bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
WRF Model Simulations of the Influence of the Athabasca Oil Sands Development on Convective Storms
Authors: Brown Daniel , Reuter Gerhard 
Published: January 2018

AbstractThe Athabasca oil sands development has created a land surface disturbance of almost 900 km2 in northeastern Alberta. Both through industrial processes and the removal of boreal forest vegetation, this surface disturbance impacts meteorology in the vicinity by releasing waste heat, raising the surface temperature, and lowering the surface humidity. To investigate the effects of the Athabasca oil sands development on thunderstorm intensity, initiation time, and duration, the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) Model was employed to simulate the effect of the surface disturbance on atmospheric conditions on 10 case study days. The results suggested the oil sands surface disturbance was not associated with substantial increases in thunderstorm intensity on any of the case study days. On two case study days, however, the WRF Model simulations differed substantially from the observed meteorological conditions and only approached the observations when the oil sands surface disturbance was included in the model simulation. Including the oil sands surface disturbance in the model simulations resulted in thunderstorm initiation about 2 h earlier and increased thunderstorm duration. Data from commercial aircraft showed that the 850–500-mb temperature difference was greater than 30°C (very unstable) only on these 2 days. Such cases are sufficiently rare that they are not expected to affect the overall thunderstorm climatology. Still, in these very unstable cases, the oil sands development appears to have a significant effect on thunderstorm initiation time and duration.
A Methodology to Determine Recipe Adjustments for Multispectral Composites Derived from Next-Generation Advanced Satellite Imagers
Authors: Berndt Emily , Elmer Nicholas , Schultz Lori , Molthan Andrew 
Published: January 2018

AbstractThe European Organisation for the Exploitation of Meteorological Satellites (EUMETSAT) began creating multispectral [i.e., red–green–blue (RGB)] composites in the early 2000s with the advent of the Meteosat-8 Spinning Enhanced Visible and Infrared Imager (SEVIRI). As new satellite sensors—for example, the Himawari-8 Advanced Himawari Imager (AHI) and the Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite Advanced Baseline Imager (ABI)—become available, there is a need to adjust the EUMETSAT RGB standard thresholds (i.e., recipes) to account for differences in spectral characteristics, spectral response, and atmospheric absorption in order to maintain an interpretation consistent with legacy composites. For the purpose of comparing RGB composites derived from nonoverlapping geostationary sensors, an adjustment technique was applied to the Suomi National Polar-Orbiting Partnership (Suomi-NPP) Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) to create an intermediate reference sensor (i.e., SEVIRI proxy). Brightness temperature offset values between each AHI and SEVIRI proxy band centered near 3.9, 8.6, 11.0, and 12.0 µm were determined with this technique and through line-by-line radiative transfer model simulations. The relationship between measured brightness temperature of AHI and the SEVIRI proxy was determined though linear regression similar to research by the Japan Meteorological Agency. The linear regression coefficients were utilized to determine the RGB recipe adjustments. Adjusting the RGB recipes to account for the differences in spectral characteristics results in RGB composites consistent with legacy EUMETSAT composites. The methodology was applied to an example of the Nighttime Microphysics RGB, confirming the Japan Meteorological Agency adjustments and demonstrating a simple methodology to determine recipe adjustments for RGB composites derived with next-generation sensors.
Salvage Surgery after Radiation Failure in T1/T2 Larynx Cancer: Outcomes following Total versus Conservation Surgery
Authors: Cheraghlou Shayan , Kuo Phoebe , Mehra Saral , Yarbrough Wendell G. , Judson Benjamin L. 
Published: January 2018

