cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
An experimental study of parallel biconnected components algorithms on symmetric multiprocessors (SMPs)

We present an experimental study of parallel biconnected components algorithms employing several fundamental parallel primitives, e.g., prefix sum, list ranking, sorting, connectivity, spanning tree, and tree computations. Previous experimental studies of these primitives demonstrate reasonable parallel speedups. However, when these algorithms are used as subroutines to solve higher-level problems, there are two factors that hinder fast parallel implementations. One is parallel overhead, i.e., the large constant factors hidden in the asymptotic bounds; the other is the discrepancy among the data structures used in the primitives that brings non-negligible conversion cost. We present various optimization techniques and a new parallel algorithm that significantly improve the performance of finding biconnected components of a graph on symmetric multiprocessors (SMPs). Finding biconnected components has application in fault-tolerant network design, and is also used in graph planarity testing. Our parallel implementation achieves speedups up to 4 using 12 processors on a Sun E4500 for large, sparse graphs, and the source code is freely-available at our Web site.
Enterprise applications of semantic technologies for business process management

Today’s business process management (BPM) systems have evolved to provide rich and sophisticated tooling and runtime support for subject domain experts, business analysts, development, and information technology (IT). However, the evolution of BPM systems led to a jungle of different representation formats for the various artifacts in such systems. These include models for value chains, strategies, goals, and objectives on the analysis side, business process models, organizational data and service models, and finally models for the implementation of a BPM system to a runtime infrastructure. In many systems, the complex relationships between the entities of a BPM system are vaguely documented, let alone be formalized in a machine readable way. This is where semantic technologies kick in: to provide the foundation for formalizing the complex relationships of a business in a common model using Web Ontology Language (OWL) ontologies. This avoids information silos and enables a holistic view to a BPM system using SPARQL. We would like to give a short perspective on how BPM can benefit from the technical advances in semantic technologies over the last 10 years. BPM spans a wide range of concepts, technologies, and personas. From a top-down perspective, a BPM project typically starts with the definition of the company value chains, the strategies and goals that should be achieved, and the key performance indicators (KPIs) that are used to measure the success or failure of well-defined objectives. The value chains are further decomposed into supporting business processes (typically modeled in BPMN 2.0 (Silver, 2009)), applications, and services. An implementation of those artifacts is then performed using the tenets of a Service-Oriented Architecture (SOA). We are considering the use of semantic technologies invaluable in formalizing the complex relationships between the involved entities of a BPM system and providing a unified method for query and business rules. Understanding the exact semantics of a BPM system will foster agility and reduce proliferation of services and processes in an enterprise.
Deterministic constructions of compressed sensing matrices

Compressed sensing is a new area of signal processing. Its goal is to minimize the number of samples that need to be taken from a signal for faithful reconstruction. The performance of compressed sensing on signal classes is directly related to Gelfand widths. Similar to the deeper constructions of optimal subspaces in Gelfand widths, most sampling algorithms are based on randomization. However, for possible circuit implementation, it is important to understand what can be done with purely deterministic sampling. In this note, we show how to construct sampling matrices using finite fields. One such construction gives cyclic matrices which are interesting for circuit implementation. While the guaranteed performance of these deterministic constructions is not comparable to the random constructions, these matrices have the best known performance for purely deterministic constructions.
Mechanism of the Third Oxidative Step in the Conversion of Androgens to Estrogens by Cytochrome P450 19A1 Steroid Aromatase

Aromatase is the cytochrome P450 enzyme that cleaves the C10–C19 carbon–carbon bond of androgens to form estrogens, in a three-step process. Compound I (FeO3+) and ferric peroxide (FeO2–) have both been proposed in the literature as the active iron species in the third step, yielding an estrogen and formic acid. Incubation of purified aromatase with its 19-deutero-19-oxo androgen substrate was performed in the presence of 18O2, and the products were derivatized using a novel diazo reagent. Analysis of the products by high-resolution mass spectrometry showed a lack of 18O incorporation in the product formic acid, supporting only the Compound I pathway. Furthermore, a new androgen 19-carboxylic acid product was identified. The rates of nonenzymatic hydration of the 19-oxo androgen and dehydration of the 19,19-gem-diol were shown to be catalytically competent. Thus, the evidence supports Compound I and not ferric peroxide as the active iron species in the third step of the steroid aromatase reaction.
2-Chloro-4-[[(1R,2R)-2-hydroxy-2-methyl-cyclopentyl]amino]-3-methyl-benzonitrile: A Transdermal Selective Androgen Receptor Modulator (SARM) for Muscle Atrophy

