bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
A calculus for modular loop acceleration and non-termination proofs
Authors: Frohn Florian , Fuhs Carsten 
Published: October 2022

AbstractLoop acceleration can be used to prove safety, reachability, runtime bounds, and (non-)termination of programs. To this end, a variety of acceleration techniques have been proposed. However, so far all of them have been monolithic, i.e., a single loop could not be accelerated using a combination of several different acceleration techniques. In contrast, we present a calculus that allows for combining acceleration techniques in a modular way and we show how to integrate many existing acceleration techniques into our calculus. Moreover, we propose two novel acceleration techniques that can be incorporated into our calculus seamlessly. Some of these acceleration techniques apply only to non-terminating loops. Thus, combining them with our novel calculus results in a new, modular approach for proving non-termination. An empirical evaluation demonstrates the applicability of our approach, both for loop acceleration and for proving non-termination.
The growth of abelian sections
Authors: Sabatini Luca 
Published: October 2022

AbstractGiven an abstract group G, we study the function $$ab_n(G) := \sup _{|G:H| \le n} |H/[H,H]|$$

a

b
n

(
G
)

:
=

sup

|
G
:
H
|
≤
n

|
H
/

[
H
,
H
]

|

. If G has no abelian composition factors, then $$ab_n(G)$$

a

b
n

(
G
)

is bounded by a polynomial: as a consequence, we find a sharp upper bound for the representation growth of these groups.
Sequestration of cucurbitacins from cucumber plants by Diabrotica balteata larvae provides little protection against biological control agents
Authors: Bruno Pamela , Arce Carla C. M. , Machado Ricardo A. R. , Besomi Gaia , Spescha Anna , Glauser Gaétan , Jaccard Charlyne , Benrey Betty , Turlings Ted C. J. 
Published: October 2022

AbstractCucurbitaceae plants produce cucurbitacins, bitter triterpenoids, to protect themselves against various insects and pathogens. Adult banded cucumber beetles (Diabrotica balteata), a common pest of maize and cucurbits, sequester cucurbitacins, presumably as a defensive mechanism against their natural enemies, which might reduce the efficacy of biological control agents. Whether the larvae also sequester and are protected by cucurbitacins is unclear. We profiled cucurbitacin levels in four varieties of cucumber, Cucumis sativus, and in larvae fed on these varieties. Then, we evaluated larval growth and resistance against common biocontrol organisms including insect predators, entomopathogenic nematodes, fungi and bacteria. We found considerable qualitative and quantitative differences in the cucurbitacin levels of the four cucumber varieties. While two varieties were fully impaired in their production, the other two accumulated high levels of cucurbitacins. We also observed that D. balteata larvae sequester and metabolize cucurbitacins, and although the larvae fed extensively on both belowground and aboveground tissues, the sequestered cucurbitacins were mainly derived from belowground tissues. Cucurbitacins had no detrimental effects on larval performance and, surprisingly, did not provide protection against any of the natural enemies evaluated. Our results show that D. balteata larvae can indeed sequester and transform cucurbitacins, but sequestered cucurbitacins do not impact the biocontrol potential of common natural enemies used in biocontrol. Hence, this plant trait should be conserved in plant breeding programs, as it has been demonstrated in previous studies that it can provide protection against plant pathogens and generalist insects.
Cyber Threat Intelligence Sharing Scheme Based on Federated Learning for Network Intrusion Detection
Authors: Sarhan Mohanad , Layeghy Siamak , Moustafa Nour , Portmann Marius 
Published: October 2022

