cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Efficient data association for 3D passive sensors: If i have hundreds of targets and ten sensors (or more)

This paper considers the passive-sensor data association problem based on multi-dimensional assignment (MDA). The S-D algorithm has been shown to be effective for solving the MDA problem. The bottleneck of the S-D algorithm lies in its cost computation, which consumes about 95%–99% of the CPU times. Since the number of costs in the MDA problem increases exponentially with the number of sensors, the S-D algorithm becomes quite inefficient when a large number of sensors are used. We propose an efficient data association technique, “S 0 -D+Seq(2-D)” algorithm, which decomposes the original problem to an S 0 -dimensional assignment and several 2-dimensional assignments. The S 0 -D+Seq(2-D) algorithm yields a total number of costs which only increases quadratically with the number of sensors. Simulation results show that the S 0 -D+Seq(2-D) algorithm achieves a significant reduction in CPU times compared to the S-D algorithm with similar association qualities.
Nonlinear polarization-mode dispersion in optical fibers with randomly varying birefringence

Randomly varying birefringence leads to nonlinear polarization-mode dispersion (PMD) in addition to the well-known linear PMD. Here we calculate the variance of the field fluctuations produced by this nonlinear PMD. Knowing the size of these fluctuations is useful for assessing when nonlinear PMD is important and for its proper incorporation in fast numerical algorithms. We also derive the equilibrium probability distributions for the PMD coefficients, and we track the evolution of the polarization state's probability distribution from its initial delta-function distribution to its steady-state uniform distribution on the Poincare sphere.
High level of nucleolar expression of catalytic subunit of human telomerase reverse transcriptase (hTERT) is associated with better prognosis in patients with esophageal and esophagogastric junction adenocarcinomas

AACR Annual Meeting-- Apr 14-18, 2007; Los Angeles, CA 5672 Background: Telomerase, a ribonucleoprotein that maintains telomers, is composed of the catalyticprotein subunit (hTERT) and a telomerase RNA template. Recent studies have shown that nucleolar expression of hTERT is a prognostic marker for several malignancies including gastrointestinal cancers. The expression of hTERT and its prognostic significance in esophageal and esophagogastric junction (EGJ) adenocarcinomas has not been studied in detail. In this study, we examined the expression of hTERT in 94 esophageal and EGJ adenocarcinoma and correlated expression with clinicopathologic features and prognosis. Design: We constructed tissue microarrays using formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded archival tissue from 94 consecutive patients from 1986 through 1998 at MD Anderson Cancer Center who had undergone esophagectomy for clinically localized esophageal and EGJ adenocarinomas (8 stage I, 20 stage II, 49 stage III, 17 stage IV). Each tumor was sampled in triplicate with a 1-mm punch core. The expression levels of hTERT were evaluated by immunohistochemistry with a mouse anti-hTERT monoclonal antibody (Clone 44F12, 1:25, Novacastra, Novwel, MA). The staining results were scored quantitatively using Ariol Image Analysis System (San Jose, CA). The tumor cells were marked with a handdraw tool and the hTERT nucleolar labeling index in tumor cells was measured as a ratio between the stained nucleolar area and the total nuclear area of tumor cells. The computerized images and results were reviewed by two gastrointestinal pathologists. Statistical analyses were performed using SPSS software (version 12.0; SPSS, Chicago, IL) and survival was evaluated by Cox regression analysis. Result: High level of nucleolar expression of hTERT (hTERT-high, defined by labeling index of >10%) was present in 33 of 94 (35%) tumors. Patients with hTERT-high tumors had better recurrence-free survival (p=0.017), overall survival (p=0.013), and less frequent distant metastasis (p=0.04) than patients with hTERT-low tumors in univariate analysis. In multivariate analysis, tumors with hTERT-high (p=0.046 and p=0.038), pN stage (p=0.001 and p=0.001) and the number of positive lymph nodes (p=0.006 and p=0.009) significantly correlated with recurrence-free and overall survival respectively, independent of T stage and M status. Conclusion: Our results indicate that high level of nucleolar expression of hTERT was present in a subset of esophageal and EGJ adenocarcinoma and was an independent prognostic factor for better overall and recurrence-free survivals.
Quantum tomography of a bright phase-stable polarization- entangled single-mode-fiber two-photon source

We have demonstrated a bright single-mode-fiber source of polarization-entangled photon pairs with visibility > 97% and fidelity > 95% at a detected coincidence rate of 7 kHz/nm over a 3 dB, 10THz bandwidth.
A general simulation model for genetic control of mosquito species that fluctuate markedly in population size.

