bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
MR‐UNet: An UNet model using multi‐scale and residual convolutions for retinal vessel segmentation
Authors: Yang Xin , Liu Li , Li Tao 
Published: March 2022

AbstractThe overall performance of the retinal vessel segmentation network based on improved UNet is excellent, but there is still room for improvement in the small blood vessel segmentation. Therefore, this paper proposes an improved MR‐UNet, which designs two new blocks: the multi‐scale convolution (Multiconv) block and the residual convolution (Resconv) block. The Multiconv block uses different size convolution kernels to extract the characteristics of different thicknesses of retinal blood vessels, thereby improving the model's ability to segment small blood vessels. The Resconv block uses different convolutional layers to process the shallow semantic information in the encoding stage and then concatenates it to the decoding stage, reducing the semantic difference between the encoder and the decoder. On the retinal data sets DRIVE, STARE and CHASE_DB1, the accuracy (Acc) of this model is 0.9705, 0.9747, 0.9778, the specificity (Sp) is 0.9863, 0.9892, 0.9930, the AUC is 0.9872, 0.9849, 0.9925, and the F1‐Score is 0.8270, 0.8134, 0.8460, respectively. Compared with the original UNet, Se, Sp, and F1‐Score of MR‐UNet increase by 2.5%, 0.5%, and 0.4%, respectively, proving that MR‐UNet has better comprehensive performance.
Corporate governance performance ratings with machine learning
Authors: Svanberg Jan , Ardeshiri Tohid , Samsten Isak , Öhman Peter , Neidermeyer Presha E. , Rana Tarek , Semenova Natalia , Danielson Mats 
Published: March 2022

SummaryWe use machine learning with a cross‐sectional research design to predict governance controversies and to develop a measure of the governance component of the environmental, social, governance (ESG) metrics. Based on comprehensive governance data from 2,517 companies over a period of 10 years and investigating nine machine‐learning algorithms, we find that governance controversies can be predicted with high predictive performance. Our proposed governance rating methodology has two unique advantages compared with traditional ESG ratings: it rates companies' compliance with governance responsibilities and it has predictive validity. Our study demonstrates a solution to what is likely the greatest challenge for the finance industry today: how to assess a company's sustainability with validity and accuracy. Prior to this study, the ESG rating industry and the literature have not provided evidence that widely adopted governance ratings are valid. This study describes the only methodology for developing governance performance ratings based on companies' compliance with governance responsibilities and for which there is evidence of predictive validity.
Dynamic service composition framework for service‐oriented architectures based e‐government in Cameroon
Authors: Célestin Parfait Bessala Bessala , Gaelle Laetitia Mouafo Mapikou , Roger Atsa Etoundi 
Published: March 2022

AbstractE‐government has become a strategic tool for managing public administration. It makes it possible to improve interoperability between government's computer systems agencies. Taking profit to technological advances, notably the internet and web services, it has been associated with service‐oriented architectures (SOA). Service‐oriented e‐government has thus grown rapidly in developed countries. He has also gradually established itself in many projects in developing countries to take advantage to the economic benefits derived from SOA. However, when the activity of stakeholders becomes important in an e‐government based on SOA, the scalability becomes a major challenge. This is even more striking in developing countries, which suffer from less robust infrastructures and poor energy supply. The scalability has its origins mainly in dynamic service composition operations. This is why this work proposes to improve the dynamic service composition layer to deal with the scalability in case of service‐oriented e‐government in developing countries. This makes it possible to construct and dynamically enrich each system with a service composition server, a registry and a library of requests associated with their composite services. Thus, each system checks its ability to process a request locally before sending it to a higher‐level system. The paper demonstrates that using this participatory approach, the latency of the majority of end‐user requests is significantly shortened. Beyond this important aspect, our approach can provide with a good solution for Cameroon suffer from infrastructural insufficiency and energy instability. The evaluation of this architecture gave us satisfactory results.
FEK self‐assembled peptide hydrogels facilitate primary hepatocytes culture and pharmacokinetics screening
Authors: He Ting , Qiao Shida , Ma Chen , Peng Zhaoliang , Wu Zhitao , Ma Chenhui , Han Li , Deng Qiangqiang , Zhang Tianwei , Zhu Yishen , Pan Guoyu 
Published: March 2022

