bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Ni2+ removal by ion exchange resins and activated carbon: a benchtop NMR study
Authors: Bernardi M. , Hantson A.-L. , Caulier G. , Eyley S. , Thielemans W. , De Weireld G. , Gossuin Y. 
Published: April 2024

AbstractHeavy metal pollution in water is a critical environmental concern, demanding effective remediation techniques. Traditional methods, including ion exchange and adsorption, often rely on inductively coupled plasma (ICP) atomic emission spectroscopy/mass spectrometry (AES/MS) for the indirect and time-consuming measurement of residual metal concentrations. In contrast, this study employs innovative direct monitoring of nickel removal by benchtop NMR relaxometry using the paramagnetic properties of Ni2+. To prove the feasibility of the NMR follow-up of Ni2+ uptake, batch experiments were performed with Amberlite IR120, Amberlite IRC748, Dowex Marathon MSC, and activated carbon (AC), which were previously characterized by various techniques. The effect of contact time, pH, and Ni2+ concentration on removal efficiency were studied. Pseudo-first and pseudo-second order kinetic models were used. The Langmuir model effectively described the equilibrium isotherms. The longitudinal and transverse relaxation curves of the loaded resins were biexponential. For sulfonic resins, a strong correlation was observed between the relaxation rates of the fast-relaxing fraction and the Ni2+ content determined by ICP-AES/MS. For IRC748, the effect of Ni2+ loading on the relaxation rates was weaker because of Ni2+ complexation. The relaxation curves of loaded AC revealed multiple fractions. Centrifugation was employed to eliminate the contribution of intergranular water. The remaining intragranular water contribution was biexponential. For high Ni2+ loadings, the relaxation rates of the slow relaxing fraction increased with the AC Ni2+ content. These results mark the initial stage in developing a column experiment to monitor, in real-time, adsorbent loading by NMR relaxometry.
Agricultural drainage pipe in Guadua angustifolia: implications of Manning roughness in Pitalito forest stands
Authors: Duarte-Toro M. , Silva-Chavarro J. M. , Gil-Hernandez J. A. 
Published: April 2024

AbstractWater extraction in agricultural fields with high saturation levels requires drainage systems that increase land preparation costs, so looking for new options for materials that function as drainage pipes that provide a better technical–economic relationship is crucial. In this study, Manning roughness values were analyzed in the culms of Guadua angustifolia considering three factors: flow, section, and location site of the forest stands. This study was carried out in the rural area of the municipality of Pitalito; the characterization of culms was made based on the Colombian technical standards (NTC) 5726 and 5727, the cutting and elaboration of test pieces according to the NTC 5525, and finally, the hydraulic tests were carried out. The roughness values oscillated between 0.1089 and 0.0337 according to the different flow evaluated values in the laboratory tests, between 0.1004 and 0.0356 for the sections analyzed, and between 0.0909 and 0.0533 according to the sample extraction area. The multifactor ANOVA established a significant relationship for the flow and section on the Manning n roughness, while the zone was insignificant.
On Bloch’s “Principle of Topological Continuity”
Authors: Bergweiler Walter , Eremenko Alexandre 
Published: April 2024

AbstractWe discuss to what extent certain results about totally ramified values of entire and meromorphic functions remain valid if one relaxes the hypothesis that some value is totally ramified by assuming only that all islands over some Jordan domain are multiple. In particular, we prove a result suggested by Bloch which says that an entire function of order less than 1 has a simple island over at least one of two given Jordan domains with disjoint closures.
Self-perceived oral health and orofacial aesthetics of cleft patients
Authors: van der Knaap-Kind L. S. , Schipper L. A. , Bonifacio C. C. , Wolvius E. B. , Kragt L. 
Published: April 2024

Abstract
Purpose
To evaluate the self-perceived oral health and aesthetics of the dentition and jaw in patients with different types of oral cleft, measured by patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs). Additionally, to compare the results of the PROMs between cleft lip and or/palate (CL/P) patients and non-affected controls.

