bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Controls of basin margin tectonics on the morphology of alluvial fans in the western Ganga foreland basin's piedmont zone, India
Authors: Goswami Pradeep K.
Published: September 2017

Six distinct alluvial fans have developed in the western Ganga basin's piedmont zone between the Ganga (aka Ganges) River in the west and the Sarda River in the east. The basin margin is demarked by the active Himalayan Frontal Thrust along which the Siwalik ranges are uplifted and placed over the alluvia of the Ganga basin. The 6 alluvial fans show marked morphological variances, but their morphometric parameters exhibit proportionality relationships with the “mountain‐front sinuosity index (Smf),” “stream‐gradient index (SL),” and “valley‐floor width to height ratio (Vf)” of the adjoining mountain‐front segments. Correlation and regression analyses reveal that these relationships are statistically significant. The size of the fan is directly proportional to the magnitude of Smf and inversely proportional to the magnitude of SL, whereas the fan gradient is inversely proportional to Smf. The higher the Smf and the lower the SL values, the larger and gentler is the alluvial fan. Given that the studied alluvial fans have developed in the same climatic zone and their drainage basins have similar physiographic, geologic, and climatic conditions, the morphological diversities among the alluvial fans are attributed to the tectonics of the basin margin. Moreover, statistical analyses further rule out any significant relationships of the fan size with area, or drainage density of the drainage basin. The lower values of Smf and Vf and higher values of SL indicate a more active nature and, thus, greater/faster uplift of the mountain‐front and expected deepening of the accommodation space in the adjoining basin, which favoured vertical aggradation and development of smaller and steeper alluvial fans. Conversely, the higher values of Smf and Vf and lower values of SL indicate a less active nature and, thus, relatively lower/slower uplift of the mountain‐front and thus creation of shallower accommodation space in the adjoining basin, favouring the development of larger and gentler alluvial fans.
When Public Health Becomes Politicized
Authors: Lerner Barron H.
Published: September 2017

Perhaps nothing symbolizes the current polarized political climate in the United States more than the world of public health. Public health schools and health departments are full of “true believers,” people willing to crusade for any program designed to reduce morbidity and mortality. But in the “real world,” proven programs and strategies—such as gun‐control measures, universal vaccination, and improved traffic safety—are routinely thwarted. Why do critics oppose efforts to improve the public's health? History can provide some answers.
Empty Spaces
Authors: Hulkower Adira
Published: September 2017

“I'm Jewish, you know, and my mother said, ‘Always trust the rabbis.’” I never heard Mr. Weisman's refrain from his own lips. I never heard him say any words all. By the time I met him he was in a vegetative state, a man on the precipice of invisibility—white hair, thin pale limbs, melting into sheets of the same color. When I think about Mr. Weisman, I see empty spaces—the absence of his voice, the too‐large bed for his shrinking frame, the always‐empty chair by his bedside, and most of all, the myriad gaps in his life story. He was what in hospitals is often called a “patient alone”: someone who lacks decisional capacity and has no surrogate to make medical decisions for him. Mr. Weisman's aloneness prompted his primary team to consult our bioethics service in order to formulate goals of care for him, including the possibility of hospice care.
Physician‐Assisted Death and Severe, Treatment‐Resistant Depression
Authors: Steinbock Bonnie
Published: September 2017

Should people suffering from untreatable psychiatric conditions be eligible for physician‐assisted death? This is possible in Belgium and the Netherlands, where PAD for psychiatric conditions is permitted, though rare, so long as the criteria of due care are met. Those opposed to all instances of PAD point to Belgium and the Netherlands as a dark warning that once PAD is legalized, restricting it will prove impossible because safeguards, such as the requirement that a patient be terminally ill, will inevitably be eroded or discarded. However, some supporters respond that limiting PAD to those suffering from terminal illness, or physical illnesses generally, is arbitrary and illogical. In addition, precisely because such patients are not terminally ill, their suffering may last for years, even the rest of their lives. Finally, severe depression may not be treatable. If PAD is justifiable under some conditions—as I shall assume in this article—then why wouldn't it be justifiable for these patients? Why shouldn't psychiatrists who have nothing else to offer their suffering patients be able to help them to die, if that is what they want?
A Modern, Rational Jeremiad
Authors: Smith David H.
Published: September 2017

I have been a Daniel Callahan reader for over thirty years. My first published review was of Abortion: Law, Choice, and Morality (1970). Callahan's latest book, The Five Horsemen of the Modern World: Climate, Food, Water, Disease, and Obesity, is a sustained and detailed explanation of a series of challenges facing humankind in this century. Callahan's prognosis is bleak, his analyses credible, and while hope is not lost, the moral of the story is that we had better get our act together fast. Callahan argues that when we face challenges like these, rational persuasion is insufficient. Human emotions must be engaged. Without knowledgeable emotional engagement by millions of people, we are done for. It seems to me that he is really calling for a national cultural conversion experience, rather as, almost three hundred years ago, Jonathan Edwards declared that if there is a hell, it makes good sense to frighten people out of it!
Multicriteria sensitivity analysis as a diagnostic tool for understanding model behaviour and characterizing model uncertainty
Authors: Haghnegahdar Amin , Razavi Saman , Yassin Fuad , Wheater Howard
Published: September 2017

