bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Alternatives to the Kaplan–Meier estimator of progression-free survival
Authors: Zhang Jenny J , Sun Zhuoxin , Yuan Han , Wang Molin 
Published: September 2020

Abstract
Progression-free survival (PFS), defined as the time from randomization to progression of disease or death, has been indicated as an endpoint to support accelerated approval of certain cancer drugs by the U.S. FDA. The standard Kaplan–Meier (KM) estimator of PFS, however, can result in significantly biased estimates. A major source for the bias results from the substitution of censored progression times with death times. Currently, to ameliorate this bias, several sensitivity analyses based on rather arbitrary definitions of PFS censoring are usually conducted. In addition, especially in the advanced cancer setting, patients with censored progression and observed death times have the potential to experience disease progression between those two times, in which case their true PFS time is actually between those times. In this paper, we present two alternative nonparametric estimators of PFS, which statistically incorporate survival data often available for those patients who are censored with respect to progression to obtain less biased estimates. Through extensive simulations, we show that these estimators greatly reduce the bias of the standard KM estimator and can also be utilized as alternative sensitivity analyses with a solid statistical basis in lieu of the arbitrarily defined analyses currently used. An example is also given using an ECOG-ACRIN Cancer Research Group advanced breast cancer study.
Separation and purification of fatty acids by membrane technology: a critical review
Authors: Lv Enmin , Ding Shaoxuan , Lu Jie , Yi Weiming , Ding Jincheng 
Published: September 2020

Abstract
Fatty acids (FAs) are a very important group of raw materials for chemical industry, and the technology of separating or purifying the FAs from the reaction product mixture has always been the hotspot of research. Membrane processes for separation of FAs are being increasingly reported. Compared with conventional FAs separation methods, membrane separation has the advantages of low energy consumption, system compactness, high separation efficiency, easy scale-up, high available surface area per unit volume and low working temperatures, thereby attracting considerable attention of many researchers. In this regards, this paper critically reviewed the developments of methods for FAs separation and purification, and the future prospects of coupling membrane technology with hydrolysis for enhanced production of FAs.
Mitigation of power quality issues using UPQC
Authors: Ray Pravat Kumar , Dash Santanu Kumar , Subudhi Bidyadhar , Korkua Suratsavadee K. 
Published: September 2020

Abstract
Power quality has become major concern these days due to application of power electronic devices. Conventional equipment like passive filter, segregate series and shunt filters and synchronous condenser etc. have become inadequate to mitigate different power quality problems. Since, power quality mainly concerned with voltage quality and the current quality in the system. For voltage quality, series compensator is used and for current quality, shunt compensator is used. Further, when these two power quality problems are mitigated simultaneously, the device, which is used, called unified power quality conditioner (UPQC), in power distribution system. In this paper voltage related power quality problems such as (voltage sag, voltage swell, voltage and current distortion) are discussed and UPQC controller is simulated to mitigate these problems. There are different control techniques available for UPQC. Here one of them i.e., unit vector template generation (UVTG) is used to simulate UPQC controller. The considered system efficiently regulated the DC link voltage using properly tuned PI parameters. The proposed work is also validated using experimental results.
Second language processing of English past tense morphology: The role of working memory
Authors: Rızaoğlu Filiz , Gürel Ayşe 
Published: September 2020

Abstract
This study examines, via a masked priming task, the processing of English regular and irregular past tense morphology in proficient second language (L2) learners and native speakers in relation to working memory capacity (WMC), as measured by the Automated Reading Span (ARSPAN) and Operation Span (AOSPAN) tasks. The findings revealed quantitative group differences in the form of slower reaction times (RTs) in the L2-English group. While no correlation was found between the morphological processing patterns and WMC in either group, there was a negative relationship between English and Turkish ARSPAN scores and the speed of word recognition in the L2 group. Overall, comparable decompositional processing patterns found in both groups suggest that, like native speakers, high-proficiency L2 learners are sensitive to the morphological structure of the target language.
Two giant retroperitoneal schwannomas mimicking adrenal malignancy – a case report
Authors: Fülber Isabelle , Peer Katharina , Maurer Elisabeth , Bartsch Detlef K. , Görlach Jannis , Göbel Joachim Nils , Roeßler Marion , Holzer Katharina 
Published: September 2020

