bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Impacts of dumpsites on heavy metal concentration in soil and vegetation in four dumpsites in Akure North, Ondo State
Authors: Aluko Aluko Oluwatosin Temidayo , Obaseki Obaseki Olubunmi Oluyemi , Ibikunle Ibikunle Oluwaseun Stephen 
Published: August 2024

Abstract

This research studied the physicochemical composition and concentration of heavy metals in both soil and vegetations in four different dumpsite locations in Akure North Local Government and compared the concentrations to those of the WHO and the National Environmental Standard and Regulation Enforcement Agency (NESREA). Four models were used to examine soil pollution levels and transfer coefficient was used to assess the heavy metal bioaccumulation in plant. Two soil samples (0-15cm and 15-30cm) and two plant samples were collected from each dumpsite. Control samples were taken 1km away. Metals (Zn, Fe, Cu, Cd, Pb) were analyzed using Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometer (AAS) with Aqua regia digestion.The physicochemical properties of the four dumpsite locations, such as electrical conductivity and organic matter, were higher than the control, reflected in the acidic pH (5.50-6.47) of the dumpsites compared to the control (6.37-8.17). This contributes significantly to heavy metal pollution. Soil samples from all locations showed a sandy-silt- clay composition, leading to heavy metal leaching. Heavy metal concentrations in soil and plant samples from dumpsites exceeded those in control sites. The geoaccumulation index ranged from -0.05 to 10.55, indicating contamination levels from uncontaminated to extremely contaminated. The enrichment factor, from 0.21 to 4914.44, and the contamination factor, from 86.83 to 21718251.81, and the pollution index ranges from 2.44 to 29.33. This further confirms that heavy metal pollution is present in all the dumpsites. Iron had the highest concentration in soil and plants, likely due to erosion, but its transfer coefficient was the lowest, indicating limited plant absorption. Cadmium had the highest transfer coefficient, binding with carbonates and transporters in the soil, facilitating plant uptake. This suggests that the dumping of wastes and metals are progressively impacting soil and plant quality through heavy metal leaching.
Evaluation of Surface Characterization and Qualitative Parameters of Cottonseed Meal and Extracted Protein
Authors: Kadam Dattatreya M. , Parab Sayali S. , Kasara Akansha 
Published: August 2024

Abstract

The utilization of cottonseed meal and its extracted protein powder as valuable industrial products necessitates leveraging. The surface characteristics and qualitative parameters were evaluated by using FTIR, SEM, color and protein digestibility, lysine content, and microbial analysis respectively. CSPC and MW-CSPI had parallel β plated sheets and an accumulation of tiny particles due to soluble and insoluble pentosans, with changes resulting from the alkali salt protein extraction process. CSPC had superior in-vitro protein digestibility and microbiological analysis showed safe limits for bacterial and pathogenic bacterial count. Cottonseed protein, whether untreated or microwave pre-treated, can be used as an ingredient or supplement in various foods, except for lysine content as specified in Food Safety and Standards Regulations of 2011.
Green polyurethane foam coated with a copolymer containing TiO2 nanoparticles through non-solvent induced phase separation: a photocatalytic water cleaning approach
Authors: Silva Philipe Augusto Pocidonio , Nunes Eduardo Henrique Martins , Almeida Marys Lene Braga , Oréfice Rodrigo Lambert 
Published: August 2024

