bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Synthesis, characterization, and swelling behavior of a poly(acrylamide‐co‐acrylic acid) copolymer: Application to water retention in two sandy agricultural soils in sub‐Saharan region
Authors: Djakhdane Khaled , Chaibi Fadhila , Cheikh Chahrazed , Bassaid Salah , Dehbi Abdelkader , Alsalme Ali , Picuno Pietro
Published: August 2023

The application of copolymer hydrogels based on acrylamide (AAm) and acrylic acid (AA) in sub‐Saharan soils can increase the quantity of water retained by the soil and improve plant establishment and growth. The aim of this work was to synthesize and characterize a copolymer based on acrylamide and acrylic acid and to evaluate its swelling capacity with different physicochemical parameters. This study also aimed to investigate the effect of metallic cations on the swelling capacity of the copolymer and to assess the improvement in water retention in sandy soils. The copolymer material was prepared by free‐radical polymerization in aqueous solution at a temperature of 60°C and characterized by Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) and x‐ray diffraction (XRD), and its average molecular weight was estimated from intrinsic viscosity measurements. The swelling capacity was evaluated with different physicochemical parameters, and the effect of metallic cations on the swelling capacity was investigated. Water retention in two sandy soils was also evaluated. The copolymer material containing 50% AAm and 50% AA can retain more than 8100% of water. The swelling ratio increased with increasing temperature, with a maximum swelling ratio at 65°C. The presence of metallic cations reduced the maximum swelling ratio of the copolymer material as the cation concentration increased. The copolymer material at 1% in a composition with the soil showed an improvement in the water retention of 12.2% and 7.9% for soil A and 7.9% for soil B. Soil air volume is improved by 19% for both soils. This study shows that the copolymer material has a high swelling ratio and can improve water retention in sandy soils. The copolymer can be used in agriculture to protect and improve plant growth and yield.

Highlights

Synthesis and characterization of a copolymer based on acrylamide and acrylic acid.

Evaluating the swelling capacity with different physicochemical parameters.

The application of this copolymer in sub‐Saharan soils increases the quantity of water retained.

The copolymer is prepared by polymerization in aqueous solution and characterized by FTIR and XRD.

This study shows that the copolymer has a high swelling ratio and improves water retention.
Direct ink writing‐based additive manufacturing of styrene‐isoprene‐styrene block copolymer
Authors: Goyal Sourabh , Yesu Aleti , Banerjee Shib Shankar
Published: August 2023

Thermoplastic elastomer (TPE) is a hybrid polymeric material with immense potential for industrial application due to its unique elasticity, processability, and excellent mechanical properties. However, 3D printing of TPEs using fused deposition modeling (FDM) is challenging due to their poor layer coalescence, high melt viscosity, and weak column strength. In the present work, styrene‐isoprene‐styrene (SIS) block copolymer, a commercially available TPE material, was successfully 3D printed using a direct ink writing (DIW)‐based additive manufacturing process to enhance its design flexibility. The rheology of the prepared inks has a great influence on the printability, layer formability, and resolution of the 3D printed parts. Hansen's solubility criteria were used exclusively, to investigate the most suitable solvent to prepare the inks for the DIW technique, implying better solubility of toluene than THF. This is in line with experimental results that the 3D printed specimens from SIS/toluene inks demonstrate higher stretchability, elastic modulus and tensile strength over the 3D printed specimens from the SIS/THF inks. It has been shown that the selection of a suitable ink and the optimum level of SIS concentration is essential for the successful fabrication of parts using DIW to make them suitable for end use.

Highlights

The DIW process has been investigated for 3D printing of SIS block copolymers.

The rheology of the developed inks has a great influence on printability and layer formability.

The 3D printed samples showed high elongation at break, elastic modulus, and tensile strength.
Strong‐field coherent control of the proton momentum distribution arising from the n‐photon (n=1,2,3) field‐dressed adiabatic potentials of H2+
Authors: Daud Mohammad Noh
Published: August 2023

A systematic directionality coherent control of total proton momentum distributions in the dissociative‐ionization of H subjected to a strong field of six‐cycle laser pulses in a full range of carrier‐envelope phase is studied by solving a non‐Born‐Oppenheimer time‐dependent Schrödinger equation numerically. The trend of distributions involves insightful investigation into the spatial‐temporal overlap between nuclear wave packets evolving on the coupled field‐dressed electronic potentials of H associated with the ‐photon potential crossings. This leads to new quantum images for the nonlinear nonperturbative interaction of H with a strong field. It turns out that the symmetry of the ‐dependent momentum distribution begins to break after undergoing interaction with one‐photon field‐dressed potentials. At this point, the most probable proton momentum distribution tends to move in a forward direction indicating also that the three‐photon field‐dressed potentials strongly govern the dissociative‐ionization pathway.
Routing in future space‐terrestrial integrated networks with SATNET‐OSPF
Authors: Yan Hongcheng , Qiao Liang , Wu Wei , Fraire Juan A. , Zhou Dong , Li Luming , Xu Yong
Published: August 2023

