cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Nine Notes on the Restoration of Pakistan's Chief Justice

This article consists of legal commentaries written in support of restoring the Chief Justice of Pakistan, who was sent on forced leave on March 9, 2007. These commentaries were written to clarify legal and constitutional points that arose during the hearing before the Supreme Court. They also discuss the impact of Pakistani lawyers' protests on the outcome of the case. In July 2007, a unanimous Supreme Court of 13 Justices declared that the President's Order to suspend the Chief Justice is "ultra vires of the Constitution . . . and passed without lawful authority." Three Justices held that the President has the constitutional authority to file a reference. However, the Court unanimously set aside both the orders of the President and the Supreme Judicial Council to restrain the Chief Justice from acting as a judge of the Supreme Court. It is unclear whether these commentaries influenced the lawyers involved in the case or whether these commentaries were read or not read by Justices of the Supreme Court.
Fundamentals of ANSYS

The construction of solutions to engineering problems using FEA requires either the development of a computer program based on the FEA formulation or the use of a commercially available general-purpose FEA program such as ANSYS. The ANSYS program is a powerful, multi-purpose analysis tool that can be used in a wide variety of engineering disciplines.
Targeted high-resolution ion mobility separation coupled to ultrahigh-resolution mass spectrometry of endocrine disruptors in complex mixtures.

Traditional separation and detection of targeted compounds from complex mixtures from environmental matrices requires the use of lengthy prefractionation steps and high-resolution mass analyzers due to the large number of chemical components and their large structural diversity (highly isomeric). In the present work, selected accumulation trapped ion mobility spectrometry (SA-TIMS) is coupled to Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry (FT-ICR MS) for direct separation and characterization of targeted endocrine-disrupting compounds (EDC) from a complex environmental matrix in a single analysis. In particular, targeted identification based on high-resolution mobility (R ∼ 70–120) and ultrahigh-resolution mass measurements (R > 400 000) of seven commonly targeted EDC and their isobars (e.g., bisphenol A, (Z)- and (E)-diethylstilbestrol, hexestrol, estrone, α-estradiol, and 17-ethynylestradiol) is shown from a complex mixture of water-soluble organic matter (e.g., Suwannee River Fulvic Aci...
Effect of Intravenous Injection of Ethyl Alcohol on Gastric Secretion in Man.

Conclusions1. Alcohol intravenously in man produces an increase in gastric acidity. 2. 1/8 cc. of 95% alcohol per kg. body weight intravenously as a 25% solution in normal saline is as effective a stimulant of gastric secretion as is the standard 50 cc. of 7% alcohol by mouth. 3. The response to alcohol intravenously up to 1 cc. per kg. is not as great as that to histamine. 4. The alcohol content of the gastric juice closely follows that of the blood. 5. The blood alcohol during the oral alcohol test meal is much less than after the least effective dose by vein. 6. The gastric juice alcohol after the intravenous injection is minute compared to the 7% administered by mouth. 7. From 5 and 6 above, it would seem possible that the seat of action of alcohol as a stimulus to gastric secretion lies neither in the general circulation, nor at the surface of the gastric mucosa, but somewhere between the two. Further investigation of this point is in progress.
Measurement and Comparison of Organic Compound Concentrations in Plasma, Whole Blood, and Dried Blood Spot Samples

The preferred sampling medium for measuring human exposures of persistent organic compounds (POPs) is blood, and relevant sample types include whole blood, plasma, and dried blood spots (DBS). Because information regarding the performance and comparability of measurements across these sample types is limited, it is difficult to compare across studies. This study evaluates the performance of POP measurements in plasma, whole blood and DBS, and presents the distribution coefficients needed to convert concentrations among the three sample types. Blood samples were collected from adult volunteers, along with demographic and smoking information, and analyzed by GC/MS for organochlorine pesticides (OCPs), chlorinated hydrocarbons (CHCs), polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), and brominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs). Regression models were used to evaluate the relationships between the sample types and possible effects of personal covariates. Distribution coefficients also were calculated using physically-based models. Across all compounds, concentrations in plasma were consistently the highest; concentrations in whole blood and DBS samples were comparable. Distribution coefficients for plasma to whole blood concentrations ranged from 1.74 to 2.26 for pesticides/CHCs, averaged 1.69 ± 0.06 for the PCBs, and averaged 1.65 ± 0.03 for the PBDEs. Regression models closely fit most chemicals (R2 > 0.80), and whole blood and DBS samples generally showed very good agreement. Distribution coefficients estimated using biologically-based models were near one and did not explain the observed distribution. Among the study population, median concentrations of several pesticides/CHCs and PBDEs exceeded levels reported in the 2007-2008 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, while levels of other OCPs and PBDEs were comparable or lower. Race and smoking status appeared to slightly affect plasma/blood concentration ratios for several POPs. The experimentally-determined distribution coefficients can be used to compare POP exposures across studies using different types of blood-based matrices.
Investigation on Rabies Exposure and Wounds Disposal in Rural Residents of High Incidence Areas in Sichuan

