bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Changes in carbon and nutrient fluxes from headwaters to ocean in a mountainous temperate to subtropical basin
Authors: Mutema Macdex , Chivenge Pauline , Nivet Fantine , Rabouille Christophe , Thieu Vincent , Chaplot Vincent
Published: May 2017

Water erosion provides major links in global cycles of carbon (C), nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P). Although significant research on erosion mechanisms has been done, there is still little knowledge on C, N and P fluxes across landscapes to the ocean and their controlling factors in subtropical climates. A four‐year study quantifying and comparing particulate and dissolved C, N and P from multiple scales (microplot, plot, microcatchment, subcatchment, catchment, sub‐basin and basin) was performed in Thukela basin (≈30 000 km2), South Africa. The basin climate was largely subtropical‐humid [mean annual precipitation (MAP) > 980 mm yr‐1], but temperate (MAP >2000 mm yr‐1) on the highlands. Open grassland, cropland and bushland were the major land uses. On average, 65, 24 and 4 g m‐2 yr‐1 C, N and P were displaced from original topsoil positions, but only 0.33, 0.005 and 0.002 mg m‐2 yr‐1 were, respectively, exported to the ocean. The fluxes decreased by 95, 97 and 84%, respectively, from plot to microcatchment outlet; and decreased further in downstream direction by >99% from microcatchment to basin outlet. The hillslope (microplot to microcatchment) fluxes correlated strongly with rainfall parameters. Particulate contributions dominated hillslope fluxes at 73, 81 and 76% of total annual C, N and P, respectively. Although particulate C dominated in the microcatchment‐catchment reach (55%), N (54%) and P (69%) were dominated by dissolved forms. The lower basin zone was dominated by dissolved flux contributions at 93, 81 and 78% for C, N and P for the sub‐basin outlet. These results suggested spatially varying drivers of C, N and P losses from the landscape to the ocean, via the river network. Deposition was envisaged the dominant hillslope level loss process, which gradually gave way to mineralization and biotic uptake in the river network as flux contributions shifted from being predominantly particulate to dissolved forms. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Forest water use in the initial stages of reclamation in the Athabasca Oil Sands Region
Authors: Strilesky Stacey L. , Humphreys Elyn R. , Carey Sean K.
Published: May 2017

Following large‐scale surface oil sands mining, large tracts of the boreal forest in the Athabasca Oil Sands Region of Western Canada are legally required to be reclaimed. A greater understanding of how these novel ecosystems function and develop with regard to water use is crucial to aid in the development of regulatory practices and protocols based on information from ecosystem recovery. In this paper, a 12‐year (2003–2014) eddy covariance measurement record of latent and sensible heat fluxes and gross ecosystem productivity of carbon dioxide is analysed to evaluate how a reclaimed boreal forest has developed during its initial growth period. The study site is a reclaimed oil sands saline‐sodic clay shale overburden deposit that was topped with 100 cm of glacial till and 20 cm of peat mineral mix. The site was seeded with barley (Hordeum spp.) in 2001 to reduce erosion of the soil cover whereas aspen (Populus tremuloides Michx.) and spruce (Picea glauca [Moench] Voss) boreal tree species were planted in 2004. Changes in structure and function corresponded to the transition of dominant vegetation cover from early successional species to forest. Leaf area index increased from a growing season peak of 0.9 in 2003 to 4.0 in 2014 and was associated with an increased growing season gross ecosystem productivity (4.9 to 8.9 g C m−2 day−1), an increased evapotranspiration (1.6 to 3.4 mm day−1), and a decreased partitioning of energy to sensible heat (Bowen's ratio decreased from 1.1 to 0.4). Although canopy conductance increased throughout the 12 years, the shift from early successional species to trees with more conservative water use resulted in a decrease in conductance normalized by leaf area. Water use efficiency has increased slightly since 2008 with an average of 10.0 g CO2 kg−1 H2O for the last 6 years. No prolonged dry periods were observed during the study period. The functioning of this novel ecosystem is evolving as expected on the basis of the trends observed for other natural and disturbed boreal forests.
Serology of Streptococcus gallolyticus subspecies gallolyticus and its association with colorectal cancer and precursors
Authors: Butt Julia , Werner Simone , Willhauck‐Fleckenstein Martina , Michel Angelika , Waterboer Tim , Zörnig Inka , Boleij Annemarie , Dramsi Shaynoor , Brenner Hermann , Pawlita Michael
Published: May 2017

