bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Partnering with traditional Chiefs to expand access to cervical cancer prevention services in rural Zambia
Authors: Kapambwe Sharon , Mwanahamuntu Mulindi , Pinder Leeya F. , Chisele Samson , Chirwa Susan C. , Parham Groesbeck P. 
Published: December 2018

AbstractObjectiveTo evaluate how the influence of traditional Chiefs can be leveraged to promote access to cervical cancer prevention services in rural Zambia.MethodsA retrospective review of outcome data was conducted for all screening outreach events that occurred in Zambian Chiefdoms between October 4, 2015, and October 3, 2016. Members of the health promotion team of the Cervical Cancer Prevention Program in Zambia visited local Chiefs to inform them of the importance of cervical cancer prevention. The local Chiefs then summoned adults living within their Chiefdoms to assemble for cervical cancer prevention health talks. Screen‐and‐treat services were implemented within each of the Chiefdoms over a 1‐week period.ResultsVIA‐enhanced digital imaging of the cervix (digital cervicography) was offered to 8399 women in ten Chiefdoms as part of a village‐based screening (VBS) program. In all, 419 (4.9%) women had positive screening test results. Of these women, 276 (65.8%) were treated immediately with thermocoagulation and 143 (34.1%) were referred to provincial government hospitals to undergo either the loop electrosurgical excision procedure/large loop excision of the transformation zone (n=109, 26.0%) or punch biopsy (n=34, 8.1%).ConclusionThe influence of traditional Chiefs was leveraged to facilitate access to cervical cancer prevention services in rural Zambia.
Dehydroepiandrosterone stimulates inflammation and impairs ovarian functions of polycystic ovary syndrome
Authors: Li Yulin , Zheng Qin , Sun Dan , Cui Xinyuan , Chen Siyi , Bulbul Ahmmed , Liu Shuai , Yan Qiu 
Published: December 2018

AbstractPolycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is one of the most common causes of infertility in child‐bearing‐age women. It is characterized by ovulation dysfunction, polycystic ovaries, and hyperandrogenism. Inflammation is likely to be a crucial contributor to the pathogenesis of PCOS. However, the association between the inflammatory cytokines and the development of PCOS has not been reported. To explore the relationship between the inflammatory cytokines and PCOS, alterations of serum proteins in dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA)‐induced PCOS rats were screened by protein array, and the concentration of IFN‐γ was further measured by using enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). DHEA‐induced PCOS rats had a decreased level of IFN‐γ compared with the control rats, which was restored partly in flutamide (an androgen receptor antagonist)‐treated rats. Moreover, the level of IFN‐γ in serum of patients with PCOS was also lower than that in healthy women. Using the ovarian granulosa cells (KGN), we demonstrated that DHEA downregulated the expression and secretion of IFN‐γ in dose‐ and time‐dependent manners, which could be restored to some extent by treating with flutamide. Furthermore, flutamide ameliorated the inhibitory effect on cell proliferation and promotive effect on cell apoptosis by DHEA. The results also revealed that IFN‐γ promoted the proliferation but inhibited the apoptosis of KGN cells, which was suppressed by DHEA via activating the downstream PI3K/AKT signaling pathway. Taken together, these results showed that DHEA inhibited the proliferation and promoted the apoptosis of ovarian granulosa cells through downregulating the expression of IFN‐γ which could be restored by flutamide, and IFN‐γ may serve as a potential inflammatory biomarker for PCOS detection.
Combination therapy of mesenchymal stromal cells and sulfasalazine attenuates trinitrobenzene sulfonic acid induced colitis in the rat: The S1P pathway
Authors: Yousefi‐Ahmadipour Aliakbar , Rashidian Amir , Mirzaei Mohammad Reza , Farsinejad Alireza , PourMohammadi‐Nejad Fatemeh , Ghazi‐Khansari Mahmoud , Ai Jafar , Shirian Sadegh , Allahverdi Amir , Saremi Jamileh , Ebrahimi‐Barough Somayeh 
Published: December 2018

