bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Forest canopy cover affects microclimate buffering during an extreme heat event
Authors: John Aji , Pradhan Kavya , Case Michael J , Ettinger Ailene K , Hille Ris Lambers Janneke 
Published: September 2024

Abstract
Increasing temperatures and extreme heat episodes have become more common with climate change. While forests are known to buffer increasing temperatures (relative to non-forested areas), whether this buffering is maintained under extreme temperature events is relatively unknown. Here we assess whether forests continue to buffer microclimate (specifically temperatures) during an extreme heat event: the Pacific Northwest (PNW) heat dome in June 2021. We use a combination of ground-based and regional climate data and find that forest understories were 3 °C cooler than a clear-cut area and 4 °C cooler than regional temperatures during the PNW heat dome. By examining forests with different levels of canopy cover we also found that the buffering capacity of forests is greater under denser canopies even under extreme heat events. Additionally, we found vertical variation in thermal buffering, with the greatest amount of buffering at the surface of the forest floor. Overall, our findings suggest that temperate coastal forests, that are known to buffer average temperatures, can also act as microclimate buffers during extreme heat events like the heat dome that occurred in the PNW in 2021. This could be good news for forest dwelling organisms that are sensitive to such extreme heat events.
A comprehensive machine learning framework with particle swarm optimization for improved polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) diagnosis
Authors: Kumar Ankur , Singh Jaspreet , Khan Asim Ali 
Published: September 2024

Abstract
Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) is a hormonal disorder primarily affecting women of reproductive age, characterized by irregular menstrual cycles, elevated male hormones, and ovarian cysts. Early detection and treatment are crucial to prevent long-term complications. This research utilizes clinical data from Kaggle to develop a non-invasive PCOS diagnostic system. The authors conducted comprehensive data preprocessing, feature engineering, and exploratory data analysis (EDA). The refined dataset was incorporated into various default machine learning (ML) algorithms, including LR, LDA, GNB, SVM, XGB, DT, AB, RF, and KNN, for PCOS classification with varying train test ratios 70:30 to 80:20. To further enhance the model’s performance, the authors hybridized all the ML models with Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO). Remarkably, the proposed LR+PSO model achieved the highest accuracy at 96.30%, demonstrating exceptional proficiency with an 80:20 train-test ratio. It significantly improved sensitivity to 94.44%, indicating enhanced detection of positive cases, all while maintaining the highest specificity at 97.22% and precision at 94.44% compared to other models. These results highlight a substantial improvement in integrated models, emphasizing the potential of this novel approach to enhance PCOS diagnosis in terms of accuracy and efficiency, ultimately benefiting individuals with PCOS in their treatment journey.
Optimizing ZX-diagrams with deep reinforcement learning
Authors: Nägele Maximilian , Marquardt Florian 
Published: September 2024

Abstract
ZX-diagrams are a powerful graphical language for the description of quantum processes with applications in fundamental quantum mechanics, quantum circuit optimization, tensor network simulation, and many more. The utility of ZX-diagrams relies on a set of local transformation rules that can be applied to them without changing the underlying quantum process they describe. These rules can be exploited to optimize the structure of ZX-diagrams for a range of applications. However, finding an optimal sequence of transformation rules is generally an open problem. In this work, we bring together ZX-diagrams with reinforcement learning, a machine learning technique designed to discover an optimal sequence of actions in a decision-making problem and show that a trained reinforcement learning agent can significantly outperform other optimization techniques like a greedy strategy, simulated annealing, and state-of-the-art hand-crafted algorithms. The use of graph neural networks to encode the policy of the agent enables generalization to diagrams much bigger than seen during the training phase.
DiffLense: a conditional diffusion model for super-resolution of gravitational lensing data
Authors: Reddy Pranath , Toomey Michael W , Parul Hanna , Gleyzer Sergei 
Published: September 2024

