bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Effects of elevated ground temperatures on properties of cement grouts for deep rock grouting
Authors: Xu Zhipeng , Sun Jianping , Li Runguo , He Lei , Liu Changwu 
Published: February 2024

AbstractAppropriate determination of the mix ratios of cement grouts is of vital importance to the quality of rock grouting and the risk reduction of groundwater inflow. The behavior of grout, often highly temperature dependent, is likely to be affected by the elevated ground temperature in deep rock masses. This paper aims to experimentally gain insights into the effects of elevated ground temperatures on the properties of cement grout in fresh and hardened states in deep rock grouting. The results revealed that a temperature of 35°C is crucial for changes in the properties of thick cement grout with a water–cement ratio of less than 0.8. When the temperature is up to 35°C, there can be significant improvements in rheological parameters, acceleration of grout setting, and increase in the rheological time dependence of thick cement grout; however, there may also be a slight impact on the initial grout flowability and the nature of shear thinning. The high temperature may still improve the stability of fresh cement grout and also improve the porosity and creep deformation of hardened cement grout considerably. The proposed constitutive model that couples the Burgers model with a fractional derivative‐based Abel dashpot in the series can be used to characterize the creep behavior of hardened cement grout appropriately. The paper provides a valuable reference for optimization of mixture design of cement grouts, thus enhancing deep rock grouting quality and improving safety.
Voltammetric determination of genotoxic 4‐nitroindane at a mercury meniscus modified silver solid amalgam electrode
Authors: Němcová Vendula , Barek Jiří , Vyskočil Vlastimil 
Published: February 2024

AbstractA silver solid amalgam electrode modified with mercury meniscus (m‐AgSAE) was used as a non‐toxic replacement of mercury electrodes in the voltammetric determination of genotoxic environmental pollutant 4‐nitroindane (4‐NI). The m‐AgSAE was used to characterize of the overall electrode process during the 4‐NI conversion using cyclic voltammetry (CV), and it was shown that the electrochemical reduction of 4‐NI is an irreversible process controlled by both diffusion and adsorption. Techniques of direct current voltammetry (DCV) and differential pulse voltammetry (DPV) at the m‐AgSAE were optimized for the development of a method for the sensitive determination of 4‐NI. The application of the more convenient DPV method was proven on authentic drinking and river water samples. Limits of quantification (LQs) obtained under the following optimal conditions were 0.1 μmol L−1 for DCV at the m‐AgSAE (Britton‐Robinson (BR) buffer pH 5.0–methanol (1 : 1); regeneration potentials E1,reg=−200 mV, E2,reg=−1100 mV) and 0.1 μmol L−1 for DPV at the m‐AgSAE (BR buffer pH 9.0–methanol (1 : 1); regeneration potentials E1,reg=−300 mV, E2,reg=−1300 mV). An attempt to decrease the LQ of the 4‐NI determination by differential pulse adsorptive stripping voltammetry at the m‐AgSAE was not successful. The LQs for DPV at the m‐AgSAE in authentic samples of drinking and river water were 1.0 μmol L−1 and 2.0 μmol L−1 (BR buffer pH 9.0–drinking or river water (1 : 9); regeneration potentials E1,reg=−300 mV, E2,reg=−1300 mV), respectively.
Simple and sensitive voltammetric sensor for in‐situ clinical and environmental 17‐β‐estradiol monitoring
Authors: Tortolini Cristina , Gigli Valeria , Angeloni Antonio , Isidori Andrea , Antiochia Riccarda 
Published: February 2024

