bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Improvements on electrical conductivity of the electrospun microfibers using the silver nanoparticles
Authors: Wei Zhimei , Qiu Fang , Wang Xiaojun , Long Shengru , Yang Jie 
Published: December 2019

ABSTRACTConductive electrospun polymer fibers have attracted a great deal of interest in recent years. This study describes the preparation of electrically conductive microfibers composed of polyethersulfone/polydopamine/silver nanoparticles (PES/PDA/Ag NPs). Ag NPs acted as conductive centers, while hydroxyl‐ and amino‐rich functional groups and excellent adhesion properties of PDA served to connect the Ag NPs and PES microfibers. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) showed that PDA was firmly adhered to PES microfibers. PES/PDA microfibers absorbed considerable amounts of silver ion from AgNO3 solution, resulting in Ag NPs. X‐ray diffraction, X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and SEM data represented the successful formation of PES/PDA/Ag NPs microfibers. Microfibers with optimal conductivity were obtained using a solution of 2% AgNO3 at pH 9 at 50 °C for 45 min. The electrical resistivity of our PES/PDA/Ag NPs microfibers was only 202 Ω/cm, much lower than that of regular PES microfibers (2.1 × 109 Ω/cm). These results show that the PES/PDA/Ag NPs microfibers are suitable for use as conductive polymer fibers in electromagnetic shielding, and conductivity‐sensing applications, and in flexible electronic devices and biosensors. © 2019 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2020, 137, 48788.
Novel insights into the development of the avian nasal cavity
Authors: Albawaneh Zahra , Ali Raana , Abramyan John 
Published: December 2019

ABSTRACTIn embryonic amniotes, patterning of the oral and nasal cavities requires bilateral fusion between craniofacial prominences, ensuring an intact primary palate and upper jaw. After fusion has taken place, the embryonic nasal cavities open anteriorly through paired external nares positioned directly above the fusion zones and bordered by the medial nasal and lateral nasal prominences. In this study, we show that in the chicken embryo, the external nares initially form as patent openings but only remain so for a short period of time. Soon after the nasal cavities form, the medial nasal and lateral nasal prominences fuse together in stage 29 embryos, entirely closing off the external nares for a substantial portion of embryonic and fetal development. The epithelium between the fused prominences is then retained and eventually develops into a nasal plug that obstructs the nasal vestibule through the majority of the fetal period. At stage 40, the nasal plug begins to break down through a combination of cellular remodeling, apoptosis, as well as non‐apoptotic necrosis, leading to completely patent nasal cavities at hatching. These findings place chickens in a category with several species of nonavian reptiles and mammals (including humans) that have been found to develop a transient embryonic nasal plug. Our findings are discussed in the context of previously reported cases of nasal plugs as part of normal embryonic development and provide novel insight into the craniofacial development of a key model organism in developmental biology.
Comparison of oncological outcomes after open and laparoscopic re-resection of incidental gallbladder cancer
Authors: Vega E A , De Aretxabala X , Qiao W , Newhook T E , Okuno M , Castillo F , Sanhueza M , Diaz C , Cavada G , Jarufe N , Munoz C , Rencoret G , Vivanco M , Joechle K , Tzeng C-W D , Vauthey J-N , Vinuela E , Conrad C 
Published: December 2019

Abstract

Background
The safety and oncological efficacy of laparoscopic re-resection of incidental gallbladder cancer have not been studied. This study aimed to compare laparoscopic with open re-resection of incidentally discovered gallbladder cancer while minimizing selection bias.

Methods
This was a multicentre retrospective observational cohort study of patients with incidental gallbladder cancer who underwent re-resection with curative intent at four centres between 2000 and 2017. Overall survival (OS) and recurrence-free survival (RFS) were analysed by intention to treat. Inverse probability of surgery treatment weighting using propensity scoring was undertaken.

Results
A total of 255 patients underwent re-resection (190 open, 65 laparoscopic). Nineteen laparoscopic procedures were converted to open operation. Surgery before 2011 was the only factor associated with conversion. Duration of hospital stay was shorter after laparoscopic re-resection (median 4 versus 6 days; P &lt; 0·001). Three-year OS rates for laparoscopic and open re-resection were 87 and 62 per cent respectively (P = 0·502). Independent predictors of worse OS were residual cancer found at re-resection (hazard ratio (HR) 1·91, 95 per cent c.i. 1·17 to 3·11), blood loss of at least 500 ml (HR 1·83, 1·23 to 2·74) and at least four positive nodes (HR 3·11, 1·46 to 6·65). In competing-risks analysis, the RFS incidence was higher for laparoscopic re-resection (P = 0·038), but OS did not differ between groups. Independent predictors of worse RFS were one to three positive nodes (HR 2·16, 1·29 to 3·60), at least four positive nodes (HR 4·39, 1·96 to 9·82) and residual cancer (HR 2·42, 1·46 to 4·00).

