bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Accelerated long-term assessment of thermal and chemical stability of bio-based phase change materials
Authors: Patel Jignesh S , Gao Elizabeth , Boddu Veera M , Stephenson Larry D , Kumar Ashok
Published: February 2016

Thermal energy storage systems incorporated with phase change materials have potential applications to control energy use by building envelopes. However, it is essential to evaluate long-term performance of the phase change materials and cost-effectiveness prior to full-scale implementation. For this reason, we have used the accelerated long-term approach for studying the thermal performance and chemical stability of a commercially available bio-based phase change material during thermal cycling over a simulated period of 20 years. The phase change material was subjected to accelerate thermal aging under controlled environmental conditions. Small samples of the phase change material were periodically removed to measure its latent heat, thermal decomposition, and chemical stability using various analytical methods such as differential scanning calorimetry, thermogravimetry analysis, and infrared spectroscopy. The topographic changes in the phase change material due to the aging process were observed using scanning electron microscopy. The differential scanning calorimetry data indicate a significant reduction of 12% in the latent heat during heating and cooling cycles during the initial 6.2 years remain nearly constant thereafter. The thermogravimetry analysis results showed that the phase change material has excellent thermal stability within the working temperature range and also shows long-term decomposition temperature stability. The Fourier transform infrared spectra of the phase change material indicate absorption of moisture but the phase change material was chemically stable over the duration of accelerated aging cycles. After several aging cycles, the baseline surface morphology appeared to be changed from uniform mix of phase change material with microstructures to segregated microstructures as evidenced by the observation of the scanning electron micrographs.
Learning for active citizenship: Are Australian youths Discovering Democracy at school?
Authors: Reichert Frank
Published: February 2016

For democratic societies to sustain, it is important to educate young people for active and democratic citizenship. This article examines the long-term yields of temporary civics and citizenship educational policies with respect to student participation at school as a precursor of political participation in adult life. The focus is on the Australian Discovering Democracy initiative and whether it improved education for active and democratic citizenship at Australian schools and, thus, contributed to actively engaged citizens. Based on the Australian National Assessment Program – Civics and Citizenship, the analysis suggests that policy initiatives can support schools in the development of experiential civics and citizenship learning in school life, especially if national governments, states and teachers cooperate. The article identifies some gains in improving active and democratic citizenship among secondary school students and concludes that Australian schools laid the foundation of prospectively increasing numbers of active democratic citizens during the past two decades.
A model-driven approach to survivability requirement assessment for critical systems
Authors: Bernardi Simona , Dranca Lacramioara , Merseguer José
Published: February 2016

Survivability is a crucial property for those systems – such as critical infrastructures or military Command and Control Information Systems – that provide essential services, since the latter must be operational even when the system is compromised due to attack or faults. This article proposes a model-driven method and a tool – MASDES– to assess the survivability requirements of critical systems. The method exploits the use of (1) (mis)use case technique and UML profiling for the specification of the survivability requirements and (2) Petri nets and model checking techniques for the requirement assessment. A survivability assessment model is obtained from an improved specification of misuse cases, which encompasses essential services, threats and survivability strategies. The survivability assessment model is then converted into a Petri net model for verifying survivability properties through model checking. The MASDES tool has been developed within the Eclipse workbench and relies on Papyrus tool for UML. It consists of a set of plug-ins that enable (1) to create a survivability system view using UML and profiling techniques and (2) to verify survivability properties. In particular, the tool performs model transformations in two steps. First, a model-to-model transformation generates, from the survivability view, a Petri net model and properties to be checked in a tool-independent format. Second, model-to-text transformations produce the Petri net specifications for the model checkers. A military Command and Control Information Systems has been used as a case study to apply the method and to evaluate the MASDES tool, within an iterative-incremental software development process.
Inpatient illness severity surveys provide essential data for planning capacity and managing patient flow in the acute hospital setting
Authors: Garland Adam , Ashton-Cleary David , Sinclair Ray
Published: February 2016

Purpose

We aimed to determine if Modified Early Warning Score could be used as a surrogate for the Association of United Kingdom University Hospitals dependency scoring in improving patient flow into higher areas of care. In particular, focus was to be placed on the impact of Critical Care expansion on the size of the populations of patients being managed outside of Critical Care with an Association of United Kingdom University Hospitals requirement of Level 2.

Materials and Methods

We conducted snapshot assessments of illness severity using Modified Early Warning Score and Association of United Kingdom University Hospitals dependency scores on all inpatients in a large, rural acute hospital during two five-day periods.

Results

A total of 3850 patients were reviewed: 1854 in Study Period 1 and 1996 during Study Period 2. A total of 3113 (80.9%) patients had an Association of United Kingdom University Hospitals care level of 0. There was no statistically significant difference between the patients reviewed in each study period when analysed by Association of United Kingdom University Hospitals care level ( p = 0.575). Eighty-nine patients required Level 2 care (inclusive of those in Critical Care). Study Period 1 had 32 Level 2 patients managed on the ward. Study Period 2 demonstrated a statistically significant increase in the proportion of these patients cared for in a Critical Care environment (37.3%–68.4% ( p = 0.0036)). This was facilitated by an expansion in Critical Care capacity between the two study periods as a result of the findings in Study Period 1.

