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This paper describes work on the morphological and syntactic annotation of Sumerian cuneiform as a model for low resource languages in general. Cuneiform texts are invaluable sources for the study of history, languages, economy, and cultures of Ancient Mesopotamia and its surrounding regions. Assyriology, the discipline dedicated to their study, has vast research potential, but lacks the modern means for computational processing and analysis. Our project, Machine Translation and Automated Analysis of Cuneiform Languages, aims to fill this gap by bringing together corpus data, lexical data, linguistic annotations and object metadata. The project’s main goal is to build a pipeline for machine translation and annotation of Sumerian Ur III administrative texts. The rich and structured data is then to be made accessible in the form of (Linguistic) Linked Open Data (LLOD), which should open them to a larger research community. Our contribution is two-fold: in terms of language technology, our work represents the first attempt to develop an integrative infrastructure for the annotation of morphology and syntax on the basis of RDF technologies and LLOD resources. With respect to Assyriology, we work towards producing the first syntactically annotated corpus of Sumerian.

Optical wireless communications (OWC) has the potential to become a remedy for the shortage of the radio frequency (RF) spectrum. Especially in indoor environments, OWC could enable wireless home networking systems which offload data traffic from existing RF systems. In OWC, data is transmitted by modulating the intensity of light sources, typically incoherent light emitting diodes (LEDs). Thus, OWC systems employ intensity modulation (IM) and direct detection (DD) of the optical carrier. Since off-the-shelf LEDs have a limited modulation capability, the transmission bandwidth of practical OWC systems is restricted. Consequently, the available bandwidth has to be used efficiently. In this thesis, spectrally efficient optical wireless transmission techniques are evaluated. Firstly, multiple transmitter-receiver techniques are investigated. These multiple-input-multiple-output (MIMO) techniques provide high spectral efficiency, and therefore high data rates. Specifically, the MIMO techniques repetition coding (RC), spatial multiplexing (SMP) and spatial modulation (SM) are analysed for indoor OWC. The performance of these techniques is evaluated analytically and by means of computer simulations. It is shown that inducing power imbalance between the multiple optical transmitters can substantially improve the performance of optical MIMO techniques as the power imbalance improves the differentiability of the multiple channels. In addition, it is found that link blockage and the utilisation of transmitters having different optical wavelengths enhance channel differentiability as well. These methods enable the utilisation of optical MIMO techniques under conditions which typically disallow the application of MIMO schemes due to little differences between the multiple links. Secondly, a novel optical wireless transmitter concept is developed. This concept uses discrete power level stepping to generate intensity modulated optical signals, such as orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) waveforms. The transmitter consists of several on-off-switchable LED groups which are individually controlled to emit scaled optical intensities. As a result, the digital-to-analogue conversion of the signals to be sent is done in the optical domain. This method enables the implementation of low-complex and power-efficient optical transmitter front-ends – the major shortcoming of conventional optical OFDM transmitters. Thirdly, a novel approach for wireless data transmission within an aircraft cabin is presented. The data is transferred by 2-dimensional visual code sequences. These sequences are displayed on the in-flight entertainment (IFE) screen and are captured by the built-in camera of a user device which acts as receiver. Transmission experiments within an aircraft cabin mock-up demonstrate the functionality of the implemented system under realistic conditions, such as ambient illumination and geometric configuration. Altogether, this thesis has analysed the potential of spectrally efficient optical wireless transmission techniques. It is shown that OWC systems can greatly benefit from these techniques.

Sufficient plant-available water is one of the most important requirements for vital, stable, and well-growing forest stands. In the face of climate change, there are various approaches to derive recommendations considering tree species selection based on plant-available water provided by measurements or simulations. Owing to the small-parcel management of Central European forests as well as small-spatial variation of soil and stand properties, in situ data collection for individual forest stands of large areas is not feasible, considering time and cost effort. This problem can be addressed using physically based modeling, aiming to numerically simulate the water balance. In this study, we parameterized, calibrated, and verified the hydrological multidimensional WaSiM-ETH model to assess the water balance at a spatial resolution of 30 m in a German forested catchment area (136.4 km 2 ) for the period 2000–2021 using selected in situ data, remote sensing products, and total runoff. Based on the model output, drought-sensitive parameters, such as the difference between potential and effective stand transpiration (T diff ) and the water balance, were deduced from the model, analyzed, and evaluated. Results show that the modeled evapotranspiration (ET) correlated significantly (R 2 = 0.80) with the estimated ET using MODIS data (MOD16A2GFv006). Compared with observed daily, monthly, and annual runoff data, the model shows a good performance (R 2 : 0.70|0.77|0.73; Kling–Gupta efficiency: 0.59|0.62|0.83; volumetric efficiency: 0.52|0.60|0.83). The comparison with in situ data from a forest monitoring plot, established at the end of 2020, indicated good agreement between observed and simulated interception and soil water content. According to our results, WaSiM-ETH is a potential supplement for forest management, owing to its multidimensionality and the ability to model soil water balance for large areas at comparable high spatial resolution. The outputs offer, compared to non-distributed models (like LWF-Brook90), spatial differentiability, which is important for small-scale parceled forests, regarding stand structure and soil properties. Due to the spatial component offered, additional verification possibilities are feasible allowing a reliable and profound verification of the model and its parameterization.

