bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
The dosimetric effect of electron density overrides in 3DCRT Lung SBRT for a range of lung tumor dimensions
Authors: Healy Grace E. A. , Marsh Steven H. , Cousins Andrew T. 
Published: September 2018

AbstractThe combined effects of lung tumor motion and limitations of treatment planning system dose calculations in lung regions increases uncertainty in dose delivered to the tumor and surrounding normal tissues in lung stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT). This study investigated the effect on plan quality and accuracy when overriding treatment volume electron density values. The QUASAR phantom with modified cork cylindrical inserts, each containing a simulated spherical tumor of 15‐mm, 22‐mm, or 30‐mm diameter, was used to simulate lung tumor motion. Using Monaco 5.1 treatment planning software, two standard plans (50% central phase (50%) and average intensity projection (AIP)) were compared to eight electron density overridden plans that focused on different target volumes (internal target volume (ITV), planning target volume (PTV), and a hybrid plan (HPTV)). The target volumes were set to a variety of electron densities between lung and water equivalence. Minimal differences were seen in the 30‐mm tumor in terms of target coverage, plan conformity, and improved dosimetric accuracy. For the smaller tumors, a PTV override showed improved target coverage as well as better plan conformity compared to the baseline plans. The ITV plans showed the highest gamma pass rate agreement between treatment planning system (TPS) and measured dose (P < 0.040). However, the low electron density PTV and HPTV plans also showed improved gamma pass rates (P < 0.035, P < 0.011). Low‐density PTV overrides improved the plan quality and accuracy for tumor diameters less than 22 mm only. Although an ITV override generated the most significant increase in accuracy, the low‐density PTV plans had the additional benefit of plan quality improvement. Although this study and others agreed that density overrides improve the treatment of SBRT, the optimal density override and the conditions under which it should be applied were found to be department specific, due to variations in commissioning and calculation methods.
Two‐Dimensional Organic–Inorganic Hybrid Perovskites: A New Platform for Optoelectronic Applications
Authors: Hu Jun , Yan Liang , You Wei 
Published: September 2018

Abstract2D perovskites are recently attracting a significant amount of attention, mainly due to their improved stability compared with their 3D counterpart, e.g., the archetypical MAPbI3. Interestingly, the first studies on 2D perovskites can be dated back to the 1980s. The most popular 2D perovskites have a general formula of (RNH3)2MAn−1MnX3n+1, where n represents the number of metal halide octahedrons between the insulating organic cation layers. The optoelectronic properties of 2D perovskites, e.g., band gap, are highly dependent on the thickness of the inorganic layers (i.e., the value of n). Herein, 2D perovskites are arbitrarily divided into three classes, strict 2D (n = 1), quasi‐2D (n = 2–5), and quasi‐3D (n > 5), and research progress is summarized following this classification. The majority of existing 2D perovskites only employ very simple organic cations (e.g., butyl ammonium or phenylethyl ammonium), which merely function as the supporting layer/insulating barrier to achieve the 2D structure. Thus, a particularly important research question is: can functional organic cations be designed for these 2D perovskites, where these functional organic cations would play an important role in dictating the optoelectronic properties of these organic–inorganic hybrid materials, leading to unique device performance or applications?
Combining In Silico Design and Biomimetic Assembly: A New Approach for Developing High‐Performance Dynamic Responsive Bio‐Nanomaterials
Authors: Ling Shengjie , Jin Kai , Qin Zhao , Li Chunmei , Zheng Ke , Zhao Yanyan , Wang Qi , Kaplan David L. , Buehler Markus J. 
Published: September 2018

AbstractMajor challenge remains in the design and fabrication of artificial hierarchical materials that mimic the structural and functional features of these natural materials. Here, a novel biomimetic strategy to assemble hierarchical materials from biological nanobuilding blocks is demonstrated. The constituents and structures of the materials are designed by multiscale modeling and then experimentally constructed by multiscale self‐assembly. The resultant materials that consist of silk nanofibrils (SNFs), hydroxyapatite (HAP), and chitin nanofibrils (CNFs) show nacre‐like structures with mechanical strength and toughness better than most natural nacre and nacre‐like nanocomposites. In addition, these SNF/HAP:CNF nanocomposites can be programmed into “grab‐and‐release” actuators due to the gradient structure of the nanocomposites as well as the high water sensitivity of each of the components, and thusshow potential applications in the design of novel third‐generation biomaterials for potential clinical applications. In addition, this “in silico design and biomimetic assembly” route represents a rational, low‐cost, and efficient strategy for the design and preparation of robust, hierarchical, and functional nanomaterials to meet a variety of application requirements in bio‐nanotechnologies.
Resonance‐Activated Spin‐Flipping for Efficient Organic Ultralong Room‐Temperature Phosphorescence
Authors: Tao Ye , Chen Runfeng , Li Huanhuan , Yuan Jie , Wan Yifang , Jiang He , Chen Cailin , Si Yubing , Zheng Chao , Yang Baocheng , Xing Guichuan , Huang Wei 
Published: September 2018

