bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
The Use of Microplates for Internal Fixation of Comminuted Mandibular Fractures
Authors: Choi Tae Joon , Chung Young Hun , Cho Jae Young , Burm Jin Sik 
Published: December 2018

Background
Although clinical trials have successfully applied microplates for the internal fixation of single or double isolated mandibular fractures, the use of microplate systems in comminuted mandibular fractures is not widely accepted. This study aimed to evaluate the use of microplates for internal fixation of comminuted mandible fractures and to discuss their applicability.

Methods
Fourteen patients with comminuted mandibular fractures (10 at a single region, 3 at 2 regions, and 1 at 4 regions) were treated with open reduction and internal fixation using 0.5- or 0.6-mm-thick titanium microplates and 1.0-, 1.2-, or 1.3-mm monocortical microscrews. Three-level fixation at the lower border, upper border (as interdental wiring), and middle of the mandible was performed. Maxillomandibular fixation was applied only when premature occlusal contact was observed after fracture fixation.

Results
During the follow-up period (3–55 months), all fractures showed favorable and complete bone healing. Six patients experienced minor complications, including minimal malocclusion (n = 5) and a localized infection (n = 1). Most of these complications were managed with conservative treatment. No major complications that required further orthodontic treatment or reoperation occurred.

Conclusions
These results suggest that 3-level fixation using microplates is appropriate for the reconstruction of comminuted mandibular fractures without bony defects. The small size and malleability of these devices facilitate accurate anatomical reduction for complete contact of the comminuted bony segments by multiple fixation. Furthermore, microplates allow for preservation of sufficient periosteal blood supply and restoration of premorbid occlusion (by occlusal self-adjustment) while providing sufficient stability.
Treatment With Topical Deferoxamine Improves Cutaneous Vascularity and Tissue Pliability in an Irradiated Animal Model of Tissue Expander–Based Breast Reconstruction
Authors: Dassoulas Kasandra R. , Mericli Alexander F. , Wang Jessica S. , Lei Serena S. , Kim Taeho , Cottler Patrick S. , Lin Kant Y. 
Published: December 2018

Purpose
Postmastectomy radiation therapy is an important component of the multimodality approach to later-stage breast cancers. Unfortunately, despite its proven survival benefits, postmastectomy radiation therapy is deleterious to the skin and soft tissue, causing increased complications and worse aesthetic outcomes after breast reconstruction.
There is currently no effective pharmaceutical agent to mitigate the soft tissue fibrosis and hypovascularity associated with soft tissue radiation. We hypothesized that a novel topical formulation of deferoxamine (DFX) will result in improved cutaneous vascularity and soft tissue pliability in an animal model of irradiated tissue expander–based breast reconstruction.

Methods
This study consisted of 16 hairless rats divided into 4 equal groups: a control group (expander only), a tissue expanded and irradiated group, a tissue expanded + DFX group, and a tissue expanded/irradiated/DFX group. A novel topical formulation of DFX consisted of reconstituted drug dissolved in agents designed to enhance dermal penetrance. Vessels per high-power field (vHPF) were quantified histologically; micro–computed tomography angiography was used to assess vessel volume fraction (VVF) and vessel length density.

Results
Irradiated skin had less vascularity compared with control (3.81 vHPF vs 8.25 vHPF, P = 0.03; 0.79% VVF vs 1.53% VVF, P = 0.06). Treatment of irradiated skin with topical DFX reversed these effects, resulting in vascular findings similar to the control group histologically (7.94 vHPF vs 8.25 HPF, P = 0.985) and via micro–computed tomography angiography (1.05% VVF vs 1.53% VVF, P = 0.272). Similarly, radiation resulted in less volume expansion compared with controls (0.72 vs 0.8 mL, P = 0.04), whereas treatment with topical DFX reversed this effect, allowing for an expansion volume similar to the control group (0.81 vs 0.80 mL, P = 0.999).