Connectivity in satellite networks is governed by the spacecraft nodes' orbital dynamics together with the planet's continuous rotation where ground nodes are located. The resulting time‐dynamic but predictable topology demands the design of specific distributed routing schemes. However, terrestrial Internet routing schemes' maturity, proven scalability, and efficiency shall be leveraged whenever possible to facilitate space‐terrestrial integration while reducing risk and costs. In line with this reflection, we introduce SATNET‐OSPF: a backward‐compatible satellite extension for the widely used Open Shortest Path First routing protocol. The key features of SATNET‐OSPF are (a) accurate routing interface mapping to inter‐satellite links and ground‐to‐satellite links, (b) accelerated link‐up/link‐down event detection adapted to space‐specific wireless technologies, (c) proactive routing and forwarding mechanism to take advantage of predicted link‐down events, and (d) low memory footprint topology model to efficiently propagate the forthcoming space connectivity events via constrained telecommand links. Leveraging existing IPv6 and OSPFv3 open‐source stacks, we implemented SATNET‐OSPF in an actual space router comprising a space‐grade SPARC V8 CPU and a radiation‐hardened FPGA. Furthermore, we present the details of an emulation test bench supporting various configurations with COTS terrestrial OSPF routers that enabled a realistic performance evaluation of the SATNET‐OSPF. Results show that SATNET‐OSPF reduced OSPFv3 routing protocol overhead by up to 31%; shortened the link event detection delay by four orders of magnitude; decreased the routing outage by a factor of 22; and ensured flooding control message generation and forwarding times, as well as routing computing time, satisfy the original requirements (192, 37, and 17 ms, respectively).
Heterogenous Slippery Surfaces: Enabling Spontaneous and Rapid Transport of Viscous Liquids with Viscosities Exceeding 10 000 mPa s
Authors: Sun Pengcheng , Hao Xiuqing , Jin Yuankai , Yin Yingying , Wu Chenyang , Zhang Jie , Gao Lujia , Wang Steven , Wang Zuankai
Published: August 2023

Superhydrophobic and slippery lubricant‐infused surfaces have garnered significant attention for their potential to passively transport low‐viscosity liquids like water (1 mPa s). Despite exciting progress, these designs have proven ineffective for transporting high‐viscosity liquids such as polydimethylsiloxane (5500 mPa s) due to their inherent limitations imposed by the homogenous surface design, resulting in high viscous drags and compromised capillary forces. Here, a heterogenous water‐infused divergent surface (WIDS) is proposed that achieves spontaneous, rapid, and long‐distance transport of viscous liquids. WIDS reduces viscous drag by spatially isolating the viscous liquids and surface roughness through its heterogenous, slippery topological design, and generates capillary forces through its heterogenous wetting distributions. The essential role of surface heterogeneity in viscous liquid transport is theoretically and experimentally verified. Remarkably, such a heterogenous paradigm enables transporting liquids with viscosities exceeding 12 500 mPa s, which is two orders of magnitude higher than state‐of‐the‐art techniques. Furthermore, this heterogenous design is generic for various viscous liquids and can be made flexible, making it promising for various systems that require viscous liquid management, such as micropatterning.
Development and validation of stability indicating thin‐layer chromatography method for simultaneous estimation of Benidipine hydrochloride and Telmisartan
Authors: Mandal Laxmibharti B. P. , Shah Ketan
Published: August 2023

For the simultaneous estimation of Benidipine hydrochloride (BEN) and Telmisartan (TEL) in combined pharmaceutical dosage form, a stability‐indicating high‐performance thin‐layer chromatography (HPTLC) method has been developed and validated. It involves the use of HPTLC plates pre‐coated with silica gel 60F254 and a mobile phase comprising of Methanol: Acetonitrile (1:9 v/v). The measurements of both drugs were performed at 237 nm. The drugs were subjected to acid‐alkali hydrolysis, photolytic, thermal, and oxidation degradation. The linearity of BEN was found to be between 200–1000 ng/band (R2 = 0.9917), while for TEL, linearity was found to be between 2000 and 10000 ng/band (R2 = 0.9979). The limit of detection and limit of quantitation were found to be 3.28 and 9.94 ng/spot for BEN and 158.79 and 481.17 ng/spot for TEL. The % relative standard deviation of the precision study was determined to be less than 2%. Various system suitability parameters were determined. The Rf values of BEN and TEL were found to be 0.890 ± 0.0105 and 0.173 ± 0.0151, respectively. The resolution between BEN and TEL peak were found to be 4.48 and capacity factors were found to be 0.21 and 0.74 for BEN and TEL, respectively.
What Research Means to Us: NRS Neuroprogressive and Dementia Network
Authors: Ashworth Rosalie , Fyvel Sue , Hill Alyson , Maddocks Chris , Qureshi Masood , Ross David , Hay Stuart , Robertson Martin , Gilder Willy , Henry Winnie , Lamont Myra , Houston Agnes , Wilson Fred S.
Published: August 2023

