bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Physicochemical and microbiological assessment of multi‐village drinking water source in diarrheal hotspot areas of north Shoa zone, Amhara region, Ethiopia
Authors: Abebe Tsegahun Asfaw , Sahle Zenawork , Wogayehu Belachew Tekleyohannes , Abebe Bizuneh Asfaw , Yitayew Berhanu , Gebreyes Demissew Shenkute 
Published: June 2024

AbstractQuality water is essential to people's health and social and economic well‐being. Evaluation of the quality of the water sources provides benchmark data on quality status and insights into the development of further protective measures. A laboratory‐based cross‐sectional study design was conducted in the diarrheal hotspot area of the North Shewa zone. The contamination risks of water sources were assessed using the World Health Organization (WHO) sanitary inspection checklist. A grab water sample was collected from 138 multi‐village drinking water sources according to WHO guidelines. The collected sample was processed for physicochemical and microbiological analysis. Data were recorded and analyzed using SPSS version 25 software. The inspection survey indicated there was no proper handling of the water sources. The water temperature range was between 7 and 32°C, while the turbidity values ranged from 1.8 to 6 NTU. Electrical conductivity, pH, and total dissolved solutes were 100% within the acceptable limits of WHO and the Ethiopian Ministry of Health (EMoH) water quality guidelines. However, only (77/138, 55.79%) and (101/138, 73.29%) drinking water sources were within the acceptable range of temperature and turbidity, respectively. The mean bacteriological counts in multi‐village drinking water sources were a mean value of 72.14, 29.78, 21.09, and 15.64 for TMC, TCC, FC, and FSC, respectively. A total of (19/138, 13.8%) drinking water samples were positive for total coliform (Tc) and/or fecal coliforms (Fc). The remaining (119/138, 86.2%) water samples were bacteriologically potable. The physicochemical quality of the drinking water sources was consistent with WHO and national water quality standards, except that turbidity exceeded the acceptable range. The results also showed that some water sources were contaminated with fecal and total coliform, which was supported by an inspection survey in which most water sources were poorly protected. These research findings can serve as a valuable evidence base for informing policy decisions and guiding practical interventions aimed at ensuring access to safe drinking water in diarrheal hotspot areas.
The Mixed‐Anion Compound La2S2(CN2)
Authors: Schwarz Albert T. , Ströbele Markus , Meyer H.‐Jürgen 
Published: June 2024

AbstractThe new binary metal carbodiimide La2S2(CN2) was synthesized via a solid‐state metathesis reaction. The crystal structure was solved and refined on the basis of single‐crystal X‐ray diffraction data with space group C2/m. The structure is represented by a layered arrangement, based on alternating layers of lanthanum, sulfide, and carbodiimide units. A close resemblance of the structure with that of La2O2C2 is discussed, as well as the less‐common coordination number seven of the lanthanum atom.
Adding CNTs into Anthracite towards High Performance Anode Materials for Lithium Ion Batteries
Authors: Mai Jiarong , Xia Shuang , Wang Nan , Fu Lijun , Liu Lili , Yu Nengfei , Wu Yuping , Holze Rudolf 
Published: June 2024

AbstractCommercial graphite anodes face the problems of high preparation temperature and limited specific capacity in lithium‐ion batteries (LIBs). Amorphous carbon anode materials are prepared at low temperatures and have abundant sources and modes of preparation. As a low‐cost carbon source material, anthracite has a practical application value in storing lithium as anode electrodes of LIBs. However, the capacity is not enough to meet the present increasing demand. We added CNTs to enhance the performance of anthracite‐based carbon anodes. The addition of CNTs significantly improves the electrical properties of amorphous carbon anode materials due to their good electronic conductivity. This anthracite‐based carbon with CNTs (A−C) anode displays a specific cycling capacity of 360 mAh ⋅ g−1 at the current density of 200 mA ⋅ g−1 after 200 cycles in LIBs. We believe that the work has far‐reaching significance for improving the practicability of amorphous carbon anode materials.
Introduction
Authors: Štětka Václav , Mihelj Sabina 
Published: June 2024

