Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Strathprints Institutional Repository Trace Formulae and Singular Values of Resolvent Power Differences of Self-adjoint Elliptic Operators

Trace formulae and singular values of resolvent power differences of self-adjoint elliptic operators. Strathprints is designed to allow users to access the research output of the University of Strathclyde. Copyright © and Moral Rights for the papers on this site are retained by the individual authors and/or other copyright owners. You may not engage in further distribution of the material for any profitmaking activities or any commercial gain. You may freely distribute both the url (http://strathprints.strath.ac.uk/) and the content of this paper for research or study, educational, or not-for-profit purposes without prior permission or charge. Abstract In this note self-adjoint realizations of second order elliptic differential expressions with non-local Robin boundary conditions on a domain Ω ⊂ R n with smooth compact boundary are studied. A Schatten–von Neumann type estimate for the singular values of the difference of the mth powers of the resolvents of two Robin realizations is obtained, and for m > n 2 − 1 it is shown that the resolvent power difference is a trace class operator. The estimates are slightly stronger than the classical singular value estimates by M. Sh. Birman where one of the Robin realizations is replaced by the Dirichlet operator. In both cases trace formulae are proved, in which the trace of the resolvent power differences in L 2 (Ω) is written in terms of the trace of derivatives of Neumann-to-Dirichlet and Robin-to-Neumann maps on the boundary space L 2 (∂Ω).
Formation of curcumin nanoparticles via solution-enhanced dispersion by supercritical CO2

In order to enhance the bioavailability of poorly water-soluble curcumin, solution-enhanced dispersion by supercritical carbon dioxide (CO2) (SEDS) was employed to prepare curcumin nanoparticles for the first time. A 24 full factorial experiment was designed to determine optimal processing parameters and their influence on the size of the curcumin nanoparticles. Particle size was demonstrated to increase with increased temperature or flow rate of the solution, or with decreased precipitation pressure, under processing conditions with different parameters considered. The single effect of the concentration of the solution on particle size was not significant. Curcumin nanoparticles with a spherical shape and the smallest mean particle size of 325 nm were obtained when the following optimal processing conditions were adopted: P =20 MPa, T =35°C, flow rate of solution =0.5 mL·min−1, concentration of solution =0.5%. Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy measurement revealed that the chemical composition of curcumin basically remained unchanged. Nevertheless, X-ray powder diffraction (XRPD) and thermal analysis indicated that the crystalline state of the original curcumin decreased after the SEDS process. The solubility and dissolution rate of the curcumin nanoparticles were found to be higher than that of the original curcumin powder (approximately 1.4 μg/mL vs 0.2 μg/mL in 180 minutes). This study revealed that supercritical CO2 technologies had a great potential in fabricating nanoparticles and improving the bioavailability of poorly water-soluble drugs.
Age-associated cognitive decline.

INTRODUCTION Age-associated cognitive decline-or normal (non-pathological, normative, usual) cognitive ageing-is an important human experience which differs in extent between individuals. The determinants of the differences in age-related cognitive decline are not fully understood. Progress in the field is taking place across many areas of biomedical and psychosocial sciences. AREAS OF AGREEMENT AND CONTROVERSY The phenotype of normal cognitive ageing is well described. Some mental capabilities are well maintained into old age. From early adulthood, there are declines in mental domains such as processing speed, reasoning, memory and executive functions, some of which is underpinned by a decline in a general cognitive factor. There are contributions to understanding individual differences in normal cognitive ageing from genetics, general health and medical disorders such as atherosclerotic disease, biological processes such as inflammation, neurobiological changes, diet and lifestyle. Many of these effect sizes are small; some are poorly replicated; and in some cases, there is the possibility of reverse causation, with prior cognitive ability causing the supposed 'cause' of cognitive ability in old age. EMERGING AREAS FOR DEVELOPING RESEARCH Genome-wide scans are a likely source to establish genetic contributions. The role of vascular factors in cognitive ageing is increasingly studied and understood. The same applies to diet, biomarkers such as inflammation and lifestyle factors such as exercise. There are marked advances in brain imaging, affording better in vivo studies of brain correlates of cognitive changes. There is growing appreciation that factors affecting general bodily ageing also influence cognitive functions in old age.
Enhancing Diagnostic Accuracy of aMCI in the Elderly: Combination of Olfactory Test, Pupillary Response Test, BDNF Plasma Level, and APOE Genotype

