bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
SMA-BmobaSNO: an intelligent photoresponsive nitric oxide releasing polymer for drug nanoencapsulation and targeted delivery
Authors: Alimoradi Houman , Thomas Ansa , Lyth Daniel D B , Barzegar-Fallah Anita , Matikonda Siddharth S , Gamble Allan B , Giles Gregory I 
Published: January 2022

Abstract
Nitric oxide (NO) is an important biological signalling molecule that acts to vasodilate blood vessels and change the permeability of the blood vessel wall. Due to these cardiovascular actions, co-administering NO with a therapeutic could enhance drug uptake. However current NO donors are not suitable for targeted drug delivery as they systemically release NO. To overcome this limitation we report the development of a smart polymer, SMA-BmobaSNO, designed to release NO in response to a photostimulus. The polymer’s NO releasing functionality is an S-nitrosothiol group that, at 10 mg ml−1, is highly resistant to both thermal (t
1/2 16 d) and metabolic (t
1/2 32 h) decomposition, but rapidly brakes down under photoactivation (2700 W m−2, halogen source) to release NO (t
1/2 25 min). Photoresponsive NO release from SMA-BmobaSNO was confirmed in a cardiovascular preparation, where irradiation resulted in a 12-fold decrease in vasorelaxation EC50 (from 5.2 μM to 420 nM). To demonstrate the polymer’s utility for drug delivery we then used SMA-BmobaSNO to fabricate a nanoparticle containing the probe Nile Red (NR). The resulting SMA-BmobaSNO-NR nanoparticle exhibited spherical morphology (180 nm diameter) and sustained NR release (≈20% over 5 d). Targeted delivery was characterised in an abdominal preparation, where photoactivation (450 W m−2) caused localized increases in vasodilation and blood vessel permeability, resulting in a 3-fold increase in NR uptake into photoactivated tissue. Nanoparticles fabricated from SMA-BmobaSNO therefore display highly photoresponsive NO release and can apply the Trojan Horse paradigm by using endogenous NO signalling pathways to smuggle a therapeutic cargo into target tissue.
A dual-control strategy based on electrode material and electrolyte optimization to construct an asymmetric supercapacitor with high energy density
Authors: Chu Xianyu , Meng Fanling , Zhang Wei , Yang He , Zou Xu , Molin Sebastian , Jasinski Piotr , Sun Xiangcheng , Zheng Weitao 
Published: January 2022

Abstract
Metal-organic frames (MOFs) are regarded as excellent candidates for supercapacitors that have attracted much attention because of their diversity, adjustability and porosity. However, both poor structural stability in aqueous alkaline electrolytes and the low electrical conductivity of MOF materials constrain their practical implementation in supercapacitors. In this study, bimetallic CoNi-MOF were synthesized to enhance the electrical conductivity and electrochemical activity of nickel-based MOF, as well as the electrochemical performance of the CoNi-MOF in multiple alkaline electrolytes was investigated. The CoNi-MOF/active carbon device, as-fabricated with a 1 M KOH electrolyte, possesses a high energy density of 35 W h kg−1 with a power density of 1450 W kg−1, exhibiting outstanding cycling stability of 95% over 10,000 cycles. The design of MOF-based electrode materials and the optimization selection of electrolytes pave the way for constructing high-performance supercapacitors.
Reflections of thin film surface roughness on graphs of specklegram: a novel approach
Authors: Sankararaman S 
Published: January 2022

