Combinatorial doping of TiO_2 with platinum (Pt), chromium (Cr), vanadium (V), and nickel (Ni) to achieve enhanced photocatalytic activity with visible light irradiation

Titanium dioxide (TiO_2) was doped with the combination of several metal ions including platinum (Pt), chromium (Cr), vanadium (V), and nickel (Ni). The doped TiO_2 materials were synthesized by standard sol-gel methods with doping levels of 0.1 to 0.5 at.%. The resulting materials were characterized by x-ray diffraction (XRD), BET surface-area measurement, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and UV-vis diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (DRS). The visible light photocatalytic activity of the codoped samples was quantified by measuring the rate of the oxidation of iodide, the rate of degradation of methylene blue (MB), and the rate of oxidation of phenol in aqueous solutions at λ > 400 nm. 0.3 at.% Pt-Cr-TiO_2 and 0.3 at.% Cr-V-TiO_2 showed the highest visible light photocatalytic activity with respect to MB degradation and iodide oxidation, respectively. However, none of the codoped TiO_2 samples were found to have enhanced photocatalytic activity for phenol degradation when compared to their single-doped TiO_2 counterparts

Effects of Single Metal-Ion Doping on the Visible-Light Photoreactivity of TiO_2

Titanium dioxide (M-TiO_2), which was doped with 13 different metal ions (i.e., silver (Ag^+), rubidium (Rb^+), nickel (Ni^(2+)), cobalt (Co^(2+)), copper (Cu^(2+)), vanadium (V^(3+)), ruthenium (Ru^(3+)), iron (Fe^(3+)), osmium (Os^(3+)), yttrium (Y^(3+)), lanthanum (La^(3+)), platinum (Pt^(4+), Pt^(2+)), and chromium (Cr3+, Cr6+)) at doping levels ranging from 0.1 to 1.0 at. %, was synthesized by standard sol−gel methods and characterized by X-ray diffraction, BET surface area measurement, SEM, and UV−vis diffuse reflectance spectroscopy. Doping with Pt(IV/II), Cr(III), V(III), and Fe(III) resulted in a lower anatase to rutile phase transformation (A−R phase transformation) temperature for the resultant TiO_2 particles, while doping with Ru(III) inhibited the A−R phase transformation. Metal-ion doping also resulted in a red shift of the photophysical response of TiO_2 that was reflected in an extended absorption in the visible region between 400 and 700 nm. In contrast, doping with Ag(I), Rb(I), Y(III), and La(III) did not result in a red shift of the absorption spectrum of TiO_2. As confirmed by elemental composition analysis by energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, the latter group of ions was unable to be substituted for Ti(IV) in the crystalline matrix due to their incompatible ionic radii. The photocatalytic activities of doped TiO_2 samples were quantified in terms of the photobleaching of methylene blue, the oxidation of iodide (I^(−)), and the oxidative degradation of phenol in aqueous solution both under visible-light irradiation (λ > 400 nm) and under broader-band UV−vis irradiation (λ > 320 nm). Pt- and Cr-doped TiO_2, which had relatively high percentages of rutile in the particle phase, showed significantly enhanced visible-light photocatalytic activity for all three reaction classes

Country Report: South Korea; Defense Reform and Force Enhancement Plans

The Republic of Korea (ROK, South Korea) is facing 'omni-directional' threats, including a risk of war with the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK, North Korea). South Korea is building up an appropriate level of military force to be able to counter threats from any direction across regions and operational domains. In addition, the ROK Armed Forces are eager to contribute to a mutually complementary and robust ROK-US alliance to strengthen deterrence and territorial defense. At the same time, South Korea aims to bolster its role on the international stage by increasing its contributions to overseas deployments and out-of-area operations. It actively supports global responses against threats to the international norms and order. In South Korea, the idea that the two goals of national- and international-oriented security are complementary enjoys very broad support

Autism Severity and Comorbid Symptoms in Children with ASD

Individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are reported to evince high rates of comorbid symptoms. Co-occurring disorders among individuals with ASD are often difficult to assess and diagnose accurately. Also, comorbid conditions frequently exacerbate symptoms of ASD. Different treatment regimens may be effective for comorbid symptoms in ASD; however, research looking at comorbid symptoms and ASD is limited. The current study aimed to extend the literature in this area by examining the relationship between ASD and comorbid symptoms. First, the current study assessed how often and how severely comorbid symptoms were endorsed. Further, autism severity was used to predict comorbid symptoms. Autism severity was measured using the Autism Spectrum Disorder- Diagnostic Child Version (ASD-DC), and comorbid symptoms were obtained using the Autism Spectrum Disorders-Comorbidity Child Version (ASD-CC). A simple regression was conducted using the ASD-DC total score as the predictor and ASD-CC total score as the dependent variable. Then, a series of regression analyses was conducted with ASD severity as the predictor and ASD-CC subscores as dependent variables. In the current study, a high rate of comorbid behaviors was reported. Also, the current study found that autism severity predicted overall comorbid symptoms. Specifically, autism severity significantly predicted repetitive behaviors, tantrum behaviors, and avoidant behaviors. This finding is of considerable clinical value as it suggests that individuals with more severe ASD symptoms also contend with greater comorbid symptoms. This is concerning as these comorbid symptoms alter symptom presentation and further exacerbate deficits, indicating that it is crucial for clinicians to routinely evaluate these comorbid symptoms. Further implications of these findings are discussed

Groundwater Management Optimization and Saltwater Intrusion Mitigation under Uncertainty