A transdermal SARM has a potential to have therapeutic benefit through anabolic activity in muscle while sparing undesired effects of benign prostate hyperplasia (BPH) and liver-mediated decrease in HDL-C. 2-Chloro-4-[(2-hydroxy-2-methyl-cyclopentyl)amino]-3-methyl-benzonitrile 6 showed the desired muscle and prostate effects in a preclinical ORX rat model. Compound 6 had minimal effect on HDL-C levels in cynomolgus monkeys and showed human cadaver skin permeability, thus making it an effective tool for proof-of-concept studies in a clinical setting.
Understanding Victimization and Offending

The study of law and society has drawn interest from many different disciplines. Beginning with sometimes awkward discussions between academic lawyers and sociologists of law some 40 years ago, scholars of various stripes have created a broad and lively interdisciplinary field of study. Indeed, the field is now so broad that no single network of scholarly communication currently exists, even when the focus of inquiry is seemingly well defined. “;Youth and justice” is an obvious example because it is the focus of specialized inquiry for a number of disciplines: law, sociology, psychology, anthropology, political science, social work, criminology, each of which conforms to its own disciplinary constitution and perspective. A major purpose of this volume is to bring these different perspectives together as a way of breaking down interdisciplinary barriers.
Implications of a New Aff. Hippopotamus Karumensis Mandible From the Koobi Fora Formation, Turkana Basin, Kenya

The phylogeny of the East African Hippopotamidae is problematic. A particularly controversial relationship is that between aff. Hippopotamus protamphibius and aff. Hippopotamus karumensis from the Pliocene and Pleistocene of the Turkana Basin (Kenya and Ethiopia). Various hypotheses have been proposed, including (1) that the species are sister taxa derived from a common ancestral hexaprotodont species, (2) that they are time-successive segments of a single anagenetic evolutionary lineage, and (3) that aff. Hippopotamus karumensis represents a branch of an evolving aff. Hippopotamus protamphibius lineage. A major obstacle to determining which of these evolutionary scenarios is the most parsimonious is the unknown degree to which the two species co-occurred. Here we describe a new aff. Hippopotamus karumensis mandible from the Upper Burgi Member of Koobi Fora Formation, east of Lake Turkana (Kenya), that represents the earliest occurrence of this species yet to be documented. The presence of aff. Hippopotamus karumensis in this member implies a lengthy period of sympatry with aff. Hippopotamus protamphibius that makes an anagenetic relationship between these species improbable. It is also unlikely that the species derived from a common hexaprotodont since there is currently a lengthy time gap between the earliest occurrences of the two species. The most parsimonious interpretation is that aff. Hippopotamus karumensis represents a branch of an evolving aff. Hippopotamus protamphibius lineage
Zirconium: probing the role of texture using dynamic-tensile-extrusion

The effect of high strain-rate and high strains on mechanical behavior has been observed primarily in isotropic, cubic materials. The behavior of low-symmetry, textured, materials is not as well understood. To examine the high strain and high strain-rate response of structural metals, a Dynamic Tensile Extrusion technique has been developed at Los Alamos National Laboratory. In this study, high-purity zirconium bullets were accelerated up to velocities of 615m/s and extruded through a high-strength steel die. The Zr bullets were fired at 23°C and 250°C. Specimens were sectioned in two orthogonal directions from the as received plate: (1) loading direction aligned in plane (IP) to the rolling direction and (2) loading direction through thickness (TT) of the plate. A combination of in-situ and ex-situ characterization techniques has been used to study the response of Zr under this dynamic loading condition. Not only are these the first experiments of their kind performed at temperatures higher than room temperature, but high-speed imaging and for the first time, PDV (Photonic Doppler Velocimetry) has been employed to capture the time and velocity of the evolved deformation through the die.
Protection of Wheat Seed with Diatomaceous Earth

Laboratory tests were made to determine the relative effectiveness of dosages of diatomaceous earth proportional to 4, 6, and 8 1bs. per ton of grain in preventing or controlling insect infestations in wheat seed. Effectiveness of treatments was tested against the rice weevil, Sitophilus oryzae (L.); the granary weevil, Sitophilus granarius (L.); the lesser grain borer, Rhyzopertha dominica (F.); the confused flour beetle, Tribolium confusum Jacquelin duVal; the saw-toothed grain beetle, Oryzaephilus, surinamensis (L.); and the flat grain beetle, Cryptolestes pusillus (Schonherr). Tests were made under constant conditions of 80° ± 1° F. and 60% ± 5% relative humidity. Untreated control samples of wheat were completely riddled by the end of 6 months after initial exposure to insects. Results show that 4 Ibs. of diatomaceous earth per ton or grain would prevent infestations for 6 months, and 6 1bs. per ton would last 9 months. The 8-lbs.-per ton treatment was still effective when the experiment was terminated 12 months after initial exposure to insects. The results indicate that diatomaceous earth offers promise as a means of protecting seeds against insects, and it was concluded that more extensive trials should be undertaken with this material.
Review of Institutional Research at Harvard University

As a world-renowned institution of higher learning,Harvard university has set an important role model in the experience and knowledge of institutional research for Chinese universities.Based on our interviews with the staff and director of Institutional Research Center at Harvard University,examination of its mission statements and vision,and study on its data and archival documents,this article explores the main task of Institutional Research,which is to collect,synthesize,and analyze institutional data to fulfill mandatory reporting requirements,and to prepare for its Harvard University Fact Book.The Harvard Institutional Research also uses a Common Data Set(CDS) and the American University and College Accountability Network(Harvard University project) as the main sources of data to regulate the collection,collation and analysis of data with the goal of promoting informed management and decision-making.
Genetic predictions of racing performance in quarter horses.

