nils-herrmann/clean_scirepeval huggingface dataset:
Global burden of COPD
Venue: Respirology

It is estimated that the world population will reach a record 7.3 billion in 2015, and the high burden of chronic conditions associated with ageing and smoking will increase further. Respiratory diseases in general receive little attention and funding in comparison with other major causes of global morbidity and mortality. In particular, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) has been a major public health problem and will remain a challenge for clinicians within the 21st century. Worldwide, COPD is in the spotlight, since its high prevalence, morbidity and mortality create formidable challenges for health care systems. This review emphasizes the magnitude of the COPD problem from a clinician's standpoint by drawing extensively from the new findings of the Global Burden of Disease study. Updated, distilled information on the population distribution of COPD is useful for the clinician to help provide an appreciation of the relative impact of COPD in daily practice compared with other chronic conditions, and to allocate minimum resources in anticipation of future needs in care. Despite recent trends in reduction of COPD standardized mortality rates and some recent successes in anti smoking efforts in a number of Western countries, the overarching demographic impact of ageing in an ever expanding world population, joined with other factors such as high rates of smoking and air pollution in Asia, will ensure that COPD will continue to pose an ever increasing problem well into the 21st century.
Sparse Generalized Eigenvalue Problem: Optimal Statistical Rates via Truncated Rayleigh Flow

Sparse generalized eigenvalue problem (GEP) plays a pivotal role in a large family of high dimensional statistical models, including sparse Fisher's discriminant analysis, canonical correlation analysis, and sufficient dimension reduction. Sparse GEP involves solving a non convex optimization problem. Most existing methods and theory in the context of specific statistical models that are special cases of the sparse GEP require restrictive structural assumptions on the input matrices. In this paper, we propose a two stage computational framework to solve the sparse GEP. At the first stage, we solve a convex relaxation of the sparse GEP. Taking the solution as an initial value, we then exploit a nonconvex optimization perspective and propose the truncated Rayleigh flow method (Rifle) to estimate the leading generalized eigenvector. We show that Rifle converges linearly to a solution with the optimal statistical rate of convergence for many statistical models. Theoretically, our method significantly improves upon the existing literature by eliminating structural assumptions on the input matrices for both stages. To achieve this, our analysis involves two key ingredients: (i) a new analysis of the gradient based method on nonconvex objective functions, and (ii) a fine grained characterization of the evolution of sparsity patterns along the solution path. Thorough numerical studies are provided to validate the theoretical results.
A 6 Bit Vector Sum Phase Shifter With a Decoder Based Control Circuit for X Band Phased Arrays
Venue: IEEE Microwave and Wireless Components Letters

This letter presents a 6 bit vector sum phase shifter with a novel control circuitry for X band phased arrays using a 0.25 mm SiGe BiCMOS technology. A balanced active balun and highly accurate I/Q network are employed to generate the reference in phase and quadrature vectors. The desired phase is synthesized by modulating and summing the generated reference vectors using current steering VGAs that are controlled by a decoder based control circuit. The phase shifter resulted in a measured RMS phase error between 9.6 11.7 GHz and between 8.2 12 GHz, achieving 6 bit phase resolution. The chip size is 1.87 x 0.88 mm 2, excluding pads. To the best of authors' knowledge, this is the first demonstration of a digitally controlled 6 bit vector sum phase shifter for X band.
Human mucosal associated invariant T cells contribute to antiviral influenza immunity via IL 18 dependent activation
Venue: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences

Mucosal associated invariant T (MAIT) cells are innate like T lymphocytes with potent antibacterial reactivity. In this study, we investigated whether MAIT cells also contribute to immunity against influenza A viruses. Compared with those who succumbed, hospitalized patients who recovered from severe avian H7N9 influenza infection had higher numbers of MAIT cells. Subsequent in vitro analysis established that MAIT cells from healthy donors are indirectly activated by influenza infection via an IL 18 dependent (but not IL 12 dependent) mechanism requiring the involvement of CD14+ monocytes. Our findings highlight the potential for MAIT cells to promote protective immunity in human influenza. Mucosal associated invariant T (MAIT) cells are innate like T lymphocytes known to elicit potent immunity to a broad range of bacteria, mainly via the rapid production of inflammatory cytokines. Whether MAIT cells contribute to antiviral immunity is less clear. Here we asked whether MAIT cells produce cytokines/chemokines during severe human influenza virus infection. Our analysis in patients hospitalized with avian H7N9 influenza pneumonia showed that individuals who recovered had higher numbers of CD161+Va7.2+ MAIT cells in peripheral blood compared with those who succumbed, suggesting a possible protective role for this lymphocyte population. To understand the mechanism underlying MAIT cell activation during influenza, we cocultured influenza A virus (IAV) infected human lung epithelial cells (A549) and human peripheral blood mononuclear cells in vitro, then assayed them by intracellular cytokine staining. Comparison of influenza induced MAIT cell activation with the profile for natural killer cells (CD56+CD3 showed robust up regulation of IFNg for both cell populations and granzyme B in MAIT cells, although the individual responses varied among healthy donors. However, in contrast to the requirement for cell associated factors to promote NK cell activation, the induction of MAIT cell cytokine production was dependent on IL 18 (but not IL 12) production by IAV exposed CD14+ monocytes. Overall, this evidence for IAV activation via an indirect, IL 18 dependent mechanism indicates that MAIT cells are protective in influenza, and also possibly in any human disease process in which inflammation and IL 18 production occur.
IL 18 Production from the NLRP1 Inflammasome Prevents Obesity and Metabolic Syndrome.
Venue: Cell metabolism

