bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Analysis and Design of a Box Culvert Using Bentley Culvert Master Software
Authors: Dawood Anwer H. , Mawlood Dana K.
Published: May 2024

Box culverts are utilized in situations where natural stream flow intersects with roads and railway lines. This research utilizes a digital elevation model and the water Modeling System software to assess the catchment area of the primary valley and identify the factors contributing to flooding in Qoshtapa City. The study involves an analysis of the existing culvert and generated the necessary data for the design of a new culvert. Despite the presence of the existing culvert, floodwater levels rose to over 1 m above the roadway elevation of Erbil-Kirkuk during the last flood event in 2021–2022. The research collected hydrological and climatic data for the study area, conducted soil type analysis using the Harmonized World Soil Database software, and performed hydraulic calculations to estimate the maximum flood discharge of the valley using the Hydrological Engineering Center-Hydrological Modeling System software for flood return periods of 50, 100, and 200 years, for design, to select the best economic alternative. The new culvert design was executed using Bentley Culvert Master software to ensure that floodwaters can flow through the culvert without rising to street level. The results indicated that the new culvert design surpasses the capacity of the existing one. The results show that the best economic alternative hydraulic design is the first alternative capacity of 201 m3/s of a 100-year return period; the new design cross-section area of the culvert is 52.5 m2.
Efficient and Simplified Modeling for Kerosene Processing Quality Detection Using Partial Least Squares-Discriminant Analysis Regression
Authors: Issa Hayder M. , Hama Salih Rezan H.
Published: May 2024

Kerosene from various refineries and crudes is used for heating and other purposes in many countries like Iraq;
therefore, it is important to identify its source to recognize and tax any adulteration. In this study, a fast classification technique for kerosene marketed in Iraq was developed with the goal of identifying its quality. The samples were categorized using a supervised partial least squares discriminant analysis (PLS-DA) approach. Multivariate analyses using agglomerative hierarchal clustering and principal component analysis were utilized to identify outliers and sample dissimilarities. The dataset was divided into calibration and prediction sets. The prediction set was used to evaluate the model’s separation performance. The Q2 cross-validation was applied. The PLS-DA models achieved significant accuracy, sensitivity, and specificity, showing strong segregation ability, notably for the calibration set (100% accuracy and 1.00 sensitivity). It was found that kerosene processing can be classified rapidly and non-destructively without the need for complicated analyses, demonstrating the best results for classification even when compared with the classification outcomes of other fuels. This PLS-DA approach has never been looked at before for process quality detection, and the results are comparable to direct kerosene classification with soft independent modeling of class analogy and support vector machines.
«Pactionibus et stipulationibus» Contribución al estudio de la constitución de servidumbres prediales en el Derecho Romano clásico
Authors: Carreño Sánchez Rosa M.
Published: May 2024

El tema objeto de nuestra investigación es el estudio de uno de los modos de constitución inter vivos de las servidumbres prediales y del usufructo más difundidos y que más controversias ha generado entre la doctrina romanista: las pactiones et stipulationes. Decidimos centrar nuestro trabajo en las pactiones et stipulationes a raíz del interés que despierta la figura de la stipulatio y su vasto ámbito de aplicación en el mundo romano.
Revisiting pancreatic islet isolation in murine models: A practical and effective technical protocol
Authors: Fernandes‐da‐Silva Aline , Miranda Rosiane Aparecida , Lisboa Patricia Cristina , Souza‐Mello Vanessa
Published: May 2024

The endocrine pancreas is composed of clusters of cell groups called pancreatic islets. These cells are responsible for the synthesis and secretion of hormones crucial for glycemic homeostasis, such as insulin and glucagon. Therefore, these cells were the targets of many studies. One method to study and/or understand endocrine pancreatic physiology is the isolation of these islets and stimulation of hormone production using different concentrations of glucose, agonists, and/or antagonists of specific secretagogues and mimicking the stimulation of hormonal synthesis and secretion. Many researchers studied pancreatic physiology in murine models due to their ease of maintenance and rapid development. However, the isolation of pancreatic islets involves meticulous processes that may vary between rodent species. The present study describes a simple and effective technical protocol for isolating intact islets from mice and rats for use as a practical guide for researchers. The method involves digestion of the acinar parenchyma by intraductal collagenase. Isolated islets are suitable for in vitro endocrine secretion analyses, microscopy techniques, and biochemical analyses.
OILVEQ: an Italian external quality control scheme for cannabinoids analysis in galenic preparations of cannabis oil
Authors: Rotolo Maria Concetta , Graziano Silvia , Minutillo Adele , Varì Maria Rosaria , Pichini Simona , Marchei Emilia
Published: May 2024

Objectives

Italy legalized cannabis oil for specific medical conditions (neuropathic pain, refractory epilepsy and other established pathologies) in 2015, but mandates titration of principal cannabinoids before marketing each batch using iphenated techniques coupled with mass spectrometry. To assess reliability of laboratories from the Italian National Health Service in charge of titrating the batches, the Italian National Institute of Health set up an quality control program on determination of Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol l (THC), cannabidiol (CBD), Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinolic acid A (THCA-A) and cannabidiolic acid (CBDA) in cannabis oil preparations.

