bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Winter storm risk assessment in forests with high resolution gust speed data
Authors: Zeppenfeld Thorsten , Jung Christopher , Schindler Dirk , Sennhenn-Reulen Holger , Ipsen Marie Josefin , Schmidt Matthias 
Published: May 2023

AbstractWinter storms pose a major threat to forest management in Central Europe. They affect forests at a large spatial scale and produce large losses in standing and merchantable timber within few hours. The assessment of winter storm vulnerability by statistical modelling serves as an important tool to tackle uncertainities about the damage risk and to inform management decision processes. This study made use of an extensive forest inventory data set from South-West Germany before and after winter storm Lothar in 1999, one of the most severe storm events in Germany over the last decades. Hierarchical logistic models were fitted to relate storm damage probability on individual tree level to features of dendrometry, site, orography, and storm-specific high resolution data of maximum gust speed. We developed two different approaches to implement gust speed as a predictor and compared them to a baseline model with a structured spatial effect function with no gust speed information. Regional and local variability which could not be described by the predictors was modelled by multi-level group effects. Generalisation performance was tested with a spatially and temporally independent data set on storm separation between explicit spatial gust speeds and unknown variability achieved with the parametric multi-level approach led to a higher degree of transparency and utilisability.
nmODE: neural memory ordinary differential equation
Authors: Yi Zhang 
Published: May 2023

AbstractBrain neural networks are regarded as dynamical systems in neural science, in which memories are interpreted as attractors of the systems. Mathematically, ordinary differential equations (ODEs) can be utilized to describe dynamical systems. Any ODE that is employed to describe the dynamics of a neural network can be called a neuralODE. Inspired by rethinking the nonlinear representation ability of existing artificial neural networks together with the functions of columns in the neocortex, this paper proposes a theory of memory-based neuralODE, which is composed of two novel artificial neural network models: nmODE and $$\epsilon$$
ϵ
-net, and two learning algorithms: nmLA and $$\epsilon$$
ϵ
-LA. The nmODE (neural memory Ordinary Differential Equation) is designed with a special structure that separates learning neurons from memory neurons, making its dynamics clear. Given any external input, the nmODE possesses the global attractor property and is thus embedded with a memory mechanism. The nmODE establishes a nonlinear mapping from the external input to its associated attractor and does not have the problem of learning features homeomorphic to the input data space, as occurs frequently in most existing neuralODEs. The nmLA (neural memory Learning Algorithm) is developed by proposing an interesting three-dimensional inverse ODE (invODE) and has advantages in memory and parameter efficiency. The proposed $$\epsilon$$
ϵ
-net is a discrete version of the nmODE, which is particularly feasible for digital computing. The proposed $$\epsilon$$
ϵ
-LA ($$\epsilon$$
ϵ
learning algorithm) requires no prior knowledge of the number of network layers. Both nmLA and $$\epsilon$$
ϵ
-LA have no problem with gradient vanishing. Experimental results show that the proposed theory is comparable to state-of-the-art methods.
Transient population dynamics drive the spread of invasive wild pigs and reveal impacts of management in North America
Authors: Miller Ryan S. , Tabak Michael A. , Wolfson David W. , Burdett Christopher L. 
Published: May 2023

