cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Out-of-order execution and structural equivalence of simulation models

This paper revisits a technique for determining structural equivalence between simulation models. Specifically brought under scrutiny are the restrictions for applying a rule that expands a compound event vertex when converting a simulation graph model (SGM) into an extended SGM. By checking for inter-dependencies of state variables within the vertex, one can ensure that the logical structure of the original model is preserved during expansion, allowing for "out-of-order" execution of events - thus permitting a greater class of models to be deemed structurally (and behaviorally) equivalent. An example is provided of establishing structural equivalence between two discrete event simulations derived from the same model, which benefits from the revised expansion rule.
Towards Linking Anonymous Authorship in Casual Sexual Encounter Ads

This paper constructs an authorship-linked collection or corpus of anonymous, sex-seeking ads found on the classified ad website Craigslist. This corpus is then used to validate an authorship attribution approach based on identifying near duplicate text within ad clusters, providing insight into how often anonymous individuals post sex-seeking ads and where they meet for encounters. We find that while a near duplicate detection approach fails to identify all ads written by a single author, it does identify subsets of a single author's ads with high precision, meaning the system is capable of measuring the posting behavior of real Craigslist users.
INDUSTRIAL ECOLOGY : THE NEED TO RETHINK THE MATERIALS CYCLE : SOME PROBLEMS, SOLUTIONS, AND OPPORTUNITIES IN THE MATERIALS FIELD

The main thrust of this paper is to define the concept of industrial ecology and to discuss how its principles may be utilized to reconsider the materials cycle. Simply put, ecological principles imply that we minimize waste during manufacture and ensure that the products are recycled at the end of their useful life. Such a rethought materials cycle has to stress waste minimization and, at the same time, track energy flows and cost considerations simultaneously with the movement of the materials streams. In this paper, special attention is paid to recycling issues in metals production, municipal waste, and also to recycling issues pertaining to electronic materials. Comments are made on the driving forces and the barriers to industrial ecology, including economics, regulation, management and education, and on the international aspects of industrial ecology.
The use of implicit mode functions to drop impact dynamics of stacked chip scale packaging

The dynamic response of Sn3.5Ag solder balls interconnecting bilayered chip scale packages under board-level drop impact is studied in this paper. The structural response of the solder balls was obtained by finite element simulations of an elastic model of board-mounted assembly under the JEDEC-defined half-sine acceleration profile. The distribution of the von Mises stress and peeling stress were examined in the critical solders. The Hilbert-Huang Transform (HHT) technique was then used to calculate the implicit mode functions (IMFs) of the dynamic response at the critical solder balls. As each IMF carries important amplitude and frequency information intrinsically retained to the processed signals, the IMFs enable a preliminary analysis about questions such as how much of the solder stress buildup is contributed from board vibrations.
An Ounce of Tat Prevention Is Worth a Pound of Functional Cure

Infection by HIV-1 can effectively be suppressed by antiretroviral therapy (ART). However, the persistence of a small, latent virus reservoir impedes viral eradication. Thus, most infected individuals must be treated with ART for life. While efforts to find a sterilizing cure that eradicates the virus are ongoing, an alternative approach deemed a functional cure has remained less explored. A functional cure for HIV is envisioned as long-term control of virus replication in the absence of ART (reviewed in references 1 and 2). Such a functional cure might encompass effective immune interventions, reduction of the reservoir to a highly “controllable” size, and/or induction of a long-lasting suppression of viral gene expression. The Tat viral protein is a strong transactivator of viral gene expression, and viral replication is severely restricted in its absence; thus, it makes a logical antiviral target. A recent article by Mousseau et al. (3) reports on a novel Tat inhibitor that the authors show has the unusual ability to induce a “permanent state of latency.” Didehydro-cortistatin A (dCA) is a departure from current FDA-approved antiretroviral drugs in that it inhibits viral gene expression from integrated viruses. For the above reasons, dCA represents a novel inhibitor class. Cortistatin A (CA) is a steroidal alkaloid from Corticium simplex , a marine sponge, which has raised interest based on its antiproliferative effects (4). dCA is a derivative of CA that was reported to be equipotent (5) to the parent compound as well as relatively easy to obtain by chemical synthesis. One of the salient features of CA is its ability to bind to and inhibit cyclin-dependent kinase 11 (CDK11) with nanomolar affinity (6). CDK11 was recently shown by Valente and colleagues to be essential for HIV-1 gene expression by phosphorylating factors required for proper 3′ processing of viral mRNAs (7). Based …
Red He-Ne laser exposure enhances Hydrogen Peroxide production and induces the “by-stander” effect and modulations in metabolic activity in malignant human brain cancer

