Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
NEW COMPUTATIONAL ASPECTS OF DISCREPANCY THEORY

OF THE DISSERTATION New Computational Aspects of Discrepancy Theory by Aleksandar Nikolov Dissertation Director: S. Muthukrishnan The main focus of this thesis work is computational aspects of discrepancy theory. Discrepancy theory studies how well discrete objects can approximate continuous ones. This question is ubiquitous in mathematics and computer science, and discrepancy theory has found numerous applications. In this thesis work, we (1) initiate the study of the polynomial time approximability of central discrepancy measures: we prove the first hardness of approximation results and design the first polynomial time approximation algorithms for combinatorial and hereditary discrepancy. We also (2) make progress on longstanding open problems in discrepancy theory, using insights from computer science: we give nearly tight hereditary discrepancy lower bounds for axis-aligned boxes in higher dimensions, and for homogeneous arithmetic progressions. Finally, we have (3) found new applications of discrepancy theory to (3a) fundamental questions in private data analysis and to (3b) communication complexity. In particular, we use discrepancy theory to design nearly optimal efficient algorithms for counting queries, in all parameter regimes considered in the literature. We also show that discrepancy lower bounds imply communication lower bounds for approximation problems in the one-way model. Directions for further research and connections to expander graphs, compressed sensing, and the design of approximation algorithms are outlined.
Event-Triggered Adaptive Output-Feedback Control for Nonlinearly Parameterized Uncertain Systems With Quantization and Input Delay

An output-feedback-based event-triggered control issue of a class of uncertain nonlinear systems considering state quantization and input delay is investigated. In this study, by constructing the state observer and adaptive estimation function, a discrete adaptive control scheme is designed based on the dynamic sampled and quantized mechanism. With the aid of the Lyapunov–Krasovskii functional method and a stability criterion, the global stability of the time-delay nonlinear systems is ensured. Additionally, the Zeno behavior will not happen in the event-triggering. Finally, a numerical example and a practical example are presented to verify the effectiveness of the designed discrete control algorithm with input time-varying delay.
A Longitudinal Study of Multimodal Bronchoscopy Training in Uganda

Background Flexible bronchoscopy is an essential tool in diagnosing and managing pulmonary diseases. However, there is limited capacity for bronchoscopy in low and middle income countries (LMICs). In 2019, a pilot program for flexible bronchoscopy training was launched for local physicians in Kampala, Uganda. We then conducted a follow up multimodal bronchoscopy course after 2 years. Objective The aim of this study is to assess a longitudinal multimodal bronchoscopy training in an LMIC setting. Methods A multimodal follow up curriculum was developed with pulmonologists from Uganda and the United States. The training was delivered to Ugandan providers who attended previous bronchoscopy training and new participants. The training included a prepared curriculum consisting of lectures, simulations, and deliberate practice-based proctoring. A 12-question multiple-choice exam was administered at the beginning and end of the course, assessing knowledge. Procedural competency was measured using a validated assessment tool called the BSTAT (Bronchoscopic Skills and Tasks Assessment Tool). Results were analyzed to evaluate the retention of knowledge among those who took part in previous training and the efficacy of the follow-up curriculum for participants without previous training. Results Among the participants who attended didactic training in 2022 (11), mean exam scores were improved after training, from 43.9 (standard deviation [SD], 11.3) to 59.8 (SD, 16.1) (mean difference [MD], +15.9; SD, 13.9; P = 0.008), but were lower compared with post didactic scores in 2019: 90.8 (SD, 6.1; MD, −31; P < 0.0001). Participants who completed BSTAT assessments (8) had mean scores similar in 2019 and 2022, at 72.1 and 75.2, respectively (MD, 3.1; P = 0.38). Conclusion This study provides an example of how a longitudinal multimodal bronchoscopy curriculum can improve competency and proficiency for local physicians in an LMIC.
The development of the red giant branch. II - Astrophysical properties

