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Energy dynamics of subtropical streams are diverse and depend essentially on the input of allochthonous organic matter, intermediated by decomposers. In these ecosystems, decomposition is carried out mainly by aquatic fungi. Recent studies about this community have focused on phenomena such as surrounding land use of streams and their environmental heterogeneity. In this context, we studied a biodiversity hotspot, the Brazilian Atlantic Forest, and sampled streams which were classified according to land uses: urban, rural and protected areas (PA). Mixes of leaves were collected and packaged for identification of fungi decomposing them. The beta diversity was estimated based on the species of aquatic hyphomycetes found in the land use categories and related to the limnological parameters of the different streams. Urban and rural streams (40 and 45 species, respectively) showed greater dissimilarity of species in relation to PA streams (29 species), although there are no differences between fungal communities of urban and rural streams. Since some of the PA streams indicated conditions similar to those largely impacted by human activity, this may cause the loss of fungal species and has repercussions on the reduction of ecosystem services. This study contributed to the knowledge base in fungal communities and their relationship with limnological parameters, providing information on species involved in energy flow in subtropical food chains. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The exceptional synergy of ceramic and metallic properties within MAX phases positions them as highly promising for a wide array of applications. However, their stability has been threatened by the phenomenon of A-site metal whisker growth. Herein, we have significantly mitigated tin whisker growth in Ti 2 SnC by incorporating vanadium solutes at its M-site. With an increase in vanadium concentration, there is a marked reduction in the degree of decomposition of the M-site solid solution when subjected to the same level of externally destructive treatments, thereby inhibiting whisker proliferation. Both experimental outcomes and theoretical calculations reveal that the vanadium solid solution augments the hardness, Pugh's ratio, and Poisson's ratio of Ti 2 SnC, enhancing its mechanical strength and toughness. The incorporation of V atoms introduces stronger V–C and V–Sn bonds, as evidenced by its electronic density of states and bulk modulus, thus significantly bolstering the resistance of MAX phases against decomposition and effectively curtailing whisker growth. Additionally, the phenomenon reported in this paper also conforms to the electrostatic theory of whisker growth. This work for the first time achieves the suppression of A-site whisker growth through an M-site solid solution, thereby extending their potential for applications where durability and reliability are paramount. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Rice straw-derived dissolved organic matter (DOM) included four main components. • The presence of goethite significantly promotes the straw decomposition process. • OM's adsorption capacity for Cd increased with the straw decomposition time. • The presence of minerals promoted the OM's adsorption capacity and affinity of Cd. • Surface precipitation and complexation dominant Cd adsorption by OM. Organic matter (OM) derived from the decomposition of crop residues plays a key role as a sorbent for cadmium (Cd) immobilization. Few studies have explored the straw decomposition processes with the presence of minerals, and the effect of newly generated organo-mineral complexes on heavy metal adsorption. In this study, we investigated the variations in structure and composition during the rice straw decomposition with or without minerals (goethite and kaolinite), as well as the adsorption behavior and mechanisms by which straw decomposition affects Cd immobilization. The degree of humification of extracted straw organic matter was assessed using excitation-emission matrix (EEM) fluorescence and Ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy (UV-vis), while employing FTIR spectroscopy and XPS to characterize the adsorption mechanisms. The spectra analysis revealed the enrichment of highly aromatic and hydrophobic components, indicating that the degree of straw decomposition and humification were further intensified during incubation. Additionally, the existence of goethite (SG) accelerated the humification of OM. Sorption experiments revealed that the straw humification increased Cd adsorption capacity. Notably, SG exhibited significantly higher adsorption performance compared to the organic matter without minerals (RS) and the existence of kaolinite (SK). Further analysis using FT-IR spectroscopy and XPS verified that the primary mechanisms involved in Cd immobilization were complexion with —OH and —COOH, as well as the formation of Cd-π binds with aromatic C=C on the surface of solid OMs. These findings will facilitate understanding the interactions of the rice straw decomposing with soil minerals and its remediation effect on Cd-contaminated farmland. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An automorphism u of a vector space is called unipotent of index 2 whenever (u − id) 2 = 0. Let b be a non-degenerate symmetric or skewsymmetric bilinear form on a vector space V over a field F of characteristic different from 2. Here, we characterize the elements of the isometry group of b that are the product of two unipotent isometries of index 2. In particular, if b is skewsymmetric and nondegenerate we prove that an element of the symplectic group of b is the product of two unipotent isometries of index 2 if and only if it has no Jordan cell of odd size for the eigenvalue −1. As an application, we prove that every element of a symplectic group is the product of three unipotent elements of index 2 (and no fewer in general). For orthogonal groups, the classification closely matches the classification of sums of two square-zero skewselfadjoint operators that was obtained in a recent article [7]. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Histotaphonomic analysis, through thin section microscopy, SEM and micro-CT scanning, has become an increasingly popular approach for archaeologists in recent years. The method relies on assessing the character of degradation in bone microstructure, placing particular importance on the degree and nature of bacterial bioerosion. However, there remains considerable disagreement about the origins and timing of bacterial bioerosion and this has major ramifications for the interpretative potential of the approach. Turner-Walker et al. (2023) p resent a firm case for the origins of bacteria being exclusively exogenous (from the soil) with bioerosion occurring only after skeletonisation. This scenario means that information gained from analysis of histotaphonomy relates entirely to the nature of the burial environment and its suitability for collagenolytic bacteria to thrive and thus provides very little useful information about human behaviour and mortuary practice. This contrasts with the common position that the origins of bacteria can be enteric (from the gut) and can effect bioerosion during putrefaction in the early post-mortem phase, thus potentially informing on mortuary practice. In this response, we present the alternative view to Turner-Walker et al. (2023) and demonstrate strong and wide-ranging evidence for bacteria from the gut microbiome to have the potential to cause bioerosion. A review of previous studies is used to evidence the impact of mortuary practice on variable microstructural preservation. We counter some of Turner-Walker et al.'s key lines of evidence and present alternative, evidence-based explanations. Importantly, we acknowledge that the origins of bacteria are not always enteric and that current interpretations that only consider bacteria as either enteric or exogenous cannot account for the variability seen in the archaeological record. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Let s be an n -dimensional symplectic form over an arbitrary field with characteristic not 2, with n > 2. The simplicity of the group Sp (s) / { ± id } and the existence of a non-trivial involution in Sp (s) yield that every element of Sp (s) is a product of involutions. Extending and improving recent results of Awa, de La Cruz, Ellers and Villa with the help of a completely new method, we prove that if the underlying field is infinite, every element of Sp (s) is the product of four involutions if n is a multiple of 4, and of five involutions otherwise. The first part of this result is shown to be optimal for all multiples of 4 and all fields, and is shown to fail for the fields with three elements and for n = 4. Whether the second part of the result is optimal remains an open question. Finite fields will be tackled in a subsequent article. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Let V be a finite-dimensional vector space over a field F , equipped with a symmetric or alternating non-degenerate bilinear form b. When the characteristic of F is not 2, we characterize the endomorphisms u of V that split into u = a 1 + a 2 for some pair (a 1 , a 2) of b -selfadjoint (respectively, b -skew-selfadjoint) endomorphisms of V such that (a 1) 2 = (a 2) 2 = 0. In the characteristic 2 case, we obtain a similar classification for the endomorphisms of V that split into the sum of two square-zero b -alternating endomorphisms of V when b is alternating (an endomorphism v is called b -alternating whenever b (x , v (x)) = 0 for all x ∈ V). Finally, if the field F is equipped with a non-identity involution, we characterize the pairs (h , u) in which h is a Hermitian form on a finite-dimensional space over F , and u is the sum of two square-zero h -selfadjoint endomorphisms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Perturbations of consciousness arise from the interplay of brain network architecture, dynamics, and neuromodulation , providing the opportunity to interrogate the effects of these elements on behaviour and cognition. Fundamental building blocks of brain function can be identified through the lenses of space, time, and information. Each lens reveals similarities and differences across pathological and pharmacological perturbations of consciousness, in humans and across different species. Anaesthesia and brain injury can induce unconsciousness via different mechanisms, but exhibit shared neural signatures across space, time, and information. During loss of consciousness, the brain's ability to explore functional patterns beyond the dictates of anatomy may become constrained. The effects of psychedelics may involve decoupling of brain structure and function across spatial and temporal scales. Disentangling how cognitive functions emerge from the interplay of brain dynamics and network architecture is among the major challenges that neuroscientists face. Pharmacological and pathological perturbations of consciousness provide a lens to investigate these complex challenges. Here, we review how recent advances about consciousness and the brain's functional organisation have been driven by a common denominator: decomposing brain function into fundamental constituents of time, space, and information. Whereas unconsciousness increases structure–function coupling across scales, psychedelics may decouple brain function from structure. Convergent