bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Rapid preparation of auto-healing gels with actuating behaviour
Authors: Wang Feng-Xiang , Li Qing , Liu Si-Si , Du Xiang-Yun , Wang Cai-Feng , Chen Su
Published: January 2019

Biphase frontal polymerization enables rapid preparation of dual-component gels with simultaneous self-healing and actuating capabilities.
Hyperbranched poly(ionic liquid) functionalized poly(ether sulfone) membranes as healable antifouling coatings for osmotic power generation
Authors: Li Jia Le , Zhang Yu , Zhang Sui , Liu Minqiu , Li Xue , Cai Tao
Published: January 2019

Membrane fouling and membrane deterioration are two major concerns since they greatly worsen membrane performance in pressure retarded osmosis (PRO) and shorten the membrane lifetime.
Extending the π-electron conjugation in 2D planar graphitic carbon nitride: efficient charge separation for overall water splitting
Authors: Bellamkonda Sankeerthana , Shanmugam Ramasamy , Gangavarapu Ranga Rao
Published: January 2019

We report direct overall pure water splitting by visible light excited graphitic carbon nitride incorporated with conjugated aromatic rings without using sacrificial agents.
Improving the conductivity of sol–gel derived NiOx with a mixed oxide composite to realize over 80% fill factor in inverted planar perovskite solar cells
Authors: Li Menglin , Xu Xiuwen , Xie Yuemin , Li Ho-Wa , Ma Yuhui , Cheng Yuanhang , Tsang Sai-Wing
Published: January 2019

We demonstrated highly efficient and stable perovskite solar cells based on a NiOx:rGO oxide composite as the hole transport layer.
High-performance lithium–organic batteries by achieving 16 lithium storage in poly(imine-anthraquinone)
Authors: Man Zengming , Li Peng , Zhou Dong , Zang Rui , Wang Shijian , Li Pengxin , Liu Shuaishuai , Li Xuemei , Wu Yuhan , Liang Xiaohui , Wang Guoxiu
Published: January 2019

The Li/PIAQ cell exhibits excellent electrochemical performances with a 16 Li-storage mechanism based on DFT calculations and experimental investigations.
Pyrene-based blue emitters with aggregation-induced emission features for high-performance organic light-emitting diodes
Authors: Feng Xing , Xu Zeng , Hu Zhen , Qi Chunxuan , Luo Dongxiang , Zhao Xingyu , Mu Zhongfei , Redshaw Carl , Lam Jacky W. Y. , Ma Dongge , Tang Ben Zhong
Published: January 2019

Non-doped organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs) using pyrene-based AIE luminogens as emitters displayed sky-blue light at 492 nm at a low turn-on voltage (3.1 V) with a maximum luminance of 15 750 cd m−2 and a current efficiency of 7.34 cd A−1 with a low efficiency roll-off.
Gate-controlled photo-oxidation of graphene for electronic structure modification
Authors: Nouchi Ryo , Matsumoto Morihiro , Mitoma Nobuhiko
Published: January 2019

Gate-controlled photo-oxidation of graphene is thoroughly studied, and exploited to turn a wide graphene channel into a narrow semiconducting channel.
Selective self-redox and crystal field modulation for enhanced and tuned broadband emission in chromium-doped aluminate glasses
Authors: Li Xingyu , Luo Haoyang , Wang Yafei , Wang Xiu , Cao Jiangkun , Wang Liping , Peng Mingying
Published: January 2019

Selective self-redox and crystal field modulation have been demonstrated for enhanced and tuned broadband emission in chromium-doped versatile glass. The emission intensity was enhanced by more than one order, and a new band at ∼708 nm was generated to enrich emission region.
Shorter Sentence Length Maximizes Intelligibility and Speech Motor Performance in Persons With Dysarthria Due to Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis
Authors: Allison Kristen M. , Yunusova Yana , Green Jordan R.
Published: January 2019

Purpose

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of sentence length on intelligibility and measures of speech motor performance in persons with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and to determine how these effects were influenced by dysarthria severity levels.

Method

One hundred thirty-one persons with ALS were included in this study, stratified into 4 dysarthria severity groups. All participants produced sentences from 5 to 15 words in length. Intelligibility, speaking rate, and measures of speech pausing behavior (i.e., total speech duration, total pause duration, and mean speech event duration) were measured for each sentence. Linear mixed-effects models were used to determine the effect of sentence length on speech measures for speakers at different dysarthria severity levels.

Results

Results showed that speech intelligibility significantly declined at longer sentence lengths only for the speakers with ALS who had more advanced dysarthria symptoms; however, speakers with mild-to-severe dysarthria showed significant declines in speaking rate and speech pausing behavior at longer sentence lengths.

