bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Non-linear WENO B-spline based approximation method
Authors: Amat Sergio , Levin David , Ruiz-Álvarez Juan , Yáñez Dionisio F. 
Published: April 2024

Abstract
In this work, we present a new WENO B-spline-based quasi-interpolation algorithm. The novelty of this construction resides in the application of the WENO weights to the B-spline functions, that form a partition of unity, instead of the coefficients that multiply the B-spline functions of the spline. The result obtained conserves the smoothness of the original spline and presents adaption to discontinuities in the function. Another new idea that we introduce in this work is the use of different base weight functions from those proposed in classical WENO algorithms. Apart from introducing the construction of the new algorithms, we present theoretical results regarding the order of accuracy obtained at smooth zones and close to the discontinuity, as well as theoretical considerations about how to design the new weight functions. Through a tensor product strategy, we extend our results to several dimensions. In order to check the theoretical results obtained, we present an extensive battery of numerical experiments in one, two, and three dimensions that support our conclusions.
An alternative formulation of the quantum phase estimation using projection-based tensor decompositions
Authors: Stengl Marian 
Published: April 2024

AbstractIn this paper, an alternative version of the quantum phase estimation is proposed, in which the Hadamard gates at the beginning are substituted by a quantum Fourier transform. This new circuit coincides with the original one, when the ancilla is initialized with$$\left| {0}\right\rangle $$0. With the help of a projection-based tensor decomposition and closed-form expressions of its exponential, this new method can be interpreted as a multiplier coupled to the Hamiltonian of the corresponding target unitary operator. Based on this observation, a recursive decomposition is derived.
Gang Rule(s): Towards a Political Economy of Youth Gang Dynamics in Nicaragua
Authors: Rodgers Dennis 
Published: April 2024

AbstractThis article explores the longitudinal dynamics of youth gang transformation in urban Nicaragua. On the basis of an overview of successive gang iterations that have emerged over the past 30 years in barrio Luis Fanor Hernández, a poor neighborhood in Managua, the capital city of Nicaragua, the article identifies key elements for the articulation of a political economy of both change and stability. In particular, drawing on Bourdieusian theory, it conceives of a gang as a “social field” rather than as a discrete organizational form. It traces how different processes of individual and collective capital accumulation underpinning the social order promulgated by distinct gang iterations emerge and interact with each other, and the consequences that this has for their evolution over time. In doing so, the article offers a better understanding of the logic of what might be termed “gang rule(s)”.
Element contamination of the Orange-Vaal River basin, South Africa: a One Health approach
Authors: Erasmus Johannes Hendrik , Truter Marliese , Smit Nico Jacobus , Nachev Milen , Sures Bernd , Wepener Victor 
Published: April 2024

AbstractNumerous low-income groups and rural communities depend on fish as an inexpensive protein source worldwide, especially in developing countries. These communities are constantly exposed to various pollutants when they frequently consume polluted fish. The largest river basin in South Africa is the Orange-Vaal River basin, and several anthropogenic impacts, especially gold mining activities and industrial and urban effluents, affect this basin. The Department of Environment, Forestry and Fisheries in South Africa has approved the much-anticipated National Freshwater (Inland) Wild Capture Fisheries Policy in 2021. The aims of this study were (1) to analyze element concentrations in the widely distributed Clarias gariepinus from six sites from the Orange-Vaal River basin and (2) to determine the carcinogenic and non-carcinogenic human health risks associated with fish consumption. The bioaccumulation of eight potentially toxic elements (As, Cd, Cr, Cu, Hg, Ni, Pb, Zn) was assessed in C. gariepinus from sites with different anthropogenic sources. The human health risks were determined to assess the potential risks posed by consuming contaminated C. gariepinus from these sites. Carcinogenic health risks were associated with fish consumption, where it ranged between 21 and 75 out of 10,000 people having the probability to develop cancer from As exposure. The cancer risk between the sites ranged between 1 and 7 out of 10,000 people to developing cancer from Cr exposure. A high probability of adverse non-carcinogenic health risks is expected if the hazard quotient (HQ) is higher than one. The HQ in C. gariepinus from the six sites ranged between 1.5 and 5.6 for As, while for Hg, it was between 1.8 and 5.1. These results highlight the need for monitoring programs of toxic pollutants in major river systems and impoundments in South Africa, especially with the new fisheries policy, as there are possible human health risks associated with the consumption of contaminated fish.
Graphical Abstract
„Diese Pillchen haben noch niemandem geschadet, die kann man bedenkenlos nehmen“ – eine typisierende Studie zu Einstellungen und Nutzungsgewohnheiten hausärztlicher Patient*innen in Bezug auf rezeptfreie Medikamente
Authors: Wangler Julian , Jansky Michael 
Published: April 2024

