bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
White rot fungi can be a promising tool for removal of bisphenol A, bisphenol S, and nonylphenol from wastewater
Authors: Grelska Agnieszka , Noszczyńska Magdalena 
Published: August 2020

AbstractEndocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDC) are a wide group of chemicals that interfere with the endocrine system. Their similarity to natural steroid hormones makes them able to attach to hormone receptors, thereby causing unfavorable health effects. Among EDC, bisphenol A (BPA), bisphenol S (BPS), and nonylphenol (NP) seem to be particularly harmful. As the industry is experiencing rapid expansion, BPA, BPS, and NP are being produced in growing amounts, generating considerable environmental pollution. White rot fungi (WRF) are an economical, ecologically friendly, and socially acceptable way to remove EDC contamination from ecosystems. WRF secrete extracellular ligninolytic enzymes such as laccase, manganese peroxidase, lignin peroxidase, and versatile peroxidase, involved in lignin deterioration. Owing to the broad substrate specificity of these enzymes, they are able to remove numerous xenobiotics, including EDC. Therefore, WRF seem to be a promising tool in the abovementioned EDC elimination during wastewater treatment processes. Here, we review WRF application for this EDC removal from wastewater and indicate several strengths and limitations of such methods.
Sediment contamination of an urban canal—a case study approach for an integrated assessment of organic sediment contamination
Authors: Ricking M. , Frische K. , Schwarzbauer J. 
Published: August 2020

Abstract
Purpose
The pesticide DDT and its metabolites represent a contamination risk for the aquatic environment, especially the polar metabolite DDA. The study provides a quantitative assessment of long-term pollution risks from sedimentary DDT residues with a special focus on DDA. It presents an overview of the contamination range of different DDX compounds in the sediments of a canal in Berlin (Germany), resulting from a former industrial point source that has implications for drinking water resources in the nearby area. The comprehensive analysis scheme provides information on free accessible and potentially metabolized precursors also in the non-extractable residues. This allows a quantitative assessment of the DDA pollution potential derived from the sedimentary DDT residues.

Materials and methods
The area was investigated for fine-grained sediment by means of a geo-electric mapping. Twelve sediment cores were taken in four areas (three in each section). A wider range of precursor metabolites has been included due to their transformation potential to the polar metabolite DDA. The sediments were analysed quantitatively for extractable and easily releasable fractions by application of a variety of degradation techniques as well as a dispersion extraction procedure on the sediment samples. These extracts were fractionated and subsequently analysed by GC-MS.

Results and discussion
Concentrations were obtained for extractable and bound metabolites. Different scenarios for the calculation of the amount of contaminated sediment are displayed as a tool for contamination assessment. The formation potential of DDA as the water-soluble metabolite is presented. Several precursor metabolites, e.g. DDD and DDMS, extractable from the sediment organic matter, revealed a high potential for a long-term formation of DDA, especially in the easily releasable fraction (via hydrolysis) with a mean concentration of up to 11,000 μg g−1 dry sediment. The resulting DDA contamination potential represents a significant pollution risk for the groundwater from a downstream waterworks area and by remobilisation into the whole ecosystem and adjacent rivers.

Conclusions
The application of the presented methods provides a tool for a quantitative assessment of the long-term release potential of DDA under different scenarios by a comprehensive analysis of contaminated sediments (and soils). This approach can be transferred to pollutants that are also characterized by a complex metabolism accompanied by bound residue formation.
Injective linear series of algebraic curves on quadrics
Authors: Ballico Edoardo , Ventura Emanuele 
Published: August 2020