Conclusion

We have shown that hospital inpatient data on illness severity are an essential tool in bed management and Critical Care capacity planning. We were able to demonstrate a fall in the number of Level 2 patients managed on a general ward environment following an expansion in Critical Care bed capacity. We also demonstrated that a Modified Early Warning Score of greater than 4 was associated with an increase in assessed care level requirement.
Retinal Imaging Techniques for Diabetic Retinopathy Screening
Authors: Goh James Kang Hao , Cheung Carol Y. , Sim Shaun Sebastian , Tan Pok Chien , Tan Gavin Siew Wei , Wong Tien Yin
Published: February 2016

Due to the increasing prevalence of diabetes mellitus, demand for diabetic retinopathy (DR) screening platforms is steeply increasing. Early detection and treatment of DR are key public health interventions that can greatly reduce the likelihood of vision loss. Current DR screening programs typically employ retinal fundus photography, which relies on skilled readers for manual DR assessment. However, this is labor-intensive and suffers from inconsistency across sites. Hence, there has been a recent proliferation of automated retinal image analysis software that may potentially alleviate this burden cost-effectively. Furthermore, current screening programs based on 2-dimensional fundus photography do not effectively screen for diabetic macular edema (DME). Optical coherence tomography is becoming increasingly recognized as the reference standard for DME assessment and can potentially provide a cost-effective solution for improving DME detection in large-scale DR screening programs. Current screening techniques are also unable to image the peripheral retina and require pharmacological pupil dilation; ultra-widefield imaging and confocal scanning laser ophthalmoscopy, which address these drawbacks, possess great potential. In this review, we summarize the current DR screening methods using various retinal imaging techniques, and also outline future possibilities. Advances in retinal imaging techniques can potentially transform the management of patients with diabetes, providing savings in health care costs and resources.
Controversial Cartoons in the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict
Authors: Bourdon Jerome , Boudana Sandrine
Published: February 2016

This article analyzes the controversies triggered by sixteen cartoons about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, published in nine western countries between 2001 and 2014. For this, we use E.D. Hirsch’s distinction between the meaning of a text—which refers to the author’s intentions—and its significance—which emphasizes the contexts of production and reception. Critics focused mostly on significance, defenders on meaning. Using this distinction, we first examine the rhetoric of cartoons: stereotypes linked to antisemitism (accusations of deicide and blood libel), use of the Star of David as metonym of Israel, disputed historical analogies (between Israeli policy and Nazism or Apartheid). Second, we analyze four levels of contextual interpretations that have framed the debates: the cartoon as genre, the ethotic arguments about the cartoonist and/or newspaper’s track record, the cartoons’ historical and transnational intertextuality (especially with the Arab press), and the issue of audiences’ sensitivities. We analyze the complex exchanges of arguments that led mostly to a dialogue of the deaf, but also, in some cases, to partial agreement on the offensive character of the cartoons. We conclude that this methodology can be applied to other controversies around popular political texts, which offer similar characteristics.
The prevalence and clinical characteristics associated with Diagnostic and Statistical Manual Version-5-defined anxious distress specifier in adults with major depressive disorder: results from the International Mood Disorders Collaborative Project
Authors: McIntyre Roger S. , Woldeyohannes Hanna O. , Soczynska Joanna K. , Vinberg Maj , Cha Danielle S. , Lee Yena , Gallaugher Laura A. , Dale Roman S. , Alsuwaidan Mohammad T. , Mansur Rodrigo B. , Muzina David J. , Carvalho Andre , Kennedy Sidney
Published: February 2016

Objectives:

The aim of the study was to evaluate the prevalence of and illness characteristics in adults with major depressive disorder (MDD) with anxious distress specifier (ADS) enrolled in the International Mood Disorders Collaborative Project, which is a collaborative research platform at the Mood Disorders Psychopharmacology Unit, University of Toronto, Canada and the Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, Ohio, USA.

Methods:

Data from participants who met criteria for a current major depressive episode as part of MDD ( n = 830) were included in this post hoc analysis. Diagnostic and Statistical Manual Version-5-defined ADS was operationalized as the presence of at least two out of three proxy items instead of two out of five specifiers.

Results:

A total of 464 individuals (i.e. 56%) met criteria for ADS. There were no between-group differences in sociodemographic variables (e.g. gender, employment, marital status). Greater severity of illness was observed in adults with ADS as evidenced by a higher number of hospitalizations, higher rates of suicidal ideation, greater depressive symptom severity, greater workplace impairment, decreased quality of life, and greater self-reported cognitive impairment.

Conclusions:

Our findings underscore the importance of evaluating ADS in adults with MDD as its presence identifies a subpopulation with greater illness-associated burden and hazards.
Profiling of Alzheimer’s disease patients in Puerto Rico: A comparison of two distinct socioeconomic areas
Authors: Camacho-Mercado Clara L , Figueroa Raúl , Acosta Heriberto , Arnold Steven E , Vega Irving E
Published: February 2016

Objective:

The Latino/Hispanic community in the United States is at higher risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease than other ethnic groups. Specifically, Caribbean Hispanics showed a more severe Alzheimer’s disease symptomatology than any other ethnic group. In a previous study, we demonstrated that the mortality rate associated with Alzheimer’s disease in Puerto Rico is higher than that reported in the United States. Moreover, the mortality rate associated with Alzheimer’s disease was higher among Puerto Rican living in Puerto Rico than those in the mainland United States. There is also a differential geographical distribution of mortality rate associated with Alzheimer’s disease in Puerto Rico, which may be associated with differential socioeconomic status and/or access to healthcare. However, there is no information regarding the clinical profile of Alzheimer’s disease patients in Puerto Rico.

