bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
De blik naar buiten: bestuurlijke verbouwingen in het buitenland
Authors: Koppenjan Joop , Dicke Willemijn
Published: April 2019

Looking beyond the Dutch borders: Administrative reforms and developments in 5 countries worldwide

In this special issue, recent public sector reforms in South Africa, Denmark, Belgium, Mexico, Singapore and Denmark are analysed. Reforms in the public sector are by and large explained as a chronological development from traditional bureaucracy, via New Public Management to New Public Governance. This is also the way the many administrative reforms in the Dutch public sector are often explained.

The articles give insight in the administrative developments in these countries and their background. They also offer the opportunity to make comparisons with administrative developments in the Netherlands, and to draw lessons. The analyses show that the dominant explanation of reforms in the public sector (from traditional bureaucracy, to New Public Management to New Public Governance) is helpful in making sense of administrative developments, but they put this explanation into perspective too.

For the Dutch situation yet another insight came to light. We often complain that the Dutch processes are cumbersome, take long and involve many -if not all- stakeholders. A close reading of the contributions from abroad must inevitably change this pejorative view on our national sport: the cumbersome process provides valuable checks and balances, that will help to fight the drawbacks and risks that we have seen in the international cases.
Strategische planning en fusies in Vlaamse gemeenten
Authors: George Bert
Published: April 2019

Strategic planning and mergers in Flemish municipalities: An essay on Flemish experiences with new public management reforms

In the past years, Flemish municipalities have been confronted with a plethora of new public management reforms. The two probably most salient reforms include the introduction of a strategic planning system entitled the policy and management cycle (PMC) as well as the provision of financial incentives for municipalities that undertake a merger. These reforms are not unique to the Flemish context. Indeed, similar reforms took place in the Netherlands, where policy and management instruments (PMI) – a strategic planning system – were introduced in the eighties and municipal mergers have been part of the political agenda for several decades. But similar reforms also took place in, for instance, the United Kingdom (i.e. the best value regime in 1999) as well as Denmark (i.e. the municipal mergers in 2007). In this essay, these Flemish reforms are critically evaluated, taking into account following question: which public values are triggered through these reforms, and what might this imply for the Flemish and Dutch local public sector? This essay uses new public governance principles such as strategic thinking and the learning organisation to answer this question.
Interventions in High-conflict Divorce Cases: The Parenting Examination
Authors: Kluwer Esther , van Leuven Cees
Published: April 2019

Interventions in High-Conflict Divorce Cases: The Parenting Examination

The Parenting examination (in Dutch: ouderschapsonderzoek) is a method that is used in high-conflict divorces in the Netherlands since 2008, whereby the court appoints a forensic expert who uses mediation and coaching techniques to support the parents to find a solution for their dispute. When parents fail to reach agreement, the forensic expert reports to the judge who can use this information to make a decision. This article discusses the results of two studies that have been conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of the Parenting examination in practice.
Parteienfinanzierung in Polen
Authors: Lagoni Jacek
Published: April 2019

This comparative legal study on party financing opens up a very sensitive area of Poland’s democracy to German-speaking readers. When one is analysing a young democracy like Poland, one can observe particular regulatory models in the same way as if one was examining the contents of a test tube because of the different endeavours that have been made to reorganise its legal framework since 1989. Even quite established systems like the German system may gather new findings from such an approach.
Party financing in Poland oscillates between the parties’ self-sufficiency and full state funding. This thesis presents and evaluates the causes and effects of this development, and shows their impact on the party system. The author subsequently suggests ways in which not only Poland’s party financing system could be restructured, but also in which the German system could be reformed.
Gastrotricha – not only in sediments: new epiphytic species of Chaetonotida from the Jubilee Greenhouse of the Botanical Garden in Kraków
Authors: Kolicka Małgorzata
Published: April 2019

Although Gastrotricha have previously been recorded in bottom sediments of greenhouses as well as in micro-reservoirs of Bromeliaceae, palm houses provide a more specific microhabitat for these animals that often originate from different regions of the world. This paper presents an investigation of gastrotrich assemblages associated with aquatic plants. Eight species of the epiphytic chaetonotids were found in the Jubilee Greenhouse of the Botanical Garden in Kraków (Poland), including three species new to science, Chaetonotus (Chaetonotus) invitatus sp. nov., C. (Hystricochaetonotus) horridus sp. nov. and C. (H.) inaequabilis sp. nov. Two other species are new to Poland, C. (C.) paucisquamatus Kisielewski, 1991 and C. (Zonochaeta) cestacanthus Balsamo, 1990, both recorded here for the first time outside their terra typica. These observations confirm that greenhouses and palm houses provide many ecological niches and favourable conditions for the development of a number of unintentionally introduced species which cannot be found outside their original climate conditions.
'Fake science': el tsunami de la desinformación llega a la ciencia
Authors: López-Borrull Alexandre
Published: April 2019

Anteriormente en esta revista hemos hablado a menudo de la problemática que el fenómeno de las fake news representa para la política y el periodismo. Asimismo, es cierto que ha sido en estos dos ámbitos donde se ha dado a conocer más ampliamente, y ahora el término fake es empleado como primera respuesta para rebatir muchos discursos, premisas ideológicas e incluso propuestas programáticas. Trump abrió la puerta y ha marcado el final de la crisis y el inicio de una era en la que las grandes afirmaciones y los datos son empleadas, deformadas y deconstruidas hasta el no reconocimiento. En los Estudios de Ciencias de la Información y la Comunicación hicimos una jornada sobre el tema junto con el Centro de Estudios Jurídicos y Formación Especializada del Departamento de Justicia catalán. Aprovechamos para recomendaros la visión de las diferentes ponencias.
¡Hola! Soy un bot y puedo ofrecerte información de actualidad
Authors: Martínez Martínez Silvia
Published: April 2019

