cometadata/datacite-rtg-text-other-reclassification-records huggingface dataset:
Does Integrated Soil Fertility Management increase returns to land and labor? Plot-level evidence from Ethiopia
Creators: name: Hörner, Denise
name: Wollni, Meike
name: Hörner, Denise
name: Wollni, Meike
Publisher: name: Unknown
Year: 2020
Subjects: subject: Farm Management
subject: Land Economics/Use
subject: Productivity Analysis
subject: Technology adoption
subject: land productivity
subject: labor productivity
subject: crop value
subject: agroecological heterogeneity
subject: multinomial endogenous switching

description: Integrated Soil Fertility Management (ISFM) is widely promoted to enhance soil fertility, yields and livelihoods among smallholders, and ultimately combat environmental degradation. Its core is the combined use of organic and inorganic fertilizers with improved crop varieties. Yet, farmers face adoption barriers, such as additional monetary and labor investments. To date, much of the evidence on ISFM effects comes from experimental field trials instead of micro-level farmer data. In particular, studies on labor outcomes are scarce, but important to assess the viability of ISFM in smallholder settings. This study addresses this gap by providing a comprehensive analysis of ISFM effects on land productivity, net crop value, labor demand, labor productivity and returns to unpaid labor using survey data from over 6,000 teff, maize and wheat plots and 2,000 households in Ethiopia. We employ a multinomial endogenous switching model to account for endogeneity from observed and unobserved heterogeneity. We find that both partial and complete ISFM adoption lead to significant increases in land productivity and net crop value, in particular when improved seeds are used. In moister regions, complementing improved varieties with inorganic fertilizer seems most important, while in drier regions, enhancing it with organic fertilizer appears crucial. ISFM is related to higher labor demand, but also significantly increases labor productivity and financial returns to labor. These findings imply that ISFM can contribute to improve farmers’ livelihoods by breaking the nexus between low productivity, environmental degradation and poverty.
Accessibility, (dis)advantage and everyday mobility practices and experiences: the cases of Maputo and Freetown
Creators: name: Oviedo, Daniel
name: Cavoli, Clémence
name: Chong, Alexandria Z. W.
name: de Tejada, Joaquín Romero
name: Koroma, Braima
name: Yusuf, Yasmina
Publisher: name: Taylor & Francis
Year: 2024
Subjects: subject: Medicine
subject: Environmental Sciences not elsewhere classified
subject: Ecology
subject: FOS: Biological sciences
subject: Sociology
subject: FOS: Sociology
subject: Biological Sciences not elsewhere classified
subject: Cancer
subject: Science Policy

description: This paper deconstructs everyday mobility practices from a perspective of accessibility and social and transport (dis)advantage in two capital port cities in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) – Freetown, Sierra Leone and Maputo, Mozambique. The paper proposes a novel framework that interprets social and transport (dis)advantage conditions as critical drivers of mobility behaviours and the resulting (in)accessibility that circumscribes individuals’ experience. Building on its framework, the paper raises unique empirical qualitative evidence from eight neighbourhoods about mobility practices across populations facing different degrees of social and transport (dis)advantage. The study’s design is grounded in the in-depth understanding of accessibility using qualitative methods as a counterpoint to predominant quantitative and spatial approaches, filling critical data gaps in cities in SSA. The findings reveal a deep-seated aspiration for car ownership, tempered by the urgency of other immediate material needs, as well as the dynamic nature of travel behaviour due to changing conditions during the day and throughout the year. The findings also indicate informality plays a significant role in enabling access to critical opportunities and the need to strengthen trust in popular transport systems.
Recycled asphalt pavement - Fly ash geopolymer as a sustainable stabilized pavement material
Creators: name: Horpibulsuk, Suksun
name: Hoy, M.
name: Witchayaphong, P.
name: Rachan, R.
name: Arulrajah, Arul
Publisher: name: Swinburne
Year: 2024

description: Strength, durability, microstructure and leachate characteristics of Recycled Asphalt Pavement and Fly Ash (RAP-FA) geopolymers and RAP-FA blends as a sustainable pavement material are evaluated in this paper. The strength development of the stabilized materials with and without effect wetting-drying (w-d) cycles was determined by Unconfined Compression Strength (UCS) test. The mineralogical and microstructural changes of the stabilized material were analyzed by X-Ray Diffraction (XRD) and Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM). The leachability of the heavy metals were measured by Toxicity Characteristic Leaching Procedure (TCLP) and compared with international standard. The results show that both RAP-FA blend and RAP-FA geopolymer increase with increasing the number of w-d cycles (C), reaching its peak at 6 w-d cycles. The XRD and SEM analyses indicate that the strength development of RAP-FA blend occurs due to stimulation of the chemical reaction between the high amount to Calcium in RAP and the high amount of Silica and Alumina in FA leaching to production of Calcium Aluminium (Silicate) Hydrate, while the geopolymerization reaction is observed in RAP-FA geopolymer. For C> 6, the significant macro- and micro-cracks developed during w-d cycles cause strength reduction for both RAP-FA blend and geopolymer. The TCLP results demonstrate that there is no environmental risk for these stabilized materials. Furthermore, FA-geopolymer can reduce the leachability of heavy metal in RAP-FA blend. The outcome from this research confirms the viability of using RAP-FA blend and RAP-FA geopolymer as alternative sustainable pavement materials.
A review of biological delignification and detoxification methods for lignocellulosic bioethanol production
Creators: name: Moreno, Antonio D.
name: Ibarra, David
name: Alvira, Pablo
name: Tomás-Pejó, Elia
name: Ballesteros, Mercedes
Publisher: name: Taylor & Francis
Year: 2015
Subjects: subject: Plant Biology
subject: FOS: Biological sciences
subject: Science Policy
subject: Biological Sciences
subject: Ecology
subject: Earth and Environmental Sciences
subject: Biotechnology

