Patterns Of Conflict Research Articles

Common Ground inconsistencies in dialogue systems: conflict patterns implied by polar question forms

In linguistics, research on dialogue systems has accentuated the need to focus on various pragmatic aspects for their management and modelling. Among the most important pragma-linguistic speech acts in dialogue systems studies are Clarification Requests, corrective feedback that in some circumstances require access to the set of shared knowledge known as Common Ground. Regarding Common Ground management, pragmatic studies suggest differences in the type of polar questions that people prefer be used in Clarification Requests, where polar questions can have two possible answers: true or false. This preference appears to depend on the relationship between bias and contextual evidence. In this work, we show that varying the form of polar questions in a given pragmatic setting can influence the capability of people to track Common Ground inconsistencies. As a result, we demonstrate that using a negative polar question in Italian has functional consequences when communicating conflicting material in the Common Ground. This can improve the quality of human interactions with dialogue systems, in terms of an improved identification of the conflict. The results obtained in this work provide insights into design of error reporting approaches in natural interactions.

Social Network Competence for Peace Leadership

Social network approaches have been widely applied to understanding leadership, emphasizing the relational processes that influence group dynamics and effectiveness. Despite this extensive application, research integrating social network approaches with peace leadership remains limited. Social network approaches emphasize that individuals are embedded in webs of relationships that influence access to resources and shape individual and collective outcomes. The current article explores how social network concepts, theories, and methods can advance peace leadership by enabling a deeper understanding of conflict, informing targeted interventions, and promoting long‐term social stability. We discuss how network analysis can diagnose conflict patterns and identify leverage points for intervention. We conclude with practical recommendations and future research directions for integrating social network approaches and peace leadership.

Economic effects of wild boar damage to crops in protected areas of Nepal

Human wild-boar conflict is one of the prominent issues in Nepal, especially in areas adjacent to protected areas. Wild boars cause substantial damage to the agricultural crops and affect the lives of rural farmers through economic loss. However, the extent of this loss varies across protected areas. Thus, this study aims to compare the economic loss due to crop damage by wild boar between two protected areas with different management regimes; Shuklaphanta National Park (ShNP) and Dhorpatan Hunting Reserve (DHR). We used a questionnaire survey and descriptive statistics to characterize and compare the pattern of human wild boar conflicts between ShNP and DHR. Altogether, the two protected areas experienced a crop damage of 87,035.78kg with an estimated economic loss of 26,389 USD in our study. The most damaged crop in the ShNP was paddy whereas that in DHR was potato. We recorded a higher crop damage and economic loss in ShNP than in DHR. However, the severity of conflict is higher in DHR with around 8% of the total production damaged by wild boar. Although the government declared wild boar an agricultural menace in 2023 and permitted killing on private lands, local communities should also apply other mitigation measures to prevent wild boars from entering crop fields. Additionally, the potential introduction of trophy hunting in ShNP (already permitted in DHR), following comprehensive studies, could help reduce economic losses associated with human-wild boar conflicts. Such combined efforts could create a more sustainable approach to managing wild boar populations while safeguarding local agriculture and livelihoods.

Beware of Bear? Long-Term Spatio-Temporal Patterns of Human-Bear Conflict in Connecticut.

In this study, we examine the spatio-temporal patterns of citizen-reported human-bear conflict (HBC) from 2002 to 2022 and use the Forest-Based and Boosted Classification (FBBC) technique to assess the significance of several factors in the occurrence of HBC. Our analysis reveals a significant increase in HBC incidents over the study period, with the fewest conflicts in 2002 (217) and the most in 2022 (4455). These were concentrated in northwestern Connecticut, particularly eastern Litchfield County and western Hartford County. The results of geostatistical analysis, including measures of dispersion and emerging hot spot analysis indicated a southward trend in HBC on both annual and monthly scales. The validation results of the FBBC highlighted the relevance of forest fragmentation, intermediate housing density, proximity to water bodies, and snowfall in predicting HBC. Each variable demonstrated nearly equal importance (20%) in predicting HBC occurrences from 2010 to 2022, though land cover showed no significant predictive power. These findings elucidate the spatio-temporal dynamics of HBC and offer valuable insights for wildlife managers to prioritize conflict mitigation strategies effectively. The results of this study identify locations prone to HBC. Moreover, FBBC results show that this technique can be used to predict future HBC based on projected changes in these variables due to climate change and expansion of the human-wildlife interface. Our analysis can aid in the development of targeted, evidence-driven, and ethical management interventions in Connecticut.

