Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Geometric numerical integrators based on the Magnus expansion in bifurcation problems for non-linear elastic solids

We illustrate a procedure based on the Magnus expansion for studying mechanical problems which lead to non-autonomous systems of linear ODE’s. The effectiveness of the Magnus method is enlighten by the analysis of a bifurcation problem in the framework of three-dimensional non-linear elasticity. In particular, for an isotropic compressible elastic tube subject to an azimuthal shear primary deformation we study the possibility of axially periodic twist-like bifurcations. The approximate matricant of the resulting differential problem and the first singular value of the bifurcating load corresponding to a non-trivial bifurcation are determined by employing a simplified version of the Magnus method, characterized by a truncation of the Magnus series after the second term.
Empirical Generalizations About the Impact of Advertising on Price Sensitivity and Price

Consumers' sensitivities to price changes are an important input to strategic and tactical decisions. It has been argued that price sensitivities depend on factors such as advertising. Prior studies on the effect of advertising on consumer price sensitivity have found seemingly conflicting results. We analyze the characteristics of previous studies in marketing and generate a set of three empirical generalizations. These are (1) an increase in price advertising leads to higher price sensitivity among consumers, (2) the use of price advertising leads to lower prices, and (3) an increase in nonprice advertising leads to lower price sensitivity among consumers. These generalizations have important implications for managers and researchers. Managers need to coordinate their advertising and pricing decisions to attain maximum profits. For researchers, our summary and discussion of empirical results provide directions for future.
Emotional Intelligence and Will to Win: The Invincible and Invisible Phenomenon in Basketball Sports

This study examined the emotional intelligence and will to win level among female basketball players. A group of fifty (N=50) female inter-college level basketball players of Guru Nanak Dev University, Amritsar, Punjab were selected for this study. The purposive sampling technique was used to attain the objectives of the study. All the subjects, after having been informed about the objective and protocol of the study, gave their consent and volunteered to participate in this study. Summarizing the findings we can say that significant differences were found among female basketball players on the sub-variables of Emotional Intelligence i.e., Self-awareness, Empathy, Self-development, Value orientation and Altruistic behaviour. However no-significant no significant differences were found among female basketball players on the sub-variables of Emotional Intelligence i.e., Self-motivation, Emotional stability, Managing relations, Integrity and Commitment. Conculdingly from the above findings that insignificant differences were present among female basketball players on the sub-variables of will to win.
Diagnosis of Byzantine open-segment faults [scan testing]

This paper addresses the problem of locating the stuck-open faults in a manufactured IC with scan flip-flops. Unlike most previous methods that only aim at identifying the faulty signals, our goal is to further narrow down the faults to a few suspected segments. With such a technique, the silicon inspection time could be dramatically slashed when the fault occurs to a long-running wire with a large number of fanouts. The algorithm is based on our previous inject-and-evaluate paradigm using symbolic simulation. It is fast and accurate. For ISCAS85 benchmark circuits with only one stuck-open fault, the first-hit index is 4.5 on the average within 10 seconds of CPU time.
Highly Efficient Synthesis of Covalently Cross-Linked Peptide Helices by Ring-Closing Metathesis.

Olefin metathesis has been successfully applied to the synthesis of macrocyclic helical peptides [Eq. (a)]. Carbon-carbon bond tethers between amino acid side chains were introduced by ring-closing metathesis. This macrocyclization protocol is a novel and mild procedure for introducing nonnative covalent cross-links into peptide helices.
Loop-Free Forwarding Table Updates with Minimal Link Overflow

The forwarding paths in an IP network may change due to a link failure, network equipment maintenance, or reconfiguration of link weights. The forwarding tables in the routers need then to be updated. These updates may cause transient loops and link overflow, if they are not performed in an appropriate order. While existing proposals achieve loop-free updates, transient link overflow is still a problem during the updating process. In this paper, we present a method that compares the initial and final forwarding paths, and obtains the updatable nodes that do not cause any transient loop or link overflow. However, this goal is not always achievable, therefore, we propose an algorithm to update the forwarding tables that will refrain the link overflows to a minimal level. The performance study on a real topology with two setups confirms that our approach achieves smaller link overflow than by using a previously proposed approach.
Dynamic Instability in a DNA-Segregating Prokaryotic Actin Homolog

