bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Reparametrized Firth's Logistic Regressions for Dose‐Finding Study With the Biased‐Coin Design
Authors: Kim Hyungwoo , Jung Seungpil , Pawitan Yudi , Lee Woojoo 
Published: July 2024

ABSTRACTFinding an adequate dose of the drug by revealing the dose–response relationship is very crucial and a challenging problem in the clinical development. The main concerns in dose‐finding study are to identify a minimum effective dose (MED) in anesthesia studies and maximum tolerated dose (MTD) in oncology clinical trials. For the estimation of MED and MTD, we propose two modifications of Firth's logistic regression using reparametrization, called reparametrized Firth's logistic regression (rFLR) and ridge‐penalized reparametrized Firth's logistic regression (RrFLR). The proposed methods are designed by directly reducing the small‐sample bias of the maximum likelihood estimate for the parameter of interest. In addition, we develop a method on how to construct confidence intervals for rFLR and RrFLR using profile penalized likelihood. In the up‐and‐down biased‐coin design, numerical studies confirm the superior performance of the proposed methods in terms of the mean squared error, bias, and coverage accuracy of confidence intervals.
Extended GWMA control charts: A critical evaluation
Authors: Haq Abdul , Woodall William H. 
Published: July 2024

AbstractWe demonstrate that the recently introduced triple generally weighted moving average (GWMA) chart and its counterpart, the double GWMA chart, incorporate sub‐optimal weighting patterns that may assign more weight to certain historical data points at the expense of more recent ones. Moreover, these control charts, when compared to the exponentially weighted moving average (EWMA) chart, exhibit a substantial computational burden. Our findings underscore that a well‐designed EWMA chart offers superior overall performance in comparison to these control charts.
Anchor chains—A simple low‐cost device to assist passage of small‐bodied mass fish
Authors: Harley Jason , Wong Hui Ling , Chanson Hubert 
Published: July 2024

AbstractAttention has been placed on a variety of barriers that hinder fish passage in modern times. The most prevalent fish barriers were culverts which have negatively impacted waterway connectivity and fish habitats. For small‐bodied mass fish, high barrel velocities and turbulence have reduced fish swimming performance because of their weak swimming capabilities. In the present study, physical testing was conducted under controlled flow conditions to assess the extent and magnitude of turbulence characteristics, secondary flow and low‐velocity zones in a 0.5‐m‐wide box culvert barrel. Two cases were investigated; a reference case consisting of a smooth rectangular channel and a low‐cost design solution to improve upstream fish migration consisting of a single galvanized anchor chain fitted within a smooth rectangular channel. The single anchor chain was positioned towards one corner of the channel to induce asymmetric flow, reducing overall energy losses and enhancing the existing low‐velocity zone in the adjacent channel corner. The anchor chain induced a strong turbulent flow motion away from the anchor chain, characterized by higher Reynolds stress and turbulent kinetic energy, along with a distinct channel flow asymmetry. Conversely, the low‐velocity zone, between the anchor chain and the bottom channel corner, was significantly expanded with reduced longitudinal mean velocities and turbulent scales. Whilst the anchor chain link contributed to some complex localized wake flow, the anchor chain also influenced the distributions of normal turbulent stresses (v'z2 – v'y2), which in turn influenced the location of secondary flow cells. This secondary flow redirected low momentum fluid into the low‐velocity zones, setting the conditions for the favorable upstream passage of small‐bodied mass fish species.
Extended producer responsibility in e‐waste recycling: A secure path to a sustainable future for UAE
Authors: ALqodsi Enas Mohammed 
Published: July 2024

AbstractThe effective waste management of electrical and electronic equipment gains increasing importance in the modern world. This issue is particularly relevant for the countries of the Middle East region, including the United Arab Emirates (UAE). According to the research objectives, this study employs the method of political and legal analysis. The paper investigates the features of legal regulation and implementation of Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) policies in the waste management of electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) in the UAE. At the same time, the study aims to analyze the current environmental protection policy and assess the prospects for its development. The research also determines the development directions for the profile environmental policy regarding general priorities in the field of economic development of the country. The results of the study indicate that the country's current policy and legislative regulation in the implementation of EPR are complex and meet modern challenges.
Hierarchical Magnetic Carbon Nanoflowers for Ultra‐Efficient Electromagnetic Wave Absorption
Authors: Wei Mengmeng , Liu Kai , Wang Yunhao , Zhang Guoxian , Liu Qing , Zhang Qiuyu , Zhang Baoliang 
Published: July 2024

