cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Dynamic Snow Plow Fleet Management Under Uncertain Demand and Service Disruption

It is sometimes challenging to plan winter maintenance operations in advance because snow storms are stochastic with respect to, e.g., start time, duration, impact area, and severity. In addition, maintenance trucks may not be readily available at all times due to stochastic service disruptions. A stochastic dynamic fleet management model is developed to assign available trucks to cover uncertain snow plowing demand. The objective is to simultaneously minimize the cost for truck deadheading and repositioning, as well as to maximize the benefits (i.e., level of service) of plowing. The problem is formulated into a dynamic programming model and solved using an approximate dynamic programming algorithm. Piecewise linear functional approximations are used to estimate the value function of system states (i.e., snow plow trucks location over time). We apply our model and solution approach to a snow plow operation scenario for Lake County, Illinois. Numerical results show that the proposed algorithm can solve the problem effectively and outperforms a rolling-horizon heuristic solution.
A Review of Chemosensation and Related Behavior in Aquatic Insects

Insects that are secondarily adapted to aquatic environments are able to sense odors from a diverse array of sources. The antenna of these insects, as in all insects, is the main chemosensory structure and its input to the brain allows for integration of sensory information that ultimately ends in behavioral responses. Only a fraction of the aquatic insect orders have been studied with respect to their sensory biology and most of the work has centered either on the description of the different types of sensilla, or on the behavior of the insect as a whole. In this paper, the literature is exhaustively reviewed and ways in which antennal morphology, brain structure, and associated behavior can advance better understanding of the neurobiology involved in processing of chemosensory information are discussed. Moreover, the importance of studying such group of insects is stated, and at the same time it is shown that many interesting questions regarding olfactory processing can be addressed by looking into the changes that aquatic insects undergo when leaving their aquatic environment.
RESECTION OF MIDDLE FACET TARSAL COALITIONS; “DOES SURGERY HELP OR HINDER PARTICIPATION IN SPORTS?”

Background Surgical resection of middle facet tarsal coalition is a well documented treatment option in symptomatic individuals that do not respond to conservative treatment. The ability to return to full recreational activity post resection may have implications on foot biomechanics and possibly degenerative changes in the subtalar and adjacent joints. Hypothesis Open resection of middle facet tarsal coalitions should improve subtalar joint motion and biomechanical function and facilitate return to sports. Aim The aim of this study was to assess the outcomes of open resection of middle facet tarsal coalitions (MFTCs) with particular emphasis on return to sports. Methods Retrospective review of clinical and radiographic records of paediatric and adolescent patients who had open resection of middle facet tarsal coalitions. The ankle and hind foot were evaluated according to the American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society Ankle-Hind foot Scale (AOFAS). We also quantified the return-to-activity time after tarsal coalition surgery. Results We identified thirteen patients (Mean age; 13.7years Range; 7–21 years) with eighteen middle facet tarsal coalitions operated over a seven year period. Ten patients (12 feet) who underwent resection had an average return to recreational activity time of approximately twelve weeks and reported better exercise tolerance post resection. Conclusion Surgical excision of middle facet tarsal coalitions has a favourable outcome with respect to return to sports.
Reconciling the Observed and Modeled Southern Hemisphere Circulation Response to Volcanic Eruptions

Confusion exists regarding the tropospheric circulation response to volcanic eruptions, with models and observations seeming to disagree on the sign of the response. The forced Southern Hemisphere circulation response to the eruptions of Pinatubo and El Chichon is shown to be a robust positive annular mode, using over 200 ensemble members from 38 climate models. It is demonstrated that the models and observations are not at odds, but rather, internal climate variability is large and can overwhelm the forced response. It is further argued that the state of the El Nino–Southern Oscillation can at least partially explain the sign of the observed anomalies and may account for the perceived discrepancy between model and observational studies. The eruptions of both El Chichon and Pinatubo occurred during El Nino events, and it is demonstrated that the Southern Annular Mode anomalies following volcanic eruptions are weaker during El Nino events compared to La Nina events.
Yb fiber amplifier at 972.5 nm with frequency quadrupling to 243.1 nm

We demonstrate a continuous-wave ytterbium-doped fiber amplifier which produces 6.3 W at a wavelength of 972.5 nm. We frequency-quadruple this source in two resonant doubling stages to generate 530 mW at 243.1 nm. Radiation at this wavelength is required to excite the 1S–2S transition in atomic hydrogen and could therefore find application in experimental studies of hydrogen and anti-hydrogen.
DeepChrome: Deep-learning for predicting gene expression from histone modifications