description: Future biorefineries will integrate biomass conversion processes to produce fuels, power, heat and value-added chemicals. Due to its low price and wide distribution, lignocellulosic biomass is expected to play an important role toward this goal. Regarding renewable biofuel production, bioethanol from lignocellulosic feedstocks is considered the most feasible option for fossil fuels replacement since these raw materials do not compete with food or feed crops. In the overall process, lignin, the natural barrier of the lignocellulosic biomass, represents an important limiting factor in biomass digestibility. In order to reduce the recalcitrant structure of lignocellulose, biological pretreatments have been promoted as sustainable and environmentally friendly alternatives to traditional physico-chemical technologies, which are expensive and pollute the environment. These approaches include the use of diverse white-rot fungi and/or ligninolytic enzymes, which disrupt lignin polymers and facilitate the bioconversion of the sugar fraction into ethanol. As there is still no suitable biological pretreatment technology ready to scale up in an industrial context, white-rot fungi and/or ligninolytic enzymes have also been proposed to overcome, in a separated or in situ biodetoxification step, the effect of the inhibitors produced by non-biological pretreatments. The present work reviews the latest studies regarding the application of different microorganisms or enzymes as useful and environmentally friendly delignification and detoxification technologies for lignocellulosic biofuel production. This review also points out the main challenges and possible ways to make these technologies a reality for the bioethanol industry.
Fast analysis of volatile components of Achillea tenuifolia Lam with microwave distillation followed by headspace single-drop microextraction coupled to gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC–MS)
Creators: name: Piryaei, Marzieh
name: Nazemiyeh, Hossein
Publisher: name: Taylor & Francis
Year: 2015
Subjects: subject: Biochemistry
subject: 29999 Physical Sciences not elsewhere classified
subject: FOS: Physical sciences
subject: Molecular Biology
subject: 39999 Chemical Sciences not elsewhere classified
subject: FOS: Chemical sciences
subject: 69999 Biological Sciences not elsewhere classified
subject: FOS: Biological sciences
subject: Plant Biology

description: This article investigates the effect of microwaves on the amount of volatile compounds Achillea tenuifolia Lam with two methods, headspace single-drop microextraction and microwave-assisted headspace single-drop microextraction (MA-SDME), for the analysis of essential oil. Solvent selection, solvent volume, microwave power, irradiation time and sample mass were optimised by the simplex method.
Effective interventions for preventing work related physical health complaints in nursing students and novice nurses: A systematic review
Creators: name: Kox, Jos
name: Bakker, Ellen
name: Zeinstra, SMA Bierma-
name: Runhaar, Jos
name: Miedema, Harald S
name: Roelofs, Pepijn D. D. M.
Publisher: name: figshare
Year: 2024
Subjects: classificationCode: 399999
subject: Other education not elsewhere classified
classificationCode: 420599
subject: Nursing not elsewhere classified

description: From the start of their career, nursing students and novice nurses are at risk of developing physical health problems due to high physical workload, which may lead to early exit from nursing. To provide an overview of interventions preventing physical health problems in early career, a systematic review was performed. A comprehensive search of the literature was conducted up to December 2017. Primary outcome of interest was education/work dropout. Secondary outcomes were musculoskeletal symptoms. Independent authors selected studies, appraised quality and extracted data. After screening 7111 titles and abstracts, eleven studies were included. Seven studies evaluated interventions for moving/handling training. Four evaluated other interventions. None focused on our primary outcome education/work dropout. All studies reported on physical complaints among student nurses only. Overall, risk of bias was high and clinical heterogeneity prohibited pooling of data. Intervention effects were small and inconsistent. In conclusion, evidence for the effectiveness of interventions in the nursing curricula for the prevention/treatment of physical complaints is scarce and where available conflicting. We recommend high quality research on dropout due to physical health problems, as well as on the prevention/treatment of physical complaints.
Seaweed polysaccharide-based hydrogels used for the regeneration of articular cartilage
Creators: name: Popa, Elena Geta
name: Reis, Rui Luís
name: Gomes, Manuela Estima
Publisher: name: Taylor & Francis
Year: 2015
Subjects: subject: Plant Biology
subject: FOS: Biological sciences
subject: Science Policy
subject: Cancer
subject: Biological Sciences
subject: Immunology
subject: FOS: Clinical medicine
subject: Ecology
subject: Chemistry
subject: Earth and Environmental Sciences
subject: Biotechnology
subject: Engineering
subject: Biochemistry