Streptococcus gallolyticus subspecies gallolyticus (SGG) is potentially associated with colorectal cancer (CRC) and its precursors. A previous case‐control study measured antibody responses to SGG pilus proteins Gallo2178 and Gallo2179 and identified significant associations with a small fraction of CRC cases. We aimed at replicating and expanding these findings in an independent study including additional SGG antigens and explored the association with precancerous lesions. We applied multiplex serology to measure antibodies to eleven SGG proteins in serum samples of a screening colonoscopy trial (BliTz study) including participants diagnosed with either non‐advanced adenoma (NAA, n = 30), advanced adenoma (AA, n = 100), CRC (n = 50) or controls (n = 228). In addition, we analyzed CRC samples (n = 318) from patients recruited in a clinical setting (DACHSplus study). The association of antibody responses to SGG pilus proteins Gallo2178 and Gallo2179 with CRC was replicated with 4% positive DACHSplus cases compared to 0% positive BliTz controls. Positivity to two or more proteins of a newly defined panel of six SGG markers was significantly associated with CRC in the DACHSplus study (OR: 1.81, 95% CI: 1.07–3.06). Odds for CRC, AA and NAA in the BliTz study were also increased with antibody responses to SGG, and the association was significant for NAA (OR: 2.98, 95% CI: 1.18–7.57). Antibody responses to SGG are associated with CRC and its precursors. The newly identified SGG six‐marker panel and associations found with precancerous lesions should be further explored.
The Lrp4R1170Q Homozygous Knock-In Mouse Recapitulates the Bone Phenotype of Sclerosteosis in Humans
Authors: Boudin Eveline , Yorgan Timur , Fijalkowski Igor , Sonntag Stephan , Steenackers Ellen , Hendrickx Gretl , Peeters Silke , De Maré Annelies , Vervaet Benjamin , Verhulst Anja , Mortier Geert , D'Haese Patrick , Schinke Thorsten , Van Hul Wim
Published: May 2017

Sclerosteosis is a rare autosomal recessive bone disorder marked by hyperostosis of the skull and tubular bones. Initially, we and others reported that sclerosteosis was caused by loss-of-function mutations in SOST, encoding sclerostin. More recently, we identified disease-causing mutations in LRP4, a binding partner of sclerostin, in three sclerosteosis patients. Upon binding to sclerostin, LRP4 can inhibit the canonical WNT signaling that is known to be an important pathway in the regulation of bone formation. To further investigate the role of LRP4 in the bone formation process, we generated an Lrp4 mutated sclerosteosis mouse model by introducing the p.Arg1170Gln mutation in the mouse genome. Extensive analysis of the bone phenotype of the Lrp4R1170Q/R1170Q knock-in (KI) mouse showed the presence of increased trabecular and cortical bone mass as a consequence of increased bone formation by the osteoblasts. In addition, three-point bending analysis also showed that the increased bone mass results in increased bone strength. In contrast to the human sclerosteosis phenotype, we could not observe syndactyly in the forelimbs or hindlimbs of the Lrp4 KI animals. Finally, we could not detect any significant changes in the bone formation and resorption markers in the serum of the mutant mice. However, the serum sclerostin levels were strongly increased and the level of sclerostin in the tibia was decreased in Lrp4R1170Q/R1170Q mice, confirming the role of LRP4 as an anchor for sclerostin in bone. In conclusion, the Lrp4R1170Q/R1170Q mouse is a good model for the human sclerosteosis phenotype caused by mutations in LRP4 and can be used in the future for further investigation of the mechanism whereby LRP4 regulates bone formation. © 2017 American Society for Bone and Mineral Research.
A “mix‐and‐use” approach for formulation of human clinical doses of 177Lu‐DOTMP at hospital radiopharmacy for management of pain arising from skeletal metastases
Authors: Chakraborty Sudipta , Vimalnath K.V. , Rajeswari A. , Chakravarty Rubel , Sarma H.D. , Radhakrishnan E. , Kamaleshwaran K. , Shinto Ajit S. , Dash Ashutosh
Published: May 2017

Use of bone‐seeking radiopharmaceuticals is an established modality in the palliative care of pain due to skeletal metastases. 177Lu‐DOTMP is a promising radiopharmaceutical for this application owing to the ideally suited decay properties of 177Lu and excellent thermodynamic stability and kinetic rigidity of the macrocyclic complex. The aim of the present study is to develop a robust and easily adaptable protocol for formulation of clinical doses of 177Lu‐DOTMP at hospital radiopharmacy. After extensive radiochemical studies, an optimized strategy for formulation of clinical doses of 177Lu‐DOTMP was developed, which involves simple mixing of approximately 3.7 GBq of 177Lu activity as 177LuCl3 solution to an aqueous solution containing 5 mg of DOTMP and 8 mg of NaHCO3. The proposed protocol yielded 177Lu‐DOTMP with >98% radiochemical purity, and the resultant formulation showed excellent in vitro stability and desired pharmacokinetic properties in animal model. Preliminary clinical investigations in 5 patients showed specific skeletal accumulation with preferential localization in the osteoblastic lesion sites and almost no uptake in soft tissue or any other major nontarget organ. The developed “mix‐and‐use” strategy would be useful for large number of nuclear medicine centers having access to 177Lu activity and would thereby accelerate the clinical translation of 177Lu‐DOTMP.
Impact of transplant accessibility for sensitized patients by avoiding unacceptable antigens
Authors: Del Bello Arnaud , Congy‐Jolivet Nicolas , Audry Benoit , Antoine Corinne , Esposito Laure , Hebral Anne‐Laure , Kamar Nassim
Published: May 2017

