cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The human visual system uses a global closure mechanism.

Abstract Research asserting that the visual system instantiates a global closure heuristic in contour integration has been challenged by an argument that behaviorally-detected closure enhancement could be accounted for by low-level local mechanisms driven by collinearity or “good continuation” interacting with proximity. The present study investigated this issue in three experiments. Exp. 1 compared the visibility of closed and open contours using circles and S-contours from low to moderately high angles of path curvature in a temporal alternative-forced choice task. Circles were more detectable than S-contours, an effect that increased with curvature. The closure enhancement observed can, however, be explained by the fact that circles contain more ‘contiguity’ than S-contours. Additional tests added discontinuities to otherwise closed paths to control for the effects of good continuation and closure independently. Exp. 2 compared the visibility of incomplete circles (C-contours) and S-contours derived from the full circles and S-contours in Exp. 1. Exp. 3a compared the visibility of arc pairs arranged in an enclosed position similar to “()” and a non-enclosed position similar to “)(”. Results consistently showed enhanced visibility of contour configurations enclosing a region even after controlling for differences in contiguity and changes of curvature direction. A control test (Exp. 3b) demonstrated that the gap in the contours of Exp. 3a was too large to be bridged by local-level collinearity/proximity alone. The combination of good continuation and proximity alone does not explain the closure effects observed across these tests, as demonstrated through the application of a Bayesian model of collinearity and proximity ( Geisler et al., 2001 ) to the stimuli in Exps. 3a and 3b. These results argue for the presence of a global closure-driven contour enhancing mechanism in human vision.
The effect of unemployment on disability caseloads in California

The hypothesis that competition for jobs is positively related to the likelihood that persons with legislatively defined disabilities will opt for public compensation is tested using aggregate time-series data from California. Results support the hypothesis. The implications of the findings for social policy are briefly discussed. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Birth Order and Sex as Related to Memory of Parental Strictness-Permissiveness

The birth order along with ratings of remembered parental strictness-permissiveness were obtained from 116 university students. For the total sample, firstborns regarded both parents as significantly more strict than laterborns, and firstborn women rated their fathers as significantly more strict than laterborn women. Discussion was given to previous investigations that were both consistent and inconsistent with these results.
Trimellitic Anhydride-Induced Eosinophilia in a Mouse Model of Occupational Asthma

Trimellitic anhydride (TMA) is a low-molecular-weight chemical known to cause occupational asthma. The present study was designed to determine if TMA elicited eosinophil infiltration into lungs of sensitized mice similar to previous studies with the protein allergen ovalbumin (OA). BALB/c mice were sensitized intradermally with 0.1 ml of 3% TMA or 0.3% OA in corn oil followed by intratracheal instillation with TMA conjugated to mouse serum albumin (TMA-MSA; 30 or 400 microg) or OA (30 microg). Nonsensitized mice received corn oil vehicle intradermally and MSA (30 microg) intratracheally. The allergic response was elicited 3 weeks later by intratracheal instillation of 30 or 400 microg TMA-MSA, OA, or control MSA. Cellular infiltration into bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BAL) was determined 72 h later. Eosinophil peroxidase (EPO) and myeloperoxidase (MPO) activity in lung homogenates was used as an estimate of numbers of eosinophils and neutrophils, respectively, in lung tissue. In TMA-sensitized mice, TMA-MSA challenge significantly increased numbers of eosinophils in BAL and EPO in lung, indicating an increase in number of eosinophils in the airway and tissue. In nonsensitized mice, TMA-MSA challenge also caused a small but significant increase in eosinophils in BAL compared to MSA control. Total IgE in both plasma and BAL was significantly higher in TMA-sensitized compared to nonsensitized mice. The eosinophil infiltration in TMA-sensitized mice was similar in magnitude to the response in OA-sensitized mice. These studies are the first to demonstrate TMA-induced eosinophilia in mouse lung and to provide a model for comparing mechanisms and mediators responsible for the substantial eosinophilia induced by TMA and OA.
Antiandrogen-induced cell death in LNCaP human prostate cancer cells

Antiandrogens such as Casodex (Bicalutamide) are designed to treat advance stage prostate cancer by interfering with androgen receptor-mediated cell survival and by initiating cell death. Treatment of androgen sensitive, non-metastatic LNCaP human prostate cancer cells with 0-100 microM Casodex or 0-10 ng/ml TNF-alpha induces cell death in 20-60% of the cells by 48 h in a dose-dependent manner. In cells treated with TNF-alpha, this is accompanied by the loss of mitochondrial membrane potential (DeltaPsim) and cell adhesion. In contrast, cells treated with Casodex display loss of cell adhesion, but sustained mitochondrial dehydrogenase activity. Overexpression of Bcl-2 in LNCaP cells attenuates the induction of cell death by TNF-alpha but not Casodex, suggesting that mitochondria depolarization is not required for the induction of cell death by Casodex. While both TNF-alpha and Casodex-induced release of cytochrome c in LNCaP cell is predominantely associated with the translocation and cleavage of Bax, our data also suggest that Casodex induces cell death by acting on components downstream of decline of DeltaPsim and upstream of cytochrome c release. Furthermore, while induction of both caspase-3 and caspase-8 activities are observed in TNF-alpha and Casodex-treated cells, a novel cleavage product of procaspase-8 is seen in Casodex-treated cells. Taken together, these data support the hypothesis that Casodex induces cell death by a pathway that is independent of changes in DeltaPsim and Bcl-2 actions and results in an extended lag phase of cell survival that may promote the induction of an invasive phenotype after treatment.
n-propylamine pretreatment of buffered solvent pulp to enhance enzymatic hydrolysis

