Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Integrated Track Splitting Filter for Manoeuvring Targets ∗

The paper presents a new algorithm for tracking a manoeuvring target in a cluttered environment. The algorithm combines the Integrated Track Splitting (ITS) filter with the Interacting Multiple Model (IMM) algorithm. The ITS filter is a multiscan method for automatic target tracking in clutter. The multiscan foundation provides good tracking capabilities even when the probability of detection is low or in dense or non-homogeneous clutter. The recursive updating of a track quality measure in the form of the probability of target existence allows false track discrimination. In this paper the ITS tracker is extended by the incorporation of the IMM algorithm to enable the filter to efficiently track a manoeuvring target in a cluttered environment. Simulations are used to verify the approach in an environment of heavy and non-uniform clutter.
Listeria monocytogenes bile salt hydrolase is a PrfA‐regulated virulence factor involved in the intestinal and hepatic phases of listeriosis

Listeria monocytogenes is a bacterial pathogen causing severe food‐borne infections in humans and animals. It can sense and adapt to a variety of harsh microenvironments outside as well as inside the host. Once ingested by a mammalian host, the bacterial pathogen reaches the intestinal lumen, where it encounters bile salts which, in addition to their role in digestion, have antimicrobial activity. Comparison of the L. monocytogenes and Listeria innocua genomes has revealed the presence of an L. monocytogenes ‐specific putative gene encoding a bile salt hydrolase (BSH). Here, we show that the bsh gene encodes a functional intracellular enzyme in all pathogenic Listeria species. The bsh gene is positively regulated by PrfA, the transcriptional activator of known L. monocytogenes virulence genes. Moreover, BSH activity increases at low oxygen concentration. Deletion of bsh results in decreased resistance to bile in vitro , reduced bacterial faecal carriage after oral infection of the guinea‐pigs, reduced virulence and liver colonization after intravenous inoculation of mice. Taken together, these results demonstrate that BSH is a novel PrfA‐regulated L. monocytogenes virulence factor involved in the intestinal and hepatic phases of listeriosis.
Lattice Boltzmann Analysis of 2-D Natural Convection Flow and Heat Transfer within Square Enclosure including an Isothermal Hot Block

In the this investigation, physics of natural convection flow and heat transfer in closed enclosure including an isothermal heat block are analyzed by double population approach of lattice Boltzmann method (LBM). The sidewalls are isothermally cooled at a constant temperature while the upper and bottom walls are considered to be adiabatic except for the rectangular block heated at a uniform temperature. The simulations were performed for a Prandtl number fixed to 0.71. Main attention has been focused on the effects of Rayleigh number (10 3 ≤ Ra ≤ 10 6 ), source position (0.1 ≤ xc ≤ 0.4), source length (0.1 ≤ a ≤ 0.6) and source height (0 ≤ b ≤ 0.4) upon dynamic and thermal fields of the fluid. It is found that the present approach of LB thermal model D2Q4-D2Q9 produces similar results by comparison with former predictions. Besides, the computational results show that the parameters governing the problem have a considerable effect on the flow patterns, the temperature repartition and consequently on the heat transfer rate. By increasing Rayleigh number, average Nusselt number along upper and lateral surfaces of the heater increases causing an enhancement of convective mode in enclosure. A weakening of heat transfer rate is obtained with increasing position, length as well as height of hot source.
Improving mortality in trauma laparotomy through the evolution of damage control resuscitation: Analysis of 1,030 consecutive trauma laparotomies