This chapter is a collaboration with several additional authors, reflecting on their time working in the field of dementia research, taking on co-produced projects, and exploring dementia activism. We look at the different types of research and what participating might look like, as well as consider what we want to see in the future.
Measurement and Study Design
Authors: Crowell Amber R. , Fossett Mark A.
Published: August 2023

A major feature of our study is that we use new methods for measuring residential segregation that make it possible for us to assess levels and trends in segregation with consistent accuracy and across a wider range of measurement circumstances. This includes combinations of group comparisons and community settings where trustworthy measurements of segregation previously have not been possible. More specifically, we measure the dimension of segregation known asevennessusing refined versions of two familiar and widely used measures, the dissimilarity index (D) and the separation index (S). The versions of the measures we use are free of index bias, a problem that poses major challenges for measuring segregation in many situations, and thus yield index scores that are accurate and trustworthy in situations where scores obtained using conventional approaches to measuring segregation used in previous studies would be distorted by index bias. In the past, the problem of index bias forced researchers to choose between two undesirable options. One option is to measure segregation across a more comprehensive and representative range of circumstances but with an understanding that the index scores obtained are in many cases untrustworthy and potentially misleading because they are distorted by bias. The other option is to restrict the scope of the analysis to a much smaller and less representative set of combinations of group comparisons and community settings where index bias is likely to be negligible and scores for standard versions of segregation indices are trustworthy and can sustain close analysis of cases. The measurement methods we use make it possible for us to sidestep these difficult choices and avoid the undesirable consequences that accompany them. The benefit of using these new measurement methods is that we are able to obtain segregation index scores that are consistently accurate across a much broader range of measurement circumstances (e.g., combinations on group comparisons and community settings) than has been possible in previous research. The consistent accuracy of the unbiased measures enables us to draw conclusions about the levels and patterns of variation in segregation across group comparisons, across communities, and over time with greater confidence. Additionally, it allows us to selectively conduct close analysis of index scores for individual cases including, for example, tracking changes in segregation over time for a small subpopulation (e.g., Latino immigrants) in a small nonmetropolitan community, an analysis that cannot be sustained with conventional measurement practices used in past research. The task we seek to accomplish in this chapter is to first provide an overview of the conceptualization of residential segregation and the motivations for studying it and to then highlight the features of our study design that enable us to make new and important contributions to research on this topic.
Toward the Estimation of Radiocesium Activity Concentration in Trunks of Coppiced Quercus serrata: Leaf Availability Instead of Felling
Authors: Sakashita Wataru , Miura Satoru , Nagakura Junko , Kanasashi Tsutomu
Published: August 2023

With the long-term goal of resuming the use of contaminated deciduous broad-leaved forests, which previously provided bed logs for the cultivation of shiitake mushroom (Lentinula edodes), we are developing a method for estimating the radiocesium (137Cs) activity concentration in the trunks of coppiced konara oaks (Quercus serrata) by using current-year branch in the dormant stage. In this study, we examined whether leaves could be used instead of current-year branches in the dormant stage. Our assessment revealed that the leaves obtained at the phenologically stable stage (from the end of the flushing stage to prior to the defoliation stage) can be used to estimate the 137Cs activity concentration of current-year branches (in the dormant stage) by multiplying the leaf 137Cs activity concentration by 0.54 ± 0.03. This result suggests that leaves collected at this stage are suitable for the estimation of 137Cs activity concentration in the trunk. Given that the leaves are more easily to sample than the current-year branches, we propose that 137Cs activity concentration in the trunk of coppiced konara oak can be estimated more easily with this method using leaves.
Ten-Year Transition of Radiocesium Contamination in Wild Mushrooms in the University of Tokyo Forests After the Fukushima Accident
Authors: Yamada Toshihiro
Published: August 2023

We investigated the changes in the dynamics of radiocesium in wild forest mushrooms, mainly mycorrhizal fungi, in the University of Tokyo Forests in relation to soils during the 10 years following the Fukushima accident. Overall, there was a clear tendency for the 137Cs activity concentration to decrease over time in the O horizon. It seems that part of the 137Cs in the O horizon was transferred to the A or C/O horizon, but there was no clear continuous increase or decrease in the A or C/O horizon. A large difference in the temporal change of 137Cs concentration in mushrooms was observed, but in general, 137Cs was stably retained from the beginning, or partially decreased and then shifted to patterns of retention. Further analyses such as the ratio of 137Cs/134Cs corrected for decay, and the ratio of remaining pre-Fukushima 137Cs calculated from the ratio with 134Cs, 137Cs from the global fallout before the Fukushima accident due to the nuclear weapons test and Chernobyl accident is held in mushrooms and soil. In addition, while the 137Cs derived from the Fukushima accident is initially fluid and migrates relatively easily from the mushrooms and O horizon, the 137Cs from the global fallout tends to be firmly retained in the ecosystem.
Recovery of Food Production from Radioactive Contamination Caused by the Fukushima Nuclear Accident
Authors: Nihei Naoto
Published: August 2023

The disastrous accident at the Tokyo Electric Power Company’s Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant (FDNPP) in 2011 caused the release of significant amounts of radioactive waste, resulting in radiological (mainly radioactive cesium) contamination in the surrounding forests, agricultural fields, and residential areas.