Interleukin 18 (IL 18) is activated by Caspase 1 in inflammasome complexes and has anti obesity effects; however, it is not known which inflammasome regulates this process. We found that mice lacking the NLRP1 inflammasome phenocopy mice lacking IL 18, with spontaneous obesity due to intrinsic lipid accumulation. This is exacerbated when the mice are fed a high fat diet (HFD) or a high protein diet, but not when mice are fed a HFD with low energy density (high fiber) Furthermore, mice with an activating mutation in NLRP1, and hence increased IL 18, have decreased adiposity and are resistant to diet induced metabolic dysfunction. Feeding these mice a HFD further increased plasma IL 18 concentrations and strikingly resulted in loss of adipose tissue mass and fatal cachexia, which could be prevented by genetic deletion of IL 18. Thus, NLRP1 is an innate immune sensor that functions in the context of metabolic stress to produce IL 18, preventing obesity and metabolic syndrome.
Accounting Record Keeping Practices in Small and Medium Sized Enterprise's (SME's) in Sri Lanka

Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) play vital role in many countries including Sri Lanka, because of its role for the country's economic growth. This study discovers the level of awareness towards the importance of Accounting Record Keeping Practices and its information usage in the business. The research design is based on a survey methodology using a sample of systematically selected SMEs in Gampaha District in Sri Lanka. The target population comprised of 100 SMEs operating retail shops, manufacturing firms and supplier's of various services in Gampaha district in Sri Lanka. It was concluded that the most of the SMEs do not keep complete accounting records because lack of accounting knowledge and the cost of hiring professional accountants. As a result, there is an inefficient use of accounting information to support financial performance measurement by SMEs. This made it difficult for the entrepreneurs to calculate their business profit efficiently. Lack of keeping of accurate records was highly blamed on the lack of skills in this field by the owners or managers. The study further revealed that the owners and managers of SMEs were highly willing to learn more about how to keep accurate records of their business transactions. The results of the study also revealed that majority of the SMEs encounter problems of lack of accounting knowledge. This study recommended that that the responsible authorities should come up with an effective programme for training for SMEs entrepreneurs.
Conference Interpreting A Complete Course

The conference interpreting skillset full consecutive and simultaneous interpreting has long been in demand well beyond the multilateral intergovernmental organizations, notably in bilateral diplomacy, business, international tribunals and the media. This comprehensive coursebook sets out an updated step by step programme of training, designed to meet the increasingly challenging conditions of the 21st century, and adaptable by instructors with the appropriate specializations to cover all these different applications in contemporary practice. After an overview of the diverse world of interpreting and the prerequisites for this demanding course of training, successive chapters take students and teachers through initiation and the progressive acquisition of the techniques, knowledge and professionalism that make up this full skillset. For each stage in the training, detailed, carefully sequenced exercises and guidance on the cognitive challenges are provided, in a spirit of transparency between students and teachers on their respective roles in the learning process. For instructors, course designers and administrators, more detailed and extensive tips on pedagogy, curriculum design and management will be found in the companion Trainer's Guide
Effect of path goal leadership styles on the commitment of employees on construction projects

Effective leadership and employee commitment are two fundamental factors required for project success. A capable leader provides direction while a highly committed employee exerts more effort to pursue project goals. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the effect of path goal leadership styles on the commitment of employees on construction projects. Primary data were collected through the administration of a questionnaire to construction managers of completed projects within the last five years (2008 2013) before the study was conducted, while data obtained were presented using tables and analysed using correlation and multiple regression analysis. The study revealed that a supportive leadership style influences the affective commitment of employees; and continuing commitment of employees is influenced by supportive and achievement oriented leadership styles. None of the path goal leadership styles influence the normative commitment of the employee. The study therefore recommends that leaders of construction projects should prioritize the leadership style that influences the commitment of the employee. Leaders should also create a friendly and psychologically supportive environment for employees as well as understanding their behaviour in order to enhance their commitment.
Empirical Investigation into the Path Goal Leadership Theory in the Central Bank Fraternity: Leadership Styles and Job Satisfaction

