bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Quantitative and qualitative analysis of thermodynamic process of a bi‐fuel compressed natural gas spark ignition engine
Authors: Sahoo Sridhar , Srivastava Dhananjay Kumar 
Published: December 2020

AbstractA comparative energy and exergy analysis was experimentally performed using a bi‐fuel compressed natural gas (CNG) spark ignition engine. The experiments were conducted for gasoline and CNG fuel at 1700 rpm and different operating loads from 5 to 30 Nm. The experiments were performed under stoichiometric air‐fuel ratio and maximum brake torque ignition timing. Quantitative and qualitative analysis were conducted using the first and second law of thermodynamics, respectively. The effect of engine operating load on various energy and exergy parameters was compared for both the fuels. Output energy with respect to engine load was found higher for CNG compared to gasoline. Engine wall heat transfer was also higher in the CNG engine case due to its high combustion chamber temperature and lower burning velocity. The difference in heat transfer energy fraction between gasoline and CNG gradually increased with engine load. The exhaust energy was found maximum in the case of CNG under low operating load and reduced to a minimum at higher engine operating load. The unaccounted energy fraction was found lower for the CNG engine and reduced with respect to engine load. CNG exhibits the highest exergy efficiency (26.80%) compared to gasoline (25.50%) at 30 Nm load. On average, a 2% higher exergy efficiency was observed with the CNG engine at all operating load conditions. This indicates CNG has a higher potential to convert chemical energy present in the fuel into useful work output. CNG shows lower exergy destruction at all operating loads compared to gasoline, and it reduces significantly at higher engine loads. In all operating loads, exergy transfer due to exhaust gas and heat transfer to the wall was higher in the case of CNG.
Removal of gas condensate from industrial wastewater using low‐cost adsorbents: Optimization by Box–Behnken design method
Authors: Fouladi Amin , Esmaeili Hossein , Tamjidi Sajad , Foroutan Rauf 
Published: December 2020

AbstractIn this study, three effective adsorbents such as Padina sanctae cruces algae (PSC), activated carbon (AC), and bentonite clay were used to remove gas condensates from industrial wastewater generated in the fourth refinery of South Pars Gas Complex in Iran. Physical and surface properties of the adsorbents were characterized using Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET), field‐emission scanning electron microscope, Fourier transform‐infrared spectroscopy, and energy dispersive X‐ray spectroscopy (EDAX) analyses. Also, droplet size distribution analysis was used to determine the size distribution of gas condensate droplets in the emulsion and to evaluate the emulsion stability. According to the BET analysis, the specific surface area of AC, PSC, and bentonite were obtained as 900.93, 0.0463, and 40.70 m2/g, respectively. To check the effect of different parameters on the removal efficiency of gas condensates, the Box–Behnken design method was used. Moreover, the optimal conditions for the removal of gas condensates included pH 9, temperature of 65°C, contact time of 120 min, and an adsorbent dosage of 5 g/L. Under such optimal conditions, the adsorption efficiencies using AC, PSC, and bentonite were obtained as 98.90%, 96.35%, and 97.24%, respectively. Furthermore, the maximum adsorption capacities of 1250, 54.95, and 99.01 mg/g were achieved using AC, PSC, and bentonite, respectively, in which AC showed the highest adsorption capacity ever achieved for the removal of gas condensate from wastewater. Besides, the thermodynamic study indicated that the sorption process was exothermic and spontaneous.
Hillslope erosion in a grassland environment: Calibration and evaluation of the SIBERIA landscape evolution model
Authors: Hancock G.R. , Gibson Abraham , Wells T. 
Published: December 2020

