cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Privilege in the Federal Courts: should there be a "dangerous patient exception"?

Although a 1996 U.S. Supreme Court decision affirmed that therapists cannot be compelled to testify in federal proceedings about patients’ disclosures, a footnote could be interpreted as creating a “dangerous patient exception” when there is a serious threat of harm. This column describes circuit courts’ differing views about whether such an exception exists and the value of an exception. Although the footnote appears to indicate the Supreme Court’s inclinations to create an exception to psychiatrist-patient privilege in some cases, opponents have made strong arguments that a dangerous patient exception would inhibit help seeking by those in whose treatment society has the strongest interest—people who have harmed or are likely to harm others. (Psychiatric Services 59: 714–716, 2008)
Process Representation Using Transaction Logic.

Representing and answering the queries about the dynamic behavior of processes in knowledge base systems has become a challenging research area in the field of logic programming and knowledge representation systems. In this report, we are going to show how transaction logic can be used to efficiently represent dynamic behavior embedded in different domains. The ability of properly representing state changes in transaction logic enables us to express dynamic behavior of processes in different domains. The use of transaction logic to represent dynamic behavior decreases the size of knowledge bases and the query response time in comparison with other existing approaches. The efficiency of our method along with other features of transaction logic and its theoretical basis makes it an appropriate approach to represent dynamic behavior of processes in various domains.
Epothilone B induces glioblastoma cell death via survivin down-regulation.

AIM The clinical resistance of glioblastomas to chemotherapeutic agents can be attributed to drug efflux pumps, such as P-glycoprotein, which contributes to reduce drug efficacy. The present study examined the utility of epothilone B, which is not a substrate for P-glycoprotein, on glioblastoma cells. METHODS In vitro methods with glioblastoma cells varying in p53 status were used to assess the efficacy of epothilone B to induce anti-neoplastic responses. Immunofluorescence and ELISA procedures were used to examine levels of tubulin and survivin in epothilone B treated glioblastoma cells, while acridine orange labeling was used to detect the mode of epothilone B induced cell death. RESULTS A clinically achievable concentration of epothilone B induced a cytotoxic response in p53 mutant glioblastoma cells, as a consequence of survivin down-regulation and tubulin redistribution, while a cytostatic response was observed in p53 null glioblastoma cells with a modest increase in survivin expression post-epothilone B treatment. However, p53 wild-type glioblastoma cells did not sustain a positive anti-tumorigenic response to epothilone B. CONCLUSION Epothilone B, induced positive differential responses in glioblastoma cells with abnormal p53 status, but not in p53 wild-type cells. This suggests that epothilone B is a potential alternative to classic microtubule inhibiting agents (ie vincristine, paclitaxel) used to treat clinical glioblastomas with p53 mutations.
Value and Nature: From Value Theory to the Fate of the Earth:

Value is central to Marx's theory of capitalism, but it is a concept more honored in the breach than taken to heart. What value is there in value theory? How does it illuminate the problems for whi...
Global Financial Contagion: The Eurozone’s Sovereign-Debt Crisis

Despite the unprecedented “bailout packages” for Greece, Ireland, and Portugal, and more recently Spain, and the EU’s €750 billion ($1 trillion) war chest to quell the Eurozone’s sovereign-debt crisis, the currency union’s woes still remain intractable. Greece continues to teeter on the brink of default and an ignominious exit from the eurozone, and the borrowing cost remains volatile in the eurozone’s peripheral countries, Portugal, Ireland, Italy, Greece, and Spain (referred to uncharitably as the PIIGS). This reflects the market’s deep concern about the sustainability of the PIIGS’s public debts and fiscal policies, these countries’ ability to stay within the eurozone, and the credibility of the eurozone’s various crisis-resolution mechanisms. The lingering fear is the contagion overwhelming the much larger economies like Spain and Italy with virulent spillovers into the much healthier economies in the seventeen-country, single-currency area, notably Germany and France. Markets know that if the volatility of Italian and Spanish bond yields are not stabilized it may become cost-prohibitive to roll over their already existing heavy debts at market rates. This could potentially force Rome and Madrid to seek bailouts that the eurozone cannot afford or sustain (Figures. 4.1, 4.2, and 4.3).
Gillespie, Michele, and Sally G. McMillen, eds. North Carolina Women: Their Lives and Times, Volume 1: Athens: University of Georgia Press 421 pp., $71.26, ISBN 0-8203-3999-7 Publication Date: February 2014

Until recent years, women's history in North Carolina largely has been ignored. Although scholarship on female residents of the state has increased substantially since the 1980s, “few North Carolin...
Adult wheel access interaction with activity and boldness personality in Siberian dwarf hamsters (Phodopus sungorus)

