bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Trace elements and radiocesium in game species near contaminated sites
Authors: Oldenkamp Ricki E. , Bryan Albert L. , Kennamer Robert A. , Leaphart James C. , Webster Sarah C. , Beasley James C. 
Published: August 2017

ABSTRACTMercury (Hg), Selenium (Se), and Arsenic (As) found in coal combustion wastes (CCW) and radionuclides released from anthropogenic activities present potential environmental and human health concerns. Despite the widespread harvest and consumption of wildlife by recreational hunters, game species are not subject to the same safety testing as commercially marketed livestock; thus, there are few data available regarding contaminant concentrations in many commonly harvested wildlife. We sampled feral pigs (Sus scrofa; invasive wild pigs), gray squirrels (Sciurus carolinensis), and waterfowl from relatively uncontaminated habitats and areas of contamination to quantify levels of trace elements and radiocesium (137Cs) in muscle and liver tissues for assessment of potential human health risks from the consumption of game. Species collected at a CCW ash basin consistently had levels of selected trace elements, particularly Se, above concentrations considered toxic to waterfowl, suggesting CCW may be an important pathway for wildlife, and subsequently human exposure to this element. Similarly, we observed elevated concentrations of 137Cs in wildlife collected in or near aquatic ecosystems with histories of operational releases of radionuclides. The majority of tissue samples analyzed were below elemental levels known to adversely affect wildlife health and 137Cs levels were below European Economic Community limits for human consumption established following the 1986 Chernobyl accident. Waterfowl, however, had levels of several elements of interest (Se and Hg) that could be of health concern to the birds, especially individuals collected from areas with known contamination, or human consumers of the birds. Given the high levels of trace element burdens we observed in waterfowl collected from ash basins, and the common occurrence of similar surface impoundments throughout much of the globe, wide‐scale sampling for contaminants in waterfowl within or across migratory flyways appear to be greatly needed to better understand routes of contaminant movement and potential areas (or species) with elevated contamination risk to waterfowl and hunters. © 2017 The Wildlife Society.
Multiple pilomatrixomas in a survivor of WNT‐activated medulloblastoma leading to the discovery of a germline APC mutation and the diagnosis of familial adenomatous polyposis
Authors: Bendelsmith Charles R. , Skrypek Mary M. , Patel Sachin R. , Pond Dinel A. , Linabery Amy M. , Bendel Anne E. 
Published: August 2017

AbstractBecause children diagnosed with WNT‐activated medulloblastoma have a 10‐year overall survival rate of 95%, active long‐term follow‐up is critically important in reducing mortality from other causes. Here, we describe an 11‐year‐old adopted female who developed multiple pilomatrixomas 3 years after diagnosis of WNT‐activated medulloblastoma, an unusual finding that prompted deeper clinical investigation. A heterozygous germline APC gene mutation was discovered, consistent with familial adenomatous polyposis. Screening endoscopy revealed numerous precancerous polyps that were excised. This case highlights the importance of long‐term follow‐up of pediatric cancer survivors, including attention to unexpected symptoms, which might unveil an underlying cancer predisposition syndrome.
Regret about surgical decisions among early‐stage breast cancer patients: Effects of the congruence between patients' preferred and actual decision‐making roles
Authors: Wang Ashley Wei‐Ting , Chang Su‐Mei , Chang Cheng‐Shyong , Chen Shou‐Tung , Chen Dar‐Ren , Fan Fang , Antoni Michael H. , Hsu Wen‐Yau 
Published: August 2017

AbstractObjectiveEarly‐stage breast cancer patients generally receive either a mastectomy or a lumpectomy, either by their own choice or that of their surgeon. Sometimes, there is regret about the decision afterward. To better understand regret about surgical decisions, this study examined 2 possibilities: The first is that women who take a dominant or collaborative role in decision making about the surgery express less regret afterward. The second is that congruence between preferred role and actual role predicts less regret. We also explored whether disease stage moderates the relationship between role congruence and decisional regret.MethodsIn a cross‐sectional design, 154 women diagnosed with breast cancer completed a survey assessing decisional role preference and actual decisional role, a measure of post‐decision regret, and a measure of disturbances related to breast cancer treatment. Hierarchical regression was used to investigate prediction of decisional regret.ResultsRole congruence, not actual decisional role, was significantly associated with less decisional regret, independent of all the control variables. The interaction between disease stage and role congruence was also significant, showing that mismatch relates to regret only in women with more advanced disease.ConclusionsOur findings suggest that cancer patients could benefit from tailored decision support concerning their decisional role preferences in the complex scenario of medical and personal factors during the surgical decision.
Reinventing refills: guidelines for design
Authors: Lofthouse Vicky , Trimingham Rhoda , Bhamra Tracy 
Published: August 2017

