Exploring the Anion Site Disorder Kinetics in Lithium Argyrodites

Lithium argyrodites Li6PS5X (X = Cl, Br, I) are a promising class of solid-state electrolytes with the potential to achieve high conductivities (&gt;10 mS·cm-1) necessary for use in solid-state batteries. Previous research has shown that structural factors, in particular, site disorder between the sulfide and halide anions, can impact the ionic conductivity of lithium argyrodites. One current hypothesis for this correlation between anion site disorder and ionic transport is a connection to the lithium-ion substructure. However, as there is limited research surrounding the anion disordering process itself, this relationship has yet to be fully understood. This research explores the impact of the composition and synthesis on the anion disordering process through the Li6+xP1-xSixS5Br (x = 0 to 0.4 in 0.1 steps) series of substitutions quenched from different annealing temperatures. Ex situ and in situ diffraction studies show that the anion site disorder within the compounds increases upon Si introduction only for samples quenched from higher annealing temperatures but remains relatively constant at lower annealing temperatures. Based on in situ diffraction measurements, we further monitor the effects of anion mobility at elevated temperatures allowing inference of slower anion disordering kinetics with changing compositional content. We complement the experimental work using nudged-elastic band calculations showing the overall preference of anions for their specific sites and the possibility of anion mobility. This work provides insight into the argyrodites and shows that the anion disordering can be monitored and that the composition has strong influences on the disordering process.</p

Research software supporting the publication "AI-assisted Literature Screening with Empirical Validation in Reinforced Autoclaved Aerated Concrete Research"

This deposit contains the full Python code for AI-assisted approach described in ''AI-assisted Literature Screening with Empirical Validation in Reinforced Autoclaved Aerated Concrete Research." It includes six scripts: two parallel prompt modules for RAAC mention detection and definition extraction (core components); a seven-question defect-extraction script; and a data-aggregation script that produces a unified defect database. All scripts are versioned for reproducibility and require Python 3.11+, the Anthropic Claude 3 Opus API, and standard data-analysis libraries. A comprehensive README.md is included, detailing environment setup, dependency installation, API key configuration, and step-by-step execution instructions. The code is mirrored on GitHub for ongoing collaboration and version tracking. An interactive project overview and navigation interface is also provided via index.html on the project’s GitHub Pages site

Anti-collusion leniency legislations and IPO activity:Worldwide evidence

We study the impact of the staggered adoption of anti-collusion leniency legislations around the world on IPO activity. We document that the passage of leniency legislations prompts IPO activity. The effect is amplified in more concentrated industries, while it is mitigated in countries with more stringent competition laws in place and countries in which investors have a lower ability to diversify risk in the financial market. Collectively, these findings are consistent with the view that, by enhancing product market competition, leniency legislations increase the benefits for firms from going public, resulting in higher IPO activity. The results of supplemental analyses suggest that the passage of leniency legislations leads to less underpriced IPOs and a more efficient use of IPO proceeds, and prompts firms with less proprietary information to go public

Introduction:Making sense of the Cultural Dimension in Conflict-Affected Societies

This paper introduces the special issue on “Conflict and Peace: The Cultural Dimension.” It explains the rationale for this collection, underscoring the global reach, interdisciplinarity, and variety of methodological approaches in this volume. The paper also outlines three collective contributions of the papers: First, it underscores that it is important to take symbols seriously when exploring and explaining conflict and peace. Second, it highlights that cultural expressions and institutions can feed directly into the military strategy and political economy of conflict and violence. Third, the paper shows that practices that help reinterpret cultural expressions may erode mutually exclusive visions of national and ethnic membership in conflict-affected settings. However, transition toward a culture of peace is often constrained by the hardening of identities during conflict, the persistence of forms of structural violence beyond the signing of a peace accord, and the need to acknowledge and accommodate the distinctive expressions of conflict-affected groups without reifying and essentializing mutually exclusive identities. The paper concludes by mapping a promising research agenda on culture and heritage in conflict-affected settings

Delphi Panel consensus on recommendations for thromboprophylaxis of venous thromboembolism in endogenous Cushing's syndrome:a Position Statement