AbstractTriplet‐excited‐state‐involved photonic and electronic properties have attracted tremendous attention for next‐generation technologies. To populate triplet states, facile intersystem crossing (ISC) for efficient exciton spin‐flipping is crucial, but it remains challenging in organic molecules free of heavy atoms. Here, a new strategy is proposed to enhance the ISC of purely organic optoelectronic molecules using heteroatom‐mediated resonance structures capable of promoting spin‐flipping at large singlet–triplet splitting energies with the aid of the fluctuation of the state energy and n‐orbital component upon self‐adaptive resonance variation. Combined experimental and theoretical investigations confirm the key contributions of the resonance variation to the profoundly promoted spin‐flipping with ISC rate up to ≈107 s−1 in the rationally designed NPX (X = O or S) resonance molecules. Importantly, efficient organic ultralong room‐temperature phosphorescence (OURTP) with simultaneously elongated lifetime and improved efficiency results overcoming the intrinsic competition between the OURTP lifetime and efficiency. With the spectacular resonance‐activated OURTP molecules, time‐resolved and color‐coded quick response code devices with multiple information encryptions are realized, demonstrating the fundamental significance of this approach in boosting ISC dynamically for advanced optoelectronic applications.
Photocatalytic Properties and Mechanistic Insights into Visible Light‐Promoted Aerobic Oxidation of Sulfides to Sulfoxides via Tin Porphyrin‐Based Porous Aromatic Frameworks
Authors: Jiang Jun , Luo Rongchang , Zhou Xiantai , Chen Yaju , Ji Hongbing 
Published: September 2018

AbstractUsing concepts of biomimetic catalysis, a kind of tin porphyrin‐based porous aromatic framework (SnPor@ PAF) with broad and strong optical absorption in the visible light region was successfully synthesized and subsequently used in the aerobic oxidation of sulfides to sulfoxides under ambient conditions and visible light irradiation, in which exhibited enzyme‐like features of high efficiency and high selectivity. More interestingly, heterogeneous SnPor@PAF was naturally regarded as an intriguing and versatile photosensitizer for photocatalytic transformation and could be reused several times because of its robust and rigid porphyrin framework. As expected, their π‐conjugated structure characteristic in the molecular skeleton might facilitate the activation of molecular oxygen under mild reaction conditions and promoted the production of reactive oxygen species (singlet oxygen (1O2) and superoxide radical anion (O2.−)), which would involve energy transfer and/or electron transfer process. Experimental investigations including emission quenching experiment, oxygen‐isotope labelling, typical inhibition experiments, classical fluorescence probe study, photo‐oxidation of α‐terpinene and in situ electron spin resonance, could provide a mechanistic insight into the photocatalytic reactions.magnified image
The impact of brand equity on the financial performance of marketing cooperatives
Authors: Grashuis Jasper 
Published: September 2018

AbstractBecause of inherent constraints, few farmer cooperatives use branding to pursue differentiation and competitiveness in the agri‐food industry. Considering the complete lack of applied research on the brand–performance relationship for farmer cooperatives, it is unknown if branding is even profitable. This paper addresses the gap in our understanding with a novel panel study of 707 US marketing cooperatives for the 2005–2011 period. Informed by lagged observations of trademark and service mark data, the empirical analysis indicates a positive relationship of brand equity to the financial performance of marketing cooperatives. Specifically, 1% increases in the total stock of trademarks and service marks have a positive impact of $130,441 and $141,921, respectively, on the net sales of the mean marketing cooperative. The corresponding impact on net income is estimated at $3,815 and $17,286, respectively. Following the estimation of further specifications, there is also indication most of the impact is facilitated by older trademarks (>3 years) in the stock, which implies a delayed impact of brand equity on financial performance. Overall, the reported evidence serves as motivation to directors and managers of marketing cooperatives to pursue opportunities to build brand equity. To do so, however, may first require a solution to the equity constraint which appears at the foundation of most farmer cooperatives.
Signal regulatory protein alpha blockade potentiates tumoricidal effects of macrophages on gastroenterological neoplastic cells in syngeneic immunocompetent mice
Authors: Abe Tomoyuki , Tanaka Yuka , Piao Jinlian , Tanimine Naoki , Oue Naohide , Hinoi Takao , Garcia Noel Verjan , Miyasaka Masayuki , Matozaki Takashi , Yasui Wataru , Ohdan Hideki 
Published: September 2018