Methods:

Here, we present the results of a retrospective study directed to profile Alzheimer’s disease patients clustered into two groups based on areas previously determined with low (Metro Region) and high (Northwest-Central Region) mortality rate associated with Alzheimer’s disease in Puerto Rico.

Results:

Significant difference in the age-at-diagnosis and years of education was found among patients within the two studied regions. Despite these differences, both regions showed comparable levels of initial and last Mini Mental State Examination scores and rate of cognitive decline. Significant difference was also observed in the occurance of co-morbidities associated with Alzheimer’s disease.

Conclusions:

The differential profile of Alzheimer’s disease patients correlated with differences in socioeconomic status between these two regions, suggesting that covariant associated with social status may contribute to increased risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease. Further studies should be conducted to determine the role of socioeconomic factors and healthy living practices as risk factors for Alzheimer’s disease.
Going positive: The effects of negative and positive advertising on candidate success and voter turnout
Authors: Malloy Liam C , Pearson-Merkowitz Shanna
Published: February 2016

Given the depth of research on negative advertising in campaigns, scholars have wondered why candidates continue to attack their opponents. We build on this research by considering real-world campaign contexts in which candidates are working in competition with each other and have to react to the decisions of the opposing campaign. Our results suggest that it is never efficacious for candidates to run attack ads, but running positive ads can increase a candidate’s margin of victory. These results are conditioned by two factors: candidates must both stay positive and out-advertise their opponent. Second, the effects of positive advertising are strongest in areas where the candidate is losing or winning by a large margin—areas where they might be tempted to not advertise at all.
Two Cross-Platform Programs for Inferences and Interval Estimation About Indirect Effects in Mediational Models
Authors: Falk Carl F. , Biesanz Jeremy C.
Published: February 2016

In this article, we describe two new programs that compute both p-values and confidence intervals (CI) for the indirect effect in mediational models, including (a) a p-value based on the partial posterior method, which we refer to as p3 computed across the posterior distribution of the regression coefficients; (b) a variant of p3 that uses a normal approximation for the posterior distributions, p3N; (c) Hierarchical Bayesian CIs (CIHB) based on the posterior distributions of the regression coefficients; and (d) CIs based on the Monte Carlo method (CIMC). These programs do not require access to raw data as do resampling methods. Similar to Sobel’s test, p3 and p3N constitute a single p-value for the indirect effect while performing substantially better in terms of Type I and II error rates. Furthermore, we include a memory efficient computational algorithm for CIHB and CIMC that allows for precision beyond that in existing alternative implementations. The underlying programs can utilize multicore processors, and their performance is tested through a simulation study. Finally, the use of these programs is illustrated with an empirical example.
Harmonic Frequency Lowering
Authors: Kirchberger Martin , Russo Frank A.
Published: February 2016

A novel algorithm for frequency lowering in music was developed and experimentally tested in hearing-impaired listeners. Harmonic frequency lowering (HFL) combines frequency transposition and frequency compression to preserve the harmonic content of music stimuli. Listeners were asked to make judgments regarding detail and sound quality in music stimuli. Stimuli were presented under different signal processing conditions: original, low-pass filtered, HFL, and nonlinear frequency compressed. Results showed that participants reported perceiving the most detail in the HFL condition. In addition, there was no difference in sound quality across conditions.
New insights into the use of multi-mode phenomenological constitutive equations to model extrusion film casting process
Authors: Thete Sumeet S , Doshi Pankaj , Pol Harshawardhan V
Published: February 2016

This article is concerned with the effect of the individual viscoelastic relaxation modes of a polymer melt on its behavior in polymer melt extrusion film casting process. We compare the predicted versus experimentally obtained film necking or neck-in profile as a function of draw ratio. The predicted necking profile was obtained using well-established one-dimensional isothermal flow kinematics and consisted of using two different phenomenological constitutive equations, upper convected Maxwell and Phan-Thien–Tanner, with a discrete spectrum of relaxation times. The numerical simulations, containing the two different phenomenological constitutive equations, provided an insight into the effect of the slow and the fast relaxing modes on the stresses, strains, and strain/extensional rates that develop in the molten polymer film as it is stretched from the die exit to the chill-roll. The slow relaxing modes follow trends that are directly proportional to strain (similar to Hookean solids), whereas the fast relaxing modes follow trends that are directly proportional to the stretch rate (in accordance with Newton’s law of viscosity). Comparing the numerical predictions with the experiments showed that predictions using the upper convected Maxwell constitutive equation best described the long-chain branched polymers (like low-density polyethylene, which shows extensional strain hardening) in the extrusion film casting process. On the other hand, predictions using the Phan-Thien–Tanner constitutive equation best described the linear polymers (like linear low-density polyethylene, which does not show noticeable extensional strain hardening) in the extrusion film casting process.
A meta-analysis of low-molecular-weight heparin to prevent pregnancy loss in women with inherited thrombophilia
Authors: Skeith Leslie , Carrier Marc , Kaaja Risto , Martinelli Ida , Petroff David , Schleußner Ekkehard , Laskin Carl A. , Rodger Marc A.
Published: February 2016

