bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Role of Problem Construction in Creative Production
Authors: Reiter‐Palmon Roni
Published: December 2017

This paper provides an overview of theory and research regarding problem construction and identification. Specifically, the paper reviews a theoretical model of processes associated with problem construction and empirical evidence in relation to the model. Finally, the paper reviews the literature on team problem construction.
Interdisciplinary Invigoration of Creativity Studies
Authors: Ambrose Don
Published: December 2017

The forces of globalization are magnifying the importance of interdisciplinary creative work. While the field of creativity studies always has been more open to interdisciplinary idea borrowing than many other fields, it can and should do more interdisciplinary synthesizing. This article begins with a discussion of the rationale for encouraging interdisciplinary work in the field and then explores several examples of constructs imported from various disciplines that can enrich theory and research in creativity studies. These constructs include market fundamentalism from economics, and networked science from various STEM fields. Some other candidates for importation also are discussed briefly.
Linking sorghum nutrition and production with arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi and alternative soil amendments
Authors: Cobb Adam B. , Wilson Gail W. T. , Goad Carla L.
Published: December 2017

Mounting fertilizer costs are disproportionally affecting farmers in developing countries. Alternative soil fertility amendments [worm compost, pyrolyzed carbon (biochar)] and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi have the potential to reduce these costs while promoting soil health. Our greenhouse study investigated the role of mycorrhizal associations and alternative fertility amendments on the productivity and plant nutrition of grain sorghum. We assessed sorghum (Sorghum bicolor cv. Macia) grown with ten different treatments (combinations of biochar, worm compost, and commercial N and P fertilizers) plus a non‐amended control. An amendment blend containing worm compost, biochar, and 50% of the typically recommended commercial fertilizer rate produced similar plant biomass and protein, similar total tissue mineral contents (Ca, Fe, K, Mg, P, and Zn), and supported ≈ 60% more mycorrhizal fungi in the host plant's roots, compared to sorghum grown with the recommended rate of commercial fertilizer (N and P). Our results indicate the potential of biochar and worm compost to enhance the benefits of mycorrhizal fungi for grain sorghum production and plant nutrition while reducing commercial fertilizer applications.
Ammonium and nitrate transport during saturated and unsaturated water flow through sandy soils
Authors: Kadyampakeni Davie M. , Nkedi-Kizza Peter , Leiva Jorge A. , Muwamba Augustine , Fletcher Evelyn , Morgan Kelly T.
Published: December 2017

Citrus production in Florida accounts for ≈ 60% of national production in USA. The sandy soil characteristic (> 95% sand) makes water and nutrient management extremely difficult, raising concerns about environmental sustainability as a result of nutrient inputs in citrus producing regions where sandy soils dominate. Thus, laboratory column and field experiments were conducted to better understand the leaching patterns of and ions in Florida's sandy soils. The soil columns were first saturated from the bottom with two pore volumes of simulated Florida rain followed by pumping a pulse of fertilizer mixture at a steady Darcy flux of 14 cm h−1. Nitrate and Cl− appeared earlier in the effluent than in the A and Bh horizons, due to cation exchange of . Essentially identical breakthrough curves (BTCs) for and were observed in the E‐horizon, due to very low sorption of . The convective and dispersive equilibrium (CDE) model simulations were in good agreement with measured breakthrough curves (BTCs) for , , and Cl−. However, the sorption coefficient (KD) values used in the CDE model to simulate the BTCs for were about 10 times less than the batch isotherm KD values. This was attributed to differences in pH, cation composition, and ionic strength between batch (static) and dynamic (leaching) systems. The field experiment showed that under unsaturated flow, improved short‐pulse fertigation systems (drip and microsprinkler) limited and transport beyond the root zone (top 30 cm), which might have promoted nutrient and water uptake in citrus. The column study revealed that under extreme weather events such as hurricanes or storm surge in Florida, saturated soil conditions can trigger N mobility below the root zone to surficial or groundwater aquifers. In the field experiment, the use of judicious, minimal and split applications and accurate placement of N‐fertilizers reduced leaching of N especially during heavy storms in the summer rainy months of Florida. The field experiment demonstrated that it is possible to manage inorganic N forms for optimal residence time for uptake and minimal leaching concerns.
Relationship between Raman spectral features and fugacity in mixtures of gases
Authors: Lamadrid Hector M. , Steele‐MacInnis Matthew , Bodnar Robert J.
Published: December 2017

