bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Artificial Neural Network (ANN)-Based Determination of Fractional Contributions from Mixed Fluorophores using Fluorescence Lifetime Measurements
Authors: Netaev Alexander , Schierbaum Nicolas , Seidl Karsten 
Published: May 2023

AbstractHere we present an artificial neural network (ANN)-approach to determine the fractional contributions Pi from fluorophores to a multi-exponential fluorescence decay in time-resolved lifetime measurements. Conventionally, Pi are determined by extracting two parameters (amplitude and lifetime) for each underlying mono-exponential decay using non-linear fitting. However, in this case parameter estimation is highly sensitive to initial guesses and weighting. In contrast, the ANN-based approach robustly gives the Pi without knowledge of amplitudes and lifetimes. By experimental measurements and Monte-Carlo simulations, we comprehensively show that accuracy and precision of Pi determination with ANNs and hence the number of distinguishable fluorophores depend on the fluorescence lifetimes’ differences. For mixtures of up to five fluorophores, we determined the minimum uniform spacing Δτmin between lifetimes to obtain fractional contributions with a standard deviation of 5%. In example, five lifetimes can be distinguished with a respective minimum uniform spacing of approx. 10 ns even when the fluorophores’ emission spectra are overlapping. This study underlines the enormous potential of ANN-based analysis for multi-fluorophore applications in fluorescence lifetime measurements.
Synthesis and Functional Properties of La2FeCrO6 Based Nanostructures
Authors: Ateia Ebtesam E. , Gawad D. , Mosry Mohamed , Arman M. M. 
Published: May 2023

AbstractOrdered double perovskite La2FeCrO6 nanoparticles (NPs) were synthesized via the citrate auto-combustion technique. The prepared sample was characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), energy dispersive X-ray analysis (EDAX), and Raman spectroscopy, which confirmed the double perovskite structure of the studied sample. XRD illustrated that the investigated sample has an orthorhombic structure with an average crystallite size of 25.3 nm. La2FeCrO6 NPs exhibit a porous structure and spongy morphology, as determined through analyses using Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET) specific surface area and field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM). The studied sample exhibits anti-ferromagnetic (AFM) behavior with weak ferromagnetic (FM) components, as an example of d5(Fe3+)–d3(Cr3+) systems. The AFM behavior is caused by the super-exchange interaction between [Fe3+(d5)–O–Cr3+(d3)], according to the Kanamori–Goodenough (KG) rule. This behavior is induced by the pdπ hybridization between the eg orbital of the transition metal and the pσ orbital of the oxygen, while the one induced by the pdσ hybridization is FM. The number of excited-state configurations mediated by the pdπ hybridization in the Fe–Cr pair is greater than that mediated by pdσ hybridization. Pb(II) heavy metal ions are used in adsorption studies. The electrostatic nature of the bonding between Pb(II) and the La2FeCrO6 nano ferrite sample is thought to be the main cause of the observed high sorption of La2FeCrO6 to a Pb(II) ion. La2FeCrO6 has a favorable morphology, which bodes well for its prospective applications in Li-ion batteries, water purification, and gas sensors.
Skills, availability, willingness, expected participation and burden of sharing visual data within the frame of web surveys
Authors: Iglesias Patricia A. , Revilla Melanie 
Published: May 2023

AbstractAlthough there is literature on the willingness to share visual data in the frame of web surveys and the actual participation when asked to do so, no research has investigated the skills of the participants to create and share visual data and the availability of such data, along with the willingness to share them. Furthermore, information on the burden associated with answering conventional questions and performing visual data-related tasks is also scarce. Our paper aims to fill those gaps, considering images and videos, smartphones and PCs, and visual data created before and during the survey. Results from a survey conducted among internet users in Spain (N = 857) show that most respondents know how to perform the studied tasks on their smartphone, while a lower proportion knows how to do them on their PC. Also, respondents mainly store images of landscapes and activities on their smartphone, and their availability to create visual data during the survey is high when answering from home. Furthermore, more than half of the participants are willing to share visual data. When analyzing the three dimensions together, the highest expected participation is observed for visual data created during the survey with the smartphone, which also results in a lower perception of burden. Moreover, older and lower educated respondents are less likely to capture and share visual data. Overall, asking for visual data seems feasible especially when collected during the survey with the smartphone. However, researchers should reflect on whether the expected benefits outweigh the expected drawbacks on a case-by-case basis.
Occam’s razor, machine learning and stochastic modeling of complex systems: the case of the Italian energy market
Authors: Mari Carlo , Mari Emiliano 
Published: May 2023