To ensure the safety of agricultural products grown on farmland after decontamination, Fukushima Prefecture conducted monitoring inspections on about 233,000 samples (excluding rice, grass, and other plants) in around 500 products, and is continuing to do so while narrowing down the items to be inspected. More than 10 years after the accident, few items other than freshwater fish and forest products have exceeded the standard values. Since there are still concerns regarding radioactive contamination of agricultural products from Fukushima Prefecture, it is necessary to continue monitoring inspections and promote understanding of the products based on correct information in order to restore agriculture in the affected areas.
Explaining Aboriginal Alcohol Use: Changing Perspectives, Hidden Assumptions
Authors: d’Abbs Peter , Hewlett Nicole
Published: August 2023

In this chapter, we review explanatory frameworksInterpretive frameworks that have been used since the arrival of European colonisers in Australia to interpret Aboriginal alcohol use and provide a foundation for policies and programs. Eight frameworks are discussed: (1) models positing biological differences between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal people in the effects of alcohol; (2) modelsof Aboriginalalcoholism as a disease; (3) psychological explanations for drinking among Aboriginal people; (4) policy approaches based on viewing alcohol misuse as a publichealth problem; (5) sociological and anthropological explanations for alcohol use by Aboriginal people; (6) explanations grounded in critiques of sociological and anthropological explanations; (7) alcohol misuse interpreted as a product of the social determinants ofhealth and (8) interpretation of alcohol misuse as a product of unresolved, intergenerational trauma. Each of these frameworks has implications for policies and programs which are explored in subsequent chapters.
Community-Based Restrictions on Alcohol Availability
Authors: d’Abbs Peter , Hewlett Nicole
Published: August 2023

This chapter reviews the emergence from the 1980s of community-based initiatives aimed at reducing alcohol-related harm by curtailing the availability of alcohol. We distinguish three types of local restrictions on supply: voluntary agreements negotiated between liquor outlets and neighbouring communities; restrictions negotiated between outlets and communities and then incorporated into the licence conditions of the outlets concerned, and restrictions imposed by state/territory licensing authorities. Local restrictions on supply are usually based on a public health approach to alcohol problems which focuses on reducing alcohol-related harms at a local population level rather than focusing on individual drinkers. Historically, and particularly in central Australia, campaigns to impose restrictions were often led by women, who experienced at first hand the violence associated with excessive drinking. We discuss evidencefrom local restrictions in remote communities and regions, and in regional towns with large Aboriginal populations. Evidence suggests that, where restrictions are a product of genuine community input, they are effective in reducing alcohol-related harms and enjoy strong support. Where they are imposed with little regard to community input—as in the case of some Alcohol Management Plans introduced by the Queensland Government in the early 2000s—they are often perceived by those affected as discriminatory and disempowering. Community-based restrictions are also often politically contentious, largely as a result of opposition by the liquor and hospitality industries. The chapter also discusses the relationship between alcohol restrictions and anti-discriminationlegislation and summarises factors associated with effective community-based restrictions on supply.
Alcohol and Community Policing
Authors: d’Abbs Peter , Hewlett Nicole
Published: August 2023

This chapter describes the emergence and evolution of communitypatrols, warden schemesand social behaviour projectsas community-led initiatives for promoting safety and preventing and resolving disputes, many of them associated with alcohol. The earliest reported communitypatrols date from around 1970 and refer to unfunded initiatives relying on Elders and other volunteers, often using their own vehicles and other resources. Patrols evolved in urban, regional and remote settings. They received increased attention following the Report of the Royal Commission into Aboriginal Deaths in Custody (RCADIC) in 1991, which recommended the use of communitypatrols as an alternative or complement to orthodox mainstream policing practices. Historically, many patrols and associated schemes have faced conflicting expectations. They draw on Aboriginal cultural authority to manage disputes in a way more culturally appropriate than mainstream policing practices. External authorities, however, including funding bodies, have tended to view them as extensions of state-based policing with primary roles of keeping drunks off the streets and crime prevention. We explore the emergence of these expectations and the responses of patrols to them and identify best practice principles for communitypatrols and associated measures.
Quadratic gravity potentials in de Sitter spacetime from Feynman diagrams
Authors: Ferrero Renata , Ripken Chris
Published: August 2023

Abstract

We employ a manifestly covariant formalism to compute the tree-level amputated Green’s function of non-minimally coupled scalar fields in quadratic gravity in a de Sitter background. We study this Green’s function in the adiabatic limit, and construct the classical Newtonian potential. At short distances, the flat-spacetime Yukawa potential is reproduced, while the curvature gives rise to corrections to the potential at large distances. Beyond the Hubble radius, the potential vanishes identically, in agreement with the causal structure of de Sitter spacetime. For sub-Hubble distances, we investigate whether the modifications to the potential reproduce Modified Newtonian Dynamics.
Isospin-breaking effects in the three-pion contribution to hadronic vacuum polarization
Authors: Hoferichter Martin , Hoid Bai-Long , Kubis Bastian , Schuh Dominic
Published: August 2023

