bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
High-Cost Cancer Treatment Across Borders in Conflict Zones: Experience of Iraqi Patients in Lebanon
Authors: Skelton Mac , Alameddine Raafat , Saifi Omran , Hammoud Miza , Zorkot Maya , Daher Marilyne , Charafeddine Maya , Temraz Sally , Shamseddine Ali , Mula-Hussain Layth , Saleem Mohammed , Namiq Kazim F. , Dewachi Omar , Abu Sitta Ghassan , Abdul-Sater Zahi , Telvizian Talar , Faraj Walid , Mukherji Deborah 
Published: January 2020

PURPOSE Conflict-induced cross-border travel for medical treatment is commonly observed in the Middle East. There has been little research conducted on the financial impact this has on patients with cancer or on how cancer centers can adapt their services to meet the needs of this population. This study examines the experience of Iraqi patients seeking care in Lebanon, aiming to understand the social and financial contexts of conflict-related cross-border travel for cancer diagnosis and treatment. PATIENTS AND METHODS After institutional review board approval, 60 Iraqi patients and caregivers seeking cancer care at a major tertiary referral center in Lebanon were interviewed. RESULTS Fifty-four respondents (90%) reported high levels of financial distress. Patients relied on the sale of possessions (48%), the sale of homes (30%), and vast networks to raise funds for treatment. Thematic analysis revealed several key drivers for undergoing cross-border treatment, including the conflict-driven exodus of Iraqi oncology specialists; the destruction of hospitals or road blockages; referrals by Iraqi physicians to Lebanese hospitals; the geographic proximity of Lebanon; and the lack of diagnostic equipment, radiotherapy machines, and reliable provision of chemotherapy in Iraqi hospitals. CONCLUSION As a phenomenon distinct from medical tourism, conflict-related deficiencies in health care at home force patients with limited financial resources to undergo cancer treatment in neighboring countries. We highlight the importance of shared decision making and consider the unique socioeconomic status of this population of patients when planning treatment.
The Relationship of Gastrinoma in MEN 1 to Helicobacter pylori infection
Authors: Endall Ryan , Thompson Michael , Parameswaran Venkat , Burgess John 
Published: January 2020

Abstract

Context
Helicobacter pylori and Multiple Endocrine Neoplasia Type 1 (MEN 1) are risk factors for hypergastrinemia. Gastrin-secreting neoplasms of the foregut mucosa are both a source of, and potentially stimulated by, hypergastrinemia.

Objective
To determine the relationship between H pylori exposure and the prevalence and severity of hypergastrinemia in patients with MEN 1.

Design, setting & patients
Cross-sectional analysis of patients with a common MEN1 gene mutation managed at a tertiary referral hospital that underwent fasting serum gastrin and H pylori serum IgG measurement.

Intervention
H pylori IgG and serum gastrin concentration, determined via immunoassay.

Main outcome measures
The prevalence and severity of hypergastrinemia and its relationship to past H pylori exposure.

Results
Thirty-four of 95 (36%) patients were H pylori IgG seropositive. H pylori seropositive patients were significantly more likely to exhibit hypergastrinemia compared with seronegative patients (relative risk [RR] 1.72, P = .023). H pylori exposure also predicted severe hypergastrinemia (RR 3.52, P = .026 and RR 9.37, P = .031 for patients with gastrin ≥ ×4 and ≥ ×8 the upper limit of normal [ULN], respectively). Gastrin concentrations ≥ ×10 ULN occurred exclusively in H pylori seropositive patients (0/61 vs 6/34, P = .001). Serum gastrin and alpha subunit were positively associated in H pylori-exposed (β = 0.69, P = .001), but not in H pylori-unexposed patients.

Conclusion
Past H pylori exposure was associated with increased prevalence and severity of hypergastrinemia in MEN 1 patients. Past H pylori-related hypergastrinemia may contribute to the pathogenesis of ongoing gastrin hypersecretion by susceptible foregut neuroendocrine tissues.
Comparison of Supraglottic Airway Devices With Endotracheal Intubation in Low-Risk Patients for Cesarean Delivery: Systematic Review and Meta-analysis
Authors: White Leigh D. , Thang Christopher , Hodsdon Anthony , Melhuish Thomas M. , Barron Fiona A. , Godsall M. Guy , Vlok Ruan 
Published: January 2020

BACKGROUND:
The safety and adverse event rate of supraglottic airway (SGA) devices for cesarean delivery (CD) is poorly characterized. The primary aims of this review were to determine whether the first-pass success was higher and time to insertion for SGA was faster than endotracheal intubation for elective CD. The secondary aim was to determine the airway-related adverse event rate associated with SGA use compared to endotracheal intubation in elective CD under general anesthesia (GA).

