201,063 research outputs found
Modelling the effects of meteorological and geographical drivers on damage from late radiation frost on apple trees in Northeast Iran
No full textLate frosts occurring in spring create significant bud damage and decrease yield of fruit trees, especially apples, in Northeast Iran. Assessment and risk modelling of late radiation frost damage would be useful to manage and decrease the damage. In order to model frost damage risk, 12 driving quantities were selected, including meteorological (minimum temperature, temperature decrease rate, temperature increase rate, Julian date of frost, cumulative degree days, area below zero line, and frost duration) and geographical variables (elevation, Longitude, Latitude, aspect, and slope). 3 damaging radiative frosts were selected in the period of apple flowering time, including 20 April 2003, 8 April 2005, and 28 March 2005 cases. Required meteorological data were collected from 9 meteorological standard stations in the apple cultivation area of Northeast Iran. Linear multiple regression was used to model the relationships. The map of each parameter was plotted by using interpolation methods including IDW (Inv. Distance Weighting), Spline, and Kriging. A 5 by 5 km grid map was defined in order to extract input data for the model. The regression equation is significant at the level of 5%. By using this equation, the predicted frost risk damage was calculated for each grid point. The regression equation of observed and predicted frost damage risk had a correlation of 0.93
Characterization of the passive layer on ferrite and austenite phases of super duplex stainless steel
No full textIn this study, we report on a combined microscopic, analytical and electrochemical characterization of the nanoscopic passive layer on a tungsten‑molybdenum-containing super duplex stainless steel. We used scanning transmission electron microscopy/energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, scanning Kelvin probe force microscopy, scanning tunneling spectroscopy, and Mott–Schottky electrochemical impedance spectroscopy analysis to correlate the local chemical composition and electronic properties of passive layers on austenite and ferrite phases. The passive layer on the ferrite phase contains a higher amount of Mo, W, and Cr, which accommodates a higher nobility of ferrite and a higher local energy of the band gap compared to those on the austenite. The two aforementioned phases exhibit a different composition and semi-conductive properties of their passive layers leading to dissimilar local corrosion susceptibility. These findings are of pivotal importance in further studies of austenite and ferrite phase resolved corrosion resistance of duplex stainless steel demanding a dedicated alloying strategy.Green Open Access added to TU Delft Institutional Repository 'You share, we take care!' - Taverne project https://www.openaccess.nl/en/you-share-we-take-care Otherwise as indicated in the copyright section: the publisher is the copyright holder of this work and the author uses the Dutch legislation to make this work public.(OLD) MSE-6QN/Zandbergen La
Formation and Rearrangement of Reduced Diiminepyridine Complexes of Zr and Hf
No full textReduction of seven-coordinate [(EtDIP)MCl4] {EtDIP = 2,6-(2,6-Et2–C6H3N=CMe)2C5H3N; M = Zr or Hf} produces formally divalent complexes [(EtDIP)MCl2] containing in reality a doubly reduced DIP ligand. The Hf complex is five-coordinate, but the Zr analog crystallizes as a chloride-bridged dimer with an unusual coordination geometry; the monomer-dimer equi- librium is fast at room temperature. Reaction of [(EtDIP)HfCl2] with MeMgBr or LiCH2SiMe3 produced the corresponding dialkyls [(EtDIP)HfR2]. An unexpected ligand isomerization to an amido/enamido form was observed for [(EtDIP)ZrCl2], [(EtDIP)- HfMe2] and [(EtDIP)TiMe2], and a mechanism is proposed based on DFT calculations
Scartz on U.S v. Rahimi: Domestic violence victims deserve to be protected
No full textClinical Associate Professor & Jane W. Wilson Family Justice Clinic Director Christine M. Scartz offers insight on the upcoming U.S. Supreme Court case U.S. v. Rahimi: “The prohibition on firearms possession by those subject to civil protective orders filled an important gap for victims of domestic violence. Persons convicted of felonies and misdemeanor crimes of domestic violence are prohibited from the possession of firearms; however, for many victims, civil protective orders are the only court recognition of the dangerousness of their abusers. Victims deserve to be protected regardless of whether the criminal justice system is involved in and responsive to the violence in their lives.”
