bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Effects of ash compositions in Zhundong coal on its ash fusion behavior and crystal phase transformation
Authors: Wang Chang'an , Sun Ruijin , Tang Guantao , Yuan Maobo , Du Yongbo , Che Defu 
Published: March 2021

AbstractThe ash‐related issues hinder the safe utilization of Zhundong coal, closely relevant to its ash compositions. Previous studies mainly focused on the experimental methods and the selection of ash composition benchmark was restricted to a specific coal sample with limited element types, ignoring the comprehensive elemental interaction. Here, the impacts of eight compositions on ash fusion and crystal phase transformation behaviors were taken into consideration. Moreover, FactSage software was employed to further elucidate the transformation mechanism of ash composition with the increasing temperature. The results showed that the refractory forsterite and merwinite disappeared but more magnesioferrite was present with an increase in ferric oxide content, resulting in the decrease of ash fusion temperatures. The refractory substances, such as forsterite, perovskite, periclase, and larnite, occurred successively with the increasing ratio of basic oxide to acid oxide. The slag content had reached its maximum at 1200°C, up to 90% as the content of CaO was 16%, which was corresponding to that the flowing temperature descended to the lowest point around 1200°C with 16% CaO. With the rising temperature, more slag appeared and the composition species declined, related with the generation of fusible compounds containing Fe and Na at high temperature. The present work can play a guiding role in safe and clean use of Zhundong coal.
Influence of nano silica hybrid expandable graphite on flammability, thermal stability, and mechanical property of polypropylene/polyamide 6 blends
Authors: Bai Zhuyu , Wang Na , Chen Shaopeng , Guo Xincheng , Guo Jianbing , Qin Jun , Chen Xiaolang , Lu Zongcheng 
Published: March 2021

AbstractSilica (SiO2) nanohybrid expandable graphite (nEG) particles fabricated through one‐step method are used as an efficient flame retardant for polypropylene (PP)/polyamide 6 (PA6) blends. The effect of nEG on the flammability, thermal stability, crystallization behaviors, and mechanical properties of PP/PA6 composites is investigated by using limit oxygen index (LOI), UL‐94 test, cone calorimeter test (CCT), thermogravimetric analysis, differential scanning calorimetry, Fourier transform infrared, scanning electron microscopy, and mechanical tests. Compared with pure expandable graphite (EG), nEG improves the flame retardancy of composites. The results of LOI show that LOI of PP/PA6/nEG10 and PP/PA6/nEG15 composites are 26.0% and 27.2%, respectively. But the LOI values of PP/PA6/EG10 and PP/PA6/EG15 composites are 25.7% and 26.9%, respectively. The UL‐94 test results show that PP/PA6/nEG10 composites reach V‐1 level when the nEG content is only 10%. However, the PP/PA6 composites with 10% EG does not pass the UL‐94 test. In addition, PP/PA6 composites with 15% nEG can reach V‐0 level. The CCT results further show that nEG has a higher flame‐retardant efficiency than pure EG for PP/PA6 blends. The thermal stability of PP/PA6/nEG composites is better than that of PP/PA6/EG composites. The mechanical property tests indicate that nEG is more conducive to maintain the tensile and impact strengths of PP/PA6 blends than EG due to the enhanced compatibility and interfacial adhesion.
Copolymerization behavior of diallyldimethylammonium chloride‐nonionic macromonomer in water‐ether mixture solution and flotation performance of the copolymer for treating oily wastewater
Authors: He Jie , Duan Ming , Wang Xiujun , Wang Manlin , Jing Bo , Liu Shuai , Fang Shenwen 
Published: March 2021