Abstract The enzymatic hydrolysis of n -propylamine swollen buffered solvent pulp was studied in batch reactors. The rate of hydrolysis and the conversion of n -propylamine swollen and water extracted pulp was found to be approximately 60% higher than nonswollen pulp. Residual n -propylamine in the swollen pulp was found to inhibit strongly the enzymatic hydrolysis of the pulp. Water extraction was found to remove completely the residual amine. X-ray diffraction was used to characterize n -propylamine swollen buffered solvent pulp. Compared to nonswollen pulp, the swollen pulp was found to have reduced crystallinity and the remaining crystals were transformed from Cellulose I to Cellulose III.
Hybrid Modeling and Simulation of Multidimensional Processes for Diesel Particulate Filter During Loading and Regeneration

In the present work, hybrid modeling and simulation of multidimensional processes for a diesel particulate filter (DPF) are developed. The flow and temperature fields of representative channels are obtained by solving conservation of mass, momentum, and energy equations together with a spherical unit collector filtration model. 3-D Navier-Stokes equations are simplified to a set of 1-D conservation equations by employing order-of-magnitude analysis and an integral method. They are then solved by combining the shooting method and the Runge-Kutta method. The 3-D flow field is recovered by the 1-D solution and parabolic velocity profile. 3-D transient conservation of energy is solved using a modified alternating-direction implicit method. The model is validated by comparing numerical model results with analytical, numerical, and experimental results in the literature. The effects of particulate loading on temperature and temperature gradient during regeneration, as well as parametric studies of the DPF durin...
New ways in which GLP-1 can regulate glucose homeostasis

Glucagon-like peptide–1 (GLP-1) is a brain-gut peptide that has enjoyed considerable attention recently because of its important role in the regulation of glucose homeostasis and its application to the treatment of diabetes. GLP-1 was first defined as an incretin, a gastrointestinal hormone released during meal absorption that stimulates prandial insulin release (1). However, subsequent studies demonstrated that intravenous administration of GLP-1 has effects on glucagon secretion, gastric function, hepatic glucose metabolism, and satiety (2). This expanded set of functions was also attributed to endocrine effects of intestinally derived GLP-1. Based on current evidence, the actions of circulating GLP-1 are best understood as a set of coordinated processes that promotes glucose tolerance (Figure ​(Figure1).1). Indeed, the most consistent finding across disparate studies in which GLP-1 signaling was blocked or reduced in vivo has been the development of abnormally high blood glucose levels following enteral or parenteral glucose administration (3–6). Figure 1 Levels of glucose in the plasma are determined by the rate at which glucose emerges from the gastrointestinal tract as well as the rate of glucose production by the liver. Glucose serves as a stimulus for insulin secretion from the pancreas, which influences ...
Adoption of a wiki within a large internal medicine residency program: a 3-year experience

Objective To describe the creation and evaluate the use of a wiki by medical residents, and to determine if a wiki would be a useful tool for improving the experience, efficiency, and education of housestaff. Materials and methods In 2008, a team of medical residents built a wiki containing institutional knowledge and reference information using Microsoft SharePoint. We tracked visit data for 3 years, and performed an audit of page views and updates in the second year. We evaluated the attitudes of medical residents toward the wiki using a survey. Results Users accessed the wiki 23218, 35094, and 40545 times in each of three successive academic years from 2008 to 2011. In the year two audit, 85 users made a total of 1082 updates to 176 pages and of these, 91 were new page creations by 17 users. Forty-eight percent of residents edited a page. All housestaff felt the wiki improved their ability to complete tasks, and 90%, 89%, and 57% reported that the wiki improved their experience, efficiency, and education, respectively, when surveyed in academic year 2009e2010. Discussion A wiki is a useful and popular tool for organizing administrative and educational content for residents. Housestaff felt strongly that the wiki improved their workflow, but a smaller educational impact was observed. Nearly half of the housestaff edited the wiki, suggesting broad buy-in among the residents. Conclusion A wiki is a feasible and useful tool for improving information retrieval for house officers.
Output-feedback control of feedforward nonlinear delayed systems through dynamic high-gain scaling

The output-feedback control problem for nonlinear systems with state and input delays is addressed. Both state and input delays are allowed to be time-varying and uncertain. The class of systems considered consists of a nominal system of feedforward form as well as appended dynamics. A delayindependent robust adaptive feedback is designed based on our recent results on dual dynamic high-gain scaling based control designs for feedforward systems.
Preoperative autologous donation: Surgery clinic staff knowledge/attitudes