AbstractAdipose derived mesenchymal stem cells (ASCs) transplantation is a novel immunomodulatory therapeutic tool to ameliorate the symptom of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). The objective of this study was to investigate the therapeutic effects of combined sufasalazine and ASCs therapy in a rat model of IBD. After induction of colitis in rats, ASCs were cultured and intraperitoneally injected (3 × 106cells/kg) into the rats on Days 1 and 5 after inducing colitis, in conjunction with daily oral administration of low dose of sulfasalazine (30 mg/kg). The regenerative effects of combination of ASCs and sulfasalazine on ulcerative colitis were assessed by measuring body weight, colonic weight/length ratio, disease activity index, macroscopic scores, histopathological examinations, cytokine, and inflammation markers profiles. In addition, western blot analysis was used to assess the levels of nuclear factor‐kappa B (NF‐κB) and apoptosis related proteins in colitis tissues. Simultaneous treatment with ASCs and sulfasalazine was associated with significant amelioration of disease activity index, macroscopic and microscopic colitis scores, as well as inhibition of the proinflammatory cytokines in trinitrobenzene sulfonic acid (TNBS)‐induced colitis. Moreover, combined ASCs and sulfasalazine therapy effectively inhibited the NF‐κB signaling pathway, reduced the expression of Bax and prevented the loss of Bcl‐2 proteins in colon tissue of the rats with TNBS‐induced colitis. Furthermore, combined treatment with ASCs and sulfasalazine shifted inflammatory M1 to anti‐inflammatory M2 macrophages by decreasing the levels of MCP1, CXCL9 and increasing IL‐10, Arg‐1 levels. In conclusion, combination of ASCs with conventional IBD therapy is potentially a much more powerful strategy to slow the progression of colitis via reducing inflammatory and apoptotic markers than either therapy alone.
A reliable and efficient small‐signal parameter extraction method for GaN HEMTs
Authors: Chen Yongbo , Xu Yuehang , Luo Yong , Wang Changsi , Wen Zhang , Yan Bo , Xu Ruimin 
Published: December 2018

AbstractIn this paper, a reliable and efficient parameter extraction method for GaN high electron mobility transistor (HEMT) small‐signal models has been proposed. By utilizing parameter scanning method, the initial values of the extrinsic elements are first extracted from the cold pinch‐off and cold unbiased measurement conditions, respectively. An iterative optimization algorithm is employed then to optimize the extrinsic elements. This scanning and iteration combined algorithm based on a direct extraction method of extrinsic elements can reduce the impact of the approximation error, which makes the determined values of the small‐signal parameters more reliable. The extraction flow has been realized in a Matlab program for efficiency. A 16‐element small‐signal equivalent circuit model (SSECM) for GaN HEMTs has been employed, and the new parameter extraction method has been validated by comparing the simulated small‐signal S‐parameters with the measured data from 0.1 GHz to 40 GHz for two different device dimensions.
Determination of 18 phenolic acids in tobacco and rhizosphere soil by ultra high performance liquid chromatography combined with triple quadrupole mass spectrometry
Authors: Chen YuXi , Chen Wei , Lan Yan , Wang KaiTeng , Wu YongChen , Zhong XiaoLi , Ying KaiYang , Li JunYing , Yang GuiDi 
Published: December 2018

AbstractAn ultra high performance liquid chromatography with triple quadrupole mass spectrometry method for the determination of free and bound phenolic acids in tobacco plant and soil was developed. A simple solid‐phase extraction, which used Polar Enhanced Polymer column as stationary phase and methanol as mobile phase, was used for the clean‐up of bound phenolic acids, and a liquid‐phase extraction using chloroform as solvent was used to purify free phenolic acids. With our method, 18 phenolic acids in rhizosphere soil of continuous cropping flue‐cured cultivar k326 were separated and determined within 6 min with recoveries of 82–107% and relative standard deviations (n = 5) of 1.1–4.8%. Results showed that free phenolic acids accounted for 0–9, 92–100, and 69–100% of total phenolic acids in rhizosphere soil, cultivar k326 roots and leaves, respectively. Results also revealed that p‐hydroxybenzoic acid, p‐coumaric acid, vanillic acid, ferulic acid, and syringic acid were the predominant phenolic acids in rhizosphere soil of cultivar k326, and continuous cropping of cultivar k326 in the same farmland could lead to the accumulation of these phenolic acids in soil except syringic acid. The determination of phenolic acids provided detailed information for evaluating their source and characteristics in continuous cropping tobacco plant and soil.
Effect of inorganic salt on partition of high‐polarity parishins in two‐phase solvent systems and separation by high‐speed counter‐current chromatography from Gastrodia elata Blume
Authors: Dong Hongjing , Yao Xue , Liu Dahui , Zhou Tao , Wu Guozhen , Zheng Xiuhua , Wang Xiao 
Published: December 2018