Recent data have confirmed the negative impact of preformed donor‐specific antibodies (pDSAs) after liver transplantation (LT). In order to reduce the risk of developing lesions associated with acute and chronic antibody‐mediated rejection in LT recipients, we evaluated the consequences in terms of transplant accessibility, associated with avoiding pDSAs according to several mean fluorescence intensity (MFI) titer thresholds that have been previously reported to be relevant in LT. Among the 484 included LT candidates, 99 (20.5%) presented with anti–human leukocyte antibodies (HLAs). The predictive factors for anti‐HLA sensitization were a history of previous kidney transplantation (odds ratio [OR], 1.5; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.30‐1.9; P = 0.05), a history of previous LT (OR, 1.9; 95% CI, 1.6‐2.1; P = 0.01), a history of blood transfusion (OR, 2.5; 95% CI, 2.2‐4.1; P = 0.01), and a history of pregnancy (OR, 2.9; 95% CI, 2.4‐3.3; P = 0.04). By applying a strategy of unacceptable mismatches for recipients with an antibody (Ab) MFI of > 5000, only 35 patients were affected (7% of the cohort), but 22 of these (63%) would have been considered incompatible with >50% of the donors. Using a MFI threshold of >10,000, only 16 patients were affected (1.4% of the cohort), but half of these would have been considered incompatible with >50% of the proposed donors. Considering only those with anti‐class II Ab and a MFI >5000 and >10,000, respectively, 10/14 and 4/8 patients were considered incompatible with >50% of the donors. In conclusion, avoiding pDSAs affects a small but not negligible proportion of LT candidates. However, in these sensitive patients, avoiding pDSAs has the potential to significantly reduce the donor pool and, consequently, transplant accessibility. Liver Transplantation 23 880–886 2017 AASLD.
Evaluating the accuracy of 4D‐CT ventilation imaging: First comparison with Technegas SPECT ventilation
Authors: Hegi‐Johnson Fiona , Keall Paul , Barber Jeff , Bui Chuong , Kipritidis John
Published: May 2017

Purpose

Computed tomography ventilation imaging (CTVI) is a highly accessible functional lung imaging modality that can unlock the potential for functional avoidance in lung cancer radiation therapy. Previous attempts to validate CTVI against clinical ventilation single‐photon emission computed tomography (V‐SPECT) have been hindered by radioaerosol clumping artifacts. This work builds on those studies by performing the first comparison of CTVI with 99mTc‐carbon (‘Technegas’), a clinical V‐SPECT modality featuring smaller radioaerosol particles with less clumping.

Methods

Eleven lung cancer radiotherapy patients with early stage (T1/T2N0) disease received treatment planning four‐dimensional CT (4DCT) scans paired with Technegas V/Q‐SPECT/CT. For each patient, we applied three different CTVI methods. Two of these used deformable image registration (DIR) to quantify breathing‐induced lung density changes (CTVIDIR‐HU), or breathing‐induced lung volume changes (CTVIDIR‐Jac) between the 4DCT exhale/inhale phases. A third method calculated the regional product of air‐tissue densities (CTVIHU) and did not involve DIR. Corresponding CTVI and V‐SPECT scans were compared using the Dice similarity coefficient (DSC) for functional defect and nondefect regions, as well as the Spearman's correlation r computed over the whole lung. The DIR target registration error (TRE) was quantified using both manual and computer‐selected anatomic landmarks.

Results

Interestingly, the overall best performing method (CTVIHU) did not involve DIR. For nondefect regions, the CTVIHU, CTVIDIR‐HU, and CTVIDIR‐Jac methods achieved mean DSC values of 0.69, 0.68, and 0.54, respectively. For defect regions, the respective DSC values were moderate: 0.39, 0.33, and 0.44. The Spearman r‐values were generally weak: 0.26 for CTVIHU, 0.18 for CTVIDIR‐HU, and −0.02 for CTVIDIR‐Jac. The spatial accuracy of CTVI was not significantly correlated with TRE, however the DIR accuracy itself was poor with TRE > 3.6 mm on average, potentially indicative of poor quality 4DCT. Q‐SPECT scans achieved good correlations with V‐SPECT (mean r > 0.6), suggesting that the image quality of Technegas V‐SPECT was not a limiting factor in this study.

Conclusions

We performed a validation of CTVI using clinically available 4DCT and Technegas V/Q‐SPECT for 11 lung cancer patients. The results reinforce earlier findings that the spatial accuracy of CTVI exhibits significant interpatient and intermethod variability. We propose that the most likely factor affecting CTVI accuracy was poor image quality of clinical 4DCT.
Breast MRI segmentation for density estimation: Do different methods give the same results and how much do differences matter?
Authors: Doran Simon J. , Hipwell John H. , Denholm Rachel , Eiben Björn , Busana Marta , Hawkes David J. , Leach Martin O. , Silva Isabel dos Santos
Published: May 2017

Purpose

To compare two methods of automatic breast segmentation with each other and with manual segmentation in a large subject cohort. To discuss the factors involved in selecting the most appropriate algorithm for automatic segmentation and, in particular, to investigate the appropriateness of overlap measures (e.g., Dice and Jaccard coefficients) as the primary determinant in algorithm selection.

Methods

Two methods of breast segmentation were applied to the task of calculating MRI breast density in 200 subjects drawn from the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children, a large cohort study with an MRI component. A semiautomated, bias‐corrected, fuzzy C‐means (BC‐FCM) method was combined with morphological operations to segment the overall breast volume from in‐phase Dixon images. The method makes use of novel, problem‐specific insights. The resulting segmentation mask was then applied to the corresponding Dixon water and fat images, which were combined to give Dixon MRI density values. Contemporaneously acquired T1‐ and T2‐weighted image datasets were analyzed using a novel and fully automated algorithm involving image filtering, landmark identification, and explicit location of the pectoral muscle boundary. Within the region found, fat‐water discrimination was performed using an Expectation Maximization–Markov Random Field technique, yielding a second independent estimate of MRI density.

