cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Leadership Opportunities for Physicians

Although many individuals can be identified as a leader, defining the characteristics and roles beyond the level of clinical expertise and the doctor-patient relationship of physician leaders in the rapidly changing landscape of healthcare is more challenging. Some analogies can be made with business leaders, however, physician leaders, particularly in evolving accountable care organizations, are often expected to have an expanded repertoire of skills, knowledge and personal characteristics. Although current role models and training may not be sufficient, much can be learned from more traditional leadership roles held by physicians and others. This chapter will discuss the definition of leadership, characteristics of good leaders, styles and methods of leadership, managing expectations, and why some physicians fail as leaders. The specific skills and roles described herein particularly focus on roles in the health care delivery system, and in accountable care organizations, in particular.
How Do Credit Rating Agencies Affect Relationship Lending

Small businesses have long relied upon banks to produce sufficient information to be able to profitably lend to them. In recent years information production has also taken place among information service bureaus, such as Dun and Bradstreet (D&B). There has been some evidence to suggest that these information brokers have allowed small firms to break away from their lending relationships.In this paper, we present a model of how small business loans are analyzed, focusing on the information that is necessary to produce. Based on the insight from that model, we build a multinomial logistical regression model to estimate joint probabilities that a firm with at least one line of credit will fall into certain categories of D&B credit rating and secured/unsecured line of credit. From this multinomial logistic regression model, we derived conditional logistic regression, where the probability the line of credit is secured is conditioned upon the credit rating category.We find that the length of a relationship with the line of credit lender is only a significant predictor of collateral for firms with lower credit ratings, consistent with the theory that relationships are needed to overcome informational opacity. In fact, it appears from the set of logistic regressions run, that the significance of the length of the lending relationship to the granting of unsecured lines of credit reported in earlier research is driven solely by firms with lower credit ratings. The length of the relationship was not significant in assessing the probability of secured lines of credit for those with the highest credit rating.
A Cooperative, Prosperous Indian Ocean Region

Whilst important in its own right, the Indian Ocean acts as the connective tissue in the broader Indo-Asia-Pacific in which all countries share vested interests in the optimized flow of maritime use and prosperity. Admiral Swift addresses the issue of actions taking place, particularly in the South China Sea, that may see the end of stability within the region. Instead of competition between States, this paper emphasizes the need for co-operation when dealing with immediate maritime security challenges such as piracy, smuggling, violent extremism, other types of illicit activities, as well as natural and manmade disasters that will allow for a safe and secure maritime environment that enjoys free flow of trade and investment.
A comparison of the effects of 200 kv. radiation and cobalt-60 radiation on the jaws and dental structure of the white rat. A preliminary report.

The effects of Co60 and 200-kv radiation on the jaws and dental structures of rats at doses of 1020 to 2040 r were compared. Co60 radiation was much less damaging to bone and dental tissues than 200-kv radiation in comparable dosages. This confirmed clinical impressions concerning the bone- sparing attributes of Co/sup 60/ radiation. Considerably higher dosages can be given with Co60 than with 200-kv radiation. All animals exposed to 200-kv radiation showed alterations in alveolar bone, more severe reactions occurring in animais given 2040 r. There was a decreased density and irreguiarity in the staining of the periodontai membrane, so that the outiines of the interdental septum of alveolar bone were sharp and clearly demarcated. The number of fibroblasts was reduced in the periodontal membrane, and the cells were smaller, rounded, and more deeply stained. Cementoblasts aiong the tooth surface were fewer and bone itself preserted a granularity in staining and pyknosis in osteocytes. The results suggest that a 10% greater dose in megavoltage rads is necessary for an equivalent biologic effect.
Applying Engineering Models of Human Behavior to Space Flight Performance

Most complex human-device interactions that arise in realistic applied settings are heterogeneous along several dimensions that significantly restrict the scope and effectiveness of traditional modeling tools. In particular, different subcomponents of the same overall task may vary significantly with respect to practice level and speed-accuracy tradeoffs. The goal of this paper is to lay out the path toward a set of technologies and underlying psychological theory that will permit rapid modeling of such heterogeneous tasks, and therefore rapid evaluation of proposed interface and task structure designs. It will be critical to make progress toward the goal in three specific ways: (1) Development of simple, high-level languages that permit the rapid specification of new tasks composed hierarchically from existing task and cognitive architectural building blocks; (2) Development of the technology and underlying psychological theory that will permit the system engineers to specify the degree of learning or sk...
Nature inspired, multi-functional, damage tolerant thermal spray coatings

