bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Research on the Influence of Different Flocculants on Concrete Performance
Authors: You Renliang , Qiu Yuetao , Zhang Pan , Pan Zhifeng 
Published: November 2020

Abstract
By adding different types and amounts of flocculants into concrete, the effects of different types and amounts of flocculants on the initial flow performance, slump retention performance and compressive strength of concrete at different ages were studied. The test results show that PAM-3 has the greatest influence on the performance of concrete. When the content of PAM-3 exceeds 0.48g/15L, the compressive strength of concrete will be reduced. When the content of PAM-1 and PAM-2 is less than 0.24g/15L, it has no obvious influence on concrete performance. When PAC content is less than 1.8g/15L, it has no obvious influence on concrete performance. Increasing the amount of concrete admixture can alleviate the adverse effect of flocculant on concrete to a certain extent.
Study on the Influence of HPMC on Rheological Parameters of Cement Paste and Properties of Concrete
Authors: Zhong Lina , Chen Guorong , Fang Yunhui 
Published: November 2020

Abstract
The effects of hydroxypropyl methyl cellulose ether (HPMC) with different viscosities on rheological parameters of cement paste and properties of concrete mixed with polycarboxylic superplasticizer (PCE) were studied. The results show that the addition of HPMC with different viscosities can increase the plastic viscosity of the cement paste. High-viscosity HPMC can obtain higher plastic viscosity at a lower dosage, and lower-viscosity HPMC requires a higher dosage to achieve higher plastic viscosity.The mixing of HPMC with different viscosities into concrete can effectively reduce the bleeding rate of concrete, the 3 d compressive strength is slightly reduced, and the 28 d compressive strength is slightly increased.
Application of Microfiltration membrane Technology in Water treatment
Authors: Wang Chao , Wang Yian , Qin Hui , Lin Hua , Chhuon Kong 
Published: November 2020

Abstract
In wastewater treatment, membrane technology is called a major technology in the field of water treatment in the 21st century. With the development of membrane technology and the development of other emerging technologies in combination, microfiltration membrane technology is widely used in the treatment of various types of wastewater such as radioactive wastewater and heavy metal wastewater. The application of microfiltration technology in radioactive and heavy metal wastewater is described. It provides a solid guarantee for deepening the research and application of water treatment.
Synthesis and Application of Aliphatic Superplasticizer by Two-stage Acetone Process
Authors: Du Ke Lu 
Published: November 2020

Abstract
Aliphatic superplasticizer is a kind of admixture that is widely used in concrete. This article propose a two-stage acetone method is based on existing raw materials and technology. An aliphatic superplasticizer with higher water reduction rate and slump retention performance. It has been verified by experiments that compared with the aliphatic superplasticizer collected in the market, it has obvious advantages in the initial water reduction rate and slump retention performance.
Residual stress distribution and surface geometry of medical Ti13Nb13Zr alloy treated by laser shock peening with flat-top laser beam
Authors: Zhu Ran , Zhang Yongkang , Lin Chaohui , Chen Yu 
Published: November 2020

Abstract
The metallic implants made of Ti13Nb13Zr alloy are usually used under the action of the cyclic loads conditions and fatigue failure occurs occasionally. Laser shock peening (LSP) is an innovative surface treatment process, which has been used to improve the fatigue life of metallic materials. The present research was performed on the Ti13Nb13Zr alloy subject to laser modification in order to determine the effects on the residual stress distribution and surface geometry. A neodymium doped yttrium lithium fluoride (Nd: YLF) pulse laser with a flat-top beam was applied at three different overlapping rates (10%, 30%, 50%), laser pulse energies (5J, 6J, 7J), and impact times (1 impact, 2 impacts, 3 impacts), respectively. The residual stresses were determined by X-ray diffractometer with sin 2ψ method. Firstly, the 30% overlap was chosen by comparing the residual stresses induced by LSP with different overlapping rates. Then, the effects of laser energies and impact times on surface residual stresses, in-depth residual stresses, surface deformation, and surface roughness were investigated and compared. The results showed that the residual stresses, surface deformation, and surface roughness increase with the increasing laser energies and impact times. The effected layer depth of residual stress is about 1058 μm with the 6J laser energy.
Semi-automatic segmentation of whole-body images in longitudinal studies
Authors: Grossiord Eloïse , Risser Laurent , Kanoun Salim , Aziza Richard , Chiron Harold , Ysebaert Loïc , Malgouyres François , Ken Soléakhéna 
Published: November 2020