Objective To investigate the rabies exposure and wound disposal behavior of in rural residents of high incidence areas in Sichuan. Methods With stratified cluster sampling,self-administrated questionnaires were adopted to survey the residents and the profiles were also referred to for collecting information. Results The average annual exposure rate was 3. 6% and the exposure ratio of male to female was 1. 04: 1; the exposure rate was higher in the group under the age of 10 than that in other age groups. The major exposure time period was in April to May and September; the bites accounted for82. 5% of the exposures. A proportion of 45. 3% of exposers went to medical institutions and 82. 3% of which chose the township hospitals. Those with severe exposures and high degree education / high family income more tended to go medical institutions for treatment. The vaccination rate was 44. 4% after exposure and the utilization rate rabies immunoglobulin was 8. 0%. Conclusion The annual exposure rate in rural population of high incidence areas is high and shows no gender difference. High exposure population is children. The rate of exposed person seeking for medical treatment is low.The prevention propaganda of rabies should be strengthened targeting those with low level of education. The medical expenses and fluke mind is still the main factors that hinder the standard disposal.
Intelligent Answer System Based on Sentence Template

Intelligent answer system is an important part of the remote education system.This paper introduces an intelligent answer system based on sentence template.The aim is to endow computers with automatic intelligent answers to the questions in natural language.The system comprises three parts:The first is to analyze the learners' questions and collect sentence template,and design a questions interface based on WEB.The second is to design the learners' questions through intellectual words and fuzzy matching and then project them to a concept-relation model.The third is to output the answers through the IO model.
Xenografting human colon cancers.

Xenografting of human tumors has been used to produce samples which are enriched for neoplasia and optimal for subsequent molecular analyses. Molecular studies of xenograft tumors generated from both human colon and pancreatic adenocarcinomas have led to the discovery of important genetic alterations underlying these malignancies (e.g., Smad4, Smad2) (1,2). Moreover, analysis of pancreatic xenografts helped facilitate the discovery of BCRA2 through identification of homozygous deletions ( 3 ). Furthermore, xenografted tumors have facilitated the discovery of distinctive allelic loss patterns in pancreatic and stomach adenocarcinomas (4,5). Comparative genomic hybridization analysis of xenografted human gastric cancers has demonstrated consistent DNA copy number changes, including both gains and losses of chromosomal regions (6).
Cigarette smoking and other correlates of cytologic estrogen effect in postmenopausal women

Cigarette smoking and other factors associated with estrogen-related diseases may influence risk through hormonal mechanisms. To investigate the sex hormone associations of these risk factors, vaginal scrape cytology specimens and questionnaire data were obtained on 215 postmenopausal women at the time of routine pelvic examination. All specimens were read blindly by one cytologist, and the relationships between the indices of maturation and risk factors were assessed with regression techniques. Current cigarette smoking and obesity were associated with increased maturation. In contrast, years past menopause, parity, and coffee and tea consumption were all unrelated to vaginal epithelial maturation. These results elucidate the mechanisms underlying the antiestrogenic effect of cigarette smoking and support the concept that obesity is associated with an estrogenic effect.
Using fault tree analysis to identify causes of non-compliance: enhancing violation outcome data for the purposes of education and prevention.

An enhanced coding system for the characterization of notices of violation (NOV's) issued to radiation permit holders in the State of Texas was developed based on a series of fault tree analyses serving to identify a set of common causes. The coding system enhancement was retroactively applied to a representative sample (n = 185) of NOV's issued to specific licensees of radioactive materials in Texas during calendar year 1999. The results obtained were then compared to the currently available summary NOV information for the same year. In addition to identifying the most common NOV's, tile enhanced coding system revealed that approximately 70% of the sampled NOV's were issued for non-compliance with a specific regulation as opposed to a permit condition. Furthermore, an underlying cause of 94% of the NOV's was the failure on the part of the licensee to execute a specific task. The findings suggest that opportunities exist to improve permit holder compliance through various means, including the creation of summaries which detail specific tasks to be completed, and revising training programs with more focus on the identification and scheduling of permit-related requirements. Broad application of these results is cautioned due to the bias associated with the restricted scope of the project.
Systematic Shape Optimization of Symmetric MIMO Antennas Using Characteristic Modes

We introduce a systematic approach to the shape optimization of compact, single-aperture MIMO antennas. Because the characteristic modes of a radiator represent its complete set of possible responses to an excitation, any port on the antenna must display the properties of a combination of one or more of these characteristic modes. By restricting our consideration to a class of symmetric antennas, the lowest order characteristic modes of a structure can be separated with practical decoupling networks, studied, and excited independently. We show that the quality factor of each characteristic mode effectively bounds the performance of any individual port excitation, and can be used to evaluate the fitness of the antenna for multiport excitation. Under this framework, we apply a genetic algorithm (GA) to synthesize low $Q$ MIMO antennas while minimizing conductor area. Feed locations are specified on the optimized shape based on the weighted excitation strength of the desired modes, and a two-port MIMO antenna is implemented and measured, verifying the proposed theory.
Physical Unclonable Function Exploiting Sneak Paths in Resistive Cross-point Array

