bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Enhancing Mechanical Properties of Cast Ingot Al6061 Alloy Using ECAP Process
Authors: Tolcha Mesay Alemu , Gebrehiwot Tensay Mitikneh , Lemu Hirpa Gelgele 
Published: September 2024

AbstractGrain refinement and mechanical property enhancement of cast ingot aluminum 6061 alloy were achieved using equal-channel angular pressing (ECAP) at room temperature, employing route A and route R types. Analytical, finite element and experimental methods were utilized to investigate the alloy’s deformation behavior under the ECAP process. The tensile tests conducted at room temperature demonstrated a significant increase in strength with an increasing number of pressings, reaching 44.23, 53.19, and 56.7% for 1-pass, route A, and route R types 2-passes of the ECAP process, respectively. However, ductility, as indicated by elongation, gradually decreased after the first pressing. Electron backscatter diffraction was employed to reveal submicrometer grain sizes resulting from the ECAP process. The grain structure showed substantial improvement under route A and route R types at a 2-passes ECAP process. Wear tests conducted under loads of 10 and 25 N showed an increase in the coefficient of friction within the minimum wear loss intervals. Rockwell hardness also exhibited a significant increase of 119.3, 176.3, and 164.8% at 1-pass and 2-passes using routes R and A, respectively. As part of the evaluation, analytical models were computed using Python, and finite element simulations were performed using ABAQUS software. The results from analytical and finite element simulations demonstrated good agreement with the experimental data.
Standard operating procedure (SOP) for cervical ultrasound cine loop video sequences in the follow-up of differentiated thyroid carcinoma (DTC)
Authors: Sopuschek Marc-Patrick , Freesmeyer Martin , Winkens Thomas , Kühnel Christian , Petersen Manuela , Gühne Falk , Werner Anke , Seifert Philipp 
Published: September 2024

Abstract

Rationale and objectives
Cervical ultrasound (US) is crucial in the follow-up of differentiated thyroid cancer (DTC). However, there are no guidelines for its acquisition and documentation, particularly concerning the role of additional video sequences, known as US cine loops (UCL). The aim of this study is to examine the clinical relevance (CR) of a new Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for cervical UCL in DTC follow-up.

Materials and methods
A retrospective analysis was conducted on all UCL examinations of DTC follow-up patients at a tertiary care center between January 2010 and February 2018 to determine their clinical significance. The patients were divided into two groups: those with no documented CR (UCL-nCR) and those with documented CR (UCL-CR). The study reviewed the respective written medical US reports that were validated by experienced residents. The UCL-CR were categorized in: confirmation of a suspicious finding that was identified during conventional live US (UCL-CRcon), identification of a suspicious finding that was not identified during conventional live US (UCL-CRide), and invalidation of a suspicious finding that was identified during conventional live US (UCL-CRinv).

Results
A total of 5512 UCLs in 652 DTC patients were analyzed, with 71.5% women and a mean age of 50 years. More than 90% of the tumors were low-risk at initial staging. The mean number of UCLs per patient was 8.5 ± 4.6. Overall, 95 cases of UCL-CR were identified in 82 patients (12.6%), with a patient-based number needed to scan of 8. UCL-CRinv was the most common type of UCL-CR, accounting for 77 (81.1%) of cases. The occurrences of 12 UCL-CRcon (12.6%) and 6 UCL-CRide (6.3%) were correspondingly less frequent. The diagnosis of UCL-CR was confirmed in 91.6% of cases during the clinical course.

Conclusions
In 12.6% of the patients, the additional acquisition and archiving of cervical UCL revealed clinical relevance in the course of DTC disease. The invalidation of suspicious findings through the retrospective analysis of former UCL occurred as the most significant benefit of this method. The UCL SOP can be easily and quickly integrated into the US workflow.
Determination of Some Element’s Migrants in Aqueous Simulant from Plastic Food Contact Products by Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometer
Authors: Ghuniem Mahmoud M. 
Published: September 2024