AbstractA FEFEFKFK (FEK, F, phenylalaninyl; E, glutamyl; K, lysinyl)‐based self‐assembling peptide hydrogel (FEK‐SAPH) was developed to replace sandwich culture (SC) for improved culture of primary hepatocytes in vitro. Under neutral conditions, FEK self‐assembles to form β‐sheet nanofibers, which in turn form FEK‐SAPH. For the culture of rat primary hepatocytes (RPH), the use of FEK‐SAPH simplified operation steps and promoted excellent cell–cell interactions while maintaining the SC‐related RPH polarity trend. Compared with SC, FEK‐SAPH cultured RPH for 14 days, the bile duct network was formed, the secretion of albumin and urea was improved, and the metabolic clearance rate based on cytochrome P450 (CYPs) was comparable. In FEK‐SAPH culture, the expression level of the biliary efflux transporter bile salt export pump increased by 230.7%, while the biliary excretion index value of deuterium‐labeled sodium taurocholate (d8‐TCA) differed slightly from the SC value (72% and 77%, respectively, p = .0195). The inhibitory effect of cholestasis drugs on FEK‐SAPH was significantly higher than that of SC. In FEK‐SAPH, hepatoprotective drugs were more effective in antagonizing hepatotoxicity induced by lithocholic acid (LCA). FEK‐SAPH cultured RPH with hepatoprotective drugs can better recover from LCA‐induced damage. In summary, FEK‐SAPH can be used as a substitute for SC for pharmacokinetic screening to evaluate the drug absorption, disposition, metabolism, excretion, and toxicity (ADMET) in hepatocytes.
Valorisation of sugar cane bagasse using hydrothermal carbonisation in the preparation of magnetic carbon nanocomposite in a single‐step synthesis applied to chromium adsorption
Authors: Laranja Márcio J , Júnior Francisco HS , Nogueira Gabriela A , Vieira Lais HS , Oliveira Naiara C , Soares João M , Cordeiro Carlos HN , Otubo Larissa , Moreira Altair B , Ferreira Odair P , Bisinoti Márcia C 
Published: March 2022

AbstractBACKGROUNDSugar cane bagasse (SB) is a by‐product of the sugar cane industry, and is obtained on a large scale. In this paper, SB was used as a source of carbon for preparing a magnetic carbon nanocomposite (MCN‐SB) through one‐step hydrothermal carbonisation (HTC), in the presence of iron (III) nitrate. By way of comparison, SB was replaced by glucose in HTC (MCN‐GLU), and a thermal treatment of this material was then performed under an N2 atmosphere (MCN‐GLU‐HT). The physical and chemical properties of the nanocomposites were assessed, and the magnetic samples were applied as adsorbents.RESULTSMCN‐SB and MCN‐GLU are composed of iron oxide nanoparticles embedded in carbonaceous matrix which also contain oxygenated groups. The MCN‐SB sample was already magnetic after HTC, showing a magnetization saturation (Ms) of 5.0 emu g−1, due to the presence of magnetite, whereas MCN‐GLU consisted of hematite and required additional thermal treatment (HT) to acquire magnetic properties, with MCN‐GLU‐HT showing an Ms of 30.5 emu g−1. In turn, the mesoporous structure and higher specific surface area (SSA) of MCN‐GLU‐HT (SSA 90 m2 g−1) than MCN‐SB (SSA 53 m2 g−1) was a causative factor for its higher capacity of hexavalent chromium [Cr (VI)] removal (939 μg g−1), when compared to MCN‐SB (768 μg g−1), which has a nonporous structure.CONCLUSIONThe results suggest that SB can be reused, by means of HTC, for the preparation of a magnetically recoverable adsorbent, showing good adsorption properties. © 2022 Society of Chemical Industry (SCI).
Taxonomic importance of spore morphology of selected taxa of Asplenium (Aspleniaceae) from Pakistan
Authors: Irfan Muhammad , Jan Gul , Murad Waheed , Jan Farzana Gul 
Published: March 2022

AbstractTaxonomic importance of spore morphology of seven taxa of genus Asplenium (Aspleniaceae) from Pakistan is illustrated with SEM. Spore morphology of the taxa were monolete with bilateral symmetry, distal and proximal view were ellipsoidal, spheroidal, equatorial view were hemicircular; perispore surface were alate, costate, costate‐alate, with reticulate and tuberculate ornamentation.
Taxonomic importance of spore morphology of seven taxa of Asplenium (Aspleniaceae, polypodiales) from Pakistan.
Basionym, Synonyms with updated nomenclature.
Spores are monolete, distal and proximal view ellipsoidal, spheroidal, equatorial view hemicircular, perispore with alate, costate, reticulate, and tuberculate surface.
Habitat ecology with specimens examined from different areas of Pakistan and their worldwide general distribution.
Cellular activation status in femoral shaft fracture hematoma following different reaming techniques – A large animal model
Authors: Teuben Michel Paul Johan , Halvachizadeh Sascha , Kalbas Yannik , Qiao Zhi , Cesarovic Nikola , Weisskopf Miriam , Teuber Henrik , Kalbitz Miriam , Cinelli Paolo , Pfeifer Roman , Pape Hans‐Christoph ,   TREAT Research Group
Published: March 2022