Preoperative autologous blood donation (PABD) is both under- and overused. Although the decision to order PABD lies with the surgeon, it is quite likely that other surgery clinic personnel influence patient acceptance and enrollment into PABD programs. Accordingly, we measured knowledge, attitudes, and the referral practice of clinic personnel pertaining to PABD. We administered a questionnaire to 102 nurses and 33 clerks working in surgery clinics at three university medical centers--one center in an area with a high incidence of AIDS and two centers in areas of low incidence of AIDS. Knowledge of PABD was poor when assessed by six questions. Only 6% each of nurses and clerks answered all questions correctly; 55% of nurses and 54% clerks missed three or more of the six questions. Surprisingly, no differences (P > .05) in knowledge deficits were noted when personnel from high and low AIDS areas were compared--indicating an overall need for education about PABD. In general, attitudes about PABD were positive, as most respondents (63%) gave favorable answers. Clinic personnel from the high AIDS area had even more favorable attitudes (P = .02). Because of these favorable attitudes, it seems likely that educational programs dealing with PABD would be readily accepted by clinic personnel. Greater knowledge should enhance the effectiveness of clinic staff in identifying, counseling, and referring eligible patients for this service.
A Gene Regulatory Network Cooperatively Controlled by Pdx1 and Sox9 Governs Lineage Allocation of Foregut Progenitor Cells

The generation of pancreas, liver, and intestine from a common pool of progenitors in the foregut endoderm requires the establishment of organ boundaries. How dorsal foregut progenitors activate pancreatic genes and evade the intestinal lineage choice remains unclear. Here, we identify Pdx1 and Sox9 as cooperative inducers of a gene regulatory network that distinguishes the pancreatic from the intestinal lineage. Genetic studies demonstrate dual and cooperative functions for Pdx1 and Sox9 in pancreatic lineage induction and repression of the intestinal lineage choice. Pdx1 and Sox9 bind to regulatory sequences near pancreatic and intestinal differentiation genes and jointly regulate their expression, revealing direct cooperative roles for Pdx1 and Sox9 in gene activation and repression. Our study identifies Pdx1 and Sox9 as important regulators of a transcription factor network that initiates pancreatic fate and sheds light on the gene regulatory circuitry that governs the development of distinct organs from multi-lineage-competent foregut progenitors.
Biomass Yield and Cell Wall Composition of Corn with Alternative Morphologies Planted at Variable Densities

The demand for biofeedstocks is increasing with the growth of the biofuel industry. Mutations such as grassy tillers1 (gt1), which increase the number of primary lateral branches (tillers) from below ground nodes, as well as Corngrass1 (Cg1), which alters cell wall composition, are hypothesized to increase theoretical ethanol yield on a per hectare basis. To test this, gt1 isogenic hybrids and Cg1 hybrids were evaluated at two densities (20,000 and 70,000 plants ha −1 ). Stover samples were collected at grain physiological maturity and evaluated for cell wall composition. The effect of density treatment was signifi cant for grain, stover, whole plant yield, and acid detergent lignin (ADL) on the whole data set (p = 0.05). Negative correlations were observed between stover yield and cell wall composition traits, while positive correlations were observed among compositional traits. The Cg1 hybrids were the lowest yielding hybrids and had higher ADL than the commercial checks. Tiller number was positively correlated with grain, stover, and whole plant yield at the low density. Homozygous gt1/gt1 hybrids planted at low density were not different than their wild-type counterparts planted at high density for stover yield. The ability of tillering plants to equate biomass production of their wild-type counterparts at nearly four times higher density demonstrates the utility in exploring alternative plant morphologies in an effort to meet the needs of the biofuel industry.
Ladder logic implementation of Ramadge-Wonham supervisory controller

In this paper we present an algorithm to convert a controller automaton synthesized by the Ramadge-Wonham (RW) method to a ladder logic diagram. The subject of conversion from RW controller to ladder logic is not new and has already been addressed by many researchers. Our method takes a new look at this subject. We not only make sure that the same sequences of events can be generated by both the RW controller and its converted ladder logic (as done by other related literature), but we also guarantee the implementation of the converted ladder logic as a PLC program. Specifically, we use the IDEF3 standard, which views a manufacturing system as a set of activities and their required resources. We consider the resource events to define the forcing mechanisms of ladder logic, as the original RW controller cannot model these mechanisms. We also use external signals to resolve the inherent conflicts of RW controller that cannot be tolerated under a forcing controller such as ladder logic. Two examples are presented to illustrate the applicability of the proposed algorithm.
Sand flux in the northern Chihuahuan desert, New Mexico, USA, and the influence of mesquite-dominated landscapes

[1] Measurements of sand flux over areas with different vegetation in the Chihuahuan desert show that mean, height-integrated, horizontal flux values for mesquite-dominated sites were higher than those for other kinds of vegetation. Sand transport over mesquite areas displayed seasonal variability for most years. This seasonal variability roughly followed the variability of strong winds. Sand transport rates for collectors within a short distance downwind of mesquite bushes were small compared to those for collectors at the end of streets (elongated patches of bare soil) aligned with wind direction. The increased rate of sand transport (wind erosion) associated with mesquite is important because mesquite-dominated areas are increasing in the northern Chihuahuan desert and are therefore responsible for increasing land degradation (desertification).
Habitat requirements and local persistence of three damselfly species (odonata: coenagrionidae)