ZusammenfassungHintergrundUnter Verbraucher*innen verzeichnen rezeptfreie Medikamente, sog. Over-the-counter-Produkte, eine große Nachfrage und sind in der Werbung prominent vertreten. Während die Bedeutung rezeptfreier Medikamente in gesundheitsökonomischen Zusammenhängen relativ gut erforscht ist, fehlt es an belastbaren Untersuchen, die Einstellungen, Zuschreibungen und Nutzungsgewohnheiten bei Patient*innen in den Blick nehmen.Ziel der ArbeitAnknüpfend an eine vorangegangene quantitative Wartezimmerbefragung von 900 hausärztlichen Patient*innen, verfolgte die vorliegende qualitative Studie das Ziel, Patient*innen mit regelmäßiger OTC-Nutzung im Hinblick auf Einstellungs- und Nutzungsmuster zu klassifizieren.Material und MethodenDie Studie basiert auf 42 qualitativen Einzelinterviews mit hausärztlichen Patient*innen, die zwischen Februar und Mai 2023 durchgeführt wurden. Im Zuge der Auswertung kam eine qualitative Typenbildung nach Kluge zum Einsatz.ErgebnisseEs konnten vier Typen von OTC-Nutzer*innen identifiziert werden. Erstens sind Patient*innen vertreten, die rezeptfreie Medikamente ähnlich wie rezeptpflichtige Produkte sehen und prinzipiell die ärztliche Rückbindung suchen. Zweitens gibt es Patient*innen, die in bestimmten, schmalen Anwendungskorridoren einen ausgeprägten Umgang mit OTC-Produkten pflegen, weil diese ihnen aus familiären und langjährigen Nutzungsroutinen heraus bekannt sind. Drittens neigt ein Teil der Interviewten zur verbreiteten Anwendung von rezeptfreien Medikamenten zu prophylaktischen und leistungssteigernden Zwecken. Viertens fallen Patient*innen auf, die OTC-Medikamente als Schlüssel zu einer reinen Selbstmedikamentierung auffassen und auf die weitgehende Vermeidung von Arztbesuchen abzielen.SchlussfolgerungEs konnten Befunde aus der Voruntersuchung bestätigt, aber auch weiterführende Erkenntnisse gewonnen werden. Angesichts der leichten Verfügbarkeit rezeptfreier Medikamente und ihrer Präsenz in der Werbung ist es wichtig, dass bei Patient*innen eine realistische Vorstellung von den Möglichkeiten und Risiken von OTC-Produkten gegeben ist. Hierbei spielt neben der Beratung durch Apotheker*innen die vertrauensvolle, langjährige Begleitung durch Hausärzt*innen sowie ihre kontinuierliche Informations- und Beratungstätigkeit eine zentrale Rolle. Ebenfalls kommt es darauf an, Kampagnen zur öffentlichen Gesundheit zu stärken.
Cross-national examination of the Distress Tolerance Scale using Rasch methodology
Authors: Oorjitham Shantini , Medvedev Oleg N. , Bravo Adrian J. ,   Cross-Cultural Addictions Study Team, Conway Christopher C. , Henson James M. , Hogarth Lee , Ibáñez Manuel I. , Kaminer Debra , Keough Matthew , Mezquita Laura , Ortet Generós , Pearson Matthew R. , Pilatti Angelina , Prince Mark A. , Read Jennifer P. , Roozen Hendrik G. , Ruiz Paul 
Published: April 2024

