cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
An inverse correlated equilibrium framework for utility learning in multiplayer, noncooperative settings

In a game-theoretic framework, given parametric agent utility functions, we solve the inverse problem of computing the feasible set of utility function parameters for each individual agent, given that they play a correlated equilibrium strategy. We model agents as utility maximizers, then cast the problem of computing the parameters of players' utility functions as a linear program using the fact that their play results in a correlated equilibrium. We focus on situations where agents must make tradeoffs between multiple competing components within their utility function. We test our method first on a simulated game of Chicken-Dare, and then on data collected in a real-world trial of a mobile fitness game in which five players must balance between protecting their privacy and receiving a reward for burning calories and improving their physical fitness. Through the learned utility functions from the fitness game, we hope to gain insight into the relative importance each user places on safeguarding their privacy vs. achieving the other desirable objectives in the game.
Whatever Happened to Art and Design?: Using Archival Practice to Manage the Impact of Academic Restructuring on Institutional Repositories

ABSTRACT. In the interest of providing access to and preserving scholarship produced by faculty, students and staff, many universities have developed and implemented institutional repositories. Repositories are often organized into communities that correspond to campus units, including departments, research centers and institutes, and administrative offices. Universities, however, frequently undergo academic restructuring, which can make repository organization out of sync with university organization. This article addresses the impact of academic restructuring on repositories and looks to practices from archival arrangement and description to create repository organizational structures and community descriptions flexible enough to reflect university organization, despite changes arising from academic restructuring.
Technique of childhood ankle disarticulation

Surgical Principles James Syme first recorded the technique of ankle disarticulation in the adult in 1843 [5]. It included the creation of anterior and posterior flaps, a subperiosteal dissection with preservation of the heel pad and bony contouring of the distal tibia and fibula to reduce the bulbous appearance and to facilitate prosthetic fitting. Although an analogous procedure is done for children, there are substantial differences between the two techniques which are related to the presence of growth plates, and the potential problem of stump overgrowth and pencilling. Fortunately, a true ankle disarticulation can usually be performed in children without the need for extensive surgical bony reshaping due to the excellent potential for remodelling with future growth.
Mechanical properties of hexylene- and phenylene-bridged polysilsesquioxane aerogels and xerogels

Bridged polysilsesquioxanes are increasingly used to prepare protective coatings, particulate chromatographic materials, and adsorbents. However, little is known about the mechanical properties of the materials and how they are influenced by the nature of the bridging group. In this paper, we have prepared monolithic xerogels and aerogels of hexylene- and phenylene-bridged polysilsesquioxanes and have measured their flexural strength and modulus. Consistent with their compact structure, the porous, glassy phenylene- and hexylene-bridged xerogels were hundreds of stronger than the analogous aerogels. The nature of the bridging group did not appear to affect the mechanical properties of the xerogels, in contrast, it presented a profound effect on the mechanical properties of the aerogels. Phenylene-bridged aerogels were brittle and 30% stronger than silica aerogels of the same density. However, the opaque hexylene-bridged aerogels were found to be elastic and appreciably weaker than the phenylene-bridged or silica aerogels.
Variability in imaging utilization in U.S. pediatric hospitals

Background Use of medical imaging is under scrutiny because of rising costs and radiation exposure. We compare imaging utilization and costs across pediatric hospitals to determine their variability and potential determinants.
On elliptic solutions of a coupled nonlinear Schrödinger system

Abstract An explicit formula is obtained for single-phase bounded elliptic solutions of the Manakov system of integrable coupled nonlinear Schrodinger equations in terms of the Weierstrass sigma function with a real quasiperiod. The parametrization is effective in the sense that the reality conditions are completely characterized for each of the three possible couplings: focusing–focusing, defocusing–defocusing and focusing–defocusing. The Manakov soliton is recovered in the soliton limit and the small-wave-modulation limit is shown to satisfy the linearized dispersion relation of planewave solutions.
Luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone does not inhibit testosterone production in rat interstitial cells in vitro.

The effects of LHRH and a potent LHRH agonist (LHRHa) on in vitro testosterone production by enzyme-dispersed rat interstitial cells were evaluated. In a series of in vitro experiments, neither basal nor human menopausal gonadotropin (hMG)-stimulated testosterone production were significantly affected by doses of LHRH or LHRHa ranging from 10−l2−10−5 m. In addition, adult male rats were treated chronically with once daily injections of LHRH or LHRHa (2 μg/rat) or the vehicle for 1–7 days and decapitated 24 h after the last injection, and their testes were removed and weighed. Testicular weights decreased significantly by day 3 and were maximally decreased by day 6. in vitro testosterone production in response to 1–5 mIU human menopausal gonadotropin was markedly impaired (≫50%) in cells from rats treated with LHRHa for 2 days or longer and in rats treated with LHRH longer than 3 days. These data indicate that 1) LHRH and LHRHa do not alter in vitro testosterone production by dispersed rat interstitial cel...
ROC analysis for multiple markers with tree-based classification