Conclusions

Findings suggest that producing shorter sentences may help maximize intelligibility for speakers with moderate-to-severe dysarthria secondary to ALS and may be a beneficial compensatory strategy for preserving motor effort for all speakers with dysarthria secondary to ALS.
Deep reinforcement learning based conflict detection and resolution in air traffic control
Authors: Wang Zhuang , Li Hui , Wang Junfeng , Shen Feng
Published: January 2019

The primary objective of this study is to incorporate the deep reinforcement learning (DRL) technique in conflict detection and resolution (CD&R) control strategies to generate an optimised trajectory for air traffic controllers as reference, in order to improve efficiency and reduce the amount of heading angle change. A DRL environment which can be applied to CD&R agent training is developed. The agent receives the current state of multiple aircrafts in a sector and generates an action to change the heading angle of an aircraft to avoid conflict. A K ‐Control Actor‐Critic algorithm is proposed to limit the number of control times and a two‐dimensional continuous action selection policy is utilised. The simulation results show the feasibility of DRL applied in CD&R and there is an obvious advantage in computational efficiency.
Review of direction of arrival estimation algorithms for partial discharge localisation in transformers
Authors: Chen Zilong
Published: January 2019

Partial discharge (PD) represents one of the most significant evaluation indicators relevant to transformer insulation degradation. Thus, detection and location of PD are essential. During the last year, a PD localisation method occurred which uses phased arrays. With respect to this method, the choice of localisation algorithm is a particularly important issue, since choosing a suitable localisation algorithm can efficiently improve positioning accuracy and significantly reduce computational complexity. This study introduces and analyses the characteristics of six direction of arrival estimation algorithms, which can be applied as localisation algorithms. Besides, the effect of the element spacing, number of snapshots, and signal‐to‐noise ratio on the above‐mentioned algorithms were also analysed by simulation. The results provide useful guidance for electric engineers engaged in PD location.
Magnetic and rotational quenching of the Λ effect
Authors: Käpylä P. J.
Published: January 2019

Context. Differential rotation in stars is driven by the turbulent transport of angular momentum.

Aims. Our aim is to measure and parameterize the non-diffusive contribution to the total (Reynolds plus Maxwell) turbulent stress, known as the Λ effect, and its quenching as a function of rotation and magnetic field.

Methods. Simulations of homogeneous, anisotropically forced turbulence in fully periodic cubes are used to extract their associated turbulent Reynolds and Maxwell stresses. The forcing is set up such that the vertical velocity component dominates over the horizontal ones, as in turbulent stellar convection. This choice of the forcing defines the vertical direction. Additional preferred directions are introduced by the imposed rotation and magnetic field vectors. The angle between the rotation vector and the vertical direction is varied such that the latitude range from the north pole to the equator is covered. Magnetic fields are introduced by imposing a uniform large-scale field on the system. Turbulent transport coefficients pertaining to the Λ effect are obtained by fitting. The results are compared with analytic studies.

Results. The numerical and analytic results agree qualitatively at slow rotation and low Reynolds numbers. This means that vertical (horizontal) transport is downward (equatorward). At rapid rotation the latitude dependence of the stress is more complex than predicted by theory. The existence of a significant meridional Λ effect is confirmed. Large-scale vorticity generation is found at rapid rotation when the Reynolds number exceeds a threshold value. The Λ effect is severely quenched by large-scale magnetic fields due to the tendency of the Reynolds and Maxwell stresses to cancel each other. Rotational (magnetic) quenching of Λ occurs at more rapid rotation (at lower field strength) in the simulations than in the analytic studies.

Conclusions. The current results largely confirm the earlier theoretical results, and also offer new insights: the non-negligible meridional Λ effect possibly plays a role in the maintenance of meridional circulation in stars, and the appearance of large-scale vortices raises the question of their effect on the angular momentum transport in rapidly rotating stellar convective envelopes. The results regarding magnetic quenching are consistent with the strong decrease in differential rotation in recent semi-global simulations and highlight the importance of including magnetic effects in differential rotation models.
Automated Denoising Technique for Random Input Signals using Empirical Mode Decomposition (EMD)-Stabilization Diagram
Authors: Hasan M. Danial A. , Ahmad Z. A. B. , Leong M. Salman , Hee L. M.
Published: January 2019

The present paper deals with the novel approach of filtering technique using hybrid of empirical mode decomposition technique with stabilization diagram, that autonomously implemented within Matlab. Noise or unwanted signal is always present in the data and a bad signal-to-noise can cause a severe error in modal parameter extraction. With the recent developments of automated procedures without user interaction for the operational modal analysis (OMA), the corrupted input signals turn out to be a big issue in obtaining reliable results of automated modal parameter identification. The appearance of noise or unwanted modes due to environmental effects could affect the actual structural modes selection. There is a significant issue regarding “noise” (or spurious) modes and eliminating them from the raw signal remains to be solved and requires a lot of interaction with an expert user. In the parametric modal analysis, oversizing of a modal model is usually performed to minimize the bias on modal estimates by getting all physical modes in the frequency range of interest and help to obtain a good model fit to the data. However, this will introduce noise modes. Thus, authors take advantage of tools, such as the stabilization diagram, to illustrate, and decide, if a mode is physical or not. This selection is not a trivial task, but it may be difficult and time consuming depending on the quality of data, the performance of the estimator and the experience of the user. Since the extensive interaction between tools and user is inappropriate for monitoring purposes, image clustering tool is introduced to separate the physical poles from the others with short response time and low computational efforts compared to the available clustering algorithm. Meanwhile, Empirical mode decomposition (EMD) is then introduced to break down a signal into various components without leaving the time domain and purposely used for filtering. These are a great combination as well as an effective procedure in producing a good input signal that free from unwanted modes which can cause disruptive decision making for the actual modes selection.
A Visualization Technique to Support Searching Filtering
Authors: Mehdi Mohammad Najah , Ahmad Abdul Rahim , Ismail Roslan
Published: January 2019