Complex hydrological models are being increasingly used nowadays for many purposes such as studying the impact of climate and land‐use change on water resources. However, building a high‐fidelity model, particularly at large scales, remains a challenging task, due to complexities in model functioning and behaviour and uncertainties in model structure, parameterization, and data. Global sensitivity analysis (GSA), which characterizes how the variation in the model response is attributed to variations in its input factors (e.g., parameters and forcing data), provides an opportunity to enhance the development and application of these complex models. In this paper, we advocate using GSA as an integral part of the modelling process by discussing its capabilities as a tool for diagnosing model structure and detecting potential defects, identifying influential factors, characterizing uncertainty, and selecting calibration parameters. Accordingly, we conduct a comprehensive GSA of a complex land surface–hydrology model, Modélisation Environmentale–Surface et Hydrologie (MESH), which combines the Canadian land surface scheme with a hydrological routing component, WATROUTE. Various GSA experiments are carried out using a new technique, called Variogram Analysis of Response Surfaces, for alternative hydroclimatic conditions in Canada using multiple criteria, various model configurations, and a full set of model parameters. Results from this study reveal that, in addition to different hydroclimatic conditions and SA criteria, model configurations can also have a major impact on the assessment of sensitivity. GSA can identify aspects of the model internal functioning that are counter‐intuitive and thus help the modeller to diagnose possible model deficiencies and make recommendations for improving development and application of the model. As a specific outcome of this work, a list of the most influential parameters for the MESH model is developed. This list, along with some specific recommendations, is expected to assist the wide community of MESH and Canadian land surface scheme users, to enhance their modelling applications.
Potent antitumor effect of tumor microenvironment‐targeted oncolytic adenovirus against desmoplastic pancreatic cancer
Authors: Li Yan , Hong JinWoo , Oh Joung‐Eun , Yoon A‐Rum , Yun Chae‐Ok
Published: September 2017

Pancreatic cancer is a leading cause of cancer‐related death. Desmoplastic pancreatic tumors exhibit excessive extracellular matrix (ECM) and are thus highly resistant to anticancer therapeutics, since the ECM restricts drug penetration and dispersion. Here, we designed and generated two hypoxia‐responsive and cancer‐specific hybrid promoters, H(mT)E and H(E)mT. Transgene expression driven by each hybrid promoter was markedly higher under hypoxic conditions than normoxic conditions. Moreover, H(E)mT‐driven transgene expression was highly cancer‐specific and was superior to that of H(mT)E‐driven expression. A decorin‐expressing oncolytic adenovirus (Ad; oH(E)mT‐DCN) replicating under the control of the H(E)mT promoter induced more potent and highly cancer‐specific cell death compared with its cognate control oncolytic Ad, which harbored the endogenous Ad E1A promoter. Moreover, oH(E)mT‐DCN exhibited enhanced antitumor efficacy compared with both the clinically approved oncolytic Ad ONYX‐015 and its cognate control oncolytic Ad lacking DCN. oH(E)mT‐DCN treatment also attenuated the expression of major ECM components, such as collagen I/III, elastin and fibronectin and induced tumor cell apoptosis, leading to extensive viral dispersion within orthotopic pancreatic tumors and pancreatic cancer patient‐derived tumor spheroids. Collectively, these findings demonstrate that oH(E)mT‐DCN exhibits potent antitumor efficacy by degrading the ECM and inducing apoptosis in a multifunctional process. This process facilitates the dispersion and replication of oncolytic Ad, making it an attractive candidate for the treatment of aggressive and desmoplastic pancreatic cancer.
Histological subtypes of ovarian cancer associated with parity and breastfeeding in the prospective Million Women Study
Authors: Gaitskell Kezia , Green Jane , Pirie Kirstin , Barnes Isobel , Hermon Carol , Reeves Gillian K , Beral Valerie ,   Million Women Study Collaborators
Published: September 2017

Ovarian cancer risk is known to be reduced amongst women who have had children, but reported associations with breastfeeding are varied. Few studies have had sufficient power to explore reliably these associations by tumour histotype. In a prospective study of 1.1 million UK women, 8719 developed ovarian cancer during follow‐up. Cox regression yielded adjusted relative risks (RRs) overall and by tumour histotype amongst women with different childbearing patterns. Nulliparous women had a 24% greater ovarian cancer risk than women with one child, with significant heterogeneity by histotype (p = 0.01). There was no significant increase in serous tumours, a modest increase in mucinous tumours, but a substantial increase in endometrioid (RR = 1.49, 95% CI: 1.18‐1.89) and clear‐cell tumours (RR = 1.68, 1.29‐2.20). Among parous women, each additional birth was associated with an overall 6% reduction in ovarian cancer risk; this association also varied by histotype (p = 0.0006), with the largest reduction in risk for clear‐cell tumours (RR per birth = 0.75, 0.65‐0.85, p < 0.001) and weak, if any, effect for endometrioid, high‐grade serous, or mucinous tumours. We found little association with age at first or last birth. There was about a 10% risk reduction per 12‐months breastfeeding (RR = 0.89, 0.84‐0.94, p < 0.001), with no significant heterogeneity by histotype, but statistical power was limited. In this large prospective study, ovarian cancer risk associated with parity varied substantially by tumour histotype. Nulliparity was associated with a substantially greater overall risk than expected from the effect of a single birth, especially for clear cell and endometrioid tumours, perhaps suggesting that infertility is associated with these histotypes.
Capecitabine‐based treatment of a patient with a novel DPYD genotype and complete dihydropyrimidine dehydrogenase deficiency
Authors: Henricks Linda M. , Siemerink Ester J.M. , Rosing Hilde , Meijer Judith , Goorden Susan M.I. , Polstra Abeltje M. , Zoetekouw Lida , Cats Annemieke , Schellens Jan H.M. , van Kuilenburg André B.P.
Published: September 2017