Results

Images are presented for two individual women, demonstrating how the difficulty of the problem is highly subject‐specific. Dice and Jaccard coefficients comparing the semiautomated BC‐FCM method, operating on Dixon source data, with expert manual segmentation are presented. The corresponding results for the method based on T1‐ and T2‐weighted data are slightly lower in the individual cases shown, but scatter plots and interclass correlations for the cohort as a whole show that both methods do an excellent job in segmenting and classifying breast tissue.

Conclusions

Epidemiological results demonstrate that both methods of automated segmentation are suitable for the chosen application and that it is important to consider a range of factors when choosing a segmentation algorithm, rather than focus narrowly on a single metric such as the Dice coefficient.
A p‐adaptive method for electromagnetic wave propagation
Authors: Panourgias Konstantinos T. , Ekaterinaris John A.
Published: May 2017

The discontinuous Galerkin FEM is used for the numerical solution of the three‐dimensional Maxwell equations. Control of errors in the numerical level for the divergence‐free constraint of the magnetic field can be obtained through the use of divergence‐free vector bases. In this work, the so‐called perfectly hyperbolic formulation of the Maxwell equations is used to retain both divergence‐free magnetic field and in the presence of charges to satisfy the Gauss constraint for the electric field at the numerical level. For both approaches, it is found that higher‐order approximations have favorable effect on the preservation of the divergence constraints and that the perfectly hyperbolic formulations retains these errors to a lower level. It is shown that high‐order accuracy in space and time is achieved in unstructured meshes using implicit time marching. For nonuniform meshes, local resolution refinement is used using p‐type adaptivity to ensure accurate electromagnetic wave propagation. Thus, the potential of the method to reach the required higher resolution in anisotropic meshes and obtain accurate electromagnetic wave propagation with reduced computational effort is demonstrated.
Mindfulness‐based cognitive therapy (MBCT) is cost‐effective compared to a wait‐list control for persistent pain in women treated for primary breast cancer—Results from a randomized controlled trial
Authors: Johannsen M. , Sørensen J. , O'Connor M. , Jensen A.B. , Zachariae R.
Published: May 2017

Objective

To investigate the cost‐effectiveness of mindfulness‐based cognitive therapy (MBCT) compared to a wait‐list control group for pain in women treated for breast cancer.

Methods

A total of 129 women were randomly allocated to MBCT or a wait‐list control group. The primary outcome was the minimal clinically important difference (MCID) on pain intensity (≥2 point reduction on an 11‐point Numeric Rating Scale). Analyses were conducted from the health care system perspective and included data on health care utilization and pain medication retrieved from national registries for the period from baseline (T1) to 6 months postintervention (T4). Bootstrap simulations were used to estimate confidence intervals for the incremental cost and effect measures, and cost‐effectiveness acceptability curves. In sensitivity analyses, we replaced dropouts with last‐observation‐carried‐forward and tested consequences of higher costs of the intervention.

Results

The intervention cost was 240€ per participant. The average total cost from T1 to T4 in the MBCT group was 1706€ compared with 2436€ in the control group (mean difference: 729€, P = .07). More women in the MBCT group (N:19/36; 52.8%) than in the control group (N:14/48; 29.2%) achieved an MCID in pain intensity (OR=2.71, P = .03). The MBCT was cost‐effective with a probability of 85% with a value of an additional women achieving MCID set to zero remained cost‐effective with a probability of 70% to 82% when smaller effect and higher MBCT costs were assumed.

Conclusions

Our results suggest that MBCT is a cost‐effective pain intervention for women treated for breast cancer. Future studies could include utility measures, indirect costs, and active control groups to increase the generalizability and pragmatic value of the results.
Mothers with breast cancer: A mixed‐method systematic review on the impact on the parent‐child relationship
Authors: Tavares Rita , Brandão Tânia , Matos Paula Mena
Published: May 2017

Objective

To systematically review and integrate the findings from quantitative and qualitative studies on parenting and parent‐child relationships in families where mothers had breast cancer (BC).

Methods

Ten different databases were searched from inception to January 2016. All authors assessed these data independently. Full‐text, peer‐reviewed articles exploring parenting and/or mother‐child relationships in families where the mother had BC, regardless of cancer stage, were considered for inclusion. Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta‐Analyses guidelines were followed.

Results

From 116 studies, 23 were deemed eligible for inclusion. Five of them were quantitative, 15 were qualitative, and 1 study used a mixed‐method approach. Most studies analysed the mother's perceptions about the experience of having BC in parenting and in the parent‐child relationship. The majority of studies explored experiences and perspectives on the parent‐child relationship in mothers with minor children, although a minority of studies included adult children. Additionally, a few studies (17%) addressed perceptions and experiences of women with advanced stage cancer. Three main themes were found: priorities and concerns of patients, decision‐making processes about sharing the diagnosis with their children, and mother‐child relationship and parenting after mother's diagnosis.

