cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Annulment and Court Intervention in International Commercial Arbitration

By choosing the arbitral forum, parties to a contract agree to have their disputes resolved by an independent third party rather than by national courts. However, national courts still play an essential role in modern international commercial arbitration by ensuring the smooth process and supplementing the parties’ failures to agree on various procedural points. One area that remains highly contentious is the annulment of awards – i.e., the decision of the courts of the seat of arbitration to invalidate the arbitral award – and the effect of that decision on the enforcement of the same award by other courts. Despite arbitration’s increased popularity, unforeseen issues have arisen and the enforcement of annulled awards has awaken old debates regarding the very nature of arbitration and the interplay with national Courts. Very few countries have had to make a decision regarding the enforcement of vacated awards: they all embraced the idea that under certain circumstances, annulled awards should be granted exequatur. Interestingly enough, these courts used different justifications for enforcing the award. Some will do so if the annulment decision violates principle of fairness and justice. Others argue that an award should be deemed enforceable unless it was set aside based on international standards of annulment. The most innovative and most advanced theory proclaims that annulment should not have effects abroad as awards are not part of the courts’ system. As a result, the validity of the award should be left to the enforcing court only. This article looks at the different positions adopted by the countries party to the New York Convention, only to confirm that no transnational approach to the issue of the international effectiveness of annulment decisions exists under the Convention. Although a growing majority of authors concludes that the absence of consensus on the New York Convention’s position vis-a-vis the enforcement of annulled awards warrants its revamping (if not its replacement), this article argues that such a drastic step is not necessary, especially if the Guide on the Convention currently being prepared by UNCITRAL provides for the dynamic interpretation that is needed.
A transcriptional serenAID: the role of noncoding RNAs in class switch recombination

During an immune response, activated B cells may undergo class switch recombination (CSR), a molecular rearrangement that allows B cells to switch from expressing IgM and IgD to a secondary antibody heavy chain isotype such as IgG, IgA or IgE. Secondary antibody isotypes provide the adaptive immune system with distinct effector functions to optimally combat various pathogens. CSR occurs between repetitive DNA elements within the immunoglobulin heavy chain (Igh) locus, termed switch (S) regions and requires the DNA-modifying enzyme activation-induced cytidine deaminase (AID). AID-mediated DNA deamination within S regions initiates the formation of DNA double-strand breaks, which serve as biochemical beacons for downstream DNA repair pathways that coordinate the ligation of DNA breaks. Myriad factors contribute to optimal AID targeting; however, many of these factors also localize to genomic regions outside of the Igh locus. Thus, a current challenge is to explain the specific targeting of AID to the Igh locus. Recent studies have implicated noncoding RNAs in CSR, suggesting a provocative mechanism that incorporates Igh-specific factors to enable precise AID targeting. Here, we chronologically recount the rich history of noncoding RNAs functioning in CSR to provide a comprehensive context for recent and future discoveries. We present a model for the RNA-guided targeting of AID that attempts to integrate historical and recent findings, and highlight potential caveats. Lastly, we discuss testable hypotheses ripe for current experimentation, and explore promising ideas for future investigations.
Ozark atlatls and darts: Old finds and new interpretations

The Basketmaker atlatl type of the North American Southwest has a known wide distribution southward into Mexico, northward into the Great Basin, and as far east as the panhandle of Oklahoma. An artifact excavated in the early twentieth century from a Missouri bluff is clearly an atlatl of this type, extending its known occurrence into the Ozarks. A cross-peg atlatl from the Ozarks of Arkansas represents a type also present in the area surrounding the Trans-Pecos of south Texas. Both types of atlatl were in use by Mesoamerican groups at the time of contact. To complete this survey of the weapons, parts of atlatl darts from the Ozarks will also be examined. These artifacts add to a growing body of evidence for the prehistoric sharing of ideas and traditions between the Ozarks and the Southwest.
Adolescents' Right to Participate: Opportunities and Challenges for Health Care Professionals.

Abstract Background Health care professionals and patients are partners in health care delivery, and this partnership is critical in the treatment of adolescents. International children's rights law establishes that all children have a right to participate in decisions that affect their lives. Fulfillment of that right is as critical in health care settings as any other area of children's lives. Objectives In this article we examine the right to participate under international children's rights law, its relevance to health care settings, and how health care professionals can foster adolescents' participation to fulfill children's rights and improve health care outcomes. Findings The Convention on the Rights of the Child establishes a legal mandate—where ratified—that adolescents have the right to express their views in health care settings and that such views must be given due consideration. In many health care settings, adolescents are not adequately consulted or have limited opportunities to express their views. A review of research finds that both processes and outcomes can improve when youth participation is cultivated. Conclusions Health care providers and organizations have numerous opportunities to cultivate adolescent's participation rights and in doing so improve health care delivery and outcomes. Health care providers and organizations should further develop structures and processes to ensure opportunities for children and adolescents to be heard on matters relevant to their health care and health status. Creating opportunities for adolescents to realize their right to participate means engaging youth at every stage in the process, beginning with the design of such opportunities. It also means addressing all aspects of health care, from the built environment to patient-provider communication to follow-up services, so that the entire process fosters an environment conductive to meaningful participation by adolescents.
Evaluation of Hair Density in Different Ethnicities in a Healthy American Population Using Quantitative Trichoscopic Analysis.