We performed a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials comparing low-molecular-weight heparin (LMWH) vs no LMWH in women with inherited thrombophilia and prior late (≥10 weeks) or recurrent early (<10 weeks) pregnancy loss. Eight trials and 483 patients met our inclusion criteria. There was no significant difference in livebirth rates with the use of LMWH compared with no LMWH (relative risk, 0.81; 95% confidence interval, 0.55-1.19; P = .28), suggesting no benefit of LMWH in preventing recurrent pregnancy loss in women with inherited thrombophilia.
Impact of imputation methods on the amount of genetic variation captured by a single-nucleotide polymorphism panel in soybeans
Authors: Xavier A. , Muir William M. , Rainey Katy M.
Published: February 2016

Background

Success in genome-wide association studies and marker-assisted selection depends on good phenotypic and genotypic data. The more complete this data is, the more powerful will be the results of analysis. Nevertheless, there are next-generation technologies that seek to provide genotypic information in spite of great proportions of missing data. The procedures these technologies use to impute genetic data, therefore, greatly affect downstream analyses. This study aims to (1) compare the genetic variance in a single-nucleotide polymorphism panel of soybean with missing data imputed using various methods, (2) evaluate the imputation accuracy and post-imputation quality associated with these methods, and (3) evaluate the impact of imputation method on heritability and the accuracy of genome-wide prediction of soybean traits. The imputation methods we evaluated were as follows: multivariate mixed model, hidden Markov model, logical algorithm, k-nearest neighbor, single value decomposition, and random forest. We used raw genotypes from the SoyNAM project and the following phenotypes: plant height, days to maturity, grain yield, and seed protein composition.

Results

We propose an imputation method based on multivariate mixed models using pedigree information. Our methods comparison indicate that heritability of traits can be affected by the imputation method. Genotypes with missing values imputed with methods that make use of genealogic information can favor genetic analysis of highly polygenic traits, but not genome-wide prediction accuracy. The genotypic matrix captured the highest amount of genetic variance when missing loci were imputed by the method proposed in this paper.

Conclusions

We concluded that hidden Markov models and random forest imputation are more suitable to studies that aim analyses of highly heritable traits while pedigree-based methods can be used to best analyze traits with low heritability. Despite the notable contribution to heritability, advantages in genomic prediction were not observed by changing the imputation method. We identified significant differences across imputation methods in a dataset missing 20 % of the genotypic values. It means that genotypic data from genotyping technologies that provide a high proportion of missing values, such as GBS, should be handled carefully because the imputation method will impact downstream analysis.
Non-T cell activation linker (NTAL) proteolytic cleavage as a terminator of activatory intracellular signals
Authors: Arbulo-Echevarria Mikel M , Muñoz-Miranda Juan Pedro , Caballero-García Andrés , Poveda-Díaz José L , Fernández-Ponce Cecilia , Durán-Ruiz Mª Carmen , Miazek Arkadiusz , García-Cózar Francisco , Aguado Enrique
Published: February 2016

Non-T cell activation linker is an adaptor protein that is tyrosine phosphorylated upon cross-linking of immune receptors expressed on B lymphocytes, NK cells, macrophages, basophils, or mast cells, allowing the recruitment of cytosolic mediators for downstream signaling pathways. Fas receptor acts mainly as a death receptor, and when cross-linked with Fas ligand, many proteins are proteolytically cleaved, including several signaling molecules in T and B cells. Fas receptor triggering also interferes with TCR intracellular signals, probably by means of proteolytic cleavage of several adaptor proteins. We have previously found that the adaptor linker for activation of T cells, evolutionarily related to non-T cell activation linker, is cleaved upon proapoptotic stimuli in T lymphocytes and thymocytes, in a tyrosine phosphorylation-dependent fashion. Here, we describe non-T cell activation linker proteolytic cleavage triggered in human B cells and monocytes by Fas cross-linking and staurosporine treatment. Non-T cell activation linker is cleaved, producing an N-terminal fragment of ∼22 kDa, and such cleavage is abrogated in the presence of caspase 8/granzyme B and caspase 3 inhibitors. Moreover, we have identified an aspartic acid residue at which non-T cell activation linker is cleaved, which similar to linker for activation of T cells, this aspartic acid residue is located close to tyrosine and serine residues, suggesting an interdependence of phosphorylation and proteolytic cleavage. Consistently, induction of non-T cell activation linker phosphorylation by pervanadate inhibits its cleavage. Interestingly, the truncated isoform of non-T cell activation linker, generated after cleavage, has a decreased signaling ability when compared with the full-length molecule. Altogether, our results suggest that cleavage of transmembrane adaptors constitutes a general mechanism for signal termination of immune receptors.
A synthetic study to assess the applicability of full-waveform inversion to infer snow stratigraphy from upward-looking ground-penetrating radar data
Authors: Schmid Lino , Schweizer Jürg , Bradford John , Maurer Hansruedi
Published: February 2016