Conclusions

Findings indicated that the diagnosis of BC is accompanied by an array of challenges that affect parental roles and parenting. Further studies are needed to explore these issues more sensitively. For now, however, the evidence suggests that the families of women with BC, and particularly the women themselves, may benefit from informal and formal support aimed at helping them cope effectively with this challenging life event.
Individual training at the undergraduate level to promote competence in breaking bad news in oncology
Authors: Berney Alexandre , Carrard Valérie , Schmid Mast Marianne , Bonvin Raphael , Stiefel Friedrich , Bourquin Céline
Published: May 2017

Objective

Training medical students in breaking bad news (BBN) in oncology may be key to improve patient care in an area where many physicians tend to be uncomfortable. Given the lack of evidence in the literature, this study aimed to assess empirically the impact of 2 teaching strategies to prepare students for the task of BBN in oncology: one‐to‐one simulated patient (SP) training with individual feedback (intervention group) vs small‐group SP training with collective feedback (comparison group).

Methods

Fourth‐year students (N = 236) were randomly assigned to the intervention or comparison group. The SP videotaped interviews were analyzed with respect to BBN communication performance, rated using the Calgary‐Cambridge checklist of teaching objectives for BBN; verbal interaction behaviors, coded with the Roter interaction analysis system; and 7 nonverbal behaviors.

Results

Students in the intervention group scored significantly higher after than before the training on the overall evaluation of the interview (P < .001) as well as on process skills (P < .001); they also obtained significantly higher scores compared to students in the comparison group on the overall evaluation of the interview (P < .001) and on process skills (P < .001).

Conclusions

This study supports an individualized BBN teaching strategy and contributes to efforts to find the best way to train and reach the largest number of future physicians to improve communication competences in oncology.
Fetoscopic laser coagulation in 1020 pregnancies with twin–twin transfusion syndrome demonstrates improvement in double‐twin survival rate
Authors: Diehl W. , Diemert A. , Grasso D. , Sehner S. , Wegscheider K. , Hecher K.
Published: May 2017

Objective

To investigate the growing experience and learning curve of fetoscopic laser coagulation of the placental vascular anastomoses in severe mid‐trimester twin–twin transfusion syndrome (TTTS) and its influence on perinatal outcome in a single‐center setting.

Methods

Between January 1995 and March 2013 we performed laser therapy in 1020 consecutive pregnancies with TTTS between 15.1 and 27.4 weeks' gestation. We compared perinatal outcome in blocks of five sequential groups of 200 cases, taking into account several covariates in order to adjust for case mix and to demonstrate learning curves and success rates.

Results

The percentage of pregnancies with survival of both fetuses increased from 50.0% (n = 100) in the first 200 cases to 69.5% (n = 153) in the last 220 cases (P = 0.018 for trend) and the overall survival rate for both fetuses in the complete series of 1019 cases with known outcome was 63.3% (n = 645). The survival rate of at least one fetus increased from 80.5% (161/200) in the first group to 91.8% (202/220) in the last group (P = 0.072 for trend) and the overall survival rate of at least one fetus in the complete series was 86.7% (883/1019). In the total population, the mean gestational age at delivery of pregnancies with at least one liveborn neonate was 33.7 ± 3.2 weeks, with a mean interval of 12.9 ± 4.0 weeks between intervention and delivery. Among the first two groups, 124 pregnancies had anterior placentae and were treated with a 0° fetoscope. These cases had the poorest overall outcome, with a double‐twin survival rate of 44.4% (55/124), which increased to 65.1% (207/318; P = 0.001) after the introduction of a 30° fetoscope for cases with anterior placenta. The success rate for double‐twin survival reached a plateau of 69% at 600 procedures, a rate equalled by a new operator who was trained hands‐on and performed 174 of the last 400 procedures.

Conclusions

We report the largest single‐center experience of laser coagulation in TTTS. We observed a continuous increase in double‐twin survival rate owing to the growing experience based on the learning curve and refinements in fetoscopic instruments and techniques. These data provide strong arguments for the centralization of minimally invasive intrauterine surgery in specialized high‐volume centers. Copyright © 2017 ISUOG. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.
Safety and efficacy of radium-223 dichloride in Japanese patients with castration-resistant prostate cancer and bone metastases
Authors: Uemura Hiroji , Uemura Hirotsugu , Matsubara Nobuaki , Kinuya Seigo , Hosono Makoto , Yajima Yoko , Doi Toshihiko
Published: May 2017

Background

Radiation therapy with radium-223 dichloride improves overall survival, reduces symptomatic skeletal events in Caucasian patients with castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC) and bone metastases, and is well tolerated. We report here the results of the first efficacy and safety study of radium-223 dichloride in a Japanese population.

Methods

In this open-label, uncontrolled, non-randomized, phase I trial, radium-223 dichloride was given to Japanese patients with CRPC and ≥2 bone metastases in 4-week cycles. The patients were divided into three cohorts, with cohort 1 and the expansion cohort receiving injections of radium-223 dichloride [55 kBq/kg body weight (BW)] every 4 weeks (Q4W) for up to six injections, and cohort 2 receiving an initial single radium-223 dichloride injection of 110 kBq/kg BW followed by up to five injections of 55 kBq/kg BW Q4W. Safety was determined via adverse event (AE) reporting, and biochemical bone markers were assessed for treatment efficacy.

Results

In total 19 patients received at least one dose of radium-223 dichloride and 18 patients experienced at least one treatment-emergent AE (TEAE) of which the most common were anemia, thrombocytopenia, and lymphocytopenia. Serious AEs were reported in three patients but none were drug-related. In the patients of cohort 1 + expansion cohort (55 kBq/kg BW Q4W treatment; n = 16), prostate-specific antigen levels remained stable or slightly increased while the bone alkaline phosphatase (ALP) level significantly decreased. The response rates of bone ALP (≥30 and ≥50% reductions) were 81.8 and 36.4% at week 12, and 81.3 and 50.0% at the end of treatment.

