bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Customer satisfaction with the services of microfinance institutions: Scale development and validation
Authors: Kanyurhi Eddy Balemba 
Published: November 2017

AbstractCustomer satisfaction is a multidimensional construct with five factors: price, reliability, accessibility and flexibility, appearance, social and enhancement of customers. The presence of social inclusion and customer enhancement, accessibility, and flexibility dimensions reveals that a scale measurement should be specific both to a context and to a sector. The value attached to the appearance factor confirms that microfinance seriously tends to “mission drift" which means targeting less poor customers. The simultaneous occurrence of appearance and social dimensions in the same scale is proof that the social and financial goals should coexist in all stages of the development of microfinance institutions. As long as the social funds do not substitute market funds used in financing poor microborrowers, the share of poor clients served increases. So does financial inclusion of the poor.
Inhibition effects of flavonoids on 2‐amino‐3,8‐dimethylimidazo[4,5‐f]quinoxaline and 2‐amino‐3,7,8‐trimethylimidazo[4,5‐f]quinoxaline formation and alkoxy radical scavenging capabilities of flavonoids in a model system
Authors: Shao Zeping , Han Zhonghui , Zhang Jinhui , Zhang Yan , Wang Shuo 
Published: November 2017

AbstractBACKGROUNDHeterocyclic aromatic amines (HAAs) have been considered as carcinogenic and mutagenic chemicals generated during thermal processing of protein‐rich foods that can be inhibited by some flavonoids. Free radical scavenging is a major characteristic of flavonoids.RESULTSThe half‐maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) values of nine flavonoids were determined by evaluating their capacity to inhibit 2‐amino‐3,8‐dimethylimidazo[4,5‐f]quinoxaline (MeIQx) and 2‐amino‐3,7,8‐trimethylimidazo[4,5‐f]quinoxaline (7,8‐DiMeIQx) formation in a model system. The results of the 2,2,6,6‐tetramethylpiperidine‐1‐oxyl (TEMPO) test validated that MeIQx and 7,8‐DiMeIQx formed via a free radical pathway. Electron spin resonance (ESR) spectroscopic analysis with spin trapping (α‐(4‐pyridyl N‐oxide)‐N‐tert‐butylnitrone (POBN) spin adduct, aN = 15.2 G and aH = 2.7 G) revealed that an alkoxy radical was the generated intermediate. The scavenging capacities of the nine flavonoids on alkoxy radicals were then evaluated based on the ESR spectra of the POBN spin adducts.CONCLUSIONThe weak correlation between the alkoxy radical scavenging capacities and IC50 of the flavonoids suggested that their inhibitory activity against MeIQx and 7,8‐DiMeIQx formation operates by a more complex mechanism than simply scavenging alkoxy radicals. © 2017 Society of Chemical Industry
Using spatial demographic network models to optimize habitat management decisions
Authors: Peterman William E. , Anderson Thomas L. , Ousterhout Brittany H. , Drake Dana L. , Burkhart Jacob J. , Rowland Freya , Semlitsch Raymond D. 
Published: November 2017