Fluoropyrimidines are frequently used anti‐cancer drugs. It is known that patients with reduced activity of dihydropyrimidine dehydrogenase (DPD), the key metabolic enzyme in fluoropyrimidine inactivation, are at increased risk of developing severe fluoropyrimidine‐related toxicity. Upfront screening for DPD deficiency and dose reduction in patients with partial DPD deficiency is recommended and improves patient safety. For patients with complete DPD deficiency, fluoropyrimidine‐treatment has generally been discouraged. During routine pretreatment screening, we identified a 59‐year‐old patient with a sigmoid adenocarcinoma who proved to have a complete DPD deficiency. Genetic analyses showed that this complete absence of DPD activity was likely to be caused by a novel DPYD genotype, consisting of a combination of amplification of exons 17 and 18 of DPYD and heterozygosity for DPYD*2A. Despite absence of DPD activity, the patient was treated with capecitabine‐based chemotherapy, but capecitabine dose was drastically reduced to 150 mg once every 5 days (0.8% of original dose). Pharmacokinetic analyses showed that the area under the concentration‐time curve (AUC) and half‐life of 5‐fluorouracil were respectively tenfold and fourfold higher than control values of patients receiving capecitabine 850 mg/m2. When extrapolating from the dosing schedule of once every 5 days to twice daily, the AUC of 5‐fluorouracil was comparable to controls. Treatment was tolerated well for eight cycles by the patient without occurrence of capecitabine‐related toxicity. This case report demonstrates that a more comprehensive genotyping and phenotyping approach, combined with pharmacokinetically‐guided dose administration, enables save fluoropyrimidine‐treatment with adequate drug exposure in completely DPD deficient patients.
Horizontal transfer of miR‐23a from hypoxic tumor cell colonies can induce angiogenesis
Authors: Sruthi T. V. , Edatt Lincy , Raji Grace R. , Kunhiraman Haritha , Shankar Sharath S. , Shankar Vandana , Ramachandran Vishnu , Poyyakkara Aswini , Kumar Sameer V. B.
Published: September 2017

Neo vessel formation by angiogenesis is an important event during many pathological conditions including cancer, where it is indispensable for tumor growth and survival. Although, various pro‐angiogenic cytokines and soluble factors, secreted by tumor cells, have been reported to promote angiogenesis, recent studies have shown regulatory role of exosomes, secreted by tumor cells in the process of angiogenesis. These exosomes are capable of carrying nucleic acids, proteins, etc., as their cargo. Under the light of these facts and considering the presence of miRNAs, the non‐coding RNAs capable of regulating target gene expression, as one of the major cargos in the exosomes, we investigated, whether exosomes derived from normoxic and hypoxic tumor cell colonies exhibit difference in levels of miR‐23∼27∼24 cluster members and if so, to check the significance of their horizontal transfer on the process of angiogenesis. Results of our study showed that exosomes secreted by hypoxic tumor cell colonies possess significantly higher levels of miR23a and can induce angiogenesis. Further, we have shown that exosomes secreted by cells that ectopically over express miR23a is capable of inducing angiogenesis in different angiogenic model systems such as CAM, in ovo Xenograft and HUVEC models systems. Further, mechanistic analysis revealed that miR23a driven regulation of angiogenesis is brought about by down regulation of SIRT1 in the recipient cells. Collectively, the results presented here suggest that exosomal transfer of miR23a from tumor cell colonies can induce the process of angiogenesis by targeting SIRT1 in the recipient endothelial cells.
Effective suppression of the high temperature DC performance degradation of AlInN/GaN HEMTs by back barrier
Authors: Dong Yan , Chen Dunjun , Lu Hai , Zhang Rong , Zheng Youdou
Published: September 2017

Performance degradation is an urgent obstacle for the practical high temperature applications of Al0.83In0.17N/GaN high electron mobility transistors (HEMTs). The present work investigates theoretically the feasibility of suppressing the high temperature performance degradation of Al0.83In0.17N/GaN HEMTs by inserting an In0.06Ga0.94N back barrier. The simulation results show that inserting a 3‐nm InGaN back barrier can substantially decrease the off‐state leakage current and increase the saturate drain current and the transconductance, no matter at room temperature or at 400 K, and meanwhile, the performance degradation of the HEMT at 400 K is also effectively suppressed.
Regional variation in Holocene climate quantified from pollen in the Great Plains of North America
Authors: Commerford Julie L. , Grimm Eric C. , Morris Christopher J. , Nurse Andrea , Stefanova Ivanka , McLauchlan Kendra K.
Published: September 2017