AbstractField measurement and modelling of soil erosion provides insights into landscape systems as well as the potential for enhanced landscape management. There are a number of field and numerical methods by which soil erosion and deposition can be quantified. Here we examine the capability of the SIBERIA landscape evolution model to quantify short‐term erosion and deposition on a well‐managed cattle grazing landscape on the east coast of Australia. The model is calibrated by two methods (1) a geomorphological approach using a site digital elevation model (DEM) and soil data and (2) a laboratory‐scale flume. The two calibration processes resulted in similar model input parameters and estimated erosion rates of 3.1 t ha−1year−1and 4.4 t ha−1year−1, respectively. These were found to closely match erosion rates estimated using the environmental tracer137Cs (2.7–4.8 t ha−1year−1). However, erosion and deposition estimated at individual points along the hillslope was not well correlated with137Cs at the same position due to the temporal averaging of the model and microtopography. Sensitivity analysis showed the model was more sensitive to parameterisation than sub‐DEM‐scale topography. This places confidence in the model's ability to estimate erosion and deposition across an entire hillslope and catchment on decadal time scales. We also highlight the robustness and flexibility of the calibration methods.
Sources of 2,3,7,8-Tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin and Other Dioxins in Lower Passaic River, New Jersey, Sediments
Authors: Bock Michael J. , Brown Lauren E. , Wenning Richard J. , Bell Jennifer L. 
Published: December 2020

Abstract
Elevated levels of polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins (PCDDs), polychlorinated dibenzofurans (PCDFs), and other contaminants have been reported in lower Passaic River, New Jersey, USA, sediments since the 1980s. Nearly 8000 surficial and buried sediment samples have been collected along the 17 miles (27.4 km) of river and analyzed for various contaminants, including the seventeen 2,3,7,8-substituted PCDD/F congeners. Principal component analysis and hierarchical cluster analysis reveal spatial heterogeneity in the distribution of dioxin congeners, with respect to both sediment depth and river mile. Polytopic vector analysis resolved 11 unique 2,3,7,8-substituted dioxin congener profiles in the river sediment. The profiles were consistent with multiple dioxin source types, including manufacture of certain dyes and pigments, chlorinated industrial chemicals, hexachlorophene, polychlorinated biphenyls, waste disposal and incineration, the production and use of 2,4,5-trichorophenol (2,4,5-TCP), and other industrial processes. The distribution of dioxin profiles in surface and buried river sediments is indicative of multiple inputs of 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (2,3,7,8-TCDD) and other dioxins at different locations along the lower Passaic River. These findings are inconsistent with historical claims that a former herbicide manufacturing plant in the lower reach of the river is the only significant 2,3,7,8-TCDD source and consistent with evidence of several different inputs associated with the production, use, and/or disposal of 2,4,5-TCP at several locations along the lower Passaic River. Environ Toxicol Chem 2021;40:1499–1519. © 2020 SETAC
Surface-Dwelling Aquatic Insects in Low-Energy Freshwater Environments Are Highly Impacted by Oil Spills and the Surface Washing Agent Corexit EC9580A Used in Oil Spill Response
Authors: Black Tyler A. , Hanson Mark L. , Palace Vince P. , Rodriguez-Gil Jose Luis 
Published: December 2020

Abstract
Physical impacts of diluted bitumen (dilbit) and the application of surface washing agents (SWAs) in freshwater have not been characterized for aquatic invertebrates. These compounds are known to reduce surface tension in feather and fur microstructures of birds and mammals, and are thus likely to affect the buoyancy of surface-dwelling aquatic insects. We evaluated impacts of fresh dilbit and a SWA on water striders (Metrobates sp.), which are surface-dwelling organisms that rely on fine-hair microstructures to remain buoyant. We report nominal sheen thickness values that cause 50% immobility in 48 h as determined from exposure studies in outdoor tanks. A comparison of our data with those from historic oil spill volumes in Canada and the United States in the past 12 yr indicates that our reported nominal sheen thicknesses could have been reached or exceeded in 99% of historic spills when scaled to a small reference lake. The addition of Corexit EC9580A, a SWA approved for marine use in Canada, led to 100% immobility in striders within minutes, both in combination with oil and alone. Our study reveals an acute sensitivity to Corexit EC9580A and dilbit by surface-dwelling insects and may be driven by disruption of mechanisms of buoyancy. We highlight a need to evaluate physical impacts, typically excluded from standard toxicity testing, within the context of spill impact mitigation assessments. Environ Toxicol Chem 2021;40:1298–1307. © 2020 SETAC
Abstract
Water strider response to diluted bitumen and to Corexit EC9580A.
A short cut: Directly pricing VIX futures with discrete‐time long memory model and asymmetric jumps
Authors: Yin Fangsheng , Bian Yang , Wang Tianyi 
Published: December 2020

