bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
In vitro biofilm growth on modern voice prostheses
Authors: Leonhard Matthias , Zatorska Beata , Tan Yulong , Moser Doris , Schneider‐Stickler Berit
Published: December 2017

Background

Biofilm formation on voice prostheses in laryngectomized patients usually limits the lifetime of the device. The purpose of this study was to compare the biofilm resistance of different valve flaps of modern voice prostheses in an in vitro simulation of an oropharyngeal biofilm.

Methods

Growth of biofilm deposits on valve flaps (n = 12) removed from Provox 2, Provox Vega, Provox ActiValve, Blom Singer Advantage, and Phonax voice prostheses was evaluated and compared to medical‐grade silicone (n = 12) in an in vitro biofilm model (22 days) after incubation with a multispecies bacterial‐fungal biofilm composition.

Results

The Provox ActiValve and the Blom Singer Advantage prostheses showed significantly less surface biofilm formation than the other prostheses and then silicone.

Conclusion

The use of silver oxide and Teflon as valve flap materials proves to reduce long‐term biofilm formation in vitro. The applied model allows rapid screening for novel biofilm‐inhibitive materials and durable coatings designated for more biofilm resistant medical devices.
Evaluation of the Cancer Council NSW Eat It To Beat It Healthy Lunch Box Sessions: A short intervention to promote the intake of fruit and vegetables among families of primary school children in NSW Australia
Authors: Mihrshahi Seema , Foley Bridget , Nguyen Binh , Gander Kristi , Tan Nina , Hudson Nayerra , Hughes Clare , Hector Debra , Bauman Adrian
Published: December 2017

Issue addressed

Children and adults in Australia are not eating the recommended amounts of fruits and vegetables. Our objective was to assess the effectiveness of a health promotion intervention to improve fruit and vegetable intake among primary school children and their families in NSW.

Methods

The Cancer Council New South Wales Healthy Lunch Box sessions were a 25‐minute session delivered to parents of primary school‐aged children. The sessions provided information and resources about fruit and vegetables and healthy school lunch boxes. The evaluation is a quantitative uncontrolled pre‐post design. Data were collected using three questionnaires, pre‐intervention, 1 week post‐intervention and 6 months post‐intervention.

Results

A total of 204 parents completed all three evaluation questionnaires to 6 months. Knowledge of recommended intakes and serving sizes of fruit and vegetables improved significantly after the intervention. There was an increase in parents reporting packing vegetables (often/always) in the child's lunch box at 1 week (47%) and 6 months post‐intervention (40%) compared to pre‐intervention (32%). The proportion of parents reporting that they were confident in packing a healthy lunch box increased from 45% pre‐intervention to 62% after the intervention.

Conclusion

The Healthy Lunch Box sessions were effective in improving parental knowledge and practices related to fruit and vegetables and parental confidence with packing a healthy lunch box.

So what?

This short intervention could be a useful component of a portfolio of interventions to support parents with knowledge and resources to pack a healthy lunch box for their children.
Cucurbituril As A Versatile Tool to Tune the Functions of Proteins
Authors: Hou Chunxi , Zeng Xiangzhi , Gao Yuzhou , Qiao Shanpeng , Zhang Xin , Xu Jiayun , Liu Junqiu
Published: December 2017

Tuning the functions of proteins is a key issue in chemistry and biochemistry. The modification of proteins by chemical or biological methods is proven to be a classical method that allows proteins to achieve multiple functions. Compared with traditional methods, cucurbiturils as a new series of macrocyclic supramolecular hosts have been explored to modify and control protein functions because they could recognize and bind to short aromatic peptide sequences specifically. After guest molecules are incorporated into proteins by chemical and biological methods, CB[n]‐induced supramolecular protein assemblies show distinct functions in catalysis, biosensor and drug delivery. Herein we review the recent progress in the field of functional regulation of proteins with cucurbiturils.
Relevance of megalin receptor injury with nuclear factor‐kappa B upregulation in acute kidney injury induced in rats
Authors: Elshaer Shereen Saeid , Anwar Hend Mohamed
Published: December 2017

Proximal tubule protein take‐up is interceded by 2 receptors, megalin and cubilin. These receptors rescue an assortment of filtered ligands including fundamental vitamins and hormones. The objective of this study was to investigate the potential relation of megalin receptor injury with nuclear factor‐kappa B (NF‐κB) upregulation in acute kidney injury rat model. Twenty four rats were allocated into two groups: control group received saline, while the second group was intoxicated with cadmium chloride (2.4 mg Cd/kg/day i.p) for 30 days. Blood urea nitrogen, serum creatinine, tissue oxidant–antioxidant parameters (malondialdehyde [MDA] and reduced glutathione [GSH]) and expression levels for NF‐κB, toll like receptor‐2 (TLR2), toll like receptor‐4 (TLR4), and megalin receptor were estimated. Noticeable downregulation of megalin receptor versus upregulation of NF‐κB, TLR2, and TLR4 were observed in AKI rat model together with significant elevation in MDA as well as significant reduction in GSH. The study concluded that the oxidative stress in kidney tissue leads to megalin receptor damage, which indeed motivates upregulation of NF‐κB through TLRs 2 and 4 pathways.
Synthesis of Two‐Dimensional Terbenzodithiophene‐based Derivative by Palladium‐catalyzed C─H Benzannulation and Its Donor–Acceptor Copolymers for Organic Photovoltaics
Authors: Cao Fong‐Yi , Chen Yung‐Lung , Lai Yu‐Ying , Cheng Yen‐Ju
Published: December 2017

