bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Durability of slag-based alkali-activated materials: A critical review
Authors: Gökçe H. S. 
Published: April 2024

AbstractAs the world becomes increasingly aware of the devastating effects of climate change, the need for sustainable building materials that are both durable and environmentally friendly increases. Geopolymer and alkali-activated materials formed by a chemical reaction between an alkaline activator solution and an aluminosilicate source have gained popularity in recent years. The alkaline activator solution dissolves the aluminosilicate source, which then undergoes a polycondensation reaction to form a three-dimensional geopolymeric gel network. The development of this network ensures the strength and durability of the material. Today, this phenomenon of durability has been studied in detail to enable the development of superior construction materials, taking into account degradation mechanisms such as carbonation, leaching, shrinkage, fire, freezing and thawing, and exposure to aggressive environments (chlorides, acids, and sulphates). Although there are many unsolved problems in their engineering applications, slag-based alkali-activated materials appear to be more advantageous and are promising as alternative materials to ordinary Portland cement. First of all, it should not be ignored that the cure sensitivity is high in these systems due to compressive strength losses of up to 69%. Loss of strength of alkali-activated materials is considered an important indicator of degradation. In binary precursors, the presence of fly ash in slag can result in an improvement of over 10% in compressive strength of the binary-based alkali-activated materials after undergoing carbonation. The binary systems can provide superior resistance to many degradation mechanisms, especially exposure to high-temperature. The partial presence of class F fly ash in the slag-based precursor can overcome the poor ability of alkali-activated materials to withstand high temperatures. Due to the desired pore structure, alkali-activated materials may not be damaged even after 300 freeze–thaw cycles. Their superior permeability compared to cementitious counterparts can extend service life against chloride corrosion by more than 20 times. While traditional (ordinary Portland cement-based) concrete remains the most widely used material in construction, geopolymer concrete’s superior performance makes it an increasingly emerging option for sustainable and long-lasting infrastructure.
Changing Settlement Organization in the Late Pleistocene of the Wadi al-Hasa, West-Central Jordan
Authors: Neeley Michael P. , Clark Geoffrey A. 
Published: April 2024

Abstract
Since the 1980s, surveys in Jordan’s Wadi al-Hasa document dozens of Late Pleistocene hunter–gatherer sites, some of them tested or partly excavated. To track landscape-scale forager mobility and settlement patterns over time, we examine 26 levels from 13 sites dated to the Middle, Upper, and Epipaleolithic using aspects of Barton’s whole assemblage behavioral indicators research protocol, a collection of methods designed to extract patterns from archeological palimpsests. Because forager ethnographies document adaptive strategies that do not map onto the discrete site types employed by archeologists, we evaluate the utility of the latter so far as behavioral inferences are concerned. We show that discrete bimodal contrasts like “curated” and “expedient” and their archeological correlates fail to capture the much more complex reality. Only by using these methods in conjunction with these analytical contrasts can a realistic picture of forager mobility and land use approximating that known from ethnography be attained.
Biochar impacts on soil water dynamics: knowns, unknowns, and research directions
Authors: Acharya Bharat Sharma , Dodla Syam , Wang Jim J. , Pavuluri Kiran , Darapuneni Murali , Dattamudi Sanku , Maharjan Bijesh , Kharel Gehendra 
Published: April 2024