AbstractPorous carbon nanomaterials are widely applied in the electromagnetic wave absorption (EMWA) field. Among them, an emerging flower‐like carbon nanomaterial, termed carbon nanoflowers (CNFs), has attracted tremendous research attention due to their unique hierarchical flower‐like structure. However, the design of flower‐like carbon nanomaterials with different magnetic cores for EMWA has rarely been reported. Herein, a general template method is proposed to achieve a set of high‐quality magnetic CNFs, namely Co@Void@CNFs, CoNi@CNFs, and Ni@CNFs. The prepared magnetic CNFs have highly accessible surface area and internal space, rich heteroatom content, multi‐scale pore system, and uniform and highly dispersed magnetic nanoparticles, as a result, deliver superior EMWA performance. Specifically, when the thickness is 2.6 mm, the Co@Void@CNFs exhibit a maximum refection loss (RLmax) of −56.6 dB and an effective absorption bandwidth (EAB) from 8.0 to 12.1 GHz covering the whole X band. The CoNi@CNFs have an RLmax of up to −57.6 dB and a wide EAB of 5.6 GHz at just 1.9 mm. For the Ni@CNFs, possess an ultra‐broad EAB of 6.1 GHz, covering the entire Ku band at 2.0 mm. Overall, the hierarchical magnetic carbon nanoflowers proposed here offer new insights toward realizing multifunctional integrated carbon nanomaterials for EMWA.
Multi‐Attribute Triboelectric Materials and Innovative Applications Via TENGs
Authors: Zhou Tengfei , Xing Fangjing , Wang Zhong Lin , Chen Baodong 
Published: July 2024

AbstractTriboelectric nanogenerators (TENGs) as an avant‐garde technology that transforms mechanical energy into electrical energy, offering a new direction for green energy and sustainable development. By means of high‐efficiency TENGs, conventional materials as new triboelectric materials have exhibited multi‐attribute characteristics, achieving innovative applications in the field of micro‐nano energy harvesting and self‐powered sensing. The progress of TENGs technology with the triboelectric materials is complementary and mutually promoting. On the one hand, one of the cruxes of TENGs lies in the triboelectric materials, which have a decisive impact on their performance. On the other hand, as the research and application of TENGs continue to deepen, higher demands are placed on triboelectric materials, which in turn promotes the advancement of the entire material system as well as the fields of materials science and physics. This work aims to delve into the characteristics, types, preferred choices, and modification treatments of triboelectric materials on the performances of TENGs, hoping to provide guidance and insights for future research and applications.
Sustainable and Stability Indicating Liquid Chromatography–Mass Spectrometry Method for the Quantitation of Delafloxacin in Pharmaceutical Formulations
Authors: Jebali Sami , Belgacem Chaouki , Labidi Aymen , Bensghaier Rafika , Galai Haykel , Latrous Latifa 
Published: July 2024

ABSTRACTA sensitive, precise, accurate, and green analytical HPLC–ESI–MS method for the quantification of delafloxacin and its degradation products in pharmaceutical dosage forms has been optimized and validated. The best separation was achieved with isocratic elution, the mobile phase is composed of a mixture of 0.1% trifluoroacetic acid in water and acetonitrile 65:35 (v/v), the flow rate is 0.5 mL min−1, and the column used is Kinetex Core‐Shell C18 (250 × 4.6 mm, 5 µm). Forced degradation studies were performed to prove that the method indicates stability. The pharmaceutical substance is prone to oxidative (H2O2 3%), acidic (HCl 0.1 M), and basic (0.1 M) conditions. Delafloxacin proved to be susceptible to acidic (HCl 0.1 M), basic (0.1 M), and oxidative (H2O2 3%) conditions. The proposition of the structures of degradation products has been based on the MS spectrum and the known reactivity of delafloxacin in the oxidative medium. The validation of the analytical method was carried out following the International Conference on Harmonization guidelines. The method was validated in terms of specificity, precision, linearity, and accuracy. The limits of detection and quantification of delafloxacin are, respectively, 0.005 and 0.017 µg mL−1.
Limit analysis and design recommendations for fiber‐reinforced concrete subjected to shear
Authors: Gehri Nicola , Amin Ali , Kraus Michael Anton , Kaufmann Walter 
Published: July 2024