This paper describes a deterministic computer model that predicts the effect of various genetic control strategies on an isolated mosquito population which undergoes extreme seasonal fluctuations in size. The model is constructed as a dynamic life table in which each age group is subdivided according to sex and genotype. The description includes methods to simulate seasonal variation in development time and net reproductive rates based on normal (uncontrolled) population trends, and combines assumptions of density dependence with varying density-independent reproductive rates. Actual data from a field population are used to illustrate the techniques.
Role of lymphoid/mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue markers in toxicological immunohistochemistry

The lymphatic system is a vascular system that drains interstitial fluid to the regional lymph nodes and finally to the venous system as lymph. There are primary lymphoid organs which are sites at which B and T lymphocytes are formed, and secondary lymphoid organs are the sites where mature lymphocytes home after exiting primary lymphoid organs and undergo selection and clonal expansion in an antigen-dependent fashion. Primary and secondary lymphoid organs include the bone, thymus, spleen, lymph nodes, and mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue (MALT). There are numerous incidental- or treatment-related degenerate, hyperplastic, neoplastic, inflammatory, and toxicologic lesions observed in these lymphoid organs. This chapter describes these lesions in detail along with various immunohistochemical markers used in labeling lymphocytes and other cells.
Space and Spirit on the Kenya-Tanzania Crossover

African land tenure reaches beyond the confines of conventional western legal and political-economic terms such as rights and duties, public or private property, or collective or individual ownership. A wider array of concepts, taking real access, attachment, and mobility into account, is needed to capture the new practices and institutions for recording land use patterns that arise locally or are produced by diverse directed tenure reforms. The paper compares the ethno-linguistic communities of Kuria and Luo on both sides of Kenya-Tanzania border to illustrate their customary modes of land attachment and management, and to track transformations over the past century as questions of sequencing, hierarchy, and sovereignty have been contested. It explores how in these settings of resettlement and forced mobility, land property claims have become central in continuing struggles over belonging and identity. The paper compares two modes of how humans relate to land, with the lineage-oriented land attachment principle in Luo case, and the system of formal age-organizations of the Kuria. Focusing on the effects of liberalizing state reforms, the paper discusses how new forms of decollectivization and land concentration in East Africa produce novel patterns of exclusion and debates over territory and jurisdiction.
Bacteriologic studies of the sputum in patients with pneumococcal pneumonia treated with penicillin.

Abstract Sputum and throat cultures and stained smears of sputum were studied before, during, and after treatment with penicillin in twenty-six patients with pneumococcal pneumonia. Considerable differences were noted in the persistence of pneumococci in these patients. About one-sixth of the strains found before penicillin therapy was started persisted throughout the period of observation. About three-fourths of the remaining strains could no longer be found after the third day of treatment. Strains of pneumococci of types not identified in the pretreatment cultures were found for the first time during or after penicillin therapy in six patients. Only one of the strains, however, was found in more than a single specimen. All of the strains of pneumococci tested were sensitive to penicillin, and three strains isolated after therapy were found to be just as sensitive as the pretreatment strains of the same types isolated from the same patients. The persistence of pneumococci in the sputum did not appear to be definitely related to bacteremia, complications, chronic respiratory infections, the numbers of organisms present before treatment, the development of penicillin resistance, or the failure to develop antibodies, as judged by phagocytosis of pneumococci in stained smears. In one patient a staphylococcal pneumonia developed as a complication of the pneumococcal lobar pneumonia. The staphylococcus first appeared in the culture of the sputum obtained twelve hours after penicillin was started and then became predominant in subsequent cultures. It was quite resistant to penicillin, and improvement occurred only after intensive sulfonamide therapy. Following penicillin therapy, the flora of the sputum changed in most instances to one in which the predominant organisms were gram-negative bacilli having the morphology and colony characteristics of influenza bacilli.
Give 'Em Enough Rope: States, Subdivisions and the Market Participant Exception to the Dormant Commerce Clause

To protect in-state businesses from out-of-state competition, several states have enacted local preference statutes. These statutes require that a state's towns, cities or other subdivisions favor in-state businesses when they make certain purchases and sales.' For example, Alaska requires schools receiving state funds to buy Alaskan agricultural products unless the products are more than seven percent more expensive than equivalent products from outof-state.2 Not surprisingly, out-of-state businesses unable to sell products to towns and cities in states with such local preference statutes feel discriminated against; they complain that such statutes violate the dormant Commerce Clause.3 The Supreme Court has not decided whether a state can impose a local preference on its subdivisions. A state cannot impose a local preference on private parties.4 But the state may prefer instate businesses-so long as it acts as a "market participant."5 A
Template‐Directed Synthesis of Porous and Protective Core–Shell Bionanoparticles

Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) are promising high surface area coordination polymers with tunable pore structures and functionality; however, a lack of good size and morphological control over the as-prepared MOFs has persisted as an issue in their application. Herein, we show how a robust protein template, tobacco mosaic virus (TMV), can be used to regulate the size and shape of as-fabricated MOF materials. We were able to obtain discrete rod-shaped TMV@MOF core-shell hybrids with good uniformity, and their diameters could be tuned by adjusting the synthetic conditions, which can also significantly impact the stability of the core-shell composite. More interestingly, the virus particle underneath the MOF shell can be chemically modified using a standard bioconjugation reaction, showing mass transportation within the MOF shell.
Optofluidic plasmonic NanoLenses: High throughput single bacterial cell sorting

We demonstrated that the integration of nanoplasmonic and nanofluidic platform paves the way to sort bacteria like bio-particles of size in the range from 100 nm to 1 μm by simply modulating incident light power.
Soot and spectral radiation modeling for high-pressure turbulent spray flames

