bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Computational logics and verification techniques of multi-agent commitments: survey
Authors: El Menshawy Mohamed , Bentahar Jamal , El Kholy Warda , Yolum Pinar , Dssouli Rachida 
Published: August 2015

AbstractAgent communication languages (ACLs) are fundamental mechanisms that enable agents in multi-agent systems totalk, communicate with each other in order to satisfy their individual and social goals in a cooperative and competitive manner. Social approaches are advocated to overcome the shortcomings of ACL semantics delineated by using mental approaches in the figure of agents’ mental notions. Over the last two decades,socialcommitments have been the subject of considerable research in some of those social approaches as they provide a powerful representation for modeling and reasoning upon multi-agent interactions in the form of mutual contractual obligations. They particularly provide a declarative, flexible, verifiable, and social semantics for ACL messages while respecting agents’ autonomy, heterogeneity, and openness.In this manuscript, we go through prominent and predominate proposals in the literature to explore the state of the art on how temporal logics can be devoted to define a formal semantics for ACL messages in terms of social commitments and associated actions. We explain each proposal and point out if and how it meetssevencrucial criteria, four of them introduced by Munindar P. Singh to have a well-defined semantics for ACL messages. Far from deciding the best proposal, our aim is to present the advantages (strengths) and limitations of those proposals to designers and developers using a concrete running example and to compare between them, so that they can make the best choice with regard to their needs. We explore and evaluate current specification languages and different verification techniques that have been discussed within those proposals to, respectively, specify and verify commitment-based protocols. We also investigate logical languages of actions advocated to specify, model, and execute commitment-based protocols in other contributed proposals. Finally, we suggest some solutions that can contribute to address the identified limitations.
The Public Health Consequences of Disasters
Authors: Noji Eric K. 
Published: August 2015

AbstractAlthough disasters have exacted a heavy toll of death and suffering, the future seems more frightening. Good disaster management must link data collection and analysis to the decision-making process. The overall objectives of disaster management from the viewpoint of public health are: 1) needs assessments; 2) matching available resources with defined needs; 3) prevention of further adverse health effects; 4) implementation of disease-control strategies; 5) evaluation of the effectiveness of the application of these strategies; and 6) improvement in contingency planning for future disasters.The effects of sudden-onset, natural disasters on humans are quantifiable. Knowledge of the epidemiology of deaths, injuries, and illnesses is essential to determine effective responses; provide public education; establish priorities, planning, and training. In addition, the temporal patterns for the medical care required must be established so that the needs in future disasters can be anticipated.This article discusses: 1) the nature of disasters due to sudden-onset, natural events; 2) the medical and health needs associated with such events and disasters; 3) practical issues of disaster responses; and 4) the advance organization and management of disasters. The discussion also includes: 1) discussions of past problems in disaster management including non-congruence between available supplies and the actual needs of the affected population; 2) information management; 3) needs assessments; 4) public health surveillance; and 5) linking information with decision-making. This discussion is followed by an analysis of what currently is known about the health-care needs during some specific types of sudden-onset, natural disasters: 1) floods; 2) tropical cyclones; 3) tornadoes; 4) volcanic eruptions; and 5) earthquakes. The article concludes with descriptions of some specific public-health problems associated with disasters including epidemics and disposition of corpses.All natural disasters are unique in that the regions affected have different social, economic, and health backgrounds. But, many similarities exist, and knowledge about these can ensure that the health and emergency medical relief and limited resources are well-managed.
Making progress towards food security: evidence from an intervention in three rural districts of Rwanda
Authors: Nsabuwera Vincent , Hedt-Gauthier Bethany , Khogali Mohammed , Edginton Mary , Hinderaker Sven G , Nisingizwe Marie Paul , Tihabyona Jean de Dieu , Sikubwabo Benoit , Sembagare Samuel , Habinshuti Antoinette , Drobac Peter 
Published: August 2015