Los bots y el uso de la inteligencia artificial están adquiriendo cada vez más protagonismo al ser empleados en mayor número de servicios diferentes. Jugar a videojuegos, asesorar en temas legales, la ayuda que brindan los asistentes virtuales en el domicilio o a través del móvil,… son muchas las posibilidades que presentan estos automatismos para facilitar ciertas tareas. Los medios de comunicación y el periodismo no se encuentran al margen de esta tendencia creciente haciendo gala de innovación tecnológica y diferentes aplicaciones para ofrecer información de actualidad a los usuarios.
Cell proliferation controls body size growth, tentacle morphogenesis, and regeneration in hydrozoan jellyfish Cladonema pacificum
Authors: Fujita Sosuke , Kuranaga Erina , Nakajima Yuichiro
Published: April 2019

Jellyfish have existed on the earth for around six hundred million years and have evolved in response to environmental changes. Hydrozoan jellyfish, members of phylum Cnidaria, exist in multiple life stages, including planula larvae, vegetatively-propagating polyps, and sexually-reproducing medusae. Although free-swimming medusae display complex morphology and exhibit increase in body size and regenerative ability, their underlying cellar mechanisms are poorly understood. Here, we investigate the roles of cell proliferation in body-size growth, appendage morphogenesis, and regeneration using Cladonema pacificum as a hydrozoan jellyfish model. By examining the distribution of S phase cells and mitotic cells, we revealed spatially distinct proliferating cell populations in medusae, uniform cell proliferation in the umbrella, and local cell proliferation in tentacle bulbs. Blocking cell proliferation by hydroxyurea caused inhibition of body size growth and defects in tentacle branching, nematocyte differentiation, and regeneration. Local cell proliferation in tentacle bulbs is observed in medusae of two other hydrozoan species, Cytaeis uchidae and Rathkea octopunctata, indicating that it may be a conserved feature among hydrozoan jellyfish. Altogether, our results suggest that hydrozoan medusae possess actively proliferating cells and provide experimental evidence regarding the role of cell proliferation in body-size control, tentacle morphogenesis, and regeneration.
Assessing the Level of Awareness of Health Hazards Associated with Operations of Medium-Scale DPK Vendors Using Motorized Pumps with ASTs in Ilorin Metropolis, Kwara State, Nigeria
Authors: Ibrahim Moshood Liman , Sawyerr Henry Olawale , Timothy Adeolu Adedotun , Shehu Wasiu Temitope , Otubela Khadijat , Oladimeji Lateefat
Published: April 2019

Introduction: The continuous trend in the increase of diseases and death associated mostly with hazards from the use and transportation of kerosene; coupled with tens of millions of Nigerians depending on it - as a substitute for stoves, cooking and an erratic electric power supply for lamp illumination, this could be as a result of low awareness of these risks amongst kerosene suppliers and retailers. Kerosene being a highly inflammable substance is a major factor in various fire burn injuries, child poisoning incidences reported across the country. Thus, numerous studies have been conducted on petrol stations and refineries; with little focusing on kerosene vendors and the operations of these vendors.

Objectives: This study assessed the level of awareness of health hazards associated with operations of medium-scale DPK vendors using motorized pumps with Aboveground Storage Tanks (ASTs) in Ilorin Metropolis, Kwara State, Nigeria.

Methodology: The study adopted a purposive sampling technique. Data was collected with the aid of a structured questionnaire (to elicit the information on the operation of DPK vendors, health hazards and safety measure with their operations), observational checklist and Handheld Germin (GPSmap® 78) GPS.

Results: There was over 2000% increase in the establishment of DPK vendors within Ilorin metropolis from two in 2007 to seventy-six in 2017 with highest (48) found in Ilorin West LGA. A higher percentage of the DPK vendors (77.6%) lack the awareness on the health hazards associated with their operations; with a large proportion of the DPK vendors not engaging in basic safety practices. Few (7.9%) have fire extinguishers and majority (88.5%) of the DPK vendors not using the personal protective equipment (PPEs). The geospatial assessment of the DPK vendors also revealed that only two fire stations are found within Ilorin metropolis with 71% of the DPK vendors lacking the knowledge of their locations and all were ignorant of the fire station emergency numbers in case of fire mishaps. There is significant association between basic safety precaution practices and awareness on health and environmental hazards among DPK vendors. 

