bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Depth of invasion in superficial oral tongue carcinoma quantified using intraoral ultrasonography
Authors: Iida Yoshiyuki , Kamijo Tomoyuki , Kusafuka Kimihide , Omae Katsuhiro , Nishiya Yukio , Hamaguchi Noriko , Morita Kotaro , Onitsuka Tetsuro
Published: October 2018

Objective

Depth of invasion (DOI) in oral carcinoma has been integrated into the primary tumor categories in the current tumor‐node‐metastasis staging (8th edition). However, there is no standard modality to determine DOI preoperatively. The aims of the present study were to evaluate the accuracy of a preoperative measurement of DOI using ultrasonography (US) for superficial oral tongue carcinomas, and to correlate the values obtained with histologically determined DOI measurements.

Methods

We retrospectively analyzed the records of 56 patients with oral tongue carcinoma who underwent intraoral US preoperatively, followed by curative surgery at the Shizuoka Cancer Center Hospital in Japan. For the measurement of DOI with US, our unique technique (water balloon method) was evaluated.

Results

The histologically measured tumor size (maximum diameter) showed a distribution of 7.0 to 40.0 mm (mean, 18.6 mm). The correlation between the US‐obtained and histologically obtained DOIs was significant (r = 0.867; P < 0.001). In tumors characterized histologically as superficial (DOI ≤ 5 mm), a significant correlation was observed between US‐obtained and histologically obtained DOIs (r = 0.870, P  < 0.001). For the entire cohort, the sensitivity and specificity of US assessment of DOI of ≤ 5 mm or > 5 mm were 92.3% and 70.6%, respectively.

Conclusion

Intraoral US provides sufficient accuracy for the measurement of tumor DOI in oral tongue carcinoma and is complementary in assessing superficial lesions.

Level of Evidence

4. Laryngoscope, 128:2778–2782, 2018
Are Perioperative Antibiotics Necessary During Direct Microlaryngoscopy?
Authors: Yetzke Megan , Heyes Richard , Nakra Natasha , Merea Valeria Silva , Lott David , Clary Matthew S. , Bryson Paul , Verma Sunil P.
Published: October 2018

Objectives/Hypothesis

There are currently no established recommendations for the use of perioperative antibiotics (PAs) to prevent surgical site infections (SSIs) for direct microlaryngoscopy (DML). This study examined the incidence of SSI in patients undergoing DML with and without PAs.

Study Design

Retrospective, multi‐institutional chart review.

Methods

A retrospective, multi‐institutional chart review was performed at four tertiary referral academic medical centers. Patients undergoing DML from 2010 to 2017 were identified using Current Procedural Terminology codes. Medical records of patients undergoing DML with biopsy, microsurgery, laser ablation, or vocal fold injection who had adequate follow‐up were reviewed. Procedures with significant cartilage destruction, concurrent open surgery, or esophageal surgery were excluded. Data recorded included age, gender, pacemaker history, American Society of Anesthesiologists class, wound class, indication for surgery, use of laser, complications, emergency room visits, hospitalizations, pain, fever, and postoperative steroid and antibiotic prescriptions. Presence or absence of SSIs was evaluated by a fellowship‐trained laryngologist.

Results

There were 834 patients who met inclusion criteria. Of those, 698 did not receive PAs and 136 received PAs. The median age of patients was 54 years of age in the PA group and 57.5 years of age in the non‐PA group, and all cases were recorded as wound class II. Overall, 58% of surgeries involved use of carbon dioxide or potassium‐titanyl‐phosphate laser. Only one SSI was reported on follow‐up in a patient who did receive PAs.

Conclusions

SSIs are exceedingly rare following DML. PA use is not indicated for routine DML.

Level of Evidence

4 Laryngoscope, 128:2838–2843, 2018
Periotic sensory dysfunction via postauricular approach after otitis media surgery
Authors: Yu Huiqian , Wang Dan , Li Qingzhong
Published: October 2018

Objectives/Hypothesis

To assess the somatosensory dysfunction of the auricle and periotic skin in patients undergoing otitis media surgery.

Study Design

Retrospective study.

Methods

Symptoms of periotic somatosensory function after surgery were investigated in 100 patients (42 males, 58 females, mean age 41.39 years) who underwent otitis media surgery. Questionnaires on periotic somatosensory disturbance were answered after surgery at least over 1 year postoperatively.

Results

Of 100 tympanoplasties, all patients were completed within a postauricular approach. The highest incidence rates of periotic sensory disturbance were found in the postauricular region (75%), followed by the auricular region (20.83%); lower rates were found in the preauricular region (2.08%) and the earlobe (2.08%). Periotic somatosensory dysfunction occurred in 48 patients (48%). The most prevalent somatosensory abnormality was tactile hypoaesthesia/numbness, evident in 28% of the patients; more remarkable, inferior postauricular region. Periotic pain was reported by 21% of the cases, mostly located in the upper auricle. Compared to the recovery time of tactile hypoaesthesia (7.36 months), patients' periotic somatosensory pain improved significantly within 4.07 months, which has obvious statistical significance (P < 0.01).

Conclusion

The likelihood of periotic cutaneous sensory dysfunction should be emphasized to patients undergoing otitis media surgery via postauricular approaches, which occurred in nearly half of patients; the majority recovered within 1 year. Furthermore, the postauricular region is the most vulnerable location to sensory disturbance, followed by the auricular region. Functionally, periotic somatosensory pain was more easily resilient, relative to tactile hypoaesthesia/numbness.