The physical unclonable function (PUF) is a promising innovative hardware security primitive that leverages the inherent randomness in the physical systems to produce unique responses upon the inquiry of challenges, thus the PUF could serve as a fingerprint for device authentication. In this paper, we propose a novel PUF implementation exploiting the sneak paths in the resistive cross-point (X-point) array, as a hardware security primitive. The entanglement of the sneak paths in the X-point array greatly enhances the entropy of the physical system, thereby increasing the space of challenge-response pairs to make a strong PUF. The X-point PUF characteristics, such as uniqueness and reliability, are experimentally evaluated on the fabricated $12 \times 12$ cross-point arrays based on the Pt/HfO x /TiN structure. The measurement results show that the average inter-Hamming distance of the response bits is around 46.2% across 28 different arrays, showing sufficient uniqueness. The measurement results also demonstrate that 0% intra-Hamming distance (or 100% reliability) of the response bits can be maintained more than 7.2 h at 100 °C (or equivalently ten years at 40 °C). This paper demonstrates the feasibility of using X-point PUF as a lightweight and reliable PUF for device authentication.
The Development and Theory

Our objective in this chapter is to provide detailed development and background that completely support the Table in Chapter 4 and its applications described in Chapter 2. Our aim is to make the connection between hypothesis testing and confidence interval estimation visibly clear when selecting simple random samples from a finite universe. The development assumes that the reader has had at least an introductory course in statistics and is familiar with conditional probability.
Fully Automated and Robust Tracking of Transient Waves in Structured Anatomies Using Dynamic Programming.

Tissue stiffness is often linked to underlying pathology and can be quantified by measuring the mechanical transient transverse wave speed (TWS) within the medium. Time-of-flight methods based on correlation of the transient signals or tracking of peaks have been used to quantify the TWS from displacement maps obtained with ultrasound pulse-echo techniques. However, it is challenging to apply these methods to in vivo data because of tissue inhomogeneity, noise and artifacts that produce outliers. In this study, we introduce a robust and fully automated method based on dynamic programming to estimate TWS in tissues with known geometries. The method is validated using ultrasound bladder vibrometry data from an in vivo study. We compared the results of our method with those of time-of-flight techniques. Our method performs better than time-of-flight techniques. In conclusion, we present a robust and accurate TWS detection method that overcomes the difficulties of time-of-flight methods.
The value of workforce data in shaping nursing workforce policy: A case study from North Carolina.

Abstract Background In 2015, the Institute of Medicine's Committee for Assessing Progress on Implementing the Future of Nursing recommendations noted that little progress has been made in building the data infrastructure needed to support nursing workforce policy. Purpose This article outlines a case study from North Carolina to demonstrate the value of collecting, analyzing, and disseminating state-level workforce data. Methods Data were derived from licensure renewal information gathered by the North Carolina Board of Nursing and housed at the North Carolina Health Professions Data System at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Discussion State-level licensure data can be used to inform discussions about access to care, evaluate progress on increasing the number of baccalaureate nurses, monitor how well the ethnic and racial diversity in the nursing workforce match the population, and investigate the educational and career trajectories of licensed practical nurses and registered nurses. Conclusion At the core of the IOM's recommendations is an assumption that we will be able to measure progress toward a “Future of Nursing” in which 80% of the nursing workforce has a BSN or higher, the racial and ethnic diversity of the workforce matches that of the population, and nurses currently employed in the workforce are increasing their education levels through lifelong learning. Without data, we will not know how fast we are reaching these goals or even when we have attained them. This article provides concrete examples of how a state can use licensure data to inform nursing workforce policy.
The Socratic Method

This chapter discusses the parameters of the unique approach to teaching discovered and developed by Socrates. The Socratic Method (a) begins with a single question about a conceptual matter, (b) has the student then offer a general definition as an answer to the question, (c) the teacher then provides a counterexample which is formulated to illuminate what has been left out of the student’s definition, (d) the student then reconsiders his or her initial definition and responds with a (hopefully) improved one. Additional elements of the Socratic Method are discussed.
Evaluating Centers for Teaching and Learning: A Field‐Tested Model

This paper provides a program evaluation model, along with field-testing results, that was developed in response to the need for an evaluation model able to support systematic evaluation of teaching and learning centers (CTLs). The model builds upon the author's previous studies investigating the evaluation practices and struggles experienced at 53 CTLs. Findings from these studies attribute evaluation struggles to contextual issues involving evaluation capacity, ill-structured curricula, and ill-conceived evaluation frameworks. This field-tested Four-Phase Program Evaluation Model addresses these issues by approaching evaluation in a comprehensive manner that includes an evaluation capacity analysis, curricular conceptualization, evaluation planning, and plan implementation.
The human dimensions of energy use in buildings: A review

