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This article, titled "Continuity Criteria for Locally Bounded Homomorphisms of Certain Lie Groups," discusses the continuity of locally bounded homomorphisms in Lie groups. The authors prove that a locally bounded homomorphism of a connected Lie group is continuous if and only if it is continuous on a closed supplementary subgroup. The article provides a theorem and a proof to support this claim. The research was partially supported by the Moscow Center for Fundamental and Applied Mathematics, and the author declares no conflict of interest. [Extracted from the article]

The extent to which 'geographies of encounter' facilitate tolerance of diversity and difference has long been a source of debate in urban studies and human geography scholarship. However, to date this contestation has focused primarily on hyper-diverse cities in the global north-west. Adapting this debate to the volatile conditions of the nationally-contested city, this paper explores intergroup encounters between Israelis and Palestinians in Jerusalem. The paper suggests that in the context of hyper-polarisation of the nationally-contested urban space, the study of encounter should focus on macro-scale structural forces. In Jerusalem, we stress the role of ethnonationality and neoliberalism as key producers of its asymmetric and volatile yet highly resilient geography of intergroup encounters. In broader sense, as many cities worldwide experience a resurgence of ethnonationalism, illuminating the structural production of encounter may demarcate a broader function for reading contemporary urban geopolitics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple bilevel problems are optimization problems in which we want to find an optimal solution to an inner problem that minimizes an outer objective function. Such problems appear in many machine learning and signal processing applications as a way to eliminate undesirable solutions. In our work, we suggest a new approach that is designed for bilevel problems with simple outer functions, such as the l 1 norm, which are not required to be either smooth or strongly convex. In our new ITerative Approximation and Level-set EXpansion (ITALEX) approach, we alternate between expanding the level-set of the outer function and approximately optimizing the inner problem over this level-set. We show that optimizing the inner function through first-order methods such as proximal gradient and generalized conditional gradient results in a feasibility convergence rate of O(1/k), which up to now was a rate only achieved by bilevel algorithms for smooth and strongly convex outer functions. Moreover, we prove an O (1 / k) rate of convergence for the outer function, contrary to existing methods, which only provide asymptotic guarantees. We demonstrate this performance through numerical experiments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nanostructured thermoelectric (TE) materials Bi 2 Te 2. 8 Se 0.2 (0.16 wt% CdCl 2) n-type and Bi 0. 5 Sb 1. 5 Te 3 (2.2 wt% Te and 0.16 wt% TeI 4) p-type were fabricated, and complex investigations of these materials were carried out. The thermoelectric materials were obtained by spark plasma sintering (SPS) of nanodispersed powder ground in planetary ball mill. It was found that the average particle sizes in thermoelectric materials after milling for 60 min were about 30 nm. After SPS of the powders, the average crystallite sizes were from 86 to 96 nm. Thermal stability of materials up to 550 K was observed. The relationship between the composition, structure and properties of TE materials was established. The maximum ZT obtained for nanostructured TE materials were ZT = 1.16 at 380 K for Bi 2 Te 2. 8 Se 0.2 and ZT = 1.35 at 370 K for Bi 0. 5 Sb 1. 5 Te 3. Increase in ZT for nanostructured thermoelectric materials is due to the decrease of the lattice thermal conductivity. [Display omitted] • The average powder size about 30 nm was achieved after milling for 60 min. • Crystallite sizes increased up to 96 nm after SPS of the powder ground for 60 min. • The nanostructuring allowed to increase ZT up to 22 %. • The nanostructured materials based on BiTeSe and BiSbTe were stable up to 550 K. • Relationship between the structure and properties of TE materials was established. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The pericarp is the predominant tissue determining the structural characteristics of most fruits. However, the molecular and genetic mechanisms controlling pericarp development remain only partially understood. Previous studies have identified that CLASS-II KNOX genes regulate fruit size, shape, and maturation in Arabidopsis thaliana and Solanum lycopersicum. Here we characterized the roles of the S. lycopersicum CLASS-II KNOX (TKN-II) genes in pericarp development via a detailed histological, anatomical, and karyotypical analysis of TKN-II gene clade mRNAknockdown (35S:amiR-TKN-II) fruits. We identify that 35S:amiR-TKN-II pericarps contain more cells around their equatorial perimeter and fewer cell layers than the control. In addition, the cell sizes but not the ploidy levels of these pericarps were dramatically reduced. Further, we demonstrate that fruit shape and pericarp layer number phenotypes of the 35S:amiR-TKN-II fruits can be overridden by the procera mutant, known to induce a constitutive response to the plant hormone gibberellin. However, neither the procera mutation nor exogenous gibberellin application can fully rescue the reduced pericarp width and cell size phenotype of 35S:amiR-TKN-II pericarps. Our findings establish that TKN-II genes regulate tomato fruit anatomy, acting via gibberellin to control fruit shape but utilizing a gibberellinindependent pathway to control the size of pericarp cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Procedures were suggested for preparing ohmic contacts by electroless Ni plating onto the surface of samples of thermoelectric materials based on bismuth and antimony chalcogenides. Nickel was deposited directly onto the sample surface and onto a Ni sublayer formed by ion plasma sputtering on the sample surface. The properties of the contacts are influenced by the roughness of the surface of thermoelectric material samples, by solutions used for decapping this surface, by the composition of electrolytes for electroless Ni plating, and by the presence of a Ni sublayer sputtered onto the sample surface. The Ni films up to 25 μm thick, prepared by electroless plating, contained ≥96.73 wt % Ni. The resistivity of the films was ≤10.24 × 10–8 Ω m. The specific contact resistance was (1.50–2.86) × 10−9 Ω m2. The films obtained on thermoelectric material samples by Ni plating from a NaBH4-based electrolyte onto a Ni sublayer sputtered onto these samples showed the highest adhesion strength, 14.62–14.83 MPa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The broad application of thermoelectricity is constrained by the low efficiency of thermoelectric elements, which is mainly determined by the thermoelectric figure of merit of thermoelectric materials (TEMs) used for their manufacture. At present, the main direction of increasing the figure of merit is to reduce the phonon thermal conductivity of TEMs due to