Evolutionary sequences developed in another paper are used here to investigate the properties of the red giant branch (RGB) phase transition. Results are found for compositions in the range Y(MS) between 0.20 and 0.30 and Z between 0.004 and 0.04. The transition mass M(HeF) increases as either Y(MS) decreases or Z increases. The stellar population transition age t(HeF) is virtually independent of composition and close to 0.6 Gyr. The RGB phase transition occurs almost abruptly over a mass range of only a few tenths of a solar mass or, equivalently, over a time interval of about 0.2 Gyr in the life of a stellar population. During the RGB phase transition the core mass Mc at helium ignition increases very rapidly by about 0.15 solar mass, while the luminosity at the tip of the RGB increases by about one order of magnitude. Absolute minima are found for the values of Mc and the RGB tip luminosity.
Phenotypical Identification and Toxinotyping of Clostridium perfringens Isolates from Healthy and Enteric Disease-Affected Chickens

Clostridium perfringens is a ubiquitous spore-forming anaerobic pathogen that is frequently associated with enteric disease in chickens. Moreover, enterotoxin-producing C. perfringens has high zoonotic potential as well as serious public health concerns due to the emanation of food-borne intoxication. The present study was designed to isolate, identify, and toxinotype C. perfringens from both healthy and cases of necrotic or ulcerative enteritis chickens. A total of 110 samples were collected from July 2019 to February 2021. Among the samples, 38 (34.5%, 95% CI: 26.39–43.83) were positive for C. perfringens and were obtained from broiler 21 (33.3%, 95% CI: 22.91–45.67), Sonali 9 (34.6%, 95% CI: 19.31–53.88), and layer 8 (38%, 95% CI: 20.68–59.20). C. perfringens was highly prevalent (35.7%, 95% CI: 25.48–47.44) in enteritis chickens compared with healthy ones. In multiplex PCR toxinotyping, 34 (89.4%) isolates were identified as C. perfringens type A by the presence of the alpha toxin gene (cpa). Moreover, in addition to the cpa gene, 3 (14.3%, 95% CI: 4.14–35.48) broiler and 1 (11.1%, 95% CI: 0.01–45.67) Sonali isolates harbored the enterotoxin gene (cpe) and were classified as type F. However, none of the isolates carried genes encoding beta (cpb), epsilon (etx), iota (iap), or beta-2 (cpb2) toxins. Multivariable logistic regression analysis identified the following variables such as; “previously used litter materials” (OR 21.77, 95% CI 2.22–212.66, p ≤ 0.008); intestinal lesions, “presence of ulceration” (OR 30.01, 95% CI 3.02–297.91, p ≤ 0.004); “ballooned with gas” (OR 24.74, 95% CI 4.34–140.86, p ≤ 0.001) and “use of probiotics” (OR 5.24, 95% CI 0.74–36.75, p ≤ 0.095) act as risk factors for C. perfringens colonization in chicken gut. This is the first study of molecular toxinotyping of C. perfringens from healthy and enteric-diseased chickens in Bangladesh, which might have a potential food-borne zoonotic impact on human health.
Design study of an HHG-seeded harmonic cascade free-electron laser

The UK New Light Source (NLS) project identified a strong scientific case for a next-generation light source to deliver continuous coverage of the photon energy range 50–1000 eV with variable polarisation, 20 fs pulse widths, a high degree of temporal coherence and 1 kHz repetition rate. Three separate seeded free-electron lasers (FELs) were proposed which in combination satisfy these requirements. It was proposed to use a high harmonic generation (HHG) seed source tuneable from 50–100 eV to give direct seeding at the fundamental FEL photon energy up to 100 eV, with one or two stages of harmonic up-conversion within the FEL to reach the higher photon energies. This paper focuses on the optimisation of a two-stage harmonic cascade FEL design operating at the highest (fundamental) photon energy of 1000 eV. Topics investigated include the configuration of the modulator undulators, the required seed power and the effects of the temporal structure of the unfiltered HHG seed on the FEL output. FEL simulations using realistic electron beam distributions tracked from the gun to the FEL are presented, illustrating the predicted coherence properties of the FEL output.
Investigation on the Contents of Nε-carboxymethyllysine, Nε-carboxyethyllysine, and N-nitrosamines in Commercial Sausages on the Chinese Market

