bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
A comprehensive review on the application of semiconducting materials in the degradation of effluents and water splitting
Authors: Mahmoud Muhammed A. , Alsehli Bandar R. , Alotaibi Mohammed T. , Hosni Mohamed , Shahat Ahmed 
Published: December 2023

AbstractIn this comprehensive review article, we delve into the critical intersection of environmental science and materials science. The introduction sets the stage by emphasizing the global water shortage crisis and the dire consequences of untreated effluents on ecosystems and human health. As we progress into the second section, we embark on an intricate exploration of piezoelectric and photocatalytic principles, illuminating their significance in wastewater treatment and sustainable energy production. The heart of our review is dedicated to a detailed analysis of the detrimental impacts of effluents on human health, underscoring the urgency of effective treatment methods. We dissected three key materials in the realm of piezo-photocatalysis: ZnO-based materials, BaTiO3-based materials, and bismuth-doped materials. Each material is scrutinized for its unique properties and applications in the removal of pollutants from wastewater, offering a comprehensive understanding of their potential to address this critical issue. Furthermore, our exploration extends to the realm of hydrogen production, where we discuss various types of hydrogen and the role of piezo-photocatalysis in generating clean and sustainable hydrogen. By illuminating the synergistic potential of these advanced materials and technologies, we pave the way for innovative solutions to the pressing challenges of water pollution and renewable energy production. This review article not only serves as a valuable resource for researchers and scholars in the fields of material science and environmental engineering but also underscores the pivotal role of interdisciplinary approaches in addressing complex global issues.
Towards a Framework for a Nation-Wide Implementation of Augmented, Virtual and Mixed Reality in K-12 Technical and Vocational Education
Authors: Boel Carl , Dekeyser Kim , Lemal Marijke , Rotsaert Tijs , Valcke Martin , Schellens Tammy , Struyf Dieter 
Published: December 2023

AbstractAs augmented, virtual and mixed reality have become more user-friendly and affordable, these technologies gained increasing interest from education. Teachers all over the world are triggered by the perceived benefits and start experimenting. However, teachers encounter obstacles to pursue effective implementation. This paper describes how these obstacles are being tackled in Flanders (Belgium) via a large-scale, nation-wide framework for the implementation of augmented, virtual and mixed reality in K-12 technical and vocational education. This framework was designed, adopting an Educational Design Research approach, and consists of five interrelated pillars: hardware, software, professional development of teachers, practice-oriented research, and coordination. The proposed framework provides guidelines, both for researchers and education policy makers.
Climate-growth relationships of Pinus tabuliformis along an altitudinal gradient on Baiyunshan Mountain, Central China
Authors: Wei Xiaoxu , Peng Jianfeng , Li Jinbao , Li Jinkuan , Peng Meng , Li Xuan , Liu Yameng , Li Jiaxin 
Published: December 2023

AbstractA set of standard chronologies for tree-ring width (TRW), earlywood width (EWW) and latewood width (LWW) in Pinus tabuliformis Carr. along an altitudinal gradient (1450, 1400, and 1350 m a.s.l.) on Baiyunshan Mountain, Central China to analyze the effect of varying temperature and precipitation on growth along the gradient. Correlation analyses showed that at all three altitudes and the TRW and EWW chronologies generally had significant negative correlations with mean and maximum temperatures in the current April and May and with minimum temperatures in the prior July and August, but significant positive correlations with precipitation in the current May. Correlations were generally significantly negative between LWW chronologies and all temperatures in the prior July and August, indicating that the prior summer temperature had a strong lag effect on the growth of P. tabuliformis that increased with altitude. The correlation with the standardized precipitation evapotranspiration index (SPEI) confirmed that wet conditions in the current May promoted growth of TR and EW at all altitudes. Significant altitudinal differences were also found; at 1400 m, there were significant positive correlations between EWW chronologies and SPEI in the current April and significant negative correlations between LWW chronologies and SPEI in the current September, but these correlations were not significant at 1450 m. At 1350 m, there were also significant negative correlations between the TRW and the EWW chronologies and SPEI in the prior October and the current July and between LWW chronology and SPEI in the current August, but these correlations were not significant at 1400 m. Moving correlation results showed a stable response of EWW in relation to the SPEI in the current May at all three altitudes and of LWW to maximum temperature in the prior July–August at 1400 m from 2002 to 2018. The EWW chronology at 1400 m and the LWW chronology at 1450 m were identified as more suitable for climate reconstruction. These results provide a strong scientific basis for forest management decisions and climate reconstructions in Central China.
The role of total neoadjuvant therapy in locally advanced rectal cancer: a survey of specialists attending the All-Ireland Colorectal Cancer Conference 2022 including lead investigators of OPRA, PRODIGE-23 and RAPIDO
Authors: O’Brien Timothy , Hospers Geke , Conroy Thierry , Lenz Heinz-Josef , Smith Jesse Joshua , Andrews Emmet , O’Neill Brian , Leonard Gregory 
Published: December 2023