MOTIVATION Histone modifications are among the most important factors that control gene regulation. Computational methods that predict gene expression from histone modification signals are highly desirable for understanding their combinatorial effects in gene regulation. This knowledge can help in developing 'epigenetic drugs' for diseases like cancer. Previous studies for quantifying the relationship between histone modifications and gene expression levels either failed to capture combinatorial effects or relied on multiple methods that separate predictions and combinatorial analysis. This paper develops a unified discriminative framework using a deep convolutional neural network to classify gene expression using histone modification data as input. Our system, called DeepChrome, allows automatic extraction of complex interactions among important features. To simultaneously visualize the combinatorial interactions among histone modifications, we propose a novel optimization-based technique that generates feature pattern maps from the learnt deep model. This provides an intuitive description of underlying epigenetic mechanisms that regulate genes. RESULTS We show that DeepChrome outperforms state-of-the-art models like Support Vector Machines and Random Forests for gene expression classification task on 56 different cell-types from REMC database. The output of our visualization technique not only validates the previous observations but also allows novel insights about combinatorial interactions among histone modification marks, some of which have recently been observed by experimental studies. AVAILABILITY AND IMPLEMENTATION Codes and results are available at www.deepchrome.org CONTACT yanjun@virginia.edu SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
Transcription factors GAF and HSF act at distinct regulatory steps to modulate stress-induced gene activation

The coordinated regulation of gene expression at the transcriptional level is fundamental to development and homeostasis. Inducible systems are invaluable when studying transcription because the regulatory process can be triggered instantaneously, allowing the tracking of ordered mechanistic events. Here, we use precision run-on sequencing (PRO-seq) to examine the genome-wide heat shock (HS) response in Drosophila and the function of two key transcription factors on the immediate transcription activation or repression of all genes regulated by HS. We identify the primary HS response genes and the rate-limiting steps in the transcription cycle that GAGA-associated factor (GAF) and HS factor (HSF) regulate. We demonstrate that GAF acts upstream of promoter-proximally paused RNA polymerase II (Pol II) formation (likely at the step of chromatin opening) and that GAF-facilitated Pol II pausing is critical for HS activation. In contrast, HSF is dispensable for establishing or maintaining Pol II pausing but is critical for the release of paused Pol II into the gene body at a subset of highly activated genes. Additionally, HSF has no detectable role in the rapid HS repression of thousands of genes.
Manipulating logical organization with system factorizations

Logical organization refers to a system's decomposition into functional units, processes, and so on; it is sometimes called the ‘structural’ aspect of system description. In an approach to digital synthesis based on functional algebra, logical organization is developed using a class of transformations called system factorizations. These transformations isolate subsystems and encapsulate them as applicative combinators. Factorizations have a variety of uses, ranging from the refinement of actual architecture to the synthesis of certain kinds of verification conditions. This paper outlines the foundations for this algebra and presents several examples.
Multi-objective dynamic aperture optimization for storage rings

We report an efficient dynamic aperture (DA) optimization approach using multi-objective genetic algorithm (MOGA), which is driven by nonlinear driving terms computation. It was found that having small low order driving terms is a necessary but insufficient condition of having a decent DA. Then direct DA tracking simulation is implemented among the last generation candidates to select the best solutions. The approach was demonstrated successfully in optimizing NSLS-II storage ring DA.
Implications of a statistical occurrence model for mixture toxicity estimation

ABSTRACTThis study provides a method for characterizing the effects of concentration variability and correlation among co-acting compounds on mixture toxicity, considering the implications of missing chemical data. The method is explored by developing a set of multiple occurrence scenarios for mixtures of related chemicals. The calculations are performed for hypothetical mixtures of a group of ten synthetic antibiotics that have been tested on marine bacterium to fit dose-response relationships for long-term bioluminescence inhibition of Vibrio fischeri. Mixture toxicities are computed and compared for the assumptions of independent joint action theory and concentration/dose addition theory. The study results show that higher variability in concentrations is associated with higher effective (average) mixture toxicity, in this application by as much as a factor of ten for mixtures with highly variable component concentrations. Moreover, omitting the most toxic compounds caused mixture toxicities to be unde...
Primordial sex facilitates the emergence of evolution

Compartments are ubiquitous throughout biology, and they have very likely played a crucial role at the origin of life. Here we assume that a protocell, which is a compartment enclosing functional components, requires N such components in order to be evolvable. We calculate the timescale in which a minimal evolvable protocell is produced. We show that when protocells fuse and share information, the timescales polynomially in N By contrast, in the absence of fusion, the worst-case scenario is exponential in N We discuss the implications of this result for the origin of life and other biological processes.
Outskirts of Distant Galaxies in Absorption

QSO absorption spectroscopy provides a sensitive probe of both the neutral medium and diffuse ionized gas in the distant Universe. It extends 21 cm maps of gaseous structures around low-redshift galaxies both to lower gas column densities and to higher redshifts. Combining galaxy surveys with absorption-line observations of gas around galaxies enables comprehensive studies of baryon cycles in galaxy outskirts over cosmic time. This chapter presents a review of the empirical understanding of the cosmic neutral gas reservoir from studies of damped Lyα absorbers (DLAs). It describes the constraints on the star formation relation and chemical enrichment history in the outskirts of distant galaxies from DLA studies. A brief discussion of available constraints on the ionized circumgalactic gas from studies of lower column density Lyα absorbers and associated ionic absorption transitions is presented at the end.
Efficient and Accurate Computation of Electric Field Dyadic Green's Function in Layered Media

