bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
In Situ Nitrogen‐Doping Carbon Aerogel as an Effective Sulfur Host to Immobilize Polysulfides for High Performance Lithium‐Sulfur Battery
Authors: Ye Jinjin , Li Xueliang , Gao Wei , Zhu Yunyun , Cheng Sheng
Published: December 2020

In‐situ high content N‐doping carbon aerogel (NCA) is successfully prepared via low‐cost m‐phenylenediamine and formaldehyde reaction through the facile sol‐gel method and further high‐temperature carbonization process. NCA material with nanospheres presents the characteristics of large specific surface area and high loading sulfur owing to the specific cross‐linked framework structure. In addition, the NCA/S cathode with high content of nitrogen can achieve strong adsorption to lithium polysulfides (LiPSs) due to its inherent N active sites, and presents outstanding electrochemical performance. In details, the designed NCA/S electrode demonstrates the first discharge capacity of 1247 mAh g−1 at 0.2 C. Moreover, the NCA/S battery also displays excellent electrochemical stability with low capacity attenuation rate of 0.083 % per cycle within 300 cycles at 0.5 C. The remarkable electrochemical properties are mainly ascribed to intense adsorption of evenly‐distributed nitrogen in the carbon material, effectively preventing polysulfide (PS) escaping from host material, restraining shuttle effect and increasing sulfur utilization.
Proofs of Data Reliability: Verification of reliable data storage with automatic maintenance†
Authors: Vasilopoulos Dimitrios , Önen Melek , Molva Refik , Elkhiyaoui Kaoutar
Published: December 2020

Proofs of Data Reliability are cryptographic protocols that provide assurance to a user that a cloud storage system correctly stores her data and has provisioned sufficient redundancy to be able to guarantee reliable storage service. In this paper, we consider distributed cloud storage systems that make use of erasure codes to guarantee data reliability. We propose two novel Proof of Data Reliability schemes, namely POROS and PORTOS, that on the one hand guarantees the retrieval of the outsourced data in their entirety through the use of proofs of data possession and on the other hand ensures the actual storage of redundancy. As a result, POROS and PORTOS are compatible with the current cloud computing model where the cloud autonomously performs all maintenance operations without any interaction with the user. Moreover, POROS and PORTOS delegate the burden of generating the redundancy to the cloud as well. The security of both solutions is proved in the face of a rational adversary whereby the cheating cloud provider tries to gain storage savings without increasing its total operational cost.
High Density and Unit Activity Integrated in Amorphous Catalysts for Electrochemical Water Splitting
Authors: Zhai Yiyue , Ren Xiangrong , Yan Junqing , Liu Shengzhong (Frank)
Published: December 2020

Electrochemical water splitting is regarded as a most effective hydrogen production technique. In fact, quite a few exceptional electrocatalysts, processes, and even large‐scale demonstrations have been developed. In particular, some amorphous catalysts have become well‐known for their extraordinary performance on account of their disordered structure, numerous, uniformly distributed active sites with high unit activity and better stability that outshine their single‐crystalline counterparts. Herein, a review of recent research advances of amorphous catalysts used in electrocatalytic water splitting are provided, including both the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) and oxygen evolution reaction (OER). Particularly, the scaled‐up application of amorphous catalysts with multifarious compositions and diverse heterostructures in electrolyzing water and the reason why amorphous catalysts exhibit excellent catalytic performance are emphasized on. In addition, the mechanism of water electrolysis and the evaluation criteria of catalytic properties are analyzed in detail. Finally, the broader development outlook of amorphous catalysts is discussed.
Effect of Cultivar Difference and Root Growth Stage on the Thermal, Rheological, and In Vitro Digestibility Properties of Cassava Starch
Authors: Gourilekshmi Subrahmanyan S. , Jyothi Alummoottil N. , Sreekumar Janardanan
Published: December 2020

The gelatinization, rheological, and in vitro digestibility properties of cassava starch isolated from the roots of five diverse cassava cultivars at different growth stages are studied. The thermal, rheological, and pasting properties of the starch vary significantly with the cultivar and the root growth stage. The onset gelatinization temperature (To) is significantly lower for the triploid starch of the cultivar, Sree Athulya; while the starch of the early maturing variety, Vellayani Hraswa has higher To. The popular normal duration edible variety, Malayan‐4 shows comparatively lower viscosity breakdown among the starches indicating its higher stability toward shear stress and temperature. All the starch gels exhibit weak gel properties. The resistant starch content of the starches shows no significant variation with the cultivar, ploidy level, and the growth stage of the crop. However, the slowly digestible starch content is lower for the edible cultivars. The cultivar type, its ploidy level, and root maturity have significant effect on the pasting, rheological, and in vitro digestibility properties of cassava starch. The results of this study help to identify the cultivar type and harvest stage for isolating starch to suit specific applications in food and other industries.
Seismic performance enhancement of buildings using multi‐limb brace damper systems
Authors: Feng Huan , Zhou Fangyuan , Ge Hanbin , Zhu Hongping , Zhou Lemu
Published: December 2020

