cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Time variance of seismic velocity from multiple explosive sources southeast of Hollister, California

As part of an intensive effort to monitor the section of the San Andreas fault south of Hollister, California, for any seismic velocity time variance associated with earthquakes, 17 explosive charges were fired between August 1974 and May 1975, at a point 35 km east of the fault zone and recorded by a special network of 51 seismometers within and west of the San Andreas fault zone. The shot point was selected to minimize differences in rock properties for successive shot locations, and all the data were recorded on a single tape recorder dedicated to the experiment. By cross-correlating the records from successive shots, it was possible to determine differential travel times to an accuracy of 4 msec or better using a 250-kg explosive charge recorded in the distance range between 30 to 50 km. No definitive changes in seismic velocity were detected during the time covered by this experiment. The spatial distribution of stations and the temporal distribution of shots were designed to reveal anomalies that might be associated with a magnitude 4 or greater earthquake. Nine small earthquakes ( M = 2.9 to 3.3) did occur during the experiment, but anomalies associated with these earthquakes could have escaped detection. This work demonstrates the feasibility of monitoring large regions with a high density of instruments to detect systematic changes in arrival times from artifical sources with an accuracy approaching 1 msec and a cost commensurate with the task of earthquake prediction.
Photo-conversion of CO2 using titanium dioxide: enhancements by plasmonic and co-catalytic nanoparticles

Converting carbon dioxide (CO2) to hydrocarbons that can be used as fuels is beneficial from both environmental and economic points of view. In this study, nanoparticles are designed to enhance the photoreduction of CO2 on a titanium dioxide (TiO2) catalyst. An increase in catalytic activity is reported when silver (Ag), platinum (Pt) or bimetallic Ag–Pt and core–shell Ag@silica (SiO2) nanoparticles are used with the TiO2 semiconductor catalyst. Nanoparticles with different elemental composition or geometrical structure facilitate successive photo-excitation steps—generation, transport, storage and interfacial transfer of electrons and holes. Results show that while the addition of either type of nanoparticles augments product formation rates, bimetallic co-catalysts improve product selectivity. When both bimetallic co-catalysts and Ag@SiO2 nanoparticles are used in combination, product yields are enhanced more than seven fold in comparison to native TiO2 and high selectivity for methane (CH4) is observed. When the bimetallic Ag–Pt co-catalysts are tuned, a selectivity of CH4 of approximately 80%, as compared to 20% with only TiO2, can be achieved.
LV STRAIN ESTIMATION FROM 4D ECHOCARDIOGRAPHY

Accurate quantification of regional left ventricular (LV) deformation is crucial for detection of patients with ischemic heart disease. In this paper, we propose an integrated image analysis system that accurately quantifies regional LV strain from four dimensional (3 spatial dimensions and time) echocardiographic (4DE) images. Intramural displacement is estimated using a phase-sensitive-correlation-based speckle tracking algorithm, that derives information from radiofrequency (RF) signal acquired from an ultrasound array, giving access to beam-formed acoustic data. Displacement information at myocardial surfaces is derived from B-mode images using generalized robust point matching (G-RPM) algorithm that takes curvature as an important shape feature and finds the correspondence between points with close curvature values. Intramural and surface displacement information is combined using an integrated system based on a biomechanical model to produce comprehensive, 4D estimates of myocardial strain and strain rate. Preliminary experiments on 3D echocardiographic images with RF signals show the potential of our method
G-protein-coupled α2A-adrenoreceptor agonists differentially alter citrus leaf and fruit abscission by affecting expression of ACC synthase and ACC oxidase

Temporal and spatial expression patterns of genes encoding 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylate (ACC) synthase (ACS1 and ACS2) and ACC oxidase (ACO), ACC concentration, and ethylene production in leaves and fruit of 'Valencia' orange (Citrus sinensis [L.] Osbeck) were examined in relation to differential abscission after treatment with 2-chloroethylphosphonic acid (ethephon) alone or in combination with guanfacine or clonidine, two G-protein-coupled alpha(2A)-adrenoreceptor selective agonists. Guanfacine and clonidine markedly reduced ethephon-enhanced leaf abscission, but had little effect on ethephon-enhanced fruit loosening. Ethephon-enhanced fruit and leaf ethylene production, and ACC concentration in fruit abscission zones, fruit peel, leaf abscission zones, and leaf blades were decreased by guanfacine. Guanfacine reduced ethephon-enhanced expression of ACS1 and ACO genes in leaf abscission zones and blades, but to a lesser extent in fruit abscission zones. The expression pattern of the ACS2 gene, however, was not associated with abscission. The results demonstrate that differential expression of ACS1 and ACO genes is associated with reduction of ethephon-enhanced leaf abscission by guanfacine, and suggest a link between G-protein-related signalling and abscission.
The squeezing of red blood cells through capillaries with near-minimal diameters