Abstract
We propose a semi-automatic segmentation pipeline designed for longitudinal studies considering structures with large anatomical variability, where expert interactions are required for relevant segmentations. Our pipeline builds on the regularized Fast Marching (rFM) segmentation approach by Risser et al (2018). It consists in transporting baseline multi-label FM seeds on follow-up images, selecting the relevant ones and finally performing the rFM approach. It showed increased, robust and faster results compared to clinical manual segmentation. Our method was evaluated on 3D synthetic images and patients’ whole-body MRI. It allowed a robust and flexible handling of organs longitudinal deformations while considerably reducing manual interventions.
Piezoelectric sensors fabricated by depositing solution-grown ZnO nanorods on flexible graphene-derivative electrodes
Authors: Sinar Dogan , Knopf George K 
Published: November 2020

Abstract
Zinc oxide nanorods (ZnO-NRs) with high-aspect ratios can significantly enhance the voltage output of mechanically flexible piezoelectric materials. A versatile chemical synthesis process for growing long narrow ZnO-NR from nanoparticle (NP) seeds by regulating the polarity of reaction solvents is introduced in this paper. The efficient nanorod (NR) growth method produces large quantities of high-aspect ratio ZnO-NRs in the reaction solvent. For ultra-small NP seeds (AVG 10.54 nm, SD 3.69), the synthesis process creates NRs with a minimal lateral growth (AVG 13.92 nm, SD 4.77) and significant longitudinal growth (AVG 150.85 nm, SD 64.93). The average aspect ratio of ZnO-NRs in the solution is ∼10.8 (SD 2.48). Once synthesized, the ZnO-NRs are mixed with polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) to create a thin flexible piezoelectric layer/film. The composite polymer material is spin coated on an inkjet printed graphene/carboxymethyl cellulose (G-CMC) interdigitated electrode (IDE) to form the piezoelectric layer. A dielectrophoretic alignment technique is then used to reposition the NR orientations in the composite prior to final polymer curing. In this study, three different piezoelectric composites are investigated and compared: polyhedral NPs (ZnO-NP/PDMS), non-aligned nanorods (ZnO-NRNA/PDMS), and aligned nanorods (ZnO-NRA/PDMS). Each composite is deposited on a similar IDE and tested for impact loading and low frequency mechanical bending. Under bending, the NP ZnO-NP/PDMS sensor generated 3–4 mV while the non-aligned NR ZnO-NRNA/PDMS sensor produced 70–80 mV. In contrast, the horizontally aligned NR ZnO-NRA/PDMS sensor generated 150–170 mV under the same bending conditions.
Nitrogen balance and use efficiency on dairy farms in Japan: a comparison among farms at different scales
Authors: Toda Misato , Motoki Juri , Uchida Yoshitaka 
Published: November 2020

Abstract
In recent decades, the rate of milk production per unit land area and per cow has increased with the intensification of the dairy system. The possible environmental risks arising from nutrients surpluses, such as nitrogen (N), are often evaluated using the N balance approach. In Hokkaido, the biggest dairy farming area in Japan, many dairy farms have started introducing a new dairy farming system called the total mixed ration (TMR) and biogas system. Feed and manure are managed at a community scale in these systems while each farm focuses primarily on milking cows. Thus, calculating the N balance for this system is complicated. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate the N surplus and use efficiency (NUE), focusing mainly on the community-based dairy farming system, as described above. We investigated twenty dairy farms comprising a TMR centre (TMR-based farms) and nineteen conventional dairy farms (conventional farms). The Hokkaido dairy farms had a smaller N surplus and higher NUE than farms in other countries. The whole farm N surplus and NUE ranged from −163 to 701 kg N ha−1 and from 20% to 171% with median values of 40.5 kg N ha−1 and 69.5%, respectively. One of the possible reasons for the smaller N surplus and higher NUE is a lower stocking rate (averaged 1.3 cows ha−1) on Hokkaido dairy farms. There were strong relationships between feed N and N surplus because the studied dairy farms depended on purchased feed. In the comparison between the TMR centre and conventional dairy farms, the milk production level per cow and stocking rate tended to increase, and variations between farms decreased on the TMR-based farms. Increasing the amount of home-grown feed with pasture management is essential to decreasing N surplus for the new dairy farming systems.
Friendship, family, love
Authors: Hamlin William M. 
Published: November 2020