A new two‐dimensional tetrathienyl‐TBDT (TBDT‐4T) was synthesized by employing palladium‐catalyzed C─H benzannulation between an iodobiaryl and 1,2‐dithienylacetylene. The stannylated TBDT‐4T was copolymerized with di(thiophenyl)difluorobenzothiadiazole (FBT) and fluorothienothiophene (FTT) monomers to yield PTBDT‐FBT and PTBDT‐FTT, which showed high decomposition temperatures (421 and 408°C) and deep‐lying HOMO levels (−5.80 and −5.84 eV). The inverted solar cell device using PTBDT‐FBT:PC71BM (1:1 in wt%) blend showed a power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 4.16%, while the device using PTBDT‐FTT:PC71BM (1:2 in wt%) blend showed a PCE of 3.98%.
Software ion scan functions in analysis of glycomic and lipidomic MS/MS datasets
Authors: Haramija Marko
Published: December 2017

Hardware ion scan functions unique to tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS) mode of data acquisition, such as precursor ion scan (PIS) and neutral loss scan (NLS), are important for selective extraction of key structural data from complex MS/MS spectra. However, their software counterparts, software ion scan (SIS) functions, are still not regularly available. Software ion scan functions can be easily coded for additional functionalities, such as software multiple precursor ion scan, software no ion scan, and software variable ion scan functions. These are often necessary, since they allow more efficient analysis of complex MS/MS datasets, often encountered in glycomics and lipidomics. Software ion scan functions can be easily coded by using modern script languages and can be independent of instrument manufacturer. Here we demonstrate the utility of SIS functions on a medium‐size glycomic MS/MS dataset. Knowledge of sample properties, as well as of diagnostic and conditional diagnostic ions crucial for data analysis, was needed. Based on the tables constructed with the output data from the SIS functions performed, a detailed analysis of a complex MS/MS glycomic dataset could be carried out in a quick, accurate, and efficient manner. Glycomic research is progressing slowly, and with respect to the MS experiments, one of the key obstacles for moving forward is the lack of appropriate bioinformatic tools necessary for fast analysis of glycomic MS/MS datasets. Adding novel SIS functionalities to the glycomic MS/MS toolbox has a potential to significantly speed up the glycomic data analysis process. Similar tools are useful for analysis of lipidomic MS/MS datasets as well, as will be discussed briefly.
Surface gas exchange determined from an aquatic eddy covariance floating platform
Authors: Long Matthew H. , Nicholson David P.
Published: December 2017

We present a new approach to quantifying air‐water flux and gas transfer velocity (k600) from underwater eddy covariance (EC) of dissolved oxygen. EC fluxes were measured 35 cm below the air‐water interface using an acoustic Doppler velocimeter (ADV) coupled with a fast‐responding dissolved oxygen optode probe, integrated on a floating platform. A micro‐electro‐mechanical system (MEMS)‐based inertial motion unit integrated with the ADV enabled compensation of measured velocities for platform motion and changing sensor orientation. Deployments of 16 h and 30 h were conducted under low to moderate wind conditions in Sage Lot Pond, a small estuarine embayment. We evaluate air‐sea flux parameterizations based on wind speed, current speed, and turbulent kinetic energy dissipation rate compared to our directly measured EC flux. Total kinetic energy was linearly correlated with EC‐determined k600, indicative of a more direct relationship to near surface turbulence compared to wind and current speed based parameterizations, which were subject to biases attributable to directional differences in fetch and low current speed. Our observations, which encompassed a period of low turbulent energy, suggest that existing parameterizations are not well constrained for these conditions. This new aquatic EC technique is highly advantageous for the determination of air‐water exchange, especially in dynamic near‐shore and inland systems. The system presented here has the potential for wide applicability for lake, riverine, and open‐ocean air‐water exchange and the results can be extrapolated for use with a wide range of biogeochemically relevant gases.
Design of Polymeric Culture Substrates to Promote Proangiogenic Potential of Stem Cells
Authors: Kwon Byeong‐Ju , Wang Xintong , Kang Mi‐Lan , You Jin , Lee Shin‐Jeong , Kim Won Shik , Yoon Young‐sup , Park Jong‐Chul , Sung Hak‐Joon
Published: December 2017

Stem cells are a promising cell source for regenerative medicine due to their differentiation and self‐renewal capacities. In the field of regenerative medicine and tissue engineering, a variety of biomedical technologies have been tested to improve proangiogenic activities of stem cells. However, their therapeutic effect is found to be limited in the clinic because of cell loss, senescence, and insufficient therapeutic activities. To address this type of issue, advanced techniques for biomaterial synthesis and fabrication have been approached to mimic proangiogenic microenvironment and to direct proangiogenic activities. This review highlights the types of polymers and design strategies that have been studied to promote proangiogenic activities of stem cells. In particular, scaffolds, hydrogels, and surface topographies, as well as insight into their underlying mechanisms to improve proangiogenic activities are the focuses. The strategy to promote angiogenic activities of hMSCs by controlling substrate repellency is introduced, and the future direction is proposed.
Mechanical and corrosion properties of AA5083 alloy sheets produced by accumulative roll bonding (ARB) and conventional cold rolling (CR)
Authors: Alil Ana , Popović Miljana , Bajat Jelena , Romhanji Endre
Published: December 2017

