cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Designing learning personalized to students’ interests: balancing rich experiences with mathematical goals

Context personalization is an instructional design principle where tasks are presented to students in the context of their interest areas like sports, music, or video games. Personalization allows for understanding of domain principles to be grounded in concrete and familiar experiences. By making connections to prior knowledge, personalization may reduce extraneous cognitive load, freeing up resources for the acquisition of new ideas. However, issues with adding seductive details that may distract learners, as well as mismatch between in-school and out-of-school mathematics, must be critically considered when designing for personalized learning. We review the research on personalization in mathematics, interpreting conflicting results by highlighting key cognitive considerations. Personalization can be implemented at radically different levels of depth, grain size, and ownership. We give an extended example of a promising intervention for personalized learning, drawing from research on problem-posing in algebra. We argue that interventions designed to draw upon students’ experiences with quantities have potential to enhance learning. However, when the complex, situated experiences of students are mathematized, there is a tension between preserving the authenticity of their experience, and accomplishing desired mathematical goals.
Introduction: New Legal Realism at Ten Years and Beyond

This symposium paper commemorates the tenth year that a body of research has formally flown under the banner of New Legal Realism (NLR). We are very pleased that the UC Irvine Law Review has elected to publish these articles and memorialize the 10th Anniversary NLR Conference that took place in Irvine in August 2014, with the support of the American Bar Foundation and the University of California, Irvine School of Law (UCI Law). The four articles in this symposium and the concluding essay make important scholarly contributions and help in different ways to continue to define the NLR project while fostering its further development. As we will suggest in this Introduction, we believe there are good reasons to keep this project moving in the direction that these articles chart. We begin with a short introduction to the NLR project.
TALEN: Tool for Annotation of Low-resource ENtities.

We present a new web-based interface, TALEN, designed for named entity annotation in low-resource settings where the annotators do not speak the language. To address this non-traditional scenario, TALEN includes such features as in-place lexicon integration, TF-IDF token statistics, Internet search, and entity propagation, all implemented so as to make this difficult task efficient and frictionless. We conduct a small user study to compare against a popular annotation tool, showing that TALEN achieves higher precision and recall against ground-truth annotations, and that users strongly prefer it over the alternative. TALEN is available at: github.com/CogComp/talen.
Abstract LB-312: GRK5 activity mediates in vivo and in vitro prostate cancer progression and chemoresistance

Despite decades of research targeting the activity of the androgen receptor (AR), patients diagnosed with locally advanced and metastatic prostate cancer face an incurable disease. The Daaka lab investigates constituents of G-protein-coupled receptor signaling cascades for their ability to provide mitogenic signaling, which promotes PCa progression. We previously identified G protein-coupled receptor 5 (GRK5) for its ability to regulate PCa progression, independent of AR activity. GRK5 partially partitions to the nucleus, wherein it has been shown to regulate the transcriptome in non-PCa models. To globally elucidate the mechanistic impact of GRK5 on PCa progression, we are investigating the impact of GRK5 on the PCa transcriptome. We hypothesize that GRK59s regulation of the PCa transcriptome promotes tumor progression. To assay the effect of GRK5 on the PCa transcriptome, RNA sequencing was performed in two cell lines: PC3 Control (PC3 shGFP) and PC3 GRK5 Knockdown (PC3 shGRK5). Ontologic analysis identified the epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT) as being affected when GRK5 is depleted. The epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT) is highly associated with promoting PCa progression and chemoresistance, thus we selected this pathway for further investigation. Confirmatory western blot analysis and quantitative PCR (qPCR) validated that depleting GRK5 suppresses the expression of the mesenchymal markers Vimentin and N-Cadherin. Similarly, overexpression of GRK5 increases the expression of these mesenchymal markers. Stable overexpression of GRK5 promotes cells to develop a spindle-like morphology, indicative of a mesenchymal state. GRK5 mediates this mesenchymal transition through increasing the expression of the EMT transcription factor, Twist1. Further analysis identifies that GRK5 activity promotes in vitro invasion. Cell lines overexpressing GRK5 demonstrate an increase in resistance to docetaxel, the mainstay chemotherapy for advanced PCa. Overexpression of GRK5 promotes lymphatic intravasation. Overexpression of mutated forms of GRK5 that are relegated to the nucleus are able recapitulated all aforesaid changes, arguing that the nuclear activity of GRK5 mediates this effect. Collectively, this data presents a novel mechanism promoting PCa progression, independent of AR activity. Citation Format: Joseph B. Black, Hamsa Thayele Purayil, Iqbal Mahmud, Daiqing Liao, Yehia Daaka. GRK5 activity mediates in vivo and in vitro prostate cancer progression and chemoresistance [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2018; 2018 Apr 14-18; Chicago, IL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2018;78(13 Suppl):Abstract nr LB-312.
Postcibal gastric emptying of pancreatin pellets: effects of dose and meal oil.