Abstract
Background
The treatment of locally advanced rectal cancer (LARC) has evolved following recent landmark trials of total neoadjuvant therapy (TNT)—the delivery of preoperative chemotherapy sequenced with radiation.

Aim
To assess the preferences of colorectal surgery (CRS), radiation oncology (RO) and medical oncology (MO) specialists attending the All-Ireland Colorectal Cancer Conference (AICCC) 2022 regarding the neoadjuvant management of LARC.

Methods
A live electronic survey explored the preferred treatment approach and TNT regimen for early-, intermediate-, bad-, and advanced-risk categories of rectal cancer according to the European Society of Medical Oncology (ESMO) guidelines. The survey was preceded by an update from lead investigators of TNT trials (OPRA, PRODIGE-23 and RAPIDO), who then participated in a multidisciplinary panel discussion.

Results
Ten CRS, 7 RO and 15 MO (32 of 45 specialists) participated fully in the survey resulting in a response rate of 71%. Ninety-four percent, 76% and 53% of specialists preferred a TNT approach for patients with advanced, bad, and intermediate-risk rectal cancer, respectively. A consolidation TNT regimen of long-course chemoradiotherapy followed by chemotherapy was the most preferred regimen. Upfront surgery was preferred by 77% for early-risk disease.

Conclusion
This survey illustrated the general acceptance of TNT by rectal cancer specialists attending the AICCC as a valuable treatment strategy for higher-risk category LARC. Whilst the treatment of LARC changes, it remains best practice to individualize care, incorporating the selective use of TNT as discussed by an MDT and in keeping with the patient’s goals of care.
Caspases in Alzheimer’s Disease: Mechanism of Activation, Role, and Potential Treatment
Authors: Wójcik Piotr , Jastrzębski Michał K. , Zięba Agata , Matosiuk Dariusz , Kaczor Agnieszka A. 
Published: December 2023

AbstractWith the aging of the population, treatment of conditions emerging in old age, such as neurodegenerative disorders, has become a major medical challenge. Of these, Alzheimer’s disease, leading to cognitive dysfunction, is of particular interest. Neuronal loss plays an important role in the pathophysiology of this condition, and over the years, a great effort has been made to determine the role of various factors in this process. Unfortunately, until now, the exact pathomechanism of this condition remains unknown. However, the most popular theories associate AD with abnormalities in the Tau and β-amyloid (Aβ) proteins, which lead to their deposition and result in neuronal death. Neurons, like all cells, die in a variety of ways, among which pyroptosis, apoptosis, and necroptosis are associated with the activation of various caspases. It is worth mentioning that Tau and Aβ proteins are considered to be one of the caspase activators, leading to cell death. Moreover, the protease activity of caspases influences both of the previously mentioned proteins, Tau and Aβ, converting them into more toxic derivatives. Due to the variety of ways caspases impact the development of AD, drugs targeting caspases could potentially be useful in the treatment of this condition. Therefore, there is a constant need to search for novel caspase inhibitors and evaluate them in preclinical and clinical trials.
Graphical Abstract
Interaction of inhomogeneous warm electron beam with collisional cold plasma
Authors: El-Shorbagy Kh. H. , Shalaby S. A. , Mahassen Hania , Amein W. H. , Sayed Y. A. , Elbendary A. A. 
Published: December 2023