Enhanced generation of H 2 O 2 , modulations in metabolic activity, and the “by-stander” effect from malignant human brain cancer cells due to red He-Ne laser exposures have been quantified and found to be light exposure dose dependent. The findings herein support evidence for an important role for light induced H 2 O 2 to mediate biomodulations.
NEW GENUS, NEW SPECIES OF CESTODA (ANOPLOCEPHALIDAE), NEW SPECIES OF NEMATODA (COSMOCERCIDAE) AND OTHER HELMINTHS IN CYRTODACTYLUS LOUISIADENSIS (SAURIA: GEKKONIDAE) FROM PAPUA NEW GUINEA

Gekkotaenia novaeguineaensis n. gen., n. sp. (Cestoda: Anoplocephalidae) from the small intestine and Cosmocerca zugi n. sp. (Nematoda: Cosmocercidae) from the large intestine of the ring-tailed gecko, Cyrtodactylus louisiadensis (Sauria: Gekkonidae) are described and illustrated. Gekkotaenia novaeguineaensis n. gen., n. sp. is unique among the acraspedote Linstowiinae in possessing a poral female reproductory system. Cosmocerca zugi n. sp. is the 22nd species to be assigned to the genus and differs from other species in the genus by possessing 4 pairs of rosette papillae on plectanes and having a gubernaculum longer than the spicules. It is the fifth species to be described from the Australian biogeographical region. Eight additional helminth species were found: the digenean, Allopharynx macallisteri; 2 cestodes, cysticercoids of Cyclophyllidea gen. sp. and tetrathyridia of Mesocestoides sp.; 5 nematodes, larvae in cysts of Abbreviata sp., Aplectana macintoshii, Oswaldocruzia bakeri, Parapharyngodon maplestonei, and an undescribed species of Physalopteroides. Cyrtodactylus louisiadensis represents a new host record for each of these helminths.
Intercat aggression in households following the introduction of a new cat

A 62 question survey was mailed to 375 individuals who adopted a cat from a local animal shelter. The goals of the survey were to identify the incidence of intercat aggression when a new cat was introduced into a household, identify potential risk factors associated with intercat aggression within a household and obtain various descriptive information on methods used to introduce a new cat into a home. The response rate was 72% (n = 252) with 128 of the households containing multiple cats and 124 of the households containing only the adopted cat. For this survey, fighting was defined as scratching and/or biting. Among households with multiple cats, half reported fighting between cats when the new cat was introduced. Approximately half of the people introduced the cats into the home by simply putting the cats together immediately. Neither age, sex, nor number of cats in the household was associated with current fighting (i.e. fighting that was occurring 2‐12 months after the new cat was brought into the household); however, current fighting was associated with individual behaviors (i.e. scratching and biting) during the cats first meeting, outdoor access, and the owner’s perception of the first meeting as unfriendly or aggressive. # 2004 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
Electrical modeling of an IC package chip paddle as an integral ground bus

This paper presents an analysis of an IC package chip paddle connected as an active ground bus to conduct ground currents from the chip to the system ground. To generate the electrical models, non-commercial software acquired through various university sources was utilized. The development of associated software to provide efficient input of CAD data base information and output to simulation programs is briefly described. Various paddle designs and the number and placement of ground path bond wires are modeled and simulated and the results presented.
Integrating Logic and Constraint Reasoning in a Timeline-Based Planner

This paper introduces the ongoing work for a novel domain-independent planning system which takes inspiration from both Constraint Programming (CP) and Logic Programming (LP), flavouring it all with Object Oriented features. We will see a specific customization of our environment to the particular kind of automated planning referred to as timeline-based. By allowing for the interesting ability of solving both planning and scheduling problems in a uniform schema, the resulting system is particularly suitable for complex domains arising from real dynamic scenarios. The paper proposes a resolution algorithm and enhances it with some (static and dynamic) heuristics to help the solving process. The system is tested on different benchmark problems from classical planning domains like the Blocks World to more challenging temporally expressive problems like the Temporal Machine Shop and the Cooking Carbonara problems demonstrating how the new planner, named iLoC, compares with respect to other state-of-the-art planners.
A Pilot Study of Perceptual-Motor Training for Peripheral Prisms

Purpose Peripheral prisms (p-prisms) shift peripheral portions of the visual field of one eye, providing visual field expansion for patients with hemianopia. However, patients rarely show adaption to the shift, incorrectly localizing objects viewed within the p-prisms. A pilot evaluation of a novel computerized perceptual-motor training program aiming to promote p-prism adaption was conducted. Methods Thirteen patients with hemianopia fitted with 57Δ oblique p-prisms completed the training protocol. They attended six 1-hour visits reaching and touching peripheral checkerboard stimuli presented over videos of driving scenes while fixating a central target. Performance was measured at each visit and after 3 months. Results There was a significant reduction in touch error (P = 0.01) for p-prism zone stimuli from pretraining median of 16.6° (IQR 12.1°-19.6°) to 2.7° ( IQR 1.0°-8.5°) at the end of training. P-prism zone reaction times did not change significantly with training (P > 0.05). P-prism zone detection improved significantly (P = 0.01) from a pretraining median 70% (IQR 50%-88%) to 95% at the end of training (IQR 73%-98%). Three months after training improvements had regressed but performance was still better than pretraining. Conclusions Improved pointing accuracy for stimuli detected in prism-expanded vision of patients with hemianopia wearing 57Δ oblique p-prisms is possible and training appears to further improve detection. Translational relevance This is the first use of this novel software to train adaptation of visual direction in patients with hemianopia wearing peripheral prisms.
Mechanisms and challenges in translational stroke research.