An analysis is presented of the mechanics of red blood cells flowing in very narrow tubes. Mammalian red cells are highly flexible, but their deformations satisfy two significant constraints. They must deform at constant volume, because the contents of the cell are incompressible, and also at nearly constant surface area, because the red cell membrane strongly resists dilation. Consequently, there exists a minimal tube diameter below which passage of intact cells is not possible. A cell in a tube with this diameter has its critical shape: a cylinder with hemispherical ends. Here, flow of red cells in tubes with near-minimal diameters is analysed using lubrication theory. When the tube diameter is slightly larger than the minimal value, the cell shape is close to its shape in the critical case. However, the rear end of the cell becomes flattened and then concave with a relatively small further increase in the diameter. The changes in cell shape and the resulting rheological parameters are analysed using matched asymptotic expansions for the high-velocity limit and using numerical solutions. Predictions of rheological parameters are also obtained using the assumption that the cell is effectively rigid with its critical shape, yielding very similar results. A rapid decrease in the apparent viscosity of red cell suspensions with increasing tube diameter is predicted over the range of diameters considered. The red cell velocity is found to exceed the mean bulk velocity by an amount that increases with increasing tube diameter.
Generic tasks and task structures: history, critique and new directions

We have for several years been working on an approach to knowledge system building that argues for the existence of a close connection between the tasks which the knowledge system is intended to solve, the methods chosen for them and the vocabulary in which knowledge is to be modeled and represented. We trace the historical origins of the idea that we have called Generic Tasks, and outline their evolution and accomplishments based on them. We then critique their original implementations from the perspective of flexible integration. We follow this with an outline of our current generalization of the view in the form of a theory of task structures. We describe the architectural implications of this view and outline some research directions.
Is There an End to U.S.-Canadian Softwood Lumber Disputes?

I develop a two-country theoretical trade model to show that Canadian subsidies increase lumber supplies and exports to the United States, and the U.S. retaliatory tariff raises U.S. prices and safeguards producers, but hurts consumers. These results underscore the shortsightedness of policy decisions in a bilateral trade dispute, as empirical results from the multiregional spatial equilibrium trade model highlight that both countries pursue myopic policies without taking into account the reactions of other exporters and importers. For instance, after the imposition of U.S. tariffs, other exporters grab the market share lost by Canada in the United States, while Canada augments its exports to other importers.
The asymmetric nature of the Equatorial Undercurrent in the Pacific and Atlantic

The structure of the Equatorial Undercurrent in a two-hemisphere ocean is studied, using a simple ideal-fluid model in which both potential vorticity and the Bernoulli function are conserved along streamlines. For the case of a symmetric forcing, the solution is reduced to the case discussed in previous studies. For the case of asymmetric forcing, the western boundary current from the hemisphere with stronger forcing overshoots the equator where the two western boundary currents merge and form an undercurrent that is asymmetric with respect to the equator. Layer thicknesses are continuous across the matching streamline, but zonal velocity can be discontinuous. Both the wind stress pattern and the Indonesian Throughflow are the most important factors dictating the asymmetric nature of the undercurrent.
Effect of Variation in Test Methods on Performance of Ultraviolet-C Radiation Room Decontamination.

OBJECTIVE To determine the effect of variation in test methods on performance of an ultraviolet-C (UV-C) room decontamination device. DESIGN Laboratory evaluation. METHODS We compared the efficacy of 2 UV-C room decontamination devices with low pressure mercury gas bulbs. For 1 of the devices, we evaluated the effect of variation in spreading of the inoculum, carrier orientation relative to the device, type of organic load, type of carrier, height of carrier, and uninterrupted versus interrupted exposures on measured UV-C killing of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus and Clostridium difficile spores. RESULTS The 2 UV-C room decontamination devices achieved similar log10 colony-forming unit reductions in the pathogens with exposure times ranging from 5 to 40 minutes. On steel carriers, spreading of the inoculum over a larger surface area significantly enhanced killing of both pathogens, such that a 10-minute exposure on a 22-mm2 disk resulted in greater than 2 log reduction in C. difficile spores. Orientation of carriers in parallel rather than perpendicular with the UV-C lamps significantly enhanced killing of both pathogens. Different types of organic load also significantly affected measured organism reductions, whereas type of carrier, variation in carrier height, and interrupted exposure cycles did not. CONCLUSIONS Variation in test methods can significantly impact measured reductions in pathogens by UV-C devices during experimental testing. Our findings highlight the need for standardized laboratory methods for testing the efficacy of UV-C devices and for evaluations of the efficacy of short UV-C exposure times in real-world settings. Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol 2016;37:555–560
Repeated evolution of sexual color dimorphism in passerine birds

ABsmAcT.-We present a survey of passerine birds designed to investigate the frequency with which sexual dimorphism in coloration or color pattern has evolved from monomorphism (or the converse). Based on the number of genera that have both a monomorphic and a dimorphic species, and the minimum number of changes inferred to have occurred between genera, the transition between dimorphism and monomorphism has occurred at least 150 times. Using the Sibley/Ahlquist phylogeny, we obtain maximum likelihood estimates of the probability that one state will be in the other after one million years of 0.01 to 0.02 (monomorphism to dimorphism) and 0.03 to 0.04 (dimorphism to monomorphism). The rate of transition from dimorphism to monomorphism appears to be higher than the converse, and there are more monomorphic than dimorphic species. We conclude that the transition between alternative states is not difficult, and that the evolution of sexual dimorphism, given appropriate selection pressures, is unlikely to be constrained. Received 15 August 1995, accepted 1 April 1996.
Current Issues in Investigating Common Method Variance