A novel brace system with a displacement amplification mechanism for damper energy dissipation is proposed in this paper. Theoretical mechanism of the multi‐limb brace damper system (MLBDS) is established. Finite element models are established to confirm the effectiveness of the proposed system. The seismic performance of the MLBDS is compared with those of traditional brace damper systems. Comparison results show that MLBDS has an excellent energy dissipation performance. In addition, the dynamic responses of a high‐rise building with the MLBDS installed to seismic excitations are evaluated. The results show that the MLBDS can significantly reduce the dynamic responses of the high‐rise building under strong earthquakes.
Superconformal RG interfaces in holography
Authors: Arav Igal , Cheung K. C. Matthew , Gauntlett Jerome P. , Roberts Matthew M. , Rosen Christopher
Published: December 2020

Abstract

We construct gravitational solutions that holographically describe two differentd= 4 SCFTs joined together at a co-dimension one, planar RG interface and preservingd= 3 superconformal symmetry. The RG interface joins$$ \mathcal{N} $$N= 4 SYM theory on one side with the$$ \mathcal{N} $$N= 1 Leigh-Strassler SCFT on the other. We construct a family of such solutions, which in general are associated with spatially dependent mass deformations on the$$ \mathcal{N} $$N= 4 SYM side, but there is a particular solution for which these deformations vanish. We also construct a Janus solution with the Leigh-Strassler SCFT on either side of the interface. Gravitational solutions associated with superconformal interfaces involving ABJM theory and twod= 3$$ \mathcal{N} $$N= 1 SCFTs withG2symmetry are also discussed and shown to have similar properties, but they also exhibit some new features.
Gauged sigma-models with nonclosed 3-form and twisted Jacobi structures
Authors: Chatzistavrakidis Athanasios , Šimunić Grgur
Published: December 2020

Abstract

We study aspects of two-dimensional nonlinear sigma models with Wess-Zumino term corresponding to a nonclosed 3-form, which may arise upon dimensional reduction in the target space. Our goal in this paper is twofold. In a first part, we investigate the conditions for consistent gauging of sigma models in the presence of a nonclosed 3-form. In the Abelian case, we find that the target of the gauged theory has the structure of a contact Courant algebroid, twisted by a 3-form and two 2-forms. Gauge invariance constrains the theory to (small) Dirac structures of the contact Courant algebroid. In the non-Abelian case, we draw a similar parallel between the gauged sigma model and certain transitive Courant algebroids and their corresponding Dirac structures. In the second part of the paper, we study two-dimensional sigma models related to Jacobi structures. The latter generalise Poisson and contact geometry in the presence of an additional vector field. We demonstrate that one can construct a sigma model whose gauge symmetry is controlled by a Jacobi structure, and moreover we twist the model by a 3-form. This construction is then the analogue of WZW-Poisson structures for Jacobi manifolds.
Riemann-Hilbert correspondence and blown up surface defects
Authors: Jeong Saebyeok , Nekrasov Nikita
Published: December 2020

Abstract

The relationship of two dimensional quantum field theory and isomonodromic deformations of Fuchsian systems has a long history. Recently four-dimensional N = 2 gauge theories joined the party in a multitude of roles. In this paper we study the vacuum expectation values of intersecting half-BPS surface defects in SU(2) theory with Nf = 4 fundamental hypermultiplets. We show they form a horizontal section of a Fuchsian system on a sphere with 5 regular singularities, calculate the monodromy, and define the associated isomonodromic tau-function. Using the blowup formula in the presence of half-BPS surface defects, initiated in the companion paper, we obtain the GIL formula, establishing an unexpected relation of the topological string/free fermion regime of supersymmetric gauge theory to classical integrability.
The large-N partition function for non-parity-invariant Chern-Simons-matter theories
Authors: Liu James T. , Zhang Xiuyuan
Published: December 2020

Abstract

We extend the Fermi gas approach to a class of ABJM-like necklace quiver theories without parity invariance. The resulting partition function on S3 retains the form of an Airy function, but now includes a phase that scales as Nk in the large-N limit where k is an overall Chern-Simons level. We demonstrate the presence of this phase both analytically and numerically in the case of a three node quiver.
Moduli spaces of Calabi-Yau d-folds as gravitational-chiral instantons
Authors: Cecotti Sergio
Published: December 2020

Abstract

Motivated by the swampland program, we show that the Weil-Petersson geometry of the moduli space of a Calabi-Yau manifold of complex dimension d ≤ 4 is a gravitational instanton (i.e. a finite-action solution of the Euclidean equations of motion of gravity with matter). More precisely, the moduli geometry of Calabi-Yau d-folds (d ≤ 4) describes instantons of (E)AdS Einstein gravity coupled to a standard chiral model.