Multiple biomarkers are frequently observed or collected for detecting or understanding a disease. The research interest of this article is to extend tools of receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis from univariate marker setting to multivariate marker setting for evaluating predictive accuracy of biomarkers using a tree-based classification rule. Using an arbitrarily combined and-or classifier, an ROC function together with a weighted ROC function (WROC) and their conjugate counterparts are introduced for examining the performance of multivariate markers. Specific features of the ROC and WROC functions and other related statistics are discussed in comparison with those familiar properties for univariate marker. Nonparametric methods are developed for estimating the ROC and WROC functions, and area under curve and concordance probability. With emphasis on population average performance of markers, the proposed procedures and inferential results are useful for evaluating marker predictability based on multivariate marker measurements with different choices of markers, and for evaluating different and-or combinations in classifiers.
On partial contact of a thin-walled circular cylinder and a rigid half-space

Abstract A long circular cylinder with radius R and thickness t transmits a longitudinal eccentrically applied force to a rigid half-space. We study the influence of the eccentricity of the load and the ratio R t on the stress state of the cylinder using the theory of thin shells in bending. The elastic displacements are presented in the form of a Fourier expansion, the coefficients of which are found by the variational formulation of the problem combined with the penalty approach for a numerical implementation of contact conditions. Results are applied to certain problems of buckling of a circular bar and compared with previous approximate solutions.
Effects of Ethnic Group Cultural Differences on Cooperative and Competitive Behavior On a Group Task

This study examined the hypothesis that differences in the cultural norms of Anglo-Americans and three other ethnic groups-Asian, Hispanic, and Black Americans-will result in different behaviors on...
Variable structure extremum seeking control based on sliding mode gradient estimation for a class of nonlinear systems

This paper presents a new approach to extremum seeking control for a class of single-input-single-output nonlinear systems. With the analytic form of the performance function unknown a priori, a sliding mode observer is designed to estimate the gradient of the performance map. Based on the estimated gradient, a variable structure controller is proposed to search for the optimal operating point. We establish the conditions for the system states to enter a neighborhood of the optimal operating point, and obtain an ultimate bound on the size of the neighborhood. The robustness of the proposed controller is also discussed with respect to unmodeled fast dynamics and measurement noise.
Molecular physiology and genetics of Na+-independent SLC4 anion exchangers.

Plasmalemmal Cl–/HCO3– exchangers are encoded by the SLC4 and SLC26 gene superfamilies, and function to regulate intracellular pH, [Cl–] and cell volume. The Cl–/HCO3– exchangers of polarized epithelial cells also contribute to transepithelial secretion and reabsorption of acid–base equivalents and Cl–. This review focuses on Na+-independent electroneutral Cl–/HCO3– exchangers of the SLC4 family. Human SLC4A1/AE1 mutations cause the familial erythroid disorders of spherocytic anemia, stomatocytic anemia and ovalocytosis. A largely discrete set of AE1 mutations causes familial distal renal tubular acidosis. The Slc4a2/Ae2–/– mouse dies before weaning with achlorhydria and osteopetrosis. A hypomorphic Ae2–/– mouse survives to exhibit male infertility with defective spermatogenesis and a syndrome resembling primary biliary cirrhosis. A human SLC4A3/AE3 polymorphism is associated with seizure disorder, and the Ae3–/– mouse has increased seizure susceptibility. The transport mechanism of mammalian SLC4/AE polypeptides is that of electroneutral Cl–/anion exchange, but trout erythroid Ae1 also mediates Cl– conductance. Erythroid Ae1 may mediate the DIDS-sensitive Cl– conductance of mammalian erythrocytes, and, with a single missense mutation, can mediate electrogenic SO42–/Cl– exchange. AE1 trafficking in polarized cells is regulated by phosphorylation and by interaction with other proteins. AE2 exhibits isoform-specific patterns of acute inhibition by acidic intracellular pH and independently by acidic extracellular pH. In contrast, AE2 is activated by hypertonicity and, in a pH-independent manner, by ammonium and by hypertonicity. A growing body of structure–function and interaction data, together with emerging information about physiological function and structure, is advancing our understanding of SLC4 anion exchangers.
Management of cutaneous verruciform xanthoma.