Background There is limited research into normative hair density values in individuals of Hispanic descent. Methods In order to help establish baseline density values in these individuals, we evaluated the hair density in 99 Americans of Hispanic descent and compared them with the values in 44 individuals of African descent and 23 Caucasians. Participants were recruited from a New York City medical center and self-identified their ethnicity. Biracial individuals were excluded from the study. Results The hair density means ± SD ranged from 169 ± 31 to 178 ± 33/cm2 in Americans of Hispanic descent, from 148 ± 25 to 160 ± 27/cm2 in individuals of African descent, and from 214 ± 28 to 230 ± 33/cm2 in Caucasian individuals. All differences in hair densities between the ethnicities were statistically significant (p values ranging from 3.03 × 10-14 to 0.0249). Conclusion While trichoscopy is not as accurate as invasive histological assessment of hair density or phototrichogram, it is still a reliable and fast method for assessing hair density. Increased awareness of ethnic variances in hair density can help clinicians and researchers diagnose hair disorders, monitor response to therapy, and conduct hair-related research in these patients.
Synthetic biology: Reframing cell therapy for cancer.

Technologies for engineering immune cells to recognize features on cancer cells are transforming oncology. Synthetic biologists now expand this approach by conferring therapeutic functions to nonimmune cells and by programming cells to sense and respond to a new class of physiological cues.
Performance Impact of Computer Science Course Load and Transfer Status: (Abstract Only)

A recent 2017 study from HigherEd.com, shows that roughly 35% of students transfer colleges during their academic career. While much research has focused on the impact of undergraduate student success factors such as flipped classrooms, hybrid learning, and technology usage, we found no studies comparing transfer students versus non-transfer (native). In our research, we measure impact based on CS course load per semester related to pass/fail rates and contrast student status of transfer versus non-transfer (native). We show that transfer students tend to enroll in more CS courses per semester, beyond the department's recommended two. We also show that their performance is consistently different than that of native students, namely higher CS course fail rates and lower CS GPA scores. The detrimental effects and realization in this study is reason for further investigation. More features will be gathered to be used in our continued analysis and we see the need to examine the difficulty of CS courses taken to indicate why one cohort performs poorly and one does not. We conjecture that most transfer students tend to complete their core classes and are left with only CS courses to complete upon transfer. This results in the transfer students taking a heavier CS load and thus impacting their performance negatively, as compared to native students. Considering that many transfer students start their path way in 2-year institutions, it is imperative that better advising strategies are developed to enable the students to succeed upon their transition.
Body composition of lean outdoor intact cats vs lean indoor neutered cats using dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry:

ObjectivesThe objectives for this study were to compare the body composition of adult indoor neutered domestic cats with outdoor intact cats with an ideal body condition score using dual-energy x-r...
Collaborative tagging of art digital libraries: who should be tagging?

Collaborative tagging is attracting a growing community in the arts museums as manifested by several initiatives such as the Steve Museum project and the Posse initiative at the Brooklyn Museum. The driving force for these projects is the quest for increased and improved access to artifact collections such as art collections. Previous results of studying the nature of tags provided by users reveal that these tags have little overlap with museum documentation; but on the other hand, there is good overlapping with terms from vocabulary sources such as the Art and Architecture Thesaurus (AAT). This paper reports a case study that we performed where the aim was to include tags provided by "average" users from the broader community, not necessarily closely related to the art field as it was the focus of the previous studies. The study we performed comparing tags generated by average users, expert users and metadata seems to indicate the unique role that tags provided by average users would play in facilitating the interaction with art digital libraries.
Paneth cells--guardians of the gut cell hatchery.

Protection of the small intestine from harmful bacteria is a never-ending job. Paneth cells of the intestinal crypts function as prime producers of defensins in response to the microbial onslaught of the gut.
Fixed-domain asymptotics for variograms using subsampling

The variogram is a measure of the local variation in space of a random field. For large geostatistical data sets, the traditional empirical variogram may be hard to compute. This article presents, for processes with a fixed domain, the effect of using a subsample of the available data on the performance of the empirical variogram. The motivation of this work, apart from the saving on computation, is to study how dense the observations need to be in the bounded sampling region to obtain most of the information we would get from continuous observations in the fixed domain.
A Sketch of the Theory and Two Simple Examples