BACKGROUND The aim of this study was to evaluate the related change in outcomes (mortality, complications) in patients undergoing trauma laparotomy (TL) with the implementation of damage control resuscitation (DCR). We hypothesized that the implementation of DCR in patients undergoing TL is associated with better outcomes. METHODS We analyzed 1,030 consecutive patients with TL. Patients were stratified into three phases: pre-DCR (2006–2007), transient (2008–2009), and post-DCR (2010–2013). Resuscitation fluids (crystalloids and blood products), injury severity score (ISS), vital signs, and laboratory (hemoglobin, international normalized ratio, lactate) parameters were recorded. Regression analysis was performed after adjusting for age, ISS, laboratory and vital parameters, comorbidities, and resuscitation fluids to identify independent predictors for outcomes in each phase. RESULTS Patient demographics and ISS remained the same throughout the three phases. There was a significant reduction in the volume of crystalloid (p = 0.001) and a concomitant increase in the blood product resuscitation (p = 0.04) in the post-DCR phase compared to the pre-DCR and transient DCR phases. Volume of crystalloid resuscitation was an independent predictor of mortality in the pre-DCR (OR [95% CI]: 1.071 [1.03–1.1], p = 0.01) and transient (OR [95% CI]: 1.05 [1.01–1.14], p = 0.01) phases; however, it was not associated with mortality in the post-DCR phase (OR [95% CI]:1.01 [0.96–1.09], p = 0.1). Coagulopathy (p = 0.01) and acidosis (p = 0.02) were independently associated with mortality in all three phases. CONCLUSION The implementation of DCR was associated with improved outcome in patients undergoing TL. There was a decrease in the use of damage control laparotomy, with a decrease in the use of crystalloid and an increase in the use of blood products. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE Prognostic study, level III.
Targeted Therapies in Epithelial Ovarian Cancer

Epithelial ovarian cancer remains a major women's health problem due to its high lethality. Despite great efforts to develop effective prevention and early detection strategies, most patients are still diagnosed at advanced stages of disease. This pattern of late presentation has resulted in significant challenges in terms of designing effective therapies to achieve long-term cure. One potential promising strategy is the application of targeted therapeutics that exploit a myriad of critical pathways involved in tumorigenesis and metastasis. This review examines three of the most provocative targeted therapies with current or future applicability in epithelial ovarian cancer.
What Factors Facilitate Good Learning Experiences in Clinical Studies in Nursing: Bachelor Students' Perceptions

Clinical studies constitute 50% of the bachelor program in nursing education in Norway, and the quality of these studies may be decisive for the students' opportunities to learn and develop their professional competences. The aim of this study was to explore what bachelor students' in nursing perceived to be important for having good learning experiences in clinical studies. Data was collected in a focus group interview with eight nursing students who were in the last year of the educational program. The interview was transcribed verbatim, and qualitative content analysis was used for exploring and interpreting the content of the interview text. One main theme emerged from the analysis: “being in a vulnerable and exposed position characterized by conflicting needs. ” Four categories were found: “aspects related to the clinical setting”, “aspects related to the nurse supervisor,” “aspects related to the student,” and “aspects related to the student-supervisor relationship”. The findings revealed that the students' learning experiences and motivation were related to individual, relational, and organizational aspects. The students highlighted their own as well as their supervisors' attitudes and competences and the importance of positive relationships. In addition, feeling welcomed, included, and valued in the ward improved their motivation, self-confidence, and self-respect.
Reconciling Conflicting Models for Global Control of Cell-Cycle Transcription

How the program of periodic cell-cycle transcription is controlled has been debated for several years. Models have ranged from control by a CDK-APC/C oscillator, by a transcription factor (TF) network, or by coupled CDK-APC/C and TF networks. In contrast to current models, a recent study concluded that the cell-cycle transcriptional program is primarily controlled by a CDK-APC/C oscillator with little input from the TF network. This conclusion was largely based on an assumption that substantial drops in transcript levels of network TFs would render them unable to regulate their targets. By combining quantitative modeling and an unbiased analysis of the RNA-seq data, we demonstrate that the data from this recent study are completely consistent with previous reports indicating a critical role of a TF network. Moreover, we report substantial transcript dynamics in cells arrested with intermediate levels of B-cyclins, further supporting the model in which oscillating CDK activity is not required to produce phase-specific transcription.
LOW CYCLE FATIGUE OF PRESSURE VESSEL MATERIALS. Final Technical Report

