Azimuthal Correlations of D Mesons with Charged Particles in Simulations with the ALICE Experiment

In this work, we present the results of a component-level analysis with Monte Carlo simulations, which aid the interpretation of recent ALICE results of the azimutal correlation distribution of prompt D mesons with charged hadrons in pp and p–Pb collisions at sNN = 5.02 TeV. Parton-level contributions and fragmentation properties are evaluated. Charm and beauty contributions are compared in order to identify the observables that serve as sensitive probes of the production and hadronisation of heavy quarks.

Multimorbidity in the elderly in China based on the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study

This study aimed to investigate the spatial distribution and patterns of multimorbidity among the elderly in China. Data on the occurrence of 14 chronic diseases were collected for 9710 elderly participants in the 2015 waves of the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS). Web graph, Apriori algorithm, age-adjusted Charlson comorbidity index (AAC), and Spatial autocorrelation were used to perform the multimorbidity analysis. The multimorbidity prevalence rate was estimated as 49.64% in the elderly in China. Three major multimorbidity patterns were identified: [Asthma/Chronic lungs diseases]: (Support (S) = 6.17%, Confidence (C) = 63.77%, Lift (L) = 5.15); [Asthma, Arthritis, or rheumatism/ Chronic lungs diseases]: (S = 3.12%, C = 64.03%, L = 5.17); [Dyslipidemia, Hypertension, Arthritis or rheumatism/Heart attack]: (S = 3.96%, C = 51.56, L = 2.69). Results of the AAC analysis showed that the more chronic diseases an elderly has, the lower is the 10-year survival rate (P < 0.001). Global spatial autocorrelation showed a positive spatial correlation distribution for the prevalence of the third multimorbidity pattern in China (P = 0.032). The status of chronic diseases and multimorbidity among the elderly with a spatial correlation is a significant health issue in China.

Time-domain based evaluation of detection efficiency in liquid scintillation counting

This work explores the distribution of time intervals between signals from the photomultiplier tubes (PMTs) of a liquid scintillation counting (LSC) system when a scintillation burst caused by an ionizing particle is detected. This distribution is termed the cross-correlation distribution and it is shown that it contains information about the probability to detect a scintillation event. A theoretical model that describes the cross-correlation distribution is derived. The model can be used to estimate the mean number of detected photons in a LSC measurement, which allows the calculation of the detection efficiency. The theoretical findings are validated by Monte Carlo simulations and by experiments with low-energy beta-emitting and electron-capture radionuclides ($$^3\hbox {H}$$ 3 H , $$^{14}\hbox {C}$$ 14 C , $$^{63}\hbox {Ni}$$ 63 Ni and $$^{55}\hbox {Fe}$$ 55 Fe ), with dedicated LSC systems and several commercial LSC cocktails. The results show that some of the parameters of the cross-correlation distribution such as the peak height or the kurtosis can be used as detection efficiency estimators or quenching indicators in LSC. Thus, although the time domain and the cross-correlation distribution have received little to no attention in the practice of LSC, they have the capacity to bring significant improvements in almost all LSC applications related to activity determination of low-energy beta-emitting and electron-capture radionuclides. The results also suggest concepts for the development of innovative LSC systems.

Cell Model for the Scale-up of Fluid Dynamics and Mass Transfer in Random Packed Columns Affected by Maldistribution

The characterization of fluid dynamics and mass transfer is often influenced by phase maldistribution. An existing cell model approach for fluid distribution is extended for gas distribution and mass transfer. The model differentiates wall and bulk zones, allowing a detailed evaluation of local fluid dynamics and mass transfer, which is based on a state-of-the-art literature correlation. Distribution parameters are determined experimentally. The model allows scale-up by considering the phase distribution at constant computational effort. A scale-up strategy to adapt the distribution parameters to different geometries is presented. Results for fluid dynamics and liquid distribution are in good agreement with experimental data of columns with diameters of 0.288, 0.5 and 0.6 m. Mass transfer is in good qualitative agreement with own experiments in a 0.288 diameter column. While maldistribution consequently reduces the gas side mass transfer, the reduced liquid bulk flow weakens the effect of liquid side mass transfer.

