Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Comparing Network-Centric and Power Flow Models for the Optimal Allocation of Link Capacities in a Cascade-Resilient Power Transmission Network

In this paper, we tackle the problem of searching for the most favorable pattern of link capacity allocation that makes a power transmission network resilient to cascading failures with limited investment costs. This problem is formulated within a combinatorial multiobjective optimization framework and tackled by evolutionary algorithms. Two different models of increasing complexity are used to simulate cascading failures in a network and quantify its resilience: a complex network model [namely, the Motter–Lai (ML) model] and a more detailed and computationally demanding power flow model [namely, the ORNL–Pserc–Alaska (OPA) model]. Both models are tested and compared in a case study involving the 400-kV French power transmission network. The results show that cascade-resilient networks tend to have a nonlinear capacity–load relation: In particular, heavily loaded components have smaller unoccupied portions of capacity, whereas lightly loaded links present larger unoccupied portions of capacity (which is in contrast with the linear capacity–load relation hypothesized in previous works of literature). Most importantly, the optimal solutions obtained using the ML and OPA models exhibit consistent characteristics in terms of phrase transitions in the Pareto fronts and link capacity allocation patterns. These results provide incentive for the use of computationally cheap network-centric models for the optimization of cascade-resilient power network systems, given the advantages of their simplicity and scalability.
Assessing Women's Experiences of Sexual Aggression Using The Sexual Experiences Survey: Evidence for Validity and Implications for Research1

In this study we examined the ability of a modified Sexual Experiences Survey (SES; Koss, Gidycz, & Wisniewski, 1987) to assess sexual victimization among a local community sample of women (n = 1,014). Women who reported sexual victimization were interviewed regarding the most recent incident. Those who responded negatively to all SES items were asked whether they had ever feared they would be sexually assaulted but were not, and to describe that incident. Independent coders read a subset of transcripts (n = 137) and classified each incident as reflecting: one of the SES items, a form of unwanted sex not included on the SES, or not unwanted sex. Coders viewed nearly all incidents elicited by the SES as reflecting some type of unwanted sex. Respondent-coder agreement for rape and coercion incidents was high, but low for contact and attempted rape incidents. The SES scoring continuum, reflecting objective severity of acts, was only modestly associated with subjective trauma associated with rape, attempted rape, coercion, and contact.
Narrative and learning to teach: Implications for teacher-education curriculum

The use of narrative as a perspective within which to understand teacher development has gained considerable momentum in the last decade (Carter 1993, Carter and Doyle 1996, Doyle 1997, Munby et al. 2001), and this perspective has led to several important innovations in the pedagogy of teacher education: the study of cases, the writing of personal narratives, and the like. But few have pushed the narrative perspective beyond pedagogy to examine the assumptions and interpretations that underlie the contents, activities, and arrangements of preservice teacher preparation, i.e. to explore the curriculum of teacher education.
Discrete Asymptotic Equations for Long Wave Propagation

In this paper, we discuss a new systematic method to obtain discrete asymptotic numerical models for incompressible free-surface flows. The method consists of first discretizing the Euler equations in the horizontal direction, keeping both the vertical and time derivatives continuous, and then performing an asymptotic analysis on the resulting system. The asymptotics involve the ratios wave amplitude over depth, denoted by $\varepsilon$, and depth over wavelength, denoted by $\sigma$. For simplicity, in this paper we only consider the weakly nonlinear scaling in which both $\sigma^4$ and $\varepsilon\sigma^2$ are very small and of the same order. We investigate the properties of the fully discrete Boussinesq model obtained by neglecting terms proportional to these quantities. Our study reveals that if the interaction between terms arising from the discretization and from the PDE is properly accounted for, the resulting discrete system has improved linear dispersion and shoaling approximations w.r. t. the d.
Constitutive Overexpression of Nrf2-dependent Heme Oxygenase-1 in A549 Cells Contributes to Resistance to Apoptosis Induced by Epigallocatechin 3-Gallate*

