bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Early‐stage breast cancer and employment participation after 2 years of follow‐up: A comparison with age‐matched controls
Authors: Ekenga Christine C. , Pérez Maria , Margenthaler Julie A. , Jeffe Donna B. 
Published: February 2018

BACKGROUNDAlthough cancer survivors are more likely to be unemployed than individuals without a cancer history, employment participation after treatment of early‐stage breast cancer has not been widely studied to date. The objectives of the current study were to evaluate employment trajectories in a cohort of patients with early‐stage breast cancer and age‐matched controls from the time of diagnosis to the 2‐year follow‐up, and identify factors associated with diminished and emerging employment participation.METHODSAs part of a larger cohort study of 1096 patients with early‐stage breast cancer and same‐aged women without breast cancer, data from 723 working‐age (aged 40‐64 years) women (347 patients and 376 controls) were analyzed to evaluate 4 employment trajectories (sustained unemployment, diminished employment, emerging employment, and sustained employment). Multivariable logistic regression models were used to identify factors associated with diminished employment versus sustained employment, and emerging employment versus sustained unemployment.RESULTSLower percentages of patients (71%) compared with controls (79%) reported full‐time or part‐time employment at enrollment (P<.01). Fatigue was a significant predictor of diminished employment for both patients (odds ratio [OR], 5.71; 95% confidence interval [95% CI], 2.48‐13.15) and controls (OR, 2.38; 95% CI, 1.21‐4.68). Among patients, African American race (OR, 4.02; 95% CI, 1.57‐10.28) and public/uninsured insurance status (OR, 4.76; 95% CI, 1.34‐12.38) were found to be associated with diminished employment. Among controls, high social support was associated with emerging employment (OR, 3.12; 95% CI, 1.25‐7.79).CONCLUSIONSFatigued patients, African American patients, and publicly insured/uninsured patients with cancer were more likely to experience diminished employment after 2 years of follow‐up. Further investigation with longer follow‐up is warranted to identify factors associated with these disparities in employment participation after treatment of early‐stage breast cancer. Cancer 2018;124:2026‐35. © 2018 American Cancer Society.
Microstructured Photo‐Crosslinked Poly(Trimethylene Carbonate) for Use in Soft Lithography Applications: A Biodegradable Alternative for Poly(Dimethylsiloxane)
Authors: Schüller‐Ravoo Sigrid , Teixeira Sandra M. , Papenburg Bernke , Stamatialis Dimitrios , Feijen Jan , Grijpma Dirk W. 
Published: February 2018

AbstractPhoto‐crosslinkable poly(trimethylene carbonate) (PTMC) macromers were used to fabricate microstructured surfaces. Microstructured PTMC surfaces were obtained by hot embossing the macromer against structured silicon masters and subsequent photo‐crosslinking, resulting in network formation. The microstructures of the master could be precisely replicated, limiting the shrinkage. Microstructured PTMC was investigated for use in two different applications: as stamping material to transfer a model protein to another surface and as structured substrate for cell culture. Using the flexible and elastic materials as stamps, bovine serum albumin labelled with fluorescein isothiocyanate was patterned on glass surfaces. In cell culture experiments, the behavior of human mesenchymal stem cells on nonstructured and microstructured PTMC surfaces was investigated. The cells strongly adhered to the PTMC surfaces and proliferated well. Compared to poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS), which is commonly used in soft lithography, the PTMC networks offer significant advantages. They show better compatibility with cells, are biodegradable, and have much better mechanical properties. Both materials are transparent, flexible, and elastic at room temperature, but the tear resistance of PTMC networks is much higher than that of PDMS. Thus, PTMC might be an alternative material to PDMS in the fields of biology, medicine, and tissue engineering, in which microfabricated devices are increasingly being applied.
Photoanode for Aqueous Dye‐Sensitized Solar Cells based on a Novel Multicomponent Thin Film
Authors: Husmann Samantha , Lima Lucas F. , Roman Lucimara S. , Zarbin Aldo J. G. 
Published: February 2018

