bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Optical and shape memory properties of semicrystalline poly(cyclooctene) upon cold‐drawing
Authors: Hong Seok Bin , Hong Seok Jin , Kang Tae‐Hyung , Youk Ji Ho , Yu Woong‐Ryeol 
Published: August 2017

ABSTRACTSemicrystalline thermoplastic poly(cyclooctene) (PCO) shows significant improvement in transparency when cold‐drawn at room temperature, unlike other semicrystalline polymers whose fibrillated chains cause crazing upon cold‐drawing, making the polymers opaque to visible light. Upon heating, transparent cold‐drawn PCO recovers its original opacity as well as its undeformed shape. In situ wide‐ and small‐angle X‐ray diffraction and polarized Fourier transform infrared analyses show that molecular density differences between the PCO crystalline and amorphous phases were reduced due to strain‐induced crystallization and that fibrillated chains and voids, an indication of craze, were not observed due to chain entanglements concentrated in trans double‐bond regions. These two factors explain the unique optical properties of PCO. Finally, it is demonstrated that crosslinked PCO enhanced optical and shape memory recovery without deterioration of the transparency of the polymer. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part B: Polym. Phys. 2017, 55, 1595–1607
Preparation and Characterization of Nanoenergetics Based Composition B
Authors: Qiu Hongwei , Stepanov Victor , Patel Rajen B. , Samuels Philip , Maier Katherine H. 
Published: August 2017

AbstractExplosive compositions employing nanoscale crystals of high explosives (i. e., nanoenergetics) have demonstrated reduced sensitivities to external stimuli. Until recently, the investigated formulations were limited to plastic bonded explosives. Explosives that are normally melt‐cast also would benefit from the use of nanoenergetics. However, the integration of nanoenergetics into the melt‐cast process is challenging due to the large surface area and solubility associated with nanoenergetics. In this work, we explored the preparation of nanoenergetics‐based Composition B (Comp B), a widely used melt‐cast explosive, by spray drying followed by mechanical compaction. The Comp B molding powder obtained from spray drying was characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and X‐ray diffraction (XRD). The structure and the shock sensitivity of the compacted nanoenergetics‐based Comp B (N‐Comp B), both as‐prepared and thermally cycled, was also studied using melt‐cast Comp B as the reference material. The characterization shows that N‐Comp B consisting of nanoscale cyclotrimethylenetrinitramine (RDX) and trinitrotoluene (TNT) contains mostly nanoscale voids but has a large number density. Reduced shock sensitivity was observed from N‐Comp B, attributed to the elimination of large voids. But the decrease seems to have been constrained by the large number density of voids. Thermal cycling induced significant structural change, i. e., the increase of both void size and the crystal size, causing an increase in sensitivity. Procedures are proposed to further reduce the sensitivity and enhance the thermal stability of N‐Comp B.
Inference for multimarker adaptive enrichment trials
Authors: Simon Richard , Simon Noah 
Published: August 2017

Identification of treatment selection biomarkers has become very important in cancer drug development. Adaptive enrichment designs have been developed for situations where a unique treatment selection biomarker is not apparent based on the mechanism of action of the drug. With such designs, the eligibility rules may be adaptively modified at interim analysis times to exclude patients who are unlikely to benefit from the test treatment.We consider a recently proposed, particularly flexible approach that permits development of model‐based multifeature predictive classifiers as well as optimized cut‐points for continuous biomarkers. A single significance test, including all randomized patients, is performed at the end of the trial of the strong null hypothesis that the expected outcome on the test treatment is no better than control for any of the subset populations of patients accrued in the K stages of the clinical trial.In this paper, we address 2 issues involving inference following an adaptive enrichment design as described above. The first is specification of the intended use population and estimation of treatment effect for that population following rejection of the strong null hypothesis. The second issue is defining conditions in which rejection of the strong null hypothesis implies rejection of the null hypothesis for the intended use population.
Sonographers' self‐reported visualization of normal postmenopausal ovaries on transvaginal ultrasound is not reliable: results of expert review of archived images from UKCTOCS
Authors: Stott W. , Campbell S. , Franchini A. , Blyuss O. , Zaikin A. , Ryan A. , Jones C. , Gentry‐Maharaj A. , Fletcher G. , Kalsi J. , Skates S. , Parmar M. , Amso N. , Jacobs I. , Menon U. 
Published: August 2017