Methods

Two rounds of exercises have been carried out since 2019, involving sixteen Italian laboratories. Five different cannabis oil samples (19-1A and 19-1B for the first round and 22-1A, 22-1B and 22-1C for the second one were prepared and 1 mL amount of each sample was sent to the laboratories. The quantitative performance of each laboratory was assessed calculating the Z-score value, a statistical measurement for value’s relationship to the mean of a group of values.

Results

In the first round, eight out of fourteen laboratories employed an LC-MS while the remaining six used GC-MS. Differently, in the second round, six out of eleven laboratories employed a GC-MS while the remaining five used LC-MS. In the first round, only 28.6 % laboratories achieved an acceptable performance (Z-score±2), and all of them used LC-MS as analytical method. In the second round, none of the laboratories achieved an acceptable performance. Satisfactory results, based on Z-scores, were generally low (0.0–75.0 %), with only one exception of 100 % for THCA-A determination in sample 22-1B. In the second round, three false negatives (two THC and one CBD by GC-MS determination) were reported while no false positives were described in the blank sample. The two rounds yielded a mean ERR% of 42 % approximately and a mean CV% around 70 % in GC-MS determination. When applying LC-MS determination, the two rounds yielded a mean ERR% of 36 % approximately and a mean CV% around 33 %.

Conclusions

The obtained results underline the need for a clear and consistent protocol to be adopted by all laboratories intending to include the titration of oily cannabis-based products into their routinely analytical techniques. This emphasis on methodology standardization and participation to quality control schemes is essential for ensuring reliable and accurate measurements, ultimately enhancing the overall effectiveness and reliability of medical cannabis treatments.
Dynamic mirroring: unveiling the role of digital twins, artificial intelligence and synthetic data for personalized medicine in laboratory medicine
Authors: Padoan Andrea , Plebani Mario
Published: May 2024

In recent years, the integration of technological advancements and digitalization into healthcare has brought about a remarkable transformation in care delivery and patient management. Among these advancements, the concept of digital twins (DTs) has recently gained attention as a tool with substantial transformative potential in different clinical contexts. DTs are virtual representations of a physical entity (e.g., a patient or an organ) or systems (e.g., hospital wards, including laboratories), continuously updated with real-time data to mirror its real-world counterpart. DTs can be utilized to monitor and customize health care by simulating an individual’s health status based on information from wearables, medical devices, diagnostic tests, and electronic health records. In addition, DTs can be used to define personalized treatment plans. In this study, we focused on some possible applications of DTs in laboratory medicine when used with AI and synthetic data obtained by generative AI. The first point discussed how biological variation (BV) application could be tailored to individuals, considering population-derived BV data on laboratory parameters and circadian or ultradian variations. Another application could be enhancing the interpretation of tumor markers in advanced cancer therapy and treatments. Furthermore, DTs applications might derive personalized reference intervals, also considering BV data or they can be used to improve test results interpretation. DT’s widespread adoption in healthcare is not imminent, but it is not far off. This technology will likely offer innovative and definitive solutions for dynamically evaluating treatments and more precise diagnoses for personalized medicine.
Preparation and properties of liquid-core yogurt balls by layer-by-layer assembly of edible packaging materials
Authors: Yang Xiaoye , Wang Feijie , Peng Xin , Wang Suyang , Wang Liqiang
Published: May 2024

To address the issue of yogurt adhering to the inner walls of packaging, resulting in resource wastage, a controllable particle size of alginate-calcium yogurt liquid core ball (LC-Yoba) was prepared using a mold-reverse spherification method. The effectiveness of layer-by-layer (LBL) assembly techniques in enhancing the performance of LC-Yoba was investigated. The results showed that a multilayer structure composed of beeswax-chitosan (BW-CS) was successfully assembled on the surface of LC-Yoba, wherein the number of assembly layers significantly impacts its performance. Compared with the unassembled LC-Yoba, the bursting force of the assembled three layers of LC-Yoba increased by 194.67 %, the elasticity increased by 19.76 %, and the weight loss rate decreased by 86.58 %. In addition, the appearance of the three layers of LC-Yoba and the pH, acidity, and water holding capacity of the yogurt were maintained in a stable state within 72 h at room temperature.
A framework to characterize and classify soundscape design practices based on grounded theory
Authors: Moshona Cleopatra Christina , Fiebig André , Aletta Francesco , Chen Xiaochao , Kang Jian , Mitchell Andrew , Oberman Tin , Schulte-Fortkamp Brigitte
Published: May 2024