AbstractThe 15-item Distress Tolerance Scale (DTS) is a widely used psychometric measure with evidence generally supporting its reliability and validity. However, limitations related to its ordinal response format and lack of cross-cultural comparisons have yet to be investigated using appropriate methods. The Partial Credit Rasch model was used to evaluate and enhance the psychometric properties of the DTS using responses from 2550 adult participants from the United States of America (USA), England, Canada, South Africa, Spain, and Argentina. The initial poor fit of the DTS to the Rasch model was improved by removing one item and combining locally dependent items into three testlets. These modifications resulted in the best fit of the 14-item DTS to the Rasch model for all the countries in our study, providing evidence of unidimensionality, high reliability and invariance across countries, meditation practice, and gender. Meeting the expectations of the Rasch model permitted the development of ordinal-to-interval conversion algorithms derived from person estimates of the Rasch model. Using the ordinal-to-interval conversion algorithms published in this article, ordinal DTS scores can be transformed into interval-level data, enhancing the precision of this scale for future research and clinical use across people from the six countries in this study and across the English and Spanish versions of the 14-item DTS.
Loops on schemes and the algebraic fundamental group
Authors: Rülling Kay , Schröer Stefan 
Published: April 2024

Abstract
In this note we give a re-interpretation of the algebraic fundamental group for proper schemes that is rather close to the original definition of the fundamental group for topological spaces. The idea is to replace the standard interval from topology by what we call interval schemes. This leads to an algebraic version of continuous loops, and the homotopy relation is defined in terms of the monodromy action. Our main results hinge on Macaulayfication for proper schemes and Lefschetz type results.
The Kotake–Narasimhan theorem in general ultradifferentiable classes
Authors: Fürdös Stefan 
Published: April 2024

AbstractWe prove a Kotake–Narasimhan type theorem in general ultradifferentiable classes given by weight matrices. In doing so we simultaneously recover and generalize significantly the known results for classes given by weight sequences and weight functions. In particular, we obtain a sharp Kotake–Narasimhan theorem for Beurling classes.
Skin Grafting for Dermatologists: Past, Present, and Future
Authors: Maskan Bermudez Narges , Sa Brianna C. , Hargis Abby , Yaghi Marita , Mervis Joshua 
Published: April 2024

Abstract
Purpose of This Review
Skin grafting is a surgical procedure that involves replacing damaged or missing skin with healthy skin. This technique helps protect wounds, promotes healing, and enhances functionality and appearance. Skin grafting can be beneficial in treating burns, traumatic injuries, chronic ulcers, surgical wounds, and congenital defects, among others.

Recent Findings
A range of cellular and tissue-based products (CTPs) can be employed, either in conjunction with autologous skin grafts or independently, to facilitate wound healing. Human skin allografts, sourced from donated human skin, often obtained from cadavers, serve as a valuable resource for wound protection. Allogeneic matrices, comprising neonatal fibroblasts or membranes, alongside chorion, amnion, and other placental products, provide a means to accelerate the wound healing process. Composite matrices, which combine human keratinocytes, fibroblasts, and xenogeneic collagen, provide a solution to replicate the complexity of natural skin. Moreover, acellular matrices derived from xenogeneic collagen or tissue offer a versatile platform for tissue regeneration.

Conclusion
Skin grafting is a complex procedure that requires careful planning and postoperative care. Success depends on factors like the type of graft, wound management, and overall health of the patient. Skin grafting has evolved with advancements in surgery, anesthesia, and wound care and remains a crucial technique for restoring function and appearance.
Mortality risk relationship using standard categorized BMI or knee-height based BMI – does the overweight/lower mortality paradox hold true?
Authors: Gavriilidou Nivetha Natarajan , Pihlsgård Mats , Elmståhl Sölve , Ekström Henrik 
Published: April 2024

Abstract
Background
The body mass index (BMI) is prone to misclassification of obesity due to age-related height loss and resulting measurement errors. Knee-height based BMI (KH-BMI) has not been previously studied in relation to mortality risk in older adults.

Aim
To evaluate the age- and sex-specific mortality risk relationship using classic BMI and knee height predicted BMI (KH-BMI) overweight and obesity in a 15-year follow-up study including older Swedish adults aged 60–93 years.

Methods
A 15-year follow-up study among 2,786 individuals aged ≥ 60 years. Height, weight and KH were measured. KH-predicted height was estimated using formulated gender-specific equations. Classic BMI and KH-BMI (kg/m2) were calculated. Mortality data was obtained from the Swedish death registry. Questionnaires were used to collect data on obesity-related lifestyle factors and comorbidities.