description: This manuscript provides an overview of the in vitro and in vivo studies reported in the literature focusing on seaweed polysaccharides based hydrogels that have been proposed for applications in regenerative medicine, particularly, in the field of cartilage tissue engineering. For a better understanding of the main requisites for these specific applications, the main aspects of the native cartilage structure, as well as recognized diseases that affect this tissue are briefly described. Current available treatments are also presented to emphasize the need for alternative techniques. The following part of this review is centered on the description of the general characteristics of algae polysaccharides, as well as relevant properties required for designing hydrogels for cartilage tissue engineering purposes. An in-depth overview of the most well known seaweed polysaccharide, namely agarose, alginate, carrageenan and ulvan biopolymeric gels, that have been proposed for engineering cartilage is also provided. Finally, this review describes and summarizes the translational aspect for the clinical application of alternative systems emphasizing the importance of cryopreservation and the commercial products currently available for cartilage treatment.
Improving therapeutic options and reducing resistance/relapse in diffuse large B-cell lymphoma
Creators: name: H. Alraddadi, Abdullah
Publisher: name: University of Leicester
Year: 2024

description: Diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) is the most frequent type of aggressive non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL). Despite the common use of the immunochemotherapy regimen R-CHOP, 40% of DLBCL patients are resistant or relapse. Better understanding the molecular pathways involved in the response to treatment is needed to improve targeted therapies as well as to identify the mechanisms of resistance in DLBCL. We investigated different compounds aiming to propose novel targeted therapies suitable to be applied in DLBCL. Also, we investigated how chemotherapy-induced senescent cells that may contribute to resistance and relapse.We found that CUDC-907 has a strong impact on DLBCL cell survival. Combination therapies showed synergism and efficacy in DLBCL cells, with the most effective being CUDC-907 and IMD-0354 (IKKβ inhibitor).We also used an IAP-based PROTAC to induce targeted degradation of HDAC1/2/3 in DLBCL cells. Traditional HDAC inhibitors lack isoform and complex selectivity to control aberrant deacetylase activity caused by disease-related elevated HDAC levels, but our PROTAC demonstrated great potential in treating DLBCL.Senescent cells can be induced by chemotherapy, which may play a role in disease resistance and relapse. Senotherapies, strategies that target senescent cells, may help reduce this effect. We investigated the relationship between senescence induction and chemo-resistance in DLBCL cells. We observed that senescence was induced by Doxorubicin in our model. This resulted in increased DLBCL cell proliferation, indicating a link between chemotherapy resistance and senescence induction in DLBCL cells. This suggests preventing senescent cell accumulation after chemotherapy may be beneficial in DLBCL. In light of this, we investigated the effect of senolytics in DLBCL senescent cells. We found that CUDC-907 is also a promising therapeutic strategy for senescent DLBCL cell elimination that could be benefit as adjuvants to standard treatment. All these discoveries suggest alternative effective therapies for DLBCL that should be next tested clinically.
The effects of Integrated Soil Fertility Management on household welfare in Ethiopia
Creators: name: Hörner, Denise
name: Wollni, Meike
name: Hörner, Denise
name: Wollni, Meike
Publisher: name: Unknown
Year: 2020
Subjects: subject: Farm Management
subject: Food Security and Poverty
subject: International Development
subject: Labor and Human Capital
subject: Technology adoption
subject: household income
subject: food security
subject: education
subject: labor
subject: inverse probability weighting regression adjustment

description: Integrated Soil Fertility Management (ISFM) is a technology package consisting of the joint use of improved seeds, organic and inorganic fertilizers. It is increasingly promoted to enhance soil fertility, crop productivity and income of smallholder farmers. While studies find positive effects of ISFM at the plot level, to date there is little evidence on its broader welfare implications. This is important since system technologies like ISFM mostly involve higher labor and capital investments, and it remains unclear whether these pay off at the household level. Using data from maize, wheat and teff growing farmers in two agroecological zones in Ethiopia, we assess the impact of ISFM on crop and household income, and households’ likelihood to engage in other economic activities. We further study effects on labor demand, food security and children’s education. We use the inverse probability weighting regression adjustment method, and propensity score matching as robustness check. We find that ISFM adoption for maize, wheat or teff increases income obtained from these crops in both agroecological zones. Yet, only in one subsample, it also increases household income, while in the other it is associated with a reduced likelihood to achieve income from other crops and off-farm activities. Results further show that ISFM increases labor demand. Moreover, we find positive effects of ISFM on food security and primary school enrollment in those regions where it goes along with gains in household income. We conclude that welfare effects of agricultural innovations depend on farmers income diversification strategies.
Evidence for curricular and instructional design approaches in undergraduate medical education: An umbrella review
Creators: name: Onyura, Betty
name: Baker, Lindsay
name: Cameron, Blair
name: Friesen, Farah
name: Leslie, Karen
Publisher: name: Taylor & Francis
Year: 2016
Subjects: subject: Medicine
subject: Sociology
subject: FOS: Sociology
subject: Science Policy
subject: 110309 Infectious Diseases
subject: FOS: Health sciences

