bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Optimization of intra‐voxel incoherent motion measurement in diffusion‐weighted imaging of breast cancer
Authors: Chen Wenjing , Zhang Juan , Long Dan , Wang Zhenchang , Zhu Jian‐Ming
Published: March 2017

Purpose

The purpose of this study was to optimize intra‐voxel incoherent motion (IVIM) measurement in diffusion‐weighted imaging (DWI) of breast cancer by separating perfusion and diffusion effects through the determination of an optimal threshold b‐value, thus benign and cancerous breast tissues can be accurately differentiated using IVIM‐derived diffusion and perfusion parameters.

Materials and Methods

Twenty‐eight patients, with biopsy‐confirmed breast cancers, were studied with a 3T MRI scanner, using T1‐weighted dynamic contrast‐enhanced MRI images, and diffusion‐weighted images with nine b‐values, ranging from 0 to 1000 s/mm². IVIM‐derived parameter maps for tissue diffusion coefficients D, perfusion fraction f, and pseudo‐diffusion coefficients D* were computed using the segmented fitting method with optimized threshold b‐value, and the sum of squared residuals (SSR) were calculated for IVIM‐derived parameters in different breast lesions.

Results

The IVIM analysis method developed in this work can separate perfusion and diffusion effects with the optimal threshold b‐value of 300 s/mm², and the results of diffusion and perfusion parameters from IVIM analysis can be used to differentiate pathological changes in breast tissues. It was found that the averages and standard deviations of the diffusion and perfusion parameters, D, f, D*, are the following, for malignant, benign and normal breast tissues respectively: D (0.813 ± 0.225 × 10−3 mm2/s, 1.437 ± 0.538 × 10−3 mm2/s, 1.838 ± 0.213 × 10−3 mm2/s), f (10.73 ± 3.44%, 7.86 ± 3.70%, 8.92 ± 3.72%), D* (15.23 ± 12.17×10−3 mm²/s, 12.02 ± 3.19 × 10−3 mm2/s, 12.03 ± 7.21 × 10−3 mm2/s).

Conclusion

IVIM‐derived diffusion and perfusion parameter maps depend highly on the choice of threshold b‐value. Using the methodology developed in this work, and with the optimized threshold b‐value, the diffusion and perfusion parameters of breast tissues can be accurately assessed, making IVIM MRI a technique of choice for differential diagnosis of breast cancer.
Developmental trajectories for young children with 16p11.2 copy number variation
Authors: Bernier Raphael , Hudac Caitlin M. , Chen Qixuan , Zeng Chubing , Wallace Arianne Stevens , Gerdts Jennifer , Earl Rachel , Peterson Jessica , Wolken Anne , Peters Alana , Hanson Ellen , Goin‐Kochel Robin P. , Kanne Stephen , Snyder LeeAnne Green , Chung Wendy K. ,   on behalf of the Simons VIP consortium
Published: March 2017

Copy number variation at 16p11.2 is associated with diverse phenotypes but little is known about the early developmental trajectories and emergence of the phenotype. This longitudinal study followed 56 children with the 16p11.2 BP4‐BP5 deletion or duplication between the ages of 6 months and 8 years with diagnostic characterization and dimensional assessment across cognitive, adaptive, and behavioral domains. Linear mixed modeling revealed distinct developmental trajectories with deletions showing VIQ gains but declines in motor and social abilities while duplications showed VIQ gains and steady development across other domains. Nonparametric analyses suggest distinct trajectories and early cognitive abilities for deletion carriers who are ultimately diagnosed with intellectual disability and developmental coordination disorder as well as distinct trajectories and early social communication and cognitive abilities for duplication carriers diagnosed with ASD and intellectual disability. Findings provide predictions for patient developmental trajectories, insight into mean functioning of individuals with 16p11.2 at early ages, and highlight the need for ongoing monitoring of social and motor functioning and behavioral symptomatology to improve treatment planning. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Ladungen verschieben Protonierungen: Neutronenbeugung zeigt, dass Anilin und 2‐Aminopyridin protoniert an Trypsin binden
Authors: Schiebel Johannes , Gaspari Roberto , Sandner Anna , Ngo Khang , Gerber Hans‐Dieter , Cavalli Andrea , Ostermann Andreas , Heine Andreas , Klebe Gerhard
Published: March 2017

Wasserstoffatome sind entscheidend bei der Vermittlung von Protein‐Ligand‐Wechselwirkungen. Sie bestimmen die Qualität entstehender H‐Brückennetzwerke und definieren Protonierungszustände gebundener Liganden. Die strukturelle Visualisierung von H‐Atomen ist röntgenkristallographisch nur selten möglich. Hier wurden die Wasserstoffpositionen von Anilin und 2‐Aminopyridin im an die Serinprotease Trypsin gebundenen Zustand durch Neutronenbeugung untersucht. Die resultierenden Strukturen wurden mit der höchsten bisher für Proteine mit >100 Aminosäuren erzielten Auflösung erhalten. Dies ermöglicht die exakte Beschreibung der Protonierungszustände und Wechselwirkungen mit umgebenden Wassermolekülen. Trotz seines niedrigen pKa‐Werts von 4.6 und einem Abstand von 3.6 Å zum geladenen Asp189 am Boden der S1‐Tasche liegt die Aminogruppe von Anilin protoniert vor. Hingegen wird in 2‐Aminopyridin das Pyridin‐N‐Atom protoniert, obwohl dessen Aminogruppe um 1.6 Å näher an Asp189 liegt. Folglich ist, abgesehen von Ladungs‐Ladungs‐Abständen, die Stabilität der möglichen Tautomere ausschlaggebend für den erhaltenen Bindungsmodus und damit entscheidend für die Vorhersage von Bindungsmodi.
A DNAzyme Feedback Amplification Strategy for Biosensing
Authors: Liu Meng , Zhang Qiang , Chang Dingran , Gu Jimmy , Brennan John D. , Li Yingfu
Published: March 2017