The Great Plains experienced extreme fluctuations in precipitation and temperature throughout the Holocene, but these fluctuations have been difficult to quantify systematically across the region. Pollen has long been used as a proxy for reconstructing climate changes, but its power is limited if a region is devoid of modern pollen samples to facilitate comparison with known climate conditions. Here, we present a set of pollen‐climate transfer functions developed using weighted‐averaging partial least squares to reconstruct mean annual precipitation (MAP), mean temperature of the coldest month (MTcold) and mean temperature of the warmest month (MTwarm). At the foundation of these transfer functions is a new set of 141 modern pollen samples that specifically cover the climate space of the Great Plains. These functions quantify the relationship between pollen assemblages and modern climate in this region (r = 0.928, 0.838 and 0.897 for MAP, MTcold and MTwarm, respectively). We applied these functions to three previously established pollen records taken from lacustrine sites in the region – Fox Lake, MN; Moon Lake, ND; and Kettle Lake, ND – to reconstruct precipitation and temperature at these sites throughout the Holocene. Annual precipitation reconstructed with these transfer functions at Moon Lake and Kettle Lake does not capture a severe, prolonged period of drought during the mid‐Holocene as seen in many other proxy records from these sites and from the region. Reconciliation of these results involves both the autecology of Ambrosia and the inability of any pollen surface samples to capture seasonal and short‐term variability in precipitation. Thus, the transfer functions correctly reconstruct periodic wet summers and a disturbance factor favouring Ambrosia, but miss the effects of reduced winter precipitation and increased frequency of severe drought. The problem revealed here may be more general to biomes with higher frequency disturbance regimes and more weedy species.
Pressurizing the mixtures of two ionic liquids: Crystallization versus vetrification
Authors: Capitani F. , Trequattrini F. , Palumbo O. , Roy P. , Postorino P. , Paolone A.
Published: September 2017

A series of mixtures prepared with different content of the ionic liquids N‐trimethyl‐N‐propylammonium bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)imide (TMPA‐TFSI) and N‐trimethyl‐N‐hexylammonium bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)imide (TMHA‐TFSI), namely, (TMPA‐TFSI)100−x (TMHA‐TFSI)x, is investigated by means of Raman spectroscopy as a function of pressure at room temperature. Both pure TMPA‐TFSI and the x = 2 mixture crystallize under an applied pressure lower than 1 GPa. On the contrary, for x > 7, none of the investigated mixtures crystallize, but they undergo a glass transition over the 1–2 GPa pressure range. We suggest that the disorder induced by the high number of possible configurations for the longer alkyl chain of TMHA‐TFSI in a compressed environment is a key factor in the suppression of the crystallization process.
Comparison of blueberry powder produced via foam‐mat freeze‐drying versus spray‐drying: evaluation of foam and powder properties
Authors: Darniadi Sandi , Ho Peter , Murray Brent S
Published: September 2017

BACKGROUND

Blueberry juice powder was developed via foam‐mat freeze‐drying (FMFD) and spray‐drying (SD) via addition of maltodextrin (MD) and whey protein isolate (WPI) at weight ratios of MD/WPI = 0.4 to 3.2 (with a fixed solids content of 5 wt% for FMFD and 10 wt% for SD). Feed rates of 180 and 360 mL h−1 were tested in SD. The objective was to evaluate the effect of the drying methods and carrier agents on the physical properties of the corresponding blueberry powders and reconstituted products.

RESULTS

Ratios of MD/WPI = 0.4, 1.0 and 1.6 produced highly stable foams most suitable for FMFD. FMFD gave high yields and low bulk density powders with flake‐like particles of large size that were also dark purple with high red values. SD gave low powder recoveries. The powders had higher bulk density and faster rehydration times, consisting of smooth, spherical and smaller particles than in FMFD powders. The SD powders were bright purple but less red than FMFD powders. Solubility was greater than 95% for both FMFD and SD powders.

CONCLUSION

The FMFD method is a feasible method of producing blueberry juice powder and gives products retaining more characteristics of the original juice than SD. © 2017 Society of Chemical Industry
No induced mutagenesis in human lymphoblast cell line and bacterial systems upon their prolonged sub‐culturing in irradiated food blended media
Authors: Saxena Sudhanshu , Kumar Sanjeev , Tripathi Jyoti , Gautam Satyendra
Published: September 2017

BACKGROUND

Profound apprehension towards safety of irradiated food has remained a major cause behind tardy acceptance of this technology although it has immense socio‐economic potential. Generation of in‐depth scientific evidence will help to refute these apprehensions. With this prospective, the present study was undertaken where safety of various irradiated (Dmin up to 25 kGy) foods was evaluated through long‐term exposure studies in models including human lymphoblast TK6 cell line (100 generations) and Escherichia coli MG1655 cells (exclusive sub‐culturing in irradiated food medium for 3000 generations). Additionally, the Ames test, micronucleus test, comet assay, DNA sequencing and restriction profiling of phagemid DNA from E. coli cells sub‐cultured in irradiated food medium were also performed.

RESULTS

No induced mutagenesis was observed in these cells during long‐term sub‐culturing in various irradiated food medium. Also no change was observed in profiles of comet, micronucleus, restriction digestion, random amplification of polymorphic DNA as well as DNA sequences. The latter also ruled out the possibility of any silent mutation.

CONCLUSION

Findings of the current study thus provided credible molecular evidence supporting the safety of irradiated foods. This would be helpful in confidence building among consumers, entrepreneurs, and strengthening the overall food irradiation program to achieve ‘food safety’ and ‘security’. © 2017 Society of Chemical Industry
Timing of disease occurrence and hepatic resection on long‐term outcome of patients with neuroendocrine liver metastasis
Authors: Zhang Xu‐Feng , Beal Eliza W. , Weiss Matthew , Aldrighetti Luca , Poultsides George A. , Bauer Todd W. , Fields Ryan C. , Maithel Shishir K. , Marques Hugo P. , Pawlik Timothy M.
Published: September 2017

Background and Objectives

The objective of the study was to evaluate the impact of timing of disease occurrence and hepatic resection on long‐term outcome of neuroendocrine liver metastasis (NELM).