description: Introduction: An umbrella review compiles evidence from multiple reviews into a single accessible document. This umbrella review synthesizes evidence from systematic reviews on curricular and instructional design approaches in undergraduate medical education, focusing on learning outcomes. Methods: We conducted bibliographic database searches in Medline, EMBASE and ERIC from database inception to May 2013 inclusive, and digital keyword searches of leading medical education journals. We identified 18,470 abstracts; 467 underwent duplicate full-text scrutiny. Results: Thirty-six articles met all eligibility criteria. Articles were abstracted independently by three authors, using a modified Kirkpatrick model for evaluating learning outcomes. Evidence for the effectiveness of diverse educational approaches is reported. Discussion: This review maps out empirical knowledge on the efficacy of a broad range of educational approaches in medical education. Critical knowledge gaps, and lapses in methodological rigour, are discussed, providing valuable insight for future research. The findings call attention to the need for adopting evaluative strategies that explore how contextual variabilities and individual (teacher/learner) differences influence efficacy of educational interventions. Additionally, the results underscore that extant empirical evidence does not always provide unequivocal answers about what approaches are most effective. Educators should incorporate best available empirical knowledge with experiential and contextual knowledge.
A One-Pot, Fast, and Efficient Amidation of Carboxylic Acids, α-Amino Acids and Sulfonic Acids Using PPh3/N-chlorobenzotriazole System
Creators: name: Rouhi-Saadabad, Hamed
name: Batool Akhlaghinia
Publisher: name: Taylor & Francis
Year: 2015
Subjects: subject: Science Policy
subject: Mathematics
subject: FOS: Mathematics
subject: Information and Computing Sciences
subject: Biological Sciences
subject: Immunology
subject: FOS: Clinical medicine
subject: Chemistry
subject: Earth and Environmental Sciences
subject: Cell Biology
subject: Microbiology
subject: FOS: Biological sciences
subject: Engineering

description: GRAPHICAL ABSTRACT
Representation & the inequitable experiences of racialised minority coaches in elite level men’s sports in the UK: A case study of basketball, cricket, & rugby union
Creators: name: Ensor, Ross
name: Bradbury, Steven
name: Malcolm, Dominic
Publisher: name: Loughborough University
Year: 2024

description: Presented at 2024 Sport and Discrimination Conference, Université de Franche-Comté, Besançon, France, 31st May 2024
Evidence for curricular and instructional design approaches in undergraduate medical education: An umbrella review
Creators: name: Onyura, Betty
name: Baker, Lindsay
name: Cameron, Blair
name: Friesen, Farah
name: Leslie, Karen
Publisher: name: Taylor & Francis
Year: 2015
Subjects: subject: Medicine
subject: Sociology
subject: FOS: Sociology
subject: Science Policy
subject: 110309 Infectious Diseases
subject: FOS: Health sciences

description: Introduction: An umbrella review compiles evidence from multiple reviews into a single accessible document. This umbrella review synthesizes evidence from systematic reviews on curricular and instructional design approaches in undergraduate medical education, focusing on learning outcomes. Methods: We conducted bibliographic database searches in Medline, EMBASE and ERIC from database inception to May 2013 inclusive, and digital keyword searches of leading medical education journals. We identified 18,470 abstracts; 467 underwent duplicate full-text scrutiny. Results: Thirty-six articles met all eligibility criteria. Articles were abstracted independently by three authors, using a modified Kirkpatrick model for evaluating learning outcomes. Evidence for the effectiveness of diverse educational approaches is reported. Discussion: This review maps out empirical knowledge on the efficacy of a broad range of educational approaches in medical education. Critical knowledge gaps, and lapses in methodological rigour, are discussed, providing valuable insight for future research. The findings call attention to the need for adopting evaluative strategies that explore how contextual variabilities and individual (teacher/learner) differences influence efficacy of educational interventions. Additionally, the results underscore that extant empirical evidence does not always provide unequivocal answers about what approaches are most effective. Educators should incorporate best available empirical knowledge with experiential and contextual knowledge.
Development and validation of the brief unhelpful thoughts scale (BUTs)
Creators: name: Knowles, Simon
name: Apputhurai, Pragalathan
name: Bates, Glen
Publisher: name: Swinburne
Year: 2024

description: A key component of cognitive behaviour therapy (CBT) is to identify and challenge unhelpful thinking patterns (also known as cognitive distortions, thinking errors, or distorted automatic negative thoughts) in interventions that foster more reality-oriented thinking. This paper describes the development and validation of the Brief Unhelpful Thinking Scale (BUTs). Four studies were conducted of which three included mixed undergraduate and community samples (Studies 1-3) and one was a clinical sample of individuals diagnosed with Social Anxiety Disorder (SAD). An 11-item two-factor model of unhelpful thinking emerged in Study 1(N=223), which was confirmed in Study 2(N=203). The first factor focused on negative self-bias (e.g., generalized, negative, emotional), and the second factor focused on expectations of others (e.g., expectations others will act fairly, change, follow rules). Study 3 (N=23) established test-retest reliability for the BUTs and the final study (N=9) examined BUTs in a group-based CBT intervention for SAD. This study showed the BUTs to be sensitive to changes in unhelpful thinking after a CBT intervention. Conclusion: In conclusion, the BUTs is a brief psychometrically valid measure of unhelpful thinking that can be utilized by both clinicians and researchers who wish to measure individual unhelpful thinking patterns and relate them to changes in psychological distress in CBT-based interventions.
title: Auswirkungen vom Sprung auf Knieverletzungen im Volleyball
Creators: name: Piralić, Armin
Year: 2024