Abstract Design and fabrication of ceramic materials that simultaneously provide adequate strength and toughness is of importance in engineering applications. Nature has demonstrated it is feasible to achieve this duality in properties through a combination of materials and microstructural engineering. The nacreous layer within the abalone shell is perhaps the most notable demonstration of such combined properties through unique combination of ceramic and polymeric material in an ordered, layered assembly. Recent studies have shown that through appropriate control of thermal spray processes and post-spray polymer infiltration of the deposited ceramic, it is possible, to some extent, to harness nacre's microstructural attributes resulting in the material's dramatic improvement in both strength and toughness. This paper seeks to build upon previous work of layered, natural inspired design seen in nacreous materials, with an emphasis on abrasion and contact damages. Two distinct thermal spray ceramic templates, one nacreous analogue and one standard thermal spray template, have been reproduced here and evaluated with regards to their functional performance e.g. abrasive wear and particle impact. The results from this study confirm the mechanical property improvements after polymer infiltration, and further show that it is indeed feasible to achieve improved surface properties from natural design principles and processing innovations.
LNK/SH2B3 Loss of Function Promotes Atherosclerosis and Thrombosis

Rationale:Human genome-wide association studies have revealed novel genetic loci that are associated with coronary heart disease. One such locus resides in LNK/SH2B3, which in mice is expressed in hematopoietic cells and suppresses thrombopoietin signaling via its receptor myeloproliferative leukemia virus oncogene. However, the mechanisms underlying the association of LNK single-nucleotide polymorphisms with coronary heart disease are poorly understood. Objective:To understand the functional effects of LNK single-nucleotide polymorphisms and explore the mechanisms whereby LNK loss of function impacts atherosclerosis and thrombosis. Methods and Results:Using human cord blood, we show that the common TT risk genotype (R262W) of LNK is associated with expansion of hematopoietic stem cells and enhanced megakaryopoiesis, demonstrating reduced LNK function and increased myeloproliferative leukemia virus oncogene signaling. In mice, hematopoietic Lnk deficiency leads to accelerated arterial thrombosis and ather...
Lawyers and the Making of English Land Law 1832-1940

Lawyers and law reform conveyancing reform title registration achieved perfecting a private market professionalism, officialism - solicitors and the state 1898-1912 - the old order resurgent lawyers law - the conveyancing Bills 1913-1914 law fit for heroes retrospect and epilogue.
Influence based analysis of community consistency in dynamic networks

The development of Internet and social networks has provided more emerging network data which facilitates the dynamic network analysis. In this paper, we propose a new method to measure coherence strength, also referred to as community consistency, of a community under dynamic settings. In order to better interpret the influence of evolving community structure on community consistency, we model the problem as one of influence propagation processes having a causal relation with the community consistency. To this effect a generative model is proposed to combine the influence propagation and the network topological structure at each time stamp. Our comprehensive experiments on both synthetic and real-world datasets demonstrate the superiority of the proposed framework in estimating the community consistency.
Regulation of Kif15 localization and motility by the C-terminus of TPX2 and microtubule dynamics

Mitotic motor proteins generate force to establish and maintain spindle bipolarity, but how they are temporally and spatially regulated in vivo is unclear. Prior work demonstrated that a microtubule-associated protein, TPX2, targets kinesin-5 and kinesin-12 motors to spindle microtubules. The C-terminal domain of TPX2 contributes to the localization and motility of the kinesin-5, Eg5, but it is not known whether this domain regulates kinesin-12, Kif15. We found that the C-terminal domain of TPX2 contributes to the localization of Kif15 to spindle microtubules in cells and suppresses motor walking in vitro. Kif15 and Eg5 are partially redundant motors, and overexpressed Kif15 can drive spindle formation in the absence of Eg5 activity. Kif15-dependent bipolar spindle formation in vivo requires the C-terminal domain of TPX2. In the spindle, fluorescent puncta of GFP-Kif15 move toward the equatorial region at a rate equivalent to microtubule growth. Reduction of microtubule growth with paclitaxel suppresses GFP-Kif15 motility, demonstrating that dynamic microtubules contribute to Kif15 behavior. Our results show that the C-terminal region of TPX2 regulates Kif15 in vitro, contributes to motor localization in cells, and is required for Kif15 force generation in vivo and further reveal that dynamic microtubules contribute to Kif15 behavior in vivo.
Circadian ethylene production in cotton

Light strongly influences plant processes and is instrumental inestablishing patterns in photosynthetic responses, enzymatic activity, andlevels of some plant hormones. At this time, it is unclear how the biosynthesisof the plant hormone ethylene is influenced by light in cotton cotyledonarytissue. To answer this question, the cotton (Gossypiumhirsutum L.) cultivar ‘DPL50’ was exposed to thefollowing light and/or dark treatments over a 72-h period: a12-h photoperiod, continuous light, or continuous dark. Ethylene,1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylic acid (ACC), andN-malonyl-1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylic acid (MACC) were assayed from wholeplant samples. Cotton plants exhibited a pattern of ethylene evolution thatappears to be controlled by a circadian clock. This circadian pattern wassuggested by the lack of change in ethylene evolution rate under continuouslight. The pattern of ethylene evolution was disrupted during a continuous darktreatment, indicating that light in some way is responsible for setting thecircadian clock for ethylene evolution and that light-sensing molecules such asphytochrome may be involved. Patterns of ACC and MACC concentration were notcircadian.
A Cognitive-Behavioral-Based Workshop Intervention for Maladaptive Perfectionism