AbstractThis paper proposes a simple but rich framework to directly price volatility index (VIX) futures by applying the heterogeneous autoregressive structure and asymmetric jumps to the logarithm of the VIX. Compared with other discrete‐time models, our model imposes fewer parameter constraints. The analytical solution is also free from time‐consuming and sometimes unstable numerical integration. Empirical results suggest that our model can significantly reduce pricing errors compared with existing models using realized variance, both in‐ and out‐of‐sample. The improvement indicates that besides looking for a better measure of current volatility, it is also important to utilize information embedded in the VIX itself.
Multi‐tissue transcriptome‐wide association studies
Authors: Grinberg Nastasiya F. , Wallace Chris 
Published: December 2020

AbstractA transcriptome‐wide association study (TWAS) attempts to identify disease associated genes by imputing gene expression into a genome‐wide association study (GWAS) using an expression quantitative trait loci (eQTL) data set and then testing for associations with a trait of interest. Regulatory processes may be shared across related tissues and one natural extension of TWAS is harnessing cross‐tissue correlation in gene expression to improve prediction accuracy. Here, we studied multi‐tissue extensions of lasso regression and random forests (RF), joint lasso and RF‐MTL (multi‐task learning RF), respectively. We found that, on our chosen eQTL data set, multi‐tissue methods were generally more accurate than their single‐tissue counterparts, with RF‐MTL performing the best. Simulations showed that these benefits generally translated into more associated genes identified, although highlighted that joint lasso had a tendency to erroneously identify genes in one tissue if there existed an eQTL signal for that gene in another. Applying the four methods to a type 1 diabetes GWAS, we found that multi‐tissue methods found more unique associated genes for most of the tissues considered. We conclude that multi‐tissue methods are competitive and, for some cell types, superior to single‐tissue approaches and hold much promise for TWAS studies.
Evaluating the impact of metabolic syndrome on postoperative thyroidectomy outcomes
Authors: Elsamna Samer T. , Suri Pooja , Mir Ghayoour S. , Roden Dylan F. , Paskhover Boris 
Published: December 2020

AbstractObjectiveMetabolic syndrome (MetS) has previously been linked to increased risk of postoperative morbidity and mortality in other surgical undertakings. Because MetS is a consequence of endocrine dysfunction, and given the thyroid's crucial role in endocrine homeostasis, we sought to evaluate the association between MetS and postoperative outcomes of thyroidectomy.MethodsData were acquired from the ACS‐NSQIP database from years 2005 to 2017. Patients with obesity, diabetes, and hypertension were defined as having MetS. Odds ratios (OR) were obtained for outcomes to quantify risk with multivariate logistic regression.ResultsOutcomes significantly affected by MetS included overall complication (OR: 2.00), extended postoperative stay (OR: 1.52), medical complication (OR: 1.48), surgical complication (OR: 1.62), and mortality (OR: 2.33).ConclusionsPatients with MetS undergoing thyroidectomy are at increased risk of an increased length of stay, overall complications, and mortality.
Putting the humanity into inhuman systems: How human factors and ergonomics can be used to manage the risks associated with artificial general intelligence
Authors: Salmon Paul M. , Carden Tony , Hancock Peter A. 
Published: December 2020

AbstractThe next generation of artificial intelligence, known as artificial general intelligence (AGI) could either revolutionize or destroy humanity. As the discipline which focuses on enhancing human health and wellbeing, human factors and ergonomics (HFE) has a crucial role to play in the conception, design, and operation of AGI systems. Despite this, there has been little examination as to how HFE can influence and direct this evolution. This study uses a hypothetical AGI system, Tegmark's “Prometheus,” to frame the role of HFE in managing the risks associated with AGI. Fifteen categories of HFE method are identified and their potential role in AGI system design is considered. The findings suggest that all categories of HFE method can contribute to AGI system design; however, areas where certain methods require extension are identified. It is concluded that HFE can and should contribute to AGI system design and immediate effort is required to facilitate this goal. In closing, we explicate some of the work required to embed HFE in wider multi‐disciplinary efforts aiming to create safe and efficient AGI systems.
Further evidence from the LiveLighter® campaign: A controlled cohort study in Victoria and South Australia
Authors: Miller Caroline , Caruso Joanna , Dono Joanne , Morley Belinda , Wakefield Melanie , Dixon Helen , Ettridge Kerry 
Published: December 2020