We report a signal amplification strategy termed DNAzyme feedback amplification (DFA) that takes advantage of rolling‐circle amplification (RCA) and an RNA‐cleaving DNAzyme (RCD). DFA employs two specially programmed DNA complexes, one composed of a primer and a circular template containing the antisense sequence of an RCD, and the other composed of the same circular template and an RNA‐containing substrate for the RCD. RCA is initiated at the first complex to produce RCD elements that go on to cleave the substrate in the second complex. This cleavage event triggers the production of more input complexes for RCA. This reaction circuit continues autonomously, resulting in exponential DNA amplification. We demonstrate the versatility of this approach for biosensing through the design of DFA systems capable of detecting a microRNA sequence and a bacterium, with sensitivity improvements of 3–6 orders of magnitude over conventional methods.
Biosynthesis of Modular Ascarosides in C. elegans
Authors: Panda Oishika , Akagi Allison E. , Artyukhin Alexander B. , Judkins Joshua C. , Le Henry H. , Mahanti Parag , Cohen Sarah M. , Sternberg Paul W. , Schroeder Frank C.
Published: March 2017

The nematode Caenorhabditis elegans uses simple building blocks from primary metabolism and a strategy of modular assembly to build a great diversity of signaling molecules, the ascarosides, which function as a chemical language in this model organism. In the ascarosides, the dideoxysugar ascarylose serves as a scaffold to which diverse moieties from lipid, amino acid, neurotransmitter, and nucleoside metabolism are attached. However, the mechanisms that underlie the highly specific assembly of ascarosides are not understood. We show that the acyl‐CoA synthetase ACS‐7, which localizes to lysosome‐related organelles, is specifically required for the attachment of different building blocks to the 4′‐position of ascr#9. We further show that mutants lacking lysosome‐related organelles are defective in the production of all 4′‐modified ascarosides, thus identifying the waste disposal system of the cell as a hotspot for ascaroside biosynthesis.
Facile synthesis of graphene/polypyrrole 3D composite for a high‐sensitivity non‐enzymatic dopamine detection
Authors: Rui Zhou , Huang Wei , Chen Yong , Zhang Kexi , Cao Yang , Tu Jinchun
Published: March 2017

One kind of nanocomposite consisting of graphene and polypyrrole was synthesized via a facile and mild way with the assistant of microwave irradiation. The synthesis route was embedding the polypyrrole into the graphene flakes to form a 3D structure, to achieve larger active surface and higher electro‐catalysis property. Structures and components of the composite were measured by X‐ray diffraction, field emission scanning electron microscopy, and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. A stronger electrochemical response of electrode with modified resultant was observed in the electrochemical test. Dopamine sensor based on the composite showed a sensitivity of 363 μA mM−1 cm−2, a linear range of 1 × 10−4 M to 1 × 10−3 M, and a detection limit of 2.3 × 10−6 M (S/N = 3). © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2017, 134, 44840.
Synthesis, Anti‐Inflammatory Activity, and COX‐1/2 Inhibition Profile of Some Novel Non‐Acidic Polysubstituted Pyrazoles and Pyrano[2,3‐c]pyrazoles
Authors: Faidallah Hassan M. , Rostom Sherif A. F.
Published: March 2017

The synthesis and evaluation of the anti‐inflammatory activity of some structure hybrids comprising basically the 5‐hydroxy‐3‐methyl‐1‐phenyl‐4‐substituted‐1H‐pyrazole scaffold directly linked to a variety of heterocycles and functionalities, or annulated as pyrano[2,3‐c]pyrazoles, is described. According to the in vivo results and a comprehensive structure–activity relationship study, five analogs (5, 10, 17, 19, and 27) displayed remarkable anti‐inflammatory profiles showing distinctive % protection and ED50 values, especially 10 and 27 (ED50 35.7 and 38.7 μmol/kg, respectively) which were nearly equiactive to celecoxib (ED50 32.1 μmol/kg). Compounds 10, 17, and 27 exhibited distinctive COX‐2 inhibition with a noticeable COX‐2 selectivity (SI values 7.83, 6.87, and 7.16, respectively), close to that of celecoxib (SI 8.68). Additionally, 5, 10, 17, 19, and 27 proved to be gastrointestinal tract safe (0–20% ulceration) and non‐toxic, being well tolerated by the experimental animals up to 250 mg/kg orally and 80 mg/kg parenterally. Collectively, the in vivo ED50 values for the most potent five derivatives agree with their in vitro COX‐2 selectivity indices, suggesting their usefulness as selective anti‐inflammatory COX‐2 inhibitors. The bipyrazole 10 and the pyranopyrazole 27 could be considered as the most active members in this study, being nearly equiactive to celecoxib, besides their obvious selective COX‐2 inhibition, high safety margin, and predicted pharmacokinetic (ADME‐T) suitability for oral use.
N‐terminal or signal peptide sequence engineering prevents truncation of human monoclonal antibody light chains
Authors: Gibson S. J. , Bond N. J. , Milne S. , Lewis A. , Sheriff A. , Pettman G. , Pradhan R. , Higazi D. R. , Hatton D.
Published: March 2017

Monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) contain short N‐terminal signal peptides on each individual polypeptide that comprises the mature antibody, targeting them for export from the cell in which they are produced. The signal peptide is cleaved from each heavy chain (Hc) and light chain (Lc) polypeptide after translocation to the ER and prior to secretion. This process is generally highly efficient, producing a high proportion of correctly cleaved Hc and Lc polypeptides. However, mis‐cleavage of the signal peptide can occur, resulting in truncation or elongation at the N‐terminus of the Hc or Lc. This is undesirable for antibody manufacturing as it can impact efficacy and can result in product heterogeneity. Here, we describe a truncated variant of the Lc that was detected during a routine developability assessment of the recombinant human IgG1 MEDI8490 in Chinese hamster ovary cells. We found that the truncation of the Lc was caused due to the use of the murine Hc signal peptide together with a lambda Lc containing an SYE amino acid motif at the N‐terminus. This truncation was not caused by mis‐processing of the mRNA encoding the Lc and was not dependent on expression platform (transient or stable), the scale of the fed‐batch culture or clonal lineage. We further show that using alternative signal peptides or engineering the Lc SYE N‐terminal motif prevented the truncation and that this strategy will improve Lc homogeneity of other SYE lambda Lc‐containing mAbs. Biotechnol. Bioeng. 2017;114: 1970–1977. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Does variety seeking vary between hedonic and utilitarian products? The role of attribute type
Authors: Baltas George , Kokkinaki Flora , Loukopoulou Apostolia
Published: March 2017

The purpose of this paper is to consider attributes that stimulate variety seeking in hedonic and utilitarian product categories and examine the interaction of product category and attribute type on variety‐seeking behaviour. The results of 3 studies indicate that in hedonic product categories, consumers seek more variety in sensory attributes, whereas in utilitarian product categories, they seek more variety in functional attributes. This interaction effect is explained by the fact that the satiation rates of sensory and functional attributes depend on the nature of the product category. In product categories, which are not clearly hedonic or utilitarian, this interaction effect is not evident. The theoretical and practical implications of the findings are discussed.
ROMP‐ and RAFT‐Based Guanidinium‐Containing Polymers as Scaffolds for Protein Mimic Synthesis
Authors: Sarapas Joel M. , Backlund Coralie M. , deRonde Brittany M. , Minter Lisa M. , Tew Gregory N.
Published: March 2017

Cell‐penetrating peptides are an important class of molecules with promising applications in bioactive cargo delivery. A diverse series of guanidinium‐containing polymeric cell‐penetrating peptide mimics (CPPMs) with varying backbone chemistries was synthesized and assessed for delivery of both GFP and fluorescently tagged siRNA. Specifically, we examined CPPMs based on norbornene, methacrylate, and styrene backbones to determine how backbone structure impacted internalization of these two cargoes. Either charge content or degree of polymerization was held constant at 20, with diguanidinium norbornene molecules being polymerized to both 10 and 20 repeat units. Generally, homopolymer CPPMs delivered low amounts of siRNA into Jurkat T cells, with no apparent backbone dependence; however, by adding a short hydrophobic methyl methacrylate block to the guanidinium‐rich methacrylate polymer, siRNA delivery to nearly the entire cell population was achieved. Protein internalization yielded similar results for most of the CPPMs, though the block polymer was unable to deliver proteins. In contrast, the styrene‐based CPPM yielded the highest internalization for GFP (≈40 % of cells affected), showing that indeed backbone chemistry impacts protein delivery, specifically through the incorporation of an aromatic group. These results demonstrate that an understanding of how polymer structure affects cargo‐dependent internalization is critical to designing new, more effective CPPMs.
Helical screw sense bias in chiral polyfluorene stimulated by solvent
Authors: Zhao Yin , Yin Lu , Liu Jingjing , Chen Hailing , Zhang Wei
Published: March 2017

Conjugated homopolymer poly(9,9‐bis(3‐((S)‐2‐methylbutylpropanoate))fluorene) (PSF) with chiral pendants was synthesized and characterized. Dissolution experiments show that PSF is well dissolved in racemic limonene at high temperature and begins aggregating upon sequential cooling treatment. The corresponding assemblies were transferred to quartz plate by the spin‐coating method. Comparably, film casting from chloroform solution was also prepared. Upon annealing thermal treatments, these PSF films exhibited perfect mirror circular dichroism (CD) Cotton effects and dissymmetry ratios. Optical absorption spectroscopy (UV‐vis), CD, and fluorescence spectroscopy results reveal that chiral side chains successfully induced M‐ and P‐helical structures in aggregates and films, and this significant difference was ascribed to their differential supramolecular conformations.
VAED: VMI‐assisted evasion detection approach for infrastructure as a service cloud
Authors: Mishra Preeti , Pilli Emmanuel S. , Varadharajan Vijay , Tupakula Udaya
Published: March 2017

Cloud computing provides on demand provisioning of resources mostly offered as Infrastructure as a Service. The flexibility in services has opened doors for attackers. Research has been performed to detect various malware in the last few years. However, modern malware are advanced enough to detect the presence of virtualization environment, security analyzer, or even the hypervisor by observing the virtualization‐specific information such as virtual processor features, timing features, etc. The malware exhibit evasive nature and can fool existing security solutions by performing modern antidetection tactics. In this paper, we propose an approach named as VMI‐assisted evasion detection (VAED), deployed at virtual machine monitor, to detect the evasion‐based malware attacks. The VAED is based on learning the program semantic of evasive malware. It uses system call dependency graph approach generated using Markov Chain principle and keeps track of system call ordering with transition probability distribution between each pair system calls. It uses software break point injection technique to extract the system call traces of evasive malware samples, which is free from any modification in hardware‐specific values. Hence, it is secure from evasion attempts. The VAED is validated over evasive samples collected from the University of California on request, and results seem to be promising.
Consolidating Molecular Logic with New Solid‐Bound YES and PASS 1 Gates and Their Combinations
Authors: McKinney Bernadine O. F. , Daly Brian , Yao Chaoyi , Schroeder Marc , de Silva A. Prasanna
Published: March 2017