Abstract
The advancement in thin-film technology necessitated the development of more reliable, sensitive, and non-destructive methods for the quality analysis of thin films. Graph theory, the mathematical and analytical tool, has gained significant importance in analysing complex signals and images. The paper introduces a novel surrogate method based on graph theory to analyse the specklegrams of thin films for quality analysis. The method is deciphered through the complex network analysis of the electronic specklegrams of the molybdenum oxide thin films sputtered at different Argon pressures. For this, graph features are determined from the graphs constructed using the seven equally spaced columns of the specklegram data of a film. The heat map of the specklegram displays the morphological modifications in the film surface. The study reveals a decrease in the centrality measures and multifractal dimension for the film samples. The decrease of root mean square surface roughness of the films calculated from the atomic force microscopic images suggests its relation with centrality measures indicating the potential of centrality measures of the specklegrams as a surrogate method for thin-film quality analysis.
Constraining ultralight axions with galaxy surveys
Authors: Laguë A. , Bond J.R. , Hložek R. , Rogers K.K. , Marsh D.J.E. , Grin D. 
Published: January 2022

Abstract
Ultralight axions and other bosons are dark matter candidates present in many high energy physics theories beyond the Standard Model. In particular, the string axiverse postulates the existence of up to 𝒪(100) light scalar bosons constituting the dark sector. We test the validity of the effective field theory of large-scale structure approach to mixed ultralight axion dark matter by making our own mock galaxy catalogs and find an anisotropic ultralight axion signature in the galaxy quadrupole. We use the Fourier-space galaxy clustering statistics from the Baryon Oscillation Spectroscopic Survey (BOSS) and obtain upper bounds for the axion relic density Ω_a h2<0.004 for axions of mass 10-31 eV≤ m_a≤ 10-26 eV at 95% confidence. We also improve existing constraints by a factor of over 4.5 and 2.1 for axion masses of 10-25 eV and 10-32 eV compared to CMB alone. To improve the convergence speed of our analysis, we develop an augmented interpolation scheme allowing a fast computation of the axion contribution to the linear matter power spectrum. This method leads to a 70% reduction of the computational cost for the full Monte Carlo Markov chains analysis.
Emergent cosmology from quantum gravity in the Lorentzian Barrett-Crane tensorial group field theory model
Authors: Jercher Alexander F. , Oriti Daniele , Pithis Andreas G. A. 
Published: January 2022

Abstract
We study the cosmological sector of the Lorentzian Barrett-Crane (BC) model coupled to a free massless scalar field in its Group Field Theory (GFT) formulation, corresponding to the mean-field hydrodynamics obtained from coherent condensate states. The relational evolution of the condensate with respect to the scalar field yields effective dynamics of homogeneous and isotropic cosmologies, similar to those previously obtained in SU(2)-based EPRL-like models. Also in this manifestly Lorentzian setting, in which only continuous SL(2,ℂ)-representations are used, we obtain generalized Friedmann equations that generically exhibit a quantum bounce, and can reproduce all of the features of the cosmological dynamics of EPRL-like models. This lends support to the expectation that the EPRL-like and BC models may lie in the same continuum universality class, and that the quantum gravity mechanism producing effective bouncing scenarios may not depend directly on the discretization of geometric observables.
Objective evaluation of stimulation artefact removal techniques in the context of neural spike sorting
Authors: Schelles Maarten , Wouters Jasper , Asamoah Boateng , Mc Laughlin Myles , Bertrand Alexander 
Published: January 2022

Abstract

Objective. We present a framework to objectively test and compare stimulation artefact removal techniques in the context of neural spike sorting. Approach. To this end, we used realistic hybrid ground-truth spiking data, with superimposed artefacts from in vivo recordings. We used the framework to evaluate and compare several techniques: blanking, template subtraction by averaging, linear regression, and a multi-channel Wiener filter (MWF). Main results. Our study demonstrates that blanking and template subtraction result in a poorer spike sorting performance than linear regression and MWF, while the latter two perform similarly. Finally, to validate the conclusions found from the hybrid evaluation framework, we also performed a qualitative analysis on in vivo recordings without artificial manipulations. Significance. Our framework allows direct quantification of the impact of the residual artefact on the spike sorting accuracy, thereby allowing for a more objective and more relevant comparison compared to indirect signal quality metrics that are estimated from the signal statistics. Furthermore, the availability of a ground truth in the form of single-unit spiking activity also facilitates a better estimation of such signal quality metrics.
Natural radioactivity and mineralogical composition of different particle size fractions of a river sediment from Calabria, southern Italy: a case study
Authors: Caridi F , Acri G , Belmusto G , Crupi V , Faggio G , Grillo R , Messina G , Paladini G , Venuti V , Majolino D 
Published: January 2022

