This paper presents a deep reinforcement learning-based beam-user selection and hybrid beamforming design for the multiuser massive multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) non-orthogonal multiple ...access (NOMA) downlink systems. The conventional hybrid beamforming in massive MIMO provides multiple directional beams, but each beam serves only one user. The integration of NOMA with the massive MIMO enables power domain multiplexing within a beam, hence increasing the system capacity. In this paper, we first design a channel gain and correlation-based users grouping algorithm per beam, and then using the deep reinforcement learning-based beam selection, a beamspace orthogonal analog precoder is obtained. The deep Q-network consists of a main network and target network with Adam optimizer. Finally, optimal power is allocated to the users in each beam. Simulation results show that at transmit SNR of 10 dB, the proposed scheme provides a 42% increase in sum-rate and energy efficiency performance as compared to the state-of-the-art <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">K </tex-math></inline-formula>-means users' grouping and Stable Matching-based beam selection NOMA scheme.
In this paper, we calculate the structural, electronic, magnetic and optical parameters of MnO
x
(
x
= 0-4), cluster-sandwiched bilayer graphene (Gr) systems, utilizing first-principles calculations ...with van der Waals corrections implemented with density functional theory (DFT). Charge transfer is observed from the graphene layers to the MnO
x
clusters, thus producing a hole doping phenomenon in the graphene layers. The MnO
x
clusters' electronegative nature greatly modifies the electronic structure of bilayer graphene. It is observed that the MnO
x
clusters' incorporation in bilayer graphene converts zero band gap semimetal bilayer graphene to a half metallic or dilute magnetic semiconducting material. Interestingly, the Gr/MnO
3
/Gr complex structure displays indirect band gap semiconductor behavior for both spin channels, and has a ∼20 meV band gap value. The band gap during spin up and spin down band channels increases as the size of MnO
x
is increased in between the graphene layers. Through spin density diagrams, it is revealed that the MnO
x
clusters' incorporation in the graphene layers converts nonmagnetic bilayer graphene to a magnetic substrate. The obtained magnetic moments for Gr/Mn/Gr, Gr/MnO/Gr, Gr/MnO
2
/Gr, Gr/MnO
3
/Gr and Gr/MnO
4
/Gr, sandwiched bilayer graphene systems were found to be 3.53
μ
B
, 3.03
μ
B
, 2.46
μ
B
, 1.03
μ
B
and 0.00
μ
B
, respectively. Through density of states (DOS) plots, it is inferred that the d orbitals of the Mn atoms are mainly responsible for the generation of magnetic moments in the given bilayer graphene systems. The optical parameters, specifically absorption, reflectivity and refractive coefficients, were obtained for all given systems. The absorption spectrum of bilayer graphene is improved in the visible range when MnO
x
clusters are sandwiched between the graphene layers. It is revealed that MnO
x
clusters' incorporation in bilayer graphene improves these optical parameters in the low lying energy region. The results obtained during this study provide the basis for future experimental extrapolations to make multilayer graphene systems functional for optoelectronic and spintronic applications.
We calculate the physical parameters of MnO
x
(
x
= 0-4), cluster-sandwiched bilayer graphene (BLG) systems, utilizing first-principles calculations with van der Waals corrections implemented (DFT).
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The current study assesses the reuse potential of highway runoff water instead of fresh water in textile wet processing. Specific standard and batch fabric samples of selected reactive dyes were ...prepared in the laboratory using highway runoff water in the dyeing and washing stages of wet processing, and the quality of these fabric samples was assessed in terms of color difference properties, color strength properties, and color fastness properties. Batch 1 and batch 2 fabric samples, where highway runoff water was used in dyeing and washing, respectively, show excellent quality, whereas batch 3 fabric samples, where highway runoff water was used simultaneously in dyeing and washing stages, showed unreliable results. The total color difference value (DE*CMC) was found to be 0.14 to 0.75, 0.77 to 0.96, and 0.88 to 3.34 for batch 1, batch 2, and batch 3 fabric samples. Regarding color fastness to washing and crocking, dyeing quality ranges from very good to outstanding for batch 1, good to outstanding for batch 2, and moderate to excellent for batch 3 fabric samples.
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34.