Proton‐driven YES and PASS 1 molecular logic tags based on anthracene and 4‐aminonaphthalimide fluorophores, emitting blue and green, respectively, are employed on amino‐terminated polyethylene glycol–polystyrene and aminopropyl silica particles. The (YES+PASS 1) logic combination is also a distinguishable tag in both colours. The scope of such tags is delineated.
Model mechanisms in Kikuchi pattern formation from crystals
Authors: Winkelmann Aimo
Published: March 2017

In diffraction experiments on crystals, different types of diffraction patterns can be observed. Depending on various factors like the scattering energy, scattering geometry, sample temperature, or structural disorder, one can observe a combination of discrete diffraction patterns caused by coherent scattering of the incident beam and a structured background formed by patterns which can be explained by emission from internal incoherent sources inside the crystal. For the case of electron diffraction, these patterns from incoherent internal sources are called Kikuchi patterns. It will be shown here that the transition from the discrete coherent electron diffraction patterns to Kikuchi patterns, as well as similar effects in X‐ray and neutron diffraction, can be analyzed qualitatively by a simple model involving a two‐step scattering process. An elementary double‐scattering model is presented extending the kinematic model of X‐ray diffraction. The double‐scattering model outlines the key mechanism that can destroy the coherence between the first scatterers while at the same time some coherence can be preserved in the secondary scattering pathways starting at each of the individual first scatterers, respectively. In this way, the model presented here highlights some non‐trivial experimental effects of coherence loss under conditions of multiple scattering of waves in crystals.
Weak central coherence in weight‐restored adolescent anorexia nervosa: Characteristics and remediation
Authors: Weinbach Noam , Perry Amit , Sher Helene , Lock James D. , Henik Avishai
Published: March 2017

Objective

Weak central coherence (WCC) refers to a bias towards processing details (local processing) at the expense of paying attention to the bigger picture (global processing). Multiple studies reported WCC in adults with anorexia nervosa (AN). Evidence for WCC in adolescents with AN has been inconsistent. The current study characterizes WCC in weight‐restored adolescents with AN (WR‐AN) using a direct measure of WCC, and examines whether WCC can be remediated by increasing alertness level—a manipulation that was found useful in enhancing global processing in healthy individuals and clinical populations.

Methods

40 adolescents (18 WR‐AN and 22 healthy adolescents) performed a global/local processing task (Navon task). Auditory alerting cues that elevate alertness level were integrated into the task.

Results

Both groups processed global information faster than local information. However, compared with controls, adolescents with WR‐AN were better at ignoring an irrelevant bigger picture while attending to details (smaller global interference) and had greater difficulty ignoring irrelevant details while attending to the bigger picture (larger local interference). These differences were attenuated when adolescents with WR‐AN were under a state of high alertness. Additionally, the local interference effect was positively correlated with three independent self‐report questionnaires assessing eating disorders symptomatology.

Discussion

This study suggests that abnormal interference by irrelevant global and local information is a central characteristic of WCC in adolescents with WR‐AN that cannot be accounted for by enduring illness or malnourishment. Additionally, this study demonstrates that WCC can be temporarily remediated by encouraging a state of high alertness.
Right ventricular temporal assist device for cardiac recompensation
Authors: Yan Isabell , Grahn Hanno , Blankenberg Stefan , Westermann Dirk
Published: March 2017

In this case report, we discuss treatment of a 66‐year‐old patient with right heart failure due to chronic left heart failure caused by ischemic cardiomyopathy. We decided to manage this patient by implanting a temporary right ventricular assist device (Impella RP®) as a novel therapeutic option for acute on chronic right heart decompensation.
Connectivity patterns during music listening: Evidence for action‐based processing in musicians
Authors: Alluri Vinoo , Toiviainen Petri , Burunat Iballa , Kliuchko Marina , Vuust Peter , Brattico Elvira
Published: March 2017

Musical expertise is visible both in the morphology and functionality of the brain. Recent research indicates that functional integration between multi‐sensory, somato‐motor, default‐mode (DMN), and salience (SN) networks of the brain differentiates musicians from non‐musicians during resting state. Here, we aimed at determining whether brain networks differentially exchange information in musicians as opposed to non‐musicians during naturalistic music listening. Whole‐brain graph‐theory analyses were performed on participants' fMRI responses. Group‐level differences revealed that musicians' primary hubs comprised cerebral and cerebellar sensorimotor regions whereas non‐musicians' dominant hubs encompassed DMN‐related regions. Community structure analyses of the key hubs revealed greater integration of motor and somatosensory homunculi representing the upper limbs and torso in musicians. Furthermore, musicians who started training at an earlier age exhibited greater centrality in the auditory cortex, and areas related to top‐down processes, attention, emotion, somatosensory processing, and non‐verbal processing of speech. We here reveal how brain networks organize themselves in a naturalistic music listening situation wherein musicians automatically engage neural networks that are action‐based while non‐musicians use those that are perception‐based to process an incoming auditory stream. Hum Brain Mapp 38:2955–2970, 2017. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Preoperative evaluation and surgical planning of submandibular gland tumors
Authors: Atula Timo , Panigrahi Juha , Tarkkanen Jussi , Mäkitie Antti , Aro Katri
Published: March 2017

Background

Roughly half of submandibular gland neoplasms are malignant. Because preoperative information on the nature of these tumors remains limited, both preoperative evaluation and assessment of the extent of primary surgery warrant guidelines that are more accurate.