Over the past 25 years, organizational researchers have demonstrated a consistent use of employee self-reports as a data collection method. As a result, they have been forced to address the problem of common method variance (CMV) and seek “a magic bullet that will silence editors and reviewers” (Spector & Brannick, 2010, p. 2). The problem that researchers face is the possibility that the use of a common measurement method when studying two or more variables may introduce artifactual covariance that leads to a conclusion that a substantive relationship exists when it does not (Podsakoff & Organ, 1986). Recently, Spector and Brannick (2010) noted that “the issues raised by method variance discussions are at the heart of our being able to draw appropriate inferences about observed relationships among our measures and what we can and cannot conclude from studies using single or multiple methods” (p. 2). Current research in this area has addressed questions of the amount of method variance, causes of method v...
Molecular Dynamics Study of Structural Transitions and Melting in Two Dimensions

Simple pair potentials are constructed which give hexagonal- or squarelattice ground states in two dimensions, depending on the value of a single parameter controlling the width of the potential well. Molecular dynamics calculations for free clusters of a few hundred particles are used to examine a structural transition from the square lattice, at low temperatures, to the hexagonal lattice at high temperatures. Another structural transition (melting) is identified by the onset of diffusion. The melting temperature is found to be a minimum near the point where the barrier between the two structures, as a function of lattice strain, is also a minimum.
Marxism, Mediation, Historiography: Writing About 1857

What are the methods and goals of radical history? How can Marxist historiography, charged with producing radical histories, contend with the postmodernist challenge that knowledge is always mediat...
Contextualizing Intermediated Use in the Developing World: Findings from India & Ghana

This short paper extends the existing conceptualization of intermediated use in the developing world by demonstrating a range of informal practices that are conducted outside of a discrete (intermediary/beneficiary) user-interface interaction in a given point in time. Further, this paper also demonstrates how low-literate users may often voluntarily relinquish custody of an information resource in order to create and maintain intermediation. In this way we describe a broader conceptualization of intermediated use in the developing world that needs to take into account the entire sociotechnical workflow. This is particularly critical when explicitly designing for secondary/beneficiary users; it considers their specific requirements that often get overlooked while simultaneously revealing their vulnerabilities within the formal-informal continuum. We present findings from ethnographic work conducted in India and Ghana.
Interventional neuroradiology in children: diagnostics and therapeutics.

Purpose of reviewTo highlight the spectrum of pediatric neurovascular conditions typically referred for diagnostic or interventional neuroangiography, the range of techniques available in contemporary pediatric neurointerventional practice, and the specific considerations relating to radiation and c
Signal Validation Using an Adaptive Neural Fuzzy Inference System

An adaptive neural fuzzy inference system modeling technique is introduced for sensor and associated instrument channel calibration validation. This method uses an inferential-modeling technique after a genetic algorithm search is used to empirically determine the appropriate combinations of input variables to optimally model each signal to be monitored. These variables are used as input to a fuzzy inference system that is trained to estimate the monitored signals. The estimates are compared with the actual signals, and a statistical decision technique known as the sequential probability ratio test is used to detect sensor anomalies. The sensor fault detection system is demonstrated using data supplied from Florida Power Corporation's Crystal River Unit 3 nuclear power generating station.
Modeling livestock systems. I. A descriptive formalism

We attempted to categorize synthetic models of livestock production and assemble a set of descriptors for structural elements, level of resolution, operational objectives and algorithm for these models. These descriptors are suggested to be necessary and sufficient elements of the published documentation of operational model objective(s), the model algorithm and model domain of models of livestock systems. We suggest that the publication of models of livestock production require documentation of this information. Using the proposed set of descriptors, published models of livestock systems can be described systematically, allowing the evaluation of suitability to task to become more transparent and stringent. Nutrient supply level driven simulation models seem to be the model design archetype with least methodological restrictions. Their suitability to task is defined by the extent of qualitative and quantitative understanding of the relevant biology upon which they are based.
A Dynamic Cluster Formation Algorithm for Collaborative Information Processing in Wireless Sensor Networks

Clustering of sensor nodes has been shown to be an effective approach for distributed collaborative information processing in resource constrained wireless sensor networks to keep network traffic local in order to reduce energy dissipation of long-distance transmissions. Defining the range and topology of clusters to reduce energy consumption and retransmissions due to collisions on shared radio channels is an ongoing research topic. One solution is to minimize overlapping cluster ranges to reduce signal contention, thus reducing the energy dissipation of collisions and retransmissions. In this paper, we propose a dynamic cluster formation (DCF) algorithm that dynamically groups a set of sensor nodes into a logical cluster-based sensing and processing unit, collaborative agent sensor team (CAST), to detect and track localized phenomena. Each cluster head is selected locally such that the total overlap between clusters in a CAST is low and the coverage of each cluster head is high. We compare our approach with optimal solutions, and simulation results show the effectiveness and scalability of our CAST DCF algorithm.
Waveform digitization with programmable windowed real-time trigger capability