Abstract

The expansion of human beings in many parts of the world is increasing the demand for fresh water and the contamination of water by contaminants such as dye, and others requires efficient, easy-to-use, cheap and environmentally sustainable technologies to perform water purification tasks. In this work, nanostructured eco-friendly bio-based castor oil polyurethane foams that can remove heavy metal ions from contaminated water were customized to add another function associated with the photodegradation of organic molecules. To this end, nanostructured polyurethane foams (containing cellulose-halloysite nanocomposite units) were coated with poly(styrene)-b-(polyethylene-ran-butylene)-b-polystyrene (SEBS) by non-solvent induced phase separation (NIPS) process. The deposition of the coating also allowed the incorporation of titanium dioxide (TiO2) nanoparticles by applying a new strategy, in which the nanoparticles were suspended in the non-solvent prior to the NIPS process. These modulated and mixed technologies have generated polyurethane foams capable of degrading at least 10% of methylene blue dye through photocatalysis. The photocatalytic system was affected by pH where pH = 2.0 does not promote photocatalysis but the process is activated in water pH. The effect of photocatalysis generated with only 0.5% by mass of TiO2 in the foam, approximately 10 mg of TiO2, was 9.22% and 10.02% for approximately 20mg.
Utilising frequency-time analysis (FTAN) of surface waves for geotechnical and dam investigations
Authors: O’Neill Craig , Heng Wei-Xuen , Chang Ao 
Published: August 2024

Abstract

The shallow shear-wave velocity structure of the subsurface is a key input for dam engineering, civil construction, and earthquake hazard assessments. Many commercial solutions lack sensitivity in resolving complex shallow Vs structure. Here we develop a frequency-time analysis approach for shallow active source seismic data, and demonstrate its sensitivity to common depth ranges of geotechnical investigations. We show the approach’s effectiveness in isolating the fundamental mode in group-velocity maps of Rayleigh waves, typically acquired in one-component geophone active surveys. We present a number of examples, ranging from construction to hydrogeological investigations, demonstrating FTAN’s ability to resolve complex shallow structures and its high visual correlation with independent geotechnical information, such as logs. Sensitivity kernel calculations show that FTAN has significantly more depth penetration than equivalent active techniques like refraction, at given shot-receiver distances, raising the possibility of processing legacy survey data for greater depth resolution and Vs structure.
Proton beam therapy in a patient with secondary glioblastoma 32 years after postoperative radiotherapy for medulloblastoma: A case report and review of the literatures
Authors: Jiwei Bai , Abulimiti Muyasha , Yonglong Jin , Jie Wang , Shuyan Zhang , Chao Liu , Zishen Wang , Wei Wang , Yinuo Li , Weiwei Wang , Lu Yang , Shimizu(Xiangxing) Shosei(Qingshui) 
Published: August 2024

Abstract

In the past, for children's medulloblastoma tumors, the priority of cancer treatments was to control the tumor rather than the risk of side effects. With the gradual standardization of diagnostic and therapeutic techniques for children's medulloblastoma tumors, especially the application of stratified treatment guided by its molecular typing and multidisciplinary integrated treatment such as surgery, chemotherapy, radiotherapy, the cure, and survival of children's medulloblastoma tumor patients have been significantly improved. At the same time, there has been an increase in the number of second primary tumors (SPT). According to the concept of multiple primary tumors defined by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), two or more primary tumors are found in the patient simultaneously or successively. The tumor diagnosed first is known as the primary tumor, and the tumor diagnosed later is known as the SPT. The most frequent site of SPT is the CNS, followed by endocrine and hematological systems. However, there is less data on second primary glioblastoma and treatment modality recommendations after medulloblastoma. The purpose of this article is to share a case of a patient with medulloblastoma who developed a second primary glioblastoma 32 years after receiving craniospinal irradiation as a child. Additionally, it aims to provide insights into the treatment experience and present a review of relevant literature.
Optimization analysis of cloud system with preemption and adaptive asynchronous semi-sleep mechanisms
Authors: Xu Xiuli , Yu Huiru , Wang Rui , Zhang Lili 
Published: August 2024

