bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Evaluating lake water quality with a GIS-based MCDA integrated approach: a case in Konya/Karapınar
Authors: Akar Ali Utku , Sisman Suleyman , Ulku Harika , Yel Esra , Yalpir Sukran 
Published: February 2024

AbstractConsidering water quality is an essential requirement in terms of environmental planning and management. To protect and manage water resources effectively, it is necessary to develop an analytical decision-support system. In this study, a systematic approach was suggested to evaluate the lake water quality. The methodology includes the prediction of the values in different locations of the lakes from experimental data through inverse distance weighting (IDW) method, creation of maps by using Geographic Information System (GIS) integrated with analytic hierarchy process (AHP) from multi-criteria decision analysis (MCDA), reclassification into five class, combining the time-related spatial data into a single map to predict the whole lake water quality from the data of sampling points, and finally overlapping the final maps with topography/geology and land use. The proposed approach was verified and presented as case study for Meke and Acigol Lakes in Konya/Turkey which were affected by human and natural factors although they have ecological, hydromorphological, and socio-economic importance. In the proposed approach, categorizing water quality parameters as “hardness and minerals,” “substrates and nutrients,” “solids content,” “metals,” and “oil-grease” groups was helpful for AHP with the determined group weights of 0.484, 0.310, 0.029, and 0.046, respectively. Assigning weights within each group and then assigning weights between groups resulted in creating accurate final map. The proposed approach is flexible and applicable to any lake water quality data; even with a limited number of data, the whole lake water quality maps could be created for assessment.
Stationarity and cycles in the energy consumption in the United States
Authors: Presno María José , Landajo Manuel 
Published: February 2024

AbstractThe purpose of this paper is twofold: analyzing stationarity of energy consumption by source in the United States and studying their cycles and pairwise synchronization. We study a panel of nine time series of monthly energy consumption for the period 1973–2022. Four of the series (namely coal, natural gas, petroleum, and nuclear electric power consumption) are non-renewables, whereas the remaining ones (hydroelectric power, geothermal, biomass, solar, and wind energy consumption) are renewable energy sources. We employ a nonparametric, panel stationarity testing approach. The results indicate that most of the series may be trend-stationarity, with nuclear and geothermal energy consumption being the only exceptions. Additionally, a study on potential cycles in the series of energy consumption by source is carried out, and subsequently we analyze pairwise concordance between states of different energy sources and between states of energy sources and the business cycle. Significant correlations are detected in the latter analysis, which are positive in the case of fossil fuel sources and negative for two renewable sources, namely geothermal and biomass energy consumption.
Enhancing groundwater vulnerability assessment for improved environmental management: addressing a critical environmental concern
Authors: Abduljaleel Yasir , Amiri Mustapha , Amen Ehab Mohammad , Salem Ali , Ali Zana Fattah , Awd Ahmed , Lóczy Dénes , Ghzal Mohamed 
Published: February 2024

AbstractGroundwater serves as a primary water source for various purposes. Therefore, aquifer pollution poses a critical threat to human health and the environment. Identifying the aquifer’s highly vulnerable areas to pollution is necessary to implement appropriate remedial measures, thus ensuring groundwater sustainability. This paper aims to enhance groundwater vulnerability assessment (GWVA) to manage aquifer quality effectively. The study focuses on the El Orjane Aquifer in the Moulouya basin, Morocco, which is facing significant degradation due to olive mill wastewater. Groundwater vulnerability maps (GVMs) were generated using the DRASTIC, Pesticide DRASTIC, SINTACS, and SI methods. To assess the effectiveness of the proposed improvements, 24 piezometers were installed to measure nitrate concentrations, a common indicator of groundwater contamination. This study aimed to enhance GWVA by incorporating new layers, such as land use, and adjusting parameter rates based on a comprehensive sensitivity analysis. The results demonstrate a significant increase in Pearson correlation values (PCV) between the produced GVMs and measured nitrate concentrations. For instance, the PCV for the DRASTIC method improved from 0.42 to 0.75 after adding the land use layer and adjusting parameter rates using the Wilcoxon method. These findings offer valuable insights for accurately assessing groundwater vulnerability in areas with similar hazards and hydrological conditions, particularly in semi-arid and arid regions. They contribute to improving groundwater and environmental management practices, ensuring the long-term sustainability of aquifers.
The Credit Suisse bailout in hindsight: not a bitter pill to swallow, but a case to follow
Authors: Böni Pascal , Zimmermann Heinz 
Published: February 2024