Snow stratigraphy and liquid water content are key contributing factors to avalanche formation. Upward-looking ground-penetrating radar (upGPR) systems allow nondestructive monitoring of the snowpack, but deriving density and liquid water content profiles is not yet possible based on the direct analysis of the reflection response. We have investigated the feasibility of deducing these quantities using full-waveform inversion (FWI) techniques applied to upGPR data. For that purpose, we have developed a frequency-domain FWI algorithm in which we additionally took advantage of time-domain features such as the arrival times of reflected waves. Our results indicated that FWI applied to upGPR data is generally feasible. More specifically, we could show that in the case of a dry snowpack, it is possible to derive snow densities and layer thicknesses if sufficient a priori information is available. In case of a wet snowpack, in which it also needs to be inverted for the liquid water content, the algorithm might fail, even if sufficient a priori information is available, particularly in the presence of realistic noise. Finally, we have investigated the capability of FWI to resolve thin layers that play a key role in snow stability evaluation. Our simulations indicate that layers with thicknesses well below the GPR wavelengths can be identified, but in the presence of significant liquid water, the thin-layer properties may be prone to inaccuracies. These results are encouraging and motivate applications to field data, but significant issues remain to be resolved, such as the determination of the generally unknown upGPR source function and identifying the optimal number of layers in the inversion models. Furthermore, a relatively high level of prior knowledge is required to let the algorithm converge. However, we feel these are not insurmountable and the new technology has significant potential to improve field data analysis.
A downscaling strategy from FWI to microscale reservoir properties from high-resolution images
Authors: Dupuy B. , Asnaashari A. , Brossier R. , Garambois S. , Métivier L. , Ribodetti A. , Virieux J.
Published: February 2016

Extracting detailed earth information from an ensemble of seismic traces is a challenge facing full-waveform inversion. So far, success on synthetic and real data has been accomplished primarily for the twin purposes of complex structural imaging and geologic interpretation. An ongoing issue for the seismic-imaging community, in addition to building high-resolution images, is the reliable extraction of acoustic and shear velocities, anisotropic parameters, quality factors, and density. Such extractions, performed at the seismic resolution scale, should help greatly with quantitative interpretation and estimation of rock properties. A step toward this goal is described here. A generic rock-physics model is assumed, which upscales microscale rock-physics properties to mesoscale (effective-medium) poroelastic quantities to be recovered from macroscale estimates of seismic attributes. It is shown on simple synthetic examples that quantitative multiparameter reconstruction, when it is possible, can reduce ambiguities in mesoscale parameter estimation dramatically, using a semiglobal search. Successful estimation of these effective-medium quantities will narrow the range of possible rock-physics estimations to be considered for seismic imaging target zones. For example, estimating the P-wave quality factor along with P-wave velocity from full-waveform inversion is shown to change the estimation of mesoscale parameters significantly, assuming that the upscaling of the rock-physics model and the recovered macroscale parameters are well constrained. In addition, shear-wave information is shown to be crucial for pressure-saturation discrimination. The inferred information at the reservoir level, resulting from full-waveform inversion and subsequent mesoscale estimation, can be useful for reservoir characterization.
Image-log calibration of fracture-azimuth and fracture-density attributes from OVT prestack depth-migrated data
Authors: Lynn Heloise Bloxsom
Published: February 2016

Potentials and limitations for acquisition and processing are examined, given the industry's interest in quantifying orthorhombic anisotropy contained in 3D P-P field data. A field-data case presents one aspect of azimuthal prestack amplitudes and demonstrates these limitations and potentials. Careful amplitude analysis of azimuth-limited near-offset prestack migrated volumes reveals significant azimuthal variations that are consistent with calibration measurements.
Spectral decomposition and spectral balancing of seismic data
Authors: Chopra Satinder , Marfurt Kurt J.
Published: February 2016

The interpretation of discrete stratigraphic features on seismic data is limited by its bandwidth and its signal-to-noise ratio. Unfortunately, well-resolved reflections from the top and base of subtle stratigraphic geologic boundaries occur only for thick features imaged by broadband data. Seismically thin stratigraphic features approaching a quarter-wavelength in thickness give rise to composite, or “tuned,” seismic reflections. Different spectral-decomposition methods provide an effective way of examining the seismic response of stratigraphic geologic features in terms of spectral components and thus help in interpretation. Phase components help with interpretation of the discontinuity features as well as stratigraphic features such as onlap, offlap, and erosional unconformities. Applications of an often overlooked attribute derived during spectral decomposition, called the voice components, can be illustrated in terms of more accurate interpretation of the subsurface features. An “amplitude-friendly” method for spectral balancing enhances the frequency content of the data and preserves the geologic tuning features and amplitudes. Spectral decomposition of seismic data that are spectrally balanced and interpreted in terms of voice components leads to more accurate definition of the features of interest.
Establishing minimum economic field size and analyzing its role in exploration-project risks assessment: A practical approach
Authors: Stigliano H. , Singh V. , Yemez I. , Izaguirre E.
Published: February 2016