Methods

A total of 420 patients undergoing curative‐intent resection for NELM were identified from a multi‐institutional database. Date of primary resection, NELM detection and resection, intraoperative details, disease‐specific (DSS), and recurrence‐free survival (RFS) were obtained.

Results

A total of 243 (57.9%) patients had synchronous NELM, while 177 (42.1%) developed metachronous NELM. On propensity score matching (PSM), patients with synchronous versus metachronous NELM had comparable DSS (10‐year DSS, 76.2% vs 85.9%, P = 0.105), yet a worse RFS (10‐year RFS, 34.1% vs 59.8%, P = 0.008). DSS and RFS were comparable regardless of operative approach (simultaneous vs staged, both P > 0.1). Among patients who developed metachronous NELM, no difference in long‐term outcomes were identified between early (≤2 years, n = 102, 57.6%) and late (>2 years, n = 68, 42.4%) disease on PSM (both P > 0.1).

Conclusions

Patients with synchronous NELM had a higher risk of tumor recurrence after hepatic resection versus patients with metachronous disease. The time to development of metachronous NELM did not affect long‐term outcome. Curative‐intent hepatic resection should be considered for patients who develop NELM regardless of the timing of disease presentation.
Emerging role of multimodality treatment in gall bladder cancer: Outcomes following 510 consecutive resections in a tertiary referral center
Authors: Patkar Shraddha , Ostwal Vikas , Ramaswamy Anant , Engineer Reena , Chopra Supriya , Shetty Nitin , Dusane Rohit , Shrikhande Shailesh V. , Goel Mahesh
Published: September 2017

Background and Objectives

Gall bladder cancer (GBC) is a disease with high incidence in India. We analyzed the outcomes of patients with suspected GBC who underwent surgical exploration.

Methods

Analysis of a prospectively maintained database of patients undergoing surgical exploration for clinic‐radiologically suspected GBC from January 2010 to August 2015. Outcomes as well as factors influencing survival were analyzed.

Results

Five hundred and ten patients underwent surgery for suspected GBC. Of these 400 had histologically proven malignancy. Eighty patients were deemed inoperable. Radical cholecystectomy was performed in 153 patients, revision surgery for incidental GBC in 160 and port site excision in seven patients. A total of 112 received peri‐operative chemotherapy or chemoradiation. Majority were stage III (36%, n = 144) and stage II (31.8% n = 127). At a median follow up of 28.4 months, the median overall survival (OS) was not yet reached. Median disease free survival (DFS) was 33.4 months. Lymph node involvement, stage of the disease and resection status were the main factors influencing outcomes (P = 0.0001).

Conclusion

Surgery alone is curative only for early GBC (Stage I). Combination of surgery and peri‐operative systemic therapy results in favorable outcomes even in stage II/III disease. Potentially, multimodality treatment may add meaningful survival for this disease with inherently aggressive tumor biology.
The impact of perioperative CA19‐9 change on the survival and recurrence patterns after adjuvant chemoradiotherapy in resectable extrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma
Authors: Kim Byoung Hyuck , Kim Eunji , Kim Kyubo , Jang Jin‐Young , Kim Sun Whe , Oh Do‐Youn , Chie Eui Kyu
Published: September 2017

Backgrounds

Perioperative CA19‐9 value in pancreato‐biliary cancers has been recognized as a prognostic factor. Herein, we investigated survival differences and recurrence patterns after adjuvant chemoradiotherapy by perioperative CA19‐9 change in surgically resected extrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma.

Methods

Patients were divided into those with preoperative normal CA19‐9 (Group 1, n = 52), those with high preoperative and normalized postoperative CA19‐9 (Group 2, n = 80), and those with both high pre‐ and postoperative CA19‐9 (Group 3, n = 21).

Results

Depending on the group defined above, the 5‐year overall survival (OS) (59.6%, 38.7%, and 9.5%, P < 0.001) and disease‐free survival (55.8%, 31.2%, and 9.5%, P < 0.001) between the three groups differed. On multivariable analysis in patients other than group 1, poor prognosticators for OS were high postoperative CA19‐9 (HR 2.26, P = 0.008) and N1 disease (HR 2.33, P = 0.001). Group 3, compared with group 2, showed higher distant metastasis rate, shorter disease‐free interval, and higher CA19‐9 at the time of recurrence.