AbstractAmidst intensifying global agricultural water demand, optimizing management practices and understanding the role of soil amendments, particularly biochar (BC), in modulating soil water dynamics are critical. Here, we review the potential impacts of BC on soil water dynamics, elucidate mechanistic underpinnings, and identify critical research gaps and prospective avenues. In general, BC modifies soil structure, hydraulic properties, surface albedo, and heat fluxes, which influence soil water storage, energy balance, and irrigation paradigms. Depending on soil texture and BC properties, BC demonstrates a greater reduction in bulk density and saturated hydraulic conductivity in coarse-textured soils compared to fine-textured soils. BC application generally increases water holding capacity (WHC) while exhibiting no consistent impact on soil water infiltration. Increased WHC of soils results from increased porosity, surface area, and soil aggregation. Increased porosity arises from a confluence of factors, encompassing new pores formation, reorganization of pores, increased soil aggregation, dilution effects of BC, reduced soil compaction, and biotic interactions, including increased population of burrowing invertebrates. BC tends to increase plant-available water in coarser soils, attributed to its hydrophilic nature, augmented specific surface area, and enhanced overall porosity. However, BC may induce soil water repellency, contingent upon variables such as feedstock composition, pyrolysis temperature, and specific soil attributes. While BC exhibits transformative potential in enhancing soil hydraulic properties, scalability concerns and economic viability pose challenges to its widespread agricultural application. Overall, BC offers promising avenues for sustainable water management. However, it is imperative to explore large-scale applications and conduct long-term field studies across different management, climate, and soil types to fully understand how different types of BC impact soil water dynamics.
Graphical Abstract
Synthesis of invasive plant biochar catalyst with carbon nitride structure for peroxymonosulfate activation toward efficient ciprofloxacin degradation
Authors: Lu Yu-Wei , Fan Yu-Han , Chen Ming 
Published: April 2024

AbstractIn this work, an invasive plant (Aster subulatus Michx) mesopore laminar biochar loaded with transition metal Co (CoS@MLBC) was synthesized by a one-step hydrothermal carbonization way for activating peroxymonosulfate (PMS) to remove antibiotics in water. We characterized the structure and morphology of CoS@MLBC and tested its performance. The results showed that the carbon nitride structure was formed on CoS@MLBC, which improved its adsorption capacity for antibiotics and PMS. In addition, Co-doping significantly enhanced the PMS activity and efficiently degraded ciprofloxacin (CIP) over a wide pH range. It was identified that radical and non-radical synergistic action had a critical effect on the CIP degradation process. Furthermore, CoS@MLBC could completely remove CIP within 10 min and had a high removal efficiency (98%) after four cycles. Three possible pathways of the CIP degradation process with 12 intermediates were proposed and their ecotoxicity was analyzed. This work provides a new perspective for preparing biochar from invasive plants for the degradation of antibiotics in water, realizing the concept of “treating the wastes with wastes”.
Graphical Abstract
Consumer transparency in the production chain for plant varieties produced using new genomic techniques
Authors: Lukasiewicz J. M. , van de Wiel C. C. M. , Lotz L. A. P. , Smulders M. J. M. 
Published: April 2024

AbstractPlants edited with new genomic techniques (NGTs) currently fall under the Genetically Modified Organisms Directive (2001/18/EC) in the European Union. In the proposal of the European Commission, NGT plants are partially exempted from the regulations of this directive. The proposal makes a distinction between two categories of NGT plants: NGT-1 and NGT-2. NGT-1 category plants are considered equal to plants obtained through conventional breeding methods. These plants will not be labelled for the consumer, although they will be labelled as seeds. NGT-2 category plants may be labelled with additional information as a positive incentive. Labelling of seeds of varieties made with gene editing, but not the products, would mean that most steps in the production chain are transparent, but not the last step towards consumers. The “right to know” and increasing knowledge of gene-edited food is a common theme in food labelling towards consumers. Here, we describe current labelling regimes and registers and how these may be applied to provide transparency on gene-edited products to consumers. Furthermore, we also look into consumer studies, which indicate a greater acceptance of gene-edited food among consumers, especially when additional benefits such as sustainability are mentioned.
A Monte Carlo approach for capacity and delay analyses of multiple interacting airports in Istanbul metroplex
Authors: Kaplan Z. , Çetek C. 
Published: April 2024