description: Das Thema dieser Masterarbeit sind Knieverletzungen im Zusammenhang mit Sprüngen im Volleyball. Für eine technisch richtige Ausführung von Sprüngen im Volleyball gilt es dabei zahlreiche Aspekte zu berücksichtigen wie z.B.: die technische, taktische und konditionelle Vorbereitung des Volleyballspielers / der Volleyballspielerin (bei letzterer vor allem jene des neuro-tendo-muskulären Systems) , der Aufwärmzustand, die Energiebereitstellung, die Ermüdung, richtige technische Ausführung von Position und Landung bei und nach Sprüngen, darüber hinaus geschlechtsspezifische Unterschiede, Art des Spielfelds (bzw. des Bodenbelages / Untergrunds) usw. All diese Aspekte gilt es bei einer Analyse von Knieverletzungen im Volleyballsport welche in Folge von Sprüngen auftreten zu berücksichtigen.
Analyzing and extending MUMCUT for fault-based testing of general boolean expressions
Creators: name: Sun, Chang Ai
name: Dong, Yunwei
name: Lai, R.
name: Sim, K. Y.
name: Chen, Tsong
Publisher: name: Swinburne
Year: 2024

description: Boolean expressions are widely used to model decisions or conditions of a specification or source program. The MUMCUT, which is designed to detect seven common faults where Boolean expressions under test are assumed to be in Irredundant Disjunctive Normal Form (IDNF), is an efficient fault-based test case selection strategy in terms of the fault-detection capacity and the size of selected test suite. Folio-wing up our previous work that reported the fault-detection capacity of the MUMCUT when it is applied to general form Boolean expressions, in this paper we present the characteristic of the types of single faults committed in general Boolean expressions that a MUMCUT test suite fails to detect, analyze the certainty why a MUMCUT test suite fails to detect these types of undetected faults, and provide some extensions to enhance the detection capacity of the MUMCUT for these types of undetected faults. Abstract not available.
Toxic potential of copper-doped ZnO nanoparticles in Drosophila melanogaster (Oregon R)
Creators: name: Siddique, Yasir Hasan
name: Wasi Khan
name: Ambreen Fatima
name: Jyoti, Smita
name: Falaq Naz
name: , Rahul
name: Braj Raj Singh
name: Naqvi, Alim Hussain
name: Moazzam Haidari
name: Khanam, Saba
name: Ali, Fahad
name: Beg, Tanveer
name: Mohibullah
Publisher: name: Taylor & Francis
Year: 2015
Subjects: subject: Inorganic Chemistry
subject: FOS: Chemical sciences
subject: Developmental Biology
subject: Chemistry
subject: Cell Biology
subject: Medicine
subject: Biochemistry

description: Aims: In the present study, copper-doped ZnO nanoparticles (doped ZnO NPs Cu) were synthesized, characterized and evaluated for their possible toxic effects in Drosophila melanogaster (Oregon R).Methods and results: X-ray diffraction, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy and energy dispersive X-ray spectrometry confirm the formation of doped ZnO NPs Cu. Doped ZnO NPs Cu (3%) were mixed in the diet at final concentrations of 1, 2, 4 and 8 µg/µl. The starved male flies were allowed to feed on it for 4 days. After completion of the desired duration, climbing ability, activity pattern, activity of acetylcholinesterase (AChE), glutathione (GSH), glutathione-S-transferase (GST), lipid peroxidation (LPO), total protein content and caspases were studied. SDS–PAGE was also performed for whole fly homogenate of control as well as treated flies. No loss in the climbing and activity pattern was observed at the selected doses of doped ZnO NPs Cu. No significant change in the levels of AChE, GSH, GST, LPO, caspase 9/3 and total protein content was observed. The brain sections showed no gross changes in the structure and SDS–PAGE patterns also revealed no change in the protein expression.Conclusions: The results suggest that doped ZnO NPs Cu are non-toxic at 1, 2, 4 and 8 µg/µl of concentration in D. melanogaster.
Cross-Linguistic Influence of Similar Phonological Contrasts for Heritage Bilingual Children in the United Kingdom
Creators: name: Topps, Max
Publisher: name: Lancaster University
Year: 2022

description: Children who grow up learning a heritage language at home, and a majority language from school and peers, represent a case of bilingualism in which there is less distinction between a “first” and “second” language. This thesis investigates the similar contrasts within two separate heritage language communities, in order to observe patterns that occur between heritage language groups. A contrast pairing for each pair of languages was chosen: one for English-Polish heritage bilingual children and one for English-Chinese children. It was hypothesized that there would be cross-linguistic influence present, and that the acoustic cues of the English contrast would influence the production and perception of the heritage language contrast. Children between ages 7;0 and 9;6 performed a picture-naming task and a perceptual categorisation task, involving a phonetic continuum across a lexical minimal pair. The data include heritage bilinguals as well as control samples of monolinguals of each language. Results suggest that the heritage bilinguals reliably produced and perceived each contrasts. A degree of cross-linguistic influence was also present, and was seen both spectrally and temporally. In production, a comparison of vowel duration between heritage speakers and monolingual English speakers showed a significant effect (p < 0.001), with heritage speakers relying less on the temporal cue. This was not repeated in perception. The effect is evaluated with respect to phonetic assimilation, presenting evidence for a shared phonetic space in which mutual influence occurs.
Detection of P and S Wave Phases by Machine Learning using Nortwestern Türkiye Local Seismic Network Data
Creators: name: Unal, Utku
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2024
Subjects: subject: Machine learning
subject: Seismology
subject: Geophysics
subject: FOS: Earth and related environmental sciences

