bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Oral Uracil and Tegafur Compared With Classic Cyclophosphamide, Methotrexate, Fluorouracil As Postoperative Chemotherapy in Patients With Node-Negative, High-Risk Breast Cancer: National Surgical Adjuvant Study for Breast Cancer 01 Trial
Authors: Watanabe Toru , Sano Muneaki , Takashima Shigemitsu , Kitaya Tomoki , Tokuda Yutaka , Yoshimoto Masataka , Kohno Norio , Nakagami Kazuhiko , Iwata Hiroji , Shimozuma Kojiro , Sonoo Hiroshi , Tsuda Hitoshi , Sakamoto Goi , Ohashi Yasuo 
Published: February 2009

Purpose The primary aim of this study was to compare the effectiveness of oral uracil-tegafur (UFT) with that of classical cyclophosphamide, methotrexate, and fluorouracil (CMF) given as postoperative adjuvant treatment to women with node-negative, high-risk breast cancer. Patients and Methods Women with node-negative, high-risk breast cancer were randomly assigned to receive either 2 years of UFT or six cycles of CMF after surgery. The primary end point was relapse-free survival (RFS). Overall survival (OS), toxicity, and quality of life (QOL) were secondary end points. The hypothesis was that UFT was not inferior to CMF in terms of RFS. Results Between October 1996 and April 2001, a total of 733 patients were randomly assigned to receive either treatment. The median follow-up time was 6.2 years. The RFS rates at 5 years were 88.0% in the CMF arm and 87.8% in the UFT arm. OS rates were 96.0% and 96.2%, respectively. The hazard ratios of the UFT arm relative to the CMF arm were 0.98 for RFS (95% CI, 0.66 to 1.45; P = .92) and 0.81 for OS (95% CI, 0.44 to 1.48; P = .49). The toxicity profiles differed between the two groups. The QOL scores were better for patients given UFT than those given CMF. Conclusion RFS and OS with oral UFT were similar to those with classical CMF. Given the higher QOL scores, oral UFT is a promising alternative to CMF for postoperative adjuvant chemotherapy in women with node-negative, high-risk breast cancer.
Understanding the challenges of service change – learning from acute pain services in the UK
Authors: Powell AE , Davies HTO , Bannister J , Macrae WA 
Published: February 2009

Summary Objectives To explore organizational difficulties faced when implementing national policy recommendations in local contexts. Design Qualitative case study involving semi-structured interviews with health professionals and managers working in and around acute pain services. Setting Three UK acute hospital organizations. Main outcome measures Identification of the content, context and process factors impacting on the implementation of the national policy recommendations on acute pain services; insights into and deeper understanding of the generic obstacles to change facing service improvements. Results The process of implementing policy recommendations and improving services in each of the three organizations was undermined by multiple factors relating to: doubts and disagreements about the nature of the change; challenging local organizational contexts; and the beliefs, attitudes and responses of health professionals and managers. The impact of these factors was compounded by the interaction between them. Conclusions Local implementation of national policies aimed at service improvement can be undermined by multiple interacting factors. Particularly important are the pre-existing local organizational contexts and histories, and the deeply-ingrained attitudes, beliefs and assumptions of diverse staff groups. Without close attention to all of these underlying issues and how they interact in individual organizations against the background of local and national contexts, more resources or further structural change are unlikely to deliver the intended improvements in patient care.
After the gold rush? A systematic and critical review of general medical podcasts
Authors: Wilson Paul , Petticrew Mark , Booth Alison 
Published: February 2009

