bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Dosimetric comparison of volumetric‐arc therapy versus sliding window intensity‐modulated radiotherapy in postoperative treatment for primary soft tissue sarcoma of the thigh
Authors: Ortiz González Irene , Morera Cano Daniel , Roncero Sánchez Raquel , Mateos Salvador Pedro , Valencia Blanco Lourdes , Vidal Borrás Meritxell , Aymar Salís Neus , Gadea Quinteiro Jon , Jiménez Jiménez Esther , Gelabert Joan Font , Pardo Masferrer José 
Published: July 2019

AbstractAimIntensity‐modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) has demonstrated improved local control in extremity soft tissue sarcoma (STS) after limb‐sparing surgery compared with three‐dimensional conformal radiation therapy. Our purpose was to evaluate sliding‐window IMRT (SW‐IMRT) and volumetric arc therapy (VMAT) in planning target volume (PTV) coverage and dose to organs‐at‐risk (OAR).MethodsSixteen patients undergoing postoperative RT for lower extremity STS were included. For each patient, one VMAT plan and one SW‐IMRT plan were proposed. Both were evaluated using cumulative dose–volume histogram data for OAR and PTVs. Prescribed dose was 66 Gy (2 Gy/fraction) to PTV1 and 56 Gy (1.69 Gy/fraction) to PTV2. OARs contoured were femur, neurovascular bundle, minimum tissue corridor, normal tissue outside PTV2, joint and genitalia. T‐Student test was performed.ResultsEleven male (69%) and five female patients (31%) were analyzed. Mean age was 60 years. Both techniques showed optimal target coverage, conformity index (CI) and homogeneity index (HI). VMAT PTV2 CI was 1.13 (mean) ± 0.08 (standard deviation) versus 1.19 ± 0.10 SW‐IMRT PTV2 CI (P < 0.05). VMAT PTV1 HI was 0.09 ± 0.01 versus 0.08 ± 0.01 SW‐IMRT PTV1 HI (P < 0.05). Regarding OARs, VMAT delivered lower dose to femur, genitalia, normal tissue outside PTV2 and joints. SW‐IMRT spared tissue corridor mean dose (10.4 Gy ± 6.8 Gy) versus (14.7 ± 6.5 Gy) VMAT (P < 0.05).ConclusionsBoth techniques achieved great conformity, homogeneity and coverage of PTV. VMAT produced lower dose to OARS and SW‐IMRT was superior in sparing dose to normal‐tissue‐corridor, which could reduce risk of lymphedema.
Activins, follistatin and immunoregulation in the epididymis
Authors: Wijayarathna R. , Hedger M. P. 
Published: July 2019

AbstractBackgroundThe interface between the epididymis and the immune system is implicated in many male reproductive pathologies. The resident immune cell populations and immune‐environment within the epididymis are significantly different from the testis, which is an immune‐privileged site. Moreover, the immune cell subsets and immunological responses between different regions of the epididymis vary considerably. The cauda epididymis is more susceptible to autoimmune responses than the caput in rodent models of active immunization or suppressed immune tolerance, and in men with congenital or physical damage to the reproductive tract. Activins are members of the transforming growth factor‐β family of cytokines that are crucial for testis and epididymal development; however, they also have complex immunoregulatory properties and may play an essential role in the regulation of immunity in the reproductive tract.Materials and methodsOur recent research and relevant publications by other researchers identified following a PubMed search are reviewed.ResultsThe caput epididymis displays elevated endogenous expression of activins A and B and the immunoregulatory gene, indoleamine‐2,3‐dioxygenase, co‐existing with an extensive population of intra‐epithelial and interstitial macrophages and dendritic cells, which appear to be involved in regulating tolerance against sperm antigens. The caput is also relatively resistant to inflammatory damage caused by autoimmunity or bacterial infection, but the cauda, which exhibits low activin expression and high levels of the activin‐binding protein, follistatin, is highly susceptible to inflammatory damage. Paradoxically, inflammation in the cauda induces increased activin production, and inhibition of activin activity reduces inflammatory responses. Studies using mouse models with altered levels of activins and follistatin indicate a relationship between the activins and genes involved in inflammation and immunoregulation.ConclusionThe existing data indicate that activins play a complex role in controlling inflammation and immunity in the epididymis and vas deferens.
Development of a measure of genome sequencing knowledge for young people: The kids‐KOGS
Authors: Lewis Celine , Loe Bao S. , Sidey‐Gibbons Chris , Patch Christine , Chitty Lyn S. , Sanderson Saskia C. 
Published: July 2019