The low-cycle controlled strain fatigue behavior of several steel and Al alloys was studied by means of axial tension-compression and bend cycling fatigue tests. The effects of a number of parameters including mean strain, stress biaxiality, superimposed stresses, test temperature, and type of loading were examined systematically. In addition, studies of accumulative and cumulative damage were undertaken in an attempt to gain a deeper understanding of the nature of strain-cycling fatigue and the damage mechanisms that are operatlve during the life of a strain-cycled specimen. It is shown that low-cycle fatigue phenomena are best analyzed from strain-controlled rather than stresscortrolled test data. It is shown that the relationship proposed independently by both Manson and Coffin predicts the failure life of strain-cycled specimens, but only for mean strains equal to zero. A modified equation is proposed which accounts for the effects of mean strain and indicates the equivalence of mean strain and prestrain. Total strain can be utillized instead of the plastic strain components up to approximately 10,000 cycles. Results obtained in tensioncompression and in bending are in general agreement if the testing conditions are similar. The effect of both stress biaxialtty and superimposed stress is to reduce specimen life atmore » a given strain-cycling level. The latter effect appears to be dependert upon material characteristics. The effect of test temperature can be regarded as a reflection of the effect of temperature on uniaxial fracture ductility. Damage studies indicate that the accumulation of fatigue damage in a strain-cycled specimen is not predictable by the same equations that predict the failure life. Rather, it appears that accumulated damage'' is governed by the loss of available ductility owing to strain hardening and the formation and growth of cracks. Limited studles of cumulative damage'' indicate that subsequent cycling at a strain level higher than a prior precycle strain level results in failure at shorter lives than is predicted by a linear damage assumption. The cumulative damage problem appears to be quite complex. It is suggested that a better understanding of cumulative damage may be gained by the acquisition of additional basic information from accumulated damage studies. This information, obtained under a given set of cycling conditions, might then be translated to various cycling conditions. (auth)« less
Investor Psychology and Asset Pricing

The basic paradigm of asset pricing is in vibrant flux. The purely rational approach is being subsumed by a broader approach based upon the psychology of investors. In this approach, security expected returns are determined by both risk and misvaluation. This survey sketches a framework for understanding decision biases, evaluates the a priori arguments and the capital market evidence bearing on the importance of investor psychology for security prices, and reviews recent models.Presentation slides: https://ssrn.com/abstract=3181614.
Variable Elimination in Chemical Reaction Networks with Mass-Action Kinetics

We consider chemical reaction networks taken with mass-action kinetics. The steady states of such a system are solutions to a system of polynomial equations. Even for small systems the task of finding the solutions is daunting. We develop an algebraic framework and procedure for linear elimination of variables. The procedure reduces the variables in the system to a set of “core” variables by eliminating variables corresponding to a set of noninteracting species. The steady states are parameterized algebraically by the core variables, and a graphical condition is given that ensures that a steady state with positive core variables necessarily takes positive values for all variables. Further, we characterize graphically the sets of eliminated variables that are constrained by a conservation law and show that this conservation law takes a specific form.
Dystonia rating scales: Critique and recommendations

Many rating scales have been applied to the evaluation of dystonia, but only few have been assessed for clinimetric properties. The Movement Disorders Society commissioned this task force to critique existing dystonia rating scales and place them in the clinical and clinimetric context. A systematic literature review was conducted to identify rating scales that have either been validated or used in dystonia. Thirty‐six potential scales were identified. Eight were excluded because they did not meet review criteria, leaving 28 scales that were critiqued and rated by the task force. Seven scales were found to meet criteria to be “recommended”: the Blepharospasm Disability Index is recommended for rating blepharospasm; the Cervical Dystonia Impact Scale and the Toronto Western Spasmodic Torticollis Rating Scale for rating cervical dystonia; the Craniocervical Dystonia Questionnaire for blepharospasm and cervical dystonia; the Voice Handicap Index (VHI) and the Vocal Performance Questionnaire (VPQ) for laryngeal dystonia; and the Fahn‐Marsden Dystonia Rating Scale for rating generalized dystonia. Two “recommended” scales (VHI and VPQ) are generic scales validated on few patients with laryngeal dystonia, whereas the others are disease‐specific scales. Twelve scales met criteria for “suggested” and 7 scales met criteria for “listed. ” All the scales are individually reviewed in the online information. The task force recommends 5 specific dystonia scales and suggests to further validate 2 recommended generic voice‐disorder scales in dystonia. Existing scales for oromandibular, arm, and task‐specific dystonia should be refined and fully assessed. Scales should be developed for body regions for which no scales are available, such as lower limbs and trunk. © 2013 Movement Disorder Society
A validity study of the Evaluation Tool of Children's Handwriting-Cursive.

