bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Technical modifications for cost optimization in robot-assisted ventral mesh rectopexy: an initial experience
Authors: Marra A. A. , Campennì P. , De Simone V. , Parello A. , Litta F. , Ratto C. 
Published: February 2023

Abstract
Background
Robot-assisted ventral mesh rectopexy is considered a valid option in the treatment of rectal prolapse. However, it involves higher costs than the laparoscopic approach. The aim of this study is to determine if less expensive robotic surgery for rectal prolapse can be safely performed.

Methods
This study was conducted on consecutive patients who underwent robot-assisted ventral mesh rectopexy at Fondazione Policlinico Universitario “A. Gemelli” IRCCS, Rome, from 7 November 2020 to 22 November 2021. The cost of hospitalization, surgical procedure, robotic materials, and operating room resources in patients undergoing robot-assisted ventral mesh rectopexy with the da Vinci Xi Surgical Systems was analyzed before and after technical modifications, including the reduction of robotic arms and instruments, and the execution of a double minimal peritoneal incision at the pouch of Douglas and sacral promontory (instead of the traditional inverted J incision).

Results
Twenty-two robot-assisted ventral mesh rectopexies were performed [21 females, 95.5%, median age 62.0 (54.8–70.0) years]. After an initial experience performing traditional robot-assisted ventral mesh rectopexy in four patients, we adopted technical modifications in other cases. No major complication or conversion to open surgery occurred. In total, mean cost of hospitalization, surgical procedure, robotic materials, and operating room resources was €6995.5 ± 1058.0, €5912.7 ± 877.0, €2797.6 ± 545.6, and €2608.3 ± 351.5, respectively. Technical modifications allowed a significant reduction in the overall cost of hospitalization (€6604.5 ± 589.5 versus €8755.0 ± 906.4, p = 0.001), number of robotic instruments (3.1 ± 0.2 versus 4.0 ± 0.8 units, p = 0.026), and operating room time (201 ± 26 versus 253 ± 16 min, p = 0.003).

Conclusions
Considering our preliminary results, robot-assisted ventral mesh rectopexy with appropriate technical modifications can be cost-effective and safe.
Improving the Quantitative Analysis of Breast Microcalcifications: A Multiscale Approach
Authors: Marasinou Chrysostomos , Li Bo , Paige Jeremy , Omigbodun Akinyinka , Nakhaei Noor , Hoyt Anne , Hsu William 
Published: February 2023

AbstractAccurate characterization of microcalcifications (MCs) in 2D digital mammography is a necessary step toward reducing the diagnostic uncertainty associated with the callback of indeterminate MCs. Quantitative analysis of MCs can better identify MCs with a higher likelihood of ductal carcinoma in situ or invasive cancer. However, automated identification and segmentation of MCs remain challenging with high false positive rates. We present a two-stage multiscale approach to MC segmentation in 2D full-field digital mammograms (FFDMs) and diagnostic magnification views. Candidate objects are first delineated using blob detection and Hessian analysis. A regression convolutional network, trained to output a function with a higher response near MCs, chooses the objects which constitute actual MCs. The method was trained and validated on 435 screening and diagnostic FFDMs from two separate datasets. We then used our approach to segment MCs on magnification views of 248 cases with amorphous MCs. We modeled the extracted features using gradient tree boosting to classify each case as benign or malignant. Compared to state-of-the-art comparison methods, our approach achieved superior mean intersection over the union (0.670 ± 0.121 per image versus 0.524 ± 0.034 per image), intersection over the union per MC object (0.607 ± 0.250 versus 0.363 ± 0.278) and true positive rate of 0.744 versus 0.581 at 0.4 false positive detections per square centimeter. Features generated using our approach outperformed the comparison method (0.763 versus 0.710 AUC) in distinguishing amorphous calcifications as benign or malignant.
The stop-feed effect of cholecalciferol (vitamin D3) and the efficacy of brodifacoum combined with cholecalciferol in Y139C-resistant Norway rats (Rattus norvegicus)
Authors: Klemann Nicole , Walther Bernd , Matuschka Franz-Rainer , Jacob Jens , Endepols Stefan 
Published: February 2023

