bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
A new method to restore the impact of land‐use change on flood frequency based on the Hydrologic Engineering Center‐Hydrologic Modelling System model
Authors: Yan Xin , Lin Musheng , Chen Xingwei , Yao Huaxia , Liu Chuanming , Lin Bingqing 
Published: January 2020

AbstractTo reveal the impacts of land‐use change on flood frequency distribution, a method to contradiction restore the largest‐gauged annual flood series to current land‐use conditions was proposed, based on the Hydrologic Engineering Center‐Hydrologic Modelling System (HEC‐HMS), with a newly developed iterative asymptotic method to calibrate the model parameters. Using the Xixi Basin on the southeastern coast of China as a case‐study, the HEC‐HMS model was applied to forward restore the largest annual floods between 1956 and 2011 by using the land‐use conditions of 2010. The flood peak flow series derived from forward restoration were used for flood frequency analysis. The results showed that (a) the iterative asymptotic method could calibrate the initial loss ratio and wave velocity relatively well. The physical meaning of the parameter values obtained was clear. The overall model simulation result was satisfactory, with Nash–Sutcliffe efficiency coefficients of 0.827 and 0.843 in the calibration and verification periods, respectively. (b) The calibration method effectively addressed the difficulty in determining the model parameters needed for resolving the restoration of the impacts of land‐use changes on the largest‐gauged annual flood peak flows and provided a newer HEC‐HMS‐based restoration approach for nonstationary flood frequency analysis. (c) Urbanization in the Xixi Basin caused a degradation in forested and arable lands, as well as in grasslands. Its main impact on the flood frequency distribution was that the average flood peak flow increased from 2,633.32 to 2,889.48 m3s−1and the changes in the coefficient of variation and coefficient of skewness were very small.
The mobility of arsenic from highly polluted farmlands to wheat: Soil–Plant transfer model and health risk assessment
Authors: Karimyan Kamaladdin , Alimohammadi Mahmood , Maleki Afshin , Yunesian Masud , Nodehi Ramin Nabizadeh , Foroushani Abbas Rahimi 
Published: January 2020

AbstractArsenic (As) can be transferred from soil and accumulated in food plants. So far, we have a knowledge gap about transference of As from agricultural soils to wheat plant in the natural polluted environment. The aim of present study was to investigate As transfer from soil to different tissues of wheat at a highly As polluted area. In this regard, the mobility indices were used to explain As transfer and accumulation from soil to wheat plant. Moreover, the relationships between soil properties including soil As content, pH, cation‐exchange capacity (CEC), electrical conductivity (EC), organic matter (OM), Fe, and Al percentage with As concentrations in wheat root, straw, and grain were investigated. Finally, the potential health risks of As exposure to humans through consumption of the local wheat crops were assessed. According to the results, harmful degree of As was accumulated in different parts of wheat plant. The impact of different soil properties on As accumulation in wheat was found to be as follows: soil As content > Al% > Fe% > OM > pH > CEC > EC. High carcinogenic and noncarcinogenic risks in all age groups of consumers were found. The minimum and maximum values for target hazard quotient and excess lifetime cancer risk were found to be 1.22, 102.97 and 0.000061, 0.33, respectively. These findings strongly support the notion that As can be entered to food chain through agricultural products cultivated in polluted soils.
A Comparative Study: Superficial Shaving Combined With Photodynamic Therapy Versus Cryotherapy in the Treatment of Recalcitrant Plantar Warts
Authors: Huang Kai , Xie Yang , Li Mingjia , Liu Dihui , Su Juan , Li Fangfang , Deng Bo , Li Jie , Shi Wei , Zhang Jianglin , Chen Xiang , Zhao Shuang , Wu Lisha 
Published: January 2020