AbstractVarious chemicals present at different stages in the food supply chain can lead to the leaching of heavy metals. These metals can accumulate in the human body through the consumption of contaminated food. Consequently, it is necessary to validate an analytical technique for the quantification chemical that could contaminate food. This study presents a rapid, straightforward, and efficient analytical method for the direct quantification of some potentially toxic elements in aqueous simulants from plastic food contact products using an inductively coupled mass spectrometer (ICP-MS). The method’s validation encompassed the study of the estimated detection limits, practical quantification limits, linearity, accuracy, and measurement uncertainty of aluminium (Al), antimony (Sb), arsenic (As), cadmium (Cd), chromium (Cr), cobalt (Co), copper (Cu), iron (Fe), lead (Pb), manganese (Mn), nickel (Ni), and zinc (Zn) under optimized ICP-MS conditions. The estimated detection limits ranged from 7.5 × 10−4 to 0.074 mg/kg, while practical quantification limits spanned from 0.02 to 0.8 mg/kg. The average recoveries ± standard deviations at different spiking levels were varied between 85.7 ± 1.51 and 115.6 ± 0.88% with coefficients of variation between 0.42 and 5.85%. The method trueness was verified by using references materials (test material in aqueous acetic acid) purchased from Food Chemistry Proficiency Testing and Analysis (FAPAS) yielding satisfactory results within acceptable recovery and Z-score values. The method precision, in terms of relative standard deviation (RSD), was being below 4.22%. The method uncertainty expressed as expanded uncertainty of all validated elements was found to be ≤ 21.9%. Validated method was employed to determine specific elements in aqueous simulants of thirty commercial plastic food packaging samples, representing three distinct types of plastic polymers. The results showed that the mean concentrations, in mg/kg, were as follows: 2.04 (Al), 0.02 (As), 0.02 (Cd), 0.02 (Co), 0.06 (Cr), 0.41 (Cu), 1.55 (Fe), 0.09 (Mn), 0.15 (Ni), 0.07 (Pb), 0.05 (Sb), and 0.81 (Zn). Furthermore, 30% of analyzed samples exceeding the maximum permissible limits of Al for plastic materials and articles intended to come into contact with food.
Differential effects of increasing temperature on the germination of five wild species with varying range sizes in a Carrara marble quarry
Authors: Fanfarillo Emanuele , Bonini Ilaria , Castagnini Paolo , Fiaschi Tiberio , Maccherini Simona , Magrini Sara , Zangari Giulio , Angiolini Claudia 
Published: September 2024

AbstractAssessing the performance of spontaneous plants in abandoned quarries under future environmental scenarios is important for successful restoration practises. Air warming is one of the most relevant ongoing climatic changes in the Mediterranean. We tested the effects of increasing temperature on the germination of five species spontaneously colonising the abandoned sectors of a Carrara marble quarry (Tuscany, central Italy). We selected five plant species with different widths of their distribution range, from local endemic to invasive alien: Santolina pinnata, Globularia incanescens, Hypericum coris, Helichrysum italicum, and Buddleja davidii. Seeds were collected in situ and their germination was tested in laboratory conditions at 10, 15, 20, 25, and 30 °C. The effects of temperature and species on germination percentage (GP) and mean germination time (MGT) were tested through two-way ANOVA. Increasing temperatures negatively affected the GP of S. pinnata and H. coris. G. incanescens performed better at intermediate temperatures, whilst H. italicum benefited from increasing temperatures. B. davidii showed a similar high GP under all the treatments. MGT decreased with increasing temperature for all the species, except for S. pinnata, which showed an increase of MGT with increasing temperature. We highlighted that, under future warmer climatic conditions, the two endemic species will be disadvantaged with respect to the species with a wider distribution range and the non-native species in the studied quarry. This evidence is relevant for restoration planning since seeding the two endemic species could be unsuccessful under future environmental scenarios, when H. italicum and B. davidii will be more competitive in the colonisation of the quarry.
3D Printing of Periodic Porous Metamaterials for Tunable Electromagnetic Shielding Across Broad Frequencies
Authors: Lv Qinniu , Peng Zilin , Pei Haoran , Zhang Xinxing , Chen Yinghong , Zhang Huarong , Zhu Xu , Wu Shulong 
Published: September 2024