Conclusions

Survival and recurrence patterns after adjuvant chemoradiotherapy are significantly affected by perioperative CA19‐9 change. This may have important implications in patient selection for adjuvant chemoradiotherapy and clinical trial design.
Can small zooplankton mix lakes?
Authors: Simoncelli S. , Thackeray S. J. , Wain D. J.
Published: September 2017

The idea that living organisms may contribute to turbulence and mixing in lakes and oceans (biomixing) dates to the 1960s, but has attracted increasing attention in recent years. Recent modeling and experimental studies suggest that marine organisms can enhance turbulence as much as winds and tides in oceans, with an impact on mixing. However, other studies show opposite and contradictory results, precluding definitive conclusions regarding the potential importance of biomixing. For lakes, only models and lab studies are available. These generally indicate that small zooplankton or passive bodies generate turbulence but different levels of mixing depending on their abundance. Nevertheless, biogenic mixing is a complex problem, which needs to be explored in the field, to overcome limitations arising from numerical models and lab studies, and without altering the behavior of the animals under study.
Ionically Crosslinked Thermoresponsive Chitosan Hydrogels formed In Situ: A Conceptual Basis for Deeper Understanding
Authors: Rahmati Maryam , Milan Peiman Brouki , Samadikuchaksaraei Ali , Goodarzi Vahabodin , Saeb Mohammad Reza , Kargozar Saeid , Kaplan David L. , Mozafari Masoud
Published: September 2017

In situ formation and the performance of ionically crosslinked thermosensitive chitosan‐based hydrogels are presented. Experimental analyses, together with mechanistic descriptions of the events during hydrolysis, are employed to uncover the role of urea and isobutanol as chemical modifiers by comparing three classes of hydrogels formed in chitosan/β‐glycerolphosphate (β‐GP) solutions. Rheological measurements demonstrate that urea caused an increase in gelation time and temperature of chitosan/β‐GP systems, while isobutanol has an inverse effect. Interpretations based on increase in pH and chemical bonding of components in chitosan solutions provide further insight into hydrogel network formation. Urea can hinder the hydrophobic characteristics of chitosan‐based hydrogels, whereas isobutanol has the opposite effect. The shape retaining strategy applied here helps in simulation and interpretation of performance of thermosensitive hydrogels for biomedical purposes.
Chromosomal aneuploidies and copy number variations in posterior fossa abnormalities diagnosed by prenatal ultrasonography
Authors: Lei Ting , Feng Jie‐Ling , Xie Ying‐Jun , Xie Hong‐Ning , Zheng Ju , Lin Mei‐Fang
Published: September 2017

Objective

To explore the genetic aetiology of fetal posterior fossa abnormalities (PFAs).

Methods

This study involved cases of PFAs that were identified by prenatal ultrasonographic screening and confirmed postnatally between January 2012 and January 2016. Conventional cytogenetic analyses and chromosomal microarray analysis were performed, and chromosomal aneuploidies and copy number variations (CNVs) were identified.

Results

Among 74 cases included in this study, 8 were of Blake's pouch cyst; 7, Dandy‐Walker malformation; 11, vermian hypoplasia; 32, enlarged cisterna magna; and 16, cerebellar hypoplasia. The rates of nonbenign chromosomal aberrations (including chromosomal aneuploidies, pathogenic CNVs, and variants of unknown significance) were 2/8 (25.0%), 2/7 (28.5%), 8/11 (72.7%), 7/32 (21.9%), and 6/16 (37.5%), respectively. Cases were also classified as isolated PFAs (30/74), PFAs with other central nervous system (CNS) abnormalities (13/74), or PFAs with extra‐CNS structural abnormalities (31/74). No fetuses with isolated PFAs or PFAs accompanied by other CNS abnormalities exhibited chromosomal aneuploidies or pathogenic CNVs. The rate of pathogenic chromosomal aberrations in the remaining fetuses was 17/31 (22.9%).

Conclusion

The combined use of chromosomal microarray analysis and karyotype analysis might assist the prenatal diagnosis and management of PFAs, with extra‐CNS structural abnormalities being detected by ultrasonography.
Synthesis of star‐shaped poly(n‐butyl acrylate) oligomers with coumarin end groups and their networks for a UV‐tunable viscoelastic material
Authors: Honda Satoshi , Tanaka Nobuaki , Toyota Taro
Published: September 2017

Solvent‐free isothermal tuning of viscoelasticity of polymer materials is important for an emerging photochemical molding technology and photoreversible adhesives. In this study we designed a four‐armed star‐shaped poly(butyl acrylate, BA) oligomer having four coumarin end groups. The irradiation of UV at the wavelength of 365 nm (UV365) to the viscous poly(BA) oligomer under a solvent‐free condition produced a solid network material along with the progress of dimerization reaction with coumarin end groups. The subsequent irradiation of UV at the wavelength of 254 nm (UV254) caused dimer dissociation reaction to attain change in the mixing degree of star and network architectures in the material. Moreover, viscoelasticity of the network material was tunable by repetitive UV365 and UV254 irradiations. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part A: Polym. Chem. 2018, 56, 9–15
The effects of violations of the multivariate normality assumption in multivariate Shewhart and MEWMA control charts
Authors: Nidsunkid Sudarat , Borkowski John J. , Budsaba Kamon
Published: September 2017

A multivariate Shewhart and a multivariate exponentially weighted moving average control charts are types of multivariate control charts for monitoring the mean vector. For those control charts, a multivariate normal distribution is an important assumption that is used to describe a behavior of a set of quality characteristics of interest. This research explores the sensitivity of average run lengths and standard deviation of run lengths for the multivariate Shewhart and the multivariate exponentially weighted moving average control charts when the normality assumption is incorrect.
Methanol oxidation on the PtPd(111) alloy surface: A density functional theory study
Authors: Xu Jing , Guo Sheng , Hou Fei , Li Jing , Zhao Lianming
Published: September 2017

