bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Improving model choice in classification: an approach based on clustering of covariance matrices
Authors: Rodríguez-Vítores David , Matrán Carlos 
Published: March 2024

AbstractThis work introduces a refinement of the Parsimonious Model for fitting a Gaussian Mixture. The improvement is based on the consideration of clusters of the involved covariance matrices according to a criterion, such as sharing Principal Directions. This and other similarity criteria that arise from the spectral decomposition of a matrix are the bases of the Parsimonious Model. We show that such groupings of covariance matrices can be achieved through simple modifications of the CEM (Classification Expectation Maximization) algorithm. Our approach leads to propose Gaussian Mixture Models for model-based clustering and discriminant analysis, in which covariance matrices are clustered according to a parsimonious criterion, creating intermediate steps between the fourteen widely known parsimonious models. The added versatility not only allows us to obtain models with fewer parameters for fitting the data, but also provides greater interpretability. We show its usefulness for model-based clustering and discriminant analysis, providing algorithms to find approximate solutions verifying suitable size, shape and orientation constraints, and applying them to both simulation and real data examples.
Adaptive quadtree splitting parallelization (AQSP) algorithm for the VVC standard
Authors: González-Ruiz Alberto , Díaz-Honrubia Antonio Jesús , Tapia-Fernández Santiago , García-Lucas David , Cebrián-Márquez Gabriel , Mengual-Galán Luis 
Published: March 2024

AbstractThe Versatile Video Coding (VVC) standard, also known as H.266, was released in 2020 as the natural successor to the High Efficiency Video Coding (HEVC) standard. Among its innovative coding tools, VVC extended the concept of quadtree (QT) splitting to the multi-type tree (MTT) structure, introducing binary and ternary partitions to enhance HEVC’s coding efficiency. While this brought significant compression improvements, it also resulted in a substantial increase in encoding time, primarily due to VVC’s larger Coding Tree Unit (CTU) size of 128$$\times $$
×
128 pixels. To mitigate this, this work introduces a flexible parallel approach for the QT traversal and splitting scheme of the VVC encoder, called adaptive quadtree splitting parallelization (AQSP) algorithm. This approach is based on the distribution of coding units (CUs) among different threads using the current depth level of the QT as a basis to minimize the number of broken dependencies. In this way, the algorithm achieves a good trade-off between time savings and coding efficiency. Experimental results show that, when compared with the original VVC encoder, AQSP achieves an acceleration factor of 2.04$$\times $$
×
with 4 threads at the expense of a low impact in terms of BD rate. These outcomes position AQSP competitively in comparison with other state-of-the-art approaches.
Impact of water exhaled out by visitors in show caves: a case study from the Moravian Karst (Czech Republic)
Authors: Lang Marek , Faimon Jiří , Pracný Pavel , Štelcl Jindřich , Kejíková Sandra , Hebelka Jiří 
Published: March 2024

AbstractThe anthropogenic impact of the water and CO2 exhaled by visitors was studied in the show caves of the Moravian Karst (Czech Republic), especially in the Balcarka and Výpustek Caves. Two alternative models based on (1) the known/presumed composition of the breathed air and physical activity of visitors and (2) the detailed monitoring microclimatic data were proposed. The CO2 fluxes of 2.4 × 10−4 and (2.0–3.9) × 10−4 mol person−1 s−1 and the water vapor fluxes of (3.2–8.9) × 10−3 and (0.6–1.2) × 10−2 g person−1 s−1 were found for a slightly increased physical load. The total attendance and cave tour duration were the main driving factors. For the available data on attendance and accessibility periods, the total mass of water vapor exhaled by visitors in all show caves in the Moravian Karst was estimated between 9.6 × 106 and 4.3 × 108 g with significant seasonality. According to the geochemical model, this mass of water is capable of dissolving 1280 to 59,038 g of calcite, assuming a mean winter and summer CO2 concentration in the cave air of 1000 and 3000 ppmv. The larger extent of water condensation can lead to the so-called condensation corrosion, whereas the lower extent of condensation probably causes a recrystallization of calcite on the surface of speleothems and rocks.
A systematic review of educational online peer-review and assessment systems: charting the landscape
Authors: Babik Dmytro , Gehringer Edward , Kidd Jennifer , Sunday Kristine , Tinapple David , Gilbert Steven 
Published: March 2024

