An accelerated algorithm for full band electron–phonon scattering rate computation

Computing scattering rates of electrons and phonons stands at the core of studies of electron transport properties. In the high field regime, the interactions between all electron bands with all phonon bands need to be considered. This full band interaction implies a huge computational burden in calculating scattering rates. In this study, a new accelerated algorithm is presented for this task, which speeds up the computation by two orders of magnitude (100 times) and dramatically simplifies the coding. At the same time, it visually demonstrates the physical process of scattering more clearly.     

Intelligent Firefly Algorithm Deep Transfer Learning Based COVID-19 Monitoring System

With the increasing and rapid growth rate of COVID-19 cases, the healthcare scheme of several developed countries have reached the point of collapse. An important and critical steps in fighting against COVID-19 is powerful screening of diseased patients, in such a way that positive patient can be treated and isolated. A chest radiology image-based diagnosis scheme might have several benefits over traditional approach. The accomplishment of artificial intelligence (AI) based techniques in automated diagnoses in the healthcare sector and rapid increase in COVID-19 cases have demanded the requirement of AI based automated diagnosis and recognition systems. This study develops an Intelligent Firefly Algorithm Deep Transfer Learning Based COVID-19 Monitoring System (IFFA-DTLMS). The proposed IFFA-DTLMS model majorly aims at identifying and categorizing the occurrence of COVID19 on chest radiographs. To attain this, the presented IFFA-DTLMS model primarily applies densely connected networks (DenseNet121) model to generate a collection of feature vectors. In addition, the firefly algorithm (FFA) is applied for the hyper parameter optimization of DenseNet121 model. Moreover, autoencoder-long short term memory (AE-LSTM) model is exploited for the classification and identification of COVID19. For ensuring the enhanced performance of the IFFA-DTLMS model, a wide-ranging experiments were performed and the results are reviewed under distinctive aspects. The experimental value reports the betterment of IFFA-DTLMS model over recent approaches.     

Isoseparation curves: a mechanism for optimizing off-axis dose homogeneity of intact breast irradiation

The purpose of this paper is to determine whether using off-axis isoseparation curves to optimize the collimator rotation angle improves dose homogeneity. Eleven intact breast irradiation patients underwent computerized tomography (CT) treatment planning with 1 cm abutting slices. Central plane treatment planning, using 6 MV photons, tissue inhomogeneity corrections, and isocentric opposed tangent treatment fields, was performed. Collimators were rotated to match chest wall slope through the use of a beam's-eye-view setting. Patient separations were measured from the apex of the breast to the posterior field border on each axial CT slice. Sagittal-plane isoseparation curves were constructed from these measurements. Using these curves, the collimator rotation that minimized off-axis separation differences was determined. A comparison of off-axis dose inhomogeneity was performed for patients with a > or =10 degrees difference between this optimized collimator angle and the angle determined by chest wall slope. These comparative treatment plans differed only with respect to collimator angle rotation. The mean optimal collimator rotation angle differed significantly from the mean rotation angle which matched the chest wall slope (5.4 degrees vs. 11 degrees, respectively, P < 0.001). Four of the 11 patients had rotation angle differences of 10 degrees. In these patients, the optimization of collimator angle reduced the percentage of breast volume to "that" received > or =110% of the prescribed dose. For the patient with the largest breast size to the patient with the smallest breast size the decreases were, respectively, 5% (15% to 10%), 3% (24% to 21%), 1% (4% to 3%), and 1% (0.9% to 0%). The mean reduction in dose inhomogeneity was greatest in the inferior breast quadrants. At 6 cm and 4 cm off axis, the mean reductions in the percentages of the breast tissue to "that" received 110% of the prescribed dose were respectively 15.1% and 5.3 %. Optimizing the collimator angle through the use of isoseparation curves decreases dose inhomogeneity. The greatest improvements are in the inferior quadrants of the intact breast. The improved dose homogeneity may have clinical relevance in the treatment of patients with large breast sizes.     

Speech perception performance in experienced cochlear-implant patients receiving the SPEAK processing strategy in the Nucleus Spectra-22 cochlear implant

Sixteen experienced cochlear implant patients with a wide range of speech-perception abilities received the SPEAK processing strategy in the Nucleus Spectra-22 cochlear implant. Speech perception was assessed in quiet and in noise with SPEAK and with the patients' previous strategies (for most, Multipeak) at the study onset, as well as after using SPEAK for 6 months. Comparisons were made within and across the two test sessions to elucidate possible learning effects. Patients were also asked to rate the strategies on seven speech recognition and sound quality scales. After 6 months' experience with SPEAK, patients showed significantly improved mean performance on a range of speech recognition measures in quiet and noise. When mean subjective ratings were compared over time there were no significant differences noted between strategies. However, many individuals rated the SPEAK strategy better for two or more of the seven subjective measures. Ratings for "appreciation of music" and "quality of my own voice" in particular were generally higher for SPEAK. Improvements were realized by patients with a wide range of speech perception abilities, including those with little or no open-set speech recognition.     

