bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Reform bills in Jordan: A Dawn of a new era or continuous missed opportunities?
Authors: Alakayleh Moath , Bani Salameh Mohammed Torki , Emambocus Washad 
Published: September 2024

AbstractThis study aims to identify the concept, mechanisms and motives of political reform under the reign of King Abdullah II of Jordan. Concisely, the study attempts to identify obstacles to and opportunities for political reform in Jordan. To this end, the weaknesses and challenges facing the process of political reform in Jordan as well as opportunities to achieve political reform will be addressed. The opportunities are represented in the new constitutional amendments and the new laws governing political life (political parties and election laws). The main finding of this study is that since Jordan's problem today is not just economic, there is a pressing need for political reform. The political reform in Jordan, as a form of adjusting and accommodating, is the best alternative for the regime to face the popular pressures. This is probably so because Arab Spring regimes with minimal capacity to ‘bend’ or respond to change had eventually collapsed.
Mitigating thermal stratification in lakes/reservoirs through wind‐powered air diffusers
Authors: Hazar Oğuz , Elçi Sebnem 
Published: September 2024

AbstractThermal stratification can cause various water quality issues in large water bodies. To address this, a new wind‐powered artificial mixing system is designed and experimentally tested for various Savonius rotor combinations (three‐stage and four‐stage rotors). These turbines directly utilize wind energy to draw air into the water column for aeration, bypassing the need for electrical conversion. The rotor performances were tested in terms of power and torque coefficients. Additionally, these rotors were tested for artificial mixing efficiencies in a specially designed water tank that can mimic thermal stratification typically observed in an actual water supply reservoir. Among the rotors, the three‐stage rotor with a 60° phase shift was found to exhibit superior power and torque coefficients, achieving a power efficiency value of 0.14. As for the mixing efficiency, the four‐stage rotor with a 45° phase shift excelled in mixing efficiency, reaching 95%.Practitioner Points
A new wind‐powered artificial mixing system is designed and tested for various Savonius rotor combinations.
While keeping the total rotor height constant, the three‐stage Savonius rotor class shows superior performance against the four‐stage Savonius rotor class in terms of power and torque efficiency.
Apart from the rotor performance results, the four‐stage Savonius rotors show greater artificial mixing efficiency than the three‐stage Savonius rotors.
Single‐pump/diffuser artificial destratification system exhibits better mixing efficiency than multiple‐pump/diffuser systems.
Adversarial Robustness Certification for Bayesian Neural Networks
Authors: Wicker Matthew , Patane Andrea , Laurenti Luca , Kwiatkowska Marta 
Published: September 2024

AbstractWe study the problem of certifying the robustness of Bayesian neural networks (BNNs) to adversarial input perturbations. Specifically, we define two notions of robustness for BNNs in an adversarial setting: probabilistic robustness and decision robustness. The former deals with the probabilistic behaviour of the network, that is, it ensures robustness across different stochastic realisations of the network, while the latter provides guarantees for the overall (output) decision of the BNN. Although these robustness properties cannot be computed analytically, we present a unified computational framework for efficiently and formally bounding them. Our approach is based on weight interval sampling, integration and bound propagation techniques, and can be applied to BNNs with a large number of parameters independently of the (approximate) inference method employed to train the BNN. We evaluate the effectiveness of our method on tasks including airborne collision avoidance, medical imaging and autonomous driving, demonstrating that it can compute non-trivial guarantees on medium size images (i.e., over 16 thousand input parameters).
Efficient Formally Verified Maximal End Component Decomposition for MDPs
Authors: Hartmanns Arnd , Kohlen Bram , Lammich Peter 
Published: September 2024