Translating basic science advances into clinical meaning has been challenging for stroke research. This does not, however, mean that the investigation of basic mechanisms is irrelevant. Translation is difficult because the underlying mechanisms are complex and ill-defined. The original focus on neuroprotection has now evolved into a broader consideration of the role of non-neuronal cells in stroke pathophysiology. The neurovascular unit may provide a conceptual framework within which interactions between neural, glial, and vascular cells comprise a basis for function and dysfunction in the central nervous system. Importantly, these cell-cell signaling pathways are also biphasic in nature, that is, mechanisms that are deleterious in the acute phase may surprisingly be required for neurovascular remodeling and plasticity during stroke recovery. Furthermore, injury-into-repair gradients are significantly influenced by a host of modifying factors and comorbidities. Rigorous dissection of these complex and recursive mechanisms should be required before they can be rationally targeted for stroke.
Adopting and Adapting Problem-based Learning for Laboratory Science

Problem-based learning (PBL), an instructional format, has gained great popularity in medicine during the last 2 decades. Modest interest in PBL has developed recently in the allied health professions. In PBL, students meet in small groups to solve clinical problems from which they develop a list of learning issues to study on their own. PBL promotes problem-solving skills, self-directed study, group interaction and communication, and the integration of content across disciplines. It is especially suitable to certain student learning styles and can be used to improve information retention. The disadvantages include increased time required, decreased immediate recall of information, and the need for additional reference resources. PBL challenges include assessment of student achievement and ensuring adequate content coverage. The classical medical school model of PBL will require modification for adoption in clinical laboratory science.
A Study of Photoreceptor–Retinal Pigment Epithelium Complex: Age-Related Changes in Monkeys:

Retinas of 4-, 10-, and 20-year-old monkeys were studied by light microscopy, electron microscopy, and scanning electron microscopy. Sections from the midperipheral region of every retina were selected for comparison. Although no significant differences were found between 4- and 10-year-old retinas, four major changes were found in 20-year-old monkey retinas: (i) increased number of displaced photoreceptor cells (DPC), (ii) increased number of macrophages of different morphology in subretinal space, (iii) increase in pigment granules in retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) cells, and (iv) altered morphology of Muller cells. DPC included both rods and cones. Their location and morphology depended on the stage of their displacement. These cells were usually oval or rounded in shape and were found either among the outer segments of other photoreceptor cells, having stalks extending into the outer nuclear layer, or were located in the subretinal space and had no stalk. A narrow space around the DPC stalks, indicating a change in the intercellular connection between photoreceptor cells and Muller cells, was observed. Furthermore, the Muller cells related to DPC had shortened and markedly reduced microvilli. Two types of macrophages were found in the subretinal space of aged monkey retinas. One type was similar in morphology to RPE cells. Some of these cells were noticed detaching from RPE. Other types of macrophages were nonpigmented. The modifications in RPE were closely related to the changes in the associated neuroretina. The RPE cells in aged retina were devoid of microvilli or had a few thin microvilli. The pleomorphic pigment granules were dispersed throughout the cytoplasm. These cells varied in their size, shape, and surface features. These changes could significantly alter the retinal metabolic equilibrium and may be indicative of age related degenerative processes.
Collaborative Simulation and Testing Utilizing High Performance Computing

The nature of today’s defense system acquisition pr ocess demands the procurement of increasingly complex systems in shorter time periods with decreased funding. In particular, the test and evaluation community is increasingly c hallenged to reduce overall test time and cost, yet not diminish its mission of comprehensive , independent assessment of the warfighter’s weaponry. One of the most promising methodologies currently available to the tester to address this challenge is virtual testing through the use of modeling and simulation (M&S). The potential benefits of M&S are well-known, but issues related to model validation, the lack of timely access to large-scal e computing assets and the lack of efficient user interfaces with multi-disciplinary M&S capability have created a gap between the M&S and test communities who desire to use advanced M&S to effectively support test programs. The Department of Defense (DoD) High Performance Computing (HPC) Modernization Program Office has sponsored a number of “Portfolio” programs to address this shortfall. The objective of the Collaborative Simulation and Test (CST) Portfolio is to support the test and evaluation (T&E) process by using M&S tools more effectively to model coupled aircraft subsystems and flight regimes such that the results are more applicable to the critical needs of current T&E methods. The goal of the CST Portfolio is to perform, through an integrated HPC computational analysis environment, multidisciplinary collaborative simulation and testing using legacy and scalable software, to supp ort DoD research, development, T&E, and operational objectives. The CST Portfolio is composed of a range of projects pertaining to the critical subsystems of the air vehicle: propuls ion and power, vehicle performance and stability, aero-structure interaction, and air deli very systems. An additional project provides a framework that serves to link the high fidelity c odes of the other projects under one software suite. The framework also provides the T&E user with the physical access to the integrated capabilities of the project codes via a portal through which users can more readily visualize and access the full functionality of the Portfolio products. The CST Portfolio was initiated in December 2003. Alpha and beta software testing is complete and Portfolio products are being transitioned to multip le programs across all services, industry and academia.
High Resolution Tem of Organic Aerogels and Inorganic Aerogels

