bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Mixture models for simultaneous classification and reduction of three-way data
Authors: Rocci Roberto , Vichi Maurizio , Ranalli Monia 
Published: May 2024

Abstract
Finite mixture of Gaussians are often used to classify two- (units and variables) or three- (units, variables and occasions) way data. However, two issues arise: model complexity and capturing the true cluster structure. Indeed, a large number of variables and/or occasions implies a large number of model parameters; while the existence of noise variables (and/or occasions) could mask the true cluster structure. The approach adopted in the present paper is to reduce the number of model parameters by identifying a sub-space containing the information needed to classify the observations. This should also help in identifying noise variables and/or occasions. The maximum likelihood model estimation is carried out through an EM-like algorithm. The effectiveness of the proposal is assessed through a simulation study and an application to real data.
Adolescent alcohol binge drinking and withdrawal: behavioural, brain GFAP-positive astrocytes and acute methamphetamine effects in adult female rats
Authors: Costa Priscila A. , Everett Nicholas A. , Turner Anita J. , Umpierrez Laísa S. , Baracz Sarah J. , Cornish Jennifer L. 
Published: May 2024

Abstract
Rationale
Alcopop beverages are generally the first alcoholic beverage that young females drink which contain high levels of sugar and alcohol. The over-consumption of these drinks may encourage alcohol co-administration with methamphetamine (METH) impacting on drinking behaviour and glial function.

Aims
The aims of this study were to evaluate the effect of adolescent binge alcohol exposure on consumption level, anxiety-like behaviour, cross-sensitization with METH and on astrocyte expression in reward related brain regions.

Methods
Adolescent female Sprague-Dawley rats had daily 1-hour oral alcohol consumption of alcopop (ALCP; with sucrose) or ethanol-only (ETOH; without sucrose), transitioned from 5 to 15% (v/v) ethanol content for 34 days. Water and sucrose groups act as controls. During alcohol withdrawal, rats were tested for anxiety on the elevated plus maze (EPM) and locomotor activity following saline or METH (1 mg/kg i.p) treatment. Brains were then collected to assess astrocyte immunofluorescence for glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) in reward-related brain regions.

Results
Rats pretreated with 5% ALCP consumed significantly more volume and ethanol intake when compared to 5% EtOH rats. Both ALCP and EtOH groups had a higher preference ratio for 5% than 15% alcohol solutions and ALCP rats had greater ethanol intake at 15% than EtOH rats. Alcohol withdrawal showed no significant differences between groups on anxiety, METH cross-sensitization effects or GFAP intensity in the regions studied.

Conclusions
Overall, the addition of sucrose to alcoholic solutions encouraged female rats to consume larger volumes and greater ethanol intake compared to ethanol-only solutions, yet did not have long lasting effects on behaviour and astrocytes.
Double Ventricular Response with Aberrant Conduction Leading to Ventricular Dysfunction
Authors: Warren Paul W. , Powell Adam W. , Knilans Timothy , Connor Chad , Baskar Shankar 
Published: May 2024

Abstract
Double ventricular response (DVR), where a single P wave results in two QRS complexes, is a rare presentation of dual AV node physiology. It has been associated with ventricular dysfunction in the setting of incessant tachycardia. We present the case of an otherwise healthy adolescent who had frequent DVR without tachycardia leading to left ventricular dysfunction. Slow pathway modification led to a significant reduction in ectopy and normalization of ventricular function. This highlights that DVR without tachycardia might lead to ventricular dysfunction in pediatric patients. Slow pathway modification with reduction of ectopy may be sufficient to restore ventricular function.
Regulatory Intensity on Private Forestland and its Relationship with State Characteristics in the United States
Authors: Poudel Kamana , Crandall Mindy S. , Kelly Erin Clover 
Published: May 2024