AbstractThe linear interaction of a warm non-homogeneous electron beam (EB) with a non-homogeneous, unmagnetized, collisional cold plasma is investigated. The inhomogeneity and warmness of beam which leads to electric field amplification have no effect on the dielectric of the unmagnetized plasma. The study revealed that the dielectric constant remains unaffected by the warmness of the beam whereas the amplification of the electric field is affected by the warmness of the beam.
Information and Communication Technology (ICT), Growth and Development in Developing Regions: Evidence from a Comparative Analysis and a New Approach
Authors: Saba Charles Shaaba , Ngepah Nicholas , Odhiambo Nicholas M. 
Published: December 2023

AbstractThe majority of empirical literature acknowledges that information and communication technology (ICT) has a favourable effect on economic growth/development. Different studies, however, contend that this impact is modest or perhaps null, yielding inconsistent findings. In view of this complication, we therefore conducted a study with the aim to analyse the ICT diffusion-economic growth-development nexus for 73 countries over the period 2000–2018. The panel data was divided into three regions, namely sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), the Middle East and North Africa (MENA), and Latin America and the Caribbean (LAAC). For the analysis, the newly developed panel vector autoregression (PVAR) in the generalised method of moments (GMM) estimation approach was applied. Our findings suggest a long-run equilibrium relationship between the three variables. The findings differ from the causality results for the overall panel and each of the regions differs. The inconsistency in the causality results across the regions suggests that the level of ICT diffusion is still underdeveloped. The PVAR-GMM results reveal that (i) ICT diffusion is a significant and positive predictor of growth across the regions, with a greater effect reported in MENA; (ii) ICT diffusion is a significant and positive predictor of development across the regions with a lesser effect noticed in MENA. The study’s implication for academia and practice is that (i) it provides important information on the ICT diffusion-economic growth-development nexus within the context of the econometric approaches used, and (ii) policymakers and managers of telecom businesses should accommodate sufficient support to further establish the ICT infrastructures and expand its penetration for all round sustainable and inclusive growth and development purposes.
Good eutrophication status is a challenging goal for coastal waters
Authors: Hyytiäinen Kari , Huttunen Inese , Kotamäki Niina , Kuosa Harri , Ropponen Janne 
Published: December 2023

AbstractOur objective is to understand the effectiveness of local and international nutrient pollution mitigation efforts when targeting better water quality in the region’s coastal waters. To this end, we developed an integrated modeling framework for the Archipelago Sea located in the Baltic Sea in Northern Europe, conducted what-if analyses for various ambition levels of nutrient abatement, and studied the long-term consequences at the sea basin scale. We demonstrate that in outer parts of the Archipelago Sea, a good eutrophication status can be achieved if the current internationally agreed policy goals for nutrient abatement are successfully met. In inner coastal areas, current goals for phytoplankton biomass could be reached only through extreme mitigation efforts in all polluting sectors and large-scale application of yet poorly tested ecological engineering methods. This result calls for carefully considering the relevance of current threshold values for phytoplankton and its role as a dominant indicator of good ecological status.
Polymer-nanocarbon composites: a promising strategy for enhanced performance of organic solar cells
Authors: K.V. Gayathri Mohan , George Jelby , Balachandran Manoj 
Published: December 2023

