bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Documentation of commercial and subsistence hunting of Critically Endangered black-and-white ruffed lemurs (Varecia variegata) in northeastern Madagascar
Authors: Schüßler Dominik , Rafamantanantsoa Stephan Michel , Ratsimbazafy Jonah H. , Richter Torsten , Radespiel Ute 
Published: November 2023

AbstractHunting of wild animals for meat and habitat loss are the main drivers of wildlife population decline around the world, and in tropical regions in particular. While Madagascar is a hotspot for biodiversity, hunting is widespread, mostly in form of subsistence hunting, while hunting for the pet trade is less often reported.We studied hunting of the Critically Endangered black-and-white ruffed lemur (Varecia variegata) in northeastern Madagascar. Using lemur surveys (102.7 km survey effort) and 54 semi-structured and seven key informant interviews, we assessed the local knowledge, hunting pressure, and the perceived and actual abundances of V. variegata in two hunting and two non-hunting villages.V. variegata was well known (> 83%) by the respondents but abundance estimates differed significantly between hunting and non-hunting villages, with 26% and 77% of respondents, respectively, estimating a high abundance of ruffed lemurs in the adjacent forests of the villages. Actual observations of V. variegata also differed strongly, in accordance to perceived abundances. Hunting was either done by trapping animals or by pursuit hunts. In both hunting villages, adult lemurs were used for direct meat consumption and juveniles for rearing for the later trade. Hand-raised V. variegata were reported to be sold for 38–71 USD on regional markets or ‘delivered’ directly to buyers.While wildlife hunting has been widely reported from all over Madagascar, commercial hunting, hand-rearing and trading adds a new dimension of threat towards these Critically Endangered lemurs. As such, the extent of the trade is a priority for future studies.
How subjectivities and subject-making influence community participation in climate change adaptation: the case of Vietnam
Authors: Le Van Thi Hong , Tran Thong Anh , Rola-Rubzen Maria Fay 
Published: November 2023

AbstractCritical scholars on power relations and climate change adaptation have highlighted the lack of community participation as a consequence of unbalanced power operations. Evidence about how unequal power relations and subject formation constrain public participation, however, is under-studied. In this paper, we utilised the intersection between community participation and the subjectivities lens to examine how a hierarchical political structure systematically operates to influence community engagement in adaptation and how and why local communities are included or excluded from adaptation as a result of subject-making, using Vietnam as a case study. Using 66 semi-structured interviews and ten focus group discussions involving policymakers, practitioners, local authorities, and communities, we examined how the key respondents stereotyped local roles and capacity in agricultural adaptation activities. Applying content analysis, we found that the general population in Vietnam is often framed as lacking knowledge and capacity to respond to climate impacts. Reflected through a traditional government-led model in two agricultural adaptation projects, the study showed that subtle but pervasive subjectivities and subject-making processes constrain community participation by affecting perceptions and, subsequently, actions of key stakeholders, undermining local roles and capacity in undertaking adaptation. These perpetuate the power imbalance between local communities and government entities. The findings contribute to the prevailing scholarship of climate change adaptation that, under an authoritarian regime, local capacity is undermined not only by powerholders but also by community members as they consent to government decisions.
Provable lattice reduction of $$\mathbb {Z}^n$$ with blocksize n/2
Authors: Ducas Léo 
Published: November 2023

AbstractThe Lattice Isomorphism Problem (LIP) is the computational task of recovering, assuming it exists, an orthogonal linear transformation sending one lattice to another. For cryptographic purposes, the case of the trivial lattice $$\mathbb Z^n$$

Z
n

is of particular interest ($$\mathbb {Z}$$
Z
LIP). Heuristic analysis suggests that the BKZ algorithm with blocksize $$\beta = n/2 + o(n)$$

β
=
n
/
2
+
o
(
n
)

solves such instances (Ducas, Postlethwaite, Pulles, van Woerden, ASIACRYPT 2022). In this work, I propose a provable version of this statement, namely, that $$\mathbb {Z}$$
Z
LIP can indeed be solved by making polynomially many calls to a Shortest Vector Problem oracle in dimension at most $$n/2 + 1$$

n
/
2
+
1

.
A three-stage matheuristic for home blood donation appointment reservation and collection routing
Authors: Doneda Martina , Yalçındağ Semih , Lanzarone Ettore 
Published: November 2023