Background. Amnestic Mild Cognitive Impairment (aMCI) often progresses to Alzheimer's disease. There are clinical markers and biomarkers to identify the degenerative process in the brain. Objectives. To obtain the diagnostic values of olfactory test, pupillary response to tropicamide 0.01%, BDNF plasma level, and APOE ε4 in diagnosing aMCI. Methods. Cross-sectional, comparative analysis. Results. There were 109 subjects enrolled (aMCI: 51, normal cognition: 58) with age 64 ± 5.54 years. For diagnosing aMCI, cut-off point for the olfactory score was <7 out of 10 and >22% for pupil dilatation response. Low BDNF plasma level was related significantly with olfactory deficits and aMCI (P < 0.05). Four of five subjects with homozygote e4 presented with multiple-domain aMCI. This group displayed the lowest means of olfactory score and the highest means of pupillary hypersensitivity response (P < 0.0001). Combination of olfactory deficit and pupillary hypersensitivity response in detection of aMCI was beneficial with Sp 91% and PPV 87%. In conjunction with clinical markers, BDNF plasma level and presence of APOE e4+ improved Sp and PPV. Conclusions. Combination of olfactory test and pupillary response test was useful as diagnostic tool in aMCI. In conjunction with clinical markers, low level of BDNF plasma and presence of APOE e4 improved the diagnostic value.
A Dark Night in the Soul’: Sexuality, Subjectivity, and Autobiographical Modes in Marian Engel’s The Glassy Sea

La novela de marian Engel The Glassy Sea (1978) presenta a una mujer en busca de voz creativa y legitimador a de su experiencia peronal a traves de un proceso complejo de individuacion. La aceptacion de si misma es doblemente complicada, ya que su protagonista, la monja protestante Marguerite Hegbert ha de enfrentarse a las ferarquias patriarcales religiosas y seculares que desplazan la clave de su individuacion, el domino de su cuerpo y sexualidad. Este articulo explora la triangulacion generada por un modo autobiografico, la carta confesional, el dominio de la sexualidad femenina y su papel en la creacion del sujeto gennerico de Hebert. La primera actua cmoo el vehiculo para acortar las muchas contradiciones inherentes a la vida de la protagonista, mientras que proporciona una autobiografia retrospectiva que despliega un controvertido enfoque del implulso sexual de hebert, Este desafia la existencia ahistirica de la monja tipica consagrada a su present, recontruye su pasado y proporciona una vision de su futuro. Los escritos de Marguerite subvierten el enfasis protestante de perfeccion mientras que abren una senda laica de conocimiento propio.
New single asymmetric error-correcting codes

New single asymmetric error-correcting codes are proposed. These codes are better than existing codes when the code length n is greater than 10, except for n=12 and n=15. In many cases one can construct a code C containing at least [2/sup n//n] codewords. It is known that a code with |C|/spl ges/[2/sup n//(n+1)] can be easily obtained. It should be noted that the proposed codes for n=12 and n=15 are also the best known codes that can be explicitly constructed, since the best of the existing codes for these values of n are based on combinatorial arguments. Useful partitions of binary vectors are also presented.
Understanding Self-Efficacy for Alcohol Use: The Roles of Self-Monitoring and Hypothesized Source Variables

Self-efficacy for avoiding alcohol use predicts alcohol use after treatment. However, selfefficacy predicts outcome differentially depending on whether ratings are made before or after treatment. In order to increase the predictive validity of self-efficacy judgments, the hypothesized sources of self-efficacy were examined in the current study utilizing a college student population. Self-efficacy ratings for avoiding heavy drinking before and after self-monitoring of drinking behavior were examined in order to understand whether careful examination of current behavior would result in more informed self-efficacy judgments. Participants (N = 135) completed questionnaires that assessed self-efficacy, drinking behaviors, alcohol expectancies, and perceived normative alcohol use. Participants were assigned to either the control or self-monitoring condition. Self-monitors recorded drinking behaviors during the four weeks after the baseline assessment. All participants returned for a follow-up assessment four weeks later. Consistent with predictions based on social cognitive theory, heavy drinking, positive alcohol expectancies, and perceived norms of use were inversely related to self-efficacy. Hierarchical multiple regression analyses indicated that self-monitoring did not lead to stronger relationships between source variables and self-efficacy. Individuals who appeared to be overconfident in their self-efficacy judgments at baseline did not make more accurate ratings as a result of self-monitoring. Results from this study highlight potential sources of information individuals use in making self-efficacy judgments. Understanding Self-Efficacy iii
Saving Behavior Messaging: Gain/Loss Framing, Self/Family Orientations, and Individual Differences in Collectivism