effects also emerge: anaesthetics, psychedelics, and disorders of consciousness can exhibit similar reconfigurations of the brain's unimodal–transmodal functional axis. Decomposition approaches reveal the potential to translate discoveries across species, with computational modelling providing a path towards mechanistic integration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mo 2 AlB 2 is a new and metastable phase in the MAB phase family. The lamellar Mo 2 AlB 2 compound is considered to be an optimal candidate for preparing 2D MoB nanosheets. However, studies have less focused on its thermostability as compared with other MAB phases. In this work, the thermal stability of Mo 2 AlB 2 was studied under Ar atmosphere to understand its limited applications. The results showed that Mo 2 AlB 2 slowly decomposed at above 800 °C, but completely decomposed into MoB and Al at 1100 °C for only 0.5 h. Based on the experimental results and density functional theory calculations, the decomposition mechanism of Mo 2 AlB 2 phase was analyzed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we propose a novel decomposition method using elastic-band transform (EBT), which mimics eye scanning and is utilized for multiscale analysis of signals. The proposed EBT-based method can efficiently extract the features of various signals with the following three advantages. First, it is a data-driven approach that extracts several important modes based solely on data without using predetermined basis functions. Second, it does not assume that the signal consists of (locally) sinusoidal intrinsic mode functions, which is a common assumption in existing methods. Therefore, the proposed method can handle a wide range of signals. Finally, it is robust to noise. A practical algorithm for decomposition is presented, along with some theoretical properties. Simulation examples and real data analysis results show promising empirical properties of the proposed method. • The proposed is a data-driven approach that extracts several important modes based solely on data. • The proposed method does not assume that the signal consists of (locally) sinusoidal intrinsic mode functions. • The proposed method is robust to noise. • The proposed method extends the scope of signals for decomposition significantly. • A practical algorithm for decomposition is presented along with some theoretical properties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The hydrogen-based mineral phase transformation-flotation process can realize the efficient development of iron-bearing rare earth ores. The isothermal and non-isothermal decomposition mechanisms of bastnasite in the hydrogen atmosphere were studied to optimize the hydrogen-based mineral phase transformation process. The thermal decomposition of bastnasite first produced REOF, which would react with oxygen to produce rare earth oxides and fluorides during the analysis process. The thermal decomposition was an endothermic reaction, and the generated gas were mainly CO 2 and trace CO, with a mass loss of about 20%. Increasing the temperature can greatly promote the thermal decomposition. After thermal decomposition, the particles showed a layered structure, and many parallel slits run through the particles. The porosity and specific surface area of the particles were significantly improved. The apparent activation energy of isothermal decomposition was 71.80 ± 5.40 kJ/mol, and the kinetic mechanism was random nucleation and growth model (n = 2). The apparent activation energy of non-isothermal decomposition was 201.96 kJ/mol, and the kinetic mechanism was phase-boundary controlled reaction mechanism (n ≈ 2). [Display omitted] • Bastnaesite thermally decomposes in H 2 to form REOF, which is easy to be oxidized. • The thermal decomposition reaction of bastnaesite in H 2 is endothermic. • The particles exhibit a layered structure with a high specific surface area after decomposition. • The isothermal and non-isothermal decomposition kinetic mechanisms were determined. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Direct decomposition of H 2 S not only generates H 2 but also reduces sulfur (S) emission. Proper catalysts and/or reactant materials are needed to catalyze its dissociation and accommodate the decomposed S in an economical way. Here, by using the density functional theory (DFT) based calculations, we show that Aluminum (Al) can facilitate the dehydrogenation of H 2 S and the formation of H 2. The remaining S adatoms continue to accumulate on Al surface to reach high S coverage (>0.6 monolayer, ML). Then, S atoms react with surface Al atoms to afford a layer of amorphous Al 2 S 3 (a cathode material for Al–S battery) at relatively low temperature (e.g. 773 K), which will transform into crystal phase at higher temperature (e.g. 1073 K). Our research presents a new way to produce H 2 and Al 2 S 3 from H 2 S and Al. [Display omitted] • H 2 S molecules can decompose on all three low-index Al surfaces via two dehydrogenation steps. For the first step, the rank of the energy barriers is Al(110) < Al(111) < Al(100), while for the second step, it changes to Al(100) < Al(111) < Al(110). • As The H 2 S coverage increases, the first H 2 S dehydrogenation barrier becomes slightly higher. • On the S-covered Al(111), the H 2 S dehydrogenation barrier increase with the increasing S coverage. • At high S coverage (5/8 ML), S adatoms react with the surface Al atoms to form Al 2 S 3. A layer of amorphous Al 2 S 3 will be formed at 773 K and will transform into the crystal phase at higher temperature (1073 K). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The efficient hydrogen-production through the Aluminum-water reaction has become a prominent subject of interest. The impediment encountered in the reaction can be effectively alleviated by Aluminum-based alloy. In this study, density functional theory (DFT) was utilized to explore the mechanism of water decomposition stage on the surface of aluminum and gallium alloy (AGA). Through surface reaction calculations of 12 stable AGA configurations, it was gradually revealed that the optimal alloy ratio was gallium-to-aluminum at 3.5:1. Analysis of the density of states (DOS) indicated that the presence of gallium amplified the activity of surface aluminum. Moreover, frontier orbital theory and charge density maps confirmed that, due to the weak interaction between Ga and ions, the presence of H 2 inhibited Ga passivation, thereby enhancing the reactivity of AGA. This paper provided valuable insights into the surface reaction mechanisms of AGA using DFT, offering theoretical support for hydrogen production processes. • Density functional theory investigated the early stages of AGA-water reaction. • Modeling AGA (Ga proportions 73.8%–81.2%) yields 12 stable configurations. • Ga:Al = 3.5:1 exhibits highest energies for O 2 , H 2 O, and co-adsorption. • Ga enhances AGA's catalytic activity, shown in DOS graphs comparisons. • AGA plays dual roles in surface hydrogen dynamics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Significant reduction (18.44%) in overall Spanish GHG emissions from 2008 to 2018, highlighting some differences depending on the considered phase of the crisis. • The total intensity effect has been noticeable negative, especially in Agriculture, Transport, and Other Services. • The total carbonization effect has contributed to increase GHG emissions by 5.86%, being particularly negative in the case of Industry. • Per capita production effect was strongly negative in Industry and slightly positive in the rest of the economic sectors. • R&D, more eco-friendly technologies, green energies, circular economy and consumer green attitudes: the best strategies to reduce GHG emissions. The reduction of GHG emissions to reverse the greenhouse effect is one of the main challenges in this century. In this paper we pursue two objectives. First, we analyze the evolution of GHG emissions in Spain in 2008–2018, at both the global and sectoral levels, with the variation in emissions decomposed into a set of determining factors. Second, we propose several actions specifically oriented to more tightly controlling the level of emissions. Our results showed a remarkable reduction (18.44%) in GHG emissions, mainly due to the intensity effect, but also to the production-per-capita effect. We detected somewhat different patterns among the various sectors analyzed. While the intensity effect was the most influential one in the agricultural, transport, and others sectors, the production-per-capita effect was predominant in the case of industry. The carbonization effect was revealed as crucial in the commerce sector. The above findings highlight the importance of the energy efficiency measures taken in recent years in the Spanish economy, also pointing to the need to deepen those strategies and to propose new measures that entail greater efficiency in emissions. Additional efforts in areas like innovation, R&D, diffusion of more eco-friendly technologies, and a greater use of greener energies all prove to be essential reduction actions to fight the greenhouse effect. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A 2-tone coloring of a graph assigns two distinct colors to each vertex with the restriction that adjacent vertices have no common colors, and vertices at distance two have at most one common color. The 2-tone chromatic number of a graph is the minimum number of colors in any 2-tone coloring. A cactus graph has every block a cycle or edge. We determine the 2-tone chromatic number of all cactus graphs with maximum degree Δ ≠ 6. When Δ = 6 , we determine the 2-tone chromatic number of all cactus graphs that are triangle-free and those with circumference at most 8. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Kindergarteners with disabilities versus those without are more chronically absent. • Chronic absence disparities are driven by socioecological factors. • Approaches to learning and internalizing behaviors drives much of the disparity. • Addressing systemic inequities that underlie internalizing behaviors could help reduce the gap. The disparity in absenteeism between kindergarteners with and without disabilities is a persistent phenomenon across schools in the United States and reflects ongoing systemic inequities that disadvantage young children with disabilities. Yet, evidence of factors underlying this disparity remains less well understood, limiting the ability for schools to transform how they support students with disabilities in ways that could help narrow the disparity. In our study, we investigate how a set of factors, grounded in a socioecological framework of absenteeism, correlates with chronic absenteeism in kindergarteners with and without disabilities. Importantly, we examine the extent to which distributional differences in these factors between children with and without disabilities explain the attendance disparity. Our study draws upon a nationally representative sample of N = 13,860 kindergarteners (52 % male, 48 % female, M age = 5.5 years, n = 1240 with disabilities) from the Early Childhood Longitudinal Survey Kindergarten Class of 2010–11. We analyze our data using multiple logistic regression to identify significant factors that correlate with chronic absenteeism and leverage the Kitagawa-Blinder-Oaxaca decomposition method to describe how distributional differences in those factors contribute to absenteeism disparities. Results show that internalizing