Verruciform xanthoma is an uncommon mucocutaneous condition of uncertain cause that only occasionally affects the skin. The histopathology is distinctive for the presence of foamy histiocytes present within elongated dermal papillae. Although simple excision of intraoral lesions is reportedly curative, treatment of cutaneous lesions has not been previously reported. We describe a 62-year-old man with a large lesion of verruciform xanthoma affecting both inguinal folds. Immunohistochemical staining, reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction for human papilloma virus, and ultrastructural analysis were performed to investigate the pathogenesis of this lesion. The results of these studies support the theory that the source of lipid in dermal histiocytes is degenerating keratinocytes. Initial treatment with wire loop electrosection, pulsed dye (585 nm) laser, and x-ray therapy of this patient proved unsuccessful. Preliminary success has been achieved using wide surgical excision with primary closure. (J Am Acad Dermatol 2000;42:343-7.)
A clinical trial of cranial electrotherapy stimulation for anxiety and comorbid depression

Abstract Background Anxiety disorders are among the most prevalent mental disorders and are usually treated with medication and/or psychotherapy. When anxiety disorders are accompanied with comorbid depression, this further complicates the treatment process. Medication compliance is a common problem due to adverse side effects and new and effective treatments that have minimal side effects are needed for the treatment of anxiety and depression. This study used a randomized, double-blind, sham controlled design to examine the effectiveness of CES as a treatment for anxiety disorders and comorbid depression in a primary care setting. The study was registered at clinicaltrials.gov, NCT01533415. Methods One hundred and fifteen participants, age 18 years and over, with a primary diagnosis of an anxiety disorder were enrolled from February 2012 to December 2012 The Hamilton Rating Scale for Anxiety (HAM-A) and the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale17 (HAM-D17) were used for baseline and outcome measures at weeks one, three, and five. Response to treatment was defined as a reduction of ≥50% or more on these measures. Results Analysis of covariance revealed a significant difference between the active CES group and the sham CES group on anxiety (p=0.001, d=0.94) and on depression (p=0.001, d=0.78) from baseline to endpoint of study in favor of the active CES group. Conclusions CES significantly decreases anxiety and comorbid depression. Subjects reported no adverse events during the study.
Diffusion tensor quantification of the macrostructure and microstructure of human midsagittal corpus callosum across the lifespan.

The midsagittal cross-sectional area of the human corpus callosum (CC) has been used by many researchers as a marker of development, natural aging, and neurodegenerative and acquired pathologies. The availability of non-invasive MRI methods for quantifying the macrostructural and microstructural organization of the CC would help to clarify the CC contribution to behavior and cognition in both health and disease. In this report, we extended and validated the ability of a recently described semi-automated diffusion tensor imaging tissue segmentation method to utilize the high orientation contrast of the CC on diffusion tensor imaging. Using a cohort of healthy right-handed children and adults aged 7–59 years, we show gender-independent non-linear (quadratic) and strongly correlated growth trends in the CC area and the corresponding diffusion tensor fractional anisotropy (r = 0.67; P < 1 × 10−10). Our results provide preliminary evidence that diffusion tensor anisotropy in the living CC may be related to the number of small myelinated fibers. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
The Impact Of Program Structure On Children’s Disenrollment From Medicaid And SCHIP

Program fragmentation might exacerbate disenrollment of children from Medicaid and the State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP). Using data from 2001–2004, I estimated the number of children who switched programs and the number who “dropped out” of public insurance—becoming uninsured despite continuing eligibility. Roughly two million children a year switched programs; 12.5 percent a year dropped out of Medicaid, and 15.6 percent a year dropped out of SCHIP. Children in states with separate SCHIP and Medicaid programs were 45 percent more likely to drop out. This effect persisted after controlling for demographic and policy variables. Administering multiple distinct public insurance programs appears to be counterproductive in terms of retention.
Wound Healing Monitoring Using Near-Infrared Fluorescent Fibrinogen

An imaging strategy is demonstrated to monitor wound healing using near-infrared fluorescent fibrinogen. The preliminary data show that applying this strategy in diabetic rats could provide crucial information for early intervention of wound care.
Active damping control of vibrational systems

The problem of vibration suppression in large flexible space structure (LFSS) is investigated. Based on the structure property of LFSS, an active damping strategy is proposed to effectively attenuate the critical vibrations of the structure subject to modeling uncertainty and external disturbance. Control algorithms are derived with the aim of suppressing both the vibrating magnitude and vibrating rate to an acceptable level. It is shown that the strategy exhibits robust and adaptive properties and is truly model-independent. The novelty of the proposed approach lies in the fact that it is fairly easy to set up the strategy and the overall computation involved is much less than any other strategies available to date. A two-bay truss is used to verify the validity of the proposed approach.
A Multidisciplinary Collaborative Approach to a University-Community Partnership: Lessons Learned.