AbstractThough the federal government impacts private forest management across the United States through legislation such as the Clean Water Act, state-level regulations applied to private forest landowners vary remarkably. Despite this diversity of policies, little is known about how variations in regulatory intensity (defined here as number of forestry regulations) correlate with state-level political and socioeconomic characteristics. In this study, we use a quantitative approach to explore the intensity of regulation on forest practices impacting private landowners across all 50 states. We quantified intensity by tabulating the number of regulated forest practices, then used a quasi-Poisson regression to estimate the relationship between regulatory intensity and state-level characteristics, including forestland ownership types, the economic importance of the forest industry, and measures of state environmentalism. Results indicated a positive association between regulatory intensity and the percent of private corporate land, environmental voting records of elected officials, and direct democracy. Foresters and landowners may learn from these relationships, consider how to influence different policies, and build or achieve greater levels of public trust. This study starts to help us explain why state-level forestry policies differ, not just how they differ.
Real world propensity score matched analysis evaluating the influence of en-bloc vs. non en-bloc techniques, energy and instrumentation on enucleation outcomes for large and very large prostates
Authors: Juliebø-Jones Patrick , Gauhar Vineet , Castellani Daniele , Fong Khi Yung , Sofer Mario , Zawadzki Marek , Gadzhiev Nariman , Pirola Giacomo Maria , Mahajan Abhay D. , Maheshwari Pankaj Nandkishore , Malkhasyan Vigen , Biligere Sarvajit , Gökce Mehmet İlker , Cormio Luigo , Enikeev Dmitry , Gómez Sancha Fernando , Herrmann Thomas R. W. , Somani Bhaskar K. 
Published: May 2024

Abstract
Purpose
The primary aim of the study was to evaluate if en-bloc vs. non en-bloc made a difference to intra-, peri- and post-operative surgical outcomes of anatomical endoscopic enucleation (AEEP) in large (> 80 cc) and very large prostates (> 200 cc). The secondary aim was to determine the influence of energy and instruments used.

Methods
Data of patients with > 80 cc prostate who underwent surgery between 2019 and 2022 were obtained from 16 surgeons across 13 centres in 9 countries. Propensity score matching (PSM) was used to reduce confounding. Logistic regression was performed to evaluate factors associated with postoperative urinary incontinence (UI).

Results
2512 patients were included with 991 patients undergoing en-bloc and 1521 patients undergoing non-en-bloc. PSM resulted in 481 patients in both groups. Total operation time was longer in the en-bloc group (p < 0.001), enucleation time was longer in the non en-bloc group (p < 0.001) but morcellation times were similar (p = 0.054). Overall, 30 day complication rate was higher in the non en-bloc group (16.4% vs. 11.4%; p = 0.032). Rate of late complications (> 30 days) was similar (2.3% vs. 2.5%; p > 0.99). There were no differences in rates of UI between the two groups. Multivariate analysis revealed that age, Qmax, pre-operative, post-void residual urine (PVRU) and total operative time were predictors of UI.

Conclusions
In experienced hands, AEEP in large prostates by the en-bloc technique yields a lower rate of complication and a slightly shorter operative time compared to the non en-bloc approach. However, it does not have an effect on rates of post-operative UI.
Illumination matters Part II: advanced comparative analysis of flexible ureteroscopes in a kidney model by PEARLS
Authors: Kwok Jia-Lun , Panthier Frédéric , De Coninck Vincent , Ventimiglia Eugenio , Barghouthy Yazeed , Danilovic Alexandre , Smyth Niamh , Brachlow Jan , Schmid Florian Alexander , Poyet Cédric , Eberli Daniel , Traxer Olivier , Keller Etienne Xavier 
Published: May 2024

Abstract
Purpose
The aim of the study was to evaluate illumination properties in an in-vitro kidney calyx model in saline.

Design and methods
We evaluated a series of contemporary flexible ureteroscopes including the Storz Flex-Xc and Flex-X2s, Olympus V3 and P7, Pusen 7.5F and 9.2F, as well as OTU WiScope using a 3D-printed closed pink kidney calyx model, submerged in saline. A spectrometer was used for illuminance and color temperature measurements at different openings located at center (direct light), 45° (direct and indirect light) and 90°(indirect light) to the axis of the scope.

Results
Maximum illuminance was at the center opening for all scopes (range: 284 to 12,058 lx at 50% brightness and 454 to 11,871 lx at 100% brightness settings). The scope with the highest center illuminance (Flex-Xc) was 26 times superior to the scope with the lowest illuminance (Pusen 7.5Fr) at 100% brightness setting. For each scope, there was a peripheral illuminance drop ranging from − 43 to − 92% at 50% brightness and − 43% to − 88% at 100% brightness settings, respectively (all p < 0.01). Highest drop was for the P7 and the Pusen 9.2F. All scopes had illuminance skew, except the V3. All scopes had a warm color temperature.

