bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
ROCK‐TAZ signaling axis regulates mechanical tension‐induced osteogenic differentiation of rat cranial sagittal suture mesenchymal stem cells
Authors: Li Wenlei , Zhao Jing , Wang Jialu , Sun Lian , Xu Haiyang , Sun Wen , Pan Yongchu , Wang Hua , Zhang Wei‐Bing
Published: January 2020

Mechanical force across sutures is able to promote suture osteogenesis. Orthodontic clinics often use this biological characteristic of sutures to treat congenital cranio‐maxillofacial malformations. However, the underlying mechanisms still remain poorly understood. Craniofacial sutures provide a special growth source and support primary sites of osteogenesis. Here, we isolated rat sagittal suture cells (rSAGs), which had mesenchymal stem cell characteristics and differentiating abilities. Cells were then subjected to mechanical tension (5% elongation, 0.5 Hz; sinusoidal waveforms) showing that mechanical tension could enhance osteogenic differentiation but hardly affect proliferation of rSAGs. Besides, mechanical tension could increase Rho‐associated kinase (ROCK) expression and enhance transcriptional coactivator with PDZ‐binding motif (TAZ) nuclear translocation. Inhibiting ROCK expression could suppress tension‐induced osteogenesis and block tension‐induced upregulation of nuclear TAZ. In addition, our results indicated that TAZ had direct combination sites with runt‐related transcription factor 2 (Runx2) in rSAGs, and knock‐downed TAZ simultaneously decreased the expression of Runx2 no matter with or without mechanical tension. In summary, our findings demonstrated that the multipotency of rSAGs in vitro could give rise to early osteogenic differentiation under mechanical tension, which was mediated by ROCK‐TAZ signal axis.
Morphology and distribution of antennal sensilla in a parasitoid fly, Gymnosoma rotundatum (Diptera: Tachinidae)
Authors: Roh Gwang H. , Lee Yeon J. , Park Chung G.
Published: January 2020

Morphology of antennal sensilla and their distribution were investigated in male and female adults of the parasitoid fly Gymnosoma rotundatum (Diptera: Tachinidae) using scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The overall length and shape were not different between males and females from each other. Three basic types of sensilla (sensilla basiconica, s. chaetica, and s. coeloconica) were identified from both sexes, but with variations in numbers and distribution along the antennae. The s. basiconica and s. chaetica could be divided further into subtypes; s. basiconica into three subtypes and s. chaetica into two subtypes. All the basiconica subtypes 1, 2, and 3 were multiporous, indicating that their primary function was olfactory. The sensilla basiconica was most abundant on the antennae of both sexes. The abundance of s. basiconica subtype 1 was different, but other subtypes 2 and 3 were similar between males and females. There was no pore on the cuticular surface of the s. chaetica and s. coeloconica, suggesting that they are likely to be a mechanosensory or a thermohygroreceptory function. The abundance of the two sensillum types was similar between males and females. The morphological information obtained in our study provides a basis for future investigations into the sensory physiological function, and associated behaviors, of each type of sensilla in this parasitoid fly.
Evolution of cellular stress response mechanisms
Authors: Kültz Dietmar
Published: January 2020

The cellular stress response (CSR) is pervasive to all domains of life. It has shaped the interaction between organisms and their environment since the origin of the first cell. Although the CSR has been subject to a myriad of nuanced modifications in the various branches of life present today, its core features remain preserved. The scientific literature covering the CSR is enormous and the broad scope of this brief overview was challenging. However, it is critical to conceptually understand how cells respond to stress in a holistic sense and to point out how fundamental aspects of the CSR framework are integrated. It was necessary to be extremely selective and not feasible to even mention many interesting and important developments in this expansive field. The purpose of this overview is to sketch out general and emerging CSR concepts with an emphasis on the initial cellular strain resulting from stress (macromolecular damage) and the evolutionarily most highly conserved elements of the CSR. Examples emphasize fish and aquatic invertebrates to highlight what is known in organisms beyond mammals, yeast, and other common models. Nonetheless, select pioneering studies using canonical models are also considered and the concepts discussed are applicable to all cells. More detail on important aspects of the CSR in aquatic animals is provided in the accompanying articles of this special issue.
Family storytelling about hereditary cancer: Framing shared understandings of risk
Authors: Campbell‐Salome Gemme , Rauscher Emily A.
Published: January 2020

Family communication about the family's health history (FHH) is an important step in alerting individuals to their hereditary disease risks and facilitating prevention. Individuals often communicate about the FHH of hereditary cancer as a story, which highlights the importance of analyzing family narratives of hereditary cancer to better understand their relation to psychological and physical well‐being. This study investigates the content of family stories by examining how narrative tone and framing relate to coping, perceptions of risk, and medical decision‐making. The current study recruited 42 family dyads with a prevalent FHH of hereditary cancer to participate in dyadic phone interviews to jointly tell their family narrative of hereditary cancer. Using an iterative analysis, findings examine how families create a shared understanding of FHH and hereditary risk. Narrative tone reflects participants' psychological well‐being and contributed to the way families framed their experiences. Common frames to family narratives of hereditary cancer included empowerment, adversity, laissez faire, and discrepant. Each frame gave insight into how families were coping, their perceptions of risk, and how they make medical decisions to manage those risks. Developing a better understanding of how families communicate about their hereditary cancer risks can aid in designing clinical interventions to help families re‐frame their stories to promote improved health outcomes.
Efficient reactions for the synthesis of pyrazolo[3,4‐b]pyridine and pyrano[2,3‐c]pyrazole derivatives from N‐methyl‐1‐(methylthio)‐2‐nitroethen‐1‐amine
Authors: Ji Yifan , Li Li , Zhu Guangzhou , Zhou Ya , Lu Xinchi , He Wenjing , Gao Lijiu , Rong Liangce
Published: January 2020