To treat pancreatic exocrine insufficiency, physicians often prescribe enterically coated pellets of pancreatin to be taken with meals. The pellets are only partially effective in correcting the digestion and absorption of fat. We sought to determine in normal subjects whether emptying of pellets from the postcibal stomach was dose-related and whether the gastric emptying of lipophilic Creon-20 or Pancrease was altered by the presence or the absence of oil in a meal. Gastric emptying of pellets surface-labeled with 113mIn or 99mTc was followed with a gamma camera for 300 min after isocaloric meals. From our observations, we concluded that gastric emptying of 0.28–1.12 g of 1-mm or 2-mm pellets was dose-related (P < 0.01) and emptying of neither Creon-20 nor Pancrease was much affected by oil in the meal.
Social Security Representative Payee Misuse

This Article examines the problem of benefit misuse within the Social Security representative payee system, identifies shortcomings in the current legal framework for policing the payee’s conduct, and proposes legislative reform. The Social Security “representative payee” system serves an important function by protecting beneficiaries who have cognitive impairments and therefore cannot manage their own financial affairs. For beneficiaries living in an institutional setting, such as a nursing or group home, however, the appointment of the home or home administrator as representative payee creates conflicts of interest that adversely affect the beneficiary. Benefit misuse by representative payees in this setting tends to go undetected because the Social Security Administration lacks resources to perform universal audits and the cognitively compromised beneficiary is often incapable of detecting financial improprieties. To improve oversight of institutional representative payees such as nursing and group homes, this Article proposes that Congress create a “family representative” program wherein a concerned relative or friend would be authorized to monitor the payee without assuming the burdens and liabilities of a representative payee appointment. The family representative would be a person familiar with the beneficiary’s needs and circumstances and would receive a copy of all reports submitted by the representative payee to the Social Security Administration. The family representative’s access to information regarding the payee’s performance would facilitate greater detection and reporting of benefit misuse to the Social Security Administration than under the current system. The Article’s Appendix contains legislative language for a proposed statutory amendment to the Social Security Act that would implement the family representative program.
The effect of nickel on the strength of iron nickel alloys: Implications for the Earth’s inner core

Abstract We investigated the effect of nickel on the strength of iron-nickel (FeNi) alloys at high pressure. Using radial X-ray diffraction coupled with literature results from nuclear resonance inelastic X-ray scattering measurements we determined the bulk strength of two FeNi alloys (Fe0.88Ni0.12 and Fe0.8Ni0.2) at high pressures up to 70 GPa. When extrapolated to Earth’s inner core conditions, the strength of these FeNi alloys is found to increase relative to pure Fe. For the likely composition and conditions of the inner core, we estimate that an FeNi alloy with ∼5.5 wt% Ni would have a strength that is ∼125% greater than estimates for pure Fe. As shear strength is a measure of a material’s resistance to flow, our results have implications for understanding the deformation processes inside planetary interiors and support dislocation creep as the dominant mechanism in the Earth’s inner core.
Review of Thibault, André, Edited by (2015) Du français aux créoles: phonétique, lexicologie et dialectologie antillaises

This article reviews Du francais aux creoles: phonetique, lexicologie et dialectologie antillaises €49.00€87.00
Genetic signatures of small effective population sizes and demographic declines in an endangered rattlesnake, Sistrurus catenatus .

Endangered species that exist in small isolated populations are at elevated risk of losing adaptive variation due to genetic drift. Analyses that estimate short-term effective population sizes, characterize historical demographic processes, and project the trajectory of genetic variation into the future are useful for predicting how levels of genetic diversity may change. Here, we use data from two independent types of genetic markers (single nucleotide polymorphisms [SNPs] and microsatellites) to evaluate genetic diversity in 17 populations spanning the geographic range of the endangered eastern massasauga rattlesnake (Sistrurus catenatus). First, we use SNP data to confirm previous reports that these populations exhibit high levels of genetic structure (overall Fst = 0.25). Second, we show that most populations have contemporary Ne estimates <50. Heterozygosity-fitness correlations in these populations provided no evidence for a genetic cost to living in small populations, though these tests may lack power. Third, model-based demographic analyses of individual populations indicate that all have experienced declines, with the onset of many of these declines occurring over timescales consistent with anthropogenic impacts (<200 years). Finally, forward simulations of the expected loss of variation in relatively large (Ne = 50) and small (Ne = 10) populations indicate they will lose a substantial amount of their current standing neutral variation (63% and 99%, respectively) over the next 100 years. Our results argue that drift has a significant and increasing impact on levels of genetic variation in isolated populations of this snake, and efforts to assess and mitigate associated impacts on adaptive variation should be components of the management of this endangered reptile.
Violence on the Home Front: Interstate Rivalry and Pro-Government Militias

With an increased focus on the role of pro-government militias in understanding intra-state conflict, scholars have primarily argued that states use militias as a proxy of the government because of...
Raising Children as Multilinguals in the U.S. Context: Perspectives from a Parent and Educator

I am raising a five-year-old son and two-year-old daughter as trilinguals in a multilingual household where we speak Korean, Farsi, and English. We have consistently maintained a one-parent-one-lan...
External Validity of a New Prediction Model for Patient Satisfaction After Total Knee Arthroplasty.

