bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Assessment of the properties of concrete containing artificial green geopolymer aggregates by cold bonding pelletization process
Authors: Tawfik Taher A. , Kamal Alaa Hussein , Faried Ahmed Serag 
Published: March 2024

AbstractRecently, the usage of a cold-bonded method in the production of artificial green geopolymer coarse aggregates (GCA) has been crucial from an economic and environmental perspective because the sintering method consumes an enormous quantity of energy and generates a significant quantity of pollutants. This research investigated the manufacture of GCA via cold-bonded pelletization using two distinct industrial byproducts (GGBFS and FA) via a new and simpler pelletization technology. Three different binders were used to produce three distinct types of GCAs as partial replacements for natural coarse aggregate (NCA) at varying replacement rates (0%, 25%, 50%, and 75%). The first group used ground-granulated blast furnace slag, while the second used GGBFS with perlite, and the third used FA with perlite. An alkaline activator was commonly used with all three groups. The physical and mechanical properties of three distinct varieties of GCA were recorded. The results indicated that the mechanical and chemical properties of three different types of GCAs were nearly identical to those of natural aggregate, with the exception of their increased water absorption. According to the findings, the recommended mixtures were suitable for usage in the construction industry. The results indicated that the ratio of all investigated attributes declined as the number of GCAs increased. In contrast, lightweight concrete can be obtained at a ratio of GCA (FA with perlite) equal to 75%, where unit weight, compressive, splitting tensile, flexural, and water absorption strengths were 1.87 gm/cm3, 20.2 MPa, 1.8 MPa, 8 MPa, and 6.0%, respectively (FA with perlite).
The Significance of Bile in the Biliopancreatic Limb on Metabolic Improvement After Duodenal-Jejunal Bypass
Authors: Kawana Tomomi , Imoto Hirofumi , Tanaka Naoki , Tsuchiya Takahiro , Yamamura Akihiro , Saijo Fumito , Maekawa Masamitsu , Tamahara Toru , Shimizu Ritsuko , Nakagawa Kei , Ohnuma Shinobu , Kamei Takashi , Unno Michiaki 
Published: March 2024

Abstract
Introduction
Duodenal-jejunal bypass (DJB) is an experimental procedure in metabolic surgery that does not have a restrictive component. Changes in bile acid (BA) dynamics and intestinal microbiota are possibly related to metabolic improvement after DJB. Our previous studies involving obese diabetic rats showed the crucial role of the biliopancreatic limb (BPL) in metabolic improvement after DJB caused by BA reabsorption. We established a new DJB procedure to prevent bile from flowing into the BPL and aimed to elucidate the importance of bile in the BPL after DJB.

Methods
Otsuka Long-Evans Tokushima Fatty rats with diabetes were divided into three groups: two DJB groups and a sham group (n = 11). Duodenal-jejunal anastomosis was performed proximal to the papilla of Vater in the DJB group (n = 11). However, the DJB-D group (n = 11) underwent a new procedure with duodenal-jejunal anastomosis distal to the papilla of Vater for preventing bile flow into the BPL.

Results
Glucose metabolism improved and weight gain was suppressed in the DJB group, but not in the DJB-D and sham groups. Serum BA level and conjugated BA concentration were elevated in the DJB group. The gut microbiota was altered only in the DJB group; the abundance of Firmicutes and Bacteroidetes decreased and that of Actinobacteria increased. However, the DJB-D group exhibited no apparent change in the gut microbiota, similar to the sham group.

Conclusion
BAs are essential in the BPL for metabolic improvement after DJB; they can improve the gut microbiota in these processes.