The efficient and novel method for the synthesis of pyrazolo[3,4‐b]pyridine and pyrano[2,3‐c]pyrazole derivatives from the multicomponent reaction of aromatic aldehydes (isatins), N‐methyl‐1‐(methylthio)‐2‐nitroethen‐1‐amine, and 3‐aminopyrazole or methyl 3‐hydroxy‐1H‐pyrazole‐5‐carboxylate under normal laboratory conditions was reported in this research. The advantages of this research are wide range of substrates, high yields, and simple operation.
Climatological seasonal changes of wind and rainfall in the Philippines
Authors: Matsumoto Jun , Olaguera Lyndon Mark P. , Nguyen‐Le Dzung , Kubota Hisayuki , Villafuerte Marcelino Q.
Published: January 2020

Climatological seasonal changes of rainfall and lower tropospheric circulation in and around the Philippines are analysed by utilizing the TRMM 3B42 to obtain the 5‐day mean rainfall and ERA‐Interim wind data for the period 1998–2013. In particular, climatological onset and withdrawal processes of the southwest (SW) and northeast (NE) monsoon are investigated. It is found that the onset of the SW monsoon occurs abruptly in mid‐May almost simultaneously over the Philippines except in the southern region. The start of the SW monsoon in the Philippines occurs earlier in the north than in the south. In addition, a climatological increase in rainfall on the west coast precedes the SW monsoon arrival by approximately two pentads, due to tropical cyclone influences in some years. After the SW monsoon onset, the monsoon trough is located over the southern Philippines. In mid‐June, the monsoon trough begins to deepen, and migrates northward to the central Philippines, and easterly winds intrude shortly to the northern Philippines. Then, the entire Philippines is covered by the summer monsoon westerly in early July, which is followed by the rainfall peak over the west coast region occurring in early August. The SW monsoon begins to retreat from the north in mid‐September, and fully retreats from the Philippines rather suddenly in late September. In general, the rainfall amount in the west coastal region remains high for approximately 2 months after this wind reversal, showing relatively larger post monsoon rainfall due mainly to tropical cyclone effects. During the NE monsoon season, the rainfall centre in the east coast is located in the northern and central region until mid‐December. Afterwards it is anchored in the southern region from late December to mid‐March, indicating the fully established NE monsoon season.
Multiple possibilities for future precipitation changes in Asia under the Paris Agreement
Authors: Zhang Jintao , Wang Fang , Tokarska Katarzyna B. , Yang Zongliang
Published: January 2020

Future precipitation changes impact the availability of water resources and related flood and drought events. Recent studies have focused on the variations in precipitation based on the Representative Concentration Pathways scenarios, which do not reflect the current mitigation commitments of the Paris Agreement to stabilize the global mean temperature below the 2.0°C threshold. This paper analyzes the Asian precipitation response to emissions scenarios from warming. This response is a result of the Intended Nationally Determined Contributions (INDC) pledges (as of August 2018), which would satisfy the Paris Agreement target over the next few decades. Our results demonstrate that by the end of 21st century, mean precipitation in Asia will increase by 12.9% (11.7–14.7%) for a delayed action (No‐policy) scenario, 8.0% (6.7–8.8%) for a continued mitigation action (continued INDC‐pledge) scenario, and 2.4% (1.9–3.5%) and 4.4% (3.7–5.4%) for scenarios that stabilize the global mean temperature at the 1.5 and 2.0°C levels, respectively. The spatial heterogeneity of precipitation changes, however, reflects the complexity of precipitation responses in future climate projections. Furthermore, heavy rainfall events will become stronger as warming increases; however, the trend of dry spell events varies depending on the region. Considering the impacts of precipitation‐related extremes, we determined that the projected population exposure to heavy rainfall and dry spell events will significantly increase in most Asian regions. Limiting warming to lower levels (such as 1.5 or 2.0°C) would reduce the population exposure to heavy rainfall, thereby avoiding impacts associated with precipitation extremes. These results contribute to an improved understanding of the risks related to future climate extremes. Such information is crucial for planning mitigation and adaptation activities in Asia, which is home to nearly 60% of the global population.
Polarized Raman spectra of hematite and assignment of external modes
Authors: Marshall Craig P. , Dufresne William J.B. , Rufledt Carson J.
Published: January 2020