Scartz added: “As the U.S. Supreme Court is changing the processes by which our nation determines constitutionality, history is gaining an outsized influence over who we can protect with our laws even as society continues to change and evolve. The government must have the ability to protect people from newly-recognized threats and cannot limit itself only to regulations that could have been in place when violence against women, Black people, indigenous peoples and others was not against the law.”
University of Georgia School of Law Clinical Associate Professor Christine M. Scartz, who also directs the Jane W. Wilson Family Justice Clinic, is available for further commentary at [email protected].
Additional information regarding U.S. v. Rahimi provided by Scartz.Note: The U.S. Supreme Court is scheduled to hear oral arguments in this case on 11/7/23.
Please describe the case.In 2020, a domestic violence protective order was issued against Zackey Rahimi by a Texas state court to protect his former girlfriend after Rahimi physically assaulted her in public and threatened to shoot her if she reported the incident. He subsequently threatened a second woman with a gun and was charged with assault with a deadly weapon. Between December 2020 and January 2021, Rahimi was involved in five shootings in and around Arlington, Texas. On December 1, after selling narcotics to an individual, he fired multiple shots into that individual’s residence. The following day, Rahimi was involved in a car accident. He exited his vehicle, shot at the other driver and fled the scene. He returned to the scene in a different vehicle and shot at the other driver’s car. On December 22, Rahimi shot at a constable’s vehicle. On January 7, Rahimi fired multiple shots in the air after his friend’s credit card was declined at a Whataburger restaurant. Officers in the Arlington Police Department identified Rahimi as a suspect in the shootings and obtained a warrant to search his home. Rahimi admitted to possessing a rifle and a pistol after the same were found at his home. Rahimi was convicted in federal district court of unlawful firearm possession while subject to a domestic violence protective order under 18 USC 922(g). The U.S. District Court upheld the constitutionality of the statute and it was affirmed by a U.S. Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit panel. While Rahimi’s petition for rehearing was pending, N.Y. Rifle & Pistol Association, Inc. v. Bruen was decided by the U.S. Supreme Court and, using its holding, the 5th Circuit vacated Rahimi’s conviction.
What are the primary issues in U.S. v. Rahimi?There is only one question in this case: whether a federal law that prohibits the possession of firearms by persons subject to domestic violence restraining orders (18 U.S.C. 922(g)(8)) violates the Second Amendment on its face.
How have the decisions of U.S. v. McGinnis and New York State Rifle & Pistol Association, Inc. v. Bruen impacted U.S. v. Rahimi?After the McGinnis decision upheld the constitutionality of the firearms proscription for those subject to civil protective orders, the Bruen case opened the door for demonstrably violent persons to once again challenge the proscriptions on their possession of their chosen tools of violence. As the U.S. Supreme Court is changing the processes by which our nation determines constitutionality, history is gaining an outsized influence over who we can protect with our laws even as society continues to change and evolve.
What key arguments do you expect to be made from each side?
For the U.S.: Prohibiting domestic abusers from possessing firearms continues our nation’s historical tradition of disarming persons deemed to pose a danger to others. Second Amendment rights are properly limited to law-abiding, responsible citizens. The government must have the ability to protect people from newly-recognized threats and cannot limit itself only to regulations that could have been in place when violence against women, Black people, indigenous peoples, and others was not against the law.
For Rahimi: There were no laws explicit or even sufficiently analogous to 18 U.S.C. 922(g) in the early history of the United States; therefore, it is unconstitutional.
What are the possible impacts of the case?Academically, the decision could clarify how courts should apply the Bruen standard to gun laws going forward. Legislators would have clear guidance when they are making important decisions on whether to support or oppose proposed firearms regulation legislation.