Graphical Abstract
The effects of electromagnetic field radiation of extremely low frequency on growth parameters and nucleotide substitutions in L. minor clones
Authors: Ignatavičienė Ieva , Vyšniauskienė Regina , Rančelienė Vida , Petrošius Rimantas , Grauda Dace , Butkauskas Dalius 
Published: March 2024

AbstractCurrent technologies have become a source of electromagnetic pollution resulting from artificially generated electromagnetic radiation (EMR). To understand the influence of the EMR on living organisms, we investigated the long-term effects of EMR of 50 Hz frequency on duckweed (Lemna minor) clones. Experimental groups of duckweed were treated directly and indirectly by changing EMR generating magnetic flux (MF) starting from 2 µT (0–11 weeks from the beginning of the experiment) and switching to 300 µT (12–48 weeks) MF density during the second part of the experiment. The growth parameters (plant growth, frond area, and frond number) and the point mutations appearing at the antioxidant genes DNA sequences [ascorbate peroxidase (APx), glutathione peroxidase (GPx), and catalase (Cat)] were analyzed. The significantly enhanced number of nucleotide substitutions in DNA sequences of L. minor clones directly affected by LF EMR in comparison to indirectly affected clones was revealed at the introns of APx, GPx, and Cat genes starting from the 10th week of the experiment. The results indicate that even low-dose chronic electromagnetic radiation may contribute to the changes in growth parameters and generation of point mutations in antioxidant gene sequences, especially in the intron regions.
The micro CT evaluation of crown and root pulp volume versus dentin thickness in teeth in postmortem interval (PMI)
Authors: Cetin Selcuk , Akbulut Nihat , Orhan Kaan , Bilecenoglu Burak , Ocak Mert , Bayram Emre , Altan Ahmet , Eren Bulent , Silsupur Serkan , Oner Bedirhan Sezer 
Published: March 2024

AbstractDetermining the postmortem interval (PMI) is one of the main study subjects of forensic sciences. The main purpose of this prospective in vitro study that was the Micro-CT evaluation of teeth crown and root pulp volume versus dentin thickness in terms of PMI determination. The study involved 60 female Wistar rats, with weights ranging from 270 to 320 g. These rats were grouped into six different post-mortem period categories. Following the animals’ sacrifice, they were subjected to a natural putrefaction period, with a control group, in the grounds of a sheltered garden. Hemi-mandible samples were then extracted and placed in glass tubes for Micro-CT evaluations, following the progression of putrefaction processes. The pulp volume and dentin thickness were assessed using Micro-CT, and the gathered data underwent statistical analysis. Micro-CT was employed to analyze sixty right mandibular second molar teeth in the hemi-mandible. The crown pulp volume exhibited a reduction in group 6, with a value of 0.239 mm3 after a three-month period of natural putrefaction (p < 0.001). There is statistically differences among groups in case of pairwise comparison (p < 0.05). However, the root pulp volume and dentin thickness variables did not display any statistically significant changes. Despite certain limitations associated with this study, the Micro-CT findings concerning teeth pulp volume can serve as an objective parameter, especially for late postmortem investigations and the estimation of time of death.
Performance assessment of Al-Rustumiah wastewater treatment plant using multivariate statistical technique
Authors: Mahmood Wesam , Hatem Wadhah Amer 
Published: March 2024

AbstractAn attempt has been made to assess the performance of the third expansion of the Al-Rustamiya wastewater treatment plant (WWTP). This plant serves approximately 1,500,000 people in east Baghdad city, the capital of Iraq, and the increase of the population in this part of the city has reached about 4 million which led to deterioration in their effluents quality. Furthermore, the plant has no improvement on their processing units. Al-Rustamiya WWTP uses a biological water treatment method known as the activated sludge process with an average wastewater treatment of about 300 million liters. In the present paper, a wastewater quality data of ten years has been subjected to a multivariate statistical technique to identify the most important factors that affect the performance of the plant and estimating its efficiency. The data was collected and examined by the central laboratory of the Al-Rustamiya wastewater treatment plant in the mayoralty of Baghdad. Factor Analysis has been used to assess the important water quality parameters: pH, Total Suspended Solids, Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD), and Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD). The results revealed that the major factor that affects the performance is the organic load of raw wastewater and the removal efficiency of the WWTP. Furthermore, the results present that the performance of the current plant system is acceptable exclude for the removal efficiency of BOD below the prescribed limit. As well as, The BOD and COD correlation can evaluate wastewater treatment plant efficiency, aid in prompt intervention, and monitor harmful substances.
Body composition, balance, functional capacity and falls in older women
Authors: Nordling Yki , Sund Reijo , Sirola Joonas , Kröger Heikki , Isanejad Masoud , Rikkonen Toni 
Published: March 2024

Abstract
Background
The aim of this study was to examine the association of body composition, muscle strength, balance, and functional capacity on falls and fall injuries among community-dwelling older women.

