bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
A generalized interface reaction kinetic model for describing heterogeneous processes driven by contracting mechanisms
Authors: Arcenegui-Troya Juan , Sánchez-Jiménez Pedro E. , del Rocío Rodríguez-Laguna María , Perejón Antonio , Pérez-Maqueda Luis A. 
Published: January 2024

AbstractThe correct determination of the kinetic model and the kinetic parameters that describe a heterogeneous process is key to accurately predicting its progress within a wide range of conditions, which is one of the main purposes of kinetic analysis. Albeit ideal kinetic models continue to be used to gain insight about the process mechanism, they are constrained by certain assumptions that are rarely met in real experiments and limit their applicability. This is the case of contracting (or interface) kinetic models, which are one of the most commonly used. Thus, the ideal kinetic model R2 is derived by assuming a cylindrical contraction in the radial direction but not contemplating the possibility of a contraction in the direction of the axis of the cylinder. Moreover, in the case of the ideal model R3, it is assumed that contraction takes place simultaneously in particles of identical dimensions in all three directions of space (spheres or cubes). Here, it is revisited this type of model, and it is considered the contraction of particles with different geometries, namely cylinders with different aspect ratios and rectangular cuboids. Besides, a novel generalized interface reaction model is proposed, which covers all the studied cases and broadens the range of applicability to more complex situations involving different geometries and inhomogeneous particle sizes. Finally, the proposed model is applied to the analysis of the experimental thermal dissociation of ammonium nitrate, previously described in the literature as a sublimation process. It is proved that the novel kinetic model provides a more accurate description of the kinetics of the reaction and better prediction capabilities.
An experimental study on thermophysical properties of nano-$${\text{TiO}}_{2}$$-enhanced phase change materials for cold climate applications
Authors: Ravasio Lucrezia , Hayat Muhammad Aamer , Calay Rajnish Kaur , Riise Raymond , Chen Yong 
Published: January 2024

AbstractIn high-energy-demand regions, such as the Arctic, the building sector is focused on reducing the carbon footprint and mitigating environmental impact. To achieve this, phase change materials (PCMs) are being investigated for thermal energy storage due to their high latent heat of fusion. However, their limited applications arise from poor thermal conductivity. In addressing this issue, the research delves into the preparation and characterization of nano-PCMs. These materials, synthesized in a laboratory setting, exhibit enhanced thermal performance compared to pure PCMs, attributed to the incorporation of nanoparticles in the material composition. Therefore, in the study, three paraffins with different melting temperatures (10, 15 and 18 °C) are modified by incorporating titanium oxide at various concentrations (0.05, 0.1, 0.2 and 0.5 mass%). Thermal conductivity and latent heat capacity measurements were undertaken using a thermal conductivity measuring apparatus and differential scanning calorimetry, respectively. The aim was to evaluate the enhanced performance of the modified PCMs in comparison with pure PCMs and to assess their suitability for cold climate regions. Results showed that nanoparticle incorporation increased thermal conductivity by up to 37%, albeit with a slight reduction in latent heat capacity of up to 12%. Among the samples, RT18 exhibited the most significant improvement in thermal conductivity, while RT10 experienced a minor decrease in enthalpy values. Ultimately, RT10 was identified as the optimal PCM option for cold climates, as its phase change temperature range aligns with the outdoor temperatures in the Arctic.
Recurrent segmentation meets block models in temporal networks
Authors: Wickrama Arachchi Chamalee , Tatti Nikolaj 
Published: January 2024

