bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The face of personality: Adaptive inferences from facial cues are moderated by perceiver personality and motives
Authors: Sacco Donald F. , Brown Mitch
Published: July 2018

Humans have historically been interested in understanding stable individual differences in behavioral tendencies, often referred to as personality traits. Recent work suggests that between‐person personality variability may be adaptive insofar as certain variations in personality constellations facilitate survival and reproduction across various types of groups and ecological niches. While past research has demonstrated that personality can be accurately inferred from self‐reports, other‐reports, and targets' past behavior, we discuss a more contemporary, yet understudied, means of personality inference: facial structure. We summarize research on personality traits that can be accurately inferred from facial structure, as well as how aspects of individuals' own personality, chronically accessible motives, and acutely activated goals lead to preferences for facially communicated personality that would aid in the satisfaction of these goals (e.g., higher need to belong predicts a stronger preference for faces whose structure communicates greater extraversion). We also discuss limitations of current approaches to understanding the relationship between perceiver personality and motives and their relation to perceptions of facially communicated personality as well as fruitful directions for future research.
Phylogenetic relationships and convergent evolution of ocean‐shore ground beetles (Coleoptera:Carabidae:Trechinae:Bembidionand relatives)
Authors: Maddison David R. , Maruyama Munetoshi
Published: July 2018

Through phylogenetic analysis of seven genes, we show that there have been at least six independent entries into intertidal habitats in the history of bembidiine carabids, in the ancestors of: (i)OrzolinaMachado, (ii)Bembidion(DesarmatocillenusNetolitzky), (iii)Bembidion laticeps(LeConte) + palosverdesKavanaugh & Erwin, (iv)Bembidion laterale(Samouelle), (v)Bembidion umiSasakawa andBembidion quadriimpressum(Motschulsky) (which may represent two separate entries), and (vi)B. nigropiceum(Marsham). The following lineages are widely separated within the subtribe Bembidiina:Orzolinais sister to the genusOcysStephens; subgenusDesarmatocillenusappears to be sister to allBembidionLatreille excluding subgenusPhylaMotschulsky;B. laticeps + B. palosverdesis a clade in theBembidionseries;B. lateraleis a member of thePrincidiumMotschulsky complex;B. umiandB. quadriimpressumare related to the Nearctic Clade of theOcydromusClairville complex;B. nigropiceumis sister toB. praeustumDejean among sampled species. There are three separate lineages of ocean‐shore bembidiines that are known to prey on amphipods, and adults of these lineages [Bembidion(Desarmatocillenus),B. laterale, andB. mandibulareSolier] have unusually wide heads with long mandibles. Also common among independent lineages restricted to ocean shores are prominent front angles of the prothorax, larger numbers of setae on the elytral disc, a notable sinuation in the margin of each elytron near its apex, and short, wide mesotarsi. The reasons for the repeated evolution of these features are not evident. Our results also suggest that inland species of the Nearctic Clade may have arisen from an ocean‐shore ancestor. The close genetic similarities between the gravel river shore dwellingB. praeustumand the intertidal specialistB. nigropiceumsuggest that the striking morphological adaptations ofB. nigropiceumto the intertidal zone arose rapidly. We make one nomenclatural change: we resurrect the subgenusLymneopsCasey to accommodateB. palosverdesandB. laticeps.
Plasma antimony determination during cutaneous leishmaniasis treatment with intralesional infiltration of meglumine antimoniate
Authors: de Aguiar Marta Gontijo , Gonçalves José Eduardo , Souza Mirna d'Auriol , de Silva Rosiana Estefáne , Silveira Josianne Nicacio , Cota Gláucia
Published: July 2018

Objectives

To evaluate the antimony (Sb) in plasma of patients who underwent a standardised meglumine antimoniate (MA) intralesional infiltration protocol for cutaneous leishmaniasis treatment.

Methods

The level of Sb in plasma was determined by atomic absorption spectroscopy, before and 1, 2, 4 and 6 hours after the first intralesional infiltration of MA to determine the parameters peak concentrations (C1 h), area under curve of drug concentration in plasma from zero to 6 h (AUC0‐6 h) and elimination half‐life (t½) of Sb. Blood samples were also collected weekly during the treatment period, always before infiltration.

Results

Fourteen patients underwent MA intralesional infiltration with doses ranging from 0.8 to 9 mg Sb/kg at the first infiltration. The C1 h ranged from 3850 to 47 095 mg × h/L and was the highest concentration obtained for 11 of 14 patients after the first intralesional infiltration of MA. A rapid initial phase of distribution lasting up to 4 h (2.6 ± 0.34 h) was followed by a slower elimination phase. Total skin lesion area, C1 h and AUC(0‐6 h) were related to the dose of Sb infiltered (P < 0.05). Plasma Sb in samples collected weekly before the infiltration revealed antimony concentrations below the quantification limit (15.0 μg Sb/l) during the treatment period.

Conclusions

Sb is quickly absorbed and eliminated after intralesional administration of MA, in a pattern similar to that reported with the Sb systemic administration. Using a therapeutic schedule limited to weekly intralesional infiltration of doses <10 mg Sb/kg does not result in plasma Sb accumulation.
Effects of hyperbaric oxygen therapy on uncomplicated incisional and open wound healing in dogs
Authors: Latimer Christian R. , Lux Cassie N. , Roberts Sarah , Drum Marti G. , Braswell Cheryl , Sula Mee Ja M.
Published: July 2018

Objective

To determine the safety of a hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) protocol and its influence on the healing of uncomplicated open and incisional wounds in dogs.