AbstractIn March 2023, Credit Suisse (CS) was bailed out based on the implementation of emergency law to the exclusion of all shareholder rights of the involved banks, likely violating basic principles of monetary order. However, this paved the way for a support plan amounting to 209 billion Swiss francs and the implementation of a state-orchestrated emergency merger with UBS. By the end of August 2023, UBS had fully paid back the support plan and reported the biggest-ever quarterly profit for a bank, amounting to 29 billion US dollars. UBS also started to absorb CS’s domestic business, thereby abandoning the branding of an institution with a history of 167 years. Popular accounts claim the plan could be considered a success and that there was no cost because the money was repaid. We critically evaluate the CS bailout, shedding light on key issues such as bailout-induced wealth transfers, the “too-big-to-fail” challenge, the likelihood of bank bailouts, the optimal level of bank equity, the doctrinal separation of solvency and liquidity, and the benefits of ex-ante market-based bank fragility indicators rather than ex-post accounting indicators. We infer a financial economist’s perspective, in which supervision is expanded by ex-ante market-based risk indicators, unweighted capital ratios are increased to adequately reflect large bank risks, and ex-ante paid liquidity options are introduced. Finally, we call for a public debate on the willingness of taxpayers to implicitly finance the too-big-to-fail risk of large banks.
Social acceptance of district heating: evidence from the Netherlands
Authors: Onencan A. M. , Ou J. , de Koning J. I. J. C. 
Published: February 2024

AbstractThe Netherlands Climate Change Agreement aims to reduce CO2 emissions and seismic events by halting natural gas usage by 2050. This will require widespread societal acceptance by 90% of households. The study investigates the social acceptance of a district heating network (DHN) among social housing tenants in Haarlem, Netherlands. The findings of a survey administered to ninety-five tenants revealed a substantial level of support for the DHN project. A significant portion of respondents, 75%, expressed their approval for the DHN, surpassing the legally required threshold of 70% for implementing building retrofits. Findings imply that although the participants possess an adequate comprehension of the rationale for energy transition, their familiarity with the precise particulars and practical information pertaining to the proposed transition to DHN is inadequate. The level of trust in housing corporations, energy providers, and the municipality is uniformly low, indicating a lack of institutional trust. Generally, the interpersonal trust among tenants tends to be lower than their trust in the broader public, which in turn restricts their capacity for self-organization and exercising influence over energy institutions. Although DHNs are typically regarded as environmentally friendly and secure, there are several challenges that need to be addressed, including the uncertainty about who will cover the costs of transitioning and the doubts surrounding DHN feasibility (warmth and reliability). We suggest implementing interventions to improve tenants' comprehension of the DHN project's particulars (capability), provide practical information regarding costs and feasibility (motivation), and foster trust at both interpersonal and institutional levels (opportunity).
Enthalpy of Formation of Calcium and Magnesium Oxide Obtained by Knudsen Effusion Mass Spectrometry
Authors: Halwax Alexander , Sergeev Dmitry , Müller Michael , Schenk Johannes 
Published: February 2024

AbstractCalcium and magnesium oxide are important components of metallurgical slag systems. However, the literature values for the standard enthalpy of formation $${{\Delta }_{f}H}_{298}^{^\circ }$$

Δ
f

H

298

∘

of both oxides exhibit large variations in some cases. Since $${{\Delta }_{f}H}_{298}^{^\circ }$$

Δ
f

H

298

∘

is crucial for the modeling and prediction of equilibrium states and, thus, also for process optimization; it was determined by Knudsen effusion mass spectrometry (KEMS). Pure CaO as well as MgO were investigated in an iridium Knudsen cell. For this purpose, the intensities of the main species present in the gas phase were recorded in a temperature range between 1825 K to 2125 K and 1675 K to 2075 K, respectively, and their partial pressures were obtained. It was observed that CaO and MgO evaporated congruently with the main species in the gas phase, Ca, Mg, O, and O2. The experimental vapor pressures of the gas species in the study of MgO are in good agreement with the calculated values using FactSageTM 7.3 and the FactPS database, while those for the evaporation of CaO show significant differences. These calculations are based on available thermodynamic information, including the Gibbs energy functions of CaO(s), Ca(g), MgO(s), Mg(g), O(g), and O2(g). After calculating the partial pressures and equilibrium constants of reactions, an average formation enthalpy of $${{\Delta }_{f}H}_{298}^{^\circ }$$