Abstract
The natural radionuclides (238U, 232Th and 40K) content and the mineralogical characteristics of three different particle size fractions of a sediment sample from the Amendolea river, Calabria region, southern Italy, were investigated.
High Purity Germanium (HPGe) gamma spectrometry was employed for the radioactivity measurements and specific activity data were reported. X-Ray Diffraction (XRD) measurements were carried out to identify the mineral contents of each particle size fraction.
This case study was developed with the aim of evaluating the specific activities of natural radionuclides and their relation to specific minerals. Data obtained can provide useful information in view of a deep understanding of the adsorption of radioactive elements and the influence of the sediment granulometry on the radionuclides specific activities.
The radioactivity distribution and radiation hazard in honey samples from Italian large retailers
Authors: Caridi F , Venuti V , Paladini G , Crupi V , Belmusto G , Majolino D 
Published: January 2022

Abstract
The natural (40K) and anthropogenic (137Cs) radioactivity concentration in twenty-five honey samples of five different typologies (acacia, chestnut, wildflower, linden and honeydew), coming from Italian large retailers, was investigated by High Purity Germanium (HPGe) gamma spectrometry.
The study was carried out in order to estimate the background levels of detected radionuclides in various honey samples, as well as to assess the dose levels due to their ingestion, taking into account the average yearly direct consumption in Italy and assuming this requirement satisfied from a single kind of honey.
Experimental results were compared with the total natural radioactivity value (external + internal) for humans, in order to evaluate any possible radiological health risk.
Quantum (hyper)computation through universal quantum gates in water coherent domains
Authors: Maxmilian Caligiuri Luigi 
Published: January 2022

Abstract
According to quantum electrodynamics (QED), liquid water is composed by two phases, the first one characterized by a coherent state in which all the molecules oscillate in phase, the other by a non-coherent state in which they are all non-correlated. In the coherent state, the phase-correlated oscillations take place within macroscopic spatial regions called “coherent domains” (CD), admitting a spectrum of excited energy levels and generating, at their borders, an evanescent coherent e.m. field. When two or more excited CDs are sufficiently close to each other, the overlapping between their evanescent fields gives rise to a novel type of interaction due to the mutual exchange of virtual photons by quantum tunnel effect. Furthermore, when such water coherent domains are enclosed with waveguides consisting of suitable materials and design, these effects are stabilized and enhanced, allowing for the realization of an extended network of interacting coherent domains. In this paper, we’ll discuss how to exploit this dynamics to perform quantum computations by setting-up a set of universal quantum gates and calculate their operational time as a function the main parameters of the proposed physical model. We show this model can represent a basic architecture for a novel kind of quantum hyper-computer, characterized by a very high computational speed and able to overcame some of the main issues currently affecting the quantum computational frameworks so far proposed.
A “user-friendly” phantom to conduct Quality Controls on MRgFUS device
Authors: Acri G , Caridi F , Testagrossa B , Gurgone S , Anfuso C , Paladini G , Vermiglio G , Greco C , Venuti V 
Published: January 2022

Abstract
Magnetic Resonance guided Focused Ultrasound Surgery (MRgFUS) is a hybrid technique which uses Magnetic Resonance (MR) to obtain morphological information of the examined anatomical district and Focused Ultrasound Surgery (FUS) to ablate the body region under investigation by using MR as guidance. To ensure patients’ safety is necessary to establish periodic Quality Controls (QCs) providing a complete evaluation of system status. QCs cannot be done directly on patients, for this reason, dedicated phantoms are used to guarantee the maintenance of quality over equipment lifetime. Several phantoms are available on the market, which are distributed by manufacturers and specific to the medical equipment, resulting in closed systems. In this study, we idealized, developed and created a prototype of a completely “;user-friendly”; phantom, to conduct QCs on FUS devices. It consists of an empty cylinder of polymethylmetacrylate (PMMA), that can be filled with different fluids and various inserts, available for the Medical Physicists, to perform test measurements on different parameters (size of FUS spot, precision of FUS spot, linearity of FUS power, linearity of electric power, evaluation of target temperature). The obtained results demonstrated that the novel phantom represents a useful and adaptable device that could be used during FUS QCs evaluations.
Early-age heat flow and hydration in cementitious composites: numerical modelling based on temperature measurements
Authors: Martinelli E , Pepe M , Lima C 
Published: January 2022