Maladaptive perfectionism (MP) can have adverse consequences for mental and physical health and can interfere with treatment success for various conditions. Theoretical conceptualizations of MP largely surround overly rigid and self-critical thinking as well as excessively high standards. Treatment for MP thus often focuses on these cognitive aspects and has been successful, albeit lengthy. The present study evaluated a brief cognitive-behavioral workshop for those with high, moderate, and low MP, which was defined as a composite of perfectionism subscales that included concern over mistakes, doubting of actions, parental criticism, parental expectations, and discrepancy. Workshop components focused on psychoeducation about MP, setting high standards, fearing mistakes and doubting oneself, and preventing distress and maintaining gains. Ratings of MP as well as anxiety, depression, and distress were significantly lower from pre-treatment across post-treatment and 3-week and 3-month follow-up assessments for those with high and moderate MP. Participants with low MP showed no significant change over time, as expected. The workshop thus provided a useful, brief, and cost-effective intervention for MP and related distress. Clinical implications are discussed, including routine assessment of MP in clinical practice, intervention for MP early in the clinical process, specific focus on self-criticism and setting high standards, and implementation in university counseling centers. Recommendations for future research are also discussed, including dismantling of workshop components, identifying treatment mechanisms, expanding to clinical populations, evaluating more diverse samples, and understanding the possible preventative aspects of a workshop approach.
Scissor mechanisms enabled compliant modular earthworm-like robot: Segmental muscle-mimetic design, prototyping and locomotion performance validation

Earthworms are the soft, tube-shaped, segmented worms who move with waves of muscular contractions. This paper presents our recently developed compliant modular earthworm-like robot with the novel segmental muscle-mimetic design unit that efficiently mimics earthworm's segmental muscle contractions. The new class of segmental muscle-mimetic design unit relies on curvature of scissor mechanisms that can be extended and contracted smoothly through controlled servo motors. Connected numbers of the design units with the transmission mechanism, a multi-segment earthworm-like robot can be prototyped and it produces the peristaltic locomotion by controlling motors in each segment with different phase shift angles. In this paper, we detail the bioinspired concept and design of segmental muscle-mimetic unit, and demonstrate extensive simulation and experimental results on the design and the prototyped multi-segment robot. All results prove that both the design and the prototyped earthworm-like robot have excellent locomotion performance.
The World Trade Organization and Climate Change

The interface of trade and environment in the global arena in a multilateral setting is characterized by both trade regimes and environmental regimes, under several international agreements devised over the past few decades. International trade policies are largely governed by the WTO. The global environmental policies are governed by various Multilateral Environmental Agreements (MEAs), especially by the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). There is some compatibility between the two regimes in their provisions of policies. Lack of compatibility of trade provisions (specific trade obligations, STOs) specified under MEAs with the trade policies under the WTO framework is often complicated by the fact that signatories of MEAs vary substantially from one agreement to another within the large set of MEAs, and also differ from the list of 153-member countries of the WTO. Since the WTO regime has a predominant role in devising various international trade policies and has the most well-equipped dispute settlement mechanism relative to any other trade or environmental regime, and since much of the world trade tends to follow the WTO trade stipulations, it is important to examine relevant aspects of trade and environment/CC interface under the WTO charter.
Examining the Validity of a Multidimensional Performance-Based Assessment at Kindergarten Entry:

The present study explored the utility of a widely used performance-based assessment of children’s readiness skills as a kindergarten entry assessment. In a sample of 520 kindergarten students acro...
Functional studies of genes in the limb

An increasing number of genes have been implicated by their expression pattern as being important in the developmental control of limb pattern. Such genes, including homeobox-containing genes, genes encoding receptors for potential morphogenic signaling molecules and genes encoding growth factors, are described in detail elsewhere in this volume. A strong case for a role of these genes in controlling limb morphogenesis can be made based on their spatial and temporal expression patterns during normal limb development and in the context of various experimental embryological manipulations. The putative roles of these genes are further supported by analogy to the known function of related genes in other developmental systems.
A Higher Standard of Gossip: The Impact of Gossiping on Helping Behavior

Gossiping, defined as informally exchanging negative information with a colleague about an absent third person, is a pervasive phenomenon. By some accounts, at least 90% of employees engage in work...
Right way wrong way

Telecommunications providers use rights-of-way to build physical network infrastructure on lands they do not own. Agreements to use these lands are usually made with public landowners such as local governments. Traditional rules for these negotiations are based on public utilities law and the common law of land ownership. Specific rules for telecommunications providers are also based on common carriage and Carrier or Last Resort regulations. Furthermore, the exercise of property rights by local landowners are often mischaracterized by telecommunications companies as burdensome regulation, with policy and jurisprudence following suit. This paper argues that in an era of technological convergence and the erosion of traditional pubic interest responsibilities, there are now fewer justifications for the unfettered usage of publicly-controlled lands by telecommunications firms. Traditional telecom regulations have enable unfettered usage of rights-of-way.Convergence has made some such regulations obsolete.Telecoms have lobbied for removal of common carriage and COLR responsibilities.Benefits of old regulatory regimes are becoming unjustified.New regulations for use of rights-of-way by telecoms might be needed.
The Fitness Maximized by the Classical Canonical Economy: A Theme from Houthakker and R.A. Fisher