AbstractThe new-generation electronic components require a balance between electromagnetic interference shielding efficiency and open structure factors such as ventilation and heat dissipation. In addition, realizing the tunable shielding of porous shields over a wide range of wavelengths is even more challenging. In this study, the well-prepared thermoplastic polyurethane/carbon nanotubes composites were used to fabricate the novel periodic porous flexible metamaterials using fused deposition modeling 3D printing. Particularly, the investigation focuses on optimization of pore geometry, size, dislocation configuration and material thickness, thus establishing a clear correlation between structural parameters and shielding property. Both experimental and simulation results have validated the superior shielding performance of hexagon derived honeycomb structure over other designs, and proposed the failure shielding size (Df ≈λ/8 − λ/5) and critical inclined angle (θf ≈43° − 48°), which could be used as new benchmarks for tunable electromagnetic shielding. In addition, the proper regulation of the material thickness could remarkably enhance the maximum shielding capability (85 − 95 dB) and absorption coefficient A (over 0.83). The final innovative design of the porous shielding box also exhibits good shielding effectiveness across a broad frequency range (over 2.4 GHz), opening up novel pathways for individualized and diversified shielding solutions.
Numerical analysis of X-ray multilayer Fresnel zone plates with high aspect ratios
Authors: Zhang Lingyun , Gao Yazeng , Ming Shuaiqiang , Lu Weier , Xia Yang 
Published: September 2024

Abstract
A partition calculation method (PCM) for calculating the diffraction efficiency of multilayer Fresnel zone plate with high aspect ratio is proposed. In contrast to the traditional theory, PCM designs and evaluates Fresnel zone plate (FZP) considering material pairs, all zone widths, thicknesses and X-ray energy more completely. The results obtained through PCM are validated by comparing them with the complex amplitude superposition theory and coupled wave theory numerical results. The PCM satisfies the requirements of the theoretical investigation of FZP with small outermost zone width (drN) and large thickness (t). Combining proper numerical analysis with the experimental conditions will present a great potential to break through the imaging performance of X-ray microscopy.
Solution-based biophysical characterization of conformation change in structure-switching aptamers
Authors: Eisen Sophie R. , Dauphin-Ducharme Philippe , Johnson Philip E. 
Published: September 2024

Abstract
Structure-switching aptamers have become ubiquitous in several applications, notably in analytical devices such as biosensors, due to their ease of supporting strong signaling. Aside from their ability to bind specifically with their respective target, this class of aptamers also undergoes a conformational rearrangement upon target recognition. While several well-studied and early-developed aptamers (e.g., cocaine, ATP, and thrombin) have been found to have this structure-switching property, the vast majority do not. As a result, it is common to try to engineer aptamers into switches. This proves challenging in part because of the difficulty in obtaining structural and functional information about aptamers. In response, we review various readily available biophysical characterization tools that are capable of assessing structure switching of aptamers. In doing so, we delve into the fundamentals of these different techniques and detail how they have been utilized in characterizing structure-switching aptamers. While each of these biophysical techniques alone has utility, their real power to demonstrate the occurrence of structural change with ligand binding is when multiple techniques are used. We hope that through a deeper understanding of these techniques, researchers will be better able to acquire biophysical information about their aptamer–ligand systems and accelerate the translation of aptamers into biosensors.
Coherence of Compressional Pc3‐4 Pulsation Driven by Upstream Waves in Topside Ionosphere Observed by the Swarm Constellation
Authors: Xu Chunyu , Lühr Hermann , Xiong Chao , Wang Fengjue , Zhou Yunliang 
Published: September 2024