Study design

Prospective, controlled experimental study.

Animals

Adult dogs (n = 10).

Methods

Two 2 × 2‐cm open wounds and two 3‐cm‐long full‐thickness dermal incisions were created on the dorsum of each dog. Dogs in the hyperbaric oxygen treatment group (HBO) received HBOT once daily (1.7 atmospheres absolute [ATA], 30 minutes on day 1; 2.0 ATA, 40 minutes on days 2‐7) for 7 consecutive days, and dogs in the control group (CON) received standardized wound care. Dogs were monitored during HBOT for adverse side effects. Total wound area, percentage epithelialization, and percentage contraction were compared for the open wounds. Subjective wound scores were compared for the open and incisional wounds. Biopsies of both wound types were taken and used to determine histopathology scores. Bacterial cultures were completed on open wounds.

Results

No difference was detected between HBO and CON uncomplicated open and incisional wounds at any time for contraction, epithelialization, subjective wound scores, histopathology scores, or bacterial loads. All HBO dogs tolerated hyperbaric oxygen treatments with no adverse effects.

Conclusion

The HBOT protocol tested here was safe but did not enhance the healing of uncomplicated acute wounds and incisions of dogs.

Clinical significance

These results do not provide evidence to support the use of HBOT to manage uncomplicated wounds in dogs.
“El canto de Moisés y del Cordero” (Ap 15,3-4).
Authors: Gaitán B., C. P. Tarcisio H.
Published: July 2018

“El canto de Moisés y del Cordero” (Ap 15,3-4) es un buen ejemplo de las herencias que conservan los textos bíblicos de los contextos culturales, sociales, políticos y religiosos en los que fueron compuestos. El autor del Apocalipsis está particularmente interesado en motivar a los lectores a adoptar una perspectiva diferente ante lo que estaban viviendo y a actuar en consecuencia con la misma, que debía nacer de la fe en el Cordero degollado. Ante la propaganda y el terror impuestos por el Imperio Romano, los cristianos tomaron opciones contraculturales. Este canto “fascinante y sugerente” testimonia la capacidad de los cristianos de proclamar que el Cordero ha hecho de todos ellos un nuevo pueblo, el de los vencedores de la Bestia.
La teología de la liberación y su crisis utópica
Authors: Castrillón José Fernando
Published: July 2018

La teología de la liberación se desarrolló como una teología centrada en las injusticias padecidas por los pobres. Los años setenta y los inicios de ochenta fueron el apogeo de la teología de la liberación con la producción principal de sus autores. Sin embargo, el entusiasmo por esta teología y su producción académica comenzó a disminuir a mediados de los años ochenta. Al explorar algunos elementos teóricos dela primera generación de la teología de la liberación, intentamos mostrar que hay una crisis en la teología de la liberación precedente, y también que la razón utópica moderna está en el corazón del origende esta crisis. Finalmente, este artículo analiza críticamente la ingenua creencia utópica en la generación de mundos ideales en la historia, así como su influencia sobre la visión de la praxis en la teología de la liberación y sobre el pensamiento social moderno.
El mesianismo asuntivo del Hijo del Hombre.
Authors: Luciani Rafael
Published: July 2018

A la luz de las expectativas existentes en el siglo I, se exponen los rasgos más relevantes para comprender el estilo de un mesianismo asuntivo, inspirado en la figura del Hijo del Hombre, que permite interpretar la vida de Jesús como entrega solidaria. Se revisa así la lógica del poder imperial del periodo intertestamentario que se contrarresta con la praxis humanizadora del Mesías-Hijo. El estilo mesiánico de Jesús desvela el talante profético y encarnatorio del cristianismo al rescatar los bienes mesiánicos que apuntan a una vida digna, especialmente para los pobres, cuyas utopías merecen ser escuchadas.
Effects of internal resonances in the pitch glide of Chinese gongs
Authors: Jossic Marguerite , Thomas Olivier , Denis Vivien , Chomette Baptiste , Mamou-Mani Adrien , Roze David
Published: July 2018

The framework of nonlinear normal modes gives a remarkable insight into the dynamics of nonlinear vibratory systems exhibiting distributed nonlinearities. In the case of Chinese opera gongs, geometrical nonlinearities lead to a pitch glide of several vibration modes in playing situation. This study investigates the relationship between the nonlinear normal modes formalism and the ascendant pitch glide of the fundamental mode of a xiaoluo gong. In particular, the limits of a single nonlinear mode modeling for describing the pitch glide in playing situation are examined. For this purpose, the amplitude-frequency relationship (backbone curve) and the frequency-time dependency (pitch glide) of the fundamental nonlinear mode is measured with two excitation types, in free vibration regime: first, only the fundamental nonlinear mode is excited by an experimental appropriation method resorting to a phase-locked loop; second, all the nonlinear modes of the instrument are excited with a mallet impact (playing situation). The results show that a single nonlinear mode modeling fails at describing the pitch glide of the instrument when played because of the presence of 1:2 internal resonances implying the nonlinear fundamental mode and other nonlinear modes. Simulations of two nonlinear modes in 1:2 internal resonance confirm qualitatively the experimental results.
Audiogram estimation using Bayesian active learning
Authors: Schlittenlacher Josef , Turner Richard E. , Moore Brian C. J.
Published: July 2018

