bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Coupling of bond-based peridynamics and continuous density-based topology optimization methods for effective design of three-dimensional structures with discontinuities
Authors: Kendibilir A. , Bilgin M. H. , Kefal A. 
Published: February 2024

AbstractThis study proposes continuous density-based three-dimensional topology optimization (TO) approaches developed by coupling the peridynamic theory (PD) with optimality criteria (OC) and proportional approach (PROP). These frameworks, abbreviated as PD-OC-TO and PD-PROP-TO, can be practically utilized to enhance the fracture toughness of the structures during the optimization process by taking critical regions into account as pre-defined cracks. Breaking the non-local interactions (bonds) between relevant PD particles enables us to readily model cracks. Utilizing this advantage, we solve several benchmark optimization problems including different numbers, positions, and alignments of the cracks. The major differences between the proposed methods are examined by comparing optimum topologies for various cracked scenarios. Moreover, the mechanical behaviour of the optimized structures is investigated under dynamic loads to prove the significant improvements achieved by the present approach in the final designs. The results of dynamic analyses reveal the viability of both PD-TO methods for increasing the fracture toughness of the structure in the optimization stage. Overall, the proposed approach is confirmed as a superior design and optimization tool for future engineering structures.
Graphical abstract
Epicardial ventricular tachycardia ablation: safety and efficacy of access and ablation using low-iodine content
Authors: Müller Julian , Chakarov Ivaylo , Halbfass Philipp , Nentwich Karin , Berkovitz Artur , Sonne Kai , Barth Sebastian , Lehrmann Heiko , Deneke Thomas 
Published: February 2024

Abstract
Background
Epicardial ablation has become an integral part of the treatment of ventricular tachycardias (VT). This study reports the safety of epicardial access as well as the efficacy of epicardial ablation of structural heart disease in a tertiary single-center experience.

Methods
Between January 2016 and February 2022, consecutive patients undergoing an epicardial access for VT ablation were included. Different puncture techniques and occurrence of epicardial access-related complications as well as the safety of ablation using non-ionic 5% dextrose in water (D5W) compared to standard 0.9% normal saline (NS) irrigation were analyzed. VT recurrence rates during a mean follow-up of 37 ± 23 months were reported.

Results
In total, 197 patients undergoing a total of 239 procedures were included (59.8 ± 15.3 years, 86% males). A total of 154 patients (78%) had non-ischemic cardiomyopathies with a mean LVEF of 37 ± 14. Anterior-oriented epicardial access was aimed for in all cases and was successful in 217 (91%) of all procedures, whereas access was achieved in 19 procedures (8%) only using an inferior oriented access and in three procedures (1%) using surgical access due to severe adhesions or anatomical requirements. Overall epicardial puncture-related complications occurred in 18 (8%) of all procedures with minor pericardial bleeding in nine, pericardial tamponade in one, pneumothorax in five, pneumopericardium in one, and abdominal puncture in two cases. Presence of adhesions could be identified as the only independent predictor of epicardial access-related complications. D5W was used in 79 cases and regular 0.9% saline in 117 procedures. No differences were seen regarding acute ablation success or complications. During follow-up, 47% of all patients were free from any VTs (56% D5W vs. 40% NS; log-rank p = 0.747) and 92% of clinical VTs (98% D5W vs. 91% NS; log-rank p = 0.139).

Conclusions
In this large single-centre experience, epicardial access and ablation were safe and feasible. Although long-term clinical VT recurrence rates were low, overall VT recurrences as well as mortality were high advocating for a highly experienced, interdisciplinary approach including intense management of underlying cardiac disease/heart failure. Routine usage of D5W was safe and associated with comparable short- or long-term clinical or overall VT freedom.

Graphical abstract
The effect of robotic surgery on low anterior resection syndrome in patients with lower rectal cancer: a propensity score-matched analysis
Authors: Zhang Lei , Hu Chenhao , Zhao Jiamian , Wu Chenxi , Zhang Zhe , Li Ruizhe , Liu Ruihan , She Junjun , Shi Feiyu 
Published: February 2024

Abstract
Background
Many patients experience anorectal dysfunction after rectal surgery, which is known as low anterior resection syndrome (LARS). Robotic systems have many technical advantages that may be suitable for functional preservation after low rectal resection. Thus, the study aimed to explore whether robotic surgery can reduce the incidence and severity of LARS.

Methods
Patients undergoing minimally invasive sphincter-sparing surgery for low rectal cancer were enrolled between January 2015 and December 2020. The patients were divided into robotic or laparoscopic groups. The LARS survey was conducted at 6, 12 and 18 months postoperatively. Major LARS scores were analysed as the primary endpoint. In order to reduce confounding factors, one-to-two propensity score matches were used.