Stimulated by a 1956 biology paper of Hendrik Houthakker that mentions the R.A. Fisher paradox in which allegedly a species ever grows in fitness up to the instant of its extinction, I here define a new fitness function for classical economics, namely the system’s Virtual Rent. Using my 1978 Canonical Classical Growth Model (for a subsistence-wage-and-subsistence-profit-rate system), I specify for it a Liapunov function of Virtual Rent that is shown to necessarily increase on each growth trajectory. No paradoxes are entailed, since exogenous shocks are permitted to raise or lower Rent.
Synthetic Biology of Microbial Biofuel Production: From Enzymes to Pathways to Organisms

Engineering microbes to produce fuels is a natural application for synthetic biology, and indeed, many published examples demonstrate its suitability. However, a greater challenge is achieving the production of biofuels on an economical scale, a formidable undertaking which will need all of the tools and tricks of synthetic biology. Here, we describe methods taken from synthetic biology that have been successfully applied to both demonstrate production and improve yields of either fuels or other small molecules. These methods address many aspects of microbial fuel production: pathway design and manipulation, protein activity, and host engineering.
PNRC is a unique nuclear receptor coactivator that stimulates both Pol II and Pol III transcription

1743 PNRC transscriptionally regulates a wide range of RNA polymerase (Pol) II-transcribed genes by functioning as a nuclear receptor coactivator. Here, we demonstrate that human PNRC also stimulates Pol III transcription of tRNA gene through its interaction with the subunit RPC39 of Pol III. In an attempt of searching additional PNRC-interacting proteins other than nuclear receptors, PNRC/270-327 fragment was used as bait in a yeast two-hybrid screening of a human mammary gland cDNA expression library. Pol III/RPC39 was repeatedly identified in two independent screenings. The interaction between PNRC and RPC39 was further confirmed in the independent yeast two-hybrid assays, and the association of endogenous PNRC and RPC39 in MCF7 cells was demonstrated by Co-immunoprecipitation. Furthermore, by using ChIP analysis, we have detected co-recruitment of PNRC and RPC39 to the tRNA and U6 promoters. The biological consequence of the interaction between PNRC and RPC39 was studied by a combination of transfection, siRNA approach, and nuclease protection analysis. Our data from this functional study show that overexpression of PNRC, either by transient transfection or stable transfection, dramatically increased the transcription of Pol III-transcribed tRNA arg gene in MCF7 cells, while a marked decrease in the level of tRNA arg transcripts in the MCF7 cells treated with PNRC/siRNA was observed. The results on PNRC activation of Pol III transcription, together with previous reports on PNRC regulation of Pol II transcription by its interaction with nuclear receptors, indicate that the PNRC have profound effects on many aspects of cellular function by directly influencing transcription by Pol II and Pol III. PNRC is a unique coactivator that stimulates both Pol II and Pol III transcription.
Beyond “Being There”: Space and Mobility in Ethnographic Peace and Transitional Justice Research

This chapter argues for the importance of integrating attention to space and mobility in ethnographic research focusing on peace and transitional justice research. While movement to the field and occupying the site under study are part of all ethnographic research, space and mobility also must be understood as central to the process of rigorous ethnographic data collection. Focus on space and mobility as crucial aspects of ethnographic research allows peace and transitional justice researchers to attend to the spatial contours of conflict and gain insight into how well and to what extent peace and transitional justice efforts respond to the material consequences of conflict in people’s everyday lives.
Lack of preregistered analysis plans allows unacceptable data mining for and selective reporting of consensus in Delphi studies.

Abstract Objectives To empirically demonstrate how undisclosed analytic flexibility provides substantial latitude for data mining and selective reporting of consensus in Delphi processes. Study Design and Setting Pooling data across eight online modified-Delphi panels, we first calculated the percentage of items reaching consensus according to descriptive analysis procedures commonly used in health research but selected post hoc in this article. We then examined the variability of items reaching consensus across panels. Results Pooling all panel data, the percentage of items reaching consensus ranged from 0% to 84%, depending on the analysis procedure. Comparing data across panels, variability in the percentage of items reaching consensus for each analysis procedure ranged from 0 (i.e., all panels had the same percentage of items reaching consensus for a given analysis procedure) to 83 (i.e., panels had a range of 11% to 94% of items reaching consensus for a given analysis procedure). Of 200 total panel-by-analysis-procedure configurations, four configurations (2%) had all items and 64 (32%) had no items reaching consensus. Conclusion Undisclosed analytic flexibility makes it unacceptably easy to data mine for and selectively report consensus in Delphi processes. As a solution, we recommend prospective, complete registration of preanalysis plans for consensus-oriented Delphi processes in health research.
Do vaginal recurrence rates differ among adjuvant vaginal brachytherapy regimens in early-stage endometrial cancer?