AbstractOver the past two decades, there has been an explosion of innovation in software tools that encapsulate and expand the capabilities of the widely used student peer assessment. While the affordances and pedagogical impacts of traditional in-person, “paper-and-pencil” peer assessment have been studied extensively and are relatively well understood, computerized (online) peer assessment introduced not only shifts in scalability and efficiency, but also entirely new capabilities and forms of social learning interactions, instructor leverage, and distributed cognition, that still need to be researched and systematized. Despite the ample research on traditional peer assessment and evidence of its efficacy, common vocabulary and shared understanding of online peer-assessment system design, including the variety of methods, techniques, and implementations, is still missing. We present key findings of a comprehensive survey based on a systematic research framework for examining and generalizing affordances and constraints of online peer-assessment systems. This framework (a) provides a foundation of a design-science metatheory of online peer assessment, (b) helps structure the discussion of user needs and design options, and (c) informs educators and system design practitioners. We identified two major themes in existing and potential research—orientation towards scaffolded learning vs. exploratory learning and system maturity. We also outlined an agenda for future studies.
Near-real-time Mueller polarimetric image processing for neurosurgical intervention
Authors: Moriconi Stefano , Rodríguez-Núñez Omar , Gros Romain , Felger Leonard A. , Maragkou Theoni , Hewer Ekkehard , Pierangelo Angelo , Novikova Tatiana , Schucht Philippe , McKinley Richard 
Published: March 2024

Abstract
Purpose
Wide-field imaging Mueller polarimetry is a revolutionary, label-free, and non-invasive modality for computer-aided intervention; in neurosurgery, it aims to provide visual feedback of white matter fibre bundle orientation from derived parameters. Conventionally, robust polarimetric parameters are estimated after averaging multiple measurements of intensity for each pair of probing and detected polarised light. Long multi-shot averaging, however, is not compatible with real-time in vivo imaging, and the current performance of polarimetric data processing hinders the translation to clinical practice.

Methods
A learning-based denoising framework is tailored for fast, single-shot, noisy acquisitions of polarimetric intensities. Also, performance-optimised image processing tools are devised for the derivation of clinically relevant parameters. The combination recovers accurate polarimetric parameters from fast acquisitions with near-real-time performance, under the assumption of pseudo-Gaussian polarimetric acquisition noise.

Results
The denoising framework is trained, validated, and tested on experimental data comprising tumour-free and diseased human brain samples in different conditions. Accuracy and image quality indices showed significant ($$p < 0.05$$

p
<
0.05

) improvements on testing data for a fast single-pass denoising versus the state-of-the-art and high polarimetric image quality standards. The computational time is reported for the end-to-end processing.

Conclusion:
The end-to-end image processing achieved real-time performance for a localised field of view ($$\approx 6.5\ \text {mm}^2$$

≈
6.5

mm
2

). The denoised polarimetric intensities produced visibly clear directional patterns of neuronal fibre tracts in line with reference polarimetric image quality standards; directional disruption was kept in case of neoplastic lesions. The presented advances pave the way towards feasible oncological neurosurgical translations of novel, label-free, interventional feedback.
Active Inference and Social Actors: Towards a Neuro-Bio-Social Theory of Brains and Bodies in Their Worlds
Authors: Cheadle Jacob E. , Davidson-Turner K. J. , Goosby Bridget J. 
Published: March 2024