This chapter presents an introduction to function-based theory and to discusses the way by which theorems are proved. To prove theorems formally, proofs are to be constructed in a formal theory. Any theory concerned with the mathematics behind computing must provide inductively constructed objects. In formalizing properties of programs, it has been found that it is convenient to allow the introduction of new types of inductively constructed objects, of which the integers are just a single example. The principle can be called the shell principle. The name shell derives from imagining the new objects to be colored structures encapsulating a fixed number of components, possibly of certain colors. In proofs by induction, it is easier to prove strong theorems than weak ones, because strong theorems permit obtaining strong induction hypotheses with which to work.
Exercise training and the glucose transport system in obese SHHF/Mcc-fa cprats

Ferrara, Cynthia M., W. Michael Sherman, Nicole Leenders, Sylvia A. McCune, and Karla Roehrig. Exercise training and the glucose transport system in obese SHHF/Mcc-fa cprats. J. Appl. Physiol. 81(4...
Imaging in trauma in limited-resource settings: A literature review

Abstract Introduction Trauma is a leading health problem and cause of death throughout both the developed and the developing world. In Africa and South Africa in particular, trauma-related injury has an increased morbidity and mortality when compared to the rest of the world, with numbers approaching a staggering two to six times the global average. Rapid diagnosis is key when it comes to identification and treatment of traumatic injuries. In locations that are limited in finances, infrastructure, and resources, a stepwise approach to imaging in trauma can lead to decreased morbidity and mortality. Tailored recommendations for imaging trauma in resource-limited settings can lead to improved diagnostics and treatment and in turn, decrease mortality. Methods A systematic literature review was conducted, using a compilation of English-language articles found on PubMed, EMBASE, Medline, and Cochrane Library searches relevant to imaging in trauma. A total of 31 journals articles, published from 1991 to 2017 were reviewed. Results From the search, 26 original articles were selected and reviewed in detail, as well as an additional five original research articles. Discussion As imaging continues to evolve, its importance in the role of diagnostic algorithms in trauma settings is important. In most settings, imaging is relied upon as an adjunct to the primary survey. In most developed settings, CT scan remains the mainstay for imaging in trauma, but in limited-resource settings, other imaging studies such as LODOX, X-ray, and especially ultrasound can play a large role. As ultrasound is directly related to user operation, data are limited and variable; more research as this field evolves will be beneficial.
S-Alk(en)ylmercaptocysteine suppresses LPS-induced pro-inflammatory responses in murine macrophages through inhibition of NF-κB pathway and modulation of thiol redox status.

Abstract The Allium vegetable-derived metabolite, S-alk(en)ylmercaptocysteine (CySSR), has been reported to modulate oxidative stress and inflammatory responses. However, the underlying mechanisms of action and structure-activity relationships are not completely understood. We investigated the mechanistic basis of the protective effects of CySSR on pro-inflammatory responses involving redox/oxidative stress induced by E. coli lipopolysaccharide (LPS) using RAW 264.7 cells. CySSR (R = allyl, “A” or 1-propenyl, “Pe”) pre-treatments conferred concentration-dependent reductions in cytokines (TNF-α, IL-1β and IL-6), NO production and iNOS (inducible nitric synthase) overexpression, and attenuated oxidant production in LPS-stimulated RAW 264.7 cells where viability remained > 90%. These protective effects were manifested through inhibited activation of the nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB) signaling pathway via suppression of the IκB kinases (IKK) phosphorylation possibly by transforming growth factor β-activated kinase 1 or a kinase further upstream the canonical NF-κB signaling pathway. The attenuation of LPS-induced inflammation by CySSRs was associated with enhanced levels of cellular cysteine (CySH) and glutathione (GSH) mediated by cellular import/reduction of CySSR and the induction of glutamate cysteine ligase (GCL), one of > 200 nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) regulated proteins. The reduction of anti-inflammatory effect of CySSR following pretreatment of cells with L-buthionine-S,R-sulfoximine (BSO) implicates GSH having a major role in reducing inflammation, likely in the context of other Nrf2-regulated antioxidant enzymes that scavenge H2O2 and peroxides using GSH as co-substrate. The anti-inflammatory effect of CySSPe was significantly greater than CySSA for almost all indicators measured, and cell metabolites of CySSRs may have a role in attenuating NF-κB signaling.
Chalktalk VR/AR

When people want to brainstorm ideas, currently they often draw their ideas on paper or on a whiteboard. But the result of those drawings is a static visual representation. Alternately, people often use various tools to prepare animations and simulations to express their ideas. But those animations and simulations must be created beforehand, and therefore cannot be easily modified dynamically in the course of the brainstorming process. Chalktalk VR/AR is a paradigm for creating drawings in the context of a face to face brainstorming session that is happening with the support of VR or AR. Participants draw their ideas in the form of simple sketched simulation elements, which can appear to be floating in the air between participants. Those elements are then recognized by a simple AI recognition system, and can be interactively incorporated by participants into an emerging simulation that builds more complex simulations by linking together these simulation elements in the course of the discussion.
Efficient Camera Tampering Detection with Automatic Parameter Calibration