AbstractIt is widely recognized in both research and practice that fibers have great potential to partially, or completely, substitute conventional transverse reinforcement in webs of girders subjected to moderate shear forces. However, despite extensive research in recent years, there is still no consensus in the research community on the mechanically sound modeling of the shear strength of fiber‐reinforced concrete (FRC). Accordingly, current code provisions for the design of FRC to resist shear rely on (semi‐)empirical approaches and are thus justifiably restrictive. This article addresses this knowledge gap by proposing the application of the theory of plasticity to the design of FRC webs. Limit analysis methods for conventionally reinforced concrete are extended to FRC by incorporating the residual crack‐bridging stress offered by the fibers in a consistent manner. This stress, as well as the limits of applicability of the theory of plasticity, are derived through a sensitivity analysis using the recently developed Cracked Membrane Model for FRC considering fixed, interlocking cracks. Based on these investigations, a straightforward and efficient mechanically based shear design model suitable for the design of FRC webs with and without conventional transverse bar reinforcement is proposed. The model is validated against a large database of panel and beam experiments, providing valuable insights into its reliability.
Research on Transformer Fault Diagnosis by WOA‐SVM Based on Feature Selection and Data Balancing
Authors: Ding Can , Yu Donghai , Liu Xiangdong , Sun Qiankun , Zhu Qingzhou , Shi Yiji 
Published: July 2024

AbstractOil‐immersed transformers as one of the most important equipment in the power system, the fault prediction of it in advance can effectively reduce the subsequent harm. Aiming at the selection of input features and data sample imbalance in the transformer fault diagnosis model, this paper adopts the recursive feature elimination (RFE) method combined with SMOTETomek comprehensive sampling method to optimize the above problems. First, RFE is used to traverse all the features and filter the optimal combination of them as input features, then SMOTETomek is used to perform balancing operation on the samples of the train set, and finally, whale optimization algorithm (WOA) is used to find the best hyperparameters for support vector machine (SVM), and the results are compared with the diagnostic models operated without processing and after single processing operation, respectively. After several sets of experiments, it is proved that the optimized comprehensive fault diagnosis model performs better on the test set than both the untreated and the singly processed models, which proves the effectiveness of the methodology used in this paper. © 2024 Institute of Electrical Engineers of Japan and Wiley Periodicals LLC.
Successful use of a dynamic apparatus for quadriceps contracture treatment in a dog and two cats
Authors: Moya i Andreu Cristina , Closa Boixeda Josep Maria , Catalá Puyol Carmen , Vizcaíno Revés Núria 
Published: July 2024

AbstractTwo skeletally immature cats and one dog with a history of femoral fractures presented with hyperextension and reduced range of motion of the stifle joint. Based on clinical examination, all three patients were diagnosed with quadriceps contracture and surgical treatment was recommended. Following surgical release of the soft tissue adhesions, a dynamic apparatus was placed. The device consisted of two loops of suture acting as anchor points at the ischiatic tuberosity and the calcaneus tuberosity connected by a rubber band. The apparatus forced the stifle joint into full flexion when the patients were resting while allowing some degree of extension. All three cases were successfully treated, with only minor complications reported. This system represents a simple, comfortable and cost‐effective mechanism for the treatment of quadriceps contractures.
Heat and mass transfer analysis of non‐miscible couple stress and micropolar fluids flow through a porous saturated channel
Authors: Kumar Ankit , Yadav Pramod Kumar 
Published: July 2024