AbstractAimImmunotherapies blocking the CD47‐SIRPα pathway by targeting CD47 enhance macrophage phagocytosis of neoplastic cells in mouse models. As SIRPα exhibits relatively restricted tissue expression, SIRPα antagonists may be better tolerated than agents targeting CD47, which is ubiquitously expressed in many tissues. Here, we investigated the therapeutic impact of monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) against CD47 and/or SIRPα on gastroenterological tumors in syngeneic immunocompetent mouse models.MethodsWe used in vitro and in vivo phagocytosis assays in C57BL/6J (B6) mice to investigate anti‐CD47/SIRPα mAb effects on Hepa1‐6 and CMT93 originating from B6 mice. The influence of these mAbs on macrophage transmigration was also assessed. To investigate anti‐SIRPα mAb therapy‐induced inhibitory effects on sporadic colon cancer growth, we used a CDX2P9.5‐NLS Cre;APC+/FLOX (CPC‐APC) mouse model.ResultsSystemic anti‐SIRPα mAb administration significantly increased Hepa1‐6 and CMT93 cell susceptibility to macrophage phagocytosis, both in vitro and in vivo. Conversely, similarly administered anti‐CD47 mAb did not promote macrophage phagocytosis of target cells, whereas cells incubated with anti‐CD47 mAb prior to inoculation were more susceptible to macrophage phagocytosis. In vitro cell migration assays revealed that binding with anti‐CD47 mAb inhibited macrophage transmigration. Anti‐SIRPα mAb treatment inhibited tumor progression in CPC‐APC mice and significantly improved overall survival. Anti‐CD47 mAb administration in vivo eliminated the phagocytosis‐promoting CD47 blockade effect, probably by inhibiting macrophage transmigration/chemotaxis. In contrast, anti‐SIRPα mAb exhibited enhanced macrophage phagocytic activity and marked anti‐tumor effects against gastroenterological malignancies.ConclusionSIRPα mAb augmentation of macrophage phagocytic activity may represent an effective treatment strategy for human gastrointestinal tumors.
The 4D Dirac Equation in Five Dimensions
Authors: Breban Romulus 
Published: September 2018

AbstractThe Dirac equation may be thought as originating from a theory of 5D space‐time. One way to formulate such a theory relies on a special 5D Clifford algebra and a spin‐1/2 constraint equation for describing null propagation in the 5D space‐time. The 5D null formalism breaks down to four dimensions to recover two single‐particle theories: Dirac's relativistic quantum mechanics and a formulation of spin‐1/2 statistical mechanics. Exploring the non‐relativistic limit in five and four dimensions, a new spin–electric interaction is identified, with possible applications to magnetic resonance spectroscopy (within quantum mechanics) and superconductivity (within statistical mechanics).
Testing the validity of value‐added measures of educational progress with genetic data
Authors: Morris Tim T. , Davies Neil M. , Dorling Danny , Richmond Rebecca C. , Smith George Davey 
Published: September 2018