ObjectiveAfter radiation failure for early T‐stage larynx cancer, national guidelines recommend salvage surgery. Total laryngectomy and conservation laryngeal surgery with an open or endoscopic approach are both used. Beyond single‐institution studies, there is a lack of evidence concerning the outcomes of these procedures. We aim to study whether treatment with conservation laryngeal surgery is associated with poorer outcomes than treatment with total laryngectomy as salvage surgery after radiation failure for T1/T2 larynx cancers.Study DesignA retrospective study was conducted of adult squamous cell larynx cancer cases in the National Cancer Database diagnosed from 2004 to 2012.SettingCommission on Cancer cancer programs in the United States.MethodsDemographic, facility, tumor, and survival variables were included in the analyses. Multivariate survival regressions as well as univariate Kaplan‐Meier analyses were conducted.ResultsSlightly more than 7% of patients receiving radiotherapy for T1/T2 larynx cancers later received salvage surgery. Salvage with partial laryngectomy was not associated with diminished survival as compared with total laryngectomy. However, positive surgical margins were associated with worse outcomes (hazard ratio, 1.782; P =. 001), and a larger percentage of patients receiving partial laryngectomy had positive margins than those receiving total laryngectomy. Facility characteristics were not associated with differences in salvage surgery type or outcomes.ConclusionIn recognition of the inherent selection bias, patients who experienced recurrences after radiation for T1/T2 larynx cancer and underwent conservation salvage laryngeal surgery demonstrated clinical outcomes similar to those of patients undergoing salvage total laryngectomy. Increased rates of positive surgical margins were observed among patients undergoing salvage conservation surgery.
Prognostic significance of urine paraquat concentrations of patients with acute paraquat poisoning on admission at the emergency department
Authors: Liu Xiaowei , Ma Tao , Liu Zhi 
Published: January 2018

Objective: To assess the prognostic significance of urine paraquat concentrations of patients with acute paraquat poisoning on admission at the emergency department. Methods: Patients with acute paraquat poisoning admitted to the emergency department were recruited. Survivors and non-survivors were compared with regard to urinary paraquat concentration. The urinary level predictive of mortality was assessed by receiver operating characteristic curve. Risk factors of mortality were evaluated by regression analysis. Results: The overall mortality rate was 70.9% over the 28-day follow-up period. There was a significant difference in the urine paraquat concentrations recorded on admission between non-surviving and surviving patients ( p = 0.022). Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis revealed that the area under the curve when applied to receiver operating characteristic of the admission urine paraquat concentrations for predicting mortality was 0.854 with a cut-off value of 34.5 µg/mL. The dose of paraquat ingested, arterial lactate, and urine concentration were independent risk factors predicting 28-day mortality. The time interval between ingestion and hemoperfusion, arterial lactate, and urine concentration of paraquat were independent risk factors predicting acute kidney injury, while the partial pressure of carbon dioxide (PaCO2) and urine concentration of paraquat were independent risk factors predicting acute lung injury. Conclusion: The urine concentrations of paraquat on admission at emergency department demonstrated predictive ability for the prognosis of patients with acute paraquat poisoning.
Suppression of Breast Cancer Cell Proliferation by Selective Single-Domain Antibody for Intracellular STAT3
Authors: Singh Sunanda , Murillo Genoveva , Chen Dong , Parihar Ashutosh S , Mehta Rajendra G 
Published: January 2018

Background: The serendipitous discovery of heavy-chain antibodies devoid of light chains in camelids and the subsequent development of VHHs (variable region of camelid heavy chain) have provided a very important tool for research and possibly for therapeutics. In this study, we synthesized single-domain 15-kDa antibody SBT-100 (anti-STAT3 B VHH13) against human STAT3 (signal transducer and activator of transcription) that binds selectively to STAT3 and suppresses the function of phosphorylated STAT3 (p-STAT3). Methods: Single-chain VHH nanobodies were generated by immunizing camelid with humanized STAT3. Commercially available breast cancer cell lines including MDA-MB-231, MDA-MB-468, MDA-MB-453, MCF-7, and BT474 were used. Cell proliferation was determined by 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide assay. The association of anti-STAT3 B VHH13 with STAT3 and p-STAT3 was determined by immunoprecipitation and Western blot analyses. The efficacy of SBT-100 on the growth of MDA-MB-231 xenografts in vivo was determined using athymic mice. Statistical significance for cell proliferation was determined using analysis of variance. If a significant difference ( P < .05) was observed, then Tukey-Kramer multiple comparison test was conducted. Results: SBT-100 suppressed cell proliferation of triple-negative breast cancer cells ( P < .01) as well as provided significant inhibition of tumor growth ( P < .05) in a xenograft model without any toxicity. Results are presented to show that anti-STAT3 B VHH13 selectively binds to STAT3 suggesting that the effects were mediated by inhibiting STAT3. Conclusions: A very large number of human malignancies and benign diseases have constitutive STAT3 activation. Therefore, the results described here suggest that anti-STAT3 B VHH13 can be developed for therapeutic intervention for cancer cells expressing STAT3 or p-STAT3.
Risk of Acute Kidney Injury in Patients Randomized to a Restrictive Versus Liberal Approach to Red Blood Cell Transfusion in Cardiac Surgery: A Substudy Protocol of the Transfusion Requirements in Cardiac Surgery III Noninferiority Trial
Authors: Garg Amit X. , Shehata Nadine , McGuinness Shay , Whitlock Richard , Fergusson Dean , Wald Ron , Parikh Chirag , Bagshaw Sean M. , Khanykin Boris , Gregory Alex , Syed Summer , Hare Gregory M. T. , Cuerden Meaghan S. , Thorpe Kevin E. , Hall Judith , Verma Subodh , Roshanov Pavel S. , Sontrop Jessica M. , Mazer C. David. 
Published: January 2018

