Expected multivolumes of random amoebas

We compute the expected multivolume of the amoeba of a random half dimensional complete intersection in CP2n. We also give a relative generalization of our result to the toric case

Engineering four-qubit fuel states for protecting quantum thermalization machine from decoherence

Decoherence is a major issue in quantum information processing, degrading the performance of tasks or even precluding them. Quantum error-correcting codes, creating decoherence-free subspaces, and the quantum Zeno effect are among the major means for protecting quantum systems from decoherence. Increasing the number of qubits of a quantum system to be utilized in a quantum information task as a resource expands the quantum state space. This creates the opportunity to engineer the quantum state of the system in a way that improves the performance of the task and even to protect the system against decoherence. Here, we consider a quantum thermalization machine and four-qubit atomic states as its resource. Taking into account the realistic conditions such as cavity loss and atomic decoherence due to ambient temperature, we design a quantum state for the atomic resource as a classical mixture of Dicke and W states. We show that using the mixture probability as the control parameter, the negative effects of the inevitable decoherence on the machine performance almost vanish. Our work paves the way for optimizing resource systems consisting of a higher number of atoms

Backlash towards male versus female leaders' interpersonal emotion management strategy use: the role of followers' gender-based leadership stereotypes

Research on the backlash effect predominantly investigated penalties men and women incurred when they violate gender norms in the domain of achievement-oriented aggressiveness. We investigated backlash reactions towards female versus male leaders' attempts to manage follower emotions using one of two gender-stereotypic interpersonal emotion management strategies, cognitive change or expression suppression, in a 2×2 vignette experiment in which undergraduate students as participants acted as followers (N = 206). We hypothesized that followers high in explicit or implicit prejudice towards female leadership would be motivated to show backlash in the form of negative attitudes and anger when female leaders use an expression suppression strategy and when male leaders use a cognitive change strategy, violating gender norms. We also explored the role of followers' gender as a boundary condition of backlash reactions towards leaders of the same versus opposite sex. Male participants with negative explicit attitudes towards women leaders in general expressed higher levels of anger towards a female leader who utilized a suppression strategy. Female participants holding implicit stereotypes reported negative attitudes for both female and male leaders who utilized a gender-incongruent emotion management strategy. We discuss the implications of our findings for theory and research on the backlash effect

Investigation of controlled salmeterol xinafoate and fluticasone propionate release from double molecular imprinted nanoparticles

Salmeterol xinafoate (SAM) and fluticasone propionate (FLU) are one of the drug combinations used together in the treatment of lung diseases such as asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). The aim of this study is to investigate the usability of novel dual molecular imprinted nanoparticles (poly(2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate-N-methacryloyl-(L)-alanine-N-methacryloyl-(L)-histidine) [p(HEMA-MAAL-MAH)], abbr. DMIPNPs) as a controlled drug release systems. In this study, SAM and FLU drugs were chosen as model drugs because they are used in the treatment of these diseases. DMIPNPs were prepared by surfactant-free emulsion polymerization method and characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and fourier transform infrared spectrometer (FTIR). In in vitro drug release experiments, drug release conditions were optimized. SAM and FLU release from DMIPNPs experiments were also performed in the simulated lung fluid (SLF). The amount of released SAM and FLU were found as 4.79 and 5.68 mg/g in the SLF medium at the end of 48 h, respectively. The release kinetics of SAM and FLU from DMIPNPs were calculated in the SLF medium. The release of SAM and FLU was determined to be compatible with the Higuchi release models. According to these results, these DMIPNPs, dual-template molecular imprinted nanoparticles with dual monomers, are promising materials that can be used in the controlled release of two different drugs

Ex ante transparency and corruption by networks

This paper explains the structure of corruption networks as response to ex ante transparency, defined as visibility of authorities whose cooperation clients may need, in due course, to execute corrupt transactions. It also characterizes the optimal transparency policy given the network response, as a function of connection costs, sanctions, the corruption surplus and the detection probability (hence the anti-corruption budget and ex post transparency). Corruption chains may emerge in equilibrium if authority is expected to be shared by multiple offices, where the office with higher solo assignment probability becomes the intermediary. Otherwise, clients penetrate the bureaucracy by inducing the star network, or contend with single connection. I show that the optimal policy always assigns one office, sometimes alone, sometimes jointly with others. It is often possible to deter corruption networks through an ex ante transparent policy that parcels out authority to multiple offices with probability 1—a common feature of many US bureaucracies. Decomposing transparency into its components reveals nuances in the transparency–corruption relationship, suggesting that ex ante transparency is instrumental except in environments in which anti-corruption enforcement is extremely effective or extremely ineffective

From human-human to human-robot: how social psychology research methods can inform HRI evaluation