Value‐added measures of educational progress have been used by education researchers and policy‐makers to assess the performance of teachers and schools, contributing to performance‐related pay and position in school league tables. They are designed to control for all underlying differences between pupils and should therefore provide unbiased measures of school and teacher influence on pupil progress, however, their effectiveness has been questioned. We exploit genetic data from a UK birth cohort to investigate how successfully value‐added measures control for genetic differences between pupils. We use raw value‐added, contextual value‐added (which additionally controls for background characteristics) and teacher‐reported value‐added measures built from data at ages 11, 14 and 16. Sample sizes for analyses range from 4,600 to 6,518. Our findings demonstrate that genetic differences between pupils explain little variation in raw value‐added measures but explain up to 20% of the variation in contextual value‐added measures (95% CI = 6.06% to 35.71%). Value‐added measures built from teacher‐rated ability have a greater proportion of variance explained by genetic differences between pupils, with 36.3% of their cross‐sectional variation being statistically accounted for by genetics (95% CI = 22.8% to 49.8%). By contrast, a far greater proportion of variance is explained by genetic differences for raw test scores at each age of at least 47.3% (95% CI: 35.9 to 58.7). These findings provide evidence that value‐added measures of educational progress can be influenced by genetic differences between pupils, and therefore may provide a biased measure of school and teacher performance. We include a glossary of genetic terms for educational researchers interested in the use of genetic data in educational research.
Multicentre study of the prognostic impact of preoperative bodyweight on long-term prognosis of hepatocellular carcinoma
Authors: Yu J J , Shen F , Chen T H , Liang L , Han J , Xing H , Zhou Y H , Wang H , Gu W M , Lau W Y , Yang T 
Published: September 2018

Abstract

Background
Whether preoperative bodyweight is associated with long-term prognosis in patients after liver resection for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is controversial. This study aimed to investigate the relationship of patient weight with long-term recurrence and overall survival (OS) after curative liver resection for HCC.

Methods
Data for patients with HCC who underwent curative liver resection between 2000 and 2015 in five centres in China were analysed retrospectively in three groups according to their preoperative BMI: underweight (BMI 18·4 kg/m2 or less), normal weight (BMI 18·5–24·9 kg/m2) and overweight (BMI 25·0 kg/m2 or above). Patients' baseline characteristics, operative variables and long-term survival outcomes were compared. Univariable and multivariable Cox regression analyses were performed to identify risk factors for OS and recurrence-free survival (RFS) after resection.

Results
Of 1524 patients, 107 (7·0 per cent) were underweight, 891 (58·5 per cent) were of normal weight and 526 (34·5 per cent) were overweight. Univariable analyses showed that underweight and overweight patients had poorer OS (both P &lt; 0·001) and RFS (both P &lt; 0·001) than patients of normal weight. Multivariable Cox regression analysis also identified both underweight and overweight to be independent risk factors for OS (hazard ratio (HR) 1·22, 95 per cent c.i. 1·19 to 1·56, P = 0·019; and HR 1·57, 1·36 to 1·81, P &lt; 0·001, respectively) and RFS (HR 1·28, 1·16 to 1·53, P = 0·028; and HR 1·34, 1·17 to 1·54, P &lt; 0·001).

Conclusion
Underweight and overweight patients appear to have a worse prognosis than those of normal weight following liver resection for HCC.
Research on the teaching assessment of students of science and engineering teachers in a university
Authors: Deng Shui‐yun , Que Xiang 
Published: September 2018

AbstractThe university pays attention to the quality of teaching and evaluates the results of student assessment as a certain criterion. Teaching quality is the core of education. Improving the quality of teaching is the primary task of school work. This paper studies the results of teaching assessment of university science and technology students, and draws the main content of students' attention to science and engineering courses. It also improves the teaching ability of science and engineering teachers to enhance teaching quality. First, the variance analysis was used to test the influence of different semesters and teachers' professional titles on students' teaching assessment. There was no significant difference in the results; based on the factor analysis, three factors that students pay attention to when evaluating teachers are obtained; the use of association rules to obtain a high degree of correlation between the three factors is a focus of the student's study science and engineering courses. The science and engineering teachers can use this research result to improve and optimize the teaching behavior and enhance their comprehensive classroom teaching ability. Ultimately improve the quality of teaching.
Continuous assessment in a computer programming course supported by a software tool
Authors: Restrepo‐Calle Felipe , Ramírez Echeverry Jhon J. , González Fabio A. 
Published: September 2018