Level of Evidence

4 Laryngoscope, 129:454–458, 2019
Outpatient versus inpatient parotidectomy: Comparison of postoperative complication rates
Authors: Siddiqui Sana H. , Singh Roshansa , Siddiqui Emaad , Zhao Eric H. , Eloy Jean Anderson , Baredes Soly , Park Richard Chan Woo
Published: October 2018

Objectives

Parotidectomies have become a common outpatient procedure, but their impact on postoperative complications as compared to inpatient procedures has not been evaluated in a multi‐institutional study.

Study Design

The aim of this retrospective analysis was to evaluate the differences in outcomes using a standardized cohort of patients undergoing outpatient or inpatient parotidectomies.

Methods

The National Surgical Quality Improvement Program database was queried for parotidectomies between 2005 and 2014. Univariate analyses were conducted to compare the outpatient and inpatient cohorts. A propensity‐matching algorithm was used to ensure equal distribution of demographics and preoperative comorbidities.

Results

Among the 4,368 parotidectomies examined, 2,915 (66.7%) were outpatient and 1,453 (33.3%) were inpatient. In the unmatched analysis, the inpatient group had higher rates of smokers (P = < 0.001), hypertension (P = 0.003), and disseminated cancer (P = 0.014). The outpatient group had higher rates of patients under age 40 years (P = 0.015), females (P = 0.016), and American Society of Anesthesiology class 1 and 2 (P = < 0.001). The total work relative value units (RVUs) were 17.01 ± 3.44 for the inpatient cohort and 16.19 ± 3.70 for the outpatient cohort (P = < 0.001). Following propensity matching, 1,352 cases were selected for each cohort, with no significant differences in comorbidities. Total work RVU after matching was 16.90 ± 3.47 for the inpatient group and 16.75 ± 3.44 for the outpatient group (P = .235). The matched inpatient cohort had increased rates of surgical complications (3.1% vs. 1.8%, P = 0.033), pneumonia (0.5% vs. 0.0%, P = 0.016), and overall complications (4.5% vs. 2.6%, P = 0.009).

Conclusion

Outpatient parotidectomies are associated with similar as well as decreased complication rates as compared to inpatient parotidectomies.

Level of Evidence

4 Laryngoscope, 129:655–661, 2019
Twelve‐month outcomes of Eustachian tube procedures for management of patulous Eustachian tube dysfunction
Authors: Ward Bryan K. , Chao Wei‐Chieh , Abiola Godwin , Kawai Kosuke , Ashry Yehia , Rasooly Tali , Poe Dennis S.
Published: October 2018

Objective

To determine the 12‐month effectiveness of transnasal–transoral endoscopic surgical procedures for eliminating symptoms of patulous Eustachian tube dysfunction (PETD).

Study Design

Retrospective chart review

Methods

Patients with medically refractory PETD underwent one of the following procedures: 1) shim (catheter) insertion, 2) calcium hydroxyapatite injection, 3) patulous Eustachian tube (ET) reconstruction, or 4) obliteration of the ET lumen. Time to recurrence of any PETD symptoms was recorded, and success was determined as complete symptom resolution at 12 months. The frailty model, an extension of the Cox proportional hazards model, was used for the survival analysis.

Results

A total of 241 procedures were performed in 80 patients. Median duration of symptom relief after surgery was 5.0 months (interquartile range [IQR]: 1.1–15.5 months) and varied by procedure type, ranging from 3.0 months (IQR: 0.7–7.0 months) for calcium hydroxyapatite injection to 20.6 months (3.4–35.9 months) for obliteration. Compared to shim insertion, the risk of 12‐month failure was significantly higher for calcium hydroxyapatite injection (hazard ratio [HR] = 2.18; 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.29, 3.67; P = 0.004) and patulous ET reconstruction (HR = 1.62; 95% CI 1.04, 2.52; P = 0.035). Patients undergoing shim insertion (52.2%) and obliteration (81.8%) were likely to require pressure equalization tubes or to have had otitis media with effusion.

Conclusion

Although all procedures potentially resulted in symptom resolution, placement of a shim or obliteration of the ET lumen was more likely to achieve 12‐month resolution of PETD symptoms and more likely to result in otitis media with effusion than hydroxyapatite injection or patulous ET reconstruction.

Level of Evidence

Level 4 Laryngoscope, 129:222–228, 2019
How design characteristics of tracheostomy tubes affect the cannula and tracheal flows
Authors: Subramaniam Dhananjay Radhakrishnan , Willging J. Paul , Gutmark Ephraim J. , Oren Liran
Published: October 2018

Objectives

The aim of this study was to perform computational simulations of airflow within an anatomically accurate model of an adult trachea in different tracheostomy tube designs. We hypothesized that tracheal airflow in patients is significantly influenced by the geometry and size of these devices.

Methods

The three‐dimensional (3D) geometry of the trachea was reconstructed using computed tomography scans for an adult with no history of lung disease. 3D models of four cuffed tube designs, namely Tracoe, Portex, and Shiley Proximal and Distal tracheostomy tubes were generated using geometric modeling software. Transient simulations of airflow in the tube‐airway assembly were performed for each tube using computational fluid dynamics (CFD).

Results

Airflow velocity was higher for the Shiley tubes compared with Portex and Tracoe tubes. For all designs, the largest magnitude of inspiratory airflow turbulence was obtained midway in the trachea. The work of breathing, quantified by the resistance of the tracheostomy tube, was lowest for Tracoe. Maximum airway wall shear stress (WSS), defined as flow‐induced frictional forces, occurred at the same spatial location in all cases. Low inspiratory WSS at the carina and high expiratory airway WSS at the cuff‐airway interface were observed for the Tracoe and Portex tubes.

