bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Dynamics of poly(vinyl methyl ketone) thin films studied by local dielectric spectroscopy
Authors: Casalini R. , Labardi M. , Roland C. M.
Published: March 2017

Local dielectric spectroscopy, which entails measuring the change in resonance frequency of the conducting tip of an atomic force microscope to determine the complex permittivity of a sample with high spatial (lateral) resolution, was employed to characterize the dynamics of thin films of poly(vinyl methyl ketone) (PVMK) having different substrate and top surface layers. A free surface yields the usual speeding up of the segmental dynamics, corresponding to a glass transition suppression of 6.5° for 18 nm film thickness. This result is unaffected by the presence of a glassy, compatible polymer, poly-4-vinyl phenol (PVPh), between the metal substrate and the PVMK. However, covering the top surface with a thin layer of the PVPh suppresses the dynamics. The speeding up of PVMK segmental motions observed for a free surface is absent due to interfacial interactions of the PVMK with the glass layer, an effect not seen when the top layer is an incompatible polymer.
Sub-surface AFM imaging using tip generated stress and electric fields
Authors: Cadena Maria J. , Chen Yuhang , Reifenberger Ronald G. , Raman Arvind
Published: March 2017

It is well known that sub-surface nano-objects can be detected by Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) with either sub-surface stress or electric fields, by using dynamic AFM methods such as Contact Resonance AFM (CR-AFM) or 2nd-harmonic Kelvin Probe Force Microscopy (KPFM), respectively. However, little is understood regarding the relative differences between the two methods. We present a head-to-head comparison between the sub-surface imaging capabilities of these two methods through experiments and computational models based on finite element analysis (FEA). High resolution subsurface images are obtained using both techniques, from the same area of a polymer composite film containing single-walled carbon nanotube networks embedded in a polyimide matrix. The results are used to interpret quantitatively the observables from CR-AFM and KPFM, with a particular focus on the depth sensitivity and lateral resolution. The depth of the buried carbon nanotube bundles estimated by combining experiments and FEA is found to be in good agreement between the two methods.
Development of an iron quantification method using nuclear magnetic resonance relaxometry
Authors: Sherwood Jennifer , Lovas Kira , Bao Yuping
Published: March 2017

Biocompatibility has prompted a great amount of research in iron oxide nanoparticles (IONPs) as alternative magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) contrast agents. Iron concentration analysis is a key parameter to determine the relaxivities of IONPs as MRI contrast agents. Currently available methods for iron quantification are mainly inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) and ferrozine-based iron assays. ICP spectrometry may not be easily accessible for routine analysis while iron assays are highly sensitive to sample preparation. In this paper, we present an alternative method for quantifying iron concentration using nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) relaxometry, a technique commonly used for developing MRI contrast agents. To quantify iron concentration with NMR, a standard curve of relaxation rate versus iron concentrations was created to obtain the relaxivity of Fe3+ iron in solution. After dissolving IONPs in an acid, the iron concentration of the solution can be obtained using the relaxation times and the relaxivity of Fe3+ iron from the standard curve. The accuracy and sensitivity of this NMR method were verified by comparing with ICP analysis and ferrozine-based iron assays. Results indicate that this NMR method for iron concentration analysis was accurate for concentrations as low as 0.005 mM. In addition, the relaxivity of Fe3+ iron was sensitive to the type of acids to dissolve the IONPs, indicating that the same acid should be used for sample dissolution and the standard curve.
Magnetic scanning gate microscopy of CoFeB lateral spin valve
Authors: Corte-León Héctor , Scarioni Alexander Fernandez , Mansell Rhodri , Krzysteczko Patryk , Cox David , McGrouther Damien , McVitie Stephen , Cowburn Russell , Schumacher Hans W. , Antonov Vladimir , Kazakova Olga
Published: March 2017

Devices comprised of CoFeB nanostructures with perpendicular magnetic anisotropy and non-magnetic Ta channel were operated in thermal lateral spin valve (LSV) mode and studied by magnetotransport measurements and magnetic scanning gate microscopy (SGM). Due to the short spin diffusion length of Ta, the spin diffusion signal was suppressed, allowing the study of the contribution from the anomalous Nernst (ANE) and anomalous Hall effects (AHE). The magnetotransport measurements identified the switching fields of the CoFeB nanostructures and demonstrated a combination of AHE and ANE when the devices were operated in thermally-driven spin-injection mode. Modified scanning probe microscopy probes were fabricated by placing a NdFeB magnetic bead (MB) on the apex of a commercial Si probe. The dipole magnetic field distribution around the MB was characterized by using differential phase contrast technique and direct measurement of the switching field induced by the bead in the CoFeB nanodevices. Using SGM we demonstrate the influence of localized magnetic field on the CoFeB nanostructures near the non-magnetic channel. This approach provides a promising route towards the study of thermal and spin diffusion effects using local magnetic fields.
Niobium-oxygen octahedra and oxygen interstitial defect emissions in calcium niobate matrix and its color manipulation via doping Pr3+
Authors: Wu Chen , Li Yezhou , Gong Hongxia , Gao Jianping , Wang Zhaofeng
Published: March 2017