In recent years, various stakeholders and political decision-makers have recognized the significance of high-quality urban sound environments, stressing the need for user-centered trajectories. Despite the rising interest in this field, the soundscape approach has not yet fully permeated urban planning and design, possibly due to a lack of comprehensible guidelines on how to implement and curate successful soundscape designs, attributed to on-going developments on this subject. In the course of the Catalogue of Soundscape Interventions (CSI) Project, a taxonomy of eight dimensions was developed to serve as an orientation aid for practitioners, describing important aspects of soundscape-related measures that can be used as a brief to facilitate communication between authorities, consultants, and researchers. This study describes the theoretical framework and, in particular, the sequential coding process involved in deriving these dimensions, which is based on grounded theory. It lists observations and limitations of the resulting taxonomy and builds upon these findings to critically review and revisit existing nomenclature and concepts. Finally, a qualitative distinction in the form of a design pyramid according to ascending levels of epistemic rigor is proposed, to differentiate between documented practices, which may serve as a reference point for future harmonization and standardization.
Microwave synthesis of magnesium phosphate-rGO as an effective electrode for supercapacitor application
Authors: Eliyas S. Mohammed , Yuvakkumar Rathinam , Ravi Ganesan , Metha S. Arun
Published: May 2024

Transition metal phosphate based materials is being used for energy storage because of P–O covalent bond which facilitates more storage compared to other transition metals and this covalent bond enhanced the electrochemical performance for supercapacitor applications. Pure magnesium phosphate (Mg3(PO4)2) were synthesized via microwave synthesis as the composite varies with rGO (MgPO-XrGO)
X=25,50,75,100mg. The prepared composite materials were examined employing XRD, Raman, FT-IR, SEM and XPS studies. Electrochemical studies (CV, EIS, GCD) of three electrode system for the prepared electrodes were performed using Biologic SP-150 with 2M (H2SO4) as electrolyte. From the XRD results, triclinic structured MgPO was confirmed (JCPDS card #35–0329) and rGO has enhanced the crystallinity of MgPO composite. From Raman analyses, the well graphitization nature of rGO in composite MgPO was identified and from XPS analysis chemical composition of the elements was analyzed. The FT-IR fundamental modes of vibrations of

PO
4

3
−

${\text{PO}}_{4}^{3-}$

(γ
1,γ
3,γ
4) were obtained. The electrochemical analysis of the prepared material such as pure and composite materials showed better performance. The high specific capacitance was obtained for MgPO-50rGO because MgPO has high coordination with rGO. As Mg2+ oxidation state has high chemical reactivity compared to other earth metals and other advantage is P–O covalent bond that enhanced the performance of the electrode. By facilitating these advantages, rGO is included as composite to develop the electrode to favor the practical applications. By using the optimum level rGO composite with MgPO4-50rGO a better new candidate was successfully developed for supercapacitor applications. The fabricated MgPO-50rGO//Activate carbon full cell set up exhibited the specific capacitance 61 Fg−1 at 1 Ag−1, 21.7 Wh kg−1 energy density and 790.0 W kg−1 power densities and explored outstanding capacitive retention in 2 electrode full cell setup cyclic stability of 99.1 % over the 5000 cycles.
Erroneous Compensation for Long-Latency Feedback Delays as Origin of Essential Tremor
Authors: Blondiaux Florence , Colmant Lise , Lebrun Louisien , Hanseeuw Bernard , Crevecoeur Frdric
Published: May 2024

Essential tremor (ET), a movement disorder characterized by involuntary oscillations of the limbs during movement, remains to date not well understood. It has been recently suggested that the tremor originates from impaired delay compensation, affecting movement representation and online control. Here we tested this hypothesis directly with 24 ET patients (14 female; 10 male) and 28 neurologically intact (NI) human volunteers (17 female; 11 male) in an upper limb postural perturbation task. After maintaining their hand in a visual target, participants experienced perturbations of unpredictable direction and magnitude and were instructed to counter the perturbation and steer their hand back to the starting position. In comparison with NI volunteers, ET patients early muscular responses (short and long-latency responses, 2050 and 50100 ms, respectively) were preserved or even slightly increased. However, they exhibited perturbation-dependent deficits when stopping and stabilizing their hand in the final target supporting the hypothesis that the tremor was generated by the feedback controller. We show in a computational model that errors in delay compensation accumulating over time produced the same small increase in initial feedback response followed by oscillations that scaled with the perturbation magnitude as observed in ET population. Our experimental results therefore validate the computational hypothesis that inaccurate delay compensation in long-latency pathways could be the origin of the tremor.
Advancing spine care through AI and machine learning: overview and applications
Authors: Cina Andrea , Galbusera Fabio
Published: May 2024

Machine learning (ML), a subset of artificial intelligence, is crucial for spine care and research due to its ability to improve treatment selection and outcomes, leveraging the vast amounts of data generated in health care for more accurate diagnoses and decision support.