Concise and explicit formulas for dyadic Green's functions, representing the electric and magnetic fields due to a dipole source placed in layered media, are derived in this paper. First, the electric and magnetic fields in the spectral domain for the half space are expressed using Fresnel reflection and transmission coefficients. Each component of electric field in the spectral domain constitutes the spectral Green's function in layered media. The Green's function in the spatial domain is then recovered involving Sommerfeld integrals for each component in the spectral domain. By using Bessel identities, the number of Sommerfeld integrals are reduced, resulting in much simpler and more efficient formulas for numerical implementation compared with previous results. This approach is extended to the three-layer Green's function. In addition, the singular part of the Green's function is naturally separated out so that integral equation methods developed for free space Green's functions can be used with minimal modification. Numerical results are included to show efficiency and accuracy of the derived formulas.
Codon constraints on closed 2D shapes

Abstract Codons are simple primitives for describing plane curves. They thus are primarily image-based descriptors. Yet they have the power to capture important information about the 3D world, such as making part boundaries explicit. The codon description is highly redundant (useful for error-correction). This redundancy can be viewed as a constraint on the number of possible codon strings. For smooth closed strings that represent the bounding contour (silhouette) of many smooth 3D objects, the constraints are so strong that sequences containing 6 elements yield only 33 generic shapes as compared with a possible number of 15,625 combinations.
KERNEL METHODS FOR RADIATION SHIELDING CALCULATIONS.

Abstract A review is given of the development and use of kernel methods in solving problems of radiation shield design and radiation transport. Two classes of kernels are identified: empirical and computational. An analysis of the various techniques is made and examples are given. The relevant computer codes in the collection of the Radiation Shielding Information Center are listed and briefly described. It is concluded that kernel methods are valuable for quick estimates, hand calculations, checks of transport computer code results, and engineering parameter studies. However, the method can give underestimates for situations which the applied kernel cannot treat properly.
Neuroblast niche position is controlled by Phosphoinositide 3-kinase-dependent DE-Cadherin adhesion

Correct positioning of stem cells within their niche is essential for tissue morphogenesis and homeostasis. How stem cells acquire and maintain niche position remains largely unknown. Here, we show that a subset of brain neuroblasts (NBs) in Drosophila utilize Phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3-kinase) and DE-cadherin to build adhesive contact for NB niche positioning. NBs remain within their native microenvironment when levels of PI3-kinase activity and DE-cadherin are elevated in NBs. This occurs through PI3-kinase-dependent regulation of DE-Cadherin-mediated cell adhesion between NBs and neighboring cortex glia, and between NBs and their ganglion mother cell daughters. When levels of PI3-kinase activity and/or DE-Cadherin are reduced in NBs, NBs lose niche position and relocate to a non-native brain region that is rich in neurosecretory neurons, including those that secrete some of the Drosophila insulin-like peptides. Linking levels of PI3-kinase activity to the strength of adhesive attachment could provide cancer stem cells and hematopoietic stem cells with a means to cycle from trophic-poor to trophic-rich microenvironments.
Harnessing the Web for Population-Scale Physiological Sensing: A Case Study of Sleep and Performance

Human cognitive performance is critical to productivity, learning, and accident avoidance. Cognitive performance varies throughout each day and is in part driven by intrinsic, near 24-hour circadian rhythms. Prior research on the impact of sleep and circadian rhythms on cognitive performance has typically been restricted to small-scale laboratory-based studies that do not capture the variability of real-world conditions, such as environmental factors, motivation, and sleep patterns in real-world settings. Given these limitations, leading sleep researchers have called for larger in situ monitoring of sleep and performance. We present the largest study to date on the impact of objectively measured real-world sleep on performance enabled through a reframing of everyday interactions with a web search engine as a series of performance tasks. Our analysis includes 3 million nights of sleep and 75 million interaction tasks. We measure cognitive performance through the speed of keystroke and click interactions on a web search engine and correlate them to wearable device-defined sleep measures over time. We demonstrate that real-world performance varies throughout the day and is influenced by both circadian rhythms, chronotype (morning/evening preference), and prior sleep duration and timing. We develop a statistical model that operationalizes a large body of work on sleep and performance and demonstrates that our estimates of circadian rhythms, homeostatic sleep drive, and sleep inertia align with expectations from laboratory-based sleep studies. Further, we quantify the impact of insufficient sleep on real-world performance and show that two consecutive nights with less than six hours of sleep are associated with decreases in performance which last for a period of six days. This work demonstrates the feasibility of using online interactions for large-scale physiological sensing.
Significance of Kaolinite Intersalation in Clay Mineral Analysis