Abstract

Isospin-breaking (IB) effects are required for an evaluation of hadronic vacuum polarization at subpercent precision. While the dominant contributions arise from the e+e−→ π+π− channel, also IB in the subleading channels can become relevant for a detailed understanding, e.g., of the comparison to lattice QCD. Here, we provide such an analysis for e+e−→ 3π by extending our dispersive description of the process, including estimates of final-state radiation (FSR) and ρ–ω mixing. In particular, we develop a formalism to capture the leading infrared-enhanced effects in terms of a correction factor η3π that generalizes the analog treatment of virtual and final-state photons in the 2π case. The global fit to the e+e−→ 3π data base, subject to constraints from analyticity, unitarity, and the chiral anomaly, gives $$ {\left.{a}_{\mu}^{3\pi}\right|}_{\le 1.8\ \textrm{GeV}}=45.91(53)\times {10}^{-10} $$

a
μ

3
π

≤
1.8

GeV

=
45.91

53

×

10

−
10

for the total 3π contribution to the anomalous magnetic moment of the muon, of which $$ {a}_{\mu}^{\textrm{FSR}}\left[3\pi \right]=0.51(1)\times {10}^{-10} $$

a
μ
FSR

3
π

=
0.51

1

×

10

−
10

and $$ {a}_{\mu}^{\rho -\omega}\left[3\pi \right]=-2.68(70)\times {10}^{-10} $$

a
μ

ρ
−
ω

3
π

=
−
2.68

70

×

10

−
10

can be ascribed to IB. We argue that the resulting cancellation with ρ–ω mixing in e+e−→ 2π can be understood from a narrow-resonance picture, and provide updated values for the vacuum-polarization-subtracted vector-meson parameters Mω = 782.70(3) MeV, Mϕ = 1019.21(2) MeV, Γω = 8.71(3) MeV, and Γϕ = 4.27(1) MeV.
Timelike entanglement entropy in dS3/CFT2
Authors: Jiang Xin , Wang Peng , Wu Houwen , Yang Haitang
Published: August 2023

Abstract

In the context of dS3/CFT2, we propose a timelike entanglement entropy defined by the renormalization group flow. This timelike entanglement entropy is calculated in CFT by using the Callan-Symanzik equation. We find an exact match between this entanglement entropy and the length of a timelike geodesic connecting two different spacelike surfaces in dS3. The counterpart of this entanglement entropy in AdS3 is a spacelike one, also induced by RG flow and extends all the way into the bulk of AdS3. As a result, in both AdS3/CFT2 and dS3/CFT2, there exist exactly three entanglement entropies, providing precisely sufficient information to reconstruct the three-dimensional bulk geometry.
Exploring the influence of the microbiome on the pharmacology of anti-asthmatic drugs
Authors: Chan Michael , Ghadieh Chloe , Irfan Isphahan , Khair Eamen , Padilla Natasha , Rebeiro Sanshya , Sidgreaves Annabel , Patravale Vandana , Disouza John , Catanzariti Rachelle , Pont Lisa , Williams Kylie , De Rubis Gabriele , Mehndiratta Samir , Dhanasekaran Muralikrishnan , Dua Kamal
Published: August 2023

The microbiome is increasingly implicated in playing a role in physiology and pharmacology; in this review, we investigate the literature on the possibility of bacterial influence on the pharmacology of anti-asthmatic drugs, and the potential impact this has on asthmatic patients. Current knowledge in this area of research reveals an interaction between the gut and lung microbiome and the development of asthma. The influence of microbiome on the pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of anti-asthmatic drugs is limited; however, understanding this interaction will assist in creating a more efficient treatment approach. This literature review highlighted that bioaccumulation and biotransformation in the presence of certain gut bacterial strains could affect drug metabolism in anti-asthmatic drugs. Furthermore, the bacterial richness in the lungs and the gut can influence drug efficacy and could also play a role in drug response. The implications of the above findings suggest that the microbiome is a contributing factor to an individuals’ pharmacological response to anti-asthmatic drugs. Hence, future directions for research should follow investigating how these processes affect asthmatic patients and consider the role of the microbiome on drug efficacy and modify treatment guidelines accordingly.
Challenges of a GIS-based physical-geographical regionalization of Poland
Authors: Piniarski Witold
Published: August 2023