AbstractMost of the dye‐sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) developed so far use organic electrolytes and water‐sensible sensitizers. The search for aqueous DSSCs, a promising technology for solar‐energy conversion, implies finding materials that are stable in aqueous solution. In this study, Prussian blue (PB) was utilized as an innovative sensitizer in a photoanode for DSSCs and a novel synthetic approach to a carbon nanotubes/TiO2/PB nanocomposite thin film was developed. The photoresponse was evaluated in a total aqueous electrolyte, and photocurrents of 600 μA cm−2 were achieved.
Gold–Copper Aerogels with Intriguing Surface Electronic Modulation as Highly Active and Stable Electrocatalysts for Oxygen Reduction and Borohydride Oxidation
Authors: Wang Jiali , Chen Fuyi , Jin Yachao , Johnston Roy L. 
Published: February 2018

AbstractWe, for the first time, report the successful synthesis of self‐assembled AuCu aerogels by a one‐pot kinetically controlled approach. A startling electronic modulation effect of Cu on Au was observed across the entire alloy composition range, for which the optimal upshift of the d‐band center for the highest activities was 0.24 eV. Owing to the combination of a nanoporous architecture and a robust electronic effect, the Au52Cu48 aerogels exhibited better catalytic performance for the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) and the direct borohydride oxidation reaction (BOR) than commercial Pt/C catalysts. The specific and mass ORR activities were 4.5 and 6.3 times higher, respectively, on the Au52Cu48 aerogels than on Pt/C with negligible activity decay even after 10 000 cycles and a duration of 40 000 s. For the BOR, the Au52Cu48 aerogels also exhibited far better selectivity and activity than Pt/C. The new AuCu aerogels show great potential as a promising alternative for Pt‐based catalysts in fuel cells.
Textile reinforcement in the bed joint of basement masonry – First findings from a current research project
Authors: Erler Maik 
Published: February 2018

AbstractThe successful structural verification of basement walls under earth pressure loading with light imposed loading is often difficult. This situation is often encountered for external basement walls under terrace doors, stairs, masonry light wells etc., where the theoretically necessary imposed loading is missing. This makes it impossible to resist the acting bending forces from earth pressure using a vertical arch model. In such cases, the earth pressure has to be resisted in a horizontal direction. Since however the bending moment capacity of unreinforced masonry parallel to the bed joint is low, another possibility is to use a textile‐reinforced bed joint with longitudinal fibres of alkali‐resistant glass or carbon fibre. With an appropriately adapted textile reinforcement in the bed joints, the masonry can fulfil the requirements for load‐bearing capacity against earth pressure with horizontal load transfer, even under a small imposed load. Textile reinforcement has the advantage above all of corrosion resistance compared to conventional steel reinforcement, and textiles can also be inserted into thin bed joints. The Chair of Structural Design in the Faculty of Architecture of the TU Dresden is currently carrying out extensive numerical and experimental studies for this purpose. The objective is to develop an optimal configuration of material and textile form for use as bed joint reinforcement. The investigations are concentrating on the tension strength, bonding and durability of the composite material ”textile mortar“. This report should give a brief overview of the state of the work in the currently running research project.
Tectono‐stratigraphic response of the Sandino Forearc Basin (N‐Costa Rica and W‐Nicaragua) to episodes of rough crust and oblique subduction
Authors: Andjić Goran , Baumgartner‐Mora Claudia , Baumgartner Peter Oliver , Petrizzo Maria Rose 
Published: February 2018