Abstract
Gravitational lensing data is frequently collected at low resolution due to instrumental limitations and observing conditions. Machine learning-based super-resolution techniques offer a method to enhance the resolution of these images, enabling more precise measurements of lensing effects and a better understanding of the matter distribution in the lensing system. This enhancement can significantly improve our knowledge of the distribution of mass within the lensing galaxy and its environment, as well as the properties of the background source being lensed. Traditional super-resolution techniques typically learn a mapping function from lower-resolution to higher-resolution samples. However, these methods are often constrained by their dependence on optimizing a fixed distance function, which can result in the loss of intricate details crucial for astrophysical analysis. In this work, we introduce DiffLense, a novel super-resolution pipeline based on a conditional diffusion model specifically designed to enhance the resolution of gravitational lensing images obtained from the Hyper Suprime-Cam Subaru Strategic Program (HSC-SSP). Our approach adopts a generative model, leveraging the detailed structural information present in Hubble space telescope (HST) counterparts. The diffusion model, trained to generate HST data, is conditioned on HSC data pre-processed with denoising techniques and thresholding to significantly reduce noise and background interference. This process leads to a more distinct and less overlapping conditional distribution during the model’s training phase. We demonstrate that DiffLense outperforms existing state-of-the-art single-image super-resolution techniques, particularly in retaining the fine details necessary for astrophysical analyses.
Visiting the Voice Doctor
Authors: Jahn Anthony F , Cho Youngnan Jenny 
Published: September 2024

Abstract
Visiting a voice doctor is stressful for most singers. An impaired voice can mean a loss of livelihood, and concerns about possible surgery or other treatment lead to anxiety. When a medical visit is necessary, it is important that the singer is prepared in order to gain maximum benefit from the consultation. This chapter stresses the importance of being well informed prior to the visit, taking an active part in getting a diagnosis and deciding on treatment, and seeking additional opinions if aggressive medical or surgical treatment is recommended.
Vitamins, Supplements, and Medications
Authors: Jahn Anthony F , Cho Youngnan Jenny 
Published: September 2024

Abstract
Many people take vitamins or supplements, regardless of whether they need them or not. This chapter reviews what vitamins do and when they are needed. It also discusses the dangers of excessive vitamins. The chapter gives a general discussion of nutritional supplements and cautions against taking these in excess. There is a general overview of classes of prescription medications, with an emphasis on their potential impact on the singing voice.
Voice Rest
Authors: Jahn Anthony F , Cho Youngnan Jenny 
Published: September 2024

Abstract
Voice rest is frequently recommended in managing vocal strain, some forms of laryngitis, and vocal fold edema. The authors consider vocal rest an important and powerful form of treatment but caution against excessive voice rest. Since trained singing involves adopting an unnatural laryngeal position and function, excessive vocal rest requires that this trained posture be regained before resuming normal performance. This chapter outlines a rational method of using periods of vocal rest to keep the vocal mechanism healthy.
Anatomic Intermezzo
Authors: Jahn Anthony F , Cho Youngnan Jenny 
Published: September 2024

Abstract
According to an ancient Chinese saying, the first step to wisdom is getting things by their right names. This chapter offers an entertaining look at the etymologic derivations of the names used to describe vocal anatomy. It is meant as a break from the more didactic parts of the book and adds some context to the terms the authors use in describing the vocal apparatus.
Introduction
Authors: Bauer Nicole M , Doole J Andrew 
Published: September 2024

Abstract
The characteristics of possession are numerous and vary between different sociocultural and historical contexts. Different ideas of possession can be observed within different cultural and social contexts both past and present. This makes defining possession all the more difficult. Various approaches to “ideas of possession” in different academic disciplines and in different cultural contexts allow the discourse(s) to benefit from insights that would otherwise remain confined to the society under discussion or the field that determines the method of study. The introduction presents an overview of recent interdisciplinary research on possession and scholarly attempts at a working definition, followed by a brief outline of the individual case studies in this volume.
“As If by Love Possessed”
Authors: Bazzana Giovanni B 
Published: September 2024

Abstract
In the Acts of Thomas the portrayal of the demons encountered by the apostle Thomas on his missionary travels through India is quite unusual among those preserved in apocryphal acts of the early centuries. The text seems to have a particular interest in the personality of these demons and in their ambiguous interactions with humanity. Special attention is given to the portrayal of demons in both the Greek and Syriac versions of the text, and to the significance of how the Acts of Thomas attests to a trajectory of transformation in early Christian demonology from Jewish concepts of the Second Temple period to Late Antique systematizations.
The Psychologization of Exorcism
Authors: Bauer Nicole M 
Published: September 2024

Abstract
Exorcists are once again in demand for their very specific set of skills in casting out demons. Even though it is a liturgical practice, current exorcism guidelines and discourses incorporate psychiatric and psychotherapeutic approaches and terminology. In this respect, Austria offers an ideal case study as it has an established and renowned system of psychiatry and psychotherapy with a variety of medical approaches on offer, yet remains culturally and socially a “conservative” Roman Catholic society. This chapter presents the results of an ethnographic study of Austrian Roman Catholic exorcists and illuminates the tension between religion and medicine as religious experts interact with medical experts and give their religious healing practices legitimacy through reference to medical and psychotherapeutic methods.
Possession and Exorcism in Roman Catholic Charismatic Groups
Authors: Béliveau Verónica Giménez 
Published: September 2024