Methods
The study comprised of a 2-year randomized controlled trial involving 914 women with an average age of 76.5 (SD = 3.3) years at baseline. The women were assigned to exercise intervention (n = 457) and control groups (n = 457). Clinical measurements were conducted at baseline, 12 months and 24 months.

Results
During the 2-year follow up, total of 546 women (59.7%) sustained a fall. The total number of falls was 1380 and out of these, 550 (40%) of falls were non-injurious and 745 (54%) were injurious. Higher femoral neck bone mineral density (BMD) was associated with a higher overall risk of falls [RR = 2.55 (95% CI = 1.70–3.84, p < 0.001)], but was a protective factor for severe fall injuries [RR = 0.03 (95% CI = 0.003–0.035, p < 0.01)]. Slower Timed Up and Go (TUG) was associated with an increased overall risk of falls [RR = 1.07 (95% CI = 1.05–1.10, p < 0.001)] and injuries requiring medical attention [RR = 1.10 (95% CI = 1.02–1.19, p = 0.02)]. Longer single leg standing time was a protective factor for falls [RR = 0.99 (95% CI = 0.99–1.00, p < 0.01)] and overall injurious falls [RR = 0.99 (95% CI = 0.99–1.00, p = 0.02)].

Conclusion
For postmenopausal women with higher femoral neck BMD appear to sustain more falls, but have a lower risk of severe fall injuries. Better TUG and single leg standing time predict lower risk of falls and fall injuries.
Determination of the influence of particle spatial distribution and interface heterogeneity on tensile fracture of ordinary refractory ceramics by applying discrete element modelling
Authors: Du Weiliang , Jin Shengli , Gruber Dietmar 
Published: March 2024

AbstractThe microstructures and local characteristics of ordinary refractory ceramics are heterogeneous. The discrete element (DE) method was used to consider the variation in particle spatial distributions and statistically distributed interface properties (uniform, Weibull) between elements. In addition, three Weibull distributions with different shape parameters were evaluated. A uniaxial tensile test was used to study the effects of particle spatial distributions and interface property distributions on the stress–strain curve, tensile strength, and crack propagation. The results of the test show that the particle spatial distribution significantly influences crack propagation and fracture patterns, and the interface condition plays an important role in mechanical responses, crack propagation, and fracture mechanisms and patterns. The discrete element modelling of uniaxial tensile and compressive tests shows that brittle materials exhibit asymmetric mechanical responses to compression and tension loading including static Young’s modulus.
Adaptive Learning is Hard: Challenges, Nuances, and Trade-offs in Modeling
Authors: Pelánek Radek 
Published: March 2024

Abstract
While the potential of personalized education has long been emphasized, the practical adoption of adaptive learning environments has been relatively slow. Discussion about underlying reasons for this disparity often centers on factors such as usability, the role of teachers, or privacy concerns. Although these considerations are important, I argue that a key factor contributing to this relatively slow progress is the inherent complexity of developing adaptive learning environments. I focus specifically on the modeling techniques that provide the foundation for adaptive behavior. The design of these models presents us with numerous challenges, nuances, and trade-offs. Awareness of these challenges is essential for guiding our efforts, both in the practical development of our systems and in our research endeavors.
Discriminative multi-scale adjacent feature for person re-identification
Authors: Qi Mengzan , Chan Sixian , Hong Feng , Yao Yuan , Zhou Xiaolong 
Published: March 2024