Individual animal personalities interact with environmental conditions to generate differences in behavior, a phenomenon of growing interest for understanding the effects of environmental enrichment on captive animals. Wheels are common environmental enrichment for laboratory rodents, but studies conflict on how this influences behavior, and interaction of wheels with individual personalities has rarely been examined. We examined whether wheel access altered personality profiles in adult Siberian dwarf hamsters. We assayed animals in a tunnel maze twice for baseline personality, then again at two and at seven weeks after the experimental group was provisioned with wheels in their home cages. Linear mixed model selection was used to assess changes in behavior over time and across environmental gradient of wheel exposure. While animals showed consistent inter-individual differences in activity, activity personality did not change upon exposure to a wheel. Boldness also varies among individuals, and there is evidence for female boldness scores converging after wheel exposure, that is, opposite shifts in behavior by high and low boldness individuals, although sample size is too small for the mixed model results to be robust. In general, Siberian dwarf hamsters appear to show low behavioral plasticity, particularly in general activity, in response to running wheels.
Immunotherapy: Exploring the State of the Science .

Immunotherapy research provides opportunities for nurse scientists and researchers to be at the forefront of the changing landscape of cancer treatment. As these therapies continue to develop, current initiatives will seek to support nurses in clinical practice who must provide safe, evidence-based care and education to patients and their families. This article explores the current state of immunotherapy research and the ways in which continued research can help to advance nursing education and practice.
Production and characterization of epoxy syntactic foams highly loaded with thermoplastic microballoons

Glass microballoon syntactic foams consisting of 60–70 vol% hollow glass microballoons and epoxy resin matrix have gained considerable attention in recent years due to their unique combination of m...
Metformin enhances the activity of rituximab in B-cell lymphoma pre-clinical models.

e19513 Background: The Warburg effect is primarily observed in rapidly growing tumors including aggressive B-cell lymphomas and is thought to be a consequence of the progression to cancer rather than the cause of it and altering the glucose metabolism in cancer cells appears to be an attractive strategy in cancer medicine. Retrospective studies have shown survival benefit in solid tumors and diffuse large B-cell lymphoma cohorts who were on metformin for type-2 diabetes. In an attempt to characterize the mechanism by which metformin affects the biology of B-cell lymphoma, we studied its effect on rituximab activity. Methods: A panel of B-cell lymphoma cells was exposed to metformin +/- rituximab or isotype control, changes in cell cycle distribution or induction of apoptosis was determined by flow cytometry. Antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity (ADCC) and complement mediated cytotoxicity (CMC) assays were performed to demonstrate changes in sensitivity to rituximab following metformin exposure. For in...
Optimization of fMRI-derived ROIs based on coherent functional interaction patterns.

Accurate localization of functionally meaningful Regions of Interests (ROIs) from fMRI data is critically important to functional brain imaging. A variety of established approaches such as General Linear Model (GLM) have been widely used in the community. How to determine the optimal location and size of an fMRI-derived ROI, however, remains an open, challenging problem. This paper presents a novel individualized optimization algorithm that simultaneously optimizes the locations and sizes of fMRI-derived ROIs by maximizing the coherences of their functional interaction patterns with respect to the block-based paradigm. As an alternative ROI optimization approach using functional interaction patterns, the algorithm was applied on a working memory task-based fMRI dataset and the experimental results are promising.
Learning from Friends, Spilling over to Family: The Learning Dynamics of IJVs in Emerging Economies

In this paper, we introduce a comprehensive conceptual framework to understand the learning context in international joint ventures. Particularly, we focus on an international joint venture as an entry mode of MNE from a developed country to an emerging country. In this setting, an MNE is more likely to acquire local knowledge, while a local partner attempts to learn advanced technology from the MNE. We classify two types of benefits that international joint venture participants can gain both directly and indirectly. We suggest the bargaining power structure and ownership structure of international joint ventures based on participants’ learning intention and two types of incentives. In addition, we examine renegotiation and learning competition in an international joint venture. Based on our conceptual model, we develop a computational model. The outputs from the computational model are generally consistent with the conceptual framework except for the renegotiation process, for which we do not have suffic...
Surviving the Second World War in Manchukuo: memories of Korean experiences of the war in Manchurian farming villages

When the Second Sino–Japanese War broke out in 1937, it became increasingly important for the Japanese Empire to secure and exploit areas under its colonial control in order to strengthen the imperial forces. Focusing on the memories of the Chaoxian zu (ethnic Korean) peasants in Minle Chaoxian zu Township, Heilongjiang, this article examines how Korean migrant peasants in Manchukuo survived such an exploitative situation. These ordinary people’s memories of the years from 1937 through 1945 demonstrate that some Korean migrants negotiated their power in everyday practice by positioning themselves ambiguously in relationship to the Japanese colonizers and to other colonized peoples. While pressure existed to support the imperial forces by producing more rice, by being submissive imperial subjects, and by speaking Japanese in public, this article argues that these Koreans managed to survive by coping with the colonial circumstances. Their emphasis on daily lives challenges the simplistic binary betw...
Lisfranc Injuries in the Athlete

Abstract Lisfranc injuries entail traumatic disruption of any one of the ligamentous or bony components involved in tarsometatarsal joint complex stabilization. Without treatment, severe injuries resulting in tarsometatarsal joint instability are at increased risk for chronic functional disability and pain. In athletes, the literature has demonstrated evidence of improved outcomes (eg, return to play) following open reduction internal fixation for Lisfranc injuries. Of those surgically managed, variability exists among treatment methodology and outcomes. This article aims to provide an overview of Lisfranc joint complex injuries and the pearls and pitfalls associated with operative techniques to improve postoperative outcomes.
Modafinil increases arousal determined by P13 potential amplitude: an effect blocked by gap junction antagonists.

