Hopf Algebras in the Representation Theory of Combinatorial//Families of Groups

The main result of this thesis is that there exists a positive, self-adjoint Hopf (PSH) algebra structure in the representation theory of a certain family of groups. This new construction is inspired directly by Andrey Zelevinsky’s discovery of such a structure in the representation theory of the symmetric groups. Zelevinsky’s work Representations of finite classical groups: a Hopf algebra approach gives an account of this. We will walk through Zelevinsky’s work in this field in detail, and then follow up with the construction on the groups in question. We will develop the necessary theory along the way, with the reader assumed to be familiar with the basic properties of groups and rings. The notion of categories, functors, and Grothendieck groups will be useful, but knowledge of these concepts is not necessary for the reading of this thesis

Combinatorial Hopf algebras from representations of families of wreath products

We construct Hopf algebras whose elements are representations of combinatorial automorphism groups, by generalising a theorem of Zelevinsky on Hopf algebras of representations of wreath products. As an application we attach symmetric functions to representations of graph automorphism groups, generalising and refining Stanley's chromatic symmetric function.Comment: 26 page

Terrorism and Right-Wing Extremism: History and Comparative Definitions

Recent narratives on terrorism have focused on the definitions. Terrorism is not a new phenomenon, but the problem resides in its definition and who is defining it. Conceptualizing terrorism depends on which framework one utilizes. The use of different lenses to define the term has contributed to the lack of global acceptance of what constitutes terrorism, hence the difficulty of gathering data for analysis. It is also a conundrum when powerful nations legitimize their terrorist activities against weaker ones. This, unfortunately, has led to the subjectiveness of every attempt in the literature to objectively provide a globally acceptable definition. Using meta-analysis as the methodological approach for the study a number of definitions were scrutinised. This article provides a brief examination of the intersection between right-wing terrorism and ethnic nationalism, and how accelerationism escalates ideology into violence. The paper compares two acts of violence, one traditionally viewed as terrorism and the other labelled solely as a mass shooting. It concludes with a comparative analysis of the definitions provided, utilizing a case study to examine how labels of a terrorist or a freedom fighter impact on one’s view of a group’s motivation. This is pertinent when analysing ideologically motivated violence

Neuropsychological outcome following minimal access subtemporal selective amygdalohippocampectomy.

PURPOSE: The present study provides a detailed account of neurocognitive outcome following minimal access subtemporal selective amygdalohippocampectomy (SAH) and establishes rates of neurocognitive decline in the largest sample to date. Use of a subtemporal surgical approach to SAH has been proposed to possibly reduce the risk for postoperative neurocognitive decline since lateral neocortical tissues is not resected and the temporal stem is preserved. The current study extends prior research with subtemporal SAH patients to include not only group level analyses but also analyses based on reliable change data. METHODS: Neurocognitive comparisons are made between 47 patients that underwent subtemporal SAH. Statistical comparisons were made between neurocognitive performance at the group level and with use of reliable change scores. RESULTS: Approximately 75% of patients were seizure free postoperatively. At the group level, there were no significant postoperative changes. For the left SAH patients, reliable change scores demonstrated a decline in approximately one third of patients for memory, verbal intellect, and naming. Right SAH patients showed decline primarily in memory. CONCLUSIONS: These results indicated good seizure control following subtemporal SAH with greatest risk for neurocognitive decline following dominant SAH and best cognitive outcome following non-dominant SAH. Findings demonstrated the importance of reliable change analyses that make individual based comparisons and take into account measurement error. Despite preservation of the lateral neocortical tissue and the temporal stem, subtemporal SAH presents a risk for cognitive decline in a notable portion of patients

Project Frozo: A Solution to the Cold-Chain Problem

Project Frozo has designed an ultra-low temperature portable freezer capable of storing 500 COVID-19 vaccine vials for global distribution. The device does not require external power, and utilizes a combination of vacuum insulation panels, aerogel, and phase change material to maintain a storage volume temperature of -70°C for over 10 days. This duration of time was determined by running a one-dimensional transient heat transfer simulation with a constant ambient temperature of 48.89°C (120°F). Construction of a prototype is underway which will be used to perform physical testing and validate the simulation results. The design will enable cost effective distribution of the COVID-19 vaccine on a global scale. The design follows guidelines set by The Setty Family Foundation: 2022 Applied Engineering Challenge as well as the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating, and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) standards. Vaccine storage requirements were determined using public information provided by Pfizer. Project Frozo’s design will function as the final storage system for vaccines prior to doses being administered to recipients

From Delhi to Mumbai, Apple Seeks a Bigger Slice of The Pie

From Delhi to Mumbai, Apple Seeks a Bigger Slice of The Pie in India: An International Marketing Case Study Mike Williams, Adam Pedraza, Taylor Greer, Brent Cassidy, Nick Hill, Chandler Burger, Steven Wehde, and Caleb Fortney Abstract Apple Inc., headquartered in the United States, is the world’s largest technology company with revenues of 265 billion as of 2018 (Johnson, 2012). Apple has been trying to compete in India’s smartphone market, the world’s fastest-growing and second-largest smartphone market globally, accounting for nearly 30 million purchases per quarter (Sheth, 2019). Despite its success in the U.S., Apple has not been able to overcome the unique challenges it faces in India. It faces entrenched Asian competitors like Xiaomi, Samsung, Vivo, and Oppo, who have a dominant share of the market. Indian consumers are very price sensitive and value deals (Lu, Yu, & Soman, 2016) which means Apple’s high-quality, premium pricing strategy only appeals to a small segment of affluent consumers. However, its competitors offer similar or even more localized features, at much lower prices. Indeed, over 75% of smartphones sold in India cost less than 250, whereas the iPhone is priced starting at $550 or higher (Cohan, 2018). Apple also faces other challenges in India, such as limited Internet connectivity, sourcing issues due to the government’s “Make in India” initiative, and limited consumer purchasing ability (Kashyap, 2017). This case study examines Apple’s overall marketing strategy in India in the context of the smartphone industry, competitors, consumer attitudes and government regulations. This case study will initiate discussions on how Apple must adapt its strategy to be able to succeed in India’s growing smartphone market. Keywords: Apple, iPhones, smartphones, India, mobile phones, emerging market, case study, international marketing Note: References available on request