From the point of view of the low-energy physics of string/M-theory compactified on the Calabi-Yau X, the various fields propagating on its moduli space are the couplings appearing in the effective Lagrangian "Image missing".
General scalar renormalisation group equations at three-loop order
Authors: Steudtner Tom
Published: December 2020

Abstract

For arbitrary scalar QFTs in four dimensions, renormalisation group equations of quartic and cubic interactions, mass terms, as well as field anomalous dimensions are computed at three-loop order in the $$ \overline{\mathrm{MS}} $$

MS
¯

scheme. Utilising pre-existing literature expressions for a specific model, loop integrals are avoided and templates for general theories are obtained. We reiterate known four-loop expressions, and from those derive β functions for scalar masses and cubic interactions. As an example, the results are applied to compute all renormalisation group equations in U(n) × U(n) scalar theories.
Examining instabilities due to driven scalars in AdS
Authors: Cownden Brad
Published: December 2020

Abstract

We extend the study of the non-linear perturbative theory of weakly turbulent energy cascades in AdSd+1 to include solutions of driven systems, i.e. those with time-dependent sources on the AdS boundary. This necessitates the activation of non-normalizable modes in the linear solution for the massive bulk scalar field, which couple to the metric and normalizable scalar modes. We determine analytic expressions for secular terms in the renormalization flow equations mass values $$ {m}_{BF}^2<{m}^2\le 0 $$

m
BF
2

<

m
2

≤
0
, and for various driving functions. Finally, we numerically evaluate these sources for d = 4 and discuss what role these driven solutions play in the perturbative stability of AdS.
Nothing is certain in string compactifications
Authors: Etxebarria Iñaki García , Montero Miguel , Sousa Kepa , Valenzuela Irene
Published: December 2020

Abstract

A bubble of nothing is a spacetime instability where a compact dimension collapses. After nucleation, it expands at the speed of light, leaving “nothing” behind. We argue that the topological and dynamical mechanisms which could protect a compactification against decay to nothing seem to be absent in string compactifications once supersymmetry is broken. The topological obstruction lies in a bordism group and, surprisingly, it can disappear even for a SUSY-compatible spin structure. As a proof of principle, we construct an explicit bubble of nothing for aT3with completely periodic (SUSY-compatible) spin structure in an Einstein dilaton Gauss-Bonnet theory, which arises in the low-energy limit of certain heterotic and type II flux compactifications. Without the topological protection, supersymmetric compactifications are purely stabilized by a Coleman-deLuccia mechanism, which relies on a certain local energy condition. This is violated in our example by the nonsupersymmetric GB term. In the presence of fluxes this energy condition gets modified and its violation might be related to the Weak Gravity Conjecture.

We expect that our techniques can be used to construct a plethora of new bubbles of nothing in any setup where the low-energy bordism group vanishes, including type II compactifications onCY3, AdS flux compactifications on 5-manifolds, and M-theory on 7-manifolds. This lends further evidence to the conjecture that any non-supersymmetric vacuum of quantum gravity is ultimately unstable.
Electroweak corrections in a pseudo Nambu-Goldstone Dark Matter model revisited
Authors: Glaus Seraina , Mühlleitner Margarete , Müller Jonas , Patel Shruti , Römer Tizian , Santos Rui
Published: December 2020

Abstract

Having so far only indirect evidence for the existence of Dark Matter a plethora of experiments aims at direct detection of Dark Matter through the scattering of Dark Matter particles off atomic nuclei. For the correct interpretation and identification of the underlying nature of the Dark Matter constituents higher-order corrections to the cross section of Dark Matter-nucleon scattering are important, in particular in models where the tree-level cross section is negligibly small. In this work we revisit the electroweak corrections to the dark matter-nucleon scattering cross section in a model with a pseudo Nambu-Goldstone boson as the Dark Matter candidate. Two calculations that already exist in the literature, apply different approaches resulting in different final results for the cross section in some regions of the parameter space leading us to redo the calculation and analyse the two approaches to clarify the situation. We furthermore update the experimental constraints and examine the regions of the parameter space where the cross section is above the neutrino floor but which can only be probed in the far future.
Null reductions of the M5-brane
Authors: Lambert Neil , Orchard Tristan
Published: December 2020

Abstract

We perform a general reduction of an M5-brane on a spacetime that admits a null Killing vector, including couplings to background 4-form fluxes and possible twisting of the normal bundle. We give the non-abelian extension of this action and present its supersymmetry transformations. The result is a class of supersymmetric non-Lorentzian gauge theories in 4+1 dimensions, which depend on the geometry of the six-dimensional spacetime. These can be used for DLCQ constructions of M5-branes reduced on various manifolds.
Pair production and gravity as the weakest force
Authors: Gonzalo Eduardo , Ibáñez Luis E.
Published: December 2020