Δ
f

H

298

∘

= − 624.5 ± 3.5 kJ/mol for CaO(s) and $${{\Delta }_{f}H}_{298}^{^\circ }$$

Δ
f

H

298

∘

= − 598 ± 10 kJ/mol for MgO(s) based on the third law method of thermodynamics were obtained. The deviation of $${{\Delta }_{f}H}_{298}^{^\circ }$$

Δ
f

H

298

∘

for MgO from the previous literature values can be attributed to the use of different ionization cross sections, temperature calibration, and variation of tabulated Gibbs energy functions.
Anticarcinogenic Effects of Gold Nanoparticles and Metformin Against MCF-7 and A549 Cells
Authors: Yeşildağ Ali , Kızıloğlu Halime Topal , Dirican Ebubekir , Erbaş Elif , Gelen Volkan , Kara Adem 
Published: February 2024

AbstractMetformin is commonly prescribed to people with diabetes. Metformin has been shown in previous studies to be able to prevent the growth of cancer cells. This study aims to investigate the effects of metformin and gold nanoparticles in MCF7 breast cancer and A549 lung cell lines. The effects of metformin and gold nanoparticles on MCF7 breast cancer and A549 lung cells were determined on cells grown in 24 h cell culture. MCF-7 and A549 cells were incubated for 24 h with the treatment of escalating molar concentrations of ifosfamide. The MTT assay was used to determine the cytotoxicity of metformin toward MCF7 and A549 cell lines. The expression of Bax, BCL2, PI3K, Akt3, mTOR, Hsp60, Hsp70, and TNF-α was measured by RT-PCR. Metformin and gold nanoparticles inhibited the proliferation of MCF-7 and A549 cells in a dose and time-dependent manner with an IC50 value of 5 µM and 10 µg/mL. RT-PCR assays showed ifosfamide + metformin + gold nanoparticles significantly reduced the expression of BCL2, PI3K, Akt3, mTOR, Hsp60 and Hsp70 and increased the expression of TNF-α and Bax. The findings obtained in this study suggest that further studies should be conducted, and metformin and gold nanoparticles can be used in breast cancer and lung cancer treatments.
Melatonin Modulates Cell Cycle Dynamics and Promotes Hippocampal Cell Proliferation After Ischemic Injury in Neonatal Rats
Authors: Canonico Barbara , Carloni Silvia , Montanari Mariele , Ambrogini Patrizia , Papa Stefano , Alonso-Alconada Daniel , Balduini Walter 
Published: February 2024

AbstractPromoting neural cell proliferation may represent an important strategy for enhancing brain repair after developmental brain injury. The present study aimed to assess the effects of melatonin on cell proliferation after an ischemic injury in the developing hippocampus, focusing on cell cycle dynamics. After in vivo neonatal hypoxia–ischemia (HI), hippocampal cell cycle dynamics were assessed by flow cytometry, together with histological evaluation of dentate gyrus cellularity and proliferation. Melatonin significantly increased the number of proliferating cells in the G2/M phase as well as the proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) and doublecortin (DCX) labeling reduced by HI. In vivo BrdU labeling revealed a higher BrdU-positivity in the dentate gyrus of ischemic rats treated with melatonin, an effect followed by increased cellularity and preserved hippocampal tissue integrity. These results indicate that the protective effect of melatonin after ischemic injury in neonatal rats may rely on the modulation of cell cycle dynamics of newborn hippocampal cells and increased cell proliferation.
Giving Consent to the Ineffable
Authors: Villiger Daniel 
Published: February 2024

