Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Critical behavior in inhomogeneous random graphs Remco van der Hofstad

We study the critical behavior of inhomogeneous random graphs where edges are present independently but with unequal edge occupation probabilities. We show that the critical behavior depends sensitively on the properties of the asymptotic degrees. Indeed, when the proportion of vertices with degree at least k is bounded above by k−τ+1 for some τ > 4, the largest critical connected component is of order n2/3, where n denotes the size of the graph, as on the Erdős-Rényi random graph. The restriction τ > 4 corresponds to finite third moment of the degrees. When, the proportion of vertices with degree at least k is asymptotically equal to ck−τ+1 for some τ ∈ (3, 4), the largest critical connected component is of order n(τ−2)/(τ−1), instead. Our results show that, for inhomogeneous random graphs with a power-law degree sequence, the critical behavior admits a transition when the third moment of the degrees turns from finite to infinite. Similar phase transitions have been shown to occur for typical distances in such random graphs when the variance of the degrees turns from finite to infinite. We present further results related to the size of the critical or scaling window, and state conjectures for this and related random graph models.
The Influence of the Cosmological Expansion on Local Systems

Following renewed interest, the problem of whether the cosmological expansion affects the dynamics of local systems is reconsidered. The cosmological correction to the equations of motion in the locally inertial Fermi normal frame (the relevant frame for astronomical observations) is computed. The evolution equations for the cosmological perturbation of the two-body problem are solved in this frame. The effect on the orbit is insignificant, as are the effects on the galactic and galactic-cluster scales.
Giant Arc Statistics and Cosmological Parameters

We study with semi‐analytical methods the statistics of pronounced arcs caused by lensing of galaxies by foreground galaxy clusters. For the number density and redshift distribution of rich clusters we use Press‐Schechter theory, normalized on the basis of empirical data. For the background sources we make use of observational results in the Hubble Deep Field. We present results for three different lens models, in particular for the universal profile suggested by Navarro, Frenk and White. Our primary concern is the dependence of the expected statistics on the cosmological parameters, ΩM, ΩΛ. The theoretical estimates are compared with the cluster arcs survey EMSS, and the resulting constraints in the Ω‐plane are presented. In spite of considerable theoretical an observational uncertainties a low‐density universe is favored. Degeneracy curves for the optical depth and likelihood regions for the arc statistics in the Ω‐plane depend only weakly on the cosmological constant.
Project Based Learning in Literature: The Teacher’s New Role and the Development of Student’s Social Skills in Upper Secondary Education

The present research examines the project method, as it is met at the new curriculum of literature in the first Grade of Greek high schools and the effectiveness of it and of the teacher’s role at the development of social skills, of students with low level. At first it is made an effort to measure that level at the beginning of the literature lessons, by giving to 381 students a questionnaire to answer about themselves and to their 13 teachers a questionnaire to answer about their student’s social skills. The investigation was made with methodological triangulation. We observed at the beginning and at the end of the semester the 42 students who were found to have low level of social skills. Also we interviewed their 13 teachers about the way they organized their lessons. Moreover we interviewed the 42 students about the role of their teachers and if the teachers helped them to increase their social skills. At the end of the semester we gave the same questionnaire both to the 42 students and their teachers (post-tests). The comparison of the pre and post tests and the data processing of the observations and the interviews, show an increase of student’s social skills. Those results are important because of the following reasons: first of all the majority of the investigations examine the results of project method at the “territory” of cognition and not at the “territory” of social skills and secondly the majority of the investigations focuse on the social skills of disabled children.
Flexural Strengthening of Reinforced Concrete Beams Using Valid Strengthening Techniques