Methods
420 CL/P patients treated at the cleft team of the Erasmus Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands, were included, and 138 non-cleft patients were recruited as control-group. Patient’s perceptions were retrospectively evaluated using the CLEFT-Q Teeth for dental aesthetics at ages 8, 12 and 22, CLEFT-Q Jaw for jaw aesthetics at ages 12 and 22, and the Child Oral Health Impact Profile—Oral Symptoms Subscale (COHIP-OSS) for oral health at ages 8 and 12. One-way ANOVA was used to compare differences in oral health and aesthetic perceptions among age-groups, cleft types, as well as between cases and controls.

Results
CL/P patients were significantly less satisfied than controls with their dental aesthetics (p = 0.001). CL/P patients reported significantly lower satisfaction on CLEFT-Q Teeth scores at ages 8 and 12, than at 22 years (p < 0.001). Patients with the most extensive cleft phenotype, Cleft Lip and Palate (CLAP), reported lowest satisfaction on the CLEFT-Q Teeth. No differences in perceptions of oral health nor in aesthetics of the jaw were found in the different cleft types, ages, nor in study versus control group.

Conclusion
This study found differences in self-perceived dental aesthetics: CL/P patients are less satisfied than non-affected controls. CLAP patients are least satisfied, but satisfaction increases with age.
Skin tests, serological IgE detection, basophil test—what is available, useful and helps to clarify a mold allergy?
Authors: Raulf Monika , Kespohl Sabine 
Published: April 2024

AbstractThe prevalence of sensitization to molds is low in healthy people, but significant in asthmatics. As it has not yet been possible to establish a cause-and-effect relationship between the presence of mold allergens and the occurrence of allergic symptoms, there is a great deal of uncertainty. The update of the S2k guideline “Medical–clinical diagnostics for indoor mold exposure” should help to objectify the topic. Based on the recommendations listed there for the diagnosis of suspected IgE-mediated mold allergy, this article presents the possibilities of skin tests, IgE determinations, and other in vitro test options, but also their limitations in clarifying the cause. Potential possibilities include component-resolved allergy diagnostics, while the limitations include the difficult standardization of test allergen extracts due to the complex allergen source and the insufficient commercial availability of the test extracts. A diagnostic algorithm is presented as a tool for a systematic approach to patients with suspected mold-associated respiratory allergy.
Comparing Face-to-Face, Blended and Online Teaching Approaches for Practical Skill Acquisition: A Randomised Controlled Trial
Authors: Forde Cuisle , O’Brien Annie , Croitoru Ovidiu , Molloy Nadine , Amisano Chiara , Brennan Iain , McInerney Adam 
Published: April 2024

Abstract
Introduction
The efficacy of blended and online teaching methods for practical skill acquisition remains ambiguous, particularly for skills requiring haptic awareness and/or sensory training. This study aims to compare three teaching methods (face-to-face, blended, online) for the acquisition of skills requiring sensory learning and haptic awareness. A secondary aim was to explore student experience of each teaching approach.

Design
A post-test only randomised controlled trial.

Methods
Forty-seven participants chose between learning two skills: manual measurement of blood pressure during exercise (BPM) and/or skin fold measurement using callipers (SKM). Participants were randomised to one of three learning groups: face-to-face (n = 23), blended (n = 22) and online (n = 26). Assessors determined skill competency during an in-person skill demonstration session. A survey captured student experiences.

Results
For SKM, there was a statistically significant difference in skill competency between the online learning group (17% achieved competency) and both the face-to-face (75% achieved competency; p = 0.011) and blended (89% achieved competency; p = 0.001) learning groups. For BPM, the online group had the lowest percentage of participants achieve overall skill competency. Both knowledge-based and sensory-based sub-competencies were negatively affected by the online learning method. For both skills, students in the face-to-face and blended learning group were significantly more confident in their knowledge and their ability to perform the skill in a clinical setting, compared to the online learning group.