AbstractIssue addressedThe LiveLighter® healthy weight and lifestyle social marketing campaign, developed in Western Australia, employs graphic advertising to communicate negative health effects of overweight and motivate behaviour change. This study extends prior evidence of the effectiveness of the LiveLighter® campaign by evaluating its implementation in a new jurisdiction.MethodsA controlled cohort design was employed in intervention (Vic) and comparison states (SA), with and without campaign exposure. Population surveys conducted at baseline (BL) (n = 1000 each state), had 75% retention at follow‐up (FU) (Vic: n = 715; SA: n = 787).ResultsTotal campaign awareness was moderate (61.5%). Exposed respondents indicated the campaign was “believable” (91.0%), made a strong argument for reducing weight (87.3%), made them “stop and think” (70.1%), motivated action to reach/stay a healthy weight (59.1%) and was “relevant” (55.6%). The proportion of respondents indicating “toxic fat build up” was a health consequence of overweight increased significantly from BL to FU in Vic and to a lesser extent in SA (Vic:55.7% vs 75.9%; SA:58.1% vs 62.6%, interaction P < .001). The proportion indicating cancer is a health consequence of overweight increased significantly from BL to FU in Vic, but not in SA (Vic:77.1% vs 83.4%; SA:77.8% vs 78.1%, interaction P < .05).ConclusionsThis study extends the evidence base for the LiveLighter® campaign. Sustained campaign activity with clear behavioural recommendations is required to translate improved knowledge into behaviour change.So whatEvidence‐based mass media campaigns can positively impact health behaviours to address the unsustainable increasing burdens of unhealthy weight, dietary risk and inadequate physical activity. A National Obesity Campaign is needed and LiveLighter® is a ready‐made, relevant Australian resource.
Facile Iodine Detection via Fluorescence Quenching of β‐Cyclodextrin:Bimane‐Ditriazole Inclusion Complexes
Authors: Pramanik Apurba , Karmakar Joy , Grynzspan Flavio , Levine Mindy 
Published: December 2020

AbstractReported herein is the detection of iodine using a non‐covalent association complex formed between a β‐cyclodextrin host and a designer bimane ditriazole guest. This complex responds to the presence of iodine with a marked decrease in the observed fluorescence signal. A sub‐nanomolar detection limit of this system in the solution‐state was determined. Moreover, results using filter paper onto which the β‐cyclodextrin‐bimane complex was adsorbed show a noticeable advantage compared to the cyclodextrin‐free bimane. Thus, highly sensitive on‐paper colorimetric iodine detection was achieved.
The Tunisian exchange rate regime: Is it really floating?
Authors: Bouabidi Mohamed 
Published: December 2020

AbstractWhile the Tunisian authority claims to adopt a floating exchange regime, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) classifies it as a rather crawl‐like regime. This paper aims at studying the Tunisian exchange rate regime over the post‐revolution period. It uses daily data from 2010 to 2019. The empirical results show that the Tunisian de facto regime is broadly consistent with the IMF classification. Nevertheless, the IMF stated that in 2018 the EUR is the only anchor, but this study shows that from 2017 the implicit weight of the USD becomes higher than the EUR. Most of the time, there is a discrepancy between the regime claimed by the Tunisian authority and the de facto regime detected by the model. Annual regressions, the Chow, and the Bai‐Perron breakpoint tests show that the Tunisian de facto regime is not stable.
Ninety days transplant free survival with high volume plasma exchange in Wilson disease presenting as acute liver failure
Authors: Pawaria Arti , Sood Vikrant , Lal Bikrant Bihari , Khanna Rajeev , Bajpai Meenu , Alam Seema 
Published: December 2020

