The Russo-Ukrainian Pre-War Crisis: A Comparative Test of Rational Choice, Expected Utility, Poliheuristic, and Prospect Theories to Explain the War\u27s Outbreak

This mixed approach study seeks to identify the most likely crisis-related decision-making strategies that President Biden, Zelensky, and Putin adopted during the Russo-Ukrainian pre-war crisis. The dissertation tests rational choice, expected utility, poliheuristic, and prospect theory frameworks against five critical decisions. The findings indicate that a Prospect Theory-based framework provides the most accurate predictions of the four models. Further, the study’s incidental finding highlights the salience of politics in decision-making, concluding that a simple lexicographic decision rule grounded in political interests accurately predicts and explains each leader’s choices more reliably and parsimoniously than the other frameworks and just as elegantly

Adapting the Law of Armed Conflict to Autonomous Weapon Systems

As increasingly automated—and in some cases fully autonomous—weapon systems enter the battlefield or become possible, it is important that international norms to regulate them head down a path that is coherent and practical. Contrary to the claims of some advocates, autonomous weapon systems are not inherently illegal or unethical. The technologies involved potentially hold promise for making armed conflict more discriminating and causing less harm on the battlefield. They do pose great challenges, however, with regard to law of armed conflict rules regulating the use of weapons. To adapt existing law to meet those challenges, we propose a three-tiered approach to emerging autonomous weapon technologies

Adapting the Law of Armed Conflict to Autonomous Weapon Systems

Weapon systems are becoming increasingly automated and arguably some autonomous military systems have been deployed for years. Recent advances in automated systems and the possibilities they portend have generated interest and anxiety within some militaries and defense ministries, and a movement of non-governmental activists seeking to ban fully autonomous weapons. In May 2014, the High Contracting Parties of the UN Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons (CCW) convened an extensive discussion of the legal and ethical issues that autonomous weapons raise, while recognizing that many of these problems lie at an uncertain point in the future. It is important that normative development regarding autonomous weapon systems head down a path that is coherent and practical. By autonomous weapon systems, we mean systems that, once activated, can select and engage targets without further intervention by a human operator. We draw this definition from a 2012 U.S. Department of Defense policy directive, which remains the most extensive public pronouncement by any State on how it intends to proceed with regard to research, development and deployment of autonomous weapon systems. This paper addresses several questions that are critical to charting such a path. First, are autonomous weapon systems different from other new weapon systems, and, if so, how? Second, to the extent they are different, can and should autonomous weapon systems be regulated within the framework of the existing law of armed conflict? If yes, how should States go about doing so? If not, what alternative regulatory approach is appropriate? We conclude that autonomous weapon systems have special features that pose risks and that create challenges in applying the existing law of armed conflict. Nevertheless, we conclude it is possible to adapt the existing framework to account for the features of autonomous weapons, and that the suggested alternative of prohibiting these systems outright is misguided. Instead, we propose a three-tiered process for regulating the development, deployment and use of autonomous systems

Evaluation of Asperger Syndrome in Youth Presenting to a Gender Dysphoria Clinic

Purpose: There is evolving evidence that children and adolescents with gender dysphoria have higher-than-expected rates of autism spectrum disorder (ASD), yet clinical data on ASD among youth with gender dysphoria remain limited, particularly in North America. This report aims to fill this gap. Methods: We conducted a retrospective review of patient chart data from 39 consecutive youth ages 8 to 20 years (mean age 15.8 years, natal male: n?=?22, natal female: n?=?17) presenting for evaluation at a multidisciplinary gender clinic in a large U.S. pediatric hospital from 2007 to 2011 to evaluate the prevalence of ASD in this patient population. Results: Overall, 23.1% of patients (9/39) presenting with gender dysphoria had possible, likely, or very likely Asperger syndrome as measured by the Asperger Syndrome Diagnostic Scale (ASDS). Conclusion: These findings are consistent with growing evidence supporting increased prevalence of ASD in gender dysphoric children. To guide provision of optimal clinical care and therapeutic intervention, routine assessment of ASD is recommended in youth presenting for gender dysphoria.Peer Reviewedhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/140161/1/lgbt.2015.0070.pd

Inverse Opal CuCrO2 Photocathodes for H2 Production Using Organic Dyes and a Molecular Ni Catalyst.

Dye-sensitized photoelectrochemical (DSPEC) cells are an emerging approach to producing solar fuels. The recent development of delafossite CuCrO2 as a p-type semiconductor has enabled H2 generation through the coassembly of catalyst and dye components. Here, we present a CuCrO2 electrode based on a high-surface-area inverse opal (IO) architecture with benchmark performance in DSPEC H2 generation. Coimmobilization of a phosphonated diketopyrrolopyrrole (DPP-P) or perylene monoimide (PMI-P) dye with a phosphonated molecular Ni catalyst (NiP) demonstrates the ability of IO-CuCrO2 to photogenerate H2. A positive photocurrent onset potential of approximately +0.8 V vs RHE was achieved with these photocathodes. The DPP-P-based photoelectrodes delivered photocurrents of -18 μA cm-2 and generated 160 ± 24 nmol of H2 cm-2, whereas the PMI-P-based photocathodes displayed higher photocurrents of -25 μA cm-2 and produced 215 ± 10 nmol of H2 cm-2 at 0.0 V vs RHE over the course of 2 h under visible light illumination (100 mW cm-2, AM 1.5G, λ > 420 nm, 25 °C). The high performance of the PMI-constructed system is attributed to the well-suited molecular structure and photophysical properties for p-type sensitization. These precious-metal-free photocathodes highlight the benefits of using bespoke IO-CuCrO2 electrodes as well as the important role of the molecular dye structure in DSPEC fuel synthesis