AbstractThe uses of machine learning (ML) technologies in the detection of network attacks have been proven to be effective when designed and evaluated using data samples originating from the same organisational network. However, it has been very challenging to design an ML-based detection system using heterogeneous network data samples originating from different sources and organisations. This is mainly due to privacy concerns and the lack of a universal format of datasets. In this paper, we propose a collaborative cyber threat intelligence sharing scheme to allow multiple organisations to join forces in the design, training, and evaluation of a robust ML-based network intrusion detection system. The threat intelligence sharing scheme utilises two critical aspects for its application; the availability of network data traffic in a common format to allow for the extraction of meaningful patterns across data sources and the adoption of a federated learning mechanism to avoid the necessity of sharing sensitive users’ information between organisations. As a result, each organisation benefits from the intelligence of other organisations while maintaining the privacy of its data internally. In this paper, the framework has been designed and evaluated using two key datasets in a NetFlow format known as NF-UNSW-NB15-v2 and NF-BoT-IoT-v2. In addition, two other common scenarios are considered in the evaluation process; a centralised training method where local data samples are directly shared with other organisations and a localised training method where no threat intelligence is shared. The results demonstrate the efficiency and effectiveness of the proposed framework by designing a universal ML model effectively classifying various benign and intrusive traffic types originating from multiple organisations without the need for inter-organisational data exchange.
What learning Latin verbal morphology tells us about morphological theory
Authors: Kodner Jordan 
Published: October 2022

AbstractThe Classical Latin verb has featured prominently in theoretical morphology. In particular, the notoriously unpredictable forms of the past participles that nevertheless show reliable syncretism with a semantically diverse set of deverbals challenge our notions about the relationship between form and meaning. The various treatments of this system disagree not only in their theoretical building blocks but also in their basic assumptions about what ought to be explained, which makes it difficult to properly evaluate them against one another. This paper aims to empirically motivate the prior assumptions about productivity and arbitrariness that drive these accounts. In applying insights developed for child language acquisition to a large Latin corpus, the theoretical frameworks are compared on equal footing. It becomes clear that the productive past participle forms do not line up well with the frequency-based assumptions of prior accounts and instead mirror the diachronic developments that the system underwent on its path to Romance. A new treatment is proposed to incorporate the acquisition results and to conform with diachronic outcomes. The methods developed here reveal explanatory gaps in the theories that had not previously been appreciated and emphasize the importance of quantitative evidence from a range of sources in future morphological analysis.
First detection of emerging HoBi-like Pestivirus (BVD-3) among some persistently infected dairy cattle herds in Egypt
Authors: Afify Ahmed F. , Hassanien Rabab T. , Abdelmegeed Hala K. , Abouelyazeed Ebtsam A. , Ali M. H. , Abdelwahed Dina A. , Behour Tahani S. 
Published: October 2022

AbstractBovine viral diarrhoea virus (BVDV) is a serious veterinary health concern worldwide. We conducted this study to determine the prevalence of persistent infections (PI) and identify the current strain among some dairy cattle herds in Egypt. A total of 240 serum samples were collected from six Egyptian provinces. Between 2019 and 2020, samples were tested by Enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for detection of PI animals, and then molecular characterization was performed. Six calves were found PI with a prevalence of 2.5% (6/240). Using molecular characterization, HoBi-like Pestivirus (BVD-3) was successfully identified in Egypt for the first time. Based on the BVD-3 reference strains on Genbank, the detected strains had an identity ranging from 98.8 to 99.6%. Partial nucleotide sequence of the 5′UTR gene for six tested samples was submitted to Genbank with accessions: OM324396, OM324397, OM324398, OM324399, OM3243100, and OM3243101.
Epiplastic microhabitats for epibenthic organisms: a new inland water frontier for diatoms
Authors: Taurozzi Davide , Cesarini Giulia , Scalici Massimiliano 
Published: October 2022