AbstractObjectiveDetermining interventions to address food insecurity and poverty, as well as setting targets to be achieved in a specific time period have been a persistent challenge for development practitioners and decision makers. The present study aimed to assess the changes in food access and consumption at the household level after one-year implementation of an integrated food security intervention in three rural districts of Rwanda.DesignA before-and-after intervention study comparing Household Food Insecurity Access Scale (HFIAS) scores and household Food Consumption Scores (FCS) at baseline and after one year of programme implementation.SettingThree rural districts of Rwanda (Kayonza, Kirehe and Burera) where the Partners In Health Food Security and Livelihoods Program (FSLP) has been implemented since July 2013.SubjectsAll 600 households enrolled in the FSLP were included in the study.ResultsThere were significant improvements (P<0·001) in HFIAS and FCS. The median decrease in HFIAS was 8 units (interquartile range (IQR) −13·0, −3·0) and the median increase for FCS was 4·5 units (IQR −6·0, 18·0). Severe food insecurity decreased from 78 % to 49 %, while acceptable food consumption improved from 48 % to 64 %. The change in HFIAS was significantly higher (P=0·019) for the poorest households.ConclusionsOur study demonstrated that an integrated programme, implemented in a setting of extreme poverty, was associated with considerable improvements towards household food security. Other government and non-government organizations’ projects should consider a similar holistic approach when designing structural interventions to address food insecurity and extreme poverty.
On the search for artificial Dyson-like structures around pulsars
Authors: Osmanov Z. 
Published: August 2015

AbstractAssuming the possibility of existence of a supercivilization we extend the idea of Freeman Dyson considering pulsars instead of stars. It is shown that instead of a spherical shell the supercivilization must use ring-like constructions. We have found that a size of the ‘ring’ should be of the order of (10−4–10−1) AU with temperature interval (300–600) K for relatively slowly rotating pulsars and (10–350) AU with temperature interval (300–700) K for rapidly spinning neutron stars, respectively. Although for the latter the Dyson construction is unrealistically massive and cannot be considered seriously. Analyzing the stresses in terms of the radiation and wind flows it has been argued that they cannot significantly affect the ring construction. On the other hand, the ring in-plane unstable equilibrium can be restored by the energy which is small compared with the energy extracted from the star. This indicates that the search for infrared ring-like sources close to slowly rotating pulsars seems to be quite promising.
Women and wrongful convictions: concepts and challenges
Authors: Parkes Debra , Cunliffe Emma 
Published: August 2015

AbstractThis paper draws from the wrongful convictions of women to interrogate the limits of dominant conceptions of wrongful conviction. Most North American innocence projects turn on a conception of demonstrable factual innocence. The paper argues that this focus is problematic as a matter of criminal law principle and presents particular difficulties for women. The paper identifies that family violence forms the primary context for both the conviction of women for violent crimes, and for women's wrongful convictions. Taking two key examples of family violence – child homicide and intimate partner violence – we illustrate that the prevailing focus on demonstrable factual innocence fits awkwardly with identified wrongful convictions in these areas, and argue that this focus may deflect attention from unidentified miscarriages of justice. We suggest that focusing on factual innocence undermines the criminal justice system's proper focus on state responsibilities, including the responsibility to protect women and children from harm, and the asymmetric burden of proof that applies in criminal cases.
From homo economicus to homo roboticus: an exploration of the transformative impact of the technological imaginary
Authors: Shaw Julia J. A. 
Published: August 2015

AbstractThe largely unfettered realm of hardware and software code offers limitless possibilities in expanding the use and influence of information and communication technologies. As transcendent technologies they are unrestrained by the divergent equivalence of human categories of difference such as gender, race and class, or conceptual binary oppositions such as good/evil, happy/sad, freedom/oppression. Whilst a material grounding in earlier forms of embodied social experience remains an essential precondition of interaction with virtual systems, it is suggested that the virtual world is in the process of transforming the real world or, at least, subordinating it as slave to the machine world. This shift has fostered an imbalance of power between human and the posthuman, and consequently the epoch of the machine is often alleged to be both modern miracle and monster. Just as at a human level, rational thought processes restrain ideas which are unruly and require control, ICT advancements have proliferated to the point where these technologies also need to be classified, constrained where necessary, and diluted into the real world in real time. In this current climate of endless technological transformation, along with the growth of mass surveillance technologies together with the expansion of regulatory state powers, it is clear that any further innovations cannot be left to market forces without first considering the groundwork for the development of an appropriate monitoring mechanism. Before an appropriate set of regulatory mechanisms can be explicated, it is first necessary to consider the nature of the evolving transgressive human–machine relationship and the possible implications for humanity in the modern hypermediated world.
Gender, Islam and judgeship in Egypt
Authors: Sonneveld Nadia , Tawfik Ahmed 
Published: August 2015