behaviors in students with disabilities and their parents' health are significantly associated with chronic absenteeism as well as help explain the disparity (12 % and 3 % of the disparity, respectively). Importantly, since differences in internalizing behaviors can be generated, in part, by school practices and policies that treat early elementary students with disabilities inequitably, our work suggests that reducing gaps in early absenteeism may require schools to reduce exposure to experiences that can lead to internalizing problem behaviors in young children with disabilities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Let (b , u) be a pair consisting of a symplectic form b on a finite-dimensional vector space V over a field F , and of a b -alternating endomorphism u of V (i.e. b (x , u (x)) = 0 for all x in V). Let p and q be arbitrary polynomials of degree 2 with coefficients in F. We characterize, in terms of the invariant factors of u , the condition that u splits into u 1 + u 2 for some pair (u 1 , u 2) of b -alternating endomorphisms such that p (u 1) = q (u 2) = 0. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

India is the third-largest tobacco manufacturer and its use in India is characterised by a high prevalence of smoking and smokeless (sl) tobacco use. This results in 1 million deaths per year in the country. Given the high burden of tobacco use, this study examines the regional variations and socio-economic correlates of tobacco use in India. National Family Health Survey- 5 (2019–2020) have been analysed for the purpose of the study. A sample of 101,839 males aged 15–54 years was included in this study. Primary outcomes of tobacco use were categorised into smoking, smokeless and dual use of smoking and smokeless tobacco use. Bivariate analysis and decomposition analysis was done to study the socio-economic inequality. The prevalence of tobacco use among males in India is around 41 percent. As indicated by the results of the logistics regression, age is positively related to smoking among males. Males aged 45–54 years are 2.5 (95 % concentration index [CI]:2.30–2.63) times probable to smoke, 1.4 (95% CI: 1.30–1.47) times probable of smokeless tobacco consumption and 2.2 (95% CI: 2.10–2.35) times more prone to using both types of substances compared to the younger age group. Males who are widower use smokeless 1.69 times (95% CI: 1.44–1.99) higher with reference to unmarried males. Males belonging to Scheduled tribes are 1.2 (95% CI: 1.13–1.25) times more likely to smoke, 1.3 (95% CI: 1.24–1.37) times more likely to use smokeless substances and 1.4 (95% CI: 1.33–1.47) times more likely to have dual use of tobacco than other social groups. Manual workers (both skilled are unskilled) are likely to smoke (odds ratio [OR] = 1.1, 95% CI: 1.02–1.11), use smokeless tobacco (OR = 1.3, 95% CI: 1.23–1.34) and have dual use of tobacco (OR = 1.29, 95% CI: 1.24–1.34) more than that of other categories. The decomposition of the concentration index shows a significant contribution from factors like a no education, ST/SC caste and wealth index. Among the states and union territories, the prevalence of tobacco is high in West Bengal, Tripura, Mizoram, Manipur, Meghalaya and Sikkim. This study is useful for informing target-based prevention policies since it helps in highlighting regions, socio-economic and demographic groups especially vulnerable to tobacco addiction. In India, males from poorer and vulnerable socio-economic backgrounds are more likely to use tobacco. State wise, the eastern zone starting from West Bengal to the North-Eastern states have higher tobacco use than the rest of the country. There is an urgent need to frame policies for controlling the use of tobacco especially among high-risk groups. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Due to global warming, countries have turned to renewable and clean energy sources. Among these sources, they have started to prefer hydrogen energy and green hydrogen production as the cleanest type of energy in producing hydrogen energy. In this study, an innovative adaptive hybrid forecasting model based on deep learning was proposed to be used in green hydrogen production forecasting. The energy required for the electrolysis method used in hydrogen production was planned to be provided by wind energy. A new perspective was introduced in determining hydrogen production with the proposed model. In particular, the wind regime in 9 provinces selected for the case study was determined and the most suitable wind turbine power for the system was calculated according to this regime by applying the decomposition method to wind speeds, the most important input of wind energy. Depending on the determined turbine powers, the amount of hydrogen that can be produced was estimated. In the prediction process, 70 % of the data was used as training data (24528), 5 % as validation data (1752) and 25 % as test data (8760). The highest accuracy rate obtained in hydrogen energy forecasting among the selected provinces is 92.045 %. The lowest error and the highest regression rates (The root mean square error (RMSE): 0.600, Mean absolute percentage error (MAPE): 0.100 and the coefficient of determination (R2): 0.990) in wind speed prediction were realized in İzmir province. The highest wind turbine power was calculated as 225 kW. • A new adaptive forecasting method was presented for hydrogen production. • The advantages of decomposition and merging technologies were used together. • Analysis of green hydrogen production and regulations is very important. • More accurate and consistent results were obtained with the proposed method. • A new perspective in determining hydrogen production was introduced. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