Conclusion
Laparoscopic re-resection for selected patients with incidental gallbladder cancer is oncologically non-inferior to an open approach. Dissemination of advanced laparoscopic skills and timely referral of patients with incidental gallbladder cancer to specialized centres may allow more patients to benefit from this operation.
The trends of mortality and years of life lost of cancers in urban and rural areas in China, 1990‐2017
Authors: Cen Xingzu , Wang Dongming , Sun Weiwei , Cao Limin , Zhang Zhuang , Wang Bin , Chen Weihong 
Published: December 2019

AbstractBackgroundWith the rapid development of the socioeconomic status, the mortality of several cancers has been changed in China during the past 30 years. We aimed to estimate the trends of mortality and years of life lost (YLLs) of various cancers in urban and rural areas of China from 1990 to 2017.MethodsThe mortality data were collected from Chinese yearbooks and the age structure of population from the Chinese sixth population census were used as reference to calculate age‐standardized mortality rates (ASMRs) and YLLs rates. Joinpoint regression analysis was implemented to calculate the annual percent change (APC) of mortality rates and YLL rates for cancers. YLLs owing to premature death were calculated as age‐specific cancer deaths multiplied by the reference life expectancy at birth of 80 years for male and 82.5 years for female.ResultsThe ASMRs of all cancers showed significant decreasing trends for urban residents from 1990 to 2017, such downward trend without significance was also observed among rural residents. Interestingly, ASMRs of lung cancer and breast cancer have raised continuously in rural areas since 1990. The age‐standardized YYL rates for urban and rural residents decreased with 1.02% and 0.85% per year, respectively. YLLs in rural areas were higher than those in urban areas, whereas YLLs of urban outstripped those of rural finally with the increasing in YLLs of urban areas (216.71% for men and 207.87% for women).ConclusionThe ASMRs and YLL rates of all cancers have declined in urban and rural areas from 1990 to 2017. YLLs increased in urban areas and remained higher level in rural areas after 2014 year. Preventive measures should be strengthened to against cancer, especially for lung cancer.
How trainee therapists experience resilience: An interpretative phenomenological analysis
Authors: Roebuck Duncan Christopher , Reid Kate 
Published: December 2019

AbstractWhile the importance of nurturing resilience in therapists (professionals in psychological therapies, e.g. counsellors, psychotherapists and counselling psychologists), and, in particular, trainees, is broadly recognised, there remains limited research directly exploring this area. The intention of the present study, therefore, is to explore how prequalification trainee therapists who have started seeing clients make sense of their experiences of resilience and to investigate what fosters and sustains their resilience. Four trainee therapists were recruited and one‐to‐one audio‐recorded interviews conducted. Interpretative phenomenological analysis was used to analyse the interview transcripts. Three overarching themes emerged from an analysis across the four cases: ‘Reframing resilience’, ‘Locating resilience’ and ‘Finding the right path’. Understanding how resilience is developed is integral to fuller understanding of trainee development. Trainees need to develop competence and confidence en route to becoming therapists. Perhaps somewhat paradoxically then, findings in the present study suggest that building resilience is about becoming more vulnerable. Trainees' feelings of empowerment, self‐efficacy and control may be fostered through a new less judging relationship to the experience of vulnerability. Indeed, a sense of confidence may emanate from the capacity for managed vulnerability.
2b or not 2b? Shoulder function after level 2b neck dissection: A double‐blind randomized controlled clinical trial
Authors: Dziegielewski Peter T. , McNeely Margaret L. , Ashworth Nigel , O’Connell Daniel A. , Barber Brittany , Courneya Kerry S. , Debenham Brock J. , Seikaly Hadi 
Published: December 2019

BackgroundSelective neck dissection (SND) is a mainstay of head and neck cancer treatment. A common sequela is shoulder syndrome from spinal accessory nerve (SAN) trauma. Extensive dissection in neck levels 2 and 5 leads to SAN dysfunction. However, it is not known whether limited level 2 dissection reduces SAN injury. The purpose of this double‐blind randomized controlled trial was to determine whether omitting level 2b dissection would improve shoulder‐related quality of life and function.MethodsPatients with head and neck cancers undergoing surgery were randomized 1:1 to SND without level 2b dissection (group 1) or with it (group 2) on their dominant‐hand side. Patients, caregivers, and assessors were blinded. The primary outcome was the change in the Neck Dissection Impairment Index (NDII) score after 6 months. An a priori calculation of the minimally important clinical difference in the NDII score was determined to establish a sample size of 15 patients per group (power = 0.8). Secondary outcomes included shoulder strength and range of motion (ROM) and SAN nerve conduction. The trial was registered at ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT00765791).ResultsForty patients were enrolled, and 30 were included (15 per group). Six months after the surgery, group 2 demonstrated a significant median decrease in the NDII from the baseline (30 points) and in comparison with group 1, whose NDII dropped 17.5 points (P = .02). Shoulder ROM and SAN conduction demonstrated significant declines in group 2 (P ≤ .05). No adverse events occurred.ConclusionsLevel 2b should be omitted in SND when this is oncologically safe and feasible. This allows for an optimal balance between function and cancer cure.
Centrifugal projections to the main olfactory bulb revealed by transsynaptic retrograde tracing in mice
Authors: Schneider Nanette Y. , Chaudy Sylvie , Epstein Alberto L. , Viollet Cécile , Benani Alexandre , Pénicaud Luc , Grosmaître Xavier , Datiche Frédérique , Gascuel Jean 
Published: December 2019

