bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
A wideband loop‐type ground radiation antenna using ground mode tuning and optimum impedance level
Authors: Hassan Muhammad M. , Zahid Zeeshan , Khan Adnan A. , Maqsood Moazam 
Published: May 2019

AbstractIn this article, a wideband loop‐type ground radiation antenna is proposed for USB dongle applications. Wide bandwidth has been achieved using the orientation of the antenna embedded in the ground plane along with the impedance level of the feed structure. The ground clearance of the antenna is utilized so that the ground mode is tuned to the mid‐band frequency. The impedance level is controlled by using a series combination of a lumped inductor and a capacitor in the feed loop of the antenna. A good agreement between measured and simulated results has been observed. The measured bandwidth and peak total efficiency of the antenna are 1180 MHz and 88.27%, respectively.
Accumulation of the delivered treatment dose in volumetric modulated arc therapy with breath‐hold for pancreatic cancer patients based on daily cone beam computed tomography images with limited field‐of‐view
Authors: Ziegler Marc , Nakamura Mitsuhiro , Hirashima Hideaki , Ashida Ryo , Yoshimura Michio , Bert Christoph , Mizowaki Takashi 
Published: May 2019

Background and purposeInter‐fractional changes of the daily anatomy of the patient are a source of error in radiotherapy. This effect is especially present in the abdomen, where there are daily differences in the filling of the stomach or the intestines. This study investigated the impact of inter‐fractional changes of pancreatic cancer patients who underwent breath‐hold volumetric modulated arc therapy on the applied dose by using deformable image registration.Material and methodsDeformable image registration was used to determine a displacement field which maps the computed tomography (CT) used for treatment planning onto daily breath‐hold cone‐beam CT images with limited field‐of‐view (FOV) which were acquired at the beginning of every treatment fraction. Different B‐spline registration methods utilizing different metrics and regularizations were used and compared. The resulting deformed planning CT images were used to calculate the dose distributions on the anatomy of the day which can therefore be seen as a good estimation of the actually delivered dose during the treatment fractions. Additionally, the accumulated dose distribution was determined by accumulating all daily dose distributions using inverted deformation fields. The calculated dose distributions were then compared to the planned dose by comparison of dose volume histograms and dosimetric volumetric indices.ResultsBest registration results were obtained using a gradient magnitude metric and a regularization of λ = 0.05. The accumulated dose distributions showed that the mean dose delivered to the clinical target volume was on median reduced by 0.61 Gy after 15 fractions from the planned dose. For the organs at risk, the accumulated dose distributions were still fulfilling all clinical goals for the patient cohort used in this study. It was found that rotating and shearing motions of the tumor led to a greater reduction in the mean target dose which correlated with the proximity of the target to the spine (r = 0.54, P = 0.038).ConclusionWith the proposed method, it is possible to generate a deformed planning CT image which matches the anatomy of the day based on cone beam computed tomography images with a limited FOV and calculating the dose distribution of the day. The dosimetric impact of the inter‐fractional variations was small for most patients but showed larger deviations if the tumor is located in close proximity to the spine.
Scatter correction for a clinical cone‐beam CT system using an optimized stationary beam blocker in a single scan
Authors: Liang Xiaokun , Jiang Yangkang , Zhao Wei , Zhang Zhicheng , Luo Chen , Xiong Jing , Yu Shaode , Yang Xiaoming , Sun Jihong , Zhou Qinxuan , Niu Tianye , Xie Yaoqin 
Published: May 2019