Conclusions
In an animal model of irradiated tissue expander–based breast reconstruction, treatment with topical DFX improved the cutaneous vascularity and tissue pliability, resulting in vascular density and final tissue expansion volumes similar to those found in the nonirradiated control group. Topical DFX may be an effective agent for the treatment of soft tissue radiation injury; future studies are indicated to further characterize this novel drug formulation.
Activation and in vivo evolution of the MAIT cell transcriptome in mice and humans reveals diverse functionality
Authors: Hinks Timothy SC , Marchi Emanuele , Jabeen Maisha , Olshansky Moshe , Kurioka Ayako , Pediongco Troi J , Meehan Bronwyn S , Kostenko Lyudmila , Turner Stephen J , Corbett Alexandra J , Chen Zhenjun , Klenerman Paul , McCluskey James 
Published: December 2018

AbstractMucosal-associated invariant T (MAIT) cells are MR1-restricted innate-like T cells conserved across mammalian species, including mice and humans. By sequencing RNA from sorted MR1-5-OP-RU tetramer+ cells derived from either human blood or murine lungs, we define the basic transcriptome of an activated MAIT cell in both species and demonstrate how this profile changes during resolution and reinfection phases of infection. We observe strong similarities between MAIT cells in humans and mice. Compared with previously published T cell transcriptomes, MAIT cells displayed most similarity to iNKT cells when activated, but to γδ T cells, after resolution of infection. In both species activation leads to strong expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines and chemokines, and also a strong tissue repair signature, recently described in murine commensal-specific H2-M3-restricted T cells. These data define the requirements for, and consequences of, MAIT cell activation, revealing a tissue repair phenotype expressed upon MAIT cell activation in both species.
Unsteady natural convection in a partially porous cavity having a heat-generating source using local thermal non-equilibrium model
Authors: Astanina Marina S. , Sheremet Mikhail , Umavathi C. Jawali 
Published: December 2018

Purpose
The purpose of this study is a numerical analysis of transient natural convection in a square partially porous cavity with a heat-generating and heat-conducting element using the local thermal non-equilibrium model under the effect of cooling from the vertical walls. It should be noted that this research deals with a development of passive cooling system for the electronic devices.

Design/methodology/approach
The domain of interest is a square cavity with a porous layer and a heat-generating element. The vertical walls of the cavity are kept at constant cooling temperature, while the horizontal walls are adiabatic. The heat-generating solid element is located on the bottom wall. A porous layer is placed under the clear fluid layer. The governing equations, formulated in dimensionless stream function, vorticity and temperature variables with corresponding initial and boundary conditions, are solved using implicit finite difference schemes of the second order accuracy. The governing parameters are the Darcy number, viscosity variation parameter, porous layer height and dimensionless time. The effects of varying these parameters on the average total Nusselt number along the heat source surface, the average temperature of the heater, the fluid flow rate inside the cavity and on the streamlines and isotherms are analyzed.

Findings
The results show that in the case of local thermal non-equilibrium the total average Nusselt number is an increasing function of the interphase heat transfer coefficient and the porous layer thickness, while the average heat source temperature decreases with the Darcy number and viscosity variation parameter.

Originality/value
An efficient numerical technique has been developed to solve this problem. The originality of this work is to analyze unsteady natural convection within a partially porous cavity using the local thermal non-equilibrium model in the presence of a local heat-generating solid element. The results would benefit scientists and engineers to become familiar with the analysis of convective heat transfer in enclosures with local heat-generating heaters and porous layers, and the way to predict the heat transfer rate in advanced technical systems, in industrial sectors including transportation, power generation, chemical sectors and electronics.
Relational asymmetry, trust, and innovation in supply chain management: a non-linear approach
Authors: Michalski Marek , Montes Jose Luis , Narasimhan Ram 
Published: December 2018