AbstractWe study linear series on curves inducing injective morphisms to projective space, using zero-dimensional schemes and cohomological vanishings. Albeit projections of curves and their singularities are of central importance in algebraic geometry, basic problems still remain unsolved. In this note, we study cuspidal projections of space curves lying on irreducible quadrics (in arbitrary characteristic).
Benefits of conservation-driven mowing for the EU policy species Gladiolus palustris Gaudin in mountain fen meadows: a case-study in the European Alps
Authors: Canella Marco , Poloniato Gianni , Lasen Cesare , Orsenigo Simone , Rossi Graziano , Müller Jonas V. , Abeli Thomas 
Published: August 2020

AbstractThe sword lily Gladiolus palustris Gaudin is protected on European level and listed in Annexes II and IV of the EC Habitat Directive 92/43/EEC. It grows in nutrient-poor, calcareous meadows in central and eastern Europe. Tree encroachment in montane meadows of the European Alps as a result of recent land use changes and the abandonment of traditional farming practices threaten the survival of this species. Conservation-driven mowing is considered a feasible conservation measure for maintaining high species diversity in abandoned semi-natural grasslands. To assess the effects of ten years of biennial mowing on a grassland community in the Dolomiti Bellunesi National Park, Italy (Site of Community Importance, Natura 2000 network), ten 25 m2 plots were established whereby four plots were placed in the mowed area, four in the non-mowed area and two in a small non-mowed patch of grassland inside the mowed area. In each plot the following variables were recorded, total percentage of plant cover, percentage cover of woody species, percentage cover of herbaceous species, percentage cover and number of flowering ramets of G. palustris and a complete list of species and their percentage abundance. Mowed plots showed a higher species richness than non-mowed plots. The number of G. palustris flowering ramets and percentage cover increased manifold in mowed plots compared to non-mowed plots. The resumption of mowing for conservation purposes undertaken by the managing authority halted the process of tree encroachment and avoided a drastic change in plant composition. Periodic mowing (every second or third year) was demonstrated to be a cost-effective conservation measure in non-productive grasslands to keep grasses at bay in favour of forbs of high conversation value.
Lipidomic Abnormalities During the Pathogenesis of Type 1 Diabetes: a Quantitative Review
Authors: Suvitaival Tommi 
Published: August 2020

AbstractPurpose of ReviewThe underlying factors triggering a cascade of autoimmune response that leads to the death of pancreatic beta cells and type 1 diabetes are to large extent unknown. Aberrations in the lipid balance have been suggested, either as factors directly contributing to autoimmunity or as a reflection of external factors, such as the diet or chemical exposure, which may increase the risk or even trigger the autoimmunity cascade.Recent FindingsA small number of recent studies have investigated the blood lipidome before and after the onset of type 1 diabetes with a goal of identifying biomarkers of disease progression. Phosphatidylcholine levels in particular have been suggested to be reduced prior to the onset of type 1 diabetes.SummaryIn this review, we approach this question through a quantitative analysis of the reported lipids. We quantify the extent of consensus between these heterogeneous studies, describe the overall lipidomic pattern that has been reported, and call for more independent replication of the findings that we highlight in this review.
Sex Doll Ownership: An Agenda for Research
Authors: Harper Craig A. , Lievesley Rebecca 
Published: August 2020

AbstractPurpose of ReviewThe topic of sex doll ownership is becoming an increasingly discussed issue from both a social and legal perspective. This review aims to examine the veracity of the existing psychological, sexological, and legal literature in relation to doll ownership.Recent FindingsStrong views exist across the spectrum of potential socio-legal positions on sex doll ownership. However, there is an almost total lack of empirical analyses of the psychological characteristics or behavioral implications of doll ownership. As such, existing arguments appear to represent the philosophical positions of those scholars expressing them, rather than being rooted in any objective evidence base.SummaryDespite an absence of empirical data on the characteristics and subsequent effects of doll ownership, discussions about the ethical and legal status of doll ownership continue. This highlights a real and urgent need for a coherent research agenda to be advanced in this area of work.
Effects of Impact Versus Non-impact Cardiovascular Machines in Individuals between Age 50 and 80 Years
Authors: Martins Damion , Padavan Dean , Kahn Adam , Saum Kevin , Rondon Nicole , Litz Arielle Sheris , Godwin Norman 
Published: August 2020