Influence of accumulative roll bonding (ARB) and conventional cold rolling (CR) on the mechanical and corrosion properties of AA5083 alloy sheets has been studied. Tensile tests showed significant increase in strength and a decrease in elongation after each ARB deformation and cold rolling reductions. Results of nitric acid mass loss test (NAMLT) revealed that cold rolled and ARB processed specimens were resistant toward intergranular corrosion (IGC) in as‐deformed state. However, after 7 days of sensitization at 100 and 150 °C, cold rolled material became IGC sensitive, while ARB specimens stayed IGC resistant. IGC susceptibility can be correlated with different morphology and distribution of β‐phase (Mg2Al3) precipitated during sensitization. It was found that extensive shear banding contributed a favorable distribution of β‐phase precipitates in the structure of IGC resistant ARB processed specimens. In case of IGC susceptible conventionally cold rolled specimens, large amount of β‐phase precipitated preferentially along the elongated grain boundaries. Electrochemical parameters were in a good correlation with the results of NAML tests, which in turn, confirmed the superiority of ARB multilayered structure over conventional cold rolled structure in terms of IGC susceptibility and corrosion stability.
Comparison of atmospheric corrosion behavior of Al‐Mn and Al‐Zn‐Mg‐Cu alloys in a tropical coastal environment
Authors: Wang Bin , Li Xiangbo , Liu Jie , Jiang Hua
Published: December 2017

Atmospheric corrosion behavior of 3A21 Al‐Mn alloy and 7A09 Al‐Zn‐Mg‐Cu alloy were investigated and compared. Electrochemical results, together with corrosion morphology characterization, suggest that in tropical coastal atmosphere, 3A21 and 7A09 alloys suffer pitting corrosion and intergranular corrosion (IGC), respectively, and 3A21 alloy shows better corrosion resistance and stronger repassivating capability than 7A09 alloy. The pit transition potential Eptp can be treated as criteria for susceptibility to possible forms of constricted localized corrosion for aluminum alloys. The IGC of 7A09 alloy is mainly caused by the preferential dissolution of the grain boundary precipitates Mg(ZnAlCu)2, and which results in fast deterioration in the mechanical properties of the field‐exposed samples. Besides, morphology and chemical compositions of native oxide layer and corrosion produces layer were characterized by SEM, EDX, and FT‐IR analysis, and the corrosion mechanism was also discussed.
Characterization of atmospheric corrosion near the coastal areas of Arabian Sea
Authors: Jamil Ishrat , Bano Humaira , Castano Juan G. , Mahmood Azhar
Published: December 2017

Atmospheric corrosion near the coastal areas of Karachi is a subject of great interest where seasonal variation of north Arabian Sea, high onshore activities, high levels of atmospheric pollutants, high humidity, and low temperature range affects the service life of structural materials. Mild steel test coupons were exposed at the two atmospheric corrosion stations located in National Institute of Oceanography (NIO) and Karachi Port Trust (KPT) along the coastal line of Karachi, Pakistan for a period of 12 months. During the exposure period, the sulfur dioxide and chloride levels, corrosion rates and kinetics parameters were determined. The corrosion rates are high on both sites, but the corrosivity found in NIO is higher (C5) than in KPT (C4). Scanning electron microscopy/energy dispersive X‐ray spectroscopy (SEM/EDS), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, and X‐ray diffraction (XRD) were used to characterize the corrosion products. Lepidocrocite is the main compound in NIO corrosion products, while in KPT are goethite and magnetite. The composition and morphology of corrosion products help to explain the difference in the corrosivity of both sites.
Self‐Healable and Tough Thermoplastic Materials from Metal–Thioether Block Polymers
Authors: Zhang Jiuyang , Li Min , Cheng Lin , Li Tuoqi
Published: December 2017

Thioether‐based acrylate block polymers are conveniently prepared via reversible addition–fragmentation chain‐transfer polymerization, and further combined with the merit of reversible metal–thioether coordination to fabricate a new type of “smart” thermoplastic materials. This metal/polymer hybrid architecture imparts extraordinary mechanical performance to the product materials, exhibiting an excellent ductility (breaking strain ≈ 1000%) as well as a relatively high breaking stress (1–5 MPa). Notably, it is facile to thermally process these materials into desired shapes (e.g., dog‐bone specimens, films, disks, etc.). Most importantly, these thermoplastic materials are endowed with the smart characteristic of being self‐healable under ambient conditions. To the authors' knowledge, it is the first report on thermally processable, self‐healing, and mechanically tough thermoplastic materials based on thioether polymers. These discoveries not only provide a pioneering route to design and construct self‐healing thermoplastics, but also elucidate the pathway toward a large portfolio of new hybrid materials built on the platform of organosulfur chemistry.
On infinite‐dimensional Banach spaces and weak forms of the axiom of choice
Authors: Howard Paul , Tachtsis Eleftherios
Published: December 2017