Raman spectroscopy yields information about the internal vibrational modes of covalently bonded molecules, which are sensitive to the local molecular environment. As such, Raman spectra of a gas composed of covalently bonded molecules collected at different temperatures and/or pressures show variations in band positions and other spectral features, reflecting molecular‐scale interactions (attraction and repulsion) among gas particles associated with the local physical and chemical environment. Because the molecules interact, gases are nonideal, and fugacity is the fundamental thermodynamic quantity that describes partial pressures of gases, adjusted to account for the nonideality. The fugacity of a substance is generally obtained from thermodynamic calculations rather than by direct analysis or measurement and, as such, is conceptually nebulous. Here, we perform spectroscopic analyses of a gas mixture of known composition at variable and known pressures and couple these results with thermodynamic calculations of gas fugacities. We show that Raman peak shifts in gas mixtures are directly correlated to fugacities of the component gas species. Our results thus provide experimental evidence that fugacities of gases can be estimated from Raman spectra collected in situ. By this approach, the thermodynamic quantities fugacity and the related thermodynamic property activity are linked directly with underlying molecular‐scale phenomena, according to the vibrational properties of molecular species. This represents a tractable method to efficiently obtain large datasets on thermodynamic properties of gas mixtures, and with some adjustments, may lead to a viable method for developing nonideal mixing rules for other substances, such as crystalline solid solutions, aqueous ions, and electrolytes.
In vitro bioaccessibility of individual carotenoids from persimmon (Diospyros kaki, cv. Rojo Brillante) used as an ingredient in a model dairy food
Authors: García‐Cayuela Tomás , Nuño‐Escobar Beatriz , Welti‐Chanes Jorge , Cano M Pilar
Published: December 2017

BACKGROUND

Addition of persimmon fruit, which is highly rich in carotenoids, to dairy products represents an alternative to obtain functional foods. However, carotenoid bioaccessibility is strongly influenced by fat content and food composition. That is why in vitro bioaccessibility of individual carotenoids was evaluated in persimmon‐based dairy products formulated with whole (3.6% fat) or skimmed milk (0.25% fat) and different freeze‐dried persimmon tissues.

RESULTS

Unambiguous identification of seven xanthophylls (neoxanthin, violaxanthin, antheraxanthin, lutein, zeaxanthin, lutein epoxide and β‐cryptoxanthin) and three hydrocarbon carotenes (α‐carotene, β‐carotene and lycopene) was achieved using high‐performance liquid chromatography with a reverse‐phase C‐30 column. Total carotenoid content declined up 71% through the digestion process. In vitro bioaccessibility of carotenoids was significantly higher in dairy products formulated with whole milk than those with skimmed milk, representing a difference of more than 21% (in the formulation using persimmon whole fruit as ingredient). Furthermore, addition of whole milk to any type of persimmon tissue significantly improved the bioaccessibility of total provitamin A carotenoids, reaching the highest values (38%) with whole fruit and whole milk.

CONCLUSION

The higher fat content in whole milk exerted a significant influence on carotenoid bioaccessibility, especially when using freeze‐dried persimmon whole fruit. © 2017 Society of Chemical Industry
Occurrence of variable levels of health‐promoting fruit compounds in horn‐shaped Italian sweet pepper varieties assessed by a comprehensive approach
Authors: Mennella Giuseppe , D'Alessandro Antonietta , Francese Gianluca , Fontanella Daniela , Parisi Mario , Tripodi Pasquale
Published: December 2017

BACKGROUND

Cultivated pepper is a rich source of diverse bioactive compounds with potential properties related to the prevention of major degenerative and proliferative diseases. In the present study, 15 sweet pepper varieties, highly appreciated on the Italian market, were assessed for variation in the content of ascorbic acid, isoprenoids and flavonoids, as well as morpho‐agronomic performances and molecular diversity.

RESULTS

The collection under study showed a wide variability for all traits considered. Traditional cultivars, although less productive, were characterized by a high content of β‐carotene and ascorbic acid, reaching maximum concentrations of 230.5 mg kg–1 fresh weight (fw) and 2750 mg kg–1 fw, respectively. Strong correlations were demonstrated between neoxanthin and luteolins. Fruit weight was positively correlated with α‐tocopherol content and negatively correlated with luteolins content. The genotyping by sequencing platform allowed the identification of 1833 single nucleotide polymorphism, which better defined the relationships among cultivars, based on provenance and improvement rate.