Results
In total, 342 patients were enrolled in the study. At 18 months postoperatively, the incidence of LARS was 68.7% (235/342); minor LARS was identified in 112/342 patients (32.7%), and major LARS in 123/342 (36.0%). After matching, the robotic group included 74 patients, and the laparoscopic group included 148 patients. The incidence of major LARS in the robotic group was significantly lower than that in the laparoscopic group at 6, 12, and 18 months after surgery. In multivariate logistic regression analysis, tumour location, laparoscopic surgery, intersphincteric resection, neoadjuvant therapy, and anastomotic leakage were independent risk factors for major LARS after minimally invasive sphincter-sparing surgery for low rectal cancer. Furthermore, a major LARS prediction model was constructed. Results of model evaluation showed that the nomogram had good prediction accuracy and efficiency.

Conclusions
Patients with low rectal cancer may benefit from robotic surgery to reduce the incidence and severity of LARS. Our nomogram could aid surgeons in setting an individualized treatment program for low rectal cancer patients.
Modified Coot bird optimization algorithm for solving community detection problem in social networks
Authors: Aslan Murat , Koç İsmail 
Published: February 2024

AbstractCommunity detection (CD) is a powerful way to extract meaningful information from networks such as political election networks, biological networks, social networks, technological networks. This study proposes a modified discrete version of Coot bird natural life model (COOT) optimization algorithm to solve CD problem in the networks. The basic COOT method is based on the different collective behaviors of the birds of the coot family. These collective actions of coots are regular and irregular movements on the water surface. The position update rule of the basic COOT method does not provide a balance between exploitation and exploration ability for the problem addressed in this study. Therefore, a new update mechanism is integrated into the basic COOT method to extend the local and global search tendencies of the basic COOT method. In the proposed COOT method (for short MCOOT), in order to create a new position for the current coot individual, first the original update mechanism of COOT method is carried out; then, the proposed update mechanism is executed. Three important modifications have been made in the new update mechanism: (1) Some dimensions of the current coot individual are randomly selected in the range of 1 to the dimension size of the problem; (2) the selected dimensions of the coot individual are updated according to the proposed update rule; (3) a genetic mutation operator is executed on the current coot position according to a mutation probability to improve the exploration ability. Furthermore, in the proposed MCOOT method, the continuous values of the current coot positions are converted to discrete values, because the CD problem is a discrete problem. Based on these modifications, in order to analyze and validate the effectiveness of the proposed MCOOT, it is applied on ten different small-sized or large-sized network problems. Finally, the experimental results of MCOOT method are compared with those of some state-of-the-art optimization methods in terms of solution quality and time evaluation. According to the experiments of our study, the proposed algorithm is obtained the best results for all community detection problems used in this study when compared with 22 other algorithms. As a result, the proposed method achieves superior or comparable performance in terms of solution quality and robustness according to the general results. Therefore, the proposed method can be much more competitive, especially for discrete problems.
Masquerade/okuläres Lymphom
Authors: Deák Gábor Gy. , El-Shabrawi Yosuf 
Published: February 2024

ZusammenfassungIntraokulare Lymphome und insbesondere vitreoretinale Lymphome (VRL) gehören zu den am schwierigsten zu diagnostizierenden ophthalmologischen Erkrankungen, da sie sich als eine Reihe häufigerer Augenerkrankungen tarnen können und die Labordiagnostik zu ihrem Nachweis häufig falsch-negative Ergebnisse liefert. In dieser aktuellen Übersichtsarbeit diskutieren wir die Ätiologie der VRL und geben eine aktuelle Zusammenfassung der diagnostischen und therapeutischen Möglichkeiten.
Horizon Europe: a green window of opportunity for european peripheral regions?
Authors: Peñalosa Patricia , Castaldi Carolina 
Published: February 2024

AbstractAn emerging field of research suggests that the policy and societal pressures for a green transition represent a “green window of opportunity” for peripheral regions. These regions often lag behind in overall innovation performance and may suffer from being places that don’t matter. At the same time, these are exactly the regions that the European Union is trying to support through several programmes, including Horizon Europe. This paper investigates the participation of organisations from peripheral regions in environmental projects funded by the Horizon Europe programme. To account for the multidimensional nature of regional peripherality, we define peripheral regions from a geographical, innovation and socio-economic perspective. We then analyse the relationship between these dimensions of regional peripherality and the extent to which regions benefit from Horizon environmental innovation projects in terms of participation, amount of funding and position in the overall network of project consortia.Our findings show a greater participation in Horizon environmental innovation projects for regions in Southern and Northern Europe, while within-country peripherality is negatively related to participation. At the same time, regions that are lagging in terms of innovation and socio-economic performance also receive less of this specific funding. Overall, geographical peripherality only tells a part of the story as several “places that don’t matter” for innovation and economic dynamism are also unable to benefit from these specific green windows of opportunity.
Systems Perspectives on Business and Peace: The Contingent Nature of Business-Related Action with Respect to Peace Positive Impacts
Authors: Cechvala Sarah , Ganson Brian 
Published: February 2024