Poland’s traditional, i.e., non-GIS, regionalization needed to be updated for landscape audit purposes. Its spatial accuracy appeared insufficient, which led to the verification and adjustment of the existing physical-geographical mesoregions using GIS and high-resolution spatial data. In Poland, provincial landscape audits are part of implementing the European Landscape Convention to Polish law order, which led to the renewal of interest in the natural spatial division of the country. To date, there is no unified division of the entire country into microregions, which in Poland are commonly perceived as the most appropriate natural spatial units for local-scale landscape analysis and management. Microregions are lower-rank spatial units than already existing mesoregions. Both are distinguished by a homogenous landscape defined within the specific area by common physical-geographical characteristics of the land. Nevertheless, each is recognized at different scales and levels of generality. This paper focuses on reviewing the current challenges of the physical-geographical regionalization of Poland. Their fundamentals were identified through a systematic literature review. It also presents all the problems encountered within implementing GIS in the microregionalization procedure, which was already used for the Greater Poland Voivodeship landscape audit. In general, all traditional methodologies related to the physical-geographical regionalization of Poland require the introduction of GIS solutions to meet the current expectations from the country’s contemporary natural spatial division. The landscape contrast analysis method proved to be a promising method of GIS-based regionalization. It has the potential to become a universal solution to the existing problems with a unified physical-geographical microregionalization of Poland. However, some hard-to-overcome obstacles are related to the availability, collection, and processing of all required thematic spatial data. Nonetheless, it is highly expected to develop a universal procedure of microregionalization and distinguish low-rank units for the entire country.
Effects of Intensity of Teleworking and Creative Demands on the Cynicism Dimension of Job Burnout
Authors: Santiago-Torner Carlos , Tarrats-Pons Elisenda , Corral-Marfil José-Antonio
Published: August 2023

The study of the effect of virtual work environments on the emotional health of employees has received considerable attention in recent years. However, there has been insufficient research on how uninterrupted exposure to high job demands can lead to permanent stress, which deteriorates interpersonal relationships, to the point of draining them of affection. The study aims to examine the impact of telework intensity on cynicism (second dimension of burnout or depersonalisation) through two indirect effects: creativity and the number of days teleworked per week. A sample of 448 university-educated employees from the Colombian electricity sector was selected, who completed an online survey. The data were statistically analysed using a simple moderation model. In general, the results show that telework intensity favours employee behavioural adaptation, which buffers potential depersonalisation, through key characteristics such as: perceived social support, participation in decision-making, sense of autonomy, gender equality and reduced work-family conflict. However, when the tasks associated with teleworking require creative solutions continuously, and the employee’s resources are not properly managed, recurrent stress can lead to an emotional fracture that deteriorates the employee’s well-being. In conclusion, the protection of the employee’s emotional health depends on a balanced workplace structure that avoids a constant mismatch between available resources and creative demands.
Investigating accelerated carbonation for alkali activated slag stabilized sandy soil
Authors: Razeghi Hamid Reza , Safaee Fatemeh , Geranghadr Armin , Ghadir Pooria , Javadi Akbar A.
Published: August 2023

Portland cement as a commonly used material in soil stabilization projects, releases considerable amounts of CO2 into the atmosphere, highlighting the need to use green binders such as ground granulated blast furnace slag as a substitute for cement. On the other side, extensive research is being conducted on accelerated carbonation treatment to decrease the industry’s carbon footprint. Carbonation transforms CO2 into carbonate minerals. This study investigates the influence of accelerated carbonation on the unconfined compressive strength (UCS) of soil stabilized with alkali-activated slag under ambient and oven curing conditions. Effects of curing time, binder content, relative density, and carbonation pressure (100, 200, and 300 kPa) were also studied. Furthermore, a calcimeter test was conducted to determine the amount of carbonate generated, which reflects CO2 sequestration in soil. The results showed that the carbonated samples achieved higher strength than the non-carbonated samples. However, a slight decrease in UCS was observed with the increase in CO2 pressure. The generated carbonate content directly correlated with the UCS of the samples, which explained the higher strength of carbonated samples. Also, the ambient curing condition was more favorable for the samples stabilized with GGBS, which can be attributed to the supply of required moisture. Results from XRD, SEM, and FTIR indicated that the strength development was due mainly to the formation of carbonation products (CaCO3), which facilitated the densification of solidified materials.
Internationalization of Portuguese Academia: the impact on academic engagement and collaboration with society
Authors: Queirós Anabela , Carvalho Teresa , Manatos Maria , Diogo Sara
Published: August 2023

Higher Education Institutions are expected to stimulate the innovation system and to contribute to the development of societies in a global perspective. Within this context, there is an increasing focus on internationalization. HEIs are developing institutional mechanisms to support internationalization while academics are expected to carry specific practices that allow them to improve the internationalization of knowledge production. At the same time, they are encouraged to engage with non-academic partners to co-produce and transfer knowledge, contributing, in this way, to economic and social development. Although there is some research on the impact of internationalization on academic entrepreneurship, studies on the effects in other dimensions of academic engagement with society are almost absent. This paper aims to fill this gap by analyzing the relationship between academics’ internationalization practices and perceptions and the development of different types of academic engagement. Our analysis draws on quantitative analysis with data provided by an international survey (APIKS) and explores the Portuguese context. Findings show that the different practices and perspectives on internationalization impact differently on the way scientists engage. While there are positive effects of internationalization of research on engagement, the time academics stay abroad and the high focus on publishing in internationally high-rated journals may negatively affect academics’ orientation towards the local community. This paper contributes to the debate on the role of the internationalization in the context of a knowledge-based society, considering different dimensions and a broad spectrum of knowledge-based engagement activities.
Electrochemical determination of budesonide: a common corticosteroid used to treat respiratory diseases such as COVID-19 and asthma
Authors: Jedlińska Katarzyna , Trojanowska Katarzyna , Strus Magdalena , Baś Bogusław
Published: August 2023

The outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic has adversely affected the most important areas of the modern world. One of the challenges related to counteracting the effects of the pandemic it was necessary to develop methods for the quantitative determination of pharmaceuticals used in the treatment of patients suffering from this disease and its long-term effects. Budesonide (BUD) is a widely available and inexpensive corticosteroid used extensively not only among people suffering from COVID-19, but also asthma and other respiratory diseases. A significant increase in the consumption of drugs containing this component requires the development of new BUD determination methods, especially in real samples. This paper presents a new voltammetric method for BUD determination at renewable silver amalgam film electrode (Hg(Ag)FE). The electrochemical measurements were conduced in the supporting electrolyte containing 80% of methyl alcohol, 0.04 mol L−1 Britton–Robinson buffer (pH 3.0) and 20 mg mL−1 of NaClO4 under optimized differential pulse voltammetry (DPV) parameters. Detailed studies of the behaviour of the BUD on the surface of Hg(Ag)FE demonstrated the quasi-irreversible nature of the diffusion-controlled, two electrons and two protons reduction process. A calibration curve in the range from 1.0 to 290 µg mL−1 shows limit of detection and limit of quantification equal to 0.06 and 0.21 µg mL−1, respectively. The impact of numerous interferences over a wide range of concentrations on BUD signals was analysed and evaluated. The utility of the proposed method was verified by the quantitative analysis of BUD in two pharmaceutical products and the spiked water samples.

Graphical abstract
Families Navigating Macroeconomic Hard Times: The Experiences of Portuguese Emerging Adults and Their Parents in the Aftermath of the Great Recession
Authors: Fonseca Gabriela , Lourenço Daniela , Francisco Rita , Crespo Carla , Relvas Ana Paula
Published: August 2023

Amidst today’s complex financial world, understanding how family adaptation may be fostered in contexts of macroeconomic adversity is paramount. The present qualitative study sought to investigate how Portuguese families with emerging adult children have been managing macroeconomic-related demands since the Great Recession. Specifically, we aimed at uncovering the processes that may have facilitated their adaptation to macroeconomic stress over the last decade. Fourteen two-parent families with at least one emerging adult child (N = 48 participants) participated in semi-structured interviews in late 2010s. Thematic analysis yielded three key themes: (i) Appraisal, capturing family beliefs regarding their macroeconomic contexts since early to late 2010s; (ii) Demands and Impact, reflecting the macroeconomic challenges with which families were confronted; (iii) Capabilities, including coping behaviors – such as financial cutbacks implemented during the recession – and resources – such as family cohesion and parental emotional and instrumental support to emerging adults – that facilitated families’ demand management, potentially constituting key family processes in resilience during macroeconomic hard times. Despite their positive adaptation to macroeconomic demands during the most complicated years of recession, families continued to perceive great instability in their macroeconomic contexts in late 2010s, displaying concerns related to the future of emerging adults. These results highlighted that macroeconomic crises entail long-lasting impacts for individuals and families, alerting researchers, clinicians and politicians to the increased challenges currently faced by young people and their families. In addition, findings from this study can inform clinical practice and the development of multisystemic interventions aiming at helping financially stressed families.
Relationship between decay resistance and moisture properties in wood modified with phenol formaldehyde and sorbitol-citric acid
Authors: Belt Tiina , Kyyrö Suvi , Kilpinen A. Topias
Published: August 2023

Impregnation modifications improve the decay resistance of wood, but the mechanisms behind improved resistance are not yet fully understood. In this study, Scots pine sapwood samples were impregnation modified to investigate the relationship between moisture properties, decay resistance and chemical changes caused by decay. The samples were modified with phenol formaldehyde (PF) and sorbitol-citric acid (SCA) at different solids contents to study the effects of two different types of resins. The anti-swelling efficiency (ASE) and moisture exclusion efficiency (MEE) of the samples were measured, after which they were exposed to the brown rot fungi Coniophora puteana and Rhodonia placenta to determine their mass losses, moisture contents and chemical changes due to decay. The results showed that both modifications were able to increase ASE, MEE and decay resistance, and that neither modification was appreciably degraded by the fungi. However, no uniform relationship was found between mass loss and ASE or MEE for the two modifications, and there was a clear increase in the moisture contents of the decayed samples and sterile controls under decay test conditions with increasing modification degree. Overall, the results showed that modification with PF and SCA increases decay resistance, but the relationship between resistance and moisture properties requires further investigation.
Uranium speciation and spatial distribution in the bottom sediments along the Uzynbulak creek at the Semipalatinsk test site
Authors: Mukhamediyarov N. Zh. , Makarychev S. V. , Umarov M. A. , Dyuisembaeva M. T. , Shakenov Ye. Z. , Kolbin V. V. , Yesilkanov G. M. , Temirzhanova A. Ye. , Tashekova A. Zh. , Zhamaldinov F. F. , Nurekenova A. N. , Sapakova A. K. , Baigazinov Zh. A. , Kovacs T.
Published: August 2023