AbstractPlastic pollution is widespread in each type of ecosystems. However, the colonization events of microorganisms on plastics seem to be neglected in inland waters. Therefore, in this study we analyze the possible colonization on the surface (hereafter epiplastic microhabitats) of two typology of plastic supports by diatom community. Specifically, we located 20 supports in expanded polystyrene and 20 in polyethylene terephthalate both floating and dipped (~ 1 m) in a central Italian shallow water pond, in order to evaluate the diachronic colonization of diatoms from November 2019 to August 2020. Our result showed the tendency in colonizing both epiplastic microhabitats without significant differences in number of species; additionally, depth does not appear to affect the number of species. As regard the temporal colonization, the number of species tends to increase over time from autumn-winter to spring-summer in both types of epiplastic microhabitats and depth. Instead, increase in dominance of some species over time has been demonstrated: only a few species keep a high number of individuals compared to the others; therefore, the number of individuals within the species is not uniformly distributed. These results suggest the tendency of diatom community to colonize plastic supports in lentic waters, and this evidence can be very important because artificial supports can increase the surface available for the settlement of the algae community with an increase of productivity and the colonization of new communities of different taxa. Further studies are mandatory to investigate the possible effects on the epiplastic community and the ecological implications in freshwater environments.
Occurrence of organic pollutants in the River Itchen and River Test—two chalk streams in Southern England, UK
Authors: Robinson Rosamund F. A. , Mills Graham A. , Gravell Anthony , Schumacher Melanie , Fones Gary R. 
Published: October 2022

Abstract
The River Itchen and River Test, two chalk streams in Southern England, are sites of special scientific interest. These ecosystems face a number of environmental pressures from anthropogenic inputs of organic pollutants. Hence, we investigated the occurrence of these chemicals within the two catchments. Spot water samples (1 L) were collected at nineteen sites along the catchment on two occasions (March and June 2019). Samples were extracted (HLB-L sorbent disks) and analysed using high-resolution liquid chromatography-quadrupole-time-of-flight mass spectrometry and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Compounds were identified against commercially available databases. Using this approach, we found 115 pharmaceutical and personal care products, 81 plant protection products and 35 industrial chemicals. This complex mixture of pollutants covered a range of physico-chemical properties and included priority substances in the EU Water Framework Directive or currently on the third Watch List. Both rivers had similar chemical profiles for both months. Herbicides and fungicides were dominant in the spring, whereas insecticides occurred more frequently in the summer. Point discharges from wastewater treatment plants were the main source of pharmaceutical and personal care products. Agricultural activities were the main contributor to the presence of plant protection products. The impact of these organic chemicals on the ecology, particularly on macroinvertebrate biodiversity, is unknown and warrants further investigation. Our suspect screening approach could guide future toxicological investigations to assess the environmental impacts of these diverse chemicals.
Lack of Awareness, Body Confidence and Connotations of Sex: An Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis of Barriers Affecting the Decision to Attend Initial Cervical Cancer Screening
Authors: Brook-Rowland Phoebe , Finlay Katherine A. 
Published: October 2022

AbstractThis study sought to understand how cervical cancer screening (CCS) awareness, sexual connotations and body image influenced the likelihood of CCS uptake in women yet to attend. Eleven females, aged 23–24, yet to attend CCS, were purposefully sampled. Interview transcripts were analysed using interpretative phenomenological analysis, generating three superordinate themes: (1) building screening expectations, (2) confronting sexual connotations and (3) growing pains. Findings demonstrated how a lack of awareness of CCS and the sexual connotations implicit in CCS acted as a barrier to attendance, exacerbated by negative body image comparisons between oneself and online or social media-based images. The perceived sexual connotations of CCS, and the resulting embarrassment, bolsters the case for self-screening, removing the need to attend clinic screening appointments. Reconceptualising screening using a theoretical model of the relationship between body image disturbances and body-focused screening behaviours among women, could lead to the development of pro-screening social media interventions.
Is the Effect of Environmental Attitudes on Behavior Driven Solely by Unobserved Heterogeneity?
Authors: Andersen Henrik Kenneth , Mayerl Jochen 
Published: October 2022