AbstractA psychedelic renaissance is currently taking place in mental healthcare. The number of psychedelic-assisted therapy trials is growing steadily, and some countries already grant psychiatrists special permission to use psychedelics in non-research contexts under certain conditions. These clinical advances must be accompanied by ethical inquiry. One pressing ethical question involves whether patients can even give informed consent to psychedelic-assisted therapy: the treatment’s transformative nature seems to block its assessment, suggesting that patients are unable to understand what undergoing psychedelic-assisted therapy actually means for them and whether it aligns with their values. The present paper argues that patients often have sufficient knowledge to give informed consent because they know that they want to change their negative status quo and that psychedelic-assisted therapy offers an effective way to do so. Accordingly, patients can understand what the transformative nature of psychedelic-assisted therapy means for them and a make a value-aligned choice even if they are unable to anticipate the manifestation of a psychedelic experience.
Hydrothermal vent fauna of the Galápagos Rift: updated species list with new records
Authors: Chen Chong , Jamieson John W. , Tunnicliffe Verena 
Published: February 2024

AbstractThe sighting of giant bivalves and tubeworms at the Rose Garden vent field on the Galápagos Rift in 1977 marked the discovery of hydrothermal vents, a turning point for modern biology. The following decade saw a flurry of taxonomic descriptions of vent endemic species from the first vents. With the finding of high-temperature “black smokers” on the East Pacific Rise, exploration shifted away from Galápagos. A faunal list of Galápagos vents with 65 species was published in 1991, then updated to 74 species in 2006. Since then, few expeditions returned to the Galápagos Rift. Here, we revisited several Galápagos vents including recently confirmed high-temperature sites and inactive sulfide mounds. From our collecting efforts and observations, as well as revisions from the literature, we update the faunal list to 92 species including 15 new records, restricted to obvious vent associates. Accurate regional faunal lists are important for understanding the biogeography of vent fauna, and our list will also be valuable for setting management strategies.
From subsistence to market-oriented farming: The role of groundwater irrigation in smallholder agriculture in eastern India
Authors: Rajkhowa Pallavi 
Published: February 2024

AbstractEmpowering smallholder farmers in low and middle-income countries (LMICs) and improving their livelihood is a critical goal for poverty reduction. To achieve this, agricultural commercialization can play an important role. However, a prerequisite to achieving agricultural commercialization is access and control of stable irrigation. This study revisits empirically the relationship between groundwater irrigation and crop commercialization. It also analyses the underlying mechanisms of how groundwater affects crop commercialization through on-farm production diversity. Studying the effects of groundwater irrigation on crop commercialization is essential for comprehending the trade-off between agricultural benefits and the environmental costs of groundwater irrigation. Geospatial and remote sensing information, combined with primary household data from small-scale farmers in eastern India, are employed in conjunction with an instrumental variable technique and a 3SLS simultaneous equation model for the analysis. The results suggest that small-scale farmers in eastern India experience enhanced crop commercialization when they have access to groundwater irrigation. Furthermore, the study suggests that the utilization of groundwater irrigation indirectly promotes crop commercialization by incentivizing farmers to diversify their production system.
Soil application of Popillia japonica control agents with a new injector
Authors: Santoiemma Giacomo , Battisti Andrea , Ciampitti Mariangela , Cavagna Beniamino , Bianchi Alessandro , Brugnaro Stefano , Glazer Itamar , Gilioli Gianni , Mori Nicola 
Published: February 2024

AbstractThe Japanese beetle, Popillia japonica Newman (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae), is a major pest of turfgrasses, pastures and hay meadows in the invaded areas of North America and Europe. This study evaluated the efficacy of two biocontrol agents (the fungus Metarhizium anisopliae (Metschn.) Sorokin and the nematode Heterorhabditis bacteriophora Poinar) and the insecticide chlorantraniliprole against P. japonica larvae using a soil seeder modified for soil injection with minimum grass disturbance (“Eco Defender 25”). In 2021, trials were carried out at two hay meadows in the Lombardy region of Italy, using water and undisturbed plots as controls. Both biological agents and the insecticide reduced larval densities at one or the other site, but not at both sites, compared to the control. In the following spring, drone surveys conducted over the hay meadows did not show differences in grass quality between treatments, including the undisturbed plots. Overall, the soil injector demonstrated efficacy under distinct conditions, highlighting the need for further optimization according to soil properties.
Promoting Linguistically Based Health Literacy in Doctors for Better Cancer Healthcare in Cyprus
Authors: Georgiou Georgios P. , Mackay Polina 
Published: February 2024