AbstractIn Western countries, the so-called Blood Donation Supply Chain (BDSC) provides blood units to several health services. Its first echelon is the collection of unit from donors, which requires a careful management because an unbalanced supply of units to the rest of the chain could trigger alternating periods of blood shortage and wastage. However, the management of blood collection is only marginally studied in the literature, in comparison to other BDSC echelons. In this work, we propose a new organizational model for blood collection, in which blood is collected at donor’s homes, and provide a decision support tool for its management. This new model provides a novel contribution to the understudied blood collection echelon and, at the same time, it responds to the emerging need of delocalization of health services. The proposed decision support tool consists of an interconnected matheuristic framework with three decision stages: (i) a planning model to create the donation slots that will be assigned to donors, (ii) an online allocation of these slots using a flexible set of criteria, and (iii) a Multi-Trip Vehicle Routing Problem with Time Windows (MTVRP-TW) to route the bloodmobiles that collect blood at donors’ homes. The main goals are to balance the production of blood units between days and to minimize the distance travelled by the bloodmobile fleet, while respecting time windows negotiated with donors. This framework also has the feature of immediately providing a list of slots to choose from when a donor makes a booking request. The decision support tool has been tested on data from a real Italian provider. Results confirm its effectiveness, and the capability of providing good quality and economically sustainable solutions in reasonable timeframes.
Psychometric Properties of the Dutch Contextual Assessment of Social Skills (CASS): An Independent Observational Outcome Measure of Social Skills in Autistic Adolescents
Authors: Idris Sakinah , ten Hoeve Femke H. F. , Ratto Allison B. , White Susan W. , van Haren Neeltje , Greaves-Lord Kirstin 
Published: November 2023

AbstractThe goal of this study was to translate and adapt the original 9-item of the Contextual Assessment of Social Skills (CASS) to a Dutch version and assess its psychometric qualities. Autistic adolescents aged 12 to 18 years (n = 99) took part in a randomized controlled trial. In this study, pre-intervention data were utilized. The original CASS was adapted to ensure cultural relevance and the content validity was assessed. Data was used to assess reliability and structural validity, using confirmatory factor analysis. 4-item were added to the CASS during the adaptation to better align with the objectives of the experimental intervention. The original 9-item had inter-item correlations between .01 and .70. The Cronbach’s alpha for the original 4-item total score was moderate (α = .69), while for a 7-item total score, it was high (α = .86). This 7-item total score had a sufficient model fit (Comparative Fit Index = .90). This total score had a significant correlation with the Assertion subscale of the Social Skills Improvement System-Adolescent (SSIS-A) (r = 0.26, p < .01), and the Social Responsiveness Scale-2 (SRS-2) total score (r = − .21, p = .04) indicating sufficient convergent validity. The CASS total score was not correlated with the Repetitive and Restricted Behavior scale of the SRS-2 (r = − .08, p = .43), indicating sufficient divergent validity. The Dutch CASS can be considered a conceptually sound and reliable observational instrument for assessing social conversational skills in Dutch autistic youth. Further evaluation of its feasibility when implemented in practice, outside of clinical research, is needed.Trial registration: Dutch trail register NTR6255 (NL6117) 08/02/2017 https://www.trialregister.nl/trial/6117
A pseudo-sluicing analysis of reduced embedded questions in Chakhar Mongolian
Authors: Bai Xue , Takahashi Daiko 
Published: November 2023

AbstractThis paper provides a detailed description of reduced embedded questions in Chakhar Mongolian and proposes to analyze them in terms of so-called pseudo-sluicing. It has been noted in the literature that the comparable construction in Khalkha Mongolian does not exhibit the so-called case-matching effect, a phenomenon in which the case of a remnant interrogative phrase matches that of its correlate in the preceding context. We show that it also holds in Chakhar Mongolian. We argue that reduced embedded questions in the language have a pseudo-sluicing structure, which straightforwardly accounts for the absence of the relevant effect. Our proposal is supported by the appearance of a copula and pronominal subjects in those reduced questions and by the fact that reduced questions can be pragmatically controlled.
Acoustic Stall Detection of Variable Pitch Propeller for Unmanned Aerial Vehicles
Authors: Podsȩdkowski Maciej , Konopiński Rafał , Lipian Michał 
Published: November 2023

AbstractThis paper presents an analysis of acoustic emission and performance data of a UAV rotor equipped with a variable pitch propeller. The proposed study aims to show propeller noise features that indicate stall flow regime on the blade. Analysis of the noise characteristics around the propeller in terms of power spectral density allow to detect the stall. The study shows that a microphone located at different angles around the propeller can provide data sufficient to determine if the blade angle of attack has forced the propeller into the stall regime. In this range, the propeller’s efficiency in hover decreases and leads to an increase in power consumption. The reresearch is a suggests a method of data treatment to obtain a single parameter indicating a blade stall.
Assessing the Strengths and Weaknesses of Large Language Models
Authors: Lappin Shalom 
Published: November 2023