Abstract Purpose We sought to retrospectively examine clinical outcomes for three adjuvant vaginal high-dose-rate (HDR) brachytherapy regimens after hysterectomy for early-stage endometrial cancer. Methods Included were women of all ages from two independent hospital systems diagnosed with Stage I-II endometrial cancer of any grade between 2000 and 2016 who underwent hysterectomy followed by adjuvant vaginal cylinder HDR brachytherapy with either 7.0 Gy × 3 fractions prescribed to 0.5 cm vaginal depth, 6.5 Gy × 3 fractions prescribed to 0.5 cm vaginal depth, or 6.0 Gy × 5 fractions prescribed to the vaginal surface. Outcomes included vaginal recurrence (VR), pelvic recurrence, distant recurrence, locoregional recurrence, recurrence-free survival, and overall survival. Results Of the 348 women, 45 (13%) received 7.0 Gy × 3 fractions, 259 (74%) received 6.5 Gy × 3 fractions, and 44 (13%) received 6.0 Gy × 5 fractions. Women receiving 5-fraction brachytherapy were more likely to be younger with a higher performance status. At a median follow-up of 4.5 years, VR rates were 2.2%, 0.8%, and 4.5%, respectively. Multivariate analysis revealed no significant differences in the risks for VR among brachytherapy regimens. Risks for VR, pelvic recurrence, distant recurrence, locoregional recurrence, recurrence-free survival, and overall survival did not differ between propensity score–matched five- and 3-fraction brachytherapy cohorts. Conclusions VR rates after hysterectomy and adjuvant vaginal brachytherapy for early-stage endometrial cancer were low and not significantly different by HDR dose fractionation.
An Optimal Strategy for Determining True Bidding Values in Secure Spectrum Auctions

Previous research work has shown that using spectrum auctions for dynamic spectrum sharing systems can improve spectrum utilization significantly In this paper, we propose an optimal bidding mechanism to be used by base stations (BSs) participating in a spectrum auction. We consider a secure and truthful spectrum auction with an intermediate auctioneer that auctions its underutilized spectrum bands to BSs (bidders) that belong to different wireless system providers (WSP)s and have a demand for additional resources. Truthfulness is a dominant strategy in a spectrum auction as it prevents bidders from manipulating the auction. Truthfulness can be achieved when bidders submit their true evaluation bidding values. Our goal is to design an optimal bidding mechanism that allows each BS (bidder) to calculate its true evaluation bidding price. Once the spectrum auction takes place, all bidders submit their bidding values and the auctioneer allocates the auctioned spectrum bands to the winning BSs and charges them. Each winning BS then aggregates the spectrum bands it won (i.e., temporary resources) with its permanent resources and allocates them to user equipment subscribing for mobile services. Finally we present simulation results on the performance of the proposed bidding mechanism.
Synthesis, spectroscopic studies, and crystal structure of tris(tetra-n-butylammonium) hexakisisothiocyanatoindate(III)

The reaction of a 1:10 molar ratio between indium chloride and tetra-n-butylammonium thiocyanate in ethanol affords the complex [(n-C4H9)4N]3[In(NCS)6] (1), the structure of which has been established by X-ray diffraction. This compound crystallizes in the cubic space group Pa3¯ with eight formula units in the unit cell. The formula unit consists of three separate cationic tetra-n-butylammonium groups and an independent hexakisisothiocyanatoindium anionic group. The six near linear thiocyanate ligands coordinate octahedrally through the nitrogen atom to the indium metal center. The coordination of the n-butyl groups to the ammonium-nitrogen atom is tetrahedral. The complex has also been characterized by IR, 1H and 13C NMR, physical properties, and X-ray powder analysis.
Uncertainty in Coal Property Valuation in West Virginia: A Case Study

Interpolated grids of coal bed thickness are being considered for use in a proposed method for taxation of coal in the state of West Virginia (United States). To assess the origin and magnitude of possible inaccuracies in calculated coal tonnage, we used conditional simulation to generate equiprobable realizations of net coal thickness for two coals on a 7\( - \frac{1}{2}\) min topographic quadrangle, and a third coal in a second quadrangle. Coals differed in average thickness and proportion of original coal that had been removed by erosion; all three coals crop out in the study area. Coal tonnage was calculated for each realization and for each interpolated grid for actual and artificial property parcels, and differences were summarized as graphs of percent difference between tonnage calculated from the grid and average tonnage from simulations. Coal in individual parcels was considered minable for valuation purposes if average thickness in each parcel exceeded 30 inches. Results of this study show that over 75% of the parcels are classified correctly as minable or unminable based on interpolation grids of coal bed thickness. Although between 80 and 90% of the tonnages differ by less than 20% between interpolated values and simulated values, a nonlinear conditional bias might exist in estimation of coal tonnage from interpolated thickness, such that tonnage is underestimated where coal is thin, and overestimated where coal is thick. The largest percent differences occur for parcels that are small in area, although because of the small quantities of coal in question, bias is small on an absolute scale for these parcels. For a given parcel size, maximum apparent overestimation of coal tonnage occurs in parcels with an average coal bed thickness near the minable cutoff of 30 in. Conditional bias in tonnage for parcels having a coal thickness exceeding the cutoff by 10 in. or more is constant for two of the three coals studied, and increases slightly with average thickness for the third coal.
Precompensation and System Parameters Estimation for Low-Cost Nonlinear Tera-Hertz Transmitters in the Presence of I/Q Imbalance