Abstract A transported probability density function (PDF) method and a photon Monte Carlo/line-by-line (PMC/LBL) spectral model are exercised to generate physical insight into soot processes and spectral radiation characteristics in transient high-pressure turbulent n-dodecane spray flames, under conditions that are relevant for compression-ignition piston engines. PDF model results are compared with experimental measurements and with results from a locally well-stirred reactor (WSR) model that neglects unresolved turbulent fluctuations in composition and temperature. Computed total soot mass and soot spatial distributions are highly sensitive to the modeling of unresolved turbulent fluctuations. To achieve reasonable agreement between model and experiment and to capture the highly intermittent nature of soot in the turbulent flame, it is necessary to accurately represent mixing and the low diffusivity of soot particles. This is accomplished in the PDF framework using a mixing model that enforces locality in the gas-phase composition space, while not mixing the transported soot variables. The results suggest that mixing is at least as important as kinetics in controlling soot formation and evolution in high-pressure turbulent flames. Regarding radiation, radiant fractions and global influences of radiation in these flames are relatively small. Nevertheless, an examination of spectral radiative heat transfer provides valuable insight into the nature and modeling of radiation in high-pressure turbulent combustion systems. There are complex spectral interactions that are revealed using PMC/LBL. CO2 dominates the total radiative emission and reabsorption, but most of the emitted CO2 radiation is reabsorbed before reaching the walls. On the other hand, most of the emitted soot radiation reaches the walls, but soot radiation is a small contribution overall; H2O dominates the radiation that reaches the walls. Global turbulence–radiation interactions (TRI) effects are small, but radiative emission from soot increases by approximately a factor two when TRI are considered. Radiative transfer contributes both to energy redistribution in the vessel and to wall heat losses. The results suggest that a simple model that considers soot radiation and the principal CO2 and H2O spectral bands might be sufficient to capture the key influences of radiation in engine CFD. It is expected that these findings will contribute to the development of truly predictive CFD models for engines and other high-pressure turbulent combustion systems.
Linear Systems Analysis of Motor Control in Parkinsonism

Abstract Linear frequency-domain analysis of wrist-forearm rotation in parkinsonian patients compared to normal subjects shows that their motor control system operates as if low-pass filtered. Their visuomotor tracking ability is limited by increased phase lag. There is increased viscoelastic resistance to passive muscle stretch, interrupted by sudden breaks seemingly related to “intention tremor”.
Las sociedades jerárquicas oaxaqueñas y el intercambio con los olmecas

Los intercambios entre los olmecas y algunos sitios de Oaxaca, que incluyeron la circulacion de las ideas, se debieron al interes de estos por las sociedades fuera de esa zona, y a que la importacion de bienes con valor ritual o de prestigio fue cada vez mayor. Entre los bienes que se intercambiaban estan ceramica, obsidiana, serpentina, magnetita, concha y espinas de mantarraya.
Humans, Machines and the Design Process. Exploring the Role of Computation in the Early Phases of Creation

Computational tools and the methodologies used in the early phases of creation often have conflicting requirements related to structure and systematicity. This paper describes an exploration into t...
Dov Fox on Reproductive Negligence: A Commentary

This commentary offers three basic observations about Professor Dov Fox’s novel and illuminating conception of a new tort of reproductive negligence. In Reproductive Negligence, Professor Fox identifies three scenarios, categorically: imposition of unwanted parenthood, deprivation of wanted parenthood, and confounding of efforts to have expected traits. Drawing on these circumstances, Fox argues the case for a newly recognized tort of reproductive negligence that embraces all of these categories. My commentary proceeds as follows. From a historical perspective, Part I attempts to locate his claim for recognition of a more expansive version of recovery for stand-alone intangible harm in currently accepted tort duties. From a liability perspective, while finding much to be admired in this proposed new theory of recovery, Part II questions whether it is workable to view reproductive negligence as a single pathway rather than three distinct routes to recognizing new tort rights. And finally, from a damages perspective, Part III draws on expansive themes in other areas of recovery for intangible harm to suggest additional foundational support for Fox’s effort to push the frontier of recovery for intangible harm into new territory.
Chapter 6: Hyper-Embodiment and Outsider-Research-Pursuing Empathy and Connection in the Field

This chapter is an autoethnography of a critical qualitative open-ended narrative researcher/professor navigating skepticism surrounding her motives and methodology from a research participant and a quantitative social scientist. An interviewee’s questions about why she would be interested in elders’ personal narratives of memory loss crystallize the challenges of developing rapport as an outsider in the research field. The author asserts that a “hyper-embodied” approach to personal narrative research offers opportunities to embrace shared physical and social vulnerability, pursue empathetic connection, and transform culture through storytelling. Back at her office, a conversation with a colleague crystallizes the tensions surrounding the differing goals of positivist social scientific versus critical/post-structural performance research. The author reflects on the hopes and possibilities of personal narrative research.
Molecular heterogeneity and regulation of poly(ADP-ribose) glycohydrolase