The luminescent properties of Ca2Nb2O7 matrix and Ca2Nb2O7: Pr3+ were studied in this work. In addition to the emission band from NbO6 octahedra, the orange-red emission aroused by oxygen interstitial defects was observed in Ca2Nb2O7. When Pr3+ was introduced, both of the matrix emission and the characteristic Pr3+ luminescence could appear simultaneously under suitable excitation wavelength. By further adjusting the doping concentration, color manipulation from blue-green to pink and red could be realized in Ca2Nb2O7: Pr3+. In particular, a warm white light could be achieved when doping 0.1% Pr3+. Based on the luminescent results, the underlying mechanisms were discussed and proposed. The color manipulation results suggest that Ca2Nb2O7: Pr3+ is promising for various fields related to lighting, displaying, and imaging.
Physicochemical analysis of Bi2Te3 – (Fe, Eu) – Bi2Te3 junctions grown by molecular beam epitaxy method
Authors: Balin K. , Rapacz R. , Weis M. , Szade J.
Published: March 2017

Topological insulators (TI) are a class of materials gaining in importance due to their unique spin/electronic properties, which may allow for the generation of quasiparticles and electronic states which are not accessible in classical condensed-matter systems. Not surprisingly, TI are considered as promising materials for multiple applications in next generation electronic or spintronic devices, as well as for applications in energy conversion, such as thermo-electrics. In this study, we examined the practical challenges associated with the formation of a well-defined junction between a model 3D topological insulator, Bi2Te3, and a metal, Fe or Eu, from which spin injection could potentially be realized. The properties of multilayer systems grown by molecular beam epitaxy (MBE), with Fe or Eu thin films sandwiched between two Bi2Te3 layers, were studied in-situ using electron diffraction and photoelectron spectroscopy. Their magnetic properties were measured using a SQUID magnetometer, while the in-depth chemical structure was assessed using secondary ion mass spectroscopy. An examination of impact of Bi2Te3 structure on chemical stability of the junction area has been realized. For Fe, we found that despite room temperature growth, a reaction between the Fe film and Bi2Te3 takes place, leading to the formation of FeTe and also the precipitation of metallic Bi. For the Eu tri-layer, a reaction also occurs, but the Te chemical state remains intact.
Theory and simulation of the dynamics, deformation, and breakup of a chain of superparamagnetic beads under a rotating magnetic field
Authors: Vázquez-Quesada A. , Franke T. , Ellero M.
Published: March 2017

In this work, an analytical model for the behavior of superparamagnetic chains under the effect of a rotating magnetic field is presented. It is postulated that the relevant mechanisms for describing the shape and breakup of the chains into smaller fragments are the induced dipole-dipole magnetic force on the external beads, their translational and rotational drag forces, and the tangential lubrication between particles. Under this assumption, the characteristic S-shape of the chain can be qualitatively understood. Furthermore, based on a straight chain approximation, a novel analytical expression for the critical frequency for the chain breakup is obtained. In order to validate the model, the analytical expressions are compared with full three-dimensional smoothed particle hydrodynamics simulations of magnetic beads showing excellent agreement. Comparison with previous theoretical results and experimental data is also reported.
Variation of effective damping factor for CoPt-based alloy films with various atomic stacking structures
Authors: Hinata Sintaro , Saito Shin
Published: March 2017

Ferromagnetic resonance (FMR) was observed for Co82Pt12 films with various process. And relation between effective damping factor (αeff) and compositional modulation (CM) in the atomic layers, and other magnetic properties to investigate the relationship between local variation of the magnetic properties and the αeff. The CM was changed by the substrate temperature Tsub and deposition rate of the Co-Pt alloy film. As a result, it was found that 1) For the Tsub dependence, αeff took maximum value of 0.22 at Tsub = 200 oC. 2) For the rate dependence, aeff linearly increases with 0.12 to 0.35 with increasing deposition rate from 0.3 to 2.0 nm/sec. 3) There was no similar tendency between aeff and CM for the Co-Pt alloy film with Tsub and rate change. Thus the CM is not dominant factor of the aeff for the compositionally modulated Co-Pt alloy film.
Non-equilibrium responses of PFPE lubricants with various atomistic/molecular architecture at elevated temperature
Authors: Chung Pil Seung , Song Wonyup , Biegler Lorenz T. , Jhon Myung S.
Published: March 2017