Background and ObjectivesPlantar warts are a viral infectious lesion on the foot. The regression of plantar warts can be challenging despite the presence of a variety of available treatment modalities. Photodynamic therapy (PDT) has been recommended for the treatment of plantar warts. However, the effect of PDT in the treatment of plantar warts is not clear. Thus, we compared the efficacy of combining superficial shaving with PDT (SS‐PDT) with that of cryotherapy in the treatment of recalcitrant plantar warts.Study Design/Materials and MethodsForty‐six patients with 271 warts received SS‐PDT, and 26 patients with 147 warts received cryotherapy. For the SS‐PDT group, the lesions were shaved in situ, and PDT was performed immediately. For the cryotherapy group, appropriate pressure was applied by freezing rod to fully freeze the lesion tissue. The overall clinical response effects, recurrence rates, adverse events, patient satisfaction and the quality of life were assessed.ResultsThe SS‐PDT group achieved a 91.3% success rate (defined as >50% on clearance) after treatment for 6 months, whereas only 23.1% of treatment in the cryotherapy group was successful. After 6 months of follow‐up, the recurrence rate in the SS‐PDT group was significantly lower than that in the cryotherapy group (8.7% vs. 76.9%, P < 0.001). The patients with SS‐PDT were more satisfied with the treatment than the patients with cryotherapy (8.8 ± 1.4 vs. 4.9 ± 1.4, P < 0.001). Moderate pain was the main adverse event in SS‐PDT, and cryotherapy may cause severe pain and blistering.ConclusionsOur results suggest that superficial shaving combined with PDT is promising as a safe and effective therapy for patients with plantar warts, especially for patients with multiple recalcitrant warts. Lasers Surg. Med. © 2020 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Nonlinear dynamics of potassium iodide adsorption on the interface of carbon steel in acidic medium
Authors: Garcia‐Ochoa Esteban , Maldonado Pablo , Corvo Francisco 
Published: January 2020

AbstractThe development of inhibitors for hydrochloric acidic media is very common. Potassium iodide, in combination with some organic inhibitors, may transform a mediocre inhibitor into an excellent corrosion inhibitor based on a synergetic effect. There is a need to study what happens at the interface in the presence of this compound. The dynamics of the metal electrolyte interface when KI concentration increases has been characterized. The present study has been carried out based on electrochemical impedance spectroscopy and electrochemical noise analysis in the light of nonlinear phenomena by applying recurrence plots and fractal geometry. The fractal dimension of the current–time series shows a direct relationship with the fractal dimension of the surface of steel. The phenomenon of self‐organization has been observed on the metal surface. The nonlinear analysis carried out by means of recurrence plots showed that the iodide ions' inhibitory effect is not only simple adsorption but also a nonlinear phenomenon that auto‐organizes. The degree of complexity increases, consequently causing an interaction between the microcells and resulting in a lower charge‐transfer rate.
Effects of Al content on the corrosion properties of Mg–4Y–xAl alloys
Authors: Liu Zili , Wu Xinchen , Liu Xiqin , Xie Huanjian , Li Jian 
Published: January 2020

AbstractThe corrosion performances of Mg–4Y–xAl (x = 1, 2, 3, and 4 wt%) alloys in the 3.5% NaCl electrolyte solution are investigated by electrochemical tests, weight loss measurement and corrosion morphology observation. The results indicate that corrosion modes for the alloys are localized corrosion and the filiform type of attack. With Al concentration increasing from 1 to 4 wt%, the corrosion rate of Mg–4Y–xAl alloys decreases firstly and then increases, and WA42 alloy shows the best corrosion resistance. The addition of Al element to Mg–4Y alloys leads to the formation of Al2Y and Al11Y3 intermetallic compounds and reduces the proportion of Mg24Y5 phase. Corrosion resistance of the Mg–4Y–xAl alloys mainly depends on the size and distribution of the second phases. Besides, the addition of excessive Al can greatly consumes the Y element in the matrix, thus leading to a less protective film on the alloys. The effect of the relative Volta potential changes between the second phases and α‐Mg on corrosion resistance of Mg–4Y–xAl alloys is insignificant. The main corrosion products of the Mg–4Y–xAl alloys are Mg(OH)2, Mg3(OH)5Cl·4H2O, Mg0.72Al0.28(CO3)0.15(OH)1.98(H2O)0.48, and Mg4Al2(OH)12CO3·3H2O.
Pallidal Deep Brain Stimulation Reduces Sensorimotor Cortex Activation in Focal/Segmental Dystonia
Authors: Greuel Andrea , Pauls K. Amande M. , Koy Anne , Südmeyer Martin , Schnitzler Alfons , Timmermann Lars , Fink Gereon R. , Eggers Carsten 
Published: January 2020

