bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
MoSe2 nanosheets-based sensor for electrochemical detection of dopamine, ascorbic acid, and uric acid
Authors: Coban Deniz , Tangal Yasin , Cogal Sadik 
Published: August 2024

AbstractThere has been a growing interest in the field of transition metal dichalcogenide (TMD) materials and their potential applications in the field of electrochemical sensors. In the present work, molybdenum diselenide (MoSe2), as a typical representative of TMD, was prepared using a facile hydrothermal method and characterized in terms of its morphological and structural properties. Then, the obtained MoSe2 was dispersed in various solvents to investigate its electrocatalytic properties towards dopamine (DA), ascorbic acid (AA), and uric acid (UA). The electrochemical measurements revealed that deionized water is an effective solvent to disperse the MoSe2 and modify electrodes with the MoSe2 for electrochemical applications. Furthermore, the glassy carbon electrode (GCE) modified with the MoSe2, referred as GCE-MoSe2, was used as an electrochemical sensor to simultaneously detect the DA, AA, and UA. The GCE-MoSe2 exhibited wide linear detection with concentration ranges of 1–333 µM for DA, 50–3440 µM for AA, and 5–1146 µM for UA in phosphate buffer solution and low detection limits (LODs) of 0.57 µM, 13.7 µM, and 1.75 µM, respectively. The electrode further displayed good selectivity, reproducibility, and stability. This work provides valuable insights on constructing electrochemical sensing devices with high analytical performance using the important two-dimensional (2D) TMD materials.
Electrophysiological Responses of Trissolcus japonicus, T. basalis, and T. oenone (Hymenoptera: Scelionidae) to Volatile Compounds Associated with New Zealand Stink Bugs (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae)
Authors: Saunders Thomas E. , Manning Lee-Anne M. , Avila Gonzalo A. , Holwell Gregory I. , Park Kye Chung 
Published: August 2024

AbstractParasitoid biological control agents rely heavily on olfaction to locate their hosts. Chemical cues associated with hosts and non-hosts are known to influence the expression of host preferences and host-specificity. A better understanding of how and why parasitoids attack some species and not others, based on volatile organic compounds associated with potential hosts, can provide key information on the parasitoid’s host preferences, which could be applied to pre-release risk assessments for classical biological control agents. Electrophysiological techniques such as electroantennography (EAG) and GC-EAD (gas chromatography coupled with electroantennographic detection) are widely used to identify bioactive semiochemicals. But the application of these techniques to understanding how chemical ecological cues mediate parasitoid host specificity has not been as thoroughly explored. We conducted GC-EAD and EAG studies to identify olfactory-active compounds associated with adult females of nine stink bug species from Aotearoa/New Zealand on the antennae of three closely related parasitoid species: Trissolcus japonicus Ashmead, a pre-emptively (= proactively) approved biocontrol agent against brown marmorated stink bug; T. basalis (Wollaston), a biocontrol agent introduced against Nezara viridula L. in 1949; and T. oenone Johnson, a native Australasian pentatomid parasitoid. Eight compounds associated with stink bugs elicited antennal responses from all three parasitoids, and we were able to identify seven of these. (E)-2-hexenal, (E)-4-oxo-2-hexenal, (E)-2-octenal and (E)-2-decenal generally elicited stronger responses in the three parasitoids, while n-tridecane, n-dodecane, and (E)-2-decenyl acetate elicited weaker responses. We discuss how and why the results from electrophysiological experiments can be applied to non-target risk assessments within biological control programmes.
From Abuse to Resilience in Romantic Relationships of Women: A Model Testing Study
Authors: Yıldız-Akyol Elvan , Öztemel Kemal 
Published: August 2024

Abstract
Purpose
This study aimed to examine the mediating role of awareness, cognitive flexibility, positive attitude towards the future, and social support in the relationship between perceived abuse and resilience in women.

Method
The researchers used structural equation modelling to test whether internal protective factors such as mindfulness, cognitive flexibility, positive attitudes towards the future, and external protective factors such as perceived social support from family and friends play a role as protective factors in the effect of abuse women perceive in their romantic relationships on their resilience. Within the scope of this research, data were collected by purposive sampling method from 818 women aged 18 and over who are currently in a romantic relationship.

Results
The findings of this study revealed that the hypothetical model established based on the literature was not rejected [χ² / df = 4,400; RMSEA = 0.065; SRMR: 057; CFI = 0.951; NFI =, 938; TLI / NNFI = 0.925; GFI = 0.964; AGFI = 0.935]. Besides, it has been found that internal and external protective factors together explain 52% of the change in resilience.