This study explores the potential use of the video rating method commonly used in the social psychology literature (e.g., [9]) in evaluating the quality of human-robot interaction (HRI). Eight independent observers watched 42 video recordings of a participant interacting with a humanoid robot in a "fast-friendship" task and rated the warmth of each interaction. Based on the average of the eight ratings, the interactions were classified into “high” and “low” warmth. Participants who had high-warm interactions reported feeling more positive intergroup emotions (sympathy and excitement) and stronger approach intentions toward robots, indicating that the warmth score accurately captured the quality of the interaction. This work presents a simple yet reliable method to incorporate factors to evaluate intergroup attitudes and suggests potential applications of interpersonal research methods in HRI

Writing to exist: Mes'adet Bedirhan's pleas for Ottoman women

Mes’adet Bedirhan was an eloquent author who wrote for the pioneer Ottoman feminist journal called Kadınlar Dünyası (Women’s World) published in Istanbul between 1913 and 1921. She wrote multiple pieces in the Ottoman Turkish and French editions of the journal in 1913–1914. Although very few traces of her life story exist in the historical accounts of the era, she left a mark in this world through her own act of writing. This article not only generates new information about her life but also endeavors to reflect on the overall content of her essays. Through these essays, she showed Ottoman women that they can change their destiny once they discovered their innate strength. She not only underlined women’s agency in contesting their unequal position in the society but also criticized her feminist sisters in the west for representing the Ottoman women as silent and submissive objects of pleasure

Family composition among the Ottoman soldiery and commoners (1626–1826)

This article aims to examine the family composition of the janissaries and other members of the Ottoman military in a long-term and comparative perspective. We study the soldiery in six cities in three regions in Anatolia and the Central Balkans from 1626 to 1826 and compare their families with those of the local commoners. The main question we explore is ‘diversity versus uniformity’ across classes/occupations and regions. It is informed by the debates on historical family formations and their relationship with transitions to modernity, for example, in terms of fertility behavior, human capital formation and growth, which have lately found new life as an outgrowth of the ‘Divergence’ discussions

Unlocking the potential of V2O5 decorated on crossed g-C3N4 monolayers derived from synergistic bio-transformation of ZnMn2O4 for antibiotic photodegradation

Although the physiochemical merits of g-C3N4-based photocatalysts have garnered increasing interest in the fields of energy and environmental science, insufficient layer detachment has created a gap between fundamental research and practical applications. To unlock the intrinsic potential of g-C3N4, a bio-transformation of the ZnMn2O4 ((6)ZM) gel was employed to introduce highly-ordered modulation caused by steric hindrance during melamine pyrolysis. Phytomediated (6)ZM reorganized traditional carbon nitride into crossed C3N4 (CCN) monolayers, simultaneously engineering an auspicious Z-schematic system ((6)ZM/CCN). Phytoconverted (6)ZM retained the crystalline-amorphous configuration for facile charge transfer and provided a large surface area (288 m2 g−1) that was 2.3 times greater than that of thermally prepared g-C3N4 (TCN) monolayers. Additionally, (6)ZM exhibited a quantum confinement-promoted reduction capability and induced bulging on CCN monolayers to fully utilize photons through multilevel light scattering and reflection. Specific sequential two-step calcination of (6)ZM/CCN, furnishing affordable dual Z-schematic VO-(6)ZM/CCN, was specifically developed to introduce a third component into the structure without incurring additional operational cost or complexity. V2O5 (VO) nanoparticles were thermally anchored on (6)ZM/CCN to achieve highly efficient levofloxacin (LFC) detoxification under visible-light irradiation. After optimizing all effective synthesis parameters and experimental variables, VO-(6)ZM/CCN exhibited unsurpassed activity, achieving complete LFC photodegradation (50 mg L−1) within 120 min, which was 10.7, 8.7, and 24.7 times more kinetically efficient than the photodegradations achieved by (6)ZM, TCN, and VO, respectively. The outstanding performance of VO-(6)ZM/CCN was evident through complete mineralization of LFC, excellent decontamination of pharmaceutical wastewater within 300 min, resistance to performance deterioration during successive cycling runs, and the corresponding postcharacterization. The combination of simultaneous Z-scheme formation with photogenic (6)ZM provides a promising strategy to bridge the gap between experimental investigations and industrial applications of g-C3N

Improving employee acceptability of performance management across borders: a reciprocity perspective

This conceptual work critically examines how employees in multinational corporations (MNCs) receive performance management (PM) systems. Employee acceptance of the PM system across MNCs' subsidiaries is critical for PM effectiveness. Furthermore, the context plays a significant role in determining employee acceptance of the PM, and this varies widely across borders. The paper uses the lens of reciprocity theory to propose a conceptual PM framework to advance employee acceptability of PM. Four key steps in the framework assess the acceptability of PM at different stages, ensuring the PM system evolves and improves with each stage. These steps include analysing the context of the subsidiary, developing and applying management actions that reflect the goals of the MNC, its subsidiaries and individual employees and embedding the customised PM process across the MNC to foster trust and the perception of fairness. The framework's value for practitioners is to increase employees' probability of accepting the PM. We conclude that multinationals must pay more attention to the PM context across their borders, particularly the cultural context