ABSTRACTObjectiveIn the UK Collaborative Trial of Ovarian Cancer Screening (UKCTOCS), self‐reported visualization rate (VR) of the ovaries by the sonographer on annual transvaginal sonographic (TVS) examinations was a key quality control (QC) metric. The objective of this study was to assess self‐reported VR using expert review of a random sample of archived images of TVS examinations from UKCTOCS, and then to develop software for measuring VR automatically.MethodsA single expert reviewed images archived from 1000 TVS examinations selected randomly from 68 931 TVS scans performed in UKCTOCS between 2008 and 2011 with ovaries reported as ‘seen and normal’. Software was developed to identify the exact images used by the sonographer to measure the ovaries. This was achieved by measuring caliper dimensions in the image and matching them to those recorded by the sonographer. A logistic regression classifier to determine visualization was trained and validated using ovarian dimensions and visualization data reported by the expert.ResultsThe expert reviewer confirmed visualization of both ovaries (VR‐Both) in 50.2% (502/1000) of the examinations. The software identified the measurement image in 534 exams, which were split 2:1:1 providing training, validation and test data. Classifier mean accuracy on validation data was 70.9% (95% CI, 70.0–71.8%). Analysis of test data (133 exams) provided a sensitivity of 90.5% (95% CI, 80.9–95.8%) and specificity of 47.5% (95% CI, 34.5–60.8%) in detecting expert confirmed visualization of both ovaries.ConclusionsOur results suggest that, in a significant proportion of TVS annual screens, the sonographers may have mistaken other structures for normal ovaries. It is uncertain whether or not this affected the sensitivity and stage at detection of ovarian cancer in the ultrasound arm of UKCTOCS, but we conclude that QC metrics based on self‐reported visualization of normal ovaries are unreliable. The classifier shows some potential for addressing this problem, though further research is needed. © 2017 The Authors. Ultrasound in Obstetrics & Gynecology published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of the International Society of Ultrasound in Obstetrics and Gynecology.
Operative Results and Oncologic Outcomes of Associating Liver Partition and Portal Vein Ligation for Staged Hepatectomy (ALPPS) Versus Two‐Stage Hepatectomy (TSH) in Patients with Unresectable Colorectal Liver Metastases: A Systematic Review and Meta‐Analysis
Authors: Moris Dimitrios , Ronnekleiv‐Kelly Sean , Kostakis Ioannis D. , Tsilimigras Diamantis I. , Beal Eliza W. , Papalampros Alexandros , Dimitroulis Dimitrios , Felekouras Evangelos , Pawlik Timothy M. 
Published: August 2017

AbstractBackgroundAssociating liver partition and portal vein ligation for staged hepatectomy (ALPPS) has recently emerged as a treatment choice for patients with colorectal liver metastases (CLM) and inadequate future liver remnant (FLR). The aim of this study was to define the results of ALPPS compared with two‐stage hepatectomy (TSH) for patients with CLM.Materials and methodsA meta‐analysis was conducted in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta‐Analysis guidelines. Identification of eligible studies was performed using three distinct databases through February 2017; Medline, ClinicalTrials.gov and Cochrane library—Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials using a syntax including medical subject headings terms “portal vein ligation,” “PVE,” “staged hepatectomy,” “staged liver resection,” “liver resection,” “two‐stage hepatectomy,” “TSH,” “in situ liver transection with portal vein ligation,” “associating liver partition and portal vein ligation for staged hepatectomy” and “ALPPS”.ResultsAmong the 634 records identified, 9 studies comparing ALPPS with TSH met the inclusion criteria. These studies included 657 patients with unresectable CLM (ALPPS, n = 186 vs TSH, n = 471). There was no difference in final postoperative FLR between ALPPS versus TSH (mean difference: 31.72, 95% CI: −27.33 to 90.77, p = 0.29). The kinetic growth rate was faster with the ALPPS versus TSH (mean difference 19.07 ml/day, 95% CI 8.12–30.02, p = 0.0006). TSH had a lower overall and major morbidity versus ALPPS (overall morbidity: RR: 1.39, 95% CI: 1.07–1.8, p = 0.01; I2: 58%, p = 0.01; major morbidity: RR: 1.57, 95% CI: 1.18–2.08, p = 0.002; I2: 0%, p = 0.44). Overall survival was comparable following ALPPS versus TSH.ConclusionWhile ALPPS may be a suitable approach for patients, the higher morbidity and mortality should be considered when determining the operative approach for patients with extensive CLM.
Fecal incontinence and quality of life assessment through questionnaires
Authors: Rodrigues Beatriz Deoti Silva , Reis Igor Guedes Nogueira , Coelho Felipe Marcondes de Oliveira , Buzatti Kelly Cristine de Lacerda Rodrigues 
Published: August 2017