This paper discusses the need for an integrative literature review on Information Visualization for exploratory search particularly in handling data overload. The paper analyses many applications and web sites across disciplines. Certain search engines incorporate visualization to allow for better understanding of the information and at the same time reduce information overload. Current search engines use the query and response (lookup) process. Exploratory search allows for open-ended search. Visual representation is one feature in exploratory search that can be used to improve the overall search. The main contribution of this paper is the review of previous exploratory-search-based works, the utilised features as well as its existing applications, visualizations as the mechanism for developing filters to narrow down the results of searching. Many studies have shown that replacing traditional search engines with exploratory search by using the features of exploratory search can reduce the data overload.
Migration and Evaporation Characteristics of Kerosene Droplet in Supercritical Environment
Authors: Wu Hailong , Nie Wansheng , Zheng Zhi , Liu Yu
Published: January 2019

A one-dimensional full transient droplet evaporation model was established under consideration of factors such as high pressure vapour-liquid equilibrium, high-pressure physical property corrections, gas phase dissolution, and shift of interface. The finite volume method was used for discretization to study the migration and evaporation characteristics of the surrogate fuel for kerosene, which was constituting of (mass fraction)80% n-decane and 20%1,2,4-trimethylbenzene, under supercritical conditions. The results show that, under supercritical conditions, the higher the temperature and the pressure, the easier and the sooner the supercritical migration occurs. Before the supercritical migration occurring, there was obvious boundary between the gas and liquid phases. The mass fraction of component was discontinuous, and the gradient of temperature near the interface was large. After the supercritical migration occurring, the surface of the droplet disappeared, there was no obvious boundary between the gas and liquid phases, and the distribution of the components mass fraction and temperature were continuously. With the increase of the initial temperature of the droplet, the time of the supercritical migration was greatly advanced, the rise rate of the droplet surface temperature increased, and the phenomenon of endothermic expansion no longer appeared.
Design and Manufacturing Process of Micro Air Vehicles
Authors: Rakiec Mateusz , Kwiecien Aleksandra , Muchowski Rafal , Kazmierski Bartosz
Published: January 2019

This paper shows shortly the designing, optimization and manufacturing process of light and compact, carbon fiber MAV. It also covers testing and results. The main purpose was to make an innovative prototype of UAV which is easy to transport, assembly and carry as much high volume payload as possible. The optimization process started from defining the constrains. To gain information needed to choose the best solution and perform optimization, authors made many tests. The material, which was chosen, had to be as light and durable as possible - this characteristics were later checked in tensile test of carbon fiber samples. The main optimization algorithm do initial research about the rest parameters of aircraft. The point was to narrow the range of analyzed chord’s values and find the best motors. For better performance the original airfoil was developed. It works perfectly in low Reynolds number area and has perfect characteristics for high-lift airfoils, compared to similar. It was later checked in CFD. The special manufacturing process of carbon fiber airplane was designed. After all the construction was tested. The successful flight tests confirmed that design process was appropriate and done well. All theoretical assumptions were also right.
Control Oriented Model for Expander Cycle Scramjet
Authors: Zhao Zhelong , Wu Xianyu
Published: January 2019

As a efficient and simple design, expander cycle is widely applied in LRE engineering, but it is seldomly used on scramjet research. In order to establish a complete mathematical model for expander cycle scramjet, a control-oriented model for expander cycle scramjet is proposed in this paper. This model consists of four major parts: combustor, cooling channel, turbo pump and nozzle and gives the result of pressure, temperature, mach number and velocity distribution of combustor and cooling channel and is capable of simulate both pure supersonic combustion mode and supersonic shock wave mode of the combustor. Each part is given by specific mathematical description, which contains the calculation of airflow, combustion, heat transfer and thermal cracking of kerosene. By putting all these parts together, a complete model is formed. This model is proposed to calculate the performance and condition of the engine precisely, comprehensively, swiftly and can be directly used in further study.
Design of a multi-resonator metamaterial for mitigating impact force
Authors: Li Q. Q. , He Z. C. , Li Eric , Cheng A. G.
Published: January 2019

In this paper, we propose a new multi-resonator metamaterial (MRM) for attenuating impact stress waves. Theoretical analyses show that the MRM has wider bandgaps than those of a single-resonator metamaterial (SRM) and a dual-resonator metamaterial (DRM), and numerical studies are conducted to compare the performances of the MRM, SRM, and DRM in mitigating impact forces. The influences of the number of unit cells, the spring stiffnesses, and the resonator masses on the mitigation of impact force are analyzed by studying a one-dimensional impact wave model. In addition, the calculation results of a three-dimensional crash model clearly confirm the outstanding features of the MRM, which can provide a thin and light structure with a wider attenuation region of the frequency spectrum and a better mitigation effect of the impact force.
Enhanced magneto-optical effects in hybrid Ni-Si metasurfaces
Authors: Barsukova M. G. , Musorin A. I. , Shorokhov A. S. , Fedyanin A. A.
Published: January 2019