Results
Cox regression revealed that using the classic BMI, when comparing with the normal/underweight reference group, there was a mortality risk among overweight men (HR = 0.67, 0.52–0.87), overweight women (HR = 0.79, 0.65–0.97), and obese men (HR = 0.60, 0.41–0.89) aged ≥ 80 years old. Using the KH-BMI, only overweight men and overweight women aged ≥ 80 years had a lower mortality risk, men (HR = 0.71, 0.55–0.92); women (HR = 0.77, 0.62–0.95) after adjusting for obesity-related lifestyle factors and comorbidities.

Discussion
There is evidence that obesity is overestimated by the BMI, in comparison with the KH-BMI classification. In terms of mortality risk and after adjusting for height, there remains a paradoxical protective association between overweight and mortality.

Conclusion
Regardless of classic BMI or KH-BMI estimation, overweight men and women aged ≥ 80 years had a lower mortality risk compared to normal/underweight men and women ≥ 80 years.
Exploring the relevance between load-bearing capacity and surface friction behavior based on a layered hydrogel cartilage prototype
Authors: Zhang Yunlei , Zhao Weiyi , Zhao Xiaoduo , Zhang Jinshuai , Yu Bo , Ma Shuanhong , Zhou Feng 
Published: April 2024

AbstractCartilage is well lubricated over a lifetime and this phenomenon is attributed to both of the surface hydration lubrication and the matrix load-bearing capacity. Lubricious hydrogels with a layered structure are designed to mimic cartilage as potential replacements. While many studies have concentrated on improving surface hydration to reduce friction, few have experimentally detected the relationship between load-bearing capacity of hydrogels and their interface friction behavior. In this work, a bilayer hydrogel, serving as a cartilage prototype consisted of a top thick hydrated polymer brush layer and a bottom hydrogel matrix with tunable modulus was designed to investigate this relationship. The coefficient of friction (COF, μ) is defined as the sum of interfacial component (μInt) and deformation/hysteresis component (μHyst). The presence of the top hydration layer effectively dissipates contact stress and reduces the interface interaction (μInt), leading to a stable and low COF. The contribution of mechanical deformation (μHyst) during the sliding shearing process to COF can be significantly reduced by increasing the local mechanical modulus, thereby enhancing the load-bearing capacity. These results show that the strategy of coupling surface hydration layer with a high load-bearing matrix can indeed enhance the lubrication performance of hydrogel cartilage prototypes, and implies a promising routine for designing robust soft matter lubrication system and friction-control devices.
Fault-Tolerant Control for Aircraft with Structural Damage Using Sparse Online Gaussian Process Regression
Authors: Lee Jayden Dongwoo , Kim Lamsu , Zewge Natnael S. , Bang Hyochoong 
Published: April 2024

AbstractThis paper presents the design of data-driven fault-tolerant control using sparse online Gaussian process regression (SOGPR) to stabilize an aircraft with left-wing damage. The structural damage causes changes in mass, moment of inertia, center of gravity, and aerodynamic coefficients. These parameter variations deteriorate the performance of model-based nonlinear control methods. Hence, Gaussian process-based nonlinear dynamic inversion (GP-NDI) is proposed to compensate for uncertainties in situations of structural damage. Unlike parametric adaptive control approaches, Gaussian process regression is a non-parametric method that does not need prior information about uncertainties. And the proposed method implements SOGPR to reduce computational time and memory by incrementally updating the mean and variance. To compensate for the error in the estimated uncertainty, a robust control input is designed. In addition, a weighted delete score is used to improve the transient response. Numerical simulation results are compared with model reference adaptive control (MRAC) and nonlinear disturbance observer (NDO) to analyze a stabilizing and tracking performance in a structural damage situation.
Characterization, surface preparation, conservation, and corrosion protection of bronze arrow heads from Cairo military museum using nanocomposite coating
Authors: Megahed Mohamed M. , Elashery Noha H. , Saleh Saleh M. , El-Shamy A. M. 
Published: April 2024