WE RECENTLY DISCOVERED THAT CELL POPULATIONS WITHIN VARIOUS CELL GROUPS OF THE RETICULAR ACTIVATING SYSTEM (RAS) ARE ELECTRICALLY coupled.1,2 Slice-recorded neurons, probably GABAergic, including those in the pedunculopontine nucleus (PPN), the cholinergic arm of the RAS, were found to be electrically coupled.2 The stimulant modafinil is approved for the treatment of excessive sleepiness in narcolepsy, obstructive sleep apnea, and shift work disorder. A recent landmark study found that the mechanism of action of modafinil is to increase electrical coupling between cortical interneurons, thalamic reticular neurons, and inferior olivary neurons.3 We confirmed the fact that modafinil appears to increase electrical coupling in the RAS by showing that, in the absence of action potentials or fast synaptic transmission, modafinil decreased the input resistance of electrically coupled RAS cells, an effect blocked by the gap junction antagonists carbenoxolone or mefloquine.1,2 We hypothesize that increased electrical coupling of GABAergic RAS neurons by modafinil may decrease their input resistance and, consequently, GABA release, thus disinhibiting output cells, perhaps accounting for its stimulant properties. A measure of arousal in the whole animal is the click stimulus-induced P13 auditory evoked potential in the freely moving rat. The P13 potential has been shown to be sleep state dependent; it is present during waking and REM sleep but absent during slow wave sleep, in parallel with the activity pattern of PPN neurons.4 The P13 potential is also blocked by the cholinergic antagonist scopolamine, suggesting that it is mediated by cholinergic projections,4 and is blocked by agents that decrease arousal such as anesthetics and alcohol.5,6 Significantly, the P13 potential is reduced or blocked by local injections of agents that have a net inhibitory effect on the PPN, demonstrating that the PPN mediates this vertex-recorded waveform.7,8 The present study was undertaken to determine if injections of modafinil into the PPN would affect the amplitude of the P13 potential in the awake, freely moving rat, and if any induced stimulant effect could be blocked by pretreatment locally at the level of the PPN with gap junction antagonists.
CGKEE: Conceptual graph knowledge engineering environment

This paper will describe briefly the Conceptual Graph Knowledge Engineering Environment (CGKEE), its application and limitations. Further, the author will also outline some of the work currently being carried out to overcome these limitations.
Toward a Model of Informed Consent-Theoretical and Programmatic Considerations

What began as the “doctrine” of informed consent has now become the “problem” of informed consent. The possibility of successfully pursuing the goals and values of informed consent seems to recede just as these goods and values become clearer. The third chapter surely affords us no grounds for optimism. Even on a “bits and pieces” model of informed consent, many patients perform only marginally. If we move to the “essay mode” of understanding, we may well wonder how often this ideal is even remotely approached by most patients. If we then include our reflections on diminished competence, the barriers to informed consent, and the complexities that medical decisions often present, the whole enterprise comes to look quite ill-starred.
LB-MAC: A Lifetime-Balanced MAC Protocol for Sensor Networks

This paper presents LB-MAC, a new MAC protocol for asynchronous, duty cycle sensor networks. Different from existing sensor network MAC protocols that usually focus on reducing energy consumption and extending lifetime of individual sensor nodes, LB-MAC aims at prolonging the network lifetime through balancing the nodal lifetime between neighboring sensors. LB-MAC is lightweight and scalable as the required control information is only exchanged locally between neighbors. LB-MAC has been implemented in TinyOS and evaluated on a sensor network testbed with extensive experiments. Results show that LB-MAC is able to achieve a significantly longer network lifetime than state-of-the-art MAC protocols such as X-MAC, RI-MAC and SEESAW, while maintaining comparable levels of network power consumption, packet delay and delivery ratio.
Anti-CD2 monoclonal antibody-induced receptor changes. II. Interaction of CD2 and CD3.