Habitat requirements and population persistence were investigated in three damselfly species, all coastal plain pond specialists: Enallagma recurvatum, E. laterale, and E. pictum. Because of geographic restriction, two are of special concern to conservation, E. recurvatum and E. laterale. We surveyed more than 70 ponds on Cape Cod, Massachusetts, and collected adult presence-absence data during the summers of 1999 and 2000. We achieved a detection rate approaching 100% for each species by visiting each pond up to three times. We looked for relationships between the presence of each damselfly species and presence of specific aquatic vegetation, the presence of the other Enallagma species, and the number of ponds within various distances of the 72 surveyed ponds. Using stepwise logistic regression, we found the following significant associations: E. recurvatum with the rush Juncus militaris; E. laterale with water lilies (Nuphar variegatum and Brasenia schreberi) the damselfly E. pictum, and the number of ponds within 2 km; and E. pictum with the water lily Nymphaea odorata, the damselfly E. laterale, and the number of ponds within 1.5 km and 2.5 km. Presence-absence data were used to calculate turnover and local extinction rates for each species between the two years. E. recurvatum's turnover and local extinction rates (33.3% and 41% respectively) were much higher than either E. laterale (9.8%, 11.5%) or E. pictum (7.7%, 10%). These results suggest that E. recurvatum occurs in a metapopulation, and that patch colonization rates might be important to local population persistence.
Possible new Ca-REE-Bi phosphate minerals from a tungsten-rich calcsilicate skarn, Sierra Nevada Mountains, California

Scanning electron microscope and electron microprobe analyses of 3 to 15 μm diameter grains present within a garnet-quartz granofels from a tungsten skarn reveal the possible existence of at least two new rare earth element (REE)-bearing phosphate phases: Ca(Ce,La,Bi,Nd)2[(P,As)O4]2(OH)2 and Ca(La,Ce,Nd,Pr,Bi)2[(P,As)O4]2(OH)2. The analyzed REEs constitute up to 50 wt% of the phases; bismuth oxide contents range from 4.1 to 16.1 wt%. Structural data has proved impossible to obtain from these tiny grains, presumably due to radiation damage by thorium decay. These potentially new phosphate minerals are present within alteration assemblages of REE-rich epidote crystals, as well as along grain boundaries and cracks cross-cutting the quartz-garnet host rock. Association with the zeolite brewsterite-Ba suggests that these hydroxyl phosphates formed during water-rich, low-temperature, retrograde mineralization in the skarn environment.
The Family 1 Glycoside Hydrolase from Clostridium cellulolyticum H10 is a Cellodextrin Glucohydrolase

The only family 1 glycoside hydrolase in Clostridium cellulolyticum H10 (CcGH1) is annotated as a beta-galactosidase but has high sequence homology with many beta-glucosidases. Given the possible importance of beta-glucosidase in cellulose utilization by C. cellulolyticum, the encoding open reading frame Ccel_0374 was cloned and expressed in E. coli as a soluble fusion protein with thioredoxin. After tag cleavage, the purified enzyme had a molecular mass of 52 kDa and was active in dimeric form on a broad range of substrates, including cellobiose, cellotriose, cellotetraose, p-nitrophenyl-beta-glucopyranoside, lactose, and o-nitrophenyl-beta-galactopyranoside. The enzyme showed lower K m and higher catalytic efficiency (k cat/K m) on cellodextrins with degree of polymerization from 2 to 4 than on lactose, and the k cat/K m values on cellodextrins increased in the order of cellobiose < cellotriose < cellotetraose, suggesting that CcGH1 was a cellodextrin glucohydrolase (EC 3.2.1.74). The high K m (69 mM) on cellobiose implies that CcGH1 likely has a minimal role in the intracellular hydrolysis of cellobiose in C. cellulolyticum. The three-dimensional structure model of CcGH1 generated by homology modeling showed a typical (α/β)8 barrel topology characteristic of family 1 glycoside hydrolases.
Dual polarized low grazing angle radar sea scatter results from the High-Res ARI experiment

Shipboard radar experiments were conducted during the High Resolution NRL/ONR ARI main experiment on radar scatter from submesoscale surface features, such as internal gravity waves and surface convergence frontal rips. An X-band dual polarized radar was scanned each minute, collecting successive images over 360/spl deg/ in azimuth while the ship was underway. The authors present results showing striking differences between horizontal and vertical scatter from the submesoscale surface features versus the ambient sea echo, and suggest a new scattering model based on Brewster angle damping to explain the results.
The alcohol use and associated mental health problems of student service members/veterans in higher education

Aims: This study examined: (a) whether student service members/veterans attending college drank more frequently or in greater quantities than non-service peers; and (b) whether links between student service members/veterans’ alcohol use and mental health-related outcomes differed from civilian students.Methods: Participants included 145 student service members/veterans and 136 civilian students attending 16 different higher education institutions within one Midwestern state. Data were collected via web-based survey assessing alcohol-related attitudes and behaviours, problem drinking, depression, anxiety and post-traumatic stress.Findings: In general, the current sample of veterans/student service members drank similarly to younger, civilian students. Furthermore, compared to civilian students, veterans/student service members’ binge drinking was differentially associated to indicators of problem drinking and mental health symptoms such as depression/anxiety and PTSD.Conclusions: In general, findings sugge...
Matched Impedance Thin Planar Composite Magneto-Dielectric Metasurfaces