Conclusions

Radium-223 dichloride was well tolerated in these Japanese patients and, at a dose of 55 kBq/kg BW, efficacy on biomarkers was as expected. The outcomes in Japanese patients were consistent with those reported in other non-Japanese populations.

Trial registration

ClinicalTrials.gov record NCT01565746.
Verbal Information Transfer in Real-Life: When Mothers Worry About Their Child Starting School
Authors: Pass Laura , Mastroyannopoulou Kiki , Coker Sian , Murray Lynne , Dodd Helen
Published: May 2017

Verbal information transfer, one of Rachman’s three pathways to fear, may be one way in which vulnerability for anxiety may be transmitted from parents to children. A community sample of mothers and their preschool-aged children (N = 65) completed observational tasks relating to the child starting school. Mothers were asked to tell their child about social aspects of school; then children completed a brief play assessment involving ambiguous, school-based social scenarios. Mothers completed self-report questionnaires on social anxiety symptoms, general anxiety and depressive symptoms as well as a questionnaire on child anxiety symptoms and indicated whether they were personally worried about their child starting school. There was a significant difference in the information given to children about school between mothers who stated they were worried and those who stated they were not, with mothers who were worried more likely to mention unresolved threat, use at least one anxiety-related word, and show clear/consistent negativity (all ps < .01). Significant associations were also found between the emotional tone of mothers’ descriptions of school and children’s own representations of school. These findings support the theory that the information mothers give to their child may be influenced by their own concerns regarding their child, and that this verbal information affects child representations.
Discovery of topic flows of authors
Authors: Jeong Young-Seob , Lee Sang-Hun , Gweon Gahgene , Choi Ho-Jin
Published: May 2017

With an increase in the number of Web documents, the number of proposed methods for knowledge discovery on Web documents have been increased as well. The documents do not always provide keywords or categories, so unsupervised approaches are desirable, and topic modeling is such an approach for knowledge discovery without using labels. Further, Web documents usually have time information such as publish years, so knowledge patterns over time can be captured by incorporating the time information. The temporal patterns of knowledge can be used to develop useful services such as a graph of research trends, finding similar authors (potential co-authors) to a particular author, or finding top researchers about a specific research domain. In this paper, we propose a new topic model, Author Topic-Flow (ATF) model, whose objective is to capture temporal patterns of research interests of authors over time, where each topic is associated with a research domain. The state-of-the-art model, namely Temporal Author Topic model, has the same objective as ours, where it computes the temporal patterns of authors by combining the patterns of topics. We believe that such ‘indirect’ temporal patterns will be poor than the ‘direct’ temporal patterns of our proposed model. The ATF model allows each author to have a separated variable which models the temporal patterns, so we denote it as ‘direct’ topic flow. The design of the ATF model is based on the hypothesis that ‘direct’ topic flows will be better than the ‘indirect’ topic flows. We prove the hypothesis is true by a structural comparison between the two models and show the effectiveness of the ATF model by empirical results.
Relationships among site characteristics, taxonomical structure and functional trait distribution of arthropods in forest, urban and agricultural soils of Southern Italy
Authors: Maisto Giulia , Milano Vittoria , Santorufo Lucia
Published: May 2017

Urbanization and agriculture cause alterations in soil biodiversity. As arthropods quickly respond to soil changes, they have been recognized as good indicators of soil quality. This study aimed to evaluate if (1) soil physico‐chemical properties act as environmental filters of the functional trait distribution of soil arthropod community; (2) the abundance of certain functional traits is linked to different land uses; (3) the taxonomical and functional approaches provide complementary information about the evaluation of biological soil quality. The study was performed at forest, agricultural and urban sites in downtown and surroundings of Naples. The soils were characterized for texture, pH, organic matter content, water content, total Cd, Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb and Zn concentrations. The forest soils showed the highest organic matter and water contents, and the lowest metal concentrations; the agricultural soils showed the lowest organic matter and water contents and high Cd and Cu concentrations, whereas the urban soils showed high Pb and Zn concentrations. The forest soils showed the highest arthropod density, taxa richness and diversity. The distribution of the functional traits in the arthropod communities of the different land uses highlighted similarity only for the preference to occupy soil and for the percentage contribution of detritivores. The abundance of arthropods living above litter and omnivores were positively correlated to Pb and Zn concentrations, whereas predators were positively correlated to Cu concentrations. The findings suggest that the arthropod identification at order level could be enough to detect differences in functional traits among forest, urban, and agricultural soils.
Occurrence of 25 pharmaceuticals in Taihu Lake and their removal from two urban drinking water treatment plants and a constructed wetland
Authors: Hu Xia-Lin , Bao Yi-Fan , Hu Jun-Jian , Liu You-Yu , Yin Da-Qiang
Published: May 2017