AbstractThe local inflammatory impact of different reaming protocols in intramedullary nailing has been sparsely investigated. We examined the effect of different reaming protocols on fracture hematoma (FH) immunological characteristics in pigs. To do so, a standardized midshaft femur fracture was induced in adult male pigs. Fractures were treated with conventional reamed femoral nailing (group RFN, n = 6); unreamed femoral nailing (group UFN, n = 6); reaming with a Reamer Irrigator Aspirator device (group RIA, n = 12). Animals were observed for 6 h and FH was collected. FH‐cell apoptosis and neutrophil receptor expression (Mac‐1/CD11b and FcγRIII/CD16) were studied by flow cytometry and local temperature changes were analyzed. The study demonstrates that apoptosis‐rates of FH‐immune cells were significantly lower in group RIA (3.50 ± 0.53%) when compared with non‐RIA groups: (group UFN 12.50 ± 5.22%, p = 0.028 UFN vs. RIA), (group RFN 13.30 ± 3.18%, p < 0.001, RFN vs. RIA). Further, RIA‐FH showed lower neutrophil CD11b/CD16 expression when compared with RFN (mean difference of 43.0% median fluorescence intensity (MFI), p = 0.02; and mean difference of 35.3% MFI, p = 0.04, respectively). Finally, RIA induced a transient local hypothermia and hypothermia negatively correlated with both FH‐immune cell apoptosis and neutrophil activation. In conclusion, immunologic changes observed in FH appear to be modified by certain reaming techniques. Irrigation during reaming was associated with transient local hypothermia, decreased apoptosis, and reduced neutrophil activation. Further study is warranted to examine whether the rinsing effect of RIA, specific tissue removal by reaming, or thermal effects predominantly determine local inflammatory changes during reaming.
Myopathy of the upper airway in snoring and obstructive sleep apnea
Authors: Shah Farhan , Stål Per 
Published: March 2022

AbstractObjectivePrevious reports of muscle changes in the upper airways of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) patients have primarily been attributed to acquired nerve lesions due to snoring vibrations. The aim of this study was to investigate whether alterations reflecting muscle fiber injuries also occur in the upper respiratory tract of snoring and OSA patients and if these changes relate to upper airway dysfunction.MethodsMuscle changes in biopsies from the soft palate of 20 patients suffering from snoring and OSA were investigated with enzyme, immunohistochemical, and morphometric techniques. Biopsies from eight healthy non‐snoring subjects were used as controls. Swallowing dysfunction was assessed with videoradiography.ResultsFourteen patients had various degrees of swallowing dysfunction. The muscle samples from all the patients showed changes typical for both motor‐nerve lesions and muscle fiber injuries. The most common alterations reflecting myopathy were fibers having aggregates and disorganization of cytoskeletal proteins (15.5 ± 10.7%). Other changes were fibers with vacuole‐like structures (5.0 ± 4.4%), centrally positioned myonuclei (7.9 ± 4.8%), subsarcolemmal accumulations of nuclei, and various forms and sizes of ring fibers, that is, fibers where the myofilaments were disorganized peripherally (2.8 ± 2.8%).ConclusionThe results show that muscle changes mirroring both myopathy and neuropathy co‐exist in the upper airway of snoring OSA patients. These findings suggest muscle weakness as a contributing factor to the upper airway dysfunction in OSA patients.
Do posttraumatic stress symptoms predict trajectories of sleep disturbance and fatigue in patients with breast cancer? A parallel‐process latent growth model
Authors: Shim Eun‐Jung , Jeong Donghee , Jung Dooyoung , Kim Tae‐Yong , Lee Kyung‐Hun , Im Seock‐Ah , Hahm Bong‐Jin 
Published: March 2022