AbstractIdentifying a Markov decision process’s maximal end components is a prerequisite for applying sound probabilistic model checking algorithms. In this paper, we present the first mechanized correctness proof of a maximal end component decomposition algorithm, which is an important algorithm in model checking, using the Isabelle/HOL theorem prover. We iteratively refine the high-level algorithm and proof into an imperative LLVM bytecode implementation that we integrate into the Modest Toolset ’s existing model checker. We bring the benefits of interactive theorem proving into practice by reducing the trusted code base of a popular probabilistic model checker and we experimentally show that our new verified maximal end component decomposition in performs on par with the tool’s previous unverified implementation.
Fast Attack Graph Defense Localization via Bisimulation
Authors: Busany Nimrod , Shalom Rafi , Klein Dan , Maoz Shahar 
Published: September 2024

AbstractSystem administrators, network engineers, and IT managers can learn much about the vulnerabilities of an organization’s cyber system by constructing and analyzing analytical attack graphs (AAGs). An AAG consists of logical rule nodes, fact nodes, and derived fact nodes. It provides a graph-based representation that describes ways by which an attacker can achieve progress towards a desired goal, a.k.a. a crown jewel. Given an AAG, different types of analyses can be performed to identify attacks on a target goal, measure the vulnerability of the network, and gain insights on how to make it more secure. However, as the size of the AAGs representing real-world systems may be very large, existing analyses are slow or practically impossible. In this paper, we introduce and show how to compute an AAG’s defense core: a locally minimal subset of the AAG’s rules whose removal will prevent an attacker from reaching a crown jewel. Most importantly, in order to scale-up the performance of the detection of a defense core, we introduce a novel application of the well-known notion of bisimulation to AAGs. Our experiments show that the use of bisimulation results in significantly smaller graphs and in faster detection of defense cores, making them practical.
State Matching and Multiple References in Adaptive Active Automata Learning
Authors: Kruger Loes , Junges Sebastian , Rot Jurriaan 
Published: September 2024

AbstractActive automata learning (AAL) is a method to infer state machines by interacting with black-box systems. Adaptive AAL aims to reduce the sample complexity of AAL by incorporating domain specific knowledge in the form of (similar) reference models. Such reference models appear naturally when learning multiple versions or variants of a software system. In this paper, we present state matching, which allows flexible use of the structure of these reference models by the learner. State matching is the main ingredient of adaptive $$L^{\#}$$

L
#

, a novel framework for adaptive learning, built on top of $$L^{\#}$$

L
#

. Our empirical evaluation shows that adaptive $$L^{\#}$$

L
#

improves the state of the art by up to two orders of magnitude.
Staged Specification Logic for Verifying Higher-Order Imperative Programs
Authors: Foo Darius , Song Yahui , Chin Wei-Ngan 
Published: September 2024

AbstractHigher-order functions and imperative states are language features supported by many mainstream languages. Their combination is expressive and useful, but complicates specification and reasoning, due to the use of yet-to-be-instantiated function parameters. One inherent limitation of existing specification mechanisms is its reliance ononly two stages : an initial stage to denote the precondition at the start of the method and a final stage to capture the postcondition. Such two-stage specifications forceabstract propertiesto be imposed on unknown function parameters, leading to less precise specifications for higher-order methods. To overcome this limitation, we introduce a novel extension to Hoare logic that supportsmultiple stagesfor a call-by-value higher-order language with ML-like local references. Multiple stages allow the behavior of unknown function-type parameters to be captured abstractly as uninterpreted relations; and can also model the repetitive behavior of each recursion as a separate stage. In this paper, we define our staged logic with its semantics, prove its soundness and develop a new automated higher-order verifier, calledHeifer, for a core ML-like language.
Misconceptions in Finite-Trace and Infinite-Trace Linear Temporal Logic
Authors: Greenman Ben , Prasad Siddhartha , Di Stasio Antonio , Zhu Shufang , De Giacomo Giuseppe , Krishnamurthi Shriram , Montali Marco , Nelson Tim , Zizyte Milda 
Published: September 2024