AbstractSecond-generation anticoagulant rodenticides potentially build persistent residues in animals and accordingly pose a risk of secondary poisoning. We examined the effect of a low concentration of cholecalciferol in brodifacoum bait on bait consumption by Norway rats (Rattus norvegicus Berkenhout 1769) and on the control success in a laboratory study and in field trials. Additionally, the efficacy of both baits was determined against resistant Y139C rats. Cholecalciferol caused a strong stop-feed effect after two days in the laboratory study. On two field study sites each, bait containing either 25 mg kg−1 brodifacoum or 25 mg kg−1 brodifacoum and 100 mg kg−1 cholecalciferol was applied to treat infestations of Norway rats. Infestations were assessed pre- and post-treatment. Rats were radio-tagged, and carcasses were searched for during the treatment period. DNA of each rat was genotyped to determine the resistance status conferred by the VKORC1 gene. On all farms, control success exceeded 90%. On farms treated with brodifacoum only, the ratio of total bait consumption to pre-treatment census was significantly higher (6.6 and 4.8 times) than on farms treated with the combination (2.7 and 2.9 times). 78.8% of 183 rats were confirmed Y139C resistant. Bait ingestion was reduced by almost fifty per-cent when cholecalciferol was added to the bait with no impact on control success. All treatments resulted in control levels exceeding 90%, despite a high proportion of anticoagulant-resistant rats. When the use of highly toxic compounds is required in resistance management, addition of cholecalciferol to these baits may reduce the transfer of residues to the environment.
Magnetic resonance imaging diagnosis of non-mass enhancement of the breast
Authors: Kubota Kazunori , Mori Mio , Fujioka Tomoyuki , Watanabe Kaoru , Ito Yuko 
Published: February 2023

AbstractBreast Imaging Reporting and Data System magnetic resonance imaging (BI-RADS-MRI) classifies lesions as mass, non-mass enhancement (NME), or focus. BI-RADS ultrasound does not currently have the concept of non-mass. Additionally, knowing the concept of NME in MRI is significant. Thus, this study aimed to provide a narrative review of NME diagnosis in breast MRI. Lexicons are defined with distribution (focal, linear, segmental, regional, multiple regions, and diffuse) and internal enhancement patterns (homogenous, heterogeneous, clumped, and clustered ring) in the case of NME. Among these, linear, segmental, clumped, clustered ring, and heterogeneous are the terms that suggest malignancy. Hence, a hand search was conducted for reports of malignancy frequencies. The malignancy frequency in NME is widely distributed, ranging from 25 to 83.6%, and the frequency of each finding varies. Latest techniques, such as diffusion-weighted imaging and ultrafast dynamic MRI, are attempted to differentiate NME. Additionally, attempts are made in the preoperative setting to determine the concordance of lesion spread based on findings and the presence of invasion.
Nagoya Protocol and Africa’s willingness to share biological control agents, are we deterred by barriers instead of using opportunities to work together?
Authors: Ivey P. J. , Hill M. P. , Kenfack Voukeng S. N. , Weaver K. N. 
Published: February 2023

AbstractAmongst members of the biological control community there is a range of perceptions regarding the Nagoya Protocol, at best it will hinder access to natural enemies of pests and invasive plants and at worst implementation of the Protocol will prevent access to these resources. In this preliminary study of Africa’s preparedness to implement the Nagoya Protocol and control access to potential biological control agents, we found that several countries have not yet established procedures and policies in this regard. Several factors including lack of awareness, insufficient relevant information and lack of capacity may cause delay in countries implementing access and benefit sharing legislation and processes. The lack of preparedness provides an opportunity for the research community to work with government officials to facilitate future access to natural enemies to act as biological control agents on invasive plants and agricultural pests. Collaboration between researchers, managers and bureaucrats in support of African countries could lead to collective action that develops policies and implements processes to foster exploration of African biodiversity. This collaboration could also foster the sharing of biological control agents that will benefit Africa through integrated pest management in agriculture, protection of human lives and livelihoods, and reduction of the impact of invasive alien species on biodiversity and environmental infrastructure.
Learning robot differential movements using a new educational robotics simulation tool
Authors: Gonzalez Fernando 
Published: February 2023

