bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Outcomes for Organ-Preserving Surgery for Penile Cancer
Authors: Scarberry Kyle , Angermeier Kenneth W. , Montague Drogo , Campbell Steven , Wood Hadley M. 
Published: February 2015

Abstract

Aim
Squamous cell carcinoma of the penis (PC) has traditionally been treated with partial penectomy with a 2-cm margin. More conservative resection margins have been reported to have no effect on oncologic control, but there is no consensus in the literature regarding functional outcomes after organ-preserving surgery for PC.

Methods
Six patients meeting inclusion criteria were retrospectively identified to have received organ-sparing surgery for PC at the Cleveland Clinic from 2003 to 2012. Patient's sexual and urinary quality of life was assessed retrospectively using the International Index of Erectile Function and the patient-reported outcome measure for urethral stricture surgery.

Results
Three patients (50%) report normal erections but describe intercourse as not very enjoyable and report being dissatisfied with their sex life. The remaining 50% consistently report no sexual activity and denied feeling sexual desire. All report only mild urinary symptoms, including decreased stream (18%) and feelings of incomplete voiding (67%). Eighty-three percent of patients report their sexual symptoms do not interfere with their daily lives. One hundred percent report being satisfied with their procedure.

Conclusion
Our study is the first to use standardized, validated questionnaires to evaluate sexual and urinary function in a North American penile cancer patient population. We report excellent overall urinary function and quality of life following penile-sparing surgery for PC, and our results depict more realistic sexual outcomes than those reported in studies using non-blinded and non-validated methods.
Biodiversity and ecosystem functioning in natural bog pools and those created by rewetting schemes
Authors: Beadle Jeannie M , Brown Lee E , Holden Joseph 
Published: February 2015

Anthropogenic drainage and cutting over of peatlands have historically occurred worldwide leading to erosion, issues with water quality, loss of biodiversity, and reduced rates of carbon accumulation. In recent years, rewetting measures have attempted to address these issues. Creating dams to block drainage ditches on peatlands is a common restoration tool, yet the ecological consequences of such management interventions are poorly understood. In particular, knowledge about the ecology of the thousands of pools created by drain blocking is limited even though they potentially provide valuable new habitat for aquatic species and food and water sources for terrestrial organisms. More research is needed to assess the suitability of these artificial pools as surrogates for naturally occurring peat pools with regard to the flora (e.g., bryophytes, algae, and macrophytes) and fauna (e.g., invertebrates and amphibians), which utilize them. Evidence suggests that (1) to maximize benefits to aquatic biota, land managers should consider creating an array of differently sized pools behind the dams as a broader size range would facilitate colonization by a wider range of taxa, (2) prioritizing landscapes close to existing water bodies would encourage faster colonization, and (3) even newly created pools with low macrophyte cover may be able to sustain substantial populations of larger fauna via algal primary production, consumption of detritus, and microbial processing of humic substances and methane. Ongoing programs of peatland restoration worldwide also afford unique opportunities to study how pool communities assemble and change over time. WIREs Water 2015, 2:65–84. doi: 10.1002/wat2.1063This article is categorized under:

Water and Life > Conservation, Management, and Awareness
Water and Life > Nature of Freshwater Ecosystems
Applications of polymer micelles for imaging and drug delivery
Authors: Movassaghian Sara , Merkel Olivia M. , Torchilin Vladimir P. 
Published: February 2015

Polymeric micelles, self‐assembling nano‐constructs of amphiphilic copolymers, are widely considered as convenient nano‐carriers for a variety of applications, such as diagnostic imaging, and drug and gene delivery. They have demonstrated a variety of favorable properties including biocompatibility, longevity, high stability in vitro and in vivo, capacity to effectively solubilize a variety of poorly soluble drugs, changing the release profile of the incorporated pharmaceutical agents, and the ability to accumulate in the target zone based on the enhanced permeability and retention effect. Moreover, additional functions can be imparted to the micelle‐based delivery systems by engineering their surface for specific applications. Various targeting ligands can be attached for cell or intracellular accumulation at a site of interest. Also, the chelation or incorporation of imaging moieties into the micelle structure enables in vivo biodistribution studies. Moreover, pH‐, thermo‐, ultrasound‐, enzyme‐ and light‐sensitive block‐copolymers allow for controlled micelle dissociation and triggered drug release in response to the pathological environment‐specific stimuli and/or externally applied signals. The combination of these approaches can further improve specificity and efficacy of micelle‐based drug delivery to promote the development of smart multifunctional micelles. WIREs Nanomed Nanobiotechnol 2015, 7:691–707. doi: 10.1002/wnan.1332This article is categorized under:

Biology-Inspired Nanomaterials > Lipid-Based Structures
Therapeutic Approaches and Drug Discovery > Nanomedicine for Oncologic Disease
Nanotechnology Approaches to Biology > Nanoscale Systems in Biology
Crystal Structure of Mg0.39(2)NiSn1.61(2) and Mg2.61(2)Ni4Sn3.39(2) Featuring Mg/Sn Atom Networks with Different Connections of Ni@(Mg/Sn)8 Coordination Polyhedra
Authors: Siggelkow Lisa , Hlukhyy Viktor , Fässler Thomas F. 
Published: February 2015

AbstractThe intermetallic compounds Mg0.39(2)NiSn1.61(2) and Mg2.61(2)Ni4Sn3.39(2) are prepared by the reaction of the elements in welded tantalum ampoules in a resistance furnace. The crystal structures of the compounds were investigated by single‐crystal X‐ray diffraction. Mg0.39(2)NiSn1.61(2) crystallizes in the PdSn2 structure type with the space group I41/acd [a = 6.1941(4) Å, c = 23.498(2) Å, wR2 = 0.078 (all data), 303 F2 values, 19 variable parameters]. The main building block in the crystal structure of Mg0.39(2)NiSn1.61(2) are Ni2@(Mg/Sn)12 polyhedra, which consist of face‐sharing Ni‐centered square antiprisms. These polyhedra share vertices to form a three‐dimensional network of Mg and Sn atoms. The mixing of small amounts of magnesium in the binary Ni‐Sn phase stabilizes the non‐existing “NiSn2” in the PdSn2 structure type in form of NiSn2–xMgx with x = 0.39. Mg2.61(2)Ni4Sn3.39(2) crystallizes in an own structure type with space group P$\bar{3}$m1 [a = 4.3230(9) Å, c = 10.490(3) Å, wR2 = 0.048 (all data), 216 F2 values, 21 variable parameters]. The crystal structure of Mg2.61(2)Ni4Sn3.39(2) is described as an intermediate of a Heusler and a Half‐Heusler type structure what is demonstrated by group‐subgroup relationships.
Conductive grease synthesized using nanometer ATO as an additive
Authors: Ge Xiangyu , Xia Yanqiu , Shu Zongying , Zhao Xiaopei 
Published: February 2015

Abstract
A new conductive grease was synthesized using a nanometer powder, i.e., Sb doped SnO2 (ATO), as an additive. The typical properties of this new conductive grease were investigated in detail. The results indicate that ATO can dramatically improve the dropping point and reduce contact resistance. The tribological properties of the new conductive grease were investigated using the MFT-R4000 reciprocating friction and wear tester. The tribol-test results indicate that ATO can dramatically improve the tribological properties of the grease. When the ATO concentration is 0.1wt%, the grease demonstrates the best friction reduction properties; when the concentration is 0.5wt%, the grease demonstrates the best anti-wear properties. The worn surfaces were observed and analyzed by scanning electron microscopy and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, and the friction mechanisms for the new conductive grease are proposed. The excellent tribological properties of the new conductive grease are attributed to the mechanical effect of ATO, and the film formed by Sn and Sb elements or metallic oxide deposited on worn surfaces during the friction process.
Inertial effects on the generation of co-laminar flows
Authors: Braff William A. , Bazant Martin Z. , Buie Cullen R. 
Published: February 2015