AbstractInvasion of nonindigenous species is considered one of the most urgent problems affecting native ecosystems and agricultural systems. Mechanistic models that account for short-term population dynamics can improve prediction because they incorporate differing demographic processes that link the environmental conditions of a spatial location explicitly with the invasion process. Yet short-term population dynamics are rarely accounted for in spatial models of invasive species spread.Accounting for transient (short-term) population dynamics that arise from the interaction of age structure and vital rates, we predict the stochastic population growth rate and establishment probability of wild pigs following introduction into any location in North America. Established ecological theory suggests that the rate of spatial spread is proportional to population growth rate. Using observed geographic distribution data for wild pigs we calculated geographic spread rates (watersheds/year) from 1982 to 2021. We investigated if observed spread rates increased in watersheds with higher stochastic population growth rates. Stochastic population growth rate and establishment probability of wild pigs increased with increasing initial population (propagule) size and length of establishment time. Areas along the Mississippi, Ohio, and lower portions of the Missouri river drainages had the highest probability of wild pig establishment with many regions having probabilities close to 1. Spread rates demonstrated strong spatial heterogeneity with the greatest rates of spread (5.8 watersheds/year) occurring from 2008 to 2013 prior to the establishment of a National wild pig control program in 2013. Spread rates declined 82% (0.57 watersheds/year) in the period from 2013 to 2021 compared to the period from 1982 to 2013. We found significant positive associations among stochastic population growth rate and observed geographic rates of spread. Stochastic population growth rate explained a large amount of variation (79.3–92.1%) in annual rate of watershed spread of wild pigs. Our predicted probabilities of establishment and population growth can be used to inform surveillance and control efforts to reduce the potential for establishment and spread of wild pigs.
Ranking Trust Factors Affecting Risk Perception in Illicit Drug Purchase on the Darknet: A Large-Scale Survey Study in Hungary
Authors: Kiss Tibor , Szigeti Ákos 
Published: May 2023

Abstract The process of illicit drug trafficking on darknet markets is highly affected by various trust factors. Although the factors potentially affecting customers’ risk perception can be identified based on previous research, cyber criminology has not produced empirical research ranking the importance of the specific factors. This study was designed to fill this gap by developing a tool that measures the importance of the various trust factors. To test out the measurement tool, a large-scale survey with projective situational questions was conducted among university students in Hungary. The sample (n = 5481) was compiled to include potential darknet market customers, respondents with above-average computer skills needed to access the darknet, and taking into account that university students are a group of society particularly exposed to drug consumption. The end product of this research is a trust matrix ranking the factors affecting illicit drug purchases on darknet markets. Among the factors, the survey’s target group ranked reliable and undamaged delivery of goods and the reliability of vendors as the most important. The measurement tool developed in this research will facilitate further criminological research on vendor reputation. Its findings also point to the need for further research on delivery providers and predict that influencing the delivery-related risk perception of potential customers could effectively reduce demand.
Fingerprinting and analysis of Bluetooth devices with automata learning
Authors: Pferscher Andrea , Aichernig Bernhard K. 
Published: May 2023

AbstractAutomata learning is a technique to automatically infer behavioral models of black-box systems. Today’s learning algorithms enable the deduction of models that describe complex system properties, e.g., timed or stochastic behavior. Despite recent improvements in the scalability of learning algorithms, their practical applicability is still an open issue. Little work exists that actually learns models of physical black-box systems. To fill this gap in the literature, we present a case study on applying automata learning on the Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) protocol. It shows that not only the size of the system limits the applicability of automata learning. Also, the interaction with the system under learning creates a major bottleneck that is rarely discussed. In this article, we propose a general automata learning architecture for learning a behavioral model of the BLE protocol implemented by a physical device. With this framework, we can successfully learn the behavior of six investigated BLE devices. Furthermore, we extended the learning technique to learn security critical behavior, e.g., key-exchange procedures for encrypted communication. The learned models depict several behavioral differences and inconsistencies to the BLE specification. This shows that automata learning can be used for fingerprinting black-box devices, i.e., characterizing systems via their specific learned models. Moreover, learning revealed a crashing scenario for one device.
Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder in Times of COVID-19: Examining Emotional and Behavioral Problems, Parental Well-Being, and Resilience
Authors: de Maat Donna A. , Van der Hallen Ruth , de Nijs Pieter F. A. , Visser Kirsten , Bastiaansen Dennis , Truijens Femke L. , van Rijen Elisabeth H. M. , Ester Wietske , Prinzie Peter , Jansen Pauline W. , Dekker Linda P. 
Published: May 2023