Universities often respond to community needs through a traditional, single disciplinary expert outreach model. However, multiple perspectives are required to solve complex community problems. In this case example, a multidisciplinary university team was selected to work on a contracted university-college partnership project over an eighteen-month period. Lessons learned from using this problem-focused multidisciplinary approach to outreach intervention are presented. Topics discussed include the time needed and issues associated with multidisciplinary team development; leadership changes during the project; the need to bridge organizational structures across partners; the ways in which faculty cultures may inhibit outreach activity; and the importance of intellectual and organizational neutral space to multidisciplinary team success.
Palatability of Ground Beef Patties Containing Peanut Meal, Structured Soy Protein, and Mechanically Processed Beef

Ground beef patties containing, varying levels of peanut meal, structured soy protein fiber, and mechanically processed beef were formulated. A trained sensory panel evaluated patties for differences in tenderness, juiciness, and cohesiveness. Tenderness was also evaluated with the Universal Instron Testing Machine. Addition to MPB of PM alone increased the tenderness and cohesiveness of ground beef patties but did not affect juiciness. Addition of SPF decreased tenderness and juiciness but did not affect the cohesiveness of ground beef patties. Formulations containing SPF had less cooking loss than formulations without SPF.
Social effectiveness analysis of retail's circulation technology innovation

Since 1990s, new retail formats successively come on stage in China, forming the coexistence of various formats. At the same time, with the entrance of international General Merchandising in China, on the one hand, it promotes the development of Chinese General Merchandising. On the other hand, it accelerates the keen competition in Chinese retailing. Based on the background of the development and change of the retailing, on the viewpoint of social effectiveness of retail's circulation technology innovation, analyzing the subjective drive of various retailing formats, to seek development process and development rules of retailing. It is concluded that only Retail Formats with social effectiveness can gain competitive edge in keen competition among various formats.
Anatomical Alterations of the Visual Motion Processing Network in Migraine with and without Aura

Background Patients suffering from migraine with aura (MWA) and migraine without aura (MWoA) show abnormalities in visual motion perception during and between attacks. Whether this represents the consequences of structural changes in motion-processing networks in migraineurs is unknown. Moreover, the diagnosis of migraine relies on patient’s history, and finding differences in the brain of migraineurs might help to contribute to basic research aimed at better understanding the pathophysiology of migraine.
Impact of AAC Versus Verbal Modeling on Verbal Imitation, Picture Discrimination, and Related Speech: A Pilot Investigation

Delays in or lack of language development are a primary characteristic of autism. Thus, teachers, families and researchers face the challenge of determining which teaching strategies are most effective and efficient in addressing these communication deficits. This study attempts to add to the literature regarding this issue. A multi-treatment/multi-measure single-case design was used to compare the effects of the Picture Exchange Communication System (PECS) with a verbal modeling intervention on four communicative behaviors: (a) picture requests, (b) imitated verbalizations, (c) picture discrimination, and (d) any related speech for a 3 year old child with autism. Results indicated that the PECS training led to increases in picture requests and these results were maintained during the verbal modeling intervention phase. No change in imitated verbalizations was observed following either intervention. With respect to both picture discrimination and related speech, no significant results were achieved following PECS training or verbal modeling. However, during the verbal modeling phase the participant demonstrated a small increase in both picture discrimination and any related speech for both the PECS and verbal modeling item sets.
Long-term outcomes of school-based treatment for control of urinary schistosomiasis: a review of experience in Coast Province, Kenya

Urinary schistosomiasis remains a significant burden for Africa and the Middle East. The success of population-based control programs will depend on their impact, over many years, on Schistosoma haematobium reinfection and associated disease. In a multi-year (1984-1992) control program in Kenya, we examined risk for S. haematobium reinfection and late disease during and after annual school-based treatment. In this setting, long-term risk of new infection was independently associated with location, age, hematuria, and incomplete treatment, but not with sex or frequency of water contact. Thus, very local environmental features and age-related factors played an important role in S. haematobium transmission, such that population-based control programs should optimally tailor their efforts to local conditions on a village-by-village basis. In 2001-2002, the late benefits of earlier participation in school-based antischistosomal therapy were estimated in a cohort of formerly-treated adult residents compared to never-treated adults from the same villages. Among age-matched subjects, current infection prevalence was lower among those who had received remote therapy. In addition, prevalence of bladder abnormality was lower in the treated group, who were free of severe bladder disease. Treatment of affected adults resulted in rapid resolution of infection and any detectable bladder abnormalities. We conclude that continued treatment into adulthood, as well as efforts at long-term prevention of infection (transmission control) are necessary to achieve optimal morbidity control in affected communities.
The Problem of False Confessions in the Post-DNA World

