bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Multigram Synthesis of Cu‐Ag Core–Shell Nanowires Enables the Production of a Highly Conductive Polymer Filament for 3D Printing Electronics
Authors: Cruz Mutya A. , Ye Shengrong , Kim Myung Jun , Reyes Christopher , Yang Feichen , Flowers Patrick F. , Wiley Benjamin J. 
Published: January 2018

AbstractThis article reports a synthesis that yields 4.4 g of Cu nanowires in 1 h, and a method to coat 22 g of Cu nanowires with Ag within 1 h. Due to the large diameters of Cu nanowires (≈240 nm) produced by this synthesis, a Ag:Cu mol ratio of 0.04 is sufficient to coat the nanowires with ≈3 nm of Ag, and thereby protect them from oxidation. This multigram Cu‐Ag core–shell nanowire production process enabled the production of the first nanowire‐based conductive polymer composite filament for 3D printing. The 3D printing filament has a resistivity of 0.002 Ω cm, >100 times more conductive than commercially available graphene‐based 3D printing filaments. The conductivity of composites containing 5 vol% of 50‐µm‐long Cu‐Ag nanowires is greater than composites containing 22 vol% of 20‐µm‐long Ag nanowires or 10‐µm‐long flakes, indicating that high‐aspect ratio Cu‐Ag nanowires enable the production of highly conductive composites at relatively low volume fractions. The highly conductive filament can support current densities between 2.5 and 4.5 × 105 A m−2 depending on the surface‐to‐volume ratio of the printed trace, and was used to 3D print a conductive coil for wireless power transfer.
Accuracy of standardized 12‐core template biopsies versus non‐standardized biopsies for detection of Epstein Grade 5 prostate cancer regarding the histology of the prostatectomy specimen
Authors: Würnschimmel Christoph , Grande Pietro , Moschini Marco , Ferrari Matteo , Mordasini Livio , Mattei Agostino 
Published: January 2018

ObjectiveTo evaluate the effectiveness of EAU Guideline compliant transrectal ultrasound‐guided 12‐core prostate biopsies for detection of highly aggressive Epstein Grade 5 (Gleason Score 9‐10) prostate cancer.MethodsTwo hundred ninety‐nine patients, treated by radical prostatectomy for prostate cancer, have been prospectively recorded in a database and were evaluated for this study. Pre‐operatively, all patients received transrectal ultrasound‐guided biopsies according to inhomogeneous templates chosen by the referring urologist. We evaluated the outcomes according to a stratified group‐analysis: Group 1 received less than 12 biopsies, Group 2 received more than 12 biopsies, and Group 3 received exactly 12 biopsies, according to the EAU Guidelines template. After surgical removal of the prostate, 12 EAU Guideline‐templated biopsies were performed in all prostatectomy specimens, directly after the surgery. Pre‐operative and post‐operative Epstein Grade 5 biopsy detection rates were thereafter correlated with these prostatectomy specimens.ResultsIn prostatectomy specimens, the histology of 12 patients (4.0%) were Epstein Grade 1, 31 patients (10.5%) were Epstein Grade 2, 190 patients (63.5%) were Epstein Grade 3, 27 patients (9%) were Epstein Grade 4, and 39 patients (13%) were Epstein Grade 5. The detection rate of Epstein Grade 5 compared to the radical prostatectomy specimen was: Group 1: 23.0% pre‐operatively and 61.5% post‐operatively, Group 2: 33.3% pre‐operatively and 58.3% post‐operatively; and Group 3: 57.1% pre‐operatively and 64.2% post‐operatively.ConclusionDetection rates of highly aggressive Epstein Grade 5 prostate cancer vary considerably according to the biopsy technique. EAU Guideline compliant 12‐core template biopsies increase the detection rates of Epstein Grade 5 prostate cancer.
Effects of aPeganum harmala(Zygophyllaceae) preparation for root canal disinfection
Authors: Tabrizizadeh Mehdi , Kazemipoor Mahnaz , Hakimian Mahdi , Maleksabet Mojdeh , Kazemipoor Maryam , Zandi Hengameh , Pourrajab Fatemeh , Che Chun‐tao , Cordell Geoffrey A. 
Published: January 2018

