An Efficient Implementation of a Quasi-polynomial Algorithm for Generating Hypergraph Transversals

Given a finite set V, and a hypergraph , the hypergraph transversal problem calls for enumerating all minimal hitting sets (transversals) for . This problem plays an important role in practical applications as many other problems were shown to be polynomially equivalent to it. Fredman and Khachiyan (1996) gave an incremental quasi-polynomial time algorithm for solving the hypergraph transversal problem [9]. In this paper, we present an efficient implementation of this algorithm. While we show that our implementation achieves the same bound on the running time as in [9], practical experience with this implementation shows that it can be substantially faster. We also show that a slight modification of the algorithm in [9] can be used to give a stronger bound on the running time

Generation of small-scale structures in the developed turbulence

The Navier-Stokes equation for incompressible liquid is considered in the limit of infinitely large Reynolds number. It is assumed that the flow instability leads to generation of steady-state large-scale pulsations. The excitation and evolution of the small-scale turbulence is investigated. It is shown that the developed small-scale pulsations are intermittent. The maximal amplitude of the vorticity fluctuations is reached along the vortex filaments. Basing on the obtained solution, the pair correlation function in the limit $r\to 0$ is calculated. It is shown that the function obeys the Kolmogorov law $r^{2/3}$.Comment: 18 page

Some Peculiarities in the Dose Dependence of Separate and Combined In Vitro Cardiotoxicity Effects Induced by CdS and PbS Nanoparticles With Special Attention to Hormesis Manifestations

Spherical nanoparticles (NPs) of cadmium and lead sulfides (diameter 37 ± 5 and 24 ± 4 nm, respectively) have been found to be cytotoxic for HL-1 cardiomyocytes as evidenced by decrease in adenosine triphosphate–dependent luminescence. Cadmium sulfide (CdS)-NPs were discovered to produce a much greater cytotoxic impact than lead sulphide (PbS)-NP. Given the same dose range, CdS-NP reduced the number of calcium spikes. A similar effect was observed for small doses of PbS-NP. In addition to cell hypertrophy under the impact of certain doses of CdS-NP and PbS-NP, doses causing cardiomyocyte size reduction were identified. For these 3 outcomes, we obtained both monotonic “dose–response” functions (well approximated by the hyperbolic function) and different variants of non-monotonic ones for which we found adequate mathematical expressions by modifying certain models of hormesis available in the literature. Data analysis using a response surface linear model with a cross-term provided new support to the previously established postulate that a diversity of types of joint action characteristic of one and the same pair of damaging agents is one of the important assertions of the general theory of combined toxicity. © The Author(s) 2020

The heats of formation of the haloacetylenes XCCY [X, Y = H, F, Cl]: basis set limit ab initio results and thermochemical analysis

The heats of formation of haloacetylenes are evaluated using the recent W1 and W2 ab initio computational thermochemistry methods. These calculations involve CCSD and CCSD(T) coupled cluster methods, basis sets of up to spdfgh quality, extrapolations to the one-particle basis set limit, and contributions of inner-shell correlation, scalar relativistic effects, and (where relevant) first-order spin-orbit coupling. The heats of formation determined using W2 theory are: \hof(HCCH) = 54.48 kcal/mol, \hof(HCCF) = 25.15 kcal/mol, \hof(FCCF) = 1.38 kcal/mol, \hof(HCCCl) = 54.83 kcal/mol, \hof(ClCCCl) = 56.21 kcal/mol, and \hof(FCCCl) = 28.47 kcal/mol. Enthalpies of hydrogenation and destabilization energies relative to acetylene were obtained at the W1 level of theory. So doing we find the following destabilization order for acetylenes: FCCF $>$ ClCCF $>$ HCCF $>$ ClCCCl $>$ HCCCl $>$ HCCH. By a combination of W1 theory and isodesmic reactions, we show that the generally accepted heat of formation of 1,2-dichloroethane should be revised to -31.8$\pm$0.6 kcal/mol, in excellent agreement with a very recent critically evaluated review. The performance of compound thermochemistry schemes such as G2, G3, G3X and CBS-QB3 theories has been analyzed.Comment: Mol. Phys., in press (E. R. Davidson issue