AbstractWe examine three business-related initiatives designed to achieve peace positive impacts in the Cape Town township of Langa. Each was seemingly straightforward in its purpose, logic, and implementation. However, their positive intent was frustrated and their impacts ultimately harmful to their articulated goals. Understanding why this is so can be difficult in violent, turbulent, and information-poor environments such as Langa, confounding progress even by actors with ethical intentions. To aid in sense making and to provide insight for more positive future action, we develop from 125 interviews conducted for this study causal loop models for these initiatives within their conflict subsystems. These explain the perverse impacts of these initiatives by illuminating their (lack of) salience to key conflict factors, their (in)sufficiency to effect positive change in light of competing systems dynamics, and their (in)attentiveness to interdependencies with the intentions and actions of others. We thus contribute to understanding of the factors required to achieve positive social outcomes in more extreme contexts. More generally, we demonstrate the value of systems analysis both for scholarship related to business and peace and for reducing blind spots that can inhibit sound planning for ethical business action amidst complexity.
When doubts take over: a longitudinal study on emerging disengagement in the PhD process
Authors: Alisic Aida , Noppeney Ruth , Wiese Bettina S. 
Published: February 2024

AbstractThe purpose of the present investigation is to shed light on the intraindividual (i.e., within-person) process of distancing from the goal of obtaining a PhD. Based on the motivational theory of action crisis, we assume that a lack of both individual (here: self-directed career management) and external (here: social support) resources may fuel doubts concerning PhD completion. An action crisis, in turn, is proposed to undermine the subsequent motivation to engage in proactive behavior and seek out social support. We analyzed five waves of longitudinal self-report data (NT1 = 2011 PhD students, 61.7% men; half-year intervals) with the random-intercept cross-lagged panel model. This method allows to separate between-person from within-person effects. As expected, we found intraindividual increases in self-directed career management and perceived social support to reduce the development of an action crisis, and vice versa. Practical implications on how to avoid a loss spiral in the PhD process are discussed.
Characterization of pure and admixed brown trout (Salmo trutta) populations of high conservation value in the upper Danubian contact zone using ddRADseq genotyping
Authors: Englmaier Gernot K. , Lecaudey Laurène A. , Schliewen Ulrich K. , Schmidt Thomas , Schenekar Tamara , Weiss Steven J. 
Published: February 2024

AbstractIncreasing rates of hybridization and introgression in managed populations of freshwater fish are a major threat to the long-term viability of native species. The conservation challenge begins with identifying native gene pools. For brown trout (Salmo trutta Linnaeus, 1758) in the Upper Danube drainage, this task is complicated by the presence of both naturally and anthropogenically induced admixture of highly divergent lineages (Atlantic and Danubian). Herein, a ddRADseq protocol was used to type 377 individuals from 24 populations in the Upper Danube in Austria and Germany, and from reference populations from adjacent drainages and commercial hatcheries. High genetic differentiation at small geographic scales was found among pure Danubian-lineage populations, especially in the Kalkalpen National Park (Austria). In the Upper Danube drainage of Germany, as well as in the Rhine and Elbe drainages, brown trout populations were predominantly of Atlantic-lineage origin – as were those of all commercial hatcheries. Most populations, however, showed various degrees of admixture between Danubian and Atlantic lineages, hypothesized to be the result of both natural and anthropogenic processes. We highlight the conservation value of pure Danubian-lineage populations, and the challenges promoting conservation of naturally admixed populations, while discouraging continued stocking and admixture via management activities.
Patterns of Competitiveness in Russian Gubernatorial Elections
Authors: Eichhorn Kristin , Linhart Eric 
Published: February 2024

AbstractCompetitiveness in electoral authoritarian regimes is compromised by management of the electoral arena through various kinds of manipulation. This study links two dimensions of competitiveness, namely fairness and contestation. We analyze the regional heterogeneity of both dimensions for Russian gubernatorial elections held between 2012 and 2019. To assess competitiveness, we use crowd-sourced electoral observation reports and data from the Central Election Commission. Our analysis reveals significant regional variation in both dimensions. Nevertheless, opposition victories are rare and only occur in exceptional cases. Low levels of electoral malpractices seem to be a necessary but not sufficient condition for close election results. Windows of opportunity for the opposition arise only if the regime misperceives the closeness of the race and if the opposition nominates prominent candidates. Overall, these findings shed light on the complex factors influencing the competitiveness of elections in electoral authoritarian regimes like Russia.
Evaluating the heterogeneous effect of extended culture to blastocyst transfer on the implantation outcome via causal inference in fresh ICSI cycles
Authors: Kan-Tor Yoav , Srebnik Naama , Gavish Matan , Shalit Uri , Buxboim Amnon 
Published: February 2024