AbstractIn the spirit of Occam’s razor, we propose a parsimoniuos regime-switching model for describing the complex dynamics of electricity and natural gas prices observed in real markets. The model was built using a machine learning-based methodology, namely a cluster analysis to investigate the properties of the stable dynamics and a deep neural network appropriately trained on market data to drive transitions between different regimes. The main purposes of this study are twofold: (1) to build the simplest model capable of incorporating the main stylized facts of electricity and natural gas prices, including dynamic correlation; (2) to define an appropriate calibration procedure on market data. We applied this methodology to the Italian energy market. The results obtained show remarkable agreement with the empirical data, satisfactorily reproducing the first four moments of the empirical distributions of log-returns.
Bank failure prediction: corporate governance and financial indicators
Authors: Alzayed Noora , Eskandari Rasol , Yazdifar Hassan 
Published: May 2023

AbstractThis paper reiterates the importance of corporate governance in banks. Failure prediction studies have mainly relied on using financial ratios as predictors. The most suitable financial predictors for banks are financial ratios following the CAMEL rating system. Also, corporate governance has been proven to be an important aspect of banks, especially after the financial crisis. Given its importance, the novelty of this paper is to test the ability of corporate governance to increase the accuracy and extend the time-horizon of bank failure prediction in the US market. Using discriminant analysis, we predict the failure of banks insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation from 2010 to 2018. Using financial and non-financial predictors, we find that combining CAMEL ratios with corporate governance variables not only increases the accuracy of prediction but also extends the time horizon to three years before failure. We also show that bank earnings is a more significant predictor than capital structure and asset quality. The results further reveal that CEO compensation, voting rights and institutional ownership are significant predictors. These results are robust when using logit regression and out-of-sample examination. This study shows that corporate governance plays a key role in the success or failure of banks. The regulatory implication of this paper is that more attention needs to be directed to corporate governance and earnings aspects of banks rather than focusing on capital structure.
Distribution of trees in medieval areas of East-Central European cities ‒ regularities and peculiarities
Authors: Mizgajski Andrzej , Trzaskowska Ewa , Dubis Lidiya , Zajączkowski Dominik , Borysiak Janina 
Published: May 2023

AbstractTrees in the densely built-up historical cores of cities increase the aesthetic values of the cityscape as well as lower the effect of the urban heat island. The research aimed to determine the spatial distribution of tree populations in the medieval parts of cities. The investigation included three cities in Central and Eastern Europe: Poznań and Lublin in Poland and Lviv in Ukraine. The oldest parts of these cities share similar origins, the same continental biogeographical region, and comparable climatic conditions. This study considered indicators of occurrence, density, species composition, and spatial distribution of trees. The study identified different types of management concerning trees. In Poznań, trees are actively introduced in public spaces. In Lublin, there is the largest share of trees in the backyards and self-seeding is common. In Lviv, there are new plantings in private and public spaces. Lviv is distinguished by its large share of native trees, and in Poznan and Lublin, new plantings include artificially shaped, small spherical crowns.
The sensitivity of the zebrafish embryo coiling assay for the detection of neurotoxicity by compounds with diverse modes of action
Authors: von Hellfeld Rebecca , Gade Christoph , Baumann Lisa , Leist Marcel , Braunbeck Thomas 
Published: May 2023

