bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
FEM design and simulation of a short, 10 MV, S‐band Linac with Monte Carlo dose simulations
Authors: Baillie Devin , Aubin J. St. , Fallone B. G. , Steciw S. 
Published: March 2015

Purpose:Current commercial 10 MV Linac waveguides are 1.5 m. The authors’ current 6 MV linear accelerator–magnetic resonance imager (Linac–MR) system fits in typical radiotherapy vaults. To allow 10 MV treatments with the Linac–MR and still fit within typical vaults, the authors design a 10 MV Linac with an accelerator waveguide of the same length (27.5 cm) as current 6 MV Linacs.Methods:The first design stage is to design a cavity such that a specific experimental measurement for breakdown is applicable to the cavity. This is accomplished through the use of finite element method (FEM) simulations to match published shunt impedance, Q factor, and ratio of peak to mean‐axial electric field strength from an electric breakdown study. A full waveguide is then designed and tuned in FEM simulations based on this cavity design. Electron trajectories are computed through the resulting radio frequency fields, and the waveguide geometry is modified by shifting the first coupling cavity in order to optimize the electron beam properties until the energy spread and mean energy closely match values published for an emulated 10 MV Linac. Finally, Monte Carlo dose simulations are used to compare the resulting photon beam depth dose profile and penumbra with that produced by the emulated 10 MV Linac.Results:The shunt impedance, Q factor, and ratio of peak to mean‐axial electric field strength are all matched to within 0.1%. A first coupling cavity shift of 1.45 mm produces an energy spectrum width of 0.347 MeV, very close to the published value for the emulated 10 MV of 0.315 MeV, and a mean energy of 10.53 MeV, nearly identical to the published 10.5 MeV for the emulated 10 MV Linac. The depth dose profile produced by their new Linac is within 1% of that produced by the emulated 10 MV spectrum for all depths greater than 1.5 cm. The penumbra produced is 11% narrower, as measured from 80% to 20% of the central axis dose.Conclusions:The authors have successfully designed and simulated an S‐band waveguide of length of 27.5 cm capable of producing a 10 MV photon beam. This waveguide operates well within the breakdown threshold determined for the cavity geometry used. The designed Linac produces depth dose profiles similar to those of the emulated 10 MV Linac (waveguide‐length of 1.5 m) but yields a narrower penumbra.
Aerobic Fitness and Training in Children
Authors: Armstrong Neil 
Published: March 2015

Purpose:The presence of a maturational threshold that modulates children’s physiological responses to exercise training continues to be debated, not least due to a lack of longitudinal evidence to address the question. The purpose of this study was to investigate the interaction between swim-training status and maturity in nineteen trained (T, 10 ± 1 years, −2.4 ± 1.9 years prepeak height velocity, 8 boys) and fifteen untrained (UT, 10 ± 1 years, −2.3 ± 0.9 years prepeak height velocity, 5 boys) children, at three annual measurements.Methods:In addition to pulmonary gas exchange measurements, stroke volume (SV) and cardiac output (Q) were estimated by thoracic bioelectrical impedance during incremental ramp exercise.Results:At baseline and both subsequent measurement points, trained children had significantly (p < .05) higher peak oxygen uptake (year1 T 1.75 ± 0.34 vs. UT 1.49 ± 0.22; year 2 T 2.01 ± 0.31 vs. UT 1.65 ± 0.08; year 3 T 2.07 ± 0.30 vs. UT 1.77 ± 0.16 l min−1) and Q (year 1 T 15.0 ± 2.9 vs. UT 13.2 ± 2.2; year 2 T 16.1 ± 2.8 vs. UT 13.8 ± 2.9; year 3 T 19.3 ± 4.4 vs. UT 16.0 ± 2.7 l min−1). Furthermore, the SV response pattern differed significantly with training status, demonstrating the conventional plateau in UT but a progressive increase in T. Multilevel modeling revealed that none of the measured pulmonary or cardiovascular parameters interacted with maturational status, and the magnitude of the difference between T and UT was similar, irrespective of maturational status.Conclusion:The results of this novel longitudinal study challenge the notion that differences in training status in young people are only evident once a maturational threshold has been exceeded.
Physical Activity, Inactivity, and Health
Authors: Rowlands Alex V. 
Published: March 2015