This paper draws on the findings of a Department for Environment and Rural Affairs funded collaborative research project run by the Loughborough Design School in collaboration with Boots Alliance GmbH and presents guidelines for design teams regarding the design of successful, sustainable, refillable packaging. The study focused on “body wash” products in the area of personal care.A broad range of qualitative methods were used to create a background framework, develop design concepts, and test the viability of the design solutions. Two concepts were turned into high‐fidelity prototypes and tested in multi‐activity user focus groups. The prototypes were also evaluated from an environmental perspective using the Eco Indicator 99.Discussion is focused around general findings regarding refillable packing and also on specific findings related to “concentrates mixed in the parent pack.” The findings from this study have dramatically increased levels of understanding about the potential implications of refillable packaging and how it might be successfully used by business. A range of guidelines for the design of refills have been identified, which help to build a clearer picture of the requirements of successful refillable packaging design. Additionally, a much more detailed understanding of consumer perceptions, business challenges/opportunities, and environmental savings associated with “concentrated refills that are mixed in the parent pack,” has been identified.It has been seen that to be successful refills must perform for the consumer, the environment, and business, and although this may sound unsurprising, it is challenging to achieve. It means they must offer good quality; be very easy to use and appropriately delivered; be clearly communicated; be offered through a brand consumers like; and represent good value, whilst radically reducing the amount of packaging manufactured and distributed. Incorporating carefully considered consumer and environmental needs into the brief is critical to the successful development of refillable packaging.
An integrated preventive maintenance and production planning model with sequence‐dependent setup costs and times
Authors: Liu Xuejuan , Wang Wenbin , Peng Rui 
Published: August 2017

AbstractThis paper considers the integration of preventive maintenance and tactical production planning in a multiproduct production system, where setup costs and times are sequence dependent. A set of products needs to be produced in lots during a finite planning horizon, where preventive maintenance is conducted periodically at the end of some production periods and corrective maintenance is always performed when there is a failure. The system downtime—as caused by maintenance and setup—affects the system's available production capacity. We use a sequence‐oriented method to search for the optimal setup sequence and develop some steps to prune the searching tree. Our objective is to find the optimal preventive maintenance interval, production lot size, and production sequence in every period, by minimizing the sum of maintenance, production, inventory, and setup costs within the planning horizon. Numerical examples are presented to illustrate our model.
New Generation Fuel Cell Membrane Using Swift Heavy Ions
Authors: Jana Karun K. , Tiwari Vimal K. , Avasthi Devesh K. , Paine Tapan K. , Maiti Pralay 
Published: August 2017

AbstractIn this review, we focus on the effect of high energy swift heavy ion irradiation on fluoropolymers and their nanohybrids, prepared through dispersion of few weight percentage of organically modified nanoclay in polymer matrix, for the fabrication of new generation fuel cell membrane. A variety of chemical, physical and structural changes are revealed with superior properties in nanohybrid. In addition, radiation resistant nature of the polymer has been discussed with improved properties including formation of nanopores and high proton conductivity of the functionalized nanopores having sufficient mechanical strength which are essential requirements for any fuel cell membrane. Membrane electrode assembly has been demonstrated having very good power density and the developed membrane has the potential to replace the expensive Nafion as standard membrane currently being used in fuel cell membrane. Further, nanoclay induced piezoelectricity in polymer matrix is attractive for the fabrication of a smart membrane using swift heavy ions.
Review of Hydrogen Production by Catalytic Aqueous‐Phase Reforming
Authors: Vaidya Prakash D. , Lopez‐Sanchez Jose A. 
Published: August 2017