Abstract Anti-CD3 monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) and anti-CD2 mAbs each prolong allograft survival and cause transient downmodulation of homologous receptor expression. Anti-CD2 mAbs also act synergistically with anti-CD3 mAbs to prolong allograft survival and induce tolerance. The effect of combined anti-CD2 and anti-CD3 mAb treatment on receptor expression was further analyzed with an in vitro model. The anti-CD2 mAb 12-15 caused CD2 expression on purified splenic T cells to decrease from 72.6% [mean channel fluorescence (MCF) 0.68] to 41.5% (0.45) total positive cells while CD3 expression remained unchanged [69.1% (3.47) to 76.4% (4.04)]. The anti-CD3 mAb 2C11 caused CD2 expression to increase from 72.6% (0.68) to 93.0% (1.74) while CD3 expression decreased from 69.1% (3.47) to 62.6% (2.15). The combination of anti-CD2 plus anti-CD3 preserved CD2 expression (72.6 to 71.1%) while still decreasing CD3 expression [69.1% (3.47) to 69.9% (2.37)]. Modulation of CD2 and CD3 expression was similar on mixed splenic T lymphocytes and isolated CD4 and CD8 subsets. Modulation did not change with the addition of the cytokines IL-1, IL-2, IL-4, IL-6, IL-10, TNFα, or TGFβ. Kinetic studies showed that modulation of CD2 was rapid, persistent, and of the same magnitude from Day 1 to Day 7 of culture while CD3 downmodulation was transient. The results of transcriptional analysis and receptor distribution suggested that downmodulation was due to receptor internalization while upmodulation was due to increased transcription. Analysis of expression of other adhesion molecules demonstrated that CD11a, CD18, CD44, CD45, CD48, CD54, and CD62L were significantly increased by either anti-CD2 or anti-CD3 mAbs while the combination was not synergistic. However, anti-CD3 significantly decreased VLA-4α (CD49d) expression and anti-CD2 enhanced this decrease. Conversely anti-CD3 significantly increased IL-2R (CD25) expression and anti-CD2 profoundly inhibited the increase. These results show that anti-CD2 and anti-CD3 mAbs significantly modulate CD2 and CD3 expression on T cells and modulation is accompanied by changes in the array of other T cell surface receptors. Changes in cell surface receptor display may provide an additional explanation for the synergistic effect of anti-CD2 plus anti-CD3 in prolonging allograft survival.
Positive ion SIMS-SSAMS for trace analysis of materials

Abstract By using a single-stage accelerator mass spectrometer (SSAMS) as a detector for a secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS) instrument, spatially resolved trace analysis of elements and isotopes in solid materials is significantly improved. This is especially true for masses greater than ∼90 u, where a mass resolving power in excess of 10,000 is generally needed to separate abundant molecular isobars from atomic ions of interest, particularly when the atomic species are present in trace quantities. Prior techniques using SIMS in high-resolution mode can suffer from residual molecular interferences that effect detection limits and isotope analysis precision. The 300 kV SSAMS at the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory typically measures +1 ions up to mass 300 u, as they are more abundant for most elements. Additionally, there can be no molecule fragments in a lower charge state at the same m/q and E/q. Interferences from higher charge states either injected into the SSAMS or generated by the stripper tube are limited to mimicking masses below ∼120 u. Molecule fragments can also be chosen for analysis, when a molecular ion is more abundant than an atomic one. Electrostatic peak switching through the SIMS and SSAMS magnets enables rapid cycling up to ±6.5% about a central mass during a depth profile measurement. For typical operating conditions using Ar gas in the stripper tube, molecular ions are reduced by 4–6 orders of magnitude while better than 20% of desired ions are transmitted. These numbers depend on gas thickness in the stripper, mass of the ion, and molecule involved. Cross sections for molecule destruction and ion transmission, and charge state +1 ion yields are described for a number of different stripper gases and ions. Example trace analysis measurements demonstrate the instrument’s capabilities.
UNIT A3.2 Metastatic Extra-Axial Neoplasia

There are a multitude of tumors that may spread to the extra-axial compartment (i.e., meninges, skull base, and calvarium). The role of imaging in the search for metastases is to detect the full extent of and to correctly localize the disease. This unit presents basic protocols for imaging extra-axial metastatic tumors. Specific modifications are discussed where necessary. The sequences described in this unit are based on a 1.5 T scanner (Echospeed GE Medical Systems, Milwaukee, Wisconsin), but can be expected to be equally applicable to other field strengths and scanners from other manufacturers.
Enhancing Opaquenamespace.org: Refinement of Local Name Authority Files and Workflows

This article discusses Opaquenamspace.org, the controlled vocabulary manager that assists with the local, regional, and national linked open data authority work for Oregon Digital, the shared digit...
Effects of Increasing Salinity on Photosynthesis and Plant Water Potential in Kansas Salt Marsh Species

