bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Groundwater fluoride contamination in Coimbatore district: a geochemical characterization, multivariate analysis, and human health risk perspective
Authors: Kumar P. J. Sajil 
Published: March 2021

AbstractIn this paper, fluoride geochemistry and health risk of groundwater in Coimbatore district is studied. The order of dominance of ions were HCO3 > Cl > SO4 > CO3 and Na > Ca > Mg > K. Alkaline groundwater and the dominance of HCO3 and Na is favourable for the fluoride enrichment. Around 46% of the samples, N–NE regions, have F− higher than permissible limit of 1.5 mg/L. Pink granites, charnockite and gneisses in lithology is the possible origin of F−. However, NO3 vs F plot shows positive trend in some samples, indicating anthropogenic inputs of F−. Correlation plots of F− was trending positive with pH, HCO3 and Na and but negative for Ca, indicating the control of these ions in F− mobility. This result is supported by undersaturation of fluorite and supersaturation of carbonates. Four significant principal components were derived, which have explained 87% of the total variation. PC1 has high factor loadings for EC, Ca, Mg Na, Cl, SO4, NO3 indicating both natural and anthropogenic influences. PC2, PC3 and PC4 have higher loading for pH and HCO3, K and HCO3 and F−, respectively, indicating geogenic factors in the F− enrichment. Human health risk assessment (HHRA) by ingestion and dermal pathways were calculated using Hazard Quotient HQ and Hazard Index (HI). 27% of males, 36% of females and 39% of the children have HI > 1, posing noncarcinogenic risks.
Enhancing the electrochemical properties of a nickel–cobalt-manganese ternary hydroxide electrode using graphene foam for supercapacitors applications
Authors: Kitenge V. N. , Oyedotun K. O. , Fasakin O. , Tarimo D. J. , Sylla N. F. , Van Heerden X. , Manyala N. 
Published: March 2021

AbstractThis study has investigated the effect of the incorporation of graphene foam (GF) into the matrix of a ternary transition-metals hydroxide containing nickel, cobalt, and manganese for optimal electrochemical performances as electrodes for supercapacitors applications. An adopted simple, low-cost co-precipitation synthesis method involved the loading a mass of the ternary metal hydroxides (NiCoMn-TH) onto various GF mass loading so as to find ints effect on the electrochemical properties of the hydroxides. Microstructural and chemical composition of the various composite materials were investigated by employing scanning/transmission electron microscopy (SEM/TEM), x-ray diffraction (XRD), Raman spectroscopy, and N2physisorption analysis among others. Electrochemical performances of the NiCoMn-TH/200 mg GF composite material evaluated in a three-electrode system using 1 M KOH solution revealed a maximum specific capacity around 178.6 mAh g−1compared to 76.2 mAh g−1recorded for the NiCoMn-TH pristine material at a specific current of 1 A g−1. The best mass loading of GF nanomaterial (200 mg GF), was then utilised as a positive electrode material for the design of a novel hybrid device. An assembled hybrid NiCoMn-TH/200 mg GF//CSDAC device utilizing the NiCoMn-TH/200 mg GF and activated carbon derived from the cocoa shell (CSDAC) as a positive and negative electrode, respectively, demonstrated a sustaining specific capacity of 23.4 mAh g−1at a specific current of 0.5 A g−1. The device also yielded sustaining a specific energy and power of about 22.32 Wh kg−1and 439.7 W kg−1, respectively. After a cycling test of over 15,000 cycles, the device could prove a coulombic efficiency of ~ 99.9% and a capacity retention of around 80% within a potential range of 0.0–1.6 V at a specific current of 3 A g−1. These results have demonstrated the prodigious electrochemical potentials of the as-synthesized material and its capability to be utilized as an electrode for supercapacitor applications.
A Gravity Assist Mapping Based on Gaussian Process Regression
Authors: Liu Yuxin , Noomen Ron , Visser Pieter 
Published: March 2021