Abstract

In order to reduce the system energy consumption and improve the system profit while guaranteeing the user service quality in cloud environment, also considering the external interference factors and the problems of frequent state transitions and service inefficiency caused by synchronized vacations of servers, this paper proposed a virtual machine scheduling strategy and established an M/M/c queuing model with preemptive priority, negative customer and partial servers asynchronous working vacation. The steady state probability distribution of the system was obtained by using the theory of quasi birth and death process, and the stationary performance indexes of the system, such as average queue length and system default rate, were obtained. The numerical simulation was presented to demonstrate the effects of the parameters on the steady-state performance of the system under the condition of different asynchronous vacation threshold. The individual profit and the system benefit functions were established, respectively, the optimal parameter values of the maximum benefit were obtained. Finally, taking the service rate of two kinds of customers as the decision variable and minimizing the average sojourn time of two kinds of customers as the objective function, a bi-objective optimization model is developed and the NSGA-II algorithm is applied to find the optimal solution set of Pareto. Under the given arrival rate, the optimal service rate is sought to achieve optimization design and management of the system.
Analysis of the neutral atmosphere inversion results of multi-system GNSS occultation in Yunyao Satellite Constellation
Authors: Yue Hengyi , Fu Naifeng , Li Fenghui , Cheng Yan , Wu Mengjie , Guo Peng , Dong Wenli , Hu Xiaogong 
Published: August 2024

Abstract

The Yunyao Aerospace Constellation Program is the core project being developed by Yunyao Aerospace Technology Co., Ltd. It aims to provide scientific data for weather forecasting, as well as research on the ionosphere and neutral atmosphere. It is expected to launch 90 high time-resolution weather satellites. Currently, the Yunyao space constellation provides nearly 16,000 BDS, GPS, GLONASS and Galileo multi-system occultation profile products on a daily basis. This study independently calculates the precise orbit of LEO satellites using a separate system and inverses the neutral atmospheric refractive index profile product. The precision of the orbit product was evaluated by comparing carrier phase residuals and overlapping orbits. Simultaneously, the global distribution, local time distribution, and detection depth of the constellation were statistically analyzed. BDS has the highest number of contours and the best detection capability among the three GNSS systems.The refractive index profile product was also compared with the ECWMF ERA5 product from ECWMF. Near the top of the occultation, the standard deviation in the refractive index is higher for BDS than GPS and GLONASS. BDS also outperforms GPS and GLONASS in terms of the standard deviation in the atmospheric refractive index. These results indicate that Yunyao satellites can provide high-quality occultation product services for applications such as weather forecasting. With the successful establishment of the global BDS-3 network, the accuracy of space signals has been further improved, making the full-link occultation products of BDS superior to those of GPS and GLONASS.
Prediction and evaluation of the risk of Stroke-associated pneumonia using an artificial neural network model
Authors: Wang Ting , Li Chunbiao , Yuan Linli , You Min , Yuan Juan , Peng Sijing , Liu Yi , Yang Min , Fan Yaling , Tong Qinsi , Li Dajin 
Published: August 2024

Abstract

Objective
This study developed a predictive model for the risk of stroke-associated pneumonia (SAP) based on an advanced artificial neural network (ANN) model.
Methods
Using clinical and laboratory data collected from a cohort of 456 hospital patients from July 2017 to April 2022, we constructed ANN and logistic regression (LR) models. The models were trained on a randomly selected group of 292 patients, and subsequent model validation and testing were carried out on two separate sets of 82 patients each. The predictive performances of both models were evaluated using a comprehensive range of statistical indices.
Results
During dataset partitioning, the 24 variables across the training, validation, and test sets displayed no significant discrepancies. The prediction performance of the ANN model was better than that of the LR model. When applied to the test cohort, the ANN model had a sensitivity of 83.53% and a specificity of 85.18%. Comparative analysis revealed discernible discrepancies between the performance indexes of the ANN and LR models. Based on the receiver operating characteristic curve, the ANN model showed robust ability to identify SAP, with an area under the curve value of 0.920. The principal independent predictors in the model were serum albumin, activities of daily living score, hemoglobin level, and hypersensitive C-reactive protein level.
Conclusions
The developed ANN model demonstrates promising predictive capability for assessing the risk of SAP. However, further verification with larger and more diverse datasets is needed to confirm its utility as a tool for clinical prediction.
Efficient tetracycline degradation using arbon quantum dot-modified TiO 2 @LaFeO 3 hollow core-shell photocatalysts
Authors: Hao Pengcheng , Shi Rui , Wang Xuanhang , Zhang Juan , Li Bo , Wang Jing , Liu Bo , Liu Yayuan , Qiao Xin , Wang Zhongzhi 
Published: August 2024