The multifold enhancement of the Faraday effect induced by magnetic dipole and Voigt effect amplification due to electric dipole Mie resonances of the magnetophotonic metasurface is demonstrated. The values of the magneto-optical responses up to 0.8° and 0.5% are experimentally observed for the metasurface with an ultrathin ferromagnetic layer. The results can be used for the development of novel active magnetophotonic metadevices.
Seasonal and spatial variations of chloroform, trichloroethylene, tetrachloroethylene, chlorodibromomethane and bromoform in the Northern Yellow Sea and Bohai Sea
Authors: Wei Ying , He Zhen , Yang Gui-Peng
Published: January 2019

Environmental contextVolatile halocarbons play significant roles as halogen carriers in atmospheric chemistry where they contribute to global warming. We studied temporal and spatial variations of volatile halocarbons in the Northern Yellow Sea and Bohai Sea, and showed that their concentrations were governed by terrestrial input, hydrographic features and biological activity. The emission of volatile halocarbons from coastal regions could have important impacts on the budgets of atmospheric reactive halogen. AbstractConcentrations of five volatile halocarbons (VHCs), namely, chloroform (CHCl3), trichloroethylene (C2HCl3), tetrachloroethylene (C2Cl4), chlorodibromomethane (CHBr2Cl) and bromoform (CHBr3), in the Northern Yellow Sea and Bohai Sea were determined during the spring of 2013 and autumn of 2012. Strong seasonality in the concentrations of VHCs (except for CHCl3) were observed. Concentrations of CHCl3 were markedly higher (1.5 fold) to coincide with the higher concentration of chlorophyll a during the spring. The elevated concentrations of C2HCl3, C2Cl4, CHBr2Cl and CHBr3 were found to match with the higher inputs of land runoff during autumn. The VHCs distributions evidently decreased along the freshwater plume from the mouth of rivers, such as Yellow and Yalu Rivers, to the open sea. The elevated concentrations of the selected halocarbons arise from terrestrial input, complicated hydrographic features, such as the Yellow River effluent, Yalu River, Yellow Sea Coastal Current and Yellow Sea Cold Water, and biological release by phytoplankton. Correlation analyses were conducted among Chl-a, salinity and the concentrations of these gases to investigate possible controls for the concentrations of these gases. Significant correlation was only observed between the concentrations of CHBr2Cl and Chl-a in the surface layer during spring. We made the tentative conclusion that phytoplankton biomass might not be the main limiting factor of sources of VHCs in the surface water. The sea-to-air fluxes indicated that the Northern Yellow Sea and Bohai Sea act as sources of gas in the atmosphere during spring and autumn.
High-strength medium Mn quenching and partitioning steel with low yield ratio
Authors: He B. B. , Wang M. , Liu L. , Huang M. X.
Published: January 2019

A new microstructural design is proposed to develop a strong and ductile quenching and partitioning (Q&P) steel with low yield ratio. This steel has a heterogeneous dual phase microstructure which is developed by varying austenite thermal stability through Mn segregation. The heterogeneous microstructure contains large austenite grains which contribute to the low yield strength. The ultra-high tensile strength and good ductility are ascribed to the enhanced strain hardening behaviour resulted from the continuous transformation-induced plasticity (TRIP) effect. The present microstructural design enables a conventional medium Mn steel with high tensile strength, good ductility and low yield ratio, which promises easy forming and potential applications in automotive industries.

This paper is part of a Thematic Issue on Medium Manganese Steels.
Uncoupling of transcriptomic and cytological differentiation in mouse spermatocytes with impaired meiosis
Authors: Fine Alexander D. , Ball Robyn L. , Fujiwara Yasuhiro , Handel Mary Ann , Carter Gregory W.
Published: January 2019

Cell differentiation is driven by changes in gene expression that manifest as changes in cellular phenotype or function. Altered cellular phenotypes, stemming from genetic mutations or other perturbations, are widely assumed to directly correspond to changes in the transcriptome and vice versa. Here, we exploited the cytologically well-defined Prdm9 mutant mouse as a model of developmental arrest to test whether parallel programs of cellular differentiation and gene expression are tightly coordinated, or can be disassociated. By comparing cytological phenotype markers and transcriptomes in wild-type and mutant spermatocytes, we identified multiple instances of cellular and molecular uncoupling in Prdm9–/– mutants. Most notably, although Prdm9–/– germ cells undergo cytological arrest in a late-leptotene/zygotene stage, they nevertheless develop gene expression signatures characteristic of later developmental substages. These findings suggest that transcriptomic changes may not reliably map to cellular phenotypes in developmentally perturbed systems.
A near-chromosome-scale genome assembly of the gemsbok (Oryx gazella): an iconic antelope of the Kalahari desert
Authors: Farré Marta , Li Qiye , Zhou Yang , Damas Joana , Chemnick Leona G , Kim Jaebum , Ryder Oliver A , Ma Jian , Zhang Guojie , Larkin Denis M , Lewin Harris A
Published: January 2019

Background

The gemsbok (Oryx gazella) is one of the largest antelopes in Africa. Gemsbok are heterothermic and thus highly adapted to live in the desert, changing their feeding behavior when faced with extreme drought and heat. A high-quality genome sequence of this species will assist efforts to elucidate these and other important traits of gemsbok and facilitate research on conservation efforts.