Background: When safe to do so, avoiding blood transfusions in cardiac surgery can avoid the risk of transfusion-related infections and other complications while protecting a scarce resource and reducing costs. This protocol describes a kidney substudy of the Transfusion Requirements in Cardiac Surgery III (TRICS-III) trial, a multinational noninferiority randomized controlled trial to determine whether the risk of major clinical outcomes in patients undergoing planned cardiac surgery with cardiopulmonary bypass is no greater with a restrictive versus liberal approach to red blood cell transfusion. Objective: The objective of this substudy is to determine whether the risk of acute kidney injury is no greater with a restrictive versus liberal approach to red blood cell transfusion, and whether this holds true in patients with and without preexisting chronic kidney disease. Design and Setting: Multinational noninferiority randomized controlled trial conducted in 73 centers in 19 countries (2014-2017). Patients: Patients (~4800) undergoing planned cardiac surgery with cardiopulmonary bypass. Measurements: The primary outcome of this substudy is perioperative acute kidney injury, defined as an acute rise in serum creatinine from the preoperative value (obtained in the 30-day period before surgery), where an acute rise is defined as ≥26.5 μmol/L in the first 48 hours after surgery or ≥50% in the first 7 days after surgery. Methods: We will report the absolute risk difference in acute kidney injury and the 95% confidence interval. We will repeat the primary analysis using alternative definitions of acute kidney injury, including staging definitions, and will examine effect modification by preexisting chronic kidney disease (defined as a preoperative estimated glomerular filtration rate [eGFR] <60 mL/min/1.73 m2). Limitations: It is not possible to blind patients or providers to the intervention; however, objective measures will be used to assess outcomes, and outcome assessors will be blinded to the intervention assignment. Results: Substudy results will be reported by the year 2018. Conclusions: This substudy will provide generalizable estimates of the risk of acute kidney injury of a restrictive versus liberal approach to red blood cell transfusion in the presence of anemia during cardiac surgery done with cardiopulmonary bypass. Trial Registration: www.clinicaltrials.gov ; clinical trial registration number NCT 02042898.
Performance and Return to Sport After Thumb Ulnar Collateral Ligament Repair in Major League Baseball Players
Authors: Jack Robert A. , Sochacki Kyle R. , Gagliano Bryce , Lintner David M. , Harris Joshua D. , McCulloch Patrick C. 
Published: January 2018