Conclusion

Our CFD model offers a promising approach not only for choosing a tracheostomy tube for a patient but for improving existing tracheostomy tube designs.

Level of Evidence

NA

Laryngoscope, 129:1791–1799, 2019
Diverse Odd‐Chain Monoenoic Fatty Acids and Novel Non‐Methylene‐Interrupted Heptadecadienoic Acids in Ovaries of the Limpet Cellana toreuma
Authors: Kawashima Hideki
Published: October 2018

Highly diverse dienoic fatty acids (FA), especially non‐methylene‐interrupted (NMI) FA, have been recognized in triacylglycerols (TAG) and polar lipids of ovaries of the limpet Cellana toreuma. To gain additional insights into the structural diversity of FA in ovaries, this study aimed to clarify previously undescribed minor monoenoic FA isomers and unidentified minor NMI FA by combined argentation thin‐layer chromatography (TLC) and gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC‐MS) of their 3‐pyridylcarbinol derivatives. A total 66 monoenoic FA from C14 to C22, including 12 branched‐chain FA, were identified. A surprising finding was a series of 13 heptadecenoic acids with double bonds at either Δ5, Δ6, Δ7, Δ8, Δ9, Δ10, Δ11, Δ12, Δ13, Δ15, or Δ16 positions. Besides previously identified NMI FA, 7,18‐nonadecadienoic (19:2Δ7,18), 9,18‐nonadecadienoic (19:2Δ9,18), 11,18‐nonadecadienoic (19:2Δ11,18), 7,20‐heneicosadienoic (21:2Δ7,20), and 11,20‐heneicosadienoic (21:2Δ11,20) acids, two novel related NMI FA, 5,16‐heptadecadienoic (17:2Δ5,16) and 7,16‐heptadecadienoic (17:2Δ7,16) acids, were found in TAG. These findings could provide new insights into clarifying the biological characteristics of marine NMI FA.
Self‐Assembling Peptide Gels for 3D Prostate Cancer Spheroid Culture
Authors: Hainline Kelly M. , Gu Fangqi , Handley Jacqueline F. , Tian Ye F. , Wu Yaoying , de Wet Larischa , Vander Griend Donald J. , Collier Joel H.
Published: October 2018

Progress in prostate cancer research is presently limited by a shortage of reliable in vitro model systems. The authors describe a novel self‐assembling peptide, bQ13, which forms nanofibers and gels useful for the 3D culture of prostate cancer spheroids, with improved cytocompatibility compared to related fibrillizing peptides. The mechanical properties of bQ13 gels can be controlled by adjusting peptide concentration, with storage moduli ranging between 1 and 10 kPa. bQ13's ability to remain soluble at mildly basic pH considerably improved the viability of encapsulated cells compared to other self‐assembling nanofiber‐forming peptides. LNCaP cells formed spheroids in bQ13 gels with similar morphologies and sizes to those formed in Matrigel or RADA16‐I. Moreover, prostate‐specific antigen (PSA) is produced by LNCaP cells in all matrices, and PSA production is more responsive to enzalutamide treatment in bQ13 gels than in other fibrillized peptide gels. bQ13 represents an attractive platform for further tailoring within 3D cell culture systems.
Microwave Doppler velocity measurement using tapered rectangular waveguide antenna with pattern offset correction
Authors: Zou Jing , Liu Chengguo , Zhang Bin , He Daping , Wu Zhi Peng , Wang Haigang
Published: October 2018

Rectangular waveguide antenna has been often used in velocity measurement based on microwave Doppler principle for its advantages of high directivity, high radiation efficiency, and reliability. In addition to a waveguide antenna with a straight aperture, a tapered waveguide antenna is frequently required in measuring flow velocities in a pipe. In the common sense, the maximum radiation direction is usually taken to be along the axial direction of the waveguide. This is well understood for a conventional straight open‐ended waveguide antenna with an aperture perpendicular the axis of the waveguide. However, for a tapered rectangular waveguide antenna with an aperture at an angle to the axis of the waveguide, there exists an offset from the axial direction for the maximum radiation direction. In this paper, a tapered rectangular waveguide antenna with a tapering angle α is analyzed and studied experimentally. For α =45°, the results show that the maximum radiation has an offset of 25.5° in theory, 25° in simulation and 30° in measurement from the axial direction of the waveguide. The experimental study also shows that when this radiation pattern offset is taken into account, the velocities measured using the microwave Doppler principle agree well with the theoretically calculated free‐fall velocity.
Design of wide band printed monopole antenna for low rate wireless personal area networks
Authors: Upadhyaya Trushit
Published: October 2018

A dual‐band printed monopole antenna useful in low‐rate wireless personal area networks (LR‐PAN) and GPS operation for tablet devices is presented. Antenna has monopole strips arranged in planar configuration on substrate suitable to match standard tablet computer display size. The overall antenna dimension is 150 × 50 × 1.6 mm3. The long and short strips of monopole are separated by notch to increase the bandwidth of antenna. The operating impedance bandwidths of 14.97% and 5.09% are obtained across LR‐PAN band and GPS band, respectively. The presented monopole antenna provides significant gain in order of 4.48 dBi for lower resonant mode and 3.26 dBi for higher resonant mode. The antenna covers LR‐WPAN frequency bands of 868.3 MHz, 915/920 MHz, GSM 850, UMTS/LTE 850, 1.57 GHz GPS bands.
A machine learning texture model for classifying lung cancer subtypes using preliminary bronchoscopic findings
Authors: Feng Po‐Hao , Lin Yin‐Tzu , Lo Chung‐Ming
Published: October 2018

Purpose

Bronchoscopy is useful in lung cancer detection, but cannot be used to differentiate cancer types. A computer‐aided diagnosis (CAD) system was proposed to distinguish malignant cancer types to achieve objective diagnoses.