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to examine the non-linear aspects of the asymmetry-performance relationship under varying conditions of trust and innovation. Its novel approach is useful for addressing the strategic elements of supply chain management (SCM) relationships based on trust and innovation decisions.Design/methodology/approachResults are based on a study of 90 managers from small- and medium-sized firms in Spain. Instead of a classical linear relationship analysis, the authors performed a non-linear analysis, using polynomial modeling and Warp 3 partial least squares method, which provides a more nuanced view of the data and constitutes an original approach to empirical research in SCM.FindingsThis study adds a new viewpoint on SC relationships by suggesting that not all trust and innovation development leads directly to performance improvement. The principal finding is, in varying trust and innovation contexts, that the influences of asymmetry on performance have uneven characteristics and follow non-linear paths.Research limitations/implicationsThis study focuses on only one particular institutional environment in one country. The data are also cross-sectional, which makes it difficult to empirically test causality.Practical implicationsThe findings provide rational insights to managers on when it is appropriate to reduce (or not) asymmetric relationships with partners.Originality/valueTrust and innovation are important and ones of the key requirements of supply chain relationships in any environment, this study argues that the interactions of key SCM elements that drive members to better performance are more complex and non-linear.
The transition from relation-based to rule-based governance in East Asia
Authors: Li Shaomin , Park Seung Ho , Bao Rosey Shuji 
Published: December 2018

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to use the framework of rule-based and relation-based governance to examine the evolution of governance environment in the East Asian region including China, South Korea and Taiwan.Design/methodology/approachBoth qualitative and quantitative evidences are presented to demonstrate the paths these East Asian countries take in their transitions from relation-based governance to rule-based governance. Based on the framework, this analysis sheds light on the debate on whether East Asian economies will eventually move away from relation-based governance to rule-based societies.FindingsThe authors find that relation-based governance has helped East Asian countries achieve rapid economic growth in the early stages of their development. However, as the scale and scope of East Asian economies expand, continuing to rely on it may hinder their further development and therefore these countries should adopt a rule-based governance system in order to be efficient and competitive in the world market. While South Korea and Taiwan have made substantial progress in this transition, China has just embarked on the process.Originality/valueThis paper is among the first to systematically review the theories and evidence of the transition and the challenges East Asian countries face during the process.
Older adults neglected by their caregivers: vulnerabilities and risks identified in an adult protective services sample
Authors: Ernst Joy Swanson 
Published: December 2018

PurposeUsing a risk and vulnerability framework, the purpose of this paper is to describe the characteristics of older adults that Adult Protective Services (APS) substantiated for neglect by caregivers, their caregivers and the interrelationships between them.Design/methodology/approachThe paper uses a qualitative study of 21 APS case record narratives using a template analysis.FindingsNeglect related to withholding or refusing medical care was the most common. The older adults had multiple health conditions and geriatric syndromes. Caregivers had difficulties in carrying out caregiving role due to health and mental health issues, work responsibilities and lack of insight into older adults’ needs. The refusal to access or accept services by both the older adults and the caregivers was a predominant theme.Research limitations/implicationsThe sample size was small, limited to one geographical area, and non-representative of all neglect cases. The data were extracted from written case narratives and not directly from the older adults and their family members. Case records varied in the case detail provided.Practical implicationsTo protect vulnerable older adults and improve quality of life, APS involvement in cases of caregiver neglect needs strategies to get people to accept help and access services to address multiple health and psychosocial problems for both older adult victims and their caregivers.Originality/valueThis study provides in-depth information on APS cases involving caregiver neglect that add to understanding of this complex problem and points to areas for further study.
Numerical calculation of crack width in prestressed concrete beams with bond-slip effect
Authors: Liu Jinliang , Jia Yanmin , Zhang Guanhua , Wang Jiawei 
Published: December 2018

Purpose
The calculation of the crack width is necessary for the design of prestressed concrete (PC) members. The purpose of this paper is to develop a numerical model based on the bond-slip theory to calculate the crack width in PC beams.

