bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Bone vascularized composite allotransplantation model in swine tibial defect: Evaluation of surgical angiogenesis and transplant viability
Authors: Kotsougiani Dimitra , Hundepool Caroline A. , Bulstra Liselotte F. , Friedrich Patricia F. , Shin Alexander Y. , Bishop Allen T. 
Published: March 2018

IntroductionIn prior small animal studies, we maintained vascularized bone allotransplant viability without long‐term immunotherapy. Instead, an autogenous neoangiogenic circulation is created from implanted vessels, sufficient to maintain bone viability with only 2 weeks immunosupression. Blood flow is maintained despite rejection of the allogeneic vascular pedicle thereafter. We have previously described a large animal (swine) pre‐clinical model, reconstructing tibial defects with vascularized tibial allotransplants. In this manuscript, autologous angiogenesis is evaluated in this model and correlated with bone viability.Materials and methodsAllogeneic tibial segments were transplanted across a major swine leukocyte antigen mismatch. Microvascular repair of the bone VCA pedicle was combined with intraosseous implantation of an autogenous arteriovenous (AV) bundle. The bundle was ligated in group 1 (n = 4), and allowed to perfuse in group 2 (n = 4). Three‐drug immunotherapy was given for 2 weeks. At 16 weeks micro‐CT angiography quantified neoangiogenic vessel volume. Bone viability, rejection grade, and bone healing were analyzed.ResultsA substantial neoangiogenic circulation developed from the implanted AV‐bundle in group 2, with vessel density superior to ligated AV‐bundle controls (0.11 ± 0.05 vs. 0.01 ± 0.01, P = .029). Bone allotransplant viability was also significantly enhanced by neoangiogenesis (78.7 ± 4.4% vs. 27.7 ± 5.8%, P = .028) with higher bone healing scores (21.4 ± 2.9 vs. 12.5 ± 3.7, P = .029). Ligated control tibias demonstrated disorganized bone morphology and higher local inflammation (P = .143).ConclusionImplantation of autogenous AV bundles into vascularized bone allotransplants resulted in the rapid formation of a neoangiogenic autogenous blood supply in a swine tibia model that maintained bone viability, improved bone healing, and minimized rejection.
De novo neurogenic bladder dysfunction after salvage lymph node dissection in patients with nodal recurrence of prostate cancer
Authors: Hanske Julian , Müller Guido , van Ophoven Arndt , von Landenberg Nicolas , Roghmann Florian , Palisaar Rein‐Jüri , von Bodman Christian , Noldus Joachim , Brock Marko 
Published: March 2018

AimsTo examine the impact of Salvage lymph node dissection (SLND) on bladder function and oncological outcome in hormone naïve patients with nodal recurrence of prostate cancer (PCa) after radical prostatectomy (RP).MethodsIn a prospective study between October 2015 and November 2016, 20 patients underwent transperitoneal SLND for nodal recurrence of PCa after RP at our institution. Standardized urodynamics were performed pre‐ and postoperatively after 6 weeks, 3, and 6 to 12 months. Prostate‐specific antigen (PSA) levels were used to monitor the oncological outcome. Perioperative outcomes encompassed, among others, type of complications after surgery classified to Clavien‐Dindo.ResultsThe proportion of patients with neurogenic bladder dysfunction was postoperative at 6 weeks, 3, and 6 to 12 months 78.5%, 70%, and 45.5%, respectively. Compared to preoperative urodynamics, follow‐ups revealed a statistical significant cleavage of bladder wall compliance until six to twelve months after SLND (34.5 vs 22 mL/cmH2O, P = 0.044). Referring to the oncological outcome all patients experienced a PSA progression, 10 patients (50%) within 11 weeks after surgery. Overall, four patients (20%) suffered from a postoperative complication after SLND, which comprises Clavien grade I‐IIIa.ConclusionsTransperitoneal SLND, as a treatment option for patients with nodal recurrence of PCa after RP reveals additional potential pitfalls than previously reported. Urodynamics reveal a significant impact of SLND on postoperative functional bladder dysfunctions. Therefore, informed consent prior to SLND should include the risk of persistent low compliance bladder.
Perturbation analysis in finite LD‐QBD processes and applications to epidemic models
Authors: Gómez‐Corral A. , López‐García M. 
Published: March 2018