Practically speaking, it is neither hysterical nor hyperbolic to say that if the U.S. Supreme Court rules in favor of Rahimi, more victims of domestic violence will die at the hands of their abusers than when we prioritized public safety over gun ownership rights. Common accepted statistics show that about 70 women in America are shot and killed each month by a current or former intimate partner. The presence of a firearm in a domestic violence situation increases the risk of a homicide by as much as 500%. Studies also show that there is a 16% reduction in domestic violence homicides when firearm relinquishment procedures are implemented in protective order cases.
Not only will victims of domestic violence die, but their children, families, and friends will die as secondary victims in many intimate partner homicides. Not only will those connected to victims die, but law enforcement officers and innocent bystanders will also die in greater numbers than they have in the past several decades when 18 USC 922(g)(8) was in effect.
The prohibition on firearms possession by those subject to civil protective orders filled an important gap for victims of domestic violence. Persons convicted of felonies and misdemeanor crimes of domestic violence are prohibited from the possession of firearms; however, for many victims, civil protective orders are the only court recognition of the dangerousness of their abusers. It is a long road from a 911 call to a conviction, and that road has many off-ramps that can preclude a qualifying conviction. Victims deserve to be protected regardless of whether the criminal justice system is involved in and responsive to the violence in their lives.
This case matters not only to victims, but it matters to society and its continuing loss of support for the legitimacy of the Supreme Court. A bradyunited.org survey shows that 78% of Americans, including 75% of Republicans, support laws that prohibit gun possession by those convicted of domestic violence crimes. A decision in favor of Rahimi would further erode the confidence Americans have in the highest tribunal in the country to understand and reflect our values.
Anticipated ruling/outcome.I am not optimistic that the U.S. Supreme Court will overturn the 5th Circuit as this Supreme Court has shown its willingness to elevate its interpretation of jurisprudence over supporting people’s lived experiences and elected officials’ thoughtfully crafted legislation. If I am happily proven wrong, however, it will probably be because Justices Gorsuch and Coney Barrett join with the liberal minority
Double and Reversible Alkyl Transfer from ZrBn 4 /HfBn 4 to a Diiminepyridine Ligand
No full textReaction of MBn4 (M = Zr, Hf ) with diiminepyridine ligands MeDIP, EtDIP and iPrDIP [RDIP = 2,6-(2,6-R2C6H3N=CMe)2- C5H3N] results in the transfer of two benzyl groups to the DIP imine carbon atoms, generating mixtures of rac and meso isomers of [RDIP + 2Bn]MBn2. The diastereomers could in several cases be separated by fractional crystallization, and the X-ray structures of rac and meso [EtDIP + 2Bn]ZrBn2, meso- [MeDIP + 2Bn]ZrBn2 and meso-[EtDIP + 2Bn]HfBn2 are reported. On heating either diastereomer of [EtDIP + 2Bn]ZrBn2 in solution, the other isomer grows back in, demonstrating reversibility of the alkyl transfer. Transfer to other positions of the DIP skeleton was not observed. The reaction of [EtDIP + 2Bn]ZrBn2 with two equivalents of TEMPO produced structurally characterized [EtDIP + 2Bn]Zr(Bn)(TEMPO) which shows no tendency to isomerize