Abstract Background The ability to identify patients at risk of dissatisfaction after total knee arthroplasty (TKA) remains elusive. This study’s purpose was to determine the external validity of a recently published prediction model for patient satisfaction (PMPS) with the hypothesis that it would achieve similar predictive success in our study sample. Methods A 10-question PMPS statistically derived from 5 patient-reported outcome questionnaires was tested for external validity in this prospective cohort investigation. The PMPS incorporates gender, age, stiffness, noise, and pain catastrophizing, with a score of 20 or greater predictive of satisfaction. As in the original study, to determine satisfaction the 2011 Knee Society Score (KSS) satisfaction subscale was collected at 3 months postoperatively. Two hundred seventy-four patients were administered the PMPS preoperatively, and 145 patients completed the KSS at 3 months postoperatively (53.0% response rate; 59% female; age, 64.9; body mass index, 32.5). A Bland-Altman analysis to assess agreement was performed. Results One hundred thirty-three patients (91.7%) were satisfied and 12 (8.3%) were dissatisfied based on their postoperative KSS. The mean difference between the PMPS and KSS was 3.6 ± 8, but with a 95% prediction interval of −15.3 to 22.1 signifying almost no correlation. The PMPS did not predict any of the 12 dissatisfied patients postoperatively, and falsely predicted 5 patients to be dissatisfied of which 4 actually had a maximum postoperative KSS of 40. Conclusion A previously published, internally validated 10-question PMPS was unable to predict satisfaction after TKA in our external study sample. This study emphasizes the difficulty of developing a simple, but robust questionnaire that consistently predicts patient satisfaction after TKA.
Robotic totally endoscopic excision of aortic valve papillary fibroelastoma: The least invasive approach

Introduction Papillary fibroelastomas (PFEs) are a rare subtype of benign primary cardiac tumors, which are most commonly found on the aortic valve (AV). They have the potential to cause severe adverse clinical consequences, thus prompting surgical excision in the majority of cases. In this article, we report on a series of 5 PFEs resected from the AV using a robotic-assisted sternal-sparing approach, and review of the literature on this approach. To our knowledge, this is the largest reported series of robotic-assisted sternal-sparing AV-PFE resections. Materials and methods From May 2016 until November 2018, 5 patients at our institution underwent removal of a papillary fibroelastoma from the aortic valve using a totally endoscopic robotic-assisted approach. After obtaining institutional IRB approval, we retrospectively reviewed their data for this report. We additionally contacted the patients to acquire a last clinical follow up for this study. Results In this series of 5 patients who underwent robotic totally endoscopic excision of AV PFE, all patients had successful removal of their tumor with no significant morbidity or mortality. All 5 patients were seen at a 30-day follow-up office visit, at which time they had recovered from surgery and were back to full activity. At a mean of 24 months all patients were doing well and free of symptoms with no evidence of tumor recurrence on repeat echo evaluation. Discussion This is a series of 5 patients with AV-associated PFEs who underwent robotic totally-endoscopic excision without rib-spreading or conversion to sternotomy. This report demonstrated the successful application of robotic-assisted technology in aortic valve pathology. All PFEs were successfully removed without valve repair or replacement. We were able to offer a safe, curative, minimally-invasive surgical excision option for this group of patients. Conclusion Our patients in this cohort demonstrated the well-established benefits of robotic sternal-sparing cardiac surgery, including excellent intra and postoperative outcomes and accelerated recovery.
Characterization of Biomass Pyrolysis Oils by Diffusion Ordered NMR Spectroscopy

The complete chemical characterization of biomass pyrolysis oils (bio-oil) is challenging because they are a complex mixture of numerous compounds containing many functional groups and have a large...
Laparoscopic Biliary Ultrasound

Surgeon perceptual errors are the leading root cause of biliary injury during laparoscopic cholecystectomy. Laparoscopic biliary ultrasonography utilization remains low, despite demonstrable benefits, due to misperceptions of a difficult surgeon learning curve. This chapter will demonstrate the technique for laparoscopic biliary ultrasound.
Estimation of Errors in Stress Distributions Computed in Finite Element Simulations of Polycrystals