A transient waveform digitizer circuit with continuous sampling capability and real-time programmable windowed trigger generation has been fabricated and tested. Designed in 0.25 μm CMOS, the digitizer contains a circular array of 128 sample and hold circuits for continuous sample storage, and attains 2 GHz sample speeds with up to 2 GHz analog bandwidth. Sample clock generation adopts a semi-synchronous approach, combining a phase-locked loop for highspeed clock generation and a high-speed fully-differential shift register for distributing clocks to all 128 sample circuits. Using two comparators per sample, the sample voltage levels are compared against reference levels that are set via per-comparator digital to analog converters (DACs). The 256 per-comparator 5-bit DACs compensate for offsets and allow for fine reference level adjustment. The comparator results are matched in 8-sample wide windows against up to 72 programmable patterns in realtime using a programmable logic array. Each trigger window is 8 samples-wide, overlapped sample by sample in a circular fashion through the entire 128 sample array. A trigger is flagged within 7 ns if there is a match, after which on-chip digitization can proceed via 128 parallel 10-bit converters.
Influence of Generational Status and Financial Stress on Academic and Career Self-Efficacy

The importance of a college degree is underscored by higher unemployment rates of individuals who have not completed college (Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2014). Academic and career self-efficacy influence students' completion of college, and 1st-generation college students and those under financial strain may experience decreased self-efficacy (Wohlgemuth et al., 2007). Participants in this study (N = 383) were college students at a 4-year university. Results from a 2 × 3 multivariate analysis of variance and discriminant function analysis revealed significant differences in academic and career self-efficacy based on financial stress, but not generational status.
Immunopathogenesis of Autoimmune Liver Damage

Abstract Autoimmune liver disease is the consequence of a perturbed interactive network of stimulatory and inhibitory immune responses that are antigen-triggered. Molecular mimicry and neoantigens that emerge during the inflammatory process can enlarge the pool of antigenic targets, and promiscuous activity by sensitized lymphocytes can extend the inflammatory response to homologous epitopes and anatomically distant organs. Perturbations in molecular pathways that influence the trafficking of inflammatory and immune cells (chemokines), secretion of pro- and antiinflammatory cytokines, mechanisms of apoptosis and necrosis, and generation of reactive oxygen species can result in self-amplification loops that sustain the loss of hepatocytes, perpetuate the survival of effector cells, activate hepatic stellate cells, and promote hepatic fibrosis. Cell mediators of the immune and inflammatory responses, especially populations with dual stimulatory and inhibitory functions (natural killer T cells and gamma delta lymphocytes) may fail to restore immune tolerance, and regulatory T lymphocytes may be deficient in number and function relative to opposing proinflammatory populations to suppress the autoreactive response. Genetic predispositions inside the major histocompatibility complex can influence the selection and presentation of antigens that trigger the immune response, and polymorphisms outside this complex can affect the clinical phenotype by influencing the production of cytokines that modulate the activation, differentiation, and proliferation of T and B lymphocytes. Autoimmune liver disease may reflect the effects of repeated or excessive antigen exposure, intrinsic or acquired defects in homeostatic mechanisms to preserve self-tolerance, and genetic predispositions that favor the autoreactive response.
A GitHub Garage for a Digital Humanities Course

In August 2015, Pitt-Greensburg digital humanities instructors implemented the DHClass-Hub, a GitHub repository designed to familiarize students with GitHub through daily usage. This GitHub environment functions like a cooperative garage where students are both the clients and the mechanics. In the repository space they share code from assignments and projects that they need help with debugging, so that they and their fellow students and instructors can inspect, advise on, and repair it together. Although the DHClass-Hub was established primarily to help students gain confidence with GitHub in order to improve their management of their own semester projects, the repository unexpectedly became the locus of a flipped learning experience, where the liveliest learning activity of the coding courses occurs in dialogues initiated by students. The DHClass-Hub is openly available to the public, maintained continuously over semesters, and shared by two courses, making its archive of open and closed Issues an increasingly beneficial searchable resource over time for the students and for the wider GitHub community. The repository’s development was the initiative of a student who became a teaching assistant in the course and wrote its accompanying tutorial on accessing GitHub at the command line. The authors find that the most important benefit to using GitHub is not to support the short-term priorities of a semester-long course, but, rather, to encourage sustainable and well-documented digital development, both of student projects and the course itself.
Multi-mJ ultrashort pulse coherent pulse stacking amplification in a Yb-doped 85μm CCC fiber based system

Multi-mJ 81ns effectively-long burst of chirped pulses is amplified through fiber amplification system based on 85μm Yb-doped Chirally-Coupled-Core fiber and coherently stacked into a single pulse. 5.4mJ energy extraction at 1kHz repetition rate is demonstrated.
If Women Hold Up Half the Sky, How Much of the World’s Food Do They Produce?