Increased salinity affects plants by toxic ion effects and by lowering soil water potential, which makes it difficult for plants to take up water. Salt marshes in Kansas are characterized by highly saline soils, but interspecific variation of photosynthesis and water potential in inland salt marsh species has been largely unexplored. Comparisons between species can help give a better understanding of how saline environments are tolerated by different plants. It was hypothesized that non-native Tamarix ramosissima has a greater tolerance to high salinity by maintaining lower water potential compared to the native species Spartina pectinata and Distichlis spicata. In this study, all three species were grown under controlled salinity treatments in a greenhouse experiment to determine if photosynthesis or water potential differ between species. Individuals of T. ramosissima, S. pectinata, and D. spicata were grown in 0, 15, or 30 g L-1 salinity under greenhouse conditions for two weeks. Photosynthesis was reduced in all species under high salinity and stomates were particularly sensitive to increasing salinity in T. ramosissima. Individuals of non-native T. ramosissima were able to lower water potential to a greater extent than native D. spicata and S. pectinata. There is physiological tolerance to high salinity in all species, helping them to survive in conditions of Kansas salt marshes.
The Role of Natural Killer T cells in Tumor Immunity

The immune system has several cellular components that can theoretically be recruited for protection from tumors [1, 2]. CD4+ and CD8+ T cells are the adaptive components of cell-mediated immunity. These cells differentiate upon antigen encounter to produce cytokines and lytic products, clonally expand, and establish memory. Natural killer (NK) and NKT cells have innate functions, already prepared to produce cytokines and lyse cells upon tumor recognition. NK and NKT cells do proliferate upon exposure to cytokines like IL-2, but they are not known to establish memory with either expanded cell numbers or improved function. In contrast to CD4 and CD8+ T cells that recognize peptide ligands in the context of major histocompatibility complex (MHC) I and II products, the NKT cells respond to glycolipid ligands presented in the context of CD1d on antigen presenting cells. Here I will review the recent data that have emphasized the growing importance of NKT cells in resistance against tumors.
P-236 Wirral hospice st john’s temporary volunteer benefits advisor service

Background The Wirral Hospice understands the need for expert benefits advice and guidance to assist and support patients and carers to maximise income and reduce hardship. We set up and audited a volunteer benefits advisor service at the hospice and its effectiveness over an 18-month period. Aim The audit of a new temporary volunteers benefits advisor service (unpaid specialist advisor) via appointments with patients/carers and to assess benefit of specialist intervention. Method Quantitative data collection. Via referrals, intervention and outcomes measures -Benefits correct, Benefits gain and Benefits overpayment, use of DS1500, and referral to third party agencies. The average number of referrals were 3–4 patients/carers PW during an 18 month period. Over 110+ patients took part. Results The evidence showed that the service prompted a financial gain for many patients and carers, which was around 64%; Financial gain is not the only measure in value – patients/carers found reassurance that their benefit was correct. It gave the opportunity for some families to discuss future financial position if a person dies; The timely use of DS1500 was very important to avoid people missing out on their entitlement. 21% of patients were issued a DS1500 as they met criteria and were not receiving higher/enhanced rates of disability payment; 10% of patients/carer were referred on for complex issues requiring paid skilled benefit advisors. Conclusion It was established that the benefit to patient/carers were considerable based on audit. The service needs to grow and move to a day time provision which would allow for the provision of benefits awareness sessions for staff and volunteers. We have agreed a four-hour weekly CAB provision at the hospice to start September 2019.
Sex differences in resilience: Experiential factors and their mechanisms

Adverse life events can lead to stable changes in brain structure and function and are considered primary sources of risk for post-traumatic stress disorder, depression and other neuropsychiatric disorders. However, most individuals do not develop these conditions following exposure to traumatic experiences, and research efforts have identified a number of experiential factors associated with an individual's ability to withstand, adapt to and facilitate recovery from adversity. While multiple animal models of stress resilience exist, so that the detailed biological mechanisms can be explored, studies have been disproportionately conducted in male subjects even though the prevalence and presentation of stress-linked disorders differ between sexes. This review focuses on (a) the mechanisms by which experiential factors (behavioral control over a stressor, exercise) reduce the impact of adverse events as studied in males; (b) whether other manipulations (ketamine) that buffer against stress-induced sequelae engage the same circuit features; and (c) whether these processes operate similarly in females. We argue that investigation of experiential factors that produce resistance/resilience rather than vulnerability to adversity will generate a unique set of biological mechanisms that potentially underlie sex differences in mood disorders.
70 Years of American Family Physician.

The mission of providing practical and clinically relevant information to busy physicians has been the force behind AFP's impressive improvements during the past 70 years.
Nonlinear and Tunable Left-Handed Transmission Lines

We consider left-handed nonlinear transmission lines as the simplest systems that would allow us to combine anomalous dispersion with nonlinearity in a controlled fashion and study wave propagation phenomena in them.
Influence of Self-disclosure in the Acquaintance Process on Changes in People’s Self-concept, How People Feel About Themselves, and How People Feel About Others

Self-disclosure—the process of revealing personal information to others about the self—can be particularly intense at the very beginning stages of relationships. The self-disclosure that occurs in the process of becoming acquainted can lead to changes in the interacting partners’ self-concept, self-esteem, and the degree to which they view their self-concepts to overlap. This chapter synthesizes different areas of research that provide insight into how self-disclosure during the acquaintance process can lead to self-changes. Self-disclosure at the start of relationships can occur both in face-to-face interactions and through the Internet (e.g., online dating profiles). Implications of disclosure for creating self-changes in both types of settings are discussed. Laboratory research conducted by the author with a version of the Fast Friends procedure (e.g., Aron et al., 1997) to examine the consequences of self-disclosure in getting-acquainted pairs is highlighted.
Mastering the Contradictions: John Grisham’s The Rooster Bar