AbstractThis article presents a continuous assessment methodology for a computer programming course supported by an automatic assessment tool, applied to the practical programming exercises performed by the students. The interaction between the students and the assessment tool was studied through quantitative analyses. In particular, the solutions proposed by the students (computer programs) were analyzed using the verdicts given by the automatic assessment tool: correct solutions or incorrect solutions. In the case of incorrect solutions, the types of programming errors were studied. Additionally, interaction was also studied by analyzing the students’ success rate. This rate is the percentage of correct solutions among the total number of attempts (correct and incorrect). Moreover, the relationship between success rate and academic performance was analyzed. Furthermore, this research examines the students’ perceptions toward the assessment tool through interviews. The results of this study help understanding the benefits and perceptions of the students with respect to the use of an automatic assessment tool in a computer programming course.
Active Metabolites from Endolichenic Fungus Talaromyces sp.
Authors: Yuan Wei‐Hua , Teng Meng‐Ting , Sun Shan‐Shan , Ma Lin , Yuan Bo , Ren Qiang , Zhang Peng 
Published: September 2018

AbstractThe active metabolites investigation of Talaromyces sp. (strain No. MH551540) associated with Xanthoparmelia angustiphylla afforded one new δ‐lactone, talaromycin A (1), together with six known compounds, clearanol A (2), 6‐methylbiphenyl‐3,3′,4,5′‐tetraol (3), desmethylaltenusin (4), ergone (5), ergosterol (6), and palmitic acid (7). The structures of these compounds were elucidated by a combination of spectroscopic‐data interpretation and single‐crystal X‐ray diffraction analysis. The cytotoxicities of 1–7 and the antioxidant activities of 3 and 4 were also evaluated.
Electrochemical and Kinetic Insights into Molecular Water Oxidation Catalysts Derived from Cp*Ir(pyridine‐alkoxide) Complexes
Authors: Sackville Emma V. , Marken Frank , Hintermair Ulrich 
Published: September 2018

AbstractWe report the solution‐phase electrochemistry of seven half‐sandwich iridium(III) complexes with varying pyridine‐alkoxide ligands to quantify electronic ligand effects that translate to their activity in catalytic water oxidation. Our results unify some previously reported electrochemical data of Cp*Ir complexes by showing how the solution speciation determines the electrochemical response: cationic complexes show over 1 V higher redox potentials that their neutral forms in a distinct demonstration of charge accumulation effects relevant to water oxidation. Building on previous work that analysed the activation behaviour of our pyalk‐ligated Cp*Ir complexes1–7, we assess their catalytic oxygen evolution activity with sodium periodate (NaIO4) and ceric ammonium nitrate (CAN) in water and aqueoustBuOH solution. Mechanistic studies including H/D kinetic isotope effects and reaction progress kinetic analysis (RPKA) of oxygen evolution point to a dimer‐monomer equilibrium of the IrIVresting state preceding a proton‐coupled electron transfer (PCET) in the turnover‐limiting step (TLS). Finally, true electrochemically driven water oxidation is demonstrated for all catalysts, revealing surprising trends in activity that do not correlate with those obtained using chemical oxidants.
Low Temperature Direct Conversion of Methane using a Solid Superacid
Authors: Kanitkar Swarom , Carter James H. , Hutchings Graham J. , Ding Kunlun , Spivey James J. 
Published: September 2018

AbstractThe direct conversion of methane to higher hydrocarbons and hydrogen can be catalyzed using “superacids”: nCH4→CnHm+xH2. The first report of catalytic oligomerization of methane using superacids was that of Olah et al., who demonstrated the superacidity of FSO3H−SbF5, which is a liquid. More recently, Vasireddy et al. showed that gas‐phase HBr/AlBr3 was an active superacid. The only reported solid superacid for methane oligomerization is sulfated zirconia (SZ). Here, we report a new class of Br‐based solid superacids, AlBrx/H‐ZSM‐5 (“ABZ‐5”, x=1 or 2). ABZ‐5 is based on gas‐phase HBr/AlBr3, with the objective of synthesizing a heterogeneous analogue of the gas‐phase superacid HBr/AlBr3. The results show that ABZ‐5 is significantly more active than SZ. Perhaps more significantly, results here show methane conversions of ∼1 % at 300 °C using ABZ‐5. By comparison with SZ, 350 °C is the lowest temperature reported in the literature at which measurable conversions are shown, and the corresponding methane conversions were <0.15. Here, we demonstrate direct conversion of methane using a solid superacid catalyst, AlBrx/H‐ZSM‐5. This solid catalyst is synthesized using a vapor‐phase process in which AlBr3 vapor is grafted on to solid H‐SZM‐5. This catalyst is characterized using NH3‐TPD, XRD, and DRIFTS. Hydrocarbon products observed in the temperature range of 200–400 °C include both C2–C6 hydrocarbons and aromatics.