The paper attempts to investigate the validity of the Path Goal leadership theory in the central bank fraternity, in particular the relationship between leader style and job satisfaction. From the point of view of subordinates, we survey the perceived leadership styles of central banks' managers and conduct an empirical study to determine whether the perceived leadership styles have any significant relationships with subordinates' job performance/satisfaction across the central banks. The results indicate that in the central bank fraternity, Perceived Participative Leadership style has a consistent positive effect on job satisfaction of subordinates. This result is generally consistent across genders, age groups, number of years of working experience, education background and the department in which they work. This finding has implicit implications for the subordinates' motivation to stay focused and perform better. For supervisors, they must be flexible enough to exercise the appropriate leadership styles at the right situation.
Disturbance Observer Based Control and Related Methods An Overview
Venue: IEEE Transactions on Industrial Electronics

Disturbance observer based control (DOBC) and related methods have been researched and applied in various industrial sectors in the last four decades. This survey, at first time, gives a systematic and comprehensive tutorial and summary on the existing disturbance/uncertainty estimation and attenuation techniques, most notably, DOBC, active disturbance rejection control, disturbance accommodation control, and composite hierarchical antidisturbance control. In all of these methods, disturbance and uncertainty are, in general, lumped together, and an observation mechanism is employed to estimate the total disturbance. This paper first reviews a number of widely used linear and nonlinear disturbance/uncertainty estimation techniques and then discusses and compares various compensation techniques and the procedures of integrating disturbance/uncertainty compensation with a (predesigned) linear/nonlinear controller. It also provides concise tutorials of the main methods in this area with clear descriptions of their features. The application of this group of methods in various industrial sections is reviewed, with emphasis on the commercialization of some algorithms. The survey is ended with the discussion of future directions.
Temporal solitons in microresonators driven by optical pulses

Continuous wave laser driven, high Q Kerr nonlinear optical microresonators have enabled the generation of optical frequency combs, ultralow noise microwaves and ultrashort optical pulses at tens of gigahertz repetition rate. Here, we break with the paradigm of the continuous wave driving and instead use periodic, picosecond optical pulses. In a fibre based Fabry Perot microresonator we observe the deterministic generation of stable femtosecond dissipative cavity solitons 'on top' of the resonantly enhanced driving pulses. The solitons lock to the driving pulse, which enables direct all optical control of the soliton's repetition rate and tuning of its carrier envelope offset frequency. When compared with continuous wave driven microresonators or non resonant pulsed supercontinuum generation, this new approach is more efficient and can yield broadband frequency combs at an average driving power significantly below the continuous wave parametric threshold. Bridging the fields of continuous wave driven resonant and pulse driven non resonant nonlinear optics, these results enable efficient microresonator frequency combs, resonant supercontinuum generation and microphotonic pulse compression. By driving a high Q fibre based Fabry Perot microresonator with periodic, picosecond optical pulses, deterministic generation of stable femtosecond dissipative cavity solitons has been experimentally realized.
Nicaragua: pais bolivariano, pero no del todo

Daniel Ortega ha actualizado el caudillismo latinoamericano con su simultanea cooptacion de las elites tradicionales y los sectores mas empobrecidos. Todo ello gracias a los recursos de Venezuela. Hace mas de una decada dos politologos, Javier Corrales y Michael Penfold, advirtieron sobre la aparicion en America Latina de regimenes que sin ser autocracias tampoco eran democracias. A estos regimenes se les califico de hibridos, y en esta categoria se incluian los paises llamados "bolivarianos" Se caracterizaban por: impulsar gobiernos partisanos que politizaban la administracion, incluyendo las agencias autonomas y de regulacion; erosionar los contrapesos institucionales y los mecanismos de rendicion de cuentas, incluida la justicia; elaborar nuevas constituciones con el fin de perpetuar a los elegidos; desarrollar estrategias de confrontacion con la oposicion y la sociedad civil desafecta, activando de manera periodica referendums; y por utilizar todos los mecanismos de la gobernanza electoral en beneficio de sus candidatos. Obviamente, estas caracteristicas no se aplicaban ni de la misma forma ni con la misma intensidad en cada uno de los regimenes, y algunos estaban mas lejos de la democracia que otros. En esta clasificacion, Nicaragua, con la llegada de Daniel Ortega, se convirtio en uno de los paises con mas rasgos autoritarios. Hoy Nicaragua forma parte del subtipo de regimenes hibridos y, como todos ellos, tiene un sistema hiperpresidencialista, un discurso que apela a la radicalidad democratica y que ignora los preceptos liberales, con una practica politica que minimiza la oposicion y controla la mayoria de los medios de comunicacion. Sin embargo, Nicaragua mantiene tres singularidades que le separan de los casos de Venezuela, Bolivia y Ecuador. La primera es que a diferencia de lo que supusieron Hugo Chavez, Evo Morales o Rafael Correa, en Nicaragua Ortega nunca represento con su vuelta al poder en 2007 un rostro nuevo. Ortega era un personaje omnipresente desde los anos ochenta del siglo XX, cuya autoridad se asocia al recuerdo de la revolucion y al control ferreo que ejerce en el Frente Sandinista de Liberacion Nacional (FSLN)
SOCIAL EXCHANGE THEORY .10529

