overall firm performance. Additionally, we identify cultural differences of these relationships. Although supply chain risk management strategies may be applied universally, their efficacy varies by culture. In conclusion, we identify and provide guidance for future work.
Partisanship, White Racial Resentment, and State Support for Higher Education

ABSTRACTDominant explanations of state higher education policy tend to emphasize economic models that foreground the business cycle or political approaches that cast ideology as fairly fixed. We in...
Comprehensive Broiler Supply Chain Model with Vertical and Horizontal Linkages: Impact of US–China Trade War and USMCA

This paper builds a comprehensive supply chain model of the US broiler industry that accounts for corn and soybean meal, feed mills, breeders, hatcheries, grow-out farms, broiler processing, value-added processing, and international trade. The model is calibrated and simulated to analyze the effects of (1) corn and soybeans tariffs imposed by China and (2) change in the Canadian tariff-rate quota proposed under US–Mexico–Canada–Agreement. The first scenario indicates that feed price falls while supply increases, which decreases the production costs of breeders and grow-out farms. The second scenario shows that exports to Canada rise at the expense of exports to Mexico.
Fully Automated Chemical Synthesis: Toward the Universal Synthesizer

Automated peptide and oligonucleotide synthesizers enabled a revolution in molecular biology and helped pave the way to modern synthetic biology. Similarly, fully automated synthetic chemistry coul...
Beyond performance metrics: Examining a decrease in students’ physics self-efficacy through a social networks lens

Using social network analysis to understand drops in student self-efficacy in introductory physics.