AbstractThe exigency for sustainable and clean energy resources has led to profound research in development of various generations of solar cells, aiming to control the over-exploitation of fossil fuels and subsequently limit environmental degradation. Among the fast-emerging third-generation solar cells, polymer solar cell technology has gained much consideration due to its potential for achieving economically feasible, lightweight, flexible solar energy harvesting devices. As a predominant research area, at present, the major concerns regarding polymer solar cells include improving conversion efficiency, enhancing absorption bandgap in polymers, limiting photochemical degradation, and remediating low dielectric constant. Nanocarbon materials can be effectively blended with polymers and have been widely reported to enhance the performance of polymer solar cells owing to their desirable characteristics like high electrical conductivity, mechanical strength, thermal stability, non-toxicity, large specific surface area, flexibility, and optical transparency. In this review, we briefly discuss various conjugated polymer-nanocarbon composites, including polymer/graphene derivatives, polymer/graphene quantum dots (GQD), and polymer/carbon nanotubes (CNTs), elucidating their roles in the performance enhancement of polymer solar cells (PSCs).
Graphical abstract
Climatic Changes in North Atlantic O2 Amplified by Temperature Sensitivity of Phytoplankton Growth
Authors: Margolskee A. , Ito T. , Long M. , Deutsch C. 
Published: December 2023

AbstractOcean warming is associated with a decline in the global oxygen (O2) inventory, but the ratio of O2 loss to heat gain is poorly understood. We analyzed historical variability in temperature (T), O2, and nitrate in hydrographic observations and model simulations of the North Atlantic, a relatively well‐sampled region that is important for deep ocean ventilation. Multidecadal fluctuations of O2 concentrations in subpolar thermocline waters (100–700 m) are correlated with changes in their heat content, with a slope 35% steeper than that expected from thermal solubility. Variations of O2 in excess of the solubility effect are correlated with observed decadal changes in in the surface layer (0–50 m), which declines by ∼1 mmol N m−3 per degree of temperature anomaly. Enhanced biologically mediated drawdown of nutrients from the photic zone and associated respiration in deeper water account for the additional depletion of thermocline O2 during warm years. In model simulations, increased nutrient consumption in warm periods is driven by an early start of the phytoplankton growing season and faster phytoplankton growth rates at higher temperatures. Our results highlight a role for phytoplankton T‐dependent growth rates in amplifying ocean O2 loss.
Uncertainty on Atlantic Niño Variability Projections
Authors: Prigent A. , Imbol Koungue R. A. , Imbol Nkwinkwa A. S. N. , Beobide‐Arsuaga G. , Farneti R. 
Published: December 2023

AbstractSources of uncertainty (i.e., internal variability, model and scenario) in Atlantic Niño variability projections were quantified in 49 models participating in the Coupled Model Intercomparison Phases 5 (CMIP5) and 6 (CMIP6). By the end of the twenty‐first century, the ensemble mean change in Atlantic Niño variability is −0.07 ± 0.10˚C, with 80% of CMIP models projecting a decrease, and representing a 16% reduction relative to the 1981–2005 ensemble mean. Models' projections depict a large spread, with variability changes ranging from 0.23˚C to −0.50˚C. Internal variability is the main source of uncertainty until 2045 but model uncertainty dominates thereafter, eventually explaining up to 80% of the total uncertainty. The scenario uncertainty remains low (<1%) throughout the twenty‐first century. The total uncertainty on Atlantic Niño variability projections is not improved when considering only CMIP models with a realistic zonal equatorial Atlantic sea surface temperature gradient.
Evidence for a Kilometer‐Scale Seismically Slow Layer Atop the Core‐Mantle Boundary From Normal Modes
Authors: Russell Stuart , Irving Jessica C. E. , Jagt Lisanne , Cottaar Sanne 
Published: December 2023

AbstractGeodynamic modeling and seismic studies have highlighted the possibility that a thin layer of low seismic velocities, potentially molten, may sit atop the core‐mantle boundary but has thus far eluded detection. In this study we employ normal modes, an independent data type to body waves, to assess the visibility of a seismically slow layer atop the core‐mantle boundary to normal mode center frequencies. Using forward modeling and a data set of 353 normal mode observations we find that some center frequencies are sensitive to one‐dimensional kilometer‐scale structure at the core‐mantle boundary. Furthermore, a global slow and dense layer 1–3 km thick is better‐fitting than no layer. The well‐fitting parameter space is broad with a wide range of possible seismic parameters, which precludes inferring a possible composition or phase. Our methodology cannot uniquely detect a layer in the Earth but one should be considered possible and accounted for in future studies.
Kinetics of the Reaction MSI− + O3 in Deliquesced Aerosol Particles: Implications for Sulfur Chemistry in the Marine Boundary Layer
Authors: Liu Tengyu , Ma Lingya , Yang Yiping , Ding Aijun 
Published: December 2023

