cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Inter-scan and inter-observer tumour volume delineation variability on cone beam computed tomography in patients treated with stereotactic body radiation therapy for early-stage non-small cell lung cancer.

Introduction Quantification of volume changes on cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) during lung stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) for non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) may provide a useful radiological marker for radiation response and for adaptive treatment planning. This study quantifies inter-scan and inter-observer variability in tumour volume delineation on CBCT. Methods Three clinicians independently contoured the primary gross tumour volume (GTV) manually on CBCTs taken immediately before SBRT treatment (pre) and after the same SBRT treatment (post) for 19 NSCLC patients. Relative volume differences (RVD) were calculated between the pre- and post-CBCTs for a given treatment and between any two of three observers for a given CBCT. Coefficient of variation (CV) was used to quantitatively measure and compare the extent of variability. Results Inter-observer variability had a significantly higher CV of 0.15 ± 0.13 compared to inter-scan CV of 0.03 ± 0.04 with P < 0.0001. The greatest variability was observed with tumours (<2 cm in diameter) versus larger tumours with 95% limit of agreement (LOA) (Mean ± Standard Deviation) of 1.90% ± 19.55% vs. −0.97% ± 12.26% for inter-scan RVD and 29.99% ± 73.84% vs. 9.37% ± 29.95% for inter-observer RVD respectively. Conclusions Inter-observer variability was greater than inter-scan variability for tumour volume delineation on CBCT with greatest variability for small tumours (<2 cm in diameter). LOA for inter-scan variability (~12%) helps defines a threshold for clinically meaningful tumour volume change during SBRT treatment for tumours with diameter greater than 2 cm, with larger thresholds needed for smaller tumours.
Incorporating Demand Resources into Optimal Dispatch

This paper presents a methodology for integrating demand response into optimal dispatch algorithms for electric power systems. Current methods to dispatch demand do not typically account for the impact of load shifting to later time periods. A critical component to properly dispatch demand resources is the inclusion of the rebound effect. Since the time scales for many demand response implementations are on the order of hours, once a demand resource has been dispatched, it is likely unavailable for re-dispatch during the same day. It is also likely that dispatched demand will increase in subsequent time periods. Incorporating the limited number of daily dispatches and the rebound effect into the optimal dispatch of demand resources is therefore necessary. This paper first provides a framework for incorporating demand resources into optimal dispatch and then presents a numeric example that compares optimal demand dispatch programs with and without the rebound effect. This comparison demonstrates the inefficiencies associated with a large-scale demand response program that does not take the rebound effect into account.
Ultrasonic flaw detection using Hidden Markov Model with wavelet features

In this work, modeling of a stochastic non stationary process is used to detect flaw echoes in ultrasonic NDE signals. This research aims at locating the flaw (if any) present in the NDE signal using Hidden Markov Model (HMM). HMM works on the principle that any non-stationary stochastic signals are generated by a hidden process which can be approximated by a Markov Model. The states present in the Hidden Markov Model are unknown and may vary according to the application. For ultrasonic flaw detection application, three states were assumed to model low level noise, high level noise and the flaw. Discrete Wavelet Transform (DWT) was chosen as feature input to HMM. Experimental results show that flaws can be detected even in signals with very low signal to noise ratio. Compared to other regression methods such as Support Vector Regression, HMM performs better and requires less effort and A-scan data for training.
No patterns in pattern recognition: A systematic literature review

Pattern recognition is one of the fundamental competencies associated with computational thinking and STEM education. Although much has been written to define computational thinking (CT), we argue that CT is a multi-faceted construct and specific aspects of CT (such as pattern recognition) should be examined. The purpose of this study is to conduct a systematic review of literature on pattern recognition to define pattern recognition as an aspect of computational thinking. The synthesis included the Engineering Village database (Compendex and INSPEC). We searched peer reviewed articles and the keywords, pattern recognition, pattern generalization and education. The initial search resulted in 208 articles. The screening of abstracts more closely resulted in 17 relevant articles, which were then read in detail by two researchers. The review of this pool resulted in two relevant articles, one with a focus on mathematics education and the other one in the context of medical education. Surprisingly there were no articles that examined pattern recognition as part of engineering or computer education. Further research examining specific aspects of CT is necessary.
Does use of a trauma checklist increase discharges from the emergency department

IntroductionEmergency department (ED) discharge is appropriate for patients with minor traumatic injuries. The objective of this study is to determine if use of a trauma checklist increases identif...
Trapped behind the glass: crip theory and disability identity

AbstractMany disability scholars and activists have embraced crip theory, a critical discourse that positions disability as a subset of the queer narrative. In doing so, I argue, they have embraced a theoretical framework that does not bridge the gap between the academy and the actual lives of disabled people. Instead, crip theory silences actual disabled experience and fractures the community, harming instead of helping. I propose that we must move beyond the limiting framework of crip theory and find a new discourse that originates in the disabled community itself.
A Model of Collaborative Spiritual and Psychiatric Care of Oncology Patients