AbstractBackgroundAlthough deep brain stimulation of the globus pallidus internus (GPi‐DBS) is an established treatment for many forms of dystonia, including generalized as well as focal forms, its effects on brain (dys‐)function remain to be elucidated, particularly for focal and segmental dystonia. Clinical response to GPi‐DBS typically comes with some delay and lasts up to several days, sometimes even weeks, once stimulation is discontinued.ObjectiveThis study investigated how neural activity during rest and motor activation is affected by GPi‐DBS while excluding the potential confound of altered feedback as a result of therapy‐induced differences in dystonic muscle contractions.MethodsTwo groups of patients with focal or segmental dystonia were included in the study: 6 patients with GPi‐DBS and 8 without DBS (control group). All 14 patients had cervical dystonia. Using H215O PET, regional cerebral blood flow was measured at rest and during a motor task performed with a nondystonic hand.ResultsIn patients with GPi‐DBS (stimulation ON and OFF), activity at rest was reduced in a prefrontal network, and during the motor task, sensorimotor cortex activity was lower than in patients without DBS. Within‐group contrasts (tapping > rest) showed less extensive task‐induced motor network activation in GPi‐DBS patients than in non‐DBS controls. Reduced sensorimotor activation amounted to a significant group‐by‐task interaction only in the stimulation ON state.ConclusionsThese findings support previous observations in generalized dystonia that suggested that GPi‐DBS normalizes dystonia‐associated sensorimotor and prefrontal hyperactivity, indicating similar mechanisms in generalized and focal or segmental dystonia. Evidence is provided that these effects extend into the OFF state, which was not previously demonstrated by neuroimaging. © 2020 The Authors. Movement Disorders published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of International Parkinson and Movement Disorder Society.
Early‐Motor Phenotype Relates to Neuropsychiatric and Cognitive Disorders in Huntington's Disease
Authors: Julayanont Parunyou , Heilman Kenneth M. , McFarland Nikolaus R. 
Published: January 2020

ABSTRACTObjectiveTo determine the relationships between the motor phenotype and the presence of specific neuropsychiatric and neuropsychological disorders in patients with early motor‐manifest Huntington's disease (HD).MethodsFrom the Enroll‐HD study, 3,505 individuals with HD who had ≤5 years of motor symptoms were classified based on the predefined parkinsonism/chorea index into chorea‐dominant (n = 1125), parkinsonism‐dominant (n = 867), and mixed‐motor phenotype (n = 1513) groups. An analysis was performed on the results of the short Problem Behaviors Assessment. This test assesses patients for neuropsychiatric disorders such as depression, irritability/aggression, apathy, obsessive‐compulsive behaviors, and psychosis as well as cognitive disorders by using neuropsychological tests such as the Stroop Interference test, Trail Making Test Part A and B, letter fluency, Symbol Digit Modality test, and animal fluency test.ResultsIn these early motor–manifest HD individuals, motor phenotype was associated with neuropsychiatric and cognitive changes. Independent of the age of motor onset, motor duration and severity, CAG repeat expansion, and medication use, the parkinsonism‐dominant group had more severe neuropsychiatric disorders (depression, apathy, obsessive‐compulsive behaviors, and psychosis) and poorer performance on all cognitive tests than those patients in the mixed‐motor phenotype and chorea‐dominant groups. The patients in the chorea‐dominant group had less apathy and depression than those in the mixed‐motor phenotype group.ConclusionsIn the early stage of motor‐manifest HD, parkinsonism‐dominant patients appear to have more severe neuropsychiatric disturbances and more cognitive impairments than those HD patients with chorea‐dominant and mixed‐motor phenotypes. Future studies should explore the brain mechanisms of these disorders and the possible treatments. © 2020 International Parkinson and Movement Disorder Society
Identification of a novel protein truncating mutation p.Asp98* in XPC associated with xeroderma pigmentosum in a consanguineous Pakistani family
Authors: Ali Muhammad Z. , Blatterer Jasmin , Khan Muzammil A. , Schaflinger Erich , Petek Erwin , Ahmad Safeer , Khan Ejazullah , Windpassinger Christian 
Published: January 2020