their nanostructuring. The phase composition and fine structure of TEM nanopowders are studied using a JEM-2100 transmission electron microscope. The elemental composition of the starting components for the synthesis of TEMs, ground powders, and bulk nanostructured TEMs (NTEMs) is determined using a JSM-6480LV scanning electron microscope. Methods are developed and modes for obtaining nanodispersed powders and NTEMs based on Bi2Te3, Sb2Te3, PbTe, GeTe and SiGe with operating temperatures in the range of 200–1200 K are optimized. The powders are obtained using a planetary ball mill. The average size of coherent-scattering regions in powders is in the range of 12–47 nm. Bulk NTEMs are made by powder compaction by spark plasma sintering. It is shown that the regions of coherent scattering in bulk samples increase in comparison with the powder structure by an average of 2–3 times and range from 20 to 120 nm. In NTEM, due to a decrease in the thermal conductivity, an increase in the parameter ZT from 10 to 20% is established compared to TEM obtained by classical methods and not having a nanostructure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fruits can be divided into dry and fleshy types. Dry fruits mature through senescence and fleshy fruits through ripening. Previous studies have indicated that partially common molecular networks could govern fruit maturation in these different fruit types. However, the nature of such networks remains obscure. CLASS-II KNOX genes were shown to regulate the senescence of the Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) dry fruits, the siliques, but their roles in fleshy-fruit development are unknown. Here, we investigated the roles of the tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) CLASS-II KNOX (TKN-II) genes in fleshy fruit ripening using knockout alleles of individual genes and an artificial microRNA line (35S:amiR-TKN-II) simultaneously targeting all genes. 35S:amiR-TKN-II plants, as well as a subset of tkn-II single and double mutants, have smaller fruits. Strikingly, the 35S:amiR-TKN-II and tknII3 tknII7/+ fruits showed early ripening of the locular domain while their pericarp ripening was stalled. Further examination of the ripening marker-gene RIPENING INHIBITOR (RIN) expression and 35S:amiR-TKN-II rin-1 mutant fruits suggested that TKN-II genes arrest RIN activity at the locular domain and promote it in the pericarp. These findings imply that CLASS-II KNOX genes redundantly coordinate maturation in both dry and fleshy fruits. In tomato, these genes also control spatial patterns of fruit ripening, utilizing differential regulation of RIN activity at different fruit domains. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: The zone of stasis is formed around the coagulation zone following skin burning and is characterized by its unique potential for salvation. The cells in this zone may die or survive depending on the severity of the burn and therefore are target for the local treatments of burns. Their low survival rate is consistent with decreased tissue perfusion, hypotension, infection, and/or edema, resulting in a significant increase in the wound size following burning. Copper is an essential trace mineral needed for the normal function of almost all body tissues, including the skin. Objective: The aim of the work was to study the effect copper ions have on skin burn pathophysiology. Methods: Skin obtained from healthy patients undergoing abdominoplasty surgery was cut into 8 × 8 mm squares, and round 0.8-mm diameter burn wounds were inflicted on the skin explants. The burned and control intact skin samples were cultured up to 27 days after wounding. Immediately following injury and then again every 48 h, saline only or containing 0.02 or 1 µM copper ions was added onto the skin explant burn wounds. Results: We found that exposing the wounded sites immediately after burn infliction to 0.02 or 1 µM copper ions reduced the deterioration of the zone of stasis and the increase in wound size. The presence of the copper ions prevented the dramatic increase of pro-inflammatory cytokines (interleukin (IL)-6 and IL-8) and transforming growth factor beta-1 that followed skin burning. We also detected re-epithelialization of the skin tissue and a greater amount of collagen fibers upon copper treatment. Conclusion: The deterioration of the zone of stasis and the increase in wound size following burning may be prevented or reduced by using copper ion-based therapeutic interventions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The method of mechanical treatment of thermoelectric materials Bi2Te2.8Se0.2 (0.14 wt % of CdCl2), Bi0.5Sb1.5Te3 (2 wt % of Te and 0.14 wt % of TeI4), PbTe (0.2 wt % of PbI2 and 0.3 wt % of Ni), and GeTe (7.4 wt % of Bi) with low microhardness (25–70 kg/mm2) is proposed. The average surface roughness about 20 nm was obtained. The methods and regimes of surface cleaning before the deposition of thin films were determined. The thin-film Ni contacts were formed by ion-plasma deposition on the samples of thermoelectric materials with different surface roughness. The adhesion strength of contacts was measured by the method of uniform normal tear. The study results allow us to determine the required level of mechanical treatment of surface, which depends on the thickness of the formed thin films. It was shown that value of the adhesion strength of Ni contacts formed to the thermoelectric materials is more than 11.5 MPa. This corresponds to criterion of mechanical strength of contacts in the thermoelements. As study result of the electrical resistance, it was found that the contact resistance of Ni films formed on thermoelectric materials is less than 10–9 Ω m2. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Petrovsky-Shtern's essay revisits three aspects of Yosef Trumpeldor's life domineering his biographic and hagiographic narratives. Using heretofore unexplored military archival sources, the author allows more accurately to reconstruct Trumpeldor's army career, debunk the myth of his Russian officer rank, and contextualize the impact of the Russian army experience on his Zionist endeavors. Trumpeldor's reliance on so far underestimated influence of Leo Tolstoy emphasizes Trumpeldor's horizontally oriented Russian cultural environment and plays down his teleological vertically oriented Zionist one. By juxtaposing Tolstoy's ideas in Trumpeldor's mind with Trumpeldor's distinct socio-cultural military circumstances, the author demonstrates the genesis of the He-Halutz program from Trumpeldor's experience as a military leader in the Russian army and avid reader of the Russian literature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The work is dedicated to formulating a new behavioral model of porous and powder bodies and aims to consider the internal structure features of the new material classes. Analysis of existing models shows that most of them rely on the hypothesis that the only parameter of the material is porosity. In the meantime, numerous structure observations of these materials indicate a significant impact of other types of imperfections on the properties, which may include crack-like defects. During deformation, they can facilitate the emergence of overconsolidation