AbstractIn this study, we presented a detailed analysis of ultralow frequency compressional waves with frequencies ranging from 16 to 100 mHz by using magnetic measurements of Swarm A and B, when the two spacecraft were flying in a counter‐rotating configuration. These waves are assumed to be driven by processes in the fore‐shock region and subsequently termed as upstream waves (UWs). An automatic detection algorithm for identifying UW events has been developed and applied to the Swarm magnetic measurements. Different to previous studies we take advantage of the counter‐rotating Swarm constellation to investigate the large‐scale homogeneous wavefield. Only B‐field oscillations from both Swarm A and B satellites satisfy the following criteria are accepted for UWs analysis: (a) highly correlated with normalized correlation coefficient (Cc) larger than 0.9; (b) shifted by less than 3 s between observations; (c) separated up to 90° in latitude and/or longitude. By this procedure we have identified from the years 2018–2023 in total 577 orbits containing UWs in the magnetic recordings of both spacecraft. In the first step, we checked phase shifts between UW detections at large latitudinal separation. The two counter‐rotating spacecraft allowed to make use of the Doppler effect to check the possible propagation of UWs at ionospheric altitude. Although individual events show signs of north‐south wave propagation, on average no systematic motion could be found. Similarly, possible wave motions toward or away from noon hours have been checked. By analyzing the simultaneous observations at larger longitudinal separation, also hardly any phase differences are identified in the east‐west direction. Further by evaluating the statistical results, a mean tiny local time effect seems to emerge, indicating on average an earlier arrival of the waves in the morning and later in the evening hours.
Denudation and Weathering Rates of Carbonate Landscapes From Meteoric 10Be/9Be Ratios
Authors: Wittmann H. , Bouchez J. , Calmels D. , Gaillardet J. , Frick D. A. , Stroncik N. ,   ASTER Team, von Blanckenburg F. 
Published: September 2024

AbstractKnowledge of the rates of carbonate rock denudation, the relative apportionment of chemical weathering versus physical erosion, and their sensitivity to climate, vegetation, and tectonics is essential for disclosing feedbacks within the carbon cycle and the functioning of karst landscapes that supply important services to humans. Currently, however, for carbonate lithologies, no method exists that allows to simultaneously partition denudation into erosion and weathering fluxes at spatial scales ranging from soil to watersheds. To determine total denudation rates in carbonate landscapes from an individual soil or river sample, we adapted a published framework that combines cosmogenic meteoric 10Be as an atmospheric flux tracer with stable 9Be that is released from rocks by weathering, to the limestone‐dominated French Jura Mountains. By analyzing water, soil, sediment, travertine, and bedrock for 10Be/9Be, major and trace elements, carbon stable isotopes and radiogenic strontium, we quantified contributions of Be from primary versus secondary carbonate phases and its release during weathering from carbonate bedrock versus silicate impurities. We calculated partitioning of Be between solids and solutes, and rates of catchment‐wide (from sediment) and point source (from soil) denudation, weathering and erosion. Our results indicate that average denudation rates are 300–500 t/km2/yr. Denudation is dominated by weathering intensity (W/D) ratios of >0.92, and a non‐negligible contribution from deeper (below soil) weathering. Our rates agree to within less than a factor of two with decadal‐scale denudation rates from combined suspended and dissolved fluxes, highlighting the substantial potential of this method for future Earth surface studies.
Subtle Land Subsidence Elevates Future Storm Surge Risks Along the Gulf Coast of the United States
Authors: Wang Ke , Chen Jingyi , Valseth Eirik , Wells Gordon , Bettadpur Srinivas , Jones Cathleen E. , Dawson Clint 
Published: September 2024

AbstractWe developed a robust InSAR processing strategy that can effectively mitigate severe decorrelation noise in a large volume of InSAR data. We mapped the average land subsidence rate (2017–2020) over the 131,572 km2 Upper Texas and Louisiana coasts from Sentinel‐1 data, with ∼2 mm/yr accuracy based on independent GPS and tide gauge validation at 189 locations. The improved InSAR observations reveal widespread subsidence that was previously undetected in coastal wetlands and rural areas with small communities. Our InSAR surface deformation map is at the spatial scale that overlaps with the scale of hydrodynamic model grids. This allows us to integrate InSAR observations into operational storm surge models to analyze future flooding risks due to relative sea level change. We found that these subtle millimeter‐to‐centimeter subsidence features can substantially increase hurricane‐induced inundation, and passive flood mapping (known as the “bathtub” approach) can lead to inaccurate flood risk predictions.
Assessment of machine learning models trained by molecular dynamics simulations results for inferring ethanol adsorption on an aluminium surface
Authors: Shahbazi Fatemeh , Esfahani Mohammad Nasr , Keshmiri Amir , Jabbari Masoud 
Published: September 2024