AbstractBackgroundXeroderma pigmentosum (XP) is a rare genetic disorder, which is characterized by hyper‐sensitivity to solar ultraviolet (UV) radiation. Clinical consequences of sun exposure are skin lesions and an increased risk of developing skin cancer. Genetic studies have identified eight genes associated with xeroderma pigmentosum. The proteins encoded by these genes are mainly involved in DNA repair mechanisms.MethodsMolecular genetic characterization of patients with xeroderma pigmentosum involved positional cloning methods such as homozygosity mapping and subsequent candidate gene analysis. Mutation screening was performed through Sanger DNA sequencing.Results and DiscussionIn this case study, we report a novel protein truncating mutation in XPC associated with autosomal recessive xeroderma pigmentosum in a consanguineous Pakistani family. Genetic mapping revealed a novel single base insertion of a thymine nucleotide NM_004628.4: c.291dupT (c.291_292insT) in the second exon of XPC. The identified mutation leads to a premature stop codon (TGA) at amino acid position 98 (p.Asp98*) and thus presumably results in a truncated protein. The Xeroderma pigmentosum, complementation group C (XPC) is located on 3p25.1 and encodes a protein involved in nucleotide excision repair. The identified mutation presumably truncates all functional domains of the XPC protein, which likely results in the loss of protein function.ConclusionThe study expands the knowledge of the mutational spectrum of XPC and is valuable for genetic counseling of affected individuals and their families.
Prediction of the individual multileaf collimator positional deviations during dynamic IMRT delivery priori with artificial neural network
Authors: Osman Alexander F. I. , Maalej Nabil M. , Jayesh Kunnanchath 
Published: January 2020

PurposesMultileaf collimator (MLC) positional accuracy during dynamic intensity modulation radiotherapy (IMRT) delivery is crucial for safe and accurate patient treatment. The deviations of individual leaf positions from its intended positions can lead to errors in the dose delivered to the patient and hence may adversely affect the treatment outcome. In this study, we propose a state‐of‐the‐art machine learning (ML) method based on an artificial neural network (ANN) for accurately predicting the MLC leaf positional deviations during the dynamic IMRT treatment delivery priori using log file data.MethodsData of ten patients treated with sliding window dynamic IMRT delivery were retrospectively retrieved from a single‐institution database. The patients' plans were redelivered with no patient on the couch using a Varian linear accelerator equipped with a Millennium 120 HD MLC system. Then the machine recorded log files data, a total of over 400 files containing 360 800 control points, were collected. A total of 14 parameters were extracted from the planning data in the log files such as leaf planned positions, dose fraction, leaf velocity, leaf moving status, leaf gap, and others. Next, we developed a feed‐forward ANN architecture mapping the input parameters with the output to predict the MLC leaf positional deviations during the delivery priori. The proposed model was trained on 70% of the total data using the delivered leaf positional data as a target response. The trained model was then validated and tested on 30% of the available data. The model accuracy was evaluated using the mean squared error (MSE), regression plot, and error histogram.ResultsThe deviations between the individual MLC planned and delivered positions can reach up to a few millimeters, with a maximum deviation of 1.2 mm. The predicted leaf positions at control points closely matched the delivered positions for all MLC leaves during the treatment delivery. The ANN model achieved a maximum MSE of 0.0001 mm2 (root MSE of 0.0097 mm) in predicting the leaf positions at control points of test data for each leaf. The correlation coefficient, that measures the goodness of fit, was perfect (R = 0.999) in all plots indicating an excellent agreement between the predicted and delivered MLC positions for the training, validation, and test data.ConclusionsWe successfully demonstrated a proposed ANN‐based method capable of accurately predicting the individual MLC leaf positional deviations during the dynamic IMRT delivery priori. Our ML model based on ANN outperformed the reported accuracy in the literature of various ML models. The results of this study could be extended to actual application in the dose calculation/optimization, hence enhancing the gamma passing rate for patient‐specific IMRT quality assurance.
Technical Note: Long‐term stability of Hounsfield unit calibration for cone beam computed tomography
Authors: Schröder Lukas , Stankovic Uros , Sonke Jan‐Jakob 
Published: January 2020