As did most of John Grisham’s two dozen previous legal thrillers, his The Rooster Bar (2017) soared to the top of the best-seller lists. The novel features three law-student protagonists who manage to bring down the nefarious for-profit law school that has been exploiting them and their fellow law students; at the same time the novel indicts virtually every branch of the contemporary legal profession. In its own way, The Rooster Bar parallels other Grisham novels which lionize brave, resourceful, and even heroic legalists while simultaneously pitching to the lay public’s distrust of lawyers. Without fail, Grisham captures but does not resolve America’s contradicted view of the legal profession.
An update on the clerical sex abuse scandal in the Catholic Church in the United States and its impact on education

The November 10, 2020 publication of the 461-page Report On The Holy See’s Institutional Knowledge And Decision-Making Related To Former Cardinal Theodore Edgar McCarrick (1930–2017), commonly know...
Self-Regularity of Output Weights for Overparameterized Two-Layer Neural Networks

We consider the problem of finding a two-layer neural network with sigmoid, rectified linear unit, or binary step activation functions that “fits” a training data set as accurately as possible as quantified by the training error; and study the following question: does a low training error guarantee that the norm of the output layer (outer norm) itself is small? We address this question for the case of non-negative output weights. Using a simple covering number argument, we establish that under quite mild distributional assumptions on the input/label pairs; any such network achieving a small training error on polynomially many data necessarily has a well-controlled outer norm. Notably, our results (a) have a good sample complexity, (b) are independent of the number of hidden units, (c) are oblivious to the training algorithm; and (d) require quite mild assumptions on the data (in particular the input vector $X$ ∊ Rd need not have independent coordinates). We then show how our bounds can be leveraged to yield generalization guarantees for such networks.
Trade, Resources And Development: The Implications Of Asian Integration

The increasing integration of Asian economies has fueled a period of sustained economic growth for the region as a whole relative to the rest of the world, and for individual Asian economies. This growth has been supported by three phenomena: global demand growth; elastic supplies of labor and other inputs, and substantially lower costs of international trade and business. The latter trend has accelerated a very specific form of economic integration, the vertical unbundling (or "fragmentation") of production tasks (Jones 2000). Fragmentation has reduced total production costs by permitting the cost-minimizing allocation of tasks among regions, regardless of national boundaries and even of distance. At a global scale, fragmentation trade is associated with the "offshoring" of labor-intensive tasks from high-wage to low-wage countries (Grossman and Rossi-Hansberg 2006). Within developing Asia, it has led to the division of tasks among countries with similar factor endowments, based on the establishment of specialized niche industries with lower costs. This effect has been central to the integration of Asia's economies: "parts and components" is the largest and the fastest-growing form of intraregional trade.
The dangers of composing anonymous channels

We present traffic analyses of two anonymous communications schemes that build on the classic Crowds/Hordes protocols. The AJSS10 [1] scheme combines multiple Crowds-like forward channels with a Hordes reply channel in an attempt to offer robustness in a mobile environment. We show that the resulting scheme fails to guarantee the claimed k-anonymity, and is in fact more vulnerable to malicious peers than Hordes, while suffering from higher latency. Similarly, the RWS11 [15] scheme invokes multiple instances of Crowds to provide receiver anonymity. We demonstrate that the sender anonymity of the scheme is susceptible to a variant of the predecessor attack [21], while receiver anonymity is fully compromised with an active attack. We conclude that the heuristic security claims of AJSS10 and RWS11 do not hold, and argue that composition of multiple anonymity channels can in fact weaken overall security. In contrast, we provide a rigorous security analysis of Hordes under the same threat model, and reflect on design principles for future anonymous channels to make them amenable to such security analysis.
Maximum Likelihood Estimation of High Frequency Distributed Transformer Parameters

Abstract This paper presents a method to establish a multi-stage transformer model for study of high frequency transient behavior of trasformers. The parameters of the transformer model are estimated using the combination of nonlinear least square estimation and maximum likelihood identification techniques. In order to verify the proposed estimation method, a two-winding transformer is studied using single stage and three stage transformer models. The parameters of the models are estimated.
Application of Nonlinear Model Predictive Control to Optimal Batch Distillation