AbstractOlder adults are at increased risk of injury when initiating exercise due to inactivity, functional limitation, illness, or fall risk. We studied a novel non-impact cardio unit in an effort to determine whether there were differences in physiologic, functional, and strength benefits compared to a treadmill (TM), while producing less stress on the knee and lessening the risk of fall and injury. Utilizing a prospective, randomized, non-blinded, cohort design, individuals aged 50–80 years were recruited and enrolled in a 16-week exercise program. Subjects were randomly allocated to either exercise on the Cybex arc trainer or on a TM. Participants exercised for 120 min per week. Resistance was adjusted to achieve a target RPE in each group. Functional, strength, and physiologic markers were analyzed through balance testing, ten – repetition max leg press, body composition analysis, and lipid panel results. Overall health-related quality of life was also measured. There was a significant improvement in triglyceride and very low density lipoprotein levels from baseline to exit within the arc trainer group. An equal and significant increase in strength capacity was observed in both the arc trainer and TM groups, as were feelings of increased energy, improved emotional well-being, and decreased fatigue. Leg strength increased, percentage of body fat decreased, and balance improved following use of either an arc trainer or a TM in a study population of 58 participants over a 16-week period. This study demonstrated that positive change occurs, physiologically and psychologically when an arc trainer or TM is utilized. Given the similar benefits seen in this study, use of a non-impact modality such as the arc trainer may be a better alternative in the older population.
Do meta-emotion strategies and their effects vary in students between their family home and their university home?
Authors: Mansell Warren , Barnes Annabelle , Grant Laura , De Sousa Lauren Maria 
Published: August 2020

AbstractDifferent meta-emotion strategies are often categorised as either adaptive (e.g. compassionate care) or maladaptive (e.g. suppression). Yet some evidence indicates that the same strategy can be adaptive in one culture and maladaptive in another. We aimed to test whether meta-emotion strategies and their effects can in fact vary across different social contexts within the same individuals. A total of 140 students completed measures of meta-emotion strategies, satisfaction with life scale, and anxiety. Each scale was adapted for both the family home and the university home context. On average, the students had a lower level of interest in their emotions and adopted a tough control to a lesser extent when in the family home, compared to the university home context. At the individual level, some students used suppression more in the family home than the university home, whereas for others the effect was reversed. A series of multiple regressions showed the context specificity of meta-emotion strategies. Students who reported greater suppression of their emotions were more anxious, but only within the home context that these had both been measured. Yet, the relationship with life satisfaction was transferred across contexts; suppression in the family home (but not suppression at university) predicted less satisfaction with life at university. For other strategies (tough control, anger and compassionate care), their relationship with satisfaction with life at university was only predicted by the extent to which the participants reported using these strategies at university, and not in relation to their use in the family home.
Multifractal characteristics of shale and tight sandstone pore structures with nitrogen adsorption and nuclear magnetic resonance
Authors: Wang Fu-Yong , Yang Kun , Zai Yun 
Published: August 2020

Abstract
Based on the experiments of nitrogen gas adsorption (N2GA) and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), the multifractal characteristics of pore structures in shale and tight sandstone from the Chang 7 member of Triassic Yanchang Formation in Ordos Basin, NW China, are investigated. The multifractal spectra obtained from N2GA and NMR are analyzed with pore throat structure parameters. The results show that the pore size distributions obtained from N2GA and NMR are different, and the obtained multifractal characteristics vary from each other. The specific surface and total pore volume obtained by N2GA experiment have correlations with multifractal characteristics. For the core samples with the similar specific surface, the value of the deviation of multifractal spectra Rd increases with the increase in the proportion of large pores. When the proportion of macropores is small, the Rd value will increase with the increase in specific surface. The multifractal characteristics of pore structures are influenced by specific surface area, average pore size and adsorption volume measured from N2GA experiment. The multifractal characteristic parameters of tight sandstone measured from NMR spectra are larger than those of shale, which may be caused by the differences in pore size distribution and porosity of shale and tight sandstone.
General or Vocational Education? The Role of Vocational Interests in Educational Decisions at the End of Compulsory School in Switzerland
Authors: Jüttler Andreas , Schumann Stephan , Neuenschwander Markus P. , Hofmann Jan 
Published: August 2020