This chapter explores—and explodes—the oft-quoted stylized fact that women produce 60–80 % of food in the developing world. It uses three approaches to shed light on this issue: (1) analyzing labor inputs to agriculture, using both employment data and time-use data; (2) analyzing different ways of assigning agricultural output to men or women, based on four nationally representative household survey datasets; and (3) estimating women’s labor productivity relative to men at the macro level, using national-level agricultural productivity data across time and countries. While it is not possible to substantiate the claim that women produce 60–80 % of the food in developing countries—or even that they provide 60–80 % of the labor in agriculture, women contribute a large portion of the measured contributions to agricultural labor and women’s share of the measured agricultural labor force has a positive impact on national-level agricultural productivity. While women are not the majority of agricultural workers, the agricultural sector is important for women: 48 % of the economically active women in the world—and 79 % in developing countries—report that their primary activity is agriculture. The “60–80 %” statistical claim obscures the complex underlying reality, that it is difficult to separate women’s labor from other uses and from men’s labor, and that it cannot be understood properly without considering the gender gap in access to land, capital, assets, human capital, and other productive resources.
Synthesis of non-uniformly correlated partially coherent sources using a deformable mirror

The near real-time synthesis of a non-uniformly correlated partially coherent source using a low-actuator-count deformable mirror is demonstrated. The statistical optics theory underpinning the synthesis method is reviewed. The experimental results of a non-uniformly correlated source are presented and compared to theoretical predictions. A discussion on how deformable mirror characteristics such as actuator count and pitch affect source generation is also included.
Density distribution in earth.

Earth models selected by a Monte Carlo procedure were tested against geophysical data; 5 million models were examined and six have passed all tests. Common features of successful models are an increased core radius and a chemically inhomogeneous core consistent with Fe-Ni alloy (20 to 50 percent Fe) for the solid portion and Fe-Si alloy (15 to 25 percent Fe) for the fluid core. The inhomogeneous mantle is consistent with an increase in the FeO:FeO + MgO ratio by a factor of 2 in the deep mantle. The transition zone is a region of not only phase change but also composition change; this condition would inhibit mantlewide convection. The upper-mantle solutions show large fluctuations in density; this state implies insufficient constraint on solutions for this region, or lateral variations in mantle composition ranging from pyrolite to eclogite.
Role and technique of endoscopic ultrasound placement of fiducial markers in gastrointestinal malignancies

Abstract Stereotactic body radiation therapy may be used in the neoadjuvant, adjuvant, or palliative treatment of multiple cancers. Fiducials serve as radiographic reference points for real-time dynamic tracking and accurate radiation delivery. Endoscopic ultrasound with real-time Doppler imaging is a safe minimally invasive approach for fiducial implantation in lesions both within and adjacent to the gastrointestinal lumen. The decision to incorporate image-guided radiotherapy and specifics regarding fiducials and their use in a patient’s treatment plan depends on the multidisciplinary collaboration between gastroenterologists, radiation oncologists, medical oncologists, and surgical oncologists. This article will review the indications, controversies in timing, and use of endoscopic ultrasound-guided fiducial placement, the various types of fiducial markers, delivery systems, and deployment techniques available. Also covered will be associated technical and clinical success rates, in addition to previously reported complications.
Time-resolved analysis of amino acid stress identifies eIF2 phosphorylation as necessary to inhibit mTORC1 activity in liver

Amino acid availability is sensed by GCN2 (general control nonderepressible 2) and mechanistic target of rapamycin complex 1 (mTORC1), but how these two sensors coordinate their respective signal transduction events remains mysterious. In this study we utilized mouse genetic models to investigate the role of GCN2 in hepatic mTORC1 regulation upon amino acid stress induced by a single injection of asparaginase. We found that deletion of Gcn2 prevented hepatic phosphorylation of eukaryotic initiation factor 2α to asparaginase and instead unleashed mTORC1 activity. This change in intracellular signaling occurred within minutes and resulted in increased 5′-terminal oligopyrimidine mRNA translation instead of activating transcription factor 4 synthesis. Asparaginase also promoted hepatic mRNA levels of several genes which function as mTORC1 inhibitors, and these genes were blunted or blocked in the absence of Gcn2, but their timing could not explain the early discordant effects in mTORC1 signaling. Preconditioning mice with a chemical endoplasmic reticulum stress agent before amino acid stress rescued normal mTORC1 repression in the liver of Gcn2−/− mice but not in livers with both Gcn2 and the endoplasmic reticulum stress kinase, Perk, deleted. Furthermore, treating wildtype and Gcn2−/− mice with ISRIB, an inhibitor of PERK signaling, also failed to alter hepatic mTORC1 responses to asparaginase, although administration of ISRIB alone had an inhibitory GCN2-independent effect on mTORC1 activity. Taken together, the data show that activating transcription factor 4 is not required, but eukaryotic initiation factor 2α phosphorylation is necessary to prevent mTORC1 activation during amino acid stress.
Deep nets vs expert designed features in medical physics: An IMRT QA case study.

