bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Thermoluminescence characteristics of different phase transitions from nanocrystalline alumina
Authors: Abdou N. Y. , Sabry Mohamed , El-Faramawy Nabil 
Published: August 2022

AbstractNanocrystalline boehmite material was synthesized using the hydrothermal method. Different annealing temperatures have been used to transform boehmite into different alumina phases to study the effect of different phase transitions on the thermoluminescence properties of alumina. XRD analysis was carried out to investigate the crystal structure of the different alumina phases. The thermoluminescence glow curves for different alumina phases showed different structures; however, the sensitivity was almost constant for all the phase transitions of alumina over the applied dose ranging from 0.55 to 330 Gy.
Techno-economic analysis of a PV/T waste heat–driven compound ejector-heat pump for simultaneous data centre cooling and district heating using low global warming potential refrigerants
Authors: Al-Sayyab Ali Khalid Shaker , Navarro-Esbrí Joaquín , Barragán-Cervera Angel , Mota-Babiloni Adrián 
Published: August 2022

AbstractA comprehensive techno-economic evaluation is evaluated based on an innovative compound ejector-heat pump system with PV/T (photovoltaic thermal) waste heat-driven. The aim of the system is simultaneous data centre cooling and waste heat recovery for district heating to reduce residential greenhouse gas emissions. The new system avoids the ejector pump by combining PV/T waste heat with an evaporative-condenser as an ejector driving force, considering several low global warming potential alternatives to R134a. The simulation indicates that the proposed system presents a remarkable difference in all investigated refrigerants’ overall system coefficient of performance (COP). Particularly, R515B presents the highest increase in COP, 54% and 49% in cooling and heating modes, respectively. It also provides the highest electricity consumption reduction, 84.1 MWh yearly. Moreover, the system improves the data centre power usage effectiveness (PUE) index from 10 to 19%. In financial terms, the shortest payback period (6.3 years) is obtained with R515B, followed by R515A and R1234ze(E).
Organic carbon compounds associated with deep soil carbon stores
Authors: Sangmanee Podjanee , Dell Bernard , Harper Richard J. , George Suman , Henry David J. 
Published: August 2022

Abstract
Aims
Organic carbon has been reported in deep regolithic profiles to depths of tens of metres, but the composition of the carbon compounds is unknown.

Methods
Residual carbon in the form of non-volatile low molecular weight compounds (LMWC) was characterised in three deep soil profiles to a depth of 19 m under farmland in south-western Australia following extraction with ethyl acetate and analysis by GC/MS. Pyrolysis and off-line thermochemolysis were used to characterise macromolecular organic carbon (MOC) to a depth of 29 m at a fourth site.

Results
Three compound classes occurred across the three different field locations: (1) terpenes, (2) fatty acids, amides and alcohols, and (3) plant steroids; indicating the influence of input of the past and present vegetation. Compounds related to fatty acids were the predominant residual carbon species in deep soils, and may be derived from plants and microorganisms. Biomarkers such as lignin, polysaccharides, proteins and terpenes at 0–0.1 m implied influences of vegetation, fire events and microorganisms. Pyrolysis found that polysaccharides were distributed mainly from 0 to 0.1 m, while aromatic compounds were consistently detected down to 29 m.

Conclusions
Carbon was stabilised in the form of aromatic compounds in deep soil, whereas other carbon sources such as cellulose, chitin, and N-containing compounds were confined to the surface soil. LMWC (Z)-docos-13-enamide and bis(6-methylheptyl) phthalate, were the main components throughout the soil profiles representing 53–81% of the LMWC, and were a greater proportion of the organic matter at depths of 18–19 m.
Cardiovascular and cancer risk factors analysis for 2001–2020 from the global research output and European newspapers
Authors: Pallari Elena , Lewison Grant 
Published: August 2022