ABSTRACTConservation and management activities are always constrained by finite resources. Therefore, decisions such as which sites to protect, whether existing habitat should be restored or whether new habitat should be created, and where on the landscape management efforts should be focused present difficult challenges. An overarching goal of many conservation or management plans is the long‐term persistence of populations, which is often dependent on functional connectivity and the maintenance of metapopulation dynamics. Graph theory and network approaches are frequently used tools for modeling functional connections between populations and between habitats. Less often, graph models are used to guide conservation or management decisions. We used spatial networks derived for an amphibian population to determine optimal locations to create new habitat, prioritize existing habitat for restoration, and determine the habitat most critical for maintaining connectivity within the existing metapopulation within Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri, USA, 2012–2014. Using data collected at 206 breeding ponds over 3 years, we constructed demographic networks representing the functional connectivity between ponds by dispersing ringed salamanders (Ambystoma annulatum). We incorporated uncertainty in key model parameters through Monte Carlo simulation, and used a graph‐theoretical parameterization of the metapopulation mean lifetime model to assess how changes in network structure affect persistence of the network. We conducted addition and removal experiments within our Monte Carlo simulations to rank and prioritize locations for pond creation, ponds for restoration, and ponds for preservation. Salamanders bred in 106 ponds in ≥1 year; 2.4% of ponds functioned predominantly as sources and 51% of occupied ponds functioned predominantly as sinks. The importance of a pond to the network was correlated with the number of emigrants dispersing from a pond, the number of ponds reached by these dispersers, and the frequency a pond functioned as a source. Creating new ponds at optimal locations increased the persistence of the network an average of 15.4% compared to randomly selected locations, whereas selective restoration of currently unoccupied ponds resulted in an average increase of 31.4% in network persistence, as compared to randomly selected unoccupied ponds. Through Monte Carlo simulation, we constructed biologically informed demographic connectivity networks for use as a spatial conservation or management planning tool. Although our approach was implemented with an amphibian and a breeding pond network, it is generalizable to any species occupying discrete habitat patches. © 2017 The Wildlife Society.
A deep learning method for classifying mammographic breast density categories
Authors: Mohamed Aly A. , Berg Wendie A. , Peng Hong , Luo Yahong , Jankowitz Rachel C. , Wu Shandong 
Published: November 2017

PurposeMammographic breast density is an established risk marker for breast cancer and is visually assessed by radiologists in routine mammogram image reading, using four qualitative Breast Imaging and Reporting Data System (BI‐RADS) breast density categories. It is particularly difficult for radiologists to consistently distinguish the two most common and most variably assigned BI‐RADS categories, i.e., “scattered density” and “heterogeneously dense”. The aim of this work was to investigate a deep learning‐based breast density classifier to consistently distinguish these two categories, aiming at providing a potential computerized tool to assist radiologists in assigning a BI‐RADS category in current clinical workflow.MethodsIn this study, we constructed a convolutional neural network (CNN)‐based model coupled with a large (i.e., 22,000 images) digital mammogram imaging dataset to evaluate the classification performance between the two aforementioned breast density categories. All images were collected from a cohort of 1,427 women who underwent standard digital mammography screening from 2005 to 2016 at our institution. The truths of the density categories were based on standard clinical assessment made by board‐certified breast imaging radiologists. Effects of direct training from scratch solely using digital mammogram images and transfer learning of a pretrained model on a large nonmedical imaging dataset were evaluated for the specific task of breast density classification. In order to measure the classification performance, the CNN classifier was also tested on a refined version of the mammogram image dataset by removing some potentially inaccurately labeled images. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves and the area under the curve (AUC) were used to measure the accuracy of the classifier.ResultsThe AUC was 0.9421 when the CNN‐model was trained from scratch on our own mammogram images, and the accuracy increased gradually along with an increased size of training samples. Using the pretrained model followed by a fine‐tuning process with as few as 500 mammogram images led to an AUC of 0.9265. After removing the potentially inaccurately labeled images, AUC was increased to 0.9882 and 0.9857 for without and with the pretrained model, respectively, both significantly higher (P < 0.001) than when using the full imaging dataset.ConclusionsOur study demonstrated high classification accuracies between two difficult to distinguish breast density categories that are routinely assessed by radiologists. We anticipate that our approach will help enhance current clinical assessment of breast density and better support consistent density notification to patients in breast cancer screening.
Evaluating performance of a user‐trained MR lung tumor autocontouring algorithm in the context of intra‐ and interobserver variations
Authors: Yip Eugene , Yun Jihyun , Gabos Zsolt , Baker Sarah , Yee Don , Wachowicz Keith , Rathee Satyapal , Fallone B. Gino 
Published: November 2017