Abstract

The Weak Gravity Conjecture (WGC) is usually formulated in terms of the stability of extremal black-holes or in terms of long distance Coulomb/Newton potentials. However one can think of other physical processes to compare the relative strength of gravity versus other forces. We argue for an alternative formulation in terms of particle pair production at threshold or, equivalently, pair annihilation at rest. Imposing that the production rate by any force mediator (photon or scalar) of pairs of charged particles be larger or equal to graviton production, we recover known conditions for the U(1) WGC and its extensions. Unlike other formulations though, threshold pair production is sensitive to short range couplings present in scalar interactions and gives rise to a Scalar WGC. Application to moduli scalars gives rise to specific conditions on the trilinear and quartic couplings which involve first and second derivatives of the WGC particle mass with respect to the moduli. Some solutions saturating equations correspond to massive states behaving like BPS, KK and winding states which feature duality invariance and are in agreement with the Swampland distance conjecture. Conditions forN= 2 BPS states saturate our bounds and we discuss specific examples of BPS states which become massless at large Kahler moduli in Type IIA N=2, D=4 CY and orbifold compactifications. We study possible implications for potentials depending on moduli only through WGC massive states. For some simple classes of potentials one recovers constraints somewhat similar but not equivalent to a Swampland dS conjecture.
Soft de Sitter Effective Theory
Authors: Cohen Timothy , Green Daniel
Published: December 2020

Abstract

Calculating the quantum evolution of a de Sitter universe on superhorizon scales is notoriously difficult. To address this challenge, we introduce the Soft de Sitter Effective Theory (SdSET). This framework holds for superhorizon modes whose comoving momentum is far below the UV scale, which is set by the inverse comoving horizon. The SdSET is formulated using the same approach that yields the Heavy Quark Effective Theory. The degrees of freedom that capture the long wavelength dynamics are identified with the growing and decaying solutions to the equations of motion. The operator expansion is organized using a power counting scheme, and loops can be regulated while respecting the low energy symmetries. For massive quantum fields in a fixed de Sitter background, power counting implies that all interactions beyond the horizon are irrelevant. Alternatively, if the fields are very light, the leading interactions are at most marginal, and resumming the associated logarithms using (dynamical) renormalization group techniques yields the evolution equation for canonical stochastic inflation. The SdSET is also applicable to models where gravity is dynamical, including inflation. In this case, diffeomorphism invariance ensures that all interactions are irrelevant, trivially implying the all-orders conservation of adiabatic density fluctuations and gravitational waves. We briefly touch on the application to slow-roll eternal inflation by identifying novel relevant operators. This work serves to demystify many aspects of perturbation theory outside the horizon, and has a variety of applications to problems of cosmological interest.
The twisted story of worldsheet scattering in η-deformed AdS5 × S5
Authors: Seibold Fiona K. , van Tongeren Stijn J. , Zimmermann Yannik
Published: December 2020

Abstract

We study the worldsheet scattering theory of the η deformation of the AdS5 × S5 superstring corresponding to the purely fermionic Dynkin diagram. This theory is a Weyl-invariant integrable deformation of the AdS5 × S5 superstring, with trigonometric quantum-deformed symmetry. We compute the two-body worldsheet S matrix of this string in the light-cone gauge at tree level to quadratic order in fermions. The result factorizes into two elementary blocks, and solves the classical Yang-Baxter equation. We also determine the corresponding exact factorized S matrix, and show that its perturbative expansion matches our tree-level results, once we correctly identify the deformed light-cone symmetry algebra of the string. Finally, we briefly revisit the computation of the corresponding S matrix for the η deformation based on the distinguished Dynkin diagram, finding a tree-level S matrix that factorizes and solves the classical Yang-Baxter equation, in contrast to previous results.
Electroweak baryogenesis and gravitational waves in a composite Higgs model with high dimensional fermion representations
Authors: Xie Ke-Pan , Bian Ligong , Wu Yongcheng
Published: December 2020

Abstract

We study electroweak baryogenesis in the SO(6)/SO(5) composite Higgs model with the third generation quarks being embedded in the20′representation of SO(6). The scalar sector contains one Higgs doublet and one real singlet, and their potential is given by the Coleman-Weinberg potential evaluated from the form factors of the lightest vector and fermion resonances. We show that the resonance masses at$$ \mathcal{O}\left(1\sim 10\kern0.5em \mathrm{TeV}\right) $$O1∼10TeVcan generate a potential that triggers the strong first-order electroweak phase transition (SFOEWPT). TheCPviolating phase arising from the dimension-6 operator in the top sector is sufficient to yield the observed baryon asymmetry of the universe. The SFOEWPT parameter space is detectable at the future space-based detectors.
Applications of alpha space
Authors: Rutter Daniel , van Rees Balt C.
Published: December 2020

Abstract

We extend the definition of ‘alpha space’ as introduced in [1] to two spacetime dimensions. We discuss how this can be used to find conformal block decompositions of known functions and how to easily recover several lightcone bootstrap results. In the second part of the paper we establish a connection between alpha space and the Lorentzian inversion formula of [2].
Low scale U(1)X gauge symmetry as an origin of dark matter, neutrino mass and flavour anomalies
Authors: Borah Debasish , Mukherjee Lopamudra , Nandi Soumitra
Published: December 2020

Abstract

We study a generic leptophilic U(1)X extension of the standard model with a light gauge boson. The U(1)X charge assignments for the leptons are guided by lepton universality violating (LUV) observables in semileptonic b → sℓℓ decays, muon anomalous magnetic moment and the origin of leptonic masses and mixing. Anomaly cancellation conditions require the addition of new chiral fermions in the model, one of which acts as a dark matter (DM) candidate when it is stabilised by an additional $$ {\mathcal{Z}}_2 $$