Conclusions
The mediating role of the internal and external protective factors in the model revealed that they play a crucial role in the process of developing resilience among women. The findings obtained from the research were discussed within the scope of the related literature and suggestions were presented to researchers and those working in the practice field for further studies.
Optimization of Processing Conditions for Rice Bran-based Bioplastics Through Extrusion and Injection Molding
Authors: Alonso-González María , Felix Manuel , Romero Alberto , Sergi Claudia , Bavasso Irene , Sarasini Fabrizio 
Published: August 2024

AbstractConventional plastics pose environmental threats due to their non-biodegradable nature and their reliability on fossil resources, leading to the exploration of sustainable alternatives. In this sense, biodegradable bioplastics derived from renewable resources offer a promising solution to mitigate ecological impacts. This study focuses on the combination of extrusion and injection molding for the development of rice bran-based bioplastics. Being a by-product from the rice industry rich in starches and proteins, rice bran is an abundant and non-expensive resource that contributes to an enhanced waste management and represents a step forward in integrating the principles of a circular economy. This study delves into the optimization of processing conditions through a Design of Experiment approach. For this purpose, the number of extrusion steps, cylinder and mold temperatures, and injection pressure were investigated. The results showed that two extrusion steps led to a significant increase of approximately 22.8% in Young’s modulus and 37.5% in tensile strength compared to a single extrusion cycle. This enhancement was attributed to the facilitation of starch gelatinization and biopolymer-plasticizer interactions (achieving thermoplastic starch and protein plasticization). Similarly, manipulation of injection temperatures and pressure had notable effects on tensile properties, highlighting the complex interplay between processing parameters. In particular, when using cylinder and mold temperatures of 110 °C and 180 °C, respectively, along with 800 bar, it was possible to achieve a further enhancement in tensile properties, with an increase of 97.1% in Young’s modulus and over 100% in tensile strength. Overall, this research underscores the importance of understanding the relationship between processing conditions and biopolymer interactions for bioplastic production.
Land-cover gradients determine alternate drivers of mammalian species richness in fragmented landscapes
Authors: Dennis M. , Huck J. J. , Holt C. D. , Bispo P. da Conceição , McHenry E. , Speak A. , James P. 
Published: August 2024

Abstract
Context
Understanding habitat fragmentation is a critical concern for nature conservation and the focus of intense debate in landscape ecology. Resolving the uncertainty around the effects of habitat fragmentation on biodiversity remains an ongoing challenge that requires the successful delineation of multiple patch-landscape interactions.

Objectives
We carried out a regional analysis on species richness of woodland mammals to determine the relative influence of structural, compositional and functional characteristics related to woodland habitat across different land-cover gradients.

Methods
We calculated the Edge-weighted Habitat Index, an area-weighted measure of functional connectivity that incorporates a mechanistic estimate of edge-effects, for interior woodland habitat. We compared its influence on mammalian species richness to that of increasing edge and patch density, landscape diversity, and a habitat-only model, in different contexts of matrix hostility across Northern England in the UK.

Results
Our results demonstrate the relevance of alternative drivers of species richness resulting from patch-landscape interactions across gradients of matrix hostility. Evidence is provided for positive and negative effects of increasing structural (edge density), functional (connected interior habitat) and compositional (landscape diversity) attributes, varying according to matrix type and intensity. Results were sensitive to dominant land-cover types in the matrix and the scale of observation.

Conclusion
This study provides new insights into fragmentation effects on biodiversity and clarifies assumptions around the relative influence of structural, compositional and functional habitat characteristics on landscape-level species richness. We highlight the presence of thresholds, related to matrix hostility, that determine alternative drivers of species richness in woodland mammals. These drivers, and related thresholds, were sensitive to the scale of observation and landscape context. Landscape decisions aimed at promoting biodiversity should consider sources of matrix hostility and homogeneity at scales relevant to ecological processes of interest.
Short Tandem Repeat Genotyping of Medically Important Fungi: A Comprehensive Review of a Powerful Tool with Extensive Future Potential
Authors: Spruijtenburg Bram , Meis Jacques F. , Verweij Paul E. , de Groot Theun , Meijer Eelco F. J. 
Published: August 2024