Purpose The purpose of this study was to compare the performance of Deep Neural Networks against a technique designed by domain experts in the prediction of gamma passing rates for Intensity Modulated Radiation Therapy Quality Assurance (IMRT QA). Method A total of 498 IMRT plans across all treatment sites were planned in Eclipse version 11 and delivered using a dynamic sliding window technique on Clinac iX or TrueBeam Linacs. Measurements were performed using a commercial 2D diode array, and passing rates for 3%/3 mm local dose/distance-to-agreement (DTA) were recorded. Separately, fluence maps calculated for each plan were used as inputs to a convolution neural network (CNN). The CNNs were trained to predict IMRT QA gamma passing rates using TensorFlow and Keras. A set of model architectures, inspired by the convolutional blocks of the VGG-16 ImageNet model, were constructed and implemented. Synthetic data, created by rotating and translating the fluence maps during training, was created to boost the performance of the CNNs. Dropout, batch normalization, and data augmentation were utilized to help train the model. The performance of the CNNs was compared to a generalized Poisson regression model, previously developed for this application, which used 78 expert designed features. Results Deep Neural Networks without domain knowledge achieved comparable performance to a baseline system designed by domain experts in the prediction of 3%/3 mm Local gamma passing rates. An ensemble of neural nets resulted in a mean absolute error (MAE) of 0.70 ± 0.05 and the domain expert model resulted in a 0.74 ± 0.06. Conclusions Convolutional neural networks (CNNs) with transfer learning can predict IMRT QA passing rates by automatically designing features from the fluence maps without human expert supervision. Predictions from CNNs are comparable to a system carefully designed by physicist experts.
Efficient and low-overhead uplink scheduling for large-scale wireless Internet-of-Things

With the rapid growth of Internet of Things (IoT) applications in recent years, there is a strong need for wireless uplink scheduling algorithms that determine when and which subset of a large number of users should transmit to the central controller. Different from the downlink case, the central controller in the uplink scenario typically has very limited information about the users. On the other hand, collecting all such information from a large number of users typically incurs a prohibitively high communication overhead. This motivates us to investigate the development of an efficient and low-overhead uplink scheduling algorithm that is suitable for large-scale IoT applications with limited amount of coordination from the central controller. Specifically, we first characterize a capacity outer bound subject to the sampling constraint where only a small subset of users are allowed to use control channels for system state reporting and wireless channel probing. Next, we relax the sampling constraint and propose a joint sampling and transmission algorithm, which utilizes full knowledge of channel state distributions and instantaneous queue lengths to achieve the capacity outer bound. The insights obtained from this capacity-achieving algorithm allow us to develop an efficient and low-overhead scheduling algorithm that can strictly satisfy the sampling constraint with asymptotically diminishing throughput loss. Moreover, the throughput performance of our proposed algorithm is independent of the number of users, a highly desirable property in large-scale IoT systems. Finally, we perform extensive simulations to validate our theoretical results.
Length-based body weight estimation in paediatric patients: The impact of habitus-A clinical observational trial.

BACKGROUND Paediatric emergency tapes provide drug dosing based on the patient's estimated body weight. Unfortunately, published data revealed an unsatisfactory accuracy. A newly developed digital algorithm for weight estimation (CLAWAR) allowing a three-staged habitus adaptation (normal, obese, or cachectic; CLAWAR-3) demonstrated a higher accuracy for weight estimation compared to paediatric emergency tapes. However, the incidence of incorrectly evaluated habitus was 27%. A five-staged habitus adaptation with figural images was suggested by Wells et al to improve habitus and weight estimation. Therefore, CLAWAR was modified with five habitus stages including figural images (CLAWAR-5). We hypothized CLAWAR-5 improves the accuracy of weight estimation. METHODS After obtaining informed written parental consent patients were included in this single centre, prospective clinical observation trial. Body weight estimations by CLAWAR-3 and CLAWAR-5 within ±10% of the actual body weight were compared. Furthermore, the incidence of correct evaluated habitus was calculated. McNemar Tests were used for statistical analysis. Results presented as median (interquartiles), P < .003 considered significant. RESULTS In total, 312 patients aged 3.3 years (0.7-6.6), with a body length of 95.9 cm (70.0-121.2), weighing 14.8 kg (8.1-22.5), were included. Both CLAWAR-3 and CLAWAR-5 showed equivalent accuracy for weight estimation within the ±10% interval (62.2% vs 60.6%, P = .609). Despite adding figural images, the incidence of correct evaluated habitus with CLAWAR-5 (46.8%) was worse than with CLAWAR-3 (66.7%). CONCLUSION The five-staged habitus-adapted method could not improve the accuracy of weight estimation. Furthermore, the error rate of habitus classification was not reduced by the implementation of figural images.
Chondroblastoma-like tumor of the skull in a patient with cardio-facio-cutaneous syndrome.