Methods

We evaluated the preoperative examinations and management of all submandibular gland neoplasms treated surgically at the Helsinki University Hospital between 2000 and 2010.

Results

Of the 83 tumors, 58 (70%) were benign and 25 (30%) were malignant. Of the benign tumors, 54 (93%) were pleomorphic adenomas. The cytology in 8 patients (10%) was class IV or V, and in 12 patients was class III; the tumors in 9 of these 12 patients turned out to be malignant. Of all malignancies, 10 (40%) required additional more extensive surgery.

Conclusion

Ultrasound‐guided fine‐needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) proved useful, with limitations, in preoperative examination. Surgeons should always obtain wide margins whenever possible, even when clinical means or cytology indicates no malignancy. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Head Neck 39: 1071–1077, 2017
T1 squamous cell carcinoma of the glottis with anterior commissure involvement: Radiotherapy versus transoral laser microsurgery
Authors: Alkan Uri , Nachalon Yuval , Shkedy Yotam , Yaniv Dan , Shvero Jacob , Popovtzer Aron
Published: March 2017

Background

The optimal treatment method of T1 glottic squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) with involvement of the anterior commissure is still debatable. We compared the outcomes of radiotherapy (RT) and transoral laser microsurgery (TLM).

Methods

Data were retrospectively collected for 54 patients who were treated by RT (n = 38) or TLM (n = 16) from 2006 to 2013.

Results

No between‐group differences were found in demographic or risk factors. Recurrence was noted in 6 patients of the TLM group and 5 of the RT group. There was a near‐significant association of TLM with recurrence (p = .053). Radiation was associated with a higher 5‐year disease‐free survival (DFS) (87.3% vs 74.9%; p = .037). Both groups had excellent rates for local control (75% and 97%, respectively), and overall survival (78.9 and 87.5%, respectively). There were no significant differences in outcome parameters by tumor classification.

Conclusion

TLM is associated with higher recurrence rates and lower DFS. Both patients with T1a and T1b disease had the same outcome parameters. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Head Neck 39: 1101–1105, 2017
Risk factors for and the role of dental extractions in osteoradionecrosis of the jaws: A national‐based cohort study
Authors: Wang Ti‐Hao , Liu Chia‐Jen , Chao Tze‐Fan , Chen Tzeng‐Ji , Hu Yu‐Wen
Published: March 2017

Background

The purpose of this study was to investigate the risk factors, especially the use of certain drugs and the dental procedures, for osteoradionecrosis of the jaw (ORNJ) in patients with head and neck cancer undergoing irradiation as their primary treatment.

Methods

The cohort was composed of 23,527 patients with head and neck cancer. Cox proportional hazard models were used for risk factors analysis.

Results

The overall incidence of ORNJ is 3.93 per 100 person‐years. Buccal cancer carried the highest ORNJ risk. The use of steroids had a protective effect. Preradiotherapy extraction posed no excess risk, whereas postradiotherapy extraction was associated with gradually increased risk of ORNJ over time that peaked at 4 to 5 years.

Conclusion

ORNJ warrants life‐long attention for head and neck cancer survivors. The present study strongly confirms the role of preirradiation dental extractions. Meanwhile, efforts should be made to prevent posttreatment extractions, especially in the first posttreatment 4 years. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Head Neck 39: 1313–1321, 2017
Photo absorption of ‐coumaric acid in aqueous solution: RISM‐SCF‐SEDD theory approach
Authors: Hirano Kenji , Nakano Hiroshi , Nakao Yoshihide , Sato Hirofumi , Sakaki Shigeyoshi
Published: March 2017

Photo absorption properties of p‐coumaric acid, the chromophore of photoactive yellow protein, in aqueous solution were investigated by means of reference interaction site model self‐consistent field with spatial electron density distribution (RISM‐SCF‐SEDD) method. RISM‐SCF‐SEDD is a combination methodology of electronic structure theory and statistical mechanics for molecular liquids. Here, time‐dependent density functional theory was coupled with RISM equation to study the electronic structure of p‐coumaric acid in aqueous system. Excitation energies of the chromophore in its neutral, two monoanionic and dianionic forms were computed to elucidate the effect of the deprotonation and solvation on the spectroscopic properties. We found that solvation strongly affects the excitation character of the chromophore, especially for phenolate anion and dianion. The free energy difference among the four protonation states is also discussed. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Investigation of uncertainty in lightning‐produced EM fields with a polynomial‐chaos FDTD approach
Authors: Zygiridis Theodoros , Kantartzis Nikolaos , Tsiboukis Theodoros
Published: March 2017