CONCLUSIONS

The present study provides an overview of the variability in the expression of fruit nutritional traits in a collection of horn‐shaped pepper cultivars, integrating agronomic and molecular data. The impact for breeding and consumers is discussed. © 2017 Society of Chemical Industry
Electroless‐coated magnetic three‐dimensional graphene with silver nanoparticles used for the determination of pesticides in fruit samples
Authors: Sereshti Hassan , Afsharsaveh Zahra , Gaikani Hamid , Rashidi Nodeh Hamid
Published: December 2017

A new type of adsorbent composed of magnetic three‐dimensional graphene coated with silver nanoparticles was synthesized by an electroless technique and used in the magnetic solid‐phase extraction of selected pesticides (fenitrothion, chlorpyrifos, and hexaconazole) before gas chromatography with a micro‐electron capture detector. The adsorbent was characterized using Fourier‐transform infrared spectroscopy, X‐ray diffraction, vibrating sample magnetometry, and field‐emission scanning electron microscopy. The important extraction parameters such as pH, adsorbent dose, extraction time, and desorption conditions were investigated. Under the optimal conditions, the analytical figures of merit were obtained as: linear dynamic range of 0.1–5 ng/g with determination coefficients of 0.991–0.996; limit of detection of 0.07–0.13 ng/g; limit of quantification of 0.242–0.448 ng/g; and the intraday and interday relative standard deviations (C = 5 ng/g, n = 3) were 3.8–8.7 and 6.6–8.9%, respectively. The developed method was successfully applied for analysis of the selected pesticides in tomato and grape with extraction recoveries in the range of 72.8–109.6%.
Chiral separation of helical chromenes with chloromethyl phenylcarbamate polysaccharide‐based stationary phases
Authors: Ianni Federica , Scorzoni Stefania , Gentili Pier Luigi , Di Michele Alessandro , Frigoli Michel , Camaioni Emidio , Ortica Fausto , Sardella Roccaldo
Published: December 2017

Two chloromethyl phenylcarbamate‐based chiral stationary phases, one containing an amylose‐type chiral selector (Lux Amylose 2, from Phenomenex) and the other a cellulose‐type one (Lux Cellulose‐4, from Phenomenex), were successfully used for the chiral resolution of three helical chromenes featuring a helicene‐like structure. The compound bearing a phenyl substituent on the helicene‐like structure was enantioresolved at 25°C with Lux Cellulose‐4 and a n‐hexane/1‐propanol 99:1 v/v eluent. With a n‐hexane/2‐propanol 99.8:0.2 v/v mobile phase, the same column (operated at 35°C) provided the separation of the four isomers of the compound having a hexyl residue on the helicene‐like motif and an additional asymmetric carbon. Lux Amylose‐2 was necessary for the enantioseparation of the compound having the sole hexyl residue on the helical scaffold. For the last compound a n‐hexane/2‐propanol 99.8:0.2 v/v eluent was used, and the column temperature was fixed at 5°C. The enantiomer elution order was appraised by using electronic circular dichroism and theoretical calculations. Notably, different thermodynamics of retention and enantioseparation were observed for molecules with pronounced structural similarity, that is, the enantiomer pairs of the compound containing the additional asymmetric carbon atom. Indeed, both entropically and enthalpically controlled adsorption and separation processes were observed.
Direct HPLC separation of carnosine enantiomers with two chiral stationary phases based on penicillamine and teicoplanin derivatives
Authors: Fumagalli Laura , Pucciarini Lucia , Regazzoni Luca , Gilardoni Ettore , Carini Marina , Vistoli Giulio , Aldini Giancarlo , Sardella Roccardo
Published: December 2017