The accuracy of the stresses predicted from crystal plasticity-based finite element formulation depends on estimation and control of the errors associated with the discretization. In the current work, the errors in the stress distribution are estimated in virtual polycrystalline samples of α-phase titanium (hexagonal close-packed phase of Ti–6Al–4V). To estimate the error, the stress field, which does not possess inter-element continuity, is smoothed over a grain using an $$L_2$$ projection, thereby providing continuous stress distributions with inter-element continuity. The differences between the continuous (smooth) and discontinuous (raw) stress fields are calculated at individual Gauss quadrature points and used to estimate errors for corresponding elements and grains. Error estimations are performed for a Voronoi-tessellated microstructure, an equiaxed microstructure, and two microstructures with varying grain sizes for tensile loading extending into the fully plastic regime ($$\approx $$ 5% extension). Magnitudes of the errors are found to depend on microstructural characteristics, particularly the shape and size of grains. Samples having variations in grain size or having less spherical grains exhibited higher errors than samples with uniformly sized, equiaxed grains, with the size variations having a more pronounced effect. Errors correlate with proximity to grain boundaries at small (elastic) strains and with deformation-induced features (deformation bands) at large strains.
From immersion to metagaming: Understanding rewind mechanics in interactive storytelling

Abstract An increasing number of recent narrative games have incorporated the metagaming elements of rewinding and remaking choices as their core mechanics. Traditionally, narrative game designers were concerned that rewinding would break immersion and negatively affect players’ narrative experience. Although there has been research on metagaming as a whole, relatively little has been focused on the design of the rewinding mechanics and even less on empirical data regarding their impact on players. In this article, we present a theoretical framework on the structure of rewinding in narrative games, consisting of Restricted Rewind, Unrestricted Rewind, and External Rewind. To evaluate the impact of some of the main types of rewind structure, we developed three versions of an interactive narrative game called Rough Draft: a restricted rewind version, a parallel unrestricted rewind version, and a traditional no-rewind version. In a user study (n = 60), we evaluated the player experience of these three versions of Rough Draft in terms of gameplay engagement, narrative engagement, narrative transportation, and overall perceptions. Our results indicate that rewind mechanics do not negatively affect player engagement as previously believed. We also present our reflections and suggest design considerations for narrative games around rewind mechanics.
Achieving Efficient Collaboration in Decentralized Heterogeneous Teams using Common-Pool Resource Games

We consider a team of heterogeneous agents that is collectively responsible for servicing and subsequently reviewing a stream of homogeneous tasks. Each agent (autonomous system or human operator) has an associated mean service time and mean review time for servicing and reviewing the tasks, respectively, which are based on their expertise and skill-sets. The team objective is to collaboratively maximize the number of "serviced and reviewed" tasks. To this end, we formulate a Common-Pool Resource (CPR) game and design utility functions to incentivize collaboration among team-members. We show the existence and uniqueness of the Pure Nash Equilibrium (PNE) for the CPR game. Additionally, we characterize the structure of the PNE and study the effect of heterogeneity among the agents at the PNE. We show that the formulated CPR game is a best response potential game for which both sequential best response dynamics and simultaneous best reply dynamics converge to the Nash equilibrium. Finally, we numerically illustrate the price of anarchy for the PNE.
Aural Enlightenment: Friedrich Gottlieb Klopstock’s Contributions to a New Enlightenment Aesthetics

This article considers Friedich Gottlieb Klopstock as an unlikely contributor to a “New Enlightenment.” Using Klopstock's work on declamation, orthography, and meter, it argues that Klopstock foreg...
Dualities and Challenges: Higher Education in the Heart of the Cold War, 1953–1969

In the 1950s four- and two-year institutions settled in to their new roles and worked to define what their identity should be and how to create curricula and campuses to serve their intended populations. This facilitated debates among and across institutions in the 1960s as to what their key purpose and identity should be, to be havens of academic inquiry, to support personal or national economic growth, or to be positioned as a means for social transformation. These debates further exacerbated the division in the social outcomes for students as representations of the bifurcated national identity that persisted in the United States from the 1950s to the end of the 1960s.
Assessing the Accuracy of the Lung Allocation Score

Purpose The Lung Allocation Score (LAS) relies on the performance of two cox proportional hazards models that estimate waitlist and post-transplant survival. These models were developed using data from 2005-2008; it is unknown if they remain accurate. Methods Observational cohort study of all lung transplant candidates and recipients greater than 12 years listed or transplanted between February, 19th 2015 to February, 19th 2019 in the Scientific Registry of Transplant Recipients database. We evaluated the discrimination of the waitlist and post-transplant models with the concordance probability estimate and the calibration of each model by comparing predicted versus observed one-year restricted mean survival times. We evaluated the overall accuracy of LAS by comparing a non-parametric estimate of the observed LAS with the actual LAS at transplant for each recipient percentile. Results During the study period, 11,539 eligible candidates were listed for transplant and 9,377 eligible recipients were transplanted. The waitlist model ranked candidates in the correct risk order 72% of the time (95% CI 71 - 73%) and underestimated survival by 59 days (95% CI 57 - 61 days) on average. The miscalibration increased from 6 days of error (95% CI 4 - 9 days) in the lowest risk decile to 136 days (95% CI 107-164 days) in the highest risk decile. The post-transplant model ranked recipients in the correct risk order 57% of the time (95% CI 55 - 58%) and underestimated post-transplant survival by 25 days (95% CI 23-27 days) on average. The miscalibration increased from 10 days of error in the lowest risk decile (95% CI 7 - 14 days) to 70 days (95% CI 64 - 77) in the highest risk decile. Overall, a recipient's LAS at transplant explained only 56% of variation in the observed LAS. Conclusion The waitlist and the post-transplant models that form the backbone of LAS are inaccurate, limiting the ability of the system to rank candidates in the correct order. The LAS should be updated using a modern cohort patient cohort.
Acute Kidney Injury in the Elderly Surgical Patient