What Is the Normal Ulnar Bow in Adult Patients? Hreha, Jeremy; Congiusta, Dominick V; Ahmed, Irfan H ...
Clinical orthopaedics and related research,
01/2020, Volume:
478, Issue:
1
Journal Article
Peer reviewed
Open access
Rotation of the forearm is a result of the complex interaction among the radius, ulna, and interosseous membrane. Although the radius is recognized as curved, the ulna is generally thought of as a ..."straight bone." To better describe normal anatomy, which may lead to more successful anatomic fixation of forearm fractures, we aimed to apply a method of measuring the normal ulnar bow and determine the mean ulnar bow in adults.
(1) To what degree is the ulna bowed in the coronal and sagittal planes in normal adult forearms? (2) To what degree is the radius bowed in the coronal plane in normal adult forearms?
Radiographs of the forearms of adults taken during a 1-year period were initially obtained retrospectively. These radiographs were performed for various reasons, including forearm pain and routine radiographic follow-up. Radiographs were excluded if evidence of a fracture or post-fracture fixation was found, if a patient had missing AP or lateral images, or if a suboptimal technique was used. The coronal and sagittal bow of the ulna was measured with a method adapted from previous studies that assessed radial bow using AP and lateral radiographs, respectively. Similar measurements were made in the coronal plane for the radius. All measurements were performed independently by the four authors. There was excellent interobserver reliability for ulnar bow in the coronal and sagittal planes (interclass correlation coefficient = 0.96 and 0.97, respectively) and for radial bow in the coronal plane (interclass correlation coefficient = 0.90).
The mean maximal coronal ulnar bow was 7 ± 2 mm and was located at 75% of the ulnar length, measured proximally to distally. The location of coronal bow was consistently distal to the radial bow location. The mean maximal sagittal ulnar bow was 6 ± 3 mm and was located at 39% of the ulnar length. The mean maximal coronal bow of the radius was 14 ± 2.0 mm and was 59% of the total length of the radius from proximal to distal.
The ulna is not a "straight bone," as is commonly thought, but rather has a bow in both the coronal and sagittal planes.
Knowledge of the standard ulnar bow may be pivotal to prevent malunion of the ulna during surgery. Future research using these data in preoperative planning may lead to changes in plate contouring and clinical outcomes in forearm fracture management.
Abstract
The photovoltaic performance of perovskite solar cell is determined by multiple interrelated factors, such as perovskite compositions, electronic properties of each transport layer and ...fabrication parameters, which makes it rather challenging for optimization of device performances and discovery of underlying mechanisms. Here, we propose and realize a novel machine learning approach based on forward-reverse framework to establish the relationship between key parameters and photovoltaic performance in high-profile MASn
x
Pb
1-x
I
3
perovskite materials. The proposed method establishes the asymmetrically bowing relationship between band gap and Sn composition, which is precisely verified by our experiments. Based on the analysis of structural evolution and SHAP library, the rapid-change region and low-bandgap plateau region for small and large Sn composition are explained, respectively. By establishing the models for photovoltaic parameters of working photovoltaic devices, the deviation of short-circuit current and open-circuit voltage with band gap in defective-zone and low-bandgap-plateau regions from Shockley-Queisser theory is captured by our models, and the former is due to the deep-level traps formed by crystallographic distortion and the latter is due to the enhanced susceptibility by increased Sn
4+
content. The more difficulty for hole extraction than electron is also concluded in the models and the prediction curve of power conversion efficiency is in a good agreement with Shockley-Queisser limit. With the help of search and optimization algorithms, an optimized Sn:Pb composition ratio near 0.6 is finally obtained for high-performance perovskite solar cells, then verified by our experiments. Our constructive method could also be applicable to other material optimization and efficient device development.