AbstractWe develop a Gravity Assist Mapping to quantify the effects of a flyby in a two-dimensional circular restricted three-body situation based on Gaussian Process Regression (GPR). This work is inspired by the Keplerian Map and Flyby Map. The flyby is allowed to occur anywhere above 300 km altitude at the Earth in the system of Sun-(Earth+Moon)-spacecraft, whereas the Keplerian map is typically restricted to the cases outside the Hill sphere only. The performance of the GPR model and the influence of training samples (number and distribution) on the quality of the prediction of post-flyby orbital states are investigated. The information provided by this training set is used to optimize the hyper-parameters in the GPR model. The trained model can make predictions of the post-flyby state of an object with an arbitrary initial condition and is demonstrated to be efficient and accurate when evaluated against the results of numerical integration. The method can be attractive for space mission design.
Multiple domains of functioning in older adults during the pandemic: design and basic characteristics of the Longitudinal Aging Study Amsterdam COVID-19 questionnaire
Authors: Hoogendijk Emiel O. , van der Horst Marleen H. L. , Poppelaars Jan , van Vliet Majogé , Huisman Martijn 
Published: March 2021

AbstractThe Longitudinal Aging Study Amsterdam (LASA) is an ongoing cohort study among older adults in the Netherlands. Respondents are usually interviewed approximately every 3 years. Because of the exceptional situation of the COVID-19 pandemic, it was decided to add an extra assessment in between, consisting of a postal/digital questionnaire with measures assessing the impact of the COVID-19 situation, as well as a selection of measures from regular LASA measurement cycles covering the physical, social and mental domains. In total, 1128 LASA respondents aged 62–102 years provided data, just after the first wave of the pandemic in 2020. This paper describes the methods and design of the LASA COVID-19 questionnaire, as well as the basic characteristics of the sample, including an overview of impactful situations experienced by older adults during the first months of the pandemic. The data of the questionnaire may be used to study the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on multiple domains of functioning in older adults.
Novel Approach to Improve the Optical Performance by Machining Process Without Surface Finishing
Authors: Park June Gyu , Lee Dong-Ho , Kim Hong-Seung , Yeo Woo-Jong , Jeon Minwoo , Bae Ji Yong , Kim Dong Uk , Lee Kye-Sung , Kim Geon-Hee , Chang Ki Soo , Kim I Jong 
Published: March 2021

AbstractWith the increase in dimensions of optical elements in addition to ever rising demand for aspherical optics, the millimeter-scale periodic waviness that is naturally produced by machining (such as diamond turning) process in precision optical engineering has been one of the most crucial issues in the development of high surface quality optical elements. Even an extremely small waviness can affect the laser beam profile significantly through interference caused by Bragg scattering. This paper presents a novel method for improving a laser beam profile by utilizing the characteristics of Bragg scattering without requiring established final surface finishing processes such as optical polishing. By engraving an artificial periodic structure with a period of a few hundred microns, the Bragg scattering angle that influences the formation of interference fringes in the laser beam profile was drastically enlarged. Consequently, the quality of the beam profile was improved at a propagation distance where the 0th and 1st (− 1st) order beam modes are spatially separated, only by diamond turning machining without the surface finishing process. In addition, this approach represents an important contribution to green technology, which seeks energy saving and waste reduction in the optical surface manufacturing process.
Patterns of Relational Framing in Executive Function: An Investigation of the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test
Authors: Tyrberg Mårten J , Parling Thomas , Lundgren Tobias 
Published: March 2021

AbstractExecutive function (EF) is a concept widely used to describe higher order cognitive functioning. However, the concept seems to lack a precise definition upon which even experts in the area can agree. Examples of existing definitions describe EF as capacities for independent self-serving behavior and aspects of working memory, planning and organizational skills. It has been argued that the definition of EF is too imprecise, in terms of informing effective interventions. To possibly understand the range of behaviors termed EF in a more workable way, we administered a well-known computerized test (the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test; WCST) of EF to a sample of normal functioning participants (n = 11). During administration, they were asked questions about their ways of thinking. Transcriptions of questions and answers were analyzed in search of common patterns, using a behavioral theory of language and cognition (relational frame theory; RFT). The analysis suggested that a specific relationship between deictic and temporal framing, on the one hand, and coordination and spatial framing, on the other, was in effect when participants performed well on the WCST. At critical time points during the test (i.e., when need for EF was arguably most acute), deictic and temporal framing dominated participants’ behavior, whereas coordination and spatial framing were used relatively less.
Alleviating the Cold Start Problem in Adaptive Learning using Data-Driven Difficulty Estimates
Authors: van der Velde Maarten , Sense Florian , Borst Jelmer , van Rijn Hedderik 
Published: March 2021