AbstractRecently, discriminative and robust identification information has played an increasingly critical role in Person Re-identification (Re-ID). It is a fact that the existing part-based methods demonstrate strong performance in the extraction of fine-grained features. However, their intensive partitions lead to semantic information ambiguity and background interference. Meanwhile, we observe that the body with different structural proportions. Hence, we assume that aggregation with the multi-scale adjacent features can effectively alleviate the above issues. In this paper, we propose a novel Discriminative Multi-scale Adjacent Feature (MSAF) learning framework to enrich semantic information and disregard background. In summary, we establish multi-scale interaction in two stages: the feature extraction stage and the feature aggregation stage. Firstly, a Multi-scale Feature Extraction (MFE) module is designed by combining CNN and Transformer structure to obtain the discriminative specific feature, as the basis for the feature aggregation stage. Secondly, a Jointly Part-based Feature Aggregation (JPFA) mechanism is revealed to implement adjacent feature aggregation with diverse scales. The JPFA contains Same-scale Feature Correlation (SFC) and Cross-scale Feature Correlation (CFC) sub-modules. Finally, to verify the effectiveness of the proposed method, extensive experiments are performed on the common datasets of Market-1501, CUHK03-NP, DukeMTMC, and MSMT17. The experimental results achieve better performance than many state-of-the-art methods.
A probabilistic spatio-temporal neural network to forecast COVID-19 counts
Authors: Ravenda Federico , Cesarini Mirko , Peluso Stefano , Mira Antonietta 
Published: March 2024

AbstractGeo-referenced and temporal data are becoming more and more ubiquitous in a wide range of fields such as medicine and economics. Particularly in the realm of medical research, spatio-temporal data play a pivotal role in tracking and understanding the spread and dynamics of diseases, enabling researchers to predict outbreaks, identify hot spots, and formulate effective intervention strategies. To forecast these types of data we propose a Probabilistic Spatio-Temporal Neural Network that (1) estimates, with computational efficiency, models with spatial and temporal components; and (2) combines the flexibility of a Neural Network—which is free from distributional assumptions—with the uncertainty quantification of probabilistic models. Our architecture is compared with the established INLA method, as well as with other baseline models, on COVID-19 data from Italian regions. Our empirical analysis demonstrates the superior predictive effectiveness of our method across multiple temporal ranges and offers insights for shaping targeted health interventions and strategies.
Analysis of Human Rights Needs of Internally Displaced Persons and the Role of Social Work Practice: The Case of the Northwest, Southwest, and Littoral Regions of Cameroon
Authors: Acha-Anyi Paul Nkemngu 
Published: March 2024

AbstractThe scourge of internal displacement has continued unabated despite efforts from the international community to address its root causes. Ironically, the so-called Anglophone crisis in the Northwest and Southwest regions of Cameroon has been widely ignored on the world stage despite the toll and misery it has caused the local people, many of whom have been internally displaced. The purpose of this ethnographic study was to explore the human rights situation of internally displaced victims of this violent insurgency and reflect on the role social work practice can play to alleviate the suffering of displaced people. A quantitative research approach was employed through the use of a questionnaire in collecting data from 529 respondents in the Northwest, Southwest, and Littoral regions of the country. The major finding of the study is that most of the internally displaced respondents live under immense fear of either losing a family member or being killed themselves. Moreover, they have been deprived of their basic freedoms and live in indignity as there is hardly water, food, or other means of subsistence. The greatest aspiration of most of the respondents is to reunite with their families and return to their livelihoods. An important implication from this study is the potential contribution that social work professionals can make in the rehabilitation of IDPs. This study contributes to literature on forced migration and human rights, and practical suggestions on how to improve the human rights situation of internally displaced persons.
Experiences of Workers with Chronic Health Conditions During the COVID-19 Pandemic: An Examination of Demands and Resources
Authors: Penpek Stephanie M. , Black Kristen Jennings , Beck Emma 
Published: March 2024