We study theorems from Functional Analysis with regard to their relationship with various weak choice principles and prove several results about them: “Every infinite‐dimensional Banach space has a well‐orderable Hamel basis” is equivalent to ; “ can be well‐ordered” implies “no infinite‐dimensional Banach space has a Hamel basis of cardinality ”, thus the latter statement is true in every Fraenkel‐Mostowski model of ; “No infinite‐dimensional Banach space has a Hamel basis of cardinality ” is not provable in ; “No infinite‐dimensional Banach space has a well‐orderable Hamel basis of cardinality ” is provable in ; (the Axiom of Choice for denumerable families of non‐empty finite sets) is equivalent to “no infinite‐dimensional Banach space has a Hamel basis which can be written as a denumerable union of finite sets”; Mazur's Lemma (“If X is an infinite‐dimensional Banach space, Y is a finite‐dimensional vector subspace of X, and , then there is a unit vector such that for all and all scalars α”) is provable in ; “A real normed vector space X is finite‐dimensional if and only if its closed unit ball is compact” is provable in ; (Principle of Dependent Choices) + “ can be well‐ordered” does not imply the Hahn‐Banach Theorem () in ; and “no infinite‐dimensional Banach space has a Hamel basis of cardinality ” are independent from each other in ; “No infinite‐dimensional Banach space can be written as a denumerable union of finite‐dimensional subspaces” lies in strength between (the Axiom of Countable Choice) and ; implies “No infinite‐dimensional Banach space can be written as a denumerable union of closed proper subspaces” which in turn implies ; “Every infinite‐dimensional Banach space has a denumerable linearly independent subset” is a theorem of , but not a theorem of ; and “Every infinite‐dimensional Banach space has a linearly independent subset of cardinality ” implies “every Dedekind‐finite set is finite”.
High‐throughput analysis of anammox bacteria in wetland and dryland soils along the altitudinal gradient in Qinghai–Tibet Plateau
Authors: Zhao Siyan , Zhuang Linjie , Wang Cheng , Li Yifei , Wang Shanyun , Zhu Guibing
Published: December 2017

This study investigated the diversity, community composition, and abundance of anaerobic ammonium oxidation (anammox) bacteria along the altitudinal gradient in Qinghai–Tibet Plateau. Two types of soil samples (wetland and dryland soils, n = 123) were collected from 641 m to 5,033 m altitudes. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) screening showed that anammox were not widespread, and were only detected in 9 sampling sites of the 50 sites tested by amplifying the 16S rRNA genes. Then, only samples collected from Linzhi (2,715 m), Rikaze (4,030 m), and Naqu (5,011 m), which were positive for the presence of anammox, were further processed to explore the biogeography of anammox bacteria in Qinghai–Tibet Plateau. Results of high‐throughput sequencing targeting the hydrazine synthesis β‐subunit (hzsB) gene revealed the presence of three known anammox genera (Candidatus Brocadia, Candidatus Jettenia, and Candidatus Kuenenia) in both soil types. Their diversity, community composition, and abundance did not show significant variation with altitude at large scale. However, it was the small‐scale environmental heterogeneities between wetland and dryland soils that determined their biogeographical distribution. Specifically, the dryland soils had higher diversity of anammox bacteria than the wetland soils, but their abundance patterns varied. The community composition of anammox bacteria were found to be influenced by soil nitrate content.
Inverse problems for a perturbed time fractional diffusion equation with final overdetermination
Authors: Kinash Nataliia , Janno Jaan
Published: December 2017

Inverse problems to recover a space‐dependent factor of a source term and an initial condition in a perturbed time fractional diffusion equation containing an additional convolution term from final data are considered. Existence, uniqueness, and stability of solutions to these problems are proved.
Non‐water‐suppressed 1H FID‐MRSI at 3T and 9.4T
Authors: Chang Paul , Nassirpour Sahar , Avdievitch Nikolai , Henning Anke
Published: December 2017

Purpose

This study investigates metabolite concentrations using metabolite‐cycled 1H free induction decay (FID) magnetic resonance spectroscopic imaging (MRSI) at ultra‐high fields.

Methods

A non‐lipid‐suppressed and slice‐selective ultra‐short echo time (TE) 1H FID MRSI sequence was combined with a low‐specific absorption rate (SAR) asymmetric inversion adiabatic pulse to enable non‐water‐suppressed metabolite mapping using metabolite‐cycling at 9.4T. The results were compared to a water‐suppressed FID MRSI sequence, and the same study was performed at 3T for comparison. The scan times for performing single‐slice metabolite mapping with a nominal voxel size of 0.4 mL were 14 and 17.5 min on 3T and 9.4T, respectively.

Results

The low‐SAR asymmetric inversion adiabatic pulse enabled reliable non‐water‐suppressed metabolite mapping using metabolite cycling at both 3T and 9.4T. The spectra and maps showed good agreement with the water‐suppressed FID MRSI ones at both field strengths. A quantitative analysis of metabolite ratios with respect to N‐acetyl aspartate (NAA) was performed. The difference in Cre/NAA was statistically significant, ∼0.1 higher for the non‐water‐suppressed case than for water suppression (from 0.73 to 0.64 at 3T and from 0.69 to 0.59 at 9.4T). The difference is likely because of chemical exchange effects of the water suppression pulses. Small differences in mI/NAA were also statistically significant, however, are they are less reliable because the metabolite peaks are close to the water peak that may be affected by the water suppression pulses or metabolite‐cycling inversion pulse.