Sausages are among the most popular meat products worldwide. However, some harmful products, such as advanced glycation end-products (AGEs) and N-nitrosamines (NAs), can be formed simultaneously during sausage processing. In this study, the contents of AGEs, NAs, α-dicarbonyls and the proximate composition were investigated in two kinds of commercial sausages (fermented sausages and cooked sausages) in the Chinese market. The correlations among them were further analyzed. The results showed that the fermented and cooked sausages had different in protein/fat contents and pH/thiobarbituric acid reactive substance values due to their different processing technologies and added ingredients. The Nε-carboxymethyllysine (CML) and Nε-carboxyethyllysine (CEL) concentrations varied from 3.67 to 46.11 mg/kg and from 5.89 to 52.32 mg/kg, respectively, and the NAs concentrations ranged from 1.35 to 15.88 µg/kg. The contents of some hazardous compounds, such as CML, N-nitrosodimethylamine, and N-nitrosopiperidine, were observed to be higher in the fermented sausages than in the cooked sausages. Moreover, levels of NAs in some sausage samples exceeded the limit of 10 µg/kg issued by the United States Department of Agriculture, suggesting that particular attention should be paid to mitigating NAs, especially in fermented sausages. The correlation analysis suggested that the levels of AGEs and NAs were not significantly correlated in both kinds of sausages.
Changes in Mental Health, Emotional Distress, and Substance Use Affecting Women Experiencing Violence and Their Service Providers during COVID-19 in a U.S. Southern State

Research conducted during the COVID-19 pandemic has revealed many unintended consequences of mandated safety precautions, including increased perpetration of intimate partner violence (IPV), increases in substance use, and worsening mental health conditions. We conducted a repeated, cross-sectional survey of survivors of IPV, a longitudinal survey of service providers working in an IPV shelter, and interviews with both. We conducted surveys at the beginning of the pandemic and nearly half a year later to assess mental health and, for clients, substance use. Results showed that two small samples of survivors living in the shelter in 2020 and 2021 experienced both mental health decline and increased use of substances. Qualitative data from in-depth interviews suggest that COVID-19-related restrictions mirrored survivors’ experiences of power and control in violent relationships. Further, IPV service providers—essential workers during COVID-19—experienced stress associated with reports of burnout and mental fatigue. This study suggests that community-based organizations can help mitigate the impacts of COVID-19 on survivors of IPV but should avoid adding additional work for staff as service providers experienced mental and emotional stress.
Sensitivity and specificity for detecting pseudotumors in patients with hip resurfacing arthroplasty, metal-on-metal or metal-on-polyethylene total hip arthroplasty—MRI versus ultrasonography performed by an orthopedic surgery resident

Background Metal artifact reduction sequence magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan is a common method to detect adverse reaction to metal debris in total hip arthroplasty (THA). It might be quicker and cheaper if ultrasonography (US) could screen for the need for an MRI. However, both require trained personnel. Purpose We aimed to investigate the sensitivity and specificity of US for detecting pseudotumors (PT) when performed by an orthopedic surgery resident compared to MRI. We also investigated the sensitivity and specificity of US to detect PTs in obese and non-obese patients. Material and methods We examined 205 patients with hip resurfacing arthroplasty, metal-on-metal or metal-on-polyethylene THA with both MRI and US. US was performed by an orthopedic surgery resident who was trained according to a standardized training program in musculoskeletal US. Results from MRI were used as gold standard. Results US had a sensitivity of 0.92 (95% CI 0.81–0.98) and specificity of 0.94 (95% CI 0.89–0.97) for detecting PT. It had a positive predictive value of 0.84 (95% CI 0.73–0.91) and a negative predictive value of 0.97 (95% CI 0.93–0.99). US performed similarly in obese and non-obese patients. Conclusions US had a high sensitivity and specificity for detecting PT when performed by an orthopedic surgery resident. Trained orthopedic surgeons could screen for the need of an MRI scan when searching PTs.
Survival Disparities in US Black Compared to White Women with Hormone Receptor Positive-HER2 Negative Breast Cancer