Identification of Land Use Conflict Based on Multi-Scenario Simulation—Taking the Central Yunnan Urban Agglomeration as an Example

Land use conflict is an inevitable and objective phenomenon during regional development, with significant impacts on both regional economic growth and ecological security. Scientifically assessing the spatiotemporal evolution of these conflicts is essential to optimize land use structures and promote sustainable resource utilization. This study employs multi-period land use/land cover remote sensing data from China to develop a model for the measurement of land use conflict from the perspective of the landscape ecological risk. By applying the optimal landscape scale method to determine the most appropriate analysis scale, this research investigates the spatiotemporal evolution characteristics of land use conflicts in the Central Yunnan Urban Agglomeration from 2000 to 2020. Furthermore, by integrating the Patch-Generating Land Use Simulation (PLUS) model with the Multi-Objective Programming (MOP) algorithm, this study simulates the spatial patterns of land use conflict in 2030 under four scenarios: Natural Development (ID), Economic Development (ED), Ecological Conservation (PD), and Sustainable Development (SD). The findings reveal that, from 2000 to 2020, the proportion of areas with strong and moderately strong conflict levels in the Central Yunnan Urban Agglomeration increased by 2.19%, while the proportion of areas with weak and moderately weak conflict levels decreased by 1.45%, underscoring the growing severity of land use conflict. The predictions for 2030 suggest that the spatial pattern of conflict under various scenarios will largely reflect the trends observed in 2020. Under the ID scenario, areas with weak and moderately weak conflict levels constitute 57.5% of the region; this increases by 0.85% under the SD scenario. Conversely, areas experiencing strong and moderately strong conflict levels, which stand at 33.02% under the ID scenario, decrease by 1.04% under the SD scenario. These projections indicate that the SD scenario, which aims to balance ecological conservation with economic development, effectively mitigates land use conflict, making it the most viable strategy for future regional development.

Parental warmth and parent-child conflict among U.S. Latinx families in middle childhood.

Grounded in family systems theory and using latent profile analysis, the present study examined (a) patterns of parent-child warmth and parent-child conflict within multiple dyads (mother-older child, mother-younger child, father-older child, father-younger child) among 305 U.S. Latinx families with fifth graders (Mage = 10.6; 46.6% female) and younger siblings (Mage = 8.20; 47.2% female) and (b) tested links of profile membership with child academic competence, negative peer relationships, and depressive symptoms. Two profiles were characterized by differential maternal and paternal warmth toward older versus younger siblings, with one of the profiles characterized by higher levels of conflict than the other, and a third profile included families where parent-child dyads were similar in their levels of moderately high warmth and low conflict. Profile membership was concurrently linked with children's academic competence, peer relationships, and depressive symptoms, with notable within-family differences for older versus younger siblings. Findings underscore the value of studying families as interrelated subsystems by capturing multiple dimensions of two children's relationships with mothers and fathers and provide insights for family-based prevention. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Work-Nonwork boundaries in academia: A problematizing review

The interplay between work and non-work in academic settings has been the subject of extensive research, particularly in relation to work-life balance and work-nonwork conflict. However, much of this literature has tended to overlook the specific dynamics of work-nonwork boundaries. Moreover, while prior research has explored general patterns of conflict and balance, it has not sufficiently addressed the unique pressures that academics face, such as high autonomy, irregular working hours, and competing demands. This review critically examines how the specific nature of academic work shapes the boundaries between work and non-work, advancing the conversation beyond traditional approaches. The central research question guiding this review is: How do the aspects of academic work shape the blurring of work-nonwork boundaries? Through a problematizing approach, this review relies on 41 articles to broaden and enhance our understanding of the boundary challenges academics encounter. Findings reveal that blurred work-nonwork boundaries in academia are driven by work-life demand overload, work-family conflicts, and a lack of organizational support, compounded by digitalisation and neoliberal practices. Heightened managerialism, careerism, and precarity exacerbate the blurring of these boundaries, affecting academics' well-being and identity work. By addressing these gaps, this review offers a nuanced understanding of how academics construct, navigate, and negotiate boundaries within a complex environment shaped by these pressures. The review challenges the limitations of conventional approaches to work-nonwork interface advocating for a more context-sensitive, problematizing perspective.