During the operation of hard disk drive (HDD), the perfluoropolyether (PFPE) lubricant experiences elastic or viscous shear/elongation deformations, which affect the performance and reliability of the HDD. Therefore, the viscoelastic responses of PFPE could provide a finger print analysis in designing optimal molecular architecture of lubricants to control the tribological phenomena. In this paper, we examine the rheological responses of PFPEs including storage (elastic) and loss (viscous) moduli (G′ and G″) by monitoring the time-dependent-stress-strain relationship via non-equilibrium molecular dynamics simulations. We analyzed the rheological responses by using Cox-Merz rule, and investigated the molecular structural and thermal effects on the solid-like and liquid-like behaviors of PFPEs. The temperature dependence of the endgroup agglomeration phenomena was examined, where the functional endgroups are decoupled as the temperature increases. By analyzing the relaxation processes, the molecular rheological studies will provide the optimal lubricant selection criteria to enhance the HDD performance and reliability for the heat-assisted magnetic recording applications.
Diffractive triangulation of radiative point sources
Authors: Vespucci S. , Naresh-Kumar G. , Trager-Cowan C. , Mingard K. P. , Maneuski D. , O'Shea V. , Winkelmann A.
Published: March 2017

We describe a general method to determine the location of a point source of waves relative to a two-dimensional single-crystalline active pixel detector. Based on the inherent structural sensitivity of crystalline sensor materials, characteristic detector diffraction patterns can be used to triangulate the location of a wave emitter. The principle described here can be applied to various types of waves, provided that the detector elements are suitably structured. As a prototypical practical application of the general detection principle, a digital hybrid pixel detector is used to localize a source of electrons for Kikuchi diffraction pattern measurements in the scanning electron microscope. This approach provides a promising alternative method to calibrate Kikuchi patterns for accurate measurements of microstructural crystal orientations, strains, and phase distributions.
On the generation of magnetized collisionless shocks in the large plasma device
Authors: Schaeffer D. B. , Winske D. , Larson D. J. , Cowee M. M. , Constantin C. G. , Bondarenko A. S. , Clark S. E. , Niemann C.
Published: March 2017

Collisionless shocks are common phenomena in space and astrophysical systems, and in many cases, the shocks can be modeled as the result of the expansion of a magnetic piston though a magnetized ambient plasma. Only recently, however, have laser facilities and diagnostic capabilities evolved sufficiently to allow the detailed study in the laboratory of the microphysics of piston-driven shocks. We review experiments on collisionless shocks driven by a laser-produced magnetic piston undertaken with the Phoenix laser laboratory and the Large Plasma Device at the University of California, Los Angeles. The experiments span a large parameter space in laser energy, background magnetic field, and ambient plasma properties that allow us to probe the physics of piston-ambient energy coupling, the launching of magnetosonic solitons, and the formation of subcritical shocks. The results indicate that piston-driven magnetized collisionless shocks in the laboratory can be characterized with a small set of dimensionless formation parameters that place the formation process in an organized and predictive framework.
Dynamics and structure of planar gravity currents propagating down an inclined surface
Authors: Steenhauer K. , Tokyay T. , Constantinescu G.
Published: March 2017

Planar, Boussinesq, compositional gravity currents formed by the release of a fixed volume of heavier fluid from a closed lock and advancing on an inclined no-slip bottom surface in a reservoir with a horizontal free surface are investigated based on 3-D large eddy simulation. The initial region containing the lock fluid has a rectangular shape. Simulations are conducted for bottom slope angles, θ, between 0° and 60°. The running length of the inclined bottom was sufficiently long to allow a detailed study of the evolution, front dynamics and structure of the current during the latter stages of the deceleration phase (front velocity reduces with time). Results show that currents advancing over inclined surfaces with θ > 10° are characterized by the formation of an intensified mixed vortex (IMV) at the back of the head. The IMV forms faster and its coherence, circulation, and size increase monotonically with increasing bottom slope angle. The paper discusses how the buoyancy in the head varies with varying bottom slope angle and with time. In particular, for θ ≥ 30°, the current reaches a regime where the total buoyancy of the head and IMV is close to a constant and the value of this constant increases with increasing θ. During this regime, the head mainly loses buoyancy to the IMV. For θ ≥ 40°, a close to linear decay of the head buoyancy with time is observed during the later stages of this regime. Simulation results show that, while for relatively small bottom slope angles most of the sediment is entrained beneath the head, for θ > 20° the IMV has a much larger capacity to entrain the sediment compared to the head region past the initial stages of the propagation of the current. This means that sediment entrainment patterns of currents propagating over highly inclined surfaces are qualitatively very different from the widely studied case of currents propagating over horizontal surfaces. The paper also discusses the different regimes observed in the temporal evolution of the front velocity and the applicability of theoretical models derived based on the data obtained for relatively small bottom slope angles and a relatively short evolution of the current to describe the evolution of currents propagating over large bottom slope angles and/or at large times after the start of the deceleration phase. While it is found that mixing increases monotonically with increasing θ, the largest total kinetic energy for a given front position is observed for θ = 30°-40°. Results also show that the largest magnitude of the bed friction velocity is induced for θ = 30°-40°, which means that the currents with the largest capacity to entrain sediment are those with the largest rate of increase of total kinetic energy with the propagation distance.
Impact of limiting dimension on thermal conductivity of one-dimensional silicon phononic crystals
Authors: Yanagisawa R. , Maire J. , Ramiere A. , Anufriev R. , Nomura M.
Published: March 2017