Pharmaceuticals in drinking water sources have raised significant concerns due to their persistent input and potential human health risks. The seasonal occurrence of 25 pharmaceuticals including 23 antibiotics, paracetamol (PAR), and carbamazepine (CMZ) in Taihu Lake was investigated; meanwhile, the distribution and removal of these pharmaceuticals in two drinking water treatment plants (DWTPs) and a constructed wetland were evaluated. A high detection frequency (>70%) in the Taihu Lake was observed for nearly all the 25 pharmaceutics. Chlortetracycline (234.7 ng L−1), chloramphenicol (27.1 ng L−1), erythromycin (72.6 ng L−1), PAR (71.7 ng L−1), and CMZP (23.6 ng L−1) are compounds with both a high detection frequency (100%) and the highest concentrations, suggesting their wide use in the Taihu Basin. Higher concentrations of chloramphenicols, macrolides, PAR, and CMZP were observed in dry season than in wet season, probably due to the low flow conditions of the lake in winter and the properties of pharmaceuticals. The overall contamination levels of antibiotic pharmaceutics (0.2–74.9 ng L−1) in the Taihu Lake were lower than or comparable to those reported worldwide. However, for nonantibiotic pharmaceutics, PAR (45.0 ng L−1) and CMZP (14.5 ng L−1), significantly higher concentrations were observed in the Taihu Lake than at a global scale. High detection frequencies of 25 pharmaceuticals were observed in both the two DWTPs (100%) and the wetland (>60%) except for florfenicol and sulfapyridine. The removal efficacies of the studied pharmaceuticals in DWTP B with advanced treatment processes including ozonation and granular activated carbon filtration (16.7–100%) were superior to DWTP A with conventional treatment processes (2.9–100%), except for sulfonamides. Wetland C with the constructed root channel technology was efficient (24.2–100%) for removing most pharmaceuticals. This work suggests that the application of cost-effective technologies such as constructed wetlands should be considered as an efficient alternative for removing pharmaceuticals from water supply sources.
The influence of bisphosphonate on bone mineral density after total knee arthroplasty: A Randomised Controlled Trial
Authors: Jiang Guangzong , Kang Lixin , Wang Hongbin , Zhang Jian
Published: May 2017

Abstract

Purpose

The effect of bisphosphonate on postoperative bone mineral density (BMD) is rarely reported. In the present study, the BMD change in ipsilateral hip with and without application of bisphosphonate after primary total knee arthroplasty (TKA) was evaluated.

Methods and analysis

Sixty-eight patients undergone TKA due to severe osteoarthritis were enrolled in this study. According to the application of bisphosphonate, the patients were divided into treatment group and control group. The BMD of ipsilateral hip was measured preoperatively and at the 3rd, 6th,12th and 24th month after surgery. Independent t-test was conducted to compare BMD difference between two groups preoperatively and paired t-test was conducted to compare BMD at each time point. The significant difference was considered at P < 0.05.

Results

No statistical difference of preoperative BMD in femoral neck, wards triangle, greater trochanter and proximal femur between two groups was detected. BMD in all ranges of interest (ROIs) in the control group reached the lowest level at the 12th month after surgery and increased slightly at the 24th month after surgery. The BMD in all ROIs in the treatment group revealed a slight fluctuation around the baseline level.

Conclusion

The application of bisphosphonate after TKA contributes to the BMD postoperatively. Bisphosphonate is helpful in reducing complications caused by osteoporosis after TKA as well as the recovery of patients. Therefore, patients can benefit from the application of bisphosphonate.

Highlights
Giant appendiceal mucinous cystadenoma treated by laparoscopy: a case report and review of the literature
Authors: Nogueira Felipe Ramos , Arruda Francisco Wendel de Sousa , Bezerra Carla Camila Rocha , Neto Benjamin Ramos de Andrade , Lopes Manoel Italo Pimentel Santos , Sousa Edson de Macedo , Santos Alessandra Marques dos , Marques Adryano Gonçalves , Rodrigues Lusmar Veras
Published: May 2017

Appendiceal mucinous cystadenoma is a rare entity, which causes appendicular mucocele. It is more frequent in women over 50 years old. In half of the cases it is asymptomatic. Tomography of the abdomen is the gold standard in its preoperative diagnosis. The treatment is surgical, with good prognosis, the complete resection evolves without appendicular rupture and extravasation. We report a case of a 64-year-old man with appendiceal mucinous cystadenoma. A laparoscopic right hemicolectomy was performed. This therapy that can be safely used to treat appendiceal mucocele, as long as it is cautious.
Criteria for short QT interval based on a new QT‐heart rate adjustment formula
Authors: Rabkin Simon W.
Published: May 2017

Background

A short QT interval, within which an increased risk for atrial fibrillation and/or fatal cardiac arrhythmias occurs, has been difficult to define.

Methods

The lower percentiles of a new QTc formula were determined, using a precise mathematical fitting of the QT‐heart rate relationship from the ECGs of 13,600 individuals from the NHANES II and III surveys.

Results

The QTc interval for persons in the lower fifth percentile, second (2.5th) percentile and first percentile, were calculated.

