bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Improved spectra for MALDI MSI of peptides using ammonium phosphate monobasic in MALDI matrix
Authors: Ucal Yasemin , Ozpinar Aysel 
Published: May 2018

AbstractMALDI mass spectrometry imaging (MSI) enables analysis of peptides along with histology. However, there are several critical steps in MALDI MSI of peptides, 1 of which is spectral quality. Suppression of MALDI matrix clusters by the aid of ammonium salts in MALDI experiments is well known. It is asserted that addition of ammonium salts dissociates potential matrix adducts and thereafter decreases matrix cluster formation. Consequently, MALDI MS sensitivity and mass accuracy increase. Up to our knowledge, a limited number of MALDI MSI studies used ammonium salts as matrix additives to suppress matrix clusters and enhance peptide signals. In this work, we investigated the effect of ammonium phosphate monobasic (AmP) as alpha‐cyano‐4‐hydroxycinnamic acid (α‐CHCA) matrix additive in MALDI MSI of peptides. Prior to MALDI MSI, the effect of varying concentrations of AmP in α‐CHCA was assessed in bovine serum albumin tryptic digests and compared with the control (α‐CHCA without AmP). Based on our data, the addition of AmP as matrix additive decreased matrix cluster formation regardless of its concentration, and specifically, 8 mM AmP and 10 mM AmP increased bovine serum albumin peptide signal intensities. In MALDI MSI of peptides, both 8 and 10 mM AmP in α‐CHCA improved peptide signals especially in the mass range of m/z 2000 to 3000. In particular, 9 peptide signals were found to have differential intensities within the tissues deposited with AmP in α‐CHCA (AUC > 0.60). To the best of our knowledge, this is the first MALDI MSI of peptides work investigating different concentrations of AmP as α‐CHCA matrix additive to enhance peptide signals in formalin‐fixed paraffin‐embedded (FFPE) tissues. Further, AmP as part of α‐CHCA matrix could enhance protein identifications and support MALDI MSI‐based proteomic approaches.
Synthesis and application of an alkylated pyrazole‐based azo dye for electrofluidic display
Authors: Deng Yong , Jiang Hongwei , Ye Dechao , Zhou Rui , Li Hui , Tang Biao , Jin Mingliang , Li Nan , Guo Yuanyuan , Zhou Guofu 
Published: May 2018

AbstractElectrofluidic display (EFD) is one of the most promising reflective displays for its full color and video speed. Colored EFD oil, normally formulated by soluble organic dyes in non‐polar solvent, dominates the color, electro‐optical behavior, and reliability performances for EFD devices. In this paper, a novel yellow electrofluidic dye with excellent solubility in non‐polar EFD solvent was achieved based on the introduction of long alkyl chain into pyrazole azo dye. The resulting EFD device fabricated by the dye showed excellent application properties, such as fast switching speed (17.8 ms), high aperture ratio (68.5%), low threshold voltage (24v), good light stability (240 h under accelerated conditions), and low backflow phenomenon.
Understanding cross‐product purchase intention in an IT brand extension context
Authors: Guo Yue , Zhu Ying , Barnes Stuart J. , Bao Yongchuan , Li Xiaotong , Le‐Nguyen Khuong 
Published: May 2018

AbstractThis study investigates why some customers of a brand tend to purchase IT products launched by the same brand in a different category, but others do not. Combining insights from marketing and information systems research, this study develops an integrative model of cross‐category purchases of IT products in a brand extension context. This research extends the information system (IS) continuance model by integrating brand extension factors such as perceived fit into the new model. The proposed model is empirically tested using data collected from 342 Xiaomi customers. The results show that in addition to post‐acceptance usefulness perceptions and brand satisfaction, the perceived service quality and perceived fit of the initial purchase also have strong effects on consumers’ continuance purchase intentions toward a brand extension product. Hedonic and utilitarian expectancy mediate the relationship between consumers’ post‐consumption views of the initial purchase and their intention of the subsequent purchase of a different product under the same brand.
A new method for CT dose estimation by determining patient water equivalent diameter from localizer radiographs: Geometric transformation and calibration methods using readily available phantoms
Authors: Zhang Da , Mihai Georgeta , Barbaras Larry G. , Brook Olga R. , Palmer Matthew R. 
Published: May 2018