METHODS:
Six databases were systematically searched until September 2019. Included studies reported on the use of SGA in comparison to endotracheal tube intubation. A comparative meta-analysis between SGA and endotracheal intubation was performed using RevMan 5.3 software. Dichotomous outcomes were reported using an odds ratio (OR) with 95% confidence interval (CI). The results for continuous outcomes were reported using a weighted mean difference (WMD) with 95% CI.

RESULTS:
Fourteen studies with 2236 patients compared SGA and endotracheal intubation. Overall, there was no statistically significant difference in first-attempt success rate (OR = 1.92; 95% CI, 0.85–4.32; I
2 = 0%; P = .44). There was no clinically significant difference in time to insertion (WMD = −15.80 seconds; 95% CI, −25.30 to −6.31 seconds; I
2= 100%; P = .001). Similarly, there was no difference in any adverse event rate except sore throat which was reduced with the use of an SGA (OR = 0.16; 95% CI, 0.08–0.32; I
2= 53%; P < .001).

CONCLUSIONS:
Despite the reasonable insertion success rate and safety profile of SGAs demonstrated in this meta-analysis, the analysis remains underpowered and therefore inconclusive. At present, further studies are required before the use of an SGA as the first-line airway for an elective CD can be recommended.
Exposure to Surgery and Anesthesia in Early Childhood and Subsequent Use of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder Medications
Authors: Ing Caleb , Ma Xiaoyue , Sun Ming , Lu Yewei , Wall Melanie M. , Olfson Mark , Li Guohua 
Published: January 2020

BACKGROUND:
Some recent clinical studies have found that early childhood exposure to anesthesia is associated with increased risks of behavioral deficits and clinical diagnoses of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). While diagnoses in claims data may be subject to inaccuracies, pharmacy claims are highly accurate in reflecting medication use. This study examines the association between exposure to surgery and anesthesia and subsequent ADHD medication use.

METHODS:
Longitudinal data for children enrolled in Texas and New York Medicaid from 1999 to 2010 were used. We assessed the association between a single exposure to anesthesia before age 5 years for 1 of 4 common pediatric surgical procedures (pyloromyotomy, inguinal hernia repair, circumcisions outside the perinatal period, and tonsillectomy and/or adenoidectomy) and persistent ADHD medication use (event defined as the initial ADHD medication prescription, and persistent use defined as filling 2 or more ≥30-day prescriptions between 6 months following surgery until censoring). Exposed children (n = 42,687) were matched on propensity score (ie, the probability of receiving surgery) estimated in logistic regression including sociodemographic and clinical covariates, to children without anesthesia exposure before age 5 years (n = 213,435). Cox proportional hazards models were used to evaluate the hazard ratio (HR) of ADHD medication use following exposure. Nonpsychotropic medications served as negative controls to determine if exposed children simply had higher overall medication use.

RESULTS:
Children with a single exposure to surgery and anesthesia were 37% more likely than unexposed children to persistently use ADHD medication (HR, 1.37; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.30–1.44). The estimated HRs for common nonpsychotropic medication use following a single anesthetic exposure were 1.06 (95% CI, 1.04–1.07) for amoxicillin, 1.10 (95% CI, 1.08–1.12) for azithromycin, and 1.08 (95% CI, 1.05–1.11) for diphenhydramine. In comparison, the risk of using other psychotropic medication to treat conditions besides ADHD was also significantly higher, with HRs of 1.37 (95% CI, 1.24–1.51) for sedative/anxiolytics, 1.40 (95% CI, 1.25–1.58) for antidepressants, 1.31 (95% CI, 1.20–1.44) for antipsychotics, and 1.24 (95% CI, 1.10–1.40) for mood stabilizers.