Abstract The “human dimensions” of energy use in buildings refer to the energy-related behaviors of key stakeholders that affect energy use over the building life cycle. Stakeholders include building designers, operators, managers, engineers, occupants, industry, vendors, and policymakers, who directly or indirectly influence the acts of designing, constructing, living, operating, managing, and regulating the built environments, from individual building up to the urban scale. Among factors driving high-performance buildings, human dimensions play a role that is as significant as that of technological advances. However, this factor is not well understood, and, as a result, human dimensions are often ignored or simplified by stakeholders. This paper presents a review of the literature on human dimensions of building energy use to assess the state-of-the-art in this topic area. The paper highlights research needs for fully integrating human dimensions into the building design and operation processes with the goal of reducing energy use in buildings while enhancing occupant comfort and productivity. This research focuses on identifying key needs for each stakeholder involved in a building’s life cycle and takes an interdisciplinary focus that spans the fields of architecture and engineering design, sociology, data science, energy policy, codes, and standards to provide targeted insights. Greater understanding of the human dimensions of energy use has several potential benefits including reductions in operating cost for building owners; enhanced comfort conditions and productivity for building occupants; more effective building energy management and automation systems for building operators and energy managers; and the integration of more accurate control logic into the next generation of human-in-the-loop technologies. The review concludes by summarizing recommendations for policy makers and industry stakeholders for developing codes, standards, and technologies that can leverage the human dimensions of energy use to reliably predict and achieve energy use reductions in the residential and commercial buildings sectors.
Design and Intelligent Machines

Many are interested in the design of intelligent machines. I am interested in design and how intelligent machines can transform this human endeavor in positive ways. I would like us to renew our consideration of some of the fundamental questions from the field of artificial intelligence, questions about human creativity and agency, in the context of design.
Legal Outsiders, Strategic Toughness: Racial Frames and Counter-Frame in the Legal Profession

Despite the advantages of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, black workers remain underrepresented among the ranks of professional/managerial employees. Black professional men occupy a somewhat unique position in that they can benefit from gendered advantages in male-dominated occupations, but still encounter racial biases and obstacles given that most professional occupations remain predominantly white. The author uses Joe R. Feagin’s concepts of white racial framing and counter-framing to assess how black male lawyers understand the challenges they face in these environments, as well as the strategies they use to resist.
Cardiovascular Disease-related Health Beliefs and Lifestyle Issues Among Karen Refugees Resettled in the United States From the Thai-Myanmar (Burma) Border.

Objectives Refugees resettled in the US may be at risk for cardiovascular disease (CVD). However, little is known about CVD-related issues among Karen refugees who have migrated to the US from the Thai-Myanmar border. The purpose of this study was to examine CVD-related health beliefs and lifestyle issues among Karen refugees resettled in the US. Methods Karen refugees resettled in the US from the Thai-Myanmar border (n=195) participated in a survey study on health beliefs related to CVD, salt intake, physical activity (PA), and smoking in the fall of 2016. Results A high-salt diet, physical inactivity, and smoking were major lifestyle problems. Participants who adhered to a low-salt diet considered themselves to be susceptible to CVD. Most participants did not engage in regular PA. Regular PA was associated with less perceived susceptibility to CVD and greater perceived benefits of a healthy lifestyle for decreasing the likelihood of CVD. Conclusions Each refugee population may require individualized strategies to promote PA and a healthy diet. Future studies should develop health education programs that are specifically designed for Karen refugees and evaluate such programs. In addition to health education programs on healthy lifestyle choices, tobacco cessation programs seem to be necessary for Karen refugees. At the same time, it is important to foster strategies to increase the utilization of preventive care among this population by promoting free or reduced-fee resources in the community to further promote their health.
Electrodiagnostic evaluation of hypomagnesemia in sheep.

Experiments were conducted to permit electrophysiological characterization of hypomagnesemia in sheep. For 6 weeks, adult wethers were fed: (1) a diet deficient in magnesium and calcium, (2) a diet deficient in magnesium, (3) a diet deficient in calcium and (4) a control diet. Weekly blood samples were collected to determine plasma concentrations of calcium (CA++), magnesium (Mg++) and potassium (K+). During the 6-week feeding period, electromyography (EMG), nerve conduction velocity (NCV) and strength-duration (S-D) determinations were conducted. At the end of a 6-week period, cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) samples also were taken from the cisterna magna and analyzed for Ca++, Mg++ and K+. The control plasma Mg++ concentration was 2.2 mg/100 ml. There was a depression (P less than .05) in plasma Mg++ in sheep that were fed diets deficient in Mg++ or deficient in Mg++ or Ca++. Plasma Mg++ concentrations in these two groups were .79 and .95 mg/100 ml, respectively, by the last week of diet feeding. EMGs performed during magnesium depletion were normal. In hypomagnesemic sheep, neither motor unit potentials (MUP) resulting from induced voluntary movement nor muscle-evoked potentials (EP) resulting from motor nerve stimulation showed differences (P less than .05) from those in control animals. NCV and muscle excitability (as evaluated by S-D curves) were normal in all sheep. CSF Ca++, Mg++ and K+ were not altered (P less than .05) in sheep fed any of the four diets.
Arctic Archaeology and Prehistory