AbstractGenome sequencing (GS) is increasingly being used to diagnose rare diseases in paediatric patients; however, no measures exist to evaluate their knowledge of this technology. We aimed to develop a robust measure of knowledge of GS (the kids‐KOGS') suitable for use in the paediatric setting as well as for general public education. The target age was 11 to 15 year olds. An iterative process involving six sequential stages was conducted to develop a set of draft true/false items. These were then administered to 539 target‐age school pupils (mean 12.8; SD ± 1.3), from the United Kingdom. Item‐response theory was used to confirm the psychometric suitability of the candidate items. None of the Items was identified as misfits. All 10 items performed well under the two‐parameter logistic model. The internal consistency of the test was 0.84 (Cronbach alpha value) indicating excellent reliability. The mean kids‐KOGS score in the sample overall was 4.24 (SD; 2.49), where 0 = low knowledge and 10 = high knowledge. Age was positively associated with score in a multivariate linear regression. The kids‐KOGS is a short and reliable tool that can be used by researchers and healthcare professionals offering GS to paediatric patients. Further validation in a clinical setting is required.
SiamesePointNet: A Siamese Point Network Architecture for Learning 3D Shape Descriptor
Authors: Zhou J. , Wang M. J. , Mao W. D. , Gong M. L. , Liu X. P. 
Published: July 2019

AbstractWe present a novel deep learning approach to extract point‐wise descriptors directly on 3D shapes by introducing Siamese Point Networks, which contain a global shape constraint module and a feature transformation operator. Such geometric descriptor can be used in a variety of shape analysis problems such as 3D shape dense correspondence, key point matching and shape‐to‐scan matching. The descriptor is produced by a hierarchical encoder–decoder architecture that is trained to map geometrically and semantically similar points close to one another in descriptor space. Benefiting from the additional shape contrastive constraint and the hierarchical local operator, the learned descriptor is highly aware of both the global context and local context. In addition, a feature transformation operation is introduced in the end of our networks to transform the point features to a compact descriptor space. The feature transformation can make the descriptors extracted by our networks unaffected by geometric differences in shapes. Finally, an N‐tuple loss is used to train all the point descriptors on a complete 3D shape simultaneously to obtain point‐wise descriptors. The proposed Siamese Point Networks are robust to many types of perturbations such as the Gaussian noise and partial scan. In addition, we demonstrate that our approach improves state‐of‐the‐art results on the BHCP benchmark.
Multi‐scale habitat modelling identifies spatial conservation priorities for mainland clouded leopards (Neofelis nebulosa)
Authors: Macdonald David W. , Bothwell Helen M. , Kaszta Żaneta , Ash Eric , Bolongon Gilmoore , Burnham Dawn , Can Özgün Emre , Campos‐Arceiz Ahimsa , Channa Phan , Clements Gopalasamy Reuben , Hearn Andrew J. , Hedges Laurie , Htun Saw , Kamler Jan F. , Kawanishi Kae , Macdonald Ewan A. , Mohamad Shariff Wan , Moore Jonathan , Naing Hla , Onuma Manabu , Penjor Ugyen , Rasphone Akchousanh , Mark Rayan Darmaraj , Ross Joanna , Singh Priya , Tan Cedric Kai Wei , Wadey Jamie , Yadav Bhupendra P. , Cushman Samuel A. 
Published: July 2019