AbstractCopolymerization of cationic monomer and nonionic macromonomer in water‐ether mixture solution is useful for preparing the functional polymer. Copolymer of diallyldimethylammonium chloride (DMDAAC) and a nonionic block polyether macromonomer (PEP‐65) has been found that has very well reverse demulsification performance, but the polymerization phenomenon cannot be described by any reported polymerization method. In this paper, the copolymerization behavior including polymer mechanism, polymerization kinetics, and reactivity rate of DMDAAC and PEP‐65 in the mixture solution of water and propylene glycol methyl ether (PGME) was studied for explaining the special copolymerization phenomenon and its flotation performance for treating oily wastewater was also investigated. The results showed that DMDAAC‐PEP‐65 copolymerization in water‐PGME mixture solution has four stages and has both characteristics of emulsion polymerization and dispersion polymerization. In addition, the copolymer also has excellent flotation performance.
Child Sexual Abuse: Children at Risk Are Being Ignored
Authors:   Paediatric Research Across the Midlands
Published: March 2021

Key Practitioner Messages

Evidence exists for the concomitant presence of sexual abuse with other forms of maltreatment; however, this audit study suggests that questions that could arouse the suspicion of CSA are not being asked consistently.
It is important for healthcare professionals to specifically consider sexual abuse when seeing children who present for Child Protection Medical Assessments.
Serum alkaline phosphatase levels are associated with coronary artery calcification patterns and plaque vulnerability
Authors: Ren Yongkui , Li Xinsheng , Wang Shuai , Pan Weili , Lv Haichen , Wang Minxian , Zhou Xuchen , Xia Yunlong , Yin Da 
Published: March 2021

AbstractObjectivesThis study aimed to investigate the association of serum alkaline phosphatase (ALP) with calcification patterns and plaque morphology detected by intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) in acute coronary syndrome (ACS) patients.BackgroundALP has been shown to predict vascular calcification and long‐term cardiovascular events. However, the relationship between ALP and vascular calcification patterns or plaque morphology remains unclear.MethodsIn total, 328 ACS patients who underwent IVUS examinations were screened from January 2017 to December 2018; among them, 234 eligible participants were grouped according to the tertiles of ALP levels (<68, 68–80, and >80 IU/L). Demographic data and IVUS parameters were documented and analyzed.ResultsAfter adjusting for potential confounders, independent associations were observed between ALP and the presence of coronary calcification, spotty calcification, minimum lumen area (MLA) ≤ 4.0 mm2, and plaque burden (PB) > 70%. Compared with the lowest ALP tertile group, the highest ALP group had higher risks of calcification (odds ratio [OR], 2.85; 95% confidence interval [95%CI], 1.38–5.90; p = .005), spotty calcification (OR, 1.86; 95%CI, 1.09–3.84; p = .012), MLA≤4.0 mm2 (OR, 3.32; 95%CI, 1.51–7.28; p = .003), and PB > 70% (OR, 4.59; 95%CI, 1.83–11.50; p = .001). Similar results were found when ALP was analyzed as a continuous variable or a category variate according to the cut‐off value determined by the receiver operating characteristic curve analysis. Furthermore, the model including clinical factors and ALP significantly improved the predictive power for coronary calcification, spotty calcification, MLA≤4.0 mm2, and PB > 70%.ConclusionOur findings suggest that ALP may be a potential predictive biomarker for calcification and plaque vulnerability.
Modeling of the soaking and drying stages for Senia‐type precooked rice
Authors: Vendrell Calatayud Mario , Alcañiz Cosín Diego , De los Reyes Cánovas Ruth , Castelló Gómez María Luisa , Ortolá Ortolá María Dolores 
Published: March 2021

AbstractBackground and objectivesThe production of precooked rice has mainly been applied to long rice varieties, while japonica varieties are significantly less represented, especially Spanish varieties. The aim of this paper was to model the water mass flow process in precooked round‐shaped rice (Bahía‐Senia) for the soaking (Peleg model) and drying phases (drying by hot air and by combined hot air and microwaves, Fick, Midili, and Page models). Optical and mechanical properties after drying were recorded. Cooking tests were also performed.FindingsThe results show that optimum soaking process was achieved at 35°C during 20 min. For the drying stage, water loss increases using microwave energy at 2.45 GHz and no variations with air temperature were registered. Thus, the optimal drying conditions were achieved at 40°C combined with microwave during 42 min.ConclusionsPrecooked round rice processing conditions have been established. This treatment would reduce the final cooking time (96 ºC) for the user by 94%, which implies that in only 3 min, the precooked rice would reach the same level of moisture as the control rice after 20 min of cooking.Significance and noveltyThese findings can be used by food industry in selecting the proper soaking and drying conditions that favors the production of precooked round‐shaped rice.
A case of successful pregnancy in a septate uterus after discharge of decidual tissue in the second trimester
Authors: Uomoto Mari , Obata Soichiro , Yumoto Ami , Nakanishi Sayuri , Sasahara Yukiko , Otani Masako , Miyagi Etsuko , Aoki Shigeru 
Published: March 2021