Immigration Policy Preferences in Six EU Countries: The Shadow of Intergovernmental Conflicts in Public Opinion

AbstractMigration politics in the European Union (EU) is highly conflictual. The Dublin framework produces, consolidates and constantly re‐enforces divides amongst the governments of EU member states. A prime example is the country‐of‐first‐entry principle, which sets countries at the external EU border against non‐border countries. We investigate whether evidence of these conflicts amongst governments also translate into cross‐national divides in public opinion. To this end, we separate EU countries along two lines, border versus non‐border and host versus non‐host countries, and derive policy positions for six member states with respect to four immigration policies. The analysis of original survey data shows that public opinion follows, as expected, the patterns of intergovernmental conflicts. That the public is, like the governments, divided along national lines highlights the dominance of intergovernmental conflict in EU migration politics. As long as this logic prevails, the potential for collective action in EU migration policy‐making remains narrow.

Experiences of moral distress among health care professionals in oncology and palliative care in Australia: a qualitative investigation

Abstract Background: Cancer care involves challenging clinical problems requiring expertise of multiple disciplines and frequently necessitates nuanced decision-making. When decision-making and patterns of care conflict with the values of health care professionals (HCPs), moral distress may arise. Moral distress is defined as the unease resulting from the perceived violation of professional or personal values and ethical principles. It has been associated with increased burnout and lower workforce retention among HCPs. This study aimed to investigate moral distress among Australian oncology and palliative care HCPs to understand how, when, and why it is experienced. Method: We conducted a qualitative interview study, with an online survey to collect demographic, practice-related characteristics, and level of moral distress. Interviews were conducted with oncology and palliative care HCPs in Australia to explore participants' experiences of moral distress. Interviews were audio-recorded and transcribed. A thematic analysis was conducted using a framework analysis approach. Results: We interviewed 33 participants, who were predominantly female (78%) and nurses (42%) with 50% having 15 years or more experience in oncology/palliative care. Thematic analysis revealed one meta-theme, Power and Hierarchy, and four themes: (1) values and their conflicts; (2) moral distress and the system; (3) moral distress and interpersonal interactions; and (4) internalized moral distress. At the core of HCPs' experiences of moral distress were patient-centered and care-centered values and the imperative to not violate the oath to “Do No Harm.” Moral distress was perceived to be covert, primarily arising in response to day-to-day clinical dilemmas and resulted from interactions with other HCPs and structural factors. Moral distress appeared to be cumulative over time. Conclusion: Moral distress arises when there are conflicts between an individual's values and organizational culture, within teams, and within the HCPs themselves. Power and hierarchy within health care are critical elements contributing to moral distress where poor communication and limited recognition of differing views are present. There is a need for interventions facilitating open discussion of ethical concerns to reduce likelihood of moral distress and retain an experienced oncology and palliative workforce.

Simulation of the future evolution track of “production–living–ecological” space in coastal cities based on multimodel coupling and wetland protection scenarios

Coastal cities hold a special position in the fields of production, living, and ecological research because of their unique wetland resource advantages. However, with global urbanization and rapid economic development, conflicts among production, living and ecological land are prevalent in coastal cities in the process of maintaining sustainable wetland resources and further developing the social economy. By establishing an SD-PLUS-CCD coupling model, this paper analysed the evolution characteristics and driving mechanism of the production–living–ecological space (PLES) and the effects of wetland protection (WLP) on promoting or inhibiting the coordinated development of the PLES in Dongying city during 2005–2060. The results show that (1) from 2005 to 2020, the increase in urban population resulted in a significant transfer of arable land and a reduction of 914 km2 in production space (PS); (2) from 2020 to 2060, under the WLP scenario, the conversion of wetland ecological space will reduce the PS and living space (LS) by 193.92 km2 and 107.14 km2, respectively, and increase the ecological space (ES) by 327.52 km2; and (3) wetland protection has an inhibitory effect on the coordinated development of PLES in the study area, and the total proportion of noncoordinated areas of PE and living–ecological space will continue to increase during the simulation period. This paper provides a solid theoretical support for the sustainable management and protection of wetlands in coastal cities and possible PLES conflict patterns and provides a scientific basis for future territorial spatial planning and policy balance analysis.

