bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Artificial intelligence‐based radiotherapy machine parameter optimization using reinforcement learning
Authors: Hrinivich William Thomas , Lee Junghoon 
Published: October 2020

PurposeTo develop and evaluate a volumetric modulated arc therapy (VMAT) machine parameter optimization (MPO) approach based on deep‐Q reinforcement learning (RL) capable of finding an optimal machine control policy using previous prostate cancer patient CT scans and contours, and applying the policy to new cases to rapidly produce deliverable VMAT plans in a simplified beam model.MethodsA convolutional deep‐Q network was employed to control the dose rate and multileaf collimator of a C‐arm linear accelerator model using the current dose distribution and machine parameter state as input. A Q‐value was defined as the discounted cumulative cost based on dose objectives, and experience‐replay RL was performed to determine a policy to minimize the Q‐value. A two‐dimensional network design was employed which optimized each opposing leaf pair independently while monitoring the corresponding dose plane blocked by those leaves. This RL approach was applied to CT and contours from 40 retrospective prostate cancer patients. The dataset was split into training (15 patients) and validation (5 patients) groups to optimize the network, and its performance was tested in an independent cohort of 20 patients by comparing RL‐based dose distributions to conformal arcs and clinical intensity modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) delivering a prescription dose of 78 Gy in 40 fractions.ResultsMean ± SD execution time of the RL VMAT optimization was 1.5 ± 0.2 s per slice. In the test cohort, mean ± SD (P‐value) planning target volume (PTV), bladder, and rectum dose were 80.5 ± 2.0 Gy (P < 0.001), 44.2 ± 14.6 Gy (P < 0.001), and 43.7 ± 11.1 Gy (P < 0.001) for RL VMAT compared to 81.6 ± 1.1 Gy, 51.6 ± 12.9 Gy, and 36.0 ± 12.3 Gy for clinical IMRT.ConclusionsRL was applied to VMAT MPO using clinical patient contours without independently optimized treatment plans for training and achieved comparable target and normal tissue dose to clinical plans despite the application of a relatively simple network design originally developed for video‐game control. These results suggest that extending a RL approach to a full three‐dimensional beam model could enable rapid artificial intelligence‐based optimization of deliverable treatment plans, reducing the time required for radiotherapy planning without requiring previous plans for training.
Update on the Use of Filters for Parenteral Nutrition: An ASPEN Position Paper
Authors: Worthington Patricia , Gura Kathleen M. , Kraft Michael D. , Nishikawa Reid , Guenter Peggi , Sacks Gordon S. ,   the ASPEN PN Safety Committee
Published: October 2020

AbstractIntravenous in‐line filters play a critical role in promoting patient safety during parenteral nutrition (PN) administration. Guidelines for using filters for PN have been issued by a number of professional organizations and manufacturers of PN components. Yet despite this guidance, filter use remains controversial. Recent changes in recommendations for filtering lipid injectable emulsions have added to confusion and created considerable variation in practice. This Position Paper aims to review past guidance regarding the filtration of PN, examine the clinical consequences of infusing particulate matter, discuss the challenges and issues related to filtration, and clarify the American Society for Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition (ASPEN) recommendations for the use of filters for PN administration. This paper was approved by the ASPEN Board of Directors.
Single soliton and double soliton solutions of the quadratic‐nonlinear Korteweg‐de Vries equation for small and long‐times
Authors: Başhan Ali , Esen Alaattin 
Published: October 2020

AbstractIn this article, numerical solutions of the seven different forms of the single soliton and double soliton solutions of the Korteweg‐de Vries equation are investigated. Since numerical solution of the six test problems for small‐times do not exist in the literature, the present numerical results firstly are reported with exact solutions. Besides small‐time solutions, long‐time solutions of all test problems are obtained and compared with some of the earlier works. Present algorithm which is based on combination of finite difference method and differential quadrature method have obtained superior results than those in the given literature. Numerical and exact solutions for small‐time of all test problems are plotted together for all test problems. Since the numerical results are too close to exact solutions the graphs are indistinguishable. Numerical simulations for long‐time solutions are plotted and the error graphs are plotted for the end of the simulations of all test problems.
BMI and All‐Cause Mortality in a Population‐Based Cohort in Rural South Africa
Authors: Manne‐Goehler Jennifer , Baisley Kathy , Vandormael Alain , Bärnighausen Till , Tanser Frank , Herbst Kobus , Pillay Deenan , Siedner Mark J. 
Published: October 2020