Recent development of the intersalation method by which kaolinite (as well as dickite and halloysite) is expanded makes possible the application of X-ray diffraction to qualitative and semiquantitative determinations of these mineral species. It also permits their distinction from the X-ray-thermally similar intergradient 2:1–2:2 layer silicates which are not affected by the treatment. Intergradient 2:1–2:2 layer silicates are developed by interlayer precipitation of hydroxides of aluminum, iron, and magnesium during pedogeochemical weathering and probably also during burial in sediments. The quantitative determination of kaolinite-halloysite by NaOH differential dissolution is completely corroborated by the qualitative, semiquantitative X-ray diffraction intersalation technique with respect to their clear differentiation from chlorite and intergradient clays.
Chapter 8 – CYLINDRICAL ANALYSIS PROBLEMS

There are many problems that can accurately be modeled as being revolved about an axis. Many of these can be analyzed by employing a radial coordinate, R , and an axial coordinate, Z . Solids of revolution can be formulated in terms of the two-dimensional area that is revolved about the axis. This chapter illustrates this concept. Numerous other objects are very long in the axial direction and can be treated as segments of a cylinder. This reduces the analysis to a one-dimensional study in the radial direction. The chapter also discusses that common special case. Changing to these cylindrical coordinates will make small changes in the governing differential equations and the corresponding integral theorems that govern the finite element formulation. Also the volume and surface integrals take on special forms.
INCREASING PATIENT OBESITY: IS THERE A GO/NO GO DECISION?

What are the data on obesity and THA risk? Which complications are elevated? If you decide on surgery, how can you minimise complications? These are timely questions because the rates of obesity are rising in the US and in many other parts of the world. Does obesity increase risk of THA complications? Answer: yes: at least for some complications. Complications which are increased: infection, wound healing, nerve injury; possibly: dislocation, periprosthetic fractures. The data are mixed on whether aseptic loosening and/or bearing surface wear problems are increased in the obese. Higher BMI may be offset by lower activity levels, particularly in a congruent joint such as the hip. Outcomes of THA in obese: Lower function scores and activity scores compared to nonobese. But good pain relief and the preoperative to postoperative change in functional scores is similar to non-obese. Is there a critical BMI threshold above which complications become unacceptable? Several studies show BMI ≥40 associated with strong risk of complications. One study from Mayo Clinic on patients with BMI ≥50 showed a 39% surgical complication rate, a 12% medical complication rate, and a high mortality rate in the several years after THA. Individualise operative decisions based on risk/benefit analysis for each patient. If you decide to operate, how can you minimise risk? Lose weight before surgery by diet: often ineffective, but worth trying. Lose weight before THA with bariatric surgery: effective in producing weight loss, but beware of the “malnourished” obese patient In surgery: care with patient positioning, sufficient incision length, greater exposure, avoid sciatic nerve injury, fractures, care with acetabular component positioning, extra drains in subcutaneous tissue and wound compression. Engage patient in discussion of risks/benefits before surgery: shared decision making.
Comparing three different modes of electroretinography in experimental glaucoma: diagnostic performance and correlation to structure.

To compare diagnostic performance and structure–function correlations of multifocal electroretinogram (mfERG), full-field flash ERG (ff-ERG) photopic negative response (PhNR) and transient pattern-reversal ERG (PERG) in a non-human primate (NHP) model of experimental glaucoma (EG). At baseline and after induction of chronic unilateral IOP elevation, 43 NHP had alternating weekly recordings of retinal nerve fiber layer thickness (RNFLT) by spectral domain OCT (Spectralis) and retinal function by mfERG (7F slow-sequence stimulus, VERIS), ff-ERG (red 0.42 log cd-s/m2 flashes on blue 30 scotopic cd/m2 background, LKC UTAS-E3000), and PERG (0.8° checks, 99% contrast, 100 cd/m2 mean, 5 reversals/s, VERIS). All NHP were followed at least until HRT-confirmed optic nerve head posterior deformation, most to later stages. mfERG responses were filtered into low- and high-frequency components (LFC, HFC, >75 Hz). Peak-to-trough amplitudes of LFC features (N1, P1, N2) and HFC RMS amplitudes were measured and ratios calculated for HFC:P1 and N2:P1. ff-ERG parameters included A-wave (at 10 ms), B-wave (trough-to-peak) and PhNR (baseline-to-trough) amplitudes as well as PhNR:B-wave ratio. PERG parameters included P50 and N95 amplitudes as well as N95:P50 ratio and N95 slope. Diagnostic performance of retinal function parameters was compared using the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (A-ROC) to discriminate between EG and control eyes. Correlations to RNFLT were compared using Steiger’s test. Study duration was 15 ± 8 months. At final follow-up, structural damage in EG eyes measured by RNFLT ranged from 9% above baseline (BL) to 58% below BL; 29/43 EG eyes (67%) and 0/43 of the fellow control eyes exhibited significant (>7%) loss of RNFLT from BL. Using raw parameter values, the largest A-ROC findings for mfERG were: HFC (0.82) and HFC:P1 (0.90); for ff-ERG: PhNR (0.90) and PhNR:B-wave (0.88) and for PERG: P50 (0.64) and N95 (0.61). A-ROC increased when data were expressed as % change from BL, but the pattern of results persisted. At 95% specificity, the diagnostic sensitivity of mfERG HFC:P1 ratio was best, followed by PhNR and PERG. The correlation to RNFLT was stronger for mfERG HFC (R = 0.65) than for PhNR (R = 0.59) or PERG N95 (R = 0.36), (p = 0.20, p = 0.0006, respectively). The PhNR flagged a few EG eyes at the final time point that had not been flagged by mfERG HFC or PERG. Diagnostic performance and structure–function correlation were strongest for mfERG HFC as compared with ff-ERG PhNR or PERG in NHP EG.
Obesity Moderates the Effects of Motivational Interviewing Treatment Outcomes in Fibromyalgia.