AbstractThe study of robotics has become a popular course among many educational programs, especially as a technical elective. A significant part of this course involves having the students learn how to program the movement of a robotic arm by controlling the velocity of its individual joint motors, a topic referred to as joint programming. They must learn how to develop algorithms to move the end effector of the arm by controlling the instantaneous velocity or some similar aspect, of each joint motor. To support this learning activity, physical or virtual robotic arms are typically employed. Visual observation of the movement of the arm provides feedback to the correctness of the student’s joint programming algorithms. A problem arises with supporting the student in learning how to move the robotic arm with precise velocity along some path, a subtopic of joint programming referred to as differential movements. To develop this knowledge, the student must produce and test differential movement algorithms and have the capability to verify its correctness. Regardless of the type of arm used, physical or virtual, the human eye cannot notice the difference between a correct or incorrect movement of the end effector as this will involve noticing small differences in velocities. This study found that by simulating the process of spray painting on a virtual canvas, the correctness of a differential movement algorithm may be accessed by observing the resulting paint on the canvas as opposed to observing the movement of the arm. A model of a set of spray-painting equipment and a canvas was added to an existing virtual robotic arm educational tool and used in an Introduction to Robotics class offered at Florida Gulf Coast University in Spring 2019 and Spring 2020. The class offered in Spring 2019 used the virtual arm but without the spray-painting feature while the class offered in Spring 2020 used the new spray-painting feature that was added to the virtual arm. Exam results show that 59.4% of the students that used the new feature scored at least an 85% on the corresponding differential movements exam question compared to only 5.6% of the class that did not use the added spray-painting feature. The differential movement exam question simply asked the student to produce a differential movements algorithm to move the arm with a specified velocity alone a straight line.
Foliar application of 6-benzyladenine after pollination improves hybrid rice seed vigor through modulating antioxidant system
Authors: Jing Fengge , Ding Yunqian , Zhu Minyi , Zhao Guangwu , Wang Xiaomin 
Published: February 2023

AbstractApplication of plant growth regulators emerges as one of the most reliable methods to enhance crop productivity and quality. However, knowledge is limited in seed quality of hybrid rice subjected to exogenous 6-Benzyladenine (6-BA) application during seed development. A 2-year experiment was conducted to investigate the effects of 6-BA treatment after pollination on seed vigor and its underlying regulatory mechanisms. Results showed that 6-BA treatment increased germination potential (GP) and vigor index (VI) of hybrid rice irrespective of cultivar and year, particularly with 50 mg/L. Consistently, seedling quality including seedling height, root length and dry weight was significantly enhanced under 6-BA treatment with 50 mg/L. Based on the results above, 50 mg/L was considered as the optimal concentration. Additionally, 6-BA treatment with 50 mg/L increased catalase (CAT), peroxidase (POD) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) activities, and it strongly induced the expression of OsAPX1 and OsCSD3 related to antioxidant enzyme activity at the early stage of seed emergence. Therefore, spraying 6-BA with 50 mg/L after pollination could be recommended as an agronomic practice for hybrid rice seed production with high seed vigor.
Optimization over decision trees: a case study for the design of stable direct-current electricity networks
Authors: Gutina Daria , Bärmann Andreas , Roeder Georg , Schellenberger Martin , Liers Frauke 
Published: February 2023