cracks with the subsequent destruction of a product even at its manufacturing. Furthermore, such models are not sensitive to resistance in compression and tension. They also disregard the change in volume in the absence of hydrostatic pressure. To address these gaps, a new four-parameter plasticity theory is proposed. It describes the behaviour of powders and porous semi-finished products that include two new parameters in addition to porosity and mean deformation of the solid phase in the porous body. They reflect the influence of resistance and the presence of dilatancy. Taking these into account, the expression for the dissipative potential and the load surface of such four-parametric material is formulated. The major difference between the proposed and existing models is that it describes a material, which can be both bulk and porous. The tensile yield point of the bulk material is considered to be zero. On the contrary, the yield strength in tension and compression of porous materials are equal to each other under conditions of perfect contact and full adhesion. The physical meaning of two new material parameters was clarified. Their influence on the development of overconsolidation cracks in the conditions under which complex products are manufactured is established. The reasonableness of using the proposed model for the 3D printing process is outlined. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The axial pressing of a tubular metal powder billet accompanied by simultaneous rotation of the billet synchronously with the inner rod relative to the outer die wall has been considered. Such a compaction pattern for nonporous compact materials is known as 'high-pressure tube twisting' and used to improve the structure and design features of the tubular product by strain accumulation. Unlike a compact material, the behavior of a powder billet is determined both by hardening its solid phase and compaction with a gradual decrease in pores volume. These factors specify the peculiar behavior of porous materials under the formulated above conditions, which requires the plasticity theory for porous bodies to be applied. Additional assumptions concerning kinematic restrictions enabled finding explicit expressions for hardening and compaction pressure in analytical form. The derived analytical solution is multi-parametric and describes the influence exerted on the compaction pressure by hardening constants of the material, initial and final density of the compacts, and degree of mutual die walls rotation. The performed analysis allowed concluding that the short-term application of shear strains induced by the mutual rotation of the die elements reduces, in any case, the value of the current operating pressure during compaction. On the other hand, in the long-term compaction process, the hardening of the solid phase in a porous body caused by additional shear strains can lead to an increase in radial pressure at the same final density. The change from the pressure decrease stage to pressure increase stage significantly depends on how hard the powder material is. Therefore, the die is advised to be rotated for powders produced of a nearly ideal plastic material. In most cases, the rotation of a die throughout the entire pressing process is advisable only for sufficiently porous billets subjected to very insignificant compaction. In the case of billets compacted to small porosities, the die walls should be rotated only at the end of the compaction process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Clinical studies demonstrated that continued exposure to copper oxide–embedded textiles, such as pillowcases, significantly reduces depth of facial wrinkles and skin sagging and enhances skin elasticity. Objective: Study the mechanisms by which the exposure to copper ions improve the well‐being of the skin. Methods: Human skin explants, cultured ex‐vivo, were exposed topically to saline alone or saline containing 0.02 or 1 µmol/L copper ions. The skin explants viability, histology and secretion of elastin, pro‐collagen 1, and TGF‐β1 to the culture medium were determined at various time intervals. Results: Exposure to saline containing 0.02 or 1 µmol/L copper ions did not affect the viability or morphological profile of the explants as compared to control explants treated with saline only. Notably, exposure of the skin grafts to 0.02 or to 1 µmol/L of copper ions resulted in ~100% and ~20% increases in elastin and pro‐collagen 1 concentrations, respectively, in the culture supernatants already after 1 day of incubation, which remained statistically significantly elevated also after 6 days on incubation, as compared to the control explants. In addition, ~2‐ and ~4‐fold increases in TGF‐ß1 levels in the culture supernatants of explants exposed to the copper ions were detected after 4 and 6 days of culture, as compared to the explants exposed to saline alone. Conclusion: This study substantiated the anti‐aging effect that copper ions have on the skin and gave insights into the mechanisms by which exposure of the skin to copper ions improves the skin well‐being. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bulk nanostructured n-type PbTe (0.2 wt% PbI 2 ; 0.3 wt% Ni) and p-type Ge 0.96 Bi 0.04 Te were prepared by grinding the synthesized materials in a planetary ball mill followed by compaction by spark plasma sintering. Hardness, Young's modulus and stiffness of the synthesized and nanostructured thermoelectric materials were investigated by nanoindentation. Nanostructured thermoelectric materials have significantly higher mechanical properties than synthesized materials, and grinding time have small effect on the hardness, Young's modulus and stiffness. The efficiency of nanostructured thermoelectric materials in the entire range of operating temperatures is 10–14% higher than that of the materials obtained by hot pressing. The maximum values of dimensionless thermoelectric figure of merit for nanostructured thermoelectric materials on the basis of PbTe and GeTe are equal to 1.34 and 1.43, respectively. The increase in the efficiency is explained by the scattering of phonons by inhomogeneities of the nanocrystalline structure. Thermal treatment at a temperature of 750 K for 72 h reduced dimensionless thermoelectric figure of merit by not more than 2% and 3% for GeTe and PbTe nanostructured thermoelectric materials, respectively. Repeated differential scanning calorimetry showed that nanostructured thermoelectric materials are thermally stable up to 850 K. The grinding time does not affect the thermal stability of materials. According to thermogravimetry sublimation of thermoelectric materials begins above 850 K. To ensure long-term use of thermoelectric materials on the basis of PbTe and GeTe in the temperature range of 850–900 K it is necessary to use protective Si 3 N 4 or SiO 2 coatings. • Nanostructured thermoelectric materials were developed for range of 600–900 K. • The mechanical properties of nanostructured thermoelectric materials were studied. • Complex investigation of thermal and electrical properties was carried out. • Mechanisms of electrical and thermal conductivities were determined. • Thermal stability of developed materials was determined in the range of 300–900 K. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The viscous flow and sintering of porous materials that contain 2D defects are analyzed. The analysis relies on the rheological theory of sintering developed by Valerii Skorokhod and on the extended continuum powder model. The behavior of porous materials is considered for the sintering process combined with uniaxial tension. In particular, neutral sintering is addressed and an indirect method to determine the effective Laplace pressure is discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recent studies discuss 'peripheralisation' as an uneven socio-spatial phenomenon driven by processes of economic centralisation and marginalisation (Kühn and Bernt, 2013) in capitalist (or capitalising) societies (Bernt and Colini, 2013). In this article, I utilise the concept of peripheralisation in the context of an ethno-national dispute in which spatial, economic and regional dynamics are largely determined by territorial policies of control and exclusion. I combine extant literature on the geopolitics and economy of Jerusalem with the Centre–Periphery framework in order to analyse the development and decline of East Jerusalem's socio-economic status and political environment from 1967 to 2016. As I will show, since the beginning of the 1990s, Israeli national security policies have transformed East Jerusalem from a Palestinian metropolitan centre into a region on the socio-economic periphery of Israel. I term this particular type of marginalisation 'ethno-national peripheralisation', a process of socio-economic decline that is not a relational product of neoliberal centralisation, but an output of ethno-national policies of division and annexation. The radical shift in East Jerusalem's regional socio-economic status, from a centre of one national realm to the periphery of another, transforms urban life and political spatial strategies in contemporary Jerusalem. The case of East Jerusalem's peripheralisation demonstrates the ways in which ethno-national policies can create counter outcomes of ethno-national desegregation accelerated by physical entrapment, economic dependency and urban neoliberalism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Novel high-centrifugal force reactor for cracking ethane. • Annular jet in highly swirling flows. • Hydrodynamic stabilization of robust oxy-enriched hydrogen flames. • Extremely fast mixing between combustion products and C 2 H 6 resulting in high olefins yield. • Process intensification by enabling high heat transfer through the physics of highly swirling flows. This paper describes a novel reactor for high temperature thermochemical conversion of ethane to olefins. The central feature is an efficient flow pattern with a large recirculation zone that provides stable and compact 2500 °C flame and a thin conical annular swirling jet that provides fast transfer of mass, momentum, and heat. The jet is directed through a unique converging–diverging nozzle that maintains relatively low wall temperature and consequently reduces the need for external cooling. The hydrocarbons stream is introduced tangentially through volutes in such a way that there is initially heat transfer with minimal mass transfer followed by fast mixing of countercurrent streams. CFD simulations with detailed kinetics were employed to design and optimize this reactor including the order of the volutes to feed ethane, H 2 fuel, oxidizer (O 2 and N 2 mix), and a cooling N 2 gas; oxygen enrichment of the air, and also the overall operating conditions of this flexible and robust reactor. This highly intensified reactor was fabricated and tested at a semi-pilot scale with up to 15 kg/hr feed. The optimized reactor has high selectivity to ethylene and acetylene comparable to conventional steam cracker. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sun exposure is harmful to the skin and increases the risk of skin aging and skin cancer. Here we examined the effects of daily exposure to sun radiation on the skin microbiome in order to determine whether skim microbiome bacteria can contribute to protection from solar damage. Skin swabs were collected from ten lifeguards before and after the summer to analyse the skin microbiome. The results indicate that specific skin microbiome bacteria were enriched following the seasonal sun exposure. Especially interesting were two bacterial families - Sphingomonas and Erythrobacteraceae – which may have the ability to protect against UV radiation as they produce potentially protective compounds. We concentrated on a Sphingomonas strain and could show that it was highly resistant to UV irradiation and was able to reduce reactive oxygen species levels in human keratinocytes. These results provide a proof-of-concept for the role of the skin microbiome in protection from solar radiation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AbstractRadiotherapy treatment planning is a challenging large-scale optimization problem plagued by uncertainty. Following the robust optimization methodology, we propose a novel, spatially based uncertainty set for robust modeling of radiotherapy planning, producing solutions that are immune to unexpected changes in biological conditions. Our proposed uncertainty set realistically captures biological radiosensitivity patterns that are observed using recent advances in imaging, while its parameters can be personalized for individual patients. We exploit the structure of this set to devise a compact reformulation of the robust model. We develop a row-generation scheme to solve real, large-scale instances of the robust model. This method is then extended to a relaxation-based scheme for enforcing challenging, yet clinically important, dose–volume cardinality constraints. The computational performance of our algorithms, as well as the quality and robustness of the computed treatment plans, are demonstrated on simulated and real imaging data. Based on accepted performance measures, such as minimal target dose and homogeneity, these examples demonstrate that the spatially robust model achieves almost the same performance as the nominal model in the nominal scenario, and otherwise, the spatial model outperforms both the nominal and the box-uncertainty models. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Electronic thermostating components are developed for automatic control of heat-transfer agent fl ow in heating systems in accordance with a specified program and for regulating the temperature in heated places. Original equipment and programming solutions are proposed for electronic thermostating components and the algorithm for their operation is optimized. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An intelligent system and its electron components are developed that implement an innovative method for measuring individual heat consumption. For the intelligent system and its electron components, original design-technological, circuit, hardware, and software solutions are proposed. The methods and mathematical models for evaluating individual heat consumption are developed and validated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We have examined the possibility of utilizing thin-film contact layers for producing reliable Ohmic contacts to proposed intermediate-temperature (Bi,Sb)Te-based thermoelectric materials with improved thermoelectric properties, which allow the working temperature range to be extended to 600 K. Three contact configurations have been produced by ion-plasma magnetron sputtering: a single Ni layer, Mo/Ni bilayer, and Ni/Ta-W-N/Ni three-layer system. It has been shown that reliable contacts can be produced using Mo/Ni and Ni/Ta-W-N/Ni layers, which prevent interdiffusion between the materials to be joined and ensure good adhesion to the thermoelectric element. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A method, measurement system, and hardware and software facilities are developed for studying the reliability of data reception and signal level in radio channels. This method can be used to test the wireless communication channels employed in smart devices for data measurement and transmission during manufacture. Studies are made of the wireless communication channels of batches of commercially produced smart devices. The dependence of the loss probability for a packet of data on the radio signal level is determined. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper introduces and explores the earliest extant work by Solomon Schechter (1847-1915). The conventional reading of Schechter presents him as a scholar, a practitioner of the Science of Judaism. However, Schechter's parody of the Hasidic movement, its masters and its adherents, written in the mid-late 1870's, suggests that even as Schechter engaged in rigorous scholarship he also worked as a creative artist. He associated with Jewish thinkers, writers and activists such as Peretz Smolenskin, and like them he created art for the sake of wrestling with the vital issues in Jewish life. His writing experiments enhanced his self-discovery. The text enables us to glimpse Schechter at an early period of his journey from his Romanian Hasidic family and community to a modern self, one with multiple identities, the relations of which shifted over time. His parody drew from the tradition of literary mystifications and was in dialogue simultaneously with the Sipurei Ma'asiyot, hagiographic stories about Hasidic masters, and with Joseph Perl's anti-Hasidic satire Megaleh temirin (Revealer of Secrets). Schechter's parody of Hasidism ironically contained both appreciation of this major modern movement of religious enthusiasm and criticism of its foes, revealing Schechter's eclectic nature and discomfort with committing fully to any trends in his contemporary Judaism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We obtain assertions concerning general properties of one-dimensional (not necessarily bounded) pseudorepresentations of groups. In particular, we obtain a quantitative condition on the numerical defect of a given pseudorepresentation which is sufficient for the pseudorepresentation to be pure, i.e., for the restriction of the given pseudorepresentation to every amenable subgroup be an ordinary character of this subgroup. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hysteresis is a strongly nonlinear physics phenomenon observed in many fluid mechanics flows. This paper composes evolution equations of the minimal nonlinearity and dimension which describe three hysteresis kinds related to a fold catastrophe formed by (i) two fold bifurcations, (ii) fold and transcritical bifurcations, and (iii) fold and subcritical bifurcations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A modified continuum model for the sintering of biporous materials is proposed. Along with the viscous flow of the matrix resulting from the sintering potential, the vacancy flow from small to large pores is considered. The capabilities of the modified theory to consider the above phenomena are used to predict and explain the effect of constraints on local porosity increase and instability of the sintering process. Potential ways for using the results obtained are identified. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We consider the problem of minimizing the sum of a linear function and a composition of a strongly convex function with a linear transformation over a compact polyhedral set. Jaggi and Lacoste-Julien (An affine invariant linear convergence analysis for Frank-Wolfe algorithms. NIPS 2013 Workshop on Greedy Algorithms, Frank-Wolfe and Friends, 2014) show that the conditional gradient method with away steps - employed on the aforementioned problem without the additional linear term - has a linear rate of convergence, depending on the so-called pyramidal width of the feasible set. We revisit this result and provide a variant of the algorithm and an analysis based on simple linear programming duality arguments, as well as corresponding error bounds. This new analysis (a) enables the incorporation of the additional linear term, and (b) depends on a new constant, that is explicitly expressed in terms of the problem's parameters and the geometry of the feasible set. This constant replaces the pyramidal width, which is difficult to evaluate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper we study convex bilevel optimization problems for which the inner level consists of minimization of the sum of smooth and nonsmooth functions. The outer level aims at minimizing a smooth and strongly convex function over the optimal solutions set of the inner problem. We analyze a first order method which is based on an existing fixed-point algorithm. Global sublinear rate of convergence of the method is established in terms of the inner objective function values. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An automated system for investigating and calibrating temperature measuring instruments with a wireless interface is proposed and constructed. The system is designed for the remote monitoring of temperature and the storage and transmission of data over a radio channel. A procedure for calculating the data of the measuring instruments and a hardware-software system for performing this automatically are developed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Different variants of design solutions for thermoelectric systems (TESs) with various cooling powers used to maintain thermal conditions of computing machinery are proposed. Techniques for the calculation of thermoelectric blocks, confirmed by the results of investigations of the fabricated TES units, were developed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Technology is developed, materials and regimes of the fabrication of ohmic contacts to the effective thermoelectric materials Bi2Te2.8Se0.2 (n-type) and Bi0.5Sb1.5Te3 (p-type) are determined. Ohmic contacts were obtained by the vacuum deposition of nickel. Factors determining adhesion strength and resistivity of fabricated contacts are determined. Process of surface preparation of the thermoelectric materials before the ohmic contact deposition is optimized during the technology development. The use of electrochemical polishing, ultrasound treatment, finish cleaning in toluene and isopropyl alcohol vapor, and annealing in vacuum allowed achieving stable results in the formation of contacts. It was shown that contacts fabricated using of electron-beam evaporation of