Dark Photocatalysis: Storage of Solar Energy in Carbon Nitride for Time-Delayed Hydrogen Generation

While natural photosynthesis serves as the model system for efficient charge separation and decoupling of redox reactions, bio-inspired artificial systems typically lack applicability owing to synthetic challenges and structural complexity. We present herein a simple and inexpensive system that, under solar irradiation, forms highly reductive radicals in the presence of an electron donor, with lifetimes exceeding the diurnal cycle. This radical species is formed within a cyanamide- functionalized polymeric network of heptazine units and can give off its trapped electrons in the dark to yield H-2, triggered by a co-catalyst, thus enabling the temporal decoupling of the light and dark reactions of photocatalytic hydrogen production through the radical's longevity. The system introduced here thus demonstrates a new approach for storing sunlight as long-lived radicals, and provides the structural basis for designing photocatalysts with long-lived photo-induced states

Behavioural and physiological correlates of impulsivity in the domestic dog (Canis familiaris)

Impulsivity is a trait related to inhibitory control which is expressed in a range of behaviours. Impulsive individuals show a decreased ability to tolerate delay of reinforcement, and more impulsive behaviour has been linked to decreased levels of serotonin and dopamine in a number of species. In domestic dogs, impulsivity is implicated in problem behaviours that result from a lack of self control, but currently there are no published studies that assess behavioural and physiological measures of impulsivity in relation to this trait. Impulsivity scores were calculated for 41 dogs using an owner-report assessment, the Dog Impulsivity Assessment Scale (DIAS). Twenty-three of these subjects completed an operant choice task based on a delayed reward paradigm, to assess their tolerance to delay of reinforcement. High Pressure Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) with Fluorometric Detection was used to detect levels of the metabolites of serotonin (5-HIAA) and dopamine (HVA) in the urine of 17 of the subjects. Higher impulsivity scores were found to be significantly correlated with more impulsive behaviour (reduced tolerance to delay of reinforcement) in the behaviour tests and lower levels of urinary 5-HIAA and 5-HIAA/HVA ratio. The results demonstrate convergent validity between impulsivity (as assessed by the DIAS) and behavioural and physiological parameters

La5 Ti2 Cu0.9 Ag0.1 S5 O7 Modified with a Molecular Ni Catalyst for Photoelectrochemical H2 Generation.

The stable and efficient integration of molecular catalysts into p-type semiconductor materials is a contemporary challenge in photoelectrochemical fuel synthesis. Here, we report the combination of a phosphonated molecular Ni catalyst with a TiO2 -coated La5 Ti2 Cu0.9 Ag0.1 S5 O7 photocathode for visible light driven H2 production. This hybrid assembly provides a positive onset potential, large photocurrents, and high Faradaic yield for more than three hours. A decisive feature of the hybrid electrode is the TiO2 interlayer, which stabilizes the oxysulfide semiconductor and allows for robust attachment of the phosphonated molecular catalyst. This demonstration of an oxysulfide-molecular catalyst photocathode provides a novel platform for integrating molecular catalysts into photocathodes and the large photovoltage of the presented system makes it ideal for pairing with photoanodes.Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS); Christian Doppler Research Association (Austrian Federal Ministry of Science, Research and Economy and the National Foundation for Research, Technology and Development); OMV group; EPSRC, Grants-in-Aids for Scientific Research and for Young Scientists from JSP

Size-dependent activity of carbon dots for photocatalytic H2 generation in combination with a molecular Ni cocatalyst

Carbon dots (CDs) are low-cost light-absorbers in photocatalytic multicomponent systems, but their wide size distribution has hampered rational design and the identification of the factors that lead to their best performance. To address this challenge, we report herein the novel use of gel filtration size exclusion chromatography to separate amorphous, graphitic, and graphitic N-doped CDs depending on their lateral size to study the effect of their size on photocatalytic H2 evolution with a DuBois type Ni cocatalyst. Transmission electron microscopy and dynamic light scattering confirm size-dependent separation, while UV-vis and fluorescence spectroscopy of the more monodisperse fractions show a distinct response which computational modelling attributed to a complex interplay between CD size and optical properties. A size-dependent effect on the photocatalytic H2 evolution performance of the CDs in combination with a molecular Ni cocatalyst is demonstrated with a maximum activity at approximately 2-3 nm CD diameter. Overall, size separation leads to a two-fold increase in the specific photocatalytic activity for H2 evolution using the monodisperse CDs compared to the as synthesized polydisperse samples, highlighting the size-dependent effect on photocatalytic activity towards H2 evolution