Objective:Obesity is a common comorbid condition among patients with fibromyalgia (FM). Our objective was to assess if obesity moderates the treatment benefits of exercise-based motivational interviewing (MI) for FM.Materials and Methods:This is a secondary data analysis of a completed clinical tria
Grazing incidence optics for wide-field x-ray survey imaging: a comparison of optimization techniques

Discussions of optimizing wide-field x-ray optics, with field-of-view less-than 1.1 degree-squared, have been made previously in the literature. However, very little has been published about the optimization of wide-field x-ray optics with larger field-of-views, which technology could greatly enhanced x-ray surveys. We have been working on the design of a wide-field (3.1 degree-squared field-of-view), short focal length (190.5 cm), grazing incidence mirror shell set, with a desired rms image spot size of 15 arcsec. The baseline design consists of Wolter 1 type mirror shells with polynomial perturbations applied to the baseline design. The overall optimization technique is to efficiently optimize the polynomial coefficients that directly influence the angular resolution, without stepping through the entire multi-dimensional coefficient space. We have investigated optimization techniques such as the downhill simplex method, fractional factorial, and response surface (including Box- Behnken and central composite) design. We have also investigated the use of neural networks, such as backpropagation, general regression, and group method of data handling neural networks. We report our findings to date.
Local Equilibrium and Retardation Revisited

In modeling solute transport with mobile-immobile mass transfer (MIMT), it is common to use an advection-dispersion equation (ADE) with a retardation factor, or retarded ADE. This is commonly referred to as making the local equilibrium assumption (LEA). Assuming local equilibrium, Eulerian textbook treatments derive the retarded ADE, ostensibly exactly. However, other authors have presented rigorous mathematical derivations of the dispersive effect of MIMT, applicable even in the case of arbitrarily fast mass transfer. We resolve the apparent contradiction between these seemingly exact derivations by adopting a Lagrangian point of view. We show that local equilibrium constrains the expected time immobile, whereas the retarded ADE actually embeds a stronger, nonphysical, constraint: that all particles spend the same amount of every time increment immobile. Eulerian derivations of the retarded ADE thus silently commit the gambler's fallacy, leading them to ignore dispersion due to mass transfer that is correctly modeled by other approaches. We then present a particle tracking simulation illustrating how poor an approximation the retarded ADE may be, even when mobile and immobile plumes are continually near local equilibrium. We note that classic “LEA” (actually, retarded ADE validity) criteria test for insignificance of MIMT-driven dispersion relative to hydrodynamic dispersion, rather than for local equilibrium.
Self-Tuning and de Sitter Brane Intersections in the 6-Dimensional Brane Models

We study the self-tuning of general brane junctions and brane networks on 6-dimensional space-time. For general brane junctions, there may exist one fine-tuning among the brane tensions. For the brane networks, similar to the 5-dimensional self-tuning brane models, the brane tensions can be set arbitrarily and there exists a singularity for the metric and bulk scalar. If we want to regularize the singularity, we will introduce fine-tuning among the brane tensions. In addition, because the 4-dimensional cosmological constant we observe may be positive and very small, we discuss the brane network with de Sitter brane intersections by introducing a bulk scalar.
Nonlinear [delta]f simulation studies of intense charged particle beams with large temperature anisotropy

This article extends previous numerical studies of the stability properties of intense nonneutral charged particle beams with large temperature anisotropy (T⊥ b >> T IIb ) to allow for nonaxisymmetric perturbations with ∂/∂θ ¬= 0. The most unstable modes are identified, and their eigenfrequencies, radial mode structure, and nonlinear dynamics are determined.
Robust adversarial reinforcement learning