AbstractWith the growing use of temporal logics in areas ranging from robot planning to runtime verification, it is critical that users have a clear understanding of what a specification means. Toward this end, we have been developing a catalog of semantic errors and a suite of test instruments targeting various user-groups. The catalog is of interest to educators, to logic designers, to formula authors, and to tool builders, e.g., to identify mistakes. The test instruments are suitable for classroom teaching or self-study.This paper reports on five sets of survey data collected over a three-year span. We study misconceptions about finite-trace $$\textsc {ltl}_{f}$$

L
T
L

f

in three ltl-aware audiences, and misconceptions about standard ltl in novices. We find several mistakes, even among experts. In addition, the data supports several categories of errors in both $$\textsc {ltl}_{f}$$

L
T
L

f

and ltl that have not been identified in prior work. These findings, based on data from actual users, offer insights into what specific ways temporal logics are tricky and provide a groundwork for future interventions.
Practical Approximate Quantifier Elimination for Non-linear Real Arithmetic
Authors: Akshay S. , Chakraborty Supratik , Goharshady Amir Kafshdar , Govind R. , Motwani Harshit Jitendra , Varanasi Sai Teja 
Published: September 2024

AbstractQuantifier Elimination (QE) concerns finding a quantifier-free formula that is semantically equivalent to a quantified formula in a given logic. For the theory of non-linear arithmetic over reals (NRA), QE is known to be computationally challenging. In this paper, we show how QE over NRA can be solved approximately and efficiently in practice using a Boolean combination of constraints in the linear arithmetic over reals (LRA). Our approach works by approximating the solution space of a set of NRA constraints when all real variables are bounded. It combines adaptive dynamic gridding with application of Handelman’s Theorem to obtain the approximation efficiently via a sequence of linear programs (LP). We provide rigorous approximation guarantees, and also proofs of soundness and completeness (under mild assumptions) of our algorithm. Interestingly, our work allows us to bootstrap on earlier work (viz. [38]) and solve quantified SMT problems over a combination of NRA and other theories, that are beyond the reach of state-of-the-art solvers. We have implemented our approach in a preprocessor for Z3 called POQER. Our experiments show that POQER+Z3EG outperforms state-of-the-art SMT solvers on non-trivial problems, adapted from a suite of benchmarks.
Bootstrapping pions at large N. Part II. Background gauge fields and the chiral anomaly
Authors: Albert Jan , Rastelli Leonardo 
Published: September 2024

Abstract
We continue the program [1] of carving out the space of large N confining gauge theories by modern S-matrix bootstrap methods, with the ultimate goal of cornering large N QCD. In this paper, we focus on the effective field theory of massless pions coupled to background electromagnetic fields. We derive the full set of positivity constraints encoded in the system of 2 → 2 scattering amplitudes of pions and photons. This system probes a larger set of intermediate meson states, and is thus sensitive to intricate large N selection rules, especially when supplemented with expectations from Regge theory. It also has access to the coefficient of the chiral anomaly. We find novel numerical bounds on several ratios of Wilson coefficients, in units of the rho mass. By matching the chiral anomaly with the microscopic theory, we also derive bounds that contain an explicit N dependence.
Computing Typology: Generative Design for Creating Housing Solutions from Type Analysis in Bogota
Authors: Cifuentes Quin Camilo Andres 
Published: September 2024

Abstract
The article delves into the integration of a typological discourse within contemporary design practice, offering insights into a generative system aimed at processing design scenarios from typological analyses. By identifying architectural types within the context of Bogota’s periphery, this research showcases the potential of computational methods to formalize typological principles in design. It also explores the possibilities of digital design to facilitate the production of customized housing solutions on a mass scale. This study contributes to the debate about the role of typology in design practice, highlighting the possibilities inherent in leveraging computational tools to enhance architectural synthesis. Additionally, it investigates the potential of a digital design framework to offer alternative solutions to the housing crisis, addressing the growing demand for affordable, high-quality housing in Latin America.
Gaussian estimates vs. elliptic regularity on open sets
Authors: Böhnlein Tim , Ciani Simone , Egert Moritz 
Published: September 2024