PurposeWater equivalent diameter (Dw) reflects patient's attenuation and is a sound descriptor of patient size, and is used to determine size‐specific dose estimator from a CT examination. Calculating Dw from CT localizer radiographs makes it possible to utilize Dw before actual scans and minimizes truncation errors due to limited reconstructed fields of view. One obstacle preventing the user community from implementing this useful tool is the necessity to calibrate localizer pixel values so as to represent water equivalent attenuation. We report a practical method to ease this calibration process.MethodsDw is calculated from water equivalent area (Aw) which is deduced from the average localizer pixel value (LPV) of the line(s) in the localizer radiograph that correspond(s) to the axial image. The calibration process is conducted to establish the relationship between Aw and LPV. Localizer and axial images were acquired from phantoms of different total attenuation. We developed a program that automates the geometrical association between axial images and localizer lines and manages the measurements of Dw and average pixel values. We tested the calibration method on three CT scanners: a GE CT750HD, a Siemens Definition AS, and a Toshiba Acquilion Prime80, for both posterior–anterior (PA) and lateral (LAT) localizer directions (for all CTs) and with different localizer filters (for the Toshiba CT).ResultsThe computer program was able to correctly perform the geometrical association between corresponding axial images and localizer lines. Linear relationships between Aw and LPV were observed (with R2 all greater than 0.998) on all tested conditions, regardless of the direction and image filters used on the localizer radiographs. When comparing LAT and PA directions with the same image filter and for the same scanner, the slope values were close (maximum difference of 0.02 mm), and the intercept values showed larger deviations (maximum difference of 2.8 mm). Water equivalent diameter estimation on phantoms and patients demonstrated high accuracy of the calibration: percentage difference between Dw from axial images and localizers was below 2%. With five clinical chest examinations and five abdominal‐pelvic examinations of varying patient sizes, the maximum percentage difference was approximately 5%.ConclusionsOur study showed that Aw and LPV are highly correlated, providing enough evidence to allow for the Dw determination once the experimental calibration process is established.
Retrospective analysis of RF heating measurements of passive medical implants
Authors: Song Ting , Xu Zhiheng , Iacono Maria Ida , Angelone Leonardo M. , Rajan Sunder 
Published: May 2018

PurposeThe test reports for the RF‐induced heating of metallic devices of hundreds of medical implants have been provided to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration as a part of premarket submissions. The main purpose of this study is to perform a retrospective analysis of the RF‐induced heating data provided in the reports to analyze the trends and correlate them with implant geometric characteristics.MethodsThe ASTM‐based RF heating test reports from 86 premarket U.S. Food and Drug Administration submissions were reviewed by three U.S. Food and Drug Administration reviewers. From each test report, the dimensions and RF‐induced heating values for a given whole‐body (WB) specific absorption rate (SAR) and local background (LB) SAR were extracted and analyzed. The data from 56 stents were analyzed as a subset to further understand heating trends and length dependence.ResultsFor a given WB SAR, the LB/WB SAR ratio varied significantly across the test labs, from 2.3 to 11.3. There was an increasing trend on the temperature change per LB SAR with device length. The maximum heating for stents occurred at lengths of approximately 100 mm at 3 T, and beyond 150 mm at 1.5 T.ConclusionsDifferences in the LB/WB SAR ratios across testing labs and various MRI scanners could lead to inconsistent WB SAR labeling. Magnetic resonance (MR) conditional labeling based on WB SAR should be derived from a conservative estimate of global LB/WB ratios.
A flexible, reliable, and adaptive timeslot‐based advance bandwidth‐reservation mechanism for media delivery services
Authors: Barshan Maryam , Moens Hendrik , Volckaert Bruno , De Turck Filip 
Published: May 2018