In recent years, numerous individuals who confessed to and were convicted of serious felony crimes have been released from prison - some after many years of incarceration - and declared factually innocent. Often, these individuals are freed as a result of DNA tests that were not possible at the time of arrest, prosecution, and conviction. DNA testing has also exonerated numerous individuals who confessed to serious crimes before their cases went to trial. In this article, we analyze 125 recent cases of proven interrogation-induced false confessions (i.e., cases in which indisputably innocent individuals confessed to crimes they did not commit) and how these cases were treated by officials in the criminal justice system. This article has three goals. First, we provide and analyze basic demographic, legal, and case-specific descriptive data from these 125 cases. This is significant because this is the largest cohort of interrogation-induced false confession cases ever identified and studied in the research literature. Second, we analyze the role that (false) confession evidence played in these cases and how the defendants in these cases were treated by the criminal justice system. In particular, this article focuses on how criminal justice officials and triers-of-fact respond to confession evidence, whether it biases their evaluations and overwhelms other evidence (particularly evidence of innocence), and how likely false confessions are to lead to the wrongful arrest, prosecution, conviction, and incarceration of the innocent. Analysis of the aforementioned questions leads to the conclusion that the problem of interrogation-induced false confession in the American criminal justice system is far more significant than previously supposed. Furthermore, the problem of interrogation-induced false confessions has profound implications for the study of miscarriages of justice as well as the proper administration of justice. Third, and finally, this article suggests that several promising policy reforms, particularly mandatory electronic recording of police interrogations, will minimize the number of false confessions and thereby inject a much needed dose of justice into the American criminal justice system.
GLYCA, A NOVEL BIOMARKER OF SYSTEMIC INFLAMMATION, IMPROVES CARDIOVASCULAR RISK PREDICTION IN A HIGH-RISK CORONARY CATHETERIZATION COHORT

Inflammatory biomarkers appear to characterize residual cardiovascular (CV) risk on top of traditional risk factors. GlycA is a serum measurement of enzymatically glycosylated acute phase proteins. GlycA correlates with existing inflammatory biomarkers such as C-reactive protein and interleukin-6,
Water Relations of Several Arthropod Predators in the Peanut Agroecosystem

Water content and percentage of total body water (TBW) lost as a function of time was determined for four common predators in the peanut agroecosystem that may feed on the lesser cornstalk borer, Elasmopalpus lignosellus (Zeller) (Insecta: Lepidoptera: Pyralidae). TBW loss by Geocoris punctipes (Say) (Hemiptera: Lygaeidae), Reduviolus roseipennis Reuter (Hemiptera: Nabidae), and Oxyopes salticus Hentz (Aranae: Oxyopidae) increased linearly with desiccation time, but for workers of Solenopsis invicta Buren (Hymenoptera: Formicidae), it increased as a curvilinear function of desiccation time. Mortality of insects in a 24-h period was 69.4 and 80.6% for nymphal and adult G. punetipes , 16.7 and 58.1% for nymphal and adult R. roseipennis , 100% for S. invieta workers, and 14.7 and 13.0% for nymphal and adult O. saltieus. These high mortalities suggest that the lesser cornstalk borer is better able to survive xeric conditions than some of its common predators.
Biology and Immature Stages of Megaselia aequalis, a Phorid Predator of Slug Eggs

Megaselia aequalis (Wood) apparently is restricted to feeding on the eggs of the slug Deroceras laeve (Muller). The female oviposits directly onto the slug eggs or occasionally onto nearby vegetation. The newly hatched larva penetrates the outer covering of the egg, passes through the gelatinous matrix, and begins feeding on the perivitelline fluid. It does not attack the developing embryo. The 1st larval stadium lasts 1 or 2 days, and molting occurs within the egg. The 2nd-instar larva also remains within the egg, but unlike the 1st instar it usually destroys the embryo of the slug. The 2nd stadium lasts 2 days, with molting taking place outside the egg. The early 3rdinstar larva feeds within the gelatinous matrix surrounding the egg-capsule. Later it becomes more predatory and usually destroys at least 4 additional eggs. When fully grown, the larva abandons the cluster of eggs and pupates. The prepupal period lasts about 24 hours, the pupal period, 10–12 days. The earliest collecting record for adults in northeastern Ohio is May 27; the latest, September 10. There are at least 3 generations a year. Overwintering occurs as pupae. The egg, 3 larval instars, and puparium are described and illustrated.
Thermal Resistance of Bond-Lines Formed With Composite Thermal Interface Materials

Measurements and modeling of the thermal resistance of thin (< 100 microns) bond-lines are reported for composite thermal interface materials (TIMs). The composite TIMs consist of alumina particles dispersed in a polymer matrix to form six different adhesive materials. These model TIMs have a common matrix material and are distinguished by their particle size distributions. Bond-lines are formed in a three-layer assembly consisting of a substrate-TIM-substrate structure. The thermal resistance of the bond-line is measured, as a function of bond-line thickness, using the laser flash-technique. A linear variation of resistance with bond-line thickness is observed; Rbl = β · Lbl + Ro . A model is presented that predicts the effective thermal conductivity of the composite as a function of the particle and matrix conductivity, the particle-matrix surface conductance, the particle volume fraction and the particle size distribution. Specifically a method is introduced to account for a broad, continuous size distribution. A particle-matrix surface conductance value of ∼10W/mm2 K is found to give good agreement between the measured and predicted effective thermal conductivity values of the composite TIMs.Copyright © 2005 by ASME
Emotionally Up and Down, Behaviorally To and Fro: Drinking Motives Mediate the Synergistic Effects of Urgency and Emotional Instability on Alcohol Outcomes.