The aim of this study was to determine the antimicrobial capacity, minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC), and cytotoxic effects of aPeganum harmalaseed extract in comparison to 5.25% sodium hypochlorite (NaOCl). The oral pathogenEnterococcus faecaliswas used to evaluate the antimicrobial capacity, and the MIC values were determined through serial dilution. Inhibition zones were measured in millimeter, and the data were analyzed statistically by analysis of variance and the Tukey HSD test. For cytotoxicity testing,P. harmalaseed extract and 5.25% NaOCl solution were incubated with L929 fibroblast cells. After 1, 24, and 72 hr of incubation, cells were stained and the optical density determined with an enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) reader. Data were analyzed with Chi‐Square statistical test. The significance level was set atp < .05. There was no significant difference between the antimicrobial capacity of 5.25% NaOCl and theP. harmalaextract (p > .05; MIC 4 μg/ml). The Microculture Tetrazolium (MTT) assay test showed that the cytotoxic effects of theP. harmalaextract were significantly lower than 5.25% NaOCl (p < .05). The results show that 5.25% NaOCl andP. harmalaseed extract have similar antimicrobial activity againstEnterococcus faecalis; butP. harmala, which shows reduced cytotoxicity, should be considered for further investigation as a safe, phytotherapeutic, intracanal irrigant.
Immune modulation of i.v. immunoglobulin in women with reproductive failure
Authors: Han Ae R. , Lee Sung K. 
Published: January 2018

AbstractBackgroundThe mechanism of maternal immune tolerance of the semi‐allogenic fetus has been explored extensively. The immune reaction to defend from invasion by pathogenic microorganisms should be maintained during pregnancy. An imbalance between the immune tolerance to the fetus and immune activation to the pathogenic organisms is associated with poor pregnancy outcomes. This emphasizes that the immune mechanism of successful reproduction is not just immune suppression, but adequate immune modulation.MethodsIn this review, the action of i.v. immunoglobulin G (IVIg) on the immune system and its efficacy in reproductive failure (RF) was summarized. Also suggested is the indication of IVIg therapy for women with RF.Main findings (Results)Based on the mechanism of the immune regulation of IVIg and following confirmation of the immune modulation effects of it in various aberrant immune parameters in patients with RF, it is obvious that IVIg is effective in recurrent pregnancy losses and repeated implantation failures with immunologic disturbances.ConclusionThe authors recommend IVIg therapy in patients with RF with aberrant cellular immunologic parameters, including a high natural killer cell proportion and its cytotoxicity or elevated T helper 1 to T helper 2 ratio, based on each clinic's cut‐off values. Further clinical studies about the safety of IVIg in the fetus and its efficacy in other immunologic abnormalities of RF are needed.
Early‐ and late‐lumping observer designs for long hydraulic pipelines: Application to pumped‐storage power plants
Authors: Marko L. , Mennemann J.‐F. , Jadachowski L. , Kemmetmüller W. , Kugi A. 
Published: January 2018

SummaryPumped‐storage power plants typically feature very long hydraulic pipelines, which can be modeled by a set of partial differential equations. The estimation of the pressure and volumetric flow along the pipes is an important task for the operation of such a plant. Therefore, this work compares different early‐ and late‐lumping–based observer designs for this system. Two late‐lumping observers, ie, a Lyapunov‐based design and an observer using the backstepping design method, are examined. The Lyapunov‐based approach uses a simple boundary correction to stabilize the estimation error dynamics. In contrast, the backstepping‐based approach allows utilizing additional in‐domain correction to obtain a faster rate of convergence. For the implementation of these distributed‐parameter observers, the spectral element method as a flexible and computationally efficient discretization method is introduced. It is shown that, compared with that of the Lyapunov‐based design, the discretization of the backstepping‐based design requires additional spatial grid points for the accurate approximation of its feedback gains. For the early‐lumping approach, the spectral element method is used to approximate the model equations by a system of differential equations. Based on this approximation, an extended Kalman filter is designed. All observer designs are validated and compared for a representative test case.
The chromatic number of dense random graphs
Authors: Heckel Annika 
Published: January 2018