Tera-Hertz (THz) transmission can offer several attractive applications, yet developing low-cost energy-efficient THz devices is at an early stage. The most promising low-cost THz transmitter architecture in the literature is the so-called frequency-multiplier-last architecture. However, it is incapable of transmitting quadrature amplitude modulation (QAM) due to the architecture’s inherent nonlinear distortions. We study such nonlinear THz communication systems by incorporating the nonlinearity aspects of the low-cost THz devices and the inphase and quadrature (I/Q) imbalance effect into the signal model. Then, we propose a precompensation scheme to compensate the nonlinearity and I/Q imbalance effects, thus enabling the QAM-capable frequency-multiplier-last architecture for THz systems. The proposed precompensation scheme requires the knowledge of the system parameters. To estimate the system parameters, we propose a maximum-likelihood estimator and its practical implementation via an alternating estimation algorithm. We also derive closed-form expressions for the Cramer–Rao lower bounds (CRLBs) of the system parameters estimation, and design the pilot sequence used in estimating the system parameters. Numerical results show that the proposed precompensation schemes overcome the prominent problems experienced in the existing THz systems, namely severe nonlinear distortions of the modulation symbols as well as spectral spreading and/or large spectrum sidelobes, and mitigate the I/Q imbalance effect.
The Influence of Study-Abroad Experiences On Chinese College EFL Teacher’s Identity

The purpose of this study was to explore how in-service Chinese college English teachers produce and reproduce their identities within their study-abroad experiences in terms of their beliefs and classroom practice. Sociocultural theory, discourse theory, and activity theory were used in the theoretical framework to analyze how participants modified their self-perception and changed their classroom practice in different contexts during boundary crossing. The study invited four in-service Chinese college English teachers who took part in three-month study-abroad program. Data were collected from interviews, observations, and document analysis. The findings indicated that participants shifted their self-perception from advanced language user to basic language learner when they studied abroad and had difficulty in dealing with daily tasks. With deeper involvement in the U.S. American culture, they gained more confidence in teaching. After they returned, they were more creative and critical teachers. The findings also demonstrated that participants wanted to implement the latest pedagogies, activities, and management into their own classrooms based on their students’ needs and levels in the Chinese sociocultural context. Although participants encountered challenges in implementation due to students’ levels, learning habits, and local context, they made some effective changes and formed new authority in the classroom. This study suggests that in order to improve study-abroad programs into truly beneficial professional development for teachers, college teachers need to have a clear self-evaluation process, and institutional administrators and foreign directors of study-abroad programs need to stand in teachers’ shoes to meet their requirements. This, in turn, will bring more Chinese college English teachers to study abroad for professional development.
The Journey to Find My Grandfather.

I met my paternal grandfather, but he was a mystery to me. He had a large, locked trunk that I knew nothing about. From my point of view, he was quiet, detached, even distant. When I was a boy of five or six, he was the Nonno (Grandfather in Italian) I knew existed, but rarely saw. I was told that
Consecration and Materiality

This article focuses on a case of failed consecration: the Egyptian obelisk in New York’s Central Park, commonly known as Cleopatra’s Needle. The obelisk arrived in New York from Alexandria in 1880...
DB2 Universal Database: Call Level Interface Developer's Guide

From the Publisher: DB2 has just changed radically--this is the one-stop resource that brings developers up to speed on the new standard. Unique tables illustrate how key commands operate in DB2 versus other database systems, invaluable for readers who must migrate or integrate systems. Shows how to develop DB2 applications using IBM's Call Level Interface.CD-ROM abounds with code with the book, tools, utilities, and the latest version of IBM DB2 Universal Server. Concise yet complete the DB2 Universal Database application developer's definitive guide to IBM's Call Level Interface. This is the only comprehensive reference available for DB2 Universal Database application developers working with IBM's Call Level Interface. Perfect for intermediate- to adviced-level developers, it's your complete, time-saving, at-a-glance guide to mastering CLI, IBM's Call Level Interface for communicating with DB2 Universal Database databases. Inside, you'll find full coverage of core concepts of CLI, including a frank discussion of the advantages and drawbacks of using CLI instead of SQL. This one-of-a-kind guide will also walk you through the basic steps of building, testing, and debugging executable applications that maximize CLI's flexibility. Then it delves deeply into the CLI API functions and offers tested C++ programming examples that will help you maximize the power of CLI without sacrificing hours of trial-and-error programming. And because CLI is closely aligned with ODBC 3.0, this handbook also helps you sort out the differences between CLI, ODBC, and the international standards upon which both CLI and ODBC are based. Rich in practical examples and techniques you can put to work right away, the DB2 Universal Database Call Level Interface Developer's Guide is your shortcut to a new understanding of this incredibly useful interace.
Improving Retention and Confidence Through Cross-Course Collaborative Project-Based Learning