Findings

Using 180 Gbp of Illumina paired-end and mate-pair reads, a 2.9 Gbp assembly with scaffold N50 of 1.48 Mbp was generated using SOAPdenovo. Scaffolds were extended using Chicago library sequencing, which yielded an additional 114.7 Gbp of DNA sequence. The HiRise assembly using SOAPdenovo + Chicago library sequencing produced a scaffold N50 of 47 Mbp and a final genome size of 2.9 Gbp, representing 90.6% of the estimated genome size and including 93.2% of expected genes according to Benchmarking Universal Single-Copy Orthologs analysis. The Reference-Assisted Chromosome Assembly tool was used to generate a final set of 47 predicted chromosome fragments with N50 of 86.25 Mbp and containing 93.8% of expected genes. A total of 23,125 protein-coding genes and 1.14 Gbp of repetitive sequences were annotated using de novo and homology-based predictions.

Conclusions

Our results provide the first high-quality, chromosome-scale genome sequence assembly for gemsbok, which will be a valuable resource for studying adaptive evolution of this species and other ruminants.
Factors That Explain Differences in Abstinence Between Black and White Smokers: A Prospective Intervention Study
Authors: Nollen Nicole L , Mayo Matthew S , Sanderson Cox Lisa , Benowitz Neal L , Tyndale Rachel F , Ellerbeck Edward F , Scheuermann Taneisha S , Ahluwalia Jasjit S
Published: January 2019

Background

Black-white differences in smoking abstinence are not well understood. This trial sought to confirm previously reported differences in quitting between blacks and whites and to identify factors underlying this difference.

Methods

During enrollment, 224 black and 225 white low-income smokers were stratified on race and within race on age and sex to ensure balance on these factors known to impact abstinence. The intervention included varenicline for 12 weeks and six guideline-based smoking cessation counseling sessions. The primary endpoint was cotinine-verified 7-day point prevalence smoking abstinence at week 26. A priori socioeconomic, smoking, treatment process (eg, treatment utilization, side effects, withdrawal relief), psychosocial, and biological factors were assessed to investigate race differences in abstinence. Unadjusted odds ratios (OR) were used to compare abstinence between blacks and whites. Adjusted odds ratios from logistic regression models were used to examine predictors of abstinence. All statistical tests were two-sided.

Results

Blacks were less likely to achieve abstinence at week 26 (14.3% vs 24.4%, OR = 0.51, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.32 to 0.83, P = .007). Utilizing best subsets logistic regression, five factors associated with race jointly predicted abstinence: home ownership (yes/no, OR = 3.03, 95% CI = 1.72 to 5.35, P < .001), study visits completed (range = 0–6, OR = 2.81, 95% CI = 1.88 to 4.20, P < .001), income (household member/$1000, OR = 1.03, 95% CI = 1.01 to 1.06, P = .02), plasma cotinine (per 1 ng/mL, OR = 0.997, 95% CI = 0.994 to 0.999, P = .002), and neighborhood problems (range = 10–30, OR = 0.88, 95% CI = 0.81 to 0.96, P = .003).

Conclusions

The race difference in abstinence was fully explained by lack of home ownership, lower income, greater neighborhood problems, higher baseline cotinine, and higher visit completion, which were disproportionately represented among blacks. Findings illuminate factors that make it harder for blacks in the United States to quit smoking relative to whites and provide important areas for future studies to reduce tobacco-related health disparities.
Trends in BRCA Test Utilization in an Integrated Health System, 2005–2015
Authors: Knerr Sarah , Bowles Erin J A , Leppig Kathleen A , Buist Diana S M , Gao Hongyuan , Wernli Karen J
Published: January 2019

Background

Genetic testing to determine BRCA status has been available for over two decades, but there are few population-based studies of test diffusion. We report 10-year trends in BRCAtesting in an integrated health-care system with long-standing access to genetic services.

Methods

A cohort of women aged 18 years and older was created to ascertain BRCA testing (n = 295 087). Annual testing rates between 2005 and 2015 were calculated in all women with and without incident (ie, newly diagnosed) breast and ovarian cancers and in clinically eligible subgroups by family cancer history, personal cancer history, and age at diagnosis. Secular trends were assessed using Poisson regression. Women tested early (2005–2008), midway (2009–2012), and late (2013–2015) in the study period were compared in cross-sectional analyses.

Results

Between 2005 and 2015, annual testing rates increased from 0.6/1000 person-years (pys) (95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.4 to 0.7/1000 pys) to 0.8/1000 pys (95% CI = 0.6 to 1.0/1000 pys) in women without incident breast or ovarian cancers. Rates decreased from 71.5/1000 pys (95% CI = 42.4 to 120.8/1000 pys) to 44.4/1000 pys (95% CI = 35.5 to 55.6/1000 pys) in women with incident diagnoses, despite improvements in provision of timely BRCA testing during this time frame. We found no evidence of secular trends in clinically eligible subgroups including women with family history indicating increased hereditary cancer risk, but no personal cancer history. At the end of the study period, 97.0% (95% CI = 96.6% to 97.3%) of these women remained untested.