Conclusion
Both face-to-face and blended teaching methods were more effective at leading to skill acquisition and were preferred by students when compared to a fully online teaching method.
Digital Nudging and Cookie Rejection: An Experiment
Authors: Congiu Luca , Moscati Ivan , Scacchi Matteo 
Published: April 2024

AbstractWhen browsing the Internet, web users tend to accept all cookies even though this may threaten their online security. We apply a salience nudge and a framing nudge to the design of a cookie banner and test their individual and combined effectiveness in fostering rejection of unnecessary cookies in an online experiment (N = 358). The salience nudge makes the rejection button more visible, and the framing nudge phrases button labels as negations. Compared to the control with no nudges, which elicited a rejection rate of 27%, the salience nudge increased rejection rate by 7 percentage points (but p = 0.305), the framing nudge by 18 pp (p = 0.009), and the combination of the two by 53 pp (p < 0.0001). We also find that, when users are offered a customization option rather than the rejection button, only 3% of them select the option and reject non-necessary cookies. Finally, we explore how cookie rejection is related to the time users spend making the decision and to their personality traits. Our findings suggest that cookie rejection can indeed be fostered by an appropriate design of cookie banners and that legislation for protecting the online security of users should introduce specific design guidelines.
Interface Engineering of Titanium Nitride Nanotube Composites for Excellent Microwave Absorption at Elevated Temperature
Authors: Li Cuiping , Li Dan , Zhang Shuai , Ma Long , Zhang Lei , Zhang Jingwei , Gong Chunhong 
Published: April 2024

AbstractCurrently, the microwave absorbers usually suffer dreadful electromagnetic wave absorption (EMWA) performance damping at elevated temperature due to impedance mismatching induced by increased conduction loss. Consequently, the development of high-performance EMWA materials with good impedance matching and strong loss ability in wide temperature spectrum has emerged as a top priority. Herein, due to the high melting point, good electrical conductivity, excellent environmental stability, EM coupling effect, and abundant interfaces of titanium nitride (TiN) nanotubes, they were designed based on the controlling kinetic diffusion procedure and Ostwald ripening process. Benefiting from boosted heterogeneous interfaces between TiN nanotubes and polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS), enhanced polarization loss relaxations were created, which could not only improve the depletion efficiency of EMWA, but also contribute to the optimized impedance matching at elevated temperature. Therefore, the TiN nanotubes/PDMS composite showed excellent EMWA performances at varied temperature (298–573 K), while achieved an effective absorption bandwidth (EAB) value of 3.23 GHz and a minimum reflection loss (RLmin) value of − 44.15 dB at 423 K. This study not only clarifies the relationship between dielectric loss capacity (conduction loss and polarization loss) and temperature, but also breaks new ground for EM absorbers in wide temperature spectrum based on interface engineering.
Automating the repair of potholes using machine techniques and digitally crafted asphalt cartridges
Authors: Awuah Frank K. A. , Garcia-Hernandez Alvaro , Thom Nick 
Published: April 2024

AbstractPotholes are a major problem on road networks as they reduce driving safety and pavement structural integrity. Current repair methods through filling are labour-intensive and unsafe to workers. This paper presents a new approach to filling potholes with less human intervention. The proposed method adopted a modified 3D printer as the automated pothole filling machine. The machine’s operational paramaters, such as extrusion speed, were optimised to maximise the extrusion rate of asphalt mixtures and enhance the efficiency of the filling process. A new digital design method was developed to quickly select the right aggregate-bitumen proportions for asphalt repair cartridges that meet desired performance standards such as extrusion rate, Marshall stability, Marshall flow, and air void contents. The quality of filled potholes was assessed by measuring the rutting depth. The machine fills exhibited 86% rutting resistance compared to hand fills, indicating its future potential to replace current manual methods.
Examining Educational and Career Transition Points Among a Diverse, Virtual Mentoring Network
Authors: Thompson Erika L. , Syed Toufeeq Ahmed , Latif Zainab , Stinson Katie , Javier Damaris , Saleh Gabrielle , Vishwanatha Jamboor K. 
Published: April 2024