Z
2

symmetry. From our analysis, we show two different possible models with similar particle content that lead to quite contrasting neutrino mass origin and other phenomenology. The proposed models also have the potential to address the anomalous results in b → cℓνℓ decays like R(D), R(D∗), electron anomalous magnetic moment and the very recent KOTO anomaly in the kaon sector. We also discuss different possible collider signatures of our models which can be tested in future.
Comparative metabolomics analysis reveals the variations of eating quality among three high-quality rice cultivars
Authors: Gong Rong , Huang Daoqiang , Chen Yibo , Li Hong , Wang Zhidong , Zhou Degui , Zhao Lei , Pan Yangyang , Chang Yuxiao , Xiang Yong , Wang Chongrong , Zhou Shaochuan
Published: December 2020

Good eating quality is a highly desirable trait of rice which determines its commercial value and market share. However, the molecular basis of this trait remains largely unknown. Here, three high-quality conventional rice cultivars, including two superior eating quality cultivars Meixiangzhan-2 (MXZ) and Xiangyaxiangzhan (XYXZ), and one ordinary eating quality cultivar Huanghuazhan (HHZ), were analyzed by comparative metabolomics to identify the inherent mechanism for the formation of superior eating quality. The results showed 58.8% of common differential substances between MXZ vs HHZ and XYXZ vs HHZ were enriched in MXZ and XYXZ, whereas 39.2% of them were prominently decreased compared with HHZ, mainly including amino acids, carbohydrates, lipids, phenolamides, and flavonoids, which may be the primary factors leading to the differences of taste and flavor among these three cultivars. We also found that lysine derivatives and fatty acids may have a close relationship with taste. These results above provide important insights into the taste-forming mechanism of rice and will be beneficial for superior eating quality rice breeding.
Urbanization does not affect green space bird species richness in a mid-sized city
Authors: Korányi Dávid , Gallé Róbert , Donkó Bettina , Chamberlain Dan E. , Batáry Péter
Published: December 2020

Urbanization is one of the most intensive forms of landscape and habitat transformation, resulting in species loss, and taxonomic and functional homogenization of different communities. Whilst green infrastructure (the network of natural and semi-natural areas in cities) has been studied extensively in terms of specific features that promote biodiversity, there have been no studies that have assessed how species richness in different types of green space (GS) varies with increasing levels of urbanization in the surrounding matrix. We studied the effects of different types of GS and urbanization in the surrounding matrix on bird communities in the mid-sized city of Göttingen, Germany. We used the point-count method for bird observations in allotments and parks. To determine the level of urbanization, we calculated percentage of impervious surfaces around GSs. Increasing levels of urbanization around GSs had no effect on the species richness, functional traits or the community composition of birds. Nevertheless, we found that species richness and functional traits varied according to GS type. Parks had a greater species richness and were found to have more ground nesting and tropical migrant birds compared to allotments. We found more cavity nesting and resident birds in allotments. As different types of GS can contribute to the presence of different species and functional trait variations, their positive effect on bird species richness can be enhanced when they are present together in urban landscapes. Our findings suggest that green spaces with a high variety of local characteristics should be incorporated into urban planning designs in order to ensure diverse bird communities in cities.
Breed-related expression patterns of Ki67, γH2AX, and p21 during ageing in the canine liver
Authors: Hardwick Laura J. A. , Kortum Andre J. , Constantino-Casas Fernando , Watson Penny J.
Published: December 2020

Cellular senescence is a molecular hallmark of ageing that is associated with multiple pathologies, and DNA damage marker γH2AX, together with cell cycle inhibitor p21, have been used as senescence markers in multiple species including dogs. Idiopathic canine chronic hepatitis has recognised breed-related differences in predisposition and prognosis, but reasons behind this are poorly understood. This retrospective study using archived post mortem tissue aimed to provide insight into liver ageing in 51 microscopically normal canine livers across seven breed categories, including those with and without increased risk of chronic hepatitis. Immunohistochemistry was conducted for γH2AX, p21, and cell proliferation marker Ki67, and the mean number of positive hepatocytes per high power field was determined. All three markers were strongly correlated to each other, but no age-dependent expression was seen in the combined study population. Overall expression levels were low in most dogs, with median values representing less than 1.5% of hepatocytes, but this increased to 20–30% in individual dogs at the upper end of the range. Individual breed differences were noted in two breeds that have increased risk of chronic hepatitis, with English Springer Spaniels having lower expression of Ki67 than other dogs, and Labradors having higher expression of Ki67 and γH2AX than other dogs. These results warrant further investigation in these breeds and highlight a need to validate reliable markers of cellular senescence in dogs.
Dynamic Equilibrium of Market Making with Price Competition
Authors: Luo Jialiang , Zheng Harry
Published: December 2020