CONCLUSIONS:
Medicaid-enrolled children receiving anesthesia for a single common pediatric surgical procedure under age 5 years were 37% more likely to require subsequent persistent use of ADHD medications than unexposed children. Because the increased use of ADHD medication is disproportionately higher than that of nonpsychotropic medications, unmeasured confounding may not account for all of the increase in ADHD medication use. By evaluating Medicaid data, this study assesses children who may be particularly vulnerable to neurotoxic exposures.
Differences in the Synthetic Method Affected Copolymer Sequence and Membrane Properties of Sulfonated Polymers
Authors: Hosaka Ibuki , Sawano Takatoshi , Kimura Taro , Matsumoto Akinobu , Miyake Junpei , Miyatake Kenji 
Published: January 2020

Abstract
The versatility of the synthesis of sulfonated aromatic polymers using NiBr2 was investigated. The copolymerization of sulfo-dichlorobenzene protected with a neopentyl group was carried out with chlorine-terminated oligomer (1) or three different comonomers (2, 3, 4). The copolymerization proceeded well to obtain high molecular weight copolymers (Mn = 4.83–60.1 kDa, Mw = 24.9–133 kDa) and provided flexible membranes, comparable to those obtained with Ni(0) as a polymerization promoter. 1H NMR spectra suggested differences in the comonomer sequence between the copolymers synthesized with Ni(II) and Ni(0). The sequence was quantified as a “randomness of sulfophenylene (SP) unit” and correlated with the membrane properties. The randomness of SP unit in the sulfonated polyphenylene copolymer (SPP-QP) did not affect the phase-separated morphology under the dry-state as suggested by TEM images. SAXS analysis under humidified conditions revealed that the SPP-QP with lower randomness of SP unit formed higher periodicity in the self-assembling structures (i.e., the uniform-sized ionic clusters). The increase of the randomness of SP unit from 19% to 47% in SPP-QP caused decrease of the proton conductivity (at 80 °C and 20% RH) by a factor of 1/1.7 and decrease of the elongation (at 80 °C and 60% RH) by a factor of 1/27. Similar tendency was observed for other series of the sulfonated copolymer membranes.
Tactile and Physical Properties of Cosmetic Powders with a Shittori Feel
Authors: Tsuchiya Reiichiro , Kuhara Rieko , Kikegawa Kana , Nagatani Noboru , Nonomura Yoshimune 
Published: January 2020

Abstract
Shittori feel is defined as a texture that is moderately moisturized and is one of the most favorable textures for many Japanese. In this research, we studied the relationship between the tactile and physical properties of cosmetic powders to determine the specific factors that make up shittori feel. We selected nine cosmetic powders with different sizes, shapes, and touch to conduct physical and tactile evaluations. These evaluations suggested that shittori feel is a complex combination of moist and smooth feels induced by a frictional phenomenon on skin. The moist and smooth feels are perceived when the finger starts to move and when the finger rubs the powders, respectively.
Population pharmacokinetics of artesunate and dihydroartemisinin in pregnant and non-pregnant women with uncomplicated Plasmodium falciparum malaria in Burkina Faso: an open label trial
Authors: Birgersson Sofia , Valea Innocent , Tinto Halidou , Traore-Coulibaly Maminata , Toe Laeticia C. , Hoglund Richard M. , Van Geertruyden Jean-Pierre , Ward Stephen A. , D’Alessandro Umberto , Abelö Angela , Tarning Joel 
Published: January 2020

Background: Malaria during pregnancy is a major health risk for both the mother and the foetus. Pregnancy has been shown to influence the pharmacokinetics of a number of different antimalarial drugs. This might lead to an under-exposure in these patients which could increase the risk of treatment failure and the development of drug resistance. The study aim was to evaluate the pharmacokinetics of artesunate and dihydroartemisinin in pregnant and non-pregnant patients using a population modelling approach. Methods: Twenty-four women in their second and third trimester of pregnancy and twenty-four paired non-pregnant women, all with uncomplicated P. falciparum malaria, were enrolled in this study. Treatment was a fixed-dose combination of oral artesunate and mefloquine once daily for three days. Frequent blood samples were collected and concentration-time data for artesunate and dihydroartemisinin were analysed simultaneously using nonlinear mixed-effects modelling. Results: Artesunate pharmacokinetics was best described by a transit-compartment absorption model followed by a one-compartment disposition model under the assumption of complete in vivo conversion of artesunate into dihydroartemisinin. Dihydroartemisinin pharmacokinetics was best described by a one-compartment disposition model with first-order elimination. Pregnant women had a 21% higher elimination clearance of dihydroartemisinin, compared to non-pregnant women, resulting in proportionally lower drug exposure. In addition, initial parasitaemia and liver enzyme levels (alanine aminotransferase) were found to affect the relative bioavailability of artesunate. Conclusions: Results presented here show a substantially lower drug exposure to the antimalarial drug dihydroartemisinin during pregnancy after standard oral treatment of artesunate and mefloquine. This might result in an increased risk of treatment failure and drug resistance development, especially in low transmission settings where relative immunity is lower. Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT00701961 (19/06/2008)
Diagnostic value of four-dimensional computed tomography and four-dimensional magnetic resonance imaging in primary hyperparathyroidism when first-line imaging was inadequate
Authors: Acar N , Haciyanli M , Coskun M , Erdogan NK , Celik SC , Haciyanli SG , Gur EO 
Published: January 2020