AbstractAlthough research including biological concepts and variables has gained more prominence in sociology, progress assimilating the organ of experience, the brain, has been theoretically and technically challenging. Formal uptake and assimilation have thus been slow. Within psychology and neuroscience, the traditional brain, which has made brief appearances in sociological research, is a “bottom–up” processor in which sensory signals are passed up the neural hierarchy where they are eventually cognitively and emotionally processed, after which actions and responses are generated. In this paper, we introduce the Active Inference Framework (AIF), which casts the brain as a Bayesian “inference engine” that tests its “top–down” predictive models against “bottom–up” sensory error streams in its attempts to resolve uncertainty and make the world more predictable. After assembling and presenting key concepts in the AIF, we describe an integrated neuro-bio-social model that prioritizes the microsociological assertion that the scene of action is the situation, wherein brains enculturate. Through such social dynamics, enculturated brains share models of the world with one another, enabling collective realities that disclose the actions afforded in those times and places. We conclude by discussing this neuro-bio-social model within the context of exemplar sociological research areas, including the sociology of stress and health, the sociology of emotions, and cognitive cultural sociology, all areas where the brain has received some degree of recognition and incorporation. In each case, sociological insights that do not fit naturally with the traditional brain model emerge intuitively from the predictive AIF model, further underscoring the interconnections and interdependencies between these areas, while also providing a foundation for a probabilistic sociology.
Differentiation of Bulinus senegalensis and Bulinus forskalii Snails in West Africa Using Morphometric Analysis
Authors: Andrus Peter S. , Joof Ebrima , Wade Christopher M. 
Published: March 2024

Abstract
Purpose
Accurate identification of medically important intermediate host and vector species is crucial for understanding disease transmission and control. Identifying Bulinus snails which act as intermediate host species for the transmission of schistosomiasis is typically undertaken using conchological and genital morphology as well as molecular methods.

Methods
Here, a landmark-based morphometric analysis of shell morphology was undertaken to determine its utility to distinguish the closely related and morphologically similar sister species Bulinus senegalensis and Bulinus forskalii. The method was developed to increase the accuracy of conchological morphology methods to identify Bulinus species in the field. Both species are found in West Africa, but only B. senegalensis is implicated in the transmission of urogenital schistosomiasis.

Results
We found when scaled down to the same length, 3-whorl and 4-whorl (juvenile) B. senegalensis shells had a longer spire, narrower body whorl and shorter aperture than B. forskalii. In contrast, 5-whorl (adult) B. senegalensis had a shorter spire, but still had a shorter aperture and narrower body whorl than B. forskalii. Canonical Variate Analysis (CVA) showed minimal overlap between B. senegalensis and B. forskalii for 3-whorl and 4-whorl shells, with a clear separation for 5-whorl shells. Overall, B. senegalensis had a consistently shorter aperture size and narrower body whorl than B. forskalii for all development stages. Spire length was variable depending on the stage of development, with 3-whorl and 4-whorl shells having the opposite trends of adult shells.

Conclusions
Our study demonstrates the applicability of landmark-based morphometrics in distinguishing the medically important, Bulinus senegalensis from its morphologically similar sister species, Bulinus forskalii. We recommend using measurements based on spire length, penultimate whorl length, body whorl width and aperture size to differentiate B. senegalensis and B. forskalii, when used with the appropriate information for each shell’s development stage.
University students’ stress and burnout risk: results of an ACT-based online-course using self-assessments and HRV-measurements
Authors: Räihä Kristiina , Katajavuori Nina , Vehkalahti Kimmo , Huotilainen Minna , Asikainen Henna 
Published: March 2024

AbstractTo answer to the need to find effective study-integrated ways to support university students’ well-being, an Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) -based online course intervention was conducted with quasi-experimental waiting-list control group design. Our aim with this study was to provide new knowledge of the relations and changes in students’ self-assessed and physiological indicators of well-being and study ability during the course. Participating students (N = 68) completed self-assessments of psychological flexibility, organised study skills, study-related burnout risk, and perceived stress, and part of them (n = 35) participated in heart rate variability (HRV) measurements at the beginning and the end of the course. The results showed that students’ psychological flexibility and organised study skills increased, as study-related burnout risk decreased in the intervention group with significant Time x Group interaction effects compared to the waiting-list control group. Students’ perceived stress decreased in the intervention group, but the Time x Group interaction was not significant. The Time x Group interaction effects of HRV measurements were not statistically significant. The findings of this study indicate that study-integrated ACT-based online course can be effective in supporting university students’ psychological flexibility and organised studying and reducing burnout risk, thus contributing to highly needed research on ways to enhance students’ well-being in higher-education.
An Evaluation of the Beneficial Effects of Polyamide 6's Thermal Stabilization by Ferric Chloride Complexation as a Novel Carbon Fiber Precursor
Authors: Demirel Tuba , Tunçel Kemal Şahin , Karacan Ismail 
Published: March 2024