Dynamic instability—the switching of a two-state polymer between phases of steady elongation and rapid shortening—is essential to the cellular function of eukaryotic microtubules, especially during chromosome segregation. Since the discovery of dynamic instability 20 years ago, no other biological polymer has been found to exhibit this behavior. Using total internal reflection fluorescence microscopy and fluorescence resonance energy transfer, we observe that the prokaryotic actin homolog ParM, whose assembly is required for the segregation of large, low–copy number plasmids, displays both dynamic instability and symmetrical, bidirectional polymerization. The dynamic instability of ParM is regulated by adenosine triphosphate (ATP) hydrolysis, and filaments are stabilized by a cap of ATP-bound monomers. ParM is not related to tubulin, so its dynamic instability must have arisen by convergent evolution driven by a set of common constraints on polymer-based segregation of DNA.
A constant-current-controlled class-C VCO using a self-adjusting replica biasing scheme

This paper proposes a constant-current-controlled class-C VCO using a self-adjusting replica biasing scheme. The proposed class-C VCO can maintain constant current which is more robust over a variation of low gate bias of a cross-coupled pair comparing to a traditional current mirror. The proposed VCO is implemented in a 0.18-μm CMOS process. The measured phase noise is -121.3dBc/Hz at 1MHz offset with a power dissipation of 4.8mW while oscillating at the frequency of 4.9GHz. The figure-of-merit is approximately -189 dBc/Hz.
Trends in cancer mortality in 15 industrialized countries, 1969-1986.

BACKGROUND Assessing trends in cancer provides a means for gauging progress against the disease, estimating future demands for care and treatment, and suggesting clues about shifting causal factors that may account for the more recent changes. PURPOSE This study was designed to evaluate trends in the major sites of cancer associated with high mortality rates in 15 industrialized countries. To highlight differences among regions, we grouped these countries into six geographic areas: United States, Eastern Europe, Western Europe, East Asia, Oceania, and Nordic countries. In addition, cancer mortality trends in these regions were compared with incidence patterns in the United States. METHODS Data provided by the World Health Organization were used to evaluate age-specific mortality trends from 1969 through 1986 for lung, breast, prostate, stomach, and colorectal cancers and for all other sites considered as a group. We also assembled and analyzed data from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) Program of the National Cancer Institute for the same sites and age groups from 1973 through 1986. RESULTS Over the period 1969 through 1986, recorded cancer mortality in persons aged 45 years and older in the six regions studied has increased for lung, breast, and prostate cancers in most age groups, while the decline in stomach cancer mortality is substantial. The increase in lung cancer deaths in men aged 45-54 years has slowed greatly or reversed in all areas except Eastern Europe and East Asia. Trends for intestinal cancer vary by age and region. For all other sites considered as a group, increases have occurred for persons older than 64 years in most regions. In Eastern Europe, there are disturbingly high rates and rapid increases for several of the major forms of cancer in persons aged 45-54 years. In general, trends for cancer incidence in the United States parallel those for mortality. For intestinal cancer, however, incidence has increased while mortality has declined. CONCLUSIONS The trends we report cannot be explained solely by changes in cigarette smoking or aging. Other causes of changes in cancer incidence and mortality need to be determined. IMPLICATIONS The increasing and decreasing trends in mortality from and incidence of cancer that we found are important for health care planning and may also suggest opportunities for research in cancer prevention.
Low Energy Effective Hamiltonian for a Periodic Array of Cosmological Branes : The Smectic Universe

We investigate a simple model of a stack of four dimensional cosmological branes in a five dimensional flat bulk via the use of a derived low-energy effective Hamiltonian for a `radion'-like field associated with brane displacements and deformations. We also extend by analogy the theory of 3D smectic liquid crystals and multi-lamellar amphiphilic membranes, as are typically found in soft condensed matter systems, to the 5D case of many parallel brane universes. The underlying rotational invariance of such a system implies the absence of an explicit intra-brane cosmological constant term in the low-energy effective Hamiltonian. The strength of a quadratic inter-brane potential introduced for stabilisation is calculated self-consistently, and leads naturally to a novel exponential suppression mechanism for the 4D intra-brane cosmological constant. We also pursue, again by analogy to the 3D case, the link between this work and the Abelian Higgs transition, or superconductivity, in 5D. The relevance of the work presented here in explicating the cosmological constant problem is also highlighted, outlined and discussed.
On Achievable Rates for Channels with Mismatched Decoding

