bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Real Scale Simulation of Ballistic Tests for Multi-Layer Fabric Body Armors
Authors: Dippolito Mario , Wang Youqi , Ma Ying , Yen Chian-Fong , Zheng James Q. , Halls Virginia 
Published: February 2016

The bottle-neck issues to resolve for numerical simulation of real scale ballistic tests of fabric body armors are computer capacity limitation and prohibitive computational cost. It is not realistic to use micro-level computer simulations for an open end design process. Most numerical simulations are only applicable for small scale parametric analyses, which could facilitate apprehension of fabric failure mechanisms during ballistic impact, but not applicable for the design process.
In this paper, a sub-yarn model, the digital element approach, is applied to simulate real scale ballistic tests for soft body armors. In this approach, a yarn is discretized into multiple digital fibers and each fiber is discretized into many digital elements. In order to improve efficiency, two hybrid element mesh concepts are investigated: area based hybrid mesh and yarn based hybrid mesh.
The area based hybrid mesh procedure is similar to one utilized in the conventional finite element approach. A fine element mesh is adopted in the area near the impact center; a course element mesh in the area far away. However, numerical simulation results show that the stress wave travels along the principal yarns at the speed of sound immediately after ballistic impact. High yarn stress develops quickly from the impact center to a distance along the principal yarn. As such, the area based hybrid mesh approach fails to obtain improved computer efficiency without loss of accuracy.
Because the high stress only develops within principal yarns after a ballistic impact, a yarn based hybrid element mesh procedure is adopted. In this procedure, only principal yarns and yarns near principal yarns are discretized into fine digital fibers; other yarns are discretized into coarse digital fibers. Because only a few principal yarns resist load in a typical ballistic impact, the yarn based hybrid technique could improve simulation efficiency up to 90–95% without sacrificing accuracy.
A numerical tool is then developed to generate fabric with a yarn based hybrid mesh. Accuracy of the approach is analyzed. The hybrid mesh technique is applied to simulate real scale ballistic tests of ballistic armors made of 4 to 20 piles of 2-D plain woven fabrics. Numerical results are compared to real scale standard ballistic results.
Micro-Textured Surfaces With Parallel Wall-Like Structures: ‘Modulation’ of Adhesion Properties With the Direction of the Applied External Moment
Authors: Afferrante L. , Carbone G. , Grimaldi G. , Demelio G. 
Published: February 2016

The aim of the present work is to investigate the adhesive properties of a biomimetic micro-structured surface with strongly direction-dependent adhesion properties. The system is constituted by parallel elastic wall-like structures topped with a thin film. The micro-walls are assumed in perfect contact with a rigid substrate and the adhesive interaction is modeled by considering full adhesion. In a previous work of the authors, it is shown that this geometry, when loaded with an external moment acting perpendicularly to the walls direction, enhances the adhesive properties with respect to a simple flat surface as a result of its crack trapping behavior.
In the present paper we investigate what happens when the crack propagates with a generic angle with respect to the walls, in order to determine the variation of the critical conditions for detachment with the direction of the applied moment. Results show that the crack trapping can occur only when the crack propagates perpendicularly to the walls. In all the other cases, the system compliance linearly increases with the crack length. As a result, the energy release rate at the crack tip is constant during the crack propagation and the crack trapping phenomenon cannot occur.
Reliability and Validity of the Japanese Version of the Michigan Hand Outcomes Questionnaire: A Comparison with the DASH and SF-36 Questionnaires
Authors: Oda Takashi , Abe Yukio , Katsumi Yasukazu , Ohi Hiroyuki , Nakamura Toshiyasu , Inagaki Katsunori 
Published: February 2016