Abstract
Given an elliptic operator

$$L= - {{\,\textrm{div}\,}}(A \nabla \cdot )$$

L
=
-

div

(
A
∇
·
)

subject to mixed boundary conditions on an open subset of

$$\mathbb {R}^d$$

R

d

, we study the relation between Gaussian pointwise estimates for the kernel of the associated heat semigroup, Hölder continuity of L-harmonic functions and the growth of the Dirichlet energy. To this end, we generalize an equivalence theorem of Auscher and Tchamitchian to the case of mixed boundary conditions and to open sets far beyond Lipschitz domains. Yet, we prove the consistency of our abstract result by encompassing operators with real-valued coefficients and their small complex perturbations into one of the aforementioned equivalent properties. The resulting kernel bounds open the door for developing a harmonic analysis for the associated semigroups on rough open sets.
Jumping Automata over Infinite Words
Authors: Almagor Shaull , Yizhaq Omer 
Published: September 2024

AbstractJumping automata are finite automata that read their input in a non-consecutive manner, disregarding the order of the letters in the word. We introduce and study jumping automata over infinite words. Unlike the setting of finite words, which has been well studied, for infinite words it is not clear how words can be reordered. To this end, we consider three semantics: automata that read the infinite word in some order so that no letter is overlooked, automata that can permute the word in windows of a given size k, and automata that can permute the word in windows of an existentially-quantified bound. We study expressiveness, closure properties and algorithmic properties of these models.
Genetic basis and imaging findings of neurofibromatosis 1 and other somatic overgrowth disorders
Authors: Vittay Orsolya , Christopher Joseph , Mehta Sarju G. , Toms Andoni P. 
Published: September 2024

AbstractSomatic overgrowth disorders comprise a wide range of rare conditions that present with focal enlargement of one or more tissue types. The PI3K-AKT-mTOR pathway is a signalling pathway that induces angiogenesis and cell proliferation, and is one of the most commonly overactivated signalling pathways in cancer. The PI3K-AKT-mTOR pathway can be up-regulated by genetic variants that code for proteins in this pathway, or down-regulated by proteins that inhibit the pathway. Mosaic genetic variations can result in cells that proliferate excessively in specific anatomical locations. The PIK3CA-related overgrowth spectrum (PROS) disorders include CLOVES syndrome, macrodystrophia lipomatosa, and Klippel-Trenaunay syndrome among many. The neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1) gene encodes neurofibromin which down-regulates the PI3K-AKT-mTOR pathway. Thousands of pathological variants in the NF1 gene have been described which can result in lower-than-normal levels of neurofibromin and therefore up-regulation of the PI3K-AKT-mTOR pathway promoting cellular overgrowth. Somatic overgrowth is a rare presentation in NF1 with a wide range of clinical and radiological presentations. Hypertrophy of all ectodermal and mesodermal elements has been described in NF1 including bone, muscle, fat, nerve, lymphatics, arteries and veins, and skin. The shared signalling pathway for cellular overgrowth means that these radiological appearances can overlap with other conditions in the PIK3CA-related overgrowth spectrum. The aim of this review is to describe the genetic basis for the radiological features of NF1 and in particular compare the appearances of the somatic overgrowth disorders in NF1 with other conditions in the PIK3CA-related overgrowth spectrum.
The association between gout and subsequent cardiovascular events: a retrospective cohort study with 132,000 using propensity score matching in primary care outpatients in Germany
Authors: Sedighi Jamschid , Luedde Mark , Gaensbacher-Kunzendorf Julia , Sossalla Samuel , Kostev Karel 
Published: September 2024

Abstract
Background
Both the risk of developing heart disease and the course of the disease are determined in particular by comorbidities. In this context, gout has recently been identified as an important factor in influencing the development of cardiovascular events such as heart failure or coronary artery disease.