AbstractCatalytic aqueous‐phase reforming (APR) produces higher quality hydrogen (with less carbon monoxide) and carbon dioxide from weak solutions of bio‐carbohydrates in a single reactor at low temperatures. It provides a good opportunity for the effective valorisation of biomass‐derived products. It is advantageous than steam reforming because it saves energy by avoiding vaporization of the biofeed and lowers cost by precluding an extra water gas shift reactor. As evident from the numerous published works during the past decade, there is growing academic and industrial interest in the APR process. This review updates recent literature on APR of many biomass surrogates such as glycerol, ethylene glycol, sorbitol, ethanol and glucose. Most works focused on the development of efficient catalysts for selective hydrogen production and they were deliberated comprehensively. Key insights into improved catalysts and reaction conditions were highlighted. New inferences on the thermodynamic, kinetic and reactor engineering aspects of the APR process were analysed too. This thorough appraisal of the current literature, which is hitherto missing, will surely contribute to the development of the next generation of catalysts and reactors for commercial applications of the APR process.
Fossil travertines and quasi-travertine in the Minusa basin (West Siberia): structure, composition, and comparative analysis
Authors: Fedoseev G.S. , Vorontsov A.A. , Orekhov A.A. 
Published: August 2017

Abstract
We study a carbonate body looking like a classical fossil travertine which was discovered in the Chebaki–Balakhta basin within the Minusa trough (Khakassia, Russia) and called quasi-travertine. It is a thin layer sandwiched between a basalt–dolerite sill and calcareous siltstone. Comprehensive studies of the quasi-travertine and its comparison with Devonian fossil travertines located a few kilometers away in terms of structure and composition have made the basis for its formation model. According to this model, the quasi-travertine has had a two-stage history: deposition and subsequent hydrothermal metasomatism. Laminated limestone coexisting with calcareous siltstone of the Early Devonian Shunet Formation formed during the first stage and then experienced hydrothermal metasomatism with precipitation of secondary calcite, prehnite, and pyrobitumen (kerite).
Effect of pomegranate extract on blood pressure and anthropometry in adults: a double-blind placebo-controlled randomised clinical trial
Authors: Stockton A. , Farhat G. , McDougall Gordon J. , Al-Dujaili E. A. S 
Published: August 2017

AbstractPomegranate (Punica granatum), a polyphenol-rich fruit, has been suggested to reduce cardiovascular risk due to its antioxidant properties. Hypertension and obesity are the most preventable cardiovascular risk factors. Few studies on blood pressure and/or body-weight status have been conducted in human subjects. Previous investigations have tended to focus on pomegranate juice. The aim of the present study was to investigate the effect of pomegranate extract (PE) on blood pressure and anthropometric measures in adults with no symptomatic disease. A total of fifty-five participants enrolled in a randomised double-blinded placebo-controlled clinical trial where they were assigned to either PE capsules or placebo capsules for 8 weeks. Blood pressure, body weight, waist circumference, waist:hip ratio (WHR) and body composition (lean body mass, body fat) were measured at baseline, week 4 and week 8. Results showed a significant decrease in diastolic blood pressure after 8 weeks (by 2·79 (sd 5·32) mmHg; P < 0·05), while the decrease in systolic blood pressure did not reach statistical significance (2·57 (sd 7·4) mmHg; P > 0·05). Body fat percentage, lean body mass, waist circumference and WHR did not significantly differ between groups at the end of the intervention. Results suggest that PE may reduce blood pressure and possibly prevent hypertension in the normotensive population. Further large trials are required to elucidate this effect.
Syntactic methods for topic-independent authorship attribution
Authors: BJÖRKLUND JOHANNA , ZECHNER NIKLAS 
Published: August 2017

AbstractThe efficacy of syntactic features for topic-independent authorship attribution is evaluated, taking a feature set of frequencies of words and punctuation marks as baseline. The features are ‘deep’ in the sense that they are derived by parsing the subject texts, in contrast to ‘shallow’ syntactic features for which a part-of-speech analysis is enough. The experiments are made on two corpora of online texts and one corpus of novels written around the year 1900. The classification tasks include classical closed-world authorship attribution, identification of separate texts among the works of one author, and cross-topic authorship attribution. In the first tasks, the feature sets were fairly evenly matched, but for the last task, the syntax-based feature set outperformed the baseline feature set. These results suggest that, compared to lexical features, syntactic features are more robust to changes in topic.
Demoralization in medical illness: Feasibility and acceptability of a pilot educational intervention for inpatient oncology nurses
Authors: Brewer Benjamin W. , Caspari Jennifer M. , Youngwerth Jean , Nathan Leigh , Ripoll Izaskun , Heru Alison 
Published: August 2017