AbstractAimDeforestation is rapidly altering Southeast Asian landscapes, resulting in some of the highest rates of habitat loss worldwide. Among the many species facing declines in this region, clouded leopards rank notably for their ambassadorial potential and capacity to act as powerful levers for broader forest conservation programmes. Thus, identifying core habitat and conservation opportunities are critical for curbing further Neofelis declines and extending umbrella protection for diverse forest biota similarly threatened by widespread habitat loss. Furthermore, a recent comprehensive habitat assessment of Sunda clouded leopards (N. diardi) highlights the lack of such information for the mainland species (N. nebulosa) and facilitates a comparative assessment.LocationSoutheast Asia.MethodsSpecies–habitat relationships are scale‐dependent, yet <5% of all recent habitat modelling papers apply robust approaches to optimize multivariate scale relationships. Using one of the largest camera trap datasets ever collected, we developed scale‐optimized species distribution models for two con‐generic carnivores, and quantitatively compared their habitat niches.ResultsWe identified core habitat, connectivity corridors, and ranked remaining habitat patches for conservation prioritization. Closed‐canopy forest was the strongest predictor, with ~25% lower Neofelis detections when forest cover declined from 100 to 65%. A strong, positive association with increasing precipitation suggests ongoing climate change as a growing threat along drier edges of the species’ range. While deforestation and land use conversion were deleterious for both species, N. nebulosa was uniquely associated with shrublands and grasslands. We identified 800 km2 as a minimum patch size for supporting clouded leopard conservation.Main conclusionsWe illustrate the utility of multi‐scale modelling for identifying key habitat requirements, optimal scales of use and critical targets for guiding conservation prioritization. Curbing deforestation and development within remaining core habitat and dispersal corridors, particularly in Myanmar, Laos and Malaysia, is critical for supporting evolutionary potential of clouded leopards and conservation of associated forest biodiversity.
Toughness enhancement and equivalent initial fracture toughness of cementitious composite reinforced with aligned steel fibres
Authors: Qing Longbang , Cheng Yuehua , Mu Ru 
Published: July 2019

AbstractBased on theoretical analysis and numerical simulation, the impact of steel fibres on the stress intensity factor (SIF) at the crack tip for cementitious composite was studied. The enhanced toughness of steel fibre reinforced cementitious composite (SFRC) in resisting cracks was explained by the decrement of SIF caused by steel fibre inclusions at the crack tip of the composite. The equivalent initial fracture toughness
was used to characterize the crack initiation of SFRC. A simplified method for determining the
of SFRC was proposed based on a linear regression method. Fracture tests were conducted on three‐point bending notched beams with different steel fibre volume fractions and specimen sizes to study the crack initiation behaviour of aligned steel fibre reinforced cementitious composite (ASFRC).
of ASFRC was calculated, and the size effect of
was analysed. The results showed that
slightly increased with the steel fibre volume fraction and gradually became stable. For the tested specimens, whose heights varied between 40 and 100 mm, the specimen size had little impact on the
.
Climate riskscapes in world port cities: situating urban‐cosmopolitan risk communities via Ulrich Beck's comparative tactics
Authors: BLOK ANDERS 
Published: July 2019

AbstractBuilding on empirical research into translocal connections among world port cities in addressing shared challenges of climate risk mitigation and adaptation, in this article I review two widespread tendencies in urban studies – methodological city‐ism and methodological globalism respectively – as a springboard for articulating a methodologically cosmopolitan alternative. This alternative, I argue, involves epistemological issues of how to interrogate ‘the urban’ as assemblages that constitutively draw together the near and the faraway, as well as more practical issues of mobile, multisited, and comparative urban research methods. Empirically, I compare the ways in which urban actors stage global climate risks on the waterfronts of four world cities – Hong Kong, Rotterdam, Yokohama and Copenhagen – to argue that such a comparative tactic of variable ‘riskscapes’ helps situate Ulrich Beck's notion of urban cosmopolitan risk communities more thoroughly into urban studies. In such ways, I suggest, Beck's methodological cosmopolitanism is germane to studying ongoing and far ranging transformation in world political geography, in which transurban networks, communities, and governance arrangements come to complement nation‐state centred institutions. Such conclusions must be tempered, however, by the deployment of Beck's equally strong impetus towards comparative attention to the varieties of second modernity; and doing so, I conclude, aligns well with ongoing transformations in urban studies itself.
Researchers' perspectives on public involvement in health research in Singapore: The argument for a community‐based approach
Authors: Luna Puerta Lidia , Bartlam Bernadette , Smith Helen E. 
Published: July 2019