AbstractThe southern Central American active margin is a world‐class site where past and present subduction processes have been extensively studied. Tectonic erosion/accretion and oblique/orthogonal subduction are thought to alternate in space and time along the Middle American Trench. These processes may cause various responses in the upper plate, such as uplift/subsidence, deformation, and volcanic arc migration/shut‐off. We present an updated stratigraphic framework of the Late Cretaceous–Cenozoic Sandino Forearc Basin (SFB) which provides evidence of sedimentary response to tectonic events. Since its inception, the basin was predominantly filled with deep‐water volcaniclastic deposits. In contrast, shallow‐water deposits appeared episodically in the basin record and are considered as tectonic event markers. The SFB stretches for about 300 km and varies in thickness from 5 km (southern part) to about 16 km (northern part). The drastic, along‐basin, thickness variation appears to be the result of (1) differential tectonic evolutions and (2) differential rates of sediment supply. (1) The northern SFB did not experience major tectonic events. In contrast, the reduced thickness of the southern SFB (5 km) is the result of at least four uplift phases related to the collision/accretion of bathymetric reliefs on the incoming plate: (i) the accretion of a buoyant oceanic plateau (Nicoya Complex) during the middle Campanian; (ii) the collision of an oceanic plateau (?) during the late Danian–Selandian; (iii) the collision/accretion of seamounts during the late Eocene–early Oligocene; (iv) the collision of seamounts and ridges during the Pliocene–Holocene. (2) The northwestward thickening of the SFB may have been enhanced by high sediment supply in the Fonseca Gulf area which reflects sourcing from wide, high relief drainage basins. In contrast, sedimentary input has possibly been lower along the southern SFB, due to the proximity of the narrow, lowland isthmus of southern Central America. Moreover, two phases of strongly oblique subduction affected the margin, producing strike‐slip faulting in the forearc basin: (1) prior to the Farallon Plate breakup, an Oligocene transpressional phase caused deformation and uplift of the basin depocenter, triggering shallowing‐upward of the Nicaraguan Isthmus in the central and northern SFB; (2) a Pleistocene–Holocene transtensional phase drives the NW‐directed motion of a forearc sliver and reactivation of the graben‐bounding faults of the late Neogene Nicaraguan Depression. We discuss arguments in favour of a Pliocene development of the Nicaraguan Depression and propose that the Nicaraguan Isthmus, which is the apparent rift shoulder of the depression, represents a structure inherited from the Oligocene transpressional phase.
Relating soil organic matter composition to soil water repellency for soil biopore surfaces different in history from two Bt horizons of a Haplic Luvisol
Authors: Haas C. , Gerke H.H. , Ellerbrock R.H. , Hallett P.D. , Horn R. 
Published: February 2018

AbstractThe deposition of organic matter (OM), which is known for its high potential water repellency, on biopore walls can enhance preferential flow through these pores. In this study, OM composition determined with diffuse reflectance infrared Fourier transform (DRIFT) spectroscopy was related to soil water repellency (SWR) determined with sessile drop method, Wilhelmy plate method, and sorptivity tests. We hypothesized that the chemical composition (in terms of potential wettability index; a) is related to the physical properties (i.e., contact angle) of biopore walls, (b) depends on the history of the biopore, and (c) differs from the bulk soil matrix. Thus, the main objective was to identify the relation between OM composition determined with DRIFT spectroscopy and SWR in structured soils. The experiments were carried out on biopores and their surrounding soil matrices, excavated from 2 depths of a haplic Luvisol, with 3 different biopore histories (i.e., root channels, earthworm burrows, and root channels that were short‐term colonized by an earthworm). All measurements at intact biopore surfaces indicated a larger SWR at the surface of biopore walls as compared with the surrounding matrices and showed a higher proportion of hydrophobic functional groups. The OM composition determined with DRIFT spectroscopy correlated (R2 > .7) with contact angles (sessile drop method) that is in line with results of both water sorptivity and Wilhelmy plate method for soils with reduced wettability. The surfaces of short‐term colonized earthworm burrows had the most varying hydrophobic to hydrophilic components (A/B)‐ratio of all investigated biopore surfaces depending on soil depth. For biopore surfaces at this depth, contact angles >90° were frequently observed. The results also indicate that earthworms can lower SWR by aggregate disruption.
Landscapes of facilitation: how self‐organized patchiness of aquatic macrophytes promotes diversity in streams
Authors: Cornacchia Loreta , van de Koppel Johan , van der Wal Daphne , Wharton Geraldene , Puijalon Sara , Bouma Tjeerd J. 
Published: February 2018