AbstractA popular approach to model interactions is to represent them as a network with nodes being the agents and the interactions being the edges. Interactions are often timestamped, which leads to having timestamped edges. Many real-world temporal networks have a recurrent or possibly cyclic behaviour. In this paper, our main interest is to model recurrent activity in such temporal networks. As a starting point we use stochastic block model, a popular choice for modelling static networks, where nodes are split intoRgroups. We extend the block model to temporal networks by modelling the edges with a Poisson process. We make the parameters of the process dependent on time by segmenting the time line intoKsegments. We require that only$$H \le K$$H≤Kdifferent set of parameters can be used. If$$H < K$$H<K, then several, not necessarily consecutive, segments must share their parameters, modelling repeating behaviour. We propose two variants where a group membership of a node is fixed over the course of entire time line and group memberships are allowed to vary from segment to segment. We prove that searching for optimal groups and segmentation in both variants isNP-hard. Consequently, we split the problem into 3 subproblems where we optimize groups, model parameters, and segmentation in turn while keeping the remaining structures fixed. We propose an iterative algorithm that requires$$\mathcal {O} \left( KHm + Rn + R^2\,H\right)$$OKHm+Rn+R2Htime per iteration, wherenandmare the number of nodes and edges in the network. We demonstrate experimentally that the number of required iterations is typically low, the algorithm is able to discover the ground truth from synthetic datasets, and show that certain real-world networks exhibit recurrent behaviour as the likelihood does not deteriorate whenHis lowered.
Assessing tsunami risk along the Aceh coast, Indonesia: a quantitative analysis of fault rupture potential and early warning system efficacy for predicting arrival time and flood extent
Authors: Benazir  , Oktari Rina Suryani 
Published: January 2024

AbstractThe Aceh coast (western Indonesia) is prone to regular tsunamis, as evidenced by historical records and paleo-tsunami studies. Effective community preparedness and response plans are essential in this context. Critical to these efforts is understanding the Estimated Times of Arrival (ETAs) of tsunamis, which dictate the vital window for post-earthquake actions and the likelihood of survival during an approaching tsunami. Our study aimed to assess the time available for communities in Aceh and nearby islands (Weh, Nasi, Breuh, Simeulue, Banyak) to respond and evacuate following an earthquake. We investigated ETA influenced by faults like Aceh-Andaman, Nias-Simeulue, and Batu segments, considering earthquake scenarios: 9.15 Mw (2004 tsunami reconstruction), 9.2 Mw, 8.9 Mw, and 8.6 Mw for Nias-Simeulue and Batu segments. Using the nonlinear shallow water equation (NSWE) model and numerical discretization with the finite difference method, we simulated tsunamis and projected arrival times. Our findings highlighted critical ETA ranges: 8–25 min on northern coasts, 19–37 min on western shores, 17–27 min on southwestern coasts, and 11–67 min on southern coasts. These results are essential for enhancing early warning systems and optimizing evacuation plans, and bolstering coastal community preparedness and resilience to tsunamis. Further studies are needed to conduct a comprehensive investigation of ETA, which includes potential rupture scenarios and a wider observation area, including expanding the modeling of tsunami generation mechanisms, which includes tsunamis generated by underwater landslides due to earthquakes or volcanic activity. Assessing ETA is pivotal for tsunami preparedness, contributing to more effective early warning systems and evacuation strategies. Integrating our ETA findings into policies will significantly enhance the preparedness and resilience of coastal communities in the face of ongoing tsunami risks. This study represents a valuable contribution to disaster risk reduction, offering actionable insights for safeguarding vulnerable coastal regions.
Consistent travelling wave characteristic of space–time fractional modified Benjamin–Bona–Mahony and the space–time fractional Duffing models
Authors: Arefin Mohammad Asif , Zaman U. H. M. , Uddin M. Hafiz , Inc Mustafa 
Published: January 2024

