bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Comparative adsorption of selected pesticides from aqueous solutions by activated carbon and biochar
Authors: Kalsoom Kalsoom , Khan Zar Ali , Khan Sardar , Muhammad Nisar , Jabeen Fariha , Ziad Muhammad , Khan Afsar 
Published: October 2024

ABSTRACT

This work aimed to determine activated carbon (AC) and hard wood derived biochar (BC) adsorption capacity for the uptake of four pesticides atrazine, chlorothalanil, α-endosulfan and β-endosulfan from aqueous solution by conducting batch experiments under different experimental conditions. Structural properties of AC and BC were determined through ‘SEM (Scanning Electron Microscope), FTIR (Fourier Transform Infrared Spectrometer) and XRD (X-ray Powder Diffraction Spectroscopy)’. The optimized pH, particle size, contact time, agitation speed and initial pesticides concentration for the maximum adsorption rates were found to be 7, 250 μm, 60 min, 180 rpm and 12 μgL−¹ respectively. Pesticides adsorption were enhanced by increasing pH to 7 while slight decrease were noted when pH increases from 7 to 9. The adsorption equilibrium data were well described by the Langmuir isotherm model having a significant correlation coefficient value from 0.9999 to 1. Adsorption kinetic data were well fitted with the Lagergren's Pseudo-Second-Order kinetic model. The standard Gibb's free energy (ΔG) negative value at every temperature shows the practicability and spontaneity of the adsorption process. While the negative value for enthalpy change (ΔH) indicated the collective impact of exothermic adsorptions process with randomness intensifying due to positive entropy change.
Challenges and opportunities for enhancing groundwater data access and usability in low- and middle-income countries: insights and recommendations from WaSH researchers and practitioners
Authors: Gregory Allison , Kelly Emma , Landa Silvia , Muthike Denis M. , Samo June , Lopez Jason , Burrows Geraint , McManus Catherine , Sobsey Mark D. , Salzberg Aaron , Cronk Ryan 
Published: October 2024

ABSTRACT
Groundwater provides more than half of all water for drinking and irrigation worldwide. Monitoring and managing groundwater resources is essential to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals. However, groundwater resources need to be better monitored. We explored practical approaches to improve groundwater monitoring for informed decision-making, focusing on low- and middle-income country settings. Case studies from a 2023 UNC Water and Health Conference side event highlighted innovative approaches, including open-source data modeling, groundwater monitoring in humanitarian contexts, and using in situ sensors to monitor drought resilience. The case studies described field data integration, remote sensing, and technology (e.g., Modflow-USG, ModelMuse, Drought Resilience Impact Platform). Barriers to groundwater data use were identified by side event participants, including inadequate data access, insufficient collaboration and leadership, and challenges in integrating diverse data and technology. Side event recommendations included creating a central groundwater monitoring data repository, building greater hydrogeology capacity in the WaSH sector, and increasing funding for data collection and monitoring. We urge government leaders to develop regulations and build internal capacity for sustainable groundwater management. This comprehensive approach aims to address challenges and promote informed decision-making for the long-term sustainability of groundwater resources.
Electrical stimulation improves the efficiency of treating typical reclaimed water in biofilters
Authors: Han Xuwei , Wang Li , Wang Jin 
Published: October 2024

ABSTRACT

To conduct advanced treatment on reclaimed water with a low C/N ratio and a low content of biodegradable organic matter, this paper established an biofilter-microbial electrolysis cell (BF-MEC). Through two-stage influent, the influence of electrical stimulation and electrochemical structure on the nitrogen and carbon removal of the system was explored, and the following results were obtained. The optimal externally applied voltage for the BF-MEC system is 0.55 V. The optimal structure of the BF-MEC system is an electrode spacing of 100 mm, and the optimal electrode position is when the electrode is located at the bottom of the system. Compared with the BF system, in the first stage, the removal rates of chemical oxygen demand, total ammonia nitrogen (TAN), and total nitrogen (TN) in the optimal structure BF-MEC system are increased by 13.4, 118.1, and 273.65%, respectively. In the second stage, COD, TAN, and TN removal rates are increased by up to 277.98, 115, and 722.98%, respectively. The optimal electrode position is when the electrode is located at the lower part of the system. At this time, the microbial community is more abundant, the microbial activity and lifespan are longer, and the system efficiency is optimal.
Simulation of quantum states in solid-state ferromagnetic nanostructures
Authors: Rodionova A. A. , Filippov V. V. 
Published: October 2024