AbstractAn adaptive learning system offers a digital learning environment that adjusts itself to the individual learner and learning material. By refining its internal model of the learner and material over time, such a system continually improves its ability to present appropriate exercises that maximise learning gains. In many cases, there is an initial mismatch between the internal model and the learner’s actual performance on the presented items, causing a “cold start” during which the system is poorly adjusted to the situation. In this study, we implemented several strategies for mitigating this cold start problem in an adaptive fact learning system and experimentally tested their effect on learning performance. The strategies included predicting difficulty for individual learner-fact pairs, individual learners, individual facts, and the set of facts as a whole. We found that cold start mitigation improved learning outcomes, provided that there was sufficient variability in the difficulty of the study material. Informed individualised predictions allowed the system to schedule learners’ study time more effectively, leading to an increase in response accuracy during the learning session as well as improved retention of the studied items afterwards. Our findings show that addressing the cold start problem in adaptive learning systems can have a real impact on learning outcomes. We expect this to be particularly valuable in real-world educational settings with large individual differences between learners and highly diverse materials.
Polar and Helical Isomorphous Crystals of Proline Derivatives: Influence of a Fluorine Atom on the Electric Susceptibility
Authors: Baillargeon Pierre , Seidler Tomasz , Champagne Benoît , Soldera Armand 
Published: March 2021

AbstractTwo novel nonlinear optical isomorphous crystals of proline derivatives with alkyne functionality have been obtained (Boc-L-ProNH(CH2)2CCH and Boc-cis-4-fluoro-L-ProNH(CH2)2CCH). Both derivatives, which differ only by the substitution of a H atom to a F atom, adopt the same polar and columnar right-handed helix arrangement in the crystalline state. In addition, adjacent polar helical columns all point in the same direction, thus generating a macrodipole and a crystalline system conducive for second harmonic generation (SHG) properties. This isomorphous crystal system constitutes an interesting tool to study the effect of the fluorine atom on the dipole moment and on the first hyperpolarizability. Starting from the PBC optimized geometries of the crystals, the macroscopic second-order nonlinearity, χ(2), of the newly synthesized crystals has been estimated by quantum chemical calculations. These χ(2) responses are of the same order of magnitude as those of inorganic proline derivatives while smaller than those observed in crystals of push–pull π-conjugated molecules.
Graphic Abstract
An assessment on the inner lining need for a large-span tunnel (a case from Turkey, Akyazı Tunnel, Trabzon)
Authors: Aygar Ebu Bekir , Gokceoglu Candan 
Published: March 2021

AbstractStability of large underground structures depends on not only rock mass conditions but also excavation stages and support systems. In addition, complexity of geological conditions and interaction of excavation with in situ conditions affect the performance of design. The Akyazı tunnel (Trabzon, Turkey) is 2478 m long and was designed as 3 lanes and double tubes, and the number of lanes at the junction part increases to 5. Tunnel cross-sectional area from the Akyazı tunnel reaches 3 lanes and 150 m2 to 5 lanes and 438 m2 gradually. The width of the tunnel at the junction point reaches to 31 m. In this study, the necessity of inner lining concrete in tunnels excavated in good rock mass conditions is assessed and the results of the analyses are discussed. The inner lining concrete increases the cost of tunnel construction, as well as extending the construction period. With the procedure followed in the Akyazı tunnel, the top heading part of the tunnel was constructed without inner lining. No stability and drainage problem have not been encountered for 4 years. Currently, the tunnel construction was completed successfully, and the tunnel was opened to traffic. Consequently, the excavation stages, support systems described, and especially inner lining necessities discussed in this study may be applicable for extremely large tunnel sections.
Problems and Overcoming Methods of Emergency Medicine Specialists Working at Border Points
Authors: Yılmaz Sarper 
Published: March 2021