PurposeReal‐time tracking of lung tumors using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has been proposed as a potential strategy to mitigate the ill‐effects of breathing motion in radiation therapy. Several autocontouring methods have been evaluated against a “gold standard” of a single human expert user. However, contours drawn by experts have inherent intra‐ and interobserver variations. In this study, we aim to evaluate our user‐trained autocontouring algorithm with manually drawn contours from multiple expert users, and to contextualize the accuracy of these autocontours within intra‐ and interobserver variations.MethodsSix nonsmall cell lung cancer patients were recruited, with institutional ethics approval. Patients were imaged with a clinical 3 T Philips MR scanner using a dynamic 2D balanced SSFP sequence under free breathing. Three radiation oncology experts, each in two separate sessions, contoured 130 dynamic images for each patient. For autocontouring, the first 30 images were used for algorithm training, and the remaining 100 images were autocontoured and evaluated. Autocontours were compared against manual contours in terms of Dice's coefficient (DC) and Hausdorff distances (dH). Intra‐ and interobserver variations of the manual contours were also evaluated.ResultsWhen compared with the manual contours of the expert user who trained it, the algorithm generates autocontours whose evaluation metrics (same session: DC = 0.90(0.03), dH = 3.8(1.6) mm; different session DC = 0.88(0.04), dH = 4.3(1.5) mm) are similar to or better than intraobserver variations (DC = 0.88(0.04), and dH = 4.3(1.7) mm) between two sessions. The algorithm's autocontours are also compared to the manual contours from different expert users with evaluation metrics (DC = 0.87(0.04), dH = 4.8(1.7) mm) similar to interobserver variations (DC = 0.87(0.04), dH = 4.7(1.6) mm).ConclusionsOur autocontouring algorithm delineates tumor contours (<20 ms per contour), in dynamic MRI of lung, that are comparable to multiple human experts (several seconds per contour), but at a much faster speed. At the same time, the agreement between autocontours and manual contours is comparable to the intra‐ and interobserver variations. This algorithm may be a key component of the real time tumor tracking workflow for our hybrid Linac‐MR device in the future.
Constrained optimization for position calibration of an NMR field camera
Authors: Chang Paul , Nassirpour Sahar , Eschelbach Martin , Scheffler Klaus , Henning Anke 
Published: November 2017

PurposeKnowledge of the positions of field probes in an NMR field camera is necessary for monitoring the B0 field. The typical method of estimating these positions is by switching the gradients with known strengths and calculating the positions using the phases of the FIDs. We investigated improving the accuracy of estimating the probe positions and analyzed the effect of inaccurate estimations on field monitoring.MethodsThe field probe positions were estimated by 1) assuming ideal gradient fields, 2) using measured gradient fields (including nonlinearities), and 3) using measured gradient fields with relative position constraints.The fields measured with the NMR field camera were compared to fields acquired using a dual‐echo gradient recalled echo B0 mapping sequence. Comparisons were done for shim fields from second‐ to fourth‐order shim terms.ResultsThe position estimation was the most accurate when relative position constraints were used in conjunction with measured (nonlinear) gradient fields. The effect of more accurate position estimates was seen when compared to fields measured using a B0 mapping sequence (up to 10%–15% more accurate for some shim fields).The models acquired from the field camera are sensitive to noise due to the low number of spatial sample points.ConclusionPosition estimation of field probes in an NMR camera can be improved using relative position constraints and nonlinear gradient fields. Magn Reson Med 80:380–390, 2018. © 2017 International Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine.
Transit time mapping in the mouse brain using time‐encoded pCASL
Authors: Hirschler Lydiane , Munting Leon P. , Khmelinskii Artem , Teeuwisse Wouter M. , Suidgeest Ernst , Warnking Jan M. , van der Weerd Louise , Barbier Emmanuel L. , van Osch Matthias J.P. 
Published: November 2017

The cerebral blood flow (CBF) is a potential biomarker for neurological disease. However, the arterial transit time (ATT) of the labeled blood is known to potentially affect CBF quantification. Furthermore, ATT could be an interesting biomarker in itself, as it may reflect underlying macro‐ and microvascular pathologies. Currently, no optimized magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) sequence exists to measure ATT in mice. Recently, time‐encoded labeling schemes have been implemented in rats and humans, enabling ATT mapping with higher signal‐to‐noise ratio (SNR) and shorter scan time than multi‐delay arterial spin labeling (ASL). In this study, we show that time‐encoded pseudo‐continuous arterial spin labeling (te‐pCASL) also enables transit time measurements in mice. As an optimal design that takes the fast blood flow in mice into account, time encoding with 11 sub‐boli of 50 ms is proposed to accurately probe the inflow of labeled blood. For perfusion imaging, a separate, traditional pCASL scan was employed. From the six studied brain regions, the hippocampus showed the shortest ATT (169 ± 11 ms) and the auditory/visual cortex showed the longest (284 ± 16 ms). Furthermore, ATT was found to be preserved in old wild‐type mice. In a mouse with an induced carotid artery occlusion, prolongation of ATT was shown. In conclusion, this study shows the successful implementation of te‐pCASL in mice, making it possible, for the first time, to measure ATT in mice in a time‐efficient manner.
Semianalytical minimum‐time solution for the optimal control of a vehicle subject to limited acceleration
Authors: Bertolazzi Enrico , Frego Marco 
Published: November 2017