Patterns of Conflict and Post-Conflict Affiliation in Propithecus diadema and Eulemur fulvus

AbstractGroup-living in primates provides benefits but also entails competition and aggression. To retain the positive fitness-enhancing advantages of social bonding, individuals can reconcile past aggression. Reconciliation has been extensively studied in haplorrhine primates and occurs more frequently in more tolerant species, but whether this pattern extends to strepsirrhine primates, including lemurs, remains unclear, particularly given the differences in behavioral biology between the two primate suborders. We examined the occurrence of reconciliation behavior and its relationship with dominance hierarchy characteristics in wild populations of Propithecus diadema and Eulemur fulvus. We collected behavioral data on dominance and affiliation behaviors in the Maromizaha Protected Area, Madagascar, focusing on three P. diadema groups and two E. fulvus groups over 14 months between 2015 and 2020. The dominance hierarchies differed between species, with P. diadema exhibiting steeper within-group hierarchies than E. fulvus. We found evidence of reconciliation behavior in P. diadema, as affiliation was more likely to follow conflicts than during control periods, but we did not find this effect in E. fulvus. Furthermore, reconciliation tendencies in P. diadema were higher in male–male dyads and those with disparate ranks. These findings suggest that dominance hierarchy structure may be an important factor influencing reconciliation behavior across primates, although the nuances of the relationship seem to vary between our two strepsirrhine study species and traditional haplorrhine patterns. Further research is needed to determine whether these patterns are species-, site-, or group-specific. In conclusion, these results further our understanding of the differences between strepsirrhine and haplorrhine social evolution.

Patterns of conquest, kingship and conflict. Sallustian intertext in Geoffrey of Monmouth's De gestis Britonum

abstract: This article argues that Geoffrey of Monmouth engaged with the Roman historian Sallust in a more meaningful way than has been previously understood. First, it examines how Geoffrey structures the De gestis , and argues that it can be read through the lens of Sallustian historiography: the British kingdom rises and falls in a similar manner to Rome in Sallust's works. This offers a new way of reading the De gestis in the context of the civil war between King Stephen and Empress Matilda. By drawing upon Sallust's model, Geoffrey removes individual blame as a cause of civil war and instead makes it the inevitable result of greatness, such as that enjoyed by ancient Rome. It then argues that Geoffrey uses Sallustian watch-words and literary techniques in order to negatively characterise King Arthur. Therefore, it interrogates the interpretation of Arthur as a 'heroic' figure in the De gestis . In particular, it argues that the use of extended speech is a marker of Sallustian influence, and reading paired speeches together in the De gestis underscores the development of Arthur's character. Overall, this article argues that classical reception studies can open new ways of interpreting and understanding medieval texts like the De gestis .

An agent-based model of elephant crop raid dynamics in the Periyar–Agasthyamalai complex, India

Human–wildlife conflict challenges conservation worldwide, which requires innovative management solutions. We developed a prototype Agent-Based Model (ABM) to simulate interactions between humans and solitary bull Asian elephants in the Periyar–Agasthyamalai complex of the Western Ghats in Kerala, India. The main challenges were the complex behavior of elephants and insufficient movement data from the region. Using literature, expert insights, and field surveys, we created a prototype behavior model that incorporates crop habituation, thermoregulation, and aggression. We designed a four-step calibration method to adapt relocation data from radio-tagged elephants in Indonesia to model elephant movements in the model domain. The ABM’s structure, including the assumptions, submodels, and data usage are detailed following the Overview, Design concepts, Details protocol. The ABM simulates various food availability scenarios to study elephant behavior and environmental impact on space use and conflict patterns. The results indicate that the wet months increase conflict and thermoregulation significantly influences elephant movements and crop raiding. Starvation and crop habituation intensify these patterns. This prototype ABM is an initial model that offers information on the development of a decision support system in wildlife management and will be further enhanced with layers of complexity and subtlety across various dimensions. Access the ABM at https://github.com/quest-lab-iisc/abm-elephant-project.