Epigallocatechin 3-gallate (EGCG), the major polyphenol found in green tea, exerts antiproliferative and proapoptotic effects in many cancer cells. However, we found that among many cancer cells human lung adenocarcinoma A549 cells are markedly resistant to apoptosis induction by EGCG (even at 100 μm for 72 h). Heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) induced by stress stimuli represents a prime cellular defense mechanism, but it may be associated with enhanced cell proliferation and chemoresistance in some cancer cells. Because we found that A549 cells constitutively overexpress HO-1 and its associated transcription factor Nrf2, we tested an hypothesis that EGCG resistance in these cells may be linked with Nrf2-mediated HO-1 overexpression. HO-1 inhibition with tin-protoporphyrin IX and silencing with RNA interference rendered cells more sensitive to apoptosis induction by EGCG and classical prooxidants. Interestingly, EGCG at high concentration (>200 μm) induced apoptosis by suppressing expression of HO-1 protein and mRNA, and this effect correlated with a decrease in both Nrf2-ARE binding and HO-1-ARE-luciferase activity, suggesting Nrf2-driven transcriptional activation of ho-1. Because we observed notably high levels of phosphorylated protein kinase Cα and its suppression by EGCG and deferoxamine (an iron chelator), a possible mechanism involving phosphorylated protein kinase Cα and iron in Nrf2-HO-1 activation was further investigated. Collectively, our findings suggest that Nrf2-mediated HO-1 overexpression confers resistance to apoptosis induction by EGCG; therefore, its inactivation may be a target for overcoming the resistance to chemoprevention and chemotherapy.
Indigenous Chinese Personality Constructs

The universality and sufficiency of the five-factor model in the Chinese context were investigated. In Study 1, analysis of the Revised NEO Personality Inventory (NEO-PI-R) and the Chinese Personality Assessment Inventory (CPAI) taken by Chinese students showed four joint factors similar to the domains of the NEO-PI-R. Two unique factors were obtained. The Interpersonal Relatedness factor was defined only by CPAI scales. The Openness domain, however, was not represented in the CPAI scales. In Study 2, involving Chinese managers, the robustness of the Interpersonal Relatedness factor was demonstrated. In Study 3, the six-factor model was confirmed with Hawaiian students. Further analyses showed that the six-factor models were superior to the five-factor models and that the Interpersonal Relatedness scales could not be consistently explained by a combination of the Big Five factors. Implications for the universality of the five-factor model and the cross-cultural relevance of the CPAI Interpersonal Relatedness factor are discussed.
Cognitive Mechanisms Underlying Decrements in Mental Synthesis in Older Adults

The extent and nature of age-related differences in mental synthesis was examined in light of Baddeley's working memory model and resource theories. Mental synthesis performance of 30 young, young-old, middle-old and old-old adults was examined using a dual-task experiment and individual differences approach. Age-related differences in mental synthesis were shown, with an unprecedented heightened decrement evident after the age of 85. The central executive was not a mechanism of this decline. Executive function, speed of information processing, and working memory capacity were mechanisms underlying this decline, and together accounted for 86% of the age-related variance in mental synthesis. Environmental support enhanced mental synthesis.
Cyber security education as a tool for trust-building in cross-border public protection and disaster relief operations