The mechanisms of methanol (CH3OH) oxidation on the PtPd(111) alloy surface were systematically investigated by using density functional theory calculations. The energies of all the involved species were analyzed. The results indicated that with the removal of H atoms from adsorbates on PtPd(111) surface, the adsorption energies of (i) CH3OH, CH2OH, CHOH, and COH increased linearly, while those of (ii) CH3OH, CH3O, CH2O, CHO, and CO exhibited odd‐even oscillation. On PtPd(111) surface, CH3OH underwent the preferred initial CH bond scission followed by successive dehydrogenation and then CHO oxidation, that is, CH3OH → CH2OH → CHOH → CHO → CHOOH → COOH → CO2. Importantly, the rate‐determining step of CH3OH oxidation was found to switch from CO → CO2 on Pt(111) to COOH → CO2 + H on PtPd(111) with a lower energy barrier of 0.96 eV. Moreover, water also decomposed into OH more easily on PtPd(111) than on Pt(111). The calculated results indicate that alloying Pt with Pd could efficiently improve its catalytic performance for CH3OH oxidation through altering the primary pathways from the CO path on pure Pt to the non‐CO path on PtPd(111).
Thermodynamic properties of the La2O3–ZrO2 system by Knudsen effusion mass spectrometry at high temperature
Authors: Shugurov S.M. , Kurapova O.Yu. , Lopatin S.I. , Konakov V.G. , Vasil'eva E.A.
Published: September 2017

Rationale

Zirconia doped with a lanthanum oxide system is of high interest due to its exceptional thermal stability for the development of high‐performance ceramics. It possesses the beneficial properties of pure zirconia, such as heat resistance, mechanical strength and inertness, but also eliminates its main disadvantage, i.e. brittleness. At high temperatures, components of such systems may vaporize selectively, leading to significant change in composition, and hence, the thermal resistance, phase stability and performance of the ceramic materials. Therefore, information on the vaporization processes and thermodynamic properties of the La2O3−ZrO2 system is of great importance.

Methods

Knudsen effusion mass spectrometry was used to study the vaporization processes and thermodynamic properties of solid solutions in the La2O3−ZrO2 system at 2110 K. Pure La2O3 was used as a reference substance. Comprehensive characterization of the precursors and ceramics was performed via SEM, STA, XRD and PSD analysis.

Results

Zirconia‐doped lanthania precursor powders and ceramics with La2O3 of 33.3, 50, 70 and 90 mol.% content were manufactured by solid‐state synthesis and the original cryochemical technique. La, LaO, ZrO and ZrO2 were found to be the main vapor species over the samples studied. The activities and thermodynamic properties of La2O3 were calculated. Via XRD analysis it was shown that the phase composition of xLa2O3–(100–x)ZrO2 powders (x = 0.33, 0.5, 0.7 and 0.9 mol. fraction) significantly depends on the synthesis technique chosen.

Conclusions

According to the XRD results combined with Rietveld refinement of the patterns, 33.3 La2O3–66.7 ZrO2 ceramics after solid‐state synthesis are composed of well‐formed cubic pyrochlore‐type La2Zr2O7 with 5 wt.% admixture of monoclinic and cubic ZrO2 whereas 33.3 La2O3–66.7 ZrO2 precursor powders after cryochemical synthesis correspond to low‐crystalline La(OH)3. The components of the La2O3–ZrO2 system evaporate separately: there is no temperature range where lanthanum and zirconium gaseous species are present together. It was found that the activities of lanthania have low negative deviation from the ideal case.
Exponential stability and stabilization of extended linearizations via continuous updates of Riccati‐based feedback
Authors: Benner P. , Heiland J.
Published: September 2017

Many recent works on the stabilization of nonlinear systems target the case of locally stabilizing an unstable steady‐state solution against small perturbations. In this work, we explicitly address the goal of driving a system into a nonattractive steady state starting from a well‐developed state for which the linearization‐based local approaches will not work. Considering extended linearizations or state‐dependent coefficient representations of nonlinear systems, we develop sufficient conditions for the stability of solution trajectories. We find that if the coefficient matrix is uniformly stable in a sufficiently large neighborhood of the current state, then the state will eventually decay. On the basis of these analytical results, we propose a scheme that is designed to maintain the stabilization property of a Riccati‐based feedback constant during a certain period of the state evolution. We illustrate the general applicability of the resulting algorithm for setpoint stabilization of nonlinear autonomous systems and its numerical efficiency in 2 examples.
Are you prepared to meet the Oct. 1 deadline for the Clery Act's annual reports?
Authors: Hanson Hayley , Irwin Ben
Published: September 2017

As the Clery Act's Oct. 1 reporting deadline quickly approaches, your institution should be preparing to post its annual security report (and annual fire safety report for campuses with housing). There is still time to double‐check your work to avoid the following four common mistakes that frequently result in noncompliance.
Take a student‐centered approach to managing demonstrations, understanding nonviolent protest
Authors: McCarthy Claudine
Published: September 2017

When protests and demonstrations come to campus, many complex issues call for student affairs professionals' attention.
Discover 5 ways to respond to student shaming
Authors: Costa Karen
Published: September 2017

In more than a decade of work in higher education, I've unfortunately encountered many individuals who blame or disparage our students. These often come from well‐intentioned educators who seem frustrated and unclear about possible solutions to their challenges.
Accommodating the ecological fallacy in disease mapping in the absence of individual exposures
Authors: Wang Feifei , Wang Jian , Gelfand Alan , Li Fan
Published: September 2017