ObjectiveTo establish recommendations for thromboprophylaxis in patients with endogenous Cushing's syndrome (CS), addressing the elevated risk of venous thromboembolism (VTE) associated with hypercortisolism.MethodsA Delphi method was used, consisting of four rounds of voting and subsequent discussions. The panel included 18 international experts from 11 countries and 4 continents.Consensus was defined as ≥75% agreement among participants. Recommendations were structured into the following categories: thromboprophylaxis, perioperative management, and VTE treatment.ResultsConsensus was reached on several critical areas, resulting in 14 recommendations. Key recommendations include: thromboprophylaxis should be considered at time of CS diagnosis and continued for three months after biochemical remission, provided there are no obvious contraindications. The standard weight-based prophylactic dose of low molecular weight heparin is the preferred agent for thromboprophylaxis in patients with CS. Additionally, perioperatively and around inferior petrosal sinus sampling, thromboprophylaxis should be reconsidered if not already initiated at diagnosis. For VTE treatment, extended thromboprophylaxis is advised continuing for three months after Cushing is resolved.ConclusionThese Delphi consensus-based recommendations aim to standardise care practices and enhance patient outcomes in CS by providing guidance on thromboprophylaxis, including its initiation and continuation across various disease states, as well as the preferred agents to use. The panel also highlighted key areas for further research, particularly regarding the use of direct oral anticoagulants in CS and the management of mild CS and mild autonomous cortisol secretion. Additionally, the optimal duration of anticoagulant prophylaxis following curative treatment remains uncertain

Electoral systems and geographically targeted oversight:Evidence from the Taiwan Legislative Yuan

Electoral systems have profound effects on legislator-constituent communication and representation. In this paper, we examine how Taiwan’s electoral reform—from multi-member districts under the Single Non-Transferable Vote (SNTV) to single-member districts under a Mixed Member Majoritarian system (MMM)—shapes district legislators’ particularistic behavior. Using fine-tuned transformer architectures, we analyze over 63,000 parliamentary questions from 402 district legislators spanning two decades to identify geographically targeted content. Controlling for legislator and municipal characteristics, we find that the reform from SNTV to MMM reduces geographically targeted questions, though this effect varies across municipalities with different economic profiles. Our analysis reveals that SNTV is associated with greater particularistic responsiveness to local socioeconomic conditions than single-member districts under MMM, suggesting that candidate-centered electoral systems of different types produce different behavioral incentives

Soil microbial adaptation to carbon deprivation:shifts in lignocellulolytic gene profiles following long-term plant exclusion

Background: Lignocellulose represents a primary input of organic carbon (C) into soils, yet the identity of specific microorganisms and genes which drive lignocellulose turnover in soils remains poorly understood. To address this knowledge gap, we used a 10-year grassland plant-exclusion experiment to investigate how reduced plant C inputs affect microbial communities and their lignocellulolytic potential using a combination of metagenomic sequencing and untargeted metabolomics. We specifically tested the hypothesis that microbial community function in bare fallow plots would transition towards microbiota with genes for recalcitrant biomass degradation (i.e., lignocellulose), when compared to grassland plots with high labile C inputs. Results: Long-term plant exclusion lowered soil C and nitrogen (N) and reduced cellulose content, whilst hemicellulose and lignin were unchanged. Similarly soil microbiomes were highly distinct in long-term bare soils, along with soil extracellular enzyme profiles, though short-term plant-removal effects were less apparent. Plant exclusion resulted in a general enrichment of Firmicutes, Thaumarchaeota, Acidobacteria, Fusobacteria, and Ascomycota, with a general reduction in Actinobacteria. However, changes in bare soil lignocellulose degradation genes were more associated with discrete taxa from diverse lineages, particularly the Proteobacteria. Grouping of lignocellulose-degrading genes into broad substrate classes (cellulases, hemicellulases and lignases) revealed a possible increase in lignin degradation genes under plant exclusion confirming our hypothesis, although all other changes were at the level of the carbohydrate-active enzyme (CAZy) family. Intriguingly, untargeted metabolome profiles were highly responsive to plant exclusion, even after only one year. Bare soils were depleted in oligosaccharides and enriched in monosaccharides, fatty and carboxylic acids, supporting emerging evidence of long-term persistent C being within simple compounds. Conclusions: Together our data show that extracellular lignin degrading enzymes increase under long-term plant exclusion. There is now a need for increased focus on the microbial metabolic mechanisms which regulate the processing and persistence of enzymatically released compounds, particularly in energy limited soils. Graphical abstract