bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Effects of molecular weight, stereo configuration of PLA, and processing on the dispersion of multiwalled carbon nanotubes and properties of corresponding nanocomposites
Authors: Mohammadi Mojtaba , Li Yingjie , Randall Jed , Nofar Mohammadreza , Heuzey Marie‐Claude , Carreau Pierre J. 
Published: January 2023

AbstractMultiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) were dispersed and distributed via a co‐rotating twin‐screw extruder (TSE) in high (h)‐ and low (l)‐molecular‐weight amorphous and semicrystalline polylactides (PLAs) (aPLA and scPLA, respectively). Effects of PLA molecular weight and D‐lactic acid equivalents content (D‐content), as well as processing parameters, were examined on the MWCNT dispersion quality in PLA. The effectiveness of the MWCNT dispersion in various PLA matrices was investigated using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and small‐amplitude oscillatory and transient shear flow rheometry in the molten state. The results showed a better dispersion of MWCNTs in the low‐molecular‐weight PLA grades (aPLAl and scPLAl). In addition, better MWCNT dispersion was observed in aPLA grades when processed at a higher temperature of 190°C than at 150°C. At 150°C, while MWCNT bundles in aPLAl could be broken down, a good dispersion could not be achieved in aPLAh due to the lower molecular mobility at such a temperature. The electrical conductivity of the samples was also shown to increase as the MWCNT dispersion was improved. The existence of crystallites in scPLA‐based nanocomposites, however, disrupted the connectivity of the MWCNTs and decreased the final electrical conductivity. The lower molecular weight aPLAl prepared at 190°C showed the highest electrical conductivity (~10−5 S/m) at a low loading of 0.5 wt.% MWCNTs.
Smart algorithm in wireless networks for video streaming based on adaptive quantization
Authors: Taha Miran , Ali Aree 
Published: January 2023

SummaryNowadays, smart multimedia network services have become crucial in the healthcare system. The network parameters of Quality of Service (QoS) are widely affecting the efficiency and accuracy of multimedia streaming in wireless environments. This paper proposes an adaptation framework model, which makes a relation between the QP (quantization parameter) in H.264 and H.265 codecs and the QoS of 5G wireless technology. Besides, the effect of QP and packet loss have been studied because of their impact on video streaming. Packet loss of 5G wireless network characteristic is emulated to determine the impact of QP on the received video quality using objective and subjective quality metrics such as PSNR (peak signal to noise ratio), SSIM (structure similarity), and DMOS (differential mean opinion score). In this research, a Testbed is implemented to stream the encoded video from the server to the end users. The application model framework has automatically evaluated the QoE (Quality of Experience). Accordingly, the model detects the defect of network packet loss and selects the optimum QP value to enhance the QoE by the end‐users. The application has been tested on low and high video motions with full high definition (HD) resolution (1920 × 1080) which were taken from (
https://www.xiph.org/downloads/). Test results based on the objective and subjective quality measurements indicate that an optimal QP = 35 and QP = 30 have been chosen for low and high motion respectively to satisfy user QoE requirements.
Enacting institutional drivers towards strategic corporate social responsibility: The sensemaking process in multinational companies
Authors: Yudarwati Gregoria A. , Sison Marianne D. , Putranto Ignatius A. , Wiratsari Putu 
Published: January 2023