AbstractThe transformers that drive chatbots and other AI systems constitute large language models (LLMs). These are currently the focus of a lively discussion in both the scientific literature and the popular media. This discussion ranges from hyperbolic claims that attribute general intelligence and sentience to LLMs, to the skeptical view that these devices are no more than “stochastic parrots”. I present an overview of some of the weak arguments that have been presented against LLMs, and I consider several of the more compelling criticisms of these devices. The former significantly underestimate the capacity of transformers to achieve subtle inductive inferences required for high levels of performance on complex, cognitively significant tasks. In some instances, these arguments misconstrue the nature of deep learning. The latter criticisms identify significant limitations in the way in which transformers learn and represent patterns in data. They also point out important differences between the procedures through which deep neural networks and humans acquire knowledge of natural language. It is necessary to look carefully at both sets of arguments in order to achieve a balanced assessment of the potential and the limitations of LLMs.
Graphite Recycling by Doping Nano-materials for Water Treatment
Authors: Ibrahim F. A. , Mosa Sawsan Mohamed Abu El Hassan 
Published: November 2023

AbstractThis paper presents graphite recycling by doping nanosilver for water filtration because of the need for secure water for consumption. It has demonstrated the significance of looking for alternative materials that can filter water independently or in combination with other materials. Adsorbent nanomaterials have unique characteristics as compared to conventional ones due to their small size and significant surface area relative to volume ratio. In this study, an effort is made to test the usability of nanomaterials, such as graphite-doped nanosilver, as adsorbents for the elimination of different kinds of heavy metals from water. This study detects the elimination of metal ions from aqueous solutions by using modified graphite nanosheets. The shape of the synthesized graphite adsorbent nanosheet was characterized by spectroscopic analyses such as SEM and HR-TEM. The sizes of these nanocrystals are comparatively small, at about 38 nm for Ag and 56 nm for G–Ag samples, as shown by HR-TEM. The results showed that raising the duration of immersion and adsorbent quantity improved adsorption effectiveness. Chemical treatment frequently affects the surface characteristics of nanoadsorbents and considerably enhances their adsorption capacities. The metal-nanomaterial interactions, processes, and capacities of nanomaterial-based adsorption are analyzed and described in this work in a variety of experimental settings. The improved adsorbent graphite recycling showed a significant adsorption efficiency of 91.7% for heavy metals. It is vital to research ecologically friendly and sustainable applications that can lead to innovative and revolutionary water treatment systems.
Increase in the efficiency of electricity production with a thermoelectric generator (TEG)
Authors: Górszczak Piotr , Rywotycki Marcin , Kąc Sławomir , Borówka Maciej 
Published: November 2023

AbstractCurrently used TEG modules have low efficiency of about 5%. The energy generated by the TEG module depends on the temperature difference between the module surfaces. Heat exchange between the heat source and the module surface takes place through the contact between two rough solid surfaces. This creates contact resistance. It can be reduced by using a substance filling the empty spaces between the contact surfaces and applying pressure. During the tests, the efficiency of electricity generation with a thermoelectric generator was measured (TEG) at various pressure forces. The tests were carried out at a pressure force of 250 N, 500 N, 750 N and 1000 N. The selected values of pressure do not exceed the limit value arising from the thermoelectric generator (TEG) design. A copper element constituting the heat source was heated in a furnace. Next, it was pressed at an adequate force to the generator, which was placed on a water cooler. The impact of conductive materials placed between the faces of the heat source and the TEG on the generation of electricity was examined. At low forces, the use of a thermal pad as an intermediary substance does not result in improved heat transfer in the heat source—TEG generator system. Better filling of voids is provided by thermally conductive paste due to its properties.
Pre- and post-Messinian deformational styles along the northern Nile Delta Basin in the framework of the Eastern Mediterranean tectonic evolution
Authors: Shalaby Ahmed , Sarhan Mohammad Abdelfattah 
Published: November 2023

AbstractThe present work is focused on the structural deformation styles of the pre- and post-Messinian sequences of the Nile Delta Basin. The structural interpretations presented in this study shed critical insight about the evolution of the Nile Delta Basin through pre- and post-Messinian times, provides high reliability about its origin and development in the context of the Eastern Mediterranean tectonic history. The explanation for the seismic data covering three different gas fields (Baltim Field, Temsah Field and North Sinai Field) extend along the northern offshore portion of the Nile Delta Basin revealed significant variations in the deformational styles between the pre- and the post-Messinian sequences. The pre-Messinian rocks were mainly compressed in northwest-southeast direction creating folding-related compressional deformations which gradually decline eastward. The post-Messinian sequence exhibits differences in the deformational models between the examined fields. In Baltim field, it shows extensional features caused by the bulk northeast-southwest extensional deformation. However, in Temsah and North Sinai fields, this post-Messinian succession exposes north–south compressional deformation. These interpreted deformational directions are extremely well-matched with the regional structure configuration of the Nile Delta Basin and the eastern Mediterranean regions.
Classification bullying/cyberbullying through smartphone sensor and a questionnaire application
Authors: Convertini Vito Nicola , Gattulli Vincenzo , Impedovo Donato , Terrone Grazia 
Published: November 2023