Background Many oncology patients see both chaplains and consultation-liaison (C-L) psychiatrists during medical hospitalizations. Studies show that spirituality and mental health influence one another, and that patients often prefer that physicians understand their spirituality. Though models of inpatient chaplaincy-psychiatry collaboration likely exist, none are apparent in the literature. In this study, we present one model of chaplaincy-psychiatry collaboration, hypothesizing that both specialties would find the intervention helpful. Methods From April through December 2015, the C-L psychiatry service at Brigham & Women’s Hospital piloted 13 sessions of interdisciplinary rounds, where chaplains and C-L psychiatrists discussed common oncology patients. Participants completed questionnaires including quantitative and qualitative prompts before the intervention, after each session, and at the study’s conclusion. Results Eighteen individuals completed baseline questionnaires. Between baseline and final surveys, the proportion of participants describing themselves as “very satisfied” with the 2 services’ integration rose from 0–36%. The proportion of participants feeling “not comfortable” addressing issues in the other discipline declined from 17–0%. The most frequently chosen options on how discussions had been helpful were that they had enhanced understanding of both patient needs (83.3%) and the other discipline (78.6%). Qualitative data yielded similar themes. At conclusion, all respondents expressed preference that interdisciplinary rounds continue. Conclusion This study describes a model of enhancing collaboration between chaplains and C-L psychiatrists, an intervention not previously studied to our knowledge. A pilot intervention of the model was perceived by both specialties to enhance both patient care and understanding of the other discipline.
Tobacco-related Poison Events Involving Young Children in the US, 2001-2016.

Objective In this paper, we describe trends in tobacco-related poison exposure calls (calls) involving young children in the US. Methods Data were from the National Poison Data System between January 1, 2001 and October 31, 2016. We analyzed data on calls involving children younger than 5 years old. We describe trends in calls over time and call frequency by age, tobacco product type, level of care, and other characteristics of calls. Results During 2001-2016, there were 123,876 calls involving young children. During the study period, calls increased for most product types; e-cigarette-related calls increased from 7 in 2010 to 2558 in 2015. In calls with information on level of care (92.2%), 278 children were admitted to an intensive care unit, 497 were admitted to a hospital noncritical care unit, and 19,834 were treated and released. Conclusions Tobacco-related poison events commonly occur in the US and can have serious health consequences. More than 123,000 events among young children were reported during 2001-2016, but this likely represents a small portion of actual tobacco-related poison events due to underreporting. It is critical to continue to monitor tobacco-related poison events and develop strategies to prevent tobacco-related harm.
Spin density matrix of a two-electron system. II. Application to a system of two quantum dots

This work is a sequel to our preceding work [Phys. Rev. B 77, 045319 (2008)]. Here we compare pure-spin and pseudospin dynamics using as an example a system of two quantum dots, a pair of localized conduction-band electrons in an $n$-doped GaAs semiconductor. Pure-spin dynamics is obtained by tracing out the orbital degrees of freedom, whereas pseudospin dynamics retains (as is conventional) an implicit coordinate dependence. We show that magnetic field inhomogeneity and spin-orbit interaction result in a nonunitary evolution in pure-spin dynamics, whereas these interactions contribute to the effective pseudospin Hamiltonian via terms that are asymmetric in spin permutations, in particular, the Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya (DM) spin-orbit interaction. We numerically investigate the nonunitary effects in the dynamics of the triplet-state population, purity, and Lamb energy shift as a function of interdot distance and magnetic field difference $\ensuremath{\Delta}\stackrel{P\vec}{B}$. The spin-orbit interaction is found to produce effects of roughly 4 orders of magnitude smaller than those due to $\ensuremath{\Delta}\stackrel{P\vec}{B}$ in the pure-spin model. We estimate the spin-orbit interaction magnitude in the DM-interaction term. Our estimate gives a smaller value than that recently obtained by Kavokin [Phys. Rev. B 64, 075305 (2001)], who did not include double-occupancy effects. We show that a necessary and sufficient condition for obtaining a universal set of quantum logic gates, involving only two spins, in both pure-spin and pseudospin models is that the magnetic field inhomogeneity $\ensuremath{\Delta}\stackrel{P\vec}{B}$ and the Heisenberg interaction are both nonvanishing. We also briefly analyze pure-spin dynamics in the electron on liquid helium system recently proposed by Lyon [Phys. Rev. A 74, 052338 (2006)].
LowLEAC: Low Leakage Energy Architecture for Caches