Camera anomaly detection, an important part of modern digital security and surveillance cameras, captures malicious actions against the camera like spray paint, occlusion, and displacement. Multiple challenges exist for solving camera anomaly detection in a practical way, such as limited computational budget and difficult tampering events. In this article, we present a fast and accurate approach for camera anomaly detection, which consists of the application of low-level computer vision techniques combined with a unique automatic parameter calibration method that eliminates the need for manual parameter tuning. Based on the results of our experiments, the proposed algorithm detects more than 96 percent of malicious events without false alarms for 13 hours of video with 350 tampering events from more than 20 different scenes. On the TCAD dataset [15], we achieved state-of-the-art results.
Development and characterization of a biomimetic coating for percutaneous devices.

Abstract Percutaneous osseointegrated prosthetics (POP), which consist of a metallic post attached to the bone that extends outward through the skin to connect to an external prosthesis, have become a clinically relevant option to replace the typical socket-residual limb connection. POP devices offer several advantages such as mechanical off-loading of soft tissues, direct force transfer to the musculoskeletal system, greater proprioception, and overall improvement in limb kinesis compared to a socket system. However, POP devices create several challenges including epidermal downgrowth, increased infection risk, and mechanical tearing at the skin-implant interface. To address these issues, biomimetic surfaces and coatings have been developed in an attempt to create an infection-free and cohesive interface between POP devices and skin. The fingernail is a prime example of a natural system with a skin interface that is both mechanically and biologically stable. Exploiting keratins’ previously demonstrated tissue compatibility and creating a biomimetic coating for POP devices that can imitate the human fingernail, and demonstrating its ability to promote a stable interface with skin tissue is the goal of this work. Silane coupling aided in producing a coating on titanium substrates consisting of human keratin proteins. Several combinations of silane and keratin derivatives were investigated, and in general showed a nano-scale coating thickness that supported skin cell (i.e. fibroblast and keratinocyte) adhesion. Initial enzyme-mediated degradation resistance was also demonstrated, but the coatings appeared to degrade at long time periods. Importantly, keratinocytes showed a stable phenotype with no indication of wound healing-like activity. These data provide justification to further explore keratin biomaterials for POP coatings that may stabilize the implant-skin interface.
When nationalism meets hip-hop: aestheticized politics of ideotainment in China*

This essay unravels the coalescence between bottom-up youth culture and state-led ideological work in China by examining the patriotic hip-hop music videos of a Chinese youth band. I attend to the ...
Hydration Status and Cardiovascular Function

Hypohydration, defined as a state of low body water, increases thirst sensations, arginine vasopressin release, and elicits renin–angiotensin–aldosterone system activation to replenish intra- and extra-cellular fluid stores. Hypohydration impairs mental and physical performance, but new evidence suggests hypohydration may also have deleterious effects on cardiovascular health. This is alarming because cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death in the United States. Observational studies have linked habitual low water intake with increased future risk for adverse cardiovascular events. While it is currently unclear how chronic reductions in water intake may predispose individuals to greater future risk for adverse cardiovascular events, there is evidence that acute hypohydration impairs vascular function and blood pressure (BP) regulation. Specifically, acute hypohydration may reduce endothelial function, increase sympathetic nervous system activity, and worsen orthostatic tolerance. Therefore, the purpose of this review is to present the currently available evidence linking acute hypohydration with altered vascular function and BP regulation.
Citizens of Ambivalence: How Educated Young Somali Americans Perceive their Transnational Being and Belonging?

Connections between “here” and “there” are an inherent and enduring component of the migration of the modern world. Experiences of multiple belongings can evoke a mixture of hope and despair, inclusion and marginalization, as well as longing and repulsion. This paper explores how educated young Somali Americans in Minnesota comprehend their ways of being and belonging towards Somalia and the USA, and how these different orientations interact with each other. The findings suggest that the participants of this study are simultaneously involved in two different narratives of being and belonging. Firstly, they are part of a neoliberal project of being successful in the mainstream American society, but secondly, they are also part of a cultural project of maintaining their identity and traditions as Somalis.
Ex vivo dendritic cell generation-A critical comparison of current approaches.