Abstract
“Friendship, family, love” locates some of Montaigne’s pronouncements on these topics in a Renaissance context. At the time, the word amitié covered a broader spectrum of love than friendship—though Montaigne’s friendship with la Boétie was tinged with eroticism. What are we to make of his disparaging comments about women? Surprisingly aware of the sexual double standards of his day, Montaigne believed that a good marriage resembled a friendship and that books—“children of the mind”—were as significant as flesh-and-blood children. What would his wife and daughter think of these writings, and how should we judge his shifting claims?
Introduction
Authors: Masur Louis P. 
Published: November 2020

Abstract
The introduction outlines the structure of this VSI and summarizes its aims, which include to seek to explain what happened during the Civil War, outline how the events transpired, and analyze what it all meant. Slavery caused the Civil War, but in what ways? Disagreements over questions of sovereignty and constitutional authority caused the Civil War, but how? Northerners and Southerners saw themselves as different, but why did those differences turn lethal and ultimately lead to horrific violence?
The origins of the Civil War
Authors: Masur Louis P. 
Published: November 2020

Abstract
“The origins of the civil war” summarizes the years leading up to the war, which were characterized by increasing conflict over slavery and government authority. Starting with the close of the revolutionary era, attempts to compromise on slavery in the territories and maintain a delicate balance of free and slave states became increasingly challenging. In 1831, Nat Turner’s violent slave rebellion struck fear into the South, as did an emerging abolitionist movement. In the 1850s, a series of spiralling events led to protests and armed conflict. Once Abraham Lincoln won the Electoral College without carrying a single slave state, many Southerners saw secession as a necessity.
1861
Authors: Masur Louis P. 
Published: November 2020

Abstract
“1861” describes the events of that year, which began with the appointment of Jefferson Davis as president of the Confederacy. Following the Confederate bombardment of Fort Sumter, Lincoln called for troops, appointed George McClellan to command Union forces, and imposed a blockade against the South. The first battles were chaotic. Union forces (“Yankees”) benefited from greater manpower and technology; Southerners (“Rebels”) had a stronger military tradition and familiar terrain. Although the war did not begin with the aim of abolishing slavery, the institution played a role in military and diplomatic developments. Abolitionists hoped that Union war aims would transform into a struggle against slavery.
1863
Authors: Masur Louis P. 
Published: November 2020

Abstract
“1863” begins with Lincoln’s signing of the Emancipation Proclamation on January 1 . Authorizing the enlistment of black soldiers, the proclamation helped change the Union’s fortunes and those of African Americans. Confederate forces faced heavy losses at Gettysburg and Vicksburg. In New York, riots related to conscription erupted, with much of the violence directed against the black community. In his address at Gettysburg, Lincoln invoked the Declaration of Independence and started looking beyond the war to the terms of reconstruction. However, with an election on the horizon, the country remained divided.
1864
Authors: Masur Louis P. 
Published: November 2020

Abstract
“1864” demonstrates that the Union defeats across Virginia in that year came at a politically precarious time for Abraham Lincoln, with rivals angling for the Republication presidential nomination and Confederates hoping for his defeat. News that Atlanta had fallen revived Northern morale and Lincoln’s chances for re-election. Though the election campaign turned nasty, characterized by race baiting and fears of “miscegenation.” Lincoln was re-elected by an overwhelming margin, supported by the votes of Union soldiers. The new vice-president was Andrew Johnson, a prominent War Democrat. Meanwhile, Jefferson Davis had no choice but to watch Confederate ranks thin as a result of battle, disease, and desertion.
Epilogue
Authors: Masur Louis P. 
Published: November 2020