PurposeThe goal of this study was to investigate the stability of a phantom‐based Hounsfield unit (HU) calibration for cone beam CT (CBCT).MethodsThree consecutive scans of a large phantom configuration and a small phantom configuration were acquired and reconstructed with a uniform scatter correction method. The CBCT gray values of the phantom inserts were measured and the three values of each insert averaged. The linear calibration curve was determined and its slope and intercept were evaluated. This procedure was performed for three CBCT scanners (Elekta Synergy) over a period of 10 months with 1, 2, or 4 weeks between measurements. A dosimetric estimation of the HU fluctuations was carried out.ResultsThe CBCT HUs were stable over time with only small variations in slope and intercept resulting in HU differences on the water level, that is, intercepts, of less than 7 HU (standard deviation). Therefore, the dosimetric influence of these HU differences was limited. The inter‐scanner disparities (up to ~ 16 HU) were larger than the intra‐scanner ones (up to ~ 7 HU).ConclusionsStable HUs were observed over a period of 10 months. Due to the differences between the CBCT scanners, scanner‐specific calibration curves are necessary.
Rituximab in refractory chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy
Authors: Muley Suraj A. , Jacobsen Bill , Parry Gareth , Usman Uzma , Ortega Erik , Walk David , Allen Jeff , Pasnoor Mamatha , Varon Matthew , Dimachkie Mazen M. 
Published: January 2020

AbstractIntroductionChronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy (CIDP) is a disorder in which early effective treatment is important to minimize disability from axonal degeneration. It has been suggested that some patients with CIDP may benefit from rituximab therapy, but there is no definitive evidence for this.MethodsBaseline and post–rituximab‐therapy neuromuscular Medical Research Council (MRC) sum scores, Inflammatory Neuropathy Cause and Treatment (INCAT) disability score, and functional status were assessed in 11 patients with refactory CIDP.ResultsThe MRC sum score, INCAT disability score, and functional status improved in all patients after rituximab therapy.DiscussionOur study provides evidence of the efficacy of rituximab therapy in at least some patients with CIDP. A placebo‐controlled study to assess the effectiveness of rituximab therapy in CIDP with and without nodal antibodies is required to identify disease markers that predict responsiveness.
Optimal production ramp‐up in the smartphone manufacturing industry
Authors: Wang Lu , Ai Wenqing , Deng Tianhu , Shen Zuo‐Jun M. , Hong Changjing 
Published: January 2020

AbstractMotivated by challenges in the smartphone manufacturing industry, we develop a dynamic production ramp‐up model that can be applied to economically satisfy nonstationary demand for short‐life‐cycle products by high‐tech companies. Due to shorter life cycles and more rapid evolution of smartphones, production ramp‐up has been increasingly critical to the success of a new smartphone. In the production ramp‐up, the key challenge is to match the increasing capacity to nonstationary demand. The high‐tech smartphone manufacturers are urged to jointly consider the effect of increasing capacity and decreasing demand. We study the production planning problem using a high‐dimensional Markov decision process (MDP) model to characterize the production ramp‐up. To address the curse of dimensionality, we refine Monte Carlo tree search (MCTS) algorithm and theoretically analyze its convergence and computational complexity. In a real case study, we find that the MDP model achieves revenue improvement by stopping producing the existing product earlier than the benchmark policy. In synthetic instances, we validate that the proposed MCTS algorithm saves computation time without loss of solution quality compared with traditional value iteration algorithm. As part of the Lenovo production solution, our MDP model enables high‐tech smartphone manufacturers to better plan the production ramp‐up.
High‐order cubature rules for tetrahedra
Authors: Jaśkowiec Jan , Sukumar N. 
Published: January 2020

SummaryIn this paper, we construct new high‐order numerical integration schemes for tetrahedra, with positive weights and integration points that are in the interior of the domain. The construction of cubature rules is a challenging problem, which requires the solution of strongly nonlinear algebraic (moment) equations with side conditions given by affine inequality constraints. We present a robust algorithm based on a sequence of three modified Newton procedures to solve the constrained minimization problem. In the literature, numerical integration rules for the tetrahedron are available up to order p=15. We obtain integration rules for the tetrahedron from p=2 to p=20, which are computed using multiprecision arithmetic. For p≤15, our approach provides integration rules that have the same or fewer number of integration points than existing rules; for p=16 to p=20, our rules are new. Numerical tests are presented that verify the polynomial‐precision of the cubature rules. Convergence studies are performed for the integration of exponential, rational, weakly singular and trigonometric test functions over tetrahedra with flat and curved faces. In all tests, improvements in accuracy is realized as p is increased, though in some cases nonmonotonic convergence is observed.