description: In regions with intense seismic activity like earthquakes, rapid detection and resolution of earthquake parameters and understanding seismic activity and mechanisms are important in terms of reducing possible risks. Currently, this process is left to the knowledge and experience of users to a great extent in the solution stage. This situation may cause significant time and economic losses. As a result, in regions with high earthquake activity, detection and close confirmation of arrival durations for detailed, sensitive, and accurate phases in many numerical earthquake wave time-series records may negatively affect the reliability of model studies. The Biga Peninsula, encompassing the most complicated tectonic elements of the north-western Aegean region, has high window seismicity. In this study, machine learning, which has been successfully applied to data in various seismological fields to resolve the problems mentioned above, was applied to earthquakes occurring in the Biga Peninsula. For seismic phase selection, a variety of machine learning models using large amounts of training data obtained from earthquakes occurring within the earth’s crust are generally open for use by researchers. In the study, results were evaluated using the waveform database for events recorded by local (ÇOMÜ) and national (KRDAE, AFAD) seismic networks observing activity linked to tectonism in the Gulf of Edremit, Ayvacik, and Biga Peninsula with the originally trained model of the PhaseNet machine learning algorithm. Data for the phase assessment topic examined 918 earthquakes recorded at 118 stations from May 2020 to the end of 2021. Compared to classic methods, the model used in the study provided successful results for detecting P and especially S wave phases. Additionally, this study compared data resolved by hand with machine learning model results for detecting epicentres.
Toward safer multi-walled carbon nanotube design: Establishing a statistical model that relates surface charge and embryonic zebrafish mortality
Creators: name: Gilbertson, Leanne M.
name: Melnikov, Fjodor
name: Wehmas, Leah C.
name: Anastas, Paul T.
name: Tanguay, Robert L.
name: Zimmerman, Julie B.
Publisher: name: Taylor & Francis
Year: 2016
Subjects: subject: Space Science
subject: Medicine
subject: Biotechnology
subject: 59999 Environmental Sciences not elsewhere classified
subject: FOS: Earth and related environmental sciences
subject: 39999 Chemical Sciences not elsewhere classified
subject: FOS: Chemical sciences
subject: Ecology
subject: FOS: Biological sciences
subject: 69999 Biological Sciences not elsewhere classified
subject: Inorganic Chemistry

description: Given the increased utility and lack of consensus regarding carbon nanotube (CNT) environmental and human health hazards, there is a growing demand for guidelines that inform safer CNT design. In this study, the zebrafish (Danio rerio) model is utilized as a stable, sensitive biological system to evaluate the bioactivity of systematically modified and comprehensively characterized multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWNTs). MWNTs were treated with strong acid to introduce oxygen functional groups, which were then systematically thermally reduced and removed using an inert temperature treatment. While 25 phenotypic endpoints were evaluated at 24 and 120 hours post-fertilization (hpf), high mortality at 24 hpf prevented further resolution of the mode of toxicity leading to mortality. Advanced multivariate statistical methods are employed to establish a model that identifies those MWNT physicochemical properties that best estimate the probability of observing an adverse outcome. The physicochemical properties considered in this study include surface charge, percent surface oxygen, dispersed aggregate size and morphology and electrochemical activity. Of the five physicochemical properties, surface charge, quantified as the point of zero charge (PZC), was determined as the best predictor of mortality at 24 hpf. From a design perspective, the identification of this property–hazard relationship establishes a foundation for the development of design guidelines for MWNTs with reduced hazard.
Soot Formation Benefits of Sustainable Aviation Fuels Characterized with a Yield- Based Approach to Sooting Tendency
Creators: name: McEnally, Charles
name: Kwon, Hyunguk
name: Suheyla Tozan
name: Xuan, Yuan
name: Zhu, Junqing
name: Pfefferle, Lisa D.
Publisher: name: figshare
Year: 2020
Subjects: subject: Aerospace Engineering
subject: FOS: Mechanical engineering

description: Paper presented at the Fall 2020 ACS National Meeting.
Sustainable aviation fuels (SAF) can potentially reduce emissions of carbonaceous soot particles from air travel. Soot is the second largest source of global warming, and it contribute to ambient PM2.5 that causes millions of deaths worldwide each year. SAF are likely to produce less soot since they usually consist of alkanes and cycloalkanes, with only low levels of aromatics. The sooting propensities of jet fuels are characterized with the ASTM D1322 smoke point (SP) test; indeed, the ASTM 7566 jet fuel specifications require that SP exceed 25 mm. The SP test works well for repetitive testing of conventional jet fuels, but it suffers from significant drawbacks that affect the development of new fuels: it requires large sample volumes (10 mL), it has a limited dynamic range, and the results cannot be simulated from first principles.
This work proposes a method to derive SP from a novel yield-based soot propensity approach that overcomes the disadvantages of the smoke point methodology. In the yield-based approach, the maximum soot concentration is measured in a methane/air coflow nonpremixed flame after a small concentration -- typically 1000 ppm -- of the test fuel is added to the flame’s fuel. The results are then linearly rescaled into a Yield Sooting Index (YSI) that is analogous to an octane or cetane rating. This method requires less than 100 microliters of sample due to the small concentration added to the test flame. The dopant concentration can be varied to accommodate high or low sooting test fuels. The results can be readily simulated since there is just one well-defined flame, and the low dopant concentration allows the computations to be greatly simplified through perturbation methods. Simulations are critical for understanding the kinetic pathways that cause emissions reductions, and to validate the benefits for real engines without extensive testing.
Despite their differences, YSI and SP characterize the same fuel property and they can be directly related. In particular, we have found good correlation between YSI/MW and 1/SP for a set of about 100 pure hydrocarbons for which we have measured YSI and SP data is available in the literature. This correlation allows the soot reduction benefits of SAF to be quantified without the challenges of measuring smoke point.
Circadian functioning, student wellbeing, and academic achievement: associations with use of electronic devices at night
Creators: name: Carciofo, Richard
Publisher: name: Taylor & Francis
Year: 2025
Subjects: subject: Space Science
subject: Medicine
subject: Physiology
subject: FOS: Biological sciences
subject: Biotechnology
subject: Science Policy
subject: Mental Health