AbstractCancer and cardiovascular disease (CVD) are now two of the leading components of the global burden of disease, especially in high- and upper-middle-income countries. Causes of the diseases that are amenable to intervention are multiple: tobacco control closely followed by obesity treatment, including promotion of a healthy diet and physical exercise, remain the global priorities. We interrogated the Web of Science (WoS) from 2001 to 2020 to determine the numbers of papers describing research into 14 different possible risk factors causing the two diseases. These ranged in relative importance from tobacco and being overweight to the consumption of excessively hot drinks (linked to oesophageal cancer), pollution (linked to lung cancer particularly) and also non-interventional genetic risks. The risks varied between different continental regions, and obesity has increased as a risk factor for CVD in some of these regions. Because many of these factors are subject to human behavioural choices, we also investigated how such research was being presented to the European public through newspaper reportage. About 40% of the factors that influence the cancer burden can be attributed to particular causes, and more than 85% of those factors influencing CVD can also be so attributed. They are led by tobacco use as a risk factor for cancer, but this is slowly declining in most high-income settings. For CVD, the major risks are metabolic, such as high systolic blood pressure and high body-mass index, but also from tobacco use. Research outputs on some of these different factors in the continental regions correlated positively with their influence on the disease burdens. The selection of European newspaper stories was biased towards those risk factors that could be considered as being under the control of their readers. Reports of research in the mass media have an important role in the control of both cancer and CVD, and should be regarded by public health authorities as a useful means to promulgate health education. This paper is based on one presented at the ISSI conference in Leuven in July 2021 (Pallari and Lewison, in: Glänzel et al (eds) Proceedings of the 18th international conference on scientometrics and informetrics, 2021), but has been extended to cover CVD as well as cancer. The geographical analysis of risk factors and research publications has also been modified.
DnS: Distill-and-Select for Efficient and Accurate Video Indexing and Retrieval
Authors: Kordopatis-Zilos Giorgos , Tzelepis Christos , Papadopoulos Symeon , Kompatsiaris Ioannis , Patras Ioannis 
Published: August 2022

AbstractIn this paper, we address the problem of high performance and computationally efficient content-based video retrieval in large-scale datasets. Current methods typically propose either: (i) fine-grained approaches employing spatio-temporal representations and similarity calculations, achieving high performance at a high computational cost or (ii) coarse-grained approaches representing/indexing videos as global vectors, where the spatio-temporal structure is lost, providing low performance but also having low computational cost. In this work, we propose a Knowledge Distillation framework, called Distill-and-Select (DnS), that starting from a well-performing fine-grained Teacher Network learns: (a) Student Networks at different retrieval performance and computational efficiency trade-offs and (b) a Selector Network that at test time rapidly directs samples to the appropriate student to maintain both high retrieval performance and high computational efficiency. We train several students with different architectures and arrive at different trade-offs of performance and efficiency, i.e., speed and storage requirements, including fine-grained students that store/index videos using binary representations. Importantly, the proposed scheme allows Knowledge Distillation in large, unlabelled datasets—this leads to good students. We evaluate DnS on five public datasets on three different video retrieval tasks and demonstrate (a) that our students achieve state-of-the-art performance in several cases and (b) that the DnS framework provides an excellent trade-off between retrieval performance, computational speed, and storage space. In specific configurations, the proposed method achieves similar mAP with the teacher but is 20 times faster and requires 240 times less storage space. The collected dataset and implementation are publicly available: https://github.com/mever-team/distill-and-select.
Removal of Nitrogenous Compounds from Municipal Wastewater Using a Bacterial Consortium: an Opportunity for More Sustainable Water Treatments
Authors: Fontalvo Nubia Patricia Marquez , Gamero Wendy Beatriz Morgado , Ardila Henry Alfonso Maury , Gonzalez Andres Felipe Pulgar , Ramos Claudete Gindri , Muñoz Alexander Elias Parody 
Published: August 2022