AbstractObjectiveTo study the efficacy and safety of high volume plasma exchange (HVPE) in Wilson disease presenting as acute liver failure (WD‐ALF).MethodsAn analysis of prospectively collected data of consecutively admitted WD‐ALF cases was done and patients were divided into two groups: (i) high volume plasma exchange (HVPE) group‐ who received HVPE + standard medical therapy (SMT), and (ii) SMT group‐ received only SMT. Outcome measure was transplant free survival (TFS) at 90 days post enrollment, change in biochemical, hemodynamic parameters & incidence of organ dysfunction in HVPE as compared to SMT group, and HVPE related complications.ResultsOut of the total 43 cases of WD‐ALF reported in the study period, 37 were enrolled (median age 9 years, 62.2% males). All biochemical parameters and prognostic indices except blood ammonia and serum creatinine improved significantly at 72 to 96 hours after enrollment in the HVPE group. Overall, TFS at 90 days was present in 9/19 (47.3%) in HVPE group vs 3/18 (16.6%) in the SMT group (OR 2.84, 95% CI 0.91‐8.8, P = .049). Kaplan Meier survival analysis revealed that HVPE group had significantly higher cumulative survival as per the Log Rank test (P = .027); median days of survival was 38 days (IQR 12‐63) in HVPE group vs 14 (IQR 5‐22) days in SMT group.ConclusionsThe present study indicates that in children with WD‐ALF, HVPE not only acts as a bridging therapy to LT but may also improve proportion of the cases with TFS.
Isomerization of n‐pentane over platinum promoted tungstated zirconia supported on mesoporous SBA‐15 prepared by supercritical impregnation
Authors: Lee Wenchao , Yang Chieh‐Chao , Cheng Soofin 
Published: December 2020

AbstractTungstated zirconia was supported on mesoporous SBA‐15 by impregnation in supercritical ethanol. The resultant catalyst promoted with 1 wt% of Pt shows 100% selectivity of iso‐pentane and two times higher conversion in n‐pentane isomerization than the one prepared by conventional impregnation. Supercritical impregnation exerts no destruction of the porous silica and offers better dispersion of tungstated zirconia than conventional impregnation. Optimized loading of WO3/ZrO2/SBA‐15 is 20/40/40 wt%, which infers to 2.4 W‐atoms/nm2 and 8.9 Zr‐atoms/nm2 dispersed on the SBA‐15 support. Moreover, introducing a proper mole fraction of hydrogen in the reactants markedly improves the catalytic activity in n‐pentane isomerization. The role of hydrogen was not only served as the reactants, it also acted to regenerate Brønsted acid sites during n‐pentane isomerization. However, overdose of hydrogen leaded to a leveling‐off in the rate of isomerization and enhanced hydrogenolysis reaction. The in situ IR spectroscopic studies suggested that Brønsted acid sites were the active centers for the isomerization. A reaction mechanism was, therefore, proposed that heterolytic fission of hydrogen and dehydrogenation of n‐pentane took place over Pt. The secondary carbocation formed over Brønsted acid sites was rearranged to a tertiary carbocation by methyl migration, followed by reacting with a hydride to generate iso‐pentane.
Lineage analysis of human papillomavirus types 31 and 45 in cervical samples of Iranian women
Authors: Hosseini Neda , Shoja Zabihollah , Younesi Sarang , Shafiei‐Jandaghi Nazanin‐Zahra , Jalilvand Somayeh 
Published: December 2020

AbstractKnowing the regional lineages/sublineages of human papillomavirus 31 (HPV 31) and 45 would be of great importance for further evolutionary, epidemiological, and biological analysis. In this regard, to characterize more common lineages and sublineages of HPV 31 and 45, the sequence variations of E6 gene were investigated in normal, premalignant, and malignant samples collected from the cervix in Iran. In total, 54 HPV 31‐ and 24 HPV 45‐positive samples were analyzed by hemi‐nested polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and nested‐PCR, respectively. All PCR products were subjected to direct sequencing analysis. The results indicated that all three lineages A, B, and C were detected in HPV 31‐positive samples; among which HPV 31 lineage A was dominant as it was found in 66.7% of all samples. HPV 31 lineages B and C were identified in 5.5% and 27.8% of samples, respectively. In HPV 45‐infected samples, lineage B comprised of 62.5% of all samples and the remaining 37.5% belonged to lineage A. In conclusion, our findings showed that lineage A of HPV 31 was predominant in Iran. Lineage B of HPV 45 was also dominant among Iranian women. However, further studies with larger sample size should be addressed to estimate the pathogenicity risk of HPV 31 or HPV 45 lineages/sublineages in the development of cervical cancer among Iranian women.