bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Fate of selected organic micropollutants during anaerobic sludge digestion
Authors: Hammer Lisann , Palmowski Laurence 
Published: July 2021

AbstractOrganic micropollutants are incompletely removed from wastewater in Water Resource Recovery Facilities using conventional methods and can therefore enter the anaerobic sludge treatment together with primary and secondary sludge. This review compiles literature data on the fate of selected micropollutants (Carbamazepine [CBZ], Diclofenac [DCF], Ibuprofen [IBP], Sulfamethoxazole [SMX], and Triclosan [TCS]) during anaerobic sludge treatment and how the fate is affected by chemical properties, phase distribution and operating conditions.CBZ was found to be persistent to anaerobic degradation in most studies, with some exceptions reporting a degradation efficiency of 60%. Removal efficiencies for DCF, IBP, and TCS varied widely (from no to [very] high removal). For SMX, most studies reported a removal above 80%. A correlation was found between the fate during anaerobic digestion and physicochemical properties (hydrophobicity and molecular structure). Sorption to sludge, affected in some cases by pH changes during digestion, is suggested to reduce bioavailability. IBP and TCS were mainly present in the liquid phase or solid phase, respectively, CBZ and DCF were present in similar proportions in both phases, while statements were contradictory for SMX. Parameters such as temperature and sludge age did not significantly influence the fate of investigated micropollutants during anaerobic digestion.Practitioner points

Most studies report no significant removal of CBZ during anaerobic sludge digestion.
Removal efficiencies of DCF, IBP, and TCS vary from study to study between no removal and high or very high removal. Considering such heterogeneous removal efficiencies, it is recommended to conduct digestion trials to find out in which range the values will be for a specific sludge.
SMX is very highly removed during anaerobic digestion in most studies.
Parameters such as temperature and SRT do not significantly influence the fate of the five investigated micropollutants.
Hydrophobicity, which has some effect on the liquid/solid phase distribution of micropollutants, and molecular structure influence the removal efficiencies.
Drivers for and Barriers to the Cross-border Implementation of the Once-Only Principle
Authors: Leosk Nele , Põder Irma , Schmidt Carsten , Kalvet Tarmo , Krimmer Robert 
Published: July 2021

AbstractThe once-only principle (OOP) aims to reduce interactions between citizens and governments, but many factors challenge its cross-border implementation. Building on the results of the “The Once-Only Principle Project” (TOOP, 2017–2021), an analysis was undertaken of the factors that either support or hinder implementation of the cross-border OOP. Five domains of factors were examined - technological, organizational, institutional aspects, actors and miscellaneous. This research highlights the importance of awareness of the OOP, and its inherent benefits, as a key driver. Also, the activities of supranational entities are of key significance, as it is establishing a critical legal framework. Co-ordination between different levels of government and different countries remains an important barrier. One specific issue discovered and addressed during the project but uncovered here, relates to identity matching, and this requires EU level intervention to reach an effective and efficient solution.
Once-Only Principle Good Practices in Europe
Authors: Wimmer Maria A. 
Published: July 2021

AbstractDigital transformation has become a recent keyword in the evolution of public sector modernization through the once-only principle (OOP). The once-only principle is among the seven driving principles in the eGovernment Action Plan 2016–2020 of the European Commission (EC). It requires that citizens and businesses need not to provide the same data to governments if that data is already in their hands. The ultimate goal of the principle is to reduce administrative burden and to simplify public service provisioning therewith also reducing costs and improving public service. To boost developments towards administrative burden reduction and simplification in public service provisioning, the SCOOP4C project has investigated good practice solutions across Europe. In this contribution, we provide an overview of good practice OOP cases and OOP enablers studied in the project, followed by a synthesis of the benefits and key enablers to boost the OOP implementation across Europe.
Exact 1/N expansion of Wilson loop correlators in $$ \mathcal{N} $$ = 4 Super-Yang-Mills theory
Authors: Mück Wolfgang 
Published: July 2021