Abstract The problem of properly determining and implementing the optimal operational trajectory for batch distillation is discussed. Modeling, control, and optimization aspects are considered. A common modeling approach is shown to lead to significant errors in the solution trajectory. Errors arising from the equilibrium stage assumption show the need for rigorous models with efficient solution methods. Several industrially important control problems are discussed and a control pairing which eliminates some interactions is suggested. Optimization results are shown to be quite sensitive to model parametric (e.g. Murphree efficiency) and product specification changes. Parameter sensitivity studies indicate that a priori parameter estimates must be applicable over the range of operation, or that on-line parameter estimation with reoptimization is required. Nonlinear Model Predictive Control (NMPC) offers an efficient, straightforward method of addressing difficulties in modeling, optimization, and control of batch distillation.
An Epistemic Defense of Precedent

This chapter presents a normative justification of stare decisis, that is, of a court’s presumptive deference to its own prior decisions. Critics often contend that valid epistemic reasons to follow precedent—reasons based on the notion that following precedent will lead to better decisions—do not exist. The author argues, however, that a judge may have both “procedural” and “substantive” epistemic reasons to follow precedents with which she disagrees. Procedurally, a presumptive obligation to follow precedent can force a judge to confront opposing arguments and articulate strong reasons for disagreeing with them, thus improving her own decisionmaking. Substantively, the case-by-case process of generating precedent, involving the input of many judges over time, may generally be superior to ad hoc decisionmaking by a single judge or court. As a conceptual matter, the author argues, these epistemic reasons truly are reasons to follow precedent, because they might apply even when a judge believes a given precedent was decided incorrectly.
Packet-level network compression: realization and scaling of the network-wide benefits

The existence of considerable amount of redundancy in the Internet traffic at the packet level has stimulated the deployment of packet-level redundancy elimination techniques within the network by enabling network nodes to memorize data packets. Redundancy elimination results in traffic reduction which in turn improves the efficiency of network links. In this paper, the concept of network compression is introduced that aspires to exploit the statistical correlation beyond removing large duplicate strings from the flow to better suppress redundancy. In the first part of the paper, we introduce "memory-assisted compression," which utilizes the memorized content within the network to learn the statistics of the information source generating the packets which can then be used toward reducing the length of codewords describing the packets emitted by the source. Using simulations on data gathered from real network traces, we show that memory-assisted compression can result in significant traffic reduction. In the second part of the paper, we study the scaling of the average network-wide benefits of memory-assisted compression. We discuss routing and memory placement problems in network for the reduction of overall traffic. We derive a closed-form expression for the scaling of the gain in Erdős-Renyi random network graphs, where obtain a threshold value for the number of memories deployed in a random graph beyond which network-wide benefits start to shine. Finally, the network-wide benefits are studied on Internet-like scale-free networks. We show that non-vanishing network compression gain is obtained even when only a tiny fraction of the total number of nodes in the network are memory-enabled.
On-the-job learning with Bayesian decision theory

Our goal is to deploy a high-accuracy system starting with zero training examples. We consider an on-the-job setting, where as inputs arrive, we use real-time crowd-sourcing to resolve uncertainty where needed and output our prediction when confident. As the model improves over time, the reliance on crowdsourcing queries decreases. We cast our setting as a stochastic game based on Bayesian decision theory, which allows us to balance latency, cost, and accuracy objectives in a principled way. Computing the optimal policy is intractable, so we develop an approximation based on Monte Carlo Tree Search. We tested our approach on three datasets—named-entity recognition, sentiment classification, and image classification. On the NER task we obtained more than an order of magnitude reduction in cost compared to full human annotation, while boosting performance relative to the expert provided labels. We also achieve a 8% F1 improvement over having a single human label the whole set, and a 28% F1 improvement over online learning.
Characterizing the structure of topological insulator thin films

We describe the characterization of structural defects that occur during molecular beam epitaxy of topological insulator thin films on commonly used substrates. Twinned domains are ubiquitous but can be reduced by growth on smooth InP (111)A substrates, depending on details of the oxide desorption. Even with a low density of twins, the lattice mismatch between (Bi, Sb)2Te3 and InP can cause tilts in the film with respect to the substrate. We also briefly discuss transport in simultaneously top and back electrically gated devices using SrTiO3 and the use of capping layers to protect topological insulator films from oxidation and exposure.
First, Do No Harm: Why Doctors Are Not Omnipotent Under the Americans with Disabilities Act

This article argues that employers are not shielded from liability under the ADA if they rely upon the advice of a doctor in making an adverse employment decision.
Public debt management in emerging market economies : has this time been different ?