AbstractSpatial heterogeneity plays a crucial role in the coexistence of species. Despite recognition of the importance of self‐organization in creating environmental heterogeneity in otherwise uniform landscapes, the effects of such self‐organized pattern formation in promoting coexistence through facilitation are still unknown. In this study, we investigated the effects of pattern formation on species interactions and community spatial structure in ecosystems with limited underlying environmental heterogeneity, using self‐organized patchiness of the aquatic macrophyte Callitriche platycarpa in streams as a model system. Our theoretical model predicted that pattern formation in aquatic vegetation – due to feedback interactions between plant growth, water flow and sedimentation processes – could promote species coexistence, by creating heterogeneous flow conditions inside and around the plant patches. The spatial plant patterns predicted by our model agreed with field observations at the reach scale in naturally vegetated rivers, where we found a significant spatial aggregation of two macrophyte species around C. platycarpa. Field transplantation experiments showed that C. platycarpa had a positive effect on the growth of both beneficiary species, and the intensity of this facilitative effect was correlated with the heterogeneous hydrodynamic conditions created within and around C. platycarpa patches. Our results emphasize the importance of self‐organized patchiness in promoting species coexistence by creating a landscape of facilitation, where new niches and facilitative effects arise in different locations. Understanding the interplay between competition and facilitation is therefore essential for successful management of biodiversity in many ecosystems.
Characterization of mesenchymal stem/stromal cells with lymphoid tissue organizer cell potential in tonsils from children
Authors: Prados Alejandro , Muñoz‐Fernández Raquel , Fernandez‐Rubio Pablo , Olivares Enrique G. 
Published: February 2018

AbstractLymphoid tissue organizer (LTo) cells, identified in mouse and human embryos, are thought to be precursors of stromal cells in secondary lymphoid organs. Whether LTo cells are present in human adults, however remains unknown. We obtained 15 stromal cell lines from tonsils from children who underwent tonsillectomy, and studied the antigen phenotype of these tonsil stromal cell (TSC) lines by flow cytometry and RT‐PCR. Cell lines met the minimal criteria proposed by the International Society for Cellular Therapy to define human mesenchymal stem/stromal cells (MSCs): plastic‐adherent capacity; expression of CD73, CD90 and CD105, lack of CD45, CD19 and HLA‐DR; and capacity to differentiate into adipocytes, osteoblasts and chondrocytes. Furthermore, our TSC lines exhibited an antigen phenotype and functional characteristics very similar to those seen in murine embryo LTo cells: they expressed chemokines CCL19, CCL21 and CXCL13, cytokines TRANCE and IL‐7, and adhesion molecules ICAM‐1, mucosal addressin cell adhesion molecule (MadCAM)‐1 and VCAM‐1. The expression of LTo cell‐associated markers and functions were upregulated by lymphotoxin (LT)α1β2 and TNF, two cytokines involved in the development and maturation of secondary lymphoid tissues. Our results show that TSCs are tonsil MSCs that differentiate into LTo‐like cells in response to the effects of these cytokines.
Evidence for dispensability of protein kinase R in host control of tuberculosis
Authors: Mundhra Shashirekha , Bryk Ruslana , Hawryluk Natalie , Zhang Tuo , Jiang Xiuju , Nathan Carl F. 
Published: February 2018

AbstractGenetic deficiency of protein kinase R (PKR) in mice was reported to enhance macrophage activation in vitro in response to interferon‐γ (IFNγ) and to reduce the burden of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) in vivo (Wu et al. PloS One. 2012 7:e30512). Consistent with this, treatment of wild‐type (WT) macrophages in vitro with a novel PKR inhibitor (Bryk et al., Bioorg. Med. Chem. Lett. 2011 21:4108–4114) also enhanced IFN‐γ–dependent macrophage activation (Wu et al. PloS One. 2012 7:e30512). Here we show that co‐treatment with IFN‐γ and a new PKR inhibitor identified herein to be highly but not completely selective likewise induced macrophages to produce more reactive nitrogen intermediates (RNI) and tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF‐α) and less interleukin 10 (IL‐10) than seen with IFN‐γ alone. Unexpectedly, however, this new PKR inhibitor had a comparable effect on PKR‐deficient macrophages. Retrospective investigation revealed that the PKR‐deficient mice in (Wu et al. PloS One. 2012 7:e30512) had not been backcrossed. On comparing genetically matched PKR‐deficient and WT mice, we saw no impact of PKR deficiency on macrophage activation in vitro or during the course of Mtb infection in vivo. In addition, although 129S1/SvImJ macrophage responses to IFN‐γ were greater than those of C57BL/6J macrophages, PKR was not required to mediate the IFN‐γ–dependent production of IL‐10, RNI or TNF‐α in either strain. Together the data cast doubt on PKR as a potential therapeutic target for tuberculosis.
Deep recurrent neural network reveals a hierarchy of process memory during dynamic natural vision
Authors: Shi Junxing , Wen Haiguang , Zhang Yizhen , Han Kuan , Liu Zhongming 
Published: February 2018