AbstractFollowing sensemaking process, this study examines how CSR policy makers of multinational companies (MNCs) interpret institutional drivers, assign meanings on them, and enact them to reduce uncertainties in conducting CSR initiatives. Based on a case study towards Australia MNCs, this study reveals the sensemaking process towards two ecological changes: (1) the communities' expectations and culture and (2) different regulatory and governance standards between home and host countries. Local communities in host countries were believed of having power to express their expectations and demands to the companies. Nevertheless, the communities may not really hold power over the companies. Sensemaking process, however, is about “believing is seeing”, which tends to follow a self‐fulfilling prophecy and self‐validating prophecy. When the corporate leaders selected the interpretation, they created a story to make sense of what happened and to carry on the current activities. They then decided to act upon their interpretations by enacting CSR initiatives. When it came to formulating the CSR policy, they followed the top‐down processing by following the home country's standards that had been applied in many different host countries. Meanwhile, when it came to its implementation, they followed the bottom‐up processing to gain acceptance from the communities. This study asserts that their sense making choices, that is, how they provide meanings and reasonings to their institutions and how their rationalities are enacted, shape their companies' CSR initiatives.
L‐RUBI: An efficient load‐based resource utilization algorithm for bi‐partite scatternet in wireless personal area networks
Authors: Logeshwaran Jaganathan , Shanmugasundaram Nallasamy , Lloret Jaime 
Published: January 2023

SummaryRecently, much of the wireless personal area network (WPAN) research concerns network protocols, scheduling, and security challenges but the major issue of resource utilization has been very rarely investigated. The design of resource sharing in a network gets more attention when the number of users increases. While optimizing performance, resource utilization plays a critical role. In this paper, the numerical performance of a wireless resource utilization algorithm for a bi‐partite scatternet is presented. This algorithm is focused to enhance the bandwidth allocation and power utilization of wireless scatternets. Every node can communicate with a single neighbor at a time with minimum resources. Finally, the performances of the RUBI algorithm are shown. This algorithm is compared with the existing algorithms such as the load adaptive scheduling algorithm and pseudorandom coordinated scheduling scheme in terms of various parametric metrics like reliability, throughput, collision probability, transmission probability, and signal‐to‐noise ratio (SINR). The proposed L‐RUBI achieves 93.4% of reliability, 93.6% of transmission probability, 91.4% of throughput, 76.8% of collision performance, and 72.2% SINR.
Effects of forest management on the conservation of bird communities in eastern North America: A meta‐analysis
Authors: Akresh Michael E. , King David I. , McInvale Savannah L. , Larkin Jeffery L. , D'Amato Anthony W. 
Published: January 2023

AbstractForest management affects conditions for both early‐ and late‐seral organisms, and managers and conservationists require information for balancing the ostensibly opposing habitat needs of both these guilds. We conducted meta‐analyses that examined silvicultural systems with a range of postharvest retention and their impacts on mature‐forest and shrubland bird species densities in eastern North America during the breeding season. Densities of mature‐forest bird species generally declined as canopy tree retention and basal area decreased, although some mature‐forest species had similar densities among unharvested and partially harvested (e.g., first‐entry shelterwood) stands, and others had their highest densities in shelterwoods. We conducted a previous meta‐analysis study, which showed most shrubland bird species in the region increase with harvest intensity, but some shrubland species had similar densities in clearcuts and shelterwoods. Given the contrasting effects of harvest intensity on the two avian guilds, we used Partners‐in‐Flight conservation values to generate objective community‐wide conservation indices relative to postharvest tree retention. Clearcuts and shelterwoods typically had the highest conservation values, and unharvested and lightly thinned stands (70%–100% tree retention) had the lowest conservation scores. Many declining shrubland bird species of conservation concern are abundant in low‐retention stands, thus elevating the conservation value of these stands. Additionally, high conservation values of harvested stands with 40%–70% tree retention represent the presence of both shrubland and mature‐forest species; the latter are potentially responding to enhanced understory structure needed for avian nesting or foraging. In contrast, contemporary closed‐canopy forests in eastern North America are generally characterized by low structural diversity and are mid‐seral stands due to historical patterns of land use and tree harvesting. Although avian community conservation values were lowest in high‐retention stands and many other threatened, non‐avian taxa depend on open‐canopy, managed forests, managers should note that late‐seral, unharvested stands can provide important habitat for old‐growth‐dependent taxa and any intensive forestry should also take into account other factors. Considering the growing interest in using postharvest retention of canopy trees to meet ecological objectives, our novel synthesis can assist managers in assessing species‐specific and community‐wide avian responses to tree retention levels along the entire gradient of canopy treatments.
Positive effects of warming do not compensate growth reduction due to increased aridity in Mediterranean mixed forests
Authors: Díaz‐Martínez Paloma , Ruiz‐Benito Paloma , Madrigal‐González Jaime , Gazol Antonio , Andivia Enrique 
Published: January 2023