The aim of this paper is to investigate the impact of the ground‐material uncertainty on the properties of electromagnetic fields generated by lightning strikes. Although several analytical as well as numerical approaches have been proposed throughout previous years for the prediction of lightning‐induced fields, these are mostly applied within a fully deterministic context, thus overlooking the degree of randomness that the corresponding problems may exhibit. Considering the rotational independence of setups with vertical lightning channels and flat terrains, we propose a stochastic finite‐difference time‐domain algorithm that takes advantage of the generalized polynomial‐chaos theory. The latter enables the representation of random processes via expansions with respect to specific orthogonal polynomials and facilitates capturing the fundamental statistical properties of the produced fields. The resulting scheme preserves the structure of the original Yee algorithm and, although computationally heavier than the latter, is clearly more efficient than conducting brute‐force Monte Carlo studies. The potential of the proposed stochastic method is assessed via various numerical results, calculation of statistical metrics, and comparisons with reference solutions.
Determining the effect of malondialdehyde on the IgE‐binding capacity of shrimp tropomyosin upon in vitro digestion
Authors: Lv Liangtao , Lin Hong , Li Zhenxing , Ahmed Ishfaq , Chen Guanzhi
Published: March 2017

BACKGROUND

Stability in simulated gastric fluids is considered an important parameter for the estimation of food allergenicity. Moreover, proteins in food are highly susceptible to lipid oxidation during processing and preservation. In this study, the change in the IgE‐binding capacity of malondialdehyde (MDA)‐treated shrimp tropomyosin (TM) following in vitro digestion was investigated by SDS‐PAGE and western blot.

RESULTS

Shrimp TM treated with different concentrations of MDA was slightly degraded and became increasingly resistant to pepsin digestion over time. While untreated TM was rapidly degraded, MDA‐treated TM showed some resistance and was degraded by trypsin only after increasing the digestion time. Results of immunoblotting studies on IgE using sera from patients allergic to shrimp indicated that the IgE‐binding capacity of TM and MDA (50 mmol L−1)‐treated TM decreased slightly after pepsin digestion and significantly decreased after trypsin digestion.

CONCLUSION

The study indicated that the resistance of TM to degradation increased after oxidation. The treatment with proteases, especially trypsin, is quite effective in decreasing the IgG/IgE‐binding capacity of shrimp TM. © 2017 Society of Chemical Industry
Fermentation of sarshir (kaymak) by lactic acid bacteria: antibacterial activity, antioxidant properties, lipid and protein oxidation and fatty acid profile
Authors: Hashemi Seyed Mohammad Bagher , Mousavi Khaneghah Amin , Kontominas Michael G , Eş Ismail , Sant'Ana Anderson S , Martinez Rafael R , Drider Djamel
Published: March 2017

BACKGROUND

The antioxidant and antibacterial activities of fermented sarshir (traditional dairy food), with three probiotic Lactobacillus plantarum strains (LP3, AF1, and LU5), were investigated. The oxidative stability and the lipid profile of non‐fermented and fermented sarshir were compared, in addition to radical scavenging activity, as well as peroxide, anisidine and carbonyl values (PV, AnV and CV, respectively).

RESULTS

The strong antibacterial activity of fermented sarshir against common pathogenic bacteria, including Gram‐negative Escherichia coli O157: H7 ATCC 35150 and Pseudomonas aeruginosa ATCC 27853, as well as Gram‐positive Bacillus cereus ATCC 10876 and Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 25923, was established. Among the strains examined, L. plantarum LP3 exhibited the highest radical scavenging activity (53.1 ± 1.8%) and lowest PV (3.0 meq kg–1), AnV (1.31 ± 0.06) and CV (1.4 ± 0.08). The pH of sarshir decreased from 6.2 ± 0 to 3.5 ± 0.1 during 14 h of fermentation. Incorporated bacterial cells exhibited notable viability during 10 days of cold storage (4 °C).

CONCLUSION

The fermentation of sarshir by L. plantarum strains, especially LP3, resulted in beneficial changes in radical scavenging activity, as well as PV, AnV and carbonyl values, in addition to a broad spectrum of inhibitory activity against strains of P. aeruginosa, E. coli O157:H7, B. cereus and S. aureus. © 2017 Society of Chemical Industry
Characterization of sea cucumber (stichopus japonicus) ovum hydrolysates: calcium chelation, solubility and absorption into intestinal epithelial cells
Authors: Sun Na , Cui Pengbo , Lin Songyi , Yu Cuiping , Tang Yue , Wei Ye , Xiong Youling , Wu Haitao
Published: March 2017

BACKGROUND

Sea cucumber (Stichopus japonicus) ovum hydrolysates (SCOHs) chelated with calcium were produced to investigate the characteristics of calcium binding and solubility, as well as to study any effects on calcium absorption by human intestinal epithelial cells.

RESULTS

The results of the present study show that the calcium‐binding capacity of SCOHs depended greatly on the type of proteases. The maximum level of Ca binding (0.38 mmol L–1) occurred when trypsin was used, with a peptide yield of 85.7%. Investigation of the possible chelating modes between SCOHs and calcium ions indicated that calcium ions bound to SCOHs primarily via interactions with carboxyl oxygen and amino nitrogen atoms of Glu and Asp and also that the phosphoserine residues might be also responsible for SCOH–calcium chelation. Moreover, SCOH–calcium complexes maintained the solubility of calcium under simulated gastrointestinal digestion, regardless of the presence of dietary components such as oxalate. Furthermore, SCOH–Ca led to higher peak intracellular [Ca2+]i in both Caco‐2 cells (338.3 nmol L–1 versus 269.6 nmol L–1) and HT‐29 cells (373.9 nmol L–1 versus 271.7 nmol L–1) than casein phosphopeptide‐Ca.