AbstractObjectiveUsing a parallel‐process latent growth model (LGM), this study examined whether posttraumatic stress symptoms (PTSS) are associated with the trajectory of sleep disturbance (SD) and fatigue and whether the SD trajectory mediates the PTSS‐fatigue relationship.MethodsData were from 215 patients with breast cancer recruited from a tertiary hospital in South Korea. A self‐report survey was administered at four time points during the course of adjuvant chemotherapy.ResultsThe mean age of the participants was 46.69 (SD = 9.08) and the majority was at stage I and the average months since diagnosis was 1.33 (SD = 1.43). Unconditional parallel‐process LGM indicated that SD and fatigue were positively associated with each other, both in terms of initial status and growth rate. Then, the conditional parallel‐process LGM with baseline PTSS (i.e., avoidance, intrusion, and hyperarousal) as predictors were examined and anxiety, depressive symptoms and chronotype were entered as covariates in the model. Results indicated that a higher initial status and faster growth of SD were associated with a faster increase in fatigue. Greater baseline hyperarousal was directly related to a higher initial status and a slower increase in SD, and higher initial fatigue. Furthermore, a higher hyperarousal was associated with a greater initial SD, which was related to a faster increase in fatigue. Additionally, the late chronotype was related to a faster increase in fatigue through its impact on the initial SD.ConclusionsThe detrimental impact of hyperarousal on the SD trajectory and fatigue suggests the need to intervene in PTSS and SD early and throughout the course of cancer treatments to prevent fatigue.
New results on sampled‐data output‐feedback control of linear parameter‐varying systems
Authors: Wei Yanling , Karimi Hamid Reza , Yang Shichun 
Published: March 2022

AbstractThis article presents a novel sampled‐data static output‐feedback control technique for continuous‐time linear parameter‐varying (LPV) systems. Particularly, the input‐delay approach is introduced to map the sample‐and‐hold dynamics into the continuous‐time domain with delay in the states. This, together with a new parameter‐dependent Lyapunov–Krasovskii functional, results in a bounded real lemma for the underlying closed‐loop LPV systems. Furthermore, application of convex optimization techniques transforms the controller synthesis problem into the feasibility of a group of parameterized matrix inequalities. It is also shown that the convexification procedures allow for controller dependence on time‐varying parameters. Simulation studies are conducted on a case comparison and an overhead crane model to validate the efficacy and less conservatism of the result.
From underactuation to quasi‐full actuation: Aiming at a unifying control framework for articulated soft robots
Authors: Keppler Manuel , Ott Christian , Albu‐Schäffer Alin 
Published: March 2022

AbstractWe establish a structure preserving state and input transformation that allows a class of underactuated Euler Lagrange systems to be treated as “quasi‐fully” actuated. In this equivalent quasi‐fully actuated form, the system is characterized by the same Lagrangian structure as the original one. This facilitates the design of control approaches that take into account the underlying physics of the system and that shape the system dynamics to a minimum extent. Due to smoothness constraints on the new input vector that acts directly on the noncollocated coordinates, we coin the term quasi‐fully actuated. The class of Euler–Lagrange systems we consider is the class of articulated soft robots with nonlinear spring characteristics that are modeled with a block diagonal inertia matrix. We illustrate how the quasi‐fully actuated form enables the direct transfer of control concepts that have been derived for fully actuated manipulators. We adopt the popular energy‐shaping and two passivity‐based concepts. The exemplary adoptions of the PD+ and Slotine and Li controllers allow us to solve the task‐space tracking problem for highly elastic joint robots with nonlinear spring characteristics. These control schemes allow compliant behavior of the robot's TCP to be specified with respect to a reference trajectory. A key aspect of the presented framework is that it enables the adoption of rigid joint controllers as well as concepts underlying the original stability analysis. We believe that our framework presents an important step toward unifying the control design for rigid and articulated soft robots.
Higgs Branches of rank-0 5d theories from M-theory on (Aj, Al) and (Ak, Dn) singularities
Authors: De Marco Mario , Sangiovanni Andrea 
Published: March 2022

Abstract
We study the dynamics of M-theory on isolated non-toric Calabi-Yau threefold singularities of type (Aj, Al) and (Ak, Dn), engineering five-dimensional rank-zero SCFTs. Our approach consists in mapping these backgrounds to type IIA string theory with D6 branes at angles and O6− planes, computing the five-dimensional open string modes located at the brane intersections. This permits us to characterize the Higgs Branches of these theories as algebraic varieties, determine the flavour and gauge group and inspect subtleties related to T-branes. Our methods apply for all the considered singularities: we give a closed formula for the (Aj, Al) Higgs Branches, and tables for the Higgs Branches of the (Ak, Dn) series.
Phases of confining SU(5) chiral gauge theory with three generations
Authors: Bai Yang , Stolarski Daniel 
Published: March 2022

