pinecone/core-2020-05-10-deduplication huggingface dataset:
Blue mussel shell shape plasticity and natural environments: a quantitative approach

Shape variability represents an important direct response of organisms to selective environments. Here, we use a combination of geometric morphometrics and generalised additive mixed models (GAMMs) to identify spatial patterns of natural shell shape variation in the North Atlantic and Arctic blue mussels, Mytilus edulis and M. trossulus, with environmental gradients of temperature, salinity and food availability across 3980 km of coastlines. New statistical methods and multiple study systems at various geographical scales allowed the uncoupling of the developmental and genetic contributions to shell shape and made it possible to identify general relationships between blue mussel shape variation and environment that are independent of age and species influences. We find salinity had the strongest effect on the latitudinal patterns of Mytilus shape, producing shells that were more elongated, narrower and with more parallel dorsoventral margins at lower salinities. Temperature and food supply, however, were the main drivers of mussel shape heterogeneity. Our findings revealed similar shell shape responses in Mytilus to less favourable environmental conditions across the different geographical scales analysed. Our results show how shell shape plasticity represents a powerful indicator to understand the alterations of blue mussel communities in rapidly changing environments
Inactivation of palladium-based oxygen scavenger system by volatile sulphur compounds present in the headspace of packaged food

An oxygen scavenger based on a catalytic system with palladium (CSP) was recently developed to remove oxygen in food packagings. Although the CSP worked with various types of food, with some foods, an inhibition of the CSP was observed. Because such catalytic systems are susceptible to poisoning by sulfurcontaining compounds, the aim of this study was to understand the inactivation of palladium-based catalysts in presence of foods containing volatile sulfur compounds (VSCs). To achieve this, the oxygen scavenging activity (OSA) of the CSP was evaluated in presence of selected food products. Afterwards, VSCs mainly present in these foods were exposed to the CSP, and the influence on the OSA was evaluated. Finally, headspace analysis was performed with the diluted VSCs and with the packaged food products using proton transfer reaction time-of-flight mass spectrometry. It was found that the catalytic activity of the CSP was inhibited when VSCs were present in the headspace in concentrations ranging between 10.8–36.0 ppbv (dimethyl sulfide, DMS), 1.2–7.2 ppbv (dimethyl disulfide), 0.7–0.9 ppbv (dimethyl trisulfide), 2.1–5.8 ppbv  methional) and 4.6–24.5 ppbv (furfuryl thiol). It was concluded that in packaged roast beef and cheese, DMS may be the compound mainly responsible for the inactivation of the CSP. In packagings containing ham, the key compounds were hydrogen sulfide and methanethiol; in peanuts, it was methanethiol; and in par-baked buns, an accumulation of methional, DMS, butanethiol and methionol. When potato chips were packaged, it was demonstrated that when VSCs are present in low concentrations, oxygen can still be scavenged at a reduced OSA
Measuring the Value of Strategic Alliances in the Wake of a Financial Implosion: Evidence from Japan's Financial Services Sector