Abstract This study aims to evaluate the efficiency of strengthening reinforced concrete beams using some valid strengthening materials and techniques. Using concrete layer, reinforced concrete layer and steel plates are investigated in this research. Experiments on strengthening beam samples of dimensions 100x150x1100mm are performed. Samples are divided in to three groups. Group “A” is strengthened using 2cm thickness concrete layer only (two types). Group “B” is strengthened using 2cm thickness concrete layer reinforced with meshes (steel and plastic). Group “C” is strengthened using steel plates. The initial cracking load, ultimate load and crack pattern of tested beams are illustrated. The experimental results show that for group A and B, the ultimate strength, stiffness, ductility, and failure mode of RC beams, with the same thickness strengthening layer applied, will be affected by the mesh type, type of concrete layer. While for group C, these parameters affected by the fixation technique and adhesion type.
Bioaugmentation as a Tool To Protect the Structure and Function of an Activated-Sludge Microbial Community against a 3-Chloroaniline Shock Load

ABSTRACT Bioaugmentation of bioreactors focuses on the removal of xenobiotics, with little attention typically paid to the recovery of disrupted reactor functions such as ammonium-nitrogen removal. Chloroanilines are widely used in industry as a precursor to a variety of products and are occasionally released into wastewater streams. This work evaluated the effects on activated-sludge reactor functions of a 3-chloroaniline (3-CA) pulse and bioaugmentation by inoculation with the 3-CA-degrading strain Comamonas testosteroni I2 gfp. Changes in functions such as nitrification, carbon removal, and sludge compaction were studied in relation to the sludge community structure, in particular the nitrifying populations. Denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE), real-time PCR, and fluorescent in situ hybridization (FISH) were used to characterize and enumerate the ammonia-oxidizing microbial community immediately after a 3-CA shock load. Two days after the 3-CA shock, ammonium accumulated, and the nitrification activity did not recover over a 12-day period in the nonbioaugmented reactors. In contrast, nitrification in the bioaugmented reactor started to recover on day 4. The DGGE patterns and the FISH and real-time PCR data showed that the ammonia-oxidizing microbial community of the bioaugmented reactor recovered in structure, activity, and abundance, while the number of ribosomes of the ammonia oxidizers in the nonbioaugmented reactor decreased drastically and the community composition changed and did not recover. The settleability of the activated sludge was negatively influenced by the 3-CA addition, with the sludge volume index increasing by a factor of 2.3. Two days after the 3-CA shock in the nonbioaugmented reactor, chemical oxygen demand (COD) removal efficiency decreased by 36% but recovered fully by day 4. In contrast, in the bioaugmented reactor, no decrease of the COD removal efficiency was observed. This study demonstrates that bioaugmentation of wastewater reactors to accelerate the degradation of toxic chlorinated organics such as 3-CA protected the nitrifying bacterial community, thereby allowing faster recovery from toxic shocks.
SoTL as a Subfield for Political Science Graduate Programs

ABSTRACT This article offers a theoretical proposal of how political science graduate programs can emphasize teaching in the discipline by creating the subfield of the scholarship of teaching and learning (SoTL). Currently, these programs neither prepare their students for academic positions where teaching is valued nor participate in a disciplinary trend that emphasize SoTL. Furthermore, the recent political pressure for political science programs to demonstrate their public worth might be alleviated by the scholarship in teaching and learning, which is more understandable to the public than traditional non-SoTL work. The article concludes with some of the challenges political science programs may confront in institutionalizing a subfield of SoTL and how they can overcome them.
System frequency tuning for heaving buoy wave energy converters

In this paper, we propose a control technique that maximizes power absorption in point absorber wave energy converter systems. This technique involves the tuning of the Eigen-frequency of the converter system to meet the incident waves energy frequency, providing near-resonance operation. The system was modeled, where the effects of radiation forces due to oscillator-generated waves were considered. The radiation forces depend on the hydrodynamic coefficients, the added mass, and the hydrodynamic damping, which are calculated through solving the hydrodynamic boundary value problem for heaving bodies. The power absorbed through the power take-off system corresponds to the external damping of the system. The frequency tuning is performed by changing the effective stiffness of the system through the introduction of an external stiffness that is connected in parallel to the buoy stiffness. We propose changing the effect of this external stiffness by means of a stepless V-belt variable speed drive, which changes the speed ratio continuously. The effect of changing the drive speed ratio on the system Eigen-frequency was investigated. The effects of the power take-off system equivalent damping on both the absorbed power and the absorption efficiency for a frequency-tuned system are presented. Numerical results showed promising power absorption and efficiency values, compared with other control techniques.
Warning signals are under positive frequency-dependent selection in nature