Despite the scale of the global financial crisis, to date it has not resulted in a sovereign debt crisis among emerging market countries. Two significant factors in this outcome are the improved macroeconomic management and public debt management in these countries over the past decade. This paper reviews the improvements in macroeconomic fundamentals and the composition of public debt portfolios in emerging market countries prior to the crisis and concludes that the policies and strategies pursued by governments provided them with a buffer when the crisis hit. Nevertheless, with the international capital markets effectively closed for over three months and domestic borrowing in many cases impacted by extreme risk aversion, government debt managers were required to adapt their strategies to rapidly changing circumstances. The paper reviews the impact of the crisis and the responses of debt managers to the drying up of international capital, decreased liquidity in markets, and sharply increased term premia. Three categories of response are identified: (i) funding from other sources to reduce pressure on market borrowing; (ii) adapting funding programs to changes in demand in the different types of securities; and (iii) implementing liability management operations to support the market. Most governments were willing to accept temporarily greater risk in their portfolios, often reversing long established strategies, at a time when financial markets were under stress. These actions contributed to the measures taken by governments to stabilize markets and prevent economies from stalling. Looking to the future, government debt managers will need to consider how they can increase the resilience of public debt portfolios for the uncertain times that lie ahead.
Derivation of the Gross-Pitaevskii Hierarchy

We report on some recent results regarding the dynamical behavior of a trapped Bose-Einstein condensate, in the limit of a large number of particles. These results were obtained in (4), a joint work with L. Erd˝ os and H.-T. Yau.
Predictive Text Fitting

A new predictive text fitting algorithm is introduced in this paper. Through this algorithm, the ideal font size of given text content can be efficiently determined to fit the text into frames of arbitrary shapes. After trying out the initial font size, the algorithm measures a fit factor based on ratio of the area used and the area needed. Then it predicts the next font size according to the fit factor, and it also adjusts the key model parameter based on previous iterations. Compared with methods that change the font size at fixed amount each time or use predetermined models, the advantages of this algorithm include fast convergence, as well as insensitivity to text placement engine and initial values of parameters. This algorithm has a number of potential applications, such as variable data printing, multimodal publishing, and adaptive graphic presentation.
Legal Liability as an Environmental Policy Tool: Some Implications for Land Markets

This article considers the use of legal liability as a tool for internalizing environmental externalities, considering specifically the implications for land markets. The discussion focuses on liability under CERCLA. A simple model of land markets is used to evaluate alternative assignments of liability in terms of their impacts on decisions to buy and sell property and to invest in pollution abatement. The results suggest that the existence of a land market can alter the effect of the liability rule. In some cases the land market can eliminate an inefficiency that would otherwise exist, while in other cases it can create one.
An Elliptic Curve Implementation of the Finite Field Digital Signature Algorithm

We construct a supersingular implementation of the Elliptic Curve Digital Signature Algorithm (ECDSA) that is essentially equivalent to a finite field implementation of the Digital Signature Algorithm (DSA), and then we compare the efficiency of the two systems. The elliptic curve method is about 12 times faster. In the last section we use the same ideas to give a particularly efficient nonsupersingular implementation of elliptic curve cryptography in characteristic 7.
PK-tree: a spatial index structure for high dimensional point data

In this chapter we present the PK-tree which is an index structure for high dimensional point data. The proposed indexing structure can be viewed as combining aspects of the PR-quad or K-D tree but where unnecessary nodes are eliminated. The unnecessary nodes are typically the result of skew in the point distribution and we show that by eliminating these nodes the performance of the resulting index is robust to skewed data distributions. The index structure is formally defined, efficiently updateable and bounds on the number of nodes and the mean height of the tree can be proved. Bounds on the expected height of the tree can be given under certain mild constraints on the spatial distribution of points. Empirical evidence both on real data sets and generated data sets shows that the PK-tree outperforms the recently proposed spatial indexes based on the R-tree and X-tree by a wide margin. It is also significant that the relative performance advantage of the PK-tree grows with the dimensionality of the data set.
Top Management Teams

Research on top management teams commenced in the organisations literature around 1980 (Bourgeois, 1980) and has been pervasive ever since (e.g., Bantel and Jackson, 1989; Carpenter et al., in press; Eisenhardt and Schoonhoven, 1990; Finkelstein and Hambrick, 1996; Fredrickson and Iaquinto, 1989; Hambrick, 1981). In an effort to move beyond an examination of individual leaders, researchers have widened their focus to the constellation of executives who roughly comprise what Cyert and March (1963) called the ‘dominant coalition’. Most such research has attempted to examine the effects of top management team characteristics on organisational outcomes, on the assumption that the collective dispositions and interactions of top managers affect the major choices they make (Hambrick and Mason, 1984). This wave of research is an important advance for executive leadership theory because of its recognition that the management of an enterprise is typically a shared activity, extending beyond the chief executive. Although there are instances when top managers have limited discretion over organisational outcomes (Hambrick and Finkelstein, 1987), in most organisations no other small group has as much potential to affect the form or fate of the enterprise as does the top management team.
Learning the Empirical Hardness of Optimization Problems: The Case of Combinatorial Auctions

We propose a new approach for understanding the algorithm-specific empiricalh ardness of NP-Hard problems. In this work we focus on the empirical hardness of the winner determination problem--an optimization problem arising in combinatorial auctions--when solved by ILOG's CPLEX software. We consider nine widely-used problem distributions and sample randomly from a continuum of parameter settings for each distribution. We identify a large number of distribution-nonspecific features of data instances and use statisticalregression techniques to learn, evaluate and interpret a function from these features to the predicted hardness of an instance.