The Arctic region in the northern hemisphere presented humans with dietary and temperature challenges and required a maritime sea mammal hunting or sea-ice adaptation. The colonization of this frigid and florally restricted environment occurred earlier than suspected, during the late Pleistocene c .27 000 years ago in northern Eurasia. In geographic terms, only northern Greenland, the coastal margins of Scandinavia, the Taymyr, and Alaska lie beyond the Arctic Circle. By contrast, sustained settlement of the North American High Arctic and Greenland did not occur until late in the Holocene, c .5000 years ago. Complex whaling societies developed in Bering Strait by 2000 years ago. For the most part, Arctic archaeology is synonymous with a single Mongoloid population, the Inuit (formerly Eskimo) who still dominate the region from Alaska to Greenland. A brief incursion between AD 900 and 1400 by the European Norse was renewed by Danish colonists in the early eighteenth century and continues to the present.
The Public Health Roulette

Changes in life expectancies perturb the balance of justice between the young and the old, prompting reallocation of income and health. The long-term consequences are difficult to predict. I report a case where greater life expectancies create greater health disparity between the generations.
Forming shared inquiry structures to support knowledge building in a grade 5 community

This study explores the reflective processes by which a grade 5 science community co-constructed shared inquiry structures to focus and guide its inquiry about human body systems over a school year supported by a collaborative online environment. The co-constructed structures included a list of collective wondering areas as the shared focus of inquiry and models of the inquiry process in the form of “research cycle.” Qualitative analyses of field notes, classroom videos, student notebooks and interviews elaborate the evolution of the inquiry areas and the “research cycle” model as well as students’ adaptive use of the structures to guide deeper inquiry. Content analyses of students’ individual research questions and collaborative online discourse indicate that students used the structures to develop more advanced inquiry and make productive contributions. The results contribute to elaborating a reflective structuration approach to co-organizing and sustaining long-term, open-ended inquiry in knowledge building communities.
Fundamentals of Population Analysis

Demography is defined as the scientific study of population. It covers five basic topics: the size of the population; its distribution across geographic areas; its composition (e.g., age, sex, race, and other characteristics); changes in population size, distribution, and composition over time; and the determinants and consequences of population growth. In this chapter, we focus on the first four of these topics. We describe a number of basic demographic concepts, define some commonly used terms, describe a number of statistical measures, and discuss several sources of demographic data. This chapter will give readers with little training or experience in demography a brief introduction to the field and sets the stage for the topics covered in the remainder of the book.
Outcome of Isolated Posterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction at Mean 6.3-year Follow Up: A Consecutive Case Series

ABSTRACTObjectives: There is a paucity of reporting on surgical outcomes of isolated posterior cruciate ligament reconstruction (PCLR). We hypothesize that isolated PCL injuries failing nonoperativ...
Patient safety and the ageing physician: a qualitative study of key stakeholder attitudes and experiences.

Background Unprecedented numbers of physicians are practicing past age 65. Unlike other safety-conscious industries, such as aviation, medicine lacks robust systems to ensure late-career physician (LCP) competence while promoting career longevity. Objective To describe the attitudes of key stakeholders about the oversight of LCPs and principles that might shape policy development. Design Thematic content analysis of interviews and focus groups. Participants 40 representatives of stakeholder groups including state medical board leaders, institutional chief medical officers, senior physicians (>65 years old), patient advocates (patients or family members in advocacy roles), nurses and junior physicians. Participants represented a balanced sample from all US regions, surgical and non-surgical specialties, and both academic and non-academic institutions. Results Stakeholders describe lax professional self-regulation of LCPs and believe this represents an important unsolved challenge. Patient safety and attention to physician well-being emerged as key organising principles for policy development. Stakeholders believe that healthcare institutions rather than state or certifying boards should lead implementation of policies related to LCPs, yet expressed concerns about resistance by physicians and the ability of institutions to address politically complex medical staff challenges. Respondents recommended a coaching and professional development framework, with environmental changes, to maximise safety and career longevity of physicians as they age. Conclusions Key stakeholders express a desire for wider adoption of LCP standards, but foresee significant culture change and practical challenges ahead. Participants recommended that institutions lead this work, with support from regulatory stakeholders that endorse standards and create frameworks for policy adoption.
Occupational Therapists' Self-Reported Research Utilization and Use of Online Evidence Sources