AbstractIn pregnant patients with a divided uterine cavity, the decidual tissue on the nonpregnant side may be discharged prior to the delivery of the fetus. The pregnancy can continue if the uterine contractions and vaginal bleeding are controlled and the fetus is not in distress.
Combustion Model of a Dual‐Fuel Diesel Engine
Authors: Yao Chong , Tyulepberdinova Gulnur , Gu Shengyu 
Published: March 2021

AbstractA mathematical model is presented for the volumetric combustion of a homogeneous fuel mixture in compression‐ignition and forced‐ignition engines. With careful consideration of all combustion parameters, the profile of the burning rate has a two‐peak structure. A simple nonlinear heat conduction problem was solved to illustrate the importance of including the isobaric process and heat conduction as functions of the temperature. The study shows that, when the pre‐exponential parameter was chosen as a calibrated parameter, the ignition delay time significantly depends on the start of combustion and the pressure in the common rail, while the effect of the engine speed seems less noticeable. The results can be extended to quasi‐sized combustion models.
Yolk‐Shell NiCo2PX as a Bidirectional Catalyst for Liquid‐Solid Processes in Advanced Lithium‐Sulfur Batteries
Authors: Zhang Kun , Zhao Zhenxin , Ren Zhaowei , Wang Xiaomin 
Published: March 2021

AbstractExpedited conversion by using a catalyst has emerged as one of the most effective methods to suppress the shuttle effects in Li−S batteries. The application of accelerating conversion through bidirectional catalysts to address the adverse effects of the shuttle effect on batteries has caused extensive concern. Here, bimetallic nickel‐cobalt phosphide‐based yolk‐shell spheres loaded on reduced graphene oxide (NiCo2PX/rGO) are designed as bidirectional catalysts, which integrates the merits of NiCo2PX and rGO to facilitate the redox reaction kinetics, resulting in rapid deposition during discharging and fast decomposition during charging of the end products (Li2S). The porous yolk‐shell structure synthesized by the anion exchange method exposes more catalytic sites for massive host‐guest interaction. Based on its unique function and structure, the sulfur cathode with NiCo2PX/rGO delivers a high capacity of 1238.7 mAh g−1 at 0.1 C and maintains a stable discharge capacity of 561.1 mAh g−1 after 400 cycles at 1 C. This study explores the bidirectional catalysis of polysulfides with bimetallic phosphide materials, which provides a new choice for next‐generation lithium‐sulfur batteries.
The conditional distance autocovariance function
Authors: Zhang Qiang , Pan Wenliang , Li Chengwei , Wang Xueqin 
Published: March 2021

AbstractThe partial autocorrelation function (PACF) is often used in time series analysis to identify the extent of the lag in an autoregressive model. However, the PACF is only suitable for detecting linear correlations. This article proposes the conditional distance autocovariance function (CDACF), which is zero if and only if measured time series components are conditionally independent. Due to the lack of this property, traditional tools for measuring partial correlations such as the PACF cannot work well for nonlinear sequences. Based on the CDACF, we introduce a tool known as an integrated conditional distance autocovariance function (ICDACF), which can test conditional temporal dependence structures of a sequence and estimate the order of an autoregressive process. Simulation studies reveal that the ICDACF can detect the conditional dependence of nonlinear autoregressive models efficiently while controlling for type‐I error rates. Finally, an analysis of a Bitcoin price dataset using the ICDACF demonstrates that our method has considerable advantages over other state‐of‐the‐art methods.
Multi‐dimensional instability of electrostatic solitary waves in a warm multi‐ion dust plasma
Authors: Gao Dong‐Ning , Wu Jian‐Peng , Duan Wen‐Shan 
Published: March 2021