SummaryIn this paper, our interest is in the perturbation analysis of level‐dependent quasi‐birth‐and‐death (LD‐QBD) processes, which constitute a wide class of structured Markov chains. An LD‐QBD process has the special feature that its space of states can be structured bylevels(groups of states), so that a tridiagonal‐by‐blocks structure is obtained for its infinitesimal generator. For these processes, a number of algorithmic procedures exist in the literature in order to compute several performance measures while exploiting the underlying matrix structure; among others, these measures are related to first‐passage times to a certain levelL(0) and hitting probabilities at this level, the maximum level visited by the process before reaching states of levelL(0), and the stationary distribution. For the case of a finite number of states, our aim here is to develop analogous algorithms to the ones analyzing these measures, for their perturbation analysis. This approach uses matrix calculus and exploits the specific structure of the infinitesimal generator, which allows us to obtain additional information during the perturbation analysis of the LD‐QBD process by dealing with specific matrices carrying probabilistic insights of the dynamics of the process. We illustrate the approach by means of applying multitype versions of the susceptible‐infective (SI) and susceptible‐infective‐susceptible (SIS) epidemic models to the spread of antibiotic‐sensitive and antibiotic‐resistant bacterial strains in a hospital ward.
The Child Adolescent Bullying Scale (CABS): Psychometric evaluation of a new measure
Authors: Strout Tania D. , Vessey Judith A. , DiFazio Rachel L. , Ludlow Larry H. 
Published: March 2018

AbstractWhile youth bullying is a significant public health problem, healthcare providers have been limited in their ability to identify bullied youths due to the lack of a reliable, and valid instrument appropriate for use in clinical settings. We conducted a multisite study to evaluate the psychometric properties of a new 22‐item instrument for assessing youths’ experiences of being bullied, the Child Adolescent Bullying Scale (CABS). The 20 items summed to produce the measure's score were evaluated here. Diagnostic performance was assessed through evaluation of sensitivity, specificity, predictive values, and area under receiver operating characteristic (AUROC) curve. A sample of 352 youths from diverse racial, ethnic, and geographic backgrounds (188 female, 159 male, 5 transgender, sample mean age 13.5 years) were recruited from two clinical sites. Participants completed the CABS and existing youth bullying measures. Analyses grounded in classical test theory, including assessments of reliability and validity, item analyses, and principal components analysis, were conducted. The diagnostic performance and test characteristics of the CABS were also evaluated. The CABS is comprised of one component, accounting for 67% of observed variance. Analyses established evidence of internal consistency reliability (Cronbach's α = 0.97), construct and convergent validity. Sensitivity was 84%, specificity was 65%, and the AUROC curve was 0.74 (95% CI: 0.69–0.80). Findings suggest that the CABS holds promise as a reliable, valid tool for healthcare provider use in screening for bullying exposure in the clinical setting.
Energetic Compounds Based on 3,4‐Bis(4‐nitramino‐ 1,2,5‐oxadiazol‐3‐yl)‐1,2,5‐furoxan (BNAFF)
Authors: Gospodinov Ivan , Hermann Tobias , Klapötke Thomas M. , Stierstorfer Jörg 
Published: March 2018