AbstractThe issue of women serving as judges has been a contentious one in Egyptian society for nearly eight decades. While other Muslim majority countries started appointing women judges as early as the 1950s and 1960s, it was not until 2003 that the Egyptian government announced the appointment of its first ever female judge. Despite the approval of Egypt's religious scholars, her appointment was fiercely contested, among both the general public and the legal profession. In this paper we explore the question of why the appointment of women as judges provokes so much controversy in Egyptian society, and in the judiciary in particular. We show that the debate reveals a preoccupation with the proper place of women in society. With both traditionally educated religious scholars and people lacking formal religious training justifying their point of view by resorting to religious argumentation, the debate is also a clear example of the fragmentation of religious authority in Islam.
childLex–Eine lexikalische Datenbank zur Schriftsprache für Kinder im Deutschen
Authors: Schroeder Sascha , Würzner Kay-Michael , Heister Julian , Geyken Alexander , Kliegl Reinhold 
Published: August 2015

Zusammenfassung. In diesem Beitrag stellen wir childLex vor, eine online-Datenbank zur Schriftsprache für Kinder im Deutschen. childLex basiert auf einem Korpus aus Kinder- und Schulbüchern, das ca. 10 Millionen Wörter umfasst, und stellt verschiedene linguistische Normen auf der lexikalischen, superlexikalischen und sublexikalischen Ebene zur Verfügung. Diese werden in der psychologischen Forschung dringend zur Erstellung von altersadäquaten Stimulus- und Trainingsmaterialien benötigt. Separate Normen sind für drei verschiedene Altersbereiche verfügbar: 6 – 8 Jahre (1. – 2. Klasse), 9 – 10 Jahre (3. – 4. Klasse) und 11 – 12 Jahre (5. – 6. Klasse). Hier beschreiben wir Aufbau und Analyse von childLex und vergleichen Frequenznormen auf der lexikalischen, superlexikalischen und sublexikalischen Ebene mit denen des DWDS-Kernkorpus, eines umfassenden Korpus zur Schriftsprache für Erwachsene. Dabei zeigt sich, dass die beiden Korpora im hochfrequenten Bereich und auf der sublexikalischen Ebene gut übereinstimmen, während sie auf der lexikalischen und superlexikalischen Ebene sowie im mittel- bis niederfrequenten Bereich stark voneinander abweichen. Abschließend erläutern wir, welche Variablen in childLex verfügbar sind und wie sie sich abfragen lassen.
DRP1 inhibition rescues retinal ganglion cells and their axons by preserving mitochondrial integrity in a mouse model of glaucoma
Authors: Kim K-Y , Perkins G A , Shim M S , Bushong E , Alcasid N , Ju S , Ellisman M H , Weinreb R N , Ju W-K 
Published: August 2015