Notwithstanding the significant practical importance of hematite, α‐Fe2O3, the complete assignment and understanding of the Raman spectrum acquired on this crystalline solid are uncertain. Above all, only one of the two external Eg phonons arising from the Γ point has been resolved and hence assigned. It is well known that the Eg mode at 294 cm−1 has been attributed to one of the two external phonons arising from the Γ point. To this end, we have undertaken studies to examine the polarized Raman scattering on a pure single crystal to gain a better understanding and assignment of phonons arising from the Γ point in the Raman spectrum of hematite. Here, we resolve and assign the previously unidentified external Eg phonon at 245 cm−1 and, additionally, confirm that the band at 294 cm−1 is an external Eg phonon, in the first‐order Raman spectrum of hematite. Further, our polarized Raman spectra display interesting polarization behavior of the 2LO mode at 1320 cm−1, where this band is only Raman active in ei||es polarization configurations.
Brazilian consensus on the diagnosis and treatment of extremities soft tissue sarcomas
Authors: Spencer Ranyell M. S. S. B. , de Camargo Veridiana P. , Silva Maria L. G. , Pinto Fabio F. E. , Costa Felipe D'Almeida , Cequeira Wagner S. , Munhoz Rodrigo R. , Mello Celso A. , Schmerling Rafael A. , Filho Waldec J. D. , Coelho Tharcisio M. , Ambrosio Alexandre V. A. , Leite Elton T. T. , Hanna Samir A. , Nakagawa Sueli A. , Baptista Andre M. , Pinheiro Rodrigo N. , de Oliveira Jadivan L. , de Araújo Marcelo Sá , de Araujo Raphael L. C. , Laporte Gustavo A. , de Almeida Quadros Claudio , de Oliveira Alexandre F. , Lopes Ademar
Published: January 2020

Introduction

Soft tissue sarcomas (STSs) are rare tumors and constitute only 1% of all tumors in adults. Indeed, due to their rarity, most cases in Brazil are not treated according to primary international guidelines.

Methods

This consensus addresses the treatment of STSs in the extremities. It was made by workgroups from Brazilian Societies of Surgical Oncology, Orthopaedics, Clinical Oncology, Pathology, Radiology and Diagnostic Imaging, and Radiation Oncology. The workgroups based their arguments on the best level of evidence in the literature and recommendations were made according to diagnosis, staging, and treatment of STSs. A meeting was held with all the invited experts and the topics were presented individually with the definition of the degree of recommendation, based on the levels of evidence in the literature.

Results

Risk factors and epidemiology were described as well as the pathological aspects and imaging. All recommendations are described with the degree of recommendation and levels of evidence.

Conclusion

Recommendations based on the best literature regional aspects were made to guide professionals who treat STS. Separate consensus on specific treatments for retroperitoneal, visceral, trunk, head and neck sarcomas, and gastrointestinal stromal tumor, are not contemplated into this consensus.
The Use of Point‐of‐Care Ultrasound to Evaluate Pulsus Paradoxus in Children With Asthma
Authors: Kharasch Sigmund J. , Jansson Paul , Liteplo Andrew S. , Gouker Stacey , Longacre McKenna , Shokoohi Hamid , Schleifer Jessica
Published: January 2020

Pulsus paradoxus (PP) is defined as a fall of systolic blood pressure of greater than 10 mm Hg during the inspiratory phase of respiration. Measurement of PP is recommended by national and international asthma guidelines as an objective measure of asthma severity but is rarely used in clinical practice. Cardiac point‐of‐care ultrasound with pulsed wave Doppler imaging measuring respiratory‐phasic changes of mitral valve inflow velocities is well described in cardiac tamponade as “sonographic” PP. We present 10 cases of acute asthma presenting to an emergency department showing the finding of sonographic determined PP in the apical 4‐chamber view of the heart on pulsed wave Doppler imaging.
Distinct Influence of Saturated Fatty Acids on Malignant and Nonmalignant Human Lung Epithelial Cells
Authors: Reczyńska Katarzyna , Khanal Dipesh , Pielichowska Kinga , Pamuła Elżbieta , Chrzanowski Wojciech
Published: January 2020

The impact of saturated fatty acids (FA) on viability and properties of malignant and nonmalignant cells has not been studied in detail so far. The present study was aimed at evaluation of the influence of saturated FA (10:0–18:0) on malignant (A459) and nonmalignant (BEAS‐2B) human lung epithelial cells. FA strongly affected A549 cells, but not BEAS‐2B cells. Viability of A549 cells incubated with 14:0–18:0 was decreased by 53–91% as compared to untreated cells. Cell membrane stiffness in those cells as measured by atomic force microscopy was also reduced. Median value of apparent Young's modulus of untreated A549 cell membrane was 16.9 kPa and it decreased to 8.9 kPa for cells incubated with 14:0. Viability and mechanical properties of BEAS‐2B cells were not altered by presence of FA. Those surprising discrepancies can be related to the differences in FA uptake rate. A549 cells were found to incorporate higher amount of FA and this corresponded to decrease in cell membrane stiffness and reduced cell viability. The performed studies showed that saturated FA have distinct influence on various types of cells, which may be exploited in development of the advanced lipid drug delivery systems.
Different carboxyl‐rich alicyclic molecules proxy compounds select distinct bacterioplankton for oxidation of dissolved organic matter in the mesopelagic Sargasso Sea
Authors: Liu Shuting , Parsons Rachel , Opalk Keri , Baetge Nicholas , Giovannoni Stephen , Bolaños Luis M. , Kujawinski Elizabeth B. , Longnecker Krista , Lu YueHan , Halewood Elisa , Carlson Craig A.
Published: January 2020