Summary Objectives Podcasts are increasingly used to enhance many forms of research communication and education. We set out to assess the extent of this podcast revolution by identifying and critically describing the content and quality of podcast services provided by leading general medical journals. Methods Summary of general and internal medicine journal podcasts identified in April 2008 by means of web-searching, with a brief commentary on their content and quality. Results Of the top 100 general medical and internal journals as ranked by impact factor only eight offer a regular podcast. The technical quality of most is of an acceptable but not of a high standard. The mode of delivery and resulting listening experience is variable with those utilizing an interview format more interesting to listen to than those reliant upon a single voice. Conclusions General medical podcasts are potentially a valuable resource for providing a digestible overview of the latest research, and for providing an opportunity to dip into areas outside one's own core interests. Although they represent a novel use of technology for disseminating knowledge, uptake has been limited and the quality of the listening experience is variable.
A Recent Rise in Twin Birthrates and Demographic Changes in Mothers of Twins in South Korea: 2003–2007
Authors: Hur Yoon-Mi , Song Tae-Bok 
Published: February 2009

AbstractUsing the South Korean national live birth data for the years 2003 to 2007, monozygotic (MZ) and dizygotic (DZ) twin birth rates were estimated and analyzed by maternal age, and parents of twins and those of singletons were compared in their level of education. During this period, while the MZ twin birth rate showed no change, the DZ twin birth rate increased up to 9.4 pairs per thousand births. This rate is close to five times as high as the natural DZ twinning rate in the South Korean population. The highest twinning rate occurred among mothers aged 30 to 34 years, followed by mothers aged 25 to 29. These results represented the first evidence for the downward trend in ages of mothers of twins. In each year between 2003 and 2006, percentages of parents who completed college or higher level of education were higher in the twin than in the singleton group, suggesting that the parental socioeconomic level became higher in twins than in singletons. We speculated that these demographic changes occurred because assisted reproductive technology was more easily available among parents of high socioeconomic status. In their sampling strategies, twin researchers should consider our findings of recent changes in demographic characteristics of parents of twins as well as increased DZ twin birth rates.
The Australian Twin Study of Gambling (OZ-GAM): Rationale, Sample Description, Predictors of Participation, and a First Look at Sources of Individual Differences in Gambling Involvement
Authors: Slutske Wendy S. , Meier Madeline H. , Zhu Gu , Statham Dixie J. , Blaszczynski Alex , Martin Nicholas G. 
Published: February 2009

AbstractTwo major challenges to conducting a community-based twin study of pathological gambling (PG) disorder are that: (a) it is relatively rare, and (b) individuals with the disorder in the community may be difficult to locate and recruit. We describe a new study of 4,764 individuals recruited from the Australian Twin Registry in which we attempt to effectively deal with the first challenge and examine the impact of the second challenge. The lifetime prevalence of DSM-IV PG in this Australian twin sample was 2.2%, which is 400–500% higher than has been obtained in prevalence surveys conducted in the United States. A number of predictors of non-participation were identified, including a lifetime PG disorder diagnosis, but these did not have a large net effect on the estimated number of individuals with PG or related characteristics in the twin sample. Results of biometric modeling suggested that the effect of genetic, shared family environmental, and nonshared environmental influences on the propensity to engage in 11 different specific forms of gambling (e.g., playing the lottery, betting on horse or dog races, playing electronic gaming machines) were generally moderate, low, and moderate, respectively, with mean parameter estimates obtained of 43%, 10%, and 46%. An intriguing comparison with results from a 1963 US adolescent twin study conducted by Loehlin and Nichols (1976) suggests that: (a) propensity genes for gambling involvement may be more likely to be expressed in the heavy-gambling Australian culture, or that (b) the family environment has a transient effect on the gambling behavior of young people.
Learning as experience: a model for teaching the reflective exegesis for communication design practice
Authors: Shumack Kaye 
Published: February 2009

This paper proposes a model for teaching the reflective exegesis for communication design practice in the fourth year of undergraduate studies, refined as a result of three years of student feedback. In this context, the exegesis is understood as a short essay, in which students reflect on practice, around their studio-based visual design project. The exegesis is developed in a reflective studies module that explores understandings about personal styles and conventions of practice, the design process as a cycle of linked process stages, and micro-moments of decision making.In this context, the exegesis is not written as a dissertation to accompany a creative practice research outcome, but as a way to explore the edges and spaces of design practice as a form of research through evaluation of the design process. This takes place in a speculative and playful way, grounded in selected theories from reflective practice and experiential knowledge and knowing. It aims to foster meaningful learning conversations about current and future practice.
Gas chromatography/mass spectrometry screening of serum metabolomic biomarkers in hepatitis B virus infected cirrhosis patients
Authors: Xue Ruyi , Dong Ling , Wu Hao , Liu Taotao , Wang Jiyao , Shen Xizhong 
Published: February 2009