As the United States faces low savings rates and an aging population, examining messages that encourage saving behavior is critical. Adding to this need is growth in ethnic minority groups (e.g., Hispanic Americans) that tend to experience greater saving challenges. The current study tested framing effects (i.e., loss/gain), in tandem with message orientation (i.e., self/family) and the moderating role of collectivism, on ad response variables after exposure to public service advertisements about saving. Results across three experiments confirm that matching the level of collectivism with orientation impacted the effect of framing on the outcome measures but that individual differences in collectivism impacted the results more than membership in an ethnic group. Loss framing for both low and high collectivistic individuals, when matched with a self-oriented appeal in the former and a family-oriented appeal in the latter, were most effective. Gain framing was more effective when level of individual collectivism was not matched with self/family message orientation. Important theoretical issues are addressed as well as implications for advertisers who engage in saving behavior messaging.
Advances in Urn Models and Applications to Self-similar Bipolar Networks

of Dissertation Advances in Urn Models and Applications to Self-similar Bipolar Networks We study a class of tenable Pólya urn schemes and processes. We concentrate on balanced urn models, and characterize their properties. As an application, we employ these findings in the study random self-similar bipolar networks. Chapter 1 introduces the history of urns models and graph theory. To conform with the aim and scope of the dissertation, we focus on the evolution of Pólya urn models and random networks. Chapter 2 gives some key techniques and theories that we frequently use in this study, such as partial differential equations (for urns embedded in real time) and analytic methods. Chapter 3 considers balanced triangular urn schemes with both deterministic and random flavor. We characterize the exact moments of balanced triangular urn schemes via an elementary approach, and obtain the distribution by analytic method. Chapter 4 is about Poissonized triangular (reducible) urns on two colors. We analyze the number of balls of different colors in the urn after a certain period of time has elapsed. We show that for balanced processes in this class, a different scaling is needed for each color to produce a nontrivial limit, contrary to the distributions in the usual irreducible urns which only require the same scaling for both colors. For the dominant color, we get exact moments, while relaxing the balance condition. We also consider the balanced triangular processes with random replacement matrices. Chapter 5 gives a novel approach to studying Poissonized tenable and balanced urns on two colors. We demonstrate our method via a process obtained by embedding a generalized Pólya-Eggenberger urn (the Bagchi-Pal urn) into continuous time. We analyze the number of balls of different colors in the urn after a certain period of time. The asymptotic mixed moments of the process are computed. We show that the limiting distributions of the scaled variables underlying the Bagchi-Pal urn are gamma. We analyze the process vii obtained by embedding randomized Play-the-Winner scheme. Chapter 6 investigate several aspects of a self-similar evolutionary process that builds a random bipolar network from building blocks that are themselves small bipolar networks. We characterize admissible outdegrees in the history of the evolution. We obtain the limit distribution of the polar degrees (when suitably scaled) characterized by its sequence of moments. We also obtain the asymptotic joint multivariate normal distribution of the number of nodes of small admissible outdegrees. Five possible substructures arise, and each has its own parameters (mean vector and covariance matrix) in the multivariate distribution. Chapter 7 is about proposed future work on Pólya schemes and processes. The research in this thesis has been presented at scientific conferences, published, or submitted for publication. The research in Section 3.1 is published in [83]. The research in Chapter 4 appears in [20]. The research in Chapter 5 has been submitted; see [21]. The research in Chapter 6 appears in [19].
Prognosis of patients in a medical intensive care unit

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study is to evaluate the demographic characteristics of critically ill patients and to determine intensive care unit (ICU) mortality and its predictors. METHODS: This study was undertaken in the Istanbul Medeniyet University Göztepe Training and Research Hospital Medical ICU. Between May 2012 and January 2013, 111 patients (53 female, 58 male; mean age, 73.79±14.73, mean length of ICU length stay, 9.1±10.7; prevalence of geriatric patients, 77.5%) were admitted to the ICU. The common indications for ICU admission, prevalence of mechanical ventilation support, hematological and biochemical parameters and their effects on mortality were assessed. RESULTS: The common indications for ICU admission were hemodynamic instability (48.6%), respiratory failure (27.9%) and sepsis (15.3%). Hypertension (46.8%) was the most common comorbidity. Prevalance rates of heart failure and diabetes mellitus were 32.4% and 25.2% respectively. Mortality rate was 52.3% in all patients. Approximately 80% of all deaths was observed within the first fifteen-day. In additon, mortality rate (85.7%) was prominent within patients in need of the mechanical ventilation support. Mechanical ventilation requirement, increased ferritin and vitamin B12 levels were independent risk factors for mortality in critically ill patients (p<0.01, for all). CONCLUSION: Mortality rate was higher in medical ICU. Herein, increased prevalence of geriatric population, concomitant comorbidities and mechanical ventilation requirements may play role.
Revisiting Co-Processing for Hash Joins on the Coupled CPU-GPU Architecture