Background:The total activity volume performed is an overall measure that takes into account the frequency, intensity, and duration of activities performed. The importance of considering total activity volume is shown by recent studies indicating that light physical activity (LPA) and intermittent moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) have health benefits. Accelerometer-derived total activity counts (TAC) per day from a waist-worn accelerometer can serve as a proxy for an individual’s total activity volume. The purpose of this study was to develop age- and gender-specific percentiles for daily TAC, minutes of MVPA, and minutes of LPA in U.S. youth ages 6-19 y.Methods:Data from the 2003-2006 NHANES waist-worn accelerometer component were used in this analysis. The sample was composed of youth aged 6-19 years with at least 4 d of ≥10 hr of accelerometer wear time (N = 3698). MVPA was defined using age specific cutpoints as the total number of minutes at ≥4 metabolic equivalents (METs) for youth 6-17 y or minutes with ≥2020 counts for youth 18-19 y. LPA was defined as the total number of minutes between 100 counts and the MVPA threshold. TAC/d, MVPA, and LPA were averaged across all valid days.Results:For males in the 50th percentile, the median activity level was 441,431 TAC/d, with 53 min/d of MVPA and 368 min/d of LPA. The median level of activity for females was 234,322 TAC/d, with 32 min/d of MVPA and 355 min/d of LPA.Conclusion:Population referenced TAC/d percentiles for U.S. youth ages 6-19 y provide a novel means of characterizing the total activity volume performed by children and adolescents.
Endocrinology and Metabolism
Authors: Eliakim Alon 
Published: March 2015

Introduction:Competitive female athletes restrict energy intake and increase exercise energy expenditure frequently resulting in ovarian suppression. The purpose of this study was to determine the impact of ovarian suppression and energy deficit on swimming performance (400-m swim velocity).Methods:Menstrual status was determined by circulating estradiol (E2) and progesterone (P4) in ten junior elite female swimmers (15-17 yr). The athletes were categorized as cyclic (CYC) or ovarian-suppressed (OVS). They were evaluated every 2 weeks for metabolic hormones, bioenergetic parameters, and sport performance during the 12-week season.Results:CYC and OVS athletes were similar (p > .05) in age (CYC = 16.2 ± 1.8 yr, OVS = 17 ± 1.7 yr), body mass index (CYC = 21 ± 0.4 kg·m, OVS = 25 ± 0.8 kg·m), and gynecological age (CYC = 2.6 ± 1.1 yr, OVS = 2.8 ± 1.5 yr). OVS had suppressed P4 (p < .001) and E2 (p = .002) across the season. Total triiodothyronine (TT3) and insulin-like growth factor (IGF-1) were lower in OVS (TT3: CYC = 1.6 ± 0.2 nmol·L, OVS = 1.4 ± 0.1 nmol·L, p < .001; IGF-1: CYC = 243 ± 1 μg·mL, OVS = 214 μg·mL p < .001) than CYC at week 12. Energy intake (p < .001) and energy availability (p < .001) were significantly lower in OVS versus CYC. OVS exhibited a 9.8% decline in Δ400-m swim velocity compared with an 8.2% improvement in CYC at week 12.Conclusions:Ovarian steroids (P4 and E2), metabolic hormones (TT3 and IGF-1), and energy status markers (EA and EI) were highly correlated with sport performance. This study illustrates that when exercise training occurs in the presence of ovarian suppression with evidence for energy conservation (i.e., reduced TT3), it is associated with poor sport performance. These data from junior elite female athletes support the need for dietary periodization to help optimize energy intake for appropriate training adaptation and maximal sport performance
Cardiovascular Physiology and Disease in Youth
Authors: Rowland Thomas 
Published: March 2015