We present experimental and theoretical investigations on the roles of the limiting dimensions, such as the smallest dimension, surface roughness, and density of holes in the reduction of thermal conductivity of one-dimensional phononic nanostructures at temperatures of 4 and 295 K. We discover that the thermal conductivity does not strongly depend on the period of the phononic crystal nanostructures whereas the surface roughness and the smallest dimension of the structure—the neck—play the most important roles in thermal conductivity reduction. Surface roughness is a very important structural parameter in nanostructures with a characteristic length less than 100 nm in silicon. The importance of the roughness increases as the neck size decreases, and the thermal conductivity of the structure can differ by a factor of four, reaching the thermal conductivity of a small nanowire. The experimental data are analyzed using the Callaway–Holland model of Boltzmann equation and Monte Carlo simulation providing deeper insight into the thermal phonon transport in phononic nanostructures.
Chemically stable artificial SEI for Li-ion battery electrodes
Authors: Zhang Qinglin , Han Lei , Pan Jie , Chen Zhi , Cheng Yang-Tse
Published: March 2017

The importance of coating's chemical stability in lithium-ion batteries has been demonstrated by this study. It is well known that the mechanical properties determine the cycle life, and chemical stability or chemical degradation rate determines the calendar life. In this study, we used HfO2 coatings prepared by atomic layer deposition as an example to show the chemical stability of the coatings for lithium ion battery electrodes.
Three-component Gross-Pitaevskii equations in the spin-1 Bose-Einstein condensate: Spin-rotation symmetry, matter-wave solutions, and dynamics
Authors: Wen Zichao , Yan Zhenya
Published: March 2017

We report new matter-wave solutions of the one-dimensional spin-1 Bose-Einstein condensate system by combining global spin-rotation states and similarity transformation. Dynamical behaviors of non-stationary global spin-rotation states derived from the SU(2) spin-rotation symmetry are discussed, which exhibit temporal periodicity. We derive generalized bright-dark mixed solitons and new rogue wave solutions and reveal the relations between Euler angles in spin-rotation symmetry and parameters in ferromagnetic and polar solitons. In the modulated spin-1 Bose-Einstein condensate system, new solutions are derived and graphically illustrated for different types of modulations. Moreover, numerical simulations are performed to investigate the stability of some obtained solutions for chosen parameters.
Conceptual designs of E × B multistage depressed collectors for gyrotrons
Authors: Wu Chuanren , Pagonakis Ioannis Gr. , Gantenbein Gerd , Illy Stefan , Thumm Manfred , Jelonnek John
Published: March 2017

Multistage depressed collectors are challenges for high-power, high-frequency fusion gyrotrons. Two concepts exist in the literature: (1) unwinding the spent electron beam cyclotron motion utilizing non-adiabatic transitions of magnetic fields and (2) sorting and collecting the electrons using the E × B drift. To facilitate the collection by the drift, the hollow electron beam can be transformed to one or more thin beams before applying the sorting. There are many approaches, which can transform the hollow electron beam to thin beams; among them, two approaches similar to the tilted electric field collectors of traveling wave tubes are conceptually studied in this paper: the first one transforms the hollow circular electron beam to an elongated elliptic beam, and then the thin elliptic beam is collected by the E × B drift; the second one splits an elliptic or a circular electron beam into two arc-shaped sheet beams; these two parts are collected individually. The functionality of these concepts is proven by CST simulations. A model of a three-stage collector for a 170 GHz, 1 MW gyrotron using the latter approach shows 76% collector efficiency while taking secondary electrons and realistic electron beam characteristics into account.
The existence of solutions for fractional differential equations with p-Laplacian at resonance
Authors: Jiang Weihua , Qiu Jing , Yang Caixia
Published: March 2017

By giving proper transformation, selecting suitable Banach spaces and operators, and using Mawhin's coincident theory, we investigate the existence of solutions for fractional differential equations with p-Laplacian at resonance under two kinds of boundary conditions, respectively. Examples are given to illustrate our main results.
Surface evolution and stability transition of silicon wafer subjected to nano-diamond grinding
Authors: Cai Shisheng , Zhang Changxing , Li Haicheng , Lu Siyuan , Li Yan , Hwang Keh-Chih , Feng Xue
Published: March 2017