Public protection and disaster relief (PPDR) operations are increasingly more dependent on networks and data processing infrastructure. Incidents such as natural hazards and organized crime do not respect national boundaries. As a consequence, there is an increased need for European collaboration and information sharing related to public safety communications (PSC) and information exchange technologies and procedures - and trust is the keyword here. According to our studies, the topic “trust-building” could be seen as the most important issue with regard to multi-agency PPDR cooperation. Cyber security should be seen as a key enabler for the development and maintenance of trust in the digital world. It is important to complement the currently dominating “cyber security as a barrier” perspective by emphasizing the role of “cyber security as an enabler” of new business, interactions, and services - and recognizing that trust is a positive driver for growth. Public safety infrastructure is becoming more dependent on unpredictable cyber risks. Everywhere, present computing means that PPDR agencies do not know when they are using dependable devices or services, and there are chain reactions of unpredictable risks. If cyber security risks are not made ready, PPDR agencies, like all organizations, will face severe disasters over time. Investing in systems that improve confidence and trust can significantly reduce costs and improve the speed of interaction. From this perspective, cyber security should be seen as a key enabler for the development and maintenance of trust in the digital world, and it has the following themes: security technology, situation awareness, security management and resiliency. Education is the main driver for complementing the currently dominating “cyber security as a barrier” perspective by emphasizing the role of “cyber security as an enabler”.
Molecular Analysis of Burkholderia cepacia Complex Isolates from a Portuguese Cystic Fibrosis Center: a 7-Year Study

ABSTRACT This work reports results of a systematic molecular analysis involving 113 Burkholderia cepacia complex isolates obtained from 23 cystic fibrosis (CF) patients under surveillance over a 7-year period at the major Portuguese CF center, the Santa Maria Hospital in Lisbon. The majority of the isolates were serial isolates from persistently infected patients (more than one-half of the population examined). In agreement with previous studies, B. cenocepacia (formerly genomovar III) was the most prevalent species; it was isolated from 52% of the patients infected with B. cepacia complex isolates. Contrasting with previous studies, a very significant percentage of the Portuguese CF subpopulation examined was infected with B. cepacia genomovar I (36%) and B. stabilis (18%). B. multivorans was recovered from two of the infected patients. All four of the species or genomovars were associated with poor clinical outcome, including the cepacia syndrome, and gave rise to chronic and transient infections, with the clinical condition depending on the patient and other still-unidentified factors. The B. cepacia epidemic strain marker region was found exclusively in genomovar III strains, while cblA was detected in genomovars I and III, only. There was no clear relation between the presence of these markers and transmissibility. Altogether, our results indicate that the use of these markers or the genomovar status in identifying patients at higher risk for infection is uncertain.
Complete Genome Sequence of Salmonella enterica Serovar Typhimurium Strain YU15 (Sequence Type 19) Harboring the Salmonella Genomic Island 1 and Virulence Plasmid pSTV

ABSTRACT The complete genome of Salmonella enterica subsp. enterica serovar Typhimurium sequence type 19 (ST19) strain YU15, isolated in Yucatán, Mexico, from a human baby stool culture, was determined using PacBio technology. The chromosome contains five intact prophages and the Salmonella genomic island 1 (SGI1). This strain carries the Salmonella virulence plasmid pSTV.
Carotid Intima‐Media Thickness is Associated With Incident Heart Failure Among Middle‐Aged Whites and Blacks: The Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities Study

Background Increased carotid intima‐media thickness (IMT) is associated with subclinical left ventricular myocardial dysfunction, suggesting a possible role of carotid IMT in heart failure (HF) risk determination. Methods and Results Mean far wall carotid IMT, measured by B‐mode ultrasound, was available for 13 590 Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities study participants aged 45 to 64 years and free of HF at baseline. HF was defined using ICD‐9 428 and ICD‐10 I‐50 codes from hospitalization records and death certificates. The association between carotid IMT and incident HF was assessed using Cox proportional hazards analysis with models adjusted for demographic variables, major CVD risk factors, and interim CHD. There were 2008 incident HF cases over a median follow‐up of 20.6 years (8.1 cases per 1000 person‐years). Mean IMT was higher in those with HF than in those without (0.81 mm±0.23 versus 0.71 mm±0.17, P<0.001). Unadjusted rate of HF for the fourth compared with the first quartile of IMT was 15.4 versus 3.9 per 1000 person‐years; P<0.001. In multivariable analysis, after adjustment, each standard deviation increase in IMT was associated with incident HF (HR 1.20 [95% CI: 1.16 to 1.25]). After adjustment, the top quartile of IMT was associated with HF (HR 1.60 [95% CI: 1.37 to 1.87]). Results were similar across race and gender groups. Conclusions Increasing carotid IMT is associated with incident HF in middle‐aged whites and blacks, beyond risks explained by major CVD risk factors and CHD. This suggests that carotid IMT may be associated with HF through mechanisms different from myocardial ischemia or infarction.
Citalopram versus psychological training for depression and anxiety symptoms in hemodialysis patients.