Two methods for estimating audiograms quickly and accurately using Bayesian active learning were developed and evaluated. Both methods provided an estimate of threshold as a continuous function of frequency. For one method, six successive tones with decreasing levels were presented on each trial and the task was to count the number of tones heard. A Gaussian Process was used for classification and maximum-information sampling to determine the frequency and levels of the stimuli for the next trial. The other method was based on a published method using a Yes/No task but extended to account for lapses. The obtained audiograms were compared to conventional audiograms for 40 ears, 19 of which were hearing impaired. The threshold estimates for the active-learning methods were systematically from 2 to 4 dB below (better than) those for the conventional audiograms, which may indicate a less conservative response criterion (a greater willingness to respond for a given amount of sensory information). Both active-learning methods were able to allow for wrong button presses (due to lapses of attention) and provided accurate audiogram estimates in less than 50 trials or 4 min. For a given level of accuracy, the counting task was slightly quicker than the Yes/No task.
On the design of differential beamformers with arbitrary planar microphone array geometry
Authors: Huang Gongping , Chen Jingdong , Benesty Jacob
Published: July 2018

This letter deals with the problem of differential beamforming with microphone arrays of arbitrary planar geometry. By approximating the beampattern with the Jacobi-Anger expansion, it develops an algorithm that can form any specified frequency-invariant beampattern with a microphone array of any planar geometry as long as the sensors' coordinates are given and the spacing between neighboring sensors is smaller than the smallest wavelength. This method is rather general and it can be used to design differential beamformers with linear, circular, and concentric circular differential microphone arrays as well as differential arrays of arbitrary planar geometry where sensors are placed in any specified positions.
Phase control in a spin-triplet SQUID
Authors: Glick Joseph A. , Aguilar Victor , Gougam Adel B. , Niedzielski Bethany M. , Gingrich Eric C. , Loloee Reza , Pratt William P. , Birge Norman O.
Published: July 2018

The phase state of a spin-triplet Josephson junction containing three ferromagnetic layers is magnetically controlled.
Novel Approaches To Kill Toxoplasma gondii by Exploiting the Uncontrolled Uptake of Unsaturated Fatty Acids and Vulnerability to Lipid Storage Inhibition of the Parasite
Authors: Nolan Sabrina J. , Romano Julia D. , Kline John T. , Coppens Isabelle
Published: July 2018

Toxoplasma gondii
, an obligate intracellular parasite replicating in mammalian cells within a parasitophorous vacuole (PV), is an avid scavenger of lipids retrieved from the host cell. Following lipid uptake, this parasite stores excess lipids in lipid droplets (LD).
In Vitro
Activity of Isavuconazole against Opportunistic Fungal Pathogens from Two Mycology Reference Laboratories
Authors: Pfaller Michael A. , Rhomberg Paul R. , Wiederhold Nathan P. , Gibas Connie , Sanders Carmita , Fan Hongxin , Mele James , Kovanda Laura L. , Castanheira Mariana
Published: July 2018

Monitoring antifungal susceptibility patterns for new and established antifungal agents seems prudent given the increasing prevalence of uncommon species associated with higher antifungal resistance. We evaluated the activity of isavuconazole against 4,856 invasive yeasts and molds collected worldwide.
cytb
as a New Genetic Marker for Differentiation of Prototheca Species
Authors: Jagielski Tomasz , Gawor Jan , Bakuła Zofia , Decewicz Przemysław , Maciszewski Kacper , Karnkowska Anna
Published: July 2018

Achlorophyllous unicellular microalgae of the genus
Prototheca
(
Trebouxiophyceae
,
Chlorophyta
) are the only known plants that cause infections in both humans and animals, collectively referred to as protothecosis. Human protothecosis, most commonly manifested as cutaneous, articular, and disseminated disease, is primarily caused by
Prototheca
wickerhamii
, followed by
Prototheca
zopfii
and, sporadically, by
Prototheca
cutis
and
Prototheca
miyajii
.
The T-Box Riboswitch: tRNA as an Effector to Modulate Gene Regulation
Authors: Kreuzer Kiel D. , Henkin Tina M.
Published: July 2018

The T-box riboswitch is a unique, RNA-based regulatory mechanism that modulates expression of a wide variety of amino acid-related genes, predominantly in
Firmicutes
. RNAs of this class selectively bind a specific cognate tRNA, utilizing recognition of the tRNA anticodon and other tRNA features. The riboswitch monitors the aminoacylation status of the tRNA to induce expression of the regulated downstream gene(s) at the level of transcription antitermination or derepression of translation initiation in response to reduced tRNA charging via stabilization of an antiterminator or antisequestrator. Recent biochemical and structural studies have revealed new features of tRNA recognition that extend beyond the initially identified Watson-Crick base-pairing of a codon-like sequence in the riboswitch with the tRNA anticodon, and residues in the antiterminator or antisequestrator with the tRNA acceptor end. These studies have revealed new tRNA contacts and new modes of riboswitch function and ligand recognition that expand our understanding of RNA-RNA recognition and the biological roles of tRNA.
Steaming through the Ordovician, Knoxville, Tennessee
Authors: Capito C. Howard , Drumheller Stephanie , Hatcher Robert D.
Published: July 2018