Cohort profile: the Dynamics of Family Conflict (FamC) study in Norway

PurposeThe Dynamics of Family Conflict (FamC) prospective cohort study was set up to investigate how and why interparental conflicts and family relations develop over time, and in which contexts which...

Mining actionable repetitive positive and negative sequential patterns

Repetitive positive and negative sequential patterns (PNSPs) recognize the repetitive characteristics of positive (occurring) and negative (nonoccurring) sequential patterns, thereby providing more comprehensive information than traditional PNSPs. However, existing repetitive PNSP mining methods produce numerous conflict patterns that do not benefit decision-making. To address this issue, we propose an actionable repetitive PNSP mining method, namely ARPNSP, for transaction databases. First, we propose the definition of negative occurrence under the self-adaptive gap and nonoverlapping conditions, which makes it possible to identify whether a pattern is actionable via correlation analysis. Second, we propose an offset sequence definition by adding a dummy character at the head of the sequences, which determines the population of repetitive PNSP. Finally, we utilize the bitmap structure to represent databases and occurrences of patterns, which avoids rescanning data sequences to calculate support. To the best of our knowledge, this study is the first attempt at actionable repetitive PNSP mining. Extensive experiments on real-world datasets show that ARPNSP can efficiently discover more actionable PNSPs with high correlation than the considered methods.

Traffic conflict analysis in continuous confluence area of cross-river bridge driven by vehicle trajectory data

Objectives To conduct an in-depth study on the spatial distribution of traffic conflicts in the continuous merging areas of cross-river bridges and ensure public transportation safety. Methods First, we utilized drone aerial photography to collect videos of vehicle movements. Using the YOLOv7 object detection algorithm and the Strong SORT multi-object tracking algorithm, we extracted high-precision vehicle trajectory time-series data. Next, based on the motion characteristics of traffic entities, we proposed using Deceleration Rate (DR) to describe rear-end conflicts and Lane Change Speed (LCS) to describe lane-changing conflicts. Additionally, we employed the K-means clustering method to determine the threshold values for minor, moderate, and severe levels of rear-end and lane-changing conflicts. Finally, based on the obtained trajectory data, the values of traffic conflicts are calculated and their severity is classified. A heat map of the spatial distribution of vehicle conflicts in continuous merging zones is then created to study the spatial distribution patterns of traffic conflicts. Results The threshold values for minor, moderate, and severe levels of rear-end conflicts are determined to be 3.06 m/s2, 5.36 m/s2, and 8.04 m/s2, respectively. For lane-changing conflicts, the thresholds are 1.13 m/s, 2.07 m/s, and 3.45 m/s. The spatial distribution of traffic conflicts exhibits a “first increase, then decrease, and then increase again” trend. Conclusions The study identifies the critical areas of traffic conflicts in the continuous merging zones of cross-river bridges. The research results provide a novel approach for acquiring traffic data in these areas and offer a reliable quantitative method for assessing safety risks on these road segments. This provides a theoretical basis for proposing targeted traffic safety management strategies.

Discrepancies in Mate Preferences among Chinese Families between Fathers, Mothers, and Children: A Latent Profile Analysis.

Parents develop their own preferences regarding prospective in-laws, which influence their children's mate selection processes and outcomes. From an evolutionary perspective, fathers, mothers, and their offspring have partially divergent genetic interests, potentially leading to conflicts in mate preferences. Currently, the characteristics of discrepancy profiles in mate preferences within Chinese families and their influencing factors remain unclear. Adopting an individual-centered perspective, this study examined the profiles of discrepancies in mate preferences between fathers, mothers, and children across a diverse set of Chinese families, along with their associations with family relations and evaluations of children. This study recruited 337 complete families. The results revealed three distinct profiles of father-mother mate preference discrepancies in families with sons and four profiles in families with daughters. Additionally, both families with sons and daughters displayed three profiles of discrepancies in parent-child mate preferences. Parental perceptions of marital relationships and their evaluations of children were linked to diverse father-mother discrepancy profiles in both families with sons and daughters. The father-son relationship was associated with the profiles of parent-child discrepancies in families with sons, while maternal evaluations of children and daughters' self-evaluations were related to the profiles of parent-child discrepancies in families with daughters. This study provides insights into understanding the conflict patterns and underlying reasons regarding mate preference between Chinese parents and their children within family settings.