AbstractParishins are high‐polarity and major bioactive constituents in Gastrodia elata Blume. In this study, the effect of several inorganic salts on the partition of parishins in two‐phase solvent systems was investigated. Adding ammonium sulfate, which has a higher solubility in water, was found to significantly promote the partition of parishins in the upper organic polar solvents. Based on the results, a two‐phase solvent system composed of butyl alcohol/acetonitrile/near‐saturated ammonium sulfate solution/water (1.5:0.5:1.2:1, v/v/v/v) was used for the purification of parishins by high‐speed counter‐current chromatography. Fractions obtained from high‐speed counter‐current chromatography were subjected to semi‐preparative high‐performance liquid chromatography to remove salt and impurities. As a result, parishin E (6.0 mg), parishin B (7.8 mg), parishin C (3.2 mg), gastrodin (15.3 mg), and parishin A (7.3 mg) were isolated from water extract of Gastrodia elata Blume (400 mg). These results demonstrated that adding inorganic salt that has high solubility in water to the two‐phase solvent system in high‐speed counter‐current chromatography was a suitable approach for the purification of high‐polarity compounds.
Contemporary Review and Case Report of Botulinum Resistance in Facial Synkinesis
Authors: Shinn Justin R. , Nwabueze Nkechi N. , Patel Priyesh , Norton Cathey , Ries W. Russell , Stephan Scott J. 
Published: December 2018

BackgroundBotulinum resistance poses significant treatment challenges for both patients and healthcare practitioners. We first present a case highlighting botulinum resistance in a patient who failed to respond to alternative formulations but who responded remarkably to incobotulinum toxinA, an identical toxin free of complexing proteins. Secondly, we provide a treatment algorithm and a review of the literature detailing clinical and immunochemical botulinum resistance.ResultsPatients with botulinum resistance show a predisposition to failure on subsequent injections and possess a propensity toward neutralizing and nonneutralizing antibody development. The mechanisms of resistance are not entirely understood but thought to be secondary to an immunologic response. Risk factors for resistance include higher botulinum doses, more frequent injections, and high total lifetime dosage. Patients may still respond to other botulinum formulations or subtypes; however, this effect may be temporary.ConclusionThis case report describes a patient who responded to incobotulinum toxinA after failing treatment with the identical toxin compounded with buffer proteins, ultimately supporting the possibility of immune‐mediated resistance to the surrounding proteins and not the toxin itself. Often, impending treatment resistance is preceded by a poor or limited clinical response. Antibody testing is not indicated because it is neither sensitive nor specific and does not change clinical practice. Initially, higher doses of botulinum may overcome resistance without increasing treatment frequency, and side effects are far less common in those with clinical resistance. If higher dosages fail to produce a response, alternative botulinum formulations or subtypes can be considered.Laryngoscope, 129:2269–2273, 2019
Surface‐based registration between CT and US for image‐guided percutaneous renal access – A feasibility study
Authors: Gomes‐Fonseca João , Queirós Sandro , Morais Pedro , Pinho António C. M. , Fonseca Jaime C. , Correia‐Pinto Jorge , Lima Estêvão , Vilaça João L. 
Published: December 2018