AbstractThe chromatic number of a graph G is defined as the minimum number of colors required for a vertex coloring where no two adjacent vertices are colored the same. The chromatic number of the dense random graph where is constant has been intensively studied since the 1970s, and a landmark result by Bollobás in 1987 first established the asymptotic value of . Despite several improvements of this result, the exact value of remains open. In this paper, new upper and lower bounds for are established. These bounds are the first ones that match each other up to a term of size o(1) in the denominator: they narrow down the coloring rate of to an explicit interval of length o(1), answering a question of Kang and McDiarmid.
High on creativity: The impact of social liberalization policies on innovation
Authors: Vakili Keyvan , Zhang Laurina 
Published: January 2018

Research Summary:We use a large‐sample inductive approach to explore the impact of two social liberalization policies (legalization of same‐sex civil unions and medical marijuana) and one anti‐liberalization policy (passage of abortion restrictions) on innovation. First, we show that liberalization policies increase state‐level patenting, while the anti‐liberalization policy reduces patenting. Next, we examine three possible mechanisms that could explain the findings. The results suggest that liberalization policies can increase the collaboration diversity of inventors, and hence, the rate, novelty, and impact of their innovation output, through promoting more liberal views and more openness to diversity. We also find speculative evidence that social liberalization policies increase entrepreneurial entry through promoting more diverse social interactions. We do not find evidence for liberal policies attracting top inventors from other regions.Managerial Summary:How does the social context impact the rate and direction of innovation? This article examines this question by exploring the impact of two social liberalization policies (legalization of same‐sex civil unions and medical marijuana) and one anti‐liberalization policy (passage of abortion restrictions) on innovation in the United States. We first show that liberalization policies increase patenting, while the anti‐liberalization policy reduces patenting. Further analyses highlight the impact of these policies on individuals’ openness to diversity as a driving mechanism. We show that inventors collaborate with more diverse partners after the implementation of liberalization policies, producing more innovations and more novel and impactful ones. We discuss the implications for firm location decisions, the impact of corporate social responsibility on innovation, and sources of regional competitive advantage.
Photo‐Reconfigurable Azopolymer Etch Mask: Photofluidization‐Driven Reconfiguration and Edge Rectangularization
Authors: Choi Jaeho , Kang Hong Suk , Jo Wonhee , Kim Shin‐Hyun , Jung Yeon Sik , Kim Hee‐Tak 
Published: January 2018

AbstractDirectional photofluidization of azobenzene materials has provided unprecedented opportunities for the structural reconfiguration of circular holes, line gaps, ellipsoidal holes, and nanofunnel‐shaped micro/nanoarchitectures. However, all the reconfigured structures have a parabolic or round wall due to the tendency of the photofluidized azobenezene materials to minimize the surface area, which limits their use as a reconfigurable etch‐mask for the lithography process. In this work, a simple method is presented that can change the round walls of azopolymer architectures into rectangular walls, which is named rectangularization. By irradiating far‐field light on reconfigured azopolymer in a conformal contact with a flat polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) film, the round wall transforms to a rectangular one because the azopolymer adheres along the PDMS surface while being photofluidized. As a result, the rectangularization process creates a variety of structural features and sizes ranging from a few micrometers to 150 nm having a rectangular wall. By exploiting the rectangularization process, the concept of a photo‐reconfigurable etch mask is achieved, which transfers the mask patterns to a silicon pattern with a high structural fidelity and imparts a considerable flexibility to the lithography process.
Palladium‐Decorated Silicon Nanomesh Fabricated by Nanosphere Lithography for High Performance, Room Temperature Hydrogen Sensing
Authors: Gao Min , Cho Minkyu , Han Hyeuk‐Jin , Jung Yeon Sik , Park Inkyu 
Published: January 2018