AbstractPurposeIn IVF treatments, extended culture to single blastocyst transfer is the recommended protocol over cleavage-stage transfer. However, evidence-based criteria for assessing the heterogeneous implications on implantation outcomes are lacking. The purpose of this work is to estimate the causal effect of blastocyst transfer on implantation outcome.MethodsWe fit a causal forest model using a multicenter observational dataset that includes an exogenous source of variability in treatment assignment and has a strong claim for satisfying the assumptions needed for valid causal inference from observational data.ResultsWe quantified the probability difference in embryo implantation if transferred as a blastocyst versus cleavage stage. Blastocyst transfer increased the average implantation rate; however, we revealed a subpopulation of embryos whose implantation potential is predicted to increase via cleavage-stage transfer.ConclusionRelative to the current policy, the proposed embryo transfer policy retrospectively improves implantation rate from 0.2 to 0.27. Our work demonstrates the efficacy of implementing causal inference in reproductive medicine and motivates its utilization in medical disciplines that are dominated by retrospective datasets.
Predicting the suitable habitat distribution of berry plants under climate change
Authors: Hamilton Casey W. , Smithwick Erica A. H. , Spellman Katie V. , Baltensperger Andrew P. , Spellman Blaine T. , Chi Guangqing 
Published: February 2024

Abstract
Context
Climate change is altering suitable habitat distributions of many species at high latitudes. Fleshy fruit-producing plants (hereafter, “berry plants”) are important in arctic food webs and as subsistence resources for human communities, but their response to a warming and increasingly variable climate at a landscape scale has not yet been examined.

Objectives
We aimed to identify environmental determinants of berry plant distribution and predict how climate change might shift these distributions.

Methods
We used species distribution models to identify characteristics and predict the distribution of suitable habitat under current (2006–2013) and future climate conditions (2081–2100; representative concentration pathways 4.5, 6.0, & 8.5) for five berry plant species: Vaccinium uliginosum L., Empetrum nigrum L., Rubus chamaemorus L., Vaccinium vitis-idaea L., and Viburnum edule (Michx.) Raf..

Results
Elevation, soil characteristics, and January and July temperatures were important drivers of habitat distributions. Future suitable habitat predictions showed net declines in suitable habitat area for all species modeled under almost all future climate scenarios tested.

Conclusions
Our work contributes to understanding potential geographic shifts in suitable berry plant habitat with climate change at a landscape scale. Shifting and retracting distributions may alter where communities can harvest, suggesting that access to these resources may become restricted in the future. Our prediction maps may help inform climate adaptation planning as communities anticipate shifting access to harvesting locations.
Kairos in diagnostics
Authors: Hofmann Bjørn , Wiesing Urban 
Published: February 2024

AbstractKairos has been a key concept in medicine for millennia and is frequently understood as “the right time” in relation to treatment. In this study we scrutinize kairos in the context of diagnostics. This has become highly topical as technological developments have caused diagnostics to be performed ever earlier in the disease development. Detecting risk factors, precursors, and predictors of disease (in biomarkers, pre-disease, and pre-pre-disease) has resulted in too early diagnoses, i.e., overdiagnoses. Nonetheless, despite vast advances in science and technology, diagnoses also come too late. Accordingly, timing diagnostics right is crucial. In this article we start with giving a brief overview of the etymology and general use of the concepts of kairos and diagnosis. Then we delimit kairos in diagnostics by analysing “too early” and “too late” diagnosis and by scrutinizing various phases of diagnostics. This leads us to define kairos of diagnostics as the time when there is potential for sufficient information for making a diagnosis that is most helpful for the person. It allows us to conclude that kairos is as important in diagnostics as in therapeutics.
Automated multifocus pollen detection using deep learning
Authors: Gallardo Ramón , García-Orellana Carlos J. , González-Velasco Horacio M. , García-Manso Antonio , Tormo-Molina Rafael , Macías-Macías Miguel , Abengózar Eugenio 
Published: February 2024

AbstractPollen-induced allergies affect a significant part of the population in developed countries. Current palynological analysis in Europe is a slow and laborious process which provides pollen information in a weekly-cycle basis. In this paper, we describe a system that allows to locate and classify, in a single step, the pollen grains present in standard glass microscope slides. Besides, processing the samples in the z-axis allows us to increase the probability of detecting grains compared to solutions based on one image per sample. Our system has been trained to recognise 11 pollen types, achieving 97.6 % success rate locating grains, of which 96.3 % are also correctly identified (0.956 macro–F1 score), and with a 2.4 % grains lost. Our results indicate that deep learning provides a robust framework to address automated identification of various pollen types, facilitating their daily measurement.