Introduction Accurate localisation of the abnormal hyperfunctioning gland with preoperative imaging has a critical role in parathyroid surgery to obtain a successful outcome. This study aimed to evaluate the diagnostic performance of second-line imaging and their contribution to the treatment success in primary hyperparathyroidism when the first-line methods were negative or discordant. Methods Among the patients who underwent parathyroidectomy due to primary hyperparathyroidism, 33 who underwent four-dimensional computed tomography and/or four-dimensional magnetic resonance imaging because of negative or discordant first-line imaging results were included. Persistent and recurrent cases were excluded. Results The majority of the patients were female (84.8%) and the mean age was 59.2 years. Seventeen patients had four-dimensional computed tomography and 25 had four-dimensional magnetic resonance imaging, respectively. Four-dimensional computed tomography and four-dimensional magnetic resonance imaging localised the culprit gland successfully in 52.9% and 84%, respectively. Twenty-five patients in whom single adenoma was detected underwent focused parathyroidectomy. The culprit gland was solitary in 32 cases and one patient had double adenoma. Normocalcaemia was achieved in all cases. Among the 29 patients who completed their postoperative sixth month success rate was 100%. Conclusion Four-dimensional magnetic resonance imaging had high accuracy with fast dynamic imaging in detecting parathyroid adenomas. When the first-line imaging methods were negative or inconclusive, four-dimensional magnetic resonance imaging should be considered primarily since it is cost effective in Turkey and emits no radiation.
Wide multiwavelength Brillouin–Raman fiber laser assisted by an arc-shaped fiber attenuator
Authors: Ahmad H. , Al-Alimi A. W. 
Published: January 2020

A wide bandwidth, single-spacing half-open-cavity multiwavelength Brillouin–Raman fiber laser (MWBRFL) is demonstrated. The laser cavity contains a fiber loop mirror (FLM) with an arc-shaped optical fiber attenuator that is used to control the mirror reflectivity, thereby suppressing gain competition from longitudinal cavity modes. A tuning range of 45 nm with 632 lines at Raman and 1525 nm Brillouin pump powers of 1.2 W and 12 dBm can be achieved using the 10 dB arc-shaped optical fiber attenuator in the cavity. This is in comparison to 433 Stokes lines obtained over a 31 nm tuning range for the half-open MWBRFL cavity without any feedback power optimization. The MWBRFL has low power fluctuations of less than 0.1 dB over a 1 h test period. The inclusion of the arc-shaped optical fiber attenuator in the MWBRFL provides substantial control over the reflectivity of the FLM as well as improving the laser’s tuning range to generate a high number of Brillouin Stokes signals.
Real-time reflectance anisotropy spectroscopy of GaAs homoepitaxy
Authors: Lastras-Martínez A. , Guevara-Macías L. E. , Santiago-García J. G. , Ortega-Gallegos J. , Ruiz-Alvarado I. A. , Martínez-Espinosa R. , Ariza-Flores D. , Castro-García R. , López-Estopier R. E. , Balderas-Navarro R. E. , Lastras-Martínez L. F. 
Published: January 2020

Reflectance anisotropy spectroscopy (RAS) is a highly sensitive optical probe for the real-time study of the epitaxial growth of zincblende semiconductors. Here we report on (1) non-equilibrium RAS spectra acquired in real time during the homoepitaxial growth of GaAs, and (2) RAS spectra for GaAs surfaces under equilibrium with several arsenic overpressures. We show that in both cases RAS spectra can be decomposed into two basic components, each with a characteristic line shape. We further show that both dynamic and equilibrium RAS spectra are described by the same pair of basic components. We conclude that the time evolution of non-equilibrium RAS spectra acquired during the epitaxial growth can be described in terms of RAS spectra for equilibrium surfaces. The results reported here should be useful for the interpretation of the physics underlying the rapid time evolution of dynamic RAS spectra during the first monolayer growth. Thus, we show that RAS constitutes a valuable tool for the study of epitaxial growth mechanisms.
Characterization of a single-frequency bismuth-doped fiber power amplifier with a continuous wave and modulated seed source at 1687  nm
Authors: Gomolka Grzegorz , Khegai Aleksandr M. , Alyshev Sergei V. , Lobanov Aleksey S. , Firstov Sergei V. , Nikodem Michal 
Published: January 2020