A novel methodology is presented for the design synthesis of matched impedance thin planar composite magneto-dielectric metasurfaces. The design synthesis involves optimizing thin, metallo-dielectric metasurfaces comprised of a periodic array of electrically small and rotationally symmetric metallic unit cells which are sandwiched between two thin dielectric layers and backed by a perfectly conducting ground plane. Optimization of the structures is carried out with a genetic algorithm (GA) to obtain a design with electromagnetic properties that are equivalent to a desired matched-impedance homogeneous medium of the same thickness. Optimized design results demonstrate the effectiveness of this new technique in synthesizing thin planar composite matched-impedance magneto-dielectric metasurfaces (MIMDM). To validate the approach, full-wave simulations of the actual metamaterial structure were compared with results obtained by employing an equivalent homogeneous effective medium and found to be in excellent agreement. Several designs are optimized with targeted applications such as substrates for miniaturized patch antennas and electromagnetic absorbing materials.
MULTIPLE MUTUALISTS PROVIDE COMPLEMENTARY BENEFITS TO THEIR SEAWEED HOST

Although the importance of mutualisms in structuring communities is be- coming increasingly appreciated, relatively little is known about the degree to which po- tential mutualists are interchangeable with respect to the services they provide their host. We examined the degree to which potential mutualists of a seaweed provide complementary vs. redundant benefits to their host to begin to assess the effects of mutualist diversity on host performance. The gastropods Anachis lafresnayi(Costoanachis lafresnayi) and Mitrella lunata (Astyris lunata) are common associates of the red alga Chondrus crispusin subtidal locations in southern New England. Field surveys showed that where these snails were rare, Chondrus was sparse and covered with a heavy growth of sessile invertebrates, but where snails were common, Chondrus was abundant and free from fouling overgrowth. In manipulative field experiments, plants with no snails had the most overgrowth (measured both as percent cover and total mass) and lost 25% of their mass in five weeks. Plants with either species of snail alone were also heavily fouled and lost mass. Those with only Mitrella were overgrown by solitary ascidians, whereas those with only Anachis were overgrown by bryozoans, suggesting that both snails remove epibionts, but they differ in the suite of epibionts they are capable of removing. As a result, only Chondrus with both species of snail present remained unfouled and gained mass over the course of the experiment. Field tethering experiments showed that both snail species can gain a refuge from crab predation by associating with Chondrus. Our results show that these two snail species are not inter- changeable and they provide complementary benefits to their host because they differ in their prey preferences. If this type of differentiation in resource use often mediates co- existence among mutualists, then complementary effects of mutualists on their hosts may be common.
Gaussian Bounds for Noise Correlation of Functions and Tight Analysis of Long Codes

We derive tight bounds on the expected value of products of low influence functions defined on correlated probability spaces. The proofs are based on extending Fourier theory to an arbitrary number of correlated probability spaces, on a generalization of an invariance principle recently obtained with O'Donnell and Oleszkiewicz for multilinear polynomials with low influences and bounded degree and on properties of multi-dimensional Gaussian distributions. Let (Xi j : 1 les i les k,1 les j les n) be a matrix of random variables whose columns X1,..., Xn are independent and identically distributed and such that any two rows Xi, Xj for 1 les inej les k are independent. Assume further that the values that row Xi takes with non-zero probability are the same no matter how one conditions on the remaining rows X1,..., Xi-1Xi+1,..., Xk. Our results show that given k functions f1,... , fk taking values in [0,1] it holds that |E[Pii=1 k fi (Xi)] - Pii=1 k E[ fi (Xi)]| < epsi if all influences of the functions fi are smaller than tau(epsi, k) which is independent of n. In words: low influence functions of pairwise independent rows behave like independent random variables. The general statement of our result applies when the rows are not pairwise independent and when (some) of the variables do not have low influences for (some) functions. The results obtained here allow analyzing hyper-graph long-code tests. A number of applications in hardness of approximation assuming the Unique Games Conjecture were obtained using the results derived here in subsequent work by Raghavendra and jointly by Austrin and the author. Our results imply new results on voting schemes in social choice and in additive number theory. In particular we show that among all low influence functions, Majority is asymptotically the most predictable and is (almost) optimal in the context of Condorcet voting.
Comparative performance evaluation of GM-PHD filter in clutter

Random Finite Sets (RFS) offer a diligent formalism for tracking an unknown number of targets with multiple sensors. The Probability Hypothesis Density (PHD) filter, and its Gaussian Mixture (GM) and Sequential Monte Carlo (SMC) implementations, provide tractable Bayesian Filtering methods that propagate the first order moment of the RFS probability density. A feature of the PHD filters is that they do not require association to complete their correction step. This, we believe, should constitute a significant advantage, especially in scenarios of high false alarm rates and track intersections, which can easily compromise most observer-predictor methods that must perform association to carry out their correction step. To test this hypothesis, we compare the performance of the GM-PHD to the traditional Kalman (KF) and SMC filters for visual tracking of multiple targets in moderate to heavy false alarm rate scenarios. Our tracking and association performance results seem to support this hypothesis.
Nonlinear interaction of a magnetized overdense plasma with relativistically strong electromagnetic waves