Introduction:Patients with repaired tetralogy of Fallot have good long-term survival but less is known about the subjectively assessed quality of life or objectively measured functional status of those who have not required subsequent pulmonary valve replacement. We assessed these parameters in a group of children and adults free from pulmonary valve replacement after tetralogy of Fallot repair.Methods and Results:A random sample of 50 subjects—16 children and 34 adults, aged 4.1-56.7 years—who had undergone tetralogy of Fallot repair and were free from subsequent pulmonary valve replacement underwent cardiopulmonary exercise testing and completed standardized questionnaires assessing health related quality of life and resilience. Patients were generally asymptomatic (median New York Heart Association class = 1). Exercise capacity was within two standard deviations of normal for most children and adults (mean z VO2max: 0.20 + 1.5; mean z VO2max: 0.20 + 1.5; mean z VE/VCO2 −0.9 + 1.3). Children reported a total health-related quality of life score similar to healthy norms (78 + 10 versus 84 + 1, p = .73). Adult survivors also reported quality of life scores comparable to healthy norms. Resilience was highly correlated with all domains of health-related quality of life (r = .713, p < .0001).Conclusions:Patients who have undergone tetralogy of Fallot repair in childhood and have not required pulmonary valve replacement have a good long-term health-related quality of life. The finding that patients with greater resilience had better health-related quality of life suggests that it may be beneficial to implement interventions to foster resilience.
The societal burden of chronic liver diseases: results from the COME study
Authors: Scalone Luciana , Fagiuoli Stefano , Ciampichini Roberta , Gardini Ivan , Bruno Raffaele , Pasulo Luisa , Lucà Maria Grazia , Fusco Francesco , Gaeta Laura , Del Prete Anna , Cesana Giancarlo , Mantovani Lorenzo Giovanni 
Published: March 2015

ObjectiveChronic liver diseases (CLDs) impose a significant socioeconomic burden on patients and the healthcare system, but to what extent remains underexplored. We estimated costs and health-related-quality-of-life (HRQoL) among patients with CLDs at different stages and with different aetiologies.DesignA cost-of-illness study was conducted. Direct costs, productivity loss and HRQoL were estimated in patients with chronic hepatitis, cirrhosis hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) or where orthotopic liver transplantation (OLT) had been performed, for hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection, hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection, or in those with liver disease from other causes. Patients were retrospectively observed for 6 months. The societal perspective was adopted to calculate costs.ResultsIn total, 1088 valid patients (median age=59.5 years, 60% men) were enrolled. 61% had chronic hepatitis, 20% cirrhosis, 8% HCC and 12% underwent OLT. HCV infection was identified in 52% and HBV infection in 29% of the patients. Adjusted mean direct costs increased from <€200/patient-month in HCV-infected patients with hepatitis to >€3000/patient-month in HBV infected patients with OLT. Antiviral treatment was the cost driver in patients with hepatitis, while hospital costs were the driver in the other subgroups. Absenteeism increased from HBV-infected patients with hepatitis (0.7 day/patient-month) to patients with OLT with other aetiologies (3.7 days/patient-month). HRQoL was on average more compromised in cirrhosis and patients with HCC, than in hepatitis and patients with OLT. HBV-infected patients generated higher direct costs, patients with other aetiologies generated the highest productivity loss and HCV-infected patients reported the worst HRQoL levels.ConclusionsThe present study can be considered a benchmark for future research and to guide policies aimed at maximising the cost-effective of the interventions.
Delay Line as a Chemical Reaction Network
Authors: Moles Josh , Banda Peter , Teuscher Christof 
Published: March 2015

Chemistry as an unconventional computing medium presently lacks a systematic approach to gather, store, and sort data over time. To build more complicated systems in chemistries, the ability to look at data in the past would be a valuable tool to perform complex calculations. In this paper we present the first implementation of a chemical delay line providing information storage that can reliably capture information over an extended period of time. The delay line is capable of parallel operations in a single instruction, multiple data (SIMD) fashion. Using mass action and Michaelis-Menten kinetics, we describe the chemical delay line implementation featuring enzymes acting as a means to reduce copy errors. We also discuss how information is randomly accessible from any element on the delay line. Our work shows how the chemical delay line retains and provides a value from a previous cycle. The system's modularity allows for integration with existing chemical systems. We exemplify the delay line capabilities by integration with a threshold asymmetric signal perceptron to demonstrate how it learns all 14 linearly separable binary functions over a sliding window of size two. The delay line has applications in biomedical diagnosis and treatment, such as smart drug delivery.
Calculating Voronoi Diagrams Using Simple Chemical Reactions
Authors: De Lacy Costello Ben 
Published: March 2015