In this paper, we report the performance of a bismuth-doped fiber
amplifier at 1687 nm. This wavelength region is particularly
interesting for laser-based spectroscopy and trace gas detection. The
active bismuth-doped fiber is pumped at 1550 nm. With less than 10 mW
of the seed power, more than 100 mW is obtained at the amplifier’s
output. We also investigate the signal at the output when a
wavelength-modulated seed source is used, and present wavelength
modulation spectroscopy of methane transition near 1687 nm. A
significant baseline is observed in the spectra recorded when the
fiber amplifier is used. The origin of this unwanted background signal
is discussed and methods for its suppression are demonstrated.
Dual differential confocal method for surface profile measurement with a large sensing measurement range
Authors: Shao Rongjun , Zhao Weiqian , Qiu Lirong , Wang Yun , Zhang Ruirui , Zhang Chenglong 
Published: January 2020

To meet the requirements of the large sensing measurement range and high axial depth resolution for profile measurement, a dual differential confocal method (DDCM) is proposed in this paper. The DDCM uses the confocal signal to process separately the signal of two pinholes with axial offset, and it adds the two processed signals to obtain an axial response curve with a large slope and linear response range, thereby achieving a high-precision surface profile measurement with no axial scanning. Preliminary experiments show that the DDCM has a sensing measurement range of 0.54 µm and an axial resolution of 1 nm at the numerical aperture of 0.9. Furthermore, the sensing measurement range of the DDCM is approximately 2.9 times that of the differential confocal microscopy.
Light scattering characterization of single-layer nanoporous SiO2 antireflection coating in visible light
Authors: Sekman Yusuf , Felde Nadja , Ghazaryan Lilit , Szeghalmi Adriana , Schröder Sven 
Published: January 2020

Antireflective coatings are widely applied on transparent optical components to reduce reflections at surfaces. Nanoporous silica (NP

S
i
O

2

) thin films with tailored refractive index properties are used as single-layer antireflective coatings providing nearly zero reflectivity. In this work, light scattering properties of nanoporous silica single-layer antireflective coatings are investigated in order to determine their optical quality by means of total scattering and detailed roughness analysis. Scattering and roughness characterization of the samples coated with different film thicknesses were realized to distinguish the influences of nanopores and surface roughness on scattering losses in the visible (VIS) spectral range. No significant correlation of scattering losses with the film thickness is found, showing negligible influence of the nanopores to the overall scattering properties compared with the dominating effect of interface roughness. Moreover, the scattering losses from coated fused silica glass were observed as low as 20 ppm (0.002%). It is confirmed that NP

S
i
O

2

single-layer antireflective coatings are suitable to be used in optics demanding extremely low scattering characteristics.
Glancing-angle-deposited silica films for ultraviolet wave plates
Authors: MacNally S. , Smith C. , Spaulding J. , Foster J. , Oliver J. B. 
Published: January 2020

Birefringent silica films are formed by glancing-angle deposition to fabricate quarter- and half-wave plates at a wavelength of 351 nm. A multilayer design is implemented to achieve low-loss transmittance with a high 351-nm laser-induced damage threshold.
Ultra-broadband TE-pass polarizer based on hybrid plasmonic-assisted contra-directional couplers
Authors: Xu Zhengying , Sun Xiaohan 
Published: January 2020

An ultra-broadband and compact TE-pass polarizer assisted by contra-directional coupling is proposed, which consists of two identical hybrid plasmonic waveguides (HPWs) and a middle strip grating waveguide (SGW). The grating pitch of the SGW is properly designed to make TM polarization satisfy the phase-matching condition. Therefore, the launched TE mode passes through the middle SGW directly with a very low propagation loss, while the launched TM mode is contra-directionally coupled to the two HPWs evenly and finally absorbed by the top metal layers. Simulation results show that the proposed polarizer has a compact coupling length of

∼

16.48

µ

m

, and the insertion loss, extinction ratio, and reflection loss are 0.269 dB, 27.7 dB, and

−

16.5

d
B

for the fundamental TE mode at 1550 nm, respectively. In the wavelength range of 1430–1700 nm, the ER is more than 20 dB and the IL is less than 1 dB, extending the operating spectrum to 270 nm.