ABSTRACTObjective:Demoralization is a common problem among medical inpatients with such serious health problems as cancer. An awareness of this syndrome, a knowledge of what defines it, and a plan for how to intervene are limited among nursing teams. Nurses are uniquely poised to efficiently provide brief interventions that address demoralization in their patients. To our knowledge, there are no interventions that train nurses to distinguish and treat demoralization in their patients. The objective of the present study was to determine the acceptability, feasibility, and impact of a novel educational intervention for nurses.Method:An educational training video was created and delivered to staff nurses (N = 31) at oncology staff meetings to test the feasibility and acceptability of this intervention. Assessments of nurses' knowledge about demoralization and intervention methods were administered immediately before and after the training intervention and through a web-based survey 6 weeks post-intervention. McNemar's test for dependent categorical data was utilized to evaluate change in survey responses at the three timepoints.Results:Nurses' understanding of the concept of demoralization and appropriate interventions significantly improved by 30.3% from pre- to posttest (p ≤ 0.0001). These improvements persisted at 6 weeks post-intervention (p ≤ 0.0001). At 6-week follow-up, 74.2% of participants agreed or strongly agreed that the training had positively changed their nursing practice, 96.8% reported that this training benefited their patients, and 100% felt that this training was important for the professional development of nurses.Significance of results:This pilot intervention appeared feasible and acceptable to nurses and resulted in increased understanding of demoralization, improved confidence to intervene in such cases, and an enhanced sense of professional satisfaction among inpatient oncology floor nurses.
Observation of the unexpected morphology of graphene wrinkle on copper substrate
Authors: Wang Wen , Yang Shudu , Wang Ashu 
Published: August 2017

AbstractGraphene, a two-dimensional material, has a wide range of unique properties and could be used in the development of varieties of mechanic, electronic and photonic devices, therefore methods to synthesis large-area high-quality graphene films are urgently required. Chemical vapor deposition (CVD) has been of particular interest recently due to its simplicity and low cost. However, because of the mismatch of thermal expansion coefficients, high densities of wrinkles are commonly observed. Despite their prevalence and potential impact on large-scale graphene properties, relatively little is known about their structural morphology and formation mechanism. In this article, morphologies of graphene obtained by CVD are experimentally investigated by an atomic force microscope (AFM) and results show that the profiles of wrinkles are much larger than they should be. By using theoretical methods and molecular dynamics simulations (MD), we find internal molecules created during CVD process which supply additional pressure is the main mechanism.
Coherent tunneling in an AlGaN/AlN/GaN heterojunction captured through an analogy with a MOS contact
Authors: Baines Yannick , Buckley Julien , Biscarrat Jérôme , Garnier Gennie , Charles Matthew , Vandendaele William , Gillot Charlotte , Plissonnier Marc 
Published: August 2017

AbstractDue to their wide band gaps, III-N materials can exhibit behaviors ranging from the semiconductor class to the dielectric class. Through an analogy between a Metal/AlGaN/AlN/GaN diode and a MOS contact, we make use of this dual nature and show a direct path to capture the energy band diagram of the nitride system. We then apply transparency calculations to describe the forward conduction regime of a III-N heterojunction diode and demonstrate it realizes a tunnel diode, in contrast to its regular Schottky Barrier Diode designation. Thermionic emission is ruled out and instead, a coherent electron tunneling scenario allows to account for transport at room temperature and higher.
Application of galangin, an active component of Alpinia officinarum Hance (Zingiberaceae), for use in drug-eluting stents
Authors: Lee Jung-Jin , Lee Ji-Hye , Yim Nam-Hui , Han Joo-Hui , Ma Jin Yeul 
Published: August 2017