Conclusion

We showed the first implementation of non‐water‐suppressed metabolite‐cycled 1H FID MRSI at ultra‐high fields. An increase in Cre/NAA was seen for the metabolite‐cycled case. The same methodology was further applied at 3T and similar results were observed. Magn Reson Med 80:442–451, 2018. © 2017 International Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine.
Investigation of the BOLD and CBV fMRI responses to somatosensory stimulation in awake marmosets (Callithrix jacchus)
Authors: Hirano Yoshiyuki , Yen Cecil C. , Liu Junjie V. , Mackel Julie B. , Merkle Hellmut , Nascimento George C. , Stefanovic Bojana , Silva Afonso C.
Published: December 2017

Understanding the spatiotemporal features of the hemodynamic response function (HRF) to brain stimulation is essential for the correct application of neuroimaging methods to study brain function. Here, we investigated the spatiotemporal evolution of the blood oxygen level‐dependent (BOLD) and cerebral blood volume (CBV) HRF in conscious, awake marmosets (Callithrix jacchus), a New World non‐human primate with a lissencephalic brain and with growing use in biomedical research. The marmosets were acclimatized to head fixation and placed in a 7‐T magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scanner. Somatosensory stimulation (333‐μs pulses; amplitude, 2 mA; 64 Hz) was delivered bilaterally via pairs of contact electrodes. A block design paradigm was used in which the stimulus duration increased in pseudo‐random order from a single pulse up to 256 electrical pulses (4 s). For CBV measurements, 30 mg/kg of ultrasmall superparamagnetic ironoxide particles (USPIO) injected intravenously, were used. Robust BOLD and CBV HRFs were obtained in the primary somatosensory cortex (S1), secondary somatosensory cortex (S2) and caudate at all stimulus conditions. In particular, BOLD and CBV responses to a single 333‐μs‐long stimulus were reliably measured, and the CBV HRF presented shorter onset time and time to peak than the BOLD HRF. Both the size of the regions of activation and the peak amplitude of the HRFs grew quickly with increasing stimulus duration, and saturated for stimulus durations greater than 1 s. Onset times in S1 and S2 were faster than in caudate. Finally, the fine spatiotemporal features of the HRF in awake marmosets were similar to those obtained in humans, indicating that the continued refinement of awake non‐human primate models is essential to maximize the applicability of animal functional MRI studies to the investigation of human brain function.
Gonadal dysgenesis is associated with worse outcomes in patients with ovarian nondysgerminomatous tumors: A report of the Children's Oncology Group AGCT 0132 study
Authors: Dicken Bryan J. , Billmire Deborah F. , Krailo Mark , Xia Caihong , Shaikh Furqan , Cullen John W. , Olson Thomas A. , Pashankar Farzana , Malogolowkin Marcio H. , Amatruda James F. , Rescorla Frederick J. , Egler Rachel A. , Ross Jonathan H. , Rodriguez‐Galindo Carlos , Frazier A. Lindsay
Published: December 2017

Purpose

In this report, we characterize the timing and behavior of malignant ovarian germ cell tumors (GCTs) in pediatric patients with dysgenetic gonads compared to those with normal gonadal development.

Patients and methods

Patients from the Children's Oncology Group AGCT0132 with malignant ovarian GCTs were included. Within this population, we sought to identify patients with gonadoblastoma, streak ovaries, or other evidence of gonadal dysgenesis (GD). Patients with malignant GCTs containing one or more of the following histologies—yolk sac tumor, embryonal carcinoma, or choriocarcinoma—were included. Patients were compared with respect to event‐free survival (EFS) and overall survival (OS).

Results

Nine patients with GD, including seven with gonadoblastoma (mean age, 9.3 years), were compared to 100 non‐GD patients (mean age, 12.1 years). The estimated 3‐year EFS for patients with GD was 66.7% (95% CI 28.2–87.8%) and for non‐GD patients was 88.8% (95% CI 80.2–93.8%). The estimated 3‐year OS for patients with GD was 87.5% (95% CI 38.7–98.1%) and for non‐GD patients was 97.6% (95% CI of 90.6–99.4%).

Conclusion

Patients presenting with nongerminomatous malignant ovarian GCTs in the context of GD have a higher rate of events and death than counterparts with normal gonads. These findings emphasize the importance of noting a contralateral streak ovary or gonadoblastoma at histology for any ovarian GCT and support the recommendation for early bilateral gonadectomy in patients known to have GD with Y chromosome material. In contrast to those with pure dysgerminoma, these patients may represent a high‐risk group that requires a more aggressive chemotherapy regimen.
Identifying patient‐ and family‐centered outcomes relevant to inpatient versus at‐home management of neutropenia in children with acute myeloid leukemia
Authors: Szymczak Julia E. , Getz Kelly D. , Madding Rachel , Fisher Brian , Raetz Elizabeth , Hijiya Nobuko , Gramatges Maria M. , Henry Meret , Mian Amir , Arnold Staci D. , Aftandilian Catherine , Collier Anderson B. , Aplenc Richard
Published: December 2017

Efficacy of therapeutic strategies relative to patient‐ and family‐centered outcomes in pediatric oncology must be assessed. We sought to identify outcomes important to children with acute myeloid leukemia and their families related to inpatient versus at‐home management of neutropenia. We conducted qualitative interviews with 32 children ≥8 years old and 54 parents. Analysis revealed the impact of neutropenia management strategy on siblings, parent anxiety, and child sleep quality as being outcomes of concern across respondents. These themes were used to inform the design of a questionnaire that is currently being used in a prospective, multiinstitutional comparative effectiveness trial.
Children and adolescents with marginal zone lymphoma have an excellent prognosis with limited chemotherapy or a watch‐and‐wait strategy after complete resection
Authors: Ronceray Leila , Abla Oussama , Barzilai‐Birenboim Shlomit , Bomken Simon , Chiang Alan KS , Jazbec Janez , Kabickova Edita , Lazic Jelena , Beishuizen Auke , Mellgren Karin , Tanaka Fumiko , Pillon Marta , Devalck Christine , Gouttenoire Marina , Makarova Olga , Burkhardt Birgit , Attarbaschi Andishe ,   on behalf of the European Intergroup for Childhood Non‐Hodgkin Lymphoma (EICNHL) and the International Berlin‐Frankfurt‐Münster (i‐BFM) Study Group
Published: December 2017