INTRODUCTION This study was designed to compare an antidepressant medication, citalopram, with psychological training in hemodialysis patients with symptoms of anxiety and depression. MATERIALS AND METHODS A total number of 44 hemodialysis patients scored 8 and more on the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) were randomly allocated to two groups to receive citalopram, 20 mg/d, for 3 months or to attend 6 sessions of 1-hour psychological training. A nephrologist and a senior psychiatry resident were responsible for training of the patients, which contained explaining the anatomy of the kidneys, causes of kidney failure, treatment modalities, the mechanism involved in hemodialysis, the required care in hemodialysis patients, stages of adaptive reaction in human, and techniques of problem solving, stress management, and muscle relaxation. Both groups completed the HADS once before and once after the treatment. The final results of the two groups were compared. RESULTS Citalopram administration led to a significant decrease in the patients' depression score (P = .001), anxiety score (P = .048), and total HADS score (P = .002). Psychological training sessions also decreased significantly depression (P = .04), anxiety (P = .03), and total HADS scores (P = .045). There was no significant difference in the amount of decrease in the scores of depression (P = .65), anxiety (P = .19), and the total HADS (P = .66) between the two groups. CONCLUSIONS Psychological training and citalopram have similar effects on improving the symptoms of anxiety and depression in hemodialysis patients.
A Matter of Integrity? Affliction and Healing in Christian Science

Christian Science is a form of Christianity with a strong theology of healing, the basis of which is an ontology that denies the reality of the material universe including the physical human body and affliction. An ethnographic study conducted in New Zealand in a Christian Science congregation showed that respondents have unique understandings about the nature of ‘self’ and ‘health’. These understandings underpin explanations of affliction, and healing, and inform the therapeutic strategies that are employed by respondents. The notion of integrity is put forward as a means of understanding the complex relationship between healing, health and ‘self’. A framework of integrity affords an insightful understanding of the complex meanings associated with the experience of affliction, the therapeutic strategies which are utilized to effect healing and the meanings associated with therapeutic outcomes – both successful and unsuccessful in the religious praxis of Somecity Christian Scientists.
Using Electronic Response Systems in Economics Classes

Abstract College instructors and students participated in a pilot project at the University of Akron to enhance student learning through the use of a common teaching pedagogy, peer instruction. The teaching pedagogy was supported by the use of technology, an electronic personal response system, which recorded student responses. The authors report their experiences in using this technology-enhanced teaching pedagogy and provide another example of an active and collaborative learning tool that instructors can use to move beyond “chalk and talk. ” Preliminary survey results from students participating in this pilot project are also reported.
Involuntary Cognitions in Everyday Life: Exploration of Type, Quality, Content, and Function