A base catalyzed silica aerogel and three base catalyzed resorcinol-formaldehyde (RF) aerogels were imaged with a new vertical platinum-carbon (Pt-C) replication technique. In deep gels single molecular chains can be visualized with transmission electron microscopy (TEM) with 9–10 A thick Pt-C replicas backed with 110–130 A of carbon [2]. The three RF aerogels produced with [Resorcinol]/[Catalyst] ratios (R/C) of 50, 200, and 300 had densities of 0.103, 0.063, and 0.065 gm/cc and had surface areas of 905, 580, and 390 m2/gm, respectively. The gel connectors and junctions in RF 300 and RF 200 were composed of 210±30 A and 140±10 A beads which were joined by polymeric chains covering an area less than half the bead's diameter and within a bead diameter's distance. The gel connectors and junctions in RF 50 were frequently composed of beads of about 120±10 A joined over an area larger than half the bead's diameter. Similar to the silica aerogel (0.065 gm/cc, 113±10 A beads), the beads were frequently connected over several bead diameter's distance from each other.
Structural Health Monitoring with Piezoelectric Wafer Active Sensors—Predictive Modeling and Simulation

This paper starts a review of the state of the art in structural health monitoring with piezoelectric wafer active sensors and follows with highlighting the limitations of the current approaches which are predominantly experimental. Subsequently, the paper examines the needs for developing a predictive modeling methodology that would allow to perform extensive parameter studies to determine the sensing method’s sensitivity to damage and insensitivity to confounding factors such as environmental changes, vibrations, and structural manufacturing variability. The thesis is made that such a predictive methodology should be multi-scale and multi-domain, thus encompassing the modeling of structure, sensors, electronics, and power management. A few examples of preliminary work on such a structural sensing predictive methodology are given. The paper ends with conclusions and suggestions for further work
Conformationally Restrained Octahedral Metallacrown Ethers with 1,2-(Ph2P(CH2CH2O)2)2C6H4 Ligands. X-ray Crystal Structure of cis-Mo(CO)4{1,2-(Ph2P(CH2CH2O)2)2C6H4-P,P‘}

A new α,ω-bis(phosphine)−polyether ligand, 1,2-(Ph2P(CH2CH2O)2)2C6H4, has been synthesized and used to prepare a number of conformationally restrained metallacrown ethers. The reaction of 1,2-(Ph2P(CH2CH2O)2)2C6H4 and Mo(CO)4(nbd) gives a good yield of cis-Mo(CO)4{1,2-(Ph2P(CH2CH2O)2)2C6H4-P,P‘}. This complex has been isomerized to trans-Mo(CO)4{1,2-(Ph2P(CH2CH2O)2)2C6H4-P,P‘} using both UV light and HgCl2 catalysis. The reaction of 1,2-(Ph2P(CH2CH2O)2)2C6H4 with fac-RuCl2(CO)3(THF) initially yields a mixture of monomeric and oligomeric cis,cis,trans-[RuCl2(CO)2{1,2-(Ph2P(CH2CH2O)2)2C6H4-P,P‘}]n metallacrown ethers. Surprisingly, the oligomeric metallacrown ethers slowly convert into the monomeric metallacrown ether at ambient temperature in a chloroform-d solution. This does not occur with the conformationally mobile [cis,cis,trans-RuCl2(CO)2{Ph2P(CH2CH2O)4CH2CH2PPh2-P,P‘}]n metallacrown ethers. The X-ray crystal structure of cis-Mo(CO)4{1,2-(Ph2P(CH2CH2O)2)2C6H4-P,P‘} has also been determined. The four ...
The U. S.-Mexico Border-crossing Chicana Researcher: Theory in the Flesh and the Politics of Identity in Critical Ethnography

Grounded in Chicana feminist perspectives (Delgado Bernal, 1998; Sandoval, 1998; Villenas, 1996) that situate the Chicana researcher as a political self, and building on the concepts of cultural intuition (Delgado Bernal, 1998) and theory in the flesh (Moraga & Anzaldua, 1981), this article examines issues of power and identity that emerged from a yearlong ethnography in the city of Juarez, Mexico during the most violent drug-war era in its history. Focusing on the role of the border-crosser researcher who returns "home" to do fieldwork south of the U. S.-Mexico border, the article exposes the researcher's intimate struggles in negotiating the emotional distress involved in returning to one's own devastated community, the multiple identities that were perceived and produced during the data collection process, and the transformations and lessons learned from these experiences. The article examines the role of power inherent in the researcher's ability to control how data are interpreted and reported and th...
Quantification of oxycodone and morphine analytes in urine: Assessment of adherence.