AbstractA large body of research exists investigating the link between environmental attitudes and behavior. Many empirical studies have found modest positive effects, suggesting that attitudes toward the environment might indeed influence environmental behavior. However, most of the previous empirical work is cross-sectional and correlational in nature. This means that the issue of the causal effect of environmental attitudes on behavior is far from settled, and that the relationships observed in the past may be due to unobserved confounders. In a panel study using six waves of the GESIS Panel Survey, we examine the individual-level effect of changes in one’s attitudes on changes in different forms of environmental behavior. We use fixed effects panel regression within the structural equation modeling framework to control for unobserved time-invariant confounders, while also tackling other methodological challenges. We find that environmental attitudes have no effect on behavior after controlling for unobserved confounders. However, there is a robust effect of attitudes on willingness to sacrifice. This suggests that creating more positive attitudes might make individuals more willing to accept sacrifices for environmental protection.
The Use of Fi-Index Tool to Assess Per-manuscript Self-citations
Authors: Fiorillo Luca , Cicciù Marco 
Published: October 2022

AbstractBibliometric parameters are now increasingly used in the evaluation of scientific research and researchers/authors. Over the years, different indices have been taken into consideration with the aim of “quantifying” different authors. A new index was recently defined, the Fi-index, with the aim of evaluate how much the h-index of a given author is influenced by his self-citations. The purpose of this work is to apply the Fi-index, not to the entire career of the author, as normally happens, but to the single paper in course of publication, so as to verify or certify that a specific manuscript does not affect the h-index or citations from the single author or authors. Fi-index tool score measure the impact of a paper on author career and it is obtained by a simple calculation that could be made with an online tool (www.fident.eu/fidentresearch/fiindextool). The use of fi-index tool could be useful as a guarantee parameter on a specific manuscript, obviously provided that a particular author could have a scientific research trend. It is hoped that this index will be used on a large scale for scientific publications affected by bibliometric parameters.
Transferrin-modified chitosan nanoparticles for targeted nose-to-brain delivery of proteins
Authors: Gabold Bettina , Adams Friederike , Brameyer Sophie , Jung Kirsten , Ried Christian L. , Merdan Thomas , Merkel Olivia M. 
Published: October 2022

AbstractNose-to-brain delivery presents a promising alternative route compared to classical blood–brain barrier passage, especially for the delivery of high molecular weight drugs. In general, macromolecules are rapidly degraded in physiological environment. Therefore, nanoparticulate systems can be used to protect biomolecules from premature degradation. Furthermore, targeting ligands on the surface of nanoparticles are able to improve bioavailability by enhancing cellular uptake due to specific binding and longer residence time. In this work, transferrin-decorated chitosan nanoparticles are used to evaluate the passage of a model protein through the nasal epithelial barrier in vitro. It was demonstrated that strain-promoted azide–alkyne cycloaddition reaction can be utilized to attach a functional group to both transferrin and chitosan enabling a rapid covalent surface-conjugation under mild reaction conditions after chitosan nanoparticle preparation. The intactness of transferrin and its binding efficiency were confirmed via SDS-PAGE and SPR measurements. Resulting transferrin-decorated nanoparticles exhibited a size of about 110–150 nm with a positive surface potential. Nanoparticles with the highest amount of surface bound targeting ligand also displayed the highest cellular uptake into a human nasal epithelial cell line (RPMI 2650). In an air–liquid interface co-culture model with glioblastoma cells (U87), transferrin-decorated nanoparticles showed a faster passage through the epithelial cell layer as well as increased cellular uptake into glioblastoma cells. These findings demonstrate the beneficial characteristics of a specific targeting ligand. With this chemical and technological formulation concept, a variety of targeting ligands can be attached to the surface after nanoparticle formation while maintaining cargo integrity.Graphical abstract
Prestressed concrete bridge tested to failure: the Alveo Vecchio viaduct case study
Authors: Tonelli D. , Rossi F. , Brighenti F. , Verzobio A. , Bonelli A. , Zonta D. 
Published: October 2022