Data on management of pediatric marginal zone lymphoma (MZL) are scarce. This retrospective study assessed characteristics and outcome in 66 patients who were <18 years old. Forty‐four (67%) had an extranodal MZL (EMZL), 21 (32%) a nodal MZL (NMZL), and one patient a splenic MZL. Thirty‐three patients (50%) received a variable combination of adjuvant chemotherapy/immunotherapy/radiotherapy, while the remainder, including 20 of 21 with NMZL, entered an active observation period. Overall survival was excellent (98 ± 2%), although 11 patients relapsed (17%; NMZL, n = 1; EMZL, n = 10), seven after any therapy and four after complete resection only. In conclusion, outcome of NZML, in particular, seems to be excellent after (in)complete resection and observation only.
Utilization of frozen plasma, cryoprecipitate, and recombinant factor VIIa for children with hemostatic impairments: An audit of transfusion appropriateness
Authors: Lieberman Lani , Lin Yulia , Cserti‐Gazdewich Christine , Yi Qi Long , Pendergrast Jacob , Lau Wendy , Callum Jeannie ,   From the QUEST—Quality in Utilization Education and Safety in Transfusion—Research Collaborative
Published: December 2017

Background

Blood transfusions and fractionated products are not without risk and may lead to acute and long‐term adverse events. The objective of this study was to evaluate the appropriateness of usage of frozen plasma (FP), cryoprecipitate (CRYO), and recombinant factor VIIa (rVIIa) in a pediatric setting.

Methods

All orders for FP, CRYO, and rVIIa were prospectively audited over 6 weeks. Data collected included demographics, laboratory values, indication, and adverse reactions. The appropriateness of each order was independently evaluated using adjudication criteria rated by two hematologists.

Results

Two hundred sixty‐five products were ordered; 67% of the orders were issued to operating rooms or intensive care units. The most common indication for all products was cardiac surgery. FP was ordered as fluid replacement (15/215; 7%) to correct abnormal coagulation tests (23/215; 11%) and for patients with minor or no bleeding (111/242; 46%). FP was more likely to alter the international normalized ratio (INR) if the INR was over 2.0 (P < 0.0001). The rate of inappropriate products was judged as FP 19%, CRYO 21%, and rVIIa 91%.

Conclusion

FP, CRYO, and rVIIa are most commonly used in the operating room and intensive care units. FP was often used for fluid resuscitation and for patients with mild to no bleeding. FP was only effective in lowering the INR when the INR was over 2.0. Use of rVIIa was rarely ordered for an appropriate indication. Results of this study inform its readers where trials of pediatric transfusion should be performed to clarify how these products should be used in clinical practice.
Alveolar soft part sarcoma in children and adolescents: The European Paediatric Soft Tissue Sarcoma study group prospective trial (EpSSG NRSTS 2005)
Authors: Brennan Bernadette , Zanetti Ilaria , Orbach Daniel , Gallego Soledad , Francotte Nadine , Van Noesel Max , Kelsey Anna , Casanova Michela , De Salvo Gian Luca , Bisogno Gianni , Ferrari Andrea
Published: December 2017

Background

As alveolar soft part sarcomas (ASPS) are rare with no prospective series within pediatric sarcoma trials, the European Paediatric Soft Tissue Sarcoma Study Group (EpSSG) examined the clinical data and outcomes of ASPS enrolled in a multinational study of nonrhabdomyosarcoma soft tissue sarcomas (NRSTS).

Patients and methods

Twenty‐two patients with ASPS were enrolled into the EpSSG NRSTS 2005 study. After surgical resection, subsequent treatment depended on the stratification of patients for completeness of resection and Intergroup Rhabdomyosarcoma Study (IRS) stage, size, and French Federation of Cancer Centres Sarcoma Group (FNCLCC) grade. Chemotherapy using ifosfamide and doxorubicin was performed in IRS group III. Radiotherapy was performed in IRS groups II and III, and FNCLCC grades 2 and 3 tumors.

Results

The median age at diagnosis was 11.5 years (range 2.7–17.5 years). The majority in the series had localized disease (20), with small IRS I tumors (12), and in total 19 had surgical resection upfront. Of the four patients who received conventional chemotherapy, there were no responses. Three of 20 patients with localized tumors and all metastatic patients developed metastases. The median follow up of patients with localized disease is 61.7 months (range 25.7–135.5 months) from diagnosis. The 5‐year event‐free survival is 94.7% (95% confidence interval: 68.1–99.2), and therefore the overall survival (OS) is 100%.