With the ever-decreasing feature sizes, static power dissipation has become a concern in computing devices. On-chip memories are a major contributor towards the processor's leakage power dissipation due to their large transistor count. We propose a Low Leakage Energy Architecture for Caches, called LowLEAC to minimize the static power dissipation in caches made of CMOS SRAM cells. This technique is based on keeping only k most recently used cache lines powered on other lines powered off to reduce the leakage power dissipation. The control However increases the dynamic power due to re-fetching of data. To overcome that, we deploy CMOS compatible non-volatile SRAM cell, called cNVSRAM, to implement caches. The cNVSRAM cell works as a conventional SRAM in the regular mode and saves the data in a non-volatile back up when a cache line is turned off or put in the sleep mode. The non-volatile back up mode helps improve the dependability of the cache and avoids the penalty occurred due to loss of data from the inactive cache lines. With a small area penalty, LowLEAC achieves 18% energy savings with insignificant impact on the performance. LowLEAC is a suitable architecture for cache memory in mobile computing devices to minimize battery power consumption and reduce heat.
Scaffolding to Support Problem-Solving Performance in a Bioengineering Lab—A Case Study

Background: Engineering programs must equip students to solve open-ended workplace problems. However, the literature points to actual or potential difficulties faced by students in solving open-ended or complex problems. During Fall 2014, the authors’ students experienced difficulties in solving open-ended bio-signals laboratory problems of designing input signals to analyze unknown systems via MATLAB programming. These difficulties resulted in low performance. Intended Outcomes: To support, or scaffold, problem-solving in subsequent semesters, a strategy of frequent and timely monitoring and feedback was used. The hypotheses were that these scaffolding strategies would be associated with enhanced performance on open-ended projects, and would support students in similar future work once removed. Application Design: Based upon strategies from the scaffolding literature, assignments that guided problem decomposition were used. Flipped instruction challenged students to prepare for the laboratory by reviewing worked programming examples and completing online assessments. The laboratory sessions were reserved for collaborative, hands-on programming, with instructor oversight, as in a problem-based learning environment. Students submitted frequent progress reports for self-monitoring and feedback throughout each project. Findings: A statistical comparison of project scores across semesters revealed performance improvements with scaffolding. Post-scaffolding assessment in a follow-up course determined scaffolding to be helpful and applicable by these students for similar projects. These preliminary results are important for STEM students and instructors encountering challenges with open-ended problem-solving of this nature, and they provide quantitative evidence recently called for by the STEM scaffolding literature.
The Role of Robotics Teams’ Collaboration Quality on Team Performance in a Robotics Tournament

Background Working effectively in teams is an important 21st century skill as well as a fundamental component of the ABET professional competencies. However, successful teamwork is challenging, and empirical studies with adolescents concerning how the collaboration quality of team members is related to team performance are limited. Purpose/Hypothesis This study investigated the relationship between team collaboration quality and team performance in a robotics competition using multiple measures of team performance, including both objective task performance and expert judge evaluations, on a diverse set of supporting performance dimensions. Design/Method Data included Table Score, Robot Design, Research Project, Core Values, and Collaboration Quality scores for 366 youths on 61 K-8 robotics teams that participated in a FIRST LEGO League Championship. Regression and mediation analyses were conducted to explore the relation between effective team collaboration and team performance. Furthermore, analysis of variance was conducted to explore the relationship between Collaboration Quality and team experience. Results Collaboration Quality was a good predictor of robotics team performance across all measures (with R2 = .50 and p < .001). Mediation analysis revealed that the Robot Design acted as a full mediator for the predictive effect of Collaboration Quality on the Table Score. In addition, the cumulative amount of team experience was significantly related to Collaboration Quality. Conclusions Overall, this study using collaboration performance assessments and actual competition data with a large number of teams confirms the importance of high-quality teamwork in producing superior products with students engaged in authentic engineering tasks.
The Sampling and Measurement of Hydrocarbons in Natural Waters

A considerable volume of recent research has demonstrated that the chemistry of natural waters, including the world’s oceans, is changing as a consequence of technological activities of man. In part these changes are associated with the global dissemination of organic compounds and elements that are synthesized and/or mobilized by man. In addition, global energy demands have increased both the rate of exploitation of submarine petroleum deposits and the volume of tanker traffic; these activities have increased the incidental input of petroleum into the marine environment.
Why is a computational framework for motivational and metacognitive control needed

This paper discusses, in the context of computational modelling and simulation of cognition, the relevance of deeper structures in the control of behaviour. Such deeper structures include motivatio...
Ultrasound Associated Materials and Equipment

Ultrasound in clinical practice will use associated materials and equipment to facilitate and guide examinations and procedures. Materials such gel, gel warmers, transducer covers, needles, needle guides, catheters, and barcode readers are discussed.
Accounting for Externalities in the Water Energy Food Nexus

The WEF nexus can be generally defined as the relationship between food, energy, and water in human-environmental systems. The linkages between each nexus component are often complex, varying across both spatial and temporal dimensions. However, understanding and quantifying those linkages are key to maximizing potential net benefits from the WEF nexus. While there are many ways to categorize the different type of linkages/relationships, we will use the following three distinctions: (i) direct dependencies, (ii) direct competition, (iii) externalities. Research on the third type of nexus relationship is somewhat less prevalent than research on the other two types of linkages, likely because externalities are often difficult to physically quantify, and even more difficult to monetize. Externalities within the WEF nexus are quite common and should not be ignored. In this chapter, we focus on negative externalities and present two case studies from Japan to illustrate how to account for externalities in the WEF nexus.
Experimental and Diagnostic Techniques