This work in progress introduces cross-course collaborative, project-based learning, or C3 PBL. C3 PBL builds on established collaborative project-based learning ideas that have been shown to improve retention at various institutions, by introducing collaboration that spans multiple courses in the same term. We discuss how such a collaboration between students in different courses can change the undergraduate educational experience to improve retention, community, and self-confidence. For our work we are focusing on a curriculum based approach, leveraging collaborative project-based learning experiences to affect the mindset and culture of our department. We present lessons learned from an initial pilot of C3 PBL deployed over two semesters. The pilot looks at the pairing of introductory level courses with an upper level software engineering class. The collaboration is centered on the idea of experienced students in the upper level software engineering course working with novice students from the introductory courses. The logistics explored has lead to more meaningful interaction and assessment in the second semester offering of C3 PBL.
Oriented Local Moves and Divisibility of the Jones Polynomial

For any virtual link $L = S \cup T$ that may be decomposed into a pair of oriented $n$-tangles $S$ and $T$, an oriented local move of type $T \mapsto T'$ is a replacement of $T$ with the $n$-tangle $T'$ in a way that preserves the orientation of $L$. After developing a general decomposition for the Jones polynomial of the virtual link $L = S \cup T$ in terms of various (modified) closures of $T$, we analyze the Jones polynomials of virtual links $L_1,L_2$ that differ via a local move of type $T \mapsto T'$. Succinct divisibility conditions on $V(L_1)-V(L_2)$ are derived for broad classes of local moves that include the $\Delta$-move and the double-$\Delta$-move as special cases. As a consequence of our divisibility result for the double-$\Delta$-move, we introduce a necessary condition for any pair of classical knots to be $S$-equivalent.
Appearance of cerebral infarct fogging on CT perfusion

Fogging is a deceptive phenomenon that can partially or completely obscure a subacute infarct on noncontrast head CT. We present the appearance of infarct fogging on CT perfusion through 3 cases. At time of fogging, the subacute infarctions demonstrated variable mean transit time with increased cerebral blood volume and cerebral blood flow on CT perfusion. Fogging occurred within 6-10 days, sooner than the previously described 2-3 weeks in classic fogging. At time of fogging, CT perfusion demonstrated a "luxury-like" perfusion pattern and augmented the identification of the true extent of the infarction at time of fogging.
Period Hacks: Menstruating in the Big Data Paradigm:

Menstrual tracking and fertility apps have gained popularity in recent years, often sold as tools for self-empowerment through self-knowledge. While critics tend to focus on the gendered design of ...
Compensation According to Characteristics, Competence, and Individual Performance

In this chapter, the fifth aspect of the “Fair CEO Compensation” octagonal framework, “Compensation according to the Characteristics, Competence, and Individual Performance (CCIP)” is introduced. First, the theoretical concept and the link between CCIP and total CEO compensation are illustrated, then practitioners’ viewpoints on individual performance (IP) and the implementation of the IP criterion into the remuneration policy are represented.
The biofilm adhesion protein Aap from Staphylococcus epidermidis forms zinc-dependent amyloid fibers

The skin-colonizing commensal bacterium Staphylococcus epidermidis is a leading cause of hospital-acquired and device-related infections. Its pathogenicity in humans is largely due to its propensity to form biofilms, surface-adherent bacterial accumulations that are remarkably resistant to chemical and physical stresses. Accumulation-associated protein (Aap) from S. epidermidis has been shown to be necessary and sufficient for mature biofilm formation and catheter infection. Aap contains up to 17 tandem B-repeat domains, capable of zinc-dependent assembly into twisted, rope-like intercellular filaments in the biofilm. Using microscopic and biophysical techniques, we show here that Aap B-repeat constructs assemble further into zinc-dependent functional amyloid fibers. We observed such amyloid fibers by confocal microscopy during both early and late stages of S. epidermidis biofilm formation, and we confirmed that extracellular fibrils from these biofilms contain Aap. Unlike what has been observed for amyloidogenic biofilm proteins from other bacteria, which typically use chaperones or initiator proteins to initiate amyloid assembly, our findings indicate that Aap from S. epidermidis requires Zn2+ as a catalyst that drives amyloid fiber formation, similar to many mammalian amyloid-forming proteins that require metals for assembly. This work provides detailed insights into S. epidermidis biofilm formation and architecture that improve our understanding of persistent staphylococcal infections.
The False and the Furious: People are more disturbed by others' false beliefs than by differences in beliefs