AbstractSupersymmetric circular Wilson loops in$$ \mathcal{N} $$N= 4 Super-Yang-Mills theory are discussed starting from their Gaussian matrix model representations. Previous results on the generating functions of Wilson loops are reviewed and extended to the more general case of two different loop contours, which is needed to discuss coincident loops with opposite orientations. A combinatorial formula representing the connected correlators of multiply wound Wilson loops in terms of the matrix model solution is derived. Two new results are obtained on the expectation value of the circular Wilson loop, the expansion of which into a series in 1/Nand to all orders in the ’t Hooft couplingλwas derived by Drukker and Gross about twenty years ago. The connected correlators of two multiply wound Wilson loops with arbitrary winding numbers are calculated as a series in 1/N. The coefficient functions are derived not only as power series inλ, but also to all orders inλby expressing them in terms of the coefficients of the Drukker and Gross series. This provides an efficient way to calculate the 1/Nseries, which can probably be generalized to higher-point correlators.
Cyclotron production of 225Ac from an electroplated 226Ra target
Authors: Nagatsu Kotaro , Suzuki Hisashi , Fukada Masami , Ito Taku , Ichinose Jun , Honda Yoshio , Minegishi Katsuyuki , Higashi Tatsuya , Zhang Ming-Rong 
Published: July 2021

Abstract
Purpose
We demonstrate cyclotron production of high-quality 225Ac using an electroplated 226Ra target.

Methods
226Ra was extracted from legacy Ra sources using a chelating resin. Subsequent ion-exchange purification gave pure 226Ra with a certain amount of carrier Ba. The radium target was prepared by electroplating. We successfully deposited about 37 MBq of 226Ra on a target box. Maximum activation was achieved using 15.6 MeV protons on the target at 20 µA for 5 h. Two functional resins with various concentrations of nitric acid purified 225Ac and recovered 226Ra. Cooling the intermediate 225Ac for 2–3 weeks decayed the major byproduct of 226Ac and increased the radionuclidic purity of 225Ac. Repeating the same separation protocol provided high-quality 225Ac.

Results
We obtained 225Ac at a yield of about 2.4 MBq at the end of bombardment (EOB), and the subsequent initial purification gave 1.7 MBq of 225Ac with 226Ac/225Ac ratio of < 3% at 4 days from EOB. Additional cooling time coupled with the separation procedure (secondary purification) effectively increased the 225Ac (4n + 1 series) radionuclidic purity up to 99 + %. The recovered 225Ac had a similar identification to commercially available 225Ac originating from a 229Th/225Ac generator.

Conclusion
This procedure, which involves the 226Ra(p,2n)225Ac reaction and the appropriate purification, has the potential to be a major alternative pathway for 225Ac production because it can be performed in any facility with a compact cyclotron to address the increasing demand for 225Ac.
Channeling: A Non-pathological Possession and Dissociative Identity Experience or Something Else?
Authors: Pederzoli Luciano , Tressoldi Patrizio , Wahbeh Helané 
Published: July 2021

AbstractChanneling experiences are often compared with Dissociative Trance/Possession Disorders and Dissociative Identity Disorders and more recent diagnostic criteria presented in the DSM 5 and ICD-11. From this comparison, it emerges quite clearly that, for most cases, channeling can either be considered an exceptional non-ordinary mental experience or a non-pathological Dissociative Trance/Possession experience. If this characterization is valid, the next step is to understand the origin of channeling experiences. Are they an expression of channeler’s unconscious or voluntary mental mechanisms, or real connections with “other discarnate entities”? Given their peculiar characteristics, channeling experiences offer a unique opportunity for a scientific investigation and in particular, the origin of the information received by the channelers.
A Generalization of Strassen’s Theorem on Preordered Semirings
Authors: Vrana Péter 
Published: July 2021