Research on the racing performance of quarter horses has been used to develop genetic prediction summaries on all horses with at least one start on record at the American Quarter Horse Association. In the 1987 summary, records from a total of 212,065 horses were used to give genetic predictions on stallions, mares, geldings, fillies, and colts. A reduced animal model was used that incorporated the repeated records of individuals. The individual race was the contemporary group after the data were adjusted for distance, sex, and age. Estimates of heritability of .24 and repeatability of .32 suggest that increased racing performance can be achieved if the predictions are used by breeders. Continued research in variance component estimation includes the genetic covariances among the several distances, maternal influence, and genetic parameters for racing longevity.
Primary prevention of psychiatric illness in special populations.

Background Some populations appear to be particularly vulnerable to the development of psychiatric symptomatology related to life events and biologic or social/cultural factors. Such groups include individuals who have experienced traumatic events, military personnel, individuals with serious medical conditions, postpartum women, and immigrants. This study reviews the literature regarding primary prevention of psychiatric disorders in special populations and identifies a variety of universal, selective, and indicated prevention measures aimed at minimizing the psychiatric sequelae in these groups. Methods The authors reviewed the literature regarding the prevention of psychiatric symptoms in trauma/abuse victims, individuals in the military, oncology patients, patients with diabetes, pregnant/postpartum women, and immigrants. Results The literature on primary prevention of psychiatric illness in the special populations identified is rather limited. Universal prevention may be beneficial in some instances through public awareness campaigns and disaster planning. In other instances, more specific and intensive interventions for individuals at high risk of psychiatric illness may improve outcomes, for example, crisis counseling for those who have experienced severe trauma. Conclusions Primary prevention of psychiatric illness may be an attainable goal via implementation of specific universal, selected, and indicated primary prevention measures in special populations.
Cardiac Arrest in the Elderly: Epidemiology and Outcome

As a result of the combined effect of decreasing fertility and increasing life expectancy, the world’s population is ageing rapidly, and the process has accelerated in the last three decades. For the first time since the beginning of recorded history, elderly people are outnumbering young children [1]. By 2050, the numbers of people aged 60 years and over will have more than doubled, increasing from 901 million in 2015 to 2.1 billion [2]. The numbers of people aged 80 years and over will more than triple, increasing from 125 million in 2015 to 464 million in 2050. Although Europe has currently the highest percentage (24%) of people older than 60 years of age, the fastest growth in this age group is occurring in Asia, Africa and Latin America, so that relevant ageing will affect the whole world population in the next 30 years [2].
A Graphical Approach for Evaluating Mixture Designs

Single-valued criteria such as A-, D-, G- and V-optimality are used often in constructing and evaluating so-called «optimal» experimental designs. These criteria are especially popular with mixture experiments where the shape of the design region can become complicated by the imposition of additional constraints on the ingredient proportions. Although such criteria provide a valuable and reasonable basis for generating designs, the resulting designs are optimal only in the strict sense of the particular criterion used. Often, these criteria fail to convey the true nature of the design's support of the fitted model in terms of the variance of the prediction equation over the region of interest
Near real-time rateless coding with a constrained feedback budget

We present a near real-time rateless coding approach based on the constrained use of a feedback channel. The specific feedback used in our scheme is based on a measure of distance between a received word and the symbols already decoded at the receiver, with successive feedbacks providing accumulating information about the state of the decoder. Our encoder, in turn, optimizes its choice of constituent source symbols in each encoding according to the decoder information and not uniformly at random as is typically done. We provide an upper-bound on the error probability of our approach when used with a maximum-likelihood decoder, and simulation results demonstrate that the coding performance can be tuned according to the feedback budget available.
A mass and momentum conserving unsplit semi-Lagrangian framework for simulating multiphase flows