Emotional and behavioral regulation has been linked to coping and enhancement motives and associated with different patterns of alcohol use and problems. The current studies examined emotional instability, urgency, and internal drinking motives as predictors of alcohol dependence symptoms as well as the likelihood and severity of Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders-5th editionAlcohol Use Disorder (AUD). In Study 1, college drinkers (n = 621) completed alcohol involvement and behavioral/emotional functioning assessments. There was an indirect association between emotional instability and dependence symptoms via both coping and enhancement drinking motives which was potentiated by trait urgency. In Study 2, college drinkers (n = 510) completed alcohol involvement, behavioral/emotional functioning, and AUD criteria assessments. A significant indirect effect from emotional instability to the likelihood of meeting AUD criteria, via drinking to cope was found, again potentiated by urgency.
Unusual interatrial communication after the Fontan procedure

Two patients are presented who illustrate unusual venous anatomy allowing right-to-left shunting at the atrial level after Fontan repair.
Transforming IT Education with No-Cost Learning Materials

The growing tuition has placed a large financial burden on many college students. High cost of textbooks adds to the problem that may cause students to delay or withdraw their education. Another problem of many current textbooks is their relevancy and currency. This is particularly notable in the computing and technology areas. In this project, we were pioneering the practice to use no-cost learning materials department-wide. A team made up of four faculty members, an instructional designer, and a librarian looked at collaborative ways to select, organize, and integrate publicly accessible information and transform the selected resources into instructionally rigorous free learning materials for four database related courses in the Information Technology curriculum. The team developed surveys and other assessment material to evaluate the educational effectiveness of using no-cost instructional materials in lieu of costly textbooks. The approach and resulted materials were tested in classes over a one-year period. This paper will discuss the study, background of the costs of textbooks, and present the assessment results of the four no-cost learning material courses.
Tools to Study the Role of Architectural Protein HMGB1 in the Processing of Helix Distorting, Site-specific DNA Interstrand Crosslinks

High mobility group box 1 (HMGB1) protein is a non-histone architectural protein that is involved in regulating many important functions in the genome, such as transcription, DNA replication, and DNA repair. HMGB1 binds to structurally distorted DNA with higher affinity than to canonical B-DNA. For example, we found that HMGB1 binds to DNA interstrand crosslinks (ICLs), which covalently link the two strands of the DNA, cause distortion of the helix, and if left unrepaired can cause cell death. Due to their cytotoxic potential, several ICL-inducing agents are currently used as chemotherapeutic agents in the clinic. While ICL-forming agents show preferences for certain base sequences (e.g., 5'-TA-3' is the preferred crosslinking site for psoralen), they largely induce DNA damage in an indiscriminate fashion. However, by covalently coupling the ICL-inducing agent to a triplex-forming oligonucleotide (TFO), which binds to DNA in a sequence-specific manner, targeted DNA damage can be achieved. Here, we use a TFO covalently conjugated on the 5' end to a 4'-hydroxymethyl-4,5',8-trimethylpsoralen (HMT) psoralen to generate a site-specific ICL on a mutation-reporter plasmid to use as a tool to study the architectural modification, processing, and repair of complex DNA lesions by HMGB1 in human cells. We describe experimental techniques to prepare TFO-directed ICLs on reporter plasmids, and to interrogate the association of HMGB1 with the TFO-directed ICLs in a cellular context using chromatin immunoprecipitation assays. In addition, we describe DNA supercoiling assays to assess specific architectural modification of the damaged DNA by measuring the amount of superhelical turns introduced on the psoralen-crosslinked plasmid by HMGB1. These techniques can be used to study the roles of other proteins involved in the processing and repair of TFO-directed ICLs or other targeted DNA damage in any cell line of interest.
Kinetic Models of Biochemical Signaling Networks

Kinetic models of biochemical signaling networks are a mechanistic description of pharmacodynamics, and thus are potentially well-poised to fill gaps in the drug development pipeline by: (i) allowing putative drugs to be tested via simulations for efficacy and safety before expensive experiments and failed clinical trials; (ii) providing a framework for personalized and precision medicine that incorporates genomic information into a prediction of drug action in an individual; and (iii) interfacing with traditional pharmacokinetic models to yield computable yet mechanistic simulations that can inform drug dosing and frequency. However, biochemical signaling networks are currently incompletely understood on a basic level and are extremely complex compared to traditional applications of kinetic modeling. Herein, we describe current methods used to build such models and highlight strengths and weaknesses of the various approaches, as well as identify areas that need more research to drive the field towards influencing these important potential applications.
Multinodular cutaneous spread in neuroendocrine tumor of the breast : an unusual presentation.