AbstractGlaucoma is the leading cause of irreversible blindness and is characterized by slow and progressive degeneration of the optic nerve head axons and retinal ganglion cell (RGC), leading to loss of visual function. Although oxidative stress and/or alteration of mitochondrial (mt) dynamics induced by elevated intraocular pressure (IOP) are associated with this neurodegenerative disease, the mechanisms that regulate mt dysfunction-mediated glaucomatous neurodegeneration are poorly understood. Using a mouse model of glaucoma, DBA/2J (D2), which spontaneously develops elevated IOP, as well as an in vitro RGC culture system, we show here that oxidative stress, as evidenced by increasing superoxide dismutase 2 (SOD2) and mt transcription factor A (Tfam) protein expression, triggers mt fission and loss by increasing dynamin-related protein 1 (DRP1) in the retina of glaucomatous D2 mice as well as in cultured RGCs exposed to elevated hydrostatic pressure in vitro. DRP1 inhibition by overexpressing DRP1 K38A mutant blocks mt fission and triggers a subsequent reduction of oxidative stress, as evidenced by decreasing SOD2 and Tfam protein expression. DRP1 inhibition promotes RGC survival by increasing phosphorylation of Bad at serine 112 in the retina and preserves RGC axons by maintaining mt integrity in the glial lamina of glaucomatous D2 mice. These findings demonstrate an important vicious cycle involved in glaucomatous neurodegeneration that starts with elevated IOP producing oxidative stress; the oxidative stress then leads to mt fission and a specific form of mt dysfunction that generates further oxidative stress, thus perpetuating the cycle. Our findings suggest that DRP1 is a potential therapeutic target for ameliorating oxidative stress-mediated mt fission and dysfunction in RGC and its axons during glaucomatous neurodegeneration. Thus, DRP1 inhibition may provide a new therapeutic strategy for protecting both RGCs and their axons in glaucoma and other optic neuropathies.
The potential of mesenchymal stem cells in the management of radiation enteropathy
Authors: Chang P-Y , Qu Y-Q , Wang J , Dong L-H 
Published: August 2015

AbstractAlthough radiotherapy is effective in managing abdominal and pelvic malignant tumors, radiation enteropathy is still unavoidable. This disease severely affects the quality of life of cancer patients due to some refractory lesions, such as intestinal ischemia, mucositis, ulcer, necrosis or even perforation. Current drugs or prevailing therapies are committed to alleviating the symptoms induced by above lesions. But the efficacies achieved by these interventions are still not satisfactory, because the milieus for tissue regeneration are not distinctly improved. In recent years, regenerative therapy for radiation enteropathy by using mesenchymal stem cells is of public interests. Relevant results of preclinical and clinical studies suggest that this regenerative therapy will become an attractive tool in managing radiation enteropathy, because mesenchymal stem cells exhibit their pro-regenerative potentials for healing the injuries in both epithelium and endothelium, minimizing inflammation and protecting irradiated intestine against fibrogenesis through activating intrinsic repair actions. In spite of these encouraging results, whether mesenchymal stem cells promote tumor growth is still an issue of debate. On this basis, we will discuss the advances in anticancer therapy by using mesenchymal stem cells in this review after analyzing the pathogenesis of radiation enteropathy, introducing the advances in managing radiation enteropathy using regenerative therapy and exploring the putative actions by which mesenchymal stem cells repair intestinal injuries. At last, insights gained from the potential risks of mesenchymal stem cell-based therapy for radiation enteropathy patients may provide clinicians with an improved awareness in carrying out their studies.
Adiponectin receptor-mediated signaling ameliorates cerebral cell damage and regulates the neurogenesis of neural stem cells at high glucose concentrations: an in vivo and in vitro study
Authors: Song J , Kang S M , Kim E , Kim C-H , Song H-T , Lee J E 
Published: August 2015

AbstractIn the central nervous system (CNS), hyperglycemia leads to neuronal damage and cognitive decline. Recent research has focused on revealing alterations in the brain in hyperglycemia and finding therapeutic solutions for alleviating the hyperglycemia-induced cognitive dysfunction. Adiponectin is a protein hormone with a major regulatory role in diabetes and obesity; however, its role in the CNS has not been studied yet. Although the presence of adiponectin receptors has been reported in the CNS, adiponectin receptor-mediated signaling in the CNS has not been investigated. In the present study, we investigated adiponectin receptor (AdipoR)-mediated signalingin vivousing a high-fat diet andin vitrousing neural stem cells (NSCs). We showed that AdipoR1 protects cell damage and synaptic dysfunction in the mouse brain in hyperglycemia. At high glucose concentrationsin vitro, AdipoR1 regulated the survival of NSCs through the p53/p21 pathway and the proliferation- and differentiation-related factors of NSCs via tailless (TLX). Hence, we suggest that further investigations are necessary to understand the cerebral AdipoR1-mediated signaling in hyperglycemic conditions, because the modulation of AdipoR1 might alleviate hyperglycemia-induced neuropathogenesis.
Region-specific variation in the properties of skeletal adipocytes reveals regulated and constitutive marrow adipose tissues
Authors: Scheller Erica L. , Doucette Casey R. , Learman Brian S. , Cawthorn William P. , Khandaker Shaima , Schell Benjamin , Wu Brent , Ding Shi-Ying , Bredella Miriam A. , Fazeli Pouneh K. , Khoury Basma , Jepsen Karl J. , Pilch Paul F. , Klibanski Anne , Rosen Clifford J. , MacDougald Ormond A. 
Published: August 2015