In this work, we present a computational methodology for convection and advection that handles discontinuities with second order accuracy and maintains conservation to machine precision. This method can transport a variety of discontinuous quantities and is used in the context of an incompressible gas–liquid flow to transport the phase interface, momentum, and scalars. The proposed method provides a modification to the three-dimensional, unsplit, second-order semi-Lagrangian flux method of Owkes & Desjardins (JCP, 2014). The modification adds a refined grid that provides consistent fluxes of mass and momentum defined on a staggered grid and discrete conservation of mass and momentum, even for flows with large density ratios. Additionally, the refined grid doubles the resolution of the interface without significantly increasing the computational cost over previous non-conservative schemes. This is possible due to a novel partitioning of the semi-Lagrangian fluxes into a small number of simplices. The proposed scheme is tested using canonical verification tests, rising bubbles, and an atomizing liquid jet.
High temperature stability and low adsorption of sub-100 nm magnetite nanoparticles grafted with sulfonated copolymers on Berea sandstone in high salinity brine

Abstract The synthesis of polymer grafted nanoparticles that are stable at high salinities and high temperature with low retention in porous media is of paramount importance for subsurface applications including electromagnetic imaging, enhanced oil recovery and environmental remediation. Herein, we present an improved approach to synthesize and purify sub-100 nm IONPs grafted with a random copolymer poly(AMPS-co-AA) (poly(2-acrylamido-3-methylpropanesulfonate-co-acrylic acid)) by means of catalyzed amide bond formation at room temperature. The improved and uniform polymer grafting of magnetic nanoparticles led to colloidal stability of IONPs at high temperature (120 °C) in API for a month. The transport behavior of the polymer grafted IONPs was investigated in crushed and in consolidated Berea sandstone. The high poly (AMPS-co-AA) polymer level on the surface (∼34%) provided electrosteric stabilization between the NPs and weak interactions of the NPs with anionic silica and sandstone surfaces. This behavior was enabled by low affinity of Ca2+ towards the highly acidic AMPS monomers thus enabling strong solvation in API brine. In crushed Berea sandstone, the retention was reduced by three fold and nine fold relative to our earlier studies, given the improvements in the grafted polymer layer. For intact core flood experiments in Berea sandstone carried out at elevated temperature (65 °C) and pressure (1000 psi net confining stress), the retention was 519 μg/g, comparable to the value for crushed Berea sandstone. Furthermore, the addition of a relatively small amount (0.1% v/v) of commercially available sacrificial polymer (e.g., HEC-10) further reduced IONP retention to 252 μg/g or 0.17 mg/m2 by blocking retentive sites.
Nanostructured materials for microwave receptors

Abstract Microwave heating promises numerous benefits over conventional heating including rapid thermal ramps, energy transfer rather than heat transfer, material selectivity, and improved automation and safety. This set of advantages has led to growing application in industrial processes. Currently, use of microwave heating is restricted because many materials of interest have poor dielectric loss properties and therefore respond poorly to microwave radiation. For this reason, nanostructured materials with high dielectric loss constants that can absorb microwave energy and convert it to heat are desired. Combination of the nanoscale receptors with base materials offers the opportunity to create composites with a high dielectric loss factor. This review covers the development of nanostructured microwave receptors and their applications. The structure of microwave receptors and their compatibility with the base material have a significant effect on the final dielectric properties. Therefore, various nanostructured microwave receptors, their surface modification, and the effect of the interface between the nanostructured receptors and the base materials are reviewed. Fundamental aspects of dielectric materials and their role in dielectric performance are discussed. Finally, key challenges, directions for further studies, and some promising nanostructured microwave receptors are suggested.
Development of an Educational Activity for First- and Second-Year Medical Students Using Cadaver Pathologies to Enhance Clinical Reasoning and Prepare for Entrustment in Providing Oral Case Presentations

Cadaver pathologies can be utilized as a basis for setting up clinical scenarios and making clinical connections. The pathology club of West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine, in collaboration with their faculty advisor and a biomedical science faculty member, developed a student-driven educational activity utilizing cadaver pathologies. In this article, we describe the utility of various educational strategies that help shift student learning from basic rote memorization to making connections with clinical practice in the design of this activity. The activity was created to enhance clinical reasoning, provide opportunity for peer teaching, and prepare for entrustment of providing oral presentation.
For You Were Strangers in the Land of Egypt: Clergy, Religiosity, and Public Opinion toward Immigration Reform in the United States

Recently, a number of influential clergy leaders have declared their support for liberal immigration reforms. Do the pronouncements of religious leaders influence public opinion on immigration? Using data from a survey experiment embedded in the 2012 Cooperative Congressional Election Study, we find that exposure to the arguments from high profile religious leaders can compel some individuals to reconsider their views on the immigration. To be more precise, we find that Methodists, Southern Baptists, and Evangelical Lutheran Church in America leaders successfully persuaded respondents who identify with these religious denominations to think differently about a path to citizenship and about the plight of undocumented immigrants. Interestingly, we also uncovered that religiosity matters in different ways for how parishioners from different religious faiths react to messages from their leaders. These findings force us to reconsider the impact that an increasingly strident clergy may be having on public opinion in general and on support for immigration reform in particular.
Racial Disparities in Hepatitis C Treatment Eligibility.