Carcinoid tumors are the most common type of neuroendocrine tumors with an incidence of 1.5 per 100 000 of the population. Skin manifestations of carcinoid tumors include those associated with the carcinoid syndrome and sequelae from metastatic disease. Carcinoid tumors in the breast, which were first described in 1977, are rare and may present either as primary or metastatic lesions. The existence of primary breast carcinoid tumors is controversial, however, and, if they do exist, would account for <1% of primary breast cancers. We report the case of a 76-year-old woman who presented to the M.D. Anderson Cancer Center with a longstanding history of a breast lump. Core biopsy of the mass and left axillary lymph node aspiration revealed neuroendocrine tumor of the breast, which stained positive for synaptophysin and chromogranin. Subsequently, the patient developed a left-sided pleural effusion, and a further work-up revealed metastases to the lung parenchyma and pleural space. Three years after her diagnosis, she complained of a persistent, erythematous thickening of skin over the surface of her left inferior breast, which had been present for 1 year. On examination, multiple erythematous grouped nodules arranged in an oval pattern were present. A punch biopsy from one of the nodules revealed invasive low-grade carcinoma with neuroendocrine features similar to those in her prior breast core biopsy. The tumor was seen to be infiltrating the dermis. This is a unique case of a neuroendocrine tumor of the breast with cutaneous spread. The number of reported cases of neuroendocrine tumors with cutaneous involvement remains small.
Least squares polynomial chaos expansion: A review of sampling strategies

Abstract As non-intrusive polynomial chaos expansion (PCE) techniques have gained growing popularity among researchers, we here provide a comprehensive review of major sampling strategies for the least squares based PCE. Traditional sampling methods, such as Monte Carlo, Latin hypercube , quasi-Monte Carlo, optimal design of experiments (ODE), Gaussian quadratures , as well as more recent techniques, such as coherence-optimal and randomized quadratures are discussed. We also propose a hybrid sampling method, dubbed alphabetic-coherence-optimal , that employs the so-called alphabetic optimality criteria used in the context of ODE in conjunction with coherence-optimal samples. A comparison between the empirical performance of the selected sampling methods applied to three numerical examples, including high-order PCE’s, high-dimensional problems, and low oversampling ratios, is presented to provide a road map for practitioners seeking the most suitable sampling technique for a problem at hand. We observed that the alphabetic-coherence-optimal technique outperforms other sampling methods, specially when high-order ODE are employed and/or the oversampling ratio is low.
Low complexity schemes for the random access Gaussian channel

We consider an uncoordinated Gaussian multiple access channel with a relatively large number of active users within each block. A low complexity coding scheme is proposed, which is based on a combination of compute-and-forward and coding for a binary adder channel. For a wide regime of parameters of practical interest, the energy-per-bit required by each user in the proposed scheme is significantly smaller than that required by popular solutions such as slotted-ALOHA and treating interference as noise.
The Relationships between Hip and Knee Extensor Cross-Sectional Area, Strength, Power, and Potentiation Characteristics

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationships between muscle cross-sectional area (CSA), maximal strength, power output, and maximum potentiation characteristics. The vastus lateralis and biceps femoris CSA, one repetition maximum (1RM) back squat, 1RM concentric-only half-squat (COHS) strength, static jump power output, and maximum potentiation characteristics of 17 resistance-trained men was assessed during several testing sessions. Pearson’s correlation coefficients were used to examine the relationships between CSA, strength, power output, and maximum potentiation measures. Moderate-to-strong relationships existed between CSA and strength measures (r = 0.462–0.643) as well as power output (r = 0.396–0.683). In addition, moderate-to-strong relationships existed between strength and power output (r = 0.407–0.548), while trivial relationships existed between strength and maximum potentiation (r = −0.013–0.149). Finally, small negative relationships existed between CSA and maximum potentiation measures (r = −0.229–−0.239). The results of the current study provide evidence of the interplay between muscle CSA, strength, power, and potentiation. Vastus lateralis and biceps femoris CSA may positively influence an individual’s back squat and COHS maximal strength and squat jump peak power; however, muscle CSA and absolute strength measures may not contribute to an individual’s potentiation capacity. Practitioners may consider implementing resistance training strategies that improve vastus lateralis and biceps femoris size in order to benefit back squat and COHS strength. Furthermore, implementing squatting variations—both full and partial—may benefit jumping performance.
Reentry Program and Social Work Education: Training the Next Generation of Criminal Justice Social Workers.