Acute kidney injury (AKI) is a common complication among elderly surgical patients and is never a trivial event. Even with recovery, the odds of long-term complications, including chronic kidney disease, more frequent hospitalizations and even death are increased. Normal aging is accompanied by changes in renal structure, function, and cellular metabolism, which reduce renal reserve, delay cellular recovery, and increase the kidney’s susceptibility to all categories of AKI. This is exacerbated by comorbidities and risk factors including diabetes, atherosclerosis, and the widespread use of medications, such as nonsteroidal analgesics, and angiotensin blockers and inhibitors that alter renal compensatory mechanisms and impair the renal response to under-perfusion, which, if prolonged, can lead to ischemic injury and cell death. Widely accepted criteria which categorize the stages of renal injury have been established to define the earliest stages of renal injury, when detection and mitigation are likely to be the most effective. Although widely used, changes in the serum creatinine lag behind renal injury, and creatinine levels are an imprecise marker of cellular injury. New tools and biomarkers may prove to be clinically useful for the early detection of cellular damage, and these, together with new therapeutic strategies, may help to improve the incidence and outcomes of AKI in this high-risk population. These areas and some important ethical considerations related to the initiation of dialysis in elderly patients with AKI are explored here.
Exporting the Catholic Reformation: Local Religion in Early-Colonial Mexico

This study introduces a novel, cultural interpretation to the overall impact of the Catholic Reformation in Europe on the changing facets of the religious life in the indigenous communities of southern Mexico, during the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. It examines the modes by which Spanish mendicant priests translated norms, standards and mores enforced by the Tridentine dogma into the far-removed contexts of the New World. Using a rich variety of both Spanish and Maya colonial sources it closely examines Dominican preaching, local cosmology, and the state of faith in the area, as well as the changing ritual practices that emerged within the Indian parish during this era. Moreover, it vividly illustrates how the Indians adopted, transformed, or rebuffed the Catholic notions impressed upon them in the process of religious conversion. The study is characterized by a profound sympathy with and respect for the local Maya and their resourcefulness in negotiating the cultural politics of colonial domination. Rather than seeing Christian evangelization as a wholly one-sided process, Megged emphasizes the active role of the Indian populations in reformulating alien doctrines and rituals within native frameworks. The study also draws on a substantial body of secondary works on contemporary developments in Europe, and among its innovative tenets is that New World evangelization was not a wholly separate but an integral aspect of the Catholic Reformation that proceeded in an interactive fashion on both sides of the Atlantic.
Intrapreneurship - Start with You

Major publication in the field of Entrepreneurship tend to only focus on the "mega" success stories who go public for billions of dollars, yet every day hundred and hundreds of start-ups are thriving, hiring employees and creating great successes, yet we never hear about them, Why?
Old New Media: Closed-circuit Television and the Classroom

This article explores closed-circuit television (CCTV) and its ‘bright promise stage’, as it was contemplated, marketed, and implemented as a low-cost classroom tool. After the Federal Communicatio...
Adrenal Incidentalomas : A Disease of Modern Technology Offering Opportunities for Improved Patient Care

Adrenal incidentalomas (AIs) are found in approximately 4% of patients undergoing abdominal imaging, with peak prevalence in the sixth and seventh decades of life. Detection of AI warrants clinical, biochemical, and radiological evaluation to establish its secretory status and risk of malignancy. Careful review of the lipid content, size, and imaging phenotype of an adrenal mass is needed to evaluate the risk for malignancy. Identification of an AI may be an opportunity to identify an underlying secretory tumor that may have been otherwise unrecognized. A practical approach to investigation and follow-up of AIs is presented in this article.
A Compact Perforated-Plate Heat Exchanger

Claude-cycle cryogenic refrigerators require counterflow heat exchangers having an extremely high thermal effectiveness. Miniature systems also require very small heat exchanger volume, which is difficult to achieve along with high effectiveness. Such heat exchangers must possess all of the following characteristics.
Diversity coding with interference avoidance