CONCLUSION

Carboxyl oxygen and amino nitrogen atoms in the SCOHs could bind calcium ions, forming SCOH–calcium complexes. These complexes improved calcium solubility under simulated gastrointestinal digestion and also promoted calcium absorption in Caco‐2 and HT‐29 cells. © 2017 Society of Chemical Industry
The role of high‐field magnetic resonance imaging in parkinsonian disorders: Pushing the boundaries forward
Authors: Lehericy Stéphane , Vaillancourt David E. , Seppi Klaus , Monchi Oury , Rektorova Irena , Antonini Angelo , McKeown Martin J. , Masellis Mario , Berg Daniela , Rowe James B. , Lewis Simon J. G. , Williams‐Gray Caroline H. , Tessitore Alessandro , Siebner Hartwig R. ,   on behalf of the International Parkinson and Movement Disorder Society (IPMDS)‐Neuroimaging Study Group
Published: March 2017

Historically, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has contributed little to the study of Parkinson's disease (PD), but modern MRI approaches have unveiled several complementary markers that are useful for research and clinical applications. Iron‐ and neuromelanin‐sensitive MRI detect qualitative changes in the substantia nigra. Quantitative MRI markers can be derived from diffusion weighted and iron‐sensitive imaging or volumetry. Functional brain alterations at rest or during task performance have been captured with functional and arterial spin labeling perfusion MRI. These markers are useful for the diagnosis of PD and atypical parkinsonism, to track disease progression from the premotor stages of these diseases and to better understand the neurobiological basis of clinical deficits. A current research goal using MRI is to generate time‐dependent models of the evolution of PD biomarkers that can help understand neurodegeneration and provide reliable markers for therapeutic trials. This article reviews recent advances in MRI biomarker research at high‐field (3T) and ultra high field‐imaging (7T) in PD and atypical parkinsonism. © 2017 The Authors. Movement Disorders published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of International Parkinson and Movement Disorder Society.
Highly selective integrated filter antenna for UWB application
Authors: Sahoo Anuj Kumar , Gupta Ravi Dutt , Parihar Manoj Singh
Published: March 2017

An ultrawideband (UWB) integrated filter antenna (IFA) with enhanced selectivity is proposed. A circular radiating patch is electromagnetically coupled to a UWB filter. The design provides a fractional bandwidth of 109.5% covering the entire UWB region (3.1–10.6 GHz). The peak gain of the IFA varies between 3.0 and 4.0 dBi in the desired band with efficiency of more than 90%. The gain of proposed structure is same as that of a reference standalone monopole antenna in the desired frequency band, with a decrease beyond the cut‐off frequencies. The subsystem described in this article is compact, as it does not involve any additional line to integrate the antenna and filter. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 59:1032–1037, 2017
Characterization of multiband antennas using the singularity expansion method
Authors: Rehman Sajjad U. , Alkanhal Majeed A.S.
Published: March 2017

This article presents modeling of multiband antennas using the Singularity Expansion Method (SEM). The SEM with an improved pole‐residue extraction scheme is developed to precisely characterize multiband antennas in the time and frequency domains. To acquire the accurate physical complex poles and the corresponding residues of the antenna model, a two‐step modified Matrix Pencil (MP) method has been applied to the impulse response of the antenna. A specific time segment parameter TS is introduced to improve the performance of the MP method to extract the actual physical poles and eliminate the nonphysical poles caused by the early time response of the multiband antennas. Furthermore, an adjustable filtering parameter P is used to reject the low energy nonphysical poles between the sensitive multiple bands of the antenna. The proposed MP scheme is applied to the far‐field impulse response of three multiband (dual, triple, and quad band) antennas. The poles extracted by the proposed modified MP method are located precisely within the multiple operating bands of each of the tested antennas. The one set of the developed parameters is used to accurately characterize multiband antennas in both the time and frequency domains. A triple band fractal like antenna has been fabricated and its far‐field impulse response is measured and then reconstructed using the SEM based model. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 59:1012–1018, 2017
Broadband reflectarray composed of gap coupled elements with linear phase response
Authors: Oh Seongwon
Published: March 2017

A broadband reflectarray using gap coupled elements composed of a split ring and a dipole is proposed. The phase variation range of the reflected field from the element on a single layer is achieved larger than 418° by changing the dipole length in a split ring of a fixed size. The phase response of the field is proportional to the dipole length with a slow slope. Compared with multilayer elements and aperture coupled elements, it shows good linear phase response of the reflected field. To validate the proposed geometry, a prototype reflectarray is fabricated and measured. The maximum gain is 33.0 dB, and the 3 dB gain bandwidth is 19.0% at the center frequency of 20 GHz. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 59:1045–1047, 2017
A broadband dual‐polarized printed dipole antenna with low cross‐polarization and high isolation for base station applications
Authors: Yang Deqiang , Liu Sihao , Zhao Zhiqin
Published: March 2017

A dual‐polarized dipole antenna with low cross‐polarization and high isolation characteristics is presented. The proposed antenna is composed of three basic structures, i.e., a horizontal rectangular ground plate, four vertical plates with two rectangular patches on each of them, and a horizontal substrate with eight triangle patches. Every two vertical plates are put back‐to‐back which forms a double‐layered structure. Thus the transverse E‐field of the double‐layered structure is significantly reduced because of this symmetric treatment, which gives rise to very low cross‐polarization. Then the two double‐layered structures are orthogonally arranged, generating dual polarizations. Simulated and measured results show that the proposed antenna realizes an impedance bandwidth of 47% (VSWR < 1.5), ranging from 1.8 to 2.9 GHz. The isolation between the two orthometric ports is higher than 30 dB across the bandwidth. Furthermore, the cross‐polarization is −35 dB over the bandwidth. This antenna has the advantages of high isolation, low cross‐polarization, and wide bandwidth. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 59:1107–1111, 2017
Two components NRI metamaterial for dual band applications
Authors: Islam S.S. , Hasan M.M. , Faruque M.R.I. , Islam M.T.
Published: March 2017