Deep neural networks coupled with fast simulation and improved computation have led to recent successes in the field of reinforcement learning (RL). However, most current RL-based approaches fail to generalize since: (a) the gap between simulation and real world is so large that policy-learning approaches fail to transfer; (b) even if policy learning is done in real world, the data scarcity leads to failed generalization from training to test scenarios (e.g., due to different friction or object masses). Inspired from H∞ control methods, we note that both modeling errors and differences in training and test scenarios can be viewed as extra forces/disturbances in the system. This paper proposes the idea of robust adversarial reinforcement learning (RARL), where we train an agent to operate in the presence of a destabilizing adversary that applies disturbance forces to the system. The jointly trained adversary is reinforced - that is, it learns an optimal destabilization policy. We formulate the policy learning as a zero-sum, minimax objective function. Extensive experiments in multiple environments (InvertedPendulum, HalfCheetah, Swimmer, Hopper, Walker2d and Ant) conclusively demonstrate that our method (a) improves training stability; (b) is robust to differences in training/test conditions; and c) outperform the baseline even in the absence of the adversary.
Pegylated interferons: What role will they play in the treatment of chronic hepatitis C?

The primary therapy for patients with chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is interferon alfa. However, use of interferon for treatment of chronic HCV has several shortcomings that limit its effectiveness. Interferon has a very short half-life, must be administered multiple times weekly, and is associated with significant side effects. "PEGylation" is a process whereby the inert polymer, polyethylene glycol (PEG), is attached to a protein pharmaceutical. This process has been shown to alter the properties of PEGylated proteins in a manner that significantly extends half-life, reduces immunogenicity, and enhances biologic activity when compared with the native protein. In recent years, several PEGylated forms of interferon alfa have been developed. Recent studies have demonstrated that PEG-interferons have a significantly prolonged half-life and sustained virologic response when compared with standard interferon. Studies to evaluate the effects of combining PEG-interferons with ribavirin are currently underway. The role PEG-interferons will play in patients who have either relapsed or failed to respond to previous interferon or interferon/ribavirin therapy remains to be defined.
Algorithmic Interpretations of Fractal Dimension

We study algorithmic problems on subsets of Euclidean space of low fractal dimension. These spaces are the subject of intensive study in various branches of mathematics, including geometry, topology, and measure theory. There are several well-studied notions of fractal dimension for sets and measures in Euclidean space. We consider a definition of fractal dimension for finite metric spaces which agrees with standard notions used to empirically estimate the fractal dimension of various sets. We define the fractal dimension of some metric space to be the infimum delta>0, such that for any eps>0, for any ball B of radius r >= 2eps, and for any eps-net N, we have |B cap N|=O((r/eps)^delta). Using this definition we obtain faster algorithms for a plethora of classical problems on sets of low fractal dimension in Euclidean space. Our results apply to exact and fixed-parameter algorithms, approximation schemes, and spanner constructions. Interestingly, the dependence of the performance of these algorithms on the fractal dimension nearly matches the currently best-known dependence on the standard Euclidean dimension. Thus, when the fractal dimension is strictly smaller than the ambient dimension, our results yield improved solutions in all of these settings. We remark that our definition of fractal definition is equivalent up to constant factors to the well-studied notion of doubling dimension. However, in the problems that we consider, the dimension appears in the exponent of the running time, and doubling dimension is not precise enough for capturing the best possible such exponent for subsets of Euclidean space. Thus our work is orthogonal to previous results on spaces of low doubling dimension; while algorithms on spaces of low doubling dimension seek to extend results from the case of low dimensional Euclidean spaces to more general metric spaces, our goal is to obtain faster algorithms for special pointsets in Euclidean space.
Zonal flow magnetic field interaction in the semi-conducting region of giant planets

All four giant planets in the Solar System feature zonal flows on the order of 100 m/s in the cloud deck, and large-scale intrinsic magnetic fields on the order of 1 Gauss near the surface. The vertical structure of the zonal flows remains obscure. The end-member scenarios are shallow flows confined in the radiative atmosphere and deep flows throughout the entire planet. The electrical conductivity increases rapidly yet smoothly as a function of depth inside Jupiter and Saturn. Deep zonal flows will inevitably interact with the magnetic field, at depth with even modest electrical conductivity. Here we investigate the interaction between zonal flows and magnetic fields in the semi-conducting region of giant planets. Employing mean-field electrodynamics, we show that the interaction will generate detectable poloidal magnetic field perturbations spatially correlated with the deep zonal flows. Assuming the peak amplitude of the dynamo α-effect to be 0.1 mm/s, deep zonal flows on the order of 0.1 – 1 m/s in the semi-conducting region of Jupiter and Saturn would generate poloidal magnetic perturbations on the order of 0.01 % – 1 % of the background dipole field. These poloidal perturbations should be detectable with the in-situ magnetic field measurements from the Juno mission and the Cassini Grand Finale. This implies that magnetic field measurements can be employed to constrain the properties of deep zonal flows in the semi-conducting region of giant planets.
Improving Experienced Auditors’ Detection of Deception in CEO Narratives