In order to obtain excellent physical properties and ultrathin devices, thinning technique plays an important role in semiconductor industry with the rapid development of wearable electronic devices. This study presents a physical nano-diamond grinding technique without any chemistry to obtain ultrathin silicon substrate. The nano-diamond with spherical shape repeats nano-cutting and penetrating surface to physically etch silicon wafer during grinding process. Nano-diamond grinding induces an ultrathin “amorphous layer” on silicon wafer and thus the mismatch strain between the amorphous layer and substrate leads to stability transition from the spherical to non-spherical deformation of the wafer. Theoretical model is proposed to predict and analyze the deformation of amorphous layer/silicon substrate system. Furthermore, the deformation bifurcation behavior of amorphous layer/silicon substrate system is analyzed. As the mismatch strain increases or thickness decreases, the amorphous layer/silicon substrate system may transit to non-spherical deformation, which is consistent to the experimental results. The amorphous layer stresses are also obtained to predict the damage of silicon wafer.
Climate change effects on biological control of invasive plants by insects.
Authors: Reeves J. L.
Published: March 2017

Because many invasive plants are anticipated to benefit from climate change, the need for effective management strategies will become more pressing in the future. Biological control of invasive plants by insects has been an effective management strategy in many instances, but climate change may substantially alter such systems. Maximizing biological control efficacy with climate change will require predicting responses of the invasive plant in question, its biological control agents, and especially their corresponding interactions. However, because of the wide variety of species-specific plant and insect responses to increased atmospheric CO
2
concentrations, temperatures, extreme weather events, and other climate factors, climate change will likely result in highly variable, system- and geographically-specific effects. Even still, predicted future climates are generally anticipated across systems to alter geographic ranges of invasive plants (and correspondingly their biological agents), reduce host-plant quality, and hasten the phenology of both plants and insects. Some of these anticipated effects on biological control systems can be expected to hamper control efficacy. However, because some of these effects might also increase control efficacy, biological control can still be an effective and important management tool in the face of climate change. Although the variety of insect and plant responses to climate change reported in the literature do not currently allow for strong generalizations to be made as to the best biological control agents or strategies in novel climates, pertinent considerations for selecting effective biological control agents in the future are discussed.
Noroviruses in livestock, pets and public health impact.
Authors: Alfieri A. A. , Leme R. A. , Alfieri A. F.
Published: March 2017

Noroviruses (NoVs) are a leading cause of acute gastroenteritis (diarrhoea and vomiting) worldwide. The virus was reported from humans and later was identified in different symptomatic and/or asymptomatic animal species, such as bovine, ovine, swine, canine and feline. In animals NoV infection is supposedly associated with enteritis; however, the pathogenic role of NoV infection and its impact in animal health are currently uncertain. NoVs have a positive sense, single-stranded RNA genome of diverse molecular feature. Currently, NoVs are classified into six genogroups (GI-GVI), with the proposed seventh (GVII) and at least 31 genotypes. The GI, GV and GVI are species-specific genogroups, while the GII, GIII and GIV share different host species, including humans. The close genetic relationship among different NoV strains detected from both humans and animals raised the possibility of this virus has zoonotic potential. This review aimed to address the NoV classification, morphological and molecular features, epidemiology, pathogenesis and pathology, diagnosis, treatment and management. A broad approach is given on the importance of NoVs as a cause of disease in livestock and pets and on studies into the potential for zoonotic transmission and public health.
“We need more clips about Putin, and lots of them:” Russia's state-commissioned online visual culture
Authors: Fedor Julie , Fredheim Rolf
Published: March 2017

In this article, we examine how the Putin government is attempting to respond and adapt to the YouTube phenomenon and the vibrant oppositional online visual culture on Runet. We show how these processes are giving rise to new forms of state propaganda, shaped and driven above all by the quest for high-ranking search-engine results and the concomitant desire to appeal to the perceived new sensibilities of the Internet generation through the commissioning and production of “viral videos.” We focus in particular on the videos created by Iurii Degtiarev, a pioneer in the development of this genre, whose works we explore in light of the “Kremlingate” email leaks, which offer inside information on the strategies and aims being pursued on the online visual front of the campaign to manage the Russian mediascape, and Degtiarev's own reflections on this subject. Examining the output of young creatives patronized by the Kremlin offers a “bottom-up” view to supplement studies of the Russian ideological and media landscape as shaped by “political technologists” such as Vladislav Surkov and Gleb Pavlovskii.
Differentiation of germinal center B cells into plasma cells is initiated by high-affinity antigen and completed by Tfh cells
Authors: Kräutler Nike J. , Suan Dan , Butt Danyal , Bourne Katherine , Hermes Jana R. , Chan Tyani D. , Sundling Christopher , Kaplan Warren , Schofield Peter , Jackson Jennifer , Basten Antony , Christ Daniel , Brink Robert
Published: March 2017

