bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Groundwater potential zones delineation using GIS and AHP techniques in upper parts of Chemoga watershed, Ethiopia
Authors: Zewdie Mulusew Minuyelet , Kasie Lmatu Amare , Bogale Solomon 
Published: March 2024

AbstractWater is one of the most imperative needs and used for innumerable purpose. The needs of groundwater exploration have being increased due to the radical climatic changes, for continually increased population growth and a change of human lifestyle. GIS and AHP of multicriteria decision making are the most effective, applicable and logical approaches to delineate the groundwater potential zones in upper parts of Chemoga watershed. GIS and AHP are a 7 computer-based systems used to handle, store, manipulate, analyze and present geospatial data to resolve several complicated problems in the environment. Hence, the groundwater potential zone is delineated by overlaying the weights of ten influencing factors (lineament density, rainfall, geomorphology, Lithology, slope, drainage density, roughness, land use/land cover, depth to groundwater level and elevation) in ArcGIS platform under spatial analysis tool. All those influencing factors are selected on the bases of their contribution for the ground water recharge. Based on the findings of weighted overlay analysis, 11.1, 18.2, 47.1, 15.4 and 8.2% of the region depicted very good, good, moderately good, poor, very poor groundwater potential zones, respectively. The investigated groundwater potential sites have validated by seven existed borehole data and hence the study verified their close relationships. Out of seven boreholes, about 7–4 and 3–1 were found under very good to good and poor to very poor groundwater potential zones, respectively.
Spatio-Temporal Marked Point Process Model to Understand Forest Fires in the Mediterranean Basin
Authors: de Rivera Óscar Rodríguez , Espinosa Juncal , Madrigal Javier , Blangiardo Marta , López-Quílez Antonio 
Published: March 2024

AbstractUnderstanding and predicting forest fires have proved a highly difficult endeavour, which requires extending and adapting complex models used in different fields. Here, we apply a marked point process approach, commonly used in ecology, which uses multiple Gaussian random fields to represent dynamics of Mediterranean forest fires in a spatio-temporal distribution model. Inference is carried out using Integrated Nested Laplace Approximation (INLA) with , an accessible and computationally efficient approach for Bayesian hierarchical modelling, which is not yet widely used in species distribution models. Using the marked point process approach, intensity of forest fires and dispersion were predicted using socioeconomic factors and environmental and fire-related variables. This demonstrates the advantage of complex model components in accounting for spatio-temporal dynamics that are not explained by environmental variables. Introduction of spatio-temporal marked point process can provide a more realistic perspective of a system, which is of particular importance for a practical and impact-focused worldwide problem such as forest fires.Supplementary materials accompanying this paper appear online.
Seismic Retrofitting of Existing Reinforced Concrete Buildings Using Aluminium Shear Links and Eccentric Steel Chevron Braces
Authors: Elgammal Ahmed , El-Khoriby Saher , Seleemah Ayman 
Published: March 2024

AbstractMany existing reinforced concrete buildings have been designed based on earlier codes of practice that underestimated seismic forces, making them vulnerable to damage during seismic action. Equipping existing buildings with shear links and eccentric braces is one of the available seismic retrofitting methods to dissipate seismic energy away from the main structural members. In this paper, a proposal for the seismic retrofitting of two existing reinforced concrete buildings using aluminium shear links and steel braces is presented. First, a capacity-based design approach is followed to determine the required sizes of the shear links and eccentric braces. Second, numerical analyses are used to compare how the original and retrofitted buildings responded. These tests include pushover analysis, nonlinear time-history analysis, damage analysis, incremental dynamic analysis, fragility and reliability analysis, and damage analysis. The results reveal that the proposed retrofitting method can sufficiently upgrade the performance level of the buildings and reduce their storey displacements and interstorey drifts, as shear links are found to absorb almost all seismic energy, therefore keeping other structural members responding elastically. Yet, using shear links alters the local behaviour of the surrounding structural members, which should be considered in the design process. Furthermore, compared to the original buildings, retrofitted buildings are expected to undergo less structural damage as they have lower damage indices. Meanwhile, the fragility of retrofitted buildings is significantly reduced compared to the original ones, which indicates the efficiency of the proposed retrofitting methods in upgrading the performance of seismically deficient reinforced concrete buildings.
Diversity and trade-offs of water values in the Akaki River system in Ethiopia: context of urban–rural linkage
Authors: Haileslassie Amare , Tesema Ephrem , Mersha Mihret , Bekele Tilaye Worku , Desalegne Mengistu , Haile Alemseged Tamiru 
Published: March 2024