Marine dissolved organic matter (DOM) varies in its recalcitrance to rapid microbial degradation. DOM of varying recalcitrance can be exported from the ocean surface to depth by subduction or convective mixing and oxidized over months to decades in deeper seawater. Carboxyl‐rich alicyclic molecules (CRAM) are characterized as a major component of recalcitrant DOM throughout the oceanic water column. The oxidation of CRAM‐like compounds may depend on specific bacterioplankton lineages with oxidative enzymes capable of catabolizing complex molecular structures like long‐chain aliphatics, cyclic alkanes, and carboxylic acids. To investigate the interaction between bacteria and CRAM‐like compounds, we conducted microbial remineralization experiments using several compounds rich in carboxyl groups and/or alicyclic rings, including deoxycholate, humic acid, lignin, and benzoic acid, as proxies for CRAM. Mesopelagic seawater (200 m) from the northwest Sargasso Sea was used as media and inoculum and incubated over 28 d. All amendments demonstrated significant DOC removal (2–11 μmol C L−1) compared to controls. Bacterioplankton abundance increased significantly in the deoxycholate and benzoic acid treatments relative to controls, with fast‐growing Spongiibacteracea, Euryarcheaota, and slow‐growing SAR11 enriched in the deoxycholate treatment and fast‐growing Alteromonas, Euryarcheaota, and Thaumarcheaota enriched in the benzoic acid treatment. In contrast, bacterioplankton grew slower in the lignin and humic acid treatments, with oligotrophic SAR202 becoming significantly enriched in the lignin treatment. Our results indicate that the character of the CRAM proxy compounds resulted in distinct bacterioplankton removal rates of DOM and affected specific lineages of bacterioplankton capable of responding.
Effects of ethanol preservation and formalin fixation on amino acid stable isotope analysis (δ13C and δ15N) and its ecological applications
Authors: Chua Kenny W. J. , Liew Jia Huan , Shin Kyung‐Hoon , Yeo Darren C. J.
Published: January 2020

Compound‐specific isotope analysis of amino acids (CSIA‐AA) is a promising nascent technique that alleviates many shortcomings of conventional bulk‐tissue stable isotope analysis (“bulk SIA”) in ecological studies involving the tracing/reconstruction of carbon and nitrogen pathways. While CSIA‐AA has been increasingly applied to preserved tissue samples (e.g., material in natural history collections), the effects of sample preservation on amino acid δ13C and δ15N profiles are poorly understood. It is therefore unclear if mathematical correction factors are necessary for interpreting isotopic profiles of preserved samples. In this study, we investigated effects of ethanol preservation and formalin fixation on amino acid δ13C and δ15N profiles. We also assess how these effects translate to two ecological applications of CSIA‐AA: quantification of organic carbon sources, and estimation of trophic positions. Results from an 8‐week controlled experiment on freshwater fish tissue show negligible preservation effects on most amino acid δ15N profiles, and results are similar for δ13C profiles of essential amino acids. Findings from mixing models using essential amino acid δ13C profiles similarly show that preserved samples can yield robust estimates of carbon source contributions. We also empirically demonstrate, for the first time, the use of amino acid δ13C profiles to enhance δ15N‐based estimates of trophic position in food webs with multiple producers, and show that these estimates are not compromised by preservation effects. Overall, our findings support the view that amino acid δ13C and δ15N profiles from ethanol‐ and formalin‐treated CSIA‐AA samples can be directly used for addressing ecological questions.
Alignment‐Improved and Diameter‐Reduced Electrospun Polymer Fibers via the Hot‐Stretching Process
Authors: Hsu Hsun‐Hao , Chiu Yu‐Jing , Li Jia‐Wei , Tseng Hsiao‐Fan , Chang Kai‐Chieh , Chen Jiun‐Tai
Published: January 2020

Electrospinning is one of the most facile and versatile techniques to prepare polymer fibers ranging from micrometers to nanometers. Although several parameters can be tuned to control the sizes and morphologies of electrospun fibers, many obstacles are still encountered as the target sizes of the fibers are getting smaller; for example, the sizes of the fibers can be effectively reduced by lowering the polymer solution concentrations but beaded or beads‐on‐string structures are usually formed. To overcome such obstacles, here a simple technique to prepare alignment‐improved and diameter‐reduced fibers without bead formation by hot‐stretching electrospun fibers at temperatures higher than the glass transition temperatures of the polymers is developed. Polystyrene and poly(methyl methacrylate) are both used in this work as model materials. The relationship between the draw ratio and diameter of the fibers is quantitatively analyzed, demonstrating the control of the fiber diameters. Moreover, higher degrees of alignment improvement at the middle part of the fibers than those at the end part is observed, which results in lower water contact angles at the middle part of the fibers. This work provides a useful post‐treatment technique to control the sizes and orientations of electrospun polymer fibers.
Red price? Red flag! Eye‐tracking reveals how one red price can hurt a retailer
Authors: Ye Hongjun , Bhatt Siddharth , Jeong Haeyoung , Zhang Jintao , Suri Rajneesh
Published: January 2020