AbstractA wide range of evidence indicates that olfactory perception is strongly involved in food intake. However, the polysynaptic circuitry linking the brain areas involved in feeding behavior to the olfactory regions is not well known. The aim of this article was to examine such circuits. Thus, we described, using hodological tools such as transsynaptic viruses (PRV152) transported in a retrograde manner, the long‐distance indirect projections (two to three synapses) onto the main olfactory bulb (MOB). The ß‐subunit of the cholera toxin which is a monosynaptic retrograde tracer was used as a control to be able to differentiate between direct and indirect projections. Our tracing experiments showed that the arcuate nucleus of the hypothalamus, as a major site for regulation of food intake, sends only very indirect projections onto the MOB. Indirect projections to MOB also originate from the solitary nucleus which is involved in energy homeostasis. Other indirect projections have been evidenced in areas of the reward circuit such as VTA and accumbens nucleus. In contrast, direct projections to the MOB arise from melanin‐concentrating hormone and orexin neurons in the lateral hypothalamus. Functional significances of these projections are discussed in relation to the role of food odors in feeding and reward‐related behavior.
Lipschitz Bounds and Nonuniform Ellipticity
Authors: Beck Lisa , Mingione Giuseppe 
Published: December 2019

AbstractWe consider nonuniformly elliptic variational problems and give optimal conditions guaranteeing the local Lipschitz regularity of solutions in terms of the regularity of the given data. The analysis catches the main model cases in the literature. Integrals with fast, exponential‐type growth conditions as well as integrals with unbalanced polynomial growth conditions are covered. Our criteria involve natural limiting function spaces and reproduce, in this very general context, the classical and optimal ones known in the linear case for the Poisson equation. Moreover, we provide new and natural growth a priori estimates whose validity was an open problem. Finally, we find new results also in the classical uniformly elliptic case. Beyond the specific results, the paper proposes a new approach to nonuniform ellipticity that, in a sense, allows us to reduce nonuniform elliptic problems to uniformly elliptic ones via potential theoretic arguments that are for the first time applied in this setting. © 2019 the Authors.Communications on Pure and Applied Mathematicsis published by the Courant Institute of Mathematical Sciences and Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
An adaptive interference‐aware and traffic‐aware channel assignment strategy for backhaul networks
Authors: Iqbal Saleem , Abdullah Abdul Hanan , Qureshi Kashif Naseer 
Published: December 2019

SummaryThe transformation of traditional networks is being done by incorporating billions of daily life devices to provide service centric facilities. With such transformation, the major traffic load will be shifted toward the backhaul networks, for which guaranteed bandwidth and low latency are the basic requirements. In order to meet varying and dynamic requirements of each service, the development of a traffic aware network is unavoidable. For achieving last mile connectivity, wireless mesh is considered among the best of the backhaul networks. Additionally, classical single radio mesh routers restrict the whole network on a single channel and hence the full potential of available multiple channels is not achieved. Mesh routers plugged with multiple radios allow parallel transmissions and increase the capacity of the whole network. To utilize network resources more efficiently, the key issue of channel assignment for wireless mesh networks is explored by incorporating the concept of time‐based traffic in a distributed environment. This paper discusses the problem of assigning a limited number of channels to a large number of radios while keeping in view the restrictions involved in maintaining a minimal level of interference and preservation of network topology. Bayesian estimation approach is used to gather knowledge from surroundings to determine the high‐interfered region and hence a distributed solution is proposed where mesh routers can find a more suitable alternative channel for respective region. The proposed algorithm is evaluated through traces on multiple flows, collected from simulations. Results show that the proposed algorithm performed better than existing ones in the presence of interference.
A platform architecture for occupancy detection using stream processing and machine learning approaches
Authors: Elkhoukhi Hamza , NaitMalek Youssef , Bakhouya Mohamed , Berouine Anass , Kharbouch Abdelhak , Lachhab Fadwa , Hanifi Majdoulayne , El Ouadghiri Driss , Essaaidi Mohamed 
Published: December 2019