Investigations in the field of shock compression of solid materials were originally performed for military purposes. Specimens such as armor were subjected to either projectile impact or explosive detonation, and the severity and character of the resulting damage constituted the experimental data (see, e.g., Helie, 1840). Investigations of this type continue today, and although they certainly have their place, they are now considered more as engineering experiments than scientific research, inasmuch as they do little to illuminate the basic physics and material properties which determine the results of shock-compression events.
Computational Aspects of Wavelets and Wavelet Transforms

This chapter is a tutorial on the computational aspects of wavelets and wavelet transforms. Algorithms for the construction of various types of wavelets are implemented on MATLAB. The implementation of the periodic discrete wavelet transform on MATLAB is explained. Various graphical representations of the wavelet coefficients/wavelet transform are illustrated. This chapter should be useful to understand some preliminary implementational aspects of wavelet analysis.
Chlamydomonas Basal Bodies as Flagella Organizing Centers

During ciliogenesis, centrioles convert to membrane-docked basal bodies, which initiate the formation of cilia/flagella and template the nine doublet microtubules of the flagellar axoneme. The discovery that many human diseases and developmental disorders result from defects in flagella has fueled a strong interest in the analysis of flagellar assembly. Here, we will review the structure, function, and development of basal bodies in the unicellular green alga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii, a widely used model for the analysis of basal bodies and flagella. Intraflagellar transport (IFT), a flagella-specific protein shuttle critical for ciliogenesis, was first described in C. reinhardtii. A focus of this review will be on the role of the basal bodies in organizing the IFT machinery.
Effects of 3,3′-Iminodipropionitrile on Hair Cell Numbers in Cristae of CBA/CaJ and C57BL/6J Mice

This study examines absolute hair cell numbers in the cristae of C57BL/6J mice and CBA/CaJ mice from weaning to adulthood as well as the dose required for 3,3′-iminodiproprionitrile (IDPN)-injury of the cristae in C57BL/6J mice and CBA/CaJ mice, the two mouse strains most commonly used by inner ear researchers. In cristae of CBA/CaJ and C57BL/6J mice, no loss of hair cells was observed up to 24 weeks. In both strains, dose-dependent loss of hair cells was observed 7 days after IDPN treatment of 2-month-old mice (IC50 = 16.1 mmol/kg in C57BL/6J mice vs. 25.21 mmol/kg in CBA/CaJ mice). Four-month-old C57BL/6J mice exposed to IDPN developed dose-dependent vestibular dysfunction as indicated by increased activity and circling behavior in open field tests and by failure to swim 7 days after treatment. IDPN-hair cell injury in C57BL/6J mice and CBA/CaJ mice represents a fast and predictable experimental model for the study of vestibular degeneration and a platform for the testing of vestibular therapies.
Towards Quantum Computing Algorithms for Datacenter Workload Predictions

Datacenters depend on intelligent management of underlying CPU, memory, network, and storage resources. A variety of techniques such as load balancing, load consolidation, and remote memory allocation rely on successful prediction of the workloads within the cloud. Recent promising developments in quantum computing seem ideal for performing this overhead work. As a step towards this goal, this paper proposes a host resource usage prediction approach, based on a complex-valued neural network. The algorithm can be further modified in the future to be applicable to quantum computing environments. A proof-of-concept is evaluated on real world load traces from a grid. The algorithm is compared against some current state-of-the-art host-load prediction algorithms to demonstrate its accuracy.
Treatment of Occipital Neuralgia by Thermal Radiofrequency Ablation.

Background: Occipital neuralgia is an uncommon disorder characterized by severe pain involving the posterior scalp in the distribution of the greater and lesser occipital nerves. In cases refractory to pharmacotherapy, invasive treatment options may be warranted. The aim of the present study was to examine the effects of thermal radiofrequency ablation (TRF) on occipital neuralgia. We hypothesized that this procedure would result in long-term pain relief. Methods: All patients who underwent TRF of the greater and lesser occipital nerves between January 1, 2013 and March 23, 2016 were identified. Medical records were reviewed for preprocedure pain score, 1-month postprocedure pain score, patient-defined percent pain relief according to the visual analog scale (on which zero equals no pain and 10 represents the worst pain imaginable), and length of pain relief. The primary outcomes were the differences between preprocedure and 1-month postprocedure pain scores (mean change from baseline), percent pain relief, and patient-reported length of relief. Results: A total of 50 patients were identified; 4 patients were excluded because of insufficient data as a result of loss to follow-up. A significant difference was found between preprocedure and postprocedure patient-reported pain scores (6.7 vs 2.7, respectively; P Conclusion: This study suggests that TRF may reduce pain scores for approximately 6 months.
MiniScrub: de novo long read scrubbing using approximate alignment and deep learning