ML's potential in spine care is particularly notable in radiological image analysis, including the localization and labeling of anatomical structures, detection and classification of radiological findings, and prediction of clinical outcomes, thereby paving the way for personalized medicine.

The manuscript discusses ML's application in spine care, detailing supervised and unsupervised learning, regression, classification, and clustering, and highlights the importance of both internal and external validation in assessing ML model performance.

Several ML algorithms such as linear models, support vector machines, decision trees, neural networks, and deep convolutional neural networks, can be used in the spine domain to analyze diverse data types (visual, tabular, omics, and multimodal).
How to manage a native stiff knee
Authors: Pirato Francesco , Rosso Federica , Dettoni Federico , Bonasia Davide Edoardo , Bruzzone Matteo , Rossi Roberto
Published: May 2024

Knee stiffness is a widely known and worrying condition in several postoperative knees. Less is known about native stiff knee. The aim of this manuscript is to summarize the available literature on native stiff knee epidemiology, classification and treatment.

In 1989 stiff knee was defined as a knee with less than 50° of total range of motion. If range of motion is <30°, it is defined as an ankylosed knee. Knee stiffness can be divided into three main types: flexion contractures, extension contractures, and combined contractures. Different risk factors have been associated to native stiff knee and grouped into modifiable or not modifiable. Furthermore, risk factors can be divided into patients’ related no patients’-related.

Different treatment modalities can be indicated to treat knee stiffness, including manipulation under anesthesia (MUA), arthroscopic and open surgical release. When stiffness is associated with articular disruption TKA represent an option. TKA in native stiff knee can be challenging for the surgeon. Implant’s choice and knee exposure are the first steps. In some cases, additional release and extensive can be considered. A stepwise approach and careful preoperative planning are mandatory to obtain long-term satisfactory outcomes.

Native stiff knee is a rare but invalidating condition. Different treatment modalities have been proposed as treatment. However, considering that it is frequently associated to sever arthritis, TKA can be an option in painful stiff knees. Nature of knee stiffness necessitates a customized approach to ensure successful management and achieve satisfying outcomes.
Bacteriophage therapy in musculoskeletal infections: from basic science to clinical application
Authors: Ferry Tristan , Onsea Jolien , Roussel-Gaillard Tiphaine , Batailler Cécile , Moriarty Thomas Fintan , Metsemakers Willem-Jan
Published: May 2024

The treatment of musculoskeletal infections (MSIs), including periprosthetic joint infection (PJI) and fracture-related infection (FRI), is often complicated by biofilm-related challenges necessitating multiple revision surgeries and incurring substantial costs.

The emergence of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) adds to the complexity of the problem, leading to increased morbidity and healthcare expenses.

There is an urgent need for novel antibacterial strategies, with the World Health Organization endorsing non-traditional approaches like bacteriophage (phage) therapy.

Phage therapy, involving the targeted application of lytic potent phages, shows promise in the treatment of MSIs.

Although historical clinical trials and recent case studies present significant milestones in the evolution of phage therapy over the past century, challenges persist, including variability in study designs, administration protocols and phage selection. Efforts to enhance treatment efficacy consist of personalized phage therapy and combination with antibiotics.

Future perspectives entail addressing regulatory barriers, standardizing treatment protocols, and conducting high-quality clinical trials to establish phage therapy’s efficacy for the treatment of MSIs.

Initiatives like the PHAGEFORCE study and the PHAGEinLYON Clinic programme aim to streamline phage therapy, facilitating personalized treatment approaches and systematic data collection to advance its clinical utility in these challenging infections.
Legal problems of Chinese travelling at an unreasonable low price
Authors: Na Jiang , Linlin Kang
Published: May 2024