AbstractThe assumption of low Reynolds number flow, or Stokes flow, is often applied to the understanding of a broad range of microfluidic devices, including micro-reactors, biomedical devices, and membraneless electrochemical cells. However, recent studies have shown that various inertial effects can play a significant role, even in microfluidic systems. In this work, two- and three-dimensional secondary flows are identified in a generic rectangular flow channel design consisting of a secondary channel feeding fluid into a main channel. We identify a scaling argument which is able to predict the occurrence of these secondary flows as a function of system parameters. The impact of these behaviours on the assumption of fully developed colaminar flow is investigated. This work considers a representative geometry, and identifies a set of conditions where inertial effects can play a key role in a microfluidic device.
Investigation of sheet-flow processes based on novel acoustic high-resolution velocity and concentration measurements
Authors: Revil-Baudard Thibaud , Chauchat Julien , Hurther David , Barraud Pierre-Alain 
Published: February 2015

AbstractA new dataset of uniform and steady sheet-flow experiments is presented in this paper. An acoustic concentration and velocity profiler (ACVP) is used to measure time-resolved profiles of collocated 2C velocity ($u,w$) and sediment concentration and to measure the time evolution of the bed interface position. Ensemble averaging over 11 similar experiment realisations is done to evaluate the mean profiles of streamwise velocity, concentration, sediment flux and Reynolds shear stress. The repeatability, stationarity and uniformity of the flow are carefully checked for a Shields number${\it\theta}\approx 0.5$and a suspension number of$S=1.1$. The mean profile analysis allows to separate the flow into two distinct layers: a suspension layer dominated by turbulence and a bed layer dominated by granular interactions. The bed layer can be further subdivided into a frictional layer capped by a collisional layer. In the suspension layer, the mixing length profile is linear with a strongly reduced von Karman parameter equal to 0.225. The Schmidt number is found to be constant in this region with a mean value of${\it\sigma}_{s}=0.44$. The present results are then interpreted in terms of existing modelling approaches and the underlying assumptions are discussed. In particular, the well-known Rouse profile is shown to predict the concentration profile adequately in the suspension layer provided that all the required parameters can be evaluated separately. However, the strong intermittency of the flow observed in the bed layer under the impact of turbulent large-scale coherent flow structures suggests the limitations of averaged steady two-phase flow models.
Dynamics of elastic dumbbells sedimenting in a viscous fluid: oscillations and hydrodynamic repulsion
Authors: Bukowicki Marek , Gruca Marta , Ekiel-Jeżewska Maria L. 
Published: February 2015

AbstractHydrodynamic interactions between two identical elastic dumbbells settling under gravity in a viscous fluid at low Reynolds number are investigated using the point-particle model. The evolution of a benchmark initial configuration is studied, in which the dumbbells are vertical and their centres are aligned horizontally. Rigid dumbbells and pairs of separate beads starting from the same positions tumble periodically while settling. We find that elasticity (which breaks the time-reversal symmetry of the motion) significantly affects the system dynamics. This is remarkable when taking into account that elastic forces are always much smaller than gravity. We observe oscillating motion of the elastic dumbbells, which tumble and change their length non-periodically. Independently of the value of the spring constant, a horizontal hydrodynamic repulsion appears between the dumbbells: their centres of mass move apart from each other horizontally. This motion is fast for moderate values of the spring constant $k$, and slows down when $k$ tends to zero or to infinity; in these limiting cases we recover the periodic dynamics reported in the literature. For moderate values of the spring constant, and different initial configurations, we observe the existence of a universal time-dependent solution to which the system converges after an initial relaxation phase. The tumbling time and the width of the trajectories in the centre-of-mass frame increase with time. In addition to its fundamental significance, the benchmark solution presented here is important to understanding general features of systems with a larger number of elastic particles, in regular and random configurations.
Fast transient microjets induced by hemispherical cavitation bubbles
Authors: Gonzalez Avila Silvestre Roberto , Song Chaolong , Ohl Claus-Dieter 
Published: February 2015