Background: The Michigan Hand Outcomes Questionnaire (MHQ) has shown reliability, validity and responsiveness and has been used to assess surgical outcomes mainly in North America. We established a Japanese version of the MHQ and evaluated its reliability and validity compared with both the short-form 36 (SF-36) questionnaire and the Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder and Hand (DASH) questionnaire in a Japanese-speaking population. Methods: The MHQ was cross-culturally adapted to a Japanese version according to guidelines. Sixty-eight patients with hand conditions were enrolled in this study and answered the MHQ, DASH questionnaire and SF-36 questionnaire. The MHQ was completed again with an interval of one or two weeks. Reproducibility and internal consistency were statistically assessed by the test-retest method and calculating Cronbach's alpha. Spearman's rank correlation was calculated to assess associations between the MHQ and the SF-36 questionnaire as well as the DASH questionnaire. Results: The intraclass correlation coefficients of MHQ subscales ranged from 0.68 to 0.93. Aesthetics subscale of the left hand showed the lowest intraclass correlation but still a good correlation. Cronbach's alpha values of the MHQ ranged from 0.81 to 0.96 for all subscales. The absolute values of Spearman's rank correlation coefficient between MHQ subscales and DASH function/symptoms scores ranged from 0.49 to 0.82. Spearman's correlation coefficients of the MHQ total score to subscales of the SF-36 questionnaire ranged from 0.42 to 0.68. The strongest correlations were found between work performance of the MHQ and rolephysical of the SF-36 questionnaire. Conclusions: The Japanese version of the MHQ has adequate instrument properties for assessing hand outcomes compared with the SF-36 questionnaire as well as the DASH questionnaire.
Myeloid-Derived Suppressor Cells Express Bruton's Tyrosine Kinase and Can Be Depleted in Tumor-Bearing Hosts by Ibrutinib Treatment
Authors: Stiff Andrew , Trikha Prashant , Wesolowski Robert , Kendra Kari , Hsu Vincent , Uppati Sarvani , McMichael Elizabeth , Duggan Megan , Campbell Amanda , Keller Karen , Landi Ian , Zhong Yiming , Dubovsky Jason , Howard John Harrison , Yu Lianbo , Harrington Bonnie , Old Matthew , Reiff Sean , Mace Thomas , Tridandapani Susheela , Muthusamy Natarajan , Caligiuri Michael A. , Byrd John C. , Carson William E. 
Published: February 2016

Abstract
Myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSC) are a heterogeneous group of immature myeloid cells that expand in tumor-bearing hosts in response to soluble factors produced by tumor and stromal cells. MDSC expansion has been linked to loss of immune effector cell function and reduced efficacy of immune-based cancer therapies, highlighting the MDSC population as an attractive therapeutic target. Ibrutinib, an irreversible inhibitor of Bruton's tyrosine kinase (BTK) and IL2-inducible T-cell kinase (ITK), is in clinical use for the treatment of B-cell malignancies. Here, we report that BTK is expressed by murine and human MDSCs, and that ibrutinib is able to inhibit BTK phosphorylation in these cells. Treatment of MDSCs with ibrutinib significantly impaired nitric oxide production and cell migration. In addition, ibrutinib inhibited in vitro generation of human MDSCs and reduced mRNA expression of indolamine 2,3-dioxygenase, an immunosuppressive factor. Treatment of mice bearing EMT6 mammary tumors with ibrutinib resulted in reduced frequency of MDSCs in both the spleen and tumor. Ibrutinib treatment also resulted in a significant reduction of MDSCs in wild-type mice bearing B16F10 melanoma tumors, but not in X-linked immunodeficiency mice (XID) harboring a BTK mutation, suggesting that BTK inhibition plays an important role in the observed reduction of MDSCs in vivo. Finally, ibrutinib significantly enhanced the efficacy of anti-PD-L1 (CD274) therapy in a murine breast cancer model. Together, these results demonstrate that ibrutinib modulates MDSC function and generation, revealing a potential strategy for enhancing immune-based therapies in solid malignancies. Cancer Res; 76(8); 2125–36. ©2016 AACR.
KLF4-Mediated Suppression of CD44 Signaling Negatively Impacts Pancreatic Cancer Stemness and Metastasis
Authors: Yan Yongmin , LI Zhiwei , Kong Xiangyu , Jia Zhiliang , Zuo Xiangsheng , Gagea Mihai , Huang Suyun , Wei Daoyan , Xie Keping 
Published: February 2016