PurposeScatter contamination in the cone‐beam CT (CBCT) leads to CT number inaccuracy, spatial nonuniformity, and loss of image contrast. In our previous work, we proposed a single scan scatter correction approach using a stationary partial beam blocker. Although the previous method works effectively on a tabletop CBCT system, it fails to achieve high image quality on a clinical CBCT system mainly due to the wobble of the LINAC gantry during scan acquisition. Due to the mechanical deformation of CBCT gantry, the wobbling effect is observed in the clinical CBCT scan, and more missing data present using the previous blocker with the uniformly distributed lead strips.MethodsAn optimal blocker distribution is proposed to minimize the missing data. In the objective function of the missing data, the motion of the beam blocker in each projection is estimated using the segmentation due to its high contrast in the blocked area. The scatter signals from the blocker are also estimated using an air scan with the inserted blocker. The final image is generated using the forward projection to compensate for the missing data.ResultsOn the Catphan©504 phantom, our approach reduces the average CT number error from 86 Hounsfield unit (HU) to 9 HU and improves the image contrast by a factor of 1.45 in the high‐contrast rods. On a head patient, the CT number error is reduced from 97 HU to 6 HU in the soft‐tissue region and the image spatial nonuniformity is decreased from 27% to 5%.ConclusionsThe results suggest that the proposed method is promising for clinical applications.
NMR metabolomics to study the metabolic response of human osteoblasts to non‐poled and poled poly (L‐lactic) acid
Authors: Araújo Rita , Carneiro Tatiana J. , Marinho Paula , da Costa Marisa Maltez , Roque Ana , da Cruz e Silva Odete A. B. , Fernandes Maria Helena , Vilarinho Paula M. , Gil Ana M. 
Published: May 2019

AbstractUntargeted nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) metabolomics was employed, for the first time to our knowledge, to characterize the metabolome of human osteoblast (HOb) cells and extracts in the presence of non‐poled or negatively poled poly‐L‐lactic acid (PLLA). The metabolic response of these cells to this polymer, extensively used in bone regeneration strategies, may potentially translate into useful markers indicative of in vivo biomaterial performance.We present preliminary results of multivariate and univariate analysis of NMR spectra, which have shown the complementarity of lysed cells and extracts in terms of information on cell metabolome, and unveil that, irrespective of poling state, PLLA‐grown cells seem to experience enhanced oxidative stress and activated energy metabolism, at the cost of storage lipids and glucose. Possible changes in protein and nucleic acid metabolisms were also suggested, as well as enhanced membrane biosynthesis. Therefore, the presence of PLLA seems to trigger cell catabolism and anti‐oxidative protective mechanisms in HOb cells, while directing them towards cellular growth. This was not sufficient, however, to lead to a visible cell proliferation enhancement in the presence of PLLA, although a qualitative tendency for negatively poled PLLA to be more effective in sustaining cell growth than non‐poled PLLA was suggested. These preliminary results indicate the potential of NMR metabolomics in enlightening cell metabolism in response to biomaterials and their properties, justifying further studies of the fine effects of poled PLLA on these and other cells of significance in tissue regeneration strategies.
Proximal location of explanted midurethral slings is associated with urinary storage symptoms
Authors: Dropkin Benjamin M. , Kowalik Casey G. , Jaunarena Jorge H. , Delpe Sophia D. , Reynolds William S. , Dmochowski Roger R. , Kaufman Melissa R. 
Published: May 2019

AbstractAimTo examine the location of midurethral slings (MUS) at the time of excision to determine associations between presenting symptoms and sling location at explant.MethodsWe performed an IRB approved, retrospective review of MUS explants between January 2011 and March 2016. Symptoms and physical examination findings were compared between women with slings explanted from the mid‐urethra (MU) and women with slings explanted from the proximal urethra/bladder neck (PU/BN).ResultsWe included 95 consecutive women who underwent MUS explant in the analysis. Presenting symptoms included pain in 69 women (72.6%), urinary urgency in 66 (66.5%), voiding dysfunction in 55 (57.9%), urge urinary incontinence (UUI) in 41 (43.2%), stress urinary incontinence in 34 (35.8%), and recurrent urinary tract infections in 22 (23.2%). At sling explant, 2 (2.1%) slings were found at the distal urethra, 33 (34.7%) at the MU and 60 (63.2%) at the PU/BN. Women with slings explanted from the PU/BN were more likely to present with urgency (78.3% vs 54.5%; P = 0.017) and UUI (53.3% vs 27.3%; P = 0.015) and less likely to present with pain on examination (48.3% vs 75.8%; P = 0.01).ConclusionsThe majority of MUS requiring explant in this cohort were found at the PU/BN. The most common presenting symptom before MUS explant was pain, followed by urgency and voiding dysfunction. PU/BN location of MUS is likely a factor in the development of urgency and UUI in women who ultimately undergo explant.
Stochastic multiscale modeling of crack propagation in random heterogeneous media
Authors: Hun Darith‐Anthony , Guilleminot Johann , Yvonnet Julien , Bornert Michel 
Published: May 2019