AbstractMarrow adipose tissue (MAT) accumulates in diverse clinical conditions but remains poorly understood. Here we show region-specific variation in MAT adipocyte development, regulation, size, lipid composition, gene expression and genetic determinants. Early MAT formation in mice is conserved, whereas later development is strain dependent. Proximal, but not distal tibial, MAT is lost with 21-day cold exposure. Rat MAT adipocytes from distal sites have an increased proportion of monounsaturated fatty acids and expression of Scd1/Scd2, Cebpa and Cebpb. Humans also have increased distal marrow fat unsaturation. We define proximal ‘regulated’ MAT (rMAT) as single adipocytes interspersed with active haematopoiesis, whereas distal ‘constitutive’ MAT (cMAT) has low haematopoiesis, contains larger adipocytes, develops earlier and remains preserved upon systemic challenges. Loss of rMAT occurs in mice with congenital generalized lipodystrophy type 4, whereas both rMAT and cMAT are preserved in mice with congenital generalized lipodystrophy type 3. Consideration of these MAT subpopulations may be important for future studies linking MAT to bone biology, haematopoiesis and whole-body metabolism.
An on-chip electrical transport spectroscopy approach for in situ monitoring electrochemical interfaces
Authors: Ding Mengning , He Qiyuan , Wang Gongming , Cheng Hung-Chieh , Huang Yu , Duan Xiangfeng 
Published: August 2015

AbstractIn situ monitoring electrochemical interfaces is crucial for fundamental understanding and continued optimization of electrocatalysts. Conventional spectroscopic techniques are generally difficult to implement for in situ electrochemical studies. Here we report an on-chip electrical transport spectroscopy approach for directly probing the electrochemical surfaces of metallic nanocatalysts in action. With a four-electrode device configuration, we demonstrate that the electrical properties of ultrafine platinum nanowires are highly sensitive and selective to the electrochemical surface states, enabling a nanoelectronic signalling pathway that reveals electrochemical interface information during in-device cyclic voltammetry. Our results not only show a high degree of consistency with generally accepted conclusions in platinum electrochemistry but also offer important insights on various practically important electrochemical reactions. This study defines a nanoelectronic strategy for in situ electrochemical surface studies with high surface sensitivity and surface specificity.
Qubit entanglement between ring-resonator photon-pair sources on a silicon chip
Authors: Silverstone J. W. , Santagati R. , Bonneau D. , Strain M. J. , Sorel M. , O’Brien J. L. , Thompson M. G. 
Published: August 2015

AbstractEntanglement—one of the most delicate phenomena in nature—is an essential resource for quantum information applications. Scalable photonic quantum devices must generate and control qubit entanglement on-chip, where quantum information is naturally encoded in photon path. Here we report a silicon photonic chip that uses resonant-enhanced photon-pair sources, spectral demultiplexers and reconfigurable optics to generate a path-entangled two-qubit state and analyse its entanglement. We show that ring-resonator-based spontaneous four-wave mixing photon-pair sources can be made highly indistinguishable and that their spectral correlations are small. We use on-chip frequency demultiplexers and reconfigurable optics to perform both quantum state tomography and the strict Bell-CHSH test, both of which confirm a high level of on-chip entanglement. This work demonstrates the integration of high-performance components that will be essential for building quantum devices and systems to harness photonic entanglement on the large scale.