· Develop an integrated model of product selection and process optimization. · The model is applied to two-stage and three-stage cascade refrigeration systems. · A decomposition-based algorithm is proposed to improve the optimization. · Case study demonstrates the functionality of the model and the algorithm. Designing new refrigerants is a highly advanced field, where it is essential to create efficient refrigerants to meet the growing demand. However, the current approach of relying on experts' experience or existing refrigerant databases may not result in the best refrigerant. In this paper, a refrigerant selection method is proposed that combines the selection of refrigerants with the optimization of the refrigeration process, thus allowing for the selection of the best refrigerant based on the requirements of the refrigeration process for single and cascade system. The paper proposes the combination of properties databases of different refrigerants in the refrigeration process model, enabling both operating conditions and refrigerants to be decision variables. The coefficient of refrigeration performance (COP) serves as the objective function, with 285 compounds as candidate refrigerants. By optimizing this model, both the optimal refrigerant and operating conditions can be obtained simultaneously. However, due to the high complexity of the model, the authors propose an algorithm based on decomposition to efficiently solve the mixed integer nonlinear program, as it provides the best performance. Results demonstrate that the proposed algorithm can achieve the optimization efficiently. Besides, the more complex the problem, the more time it can save. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• It evaluates employment and economic growth in the Indian labour market. • It decomposes the GDP Per Capita growth into employment, output per worker, and population change. • Different exist between labour force entering and employed in the job market. • The major contributor to value-added is output per worker & inter-sectoral shifts. • Better quality of jobs across sectors with overall economic development. This study analyses the changing contours of employment and economic growth in the Indian labour market over four decades (1983–2019-20) using the NSSO-EUS & PLFS datasets. Here, the Shapley Decomposition methodology (as developed by World Bank) has been used to decompose the per capita income growth into changes in employment, changes in output per worker, and the population change components at the aggregate level and by sectors for the Indian labour market. The study unfolds a pattern of inter-sectoral variations in growth in income and employment since pre and post-reform periods. The estimate shows that the major contributor to the value-added is output per worker and inter-sectoral shifts. Further, despite the output growth in the industrial and service sector, it didn't reflect in absorbing the labour force entering the job market. The aggregate employment and income growth pattern entails proper policy intervention in the Indian labour market. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Consider a Lévy process Y (t) over an exponentially distributed time T β with mean 1 / β. We study the joint distribution of the running maximum Y ̄ (T β) and the time epoch G (T β) at which this maximum last occurs. Our main result is a fluctuation-theoretic distributional equality: the vector ( Y ̄ (T β) , G (T β)) can be written as a sum of two independent vectors, the first one being ( Y ̄ (T β + ω) , G (T β + ω)) and the second one being the running maximum and corresponding time epoch under the restriction that the Lévy process is only observed at Poisson(ω) inspection epochs (until T β). We first provide an analytic proof for this remarkable decomposition, and then a more elementary proof that gives insight into the occurrence of the decomposition and into the fact that ω only appears in the right hand side of the decomposition. The proof technique underlying the more elementary derivation also leads to further generalizations of the decomposition, and to some fundamental insights into a generalization of the well known Lindley recursion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Clustering and regression are two of the most important problems in data analysis and machine learning. Recently, mixed-integer linear programs (MILPs) have been presented in the literature to solve these problems. By modelling the problems as MILPs, they are able to be solved very quickly by commercial solvers. In particular, MILPs for bivariate clusterwise linear regression (CLR) and (continuous) piecewise linear regression (PWLR) have recently appeared. These MILP models make use of binary variables and logical implications modelled through big- M constraints. In this paper, we present these models in the context of a unifying MILP framework for bivariate clustering and regression problems. We then present two new formulations within this framework, the first for ordered CLR, and the second for clusterwise piecewise linear regression (CPWLR). The CPWLR problem concerns simultaneously clustering discrete data, while modelling each cluster with a continuous PWL function. Extending upon the framework, we discuss how outlier detection can be implemented within the models, and how specific decomposition methods can be used to find speedups in the runtime. Experimental results show when each model is the most effective. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Jamesonite is known as an important complex mineral for smelting antimony. At present, the method used to separate antimony and lead by pyrometallurgy is disadvantaged by high pollution and high energy consumption. For this reason, a simple and eco-friendly method of separating antimony and lead in jamesonite from mineral source by vacuum distillation was proposed in this paper. The decomposition temperature and products of jamesonite under argon atmosphere and atmospheric pressure were determined by TG-DSC technology and variable temperature in-situ XRD detection method for the first time. The phase evolution of minerals under vacuum conditions is determined by vacuum heating method. The initial decomposition temperature of jamesonite under argon and atmospheric pressure is 583 °C, and it is basically completely decomposed above 610 °C. The intermediate products include FeSb 2 S 4 , Pb 2 Sb 2 S 5 , Pb 9 Sb 22 S 42 , Pb 5 Sb 4 S 11 , Fe 11 S 12 , Pb 4 Sb 6 S 13 , Pb 12 Sb 10 S 27 etc. Under vacuum conditions, the mineral begins to decompose at 300 °C, and the temperature at the end of decomposition is about 500 °C. One-step separation of lead and antimony sulfide can be achieved by vacuum decomposition and multi-layer condensation. The lead content on the lead enrichment condensing plate is 82.78 wt%, and the antimony sulfide content of 68.18 wt% can be obtained on the antimony enrichment condensing plate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper investigates three substitution box (S-box) designs for lightweight ciphers. The proposed designs involve functional decomposition, which is preferable as compared to the look-up tables or logic gates-based S-box designs due to their advantages, as outlined in this paper. The aim is to reduce the number of literals at the input of the S-box to achieve resource reduction in the overall circuit design of the encryption algorithms. The proposed S-box architectures provide optimized resource mapping for specific target hardware, and high throughput along with lesser energy consumption compared to state-of-the-art designs. The proposed S-box designs are applied to the substitution layers of symmetric lightweight block ciphers with a standard security level. In order to be fair in comparison, the overall cipher designs are targeted for similar FPGA-based implementation as used in existing works, while the architectures of the individual 4-bit S-boxes are evaluated using SAED90 nm standard cell libraries. The performance of the proposed S-box designs is observed to be superior at RFID and ISM frequency ranges which can be deployed in applications constrained to low resources as well as demanding high performance and medium security. • Three S-box architectures are proposed using functional decomposition techniques. • The proposed designs are applied to the substitution layer of each cipher i.e., GIFT, Midori, PRESENT and RECTANGLE. • The throughput and energy of the architectures are evaluated for RFID and ISM band frequencies to manifest the utility of lightweight ciphers in IoT applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lightweight magnesia aggregates were fabricated using high-purity MgO agglomerates with the addition of Mg(OH) 2 as a pore former. The pore evolution and its relationship to the resulting properties were investigated. Mg(OH) 2 decomposition increased the number of inter-agglomerate pores, which subsequently affected the porosity and pore structure. When Mg(OH) 2 was 0–20 wt%, the inter-agglomerate pores were converted to both open and closed small pores, which effectively reduced the thermal conductivity and improved the thermal shock resistance (TSR) by accommodating thermal stress and inducing crack deflection. Small pores also favored the formation of a dense (Mg, Fe)O corrosion layer, preventing further slag penetration. However, large open pores occurred with further increasing Mg(OH) 2 content, which dramatically deteriorated the TSR and slag resistance. The specimen with 20 wt% Mg(OH) 2 exhibited the best overall performance, with a thermal conductivity of 16.6 W/(m·K) at 500 °C, and a residual flexural strength ratio of 32.3%; its slag resistance was comparable with that of dense magnesia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Whilst it may be unpleasant, the autopsy examination of decomposing bodies is a rewarding task that will usually reveal the cause of death when performed with care. After death, the body undergoes a series of putrefactive decompositional changes in a predictable order, unless conditions favouring desiccation/mummification or adipocere formation intervene. All three decompositional changes may be present in the same body. Determining the postmortem interval in such bodies is fraught with difficulty. A systemic approach to the adult autopsy, coupled with an awareness of the limitations imposed by putrefaction on postmortem computed tomography, external examination, dissection findings and ancillary investigations is essential, and is presented in this article. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