We study performance tradeoffs for joint diversity enhancement and interference mitigation in multi-cell networks with multiple antennas at the transmitter. Our transmitter combines a space time coding block followed by a multimode beamformer. We assume that the transmitter knows the channel covariance for its own and the interfered user. The coding techniques maximize link performance via diversity gain for its own user while constraining the interference power to the interfered (or other) user. We examine strategies for choosing this interference constraint based on greedy or co-operative methods for a symmetric two cell scenario where each link interferes with the other. In the greedy algorithm, each user selfishly maximizes diversity to its own user without regard to the interference it generates to the other user. Both users account for the incoming interference and they eventually iteratively reach the Nash equilibrium (NE). In the co-operative algorithm, each user balances the diversity to its own user but co-operates by limiting the amount of interference to the other user. We show that in the co-operative case, it is possible to find Pareto dominant solutions where the users either maintain or improve their symbol error rate performance
RAS mutations are rare events in Philadelphia chromosome-negative/bcr gene rearrangement-negative chronic myelogenous leukemia, but are prevalent in chronic myelomonocytic leukemia

Previous reports have indicated that mutations of the RAS oncogenes are not associated with the chronic phase of Philadelphia chromosome-positive chronic myelogenous leukemia (Ph1+ CML). However, further studies were needed to determine their association with Ph1- CML and chronic myelomonocytic leukemia (CMML). Therefore, 6 patients with Ph1- CML who were also negative for BCR rearrangements (Ph1-/BCR- CML) and 30 patients with CMML were analyzed for the presence of RAS oncogene point mutations to determine the similarities of these diseases at the molecular level. The assay used the polymerase chain reaction for amplification of the target RAS sequences and panels of specific synthetic oligonucleotide probes for hybridization to wild type and/or mutated sequences. None of the six Ph1-/BCR- CML patients had mutations in the RAS oncogenes, while 17 of 30 (57%) of the CMML patients had RAS oncogene mutations. Eighty percent of the mutations involved substitution of aspartic acid for glycine (G----A) in the 12th or 13th codons of N-ras or K-ras. Furthermore, although not statistically significant, survival studies raise the possibility of shortened survival in patients with RAS oncogene point mutations, with the average survival being 33 months for Ph1-/BCR- CML, 35 months for CMML without point mutations, and 11 months for CMML with RAS mutations. Thus, RAS mutations appear to be associated with CMML and not Ph1-/BCR- chronic phase CML, there is a high propensity for the K-ras or N-ras mutations to involve an G----A substitution in the 12th or 13th codons, and RAS mutations in CMML may relate to prognosis and require further studies.
Childhood predictors of adolescent substance abuse: Toward an empirically grounded theory.

Abstract This article reviews the etiology of chemical use and abuse among children and adolescents as well as states the etiological pathways of youth drug behavior between initial, occasional and regular use. The authors also discuss determinants of the onset of chemical use such as the family; peers; early antisocial behavior; school; attitudes, beliefs and personality traits; and early initiation of use. They develop a theoretical premise based on the most current etiological research and offer a social development model that serves as a basis for prevention intervention.
Sliding Mode Control of Vibration In Flexible Structures Using Estimated States

The sliding mode algorithm for control of vibration in a flexible structure has been formulated when states are estimated using an observer. Singular-value approach is used to study the robustness of this control system to observation spillover. Numerical examples are presented for a simply supported beam and a flexible tetrahedral truss. For the simply supported beam structure, the natural frequencies are well separated. To have a robust system in this case with single input and output, the desired sliding manifold and the Luenberger's observer gain matrix have been found by the pole-placement method. However, to have a robust system for the flexible tetrahedral truss structure with closely lumped natural frequencies, three inputs and three outputs, the linear quadratic method for the construction of the sliding manifold and the Kalman filter with fictitious noises for the observer design have been used.
Evaluation of Two Measurement Techniques to Quantify Fuel–Air Mixing of a Gas Turbine Premixer at Atmospheric Conditions

In the present study, two measurement techniques are adopted to evaluate the fuel-air mixing under atmospheric conditions using an industrial fuel-air pre-mixer. These techniques are CO2 mixing and Planar Laser Induced Fluorescence (PLIF) in water. In these techniques, CO2 and fluorescent dye are injected as fuel simulants. CO2 measurements are used to validate PLIF in water. In the CO2 technique, CO2 concentrations are converted to fuel mass fractions whereas, in the PLIF technique, a modified post processing method is used to convert the LIF signal into fuel mass fraction. The experiments are conducted at the same Reynolds number and momentum flux ratio for two injection strategies. To study the effect of the flow aerodynamics on the mixing results, high speed PIV measurements are conducted in water at the same Reynolds number. A comparison of fuel concentrations measured with the CO2 and PLIF techniques shows good quantitative agreement at all momentum flux ratios. However, deviations between the two techniques are observed at high fuel concentration gradients. The unsteady mixing is evaluated using PLIF technique with high temporal resolution. Analysis of PIV and PLIF data shows that unsteady mixing is lower at regions of high fluctuations in velocity. Moreover, it is found that there is high unsteady mixing at locations where there is high concentration gradient.Copyright © 2015 by ASME
Analyzing graph structure via linear measurements