ObjectiveThis study evaluates the association between BMI and all‐cause and cause‐specific mortality in South Africa.MethodsProspective, population‐based observational cohort data from rural South Africa were analyzed. BMI was measured in 2010. Demographic characteristics were recorded and deaths were verified with verbal autopsy interview. The InterVA‐5 tool was used to assign causes of death. HIV testing was conducted annually. Cox proportional hazards models were fit to estimate the effect of BMI on all‐cause and cause‐specific mortality, accounting for the competing risk of death from other causes. Models were adjusted for sociodemographic characteristics and HIV status, and inverse probability weighting for survey nonparticipation was used.ResultsThe cohort consisted of 9,728 individuals. In adjusted models, those with BMI of 25.0 to 29.9 kg/m2 or 30.0 to 34.9 kg/m2 had a lower hazard of death (adjusted hazard ratio: 0.80; 95% CI: 0.69‐0.92 and adjusted hazard ratio: 0.75; 95% CI: 0.60‐0.93, respectively) compared with those with BMI of 18.5 to 24.9 kg/m2.ConclusionsIndividuals in South Africa who meet clinically defined criteria for overweight or obesity had a lower risk of all‐cause mortality than those with a normal BMI. These findings were stronger for women and communicable conditions.
Association between the Mallampati score and maximal mouth opening in patients with obstructive sleep apnea
Authors: Yonenaga Kazumichi , Taga Hitoshi , Eno Yukiko , Watanabe Masato , Matsuo Akira , Itai Shunsuke , Ono Sachiko , Takato Tsuyoshi 
Published: October 2020

AbstractPurposeThis study aimed to evaluate the association between the Mallampati score and other anatomical indicators, including maximal mouth opening and body mass index (BMI). We also evaluated the association between the Mallampati score and the apnea‐hypopnea index (AHI) to confirm the scores’ validity in predicting obstructive sleep apnea (OSA).MethodsWe recruited patients with confirmed OSA who visited JR Tokyo General Hospital for oral appliance therapy between January 2016 and June 2019. The coefficients of determination were calculated by ordinary least square regression to evaluate the association between (a) the Mallampati score and maximal mouth opening, (b) AHI and BMI, and (c) the Mallampati score and AHI.ResultsWe included 82 patients with an average (standard deviation) Mallampati score of 2.2 (0.9) and mouth opening capacity of 48.7 (6.5) mm. The Mallampati score was inversely associated with maximal mouth opening (R2 = 0.189, P < .01). A higher BMI was associated with a higher AHI (R2 = 0.115, P < .01). No significant association was found between the Mallampati score and the AHI (R2 = 0.01, P = .33).ConclusionAlthough we were not able to confirm the association between the Mallampati score and the AHI that was reported previously, the Mallampati score was found to be inversely associated with the extent of mouth opening.
Emotional intelligence, transformational leadership, self‐efficacy for well‐being: A longitudinal study using sequential mediation
Authors: Shamshad Iqra , Naqi Khan Muhammad Kamran 
Published: October 2020