Long read sequencing technologies such as Oxford Nanopore can greatly decrease the complexity of de novo genome assembly and large structural variation identification. Currently Nanopore reads have high error rates, and the errors often cluster into low-quality segments within the reads. Many methods for resolving these errors require access to reference genomes, high-fidelity short reads, or reference genomes, which are often not available. De novo error correction modules are available, often as part of assembly tools, but large-scale errors still remain in resulting assemblies, motivating further innovation in this area. We developed a novel Convolutional Neural Network (CNN) based method, called MiniScrub, for de novo identification and subsequent "scrubbing" (removal) of low-quality Nanopore read segments. MiniScrub first generates read-to-read alignments by MiniMap, then encodes the alignments into images, and finally builds CNN models to predict low-quality segments that could be scrubbed based on a customized quality cutoff. Applying MiniScrub to real world control datasets under several different parameters, we show that it robustly improves read quality. Compared to raw reads, de novo genome assembly with scrubbed reads produces many fewer mis-assemblies and large indel errors. We propose MiniScrub as a tool for preprocessing Nanopore reads for downstream analyses. MiniScrub is open-source software and is available at https://bitbucket.org/berkeleylab/jgi-miniscrub
The Idea of Central Bank Independence

Advocates of central bank independence seek to insulate the institution from political pressure while making decisions regarding the interest rate and other monetary policy tools. Critics of central bank independence point to monetary authorities not being accountable to the legislative or executive branches, unconventional monetary policy tools that were meant to be temporary becoming semi-permanent, and winners and losers being created in the course of keeping interest rates low. In practice, the degree of central bank independence varies widely with respect to political autonomy, economic autonomy, financial autonomy and legal autonomy.
Dial Mˆ for monotonic: A kernel-based Bayesian approach to state-trace analysis

Abstract A monotonic state-trace implies that a single latent factor is sufficient to explain the joint variation between two outcome variables across a set of conditions. There are, however, few methods available for assessing how much evidence a sample of data provides about whether the variables are truly monotonically related or not. We present a model that estimates the statistic M ˆ which reflects the amount of evidence a dataset provides about whether two or more outcome variables are jointly monotonically related at the group level. This statistic is based on modeling the covariation between outcome measures in terms of a kernel function, which allows for computation of the latent derivatives of each outcome variable with respect to the other. We then compare the prior and posterior probabilities that these derivatives are all of the same sign (and are thus monotonic) to obtain M ˆ . Simulations show that M ˆ discriminates between monotonic and non-monotonic state traces and an example illustrates how the model can be applied to both continuous and binomial data from between-subjects, within-subjects, or mixed designs.
Geostatistical modeling of uncertainty, simulation, and proposed applications in GIScience

Geostatistical modeling of spatial uncertainty has its roots in the mining, water and oil reservoir exploration communities, and has great potential for broader applications as proposed in this paper. This paper describes the underlying statistical models and their use in both the estimation of quantities of interest and the Monte-Carlo simulation of their uncertainty or errors, including their variance or expected magnitude and their spatial correlations or inter-relationships. These quantities can include 2D or 3D terrain locations, feature vertex locations, or any specified attributes whose statistical properties vary spatially. The simulation of spatial uncertainty or errors is a practical and powerful tool for understanding the effects of error propagation in complex systems. This paper describes various simulation techniques and trades-off their generality with complexity and speed. One technique recently proposed by the authors, Fast Sequential Simulation, has the ability to simulate tens of millions of errors with specifiable variance and spatial correlations in a few seconds on a lap-top computer. This ability allows for the timely evaluation of resultant output errors or the performance of a “down-stream” module or application. It also allows for near-real time evaluation when such a simulation capability is built into the application itself.
Literary Interpretation as a Social Act.

story I will tell centers on Jason and Nikki (pseudonyms), two students who had unequal power and status in their classroom. I start this story with the perceptions of their teacher because of the strong influence teachers have on how students are perceived by others in the class. It is easy to see from this teacher's comments about each student that she perceives Nikki to be a very competent reader of literature and Jason to be less competent, at least as a social participant in literature discussion groups. But each student's story is more complicated than one person's single comment might suggest. In order to tell the story in a way that makes visible some of these complications, I will frame one peer-led literature discussion that inThis article examines a peer-led
Assessment of AquaCrop model in simulating maize canopy cover, soil-water, evapotranspiration, yield, and water productivity for different planting dates and densities under irrigated and rainfed conditions