Design/methodology/approach
Stress calculation method for common reinforcement after beam crack has occurred depends on the difference in the bonding performance between prestressed reinforcement and common reinforcement. A numerical calculation model for determining the crack width in PC beams is developed based on the bond-slip theory, and verified using experimental data. The calculation values obtained by the proposed numerical model and code formulas are compared, and the applicability of the numerical model is evaluated.

Findings
The theoretical analysis and experimental results verified that the crack width of PC members calculated based on the bond-slip theory in this study is reasonable. Furthermore, the stress calculation method for the common reinforcement is verified. Compared with the model calculation results obtained in this study, the results obtained from code formulas are more conservative.

Originality/value
The numerical calculation model for crack width proposed in this study can be used by engineers as a reference for calculating the crack width in PC beams to ensure the durability of the PC member.
Life in interstitial space: Biocrusts inhibit exotic but not native plant establishment in semi‐arid grasslands
Authors: Slate Mandy L. , Callaway Ragan M. , Pearson Dean E. 
Published: December 2018

Abstract

Exotic plant species commonly exploit disturbances more successfully than native plants. This outcome is widely attributed to the fact that disturbance reduces biotic resistance from native plant competitors. However, biocrusts, communities of mosses, lichens, and micro‐organisms, are a prominent component of semi‐arid grasslands occurring in the interstitial spaces between vascular plants. Biocrusts may provide an important source of biotic resistance to invaders, different from native plant competition, but poorly understood.

We established a large‐scale field experiment to examine how intact versus disturbed biocrusts influenced the emergence and establishment of four native and four exotic plant species in intermountain bunchgrass systems over 2 years—one wet and one dry. We also conducted a complementary greenhouse experiment to explore how differences in moisture might influence biocrust effects on germination.

In the greenhouse, biocrusts inhibited the germination of both native and exotic plants in the high moisture treatment only. In field experiments, biocrusts inhibited the overall emergence of exotic seedlings in the wetter of the 2 years and inhibited the establishment of exotic seedlings in both years, but they had no overall effect on the emergence or establishment of native seedlings. We found that intact biocrusts in intermountain grasslands can suppress the establishment of some exotic plants, but have much weaker effects on natives. They also suggest that water availability may influence biocrust effects on seed germination.

Synthesis. Our results indicate that intact biocrusts may provide an important source of biotic resistance to exotic plant invasions in intermountain grasslands. Furthermore, precipitation inputs may mediate biocrust effects on plant establishment.
Do drivers of forestry vehicles also drive herb layer changes (1970–2015) in a temperate forest with contrasting habitat and management conditions?
Authors: Closset‐Kopp Déborah , Hattab Tarek , Decocq Guillaume 
Published: December 2018

Abstract

Managing ecosystems effectively for the maintenance of biodiversity and ecosystem functions and services requires to understand how these ecosystems are changing and what are the drivers behind these changes. The resurvey of plant communities sampled some decades ago is increasingly used for this purpose.

We used a life‐history trait‐based approach to test a number of hypothesized drivers behind decadal changes (1970–2015) in the herb layer of an ancient broadleaved lowland forest exhibiting contrasted soil and management types, while minimizing potential relocation and observer errors.

Process‐based hypotheses were tested using paired comparisons (old vs. new records) of community‐weighted means and conditional inference classification trees for a number of traits across soil and management types. We then investigated how these processes impacted species composition and diversity within stands, among stands and at the entire forest scale, using metrics of taxonomic, functional and phylogenetic diversity.

Though they have been continuously managed as regular high forest, managed stands experienced more pronounced vegetation changes than those left unmanaged. This could be directly or indirectly related to modifications in forest harvesting practices since 1970, via light availability at the forest floor, soil disturbance and local N deposition.