This paper examines the wealth effects of financial-institution strategic alliances on the shareholders of the newly allied firms. Our paper is different from previous studies of non-financial joint ventures, financial and non-financial mergers and acquisitions, and non-financial strategic alliances in three important aspects/ways: First, we focus on financial institutions that form strategic alliances. Second, while most related studies use U.S. data, this paper employs Japanese data for the late 1990s, directly testing financial theory in a different setting. Finally, we study whether different types of alliances result in differing magnitudes of stock market responses.
Our primary results are as follows: First, we find that a strategic alliance, on average, increases the value of the partner firms. This is consistent with the “synergy” hypothesis. Second, the gains from the alliance are spread more widely among the partners than would be suggested by a random alternative, supporting a “win-win” hypothesis. Third, smaller partners tend to experience larger percentage gains, which is consistent with a “relative size” hypothesis. Fourth, the market values inter-group alliance announcements more than intra-group alliance announcements; the latter may well be seen as redundant. This is consistent with an “inter-group synergies” hypothesis. Fifth, we do not find a significant difference in the abnormal returns showed by domestic-foreign alliances and domestic-domestic alliances, although both sets of alliances show significantly positive returns. We thus do not find support for a “foreign firm superior” hypothesis. Finally, we find that an investment-banking alliance has a strong positive effect on abnormal returns, indicating that investment banking, which has been underdeveloped in Japan relative to the U.S., may be a promising business for financial institutions.
Overall, this paper complements the existing literature in that we analyze the value of financial institution alliances. Our analysis reconfirms that strategic alliances are value-enhancing. This is consistent with previous studies that find increased value in the announcement of a strategic alliance or a merger. Our results are consistent with the notion that financial deregulation tends to increase competition, which, in turn, encourages firms to adopt aggressive corporate strategies. This is viewed as a positive move by investors, as evidenced by the average gains of the shareholders of these alliance-forging firms
Comparison of two approaches to compute magnetic field in problems with random domains

This paper is a postprint of a paper submitted to and accepted for publication in Science, Measurement & Technology, IET
and is subject to Institution of Engineering and Technology Copyright. The copy of record is available at IET Digital LibraryMethods are now available to solve numerically electromagnetic problems with uncertain input data (behaviour law or geometry). The stochastic approach consists in modelling uncertain data using random variables. Discontinuities on the magnetic field distribution in the stochastic dimension can arise in a problem with uncertainties on the geometry. The basis functions (polynomial chaos) usually used to approximate the unknown fields in the random dimensions are no longer suited. One possibility proposed in the literature is to introduce additional functions (enrichment function) to tackle the problem of discontinuity. In this study, the authors focus on the method of random mappings and they show that in this case the discontinuity are naturally taken into account and that no enrichment function needs to be added.This work is supported by the program MEDEE funded by the Nord Pas de Calais council and the European Communit
Weathering wikis: net-based learning meets political science in a South African university

This is the author's version of a work that was accepted for publication in Computers and Composition. Changes resulting from the publishing process, such as peer review, editing, corrections, structural formatting, and other quality control mechanisms may not be reflected in this document. Changes may have been made to this work since it was submitted for publication. A definitive version was subsequently published in Computers and Composition, Volume 24, Issue 3, 2007. DOI: 10.1016/j.compcom.2007.06.001.Wikis represent flexible tools functioning as open-ended environments for collaboration while also offering process and group writing support. Here we focus on a project to innovate the use of wikis for collaborative writing within student groups in a final-year undergraduate political science course. The primary questions guiding our research were in what ways could wikis assist collaborative learning in an undergraduate course in political science and how we could support educators' in the effective use of wikis? Curiously, wikis may serve as a mediating artifact for collaborative writing even among students who are reluctant to post online drafts. The paper raises questions concerning the nature and limits of lecturer and tutor power to deliver transformative educational innovations in relation to the capacity of students to embrace, comply with, or resist such innovation. In analysing the negotiation of the use of wikis in the course by and among the lecturer, tutors, and students, we draw on two principles in activity theory, which Yrjo Engestrom argued are central to his model of expansive learning: multi-voicedness and contradictions [Engestrom, Yrjo. (1987). Learning by expanding: An activity-theoretical approach to developmental research. Helsinki: Orienta-Konsultit; Engestrom, Yrjo. (2001). Expansive learning at work: Toward an activity theoretical reconceptualization. Journal of Education and Work 14(1), 133–156.]. We add a third principle, transparency, to more fully capture what we observed
Electronic effects on melting: Comparison of aluminum cluster anions and cations