Based on the definition and cause of formation of low-price travel, this paper finds out the defects of current laws and regulations in our country in dealing with this kind of phenomenon, and combines with the international rules, and proposes legal solutions to the unreasonable low-cost travel, which is a long-term unhealthy problem, from the perspective of the three major tourism entities： Through the development of Consumer Protection Law, Tourism Law, Guide Management Measures and other tourism-related laws, which are more authoritative and have more clear definition and stronger operability, to regulate the behavior of tourism practitioners and eliminate the chain of interests between tour operators and tour guides. To guide tourism consumers to establish correct consumption concepts and safeguard rights awareness through legal means and government services, for example, tourism-related departments can set up tourism service network platform and issue tourism service alerts. At the same time, China should make special provisions to protect the rights and interests of tourism consumers in the relevant laws and regulations on tourism, making full use of the coordination among laws such as the Consumer Protection Law, Tourism Law and Contract law, making clear in the law the channels of tourism complaints, litigation and relevant responsible departments, ensuring that the door is wide open for the protection of rights, and through expanding channels for the protection of rights to reduce the cost of rights protection and strengthen the protection of consumer rights in tourism. To establish and improve a modern tourism legal system based on the basic tourism law and supplemented by various tourism laws and regulations, considering the national conditions of China. At the same time, we should strengthen the provisions on legal relations in tourism in other laws, making good coordination among legal departments such as the Consumer Protection Law, Criminal Law, Tourism Law, and Contract law, so as to form multiple joint efforts and enhance comprehensive law enforcement, and ultimately to improve the government's legal supervision.
Impact of irrigation with saline water on morphology of sea buckthorn seedlings in nursery
Authors: Ahani Hamid , Tabatabae Sayed Abdolhossein
Published: May 2024

The experiment for evaluate the effect of salinity stress on the morphological behaviors of Elaeagnus rhamnoides (L.) A. Nelson seedlings were done in Torogh nursery in Iran country. This species were conducted based on completely randomized design in summer season. Non-stress (EC 0.8 dSm-1) and salt treatment (EC 12.03dS m-1) were used every two days. Several morphological traits of seedlings stressed-including height, diameter, leaf number, leaf area, shoot and root length, freshly and number of root, fresh and dry weight of stem, root and leaf and ratio of root to shoot, leaf to shoot, leaf area, specific leaf area, leaf weight and slenderness index were determined analyzed. Results indicated that diameter growth, end of period height, height mean and leaf area growth were significantly different at p<0.05 level and height growth and number of leaves reduced significantly at p<0.01 in comparison with control treatment. Analysis of variance for nonlinear regression in salinity stress indicated in the height and diameter significant differences of p<0.01 and leaf number not significant differences. Principal component analysis showed that in first axis (PC1) in salinity treatment dry weights leaf, stem and root, leaf area, root to shoot ratio, freshly, leaf area ratio decrease and were the most correlated with first axis. Thus, not recommend that to be done irrigation with EC 12.03 dS m-1.
Honey-based therapeutics: a comprehensive review of anticancer, antioxidant, and prognostic impacts in breast cancer treatment
Authors: Hamadou Walid Sabri , Bouali Nouha , Bennour Ayda , Othman Houcemeddine , Chouk Hamza , Elmabrouk Haifa , Snoussi Mejdi
Published: May 2024

Background: Nowadays, breast cancer is one of the main causes of deaths among women worldwide. It represents a major challenge in healthcare systems. With the increasing rates of mortality and the adverse effects of conventional therapy, a prompt insight into honey-based therapeutics was crucial for developing new effective complementary and alternative medicine. As a natural product with its long history use in traditional medicine, honey has drawn the attention of thousands of scientists over the past few years for treating various types of cancers, particularly breast cancer. Its anticancer properties are mainly attributed to its complex composition and valuable phyto compounds. Methods: In this review, our study sheds light on honey-based therapeutics for their anticancer properties, antioxidant potency, and its prognosis impact in breast cancer patients referring to bibliographical data collected from 2020 to 2024. Discussion: Several studies unveiled the outstanding potential of honey to modulate apoptosis, immune response, and inflammation processes. Its healing powers could also be explained by its antioxidant potency and preventive effects against oxidative stress which often causes cancers. Similarly, its remarkable prognosis effects on breast cancer patients have been widely debated. Honey does not only improve the life quality of patients undergoing chemotherapy by reducing its side effects but also increases their survival rates. Conclusion: Honey represents a promising complementary therapy that could enhance the effectiveness of conventional breast cancer treatments.
Positron emission tomography in artificial stone silicosis
Authors: Castillo-Otero Daniel del , Rubio Corona Julio Rodríguez- , -Molina Antonio Hidalgo , Sánchez Miguel Ángel Conde- , Vinardell Magdalena Pajares - , Jiménez Antonio León-
Published: May 2024

Artificial stone (AS) silicosis has emerged as a specially aggressive form of silicosis that can lead to pulmonary fibrosis and respiratory failure. The utility of positron emission tomography combined with computed tomography (PET/CT), an essential tool in oncological diseases that shows increased metabolic activity in neoplastic cells, is being evaluated in inflammatory pulmonary diseases. There are few publications about its use in silicosis, almost always referred to isolated cases in the context of studying a possible neoplasm. We present four cases of AS silicosis that underwent PET/CT and discuss its possible usefulness in this entity.
Factors influencing satisfaction with birth
Authors: Schinck Anabela
Published: May 2024