Dendritic cells (DCs) are professional antigen-presenting cells, required for the initiation of naive and memory T cell responses and regulation of adaptive immunity. The discovery of DCs in 1973, which culminated in the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 2011 for Ralph Steinman and colleagues, initially focused on the identification of adherent mononuclear cell fractions with uniquely stellate dendritic morphology, followed by key discoveries of their critical immunologic role in initiating and maintaining antigen-specific immunity and tolerance. The medical promise of marshaling these key capabilities of DCs for therapeutic modulation of antigen-specific immune responses has guided decades of research in hopes to achieve genuine physiologic partnership with the immune system. The potential uses of DCs in immunotherapeutic applications include cancer, infectious diseases, and autoimmune disorders; thus, methods for rapid and reliable large-scale production of DCs have been of great academic and clinical interest. However, difficulties in obtaining DCs from lymphoid and peripheral tissues, low numbers and poor survival in culture, have led to advancements in ex vivo production of DCs, both for probing molecular details of DC function as well as for experimenting with their clinical utility. Here, we review the development of a diverse array of DC production methodologies, ranging from cytokine-based strategies to genetic engineering tools devised for enhancing DC-specific immunologic functions. Further, we explore the current state of DC therapies in clinic, as well as emerging insights into physiologic production of DCs inspired by existing therapies.
Profiling epigenetic changes in human cell line induced by atrazine exposure.

Abstract How environmental chemicals can affect and exert their toxic effect at a molecular level has gained significant interest in recent years, not only for understanding their immediate health implications over exposed individuals, but also for their subsequent progeny. Atrazine (ATZ) is a commonly used herbicide in the U.S. and a long-suspected endocrine disrupting chemical. The molecular mechanism conferring long-term adverse health outcomes, however, remain elusive. Here, we explored changes in epigenetic marks that arise after exposure to ATZ at selected doses using image-based analysis coupled with data clustering. Significant decreases in methylated CpG (meCpG) and histone 3 lysine 9 tri-methylated (H3K9me3) were observed in the selected human cell line with a clear spatial preference. Treating cells with ATZ leads to the loss of a subpopulation of cells with high meCpG levels as identified in our clustering and histogram analysis. A similar trend was observed in H3K9me3 potentially attributing to the cross-talking between meCpG and H3K9me3. Changes in meCpG are likely to be associated with alterations in epigenetic enzyme expression levels regulating meCpG and persist after the removal of ATZ source which collectively provide a plausible mechanism for long-term ATZ-induced toxicity.
Ionic complexation of endblock-sulfonated thermoplastic elastomers and their physical gels for improved thermomechanical performance

Thermoplastic elastomers (TPEs) composed of nonpolar triblock copolymers constitute a broadly important class of (re)processable network-forming macromolecules employed in ubiquitous commercial applications. Physical gelation of these materials in the presence of a low-volatility oil that is midblock-selective yields tunably soft TPE gels (TPEGs) that are suitable for emergent technologies ranging from electroactive, phase-change and shape-memory responsive media to patternable soft substrates for flexible electronics and microfluidics. Many of the high-volume TPEs used for these purposes possess styrenic endblocks that are inherently limited by a relatively low glass transition temperature. To mitigate this shortcoming, we sulfonate and subsequently complex (and physically crosslink) the endblocks with trivalent Al3+ ions. Doing so reduces the effective hydrophilicity of the sulfonated endblocks, as evidenced by water uptake measurements, while concurrently enhancing the thermomechanical stability of the corresponding TPEGs. Chemical modification results, as well as morphological and property development, are investigated as functions of the degree of sulfonation, complexation and TPEG composition.
Awake vs. asleep motor mapping for glioma resection: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Intraoperative stimulation (IS) mapping has become the preferred standard treatment for eloquent tumors as it permits a more accurate identification of functional areas, allowing surgeons to achieve higher extents of resection (EOR) and decrease postoperative morbidity. For lesions adjacent to the perirolandic area and descending motor tracts, mapping can be done with both awake craniotomy (AC) and under general anesthesia (GA). We aimed to determine which anesthetic protocol—AC vs. GA—provides better patient outcomes by comparing EOR and postoperative morbidity for surgeries using IS mapping in gliomas located near or in motor areas of the brain. A systematic literature search was carried out to identify relevant studies from 1983 to 2019. Seven databases were screened. A total of 2351 glioma patients from 17 studies were analyzed. A random-effects meta-analysis revealed a trend towards a higher mean EOR in AC [90.1% (95% C.I. 85.8–93.8)] than with GA [81.7% (95% C.I. 72.4–89.7)] (p = 0.06). Neurological deficits were divided by timing and severity for analysis. There was no significant difference in early neurological deficits [20.9% (95% C.I. 4.1–45.0) vs. 25.4% (95% C.I. 13.6–39.2)] (p = 0.74), late neurological deficits [17.1% (95% C.I. 0.0–50.0) vs. 3.8% (95% C.I. 1.1–7.6)] (p = 0.06), or in non-severe [28.4% (95% C.I. 0.0–88.5) vs. 20.1% (95% C.I. 7.1–32.2)] (p = 0.72), and severe morbidity [2.6% (95% C.I. 0.0–15.5) vs. 4.5% (95% C.I. 1.1–9.6)] (p = 0.89) between patients who underwent AC versus GA, respectively. Mapping during resection of gliomas located in or near the perirolandic area and descending motor tracts can be safely carried out with both AC and GA.
On the Importance of Strengthening Moderate Beliefs in Climate Science to Foster Support for Immediate Action