AbstractIncreased winter and early spring temperatures due to climate change can enhance forest productivity due to earlier growth onset in temperate regions. However, drought‐prone forests can be highly vulnerable to the combined effect of high summer temperatures and water stress. Understanding how water stress and rising temperatures along the growing season control tree growth in co‐occurring species with contrasting drought tolerances is key to project climate change effects on forest dynamics. Here, we evaluated the interactive effect of seasonal temperature and water availability on annual radial growth and climate–growth instability over six decades (1951–2015) in three pine species with contrasting drought tolerances (Pinus pinaster, Pinus nigra, and Pinus sylvestris). For this, we retrospectively observed radial tree growth using dendroecological methods and evaluated seasonal temperature and water availability effects by using linear mixed models. Early growing season temperature and water availability had a positive effect on tree growth, but the positive effect of late season temperature was modulated by water availability. Moving time‐window analyses revealed temporal instability in climate–growth relationships. Since the 1980s, pine species showed a higher growth sensitivity to both seasonal temperatures and annual water availability. Furthermore, growth reductions were more pronounced due to increased summer temperatures and reduced precipitation. Our results were similar for the three studied pine species despite their contrasting tolerance to drought. Overall, climate warming effects on pine growth are contingent upon water availability in Mediterranean continental forests. Synchronization among species, climate–growth instability, and negative growth trends suggests an increased vulnerability to drought of Mediterranean pine species in response to ongoing climate change.
Altered default mode network causal connectivity patterns in autism spectrum disorder revealed by Liang information flow analysis
Authors: Cong Jing , Zhuang Wenwen , Liu Yunhong , Yin Shunjie , Jia Hai , Yi Chanlin , Chen Kai , Xue Kaiqing , Li Fali , Yao Dezhong , Xu Peng , Zhang Tao 
Published: January 2023

AbstractAutism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a pervasive developmental disorder with severe cognitive impairment in social communication and interaction. Previous studies have reported that abnormal functional connectivity patterns within the default mode network (DMN) were associated with social dysfunction in ASD. However, how the altered causal connectivity pattern within the DMN affects the social functioning in ASD remains largely unclear. Here, we introduced the Liang information flow method, widely applied to climate science and quantum mechanics, to uncover the brain causal network patterns in ASD. Compared with the healthy controls (HC), we observed that the interactions among the dorsal medial prefrontal cortex (dMPFC), ventral medial prefrontal cortex (vMPFC), hippocampal formation, and temporo‐parietal junction showed more inter‐regional causal connectivity differences in ASD. For the topological property analysis, we also found the clustering coefficient of DMN and the In‐Out degree of anterior medial prefrontal cortex were significantly decreased in ASD. Furthermore, we found that the causal connectivity from dMPFC to vMPFC was correlated with the clinical symptoms of ASD. These altered causal connectivity patterns indicated that the DMN inter‐regions information processing was perturbed in ASD. In particular, we found that the dMPFC acts as a causal source in the DMN in HC, whereas it plays a causal target in ASD. Overall, our findings indicated that the Liang information flow method could serve as an important way to explore the DMN causal connectivity patterns, and it also can provide novel insights into the nueromechanisms underlying DMN dysfunction in ASD.
White matter microstructure in face and body networks predicts facial expression and body posture perception across development
Authors: Ward Isobel L. , Raven Erika P. , de la Rosa Stephan , Jones Derek K. , Teufel Christoph , von dem Hagen Elisabeth 
Published: January 2023