"Niech będzie przeklęty Dostojewski!" : Atiq Rahimi i jego dialog z Fiodorem Michajłowiczem
No full textAtiq Rahimi (ur. 1962) - afgańsko-francuski pisarz i fotograf, absolwent renomowanego kabulskiego Liceum Esteqlāl, autor m.in. dwóch mikro-powieści: Ziemia i popioły oraz Kamień cierpliwości (nagrodzona Prix Goncourt), a także reżyser filmu na podstawie pierwszej, za który otrzymał w 2004 r. Prix du Regard vers l’Avenir na Festiwalu Filmowym w Cannes. Atiq Rahimi przez wiele lat mieszkał poza Afganistanem, początkowo w Pakistanie, następnie we Francji; do ojczyzny powrócił wkrótce po upadku reżymu Talibów, w 2002 r. Chociaż jako pisarz debiutował późno, bo dopiero pod koniec lat 90., to swoimi utworami wpisał się w historię najnowszej literatury afgańskiej. W 2011 r. ukazała się jego najnowsza powieść w języku francuskim – Maudit soit Dostoïevski (Niech będzie przeklęty Dostojewski!). Zgodnie z sugestią zawartą w tytule, powieść Atiqa Rahimiego wchodzi w dialog z tym XIX-wiecznym rosyjskim pisarzem. Raskolnikow zostaje Rasulem, Sonia – Sofią, Porfiry – kabulskimi policjantami, lichwiarka – stręczycielka/sutenerką. Atiq Rahimi uważa, że Zbrodnię i karę należy czytać właśnie w Afganistanie. Tezę swoją podpiera słowami Raskolnikowa, że jeśli Bóg nie istnieje, wszystko jest dozwolone. Przecież w dzisiejszym Afganistanie wiele jest dozwolone, a kraj, zdaniem wielu socjologów, jest przykładem kultury kałasznikowa, w której broń stanowi podstawowy (i często jedyny) środek rozwiązywania sporów, nawiązywania kontaktów i normowania relacji społecznych. Literacki dialog między oboma pisarzami jest tym ciekawszy, że, jak pisze Aliewtina S. Gierasimowa, współczesny Afganistan boryka się z poważnym drenażem kultury wywołanym masowym uchodźstwem rodzimej inteligencji. Wydaje się, że dobór partnera do dyskusji o palących problemach współczesnych Afgańczyków w postaci Fiodora M. Dostojewskiego jest najlepszym z możliwych
Scartz on U.S v. Rahimi: Domestic violence victims deserve to be protected
No full textClinical Associate Professor & Jane W. Wilson Family Justice Clinic Director Christine M. Scartz offers insight on the upcoming U.S. Supreme Court case U.S. v. Rahimi: “The prohibition on firearms possession by those subject to civil protective orders filled an important gap for victims of domestic violence. Persons convicted of felonies and misdemeanor crimes of domestic violence are prohibited from the possession of firearms; however, for many victims, civil protective orders are the only court recognition of the dangerousness of their abusers. Victims deserve to be protected regardless of whether the criminal justice system is involved in and responsive to the violence in their lives.”
Scartz added: “As the U.S. Supreme Court is changing the processes by which our nation determines constitutionality, history is gaining an outsized influence over who we can protect with our laws even as society continues to change and evolve. The government must have the ability to protect people from newly-recognized threats and cannot limit itself only to regulations that could have been in place when violence against women, Black people, indigenous peoples and others was not against the law.”
University of Georgia School of Law Clinical Associate Professor Christine M. Scartz, who also directs the Jane W. Wilson Family Justice Clinic, is available for further commentary at [email protected].
Additional information regarding U.S. v. Rahimi provided by Scartz.Note: The U.S. Supreme Court is scheduled to hear oral arguments in this case on 11/7/23.