Black women in the US have significantly higher breast cancer mortality than White women. Within biomarker-defined tumor subtypes, disparate outcomes seem to be limited to women with hormone receptor positive and HER2 negative (HR+/HER2−) breast cancer, a subtype usually associated with favorable prognosis. In this review, we present data from an array of studies that demonstrate significantly higher mortality in Black compared to White women with HR+/HER2-breast cancer and contrast these data to studies from integrated healthcare systems that failed to find survival differences. Then, we describe factors, both biological and non-biological, that may contribute to disparate survival in Black women.
Reliability and Validity of a Flume-Based Maximal Oxygen Uptake Swimming Test

A mode-specific swimming protocol to assess maximal aerobic uptake (VO2maxsw) is vital to accurately evaluate swimming performance. A need exists for reliable and valid swimming protocols that assess VO2maxsw in a flume environment. The purpose was to assess: (a) reliability and (b) “performance” validity of a VO2maxsw flume protocol using the 457-m freestyle pool performance swim (PS) test as the criterion. Nineteen males (n = 9) and females (n = 10) (age, 28.5 ± 8.3 years.; height, 174.7 ± 8.2 cm; mass, 72.9 ± 12.5 kg; %body fat, 21.4 ± 5.9) performed two flume VO2maxsw tests (VO2maxswA and VO2maxswB) and one PS test [457 m (469.4 ± 94.7 s)]. For test–retest reliability (Trials A vs. B), moderately strong relationships were established for VO2maxsw (mL·kg−1·min−1)(r= 0.628, p = 0.002), O2pulse (mL O2·beat−1)(r = 0.502, p = 0.014), VEmax (L·min−1) (r = 0.671, p = 0.001), final test time (sec) (0.608, p = 0.004), and immediate post-test blood lactate (IPE (BLa)) (0.716, p = 0.001). For performance validity, moderately strong relationships (p < 0.05) were found between VO2maxswA (r =−0.648, p = 0.005), O2pulse (r= −0.623, p = 0.008), VEmax (r = −0.509 p = 0.037), and 457-m swim times. The swimming flume protocol examined is a reliable and valid assessment of VO2maxsw. , and offers an alternative for military, open water, or those seeking complementary forms of training to improve swimming performance.
Rheological Heterogeneities Control the Non‐Progressive Uplift of the Young Iranian Plateau

The Iranian plateau is at the early stage of plateau development and intracontinental deformation in response to the Arabia‐Eurasia collision. Its compressive deformation is concentrated in the northern plateau but skips the central counterpart, challenging the common views envisaging the progressive uplift from the collisional front to the hinterland. Based on three‐dimensional, crustal‐scale numerical models, we present how the rheological heterogeneities common in continents control the deformation of the young Iranian plateau. The weak northern plateau ensures itself a preferential zone in accommodating continental collision. The N‐S strike‐slip faults within the non‐rigid central plateau, formed along the boundaries between the tectonic units with rheological contrast, suppress the shortening of the central plateau while further accentuating the compressive deformation of the northern plateau. Our results suggest a non‐progressive intracontinental deformation pattern where rheological boundaries and mechanically weak zones, not necessarily those close to collisional fronts, preferentially accommodate continental convergence.
Eigenmode response to driven magnetic reconnection in a collisionless plasma

The collisionless plasma of the Versatile Toroidal Facility experiment [J. Egedal, A. Fasoli, M. Porkolab, and D. Tarkowski, Rev. Sci. Instrum. 71, 3351 (2000)], applied to the study of magnetic reconnection, exhibits a global eigenmode response during which the reconnection rate and the current channel oscillate. The present paper describes experiments tailored for investigating this eigenmode response. It is found that the oscillatory plasma behavior is linked to ion-polarization currents and associated electron currents that flow to maintain quasineutrality within the active reconnection region. A theoretical model is developed which describes the eigenmode response and accounts for the temporal evolution of the measured profiles of key plasma parameters.
Convective instability in steady stenotic flow: optimal transient growth and experimental observation

An optimal transient growth analysis is compared with experimental observation for the steady flow through an abrupt, axisymmetric stenosis of varying stenosis degree. Across the stenosis range, a localized sinuous convective shear-layer instability type is predicted to dominate. A comparison of the shape and development of the optimal modes is made with experimental dye visualizations. The presence of the same sinuous-type disturbance immediately upstream of the highly chaotic region observed in the experimental flow is consistent with the optimal growth predictions. This, together with the fact that the flow is unstable globally only at much higher Reynolds numbers, suggests bypass transition.
Machine learning and deep learning in medicine and neuroimaging