Abstract
KLF4 and CD44 regulate cancer cell stemness, but their precise functions and roles in metastatic progression are not well understood. In this study, we used both inducible and genetic engineering approaches to assess whether the activities of these two factors intersect in pancreatic cancer. We found that genetic ablation of Klf4 in pancreatic cancer cells isolated from Klf4flox/flox mice drastically increased CD44 expression and promoted the acquisition of stem-like properties, whereas tetracycline-inducible expression of KLF4 suppressed these properties in vitro and in vivo. Further mechanistic investigation revealed that KLF4 bound to the CD44 promoter to negatively regulate transcription and also the expression of the CD44 variant. Moreover, in human pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) tissues, the expression patterns of KLF4 and CD44 were mutually exclusive, and this inverse relationship was particularly striking in human metastatic pancreatic tumors and in autochthonous mouse models of PDAC. Taken together, our findings demonstrate that KLF4 acts as a tumor suppressor in PDAC cells that restricts metastatic behaviors through direct negative regulation of CD44, providing support for the clinical investigation of therapeutic approaches focusing on targeted KLF4 activation in advanced tumors. Cancer Res; 76(8); 2419–31. ©2016 AACR.
Deletion of Interstitial Genes between TMPRSS2 and ERG Promotes Prostate Cancer Progression
Authors: Linn Douglas E. , Penney Kathryn L. , Bronson Roderick T. , Mucci Lorelei A. , Li Zhe 
Published: February 2016

Abstract
TMPRSS2–ERG gene fusions that occur frequently in human prostate cancers can be generated either through insertional chromosomal rearrangement or by intrachromosomal deletion. Genetically, a key difference between these two mechanisms is that the latter results in deletion of a ∼3-Mb interstitial region containing genes with unexplored roles in prostate cancer. In this study, we characterized two mouse models recapitulating TMPRSS2–ERG insertion or deletion events in the background of prostate-specific PTEN deficiency. We found that only the mice that lacked the interstitial region developed prostate adenocarcinomas marked by poor differentiation and epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition. Mechanistic investigations identified several interstitial genes, including Ets2 and Bace2, whose reduced expression correlated in the gene homologs in human prostate cancer with biochemical relapse and lethal disease. Accordingly, PTEN-deficient mice with prostate-specific knockout of Ets2 exhibited marked progression of prostate adenocarcinomas that was partly attributed to activation of MAPK signaling. Collectively, our findings established that Ets2 is a tumor suppressor gene in prostate cancer, and its loss along with other genes within the TMPRSS2–ERG interstitial region contributes to disease progression. Cancer Res; 76(7); 1869–81. ©2016 AACR.
Paclitaxel-Loaded Polymersomes for Enhanced Intraperitoneal Chemotherapy
Authors: Simón-Gracia Lorena , Hunt Hedi , Scodeller Pablo D. , Gaitzsch Jens , Braun Gary B. , Willmore Anne-Mari A. , Ruoslahti Erkki , Battaglia Giuseppe , Teesalu Tambet 
Published: February 2016

AbstractPeritoneal carcinomatosis is present in more than 60% of gastric cancer, 40% of ovarian cancer, and 35% of colon cancer patients. It is the second most common cause of cancer-related mortality, with a median survival of 1 to 3 months. Cytoreductive surgery combined with intraperitoneal chemotherapy is the current clinical treatment, but achieving curative drug accumulation and penetration in peritoneal carcinomatosis lesions remains an unresolved challenge. Here, we used flexible and pH-sensitive polymersomes for payload delivery to peritoneal gastric (MKN-45P) and colon (CT26) carcinoma in mice. Polymersomes were loaded with paclitaxel and in vitro drug release was studied as a function of pH and time. Paclitaxel-loaded polymersomes remained stable in aqueous solution at neutral pH for up to 4 months. In cell viability assay on cultured cancer cell lines (MKN-45P, SKOV3, CT26), paclitaxel-loaded polymersomes were more toxic than free drug or albumin-bound paclitaxel (Abraxane). Intraperitoneally administered fluorescent polymersomes accumulated in malignant lesions, and immunofluorescence revealed an intense signal inside tumors with no detectable signal in control organs. A dual targeting of tumors was observed: direct (circulation-independent) penetration, and systemic, blood vessel–associated accumulation. Finally, we evaluated preclinical antitumor efficacy of paclitaxel-polymersomes in the treatment of MKN-45P disseminated gastric carcinoma using a total dose of 7 mg/kg. Experimental therapy with paclitaxel-polymersomes improved the therapeutic index of drug over free paclitaxel and Abraxane, as evaluated by intraperitoneal tumor burden and number of metastatic nodules. Our findings underline the potential utility of the polymersome platform for delivery of drugs and imaging agents to peritoneal carcinomatosis lesions. Mol Cancer Ther; 15(4); 670–9. ©2016 AACR.
Structured triangulation in multi-robot systems: Coverage, patrolling, Voronoi partitions, and geodesic centers
Authors: Lee Seoung Kyou , Fekete Sándor P. , McLurkin James 
Published: February 2016