PurposeAs a crucial step in accessing the kidney in several minimally invasive interventions, percutaneous renal access (PRA) practicality and safety may be improved through the fusion of computed tomography (CT) and ultrasound (US) data. This work aims to assess the potential of a surface‐based registration technique and establish an optimal US acquisition protocol to fuse two‐dimensional (2D) US and CT data for image‐guided PRA.MethodsTen porcine kidney phantoms with fiducial markers were imaged using CT and three‐dimensional (3D) US. Both images were manually segmented and aligned. In a virtual environment, 2D contours were extracted by slicing the 3D US kidney surfaces and using usual PRA US‐guided views, while the 3D CT kidney surfaces were transformed to simulate positional variability. Surface‐based registration was performed using two methods of the iterative closest point algorithm (point‐to‐point, ICP1; and point‐to‐plane, ICP2), while four acquisition variants were studied: (a) use of single‐plane (transverse, SPT; or longitudinal, SPL) vs bi‐plane views (BP); (b) use of different kidney's coverage ranges acquired by a probe's sweep; (c) influence of sweep movements; and (d) influence of the spacing between consecutive slices acquired for a specific coverage range.ResultsBP view showed the best performance (TRE = 2.26 mm) when ICP2 method, a wide kidney coverage range (20°, with slices spaced by 5°), and a large sweep along the central longitudinal view were used, showing a statistically similar performance (P = 0.097) to a full 3D US surface registration (TRE = 2.28 mm).ConclusionsAn optimal 2D US acquisition protocol was evaluated. Surface‐based registration, using multiple slices and specific sweep movements and views, is here suggested as a valid strategy for intraoperative image fusion using CT and US data, having the potential to be applied to other image modalities and/or interventions.
Nonlinear consolidation of vertical drains with coupled radial‐vertical flow considering time and depth dependent vacuum pressure
Authors: Liu Si‐jie , Geng Xue‐yu , Sun Hong‐lei , Cai Yuan‐qiang , Pan Xiao‐dong , Shi Li 
Published: December 2018

SummaryThe system of vacuum pressure combined with vertical drains to accelerate soil consolidation is one of the most effective ground improvement methods. The consolidation theories of soft soil improved by vertical drains including void ratio–dependent compressibility and permeability have been widely applied in practice to predict the consolidation behavior. In this paper, analytical solutions of the consolidation of vertical drains are derived incorporating the loss and propagating stage of vacuum pressure. In addition, special solutions are obtained for the cases of instantaneous surcharge loading and staged surcharge loading, based on the general solution. The solution is verified by ignoring the propagating stage of vacuum pressure formation and comparing it with an existing solution. The effects of vacuum pressure loss and propagating stage combined with other parameters are investigated through the ratio between excess pore water pressure and surcharge loading.
Production planning with multiple production lines: Forward algorithm and insights on process design for volume flexibility
Authors: Chand Suresh , Teyarachakul Prime Sunantha , Sethi Suresh 
Published: December 2018

AbstractThis paper considers the production planning problem of a firm that produces a single product using a process that has multiple production lines (or machines) in parallel, each with a finite production capacity. Specifically, the firm has m parallel production lines, each with capacity of P units per period. If needed, the firm can adjust the production rate in a period by adjusting the number of lines it operates in the period. The firm faces time‐varying demands. The objective is to find a production plan that meets the demands over the problem horizon and minimizes the sum of setup, holding and variable production costs. The paper develops an efficient forward dynamic programming algorithm and uses it to develop managerial insights on the effect of process design on “volume flexibility,” which is defined as “the ability to be operated profitably at different output levels.” Some forecast horizon results are also developed. The firm can use the results in the paper to optimize the process design for the demand it faces.
Rendezvous search with markers that can be dropped at chosen times
Authors: Leone Pierre , Alpern Steve 
Published: December 2018