We have recently described the isolation and characterization of bovine cDNA encoding poly(ADP-ribose) glycohydrolase (PARG). We describe here the preparation and characterization of antibodies to PARG. These antibodies have been used to demonstrate the presence of multiple forms of PARG in tissue and cell extracts from bovine, rat, mouse, and insects. Our results indicate that multiple forms of PARG previously reported could result from a single gene. Analysis of PARG in cells in which poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) has been genetically inactivated indicates that the cellular content of PARG is regulated independently of PARP.
Laser Beam Transformation: Propagation, Amplification, Frequency Conversion, Pulse Compression

Before it is put to use, a laser beam is generally transformed in some way. The most common type of transformation is that which occurs when the beam is simply made to propagate in free space or through a suitable optical system. Since this produces a change in the spatial distribution of the beam (e.g., the beam may be focused or expanded), we shall refer to this as a spatial transformation of the laser beam. A second type of transformation, also rather frequently encountered, is that which occurs when the beam is passed through an amplifier or chain of amplifiers. Since the main effect here is to alter the beam amplitude, we shall refer to this as amplitude transformation. A third, rather different, case occurs when the wavelength of the beam is changed as a result of propagating through a suitable nonlinear optical material (wavelength transformation or frequency conversion). Finally the temporal behavior of the laser beam can be modified by a suitable optical element. For example, the amplitude of a cw laser beam may be temporally modulated by an electro-optic or acousto-optic modulator or the time duration of a laser pulse may be considerably reduced by compression systems using nonlinear optical elements. This fourth and last case we refer to as time transformation. It should be noted that these four types of beam transformation are often interrelated. For instance, amplitude transformation and frequency conversion often result in spatial and time transformation occurring as well.
Frege-Wittgenstein Correspondence

Lieber Herr Wittgenstein! Ich danke Ihnen bestens fur Ihren Kartengruss. Dass Sie als Kriegsfreiwilliger eingetreten sind, habe ich mit besonderer Befriedigung gelesen und bewundere es, dass Sie sich noch dabei der Wissenschaft widmen konnen. Moge es mir vergonnt sein, Sie nach dem Kriege gesund wiederzusehen, und die Unterredungen mit Ihnen weiterzufuhren. Gewiss werden wir uns dadurch zuletzt naher kommen und uns immer besser verstehen. Wir hatten hier 3 Leichtverwundete im Hause; Alfred musste dazu seine Spielstube hergeben. Sie erzahlten viel von ihren Kampfen in den Vogesen, ohne Hochachtung vor den Franzosen, denen sie sich bei gleicher Anzahl uberlegen fuhlten; aber sie hatten den Eindruck, meist gegen eine grosse Uberzahl gekampft zu haben. Ihnen alles Gute wunschend mit herzlichem Grusse
Cosmetics and ocular allergy

Purpose of reviewThe purpose of this review was to explore recent developments in the study of ocular cosmetics, as they pertain to adverse reactions that can be attributed to them.Recent findingsImmunologically mediated adverse reactions to cosmetics are most commonly the result of sensitization to
Non-equiatomic FeNiCoAl-based high entropy alloys with multiscale heterogeneous lamella structure for strength and ductility

Abstract A new method based on conventional thermomechanical processing is proposed for design of non-equiatomic FeNiCoAlTaB (NCATB) high entropy alloy (HEA) with multiscale heterogeneous lamella (HL) structures to achieve outstanding mechanical properties. Two kinds of microstructures are produced in this study: 1) specimens annealed at 1050 °C exhibit structure composed of fine grains and ultrafine grains, which exhibits a combination of high strength (UTS ~1050 MPa) and good ductility (elongation ~23%); and 2) specimens annealed at 1200 °C which exhibit structure composed of fine grains and coarse grains, which demonstrates excellent synergy of good strength (UTS ~890 MPa) and exceptional ductility (elongation ~43%). It has been shown that shear bands formed in the cold rolling step are responsible for the fine-grain area in both specimens. Additionally, precipitation of NiAl (B2) particles also affects the formation of HL structures due to Zener pinning effect. The back-stress strengthening mechanism, responsible for high strength and ductility, is verified through combined “loading-unloading-reloading” (LUR) cyclic tensile tests and electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD) based geometrically necessary dislocation (GND) density analysis.
Microdisplay Technology(1)

What is the ideal portable display? There is a kind of portable display,which possesses little size,lightweight and low power consumption.Moreover,they are able to display high-resolution and highlight video images full of your viewing.In this paper,all these display——micro flat panel display——would be introduced,the main applications and technology development of microdisplay would be stated,the relative techniques is remarked.
Chestnut (Castanea spp. Miller) Breeding