The problem of mismatched decoding for discrete memoryless channels is addressed. A mismatched cognitive multiple-access channel is introduced, and an inner bound on its capacity region is derived using two alternative encoding methods: superposition coding and random binning. The inner bounds are derived by analyzing the average error probability of the code ensemble for both methods and by a tight characterization of the resulting error exponents. Random coding converse theorems are also derived. A comparison of the achievable regions shows that in the matched case, random binning performs as well as superposition coding, i.e., the region achievable by random binning is equal to the capacity region. The achievability results are further specialized to obtain a lower bound on the mismatch capacity of the single-user channel by investigating a cognitive multiple access channel whose achievable sum-rate serves as a lower bound on the single-user channel's capacity. In certain cases, for given auxiliary random variables this bound strictly improves on the achievable rate derived by Lapidoth.
Lycium barbarum Polysaccharides Attenuate Cisplatin-Induced Hair Cell Loss in Rat Cochlear Organotypic Cultures

The aim of the present study was to investigate the effects of Lycium barbarum polysaccharides (LBP) on cisplatin-induced hair cell damage in the organ of Corti explant. The neonatal (P2–3) rat organ of Corti explant was exposed to cisplatin (20 μM; 48 h) with or without LBP pretreatment (150 and 600 μg/mL; 24 h). Hair cell loss was indicated by FITC-labeled phalloidin staining. The level of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and alteration of mitochondrial membrane potential (ΔΨm) in hair cells were analyzed using fluorescent probes 2′,7′-dichlorofluorescein diacetate and JC-1, respectively. The results showed that LBP significantly attenuated hair cell loss (p < 0.01). Hair cells pretreated with LBP showed significant reduction in ROS production and the decline of ΔΨm compared with cisplatin alone group (p < 0.01), indicating the protective effect of LBP on cisplatin-induced hair cell loss. Taken together, these results indicate that LBP was effective in attenuating cisplatin-induced hair cell loss by reducing the production of ROS and maintaining mitochondrial ΔΨm.
On the equivalence between the super-exponential algorithm and a gradient search method

This paper reviews the super-exponential algorithm proposed by Shalvi and Weinstein (1993) for blind channel equalization. We show that the algorithm coincides with a gradient search of a maximum of a cost function, which belongs to a family of functions very relevant in blind channel equalization. This family traces back to Donoho's (1981) work on minimum entropy deconvolution, and also underlies the Godard (1980) (or constant modulus) and the Shalvi-Weinstein algorithms. Using this gradient search interpretation, we give a simple proof of convergence for the super-exponential algorithm. Finally, we show that the gradient step-size choice giving rise to the super-exponential algorithm is optimal.
Vitamin B(1) status assessed by direct measurement of thiamin pyrophosphate in erythrocytes or whole blood by HPLC: comparison with erythrocyte transketolase activation assay.

BACKGROUND The concentration of thiamin diphosphate (TDP) in erythrocytes is a useful index of thiamin status. We describe an HPLC method for TDP and its results in patients at risk of thiamin deficiency. METHODS We used reversed-phase HPLC with postcolumn derivatization with alkaline potassium ferricyanide and fluorescence detection. Samples were deproteinized and injected directly onto a C(18) column. TDP concentrations in erythrocytes were compared with those in whole blood. Reference intervals for erythrocyte TDP (n = 147; 79 males and 68 females; mean age, 54 years) and whole blood TDP (n = 124; 68 males and 56 females; mean age, 54 years) were determined in an apparently healthy population. We compared erythrocyte TDP with results of the erythrocyte transketolase activation test in 63 patients who were considered at risk of thiamin deficiency. RESULTS The method was linear to at least 200 microgram/L. The between-run CV was <8%. The lower limit of quantification for both whole blood and packed erythrocytes was 300 pg on column with a detection limit of 130 pg on column. Recovery of TDP from blood samples was >90%. TDP in erythrocytes correlated strongly with that in whole blood (r = 0.97). Reference intervals for erythrocyte and whole blood TDP were 280-590 ng/g hemoglobin and 275-675 ng/g hemoglobin, respectively. Of the 63 patients suspected of thiamin deficiency, 46 were normal by both TDP and activation tests, 13 were deficient by both tests, 1 was deficient by the activation test but had normal erythrocyte TDP concentrations, and 4 were normal by the activation test but had low TDP. CONCLUSIONS The HPLC method is precise and yields results similar to the erythrocyte activation assay.
Mutational Profiling of Non-Small-Cell Lung Cancer Resistant to Osimertinib Using Next-Generation Sequencing in Chinese Patients