We present a fundamental framework for organizing exploration, coverage, and surveillance by a swarm of robots with limited individual capabilities, based on triangulating an unknown environment with a multi-robot system. Locally, an individual triangle is easy for a single robot to manage and covers a small area; globally, the topology of the triangulation approximately captures the geometry of the entire environment. Combined, a multi-robot system can explore, map, navigate, and patrol. Algorithms can store information in triangles that the robots can read and write as they run their algorithms. This creates a physical data structure (PDS) that is both robust and versatile. We study distributed approaches to triangulating an unknown, two-dimensional Euclidean space using a multi-robot network. The resulting PDS is a compact representation of the workspace, contains distributed knowledge of each triangle, encodes the dual graph of the triangulation, and supports reads and writes of auxiliary data. The ability to store and process this auxiliary information enables the simple robots to solve complex problems. We develop distributed algorithms for dual-graph navigation, patrolling, construction of a topological Voronoi tessellation, and location of the geodesic centers in non-convex regions. We provide theoretical performance guarantees for the quality of constructed triangulation and the connectivity of a dual graph in the triangulation. In addition, we show that the path lengths of the physical navigation are within a constant factor of the shortest-path Euclidean distance. We validate these theoretical results with simulations and experiments with a dozen or more robots.
Does Infection Site Matter? A Systematic Review of Infection Site Mortality in Sepsis
Authors: Motzkus Christine A. , Luckmann Roger 
Published: February 2016

Purpose: Sepsis treatment protocols emphasize source control with empiric antibiotics and fluid resuscitation. Previous reviews have examined the impact of infection site and specific pathogens on mortality from sepsis; however, no recent review has addressed the infection site. This review focuses on the impact of infection site on hospital mortality among patients with sepsis. Methods: The PubMed database was searched for articles from 2001 to 2014. Studies were eligible if they included (1) one or more statistical models with hospital mortality as the outcome and considered infection site for inclusion in the model and (2) adult patients with sepsis, severe sepsis, or septic shock. Data abstracted included stage of sepsis, infection site, and raw and adjusted effect estimates. Nineteen studies were included. Infection sites most studied included respiratory (n = 19), abdominal (n = 19), genitourinary (n = 18), and skin and soft tissue infections (n = 11). Several studies found a statistically significant lower mortality risk for genitourinary infections on hospital mortality when compared to respiratory infections. Conclusion: Based on studies included in this review, the impact of infection site in patients with sepsis on hospital mortality could not be reliably estimated. Misclassification among infections and disease states remains a serious possibility in studies on this topic.
Antibodies from donor B cells perpetuate cutaneous chronic graft-versus-host disease in mice
Authors: Jin Hua , Ni Xiong , Deng Ruishu , Song Qingxiao , Young James , Cassady Kaniel , Zhang Mingfeng , Forman Stephen , Martin Paul J. , Liu Qifa , Zeng Defu 
Published: February 2016

Key Points
Antibodies produced by donor B cells are required for thymic and lymphoid damage in mice with chronic GVHD. Antibody-producing donor B cells associate with infiltration of Th17 cells in the skin and perpetuation of cutaneous chronic GVHD in mice.
The long-term mental health impact of peacekeeping: prevalence
and predictors of psychiatric disorder
Authors: Forbes David , O'Donnell Meaghan , Brand Rachel M. , Korn Sam , Creamer Mark , McFarlane Alexander C. , Sim Malcolm R. , Forbes Andrew B. , Hawthorne Graeme 
Published: February 2016

BackgroundThe mental health outcomes of military personnel deployed on peacekeeping
missions have been relatively neglected in the military mental health
literature.AimsTo assess the mental health impacts of peacekeeping deployments.MethodIn total, 1025 Australian peacekeepers were assessed for current and
lifetime psychiatric diagnoses, service history and exposure to
potentially traumatic events (PTEs). A matched Australian community
sample was used as a comparator. Univariate and regression analyses were
conducted to explore predictors of psychiatric diagnosis.ResultsPeacekeepers had significantly higher 12-month prevalence of
post-traumatic stress disorder (16.8%), major depressive episode (7%),
generalised anxiety disorder (4.7%), alcohol misuse (12%), alcohol
dependence (11.3%) and suicidal ideation (10.7%) when compared with the
civilian comparator. The presence of these psychiatric disorders was most
strongly and consistently associated with exposure to PTEs.ConclusionsVeteran peacekeepers had significant levels of psychiatric morbidity.
Their needs, alongside those of combat veterans, should be recognised
within military mental health initiatives.
The Problem Behaviour Checklist: short scale to assess
challenging behaviours
Authors: Tyrer Peter , Nagar Jessica , Evans Rosie , Oliver Patricia , Bassett Paul , Liedtka Natalie , Tarabi Aris 
Published: February 2016