The chestnuts and chinquapins are a group of about seven species of trees and shrubs in the genus Castanea. They are of considerable importance ecologically in all the areas of their natural occurrence, and the chestnuts especially are of great economic value for their lumber and for their nut crop wherever they are cultivated. Two catastrophic diseases, chestnut blight caused by the ascomycete fungus Cryphonectria parasitica (Murr.) Barr and Phytophthora root rot (ink disease) caused primarily by the soil-borne oomycetes Phytophthora cinnamomi Rands and P. cambivora (Petri) Buisman, have severely impacted chestnut in Europe and North America. Therefore, much of the breeding work continues to focus on breeding for resistance to these two diseases. The most serious insect pest of Castanea is the Asian chestnut gall wasp, Dryocosmus kuriphilus Yasumatsu. Variation in host tolerance to D. kuriphilus has led to development of new gall-resistant chestnut cultivars. Interspecific hybridization offers great opportunity to combine the most favorable traits found in the ample genetic diversity of the genus through introgression into locally-adapted populations. Chestnut breeders in eastern Asia have made great strides towards improvement of chestnut fruit quality and crop yields, and researchers in all chestnut growing regions have made gains in disease resistance by using molecular markers and other genomic tools to assist selection. Biotechnologies that include transmissible hypovirulence as a biocontrol for chestnut blight, tissue culture and other micropropagation techniques, and genetic engineering and transformation technologies are complementary to classical plant breeding programs.
The Vascular Flora of Smith Island, Chesapeake Bay, Maryland

Smith Island Maryland, a 1150 hectare island lies in the center of the Chesapeake Bay (37.97N, 76.02W). Brackish and salt marsh vegetation are dominant on Smith Island that rarely rises a meter above high tide. The objective of this study was to document the vascular flora of Smith Island. The vascular flora of Smith Island, Maryland, consists of 144 species within 121 genera and 57 families. The Poaceae (22 species) and Asteraceae 22 species) are the largest families in the flora. Cyperus (6 species) and Solidago and Trifolium, each with 3 species, are the largest genera in the flora. No species in the flora are rare or endangered in Maryland. Species of foreign origin, 59 species, are numerous in the flora and compose 41% of the natural vegetation. Each taxonomic entry in the checklist is accompanied by an annotation, which includes the locality and habitat in which each species occurs and frequency relative to the study area.
Predicting credit card fraud with Sarbanes-Oxley assessments and Fama-French risk factors

This research developed and tested machine learning models to predict significant credit card fraud in corporate systems using Sarbanes‐Oxley (SOX) reports, news reports of breaches and Fama‐French risk factors (FF). Exploratory analysis found that SOX information predicted several types of security breaches, with the strongest performance in predicting credit card fraud. A systematic tuning of hyperparamters for a suite of machine learning models, starting with a random forest, an extremely‐randomized forest, a random grid of gradient boosting machines (GBMs), a random grid of deep neural nets, a fixed grid of general linear models where assembled into two trained stacked ensemble models optimized for F1 performance; an ensemble that contained all the models, and an ensemble containing just the best performing model from each algorithm class. Tuned GBMs performed best under all conditions. Without FF, models yielded an AUC of 99.3% and closeness of the training and validation matrices confirm that the model is robust. The most important predictors were firm specific, as would be expected, since control weaknesses vary at the firm level. Audit firm fees were the most important non‐firm‐specific predictors. Adding FF to the model rendered perfect prediction (100%) in the trained confusion matrix and AUC of 99.8%. The most important predictors of credit card fraud were the FF coefficient for the High book‐to‐market ratio Minus Low factor. The second most influential variable was the year of reporting, and third most important was the Fama‐French 3‐factor model R2 – together these described most of the variance in credit card fraud occurrence. In all cases the four major SOX specific opinions rendered by auditors and the signed SOX report had little predictive influence.
Reopening the Wounds of 1862

This chapter continues analysis of classroom discussion of a critical text on the U.S.-Dakota War of 1862 led by a seasoned Holocaust scholar teaching in 2012 near where the fighting once took place. First, the chapter pursues silences in the instructor’s classroom pedagogy as she deftly avoided aspects of the assigned reading covering the genocide of Dakota people. The chapter then brings interview data to bear on instructor silences, finding notions of uniqueness for the Holocaust behind her reluctance to take a clear position in the classroom. Student interview and focus-group data are then analyzed to investigate the pedagogical effects of instructor neutrality, finding much critique but also endorsement of that neutrality. The chapter ends by contextualizing the classroom pedagogy as enactment of a regional white public pedagogy that advocates white justice as fairness, i.e., suspending moral judgment toward symbolic white forebears when studying the racially violent past.
A Friendly Interference Game in Wireless Secret Communication Networks

This paper considers a parallel wireless network in which multiple individuals exchange confidential information through independent sender-receiver links. An eavesdropper can intercept encrypted information through a degraded channel of each sender-receiver link. A friendly jammer, by applying interference to the eavesdropping channels, can increase the level of secrecy of the network. The optimal power allocation strategy of the friendly jammer under a power constraint is derived. A convex optimization model is used when all channels are under the threat of an eavesdropping attack and a non-zero sum game model is analyzed when the eavesdropper can only attack a limited quantity of channels.
Robust Change Detection via Information Projection