Conclusion

Many eligible women did not receive BRCA testing despite having insurance coverage and access to specialty genetic services, underscoring challenges to primary and secondary hereditary cancer prevention.
Maternal Priming: Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) Vaccine Scarring in Mothers Enhances the Survival of Their Child With a BCG Vaccine Scar
Authors: Berendsen Mike L T , Øland Christian Bjerregård , Bles Pauli , Jensen Aksel Karl Georg , Kofoed Poul-Erik , Whittle Hilton , de Bree L Charlotte J , Netea Mihai G , Martins Cesario , Benn Christine S , Aaby Peter
Published: January 2019

Background and Hypothesis

Maternal priming might enhance the beneficial nonspecific effects (NSEs) of live measles vaccination (MV). Children with a bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) vaccine scar have a lower mortality rate than those without a scar that is not explained by protection against tuberculosis. We examined the hypothesis that BCG scarring would have a stronger effect on a child if the mother also had a BCG scar.

Methods

In a randomized controlled trial (RCT) of early MV in children aged 4.5 months, the BCG-scar status of the children and their mother were registered at enrollment at 4.5 months of age. The children were followed up until they were 36 months of age. Using a Cox proportional hazards model, we compared mortality rate ratios according to maternal and child BCG-scar status after adjusting for where the BCG vaccine was given (the national hospital or elsewhere). We censored for other interventions that have immunomodulating effects on child survival, including neonatal vitamin A supplementation and early MV.

Results

A total of 2213 children had not received neonatal vitamin A supplementation and early MV; 83% of these children and 44% of the mothers had a BCG scar. Children whose mother had a BCG scar were not more likely to have a BCG scar than those whose mother did not have a BCG scar (risk ratio, 1.01 [95% confidence interval (CI), 0.98–1.05]). Among the children, having a BCG scar was associated with a 41% (95% CI, 5%–64%) lower mortality between the ages of 4.5 and 36 months. The reduction in mortality was 66% (95% CI, 33%–83%) if the mother also had a BCG scar but only 8% (95% CI, −83% to 53%) if the mother had no BCG scar (test of interaction, P = .04).

Conclusions

Maternal BCG priming might be important for the effect of BCG vaccination on child survival. Ensuring better BCG vaccine scarring among mothers and children could have a considerable effect on child mortality levels.
BMAL1 knockout macaque monkeys display reduced sleep and psychiatric disorders
Authors: Qiu Peiyuan , Jiang Jian , Liu Zhen , Cai Yijun , Huang Tao , Wang Yan , Liu Qiming , Nie Yanhong , Liu Fang , Cheng Jiumu , Li Qing , Tang Yun-Chi , Poo Mu-ming , Sun Qiang , Chang Hung-Chun
Published: January 2019

Circadian disruption is a risk factor for metabolic, psychiatric and age-related disorders, and non-human primate models could help to develop therapeutic treatments. Here, we report the generation of BMAL1 knockout cynomolgus monkeys for circadian-related disorders by CRISPR/Cas9 editing of monkey embryos. These monkeys showed higher nocturnal locomotion and reduced sleep, which was further exacerbated by a constant light regimen. Physiological circadian disruption was reflected by the markedly dampened and arrhythmic blood hormonal levels. Furthermore, BMAL1-deficient monkeys exhibited anxiety and depression, consistent with their stably elevated blood cortisol, and defective sensory processing in auditory oddball tests found in schizophrenia patients. Ablation of BMAL1 up-regulated transcriptional programs toward inflammatory and stress responses, with transcription networks associated with human sleep deprivation, major depressive disorders, and aging. Thus, BMAL1 knockout monkeys are potentially useful for studying the physiological consequences of circadian disturbance, and for developing therapies for circadian and psychiatric disorders.
Acceleration of the tree method with a SIMD instruction set
Authors: Kodama Tetsushi , Ishiyama Tomoaki
Published: January 2019

We have developed a highly tuned software library that accelerates the calculation of quadrupole terms in the Barnes–Hut tree code by using a SIMD instruction set on the x86 architecture, Advanced Vector eXtensions 2 (AVX2). Our code is implemented as an extension of the Phantom-GRAPE software library that significantly accelerates the calculation of monopole terms. If the same accuracy is required, the calculation of quadrupole terms can accelerate the evaluation of forces over using only monopole terms because we can approximate gravitational forces from closer particles by quadrupole moments rather than by only monopole moments. Our implementation can calculate gravitational forces about 1.1 times faster in any system than the combination of the pseudoparticle multipole method and Phantom-GRAPE. Our implementation allows simulating homogeneous systems up to 2.2 times faster than with only monopole terms; however, the speedup for clustered systems is not enough because the increase of approximated interactions is insufficient to negate the increased calculation cost by computing quadrupole terms. We have estimated that improvement in performance can be achieved by using a new SIMD instruction set, AVX-512. Our code is expected to be able to accelerate simulations of clustered systems up to 1.08 times faster in an AVX-512 environment than with only monopole terms.
Evaluation of Skeletal Maturity Using the Distal Femoral Physeal Central Peak Is Not Significantly Affected by Radiographic Projection
Authors: Knapik Derrick M. , Duong Mindy M. , Liu Raymond W.
Published: January 2019

Background:

Accurate estimation of skeletal maturity is important in several pediatric orthopaedic conditions. The current gold standard for estimating skeletal maturity using the Greulich and Pyle Bone Atlas is complex and shown to have significant interobserver variability. Recent data have shown peak height velocity to occur on average at 90% of final adult height, providing an improved gold standard to quantify skeletal maturity, facilitating the investigation of different skeletal maturity systems. Measurement of topographical changes to the developing distal femoral physis on anteroposterior (AP) radiographs allow for calculation of the central peak value (CPV), a quantitative method shown to provide accurate prediction of 90% of final adult height. The purpose of this study was to assess the clinical tolerance of the CPV method to varying beam angles by comparing measurement reliability between AP radiographs of the knee versus standing hip-to-ankle leg-length radiographs.