description: Eveningness preference is associated with measures of poor wellbeing. However, recent research has found that Morning Affect (sleep inertia) and Distinctness (amplitude of diurnal variations in functioning) may be more strongly related to wellbeing indices. The current study investigated associations between Eveningness, Morning Affect, Distinctness, academic achievement, and student wellbeing (assessed with the College Student Subjective Wellbeing Questionnaire). Data was obtained from an online survey of 232 Chinese university students aged 19–27 (mean = 20.65; SD = 1.365); additional measures included conscientiousness, mind wandering, sleep quality, life satisfaction, substance use, and use of electronic devices at night. Morning Affect (MA) was positively correlated with academic achievement, Academic Satisfaction and Academic Efficacy; Eveningness was positively correlated with School Connectedness and School Gratitude; Distinctness was negatively correlated with Academic Efficacy. The negative correlation between Eveningness and academic achievement was mediated by lower MA. The negative correlation between Eveningness and MA was mediated by more use of electronic devices at night, and also the negative correlation between use of electronic devices at night and MA was mediated by Eveningness. These results suggest potentially important relationships between use of electronic devices at night, circadian functioning, student wellbeing, and academic achievement.
Toward safer multi-walled carbon nanotube design: Establishing a statistical model that relates surface charge and embryonic zebrafish mortality
Creators: name: Gilbertson, Leanne M.
name: Melnikov, Fjodor
name: Wehmas, Leah C.
name: Anastas, Paul T.
name: Tanguay, Robert L.
name: Zimmerman, Julie B.
Publisher: name: Taylor & Francis
Year: 2015
Subjects: subject: Space Science
subject: Medicine
subject: Biotechnology
subject: 59999 Environmental Sciences not elsewhere classified
subject: FOS: Earth and related environmental sciences
subject: 39999 Chemical Sciences not elsewhere classified
subject: FOS: Chemical sciences
subject: Ecology
subject: FOS: Biological sciences
subject: 69999 Biological Sciences not elsewhere classified
subject: Inorganic Chemistry

description: Given the increased utility and lack of consensus regarding carbon nanotube (CNT) environmental and human health hazards, there is a growing demand for guidelines that inform safer CNT design. In this study, the zebrafish (Danio rerio) model is utilized as a stable, sensitive biological system to evaluate the bioactivity of systematically modified and comprehensively characterized multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWNTs). MWNTs were treated with strong acid to introduce oxygen functional groups, which were then systematically thermally reduced and removed using an inert temperature treatment. While 25 phenotypic endpoints were evaluated at 24 and 120 hours post-fertilization (hpf), high mortality at 24 hpf prevented further resolution of the mode of toxicity leading to mortality. Advanced multivariate statistical methods are employed to establish a model that identifies those MWNT physicochemical properties that best estimate the probability of observing an adverse outcome. The physicochemical properties considered in this study include surface charge, percent surface oxygen, dispersed aggregate size and morphology and electrochemical activity. Of the five physicochemical properties, surface charge, quantified as the point of zero charge (PZC), was determined as the best predictor of mortality at 24 hpf. From a design perspective, the identification of this property–hazard relationship establishes a foundation for the development of design guidelines for MWNTs with reduced hazard.
title: Unexpected artefact in MRI: Corpus alienum in nasopharynx
Creators: name: Keçeli, Merter
Publisher: name: EURORAD
Year: 2024
Subjects: subject: Paediatric radiology
subject: CT
subject: Digital radiography
subject: MR
subject: Artifacts
subject: Clinical Case

description: Clinical History: A 4-year-old boy, whose findings of intracranial hypertension were investigated, was referred for cranial MRI examination. During the MR Safety screening, it was learned from the parents that there were no contraindications to the examination. However, the examination was stopped after a scout scan because an MRI artefact of the nasopharynx area was seen, which could indicate the presence of potentially unsafe material. When the parents were interviewed, no history could be obtained explaining the cause of the artefact. It was investigated with digital radiography (DX) and Computed Tomography (CT).