AbstractThe Istanbul metroplex airspace, home to Atatürk (LTBA), Sabiha Gökçen (LTFJ), and Istanbul (LTFM) international airports, is a critical hub for international travel, trade and commerce between Europe and Asia. The high air traffic volume and the proximity of multiple airports make air traffic management (ATM) a significant challenge. To better manage this complex air traffic, it is necessary to conduct detailed analyses of the capacities of these airports and surrounding airspace. In this study, Monte Carlo simulation is used to determine the ultimate and practical capacities of the airport and surrounding airspace and compare them to identify any differences or limitations. The traffic mix, runway occupancy time and traffic distribution at airspace entry points are randomised variables that directly impact airport and airspace capacities and delays. The study aims to determine the current capacities of the runways and routes in the metroplex airspace and project the future capacities with the addition of new facilities. The results demonstrated that the actual bottleneck could be experienced in airspace, rather than runways, which was the focus of the previous literature. Thus, this study will provide valuable insights for stakeholders in the aviation industry to effectively manage air traffic in the metroplex airspace and meet the growing demand.
Analyzing the relationship between socioeconomic deprivation and outpatient Medicare Part D fluoroquinolone claim rates in Texas
Authors: Al Mohajer Mayar , Samarasundera Edgar , Gonçalves Judite , Heath Alicia 
Published: April 2024

Abstract

Introduction:
Only a few studies have assessed the relationship between deprivation and excessive antibiotic use. In Texas, antimicrobial prescription rates are particularly high compared with the rest of the US. This study analyzed the association between local area socioeconomic deprivation and providers’ fluoroquinolone claim rates among beneficiaries 65 years and older in Texas.

Methods:
This ecological study utilized provider- and area-level data from Medicare Part D Prescribers and the Social Deprivation Index (SDI) repositories. Negative binomial regression models were employed to evaluate the relationship between provider- and area-level characteristics (prescriber’s gender, specialty, rural-urban community area, beneficiaries’ demographics, area-level population, and SDI) and fluoroquinolone claim rates per 1,000 beneficiaries.

Results:
A total of 11,996 providers were included. SDI (IRR 0.98, 95% CI 0.97–0.99) and male providers (IRR 0.96, 95% CI 0.94–0.99) were inversely associated with claim rates. In contrast, several factors were associated with higher claim rates, including non-metropolitan areas (1.04, 95% CI 1.00–1.09), and practices with a high proportion of male (IRR 1.12, 95% CI 1.10–1.14), Black (IRR 1.05, 95% CI 1.03–1.07), or Medicaid beneficiaries (IRR 1.15, 95% CI 1.12–1.17). Effect modification was observed between SDI and rurality, with higher SDI in non-metropolitan areas associated with higher claim rates, whereas SDI in metropolitan areas was inversely related to claim rates.

Conclusion:
Lower fluoroquinolone claim rates were observed among Texas Medicare providers in metropolitan areas with higher SDI. Conversely, higher rates were observed in rural areas with higher SDI. More studies are needed to understand the underlying causes of this variation and develop effective stewardship interventions.
Social determinants of health-based strategies to address vaccination disparities through a university-public health partnership
Authors: Crowe Susie , Kimiecik Carlyn , Adeoye-Olatunde Omolola A. , Conklin Megan , Smith Jordan , Pastakia Sonak D. , Dinkeldein Alicia , Dubinin Mary , Zubler Peter , Gonzalvo Jasmine D. 
Published: April 2024

Abstract
A decline in routine vaccinations, attributed to vaccine hesitancy, undermines preventative healthcare, impacting health and exacerbating vaccine disparities. University-public health partnerships can improve vaccination services. This study describes and evaluates a university-public health use case employing social determinants of health (SDoH)-based strategies to address vaccination disparities. Guided by the Translational Science Benefits Logic Model, the partnership offered no-cost preventative vaccines at community-based organization (CBO) sites, collected CBO clientele’s vaccination interest, hesitancy, and demographic data, and conducted descriptive analyses. One hundred seven vaccination events were held, administering 3,021 vaccines. This partnership enhanced health outcomes by addressing disparities through co-located vaccination and SDoH services.
Beyond the masculinity of kingship: The making of a modern queen in early second millennium Sri Lanka
Authors: Shirley Bruno M. 
Published: April 2024