Abstract
There is an increase in the demand for liberation and exorcism rituals in Western countries. Exorcist priests are interviewed in the mass media, and church services are set up to care for people with complaints of a supernatural origin. Satan is reappearing not only as a principle of evil, but also as an entity capable of intervening in people’s lives, harassing them and leading them down the path of evil. Representations of possession seem to have moved in certain social groups from the metaphorical—something encouraged for years by the highest authorities of the church—to the concreteness of physical facts: groups of believers are convinced that diabolical possession is possible in certain circumstances and that it can only be combatted with specific ritual performances. This chapter focuses on representations of possession among Catholic revivalist collectives (associated with the Catholic Charismatic Renewal and other emotional groups). I have studied these from a social scientific perspective using qualitative research methods (ethnography, in-depth interviews, document analysis) in France and Argentina. Among the results of my research is that the contemporary idea of possession is an articulation between theological principles, intercultural dialogues and images from the world of entertainment. The idea of demonic influence shapes the modern imagination, even though modern exorcists consider possession to be an extremely rare condition. Demonic possession is the extreme that frightens believers and keeps them in a constant state of vigilance. In this way, possession is a factor in shaping social relations.
“It Makes Me Complete”
Authors: Schmidt Bettina E 
Published: September 2024

Abstract
Drawing on fieldwork in different religious communities in Brazil, this chapter explores spirit possession as cultural practice, with a particular focus on candomblé, one of the most celebrated African-derived religions in Brazil. The chapter includes an interview with one member about his difficult journey into this religion and his experience with the divine. Drawing on comments from members of candomblé communities reflecting on their personal experiences of spirit possession, the chapter argues against a universalist approach to spirit possession, arguing rather for a deictic understanding that recognizes the importance of social and cultural contexts.
Exorcizing Devilsdorp
Authors: van den Heever Gerhard 
Published: September 2024

Abstract
The South African crime documentary series Devilsdorp (lit. “town of the Devil”) reports on eleven murders carried out between 2012 and 2016 in and around Krugersdorp on the West Rand by a group called Electus per Deus (Chosen by God). These murders were labeled the “satanic murders” because the leader of the gang claimed she was a reformed satanist. Various commentators claimed that the group operated as a satanic cult and that members were possessed by evil spirits. The discourse of interpreting crimes as “satanic” and criminals as “possessed” can by analyzed to illuminate a given society’s sense of self and its social and political institutions and traditions, in this case in post-apartheid South Africa. Possession discourses emerge in specific social, cultural, and ideological contexts that are also performed through such discourses and can reflect and translate other deeply submerged tensions and trajectories in society.
“All Evil Spirits Must Be Brushed Off”
Authors: Pokorny Lukas K , Zoehrer Dominic S 
Published: September 2024

Abstract
Emerging out of a messianic Protestant environment steeped in the Korean religious heritage, the Unification Church/Movement has become one of the best-known new religious movements in the world. However, little is known about the impact of mediumistic activities in Unificationism, particularly as articulated in the so-called Ch’ŏngp’yŏng (Cheongpyeong) Providence. At the heart of this novel soteriological program within wider Unificationist millenarianism are practices specifically aimed at the separation of evil spirits and the liberation of ancestral spirits. This chapter first outlines the doctrinal foundations of the Unificationist concept of evil spirits and introduces Unificationist cosmology. It then describes the theory and practice of the liberation of evil spirits and ancestral spirits in Unificationism.
The Case for a Universal, Symptom-Based Definition of Possession
Authors: Goldish Matt 
Published: September 2024

Abstract
Recent scholarship on spirit possession has tended to focus on the differences between cultural contexts alongside the claim that an event is only a possession if the subject and his or her society designate it as a possession. One of the results of this fracturing trend is that it becomes difficult to maintain a viable unified category of spirit possession across cultures and in different periods. This chapter argues that the category of spirit possession can be maintained if scholars define it according to a set of phenomena or “symptoms” rather than according to cultural interpretation. If a group of widely encountered symptoms occurs together, then scholars should place the event in the category of “possession” regardless of the interpretation provided by the subject or society. This method maintains a viable category of spirit possession while still allowing room for particular meanings in each society.
Concluding Remarks
Authors: Bauer Nicole M , Doole J Andrew 
Published: September 2024