Abstract
Background: Fecal incontinence causes a big impact on patient's quality of life. Our study analyzed the main questionnaires about fecal incontinence available internationally, aiming to delineate vantages and limitations of these instruments and their application, to mention the cultural aspects involved in the process of development and validation, as well as to suggest a reflection about the complexity of this matter. Results: Four of the instruments (Pescatori score, FISI, MSKCC bowel function instrument, and LARS score) do not include quality of life, working only as diagnostic tools. Two others, ‘Jorge and Wexner Fecal Incontinence score’, and ‘St Marks’ Fecal incontinence grading system’ can diagnose and grade fecal incontinence, however they are very subtle in assessing quality of life. The ‘EORTC Colorectal Cancer-specific’, on the other hand, focuses exclusively on quality of life. Although the ‘FIQL’ questionnaire assesses quality of life related to fecal incontinence, it does not measure leakage. Lastly, the ‘RAFIS’ assesses both aspects but too superficially. Conclusion: None of the questionnaires analyzed were able to simultaneously assess both fecal incontinence and quality of life successfully. Furthermore, the concepts related to fecal incontinence have different meanings depending on the cultural and psychosocial context. These differences are even greater when individuals of developed countries like the ones where these questionnaires were developed are compared to the ones of developing countries, such as Brazil, which makes its very hard for these instruments to be used universally.
Utilization of Electronic Health Record Events to Conduct a Tuberculosis Contact Investigation in a High-Risk Oncology Unit
Authors: Usiak Shauna C. , Romero Fabian A. , Schwegman Patrice , Fitzpatrick Violet , Connor MaryAnn , Eagan Janet , Brown Arthur E. , Kamboj Mini 
Published: August 2017

OBJECTIVETo describe the utilization of electronic medical data resources, including health records and nursing scheduling resources, to conduct a tuberculosis (TB) exposure investigation in a high-risk oncology unit.SETTINGA 42-bed inpatient unit with a mix of surgical and medical patients at a large tertiary-care cancer center in New York City.PARTICIPANTSHigh-risk subjects and coworkers exposed to a healthcare worker (HCW) with cavitary smear positive lung TB.RESULTSDuring the 3-month exposure period, 270 patients were admitted to the unit; 137 of these (50.7%) received direct care from the index case HCW. Host immune status and intensity of exposure were used to establish criteria for postexposure testing, and 63 patients (45%) met these criteria for first-tier postexposure testing. No cases of active TB occurred. Among coworkers, 146 had significant exposure (ie, >8 hours cumulative). In the 22-month follow-up period after the exposure, no purified protein derivative or interferon gamma release assay conversions or active cases of TB occurred among exposed HCWs or patients.CONCLUSIONSElectronic medical records and employee scheduling systems are useful resources to conduct otherwise labor-intensive contact investigations. Despite the high-risk features of our index case, a highly vulnerable immunocompromised patient population, and extended proximity to coworkers, we did not find any evidence of transmission of active or latent tuberculosis infection among exposed individuals.Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol2017;38:1235–1239
Decontamination of Hospital Surfaces With Multijet Cold Plasma: A Method to Enhance Infection Prevention and Control?
Authors: Cahill Orla J. , Claro Tânia , Cafolla Attilio A. , Stevens Niall T. , Daniels Stephen , Humphreys Hilary 
Published: August 2017