We study the robust transient and quickest change detection problems with unknown post-change distributions under finite alphabets. When the distribution after the change point is unknown, the change in the distribution of observations may occur in multiple ways without much structure on the observations, whereas, before the change point, a false alarm is highly structured, following a particular sample path with respect to the distribution of observations and the detection scheme. We first characterize these likely events for the deviation and propose a method to test the empirical distribution, relative to the most likely way for it to occur as an outlier. We show performance guarantees and prove asymptotic optimality for a robust quickest change detection problem up to a multiplicative constant before benchmarking our method with the finite moving average (FMA) method, generalized likelihood ratio test (GLRT) and M-statistic kernel (MSK) change point detection method under 4 different performance criteria including the run time complexity. Finally, we apply our method on economic market indicators and climate data. Our method successfully captures the regime shifts during times of historical significance for the markets and identifies the current climate change phenomenon to be a highly likely regime shift rather than a random event.
The diverse effects of brain glucagon-like peptide 1 receptors on ingestive behaviour.

Glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1) is well known as a gut hormone and also acts as a neuropeptide, produced in a discrete population of caudal brainstem neurons that project widely throughout the brain. GLP-1 receptors are expressed in many brain areas of relevance to energy balance, and stimulation of these receptors at many of these sites potently suppresses food intake. This review surveys the current evidence for effects mediated by GLP-1 receptors on feeding behaviour at a wide array of brain sites and discusses behavioural and neurophysiological mechanisms for the effects identified thus far. Taken together, it is clear that GLP-1 receptor activity in the brain can influence feeding by diverse means, including mediation of gastrointestinal satiation and/or satiety signalling, suppression of motivation for food reward, induction of nausea and mediation of restraint stress-induced hypophagia, but many questions about the organization of this system remain.
Negative externalities of mutual fund instability: Evidence from leveraged loan funds

Abstract The market for leveraged loans that provide debt financing for risky companies has been on an exceptional growth path over the last decade. With the increased presence of investment funds in this market, however, come increased concerns – namely, whether a sharp rise of redemptions by fund investors could set off a cascade of drops in secondary loan prices and whether these price falls could trigger further redemptions, ultimately fueling a downward price and liquidity spiral? This paper provides evidence consistent with the view that in times of loan market stress, fund flows and loan price returns have been pro-cyclical, i.e., have reinforced each other's movements. Furthermore, fund outflows foster market illiquidity. Importantly, the paper identifies lending by CLOs as a channel through which outflow-induced price dislocations in the secondary market transmit to corporate borrowing, making it harder for leveraged companies to rollover their existing debt exactly at a time when liquidity is needed most (in market downs).
Fabrication of 3D printed complex concentrated alloys using oxide precursors

Abstract In this article we report on the first reduction of a compositionally complex concentrated CoCrFeMnNi alloy processed entirely from oxide precursors and printed using materials extrusion additive manufacturing (AM) techniques. The chemical and structural properties of this material are explored, while transmission electron microscopy (TEM) is used to investigate potential chemical segregation within the well-annealed grains. The relative thermodynamic stability of Mn and Cr oxides would suggest that MnO and Cr2O3 will not reduce in a hydrogen atmosphere. However, we find that the unique local thermodynamic environment present in the samples allows for full reduction of Mn and Cr while diffusion into the grain allows for the development of a single-phase FCC structure.
Antibody responses to envelope glycoproteins in HIV-1 infection

Antibody responses to the HIV-1 envelope glycoproteins can be classified into three groups. Binding but non-neutralizing responses are directed to epitopes that are expressed on isolated envelope glycoproteins but not on the native envelope trimer found on the surface of virions and responsible for mediating the entry of virus into target cells. Strain-specific responses and broadly neutralizing responses, in contrast, target epitopes that are expressed on the native trimer, as revealed by recently resolved structures. The past few years have seen the isolation of many broadly neutralizing antibodies of remarkable potency that have shown prophylactic and therapeutic activities in animal models. These antibodies are helping to guide rational vaccine design and therapeutic strategies for HIV-1.
Automated test platform for FPGA Software Validation

The paper introduces one powerful and easy to use test platform which is developed and applied in FPGA (Field Program Gate Array) Software Validation. The complete solution of the test platform can manage thousands of test cases in various FPGA flows to execute launching run, checking results and generating reports automatically on multiple client machines simultaneously. The maximum efficiency of machine usage and significant engineering time saving are obtained based on this automated test platform. Some benchmarking data are given at the end of the paper.
Carotenoids in pungent and non‐pungent peppers at various developmental stages grown in the field and glasshouse