The upstream E&P industry is one of the riskiest businesses in which to invest and is dominated by different types of uncertainties: political, economic, social, and technical. Many factors can lead to optimistic or pessimistic risk assessment. Overestimation, underestimation, misidentifying critical risks, overselling projects, and underselling projects are some of the problems. For consistent risk analysis of exploration projects, a systematic approach is used that includes geologic risk, minimum economic field size (MEFS), resource-size distribution, development cost, rate streams, commodity price, and discount rate. This approach requires highly skilled geoscientists and reservoir, facility, and drilling engineers to estimate field-development costs, generate the economic indicator, rank the exploratory prospects' potential success, and support the business decisions. The definition of “exploration success” contains two main variables: (1) probability of geologic success (Pg) and (2) probability of economic success (Pe). To remove the risk of subeconomic volumes from the volumetric distribution, the industry uses the estimation of minimum required resources for the full project life cycle, considering the most likely development scenario. An effort is made to describe the appropriate MEFS estimation methodology, which is an essential component for consistent exploratory-project risk analysis. The influence of key parameters on MEFS estimation, including some illustrative examples, also are analyzed to demonstrate the criticality of MEFS estimation and its impact on exploratory-prospect risk assessment and to achieve an overall economic success.
A user guide to the geophysical tutorials
Authors: Hall Matt
Published: February 2016

Every other month since February 2014, The Leading Edge has published a geophysical tutorial. The dozen installments so far have spanned a wide range of topics, from basics such as well ties to more involved subjects such as compressed sensing — and everything in between.
2015 SEG Near-Surface Annual Meeting recap
Authors: Mikesell Dylan
Published: February 2016

The SEG Near-Surface Technical Section (NSTS) had many great events this year at the SEG Annual Meeting. John Lane, SEG NSTS chair, started the week off by attending the SEG Council Meeting and was able to experience the procedural aspects of the SEG Council. The official kickoff for near-surface geophysics was a poster session on Monday, which included a good group of students and young professionals involved in both presentations and judging. There were great discussions and excellent posters.
Reviews
Authors: Moon Wooil M.
Published: February 2016

Modern Observational Physical Oceanography: Understanding The Global Ocean, by Carl Wunsch, ISBN 978-0-691-15882-2, 2015, Princeton University Press, 512 pp., US $99.50.
SAS Focus
Authors: Albannagi Mohammad
Published: February 2016

The Dhahran Geoscience Society (DGS) is a nonprofit organization based in Dhahran, Saudi Arabia. The society was founded in 1987 by a group of enthusiastic geologists who anticipated the need for a platform to share technical ideas and promote professional development within the local oil and gas exploration community.
Translational Breast Cancer Research Consortium (TBCRC) 022: A Phase II Trial of Neratinib for Patients With Human Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor 2–Positive Breast Cancer and Brain Metastases
Authors: Freedman Rachel A. , Gelman Rebecca S. , Wefel Jeffrey S. , Melisko Michelle E. , Hess Kenneth R. , Connolly Roisin M. , Van Poznak Catherine H. , Niravath Polly A. , Puhalla Shannon L. , Ibrahim Nuhad , Blackwell Kimberly L. , Moy Beverly , Herold Christina , Liu Minetta C. , Lowe Alarice , Agar Nathalie Y.R. , Ryabin Nicole , Farooq Sarah , Lawler Elizabeth , Rimawi Mothaffar F. , Krop Ian E. , Wolff Antonio C. , Winer Eric P. , Lin Nancy U.
Published: February 2016

Purpose

Evidence-based treatments for metastatic, human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)–positive breast cancer in the CNS are limited. Neratinib is an irreversible inhibitor of erbB1, HER2, and erbB4, with promising activity in HER2-positive breast cancer; however, its activity in the CNS is unknown. We evaluated the efficacy of treatment with neratinib in patients with HER2-positive breast cancer brain metastases in a multicenter, phase II open-label trial.

Patients and Methods

Eligible patients were those with HER2-positive brain metastases (≥ 1 cm in longest dimension) who experienced progression in the CNS after one or more line of CNS-directed therapy, such as whole-brain radiotherapy, stereotactic radiosurgery, and/or surgical resection. Patients received neratinib 240 mg orally once per day, and tumors were assessed every two cycles. The primary endpoint was composite CNS objective response rate (ORR), requiring all of the following: ≥50% reduction in volumetric sum of target CNS lesions and no progression of non-target lesions, new lesions, escalating corticosteroids, progressive neurologic signs/symptoms, or non-CNS progression—the threshold for success was five of 40 responders.

Results

Forty patients were enrolled between February 2012 and June 2013; 78% of patients had previous whole-brain radiotherapy. Three women achieved a partial response (CNS objective response rate, 8%; 95% CI, 2% to 22%). The median number of cycles received was two (range, one to seven cycles), with a median progression-free survival of 1.9 months. Five women received six or more cycles. The most common grade ≥ 3 event was diarrhea (occurring in 21% of patients taking prespecified loperamide prophylaxis and 28% of those without prophylaxis). Patients in the study experienced a decreased quality of life over time.