ABSTRACTPurpose: Social work plays a marginal role in opposing the trend of mass incarceration and high rates of recidivism, and social work education offers limited opportunities for students to s...
Ionization of One-Dimensional Hydrogen Atoms with Intense Microwave and Laser Pulses

In the last five years the development of intense, short-pulse-length lasers has stimulated a tremendous amount of research on the behavior of atoms and molecules in oscillating electric fields which are comparable to the Coulomb binding fields. A wide variety of interesting and often puzzling physical phenomena have been observed experimentally and predicted theoretically in this novel, intense field regime of atomic and molecular physics where the traditional theoretical methods based on perturbation theory begin to fail. The present workshop on Atomic and Molecular Processes with Short Intense Laser Pulses provides a forum for the presentation of these exciting new results and for the extensive discussion of a number of controversial issues regarding the theoretical understanding of these intense field phenomena.
Problems in the Biological Sciences

The progress that has been made in IETS technology over the past few years has led to the obvious quesion of whether this technique can be useful in the study of biological molecules. However, since only a few biological compounds have been analyzed by IETS, it is premature to attempt to answer this question by reference to data. At this stage we can only ask more questions, and I try to determine which types of biological compounds best lend themselves to IETS experiments. An important question which cannot be answered as yet is whether IETS may be the best technique for the study of a particular biological problem. This must obviously wait for future developments, both theoretical and technical. From a theoretical perspective, it would seem that IETS could be applicable to numerous biological problems. However, the main problem at present would seem to be one of specimen preparation. These problems have been discussed by Dr. HANSMA and Dr. COLEMAN from different points of view, and I can’t add anything new to this particular discussion. I will attempt to outline a few of the areas in the study of biological macromolecules in which IETS may be very helpful. Hopefully, in the performance of these experiments, many of the preparative problems can be understood and then overcome. These would not necessarily be the ultimate aims of IETS, but this approach may be helpful in learning what these goals are and how to get there.
Phase Behavior of Heavy Oils with Application to Reservoir Recovery Processes

The general phase behavior of heavy crude oils and tars in admixture with light hydrocarbon solvents is discussed, especially with reference to solids precipitation and oil phase viscosities. Examples from both simple systems and heavy oil systems are shown, and some generalities drawn from the data. The consequences of this behavior for reservoir and production operations is pointed out, and the use of some contemporary correlations for calculating phase behavior of heavy oil systems is discussed.
Effect of Chemical Microenvironment in Spirothiopyran Monolayer Direct-Write Photoresists

We study the effect of the microenvironment on writing chemical patterns into spirothiopyran monolayers over large areas in a single step with light. Surfaces functionalized with photoresponsive spirothiopyran are fabricated by chemically modifying amine-terminated monolayers. The merocyanine isomer selectively participates in a thiol-Michael addition reaction with maleimide-functionalized molecules, rendering these surfaces ideal for fast, mask-less direct writing. The local microenvironment of spirothiopyran is found to strongly influence the kinetics of photoswitching. The quantum yield of ring opening is found to be 17 times faster for spirothiopyran surrounded by a locally charged environment rich in guanidinium diluent molecules as compared to a closed-packed monolayer without diluents. Hydrophilic environments are also found to improve the kinetics of ring closing. Optimization of the diluent concentration leads to dramatic improvements in both contrast and yield of direct writing. This enables the...
Interrogating the Historical Basis for a Unitary Executive

This Article demonstrates that the historical claims about the original meaning of the executive power made by proponents of the "unitary executive" theory of presidential and executive power in the United States are largely unfounded. The ability to remove executive officials was not one of the prerogative powers possessed by the King of England at the time of the framing of the U.S. Constitution. Moreover, the king neither appointed nor was able to remove all of “his” principal officers, many of whom held their offices for life or pursuant to other forms of tenure and operated largely free of the king’s direction or control. While the king possessed plenary authority to choose his high-level advisers and the officers who carried out his prerogatives over the military and foreign affairs, Parliament frequently regulated the appointment, qualifications, and tenure of other executive officials in Great Britain, including by protecting them from removal by the king or his ministers, when there was good reason to do so. The evidence surveyed in this Article, which includes confirmation from a previously overlooked passage from one of James Madison's writings in The Federalist Papers, has important implications for debates over the unitary executive theory as well as for this term's Supreme Court case over the constitutionality of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. It suggests that the Constitution does not proscribe efforts by Congress to insulate regulatory and law-enforcement officials, such as the heads of independent agencies and special prosecutors, from political interference.
A Covert System Identification Attack on Constant Setpoint Control Systems

Industrial Control Systems (ICS) are the brain and backbone of nation's critical infrastructure such as nuclear power, water treatment, and petrochemical plants. In order to increase interoperability, real-time availability of data, and flexibility, information/communication technologies are adopted in this domain. While these information technologies have been effective, they are integrated into operational technologies without the necessary security defense. Designing an effective, layered security defense is not possible unless security threats are identified through a structural analysis of the ICS. For that reason, this paper provides an attacker's point of view on the reconnaissance effort necessary to gather details of the system dynamics - which are required for the development of sophisticated attacks. We present a reconnaissance approach which uses the system's I/O data to infer the dynamic model of the system. In this effort, we propose a novel cyber-attack which targets the controller proportional-integral-derivative gain values in a constant setpoint control system. Our findings will help researchers design more secure control systems.