This field guide highlights the Paleozoic geology of the Knoxville, Tennessee, area, framed in the context of the historic, halcyon days of Knox County’s marble industry and the railroads built to serve the area’s many limestone quarries and mills. The Three Rivers Rambler excursion train (the “Rambler”) is pulled by an 1890 “Consolidation” steam locomotive, which has been restored and is now operated by the Knoxville & Holston River Railroad Co., Inc. The Rambler route follows the north bank of the Tennessee River; passes through a sequence of Lower and Middle Ordovician carbonates, shales, and sandstones of the Knox and Chickamauga Groups; crosses the High Bridge at the confluence of the Holston and French Broad Rivers; and ends near Marbledale Quarry before returning to Knoxville. The two geologic groups are dominated by carbonates and lie in the syncline that contained most of the commercial marble that was quarried in the Knoxville area for the past 150 years. Exposures of the Holston Formation, a limestone commercially referred to as Holston [M]arble, were excavated to build the railroad ~125 years ago. It is possible to observe four of the seven formations making up the Knox and Chickamauga Groups along the route, but the outcrops are not accessible during typical railroad operations or by automobile. Arrangements were made for a field trip during the 2018 Geological Society of America Southeastern Section meeting, and this guide provides details for four selected exposures between Knoxville and the Forks of the River Marble District, with three optional stops. Only during the field trip, passengers will be able to disembark the train to examine carbonate and shale outcrops, structures, and discuss facies relationships of the foreland basin bryozoan reef deposits along the western flank of the Taconic (Sevier) foredeep. In addition to the local geology, this field guide describes the key role of railroads in the development of the Knox County marble industry, the history of what is today the Knoxville & Holston River Railroad, a corporate descendent of the 1887 Knoxville Belt Railroad Company, and the Tennessee Marble industry.
Mesoscale faults, macroscale folds, and inferred basement structures, Nashville dome, central Tennessee
Authors: Abolins Mark , Bush Rachel , Han Amber , Ogden Albert
Published: July 2018

This guide explores relationships among macroscale folds, mesoscale structures, the Nashville dome, and an inferred Precambrian or Cambrian rift in the basement beneath the dome. The Nashville dome, central Tennessee, is an ~12,000 km2 north-northeast–trending, elliptical cratonic uplift. A published crustal density model shows that a previously undescribed Precambrian or Cambrian rift, herein named the Nashville rift, probably runs from northwestern Alabama through the Nashville dome to southern Kentucky. Within the Nashville dome, macroscale folds and mesoscale structures of the Stones River and Harpeth River fault zones have been interpreted previously as the surface manifestation of subsurface normal faults. This road guide describes two previously undescribed inferred subsurface fault zones: the Marshall Knobs fault zone and the Northern Highland Rim fault zone. The Marshall Knobs fault zone, which is ~16.3 km long, is associated with ~35 m of structural relief, trends east-southeast, is down on the north side, and is inside the geophysically defined rift. The Northern Highland Rim fault zone consists of east-northeast–­striking minor normal and reverse faults and a minor strike-slip fault exposed above the western margin of the geophysically defined rift. The authors hypothesize that the Northern Highland Rim fault zone may be the surface manifestation of the subsurface continuation of a macroscale fault previously mapped at the surface 25 km to the southwest. All of the inferred faults fit into a tectonic model in which they originally formed within a rift and later reactivated, accommodating extension of the uppermost crust during uplift of the Nashville dome.
Evolution of the Blue Ridge basement complex in the eastern Great Smoky Mountains: Evidence from zircon U-Pb geochronology and Nd-Pb isotope geochemistry of basement gneisses
Authors: Moecher D.P. , Anderson E.D. , Loughry D.F. , Quinn R.J. , Larkin E.A. , Walsh K.B. , Samson S.D. , Satkoski A.M. , Tohver E.
Published: July 2018

The eastern Great Smoky Mountains basement complex consists of the following components: (1) ca. 1350–1325 Ma orthogneiss and mafic xenoliths that represent some of the oldest crust in Appalachian Grenville massifs (similar to “pre-Grenville” basement components in the Adirondack, Green Mountain, Hudson Highland, and Shenandoah massifs); (2) ca. 1150 Ma augen orthogneisses and granitic orthogneisses correlating with the Shawinigan phase of Grenville magmatism; and (3) paragneisses (cover rocks) that have either pre- or syn-Grenville (i.e., Mesoproterozoic) versus post-Grenville (Neoproterozoic) depositional ages, and that experienced Taconian metamorphism and migmatization. Mesoproterozoic paragneisses contain major zircon age modes that require a component of Proterozoic crust in the source region. The Neoproterozoic paragneisses exhibit the archetypical “Grenville doublet” in detrital zircon age distributions that matches the age distribution of Ottawan and Shawinigan magmatic/metamorphic events in eastern Laurentia. Most zircon U-Pb age systematics exhibit variable lead loss interpreted to result from high-grade Taconian (ca. 450 Ma) regional metamorphism and migmatization. Neodymium mantle model ages (TDM) for ortho- and paragneisses range from 1.8 to 1.6 Ga, indicating that all rocks were derived from recycling of Proterozoic crust (i.e., they are not juvenile), which is consistent with Proterozoic detrital zircon ages in pre- to syn-Grenville paragneisses. Lead isotope compositions confirm the presence of an exotic (Amazonian) crustal component in the source region for the protoliths of the pre-Grenville orthogneisses and xenoliths, and that this exotic component was incorporated to varying degrees in the evolution of the basement complex. The oldest age component may represent an Amazonian pre-Grenville analog to the ca. 1.35 Ga native Laurentian crust present in Adirondack and northern Appalachian basement massifs.
Subduing the killer - sepsis; through simulation
Authors: Herron Jonathan B T , Harbit Andrew , Dunbar James A T
Published: July 2018