AbstractThe objectives of the study were to investigate community perception and articulation of diverse and priority water values and examine water value trade-offs in the context of urban–rural interaction. The study applies the socio-ecological system framework and integrates bio-physical and socioeconomic methods into it. These methods include Household Surveys (HHs); Focused Group Discussions (FGD); Key Informant Interviews (KII); Cumulative Pollution Index (CPI); GIS for spatial analysis and literature review. Through HHs, 23 water values were identified in Akaki. Most respondents of the HHs prioritized three water values (water for agriculture, livestock, and domestic use). The stakeholder consultation substantiated the priority for domestic water value but also acknowledged waste assimilation services of rivers that absorb and strew pollutants from industries and households. The result of KII suggests that water system structures (e.g., reservoirs) are the mnemonic value for past events and sustain scenic values of local, national, and global importance. The Cumulative Pollution Index (CPI) based pollution assessment indicates that the Akaki water system lost a significant number of its water value (compared to the actual uses) due to river pollution across its reach and more critically at its outlet. The differences between the CPI value-based recommended water uses and actual water uses reflect a lack of options, awareness gaps, and a low level of policy enforcement. It is concluded that policy directions and decision-making need to acknowledge the multiple water values and competing uses of water, as points of departure, to reconcile water value trade-offs, conserve water and create awareness.
Growth, pathogenicity and sexual fertility of the African tree pathogen Ceratocystis albifundus
Authors: Danki Vinolia N. , Steenkamp Emma T. , de Vos Lieschen , Swalarsk-Parry Benedicta S. , Dewing Claudette , Fru Felix , Wilken P. Markus , Mchunu Nokuthula P. , Wingfield Brenda D. , Wingfield Michael J. , van der Nest Magriet A. 
Published: March 2024

Abstract
The African fungus Ceratocystis albifundus does not cause disease symptoms on its wide range of native woody hosts. However, on non-native Acacia mearnsii and orchard-grown Protea cynaroides, it represents an economically significant pathogen. Because previous studies exploring the biological fitness of C. albifundus were constrained by small sample sizes, we aimed to determine how commonly used measures of fitness (growth in culture, pathogenicity and sexual fertility status) vary across natural populations. For this purpose, a collection of 58 isolates originating from diverse hosts and geographic locations in South Africa were subjected to growth studies on synthetic culture medium, pathogenicity tests on A. mearnsii saplings, and sequence-based assays of fertility status. We found that these traits were generally not correlated with one another, although isolates from the Summer rainfall region and from native hosts induced significantly shorter lesions on A. mearnsii than isolates from the Winter rainfall region and from diseased A. mearnsii and orchard-grown P. cynaroides tissues. In other words, aggressiveness of C. albifundus to A. mearnsii was significantly influenced by the isolates’ geographic origin and host species, irrespective of their fertility status or growth rates. Additionally, the broad lack of correlation among growth, pathogenicity and fertility suggested that these fitness components are likely underpinned by distinct genetic and molecular mechanisms. Our study thus provides a robust foundation for further exploration of the fitness landscape in this important tree pathogen.
Insights on the fungal communities associated with needle reddening of the endangered Abies nebrodensis
Authors: Frascella Arcangela , Barberini Sara , Della Rocca Gianni , Emiliani Giovanni , Di Lonardo Vincenzo , Secci Stefano , Danti Roberto 
Published: March 2024

AbstractAbies nebrodensis is a species of fir endemic to Sicily, represented by only 30 trees in the natural population and is currently classified as critically endangered by IUCN. In such context, monitoring its health status is essential for the proper management and preservation of this species. Phytosanitary surveys of trees of the natural population of A. nebrodensis and on potted plants raised in the local forest nursery were carried out, and the phyllosphere fungal community was investigated. The health condition of trees in the natural population were fairly good, with needle reddening and blight as the most frequently observed symptoms on the foliage, while in the nursery similar disorders were registered on about the 1.3% of potted plants. Results on fungal isolations highlighted the presence of species belonging to Valsa, Cytospora (which includes anamorphs of Valsa) and Rhizosphaera genera as the most represented on both reddened and green needles; these results suggest that these fungi likely live as endophytes, resuming their growth when needles are affected by environmental stressors such as wind, hail, mechanical wounds and do not represent a biotic constraint for A. nebrodensis. The disorders observed appear mostly as a consequence of the harsh site in which the relic species lives. Together with the fungal community observed on symptomatic and healthy needles, they indicate that A. nebrodensis adapted and tolerates its altered habitat.
Towards green evolution in urban Egypt: assessing Al Rehab City through LEED-ND and BREEAM-communities frameworks
Authors: Hegazy Ibrahim Rizk , Hammad Hazem Abdelazim , Tohlob Ahmed Alhussein , Elbelkasy Mohamed Ibrahim 
Published: March 2024