AbstractMany educational systems are characterized by segregation between a general and vocational educational track. When adolescents must decide on their postcompulsory education at the end of lower secondary school, the different programs are typically embedded in one of these two main tracks. Prior career choice theories postulate that vocational interests, as structured by the six-dimensional RIASEC model of Holland (1997), play a crucial role in educational and vocational transition processes. However, regarding the question of general versus vocational education, previous studies have mainly focused on the effects of social background. Therefore, this paper examines the impact of vocational interests on the choice of Baccalaureate School (BAC, general track), Vocational Education and Training (VET, vocational track) or the Federal Vocational Baccalaureate (FVB), a hybrid qualification that links elements of both tracks. The sample consists ofN = 609 students at the end of lower secondary school in Switzerland. The results of multinomial logistic regression analyses show that all six dimensions of Holland’s interest model are significant predictors for the three postcompulsory tracks, even when controlling for school variables (e.g., grades) and variables of social background. While therealisticandsocialdimensions are positively interrelated with the choice of VET, theartistic,investigativeandenterprisingdimensions predict the choice of BAC. Theconventionaldimension is the only one positively linked to the choice of FVB. The results are discussed with special attention to segregation between more practical and more theoretical types of interests.
Biological fluid dynamics of airborne COVID-19 infection
Authors: Seminara Giovanni , Carli Bruno , Forni Guido , Fuzzi Sandro , Mazzino Andrea , Rinaldo Andrea 
Published: August 2020

AbstractWe review the state of knowledge on the bio-fluid dynamic mechanisms involved in the transmission of the infection from SARS-CoV-2. The relevance of the subject stems from the key role of airborne virus transmission by viral particles released by an infected person via coughing, sneezing, speaking or simply breathing. Speech droplets generated by asymptomatic disease carriers are also considered for their viral load and potential for infection. Proper understanding of the mechanics of the complex processes whereby the two-phase flow emitted by an infected individual disperses into the environment would allow us to infer from first principles the practical rules to be imposed on social distancing and on the use of facial and eye protection, which to date have been adopted on a rather empirical basis. These measures need compelling scientific validation. A deeper understanding of the relevant biological fluid dynamics would also allow us to evaluate the contrasting effects of natural or forced ventilation of environments on the transmission of contagion: the risk decreases as the viral load is diluted by mixing effects but contagion is potentially allowed to reach larger distances from the infected source. To that end, our survey supports the view that a formal assessment of a number of open problems is needed. They are outlined in the discussion.Graphic abstract
Hourly energy profile determination technique from monthly energy bills
Authors: Lamagna Mario , Nastasi Benedetto , Groppi Daniele , Nezhad Meysam Majidi , Garcia Davide Astiaso 
Published: August 2020