AbstractA hydrogen (H2) gas sensor based on a silicon (Si) nanomesh structure decorated with palladium (Pd) nanoparticles is fabricated via polystyrene nanosphere lithography and top‐down fabrication processes. The gas sensor shows dramatically improved H2 gas sensitivity compared with an Si thin film sensor without nanopatterns. Furthermore, a buffered oxide etchant treatment of the Si nanomesh structure results in an additional performance improvement. The final sensor device shows fast H2 response and high selectivity to H2 gas among other gases. The sensing performance is stable and shows repeatable responses in both dry and high humidity ambient environments. The sensor also shows high stability without noticeable performance degradation after one month. This approach allows the facile fabrication of high performance H2 sensors via a cost‐effective, complementary metal–oxide–semiconductor (CMOS) compatible, and scalable nanopatterning method.
Advances in Stimuli‐Responsive Polypeptide Nanogels
Authors: Jiang Zhongyu , Chen Jinjin , Cui Liguo , Zhuang Xiuli , Ding Jianxun , Chen Xuesi 
Published: January 2018

AbstractPolymer nanogels, which are nanosized particles of hydrogels formed by physically or chemically crosslinking polymers, are one of the most promising nanoplatforms for use in biomedical applications, including drug delivery, gene therapy, and bioimaging. Polypeptide nanogels exhibit many advantages for applications in biomedical fields, including stable 3D structures, high drug‐loading efficiency, excellent biocompatibility, stimuli responsiveness, and so forth. More specifically, smart polypeptide nanogels undergo suitable transitions under endogenous (e.g., reduction, reactive oxygen species, pH, and enzymes) or exogenous stimuli (e.g., light, temperature, voltage, and magnetic fields) for on‐demand drug delivery. Here, a comprehensive introduction to the preparation and applications of diverse stimuli‐responsive polypeptide nanogels is given. Moreover, the opportunities and challenges of polypeptide nanogels for the development of biomedicine are briefly predicted.
Microstructure evolution during tempering of martensitic Fe–C–Cr alloys at 700 °C
Authors: Hou Ziyong , Babu R. Prasath , Hedström Peter , Odqvist Joakim 
Published: January 2018

AbstractThe microstructure evolution of two martensitic alloys Fe–0.15C–(1.0 and 4.0) Cr (wt%) was investigated, using X-ray diffraction, electron backscatter diffraction, electron channeling contrast imaging and transmission electron microscopy, after interrupted tempering at 700 °C. It was found that quenching of 1-mm-thick samples in brine was sufficient to keep most of the carbon in solid solution in the martensite constituent. The high dislocation density of the martensite decreased rapidly during the initial tempering but continued tempering beyond a few minutes did not further reduce the dislocation density significantly. The initial martensitic microstructure with both coarse and fine laths coarsened slowly during tempering for both alloys. However, a clear difference between the two alloys was distinguished by studying units separated by high-angle boundaries (HABs). In the low-Cr alloy, M3C precipitates formed and coarsened rapidly, thus they caused little hindrance for migration of HABs, i.e., coarsening of the HAB units. On the other hand, in the high-Cr alloy, M7C3precipitates formed and coarsened slowly, thus they were more effective in pinning the HABs than M3C in the low-Cr alloy, i.e., coarsening of HAB units was minute in the high-Cr alloy.
Utilization of the Tablet Application Proband in Pedigree Construction and Assessment
Authors: McCarty Andrew Joseph , Miller Jeffrey M. , Fecteau Heather , Pennington Jeffrey W , Kessler Lisa 
Published: January 2018