AbstractThe number of bridges approaching or exceeding their initial design life has been increasing dramatically. Meanwhile, bridges are withstanding an ever-increasing traffic volume, both in number and weight of vehicles. Analytical and numerical models can predict bridges’ response to traffic loads and their ultimate capacity with low uncertainties; however, such uncertainties increase as bridges age due to deterioration mechanisms. Non-destructive tests of material specimens and full-scale load tests allow for updating structural models and predicting bridges’ responses with higher accuracy. On-site load tests with different load levels provide different information on the bridge behaviour (e.g., elastic response, first-crack load, and ultimate capacity), which impact the model updating differently. This paper compares the observed response of the Alveo Vecchio viaduct, a prestressed concrete (PC) bridge subjected to a controlled load test up to its failure, with its predicted response provided by four structural models. The observed response is measured by an extensive structural health monitoring system, while the structural models are developed with different levels of refinement and uncertainty in the input parameters. This study gives an insight into the ultimate load-carrying capacity of existing PC bridges and their behaviour during a whole load test to failure. The results show that the load-carry capacity of the Alveo Vecchio viaduct is almost four times higher than the design load; likely, many other Italian highway bridges with similar structural characteristics have a similar capacity.
A Review of Aggregates for Land Transport Infrastructure in New Zealand
Authors: Wilson Doug , Kieu Minh , Sheng Mingyue Selena , Sreenivasan Ajith , Ivory Vivienne , Sharp Basil 
Published: October 2022

Abstract
Aggregates are an important non-renewable resource and the primary raw material for land transport and building infrastructure. New Zealand as a country has an abundant endowment of rock minerals suitable for aggregate for the construction, maintenance, and recycling of public and private infrastructure. However, due to a deficit in infrastructure planning and development for a number of decades, strong population growth in many areas and much of New Zealand’s public infrastructure is coming to the end of its useful and/or economic life — there is an increasing demand for aggregates in many regions of New Zealand. Some regions of New Zealand have difficulties sourcing appropriate materials locally for infrastructure purposes, and there are increasing sensitivities to the extraction of aggregates from communities and iwi/hapu (tribes) who have experienced and seen the effects of poor industry extraction and environmental practices and the lack of monitoring and regulation of consent conditions. Little appropriate data is currently available either nationally or within regions to sustainably plan, manage, use and reuse/recycle aggregates for various public or private infrastructure and therefore to enable the forecasting of future aggregate demand. This paper develops a better understanding of the supply and demand issues both nationally and within regions with the aim of informing a future aggregate strategy to better manage aggregate resources. The paper reviews New Zealand and international literature, reviews aggregate and land use consent data, and evaluates novel methods of EROAD truck transponder data to evaluate aggregate haul distances. Finally, we provide recommendations on how to better manage aggregate supply and demand in New Zealand.
(2,1)-Fuzzy sets: properties, weighted aggregated operators and their applications to multi-criteria decision-making methods
Authors: Al-shami Tareq M. 
Published: October 2022

AbstractOrthopair fuzzy sets are fuzzy sets in which every element is represented by a pair of values in the unit interval, one of which refers to membership and the other refers to non-membership. The different types of orthopair fuzzy sets given in the literature are distinguished according to the proposed constrain for membership and non-membership grades. The aim of writing this manuscript is to familiarize a new class of orthopair fuzzy sets called “(2,1)-Fuzzy sets” which are good enough to control some real-life situations. We compare (2,1)-Fuzzy sets with IFSs and some of their celebrated extensions. Then, we put forward the fundamental set of operations for (2,1)-Fuzzy sets and investigate main properties. Also, we define score and accuracy functions which we apply to rank (2,1)-Fuzzy sets. Moreover, we reformulate aggregation operators to be used with (2,1)-Fuzzy sets. Finally, we develop the successful technique “aggregation operators” to handle multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM) problems in the environment of (2,1)-Fuzzy sets. To show the effectiveness and usability of the proposed technique in MCDM problems, an illustrative example is provided.