Conclusion: The study revealed there is an uncontrolled proliferation of DPK vendors, low awareness level on the health hazards associated with their operations, lack of compliance to basic safety practices and high level of non-compliance to the use of PPEs. There is need for massive awareness campaign on the various health hazards associated with DPK vendors operations, basic precaution practices, the use of safety wears, fire stations emergency numbers and the precautions to avoid fire outbreaks and other disasters associated with their trade is sacrosanct.
Assessment of Levels of Nutrients in Selected ALVs at Different Harvesting Stages and Locations of Production in Western Kenya
Authors: Grace Makokha , Owuor O. P. , Ongeri D. M. K.
Published: April 2019

Proper nutrition contributes to declines under-five mortality rates and improves the productivity of adults. Addressing nutritional problems requires adequate information on the diets of individuals and populations. African leafy vegetables (ALVs) are widely consumed and often harvested at different stages after planting with the help of different communities. Four ALVs namely Vigna unguiculata, Amaranthus hybridus, Cleome gynandra and Solanum scabrum are commonly grown vegetables in western Kenya, their potentials have not been evaluated to supply the nutrients. However, nutritional values may vary depending on the species, harvesting stage and location of production. The effects of species, harvesting stages and location of production on the nutritional value of selected ALVs were evaluated. The trials were laid out in a randomized complete block design in three replicates in Busia, Kisumu, and Lela. Leaves were sampled at different harvesting stages and analyzed for N, P, K, Na, Ca, Mg, Mn, Fe, and Zn levels. Amaranthus hybridus had significantly (P≤0.05) higher levels of P, Ca, Zn, Mn, and Na. The N, P, K, Ca, Mg, Zn and Fe levels significantly (P≤0.05) increased then decreased with harvesting stage. The levels of nutrients significantly (P≤0.05) varied with location of production except for Na. The ALVs from Kisumu site had significantly (P≤0.05) higher levels of N, P, K, Ca, Mg and Zn, ALVs from Lela site had higher levels of Mn and Na while ALVs from Busia site had higher levels of Fe. Amaranthus hybridus is a better contributor of-of P, Ca, Zn, Mn, and Na. The Fe, Mg and Zn levels were above the Recommended Dietary Allowance and may be used to alleviate deficiencies associated with such nutrients. Harvesting the ALVs at the stage the nutrients attain their optimum levels is recommended. There is a need for the development of regional food composition tables for all ALVs in Kenya.
Carbon Stock as Related to Fallow Age in the Sudano-Guinea Savannahs of Ngaoundere, Adamawa, Cameroon
Authors: Ibrahima Adamou , Saolo Platini Nguilandi , Fanta Chimène Abib
Published: April 2019

Aim/Objectives: In order to assess the fallow contribution on the carbon cycle and soil organic matter restoration, a study of the carbon dynamics was undertaken in fallow systems of 1, 2, 5 and 20 years old in the Ngaoundere savannahs of Cameroon.

Methodology: Carbon stock was estimated in 100 m2 plot for shrubs, in 1 m2 plot for understorey, litter and earthworm casts, and 0.0625m2 plot for fine roots and soil. The experimental design was randomised complete block with three replicates. The age of fallows was the mean treatment whereas the plots were the replicates.

Results: The results showed that the phytomass increased with fallow age, except that of shrubs. Soils and earthworm casts were the mean carbon sinks in the four fallows, with more than 55.61% and 26.24% of the total carbon stock respectively in the soil and earthworm casts. The total carbon stock increased with fallow age, from 34.54 in the young fallows to 154.52 tC.ha-1 in the old fallows. In the same way, vegetation and soil carbon increased with fallow age except that of shrub. The results showed that the carbon stock was influenced by floristic composition and spatial distribution of the vegetation, which related to fallow age.

Conclusion: These preliminary results will contribute to the understanding of the impact of fallow age on the global carbon cycle and awareness in the conservation of fallows for the environment protection.
Patterns of Leaf Litter Decomposition as Related to Litter Traits in the Sudano-Guinea Savannahs of Ngaoundere, Cameroon
Authors: Ibrahima A. , Souhore P. , A Menick A. A Mang
Published: April 2019

Litter decomposition processes are poorly studied in the savannahs. Leaf litter decomposition of the twenty-four contrasting plant species including trees, shrubs and grass species, was studied in the sudano-guinea savannahs of Ngaoundere, Cameroon. The litterbag technique was used to assess litter mass loss and single exponential model was adopted to estimate decay rate constants. Initial litter thickness varied from 0.02 to 1.11 mm, area from 4.27 to 245.89 mm2, sclerophyllous index from 0.01 to 1.75 mg.mm-2, density from 0.21 to 87.50 mg.mm-3, and speciﬁc mass area from 0.57 to 185.46 mm2.mg-1. Litter cellulose content varied from 3.79 to 11.84%; lignin from 2.84 to 8.12%, NDF from 21.35 to 80.41%, and total phenolic compounds from 0.47 to 17.76%. During the 52 weeks of the field experiment, mean dry mass remaining of litter samples was significantly between 8.05 and 75.22% of initial litter dry mass for C. papaya and C. regidus respectively. Litter decomposition rate constant (k) significantly ranged from 0.003 (C. regidus) to 0.121 %.week-1 (C. papaya). Litter mass remaining (LMR) was positively related to thickness (R2 = 0.605, P<0.01), Sclerophyllous index (R2 = 0.446, P<0.05), Specific mass area (R2 = 0.569, P<0.001), lignin (R2 = 0.631, P<0.01) and phenolic compounds (R2 = 0.618, P<0.001). The litter decomposition rate constant (k) was negatively related to thickness (R2 = 0.602, P<0.01, n=12), Sclerophyllous index (0.542; P<0.05), Specific mass area (0.419; P<0.05) and phenolic compounds (0.530; P<0.01). It can be concluded that litter decomposition is affected by plant species diversity, plant groups and physico-chemical traits of litters in the sudano-guinea savannahs of Ngaoundere, Cameroun. These preliminary results would contribute to understanding the mechanism of litter decomposition in general and in these savannahs in particular.
The State’s Role in Strategy of the Implementation of Higher Education’s Self-Governance in Vietnam
Authors: An Dinh Nguyen
Published: April 2019

This scientific paper evaluates and classifies the current degree of self-governance of Vietnam higher education institutions as well as the State’s role (through policy system) in the implementation of the self-governance’s strategy of Vietnam (shown in 5 different levels: Very high, high, medium, low, very low).