AbstractThis study investigated the impact of stabilization time on pretreated polyamide 6 (PA6) fibers using various analytical techniques, including thermal analysis (TGA and DSC), infrared (IR) spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction (XRD), tensile testing, and density measurements. The two-step atmospheric air-based stabilization process for pretreated PA6 multifilament bundles involved initial thermal stabilization at 170 °C in an air atmosphere after ferric chloride impregnation, followed by a second step of thermal stabilization at 245 °C. Ferric chloride impregnation followed by thermal stabilization in an air atmosphere resulted in crucial structural transformations. The density values of the samples increased following thermal stabilization, accompanied by a decrease in tensile values. Ferric chloride pretreated and thermally stabilized PA6 fibers were found to be fully stabilized after 120 min of stabilization before the carbonization stage. The findings obtained from the DSC, XRD, and IR spectroscopy methods indicated the occurrence of disordering phases due to the scission of hydrogen bonds. The TGA findings showed significant increases in carbon yield percentages at 500 °C and 850 °C, reaching 71.4% and 63.5%, respectively, for the sample heat treated at 245 °C for 120 min. The addition of ferric chloride is expected to potentially reduce processing costs for final carbon fiber production by decreasing the time required for the thermal stabilization of PA6.
Effects of Warming and Elevated CO2 on Stomatal Conductance and Chlorophyll Fluorescence of C3 and C4 Coastal Wetland Species
Authors: Sendall Kerrie M. , Muñoz Cyd M. Meléndez , Ritter Angela D. , Rich Roy L. , Noyce Genevieve L. , Megonigal J. Patrick 
Published: March 2024

AbstractCoastal wetland communities provide valuable ecosystem services such as erosion prevention, soil accretion, and essential habitat for coastal wildlife, but are some of the most vulnerable to the threats of climate change. This work investigates the combined effects of two climate stressors, elevated temperature (ambient, + 1.7 °C, + 3.4 °C, and 5.1 °C) and elevated CO2 (eCO2), on leaf physiological traits of dominant salt marsh plant species. The research took place at the Salt Marsh Accretion Response to Temperature eXperiment (SMARTX) at the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center, which includes two plant communities: a C3 sedge community and a C4 grass community. Here we present data collected over five years on rates of stomatal conductance (gs), quantum efficiency of PSII photochemistry (Fv/Fm), and rates of electron transport (ETRmax). We found that both warming and eCO2 caused declines in all traits, but the warming effects were greater for the C3 sedge. This species showed a strong negative stomatal response to warming in 2017 and 2018 (28% and 17% reduction, respectively in + 5.1 °C). However, in later years the negative response to warming was dampened to < 7%, indicating that S. americanus was able to partially acclimate to the warming over time. In 2022, we found that sedges growing in the combined + 5.1 °C eCO2 plots exhibited more significant declines in gs, Fv/Fm, and ETRmax than in either treatment individually. These results are important for predicting future trends in growth of wetland species, which serve as a large carbon sink that may help mitigate the effects of climate change.
Biorefinery products from algal biomass by advanced biotechnological and hydrothermal liquefaction approaches
Authors: Narayanan Mathiyazhagan 
Published: March 2024