Query co-processing on graphics processors (GPUs) has become an effective means to improve the performance of main memory databases. However, the relatively low bandwidth and high latency of the PCI-e bus are usually bottleneck issues for co-processing. Recently, coupled CPU-GPU architectures have received a lot of attention, e.g. AMD APUs with the CPU and the GPU integrated into a single chip. That opens up new opportunities for optimizing query co-processing. In this paper, we experimentally revisit hash joins, one of the most important join algorithms for main memory databases, on a coupled CPU-GPU architecture. Particularly, we study the fine-grained co-processing mechanisms on hash joins with and without partitioning. The co-processing outlines an interesting design space. We extend existing cost models to automatically guide decisions on the design space. Our experimental results on a recent AMD APU show that (1) the coupled architecture enables fine-grained co-processing and cache reuses, which are inefficient on discrete CPU-GPU architectures; (2) the cost model can automatically guide the design and tuning knobs in the design space; (3) fine-grained co-processing achieves up to 53%, 35% and 28% performance improvement over CPU-only, GPU-only and conventional CPU-GPU co-processing, respectively. We believe that the insights and implications from this study are initial yet important for further research on query co-processing on coupled CPU-GPU architectures.
SCALAR SECTOR OF THE 3 3 1 MODEL WITH THREE HIGGS TRIPLETS

A scalar sector of the 3 3 1 model with three Higgs triplets is considered in detail. The mass spectrum, eigenstates and interactions of the Higgs and the SM gauge bosons are derived. We show that one of the neutral scalars can be identified with the standard model Higgs boson, and in the considered potential, there is no mixing between scalars having vev and those without vev.
Improved Second Harmonic Linearization Technique for Multichannel Amplifiers with Enhancement Reducing in Intermodulation Distortion

A linearization technique for reducing third-order intermodulation distortion that uses the injection of the fundamental signal second harmonics together with the fundamental signals at the amplifier input has been improved in this paper. The procedure proposed introduces phase correction of the fundamental signals according to the differences in phase of the second harmonics. Linearization technique has been applied on an muliichannel amplifier with four analog signals at input. As the result, the improvement in third-order intermodulation power level is 40 dB.
Preaching to the choir: ideology and following behaviour in social media

ABSTRACT Social media offers a new channel to connect political elites with potential supporters. However, the flow of information between the two groups is constrained by a deliberate decision to actively listen only to some politicians based on the messages that users potentially favour. Previous research has posited that, if ideological proximity is an explanatory factor of the decision to follow certain political elites in social media, it should be possible to recover the political preferences of users from following behaviour. Using a unique database with survey data about the demographic characteristics and political attitudes of 5580 Twitter users, I show that, although ideology indeed explains following behaviour on Twitter, interest in politics induces a pattern of selection that limits what we can know about the ideological distribution in the population. My results provide direct validation of a previously hypothesised behaviour in the literature and have implications for the use of a proximity model to infer the state of public opinion using Twitter data.
Lectures on D-branes, Gauge Theory and M(atrices)

These notes give a pedagogical introduction to D-branes and Matrix theory. The development of the material is based on super Yang-Mills theory, which is the low-energy field theory describing multiple D-branes. The main goal of these notes is to describe physical properties of D-branes in the language of Yang-Mills theory, without recourse to string theory methods. This approach is motivated by the philosophy of Matrix theory, which asserts that all the physics of light-front M-theory can be described by an appropriate super Yang-Mills theory.
AUTHORSHIP, PRACTICAL AUTHORSHIP AND DOCUMENTARY BOUNDARY OBJECTS IN ARCHAEOLOGICAL INFORMATION WORK

On the basis of an empirical investigation of archaeological information work, this paper discusses the interplay of authorship of documents and documentary boundary objects, and the practical authorship of social situations and identities and how a closer look at the authorship (as understood in the contemporary authorship literature) can be helpful in elaborating our understanding of the making of artefacts, (documentary) boundary objects and the social landscape. Firstly, the making of documents and other artefacts is seen as a prerequisite of the authorship and making of boundary objects and them as instruments of the practical authorship of social situations, collective and individual identities. Secondly, the notion of practical authorship is perceived to come rather a set of liabilities and privileges rather than a mere attribution of makership or ownership.