Abstract: Metabolomic studies have been applied to disease biomarkers selection. With the metabolomic technique, gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS), human serum metabolites can be detected and identified. The purpose of this study was to investigate the serum metabolic profile of hepatitis B virus (HBV) infected cirrhosis patients and to detect disease biomarkers.: HBV infected non-cirrhosis male subjects (n=20) and HBV infected cirrhosis male patients (n=20) participated in this experiment. Serum metabolome was detected through chemical derivatization followed by GC/MS. The high-flux metabolomic data were analyzed by stepwise discriminant analysis.: Out of the 41 metabolites detected in serum, we selected metabolites, including acetic acid, sorbitol, D-lactic acid, hexanoic acid, 1-naphthalenamine, butanoic acid, phosphoric acid, D-glucitol, and glucose, which in combination with each other could segregate the two groups. The error count was 0% for the non-cirrhosis group and 25% for the cirrhosis group.: This technique can be used to select biomarkers for hepatic cirrhosis.Clin Chem Lab Med 2009;47:305–10.
Comparison of Several Computer Programs for Probit Analysis of Dose-Related Mortality Data
Authors: Roberts MH 
Published: February 2009

Five readily available computer programs for probit analysis were evaluated for input/output options and reliability of output: (1) DULUTH-TOX from Charles Stephan of the Environmental Protection Agency's Environmental Research Laboratory, Duluth; (2) ASTM-PROBIT from the ASTM Guide for Probit Analysis, Draft 2; (3) UG-PROBIT, which was written by statisticians at the University of Guelph, Canada; and (4) SPSSX; and (5) SAS. SPSSX and SAS are probit procedures available in standard statistical packages.Except for UG-PROBIT, the programs yielded essentially identical median lethal concentration (LC50) values for the 20 data sets tested. DULUTH-TOX and ASTM-PROBIT include an objective evaluation of the validity of input data and calculated results, but they lack graphical output. SAS-PROBIT provides graphical output superior to that from SPSSX-PROBIT. SPSSX-PROBIT yields inappropriate fiducial limits in some cases.UG-PROBIT, SPSSX-PROBIT, and SAS-PROBIT purport to consider control or "natural" responses. Only SPSSX-PROBIT and SAS-PROBIT actually adjusted observed treatment responses for the control response.SPSSX-PROBIT and SAS-PROBIT are currently available only for mini and mainframe computers. All other programs can be implemented on microcomputers as well. DULUTH-TOX and ASTM-PROBIT, in all implementations, have a major advantage in that objective tests are included to determine the validity of input data and to guide the interpretation of output. The commercial statistical programs have the advantages of graphical output and a method for handling control mortality.
Elastic-Plastic Behavior of Short Fatigue Crack in Smooth Specimen
Authors: Hoshide T , Miyahara M , Inoue T 
Published: February 2009

The fundamental problem posed in this study is that associated with the behavior of short surface crack in low-cycle fatigue, which plays a significant role in predicting fatigue life. In the investigation, low-cycle fatigue tests of smooth specimens were conducted under push-pull loading for several materials, and behaviors of cracks on the specimen surface were observed by means of a plastic replication technique. When the growth rate of surface cracks was correlated to J-integral range, the data for cracks longer than about three times grain-size without coalescence growth were found to coincide with the relation obtained for large through-thickness cracks. Other data, even when excluding the results with coalescence, shifted toward the higher-rate region than the large-crack relation. Such an acceleration was suggested to be due to the difference in growth mechanism.The prediction of fatigue life was investigated on the basis of the J-integral approach, and it was found that some restrictions remained in the applicability of the crack growth law of ordinary fracture mechanics type to the life prediction for smooth specimens under low-cycle fatigue.
Low-Frequency, High-Temperature Low Cycle Fatigue of 60Sn-40Pb Solder
Authors: Solomon HD 
Published: February 2009