Uranium concentrations in the water and bottom sediments along the Uzynbulak creek at the Semipalatinsk Test Site are high, possibly implying anthropogenic contamination. These concentrations were measured by ICP-MS and the environmental mobility of uranium was determined by sequential extraction. Activity concentration in bottom sediments ranged from 20 to 6000 Bq/kg with a median of 156 Bq/kg, while that of water did not exceed 0.4 Bq/l. Uranium accumulated in sedimentary environments, up to 73% of which was bound to Fe and Mn oxides and hydroxides, while isotopic compositions indicated natural uranium. Anthropogenic uranium was not observed in the samples.
Hyperparameter importance and optimization of quantum neural networks across small datasets
Authors: Moussa Charles , Patel Yash J. , Dunjko Vedran , Bäck Thomas , van Rijn Jan N.
Published: August 2023

As restricted quantum computers become available, research focuses on finding meaningful applications. For example, in quantum machine learning, a special type of quantum circuit called a quantum neural network is one of the most investigated approaches. However, we know little about suitable circuit architectures or important model hyperparameters for a given task. In this work, we apply the functional ANOVA framework to the quantum neural network architectures to analyze which of the quantum machine learning hyperparameters are most influential for their predictive performance. We restrict our study to 7 open-source datasets from the OpenML-CC18 classification benchmark, which are small enough for simulations on quantum hardware with fewer than 20 qubits. Using this framework, three main levels of importance were identified, confirming expected patterns and revealing new insights. For instance, the learning rate is identified as the most important hyperparameter on all datasets, whereas the particular choice of entangling gates used is found to be the least important on all except for one dataset. In addition to identifying the relevant hyperparameters, for each of them, we also learned data-driven priors based on values that perform well on previously seen datasets, which can then be used to steer hyperparameter optimization processes. We utilize these priors in the hyperparameter optimization method hyperband and show that these improve performance against uniform sampling across all datasets by, on average, $$0.53 \%$$

0.53
%

, up to $$6.11 \%$$

6.11
%

, in cross-validation accuracy. We also demonstrate that such improvements hold on average regardless of the configuration hyperband is run with. Our work introduces new methodologies for studying quantum machine learning models toward quantum model selection in practice. All research code is made publicly available.
Fruit ripeness identification using YOLOv8 model
Authors: Xiao Bingjie , Nguyen Minh , Yan Wei Qi
Published: August 2023

Deep learning-based visual object detection is a fundamental aspect of computer vision. These models not only locate and classify multiple objects within an image, but they also identify bounding boxes. The focus of this paper's research work is to classify fruits as ripe or overripe using digital images. Our proposed model extracts visual features from fruit images and analyzes fruit peel characteristics to predict the fruit's class. We utilize our own datasets to train two "anchor-free" models: YOLOv8 and CenterNet, aiming to produce accurate predictions. The CenterNet network primarily incorporates ResNet-50 and employs the deconvolution module DeConv for feature map upsampling. The final three branches of convolutional neural networks are applied to predict the heatmap. The YOLOv8 model leverages CSP and C2f modules for lightweight processing. After analyzing and comparing the two models, we found that the C2f module of the YOLOv8 model significantly enhances classification results, achieving an impressive accuracy rate of 99.5%.
WebLabel: OpenLABEL-compliant multi-sensor labelling
Authors: Urbieta Itziar , Mujika Andoni , Piérola Gonzalo , Irigoyen Eider , Nieto Marcos , Loyo Estibaliz , Aginako Naiara
Published: August 2023

Annotated datasets have become crucial for training Machine Learning (ML) models for developing Autonomous Vehicles (AVs) and their functions. Generating these datasets usually involves a complex coordination of automation and manual effort. Moreover, most available labelling tools focus on specific media types (e.g., images or video). Consequently, they cannot perform complex labelling tasks for multi-sensor setups. Recently, ASAM published OpenLABEL, a standard designed to specify an annotation format flexible enough to support the development of automated driving features and to guarantee interoperability among different systems and providers. In this work, we present WebLabel, the first multipurpose web application tool for labelling complex multi-sensor data that is fully compliant with OpenLABEL 1.0. The proposed work analyses several labelling use cases demonstrating the standard's benefits and the application's flexibility to cover various heterogeneous requirements: image labelling, multi-view video object annotation, point-cloud view-based labelling for 3D geometries and action recognition.