Abstract A well-tested crop model can be an important tool in assessment of different crop management scenarios to improve crop yield and water productivity. In this study, the FAO AquaCrop model was evaluated for predicting maize (Zea mays L.) canopy cover (CC), available soil-water (ASW), grain yield, crop evapotranspiration (ETc), and water use efficiency (WUE) when grown at three different planting dates and densities under rainfed and subsurface drip-irrigated conditions in Nebraska, USA. The model adequately simulated CC in 2011 with root mean squared error (RMSE) and model efficiency (EF) in the range of 5.3 to 12.7% and 0.42 to 0.94, respectively; while in drier 2012, CC was substantially under-predicted with higher RMSE of 24.4%. ASW was consistently underestimated in both years with negative EF value for most treatments in 2011, while in 2012, this trend was more pronounced in irrigated treatments, especially during mid-season. ETc estimates were marginal with prediction error of up to 15% in 2011 and 18% in 2012, and overall RMSE of 35 mm for both years. Simulated grain yield was acceptable in 2011 with deviations from measured data up to 8% while in 2012, the deviations were much higher up to 40% for rainfed treatments with overestimations in both years. The errors in ETc and yield simulations are considered high, especially when considering the model application in water-limiting or/and rainfed conditions, and low-yielding areas in which these errors can be a substantial portion of the total yields produced and in seasonal total ETc from production fields and can cause challenges for growers and decision-makers. The overestimation of yield and underestimation of ETc resulted in overestimation of WUE, producing inconsistent estimates in both years. Detailed analyses of model performance and potential reasons for the discrepancies and areas that require improvements in the model are presented.
Autoimmune Cytopenias Following Allogeneic Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplant in Pediatric Patients: A Case-Control Cohort Study

Introduction Autoimmune cytopenia (AIC) is a rare, but serious complication of allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT), and treatment for post-HCT AIC can have severe short- and long-term consequences. We sought to identify AIC risk factors and evaluate treatment-related late effects, in order to better guide management. Methods We performed a retrospective case-control study of pediatric patients who underwent HCT at Children's Hospital Colorado from June 2005 to March 2019. We compared clinical and transplant-related characteristics, chimerism, immune reconstitution, outcomes and late effects between patients who developed AICs (n=20) and a control group (n=40) matched by primary disease category and donor source. Results The incidence of AIC was 5.6% amongst all patients who received allogeneic HCT in the study timeframe (n=354). Of these, 75% had non-malignant disease (n=15). Thirteen developed autoimmune hemolytic anemia (65%), 5 had immune thrombocytopenia (25%), 1 had Evans syndrome (5%) and 1 had autoimmune neutropenia (5%). Median time to AIC was 219 days (range 97-1205 days). There was no difference between AIC patients and controls in gender, age at HCT, conditioning regimen, serotherapy, total body irradiation (TBI), GVHD prophylaxis, chronic GVHD, or time to neutrophil and platelet recovery. Compared to controls, more AIC patients had ABO mismatch (50% vs. 40%, p=0.07), and a higher proportion of grade I-II acute GVHD (93.9% vs. 50%, p=0.06), but was not statistically significant. Seventeen patients (85%), had >95% donor chimerism immediately prior to development of AIC. Fifteen patients (75%) received steroids as part of first-line therapy for AIC and 17 patients (85%) received rituximab as part of all therapy. Eleven patients (64.7%) received rituximab as part of first-line therapy. Only 25% of patients (n=5) responded to initial therapy. Median time to resolution of AIC was 12.0 months (range 10 days to 90 months). Strikingly, 12 patients (70.6%) are still receiving intravenous immune globulin (IVIG) replacement for hypogammaglobulinemia at least 1-year after HCT at a median time of 597.5 days (range 83-3715 days) from last rituximab dose. Iron overload was more prevalent in AIC patients compared to controls (n=8 vs n=1, p=0.0004, median of 2.3 years after HCT). The overall survival (OS) of the AIC cohort was similar to the control group (85% vs 82.5%). No patients in the AIC cohort died from AIC-related complications. In the AIC cohort, 2 patients died from sepsis and 1 patient died from relapsed disease. Conclusions In this case-control study of pediatric HCT patients, AIC was not associated with mixed chimerism or GVHD. The majority of AIC cases did not respond to first-line therapy and required multiple treatment modalities to achieve a complete response. Late effects from AIC-directed therapies include prolonged hypogammaglobulinemia and iron overload.
A little space problem: uncovering structural criticism in William Gaddis’ JR

William Gaddis’ National Book Award winning JR is often read as a novel of ‘entropy’ or ‘chaos,’ and held out as an ‘ur-text’ (in Jonathan Franzen's phrase) of apolitical literary experimentation i...
Choice and the evolution of habitat specialization: the case of life on shells