Carnosine is present in high concentrations in specific human tissues such as the skeletal muscle, and among its biological functions, the remarkable scavenging activity toward reactive carbonyl species is noteworthy. Although the two enantiomers show almost identical scavenging reactivity toward reactive carbonyl species, only d‐carnosine is poorly adsorbed at the gastrointestinal level and is stable in human plasma. Direct methods for the enantioselective analysis of carnosine are still missing even though they could find more effective applications in the analysis of complex matrices. In the present study, the use of two different chiral stationary phases is presented. A chiral ligand‐exchange chromatography stationary phase based on N,S‐dioctyl‐d‐penicillamine resulted in the direct enantioseparation of carnosine. Indeed, running the analysis at 25°C and 1.0 mL/min with a 1.5 mM copper(II) sulfate concentration allowed us to obtain separation and resolution factors of 3.37 and 12.34, respectively. However, the use of a copper(II)‐containing eluent renders it hardly compatible with mass spectrometry detectors. With the teicoplanin‐based stationary phase, a mass spectrometry compatible method was successfully developed. Indeed, a water/methanol 60:40 v/v pH 3.1 eluent flowed at 1.0 mL/min and with a 25°C column temperature produced separation and resolution factors of 2.60 and 4.16, respectively.
Use of Ultrasound Contrast Agents in Relation to Percutaneous Interventional Procedures: A Systematic Review and Pictorial Essay
Authors: Nolsøe Christian Pállson , Nolsøe Alexander Bjørneboe , Klubien Jeanett , Pommergaard Hans‐Christian , Rosenberg Jacob , Meloni Maria Franca , Lorentzen Torben
Published: December 2017

The aim of this article is to provide an inventory of the use of contrast‐enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) in relation to percutaneous interventional procedures. The article is structured into a systematic literature review followed by a clinical part relating to percutaneous CEUS‐guided procedures. A literature search identified 3109 records. After abstract screening, 55 articles were analyzed and supplemented with pictorial material to explain the techniques. In conclusion, the best‐evidenced indications for CEUS‐guided interventions are biopsy and ablation of inconspicuous or B‐mode–invisible tumors, intraprocedural ablation control and follow‐up, as well as percutaneous transhepatic cholangiography and drainage procedures.
Effects of land preparation and plantings of vegetation on soil moisture in a hilly loess catchment in China
Authors: Tianjiao Feng , Wei Wei , Liding Chen , Keesstra Saskia D. , Yang Yu
Published: December 2017

In the dryland and degraded regions, soil moisture is the primary factor determining ecological restoration. Proper land preparations and vegetation restoration can improve soil moisture and benefit land restoration. Identifying their effects on soil moisture is thus essential for developing suitable management strategies. In this study, four typical land preparation techniques (level ditches, fish‐scale pits, zig terraces, and level benches) and non‐native vegetation types (Prunus armeniaca, Platycladus orientalis, Pinus tabulaeformis, and Caragana microphylla) were planted on a semiarid loess hilly catchment, China. Soil moisture was monitored by a time‐domain reflectometer, and its spatial–temporal variations were analyzed during the 2014–2015 growing seasons. The following results were captured. (a) Soil moisture was highest for the combination of P. orientalis and fish‐scale pits (P. orientalis/fish‐scale pits, 10.37%), followed by P. armeniaca/level ditches (10.23%), P. orientalis/zig terraces (9.67%), C. microphylla/level benches (8.62%), P. tabulaeformis/fish‐scale pits (8.05%), and P. tabulaeformis/zig terraces (7.72%). (b) Fish‐scale pits offered a better rainwater‐harvesting capacity during the rainy months, whereas zig terraces had a higher water retention capacity under extremely dry conditions (as indicated by the temporal soil moisture variation and soil water retention curves). (c) P. tabulaeformis consumed more water than other vegetation types (26.7% lower than that of P. orientalis). (d) Soil moisture in shallower layers (0–80 cm) was more affected by land preparations and was more effected by vegetation types in deeper soil layers (80–180 cm). We thus suggest that fish‐scale pits may be a better choice in wetter regions whereas zig terraces and P. orientalis are more suitable in the driest parts of the Loess Plateau to restore the fragile ecosystems.
Characterization of H3.3 and HIRA expression and function in bovine early embryos
Authors: Zhang Kun , Wang Han , Rajput Sandeep K. , Folger Joseph K. , Smith George W.
Published: December 2017