AbstractObjectives:Emergency medicine specialists working in the Republic of Turkey Ministry of Health public hospitals are assigned voluntarily or compulsorily along the Turkey-Syria borderline due to the operational conditions. In accordance with this study’s purpose, methods and overcoming problems of emergency medical specialists working at border points are addressed.Materials and Methods:The case study design is used as a qualitative research method in this research. Within the context of content analysis, 2 themes and 7 subthemes are created in line with the identified subproblems. Under these themes, the problems experienced by physicians, solutions to them, and recommendations for physicians who will start to work along the borderline are presented with codes and anecdotes.Results:The results of the study indicate that the problems experienced by physicians working in the border regions are centred on environmental conditions, operation of the system, and security issues. The methods for coping with such problems focus on effective communication and the support of colleagues. The basic suggestion of the participating physicians to improve the system is that the emergency medical specialists who run the border service should undergo training that can be useful for adapting to war conditions. Despite experiencing personal and familial challenges, these physicians express that they feel happy and at peace in their work.Conclusion:For the physicians assigned to work along the borderlines, high efficiency can be obtained if they are given preassignment training and provided with effective personal communication combined with personal rights adjustment.
Social Vulnerability and Access of Local Medical Care During Hurricane Harvey: A Spatial Analysis
Authors: Rickless David S. , Wilt Grete E. , Sharpe J. Danielle , Molinari Noelle , Stephens William , LeBlanc Tanya Telfair 
Published: March 2021

Abstract

Objectives:
When Hurricane Harvey struck the coastline of Texas in 2017, it caused 88 fatalities and over US $125 billion in damage, along with increased emergency department visits in Houston and in cities receiving hurricane evacuees, such as the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex (DFW).
This study explored demographic indicators of vulnerability for patients from the Hurricane Harvey impact area who sought medical care in Houston and in DFW. The objectives were to characterize the vulnerability of affected populations presenting locally, as well as those presenting away from home, and to determine whether more vulnerable communities were more likely to seek medical care locally or elsewhere.

Methods:
We used syndromic surveillance data alongside the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Social Vulnerability Index to calculate the percentage of patients seeking care locally by zip code tabulation area. We used this variable to fit a spatial lag regression model, controlling for population density and flood extent.

Results:
Communities with more patients presenting for medical care locally were significantly clustered and tended to have greater socioeconomic vulnerability, lower household composition vulnerability, and more extensive flooding.

Conclusions:
These findings suggest that populations remaining in place during a natural disaster event may have needs related to income, education, and employment, while evacuees may have more needs related to age, disability, and single-parent household status.
Longitudinal Study of Hurricane Preparedness Behaviors: Influence of Collective Efficacy
Authors: Mash Holly B Herberman , Fullerton Carol S , Morganstein Joshua C , Vance Mary C , Wang Leming , Liu Alexander G , Mullins-Hussain Britany , Ursano Robert J 
Published: March 2021