AbstractStudy of dust ion acoustic waves in a magnetized dusty plasmas composed of negatively or positively charged static dust, positive and negative ions, as well as kappa distribution electrons is presented. The Zakharov–Kuznetsov (ZK) equation is derived via reductive perturbation technique. The solitary wave solution of ZK equation is given and the multi‐dimensional instability of these solitary waves is investigated via small k perturbation method. The instability criterion and growth rate relying on obliqueness, superthermality, positive ion thermal pressure, relative ion number density, magnetic field strength, and direction cosines are discussed for five cases. The results are beneficial to understand different nonlinear characteristics of unstable electrostatic disturbances in laboratory and space plasmas.
Effects of age, sex, and ENSO phase on foraging and flight performance in Nazca boobies
Authors: Howard Jennifer L. , Tompkins Emily M. , Anderson David J. 
Published: March 2021

AbstractAge‐related changes in survival and reproduction are common in seabirds; however, the underlying causes remain elusive. A lack of experience for young individuals, and a decline in foraging performance for old birds, could underlie age‐related variation in reproduction because reproductive success is connected closely to provisioning offspring. For seabirds, flapping flight during foraging trips is physiologically costly; inexperience or senescent decline in performance of this demanding activity might cap delivery of food to the nest, providing a proximate explanation for poor breeding success in young and old age, respectively. We evaluated the hypothesis that young and old Nazca boobies (Sula granti), a Galápagos seabird, demonstrate deficits in foraging outcomes and flight performance. We tagged incubating male and female adults across the life span with both accelerometer and GPS loggers during the incubation periods of two breeding seasons (years), during the 2015 El Niño and the following weak La Niña. We tested the ability of age, sex, and environment to explain variation in foraging outcomes (e.g., mass gained) and flight variables (e.g., wingbeat frequency). Consistent with senescence, old birds gained less mass while foraging than middle‐aged individuals, a marginal effect, and achieved a slower airspeed late in a foraging trip. Contrary to expectations, young birds showed no deficit in foraging outcomes or flight performance, except for airspeed (contingent on environment). Young birds flew slower than middle‐aged birds in 2015, but faster than middle‐aged birds in 2016. Wingbeat frequency, flap–glide ratio, and body displacement (approximating wingbeat strength) failed to predict airspeed and were unaffected by age. Sex influenced nearly all aspects of performance. Environment affected flight performance and foraging outcomes. Boobies' foraging outcomes were better during the extreme 2015 El Niño than during the 2016 weak La Niña, a surprising result given the negative effects tropical seabirds often experience during extreme El Niños.
An annotated set of audio recordings of Eastern North American birds containing frequency, time, and species information
Authors: Chronister Lauren M. , Rhinehart Tessa A. , Place Aidan , Kitzes Justin 
Published: March 2021

AbstractAcoustic recordings of soundscapes are an important category of audio data that can be useful for answering a variety of questions, and an entire discipline within ecology, dubbed “soundscape ecology,” has risen to study them. Bird sound is often the focus of studies of soundscapes due to the ubiquitousness of birds in most terrestrial environments and their high vocal activity. Autonomous acoustic recorders have increased the quantity and availability of recordings of natural soundscapes while mitigating the impact of human observers on community behavior. However, such recordings are of little use without analysis of the sounds they contain. Manual analysis currently stands as the best means of processing this form of data for use in certain applications within soundscape ecology, but it is a laborious task, sometimes requiring many hours of human review to process comparatively few hours of recording. For this reason, few annotated data sets of soundscape recordings are publicly available. Further still, there are no publicly available strongly labeled soundscape recordings of bird sounds that contain information on timing, frequency, and species. Therefore, we present the first data set of strongly labeled bird sound soundscape recordings under free use license. These data were collected in the Northeastern United States at Powdermill Nature Reserve, Rector, Pennsylvania, USA. Recordings encompass 385 minutes of dawn chorus recordings collected by autonomous acoustic recorders between the months of April through July 2018. Recordings were collected in continuous bouts on four days during the study period and contain 48 species and 16,052 annotations. Applications of this data set may be numerous and include the training, validation, and testing of certain advanced machine‐learning models that detect or classify bird sounds. There are no copyright or propriety restrictions; please cite this paper when using materials within.
Development of an Electrochemical Sensor for Selective Determination of Dopamine Based on Molecularly Imprinted Poly(p‐aminothiophenol) Polymeric Film
Authors: Ermiş Nihal , Tinkiliç Nihat 
Published: March 2021