Abstract
The integrated management of water resources is a requirement for environmental preservation and economic development, with the removal of nutrients being one of the main drawbacks. In this work, the efficiency of a bacterial consortium (Ecobacter WP) made up of eight bacterial strains of the genus Bacillus subtilis, Bacillus licheniformis, Bacillus megaterium, Bacillus cereus, Arthrobacter sp., Acinetobacter paraffineus, Corynebacterium sp., and Streptomyces globisporus was evaluated in the removal of nitrogen compounds in domestic wastewater in a plug flow system, in the extended aeration and bioaugmentation (FLAEBI). To promote the nitrification and denitrification processes, three doses were tested to establish the optimal concentration of the bacterial consortium on a laboratory scale and its subsequent application in an outdoor wastewater treatment plant (WWTP). The evaluation period was 15 days for each treatment in the laboratory and WWTP. The parameters monitored both at laboratory and outdoor were pH, temperature, dissolved oxygen, chemical oxygen demand (COD), biochemical oxygen demand (BOD5), ammonium, nitrites, and nitrates. The results indicated that the optimal concentration of the consortium was 30 mg L−1, with a removal of 92% of nitrate at the laboratory and 62% outdoor. Such a difference is attributed to the different operation residence times and the volume that caused different concentration gradients. The consortium studied can be used to promote nitrification and denitrification processes that intervene in the removal of nitrogenous compounds in plants with similar operating conditions, without investment in restructuring or design modification of the WWTP.
Graphical abstract
Organochlorine pesticide contamination in sediments from Richards Bay, South Africa: spatial trends and ecotoxicological risks
Authors: Mehlhorn Paul , Humphries Marc , Gensel Julia , Buah-Kwofie Archibold , Tyohemba Raymond Lubem , Haberzettl Torsten 
Published: August 2022

AbstractThe occurrence and distribution of organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) in aquatic systems is a matter of global concern and poses significant toxicological threats to both organisms and human health. Despite the extensive use of OCPs for pest and disease control in southern Africa, relatively few studies have examined the occurrence and toxicological risks of OCP residues in the region. This study investigates the composition, distribution, and potential sources of OCP contamination in sediments from Richards Bay, a rapidly developing industrial port on the northeast coast of South Africa. Surface sediments collected from Richards Bay Harbour and surrounding areas indicate that OCP contamination in the region is widespread. Total concentrations (∑OCP) in surface samples ranged from 135 to 1020 ng g−1, with hexachlorocyclohexanes (∑HCH; 35–230 ng g−1) and dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethanes (∑DDT; 12–350 ng g−1) the dominant contaminant groups detected. Metabolite isomeric compositions indicate that the presence of aldrin and endosulfan likely result from historical agricultural usage, while recent input of γ-HCH, heptachlor, and endrin may be linked to the illegal use of old pesticide stockpiles. Total DDT concentrations were dominated by p,p′-DDT (80 ± 64 ng g−1), which was attributed to its ongoing use in malaria vector control in the region. A210Pb-dated sediment core revealed that OCP input to the local environment increased dramatically from relatively low concentrations in the mid-1940s (∑OCP, 355 ng g−1) to peak levels (∑OCP, 781 ng g−1) in the 1980s/1990s. An overall decrease in ∑OCP concentration from the mid-2000s is likely related to restrictions on use following the Stockholm Convention in 2004. Despite current restrictions on use, OCP concentrations exceeded sediment quality guidelines in the vast majority of cases, raising concerns for protected estuarine and mangrove habitats in the area, as well as for local fishing and farming communities.
From the drama of unoccupied time and isolation due to Covid-19’s pandemic to the need for person-centered care at residential care facilities in Portugal
Authors: Barbosa Maria Miguel , Paúl Constança , Teixeira Laetitia , Yanguas Javier , Afonso Rosa Marina 
Published: August 2022