Research utilization of occupational therapists may positively influence the quality and cost-effectiveness of service delivery; however, previous studies suggest that therapists' overall use of research in clinical practice is limited. This cross-sectional study used survey methodology to investigate the research utilization behaviors of occupational therapists and examine the differences in behaviors between those who had and had not used the Navigator®. The Navigator® online competence assessment platform supports research utilization through recommended readings and access to online databases with full-text articles. Findings showed a low level of research utilization overall, with Navigator® users more likely to use online databases than non-users. Future research should examine if access to online platforms, such as the Navigator®, combined with context-specific training that integrates active learning approaches could improve occupational therapists' research utilization for increased implementation of evidence-based practice.
Evaluation of the volume-value relationship in hip fracture care using evidence-based thresholds:

Background:Studies have shown high-volume surgeons and hospitals deliver higher value care. The aims of this study were to establish meaningful thresholds defining high-volume surgeons and hospital...
Matrix-Valued Mean-Field-Type Games: Risk-Sensitive, Adversarial, and Risk-Neutral Linear-Quadratic Case.

In this paper we study a class of matrix-valued linear-quadratic mean-field-type games for both the risk-neutral, risk-sensitive and robust cases. Non-cooperation, full cooperation and adversarial between teams are treated. We provide a semi-explicit solution for both problems by means of a direct method. The state dynamics is described by a matrix-valued linear jump-diffusion-regime switching system of conditional mean-field type where the conditioning is with respect to common noise which is a regime switching process. The optimal strategies are in a state-and-conditional mean-field feedback form. Semi-explicit solutions of equilibrium costs and strategies are also provided for the full cooperative, adversarial teams, risk-sensitive full cooperative and risk-sensitive adversarial team cases. It is shown that full cooperation increases the well-posedness domain under risk-sensitive decision-makers by means of population risk-sharing. Finally, relationship between risk-sensitivity and robustness are established in the mean-field type context.
B cell signaling in context

Over the past several decades, B cell antigen receptor (BCR)-induced signaling pathways have been described in extraordinary molecular detail, mainly from studies of B cell responses to antigens in vitro. BCR signaling has been shown to govern the initiation of transcriptional programs associated with B cell activation and fate decisions, as well as the BCR-dependent processing of antigen and presentation of antigen to T cells. However, although the potential of the BCR to orchestrate B cell behavior was known, there was no clear appreciation of the context in which B cells signal in secondary lymphoid organs in vivo or how that context influences signaling. In this Review, we describe the current view of the cellular consequences of BCR signaling and advances in the understanding of B cell signaling in context in vivo.
Poster: Link Adaptation in 60 GHz WLANs using PHY Layer Information

Rate adaptation and beam adaptation are the two main link adaptation mechanisms in 60 GHz WLANs. We first show, using commodity devices, that simple heuristics, used to determine which of the two mechanisms should be triggered first, can lead to wrong decisions even in seemingly simple scenarios. We then use a large data set collected from a software-defined radio testbed to investigate the effectiveness of using several PHY layer metrics to determine which mechanism to trigger first. We finally explore, for first time, the use of ML-based approaches and show that they offer high accuracy, and incur significantly lower overhead and lower link recovery delay compared to simple heuristics used by COTS devices.
Measuring Simultaneous Emotions: Existing Problems and a New Way Forward

Studies on discrete emotions typically work to evoke one emotion at a time. Yet many political phenomena cause multiple emotions. Threats, for example, cause, anger, and fear, have diametrically opposing behavioral consequences. As a result, the effect of experimental treatments can be masked by the countervailing influence of emotions with similar affect. This issue is exacerbated by existing measures of negative emotions, such as the Positive and Negative Affect Schedule (PANAS). We show that the PANAS is contaminated by systematic measurement error, as negative affect produced by one emotion influences responses on the other. To overcome this, we develop an alternative version of the PANAS that allows respondents to select which emotions they are feeling, then rate the severity. This technique accurately captures respondent’s emotional reactions, reducing measurement error and thus decreasing the correlation between fear and anger. The tactics we developed have broad relevance for experimental researchers analyzing emotional responses to politics.
Analytical Techniques for Gauging Accuracy of Expert Knowledge: A Simple System-Based Explanation of the Dunning–Kruger Effect

To properly design a system, we need to know what the current state is and what the dynamics of this application domain are. Often, an important part of this information comes from expert estimates. Dealing with expert estimates is challenging: while measurement results come with guaranteed bounds on the corresponding measurement inaccuracy, the only estimates of the inaccuracy of expert estimates come from the experts themselves. It turns out that experts often misjudge the inaccuracy of their estimates. Specifically, experienced experts not only provide better estimates of different situations than novice experts, but they also provide better estimates of the accuracy of their estimates.
Self-reported provider safety in an urban emergency medical system.