In this paper, we discuss the dynamic equilibrium of market making with price competition and incomplete information. The arrival of market sell/buy orders follows a pure jump process with intensity depending on bid/ask spreads among market makers and having a looping countermonotonic structure. We solve the problem with the nonzero-sum stochastic differential game approach and characterize the equilibrium value function with a coupled system of Hamilton–Jacobi nonlinear ordinary differential equations. We prove, do not assume a priori, that the generalized Issac’s condition is satisfied, which ensures the existence and uniqueness of Nash equilibrium. We also perform some numerical tests that show our model produces tighter bid/ask spreads than those derived using a benchmark model without price competition, which indicates the market liquidity would be enhanced in the presence of price competition of market makers.
Techno-economic modeling of an integrated biomethane-biomethanol production process via biomass gasification, electrolysis, biomethanation, and catalytic methanol synthesis
Authors: Menin Lorenzo , Benedetti Vittoria , Patuzzi Francesco , Baratieri Marco
Published: December 2020

Biological methanation (biomethanation) of syngas obtained from biomass gasification offers the opportunity to employ a low-pressure, low-temperature process to produce storable bio-derived substitute natural gas (bSNG), although its economic viability is limited by high energy and biomass costs. Research on syngas biomethanation techno-economic performance is limited and novel biomass-to-biomethane process configurations are required in order to assess opportunities for the enhancement of its efficiency and economic feasibility. In this study, we carried out the techno-economic modeling of two processes comprising integrated biomass gasification, electrolysis, and syngas biomethanation with combined heat and power recovery in order to assess and compare their fuel yields, energy efficiency, carbon efficiency, and bSNG minimum selling price (MSP). The first process operates standalone biomethanation (SAB) of syngas and can produce approximately 38,000 Nm3of bSNG per day, with a total plant efficiency of 50.6%. The second process (integrated biomethane-biomethanol, IBB) exploits the unconverted carbon stream from the biomethanation process to recover energy and synthesize methanol via direct catalytic CO2hydrogenation. In addition to the same bSNG output, the IBB process can produce 10 t/day of biomethanol, at a 99% purity. The IBB process shows little global energy efficiency gains in comparison with SAB (51.7%) due to the large increase in electrolytic hydrogen demand, but it shows a substantial improvement in biomass-to-fuel carbon efficiency (33 vs. 26%). The SAB and IBB processes generate a bSNG MSP of 2.38 €/Nm3and 3.68 €/Nm3, respectively. Hydrogenation of unconverted carbon in biomass-to-biomethane processes comes with high additional capital and operating costs due to the large-scale electrolysis plants required. Consequently, in both processes, the market price gap of the bSNG produced is 0.13 €/kWhbSNG(SAB) and 0.25 €/kWhbSNG(IBB) even under the most optimistic cost scenarios considered, and it is primarily influenced by the cost of surplus electricity utilized in electrolysis, while the selling price of biomethanol exerts a very limited influence on process economics. Intensive subsidization would be required in order to sustain the decentralized production of bSNG through both processes. Despite their limited economic competitiveness, both processes have a size comparable with existing renewable gas production plants in terms of bSNG production capacity and the IBB process is of a size adequate for the supply of biomethanol to a decentralized biorenewable supply chain.
Highest Harm Crime “Recruiters” in a London Borough: a Case of Moving Targets
Authors: Linton Benedict , Ariel Barak
Published: December 2020

Research Question

Can criminal recruiters be identified and ranked by crime harm levels in a London borough, and if so, how long is the predictive window of opportunity for targeting them with crime prevention efforts?

Data

This study deploys 5 years of Metropolitan Police Service crime data, relating to one of the 32 London boroughs in that time period. The data structure allowed identification of all suspects linked to the same crime report and all crime reports linked to the same suspects. Identification of linked suspects and their associated crime harm was undertaken using Structured Query Language (SQL) and ColdFusion Markup Language (CFML) via a web-based application.

Methods

All offenders were ranked by the number of co-offenders they acquired, as well as the total Cambridge crime harm index weight of the detected offences associated with them.

Findings

The highest harm recruiters are shown to be up to 137 times as harmful as the average offender, with one recruiter committing the same number of crimes as another but having 97 times more crime harm. Recruiter populations are highly dynamic, with few potential targets persisting from year to year over multiple years.

Conclusions

This study suggests that criminal recruiters are readily identifiable from police data, but police would only have a short window of opportunity to use deterrent or other preventive strategies with them once they are identified.
SES differences in marital fertility widened during the fertility transition—evidence from global micro-level population data
Authors: Dribe Martin , Scalone Francesco
Published: December 2020

The decline in human fertility during the demographic transition is one of the most profound changes to human living conditions. To gain a better understanding of this transition we investigate the association between socioeconomic status (SES) and marital fertility in different fertility regimes in a global and historical perspective. We use data for a large number women in 91 different countries for the period 1703–2018 (N = 116,612,473). In the pre-transitional fertility regime the highest SES group had somewhat lower marital fertility than other groups both in terms of children ever born (CEB) and number of surviving children under 5 (CWR). Over the course of the fertility transition, as measured by the different fertility regimes, these rather small initial SES differentials in marital fertility widened, both for CEB and CWR. There was no indication of a convergence in marital fertility by SES in the later stages of the transition. Our results imply a universally negative association between SES and marital fertility and that the fertility differentials widened during the fertility transition.
The policy-seeking voter: evaluations of government performance beyond the economy
Authors: Markwat Niels
Published: December 2020