Significance Warning coloration and defensive mimicry are textbook examples of antipredator strategies under frequency-dependent selection (FDS), where predators avoid defended prey that are common but attack rarer ones. Whether the efficiency of mimicry truly derives from positive FDS remains unverified, yet assessing FDS is essential for understanding the diversity of warning signals observed. Using wing patterns found in natural communities of toxic butterflies, we demonstrate that warning signals are under strong, nonlinear, positive FDS. Predator knowledge is saturated and protection is optimal only for a few superabundant prey types. Most warning signals fall below optimal protection, limited by their local abundance. This potential for improved protection may explain the extraordinary efficiency of selection to drive convergence in morphology and life history in mimetic prey. Positive frequency-dependent selection (FDS) is a selection regime where the fitness of a phenotype increases with its frequency, and it is thought to underlie important adaptive strategies resting on signaling and communication. However, whether and how positive FDS truly operates in nature remains unknown, which hampers our understanding of signal diversity. Here, we test for positive FDS operating on the warning color patterns of chemically defended butterflies forming multiple coexisting mimicry assemblages in the Amazon. Using malleable prey models placed in localities showing differences in the relative frequencies of warningly colored prey, we demonstrate that the efficiency of a warning signal increases steadily with its local frequency in the natural community, up to a threshold where protection stabilizes. The shape of this relationship is consistent with the direct effect of the local abundance of each warning signal on the corresponding avoidance knowledge of the local predator community. This relationship, which differs from purifying selection acting on each mimetic pattern, indicates that predator knowledge, integrated over the entire community, is saturated only for the most common warning signals. In contrast, among the well-established warning signals present in local prey assemblages, most are incompletely known to local predators and enjoy incomplete protection. This incomplete predator knowledge should generate strong benefits to life history traits that enhance warning efficiency by increasing the effective frequency of prey visible to predators. Strategies such as gregariousness or niche convergence between comimics may therefore readily evolve through their effects on predator knowledge and warning efficiency.
Two-parameter Quantum Groups of Exceptional Type E-Series and Convex PBW-type Basis

The presentation of two-parameter quantum groups of type E-series in the sense of Benkart–Witherspoon is given, which has a Drinfel'd quantum double structure. The universal R-matrix and a convex PBW-type basis are described for type E6 (as a sample), and the conditions of an isomorphism from these quantum groups into the one-parameter quantum doubles are discussed.
Entitlements and Loyalty in Groups: An Experimental Study

We study loyalty in groups that are exogenously assigned based on members' performances in a task. We observe that in-group bias is strong and significant among subjects who score high in performance, and that it is weak and insignificant among those who score low. This asymmetric pattern is mirrored in the punishment of disloyal subjects within groups. The results are consistent with an explanation according to which fairness judgments depend on entitlement considerations and provide a new perspective on theory and empirical research that argues that group identity increases with the status of the group.
Emotional evaluation and memory in behavioral variant frontotemporal dementia

Behavioral variant frontotemporal dementia (bvFTD) affects emotional evaluation, but less is known regarding the patients’ ability to remember emotional stimuli. Here, bvFTD patients and age-matched controls studied positive, negative, and neutral pictures followed by a recognition memory test. Compared to controls, bvFTD patients showed a reduction in emotional evaluation of negative scenes, but not of positive or neutral scenes. Additionally, the patients showed an overall reduction in recognition memory accuracy, due to impaired recollection in the face of relatively preserved familiarity. These results show that bvFTD reduces the emotional evaluation of negative scenes and impairs overall recognition memory accuracy and recollection.
Effects of Cyclic Intermittent Hypoxia on ET-1 Responsiveness and Endothelial Dysfunction of Pulmonary Arteries in Rats

Obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) is a risk factor for cardiovascular disorders and in some cases is complication of pulmonary hypertension. We simulated OSA by exposing rats to cyclic intermittent hypoxia (CIH) to investigate its effect on pulmonary vascular endothelial dysfunction. Sprague-Dawley Rats were exposed to CIH (FiO2 9% for 1 min, repeated every 2 min for 8 h/day, 7 days/wk for 3 wk), and the pulmonary arteries of normoxia and CIH treated rats were analyzed for expression of endothelin-1 (ET-1) and ET receptors by histological, immunohistochemical, RT-PCR and Western Blot analyses, as well as for contractility in response to ET-1. In the pulmonary arteries, ET-1 expression was increased, and ET-1 more potently elicited constriction of the pulmonary artery in CIH rats than in normoxic rats. Exposure to CIH induced marked endothelial cell damage associated with a functional decrease of endothelium-dependent vasodilatation in the pulmonary artery. Compared with normoxic rats, ETA receptor expression was increased in smooth muscle cells of the CIH rats, while the expression of ETB receptors was decreased in endothelial cells. These results demonstrated endothelium-dependent vasodilation was impaired and the vasoconstrictor responsiveness increased by CIH. The increased responsiveness to ET-1 induced by intermittent hypoxia in pulmonary arteries of rats was due to increased expression of ETA receptors predominantly, meanwhile, decreased expression of ETB receptors in the endothelium may also participate in it.
Capacities of Quantum Amplifier Channels

Quantum amplifier channels are at the core of several physical processes. Not only do they model the optical process of spontaneous parametric down-conversion, but the transformation corresponding to an amplifier channel also describes the physics of the dynamical Casimir effect in superconducting circuits, the Unruh effect, and Hawking radiation. Here we study the communication capabilities of quantum amplifier channels. Invoking a recently established minimum output-entropy theorem for single-mode phase-insensitive Gaussian channels, we determine capacities of quantum-limited amplifier channels in three different scenarios. First, we establish the capacities of quantum-limited amplifier channels for one of the most general communication tasks, characterized by the trade-off between classical communication, quantum communication, and entanglement generation or consumption. Second, we establish capacities of quantum-limited amplifier channels for the trade-off between public classical communication, private classical communication, and secret key generation. Third, we determine the capacity region for a broadcast channel induced by the quantum-limited amplifier channel, and we also show that a fully quantum strategy outperforms those achieved by classical coherent detection strategies. In all three scenarios, we find that the capacities significantly outperform communication rates achieved with a naive time-sharing strategy.
Clinical and Laboratory Findings in Patients With Acute Respiratory Symptoms That Suggest the Necessity of Chest X-ray for Community-Acquired Pneumonia