The main objective of this study is to examine the relationship between a leader's emotional intelligence and employees' psychological well‐being while using transformational leadership and self‐efficacy as sequential mediators. Primary data was collected using pre‐established questionnaires, and quantitative analysis techniques have been employed using SPSS and SmartPLS with a sample of n = 927. The results showed that the emotional intelligence of a leader does have a significant impact on his choice of leading style and also influences perceived work characteristics during the process, which ignites a higher level of self‐efficacy in employees, as a result, improves their psychological well‐being. The study has improved the awareness related to the psychological well‐being and its predecessors associated with emotional intelligence. The concluding results of the study show that how much emotional intelligence of leaders has long term effects on organizational outcomes and future orientations of employees working under the command. Emotional intelligence is considered a crucial characteristic to survive in a rapidly changing work environment due to continuous technological advancements in almost every field of life.
Increasing zinc concentration in maize grown under contrasting soil types in Malawi through agronomic biofortification: Trial protocol for a field experiment to detect small effect sizes
Authors: Botoman Lester , Nalivata Patson C. , Chimungu Joseph G. , Munthali Moses W. , Bailey Elizabeth H. , Ander E. Louise , Lark R. Murray , Mossa Abdul‐Wahab , Young Scott D. , Broadley Martin R. 
Published: October 2020

AbstractThe prevalence of micronutrient deficiencies including zinc (Zn) is widespread in Malawi, especially among poor and marginalized rural populations. This is due to low concentrations of Zn in most staple cereal crops and limited consumption of animal source foods. The Zn concentration of cereal grain can be increased through application of Zn‐enriched fertilizers; a process termed agronomic biofortification or agro‐fortification. This trial protocol describes a field experiment which aims to assess the potential of agronomic biofortification to improve the grain Zn concentration of maize, the predominant staple crop of Malawi. The hypotheses of the study are that application of Zn‐enriched fertilizers will create a relatively small increase in the concentration of Zn in maize grains that will be sufficient to benefit dietary supplies of Zn, and that the effectiveness of agronomic biofortification will differ between soil types. The study will be conducted at three sites, Chitedze, Chitala, and Ngabu Agricultural Research Stations, in Lilongwe, Salima, and Chikwawa Districts respectively. These three sites represent locations in the Central and Southern Regions of Malawi. At each site, two different sub‐sites will be used, each corresponding to one of two agriculturally important soil types of Malawi, Lixisols, and Vertisols. Within each sub‐site, three Zn fertilizer rates (1, 30, and 90 kg/ha) will be applied to experimental plots using standard soil application methods, in a randomized complete block design. The number of replicates at plot level has been informed by a power analysis from pilot study data, assuming that a minimum 10% increase in Zn concentration of grain at 90 kg/ha relative to the concentration at 1 kg/ha is of interest. Grain mass (yield), stover mass, and both stover and grain Zn concentrations will be measured at harvest. A second year of cropping will be used to establish whether there are any residual benefits to grain Zn concentration. The potential for Zn agronomic biofortification will be communicated to relevant academic and government stakeholders through a peer review journal article and a briefing paper.
The BioGRID database: A comprehensive biomedical resource of curated protein, genetic, and chemical interactions
Authors: Oughtred Rose , Rust Jennifer , Chang Christie , Breitkreutz Bobby‐Joe , Stark Chris , Willems Andrew , Boucher Lorrie , Leung Genie , Kolas Nadine , Zhang Frederick , Dolma Sonam , Coulombe‐Huntington Jasmin , Chatr‐aryamontri Andrew , Dolinski Kara , Tyers Mike 
Published: October 2020

AbstractThe BioGRID (Biological General Repository for Interaction Datasets, thebiogrid.org) is an open‐access database resource that houses manually curated protein and genetic interactions from multiple species including yeast, worm, fly, mouse, and human. The ~1.93 million curated interactions in BioGRID can be used to build complex networks to facilitate biomedical discoveries, particularly as related to human health and disease. All BioGRID content is curated from primary experimental evidence in the biomedical literature, and includes both focused low‐throughput studies and large high‐throughput datasets. BioGRID also captures protein post‐translational modifications and protein or gene interactions with bioactive small molecules including many known drugs. A built‐in network visualization tool combines all annotations and allows users to generate network graphs of protein, genetic and chemical interactions. In addition to general curation across species, BioGRID undertakes themed curation projects in specific aspects of cellular regulation, for example the ubiquitin‐proteasome system, as well as specific disease areas, such as for the SARS‐CoV‐2 virus that causes COVID‐19 severe acute respiratory syndrome. A recent extension of BioGRID, named the Open Repository of CRISPR Screens (ORCS, orcs.thebiogrid.org), captures single mutant phenotypes and genetic interactions from published high throughput genome‐wide CRISPR/Cas9‐based genetic screens. BioGRID‐ORCS contains datasets for over 1,042 CRISPR screens carried out to date in human, mouse and fly cell lines. The biomedical research community can freely access all BioGRID data through the web interface, standardized file downloads, or via model organism databases and partner meta‐databases.
Metabolite V, an epoxide species is a minor circulating metabolite in humans following a single oral dose of deflazacort
Authors: Kong Ronald , Ma Jiyuan , Beers Brian , Kaushik Diksha , Lin E , Goodwin Elizabeth , Colacino Joseph , Bibbiani Francesco 
Published: October 2020