Three-way symbolic tree-maps and ultrametrics

Three-way dissimilarities are a generalization of (two-way) dissimilarities which can be used to indicate the lack of homogeneity or resemblance between any three objects. Such maps have applications in cluster analysis and have been used in areas such as psychology and phylogenetics, where three-way data tables can arise. Special examples of such dissimilarities are three-way tree-metrics and ultrametrics, which arise from leaf-labelled trees with edges labelled by positive real numbers. Here we consider three-way maps which arise from leaf-labelled trees where instead the interior vertices are labelled by an arbitrary set of values. For unrooted trees, we call such maps three-way symbolic tree-maps; for rooted trees, we call them three-way symbolic ultrametrics since they can be considered as a generalization of the (two-way) symbolic ultrametrics of Bocker and Dress. We show that, as with two- and three-way tree-metrics and ultrametrics, three-way symbolic tree-maps and ultrametrics can be characterized via certain k-point conditions. In the unrooted case, our characterization is mathematically equivalent to one presented by Gurvich for a certain class of edge-labelled hypergraphs. We also show that it can be decided whether or not an arbitrary three-way symbolic map is a tree-map or a symbolic ultrametric using a triplet-based approach that relies on the so-called BUILD algorithm for deciding when a set of 3-leaved trees or triplets can be displayed by a single tree. We envisage that our results will be useful in developing new approaches and algorithms for understanding 3-way data, especially within the area of phylogenetics

Guidelines for VCCT-Based Interlaminar Fatigue and Progressive Failure Finite Element Analysis

This document is intended to detail the theoretical basis, equations, references and data that are necessary to enhance the functionality of commercially available Finite Element codes, with the objective of having functionality better suited for the aerospace industry in the area of composite structural analysis. The specific area of focus will be improvements to composite interlaminar fatigue and progressive interlaminar failure. Suggestions are biased towards codes that perform interlaminar Linear Elastic Fracture Mechanics (LEFM) using Virtual Crack Closure Technique (VCCT)-based algorithms [1,2]. All aspects of the science associated with composite interlaminar crack growth are not fully developed and the codes developed to predict this mode of failure must be programmed with sufficient flexibility to accommodate new functional relationships as the science matures

INFLUENCE EXERTED BY SOMATIC PATHOLOGY ON RISKS OF OCCUPATIONAL LUNG FIBROSIS IN WORKERS EMPLOYED AT REFRACTORY PRODUCTION

Occupational lungs and bronchial pathology occurs not only under exposure to dusts, their aerosol structure and aggression, but also depends on individual properties of a body. The latter can determine either increased body resistance or susceptibility to occupational pathology occurrence. Our research goal was to determine influence exerted by somatic pathology on occupational lung fibrosis occurrence as well as to estimate prevalence of risk factors for cardiovascular and metabolic pathology occurrence in workers employed at refractory production. At the first stage 449 workers employed at refractory production were examined at a periodical medical examination (PME). Patients' average age was 41.59 ± 0.45 and average work experience was 14.47 ± 0.39 years. At the second stage 172 workers were examined at an occupational pathology center; 75 out of them were workers who had silicosis and were included into the test group and the remaining 97 workers didn't have any occupational pathology and were included into the reference group. Both groups were comparable as per sex (p = 0.0052) and work experience under exposure to dusts (p = 0.862). Workers examined at a PME most frequently had overweight and obesity (68 %). Arterial hypertension (AH) prevalence amounted to 19.5%; carbohydrate metabolism disorders, 19.8 %; 48.1 % workers had hypercholesterolemia. Patients with silicosis had certain disorders significantly more frequently than workers with long work experience but without any occupational pathologies; those disorders were AH, cardiac muscle hypertrophy in the left ventricle, ischemic heart disease, heart rate disorders, as well as mixed (obstructive and restrictive) breath mechanics disorders. We determined some factors that authentically produced certain effects on occupational lung fibrosis occurrence in workers employed at refractory production. Median time of silicosis occurrence was significantly shorter (by 11.5 years) among workers with severe AH, arrhythmia (by 13 years), lower hemoglobin in blood (by 11.5 years). Besides, silicosis occurred significantly earlier (by 10.8) among women than among men. © 2020 Obukhova T.Yu., Budkar' L.N., Gurvich V.B., Solodushkin S.I., Shmonina O.G., Karpova E.A.,. All Rights Reserved