Solder thermal fatigue is a critical problem for large surface mounted leadless chip carriers. This fatigue results from the thermal mismatch between the Al2O3 chip carrier and the circuit board. This study was aimed at this problem, particularly the influence of time-dependent effects.Isothermal tests were run on 0.15 to 0.23 mm (0.006 to 0.009 in.) solder layers tested in simple shear. It has been found, as expected, that solder exhibits Coffin-Manson low-cycle fatigue (LCF) behavior. The present study details the influence of cycling frequency on the fatigue life. Results were obtained on 60Sn-40Pb tested at 35 and 150°C. In agreement with previous studies made on Pb, it is shown that, at both temperatures, the fatigue life decreases as the frequency decreases, especially below 10−3 Hz. The fatigue life can be described by Coffin's frequency modified LCF law; i.e., (Nfνκ−1)αΔγp=θThe data were also analyzed by means of strain range partitioning (SRP). It was found that this approach does not describe the data. A time-modified SRP approach, i.e., the time to failure tf is given by 1tf=fcctcc+νfppNpp was found to describe the data. The primary difference between this and the standard SRP approach is that with the time-modified SRP we assume that at low frequencies the time to failure tcc is a constant, not the number of cycles to failure Ncc. The correlation between this approach and the frequency-modified fatigue law is discussed. There is also a characterization of the different types of fatigue fracture surfaces that are observed.
Creep-Fatigue Behavior of Ni-Co-Cr-Al-Y Coated PWA 1480 Superalloy Single Crystals
Authors: Miner RV , Gayda J , Hebsur MG 
Published: February 2009

Single-crystal specimens of a Ni-base superalloy, PWA 1480, with a low pressure plasma sprayed Ni-Co-Cr-Al-Y coating, were tested in various 0.1 Hz fatigue and creep-fatigue cycles at 1015 and 1050°C. Creep-fatigue tests of the cp, pc, and cc types were conducted with various constant total strain ranges employing creep dwells at various constant stresses. Considerable cyclic softening occurred as was evidenced particularly by rapidly increasing creep rates in the creep-fatigue tests. The cycle time in the creep-fatigue tests typically decreased by more than 80% at 0.5 Nf.
Though cyclic life did correlate with Δεin, a better correlation existed with Δσ both the fatigue and creep-fatigue tests, and poor correlations were observed with either σmax or the average cycle time. A model containing both Δσ and Δεin, Nf = αΔεβinΔσγ, with best fit values of α for each cycle type but the same values of β and γ, was found to provide good correlations. Lifelines were not greatly different among the cycle types, differing by only a factor of about three. The cp cycle life line was lowest for both test temperatures; however, among the other three cycle types there was no consistent ranking. For all test types, failure occurred predominately by multiple internal cracking originating at porosity. The strong correlation of life with Δσ may reflect a significant crack growth period in the life of the specimens. The lack of improvement in the models when average cycle time was considered reflects both that there is no large effect of strain rate on the damage mechanisms in the single-crystal material nor any environmental effect due to the internal cracking mode of failure.
Bithermal Fatigue: A Link Between Isothermal and Thermomechanical Fatigue
Authors: Halford GR , McGaw MA , Bill RC , Fanti PD 
Published: February 2009