The circumstances that favor or disfavor habitat specialization in species are not well understood, despite a vast literature on particular cases. The taxonomic, phylogenetic and geographical distribution of limpet-like gastropods specialized for life on the coiled shells of other gastropods and hermit crabs were surveyed. Predation-related traits were measured to evaluate the refugial status of shells as habitats from predation. There are 41 shallow-water marine shell-specialized limpets, all members of the Lottiidae, Calyptraeidae and Hipponicidae, which account for 3.5% of the global diversity of shallow-water marine limpet-like gastropods. These species are distributed mainly along tropical and some temperate coastlines but are notably few in the highly diverse Indo-West Pacific. The northeast Pacific stands out as the region with the most diverse and most host-specific shell-dwelling limpets. As expected, limpets on shells have shells with little or no external sculpture, all traits associated with low predation risk. Hermit crabs are hosts to specialized limpets living inside their shells, but no limpet specializes on the exteriors of hermit-crab shells. Immobile encrusting and shell-extending epibionts (hydrozoans, anthozoans, sponges and bryozoans) often specialize on hermit-crab hosts. Comparisons between these epibionts and shell-dwelling limpets indicate that specialization for life on shells is greatest when the host takes an active role in attracting or moving organisms to their shells. This highlights the important role of behavior in modifying the direction and extent of natural selection in host–guest associations.
Design of a Passive, Variable Stiffness Exoskeleton for Triceps Deficiency Mitigation

Individuals with neurological impairment, particularly those with cervical level spinal cord injuries (SCI), often have difficulty with daily tasks due to triceps weakness or total loss of function. More demanding tasks, such as sit-skiing, may be rendered impossible due to their extreme strength demands. Design of exoskeletons that address this issue by providing supplemental strength in arm extension is an active field of research but commercial devices are not yet available for use. Most current designs employ electric motors that necessitate the addition of bulky power sources and extraneous wiring, rendering the devices impractical in daily life. The possibility of powering an upper extremity exoskeleton passively has been explored, but to date, none have delivered sufficient function or strength to provide useful assistance for sit-skiing. We seek to rectify this with the design of a passively actuated exoskeletal arm brace capable of operating in two, adjustable-strength modes: one for low level gravity compensation to aid in active range of motion, and the other for more stringent weight bearing activities. The mechanism developed through this paper allows for an affordable, lightweight, modular device that can be adjusted and customized for the needs of each individual patient.
A Novel Recirculating Aquaculture System for Sustainable Aquaculture: Enabling Wastewater Reuse and Conversion of Waste-to-Immune-Stimulating Fish Feed

Recirculation aquaculture system (RAS) is a unique indoor fish farming method. Yet, the RAS system needs to address challenges such as effective wastewater/waste management, reduction of feed cost, and usage of antibiotics during farming to become a sustainable aquaculture system. Here, we report a novel RAS-polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB) system to overcome these challenges simultaneously. The RAS-PHB enables effective aquaculture wastewater (AW) treatment for reuse while producing and harvesting PHB-rich biomass as a protein-rich, immune-stimulating fish feed without the need for antibiotics. The feasibility of nitrogen recovery from AW for nonsterile cultivation of a salt-tolerant PHB-producing strain (Zobellella denitrificans ZD1) with or without supplementing agro-industrial wastes/wastewaters (e.g., glycerol, cheese whey wastewater, and aquaculture solid waste) was examined. Glycerol-grown Z. denitrificans ZD1 showed high contents of PHB (48%) and proteins (45.5%). High harvest efficiency of PHB-rich Z. denitrificans ZD1 (97%) was achieved by using small amounts of medium-molecular-weight chitosan. A simple economic analysis showed that the production costs were 0.6–0.7 $/kg of fish produced for the RAS-PHB and 1.2–1.6 $/kg for the conventional RAS, suggesting a reduction of 56% of the total cost by using a RAS-PHB. Overall, this proof-of-concept study showed that the RAS-PHB system is promising for future sustainable aquaculture practice.
Каким образом океанические вихри могут быть столь долгоживущими

Purpose. The article is aimed at substantiating theoretically amazing longevity (up to 5 years) of the individual vortices in the World Ocean against the background of strong fluctuations of the ocean currents and regardless of the Rossby wave dispersion features. Methods and Results. Evolution of the baroclinic vortices is considered in a hybrid two-layer ocean model over a topographic slope on the beta-plane. In the upper layer with strong potential vorticity anomalies, the currents are assumed to be balanced; in the lower layer at week potential vorticity anomalies, the currents are described in the traditional quasi-geostrophic approximation. Slow evolving almost circular vortices embedded in a vertically sheared current typical of the subtropical part of the ocean are described analytically. The theory shows how a baroclinic vortex is followed by the lee Rossby waves. The vortex drift across the mean current is conditioned mainly by the baroclinic-dipole structure of the represented solution; at that the vortex energy loss related to the Rossby wave radiation can be compensated by the energy stored in the mean currents. Conclusions. The constructed model provides reasonable estimates of the energy drift and transfer typical of the ocean vortices with strong anomalies of potential vorticity. Direct support of long-lived vortices by the energy of the baroclinic mean flows irrespective of their stability, is of great importance for better understanding the physical mechanisms relating to significant longetivity of the geophysical vortices and the features of their movement.
Accuracy of biplanar linear radiography versus conventional radiographs when used for lower limb and implant measurements