SummaryA stochastic approach to model crack propagation in random heterogeneous media, using mesoscopic representations of elastic and fracture properties, is presented. In order to obtain reference results, Monte‐Carlo simulations are first conducted on microstructural samples in which a pre‐existing crack is propagated by means of a phase‐field approach. These computations are used to estimate the subscale‐induced randomness on the macroscopic response of the domain. Mesoscopic descriptors are then introduced to investigate scale transition. Elasticity tensor random fields are specifically defined, at that stage, through a moving‐window upscaling approach. The mesoscopic fracture toughness, which is assumed homogeneous and deterministic, is identified by solving an inverse problem involving the macroscopic peak force. A stochastic model is subsequently constructed in which the mesoscopic elasticity is described as a non‐Gaussian random field. This model allows the multiscale‐informed elastic counterpart in the phase‐field formulation to be sampled without resorting to computational homogenization. The results obtained with the sample‐based and model‐based mesoscopic descriptions are finally compared with those corresponding to the full‐scale microscopic model. It is shown, in particular, that the mesoscopic elasticity‐phase‐field formulation associated with statically uniform boundary conditions enables the accurate predictions of the mean elastic response and mean peak force.
Linoleic acid in diets of mice increases total endocannabinoid levels in bowel and liver: modification by dietary glucose
Authors: Ghosh S. , O'Connell J. F. , Carlson O. D. , González‐Mariscal I. , Kim Y. , Moaddel R. , Ghosh P. , Egan J. M. 
Published: May 2019

SummaryAimLinoleic acid (LA) is an essential fatty acid involved in the biosynthesis of arachidonic acid and prostaglandins. LA is known to induce obesity and insulin resistance. In this study, two concentrations of LA with or without added glucose (G) were fed to mice to investigate their effects on endocannabinoid (EC) biology.Materials and MethodsFour groups of C57BL/6 mice were provided with diets containing 1% or 8% LA with or without added G (LAG) for 8 weeks. Body weights, food intake, circulating glucose and insulin levels were measured throughout the study. Following euthanasia, plasma, bowel and hepatic ECs, monoacylglycerol lipase and fatty acid amide hydroxylase protein levels (enzymes responsible for EC degradation) and transcriptional activity of PPARα in liver were quantified. Liver was probed for evidence of insulin receptor activity perturbation.ResultsIncreasing dietary LA from 1% to 8% significantly increased circulating, small bowel and hepatic ECs. 1%LAG fed mice had lowest feed efficiency, and only liver levels of both ECs were reduced by addition of G. Addition of G to 1% LA diets resulted in elevated monoacylglycerol lipase and fatty acid amide hydroxylase protein levels (p < 0.001 and p < 0.001, respectively) in liver due to increased transcriptional activity of PPARα (p < 0.05). The reduced EC levels with addition of G also correlated with a measure of enhanced insulin action.ConclusionIn conclusion, body weight of mice is influenced by the source of calorie intake. Furthermore, tissue EC/g are dependent on tissue‐specific synthesis and degradation that are modulated by dietary LA and G which also influence food efficiency, and down‐stream insulin signalling pathways. The findings could potentially be useful information for weight management efforts in humans.
Germline mutation and aberrant transcripts of WWOX in a syndrome with multiple primary tumors
Authors: Xu Ao , Wang Wei , Nie Jinfu , Lui Vivian WY , Hong Bo , Lin Wenchu 
Published: May 2019

AbstractMultiple primary tumors are defined by the presence of two or more independent primary tumors in the same or different organs of an individual patient. However, the underlying genetic cause for the development of multiple primary tumors is largely unknown. In the study, we report a rare case with four synchronous distinct histological cancer types in a 26 years old Chinese female. In the patient, whole‐exome sequencing identified a homozygous germline insertion mutation in WWOX which encodes the DNA repair‐related enzyme, WW domain containing oxidoreductase. The mutation was found in a heterozygous state in her parents and brother without any cancer phenotype thus far. Surprisingly, we found multiple novel aberrant WWOX transcripts in the patient's normal colon tissue. The patient's colon metastasis from clear cell adenocarcinoma of the ovary showed a nonhypermutated profile enriched for C‐T transition, and harbored somatic pathogenic mutations of HRAS, BRCA2, SMAD4, CHEK2, and AKT1 genes. To our knowledge, this is the first study reporting WWOX gene aberrations in a young patient with the early occurrence of multiple primary tumors. © 2019 Pathological Society of Great Britain and Ireland. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Psychosocial issues for adolescent and young adult cancer patients in a global context: A forward‐looking approach
Authors: Levin Nina Jackson , Zebrack Bradley , Cole Steve W. 
Published: May 2019