Abstract
During the pandemic, restrictive measures were implemented at Portuguese residential care facilities (PRCF), such as isolating residents and ceasing collective activities. It is important to understand how PRCF are implementing activities that allow residents to occupy their time and fight isolation. As such, we aim to analyze whether: 1. new activities were implemented for residents (identifying which were carried out); 2. occupation activities were provided to isolated residents in their rooms (identifying which were carried out); 3. the implementation of activities is associated with variables like the amount of staff. This is an exploratory, quantitative, and cross-sectional study. An online questionnaire was sent by email to 2325 PRCF and entities were asked to share it with their workers. The study was also divulged on social networks. Data collection occurred between July 8th and October 18th, 2020. The study had 784 staff members participating and 90.8% reported that new activities were implemented at their facilities, predominantly videocalls. Concerning isolated residents most respondents (64.4%) stated that providing activities was impossible. Results showed that those PRCF that expanded teams had a higher percentage of new activities and activities with residents isolated in bedrooms. These results are alarming because while residents should have had more resources to cope with the pandemic, higher risks of unoccupied time and isolation existed, a dramatic situation for its potentially harmful consequences. Focusing on sanitary issues (and less on older adults) may reinforce traditional care models that had shown negative impacts before the pandemic. This highlights the need to evolve the care paradigm during and beyond the pandemic at PRCF: with Person-Centered Care as an option.
How to Do Things with Information Online. A Conceptual Framework for Evaluating Social Networking Platforms as Epistemic Environments
Authors: Marin Lavinia 
Published: August 2022

AbstractThis paper proposes a conceptual framework for evaluating how social networking platforms fare as epistemic environments for human users. I begin by proposing a situated concept of epistemic agency as fundamental for evaluating epistemic environments. Next, I show that algorithmic personalisation of information makes social networking platforms problematic for users’ epistemic agency because these platforms do not allow users to adapt their behaviour sufficiently. Using the tracing principle inspired by the ethics of self-driving cars, I operationalise it here and identify three requirements that automated epistemic environments need to fulfil: (a) the users need to be afforded a range of skilled actions; (b) users need to be sensitive to the possibility to use their skills; (c) the habits built when adapting to the platform should not undermine the user’s pre-existing skills. I then argue that these requirements are almost impossible to fulfil all at the same time on current SN platforms; yet nevertheless, we need to pay attention to these whenever we evaluate an epistemic environment with automatic features. Finally, as an illustration, I show how Twitter, a popular social networking platform, will fare regarding these requirements.
Accepting Moral Responsibility for the Actions of Autonomous Weapons Systems—a Moral Gambit
Authors: Taddeo Mariarosaria , Blanchard Alexander 
Published: August 2022

Abstract
In this article, we focus on the attribution of moral responsibility for the actions of autonomous weapons systems (AWS). To do so, we suggest that the responsibility gap can be closed if human agents can take meaningful moral responsibility for the actions of AWS. This is a moral responsibility attributed to individuals in a justified and fair way and which is accepted by individuals as an assessment of their own moral character. We argue that, given the unpredictability of AWS, meaningful moral responsibly can only be discharged by human agents who are willing to take a moral gambit: they decide to design/develop/deploy AWS despite the uncertainty about the effects an AWS may produce, hoping that unintended and unwanted or unforeseen outcomes may never occurs, but also accepting to be held responsible if such outcomes will occur. We argue that, while a moral gambit is permissible for the use of non-lethal AWS, this is not the case for the actions of lethal autonomous weapon systems.
Enhanced ultrasonically assisted extraction of bitter melon (Momordica charantia) leaf phenolic compounds using choline chloride-acetic acid–based natural deep eutectic solvent: an optimization approach and in vitro digestion
Authors: Zannou Oscar , Pashazadeh Hojjat , Ghellam Mohamed , Ali Redha Ali , Koca Ilkay 
Published: August 2022