AbstractGiven a commutative semiring with a compatible preorder satisfying a version of the Archimedean property, the asymptotic spectrum, as introduced by Strassen (J. reine angew. Math. 1988), is an essentially unique compact Hausdorff space together with a map from the semiring to the ring of continuous functions. Strassen’s theorem characterizes an asymptotic relaxation of the preorder that asymptotically compares large powers of the elements up to a subexponential factor as the pointwise partial order of the corresponding functions, realizing the asymptotic spectrum as the space of monotone semiring homomorphisms to the nonnegative real numbers. Such preordered semirings have found applications in complexity theory and information theory. We prove a generalization of this theorem to preordered semirings that satisfy a weaker polynomial growth condition. This weaker hypothesis does not ensure in itself that nonnegative real-valued monotone homomorphisms characterize the (appropriate modification of the) asymptotic preorder. We find a sufficient condition as well as an equivalent condition for this to hold. Under these conditions the asymptotic spectrum is a locally compact Hausdorff space satisfying a similar universal property as in Strassen’s work.
The “Economic Battle” Now and Then: (E)valuation Patterns of Distributive Justice in Cuban State-Socialism
Authors: Jany Nina 
Published: July 2021

AbstractThis article disentangles and explores some commonly made assumptions about egalitarian state-socialist ideologies. Based on the conceptual framework of the multiprinciple approach of justice, it presents the results of an in-depth analysis of (e)valuation patterns of distributive justice in Cuban state-socialism. The analysis mainly focuses on ideational conceptions of distributive justice (just rewards), but it also accounts for distribution outcomes and resulting (in)equalities (actual rewards). The results of the comparative case study of the Cuban framework of institutions and political leaders’ views in two periods of time, the early 1960s and the 2010s, point to (e)valuation patterns that are generally labelled as egalitarian, such as the allocation rules of outcome equality and (non-functional) needs. However, contrary to common assumptions about egalitarian state-socialist ideologies, the results also point to several other patterns, including equity rules as well as functional and productivist allocation rules. I argue that many of these (e)valuation patterns, in their connection to the discursive storyline of the Cuban economic battle, are indeed compatible with egalitarian state-socialist ideology.
Optimizing bus line platform assignment across bus stations in Utrecht
Authors: ten Bosch Wouter , Hoogeveen J. A. , van Kooten Niekerk Marcel E. 
Published: July 2021

AbstractDue to its increased popularity, public transport has grown considerably, which has resulted in more lines that are operated with higher frequencies. As a result, the current bus stations that are located in strategic places like city centers to serve as a hub are becoming too small. If there is no space to enlarge the station, then usually the best option is to create a second bus station close-by. This raises the problem of distributing the bus lines over the bus stations, such that good connections are offered to transfer passengers. We have considered this problem in the city of Utrecht, which is a middle-sized city in the center of the Netherlands. The central transit hub, which is located next to the central railway station, consists of several separate bus stations. The goal of the research is to minimize the total travel time for all passengers who want to transfer at the hub. Here we are not allowed to adjust the current timetable, and we have to take the capacity and vehicle limitations into account. To find out which journeys are made daily and by how many people we use data from a digital fare system. This results in passenger groups, and for each group we compute the relevant travel options given the current timetable. Thereto, the routes are split into an inbound itinerary, a transfer within the same bus station, and an outbound itinerary; the validity of a travel option depends on the assignment of the bus lines to the bus stations. We decompose the problem into first finding a distribution of the lines over the stations and then assigning them to a platform at the station of choice. In the first subproblem, we find the best set of transfers using Integer Linear Programming (ILP), resulting in a station assignment. In the second subproblem, for each station, we distribute the bus lines over the platforms. In this subproblem, there can be multiple lines assigned to a single platform, as long as there are never more vehicles at the platform simultaneously than physically fit. The goal is to maximize the comfort of the transfer passengers by assigning tight transfers to adjacent platforms; this problem is solved using ILP as well.
Missing value or behaviour: how to increase the signal of social media data
Authors: Mariani Paolo , Marletta Andrea 
Published: July 2021