SummaryContext‐awareness in energy‐efficient buildings has been considered as a crucial fact for developing context‐driven control approaches in which sensing and actuation tasks are performed according to the contextual changes. This could be done by including the presence of occupants, number, actions, and behaviors in up‐to‐date context, taking into account the complex interlinked elements, situations, processes, and their dynamics. However, many studies have shown that occupancy information is a major leading source of uncertainty when developing control approaches. Comprehensive and real‐time fine‐grained occupancy information has to be, therefore, integrated in order to improve the performance of occupancy‐driven control approaches. The work presented in this paper is toward the development of a holistic platform that combines recent IoT and Big Data technologies for real‐time occupancy detection in smart building. The purpose of this work focuses mainly on the presence of occupants by comparing both static and dynamic machine learning techniques. An open‐access occupancy detection dataset was first used to assess the usefulness of the platform and the effectiveness of static machine learning strategies for data processing. This dataset is used for applications that follow the strategy aiming at storing data first and processing it later. However, many smart buildings' applications, such as HVAC and ventilation control, require online data streams processing. Therefore, a distributed real‐time machine learning framework was integrated into the platform and tested to show its effectiveness for this kind of applications. Experiments have been conducted for ventilation systems in energy‐efficient building laboratory (EEBLab) and preliminary results show the effectiveness of this platform in detecting on‐the‐fly presence of occupants, which is required to either make ON or OFF the system and then activate the corresponding embedded control technique (eg, ON/OFF, PID, state‐feedback).
Fat for fuel: lipid metabolism in haematopoiesis
Authors: Pernes Gerard , Flynn Michelle C , Lancaster Graeme I , Murphy Andrew J 
Published: December 2019

AbstractThe importance of metabolic regulation in the immune system has launched back into the limelight in recent years. Various metabolic pathways have been examined in the context of their contribution to maintaining immune cell homeostasis and function. Moreover, this regulation is also important in the immune cell precursors, where metabolism controls their maintenance and cell fate. This review will discuss lipid metabolism in the context of haematopoiesis, that is blood cell development. We specifically focus on nonoxidative lipid metabolism which encapsulates the synthesis and degradation of the major lipid classes such as phospholipids, sphingolipids and sterols. We will also discuss how these metabolic processes are affected by haematological malignancies such as leukaemia and lymphoma, which are known to have altered metabolism, and how these different pathways contribute to the pathology.
The role of task classification and design in curriculum making for preservice teachers of mathematics
Authors: Dempsey Majella , O’Shea Ann 
Published: December 2019

This paper reports on a research project undertaken with a group (n = 19) of Irish preservice student teachers (PSTs) during the third year of a five‐year undergraduate education course. A series of workshops were carried out on the classification and design of mathematics tasks. The research is presented as a case study using mixed methods to gather data at three points, before the workshops, after the workshops, and two years later, when PSTs were in their final year. We argue that task classification and design are curriculum‐making activities for mathematics teachers. Through critically classifying and designing mathematics tasks, PSTs developed skills of evaluating the cognitive demand of tasks and showed evidence of using these skills in curriculum making. Through using frameworks to classify tasks, the PSTs demonstrated a capacity to take a more critical role in curriculum making. Our data show that the development of skills in these areas has lasting effects on PSTs’ practices and willingness to engage meaningfully with the curriculum in mathematics. The research highlights the need for PSTs to work on evaluating and designing tasks. How frameworks can support and enhance PSTs’ capacity to make curricular decisions is evidenced.
Modeling ocular lens disease in Xenopus
Authors: Viet Justine , Reboutier David , Hardy Serge , Lachke Salil A. , Paillard Luc , Gautier‐Courteille Carole 
Published: December 2019

AbstractBackgroundOcular lens clouding is termed as cataract, which depending on the onset, is classified as congenital or age‐related. Developing new cataract treatments requires new models. Thus far, Xenopus embryos have not been evaluated as a system for studying cataract.ResultsWe characterized the developmental process of lens formation in Xenopus laevis tailbuds and tadpoles, and we disrupted the orthologues of three mammalian cataract‐linked genes in F0 by CRISPR/Cas9. We assessed the consequences of gene inactivation by combining external examination with histochemical analyses and functional vision assays. Inactivating the key metazoan eye development transcription factor gene pax6 produces a strong eye phenotype including an absence of eye tissue. Inactivating the genes for gap‐junction protein and a nuclease, gja8 and dnase2b, produces lens defects that share several features of human cataracts, including impaired vision acuity, nuclei retention in lens fiber cells, and actin fibers disorganization. We tested the potential improvement of the visual acuity of gja8 crispant tadpoles upon treatment with the molecular chaperone 4‐phenylbutyrate.ConclusionXenopus is a valuable model organism to understand the molecular pathology of congenital eye defects, including cataracts, and to screen molecules with a potential to prevent or reverse cataracts.