AbstractAlgal biomass is a promising feedstock for the environmentally friendly production of a diverse range of high-value products, including bioproducts and biofuels. After extracting the essential macro- and biomolecules, the remaining algae biomass can be used as feedstock and processed into valuable additional goods. Advanced biotechnology techniques and efficient hydrothermal liquefaction (HTL) technologies are used to produce beneficial products such as bioenergy and biochemicals. Carbohydrates, lipids, and proteins are essential biochemical components of algal biomass that can be used to produce biofuel. Hence, algae biomass is gaining popularity as a biorefinery alternative. HTL is a process of converting biomass to a liquid byproduct by intricate chemical reactions. The purpose of this review is to highlight modern biotechnological and hydrothermal liquefaction techniques for extracting biological products from algae. A large number of documents were reviewed and analytically structured to lay the groundwork for the subsequent steps. This review also included information on a simple reaction mechanism for the biomass that algae produce, as well as the impact of process parameters.
Western Safflower Contracting Strategies
Authors: Packer Jameson , Feuz Ryan , McCarty Tanner 
Published: March 2024

AbstractSafflower grown in the western U.S. is often produced for birdseed mixes. Increasing demand for birdseed products, combined with regional drought, has shrunk western safflower availability. To satisfy the growing demand, processors may look to contracting strategies to incentivize production. We compare expected risk and corresponding certainty equivalents both from the processor and producer viewpoints under various contracting mechanisms and risk aversion levels. Results suggest that contracts containing a combination of lump sum acreage payments and fixed price performance payments would incentivize producer adoption of safflower while maintaining processor profitability and limiting the risk exposure of both parties.
Prioritisation under Value Chain Due Diligence
Authors: Teixeira de Freitas João 
Published: March 2024

AbstractThis article analyses the mechanisms of prioritisation and hierarchisation of risk contained under influential soft law frameworks on value chain due diligence. It identifies the main stages of the due diligence process where prioritisation may be required and clarifies the criteria that may be used by corporations for prioritisation decisions. The article contributes to the development of the literature concerning prioritisation mechanisms under value chain due diligence norms, highlighting, from a compliance perspective, how corporations are expected to prioritise both their evaluations to identify and assess adverse impacts as well as their actions to address specific impacts identified and assessed. In doing so, it showcases the challenges present when comparing the significance of adverse impacts pertaining to different policy fields and their implications in a prioritisation context. It then compares the solutions found in these soft law frameworks concerning prioritisation to the ones contained in European laws and legislative proposals on the subject. The analysis reveals the different approaches used by legislators and reflects on their repercussions for prioritisation mechanisms, suggesting the reinforcement and clarification of prioritisation requirements in accordance with international frameworks of reference.
Deblending overlapping galaxies in DECaLS using transformer-based algorithm: A method combining multiple bands and data types
Authors: Zhang Ran , Liu Meng , Yi Zhenping , Yuan Hao , Yang Zechao , Bu Yude , Kong Xiaoming , Jia Chenglin , Bi Yuchen , Zhang Yusheng , Li Nan 
Published: March 2024

Abstract
In large-scale galaxy surveys, particularly deep ground-based photometric studies, galaxy blending was inevitable. Such blending posed a potential primary systematic uncertainty for upcoming surveys. Current deblenders predominantly depended on analytical modelling of galaxy profiles, facing limitations due to inflexible and imprecise models. We presented a novel approach, using a U-net structured transformer-based network for deblending astronomical images, which we term the CAT-deblender. It was trained using both RGB and the grz-band images, spanning two distinct data formats present in the Dark Energy Camera Legacy Survey (DECaLS) database, including galaxies with diverse morphologies in the training dataset. Our method necessitated only the approximate central coordinates of each target galaxy, sourced from galaxy detection, bypassing assumptions on neighbouring source counts. Post-deblending, our RGB images retained a high signal-to-noise peak, consistently showing superior structural similarity against ground truth. For multi-band images, the ellipticity of central galaxies and median reconstruction error for r-band consistently lie within

$\pm$

0.025 to

$\pm$

0.25, revealing minimal pixel residuals. In our comparison of deblending capabilities focused on flux recovery, our model showed a mere 1% error in magnitude recovery for quadruply blended galaxies, significantly outperforming SExtractor’s higher error rate of 4.8%. Furthermore, by cross-matching with the publicly accessible overlapping galaxy catalogs from the DECaLS database, we successfully deblended 433 overlapping galaxies. Moreover, we have demonstrated effective deblending of 63 733 blended galaxy images, randomly chosen from the DECaLS database.