AbstractSocial media has become a widespread element of people’s everyday life, which is used to communicate and generate contents. Among the several ways to express a reaction to social media contents, the “Likes” are critical. Indeed, they convey preferences, which drive existing markets or allow the creation of new ones. Nevertheless, the appreciation indicators have some complex features, as for example the interpretation of the absence of “Likes”. In this case, the lack of approval may be considered as a specific behaviour. The present study aimed to define whether the absence of Likes may indicate the presence of a specific behaviour through the contextualization of the treatment of missing data applied to real cases. We provided a practical strategy for extracting more knowledge from social media data, whose synthesis raises several measurement problems. We proposed an approach based on the disambiguation of missing data in two modalities: “Dislike” and “Nothing”. Finally, a data pre-processing technique was suggested to increase the signal of social media data.
Temporal Synchrony in Autism: a Systematic Review
Authors: Murat Baldwin Mina , Xiao Zhuoni , Murray Aja 
Published: July 2021

AbstractTemporal synchrony is the alignment of processes in time within or across individuals in social interaction and is observed and studied in various domains using wide-ranging paradigms. Evidence suggesting reduced temporal synchrony in autism (e.g. compared to neurotypicals) has hitherto not been reviewed. To systematically review the magnitude and generalisability of the difference across different tasks and contexts, EBSCO, OVID, Web of Science, and Scopus databases were searched. Thirty-two studies were identified that met our inclusion criteria in audio-visual, audio-motor, visuo-tactile, visuo-motor, social motor, and conversational synchrony domains. Additionally, two intervention studies were included. The findings suggest that autistic participants showed reduced synchrony tendencies in every category of temporal synchrony reviewed. Implications, methodological weaknesses, and evidence gaps are discussed.
Implantable and transcutaneous continuous glucose monitoring system: a randomized cross over trial comparing accuracy, efficacy and acceptance
Authors: Boscari F. , Vettoretti M. , Cavallin F. , Amato A. M. L. , Uliana A. , Vallone V. , Avogaro A. , Facchinetti A. , Bruttomesso D. 
Published: July 2021

Abstract
Aim
To compare accuracy, efficacy and acceptance of implantable and transcutaneous continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) systems.

Methods
In a randomized crossover trial we compared 12 weeks with Eversense implantable sensor (EVS) and 12 weeks with Dexcom G5 transcutaneous sensor (DG5) in terms of accuracy, evaluated as Mean Absolute Relative Difference (MARD) vs capillary glucose (SMBG), time of CGM use, adverse events, efficacy (as HbA1c, time in range, time above and below range) and psychological outcomes evaluated with Diabetes Treatment Satisfaction Questionnaire (DTSQ), Glucose Monitoring Satisfaction Survey (GMSS), Hypoglycemia Fear Survey (HFS2), Diabetes Distress Scale (DDS).

Results
16 subjects (13 males, 48.8 ± 10.1 years, HbA1c 55.8 ± 7.9 mmol/mol, mean ± SD) completed the study. DG5 was used more than EVS [percentage of use 95.7 ± 3.6% vs 93.5 ± 4.3% (p = 0.02)]. MARD was better with EVS (12.2 ± 11.5% vs. 13.1 ± 14.7%, p< 0.001). No differences were found in HbA1c. While using EVS time spent in range increased and time spent in hyperglycemia decreased, but these data were not confirmed by analysis of retrofitted data based on SMBG values. EVS reduced perceived distress, without significant changes in other psychological outcomes.

Conclusions
CGM features may affect glycemic control and device acceptance.
Clinical, biochemical and genetic findings in adult patients with chronic hypophosphatasemia
Authors: Guarnieri V. , Sileri F. , Indirli R. , Guabello G. , Longhi M. , Dito G. , Verdelli C. , Corbetta S. 
Published: July 2021

Abstract
Purpose
The study aimed to define the clinical, biochemical and genetic features of adult patients with osteopenia/osteoporosis and/or bone fragility and low serum alkaline phosphatase (sALP).

Methods
Twenty-two patients with at least two sALP values below the reference range were retrospectively enrolled after exclusion of secondary causes. Data about clinical features, mineral and bone markers, serum pyridoxal-5’-phosphate (PLP), urine phosphoethanolamine (PEA), lumbar and femur bone densitometry, and column X-ray were collected. Peripheral blood DNA of each participant was analyzed to detect ALPL gene anomalies.