AbstractFungal infections pose an increasing threat to public health. New pathogens and changing epidemiology are a pronounced risk for nosocomial outbreaks. To investigate clonal transmission between patients and trace the source, genotyping is required. In the last decades, various typing assays have been developed and applied to different medically important fungal species. While these different typing methods will be briefly discussed, this review will focus on the development and application of short tandem repeat (STR) genotyping. This method relies on the amplification and comparison of highly variable STR markers between isolates. For most common fungal pathogens, STR schemes were developed and compared to other methods, like multilocus sequence typing (MLST), amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP) and whole genome sequencing (WGS) single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) analysis. The pros and cons of STR typing as compared to the other methods are discussed, as well as the requirements for the development of a solid STR typing assay. The resolution of STR typing, in general, is higher than MLST and AFLP, with WGS SNP analysis being the gold standard when it comes to resolution. Although most modern laboratories are capable to perform STR typing, little progress has been made to standardize typing schemes. Allelic ladders, as developed for Aspergillus fumigatus, facilitate the comparison of STR results between laboratories and develop global typing databases. Overall, STR genotyping is an extremely powerful tool, often complimentary to whole genome sequencing. Crucial details for STR assay development, its applications and merit are discussed in this review.
Floodplains along the Danube River evaluated with the Floodplain Evaluation Matrix (FEM) determining their importance for flood protection, ecology, and socio-economics
Authors: Eder Markus , Habersack Helmut , Preiml Max , Perosa Francesca , Scheuer Sabrina , Gelhaus Marion , Cyffka Bernd , Kiss Timea , Van Leeuwen Boudewijn , Tobak Zalán , Sipos György , Csikos Nándor , Smetanova Anna , Bokal Sabina , Samu Andrea , Gruber Tamas , Galie Andreea-Cristina , Moldovenau Marinela , Mazilu Petrişor , Tritthart Michael 
Published: August 2024

Abstract
This study presents a method to investigate the influence of active floodplains on flood protection, ecology, and socio-economics. We used and further developed the Floodplain Evaluation Matrix (FEM) to systematically assess the Danube River, known as the most international river worldwide. The study also aims to develop a method applicable to other large rivers, taking into account different data availability and research objectives. Hydrological, hydraulic, ecological, and socio-economic parameters were assessed to address the multiple functions and services of floodplains. The evaluation showed that some active floodplains significantly reduce the impact of a 100-year flood event, with relative flood peak reductions by up to 17% and decelerating the flood wave by up to 41.5 h. While other floodplains may not have a noticeable impact on hydrological or hydraulic parameters, they play a crucial role in preserving biodiversity by providing essential habitats for protected species. We introduced an approach to assess whether a floodplain should be preserved and to categorize the restoration demand as low, medium, or high. Our findings indicate a universal need for preservation and restoration measures across all floodplains, with 81% demonstrating a high or medium demand for restoration. Preservation and restoration of floodplains are integral parts of achieving more sustainable floodplain management for each river. Applying the FEM to other large rivers could create a basis for sustainable decision-making, increase awareness of the multiple benefits of floodplains, and foster the implementation of preservation and restoration measures.
Performance analysis of the effects of atmospheric turbulence on free space optical communication using multi-hop decode and forward relay in north and south of Egypt
Authors: EL-Qady Abdullah , Abaza Mohamed 
Published: August 2024

AbstractFree-space optical (FSO) communication has become a focus of both study and commercial interest. FSO transfers data between sites in free space, typically the Earth's atmosphere or space, using laser-emitted light beams, in contrast to standard radio frequency (RF) wireless communication. The possibility for high data transmission speeds, the lack of licencing constraints, versatility, affordability, simplicity of deployment, and its environmentally friendly communication method which provides an alternative to crowded radio frequency-based communications are the driving forces behind this growing interest. To determine the feasibility of FSO communication in the cities of Alexandria and Aswan in Egypt, we utilized the micrometeorology model to analyze how weather conditions and atmospheric turbulence impact on FSO linkages based on real-time weather data. In both the winter and summer seasons, we evaluated the bit error rate, beam spreading, scintillation, and transmission range of FSO. Moreover, bit error rate performance was improved by the use of the multi-hop Decode and Forward relay.
On-farm evaluation of a crop forecast-based approach for season-specific nitrogen application in winter wheat
Authors: M. Palka , A.M. Manschadi 
Published: August 2024

AbstractInadequate nitrogen (N)-fertilisation practices, that fail to consider seasonally variable weather conditions and their impacts on crop yield potential and N-requirements, cause reduced crop N-use efficiency. As a result, both the ecological and economic sustainability of crop production systems are put at risk. The aim of this study was to develop a season-specific crop forecasting approach that allows for a targeted application of N in winter wheat while maintaining farm revenue compared to empirical N-fertilisation practices. The crop forecasts of this study were generated using the process-based crop model SSM in combination with state-of-the-art seasonal ensemble weather forecasts (SEAS5) for the case study region of Eastern Austria. Results from three winter wheat on-farm experiments showed a significant reduction in applied N when implementing a crop forecast-based N-application approach (-43.33 kgN ha-1, -23.42%) compared to empirical N-application approaches, without compromising revenue from high-quality grain sales. The benefit of this reduced N-application approach was quantified through the economic return to applied N (ERAN). While maintaining revenue, the lower amounts of applied N led to significant benefits of + 30.22% (+ 2.20 € kgN-1) in ERAN.
Performance paradox of dynamic matching models under greedy policies
Authors: Ana Bušić , Arnaud Cadas , Josu Doncel , Jean-Michel Fourneau 
Published: August 2024