Histone variant H3.3 is encoded by two distinct genes, H3F3A and H3F3B, that are closely associated with actively transcribed genes. H3.3 replacement is continuous and essential for maintaining correct chromatin structure during mouse oogenesis. Upon fertilization, H3.3 is incorporated to parental chromatin, and is required for blastocyst formation in mice. The H3.3 exchange process is facilitated by the chaperone HIRA, particularly during zygote development. We previously demonstrated that H3.3 is required for bovine early embryonic development; here, we explored the mechanisms of its functional requirement. H3F3A mRNA abundance is stable whereas H3F3B and HIRA mRNA are relatively dynamic during early embryonic development. H3F3B mRNA quantity is also considerably higher than H3F3A. Immunofluorescence analysis revealed an even distribution of H3.3 between paternal and maternal pronuclei in zygotes, and subsequent stage‐specific localization of H3.3 in early bovine embryos. Knockdown of H3.3 by targeting both H3F3A and H3F3B dramatically decreased the expression of NANOG (a pluripotency marker) and CTGF (Connective tissue growth factor; a trophectoderm marker) in bovine blastocysts. Additionally, we noted that Histone H3 lysine 36 dimethylation and linker Histone H1 abundance is reduced in H3.3‐deficient embryos, which was similar to effects following knockdown of CHD1 (Chromodomain helicase DNA‐binding protein 1). By contrast, no difference was observed in the abundance of Histone H3 lysine 4 trimethylation, Histone H3 lysine 9 dimethylation, or Splicing factor 3 B1. Collectively, these results established that H3.3 is required for correct epigenetic modifications and H1 deposition, dysregulation of which likely mediate the poor development in H3.3‐deficient embryos.
Placenta microstructure and microcirculation imaging with diffusion MRI
Authors: Slator Paddy J. , Hutter Jana , McCabe Laura , Gomes Ana Dos Santos , Price Anthony N. , Panagiotaki Eleftheria , Rutherford Mary A. , Hajnal Joseph V. , Alexander Daniel C.
Published: December 2017

Purpose

To assess which microstructural models best explain the diffusion‐weighted MRI signal in the human placenta.

Methods

The placentas of nine healthy pregnant subjects were scanned with a multishell, multidirectional diffusion protocol at 3T. A range of multicompartment biophysical models were fit to the data, and ranked using the Bayesian information criterion.

Results

Anisotropic extensions to the intravoxel incoherent motion model, which consider the effect of coherent orientation in both microvascular structure and tissue microstructure, consistently had the lowest Bayesian information criterion values. Model parameter maps and model selection results were consistent with the physiology of the placenta and surrounding tissue.

Conclusion

Anisotropic intravoxel incoherent motion models explain the placental diffusion signal better than apparent diffusion coefficient, intravoxel incoherent motion, and diffusion tensor models, in information theoretic terms, when using this protocol. Future work will aim to determine if model‐derived parameters are sensitive to placental pathologies associated with disorders, such as fetal growth restriction and early‐onset pre‐eclampsia. Magn Reson Med 80:756–766, 2018. © 2017 The Authors Magnetic Resonance in Medicine published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of International Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine. This is an open access article under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits use, distribution and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
Durability of CFRP sheets and epoxy resin exposed to natural hygrothermal or cyclic wet‐dry environment
Authors: Xie Jianhe , Lu Zhongyu , Guo Yongchang , Huang Yaohong
Published: December 2017

Fiber reinforced polymer (FRP) composites are used in harsh environments, resulting in degradation of their mechanical properties. Such degradation is critical in terms of the reliable design and application of FRP composites. In this study, a set of CFRP flat coupons and epoxy resin matrix flat coupons were prepared and subjected to alternating conditions of 10 h immersion in a 40°C NaCl solution with a concentration of 3.5%, and 14 h drying at 25°C and 60% relative humidity (RH). They were divided into five series, subjected to 0, 60, 120, 240, and 360 wet‐dry cycles, respectively. For a comparison with the acceleration simulation tests, the same numbers of specimens were exposed to a natural hygrothermal environment for 0, 6, 12, 18, and 30 months, respectively. After removal from the environment at the designated time, a series of tension tests were carried out. Based on the experimental results, the relationship regarding the tensile strength degradation of the CFRP sheets between the natural hygrothermal environment and the cyclic wet‐dry environment was determined. It was found that the tensile modulus of the CFRP sheets increased by 1.4%, and the tensile strength and ultimate strain decreased by 8.1% and 8.0% after 360 wet‐dry cycles, respectively. After a 30‐month natural exposure period, the tensile strength, tensile modulus, and ultimate strain of the CFRP sheets decreased by 9.9%, 3.4%, and 7.2%, respectively. The tensile property of the epoxy resin matrix appeared to be more sensitive to these two types of exposure environments than that of the CFRP sheets, and the tensile strength decreased by 59.4% at the end of 30‐month exposure. POLYM. COMPOS., 40:553–567, 2019. © 2017 Society of Plastics Engineers
Effects of analgesics on bone mineral density: A longitudinal analysis of the prospective SWAN cohort with three‐group matching weights
Authors: Yoshida Kazuki , Yu Zhi , Greendale Gail A. , Ruppert Kristine , Lian Yinjuan , Tedeschi Sara K. , Lin Tzu‐Chieh , Haneuse Sebastien , Glynn Robert J. , Hernández‐Díaz Sonia , Solomon Daniel H.
Published: December 2017