Conclusion
Illumination properties vary between ureteroscopes in an enclosed cavity in saline, and differs at center vs 45° and 90° positions within scopes. Peripheral illuminance drop can be as high as − 92%, which is undesirable. This may affect the choice of ureteroscope and light brightness settings used in surgery by urologists.
Clinical study on improving the function of female bladder in controlling urine by acupuncture Zhibian (BL54) under ultrasound guidance
Authors: Dai Jinling , Zhang Xiaojin , Lian Feng , Li Hong , Tu Jie , Chen Yuelai , Jin Zhu 
Published: May 2024

Abstract
Objective
To observe the effect of acupuncture Zhibian (BL54) on the function of the bladder in controlling urine in women under ultrasound.

Method
74 healthy subjects were randomly divided into deep acupuncture group of 37 cases and shallow acupuncture group of 37 cases. Under the guidance of ultrasound, the two groups of subjects were acupunctured at bilateral BL54. The deep acupuncture group was acupunctured to the pudendal nerve, and the shallow acupuncture group was acupunctured to the superficial fascia. Ultrasound was used to observe the peak systolic velocity (PSV), time average maximum velocity (TAMX), end diastolic velocity (EDV), pulsation index (PI), resistance index (RI) of the pudendal arteries, and bladder volume of two groups of subjects before and after acupuncture. The anatomical hierarchical structure of bilateral BL54 and score of Chinese version of the Massachusetts General Hospital Acupuncture Sensation Scale (C-MASS) of all subjects was measured.

Result
After acupuncture, the PSV, TMAX of the pudendal artery, bladder volume, and the Score of C-MASS Scale in the deep acupuncture group were higher than in the shallow acupuncture group (P < 0.05). The RI of the pudendal arteries in the shallow acupuncture group decreased compared to before acupuncture (P < 0.05).

Conclusion
Acupuncture at the BL54 can increase the blood flow velocity of the pudendal artery, improve the function of the bladder in controlling urine in women, and different depths of acupuncture will have different therapeutic effects.
Predictors of partnership and sexual satisfaction and dyadic effects in couples affected by endometriosis and infertility
Authors: van Eickels Deborah , Schick Maren , Germeyer Ariane , Rösner Sabine , Strowitzki Thomas , Wischmann Tewes , Ditzen Beate 
Published: May 2024

Abstract
Purpose
Endometriosis and infertility are associated with impaired partnership and sexuality of the patients, but also of their male partners. Also, endometriosis is one of the most common causes of infertility, resulting in a large overlap of both pathologies. The aim of this study was to determine the association of different predictors of partnership and sexual satisfaction and dyadic effects in couples with endometriosis and infertility.

Methods
A cross-sectional study was conducted with n = 62 women with endometriosis and n = 46 partners, including a total of n = 44 couples, some of whom were affected by infertility. The questionnaire included items on partnership, sexuality, depression, social support, and desire for a child. Multiple linear regression and the actor-partner-interdependence-model were used for analysis.

Results
Significant dyadic effects only occurred in couples with both endometriosis and infertility. Depression showed a significant negative actor effect in men for partnership satisfaction and a negative actor and partner effect in women for sexuality satisfaction (p < .05). For women, social support showed a significant positive actor effect for partnership satisfaction (p < .05), age showed a significant actor and partner effect for sexuality satisfaction (p < .05).

Conclusion
The results show a significant association of endometriosis and infertility with partnership and sexuality satisfaction. Infertility could be a decisive factor. However, the large overlapping of both endometriosis und infertility in many couples support the importance of further studies to differentiate between the both effects.

Trial registration
German Clinical Trials Register DRKS00014362 on the 29.03.2018.
Perinatal outcomes among pregnant patients with peripartum coronavirus disease 2019 infection
Authors: Saban Alla , Haleluya Noa Leybovitz , Geva Yael , Geva Neta , Hershkovitz Reli 
Published: May 2024

Abstract
Purpose
Evaluate maternal and neonatal outcomes in peripartum coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) positive women.

Methods
A retrospective cohort study was conducted, comparing outcomes between women with and without peripartum COVID-19. All singleton deliveries from June 2020 to January 2022 were included. Univariate analysis was followed by multivariate analysis.