AbstractThe human visual cortex extracts both spatial and temporal visual features to support perception and guide behavior. Deep convolutional neural networks (CNNs) provide a computational framework to model cortical representation and organization for spatial visual processing, but unable to explain how the brain processes temporal information. To overcome this limitation, we extended a CNN by adding recurrent connections to different layers of the CNN to allow spatial representations to be remembered and accumulated over time. The extended model, or the recurrent neural network (RNN), embodied a hierarchical and distributed model of process memory as an integral part of visual processing. Unlike the CNN, the RNN learned spatiotemporal features from videos to enable action recognition. The RNN better predicted cortical responses to natural movie stimuli than the CNN, at all visual areas, especially those along the dorsal stream. As a fully observable model of visual processing, the RNN also revealed a cortical hierarchy of temporal receptive window, dynamics of process memory, and spatiotemporal representations. These results support the hypothesis of process memory, and demonstrate the potential of using the RNN for in‐depth computational understanding of dynamic natural vision.
Modification of the SWAT model to simulate regional groundwater flow using a multicell aquifer
Authors: Nguyen Van Tam , Dietrich Jörg 
Published: February 2018

AbstractThe soil and water assessment tool (SWAT) has been widely used and thoroughly tested in many places in the world. The application of the SWAT model has pointed out that 2 of the major weaknesses of SWAT are related to the nonspatial reference of the hydrologic response unit concept and to the simplified groundwater concept, which contribute to its low performance in baseflow simulation and its inability to simulate regional groundwater flow. This study modified the groundwater module of SWAT to overcome the above limitations. The modified groundwater module has 2 aquifers. The local aquifer, which is the shallow aquifer in the original SWAT, represents a local groundwater flow system. The regional aquifer, which replaces the deep aquifer of the original SWAT, represents intermediate and regional groundwater flow systems. Groundwater recharge is partitioned into local and regional aquifer recharges. The regional aquifer is represented by a multicell aquifer (MCA) model. The regional aquifer is discretized into cells using the Thiessen polygon method, where centres of the cells are locations of groundwater observation wells. Groundwater flow between cells is modelled using Darcy's law. Return flow from cell to stream is conceptualized using a non‐linear storage–discharge relationship. The SWAT model with the modified aquifer module, the so‐called SWAT‐MCA, was tested in 2 basins (Wipperau and Neetze) with porous aquifers in a lowland area in Lower Saxony, Germany. Results from the Wipperau basin show that the SWAT‐MCA model is able (a) to simulate baseflow in a lowland area (where baseflow is a dominant source of streamflow) better than the original model and (b) to simulate regional groundwater flow, shown by the simulated groundwater levels in cells, quite well.
Formation of osteon‐like structures in unidirectional porous hydroxyapatite substitute
Authors: Makihara Takeshi , Sakane Masataka , Noguchi Hiroshi , Tsukanishi Toshinori , Suetsugu Yasushi , Yamazaki Masashi 
Published: February 2018

AbstractUnidirectional porous hydroxyapatite (UDPHAp) bone substitute comprises a microstructure of cross‐sectionally oval pores with diameters ranging from 30 to 300 µm. Bone remodeling within the UDPHAp is expected upon implantation into bone; however, the mechanism and factors influencing this bone growth remain unclear. The objectives of the present study were to assess the vasculature and microstructure of newly formed bone and to determine how bone formation is affected by load transfer and UDPHAp pore size. Formation of osteon‐like structures, defined by the presence of lacunae, canaliculi and a central lumen containing capillaries, was observed within the implanted UDPHAp material in all animals after six weeks. The number of osteocytes and osteon‐like structures in areas adjacent to the cortex of recipient bone was significantly higher than in areas next to the medullary cavity throughout the recovery period. Notably, osteon‐like structures tended to form in smaller diameter pores. Continuous bone remodeling might be promoted by the rapid formation of unidirectional capillaries and the osteocyte lacunae‐canalicular system. Load transfer and smaller pore size could positively affect cortical bone regeneration. © 2018 The Authors Journal of Biomedical Materials Research Part B: Applied Biomaterials Published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res Part B: Appl Biomater, 106B: 2665–2672, 2018.