This paper overviews work on the use of simple chemical reactions to calculate Voronoi diagrams and undertake other related geometric calculations. This work highlights that this type of specialised chemical processor is a model example of a parallel processor. For example increasing the complexity of the input data within a given area does not increase the computation time. These processors are also able to calculate two or more Voronoi diagrams in parallel. Due to the specific chemical reactions involved and the relative strength of reaction with the substrate (and cross-reactivity with the products) these processors are also capable of calculating Voronoi diagrams sequentially from distinct chemical inputs. The chemical processors are capable of calculating a range of generalised Voronoi diagrams (either from circular drops of chemical or other geometric shapes made from adsorbent substrates soaked in reagent) , skeletonisation of planar shapes and weighted Voronoi diagrams (e.g., additively weighted Voronoi diagrams, Multiplicitavely weighted Crystal growth Voronoi diagrams). The paper will also discuss some limitations of these processors. These chemical processors constitute a class of pattern forming reactions which have parallels with those observed in natural systems. It is possible that specialised chemical processors of this general type could be useful for synthesising functional structured materials.
New Podoscirtine crickets (Orthoptera: Gryllidae; Podoscirtinae) from National Natural Park Amacayacu, Amazonas, Colombia
Authors: CADENA-CASTAÑEDA OSCAR J. , NORIEGA JORGE ARI 
Published: March 2015

We describe six new species of crickets from the subfamily Podoscirtinae in the family Gryllidae from the “Amacayacu” National Park: Diatrypa (Latispeculum) didieri n. sp. (Aphonoidini: Diatrypina), Ectotrypa brachyptera n. sp. (Paroecanthini: Paroecanthina), Aphonomorphus (Aphonomorphus) desutterae n. sp., Aphonomorphus (Euaphonus) andreae n. sp., Aphonomorphus (Euaphonus) gorochovi n. sp., and Aphonomorphus (Nigraphonus) otavoi n. sp. (Podoscirtini: Aphonomorphina). Nigraphonus n. subgen. is proposed as a new subgenus of Aphonomorphus, grouping the species with unclear position into Neoaphonus (A. obscurus Chopard, 1956 n. comb., A. parobscurus Gorochov, 2010 n. comb., and A. nigra n. sp.). The state of knowledge of Podoscirtinae in Colombia is discussed.
Inline Coupling of WRF–HYSPLIT: Model Development and Evaluation Using Tracer Experiments
Authors: Ngan Fong , Stein Ariel , Draxler Roland 
Published: March 2015

AbstractThe Hybrid Single-Particle Lagrangian Integrated Trajectory model (HYSPLIT), a Lagrangian dispersion model, has been coupled (inline) to the the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) Model meteorological model in such a way that the HYSPLIT calculation is run as part of the WRF-ARW prediction calculation. This inline version of HYSPLIT takes advantage of the higher temporal frequency of WRF-ARW variables relative to what would be available for the offline approach. Furthermore, the dispersion calculation uses the same vertical coordinate system as WRF-ARW, resulting in a more consistent depiction of the state of the atmosphere and the dispersion simulation. Both inline and the offline HYSPLIT simulations were conducted for two tracer experiments at quite different model spatial resolutions: the Cross Appalachian Tracer Experiment (CAPTEX) in regional scale (at 9-km grid spacing) and the Atmospheric Studies in Complex Terrain (ASCOT) in finescale (at 333.3-m grid spacing). A comparison of the model with the measured values showed that the results of the two approaches were very similar for all six releases in CAPTEX. For the ASCOT experiments, the cumulative statistical score of the inline simulations was better than or equal to offline runs in four of five releases. Although the use of the inline approach did not provide any advantage over the offline method for the regional spatial scale and medium-range temporal scale represented by the CAPTEX experiment, the inline HYSPLIT was able to improve the simulation of the dispersion when compared with the offline version for the fine spatial and temporal resolutions over the complex-terrain area represented by ASCOT. The improvement of the inline over the offline calculation is attributed to the elimination of temporal and vertical interpolation of the meteorological data as compared with the offline version.
Addressing Interdependency in a Multimodel Ensemble by Interpolation of Model Properties
Authors: Sanderson Benjamin M. , Knutti Reto , Caldwell Peter 
Published: March 2015