Abstract
In the aim to determine neurotoxicity, new methods are being validated, including tests and test batteries comprising in vitro and in vivo approaches. Alternative test models such as the zebrafish (Danio rerio) embryo have received increasing attention, with minor modifications of the fish embryo toxicity test (FET; OECD TG 236) as a tool to assess behavioral endpoints related to neurotoxicity during early developmental stages. The spontaneous tail movement assay, also known as coiling assay, assesses the development of random movement into complex behavioral patterns and has proven sensitive to acetylcholine esterase inhibitors at sublethal concentrations. The present study explored the sensitivity of the assay to neurotoxicants with other modes of action (MoAs). Here, five compounds with diverse MoAs were tested at sublethal concentrations: acrylamide, carbaryl, hexachlorophene, ibuprofen, and rotenone. While carbaryl, hexachlorophene, and rotenone consistently induced severe behavioral alterations by ~ 30 h post fertilization (hpf), acrylamide and ibuprofen expressed time- and/or concentration-dependent effects. At 37–38 hpf, additional observations revealed behavioral changes during dark phases with a strict concentration-dependency. The study documented the applicability of the coiling assay to MoA-dependent behavioral alterations at sublethal concentrations, underlining its potential as a component of a neurotoxicity test battery.
Toxicity of bisphenol A (BPA) and its derivatives in divers biological models with the assessment of molecular mechanisms of toxicity
Authors: Rybczyńska-Tkaczyk Kamila , Skóra Bartosz , Szychowski Konrad A. 
Published: May 2023

AbstractThe aim of the study was to determine totoxicity of bisphenol A (BPA) and its derivatives (bisphenol S (BPS), bisphenol F (BPF), and tetrabromobisphenol A (TBBPA)) due to its high accumulation in environment. The performed analysis revealed the toxicity of the BPA, BPF, and BPS against Kurthia gibsoni, Microbacterium sp., and Brevundimonas diminuta as the most sensitive, reaching microbial toxic concentrations in the range of 0.018–0.031 mg ∙ L−1. Moreover, the genotoxicity assay shows the ability of all tested compounds to increase in the β-galactosidase level at the concentration range 7.81–500 µM (in Escherichia coli, PQ37). In turn, the matbolic activation of tested bishpenols has caused the enhacement of the genotoxicity and cytotoxicity effect. Interestingely, the highest phytotoxicity effect was pointed for BPA and TBBPA at the concentrations of 10 mg ∙ L−1 and 50 mg ∙ L−1, which cause the inhibition of root growth by 58% and 45%, respectively (especially for S. alba and S. saccharatum). Furthermore, the cytotoxicity analyses show the ability of BPA, BPS, and TBBPA to significantly decrease the metabolic activity of human keratynoctes in vitro after 24 h of treatment at the micromolar concentrations. Simialry, the impact of the certain bisphenols on proliferation-, apoptosis-, and inflammation-related mRNA expression was shown in tested cell line. Summarizing, the presented results have proved that BPA and its derrivatives are able to show high negative effect on certain living orgnisms such as bacteria, plants, and human cells, which is strict related to pro-apoptotic and genotoxic mechanism of action.
Comparison of image quality, arterial depiction, and radiation dose between two rapid kVp-switching dual-energy CT scanners in CT angiography at 40-keV
Authors: Kaga Tetsuro , Noda Yoshifumi , Nagata Shoma , Kawai Nobuyuki , Miyoshi Toshiharu , Hyodo Fuminori , Kato Hiroki , Matsuo Masayuki 
Published: May 2023

Abstract
Purpose
To compare the quantitative parameters and qualitative image quality of dual-energy CT angiography (CTA) between two rapid kVp-switching dual-energy CT scanners.

Materials and methods
Between May 2021 and March 2022, 79 participants underwent whole-body CTA using either Discovery CT750 HD (Group A, n = 38) or Revolution CT Apex (Group B, n = 41). All data were reconstructed at 40-keV and with adaptive statistical iterative reconstruction-Veo of 40%. The two groups were compared in terms of CT numbers of the thoracic and abdominal aorta, and the iliac artery, background noise, signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) of the artery, CT dose-index volume (CTDIvol), and qualitative scores for image noise, sharpness, diagnostic acceptability, and arterial depictions.