Few pathophysiological processes have a higher morbidity and mortality than sepsis. Implementing effective strategies to improve these poor outcomes remains a challenge. Previous work has shown improvements using single and multifaceted approaches, many with inclusion of sepsis training for doctors and nurses. However, previous work has not necessarily trained all those involved in the recognition and treatment of sepsis. After sepsis simulation training using cognitive-constructivist teaching methods, reaudit demonstrated highly significant improvement in ‘sepsis-six’ delivery. This study found inclusion of healthcare assistants in sepsis training is of great importance. This training should be tailored to personnel’s current knowledge base and level of experience.
Analysis of a large cohort of non-small cell lung cancers submitted for somatic variant analysis demonstrates that targeted next-generation sequencing is fit for purpose as a molecular diagnostic assay in routine practice
Authors: Moore David Allan , Balbi Kevin , Ingham Alexander , Arkenau Hendrik-Tobias , Bennett Philip
Published: July 2018

Aims

Targeted next-generation sequencing (tNGS) is increasingly being adopted as an alternative to single gene testing in some centres. Our aim was to assess the overall fitness and utility of tNGS as a routine clinical test in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).

Methods

All NSCLC cases submitted to a single laboratory for tNGS analysis over a 3-year period were included. Rejection/failure rates and turnaround times were calculated. For reportable cases, data relating to observed genetic changes likely to be driving tumour growth and/or contributing to therapeutic resistance were extracted. The impact of varied referral site practices (tissue processing and sample format submitted) on analytical outcomes was also considered.

Results

A total of 2796 cases were submitted, of which 217 (7.8%) were rejected and 131 (5.1%) failed. The median turnaround time was seven working days. Of 2448 reported cases, KRAS, EGFR or other recognised driver mutations were observed in 35%, 17% and 5.4%, respectively. Of the remaining cases, 3.5% demonstrated significant incidental evidence of gene amplification. In 15% of EGFR-driven cases, evidence of an EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitor resistance mechanism was observed. Potential concerns around the provision of slides or precut ‘rolls’ only (cf, formalin fixed paraffin embedded (FFPE) tissue blocks) as standard practice by certain referral sites were identified.

Conclusions

A tNGS panel approach is practically achievable, with acceptable success rates and turnaround times, in the context of a routine clinical service. Furthermore, it provides additional clinically and analytically relevant information, which is not available from single gene testing alone.
Racial disparities in renal function: the role of racial discrimination. The Brazilian Longitudinal Study of Adult Health (ELSA-Brasil)
Authors: Camelo Lidyane V , Giatti Luana , Ladeira Roberto Marini , Griep Rosane Harter , Mill José Geraldo , Chor Dóra , Barreto Sandhi Maria
Published: July 2018

Background

Racial discrimination may play a significant role in higher incidence and poorer prognosis of chronic kidney disease among Black individuals. This study set out to investigate the association between racial discrimination and renal function and to estimate the contribution of racial discrimination to existing racial disparities in renal function.

Methods

A cross-sectional analysis using baseline data (2008–2010) of 14 355 participants (35–74 years) in the Brazilian Longitudinal Study of Adult Health cohort study. Renal function was estimated based on estimated glomerular filtration rates (eGFR) obtained by the Chronic Kidney Disease Epidemiology Collaboration (CKD-EPI) equation. Racial discrimination was assessed using a modified version of the Lifetime Major Events Scale ; race/colour was self-reported. Covariates included were age, sex, level of education and selected health-related factors.

Results

Racial discrimination was reported by 31.6%, 6.3% and 0.8% of Black, Brown and White individuals, respectively. The older the age, the lower the prevalence of racial discrimination among Blacks. Racial discrimination was independently associated with lower mean eGFR (β=−2.38; 95% CI −3.50 to −1.25); however, associations were limited to individuals aged under 55 years. In this age group, eGFR differences between Black and White individuals were reduced by 31% when exposure to racial discrimination was accounted for.