SummaryMedia‐centric networks deal with exchanging large media files between geographical distributed locations with strict deadlines. In such networks, resources need to be available at predetermined timeslots in the future and thus need to be reserved in advance, based on either flexible or fixed timeslot sizes. Reliability of the transfers is also important and can be attained by advance provisioning of redundant reservations. This, however, imposes additional costs, because redundant reservations are rarely in use, causing network resources to be wasted. Further adaptation and network utilization can be achieved at runtime by reutilizing unused reservations for transferring extra data as long as no failure has been detected. In this article, we design, implement, and evaluate a resilient advance bandwidth‐reservation approach based on flexible timeslots, in combination with a runtime adaptation approach. We take into account the specific characteristics of media transfers. Quality and complexity of the proposed approach have been extensively compared with that of a fixed timeslot algorithm. Our simulation results reveal that the highest admittance ratio and percentage of fully transferred requests in case of failures are almost always achieved by flexible timeslots, while the execution time of this approach is up to 17.5 times lower, compared with the approaches with fixed timeslot sizes.
DSSDN: Demand‐supply based load balancing in Software‐Defined Wide‐Area Networks
Authors: Sahoo Kshira Sagar , Tiwary Mayank , Sahoo Bibhudatta , Dash Ratnakar , Naik Kshirasagar 
Published: May 2018

SummaryOne of the unexplored research areas in Software Defined Networks (SDN) is load balancing of control messages (e.g. packet_in) among distributed controllers in Wide Area Networks. In SDN, on every unsuccessful match in the flow table for the incoming traffic flows, the switch sends packet_in to the controller for further action against the traffic flow. The packet_in messages are one of the major contributors of the control request (load) received by the controller. When it exceeds a certain threshold limit, the response time for the control request increases nonlinearly due to the over CPU utilization and congestion. When the controller gets overloaded, typically the OpenFlow‐enabled Devices (OFDevices) are migrated from the current controller to another under loaded controller domain. This migration might cause large degradation of end users' QoS metrics. To resolve this issue, we introduce basic demand and supply curve based DSSDN, a new load balancing method that utilizes the load factors of Software Defined Wide Area Networks controllers. This method selects the OFDevice which causes maximum load on the controller and traversing minimum users traffic through it. The Karush‐Kuhn‐Tucker conditions are employed during the optimal controller selection by the OFDevices to improve the response time effectively. During implementation, virtual threads running on the controller representing the OFDevices are used to take the optimal decision instead of actual OFDevices. The experimental results show that during migration, the DSSDN stabilizes the load hikes, improves QoS, and increase the end users' utility without much disruptions in the network state.
Modeling impact‐induced damage and debonding using level sets in a sharp interface Eulerian framework
Authors: de Brauer A. , Rai N.K. , Nixon M.E. , Udaykumar H.S. 
Published: May 2018

SummaryThis work presents a level‐set–based sharp interface technique to simulate the evolution of damage in ductile materials under high velocity impact conditions. The level‐set method is adopted to track all interfaces including damage zones within the materials. Two types of damage are considered, ie, the creation of spall zones due to damage accumulation in homogeneous ductile materials and interfacial debonding in heterogeneous materials. Spall is simulated using continuum damage models and a level‐set–based crack generation and evolution algorithm. Three continuum damage models are tested for metal targets subjected to flyer impact; the results from the current code (SCIMITAR3D) are compared with the two widely used computer codes EPIC and CTH, and to experimental data; it is found that the computer codes are in good agreement among each other, but agreement of all methods with experimental data is not uniform. At material interfaces, damage is handled using a cohesive zone model and evolving level sets to create void spaces because of material separation due to debonding. Finally, ductile damage combined with debonding is simulated in an Al‐Ni laminate impacted by a projectile. The results demonstrate the ability of the present approach to simulate various types of damage in materials with heterogeneities and inclusions.
Structure and thermal behaviors of poly(vinyl alcohol)/surfactant composites: Investigation of molecular interaction and mechanism
Authors: Wang Yang , Wang Zhu , Liu Yun , Li Ting , Ma Piming , Bai Huiyu , Xie Yi , Chen Mingqing , Dong Weifu 
Published: May 2018

Poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) is a promising biocompatible polymer, whose applicability is limited by its narrow processing window. Here, we adopted a facile approach to broaden the processing windows of PVA based on phosphoric ester of poly(ethylene oxide) (10) nonylphenyl (NP‐10P). Thermal analysis shows that both the melting temperature (Tm) and the glass transition temperature (Tg) of PVA decrease noticeably as NP‐10P content increases, indicating good miscibility of NP‐10P with PVA. The thermal degradation kinetics suggests composites display excellent thermal stability compared with neat PVA. The pyrolysis mechanism of PVA before and after modification with NP‐10P varies from chain unzipping degradation followed by chain random scission to chain random scission. The processing window of PVA is broadened from 9°C to 98°C with low content NP‐10P (5 wt%). Moreover, the composites maintain significant mechanical performance and transparency. This work provides an environmentally friendly and economical method to improve the possibility of thermal melt processing for PVA.
Neuroproteins in Cancer: Assumed Bystanders Become Culprits
Authors: Li Xiang , Dun Matt D. , Faulkner Sam , Hondermarck Hubert 
Published: May 2018

AbstractRecent breakthrough discoveries have highlighted the stimulatory role of nerves in cancer initiation and progression, through the release of neurotransmitters and growth factors by nerve terminals in the tumor microenvironment. Intriguingly, neuroproteins such as neuronal membrane proteins, synaptic proteins, neurotransmitters, and neurotrophic growth factors as well as their corresponding receptors, to name only a few, are frequently found in proteomic analyses of cancer tissues external to the brain and central nervous system. While the usual explanation was that neuroproteins were actually not specific to the nervous system and were therefore also expressed in cancer cells, it now appears that the presence of neuroproteins in cancer is largely due to the infiltration of nerves in the tumor microenvironment. Given the newly identified function of nerves as promoters of cancer growth and metastasis, neuroproteins should be considered with great attention because they may actually represent innovative biomarkers and therapeutic targets in oncology.
Accuracy of oscillatory pressure measured by mechanical ventilators during high frequency oscillatory ventilation in newborns
Authors: Veneroni Chiara , Tossici Marta , Zannin Emanuela , Milesi Ilaria , Dellaca’ Raffaele L. 
Published: May 2018

AbstractBackgroundOscillatory pressure (ΔP) measurement during high frequency oscillatory ventilation (HFOV) is technically challenging and influenced by all the components of the measurement system.ObjectivesTo evaluate the differences between the ΔP delivered at the inlet of the endotracheal tube and those displayed by commercial neonatal mechanical ventilators and monitoring devices and to characterize how the ventilator circuit and the flowmeter proximal to the patient affect these differences.MethodsSix devices were evaluated while ventilating three mechanical analogues representing the newborn respiratory system in different disease states. ΔP measured at different points of the ventilator circuit were compared.ResultsΔP accuracy is highly variable and decreases with increasing oscillation frequency and amplitude, independently of the mean airway pressure. At 15 Hz, a ΔP displayed by ventilators of 40 cmH2O resulted in a ΔP effectively delivered at the tracheal tube ranging from 22 to 49 cmH2O, depending on the ventilator model, the ventilator circuit, and the patient condition. At these settings, the errors exclusively due to the ventilator circuit and the presence of the flowmeter ranged from 6 to 9 cmH2O and from 1 to 6 cmH2O, respectively.ConclusionsThe ventilator model, the breathing circuit, the flowmeter, and the patient condition severely impacts ΔP measurement accuracy during HFOV, leading to highly variable performances. This prevents the possibility of using the ΔP required to normalize gas exchange as an indicator of patients’ condition, complicates comparison of ventilators performances, and adds a significant element of complexity in clinical management of HFOV.
Weighted adaptive multivariate CUSUM control charts
Authors: Haq Abdul 
Published: May 2018