SummaryA semianalytic solution of the minimum‐time optimal control problem of a carlike vehicle is herein presented. The vehicle is subject to the effect of laminar (linear) and aerodynamic (quadratic) drag, taking into account the asymmetric bounded longitudinal accelerations. This yields a nonlinear differential equation of the Riccati kind. The associated analytic solution exists in closed form, but it is numerically ill conditioned in some situations; hence, it is reformulated using asymptotic expansions that keep the numerical computations accurate and robust in all cases. Therefore, the proposed algorithm is designed to be fast and robust in sight to be the fundamental module of a more extended optimal control problem that considers a given clothoid curve as the trajectory and the presence of a constraint on the lateral acceleration of the vehicle. The numerical stability of the computation for limit values of the parameters is essential, as shown in the numerical tests.
State and parameter estimation in solenoid nonlinear equations
Authors: Da Pelo Paolo , Mazzia Francesca , Mininni Rosa Maria 
Published: November 2017

SummaryWe propose a model‐based method that allows to estimate the magnetic force accurately, hence the armature displacement of linear solenoids. The nonlinear electrodynamical model of solenoids is used. The unscented Kalman filter is applied to analyze the current transient response, and the dynamics of the solenoid is estimated at each time instant. Furthermore, a new approach to estimate the varying internal solenoid reluctance, from the nonlinear model of solenoids, is proposed. The estimation is performed for each value of the current and predicted while the armature is moving. This leads to an accurate computation of the electromotive magnetic force related to the velocity of the moving actuator's component, thus permitting to know the system dynamics accurately.
IGF1R signalling in testicular germ cell tumour cells impacts on cell survival and acquired cisplatin resistance
Authors: Selfe Joanna , Goddard Neil C , McIntyre Alan , Taylor Kathryn R , Renshaw Jane , Popov Sergey D , Thway Khin , Summersgill Brenda , Huddart Robert A , Gilbert Duncan C , Shipley Janet M 
Published: November 2017

AbstractTesticular germ cell tumours (TGCTs) are the most frequent malignancy and cause of death from solid tumours in the 20‐ to 40‐year age group. Although most cases show sensitivity to cis‐platinum‐based chemotherapy, this is associated with long‐term toxicities and chemo‐resistance. Roles for receptor tyrosine kinases other than KIT are largely unknown in TGCT. We therefore conducted a phosphoproteomic screen and identified the insulin growth factor receptor‐1 (IGF1R) as both highly expressed and activated in TGCT cell lines representing the nonseminomatous subtype. IGF1R was also frequently expressed in tumour samples from patients with nonseminomas. Functional analysis of cell line models showed that long‐term shRNA‐mediated IGF1R silencing leads to apoptosis and complete ablation of nonseminoma cells with active IGF1R signalling. Cell lines with high levels of IGF1R activity also showed reduced AKT signalling in response to decreased IGF1R expression as well as sensitivity to the small‐molecule IGF1R inhibitor NVP‐AEW541. These results were in contrast to those in the seminoma cell line TCAM2 that lacked IGF1R signalling via AKT and was one of the two cell lines least sensitive to the IGF1R inhibitor. The dependence on IGF1R activity in the majority of nonseminomas parallels the known role of IGF signalling in the proliferation, migration, and survival of primordial germ cells, the putative cell of origin for TGCT. Upregulation of IGF1R expression and signalling was also found to contribute to acquired cisplatin resistance in an in vitro nonseminoma model, providing a rationale for targeting IGF1R in cisplatin‐resistant disease. © 2017 The Authors. The Journal of Pathology published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Pathological Society of Great Britain and Ireland.
Associations between observed temperament in preschoolers and parent psychopathology
Authors: Kryski Katie R. , Olino Thomas M. , Dyson Margaret W. , Durbin C. Emily , Klein Daniel N. , Hayden Elizabeth P. 
Published: November 2017