nickel possess maximum adhesion strength of 18-19 N/mm². It was found that high adhesion is caused by the existence of transition layer in the metal-thermoelectric material contact range, formed due to the interaction of metal with the components of thermoelectric material. Proposed technology allows obtaining ohmic contacts with the resistance of the unit area not exceeding 10-10 Ohm m². [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new concept for determining the individual heat consumption in the heating systems of the apartment houses, which was realized in the intellectual system, developed by authors, for controlling the individual heat consumption, is proposed. Concept is based on the use of virtual measuring channels, determined by the technology of intellectual precise temperature sensors and flow meters for heat carrier in heating systems. Configuration of measuring channels is determined by software means, and can be operatively changed during exploitation. Methods and mathematical models for the calculation of individual heat consumption were determined, including calculation and distribution of total house heat consumption. Design principle of intellectual system for controlling the individual heat consumption was determined. Original design solutions, and hardware and software means for electronic components were developed. System carries out direct measurements of heat consumption, and performs data reception and transmission from electronic measuring and controlling components using radio channel at frequencies of 434 or 868 MHz, then it is performing calculations and displaying results. Results of calculations in real measuring units are displayed on the local retranslator and apartment monitor. Exclusive feature of this concept is associated with the possibility of measuring of total house heat consumption. Estimation of confidence limits of systematic measurement error of the individual heat consumption was carried out. It was shown that average weighted error for determination of heat consumption by one apartment during the heating season does not exceed 6.5%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Intellectual precise temperature sensor with wireless interface (ITWS) for contact measurements with absolute error of ± 0.05°C in the temperature range from 5 to 95°C was developed. Platinum thin film resistance thermometer was used as the sensitive unit. High accuracy of measurements is supported by following. Investigations and modeling of temperature dependence of resistivity for sensitive unit allowed to develop mathematical model ensuring calculation of temperature with the error not exceeding 5? 10-3°C. Original patented design, and hardware and software solutions for ITWS were developed. Method and mathematical models for thermocompensation of electronic components of ITWS were elaborated, which allowed sufficient decrease of measurement error during measurements and exploitation. Methodology, and hardware and software measuring system for individual ITWS calibration in automatic regime were developed, which include correction of mathematical model for the calculation of temperature for each sensor. ITWS has several design and technological solutions, and is developed for the temperature measurements of heat transfer agent in the pipelines of heating and hot water supply systems, independently of pipeline diameter. Measured data are transferred by radio channel to the recording and display devices. ITWS are used in automated systems for energy carrier controlling and determination of individual heat consumption. ITWS consists of following modules: sensitive unit, analog-to-digital converter, microcontroller, radio transceiver (carrier frequency is 434 or 868 MHz, output power of transmitter is not more than 10 mW), antenna and power supply (3.6 V). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

One of the main issues of the device technology on metal-dielectric (MD) substrates is poor adhesion of thin metallic films, which are used for interconnections in electrical circuits. Films are formed by vacuum deposition on a porous dielectric layer of substrates. The presence of pores sufficiently complicates the cleaning of the substrate surface, which significantly decreases the adhesion of the film deposited on it. Technology of metal films with high adhesion, fabricated by ion-plasma method is proposed in this work. Films were deposited on MD substrates produced by electrochemical oxidation of aluminum alloys. The main operations of the technology are the following. Removal of residual electrolyte after the oxidation is carried out by rinsing of substrates initially under running hot water, and then in deionized water, followed by drying in a flow of heated nitrogen. Annealing of substrates under the pressure of 10-3 Pa and temperature of 550-570 K for 20 min is carried on in the vacuum chamber before the deposition of metal films. Copper is used as the main material of the interconnection films. Adhesion sublayer is fabricated on the basis of chromium or vanadium, which have high enthalpy of the oxide formation. Measurements showed that the copper films with the thickness of 1.5 µm, deposited on the vanadium sublayer with the thickness of 0.12 µm, which is comparable with the roughness of oxide layer, have adhesion of 25 N/mm² at the temperature of 520 K. Investigation of adhesion was carried on by the method of direct tear off with the error of up to 10%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The use of the nanostructured nanocomposites aims to improve the peak figure of merit (ZT) values of thermoelectric alloys. In addition to ZT, the coefficients of the thermal linear expansion (CTLE) of these alloys are equally important for estimating stresses imposed by the thermal cycling inherent to waste heat recovery operations. In this study, we report the calculated 'technical alpha', i.e., the experimental mean CTLE values for the bulk nanostructured n-type SiGe alloy doped with phosphorus at 298-1220 K. The elemental composition of the spark plasma sintered (SPS)-specimen after thermal cycling in the infrared furnace is characterized by means of AES spectroscopy in combination with ion sputtering. Small amounts of contaminants, such as Fe and O, and large losses of P are detected. Elongations have been measured using ULVAC DL-1500-RH high-speed dilatometer with various rates of heating and cooling. Anomalous thermal behavior of the n-type SiGe(P) composite is observed at high temperatures. Previously, the same anomaly was detected in the temperature dependence of the elongation of pure silicon. There are some discrepancies between our measurements of the thermal expansion of nanostructured n-SiGe composites and those reported in the literature. Moreover, in this study, SiGe solid solution is also studied to verify the additive scheme and to explore deviations from it for predicting CTLE values at higher temperature on the basis of the properties of the pure components. These calculations of the CTLE of undoped SiGe alloys match with the results of the dilatometric and X-ray experiments conducted during the period 1964-1987 and the calculations based on other theoretical approaches. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Protein aggregation is a common feature of the protein misfolding or conformational diseases, among them most of the neurodegenerative diseases. These disorders are a major scourge, with scarce if any effective therapies at present. Recent research has identified ER stress as a major mechanism implicated in cytotoxicity in these diseases. Whether amyloid-β or tau in Alzheimer's, α-synuclein in Parkinson's, huntingtin in Huntington's disease or other aggregation-prone proteins in many other neurodegenerative diseases, there is a shared pathway of oligomerization and aggregation into amyloid fibrils. There is increasing evidence in recent years that the toxic species, and those that evoke ER stress, are the intermediate oligomeric forms and not the final amyloid aggregates. This review focuses on recent findings on the mechanisms and importance of the development of ER stress upon protein aggregation, especially in neurodegenerative diseases, and possible therapeutic approaches that are being examined. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled SI:ER stress . [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nonconvex quadratically constrained quadratic programs (QCQPs) with blockseparable convex constraints are generally NP-hard. These kinds of problems appear in many applications such as estimation and control, complex unimodular programming, and MAX-CUT type problems. Semidefinite relaxation is the best known upper bound approximation for QCQP with block-separable constraints. We suggest the block optimal descent (BOD) algorithm to obtain a lower approximation. We show that this algorithm utilizes block hidden convexity to apply block alternating minimization and has a sublinear rate of convergence. An improved approximation is obtained by using a novel approach, Lagrange guided descent (LGD), which finds a "good" initial point based on the semidefinite programming (SDP) relaxation solution. A quantitative study shows the LGD has superior performance over BOD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Endoplasmic reticulum-associated degradation (ERAD) of a misfolded glycoprotein in mammalian cells requires the removal of 3–4 alpha 1,2 linked mannose residues from its N -glycans. The trimming and recognition processes are ascribed to ER Mannosidase I, the ER-degradation enhancing mannosidase-like proteins (EDEMs), and the lectins OS-9 and XTP3-B, all residing in the ER, the ER-derived quality control compartment (ERQC), or quality control vesicles (QCVs). Folded glycoproteins with untrimmed glycans are transported from the ER to the Golgi complex, where they are substrates of other alpha 1,2 mannosidases, IA, IB, and IC. The apparent redundancy of these enzymes has been puzzling for many years. We have now determined that, surprisingly, mannosidase IA is not located in the Golgi but resides in QCVs. We had recently described this type of vesicles, which carry ER α1,2 mannosidase I (ERManI). We show that the overexpression of alpha class I α1,2 mannosidase IA (ManIA) significantly enhances the degradation of ERAD substrates and its knockdown stabilizes it. Our results indicate that ManIA trims mannose residues from Man 9 GlcNAc 2 down to Man 5 GlcNAc 2 , acting in parallel with ERManI and the EDEMs, and targeting misfolded glycoproteins to ERAD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The rotation and an axial gradient of temperature drive the meridional circulation of a fluid filling a sealed cylindrical container. This numerical study explains why the flow remains stable up to the Grashof number Gr around 1011; Gr characterizes the circulation strength. The shear-layer instability, occurring in a rotating pipe for small values of the Prandtl number Pr [M. A. Herrada and V. N. Shtern, "Stability of centrifugal convection in a rotating pipe," Phys. Fluids 27, 064106 (2015)], is suppressed here even for the cylinder length-to-radius ratio being ten. The cold end disk enhances the fluid circulation near the sidewall and diminishes it near the axis. The inflection point in the radial profile of axial velocity shifts to the sidewall vicinity where the stable centrifugal stratification and the no-slip condition prevent the disturbance growth. The cases Pr = 0, 0.015 (mercury), 0.7 (air), and 5.8 (water) are particularly analyzed. At Pr > 0, the stable density stratification develops and helps to suppress the disturbances. The obtained results are of fundamental interest and might be important for the development of efficient heat exchangers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The existence issue of shock waves during dynamic deformation of plastic porous materials is analyzed. The analysis is based on the mechanics of plasticity for porous continuum. The deformation routes typical for both the use of shock resistant materials and dynamic compaction of powders and porous bodies are considered. It is established, that unlike compacts, the deformation of porous bodies can be accompanied by shock waves. For the routes where the changes in volume dominate over the changes in shape, the deformation is always accompanied by the formation of shock waves. Meanwhile, in case of free deposition (and similar routes), shock waves appear only if the starting porosity is high. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Most research on ethnically and nationally contested cities posits that urban spatial segregation trends will remain decisive so long as the macro level national conflict persists, and assumes that the neoliberalization of urban space would only strengthen such trends. Over the last decade however, and despite the ever deepening national conflict, Jerusalem has seen the emergence of neoliberal spaces of consumption that serve as resilient spaces of intergroup encounter between Israeli-Jewish and Palestinian-Arab populations. In this article I will examine and compare two such neoliberal spaces in Jerusalem, and show how under certain conditions, privatized urban spaces can undermine processes of ethno-national segregation. I argue that interactions between members of the two rival groups are challenged and reshaped by neoliberal spaces and that the relocation of the ethno-national intergroup encounters to privatized spaces of consumption could represent a temporal shift to a class based encounters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Features of the twist extrusion of blanks containing pores and plane cracks are considered. The effect of flat cracks on the porosity distribution and rate of local loosening during deformation is analyzed. The analysis is conducted using a modified theory of plasticity for porous bodies and the finite-element method. It is established that the porosity distribution is sensitive to the concentration of flat defects. At a certain concentration of plane defects, the porosity distribution is inverted: the porosity is higher at the periphery than at the center. The effect of flat defects on the accumulated strain and, as a result, on the structure refinement is less significant. It is confirmed that using the counter-pressure allows suppressing the growth of defects, reducing the refinement efficiency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tracking