Whereas many studies focus on climate skeptics to explain the lack of support for immediate action on climate change, this research examines the effect of moderate believers in climate science. Using data from a representative survey of 832 Indiana residents, we find that agreement with basic scientific conclusions about climate change is the strongest predictor of support for immediate action, and the strength of that agreement is an important characteristic of this association. Responses indicate widespread acceptance of climate change, moderate levels of risk perception, and limited support for immediate action. Half of the respondents (50%) preferred "more research" over "immediate action" (38%) and "no action" (12%) as a response to climate change. The probability of preferring immediate action is close to zero for those who strongly or somewhat disbelieve in climate change, but as belief in climate change grows from moderate to strong, the probability of preferring immediate action increases substantially; the strongest believers have a predicted probability of preferring immediate action of 71%. These findings suggest that, instead of simply engaging skeptics, increasing public support for immediate action might entail motivating those with moderate beliefs in climate change to hold their views with greater conviction.
How Competitive is the Stock Market? Theory, Evidence from Portfolios, and Implications for the Rise of Passive Investing

We develop a framework to theoretically and empirically analyze investor competition on financial markets. The classic view assumes that markets are very competitive: if a group of investors changes its behavior, other investors react such that nothing happens in equilibrium. Our framework quantifies the strength of the competitive response. We estimate a demand system of institutional investors in the US stock market accounting for two layers of equilibrium: how investors compete with each other in setting their strategies and how prices adjust to clear asset markets. We find that investors react to the behavior of others in the market: when an investor is surrounded by less aggressive traders she trades more aggressively. This reaction reduces the equilibrium consequences of changes in individual behavior by 50%. However, it also implies that the stock market is far from the competitive ideal. A consequence of this result is that the large increase in passive investing over the last 20 years has led to substantially more inelastic aggregate demand curves for individual stocks, by 15%.
Differential and shared effects of eicosapentaenoic acid and docosahexaenoic acid on serum metabolome in subjects with chronic inflammation.

The omega-3 fatty acids eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) affect cell function and metabolism, but the differential effects of EPA and DHA are not known. In a randomized, controlled, double-blind, crossover study, we assessed the effects of 10-week supplementation with EPA-only and DHA-only (3 g/d), relative to a 4-week lead-in phase of high oleic acid sunflower oil (3 g/day, defined as baseline), on fasting serum metabolites in 21 subjects (9 men and 12 post-menopausal women) with chronic inflammation and some characteristics of metabolic syndrome. Relative to baseline, EPA significantly lowered the tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle intermediates fumarate and α-ketoglutarate and increased glucuronate, UDP-glucuronate, and non-esterified DHA. DHA significantly lowered the TCA cycle intermediates pyruvate, citrate, isocitrate, fumarate, α-ketoglutarate, and malate, and increased succinate and glucuronate. Pathway analysis showed that both EPA and DHA significantly affected the TCA cycle, the interconversion of pentose and glucuronate, and alanine, and aspartate and glutamate pathways (FDR < 0.05) and that DHA had a significantly greater effect on the TCA cycle than EPA. Our results indicate that EPA and DHA exhibit both common and differential effects on cell metabolism in subjects with chronic inflammation and some key aspects of metabolic syndrome.
Southeast Asian Identities: The Case of Cambodia

This paper is one of a series of studies on cultural identity and world civilizations. The focus of most of these studies has been on the civilizations of India, China and the West. These civilizations are arguably the dominant cultural foci in the world, the centers of cultural gravity. Adjacent to these dominant or “core” civilizations are cultures such as the Japanese, Korean and Vietnamese which orbit the Chinese core, and the cultures of Southeast Asia, such as those of Burma, Thailand, Cambodia, Laos and Indonesia, which orbit the Indian core. The rough pattern in both cases is of the peripheral cultures being swept up in the expansion of a powerful set of narratives out of the core and into previously unoccupied narrative space. In this paper I focus on Cambodian identity and explore how the cultural interaction between core and periphery functions to produce the Khmer cultural identities that waxed and waned in Cambodia over the centuries.
Gastric injury from (90)Y to left hepatic lobe tumors adjacent to the stomach: fact or fiction?