AbstractModern historians have repeatedly cast Sri Lanka’s historical female monarchs as ‘queens’, without critically reflecting on the conceptual limits and nuances of that term. Through a close examination of sources from the early second millennium, and their reception by scholars from the colonial period onwards, I demonstrate that Sri Lanka’s female monarchs—particularly Līlāvatī of Poḷonnaruva (r. 1197–1200, 1209, and 1210)—engaged in a more creative and subversive performance of gender than modern ‘queenship’ allows. In particular, I argue, a discourse of kingship’s inherent masculinity, advanced in literary and didactic texts written primarily by male monastics, was too-willingly accepted by colonial-period scholars. Closer attention to the material evidence of Līlāvatī’s reign, however, challenges this discourse and further suggests a politics of gender beyond the binary.
Prosecuting theft in Old Regime France, c.1540–c.1700
Authors: Hamilton Tom 
Published: April 2024

AbstractThis article analyses a significant sample of theft cases tried in the appellate courts of the parlements of Paris and Toulouse from the mid-sixteenth century to the end of the seventeenth century. Despite some historians’ claims that theft was typically overlooked or settled informally, and that property crime only became a major social problem because of the rise of industrial capitalism in the eighteenth century, this article argues that French subjects did take theft seriously in this period, even if that meant subjecting it to ridicule in cultural productions such as Molière’s celebrated play The Miser.
A comparison of lab- and web-based elicited imitation: Insights from explicit-implicit L2 grammar knowledge and L2 proficiency
Authors: Kim Kathy Minhye , Liu Xiaoyi , Isbell Daniel R. , Chen Xiaobin 
Published: April 2024

AbstractElicited imitation (EI) tasks are a practical tool for measuring second language (L2) knowledge and skills. In this study, we implemented a web-based EI task that measures English morphosyntactic knowledge and compared its measurement properties to a traditional laboratory-based EI. A cohort of 149 L2 English learners engaged in the web-based EI task, and 151 participants completed a traditional lab-based EI counterpart. Correlation analyses revealed a significant, comparable relationship between English proficiency and the two EI versions, with the ungrammatical items showing less consistency that neither improved nor harmed the overall EI effectiveness. Factor analyses corroborated the validity of web-programmed EI, with both EI versions relating similarly to time-pressured, implicit knowledge and untimed, explicit knowledge measures. Our results suggest the potential for utilizing web-based EI to substitute lab-based tasks, enabling larger-scale, more diverse sampling. We end with implications for future web-based EI task users and include a coding guideline for customized web-based EI use.
Real-time evaluation of a multi-agency TB-screening event for persons experiencing homelessness in a town with a low incidence of TB in England
Authors: Dave Mona , Thakrar Shivan , Bagnall Helen , Kumbang Jharna 
Published: April 2024

AbstractReal-time evaluation (RTE) supports populations (e.g., persons experiencing homelessness (PEH) to engage in evaluation of health interventions who may otherwise be overlooked. The aim of this RTE was to explore the understanding of TB amongst PEH, identify barriers/facilitators to attending screening for PEH alongside suggestions for improving TB-screening events targeting PEH, who have high and complex health needs. This RTE composed of free-text structured one-to-one interviews performed immediately after screening at a single tuberculosis (TB) screening event. Handwritten forms were transcribed for thematic analysis, with codes ascribed to answers that were developed into core themes. All RTE participants (n=15) learned about the screening event on the day it was held. Key concerns amongst screening attendees included: stigma around drug use, not understanding the purpose of TB screening, lack of trusted individuals/services present, too many partner organizations involved, and language barriers. Facilitators to screening included a positive welcome to the event, a satisfactory explanation of screening tests, and sharing of results. A need for improved event promotion alongside communication of the purpose of TB screening amongst PEH was also identified. A lack of trust identified by some participants suggests the range of services present should be reconsidered for future screening events.
Short‐Term Effects of Extreme Meteorological Factors on Hand, Foot, and Mouth Disease Infection During 2010–2017 in Jiangsu, China: A Distributed Lag Non‐Linear Analysis
Authors: Yang Xu , Wang Junshu , Zhang Guoming , Yu Zhaoyuan 
Published: April 2024