Abstract Background Hepatitis C (HCV) is more prevalent in African Americans than in any other racial group in the United States. However, African Americans are more likely to be deemed ineligible for HCV treatment than non-African Americans. There has been limited research into the origins of racial disparities in HCV treatment eligibility. Aim. The purpose of this study was to compare medical and non-medical characteristics commonly assessed in clinical practice that could potentially contribute to HCV treatment ineligibility disparities between African American and non-African American patients. Material and methods. Patients with confirmed HCV RNA considering treatment (n = 309) were recruited from university-affiliated and VA liver and infectious disease clinics. Results African Americans and non-African Americans did not differ in prevalence of lifetime and current psychiatric disorders and risky behaviors, and HCV knowledge. HCV clinical characteristics were similar between both groups in terms of HCV exposure history, number of months aware of HCV diagnosis, stage of fibrosis, and HCV virologic levels. African Americans did have higher proportions of diabetes, renal disease, and bleeding ulcer. Conclusions No clinical evidence was found to indicate that African Americans should be more often deemed ineligible for HCV treatment than other racial groups. Diabetes and renal disease do not fully explain the HCV treatment ineligibility racial disparity, because HCV patients with these conditions are priority patients for HCV treatment because of their greater risk for cirrhosis, steatosis, and hepatocellular carcinoma. The findings suggest that an underlying contributor to the HCV treatment eligibility disparity disfavoring African Americans could be racial discrimination.
Immune-modulating Activity of Hydrogel Microparticles Contributes to the Host Defense in a Murine Model of Cutaneous Anthrax

We recently reported that the open-mesh (0.7 micron) polyacrylamide microparticles (MPs) with internally-coupled Cibacron affinity dye demonstrate protective effect in mice challenged into footpads with high doses (200 LD50) of anthrax (Sterne) spores. A single injection of MPs before spore challenge reduces inflammatory response, delays onset of mortality and promotes survival. In this study we show that the effect of MPs was substantially increased at the lower spore dose (7 LD50). The inflammation of footpads was reduced to the background level, and 60% of animals survived for 16 days while all untreated infected animals died within 6 days with strong inflammation. The effects of MPs were promoted when the MPs were loaded with a combination of neutrophil-attracting chemokines IL-8 and MIP-1α which delayed the onset of mortality in comparison with untreated mice for additional 8 days. The MPs were not inherently cytotoxic against the bacteria or cultured murine Raw264.7 cells, but stimulated these cells to release G-CSF, MCP-1, MIP-1α and TNF-α. Consistent with this finding the injection of MPs induced neutrophil influx into footpads, stimulated production of TNF-α associated with migration of ERK1/2-positive cells with the Langerhans phenotype from epidermis to regional lymph nodes. Our data support the mechanism of protection in which the immune defense induced by MPs along with the exogenous chemokines counterbalances the suppressive effect caused by anthrax infection.
The Associative Algebra

Our objective in this chapter is to show off a few examples of algebras that occur naturally. After a brief orientation toward concepts and notation, the reader is introduced to group algebras, endomorphism algebras, matrix algebras, and quaternion algebras. Along the way, there is a brief digression, which contains a hint of the connection between algebraic geometry and the theory of finite dimensional algebras over a field.
Quantification of left ventricular ejection fraction using through-time radial GRAPPA for real-time imaging

Background Cardiac MRI requires a steady cardiac rhythm for ECGgating, and multiple breath-holds to minimize respiratory artifacts. By employing a non-Cartesian parallel imaging in form of through-time radial GRAPPA [1], accelerated imaging can be performed with temporal resolutions of < 50 ms, obviating the need for gating or breath-holding. breath-holding. We tested the hypothesis that volumetric measurements in the LV obtained with the real-time method could replace traditional measurements. Methods A total of 31 subjects (23 patients, 8 volunteers) were scanned on a 1.5T Avanto or 1.5T Espree scanner (Siemens Medical Solutions, Erlangen, Germany) using a combined spine and abdominal receiver array with 12 to 15 channels. The gold-standard cardiac functional examination was performed in a short-axis orientation with ECG gating, requiring 12-16 breathholds with the following parameters: Cartesian bSSFP sequence, TR~3162 ms, in plane resolution = 1.4-2.6 mm 2 , slice thickness = 6-8 mm, cardiac phases = 18-30. The real-time scans (26 calibration frames per slice and accelerated acquisition) were performed immediately following the goldstandard scan with no ECG gating or breath-holding: radial bSSFP sequence, TR= 2.64 ms, resolution = 2.3 mm 2 , slice thickness = 6-8 mm. A data acceleration factor of R=8 (16 projections for 128 x 128 matrix) was used such that the temporal resolution for real-time imaging was 42.2 ms per image. Calibration data for non-Cartesian GRAPPA reconstruction was acquired without ECG gating or breath-holds. After data collection and reconstruction, the blood volume in the left ventricle was assessed to determine the ESV, EDV, and EF for both methods. Results Bland-Altman analysis [2] was used to analyze the agreement between the two methods. This showed that 30 of the 31 of the EF measurements using traditional breath-hold imaging and the real-time free breathing method were within the 95% limits of agreement. The mean difference in LVEF between the two methods was -2% (breath-hold minus real-time). All 31 measurements of EDV using both methods were within 95% limits of agreement. The mean difference in EDV between the two methods was -4ml. 30/ 31 measurements of ESV using both methods were within the 95% limits of agreement. The mean difference in ESV between the two methods was 2 ml. The differences in EF, EDV, and ESV are not clinically significant [3]. Conclusions Our results show no significant statistical or clinical difference between volumetric analysis determined using standard breathhold cine imaging and through-time radial GRAPPA. This indicates that standard method can be replaced by the real-time imaging approach which can be used even for patients with arrhythmia or difficulty with breath-holding. Funding
The sets of constancy