In this paper we consider relativistic interaction of an overdense plasma with very intense electromagnetic waves. Nonlinear coupling of dispersive waves in the presence of an ambient magnetic field is investigated. Lorentz transformation together with rotations of the co-ordinate system are employed to obtain analytic solutions. Two cases with variable gamma factors are treated in detail: in one case the magnitude of the electric field remains constant in the transformed frame; in the other no restriction is made to the electric field, but the total stream velocity vanishes in the transformed frame. Numerical illustrations of various modes for these two cases are depicted graphically.
Acute changes in endothelin-1 after hemodialysis for chronic renal failure

Endothelin is a recently described, potent renal vascular and systemic vasoconstrictor peptide. To evaluate the response of this peptide to volume contraction, we measured eight baseline and posthemodialysis samples from seven children, aged 14.5 ± 3 years, with chronic renal failure. Plasma was extracted and endothelin-1 was measured by radioimmunoassay. Dialysis was performed for a 3- to 3½-hour period, and body weight decreased from 38.0 ± 14.3 to 36.2 ± 13.8 kg ( p p = 0.05 for the systolic pressure). Plasma endothelin-1 concentration increased from 1.5 ± 1.2 pg/ml at baseline to 7.3 ± 8.9 pg/ml ( p = 0.06) after dialysis; the fall in body weight from dialysis correlated with the increase in endothelin ( r = −0.75; p = 0.05). Thus volume contraction from hemodialysis is associated with a rise in plasma endothelin-1, which is related to the acute change In body weight.
Extremal methods in mine detection and classification

This paper concerns general statistical properties of mine detection systems utilizing high (e.g. acoustic) returns in the presence of reverberation, modeled as a (background) random field. Recently developed extensions of the 1D theory of high level stochastic excursions are used to describe the occurrences of high peaks of a 2D background reverberation field by a (theoretically justified) Poisson model. This model and its further refinements are then used in discussing false alarm, detection, and classification probabilites.© (1995) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Vitamin D and periodontal disease

Periodontal disease is an inflammatory condition, characterized by alveolar bone loss induced by the host immune response to bacterial attack. Because of vitamin D is associated with some inflammatory diseases and plays a significant role in bone homeostasis and immunity, vitamin D deficiency could negatively affect the periodontium and increase tooth loss. In spite of the limitations of previous studies, there are valid reasons to assume that vitamin D plays a significant role in reducing the risk of periodontitis. Vitamin D promotes calcium absorption and protects bone strength; the active form of vitamin D, 1α,25-dihydroxyvitamin, function as an immunomodulator because of its anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial properties that can inhibit the inflammatory response through modulation of cytokine production by immune cells and stimulation of monocytes and macrophages to secrete peptides with potent antibacterial action; another potential function of vitamin D in periodontal health is supported by the finding that polymorphisms of the vitamin D receptor gene are associated with periodontitis, clinical attachment loss, bone loss, and/or tooth loss. These multiple actions of vitamin D are potentially interesting for the treatment of patients with periodontitis. If increased vitamin D intake can reduce alveolar bone loss, oral vitamin D supplementation could prove to be a safe, effective, low-cost adjunctive systemic/pharmacologic therapy for the prevention and treatment of periodontal disease. The research to date suggests the beneficial effects of vitamin D on periodontal disease; however, further studies are needed.
Decentralized multi-vehicle dynamic pursuit using acoustic TDOA measurements

Multi-vehicle operations in the ocean are increasingly attractive as more vehicles become commercially available, however acoustics still defines the main practical channel for long-range wireless communication underwater. Long transmission times, scheduling delays and packet losses remain obstacles to implementing real-time multi-vehicle cooperative control for marine vehicles. We present a control system for dynamic pursuit with multiple vehicles exchanging time-difference-of-arrival (TDOA) measurements via underwater acoustic communications. Using data from field experiments conducted with autonomous surface vehicles, we show that a decentralized controller can track fast-moving targets and formation changes, leveraging partial information updates and decreased effective cycle times. As a comparison, we show results for trials conducted with one similar but centralized control scheme.
Do Bank Crises or Fiscal Imbalances Hinder Long-Run Growth? Empirical Evidence from Panel Data

In this paper, we consider the long-term effects on economic output of fiscal deficits and banking crises. Using an unbalanced panel of thousands of annual observations from 169 countries around the world, we find very limited evidence that (average) banking crises have either statistically significant or substantial effects on GDP growth five years after their onset. The evidence for deficits is mixed, such that deficit spending seems to have negative impacts on long-term growth only if performed in a pro-cyclical fashion; counter-cyclical deficits have either a much smaller negative impact, or in fact a positive impact, depending on the sub-sample of countries examined, although generally not statistically significant in either case. We further find that the effect of deficits on growth varies substantially by income category and by geographical region. Finally, we find no consistent evidence for a "catch-up" effect, whereby countries with lower incomes are postulated to grow at higher rates.
Forgotten Conflicts: Need versus Political Priority in the Allocation of Humanitarian Aid across Conflict Areas