Abstract
Schwannomas are benign tumors in 95% of cases and very rarely occur in the retroperitoneum. We report the cases of a 35-year-old man with abdominal discomfort and a 50-year-old asymptomatic woman with large retroperitoneal masses. Both underwent multivisceral surgery to exclude an adrenal carcinoma, and the pathologic diagnosis showed schwannomas in both cases. Despite morphological imaging, it was not possible to get a clear diagnosis preoperatively.
The nasal cantilever technique in children undergoing primary cleft lip surgery: novel concepts and review
Authors: Abdulrauf Badr M. I. 
Published: September 2020

Abstract

Background
Nasal deformity associated with cleft lip deformity is a challenging issue, encompassing controversies, theories, and a diversity of techniques. Historically, esthetic outcomes have ranged from being below expectations to barely acceptable.

Method
Based on the concept that the nasal cartilaginous framework in clefts is similar to that of a collapsing pyramid, a novel suspension technique has been described. The entire cartilaginous structure is lifted from the infratip segment with a loop suture and is secured in a cantilever fashion onto the periosteum overlying the nasal bone. This part of the operation is performed in a semiclosed manner. The technique is applied during primary surgery in bilateral and unilateral nasal cleft lip deformities, with changes in the orientation of the cantilever loop suture. Studies conducted by Masters S. Tajima, H. McComb, H. Thomson, D. Fisher, and J. Mulliken, which are most relevant to this article, have been reviewed and discussed throughout.

Results
The technique was first applied over 10 years ago. A case series of nine children whose parents consented to the developing technique is presented with follow-up ranging from months to years, along with technical descriptions and illustrative drawings. None of these cases had preoperative orthopedic correction, molding, or postoperative nostril splints. The esthetic outcome was optimal enough; none of the cases requested a secondary correction.

Conclusion
The nasal cantilever technique is a novel concept in cleft nasal deformity, which can be used in conjunction with an appropriate lip technique, per the surgeon’s discretion. Other than a learning curve, we believe that it provides a solid correction by securing the cartilaginous structures after they have been mobilized to a stable base, the nasion.
Sampling in thermoacoustic tomography
Authors: Mathison Chase 
Published: September 2020

AbstractWe explore the effect of sampling rates when measuring data given byMffor special operatorsMarising in Thermoacoustic Tomography. We start with sampling requirements onMfgivenfsatisfying certain conditions. After this we discuss the resolution limit onfposed by the sampling rate ofMfwithout assuming any conditions on these sampling rates. Next we discuss aliasing artifacts whenMfis known to be under sampled in one or more of its variables. Finally, we discuss averaging of measurement data and resulting aliasing and artifacts, along with a scheme for anti-aliasing.
The inverse problem of recovering the coefficients of a differential equations on a graph
Authors: Sadovnichii Victor , Sultanaev Yaudat Talgatovich , Akhtyamov Azamat 
Published: September 2020

Abstract
We consider a new class of inverse problems on the recovery of the coefficients of differential equations from a finite set of eigenvalues of a boundary value problem with unseparated boundary conditions. A finite number of eigenvalues is possible only for problems in which the roots of the characteristic equation are multiple. The article describes solutions to such a problem for equations of the second, third, and fourth orders on a graph with three, four, and five edges. The inverse problem with an arbitrary number of edges is solved similarly.
Natural Convection Around a Locally Heated Circular Cylinder Placed in a Rectangular Enclosure
Authors: Roy Nepal Chandra , Hossain Md. Anwar , Gorla Rama Subba Reddy , Siddiqa Sadia 
Published: September 2020