Abstract
The diverse set of Earth system models used to conduct the CMIP5 ensemble can partly sample the uncertainties in future climate projections. However, combining those projections is complicated by the fact that models developed by different groups share ideas and code and therefore biases. The authors propose a method for combining model results into single or multivariate distributions that are more robust to the inclusion of models with a large degree of interdependency. This study uses a multivariate metric of present-day climatology to assess both model performance and similarity in two recent model intercomparisons, CMIP3 and CMIP5. Model characteristics can be interpolated and then resampled in a space defined by independent climate properties. A form of weighting can be applied by sampling more densely in the region of the space close to the projected observations, thus taking into account both model performance and interdependence. The choice of the sampling distribution’s parameters is a subjective decision that should reflect the researcher’s prior assumptions as to the acceptability of different model errors.
The Influence of ENSO on Northern Midlatitude Ozone during the Winter to Spring Transition
Authors: Zhang Jiankai , Tian Wenshou , Wang Ziwei , Xie Fei , Wang Feiyang 
Published: March 2015

Abstract
The influence of El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO) on northern midlatitude ozone during the period January–March (JFM) is investigated using various observations and a chemistry–climate model. The analysis reveals that, during El Niño events, there are noticeable anomalously high total ozone column (TOC) values over the North Pacific, the southern United States, northeastern Africa, and East Asia but anomalously low values in central Europe and over the North Atlantic. La Niña events have almost the opposite effects on TOC anomalies. The longitudinal dependence of midlatitude ozone anomalies associated with ENSO events during the period JFM is found to be related to planetary waves. Planetary waves excited by tropical convection propagate into the middle latitudes and give rise to longwave trains (Pacific–North American pattern) and shortwave trains along the North African–Asian jet. These wave trains affect ozone in the upper troposphere and lower stratosphere (UTLS) by modulating the midlatitude tropopause height and cause TOC anomalies by changing the vertical distributions of ozone. In addition, synoptic-scale Rossby wave breaking increases on the poleward flanks of the enhanced westerly jet during El Niño events, leading to a stronger eddy-driven meridional circulation in the UTLS and hence causing TOC increases over the North Pacific, the southern United States, northeastern Africa, and East Asia and vice versa for La Niña events. It is also found that the contribution of changes in Brewer–Dobson circulation due to anomalous planetary wave dissipation in the stratosphere during ENSO events to TOC changes in the middle latitudes for the period JFM is small, not more than 1 Dobson unit (DU) per month.
The Global Influence of the Madden–Julian Oscillation on Extreme Temperature Events
Authors: Matsueda Satoko , Takaya Yuhei 
Published: March 2015

AbstractThe authors investigated the influence of the Madden–Julian oscillation (MJO) on extreme warm and cold events, which may have large social and economic impacts. The frequencies of extreme temperature events were analyzed and compared between active and inactive MJO periods by using the 7-day running average of the 850-hPa temperature during the extended boreal winter (November–April). The results show that the frequency of extreme events is significantly modulated (i.e., increased by a factor of more than 2) by the MJO with a time lag over some areas in the extratropics as well as in the tropics. In the extratropics, the modulation of the frequency of the extreme events is roughly associated with midlatitude wave responses to tropical forcing and anomalous lower-level circulation due to the MJO.The relationship between the MJO and forecast skill of extreme temperature events was also investigated by using a suite of hindcasts made with the operational one-month ensemble prediction system of the Japan Meteorological Agency. Forecast skill of extreme events occurring after active MJO periods tend to be better over some areas, compared with after inactive MJO periods. These results suggest that a realistic representation of the MJO and of the atmospheric response to the MJO in forecast models is important for providing reliable early warning information about extreme events.