Couples plan their birth and empower themselves during pregnancy, mostly by searching information with midwifes. With the covid19 pandemic, it was necessary to think of different strategies to maintain this support, particularly in what antenatal classes are concerned. Thus, midwifes had to think “outside the box” and find different ways to hold antenatal classes: livestreaming was possible but, considering couples availability, online (recorded classes) was also an option. After some months, as pandemic began to rise, the “in person” option started to be held. The aim of this study is to identify which factors may influence satisfaction with the birth experience, namely the type of pre-birth program. A questionnaire was applied consisting of several socio-demographic variables, perception felt regarding the birth experience and variables recognized as having a strong influence on satisfaction with childbirth, with the woman being asked to provide her position/opinion. We concluded that the type of antenatal classes undertaken has no influence on satisfaction with the moment of birth, which is mostly related to factors such as the place where the birth took place (private hospital) and who performed it (midwife). Although the moment of birth is a multi-factorial moment, there are, in this sample, factors that are more important in influencing the experience than the information held on antenatal classes. However, the various factors already known must continue to be taken into account, thus allowing couples to live in the moment in an informed and empowered way.
One-­loop correction contributions in the decoupling limit of generalized Yukawa model
Authors: Dmytriiev M. , Skalozub V.
Published: May 2024

We consider the generalized Yukawa model consisting of two Dirac fermions and two scalar fields. One of the scalars is assumed to be much heavier than the other particles, so it decouples at low energies. Low­energy effective Lagrangian (EL) of the model is derived. It describes the contributions of the heavy scalar into observables in the limit when this particle is decoupled. We consider the cross­sections of s­- and t­-channel processes, obtained within the complete model and its low-­energy approximation. The contributions of theone­loop corrections in the cross-­sections coming from light particles are analyzed. These are corrections to the parameters of the heavy boson and the contributions of the one­-loop mixing of light and heavy scalars. We identify the ranges of Yukawa’s couplings where the corrections are significant. We find that if the interaction between fermions and either light or heavy scalar is strong enough, the derived EL could not be applied for the description of the analyzed cross-­sections even if the heavy scalar decouples. Implications of our results in searching for new particles beyond the Standard model are discussed.
Calculation of dielectric constant calibration characteristics of sensors using the method of moments
Authors: Bukharov S. V. , Filins’kyy L. A.
Published: May 2024

This research is devoted to the issues of further development of methods of experimental measurement of dielectric characteristics of solid materials, liquids and liquid–gas media, which are foam structures. In recent decades, foam structures have gradually filled and supplanted traditional dielectric materials. There are still no scientific and metrology-based methods and devices for correct measurements of foam. In the paper, the method of moments (MoM) is employed for resonator measurements. The obtained results for a wide range of dielectric constants from 1 to 80 are interesting for determining the sensitivity of measurements, the influence of frequency measurement errors, and determining the number of measurement points.
Considering the nocebo effect in the psychedelic discourse
Authors: Bălăeţ Maria
Published: May 2024

This commentary addresses the potential for a nocebo effect arising from the public discourse on psychedelics, especially considering the increasing interest and engagement with these substances. The resurgence of psychedelics in the public and scientific arenas has led to a proliferation of discussions, both positive and cautionary, about their use. However, an imbalance in this discourse, particularly a focus on potential harms without adequate contextualisation, might inadvertently create a nocebo effect. This effect could manifest in naturalistic settings, influencing individuals' experiences with psychedelics, possibly leading to adverse outcomes. The paper discusses the importance of a balanced narrative that equally acknowledges the benefits and risks associated with psychedelic use. It advocates for comprehensive and transparent information dissemination to enable informed decision-making by users.
Local and catchment-scale effects of water retention measures at Lake Velence
Authors: Kalman Attila , Bene Katalin
Published: May 2024

Climate change manifested its adverse impacts last year, with an extreme drought leading to a drastically low water level in Lake Velence, Hungary. Nature-based solutions have the potential to alleviate these impacts locally. While a few initiatives have been implemented in Hungary, widespread adoption of these solutions is expected to be a goal for the more distant future.

This research focuses on one catchment at Lake Velence to evaluate decision-maker's readiness and urban water management infrastructure for broadly implementing nature-based solutions. Methods include delineating the stormwater system and creating a numerical model to evaluate rainfall-runoff processes and the possible impacts of nature-based retentions. Surveys among local mayors were conducted to assess their perception of existing water infrastructures and implementations of nature-based solutions. Its widespread use may become significant, but its effect on the lake's water level remains negligible.
Unexpected discovery of the Australian seed bug Brentiscerus putoni (White, 1878) (Hemiptera, Heteroptera, Lygaeoidea, Rhyparochromidae, Drymini) in Japan suggests the possibility of a recent introduction due to human activity
Authors: Ban Teruaki , Souma Jun , Hisasue Yu
Published: May 2024