AbstractThe direct electrochemical oxidation of 17‐β‐estradiol (E2) at conventional electrodes gives weak current signals making detection at trace levels difficult, as required for clinical and environmental applications. In order to strengthen the electrochemical behavior of E2, a simple and sensitive sensor has been realized based on a graphite screen printed electrode (GSPE) functionalized according to a two‐step procedure: i) drop‐casting deposition of gold nanoparticles (AuNPs); ii) electropolymerization of methylene blue (MB). The final PMB‐AuNPs‐GSPE platform was characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), cyclic voltammetry (CV) and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). The pH value was optimized in order to obtain the best detection efficiency and the highest peak current response was obtained at pH 7.0. The synergistic contributions of both AuNPs and PMB allowed the proposed sensor to show a wide linear range from 0.5 to 125.0 μmol L−1 with a LOD of 41 nmol L−1, long‐term stability and good reproducibility (RSD=2.9 % for n=10). Moreover, the sensor was able to distinguish E2 from several interfering compounds commonly present in urine and river water as well as from other endocrine‐ disrupting chemicals (EDCs), denoting its high specificity to E2 molecule. Finally, the developed electrode platform was successfully applied to the determination of E2 in both human urine and river water samples without any purification step under the standard addition method.
Effects of fencing project on wind erosion reduction in Alpine grassland and its impact on the development of climbing dunes in southern Tibetan Plateau
Authors: Liu Lin , Yuan Yong , Xiong Donghong , Zhang Baojun , Zhang Yunqi , Zhang Jiaqiong , Wu Han , Zhang Wenduo , Wang Xiaodan 
Published: February 2024

AbstractAlpine grassland in the Tibetan Plateau (TP) of China is one of the most susceptible regions to wind erosion in recent decades. The fencing project, grassland enclosure using fencing, has been a common strategy for land degradation counteraction in the TP. However, the wind erosion reduction effects of fencing project remain largely unclear, especially in the regions lacking continuous observations such as Southern TP. In this study, a sand source area with fencing protection (fencing land, a mainly eroded grazing grassland before being fenced) and a near‐source climbing dune were selected to illustrate the effect of fencing project on wind erosion using 137Cs and 210Pbex tracing techniques. An adjacent perennial grazing land was selected for comparison. The results showed that the wind erosion rate in sand source area was 17.18 t·ha−1·year−1 before the implementation of project, while that was −6.67 t·ha−1·year−1 since fencing. The wind erosion rates in perennial grazing land were 24.91 t·ha−1·year−1 for 20 years ago to 1963 and 24.33 t·ha−1·year−1 for almost 20 years. The normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) of sand source area increased from 0.098 before fencing to 0.137 after fencing; the latter was 1.63 times higher than that of grazing land during the same period. After the implementation of fencing project in sand source area, it was found that the sand supply to the climbing dune was mainly reduced, thus stabilizing it and promoting NDVI increase, especially in the middle‐lower part of the climbing dune. These results would benefit the evaluation of grassland restoration effectiveness in the TP.
Impact of post‐harvest drying on the volatile flavours of spiny coriander (Eryngium foetidum L.): Emphasis on fatty aldehyde reduction
Authors: Borah Gitasree , Mahanta Bhaskar Protim , Samia Begom Rifah , Saikia Siddhartha Proteem , Haldar Saikat 
Published: February 2024

AbstractSpiny coriander (Eryngium foetidum L.) is a traditional food flavouring herb of tropics with coriander‐like odour. This study evaluated six different drying conditions (sun, shade, oven at 40°C and 60°C, microwave, freeze‐drying) for spiny coriander leaves, emphasizing on the drying time, essential oil yield and composition. Fatty aldehydes, especially trans‐2‐dodecenal, majorly abundant key aromatic flavour of spiny coriander underwent probable enzymatic reduction to alcohols upon long‐term oven‐drying, affecting the oil quality. Non‐conventional techniques like microwave and freeze‐drying, despite their certain advantages significantly reduced the oil yield (0.030%–0.031%) in comparison to fresh leaves (0.045%). Sun drying was found to be superior among the tested conditions, considering a reasonable drying time (4 h) and ability to retain the oil yield (0.043%), composition (quality) and chlorophyll content. It can be a sustainable drying technique for spiny coriander in the tropical region with abundant sunlight, especially for its value addition and commercialization in future.
Enhancing hydrological model calibration through hybrid strategies in data‐scarce regions
Authors: Anand Vicky , Oinam Bakimchandra , Wieprecht Silke , Singh Shailesh Kumar , Srinivasan Raghavan 
Published: February 2024