Conclusion

This report demonstrates the ability to run prospective pediatric studies in NRSTS in multiple European countries, despite the small numbers of ASPS patients. We can conclude that for the majority with small resected tumors, there were few events and no deaths.
Photoelastic and numerical analyses of the stress distribution around a fiber in a pull‐out test for a thermoplastic fiber/epoxy resin composite
Authors: Vázquez‐Rodríguez J.M. , Flores‐Johnson E.A. , Herrera‐Franco P.J. , Gonzalez‐Chi P.I.
Published: December 2017

The stress distribution in a polyester fiber/epoxy matrix model composite subjected to pull‐out test was investigated through photoelasticity and elastic‐plastic numerical analysis using finite element (FE) simulations. A photoelastic technique was used to obtain isoclinic fringe patterns, which were employed to construct a pair of orthogonal families of principal stress trajectories for a pull‐out specimen. It was found that the trajectories of the maximum principal stress tend to converge at points where either the maximum interfacial shear stress is located or there is stress concentration. The FE simulations proved to be a powerful tool that allowed understanding the 3D stress distributions, in areas located near the embedded fiber, where principal directions were influenced by radial stresses, effects of Poisson's ratio, reduction of fiber diameter and plasticity. The FE simulations could be extended to quantify stress fields in other single‐fiber test configurations. POLYM. COMPOS., 39:E2397–E2406, 2018. © 2017 Society of Plastics Engineers
Cross‐informant agreement of children's social‐emotional skills: An investigation of ratings by teachers, parents, and students from a nationally representative sample
Authors: Gresham Frank M. , Elliott Stephen N. , Metallo Sarah , Byrd Shelby , Wilson Elizabeth , Cassidy Kaitlan
Published: December 2017

This study examines the agreement across informant pairs of teachers, parents, and students regarding the students’ social‐emotional learning (SEL) competencies. Two student subsamples representative of the social skills improvement system (SSIS) SEL edition rating forms national standardization sample were examined: first, 168 students (3rd to 12th grades) with ratings by three informants (a teacher, a parent, and the student him/herself) and a second group of 164 students who had ratings by two raters in a similar role—two parents or two teachers. To assess interrater agreements, two methods were employed: calculation of q correlations among pairs of raters and effect size indices to capture the extant rater pairs differed in their assessments of social‐emotional skills. The empirical results indicated that pairs of different types of informants exhibited greater than chance levels of agreement as indexed by significant interrater correlations; teacher–parent informants showed higher correlations than teacher–student or parent–student pairs across all SEL competency domains assessed, and pairs of similar informants exhibited significantly higher correlations than pairs of dissimilar informants. Study limitations are identified and future research needs outlined.
A powerful output‐feedback controller for uncertain nonlinear systems
Authors: Man Yongchao , Liu Yungang
Published: December 2017

System nonlinearities, immeasurableness, and uncertainties (especially their coupling/coexistence) have constantly challenged the control design, which requires the controller to be powerful enough to counteract the resulting negative effects. In this paper, a global adaptive output‐feedback controller is designed for uncertain nonlinear systems. The proposed controller is of switching type, in which the design parameters are online adjusted on the basis of a switching logic in a recursive manner. This makes the controller powerful enough to compensate the system unknowns and dominate the system nonlinearities and therefore be applicable to a rather wide range of systems. Remarkably, our strategy allows the coexistence of an unknown control direction and unmeasured state–dependent growth but which are substantially excluded in the related literature. An example of the single‐link robot arm system is provided to illustrate the effectiveness of the proposed controller.
Improving responsiveness of time‐sensitive applications by exploiting dynamic task dependencies
Authors: Cucinotta Tommaso , Abeni Luca , Lelli Juri , Lipari Giuseppe
Published: December 2017

In this paper, a mechanism is presented for reducing priority inversion in multiprogrammed computing systems. Contrary to well‐known approaches from the literature, this paper tackles cases where the dependency relationships among tasks cannot be known in advance to the operating system. The presented mechanism allows tasks to explicitly declare aforementioned relationships, enabling the operating system scheduler to take advantage of such information and trigger priority inheritance, resulting in reduced priority inversion.

We present the prototype implementation of the concept within the Linux kernel in the form of modifications to the standard Portable Operating System Interface (POSIX) condition variable code, along with an extensive evaluation, including a quantitative assessment of the benefits for applications making use of the technique and comprehensive overhead measurements. In addition, we present an associated technique for the theoretical schedulability analysis of a system using the new mechanism, which is useful to determine whether all tasks can meet their deadlines or not, in the specific scenario of tasks interacting only through remote procedure calls and under partitioned scheduling.
Direct Crystallization of Layered Silicates on the Surface of Amorphous Silica
Authors: Okada Tomohiko
Published: December 2017

We overview the entire surface coverage of amorphous silica with layered silicates (smectite‐like) using the direct crystallization technique under hydrothermal conditions. Various shapes (e. g., microspheres, fibers, microcapsules) have been available as the silica substrates, which involve partial dissolution triggered by the hydrolysis of urea for supplying a source of the layered silicates. Other sources (e. g., Li+, Mg2+, Al3+) have been supplied from aqueous solutions, participating the heterogeneous nucleation of the layered silicates. Because of partial dissolution of the silica substrates, the original shape has been preserved after the hydrothermal reactions. Cation exchange reactions, usually observed for conventional smectite systems, occurred by replacing the interlayer cations in the silicates with metal (a rare‐earth ion) and organic (a quaternary long‐chain alkylammonium, methylene blue, and a tris‐chelated complex) cations. We have discussed the mechanism of the crystallization and displayed some applications of the hybrids (e. g., chiral discrimination, filtering, and magnetic recovery).
Sepiolite as a New Nanocarrier for DNA Transfer into Mammalian Cells: Proof of Concept, Issues and Perspectives
Authors: Piétrement Olivier , Castro‐Smirnov Fidel Antonio , Le Cam Eric , Aranda Pilar , Ruiz‐Hitzky Eduardo , Lopez Bernard S.
Published: December 2017