AbstractNatural convective flow and heat transfer around a locally heated circular cylinder kept in a rectangular enclosure are investigated. At first, a problem valid for a rectangular domain is formulated and then an analytical coordinate transformation is introduced to map the rectangular domain to the physical domain considered here. Based on the coordinate transformation, a set of governing equations is obtained which is further simulated by imposing appropriate conditions on the walls of the cavity and the inner solid bodies. Numerical solutions are validated through comparison of the present results with the available published data. It is found that streamlines and isotherms are greatly influenced by the width (w) and breadth (b) of the heat source and the Rayleigh number (\mathit{Ra}). The Nusselt number (\mathit{Nu}) is computed at the surface of the inner and outer cylinders, revealing that it grows considerably when controlling parameters w, b, and \mathit{Ra} are increased. The strength and number of the vortices generated within the velocity field heavily depend on the size and location of the outer cylinder. The span-wise local Nusselt number variation shows some sharp rises compared to the neighboring values in {\mathit{Nu}_{i}} and {\mathit{Nu}_{o}}, which is due to the large temperature gradient at those points.
A novel GNAS mutation inherited from probable maternal mosaicism causes two siblings with pseudohypoparathyroidism type 1A
Authors: Wang Qi , Xian Jiayi , Chen Pingjiao , Wang Jingying , Gao Yan , Zheng Xinyao , Tan Zhongkai , Li Changxing , Zeng Kang 
Published: September 2020

Abstract

Objectives
Objectives Pseudohypoparathyroidism type 1A (PHP1A) is caused by maternal inheritance of GNAS mutations. It is characterized by the resistance to several hormones, primarily the parathyroid hormone (PTH), and the features of Albright’s hereditary osteodystrophy.

Case presentation
Here, we present a family comprised two affected brothers with PHP1A and identify a novel mutation (c.277C>T) in the GNAS gene. The siblings developed a slightly different presentation in the same clinical condition. Although both patients presented with PTH resistance, which is the hallmark of PHP, the proband showed the thyroid-stimulating hormone resistance with the progression of heterotopic ossification from skin and subcutaneous tissue into deep connective tissue, while the younger brother with normocalcemia did not show the resistance to other hormones. The patients may inherit the mutation from their mother who presumably carries the mutation as a mosaicism.

Conclusions
Our case highlights the significance of considering mosaicism as an explanation for apparent de novo cases of pseudohypoparathyroidism.
Long-term follow-up of differentiated thyroid carcinoma in children and adolescents
Authors: Negre Busó Montserrat , García Burillo Amparo , Simó Perdigó Marc , Galofré Mora Pere , Boronat de Ferrater Maria , Cuberas Borrós Gemma , Sábado Álvarez Constantino , Castell Conesa Joan 
Published: September 2020

Abstract

Objectives
The aims were to analyze the clinical features, response to treatment, prognostic factors and long-term follow-up of children and adolescents with differentiated thyroid carcinoma (DTC).

Methods
Eighty patients with DTC were studied retrospectively. All underwent total or near-total thyroidectomy, and in 75 cases, ablative iodine therapy was recommended. Patients were assessed periodically by tests for serum thyroglobulin levels and whole-body iodine scans. Age, gender, initial clinical presentation, histology, tumor stage, postoperative complications, radioiodine treatment protocol, treatment response, thyroglobulin (Tg), recurrence and long-term disease progression were evaluated.

Results
Seventy patients completed >2 years of follow-up (23 males, 47 females; median age: 14 years; range: 3–18 years). Sixty-two patients showed papillary DTC and eight, follicular DTC. Sixty-five percent presented nodal metastasis and 16%, pulmonary metastasis at diagnosis. Six months after first radioiodine treatment, 36.2% of patients were free of disease. Seven recurrences were documented. At the end of follow-up, overall survival was 100%, and 87.2% of patients were in complete remission. Nine patients had persistent disease. We found a significant association between stage 4 and persistent disease. Hundred percent of patients with negative Tg values at 6 months posttreatment were documented free of disease at the end of the follow-up. The analysis of disease-free survival based on radioiodine treatment protocols used showed no statistically significant differences.