In this paper, we used some methods, such as specific research method of survey, international experience’ reference and refer to and survey the trends, the nature of the higher education self-governance in a number of universities around the world.

The results of the paper show that the levels of the higher education’s self-governance are inversely proportional to the State intervention. That is, higher education institution is more in self-governance, then the State mainly performs the supervisory function; the higher education institution is less in self-governance, then the State mainly performs a control function.

Besides, Vietnam higher education institutions are considered by the most of the respondents to be average, low and low and very low levels in their self-governance; especially in the financial realm in which including the right to pay for the lecturers by agreement, tuition, material infrastructure and financial expenditure. That is, most of Vietnam higher education institutions do not have much self-governance, it is synonymous with that the State’s control role is still very large, while its supervision’s role is limited. The opinions of the respondents also showed that the function of State management was not changed or changed slowly compared with the development trend of the higher education system.

Based on the above-mentioned assessment of the State’s role, the authors recommend:

For the State: To build a number of world-class universities in the Vietnamese conditions; To convert a management model from control’s model to monitoring one; To enhance the State management’s effectiveness and efficiency; To reduce the State’s intervention toward the universities.

For the higher education institutions: Be active, be creative and to take the initiative; To determine and identify an opportunities and challenges in higher education’s self-governance; To train and foster the staff of lecturers; To reform goals & targets, objectives, contents, methods and training’s programs; To increase a transparency and social accountability.
Comparison of Wearable and Non-wearable Technologies on Global CO2 Levels
Authors: Mayenberger Alexandra , Schulz Britta
Published: April 2019

Many leading analysts would agree that, had it not been for kernels, the refinement of su- perblocks might have never occurred. Given the current status of “fuzzy” symmetries, theorists daringly desire the analysis of e-business. Our focus in this paper is on whether robots and their entanglement with human nature, seen in bionic creatures or similar, can be a decisive influence on the global CO2 levels due to their replacement of non-robotic wearables such as clothes. We therefore explored a novel system for the refinement of SCSI disks (robotic wearables).

Aims: To compare and calculate the influence of non-robotic and robotic wearable technology and its influence on global CO2 levels.

Study Design: Comparative Study.

Place and duration of Study: Institute for Applied Basic Industrial Research IFABIR, between March 2018 and April 2018.

Methodology: We included 40 participants (38 men, 2 women; age range 18-20 years) with wearable technology incorporated or on their body, with the target group representing the use of these technologies in reality. Personal observations by participants led to statistical analysis about their validity and were, if granted, further analyzed and calculated by us and compared to existing numbers.

Results: The climactic analysis of the first two experiments showed aligning results with g(n) = n. Furthermore, simulating red-black trees rather than emulating them in software produced less discretized, more reproducible results. Similarly, these energy observations contrast to those seen in earlier work.

Conclusion: Our paper clearly showed that non-invasive, robotic wearables can have a positive influence on global CO2 levels, if they stand in alliance with global geographical trends and vegetation.
In vitro Evaluation of Antifungal Activity of Virgin Coconut oil and White Palm Kernel Oil on Candida Species-Experimental Study
Authors: Kamga Hortense Gonsu , Essama Sarah Riwom , Napa Tchuedji Yves Le Grand , Boda Maurice , Voundi Olugu Stève Henri , Betote Diboue Patrick , Mbamyah Emilia Lyonga , Baiye William Abange , Chafa Betbeui Anicette , Ekwin Francis , Etoa Francois-Xavier
Published: April 2019

Aims: The aim of this study is to evaluate in vitro the antifungal activity of virgin coconut oil and the white palm kernel oil on the growth of six species of the genus Candida.

Study Design: This study is an experimental study.

Place and Duration of the Study: Department of Microbiology, Laboratory of Microbiology of the University of Yaoundé I. Laboratory of Bacteriology, Yaoundé University teaching Hospital between April to September 2017.

Methodology: We included six species of Candida. The method of diffusion discs in agar medium was used for Sensitivity tests and macro-dilution in liquid medium was used for dilution.

Results: Majority of the species tested were resistant to conventional antifungals used. Candida hoemulonii was the most sensitive species to virgin coconut oil with percentages of inhibitions higher than 50 % when the concentration of oil was only 3.125 mg/mL and a maximum inhibition percentage of 90.10 % when the concentration of oil was 100 mg/mL. Candida albicans, was the least susceptible species to virgin coconut oil with a maximum inhibition percentage of 59.85 % when the concentration of oil was 100 mg/mL.  Candida lipolytica was the most sensitive specie to white palm kernel oil with a maximum inhibition percentage of 90,26 % when the concentration of oil was 100 mg/mL and Candida parapsilosis was the least susceptible species to white palm kernel oil with a maximum inhibition percentage of 52,69 % at the same concentration. In addition, the white palm kernel oil which was more active (P˂0.05) than virgin coconut oil was introduced in the Sabouraud broth and the MIC and MFC obtained with Fluconazole was lower on Candida albicans and Candida parapsilosis compared to activity of Fluconazole without palm kernel oil in the medium. Nystatin showed also lower MIC and MFC values on Candida parapsilosis when palm kernel oil was present in the culture medium.