Plasma cells (PCs) derived from germinal centers (GCs) secrete the high-affinity antibodies required for long-term serological immunity. Nevertheless, the process whereby GC B cells differentiate into PCs is uncharacterized, and the mechanism underlying the selective PC differentiation of only high-affinity GC B cells remains unknown. In this study, we show that differentiation into PCs is induced among a discrete subset of high-affinity B cells residing within the light zone of the GC. Initiation of differentiation required signals delivered upon engagement with intact antigen. Signals delivered by T follicular helper cells were not required to initiate differentiation but were essential to complete the differentiation process and drive migration of maturing PCs through the dark zone and out of the GC. This bipartite or two-signal mechanism has likely evolved to both sustain protective immunity and avoid autoantibody production.
Science Fiction
Authors: Canavan Gerry
Published: March 2017

Science fiction (SF) emerges as a distinct literary and cultural genre out of a familiar set of world-famous texts ranging from Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein (1818) to Gene Roddenberry’s Star Trek (1966–) to the Marvel Cinematic Universe (2008–) that have, in aggregate, generated a colossal, communal archive of alternate worlds and possible future histories. SF’s dialectical interplay between utopian optimism and apocalyptic pessimism can be felt across the genre’s now centuries-long history, only intensifying in the 20th century as the clash between humankind’s growing technological capabilities and its ability to use those powers safely or wisely has reached existential-threat propositions, not simply for human beings but for all life on the planet. In the early 21st century, as in earlier cultural moments, the writers and critics of SF use the genre’s articulation of different societies and different possible futures as the occasion to reflect on our own present, in ways that range from full-throated defense of the status quo to the ruthless denunciation of all institutions that currently exist in the name of some other, better world. SF’s global popularity has grown to the point where it now looms quite large over cultural production generally, becoming arguably the most popular narrative genre in existence, particularly in the sorts of SF action spectacles that have dominated the global box office of the first two decades of the 21st century. It has also become increasingly difficult to tell the difference between the things we used to think of as SF and the advanced communication, transportation, and entertainment technologies that have become so ubiquitous and familiar that we now take them for granted, as well as the growing prevalence of political, economic, and ecological crises now erupting out of the pages of our science fictions, like our very worst dreams come to life.
Crossover Literature
Authors: Beckett Sandra L.
Published: March 2017

Crossover literature transcends the conventionally recognized boundaries within the fiction market, blurring the borderline between adult literature and children’s literature. Books may cross from child to adult or adult to child audiences, or they may be explicitly published for both audiences. Crossover literature is by no means a recent phenomenon, but it received a high profile and a great deal of media attention with the unprecedented success of J. K. Rowling’s Harry Potter books in the late 1990s. It was at that time that the term “crossover” was adopted by critics, the media, and the publishing industry. New words were also coined in other languages to refer to this literature. Although the genre includes adult fiction read by young readers (adult-to-child crossover), which has a much longer historical precedent, the term is often used to refer only to children’s and young adult books that appeal to adults (child-to-adult crossover).

Crossover literature is an extensive body of diverse, intergenerational works with a very long history. Borders between children’s and adult fiction have been more porous, or even non-existent, in certain cultures and time periods. Fairy tales, Middle Eastern tales, and fables have always appealed to mixed-age audiences. Children have been appropriating adult books for centuries. Classics like Robinson Crusoe and Les Trois Mousquetaires (The Three Musketeers) virtually passed into the children’s library. While almost every genre can cross age boundaries, the novel, and in particular the children’s and young adult novel, has monopolized attention. Moreover, crossover fiction is often equated with the fantasy novel, which played a key role in drawing public and critical attention to this literature. In most countries today, fantasy remains the dominant crossover genre. However, other genres, including short fiction, fairy tales, poetry, graphic novels, picturebooks, and comics commonly transcend age boundaries.