Conclusion

Blacks are approximately 40 times more likely to report racial discrimination than Whites. Racial discrimination was associated with lower mean eGFR and explained a significant portion of eGFR differences between Black and White individuals aged under 55 years. Exposure to experiences of racial discrimination should be accounted for in studies investigating racial disparities in renal function.
Theoretical study of thermodynamic properties for SmAlO3 under the effects of pressure and temperature
Authors: Mustafa Ghulam , Afaq Ahmad , Ul Aarifeen Najm , Asif Muhammad , Ahmad Jamil , Ashraf Khalid Mahmood , Shafiq Muhammad , Ashraf Muhammad , Akmal Muhammad
Published: July 2018

In the present paper, we have investigated SmAlO3 for their thermodynamic properties under effect of pressure and temperature by employing density functional theory (DFT) and quasi-harmonic Debye model. The various thermodynamic properties like Bulk Modulus, entropy, internal energy, Helmholtz free energy, Debye temperature, coefficient of thermal expansion, Grüneisen parameter and heat capacities of the ternary alloy are calculated. We found that Bulk Modulus, Debye temperature and Helmholtz free energy have decreasing trend with rise of temperature while their values have increasing behavior with rise of pressure. The internal energy of the system almost remains same with variation in pressure but temperature effectively increasing it. Our results are in good agreement with available data at low-temperature limit.
Exploring the impact of hydrostatic pressure on the structural, electronic and mechanical properties of ZrNiPb half-Heusler alloy: A DFT approach
Authors: Babalola M. I. , Adetunji B. I. , Iyorzor B. E. , Yaya A.
Published: July 2018

The structural, electronic, elastic and mechanical properties of ZrNiPb half-Heusler alloy under pressure ranging from 0 to 25 GPa have been studied using the density functional theory within the generalized gradient approximation (GGA). The results of ambient condition were in good agreement with the available theoretical and experimental data. Our electronic structure and density of state results show that ZrNiPb is an indirect bandgap semiconductor half-Heusler alloy with a narrow energy gap of 0.375 eV. Based on the calculated elastic constants (C[Formula: see text], C[Formula: see text] and C[Formula: see text]), Young’s modulus (E), Poisson’s ratio ([Formula: see text]), Shear modulus (G), Zener anisotropy factor (A) and brittle-ductile behaviors under pressure have been discussed. The calculated Poisson’s ratio shows that ZrNiPb undergoes a relatively small volume change during uniaxial deformation. We show that the chemical bonds in ZrNiPb are stronger due to the high value of C[Formula: see text].
On the warping sum of knots
Authors: Jablan Slavik , Shimizu Ayaka
Published: July 2018

The warping sum [Formula: see text] of a knot [Formula: see text] is the minimal value of the sum of the warping degrees of a minimal diagram of [Formula: see text] with both orientations. In this paper, knots [Formula: see text] with [Formula: see text] are characterized, and some knots [Formula: see text] with [Formula: see text] are given.
Coherent double coverings of virtual link diagrams
Authors: Kamada Naoko
Published: July 2018

A virtual link diagram is called normal if the associated abstract link diagram is checkerboard colorable, and a virtual link is normal if it has a normal diagram as a representative. Normal virtual links have some properties similar to classical links. In this paper, we introduce a method of converting a virtual link diagram to a normal virtual link diagram. We show that the normal virtual link diagrams obtained by this method from two equivalent virtual link diagrams are equivalent. We relate this method to some invariants of virtual links.
Braids, chain of Yang–Baxter like operations, and (transverse) knot invariants
Authors: Ito Tetsuya
Published: July 2018

We introduce a notion of a chain of Yang–Baxter like operations. This is a sequence of solutions of an asymmetric variant of the Yang–Baxter equation and is a multi-operator generalization of (bi)rack/quandles. We discuss knot and link invariants coming from a chain of Yang–Baxter like operations, and give potential applications. Among them, we define a cocycle invariant for transverse links.
Applications of self-distributivity to Yang–Baxter operators and their cohomology
Authors: Lebed Victoria
Published: July 2018

Self-distributive (SD) structures form an important class of solutions to the Yang–Baxter equation (YBE), which underlie spectacular knot-theoretic applications of self-distributivity (SD). It is less known that one can go the other way around, and construct an SD structure out of any left non-degenerate (LND) set-theoretic YBE solution. This structure captures important properties of the solution: invertibility, involutivity, biquandle-ness, the associated braid group actions. Surprisingly, the tools used to study these associated SD structures also apply to the cohomology of LND solutions, which generalizes SD cohomology. Namely, they yield an explicit isomorphism between two cohomology theories for these solutions, which until recently were studied independently. The whole story is full of open problems. One of them is the relation between the cohomologies of a YBE solution and its associated SD structure. These and related questions are covered in the present survey.
Ribbon 2-knots of ribbon crossing number four
Authors: Yasuda Tomoyuki
Published: July 2018

A [Formula: see text]-knot is a surface in [Formula: see text] that is homeomorphic to [Formula: see text], the standard sphere in [Formula: see text]-space. A ribbon [Formula: see text]-knot is a [Formula: see text]-knot obtained from [Formula: see text] [Formula: see text]-spheres in [Formula: see text] by connecting them with [Formula: see text] pipes. Let [Formula: see text] be a ribbon 2-knot. The ribbon crossing number, denoted by [Formula: see text]-[Formula: see text], is a numerical invariant of the ribbon [Formula: see text]-knot [Formula: see text]. In [T. Yasuda, Crossing and base numbers of ribbon 2-knots, J. Knot Theory Ramifications 10 (2001) 999–1003] we showed that there exist just [Formula: see text] ribbon [Formula: see text]-knots of the ribbon crossing number up to three. In this paper, we show that there exist no more than [Formula: see text] ribbon [Formula: see text]-knots of ribbon crossing number four.
Tangles and links: A view with trees
Authors: Silver Daniel S. , Williams Susan G.
Published: July 2018