AbstractDeflazacort (Emflaza) was approved in the United States in 2017 for the treatment of the Duchenne muscular dystrophy in patients aged 2 years and older. Several deflazacort metabolites were isolated and identified from rats, dogs, monkeys, and humans. Among them, 1ß,2ß‐epoxy‐3ß‐hydroxy‐21‐desacetyl deflazacort, referred to as Metabolite V, was reported to be one of the major circulating metabolites in humans. However, its quantitative distribution in plasma was not fully characterized. The objective of this study was to determine deflazacort plasma pharmacokinetics, metabolite profiles and their quantitative exposures in humans following a single oral dose. Six healthy male subjects were each administered a single oral dose of 60 mg [14C]‐deflazacort. Plasma and urine were collected and deflazacort metabolites in plasma were quantified by high performance liquid chromatography radio‐profiling followed by liquid chromatography‐mass spectrometry characterization. Metabolite V was isolated from urine and its structure was further confirmed by nuclear magnetic resonance analysis. These analyses demonstrated that deflazacort was not detectable in plasma; of the eight circulating deflazacort metabolites identified or characterized, the pharmacologically active metabolite 21‐desacetyl deflazacort and inactive metabolite 6ß‐hydroxy‐21‐desacetyl deflazacort accounted for 25.0% and 32.9% of the 0‐24 hours plasma total radioactivity, respectively, while Metabolite V, an epoxide species, was a minor circulating metabolite, representing only about 4.7% of the total plasma radioactivity.
Three molecules found in rosemary or nutmeg essential oils repel ticks (Dermacentor variabilis) more effectively than DEET in a no‐human assay
Authors: Wong Colin , Crystal Kylie , Coats Joel 
Published: October 2020

AbstractBACKGROUNDDevelopment of new personal repellents to prevent tick bites is progressing to keep up with the increasing threat of tick‐borne diseases in humans. However, the market share of natural, plant‐based repellents is still quite small. We tested all of the major (>1%) components found in the essential oils of rosemary (Spanish variety) and nutmeg. These were tested with Dermacentor variabilis ticks, a robust tick capable of vectoring human diseases, in a no‐human horizontal Petri dish assay. For comparison, we also tested the active ingredients currently recommended by the CDC and EPA as personal repellents for use against ticks.RESULTSOf the 16 oil components tested, three performed significantly better than N,N‐diethyl‐meta‐toluamide (DEET) in our assay. These compounds were myristicin and safrole found in the nutmeg oil, and terpinolene found in nutmeg oil and as a minor (<1%) constituent of rosemary oil. The current market natural product, 2‐undecanone, also performed strongly in our assay.CONCLUSIONSOur assay focused on comparing active ingredients as potential repellents and found that many natural products can elicit a strong response from ticks. Terpinolene is the most promising active ingredient identified, owing to human health concerns regarding myristicin and safrole. Our results from examining individual terpenoids from two essential oils suggest that there remain unexploited natural compounds that could be further developed for new personal tick repellents. © 2020 Society of Chemical Industry
The potential global distribution of the papaya mealybug,Paracoccus marginatus, a polyphagous pest
Authors: Finch Elizabeth A , Beale Tim , Chellappan Mani , Goergen Georg , Gadratagi Basana Gowda , Khan Mohammed Abul Monjur , Rehman Abdul , Rwomushana Ivan , Sarma Arup Kumar , Wyckhuys Kris AG , Kriticos Darren J 
Published: October 2020