CaCu 3 Ti 4 O 12 (CCTO) materials are greatly desired in the miniaturized multilayer devices due to the giant permittivity. However, Ni electrode presently cannot be employed as internal electrode for CCTO-based multilayer devices, which is much cheaper than Ag/Pd electrode. This is because Ni electrode should be sintered in protecting atmosphere, which easily led to decomposition of CCTO materials. The decomposition reaction was mainly attributed to the serious Cu-loss during reduction sintering. The Cu-loss can be effectively weakened, when the ceramics were sintered in a close alumina crucible at a relatively low temperature induced by liquid phase. The decomposition reaction was found to be suppressed and dense ceramics were successfully prepared by reduction sintering. Giant permittivity was observed in the reduced CCTO-BN (4.2 × 104), but dielectric loss (8.88) and nonlinear characteristic deteriorated. This is because the grain boundary could not be oxidized during reduction sintering. The reduced CCTO-BN was then reoxidized in air to promote the oxidation of grain boundary. The dielectric loss was decreased more than 102 times to 0.07 and the nonlinear characteristic was reestablished for the reoxidized CCTO-BN. Meanwhile, the relative permittivity still remained a giant value of 1.2 × 104. The findings shed a new light on developing CCTO-based devices with Ni electrode, which helps to significantly reduce the production cost. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A (d , h) -decomposition of a graph G is an ordered pair (D , H) such that H is a subgraph of G of maximum degree at most h and D is an acyclic orientation of G − E (H) with maximum out-degree at most d. In this paper, we prove that for l ∈ { 5 , 6 , 7 , 8 , 9 } , every planar graph without 4- and l -cycles is (2 , 1) -decomposable. As a consequence, for every planar graph G without 4- and l -cycles, there exists a matching M , such that G − M is 3-DP-colorable and has Alon-Tarsi number at most 3. In particular, G is 1-defective 3-DP-colorable, 1-defective 3-paintable and 1-defective 3-choosable. These strengthen the results in [Discrete Appl. Math. 157 (2) (2009) 433–436] and [Discrete Math. 343 (2020) 111797]. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As a good candidate for high-temperature uses in aerospace vehicles, the thermal behaviors of Cr 2 TiAlC 2 in three different circumstances were studied. It exhibited good thermal-structural stability up to 1450 °C in flowing argon atmosphere, while heat treated to 1300 °C in Ar + CO/CO 2 atmosphere, it decomposed to Cr 2 AlC resulting from the Ti consumption. The thermal stability in vacuum was also studied by in-situ X-ray diffraction methods, which showed a new decomposition mechanism based on the multi-scale bonding characteristics in its crystal structure. To deep understand the relationship between the crystal structure, chemical composition, and high-temperature behaviors, the hierarchical bonding characteristics were revealed. The out-plane ordering of M atoms together with their apparent negativity differences may result in the large M − C bonding strength, i.e., increased Cr–C strength and decreased Ti–C strength. The present work based on Cr 2 TiAlC 2 helps better understand the composition-structure-property relationship of M n+1 AX n compounds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Decomposition of the polycation Al 13 O 4 (OH) 24 (H 2 O) 12 7+ (Al 13) promoted by ligand is a vital subject to advance our understanding of natural and artificial occurrence and evolution of aluminum ions, especially in the case of acidic condition that dissolved Al3+ species can be released from the Al-bearing substances. However, the microscopic pathway of synchronous proton-promoted and ligand-promoted decomposition process for Al 13 is still in the status of ambiguity. Herein, we applied differential mass spectrometry method and DFT calculation to study the initial detailed process of Al 13 decomposition under the presence of proton and salicylic acid (H 2 Sal). Mass results showed that the mononuclear Al3+-H 2 Sal complexes dominated the resulting Al species, whereas the monodentate complex Al 13 HSal6+ was not observed in the spectra. The difference of decomposition levels between the ligand/Al ratio 0.2 and 0.5 cases revealed that proton and ligand performed synergistic effect in initial Al 13 decomposition process, and the proton transfer determined the ring closure efficiency. The ring closure reaction is the prerequisite for the collapse of Al 13 structure and detachment of the mononuclear complex. DFT calculations reveal that hydrogen bond plays an important role in inducing the formation of chelated complex accompanying proton transfer. Attachment of protons at the bridging OH− can elongate and weaken the critical bond between targeted Al3+ and µ 4 -O2- resulting from delocalization of electron pairs in the oxygen atom. These results demonstrate the detailed mechanism of Al 13 composition promoted by ligand and proton, and provide significant understanding for further application and control of Al 13. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Let p and q be polynomials with degree 2 over an arbitrary field F , such that p (0) q (0) ≠ 0. A square matrix with entries in F is called a (p , q) -product when it can be split into AB for some pair (A , B) of square matrices such that p (A) = 0 and q (B) = 0. A (p , q) -product is called regular when none of its eigenvalues is the product of a root of p and of a root of q. A (p , q) -product is called exceptional when all its eigenvalues are products of a root of p and of a root of q. In a previous work [6] , we have shown that the study of (p , q) -products can be entirely reduced to the one of regular (p , q) -products and to the one of exceptional (p , q) -products. Moreover, regular (p , q) -products have been characterized in [6] thanks to structural theorems on quaternion algebras, giving the problem a completely unified treatment. The present article completes the study of (p , q) -products by obtaining a complete characterization of exceptional (p , q) -products. Beforehand, only very special cases in this problem had been solved, most notably the ones of products of two involutions, products of two unipotent elements of index 2, and products of a unipotent element of index 2 with an involution. The study involves tools and strategy that are similar to the ones used for the exceptional (p , q) -sums undertaken in a recent article [7]. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]