AbstractStudy on solitary wave phenomenon are closely related on the dynamics of the plasma and optical fiber system, which carry on broad range of wave propagation. The space–time fractional modified Benjamin–Bona–Mahony equation and Duffing model are important modeling equations in acoustic gravity waves, cold plasma waves, quantum plasma in mechanics, elastic media in nonlinear optics, and the damping of material waves. This study has effectively developed analytical wave solutions to the aforementioned models, which may have significant consequences for characterizing the nonlinear dynamical behavior related to the phenomenon. Conformable derivatives are used to narrate the fractional derivatives. The expanded tanh-function method is used to look into such kinds of resolutions. An ansatz for analytical traveling wave solutions of certain nonlinear evolution equations was originally a power sequence in tanh. The discovered explanations are useful, reliable, and applicable to chaotic vibrations, problems of optimal control, bifurcations to global and local, also resonances, as well as fusion and fission phenomena in solitons, scalar electrodynamics, the relation of relativistic energy–momentum, electromagnetic interactions, theory of one-particle quantum relativistic, and cold plasm. The solutions are drafted in 3D, contour, listpoint, and 2D patterns, and include multiple solitons, bell shape, kink type, single soliton, compaction solitary wave, and additional sorts of solutions. With the aid of Maple and MATHEMATICA, these solutions were verified and discovered that they were correct. The mentioned method applied for solving NLFPDEs has been designed to be practical, straightforward, rapid, and easy to use.
Effect of tourist activity on wastewater quality in selected wastewater treatment plants in the Balearic Islands (Spain)
Authors: Rodríguez-Alcántara Joselin S. , Cruz-Pérez Noelia , Rodríguez-Martín Jesica , García-Gil Alejandro , Santamarta Juan C. 
Published: January 2024

AbstractUnregulated sewage discharge into the sea poses a considerable danger to marine ecosystems, with coastal regions being particularly vulnerable to this because of the impact of tourism. This issue is amplified during the summer season, as the Balearic Islands are a heavily frequented destination. This study aims to determine the water quality in five different wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) representative on the islands. For this purpose, we analysed several parameters, including biochemical oxygen demand (BOD), chemical oxygen demand (COD), treated water flow, suspended solids (SS), nitrates (N) and phosphorus (P), at the inlet and outlet of the WWTPs for 5 years. We set particular thresholds for each parameter and documented any breach by comparing the findings with the existing regulations. The least favourable results indicate non-compliance regarding N and P levels throughout the entire study period, as well as a lack of reduction percentage. Furthermore, flow analysis reflects the significant influence of tourism on water quality, with notable increases in both population and treated water volume during the peak tourist season. Overall, the investigation offers a robust foundation for comprehending water quality in relation to coastal landscape in the Balearic Islands. It pinpoints significant worry spots and underscores tourism’s immediate impact on this ecological feature.
Sustainable binary/ternary blended mortars with recycled water treatment sludge using fly ash or blast slag: Characterization and environmental-economical impacts
Authors: Kina Ceren 
Published: January 2024

AbstractWater treatment sludge (WTS) is produced daily and disposed of as hazardous material. It would be advisable to use locally available waste products as supplementary cementitious materials that ensure to be disposed of without harming the environment. As a novelty, this research investigated the potential of using recycled WTS with fly ash (FA) and ground-granulated blast furnace slag (BFS) as ternary blended binders. Thus, it can provide an economical solution and alleviate the adverse environmental effects of excessive production of wastes and cement production. Within this scope, the mortars with 0–30 wt% replacement of cement with modified WTS (MWTS) were produced as binary blend, and also, they were combined with FA/BFS as ternary blended binders. Therefore, optimum utilization of waste products into the mortar in terms of rheological, mechanical, durability, microstructural properties, and environmental-economical aspects was examined. Adding 10% recycled WTS as binary caused higher strengths with lower porosity measured by the mercury intrusion porosimeter test and denser microstructure, as revealed by XRD patterns and SEM results. However, the drawbacks of using recycled WTS, in terms of rheological parameters and environmental-economical aspects, were suppressed by adding FA/BFS with comparable strength values. Specifically, cost, CO2 footprint, and embodied energy were reduced by combining 10% MWTS with FA by 8.87%, 37.88%, and 33.07%, respectively, while 90-day compressive and flexural strength were 5.1% and 5.32% lower. This study developed a feasible solution to use recycled MWTS by obtaining more eco-friendly and cost-effective cement-based materials.
Graphical Abstract
Trace elements in the muscle and liver tissues of Garra shamal from the freshwater ecosystem of Oman: an exposure risk assessment
Authors: Al Jufaili Saud M. , Adel Milad , Shekarabi Seyed Pezhman Hosseini , Copat Chiara , Velisek Josef 
Published: January 2024