Textile wastewater effluents carry synthetic dyes resulting in potential hazards to the environment; hence such dyes need to be removed from the water bodies. In present research work, disperse dyes ...were degraded through coagulation using alum (Al
2
(SO
4
)
3
.18H
2
O) as a coagulant. Four dyes namely coralene navy blue EMRD, coralene red 6B, coralene orange 3R and coralene scarlet RR were used in the present research work and their removal from the wastewater was determined. The effects of initial pH, coagulant dose, initial dye concentration, temperature and time of reaction were tested to maximise decolourisation yield. Results of the experiments showed that the optimum pH for coagulation was 9 for each dye with up to 99% colour removal. By increasing the dose of alum Al
2
(SO
4
)
3
.18H
2
O, dye decolourisation was increased and maximum dye removal was observed when 1000 ppm of Al
2
(SO
4
)
3
.18H
2
O was used. When 100 ppm synthetic dye solution was prepared, up to 99% colour removal was achieved at optimal conditions i.e pH = 9, 1000 ppm of coagulant at 100°C with 50 min reaction time. Coralene navy blue EMRD presented nearly 70% colour removal with lowest dose of alum (200ppm) at 40°C. About 80% dye degradation was observed for coralene orange 3R within 10 min of reaction time. Thus Al
2
(SO
4
)
3
.18H
2
O was found to be efficient coagulant for the treatment of wastewater containing disperse dyes with about 50% reduction in conductivity and upto 75% removal in TDS of wastewater. Sludge volume settled after 1 hour of reaction time was 140 mL/500 mL. On the basis of obtained results, it was concluded that the wastewater can be treated using Al
2
(SO
4
)
3
.18H
2
O as coagulant.
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Most closed clavicle fractures are treated nonoperatively. Research during the past decade has reported differences in the treatment of clavicle fractures based on insurance status in the US and may ...highlight unmet needs in a vulnerable population, particularly because new data show that surgery may lead to improved outcomes in select populations. Large-scale, national data are needed to better inform this debate.
(1) Does the likelihood of operative fixation of closed clavicle fractures vary among patients with different types of insurance? (2) What demographic and socioeconomic factors are associated with the likelihood of clavicle fracture surgery? (3) Has the proportion of operative fixation of clavicle fractures changed over time?
A retrospective analysis of the Nationwide Inpatient Sample 2001-2013 database was performed. This database is the largest publicly available all-payer inpatient database in the US that provides pertinent socioeconomic data on a nationwide scale. Data were queried for patients with closed clavicle fractures using International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision (ICD-9) diagnostic codes, and surgery was determined using ICD-9 procedural codes. A total of 252,109 patients were included in the final analysis after 158,619 patients were excluded because of missing demographic or insurance data, ambiguous fracture location, or age younger than 19 years. Of the 252,109 included patients, 21,638 (9%) underwent surgical fixation of clavicle fractures. A chi-square analysis was performed to determine variables to be included in a multivariable analysis. A binary logistic regression analysis was used to examine demographic and other important variables, with a significance level of p < 0.01. Poisson's regression and a t-test were used to analyze trends over time. Results were recorded as odds ratios (OR) and incidence rate ratios.
After controlling for demographic and potentially relevant variables, such as the median income and fracture location, we found that patients with Medicare, Medicaid, and no insurance had a lower likelihood of undergoing operative fixation of clavicle fractures than did those with private insurance. Patients without insurance were the least likely to undergo surgery (OR, 0.63; 95% CI, 0.60-0.66; p < 0.001), followed by those with Medicare (OR, 0.73; 95% CI, 0.70-0.78; p < 0.001) and those with Medicaid (OR, 0.74; 95% CI, 0.69-0.78; p < 0.001). Women, black, and Hispanic patients were also less likely to undergo surgery than men and white patients (OR, 0.95; p = 0.003; OR = 0.67; p < 0.001; and OR = 0.82; p < 0.001, respectively) There was an increase in the overall proportion of patients undergoing surgery, from 5% in 2001 to 11% in 2013 (incidence rate ratio, 2.99; p < 0.001).
We believe that the greater use of surgery among adult patients with clavicle fractures who have private insurance than among those with nonprivate or no insurance-as well as among men and white patients compared with women and patients of color-may be a manifestation of important health care disparities in the inpatient population. This may be owing to variable access to care or a difference in the likelihood that a surgeon will offer surgery based on a patient's insurance status. Because operative fixation of closed clavicle fractures increases in the adult population, future research should elucidate conscious and subconscious motivations of patients and surgeons to better inform the discussion of health care disparities in orthopaedics.
Level III, therapeutic study.
To measure the efficacy and safety of surfactant administered by MIST and INSURE to neonates with respiratory distress syndrome.