AbstractIlliberalism is increasingly often mentioned among the key threats faced by contemporary liberal democracies, typically alongside populism, right-wing nationalism, democratic backsliding, polarization, or hate speech. Yet, while other threats to democratic institutions and values attracted significant scholarly attention, illiberalism remains poorly defined, and the communication perspective on illiberalism is particularly underdeveloped. This introductory chapter sets out the rationale for developing a set of conceptual tools that can help us examine what happens to public communication after populism becomes a widespread feature of political life, and especially after far right or ultraconservative political actors have successfully mobilized populist strategies to rise to positions of power. To help develop such tools, this book introduces the concept of the illiberal public sphere, defined as a communicative space comprising both traditional and new media that promote and amplify illiberal actors, views, and attitudes. After a brief outline of the concept, this chapter first reviews the key causes of the decline of liberal democracy and situates them vis-à-vis developments in the sphere of communication. It then proceeds with a brief discussion of Eastern Europe as a ‘laboratory of illiberalism’, and an outline of the chapters that follow.
Social Media: Vectors of Illiberalism or Sources of Resistance?
Authors: Štětka Václav , Mihelj Sabina 
Published: June 2024

AbstractThis chapter addresses the role of social media in both facilitating the proliferation of illiberal attitudes from the margins to the mainstream, as well as their potential to act as channels of liberal resistance. In the first part, the chapter outlines a brief history of social media adoption by political actors in Eastern Europe, demonstrating how digital platforms aided the rise of right-wing populist parties in the region. Following from that, we explore the socio-demographic characteristics of those who use social media for news, and then consider how social media use relates to illiberal attitudes. The data suggests that in countries where the illiberal public sphere is more advanced, the relative importance of social media as sources of information is greater, and it is more often associated with holding liberal attitudes and support for democracy. Finally, the chapter determines that people who use social media to express their opinions and engage with political content online are more likely to be pro-democratic and liberal-oriented, suggesting thereby that digital platforms might turn out to be an be an important channel for mobilizing liberal opposition once the illiberal public sphere starts dominating over the liberal one.
Information Disorder and the Illiberal Public Sphere
Authors: Štětka Václav , Mihelj Sabina 
Published: June 2024

AbstractThis chapter is devoted to the mapping and analysis of the disinformation ecosystem across our sample, examining the ways in which different stages of the illiberal public sphere are linked with the dissemination and reception of false or manipulated information and narratives. We first explore the extent of people’s exposure to misinformation, before mapping the information ecosystems across the four countries and examining specific channels and brands which play a major role in the dissemination of misinformation. Our findings indicate that in countries with a more advanced illiberal public sphere, the perception of misinformation is greater, and their channels are more likely to involve mainstream news media brands. The chapter then focuses on the prevalence of beliefs that are rooted in some of the most popular conspiracy narratives in the region—those involving the US philanthropist George Soros and the 2010 Smolensk air disaster. Finally, we pay attention to a specific communication channel which serves as an important instrument for disinformation campaigns in some of the countries, namely the so-called ‘chain emails’.
Influence of Intra-Particle Saturation Ratio on Strength Degradation of Pumice Soil
Authors: Jayathilake Dhanushka , Kiyota Takashi , Konagai Kazuo , Shiga Masataka , Nihaaj Mohammad 
Published: June 2024

AbstractThe 2018 Hokkaido Eastern Iburi Earthquake occurred on 6 September 2018 and caused more than 7000 landslides in and around Atsuma and Abira towns. The geology of this area is mainly formed by pyroclastic fall deposits. The rain gauges in the epicentral area showed little rain from typhoon Jebi (5 September 2018) and heavy rain in the middle of August 2018, about 3 weeks before the earthquake. A series of direct shear tests and single particle fragmentation tests were conducted to investigate the effect of soaking time on the strength reduction of Tarumae d (Ta-d) pumice. The median Single particle fragmentation strength of Ta-d particles decreases with the soaking time. The Intra-particle saturation ratio of Ta-d has increased with the logarithmic value of the soaking time. Samples were soaked in water for 1, 6, 24, 168 and 508 h before shearing. Peak shear strength was decreased with the soaking time. The residual strength is about 2 kPa for each soaking condition, which shows that there is no significant variation in residual strength with soaking time. The friction angle shows a sharp reduction from the peak value during the first 800 mm of shear strain and thereafter gradually stabilizes to the residual value. The peak shear stress of Ta-d pumice is reduced with the intra-particle saturation ratio. The mobilized frictional coefficient of Ta-d is not sensitive to the intra-particle saturation ratio.
Towards an Optimization of Foundation Anchors of Landslide-Resisting Flexible Barriers: Dynamic Pullout Resistance of Anchors
Authors: Choi Clarence Edward , Zhang Jiaqi , Xiong Dake 
Published: June 2024