In this article, a negative index metamaterial with two components analysis for C‐ and X‐band operations has been presented. The proposed metamaterial is designed on the epoxy resin composite with woven glass fiber and this epoxy resin formation processes are also explained step by step in this study. The unit cell structure has two arrows and a metal arm is connected to the two arrows that look like a double arrow shaped metamaterial. A Finite Integration technique based CST Microwave Studio is used to figure out the scattering parameters and the designed structure is investigated in the both x‐axis and z‐axis directions. The proposed metamaterial exhibited negative refractive index characteristics with wide bandwidth in S‐, C‐, and X‐band for x‐axis wave propagations. Besides, microwave spectrum in C‐ and X‐band for z‐axis electromagnetic wave transmissions. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 59:1092–1096, 2017
Novel balanced composite right‐/left‐handed unit and its application in multiband power divider
Authors: Shuai Yiting , Deng Hui
Published: March 2017

A novel balanced composite right‐/left‐handed (B‐CRLH) unit is proposed and discussed. The B‐CRLH structure is composed of two inverted L‐type lines and two parallel rows of interdigital strips that are vertical to the two L‐type lines, respectively. Dispersion relation of the structure features a balanced property and a nonlinear phase response. To characterize this structure, the T‐type equivalent circuit model is established and verified by simulation. Compared with the traditional CRLH unit of the same dimension, this symmetric configuration, eliminating the undesired resonances occurred in interdigital strips, achieves wider operating bandwidth. According to the electromagnetic characteristics of the proposed structure, multiband equal split Wilkinson power dividers are realized by replacing the quarter‐wavelength transmission line with B‐CRLH units. In addition, a dual‐band power divider (PD), a quad‐band PD and a sextuple‐band PD based on the novel B‐CRLH units are designed, fabricated, and measured. Good agreement is achieved between the simulated and measured results. The experimental results show that the dual‐band PD based on one B‐CRLH unit operates at 2.16 and 3.54 GHz, and the two bandwidths can reach 34 and 25.2%. The operation frequencies of the quad‐band PD based on two B‐CRLH units are 1.49, 2.12, 2.89, and 3.72 GHz, with the input return loss better than 14 dB. The sextuple‐band PD denotes equal power division at 1.34, 1.71, 2.19, 2.77, 3.40, and 4.03 GHz, which includes three B‐CRLH units. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 59:1100–1107, 2017
Metasurfaced waveguide antenna with polarization rotation
Authors: Zhu H.L. , Chung Kwok L. , Wei Gao , Zhang Chunwei
Published: March 2017

We propose a low‐cost solution for performance enhancement and polarization rotation of a waveguide antenna by using an anisotropic metasurface. The antenna is being considered as reconfigurable, where its polarizations can be controlled by changing the alignment angle of striplines on the metasurface in order to fulfil the polarization diversity. Both simulation and experimental results verify that the metasurfaced waveguide antenna can operate in the lower GSM bandwidth from 698 to 960 MHz, with a gain that varies from 5.8 to 7.8 dBi. The waveguide antenna has a compact form size of 0.70λo × 0.39λo × 0.47λo at 698 MHz. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 59:1084–1087, 2017
Larger men have larger prostates: Detection bias in epidemiologic studies of obesity and prostate cancer risk
Authors: Rundle Andrew , Wang Yun , Sadasivan Sudha , Chitale Dhananjay A. , Gupta Nilesh S. , Tang Deliang , Rybicki Benjamin A.
Published: March 2017

BACKGROUND

Obesity is associated with risk of aggressive prostate cancer (PCa), but not with over‐all PCa risk. However, obese men have larger prostates which may lower biopsy accuracy and cause a systematic bias toward the null in epidemiologic studies of over‐all risk.

METHODS

Within a cohort of 6692 men followed‐up after a biopsy or transurethral resection of the prostate (TURP) with benign findings, a nested case‐control study was conducted of 495 prostate cancer cases and controls matched on age, race, follow‐up duration, biopsy versus TURP, and procedure date. Data on body mass index and prostate volume at the time of the initial procedure were abstracted from medical records.

RESULTS

Prior to consideration of differences in prostate volume, overweight (OR = 1.41; 95%CI 1.01, 1.97), and obese status (OR = 1.59; 95%CI 1.09, 2.33) at the time of the original benign biopsy or TURP were associated with PCa incidence during follow‐up. Prostate volume did not significantly moderate the association between body‐size and PCa, however it did act as an inverse confounder; adjustment for prostate volume increased the effect size for overweight by 22% (adjusted OR = 1.52; 95%CI 1.08, 2.14) and for obese status by 23% (adjusted OR = 1.77; 95%CI 1.20, 2.62). Larger prostate volume at the time of the original benign biopsy or TURP was inversely associated with PCa incidence during follow‐up (OR = 0.92 per 10 cc difference in volume; 95%CI 0.88, 0.97). In analyses that stratified case‐control pairs by tumor aggressiveness of the case, prostate volume acted as an inverse confounder in analyses of non‐aggressive PCa but not in analyses of aggressive PCa.

CONCLUSIONS

In studies of obesity and PCa, differences in prostate volume cause a bias toward the null, particularly in analyses of non‐aggressive PCa. A pervasive underestimation of the association between obesity and overall PCa risk may exist in the literature.