The genus Brentiscerus Scudder, 1962 (Hemiptera, Heteroptera, Lygaeoidea, Rhyparochromidae, Drymini) is widely distributed in the Australian Region; however, no species have been recorded in the Palaearctic Region. Here, we report Brentiscerus putoni (White, 1878) from Japan, based on materials collected from Honshu, Kyushu, and Kamikoshiki-shima Island. This discovery represents the first Palaearctic record of the genus and suggests that B. putoni may be an alien species in Japan. All 25 specimens were collected in a well-investigated region of Japan since 2013.
New records of Dipsas welborni Arteaga & Batista, 2023, Gelanesaurus flavogularis (Altamirano-Benavides, Zaher, Lobo, Grazziotin, Sales-Nunes & Rodrigues, 2013), and Synophis insulomontanus Torres-Carvajal, Echevarría, Venegas, Chávez & Camper, 2015 in the Cordillera de Colán, Peru
Authors: García-Ayachi Luis A. , Valencia Juan D. , Bullard Santiago , Odar Jasmín , Quispe Eduardo , Venegas Pablo J.
Published: May 2024

A herpetological survey during recent expeditions to the foothills of the Cordillera de Colán in the Amazonas region of Peru resulted in new records and extensions of the geographical distribution of three poorly known species of reptiles: Dipsas welborni (family Colubridae), Gelanesaurus flavogularis (family Gymnophthalmidae), and Synophis insulomontanus (family Colubridae).
Roman Bricks off the Wall
Authors: Testolini Veronica , Sebastiani Alessandro , Chirico Elena
Published: May 2024

Roman stamped bricks are considered one of the best indicators of the provenance of Roman building materials, contractors and owners, due to the names included in the stamps. They are also a good proxy for understanding part of the supply chain directed towards Rome and the city’s peripheral territories; however, hypotheses based on stamps are nevertheless often insufficient for pinpointing production centers, which limits the extent to which the movement of these materials and their makers can be reconstructed. This paper analyses some well-preserved brick assemblages from the Ager Rusellanus in southern Tuscany and reviews previous provenance hypotheses based on the stamps. The results from ceramic petrography and a systematic review of published analyses highlight how combining contextual information with a well-structured, analytical approach is fundamental for understanding the movement of goods, the nature of the workforce and even the relationship between state-commissioned building works and its agents.
The supplementary materials for this article can be found at the end of the online PDF.
Isolation Forests for Symbolic Data as a Tool for Outlier Mining
Authors: Pełka Marcin , Dudek Andrzej
Published: May 2024

Aim: Outlier detection is a key part of every data analysis. Although there are many definitions of outliers that can be found in the literature, all of them emphasise that outliers are objects that are in some way different from other objects in the dataset. There are many different approaches that have been proposed, compared, and analysed for the case of classical data. However, there are only few studies that deal with the problem of outlier detection in symbolic data analysis. The paper aimed to propose how to adapt isolation forest for symbolic data cases. Methodology: An isolation forest for symbolic data is used to detect outliers in four different artificial datasets with a known cluster structure and a known number of outliers Results: The results show that the isolation forest for symbolic data is a fast and efficient tool for outlier mining. Implications and recommendations: As the isolation forest for symbolic data appears to be an efficient tool for outlier detection for artificial data, further studies should focus on real data sets that contain outliers (i.e. credit card fraud dataset), and this approach should be compared with other outlier mining tools (i.e. DBCSAN). The authors recommend using the same initial settings for the isolation forest for symbolic data as the settings that are proposed for the isolation forest for classical data. Originality/value: This paper is the first of its kind, focusing not only on the problem of outlier detection in general, but also extending the well-known isolation forest model for symbolic data cases.
Impact of Neighbouring Currencies on Nigeria’s Currency Instability
Authors: Babalola Abdurrauf , Muhammad Kudu Ibn
Published: May 2024

This study examines the effect of the exchange rate volatility of currencies of countries bordering Nigeria, namely the Benin Republic, Niger, Chad and the Cameroon Republic on Nigeria's exchange rate volatility using monthly observations for 1st January 2001 to 31st December 2021. The study employed the Generalised Auto-Regressive Conditional Heteroscedasticity method to analyse the dataset. The study found that fluctuations in the currencies of these countries have a significant impact on the volatility of Nigeria's currency naira. As a result, it is recommended that policymakers and government agencies strengthen security along the Nigeria-Cameroon, Nigeria-Benin, Nigeria-Chad, and Nigeria-Niger borders to more strictly regulate imports and support the stability of Nigeria's currency. The Nigerian government should encourage less importation from these countries through import-substitute production and higher exportation from Nigeria as such could lead to the appreciation of the naira.
Nanocellulose as promising reinforcement materials for biopolymer nanocomposites: a review
Authors: Tung Ngo Trinh , Y Nhi Tran Thi , Cong Trinh Duc , Thanh Hop Tran Thi , Mai Dang Thi
Published: May 2024