Abstract
The heat generated during early age cement hydration causes a semi-adiabatic temperature rise of hardening concrete, while starting to develop its physical and mechanical properties. As a matter of principle, the heat generated by the hardening mixture depends on the cement properties and its hardening conditions like for instance the type of binders, quality of aggregates, water-to-cement ratio and type of formwork. A simple 1D numerical model can be formulated for simulating the evolution in time of this reaction, in order to identify the so called degree of hydration. The present paper proposes a detailed description of a theoretical approach which allow to assess the temperature development occurring in concrete elements at the early-age when the produced mixture is cured in semi-adiabatic boundary conditions. In this numerical procedure, the differential heat equation takes into account the heat that liberates to the environment through the formwork or concrete’s surface. This is done by considering the Arrhenius Principle and assuming a pre-defined shape of the adiabatic hydration curve of the concrete mixture. Hence, an indirect identification procedure of the aforementioned adiabatic curve is ideally carried out, as the simulated temperature evolution in semi-adiabatic conditions is brought to match the temperature measurements on a hardening concrete sample. This modelling procedure, enabling various boundary conditions, ranging from semi-adiabatic to isothermal, can be used to calculate the degree of hydration of a real in-situ cast concrete. Specifically, considering the variation of concrete strength class and element size some possible applications are proposed: this represents a simplified approach for the prediction of the temperature time-evolution in the concrete elements at early-age which may be also used as a practical tool for mitigating the risk of premature cracking.
Application of the Harmonica Index for noise assessment in different spatial contexts
Authors: Graziuso G , Francavilla A B , Mancini S , Guarnaccia C 
Published: January 2022

Abstract
Currently, noise pollution deriving from traffic, industry and leisure activities is one of the main environmental problems that affect people quality of life and health. However, it is very difficult to quantify noise effects, because they depend on people noise level tolerance, environmental noise sources, methods of definition of noise exposure and indicators. The acoustic descriptors currently used, indeed, are hardly understandable for those who do not deal with the topic, thus limiting the comprehension of the damage caused by noise. Consequently, it is essential to provide information that is easier to understand and closer to the noise pollution perceived by people. Innovative acoustic indices, like the Harmonica Index, have been defined in recent years, to overcome the aforementioned limits. Their application to different spatial contexts, with the identification of the background and the event-based components of the environmental noise, can contribute to understand the influence of human activities on the quality of an acoustic environment. In this paper, starting from data acquired both in crowdsourcing and with traditional instruments, the application of the Harmonica Index to urban, peri-urban and rural areas in south Italy will show their acoustic characteristics that could be understood also by a non-technical public.
Predicting daily water tank level fluctuations by using ARIMA model. A case study
Authors: Mancini S , Francavilla A B , Longobardi A , Viccione G , Guarnaccia C 
Published: January 2022