Methods

Bronchoscopic images of 12 adenocarcinoma and 10 squamous cell carcinoma patients were collected. The images were transformed from a red–blue–green (RGB) to a hue–saturation–value (HSV) color space to obtain more meaningful color textures. By combining significant textural features (P < 0.05) in a machine learning classifier, a prediction model of malignant types was established.

Results

The performance of the CAD system achieved an accuracy of 86% (19/22), a sensitivity of 90% (9/10), a specificity of 83% (10/12), a positive predictive value of 82% (9/11), and a negative predictive value of 91% (10/11) in distinguishing lung cancer types. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve was 0.82.

Conclusions

On the basis of extracted HSV textures of bronchoscopic images, the CAD system can provide recommendations for clinical diagnoses of lung cancer types.
Multi‐modal synergistic PET and MR reconstruction using mutually weighted quadratic priors
Authors: Mehranian Abolfazl , Belzunce Martin A. , McGinnity Colm J. , Bustin Aurelien , Prieto Claudia , Hammers Alexander , Reader Andrew J.
Published: October 2018

Purpose

To propose a framework for synergistic reconstruction of PET‐MR and multi‐contrast MR data to improve the image quality obtained from noisy PET data and from undersampled MR data.

Theory and Methods

Weighted quadratic priors were devised to preserve common boundaries between PET‐MR images while reducing noise, PET Gibbs ringing, and MR undersampling artifacts. These priors are iteratively reweighted using normalized multi‐modal Gaussian similarity kernels. Synergistic PET‐MR reconstructions were built on the PET maximum a posteriori expectation maximization algorithm and the MR regularized sensitivity encoding method. The proposed approach was compared to conventional methods, total variation, and prior‐image weighted quadratic regularization methods. Comparisons were performed on a simulated [18F]fluorodeoxyglucose‐PET and T1/T2‐weighted MR brain phantom, 2 in vivo T1/T2‐weighted MR brain datasets, and an in vivo [18F]fluorodeoxyglucose‐PET and fluid‐attenuated inversion recovery/T1‐weighted MR brain dataset.

Results

Simulations showed that synergistic reconstructions achieve the lowest quantification errors for all image modalities compared to conventional, total variation, and weighted quadratic methods. Whereas total variation regularization preserved modality‐unique features, this method failed to recover PET details and was not able to reduce MR artifacts compared to our proposed method. For in vivo MR data, our method maintained similar image quality for 3× and 14× accelerated data. Reconstruction of the PET‐MR dataset also demonstrated improved performance of our method compared to the conventional independent methods in terms of reduced Gibbs and undersampling artifacts.

Conclusion

The proposed methodology offers a robust multi‐modal synergistic image reconstruction framework that can be readily built on existing established algorithms.
Enhanced antifouling performance of ZnS/GO/PVDF hybrid membrane by improving hydrophilicity and photocatalysis
Authors: Du Jinying , Tian Yu , Li Ning , Zhang Jun , Zuo Wei
Published: October 2018

In order to improve the antifouling performance of PVDF membrane, a novel zinc sulfide/graphene oxide/polyvinylidene fluoride (ZnS/GO/PVDF) composite membrane was prepared by immersed phase inversion method. The surface morphology, crystal structure, photocatalytic activity, and antifouling property of the as‐prepared membranes were systematically studied. Results showed that the ZnS/GO/PVDF hybrid membranes were successfully fabricated with uniform surface. The hybrid membrane surface possessed higher hydrophilicity with water contact angle decreasing from 77.1° to 62.2°. The permeability of the hybrid membrane was therefore enhanced from 222.9 to 326.1 L/(m2 hour). Moreover, bovine serum albumin (BSA) retention experiment showed that the hybrid membrane separation was also promoted by 7.2%. The blending of ZnS and GO enhanced the hydrophilic and photocatalytic performances of PVDF membrane, which mitigated the membrane fouling effectively. This novel hybrid membrane could accelerate the practical application of photocatalytic technology in membrane separation process.
Protocadherin B9 promotes resistance to bicalutamide and is associated with the survival of prostate cancer patients
Authors: Sekino Yohei , Oue Naohide , Mukai Shoichiro , Shigematsu Yoshinori , Goto Keisuke , Sakamoto Naoya , Sentani Kazuhiro , Hayashi Tetsutaro , Teishima Jun , Matsubara Akio , Yasui Wataru
Published: October 2018

Background Prostate cancer (PCa) is a common malignancy worldwide and is the second leading cause of cancer death in men. The standard therapy for advanced PCa is androgen deprivation therapy (ADT). Although ADT, including bicalutamide treatment, is initially effective, resistance to bicalutamide frequently occurs and leads to the development of castration‐resistant PCa. Thus, clarifying the mechanisms of bicalutamide resistance is urgently needed. We designed this study to assess the expression and function of PCDHB9, which encodes the protocadherin B9 protein.

Methods The expression of PCDHB9 was determined using immunohistochemistry and a qRT‐PCR. The effects of the overexpression or knockdown of PCDHB9 on cell growth, migration, adhesion were evaluated. To evaluate the PCDHB9‐mediated effects in PCa, we performed a gene expression analysis using DU145 transfected with PCDHB9. We examined the effects of PCDHB9 inhibition on bicalutamide resistance.