AbstractIn many real-world mixed-integer optimization problems from engineering, the side constraints can be subdivided into two categories: constraints which describe a certain logic to model a feasible allocation of resources (such as a maximal number of available assets, working time requirements, maintenance requirements, contractual obligations, etc.), and constraints which model physical processes and the related quantities (such as current, pressure, temperature, etc.). While the first type of constraints can often easily be stated in terms of a mixed-integer program (MIP), the second part may involve the incorporation of complex non-linearities, partial differential equations or even a black-box simulation of the involved physical process. In this work, we propose the integration of a trained tree-based classifier—a decision-tree or a random forest, into a mixed-integer optimization model as a possible remedy. We assume that the classifier has been trained on data points produced by a detailed simulation of a given complex process to represent the functional relationship between the involved physical quantities. We then derive MIP-representable reformulations of the trained classifier such that the resulting model can be solved using state-of-the-art solvers. At the hand of several use cases in terms of possible optimization goals, we show the broad applicability of our framework that is easily extendable to other tasks beyond engineering. In a detailed real-world computational study for the design of stable direct-current power networks, we demonstrate that our approach yields high-quality solutions in reasonable computation times.
Can an algorithm become delusional? Evaluating ontological commitments and methodology of computational psychiatry
Authors: Broeker Marianne D. , Broome Matthew R. 
Published: February 2023

AbstractThe computational approach to psychiatric disorders, including delusions, promises explanation and treatment. Here, we argue that an information processing approach might be misleading to understand psychopathology and requires further refinement. We explore the claim of computational psychiatry being a bridge between phenomenology and physiology while focussing on the ontological commitments and corresponding methodology computational psychiatry is based on. Interconnecting ontological claims and methodological practices, the paper illustrates the structure of theory-building and testing in computational psychiatry.First, we will explain the ontological commitments computational psychiatry is grounded in, theBayesian Brain hypothesis(BBH) of unconscious inference, paired with normative deontic approaches applied to gauge psychopathology. We then turn to the steps taken in empirical paradigms, from definitions, which are used as starting points, to the operationalisation and isolation of cognitive processes and hypothesis testing based on algorithmic models, to consecutive interpretations regarding the aetiology of psychiatric disorders. We outline how experimental paradigms in computational psychiatry are specifically designed to confirm aberrations in assumed inferential processes, which are thought of as being the underlyingcore invariant features.We will illustrate a gap between the ontological commitments of computational psychiatry and the operationalisation and testing of the cognition assumed to be relevant for psychopathology. This conceptual gap is of utmost importance when designing computational paradigms and may impede a crisp understanding of the approach. Lastly, in evaluating the conceptual gap, it becomes apparent that the information processing formalism used in computational psychiatry is still grounded in rational cognitive psychology.
Evidence and truth
Authors: White Roger 
Published: February 2023

AbstractAmong other interesting proposals, Juan Comesaña’s Being Rational and Being Right makes a challenging case that one’s evidence can include falsehoods. I explore some ways in which we might have to rethink the roles that evidence can play in inquiry if we accept this claim. It turns out that Comesaña’s position lends itself to the conclusion that while false evidence is possible and not even terribly uncommon, I can be rationally sure that I don’t currently have any and perhaps also that I won’t get any, and (absent certain evidence to the contrary) you are not afflicted with any either. This conclusion might seem too good to be true. I finish by raising a puzzle about one of the main motivations for Comesaña’s view.
Nutrichemical alterations in different fractions of multiple-harvest alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) green biomass fortified with various selenium forms
Authors: Kovács Zoltán , Soós Áron , Kovács Béla , Kaszás László , Elhawat Nevien , Razem Mutasem , Veres Szilvia , Fári Miklós G. , Koroknai Judit , Alshaal Tarek , Domokos-Szabolcsy Éva 
Published: February 2023

Abstract
Background and Aims
Wet processed alfalfa-based products can provide high-quality concentrated protein, also contain nutrients and phytochemicals. Agronomic fortification can increase selenium (Se) incorporation into green biomass. For this reason, the aim was to investigate how different forms of Se are incorporated into the green biomass of multiple-harvest alfalfa and how they affect the chemical quality of the processed product candidates.