Abstract

Efficient harnessing of solar energy presents a significant challenge in environmental cleanup efforts. This study developed a highly effective carbon quantum dots-modified hollow core-shell CQDs@TiO2@LaFeO3 (CDs-TLFO) heterojunction photocatalyst. Structural analysis confirmed that nanosheets were loaded with CQDs, forming a TLFO structure with close interconnections and a hollow core-shell design. Photocatalytic experiments revealed that CDs-TLFO degraded tetracycline hydrochloride (TC) 2.02 times faster than TLFO alone, and significantly outperformed h-TiO2 and LaFeO3 (11.28 and 2.78 times, respectively). This enhancement is attributed to CQDs acting as electron acceptors with upconversion properties, enhancing the separation of e–-h+ pairs and boosting visible light absorption. Integration of CQDs onto the TLFO surface created numerous active sites and enhanced visible light absorption. LC-MS analysis identified intermediates and proposed potential TC degradation pathways, shedding light on the photocatalytic mechanism. This research introduces promising avenues for environmental cleanup and offers a straightforward, energy-efficient, and environmentally friendly method for producing CDs-TLFO heterojunction materials with superior photocatalytic capabilities.
Animal pollination shapes fruits market features, seeds functional traits and modulates their chemistry
Authors: Pioltelli Emiliano , Guzzetti Lorenzo , Biella Paolo , Sala Davide , Copetta Andrea , Mussano Paolo , Galimberti Andrea , Labra Massimo 
Published: August 2024

Abstract

In this study, we experimentally addressed the impact of different pollination treatments on the morphological, reproductive, and chemical traits of fruits and seeds of two crop species, the wild strawberry (Fragaria vesca L.) and cowpea (Vigna unguiculata L. Walp.). Multiple flowers from each plant were exposed to different pollination treatments: i) self pollination, ii) hand cross pollination and iii) open pollination. Both the crops were positively affected by open pollination in terms of morpho-chemical parameters concerning the marketability (e.g., 35% decrease in sugar/acid ratio in open pollinated strawberries compared to the autogamous ones) and the seed germination rate as a proxy of reproduction efficiency (e.g., the almost complete absence of seed abortion in the open pollination treatment). Remarkably, the pollination treatment also strongly influenced the phytochemical composition. Open-pollinated strawberries exhibited a higher relative concentration of compounds endowed with nutraceutical properties such as anthocyanins, ellagic acid derivatives, and flavonoids. At the same time, cowpea seeds displayed higher concentrations of anti-nutrients in the self pollination treatments, such as saponins, compared to the open and hand cross pollinated seeds. This study suggests the presence of a link between the pollination mechanism, market quality, plant reproduction and chemical properties of fruits and seeds, supporting the intricate interplay between pollinators, plants, and human nutrition and highlighting the crucial importance of animal pollination in ecological and dietary contexts.
From Infection to Inflammation: A Transcriptome-Wide Analysis of CHIKV Impact on Primary Human Skeletal Muscle Cells
Authors: Adnan Nur Amelia , Kalam Nida , Komarasamy Thamil Vaani , Hasan Syed Sharifah , Balasubramaniam Vinod RMT 
Published: August 2024