OBJECTIVETo evaluate the efficacy of a multijet cold-plasma system and its efficacy in decontaminating 2 surfaces commonly found in hospitalsDESIGNAn in vitro study of common causes of healthcare-acquired infectionMETHODSLog10 9 cultures of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, vancomycin-resistant enterococci, extended spectrum β-lactamase–producing Escherichia coli, and Acinetobacter baumannii were applied to 5-cm2 sections of stainless steel and mattress. Human serum albumin (HSA) was used as a proxy marker for organic material, and atomic force microscopy (AFM) was used to study the impact on bacterial cell structure. The inoculated surfaces were exposed to a cold-air-plasma–generating multijet prototype for 15, 20, 30, and 45 seconds.RESULTSAfter 45 seconds, at least 3 to 4 log reductions were achieved for all bacteria on the mattress, while 3 to 6 log reductions were observed on stainless steel. The presence of HSA had no appreciable effect on bacterial eradication. The surfaces with bacteria exposed to AFM showed significant morphological changes indicative of “etching” due to the action of highly charged ions produced by the plasma.CONCLUSIONThis multijet cold-plasma prototype has the potential to augment current environmental decontamination approaches but needs further evaluation in a clinical setting to confirm its effectiveness.Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol 2017;38:1182–1187
On the provenance of a historic sledge shoe fragment, said to have been collected by Edward Wilson at the South Pole in 1912
Authors: Rowe Sophie 
Published: August 2017

ABSTRACTThis paper discusses the authentication of a metal sledge shoe fragment, believed by the owner to have been collected by Edward Wilson close to the South Pole on 18 January 1912. Microscopic and elemental analysis show that the object is made from ‘German silver’, a copper alloy used only on Norwegian Nansen-style sledges in the late nineteenth and early twentieth century, and that it was used to clad a tapering sledge runner end about 10 mm thick. By comparing related objects, including sledges used by Amundsen and Scott in their South Pole journeys and a sledge from the Discovery Expedition, we show that the object cannot have come from an English sledge, but would have fitted one of Amundsen's modified sledges. Written sources have been extensively searched, but no direct written provenance for the object exists. However, contemporary Norwegian and British accounts explain specific features of the object and exclude other possible provenances. We conclude that it is most likely that the proposed provenance and history attached to this artefact are correct.
Religious experience and the probability of theism: comments on Swinburne
Authors: JÄGER CHRISTOPH 
Published: August 2017

AbstractI discuss the role of religious experience in Richard Swinburne's probabilistic case for theism. Swinburne draws on his principle of credulity to argue that, if in addition to other evidence we consider that many people have theistic religious experiences, theism comes out as more probable than not. However, on many plausible probability assignments for the relevant non-experiential evidence, the conditional probability of theism already converges towards 1. Moreover, an argument analogous to a general Bayesian argument against phenomenal conservatism suggests that, after we take account of evidence from religious experience, the probability of theism cannot be greater than the prior probability that the best rival hypothesis is false. I conclude that these observations are compatible with what Swinburne would call ‘weak rational belief’ in theism and that such weak belief can be strong enough for rational faith.
Swinburne's apologetic strategy for theism evaluated
Authors: PHILIPSE HERMAN 
Published: August 2017

AbstractIn this article, I classify Richard Swinburne's apologetic strategy for theism, and raise eight structural problems with regard to his Bayesian approach. For example, is theism really a meaningful theory? Does it have any predictive power? If so, isn't theism a degenerating research programme? Furthermore, is it legitimate to immunize theism against empirical refutations? Is Swinburne's tactic of doing so successful?
Third culture kids in the outer circle: The development of sociolinguistic knowledge among local and expatriate children in Singapore
Authors: Starr Rebecca Lurie , Theng Andre Joseph , Wong Kevin Martens , Tong Natalie Jing Yi , Ibrahim Nurul Afiqah Bte , Chua Alicia Mei Yin , Yong Clarice Hui Min , Loke Frances Wei , Dominic Helen , Fernandez Keith Jayden , Peh Matthew Tian Jing 
Published: August 2017