AbstractIn clinical pathology, stent interposition is used to treat vascular disease but can lead to restenosis. Drug-eluting stents (DES) are most commonly used to suppress restenosis but can also have side effects. Therefore, we investigated the anti-proliferative effect and its possible target in vitro and in vivo. We found that Alpinia officinarum Hance (AO) extract efficiently inhibited VSMC proliferation by arresting the transition from the G0/G1 to the S phase via the up-regulation of p27KIP1 expression. Galangin (GA) was determined to be a significant component of this extract, with the same anti-proliferative activity as the raw extract. Immunoblotting and immunofluorescence staining showed that both the AO extract and GA targeted the up-regulation of p27KIP1 expression. Therefore, we next examined the effect of these compounds in a cuff-injured neointimal hyperplasia model in vivo. In this animal model, both the AO extract and GA completely suppressed the neointima formation, and this inhibitory effect was also demonstrated to target the up-regulation of p27KIP1, including the suppression of proliferating cell nuclear antigen expression. Our findings indicate that AO extract and GA have a potent anti-proliferative activity, targeting the up-regulation of p27 expression. Thus, GA may represent an alternative medicine for use in DES.
Analysis of risk factors of rapid thyroidal radioiodine-131 turnover in Graves’ disease patients
Authors: Zhang Ruiguo , Tan Jian , Wang Renfei , Zhang Guizhi , Jia Qiang , Meng Zhaowei , Zhang Yueqian 
Published: August 2017

AbstractRapid iodine-131(131I) turnover in the thyroid gland is an important feature of Graves’ disease (GD) and also a strong predictor of radioiodine therapy failure. The aim of this study was to explore the predictors of rapid 131I turnover. The clinical data on 2543 patients were retrospectively reviewed. Patients were divided into 2 groups depending on present or absent with rapid 131I turnover defined as a 4-hour to 24-hour 131I uptake ratio of ≥1. Overall, 590 cases (23.2%) had a rapid 131I turnover. In the univariate analysis, gender, age, FT3/FT4 concentration, disease duration, with or without antithyroid drugs (ATD), time of ATD, thyroid weight and thyroid textures displayed significant differences. Cutoff values of age, FT3 and thyroid weight to predict rapid 131I turnover were 38 years, 35 pmol/l and 56 g by receiver operating characteristic curves. Binary logistic regression analysis further revealed higher probability of rapid 131I turnover in patients with thyroid weight ≥56 g (odds ratio [OR]:3.7, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 3.032–4.559), age <38 years (OR:2.3, 95%CI: 1.906–2.856), FT3 concentration ≥35 pmol/l (OR:7.6, 95%CI: 5.857–8.563) and females (OR:2.2, 95%CI: 1.757–2.791). In conclusion, larger goiters, younger age, higher FT3 concentration and females are independently associated with rapid 131I turnover in GD patients.
PAFAH1B1 haploinsufficiency disrupts GABA neurons and synaptic E/I balance in the dentate gyrus
Authors: Dinday Matthew T. , Girskis Kelly M. , Lee Sunyoung , Baraban Scott C. , Hunt Robert F. 
Published: August 2017

AbstractHemizygous mutations in the human gene encoding platelet-activating factor acetylhydrolase IB subunit alpha (Pafah1b1), also called Lissencephaly-1, can cause classical lissencephaly, a severe malformation of cortical development. Children with this disorder suffer from deficits in neuronal migration, severe intellectual disability, intractable epilepsy and early death. While many of these features can be reproduced in Pafah1b1+/− mice, the impact of Pafah1b1+/− on the function of individual subpopulations of neurons and ultimately brain circuits is largely unknown. Here, we show tangential migration of young GABAergic interneurons into the developing hippocampus is slowed in Pafah1b1+/− mice. Mutant mice had a decreased density of parvalbumin- and somatostatin-positive interneurons in dentate gyrus, but no change in density of calretinin interneurons. Whole-cell patch-clamp recordings revealed increased excitatory and decreased inhibitory synaptic inputs onto granule cells of Pafah1b1+/− mice. Mutant animals developed spontaneous electrographic seizures, as well as long-term deficits in contextual memory. Our findings provide evidence of a dramatic shift in excitability in the dentate gyrus of Pafah1b1+/− mice that may contribute to epilepsy or cognitive impairments associated with lissencephaly.