During the last fifteen years there has emerged in sociology and social psychology a distinct approach called social exchange theory. Four figures were largely responsible: George Homans, John Thibaut, Harold Kelley, and Peter Blau. Homans in "Social behavior as exchange" (1958) made a conscious effort to identify and advance this point of view. In 1961, he amplified his argument in  Its Elementary Forms, which has now been revised (1974) Also in the late 1950s Thibaut Kelley were constructing their compact conceptual scheme in The Social Psychology of Groups (1959) While different in important ways, their work converged with Homans's, strengthening the general exchange approach. When Blau's Exchange and Power (1 964a) appeared, the exchange approach was assured a future in the field. The differences between these three major works were as important in launching the exchange approach as were their similarities. While Blau gave more emphasis to technical economic analysis, Homans dwelled more upon the psychology of instrumental behavior. Yet in doing so, he drew upon a different brand of psychology than that represented by Thibaut Kelley. In addition, they employed different strategies of theory construction. Thibaut Kelley start with psychological concepts, build upward to the dyad, and build upward from there to the small group. Homans takes a more reductionist approach, moving in the opposite direction. With considerable knowledge of group level processes already in mind, he points to the psychological principles of reinforcement which, he claims, help to explain them. However, Peter Blau, contrary to both of these approaches, warns us that preoccupation with psychology can blind us to the important emergent aspects of social exchange. When three strong statements such as these diverge on particulars, yet converge on a central viewpoint social exchange as a frame of reference that viewpoint will be given greater impetus. Now, seventeen years later, exchange theory is still growing; it still contains diversity and sparks of controversy.
Unusual cause of lymphangitis in a 2 year old boy
Venue: BMJ Case Reports

A 2 year old previously healthy boy presented with 24 h of fever, and painful right axillary and elbow swelling. He had a 2x2x2.5 cm non tender, non erythaematous, mobile axillary mass, oedema and mild erythaema of his lower right arm, and cervical and inguinal lymphadenopathy. Initial investigations showed: haemoglobin 106 g/L, white cell count 13.2x109/L and C reactive protein 50 mg/L. Ultrasound confirmed lymphadenopathy and soft tissue oedema, and the patient was treated with oral co amoxiclav for lymphadenitis. After 4 days, his treatment was changed to intravenous ceftriaxone due to persisting symptoms. His fever terminated on day five, and the axillary lymph node
Job hazard dynamic assessment for non routine tasks in gas transmission station

Gas transmission station is essential for long distance natural gas transportation and its stable and safe operation matters. Non routine tasks in gas transmission station have a significant hazard due to its high dependency on coordination between workers and strict operation procedures. Job hazard assessment (JHA) has been an effective method to decompose a non routine process into steps and predict hazards of each step. However, people tend to ignore cumulative characteristics of risks with conventional JHA. To address this problem, the concept of cumulative risk is introduced to improve conventional JHA method. For illustration, the gas transmission startup process is chosen to apply the proposed method. First, the process is broken down into six steps in sequence and hazard preliminary analysis is conducted. Then the numeric risk matrix is used to determine risk value of each step by considering severity and possibility. Both independent risk and cumulative risk are evaluated and then compared. The results show that cumulative risk is more reasonable and practical and improves reliability of job hazard analysis.
Research on Resilience of Power Systems Under Natural Disasters A Review
Venue: IEEE Transactions on Power Systems

Natural disasters can cause large blackouts. Research into natural disaster impacts on electric power systems is emerging to understand the causes of the blackouts, explore ways to prepare and harden the grid, and increase the resilience of the power grid under such events. At the same time, new technologies such as smart grid, micro grid, and wide area monitoring applications could increase situational awareness as well as enable faster restoration of the system. This paper aims to consolidate and review the progress of the research field towards methods and tools of forecasting natural disaster related power system disturbances, hardening and pre storm operations, and restoration models. Challenges and future research opportunities are also presented in the paper.