AbstractFacial expression and body posture recognition have protracted developmental trajectories. Interactions between face and body perception, such as the influence of body posture on facial expression perception, also change with development. While the brain regions underpinning face and body processing are well‐defined, little is known about how white‐matter tracts linking these regions relate to perceptual development. Here, we obtained complementary diffusion magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) measures (fractional anisotropy [FA], spherical mean Ṧμ), and a quantitative MRI myelin‐proxy measure (R1), within white‐matter tracts of face‐ and body‐selective networks in children and adolescents and related these to perceptual development. In tracts linking occipital and fusiform face areas, facial expression perception was predicted by age‐related maturation, as measured by Ṧμ and R1, as well as age‐independent individual differences in microstructure, captured by FA and R1. Tract microstructure measures linking posterior superior temporal sulcus body region with anterior temporal lobe (ATL) were related to the influence of body on facial expression perception, supporting ATL as a site of face and body network convergence. Overall, our results highlight age‐dependent and age‐independent constraints that white‐matter microstructure poses on perceptual abilities during development and the importance of complementary microstructural measures in linking brain structure and behaviour.
Evaluate the efficacy and reliability of functional gradients in within‐subject designs
Authors: Zhang Xiaolong , Zang Zhenxiang 
Published: January 2023

AbstractThe cerebral cortex is characterized as the integration of distinct functional principles that correspond to basic primary functions, such as vision and movement, and domain‐general functions, such as attention and cognition. Diffusion embedding approach is a novel tool to describe transitions between different functional principles, and has been successively applied to investigate pathological conditions in between‐group designs. What still lacking and urgently needed is the efficacy of this method to differentiate within‐subject circumstances. In this study, we applied the diffusion embedding to eyes closed (EC) and eyes on (EO) resting‐state conditions from 145 participants. We found significantly lower within‐network dispersion of visual network (VN) (p = 7.3 × 10−4) as well as sensorimotor network (SMN) (p = 1 × 10−5) and between‐network dispersion of VN (p = 2.3 × 10−4) under EC than EO, while frontoparietal network (p = 9.2 × 10−4) showed significantly higher between‐network dispersion during EC than EO. Test–retest reliability analysis further displayed fair reliability (intraclass correlation coefficient [ICC] < 0.4) of the network dispersions (mean ICC = 0.116 ± 0.143 [standard deviation]) except for the within‐network dispersion of SMN under EO (ICC = 0.407). And the reliability under EO was higher but not significantly higher than reliability under EC. Our study demonstrated that the diffusion embedding approach that shows fair reliability is capable of distinguishing EC and EO resting‐state conditions, such that this method could be generalized to other within‐subject designs.
Effective communication for relational coordination in remote work: How job characteristics andHRpractices shape user–technology interactions
Authors: Fuchs Christina , Reichel Astrid 
Published: January 2023

AbstractThe theory of relational coordination holds that frequent, timely, accurate, and problem‐solving communication positively interacts with relationships of mutual respect, shared goals, and shared knowledge to support effective work coordination. With increasing numbers of employees working remotely, Advanced Communication Technologies (ACTs) are crucial for enabling the communication necessary for relational coordination. To investigate how organizations can maintain effective communication between employees in remote work settings, we conducted 47 interviews across multiple organizations. We find that users enact different affordances, that is, action possibilities, of the same material features of an ACT. Enacting these affordances supports frequent, timely, accurate, and problem‐solving communication when working remotely. Which affordances users enact varies systematically with job characteristics. Specifically, users whose jobs have high levels of task variety, autonomy, creative problem solving, and interdependence across teams enact more of the affordances that enable effective communication. Comprehensive ACTs that integrate all communication features into one technology and rules requesting the company‐wide exclusive interaction with this ACT strengthen the relationship between users' job characteristics and affordance enactment. Our findings show that it is important to involve HRM from the outset so that, in close cooperation with IT, a system can be found that—supported by suitable sets of rules—enables effective communication.
Retracted: The pattern of neurological manifestations of tuberculosis among adult patients attending multineurological centres and hospitals in Sudan: A hospital‐based cross‐sectional study
Authors: Ibrahim Etedal Ahmed A. , Ahmed Hamza Mohammed Nosiba Ibrahim Mohammed , Abbasher Hussien Mohamed Ahmed Khabab , A. Manhal Gaffar Alemam , Mahmmoud Fadelallah Eljack Mohammed , Tahir Muhammad Junaid 
Published: January 2023