Carotenoids in edible portions of plants can provide health benefits to humans. How growing conditions affect levels of carotenoids in pepper fruits as they mature is not well known. Five cvs of bell pepper (Bell Captain, Melody, North Star, Ranger, Red Beauty) and five cvs of pungent-type peppers (Anaheim, Ancho, Cayenne, Pimento, Red Cherry) were grown in a glasshouse and in the field. Fruits were harvested at the green, turning (50% green) and mature red stages and analysed for levels of the carotenoids β-cryptoxanthin, α-carotene, β-carotene, capsanthin, lutein and zeaxanthin and totals of these carotenoids. Levels of provitamin A: retinol equivalents (RE) were derived from levels of β-cryptoxanthin, α-carotene and β-carotene. Levels of most carotenoids and RE were significantly higher in glasshouse-grown plants, and most were higher in fruits at the red stage. Fruits of Ancho type had the most β-cryptoxanthin, α-carotene, β-carotene, total carotenoids and RE, while fruits of Red Cherry type had the most capsanthin and zeaxanthin, and fruits of Bell Captain had the most lutein. Interactions of the main effects variables, ie location of production (field vs glasshouse), stage of development and cultivar, indicated differences in patterns of carotenoid levels and RE. The data indicated that growing conditions influenced carotenoid levels. The more consistent and protected conditions in the glasshouse may have caused carotenoid levels to be increased, especially at the red stage. Cette etude determine comment les teneurs en carotenoides dans les poivrons ou les piments forts sont affectees par les conditions de production en champ ou en serre. Les piments sont recoltes a 3 etapes differentes: verts, a moitie verts et rouges et sont analyses en carotenoides. Les conditions de croissance affectent les teneurs en carotenoides et la culture en serre, plus protectrice, favorise des teneurs plus elevees principalement dans les piments rouges.
Redox signalling directly regulates TDP‐43 via cysteine oxidation and disulphide cross‐linking

TDP-43 is the major disease protein in ubiquitin-positive inclusions of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and frontotemporal lobar degeneration (FTLD) characterized by TDP-43 pathology (FTLD-TDP). Accumulation of insoluble TDP-43 aggregates could impair normal TDP-43 functions and initiate disease progression. Thus, it is critical to define the signalling mechanisms regulating TDP-43 since this could open up new avenues for therapeutic interventions. Here, we have identified a redox-mediated signalling mechanism directly regulating TDP-43. Using in vitro and cell-based studies, we demonstrate that oxidative stress promotes TDP-43 cross-linking via cysteine oxidation and disulphide bond formation leading to decreased TDP-43 solubility. Biochemical analysis identified several cysteine residues located within and adjacent to the second RNA-recognition motif that contribute to both intra- and inter-molecular interactions, supporting TDP-43 as a target of redox signalling. Moreover, increased levels of cross-linked TDP-43 species are found in FTLD-TDP brains, indicating that aberrant TDP-43 cross-linking is a prominent pathological feature of this disease. Thus, TDP-43 is dynamically regulated by a redox regulatory switch that links oxidative stress to the modulation of TDP-43 and its downstream targets.
Evidence for the Role of Aminoacyltransferase II in Peptidyl Transfer Ribonucleic Acid Translocation

Abstract When ribosomes are pretreated with transferase II and guanosine triphosphate, the binding of aminoacyl transfer ribonucleic acid to ribosomes in the presence of transferase I and the GTP analogue 5'-guanylyl methylenediphosphonate is markedly increased. Binding of aminoacyl-tRNA to ribosomes is also obtained in the absence of transferase I and nucleotide when incubations are carried out in solutions containing high concentrations of MgCl2 (20 mm). The addition of nonenzymatically bound aminoacyl-tRNA or of puromycin to endogenous peptides is carried out in the absence of transfer factors or nucleotide by a ribosome-associated activity. When ribosomes are pretreated with transferase II and GTP, the amount of aminoacyl-tRNA that is bound nonenzymatically and then incorporated into a peptide-bound form is markedly increased. Concomitantly, the reaction of aminoacyl-tRNA with endogenous peptidyl-tRNA leads to a decrease in the amount of peptidyl-tRNA that can react with puromycin. These results suggest that (a) when transferase II and GTP interact with ribosomes additional sites for the enzymatic or nonenzymatic binding of aminoacyl-tRNA are made available because of the translocation of peptidyl-tRNA from the aminoacyl to the peptidyl site; consistent with this interpretation is the observation that puromycin incorporation is increased when ribosomes are incubated with transferase II and GTP; (b) binding of aminoacyl-tRNA and formation of a new peptide bond lead to a decrease in peptidyl-puromycin formation because the newly synthesized peptidyl-tRNA, one amino acid longer than the pre-existing endogenous one, remains at the site at which the incoming aminoacyl-tRNA was present. Thus, ribosome-bound peptidyl-tRNA occurs at the aminoacyl site as the product of peptide bond synthesis with aminoacyl-tRNA, or at the peptidyl site as the product of translocation. Transferase I and GTP are required for the binding of aminoacyl-tRNA, peptide bond synthesis is a ribosomal activity, and transferase II and GTP are required for translocation.
Sequence homology and immunologic cross-reactivity of human cytomegalovirus with HLA-DR beta chain: a means for graft rejection and immunosuppression.