Impact of Immersive Training on Senior Chemical Engineering Students\u27 Prioritization of Process Safety Decision Criteria

Every year new safety features and regulations are employed within the process industry to reduce risks associated with operations. Despite these advancements chemical plants remain hazardous places, and the role of the engineer will always involve risk mitigation through real time decision making. Results from a previous study by Kongsvik et al., 2015 indicated that there were three types of decisions in major chemical plants: strategic decisions, operational decisions, and instantaneous decisions. The study showed the importance for improving upon engineers’ operational and instantaneous choices when tasked with quick solutions in the workforce. In this research study, we dive deeper to understand how senior chemical engineering students’ prioritize components of decision making such as budget, productivity, relationships, safety, and time, and how this prioritization may change as a result of participation in a digital immersive training environment called Contents Under Pressure. More specifically, we seek to address the following two research questions: (1) How do senior chemical engineering students prioritize safety in comparison to criteria such as budget, personal relationships, plant productivity, and time in a process safety context, and (2) How does senior chemical engineering students’ prioritization of decision making criteria (budget, personal relationships, plant productivity, safety, and time) change after exposure to a virtual process safety decision making environment? As part of this study, 187 senior chemical engineering students from three separate institutions completed a pre- and post-reflection survey around their engagement with Contents Under Pressure and asked them to rank their prioritizations of budget, productivity, relationships, safety, and time. Data was analyzed using descriptive statistics, and Friedman and Wilcoxon-sign-rank post hoc analyses were completed to determine any statistical differences between the rankings of decision making factors before and after engagement with Contents Under Pressure. Simulating process safety decision making with interactive educational supports may increase students’ understanding of genuine workplace environments and factors that contribute to process safety, without the real world hazards that result from poor decision making. By understanding how students prioritize these factors, chemical engineering curricula can be adapted to focus on the areas of process safety decision making where students need the largest improvement, thereby better preparing them to enter the engineering workforce

System Engineering Paper

The Iowa State University team, Team LunaCY, is composed of the following sub-teams: the main student organization, the Lunabotics Club; a senior mechanical engineering design course, ME 415; a senior multidisciplinary design course, ENGR 466; and a senior design course from Wartburg College in Waverly, Iowa. Team LunaCY designed and fabricated ART-E III, Astra Robotic Tractor- Excavator the Third, for the team's third appearance in the NASA Lunabotic Mining competition. While designing ART-E III, the team had four main goals for this year's competition:to reduce the total weight of the robot, to increase the amount of regolith simulant mined, to reduce dust, and to make ART-E III autonomous. After many designs and research, a final robot design was chosen that obtained all four goals of Team LunaCY. A few changes Team LunaCY made this year was to go to the electrical, computer, and software engineering club fest at Iowa State University to recruit engineering students to accomplish the task of making ART-E III autonomous. Team LunaCY chose to use LabView to program the robot and various sensors were installed to measure the distance between the robot and the surroundings to allow ART-E III to maneuver autonomously. Team LunaCY also built a testing arena to test prototypes and ART-E III in. To best replicate the competition arena at the Kennedy Space Center, a regolith simulant was made from sand, QuickCrete, and fly ash to cover the floor of the arena. Team LunaCY also installed fans to allow ventilation in the arena and used proper safety attire when working in the arena . With the additional practice in the testing arena and innovative robot design, Team LunaCY expects to make a strong appearance at the 2012 NASA Lunabotic Mining Competition.

A Multi-disciplinary Commentary on Preclinical Research to investigate Vascular Contributions to Dementia

Although dementia research has been dominated by Alzheimer's disease (AD), most dementia in older people is now recognised to be due to mixed pathologies, usually combining vascular and AD brain pathology. Vascular cognitive impairment (VCI), which encompasses vascular dementia (VaD) is the second most common type of dementia. Models of VCI have been delayed by limited understanding of the underlying aetiology and pathogenesis. This review by a multidisciplinary, diverse (in terms of sex, geography and career stage), cross-institute team provides a perspective on limitations to current VCI models and recommendations for improving translation and reproducibility. We discuss reproducibility, clinical features of VCI and corresponding assessments in models, human pathology, bioinformatics approaches, and data sharing. We offer recommendations for future research, particularly focusing on small vessel disease as a main underpinning disorder.</p

A multi-disciplinary commentary on preclinical research to investigate vascular contributions to dementia

Although dementia research has been dominated by Alzheimer's disease (AD), most dementia in older people is now recognised to be due to mixed pathologies, usually combining vascular and AD brain pathology. Vascular cognitive impairment (VCI), which encompasses vascular dementia (VaD) is the second most common type of dementia. Models of VCI have been delayed by limited understanding of the underlying aetiology and pathogenesis. This review by a multidisciplinary, diverse (in terms of sex, geography and career stage), cross-institute team provides a perspective on limitations to current VCI models and recommendations for improving translation and reproducibility. We discuss reproducibility, clinical features of VCI and corresponding assessments in models, human pathology, bioinformatics approaches, and data sharing. We offer recommendations for future research, particularly focusing on small vessel disease as a main underpinning disorder