AbstractThis paper explores a novel approach in cancer healthcare, underscoring the significance of fostering health literacy among doctors by enhancing their ability to employ linguistically oriented strategies to extract and interpret the linguistic behavior of patients. The focus is on the Greek-Cypriot context, where research on health literacy is still in its nascent stages.
Clinical predictors of postoperative complications in the context of enhanced recovery (ERAS) in patients with esophageal and gastric cancer
Authors: Geroin Christian , Weindelmayer Jacopo , Camozzi Serena , Leone Barbara , Turolo Cecilia , Hetoja Selma , Bencivenga Maria , Sacco Michele , De Pasqual Carlo Alberto , Mattioni Eugenia , de Manzoni Giovanni , Giacopuzzi Simone 
Published: February 2024

AbstractThe overall frequency of postoperative complications in patients with esophageal and gastric cancer diverges between studies. We evaluated the frequency and assessed the relationship between complications and demographic and clinical features. For this observational study, data were extracted from the ERAS Registry managed by the University of Verona, Italy. Patients were evaluated and compared for postoperative complications according to the consensus-based classification and the Clavien–Dindo scale. The study population was 877 patients: 346 (39.5%) with esophageal and 531 (60.5%) with gastric cancer; 492 (56.2%) reported one or more postoperative complications, 213 (61.6%) of those with esophageal and 279 (52.5%) of those with gastric cancer. When stratified by consensus-based classification, patients with esophageal cancer reported general postoperative complications more frequently (p < 0.001) than those with gastric cancer, but there was no difference in postoperative surgical complications between the two groups. Multiple logistic regression models revealed an association between postoperative complications and the Charlson Comorbidity Index (adjusted odds ratio [OR] 1.22; 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.08–1.36), operation time (adjusted OR, 1.08; 95% CI 1.00–1.15), and days to solid diet intake (adjusted OR, 1.39; 95% CI 1.20–1.59). Complications in patients with esophageal and gastric cancer are frequent, even in those treated according to ERAS principles, and are often associated with comorbidities, longer operative time, and longer time to solid diet intake.
Simultaneous Cr(VI) Reduction and Dexamethasone Phosphate Oxidation with Organo-metallic Sludge Formation Under UV Irradiation: Kinetics, Degradation Pathways, and Mechanism
Authors: Sarkhosh Maryam , Azizi Shohreh , Mokrani Touhami , Seopela Mathapelo , Maaza Malik 
Published: February 2024

AbstractIn this study, we investigated the concurrent elimination of two distinct contaminants: organic matter in the form of dexamethasone phosphate (DexP) and an inorganic substance, chromium (Cr), employing UV irradiation. UV irradiation serves as a potent tool for breaking down organic materials, leading to the production of benign by-products, namely CO2 and H2O. Under optimal conditions characterized by a 30:1 DexP/Cr molar ratio and a pH level of 9, remarkable removal efficiencies were attained. In a mere 20 min, approximately 100% of DexP and 82.73% of Cr were effectively removed. Intriguingly, the removal of Cr exhibited an initially sluggish rate, with deposition commencing only after the breakdown of the DexP structure. This transformation was accompanied by the emergence of various sludge forms, each possessing unique characteristics. Utilizing Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) analysis, we identified these sludge forms as chromium(III) hydroxide (green sludge), chromium(III) hydroxide (brown sludge), chromium(III) oxide (tiny green crystals), chromium(II) acetate chromium trioxide (red brick), and chromium oxide (black sludge). Further experimentation with varying concentrations of Cr and DexP, ranging from 50 to 150 mg L−1, yielded a range of rate constants (kobs) from 0.33 to 0.15 and removal efficiencies (robs) from 16.8 to 23.4% in the UV/DexP/Cr process. Energy efficiency output (EEO) calculations revealed that Cr precipitation ranged from 24.65 to 5.74 kW h m−3, whereas DexP EEO ranged from 12.54 to 4.73 kW h m−3. Of significant importance is the observation that when these two contaminants are removed simultaneously, the overall energy consumption is substantially lower compared to the scenario where pollutants are addressed individually. This finding underscores the efficiency and potential energy cost savings achievable through the concurrent removal of DexP and Cr using UV irradiation, making it a promising approach for environmental remediation.