Voters hold governments to account through elections, but which criteria are most important to voter evaluations of incumbent performance? While (economic) outcomes have long been central to studies of retrospective voting, recent studies have considered the influence of policy output—the policies implemented by incumbents to achieve their goals. Building on this promising development, this study identifies three ways in which policy output is expected to affect voter evaluations of incumbent performance—the congruence between implemented policy and (1) individual preferences; (2) public opinion; and (3) election pledges. A discrete choice experiment was designed to assess the relative importance of these three aspects of policy output in comparison to each other; as well as to two important economic indicators. Overall, the findings support the notion that policy output matters to voters even beyond outcomes. The findings also show that voters value congruence between policy and their personal preferences considerably more than policy congruence with public opinion; and election pledge fulfillment. This indicates that voters are egotropic in their evaluation of implemented policy, and more policy-seeking than accounted for in much of the empirical retrospective voting literature. These results inform our understanding of how policy output matters to voters, as well as of how voters hold governments accountable for their performance.
Innovation and Certainty
Authors: Wilson Mark
Published: December 2020

Beginning in the nineteenth century, mathematics' traditional domains of 'number and figure' became vigorously displaced by altered settings in which former verities became discarded as no longer sacrosanct. And these innovative recastings appeared everywhere, not merely within the familiar realm of the non-Euclidean geometries. How can mathematics retain its traditional status as a repository of necessary truth in the light of these revisions? The purpose of this Element is to provide a sketch of this developmental history.
Children's Literature and the Rise of ‘Mind Cure'
Authors: Stiles Anne
Published: December 2020

Positive thinking is good for you. You can become healthy, wealthy, and influential by using the power of your mind to attract what you desire. These kooky but commonplace ideas stem from a nineteenth-century new religious movement known as 'mind cure' or New Thought. Related to Mary Baker Eddy's Christian Science, New Thought was once a popular religious movement with hundreds of thousands of followers, and has since migrated into secular contexts such as contemporary psychotherapy, corporate culture, and entertainment. New Thought also pervades nineteenth- and early twentieth-century children's literature, including classics such as The Secret Garden, Anne of Green Gables, and A Little Princess. In this first book-length treatment of New Thought in Anglophone fiction, Anne Stiles explains how children's literature encouraged readers to accept New Thought ideas - especially psychological concepts such as the inner child - thereby ensuring the movement's survival into the present day.
The Cosmic Microwave Background
Authors: Durrer Ruth
Published: December 2020

The Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB), the radiation left over from the Big Bang, is arguably the most important topic in modern cosmology. Its theory and observation have revolutionized cosmology from an order-of-magnitude science to a precision science. This graduate textbook describes CMB physics from first principles in a detailed yet pedagogical way, assuming only that the reader has a working knowledge of General Relativity. Among the changes in this second edition are new chapters on non-Gaussianities in the CMB and on large-scale structure, and extended discussions on lensing and baryon acoustic oscillations, topics that have developed significantly in the last decade. Discussions of CMB experiments have been updated from WMAP data to the new Planck data. The CMB success story in estimating cosmological parameters is then treated in detail, conveying the beauty of the interplay of theoretical understanding and precise experimental measurements.
Transnational Migration and Asia
Authors: Baas Michiel
Published: December 2020

As our increasingly globalized world alters the dynamics of migration, the ideas that migrants have about returning to their home countries have evolved as well. This diverse collection examines the changes and complexities of migration patterns in a range of Asian countries and cities, exploring how globalization and transnationalism shape and give meaning to the migrant experience. From Japanese-Brazilian transmigrants and Filipina students in Ireland to skilled migrants from India, the authors address migrants' backgrounds, ambitions, and opportunities to offer intriguing insights and propose fascinating new questions about the lives of migrants in today's world.
Kyiv, Ukraine
Authors: Cybriwsky Roman Adrian
Published: December 2020

The unrest and violence in Ukraine shocked the world, and the region's long-term future remains troublingly uncertain. Focusing on the difficulty of Kiev's transition from socialism to market democracy, this book demonstrates how Ukraine reached this turbulent point. Roman Adrian Cybriwsky delves deeply into the changing social geography of the city, recent urban development, and critical problems such as official corruption, inequality, sex tourism, and the heedless destruction of the city's historical architecture all difficulties that have contributed incrementally to Ukrainian citizens' anger against their government. This thoroughly revised edition offers the clearest picture we've had yet of what has happened and what is likely still to come in Ukraine.
Building Musical Culture in Nineteenth-Century Amsterdam
Authors: Cressman Darryl
Published: December 2020