Results The qRT‐PCR revealed that the expression of PCDHB9 was much higher in PCa than that in non‐neoplastic prostate tissues. In 152 clinically localized PCa cases immunohistochemistry showed that 59% of PCa cases were positive for protocadherin B9. A Kaplan‐Meier analysis showed that the high expression of protocadherin B9 was associated with PSA recurrence after radical prostatectomy. A functional analysis showed that PCDHB9 modulated cell migration and adhesion. We also found that PCDHB9 induced the expression of ITGB6 based on a gene expression analysis. The effect of PCDHB9 inhibition on bicalutamide sensitivity was examined using MTT assays. The IC50 value of PCDHB9 siRNA‐transfected PCa cells was significantly lower than that of negative control siRNA‐transfected cells. Furthermore, immunohistochemical staining of protocadherin B9 in 74 PCa patients who were treated with androgen depletion therapy, including bicalutamide treatment, demonstrated that the high expression of protocadherin B9 was significantly associated with poor overall survival.

Conclusions PCDHB9 plays an important role in the progression of PCa and bicalutamide resistance. Collectively, our results suggest that PCDHB9 targeted therapy may be more effective than bicalutamide alone.
Properties of novel surfactin‐derived biosurfactants obtained through solid‐phase synthesis
Authors: Vazquez Leonardo , Teixeira da Silva Ferreira Andre , Cavalcante Fernanda Sampaio , Garcia Israel José P. , dos Santos Katia Regina Netto , Barbosa Leandro Augusto de Oliveira , Almeida Marcius da Silva , Mignaco Julio Alberto , Fontes Carlos Frederico Leite
Published: October 2018

Eight molecules, four peptides (SPs) and four lipopeptides (LPs) derived by rational design from surfactin, a well‐known secreted biosurfactant from Bacillus subtilis, were produced employing Fmoc‐based solid‐phase synthesis. These new peptides were tested to evaluate their potential biosurfactant and biological activities, aiming at possible applications in industrial, biological, pharmaceutical, and medical use. Five molecules (SP1, SP2, SP4, LP5, and LP8) presented potential for medical uses, mainly due to their drug delivery properties as suggested by their synergistic activity with the antibiotic vancomycin against Staphylococcus aureus. All synthetic peptides showed low toxicity against Vero cell cultures, in assays of hemolysis, and in different cytotoxicity assays. In addition, we found that three peptides (SP1, LP6, and LP7) had potential technological and industrial use because of their emulsifying capacity, low toxicity, and ability to physically stabilize solutions. These novel molecules retained some properties of the parental molecule (surfactin, which was originally obtained through nonribosomal synthesis in Bacillus subtilis) but have the advantage of being linear peptides, which can be produced at large scales through the use of conventional heterologous protein expression protocols.
Development of lipopolyplexes for gene delivery: A comparison of the effects of differing modes of targeting peptide display on the structure and transfection activities of lipopolyplexes
Authors: Bofinger Robin , Zaw‐Thin May , Mitchell Nicholas J. , Patrick P. Stephen , Stowe Cassandra , Gomez‐Ramirez Ana , Hailes Helen C. , Kalber Tammy L. , Tabor Alethea B.
Published: October 2018

The design, synthesis and formulation of non‐viral gene delivery vectors is an area of renewed research interest. Amongst the most efficient non‐viral gene delivery systems are lipopolyplexes, in which cationic peptides are co‐formulated with plasmid DNA and lipids. One advantage of lipopolyplex vectors is that they have the potential to be targeted to specific cell types by attaching peptide targeting ligands on the surface, thus increasing both the transfection efficiency and selectivity for disease targets such as cancer cells. In this paper, we have investigated two different modes of displaying cell‐specific peptide targeting ligands at the surface of lipopolyplexes. Lipopolyplexes formulated with bimodal peptides, with both receptor binding and DNA condensing sequences, were compared with lipopolyplexes with the peptide targeting ligand directly conjugated to one of the lipids. Three EGFR targeting peptide sequences were studied, together with a range of lipid formulations and maleimide lipid structures. The biophysical properties of the lipopolyplexes and their transfection efficiencies in a basal‐like breast cancer cell line were investigated using plasmid DNA bearing genes for the expression of firefly luciferase and green fluorescent protein. Fluorescence quenching experiments were also used to probe the macromolecular organisation of the peptide and pDNA components of the lipopolyplexes. We demonstrated that both approaches to lipopolyplex targeting give reasonable transfection efficiencies, and the transfection efficiency of each lipopolyplex formulation is highly dependent on the sequence of the targeting peptide. To achieve maximum therapeutic efficiency, different peptide targeting sequences and lipopolyplex architectures should be investigated for each target cell type.
Introduction to the Dicke Model: From Equilibrium to Nonequilibrium, and Vice Versa
Authors: Kirton Peter , Roses Mor M. , Keeling Jonathan , Dalla Torre Emanuele G.
Published: October 2018