From now on we assume that the minimal state space I of the M. C. {x t , t ∈ T} is discrete and that it is compactified to \( \bar{I} \) by adjoining the fictitious state ∞. We also assume that the transition matrix (p ij )is standard. Instead of going at once to a well-separable and measurable version as guaranteed by Theorem 4.3, we shall first investigate separately the consequences of separability and measurability. In this and the next two sections a theorem which is proved under the further assumption of separability is marked with (S), that of measurability with (M), that of both with (SM).
Becoming fans abroad: a qualitative study of soccer fan socialisation.

Although much is known about how individuals are socialised into sport fandom during their youth (via family and peer groups), little is known about individuals socialised into sport fandom as adults. Recognising globalisation and the increasing popularity of soccer as a spectator sport worldwide, in the current study we conducted focus groups with adults in the USA to understand how they became soccer fans. We found that those socialised into fandom as adults did so via exposure to the sport while travelling to places where the sport was central to the local sport culture. For these individuals, becoming a soccer fan via cultural immersion provided them a sense of belonging and uniqueness while travelling. While maintaining fandom once returning from travel is a challenge for some, the socialisation via travel finding has important implications for sport teams and leagues looking to expand their global reach.
Apical ballooning (Takotsubo) syndrome in the setting of chronic alcohol-induced hyponatremia

Takotsubo cardiomyopathy is also known as stress induced cardiomyopathy and transient left ventricular apical ballooning syndrome. There have been few case reports where hyponatremia was implicated as a trigger for stress-induced cardiomyopathy. We report the unusual case of a 79-year-old African American woman without any discernible recent stressors who presented atypically with generalized fatigue and was found to have severe hyponatremia (from chronic alcohol use and thiazide diuretics) and significantly elevated Troponin. Her echocardiogram and cardiac catheterization revealed typical features of apical ballooning syndrome.
Sequential Sensor Selection and Access Decision for Spectrum Sharing

We develop an algorithm for sequential sensor selection and channel access decision in cognitive radio (CR) networks under shadowing with the objective of maximizing total number of correct decisions on channel availability over finite time periods. The problem is formulated as a multiarmed bandit (MAB) problem and our index-based heuristic algorithms is shown to achieve sublinear accumulated regret in time period $T$ . We also evaluate the performance of the proposed algorithms with numerical examples.
Structure Health Monitoring of Aircraft Power Unit Using Vibration Signal

The technical condition of the power unit plays a key role in flight safety. The article presents concept of the diagnosis of the aircraft’s propulsion unit based on the vibration signal using lab-stand dedicated to HUMS – Health and Usage Monitoring System. At the beginning of the paper is presented the differences between the aircraft engine and the power unit. The stationary rotating machine which modify the use of the vibration signal in diagnostics are indicated. The theoretical foundations of vibration diagnostics of aircraft engines and power unit are discussed, indicating the main sources of excitation and the impact of constructional features of the machine on vibration propagation. Next, the methodology of active experiments was discussed, as part of which broadband vibration spectrum and new diagnostic symptoms were identified. The methodology of creating expert software for the needs of the HUMS has also been approximated. Finally operational experience was presented based on which the need for further research and development in the field of optimization of measurement data analysis methods, software and inference methods was demonstrated. The topics discussed will be illustrated by examples.
Mobile device ownership among emergency department patients.