Methods
In this research, alfalfa was enriched with three forms of selenium at different concentrations [selenate (Se(VI)); selenite (Se(IV)); and red elemental Se (Se0)]. The fortified green biomass was fractionated into leaf protein concentrate (LPC), fiber and phytoserum, and changes in selenium content and speciation, protein and phytochemical composition were determined.

Results
Total Se content in alfalfa fractions drastically reduced within the four consecutive harvests, particularly for Se(VI) and Se(IV) forms, and significantly varied according to the Se treatments. Selenomethionine (SeMet) was the predominant organic Se species in LPC (35.7–246.0 µg g −1 DW) and fiber (9.0- 47.7 µg g −1 DW) fractions. Se-fortification induced considerable changes in the crude protein of LPC, which varied between 29—45 (m/m)%. Phytochemical composition markedly varied among Se-treatments. Besides several flavonoids, aglycones and glycosyl derivatives, apigenin glucuronide, and apigenin were the most abundant with a concentration up to 170.85 µg g −1 DW. Medicagenic acid concentration was below 1.86 µg g −1 DW in LPC.

Conclusions
Se-enhanced alfalfa green biomass could provide functional products, such as LPC, for human and animal consumption with enhanced nutritional value, including Se, protein, and phytochemical contents.
Performance of length-based assessment in predicting small-scale multispecies fishery sustainability
Authors: Medeiros-Leal Wendell , Santos Régis , Peixoto Ualerson I. , Casal-Ribeiro Morgan , Novoa-Pabon Ana , Sigler Michael F. , Pinho Mário 
Published: February 2023

AbstractSmall-scale fisheries play a critical role in food security and contribute to nearly half of reported global fish catches. However, the status of most small-scale fisheries stocks is still poor. In data-limited situations, length-based methods have been widely applied to estimate reference points and to understand stock status. This study applied three different length-based assessment methods (length-based indicators—LBI, length-based spawning potential ratio—LBSPR, and the length-based Bayesian biomass approach—LBB) to predict fisheries stock sustainability in the Azores. Overall, the three methods showed robustness for 15 out of 18 stocks assessed and agreed on their exploitation status. The results showed that 45% of the Azorean stocks were classified assustainable stocks, 33% possiblerebuilding/overfishedand 22%overfishing/overfishedstock status. Sensitivity analysis showed that biases on the source of initial life-history parameters, especially the asymptotic length (L∞) and the ratio of natural mortality and growth coefficient (M/k), have a stronger influence on the reference points of conservation of mature individuals (LBI), spawning potential ratio and fishing mortality (LBSPR) and the biomass relative to the maximum sustainable yield (LBB). Furthermore, sensitivity analysis indicated that, among the three methods, LBI is more robust. Our findings provide some management recommendations such as (1) catches and effort should be reduced; (2) minimum landing size should be increased; (3) minimum hook size should be increased, to be applied mainly for those stocks classified as possiblerebuilding/overfishedandoverfishing/overfishedstock status.Graphical abstract
Fragmented and conflicted: folk beliefs about vision
Authors: Fischer Eugen , Allen Keith , Engelhardt Paul E. 
Published: February 2023

AbstractMany philosophical debates take for granted that there is such a thing as ‘the’ common-sense conception of the phenomenon of interest. Debates about the nature of perception tend to take for granted that there is a single, coherent common-sense conception of vision, consistent with Direct Realism. This conception is often accorded an epistemic default status. We draw on philosophical and psychological literature on naïve theories and belief fragmentation to motivate the hypothesis that untutored common sense encompasses conflicting Direct Realist and Indirect Realist conceptions: there is no such thing as ‘the’ common-sense conception of vision that could enjoy epistemic default status. To examine this hypothesis, a survey administered an agreement rating task with verbal and pictorial stimuli to lay participants. We found many laypeople simultaneously hold conflicting Direct Realist and Indirect Realist beliefs about vision. Against common assumptions, Direct Realist beliefs are not clearly dominant, and consistent adherence to Direct Realism is not the norm, but the exception. These findings are consistent with recent accounts of belief fragmentation. They forcefully challenge common methodology in philosophical debates about the nature of perception and beyond.