AbstractBackgroundTuberculosis (TB) can involve almost any organ of the body. In the central nervous system (CNS), it can cause Pott's disease, meningitis, tuberculoma, abscess, or other manifestations. Tuberculosis is rampant in the developing world and has become a significant public health menace with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) dissemination. This study aimed to determine the frequency of neurological manifestations of tuberculosis among adult Sudanese patients.MethodologyA hospital‐based cross‐sectional study carried out in the period from September to December 2020 at multineurological centers and hospitals in Khartoum State, including Ibrahim Malik Teaching Hospital, Alshaab Teaching Hospital, Bashier, Abu Anga, Omdurman Teaching Hospitals, included adult patients diagnosed with tuberculosis‐associated neurological manifestations. The data were collected by predesigned questionnaire, and then analyzed by computer using SPSS‐version 25.ResultsA total of 43 patients were evaluated, male patients were 24 (55.8%) and female patients were 19 (44.2%). About 31 (72.1%) of the participants had extra‐pulmonary TB and 12 (27.9%) had pulmonary and extrapulmonary TB. The neurological manifestations of tuberculosis include Pott's disease in 29 (67.4%) patients (with thoracic spine most affected part), tuberculoma was second‐most, occurring in 8 (18.7%) patients (with a single lesion in most of the patients), whereas tuberculous meningitis was found in 6 (13.9%). Clinical presentation was headache in 14 (32.6%) patients, convulsions in 10 (23.3%), loss of consciousness in 9 (20.9%), hemiparesis in 7 (16.3%) patients, and paraparesis in 23 (53.5%). Cranial nerve affected in 5 (11.6%) patients. All patients received antituberculosis medication and steroids, and 10 (23.2%) received anticonvulsants.ConclusionsNeurological tuberculosis should be ruled out in any young male from an endemic area who exhibits abnormalities in motor, sensory, special sense, or higher mental function. To avoid potentially fatal complications, diagnoses and treatments should be initiated as soon as possible.
Thermal energy storage of phase change materials in the solidification process inside the quasi‐square heat exchanger: CFD simulation
Authors: Asgari Mehdi , Javidan Mohammad , Hassankolaei Mosayeb Gholinia , Nozari Mohammad , Asgari Aliasghar , Ganji Davood Domiri 
Published: January 2023

AbstractThe high latent heat of phase change materials (PCMs) makes them one of the most important sources of heat energy storage systems. However, due to the slow rate of heat transfer in these materials, using conductive materials such as fins and nanoparticles could improve the thermal efficiency of these energy storage systems. So in this article, cross‐shaped fins and Copper(II) oxide nanoparticles with different synthesized forms and various volume fractions have been employed to increase the thermal efficiency of paraffin PCMs. In this simulation, three fin models based on the installed size, the shape of the synthesized nanoparticles in brick, cylindrical, and platelet forms, and the nanoparticle volume fraction of the Copper(II) oxide is 1%–4% are studied. Increasing the volumetric ratio of nanoparticle and shape coefficient decrease the time of solidification, while increasing the length of the cross‐shaped fins raises the solidification rate and improves heat transfer. Finally, it was found that when the inner and outer walls play a role in the solidification process at the same time, the solidification rate will increase by more than 66% as more zone of the surface is exposed to cold.