We experimentally study the deception detection capabilities of experienced auditors, using CEO narratives from earnings conference calls as case materials. We randomly assign narratives of fraud and nonfraud companies to auditors as well as the presence versus absence of an instruction explaining that cognitive dissonance in speech is helpful for detecting deception. We predict this instruction will weaken auditors’ learned tendency to overlook fraud cues. We find that auditors’ deception judgments are less accurate for fraud companies than for nonfraud companies, unless they receive this instruction. We also find that instructed auditors more extensively describe red flags for fraud companies and more accurately identify specific sentences in narratives that pertain to underlying frauds. These findings indicate that instructing experienced auditors to be alert for cognitive dissonance in CEO narratives can activate deception detection capabilities.
Business Models for Technology-Intensive Supply Chains

Technology and intellectual property play increasingly critical roles in emerging supply chains by endowing products with sought-after capabilities. In such technology-intensive supply chains, the ...
Measure extension by local approximation

Measurable sets are defined as those locally approximable, in a certain sense, by sets in the given algebra (or ring). A corresponding measure extension theorem is proved. It is also shown that a set is locally approximable in the mentioned sense if and only if it is Caratheodory-measurable.
Thwarting Vote Buying Through Decoy Ballots

There is increasing interest in promoting participatory democracy, in particular by allowing voting by mail or internet and through random-sample elections. A pernicious concern, though, is that of vote buying, which occurs when a bad actor seeks to buy ballots, paying someone to vote against their own intent. This becomes possible whenever a voter is able to sell evidence of which way she voted. We show how to thwart vote buying through decoy ballots, which are not counted but are indistinguishable from real ballots to a buyer. We show that an Election Authority can significantly reduce the power of vote buying through a small number of optimally distributed decoys, and model societal processes by which decoys could be distributed.
Exploration of teacher life stories: Taiwanese history teachers’ curricular gatekeeping of controversial public issues

Abstract This study explores teachers' personal practical knowledge and curricular-instructional gatekeeping as they relate to the teaching of contemporary controversial public issues in Taiwan (e.g., national identity, sovereignty, and ethnic issues). Using a case study design, this study documents how six social studies teachers make curricular decisions about teaching controversial public issues by making use of their personal practical knowledge. Findings illuminate that personal practical knowledge plays a role in teacher's curricular-instructional gate keeping in socially divisive contexts. In sum, this study, refracted through the national context of Taiwan, helps us understand the relationship between a teacher's own imaginative worldview, their sense of personal and professional identity, and their classroom teaching practices.
Affirmative Action, Diversity, and Racial Justice: Reflections from a Diverse, Non-elite University

In this article, I argue (1) affirmative action diverts attention from more urgent needs of racial justice in education – better quality K-12 education, and better quality and more accessible public higher education; (2) the increasing wealth of students at affirmative action institutions is a sign of diminished quality of those students compared to those at less selective institutions, who are comparatively disproportionately black and Latino; and (3) aligning the standard rankings of colleges with the quality of student (and quality of instruction at the different kinds of institution) would benefit black and Latino students as a group much more than affirmative action does.
THE DYNAMICS OF TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER UNDER DIFFERENT CULTURAL, TECHNICAL AND SOCIAL CONDITIONS

Abstract The economic, infrastructure, human, social, and educational criteria for selecting appropriate technologies for development have an added dimension of dynamic change as a nation develops. The timetable of rapid change held by many developing nations often is conducive to considering many factors before arriving at a program of development that meets the particular needs of each country and those of its partners in development. Of great importance are the amounts of time involved in training people to be productive, in acquiring equipment necessary for production, and in putting together all the parts necessary to produce results useful to large numbers of the local inhabitants. The process of technology transfer should provide benefits in some appropriate fashion to both the supplier and the recipient of the transfer so each will put its best efforts into the cooperation required.
Hemodialysis Without Anticoagulation, One-Year Prospective Trial in Hospitalized Patients at Risk for Bleeding

This prospective study evaluated a protocol for hemodialysis without anticoagulation in a diverse group of hospitalized patients in unstable condition with relative contraindications to anticoagulation. Of 262 attempts at hemodialysis without anticoagulation in 49 patients, 239 hemodialysis treatments (91 percent) were successfully completed. Approximately 7 percent of the attempts required conversion to a low-dose heparin regimen because of clotting in the extracorporeal dialysis circuit. Fewer than 2 percent of the dialysis treatments resulted in clotting in the extracorporeal circuit sufficient to interrupt hemodialysis. Partial thromboplastin times and activated clotting times did not change during these hemodialysis treatments. Solute clearance, ultrafiltration rate, and decrements in arterial oxygen concentration and platelet count were not different from those in patients who underwent hemodialysis with anticoagulation. There were no episodes of accelerated bleeding associated with this dialysis method. This study indicates that hemodialysis without anticoagulation can be reliable and effective in closely monitored situations.
Cystosarcoma Phyllodes of the Prostate: A Pathologic and Immunohistochemical Study