AbstractBackgroundSingapore is becoming a world‐class research hub, promoting the advancement of patient care through translational clinical research. Despite growing evidence internationally of the positive impact of public involvement (PPI), in Singapore PPI remains unusual beyond patient participation as subjects in studies.ObjectiveTo explore health researchers' understandings of the principles, role and scope of PPI, and to identify barriers and opportunities for implementation in Singapore.DesignSemi‐structured qualitative interviews between April and July 2018. Data were analysed using thematic framework analysis.ResultsWhilst most participants (n = 20) expressed a lack of experience of PPI, the interview process provided an opportunity for reflection through which it emerged as a beneficial strategy. Interviewees highlighted both utilitarian and ethical reasons for implementing PPI, particularly around increasing the relevance and efficiency of research. In addition to those challenges to PPI documented in the existing literature, participants highlighted others specific to the Singaporean context that make PPI at an individual level unlikely to be successful, including the socio‐political environment and prevailing social and professional hierarchies. They also identified asset‐based strategies to overcome these, in particular, a more community‐oriented approach.ConclusionThe cultural reluctance of individuals to question perceived authority figures such as researchers may be overcome by adopting an approach to PPI that is closer to family and local community values, and which facilitates patients and the public collectively engaging in research. Further work is needed to explore the views of patients and the public in Singapore, and the implications for other Asian communities.
Chronically stimulated human MAIT cells are unexpectedly potent IL‐13 producers
Authors: Kelly Jason , Minoda Yosuke , Meredith Tobias , Cameron Garth , Philipp Marie‐Sophie , Pellicci Daniel G , Corbett Alexandra J , Kurts Christian , Gray Daniel HD , Godfrey Dale I , Kannourakis George , Berzins Stuart P 
Published: July 2019

AbstractMucosal‐associated invariant T (MAIT) cells are unconventional T cells that recognize antigens derived from riboflavin biosynthesis. In addition to anti‐microbial functions, human MAIT cells are associated with cancers, autoimmunity, allergies and inflammatory disorders, although their role is poorly understood. Activated MAIT cells are well known for their rapid release of Th1 and Th17 cytokines, but we have discovered that chronic stimulation can also lead to potent interleukin (IL)‐13 expression. We used RNA‐seq and qRT‐PCR to demonstrate high expression of the IL‐13 gene in chronically stimulated MAIT cells, and directly identify IL‐13 using intracellular flow cytometry and multiplex bead analysis of MAIT cell cultures. This unexpected finding has important implications for IL‐13‐dependent diseases, such as colorectal cancer (CRC), that occur in mucosal areas where MAIT cells are abundant. We identify MAIT cells near CRC tumors and show that these areas and precancerous polyps express high levels of the IL‐13 receptor, which promotes tumor progression and metastasis. Our data suggest that MAIT cells have a more complicated role in CRC than currently realized and that they represent a promising new target for immunotherapies where IL‐13 can be a critical factor.
A Two‐Stage Method for Classroom Assessments of Essay Writing
Authors: Humphry Stephen Mark , Heldsinger Sandy 
Published: July 2019

AbstractTo capitalize on professional expertise in educational assessment, it is desirable to develop and test methods of rater‐mediated assessment that enable classroom teachers to make reliable and informative judgments. Accordingly, this article investigates the reliability of a two‐stage method used by classroom teachers to assess primary school students’ persuasive writing. Stage 1 involves pairwise comparisons and stage 2 involves rating against calibrated exemplars from stage 1 plus performance descriptors. A high level of interrater reliability among teachers was obtained. This is consistent with previous evidence that the two‐stage method is a viable classroom assessment method without extensive training and moderation. Implications for assessment practices in education are discussed with a focus on the widely expressed desire to value professional expertise.
Predictors of tolvaptan short‐term response in patients with refractory ascites: A meta‐analysis
Authors: Bellos Ioannis , Kontzoglou Konstantinos , Perrea Despina N 
Published: July 2019

AbstractBackground and AimTolvaptan represents an oral V2‐receptor antagonist, which has been suggested as a promising add‐on diuretic treatment for refractory ascites. The present meta‐analysis aims to accumulate current evidence and identify which clinical and laboratory factors are linked to short‐term response to tolvaptan therapy.MethodsMedline, Scopus, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, Clinicaltrials.gov, and Google Scholar databases were searched from inception. All observational studies reporting the correlation of patients' characteristics with tolvaptan response were selected.ResultsTolvaptan response was associated with significantly higher baseline body weight (mean difference: 4.59 kg, 95% confidence interval [CI]: [3.58, 5.61]), presence of hepatitis C (odds ratio: 1.59 95% CI: [1.18, 2.14]), lower blood urea nitrogen (BUN) (mean difference: −6.88 mg/dL, 95% CI: [−8.13, −5.63]), lower serum creatinine (mean difference: −0.17 mg/dL, 95% CI: [−0.30, −0.05]), lower C‐reactive protein (mean difference: −1.43 mg/dL, 95% CI: [−2.52, −0.35]), and higher sodium levels (mean difference: 1.00 mEq/L, 95% CI: [0.45, 1.55]). The outcomes of bodyweight, hepatitis C, BUN, and C‐reactive protein remain significant independently of response definition and risk of bias.ConclusionsThe present findings suggest bodyweight, BUN, C‐reactive protein, and hepatitis C as potential predictive factors of tolvaptan short‐term response in patients with refractory ascites. Future studies are needed to introduce cut‐off values and construct an optimal combined screening model.
Shared and syndrome‐specific adaptive difficulties in preschoolers with Williams syndrome and autism spectrum disorder: a cross‐syndrome study
Authors: Hamner T. , Raitano Lee N. , Hocking D. R. , Vivanti G. 
Published: July 2019