Objective: To use urine drug testing (UDT) results and other covariates to develop a model for the assessment of opioid medication prescription adherence. Design: Retrospective study. Setting: The Pain Management Clinic at one center of a large, private, multispecialty healthcare system (consisting of 52 regional centers) in northcentral and western Wisconsin. Participants: Seven hundred thirty-three Pain Management Clinic patients with an opioid prescription and UDT between June 1, 2007 and May 17, 2010. UDT results were available for 2,615 individual drug screens from 2,364 urine samples. Intervention: Patient characteristics, drug dosage, quantitative urine creatinine and drug/analyte levels, and reported adherence/nonadherence were abstracted from the electronic medical record. Main outcome measures: Adherence was categorized for all UDT results using an objective set of criteria. Drug adherence was modeled excluding samples for clinically observed adherence issues, detection of illicit substances, diagnosed addictive disorders, and/or metabolic reasons. Results: Considerable variability was observed for primary urine analytes, even among those prescribed the same dose and believed to be adherent and free of confounding medical issues. For all medications evaluated, only urine creatinine contributed significantly (p < 0.0001) to predictive models of adherence based on dose alone. Simulated underuse and review of identified overuse and underuse suggest that this model could provide useful adherence information. Conclusion: Predictive models based on urine analyte levels and clinical covariates, particularly urine creatinine, may be clinically useful for assessing opioid adherence. Future work should evaluate whether genetics or other factors can improve predictive accuracy of these models.
A New Look at Surfaces of Constant Curvature

Equality of zonal areas on a sphere and pseudosphere is extended by elementary geometric methods to surfaces of revolution of constant total (Gaussian) curvature, and constant mean (Delaunay) curvature. Bicycle wheels are used to trace profiles of these surfaces. Surprisingly, cycloids appear as limiting cases of such profiles.
Long-term low dose cinoxacin therapy for the prevention of recurrent urinary tract infections.

AbstractThis 2-part study was undertaken to determine the efficacy of long-term low dose preventive cinoxacin therapy for patients who are prone to frequent recurrent urinary tract infections. In the pilot study 61 patients were treated with a single bedtime dose of 0.5gm. cinoxacin for 3 to 12 months after first eradicating any existing infection with organism-specific therapy. The results of no recurrences during therapy, 6 recurrences (10 per cent) within 3 months and a total of 18 recurrences (30 per cent) within 12 months after discontinuing therapy were most impressive.Since the pilot study was not controlled a randomized double-blind study of 70 patients with a minimum of 3 recurrent infections in the previous 12 months and who were free of infection at the start of the trial were treated with either placebo or 0.5gm. cinoxacin at bedtime for 6 months or until infection or adverse reaction intervened. There were no infections during the months of therapy in patients receiving the active drug. Patie...
Ultra-High Throughput Screening (uHTS) Chemical Genetics to Identify Novel Chronotherapeutics

The circadian clock controls daily oscillations of gene expression at the cellular level. We present the development of a high-throughput circadian functional assay system that consists of luminescent reporter cells, screening automation, and a data analysis pipeline. We applied this system to further dissect the molecular mechanisms underlying the mammalian circadian clock using a chemical biology approach. We initially analyzed the effect of 1280 pharmacologically active compounds with diverse structures on the circadian period length that is indicative of the core clock mechanism. Our screening paradigm identified many compounds previously known to change the circadian period or phase, demonstrating the validity of the assay system. Furthermore, we found that small molecule inhibitors of glycogen synthase kinase 3 (GSK-3) consistently caused a strong short-period phenotype in contrast to the well-known period lengthening by lithium, another presumed GSK-3 inhibitor. siRNA-mediated knock-down of GSK-3β also caused a short period, confirming the phenotype obtained with the small molecule inhibitors. These results indicate a novel role of GSK-3β in the period regulation of the mammalian clockwork and highlight the effectiveness of chemical biology in exploring unidentified mechanisms of the circadian clock. We have now continued screening a collection of more than 650 000 compounds for the ability to alter rhythmic attributes.
A developmental stage of a foreland belt

Active foreland-type belts indicate that recurring seismically related modes of deformation played a fundamental role in ancient foreland belts. Earthquakes along ramps (?) or listric segments of thrusts apparently can be larger in magnitude than along associated decollements. When this situation exists, additional styles of fault slip must occur along decollements to generate the larger earthquakes at the ‘locked’ inclined fault segments. Fault-slip styles in active tectonic terranes include typical earthquakes, slow earthquakes, and recurring forms of fault creep. They indicate that velocity-dependent damping is a key element in several faulting processes. Fault models presented here take this parameter into account, and they are applied to the Hogsback sheet in the Kemmerer region of the Wyoming Salient. They indicate that appreciable long-term fault creep displacement cannot occur along decollements at average geological slip rates, with few possible exceptions such as extensive layer-parallel shortening due to pressure solution. Data analysis for Kemmerer indicates that the Hogsback sheet probably was emplaced by the more rapid forms of recurring fault slip. The partitioning of elastic tectonic strain imposed by typical and slow earthquakes accordingly may depend to a considerable extent on the relation between relaxation times of deformational processes and the recurrence intervals of these fault-slip events.
Variations in Learning Rate: Student Classification Based on Systematic Residual Error Patterns across Practice Opportunities.