Results
The median CT number of the abdominal aorta (p = 0.04) and SNR of the thoracic aorta (p = 0.02) were higher in Group B than in Group A, while no difference was observed in the other CT numbers and SNRs of the artery (p = 0.09–0.23). The background noises at the thoracic (p = 0.11), abdominal (p = 0.85), and pelvic (p = 0.85) regions were comparable between the two groups. CTDIvol was lower in Group B than in Group A (p = 0.006). All qualitative scores were higher in Group B than in Group A (p < 0.001–0.04). The arterial depictions were nearly identical in both two groups (p = 0.005–1.0).

Conclusion
In dual-energy CTA at 40-keV, Revolution CT Apex improved qualitative image quality and reduced radiation dose.
Model predictive control for compliant feed drives with offset-free tracking behavior
Authors: Leipe Valentin , Hinze Christoph , Lechler Armin , Verl Alexander 
Published: May 2023

AbstractIndustrial machine tool feed drives are predominantly controlled by cascade control due to their low tuning complexity and inherent robustness. However, the cascaded structure requires the inner cascades to have higher dynamics than the outer cascades, which limits the achievable dynamic accuracy. Direct control approaches, which substitute the position and velocity cascade, offer the potential to utilize the unused potential. A promising approach is model predictive control (MPC), which optimizes the manipulated variable with a plant model along a prediction horizon. However, model uncertainties between the nominal model and the real plant lead to tracking errors. Therefore, this paper presents, a linear MPC (LMPC) and an adaptive MPC (AMPC) with an additional integral action to robustly compensate for model mismatches. Both controllers use a compliant model, are real-time capable with a sample rate of $${{2}\,\textrm{kHz}}$$

2

kHz

and consider state and input space constraints. The AMPC accounts for position-varying stiffness and friction. The controllers are experimentally compared with classical P-PI cascaded control on a ball screw drive. They show a tracking error reduction of $${{37}{\,\%}}$$

37

%

(LMPC) and $${{44}{\,\%}}$$

44

%

(AMPC) during a high speed motion profile and an increase in bandwidth of $${{180}{\,\%}}$$

180

%

(LMPC) and $${{184}{\,\%}}$$

184

%

(AMPC), resulting in significantly improved dynamic accuracy.
The impact of environmental and social sustainability on the reshoring decision making and implementation process: insights from the bicycle industry
Authors: Fratocchi Luciano , Mayer Julia 
Published: May 2023

AbstractAfter decades of huge production offshoring, companies are increasingly re-evaluating their production footprint, often implementing so-called reshoring strategies. Among them scarce attention has been devoted to the near-shoring option, i.e., relocation to the home region. At the same time, the impact of environmental and social sustainability on such strategies is an emerging issue within the reshoring scholars’ debate. This paper aims to shed new light on this debate focusing on the bike industry. To reach the research aim, a single case study was investigated, regarding an Austrian bike manufacturer that decided to near-shore the assembling phase to Poland in 2021. Collected evidence was analyzed through an interpretative framework based on the extant literature, allowing us to understand the impact of environmental and social issues on the reshoring decision making and implementation process, and its outcomes. The analyzed case study shows that environmental and social issues may play different roles when near-shoring decisions are taken and implemented. However, it emerges that the magnitude of such impacts may differ among the specific levels of analysis investigated (namely drivers, barriers, enabling factors and outcomes) and the sustainability pillar investigated (environmental vs. social one). The debate on sustainability impacts on a firm’s relocation strategies is still in its infancy, moreover the near-shoring alternative was not considered earlier in the academic debate. Therefore, this paper is the first attempt to shed new light on this issue and also proposes some future research avenues.
Laparoscopic treatment of ventral hernias: the Italian national guidelines
Authors: Campanile Fabio Cesare , Podda Mauro , Pecchini Francesca , Inama Marco , Molfino Sarah , Bonino Marco Augusto , Ortenzi Monica , Silecchia Gianfranco , Agresta Ferdinando , Cinquini Michela ,   the Italian Laparoscopic Ventral Hernia Guideline Group, Agresta Ferdinando , Cirocchi Roberto , Piccoli Micaela , Vettoretto Nereo , Campanile Fabio Cesare , Cinquini Michela , Albanese Elena , Ansaloni Luca , Antinori Armando , Baccari Paolo , Berta Rossana , Ceccarelli Graziano , Cuccurullo Diego , Diomede Francesco , Esposito Clelia , Ferrari Giovanni Carlo , Graffigna Guendalina , Monzani Roberta , Olmi Stefano , Placidi Tiziana , Bonino Marco Augusto , Inama Marco , Molfino Sarah , Pecchini Francesca , Podda Mauro , Clerici Alice , Radu Victor , Silecchia Gianfranco 
Published: May 2023