Abstract
Given the differences in trajectory for under-represented minorities in biomedical careers, we sought to explore how a virtual mentoring program, the National Research Mentoring Network (NRMN), and its platform (MyNRMN), may facilitate transitions in the science, technology, engineering, mathematics, and medicine (STEMM) pipeline. The purpose of this study was to describe how the size of an MyNRMN member’s mentoring network and level of engagement correlate with academic and career transitions. We examined MyNRMN platform user data from March 2020 to May 2021 (n = 2993). Logistic regression estimated the odds of a career or academic transition related to NRMN mentoring network size and engagement, while adjusting for confounders. Among active MyNRMN users for the one-year period, 5.2% (n = 155) had a positive transition. In the adjusted logistic regression model, users with more engagement on the MyNRMN platform (201 + points) had significantly higher odds of a positive transition (aOR = 2.19, 95% CI 1.14, 4.22) compared to those with 1–50 NRMN Points. Network size was not statistically significant. This study shows an association between being active within a virtual mentoring network and positive educational and career transitions in the STEMM pipeline. Active engagement in a virtual mentoring network may have benefits for mentees who aspire to join the STEMM workforce.
The Nature and Scope of Reported Child Maltreatment in Euro-CAN Countries: Current Evidence and Future Opportunities
Authors: Jud Andreas , Neelakantan Lakshmi , Rajter Miroslav , Græsholt-Knudsen Troels , Witt Andreas , Ntinapogias Athanasios , Quantin Catherine , Korhonen Laura , Roth Maria , Daniunaite Ieva , Bettencourt Rodrigues Leonor , Whelan Sadhbh , Włodarczyk Joanna , Otterman Gabriel 
Published: April 2024

AbstractMost European Cooperation on Science and Technology (COST) affiliated countries aim to advance the goal of protecting children from maltreatment. However, despite the increasing numbers of population-based surveys, the development of administrative data systems has lagged. In this study, we aimed to examine the current state of development of administrative data systems in a sample of countries represented in the COST Action 19106 network, Multi-Sectoral Responses to Child Abuse and Neglect in Europe: Incidence and Trends (Euro-CAN). A structured questionnaire was distributed to researchers and professionals within Euro-CAN-affiliated countries, which captured economic, legislative, systemic, and data infrastructure characteristics. Thematic trends for 13 sampled countries were presented descriptively. The implementation of legislative measures such as banning corporal punishment varied substantially, with some countries decades apart. Almost all sampled countries mandate reports of suspected child maltreatment for all or some professionals in contact with children. In most countries, public child protection, health, or law enforcement systems are decentralized, and unsubstantiated/inconclusive incidents of suspected child maltreatment are not systematically collected at the national level. Child maltreatment data is not routinely collected in health sectors in all sampled countries. Where data is collected in different sectors, such as police and child protection agencies, different descriptions are often used. Systematic data linkage remains a seldom occurrence with only a few countries offering this capability. The call for Euro-CAN countries to develop multi-sectoral data systems to capture recorded instances of child maltreatment remains relevant.
Characterization of urban agriculture and farmers’ climate change adaptation: the case of Urban Wa, Ghana
Authors: Naazie Godwin K. , Agyemang Isaac , Tampah-Naah Anthony M. 
Published: April 2024