AbstractExisting research on the design of flexible barriers to arrest the landslide mass mainly focuses on the optimization of the superstructure. Little attention has been given to the optimization of the foundation anchors used to transmit dynamic impact loading from the landslides to the ground. In fact, existing design guidelines for foundation anchors of landslide-resisting flexible barriers are based on quasi-static pullout theories even though field evidence suggests that the dynamic response of an anchor is fundamentally different. In this study, a new analytical model is proposed to predict the peak pullout resistance for anchors subjected to dynamic loading in saturated sand. A novel experimental apparatus was developed to evaluate the proposed analytical model. Dynamic effects are profound in saturated sand and less so in dry sand. Rate strengthening at the soil-anchor interface is governed by pore pressure change from dilation and soil damping. The proposed model is shown to give close predictions of the measured peak dynamic pullout resistance, which is up to three times those under quasi-static conditions. Findings imply that rate strengthening changes the critical failure mechanism of a foundation anchor from the soil-anchor interface for quasi-static loading to the potential rupturing of the steel tendon for dynamic loading. This study highlights the need for the dynamic analysis of foundation anchors of landslide-resisting flexible barriers.
Global Promotion of Understanding and Reducing Landslide Disaster Risk: Two Years on P-LRT
Authors: Sassa Shinji 
Published: June 2024

AbstractThis article presents an overview and a concise review of a global promotion of understanding and reducing landslide disaster risk, based on 2 years of publication of Progress in Landslide Research and Technology (P-LRT). The Vol. 1 Issue 1, Vol. 1 Issue 2, Vol. 2 Issue1 and Vol. 2 Issue 2 of P-LRT were comprised of a total of ninety-seven articles from thirty-six countries/regions from Africa, Asia, Europe, North America, Oceania, and South America. The first four issues embody recent progress in landslide research and technology for practical applications and the benefit for the society contributing to the Kyoto Landslide Commitment 2020.
Recent UL FGG Contributions to the 2020 Kyoto Commitment
Authors: Mikoš Matjaž , Bezak Nejc , Jurček Timotej , Kuzmanić Tamara , Maček Matej , Rusjan Simon , Sodnik Jošt 
Published: June 2024

AbstractUniversity of Ljubljana, Faculty of Civil and Geodetic Engineering (UL FGG) is a Full Member of the International Consortium on Landslides, and an Official Promoter of the 2020 Kyoto Commitment for Landslide Risk Reduction. In this article, the activities in the period 2020–2023 that have contributed to the 2020 Kyoto Commitment are shortly reviewed. The main research and capacity-building activities were conducted within the framework of the World Centre of Excellence (2020–2023) on Landslides in Weathered Heterogenous Sedimentary Rock Masses such as Flysch, and a few International Programme on Landslides (IPL) projects: IPL-225, IPL-261, and IPL-262. UL FGG also supported the activities of the UNESCO Chair on Water-related Disaster Risk Reduction (WRDRR) at the University of Ljubljana which was active in research of rainfall-induced landslides, their triggering and mitigation. The reviewed activities also contributed to the UNESCO Intergovernmental Hydrological Program and its IXth phase (2022–2029), the Sendai Framework on Disaster Risk Reduction (2015–2030), and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.
Assessing Landslide Distribution for Landform Hazard Zoning Purposes: A Case Study on the Western Flank of Iztaccíhuatl Volcano, Puebla, México
Authors: Legorreta-Paulín Gabriel , Bursik Marcus , Arana-Salinas Lilia , Medina-Jaen Miguel 
Published: June 2024