Purpose

To examine the effects of analgesics on bone mineral density (BMD), which have not been examined in a longitudinal study with multiple measurements.

Methods

We investigated changes in BMD associated with new use of analgesics in a prospective longitudinal cohort of mid‐life women. BMD and medication use were measured annually. We compared BMD among new users of acetaminophen, NSAIDs, and opioids. Adjustment for baseline covariates was conducted through propensity score matching weights. On‐treatment analysis was conducted with inverse probability of censoring weights. Analysis based on the initial treatment group was also conducted to provide insights into selection bias. Repeated BMD measurements were examined with generalized estimating equations.

Results

We identified 71 acetaminophen new users, 659 NSAID new users, and 84 opioid new users among 2365 participants. In the on‐treatment analysis, the opioid group in comparison to the acetaminophen group had an additional average BMD decline of −0.06% [−1.24, 1.11] per year in the spine and −0.45% [−1.51, 0.61] per year in the femoral neck. BMD mean trajectories over time suggested a fifth‐year decline in the opioid persistent users compared with other 2 groups. In the initial treatment group analysis, all 3 groups showed similar trajectories.

Conclusion

The BMD decline over time was similar among the 3 groups. However, 5 years of continuous opioid use may be associated with a greater BMD decline than 5 years on other analgesics. Further studies examining the relationship between very long‐term persistent opioid use and BMD are warranted.
The Product Environmental Footprint (PEF) of photovoltaic modules—Lessons learned from the environmental footprint pilot phase on the way to a single market for green products in the European Union
Authors: Wade Andreas , Stolz Philippe , Frischknecht Rolf , Heath Garvin , Sinha Parikhit
Published: December 2017

Shaping and channeling the transformation of the global energy system require an understanding of the life cycle environmental impacts of available technology options. With photovoltaic electricity generation expected to be the largest, least cost, and most relevant source of energy globally by mid‐century, the environmental and resource implications of this technology should be made accessible to a variety of societal, political, and scientific stakeholders. The Product Environmental Footprint Guide provides a methodology for assessing the environmental impacts of PV technologies based on life cycle assessment. The establishment of an inclusive multi‐stakeholder process with multiple checkpoints, ensuring scientific soundness, societal and political acceptance and methodological quality, is portrayed in this paper and can serve as a model for driving a single market for green products in the EU.
Ytterbium Silicide (YbSi2): A Promising Thermoelectric Material with a High Power Factor at Room Temperature
Authors: Tanusilp Sora‐at , Ohishi Yuji , Muta Hiroaki , Yamanaka Shinsuke , Nishide Akinori , Hayakawa Jun , Kurosaki Ken
Published: December 2017

Metal silicide‐based thermoelectric (TE) materials have attracted attention in the past two decades, because they are less toxic, with low production cost and high chemical stability. Here, we study the TE properties of ytterbium silicide YbSi2 with a specific layered structure and the mixed valence state of Yb2+ and Yb3+. YbSi2 exhibits large Seebeck coefficient, S, accompanied by high electrical conductivity, σ, leading to high power factor, S2σ, of 2.2 mW m−1 K−2 at room temperature, which is comparable to those of state‐of‐the‐art TE materials such as Bi2Te3 and PbTe. Moreover, YbSi2 exhibits high Grüneisen parameter of 1.57, which leads to relatively low lattice thermal conductivity, κlat, of 3.0 W m−1 K−1 at room temperature. The present study reveals that YbSi2 can be a good candidate of TE materials working near room temperature.
Juvenile social experience and differential age‐related changes in the dendritic morphologies of subareas of the prefrontal cortex in rats
Authors: Himmler Brett T. , Mychasiuk Richelle , Nakahashi Ayuno , Himmler Stephanie M. , Pellis Sergio M. , Kolb Bryan
Published: December 2017

