On-Line Student Modeling for Coached Problem Solving Using Bayesian Networks

This paper describes the student modeling component of ANDES, an Intelligent Tutoring System for Newtonian physics. ANDES' student model uses a Bayesian network to do long-term knowledge assessment, plan recognition and prediction of students' actions during problem solving. The network is updated in real time, using an approximate anytime algorithm based on stochastic sampling, as a student solves problems with ANDES.The information in the student model is used by ANDES' Help system to tailor its support when the student reaches impasses in the problem solving process. In this paper, we describe the knowledge structures represented in the student model and discuss the implementation of the Bayesian network assessor. We also present a preliminary evaluation of the time performance of stochastic sampling algorithms to update the network

Lasing on the third harmonic

The Los Alamos Free-Electron Laser has recently lased near 4 {mu}m on the third harmonic of the fundamental frequency of about 12 {mu}m. By choice of intercavity apertures and cavity length, lasing can be forced to occur on both frequencies simultaneously or on either one alone. 8 refs., 3 figs., 1 tab

OVERTURE: A worldwide, prospective, observational study of disease characteristics in patients with ADPKD

Introduction The course of autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD) varies greatly among affected individuals, necessitating natural history studies to characterize the determinants and effects of disease progression. Therefore, we conducted an observational, longitudinal study (OVERTURE; NCT01430494) of patients with ADPKD. Methods This prospective study enrolled a large international population (N = 3409) encompassing a broad spectrum of ages (12–78 years), chronic kidney disease (CKD) stages (G1–G5), and Mayo imaging classifications (1A–1E). Outcomes included kidney function, complications, quality of life, health care resource utilization, and work productivity. Results Most subjects (84.4%) completed ≥12 months of follow-up. Consistent with earlier findings, each additional l/m of height-adjusted total kidney volume (htTKV) on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) was associated with worse outcomes, including lower estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) (regression coefficient 17.02, 95% confidence interval [CI] 15.94–18.11) and greater likelihood of hypertension (odds ratio [OR] 1.25, 95% CI 1.17–1.34), kidney pain (OR 1.22, 95% CI 1.11–1.33), and hematuria (OR 1.35, 95% CI 1.21–1.51). Greater baseline htTKV was also associated with worse patient-reported health-related quality of life (e.g., ADPKD Impact Scale physical score, regression coefficient 1.02, 95% CI 0.65–1.39), decreased work productivity (e.g., work days missed, regression coefficient 0.55, 95% CI 0.18–0.92), and increased health care resource utilization (e.g., hospitalizations, OR 1.48, 95% CI 1.33–1.64) during follow-up. Conclusion Although limited by a maximum 3-year duration of follow-up, this observational study characterized the burden of ADPKD in a broad population and indicated the predictive value of kidney volume for outcomes other than kidney function

Comparison of integrated numerical experiments with accelerator and FEL experiments

Even at the conceptual level the strong coupling between the laser subsystem elements, such as the accelerator, wiggler, optics, and control, greatly complicates the understanding and design of an FEL. Given the requirements for a high-performance FEL, the coupling between the laser subsystems must be included in the design approach. To address the subsystem coupling the concept of an integrated numerical experiment (INEX) has been implemented. Unique features of the INEX approach are consistency and numerical equivalence of experimental diagnostic. The equivalent numerical diagnostics mitigates the major problem of misinterpretation that often occurs when theoretical and experimental data are compared. A complete INEX model has been applied to the 10{mu}m high-extraction-efficiency experiment at Los Alamos and the 0.6-{mu}m Burst Mode experiment at Boeing Aerospace. In addition, various subsets of the INEX model have been compared with a number of other experiments. Overall, the agreement between INEX and the experiments is very good. With the INEX approach, it now appears possible to design high-performance FELS for numerous applications. The first full-scale test of the INEX approach is the Los Alamos HIBAF experiment. The INEX concept, implementation, and validation with experiments are discussed. 28 refs., 13 figs., 1 tab