Please describe the case.In 2020, a domestic violence protective order was issued against Zackey Rahimi by a Texas state court to protect his former girlfriend after Rahimi physically assaulted her in public and threatened to shoot her if she reported the incident. He subsequently threatened a second woman with a gun and was charged with assault with a deadly weapon. Between December 2020 and January 2021, Rahimi was involved in five shootings in and around Arlington, Texas. On December 1, after selling narcotics to an individual, he fired multiple shots into that individual’s residence. The following day, Rahimi was involved in a car accident. He exited his vehicle, shot at the other driver and fled the scene. He returned to the scene in a different vehicle and shot at the other driver’s car. On December 22, Rahimi shot at a constable’s vehicle. On January 7, Rahimi fired multiple shots in the air after his friend’s credit card was declined at a Whataburger restaurant. Officers in the Arlington Police Department identified Rahimi as a suspect in the shootings and obtained a warrant to search his home. Rahimi admitted to possessing a rifle and a pistol after the same were found at his home. Rahimi was convicted in federal district court of unlawful firearm possession while subject to a domestic violence protective order under 18 USC 922(g). The U.S. District Court upheld the constitutionality of the statute and it was affirmed by a U.S. Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit panel. While Rahimi’s petition for rehearing was pending, N.Y. Rifle & Pistol Association, Inc. v. Bruen was decided by the U.S. Supreme Court and, using its holding, the 5th Circuit vacated Rahimi’s conviction.
What are the primary issues in U.S. v. Rahimi?There is only one question in this case: whether a federal law that prohibits the possession of firearms by persons subject to domestic violence restraining orders (18 U.S.C. 922(g)(8)) violates the Second Amendment on its face.
How have the decisions of U.S. v. McGinnis and New York State Rifle & Pistol Association, Inc. v. Bruen impacted U.S. v. Rahimi?After the McGinnis decision upheld the constitutionality of the firearms proscription for those subject to civil protective orders, the Bruen case opened the door for demonstrably violent persons to once again challenge the proscriptions on their possession of their chosen tools of violence. As the U.S. Supreme Court is changing the processes by which our nation determines constitutionality, history is gaining an outsized influence over who we can protect with our laws even as society continues to change and evolve.
What key arguments do you expect to be made from each side?
For the U.S.: Prohibiting domestic abusers from possessing firearms continues our nation’s historical tradition of disarming persons deemed to pose a danger to others. Second Amendment rights are properly limited to law-abiding, responsible citizens. The government must have the ability to protect people from newly-recognized threats and cannot limit itself only to regulations that could have been in place when violence against women, Black people, indigenous peoples, and others was not against the law.
For Rahimi: There were no laws explicit or even sufficiently analogous to 18 U.S.C. 922(g) in the early history of the United States; therefore, it is unconstitutional.
What are the possible impacts of the case?Academically, the decision could clarify how courts should apply the Bruen standard to gun laws going forward. Legislators would have clear guidance when they are making important decisions on whether to support or oppose proposed firearms regulation legislation.
Practically speaking, it is neither hysterical nor hyperbolic to say that if the U.S. Supreme Court rules in favor of Rahimi, more victims of domestic violence will die at the hands of their abusers than when we prioritized public safety over gun ownership rights. Common accepted statistics show that about 70 women in America are shot and killed each month by a current or former intimate partner. The presence of a firearm in a domestic violence situation increases the risk of a homicide by as much as 500%. Studies also show that there is a 16% reduction in domestic violence homicides when firearm relinquishment procedures are implemented in protective order cases.
Not only will victims of domestic violence die, but their children, families, and friends will die as secondary victims in many intimate partner homicides. Not only will those connected to victims die, but law enforcement officers and innocent bystanders will also die in greater numbers than they have in the past several decades when 18 USC 922(g)(8) was in effect.
The prohibition on firearms possession by those subject to civil protective orders filled an important gap for victims of domestic violence. Persons convicted of felonies and misdemeanor crimes of domestic violence are prohibited from the possession of firearms; however, for many victims, civil protective orders are the only court recognition of the dangerousness of their abusers. It is a long road from a 911 call to a conviction, and that road has many off-ramps that can preclude a qualifying conviction. Victims deserve to be protected regardless of whether the criminal justice system is involved in and responsive to the violence in their lives.
This case matters not only to victims, but it matters to society and its continuing loss of support for the legitimacy of the Supreme Court. A bradyunited.org survey shows that 78% of Americans, including 75% of Republicans, support laws that prohibit gun possession by those convicted of domestic violence crimes. A decision in favor of Rahimi would further erode the confidence Americans have in the highest tribunal in the country to understand and reflect our values.