Abstract
The intrinsic dynamical features of water demand highlight the need of proper operational management of tanks in water distribution networks. In addition, due to the water resource scarcity, sustainable management of urban systems is essential. For this purpose, the aid of a predictive model is crucial since it allows to give short term forecasts that can be used to predict the oscillations of relevant parameters, i.e. tanks level and/or water demand. Urban water managers can use these predictions to implement actions aimed at the optimisation of the network function. Among several modelling techniques, the univariate time series analysis is instrumental since it allows forecasting the studied parameter by using the measurements of the parameter itself. In this paper, an autoregressive integrated moving average (ARIMA) model is calibrated on water levels data, measured in an urban tank in Benevento, Campania region (Italy) and then tested on a large dataset not used to tune the parameters. The validation and forecast phases show good performances of the model on a short-term forecast horizon demonstrating the excellent potentiality of this techniques. Finally, the residuals and errors analysis complete the work suggesting possible future implementations and improvements of this technique.
An Application of ARIMA modelling to air pollution concentrations during covid pandemic in Italy
Authors: Mancini S , Francavilla A , Graziuso G , Guarnaccia C 
Published: January 2022

Abstract
Since the COVID-19 pandemic began, space and ground-based observations have shown how Earth’s atmosphere has observed significant reductions in some air pollutants. Many studies, all over the world, demonstrated how the governmental restrictions imposed because of the spreading of the virus had positive and negative effects on the environment. In this paper, authors discuss how the levels of concentrations of some pollutants varied, in two case studies in Italy, because of the imposed lockdown during the coronavirus pandemic. The extent of the variations CO and PM10 has been evaluated by comparing data registered by local monitoring stations, related to the baseline February-May, of three different years, 2018, 2019 and 2020. In order to better assess the variation of the temporal trend of pollutants before (2018, 2019) and during COVID-19 lockdown (2020) proper physic-mathematical models have been applied to the datasets. The calibration and validation of AutoRegressive Integrated Moving Average (ARIMA) models on interesting series of CO and PM10 data complete the work.
Morphological and chemical characterization of atmospheric particles PM10 in an urban site in Leon, Guanajuato, Mexico
Authors: Cerón Bretón J G , Cerón Bretón R M , Espinosa Guzmán A A , Lara Severino R C , Espinosa Fuentes M L , Carranco Lozada S E , Ramírez Lara E , Guarnaccia C , Bautista Nolasco V G 
Published: January 2022

Abstract
Start PM10 concentrations and their trace metals content (Cd, Co, Cu, Fe and Zn) were determined in an urban site of Leon, Guanajuato during the rainy season 2018. PM10 exceeded the maximum permissible levels established by the Mexican Standards and WHO, constituting a potential risk to population health. Trace metals levels in PM10 were analyzed by Atomic Absorption Spectrometry, and in addition, morphology and elemental content were studied for some selected particles by Scanning Electronic Microscopy and Energy Dispersive Spectrometry. Chemical and morphological characterization revealed that Fe was the more abundant metal (0.986 µg m-3 ), followed in order of importance by Zn (0.243 µg m-3 ), due to theses metals are related to the crustal. Lower concentrations were found for Cu (0.140 µg m-3 ), Cd (0.119 µg m-3 ), Mn (0.070 µg m-3 ) and Co (0.043 µg m-3 ). Meteorological analysis showed that sources located at the SW and NE of the sampling site (industrial parks and facilities related to metals and mineral extraction) influenced the measured concentrations. Enrichment factors showed that all the measured metals were highly influenced by anthropogenic activity. Cancer Risk (CR) and Non-Cancer Risk Coefficients (cardiovascular and respiratory diseases) did not exceed the maximum permissible level established by EPA.The first section in your paper.
Sustainable building materials based on hemp shives and geopolymer paste
Authors: Vitola L , Vilnitis M , Pundiene I , Bajare D 
Published: January 2022

Abstract
European regulations states that the construction industry must encourage the rational and prudent use of non-renewable natural resources, as well as and increase the use of reusable resources and promote the use of renewable natural resources in production. Bio-composites
based on natural aggregates such as hemp shives are widely studied and used in building sector due to their extensive properties of a range that primarily is so wide, as hempshives are increasingly combined with various binders and as their production technology is evolving rapidly. In this study three series of geopolymer paste (GP) samples were studied to obtain the most suitable binder for the production of hemp shive-based bio-composites, as well as a bio-composites were created from the most suitable binder and described their compressive strength and thermal conductivity performance.