Sepiolite is a nanofibrous natural silicate that can be used as a nanocarrier for DNA transfer thanks to its strong interaction with DNA molecules and its ability to be naturally internalized into mammalian cells through both non‐endocytic and endocytic pathways. Sepiolite, due to its ability to bind various biomolecules, could be a good candidate for use as a nanocarrier for the simultaneous vectorization of diverse biological molecules. In this paper, we review our recent work, issued from a starting collaboration with Prof. Ruiz‐Hitzky, that includes diverse aspects on the characterization and main features of sepiolite/DNA nanohybrids, and we present an outlook for the further development of sepiolite for DNA transfer.
Radiation synthesis of hydrogels based on carboxymethyl cellulose and its application in removal of pollutants from wastewater
Authors: El‐Arnaouty Magda Borhan , Abdel Ghaffar Ashraf Maher , Abdel Baky Ashraf Abdel Kareem , Shama Sayed Ahmed
Published: December 2017

Synthesis of carboxymethyl cellulose‐g‐methacrylic acid/acrylamide Poly(CMC/MAAc:AAm) hydrogel was carried out using direct radiation copolymerization technique at ambient temperature. The gel (%) increased with increasing the content of AAm till level off at Poly(CMC/MAAc:AAm) (1/50:50 wt%) hydrogel and the swelling behavior found to be increased with increasing MAAc content in the hydrogel composition up to Poly(CMC/MAAc:AAm) (1/60:40 wt%). The grafting yield, grafting ratio, swelling behavior, and the thermal stability of Poly(CMC/MAAc:AAm) binary system are higher than those reported in our previous study by the same author which described the individual grafting of acrylamide (AAm) and methacrylic acid (MAAc) with different concentration onto carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) using direct radiation grafting technique. The swelling kinetics and diffusion mechanism indicate that the water penetration obey non‐Fickian transport mechanism. The characterization of the prepared hydrogel was evaluated using Fourier transform infrared, X‐ray diffraction, thermogravimetric analysis, and scanning electron microscopy. The analyses by different analytical tools confirmed the successful grafting of both MAAc and AAm onto CMC. The adsorption capacity of Poly(CMC/MAAc:AAm) (1/60:40 wt%) hydrogel toward metal ions such as Cu+2 and Co+2, dyes such as acid blue dye and methyl green have been investigated. J. VINYL ADDIT. TECHNOL., 25:E35–E43, 2019. © 2017 Society of Plastics Engineers
A novel approach to suppression of oscillations
Authors: Zegzhda S. , Yushkov M. , Soltakhanov Sh. , Naumova N. , Shugaylo T.
Published: December 2017

We propose a novel method of determining the control force that brings a mechanical system with finite degrees of freedom from one phase state into another one in a given time. When a system is brought from an available phase state into a prescribed state of rest we can speak about the oscillation suppression. Horizontal motion of a cart with s mathematical pendula is studied as an example. At first, a control by the Pontryagin maximum principle that minimizes the functional of the squared control force is suggested. This approach results in a nonholonomic constraint of order . In order to develop a control we propose to employ the generalized Gauss principle which underlies the theory of motion of nonholonomic systems with high‐order constraints. In this case, the motion is more smooth than the Pontryagin maximum principle suggests. In addition, by increasing the order of the generalized Gauss principle (when solving the extended boundary‐value problem) one manages to get rid of jumps in the control at the beginning and end of motion which are characteristic for the Pontryagin maximum principle. We also discuss the singular points of solutions that appear when solving the extended boundary‐value problems.
Aerospace electronics reliability prediction: application of two advanced probabilistic techniques
Authors: Suhir E.
Published: December 2017

Two advanced probabilistic design‐for‐reliability (PDfR) techniques are addressed in application to the prediction, quantification and assurance of the reliability of aerospace electronics: 1) Boltzmann‐Arrhenius‐Zhurkov's (BAZ) model, which enables to develop a simple, easy‐to‐use and physically meaningful methodology for the evaluation of the probability of failure (PoF) of an electronic device after the given time in operation at the given temperature and under the given (anticipated) stress (not necessarily mechanical), and 2) Extreme Value Distribution (EVD) technique, which can be used to account for the number of repetitive loadings that eventually lead to the material/device failure by closing, in a step‐wise fashion, the gap between its strength/capacity (characterized and quantified by its stress‐free activation energy) and the applied stress/demand. It is shown that the material degradation (aging, damage accumulation, flaw propagation) can be viewed, when BAZ model is considered, as a Markovian process, and that the BAZ model can be obtained as the steady‐state solution to the Fokker‐Planck equation in the theory of Markovian processes. It is shown also that the BAZ equation addresses the worst and reasonably conservative situation in the lifetime of an electronic system. It is suggested therefore that the transient period preceding the situation addressed by the steady‐state BAZ model need not be accounted for in engineering evaluations. As to the EVD technique, this concept attributes the degradation process to the accumulation of damages caused by a train of repetitive high‐level loadings, while low‐level loadings do not contribute appreciably to the finite lifetime of the material/device. When considering the EVD technique, the stress‐free activation energy is treated as a normally distributed random variable, and Rayleigh law is chosen, for the sake of simplicity, as the basic (generating) distribution underlying the EVD. The general concepts are illustrated by numerical examples. It is concluded that the addressed techniques should be considered as natural, physically meaningful, informative, comprehensive, and insightful approaches, especially in aerospace engineering, when electronic systems performance is critical and therefore ability to quantify this performance is imperative. Because of the very nature of such performance, the quantification of the device lifetime should be carried out on the probabilistic basis. This analysis is an extension and modification of a talk presented at the 2009 IEEE Aerospace Conference in Big Sky, Montana, USA.