A result about spanning forests for graphs yields a short proof of Krebes’s theorem concerning embedded tangles in links.
Quantum codes from cyclic codes over the ring Fp[u]/〈u3 − u〉
Authors: Bag Tushar , Upadhyay Ashish K. , Ashraf Mohammad , Mohammad Ghulam
Published: July 2018

In this paper, we study nonbinary quantum codes from cyclic codes over the ring [Formula: see text] for odd prime [Formula: see text]. We give the constructional properties of linear and cyclic codes over the ring [Formula: see text]. As an applications of these classes of codes, we obtain quantum codes over [Formula: see text] using self-orthogonal property. Moreover, we find some new nonbinary quantum codes with better parameters than the known quantum codes over [Formula: see text].
Measuring the growth force of invasive plant cells using Flexure integrated Lab-on-a-Chip (FiLoC)
Authors: Ghanbari Mahmood , Packirisamy Muthukumaran , Geitmann Anja
Published: July 2018

The pollen tube is a tip growing cell that is able to invade plant tissues in order to accomplish its function — the delivery of sperm cells to the ovule. The pistillar tissues through which the tube has to elongate represent a formidable mechanical obstacle, but it is unknown how much force the growing tube is able to exert, or how mechanical impedance affects its growth behavior. We quantified the invasive force of individual pollen tubes using a microfluidic lab-on-a-chip device featuring a microscopic cantilever. Using finite element method the maximum invasive growth force of the growing pollen tube was determined to be in the microNewton range. Real time monitoring revealed that contact with the mechanical obstacle caused a shift in the peak frequency characterizing the oscillatory behavior of the pollen tube growth rate. This suggests the presence of a feedback-based control mechanism with a mechanical regulatory component.
A tale of two rift shoulders, and two ice masses: the Cryogenian glaciated margin of Death Valley, California
Authors: Le Heron D. P. , Busfield M. E. , Ali D. O. , Vandyk T. , Tofaif S.
Published: July 2018

The Death Valley area of California, USA, exposes an outstanding record of a Neoproterozoic (Cryogenian) glaciated margin: the Kingston Peak Formation. Despite the quality of the exposure, however, the outcrops of glaciogenic strata are fragmentary, forming isolated, laterally offset outcrop belts at the western extremity of the Basin and Range province. Excellent evidence for glacially modulated sedimentation includes (1) ice-rafted dropstones in most ranges, (2) thick diamictites bearing a variety of exotic (extrabasinal) clasts, (3) striated clasts and (4) local occurrences of glacitectonic deformation structures at the basin margins. In tandem with this, there is a distinct signature of slope collapse processes in many ranges, including (1) up to kilometre-scale olistoliths, (2) extensional growth fault arrays, (3) dramatic proximal-distal thickness changes and (4) basalt occurrences. New sedimentological observations reinforce long-held views of rifting superimposed on glaciation (or vice versa), with both processes contributing to a complex record whereby rift and glacial processes vie for stratigraphic supremacy. We consider that a mechanism of diamictite accumulation in a series of rift-shoulder minibasins produced greatly contrasting successions across the Death Valley area, under the incontrovertible influence of hinterland ice sheets.
Methodology for Assessing Mesh-Based Contact Point Methods
Authors: Erleben Kenny
Published: July 2018

Computation of contact points is a critical sub-component of physics-based animation. The success and correctness of simulation results are very sensitive to the quality of the contact points. Hence, quality plays a critical role when comparing methods, and this is highly relevant for simulating objects with sharp edges. The importance of contact point quality is largely overlooked and lacks rigor and as such may become a bottleneck in moving the research field forward.

We establish a taxonomy of contact point generation methods and lay down an analysis of what normal contact quality implies. The analysis enables us to establish a novel methodology for assessing and studying quality for mesh-based shapes. The core idea is based on a test suite of three complex cases and a small portfolio of simple cases. We apply our methodology to eight local contact point generation methods and conclude that the selected local methods are unable to provide correct information in all cases. The immediate benefit of the proposed methodology is a foundation for others to evaluate and select the best local method for their specific application. In the longer perspective, the presented work suggests future research focusing on semi-local methods.
The Design and Evolution of Disney’s Hyperion Renderer
Authors: Burley Brent , Adler David , Chiang Matt Jen-Yuan , Driskill Hank , Habel Ralf , Kelly Patrick , Kutz Peter , Li Yining Karl , Teece Daniel
Published: July 2018

Walt Disney Animation Studios has transitioned to path-traced global illumination as part of a progression of brute-force physically based rendering in the name of artist efficiency. To achieve this without compromising our geometric or shading complexity, we built our Hyperion renderer based on a novel architecture that extracts traversal and shading coherence from large, sorted ray batches. In this article, we describe our architecture and discuss our design decisions. We also explain how we are able to provide artistic control in a physically based renderer, and we demonstrate through case studies how we have benefited from having a proprietary renderer that can evolve with production needs.
Domain-specific Named Entity Recognition with Document-Level Optimization
Authors: Wang Limin , Li Shoushan , Yan Qian , Zhou Guodong
Published: July 2018