Purpose of the article. Identification and analysis of mathematical expressions for the energy spectrum of charge carriers in nano-sized magnetic films of nickel and Ni-Cu (substrate), as well as NiO-Ni-Cu (substrate) structures.Methods. In this work, based on basic quantum mechanical concepts and taking into account the boundary conditions for coupled quantum wells, expressions for the energy spectrum of electrons are obtained. The ferrimagnetic properties of nickel are taken into account through the effective mass value. The solution of nonlinear equations that determine discrete energy levels was achieved by numerical methods using the Mathcad mathematical package.Results. Transcendental expressions for the energies of free charge carriers in quantum wells of ferromagnetic nickel films are obtained, and the influence of the position of nickel on the copper substrate is shown. It has been shown that the use of a copper substrate leads to an increase in the density of energy levels in the nickel nanofilm. The influence of the oxide layer on single-electron states in nanofilms of nickel and its oxide is considered within the framework of the Anderson model. Based on the numerical solution of the transcendental equations obtained in the work, the influence of the ratio of the thicknesses of a ferromagnetic metal and its oxide on the energy levels of electrons localized in the oxide layer is shown.Conclusions. The formulas presented in the work for the energy spectrum take into account the energy relief of a complex quantum well, the dimensions of the film, surface oxide, and the significant effective mass in the region of the ferromagnetic film. It has been shown that an increase in the effective mass in magnetic heterostructures leads to an increase in the electron density of states. It was found that the density of electronic states in the region of surface nickel oxide is practically independent of the thickness of the nickel film. The results and conclusions of the work can be used for theoretical prediction of the physical properties of magnetic nanostructures, in particular spintronic elements.
Photophoresis of a moderately large high-viscosity droplet in slip mode
Authors: Malai N. V. , Sohan P. V. , Shostak Yu. I. 
Published: October 2024

Purpose of research. To obtain analytical expressions that allow calculating the strength and velocity of a moderately large, highly viscous droplet, taking into account the direct contribution of the evaporation coefficient, linear corrections by the Knudsen number and the reactive effect of a plane wave moving in the field of mono-chromatic radiationMethods. Methods of perturbation theory, gas kinetic methods, mathematical methods for solving linear partial differential equations with variable coefficients (the system of Stokes equations, Laplace and Poisson equations) were used.Results. In a quasi-stationary approximation, a theoretical description of the photophoretic motion of a moderately large evaporating highly viscous spherical droplet (there is no circulation of matter inside the droplet and interfacial surface tension forces) in a viscous binary gas mixture is carried out. A velocity-linearized system of Navi-Stokes equations and heat and mass transfer was solved. Expressions are obtained for the fields of mass velocity, pressure, temperature and the relative numerical concentration of the first component. The strength and speed of photophoresis of a highly viscous droplet was determined by integrating a stress tensor over the surface of the particle. Under boundary conditions on the surface of a highly viscous droplet, linear corrections in terms of the Knudsen number (isothermal, thermal and diffusion slips, temperature and concentration jumps, as well as sliding due to temperature inhomogeneity along the curved surface of the particle), the reactive effect and the contribution of the direct influence of the evaporation coefficient were taken into account. The contributions to the obtained formulas for the photophoresis of a moderately large highly viscous droplet are analyzed and the preliminary transitions to the results known in the literature (moderately large and large solid particles of spherical shape) are considered Conclusion. The obtained formulas based on the hydrodynamic method allow us to evaluate the effect of the direct contribution of the evaporation coefficient and linear corrections by the Knudsen number on the strength and speed of photophoresis of a moderately large evaporating highly viscous droplet in a binary gas mixture.
Density, thermal expansion, dynamic viscosity of halogenated arenes
Authors: Gromkov A. S. , Ignatenko N. M. , Melnikov G. A. , Suchilkin V. V. , Manzhos O. A. 
Published: October 2024