Background: Pneumonia is a common illness in all parts of the world and is considered as a major cause of death among all age groups. Nevertheless, only about 5% of patients referring to their primary care physicians with acute respiratory symptoms will develop pneumonia. Objectives: This study was performed to derive practical criteria for performing chest radiographs for the evaluation of community-acquired pneumonia (CAP). Patients and Methods: A total of 420 patients with acute respiratory symptoms and positive findings on chest radiograph were evaluated from December 2008 to December 2009. The subjects were referred to outpatient clinics or emergency departments of Birjand's medical university hospitals, Iran, and were enrolled as positive cases. A checklist was completed for each patient including their demographic information, clinical signs and symptoms (cough, sputum production, dyspnea, chest pain, fever, tachycardia, and tachypnea), abnormal findings in pulmonary auscultation and laboratory findings (erythrocyte sedimentation rate, C-reactive protein levels, and white blood cell count). An equal number of age-matched individuals with acute respiratory symptoms, but insignificant findings on chest radiography, were included as the control group. Finally, the diagnostic values of different findings were compared. Results: The data showed that vital signs and physical examination findings are useful screening parameters for predicting chest radiograph findings in outpatient settings. Therefore, by implementing a prediction rule, we would be able to determine which patients would benefit from a chest X-Ray (sensitivity, 94% and specificity, 57%). Conclusions: This study's findings suggest that requesting chest radiographs might not be necessary in patients with acute respiratory symptoms unless the vital signs and/or physical examination findings are abnormal. Considering the 94% sensitivity of this rule for predicting CAP, a chest radiograph is required for patients with unreliable follow-ups or moderate to high likelihood of morbidity if CAP is not initially detected.
Gender differences in the depressive effect of widowhood in later life.

OBJECTIVES This study documented the stronger adverse effect of widowhood on the psychological well-being of men than that of women and explained why this gender difference in the effect of widowhood exists. METHODS Data came from Wave 1 of the National Survey of Families and Households. Married and widowed people aged 65 and older were selected (n = 1,686). The dependent variable was the Center for Epidemiologic Studies--Depression scale (CES-D). RESULTS Widowhood was indeed more depressing for men than women. However, this was due primarily to the fact that married men were much less depressed than married women; widowed men and women were comparably depressed. Other contributors to the stronger effect of widowhood for men included men's shorter average time since widowhood, lower frequency of church attendance, stronger dislike of domestic labor, and lessened ability to assist their children. DISCUSSION Although widowhood has a strong depressive effect for older men, its effect for women is nonsignificant, and it explains a small proportion of the variation in depressive symptomatology. This suggests that most people, particularly women, adapt relatively well in the long run.
A Kinetic Model of Dopamine- and Calcium-Dependent Striatal Synaptic Plasticity

Corticostriatal synapse plasticity of medium spiny neurons is regulated by glutamate input from the cortex and dopamine input from the substantia nigra. While cortical stimulation alone results in long-term depression (LTD), the combination with dopamine switches LTD to long-term potentiation (LTP), which is known as dopamine-dependent plasticity. LTP is also induced by cortical stimulation in magnesium-free solution, which leads to massive calcium influx through NMDA-type receptors and is regarded as calcium-dependent plasticity. Signaling cascades in the corticostriatal spines are currently under investigation. However, because of the existence of multiple excitatory and inhibitory pathways with loops, the mechanisms regulating the two types of plasticity remain poorly understood. A signaling pathway model of spines that express D1-type dopamine receptors was constructed to analyze the dynamic mechanisms of dopamine- and calcium-dependent plasticity. The model incorporated all major signaling molecules, including dopamine- and cyclic AMP-regulated phosphoprotein with a molecular weight of 32 kDa (DARPP32), as well as AMPA receptor trafficking in the post-synaptic membrane. Simulations with dopamine and calcium inputs reproduced dopamine- and calcium-dependent plasticity. Further in silico experiments revealed that the positive feedback loop consisted of protein kinase A (PKA), protein phosphatase 2A (PP2A), and the phosphorylation site at threonine 75 of DARPP-32 (Thr75) served as the major switch for inducing LTD and LTP. Calcium input modulated this loop through the PP2B (phosphatase 2B)-CK1 (casein kinase 1)-Cdk5 (cyclin-dependent kinase 5)-Thr75 pathway and PP2A, whereas calcium and dopamine input activated the loop via PKA activation by cyclic AMP (cAMP). The positive feedback loop displayed robust bi-stable responses following changes in the reaction parameters. Increased basal dopamine levels disrupted this dopamine-dependent plasticity. The present model elucidated the mechanisms involved in bidirectional regulation of corticostriatal synapses and will allow for further exploration into causes and therapies for dysfunctions such as drug addiction.