Purpose Radioembolization with 90Y microspheres is a locoregional radiation therapy for unresectable hepatic neoplasm. Non-target delivery of 90Y microspheres resulting in gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms is a recognized complication; there is minimal knowledge regarding the radiation effect to the gastric wall from left hepatic lobe 90Y treatments. Our aim was to study the incidence of GI complications when the target tissue (hepatic parenchyma ± tumor) is in close proximity to the gastric wall. We hypothesized that liver (tumor) to stomach proximity does not correlate with increased toxicity.
Heat Transfer Characteristics of Impinging Diesel Sprays

The heat transfer characteristics of impinging diesel sprays were studied in a Rapid Compression Machine. The temporal and spatial distributions of the heat transfer around the impingement point were measured by an array of high frequency response surface thermocouples. Simultaneously, the flow field of the combusting spray was photographed with high speed movie through the transparent head of the apparatus. In this paper the results for the auto-ignited fuel sprays are compared to those of non-combusting sprays which were carried out in nitrogen. The values of the heat flux from the combusting sprays are found to be substantially different from those of the non-combusting sprays. The difference is attributed to the radiative heat transfer and the combustion generated bulk motion and small scale turbulence.
Effects of feature type, learning algorithm and speaking style for depression detection from speech

Computational methods for speech-based detection of depression are still relatively new, and have focused on either a standard set of features or on specific additional approaches. We systematically study the effects of feature type, machine learning approach, and speaking style (read versus spontaneous) on depression prediction in the AVEC-2014 evaluation corpus, using features related to speech production, perception, acoustic phonetics, and prosody. Using a multilayer ANN we find that one feature type, MMEDuSA [2], results in a 25% relative error reduction over the AVEC-2014 baseline system [1] for both mean absolute error (MAE) and root mean squared error (RMSE). Other individual feature types perform comparably to the baseline, but have much lower dimensionality and simpler to interpret. Further improvements were achieved from fusing diverse features and systems. Finally, results suggest that the relative contribution of different feature types depends on whether the speech is spontaneous or read. Overall, spontaneous speech led to lower error rates than read speech, an important consideration for the collection of future clinical data.
Degree invariance in the Π01 classes

Let denote the collection of all Π 1 0 classes, ordered by inclusion. A collection of Turing degrees in is called invariant over if there is some collection of Π 1 0 classes representing exactly the degrees such that is invariant under automorphisms of . Herein we expand the known degree invariant classes of , previously including only { 0 } and the array noncomputable degrees, to include all high n and non-low n degrees for n > 2. This is a corollary to a very general definability result. The result is carried out in a substructure G of , within which the techniques used model those used by Cholak and Harrington [6] to obtain the same definability for the c.e. sets. We work back and forth between G and to show that this definability in G gives the desired degree invariance over .
The effect of hypogonadism and testosterone‐enhancing therapy on alkaline phosphatase and bone mineral density

Objective To evaluate the relationship of testosterone-enhancing therapy on alkaline phosphatase (AP) in relation to bone mineral density (BMD) in hypogonadal men. Patients and Methods Retrospective review of 140 men with testosterone levels of <350 ng/dL undergoing testosterone-enhancing therapy and followed for 2 years. Follicle-stimulating hormone, luteinising hormone, free testosterone, total testosterone, sex hormone binding globulin, calcium, AP, vitamin D, parathyroid hormone, and dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA) scans were analysed. A subgroup of 36 men with one DEXA scan before and one DEXA 2 years after initiating treatment was performed. Results Analysis of the relationship between testosterone and AP at initiation of therapy using stiff linear splines suggested that bone turnover occurs at total testosterone levels of <250 ng/dL. In men with testosterone levels of <250 ng/dL, there was a negative correlation between testosterone and AP (R2 = −0.347, P < 0.001), and no correlation when testosterone levels were between 250 and 350 ng/dL. In the subgroup analysis, the mean (sd) testosterone level was 264 (103) ng/dL initially and 701 (245), 539 (292), and 338 (189) ng/dL at 6, 12, and 24 months, respectively. AP decreased from a mean (sd) of 87 (38) U/L to 57 (12) U/L (P = 0.015), 60 (17) U/L (P < 0.001), and 55 (10) U/L (P = 0.03) at 6, 12, and 24 months, respectively. The BMD increased by a mean (sd) of 20 (39)% (P = 0.003) on DEXA. Conclusion In hypogonadal men, the decrease in AP is associated with an increase in BMD on DEXA testing. This result suggests the use of AP as a marker of response to therapy.
A Case Study: Integrated System Optimization through Continuous Commissioning

ABSTRACT The studied facility is a nine-story office building with a total floor area of 71,500 square feet. The building receives both steam and chilled water from an energy company, while hot water is generated through steam-water heat exchangers in the building. The interior zones from the 4th floor to the 9th floor are initially served by one constant volume (CV) air handling unit (AHU) system with electrical reheats at each terminal box, while the exterior zones are initially served by a constant volume primary AHU system with a 2-pipe hot water/chilled water induction unit system. The low levels of the building are served by one constant volume AHU system with electrical reheats at each terminal box. The excessive fan power and electrical reheat, chilled water was used in the building. Continuous Commissioning (CCTM) was applied to solve existing facility problems, optimize facility operation, and reduce operational costs. The CCTM measures include AHU variable air volume (VAV) conversion, AHU econo...
An analysis of distributed vibration control of flexible manipulators using integral manifolds