Oil and gas:a blessing for the few. Hydrocarbons and inequality within regions in Russia

Building on earlier work on regional inequality in Russia the article seeks to demonstrate that the regional oil and gas abundance is associated with high within-region inequality. It provides empirical evidence that hydrocarbons represent one of the leading determinants of an increased gap between rich and poor in the producing regions. The discussion focuses on a possible cluster of geographic, economic and political factors underlying the phenomenon

Cardiovascular and Metabolic Disorders Associated with Occupational Lung Fibrosis in Employees Exposed to the Dust at the Workplace

Introduction. The attribution of certain medical conditions in industrial workers to hazardous exposures at the workplace remains a challenging issue of occupational health. Material and methods. In order to identify cardiovascular conditions associated with occupational lung diseases in workers exposed to fibrogenic dust, we conducted a medical check-up examination of individuals employed in refractory production and asbestos industry. The main group consisted of the patients with a confirmed diagnosis of lung fibrosis (asbestosis, silicosis); the reference group was age- and tenure-matched workers without occupational fibrosis. Results. We e stablished a significantly h igher prevalence of arterial hypertension, left ventricular hypertrophy, s inus tachycardia, obesity, hypertriglyceridemia and impaired fasting glycemia in workers with silicosis and asbestosis if compared to those without work-related diseases. Based on the relative risk and attributable fraction estimates, we assume there is moderate occupational causation for arterial hypertension and a strong one for left ventricular hypertrophy, sinus tachycardia, and obesity. Very strong causation was found between occupational exposure to fibrogenic dust and carbohydrate metabolism disorders. High-stage hypertension, dyslipidemia and left ventricular hypertrophy were found to have a statistically significant impact on the timing of silicosis. Whereas high-stage hypertension, coronary artery disease, left ventricular hypertrophy and obesity were found to impact the timing of asbestosis. Conclusion. Cardiovascular and metabolic disorders are statistically more occurrent in workers with silicosis or asbestosis. Therefore, the disease can be regarded as work-related. We established cardiovascular and metabolic disorders to have a statistically significant impact on the timing of silicosis and asbestosis. Therefore, a timely CVD prophylaxis could reduce the risk of occupational lung fibrosis in workers exposed to fibrogenic dust. © 2020 Izdatel'stvo Meditsina. All rights reserved.The work of Solodushkin was supported by Act 211 Government of the Russian Federation, contract No 02.A03.21.0006

Pressure balance in the multiphase ISM of cosmologically simulated disc galaxies

Pressure balance plays a central role in models of the interstellar medium (ISM), but whether and how pressure balance is realized in a realistic multiphase ISM is not yet well understood. We address this question by using a set of FIRE-2 cosmological zoom-in simulations of Milky Way-mass disc galaxies, in which a multiphase ISM is self-consistently shaped by gravity, cooling, and stellar feedback. We analyse how gravity determines the vertical pressure profile as well as how the total ISM pressure is partitioned between different phases and components (thermal, dispersion/turbulence, and bulk flows). We show that, on average and consistent with previous more idealized simulations, the total ISM pressure balances the weight of the overlying gas. Deviations from vertical pressure balance increase with increasing galactocentric radius and with decreasing averaging scale. The different phases are in rough total pressure equilibrium with one another, but with large deviations from thermal pressure equilibrium owing to kinetic support in the cold and warm phases, which dominate the total pressure near the mid-plane. Bulk flows (e.g. inflows and fountains) are important at a few disc scale heights, while thermal pressure from hot gas dominates at larger heights. Overall, the total mid-plane pressure is well-predicted by the weight of the disc gas and we show that it also scales linearly with the star formation rate surface density (ΣSFR). These results support the notion that the Kennicutt-Schmidt relation arises because ΣSFR and the gas surface density (Σg) are connected via the ISM mid-plane pressure