Abstract Cardio-facio-cutaneous syndrome (CFCS) is a rare genetic disorder characterized by craniofacial deformities and heterogeneous cardiac and cutaneous manifestations. The condition is caused by de novo activating mutations in one of four genes encoding proteins involved in the RAS-MAPK signaling pathway; specifically BRAF, MEK1, MEK2, or KRAS. Variable malignancies have been reported in patients with CFCS. Herein we report a chondroblastoma-like lesion of the skull in a 20-year-old man with a clinical diagnosis of CFCS and a long-standing history of medically intractable epilepsy. Patients with CFCS have previously been noted to have poorly-defined giant cell lesions and this may be one such example.
2 Way Crawling: A Review

As we know that the deep web grows at very fast pace, there has been increased interest in techniques which help efficiently locate and check deep web interfaces. So, it is important to achieve wide coverage and high efficiency on the large volume of web resources. For this we propose a multistage framework, Smart crawler. Smart crawler is a two-stage crawler used to efficiently harvest deep web interfaces. In the first stage, the crawler performs site-based searching for center pages and avoids visiting non-relevant sites. In the second stage, an adaptive link ranking technique is used which helps to searching relevant site by excavating most relevant links. It is important to eliminate bias on visiting highly relevant links which is hidden in web directories, for this a link tree data structure is designed to achieve wider coverage for a website. The proposed framework gives experimental result on different domains and shows the agility and accuracy of the proposed framework, which retrieves deep-web interfaces from a large volume of sites and achieves higher harvest rates than other crawler.
Overall effectiveness of film-cooled leading edge model with normal and tangential impinging jets

Abstract This paper investigates the overall effectiveness of film-cooled leading edge model with normal and tangential impinging jets. The leading edge has three rows of cylindrical film cooling holes, located at the stagnation line (0°) and ± 40° measured from the stagnation line. Film cooling holes are at an inclined angle of 25° relatives to the surface. The normal jet has one row of normal jet impinging holes and the tangential jet has two rows of tangential jet impinging holes. Mainstream Reynolds number based on the leading edge cylinder external diameter is about 100,000, and the mainstream turbulence intensity is about 7%. Three blowing ratios of 0.77, 1.54, and 2.31 are considered. Pressure sensitive paint technique is applied to measure the adiabatic effectiveness with the density ratio of 0.97. Liquid crystal technique is used to obtain the overall effectiveness with the density ratio of 0.94. Numerical simulations using realizable k-ɛ (RKE) turbulence model with enhanced wall treatment were applied to calculate the adiabatic effectiveness and overall effectiveness. Compared with experiments, numerical simulations overpredict overall effectiveness about 20% to 30% between the 0° row and the 40° row, and the difference between simulations and experiments is about 10% to 20% after the 40° row. The results provide baseline information for turbine blade leading edge film cooling design and heat transfer analysis.
Early use of an implantable diaphragm pacing stimulator for a child with severe acute flaccid myelitis-a case report.

Acute Flaccid Myelitis (AFM) is a recently recognized, polio-like illness of children that can be functionally devastating. Severe cases can lead to ventilatory failure. Incomplete phrenic nerve injuries in other populations has been shown to respond to diaphragmatic stimulation. We therefore proposed an early assessment for incomplete denervation by laparoscopic direct stimulation of the diaphragm and placement of a diaphragmatic pacing system to enhance diaphragm function. A 3 year-old girl presented with AFM with clinically and electrodiagnostically severe involvement of all four limbs and muscles of respiration. Direct stimulation of the diaphragm demonstrated contraction and a diaphragmatic stimulator was placed at 3 weeks post presentation. The patient was immediately able to tolerate short bouts of reduced ventilation settings. Electromyography via the pacing wires demonstrated intact motor units consistent with partial denervation/reinnervation in the left hemidiaphragm, and no motor units in the right hemidiaphragm. At three months, she tolerated 6 h of pacing on pressure support setting. At 5 months she demonstrated larger tidal volumes with active pacing than without. In our experience, AFM patients who require chronic ventilator support are rarely able to be weaned. Despite clinical and surface electrodiagnostic evidence of complete phrenic nerve involvement, the patient’s diaphragm responded to direct stimulation. The patient preferred pacing over non-pacing times and showed improved ventilatory ability with pacing as opposed to without, though remains ventilator-dependent. These findings support augmentation of diaphragm function and possible enhanced recovery of spontaneous function.
A Systematic Analysis of Five Years of Research Articles Published in the Journal of Language, Identity, and Education (2015-2019)

This brief report provides an analysis of 114 research articles across 27 issues published in the Journal of Language, Identity, and Education (JLIE) between 2015 and 2019 (Volumes 14–18). Analyses...
Sectarianization and Memory in the post-Saddam Middle East: the ‘Alāqima

The literature on sectarianism, its causes and intricate workings, has increased considerably since the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq in 2003. This article focuses on the discursive strategies employed...
Feasibility of a progressive protocol of high-intensity interval training for overweight/obese, sedentary African American women: a retrospective analysis