AbstractObjective:Community characteristics, such as collective efficacy, a measure of community strength, can affect behavioral responses following disasters. We measured collective efficacy 1 month before multiple hurricanes in 2005, and assessed its association to preparedness 9 months following the hurricane season.Methods:Participants were 631 Florida Department of Health workers who responded to multiple hurricanes in 2004 and 2005. They completed questionnaires that were distributed electronically approximately 1 month before (6.2005-T1) and 9 months after (6.2006-T2) several storms over the 2005 hurricane season. Collective efficacy, preparedness behaviors, and socio-demographics were assessed at T1, and preparedness behaviors and hurricane-related characteristics (injury, community-related damage) were assessed at T2. Participant ages ranged from 21-72 (M(SD) = 48.50 (10.15)), and the majority were female (78%).Results:In linear regression models, univariate analyses indicated that being older (B = 0.01, SE = 0.003, P < 0.001), White (B = 0.22, SE = 0.08, P < 0.01), and married (B = 0.05, SE = 0.02, p < 0.001) was associated with preparedness following the 2005 hurricanes. Multivariate analyses, adjusting for socio-demographics, preparedness (T1), and hurricane-related characteristics (T2), found that higher collective efficacy (T1) was associated with preparedness after the hurricanes (B = 0.10, SE = 0.03, P < 0.01; and B = 0.47, SE = 0.04, P < 0.001 respectively).Conclusion:Programs enhancing collective efficacy may be a significant part of prevention practices and promote preparedness efforts before disasters.
Reasoning Without the Conjunction Closure
Authors: Kowalewska Alicja 
Published: March 2021

AbstractSome theories of rational belief assume that beliefs should be closed under conjunction. I motivate the rejection of the conjunction closure, and point out that the consequences of this rejection are not as severe as it is usually thought. An often raised objection is that without the conjunction closure people are unable to reason. I outline an approach in which we can – in usual cases – reason using conjunctions without accepting the closure in its whole generality. This solution is based on the notion of confidence levels, which can be defined using probabilities. Moreover, on this approach, reasoning has a scalable computational complexity adaptable to cognitive abilities of both rationally bounded and perfectly rational agents. I perform a simulation to assess its error rate, and compare it to reasoning with conjunction closure.
The Next Generation of International Law: Space, Ice, and the Cosmolegal Proposal
Authors: Cirkovic Elena 
Published: March 2021

AbstractWith the increasing environmental degradation in spaces most affected by climate change such as the Arctic, and the extension of anthropogenic environmental problems even into the Earth’s orbit, international law is confronted with some unprecedented challenges. Much of the legal dialogue surrounding this question is taking place in the abstract, such that there are no exact proposals for methodological and practical applications in lawmaking. In this Article, I argue that current governance relevant to the Arctic and outer space precedes an understanding of these spaces. Critical posthumanism, and other approaches, point out the continuation of strict boundaries that have been set up between the human body and the environment. International law’s formalist doctrinal deductions exacerbate these boundaries. I propose an approach to lawmaking under a broad term: the cosmolegal. The cosmolegal proposal challenges distinctions between human-made and non-human “laws”—scientific and social laws—and questions the foundational determination of both. The framework I suggest in this Article, therefore, requires a new approximation to accuracy in lawmaking, which could be achieved by greater interdisciplinarity and acceptance of ontological pluralism. This Article is divided into two broader sections. The first section focuses on two environmental problems: A) greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in the Arctic and B) orbital debris. The second section argues for a different ontology of law and human self-understanding in the context of the unknown. It proposes “cosmolegality” in an attempt to approximate the inclusion and representation of ‘everything considered to be non-human.
Theory of Social Proof and Legal Compliance: A Socio-Cognitive Explanation for Regulatory (Non) Compliance
Authors: Roy Shubhangi 
Published: March 2021

AbstractChallenging the assumption of perfect legal knowledge, this Article employs social psychology to better understand how individuals make decisions about legal compliance under imperfect information conditions. It adapts the informational aspects of “social influence conception of criminal deterrence” to regulatory compliance at large. However, it conceptualizes social influence as more than just “visible deterrence.” Social Psychology helps us to understand who, how many, and what kind of behaviors constitute adequate social proof to guide an individual’s decision on compliance. Additionally, the interaction of social proof and legal compliance is considered within a dynamic framework in relation to specific rules and across the system. Within this framework, compliance/non-compliance cascades across different rules and can create a perception about legal compliance at large, which in turn guides initial expectations with respect to new laws. Over time, this can create high/low compliance equilibriums within which societies operate. Understanding this informational role that social influence plays in legal compliance can further our understanding of what motivates compliance, the potency of the expressive functions of law in societies operating within different compliance equilibriums, and inform policy discussions on how to improve compliance—both voluntary and through sanction/incentives.