Conclusion

Although neratinib had low activity and did not meet our threshold for success, 12.5% of patients received six or more cycles. Studies combining neratinib with chemotherapy in patients with CNS disease are ongoing.
Prognostic Effect of Tumor Lymphocytic Infiltration in Resectable Non–Small-Cell Lung Cancer
Authors: Brambilla Elisabeth , Le Teuff Gwénaël , Marguet Sophie , Lantuejoul Sylvie , Dunant Ariane , Graziano Stephen , Pirker Robert , Douillard Jean-Yves , Le Chevalier Thierry , Filipits Martin , Rosell Rafael , Kratzke Robert , Popper Helmut , Soria Jean-Charles , Shepherd Frances A. , Seymour Lesley , Tsao Ming Sound
Published: February 2016

Purpose

Tumor lymphocytic infiltration (TLI) has differing prognostic value among various cancers. The objective of this study was to assess the effect of TLI in lung cancer.

Patients and Methods

A discovery set (one trial, n = 824) and a validation set (three trials, n = 984) that evaluated the benefit of platinum-based adjuvant chemotherapy in non–small-cell lung cancer were used as part of the LACE-Bio (Lung Adjuvant Cisplatin Evaluation Biomarker) study. TLI was defined as intense versus nonintense. The main end point was overall survival (OS); secondary end points were disease-free survival (DFS) and specific DFS (SDFS). Hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% CIs associated with TLI were estimated through a multivariable Cox model in both sets. TLI-histology and TLI-treatment interactions were explored in the combined set.

Results

Discovery and validation sets with complete data included 783 (409 deaths) and 763 (344 deaths) patients, respectively. Median follow-up was 4.8 and 6 years, respectively. TLI was intense in 11% of patients in the discovery set compared with 6% in the validation set (P < .001). The prognostic value of TLI in the discovery set (OS: HR, 0.56; 95% CI, 0.38 to 0.81; P = .002; DFS: HR, 0.59; 95% CI, 0.42 to 0.83; P = .002; SDFS: HR, 0.56; 95% CI, 0.38 to 0.82; P = .003) was confirmed in the validation set (OS: HR, 0.45; 95% CI, 0.23 to 0.85; P = .01; DFS: HR, 0.44; 95% CI, 0.24 to 0.78; P = .005; SDFS: HR, 0.42; 95% CI, 0.22 to 0.80; P = .008) with no heterogeneity across trials (P ≥ .38 for all end points). No significant predictive effect was observed for TLI (P ≥ .78 for all end points).

Conclusion

Intense lymphocytic infiltration, found in a minority of tumors, was validated as a favorable prognostic marker for survival in resected non–small-cell lung cancer.
Comparative Effectiveness of Minimally Invasive Hysterectomy for Endometrial Cancer
Authors: Wright Jason D. , Burke William M. , Tergas Ana I. , Hou June Y. , Huang Yongmei , Hu Jim C. , Hillyer Grace Clarke , Ananth Cande V. , Neugut Alfred I. , Hershman Dawn L.
Published: February 2016

Purpose

Despite the potential benefits of minimally invasive hysterectomy for uterine cancer, population-level data describing the procedure’s safety in unselected patients are lacking. We examined the use of minimally invasive surgery and the association between the route of the procedure and long-term survival.

Methods

We used the SEER-Medicare database to identify women with stage I-III uterine cancer who underwent hysterectomy from 2006 to 2011. Patients who underwent abdominal hysterectomy were compared with those who had minimally invasive hysterectomy (laparoscopic and robot-assisted). Perioperative morbidity, use of adjuvant therapy, and long-term survival were examined after propensity score balancing.

Results

We identified 6,304 patients, including 4,139 (65.7%) who underwent abdominal hysterectomy and 2,165 (34.3%) who underwent minimally invasive hysterectomy; performance of minimally invasive hysterectomy increased from 9.3% in 2006 to 61.7% in 2011. Robot-assisted procedures accounted for 62.3% of the minimally invasive operations. Compared with women who underwent abdominal hysterectomy, minimally invasive hysterectomy was associated with a lower overall complication rate (22.7% v 39.7%; P < .001), and lower perioperative mortality (0.6% v 1.1%), but these women were more likely to receive adjuvant pelvic radiotherapy (34.3% v 31.3%) and brachytherapy (33.6% v 31.0%; P < .05). The complication rate was higher after robot-assisted hysterectomy compared with laparoscopic hysterectomy (23.7% v 19.5%; P = .03). There was no association between the use of minimally invasive hysterectomy and either overall (HR, 0.89; 95% CI, 0.75 to 1.04) or cancer-specific (HR, 0.83; 95% CI, 0.59 to 1.16) mortality.

Conclusion

Minimally invasive hysterectomy does not appear to compromise long-term survival for women with endometrial cancer.
Attenuation of High-Frequency (50–200 Hz) Thalamocortical Electroencephalographic Rhythms by Isoflurane in Rats Is More Pronounced for the Thalamus Than for the Cortex
Authors: Plourde Gilles , Reed Sean J. , Chapman C. Andrew
Published: February 2016

BACKGROUND:

Thalamocortical electroencephalographic rhythms in gamma (30–80 Hz) and high-gamma (80–200 Hz) ranges have been linked to arousal and conscious processes. We have recently shown that propofol causes a concentration-dependent attenuation of the power of thalamocortical rhythms in the 50 to 200 Hz range and that this effect is far more pronounced for the thalamus. To determine whether similar attenuation occurs with other anesthetics, we characterized the concentration-effect relationship of the inhaled anesthetic isoflurane on the spectral power of these rhythms.