AbstractCalibration of a hydrological model is a challenging task, especially in basins that are data scarce. With the incorporation of regional information and integration with satellite data, the parameters of hydrological models can be estimated for a basin with scant or no discharge records. The main objective of this study is to calibrate and validate a hydrological model based on a limited amount of in‐situ measured and remote sensing satellite datasets in a data‐sparse region. Multiple techniques were applied for the model calibration: (1) stage‐discharge curves using a spatial proximity approach, (2) Simplified Surface Energy Balance actual evapotranspiration, (3) river discharge using a physical similarity regionalization approach, and (4) a new hybrid approach by integrating remote sensing datasets along with field measured river bathymetry data to estimate the river discharge. To demonstrate the methodology, we employed the widely used Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) hydrological model in Manipur River Basin, India. The sensitivity, calibration, and validation of the SWAT model were carried out by using the Sequential Uncertainty Fitting Technique. During calibration, the coefficient of determination (R2) and the Kling Gupta Efficiency (KGE) were found to be in the range of 0.46–0.81 and 0.41–0.83, whereas during validation R2 and KGE were found to be in the range of 0.40–0.79 and 0.53–0.77 for the four different techniques. Among all the four techniques applied in this study, calibration based on (i) stage‐discharge curve using spatial proximity approach and (ii) new hybrid approach by integrating remote sensing datasets and river bathymetry were found as the better approaches as indicated by the statistical indices. The performance evaluation of the model through a new hybrid approach by integrating remote sensing and in‐situ measured datasets for rivers with narrow width represents a promising technique for use in a data sparse region.
Enhancing hydrologic modelling through the representation of traditional rainwater harvesting systems: A case study of water tanks in South India
Authors: Mahmoodi Nariman , Wagner Paul D. , Lei Chaogui , Narasimhan Balaji , Fohrer Nicola 
Published: February 2024

AbstractWater tanks as traditional rainwater harvesting systems for agriculture are widely distributed in South India. They have a strong impact on hydrological processes, affecting streamflow in rivers as well as evapotranspiration. This study aims at an accurate representation of water harvesting systems in a hydrologic model to improve model performance and assessment of the catchment water balance. To this end, spatio‐temporal variations of water bodies between the years 2016 and 2018 and the months of January and May 2017 were derived from Sentinel‐2 satellite data to parameterize the water tanks (reservoir) parameters in the Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT+) model of the Adyar basin, Chennai, India. Approximately 16% of the basin is covered by water tanks. The initial model performance was evaluated for two model setups, with and without water tanks. The best model run was selected with a multi‐metric approach comparing observed and modelled monthly streamflow for 5000 model runs. The final model evaluation was carried out by comparing estimated water body areas by the model and remote sensing observations for January to May 2017. The results showed that representing water tanks in the hydrologic model led to an improvement in the representation of the seasonal variations of streamflow for the whole simulation period (2004–2018). The model performance was classified as good and very good for the calibration (2004–2011) and validation (2012–2018) periods as NSE varies between 0.67 and 0.85, KGE varies between 0.65 and 0.72, PBIAS varies between −24.1 and −23.6, and RSR varies between 0.57 and 0.39. The best fit was shown for the high and middle flow segments of the hydrograph where the coefficient of determination (R2) ranges from 0.81 to 0.97 and 0.75 to 0.81, respectively. The monthly variation of water body areas in 2017 estimated by the hydrologic model was consistent with changes observed in remote sensing surveys. In summary, the water tank parametrization using remote sensing techniques enhanced the hydrologic model's efficiency and applicability for future studies.
Comparison of radium‐226 separation methods based on chromatographic and extraction resins for its determination by ICP‐MS in drinking waters
Authors: Roulier Marine , Baya Pascale Anabelle , Roberge Steeve , Larivière Dominic 
Published: February 2024