AbstractIn volcanic terrains, landslides are major natural hazard, posing risks to human settlements and economic activity. The characterization and analysis of landslide distribution is important in understanding their behavior in the landscape. The aim of this paper is to present results of the ongoing research project in the Institute of Geography at the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM), to analyze the distribution of landslides, and characterize landforms that are prone to slope instability. For the Río Xopanac watershed on the western flank of Iztaccíhuatl volcano, landforms and landslide distribution were ascertained through a landslide inventory map created from multi-temporal aerial photographs, field investigations and adaptation of the Landslide Hazard Zonation Protocol of the Washington State Department of Natural Resources, Forest Practices Division, in a GIS-based technology. This analysis divided the watershed into 13 mass-wasting landforms that were assigned slope-stability hazard ratings from low to very high. The overall hazard rating for this watershed was very high. The implementation of the technique yields information essential for policy makers here and in other areas of Mexico.
Identification of Potential Natural Slope Failure Zones by Geomorphological Analyses Using Raster Slope Shading of LiDAR; Case Study from Kegalle, Sri Lanka
Authors: Karunarathna Sandaruwan , Bandara Priyantha , Goto Satoshi , Bandaranayake Sajith 
Published: June 2024

AbstractThere are three approaches to defining the potential instability zonation of natural slopes. The first approach is to understand the failure mechanism through soil properties in a slope, and the mechanisms of failure and movement. The second approach aims to understand the tendency of slopes to fail, with terrain factors that form the essential characteristics of slopes. Understanding the spatial distribution of slope failures and their patterns on a particular slope is the third approach and the focus of this research. All approaches require field verification with expert knowledge.Slope failure zones contain unique topographic patterns that can be used to identify the failure shape and its dimensions. Slope failures are one of many natural denudation processes. Most slope failure landform units, considered as past slope failures tend to expand naturally. If there is no human involvement, zones of past natural slope failure can be also categorized as potential zones of future slope failure. The large-scale geomorphological analysis is the best approach for clearly identifying landform units associated with potential zones of slope failures. The best scale is 1:10,000. Two-dimensional or three-dimensional raster interpretation of slopes can be used to visualize more clearly the actual shape of slope failures. For the study, raster geomorphological mapping uses LiDAR survey data to characterize the landform units of slope failures and to prepare a landslide susceptibility evaluation.
Assessing the Potential Rapid and Long Travelling Landslides in Sri Lanka: A Case Study of Athwelthota Landslide
Authors: Weerasinghe A. R. P. , Jayakody S. H. S. , Amali N. P. G. , Maduranga H. R. , Loi Doan Huy 
Published: June 2024

AbstractLandslides are a significant natural hazard in Sri Lanka, causing colossal damage to infrastructure, property, and loss of life. The country is highly susceptible to landslides due to its mountainous terrain, frequent heavy rainfall, and poor land-use practices. This study focuses on the dynamics of the Athwelthota landslide that occurred in 2017 and on the potential instabilities of the surrounding slopes that were evaluated using LS-RAPID numerical simulation software. The physical properties of the soil were examined by testing samples from the study area using an undrained ring-shear apparatus. Firstly, the geomorphological features in the study area and geotechnical parameters of soil were used to calibrate the LS-RAPID model by simulating the past landslide. The calibrated model then simulates two nearby potential failure slopes to assess the hazard. Additionally, the study discusses the triggering mechanism and causes of the past landslide and the two nearby slopes, considering factors such as heavy rainfall and groundwater. In conclusion, the Athwelthota landslide was found to be a complex phenomenon involving multiple factors, such as rainfall and groundwater table fluctuations.
Physical Mechanism and Numerical Simulation of Landslide Dam Formation
Authors: Van Tien Pham , Nhan Tran Thanh , Luong Le Hong , Cuong Tran Quoc 
Published: June 2024