BackgroundChallenging behaviour, especially in intellectual disability, covers a
wide range that is in need of further evaluation.AimsTo develop a short but comprehensive instrument for all aspects of
challenging behaviour.MethodIn the first part of a two-stage enquiry, a 28-item scale was constructed
to examine the components of challenging behaviour. Following a simple
factor analysis this was developed further to create a new short scale,
the Problem Behaviour Checklist (PBCL). The scale was subsequently used
in a randomised controlled trial and tested for interrater reliability.
Scores were also compared with a standard scale, the Modified Overt
Aggression Scale (MOAS).ResultsSeven identified factors – personal violence, violence against property,
self-harm, sexually inappropriate, contrary, demanding and disappearing
behaviour – were scored on a 5-point scale. A subsequent factor analysis
with the second population showed demanding, violent and contrary
behaviour to account for most of the variance. Interrater reliability
using weighted kappa showed good agreement (0.91; 95% CI 0.83–0.99). Good
agreement was also shown with scores on the MOAS and a score of 1 on the
PBCL showed high sensitivity (97%) and specificity (85%) for a threshold
MOASscore of 4.ConclusionsThe PBCL appears to be a suitable and practical scale for assessing all
aspects of challenging behaviour.
Blind Queues: The Impact of Consumer Beliefs on Revenues and Congestion
Authors: Cui Shiliang , Veeraraghavan Senthil 
Published: February 2016

In many service settings, customers have to join the queue without being fully aware of the parameters of the service provider (e.g., customers at checkout counters may not know the true service rate before joining). In such “blind queues,” customers make their joining/balking decisions based on limited information about the service provider’s operational parameters (from past service experiences, reviews, etc.) and queue lengths. We analyze a firm serving customers making decisions under arbitrary beliefs about the service parameters in an observable queue for a service with a known price. By proposing an ordering for the balking threshold distributions in the customer population, we are able to compare the effects of customer beliefs on the queue. We show that, although revealing the service information to customers improves revenues under certain conditions, it may destroy consumer welfare or social welfare. Given a market size, consumer welfare can be significantly reduced when a fast server announces its true service parameter. When revenue is higher under some beliefs, one would expect the congestion to also be higher because more customers join, but we show that congestion may not necessarily increase. This paper was accepted by Teck-Hua Ho, stochastic models and simulation.
A DRBEM For Time-Dependent Infiltration from Periodic Irrigation Channels in a Homogeneous Soil
Authors: Solekhudin I. , Ang K. C. 
Published: February 2016

<p><span style="font-size: 10.000000pt; font-family: 'CMR10';">In this paper, a problem involving time-dependent water flow in a homogeneous soil is considered. The problem involves water infiltration from periodic identical trapezoidal channels. A governing equation of the problem is the Richard’s equation, which can be studied more conveniently by transforming the equation to a Helmholtz equation using the Kirchhoff transformation with dimensionless variables and a Laplace’s transform. A dual reciprocity boundary element method (DRBEM) is employed to solve the Helmholtz equation numerically. Results obtained are found to be physically reasonable. </span></p>
A Study of Speed of the Boundary Element Method as applied to the Realtime Computational Simulation of Biological Organs
Authors: Kumara P Kirana 
Published: February 2016

In this work, possibility of simulating biological organs in realtime using the Boundary Element Method (BEM) is investigated. Biological organs are assumed to follow linear elastostatic material behavior, and constant boundary element is the element type used. First, a Graphics Processing Unit (GPU) is used to speed up the BEM computations to achieve the realtime performance. Next, instead of the GPU, a computer cluster is used. Results indicate that BEM is fast enough to provide for realtime graphics if biological organs are assumed to follow linear elastostatic material behavior. Although the present work does not conduct any simulation using nonlinear material models, results from using the linear elastostatic material model imply that it would be difficult to obtain realtime performance if highly nonlinear material models that properly characterize biological organs are used. Although the use of BEM for the simulation of biological organs is not new, the results presented in the present study are not found elsewhere in the literature.