Purpose. Experimental study of the density, thermal expansion and dynamic viscosity of halogenated arenes at temperatures from 293.15 to 343.15 K and atmospheric pressure 97.992 kPa.Methods. Density was determined by the pycnometric method, viscosity by the capillary method. A quartz pycnometer type PZh2 with a nominal capacity of 10 ml and a glass capillary viscometer type VPZh-2 with a nominal capillary diameter of 0.34 mm were used. The mass of liquids was measured using an electronic scale VSL-200/0.1A with a division value of 0.0001 g. Numerical methods were used to process the experimental results.Results. Experimental data were obtained on the density, coefficient of volumetric thermal expansion and dynamic viscosity of liquid o-xylene, ethylbenzene, fluorobenzene, chlorobenzene, bromobenzene, toluene, o-fluorotoluene, mfluorotoluene, p-fluorotoluene, o-chlorotoluene, m-chlorotoluene, p-chlorotoluene, 2,4-dichlorotoluene, 2,6-dichlorotoluene. Density and dynamic viscosity data are approximated by a third-degree polynomial. Data on the coefficient of volumetric thermal expansion are obtained from approximated measured density data. The maximum estimate of the measurement error for density was 0.13 %, for dynamic viscosity – 3.5 %. The maximum calculation error for the coefficient of thermal expansion is estimated at 3 %.Conclusion. Mathematical processing of the obtained experimental data on density and dynamic viscosity made it possible to obtain analytical relations in the form of power polynomials that allow calculating the values of these quantities at any temperature from the studied temperature range and atmospheric pressure with an error not exceeding the error of experimental determination. The calculated values are in good agreement with the data provided in the reference and scientific literature. The experimental data obtained complement the information on the properties of some of the liquids under consideration, for which the dependences of density and viscosity on temperature are poorly understood. The substances under study are used in various sectors of the economy and are therefore technically important liquids. The measurement results can be used in condensed matter physics, for the analysis of liquid hydrocarbons, and can be useful in the chemical industry.
The influence of anisotropy on the character of hardening in additive high-strength alloys
Authors: Chukanov A. N. , Korotkov V. A. , Yakovenko A. A. , Tsoi E. V. , Frolov A. A. 
Published: October 2024

The purpose of this work is to establish the dependence of the coefficients of planar anisotropy on the intensity of localized deformations in various loading ranges of transverse and longitudinal sections of samples of heat-resistant powder alloy Inconel 718 manufactured using SLM technology. The role of technological anisotropy of samples characteristic of SLM technology and its effect on the hardening of Inconel 718 alloy products is evaluated. Methods. To achieve this goal, the deformation diagrams of Inconel 718 powder alloy samples manufactured using SLM technology, measured during their stretching according to GOST 11701-84, were analyzed. Flat samples with a dividing grid applied to their surface were subjected to loading. During the tests, localized deformation of the samples in different sections was determined by measuring the geometry of the images of the dividing grid. A specially developed photo and video recording technology was used to capture these images. Results. The statistical analysis of the type and parameters of the deformation diagrams made it possible to determine the nature of changes in the intensity of stresses and deformations of the samples of the studied material. The linear character of its tensile hardening in the region of small values of strain intensity and the power-law character of hardening in the range of strain intensity from 0.03 to 0.17 were established. Conclusion. A significant effect of the technological anisotropy of Inconel 718 heat-resistant powder alloy samples obtained using SLM technology on the intensity of deformations is shown. The necessity of taking this fact into account in the development of technological processes for the production of responsible products from the studied material has been revealed.
Influence of Avatar Identification on the Attraction of Virtual Reality Games: Survey Study
Authors: Li PengFei , Qi Fa , Ye Zhihai 
Published: October 2024

Background
In gaming, the embodied interaction experience of avatars serves as a key to emotional sublimation in artistic creation. This presents the emotional expression of art in a more vivid form, which is a critical factor in the high attractiveness of virtual reality (VR) games to players. Intertwined with players’ physiological and psychological responses, immersion is an essential element for enhancing gaming attractiveness.

Objective
This study aims to explore how to help players establish a sense of identity with their embodied avatars in VR game environments and enhance the attractiveness of games to players through the mediating effect of immersion.

Methods
We conducted a structured questionnaire survey refined through repeated validation. A total of 402 VR users were publicly recruited through the internet from March 22, 2024, to April 13, 2024. Statistical analysis was conducted using the SPSS and Amos tools, including correlation analysis, regression analysis, and mediation effect verification. We divided the self-differentiation theory into 4 dimensions to validate their impact on avatar identification. Subsequently, we correlated the effects of avatar identification, game immersion, and game attractiveness and proposed a hypothetical mediating model.

Results
Regression analysis of the predictor variables and the dependent variable indicated a significant positive predictive effect (P<.001); the variance inflation factor values for each independent variable were all <5. In the hypothesis testing of the mediating effect, the total mediating effect was significant (P<.001). Regarding the direct impact, both the effect of avatar identification on immersion and the effect of immersion on game attractiveness were significant (P<.001). However, the direct effect of avatar identification on game attractiveness was not significant (P=.28). Regarding the indirect impact, the effect of avatar identification on game attractiveness was significant (P<.001). The results indicate a significant positive correlation between different dimensions of the self-differentiation theory and identification with avatars. Moreover, immersion in the game fully mediated the relationship between identification with avatars and game attractiveness.

