Against Affect

Against Affect examines how the language of emotion is historically gendered and racialized. It questions a number of shibboleths about feeling and reason, and their relationship with progressive values, gender, and freedom in the 21st century. It argues that the popularity of the ‘affective turn’ in the academic humanities has coincided with the broader deployment of a public rhetoric that prioritizes and exploits feeling over reason. It explores the claim that prioritizing ‘feeling’ may not benefit those historically excluded from ‘reason’ – in fact quite the reverse

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

LIGO Detector Characterization in the first half of the fourth Observing run

Progress in gravitational-wave astronomy depends upon having sensitive detectors with good data quality. Since the end of the LIGO-Virgo-KAGRA third Observing run in March 2020, detector-characterization efforts have lead to increased sensitivity of the detectors, swifter validation of gravitational-wave candidates and improved tools used for data-quality products. In this article, we discuss these efforts in detail and their impact on our ability to detect and study gravitational-waves. These include the multiple instrumental investigations that led to reduction in transient noise, along with the work to improve software tools used to examine the detectors data-quality. We end with a brief discussion on the role and requirements of detector characterization as the sensitivity of our detectors further improves in the future Observing runs

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

M&amp;As and innovation:Evidence from acquiring private firms

We show that acquisitions of private targets increase the quantity, quality, and value of the acquiring firms’ patents more than acquisitions of public targets. Private-target acquisitions also foster significantly greater innovation synergies, increase the total number of inventors, and promote new collaborations among inventors. These outcomes are associated with the acquirers’ expertise in identifying innovative private targets, are more pronounced in industries with breakthrough technologies, and are not driven by targets with existing patent portfolios. We also find that the patenting increases explain away the higher announcement returns for private versus public-target acquisitions. Overall, our results underscore the role of complementary innovation capabilities in driving value creation through the integration of private targets with publicly listed acquirers

Generalised Kreĭn–Feller operators and gap diffusions via transformations of measure spaces

We consider the generalised Krein-Feller operator Δν,μ with respect to compactly supported Borel probability measures μ and ν with the natural restrictions that μ is atomless, the supp(ν)⊆supp(μ) and the atoms of ν are embedded in the supp(μ). We show that the solutions of the eigenvalue problem for Δν,μ can be transferred to the corresponding problem for the classical Krein-Feller operator Δν∘F−1μ,Λ with respect to the Lebesgue measure Λ via an isometric isomorphism determined by the distribution function Fμ of μ. In this way, we obtain a new characterisation of the upper spectral dimension and consolidate many known results on the spectral asymptotics of Krein-Feller operators. We also recover known properties of and connections to generalised gap diffusions associated to these operators. <br/

Introduction:Towards the Haunted Midlands

The English Midlands is home to a rich and distinctive gothic tradition: vast landscapes with nebulous borders disorient the traveller spatially as well as temporally, the unsettled legacies of ancient Mercia seep into the present day, and the ghosts – and ecological repercussions – of industrialisation haunt regions such as the Black Country. Yet this cultural tradition is largely underexplored. This introduction to the ‘Haunted Midlands’ special issue of Midland History begins to elaborate the ways in which the Midlands can be productively placed within, and complicate, critical frameworks associated with regionalist literary studies. It does so with specific reference to a selection of key Midlands gothic texts, all of which evidence a fascination with place, placelessness, and the relationship between the Midlands and the nation of which it forms a significant part.<br/

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