Anticipated ruling/outcome.I am not optimistic that the U.S. Supreme Court will overturn the 5th Circuit as this Supreme Court has shown its willingness to elevate its interpretation of jurisprudence over supporting people’s lived experiences and elected officials’ thoughtfully crafted legislation. If I am happily proven wrong, however, it will probably be because Justices Gorsuch and Coney Barrett join with the liberal minority
Hardware optimizations of dense binary hyperdimensional computing: Rematerialization of hypervectors, binarized bundling, and combinational associative memory
No full textBrain-inspired hyperdimensional (HD) computing models neural activity patterns of the very size of the brain's circuits with points of a hyperdimensional space, that is, with hypervectors. Hypervectors are Ddimensional (pseudo)random vectors with independent and identically distributed (i.i.d.) components constituting ultra-wide holographic words: D = 10,000 bits, for instance. At its very core, HD computing manipulates a set of seed hypervectors to build composite hypervectors representing objects of interest. It demands memory optimizations with simple operations for an efficient hardware realization. In this article, we propose hardware techniques for optimizations of HD computing, in a synthesizable open-source VHDL library, to enable co-located implementation of both learning and classification tasks on only a small portion of Xilinx UltraScale FPGAs: (1)We propose simple logical operations to rematerialize the hypervectors on the fly rather than loading them from memory. These operations massively reduce the memory footprint by directly computing the composite hypervectors whose individual seed hypervectors do not need to be stored in memory. (2) Bundling a series of hypervectors over time requires a multibit counter per every hypervector component. We instead propose a binarized back-to-back bundling without requiring any counters. This truly enables onchip learning with minimal resources as every hypervector component remains binary over the course of training to avoid otherwise multibit components. (3) For every classification event, an associative memory is in charge of finding the closest match between a set of learned hypervectors and a query hypervector by using a distance metric. This operator is proportional to hypervector dimension (D), and hence may take O(D) cycles per classification event. Accordingly, we significantly improve the throughput of classification by proposing associative memories that steadily reduce the latency of classification to the extreme of a single cycle. (4) We perform a design space exploration incorporating the proposed techniques on FPGAs for a wearable biosignal processing application as a case study. Our techniques achieve up to 2.39× area saving, or 2,337× throughput improvement. The Pareto optimal HD architecture is mapped on only 18,340 configurable logic blocks (CLBs) to learn and classify five hand gestures using four electromyography sensors
A 5 μw Standard Cell Memory-Based Configurable Hyperdimensional Computing Accelerator for Always-on Smart Sensing
No full textHyperdimensional computing (HDC) is a brain-inspired computing paradigm-based on high-dimensional holistic representations of vectors. It recently gained attention for embedded smart sensing due to its inherent error-resiliency and suitability to highly parallel hardware implementations. In this work, we propose a programmable all-digital CMOS implementation of a fully autonomous HDC accelerator for always-on classification in energy-constrained sensor nodes. By using energy-efficient standard cell memory (SCM), the design is easily cross-technology mappable. It achieves extremely low power, 5 mu text{W} in typical applications, and an energy efficiency improvement over the state-of-the-art (SoA) digital architectures of up to 3times in post-layout simulations for always-on wearable tasks such as Electromyography (EMG) hand gesture recognition. As part of the accelerator's architecture, we introduce novel hardware-friendly embodiments of common HDC-algorithmic primitives, which results in 3.3times technology scaled area reduction over the SoA, achieving the same accuracy levels in all examined targets. The proposed architecture also has a fully configurable datapath using microcode optimized for HDC stored on an integrated SCM-based configuration memory, making the design 'general-purpose' in terms of HDC algorithm flexibility. This flexibility allows usage of the accelerator across novel HDC tasks, for instance, a newly designed HDC-algorithm for the task of ball bearing fault detection
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