Retailers present prices in red color to signal savings. Past research has shown that presenting all prices in red increases perceived savings from the store. However, in practice, retailers often present just one price in red in promotion materials with multiple prices. Will consumers perceive higher savings from the store even if only one price is presented in red? This research examines this prevalent retail practice using a theoretical lens. The theoretical framework predicts that two unique learned associations with red color (red: Savings and red: Stop) play a key role in shaping consumers' perception of savings from stores that highlight only one price in red. This research proposes and empirically demonstrates that consumers perceive lower savings from stores that present only one price in red. The theoretical framework is validated using a multi‐method approach that combines the strengths of behavioral and physiological (eye‐tracking) methods. Findings from this research suggest that presenting only one price in red lowers perceived savings from the store, which may hurt sales.
Entrepreneurship in a theory of capital and finance—Illustrating the use of subjective quantification
Authors: Lewin Peter , Cachanosky Nicolas
Published: January 2020

In order to identify an entrepreneurial opportunity, calculation is required. The entrepreneur must do more than simply perceive an opportunity to do something new to create value in the marketplace. Insofar as alternative possible actions exist, the entrepreneur must choose between them. And even as the chosen opportunity is pursued, he must choose between alternative modes of production and organization in the ongoing combination of resources. The details of the kind of calculation required have been left mostly implicit in the literature. This article borrows from the finance literature to suggest a general and universal framework for such calculation and to offer one possible more specific method for using that framework for ongoing entrepreneurial judgment calls. We describe the familiar context in which entrepreneurial decisions occur and reiterate the importance of understanding the nature of capital in such a context of subjective value, uncertainty, and entrepreneurial imagination. We describe the familiar universal present value arithmetic and how it applies to entrepreneurial calculation. Finally, we take a deeper look at this framework, providing an example of one method of analysis used in financial management.
Lymphovenous anastomosis (LVA) for treatment of isolated penile lymphedema: A case report
Authors: Scaglioni Mario F. , Meroni Matteo , Fritsche Elmar
Published: January 2020

Isolated penile lymphedema is a rare but severely disabling condition due to reduced lymphatic drainage. In this area treatment opportunities are poor being that conservative management is usually not effective and surgery limited to debulking lymphangiectomy, which is indicated only in very severe cases. Lymphovenous anastomosis (LVA) has a demonstrated efficacy in treatment of upper and lower limbs lymphedema but still has few applications in genital lymphedema and none when the swelling is confined in the penis. Here we present a case of an isolated penile lymphedema treated with super‐microsurgical LVA. A 33‐year‐old patient presented swelling and pain immediately after a traumatic injury at the base of the penis. After 2 years of conservative praxis with manual lymphatic drainage of the penis and upper thigh bandage compression, no improvement of the symptoms was obtained. Indocyanine green lymphography was performed with dye injection in the glans confirming the diagnosis by showing lymphatic drainage stasis (dermal backflow). We consequently decided to undergo a surgical procedure performing lymphovenous anastomosis at the dorsum of the penis. Immediately following this intervention, both objective and subjective symptoms relief were noted with decrease of swelling and pain. The postoperative course was uneventful and at the 6 months follow up the patient reported no recurrence of the swelling even with the complete removal of compression therapy. We consider therefore that LVA may be a valid possibility for management of similar cases to provide a definitive clinical improvement.
Uniform asymptotic profiles of stationary wave propagation in perturbed two‐layered media
Authors: Isozaki Hiroshi , Kadowaki Mitsuteru , Watanabe Michiyuki
Published: January 2020

We derive an asymptotic expansion as |x|→∞, uniform with respect to the direction x/|x|, varying over
, of solutions to the reduced wave equation (the Helmholtz equation) in locally perturbed two‐layered media in
. The main difficulties arise from the conical singularities of the generalized eigenfunctions, caused by the transmitted (refracted) waves at the interface. They are overcome by the classical method of stationary phase.
The state of gender diversity in medical physics
Authors: Covington Elizabeth L. , Moran Jean M. , Paradis Kelly C.
Published: January 2020

The purpose of this study was to quantify gender diversity in leadership positions within the field of medical physics, as well as within award categories and other recognitions by the American Association of Physicists in Medicine. The April 2019 PDF version of the AAPM membership directory was searched for all users self‐reporting as holding a leadership position at their place of employment, those elected to leadership positions within the AAPM, those serving as chair of an AAPM council, and those listed as having received an award or other such recognition from AAPM (beginning in 1972 with the William D. Coolidge Award). Historical data for these categories were obtained from archived membership directories on the AAPM website. The AAPM website was also used to identify members who have served on the Medical Physics Editorial Board. The Commission on Accreditation of Medical Physics Education Programs (CAMPEP) website was used to identify the current directors of graduate and residency programs (as of July 2019). Because gender was not a reported field in any of these categories, gender was assigned by reviewing names and photographs. Percentage representation in these respects was compared to the overall percentage of women in the AAPM in 2019 (23.3%) and reported the number of women working as medical physicists globally (29.8%). Within the AAPM, the percentage of women reporting clinical leadership roles is 12.0% within the US, 13.6% in Canada, and 18.0% in all other countries combined. Women comprise only 7.5% of CAMPEP graduate program directors and 21.5% of residency program directors. The percentage of female presidents in AAPM is 8.1%. A woman has never served as Editor‐in‐Chief of Medical Physics, and the average for the past 10 yr for female board membership is 13.6%. With the exception of the John R. Cameron Young Investigators Symposium Award, the percentage of all female AAPM awardees is less than the percentage of women AAPM members. The lowest percentage of female representation within AAPM is among council chairs with only one woman having held a chair position out of 42 positions (2.4%) from 1970 to July 2019. Similar to the traditional discipline of physics, medical physics displays a clear gender disparity with regard to leadership positions, both within educational training programs and the AAPM. Further investigation into the demographics of the field and psychosocial factors affecting medical physicists may help to elucidate the origin of these disparities and inform strategies to address them.
Revenue maximization in two‐station tandem queueing systems
Authors: Wang Xinchang , Andradóttir Sigrún , Ayhan Hayriye , Suk Tonghoon
Published: January 2020