Results
Pathogenic ALPL variants (pALPL) occurred in 23% and benign variants in 36% of patients (bALPL), while nine patients harbored wild-type alleles (wtALPL). Fragility fractures and dental anomalies were more frequent in patients harboring pALPL and bALPL than in wtALPL patients. Of note, wtALPL patients comprised women treated with tamoxifen for hormone-sensitive breast cancer. Mineral and bone markers were similar in the three groups. Mean urine PEA levels were significantly higher in patients harboring pALPL than those detected in patients harboring bALPL and wtALPL; by contrast, serum PLP levels were similar in the three groups. A 6-points score, considering clinical and biochemical features, was predictive of pALPL detection [P = 0.060, OR 1.92 (95% CI 0.972, 3.794)], and more significantly of pALPL or bALPL [P = 0.025, OR 14.33 (95% CI 1.401, 14.605)].

Conclusion
In osteopenic/osteoporotic patients, single clinical or biochemical factors did not distinguish hypophosphatasemic patients harboring pALPL or bALPL from those harboring wtALPL. Occurrence of multiple clinical and biochemical features is predictive of ALPL anomalies, and, therefore, they should be carefully identified. Tamoxifen emerged as a hypophosphatasemic drug.
Ruin problems for epidemic insurance
Authors: Lefèvre Claude , Simon Matthieu 
Published: July 2021

AbstractThe paper discusses the risk of ruin in insurance coverage of an epidemic in a closed population. The model studied is an extended susceptible–infective–removed (SIR) epidemic model built by Lefèvre and Simon (Methodology Comput. Appl. Prob.22, 2020) as a block-structured Markov process. A fluid component is then introduced to describe the premium amounts received and the care costs reimbursed by the insurance. Our interest is in the risk of collapse of the corresponding reserves of the company. The use of matrix-analytic methods allows us to determine the distribution of ruin time, the probability of ruin, and the final amount of reserves. The case where the reserves are subjected to a Brownian noise is also studied. Finally, some of the results obtained are illustrated for two particular standard SIR epidemic models.
Perceived beneficiaries and support for the globalization of higher education: a survey experiment on attitudes toward international students
Authors: Gift Thomas , Lastra-Anadón Carlos X. 
Published: July 2021

AbstractForeign students are one of the most significant immigrant categories in many North American and Western European countries. Yet, as their numbers have swelled, many governments have experienced increasing pressures to cap their entry. This is true despite the sizable benefits that foreign students bring to host countries, and despite standard political economy concerns about immigrants—that they take away jobs or abuse public entitlements—not applying to foreign students. We field a nationally-representative survey experiment in the UK, one of the top destinations for foreign students, to examine potential activators of public support for capping the number of foreign students. Results show that support for caps is most activated when citizens are primed to think about foreign students competing with domestic students for scarce admissions slots at universities.
Factors preventing SARS-CoV-2 transmission during unintentional exposure in a GP practice: a cohort study of patient contacts; Germany, 2020
Authors: Boender T. Sonia , Bender Jennifer K. , Krüger Angelika , Michaelis Kai , Buchholz Udo 
Published: July 2021

Abstract
Two general practitioners (GPs) with SARS-CoV-2 infection provided in-person patient care to patients of their joint medical practice before and after symptom onset, up until SARS-CoV-2 laboratory confirmation. Through active contact tracing, the local public health authorities recruited the cohort of patients that had contact with either GP in their putative infectious period. In this cohort of patient contacts, we assess the frequency and determinants of SARS-CoV-2-transmission from GPs to patients. We calculated incidence rate ratios (IRR) to explore the type of contact as an explanatory variable for COVID-19 cases. Among the cohort of 83 patient contacts, we identified 22 (27%) COVID-19 cases including 17 (21%) possible, three (4%) probable and two (2%) confirmed cases. All 22 cases had contact with a GP when the GP did not wear a mask, and/or when contact was ≥10 min. Importantly, patients who had contact <10 min with a GP wearing a facemask were at reduced risk (IRR 0.21; 95% CI 0.01–0.99) of COVID-19. This outbreak investigation adds to the body of evidence in supporting current guidelines on measures at preventing the transmission of SARS-CoV-2 in an outpatient setting.