Purpose To identify the somatic mutated genes for optimal targets of non-small-cell lung cancer after resistance to osimertinib treatment. Patients and Methods Study patients all had advanced lung adenocarcinoma and acquired resistance to osimertinib as a second- or third-line treatment. These patients had harboring EGFR T790M mutation before osimertinib treatment, which was confirmed by Amplification Refractory Mutation System (ARMS) PCR or Next-Generation Sequencing (NGS). After resistance to osimertinib treatment, tumor tissue was collected by core needle biopsy. DNA was extracted from 15 × 5 um sliced section of formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) material and NGS was done. The genetic changes were analyzed. Results A total of 9 Chinese patients were studied, 5 females and 4 males, age 51–89 years. After progression with osimertinib treatment, core needle biopsy was performed and next-generation sequencing was performed. Nine patients had harboring 62 point mutations, 2 altered gene copies, 2 amplifications, and 1 EML4-ALK gene fusion. No MET or HER2 amplification was found in this cohort study. Nine patients still maintained initial EGFR 19 del or L858R activating mutations, while 7 of them kept EGFR T790M mutations. Among the 7 patients, 5 had secondary EGFR C797S and/or C797G mutations, which all happened in the same allele with T790M mutation. All patients were treated with targets therapies, chemotherapy, or best supportive care (BSC) in accordance with NGS genetic results and patients' performance status; 7 of them are still alive and 2 of them died of disease progression at last follow-up. Conclusions EGFR C797S/G mutation and the same one presented on the same allele with EGFR T790M mutation were the most common mutation feature and played a key role in resistance to osimertinib in Chinese patients with NSCLC. Tumor cells losing T790M mutation and maintaining EGFR activating mutation might benefit from first-generation EGFR-TKI treatment.
Antioxidant properties of extracts from buckwheat by-products.

BACKGROUND In the course of production of buckwheat groats by-products are produced, such as bran and hull, which apart from high content of dietary fiber, may also constitute valuable sources of antioxidants. The aim of these investigations was to determine the antioxidant activity of extracts from by-products produced during processing of buckwheat for groats. MATERIAL AND METHOD Analyses were conducted on bran and hull of buckwheat cv. Kora. Extraction was run using acetone, methanol and water at room temperature for 24 h. The level of phenolics was determined spectrophotometrically with the Folin-Ciocalteau reagent, using (+) catechin as a standard. Antioxidant activity of extracts was analysed in relation to linoleic acid, running incubation for 19 h, by scavenging of stable radicals of DPPH (2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl) and on the basis of metal chelating ability. Recorded results were compared with the activity of BHT (butylated hydroxytoluene). RESULTS The highest content of polyphenols was found in the methanol extract of hull (168.5 mg/g d.m.), which was also characterised by the best antiradical properties. The lowest content of total phenols was found for water extracts of bran after grinding and final bran, at 20.3 mg/g d.m. and 10.2 mg/g d.m. In the emulsion system the highest activity was found for methanol extracts of hull and bran after grinding (Wo = 0.89), as well as the extract of final bran (Wo = 0.85). A higher chelating ability in relation to Fe (II) ions was observed for bran extracts (after grinding - 76.1%, final bran - 62.2%) than for hull extracts (26%). CONCLUSIONS Extracts obtained from by-products of buckwheat were characterised by high antioxidant activity in the applied model systems.
RubricAce TM : A Case-based Feedback Recommender for Coursework Assessment ⋆