AbstractChildren acquiring sociolinguistic knowledge in transnational migration settings must learn to evaluate multiple languages and dialects in a fluid, multifaceted social landscape. This study examines the sociolinguistic development of local and expatriate children in Singapore and investigates the extent to which they share sociolinguistic knowledge and norms. One hundred fourteen children ages five to nineteen completed a region identification task and an occupation judgment task, focusing on their perception of four regional English varieties: Australian English, Northern-China-accented English, Filipino English, and Singapore English. While all groups performed well on the region identification task, expatriate children outperformed locals within the youngest age group. Singaporean and expatriate children attending local schools showed greater familiarity with local norms than international school students in their occupation ratings. Participants mapped speakers to occupations by general prestige level, suggesting that children rely on indirect knowledge of social status rather than direct experience with speakers in their development of sociolinguistic evaluation. (Children's sociolinguistic development, transnational migration, language attitudes)*
SUNNY-CP and the MiniZinc challenge
Authors: AMADINI ROBERTO , GABBRIELLI MAURIZIO , MAURO JACOPO 
Published: August 2017

AbstractIn Constraint Programming, a portfolio solver combines a variety of different constraint solvers for solving a given problem. This fairly recent approach enables to significantly boost the performance of single solvers, especially when multicore architectures are exploited. In this work, we give a brief overview of the portfolio solversunny-cp, and we discuss its performance in the MiniZinc Challenge—the annual international competition for Constraint Programming solvers—where it won two gold medals in 2015 and 2016.
Parsing Complex Noun Phrases: Effects of Hierarchical Structure and Sentence Position on Memory Load
Authors: Mota Sergio , Igoa José Manuel 
Published: August 2017

AbstractIn this paper, we report two experiments in Spanish designed to find out what kind of processes underlie the online parsing of complex noun phrases (NPs). To that end, we used a ‘click detection’ paradigm coupled with an oral comprehension task with sentences made up of complex NPs comprising embedded prepositional phrases PPs or coordinate NPs. The critical NPs consisted of words or pseudowords, and were inserted either at subject position (Experiment 1) or at object position (Experiment 2) in the sentence. Results show an opposite pattern of RTs to clicks when the complex NP is located at subject (vs. object) position, with the former case showing heavier processing demands as the parser delves deeper into the complex NP, regardless of the internal constituency of the target NP and its lexical content, and the latter yielding the opposite pattern. These results suggest that structural complexity by itself does not determine an increase in processing costs during sentence parsing, which is only apparent in cases involving deferred operations like subject-verb agreement.
p53-R273H upregulates neuropilin-2 to promote cell mobility and tumor metastasis
Authors: Lv Tao , Wu Xianqiang , Sun Lijuan , Hu Qingyong , Wan Yang , Wang Liang , Zhao Zhiqiang , Tu Xiao , Xiao Zhi-Xiong Jim 
Published: August 2017

AbstractMounting evidence indicates that hotspot p53 mutant proteins often possess gain-of-function property in promoting cell mobility and tumor metastasis. However, the molecular mechanisms are not totally understood. In this study, we demonstrate that the hotspot mutation, p53-R273H, promotes cell migration, invasion in vitro and tumor metastasis in vivo. p53-R273H significantly represses expression of DLX2, a homeobox protein involved in cell proliferation and pattern formation. We show that p53-R273H-mediated DLX2 repression leads to upregulation of Neuropilin-2 (NRP2), a multifunctional co-receptor involved in tumor initiation, growth, survival and metastasis. p53-R273H-induced cell mobility is effectively suppressed by DLX2 expression. Furthermore, knockdown of NRP2 significantly inhibits p53-R273H-induced tumor metastasis in xenograft mouse model. Together, these results reveal an important role for DLX2-NRP2 in p53-R273H-induced cell mobility and tumor metastasis.