AbstractThis study examines the flow rate, Bejan number transportation, concentration distribution and thermal characteristics of an immiscible couple stress‐ micropolar fluids within a porous channel. The authors focus on the effects of heat radiation and an angled magnetic field on the thermal dispersion, concentration distribution and entropy formation of two different types of incompressible immiscible micropolar and couple stress fluids inside a porous channel. Here, the static walls of the channel are isothermal, and the pressure gradient in the flow domain's entrance zone is constant. In this flow problem, we tried to simulate thermal radiation in the energy equation by applying Rosseland's diffusion approximation. To solve the problem, the authors have used no‐slip conditions at the channel's immovable walls, a continuity of temperature profile, shear stresses, thermal flux, linear velocity, and micro‐rotational velocity over the fluid‐fluid interface. The equations that govern the flow of immiscible fluids are solved using a well‐defined methodology and both the temperature and flow field are then evaluated using a closed‐form solution. The mathematical results of the thermal distribution and flow velocity are used to derive the Bejan number distribution and the entropy generation number. Graphical discussions are used to illustrate the impact of different emerging factors on the model's flow and thermal properties, which describe the major impact of the proposed model. These variables involve the micropolarity parameter, Reynolds number, inclination angle parameter, radiation parameter, and Hartmann number. The outcomes of the present models are corroborated by previously established results available in the literature.
The Good Samaritans Lose Their Way
Authors: Lopes Carlos 
Published: July 2024

AbstractThe complex relations between the EU and Africa have their roots in history, but more recently, the tone of their interactions has been determined by a series of instruments, agreements, and initiatives that the EU and its most influential members decided to launch, often unilaterally. For example, the recent Global Gateway Initiative was announced days before an EU-AU Summit without any prior consultation or warning. This means that frequently, African negotiators have faced interlocutors without a clear strategy and have been undermined by their own fragmentation and shifting priorities along the way. The EU negotiating tactics in the last two decades of this century have taken stock of the previous two, where results did not match expectations, obliging international actors in the development space to accept a shift from prescriptive policies towards goals. African agency got a boost but stumbled, nevertheless, due to weak negotiating capacity.
Conclusions: A New Era of African Agency
Authors: Lopes Carlos 
Published: July 2024

AbstractA prevailing sense of insecurity pervades the world, fuelled by a surge in high-intensity conflicts and shifting geopolitical dynamics among traditional and emerging global powers over the past two decades. These changes are disrupting global trade and politics and testing the legitimacy and efficacy of existing multilateral institutions. They have also reverberated in the relationship between Europe and Africa.Both Europe and Africa have sought to strategically reposition themselves in this dynamic global landscape. For Africa, this has been a positive shift. The continent is carving out a new role in a multipolar world, diversifying its partnerships and offering attractive growth opportunities to investors; Africa contains some of the world’s fastest-growing economies and is anticipated to be the fastest-growing world region by 2027. However, read most assessments of Africa’s prospects, notably those from Europe, and this is not the perspective that emerges.
Studying the Effects of Oral Contraceptives on Coagulation Using a Mathematical Modeling Approach
Authors: Kent Amy , Leiderman Karin , Nelson Anna C. , Sindi Suzanne S. , Stadt Melissa M. , Xiong Lingyun , Zhang Ying 
Published: July 2024

AbstractThe use of oral contraceptives (OCs) is known to increase the risk of thrombosis, but the mechanisms underlying this risk and the determinants of the tests that assess this risk are not fully understood. In this study, we used a mathematical model to study the effects of an OC containing levonorgestrel (lev) on blood clotting. Lev is reported to change the plasma levels of blood clotting factors. The mathematical model used in this study simulates coagulation reactions in a small injury under flow, takes clotting factors as inputs, and outputs time courses of the coagulation enzyme thrombin. To study the effects of lev, we created a virtual patient population with factor levels before and after lev use based on published patient data and conducted simulations to predict thrombin response for each individual virtual patient. After analyzing the simulated thrombin, we found that changes in factor levels due to lev increased the amount and speed of thrombin generation for all virtual patients. This suggested that the factor level changes alone can heighten the prothrombotic state of the model system. We extended the model to include generation of the inhibitor activated protein C (APC), so we could test the effects of lev on the systems’ sensitivity to APC. In line with literature reports, the use of lev increased the APC sensitivity, which correlates with increased thrombosis risk.
Towards a Mathematical Understanding of Ventilator-Induced Lung Injury in Preterm Rat Pups
Authors: Luke Rayanne A. , Kelly Gess , Stoner Melissa , O’Brien Jordana Esplin , Lubkin Sharon R. , Fix Laura Ellwein 
Published: July 2024