AbstractHourly energy consumption profiles are of primary interest for measures to apply to the dynamics of the energy system. Indeed, during the planning phase, the required data availability and their quality is essential for a successful scenarios’ projection. As a matter of fact, the resolution of available data is not the requested one, especially in the field of their hourly distribution when the objective function is the production-demand matching for effective renewables integration. To fill this gap, there are several data analysis techniques but most of them require strong statistical skills and proper size of the original database. Referring to the built environment data, the monthly energy bills are the most common and easy to find source of data. This is why the authors in this paper propose, test and validate an expeditious mathematical method to extract the building energy demand on an hourly basis. A benchmark hourly profile is considered for a specific type of building, in this case an office one. The benchmark profile is used to normalize the consumption extracted from the 3 tariffs the bill is divided into, accounting for weekdays, Saturdays and Sundays. The calibration is carried out together with a sensitivity analysis of on-site solar electricity production. The method gives a predicted result with an average 25% MAPE and a 32% cvRMSE during one year of hourly profile reconstruction when compared with the measured data given by the Distributor System Operator (DSO).
Social Group Optimization–Assisted Kapur’s Entropy and Morphological Segmentation for Automated Detection of COVID-19 Infection from Computed Tomography Images
Authors: Dey Nilanjan , Rajinikanth V. , Fong Simon James , Kaiser M. Shamim , Mahmud Mufti 
Published: August 2020

AbstractThe coronavirus disease (COVID-19) caused by a novel coronavirus, SARS-CoV-2, has been declared a global pandemic. Due to its infection rate and severity, it has emerged as one of the major global threats of the current generation. To support the current combat against the disease, this research aims to propose a machine learning–based pipeline to detect COVID-19 infection using lung computed tomography scan images (CTI). This implemented pipeline consists of a number of sub-procedures ranging from segmenting the COVID-19 infection to classifying the segmented regions. The initial part of the pipeline implements the segmentation of the COVID-19–affected CTI using social group optimization–based Kapur’s entropy thresholding, followed by k-means clustering and morphology-based segmentation. The next part of the pipeline implements feature extraction, selection, and fusion to classify the infection. Principle component analysis–based serial fusion technique is used in fusing the features and the fused feature vector is then employed to train, test, and validate four different classifiers namely Random Forest, K-Nearest Neighbors (KNN), Support Vector Machine with Radial Basis Function, and Decision Tree. Experimental results using benchmark datasets show a high accuracy (> 91%) for the morphology-based segmentation task; for the classification task, the KNN offers the highest accuracy among the compared classifiers (> 87%). However, this should be noted that this method still awaits clinical validation, and therefore should not be used to clinically diagnose ongoing COVID-19 infection.
Site Suitability for RBF Using Geospatial Technology in Tungabhadra Sub-basin, India
Authors: Patil Nagraj S. , Dodawad Madhu , Vijaykumar H. , Nataraja M. 
Published: August 2020

Abstract
As per the 2017 global reports, 63 million Indians are living in rural areas without access to the safe drinking source of water. Access to the safe drinking water was declared as a human right by the United Nations but remains a challenge for India. Due to increase in demand of water, 30% of urban and 90% of rural households completely depend on untreated surface or groundwater, which causes serious health issues. It is estimated that 21% of communicable diseases in India are water related. These problems have raised concern on alternative, sustainable treatment solutions to manage pollution of source of water and to continue the supply of safe drinking water to the community. Many organizations and universities in India have been working to tackle the access to safe water problems with the novel approaches. In this context, a natural filtration technique, river bank filtration (RBF) is one of the alternatives which is proved to be cost-efficient technology for providing safe drinking water
The crucial step in the development of River Bank Filtration project is site selection. However, site selection for RBF using conventional methods are costly, time consuming and restricted to small area. This study highlights the use of geospatial technology to develop the site suitability for river bank filtration locations based on a case study in Tungabhadra river stretch between Mudenur and Halavagalu villages. Though several researches have carried out investigation on site selection for RBF, this is the first attempt to use geospatial technology in particular. The crucial parameters which influence site suitability for RBF are hydrology, hydrogeology, water supply, water quality, land use/land cover etc. The spatial maps were prepared using these parameters and weighted overlay analysis was done after assigning weights to the spatial maps in the GIS environment. The developed site suitability map shows the villages namely Halavagalu, Nitturu, Konnatambigi, Somlapur, Nitturubasapuram, Yellapur, Hirebidri and some parts of Udgatti, Airani, Tavaragundi areas were found to be suitable for implementing the RBF.