AbstractMolecular dynamics (MD) simulations can reduce our need for experimental tests and provide detailed insight into the chemical reactions and binding kinetics. There are two challenges while dealing with MD simulations: one is the time and length scale limitations, and the latter is efficiently processing the massive amount of data resulting from the MD simulations and generating the proper reaction rates. In this work, we evaluated the use of regression machine learning (ML) methods to solve these two challenges by developing a framework for ethanol adsorption on an Aluminium (Al) slab. This framework comprises three main stages: first, an all-atom molecular dynamics model; second, ML regression models; and third, validation and testing. In stage one, the adsorption of ethanol molecules on the Al surface for various temperatures, velocities and concentrations is simulated using the large-scale atomic/molecular massively parallel simulator (LAMMPS) and ReaxFF. The outcome of stage one is utilised for training, testing, and validating the predictive models in stages two and three. We developed and evaluated 28 different ML models for predicting the number of adsorbed molecules over time, including linear regression, support vector machine (SVM), decision trees, ensemble, Gaussian process regression (GPR), neural network (NN) and Bayesian hyper-parameter optimisation models. Based on the results, the Bayesian-based GPR showed the highest accuracy and the lowest training time. The developed model can predict the number of adsorbed molecules for new cases within seconds, while MD simulations take a few weeks. This adsorption rate can then be used in macroscale simulations to tackle the time and length scale limitations. The proposed numerical framework has the potential to be generalised and, therefore, contribute to future low-cost binding reaction estimations, providing a valuable tool for industry and experimentalists.
Study of dog population dynamics and rabies awareness in Thailand using a school-based participatory research approach
Authors: Thichumpa Weerakorn , Wiratsudakul Anuwat , Suwanpakdee Sarin , Sararat Chayanin , Modchang Charin , Pan-ngum Setha , Prompoon Nakornthip , Sagarasaeranee Onpawee , Premashthira Sith , Thanapongtharm Weerapong , Chumkaeo Arun , Pan-ngum Wirichada 
Published: September 2024

AbstractRabies is a neglected disease primarily related to dog-mediated transmission to humans. Accurate dog demographic and dynamic data are essential for effectively planning and evaluating population management strategies when designing interventions to prevent rabies. However, in Thailand, longitudinal survey data regarding dog population size are scarce. A school-based participatory research (SBPR) approach was conducted to survey owned dogs for one year in four high-risk provinces (Chiang Rai, Surin, Chonburi, and Songkhla) of Thailand, aiming to understand dog population dynamics and raise awareness about rabies. ‘Pupify’ mobile application was developed to collect data on dog population and observe the long-term population dynamics in this study. At the end of the data collection period, telephone interviews were conducted to gain insight into contextual perceptions and awareness regarding both animal and human rabies, as well as the social responsibility of dog owners in disease prevention and control. Among 303 high school students who registered in our study, 218 students reported at least one update of their dog information throughout the one-year period. Of 322 owned dogs from our survey, the updates of dog status over one year showed approximately 7.5 newborns per 100-dog-year, while deaths and missing dogs were 6.2 and 2.7 per 100-dog-year, respectively. The male to female ratio was approximately 1.8:1. Twenty-three students (10%) voluntarily participated and were interviewed in the qualitative study. The levels of rabies awareness and precautions among high-school students were relatively low. The high dropout rate of the survey was due to discontinuity in communication between the researcher and the students over the year. In conclusion, this study focused on using the SBPR approach via mobile application to collect data informing dog population dynamics and raising awareness regarding rabies in Thailand Other engaging platforms (e.g. Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and other popular applications) is necessary to enhance communication and engagement, thereby sustaining and maintaining data collection. Further health education on rabies vaccination and animal-care practices via social media platforms would be highly beneficial. For sustainable disease control, engaging communities to raise awareness of rabies and increase dog owners’ understanding of their responsibilities should be encouraged.