A growing body of research suggests that accounting for studentspecific variability in educational data can improve modeling accuracy and may have implications for individualizing instruction. The Additive Factors Model (AFM), a logistic regression model used to fit educational data and discover/refine skill models of learning, contains a parameter that individualizes for overall student ability but not for student learning rate. Here, we show that adding a per-student learning rate parameter to AFM overall does not improve predictive accuracy. In contrast, classifying students into three “learning rate” groups using residual error patterns, and adding a per-group learning rate parameter to AFM, substantially and consistently improves predictive accuracy across 8 datasets spanning the domains of Geometry, Algebra, English grammar, and Statistics. In a subset of datasets for which there are preand post-test data, we observe a systematic relationship between learning rate group and pre-topost-test gains. This suggests there is both predictive power and external validity in modeling these distinct learning rate groups.
Hamilton and the Hurricane

Recently, many people have taken a renewed interest in one of the most important figures in the founding of the United States of America. That founding father was to become a confidential aide to G...
Regional Identity and Support for Europe: Distinguishing Between Cultural and Political Social Identity in France

ABSTRACTMuch has been written about the “crisis of the nation state” in Europe. The shifting of state competencies to the European and regional levels is expected to generate new loyalties to these levels, possibly at the expense of national solidarity. While numerous studies show that individuals with an exclusive national identity are less likely to support integration than those with an inclusive identity, much less is known about the interaction between regional identity and European identity. Using public opinion data collected in 16 French regions, I show that exclusive regionalists are less likely to feel attached to Europe and support the EU. However, I also find that the impact of regional identity on European identity varies by the type of identity invoked—cultural versus political. While cultural regional identity lowers support for European institutions, political regional identity has the opposite effect.
The dynamics of precious metal markets VaR: A GARCHEVT approach

Abstract The data analysis of the metal markets has recently attracted a lot of attention, mainly because the prices of precious metal are relatively more volatile than its historical trend. A robust estimate of extreme loss is vital, especially for mining companies to mitigate risk and uncertainty in metal price fluctuations. This paper examines the Value-at-Risk and statistical properties in daily price return of precious metals, which include gold, silver, platinum, and palladium, from January 11, 2000 to September 9, 2016. An advanced two stage approach which combines GARCH-type models with extreme value theory is implemented. In the first stage, the conditional variance is modeled by different rolling univariate GARCH-type models (GARCH, EGARCH and TGARCH) under the GED error assumption in the returns of precious metal markets and compare the same with other well-known models. In the second stage, extreme value approach is applied to capture the tail behavior of distribution for the extracted standardized residuals. In comparison with the dynamic VaRs of these precious metals, we find that gold has the most steady and the highest VaRs, followed by platinum and silver; on the other hand our results show that palladium has the most volatile VaRs. The backtesting result confirms that our approach is an adequate method in improving risk management assessments and hedging strategies in the high volatile metal markets.
The Organizational Consequences of Politics: A Research Agenda for the Study of Bureaucratic Politics in Latin America

The study of the bureaucracy in Latin America, within the study of politics, has long been little more than an afterthought. It is assumed to lie in the realm of public administration, distinct from other regional subfields that have increasingly gained the attention of political scientists. As a result, scholars' understanding of Latin American bureaucratic politics is limited. Here, we conduct a comprehensive survey of peer-reviewed articles to evaluate the state of this subfield. We find a thematically, analytically, and methodologically splintered discipline, but a prime one for exploitation and new avenues of research. This article summarizes salient trends in the literature, describes advances in the study of bureaucracy in Latin America, and discusses limitations in this scholarship. It suggests a roadmap for scholars by proposing a series of research questions and recommends a series of analytical and methodological approaches to address those questions.
Engineering and Computational Thinking talent in middle school students: A framework for defining and recognizing student affinities

In this paper we describe our process for synthesizing frameworks for recognizing student talents in the areas of Computational Thinking (CT) and Engineering Design (ED) from prior research. Computer science education research has resulted in multiple, overlapping definitions of CT as an approach towards solving problems using methods and tools that are derived from computer science. Our development of operationalized definitions of CT talent for middle school educators is focused on uniting models for CT in a simplified structure. Our ED definition framework builds on multiple distinct models of the engineering design process along with concepts from systems engineering models and the design thinking process. We operationalize these frameworks to provide teachers with metrics and examples for recognizing and assessing the CT and ED skills of their students in non-technical classes. By training teachers to evaluate students' processes from the perspective of an engineer and computer scientist, teachers are more able to help their STEM-inclined students recognize the alignments between their own talents and possible careers. Through the analysis of teacher surveys and interviews from 19 classroom implementations, we evaluated the changes that the Arts & Bots program has had on teacher perceptions of student CT and ED skills and talents.
Information Sensitivity and Willingness to Provide Continua: A Comparative Privacy Study of the United States and Brazil:

AbstractThis article develops information continua for (1) the perceived sensitivity of data and (2) consumers’ willingness to disclose information that can be used to evaluate information attitudes of U.S. and Brazilian consumers. Using a cross-national survey between U.S. and Brazilian consumers, this research examines how consumers’ perceived sensitivity and willingness to provide information are affected by country of origin, age, perceived privacy control, consumer data relationship (with a friend, marketer, trusted marketer, or unknown marketer), and type of information (whether it is personally identifiable information or linkable). The findings provide public policy insights into potential market solutions and regulatory approaches that bridge the gap between marketers’ need for personalizing customer relationships and consumers' preferences for information privacy.
Measuring Closeness: The Relationship Closeness Inventory (RCI) Revisited

The conceptual analysis of relationships presented byKelley et al. (1983/2002) inClose Relationships was the heuristic for the development of the RCI (Berscheid, Snyder, & Omoto, 1989a; 1989b). As Berscheid and Peplau (1983/2002) note, at the time Kelley and his colleagues were attempting to construct a conceptual blueprint to facilitate the study of close relationships, little attention had been given to the construct relationship. Thus, Kelley et al. found it necessary to provide a conceptual analysis of the relationship construct before proceeding to consider its frequently used descriptor close.
SRNL Emergency Response Capability for Atmospheric Contaminant Releases

Emergency response to an atmospheric release of chemical or radiological contamination is enhanced when plume predictions, field measurements, and real-time weather information are integrated into a geospatial framework. The Weather Information and Display (WIND) System at Savannah River National Laboratory (SRNL) utilizes such an integrated framework. The rapid availability of predictions from a suite of atmospheric transport models within this geospatial framework has proven to be of great value to decision makers during an emergency involving an atmospheric contaminant release.
Minimization with few violated constraints and its application in set-membership identification

Abstract We study the problem of finding an optimal solution satisfying all but k of the given n constraints. A solution is obtained along with an algorithm of the complexity min{ O(n. k d ), O(n. d k+1 ) }, where d is the dimension of the problem. We then use the results to solve successfully the problem of robust estimation in the presence of outliers in the setting of bounded error parameter identification. It is shown that the obtained estimate converges to the true but unknown parameter even in the presence of unknown outliers.
Effects of Anticoagulants and Storage on Granulocyte Function in Bank Blood

Storage of granulocytes for transfusion has not been practical because it has been considered that granulocyte function in bank blood is retained for only a few hours after collection. In the present study, granulocyte function was evaluated using the bactericidal assay and the quantitative nitroblue tetrazolium (NBT) method. Granulocytes from whole blood collected into acid citrate dextrose (ACD), citrate phosphate dextrose (CPD), heparin, ion exchange, and sodium citrate anticoagulants showed no functional impairment after 24 hr of storage at 4°C. With further storage, all granulocytes showed a loss of NBT activity. However, after 48 and 72 hr, granulocytes from whole blood stored in ACD and CPD killed the expected number of bacteria in the bactericidal assay. Thus, when tested in vitro, granulocytes maintain normal function, at least during the first 24 hr after collection when stored in certain anticoagulants under standard blood bank conditions.
Motion planning with graph-based trajectories and Gaussian process inference

Motion planning as trajectory optimization requires generating trajectories that minimize a desired objective function or performance metric. Finding a globally optimal solution is often intractable in practice: despite the existence of fast motion planning algorithms, most are prone to local minima, which may require re-solving the problem multiple times with different initializations. In this work we provide a novel motion planning algorithm, GPMP-GRAPH, that considers a graph-based initialization that simultaneously explores multiple homotopy classes, helping to contend with the local minima problem. Drawing on previous work to represent continuous-time trajectories as samples from a Gaussian process (GP) and formulating the motion planning problem as inference on a factor graph, we construct a graph of interconnected states such that each path through the graph is a valid trajectory and efficient inference can be performed on the collective factor graph. We perform a variety of benchmarks and show that our approach allows the evaluation of an exponential number of trajectories within a fraction of the computational time required to evaluate them one at a time, yielding a more thorough exploration of the solution space and a higher success rate.
Solar PV power plant site selection using a GIS-AHP based approach with application in Saudi Arabia