ABSTRACTDespite a principled commitment to assist people in need equally, the allocation of humanitarian assistance across conflict and post-conflict states shows remarkable variation that is not easily explained by differences in the level of recipient-need. This paper attempts to explain these “forgotten conflicts“ by analyzing the determinants of humanitarian aid to civil war and post-civil war states. Using cross-national panel data on humanitarian aid provisions, I show that the most important determinants of international humanitarian assistance are not always demand-side factors measuring humanitarian need – as the principals of humanitarian action would dictate – but often strategic factors that reflect donors’ political interests in providing humanitarian assistance. Although humanitarian aid to ongoing civil wars appears to be substantially more humanitarian than strategic in its allocation, humanitarian aid provided to post-conflict states in the aftermath of civil war tends to go to conflicts ...
Critical Race Theory, Transformation and Praxis

I suggest that through Critical Race Theory (CRT), race can or should become the preamble to all the social justice work we do. This can be achieved by engaging in what I call “oppositional cultural practice” (the process of inward and outward criticism that brings about a spiritual transformation that then provides space to create and innovate new realities for communities seeking social justice), and by activating the ‘courage to be’ at the core of our engagement strategies. The process of engaging in the critical race theory movement through written scholarship can bring about both personal spiritual transformation and social transformation. Taking a closer look at the “Rules of Racial Standing” proffered by Derrick Bell, interviews with social justice change leaders, and the writings about spirituality, the author traces how speaking from the vantage point of social inequality, the interaction of subordinate status and outsider speech is personally liberating and opens space for transformative creative and innovative solutions to social justice actions.
Development of a Gigacycle Bending Fatigue Test Method

A vibration-based bending gigacycle testing methodology is introduced as a means to efficiently assess high cycle fatigue (HCF) performance of vibrating turbine engine components. The gigacycle bending test is a modification to a conventional vibration-based approach which was developed to generate bending load conditions similar to those that would cause turbine engine blades to fail under HCF. It was necessary to accomplish two goals in this framework: first, attain a 10X increase in frequency from the conventional vibration-based test frequency so the testing time required to accumulate 10 9 cycles could be accomplished within 20 hours; second, optimize the excitation supply source so fatigue failure strain amplitudes for 10 7 cycle failure could be achieved. Frequency was increased by optimizing the geometry of the test specimen with an iterative finite element process, and the excitation source was changed from the electrodynmamic shakers used in conventional testing to a piezoelectric shaker. The new gigacycle vibration-based fatigue test setup was studied by testing Aluminum 6061-T6 specimens to understand the effects of clamping and the piezoelectric shaker capability. The gigacycle fatigue regime was not achieved because multiple lower cycle tests (10 7 ) were necessary to refine and modify the experimental procedure. Nonetheless, the fatigue results and experimental information gathered shows promise for future application of the test methodology.
Impact of radiocontrast use during left ventricular pacemaker lead implantation for cardiac resynchronization therapy.

Aims The risk of contrast-induced nephropathy (CIN) with radiocontrast use during left ventricular (LV) lead placement for cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) is unknown. It is unclear as to whether minimizing contrast use impacts adequacy of LV lead placement. Methods and results A retrospective analysis was performed of all LV leads placed for CRT at Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN from 16 March 2001 to 1 April 2009. The primary goal was to assess risk of CIN and adequacy of lead placement depending on the amount of contrast administered during CRT placement. Contrast-induced nephropathy was defined as a ≥25% increase in serum creatinine ≥48 h post-procedurally. Adequacy of lead placement was assessed in a blinded fashion by review of procedural fluoroscopic and post-procedural radiographic images. Eight hundred and twenty-two subjects were divided based on the amount of procedural contrast used into tertile 1 (<55 mL, 257 patients), tertile 2 (55–94 mL, 261 patients), and tertile 3 (≥95 mL, 304 patients). Contrast-induced nephropathy occurred in 5.4% of patients in tertile 1, 5.4% in tertile 2 and 11.8% in tertile 3 ( P = 0.004). Among the tertiles, lead positioning was optimal in 95, 80 and 66%, respectively ( P < 0.0001). Fluoroscopic time was 34 ± 23, 42 ± 26, and 48 ± 30 min in tertiles 1, 2, and 3 ( P < 0.0001). Conclusion Risk of CIN with CRT implantations was substantial. Increased volume of radiocontrast used for LV lead placement was associated with substantially increased risk of CIN. Minimal contrast use was associated with decreased procedural times without adverse impact on adequacy of lead placement.
An Evaluation of Gypsy Moth 1 Pheromone-baited Traps Using Behavioral Observations as a Measure of Trap Efficiency 23

Pheromone baited traps of different designs, including 2 standard survey traps widely used in recent years, were compared to each other and to wild female gypsy moths for efficiency in attracting and capturing male moths. Tests were carried out using behavioral observations of male moths for each trap design being evaluated. Results indicate standard survey traps are not efficient in capturing male gypsy moths when compared to wild female moths. Other designs tested performed as well as female moths in attracting and capturing male moths. Behavioral observations gave insights into trap design features which would not be readily apparent from standard trap evaluation techniques.
Rate of the enzymatic breakdown of digitoxin.