AbstractPrimary and incisional ventral hernias are significant public health issues for their prevalence, variability of professional practices, and high costs associated with the treatment In 2019, the Board of Directors of the Italian Society for Endoscopic Surgery (SICE) promoted the development of new guidelines on the laparoscopic treatment of ventral hernias, according to the new national regulation. In 2022, the guideline was accepted by the government agency, and it was published, in Italian, on the SNLG website. Here, we report the adopted methodology and the guideline’s recommendations, as established in its diffusion policy. This guideline is produced according to the methodology indicated by the SNGL and applying the Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development, and Evaluations (GRADE) methodology. Fifteen recommendations were produced as a result of 4 PICO questions. The level of recommendation was conditional for 12 of them and conditional to moderate for one. This guideline's strengths include relying on an extensive systematic review of the literature and applying a rigorous GRADE method. It also has several limitations. The literature on the topic is continuously and rapidly evolving; our results are based on findings that need constant re-appraisal. It is focused only on minimally invasive techniques and cannot consider broader issues (e.g., diagnostics, indication for surgery, pre-habilitation).
Phase-type representations of stochastic interest rates with applications to life insurance
Authors: Ahmad Jamaal , Bladt Mogens 
Published: May 2023

AbstractThe purpose of the present paper is to incorporate stochastic interest rates into a matrix-approach to multi-state life insurance, where formulas for reserves, moments of future payments and equivalence premiums can be obtained as explicit formulas in terms of product integrals or matrix exponentials. To this end we consider the Markovian interest model, where the rates are piecewise deterministic (or even constant) in the different states of a Markov jump process, and which is shown to integrate naturally into the matrix framework. The discounting factor then becomes the price of a zero-coupon bond which may or may not be correlated with the biometric insurance process. Another nice feature about the Markovian interest model is that the price of the bond coincides with the survival function of a phase-type distributed random variable. This, in particular, allows for calibrating the Markovian interest rate models using a maximum likelihood approach to observed data (prices) or to theoretical models like e.g. a Vasiček model. Due to the denseness of phase-type distributions, we can approximate the price behaviour of any zero-coupon bond with interest rates bounded from below by choosing the number of possible interest rate values sufficiently large. For observed data models with few data points, lower dimensions will usually suffice, while for theoretical models the dimensionality is only a computational issue.
Occurrence, fate, and impact of engineered metal/carbonaceous nanomaterials in the environment, detection, and quantitation methods
Authors: Hendricks N. , Olatunji O. , Ofori I. , Gumbi B. P. 
Published: May 2023

AbstractNanomaterials (NMs) are nanoscale materials of different shapes that are made of a variety of materials such as carbon, silicon, and transition metals. Wastewater treatment plants and nano-enabled consumer products have been identified as major sources of nanomaterials in the environment. Findings from many research studies revealed nanomaterials to be toxic to non-targeted species. Despite presenting an ecological risk to the environment and human health, little is known about the occurrence, formation, transport, and environmental impacts, owing to limited regulated quantitative and sensitive techniques for their assessment. More also, the realisation of nanomaterials' impact on the environment depends on emerging analytical methods. Therefore, it is paramount to continuously develop and optimise analytical methods that are promising to sensitively detect and quantify the nanomaterials in trace and ultra-trace levels in the environment. In this review, we discuss engineered metal/carbonaceous nanomaterials; production, pathways, fate, impact, toxicity, and their analytical methods of detection and quantification from the current literature.