AbstractParent history of psychopathology is an established marker of children's own risk for later disorder and can therefore be used as a means of validating other risks, such as child temperament. While associations between children's temperament and parent psychopathology have been reported, few studies have used observational measures of child temperament or examined trait interactions, particularly between children's affective and regulatory traits such as effortful control (EC). In this bottom‐up family study of 968 three‐year‐olds and their parents, we examined interactions between preschoolers' observed positive and negative affectivity (NA) and EC as predictors of a known marker of psychopathology risk: parent history of disorder. Children with lower positive affectivity had an increased probability of paternal depression history in the context of higher child NA. In addition, children with lower EC and higher NA had an increased probability of maternal anxiety. Findings shed new light on the main effects and interactions that account for associations between child temperament and parent history of disorder, one of the best‐established markers of an individual's own risk for future disorder, implicating reactive and regulatory traits that merit special consideration in future longitudinal work. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Interactions of effects of host plant resistance and seed treatments on soybean aphid (Aphis glycines Matsumura) and soybean cyst nematode (Heterodera glycines Ichinohe)
Authors: Clifton Eric H , Tylka Gregory L , Gassmann Aaron J , Hodgson Erin W 
Published: November 2017

AbstractBACKGROUNDThe soybean cyst nematode, Heterodera glycines, and soybean aphid, Aphis glycines, are invasive, widespread and economically important pests of soybean, Glycine max, in North America. Management of these pests relies primarily on use of pesticides and soybean germplasm with genetic resistance. A 3‐year field study and complementary greenhouse experiment were conducted to determine the benefits of host plant resistance (HPR) and pesticidal seed treatments for managing pest populations and preserving soybean yield.RESULTSHost plant resistance significantly decreased the abundance of A. glycines and, in most study sites, suppressed H. glycines. Neonicotinoid seed treatment reduced A. glycines abundance on the cultivar that was susceptible to both aphids and nematodes, but abamectin nematicide seed treatment had no effect on H. glycines populations in the field or greenhouse.CONCLUSIONThese results suggest that the seed treatments included in our experiments may suppress pests, but not consistently for all soybean cultivars or study sites. Ultimately, HPR more consistently reduced pest numbers compared with the use of pesticidal seed treatments. The planting of HPR cultivars should be a primary tool for integrated pest management of both soybean pests. © 2017 Society of Chemical Industry
On the photochemistry of Fe2(edt)(CO)4(PMe3)2, a [FeFe]‐hydrogenase model: A DFT/TDDFT investigation
Authors: Bertini Luca , Alberto Marta Erminia , Arrigoni Federica , Vertemara Jacopo , Fantucci Piercarlo , Bruschi Maurizio , Zampella Giuseppe , De Gioia Luca 
Published: November 2017

AbstractThe photochemistry of the [FeFe] hydrogenases model [Fe2(edt)(CO)4(PMe3)2] (edt = 1‐2 ethane‐dithiolate, (1) is investigated at Time‐Dependent Density Functional Theory (TDDFT) level, focusing on the effect of the phosphine ligands on the early stages of the photodynamic of the system compared to that of the all CO model Fe2(pdt)(CO)6 (2) (pdt = 1‐3 propanedithiolate). We observed a role of the Fe→S charge transfer for the lower energy singlet transitions, unveiling a photoisomerization pathway between the lowest energy forms while the higher energy excitations are likely involved in the CO dissociation pathways. TDDFT shows that the average Fe‐CO bond elongation in 1 is shorter than that observed in 2, providing the electronic structure rationale on the observation that diiron dithiolates are more photo‐stable with respect to the CO photolysis than the all CO model. This is relevant for catalyst photo‐stability and is an advantageous and thus desirable feature for practical applications of photo‐hydrogen evolution.