AbstractThe study focused on examining approximately 32 arrowheads from Cairo’s Qala Salah al-Din military museum, which showed significant signs of deterioration. The main objectives were to investigate the bronze alloy composition of these arrowheads and analyze the physical and chemical characteristics of their patinas. Understanding the causes and mechanisms of corrosion was crucial for developing effective conservation strategies to halt further degradation and identifying the corrosion products and metals involved. To achieve these goals, extensive examinations and analyses were conducted, including metallographic microscopy, SEM–EDS, and X-ray diffraction analysis to scrutinize the chemical composition, metallurgical features, and corrosion products of the bronze samples. Additionally, experimental studies were carried out to determine the most suitable protective coating for preventing future corrosion. Various combinations of ZnO nanoparticles with Paraloid® 48 or Paraloid® 66 coatings were tested on simulated arrowheads, and electrochemical techniques such as EIS and RP were employed for measurement. The results indicated that combining ZnO nanoparticles with either Paraloid® 48 or Paraloid® 66 coatings resulted in lower corrosion rates compared to using each coating alone. Based on these findings, chemical cleaning with ZnO nanoparticles and Paraloid® 48 was selected for treatment to protect the arrowheads' surfaces. Overall, this study provides valuable insights into preservation techniques for these historically significant artifacts.
Neural network-based robust adaptive super-twisting sliding mode fault-tolerant control for a class of tilt tri-rotor UAVs with unmodeled dynamics
Authors: Chao L. , Bai Y. , Wang Z. , Yin Y. 
Published: April 2024

AbstractAiming at alleviating the adverse influence of coupling unmodeled dynamics, actuator faults and external disturbances in the attitude tracking control system of tilt tri-rotor unmanned aerial vehicle (UAVs), a neural network (NN)-based robust adaptive super-twisting sliding mode fault-tolerant control scheme is designed in this paper. Firstly, in order to suppress the unmodeled dynamics coupled with the system states, a dynamic auxiliary signal, exponentially input-to-state practically stability and some special mathematical tools are used. Secondly, benefiting from adaptive control and super-twisting sliding mode control (STSMC), the influence of the unexpected chattering phenomenon of sliding mode control (SMC) and the unknown system parameters can be handled well. Moreover, NNs are employed to estimate and compensate some unknown nonlinear terms decomposed from the system model. Based on a decomposed quadratic Lyapunov function, both the bounded convergence of all signals of the closed-loop system and the stability of the system are proved. Numerical simulations are conducted to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed control method for the tilt tri-rotor UAVs.
Conformism, Ignorance & Injustice: AI as a Tool of Epistemic Oppression
Authors: Miragoli Martin 
Published: April 2024

Abstract
From music recommendation to assessment of asylum applications, machine-learning algorithms play a fundamental role in our lives. Naturally, the rise of AI implementation strategies has brought to public attention the ethical risks involved. However, the dominant anti-discrimination discourse, too often preoccupied with identifying particular instances of harmful AIs, has yet to bring clearly into focus the more structural roots of AI-based injustice. This paper addresses the problem of AI-based injustice from a distinctively epistemic angle. More precisely, I argue that the injustice generated by the implementation of AI machines in our societies is, in some paradigmatic cases, also a form of epistemic injustice. With a particular focus on AIs employed as gatekeepers of our epistemic resources, this paper shows how their epistemically conformist behaviour is responsible for the marginalisation and the ostracism of minoritarian perspectives. Because it clarifies key structural flaws and weaknesses of current AI design, this paper helps make headway in critical discussion of current AI technologies. And because it forges new theoretical tools to understand forms of epistemic oppression, this paper also contributes to the advancement of feminist theorisation.
Childhood’s Charms and Nature’s Enchantments: Listening to Enescu’s Impressions d’enfance
Authors: SAVAGE-HANFORD JAMES 
Published: April 2024

AbstractEnescu’s Impressions d’enfance is notable for the ways in which it evokes a childlike fascination with the world. This article considers not only how this experiential mode is constructed, but also how the topic of childhood overlaps with Enescu’s conception of an enchanted dwelling-place, particularly in the context of how humans interact with the natural world. I argue that exploring such ‘strategies of enchantment’ and their musical framing allows not only for a more nuanced understanding of Enescu’s aesthetics and his music, but also of the role that enchantment as an aesthetic category occupies within musical modernity more broadly.