AbstractMultiphase oxidation of methane sulfinic acid (MSIA) by ozone (O3) in deliquesced aerosol particles is an important but poorly constrained reaction in the marine boundary layer, hindering the accurate prediction of radiative forcing of natural aerosols. Large uncertainties arise from the unmeasured reaction rate constant for the aerosol multiphase reaction between O3 and methanesulfinate (MSI−), the dominant MSIA species in sea salt aerosols. Here, we directly measured by performing flow cell experiments coupled with a Raman spectroscopy to investigate the kinetics of multiphase oxidation of MSI− by O3 in pH‐buffered deliquesced aerosol particles relevant to marine atmospheric conditions. for aerosol particles was determined to be (2.2 ± 0.5) × 107 M−1 s−1, 10 times the value in dilute solutions. This higher rate constant would increase the yield of methane sulfonic acid from multiphase oxidation of MSIA and has important implications for accurate modeling of sulfur species.
Adjoint‐State Teleseismic Traveltime Tomography: Method and Application to Thailand in Indochina Peninsula
Authors: Chen Jing , Wu Shucheng , Xu Mijian , Nagaso Masaru , Yao Jiayuan , Wang Kai , Li Tianjue , Bai Yiming , Tong Ping 
Published: December 2023

AbstractWe propose a novel framework for teleseismic traveltime tomography that requires no ray tracing. The tomographic inverse problem is formulated as an Eikonal equation‐constrained optimization problem, aiming at the determination of a slowness model that minimizes the difference between observational and predicted differential traveltimes. Two improvements have been made over previous ray‐based methods. First, the traveltimes from the source outside the study region to any positions within the study region are computed using a hybrid approach. This involves solving a 2D Eikonal equation to obtain the traveltimes from the source to the boundary of the study region and solving a 3D Eikonal equation to compute the traveltimes from the boundary to any positions within the study region. Second, we compute the sensitivity kernel using the adjoint‐state method. This method avoids the computation of ray paths and makes the computational cost nearly independent of the number of receivers. We apply our new method in Thailand and adjacent regions. The final velocity model reveals a thick lithosphere beneath the Khorat Plateau and two mantle upwelling branches beneath its southern and western margins. The mantle upwelling may result from the mantle convection triggered by surrounding subduction systems and/or a slab window of the Indian Plate. The presence of the mantle upwelling corresponds to the source zone of the erupted Cenozoic basalts in the Khorat Plateau, indicating lithospheric modification beneath the plateau. The insightful tomographic result verifies our method and provides new perspectives on the structural heterogeneities and dynamics of the Indochina Block.
CANVAS: An Adjoint Waveform Tomography Model of California and Nevada
Authors: Doody Claire , Rodgers Arthur , Afanasiev Michael , Boehm Christian , Krischer Lion , Chiang Andrea , Simmons Nathan 
Published: December 2023

AbstractWe present the California‐Nevada Adjoint Simulations (CANVAS) model, an adjoint waveform tomography model of the crust and uppermost mantle of the states of California and Nevada. We used WUS256 (Rodgers et al., 2022, https://doi.org/10.1029/2022jb024549) as the starting model and iteratively decreased the minimum period of CANVAS from 30 to 12 s. CANVAS was iterated in two distinct stages: the first stage with source mechanisms from the Global Centroid Moment Tensor (GCMT) catalog and the second stage with inverted moment tensors (MT) using the CANV_WUS model (Doody et al., 2023, https://doi.org/10.1029/2023jb026463). We show that updating the MTs with 3D Green's functions improved waveform fits and azimuthal coverage of windowed data used to calculate the gradients. As for the model itself, we improved waveform fits over WUS256, particularly in the dispersed surface waves. CANVAS resolved tectonic features seen in other models and accurately defined the depth to basement of major basins, including the Central Valley and the Ventura Basin. We propose CANVAS as a starting model for crustal tomography models on smaller scales.