Abstract3,4‐Bis(4‐amino‐1,2,5‐oxadiazol‐3‐yl)‐1,2,5‐furoxan (BAFF,1) was nitrated in 100 % HNO3at −10 °C and then reacted with KOH to give the corresponding energetic dipotassium salt of 3,4‐bis(4‐nitramino‐1,2,5‐oxadiazol‐3‐yl)‐1,2,5‐furoxan (2, K2BNAFF). The neutral nitramino‐furoxan compound (3, H2BNAFF) is unstable at room temperature and can be obtained from K2BNAFF with 2 mHCl and ether as H2BNAFF ⋅ 0.5 Et2O. Several nitrogen‐rich salts (e. g. ammonium, guanidinium, aminoguanidinium, hydrazinium and hydroxylammonium) were prepared from K2BNAFF. The potassium, guanidinium, aminoguanidinium, hydroxylammonium and silver salts of BNAFF were characterized by low‐temperature X‐ray diffraction. In addition, all compounds were analyzed by vibrational spectroscopy (IR and Raman), multinuclear (1H,13C,14N) NMR spectroscopy, differential thermal analysis (DTA) and elemental analysis. The heats of formation for the anhydrous compounds were calculated using the atomization method based on CBS‐4 M enthalpies. Several detonation parameters were predicted by using the EXPLO5 code (V6.03). In addition, the sensitivities of all BNAFF salts toward friction, impact and electrostatic discharge were determined.
The ethnoracial context of residential mobility in France: Neighbourhood out‐migration and relocation
Authors: McAvay Haley 
Published: March 2018

AbstractRecent research from France has used census data to explore patterns of residential segregation among immigrants and natives. Yet few studies explore how residential mobility underpins these patterns. This article draws on recent panel data (1990–2013) to explore how the ethnoracial composition of neighbourhoods impacts moving among first and second generation immigrants and natives. Two hypotheses are explored:ethnic clustering, or reduced out‐mobility of immigrants and their offspring from coethnic neighbourhoods, andnative flight,or the departure of natives from immigrant neighbourhoods. This article is the only to measure these processes in France at the neighbourhood level, on both first and second generation immigrants, using panel models that control for individual and neighbourhood heterogeneity. The findings document a significant negative effect of the neighbourhood coethnic share on moving out among first and second generation immigrants that remains strong over all time periods. In contrast, the French majority are more likely to exit areas with increasing shares of immigrants, except in models controlling for unobserved neighbourhood characteristics. Moving destinations across groups are also analysed and show that non‐Europeans enter neighbourhoods with substantially higher immigrant shares net of controls.
Robust adaptive boundary control of semilinear PDE systems using a dyadic controller
Authors: Paranjape Aditya A. , Chung Soon‐Jo 
Published: March 2018

SummaryIn this paper, we describe a dyadic adaptive control framework for output tracking in a class of semilinear systems of partial differential equations with boundary actuation and unknown distributed nonlinearities. The dyadic adaptive control framework uses the linear terms in the system to split the plant into 2 virtual subsystems, one of which contains the nonlinearities, whereas the other contains the control input. Full‐plant‐state feedback is used to estimate the unmeasured individual states of the 2 subsystems as well as the nonlinearities. The control signal is designed to ensure that the controlled subsystem tracks a suitably modified reference signal. We prove the well posedness of the closed‐loop system rigorously and derive conditions for closed‐loop stability and robustness using finite‐gain
stability theory.
Formic Acid Synthesis by CO2 Hydrogenation over Single‐Atom Catalysts Based on Ru and Cu Embedded in Graphene
Authors: Sredojević Dušan N. , Šljivančanin Željko , Brothers Edward N. , Belić Milivoj R. 
Published: March 2018