We propose an alternative account to the conventional theory of belief homophily--that people have an intrinsic distaste for encountering differences in beliefs. We argue that when people face others who hold beliefs different from their own, they do not find these encounters disturbing because others hold different beliefs per se, but because they are convinced that others hold false beliefs. In five pre-registered studies (N = 2,835, MTurk) featuring self-recalled personal experiences and vignette scenarios, we demonstrate that participants express stronger negative feelings when others hold false beliefs, compared to when others' beliefs are merely different from their own. We also show that higher confidence that others hold false beliefs--but not different beliefs--evokes stronger negative emotions and triggers avoidance behaviors. Finally, we highlight that people are primarily disturbed by others holding false beliefs when the negative consequences of these beliefs might affect someone who they care about.
CARDIAC INTENSIVE CARE UNIT OUTCOMES AFTER CONE REPAIR IN ADULTS WITH EBSTEIN ANOMALY

Adults with Ebstein anomaly (EA) have excellent mid and late outcomes following cone repair (CR); however, early morbidity and mortality are not well described. We examined the impact of perioperative comorbid conditions on early postoperative outcomes in adults with EA following CR. This is a
Social Determinants of Hookah Smoking in the United States.

Background Educational attainment and income are two socioeconomic status indicators with strong protective effects against cigarette smoking. Marginalization-related Diminished Returns, however, refer to less than expected protective effects of socioeconomic status indicators for the members of the racial and ethnic minority groups, particularly Blacks and Hispanics, compared to non-Hispanic Whites.
Hydroxyapatite reinforced Ti6Al4V composites for load-bearing implants.

Abstract Titanium has been used in various biomedical applications; however, titanium exhibits poor wear resistance, and its bioinert surface slows osseointegration in vivo. In this study, directed energy deposition (DED)-based additive manufacturing (AM) was used to process hydroxyapatite (HA) reinforced Ti6Al4V (Ti64) composites to improve biocompatibility and wear resistance simultaneously. Electron micrographs of the composites revealed dense microstructures where HA was observed at the β-phase grain boundaries. Hardness increased by 57% and 71% for 2 and 3 wt.% HA in Ti64 composites, respectively. XRD analysis revealed no change in the phases with the addition of HA, when compared to the control. Tribological studies displayed an increase in contact resistance (CR) due to an in situ formed HA-based tribofilm, reduction in wear rate when testing in Dulbecco's Modified Eagle Medium (DMEM) with a ZrO2 counter wear ball,
Factuality lens: Choosing the unmarked passive construction in Chinese conversation

Abstract Why do speakers choose the Mandarin Chinese unmarked passive construction (UP) in conversation when they have other grammatical alternatives with roughly the same semantics? From the perspective of subjectivity, this study identifies the Factuality lens, a lens through which a situation is presented as a “fact” or a “truth” regardless of reality. My analysis of a video corpus of spontaneous talk show conversations using the discourse adjacent alternation method reveals that speakers tend to choose UP over other constructions to present a transitive event through the Factuality lens by emphasizing the factuality of a fact or making a non-fact appear as a fact – either deceivingly or openly in a fictitious narrative or a joke. The findings reveal that grammatical constructions can linguistically recreate a situation different from reality. The conclusion that Factuality lens is a factor that could influence speakers’ grammatical choice casts light on pragmatic consequence of grammatical choice and subjectivity in language use.
Regularization parameter selection in the 3D gravity inversion of the basement relief using GCV

In this study, we present a computationally efficient automatic method for the optimal selection of the regularization parameter in the 3D inversion of gravity data. We use a linearized inversion method to estimate the depth of a 3D sedimentary basin in which the density contrast varies parabolically with the depth. The sedimentary basin is discretized into rectangular juxtaposed prisms with thicknesses that represent the depths from the surface to the interface and are the parameters to be estimated in the inversion process from the gravity anomaly.To deal with the singularity of the normal equation matrix in the linearized least squares method, standard-form Tikhonov regularization is incorporated in each step. The Generalized cross-validation (GCV) technique, which is capable of finding the optimal regularization parameter in an automatic manner, is adopted in this study. We present the simulation results with a synthetic model of a complex sedimentary basin, taking advantage of a parallel inversion algorithm implemented by adopting the message passing interface (MPI) standard on a multi-core cluster. This makes it possible to reduce the computer time by more than one order of magnitude. The applicability and efficacy of the GCV technique for the selection of the optimum regularization parameter are demonstrated. HighlightsNonlinear 3D gravity inversion for depth estimation with parabolic density variation.Updated GCV criterion per iteration as a method of regularization factor selection.Computational cost reduction due to two levels of parallelism.
The Proletarian Gourmet

Many managers are concerned about the loss of the American work ethic. The author shows that, in spite of alienating work conditions and poos management practice, the work ethic is very strong in the garde manager department of a major five diamond resort hotel. This article is available in Hospitality Review: http://digitalcommons.fiu.edu/hospitalityreview/vol15/iss2/4 The proletarian gourmet