Plural priming revisited: inverse preference and spillover effects

Maldonado & Chemla & Spector (2017) observe that the distributive interpretation of sentences involving multiple plural expressions gives rise to stronger priming effects than their cumulative interpretation, and propose to interpret this observation in terms of structural priming involving the phonologically silent distributivity operator. We report on a new experiment that included an additional baseline condition, whose results reveal that (i) the observed priming effects are inverse preference effects in that only the less dominant reading in the baseline condition gives rise to sizable priming effects, and (ii) both distributive and cumulative interpretations can have priming effects, depending on speakers’ baseline preferences. We argue that these findings undermine Maldonado et al.’s claim that their results offer empirical evidence in support of the existence of a silent distributivity operator in syntax

Distributed secure surrounding control for multiple USVs against deception attacks: a Stackelberg game approach with reinforcement learning

This article investigates the Stackelberg game-based distributed secure surrounding control (SSC) problem for multiple unmanned surface vehicles (USVs) with unknown dynamics under deception attacks (DAs). The proposed scheme is rooted in the Stackelberg game with reinforcement learning (RL), in which the attacker and controller respectively play the roles of the follower and leader, making sequential decisions of the DA and the SSC. Specifically, a distributed target estimator is established to access the target position. By utilizing this estimated position to formulate an intermediate control law, the target surrounding scenario is effectively transformed into the Stackelberg game-solving problem. The RL approach with a neural networks-based actor-critic learning structure is deployed to directly derive the distributed optimal SSC and DA policies from the Bellman error, whilst learning the unknown dynamics of USVs. Moreover, a value function decomposition technique is applied optimally for using the designed control parameters, thereby accelerating the acquisition of optimal policies. A rigorous theoretical analysis is employed to ensure the closed-loop stability of multiple USVs. Simulations are provided to validate the effectiveness of the proposed distributed SSC scheme for multiple USVs

Self-aligned flexible waveguides for interfacing flip-chip assembled InP photonic integrated circuits on SiN

Scalable and cost-effectively connecting optical inputs and outputs to photonic integrated circuits (PICs) is challenging in photonic assembly. We utilize a TriPleX (SiN) interposer with suspended waveguides for interfacing optical fiber arrays to waveguides on InP PICs. Spot size converters on TriPleX are employed for high coupling efficiency. We apply this method in a multiport photonics assembly concept, in which an InP PIC is p-side-down soldered on the TriPleX carrier, which simultaneously provides electrical and optical interconnection. A design is made to deliver up to 112 optical interfaces between the TriPleX interposer and InP PIC. Designs and preliminary measurement results are presented

Unveiling Planar Defects in Hexagonal Group IV Materials

Recently synthesized hexagonal group IV materials are a promising platform to realize efficient light emission that is closely integrated with electronics. A high crystal quality is essential to assess the intrinsic electronic and optical properties of these materials unaffected by structural defects. Here, we identify a previously unknown partial planar defect in materials with a type I 3 basal stacking fault and investigate its structural and electronic properties. Electron microscopy and atomistic modeling are used to reconstruct and visualize this stacking fault and its terminating dislocations in the crystal. From band structure calculations coupled to photoluminescence measurements, we conclude that the I 3 defect does not create states within the hex-Ge and hex-Si band gap. Therefore, the defect is not detrimental to the optoelectronic properties of the hex-SiGe materials family. Finally, highlighting the properties of this defect can be of great interest to the community of hex-III-Ns, where this defect is also present

A new PHQ-2 for Chinese adolescents: identifying core items of the PHQ-9 by network analysis

Abstract Background The importance of preventing and treating adolescent depression has been gradually recognized in Chinese society, especially in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. Early screening is the first step. The Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) is a leading scale in the field of depression screening. To improve screening efficiency in large-scale screening, an even shorten scale is desirable. The PHQ-2, which only included two items measuring anhedonia and depressed mood, is an ultra-form of the PHQ-9. However, emerging evidence suggests that there may be a better short form for the PHQ-9, especially for adolescents. Therefore, using two large samples of Chinese adolescents, this study aimed to identify the core items of the PHQ-9 and examine the short form consisting of core items. Methods Surveys were conducted among primary and middle school students in two Chinese cities with different economic levels during the COVID-19 pandemic. Two gender-balanced samples aged 10 to 17 (n Sample 1 = 67281, n Sample 2 = 16726) were collected. Network analysis was used to identify the core items of the PHQ-9, which were extracted to combine a short version. Reliability, concurrent validity, and the receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC) of the short form were examined. Analyses were gender-stratified. Results Network analysis identified fatigue and depressed mood as core items in the PHQ-9 among Chinese adolescents. Items measuring Fatigue and Mood were combined to be a new PHQ-2 (PHQ-2 N). The PHQ-2 N displayed satisfactory internal consistency and current validity. Taking the PHQ-9 as a reference, the PHQ-2 N showed higher ROC areas and better sensitivity and specificity than the PHQ-2. The optimal cutoff score for the PHQ-2 N was 2 or 3. Conclusions Fatigue and depressed mood are the central symptoms of the depressive symptom network. The PHQ-2 N has satisfactory psychometric properties and can be used in rapid depression screening among Chinese adolescents

The Heterogeneous Effects of Formal and Informal Environmental Regulation on Green Technology Innovation—An Empirical Study of 284 Cities in China

Promoting green technology innovation (GTI) through environmental regulation is a key measure in reducing the severity of environmental problems. However, the effects of formal environmental regulation (FER) and informal environmental regulation (IER) on GTI have not been clarified. Through theoretical analysis, this paper analyzes the effects of FER and IER on GTI based on OLS and GTWR models. The results show the following: (1) In all Chinese cities, both FER and IER have had a positive impact on GTI. The impact of FER has been much stronger than that of IER. They show a linkage effect, and their interaction (TER) has had a positive impact on GTI. (2) In terms of spatial heterogeneity, the impact of FER, IER, and TER on GTI has decreased across the east–west gradient and has been supplemented by a core–periphery structure. (3) In terms of urban heterogeneity, the impact of FER, IER, and TER has decreased with the size of the city. This study has the potential to strengthen the effect of environmental regulation on GTI. It can provide a decision-making reference for cities to coordinate FER and IER strategies, and provides evidence for adopting regionally differentiated environmental regulation strategies

Hexagonal silicon grown from higher order silanes

We demonstrate the merits of an unexplored precursor, tetrasilane (Si4H10), as compared todisilane (Si2H6) for the growth of defect-free, epitaxial hexagonal silicon (Si). We investigate thegrowth kinetics of hexagonal Si shells epitaxially around defect-free wurtzite gallium phosphide(GaP) nanowires. Two temperature regimes are identified, representing two different surfacereaction mechanisms for both types of precursors. Growth in the low temperature regime(415 °C–600 °C) is rate limited by interaction between the Si surface and the adsorbates, and inthe high temperature regime (600 °C–735 °C) by chemisorption. The activation energy of the Sishell growth is 2.4 ± 0.2 eV for Si2H6 and 1.5 ± 0.1 eV for Si4H10 in the low temperatureregime. We observe inverse tapering of the Si shells and explain this phenomenon by a basicdiffusion model where the substrate acts as a particle sink. Most importantly, we show that, byusing Si4H10 as a precursor instead of Si2H6, non-tapered Si shells can be grown with at least 50times higher growth rate below 460 °C. The lower growth temperature may help to reduce theincorporation of impurities resulting from the growth of Ga