AbstractAt variance with conventional heterogeneous catalysts, where only a small number of transition or noble metal atoms at surfaces play the role of active sites, in the single‐atom catalysts (SAC) each metal atom is involved in the catalytic process. Starting from isolated Ru and Cu atoms embedded on defects in graphene, denoted as Ru‐dG and Cu‐dG, we apply density functional theory (DFT) to examine utilizing these structures to catalyze the conversion of CO2 into the formic acid (FA). Our atomistic modeling of this reaction, highly relevant for reducing the CO2 level in the atmosphere, includes three different reaction pathways. The first relies on a direct hydrogenation of CO2 with protons from the H2 molecule. Due to energy barriers higher than 35 kcal/mol on both Ru‐dG and Cu‐dG, this reaction path does not represent a favorable route for FA synthesis. The other two reaction mechanisms start with the dissociative adsorption of H2 and then proceed via completely different paths. At Ru‐dG the CO2 hydrogenation occurs with the H atoms from the dissociated H2, while the Cu‐dG favors the proton transfer from an additional H2, coadsorbed with CO2 on hydrogenated SAC. Since we find that these pathways were accompanied with the activation energies smaller than 20 kcal/mol, our DFT study indicates that the Ru adatoms embedded into the defected graphene are promising candidates for designing a SAC enabling an efficient conversion of CO2 to FA. Since adsorbed H species markedly decrease Cu binding at the vacancy sites, the Cu‐dG is considerably less robust catalyst than Ru‐dG.
Creating and taming discord: How firms manage embedded competition in alliance portfolios to limit alliance termination
Authors: Asgari Navid , Tandon Vivek , Singh Kulwant , Mitchell Will 
Published: March 2018

Research Summary: Firms with resources that make them attractive allies are also desirable partners for competitors so that competition among partners is embedded in alliance portfolios. We develop a framework in which competition within a portfolio creates benefits for a focal firm but threatens partners, increasing the hazard of alliance termination. We then propose four mechanisms for managing the threat of competition to partners reflecting aspects of portfolio configuration: alliance governance, social cohesion, social structure of competition, and partner similarity. We test our framework using a sample of 204 biopharmaceutical firms with alliance portfolios comprising 1,621 alliances between 1990 and 2000. The study addresses the interplay of competition and cooperation in alliance portfolios, and more generally, key aspects of value chain integration strategy.Managerial Summary: Alliance portfolios comprise a focal firm's set of direct partners, some of which compete with each other because of overlapping resources, capabilities, and strategies. The threat of actual or perceived competition from other partners may cause some firms to terminate their alliance with the focal firm. We develop a framework comprising four mechanisms related to alliance portfolios—alliance governance, social cohesion, social structure of competition, and partner similarity—that allows focal firms to attenuate the hazard of termination of their alliances. We find support for our framework in a study of 204 biopharmaceutical firms with alliance portfolios comprising 1,621 alliances between 1990 and 2000. We improve understanding of how firms can manage competition and cooperation within their alliance portfolios.
Trained convolutional neural network based on selected beta filters for Arabic letter recognition
Authors: ElAdel Asma , Zaied Mourad , Ben Amar Chokri 
Published: March 2018

AbstractThis paper presents a fast deep learning approach to segment and recognize off‐line Arabic printed and handwritten letters from words. We proposed a simple and powerful algorithm for Arabic letter segmentation based on vertical profile and baseline analysis. Then, we proposed a new method for feature extraction using fast wavelet transform. These extracted features are exploited as connection weights to build a convolutional neural network for each letter shape. Finally, all estimated model shapes are boosted to increase the robustness and performance of the proposed system. The proposed approach was tested on APTI and IESK‐arDB databases to evaluate performance for printed letters and handwritten letters, respectively. The obtained results show the robustness of our approach as well as the speed of the proposed recognition algorithm for both databases.This article is categorized under:
Technologies > Machine Learning
Technologies > Computational Intelligence
Technologies > Classification
Objective Assessment of the Utility of Chromoendoscopy with a Support Vector Machine
Authors: Ogawa Ryo , Nishikawa Jun , Hideura Eizaburo , Goto Atsushi , Koto Yurika , Ito Shunsuke , Unno Madoka , Yamaoka Yuko , Kawasato Ryo , Hashimoto Shinichi , Okamoto Takeshi , Ogihara Hiroyuki , Hamamoto Yoshihiko , Sakaida Isao 
Published: March 2018

Abstract
Purpose
The utility of chromoendoscopy for early gastric cancer (GC) was determined by machine learning using data of color differences.