Human–wildlife conflict patterns and hotspot prediction in the southern foothills of the Daba Mountains, China

Human–wildlife conflict patterns and hotspot prediction in the southern foothills of the Daba Mountains, China

Predator in proximity: how does a large carnivore respond to anthropogenic pressures at fine-scales? Implications for interface area management.

Driven by habitat loss and fragmentation, large carnivores are increasingly navigating human-dominated landscapes, where their activity is restricted and their behaviour altered. This movement, however, raises significant concerns and costs for people living nearby. While intricately linked, studies often isolate human and carnivore impacts, hindering effective management efforts. Hence, in this study, we brought these two into a common framework, focusing on an interface area between the critical tiger habitat and the human-dominated multiple-use buffer area of a central Indian protected area. We employed a fine-scale camera trap survey complemented by GPS-collar movement data to understand spatio-temporal activity patterns and adjustments of tigers in response to anthropogenic pressures. We used an occupancy framework to evaluate space use, Bayesian circular GLMs to model temporal activity, and home range and step length analyses to assess the movement patterns of tigers. Further, we used predation-risk models to understand conflict patterns as a function of tiger presence and other habitat variables. Despite disturbance, a high proportion of the sampled area was occupied by 17 unique tigers (ψ = 0.76; CI [0.73-0.92]). The distance to villages (β ± SE = 0.63 ± 0.21) and the relative abundance of large-bodied wild prey (β ± SE = 0.72 ± 0.37) emerged as key predictors of tiger space use probability, indicating a preference for wild prey by tigers, while human influences constrained their habitat utilisation. Distance to villages was also identified as the most significant predictor of the tigers' temporal activity (μ ± σ = 3.03 ± 0.06 rad) that exhibited higher nocturnality near villages. A total of 11% of tiger home ranges were within village boundaries, accompanied by faster movement in these areas (displacement 40-82% higher). Livestock depredation probability by tigers increased with proximity to villages (P = 0.002) and highway (P = 0.003). Although tiger space use probability (P = 0.056) and wild prey abundance (P = 0.134) were non-significant at the 0.05 threshold, their presence in the best-fit predation-risk model suggests their contextual relevance for understanding conflict risk. The results highlight the importance of appropriately managing livestock near human infrastructures to effectively mitigate conflict. Shared space of carnivores and humans requires dynamic site-specific actions grounded in evidence-based decision-making. This study emphasises the importance of concurrently addressing the intricate interactions between humans and large carnivores, particularly the latter's behavioural adaptations and role in conflict dynamics. Such an integrated approach is essential to unravel cause-effect relationships and promote effective interface management in human-dominated landscapes.

Identifying wild boar (Sus scrofa) crop damage hotspots to mitigate human-wild boar conflicts in northern Iran

Conflict between wild boars and humans, and the ensuing economic losses has been a global challenge for government authorities and conservation biologists for over a decade. Understanding the interplay of ecological and anthropogenic factors driving human–wild boar conflicts is paramount for formulating effective strategies to address this challenge. This study employed species distribution modeling (SDM) to predict the extent and distribution of wild boar damage risk in Taleghan, Iran, where crop cultivation and livestock rearing represent the primary livelihood activities for the local communities. Our analyses revealed that 7.7 % of the overall study area is at high risk of wild boar crop damage. The area of high risk is proportionally smaller in the no-hunting zone (1.6 %) compared to the non-protected zone (14.8 %). Also, the areas at high risk were significantly lower within the no-hunting (1200 ha) area than in non-protected area (9500 ha). The most important determinants of the occurrence of high wild boar damage are presence of orchards (30.7 %), rangeland density (24.4 %), distance to human settlements (19.4 %), and slope (10.7 %). This study successfully mapped wild boar damage risk in northern Iran. The results suggest that areas with gentle slopes, heterogeneous landscapes featuring dense vegetation (i.e., orchards and rangelands) and human settlements with sparse road networks are at the highest risk of wild boar damage. The resulting map of conflict hotspots offers a concise visualization of conflict patterns across the landscape, facilitating prioritization and development of conflict mitigation measures for areas that require immediate attention.