Conclusions
This study underscores that the embodiment of avatar identification is influenced by dimensions of self-differentiation, and the impact of identification with avatars on game attractiveness is contingent upon full mediation by immersion. These findings deepen our understanding of the role of avatar identification in VR gaming.
Audit Firm Quality Controls: The Case of Marcum LLP
Authors: Keyser John D. , Skomra Piotr A. 
Published: October 2024

ABSTRACT
Marcum LLP has grown organically and through acquisitions/mergers with other accounting firms. It experienced exponential growth from 2021 to 2023, benefiting from investors’ increased interest in special purpose acquisition companies (SPACs). The rapid growth of Marcum LLP coupled with preexisting deficiencies in the firm’s quality control procedures resulted in numerous violations of auditing standards and PCAOB professional standards. This case study is designed for use in the undergraduate or graduate audit classroom to examine quality controls at accounting firms and related ethical issues. After completing this case study, students will be able to apply auditing standards to identify deficiencies in the firm’s system of quality control as required by the AICPA quality framework and assess the consequences of the failure to design and maintain such a system. They will also be able to evaluate the responsibility of individuals within the organization for the effectiveness of a firm’s quality control.
JEL Classifications: M42.
Formas de tratamento em PEC em debates eleitorais – observações sobre 29 debates televisivos das legislativas 2022
Authors: Faria Marcela 
Published: October 2024

As FT são, em PE, em termos gerais e por várias razões, “um item de efetiva dificuldade” (Duarte, 2010, p. 133). Especificamente, no que toca ao seu uso num contexto de debate político (eleitoral), são, sobretudo, olhadas sob o ponto de vista da cortesia e das leituras pragmáticas geradas. Com o intuito de contribuirmos tanto para os estudos diacrónicos sobre FT como para as reflexões sobre cortesia no discurso de combate político, atentamos nas formas produzidas em 29 debates das legislativas de 2022. Entendemos que a sincronia e a dimensão do corpus permitem uma espécie de ponto de situação do uso das FT no contexto de debate político eleitoral. Quantitativamente, destacamos as ocorrências de sujeito nulo e o uso de fórmulas tipicamente delocutivas (cf. Carreira, 1997) como direção direta ao interlocutor e, simultaneamente, referência delocutiva. Qualitativamente, sublinhamos a ausência, por parte dos moderadores, de produções de formas com títulos académicos (em oposição ao que tradicionalmente sucedia), e destacamos as ocorrências, por parte dos debatentes, de vocês e você e, com alguma surpresa, de formas do paradigma de 2PS (tu, ti, teus, tuas), admitindo que tais produções possam surgir de uma atribuição de menor formalidade à situação, resultado de mudanças sociais (cf. entre outros, Gouveia, 2008; Lara-Bermejo, 2021).
Bioimpedance assessment of body composition in the first adulthood period of somatic types residing in highland
Authors: Kozuev Kadyr , Tulekeev Toktogazy , Dzholdubaev Sagynbek , Toichieva Zarina , Abdullaeva Zhypargul 
Published: October 2024

Abstract
The current stage of development of medical science is characterized by growing interest in constitutional typology and clinical anthropology. The anatomical-anthropological approach is an integrative technique of biology and medicine that allows us to determine the criteria for normality and pathology of a person. Purpose of the study: comparative bioimpedance assessment of somatic types of body component composition among the first mature age period people residing in highland. Study design: a comparative bioimpedance assessment of body types according to the Heath and Carter’s scheme was performed to identify somatic types and body weight composition in healthy men of the 1st adulthood period living in high mountains (2469–3325 m above sea level). Somatotypical features of body composition have been established. An intertype and correlation analysis of body composition was conducted in individuals with different body types. Results: comparative bioimpedance and correlation analyses revealed differences in body composition indicators depending on population, age, body types and living conditions. Conclusion: mesoectomorphy, balanced ectomorphic, central and meso-endo types prevailed among the somatotype subgroups.
Effect of body orientation and joint movement on local bioimpedance measurements
Authors: Abie Sisay Mebre , de Román Alejandro Ortega , Hou Jie 
Published: October 2024

Abstract
The purpose of this pilot study was to determine if body orientation, skin treatment, joint angle, and shoulder arch movements affect localized bioimpedance spectroscopy (BIS) measurement. Nowadays, there are various wearable and portable impedance measurement tools in different shapes and sizes. Therefore, the body position and orientation of the subject during measurement may be of great importance for the comparability of the results. Ultrasound machine was used to measure the thickness of the skin layers and then bioimpedance measurements were performed for ten young men (age=23 ± 5) at room temperature (22°C) for different body orientations, skin treatments, joint angle, and shoulder arch movements. The results were analyzed using statistical methods and graphical presentation using Python and MatLab. Our observations indicate that there is a significant difference between standing straight up, supine and sitting positions. The results show that there is a significant difference between the two skin treatments (alcohol vs tape stripping). Moreover, joint angle and shoulder arch movements also have an impact on the impedance data. Therefore, to be able to control these factors can potentially improve the quality and comparability of the measured impedance data.