AbstractThis article provides a comprehensive analysis of the application of green neighborhood rating systems, specifically Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design-Neighborhood Development (LEED-ND) and Building Research Foundation Environmental Assessment Method (BREEAM)-Communities, in the context of Cairo, Egypt, focusing on Al Rehab City, a prominent urban area in New Cairo. The study begins by providing a background on Al-Rehab City, explaining its strategic planning, urban design, and demographic dynamics. It then delves into the current state of sustainable urban planning in Egypt, highlighting the challenges and opportunities that exist in this rapidly urbanizing context. The core of the article includes a comparative analysis of LEED-ND and BREEAM communities, assessing their adaptability and relevance to the Egyptian urban landscape, especially Al Rehab City. It explores many sustainability issues such as smart location, neighborhood pattern and design, green infrastructure, sustainable transportation, energy efficiency, water conservation, waste management, and community engagement. The discussion extends to examine how each of these aspects of sustainability applies to Al Rehab City, complemented by case studies and examples of current sustainable practices in Cairo. Furthermore, the article identifies specific local challenges in implementing these assessment systems, such as economic constraints, policy constraints, and cultural factors. It also suggests opportunities for improvement, including the potential for public–private partnerships, policy reforms, community engagement, technological innovation, and sustainable urban development modeling. In conclusion, the article provides insight into the future prospects of green urban planning in Cairo. The potential impact of adopting comprehensive assessment systems is discussed, with an emphasis on the role of Al Rehab City as a potential model for sustainable urban development in Egypt and the wider MENA region. The article aims to contribute to the discourse on sustainable urban planning, and provide a roadmap for integrating global sustainability standards into the unique context of Egyptian cities.
Meteor Head Echo Detection at Multiple High‐Power Large‐Aperture Radar Facilities via a Convolutional Neural Network Trained on Synthetic Radar Data
Authors: Hedges T. , Lee N. , Elschot S. 
Published: March 2024

AbstractHigh‐power large‐aperture radar instruments are capable of detecting thousands of meteor head echoes within hours of observation, and manually identifying every head echo is prohibitively time‐consuming. Previous work has demonstrated that convolutional neural networks (CNNs) accurately detect head echoes, but training a CNN requires thousands of head echo examples manually identified at the same facility and with similar experiment parameters. Since pre‐labeled data is often unavailable, a method is developed to simulate head echo observations at any given frequency and pulse code. Real instances of radar clutter, noise, or ionospheric phenomena such as the equatorial electrojet are additively combined with synthetic head echo examples. This enables the CNN to differentiate between head echoes and other phenomena. CNNs are trained using tens of thousands of simulated head echoes at each of three radar facilities, where concurrent meteor observations were performed in October 2019. Each CNN is tested on a subset of actual data containing hundreds of head echoes, and demonstrates greater than 97% classification accuracy at each facility. The CNNs are capable of identifying a comprehensive set of head echoes, with over 70% sensitivity at all three facilities, including when the equatorial electrojet is present. The CNN demonstrates greater sensitivity to head echoes with higher signal strength, but still detects more than half of head echoes with maximum signal strength below 20 dB that would likely be missed during manual detection. These results demonstrate the ability of the synthetic data approach to train a machine learning algorithm to detect head echoes.
Accuracy of Global Geospace Simulations: Influence of Solar Wind Monitor Location and Solar Wind Driving
Authors: Al Shidi Q. , Pulkkinen T. I. , Welling D. , Toth G. 
Published: March 2024

AbstractSome space weather models, such as the Space Weather Modeling Framework (SWMF) used in this study, use solar wind propagated from the first Lagrange point (L1) to the bow shock nose (BSN) to forecast geomagnetic storms. The SWMF is a highly coupled framework of space weather models that include multiple facets of the Geospace environment, such as the magnetosphere and ionosphere. The propagated solar wind measurements are used as a boundary condition for SWMF. The solar wind propagation method is a timeshift based on the calculated phase front normal (PFN) which leads to some uncertainties. For example, the propagated solar wind could have evolved during this timeshift. We use a data set of 123 geomagnetic storms between 2010 and 2019 run by the SWMF Geospace configuration to analyze the impact solar wind propagation and solar wind driving has on the geomagnetic indices. We look at the probability distributions of errors in SYM‐H, cross polar cap potential (CPCP), and auroral electrojet indices AL and AU. Through studying the median errors (MdE), standard deviations and standardized regression coefficients, we find that the errors depend on the propagation parameters. Among the results, we show that the accuracy of the simulated SYM‐H depends on the spacecraft distance from the Sun‐Earth line. We also quantify the dependence of the standard deviation in SYM‐H errors on the PFN and solar wind pressure. These statistics provide an insight into how the propagation method affects the final product of the simulation, which are the geomagnetic indices.
Crustal Architecture of the Paleo‐Pacific Rift Margin of East Antarctica: Evidence From U‐Pb Ages and O‐Hf Isotope Compositions of Ross Orogen Granitoids
Authors: Goodge John W. , Fanning C. Mark , Fisher Christopher M. , Vervoort Jeffrey D. 
Published: March 2024