We study optimal pricing for tandem queueing systems with finite buffers. The service provider dynamically quotes prices to incoming price sensitive customers to maximize the long‐run average revenue. We present a Markov decision process model for the optimization problem. For systems with two stations, general‐sized buffers, and two or more prices, we describe the structure of the optimal dynamic pricing policy and develop tailored policy iteration algorithms to find an optimal pricing policy. For systems with two stations but no intermediate buffer, we characterize conditions under which quoting either a high or a low price to all customers is optimal and provide an easy‐to‐implement algorithm to solve the problem. Numerical experiments are conducted to compare the developed algorithms with the regular policy iteration algorithm. The work also discusses possible extensions of the obtained results to both three‐station systems and two‐station systems with price and congestion sensitive customers using numerical analysis.
A computational model for molecular interactions between curved slender fibers undergoing large 3D deformations with a focus on electrostatic, van der Waals, and repulsive steric forces
Authors: Grill Maximilian J. , Wall Wolfgang A. , Meier Christoph
Published: January 2020

This contribution proposes the first three‐dimensional (3D) beam‐beam interaction model for molecular interactions between curved slender fibers undergoing large deformations. While the general model is not restricted to a specific beam formulation, in the present work, it is combined with the geometrically exact beam theory and discretized via the finite element method. A direct evaluation of the total interaction potential for general 3D bodies requires the integration of contributions from molecule or charge distributions over the volumes of the interaction partners, leading to a six‐dimensional integral (two nested 3D integrals) that has to be solved numerically. Here, we propose a novel strategy to formulate reduced section‐section interaction laws for the resultant interaction potential between a pair of cross‐sections of two slender fibers such that only two one‐dimensional integrals along the fibers' length directions have to be solved numerically. This section‐section interaction potential (SSIP) approach yields a significant gain in efficiency, which is essential to enable the simulation of relevant time and length scales for many practical applications. In a first step, the generic structure of SSIP laws, which is suitable for the most general interaction scenario (eg, fibers with arbitrary cross‐section shape and inhomogeneous atomic/charge density within the cross‐section) is presented. Assuming circular, homogeneous cross‐sections, in a next step, specific analytical expressions for SSIP laws describing short‐range volume interactions (eg, van der Waals (vdW) or steric interactions) and long‐range surface interactions (eg, Coulomb interactions) are proposed. Besides ready‐to‐use expressions for the total interaction potential, also the resulting virtual work contributions, its finite element discretizations, as well as a suitable numerical regularization for the limit of zero separation are derived. The validity of the SSIP laws, as well as the accuracy and robustness of the general SSIP approach to beam‐beam interactions, is thoroughly verified by means of a set of numerical examples considering steric repulsion, electrostatic, or vdW adhesion.
An enhanced finite difference time domain method for two dimensional Maxwell's equations
Authors: Meagher Timothy , Jiang Bin , Jiang Peng
Published: January 2020

An enhanced finite‐difference time‐domain (FDTD) algorithm is built to solve the transverse electric two‐dimensional Maxwell's equations with inhomogeneous dielectric media where the electric fields are discontinuous across the dielectric interface. The new algorithm is derived based upon the integral version of the Maxwell's equations as well as the relationship between the electric fields across the interface. To resolve the instability issue of Yee's scheme (staircasing) caused by discontinuous permittivity across the interface, our algorithm revises the permittivities and makes some corrections to the scheme for the cells around the interface. It is also an improvement over the contour‐path effective permittivity algorithm by including some extra terms in the formulas. The scheme is validated in solving the scattering of a dielectric cylinder with exact solution from Mie theory and is then compared with the above contour‐path method, the usual staircasing and the volume‐average method. The numerical results demonstrate that the new algorithm has achieved significant improvement in accuracy over other methods. Furthermore, the algorithm has a simple structure and can be merged into current FDTD software packages easily. The C++ source code for this paper is provided as supporting information for public access.
BMI and Medically Certified Long‐Term Sickness Absence Among Japanese Employees
Authors: Endo Motoki , Inoue Yosuke , Kuwahara Keisuke , Nishiura Chihiro , Hori Ai , Ogasawara Takayuki , Yamaguchi Miwa , Nakagawa Tohru , Honda Toru , Yamamoto Shuichiro , Okazaki Hiroko , Imai Teppei , Nishihara Akiko , Miyamoto Toshiaki , Sasaki Naoko , Uehara Akihiko , Yamamoto Makoto , Murakami Taizo , Shimizu Makiko , Eguchi Masafumi , Kochi Takeshi , Nagahama Satsue , Tomita Kentaro , Kunugita Naoki , Tanigawa Takeshi , Konishi Maki , Nanri Akiko , Kabe Isamu , Mizoue Tetsuya , Dohi Seitaro ,   for the Japan Epidemiology Collaboration on Occupational Health Study Group
Published: January 2020

Objective

In contrast to the association between excess weight and sickness absence (SA), the association in relation to underweight has been under‐researched. This study aimed to examine the effects of BMI at both extremes of its distribution on SA.