Abstract

Chikungunya virus (CHIKV) is a single-stranded RNA virus belonging to the Togaviridae family and Alphavirus genus. It causes chikungunya fever, transmitted by Aedes mosquitoes, and is characterized by severe fever, joint pain, rash, headaches, and muscle pain lasting days to weeks. In some cases, chronic arthritis resembling rheumatoid arthritis can develop post-infection. Currently, there's no specific antiviral treatment for CHIKV, with supportive care being the main treatment approach. Chronic arthritis management includes pain relief and preventing joint damage with NSAIDs, among other medications. The role of inflammatory cytokines and chemokines in CHIKV infection, which contribute to symptom severity, parallels inflammatory arthritis, suggesting shared pathology. Our study used human primary muscle cells to explore CHIKV infection and its effects, observing a rise in proinflammatory cytokines 24 hours post-infection. This supports the connection between CHIKV infection and arthritis symptoms. The research established these cells as susceptible to CHIKV, with peak viral levels at 24 hours post-infection. RNA sequencing (RNA-Seq) was employed to analyze gene expression changes due to CHIKV, revealing gene alterations associated with skeletal and muscle disorders, immune response, cell growth and death, and viral replication. This study enhances understanding of CHIKV's pathogenic mechanisms using a clinically relevant human cell model, providing the groundwork for future research into CHIKV’s interactions with host cells during different infection stages.
Early Diagnosis of Mild Autism Spectrum Disorder and Its Relationship With Self-efficacy Beliefs
Authors: Cerqueira H. F , Santana S. M , Cerqueira C. A 
Published: August 2024

Abstract

Objective: To establish a correlation between perceived self-efficacy and early diagnosis of mild ASD, emphasizing the importance of early screening and diagnostic feedback in childhood for fostering individual development and societal adaptation.
Method: The sample was recruited through extensive outreach among mental health professionals in the private mental health network in Recife, Northeast Brazil. Inclusion criteria required participants to have suspected or diagnosed mild Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) with an Intelligence Quotient (IQ) above 80. Exclusion criteria included failure to confirm the diagnosis using the ADOS-2 test (Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule, Second Edition). Data was collected using a sociodemographic questionnaire. Thirty-four participants of both genders, aged 11 to 55, were selected. Additionally, the General Self-Efficacy Scale (GSE) was administered. Two participants were excluded due to insufficient ADOS-2 diagnostic scores. Cronbach's alpha was calculated to assess the instrument's internal consistency. The correlation between variables (perceived self-efficacy and age at diagnosis) was analyzed using Spearman's and Kendall's correlation coefficients, along with respective statistical significance tests.
Results: Kendall's and Spearman's correlation coefficients both indicated a significant positive correlation.
Conclusion: As hypothesized, early diagnosis of ASD correlates positively with higher perceived general self-efficacy in adulthood.
An integrated generalized chordal picture fuzzy distance measure with its application to evaluate teaching quality
Authors: Wang Weiwei , Cao Guo , Shen Lixiang 
Published: August 2024

Abstract

Deepening the integration of industry and education (IIE) in classroom teaching has important strategic significance for the connotative development of higher education. The classroom teaching quality assessment is an important route to improve the level of the IIE and then promote the quality of talent training. Considering that picture fuzzy sets (PFSs) is much more efficient in comparison with fuzzy sets at handling the uncertainty in decision-making problems, this paper firstly applies PFSs to depict the indeterminacy and inaccuracy information in teaching quality assessment (TQA) process. To begin with, the related definitions of PFSs are all profiled successively. Then, we attempt to propose an integrated assessment method with the combined compromise solution (CoCoSo) and Taxonomy method (TM) to handle the TQA problem with PFSs. In this approach, we define a new cumulative method based on TM to aggregate individual opinion into group opinion. We also develop a weighting strategy based on the CRiteria Importance Through Intercriteria Correlation approach (CRITIC) to evaluate the significance of experts with PFSs. For this, we define a novel generalized chordal picture fuzzy (PF) distance measure that considers the marginal impacts of degree of refusal membership, which has a strong capacity of differentiation. Then, we evaluate its superiority and stability through some experiment comparisons. Again, a final ranking method is presented with the CoCoSo approach and the Stepwise Weight Assessment Ratio Analysis (SWARA) method. Furthermore, we apply a case study of the TQA to demonstrate the implementation of the newly proposed PF-CRITIC-SWARA-TM -CoCoSo method. The results obtained from the sensitivity analysis validate that the option “Dr. Tang” consistently achieves the highest rank and is independent of variations of balancing factor and weight information of experts and criteria. Finally, a comparison is implemented to confirm the robustness and reliability of the suggested integrated framework.