Initially, many saw crossover literature as merely a marketing and mass media phenomenon, but it also received critical acclaim. Crossover fiction in the early 21st century is recognized as a distinct literary genre and marketing category. It plays a major role in the publishing industry and in contemporary culture. Crossover books are responsible for hugely successful multi-generation-spanning, cross-media franchises, such as Harry Potter, The Lord of the Rings, The Twilight Saga, and The Hunger Games. Crossover literature is part of a broader cultural trend in which books, movies, television shows, video games, and so forth are increasingly reaching across age groups.
The Reception of Ralph Waldo Emerson and Henry David Thoreau in Meiji to Taishō Japan
Authors: Takanashi Yoshio
Published: March 2017

Ralph Waldo Emerson and Henry David Thoreau were fascinated by Asian philosophies and religions. The two American philosophers discovered “Asia” in their own Transcendentalist views of nature and human ethics. Beginning with the works of Frederic Carpenter and Arthur Christy in the 1930s, American scholars have undertaken comprehensive studies of the ways in which Oriental ideas and religions, such as Neoplatonism, Hinduism, Buddhism, Persian poetry, Confucianism, and Daoism, influenced American Transcendentalism. In this global age, Emerson and Thoreau, as transnational figures, have come to be given a great deal of attention.

Few scholars today realize that the works of Emerson and Thoreau were widely read by Japanese intellectuals during the Meiji and Taishō periods (1868–1926). The Japanese highly admired the spirit of independence and freedom advocated by the two Concordians. Although studies of their reception in Japan have been made, and many of their writings have been translated, the strength of Emerson’s and Thoreau’s influence on Japanese readers may not yet be fully understood.

Suzuki Daisetsu made a significant contribution to Western philosophical thought by bringing the teachings of Zen Buddhism to the attention of the Western world. He felt deep sympathy with Emerson’s and Thoreau’s views of nature. Influenced by Suzuki, some American and Japanese scholars have remarked on similarities between Zen Buddhism and American Transcendentalism. Until now, scholars in the West have tended to assume that Zen Buddhism was the primary medium of Japanese interest in Emerson and Thoreau, partly because Zen Buddhism was in vogue during the middle decades of the 20th century. While it is true that both Emersonian and Thoreauvian philosophies and Zen Buddhism center on a spirit of seeking the spring of universal spirituality within the inner soul, Suzuki’s emphasis on that similarity may be one reason for the current difficulty in understanding the diversity and complexity of both Eastern and Western philosophies and religions.
Fashion and Fiction in the 19th Century
Authors: Hughes Clair
Published: March 2017

In the new middle-class world of 19th-century Europe and America, whose development parallels that of the realist novel, dress was a clear sign of order and hierarchy—key subjects of the genre’s concerns. In the shift from a traditional aristocratic order to that of the bourgeoisie, dress was of anxious concern to those who lived through this change. It was a minefield, and failure to navigate its codes courted disaster: Dress could conceal and flatter, but also betray, deceive, and seduce—all of which provided the novelist with powerful material. The quest for social and economic success was central to the novelistic plot, though this took one trajectory for men and another for women—whose goal was matrimony. The French Revolution, Honoré de Balzac explained, banished hierarchies, and in dress left only nuances, which became increasingly important to the novel: details were foregrounded, while outfits as a whole were understood.

In mid-19th century England, Charles Dickens, considered the quintessential realist, in fact used dress sporadically for comic effect or quirks to identify a character; the role of dress in William Thackeray’s novels, on the other hand, were more structured, often symbolic. By late in the century, men were less interesting in dark suits. As women were now more visible in work and in public spaces, their clothes became of concern to the novelist. Male dress was about hierarchy and status, female dress about cost, taste, and, above all, morality. Husband–hunting heroines advisedly wore white, but novelists grew less judgmental of the pleasures of dress.

In allegedly classless America, women enjoyed greater social freedoms than in Europe, producing more nuanced approaches to fictional dress. For Henry James, dress was a “brick” in his House of Fiction; sparingly deployed but crucial. Stereotypes were questioned, as was “proper” dress. Throughout the 19th-century novel, clothes and money interacted in relation to family and inheritance. Fin de siècle America was both immensely wealthy and class-conscious, and Edith Wharton, though a member of New York’s elite, confronted her consumerist society with what its frivolity could destroy.
Liveness: Performance of Ideology and Technology in the Changing Media Environment
Authors: Kim Suk-Young
Published: March 2017

“Liveness” is a crucial concept that traverses the boundaries of many academic disciplines; however, most prominently, performance studies, media studies, and music studies have been engaged in the ongoing debate regarding its shifting parameters. Not only does the concept navigate through multiple academic disciplines, but it also calls attention to the constantly morphing conditions of social interaction and community formation in an ever-digitizing world. Defined from a wide range of perspectives throughout history under specific sociocultural circumstances, the idea has brought critical scrutiny to the related questions of presence, disappearance, absence, and recurrence of the performing subject. At the same time, immediacy, temporality, and authenticity of human contact as well as human-to-nonhuman contact have also been interrogated under the rubric of liveness.