Results
Of 26,827 singleton deliveries, 563 women had peripartum COVID-19, associated with preterm deliveries both near-term and remote from term [adjusted odds ratio (aOR) 1.6 and 2.0, respectively, p = 0.007 and 0.003]. Women with peripartum COVID-19 had a significantly higher rate of disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC) (aOR 23.0, p < 0.001). Conversely, peripartum COVID-19 peripartum COVID-19 was negatively associated with premature rupture of membranes and prolonged maternal length of stay (aOR 0.7 and 0.5, respectively, p = 0.006 and <0.001).
In cesarean delivery (CDs), patients with COVID-19 had higher rate of urgent CDs (75.5 vs. 56.1%, p < 0.001), higher rate of regional anesthesia (74.5 vs. 64.9%, p = 0.049), and longer anesthesia duration (86.1 vs. 53.4 min, p < 0.001). CD rate due to non-reassuring fetal heart rate (NRFHR) was significantly higher in women with COVID-19 (29.6 vs. 17.4%, p = 0.002). Conversely, CDs rate due to history of previous single CD was significantly higher in patients without COVID-19 diagnosis (13.6 vs. 4.1%, p = 0.006).
Concerning neonatal outcomes, an association has been observed between COVID-19 and low one-minute APGAR score <5, as well as neonatal COVID-19 infection (aOR 61.8 and 1.7 respectively, p < 0.001 and p = 0.037).

Conclusions
Peripartum COVID-19 is associated with preterm deliveries, urgent CDs and DIC, potentially aligning with the infection’s pathophysiology and coagulation alterations.
Robotic transanal minimally invasive surgery (r-TAMIS): perioperative and short-term outcomes for local excision of rectal cancers
Authors: Piozzi Guglielmo Niccolò , Przedlacka Ania , Duhoky Rauand , Ali Oroog , Ghanem Yasser , Beable Richard , Higginson Antony , Khan Jim S. 
Published: May 2024

Abstract
Background
Transanal minimally invasive surgery (TAMIS) is an advanced technique for excision of early rectal cancers. Robotic TAMIS (r-TAMIS) has been introduced as technical improvement and potential alternative to total mesorectal excision (TME) in early rectal cancers and in frail patients. This study reports the perioperative and short-term oncological outcomes of r-TAMIS for local excision of early-stage rectal cancers.

Methods
Retrospective analysis of a prospectively collected r-TAMIS database (July 2021–July 2023). Demographics, clinicopathological features, short-term outcomes, recurrences, and survival were investigated.

Results
Twenty patients were included. Median age and body mass index were 69.5 (62.0–77.7) years and 31.0 (21.0–36.5) kg/m2. Male sex was prevalent (n = 12, 60.0%). ASA III accounted for 66.7%. Median distance from anal verge was 7.5 (5.0–11.7) cm. Median operation time was 90.0 (60.0–112.5) minutes. Blood loss was minimal. There were no conversions. Median postoperative stay was 2.0 (1.0–3.0) days. Minor and major complication rates were 25.0% and 0%, respectively. Seventeen (85.0%) patients had an adenocarcinoma whilst three patients had an adenoma. R0 rate was 90.0%. Most tumours were pT1 (55.0%), followed by pT2 (25.0%). One patient (5.0%) had a pT3 tumour. Specimen and tumour maximal median diameter were 51.0 (41.0–62.0) mm and 21.5 (17.2–42.0) mm, respectively. Median specimen area was 193.1 (134.3–323.3) cm2. Median follow-up was 15.5 (10.0–24.0) months. One patient developed local recurrence (5.0%).

Conclusions
r-TAMIS, with strict postoperative surveillance, is a safe and feasible approach for local excision of early rectal cancer and may have a role in surgically unfit and elderly patients who refuse or cannot undergo TME surgery. Future prospective multicentre large-scale studies are needed to report the long-term oncological outcomes.
Combining EfficientNet with ML-Decoder classification head for multi-label retinal disease classification
Authors: Sivaz Orhan , Aykut Murat 
Published: May 2024