While forest specialists increased their abundance over the entire forest, managed stands showed the strongest compositional changes, especially on the soil types that were more susceptible to compaction. Increasingly heavy forestry vehicles that drive more frequently across forest stands likely generate microhabitats suitable for ferns, graminoids and N‐demanding forbs and also act as dispersal agents.

Species richness of vascular plants increased at both stand (α‐diversity) and forest (γ‐diversity) scales, due to the non‐random, directional colonization by the same suite of species, causing compositional, functional and phylogenetic homogenization among habitats (i.e. decreased β‐diversity).

Synthesis. Forest management, via the repeated passing of heavy forestry vehicles, emerged as the key driver of local vegetation changes. By altering canopy structure, it also increased the vulnerability of understories to climate warming and atmospheric deposits. Changes were not only taxonomic, but also functional, suggesting long‐term effects on ecosystem functioning and thus deserve attention from forest managers and conservationists.
Quality‐based ratings in Medicare and trends in kidney transplantation
Authors: Ouayogodé Mariétou H. 
Published: December 2018

ObjectiveTo assess the relationship between the 2007 Medicare regulation enforcing quality standards for transplant centers and trends in kidney transplantation.Data SourcesTransplant centers’ biannual reports and the national registry for kidney transplantation from 2003 to 2010.Study DesignNon‐compliant (low‐performing) centers were compared with centers in compliance with quality standards according to: number of transplants, waiting‐list registrations, and rates of graft failures, transfers, and deaths. Multivariate regressions were estimated to evaluate the association between the regulation and transplantation outcomes.Data Extraction MethodsPatient characteristics and outcomes were aggregated to six‐month periods and linked to centers’ reports.Principal FindingsRelative to average‐performing centers, 12 percent of transplants shifted away from low‐performing centers and high‐performing centers captured 6 percent of this decline. Low‐performing centers experienced a 2‐percentage point per period decline in 1‐year graft failure rates and a 15‐percent decrease in registrations post‐regulation, whereas high‐performing centers incurred a 5‐percent decrease in registrations relative to average‐performing centers.ConclusionsGovernment oversight in kidney transplantation was associated with a small downward shift in overall kidney transplants. Reductions in graft failure rates at low‐performing centers may imply an increase in quality or a decline in transplantation of either marginal organs or riskier patients; whereas reductions in registrations may indicate risk aversion toward high‐risk patients. Policy makers should consider making less punitive requirements for programs, which employ new transplantation techniques to expand access.
Changes in the distal esophageal microbiota in Chinese patients with reflux esophagitis
Authors: Yu Ying , Gao Feng , Chen Xue , Zheng Shuai , Zhang Jie 
Published: December 2018

ObjectiveChanges in microbiota composition in the distal esophagus may be associated with the pathogenesis of gastroesophageal reflux disease. We aimed to compare the composition of distal esophageal microbiota between Chinese patients with reflux esophagitis (RE) and healthy volunteers using metagenomic high‐throughput DNA sequencing and bioinformatic analyses.MethodsHealthy volunteers (controls) and patients with reflux esophagitis (RE) were enrolled. Distal esophageal (2 cm above the gastroesophageal junction) biopsy specimens were obtained under endoscopy. Microbial DNA was extracted from the specimens, followed by 16S rDNA gene amplification and Illumina sequencing. Bioinformatic tools were applied to dissect the community structure.ResultsNo dramatic differences in microbiota were found in RE patients compared with the controls. At the phylum level, only Bacteroidetes differed between the groups, being less abundant in the RE group. The overall number and diversity of species tended to be lower in RE patients, but there were no significant differences between the groups. Three genera, Prevotella, Helicobacter, and Moraxella, were obviously depleted in RE patients, as revealed by linear discriminant analysis.ConclusionsThe composition of distal esophageal microbiota in Chinese patients with RE showed moderate changes compared with healthy controls. To what extent these changes are associated with the pathogenesis of RE needs further investigation.