Many technologically important elevated temperature service cycles are non-isothermal. Nevertheless, major design codes rely on the most severe—usually the highest—temperature of an operational cycle as being the pertinent temperature upon which to base a design. Consequently, most high-temperature fatigue data for design have been generated under isothermal conditions. There is a growing awareness of the potential inadequacy of such a simplistic approach since many thermomechanical fatigue results have been found to exhibit considerably lower fatigue lives than would be expected on the basis of isothermal results at the maximum cycle temperature. Yet, variable-temperature, low-cycle fatigue tests are difficult to conduct and to interpret. The considerable gap between isothermal and thermomechanical fatigue technology can be bridged by an approach which retains the simplicity and ease of interpretation of isothermal fatigue, but captures many of the first order effects of the greater complexities involved in thermomechanical fatigue. We have developed a procedure for conducting what has been designated as bithermal fatigue experiments. In this procedure, the tensile and compressive halves of the cycle are conducted isothermally at two significantly different temperatures. The higher temperature is chosen to be in the time-dependent creep and oxidation prone regime and the lower temperature in the regime wherein time dependencies are minimized due to lack of thermal activation.
Interestingly, bithermal fatigue tests prior to those performed for this paper have been conducted in conjunction with the evaluation of the isothermal Strainrange Partitioning characteristics of high-temperature alloys, not with thermomechanical behavior per se. Nevertheless, the bithermal fatigue test may well be used as an alternative to thermomechanical cycling. In this paper, we place emphasis on using the bithermal testing concept as a link between isothermal and thermomechanical testing. New bithermal fatigue data for the nickel-base superalloy B1900 + Hf are presented herein.
Microstructural Aspects of Crack Initiation and Propagation in Extremely Low Cycle Fatigue
Authors: Kunio T , Shimizu M , Ohtani N , Abe T 
Published: February 2009

A study has been made of the crack initiation and propagation in a low cycle fatigue of annealed carbon steel including extremely short fatigue life (Nf &lt; 100), with an emphasis on the establishment of the relation between the microfracture behavior and the damage accumulation process depending on the plastic strain range, Δεp, as well as the mean strain, εm.It was found that at the small Δεp the surface damage due to the initiation and propagation of surface microcracks is predominant, while at the very large Δεp giving fatigue life less than Nf = 10, the internal cracking originated from the fracture of a pearlite becomes a primary source of the damage which results in the reduction of the residual ductility, εFR. The transition from the surface damage to the internal one takes place when Δεp becomes so large that the pearlite cracking may start inside the material at each level of εm.Good correlation was obtained between the reduction of residual ductility and the cracked pearlite ratio newly defined as a parameter for the evaluation of the internal microfracture behavior.
Damage Development During Multiaxial Fatigue of Unnotched and Notched Specimens
Authors: JW Fash , NJ Hurd , CT Hua , DF Socie 
Published: February 2009

Life prediction methodologies based on low-cycle fatigue concepts are well established for the evaluation of component fatigue behavior. A critical assumption made in applying these concepts is that the fatigue damage process in the critical region of the component is similar to that which occurs in the smooth specimen used to characterize the material fatigue behavior. This approach has been verified experimentally for uniaxial loading conditions but methods for applying these concepts to multiaxial fatigue problems are not yet established.
Multiaxial fatigue theories that relate to the physical damage processes have shown the most promise for reliable design criteria. Two test programs are reported and discussed to further the understanding of the physical damage processes. First, thin-wall tube specimens have been tested in combined tension-torsion strain controlled loading. Second, notched shaft specimens, designed to represent a typical component, have been tested in combined moment control torsion-bending. For both test series, the development and growth of fatigue damage from initiation to failure is reported.
The thin-wall tube geometry is considered the smooth specimen for multi-axial fatigue. Tests on this geometry establish the expected damage behavior for the normalized SAE 1045 steel used in this investigation. Damage initiates on planes of maximum shear strain. At long lives a single crack develops and eventually grows perpendicular to the maximum principal strain. At short lives extensive damage develops on shear planes and failure occurs rapidly by a crack linking process. For equivalent local strain states similar behavior is expected for the notched shaft. However, initiation and early damage development in the notched shaft occurs in the circumferential direction of the notch, rather than on maximum shear planes. At long lives crack growth resulting in failure occurs on planes perpendicular to the maximum principal strain. At short lives extensive damage occurs in the notch and failure results by crack linking perpendicular to the primary bending stress.
Specimen geometry and stress gradients have a significant influence on damage development during multiaxial loading of components. The damage processes in the notched shaft are not represented by the thin-wall tube tests. Increased understanding of the detailed micromechanisms of fatigue represents an important direction for future improvements in life prediction methods.