Coursework based student assessment is a core task in schools and higher education institutions. Grading coursework is commonly guided by means of a pre-defined marking scheme commonly known as a Rubric. The aim of the Rubric is two-fold: to help students understand the expectation for achieving each of the grades along one or more specific judging criterion; and to help assessors provide contextualised individual feedback. Accordingly the assessor would normally be expected not only to assign grades but also to explain this assignment through individual feedback text. Aim of RubricAce is to support assessors by providing feedback recommendations. It does this by adopting the CBR paradigm of reusing feedback allocated to previous similarly graded students for a given coursework. Whilst this allows RubricAce to mimic human behaviour, in doing so it helps to maintain consistency and fairness; hence, improving overall feedback quality. RubricAce also includes management tools to visualise similarly graded students, charts to view the distribution of grades and functionality to import and export student records. Initial demonstrations of RubricAce functionality to academic staff at the Robert Gordon University has been well received. However a more comprehensive user study is planned for the future. Keyword. Text Reuse, CBR and education, Text generation, Rubric assessment
The effects of aetiology on outcome in patients treated with cardiac resynchronization therapy in the CARE-HF trial

Aims Cardiac dyssynchrony is common in patients with heart failure, whether or not they have ischaemic heart disease (IHD). The effect of the underlying cause of cardiac dysfunction on the response to cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) is unknown. This issue was addressed using data from the CARE-HF trial. Methods and results Patients (n = 813) were grouped by heart failure aetiology (IHD n = 339 vs. non-IHD n = 473), and the primary composite (all-cause mortality or unplanned hospitalization for a major cardiovascular event) and principal secondary (all-cause mortality) endpoints analysed. Heart failure severity and the degree of dyssynchrony were compared between the groups by analysing baseline clinical and echocardiographic variables. Patients with IHD were more likely to be in NYHA class IV (7.5 vs. 4.0%; P = 0.03) and to have higher NT-proBNP levels (2182 vs. 1725 pg/L), indicating more advanced heart failure. The degree of dyssynchrony was more pronounced in patients without IHD (assessed using mean QRS duration, interventricular mechanical delay, and aorta-pulmonary pre-ejection time). Left ventricular ejection fraction and left ventricular end-systolic volume improved to a lesser extent in the IHD group (4.53 vs. 8.50% and −35.68 vs. –58.52 cm3). Despite these differences, CRT improved all-cause mortality, NYHA class, and hospitalization rates to a similar extent in patients with or without IHD. Conclusion The benefits of CRT in patients with or without IHD were similar in relative terms in the CARE-HF study but as patients with IHD had a worse prognosis, the benefit in absolute terms may be greater.
COMPARISON OF UASB AND FLUIDIZED-BED REACTORS FOR SULFATE REDUCTION

Reactor hydrodynamics is important for sulfidogenesis because sulfate reduction bacteria (SRB) do not granulate easily. In this work, the sulfate reduction performance of two continuous anaerobic bioreactors was investigated: (i) an upflow anaerobic sludge blanket (UASB) reactor and (ii) a fluidized bed reactor (FBR). Organic loading, sulfate reduction, and COD removal were the main parameters monitored during lactate and glycerol degradation. The UASB reactor with biomass recirculation showed a specific sulfate reduction rate of 0.089±0.014 g.gSSV-1.d-1 (89% reduction), whereas values twice as high were achieved in the FBR treating either lactate (0.200±0.017 g.gSSV-1.d-1) or glycerol (0.178±0.010 g.gSSV-1.d-1). Sulfate reduction with pure glycerol produced a smaller residual COD (1700 mg.L-1) than that produced with lactate (2500 mg.L-1) at the same COD.sulfate-1 mass ratio. It was estimated that 50% of glycerol degradation was due to sulfate reduction and 50% to fermentation, which was supported by the presence of butyrate in the FBR effluent. The UASB reactor was unable to produce effluents with sulfate concentrations below 250 mg.L-1 due to poor mixing conditions, whereas the FBR consistently ensured residual sulfate concentrations below such a value.