A design strategy for the control of a two-link flexible manipulator is considered. The system is represented as a distributed parameter model consisting of rigid body motion and flexure effects. The control design is based upon an integral manifold approach in which a linearizing torque control is used to feedback linearize the rigid link dynamics and set the desired rigid link motion. A distributed actuator is used to dampen the link vibrations brought on by the flexibility effects. A correction control term is applied to the torque controller to cancel the effects of flexure on the rigid body motion that the distributed actuator was unable to remove. >
Multi-Ethnic Minority Nurses’ Knowledge and Practice of Genetics and Genomics

Purpose Exploratory studies establishing how well nurses have integrated genomics into practice have demonstrated there remains opportunity for education. However, little is known about educational gaps in multi-ethnic minority nurse populations. The purpose of this study was to determine minority nurses’ beliefs, practices, and competency in integrating genetics-genomics information into practice using an online survey tool. Design A cross-sectional survey with registered nurses (RNs) from the participating National Coalition of Ethnic Minority Organizations (NCEMNA). Two phases were used: Phase one had a sample of 27 nurses who determined the feasibility of an online approach to survey completion and need for tool revision. Phase two was a main survey with 389 participants who completed the revised survey. The survey ascertained the genomic knowledge, beliefs, and practice of a sample of multi-ethnic minority nurses who were members of associations comprising the NCEMNA. Methods The survey was administered online. Descriptive survey responses were analyzed using frequencies and percentages. Categorical responses in which comparisons were analyzed used chi square tests. Findings About 40% of the respondents held a master's degree (39%) and 42% worked in direct patient care. The majority of respondents (79%) reported that education in genomics was important. Ninety-five percent agreed or strongly agreed that family health history could identify at-risk families, 85% reported knowing how to complete a second- and third-generation family history, and 63% felt family history was important to nursing. Conversely, 50% of the respondents felt that their understanding of the genetics of common disease was fair or poor, supported by 54% incorrectly reporting they thought heart disease and diabetes are caused by a single gene variant. Only 30% reported taking a genetics course since licensure, and 94% reported interest in learning more about genomics. Eighty-four percent believed that their ethnic minority nurses’ organizations should have a visible role in genetics and genomics in their communities. Conclusions Most respondents felt genomics is important to integrate into practice but demonstrated knowledge deficits. There was strong interest in the need for continuing education and the role of the ethnic minority organizations in facilitating the continuing education efforts. This study provides evidence of the need for targeted genomic education to prepare ethnic minority nurses to better translate genetics and genomics into practice. Clinical Relevance Genomics is critical to the practice of all nurses, most especially family health history assessment and the genomics of common complex diseases. There is a great opportunity and interest to address the genetic-genomic knowledge deficits in the nursing workforce as a strategy to impact patient outcomes.
Creativity: the essence of mathematics

For the gifted mathematics student, early mastery of concepts and skills in the mathematics curriculum usually results in getting more of the same work and/or moving through the curriculum at a faster pace. Testing, grades, and pacing overshadow the essential role of creativity involved in doing mathematics. Talent development requires creative applications in the exploration of mathematics problems. Traditional teaching methods involving demonstration and practice using closed problems with predetermined answers insufficiently prepare students in mathematics. Students leave school with adequate computational skills but lack the ability to apply these skills in meaningful ways. Teaching mathematics without providing for creativity denies all students, especially gifted and talented students, the opportunity to appreciate the beauty of mathematics and fails to provide the gifted student an opportunity to fully develop his or her talents. In this article, a review of literature defines mathematical creativi...
Fluid Flow in Heat Exchangers Whose Flow Passages Contain Periodically Deployed Tubes

This article is concerned with duct flows in which the fluid encounters a patterned array of structures along its path of flow. A heat-exchanger tube bank is an example of a patterned array of structures, whose deployment repeats periodically in the flow direction. There are three issues to be highlighted here. The first relates to the model used in standard commercial software that deals with periodic structures. That model envisions the periodic structure to be a porous medium. This approach is also used in the analysis of heat-exchanger performance.The second issue concerns the nature of the flow that follows the breakdown of the friction-dominated laminar regime. The third focus is the identification of the location of the maximum velocity within the periodic structure. It was found that the porous-medium model is a viable approach, thereby adding support to current heat and fluid-flow models of heat exchangers. The nature of the flow following the breakdown of the friction-dominated laminar regime is...
The economics of dying: A misapplication of tools

Unlike McKenzie and Tullock, we do not know how personsshould treat their bodily organs or what is an “ideal exit.” That depends upon their utility goals, which are defined in output terms specific to the decision maker. We contend that the body is an input into the utility production process, and therefore, as with any input, it must be maintained and repaired at a level consistent with the output goals for maximization of utility. Thus, from this framework, it is quite consistent for a person to die with healthy organs without any thought of “belief in reincarnation” or the “desire to bequeath one's bodily organs to others,” or “religious values.” Self interest is all that must prevail.