OBJECTIVES This study examined concurrent validity of the Evaluation Tool of Children's Handwriting-Cursive (ETCH-C) by comparing ETCH-C total legibility percentage scores with handwriting grades from teachers. The study also identified the legibility percentage score discriminating between satisfactory and unsatisfactory handwriting. METHOD The participants were 101 fourth graders who completed two handwriting instruments. Three teachers sorted the Cursive Practice and Review work sheets into A, B, C, and unsatisfactory groups to establish handwriting grade. The study compared ETCH-C total legibility percentage scores with teacher grading, using personal judgment of handwriting on the Cursive Practice and Review work sheet. RESULTS Mean legibility percentage scores increased significantly as handwriting grade increased. The concurrent validity coefficients were . 61 for ETCH-C total words and . 65 for ETCH-C total letters and handwriting grade. ETCH-C legibility percentage scores discriminating satisfactory from unsatisfactory handwriting ranged from 73% to 82% on ROC (receiver operating characteristic) curves. CONCLUSION Results support the concurrent validity of the ETCH-C with handwriting grades. A 75% word legibility percentage score discriminated satisfactory and unsatisfactory handwriting.
Development of defined cultures of indigenous cecal bacteria to control salmonellosis in broiler chicks.

An in vitro continuous-flow (CF) culture system was utilized to isolate and maintain a defined mixed culture of indigenous cecal bacteria from adult broilers. The protective effects of the defined CF culture and dietary lactose on Salmonella typhimurium colonization were evaluated in broiler chicks. The CF culture was administered to chicks by crop gavage on the day of hatch. Lactose was provided as 5% (wt/wt) of the feed ration. The chicks were challenged orally with 10(4) S. typhimurium at 3 days of age and evaluated for Salmonella colonization 7 days after challenge. The experiment was repeated in six separate trials using newly hatched chicks and CF culture that was maintained in continuous steady-state conditions from 42 to 190 days. Compared with controls, the mean number of S. typhimurium in the cecal contents of the chicks given CF culture and dietary lactose decreased significantly (P < .01) by 4.2 log10 units. Similarly, the numbers of Salmonella cecal culture-positive chicks was significantly decreased (P < .01) by 55% in the chicks given CF culture and lactose. The results indicated that a defined culture of indigenous cecal bacteria isolated and maintained in CF culture, together with dietary lactose, effectively controlled S. typhimurium cecal colonization in newly hatched broiler chicks.
Scenario Semantics of Extended Logic Programs

We present a coherent, exible, unifying, and intuitive framework for the study of explicit negation in logic programs, based on the notion of admissible scenaria and the "coherence principle". With this support we introduce, in a simple way, a proposed "ideal sceptical semantics", as well as its well{ founded counterpart. Another result is a less sceptical "complete scenaria semantics", and its proof of equivalence to the well{founded semantics with explicit negation (WFSX). This has the added beneect of bridging complete scenaria to default theory via WFSX, deened here based on Gelfond{Lifschitz ? operator. Finally, we characterize a variety of more and less sceptical or credulous semantics, including answer{sets, and give suucient conditions for equivalence between those semantics.
Periodotopy in the gerbil inferior colliculus: local clustering rather than a gradient map