Methods:

We searched our institution’s pediatric orthopaedic clinical database for skeletally immature patients evaluated with both standard AP radiographs of the knee as well as standing hip-to-ankle radiographs. Patients included female individuals aged 7 to 16 years and male individuals aged 7 to 18 years with both radiographs within 6 months. CPV was measured using a previously published method. Intraclass correlation coefficient was calculated to determine the level of agreement between observers in all available radiographs. CPVs between AP radiographs of the knee and standing hip-to-ankle radiographs were compared using a paired t test to determine if there is a significant difference between radiographic projection and sex.

Results:

A total of 78 subjects meeting appropriate inclusion and exclusion criteria were identified. intraclass correlation coefficient value was 0.873, indicating excellent interobserver reliability for CPV measurements. The mean time between radiographs was 0.30 years for male and 0.27 years for female patients. CPV values between the 2 radiographic projections were not significantly different in male (P=0.37), female (P=0.22) or male+female patients (P=0.17). CPV values were significantly higher in male patients on both AP radiographs (P<0.001) and standing hip-to-ankle radiographs (P<0.001) when compared with female patients.

Conclusions:

The CPV is a quick, quantitative method for estimating skeletal maturity. CPVs are not significantly different between standard AP radiographs of the knee versus standing hip-to-ankle leg-length radiographs, expanding the potential to utilize this method without the need for additional expense or radiation.

Level of Evidence:

Level III—retrospective comparative study.
Sleep Duration and Nocturnal Awakenings in Infants Born with Gestational Risk
Authors: Hysing Mari , Reichborn-Kjennerud Ted , Markestad Trond , Elgen Irene , Sivertsen Børge
Published: January 2019

Objective:

Infants born with gestation-related risks (low birth weight (LBW), small for gestational age (SGA), and prematurely born infants) are faced with a cascade of developmental issues. The aim of this study was to investigate whether infants with gestation-related risks have different patterns of parent-reported sleep duration and nocturnal awakenings than children without these risk factors.

Methods:

Information on sleep duration and nocturnal awakenings was obtained by parental report at age 6 and 18 months in the Norwegian Mother and Child Cohort Study, which is a population-based longitudinal pregnancy cohort study conducted at the Norwegian Institute of Public Health. Birth weight and gestational age were obtained from the Medical Birth Registry of Norway. Outcomes were related to birth weight, prematurity, and to being born SGA.

Results:

A total of 75,531 mother-child dyads were included. Compared with children without gestational risks, children born SGA and with LBW had shorter sleep duration, whereas children born prematurely had longer sleep duration at both time points. The infants born SGA and with LBW, but not the prematurely born children, had fewer nocturnal awakenings at 6 months, but all had more awakenings at 18 months.

Conclusion:

Infants with gestation-related risks show distinct sleep patterns. We suggest that sleep assessment is included in the follow-up of high-risk infants. Future studies are needed to investigate the predictive value and functional importance of the sleep patterns for infants with gestation-related risks.
Subcutaneous Prosthetic Breast Reconstructions following Skin Reduction Mastectomy
Authors: Komorowska-Timek Ewa , Merrifield Brittany , Turfe Zaahir , Davis Alan T.
Published: January 2019

Background:

Prepectoral prosthetic breast reconstruction is gaining popularity, offering muscle preservation and outcomes similar to subpectoral implant placement in small or moderate size breasts. This study compares the complications of prepectoral and subpectoral immediate prosthetic breast reconstructions following skin reduction mastectomy in large and ptotic breasts.

Methods:

All consecutive patients who underwent immediate tissue expander-based reconstruction following Wise pattern skin reduction mastectomy from November 2011 through August 2017 by a single surgeon were reviewed. The collected data included patient demographics and complications (eg, skin necrosis, hematoma, infection, seroma, implant loss, capsular contracture).

Results:

A total of 54 patients underwent 87 immediate breast reconstructions including 45 subpectoral and 42 prepectoral tissue expander placements. The subpectoral patients had greater body mass indexes (32.5 ± 6.6 versus 29.9 ± 5.4, P = 0.026), higher initial (518 ± 168 ml versus 288 ± 140 ml, P < 0.001) and final (694 ± 123 ml versus 585 ± 122 ml, P = 0.014) implant volumes, more skin flap necrosis (40.0% versus 16.7%, P = 0.044) and infections (37.8% versus 11.9%, P = 0.01) than their prepectoral counterparts, whereas seromas were more common in the prepectoral group (4.4% versus 26.2%, P = 0.015). The overall complication rate, although higher in the subpectoral group compared with the prepectoral group, was not significantly different (62.2% versus 40.5%, P = 0.072).