Previous studies normally formulate named entity recognition (NER) as a sequence labeling task and optimize the solution in the sentence level. In this article, we propose a document-level optimization approach to NER and apply it in a domain-specific document-level NER task. As a baseline, we apply a state-of-the-art approach, i.e., long-short-term memory (LSTM), to perform word classification. On this basis, we define a global objective function with the obtained word classification results and achieve global optimization via Integer Linear Programming (ILP). Specifically, in the ILP-based approach, we propose four kinds of constraints, i.e., label transition, entity length, label consistency, and domain-specific regulation constraints, to incorporate various entity recognition knowledge in the document level. Empirical studies demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed approach to domain-specific document-level NER.
Location-aware Influence Maximization over Dynamic Social Streams
Authors: Wang Yanhao , Li Yuchen , Fan Ju , Tan Kian-Lee
Published: July 2018

Influence maximization (IM), which selects a set of
k
seed users (a.k.a.,
a seed set
) to maximize the influence spread over a social network, is a fundamental problem in a wide range of applications. However, most existing IM algorithms are static and location-unaware. They fail to provide high-quality seed sets efficiently when the social network evolves rapidly and IM queries are location-aware. In this article, we first define two IM queries, namely
Stream Influence Maximization
(SIM) and
Location-aware SIM
(LSIM), to track influential users over social streams. Technically, SIM adopts the sliding window model and maintains a seed set with the maximum influence value collectively over the most recent social actions. LSIM further considers social actions are associated with
geo-tags
and identifies a seed set that maximizes the influence value in a query region over a location-aware social stream. Then, we propose the
Sparse Influential Checkpoints
(SIC) framework for efficient SIM query processing. SIC maintains a sequence of
influential checkpoints
over the sliding window and each checkpoint maintains a partial solution for SIM in an append-only substream of social actions. Theoretically, SIC keeps a logarithmic number of checkpoints w.r.t. the size of the sliding window and always returns an approximate solution from one of the checkpoint for the SIM query at any time. Furthermore, we propose the
Location-based SIC
(LSIC) framework and its improved version LSIC
+
, both of which process LSIM queries by integrating the SIC framework with a Quadtree spatial index. LSIC can provide approximate solutions for both ad hoc and continuous LSIM queries in real time, while LSIC
+
further improves the solution quality of LSIC. Experimental results on real-world datasets demonstrate the effectiveness and efficiency of the proposed frameworks against the state-of-the-art IM algorithms.
Selecting suitable virtual machine migrations for optimal provisioning of virtual data centers
Authors: Gilesh M. P. , Satheesh Sanjay , Kumar S. D. Madhu , Jacob Lillykutty
Published: July 2018

Maximizing the number of virtual infrastructures spawned out of a data center is a prime concern of cloud service providers to improve their revenue and the customers' quality-of-experience. Optimal placement of topology sensitive virtual data centers on its physical counterparts increases the resource utilization and thereby the revenue. However, provisioning, scaling, and de-provisioning of virtual data centers, over the time, leaves the cloud data center fragmented. Embedding new virtual data centers on a fragmented data center would require migration of virtual machines and virtual network, already mapped to it. However, these migrations are costly in terms of the resource usage and possible violations of the terms of service level agreement. The costs of these migrations associated with a new embedding should be controlled to increase the profit. In this paper, the problem of finding virtual machine migrations with minimum cost is formally defined and two meta-heuristic solutions are proposed for it. We consider the memory size, the rate of page dirtying, the class of application running on the VM, and the bandwidth of the migration path for modeling the cost of migration. The objective is to find a pattern of virtual machine migrations so that the total cost for embedding a new virtual data center is minimized. Experimental results show that the proposed technique can reduce the average migration time upto 30% and the penalty for corresponding service level agreement violation by 200%.
An extended flexible job shop scheduling problem with parallel operations
Authors: Lunardi Willian Tessaro , Voos Holger
Published: July 2018

Traditional planning and scheduling techniques still hold important roles in modern smart scheduling systems. Realistic features present in modern manufacturing systems need to be incorporated into these techniques. Flexible job-shop scheduling problem (FJSP) is one of the most challenging combinatorial optimization problems. FJSP is an extension of the classical job shop scheduling problem where an operation can be processed by several different machines. In this paper, we consider the FJSP with parallel operations (EFJSP) and we propose and compare a discrete firefly algorithm (FA) and a genetic algorithm (GA) for the problem. Several FJSP and EFJSP instances were used to evaluate the performance of the proposed algorithms. Comparisons among our methods and state-of-the-art algorithms are also provided. The experimental results demonstrate that the FA and GA achieved improvements in terms of efficiency and efficacy. Solutions obtained by both algorithms are comparable to those obtained by algorithms with local search. In addition, based on our initial experiments, results show that the proposed discrete firefly algorithm is feasible, more effective and efficient than our proposed genetic algorithm for the considered problem.
SIGCSE chair's report preview
Authors: Settle Amber
Published: July 2018

The annual SIGCSE report is submitted each July to ACM, and the follow is a preview of the report.