Periodicities in sound waveforms are widespread, and shape important perceptual attributes of sound including rhythm and pitch. Previous studies have indicated that, in the inferior colliculus (IC), a key processing stage in the auditory midbrain, neurons tuned to different periodicities might be arranged along a periodotopic axis which runs approximately orthogonal to the tonotopic axis. Here we map out the topography of frequency and periodicity tuning in the IC of gerbils in unprecedented detail, using pure tones and different periodic sounds, including click trains, sinusoidally amplitude modulated (SAM) noise and iterated rippled noise. We found that while the tonotopic map exhibited a clear and highly reproducible gradient across all animals, periodotopic maps varied greatly across different types of periodic sound and from animal to animal. Furthermore, periodotopic gradients typically explained only about 10% of the variance in modulation tuning between recording sites. However, there was a strong local clustering of periodicity tuning at a spatial scale of ca. 0.5 mm, which also differed from animal to animal.
Characteristic improvements of vertically aligned columnar quantum dot solar cell with a GaAsSb capping layer

This study demonstrates the feasibility of improving the optical properties of a vertically aligned quantum dot (QD) structure and the performance of a quantum dot intermediate band solar cell (QD-IBSC) by capping a GaAsSb layer on the InAs QD. Experimental results indicate that this capping process significantly improves dot-size uniformity because of the strain modification in vertically aligned dot layer growth. A solar cell device with an InAs/GaAsSb columnar dot structure increases the short-circuit current density (Jsc) by 8.8%, compared to a GaAs reference cell. This dot structure also increases quantum efficiency by up to 1200 nm through the absorption of lower-energy photons. The InAs/GaAsSb QD-IBSC also improves the open-circuit voltage (Voc), indicating a reduction in misfit defect density and recombination current density. Power dependent photoluminescence (PL) and time resolved photoluminescence (TRPL) measurement are employed to characterize the optical properties of typical InAs/GaAs type-I and InAs/GaAsSb type-II vertically aligned quantum dot structure. Extended carrier lifetime is demonstrated in the columnar InAs/GaAsSb type-II band structure. The results of this study confirm the ability and thermal stability of a columnar InAs/GaAsSb QD structure to enhance device performance.
Developing an international Pseudomonas aeruginosa reference panel

Pseudomonas aeruginosa is a major opportunistic pathogen in cystic fibrosis (CF) patients and causes a wide range of infections among other susceptible populations. Its inherent resistance to many antimicrobials also makes it difficult to treat infections with this pathogen. Recent evidence has highlighted the diversity of this species, yet despite this, the majority of studies on virulence and pathogenesis focus on a small number of strains. There is a pressing need for a P. aeruginosa reference panel to harmonize and coordinate the collective efforts of the P. aeruginosa research community. We have collated a panel of 43 P. aeruginosa strains that reflects the organism's diversity. In addition to the commonly studied clones, this panel includes transmissible strains, sequential CF isolates, strains with specific virulence characteristics, and strains that represent serotype, genotype or geographic diversity. This focussed panel of P. aeruginosa isolates will help accelerate and consolidate the discovery of virulence determinants, improve our understanding of the pathogenesis of infections caused by this pathogen, and provide the community with a valuable resource for the testing of novel therapeutic agents.
Short artificial hairpins sequester splicing signals and inhibit yeast pre-mRNA splicing

To examine the stability of yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) pre-mRNA structures, we inserted a series of small sequence elements that generated potential RNA hairpins at the 5' splice site and branch point regions. We analyzed spliceosome assembly and splicing in vitro as well as splicing and nuclear pre-mRNA retention in vivo. Surprisingly, the inhibition of in vivo splicing approximately paralleled that of in vitro splicing. Even a 6-nucleotide hairpin could be shown to inhibit splicing, and a 15-nucleotide hairpin gave rise to almost complete inhibition. The in vitro results indicate that hairpins that sequester the 5' splice site have a major effect on the early steps of spliceosome assembly, including U1 small nuclear ribonucleoprotein binding. The in vivo experiments lead to comparable conclusions as the sequestering hairpins apparently result in the transport of pre-mRNA to the cytoplasm. The observations are compared with previous data from both yeast and mammalian systems and suggest an important effect of pre-mRNA structure on in vivo splicing.