AbstractLandslide dam formation creates one of the most hazardous geomorphic phenomena, which often threaten the safety of upstream and downstream communities by causing various secondary hazards, such as backwater inundation, dam breaches, debris flows, and outburst floods. Understanding the conditions and processes of the landslide dam formation is useful for hazard assessment and its disaster countermeasures. This research presents the physical mechanism of landslide dams and their entire formation process through three typical cases, namely the large-scale Kuridaira and Akatani landslide dams in Nara prefecture, Japan and the massive Jure landslide dam in Sindhupalchok district, Nepal, by using ring shear tests and integrated simulation with LS-RAPID model. The results from ring shear tests show that the samples of the sliding surfaces underwent substantial grain crushing and sliding-surface liquefaction due to a rapid generation of pore water pressure and significant loss of shear strength. In the computer model, the formation processes of the three landslide dams consisted of four main stages from stable slopes to local failures through progressive failures to massive slope movement at high speeds and river damming at the end of the motion. The analysis indicates the high mobility behavior that governs the rapid motion of the landslides is a primary contributing factor to the dam formation.
Multiple Landslides in an Area Draped in Volcanic Matters: The Dual Impacts of Rains and Earthquakes
Authors: Nakata Alessandra M. , Konagai Kazuo , Onishi Ryo 
Published: June 2024

AbstractThe devastating 2018 Hokkaido Eastern Iburi Earthquake, with a moment magnitude (Mw) of 6.7, inflicted significant damage in the eastern part of Hokkaido, Japan, resulting in the tragic loss of 41 lives, with landslides accounting for 36 fatalities. The mountainous epicentral regions experienced a high number of landslides, primarily induced by the movement of tephra strati originating from eruptions associated with Shikotsu Caldera, Mt. Tarumae, and Mt. Eniwa. The combined intensity of the earthquake and the accumulation of rainfall played crucial roles in initiating these landslides. To gain comprehensive insights into the dynamics of this event, we utilized the Multi-Scale Simulator for the Geo-Environment (MSSG) to simulate the spatial and temporal patterns of rainfall from August 6 to September 5, 2018. Our simulation results were effectively validated against observed data from weather stations operated by the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) in the epicentral area. Impressively, the simulation accurately captured the intricate variations in rainfall, taking into account the influence of the region's mountainous terrain. Notably, our findings revealed a noteworthy relationship: as the peak ground acceleration (PGA) increases, the required threshold of rainfall for triggering landslides decreases. This study enhances our understanding of the complexities surrounding landslide dynamics in earthquake-prone areas and contributes to improved disaster preparedness and mitigation efforts.
Spatio-Temporal Distribution of Rainfall-Induced Landslides in Nicaragua (2000–2022): Preliminary Insights to Communicate Landslide Disaster Risk
Authors: Velásquez-Espinoza Gema , Alcántara-Ayala Irasema 
Published: June 2024

AbstractNicaragua’s location in the tropics makes it highly susceptible to tropical cyclones, with 22 such events causing significant damage between 1971 and 2020. The attendant risk of landslides and flooding from heavy rainfall associated with these phenomena is a grave concern. However, the absence of consistent policies to progress scientific development due to national socioeconomic and political constraints has impeded effective disaster risk management. This chapter presents an overview of landslide occurrences from 2000 to 2022 and offers preliminary insights for creating strategies to communicate landslide disaster risks.
Defining a Collaborative Framework for Roadmapping Activities
Authors: Fornasiero Rosanna , Tolio Tullio A. M. 
Published: June 2024

AbstractToday, more than ever, it urges to increase effort for monitoring and investigating changes in environment, particularly in relation to events in the social, economic, political and ecological landscapes as well as new technologies. Roadmapping activities are based on techniques and practices to analyse the “state” of a system and to identify evolution of emerging drivers. Roadmapping methodologies can support in understanding the impact of drivers on the competitive position of system under consideration and on the advantage of answering to these drivers. This chapter proposes a collaborative framework, designing it with the aim to involve several stakeholders with an iterative approach to consult and validate the results collected from literature and state-of-the-art and to share knowledge in a context where system competitiveness is considered as a precondition for individual benefit. Overall, this work contributes to improve the effectiveness of strategic roadmapping and to increase its value added to the planning process of clusters and in general of large groups of interest, while providing helpful insight to public organizations that promote the competitiveness of related sector under consideration.