When people attend classical music concerts today, they sit and listen in silence, offering no audible reactions to what they're hearing. We think of that as normal-but, as Darryl Cressman shows in this book, it's the product of a long history of interrelationships between music, social norms, and technology. Using the example of Amsterdam's Concertgebouw in the nineteenth century, Cressman shows how its design was in part intended to help discipline and educate concert audiences to listen attentively - and analysis of its creation and use offers rich insights into sound studies, media history, science and technology studies, classical music, and much more.
List Cultures
Authors: Young Liam Cole
Published: December 2020

We live in an age of lists, from magazine features to online clickbait. This book situates the list in a long tradition, asking key questions about the list as a cultural and communicative form. What, Liam Cole Young asks, can this seemingly innocuous form tell us about historical and contemporary media environments and logistical networks? Connecting German theories of cultural techniques to Anglo-American approaches that address similar issues, List Cultures makes a major contribution to debates about New Materialism and the post-human turn.
Held's History of Sumbawa
Authors: Hägerdal Hans
Published: December 2020

Sumbawa is a medium-sized island in eastern Indonesia which has a particularly interesting past. In the premodern era it lay on the trade routes that connected the north coasts of the islands of Melaka and Java with the spice-producing areas in Maluku, while Sumbawa itself exported horses, sappan wood, and rice. Its recorded history covers periods of Hindu-Javanese influence, the Southeast Asian Age of Commerce, early Islamisation, and Dutch colonialism. Dutch Indologist Gerrit Jan Held wrote this book in 1955 but died before it could be published; this volume represents its first translation into English, and includes extensive footnotes that set it in context of current research.
The Cistercian Reform and the Art of the Book in Twelfth-Century France
Authors: Reilly Diane
Published: December 2020

This book is a study of the programmatic oral performance of the written word and its impact on art and text. Communal singing and reading of the Latin texts that formed the core of Christian ritual and belief consumed many hours of the Benedictine monk's day. These texts-read and sung out loud, memorized, and copied into manuscripts-were often illustrated by the very same monks who participated in the choir liturgy. The meaning of these illustrations sometimes only becomes clear when they are read in the context of the texts these monks heard read. The earliest manuscripts of Cîteaux, copied and illuminated at the same time that the new monastery's liturgy was being reformed, demonstrate the transformation of aural experience to visual and textual legacy.
A non-iterative design for aileron to rudder interconnect gain
Authors: Myala J. , Patel V.V. , Singh G.K.
Published: December 2020

Aileron to Rudder Interconnect (ARI) gain is implemented on most fighter aircraft, primarily to reduce the side slip produced due to adverse yaw from pilot lateral control stick input and to improve the turn rate response. A systematic and non-iterative design procedure for ARI gain is proposed herein based on the evaluation of a transfer function magnitude at the aircraft roll mode frequency. The simplicity of the proposed method makes it useful for real-time flight control law reconfiguration in situations where the aileron control authority is diminished due to damage. This is demonstrated by a simulation example considering an aileron surface damage scenario.
Cherchez la femme?Fadia in Plutarch'sLife of Antony
Authors: Tatum W. Jeffrey
Published: December 2020

In hisPhilippicsCicero more than once refers to Fadia, whom he depicts as Antony's wife, and to the children she bore him. He also discusses Fadia in his correspondence with Atticus. Plutarch was aware of thePhilippicsand much of Cicero's correspondence, and therefore of Fadia, and yet, in hisLife of Antony, he says nothing about her. This paper examines three possible explanations for the biographer's silence: (i) an informed sensibility regarding the historical value of invective; (ii) the narrative design of thisLifeand its contribution to Plutarch's characterisation of Antony; (iii) Plutarch's (disturbing by contemporary standards) disapproval of an aristocrat's siring children on women of the lower orders – even by way of legitimate marriage or concubinage. It is, it appears, the ensemble of these factors which excludes Fadia from Plutarch's biography, and the pertinence of each adds to our appreciation of Plutarch's biographical principles.
Patronage, Poetic Lineage, and Wordplay: A New Dedicatory Acronym in Vergil's SixthEclogue
Authors: Bernstein Frances M.
Published: December 2020

This article identifies and defends a previously unobserved dedicatory acronym to Maecenas in the second half ofEcl. 6.69 (MAEC- in reverse:Calamos,EnAccipe,Musae) and contextualizes the specific linguistic choices and central themes of that acronym within a broader network of Vergilian word games. I argue that the dedicatory acronym inEcl.6.69 shares linguistic and thematic features with numerous previously identified Vergilian word games, and that from this network of wordplay emerges a common discourse on poetic lineage, genre, and patronage. An awareness of this network of wordplay in Vergil's corpus provides a starting point for a more comprehensive and nuanced interpretation both of individual Vergilian word games and of Vergilian wordplay as a general phenomenon. On a literary level, the conclusions I draw from theMAEC- acronym and the relationship between wordplay and various thematic issues inform a clearer picture of generic shifts and expectations inEclogue6, theEcloguesin general, and Vergil's corpus more broadly, and contribute to an understanding of the subtle ways in which Vergil negotiates issues of patronage in his first collection.