Conclusions

Based on the new spline formula, a short QTc is defined at the first percentile, and is less than 380 ms in both men and women.
Newly Signed Federal Budget Is Favorable to Science
Authors: Showstack Randy
Published: May 2017

Budget bill signed by Trump this afternoon shows bipartisan congressional support for Earth and space sciences despite the administration’s initial goal of cutting nondefense discretionary spending.
Scaffolding the development of problem-solving skills in chemistry: guiding novice students out of dead ends and false starts
Authors: Yuriev Elizabeth , Naidu Som , Schembri Luke S. , Short Jennifer L.
Published: May 2017

To scaffold the development of problem-solving skills in chemistry, chemistry educators are exploring a variety of instructional techniques. In this study, we have designed, implemented, and evaluated a problem-solving workflow – “Goldilocks Help”. This workflow builds on work done in the field of problem solving in chemistry and provides specific scaffolding for students who experience procedural difficulties during problem solving, such as dead ends (not being able to troubleshoot) and false starts (not knowing how to initiate the problem-solving process). The Goldilocks Help workflow has been designed to scaffold a systematic problem-solving process with a designation of explicit phases of problem solving, to introduce students to the types of questions/prompts that should guide them through the process, to encourage explicit reasoning necessary for successful conceptual problem solving, and to promote the development of metacognitive self-regulation skills. The tool has been implemented and evaluated over a two-year period and modified based on student and instructor feedback. The evaluation demonstrated a shift in students’ beliefs in their capacities to use the strategies required to achieve successful problem solving and showed their capacity to employ such strategies.
Analytical phase‐lead controller design using pole placement: a pole‐zero ratio minimisation approach
Authors: Tavakoli S. , Safaei M.
Published: May 2017

Owing to their simple structure and considerable improvement to the transient response, phase‐lead controllers are broadly used in industrial applications. They are designed using root locus or Bode diagrams to introduce extra phase shift at the crossover frequency. Traditional phase‐lead design techniques are either graphical or based on trial‐and‐error. In design techniques using root locus diagrams, there is no direct control on the values of a given time‐domain performance index. To make this criterion satisfactory, the designer has to try different locations of the controller's zero and pole. Based on minimisation of the controller's pole‐zero ratio subject to pole placement requirements, a simple analytical design technique is developed in this Letter. The necessary and sufficient conditions to determine optimal controller parameters are provided. To evaluate the performance of the proposed method, it is applied to a single integrating plant with time delay.
High‐temperature electric contacts for AlGaInP/GaInP photon‐enhanced thermionic emission cathodes
Authors: Girolami M. , Bellucci A. , Calvani P. , Dimroth F. , Trucchi D.M.
Published: May 2017

Three metals (Ag, Au, and Ti) and a carbide (WC) were studied to verify their suitability to act as high‐temperature electric contacts for photon‐enhanced thermionic emission cathodes based on an AlGaInP/GaInP heterostructure. Transfer length method measurements, performed in the temperature range 25–350°C, showed that the lowest specific contact resistivity values were found for Au (4.0 × 10−4 Ω cm−2 @350°C) and Ti (1.2 × 10−3 Ω cm−2 @350°C). A further selection was made on the basis of film adhesion tests performed after the thermal cycles, in which Ti demonstrated an excellent mechanical robustness.
Dual‐passive snubber dual‐switch forward converter
Authors: Soltanzadeh K. , Dehghani M. , Riahi R.
Published: May 2017

A dual‐passive snubber (DPS) for dual‐switch forward converter is presented. Snubber networks provide zero‐current turn‐on and zero‐voltage turn‐off conditions for dual switches. DPS achieves soft switching conditions for power diodes at secondary side of transformer. The detailed circuit operation of converter with proposed passive snubber, theoretical analysis and design example are presented. The measured result taken from a laboratory prototype rated at 160 W (32 V/5 A), input voltage of 150 V‐DC and switching frequency of 300 kHz. The peak efficiency is 93%.
Fault tolerance events ordering by aging learning in wireless sensor and actuator networks
Authors: Wu Yi‐Chao , Tuan Chiu‐Ching
Published: May 2017

In wireless sensor and actuator networks, none of the existed events ordering algorithms addressed the network delay and failure link jointly. In ordering by double confirmation (OBDC), the process of events ordering cannot be completed, if the failure link existed in network. In temporal event ordering with fault tolerance (TEOFT), the rate of correct events ordering decreased dramatically if the network delay existed. However, both the network delay and failure link were all prone to happen over the wireless communication medium. Network delay usually varied over time in wireless network. To address this issue, the authors proposed a fault tolerance events ordering by aging learning (FTEOAL), in this study. FTEOAL defined the non‐determined aging waiting time (AW) and aging learning time to order events without broadcasting any confirmation message. Thus FTEOAL could work while the network delay and failure link existed jointly. By aging learning, the AW and aging learning time were adjusted dynamically. The rate of correct events ordering (R) in FTEOAL thus could be converged to the expected R system required. The simulation results demonstrated that R in FTEOAL could be up to the expected R being 90% but R in TEOFT and OBDC was 10% and 0%.
Sufficient conditions for domain stabilisability of uncertain fractional‐order systems under static‐output feedbacks
Authors: Ibrir Salim
Published: May 2017

Extended linear matrix inequality (LMI) conditions, ensuring the stability of commensurate fractional‐order linear systems by static‐output feedbacks, are given. It is assumed that the system uncertainties are constant and possibly present in all the system matrices. The stabilising static‐output feedback is conceived to overcome the system uncertainty and place the poles of the closed‐loop system in a well‐defined domain that is formed by the intersection of many regions in the complex plane. The control design is formulated as the solution of a set of linear matrix inequality conditions. The validity of the obtained results is testified through an example of a fractional‐order system with polytopic uncertainties.