The current standard of care for measuring lower extremity length and angular discrepancies is using a full-length standing anteroposterior radiograph. However, there has been increasing interest to use biplanar linear EOS imaging as an alternative. This study aims to compare lower extremity length and implant measurements between biplanar linear and conventional radiographs. In this 5-year retrospective study, all patients who had a standing full-length anteroposterior and biplanar linear radiographs (EOS®) that include the lower extremities done within one year of each other were included. Patients who underwent surgery in between the imaging, underwent surgeries that could result in graduated length or angulated corrections and inadequate exposure of the lower extremity were excluded. Four radiographic segments were measured to assess lower limb alignment and length measurements. Height and width measurements of implants were performed for patients who had implants in both imaging. When comparing imaging and actual implant dimensions, biplanar linear radiographs were accurate in measuring actual implant height (median difference = − 0.14 cm, p = 0.66), and width (median difference = − 0.13 cm, p = 0.71). However, conventional radiographs were inaccurate in measuring actual implant height (median difference = 0.19 cm, p = 0.01) and width (median difference = 0.61 cm, p < 0.01). When comparing conventional and biplanar linear radiographs, there was statistically significant difference in all measurements. This includes anatomical femoral length (median difference = 3.53 cm, p < 0.01), mechanical femoral length (median difference = 3.89 cm, p < 0.01), anatomical tibial length (median difference = 2.34 cm, p < 0.01) and mechanical tibial length (median difference = 2.20 cm, p < 0.01). First, there is a significant difference in the lower extremity length when comparing conventional and biplanar linear radiographs. Second, biplanar linear radiographs are found to be accurate while conventional radiographs are not as accurate in implant measurements of length and width in the lower extremity.
Defining Immunogenic and Radioimmunogenic Tumors

In the cancer literature tumors are inconsistently labeled as 'immunogenic', and experimental results are occasionally dismissed since they are only tested in known 'responsive' tumor models. The definition of immunogenicity has moved from its classical definition based on the rejection of secondary tumors to a more nebulous definition based on immune infiltrates and response to immunotherapy interventions. This review discusses the basis behind tumor immunogenicity and the variation between tumor models, then moves to discuss how these principles apply to the response to radiation therapy. In this way we can identify radioimmunogenic tumor models that are particularly responsive to immunotherapy only when combined with radiation, and identify the interventions that can convert unresponsive tumors so that they can also respond to these treatments.
An Alternative Explanation for Difficulties with Speech in Background Talkers: Abnormal Fusion of Vowels Across Fundamental Frequency and Ears

Normal-hearing (NH) listeners use frequency cues, such as fundamental frequency (voice pitch), to segregate sounds into discrete auditory streams. However, many hearing-impaired (HI) individuals have abnormally broad binaural pitch fusion which leads to fusion and averaging of the original monaural pitches into the same stream instead of segregating the two streams (Oh and Reiss, 2017) and may similarly lead to fusion and averaging of speech streams across ears. In this study, using dichotic speech stimuli, we examined the relationship between speech fusion and vowel identification. Dichotic vowel perception was measured in NH and HI listeners, with across-ear fundamental frequency differences varied. Synthetic vowels /i/, /u/, /a/, and /ae/ were generated with three fundamental frequencies (F0) of 106.9, 151.2, and 201.8 Hz and presented dichotically through headphones. For HI listeners, stimuli were shaped according to NAL-NL2 prescriptive targets. Although the dichotic vowels presented were always different across ears, listeners were not informed that there were no single vowel trials and could identify one vowel or two different vowels on each trial. When there was no F0 difference between the ears, both NH and HI listeners were more likely to fuse the vowels and identify only one vowel. As ΔF0 increased, NH listeners increased the percentage of two-vowel responses, but HI listeners were more likely to continue to fuse vowels even with large ΔF0. Binaural tone fusion range was significantly correlated with vowel fusion rates in both NH and HI listeners. Confusion patterns with dichotic vowels differed from those seen with concurrent monaural vowels, suggesting different mechanisms behind the errors. Together, the findings suggest that broad fusion leads to spectral blending across ears, even for different ΔF0, and may hinder the stream segregation and understanding of speech in the presence of competing talkers.
Market syndicalism and market imbalances

Abstract The endogenous relationship between income-per-worker ( Y ) and product price ( P ) under labor management or, more broadly, market syndicalism, causes P to play a critical role in clearing product and labor markets. The level of P that clears the product market, however, may differ from the level of P required for the labor market to clear. Since only one value of P can prevail at a time, clearing of the product market does not ensure clearing of the labor market, and vice versa. The analysis of divergent equilibria is extended to include government. Tax/subsidy instruments can be used to achieve general equilibrium in a syndicalist economy, but resulting fiscal imbalances may require additional forms of intervention.