Background: Acute ruptures of the ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) of the thumb are common injuries in sports. Surgical repair has yielded excellent results and high return-to-sport (RTS) rates in elite athletes. Purpose: To determine (1) the RTS rate in Major League Baseball (MLB) players following thumb UCL repair, (2) postoperative career length and games played per season, (3) pre- and postoperative performance, (4) postoperative performance compared with matched control players, and (5) whether dominant and nondominant hand injuries respond differently. Study Design: Cohort study; Level of evidence, 3. Methods: MLB players who underwent thumb UCL surgery from August 3, 1987, to September 6, 2016, were identified. Demographic and performance data were collected for each player, and matched controls were identified. RTS in the MLB was defined as playing in at least 1 MLB game after surgery. Comparisons were made by use of paired-samples Student t tests. Results: Twenty-one players were identified, with a mean ± SD age of 31.7 ± 3.9 years and mean experience in the MLB of 8.6 ± 3.3 years at time of surgery. Twenty-one players (100%) achieved RTS in the MLB at a mean 120.0 ± 75.9 days. No significant decrease was found in games per season or career length for any position following surgery. Infielders had a significantly lower rate of postoperative wins above replacement (WAR) compared with preoperatively ( P = .006), but no significant differences in postoperative performance score were found compared with controls after the index date. No significant difference was found for performance between players undergoing surgery on their dominant hand and those who had surgery on their nondominant (glove) hand compared with controls. Conclusion: In this study, 100% of MLB players achieved RTS after thumb UCL repair, with in-season players returning at a mean of 8 weeks. Players who underwent thumb UCL repair played in a similar number of games per season and had similar career lengths in the MLB as controls. Infielders had a significantly lower postoperative WAR compared with preoperatively, but no significant postoperative performance score differences were noted when infielders were compared with post–index date matched controls. No significant performance differences were noted with regard to surgery on dominant and nondominant hands.
Management of Persistent Epistaxis Using Floseal Hemostatic Matrix vs. Traditional nasal packing: A prospective randomized control trial
Authors: Murray Scott , Mendez Adrian , Hopkins Alexander , El-Hakim Hamdy , Jeffery Caroline C. , Côté David W. J. 
Published: January 2018

Background Epistaxis is the most common emergent consultation to otolaryngology-head & neck surgery (OHNS) and with 60% of the population having experienced an episode and 1.6 in 10,000 requiring hospitalization in their lifetime. In preliminary studies Floseal® (Baxter, USA) Hemostatic Matrix has shown efficacy in up to 80% of persistent anterior epistaxis. We sought to evaluate the clinical efficacy and cost-effectiveness of Floseal® (Baxter, USA) compared to traditional nasal packing for persistent epistaxis. Methods A prospective, randomized controlled trial was conducted on all adult patients consulted to the OHNS service at the tertiary referral centers of the University of Alberta Hospital and Royal Alexandra Hospital for persistent epistaxis. Patients were randomized to the Floseal® (Baxter, USA) or traditional packing study arms. Our main clinical outcome measures were: 1) Hemostasis directly following treatment and at 48 h post-treatment, and 2) self-reported patient comfort at 48 h post-treatment. Further, trial data was used for a formal cost-effectiveness analysis to determine incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER). Univariate sensitivity analysis and uncertainty analysis were performed. Results There were no significant differences between groups for initial hemostasis (76.9% vs. 84.6%, p = 1.000) or, hemostasis at 48 h (76.9% vs. 69.2%, p = 1.000), requirement for admission (15.4% vs. 46.1%, p = 0.2016) or 30-day re-presentation rates (15.4% vs. 46.1%, p = 0.2016). Floseal® (Baxter, USA) was superior for decreased pain during placement (2.42 vs. 7.77, p = 0.0022), treatment (0.50 vs. 4.46, p = 0.0007) and removal (0 vs. 3.85, p = 0.0021). Floseal® (Baxter, USA) provides an average $1567.61 per patient savings from the single-payer system point of view and has an ICER of - $11,891 per re-bleed prevented (95% CI: -$37,658 to +$473). Uncertainty analysis shows that Floseal® has >90% chance of not only being cost-effective, but the dominant (preferred) treatment. Conclusions Floseal® (Baxter, USA) was demonstrated to be an effective, comfortable and cost-effective alternative treatment of persistent epistaxis when compared to traditional packing methods for patients referred to OHNS with a normal coagulation profile. Trial registration Trial registration number: NCT02488135. Date registered: June 26, 2015.
Coloration of polyester fiber with natural dye henna (Lawsonia inermis L.) without using mordant: a new approach towards a cleaner production
Authors: Rahman Bhuiyan M. A. , Ali A. , Islam A. , Hannan M. A. , Fijul Kabir S. M. , Islam M. N. 
Published: January 2018