INTRODUCTION: Emergency Medical Service (EMS) personnel often respond to dangerous scenes and encounter hostile individuals without police support. No recent data describes the frequency of physical or verbal assaults or which providers have increased fear for their safety. This information may help to guide interventions to improve safety. Our objective was to describe self-reported abuse and perceptions of safety and to determine if there are differences between gender, shift, and years of experience in a busy two-tiered, third service urban EMS system. METHODS: This was a secondary analysis of an anonymous, cross-sectional work safety survey of EMS providers. This survey included demographics, years of experience, history of verbal and physical assault, safety behavior following an assault and perceptions of safety. Descriptive statistics were generated. RESULTS: Eighty-nine percent (196/221) of EMS providers completed the survey. Most were male (72%) and between the ages of 25 and 50 years (66%). The majority of providers had worked in this service for more than five years (54%), and many for more than ten years (37%). Verbal assaults were reported by 88% (172/196, 95% CI [82.4%-91.6%]). Although 80% (156/196, 95% CI [73.4%-84.6%]) reported physical assaults, only 40% (62/156, 95% CI [32.4%-47.6%]) sought medical care and 49% (76/156, 95% CI [41%-56.6%]) reported the assault to police. The proportion of those who sought medical care and reported the assault to the police was not the same across years of experience (pCONCLUSION: The majority of EMS providers surveyed reported an assault and certain groups had a higher rate of assault. Most assaults were not reported to the police and medical care was infrequently sought following an event. The majority of providers reported feeling fear for their personal safety. Further research into enhancing safety mechanisms is needed. Language: en
Enhanced c-axis KTN beam deflector by compensating compositional gradient effect with a thermal gradient

In this paper, we propose an enhanced c-axis potassium tantalate niobate (KTN) based electro-optic (EO) deflector by compensating the performance degradation using a thermal gradient. The naturally existing composition gradient in KTN crystals prevents KTN deflectors from working at its maximum functionality at all locations along the propagation path. To overcome this fundamental limitation, we propose a KTN deflector with a temperature gradient to ensure all locations of KTN to work at the temperature having its highest permittivity. Our experimental data shows the KTN deflector with temperature gradient has near three times higher deflection angle than that of the case under uniform temperature.
Processen van zelfvergeving in therapie bij ontrouw in een liefdesrelatie: een casusstudie naar een empirisch ondersteunde behandeling

Het vermogen tot zelfvergeving hangt ermee samen of mensen positieve banden onderhouden met zichzelf en anderen. Zelfvergeving kan met name belangrijk zijn voor clienten die anderen pijn hebben gedaan. Juist in de meest intieme relaties kunnen mensen elkaar diep kwetsen, in het bijzonder bij ontrouw in een liefdesrelatie. Voor mensen die hun partner ontrouw zijn geweest, kan zelfvergeving daarom een behandeldoel zijn. In deze casusstudie naar een evidence-based behandeling beschrijven we een casus van een witte vrouw van begin vijftig die zichzelf niet kon vergeven nadat ze haar echtgenoot ontrouw was geweest. De behandeling bestond uit een 8 weken durend behandelprotocol met individuele gesprekstherapie ten behoeve van zelfvergeving, waarin technieken uit de emotion-focused therapy (niet te verwarren met Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT), red.) worden gecombineerd met principes uit de positieve psychologie; dit laatste ter bevordering van actieve medewerking van clienten aan een therapiemodel voor zelfvergeving, bestaande uit vier componenten: verantwoordelijkheid, wroeging, herstel en vernieuwing. Deze casusstudie laat zien hoe helpend technieken uit de emotion-focused therapy kunnen zijn voor het emotionele herstel van de client, en in welke opzichten de interventie als een eudemonisch proces fungeerde; als een proces dat ten goede kwam aan het persoonlijke en relationele welzijn van de patient.
The dual PPARα/γ ligand TZD18 inhibits cell growth and induces apoptosis in human Bcr-Abl positive CML cell lines >in vitro