AbstractOver the past century, human activities have contributed to the release of 226Ra (t½ = 1,600 y) in the environment, increasing the potential risks for human exposure and thus prompting scientists to monitor it. Inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP‐MS) is an alternative to alpha‐spectrometry for the quantification of 226Ra. However, the performances of radioanalytical procedures are rarely compared in a rigorous framework, which means that researchers may choose one on subjective factors or guesses.This article compares five published methods for the separation and preconcentration of 226Ra in drinking waters based on chromatographic and extraction resins prior to its analysis by ICP‐MS. We evaluated the turnaround time, generated wastes, and final cost of each protocol as the economic aspect can be an important criterion when selecting a method, particularly for sustainable environmental monitoring. Our results showed that 226Ra was successfully separated and preconcentrated, yielding recoveries ranging between 84% and 105%. Method detection and quantification limits of respectively 2–7 fg L−1 (0.1–0.3 mBq L−1) and 6–24 fg L−1 (0.2–0.9 mBq L−1) were achieved when the separation method was coupled with ICP‐MS. The turnaround times ranged between 6 and 21 hours, whereas the cost of the methods varied between 40 and 132 USD.This study highlights for the first time that methodologies recently published on the evaluation of 226Ra levels in drinking water by ICP‐MS have comparable figures of merit. Our results offer essential insights into the selection of the most suitable separation method.
Exploring the population dynamics of waterfowl hunters using a mark‐recapture approach
Authors: Graham Katherine A. , Vrtiska Mark P. , Humburg Dale D. , Powell Larkin A. , Raedeke Andrew H. , Devers Patrick K. , Chizinski Christopher J. 
Published: February 2024

AbstractThe number of waterfowl hunters in the United States has declined since the 1980s despite relatively abundant waterfowl populations and liberal hunting regulations. Programs focused on recruiting, retaining, and reactivating (R3) waterfowl hunters have become important to avoid further losses in traditional revenue for habitat management and protection and political support for waterfowl conservation and management. We focus on 4 waterfowl hunter population vital rates (i.e., recruitment rate, retention probability, license purchase probability, realized population growth rate), which can be used to improve the effectiveness of waterfowl hunter R3 activities and initiatives by providing a deeper understanding of waterfowl hunter population dynamics to determine who programs should target, where programs should be targeted, and finally the evaluation of programs. To do so, we analyzed Nebraska state electronic license data from 2012–2019 using Pradel survival and recruitment models in a mark‐recapture framework. Female waterfowl hunter recruitment was higher than males; however, retention and license purchase probabilities were lower. Recruitment was highest in younger generations and retention highest in older generations. License purchase probabilities were highest among those in the oldest and youngest generations. The availability of hunting opportunity increased license purchase probabilities but had a minimal influence on retention and no association with recruitment. There were weak relationships between rurality and recruitment, and retention and license purchase probabilities. Finally, belonging to Ducks Unlimited was positively associated with higher license purchase and retention probabilities. Targeting an increase in license purchase probability by promoting social support for hunters through conservation organization membership should be a focus of waterfowl hunter R3 efforts to have the greatest influence on increasing waterfowl hunter participation.
Antiobesity effects of intestinal gluconeogenesis are mediated by the brown adipose tissue sympathetic nervous system
Authors: Vily‐Petit Justine , Soty‐Roca Maud , Silva Marine , Micoud Manon , Evrard Félicie , Bron Clara , Raffin Margaux , Beiroa Daniel , Nogueiras Rubén , Roussel Damien , Gautier‐Stein Amandine , Rajas Fabienne , Cota Daniela , Mithieux Gilles 
Published: February 2024

AbstractObjectiveIntestinal gluconeogenesis (IGN), via the initiation of a gut‐brain nervous circuit, accounts for the metabolic benefits linked to dietary proteins or fermentable fiber in rodents and has been positively correlated with the rapid amelioration of body weight after gastric bypass surgery in humans with obesity. In particular, the activation of IGN moderates the development of hepatic steatosis accompanying obesity. In this study, we investigated the specific effects of IGN on adipose tissue metabolism, independent of its induction by nutritional manipulation.MethodsWe used two transgenic mouse models of suppression or overexpression of G6pc1, the catalytic subunit of glucose‐6 phosphatase, which is the key enzyme of endogenous glucose production specifically in the intestine.ResultsUnder a hypercaloric diet, mice overexpressing IGN showed lower adiposity and higher thermogenic capacities than wild‐type mice, featuring marked browning of white adipose tissue (WAT) and prevention of the whitening of brown adipose tissue (BAT). Sympathetic denervation restricted to BAT caused the loss of the antiobesity effects associated with IGN. Conversely, IGN‐deficient mice exhibited an increase in adiposity under a standard diet, which was associated with decreased expression of markers of thermogenesis in both BAT and WAT.ConclusionsIGN is sufficient to activate the sympathetic nervous system and prevent the expansion and the metabolic alterations of BAT and WAT metabolism under a high‐calorie diet, thereby preventing the development of obesity. These data increase knowledge of the mechanisms of weight reduction in gastric bypass surgery and pave the way for new approaches to prevent or cure obesity.
Load frequency control in deregulated power system with renewable energy sources: Hybrid GOA‐SNN technique
Authors: Srisailam C. , Manjula M. , Goud K. Muralidhar 
Published: February 2024