We initiate the study of graph sketching, i.e., algorithms that use a limited number of linear measurements of a graph to determine the properties of the graph. While a graph on n nodes is essentially O(n2)-dimensional, we show the existence of a distribution over random projections into d-dimensional "sketch" space (d
On the Use of Particle Tracking Methods for Solute Transport in Porous Media

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the use of particle tracking methods for solute transport in porous media. Particle tracking methods have been used to solve partial differential equations in a variety of application areas. They are based on representing the distribution of an extensive quantity, such as the mass of a particular solute species, as a large collection of particles. At every point in time, a particle is associated with a position in the flow domain, and perhaps other attributes, such as mass, charge, or species type. In addition, each particle may be associated with a velocity, certain diffusion characteristics, or other type of forcing vector, each of which may be space dependent. Individual particles are displaced in space over discrete increments of time by these forces. In many cases, a particle distribution at an advanced time level may serve to modify or update the displacement forces. Several particle methods are currently used to solve solute transport problems. They differ in the treatment of the dispersive term and in the meaning of a particle.
Lateral solute segregation during undirectional solidification of a binary alloy with a curved solid-liquid interface: II. Large departures from planarity

Abstract The lateral solute segregation that results from a curved solid-liquid interface during steady state undirectional solidification of a dilute binary alloy is calculated by analytical and numerical methods for large departures of the interface shape from planarity. These calculations are an extension of previous results obtained by perturbation theory for the case where there are small departures of the interface from planarity. Numerical results are given for a sinusoidally shaped interface for various values of the distribution coefficient, k, and the parameter β = VL/D where V is the velocity of solidification, L the wavelength of the sinusoidal perturbation, and D the diffusitivity of solute in the liquid. For both very large and very small values of β, the segregation is small and proportional to the amplitude of the sinusoidally shaped interface. For intermediate values of β, dependent on k, the segregation is maximum and no longer proportional to the interface amplitude; the segregation profiles along the interface are distorted such as to be flat near projections pf solid into the liquid and rapidly varying near projections of liquid into the solid.
[16] Cell volume measurements by fluorescence confocal microscopy: Theoretical and practical aspects

Publisher Summary The chapter discusses the theoretical and practical aspects of cell volume measurements by fluorescence confocal microscopy. This chapter discusses the theory of cell volume investigation and the fundamental steps involved in this process, as well as the potential pitfalls. The steps of quantitative volume investigation using confocal microscopy are presented with a specific example that was performed earlier on isolated cardiac myocytes. Confocal microscopy, in conjunction with appropriate fluorescent probes and image processing techniques, has proven to be an invaluable tool for the three-dimensional analysis of cellular structures and functions. Quantitative volume studies typically encompass four basic steps, they are as follows: (1) data acquisition, (2) two-dimensional segmentation, (3) three-dimensional visualization, and (4) quantitative three-dimensional analysis. The basic data set for any kind of volume investigation typically consists of a stack of serial cross-sectional images of an object of interest. Using the specific example of volume measurements in single cardiac myocytes, the chapter discusses the way such strategies can be developed in practice. Validation of visualization techniques on objects of known geometries and dimensions have proved to be of invaluable importance in this context. Without these precautions the scientific value of these advanced imaging methods would remain limited.
Structural and Functional Neuroplasticity in Human Learning of Spatial Routes

Recent findings with both animals and humans suggest that decreases in microscopic movements of water in the hippocampus reflect short-term neuroplasticity resulting from learning. Here we examine whether such neuroplastic structural changes concurrently alter the functional connectivity between hippocampus and other regions involved in learning. We collected both diffusion-weighted images and fMRI data before and after humans performed a 45min spatial route-learning task. Relative to a control group with equal practice time, there was decreased diffusivity in the posterior-dorsal dentate gyrus of the left hippocampus in the route-learning group accompanied by increased synchronization of fMRI-measured BOLD signal between this region and cortical areas, and by changes in behavioral performance. These concurrent changes characterize the multidimensionality of neuroplasticity as it enables human spatial learning.
HER-2/neu and p53 expression versus tamoxifen resistance in estrogen receptor-positive, node-positive breast cancer

PURPOSE: An association between the overexpression of proto-oncogene HER-2/neu and resistance to tamoxifen in estrogen receptor (ER)–positive primary and metastatic breast cancer has been suggested. We examine a possible interaction between HER-2/neu or p53 expression and tamoxifen effectiveness in patients with ER-positive, node-positive disease treated with cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, and fluorouracil in a large adjuvant chemotherapy trial (Cancer and Leukemia Group B [CALGB] 8541). Tamoxifen assignment was not randomized—physician discretion was used for premenopausal and postmenopausal women. Trial protocol then specified assignment to postmenopausal women with ER-positive tumors, although not all took tamoxifen. PATIENTS AND METHODS: CALGB 8541 assessed HER-2/neu expression in patients with ER-positive disease by immunohistochemistry (IHC) and fluorescent in situ hybridization (FISH) and amplification by differential polymerase chain reaction (PCR). IHC assessed expression of p53. Univariate and m...
Genotyping Informatics and Quality Control for 100,000 Subjects in the Genetic Epidemiology Research on Adult Health and Aging (GERA) Cohort