Three-dimensional analysis of contrast-filled microvessel diameters

Organ blood flow is controlled, in part, by changes in diameter of resistance vessels. In thick tissue, vessels can be imaged with a microscope using contrast-enhancing methods (e.g., fluorescence) and image analysis techniques can be used for quantitative diameter estimations. However, a change in the position of a vessel with respect to the plane of focus can be misinterpreted as a diameter change. In order to address this problem, a 3D image in a light microscope is obtained by serial optical sectioning, and a 3D deconvolution procedure (Avinash et al., 1991, "Fourteenth Association for Research in Otolaryngology Midwinter Meeting, St. Petersberg, FL," Abstract 156) is used to deblur 3D image data. Deblurred sections are computationally projected onto a 2D plane to give an extended-focus image, from which diameter estimates of microvessels are made using a quantitative, 2D diameter-tracking algorithm (Miles, 1987, "Semiautomatic Quantitative Image Analysis of Dynamic in Vivo Cochlear Microvessel Diameters." Ph.D. dissertation, Univ. Michigan; Miles and Nuttall, 1992, IEEE Trans. Biomed. Eng.). Justification for 3D preprocessing before diameter analysis is provided by absolute and relative error analyses using computer-generated synthetic vessels. The 3D diameter analysis technique is validated using a capillary tube of known diameter, filled with fluorescent solution. Demonstration of its applicability is shown in diameter measurements from the vessels of guinea pig cochlea. Our approach, using extended-focus images, minimizes overestimation of microvascular diameters and underestimation of relative diameter changes. Therefore, unambiguous diameter measurements are possible with extended-focus images.     

The effects of examiner race on the articulation responses of black school-aged children

A program for the integration of chronic psychiatric patients into independent living in the community is described and data indicating its success are presented. The program is based on an educational, behavioral, social systems model, where "educational" refers directly to teaching skills which a person lacks, "behavioral" deals with providing the motivation to perform these skills and to precisely operationalize and measure the effectiveness of the steps in learning them, and "social systems" describes influencing clients' social environments in their interests. The model has wider implications for reintegrating a variety of socially marginal individuals into the mainstream of society.     

Preoperative radiotherapy for adenocarcinoma of the rectosigmoid

Ninety-seven patients with adenocarcinoma of the rectosigmoid have been treated with high dose (5000-6000 rad) preoperative irradiation from 1960 through 1972 at the University of Oregon Health Sciences Center. Fifty-seven were initially clinically resectable and 40 were initially inoperable. Forty of the 57 initially clinically resectable patients had "curative" resections and are at risk for more than 5 years. An increase in 5-year survival (from 38% to 53%) and an absence of pelvic recurrence have occurred in those patients receiving preoperative irradiation and "curative" resection. Four of the 40 initially inoperable patients are alive without tumor. Three of the four survivors had irradiation and surgery; one had irradiation only. An additional four patients had no evidence of tumor at death. Tumor was totally sterilized by irradiation and nine patients and reduced to microfocal extent in an additional three of the 97 patients. Incidence of complications was no greater than has been reported in a surgical series from the same institution.     

Frequency and Voltage Dependence of the Dielectric Properties of Ni/SiO 2 /P-Si (MOS) Structure

The frequency (10 - 107 Hz), temperature (303-363 K) or /and bias voltage (−2 to 2 V) dependence of the dielectric properties of     

Effects of in utero cocaine exposure on the expression of mRNAS encoding the dopamine transporter and the D1, D2 and D5 dopamine receptor subtypes in fetal rhesus monkey

The effects of in utero cocaine exposure on the development of the mRNAs encoding the dopamine transporter (DAT) and the D1, D2 and D5 dopamine receptor subtypes were determined in fetal monkey brains at day 45 and day 60 of gestation. Pregnant monkeys were treated with cocaine 3 mg/kg or saline i.m., four times a day from day 18 of gestation until the pregnancy was terminated at day 45 or day 60. The fetal brains were dissected, and tissue RNA extracted and quantified using ribonuclease protection assay analysis. In day 45 fetal monkeys, dopamine D1 and D2 receptor subtype mRNAs and DAT mRNA were found in low quantities both in control and cocaine-treated subjects. In day 60 fetal monkeys, D1 receptor mRNA levels were highest in the frontal cortex/striatal area, and low to moderate quantities were found in diencephalic and mesencephalic fetal brain regions. Dopamine D2 receptor mRNA levels were highest in the frontal cortex/striatal area, diencephalon and the midbrain, moderate in the brainstem and low in the caudal temporal lobe and surrounding cortical areas. Dopamine D5 receptor mRNA was expressed in low quantities throughout the day 60 fetal monkey brain, whereas DAT mRNA was found in the midbrain only. In utero cocaine exposure caused a significant increase in dopamine D1, D2 and D5 receptor subtype mRNAs in the frontal cortex/striatal area of day 60 fetal monkeys. These results support the hypothesis that dopamine synthesis and release may be reduced in cocaine-treated fetuses, which results in dopamine receptor up-regulation.