Abstract
This concluding chapter briefly summarizes the main results and insights of the volume and highlights aspects of possession that the individual chapters reveal. As academics with inherently etic vocabulary, we can only come into dialogue on such issues by means of some form of categorization. While possession is constantly (re)negotiated in different contexts, the “phenomenon” itself—whether defined as social, cultural, performative, or psychological—is sufficiently widespread as to be found throughout history and around the world. This is why scholars of various academic disciplines can come into dialogue with one another and learn from each other concerning the study of a topic that may be “marginal” within each individual discipline. The transcultural and interdisciplinary discussion in Ideas of Possession highlights aspects often overlooked by a narrower focus on one particular culture or time frame and one particular methodological approach. Research on possession can only benefit from the wealth of cultural and academic insight on this important aspect of human existence that remains an integral part of life for many in helping to explain, order, and construct the world in which we live.
Floral resource availability declines and florivory increases along an elevation gradient in a highly biodiverse community
Authors: Gélvez-Zúñiga Irene , Beirão M , Novais Samuel , Santiago J C , Fernandes Geraldo Wilson 
Published: September 2024

Abstract

Background and Aims
Flower–visitor interactions comprise a continuum of behaviours, from mutualistic partners to antagonistic visitors. Despite being relatively frequent in natural communities, florivory remains unexplored, especially when comprising abiotic factors, spatio-temporal variations and global environmental changes. Here, we addressed the variation of florivory driven by changes in elevation and temporal flower availability. We expect decreased floral resources as elevation increases – due to environmental constraints – which may affect plant–florivore interactions. Yet if floral resources decrease but florivores remain constant, then we may expect an increase in florivory with increasing elevation in the community.

Methods
The flowering phenology of plant individuals was recorded in the Neotropical campo rupestre vegetation, in southeastern Brazil. Damage by florivores was recorded in plots at elevations ranging from 823 to 1411 m using two response variables as a proxy for florivory: the proportion of attacked flowers per plant and the proportion of petal removal on single flowers.

Key Results
Flower attack increased with elevation and damage was intensified in species with longer flowering periods. Conversely, longer flowering periods resulted in higher levels of petal removal with decreasing elevation. The temporal availability of flowers affected florivory, with the proportion of attacked flowers being more intense when there were fewer flowered individuals in the community. Petal removal on single flowers was intensified in plots with a larger number of individuals flowering, and with more species co-flowering.

Conclusions
This study provides one of the broadest records of a commonly neglected interaction of insects feeding on floral structures, quantifying the combined effect of floral display and availability along an elevation gradient in a highly biodiverse mountaintop community. These findings contribute to filling the gap in the understanding of florivory dynamics, focusing on a tropical mountaintop scenario facing imminent environmental changes and excessive natural resource exploitation.
Subcortical volume in middle-aged adults with fetal alcohol spectrum disorders
Authors: Bischoff-Grethe Amanda , Stoner Susan A , Riley Edward P , Moore Eileen M 
Published: September 2024

Abstract
Studies of youth and young adults with prenatal alcohol exposure (PAE) have most consistently reported reduced volumes of the corpus callosum, cerebellum and subcortical structures. However, it is unknown whether this continues into middle adulthood or if individuals with PAE may experience premature volumetric decline with aging. Forty-eight individuals with fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD) and 28 healthy comparison participants aged 30 to 65 participated in a 3T MRI session that resulted in usable T1-weighted and T2-weighted structural images. Primary analyses included volumetric measurements of the caudate, putamen, pallidum, cerebellum and corpus callosum using FreeSurfer software. Analyses were conducted examining both raw volumetric measurements and subcortical volumes adjusted for overall intracranial volume (ICV). Models tested for main effects of age, sex and group, as well as interactions of group with age and group with sex. We found the main effects for group; all regions were significantly smaller in participants with FASD for models using raw volumes (P’s &lt; 0.001) as well as for models using volumes adjusted for ICV (P’s &lt; 0.046). Although there were no significant interactions of group with age, females with FASD had smaller corpus callosum volumes relative to both healthy comparison females and males with FASD (P’s &lt; 0.001). As seen in children and adolescents, adults aged 30 to 65 with FASD showed reduced volumes of subcortical structures relative to healthy comparison adults, suggesting persistent impact of PAE. Moreover, the observed volumetric reduction of the corpus callosum in females with FASD could suggest more rapid degeneration, which may have implications for cognition as these individuals continue to age.