AbstractThis study establishes a correlation between computer science and psychology, specifically focusing on the incorporation of smartphone sensors and users' personality index. A limited number of state-of-the-art approaches have considered these factors, while no existing dataset currently encompasses this correlation. In this study, an Android application was developed to implement a questionnaire on bullying and cyberbullying, using smartphone sensors to predict Personal Index. Sensor data are collected in the “UNIBA HAR Dataset” and were analyzed using AI algorithms to find a correlation between the categorization class of the questionnaire (Personality Index) and the prediction of ML behavioral models. The results indicate that the Bayesian Bridge with "Bullying bully vs. Victimization bullying" and "Total bullying vs. Total victimization" performs better on average 0.94 accuracy, and the LSTM with the last categorization performs 0.89 accuracy. These results are crucial for future development in the same research area.
Graphical abstract
The Roman and Viennese indices of prohibited books in Austrian and Bohemian lands under Maria Theresa
Authors: Vidmar Luka 
Published: November 2023

AbstractUnder Maria Theresa (ruled 1740‒1780), handling books in Austrian and Bohemian lands was largely governed by the Index librorum prohibitorum, which the Catholic Church in Rome started publishing in 1559, and the Catalogus librorum a commissione aulica prohibitorum, which the Court Book Censorship Committee in Vienna published from 1754 onward. Through censorship secularization, the Viennese index gradually replaced the Roman one, but that did not mean it did not copy it or that it was more liberal. It was created under the influence of the (moderate and Catholic) Enlightenment, but its main goals continued to be protecting the faith and the Church, as well as pursuing the interests of the (Catholic) ruling dynasty and its state. The Viennese index soon reached the same length as the Roman one, but it by far exceeded it in the frequency of its updates and releases. Compared to the Roman index, it had a more internal character: it did not list the names of the ruler (and co-regent) and responsible officials, nor the areas it applied to. It was more forgiving toward scholarly and older Protestant, political, and philosophical works. It treated pseudo-scholarly and more recent Protestant works, as well as old literature, in a similar way as the Roman index (i.e., mostly strictly), and it was stricter toward religious Catholic works and more recent political and philosophical works and literature (especially plays).
Generic optimization approach of soil hydraulic parameters for site-specific model applications
Authors: Trenz Jonas , Memic Emir , Batchelor William D. , Graeff-Hönninger Simone 
Published: November 2023

AbstractSite-specific crop management is based on the postulate of varying soil and crop requirements in a field. Therefore, a field is separated into homogenous management zones, using available data to adapt management practices environment to maximize productivity and profitability while reducing environmental impacts. Due to advancing sensor technologies, crop growth and yield data on more minor scales are common, but soil data often needs to be more appropriate. Crop growth models have shown promise as a decision support tool for site-specific farming. The Decision Support System for Agrotechnology Transfer (DSSAT) is a widely used point-based model. To overcome the problem of inappropriate soil input data problem, this study introduces an external plug-in program called Soil Profile Optimizer (SPO), which uses the current DSSAT v4.8 to calibrate soil profile parameters on a site-specific level. Developed as an inverse modelling approach, the SPO can calibrate selected soil profile parameters by targeting available in-season plant data. Root Mean Square Error (RMSE) and normalized RMSE as error minimization criteria are used. The SPO was tested and evaluated by comparing different simulation scenarios in a case study of a 3-yr field trial with maize. The scenario with optimized soil profiles, conducted with the SPO, resulted in an R2 of 0.76 between simulated and observed yield and led to significant improvements compared to the scenario conducted with field scale soil profile information (R2 0.03). The SPO showed promise in using spatial plant measurements to estimate management zone scale soil parameters required for the DSSAT model.
Marriage: an institution you cannot disparage? Evidence on the marriage norms of entrepreneurs
Authors: Stamm Isabell , Bernhard Fabian , Ahrens Jan-Philipp , Istipliler Baris 
Published: November 2023

AbstractEntrepreneurship research increasingly acknowledges marriage as an important resource for long-term commitment to entrepreneurial ventures. At the same time, family scholars emphasize the deinstitutionalization of marriage in many countries, meaning that marriage as formalized and long-term companionship has lost importance. We contend that outdated ideological positions in entrepreneurship studies on marriage potentially obscure the more complex reality of the marriage norms of entrepreneurs. Using representative panel data from Germany, our study demonstrates that there is substantial heterogeneity among marriage norms internalized by entrepreneurs in various contexts. While entrepreneurs, on average, are less likely to internalize companion marriage norms than the general population, family entrepreneurs are significantly more likely to internalize companion marriage norms. We provide new insight into the link between marriage norms and entrepreneurship and open promising new areas of inquiry with regard to social norms and entrepreneurial activity.