description: 4 years, male
Organic emissions from a wood stove and a pellet stove before and after simulated atmospheric aging
Creators: name: Corbin, Joel C.
name: Keller, Alejandro
name: Lohmann, Ulrike
name: Burtscher, Heinz
name: Berko Sierau
name: Amewu A. Mensah
Publisher: name: Taylor & Francis
Year: 2015
Subjects: subject: 110309 Infectious Diseases
subject: FOS: Health sciences
subject: Science Policy
subject: Biological Sciences
subject: Ecology
subject: FOS: Biological sciences
subject: Chemistry
subject: Earth and Environmental Sciences
subject: Evolutionary Biology
subject: Biotechnology
subject: Cell Biology
subject: Microbiology
subject: Biochemistry

description: Logwood and pellet stoves are popular heating sources around the world. The particulate matter emitted from such stoves contains organic particulate matter (OM), soot and ash, each of which may have significant effects on climate and health. In this study, the primary OM (POM) emitted from a wood stove and a pellet stove operated according to standard Swiss testing protocols were characterized using aerosol mass spectrometry. The POM mass spectra were found to be highly reproducible, and contained CO+ as the dominant ion. Because the POM emitted by such stoves is typically enhanced by the condensation of gaseous organics following atmospheric aging, the secondary OM (SOM) formation potential of these stoves was simulated using the Micro Smog Chamber (MSC) designed by Keller and Burtscher (2012). In general, OM emission factors from MSC-aged aerosols were comparable to lower-time-resolution results from the literature, although the MSC exposed aerosols to much higher concentrations of oxidants and therefore produced OM that was more oxidized than expected for atmospheric samples. In addition, the logwood-stove particles remained highly aspherical even after oxidation, indicating that mixing with an external aerosol is required for these particles to become spherical. The one exception to this observation occurred when the wood failed to ignite and appeared to generate tar-ball OM particles.
Bridging the continuum: Analysis of the alignment of undergraduate and postgraduate accreditation standards
Creators: name: Andrew, Susan E.
name: Stobart, Kent
name: Oswald, Anna
Publisher: name: Taylor & Francis
Year: 2014
Subjects: subject: Science Policy
subject: Biological Sciences
subject: Evolutionary Biology
subject: FOS: Biological sciences
subject: Biotechnology

description: Several influential national/international bodies including The Bologna Accord, The Carnegie Foundation and The Future of Medical Education in Canada (FMEC) have called for increased coordination across the medical education continuum. FMEC recognizes accreditation as a “powerful lever” and encourages the alignment of undergraduate and postgraduate standards. The Carnegie Foundation includes a similar call for the creation of a more coherent accreditation system. As a first step, using the Canadian context, we present a methodological approach that assesses the example of how well LCME/CACMS undergraduate accreditation standards align with the Royal College of Physician and Surgeons of Canada (RCPSC) postgraduate training standards. We analyzed how closely the 132 LCME/CACMS Medical School accreditation standards aligned with the 155 post-graduate standards from the RCPSC accreditation General Standards (A and B). This comparative evaluation demonstrates that the standards do not align closely. Gaps, redundancies and key differences are highlighted. These results are the first step in understanding how accreditation needs to be adapted and re-aligned across the education continuum to provide consistent and coordinated training and these methods could easily be applied to other contexts and jurisdictions.
Artificial intelligence for rapid detection of earthquake wave basic phases: Ayvacık seismic network example
Creators: name: Unal, Utku
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2024
Subjects: subject: Machine learning
subject: Seismology
subject: Geophysics
subject: FOS: Earth and related environmental sciences

description: In regions with intense seismic activity like earthquakes, rapid detection and resolution of earthquake parameters and understanding seismic activity and mechanisms are important in terms of reducing possible risks. Currently, this process is left to the knowledge and experience of users to a great extent in the solution stage. This situation may cause significant time and economic losses. As a result, in regions with high earthquake activity, detection and close confirmation of arrival durations for detailed, sensitive, and accurate phases in many numerical earthquake wave time-series records may negatively affect the reliability of model studies. The Biga Peninsula, encompassing the most complicated tectonic elements of the north-western Aegean region, has high window seismicity. In this study, machine learning, which has been successfully applied to data in various seismological fields to resolve the problems mentioned above, was applied to earthquakes occurring in the Biga Peninsula. For seismic phase selection, a variety of machine learning models using large amounts of training data obtained from earthquakes occurring within the earth’s crust are generally open for use by researchers. In the study, results were evaluated using the waveform database for events recorded by local (ÇOMÜ) and national (KRDAE, AFAD) seismic networks observing activity linked to tectonism in the Gulf of Edremit, Ayvacik, and Biga Peninsula with the originally trained model of the PhaseNet machine learning algorithm. Data for the phase assessment topic examined 918 earthquakes recorded at 118 stations from May 2020 to the end of 2021. Compared to classic methods, the model used in the study provided successful results for detecting P and especially S wave phases. Additionally, this study compared data resolved by hand with machine learning model results for detecting epicentres.
RESOURCE AND HISTORIOGRAPHY OF THE DEVELOPMENT OF RURAL INFRASTRUCTURE OF UZBEKISTAN DURING THE YEARS OF INDEPENDENCE
Creators: name: Norboev, Timur
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2024

description: In this article, the study of rural infrastructure of Uzbekistan through modern trends during the years of independence is a new direction. From this point of view, the study of this area was studied by representatives of a number of leading branches of Science operating in Uzbekistan, whose research includes important information on certain aspects of rural life.