Urban trees have the capability to enhance ecological city resilience. By providing vital ecosystem services mitigation of urban heat island effects, management of stormwater, or support of biodiversity can be improved. Climate change, however, poses challenges to urban trees in general, and in particular for Bavarian cities. This study uses the climate envelope approach to assess the future climatic suitability of native and non-native tree species in 21 Bavarian cities (Germany). Using climate projections from the CHELSA dataset under the SSP5-RCP8.5 scenario, we evaluate temperature and precipitation thresholds for 12 tree species over three periods (2011–2040, 2041–2070, and 2071–2100). The results were compared with the land cover share of the respective cities. The results show distinct variations in climatic suitability across cities and time periods. Several species remain climatically suitable over time, especially Black locust, London plane, and European hornbeam. However, tree species, like European beech, Norway maple, and Silver birch, experience a marked decline. These findings underscore the urgent need for a paradigm shift in urban green space management. Although the study employs climate envelope methodologies that have inherent limitations, it provides a proof-of-concept for integrating climate projections with urban data such as tree inventories and land use patterns. Overall, the research contributes to our understanding of urban tree adaptation strategies and highlights the importance of prioritizing heat-tolerant species to preserve urban biodiversity and ecosystem services.

Fruit ripeness detection (FRD) has been a very important research area. FRD has focused more on colour segmentation, image processing, odor of fruits and its size. However, fruit stiffness can be an evidence of its ripening. Developing a sensor that focuses on the stiffness of fruit becomes very important. This work presents an approach of mango ripeness detection based on its stiffness using a tactile sensor. A resistance change-based micro tactile sensor is designed for FRD in which it utilizes two cantilevers with different stiffness to estimate mangoes ripeness levels based on their stiffness. The tactile sensor parameters were analyzed and selected to ensure high sensitivity and linearity of the sensor output (Force ratio). The sensor was developed and experimentally tested with five test pieces of known stiffness for proof-of-concept. A finite element analysis was carried out to test the sensor with the same stiffness values of test pieces to compare the results with the analytical results. The error between the analytical and experimental results of the test pieces did not exceed 7%, while the error between the analytical and simulation results of the stiffness of the test pieces did not exceed 2.7%. Finally, the sensor was tested with five mangoes at different ripeness levels, and the sensor clearly differentiated among the mangoes and obtained stiffness values of 1792.95 N/m, 1395.70 N/m, 1078.86 N/m, 317.15 N/m and 67.81 N/m from the stiffest to the softest mango (Mango A-Mango E), respectively. This tactile sensor can be used in fruit sorting industries to complement the existing fruit sorting approaches.

This paper outlines the procedure of employing novel software tools within a series of participatory workshops designed for measuring and monitoring the resilience of Austria's socioeconomic system based on network analysis and systems research. This study employs the principles of the four-stage adaptive cycle to quantify the perspectives of major stakeholders regarding resilience readiness in Austrian society and to explore the implications. At the FASresearch company in Vienna, 278 representatives from 15 key sectors of Austrian society were asked to estimate the resilience of their respective sectors and identify the key resilience factors for each sector. Results pinpoint the most critical stakeholders and resilience factors, highlight the importance of quality relationships among stakeholders, and indicate that while stakeholders accurately perceive the stages of growth (r), equilibrium (K), and regeneration (α), they tend to underestimate the significance of the final (Ω) stage of the adaptive cycle, characterized by disturbance and collapse of outdated systems. Improved recognition and preparation for each stage may result in the increased resilience of each sector to potential crises in the future. Notably, perspectives regarding resilience in the face of a crisis were gathered prior to the occurrence of the COVID-19 pandemic. Thus, in addition to fulfilling an analytic-diagnostic function, resilience monitoring techniques are also intended as an adaptive tool for novel resilience management.