AbstractChronic health conditions are not uncommon among working adults; however, research on the unique challenges experienced by such workers is relatively limited. The present study investigated the experience of workers with a chronic health condition during the COVID-19 pandemic. Data were gathered via online survey from 116 workers with a chronic health condition, from various occupations and with various conditions. Results from analyzing qualitative data indicated that around half of workers were satisfied with their organization’s response to the pandemic, but a substantial portion desired additional accommodations or felt some sense of stigma or being undervalued. Quantitative tests of study hypotheses indicated that job insecurity affected workers’ psychological well-being, while perceptions of devaluation affected burnout. Resources of perceived organizational support and flexibility were beneficial for well-being, as evidenced by bivariate correlations, but did not show unique or moderating effects in more stringent regression models. Exploratory analyses suggested that some of the benefits of resources and impacts of demands could depend on the number of health problems being managed. Implications of our findings are discussed, along with recommendations for future research.
Prediction and design of mechanical properties of origami-inspired braces based on machine learning
Authors: Cai Jianguo , Xu Huafei , Chen Jiacheng , Feng Jian , Zhang Qian 
Published: March 2024

AbstractIn order to rapidly and accurately evaluate the mechanical properties of a novel origami-inspired tube structure with multiple parameter inputs, this study developed a method of designing origami-inspired braces based on machine learning models. Four geometric parameters, i.e., cross-sectional side length, plate thickness, crease weakening coefficient, and plane angles, were used to establish a mapping relationship with five mechanical parameters, including elastic stiffness, yield load, yield displacement, ultimate load, and ultimate displacement, all of which were calculated from load-displacement curves. Firstly, forward prediction models were trained and compared for single and multiple mechanical outputs. The parameter ranges were extended and refined to improve the predicted results by introducing the intrinsic mechanical relationships. Secondly, certain reverse prediction models were established to obtain the optimized design parameters. Finally, the design method of this study was verified in finite element methods. The design and analysis framework proposed in this study can be used to promote the application of other novel multi-parameter structures.
Three Conics Determine a Cubic
Authors: Halbeisen Lorenz , Hungerbühler Norbert , Stalder Vera 
Published: March 2024

AbstractGiven a cubic K in the real projective plane. Then for each point P there is a conic $$C_{{P}}$$

C
P

associated to P. The conic $$C_{{P}}$$

C
P

is called the polar conic of K with respect to the pole P. We investigate the situation when three conics $$C_1$$

C
1

, $$C_2$$

C
2

, and $$C_3$$

C
3

are polar conics of K with respect to the poles $$P_1$$

P
1

, $$P_2$$

P
2

, and $$P_3$$

P
3

, respectively. In particular, we give an elementary proof—without using any results from algebraic geometry—that any three conics $$C_1$$

C
1

, $$C_2$$

C
2

, $$C_3$$

C
3

in general position, satisfying only a non-degeneracy condition, determine a unique cubic K and three points $$P_1$$

P
1

, $$P_2$$

P
2

, $$P_3$$

P
3

, such that $$C_1$$

C
1

, $$C_2$$

C
2

, $$C_3$$

C
3

are polar conics of K with respect to the three poles $$P_1$$

P
1

, $$P_2$$

P
2

, $$P_3$$

P
3

. This can be seen as a higher degree variant of von Staudt’s Theorem.
Autism, gender, and identity in college students
Authors: Cooper Jessica 
Published: March 2024

Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to investigate how assigned female at birth (AFAB) autistic individuals view their autism and gender identities and their relationships.

Methods
This is a qualitative, interview-based study of 10 college students who identify as autistic and were assigned female at birth. Participants shared their experiences with autism diagnosis, gender identity, and navigating their sense of self.

Results
The study found four themes: (i) Many types of diagnosis obstacles exist, as do mitigating factors for some of these obstacles; (ii) Various motives led participants to camouflage, but negative effects motivated many to reduce camouflaging behavior; (iii) Autism is related to both perceptions and enactions of gender; and (iv) Autism impacts identity in multiple ways outside of gender.

Conclusion
This study makes observations and raises questions about autism’s relationships with gender and transgender identities. This study largely agrees with and builds on patterns found in the existing literature while adding the voices of autistic individuals to the literature.