In health exposure modeling, in particular, disease mapping, the ecological fallacy arises because the relationship between aggregated disease incidence on areal units and average exposure on those units differs from the relationship between the event of individual incidence and the associated individual exposure. This article presents a novel modeling approach to address the ecological fallacy in the least informative data setting. We assume the known population at risk with an observed incidence for a collection of areal units and, separately, environmental exposure recorded during the period of incidence at a collection of monitoring stations. We do not assume any partial individual level information or random allocation of individuals to observed exposures. We specify a conceptual incidence surface over the study region as a function of an exposure surface resulting in a stochastic integral of the block average disease incidence. The true block level incidence is an unavailable Monte Carlo integration for this stochastic integral. We propose an alternative manageable Monte Carlo integration for the integral. Modeling in this setting is immediately hierarchical, and we fit our model within a Bayesian framework. To alleviate the resulting computational burden, we offer 2 strategies for efficient model fitting: one is through modularization, the other is through sparse or dimension‐reduced Gaussian processes. We illustrate the performance of our model with simulations based on a heat‐related mortality dataset in Ohio and then analyze associated real data.
Physicochemical Properties of Mung Bean Starches Isolated From Four Varieties Grown in Sri Lanka
Authors: Gunaratne Anil , Gan Renyou , Wu Kao , Kong Xiangli , Collado Lilia , Arachchi Lal V. , Kumara Kapila , Pathirana Sarath M. , Corke Harold
Published: September 2017

Functional and digestible properties of starches isolated from four mung bean varieties are investigated. Amylose content is in the range from 37 to 42%. Gelatinization temperature and enthalpy are in the ranges 71.4–73.8 °C and 14.1–16.7 J g−1, respectively. The extent of amylopectin retrogradation ranges from 3.5 to 6.6%. Peak viscosity, hot paste viscosity, breakdown, cold paste viscosity, and setback are in the ranges 230–317 RVU, 167–203 RVU, 26–129 RVU, 297–409 RVU, and 129–205 RVU, respectively. Examination of the pasting properties shows that the Har variety has high pasting stability because of low granular breakdown while the MI06 variety shows weaker pasting stability due to high granular breakdown. All varieties produce firmer gels which range from 165 to 209 (g). Adhesiveness and cohesiveness do not vary significantly among the varieties. It appears that gel hardness of the tested mung bean varieties is influenced by the rigidity of the swollen granules and order of amylose rather than the concentration of amylose in the continuous gel network. Digestibility of mung bean starch seems to be influenced by swelling power and rigidity of the starch granules. The excellent gelling and gel textural characteristics of the tested mung bean starch provide scientific basis for their potential food applications, such as the development of mung bean noodles.
The application of a single‐model ensemble system to the seasonal prediction of winter temperatures for Islamabad and Lahore using coupled general circulation models
Authors: Khalid Bushra , Bueh Cholaw , Javeed Shumaila , Ali Shaukat , Sultana Qaiser , Khalid Ayesha
Published: September 2017

The purpose of this study is the selection of an appropriate coupled general circulation model (CGCM) for seasonal weather prediction of winter temperatures in two cities of Pakistan: Islamabad and Lahore. The data used in the study comprises 32 years (1969–2000) of real‐time observations from the Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) and simulation data from CGCMs, including the European Centre for Medium Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF) and the UK Met Office (UKMO). This study attempts to establish accurate average seasonal weather predictions using a single‐model Ensemble Prediction System (EPS). Accurate seasonal prediction is important for developing an early warning system. The probabilistic forecast is calculated for the lower tercile (i.e. [0, 0.33]) keeping in view the trend of winter temperature for both cities. The initial conditions (ICs) obtained from the CGCMs have been alternatively processed for better results. The probabilistic forecast obtained from the EPS has been further verified against PMD observations and European Reanalysis Data (ERA‐40) using two different measures of probabilistic skill: the Brier Skill Score (BSS) and the Relative Operating Characteristic Skill Score (ROCSS). The ECMWF and UKMO models were used for both of the cities under study. The results demonstrate that the ECMWF model is more suitable for Islamabad, whereas the UKMO model is more suitable for Lahore. The results from these models might be generalised for other areas at the same latitudes with similar topographic and climatic conditions.
Spatio‐temporal temperature ­variations in the Chinese Yellow River basin from 1981 to 2013
Authors: Wu Lei , Liu Xia , Ma Xiaoyi
Published: September 2017

Air temperature changes are one of the main factors that cause variability in the natural landscape and living environment. In this study, spatio‐temporal evolutions in temperature in the Yellow River basin were statistically interpolated by the partial thin plate smoothing spline method for the period 1981–2013. Results indicate that: (1) the interpolation method can be successfully applied to simulate the spatio‐temporal evolution of meteorological data in large regions with complex terrain; (2) annual temperature distributions show no obvious changes from 1981 to 2013 (the spatial distribution maintains the form of an overall decreasing trend from the east to the west of the basin ‐ the annual average temperature in the east of the basin is about 13–15°C, while in the west it is about –7 to –3°C); (3) the average lowest and highest temperatures in January and December were concentrated in the western and southeastern regions of the basin respectively; January has the lowest temperature, while July has the highest temperature; the lowest temperature from May to September may stay above 0°C, and in the remaining months it will stay below 0°C. The research method applied in this study can provide a reference for the interpolation of meteorological data in other study areas.