AbstractRetinal diseases that are not treated in time can cause irreversible, permanent damage, including blindness. Although a patient may suffer from more than one retinal disease at the same time, most of the studies focus on the diagnosis of a single disease only. Therefore, to detect multi-label retinal diseases from color fundus images, we developed an end-to-end deep learning architecture that combines the EfficientNet backbone with the ML-Decoder classification head in this study. While EfficientNet provides powerful feature extraction with fewer parameters via compound scaling, ML-Decoder further improves efficiency and flexibility by reducing quadratic dependency to a linear one and using a group decoding scheme. Also, with the use of sharpness-aware minimization (SAM) optimizer, which minimizes loss value and loss sharpness simultaneously, higher accuracy rates have been reached. In addition, a significant increase in EfficientNet performance is achieved by using image transformations and concatenation together. During the training phase, the random application of the image transformations allows for increasing the image diversity and makes the model more robust. Besides, fusing fundus images of left and right eyes at the pixel level extracts useful information about their relationship. The performance of the final model was evaluated on the publicly available Ocular Disease Intelligent Recognition (ODIR) dataset consisting of 10,000 fundus images, and superior results were obtained in all test set scenarios and performance metrics than state-of-the-art methods. The best results we obtained in the threefold cross-validation scenario for the kappa, F1, and AUC scores are 68.96%, 92.48%, and 94.80%, respectively. Moreover, it can be considered attractive in terms of floating point operations per second (FLOP) and a number of parameters.
An environmental life cycle assessment of electric race car: a case study of eVarta
Authors: Ros B. , Selech J. , Kasprzak J. 
Published: May 2024

Abstract
The study concerns the life cycle assessment (LCA) of a prototype electric racing car, Formula Student, developed by students of the Poznan University of Technology under the name of eVarta. The main objective of this study is to identify critical environmental points and indicate key elements of the vehicle's life cycle, along with the impact of the assumptions made. In the first part of the work, a literature review and standard review are conducted to organise the information and methodological steps for the LCA components and their application in the subsequent stages of the study. The work focusses on defining the right assumptions, the process of data collection and its appropriate aggregation, as well as the creation of a functional structure for the object under study. SimaPRO software is used to perform the assessment. The results of the evaluation show the high importance of the vehicle transportation stage in the entire life cycle and the significant impact of the transport-related processes, mostly considering the fact that the eVarta is a concept racing car, used only in specific conditions of Formula Student races around the world. Most of the distances between races are covered using external transport means, and eVarta is used only for racing. The second main source of environmental impacts is related to the use of resources associated with the production of the high-voltage traction battery and the use of aluminium and related processes. eVarta is a custom concept race car, designed and built by the team of students from different faculties at Poznan University of Technology (Poland). As a prototype, eVarta demonstrates high levels of environmental burden related to the production of materials and techniques. The proportion of these impacts may be limited by using a 3D CAD model to improve the information flows regarding the production of all parts. Moreover, the reduction of the environmental impacts may be reached by: (a) enhancement of production of traction battery, (b) substitution of construction materials, and (c) improvements during use, e.g. implementation of energy recovery systems during braking.

Graphical Abstract
Something in Our Ears Is Oscillating, but What? A Modeller’s View of Efforts to Model Spontaneous Emissions
Authors: Wit Hero P. , Bell Andrew 
Published: May 2024

AbstractWhen David Kemp discovered “spontaneous ear noise” in 1978, it opened up a whole new perspective on how the cochlea works. The continuous tonal sound emerging from most healthy human ears, now called spontaneous otoacoustic emissions or SOAEs, was an unmistakable sign that our hearing organ must be considered an active detector, not just a passive microphone, just as Thomas Gold had speculated some 30 years earlier. Clearly, something is oscillating as a byproduct of that sensitive inbuilt detector, but what exactly is it? Here, we give a chronological account of efforts to model SOAEs as some form of oscillator, and at intervals, we illustrate key concepts with numerical simulations. We find that after many decades there is still no consensus, and the debate extends to whether the oscillator is local, confined to discrete local sources on the basilar membrane, or global, in which an assembly of micro-mechanical elements and basilar membrane sections, coupled by inner ear fluid, interact over a wide region. It is also undecided whether the cochlear oscillator is best described in terms of the well-known Van der Pol oscillator or the less familiar Duffing or Hopf oscillators. We find that irregularities play a key role in generating the emissions. This paper is not a systematic review of SOAEs and their properties but more a historical survey of the way in which various oscillator configurations have been applied to modelling human ears. The conclusion is that the difference between the local and global approaches is not clear-cut, and they are probably not mutually exclusive concepts. Nevertheless, when one sees how closely human SOAEs can be matched to certain arrangements of oscillators, Gold would no doubt say we are on the right track.