The Dicke model describes the coupling between a quantized cavity field and a large ensemble of two‐level atoms. When the number of atoms tends to infinity, this model can undergo a transition to a superradiant phase, belonging to the mean‐field Ising universality class. The superradiant transition was first predicted for atoms in thermal equilibrium and was recently realized with a quantum simulator made of atoms in an optical cavity, subject to both dissipation and driving. This progress report offers an introduction to some theoretical concepts relevant to the Dicke model, reviewing the critical properties of the superradiant phase transition and the distinction between equilibrium and nonequilibrium conditions. In addition, it explains the fundamental difference between the superradiant phase transition and the more common lasing transition. This report mostly focuses on the steady states of atoms in single‐mode optical cavities, but it also mentions some aspects of real‐time dynamics, as well as other quantum simulators, including superconducting qubits, trapped ions, and using spin–orbit coupling for cold atoms. These realizations differ in regard to whether they describe equilibrium or nonequilibrium systems.
Asymptotically optimal bound on the adjacent vertex distinguishing edge choice number
Authors: Kwaśny Jakub , Przybyło Jakub
Published: October 2018

An adjacent vertex distinguishing edge coloring of a graph G without isolated edges is its proper edge coloring such that no pair of adjacent vertices meets the same set of colors in G. We show that such coloring can be chosen from any set of lists associated to the edges of G as long as the size of every list is at least , where Δ is the maximum degree of G and C is a constant. The proof is probabilistic. The same is true in the environment of total colorings.
Effect of Morphologically Different Conductive Agents on the Performance of Silicon Anode in Lithium‐Ion Batteries
Authors: Madzvamuse Alfred , Hamenu Louis , Mohammed Latifatu , Ko Jang Myoun
Published: October 2018

The performance of electrochemical electrodes, is largely dependent on the extent of efficient electrical contacts between particles, and secondly, between the current collector and the particles, amongst other factors. We report on the electrical conductivity of silicon anode electrodes that have been prepared by using conductive agents with different morphological properties. Super P® Li (SP), VGCF®‐H vapor grown carbon fibers (VGCF), and their mixture were incorporated separately into the anode electrode to observe their distinctive resultant performance. The morphological characterization was done using scanning electron microscopy whilst the electrochemical properties of the prepared electrodes were characterized by electrical resistivity test, cyclic voltammetry, charge/discharge tests and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. The combination of VGCF®‐H and Super P® Li, results in improved performance of the anode, due to their synergistic interactions which reduce the effects encountered during the failure of the silicon anode electrode caused by large volume changes. These findings unlock new opportunities for the exploration and development of other morphologically useful conductive agents to improve silicon anode in lithium ion batteries.
Folic Acid‐Navigated and β‐Cyclodextrin‐Decorated Carbon‐Encapsulated Iron Nanoparticles as the Nanotheranostic Platform for Controlled Release of 5‐Fluorouracil
Authors: Kasprzak Artur , Gunka Katarzyna , Fronczak Maciej , Bystrzejewski Michał , Poplawska Magdalena
Published: October 2018

The theranostic probe based on carbon‐encapsulated iron nanoparticles (CEINs) is presented. First, the conjugates of CEINs and polyethylenimine (PEI) were obtained to modify the surface of CEINs with amino groups. It was archived either by means of direct radical addition of PEI to CEINs (CEINs‐NH‐PEI material) or the amidation‐type reaction between CEINs∼COOH and the polymer (CEINs∼CONH‐PEI material obtained). β‐Cyclodextrin (βCD) was selected as the drug delivery vector. βCD was covalently anchored to the PEI‐functionalized CEINs via the 1,1’‐carbonyldiimidazole‐mediated reaction. The synthesis included the conjugation of folic acid (FA; targeting ligand) to CEINs via the carbodiimide‐mediated amidation‐type process. The innovative method for excluding a side process of the FA@βCD complex formation during the FA conjugation to PEI, was developed. 5‐Fluorouracil (5‐FU) was chosen as the representative drug molecule. 5‐FU was anchored to the CEINs∼PEI∼βCD∼FA nanoplatforms employing the host‐guest chemistry of βCD. The success of the reactions was confirmed by infrared spectroscopy and thermogravimetry. The content of anchored organic compounds depends on the type of linkage between PEI and CEINs. Additionally, 5‐FU release profile was examined at various pH. The highest release of 5‐FU was observed at pH 9.0, whilst the lowest at pH 4.7. This work sheds a new light on application of carbon‐encapsulated iron nanoparticles in nanomedicine as the novel drug delivery theranostic systems.
Correlation between Mechanical Strength of Amorphous TiO2 Nanotubes and Their Solid State Crystallization Pathways
Authors: Gao Zhonghui , Hao Zhangxiang , Yi Min , Huang Ying , Xu Yiming , Zhao Ying , Li Zhaoyang , Zhu Shengli , Xu Baixiang , Liu Porun , Wang Feng Ryan , Huang Yunhui , Zhao Huijun , Yang Xianjin
Published: October 2018

Developing TiO2 crystals with specific morphologies and nanostructured architectures is highly desirable in energy storage, conversion and catalysis applications. Thermally activated amorphous‐to‐crystal transition provides effective growth of poly or monocrystalline TiO2, while an in‐depth understanding of different crystallization pathways at the solid state is still lacking. Herein, we report a close correlation between mechanical strength of the TiO2 precursors and their different crystallization pathways. Two different morphologies, i. e., well‐defined anatase TiO2 single nanocrystals and anatase polycrystalline nanotubes are obtained via rapid heating of two amorphous TiO2 precursors with distinctive mechanical strengths. The mechanical‐strength‐dependent crystallization from amorphous solid‐state precursors provides additional control on the crystallization pathway and thus the desirable properties of the resultant nanostructures. In this study, the well‐defined anatase nanocrystals with controlled morphology show higher storage capacity of sodium ion than that of polycrystalline ones in sodium ion batteries.
Macroeconomics with Endogenous Markups and Optimal Taxation
Authors: Etro Federico
Published: October 2018