AbstractMany medical institutions have converted to a digital model for record keeping due to the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health Act. This Act provides incentives to health care systems to accelerate and encourage the adoption of electronic health record (EHR) systems. The pedigree as a tool in medicine provides an efficient method to assess and represent an individual's health and family health risks that may otherwise not be apparent in the medical record in a clearly identifiable way (Schuette, J. L., & Bennett 2009). Many clinicians continue to construct pedigrees using pen and paper method despite findings of improved identification of at risk patients with similar electronic intake tools (Arar et al. in Personalized Medicine 2011 8:523–32). The goal of this study was to explore the patient and practitioner experience with electronic pedigree programs using Proband, an application developed at The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia for genetic counselors to construct pedigrees during genetic counseling sessions directly on iPads. The first part of this study looked at the patient experience and assessed time to take the pedigree and the impact of using an electronic pedigree tool on the relationship between participant and genetic counselor. This involved 50 participants and was compared with the traditional paper method of taking a pedigree. There was no statistical significance found between the two different mediums in accuracy, speed, and rapport with provider. The second part of the study assessed the usability of Proband by ten genetic counselors. Overall, the application received a system usability score of 90/100 with a majority (7/10) of counselors agreeing that they would use this application in their clinic. The positive outcome of this study encourages future work to assess the impact and usability of programs on a larger scale as they continue to integrate into current electronic health records.
Sturmian words and Cantor sets arising from unique expansions over ternary alphabets
Authors: KWON DOYONG 
Published: January 2018

Over a finite alphabet$A$of real numbers, unique expansions in base$\unicode[STIX]{x1D6FD}$are considered. A real number$G_{A}$called the generalized golden ratio is a critical point of a situation of unique expansions. If$\unicode[STIX]{x1D6FD}<G_{A}$, then there are only trivial unique expansions in base$\unicode[STIX]{x1D6FD}$, while there are non-trivial unique expansions in base$\unicode[STIX]{x1D6FD}$whenever$\unicode[STIX]{x1D6FD}>G_{A}$. Komornik, Lai and Pedicini [Generalized golden ratios of ternary alphabets.J. Eur. Math. Soc.13(4) (2011), 1113–1146] investigated the case where$A$consists of three real numbers, and demonstrated that Sturmian words curiously emerge out of the generalized golden ratio. The present paper focuses on Sturmian words under this context. For a given alphabet$A=\{a_{1},a_{2},a_{3}\}$with$a_{1}<a_{2}<a_{3}$, we give a complete characterization of the corresponding Sturmian words effectively and algorithmically, which reveals interesting structures behind the generalized golden ratios.
Evaluating the benefits of a youth mental health curriculum for students in Nicaragua: a parallel-group, controlled pilot investigation
Authors: Ravindran Arun V. , Herrera Andres , da Silva Tricia L. , Henderson Joanna , Castrillo Magda Esther , Kutcher Stan 
Published: January 2018

Background.High rates of mental illness and addictions are well documented among youth in Nicaragua. Limited mental health services, poor mental health knowledge and stigma reduce help-seeking. The Mental Health Curriculum (MHC) is a Canadian school-based program that has shown a positive impact on such contributing factors. This pilot project evaluated the impact of the MHC on mental wellness and functioning among youth in Leon, Nicaragua.Methods.High school and university students (aged 14–25 years) were assigned to intervention (12-week MHC;n = 567) and control (wait-list;n = 346) groups in a non-randomized design. Both groups completed measures of mental health knowledge, stigma and function at baseline and 12 weeks. Multivariate analyses and repeated measures analyses were used to compare group outcomes.Results.At baseline, intervention students showed higher substance use (mean difference [MD] = 0.24) and lower perceived stress (MD = −1.36) than controls (p < 0.05); there were no other group differences in function. At 12 weeks, controlling for baseline differences, intervention students reported significantly higher mental health knowledge (MD = 1.75), lower stigma (MD = 1.78), more adaptive coping (MD = 0.82), better lifestyle choices (MD = 0.06) and lower perceived stress (MD = −1.63) (p < 0.05) than controls. The clinical significance as measured by effect sizes was moderate for mental health knowledge, small to moderate for stigma and modest for the other variables. Substance use also decreased among intervention students to similar levels as controls (MD = 0.03) (p > 0.05).Conclusions.This pilot investigation demonstrates the benefits of the MHC in a low-and-middle-income youth population. The findings replicate results found in Canadian student populations and support its cross-cultural applicability.