Methods
Eighteen histopathologically confirmed early GC lesions were examined. We prepared images from white light endoscopy (WL), indigo carmine (Indigo), and acetic acid-indigo carmine chromoendoscopy (AIM). A border between cancerous and non-cancerous areas on endoscopic images was established from post-treatment pathological findings, and 2000 pixels with equivalent luminance values were randomly extracted from each image of cancerous and non-cancerous areas. Each pixel was represented as a three-dimensional vector with RGB values and defined as a sample. We evaluated the Mahalanobis distance using RGB values, indicative of color differences between cancerous and non-cancerous areas. We then conducted diagnosis test using a support vector machine (SVM) for each image. SVM was trained using the 100 training samples per class and determined which area each of 1900 test samples per class came from.

Results
The means of the Mahalanobis distances for WL, Indigo, and AIM were 1.52, 1.32, and 2.53, respectively and there were no significant differences in the three modalities. Diagnosability per endoscopy technique was assessed using the F1 measure. The means of F1 measures for WL, Indigo, and AIM were 0.636, 0.618, and 0.687, respectively. AIM images were better than WL and Indigo images for the diagnosis of GC.

Conclusion
Objective assessment by SVM found AIM to be suitable for diagnosis of early GC based on color differences.
Relationships Between 3-Dimensional Transperineal Ultrasound Imaging and Digital Intravaginal Palpation Assessments of the Pelvic Floor Muscles in Women With and Without Provoked Vestibulodynia
Authors: Thibault-Gagnon Stéphanie , Goldfinger Corrie , Pukall Caroline , Chamberlain Susan , McLean Linda 
Published: March 2018

Abstract

Background
Digital intravaginal palpation remains the favored method for clinical assessment of pelvic floor muscle (PFM) function in women; however, there is growing interest in using transperineal ultrasound imaging (TPUSI). TPUSI does not involve vaginal penetration, making it particularly relevant for PFM assessment in women with genito-pelvic pain and penetration disorders.

Aims
To study the relations between measures of PFM morphology and function assessed using 3-dimensional (3D) TPUSI and PFM assessment through intravaginal palpation.

Methods
77 nulliparous premenopausal women with (n = 38) and without (n = 39) PVD participated. 3D TPUSI was used to measure levator hiatal dimensions at rest, at maximal voluntary contraction (MVC) of the PFMs, and at maximal Valsalva maneuver (MVM). Intravaginal palpation was used to assess PFM strength, PFM tone, PFM relaxation after contraction, and vaginal flexibility; each was scored using an ordinal grading scale. Ultrasound and palpation outcomes were compared using Spearman correlation coefficients and Kruskal-Wallis 1-way analyses of variance by rank.

Outcomes
Outcomes included ultrasound measures of the levator hiatal area, anteroposterior diameter, and left-right transverse diameter at rest, at MVC, and at MVM; raw and relative changes in hiatal dimensions between rest and MVC and between rest and MVM; and palpation measures of PFM strength, tone, and relaxation after contraction, and vaginal flexibility.

Results
Weak to fair correlations were found between ultrasound and palpation measures. A smaller levator hiatus at rest was associated with greater PFM tone, less PFM relaxation, and less vaginal flexibility. Greater levator hiatal constriction and shortening of the hiatal anteroposterior diameter at MVC were associated with greater palpated PFM strength. Greater hiatal distention at MVM was associated with lower PFM tone and greater relaxation.

Clinical Translation
3D TPUSI and intravaginal palpation provide related but distinct information about PFM function in young women with and without PVD with high functioning PFMs.

Strengths and Limitations
This was the first study to compare PFM assessment using 3D TPUSI and intravaginal palpation in nulliparous premenopausal women. A main strength of the study was the inclusion of women with PVD and asymptomatic controls, which provided a wide range in outcomes because differences in PFM morphology and function exist between women with and without PVD. The lack of inclusion of older women and women with weaker and/or hypotonic PFMs limits the generalizability of the findings.

Conclusion
Although TPUSI has several advantages, including painless application, it is not recommended as a replacement for digital palpation in the clinical assessment of PFM function.