Abstract
This longitudinal study assessed the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD; n = 62; M
age = 13 years) by measuring emotional and behavioral problems before and during the pandemic, and by comparing this change to a matched sample of children without ASD (n = 213; M
age = 16 years). Moreover, we examined whether indicators of parental well-being promoted resilience of children with ASD. Results showed that the mean change in problems did not differ between children with and without ASD. Importantly, some children showed an increase in problems, while others showed resilience. Parental well-being indicators were not related to resilience among children with ASD. The interindividual variability in responses, particularly among children with ASD, highlights the need for personalized support.
Should Private Exchanges of List Price Information Be Presumed to Be Anticompetitive?
Authors: Klein Timo , Neurohr Bertram 
Published: May 2023

AbstractHarrington (2022) provides a novel theory that explains how a private information exchange involving gross list prices can lead to higher transaction prices. On this basis, he considers that private list price exchanges between competitors should be presumed to harm competition. The theory, which has received much attention in the context of the EU trucks cartel case, was recently referred to by the UK Competition Appeal Tribunal as a “unilateral effects” theory, given that it involves no coordination once list prices have been exchanged. Unlike conventional collusion, the theory does not rely on a monitoring and retaliation mechanism. Given its novelty and relevance for recent competition cases, we consider it useful to explore its potential limitations. We show that both the scope for and magnitude of harm are sensitive to key modelling parameters such as the number of firms, the degree of product substitutability, and the level of marginal cost—sometimes in opposite directions. We also show that there may be no scope for the anticompetitive effect when firms are capacity constrained. Finally, we discuss several additional qualitative aspects that may undermine the theory of harm: the adaptability of internal pricing processes over time, the lack of verifiability of exchanged list price information (especially when the exchange is private), and possible procompetitive or competitively neutral reasons for the conduct. We conclude that, although Harrington provides an insightful addition to the wider literature on the competitive effects of information exchanges, the effects of list price exchanges are not sufficiently unambiguous to justify a general presumption of competitive harm.
Examining Student Testing and Debugging Within a Computational Systems Modeling Context
Authors: Bowers Jonathan , Eidin Emanuel , Stephens Lynn , Brennan Linsey 
Published: May 2023

AbstractInterpreting and creating computational systems models is an important goal of science education. One aspect of computational systems modeling that is supported by modeling, systems thinking, and computational thinking literature is “testing, evaluating, and debugging models.” Through testing and debugging, students can identify aspects of their models that either do not match external data or conflict with their conceptual understandings of a phenomenon. This disconnect encourages students to make model revisions, which in turn deepens their conceptual understanding of a phenomenon. Given that many students find testing and debugging challenging, we set out to investigate the various testing and debugging behaviors and behavioral patterns that students use when building and revising computational system models in a supportive learning environment. We designed and implemented a 6-week unit where students constructed and revised a computational systems model of evaporative cooling using SageModeler software. Our results suggest that despite being in a common classroom, the three groups of students in this study all utilized different testing and debugging behavioral patterns. Group 1 focused on using external peer feedback to identify flaws in their model, group 2 used verbal and written discourse to critique their model’s structure and suggest structural changes, and group 3 relied on systemic analysis of model output to drive model revisions. These results suggest that multiple aspects of the learning environment are necessary to enable students to take these different approaches to testing and debugging.
Smiling at moral misbehaviors: the effect of violation benignness and psychological distance
Authors: Franchin Laura , Osler Gabriele , Frizzera Martina , Geraci Alessandra , Surian Luca , Hadjichristidis Constantinos 
Published: May 2023