AbstractIn this study, a molecularly imprinted electrochemical sensor (MIP/DA) was investigated for selective and sensitive determination of dopamine (DA) by electrochemical polymerization of p‐aminothiophenol in the presence of DA on gold electrode. According to electrochemical behaviour of the sensor, gained through cyclic voltammetry (CV) and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), MIP/DA sensor showed distinctive electron transfer characteristics in comparison to the non‐imprinted (NIP/DA) sensor. Besides the MIP/DA sensor showed high selectivity for dopamine through its analyte specific cavities. The sensor had a broad working range of 5.0×10−8–2.0×10−7 M with a limit of detection (LOD) of 1.8×10−8 M and the developed sensor was successfully applied for determination of dopamine in pharmaceutical samples.
Assessment of magnetite as a sediment tracer in the study of ephemeral gully erosion: Application and distribution in the soil
Authors: Zubieta Elena , Larrasoaña Juan C. , Aldaz Alaitz , Casalí Javier , Giménez Rafael 
Published: March 2021

AbstractThere are few works where magnetic tracers are used for the assessment of water erosion, focusing on the traceability of sediments over the soil surface and in small areas (i.e., for laminar erosion survey). The main limitation of magnetic tracers is associated with its preparation and application, as the tracer is typically mixed with a large amount of soil and then spread manually over experimental sites susceptible to erosion. In gully erosion studies, the experimental sites (field areas where a gully is expected to develop) can be quite large. Consequently, the high volume/weight of the material (soil + tracer) to be prepared, transported, and applied renders this technique unfeasible. Moreover, eroded channels can reach a depth of several centimeters, requiring the tracer to be (re)located in the soil profile ideally at this same depth. This work presents a novel technique for the application and distribution of magnetite in the soil profile to track sediments in gully erosion assessments. Experiments were carried out in microplots, where a mixture of magnetite and water was applied over the soil surface using a backpack sprayer. Redistribution of the tracer in the soil profile was carried out with different conventional tillage implements. The control plots were subjected to the same experiments, but using a soil–tracer mixture (conventional technique). The application technique proposed herein enables a correct application of magnetite over large areas, being a promising alternative to the conventional technique. Hoeing tillage implements, such as the rotavator, ensure an approximately homogeneous redistribution of tracer in the soil profile when good soil moisture content is present.
Blockchain‐based privacy‐preserving valet parking for self‐driving vehicles
Authors: Fang Yunyi , Zhao Yanqi , Yu Yong , Zhu Hui , Du Xiaojiang , Guizani Mohsen 
Published: March 2021

AbstractThe valet parking provides convenience for users and thus is becoming increasingly popular nowadays. However, this valet parking service incurs the risks of location information leakage and vehicle theft. To address these issues, in this paper, we propose a blockchain‐based privacy‐preserving valet parking protocol (B‐park) for self‐driving vehicles. The protocol guarantees the privacy of users while providing transparency and auditability of the valet parking service. We define the system model of privacy‐preserving valet parking for self‐driving vehicles in blockchain setting and formalize its security properties including anonymity, conversion blindness, nonframeability, and traceability. We provide a concrete construction of B‐park as well based on a new variant of Pointcheval‐Sanders group signature. Then, we demonstrate that our protocol is secure in the random oracle model. Finally, we evaluate the performance of B‐park to demonstrate its effectiveness and practicability.