Conclusion: These results prove that these oils can be used to develop antifungals drugs.
A study on fluoroscopic images in exposure reduction techniques ― Focusing on the image quality of fluoroscopic images and exposure images
Authors: Sato Hisaya , Kittaka Daisuke , Ohsawa Miwa , Kato Kyoichi
Published: April 2019

The quality of the present day fluoroscopic images is sufficiently high for use as exposure images depending on the environment where the fluoroscopic images are recorded. In some facilities which use fluoroscopic images as exposure images they are recorded with a radiological x‐ray diagnostic device equipped with a fluoroscopic storage function. There are, however, cases where fluoroscopic images cannot be used as exposure images because the quality of the fluoroscopic image cannot be assured in the environment where the fluoroscopic images are recorded. This poses problems when stored fluoroscopic images are used in place of exposure images without any clearly established standard. In the present study, we establish that stored fluoroscopic images can be used as exposure images by using gray values obtained from profile curves. This study finds that replacement of stored fluoroscopic images with exposure images requires 20.1 or higher gray scale value differences between the background and signal, using a 20 cm thick acrylic phantom (here an adult abdomen as representing the human body) as the specific geometry. This suggests the conclusion that the gray value can be considered a useful index when using stored fluoroscopic images as exposure images.
Out of Practice: Theoretical Speculations In and Out of the Business of Architecture
Authors: Soane James
Published: April 2019

Sharing reflections on their practice is a core part of how members of London‐based architecture and interior design studio Project Orange operate. One of the studio's cofounders, James Soane, describes how they came to publish a series of zines, each edited by a different prestigious academic, that have not only nurtured the research‐led nature of their work but also fed into the teaching approach at the London School of Architecture.
Mitigation of Shock: Post‐Occupancy Anthropology
Authors: Jain Anab , Ardern Jon , Knight Danielle
Published: April 2019

Getting people truly on board requires not just intellectual explanations, but emotional connection. So how can the need to address climate change be made real to the average urbanite? By creating an immersive experience of a city apartment as it might look in 2050, London design studio Superflux's installation Mitigation of Shock confronts us with the likely impact of global warming on the way we live, while offering insights that we could apply to take control of our destinies. Here, studio cofounders Anab Jain and Jon Ardern, and studio researcher Danielle Knight, describe the design research process that produced it, from interviews with specialists in a broad range of fields to materials investigations and prototyping.
How Is It For You? Building Design as Experienced by Users and Makers
Authors: Strelitz Ziona
Published: April 2019

Effective evaluation of architectural schemes – whether in progress or completed – can generate evidence and action to enhance people's experience of buildings and spaces. Ziona Strelitz, founding director of London‐based specialists ZZA Responsive User Environments, advocates ‘design anthropology’, an approach she has developed and honed to join meaningful dots in understanding the interplay of the myriad elements that define built spaces and influence their use. Emphasising the benefits of in‐depth, in‐situ, structured interviews over online surveys, she describes three main modes of research, with examples of her practice's contribution across a wide range of users and building types – governmental, academic, banking, media, commercial, policing and public realm.
Vertically Integrated Research: An Unusual Business Model
Authors: Davis Daniel
Published: April 2019

WeWork designs, constructs and manages offices around the globe that serve as a unique test bed through close ongoing contact with their users. Founded in New York in 2010, it is one of the world's fastest‐growing companies, now with over 335 offices that each contain similar elements but combine them in slightly different ways. Daniel Davis, a Director of Research at the firm, here explains how their similarity allows his team to pinpoint the subtle reasons for differences in performance – from desk placement to the impact of staircases on social networks – and to feed this back into new projects, boosting both the occupants’ experience and the company's success.
For the Public Good: Rebuilding the Architectural Profession's Social Contract
Authors: Hyde Rory
Published: April 2019

What use is the business of research, when the business of architecture is on its knees? Rory Hyde – Curator of Contemporary Architecture and Urbanism at the Victoria and Albert Museum, Adjunct Senior Research Fellow at the University of Melbourne, and Design Advocate for the Mayor of London – argues that architectural research can be a vehicle for escaping architecture's current traps: by asking new kinds of questions, developing new kinds of practice models, and rebuilding the social contract between the profession and the public.
Deconstructing Research: A Reverse‐Engineering Methodology and Practice
Authors: Creba Alison , Devlieger Lionel
Published: April 2019

Brussels architecture and art collective Rotor's approach involves research through physical immersion in each project site. By engaging with people's lived realities and reinvesting knowledge in the places where it was acquired, they have gained particular prominence in the flourishing reuse sector. Rotor's resident researcher Alison Creba and co‐founder Lionel Devlieger here describe how they work, and present some of their projects, in Belgium and Sicily.
Translating Culture: Framing Indigenous Knowledge Through Architecture
Authors: Hook Martyn
Published: April 2019

Can architecture contribute to equality and reconciliation of indigenous peoples? Having worked with Aboriginal communities for over two decades on a series of typologies across Western Australia, architects iredale pedersen hook have recently contributed to a major scheme for the heart of Perth's central business district. Yagan Square's spatial framework is informed by the substantial historical research and public engagement that are at the heart of their method, bringing Indigenous and non‐Indigenous people together. Martyn Hook, a co‐director of the practice and Dean of the School of Architecture and Urban Design at Melbourne's RMIT University, explains.
Collective Impressions of Smithson Plaza: Weaving History with the Present
Authors: Saunt Deborah , Greenall Tom , Marcaccio Roberta
Published: April 2019