AbstractWhy do certain moral violations elicit amusement while others do not? According to McGraw and Warren’s (2010) benign-violation theory of humor, for a situation to elicit amusement it should involve a benign violation. Furthermore, the greater the psychological distance from the situation, the greater the amusement it will elicit. We tested this theory by recording spontaneous facial expressions and collecting self-ratings of amusement in response to classic scenarios of purity and harm violations, which we stated either from a psychologically close second-person perspective or a psychologically distant third-person perspective. A feature of these classic scenarios is that purity violations are relatively more benign (less malignant) than harm violations, which we independently found. The theory thus predicts more amusement elicitation for purity violations, which would be more pronounced when the hypothetical transgressor is a third party rather than the participant. We found that amusement was exclusively elicited by the more benign purity violations but no effect of psychological distance. Furthermore, the judged malignance of a violation was a strong predictor of amusement. Overall, the results partially support the benign violation theory of humor.
How to threaten in Russian: a constructionist approach
Authors: Zhukova Valentina 
Published: May 2023

AbstractThe article analyzes various linguistic means to carry out threats in Russian with special focus on 27 constructions tagged as “Threat” in the Russian Constructicon, a linguistic repository of more than 2200 constructions in the Russian language. The major purpose of the current study is to investigate what constitutes a threat in Russian and how threats are related to other constructions. Unlike talking about threats, performing them in Russian does not involve the verbs ugrožatʹ and grozitʹ ‘threaten’. Instead, speakers prefer to use various indirect strategies, such as the construction Pogovori mne eščë!‘Don’t you dare talk like that!’. Although the constructions involve considerable variation in form and content, they share a common structure. The proposed taxonomy suggests that threats comprise three components that can be referred to as “Cause” (the undesired action of the threatenee), “Condition” (the action that the threatenee should take to avoid the Content of the threat), and “Content” (the harmful action that the threatener promises to carry out). In most cases one or two components are left out and the remaining components are often referred to through metonymy. The article furthermore contributes to Construction Grammar: it is proposed that lateral relationships between constructions can be of two types, referred to as “Overlap” (sharing a common semantic schema) and “Disambiguation in context” (sharing a common constructional schema).
Comparative safety assessment of genetically modified crops: focus on equivalence with reference varieties could contribute to more efficient and effective field trials
Authors: Kleter Gijs A. , van der Voet Hilko , Engel Jasper , van der Berg Jan-Pieter 
Published: May 2023

AbstractThe initial compositional analysis of plants plays an important role within the internationally harmonized comparative safety assessment approach for genetically modified plants. Current EFSA guidance prescribes two types of comparison, namely difference tests with regard to a conventional comparator or control, and equivalence tests with regard to a collection of commercial reference varieties. The experience gained so far shows that most of the statistically significant differences between the test and control can be discounted based on the fact that they are still within equivalence limits of reference varieties with a presumed history of safe use. Inclusion of a test variety and reference varieties into field trial design, and of the statistical equivalence test would already suffice for the purpose of finding relevant parameters that warrant further assessment, hence both the inclusion of a conventional counterpart and the performance of difference testing can be omitted. This would also allow for the inclusion of safety testing regimes into plant variety testing VCU (value for cultivation and use) or other, independent variety trials.
Higher education graduates, vocational qualification, and income. Is higher education worthwhile for dual qualifiers?
Authors: Ordemann Jessica 
Published: May 2023

AbstractThis article explores the income of higher education graduates who have also completed vocational and educational training. I use data from a linked data set of the student cohort SC5 of the National Educational Panel Study (NEPS) and the Institute for Employment Research (IAB), NEPS-SC5-ADIAB. The sample contains 3483 direct qualifiers, 1002 dual qualifiers with and 213 without Abitur. Longitudinal and pooled Poisson regressions are estimated to explore the income trajectories within the careers of dual qualifiers and for comparison with direct qualifiers. The results are ambiguous—from an intragenerational perspective only dual qualifiers without Abitur and a master’s degree earn more after studying. Measured against direct qualifiers, however, dual qualifiers with a bachelor’s degree earn more. An important influencing factor remains the labor market and the jobs held there.
Effect of Substrate Bed Temperature on Solute Segregation and Mechanical Properties in Ti–6Al–4V Produced by Laser Powder Bed Fusion
Authors: Pedrazzini S. , Pek M. E. , Ackerman A. K. , Cheng Q. , Ali H. , Ghadbeigi H. , Mumtaz K. , Dessolier T. , Britton T. B. , Bajaj P. , Jägle E. , Gault B. , London A. J. , Galindo-Nava E. 
Published: May 2023