We treated two patients who had lesions in the prostate with histologic features similar to those of cystosarcoma phyllodes of the breast. In one case, the stroma progressed to a clearly sarcomatous appearance, whereas the other tumor had a cellular stroma that was mitotically inactive. This element was immunoreactive for vimentin and desmin in both cases but was negative for epithelial markers. In contrast, the epithelial component was immunoreactive for prostate-specific antigen and epithelial membrane antigen. Following surgical resection, both patients were well two and three years later, without local recurrence or distant metastasis. The histogenesis of these tumors is unknown.
Computed Tomography of Ureteral Tumors

Ten patients with one or more ureteral tumors were examined with CT. The tumor was clearly recognizable as a soft tissue mass (average density 46 HU) filling the ureter in nine of the patients. In five of these patients the tumor was not detected by urography. Tumors less than 5 mm in diameter were missed on CT in one patient. Although most ureteral tumors are detectable with urography and retrograde pyelography, CT can be a valuable diagnostic tool. Computed tomography is particularly advantageous in patients with nonfunctioning kidneys and in those in whom retrograde pyelography is unsuccessful.
Oncocytoma and metastatic potential: myth or reality?

Oncocytomas, apparently benign renal tumors that have been described with increasing frequency in recent years, are discussed in terms of their place in the general pathways of tumor development in the kidney. In this context, the involvement of oncogenes, the origin of these lesions, is also considered.
Long-Term Trends in Private School Enrollments by Family Income:

We use data from multiple national surveys to describe trends in private elementary school enrollment by family income from 1968 to 2013. We find several important trends. First, the private school...
Factors Related to the Appearance of Transverse Bumps in Asphalt Overlays Placed over Crack Sealant

Crack sealants often are used as a preservation tool in asphalt pavements. These sealants are placed in cracks to prevent water intrusion into the pavement foundation. Through the reduction of water intrusion, the strength of foundation layers is maintained, and acceptable pavement performance is extended. However, when a hot-mix asphalt overlay is placed on top of a pavement that contains crack sealants, a bump and additional transverse cracks sometimes occur in the new overlay asphalt. These bumps and sometimes transverse cracks are initiated during breakdown rolling and become progressively more severe on further compaction. This paper presents the results of a 5-year study designed to identify factors that related to the appearance of these bumps and consequent cracks. The results of the study indicated that vibratory breakdown rolling, pavement gradient, sealant geometry, tack coat application rate, and tack coat adhesivity were factors that contributed most to the occurrence of bumps and transverse ...
Mergers and acquisitions in blood banking systems: A supply chain network approach

Blood banking systems in the United States over the past decade have been faced with a volatile demand for blood, specifically, a decrease in demand for red blood cells, for a variety of reasons. This change in the blood supply chain landscape, accompanied by an increasing emphasis on cost efficiency, is a driver of Mergers & Acquisitions between blood banks. In this paper, we first present supply chain network optimization pre- and post-merger models. The models handle perishability of the life-saving product of blood, include both operational and discarding costs of waste, capture the uncertainty associated with the demand points, as well as the expected total blood supply shortage cost and the total discarding cost at demand points. They also incorporate capacities on the links. Their solution yields the optimal path and link flows plus the frequencies of activities associated with blood collection, shipment, testing and processing, storage, and distribution, and incurred total costs. We provide a cost efficiency (synergy) measure associated with a merger or acquisition in the blood banking industry, as well as measures capturing the expected supply shortage and surplus. The methodological framework and its applicability are then illustrated via a large-scale blood supply chain network example inspired by a pending merger in the real-world in both status quo and disaster scenarios.
A DREAM Challenge to Build Prediction Models for Short-Term Discontinuation of Docetaxel in Metastatic Castration-Resistant Prostate Cancer.

PurposeDocetaxel has a demonstrated survival benefit for patients with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC); however, 10% to 20% of patients discontinue docetaxel prematurely bec...
Rotation Group Bias In Current Smoking Prevalence Estimates Using TUS-CPS

This paper examined whether the sample rotation scheme of the Current Population Survey (CPS) results in an underestimation of current smoking prevalence in the Tobacco Use Supplement to the Current Population Survey (TUS-CPS). The TUS-CPS has been administered as part of the CPS, which has eight rotation groups of households in each month that are repeatedly interviewed based on a sample rotation scheme. Previous research has found that even though all eight rotation groups in the CPS are independent random samples of the population, some estimates, such as unemployment rates, tend to be significantly higher in the first rotation group than among other rotation groups. The probit regression results of this paper showed that although current smokers are more likely to attrite than nonsmokers in all years of the TUS-CPS, for the six waves of TUS-CPS before 2003 there is no evidence that current smoking prevalence estimates were significantly affected by the rotation scheme of the CPS. For the three waves of TUS-CPS since 2003, however, the results showed that current smoking prevalence has been underestimated likely due to panel attrition. It appears that rotation group bias in these waves was caused by the substantially increased number of additional questions smokers had to answer.