Despite some impressive examples of Electrical Resistivity Tomography (ERT) characterizing the internal structure of historical monuments, ERT is rarely considered a primary method for this purpose because it is challenging to adjust measurement procedures and inversion techniques for such intricate objects. In this study, ERT was first applied in the Great Pyramid of Giza to detect the presence of the ScanPyramids North Face Corridor (SP-NFC). The ERT measurement technique and data analysis procedure were adapted for this case, which was characterized by complex surface topography and limited space for placing ERT lines. A 3D CAD model of the Chevron area was designed for inversion based on a 3D point cloud. The inversion results show the existence of the SP-NFC, with average dimensions of approximately 2.5 m by 2.5 m, starting at a depth of around 1 m and extending at least 2 m into the pyramid. The ERT study thus provided volumetric data confirming both the size and extent of the SP-NFC, complementing the ground-penetrating radar (GPR) and ultrasound tomography (UST) studies conducted simultaneously in the Chevron area.

While non-destructive testing (NDT) measurements have been reported individually for archeological surveys of cultural heritage structures, only a few studies to date have attempted to combine NDT images by means of image fusion (IF). In this article, novel multimodal IF results from three different NDT techniques collected at the Chevron located on the Great Pyramid of Giza (aka. as Khufu’s Pyramid) are presented. The Chevron is an assembly of limestone blocks located in front of the recently confirmed ScanPyramids North Face Corridor (SP-NFC), which had been previously hidden for 4500 years. Under the research activities of the ScanPyramids mission, three profiles located on the Chevron were selected to explain multimodal IF in detail and highlight its usefulness in archeology. The NDT techniques employed in this study include ground penetrating radar (GPR), ultrasonic testing (UST), and electrical resistivity tomography (ERT). A discrete wavelet transform (DWT)-based algorithm was employed to merge the reconstructed images from the three techniques for each profile, producing a single composite image. The final fused images contain pertinent information from all modalities, allowing to validate assumptions used to create the individual reconstructed images, and enable a more detailed examination of some of the conclusions reached in the authors’ previous ScanPyramids work.

Cultural theory (CT) provides a framework for understanding how social dimensions shape cultural bias and social relations of individuals, including values, view of the natural world, policy preferences, and risk perceptions. The five resulting cultural solidarities are each associated with a “myth of nature”—a concept of nature that aligns with the worldview of each solidarity. When applied to the problem of climate protection policy making, the relationships and beliefs outlined by CT can shed light on how members of the different cultural solidarities perceive their relationship to climate change and associated risk. This can be used to deduce what climate change management policies may be preferred or opposed by each group. The aim of this paper is to provide a review of how CT has been used in surveys of the social aspects of climate change policy making, to assess the construct validity of these studies, and to identify ways for climate change protection policies to leverage the views of each of the cultural solidarities to develop clumsy solutions: policies that incorporate strengths from each of the cultural solidarities’ perspectives. Surveys that include measures of at least fatalism, hierarchism, individualism, and egalitarianism and their associated myths of nature as well as measures of climate change risk perceptions and policy preferences have the highest translation and predictive validity. These studies will be useful in helping environmental managers find clumsy solutions and develop resilient policy according to C.S. Holling’s adaptive cycle.

Our goal was to identify and understand perspectives of different stakeholders in the field of climate policy and test a process of co-creative policy development to support the implementation of climate protection measures. As the severity of climate change grows globally, perceptions of climate science and climate-based policy have become increasingly polarized. The one-solution consensus or compromise that has encapsulated environmental policymaking has proven insufficient or unable to address accurately or efficiently the climate issue. Because climate change is often described as a wicked problem (multiple causes, widespread impacts, uncertain outcomes, and an array of potential solutions), a clumsy solution that incorporates ideas and actions representative of varied and divergent worldviews is best suited to address it. This study used the Theory of Plural Rationality, which uses a two-dimensional spectrum to identify four interdependent worldviews as well as a fifth autonomous perspective to define the differing perspectives in the field of climate policy in Austria. Stakeholder inputs regarding general worldviews, climate change, and climate policy were evaluated to identify agreeable actions representative of the multiple perspectives. Thus, we developed and tested a co-creative process for developing clumsy solutions. This study concludes that while an ideological consensus is unlikely, agreement is more likely to occur on the practical level of concrete actions (albeit perhaps for different reasons). Findings suggested that creating an ecological tax reform was an acceptable policy action to diverse stakeholders. Furthermore, the study illuminated that the government is perceived to have the most potential influence on climate protection policy and acts as a key “broker”, or linkage, between other approaches that are perceived to be more actualized but less impactful.