Abstract A peptide (Leu-Gly-Arg-Pro-Asp-Glu-Asp-Ser-Ser-Ser-Ser-Ser-Ser-Ser-Cys) that was identical to residues 82 through 96 of a predicted protein of 208 amino acids from the immediate-early region (IE-2) nucleic acid sequence of human cytomegalovirus was chemically synthesized. By computer analysis, the first five amino acids of this peptide showed sequence homology to the beta chain of the human histocompatibility complex HLA-DR. The homologous amino acids, 53 through 57, were located in a region that is conserved between the human DR beta chain and the beta chain of the H-2 class II histocompatibility antigen for mice. The shared region between the IE-2 protein and DR beta chain were similar in both hydrophilicity and predicted beta-turn potential. The IE-2 viral peptide induced antibodies that specifically recognized the human DR beta chain. These observations describe a protein encoded by the IE-2 region of human cytomegalovirus that contains sequence homology and shows immunologic cross-reactivity with a conserved domain of HLA-DR and suggest a mechanism to explain how human cytomegalovirus infection contributes to graft rejection after transplantation.
Molecular and functional identification of beta-adrenergic receptors in distal convoluted tubule cells.

Renal nerve stimulation or circulating catecholamines activate the beta-adrenergic receptors that mediate direct effects on tubular transport. Three subtypes of beta-adrenergic receptors have been ...
Preexisting Defense Chemicals

Plant defense against bacterial and fungal pathogens is thought to be based, in part, on the presence of preexisting and postinfection induced antimicrobial compounds. Most plants contain compounds that are toxic to bacterial and fungal pathogens at some concentrations, and in a few cases there is good evidence to support the role of preformed compounds in resistance. Preexisting defensive chemicals are also known as phytoanticipins. Keywords: preexisting defense chemicals; phytoanticipins; postinfection induced antimicrobial compounds; preformed compounds; plant disease control; bacteria; fungus
Diseases and medical disabilities of enslaved Barbadians, from the seventeenth century to around 1838: part II

The disease environment, health problems and causes of mortality of enslaved Barbadians are described. Data are derived mainly from documentary sources; also included are bio-archaeological data from analyses of skeletons recovered from Newton Plantation cemetery. Major topics include infectious diseases transmitted from person to person, as well as those contracted through water soil, and other environmental contaminations, and diseases transmitted by insects, parasites and other animals; nutritional diseases, including protein energy malnutrition, vitamin deficiencies, anaemia, and geophagy or "dirt eating"; dental pathologies, lead poisoning, alcoholism, traumas, and other disorders, including psychogenic death or illness caused by beliefs in witchcraft or sorcery.
Intake of Umami-Tasting Solutions by Mice: A Genetic Analysis

In two-bottle preference tests with water and solutions of monosodium glutamate (MSG) and inosine-5'-monophosphate (IMP), mice from the C57BL/6ByJ inbred strain consumed more and had higher preferences for these solutions compared with mice from the 129/J strain. The C57BL/6ByJ mice consumed 300 mmol/L MSG in large amounts, which were comparable to intakes of highly preferred solutions of sweeteners. The strain differences in voluntary consumption of 300 mmol/L MSG depended at least in part on postingestive effects because prior experience with MSG influenced the expression of the strain difference in MSG acceptance. The strain difference in MSG acceptance was in the opposite direction to the strain difference in NaCl acceptance and was not affected by previous consumption of saccharin. Although the C57BL/6ByJ mice had higher avidity for both MSG and sweeteners than did the 129/J mice, there was no correlation between preferences for these solutions in the second hybrid generation (F(2)) derived from these two strains. Thus, the strain differences in MSG acceptance are not related to the strain differences in salty or sweet taste responsiveness and most likely represent specific umami taste responsiveness. High acceptance of MSG solutions by the C57BL/6ByJ mice was inherited as a recessive trait in the F(2) generation. Further genetic linkage analyses using the F(2) hybrids are being conducted to map chromosomal locations of genes determining the strain difference in MSG acceptance.
Angiosarcoma originating from an ovarian mature teratoma, a rare disease with complex treatment modalities

► Ovarian angiosarcomas are rare and clinically aggressive neoplasms. ► In addition to surgery, taxol is the most studied adjuvant chemotherapy. ► Anti-angiogenic therapies can be considered as an option.
Aerodynamic effects in the erosion process

Abstract Experimental investigations of velocity effects on the erosion of a ductile material by aerodynamically entrained solid particles indicate that erosion varies with the fourth power of velocity in normal or 90° impacts. For smaller angles of attack the exponent is less than 4 but greater than 2. Previous quantitative erosion models do not predict these high exponent values. In this study the two-phase fluid mechanical system is analyzed and an analytical expression is presented that predicts particle impact speeds varying with the square of the fluid free stream speed in normal impacts. It is shown that the high values found experimentally are the result of aerodynamic effects alone.
Composite Interlaminar Fracture: Effect of Matrix Fracture Energy

A major result of the use of the double cantilever beam test to provide a measure of the interlaminar fracture energy in composites subjected to simple Mode I-type loading is the observation that increasing the toughness of the matrix resin by as much as a factor of 20 produced a major (approximately four-fold) increase in interlaminar fracture energy. The data presently analyzed show that, with brittle polymers, resin toughness is fully transferred to the composite, while in the case of tougher polymers the resin toughness is only partially transferred due to the fibers' restriction of the crack tip deformation zone in the polymer, together with their changing of local stress field details. Factors which tend to increase interlaminar toughness are fiber nesting and bridging, as well as fiber breakage and pull-out during crack growth.