AbstractAnthropogenic activities lead to environmental contamination with foreign substances such as heavy metals. This work was aimed to monitor trace elements (total arsenic (As), cadmium (Cd), chrome (Cr), cobalt (Co), copper (Cu), lead (Pb), manganese (Mn), mercury (Hg), nickel (Ni), and zinc (Zn)) contamination levels (dry weight base) in three natural freshwater reservoirs of Oman including Al Khawd and Al Amarat (Muscat Governorate) and Surur area (Ad Dakhiliyah Governorate as control area) using a native benthic inland fish (Garra shamal; Cyprinidae) for the first time. The muscle and liver of a hundred and twenty G. shamal were collected to assess the degree of metal contamination. Atomic absorption spectrometry was used as an analytical technique. From the spectrum of analyzed elements, we found Zn as a major element in monitored areas. The statistically significant (P < 0.05) highest concentrations of Zn liver (0.275 ± 0.065 µg/g) were in Al Amarat compared to the other areas. The concentrations of monitored elements in the fish muscle were lower than the liver samples. Furthermore, the fish length was significantly correlated with the accumulation of Hg and Co in both muscle and liver samples. In all analyzed fish from Oman inland water, the concentrations of elements were below the permissible limits; however, additional research is needed.
Social life cycle assessment in the chocolate industry: A Colombian case study with Luker Chocolate
Authors: Luna Ostos Luisa Marcela , Roche Lindsey , Coroama Vlad , Finkbeiner Matthias 
Published: January 2024

Abstract
Purpose
Chocolate is a widely consumed product and consumers are increasingly interested in its sustainability. However, the lack of scientific studies covering the social dimension hinders a holistic assessment of the sustainability. A social life cycle assessment (S-LCA) was conducted in cooperation with a Colombian chocolate manufacturer following the Guidelines for S-LCA of Products and Organizations 2020. This study represents the first application of S-LCA in the chocolate sector covering both cocoa cultivation and chocolate manufacturing.

Methods
The study aimed to identify the main social hotspots within the value chain of a dark chocolate product, as well as to identify the potential and actual social performance of this product. The stakeholders assessed in the study were workers (in the cocoa plantation and manufacturing plant), society, and the local community. Primary inventory data was collected through on-site semi-structured interviews as well as through the review of company reports. Secondary data used to build the reference scales for impact assessment were taken from national regulations and best practice standards. In total, 16 subcategories were assessed.

Results and discussion
The overall results showed an outcome of at least a compliance level (0), and a performance beyond compliance (+ 1 or + 2) for the local community and society. The latter was attributable to the role of the company as an agent of change in a region heavily impacted by violence and poverty. Furthermore, numerous interviewees stressed the importance of companies in the Colombian post-conflict context to re-integrate former conflict actors back into the labor market. For workers, the results also indicated a performance on the compliance level or above, with child labor and health and safety scoring as + 2 and social benefits/social security scoring as + 1. Areas of improvement were identified in subcategories where the score was on the compliance level (0) such as working hours, fair salary, equal opportunities, and employment relationships.

Conclusions
A main challenge encountered was the definition of reference scales for subcategories with no recognized standards applicable to the socio-political context. This suggested a necessity for further S-LCA applications in regions with armed conflicts. The study provided insight into the social sustainability of the chocolate industry across the life cycle, covering the cocoa plantation and the manufacturing plant. At the same time, it provided the company with a tool to measure the positive and negative social impacts of their actions on stakeholders and redirect efforts towards the areas most in need.
Histidine-based ionizable cationic surfactants: novel biodegradable agents for hydrophilic macromolecular drug delivery
Authors: Polidori Ilaria , To Dennis , Kali Gergely , Bernkop-Schnürch Andreas 
Published: January 2024