3852 Chan su, the dried toad venom or the dried secretion from the skin glands of Bufo bufo gargarizans Cantor or B. melanotictus Schneider, has long been used as a therapeutic agent for cancer treatment in China and other Asian countries. Huachansu, an injectable form of Chan su, is a sterilized hot water extract of dried toad skin. Since 1991, huachansu has been officially approved as a regimen for treatment of cancer in China. However, the selectivity and mechanism of anti-cancer activity of huachansu have not been fully elucidated. The goals of our current study were to investigate the cytotoxicity of huachansu alone as well as the polar and non-polar compartments of huachansu and cardiac glycosides derived from huachansu against various cancer cells. In addition, we explored mechanisms associated with this extract’s antiproliferative activity. The inhibitory effects of three different lots of huachansu were tested in four different human cell lines including hepatoma (Hep 3B), colon (HT29), pancreatic (Panc-1) and melanoma (BRO) cells. The relative growth inhibitory activity on the growth of cancer cells for all three lots of huachansu was ranked as Panc-1 > HT29 > BRO > Hep3B cells. The inhibitory effect of the non-polar fraction (lipid soluble) of huachansu was much stronger than that of the polar compartment (water soluble) with IC50 of 1.75 mg /ml versus 31.25 mg (raw material)/ml, respectively. These data suggest that huachansu’s antitumor activity is mainly attributed to the lipid-soluble components. Because cardiac glycosides are one of the lipid soluble components in huachansu, we next tested the relative cytotoxicity of three different cardiac glycosides derived from huachansu, including bufalin, cinobufagin, and resibufogenin against BRO cells. The IC50 values of bufalin, cinobufagin, and resibufogenin in BRO cells were 16.7, 20.1 and 700 ng/ml, respectively. When BRO cells were treated with huachansu (1 to 25 mg/ml) for 24 hr, huachansu induced cell cycle arrest in the G2/M-phase. Furthermore, huachansu as well as bufalin down-regulated Bcl-2 expression, yet up-regulated BAX protein in BRO cells in a concentration-dependent manner. In addition, our preliminary data also demonstrated that huachansu (10 mg/ml) significantly reduced B23 (neucleophosmin), pAKT and STAT3 expression. Concomitantly, it up-regulated several cell signaling pathways such as SRC, MAPK, and Raf, which is attributed to the stress-mediated cell response of huachansu cardiac glycosides. Taken together, these results suggest that cardiac glycosides, such as bufalin, are responsible for huachansu induced cell death in BRO cells. Whether other components in huachansu also contribute to its anti-proliferative activity requires further investigation. This research was supported in part by NCI R21 CA108084-01, International Center of TCM for Cancer.
A 27.12-MHz kV-scale Power Amplifier with a Tunable Multistage Matching Network for a Compact Ion-beam Accelerator

This paper presents a 27.12-MHz kV-scale power amplifier (PA) with a tunable multistage matching network suitable for driving a variable load capacitance in a compact ion-beam accelerator. In this application, the PA generates a high voltage at a high frequency to accelerate ion beams to high energy levels. Since the PA is designed to provide large gain at a fixed frequency, slight variations in the PA’s load capacitance – for example, due to manufacturing tolerances in the accelerating plate-pairs – can detune the PA and drastically reduce its output voltage. The proposed PA addresses this challenge by employing a multistage matching network with a variable capacitor. The value of the variable capacitor is appropriately adjusted to compensate for variation in load capacitance. Since this variable capacitor is connected at an intermediate stage of the matching network, it can be realized using devices with lower voltage rating, which is much lower than load voltage. Furthermore, the multistage matching network efficiently provides a large current step-up, improving the PA’s thermal performance by reducing the current processed by its inverter transistors. A comprehensive methodology which maximizes PA’s compensation range under certain loss constraints is also proposed. A 27.12-MHz prototype PA is designed, built and tested to validate the concept and design methodology.
Diagenetic controls on porosity and permeability in Miocene carbonates, La Molata, Spain

Relating diagenetic processes to porosity and permeability is essential for carbonate reservoir quality prediction. We utilize Miocene heterozoan, photozoan, and oolitic - microbial sequences in SE Spain where paleotopography is preserved to evaluate the effect of a mesohaline mixing-zone and multiple events of meteoric diagenesis on porosity within a well-constrained stratigraphic framework and known sea-level history. Seven subaerial exposure surfaces allow evaluation of exposure duration, and climate on meteoric diagenesis. Only minor diagenesis occurred during early arid and short-lived subaerial exposure events. Later end-Miocene dolomitization and dissolution had the most profound effect on porosity. Dolomite δ 13 C and δ 18 O range from +0.9 to +6.0‰ PDB, -4.5 to +3.0‰ PDB, respectively. Covariation suggests fluid mixing. Downdip areas have more enriched δ 18 O and δ 13 C. Isotopic evaporation modeling of the most positive δ18O suggests a salinity of 42 ppt. Fluid inclusion measurements of freezing point depression yield Tm-ice ranging from -0.2 to -2.3 °C, indicating salinities ranging from 4 ppt to 43 ppt, with highest values in downdip areas. These data confirm fluid mixing and rule out physical mixing or recrystallization of multiple dolomite phases. Dolomitization was from a mixture between meteoric water and slightly evaporated seawater, here termed mesohaline mixing, a possible predictable type of dolomitization given specific climate and hydrogeologic conditions. Petrographic relationships indicate mesohaline mixing created major moldic and vuggy dissolution. Dolomitization was followed by 5 million years of subaerial exposure, during which times of more humid climates and erosion during uplift resulted in two zones of significant calcite cementation, separated by a zone with little calcite cementation. Calcites have negative δ 13 C and δ 18 O, and fluid inclusion Tm-ice of 0.0 °C, indicating precipitation from meteoric water. The two cemented zones likely represent two different paleo-water tables formed during uplift and erosional downcutting. The results of mesohaline mixing enhancing porosity and permeability in relation to paleotopography, and later stages of meteoric calcite cementation decreasing porosity and permeability are predictable and can be incorporated into geomodels for better prediction of porosity and permeability distribution in carbonate reservoirs.