Abstract. A green and sustainable development in world is important and it needs to further strengthen at the moment. In this aspect, biopolymers, biopolymers nanocomposites with biodegradable properties are the best way for this purpose. Nanocellulose (NC) is a biopolymer and can be produced from natural resources like various plant species and agricultural waste products including rice husk, tea leaves, sugarcane bagasse and so forth. Due to their special properties such as biodegradability, renewability, biocompability, low cost and outstanding mechanical capabilities, NC have gained increased research and application interests. This review provided detail information about the production, structure and properties of NC. The usage of NC as reinforcement materials for different types of biopolymers are presented in the review. The surface modification of NC for better dispersion and better interaction of NCs in polymer matrices, the mechanical and thermal properties of the NC biopolymers nanocomposites are discussed.
RESEARCH OF THE TECHNOLOGICAL FEATURES OF THE PAVING TILES MANUFACTURE FOR THE IMPROVEMENT OF INDUSTRIAL AND CIVIL FACILITIES
Authors: HARKUSHA V. S. , SIMONOV S. I. , HODUN T. M.
Published: May 2024

Purpose. The purpose of the scientific article is to substantiate the parameters of the production of high-quality paving slabs and to determine the basic principles of paving technology of road surfaces using paving slabs. The work is based on the experience gained in the field of paving stone production, specifies the basic principles of its production, as well as methods that allow to increase its strength and resistance to the effects of weather conditions, mechanical influences and loads. Methodology. The research was carried out in accordance with the current regulatory documents that regulate the research of construction composites, raw materials for their manufacture and finished products, which were considered in the submitted work. A number of experimental studies of fine-grained concrete have been conducted from the point of view of their physical and mechanical properties and the parameters of the construction of road surfaces from manufactured elements. Findings. When installing paving slabs, it is necessary to take into account not only the quality of the products themselves, but also observe the technology of laying the soil base for paving. It was established that not only the main composition of fine-grained concrete is important. It is determined from which raw materials and under which manufacturing conditions it is possible to obtain high-quality, durable products. An analysis of the compositions that are most widely used in the conditions of modern production of paving stones is given. The most rational dosage of each component, which affects the properties of the working mixture and the finished construction coating, is also given. Originality. The relationship between the combination of components of fine-grained concrete, which allows obtaining high-quality small-sized products for the installation of a road surface, has been established. The list of the most common paving defects that occur during the manufacturing process has been defined and the technological requirements for the preparation of the soil base for the road surface have been established. Practical value. The obtained research results allow to product high-quality paving slabs, which have the necessary indicators for the installation of a durable road surface. The conditions for the preparation of the ground base for the paving of road surfaces are determined and the importance of their observance is substantiated. This will increase the efficiency of work and ensure the comfort of the population.
Determination of the Strength of a Container with Sandwich Panel Walls under Operational Loading Conditions
Authors: Vatulia G. L. , Lovska A. O. , Krasnokutskyi Ye. S. , Rukavishnikov P. V.
Published: May 2024

Purpose. The main purpose of this work is to present the results of determining the strength of a container with sandwich panel walls under the main operating modes of loading. Methodology. To ensure the strength of the bearing structure of the container, it is proposed to make its end and side walls from sandwich panels. This involves the creation of sandwich panels from two metal sheets, between which there is a filler in the form of an energy-absorbing material. The thickness of the sandwich panel sheets is determined by the Bubnov-Galerkin method. The sheet is considered as a thin-walled plate with the corresponding width and height parameters. To determine the strength of the load-bearing structure of a container with sandwich panel walls, the corresponding calculations were performed using the finite element method in the SolidWorks Simulation software package. The Mises criterion (IV theory of strength) was used as a calculation criterion. The spatial model of the container was created in SolidWorks. Findings. Taking into account the calculations, the rational thickness of the sheets, in terms of strength, of the side and end walls was established, which was 1.6 and about 3.0 mm, respectively. It is important that the use of rectangular corrugations makes it possible to reduce the thickness of the end wall sheet to 1.0 mm. The thickness of the side wall sheet is the same. The maximum stresses in the container in the case of its longitudinal loading occur in the fittings and amount to 268.3 MPa, which is 13.6 % lower than the permissible ones. The maximum stresses in the container under transverse loading were recorded in the areas of interaction between the side wall and the corner posts. The numerical value of these stresses was 178 MPa, which is 15.2 % lower than the permissible ones. Originality. The paper scientifically substantiates the use of sandwich panels as the walls of a uni-versal container. Practical value. The research will contribute to the creation of recommendations for the design of modern modular-type vehicle structures and improve the efficiency of the transport industry.