Interdisciplinary studies of liveness tend to inquire into three areas: ideology, technology, and ontology of performance, which are by no means fixed terrains but rather overlapping and corroborating regimes reflecting the transforming notions of liveness. As the medium of performance became more diversified and convergent over time, the notion of liveness accordingly became complicated. Liveness is no longer defined simply as “bodily co-presence of actors and spectators” (Erika Fischer-Lichte), but with historical specificity in mind and with an eye to the way “the idea of what counts culturally as live experience changes over time in relation to technological change” (Philip Auslander, “Digital Liveness: A Historic-Philosophical Perspective,” PAJ: A Journal of Performance and Art 34, no. 3 [2012], 3).

There are no limitations to the performance genres and platforms that fall under the critical analysis of liveness: music, TV, stage plays, online media, live-action roleplay (LARP), and mixed-reality performance—“mixing of the real and virtual as well as their combination of live performance and interactivity” (Steve Benford and Gabriella Giannachi, Performing Mixed Reality [Cambridge, MA: MIT Press, 2011], 1)—all wrestle with the ontological questions of what is live. On a more profound level, the derivative semantics of liveness, such as “live,” “alive,” and “life,” point to the ontological dimension of the term as they collectively articulate the “ephemerality, mediation, reproduction, and representation” (Daniel Sack, After Live [Ann Arbor: University of Michigan Press, 2015], 13) of human life.
Tracking the Entrepreneurial Process with the Panel Study of Entrepreneurial Dynamics (PSED) Protocol
Authors: Reynolds Paul D.
Published: March 2017

In the early 1990s business creation was receiving a great deal of attention after it was clear that new firms were a major source of job creation. There was not, however, reliable data on the prevalence of persons participating in firm creation, what they would do to implement new ventures, or the proportion of start-up efforts that became profitable businesses. This hiatus led to the development of longitudinal studies of the entrepreneurial process; 14 projects have now been implemented in 12 countries.

The Panel Study of Entrepreneurial Dynamics (PSED) protocol was designed to provide estimates of the prevalence of individuals involved in business creation and the presence of pre-profit, start-up ventures; data on the major activities undertaken to implement a new firm; and track the proportion that completed the transition from start-up to profitable new firm. A number of challenges were involved in implementing the research program, including the development of efficient procedures for identifying representative samples of nascent entrepreneurs and criteria for determining the dates of entry into the start-up process, the transition to a profitable business, and disengagement from the initiative.

Data collection is a three-stage process. The initial stage is identifying nascent entrepreneurs in a representative sample of adults. The second are detailed interviews on the start-up team and activity related to creating a new venture. The third stage is follow-up interviews completed to determine the outcome of the start-up efforts. A large number of scholars have been involved in development of the interviews and the PSED data sets have considerable information on the perspectives, activities, and strategies of those involved in the start-up process.

Since the initial data sets were made available 15 years ago, there has been considerable research utilizing PSED data sets. One major finding, however, is that the firm creation process is much more diverse and complicated than had been expected. There are substantial research opportunities to be explored. A review of the major features of the PSED protocol and a summary of the existing data sets provides background that will facilitate additional analysis of the firm creation process. Four data sets (Australia, Sweden, and U.S. PSED I & II) are now in the public domain. Critical features of the start-up process have been consolidated and harmonized in a five-cohort, four country data set which is also available.
Using Quotations in Health and Risk Message Design
Authors: Gibson Rhonda
Published: March 2017

Quotations, something that a person says or writes that is then used by someone else in another setting, have long been a staple of news stories. Reporters use quotations—both direct and paraphrased—to document facts, opinions, and emotions from human and institutional sources. From a journalistic standpoint, quotations are beneficial because they add credibility to a news report and allow readers/viewers to consider the source of information when evaluating its usefulness. Quotations are also valued because they are seen as adding a “human” element to a news report by allowing sources to present information in their own words—thus providing an unfiltered first-person perspective that audiences may find more compelling and believable than a detached third-person summary. Research into the effects of news report quotations has documented what journalists long assumed: Quotations, especially direct quotes using the exact words of a speaker, draw the attention of news consumers and are often attended to in news stories more than statistical information. Studies show that the first-person perspective is considered both more vivid and more credible, a phenomenon that newspaper and website designers often capitalize on through the use of graphic elements such as the extracted quote. Quotations in news stories have also been found to serve as a powerful persuasive tool with the ability to influence perception of an issue even in the face of contradictory statistical information. This is especially true when the topic under consideration involves potential risk. Direct quotations from individuals who perceive high levels of risk in a situation can sway audience perceptions, regardless of whether the quoted risk assessments are supported by reality. The power of quotations remains strong in other forms of communication involving risk, such as public service, health-related, or promotional messages. The vivid, first-person nature of quotes draws the attention of audiences and makes the quoted information more likely to be remembered and to influence future judgments regarding the issue in question. This presents the message creator, whether it be a journalist or other type of communicator, with a powerful tool that should be constructed and deployed purposefully in an effort to leave audiences with an accurate perception of the topic under consideration.