AbstractThe demand of natural colorants for the dyeing of textile fibers has been increasing gradually in recent years due to a growing global ecological awareness as well as a greater emphasis on a cleaner and greener production process. The eco-friendly dyeing of polyester fiber with natural dye henna is a novel approach that has extensively been studied in this article. To this end, the dyeing of polyester fiber with henna dye was conducted at different temperatures without using hazardous metallic mordants. Then the dyeing performance was investigated in terms of depth of shade measurement, analysis of colorimetric properties of color and assessment of color fastness properties of henna dyed polyester fabric samples. The amount of dye absorption by fiber and the resulting depth of shade were found to increase with increasing dyeing temperature. In case of colorfastness properties, all dyed substrates demonstrated excellent fastness ratings against washing, rubbing and perspiration with little to no deterioration of color. Moreover, the detailed morphological study revealed that surface structure of fiber remained unchanged after dyeing at an elevated temperature and pressure. So, the findings suggest that dyeing of polyester fiber with henna dye without any metallic mordants is a promising approach to get the desired dyeing performance alongside opening up an avenue for eco-friendly dyeing.
An efficient local operator-based Q-compensated reverse time migration algorithm with multistage optimization
Authors: Zhou Tong , Hu Wenyi , Ning Jieyuan 
Published: January 2018

Most existing [Formula: see text]-compensated reverse time migration ([Formula: see text]-RTM) algorithms are based on pseudospectral methods. Because of the global nature of pseudospectral operators, these methods are not ideal for efficient parallelization, implying that they may suffer from high computational cost and inefficient memory usage for large-scale industrial problems. In this work, we reported a novel [Formula: see text]-RTM algorithm — the multistage optimized [Formula: see text]-RTM method. This [Formula: see text]-RTM algorithm uses a finite-difference method to compensate the amplitude and the phase simultaneously by uniquely combining two techniques: (1) a negative [Formula: see text] method for amplitude compensation and (2) a multistage dispersion optimization technique for phase correction. To prevent high-frequency noise from growing exponentially and ruining the imaging results, we apply a finite impulse response low-pass filter using the Kaiser window. The theoretical analyses and numerical experiments demonstrate that this [Formula: see text]-RTM algorithm precisely recovers the decayed amplitude and corrects the distorted phase caused by seismic attenuation effects, and hence produces higher resolution subsurface images with the correct structural depth information. This new method performs best in the frequency range of 10–70 Hz. Compared with pseudospectral [Formula: see text]-RTM methods, this [Formula: see text]-RTM approach offers nearly identical imaging quality. Based on local numerical differential operators, this [Formula: see text]-RTM method is very suitable for parallel computing and graphic processing unit implementation, an important feature for large 3D seismic surveys.
Estimations of P- and S-wave velocities and anisotropy from measurements on artificial fractured samples
Authors: Wei Jian-Xin , Zhao Jian-Guo , Shuai Da , Di Bang-Rang , Qin Shu-Yuan 
Published: January 2018

Based on the assumptions of the Hudson theory, we built nine physical models, eight of which contain penny-shaped inclusions used to simulate fractures. The fracture density of the eight fractured models ranges from 2% to 12%. In the case that the fracture size was smaller than the wavelength, P- and S-wave transducers with three different ultrasound frequencies were used to estimate the P- and S-wave velocities of the matrix and inclusions from the traveltime picks and distance measurements. The experimentally obtained velocities were substituted into the Hudson model to calculate the theoretical velocities and anisotropy of fractured models, which were then compared with the experimental values of velocities and anisotropy. In general, with the variation of fracture density, the experimental results agreed well with the theoretical estimations within the frequency range from 0.10 to 0.50 MHz. The experimental values of P- and S-wave velocities and anisotropy showed conspicuous dispersion. With the decrease of frequency, P- and S-wave velocities decreased, whereas the anisotropy increased. Besides, the interaction of fractures in the case of high fracture density can affect the propagation of the slow S-wave. When the ratio of S-wave length to fracture diameter ([Formula: see text]) was lower than five, a train of interference wave with small amplitude appeared before the first arrival of slow S-wave, which will possibly have influence on the identification of the slow S-wave.