Producción CientíficaHeat capacities have been measured as a function of temperature for aluminum cluster anions with 35–70 atoms. Melting temperatures and latent heats are determined from peaks in the heat capacities; cohesive energies are obtained for solid clusters from the latent heats and dissociation energies determined for liquid clusters. The melting temperatures, latent heats, and cohesive energies for the aluminum cluster anions are compared to previous measurements for the corresponding cations. Density functional theory calculations have been performed to identify the global minimum energy geometries for the cluster anions. The lowest energy geometries fall into four main families: distorted decahedral fragments, fcc fragments, fcc fragments with stacking faults, and “disordered” roughly spherical structures. The comparison of the cohesive energies for the lowest energy geometries with the measured values allows us to interpret the size variation in the latent heats. Both geometric and electronic shell closings contribute to the variations in the cohesive energies (and latent heats), but structural changes appear to be mainly responsible for the large variations in the melting temperatures with cluster size. The significant charge dependence of the latent heats found for some cluster sizes indicates that the electronic structure can change substantially when the cluster melts
Electrochemical Synthesis and Characterization of 1,2-Naphthaquinone-4-Sulfonic Acid Doped Polypyrrole

Polypyrrole thin film microelectrodes prepared from an aqueous solution of the sodium salt of 1, 2-napthaquinone-4-sulfonic acid and pyrrole in hydrochloric acid as the supporting electrolyte was characterized electrochemically for the first time and found to exhibit good electronic and spectroscopic properties. Voltammetric investigations showed that the polymer exhibited quasireversible kinetics in a potential window of -400 mV to 700 mV, with a formal potential of 322 mV vs. Ag/AgCl. The diffusion coefficient was calculated to be 1.02×10-6 cm2 s-1 for a thin film with a surface concentration of 1.83×10-7 mol cm-2 having a rate constant of 2.20×10-3 cm s-1 at 5 mV s-1. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy provided quantitative information about the conductivity changes within the modified polymer and support for the quasireversible kinetics suggested by voltammetry. The changes in electrical properties of the polymer during electrochemical p-doping and n-doping were quantified by equivalent electrical circuit fitting and assisted in the identification of the suggested kinetic mechanism. SNIFTIRS confirmed the incorporation of the surfactant into the polypyrrole film and for the first time structural changes within the polymer were observed that could be related to the observed electrochemistry of the polymer.http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/elan.20060373
Foam-like structure of the Universe

On the quantum stage spacetime had the foam-like structure. When the Universe
cools, the foam structure tempers and does not disappear. We show that effects
caused by the foamed structure mimic very well the observed Dark Matter
phenomena. Moreover, we show that in a foamed space photons undergo a chaotic
scattering and together with every discrete source of radiation we should
observe a diffuse halo. We show that the distribution of the diffuse halo of
radiation around a point-like source repeats exactly the distribution of dark
matter around the same source, i.e. the DM halos are sources of the diffuse
radiation
Proposal for a smart pressurised ring test to study thick composite produced by ﬁlament winding

This work was supported by OSEO agency. The authors would like to thank Air Liquide and EADS Composites Aquitaine for their technical support in the H2E project.Improvements in the characterisation of materials used in pipes, tubes or vessels rely on the development of tests on cylindrical samples in order to be consistent with the real manufacturing process. Existing devices are unable to reach the pressure limits required to test high pressure hydrogen storage tanks. We therefore propose an original test device based on a conical ﬁtting system. First, the operational principle and the pressure measurement technique are presented. Next, the choice of apparatus design parameters according to test requirements is discussed. In addition, the device’s capabilities are illustrated on a 39 mm thick CFRP ring test including Digital Image Correlation measurements
Modulation spectroscopy with ultracold fermions in an optical lattice

We propose an experimental setup of ultracold fermions in an optical lattice
to determine the pairing gap in a superfluid state and the spin ordering in a
Mott-insulating state. The idea is to apply a periodic modulation of the
lattice potential and to use the thereby induced double occupancy to probe the
system.
  We show by full time-dependent calculation using the adaptive time dependent
density-matrix renormalization group method that the position of the peak in
the spectrum of the induced double occupancy gives the pairing energy in a
superfluid and the interaction energy in a Mott-insulator, respectively. In the
Mott-insulator we relate the spectral weight of the peak to the spin ordering
at finite temperature using perturbative calculations
Ontology Based Query Expansion with a Probabilistic Retrieval Model