A randomized controlled trial was conducted from June 2021 to August ...2022 at the NICU of the University of Child Health Sciences, Lahore. Neonates meeting inclusion criteria i.e with RDS who worsened on nasal Continuous positive airway pressure (nCPAP) (fiO2 30%, pressure 6cmH2O) were enrolled in the study in both interventional arms (MIST, n=36 and INSURE, n=36) using simple random sampling. Data was analysed using SPSS 25.
The mean age of neonates in MIST was 1.27±0.40 days and 1.23±0.48 days in INSURE cohort. Neonates with MIST (n=8) required statistically significant reduced need for IMV than INSURE (n=17) technique (P-Value 0.047). This study could not achieve significant difference in duration of mechanical ventilation (1±1.67; 1.52±1.40 days, P=0.152) and duration of nCPAP (3.27±1.65;3.67±1.64 hrs, P=0.312) in MIST versus INSURE. The second dose of surfactant was administered in fewer cases in MIST (n=2) than INSURE (n=7) (P=0.075). Risk estimation, although not significant, determined less likelihood for the pulmonary haemorrhage (0.908 than 1.095), intraventricular hemorrhage (0.657 than 1.353), administration of the second dose of surfactant (0.412 than 1.690) and greater likelihood of discharge (1.082 than 0.270) at 95% confidence interval with MIST technique.
Surfactant therapy through MIST is effective and there is significantly reduced need of IMV than in INSURE. Safety profile though could not achieve statistical significance yet determines less risk of complications associated with MIST than INSURE.
TCTR20210627001.
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Severe acute pancreatitis is a common diagnosis in emergency general surgery and can be a cause of significant morbidity and mortality. A consequence of severe acute pancreatitis is thrombus in the ...splanchnic veins. These thrombi can potentially lead to bowel ischemia or hepatic failure. However, another complication of severe acute pancreatitis is retroperitoneal bleeding. At this time, it is unclear if treating patients for splanchnic vein thrombosis in the context of severe acute pancreatitis is associated with any outcome benefit. A systematic review might clarify this question.
A two-fold search strategy (one broad and one precise) looked at all published literature. The review was registered on PROSPERO (ID: CRD42018102705). MEDLINE, EMBASE, PubMed, Cochrane and Web of Science databases were searched and potentially relevant papers were reviewed independently by two researchers. Any disagreement was reviewed by a third independent researcher. Primary outcome was reestablishment of flow in the thrombosed vein versus bleeding complications.
Of 1462 papers assessed, a total of 16 papers were eligible for inclusion. There were no randomized controlled trials, 2 were case series, 5 retrospective single-center studies and 9 case reports. There were a total of 198 patients in these studies of whom 92 (46.5%) received anticoagulation therapy. The rates of recanalization of veins in the treated and non-treated groups was 14% and 11% and bleeding complications were 16% and 5%, respectively. However, the included studies were too heterogeneous to undertake a meta-analysis.
The systematic review highlights the lack evidence addressing this clinical question. Therefore a randomized controlled trial would be appropriate to undertake.
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UILJ, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK, ZAGLJ, ZRSKP
FSG is a mission‐driven nonprofit organization supporting leaders in creating large‐scale, lasting social change. A survey conducted by FSG in 2015 across 4407 low‐income families in urban India ...showed that 95% of them send their children to preschools, a majority of choosing affordable private preschools (APSs), as parents perceive the quality of government schools to be poor. Parents use and value rote‐based methods (e.g., reciting poems) to assess their children's learning in school; however, these methods fail to measure conceptual understanding. The APS system delivers on these rote approaches using inappropriate pedagogy, leading to poor learning outcomes. Affordable high‐quality activity‐based preschool solutions exist and could be brought to the APS to significantly improve the classroom environment and learning outcomes. This requires changing mindsets of all actors—solution provider companies, APS owners, APS teachers, and low‐income parents. We present FSG's approach to shaping demand for quality preschool services and to improve learning outcomes in urban Indian APSs through the implementation of the pilot Program to Improve Private Early Education (PIPE).
We present FSG's approach to address the challenge of poor learning outcomes in urban India by leveraging existing desires and motivations of the various actors in the system. We also provide insights on how to design both an overall program and market‐based education solutions in order to achieve impact at scale. We draw primarily on research using PIPE and the learning and insight from the FSG team on the ground.
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