problems are prevalent in the present day GPS and video systems. The problem of target tracking is a specific case of dynamic linear system estimation with additive noise. The most widely used filter for these systems is the Kalman filter (KF). The optimality of the KF and similar Bayesian filters is guaranteed under particular probabilistic assumptions. However, in practice, and specifically in applications such as tracking, these probabilistic assumptions are not realistic; indeed, the system noise is typically bounded and in fact might be adversarial. For such cases, robust estimation approaches, such as $${\mathcal {H}}_\infty $$ filtering and set-value estimation, were introduced with the aim of providing filters with guaranteed worst case performance. In this paper we present an innovative approximated set-value estimator (SVE) which is obtained through a semi-definite programming problem. We demonstrate that our problem is practically tractable even for long time horizons. The framework is extended to include the case of partially statistical noise, thus combining the KF and SVE frameworks. A variation of this filter which applies a rolling window approach is developed, achieving fixed computational cost per-iteration and coinciding with the classical SVE when window size is one. Finally, we present numerical results that show the advantages of this filter when dealing with adversarial noise and compare the performance of the various robust filters with the KF. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Let G be a topological group. For a function f : G → ℝ and h ∈ G, the right difference function Δ f is defined by Δ f( g) = f( gh) − f( g) ( g ∈ G). A function H: G → ℝ is said to be additive if it satisfies the Cauchy functional equation H( g + h) = H( g) + H( h) for every g, h ∈ G. A class F of real-valued functions defined on G is said to have the difference property if, for every function f : G → ℝ satisfying Δ f ∈ F for every h ∈ G, there is an additive function H such that f − H ∈ F. The Erdős conjecture claiming that the class of continuous functions on ℝ has the difference property was proved by de Bruijn; later on, Carroll and Koehl proved a similar result for the compact Abelian groups and, under an additional assumption, for the compact metric groups, namely, under the assumption that all functions of the form ∇ f( g) = f( hg) −f( g), g ∈ G, are Haar measurable for every h ∈ G. One of the consequences of this assumption is the boundedness of the function {g, h} ⟼ f( gh) − f( g) − f( h) + f( e), g, h ∈ G, for every function f on a compact group G for which the difference functions Δ f are continuous for every h ∈ G and the functions ∇ f are Haar measurable for every h ∈ G ( e stands for the identity element of the group G). In the present paper, we consider the difference property under the very strong assumption that the function {g, h} ⟼ f( gh) − f( g) − f( h) + f( e), g, h ∈ G, is bounded. This assumption enables us to obtain results concerning difference properties not only for functions on groups but also for functions on homogeneous spaces. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Motivated by a recent framework for proving global convergence to critical points of nested alternating minimization algorithms, which was proposed for the case of smooth subproblems, we first show here that non-smooth subproblems can also be handled within this framework. Specifically, we present a novel analysis of an optimization scheme that utilizes the FISTA method as a nested algorithm. We establish the global convergence of this nested scheme to critical points of non-convex and non-smooth optimization problems. In addition, we propose a hybrid framework that allows to implement FISTA when applicable, while still maintaining the global convergence result. The power of nested algorithms using FISTA in the non-convex and non-smooth setting is illustrated with some numerical experiments that show their superiority over existing methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rotary furnaces are used as reactors to intensify chemical processes between the powder and gas atmosphere around it. The furnace rotation leads to relative motion and dilation of the powder layers, facilitating gas access. The paper is devoted to the modeling of nickel oxide powder behavior in a rotary furnace to estimate the contribution of furnace rotation speed to gas permeability when the nickel oxide granules are reduced in a hydrogen atmosphere. Discrete element modeling of powder granules in a rotary furnace was conducted employing Altair EDEM commercial software to estimate the powder gas permeability at different stages. The powder bed in a horizontal cylindrical rotary furnace was modeled as a packing of identical spherical granules with diameters equal to those of the nickel oxide granules. The furnace rotation led to periodic oscillations of the powder along the furnace wall with an amplitude that gradually diminished to some steady value. Gas permeability of the powder bed was evaluated through the porosity function, derived from the Carman permeability equations. Greater gas permeability resulting from significant powder dilation was observed only in active shear zones on the powder bed surface and in the contact area between the powder and the furnace wall. Sizes of the shear zones depended on the furnace rotation speed but never exceeded several granule diameters for all rotation speeds. The efficiency of a rotary furnace as a chemical reactor was shown to be determined not only by the powder dilation but also by the regeneration rate for the powder bed surface. The regeneration rate can be calculated and changes nonlinearly with the furnace rotation speed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nicosia is a city best known as the last divided capital in the world. Indeed, since 1974, it has been partitioned by an UN-controlled buffer zone that separates the Republic of Cyprus (RoC) and the self-proclaimed Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC). Yet, despite this harsh division imposed by the ongoing conflict, local agents of cooperation and bridge building have challenged this partition since its onset by fostering material, functional, and sociopolitical connections on both sides of the divide. This profile presents a contemporary review of the city's current affairs through the prism of everyday urban geopolitics and depoliticization. It emphasizes the geopolitical and urban transitions since 1974 and the ongoing efforts to reconnect its fractured urban realm in five main areas: sewage system, urban planning, crossing points, energy, and civil society. • This city profile examines transitions in Nicosia through the lens of everyday urban geopolitics and depoliticization. • Since 1974 it has been partitioned between the Republic of Cyprus and the breakaway Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus. • Despite division, advocates of bicommunal cooperation are fostering urban reconnection by depoliticizing everyday urban activities. • We present five fields of depoliticized intercommunal collaboration: Sewage, Urban Planning, Crossings, Energy and NGOs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]