AbstractBackgroundUnderstanding adaptive functioning profiles in children with Williams syndrome (WS) and autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is critical to inform treatment strategies. However, knowledge in this area is limited and inconclusive.MethodThe current study aimed to characterise the early adaptive profiles of young children with WS (n = 18; Mage = 47 months) and ASD (n = 26; Mage = 45 months) matched on chronological age and developmental age using the Vineland Scales of Adaptive Behavior, Second Edition.ResultsResults suggest that young children with WS and ASD do not differ on their overall level of adaptive functioning but that those with WS show relative strengths in the Socialisation scale compared with children with ASD. No other subscales differed between groups. Within groups, the WS group showed a profile of Communication, Daily Living Skills and Motor < Socialisation, whereas the ASD group did not evidence differences across subscales.ConclusionsConsideration of the shared and syndrome‐specific adaptive profiles provides relevant insight on intervention targets and strategies. Given the shared challenges across the two clinical groups, implications and future directions are discussed.
Stakeholders' perceptions of the socio‐economic and environmental challenges at Lake Victoria
Authors: van den Broek Karlijn L. 
Published: July 2019

AbstractDeveloping policy that is both relevant and supported requires an understanding of stakeholders' account of the key challenges in society. Such insights allow policymakers to better align their policy and collaborate with stakeholders to successfully manage the challenges. To this end, the present study reports on a problem analysis conducted with Lake Victoria stakeholders. A thorough stakeholder mapping procedure was followed by semistructured interviews with businesses, NGOs, governmental organizations and communities. In these interviews, stakeholders discussed what they perceived to be the most pressing challenges in the region, as well as their causes and possible mitigation strategies. The analysis resulted in 12 key challenges raised by the stakeholders that cover socio‐economic, environmental, health and institutional issues. Stakeholder analysis revealed that the type of challenges discussed varied across countries and stakeholder institutions. Based on these analyses, the present study concludes that these diverse perceptions must be taken into consideration in future policy formulation and that a strong partnership between policymakers and stakeholders is crucial to mitigate these challenges.
Changes in patterns of the double burden of undernutrition and overnutrition in Nepal over time
Authors: Wei Junxiang , Bhurtyal Ashok , Dhungana Raja Ram , Bhattarai Basudev , Zheng Jinge , Wang Liang , Sun Xiaomin , Maskey Mahesh , Wang Youfa 
Published: July 2019

SummaryKnowledge regarding nutrition transition in Nepal remains limited. This systematic review examined the shifts in undernutrition and overnutrition in Nepal during the past two decades. We searched PubMed for studies and reports published between January 1, 2000, and June 30, 2018. Publications with a sample size greater than or equal to 500 that reported prevalence of nutritional status were included. Six large national reports and 36 studies met study inclusion criteria and were included. Overall, available nationally representative data remained limited. The Nepal Demographic and Health Survey 2001 to 2016 showed that underweight prevalence decreased from 26.7% to 17.2% and prevalence of overweight/obesity increased from 6.5% to 22.1% among women of reproductive age (15‐49 years). In preschool children, prevalence of stunting, wasting, and underweight decreased from 57.2% to 35.8%, 11.2% to 9.7%, and 42.7% to 27.0%, respectively. Prevalence of overweight/obesity was low among children and was higher in higher socio‐economic status (SES) groups. The overweight‐obesity/underweight ratios indicate a shift from undernutrition to overnutrition problem; it was more evident in urban areas and higher SES groups. In conclusion, Nepal is experiencing a nutrition transition. More research is warranted to address this shift, and well‐tailored public health efforts need to combat the double burden of overweight/obesity and undernutrition.