This paper examines the use of ontologies for defining query context. The information retrieval system used is based on the probabilistic retrieval model. We extend the use of relevance feedback (RFB) and pseudo-relevance feedback (PF) query expansion techniques using information from a news domain ontology. The aim is to assess the impact of the ontology on the query expansion results with respect to recall and precision. We also tested the results for varying the relevance feedback parameters (number of terms or number of documents). The factors which influence the success of ontology based query expansion are outlined. Our findings show that ontology based query expansion has had mixed success. The use of the ontology has vastly increased the number of relevant documents retrieved, however, we conclude that for both types of query expansion, the PF results are better than the RFB results
PLM and early stages collaboration in interactive design, a case study in the glass industry

Product design activity is traditionally presented as a succession of four to six stages. In the early stages of design, during the search for concepts, multi-disciplinary teams are working together, sometimes on the fringe of the digital design chain. But it is during these stages, that most of the product development cost is committed. Therefore, collaboration should be emphasized, and PLM software should contribute to it strongly. This paper first defines the boundaries of the early stages of design. Then, we analyze designer collaboration in this stage and describe the knowledge necessary for efficient collaboration. Finally, we propose and test a concept for a tool to assist the early stages of design, to be integrated in a continuum with other existing digital design tools. A case study is presented in Verallia, specialized in the design and manufacturing of glassware
Effects Of Thermal Exchange On Material Flow During Steel Thixoextrusion Process

Semi-solid processing is an innovative technology for near net-shape production of
components, where the metallic alloys are processed in the semi-solid state. Taking advantage of the thixotropic behavior of alloys in the semi-solid state, significant progress has been made in semi-solid processing. However, the consequences of such behavior on the flow during thixoforming are still not completely understood. To explore and better understand the influence of the different parameters on material flow during thixoextrusion process, thixoextrusion experiments were performed using the low carbon steel C38. The billet was partially melted at high solid fraction. Effects of various process parameters including the initial billet temperature, the temperature of die, the punch speed during process and the presence of a Ceraspray layer at the interface of tool and billet were investigated through experiments and simulation. After analyzing the results thus obtained, it was identified that the aforementioned parameters mainly affect thermal exchanges between die and part. The Ceraspray layer not only plays a lubricant role, but also acts as a thermal barrier at the interface of tool and billet. Furthermore, the thermal effects can affect the material flow which is composed of various distinct zones
E-Flow: A communication system for user notification in dynamic evacuation scenarios

Most of the current evacuation plans are based on static signaling, fixed monitoring infrastructure, and limited user notification and feedback mechanisms. These facts lead to lower situation awareness, in the case event of an emergency, such as blocked emergency exits, while delaying the reaction time of individuals. In this context, we introduce the E-Flow communication system, which improves the user awareness by integrating personal, mobile and fixed devices with the existing monitoring infrastructure. Our system broadens the notification and monitoring alternatives, in real time, among, safety staff, end-users and evacuation related devices, such as sensors and actuators
The running coupling of the minimal sextet composite Higgs model

We compute the renormalized running coupling of SU(3) gauge theory coupled to Nf = 2 flavors of massless Dirac fermions in the 2-index-symmetric (sextet) representation. This model is of particular interest as a minimal realization of the strongly interacting composite Higgs scenario. A recently proposed finite volume gradient flow scheme is used. The calculations are performed at several lattice spacings with two different implementations of the gradient flow allowing for a controlled continuum extrapolation and particular attention is paid to estimating the systematic uncertainties. For small values of the renormalized coupling our results for the β-function agree with perturbation theory. For moderate couplings we observe a downward deviation relative to the 2-loop β-function but in the coupling range where the continuum extrapolation is fully under control we do not observe an infrared fixed point. The explored range includes the locations of the zero of the 3-loop and the 4-loop β-functions in the MS¯$$ \overline{\mathrm{MS}} $$ scheme. The absence of a non-trivial zero in the β-function in the explored range of the coupling is consistent with our earlier findings based on hadronic observables, the chiral condensate and the GMOR relation. The present work is the first to report continuum non-perturbative results for the sextet model
Generalised vielbeins and non-linear realisations