Designed by Alison and Peter Smithson in the early 1960s, the former Economist Plaza in London is an icon of the modern movement. Its recent restoration by architectural firm DSDHA drew on the Smithsons’ own post‐occupancy appraisals, as well as consultation with scholars who revealed the complex's choreographed nature. What was initially a retrofit with environmental performance enhancements thus evolved into a strategy to reinstate lost dynamism. Guest‐Editors Deborah Saunt, Tom Greenall and Roberta Marcaccio – all key members of the DSDHA team – tell its story.
Towards a New Normal: The Blurred Landscape of Architectural Research in China
Authors: Zhang John
Published: April 2019

The legacy of the Soviet era and 40 years of market‐led reform have given the Chinese architectural profession a unique profile. Architect and researcher John Zhang, who teaches a China‐focused studio at the University of Westminster in London, sets out its three main strands, each of which blends domains that are largely separate in the West. From state‐owned Local Design Institutes often affiliated to universities, to commercial developers with in‐house design capabilities, to a new generation of theoretically engaged architects who use their practice as means to establish their critical positions, he investigates their genealogy and approaches, and explores their pros and cons as models of architectural practice.
Less Grey, More Black and White: Architecture Needs a Consistent Platform in Research
Authors: Green David
Published: April 2019

This issue of AD showcases a range of architectural research approaches that proudly distance themselves from institutionalism or established canons. But is this really the most constructive direction to be headed in – or should we be going the opposite way? David Green, Principal of London practice Perkins+Will and CEO of the firm's non‐profit research arm AREA Research, argues the case for establishing an accepted methodology that would not limit progress but rather open up opportunities for interdisciplinary collaboration and measurable outcomes.
Templated Self‐Replication in Biomimetic Systems
Authors: Le Vay Kristian , Weise Laura Isabel , Libicher Kai , Mascarenhas Judita , Mutschler Hannes
Published: April 2019

A key characteristic of living systems is the storage and replication of information, and as such the development of self‐replicating systems capable of heredity is of great importance to the fields of synthetic biology and origin of life research. In this review, the design and implementation of self‐replicating systems in the context of bottom‐up synthetic biology is discussed, with a particular focus on nucleic acid‐based replication including nonenzymatic systems, ribozyme‐based systems, and complex in vitro translation coupled RNA and DNA replication. The current state and remaining challenges of the respective fields are discussed, and the potential of individual replicators for synthetic biology applications such as the creation of artificial life capable of Darwinian evolution is also summarized.
Efficient Ruddlesden–Popper Perovskite Light‐Emitting Diodes with Randomly Oriented Nanocrystals
Authors: Lee Hyeon‐Dong , Kim Hobeom , Cho Himchan , Cha Wonhee , Hong Yongseok , Kim Young‐Hoon , Sadhanala Aditya , Venugopalan Vijay , Kim Joo Sung , Choi Jin Woo , Lee Chang‐Lyoul , Kim Dongho , Yang Hoichang , Friend Richard H. , Lee Tae‐Woo
Published: April 2019

Ruddlesden–Popper phase (RP‐phase) perovskites that consist of 2D perovskite slabs interleaved with bulky organic ammonium (OA) are favorable for light‐emitting diodes (LEDs). The critical limitation of LED applications is that the insulating OA arranged in a preferred orientation limits charge transport. Therefore, the ideal solution is to achieve a randomly connected structure that can improve charge transport without hampering the confinement of the electron–hole pair. Here, a structurally modulated RP‐phase metal halide perovskite (MHP), (PEA)2(CH3NH3)m−1PbmBr3m+1 is introduced to make the randomly oriented RP‐phase unit and ensure good connection between them by applying modified nanocrystal pinning, which leads to an increase in the efficiency of perovskite LEDs (PeLEDs). The randomly connected RP‐phase MHP forces contact between inorganic layers and thereby yields efficient charge transport and radiative recombination. Combined with an optimal dimensionality, (PEA)2(CH3NH3)2Pb3Br10, the structurally modulated RP‐phase MHP exhibits increased photoluminescence quantum efficiency, from 0.35% to 30.3%, and their PeLEDs show a 2,018 times higher current efficiency (20.18 cd A−1) than in the 2D PeLED (0.01 cd A−1) and 673 times than in the 3D PeLED (0.03 cd A−1) using the same film formation process. This approach provides insight on how to solve the limitation of RP‐phase MHP for efficient PeLEDs.
Ultrathin Molybdenum Carbide MXene with Fast Biodegradability for Highly Efficient Theory‐Oriented Photonic Tumor Hyperthermia
Authors: Feng Wei , Wang Rongyan , Zhou Yadan , Ding Li , Gao Xiang , Zhou Bangguo , Hu Ping , Chen Yu
Published: April 2019