AbstractUrban agriculture in sub-Saharan Africa has the potential to significantly improve urban food security and feed the underprivileged when promoted. In Ghana, urban agriculture has several characteristics that distinguish it from traditional farming practices. However, climate change poses a significant threat to urban agriculture, as changing weather patterns can lead to droughts, floods, and extreme weather events that damage crops and animals. This study explored the characteristics of urban food crops and livestock production in the Wa township, Ghana. Mixed methods of data collection and analysis were employed. A sample of 362 urban households was administered survey questionnaires supplemented with 12 key informant interviews. Descriptive and content analysis were carried out, with the results presented in tables, graphs, and narratives. The study found that amidst climatic stressors, urban agriculture is characterized by the production of animals such as chickens, sheep, and goats and crops like maize, yam, beans, cabbage, and pumpkin. Land is acquired through purchasing, though other farmers obtain land from relatives and friends. There is a very strong relationship between residential class and the type of urban farming (Cramer’s V = 0.291 > 0.25) and a moderate relationship between residential class and land acquisition type (Cramer’s V = 0.108 > 0.10). The study concludes that urban farming is characterized by mixed farming coupled with crop diversification, which has implications for climate change adaptation measures. To adapt urban agriculture to climatic stressors, the study recommends that the Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MoFA) should streamline agricultural policy interventions in urban agriculture to promote agriculture intensification.
The problem and countermeasures of the failure of the rural social security system to reduce poverty
Authors: Dai Luote , Guo Yuchun 
Published: April 2024

AbstractThe rural social security system is not only a major livelihood issue related to China's rural population, but also an important basis for the sustainable development of rural economy. This article discusses the problem of the failure of the rural social security system to reduce poverty, in a field survey and interview in a village in North China, further analyze was carried out on the derivative path of poverty caused by social security policies, and it was found that the lack of social security policies, obstacles to policy implementation, negative response policies and so on, It makes the security level and poverty reduction ability of rural social security policy appear obvious deficiencies. Based on the analysis of this paper, the corresponding governance countermeasures are put forward. By strengthening poverty governance, improving the implementation environment of poverty governance, improving cognitive bias and improving the efficiency of poverty reduction.
Fractional-Order Water Flow Optimizer
Authors: Tang Zhentao , Wang Kaiyu , Zang Yan , Zhu Qianyu , Todo Yuki , Gao Shangce 
Published: April 2024

AbstractThe water flow optimizer (WFO) is the latest swarm intelligence algorithm inspired by the shape of water flow. Its advantages of simplicity, efficiency, and robust performance have motivated us to further enhance it. In this paper, we introduce fractional-order (FO) technology with memory properties into the WFO, called fractional-order water flow optimizer (FOWFO). To verify the superior performance and practicality of FOWFO, we conducted comparisons with nine state-of-the-art algorithms on benchmark functions from the IEEE Congress on Evolutionary Computation 2017 (CEC2017) and four real-world optimization problems with large dimensions. Additionally, tuning adjustments were made for two crucial parameters within the fractional-order framework. Finally, an analysis was performed on the balance between exploration and exploitation within FOWFO and its algorithm complexity.
Potential and challenges of depth-resolved three-dimensional MPM simulations: a case study of the 2019 ‘Salezer’ snow avalanche in Davos
Authors: Kyburz Michael Lukas , Sovilla Betty , Bühler Yves , Gaume Johan 
Published: April 2024

Abstract
Avalanche modeling is an essential tool to assess snow avalanche hazard. Today, most popular numerical approaches adopt depth-averaged equations. These methods are computationally efficient but limited in capturing processes occurring in the flow depth direction, e.g. erosion or deposition, which are often considered using ad hoc parameterizations or neglected completely. However, processes such as snow erosion, can crucially influence flow dynamics and run-out and are often not negligible. We address these issues by using a new three-dimensional (3-D) model, based on the material point method and finite strain elastoplasticity. To assess the possibilities and challenges associated with these highly detailed but computationally expensive calculations, we simulated the ‘Salezer’ snow avalanche that released in Davos, Switzerland in 2019. To reproduce the event in our simulations, we use the release areas mapped in a photogrammetric drone survey and estimate the snow conditions on the day of the event. We compare macroscopic features, such as flow outline and snow deposition of the simulated avalanche to field observations. An in-depth analysis of transient 3-D flow structures at the avalanche head not only demonstrates the degree of physical detail in the model, but also highlights challenges which still need to be addressed.