AbstractWe consider the stochastic matching model on a non-bipartite compatibility graph and analyze the impact of adding an edge to the expected number of items in the system. One may see adding an edge as increasing the flexibility of the system, for example, asking a family registering for social housing to list fewer requirements in order to be compatible with more housing units. Therefore, it may be natural to think that adding edges to the compatibility graph will lead to a decrease in the expected number of items in the system and the waiting time to be assigned. In our previous work, we proved this is not always true for the First Come First Matched discipline and provided sufficient conditions for the existence of the performance paradox: despite a new edge in the compatibility graph, the expected total number of items can increase. These sufficient conditions are related to the heavy-traffic assumptions in queueing systems. The intuition behind this is that the performance paradox occurs when the added edge in the compatibility graph disrupts the draining of a bottleneck. In this paper, we generalize this performance paradox result to a family of so-called greedy matching policies and explore the type of compatibility graphs where such a paradox occurs. Intuitively, a greedy matching policy never leaves compatible items unassigned, so the state space of the system consists of finite words of item classes that belong to an independent set of the compatibility graph. Some examples of greedy matching policies are First Come First Match, Match the Longest, Match the Shortest, Random, Priority. We prove several results about the existence of performance paradoxes for greedy disciplines for some family of graphs. More precisely, we prove several results about the lifting of the paradox from one graph to another one. For a certain family of graphs, we prove that there exists a paradox for the whole family of greedy policies. Most of these results are based on strong aggregation of Markov chains and graph theoretical properties.
Valorizing date palm spikelets into activated carbon-derived composite for methyl orange adsorption: advancing circular bioeconomy in wastewater treatment—a comprehensive study on its equilibrium, kinetics, thermodynamics, and mechanisms
Authors: Al-Hazeef Mazen S. F. , Aidi Amel , Hecini Lynda , Osman Ahmed I. , Hasan Gamil Gamal , Althamthami Mohammed , Ziad Sabrina , Otmane Tarik , Rooney David W. 
Published: August 2024

AbstractLeveraging date palm spikelets (DPS) as a precursor, this study developed a DPS-derived composite (ZnO@DPS-AC) for water treatment, focusing on methyl orange (MO) removal. The composite was synthesized through ZnCl2 activation and pyrolysis at 600 °C. Comprehensive characterization was conducted using TGA, FTIR, XRD, SEM/EDS, and pHPZC. Characterization revealed a highly carbonaceous material (> 74% carbon) with significant porosity and surface functional groups. ZnO@DPS-AC demonstrated rapid MO removal, achieving over 45% reduction within 10 min and up to 99% efficiency under optimized conditions. The Langmuir model-calculated maximum adsorption capacity reached 226.81 mg/g at 20 °C. Adsorption mechanisms involved hydrogen bonding, π-π interactions, and pore filling. The composite showed effectiveness in treating real wastewater and removing other pollutants. This study highlights the potential of agricultural waste valorization in developing efficient, sustainable adsorbents for water remediation, contributing to circular bioeconomy principles.
Important considerations in machine learning-based landslide susceptibility assessment under future climate conditions
Authors: Han Yi , Semnani Shabnam J. 
Published: August 2024

AbstractRainfall-induced landslides have caused a large amount of economic losses and casualties over the years. Machine learning techniques have been widely applied in recent years to assess landslide susceptibility over regions of interest. However, a number of challenges limit the reliability and performance of machine learning-based landslide models. In particular, class imbalance in the dataset, selection of landslide conditioning factors, and potential extrapolation problems for landslide prediction under future conditions need to be carefully addressed. In this work, we introduce methodologies to address these challenges using XGBoost to train the landslide prediction model. Data resampling techniques are adopted to improve the model performance with the imbalanced dataset. Various models are trained and their performances are evaluated using a combination of different metrics. The results show that synthetic minority oversampling technique combined with the proposed gridded hyperspace sampling technique performs better than the other imbalance learning techniques with XGBoost. Subsequently, the extrapolation performance of the XGBoost model is evaluated, showing that the predictions remain valid for the projected climate conditions. As a case study, landslide susceptibility maps in California, USA are generated using the developed model and are compared with the historical California landslide catalog. These results suggest that the developed model can be of great significance in global landslide susceptibility mapping under climate change scenarios.