AbstractThe first decade of adolescent and young adult (AYA) oncology psychosocial care and research (2005–2015) was driven by a normative, developmental framework that assumed a generalizable life experience for AYAs that is distinct from both younger children and older adults. As we proceed through a second decade, new considerations emerge regarding diversity of life experiences as occurring within and influenced by a complex global context. The purpose of this paper is to review and provide commentary on the impact of global and contextual conditions on AYAs. We expound upon the effects of precarious labor conditions, changing timetables and priorities for developmental tasks, sexual and gender plurality, and expanding cultural diversity. We discuss the implications of social genomics and technology and social media for enhancing precision psychosocial medicine. To build a forward‐looking approach, this paper calls for tailored, multilevel treatments that consider variability of AYAs within the social and global contexts in which they live.
Structural characterisation of new immunoadjuvant saponins from leaves and the first study of saponins from the bark of Quillaja brasiliensis by liquid chromatography electrospray ionisation ion trap mass spectrometry
Authors: Wallace Federico , Bennadji Zohra , Ferreira Fernando , Olivaro Cristina 
Published: May 2019

AbstractIntroductionQuillaja brasiliensis (St. A. ‐Hil. & Tul) Mart (Quillajaceae) is a species native to South America, which is rich in saponins. Saponins are used in different industries, so there is a constant demand for this type of compound. Based on the wide range of applications for the saponins found in this species, notably as immunoadjuvants, we conducted a comprehensive study of this tree and its saponins.ObjectiveThe purpose of this work is to complete the characterisation of the immunoadjuvant saponin fraction from Q. brasiliensis leaves and further study the saponin fraction obtained from Q. brasiliensis bark.MethodologySaponin fractions were studied using mass spectrometry in combination with classical methods of monosaccharide and methylation analysis. We performed direct infusion and liquid chromatography/electrospray ionisation ion trap multiple‐stage mass spectrometry (DI‐ESI‐IT‐MSn and LC‐ESI‐IT‐MS2).ResultsSeventy‐five saponins, 21 from leaves and 54 from bark, were tentatively identified according to their molecular mass, fragmentation pattern and chromatographic behaviour. This work represents the first investigation of saponins from the bark of Q. brasiliensis and some of them presented new structural motifs not previously reported in the genus Quillaja.ConclusionThe efficiency and selectivity of the data dependent LC‐MS2 method allowed the rapid profiling of saponins from Q. brasiliensis. The results of the monosaccharide and methylation analysis performed in saponins from Q. brasiliensis fractions and Q. saponaria Molina (Quillajaceae) fraction gives further support to the structures proposed according to the mass spectral data, validating the strategy used in the present work.
Separation of α‐glucosidase inhibitors from Potentilla kleiniana Wight et Arn using solvent and flow‐rate gradient high‐speed counter‐current chromatography target‐guided by ultrafiltration HPLC‐MS screening
Authors: Liu Minzhuo , Huang Xueqian , Liu Qi , Li Xujie , Chen Miao , Zhu Yuqiu , Chen Xiaoqing 
Published: May 2019