Methods
This retrospective cohort study compared the incidence of angina pectoris (AP) (ICD-10: I20), myocardial infarction (MI) (ICD-10: I21, I22), chronic coronary heart disease (CHD) (ICD-10: I25), atrial fibrillation (AF), and heart failure (HF) as a function of gout in Germany in a large collective of 66,000 gout patients in comparison to 66,000 individuals without gout between using propensity score matching (1:1) from January 2005 to December 2020.

Results
Within 10 years after the index date, AP was diagnosed in 5.2% of gout and 2.9% of non-gout patients (p < 0.001), MI in 3.1% of gout and 2.2% of non-gout patients (p < 0.001), CHD in 16.5% of gout and 11.8% of non-gout patients, AF in 12.6% of gout and 8.4% of non-gout patients (p < 0.001), and HF in 14.7% of gout and 8.5% of non-gout patients (p < 0.001). For all diagnoses except CHD, the association was stronger in male than in female patients.

Conclusion
The relationship shown between gout and cardiovascular disease indicates that gout could be one of a series of inflammatory conditions that increase the risk of cardiac disease. The association we have shown between gout and all major cardiac diseases suggests that there is a risk modifier, the treatment of which could help prevent these diseases. Further research is needed to determine whether treating gout can effectively reduce this risk.
Microbial growth on temporary pacemaker leads post-TAVR: pathogen spectrum and clinical implications
Authors: Mousa Basha Mustafa , Al-Kassou Baravan , Gestrich Christopher , Weber Marcel , Beiert Thomas , Bakhtiary Farhad , Nickenig Georg , Zimmer Sebastian , Shamekhi Jasmin 
Published: September 2024

Abstract
Background and objective
Transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) is an established treatment option for patients with symptomatic severe aortic stenosis across all stages of surgical risk. Rapid pacing during the procedure and the risk for the occurrence of conduction disturbances after TAVR requires the pre-interventional insertion of a temporary pacemaker (TP). However, this approach poses risks, including the risk of infection. For this reason, the following study aimed to investigate microbial growth on temporary pacemaker leads and its association with outcome post-TAVR and to identify associated pathogens and related risk factors.

Methods
A prospective study was conducted including 344 patients undergoing TAVR at the Heart Centre Bonn. Of these, 97 patients did not require TP leads as they already had permanent pacemakers; this group was considered as comparison group. The TP leads of the remaining 247 patients were removed, sonicated, and cultured to investigate bacterial growth over a period of 14 days. Finally, we compared patients without microbial growth (n = 184) and patients with microbial growth (n = 63). The primary endpoint of the study was 30-day all-cause mortality, secondary endpoints were periprocedural infections, the length of the postprocedural hospital stay, 30-day major vascular complications and the 30-day stroke rate.

Results
The majority of cases (74.5%) showed no bacterial growth. In the remaining cases (25.5%), diverse microorganisms were identified, mostly non-pathogenic bacteria. The statistical analysis revealed no significant differences between groups according to microbial growth in terms of 30-day mortality (p = 0.446), postprocedural hospital stay (p = 0.401), periprocedural infections (p = 0.434), 30-day major vascular complications (p = 1.0), and 30-day stroke rate (p = 1.0). Notably, the timing of sheath insertion was significantly associated with microbial growth; sheath placement more than 2 days prior to the procedure was associated with a significantly higher risk of microbial growth (OR: 2.1; 95% CI 1.1–4.3) (p = 0.030).

Conclusions
The presence of temporary leads does not significantly impact clinical outcomes, irrespective of bacterial growth on the lead. However, the timing and duration of sheath placement plays a crucial role in contamination incidence. Thus, temporary leads/sheaths should be placed shortly before the procedure and removed promptly to reduce the risk of contamination/infection.