Artificial intelligence is the science and engineering of machines that can mimic human intelligence. Machine learning is the subfield of artificial intelligence in which computers have the ability to learn and iteratively improve their performance without being explicitly programmed. Deep learning algorithms learn by processing the data with increasing levels of abstraction in each layer. We present a narrative review of the relevant literature with a particular focus on deep learning for image classification and image segmentation in neuroimaging. For the first time in history, computers can automatically perform some clinically relevant tasks at the level, or even above the level, of the relevant medical specialists. A turning point in machine learning occurred in the 2010s as a result of (1) the multiple technical improvements that machine learning has been accumulating over several decades, (2) the exponential increase in computing power, and (3) the wide availability of very large databases with millions of observations and thousands of variables. Machine learning is starting to be successfully applied to several areas of medicine, including predictive analytics, decision support, natural language processing of free‐text notes, and automatic interpretation of electrophysiological recordings. Among all the applications of machine learning in medicine, deep learning for computer vision is the one that has enjoyed the greatest success. The emphasis of this review is the application of convolutional neural networks for image classification and for image segmentation in neuroimaging. Machine learning and deep learning are increasingly integrated into the clinical workflow and applied in neuroimaging interpretation. Natural language processing is likely to gain increasing importance in medicine in the near future. Complex decision‐making that mimics human thinking with reinforcement learning is still far away on the horizon.
Pengaruh Gaya Kepemimpinan dan Iklim Komunikasi Terhadap Organizational Citizenship Behavior (OCB) (Survei PT. Mulia Mega Makmur)

Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mengetahui pengaruh gaya kepemimpinan dan iklim komunikasi terhadap organizational citizenship behavior (ocb) pada karyawan PT Mulia Mega Makmur. Teori yang digunakan dalam penelitian ini adalah pengembangan gaya kepemimpinan yang dikemukakan oleh Hersey dan Blanchard, dimensi iklim komunikasi oleh Redding serta pedekatan aspek organizational citizenship behavior oleh Organ. Penelitian ini merupakan penelitian explanatory research dengan pendekatan kuantitatif. Metode yang digunakan adalah survei dengan menyebarkan kuesioner kepada pegawai setingkat Department Head ke bawah dengan populasi 50 orang dan menggunakan teknik sampel jenuh dengan sampelnya adalah seluruh orang dalam populasi. Teknik analisis data yang digunakan adalah Partial Least Square- Structual Equation Model (PLS-SEM). Hasil penelitian mengungkapkan bahwa variabel gaya kepemimpinan dan iklim komunikasi berpengaruh positif dan signifikan serta simultan pada organizational citizenship behavior dengan nilai R-Square sebesar 0,613. Selain hasil tersebut, ditemukan bahwa iklim komunikasi menjadi variabel yang lebih dominan mempengaruhi organizational citizenship behavior dibandingkan variabel gaya kepemimpinan dengan nilai SE untuk kedua variabel 32,2% dan 29,1%.
A Null-Space-Based Technique for the Estimation of Linear-Time Invariant Structured State-Space Representations

Abstract Estimating the order as well as the matrices of a linear state-space model is now an easy problem to solve. However, it is well-known that the state-space matrices are unique modulo a non-singular similarity transformation matrix. This could have serious consequences if the system being identified is a real physical system. Indeed, if the true model contains physical parameters, then the identified system could no longer have the physical parameters in a form that can be extracted easily. The question addressed in this paper then is, how to recover the physical parameters once the system has been identified in a fully-parameterized form. The novelty of our approach is on transforming the bilinear equations arising from the similarity transformation equations as a null-space problem. We show that the null-space of a certain matrix contains the physical parameters. Extracting the physical parameters then requires the solution of a non-convex optimization problem in a reduced dimensional space. By assuming that the physical state-space form is identifiable and the initial fully-parameterized model is consistent, the solution of this optimization problem is unique. The proposed algorithm is presented, along with an example of a physical system.