AbstractAn adaptive multivariate cumulative sum (AMCUSUM) control chart has received considerable attention because of its ability to dynamically adjust the reference parameter whereby achieving a better performance over a range of mean shifts than the conventional multivariate cumulative sum (CUSUM) charts. In this paper, we introduce a progressive mean–based estimator of the process mean shift and then use it to devise new weighted AMCUSUM control charts for efficiently monitoring the process mean. These control charts are easy to design and implement in a computerized environment compared with their existing counterparts. Monte Carlo simulations are used to estimate the run‐length characteristics of the proposed control charts. The run‐length comparison results show that the weighted AMCUSUM charts perform substantially and uniformly better than the classical multivariate CUSUM and AMCUSUM charts in detecting a range of mean shifts. An example is used to illustrate the working of existing and proposed multivariate CUSUM control charts.
Robotic‐assisted approach to Median Arcuate Ligament Syndrome with left gastric artery originating directly from the aorta. Report of a case and review of the current mini‐invasive treatment modalities
Authors: Podda Mauro , Gusai Gian Pietro , Balestra Francesco , Argenio Giulio , Pulighe Fabio , Di Saverio Salomone , De Nisco Carlo 
Published: May 2018

AbstractBackgroundMedian Arcuate Ligament Syndrome (MALS) is a rare clinical condition.MethodsThrough the analysis of a case report and a review of the international literature, we examined whether robotic and laparoscopic MAL release are safe and feasible.ResultsOf 354 and 19 patients who underwent laparoscopic MAL release (LMALr) and robotic‐assisted MAL release (RMALr), respectively, conversion to open surgery occurred in 6.8% of cases following LMALr, whereas no case of conversion was reported following RMALr. Immediate symptomatic improvement was reported in 92.1% of cases following LMALr and in 84.2% of cases following RMALr. In the LMALr group 9% of patients presented with recurrence of symptoms, whereas the percentage in the RMALr group was 5.3%. LMALr was related to a higher overall complication rate when compared with RMALr (7.3% vs 5.3%).ConclusionsBoth laparoscopic and robotic‐assisted MAL lysis with celiac ganglionectomy can be safely performed with minimal patient morbidity.
Band gap tailoring of chemically synthesized lead sulfide thin films by in situ Sn doping
Authors: Hone Fekadu Gashaw , Dejene F.B. , Echendu O.K. 
Published: May 2018

In the present report, undoped and tin (Sn)‐doped lead sulfide thin films were synthesized via chemical bath deposition method. The effects of Sn molar concentration on the optical, structural, and morphological properties were systematically studied. The concentration of Sn in the chemical bath was characterized by the ratio of [Sn+2]/[Pb+2] and varied from 0 to 15 at.%. Both doped and undoped thin films were polycrystalline in nature with a face‐centered cubic crystal structure; however, the preferred orientations of the crystallites were varied along the (111) and (200) planes with Sn‐doping concentration. The X‐ray powder diffraction results also showed that peak intensities and the crystalline size were decreased with increasing Sn concentration. The lattice constant varied with Sn concentration and found in the range of 6.020 to 5.944 Å. The variation of Sn concentration in PbS:Sn thin films were confirmed by energy dispersive X‐ray analyses study. The scanning electron microscope and atomic force microscopy studies revealed that Sn doping had a critical role on the surface roughness and morphology of the PbS:Sn thin films. The optical band gap study showed that the band gap of PbS:Sn thin films were engineered from 0.676 to 1.345 eV because of incorporation of Sn+2 ions via cost‐effective chemical route. Room temperature photoluminescence spectra showed a well‐defined peak at 427 nm and shoulders at 405 and 462 nm for all Sn‐doped and undoped PbS samples.
School Progress Among Children of Same-Sex Couples
Authors: Watkins Caleb S. 
Published: May 2018

Abstract
This study uses logit regressions on a pooled sample of children from the 2012, 2013, and 2014 American Community Survey to perform a nationally representative analysis of school progress for a large sample of 4,430 children who reside with same-sex couples. Odds ratios from regressions that compare children between different-sex married couples and same-sex couples fail to show significant differences in normal school progress between households across a variety of sample compositions. Likewise, marginal effects from regressions that compare children with similar family dynamics between different-sex married couples and same-sex couples fail to predict significantly higher probabilities of grade retention for children of same-sex couples. Significantly lower grade retention rates are sometimes predicted for children of same-sex couples than for different-sex married couples, but these differences are sensitive to sample exclusions and do not indicate causal benefits to same-sex parenting.