Methods

Data came from the Japan Epidemiology Collaboration on Occupational Health study of 77,760 workers aged 20 to 59 years (66,166 males, 11,594 females). Information was collected on medically certified long‐term SA (LTSA) (i.e., SA lasting ≥ 30 consecutive days) from April 2012 to March 2017. A sex‐specific Cox proportional hazards model was used to investigate the associations.

Results

Among males, both obesity (hazard ratio [HR] = 1.81, 95% CI: 1.50‐2.17) and underweight (HR = 1.56, 95% CI: 1.23‐1.96) were significantly associated with LTSA compared with normal weight. This U‐shaped association between BMI categories and LTSA was observed both for mental and physical disorders. Among females, an elevated risk was observed among those with overweight (HR = 1.54, 95% CI: 1.16‐2.05).

Conclusions

In a cohort of the Japanese working‐age population, both obesity and underweight were associated with a greater risk of LTSA in males. Future research should not overlook the excess risk of LTSA associated with underweight.
Estimation of the Ballistic Parameters of Double Base Gun Propellants
Authors: Boulkadid Karim M. , Trache Djalal , Krai Samir , Lefebvre Michel H. , Jeunieau Laurence , Dejeaifve Alain
Published: January 2020

The burning properties of propellants are important inputs needed in ballistic simulation. A closed vessel experiment is employed to characterize the burning properties of gunpowder. The results obtained after testing in a closed vessel are exploited according to the development of the burning rate equation defined in the NATO Standardization Agreement. Recently a method for the estimating of the burning rate, r(p), of a solid propellant simply on the basis of pressure P(t), which had been recorded during closed vessel experiments, and a knowledge of the shape and geometric dimensions of the propellant grains, has been reported. This method does not need prior knowledge of the values of the thermodynamic properties (specific force and co‐volume) of the propellant. It has been verified on the following examples: a 4/1 single‐base propellant with cylindrical single‐perforated grains and the JA‐2 triple‐base propellant with seven‐perforated grains. In this paper, this method was corroborated for the case of spherical and flattened double base gun propellants. Additionally, based on the previous cited method, a new approach allowing the estimation of the ballistic parameters was established.
Extreme responses to immune checkpoint blockade following bipolar androgen therapy and enzalutamide in patients with metastatic castration resistant prostate cancer
Authors: Markowski Mark C. , Shenderov Eugene , Eisenberger Mario A. , Kachhap Sushant , Pardoll Drew M. , Denmeade Samuel R. , Antonarakis Emmanuel S.
Published: January 2020

Background

Immune checkpoint inhibition has been shown to have limited efficacy in patients with metastatic prostate cancer. Prostate cancers that harbor certain homologous recombination (HR) DNA repair gene mutations, inactivating CDK12 mutations or have underlying mismatch repair deficiency may be effectively treated with immunotherapy. Combination therapy may improve clinical response rates to immune checkpoint blockade. We observed profound prostate‐specific antigen (PSA) and/or objective responses to immune checkpoint blockade following prior treatment with bipolar androgen therapy (BAT) and enzalutamide.

Methods

We report three cases of patients with metastatic castration resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC) undergoing therapy with anti‐PD‐1 inhibitors. All patients underwent both somatic molecular testing and germline genetic testing.

Results

Two of the three patients with mCRPC harbored an inactivating mutation in an HR DNA repair gene (BRCA2, ATM). No patient demonstrated mismatch repair deficiency, nor were CDK12 alterations present. All three patients had been treated with BAT and enzalutamide before immune checkpoint blockade, a paradoxical approach for the treatment of mCRPC developed by our group.

Conclusions

These cases of mCRPC suggest that immune checkpoint blockade may have therapeutic potential in patients with prostate cancer, especially following immune activation (“priming”) using BAT and enzalutamide.
Simple and Accurate Prediction of AlGaN Metal‐Organic Vapor Phase Epitaxy Growth
Authors: Charles Matthew , Kanyandekwe Joël , Lafossas Matthieu
Published: January 2020

Modeling of metal‐organic vapor phase epitaxy (MOVPE) is very complex, with many effects of temperature, hydrodynamics, thermodynamics, and kinetics needing to be taken into account. However, in this study, the growth behavior of AlGaN growth for high electron mobility transistors (HEMTs) is predicted using a simple model of parasitic gas phase reactions between tri‐methyl aluminium (TMAl) and NH3, while taking into consideration desorption of AlGaN during growth with Arrhenius behavior. This leads to an average difference between predicted and measured values of around 1% for both thickness and composition calculations, which is very accurate considering the wide range of conditions used. This opens the way for simple predictions for AlGaN growth using a close‐coupled showerhead reactor within a defined process window.
Imaging Momentum–Space Two‐Particle Correlations at Surfaces
Authors: Schumann Frank O. , Kirschner Jürgen , Berakdar Jamal
Published: January 2020