AbstractBitter melon (Momordica charantia) is a rich source of phytochemicals including phenolic compounds with diverse health-promoting benefits and potential food industry application due to their antioxidant potential. Bitter melon leaves have been limitedly investigated in comparison to bitter melon fruits. The current work explores the use of green extraction methodology to optimize enhanced extraction of phenolic compounds from bitter melon leaves using ultrasonically assisted extraction and choline chloride-acetic acid (CHAC)–based natural deep eutectic solvent. Extraction using CHAC significantly improved the extraction of total phenolic compounds, total flavonoids, and individual phenolic compounds (including gallic acid, chlorogenic acid, vanillic acid, epicatechin, and quercetin-3-glucoside) in comparison to water, ethanol, and methanol. The effect of molar ratio, water content, temperature, and time on the extraction efficiency of bitter melon leaf phenolic compounds by CHAC was explored and optimized with surface response methodology (central composite design). The optimum condition for the extraction of individual phenolic compounds is a molar ratio of 1:4.35 CHAC with 20.68% water content at 75 °C for 21.23 min. Evaluation of the bioaccessibility of individual phenolic compounds concluded that the most bioaccessible compound was vanillic acid (105.00 ± 2.52%) followed by salicylic acid, chlorogenic acid, syringic acid, gallic acid, epicatechin, and quercetin-3-glucoside.
Teachers and trainers in adult education–Investigating the dimensionality of their knowledge about methods and concepts of teaching and learning
Authors: Marx Christian , Goeze Annika , Kelava Augustin , Schrader Josef 
Published: August 2022

AbstractKnowledge about methods and concepts of teaching and learning is considered an important aspect of the pedagogical-psychological knowledge (PPK) of teachers in adult and continuing education (ACE) for designing helpful situations of teaching and learning. The article poses the theoretical-conceptual and empirical question of the dimensionality of this knowledge using a sample ofN = 212 ACE teachers. The results point to the multidimensionality of this knowledge in the ACE field. The findings are critically discussed in terms of their robustness and scope, as well as possibilities for the further development of the test.
Design and Development of a Text-to-Speech Synthesizer for Afan Oromo
Authors: Chala Tamrat Delessa , Guta Ashenafi Chalchisa , Asebel Muluken Hussen 
Published: August 2022

AbstractSpeech is one of the natural ways of communication between humans, later extended as a means for human–computer interaction. It helps visually impaired people to read electronic texts and is used in information retrieval and language education. This paper proposed the development of a text-to-speech synthesizer for Afan Oromo (Oromo Language), using unit selection speech synthesizer approaches. Although several works have been conducted in the area of text-to-speech synthesis for technologically favored languages for many years, every language has its own unique features. So, speech synthesizer systems developed for one language cannot be used for another language, because the structures of one language are not presumably representative of others. It is clear that each program is based on the system corresponding to the phonetic rules of a certain language. Besides, the existing text-to-speech synthesizer for Afan Oromo was reviewed in this study and the result of developed prototype results are showing promising, however, still, their performance needs a lot of improvement in terms of intelligibility and naturalness using novel approaches and quality of corpus. Therefore, this research was initiated to develop the possibility of developing a prototype text-to-speech synthesizer to improve the performance of the text-to-speech synthesizer. In this study, Afan Oromo corpus was collected from genuine sources and prepared speech datasets both text and audio in collaboration with Afan Oromo experts. The performance of the synthesizer was tested by proper users for its intelligibility and naturalness using Mean Opinion Scale (MOS). The obtained result of naturalness of the prototype is 4.44 (very good) out of 5, which indicated that the result obtained is encouraging and better performance than the existing TTS of Afan Oromo in terms of intelligibility and naturalness. But the result scored in terms of intelligibility still needs further work. The main challenge is Afan Oromo has many dialects, so preparing a balanced text corpus from each dialect is very tough. Moreover, enhancement of the work is predicted to bring a reasonable level of intelligibility to the system.