Об электросорбционном эффекте накопления зарядов земного излучения в заборных накопителях концентрационных объемных структур

Experimentally studied previously unknown phenomenon of increasing the intake charge from the pyramids with the increase of electric capacity external storage. During the research were used - the assembly of electrolytic capacitors, ionistor, nickel-cadmium battery. The results allow to increase the energy efficiency of the pyramids using terrestrial radiation flows, for practical purposes. The observed phenomenon we characterize as electrosorption effect.Экспериментально изучено неизвестное ранее явление увеличения забора зарядов из пирамид с увеличением электрической емкости внешних накопителей. В ходе исследований были использованы — сборка из электролитических конденсаторов, ионистор, никель-кадмиевый аккумулятор. Полученные результаты позволяют повысить энергетическую эффективность пирамид, использующих потоки земного излучения, для практических целей. Наблюдаемое явление мы характеризуем как электросорбционный эффект

Analytical solutions of the microscopic two-band theory for the temperature dependence of the upper critical fields of pure MgB₂ compared with experimental data

Main theoretical results of the microscopic two-band theory for the temperature dependence of the upper critical fields H c₂(ab) and Hc₂(c) in pure two-band systems like MgB₂ are presented. The analytical solutions for the upper critical fields near the superconducting transition temperature and near the zero temperature were transformed to be directly compared with experimental data. The experimental Hc₂(ab) and Hc₂(c) temperature dependences of textured MgB2 films near the superconducting transition temperature were measured and compared with the respective theoretical formulas. The results of this theoretical approach were also compared with earlier published experimental data of other authors. The chosen method allows obtaining an accurate match between the theoretical expressions and experimental results

Argflow: a toolkit for deep argumentative explanations for neural networks

In recent years, machine learning (ML) models have been successfully applied in a variety of real-world applications. However, they are often complex and incomprehensible to human users. This can decrease trust in their outputs and render their usage in critical settings ethically problematic. As a result, several methods for explaining such ML models have been proposed recently, in particular for black-box models such as deep neural networks (NNs). Nevertheless, these methods predominantly explain outputs in terms of inputs, disregarding the inner workings of the ML model computing those outputs. We present Argflow, a toolkit enabling the generation of a variety of ‘deep’ argumentative explanations (DAXs) for outputs of NNs on classification tasks

Bulk and molecular-level composition of primary organic aerosol from wood, straw, cow dung, and plastic burning

During the past decades, the source apportionment of organic aerosol (OA) in ambient air has been improving substantially. The database of source retrieval model-resolved mass spectral profiles for different sources has been built with the aerosol mass spectrometer (AMS). However, distinguishing similar sources (such as wildfires and residential wood burning) remains challenging, as the hard ionization of the AMS mostly fragments compounds and therefore cannot capture detailed molecular information. Recent mass spectrometer technologies of soft ionization and high mass resolution have allowed for aerosol characterization at the molecular formula level. In this study, we systematically estimated the emission factors and characterized the primary OA (POA) chemical composition with the AMS and the extractive electrospray ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometer (EESI-TOF) for the first time from a variety of solid fuels, including beech logs, spruce and pine logs, spruce and pine branches and needles, straw, cow dung, and plastic bags. The emission factors of organic matter estimated by the AMS and hydrocarbon gases estimated by the total hydrocarbon analyzer are 16.2 ± 10.8 g kg−1 and 30.3 ± 8.5 g kg−1 for cow dung burning, which is generally higher than that of wood (beech, spruce, and pine), straw, and plastic bag burning (in the range from 1.1 to 6.2 g kg−1 and 14.1 to 19.3 g kg−1). The POA measured by the AMS shows that the f60 (mass fraction of m/z 60) varies from 0.003 to 0.04 based on fuel types and combustion efficiency for wood (beech, spruce, and pine) and cow dung burning. On a molecular level, the dominant compound of POA from wood, straw, and cow dung is C6H10O5 (mainly levoglucosan), contributing ∼ 7 % to ∼ 30 % of the total intensity, followed by C8H12O6 with fractions of ∼ 2 % to ∼ 9 %. However, as they are prevalent in all burning of biomass material, they cannot act as tracers for the specific sources. By using the Mann–Whitney U test among the studied fuels, we find specific potential new markers for these fuels from the measurement of the AMS and EESI-TOF. Markers from spruce and pine burning are likely related to resin acids (e.g., compounds with 20–21 carbon atoms). The product from the pyrolysis of hardwood lignins is found especially in beech log burning. Nitrogen-containing species are selected markers primarily for cow dung open burning. These markers in the future will provide support for the source apportionment.</p

Once bitten, not necessarily shy? Determinants of foreign market re-entry commitment strategies

We investigate foreign market re-entry commitment strategies, namely the changes in the modes of operation (commitment) undertaken by multinational enterprises (MNEs) as they return to foreign markets from which they had previously exited. We combine organisational learning theory with the institutional change literature to examine the antecedents of re-entry commitment strategies. From an analysis of 1,020 re-entry events between 1980 and 2016, we find that operation mode prior to exit is a strong predictor of subsequent re-entry mode. Contrary to the predictions of learning theory, we did not find support for the effect of experience accumulated during the initial market endeavour on the re-entry commitment strategies of MNEs. In turn, exit motives significantly impact on the re-entrants' decision to re-enter via a different mode of operation, by either increasing or decreasing their commitment to the market. We show that re-entrants do not replicate unsuccessful operation mode strategies if they had previously underperformed in the market. When favourable host institutional changes occur during the time-out period re-entrants tend to increase commitment in the host market irrespective of the degree of prior experience accumulated in the market