The explosion of emerging high‐performance 2D MXenes in theranostic nanomedicine is still at the preliminary stage. Despite tremendous efforts devoted to photonic tumor hyperthermia, current photothermal‐conversion nanoagents still suffer from critical issues preventing further clinical translation such as low biodegradability. Here, for the first time, the construction of novel 2D molybdenum carbide (Mo2C) MXenes for photonic tumor hyperthermia is reported. The structure of both bulk Mo2Ga2C ceramic and Mo2C MXene is fully revealed. Especially, computational simulation, as a novel strategy and a powerful tool for photonic‐performance prediction, is employed to reveal that Mo2C MXene is featured with intense near‐infrared (NIR) absorption, covering the first and the second biological transparency window (NIR I and II). After further surface engineering with polyvinyl alcohol (PVA), Mo2C‐PVA nanoflakes exhibit high biocompatibility and fast degradability. Importantly, it is experimentally corroborated that Mo2C‐PVA nanoflakes possess intriguing broad absorption band spanning NIR in both the I and II regions, and desirable photothermal‐conversion efficiency (24.5% for NIR I and 43.3% for NIR II). This study not only broadens the nanomedical applications of MXene by fabricating novel material members (Mo2C), but also provides the paradigm of inorganic multifunctional biomedical nanoplatform with desirable biodegradability and high therapeutic performance.
Self‐Supported Transition‐Metal‐Based Electrocatalysts for Hydrogen and Oxygen Evolution
Authors: Sun Hongming , Yan Zhenhua , Liu Fangming , Xu Wence , Cheng Fangyi , Chen Jun
Published: April 2019

Electrochemical water splitting is a promising technology for sustainable conversion, storage, and transport of hydrogen energy. Searching for earth‐abundant hydrogen/oxygen evolution reaction (HER/OER) electrocatalysts with high activity and durability to replace noble‐metal‐based catalysts plays paramount importance in the scalable application of water electrolysis. A freestanding electrode architecture is highly attractive as compared to the conventional coated powdery form because of enhanced kinetics and stability. Herein, recent progress in developing transition‐metal‐based HER/OER electrocatalytic materials is reviewed with selected examples of chalcogenides, phosphides, carbides, nitrides, alloys, phosphates, oxides, hydroxides, and oxyhydroxides. Focusing on self‐supported electrodes, the latest advances in their structural design, controllable synthesis, mechanistic understanding, and strategies for performance enhancement are presented. Remaining challenges and future perspectives for the further development of self‐supported electrocatalysts are also discussed.
Coated and Printed Perovskites for Photovoltaic Applications
Authors: Howard Ian A. , Abzieher Tobias , Hossain Ihteaz M. , Eggers Helge , Schackmar Fabian , Ternes Simon , Richards Bryce S. , Lemmer Uli , Paetzold Ulrich W.
Published: April 2019

Hybrid organic–inorganic metal halide perovskite semiconductors provide opportunities and challenges for the fabrication of low‐cost thin‐film photovoltaic devices. The opportunities are clear: the power conversion efficiency (PCE) of small‐area perovskite photovoltaics has surpassed many established thin‐film technologies. However, the large‐scale solution‐based deposition of perovskite layers introduces challenges. To form perovskite layers, precursor solutions are coated or printed and these must then be crystallized into the perovskite structure. The nucleation and crystal growth must be controlled during film formation and subsequent treatments in order to obtain high‐quality, pin‐hole‐free films over large areas. A great deal of understanding regarding material engineering during the perovskite film formation process has been gained through spin‐coating studies. Based on this, significant progress has been made on transferring material engineering strategies to processes capable of scale‐up, such as blade coating, spray coating, inkjet printing, screen printing, relief printing, and gravure printing. Here, an overview is provided of the strategies that led to devices deposited by these scalable techniques with PCEs as high as 21%. Finally, the opportunities to fully close the shrinking gap to record spin‐coated solar cells and to scale these efficiencies to large areas are highlighted.
Substitution Conformation Balances the Oscillator Strength and Singlet–Triplet Energy Gap for Highly Efficient D–A–D Thermally Activated Delayed Fluorescence Emitters
Authors: Wei Xiaofang , Li Zhiyi , Hu Taiping , Duan Ruihong , Liu Jianjun , Wang Ruifang , Liu Yanwei , Hu Xiaoxiao , Yi Yuanping , Wang Pengfei , Wang Ying
Published: April 2019

Four donor–acceptor–donor region isomers (2,3‐TXO‐PhCz, 2,6‐TXO‐PhCz, 2,7‐TXO‐PhCz, and 3,6‐TXO‐PhCz) are designed. The substitution positions of the two PhCz units significantly impact the photophysical properties of the isomers, especially for the singlet–triplet energy splitting (ΔEST) and oscillator strength (f ). 2,3‐TXO‐PhCz exhibits weak emission due to the large steric hindrance of the two PhCz units. While 2,6‐TXO‐PhCz, 2,7‐TXO‐PhCz, and 3,6‐TXO‐PhCz all exhibit strong emission. The four emitters possess small ΔEST of 0.01–0.24 eV; the corresponding f values are 0.064, 0.107, 0.026, and 0.134. Consequently, the photoluminescence quantum yields (PLQYs) of the doped films in CBP host are: 62.1% for 2,3‐TXO‐PhCz, 83.8% for 2,6‐TXO‐PhCz, 89.0% for 2,7‐TXO‐PhCz, and 85.4% for 3,6‐TXO‐PhCz. Although notable divergences of f and ΔEST exist between 2,6‐TXO‐PhCz and 2,7‐TXO‐PhCz, similar PLQY of doped film in the CBP host, and exciton utilization and external quantum efficiency (EQE) of the corresponding devices can be achieved: 2,6‐TXO‐PhCz and 2,7‐TXO‐PhCz endow the organic light‐emitting devices with high EQE of 23.2% and 24.4%. This proximity can be attributed to the synergistic effect of f and ΔEST. This finding highlights the beneficial role of the different linking positions on the acceptor unit in facilitating the adjustment of f and ΔEST in order to improve the device efficiency.
Nickel‐Catalyzed Construction of 2,4‐Disubstituted Imidazoles via C–C Coupling and C−N Condensation Cascade Reactions
Authors: Fang Shengyang , Yu Haihua , Yang Xicheng , Li Jianqi , Shao Liming
Published: April 2019