Photoelectron and electron energy loss spectroscopies have been highly instrumental in revealing the various facets of electronic properties of materials. For a direct insight into two‐particle correlations, a technique is needed that resolves two emitted electrons in coincidence. Herein, an overview on the experimental realization of correlation spectroscopy and the interpretation of the recorded spectra from theory is provided. The relation of the measured spectra to the details of the spin‐, energy‐ and wavevector‐resolved electron–electron interactions is focused upon. To disentangle the contributions of exchange from the charge‐density correlation, positrons instead of electrons are used as projectiles. The short intrinsic time of the Auger decay and the neutralization of ions near a surface are used to estimate the characteristic timescale for the correlated electron dynamics in metals to be 40–400 attoseconds. The potential of conducting double photoemission studies with pulsed laser‐based light sources is addressed.
Electronic Structure and Optical Properties of YAlN: A First‐Principles Study
Authors: Xie Ying , Cai Yao , Liu Yan , Zhao Yan , Guo Shishang , Sun Chengliang , Liu Sheng
Published: January 2020

To reveal the intrinsic relationship between the electronic structure and optical properties of YxAl1−xN alloys, a comparative first‐principles study for pure AlN and YxAl1−xN alloys is conducted. In light of the density functional theory, the arrangement of yttrium (Y) atoms in the AlN supercell is first investigated, which demonstrates that the structure of Y atoms distributed locally along the c‐axis tends to be energetically favorable, compared with the structures of Y atoms lying on the same ab plane. The lattice parameters, bandgap, density of states, and optical constants are also calculated with varied Y concentration x. The results indicate that the lattice parameters increase with the ascending x, which demonstrates the distortion of the crystal structure. Moreover, the bandgaps of YxAl1−xN are found to be affected by the arrangement of Y atoms but generally with the same trend to become narrowed by the increase in x, respectively. The optical properties of YxAl1−xN alloy are adjustable by the Y concentration x in the low energy regime and correspond to the variation in the bandgaps. The theoretical results are likewise compared with the previously reported experimental data.
Antibody‐Free Hydrogel with the Synergistic Effect of Cell Imprinting and Boronate Affinity: Toward the Selective Capture and Release of Undamaged Circulating Tumor Cells
Authors: Liu Lukuan , Dong Chengyong , Li Xinwei , Li Senwu , Ma Baofu , Zhao Baofeng , Li Xiao , Liang Zhen , Yang Kaiguang , Zhang Lihua , Zhang Yukui
Published: January 2020

The selective and highly efficient capture of circulating tumor cells (CTCs) from blood and their subsequent release without damage are very important for the early diagnosis of tumors and for understanding the mechanism of metastasis. Herein, a universal strategy is proposed for the fabrication of an antibody‐free hydrogel that has a synergistic effect by featuring microinterfaces obtained by cell imprinting and molecular recognition conferred by boronate affinity. With this artificial antibody, highly efficient capture of human hepatocarcinoma SMMC‐7721 cells is achieved: as many as 90.3 ± 1.4% (n= 3) cells are captured when 1 × 105SMMC‐7721 cells are incubated on a 4.5 cm2hydrogel, and 99% of these captured cells are subsequently released without any loss of proliferation ability. In the presence of 1000 times as many nontarget cells, namely, leukaemia Jurkat cells, the SMMC‐7721 cells can be captured with an enrichment factor as high as 13.5 ± 3.2 (n= 3), demonstrating the superior selectivity of the artificial antibody for the capture of the targeted CTCs. Most importantly, the SMMC‐7721 cells can be successfully captured even when spiked into whole blood, indicating the great promise of this approach for the further molecular characterization of CTCs.
Phosphine‐Based Covalent Organic Framework for the Controlled Synthesis of Broad‐Scope Ultrafine Nanoparticles
Authors: Tao Rao , Shen Xiran , Hu Yiming , Kang Kun , Zheng Yaqian , Luo Shichang , Yang Shiyu , Li Wenliang , Lu Shuanglong , Jin Yinghua , Qiu Li , Zhang Wei
Published: January 2020

In this work, a phosphine‐based covalent organic framework (Phos‐COF‐1) is successfully synthesized and employed as a template for the confined growth of broad‐scope nanoparticles (NPs). Ascribed to the ordered distribution of phosphine coordination sites in the well‐defined pores, various stable and well‐dispersed ultrafine metal NPs including Pd, Pt, Au, and bimetallic PdAuNPs with narrow size distributions are successfully prepared as determined by transmission electron microscopy, X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy, inductively coupled plasma, and powder X‐ray diffraction analyses. It is also demonstrated that the as‐prepared Phos‐COF‐1‐supported ultrafine NPs exhibit excellent catalytic activities and recyclability toward the Suzuki–Miyaura coupling reaction, reduction of nitro‐phenol and 1‐bromo‐4‐nitrobenzene, and even tandem coupling and reduction of p‐nitroiodobenzene. This work will open many new possibilities for preparing COF‐supported ultrafine NPs with good dispersity and stability for a broad range of applications.