Abstract Background The landscape of mobile devices is changing and their present use by patients for healthcare purposes is unknown. An understanding of current attitudes and usage may help increase patient engagement through mobile applications. This study sought to determine characteristics of mobile device ownership among Emergency Department patients, patients’ feelings regarding their use in healthcare, and desired functionality in mobile applications. Methods A cross-sectional survey was undertaken at a single urban tertiary care academic center. A convenience sample of adult English-speaking patients in the Emergency Department were surveyed from June 21 st, 2017 to December 30th, 2017. A secondary analysis of the data was performed based on demographic and socioeconomic factors. Results 260 patients were approached for participation, 11 patients declined, and one patient was excluded. The 248 participants had a median age of 49 (interquartile range 28–62) and 54% were female. 91% of those surveyed own smartphones, 58% owned tablets, and 77% of these patients were comfortable using mobile devices. Those without mobile devices were older (p Conclusion Ownership of smartphones is high across the Emergency Department population and patients are enthusiastic about using mobile devices as part of their care. Further study can elucidate opportunities to further integrate mobile device applications into patient care.
Axion production and detection with superconducting rf cavities

We propose a novel design of a laboratory search for axions based on photon regeneration with superconducting rf cavities. Our particular setup uses a toroid as a region of confined static magnetic field, while production and detection cavities are positioned in regions of vanishing external field. This permits cavity operation at quality factors of $Q\ensuremath{\sim}{10}^{10}--{10}^{12}$. The limitations due to fundamental issues such as signal screening and backreaction are discussed, and the optimal sensitivity is calculated. This experimental design can potentially probe axion-photon couplings beyond astrophysical limits, comparable and complementary to next generation optical experiments.
In Vitro Selection with a Site-Specifically Modified RNA Library Reveals the Binding Preferences of N6-Methyladenosine Reader Proteins

Epitranscriptomic RNA modifications can serve as recognition elements for the recruitment of effector proteins (i.e., "readers") to modified transcripts. While these interactions play an important role in mRNA regulation, there is a major gap in our understanding of the sequence determinants critical for the binding of readers to modified sequence motifs. Here, we develop a high-throughput platform, relying upon in vitro selection with a site-specifically modified random sequence RNA library and next-generation sequencing, to profile the binding specificity of RNA modification reader proteins. We apply our approach to interrogate the effect of sequence context on the interactions of YTH-domain proteins with N6-methyladenosine (m6A)-modified RNA. We find that while the in vitro binding preferences of YTHDC1 strongly overlap with the well-characterized DR(m6A)CH motif, the related YTH-domain proteins YTHDF1 and YTHDF2 can bind tightly to noncanonical m6A-containing sequences. Our results reveal the principles underlying substrate selection by m6A reader proteins and provide a powerful approach for investigating protein-modified RNA interactions in an unbiased manner.
Dynamic Bottleneck in Serial Production Lines with Bernoulli Machines

Bottleneck identification and mitigation is one of the most important problems in production system research and practice. In the current literature, the bottleneck is often defined with respect to a system’s long term performance. The corresponding mitigation approach is typically to prioritize the improvement of that particular machine. This applies when the improvement cannot be flexibly adjusted or reallocated to other machines in the system and the improvement is to be fixed to a machine for a sufficiently long period of time. In this paper, we attempt to redefine the bottleneck in a dynamic environment. A control-theoretic approach is used to formulate the bottleneck identification and mitigation problem as a state-based feedback control problem with the objective being maximization of steady state throughput. In this framework, we study serial production lines with finite buffers and Bernoulli reliability machines. Computation formulas and procedures are developed to calculate the performance metrics of such systems with dynamic bottleneck control and properties of the optimal control policy are investigated.
Angioleiomyoma of the Foot.

Angioleiomyomas are benign soft-tissue tumors that present painfully and are more commonly found in the extremities. Although benign soft-tissue tumors do not require excision, the clinician may no...
Canine and Feline Influenza

Influenza virus infections of carnivores-primarily in dogs and in large and small cats-have been repeatedly observed to be caused by a number of direct spillovers of avian viruses or in infections by human or swine viruses. In addition, there have also been prolonged epizootics of an H3N8 equine influenza virus in dogs starting around 1999, of an H3N2 avian influenza virus in domestic dog populations in Asia and in the United States that started around 2004, and an outbreak of an avian H7N2 influenza virus among cats in an animal shelter in the United States in 2016. The impact of influenza viruses in domesticated companion animals and their zoonotic or panzootic potential poses significant questions for veterinary and human health.
Evaluating Positron Emission Tomography-Based Functional Imaging Changes in the Heart After Chemo-Radiation for Patients With Lung Cancer.