Conclusions
DTC in children and adolescents is frequently associated with presence of advanced disease at diagnosis. Despite this, complete remission was documented after treatment in most cases, with a good prognosis in the long-term follow-up. Negative posttreatment thyroglobulin and stage 4 at diagnosis were significant prognostic variables.
Reassessing vitamin D supplementation in preterm infants: a prospective study and review of the literature
Authors: Zung Amnon , Topf-Olivestone Chani , Shinwell Eric S. , Hofi Lilach , Juster-Reicher Ada , Flidel-Rimon Orna 
Published: September 2020

Abstract

Objectives
Recommendations for vitamin D (VitD) intake and target serum levels of 25(OH)D in preterm infants are diverse. We hypothesized that preterm infants with low birth weight (BW) have low dietary intake of VitD and therefore should be supplemented with higher amounts of VitD.

Methods
Infants with BW < 2 kg were supplemented with 600 units of VitD a day during the first 2–6 weeks of life, whereas infants with BW>2 kg continued with the routine supplementation of 400 units of VitD daily. Serum levels of 25(OH)D, calcium, phosphorous, alkaline phosphatase (AP) and parathyroid hormone (PTH) were assessed 24 h after birth and before discharge. The total daily intake of vitD was calculated in each infant.

Results
Sixty-two infants were enrolled, 49 with BW < 2 kg. After birth, only 24% had sufficient levels of 25(OH)D, whereas before discharge 45 of 54 infants (83%) available for analysis reached sufficient levels of 25(OH)D. All 54 infants demonstrated significant elevation in serum levels of calcium, phosphorous, AP and significant reduction in PTH levels. The total daily intake of VitD was lower than recommended (800–1000 IU/d) in 16 of 45 infants with BW < 2 kg (36%) and in all nine infants with BW>2 kg. Nevertheless, only 2 of 25 infants with insufficient intake of VitD demonstrated insufficient levels of serum 25(OH)D. No case of vitamin D excess was recorded.

Conclusions
Increased supplementation of VitD (600 IU/d) for premature newborns with BW < 2 kg is effective in increasing both total daily intake of VitD and serum levels of 25(OH)D.
Increased of the carotid intima media thickness in preeclampsia
Authors: Neto Raul Moreira , Ramos Jose Geraldo Lopes , Medjedovic Edin , Begic Edin 
Published: September 2020

Abstract

Objectives
The aim of the study was to determine carotid intima-media thickness (CIMT) values in patients who developed and did not develop preeclampsia (PE), and to determine whether CIMT values could be predictors of PE development.

Methods
The study included pregnant women who were examined by regular ultrasound examination at the Materno-Infantil Presidente Vargas Hospital (HMIPV) in Porto Alegre, Brazil, from April 2016 to September 2017. The examinations were performed every three months. Patients were divided into two groups. The first group included patients diagnosed with PE (n=21) and second group included patients who did not have PE (n=199). A high frequency ultrasound device (12 MHz) with a semi-automatic method was used to estimate CIMT.

Results
CIMT was significantly higher in pregnant women with PE than in women without PE (55±0.11 vs. 0.44±0.06, respectively; p<0.001). Using a cut-off value of 0.51 mm, CIMT had a specificity of 77.9% and sensitivity of 81% in the diagnosis of PE. With CIMT ≥0.6 mm, the probability of a patient developing PE was 44.4%; with CIMT >0.42 mm, the probability was only 4.2%.

Conclusions
An increase in CIMT was associated with the onset of PE. CIMT values were significantly higher in patients who develop PE.
Inhaled nitric oxide (iNO) for preventing prematurity-related bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD): 7-year follow-up of the European Union Nitric Oxide (EUNO) trial
Authors: Greenough Anne , Decobert Fabrice , Field David , Hallman Mikko , Hummler Helmut D. , Jonsson Baldvin , Sánchez Luna Manuel , Van Overmeire Bart , Carnielli Virgilio P. , Potenziano Jim L. , Mercier Jean-Christophe 
Published: September 2020

Abstract

Objectives
Most studies of inhaled nitric oxide (iNO) for prevention of bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) in premature infants have focused on short-term mortality and morbidity. Our aim was to determine the long-term effects of iNO.

Methods
A 7-year follow-up was undertaken of infants entered into a multicenter, double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial of iNO for prevention of BPD in premature infants born between 24 and 28 weeks plus six days of gestation. At 7 years, survival and hospital admissions since the 2-year follow-up, home oxygen therapy in the past year, therapies used in the previous month and growth assessments were determined. Questionnaires were used to compare general health, well-being, and quality of life.