Psychological research into spontaneous or intrusive cognitions has typically focused on cognitions in one predefined domain, such as obsessional thoughts in OCD, intrusive memories in posttraumatic stress disorder and depression, or involuntary autobiographical memories and daydreaming in everyday life. Such studies have resulted in a wealth of knowledge about these specific cognitions. However, by focusing on a predefined type of cognition, other subtypes of cognition that may co-occur can be missed. In this exploratory study, we aimed to assess involuntary cognitions in everyday life without a pre-determined focus on any specific subtype of cognition. Seventy unselected undergraduate student participants were administered a questionnaire that assessed the presence of any involuntary cognitions in the past month, their quality, type, content, and potential function. In addition, participants provided self-descriptions and completed measures of psychopathology. Content analyses showed that involuntary cognitions were common, predominantly visual in nature, emotional, often about social relationships, and often related to a hypothetical function of emotional processing. About two-thirds of the cognitions that participants reported were memories. Non-memories included daydreams, imaginary worst case scenarios, imaginary future events, hypothetical reconstructions, and ruminations. Memories and non-memories were strikingly similar in their subjective experience of content and emotionality. Negative (but not positive) self-descriptions were associated with negative involuntary cognitions and psychopathology, suggesting a link between involuntary cognitions and the self. Overall, the findings suggest that people experience a wide variety of subtypes of involuntary cognitions in everyday life. Moreover, the specific subtype of involuntary cognition appears to be less important than its valence or content, at least to the subjective experience of the individual.
Being different: correlates of the experience of teasing and bullying at age 11

The public stereotype, largely supported by a rather diverse range of literature, is that bullied children differ from their peers in respect of attributes such as appearance, disability or school performance. In this paper we explore the characteristics of such victims in a way which is both more comprehensive than previous studies and in addition, considers and accounts for possible inter-relationships between variables. Self-report data on teasing and bullying (found to be strongly inter-related) were obtained from a large, school-based sample of 11 year-olds, with additional descriptions and ratings of the children from their parents, class teachers and nurses. Experience of teasing/bullying did not differ according to race, physical maturity or height, but was more likely among children who were less physically attractive, overweight, had a disability such as a sight, hearing or speech problem, and performed poorly at school. These factors were not only significant regardless of sex and social class, but also independent and thus additive in their effects. Characteristics of appearance, disability or ability which in themselves may be difficult to deal with also increase the likelihood that a child will experience the additional burden of being bullied.
Active on the Job—Proactive in Change

Two separate samples of a hospital's employees (N = 166 and 133) obtained at different points in time are used to test a structural equation model of the developmental and socializing effects autonomy at work has on employees' proactivity and its resultant impact on their support for organizational change. In both samples, autonomy positively affected employee role breadth self-efficacy and personal initiative, which in turn had positive though differential relationships with employee responses to change. The model fitting each cross-sectional sample is supported in a third separate, longitudinal sample (N = 74) of participants in both surveys. Results indicate that the proactivity characteristic of workers enjoying on-the-job autonomy promotes their positive responses to structural change. Promoting worker autonomy itself can be a critical precursor to successful implementation of certain forms of organizational change.
Output gap uncertainty: Does it matter for the Taylor rule?

Abstract. This paper analyses the effect of measurement error in the output gap on efficient monetary policy rules in a simple estimated model of the US economy. While it is a well-known result that such additive uncertainty does not affect the optimal feedback rule in a linear-quadratic framework, it is shown that output gap uncertainty can have a significant effect on the efficient response coefficients in restricted instrument rules such as the popular Taylor rule. Output gap uncertainty reduces the response to the current estimated output gap relative to current inflation and may partly explain why the parameters in estimated Taylor rules are often much less than what optimal control exercises which assume the state of the economy is known suggest.
Going to the other extreme: Counterfactual thinking leads to polarised judgements

Counterfactual thinking is often assumed to depend on closeness between what is and what might have been, following a principle of minimal mutations of reality. Yet when people are asked to describe autobiographical incidents that “might” have been different, they typically report situations that could have had opposite rather than just different outcomes (Experiment 1). In four subsequent studies participants were presented with vignettes of critical situations that take a turn for the better or the worse. Consequences of counterfactual events were consistently evaluated as more extreme than outcomes of identical, factual events (Experiment 2 and 3), and estimated probabilities of success were higher for positive events that did not occur than when they occurred (Experiment 4). Also, the probabilities of accident victims to be seriously injured were higher in the counterfactual case (Experiment 5). Thus, speculations about what would have happened, if … seem to induce more schematic thinking and perhaps a higher level of construal than predictions of what will happen.