Abstract The aim of this study was to design surfactants based on histidine (His) for hydrophobic ion-pairing and evaluate their safety and efficacy. Lauryl, palmitoyl and oleyl alcohol, as well as 2-hexyl-1-decanol were converted into surfactants with histidine as head-group via esterification. The synthesized His-surfactants were characterized regarding pKa, critical micellar concentration (CMC), biodegradability, toxicity on Caco-2 cells, and ability to provide endosomal escape. Furthermore, the suitability of these agents to be employed as counterions in hydrophobic ion pairing was evaluated. Chemical structures were confirmed by 1H-NMR, FT-IR, and MS. The synthesized surfactants showed pKa values ranging from 4.9 to 6.0 and CMC values in the range of 0.3 to 7.0 mM. Their biodegradability was proven by enzymatic cleavage within 24 h. Below the CMC, His-surfactants did not show cytotoxic effects on Caco-2 cells (cell viability > 80%). All His-surfactants showed the ability to provide endosomal escape in a pH-dependent manner in the range of 5.2 to 6.8. Complexes formed between His-surfactants and heparin or plasmid DNA (pDNA) via hydrophobic ion pairing showed at least 100-fold higher lipophilicity than the correspondent model drugs. According to these results, His-surfactants might be a promising safe tool for delivering hydrophilic macromolecular drugs and nucleic acids.

Graphical abstract
Proxy Assertions and Agency: The Case of Machine-Assertions
Authors: Arora Chirag 
Published: January 2024

AbstractThe world is witnessing a rise in speech-enabled devices serving as epistemic informants to their users. Some philosophers take the view that because the utterances produced by such machines can be phenomenologically similar to an equivalent human speech, and they may deliver the same function in terms of delivering content to their audience, such machine utterances should be conceptualized as “assertions”. This paper argues against this view and highlights the theoretical and pragmatic challenges faced by such a conceptualization which seems to be based on a “functionalist” account of assertion. Instead, the paper argues that the view that some such machine utterances can be “proxy assertions”, made on behalf of the designers and/or deployers of such machines is more tenable. Existing accounts of such a view, however, need further refinement, which is provided here. The paper then discusses implications of this view for design of such machines, particularly those enabled and equipped with machine learning capabilities.
Removal of paracetamol from aqueous solution with zinc oxide nanoparticles obtained by green synthesis from purple basil (Ocimum basilicum L.) waste
Authors: Solmaz Alper , Turna Talip , Baran Ayşe 
Published: January 2024

AbstractIn this study, environmentally friendly zinc oxide nanoparticles (OB-ZnO NPs) were synthesized using Ocimum basilicum (OB) plant waste extract, and the removal of paracetamol (PCM) from pharmaceutical wastes with toxic effects on the ecosystem was investigated. The characteristic structure of synthesized OB-ZnO NPs was determined by X-ray diffraction (XRD), Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET), scanning electron microscope (SEM) and energy dispersive X-ray (EDX), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), dynamic light scattering (DLS), Zetasizer, thermogravimetry-differential thermal analysis (TGA-DTA), and UV-vis spectroscopy. The effect of the obtained OB-ZnO NPs on PCM removal was determined by batch adsorption tests. In the study in which 6 different kinetic and isotherm models were examined, error analysis functions were used to determine the most suitable model. Accordingly, the crystal structure of biosynthesized OB-ZnO NPs has a particle size of 30.39 nm, a surface area of 13.826 m2/g, and a pore volume of 0.0475 cm3/g. Since OB-ZnO NPs have a zeta potential of − 22.1 mV and a mass loss of 33% at about 750 °C, these NPs show that they are durable at high temperatures. When the PCM removal mechanisms with OB-ZnO NPs were examined, it was determined that the most suitable kinetic and isotherm model was the Elovich model with an R2 value of 0.989 and the Redlich-Peterson model with an R2 value of 0.999. In the study, which reached 23 mgPCM/gOB-ZnO NP removal efficiency, it was revealed that OB-ZnO NPs obtained from waste plants have the potential to be used in the removal of pharmaceutical wastes.
Graphical abstract