Purpose Studies have noted a link between radiation dose to the heart and overall survival (OS) for patients with lung cancer treated with chemoradiation. The purpose of this study was to characterize pre- to posttreatment cardiac metabolic changes using fluorodeoxyglucose/positron emission tomography (FDG-PET) images and to evaluate whether changes in cardiac metabolism predict for OS. Methods and Materials Thirty-nine patients enrolled in a functional avoidance prospective study who had undergone pre- and postchemoradiation FDG-PET imaging were evaluated. For each patient, the pretreatment and posttreatment PET/CTs were rigidly registered to the planning CT, dose, and structure set. PET-based metabolic dose-response was assessed by comparing pretreatment to posttreatment mean standardized uptake values (SUVmean) in the heart as a function of dose-bin. OS analysis was performed by comparing SUVmean changes for patients who were alive or had died at last follow-up and by using a multivariate model to assess whether pre- to posttreatment SUVmean changes were a predictor of OS. Results The dose-response curve revealed increasing changes in SUV as a function of cardiac dose with an average SUVmean increase of 1.7% per 10 Gy. Patients were followed for a median of 437 days (range, 201-1131 days). SUVmean change was significantly predictive of OS on multivariate analysis with a hazard ratio of 0.541 (95% confidence intervals, 0.312-0.937). Patients alive at follow-up had an average increase of 17.2% in cardiac SUVmean while patients that died had an average decrease in SUVmean decrease of 13.5% (P = .048). Conclusions Our data demonstrated that posttreatment SUV changes in the heart were significant indicators of dose-response and predictors of OS. The present work is hypothesis generating and must be validated in an independent cohort. If validated, our data show the potential for cardiac metabolic changes to be an early predictor for clinical outcomes.
Near full light absorption and full charge collection in 1-micron thick quantum dot photodetector using intercalated graphene monolayer electrodes

Quantum dots (QDs) offer several advantages in optoelectronics such as easy solution processing, strong light absorption and size tunable direct bandgap. However, their major limitation is their poor film mobility and short diffusion length ( 700 nm in QDs photodetector and photovoltaic devices, causing a reduced photoresponsivity and a poor absorption towards the near-infrared part of the sunlight spectrum. Herein, we demonstrate 1 μm thick QDs photodetectors with intercalated graphene charge collectors that avoid the significant drop of quantum efficiency towards λ > 700 nm observed in most QD optoelectronic devices. The 1 μm thick intercalated QD films ensure strong light absorption while keeping efficient charge extraction with a quantum efficiency of 90%–70% from λ = 600 nm to 950 nm using intercalated graphene layers as charge collectors with interspacing distance of 100 nm. We demonstrate that the effect of graphene on light absorption is minimal. We achieve a time-modulation response of <1 s. We demonstrate that this technology can be implemented on flexible PET substrates, showing 70% of the original performance after 1000 times bending test. This system provides a novel approach towards high-performance photodetection and high conversion photovoltaic efficiency with quantum dots and on flexible substrates.
Sensitivity of oat protein solubility to changing ionic strength and pH

Understanding the relationship between ionic strength and protein solubility is essential to the utilization of salt in the formulation design of plant protein-based food and beverage products. In this study, suspensions of oat protein isolate (OPI) were treated with two kinds of common salts (sodium chloride NaCl; sodium phosphate NaP) at different ionic strengths (I). Electrical conductivity, protein solubility, particle size, and protein profile (sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis) were analyzed. The results showed the highest protein solubility at extremely low I (< 0.005 for NaCl; < 0.012 for NaP) and a minimum solubility at I 0.03 to 0.2 depending on the type of salt. Particle size and electrophoretic patterns supported the solubility profile. The combination effect of ionic strength and pH was also investigated. A characteristic U-shaped solubility curve observed within pH 2.0 to 8.0 at low ionic strengths (I < 0.01) was altered by increasing the salt concentration. The findings demonstrate that ionic strength and ion species play a crucial role in oat protein solubility, and the ionic effect can be modified by changing the pH. Therefore, the application of appropriate salt concentrations is vitally important to the manufacture of oat protein-based food products. PRACTICAL APPLICATION: Sodium chloride and phosphate are two of the most widely utilized salts in food processing. This study highlights the relationship between ionic strength of the two salts and oat protein solubility at different pH levels, providing useful information for selecting proper salt concentrations in the manufacture of oat protein-based food products.
Handbook of Item Response Theory, Volume 1

This is a review of the 33 chapters included in the models volume of the Handbook of Item Response Theory. The chapters cover longstanding topics such as the Rasch model, as well as newly unfolding...
Numerical Modeling of the Transient Chilldown of a Cryogenic Propellant Transfer Line

Before cryogenic fuel depots can be fully realized, efficient methods with which to chill down the spacecraft transfer line and receiver tank are required. This paper presents numerical modeling of the chilldown of a liquid hydrogen tank-to-tank propellant transfer line using the Generalized Fluid System Simulation Program. To compare with data from recently concluded turbulent liquid hydrogen chilldown experiments, seven different cases were run across a range of inlet liquid temperatures and mass flow rates. Both trickle and pulse chilldown methods were simulated. The Generalized Fluid System Simulation Program model qualitatively matches external skin-mounted temperature readings, but large differences are shown between measured and predicted internal stream temperatures. Discrepancies are attributed to the simplified model correlation used to compute two-phase flow, boiling heat transfer. Flow visualization from testing shows that the initial bottoming out of skin-mounted sensors corresponds to annula...