Abstract
The epilogue looks at the Civil War and Lincoln’s assassination and legacy through the eyes of the poet Walt Whitman. Volunteering in Washington’s hospitals during the war, Whitman frequently glimpsed the president. Though they never met, Whitman admired Lincoln and praised his leadership. Whitman wrote poems about Lincoln’s death, as well as prose in which he struggled to define and understand the “four years of bleeding, murky, murderous war” and the people’s role in fighting and dying for the nation. Whitman never stopped thinking about the Civil War, but he realized that it never could—and perhaps never should—be properly described.
When does Something ‘Belong’ to a Culture?
Authors: Thomas Joshua Lewis 
Published: November 2020

Abstract
Cultural appropriation can be understood as involving members of one culture taking or adopting objects or practices which ‘belong’ to another culture in the sense of being affiliated or connected to that other culture in a unique or special way. But what constitutes this ‘belonging’ precisely? This paper proposes that belonging, in the targeted sense, is determined by meaningful connections between an object or practice and the relevant culture—in other words, connections that could be described as the thing’s ‘meanings’. Such meanings primarily include relations of causality, teleology, and symbolic representation. After expounding this account, the paper closes with a word of caution. The term ‘belongs’ is sometimes ambiguous, indicating both affiliation and legal or moral property rights. Despite this, belonging as affiliation or meaningful connectedness is not equivalent to rightful ownership. Nor does the former, by itself, entail the latter.
The politics of autocratic survival in Equatorial Guinea: Co-optation, restrictive institutional rules, repression, and international projection
Authors: Sá Ana Lúcia , Rodrigues Sanches Edalina 
Published: November 2020

Abstract
Equatorial Guinea is not only one of the world’s most authoritarian regimes but also a striking case of regime and leader survival. This small, oil-rich state and personalist regime defies conventional wisdom because it is both far more resilient and faces far fewer threats from within the regime and from opposition political parties than other resource-rich states. But how does the regime manage to survive? This study argues that four key mechanisms interact to explain Equatorial Guinea’s record of authoritarian survival. Firstly, co-optation (via patronage, party, and cabinet appointments) which President Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo and the regime party—Partido democrático de guinea ecuatorial—have used to build internal cohesion and fragment opposition. Secondly, the crafting of restrictive institutional rules (party and electoral laws) that, combined with informal rules, aim to protect the regime’s interests and make participation in political opposition more costly. Thirdly, the use of (selective and diffuse) repression to shield the regime and shrink the living space of challengers. Finally, the regime’s international linkages and projection to gain credibility and offset pressure for change. We argue that autocrats’ survival depends on their ability to play a strategic two-level game: domestic and international.
The Hybridization of Street Offending in the Netherlands
Authors: Roks Robert A , Leukfeldt E Rutger , Densley James A 
Published: November 2020

AbstractBased on the results of two research projects from the Netherlands, this paper explores how street-oriented persons adapt and use digital technologies by focussing on the changing commission of instrumental, economically motivated, street crime. Our findings show how social media are used by street offenders to facilitate or improve parts of the crime script of already existing criminal activities but also how street offenders are engaging in criminal activities not typically associated with the street, like phishing and fraud. Taken together, this paper documents how technology has permeated street life and contributed to the ‘hybridization’ of street offending in the Netherlands—i.e. offending that takes place in person and online, often at the same time.
Real-Time Investigation of a Large Nosocomial Influenza A Outbreak Informed by Genomic Epidemiology
Authors: Javaid Waleed , Ehni Jordan , Gonzalez-Reiche Ana S , Carreño Juan Manuel , Hirsch Elena , Tan Jessica , Khan Zenab , Kriti Divya , Ly Thanh , Kranitzky Bethany , Barnett Barbara , Cera Freddy , Prespa Lenny , Moss Marie , Albrecht Randy A , Mustafa Ala , Herbison Ilka , Hernandez Matthew M , Pak Theodore R , Alshammary Hala A , Sebra Robert , Smith Melissa L , Krammer Florian , Gitman Melissa R , Sordillo Emilia Mia , Simon Viviana , van Bakel Harm 
Published: November 2020

Abstract

Background
Nosocomial respiratory virus outbreaks represent serious public hgealth challenges. Rapid and precise identification of cases and tracing of transmission chains is critical to end outbreaks and to inform prevention measures.

Methods
We combined conventional surveillance with influenza A virus (IAV) genome sequencing to identify and contain a large IAV outbreak in a metropolitan healthcare system. A total of 381 individuals, including 91 inpatients and 290 healthcare workers (HCWs), were included in the investigation.