Ethical Issues in Measuring Biomarkers in Children’s Environmental Health

Background: Studying the impact of environmental exposures is important in children because they are more vulnerable to adverse effects on growth, development, and health. Assessing exposure in children is difficult, and measuring biomarkers is potentially useful. Research measuring biomarkers in children raises a number of ethical issues, some of which relate to children as research subjects and some of which are specific to biomarker research. Objective: As an international group with experience in pediatric research, biomarkers, and the ethics of research in children, we highlight the ethical issues of undertaking biomarker research in children in these environments. Discussion: Significant issues include undertaking research in vulnerable communities, especially in developing countries; managing community expectations; obtaining appropriate consent to conduct the research; the potential conflicts of obtaining permission from an ethics review board in an economically developed country to perform research in a community that may have different cultural values; returning research results to participants and communities when the researchers are uncertain of how to interpret the results; and the conflicting ethical obligations of maintaining participant confidentiality when information about harm or illegal activities mandate reporting to authorities. Conclusion: None of these challenges are insurmountable and all deserve discussion. Pediatric biomarker research is necessary for advancing child health

Equity Ownership Strategy in Greenfield Investments : Influences of Host Country Infrastructure and MNE Resources in Emerging Markets

This chapter addresses equity ownership strategy in greenfield investments by multinational enterprises (MNEs) in the emerging markets (EMs). It is one of the few studies to hypothesize and analyze influences of host EM physical infrastructure in relation to investment decisions of MNEs. We use resource dependence theory (RDT) as a theoretical basis and test the moderating effects of firm resources like size and host country investment experience. Moreover, the current study assumes a more nuanced approach to studying equity ownership by analyzing wholly owned subsidiaries versus joint ventures (JVs) and including majority versus minority JVs in the analysis as well. The empirical results based on greenfield investments undertaken by Nordic (Danish, Finnish, Norwegian, and Swedish) MNEs in EMs during 1990–2015 reveals the importance of host country physical infrastructure for high equity ownership strategy. Moreover, host country investment experience moderates the effect of physical infrastructure on equity ownership strategy. Finally, the analysis of a sub-sample of greenfield JVs reveals that determinants of equity ownership strategy differ somewhat between greenfield JV or greenfield wholly owned subsidiaries (WOS).© The Author(s) 2019.fi=vertaisarvioitu|en=peerReviewed

Childhood asthma and indoor allergens in Native Americans in New York

BACKGROUND: The objective of this study was to assess the correlation between childhood asthma and potential risk factors, especially exposure to indoor allergens, in a Native American population. METHODS: A case-control study of St. Regis Mohawk tribe children ages 2–14 years, 25 diagnosed with asthma and 25 controls was conducted. Exposure was assessed based on a personal interview and measurement of mite and cat allergens (Der p 1, Fel d 1) in indoor dust. RESULTS: A non-significant increased risk of childhood asthma was associated with self-reported family history of asthma, childhood environmental tobacco smoke exposure, and air pollution. There was a significant protective effect of breastfeeding against current asthma in children less than 14 years (5.2 fold lower risk). About 80% of dust mite and 15% of cat allergen samples were above the threshold values for sensitization of 2 and 1 μg/g, respectively. The association between current asthma and exposure to dust mite and cat allergens was positive but not statistically significant. CONCLUSION: This research identified several potential indoor and outdoor risk factors for asthma in Mohawks homes, of which avoidance may reduce or delay the development of asthma in susceptible individuals

An intercomparison study of four different techniques for measuring the chemical composition of nanoparticles

Currently, the complete chemical characterization of nanoparticles (< 100 nm) represents an analytical challenge, since these particles are abundant in number but have negligible mass. Several methods for particle-phase characterization have been recently developed to better detect and infer more accurately the sources and fates of sub-100 nm particles, but a detailed comparison of different approaches is missing. Here we report on the chemical composition of secondary organic aerosol (SOA) nanoparticles from experimental studies of α-pinene ozonolysis at −50, −30, and −10 ∘C and intercompare the results measured by different techniques. The experiments were performed at the Cosmics Leaving OUtdoor Droplets (CLOUD) chamber at the European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN). The chemical composition was measured simultaneously by four different techniques: (1) thermal desorption–differential mobility analyzer (TD–DMA) coupled to a NO$^-_3$ chemical ionization–atmospheric-pressure-interface–time-of-flight (CI–APi–TOF) mass spectrometer, (2) filter inlet for gases and aerosols (FIGAERO) coupled to an I$^−$ high-resolution time-of-flight chemical ionization mass spectrometer (HRToF-CIMS), (3) extractive electrospray Na$^+$ ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometer (EESI-TOF), and (4) offline analysis of filters (FILTER) using ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography (UHPLC) and heated electrospray ionization (HESI) coupled to an Orbitrap high-resolution mass spectrometer (HRMS). Intercomparison was performed by contrasting the observed chemical composition as a function of oxidation state and carbon number, by estimating the volatility and comparing the fraction of volatility classes, and by comparing the thermal desorption behavior (for the thermal desorption techniques: TD–DMA and FIGAERO) and performing positive matrix factorization (PMF) analysis for the thermograms. We found that the methods generally agree on the most important compounds that are found in the nanoparticles. However, they do see different parts of the organic spectrum. We suggest potential explanations for these differences: thermal decomposition, aging, sampling artifacts, etc. We applied PMF analysis and found insights of thermal decomposition in the TD–DMA and the FIGAERO