AbstractHand, Foot, and Mouth Disease (HFMD) is an infectious disease that primarily affects young children. In densely populated Jiangsu Province in China, the impact of extreme meteorological factors on HFMD is a concern. We aimed to examine the association between extreme meteorological variables and HFMD infection risk using daily HFMD infections and meteorological data from 2010 to 2017 in Jiangsu Province. We used distributed lag non‐linear model (DLNM) to analyze the data, which can effectively capture the nuanced non‐linear dynamics and lag effects in the relationship between HFMD and extreme meteorological factors. Comparing the 10th and 90th percentiles of meteorological variables with their respective median values, our results showed that extremely low temperatures and high humidity were significantly associated with increased HFMD infection risk. The greatest effect of extremely low temperatures was observed at a lag of 1–2 days, elevating the risk by 18 ∼ 33% (RR = 1.18 ∼ 1.33). Extremely high humidity was found to increase the risk of infection, starting at a lag of 4 days. In contrast, extremely high temperatures, low humidity, and high wind speed were associated with reduced risk of infection at lag of 0–12 days, with the range of RR values being 0.60–0.98 for extremely high temperatures, 0.69–0.89 for extremely low humidity, and 0.84–0.98 for extremely high wind speed respectively. Our findings suggest that extreme meteorological factors can significantly impact the incidence of HFMD in Jiangsu Province, and highlight the need for effective public health protection measures during the periods of extreme meteorological condition, particularly for vulnerable populations.
Detection and Attribution of Human‐Perceived Warming Over China
Authors: Zhang Jintao , Ren Guoyu , You Qinglong 
Published: April 2024

AbstractWhile previous studies have largely focused on anthropogenic warming characterized by surface air temperature, little is known about the behaviors of human‐perceived temperature (HPT), which describe the “feels‐like” equivalent temperature by considering the joint effects of temperature, humidity and/or wind speed. Here we adopted an optimal ﬁngerprinting method to compare seasonal mean HPTs in China with those from simulations conducted with multiple climate models participating in the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project Phase 6. We found clear anthropogenic signals in the observational records of changes in both summer and winter HPTs over the period 1971–2020. Moreover, the anthropogenic greenhouse gas inﬂuence was robustly detected, with clear separation from natural and anthropogenic aerosol forcings. The anthropogenic greenhouse gas forcing plays the dominant role (>90%) of human‐perceived warming. Urbanization effects contribute slightly and moderately to the estimated trends in summer and winter HPTs, respectively, in addition to the effects of external forcing.
Factors Contributing to Historical and Future Trends in Arctic Precipitation
Authors: Yukimoto S. , Oshima N. , Kawai H. , Deushi M. , Aizawa T. 
Published: April 2024

AbstractThe Arctic is notable as a region where the greatest rate of increase in precipitation associated with global warming is anticipated. The Arctic precipitation simulated by the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project Phase 6 models showed a strong increasing trend since the 1980s. We found that the forcing factor of the trend is a combination of the continued strengthening of greenhouse gas forcing and the leveling off of aerosol forcing dominated in earlier periods. From an energetic perspective, we found that the increased atmospheric radiative cooling and reduced sensible heat transport from lower latitudes contributed equally to the recent increase in Arctic precipitation. The combination of these two energetic factors suggests a doubling of the Arctic amplification factor for precipitation relative to that for temperature. Future Arctic precipitation will change in proportion to the temperature change, and the fractional contributions of the energetic factors will remain stable across various scenarios.