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Hexahedral meshing plays a critical role in high fidelity computational solid mechanics. However, many tools remain inaccessible due to the cost of purchase or a poor user experience. In this work, we describe efforts to facilitate a highquality user experience with a new hexahedral meshing software developed using topological sweeping operations. These efforts include integrating the tool with existing software for engineering design, preprocessing, meshing, and visualization; creating a Python-based application protocol interface (API) to allow for easier scripting and interactions without requiring experience in C++; creating a user manual to discuss how to operate the software; and performing a simple case study on five potential users of various background about how to interact with the software. Feedback indicated the value of providing additional background and examples and will help improve future work on the user experience of this software in order to ultimately create a meaningful tool for educational and industrial use. 

Abstract We present the host galaxies of four apparently nonrepeating fast radio bursts (FRBs), FRB 20181223C, FRB 20190418A, FRB 20191220A, and FRB 20190425A, reported in the first Canadian Hydrogen Intensity Mapping Experiment (CHIME/FRB) catalog. Our selection of these FRBs is based on a planned hypothesis testing framework where we search all CHIME/FRB Catalog-1 events that have low extragalactic dispersion measure (<100 pc cm⁻³), with high Galactic latitude (∣b∣ > 10°) and saved baseband data. We associate the selected FRBs with galaxies with moderate to high star formation rates located at redshifts between 0.027 and 0.071. We also search for possible multimessenger counterparts, including persistent compact radio and gravitational-wave sources, and find none. Utilizing the four FRB hosts from this study, along with the hosts of 14 published local Universe FRBs (z< 0.1) with robust host association, we conduct an FRB host demographics analysis. We find all 18 local Universe FRB hosts in our sample to be spirals (or late-type galaxies), including the host of FRB 20220509G, which was previously reported to be elliptical. Using this observation, we scrutinize proposed FRB source formation channels and argue that core-collapse supernovae are likely the dominant channel to form FRB sources. Moreover, we infer no significant difference in the host properties of repeating and apparently nonrepeating FRBs in our local Universe FRB host sample. Finally, we find the burst rates of these four apparently nonrepeating FRBs to be consistent with those of the sample of localized repeating FRBs observed by CHIME/FRB. Therefore, we encourage further monitoring of these FRBs with more sensitive radio telescopes. 

Abstract Extracting quadrilateral layouts from surface triangulations is an important step in texture mapping, semi-structured quadrilateral meshing for traditional analysis and spline reconstruction for isogeometric analysis. Current methods struggle to yield high-quality layouts with appropriate connectivity between singular nodes (known as “extraordinary points” for spline representations) without resorting to either mixed-integer optimization or manual constraint prescription. The first of these is computationally expensive and comes with no guarantees, while the second is laborious and error-prone. In this work, we rigorously characterize curves in a quadrilateral layout up to homotopy type and use this information to quickly define high-quality connectivity constraints between singular nodes. The mathematical theory is accompanied by appropriate computational algorithms. The efficacy of the proposed method is demonstrated in generating quadrilateral layouts on the United States Army’s DEVCOM Generic Hull vehicle and parts of a bilinear quadrilateral finite element mesh (with some linear triangles) of a 1996 Dodge Neon. 

Abstract Of the more than 3000 radio pulsars currently known, only ∼300 are in binary systems, and only five of these consist of young pulsars with massive nondegenerate companions. We present the discovery and initial timing, accomplished using the Canadian Hydrogen Intensity Mapping Experiment (CHIME) telescope, of the sixth such binary pulsar, PSR J2108+4516, a 0.577 s radio pulsar in a 269 day orbit of eccentricity 0.09 with a companion of minimum mass 11 M ⊙ . Notably, the pulsar undergoes periods of substantial eclipse, disappearing from the CHIME 400–800 MHz observing band for a large fraction of its orbit, and displays significant dispersion measure and scattering variations throughout its orbit, pointing to the possibility of a circumstellar disk or very dense stellar wind associated with the companion star. Subarcsecond resolution imaging with the Karl G. Jansky Very Large Array unambiguously demonstrates that the companion is a bright, V ≃ 11 OBe star, EM* UHA 138, located at a distance of 3.26(14) kpc. Archival optical observations of EM* UHA 138 approximately suggest a companion mass ranging from 17.5 M ⊙ < M c < 23 M ⊙ , in turn constraining the orbital inclination angle to 50.°3 ≲ i ≲ 58.°3. With further multiwavelength follow-up, PSR J2108+4516 promises to serve as another rare laboratory for the exploration of companion winds, circumstellar disks, and short-term evolution through extended-body orbital dynamics.