SummaryA study of the breakdown of digitoxin to form digitoxigenin by hydrochloric acid and extracts of dried heart, liver, kidney, and yeast has been carried out. The results of this study showed the hydrochloric acid and extracts of heart and liver have the ability to cause this breakdown, while extracts of kidney and yeast are inactive in this reaction. Reaction rate studies gave the following rate constants at 29.7°C: 0.85%percnt; hydrochloric acid 6.85 × 10-2, heart extract (10 g dried, defatted powder per 100 ml phosphate buffer) 5.15 × 10-2, liver extract 5.80 × 10-2 Purification of the heart extract yielded a reddish brown solid which had a high enzymatic activity and gave typical protein reactions.
Neurotensin Promotes the Development of Colitis and Intestinal Angiogenesis via Hif-1α–miR-210 Signaling

Neurotensin (NT) via its receptor 1 (NTR1) modulates the development of colitis, decreases HIF-1α/PHD2 interaction, stabilizes and increases HIF-1α transcriptional activity, and promotes intestinal angiogenesis. HIF-1α induces miR-210 expression, whereas miR-210 is strongly upregulated in response to NT in NCM460 human colonic epithelial cells overexpressing NTR1 (NCM460-NTR1). In this study, we examined whether NT activates a NTR1-HIF-1α-miR-210 cascade using in vitro (NCM460-NTR1 cells) and in vivo (transgenic mice overexpressing [HIF-1α-OE] or lacking HIF-1α [HIF-1α-knockout (KO)] in intestinal epithelial cells and mice lacking NTR1 [NTR1-KO]) models. Pretreatment of NCM460-NTR1 cells with the HIF-1α inhibitor PX-478 or silencing of HIF-1α (small interfering HIF-1α) attenuated miR-210 expression in response to NT. Intracolonic 2,4,6-trinitrobenzenesulfonic acid (TNBS) administration (2-d model) increased colonic miR-210 expression that was significantly reduced in NTR1-KO, HIF-1α-KO mice, and wild-type mice pretreated intracolonically with locked nucleic acid anti-miR-210. In contrast, HIF-1α-OE mice showed increased miR-210 expression at baseline that was further increased following TNBS administration. HIF-1α-OE mice had also exacerbated TNBS-induced neovascularization compared with TNBS-exposed wild-type mice. TNBS-induced neovascularization was attenuated in HIF-1α-KO mice, or mice pretreated intracolonically with anti-miR-210. Intracolonic anti-miR-210 also reduced colitis in response to TNBS (2 d). Importantly, miR-210 expression was increased in tissue samples from ulcerative colitis patients. We conclude that NT exerts its proinflammatory and proangiogenic effects during acute colitis via a NTR1-prolyl hydroxylase 2/HIF-1α-miR-210 signaling pathway. Our results also demonstrate that miR-210 plays a proinflammatory role in the development of colitis.
M-CSF Mediates Host Defense during Bacterial Pneumonia by Promoting the Survival of Lung and Liver Mononuclear Phagocytes

Gram-negative bacterial pneumonia is a common and dangerous infection with diminishing treatment options due to increasing antibiotic resistance among causal pathogens. The mononuclear phagocyte system is a heterogeneous group of leukocytes composed of tissue-resident macrophages, dendritic cells, and monocyte-derived cells that are critical in defense against pneumonia, but mechanisms that regulate their maintenance and function during infection are poorly defined. M-CSF has myriad effects on mononuclear phagocytes but its role in pneumonia is unknown. We therefore tested the hypothesis that M-CSF is required for mononuclear phagocyte-mediated host defenses during bacterial pneumonia in a murine model of infection. Genetic deletion or immunoneutralization of M-CSF resulted in reduced survival, increased bacterial burden, and greater lung injury. M-CSF was necessary for the expansion of lung mononuclear phagocytes during infection but did not affect the number of bone marrow or blood monocytes, proliferation of precursors, or recruitment of leukocytes to the lungs. In contrast, M-CSF was essential to survival and antimicrobial functions of both lung and liver mononuclear phagocytes during pneumonia, and its absence resulted in bacterial dissemination to the liver and hepatic necrosis. We conclude that M-CSF is critical to host defenses against bacterial pneumonia by mediating survival and antimicrobial functions of mononuclear phagocytes in the lungs and liver.
Evaluation on Surveillance of Acute Flaccid Paralysis Case in Inner Mongnlia in 2006

Objective To evaluate the situation of acute flaccid paralysis(AFP) case surveillance, to improve the quality of surveillance system and maintain the achievement of polio-free. Methods Descriptive epidemiological method was used for analyzing the AFP surveillance data in Inner Mongolia in 2006. Results 87 acute flaccid paralysis (AFP) cases were reported by the surveillance system and distributed in 53counties of total 101 counties in 12 prefec-tures(52. 5%). The reported incidence of non-polio AFP cases was 1. 8/100 000 children under 15y. 79. 8% of the stool specimens were delivered within 7 days ,all the other surveillance indicators met the requirements of WHO and MOH. in Inner Mongolia in 2006 . Conclusion The work of AFP surveillance and OPV immunization should be strengthened until no polio in the world.