Determinants of correlated expression of transcription factors and their target genes

While transcription factors (TFs) are known to regulate the expression of their target genes (TGs), only a weak correlation of expression between TFs and their TGs has generally been observed. As lack of correlation could be caused by additional layers of regulation, the overall correlation distribution may hide the presence of a subset of regulatory TF–TG pairs with tight expression coupling. Using reported regulatory pairs in the plant Arabidopsis thaliana along with comprehensive gene expression information and testing a wide array of molecular features, we aimed to discern the molecular determinants of high expression correlation of TFs and their TGs. TF-family assignment, stress-response process involvement, short genomic distances of the TF-binding sites to the transcription start site of their TGs, few required protein-protein-interaction connections to establish physical interactions between the TF and polymerase-II, unambiguous TF-binding motifs, increased numbers of miRNA target-sites in TF-mRNAs, and a young evolutionary age of TGs were found particularly indicative of high TF–TG correlation. The modulating roles of post-transcriptional, post-translational processes, and epigenetic factors have been characterized as well. Our study reveals that regulatory pairs with high expression coupling are associated with specific molecular determinants.

Correlation Distribution Analysis of a Two-Round Key-Alternating Block Cipher

In this paper we study two-round key-alternating block ciphers with round function f (x)= x(2t+1)2s, where t, s are positive integers. An algorithm to compute the distribution weight in respect to input and output masks is described. Also, in the case t = 1 the correlation distributions depending on input and output masks are completely determined for arbitrary pairs of masks.

Phenotypic Variations and Heritability in Hybrid Populations of Bearded Iris

Bearded iris (Iris ×hybrida Hort.) is a large horticultural hybrid complex in the Iris genus, and the lack of understanding about its inheritance laws has seriously hindered the breeding process. From parental bearded iris ‘Indian Chief’ and ‘Sugar Blues’, four hybrid populations—including F1, F2, BC1P1, and BC1P2—were generated through hybridization. Fifteen key phenotypic traits, including plant height (PH), scape height (SH), length of fall (LF), width of fall (WF), length of standard (LS), width of standard (WS), and so on, were measured, and several genetic parameters (e.g., trait variation, heritability, trait correlation, distribution of flower color) were analyzed. The variation of phenotypic traits indicated that the F1 generation could produce larger flowers and a greater number of blooming stems than other generations, whereas backcrossing was beneficial at producing more flowers on one scape in the offspring of ‘Indian Chief’ and ‘Sugar Blues’. WF had the greatest broad-sense heritability (73.91%) among the 15 phenotypic traits, whereas the broad-sense heritability of SH was the lowest (2.06%). The correlation between a vegetative trait (PH) and a reproductive trait (WS) provided a path to early selection of germplasm. Furthermore, four important floral traits (LF, WF, LS, and WS) also correlated significantly to each other, thus simplifying the selection of larger flowers. Genes regulating fuchsia flower color were dominant over those for bluish purple flowers. Genetic effects of flower color in recurrent parents could be reinforced by backcrossing, thereby providing a potential way to modify flower color through hybridization.

Measuring the Sum-of-Squares Indicator of Boolean Functions in Encryption Algorithm for Internet of Things

Encryption algorithm has an important application in ensuring the security of the Internet of Things. Boolean function is the basic component of symmetric encryption algorithm, and its many cryptographic properties are important indicators to measure the security of cryptographic algorithm. This paper focuses on the sum-of-squares indicator of Boolean function; an upper bound and a lower bound of the sum-of-squares on Boolean functions are obtained by the decomposition Boolean functions; some properties and a search algorithm of Boolean functions with the same autocorrelation (or cross-correlation) distribution are given. Finally, a construction method to obtain a balanced Boolean function with small sum-of-squares indicator is derived by decomposition Boolean functions. Compared with the known balanced Boolean functions, the constructed functions have the higher nonlinearity and the better global avalanche characteristics property.

A Color Image Encryption Technique Based on Bit-Level Permutation and Alternate Logistic Maps

The paper presents an approach to encrypt the color images using bit-level permutation and alternate logistic map. The proposed method initially segregates the color image into red, green, and blue channels, transposes the segregated channels from the pixel-plane to bit-plane, and scrambles the bit-plane matrix using Arnold cat map (ACM). Finally, the red, blue, and green channels of the scrambled image are confused and diffused by applying alternate logistic map that uses a four-dimensional Lorenz system to generate a pseudorandom number sequence for the three channels. The parameters of ACM are generated with the help of Logistic-Sine map and Logistic-Tent map. The intensity values of scrambled pixels are altered by Tent-Sine map. One-dimensional and two-dimensional logistic maps are used for alternate logistic map implementation. The performance and security parameters histogram, correlation distribution, correlation coefficient, entropy, number of pixel change rate, and unified averaged changed intensity are computed to show the potential of the proposed encryption technique.