AbstractTitanium alloys are particularly sensitive to temperature during additive manufacturing processes, due to their dual phase microstructure and sensitivity to oxygen uptake. In this paper, laser powder bed fusion (LPBF) was used in conjunction with a heated substrate bed at 100 °C, 570 °C and 770 °C to produce specimens of Ti–6Al–4V, to investigate the change in mechanical properties and segregation of alloying elements. An initial increase in ductility was observed when increasing the temperature from 100 °C to 570 °C, followed by a significant loss in ductility when samples were produced at 770 °C. A suite of multi-scale characterisation techniques revealed that the as-printed microstructure was drastically different across the range of temperatures. At 100 °C, α + α′ phases were identified. Deformation twinning was extensively observed in the a phase, with Al and V segregating at the twin interfaces. At 570 °C (the most ductile sample), α′, α and nano-particles of β were observed, with networks of entangled dislocations showing V segregation. At 770 °C, no martensitic α′ was identified. The microstructure was an α + β microstructure and an increased volume fraction of tangled dislocations with localised V segregation. Thermodynamic modelling based on the Gibbs-free energy of formation showed that the increased V concentration at dislocations was insufficient to locally nucleate β phase. However, b-phase nucleation at grain boundaries (not dislocations) caused pinning of grain boundaries, impeding slip and leading to a reduction in ductility. It is likely that the increased O-content within specimens printed at increased temperatures also played a key role in high-temperature embrittlement. Building operations are therefore best performed below sub-transus temperatures, to encourage the growth of strengthening phases via solute segregation, and the build atmosphere must be tightly controlled to reduce oxygen uptake within the samples.
Medium Term Outcomes of Revision Laparoscopic Sleeve Gastrectomy after Gastric Banding: A Propensity Score Matched Study
Authors: Huang Brenda W. , Shahul Sarfraz S. , Ong Marcus K.H. , Fisher Oliver M. , Chan Daniel L. , Talbot Michael L. 
Published: May 2023

Abstract
Purpose
Revision bariatric surgery may be undertaken after weight loss failure and/or complications following primary bariatric surgery. This study aims to compare the efficacy and safety of revision laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy (RLSG) after gastric banding (GB) to those of primary laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy (PLSG).

Materials and Methods
A retrospective, propensity-score matched study was conducted to compare between PLSG (control) patients and RLSG after GB (treatment) patients. Patients were matched using 2:1 nearest neighbor propensity score matching without replacement. Patients were compared on weight loss outcomes and postoperative complications for up to five years.

Results
144 PLSG patients were compared against 72 RLSG patients. At 36 months, PLSG patients had significantly higher mean %TWL than RLSG patients (27.4 ± 8.6 [9.3–48.9]% vs. 17.9 ± 10.2 [1.7–36.3]%, p < 0.01). At 60 months, both groups had similar mean %TWL (16.6 ± 8.1 [4.6–31.3]% vs. 16.2 ± 6.0 [8.8–22.4)]%, p > 0.05). Early functional complication rates were slightly higher with PLSG (13.9% vs. 9.7%), but late functional complication rates were comparatively higher with RLSG (50.0% vs. 37.5%). The differences were not statistically significant (p > 0.05). Both early (0.7% vs 4.2%) and late (3.5% vs 8.3%) surgical complication rates were lower in PLSG patients compared to RLSG patients but did not reach statistical significance (p > 0.05).

Conclusion
RLSG after GB has poorer weight loss outcomes than PLSG in the short-term. Although RLSG may carry higher risks of functional complications, the safety of RLSG and PLSG are overall comparable.

Graphical abstract