AbstractIntroductionPotentilla kleiniana Wight et Arn is widely used as a herbal medicine to treat type 2 diabetes. However, detailed information about its active compounds is lacking.ObjectiveTo develop an efficient method for the rapid screening and separation of α‐glucosidase inhibitors from Potentilla kleiniana Wight et Arn.MethodologyPotential α‐glucosidase inhibitors from Potentilla kleiniana Wight et Arn were rapidly screened out through ultrafiltration high‐performance liquid chromatography mass spectrometry (HPLC‐MS), and then followed by a target‐guided high‐speed counter‐current chromatography (HSCCC) separation using two‐phase solvent systems composed of n‐hexane/ethyl acetate/methanol/water (1:10:1:10, v/v/v/v and 1:10:5:6, v/v/v/v), and adopting increasing flow‐rate from 1.5 to 3.0 mL/min after 200 min. Their structures were identified by ultraviolet (UV), MS, proton nuclear magnetic resonance (1H‐NMR) and carbon‐13 (13C)‐NMR, and their α‐glucosidase inhibitory activities were assessed by in vitro assay.ResultsFive α‐glucosidase inhibitors including gallic acid (25.7 mg, 98.2%, 1), brevifolincarboxylic acid (9.86 mg, 95.3%, 2), ethyl evifolincarboxylate (13.26 mg, 97.6%, 3), 3,3′‐di‐O‐methylellagic acid‐4′‐O‐β‐d‐glucopyranoside (16.26 mg, 95.1%, 4), and 3,3′‐di‐O‐methylellagic acid (10.54 mg, 96.8%, 5) were successfully purified from 250 mg n‐butanol extract in a single run. Compounds 1, 2, 4 and 5 exhibited stronger α‐glucosidase inhibitory activities[half maximal inhibition concentration (IC50) values at 173.41 ± 6.35, 323.46 ± 8.08, 44.63 ± 2.50, and 20.73 ± 2.56 μM, respectively] than acarbose (IC50 value at 332.12 ± 5.52 μM, reference compound).ConclusionsNotably, compounds 2–5 were reported in the Potentilla kleiniana Wight et Arn for the first time. The results indicated that the proposed method could be applied for the rapid screening and preparative separation of α‐glucosidase inhibitors from a complex matrix.
Supergravity Fluxes and Generalised Geometry
Authors: Strickland‐Constable Charles 
Published: May 2019

AbstractWe briefly review the description of the internal sector of supergravity theories in the language of generalised geometry and how this gives rise to a description of supersymmetric backgrounds as integrable geometric structures. We then review recent work, featuring holomorphic Courant algebroids, on the description of heterotic flux vacua. This work studied the finite deformation problem of the Hull–Strominger system, guided by consideration of the superpotential functional on the relevant space of geometries. It rewrote the system in terms of the Maurer–Cartan set of a particular ‐algebra associated to a holomorphic Courant algebroid, with the superpotential itself becoming an analogue of a holomorphic Chern–Simons functional.
An IL‐2 proaerolysin fusion toxin that selectively eliminates regulatory t cells to enhance antitumor immune response
Authors: Rogers Oliver , Yen Hung , Solomon Anna , Drake Charles , Denmeade Samuel 
Published: May 2019

AbstractBackgroundRecent success with immune‐checkpoint inhibitors in some tumor types has highlighted the power of the immune system to control and eradicate human cancer cells. However, these therapies have demonstrated a limited activity in prostate cancer, which has a more immunosuppressive microenvironment that can be because of the presence of a variety of inhibitory cell types, such as myeloid‐derived suppressor cells, mesenchymal stem cells, and regulatory T cells (Tregs). One strategy to improve the efficacy of immune‐based therapies for prostate cancer is to selectively eliminate these immunosuppressive cells within the tumor microenvironment.MethodsWe developed and characterized a chimeric protein consisting of the cytokine IL‐2 fused to binding mutant of the highly toxic bacterial toxin proaerolysin (ie IL2‐R336A).ResultsThe IL2‐R336A fusion protein selectively kills immunosuppressive Tregs that express the IL‐2 receptor while having little to no effect on cells negative for this target. IL2‐R336A depleted Tregs in both tumor bearing and nontumor bearing mice. Tumor bearing mice vaccinated with a GMCSF‐expressing CT‐26 GVAX vaccine had reduced tumor growth when given IL2‐R336A before vaccination. IL2‐R336A also enhanced immune response to a model hemagglutinin antigen (HA) in HA‐tolerized mice.ConclusionThese results suggest that this IL2‐R336A toxin may be a useful in improving the therapeutic efficacy of antitumor vaccines by enhancing the immune response against target tumor antigens.
Complexity analysis of two families of orthogonal functions
Authors: Ghosh Piu , Nath Debraj 
Published: May 2019

AbstractWe study the shape LMC (López‐Ruiz, Mancini and Calvet), Fisher‐Shannon (FS) and Cramér‐Rao (CR) complexities of two families of orthogonal functions associated with the solutions of isospectral deformations of the Pöschl‐Teller and Harmonic oscillator potentials. We have compared the behavior of these complexities for the orthogonal functions with the complexities associated with Pöschl‐Teller and Harmonic oscillator potentials whose solutions are given in terms of the classical orthogonal polynomials. All these complexities are discussed in terms of the quantum number n and isospectrality parameter λ.