Abstract Site selection for solar power plants is a critical issue for utility-size projects due to the significance of weather factors, proximity to facilities, and the presence of environmental protected areas. The primary goal of this research is to evaluate and select the best location for utility-scale solar PV projects using geographical information systems (GIS) and a multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM) technique. The model considers different aspects, such as economic and technical factors, with the goal of assuring maximum power achievement while minimizing project cost. An analytical hierarchy process (AHP) is applied to weigh the criteria and compute a land suitability index (LSI) to evaluate potential sites. The LSI model groups sites into five categories: “least suitable,” “marginally suitable,” “moderately suitable,” “highly suitable” and “most suitable.” A case study for Saudi Arabia is provided. Real climatology and legislation data, such as roads, mountains, and protected areas, are utilized in the model. The solar analyst tool in ArcGIS software is employed to calculate the solar insolation across the entire study area using actual atmospheric parameters. The air temperature map was created from real dispersed monitoring sensors across Saudi Arabia using interpolation. The overlaid result map showed that 16% (300,000 km 2 ) of the study area is promising and suitable for deploying utility-size PV power plants while the most suitable areas to be in the north and northwest of the Saudi Arabia. It has been found that suitable lands are following the pattern of the approximate range of the proximity to main roads, transmission lines, and urban cities. More than 80% of the suitable areas had a moderate to high LSI. The integration of the GIS with MCDM methods has emerged as a highly useful technique to systematically deal with rich geographical information data and vast area as well as manipulate criteria importance towards introducing the best sites for solar power plants.
Gene Regulation, Two Component Regulatory Systems, and Adaptive Responses in Treponema Denticola

The oral microbiome consists of a remarkably diverse group of 500–700 bacterial species. The microbial etiology of periodontal disease is similarly complex. Of the ~400 bacterial species identified in subgingival plaque, at least 50 belong to the genus Treponema. As periodontal disease develops and progresses, T. denticola transitions from a low to high abundance species in the subgingival crevice. Changes in the overall composition of the bacterial population trigger significant changes in the local physical, immunological and physiochemical conditions. For T. denticola to thrive in periodontal pockets, it must be nimble and adapt to rapidly changing environmental conditions. The purpose of this chapter is to review the current understanding of the molecular basis of these essential adaptive responses, with a focus on the role of two component regulatory systems with global regulatory potential.
The Anatomy of Disorders

Professor Chapman was a professional police officer before turning to academic life—five years a patrolman in the Berkeley, California, force, and later chief of police in Multnomah County, Oregon....
“Salve atque vale, aselle.” Satire and Consolation in Laura Cereta’s In asinarium funus oratio

The humanist Laura Cereta of Brescia (1469-1499) produced during her lifetime one collection of letters and a Latin dialogue entitled "In asinarium funus oratio" ("Oration on the Funeral of a Donkey"). In this dialogue, Cereta herself appears as the chief interlocutor, consoling the donkey’s owners with a blend of ancient philosophies. This paper will further the understanding of Cereta’s Oratio in three ways: first, by placing it in the context of the humanist and classical genres of dialogue, consolation, and satirical encomium; second, by considering the relevance of the donkey to the work as a whole; and finally, by exploring Cereta’s reception of classical authors in the context of her consolation. The paper argues that Cereta’s blending of genres and use of a donkey as the subject of her oration work to create a safe space for the humanist woman to showcase her rhetorical talents.
Quantitative potential of Y-90 PET

601 Objectives The feasibility of yttrium-90 PET has recently been demonstrated in patients following liver tumor radioembolization with Y-90 microspheres. In addition to confirming the in-vivo microsphere distribution, PET can potentially be used to quantify the dose delivered, although this capability has not yet been confirmed. In this study we assess the quantitative accuracy of Y-90 PET which is potentially compromised by an extremely low positron fraction and intrinsic radioactivity in the detectors. Methods Y-90 phantom experiments were performed using an elliptical chest phantom that included a 6 cm spherical insert. The activity in each compartment was measured using an ionization chamber with a calibration setting that had been previously validated for Y-90 (55×10, Zimmerman 2004). The initial sphere concentration was 1287 kBq/mL and was typical of tumors following Y-90 therapy. PET data were acquired at a single bed position using a Discovery RX PET/CT scanner: LYSO; 425 keV LLD; no time-of-flight; 3D acquisition; randoms correction from singles; OSEM (2i, 21s, 7mm Gaussian); positron fraction 0.00003186 (Selwyn 2007). Six images were acquired over 2 half-lives and ROI analysis was used to compare image-derived activity concentrations with values determined by the ionization chamber. Results Coincidence count rates ranged from 61-257 cps trues and 2288-2911 cps randoms. Lu-176 in the detectors contributed 8 cps trues and 2100 cps randoms. The average number of true events recorded at each scan was 461 ± 69 kcounts. Bland-Altman analysis comparing PET and ionization chamber measurements showed a mean difference of 16.2 kBq/mL and 95% confidence intervals of +134.8 and -102.4 kBq/mL. Although image noise contributed variability between the two measurements (indicated by the 95 % limits), systematic bias was very low compared to the high activity concentrations encountered in tumors. Conclusions Despite the extremely low positron fraction of Y-90, quantitatively accurate PET images can be acquired with a conventionally calibrated, non-time-of-flight, lutetium-based PET/CT scanner