African American (AA) women have a higher prevalence of obesity and related metabolic dysfunction and lower level of physical activity compared to white counterparts. Determining feasible exercise alternatives for AA women is, therefore, paramount. Time-efficient high-intensity interval training (HIIT) might be particularly suited for AA women who cite time constraints as a frequent barrier to exercise adherence. The purpose of this study was to assess the feasibility of a 14-week progressive HIIT protocol for previously-sedentary overweight/obese AA women. Twenty-eight healthy, premenopausal (age, 20–40 yr), sedentary, nondiabetic, overweight/obese AA women volunteered to participate in the randomized controlled clinical trial from which these data were retrospectively analysed. After assessment, participants were randomly allocated to a HIIT group (n = 14) or a no-exercise control group. The HIIT intervention consisted of 24-min sessions performed three times per week for 14 weeks during which work-interval intensity (75 to 90% of heart rate reserve; HRR) and duration (30 to 60 s) and work/recovery ratio (1:7 to 1:3) were progressed in four stages. Feasibility was assessed based on adherence (attrition rate), perceptual response (RPE) and success rate, which was calculated based on the degree to which target intensities for work intervals were achieved/maintained. Five of 14 participants (35%) in the HIIT group dropped out during the intervention. One-way repeated-measures ANOVA revealed a significant difference across stages for success rate (p = 0.018) with post-hoc analysis indicating a significant difference between stage 1 and the other stages and stage 4 and the other stages. There was no significant difference in RPE across stages (p = 0.057). Albeit based on a limited number of participants, we found an attrition rate that was higher than what has been reported previously for HIIT (~ 17.6%) when previously-sedentary overweight/obese AA women performed a protocol with work-interval intensity progressed from 75 to 90% HRR during a 14-week intervention. With respect to intensity, the precipitous drop for achievement of the target HR during the fourth stage (weeks 8–14) for those who did complete the protocol implies that it might be advisable to restrict work-interval intensity to < 90% HRR. ClinicalTrials.gov. ( NCT04293367 ). Registered 03 March 2020 – Retrospectively registered.
The impact of COVID-19 on college anxiety, optimism, gratitude, and course satisfaction.

To examine the relationship between college student anxiety, optimism, gratitude, and perception of the Physical Activity and Lifestyle program (PAL) instructional response/effectiveness following ...
Brown-Sequard Syndrome Caused by a Cocaine-Induced Spinal Cord Infarct: A Case Report (2515)

Objective: To describe a case of a cocaine-induced spinal cord infarction. Background: Brown-Sequard Syndrome is a condition caused by unilateral spinal cord injury, presenting with ipsilateral pyramidal weakness and loss of large fiber, including vibratory and proprioceptive sensations, and contralateral loss of pain and temperature. Penetrating injury is the most commonly described cause [1]. Brown-Sequard Syndrome occurring following esophageal sclerotherapy for varices with recent cocaine use has been reported only once in the literature [2], but in that case there were two competing factors which could have independently contributed to the condition. We describe the first case, to our knowledge, of a Brown-Sequard syndrome in which cocaine alone was likely the only external etiologic agent. Design/Methods: Patient chart review, literature (PubMed and Google Scholar) review Results: We were consulted on a 32-year-old man found to have new onset MRC 2/5 right leg weakness following an episode of loss of consciousness at a bar. Lab work revealed a CPK of 20,000 U/L and cocaine metabolites on urine drug screen which he endorsed using just prior to admission. Initial CT followed by MRI brain were unremarkable. Later, careful sensory examination revealed intact pinprick sensation but absent vibratory and proprioceptive sensation ipsilateral to the leg weakness, and pinprick sensation loss with a hemisensory level at mid-inguinal ligament level, contralaterally. Thoracic cord MRI revealed a T2 hyperintensity at the T6 level in the right hemicord. Conclusions: Cocaine abuse may be considered as an etiology for a presentation of Brown-Sequard syndrome, and acute unilateral leg weakness should be investigated with a careful sensory examination. Disclosure: Dr. Malik has nothing to disclose. Dr. Fakhouri has nothing to disclose.
Indirect Discrimination and the COVID-19 Pandemic

This Report presents a summary of the discussion at a workshop that explored in a comparative and cross-disciplinary manner the phenomenon of indirect discrimination (or practices with discriminatory impact) during the COVID-19 pandemic. The participants included academics, advocates, and mandate holders in the United Nations and regional human rights systems. The discussion included the theory and practice of antidiscrimination norms and alternative framings for analyzing the same harms, in contexts of judicial, legal, and political strategy.
Untangling the relationship between microglia and tau in Alzheimer's disease.

Autopsy and imaging studies have demonstrated a typical pattern of tau progression in Alzheimer’s disease (AD), spreading to previously unaffected regions in an anatomical sequence of ‘Braak’ stages. In a recent study, Pascoal et al. provide evidence that microgliosis colocalizes with tau in a Braak-like pattern, furthering the notion that microglial activation is strongly related to the propagation of tangle pathology.