Groundwater is valuable to supply fresh water to the public, industries, agriculture, etc. However, excessive pumping has caused groundwater storage degradation, water quality deterioration and saltwater intrusion problems. Reliable groundwater flow and solute transport modeling is needed for sustainable groundwater management and aquifer remediation design. However, challenges exist because of highly complex subsurface environments, computationally intensive groundwater models as well as inevitable uncertainties. The first research goal is to explore conjunctive use of feasible hydraulic control approaches for groundwater management and aquifer remediation. Water budget analysis is conducted to understand how groundwater withdrawals affect water levels. A mixed integer multi-objective optimization model is constructed to derive optimal freshwater pumping strategies and investigate how to promote the optimality through regulating pumping locations. A solute transport model for the Baton Rouge multi-aquifer system is developed to assess saltwater encroachment under current condition. Potential saltwater scavenging approach is proposed to mitigate the salinization issue in the Baton Rouge area. The second research goal aims to develop robust surrogate-assisted simulation-optimization modeling methods for saltwater intrusion mitigation. Machine learning based surrogate models (response surface regression model, artificial neural network and support vector machine) were developed to replace a complex high-fidelity solute transport model for predicting saltwater intrusion. Two different methods including Bayesian model averaging and Bayesian set pair analysis are used to construct ensemble surrogates and quantify model prediction uncertainties. Besides. different optimization models that incorporate multiple ensemble surrogates are formulated to obtain optimal saltwater scavenging strategies. Chance-constrained programming is used to account for model selection uncertainty in probabilistic nonlinear concentration constraints. The results show that conjunctive use of hydraulic control approaches would be effective to mitigate saltwater intrusion but needs decades. Machine learning based ensemble surrogates can build accurate models with high computing efficiency, and hence save great efforts in groundwater remediation design. Including model selection uncertainty through multimodel inference and model averaging provides more reliable remediation strategies compared with the single-surrogate assisted approach

Reconstructing Neuronal Connectivity From Calcium Imaging Data Using Generalized Transfer Entropy

The reconstruction of neuronal connectivity is a very interesting and important topic in neuroscience as it helps with understanding neuronal circuit and function. With the advancement of calcium fluorescence imaging technique, we can now observe the dynamical activity of hundreds of neurons in vivo in one setting, which provides a foundation for inferring connectivity within a community or network. Poor signal-to-noise ratio and low frame rate with respect to neurons’ actual firing rate are challenges that come with calcium imaging data. Here we review several methods that can be applied to calcium imaging data, without the direct need for converting the data to spike trains which is the more traditional and popular way of connectivity analysis. We then apply generalized transfer entropy to three different sets of calcium imaging data obtained from mice visual cortex, and infer the directed functional connectivity network, in which a directed edge implies a direct causal influence by source neuron to sink neuron. The transfer entropy causal influence measure is time-dependent but requires no prior statistical assumptions on neuron firing patterns and network topology, hence model-free and applicable in face of aforementioned challenges. The performance of this measure has previously been tested on simulated data, and its performance applied to real data, as is the case in this project, is assessed using randomization. We found using properties of randomized networks compared with properties of our reconstructed network that transfer entropy was able to identify significant non-random features of the imaging data. Therefore, the inferred connectivity can provide information on the functional organization of the neuronal networks

Antigone's Letter

As a child, I accompanied my mother and grandmother to the cemetery and watched them perform with meticulous care the memorial acts re­quired. The monumental graves and immense cypresses overwhelmed me with the unspeakable wonder and terror of the Sublime. Faithfully, I carry on the atavistic tradition. It lodges in my psyche. Now I know that the boundaries between subject/object, inner/outer are fuzzy for women. The grave is there to confirm it. At school, we studied Antigone. Antigone's mask fell and her desire was revealed to me only in her lament. It puzzled me that it was so radically at odds with her "rebel­lious" act. Later in life, as a scholar, I read the relevant works written by the Antigonids on Antigone. My instinctive reaction to these is expressed in the words addressed by Antigone to the Chorus of Elders: "Ah, I am mocked!" (446). This "letter" constitutes a fantasy on counter-factuals: Antigone's desperate "had I been" (447)

A New Species of Man: The Man of Feeling

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Women’s Rights in the DPRK: Discrepancies Between International and Domestic Legal Instruments in Promoting Women’s Rights and the Reality Reflected by North Korean Defectors

It is commendable that the DPRK has ratified the CEDAW and has established legislative measures to protect women from violence and guarantee equal protection. However short of internationally accepted human rights standard the DPRK may fall, such actions show that the DPRK is nonetheless trying to be a responsible member of the international community. However, many findings show that women’s rights are far from reaching the international standards, because of patriarchal traditions that are entrenched to the North Korean society and the national institutions related to women’s rights, which are used to mobilize women to work for the state, rather than represent their rights. North Korean women are still very vulnerable to becoming victims of domestic violence, sexual violence (especially by public officials), forced abortions in detention facilities and forced labor without effective legal protections. Violence and discrimination against women have persistently continued without significant resistance from North Korean women due to their general lack of knowledge of their rights. In order to improve the rights of North Korean women, concerted international efforts to understand harsh realities of North Korean women and advocate for their rights are crucial. Furthermore, considering the magnitude and gravity of violations against women’s rights, the relevant bodies of treaty should develop and implement strategies to pressure the DPRK to truly implement and enforce the international human rights treaties including the CEDAW and the legal formalities already established within the DPRK