The Kaiser Permanente (KP) Research Program on Genes, Environment and Health (RPGEH), in collaboration with the University of California—San Francisco, undertook genome-wide genotyping of >100,000 subjects that constitute the Genetic Epidemiology Research on Adult Health and Aging (GERA) cohort. The project, which generated >70 billion genotypes, represents the first large-scale use of the Affymetrix Axiom Genotyping Solution. Because genotyping took place over a short 14-month period, creating a near-real-time analysis pipeline for experimental assay quality control and final optimized analyses was critical. Because of the multi-ethnic nature of the cohort, four different ethnic-specific arrays were employed to enhance genome-wide coverage. All assays were performed on DNA extracted from saliva samples. To improve sample call rates and significantly increase genotype concordance, we partitioned the cohort into disjoint packages of plates with similar assay contexts. Using strict QC criteria, the overall genotyping success rate was 103,067 of 109,837 samples assayed (93.8%), with a range of 92.1–95.4% for the four different arrays. Similarly, the SNP genotyping success rate ranged from 98.1 to 99.4% across the four arrays, the variation depending mostly on how many SNPs were included as single copy vs. double copy on a particular array. The high quality and large scale of genotype data created on this cohort, in conjunction with comprehensive longitudinal data from the KP electronic health records of participants, will enable a broad range of highly powered genome-wide association studies on a diversity of traits and conditions.
Optimal design of integrated EMI filter

The electromagnetic interference (EMI) filter usually occupies a large portion of size of the power supply, and has a direct impact on the power density. For the power supply which employs a current-fed converter after the rectifier, a large input inductor is required. The proper selection of the input inductor and EMI filter will result in significant size reduction. This paper addresses the issue of size reduction. By defining the EMI filter and the input inductor together as the integrated EMI filter, the relationship between the total volume of the integrated EMI filter and the current ripple is investigated. The results show that the total volume of the integrated EMI filter is minimized when the peak to peak current ripple equals 10% of the average input current. >
Merger statistics and merger policy

It is widely believed that the 1950 amendment of Section 7 of the Clayton Antitrust Act has diverted merger activity away from horizontal and into conglomerate forms. Examination of the Federal Trade Commission Large Merger Series replicates existing substantiation of this belief, but only up until 1968. Further examination of the data shows a perceptible weakening of the horizontal-merger deterrent in the following eight years. One possible explanation is that all the attention devoted to the “conglomerate problem” after 1968 implied that horizontal mergers were neither as bad nor as illegal as existing case law had made them.
Using problem-based learning to improve educational outcomes

As the health care industry and the occupational therapy profession experience rapid change and growth, our professional preparation and continuing education must prepare graduates and therapists for an evolving practice environment. By exploring and evaluating alternative teaching methods and their impact on educational outcomes, occupational therapy educators demonstrate their commitment to improving the quality of student education. This article proposes that the traditional educational paradigm prepared clinicians for the old health care environment, and that problem-based learning (PBL) is an educational strategy that could prepare occupational therapists for success in a new practice environment that values cost, quality, and customer satisfaction. The PBL approaches used by various international occupational therapy educators are reviewed to highlight the strategies that have been implemented to achieve educational objectives that parallel the requirements of this new practice environment. Copyright © 1996 Whurr Publishers Ltd.
Numerical dispersion and absorbing boundary conditions

Predictions of performance of exact and approximate absorbing boundary conditions (ABCs) do not take into account the fact that in an actual simulation it is numerical waves that are incident on the computational domain boundary where they are imposed. Via a model problem in rectangular co-ordinates we identify and examine this issue. Then, we study the reflection produced by discrete local ABCs in cylindrical co-ordinates using the first-order Bayliss–Turkel operator as a model. We find the analytical reflection coefficient of this ABC significantly underestimates the actual reflection on the grid. Also, we identify the source of the additional error and show it decays slowly with increasing resolution. Implications for other ABCs are discussed. Copyright © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Music piracy and digital rights management in Mexico: shifting to a sound model

Much has been written about piracy and the measures that industrialised countries have implemented to eliminate illegal music distribution and copyright infringement. Nevertheless, similar measures have been applied in second and third world countries with a different level of success. Mexico specifically, is appointed as a haven for piracy and a sink hole for intellectual property that is beyond repair, and which accounts for millions of dollars of loss to the copyright owners every year. Based on that premise, this document intends to analyse the effectiveness of the existing copyright enforcement measures and the music industry business model under the light of the socioeconomic and cultural panorama of this Latin American nation to determine, from a systemic perspective, where the leverage points for a so needed turn of events can be found.