A convenient Ni(II)‐catalyzed C−C and C−N cascade coupling reaction was developed to directly access various 2,4‐disubstituted imidazoles. The reaction scope covers a variety of aryl and aliphatic substitutions, which demonstrate moderate‐to‐excellent yields. The tolerance of halogen and N‐containing heterocyclic groups demonstrates the versatility of this method for further synthetic explorations.

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Room‐Temperature Ferromagnetism in MoTe2 by Post‐Growth Incorporation of Vanadium Impurities
Authors: Coelho Paula Mariel , Komsa Hannu‐Pekka , Lasek Kinga , Kalappattil Vijaysankar , Karthikeyan Jeyakumar , Phan Manh‐Huong , Krasheninnikov Arkady V. , Batzill Matthias
Published: April 2019

Post‐synthesis doping of 2D materials is demonstrated by incorporation of vapor‐deposited transition metals into a MoTe2 lattice. Using this approach, vanadium doping of 2H‐MoTe2 produces a 2D ferromagnetic semiconductor with a Curie temperature above room temperature (RT). Surprisingly, ferromagnetic properties can be induced with very low vanadium concentrations, down to ≈0.2%. The vanadium species introduced at RT are metastable, and annealing to above ≈500 K results in the formation of a thermodynamically favored impurity configuration that, however, exhibits reduced ferromagnetic properties. Doping with titanium, instead of vanadium, shows a similar incorporation behavior, but no ferromagnetism is induced in MoTe2. This indicates that the type of impurities in addition to their atomic configuration is responsible for the induced magnetism. The interpretation of the experimental results is consistent with ab initio calculations, which confirm that the proposed vanadium impurity configurations exhibit magnetic moments, in contrast to the same configurations with titanium impurities. This study illustrates the possibility to induce ferromagnetic properties in layered van der Waals semiconductors by controlled magnetic impurity doping and thus to add magnetic functionalities to 2D materials.
The Dominant Energy Transport Pathway in Halide Perovskites: Photon Recycling or Carrier Diffusion?
Authors: Gan Zhixing , Wen Xiaoming , Chen Weijian , Zhou Chunhua , Yang Shuang , Cao Guiyuan , Ghiggino Kenneth P. , Zhang Hua , Jia Baohua
Published: April 2019

Photon recycling and carrier diffusion are the two plausible processes that primarily affect the carrier dynamics in halide perovskites, and therefore the evaluation of the performance of their photovoltaic and photonic devices. However, it is still challenging to isolate their individual contributions because both processes result in a similar emission redshift. Herein, it is confirmed that photon recycling is the dominant effect responsible for the observed redshifted emission. By applying one‐ and two‐photon confocal emission microscopy on Ruddlesden–Popper type 2D perovskites, of which interplane carrier diffusion is strictly suppressed, the substantial PL redshift (72 meV) is well reproduced by the photon transport model. A comparison of 3D bulk CH3NH3PbBr3 single crystal to 2D perovskite by depth‐resolved two‐photon PL spectra reveals the contribution of carrier diffusion on energy transport at a distance beyond diffusion length is constantly negligible, though the carrier diffusion indeed exists in the 3D crystal. The investigation resolves the fundamental confusion and debate surrounding the issue and provides significant insights into carrier kinetics in perovskites, which is important for future developments in solar cells and other optoelectronic devices.
Rapid changes in eastern Himalayan alpine flora with climate change
Authors: Salick Jan , Fang Zhendong , Hart Robbie
Published: April 2019

Premise of the Study

With biodiversity and rates of climate change among the highest, the eastern Himalaya are critical for understanding the interaction of these two variables. However, there is a dearth of longitudinal data sets that address the effects of climate change on the exceptional alpine biodiversity of the Himalaya.

Methods

We established permanent alpine vegetation monitoring plots in three mountain chains of the Hengduan Mountains, the easternmost Himalaya, which have warmed 0.03–0.05°C yr−1since 1985. Recently, we resampled plots (176 1‐m2quadrat plots and 88 sections of 11 summits in three Hengduan mountain chains) to measure changes in vegetation after 7 years.

Key Results

Over 7 years, Tibetan alpine vegetation increased in number of species (+8 species/summit; +2.3 species/m2), in frequency (+47.8 plants/m2), and in diversity (+1.6 effective species/m2). Stepwise regressions indicated that warmer temperatures, southerly aspects, and higher elevations were associated with greater increases in these vegetation metrics. Unexpectedly, Himalayan endemic species increased (+1.4 species/m2; +8.5 plants/m2), especially on higher‐elevation summits. In contrast, the increase in relative abundance of non‐alpine species was greater at lower‐elevation summits. Plants used by local Tibetans also increased (+1.3 species/m2; +32 plants/m2).

Conclusions

As in other alpine areas, biodiversity is increasing with climate change in the Himalaya. Unlike other areas, endemic species are proliferating at the highest summits and are indicators of change.