Results
A total of 305 children were assessed. No deaths were reported. Rates of hospitalization for respiratory problems (6.6 vs. 10.5%, iNO and placebo group, respectively) and use of respiratory medications (6.6 vs. 9.2%) were similar. Two patients who received iNO and one who received placebo had received home oxygen therapy. There were no significant differences in any questionnaire-documented health outcomes.

Conclusions
iNO for prevention of BPD in very premature infants with respiratory distress did not result in long-term benefits or adverse long-term sequelae. In the light of current evidence, routine use of iNO cannot be recommended for prevention of BPD in preterm infants.
Acute chemoradiotherapy toxicity in cervical cancer patients
Authors: Radojevic Marija Zivkovic , Tomasevic Aleksandar , Karapandzic Vesna Plesinac , Milosavljevic Neda , Jankovic Slobodan , Folic Marko 
Published: September 2020

Abstract
During radiotherapy treatment for cervical cancer, up to 84% of patients exhibit some form of acute radiation toxicity (ART). The primary aim of this clinical study is to determine the impact of angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors, β-blockers and other risk factors such as the patient’s anatomical characteristics on ART emergence in patients with locally advanced cervical cancer treated by chemoradiotherapy. This is a combination of two nested case–control studies within the cohort of patients with locally advanced cervical cancer based on the analysis of potential risk factors for the onset of ART in patients treated with 3D conformal radiotherapy (3D-CRT) and 2D conventional radiotherapy (2D-RT), prospectively followed up from January 2017 to September 2018 in a tertiary care hospital. The ACE inhibitors and bladder volume were identified as factors that significantly affect the occurrence of ART in patients treated with 3D-CRT. In patients treated with 2D-RT, the factors that significantly affect the occurrence of ART were ACE inhibitors, body mass index (BMI), brachytherapy rectal and bladder dose. This study has shown that BMI, radiation dose received by the bladder and rectum are of exceptional importance for the occurrence of the ART and also that therapy with ACE inhibitors was associated with the decreased chances of the ART.
Irresistible Nudges, Inevitable Nudges, and the Freedom to Choose
Authors: Kipper Jens 
Published: September 2020

Abstract
In this paper, I examine how nudges affect the autonomy and freedom of those nudged. I consider two arguments put forth by Thaler and Sunstein for the claim that these effects can only be minor. According to the first of these arguments, nudges cannot significantly restrict a person’s autonomy or freedom since they are easy to resist. According to the second argument, the existence of nudges is inevitable, and thus, pursuing libertarian paternalism by nudging people doesn’t make a relevant difference to people’s autonomy and freedom. After arguing that both of these arguments fail, I elucidate the general conditions in which, and the degrees to which, a person’s autonomy and freedom are affected by nudges. One focus of this discussion concerns how people’s autonomy and freedom are affected if—for example, due to progress in information technology—nudges become more effective, more individualized and more common, and affect more people.
Meta-optics for spatial optical analog computing
Authors: Abdollahramezani Sajjad , Hemmatyar Omid , Adibi Ali 
Published: September 2020

AbstractRapidly growing demands for high-performance computing, powerful data processing, and big data necessitate the advent of novel optical devices to perform demanding computing processes effectively. Due to its unprecedented growth in the past two decades, the field of meta-optics offers a viable solution for spatially, spectrally, and/or even temporally sculpting amplitude, phase, polarization, and/or dispersion of optical wavefronts. In this review, we discuss state-of-the-art developments, as well as emerging trends, in computational metastructures as disruptive platforms for spatial optical analog computation. Two fundamental approaches based on general concepts of spatial Fourier transformation and Green’s function (GF) are discussed in detail. Moreover, numerical investigations and experimental demonstrations of computational optical surfaces and metastructures for solving a diverse set of mathematical problems (e.g., integrodifferentiation and convolution equations) necessary for on-demand information processing (e.g., edge detection) are reviewed. Finally, we explore the current challenges and the potential resolutions in computational meta-optics followed by our perspective on future research directions and possible developments in this promising area.