AbstractThe Rendezvous search problem asks how two noncomunnicating players, who move at unit‐speed after a random placement in the search region (in this article, the line), can minimize their expected meeting time. Baston and Gal () solved a version where each player leaves a marker at his starting point, for example parachutes left after jumping into the search region. Here we consider that one or both players have markers which they can drop at chosen times. When the players are placed facing random directions at a distance D on the line the optimal expected meeting times R are known to be as follows: With no markers, R = 13D/8; with one each dropped at the start, R = 3D/2. Here we show that when only one player has a marker, but it can be dropped at any time, we still have R = 3D/2, obtained by dropping the marker at time D/4. Having both players drop markers at chosen times does not further reduce R. We adopt a new algorithmic approach which first fixes the dropping times and then reduces the resulting problem to a finite one. We also consider evanescent markers, which are detectable for a specified time T after being dropped, modeling pheromone scent markers used by some species in mate search or stain dropped by sailors. From a less theoretical and more practical point of view, we can see our problem as that faced by two hikers who get separated when they are walking not too far from a coast. A reasonable Rendezvous strategy is for each of them to head in the general direction of the coastline. On reaching the sea, they can calculate (based on their speed and time taken to reach to coast) the maximum distance along the coastline where the other one arrives. Then they can use our solution, taking that distance as our parameter D. Of course if it turns out that they reached the sea at points closer than D, their Rendezvous time will only be shorter. So our solution can be interpreted as a worst case expected meeting time. The marker might be a note scribbled on the sand, or a pile of rocks. Perhaps before getting separated they would have decided which roles (I or II) each would take up, being careful and cautious hikers. So in particular the hiker taking the role of the marker placer would put down a marker of some sort when he had walked along the coast one quarter the maximum distance to his partner. If the other finds it, he would know for sure the direction of the hiker who dropped it. Another thing to take away from this article is our result that says “two markers are not better than one.” This observation has some significance in the mate search context, where males and females use pheromone deposits to help find each other. In most species, it is only the females who can make such deposits, and the males can detect it. Giving both species the depositing facility would be more costly in terms of energy and, given our negative result, might not significantly reduce Rendezvous times. So in a speculative sense, our result has some explanatory value in this context.
Stochastic comparisons of replacement policies in coherent systems under minimal repair
Authors: Arriaza Antonio , Navarro Jorge , Suárez‐Llorens Alfonso 
Published: December 2018

AbstractIn this paper, we study stochastic comparisons of the coherent systems obtained under different repair policies. We consider minimal repairs of the components, that is, a failed component is replaced by another component which is similar (ie, it has the same distribution) to the replaced one and with the same age. Under these assumptions, we study how to determine the best replacement policies. Two general methods are proposed, one for systems with identically distributed components and another one for systems with ordered (in different stochastic senses) components. Both methods can be applied to systems with independent or dependent components. We use these methods to determine the optimal repair policies in some particular cases. We pay special attention to series and parallel systems with independent or dependent components. An algorithm to find the optimal replacement policy (when it exists) is provided.
Sequential sampling for CGMY processes via decomposition of their time changes
Authors: Zhang Chengwei , Zhang Zhiyuan 
Published: December 2018

AbstractWe present a new and easy‐to‐implement sequential sampling method for Carr–Geman–Madan–Yor (CGMY) processes with either finite or infinite variation, exploiting the time change representation of the CGMY model and a decomposition of its time change. We find that the time change can be decomposed into two independent components. While the first component is a finite generalized gamma convolution process whose increments can be sampled by either the exact double CFTP (“coupling from the past”) method or an approximation scheme with high speed and accuracy, the second component can easily be made arbitrarily small in the L1 sense. Simulation results show that the proposed method is advantageous over two existing methods under a model calibrated to historical option price data.
Relative aging of (n − k + 1)‐out‐of‐n systems based on cumulative hazard and cumulative reversed hazard functions
Authors: Misra Neeraj , Francis Jisha 
Published: December 2018

AbstractThe notion of relative aging describes the rate at which one system ages relative to the other. Di Crescenzo, and Sengupta and Deshpande defined two notions of relative aging based on monotonicity of ratios of cumulative reversed hazard functions and cumulative hazard functions, respectively. In this paper, we discuss the relative aging of (n − k + 1)‐out‐of‐n systems in terms of these notions.
Pathophysiology of Critical Illness and Role of Nutrition
Authors: Sharma Kavita , Mogensen Kris M. , Robinson Malcolm K. 
Published: December 2018

AbstractCritical illness is a hypercatabolic state. It has been hypothesized that timely and adequate nutrition support may optimize the host response and thereby minimize nutritionally related complications while improving overall outcome. Any illness in due course can lead to a malnourished state—critical illness can worsen this state as patients may become immunocompromised and unable to mount an adequate inflammatory response and therefore susceptible to poor outcomes. Data indicate that prevalence of malnutrition in the ICU ranges from 38% to 78% and is independently associated with poor outcomes. Hence, exploring the role of nutrition as a way to mitigate critical illness is important. In this review, the basic pathophysiology of critical illness and how it alters carbohydrate, protein, and fat metabolism are discussed. This is followed by a discussion of malnutrition and how it affects patient and hospital outcomes. Finally, a summary of the available evidence regarding nutrition support and its impact on outcomes are provided. This review is not intended to provide practice‐based guidelines; instead, it intends to highlight available data on the role of nutrition support in critically ill patients.