METHODS:

Local field potentials were recorded from the barrel cortex and ventroposteromedial thalamic nucleus in 9 chronically instrumented rats to measure spectral power in the gamma/high-gamma range (30–200 Hz). Rats were placed in an airtight chamber and isoflurane was administered at 0.75%, 1.1%, and 1.5% concentrations. Spectral power was assessed during baseline, at the 3 isoflurane concentrations after 30 minutes for equilibration, and during recovery over 4 frequency bands (30–50, 51–75, 76–125, and 126–200 Hz). Unconsciousness was defined as sustained loss of righting reflex. Multiple linear regression was used to model the change in power (after logarithmic transformation) as a function of concentration and recording site. P values were corrected for multiple comparisons.

RESULTS:

Unconsciousness occurred at the 1.1% concentration in all animals. Isoflurane caused a robust (P ≤ 0.008) linear concentration-dependent attenuation of cortical and thalamic power in the 30 to 200 Hz range. The concentration-effect slope for the thalamus was steeper than for the cortex in the 51 to 75 Hz (P = 0.029) and 76 to 200 Hz (P < 0.001) ranges but not for the 30 to 50 Hz range (P = 0.320). Comparison with our previously published propofol data showed that slope for cortical power was steeper with isoflurane than with propofol for all frequency bands (P = 0.033). For thalamic power, the slope differences between isoflurane and propofol were not statistically significant (0.087 ≤ P ≤ 0.599).

CONCLUSIONS:

Isoflurane causes a concentration-dependent attenuation of the power of thalamocortical rhythms in the 30 to 200 Hz range, and this effect is more pronounced for the thalamus than for the cortex for frequencies >50 Hz. In comparison with propofol, isoflurane caused a greater attenuation in the cortex, but the effects on the thalamus were similar. Isoflurane and propofol cause common alterations of fast thalamocortical rhythms that may constitute an electrophysiologic signature of the anesthetized state.
On the development of extragonadal and gonadal human germ cells
Authors: Heeren A. Marijne , He Nannan , de Souza Aline F. , Goercharn-Ramlal Angelique , van Iperen Liesbeth , Roost Matthias S. , Gomes Fernandes Maria M. , van der Westerlaken Lucette A. J. , Chuva de Sousa Lopes Susana M.
Published: February 2016

Human germ cells originate in an extragonadal location and have to migrate to colonize the gonadal primordia at around seven weeks of gestation (W7, or five weeks post conception). Many germ cells are lost along the way and should enter apoptosis, but some escape and can give rise to extragonadal germ cell tumors. Due to the common somatic origin of gonads and adrenal cortex, we investigated whether ectopic germ cells were present in the human adrenals. Germ cells expressing DDX4 and/or POU5F1 were present in male and female human adrenals in the first and second trimester. However, in contrast to what has been described in mice, where ‘adrenal’ and ‘ovarian’ germ cells seem to enter meiosis in synchrony, we were unable to observe meiotic entry in human ‘adrenal’ germ cells until W22. By contrast, ‘ovarian’ germ cells at W22 showed a pronounced asynchronous meiotic entry. Interestingly, we observed that immature POU5F1+ germ cells in both first and second trimester ovaries still expressed the neural crest marker TUBB3, reminiscent of their migratory phase. Our findings highlight species-specific differences in early gametogenesis between mice and humans. We report the presence of a population of ectopic germ cells in the human adrenals during development.
Hedgehog signalling
Authors: Lee Raymond Teck Ho , Zhao Zhonghua , Ingham Philip W.
Published: February 2016

The Hedgehog (Hh) signalling pathway is one of the key regulators of metazoan development. Hh proteins have been shown to play roles in many developmental processes and have become paradigms for classical morphogens. Dysfunction of the Hh pathway underlies a number of human developmental abnormalities and diseases, making it an important therapeutic target. Interest in Hh signalling thus extends across many fields, from evo-devo to cancer research and regenerative medicine. Here, and in the accompanying poster, we provide an outline of the current understanding of Hh signalling mechanisms, highlighting the similarities and differences between species.
View from the heart: cardiac fibroblasts in development, scarring and regeneration
Authors: Furtado Milena B. , Nim Hieu T. , Boyd Sarah E. , Rosenthal Nadia A.
Published: February 2016

In the adult, tissue repair after injury is generally compromised by fibrosis, which maintains tissue integrity with scar formation but does not restore normal architecture and function. The process of regeneration is necessary to replace the scar and rebuild normal functioning tissue. Here, we address this problem in the context of heart disease, and discuss the origins and characteristics of cardiac fibroblasts, as well as the crucial role that they play in cardiac development and disease. We discuss the dual nature of cardiac fibroblasts, which can lead to scarring, pathological remodelling and functional deficit, but can also promote heart function in some contexts. Finally, we review current and proposed approaches whereby regeneration could be fostered by interventions that limit scar formation.