Learning How to Count: A High Multiplicity Search for the LHC

We introduce a search technique that is sensitive to a broad class of signals with large final state multiplicities. Events are clustered into large radius jets and jet substructure techniques are used to count the number of subjets within each jet. The search consists of a cut on the total number of subjets in the event as well as the summed jet mass and missing energy. Two different techniques for counting subjets are described and expected sensitivities are presented for eight benchmark signals. These signals exhibit diverse phenomenology, including 2-step cascade decays, direct three body decays, and multi-top final states. We find improved sensitivity to these signals as compared to previous high multiplicity searches as well as a reduced reliance on missing energy requirements. One benefit of this approach is that it allows for natural data driven estimates of the QCD background.Comment: 36 pages, 12 Figures, 5 Tables; journal versio

Intravenous opioids for chemotherapy-induced severe mucositis pain in children: Systematic review and single-center case series of management with patient- or nurse-controlled analgesia (PCA/NCA)

BACKGROUND: Chemotherapy-induced oral mucositis can result in severe pain. Intravenous (IV) opioids are recommended, but management protocols vary. We systematically reviewed studies reporting IV opioid use for pain related to chemotherapy-induced severe oral mucositis in children and conducted a large single-center case series. METHODS: Ovid MEDLINE, PubMed, and Cochrane databases were searched for studies reporting IV opioid duration and/or dose requirements for severe mucositis. Secondly, our pain service database was interrogated to describe episodes of opioid administration by patient- or nurse-controlled analgesia (PCA/NCA) for children with mucositis and cancer treatment-related pain. RESULTS: Seventeen studies (six randomized trials, two prospective observational, three retrospective cohort, six retrospective case series) included IV opioid in 618 patients (age 0.3–22.3 years), but reported parameters varied. Mucositis severity and chemotherapy indication influenced IV opioid requirements, with duration ranging from 3 to 68 days and variable dose trajectories (hourly morphine or equivalent 0-97 mcg/kg/h). Our 7-year series included PCA/NCA for 364 episodes of severe mucositis (302 patients; age 0.12–17.2 years). Duration ranged from 1 to 107 days and dose requirements in the first 3 days from 1 to 110 mcg/kg/h morphine. Longer PCA/NCA duration was associated with: higher initial morphine requirements (ρ = 0.46 [95% CI 0.35, 0.57]); subsequent increased pain and need for ketamine co-analgesia (118/364 episodes with opioid/ketamine 13.9 [9.8–22.2] days vs opioid alone 6.0 [3.9–10.8] days; median [IQR]); but not with age or sex. CONCLUSIONS: Management of severe mucositis pain can require prolonged IV opioid therapy. Individual and treatment-related variability in analgesic requirements highlight the need for regular review, titration, and management by specialist services

Computationally driven discovery of SARS-CoV-2 M pro inhibitors: From design to experimental validation

We report a fast-track computationally driven discovery of new SARS-CoV-2 main protease (

A machine learning algorithm for identifying and tracking bacteria in three dimensions using Digital Holographic Microscopy

Digital Holographic Microscopy (DHM) is an emerging technique for three-dimensional imaging of microorganisms due to its high throughput and large depth of field relative to traditional microscopy techniques. While it has shown substantial success for use with eukaryotes, it has proven challenging for bacterial imaging because of low contrast and sources of noise intrinsic to the method (e.g. laser speckle). This paper describes a custom written MATLAB routine using machine-learning algorithms to obtain three-dimensional trajectories of live, lab-grown bacteria as they move within an essentially unrestrained environment with more than 90% precision. A fully annotated version of the software used in this work is available for public use

An examination of the suitability of a UK PFI model within the Czech Republic, the Republic of Ireland, Palestine (Gaza-West Bank), Portugal and Turkey

Purpose – The objective of this research is to identify the cross-cultural similarities and differences of the implementation of the UK PFI procurement process in different contexts. Design/methodology/approach – The research methodology adopted was the SLEEPT approach. The identified features are examined from source material of various projects within the stated nations. A Delphic approach of confirmation by national collaborators from each country is utilised. Confirming and disaffirming features are examined utilising exogenous cultural drivers. Findings – The conclusion of this research identifies cross-cultural features of six different cultures presented as a “cultural compass” which will inform the development of future private finance initiative (PFI)/public private partnership (PPP) projects. The impact of this research will have implications for the appreciation of cultural similarities and differences of national “construction cultures” for effective project delivery of future PFI/PPP projects. Originality/value – This paper offers an approach that can be generalised for adoption by nations considering the introduction of PFI as a procurement process

The Cost of the U.S. Sugar Program Revisited

Using a multimarket model of U.S. sweeteners, the authors revisit the cost of the U.S. sugar program by analyzing the welfare implications of its removal. Their approach addresses the industrial organization of food industries that use sweeteners and treats the United States as a large importer. The authors estimate that, with the removal of the U.S. sugar program, cane growers, sugar beet growers, and beet processors would lose, respectively, $307 million,$650 million, and $89 million. Sweetener users would gain$1.9 billion. The deadweight loss of the current sugar program would be $532 million (all estimates are based on 1999 prices). World prices would increase by 13.2 percent with the removal of the program

Holographic microscopy for 3D tracking of bacteria

Understanding when, how, and if bacteria swim is key to understanding critical ecological and biological processes, from carbon cycling to infection. Imaging motility by traditional light microscopy is limited by focus depth, requiring cells to be constrained in z. Holographic microscopy offers an instantaneous 3D snapshot of a large sample volume, and is therefore ideal in principle for quantifying unconstrained bacterial motility. However, resolving and tracking individual cells is difficult due to the low amplitude and phase contrast of the cells; the index of refraction of typical bacteria differs from that of water only at the second decimal place. In this work we present a combination of optical and sample-handling approaches to facilitating bacterial tracking by holographic phase imaging. The first is the design of the microscope, which is an off-axis design with the optics along a common path, which minimizes alignment issues while providing all of the advantages of off-axis holography. Second, we use anti-reflective coated etalon glass in the design of sample chambers, which reduce internal reflections. Improvement seen with the antireflective coating is seen primarily in phase imaging, and its quantification is presented here. Finally, dyes may be used to increase phase contrast according to the Kramers-Kronig relations. Results using three test strains are presented, illustrating the different types of bacterial motility characterized by an enteric organism (Escherichia coli), an environmental organism (Bacillus subtilis), and a marine organism (Vibrio alginolyticus). Data processing steps to increase the quality of the phase images and facilitate tracking are also discussed

Towards bounded wait-free PASIS

The PASIS read/write protocol implements a Byzantine fault-tolerant erasure-coded atomic register. The prototype PASIS storage system implementation provides excellent best-case performance. Writes require two round trips and contention- and failure-free reads require one. Unfortunately, even though writes and reads are wait-free in PASIS, Byzantine components can induce correct clients to perform an unbounded amount of work. In this extended abstract, we enumerate the avenues by which Byzantine servers and clients can induce correct clients to perform an unbounded amount of work in PASIS. We sketch extensions to the PASIS protocol and Lazy Verification that bound the amount of work Byzantine components can induce correct clients to perform. We believe that the extensions provide bounded wait-free reads and writes. We also believe that an implementation that incorporates these extensions will preserve the excellent best-case performance of the original PASIS prototype