AbstractWe report on a novel method to generate fast transient microjets and study their characteristics. The simple device consists of two electrodes on a substrate with a hole in between. The side of the substrate with the electrodes is submerged in a liquid. Two separate microjets exit through the tapered hole after an electrical discharge is induced between the electrodes. They are formed during the expansion and collapse of a single cavitation bubble. The cavitation bubble dynamics as well as the jets were studied with high-speed photography at up to 500 000 f.p.s. With increasing jet velocity they become unstable and spray formation is observed. The jet created during expansion (first jet) is in most cases slower than the jet created during bubble collapse, which can reach up to$400~\text{m}~\text{s}^{-1}$. The spray exiting the orifice is at least in part due to the presence of cavitation in the microchannel as observed by high-speed recording. The effect of viscosity was tested using silicone oil of 10, 50 and 100 cSt. Interestingly, for all liquids the transition from a stable to an unstable jet occurs at$We\sim 4600$. We demonstrate that these microjets can penetrate into soft material; thus they can be potentially used as a needleless drug delivery device.
On the role of adaptivity for robust laminar flow control
Authors: Fabbiane Nicolò , Simon Bernhard , Fischer Felix , Grundmann Sven , Bagheri Shervin , Henningson Dan S. 
Published: February 2015

AbstractIn boundary-layer flows, one may reduce skin-friction drag by delaying the onset of laminar-to-turbulent transition via the attenuation of small-amplitude Tollmien–Schlichting (TS) waves. In this work, we use numerical simulations and experiments to compare the robustness of adaptive and model-based techniques for reducing the growth of two-dimensional TS disturbances. In numerical simulations, the optimal linear quadratic Gaussian (LQG) regulator shows the best performance under the conditions it was designed for. However, it is found that the performance deteriorates linearly with the drift of the Reynolds number from its nominal value. As a result, an order-of-magnitude loss of performance is observed when applying the computation-based LQG controller in wind-tunnel experiments. In contrast, it is shown that the adaptive filtered-X least-mean-squares (FXLMS) algorithm is able to maintain an essentially constant performance for significant deviations of the nominal values of the disturbance amplitude and Reynolds number.
The effect of seam imperfections on the unsteady flow within a fluid-filled torus
Authors: Calabretto Sophie A. W. , Mattner Trent W. , Denier James P. 
Published: February 2015

AbstractWe consider the behaviour of the flow within a fluid-filled torus when there is a sudden change in the rotation rate of the torus. Experimental work on this problem by Madden & Mullin (J. Fluid Mech., vol. 265, 1994, p. 217) demonstrated a flow with a rich and complex dynamics. In particular, planar (top-down) flow visualisation images show a well-defined laminar band at both the inner and outer bend of the toroidal pipe. Hewitt et al. (J. Fluid Mech., vol. 688, 2011, pp. 88–119) demonstrated the existence of finite-time singularities in the resulting viscous boundary layers, and linked the post-singularity structure to one of the laminar bands identified in experiments (Madden & Mullin J. Fluid Mech., vol. 265, 1994, p. 217; del Pino et al.Phys. Fluids, vol. 20 (12), 2008, 124104). The second band (or laminar front) identified by Madden & Mullin was conjectured by Hewitt et al. to be the result of a centrifugal instability, perhaps generated by small imperfections in the experimental apparatus. Here we explore this conjecture further, demonstrating that a small seam imperfection can generate substantial secondary motion but with considerably different dynamics than the centrifugally driven instability of Hewitt et al.
Static and dynamic networks in interbank markets
Authors: COHEN-COLE ETHAN , PATACCHINI ELEONORA , ZENOU YVES 
Published: February 2015

AbstractThis paper proposes a model of network interactions in the interbank market. Our innovation is to model systemic risk in the interbank network as the propagation of incentives or strategic behavior rather than the propagation of losses after default. Transmission in our model is not based on default. Instead, we explain bank profitability based on competition incentives and the outcome of a strategic game. As competitors' lending decisions change, banks adjust their own decisions as a result: generating a “transmission” of shocks through the system. We provide a unique equilibrium characterization of a static model, and embed this model into a full dynamic model of network formation. We also determine the key bank, which is the bank that is crucial for the stability of the financial network.
Simultaneous modeling of initial conditions and time heterogeneity in dynamic networks: An application to Foreign Direct Investments
Authors: KOSKINEN JOHAN , CAIMO ALBERTO , LOMI ALESSANDRO 
Published: February 2015