Conclusions:

Prepectoral tissue expander placement after skin reduction mastectomy is an appealing reconstructive option in patients with large and ptotic breasts. Prosthetic reconstruction following Wise-pattern skin reduction mastectomy is invariably associated with high complication rates irrespective of the plane of implant placement. Greater emphasis should be placed on patient counseling and complication prevention in this challenging patient population.
Dynamics of Face and Head Movement in Infants with and without Craniofacial Microsomia: An Automatic Approach
Authors: Hammal Zakia , Wallace Erin R. , Speltz Matthew L. , Heike Carrie L. , Birgfeld Craig B. , Cohn Jeffrey F.
Published: January 2019

Background:

Craniofacial microsomia (CFM) is a congenital condition associated with malformations of the bone and soft tissue of the face and the facial nerves, all of which have the potential to impair facial expressiveness. We investigated whether CFM-related variation in expressiveness is evident as early as infancy.

Methods:

Participants were 113 ethnically diverse 13-month-old infants (n = 63 cases with CFM and n = 50 unaffected matched controls). They were observed in 2 emotion induction tasks designed to elicit positive and negative effects. Facial and head movement was automatically measured using a computer vision–based approach. Expressiveness was quantified as the displacement, velocity, and acceleration of 49 facial landmarks (eg, lip corners) and head pitch and yaw.

Results:

For both cases and controls, all measures of expressiveness strongly differed between tasks. Case–control differences were limited to infants with microtia plus mandibular hypoplasia and other associated CFM features, which were the most common phenotypes and were characterized by decreased expressiveness relative to control infants.

Conclusions:

Infants with microtia plus mandibular hypoplasia and those with other associated CFM phenotypes were less facially expressive than same-aged peers. Both phenotypes were associated with more severe involvement than microtia alone, suggesting that infants with more severe CFM begin to diverge in expressiveness from controls by age 13 months. Further research is needed to both replicate the current findings and elucidate their developmental implications.
Poly Implant Prothèse Silicone Breast Explants: Chemical Analysis of Silicone Gel and Implant Shell
Authors: Bachour Yara , Heinze Zavira , van Selms Gijs , Ritt Marco , Niessen Frank , Keizers Peter
Published: January 2019

Background:

Poly Implant Prothèse (PIP) silicone breast implants were removed from the market between 2010 and 2012 because of the use of nonmedical grade silicone filler. The chemical and physico-chemical properties of PIP implants have been analyzed by several groups. In addition, our previous study illustrated that PIP implant shells were more permeable. Therefore, we analyzed the chemical composition of the envelope and gel of PIP silicone breast explants. Also, the composition of absorbed material into the implant was analyzed.

Methods:

This study was conducted on 3 PIP implants explanted from 2 patients. The envelope was analyzed using Raman microscopy, whereas the gel was analyzed using near-infrared spectra, nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, and gas chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry. Absorbed material was investigated with Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy and sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis.

Results:

The 3 implants appeared to be Rofil implants, and all implants displayed a yellow color. None of the envelope showed a barrier layer. Amounts of D4, D5, and D6 were found to be below 100 ppm. Water was found in all 3 implants and also proteins were absorbed into the implants.

Conclusions:

The current study shows that the analyzed implants originate from the manufacturer Rofil but have PIP1 hallmarks. Apparently, these are own brand labeling implants. The presence of water and proteins in the explants indicate exchange of small and large molecules into the explants, even in the implant with a visually intact envelope. Because of the PIP1 hallmarks of the Rofil implants, patients with such implants are advised to be counseled by their physicians.
LONG-TERM RESULTS OF AUTOLOGOUS RETINAL PIGMENT EPITHELIUM AND CHOROID TRANSPLANTATION FOR THE TREATMENT OF EXUDATIVE AND ATROPHIC MACULOPATHIES
Authors: Parolini Barbara , Di Salvatore Attilio , Pinackatt Sajish Joseph , Baldi Andrea , Besozzi Gianluca , Finzi Alessandro , Cardillo Daniele , Sallam Ahmed B. , Frisina Rino
Published: January 2019

Purpose:

To evaluate the long-term results of autologous retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) and choroid transplantation (RPE–choroid patch) for exudative and atrophic maculopathies.

Methods:

Consecutive chart review of 120 eyes, which underwent RPE–choroid patch, from 2007 to 2017 for RPE atrophy or choroidal neovascular membrane secondary to exudative and hemorrhagic age-related macular degeneration, myopia, angioid streaks, and laser. Eyes were tested with best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA), reading ability, optical coherence tomography, fluorescein angiography and indocyanine green angiography, autofluorescence, and microperimetry.

Results:

Eighty-eight eyes of 84 patients had complete data, with 2- to 10-year follow-up. Mean age was 71.9 ± 9.06 years. Mean preoperative and postoperative BCVA was 20/320 (1.2 ± 0.2 logMAR) and 20/200 (0.94 ± 0.36 logMAR), respectively (P = 0.009). Reading ability recovered in 43% of cases. Microperimetry showed central fixation. A gain of at least 15 letters was obtained in 40% of eyes. Integrity (P = 0.009) of external limiting membrane and higher preoperative BCVA (P = 0.001) predicted better final BCVA. Complications were retinal detachment (11.4%), macular atrophy (7%), subretinal hemorrhage (4.5%), epiretinal membrane (4.5%), recurrent choroidal neovascular membrane (4.5%), macular hole (3.4%), and cystoid edema (3%).

Conclusion:

Autologous RPE–choroid patch achieved long-lasting BCVA improvement and central fixation, in eyes with choroidal neovascular membrane and intact external limiting membrane. Atrophic maculopathies only obtained temporary visual benefit.