Results
During a 12-day period in early 2019, infection preventionists identified 89 HCWs and 18 inpatients as cases of influenza-like illness (ILI), using an amended definition without the requirement for fever. Sequencing of IAV genomes from available nasopharyngeal specimens identified 66 individuals infected with a nearly identical strain of influenza A H1N1pdm09 (43 HCWs, 17 inpatients, and 6 with unspecified affiliation). All HCWs infected with the outbreak strain had received the seasonal influenza virus vaccination. Characterization of 5 representative outbreak viral isolates did not show antigenic drift. In conjunction with IAV genome sequencing, mining of electronic records pinpointed the origin of the outbreak as a single patient and a few interactions in the emergency department that occurred 1 day prior to the index ILI cluster.

Conclusions
We used precision surveillance to delineate a large nosocomial IAV outbreak, mapping the source of the outbreak to a single patient rather than HCWs as initially assumed based on conventional epidemiology. These findings have important ramifications for more-effective prevention strategies to curb nosocomial respiratory virus outbreaks.
AcanR3990 qPCR: A Novel, Highly Sensitive, Bioinformatically-Informed Assay to Detect Angiostrongylus cantonensis Infections
Authors: Sears William J , Qvarnstrom Yvonne , Dahlstrom Eric , Snook Kirsten , Kaluna Lisa , Baláž Vojtech , Feckova Barbora , Šlapeta Jan , Modry David , Jarvi Susan , Nutman Thomas B 
Published: November 2020

Abstract

Background
Angiostrongylus cantonensis (Ac), or the rat lungworm, is a major cause of eosinophilic meningitis. Humans are infected by ingesting the 3rd stage larvae from primary hosts, snails, and slugs, or paratenic hosts. The currently used molecular test is a qPCR assay targeting the ITS1 rDNA region (ITS1) of Ac.

Methods
In silico design of a more sensitive qPCR assay was performed based on tandem repeats predicted to be the most abundant by the RepeatExplorer algorithm. Genomic DNA (gDNA) of Ac were used to determine the analytical sensitivity and specificity of the best primer/probe combination. This assay was then applied to clinical and environmental samples.

Results
The limit of detection of the best performing assay, AcanR3990, was 1 fg (the DNA equivalent of 1/100 000 dilution of a single 3rd stage larvae). Out of 127 CDC archived CSF samples from varied geographic locations, the AcanR3990 qPCR detected the presence of Ac in 49/49 ITS1 confirmed angiostrongyliasis patients, along with 15/73 samples previously negative by ITS1 qPCR despite strong clinical suspicion for angiostrongyliasis. Intermediate hosts (gastropods) and an accidental host, a symptomatic horse, were also tested with similar improvement in detection observed. AcanR3990 qPCR did not cross-react in 5 CSF from patients with proven neurocysticercosis, toxocariasis, gnathostomiasis, and baylisascariasis. AcanR3990 qPCR failed to amplify genomic DNA from the other related Angiostrongylus species tested except for Angiostrongylus mackerrasae (Am), a neurotropic species limited to Australia that would be expected to present with a clinical syndrome indistinguishable from Ac.

Conclusion
These results suggest AcanR3990 qPCR assay is highly sensitive and specific with potential wide applicability as a One Health detection method for Ac and Am.
Kaldor–Verdoorn’s law and institutions: evidence from Brazilian municipalities
Authors: Iasco Pereira Hugo Carcanholo , Romero João P , Medeiros Victor 
Published: November 2020

Abstract
Recent works on economic growth stress the importance of institutions as the main determinant of productivity growth. Yet, this literature disregards the effects of demand growth on productivity growth, as suggested by Kaldor–Verdoorn’s law. The objective of this paper was to test the direct and indirect impacts of institutions on productivity growth, controlling for human and physical capital, as well as for demand growth. Tests were performed for Brazilian municipalities and two measures of institutions were explored. Instrumental variables were used to cope with the endogeneity between economic performance and institutions. The regression results suggest that both supply-side factors and demand growth are important to explain productivity growth. Most importantly, by considering the interaction between demand growth and institutions, the results indicate that in municipalities with inclusive institutions and higher human capital, productivity growth responds more strongly to demand growth.