AbstractIn dynamic networks, the presence of ties are subject both to endogenous network dependencies and spatial dependencies. Current statistical models for change over time are typically defined relative to some initial condition, thus skirting the issue of where the first network came from. Additionally, while these longitudinal network models may explain the dynamics of change in the network over time, they do not explain the change in those dynamics. We propose an extension to the longitudinal exponential random graph model that allows for simultaneous inference of the changes over time and the initial conditions, as well as relaxing assumptions of time-homogeneity. Estimation draws on recent Bayesian approaches for cross-sectional exponential random graph models and Bayesian hierarchical models. This is developed in the context of foreign direct investment relations in the global electricity industry in 1995–2003. International investment relations are known to be affected by factors related to: (i) the initial conditions determined by the geographical locations; (ii) time-dependent fluctuations in the global intensity of investment flows; and (iii) endogenous network dependencies. We rely on the well-known gravity model used in research on international trade to represent how spatial embedding and endogenous network dependencies jointly shape the dynamics of investment relations.
A spatial multi-scale object to analyze road networks
Authors: LAGESSE C. , BORDIN P. , DOUADY S. 
Published: February 2015

AbstractCity road networks have been extensively studied for their social significance or to quantify their connections and centralities, but often their geographical origin is forgotten. This work focuses on the spatial-geographical and geometrical aspects of the road network skeleton. Following previous work, a multi-scale object, the way, is constructed, based only on the local geometry at road crossings. The best method to reconstruct significant elements is investigated. The results show that this object is geographically meaningful, with many particular characteristics. A new indicator, structurality, is introduced and compared with previous indicators, on the cities of Paris and Avignon. Structurality appears to be stable over the borders of the map sample, and is able to reveal the underlying coherence of the road network. This stability can be interpreted as coming from the particular way the network developed in time, and was later preserved. This link with the historical development of the cites, which deserves to be further studied, is exemplified in the cases of Villers-sur-Mer (France) and Manaus (Brazil). The construction method, the results, and their potential meaning are discussed in detail so that they can be used in various related disciplines, such as sociology, town planning, geomatics, and physics.
C isotopic variations in the lower–middle Frasnian (lower Upper Devonian) of the Rudny Altai
Authors: IZOKH OLGA P. , IZOKH NADEZHDA G. , SARAEV STANISLAV V. , DOKUKINA GALINA A. 
Published: February 2015

AbstractWe conducted isotope–geochemical studies of the Upper Devonian of the Rudny Altai. Whole-rock carbon isotope analyses of the studied section represented by carbonate fore-reef facies reveal a negative excursion at the base of punctata Zone. When compared to conodont biofacies turnovers and the Upper Devonian events chart, the new data have demonstrated a synchronism between the negative excursion and the coeval decline in conodont biodiversity corresponding to the Middlesex anoxic event of the Frasnian Stage of the Upper Devonian.
Loss of helminth species diversity in the large hairy armadillo Chaetophractus villosus on the Tierra del Fuego Island, Argentina
Authors: Ezquiaga M.C. , Abba A.M. , Navone G.T. 
Published: February 2015

AbstractThe aim of this work is to compare the taxonomic diversity of parasite species of the large hairy armadillo Chaetophractus villosus in its native range and in another recently introduced population (Tierra del Fuego island), and to evaluate whether the isolation of the latter determines a decrease in its parasitic diversity. Forty specimens from Buenos Aires and Tierra del Fuego Provinces were collected and examined for helminths. Eleven parasite species were found in the native population, and only one species was present in Tierra del Fuego (Trichohelix tuberculata). This may be explained because isolation and climatic conditions prevent encounters between potential host species and infective forms of parasites. Further sampling will be needed throughout the entire Patagonia steppe to confirm how the characteristic parasitic fauna of C. villosus behaves across the armadillo's southern distribution.