AbstractApproximately 1% of infants are born extremely preterm and underweight and are prone to respiratory distress and subsequent morbidity. Typical treatments for respiratory distress in late preterm and term infants, such as non-invasive pressure support, are less effective in preterm infants. Invasive mechanical ventilation applied as a last resort causes trauma, leading to ventilator-induced lung injury (VILI). Maternal infection, such as chorioamnionitis, can cause prenatal and neonatal lung infection, inflammation, and often very preterm birth. Inflammation is expected to stiffen the lungs with increased resistance and lowered compliance, but exceptions occur. A complete picture of the mechanisms of stiffening remains unknown. In an attempt to elucidate this information, we applied custom parameter inference and image analysis procedures to a neonatal rat model of chorioamnionitis and VILI, incorporating subject-specific pressure-volume measurements and histology. Numerical optimizations on a nonlinear compartmental model identified key parameter differences between healthy and unhealthy groups that may suggest mechanisms of VILI in infected respiratory systems. Combined analyses of the two strategies identified new correlations between model parameters, imaging metrics, and inflammatory markers from the data, suggesting that mathematical approaches provide an important path towards understanding VILI and infection.
Reconciling Theories of Agenda Setting, Advocacy Coalitions, and Transnational Political Partisanship
Authors: Johansson Karl Magnus , Raunio Tapio 
Published: July 2024

AbstractDrawing on the concepts of agenda-setting and advocacy coalition framework (ACF), this chapter argues that the Europarties should be viewed as transnational partisan actors that individually and collectively shape European integration. It discusses the ACF and its empirical applications that have largely focused on policies and interest groups. ACF emphasizes shared core beliefs and provides a useful analytical tool for capturing the transnational partisan dimension of European integration, an element of EU governance that has until now not received sufficient attention. Agenda-setting in turn is continuous and the multilevel European polity offers transnational coalitions various routes for influencing policymaking.
Europarties and the Politics of Treaty Reform: Ascendance, Capacity, Locus
Authors: Johansson Karl Magnus , Raunio Tapio 
Published: July 2024

AbstractConstitutional politics at European level has resulted in wide-ranging Treaty reforms over the past four decades, conventionally examined through the lens of intergovernmentalism. But what has been the role of transnational political parties in these processes? This chapter considers the impact of the Europarties and especially the European People’s Party but also the Party of European Socialists in Treaty reforms. It suggests that their impact can be explained in general terms by three factors: (1) the partisan composition of the European Council; (2) the cohesion and mobilization of Europarties; and (3) the choice of venue for deliberations and negotiations of Treaty changes. The chapter explores the influence of these factors empirically through illustrative evidence. It concludes that while the conditions for Europarty influence are demanding, the successive Treaties are to a considerable extent the result of transnational party-political contributions.
Ranking Transition-Based Medical Recommendations Using Assumption-Based Argumentation
Authors: Skiba Kenneth , Thimm Matthias , Wallner Johannes P. 
Published: July 2024

AbstractWe present a general framework to rank assumption in assumption-based argumentation frameworks (ABA frameworks), relying on their relationship to other assumptions and the syntactical structure of the ABA framework. We propose a new family of semantics for ABA frameworks that is using reductions to the abstract argumentation setting and leveraging existing ranking-based semantics for abstract argumentation. We show the suitability of these semantics by investigating a case study based on medical recommendations for patients with multiple health conditions and show that the relationship of the recommendations are enough to establish a ranking between the recommendations.