Abstract
We explore the possible low energy phases of the confining non-supersymmetric SU(5) chiral gauge theory with three generations of fermions in the (10+$$ \overline{5} $$

5
¯

) representations. This theory has the same fermion and gauge matter content as the simplest Georgi-Glashow grand unified theory of the Standard Model and has an SU(3) × SU(3) × U(1) global symmetry. Using ’t Hooft anomaly matching, most attractive channel, and soft SUSY breaking approaches, we outline a number of possible consistent low energy vacua including one with a remnant SO(3) × U(1) symmetry that is analogous to the one-generation model. For the soft SUSY breaking approach, we find that as one extrapolates to large SUSY breaking to recover the original theory, a phase transition is possible. We show that such a phase transition is guaranteed if SUSY breaking is communicated via anomaly mediation.
Study of Plasma Anti-CD26 Autoantibody Levels in a Cohort of Treatment-Naïve Early Arthritis Patients
Authors: Cordero Oscar J. , Viéitez Irene , Altabás Irene , Nuño-Nuño Laura , Villalba Alejandro , Novella-Navarro Marta , Peiteado Diana , Miranda-Carús María-Eugenia , Balsa Alejandro , Varela-Calviño Rubén , Gomez-Tourino Iria , Pego-Reigosa José M. 
Published: March 2022

AbstractIn rheumatoid arthritis (RA), the identification of biomarkers to adjust treatment intensity and to correctly diagnose the disease in early stages still constitutes a challenge and, as such, novel biomarkers are needed. We proposed that autoantibodies (aAbs) against CD26 (DPP4) might have both etiological importance and clinical value. Here, we perform a prospective study of the potential diagnostic power of Anti-CD26 aAbs through their quantification in plasmas from 106 treatment-naïve early and undifferentiated AR. Clinical antibodies, Anti-CD26 aAbs, and other disease-related biomarkers were measured in plasmas obtained in the first visit from patients, which were later classified as RA and non-RA according to the American College of Rheumatology criteria. Two different isotype signatures were found among ten groups of patients, one for Anti-CD26 IgA and other for Anti-CD26 IgG and IgM isotypes, both converging in patients with arthritis (RA and Unresolved Undifferentiated Arthritis: UUA), who present elevated levels of all three isotypes. The four UUA patients, unresolved after two years, were ACPA and rheumatic factor (RF) negatives. In the whole cohort, 51.3% of ACPA/RF seronegatives were Anti-CD26 positives, and a similar frequency was observed in the seropositive RA patients. Only weak associations of the three isotypes with ESR, CRP and disease activity parameters were observed. Anti-CD26 aAbs are present in treatment-naïve early arthritis patients, including ACPA and RF seronegative individuals, suggestive of a potential pathogenic and/or biomarker role of Anti-CD26 aAbs in the development of rheumatic diseases.
Global attractor for 3D Dirac equation with nonlinear point interaction
Authors: Kopylova Elena 
Published: March 2022

AbstractWe prove global attraction to stationary orbits for 3D Dirac equation with concentrated nonlinearity. We show that each finite energy solution converges as $$t\rightarrow \pm \infty $$

t
→
±
∞

to the set of four-frequency “nonlinear eigenfunctions”. The global attraction is caused by nonlinear energy transfer from lower harmonics to the continuous spectrum and subsequent dispersion radiation.
Does mindfulness help to overcome stereotype threat in mental rotation in younger and older adolescents?
Authors: Rahe Martina , Jansen Petra 
Published: March 2022

AbstractWe investigated gender differences in mental rotation performance in younger and older adolescents and effects of stereotype threat activation and a short mindfulness induction. Two hundred fifty younger adolescents from grades 5, 6, and 7 (119 boys) and 152 older adolescents from grades 10, 11, and 12 (80 boys) were divided into four groups with or without a mindfulness induction and with or without stereotype threat activation. All participants solved a mental rotation test and filled out a questionnaire about their gender stereotype beliefs and perceived abilities of masculine and feminine activities. Results illustrate that older adolescents outperformed younger adolescents, and gender differences in favor of males appeared only in the older age group. Independent of gender, the mindfulness induction had a significantly positive effect on adolescents’ mental rotation performance that was significant only in the older age group. No effect of the stereotype activation was found. For gender stereotype beliefs and perceived abilities of gendered activities, the mindfulness intervention enhanced male stereotype beliefs and participants’ perceived ability of masculine activities. A short mindfulness induction seems to have an enhancing effect on a subsequently performed stereotypically masculine cognitive task and consequently on adolescents’ male stereotype beliefs and their perceived ability in masculine activities.