I augment a flexible price dynamic general equilibrium model with any symmetric intratemporal preferences over a variety of goods supplied under monopolistic, Bertrand, or Cournot competition to derive implications for business cycle and market inefficiencies. Endogenous markups can magnify the impact of shocks on consumption and labor supply through intertemporal substitution mechanisms, and the optimal fiscal policy requires a variable labor income subsidy and a capital income tax that converges to zero in the long run. With an endogenous number of goods and strategic interactions, entry also affects markups and the optimal fiscal policy requires also a tax on profits. I characterize equilibrium and efficient market structures and derive optimal tax rules for a variety of preferences, including a new type of general additive preferences that nest direct, indirect, implicit, and homothetic additivity.
What is the more common method of obtaining velocity measurements in carotid artery studies: a 60° insonation angle versus a convenient insonation angle?
Authors: Cassin Mitchell , Quinton Ann
Published: October 2018

Introduction

Stenosis of the internal carotid arteries (ICAs) increases the risk of stroke. ICA stenosis is routinely assessed with Doppler ultrasound. The current need for diagnostic imaging accuracy and unity is invaluable. Limits are in place to complete ultrasound examinations using insonation angles of 60° or less. The diagnostic community is separated into two groups: (1) those that use a constant 60° angle and (2) those that use an angle of 60° or less.

Methods

A pilot study was undertaken where a survey was circulated throughout a single private company with 19 sonographers of varying experience participating. The aim was to evaluate the most common method of ICA Doppler insonation used.

Results

Results depicted discontinuity among sonographers with 52.6% utilising a constant Doppler angle of 60° and 47.4% using a convenient angle. Eighty percent with >10 years use a convenient angle, 80% with 5 to 10 years use a constant 60°, and sonographers with 1 to 5 years' experience were more evenly split with 43% utilising a constant 60° and 57% using a convenient angle.

Discussion

Trends between experience and method were established. Further research with larger numbers to ascertain why sonographers choose a particular method is warranted.
A double concentric wound rotor brushless doubly fed generator
Authors: Jia Lei
Published: October 2018

The rotor structure is one of the key factors affecting the performance of the brushless doubly fed generator (BDFG). So far, three types of rotor structure have been developed, namely the reluctance rotor, the special cage rotor, and the double sine wound rotor. However, there still exist some problems, such as the high harmonic content of the rotor winding, resulting in large losses and low efficiency of the machine, and the complex winding design and manufacturing process. These problems restrict the industrial application of the BDFG. To solve these drawbacks, a double concentric wound rotor structure is proposed and presented in this paper for a 100‐kW BDFG. The proposed rotor structure can improve the conductor utilization ratios of the rotor winding and largely reduce the harmonic contents. The steady‐state performance of a 100‐kW prototype generator with the double concentric wound rotor structure is analyzed by finite element model simulation and experimental tests. The experimental results on the prototype show that the BDFG with the double concentric wound rotor structure gives good performance. © 2018 Institute of Electrical Engineers of Japan. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Legitimate educational interest and the health and safety emergency exception
Authors: Rainsberger Richard
Published: October 2018

If you have read all the FERPA Doc®'s columns for the past seven months, you will, no doubt, now understand that the term legitimate educational interest can present a challenge to registrars.
Effect of gamma‐irradiation on the mechanical behavior of EPDM rubber‐recycled newsprint microfibers composites
Authors: Ali Magdy A. M. , El‐Nemr Khaled F. , Hamada Amina A. , Abd‐Elhady Wafaa S.
Published: October 2018

Waste newsprint paper was collected from the local market and subjected to chemical pulping using 2 M NaOH. The fiber, after getting rid of water, was treated again using 2 M HCl solution for the same time period. The obtained newsprint microfibers (NPFs) were characterized by using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X‐ray diffraction (XRD), and Fourier transform infrared spectra. Then the dried and grounded NPF batch was mixed with ethylene propylene diene monomer (EPDM) rubber using different concentrations ranged from 5 to 50 phr. The prepared composites were irradiated by using gamma rays at different doses from 20 to 100 kGy. The mechanical properties of prepared EPDM/NPFs composites such as tensile strength (Ts), elongation at break (Eb%), tensile modulus (M100), toughness (Tt), and crosslink density (Cd) were measured as a function of fiber contents and irradiation dose. The results indicated that the tensile strength (Ts) increases with increasing microfibers contents up to 10 phr and irradiation dose up to 40 kGy, while Eb% decreases as the fibers content and irradiation dose increase. M100 and Cd values increase with increasing fibers content up 50 phr fibers and irradiation dose up to 60 kGy. The results also concluded that the toughness values of EPDM/NPFs composites reach its maximum degree when using 10 phr NPFs concentration and 60 kGy irradiation dose. J. VINYL ADDIT. TECHNOL., 25:198–212, 2019. © 2018 Society of Plastics Engineers
Preventing Male Mental Illness in Post-war Britain
Authors: Haggett Ali
Published: October 2018

Ali Haggett extends the boundaries of previous work, exploring the discourse around gender and prevention of mental illness in Britain from the 1950s. The chapter examines how important information about health and well-being was communicated to men, and in turn, how men conceptualised their own psychological well-being. Drawing on a range of printed primary sources and archival material, the chapter explores the medical, political and cultural context within which men and women negotiated ideas about their own well-being in post-war Britain. It argues that, for a range of complex reasons and competing exigencies, male mental health was almost entirely neglected—both reflecting and reinforcing prevailing assumptions about masculinity, coping and the image of the ‘strong, silent man’.
‘They May Strike Back at Society in a Vengeful Manner’: Preventing the Psychological Scars of Acne in Post-war America
Authors: Ferguson Iain
Published: October 2018