AbstractBACKGROUNDThe papaya mealybug,Paracoccus marginatus, is a highly polyphagous invasive pest that affects more than 200 plants, many of which are of economic importance. We modelled the potential distribution ofP. marginatususing CLIMEX, a process‐oriented, climate‐based niche model. We combined this model with spatial data on irrigation and cropping patterns to increase the real‐world applicability of the model.RESULTSThe resulting model agreed with known distribution points for this pest and with broad areas whereP. marginatushas been reported, but for which no GPS data were available. Our model highlights the potential expansion ofP. marginatusinto novel areas in Central and East Africa, as well as further expansion in Central America and Asia, as these areas are highly climatically suitable, and have large expanses of suitable crop hosts. It also highlights areas, such as the central and eastern states of the USA as well as the western provinces of China, that are suitable for seasonal invasions ofP. marginatus.CONCLUSIONOur results offer refined resolution on areas with high potential for invasion byP. marginatus. © 2020 Society of Chemical Industry
Olfactory and behavioral responses to acetate esters in red imported fire ant, Solenopsis invicta
Authors: Du Yuzhe , Zhou Aiming , Chen Jian 
Published: October 2020

AbstractBACKGROUNDThe red imported fire ant, Solenopsis invicta Buren, is one of the most successful invasive ants in the world. Previous studies indicated that benzyl acetate and prenyl acetate elicited significant electroantennography (EAG) response in S. invicta and exhibited as attractants at certain concentrations. In addition, the easy commercial availability, low cost, and low mammalian toxicity make acetate esters ideal candidates to screen for potential use in S. invicta control.RESULTSWe examined the EAG and behavioral responses to 26 acetate esters in all castes of S. invicta. Our results demonstrated a large diversity of EAG tuning and behavioral responses to acetate esters in S. invicta. For linear alkyl acetate esters, EAG response was clearly affected by the carbon chain length of the alkyl group. Linear alkyl acetates with five to seven carbon chain length of the alkyl group elicited significant EAG response in S. invicta, whereas those with shorter (C1 to C4) or longer (C8 to C12) carbon chain lengths did not. Different substitutions also exhibited large variety of EAG and behavioral responses in S. invicta.CONCLUSIONOur works explored the olfactory and behavioral response of S. invicta to structurally different acetate esters, and identified two potential fire ant attractants, pentyl acetate and tran‐2‐hexenyl acetate, and two potential repellents, hexyl acetate and cis‐3‐hexenyl acetate. These compounds may be useful in developing new products for fire ant management. Published 2020. This article is a U.S. Government work and is in the public domain in the USA.
Practical trade‐offs for the prefix‐sum problem
Authors: Pibiri Giulio Ermanno , Venturini Rossano 
Published: October 2020

AbstractGiven an integer array A, the prefix‐sum problem is to answer sum(i) queries that return the sum of the elements in A[0..i], knowing that the integers in A can be changed. It is a classic problem in data structure design with a wide range of applications in computing from coding to databases. In this work, we propose and compare practical solutions to this problem, showing that new trade‐offs between the performance of queries and updates can be achieved on modern hardware.
The Roles of Parents in Community Korean–English Bilingual Family Literacy
Authors: Wee Jongsun 
Published: October 2020

AbstractThis study introduces parents’ roles in the community Korean–English bilingual family literacy program named Family Storytime. It was offered at the Korean church for 30 minutes during lunch time on Sundays over 3 months. The Korean parents played two major roles: facilitators and participants. As facilitators, the parents advertised the literacy program to other Korean families, set up the room, managed children’s behaviors, and assisted bookplay activities. The Korean parents were active participants who responded to the book, interacted with children, and gave positive feedback to children. The parents’ heritage–language skills and funds of knowledge were valuable resources at the Family Storytime sessions. This study offers an example for how bilingual parents can be involved in family literacy in schools and communities.