AbstractGranitic batholiths of the ∼500 Ma Ross Orogen in Antarctica are voluminous in scale, reflecting prolific magmatism along the active early Paleozoic convergent margin of Gondwana. New age and isotopic analysis of zircons from a large suite of Ross granitoids spanning >2,000 km along the orogen provide a wealth of geochronologic, tracer, and inheritance information, enabling us to investigate the pace of magmatism, along‐strike temporal and geochemical trends, magmatic sources, and tectonic modes of convergence. Because granitoids penetrate the crust of the earlier Neoproterozoic rift margin, they also provide insight into the age and composition of the largely ice‐covered East Antarctic craton. Zircon U‐Pb ages from these and other samples indicate that active Ross magmatism spanned 475–590 Ma, much longer than generally regarded. Most samples have heavy zircon δ18O values between 6.5 and 11.5‰ and initial εHf compositions between 0 and −15; their isotopic co‐variations are independent of age, as in other contemporary continental arcs, and reflect largely crustal melt sources. Samples near Shackleton Glacier have distinctly more mantle‐like isotope composition (i.e., radiogenic εHf and low δ18O) and separate two regions with distinctive isotopic properties and inheritance patterns—a more juvenile section of Mesoproterozoic crust underlying the southern TAM and an older, more evolved region of Paleoproterozoic and Archean crust in the central TAM. The isotopic discontinuity separating these regions indicates the presence of a cryptic crustal boundary of Grenvillian or younger age within the East Antarctic shield that may be traceable into the western Laurentian part of the Rodinia supercontinent.
Association of body-mass index with physiological brain pulsations across adulthood – a fast fMRI study
Authors: Raitamaa Lauri , Kautto Joona , Tuunanen Johanna , Helakari Heta , Huotari Niko , Järvelä Matti , Korhonen Vesa , Kiviniemi Vesa 
Published: March 2024

Abstract
Background/objective
Obesity is a risk factor for several brain-related health issues, and high body-mass index (BMI) is associated with an increased risk for several neurological conditions, including cognitive decline and dementia. Cardiovascular, respiratory, and vasomotor brain pulsations have each been shown to drive intracranial cerebrovascular fluid (CSF) flow, which is linked to the brain metabolite efflux that sustains homeostasis. While these three physiological pulsations are demonstrably altered in numerous brain diseases, there is no previous investigation of the association between physiological brain pulsations and BMI.

Subjects/methods
We measured the amplitudes of the physiological brain pulsations using amplitude of low frequency fluctation (ALFF) based method with resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging via high temporal resolution whole-brain magnetic resonance encephalography (MREG) in 115 healthy subjects. We next undertook multiple linear regression to model the BMI effect voxel-wise whole-brain on very low frequency (VLF), respiration, cardiovascular, and respiratory induced modulation of cardiovascular pulsation amplitudes with age, pulse pressure, and gender as nuisance variables.

Results
In our study population, BMI was positively associated with the amplitudes of vasomotor, respiratory, and respiratory induced modulations of cardiovascular pulsations (p < 0.05), while negatively associated with the amplitudes of cardiovascular pulsations (p < 0.05).

Conclusions
The findings suggest that BMI is a significant factor in alterations of cardiovascular pulsation of neurofluids. As physiological pulsations are the drivers of CSF flow and subsequent metabolite clearance, these results emphasize the need for further research into the mechanisms through which obesity affects brain clearance.
Contemporary use of prophylactic probiotics in NICUs in the United States: a survey update
Authors: Wala Samantha J. , Ragan Mecklin V. , Pryor Erin , Canvasser Jennifer , Diefenbach Karen A. , Besner Gail E. 
Published: March 2024

Abstract
Objective
In 2015, 14.0% of US NICUs administered probiotics to very low birth weight infants. Current probiotic use prior to and after the Fall of 2023 (when FDA warnings were issued) remains unknown.

Study design
A survey was distributed to the American Academy of Pediatrics Section on Neonatal and Perinatal Medicine (August–November/2022) and Neonatology Solutions’ Level III/IV NICUs (January–April/2023). Probiotic administration practices were investigated.

Results
In total, 289 unique NICUs and 406 providers responded to the survey. Of those, 29.1% of NICUs administered prophylactic probiotics to premature neonates, however, this decreased considerably after FDA warnings were issued. Additionally, 71.4% of providers stated willingness to administer probiotics to premature infants if there was an FDA-approved formulation.

Conclusions
Probiotic use in US NICUs increased between 2015 and the Fall of 2023 and then dropped dramatically following warning letters from the FDA. The introduction of an FDA-approved probiotic may further expand administration.