Following the Second World War, adolescent medicine emerged in the United States as a speciality focussed on addressing the physical, social and psychological problems of teenagers. While acne had been thought of as an inevitable consequence of maturation, the focus on teen health transformed the condition into a high priority. In particular, a deluge of medical studies raised concerns over the potentially serious psychological implications for teenage acne sufferers. Seeking to lessen the emotional impact of the condition, health professionals employed treatments such as tranquillisers commonly used for treating psychiatric patients, surgical techniques to minimise scarring and alternative therapies like hypnotherapy. The chapter argues that adolescent acne was not only constructed as a threat to the emotional well-being of teenage Americans (and thus the social order of the United States), but was also portrayed as an ailment which had to be overcome at all costs.
Secondary Minerals
Authors: Nanzyo Masami , Kanno Hitoshi
Published: October 2018

This chapter introduces secondary minerals such as clay minerals, hydroxides and oxides in soils. Clay minerals, which are major secondary minerals in soils, are phyllosilicates that have 1:1 or 2:1 type layers. The 1:1 type minerals are kaolinite and halloysite. The 2:1 type minerals are smectite, vermiculite, micaceous minerals, and chlorite. Gibbsite and manganese oxides are introduced as examples of hydroxides and oxides, respectively. This chapter also constitutes the basic part of treatment of the inorganic constituents in soils. Secondary minerals have an effect on the chemical, physical, and biological functions of soils. As the size of secondary minerals is approximately 2 μm or less, electron micrographs and X-ray diffraction (XRD) are effective for characterizing these minerals. Schematic diagrams are used to interpret the chemical structure of phyllosilicate clay minerals.
Inorganic Soil Constituents Sensitive to Varying Redox Conditions
Authors: Nanzyo Masami , Kanno Hitoshi
Published: October 2018

Inorganic soil constituents sensitive to varying redox conditions, such as hydrated iron oxide, vivianite, siderite, iron (II) sulfides, and jarosite, are analyzed using optical and electron microscopes, energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX), and X-ray diffraction (XRD). Many of these minerals are sourced from paddy field soils, which undergo reducing and oxidizing conditions in the plow layer every year. Iron mottles formed at the soil redox interface in the presence of reducing and oxidizing conditions provide significant visual evidence of varying redox conditions in soil. Polished sections were used to examine the elemental distributions and morphological properties of the mottles. One type of iron mottles is formed around rice roots by oxygen diffusion from the roots. They are cylindrical in form and include soil matrix minerals. Other type of iron mottles is formed on the surfaces of irregular or vesicular pores by oxygen diffusion through soil pores after drainage. These mottles contain few soil matrix minerals. In association with iron, the distribution of phosphate is strongly affected by changes in redox conditions in paddy field soils with low active Al content.
Loop-induced neutrino non-standard interactions
Authors: Bischer Ingolf , Rodejohann Werner , Xu Xun-Jie
Published: October 2018

Abstract

Non-Standard Interactions (NSI) of neutrinos may originate from models in which new particles interact with neutrinos. In scalar extensions of the SM, the typical approach to obtain NSI requires Fierz transformations and charged Higgses, which suffer from strong constraints from collider searches or charged lepton flavor violation processes. We propose here an alternative approach to generate NSI, namely via loop processes. We show that such loop-induced NSI from secret neutrino interactions can reach sizes of

$$ \mathcal{O} $$

O

(0.1 ∼ 1) compared to standard Fermi interaction. This approach can also give rise to neutrino-quark NSI.
Building the Prestige of Archivum Immunologiae et Therapiae Experimentalis: From a Little Known to an Internationally Recognized Journal
Authors: Krotkiewski Hubert , Górski Andrzej , Zimecki Michał
Published: October 2018

Archivum Immunologiae et Therapiae Experimentalis (AITE) was founded in 1953 by Ludwik Hirszfeld, a world famous Polish physician and scientist in the field of microbiology and immunology. Initially, AITE was published in Polish, but within a few years, it changed to English to increase the range and number of international readers. In its over 65 year history, AITE has had several Editors and a number of Publishers. In the period 1977–1991, AITE was listed in the system of scientific information Current Contents/Life Sciences, but for several years, its impact on the international readership of the Journal was negligible. The political and economic crisis in Poland in late 1980s led to serious delays in printing of successive AITE issues, so the Journal was removed from the Current Contents. Year 1991 was a turning point for the Journal, guided since then by prof. Dubowska-Inglot, who changed its image and format, and allowed acceptance of review articles. In 1999, prof. Górski became the Editor-in-Chief, giving a new impulse for further development of the Journal. In a consequence, AITE was accepted to Science Citation Index Expanded (in 2001) and to Institute for Scientific Information Master Journal List (in 2002). Eventually, AITE has evolved to become a truly international, multidisciplinary journal, publishing original articles, and reviews relating to basic and clinical immunology, experimental therapy, immunogenetics, transplantology, microbiology, immunochemistry, as well as bioethics. Currently, AITE is cited in a number of major scientific information databases. Since 2011, the Journal is published by Springer Publishing House, it has achieved international recognition with its latest impact factor (for 2017) of 3.018. AITE, whose Editors are professors of Hirszfeld Institute of Immunology and Experimental Therapy, strengthens the status and position of the Institute as one of the leading scientific institutions in Poland.