AbstractThis paper proposes a hybrid technique for load frequency control (LFC) in an inter‐connected deregulated power‐system. The proposed method is the combination of a gannet optimization algorithm (GOA) and spiking neural network (SNN), hence, it is named as GOA‐SNN technique. The objective of the proposed method is to minimize frequency deviations within the power system (PS). By lessening the frequency‐deviation and tie‐line power variation, this approach ensures system frequency‐control under the effect of load disturbances. The GOA method is utilized to generate the set of control signals of the controller. The SNN method is used to predict the optimum gain parameter of the controller. By then the proposed method is run in MATLAB software and evaluated their performance with various existing approaches. The proposed method shows better results than other existing methods, such as Ant Lion Optimization (ALO), particle swarm optimization (PSO), and Salp Swarm Algorithm (SSA). The GOA‐SNN approach shows a low Area control error is 0.48% and a high efficiency is 96% compared with other existing approaches.
Study of human error from incident investigation in upstream facilities
Authors: Abd Halim Abdul Hafiz , Mohd Ghazi Tinia Idaty , Mohd Yassin Faizah , Mohd Tohir Mohd Zahirasri 
Published: February 2024

AbstractHuman failures are a major cause of breakdowns in upstream facilities because of challenging working conditions. A study of human errors from an incident investigation in upstream facilities was carried out to understand the topography of human errors. A Tripod Beta diagram was developed from 107 incidents gathered during 2017–2020, and the human error taxonomy was used to identify the human errors caused by individuals and contributory human factors responsible for the incidents. A mistake is the most common human failing in a major incident, contributing to 59%, followed by a violation and a skill‐based error with scores of 36% and 5%, respectively. Knowledge‐based mistakes were prevalent in 48% of the analyzed reports, indicating a significant gap in any decision involving problem‐solving and diagnosis. Situational and routine violations with 14% and 10% scoring, respectively, show the complexity of the offshore work environment, which prompts workers to violate and believe that jobs cannot be completed without violations. Disciplinary action, providing a safer workplace, and enhancing the safety culture were proposed to combat workplace violations. Meanwhile, an up‐skilling of the workforce with adequate information and instruction will mitigate human errors leading to a mistake. Lastly, revisiting human factor engineering is required to prevent slip and lapse errors.
Photothermally and optomechanically induced transparency in a hybrid optomechanical system
Authors: Hu Huayin , Gao Fan , Guan Zixiang , Xu Jinzhao , Chen Jianhao , Yu Chunchao , Chen Fang , Wang Boyun , Zhang Huafeng , Sun Lihui 
Published: February 2024

AbstractWe theoretically investigated the photothermally and optomechanically induced transparency (PTIT and OMIT) in an optomechanical system filled with quantum dots (QDs). In our proposed system, the right mechanical resonator couples with the optical cavity via radiation pressure, and the left mechanical resonator couples with the optical cavity through the photothermal effects. The system is driven by a strong pump field and a weak probe field. It is shown that double transparency windows can be observed due to PTIT and OMIT. When considering the Jaynes‐Cummings coupling between the QDs and the optical cavity, three transparency windows are observed. We also show that the PTIT can be adjusted by the OMIT and the QDs in the optical cavity. What is more, the coupling strength and the frequency detuning can be used effectively to change the system absorption and dispersion in the PITT transparency window. This indicates that the group delay of the probe light can also be manipulated by the system parameters. The obtained results may be applied in the optical communication such as optical buffer, and so forth.