We briefly review why the non-linear realisation of the semi-direct product of a group with one of its representations leads to a field theory defined on a generalised space-time equipped with a generalised vielbein. We give formulae, which only involve matrix multiplication, for the generalised vielbein, the Cartan forms and their transformations. We consider the generalised space-time introduced in 2003 in the context of the non-linear realisation of the semi-direct product of E 11 and its first fundamental representation. For this latter theory we give explicit expressions for the generalised vielbein up to and including the levels associated with the dual graviton in four, five and eleven dimensions and for the IIB theory in ten dimensions. We also compute the generalised vielbein, up to the analogous level, for the non-linear realisation of the semi-direct product of very extended SL(2) with its first fundamental representation, which is a theory associated with gravity in four dimensions
D1 and D5-brane giant gravitons on AdS 3 × S 3 × S 3 × S 1

We construct various examples of 1 4 $$ \frac{1}{4} $$ -BPS giant gravitons embedded into the type IIB supergravity background AdS 3  ×  S + 3  ×  S − 3  ×  S 1 with pure R-R flux: two D1-brane giants wrapping 1-cycles in AdS 3 and S + 3  ×  S − 3 , and one D5-brane giant wrapping a 4-cycle in S + 3  ×  S − 3 and the S 1 . These D-branes are supported by angular momenta α P on one 3-sphere and (1 − α ) P on the other. We then construct a general class of 1 8 $$ \frac{1}{8} $$ -BPS D5-brane giant gravitons wrapping 4-cycles Σ in S + 3  ×  S − 3 and the S 1 . Here Σ is the intersection of a holomorphic surface C $$ \mathcal{C} $$ in ℂ + 2  × ℂ − 2 with the S + 3  ×  S − 3 submanifold. The holomorphic surface C $$ \mathcal{C} $$ is defined by f ( y 1 z 1 , y 1 z 2 , y 2 z 1 , y 2 z 2 ) = 0, with y a and z a the ℂ ± 2 complex coordinates. There is supersymmetry enhancement to 1 4 $$ \frac{1}{4} $$ -BPS in the special case f ( y 1 z 1 ) = 0 of which our original D5-brane giant graviton is an example
On the impact of power corrections in the prediction of B → K * μ + μ − observables

The recent LHCb angular analysis of the exclusive decay B → K * μ + μ − has indicated significant deviations from the Standard Model expectations. Accurate predictions can be achieved at large K * -meson recoil for an optimised set of observables designed to have no sensitivity to hadronic input in the heavy-quark limit at leading order in α s . However, hadronic uncertainties reappear through non-perturbative Λ QCD /m b power corrections, which must be assessed precisely. In the framework of QCD factorisation we present a systematic method to include factorisable power corrections and point out that their impact on angular observables depends on the scheme chosen to define the soft form factors. Associated uncertainties are found to be under control, contrary to earlier claims in the literature. We also discuss the impact of possible non-factorisable power corrections, including an estimate of charm-loop effects. We provide results for angular observables at large recoil for two different sets of inputs for the form factors, spelling out the different sources of theoretical uncertainties. Finally, we comment on a recent proposal to explain the anomaly in B → K * μ + μ − observables through charm-resonance effects, and we propose strategies to test this proposal identifying observables and kinematic regions where either the charm-loop model can be disentangled from New Physics effects or the two options leave different imprints