Juvenile social interactions have been shown to influence the dendritic complexity of neurons in the prefrontal cortex (PFC). In particular, social play induces pruning of the cells in the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC), whereas interacting with multiple partners, whether those interactions involve play or not, increases the complexity of cells in the orbital frontal cortex (OFC). Previous studies suggest that these changes differ in their stability during adulthood. In the present study, rats were reared in groups of either four (quads) or two (pairs) and the brains of the rats from each rearing condition were then harvested at 60 days (i.e., shortly after sexual maturity) and 100 days (i.e., fully adult). The rats housed with multiple partners had more complex neurons of the OFC at 60 days and this complexity declined to a comparable level to that of pair housed rats by 100 days. In contrast, the play‐induced changes of the mPFC remained similar at both ages. These findings suggest that the changes in the PFC induced by different social experiences in the juvenile period differ in how long they are maintained in adulthood. Differences in the functions regulated by the OFC and the mPFC are considered with regard to these differences in the stability of juvenile‐induced neural changes.
Theoretical investigations on load‐bearing capacity of RC flat‐plate framed structures subject to middle column loss
Authors: Zhang Jing‐Zhou , Li Guo‐Qiang , Wang Yan‐Bo , Jiang Jian
Published: December 2017

This paper presents theoretical studies on load‐bearing capacity of reinforced concrete flat‐plate framed structures. The existing methods for determining load‐bearing capacity of simply supported slabs are first reviewed, and their limitations are presented. An energy‐based refined method is then proposed to enhance the accuracy of the existing methods by considering the contributions to internal energy dissipation due to the extension of reinforcing bars along yield lines, the additional resultant bending moment from membrane forces, and the sectional bending moment along yield lines of slabs. The refined method for simply supported slabs is extended for fixed supported slabs, and thus, the load‐bearing capacity of reinforced concrete flat‐plate structures subject to a middle column loss is analytically determined. The performance of the proposed method is validated against test results and also verified against finite element analyses. Parametric studies are conducted to investigate the effect of reinforcement ratio, slab thickness and aspect ratio on the stiffness, and yield‐line resistance of structures. It is found that for the fixed supported slabs, it is reasonable to assume negative yield lines along the slab edges to consider the effect of obvious concrete crushing along the edge. Square slabs have higher ultimate loads than rectangular slabs, due to a longer horizontal yield line in the middle in the rectangular slab, which has detrimental effect on the sectional ultimate bending moment. The numerical results show that the reinforcement ratio has little effect on the initial bending stiffness and yield‐line resistance of slabs for a given slab thickness and aspect ratio. The initial stiffness and yield‐line resistance increase as the slab thickness increases. For the same reinforcement ratio and slab thickness, a larger aspect ratio leads to a lower initial bending stiffness, yield‐line resistance, and stiffness in tensile membrane action stage, due to a longer yield line along which tensile membrane forces have a detrimental effect on the sectional bending moment.
Can a Good Person be a Good Trader? An Ethical Defense of Financial Trading
Authors: Rocchi Marta , Thunder David
Published: December 2017

In a 2015 article entitled “The Irrelevance of Ethics,” MacIntyre argues that acquiring the moral virtues would undermine someone’s capacity to be a good trader in the financial system and, conversely, that a proper training in the virtues of good trading directly militates against the acquisition of the moral virtues. In this paper, we reconsider MacIntyre’s rather damning indictment of financial trading, arguing that his negative assessment is overstated. The financial system is in fact more internally diverse and dynamic, and more reformable, than suggested by MacIntyre’s treatment. The challenge at the heart of MacIntyre’s claims can be crystallized in the question, “under which conditions, if any, can a person be an effective trader and simultaneously live a worthy human life?” We conclude that there are realistic possibilities of integrity and growth in moral virtue for those who work in the financial sector, at least for those operating in a work environment minimally permissive toward virtue, provided they possess characters of integrity and genuine aptitude for the skills and attitudes required in their professional tasks.
Use of the Radiocarbon Activity Deficit in Vegetation as a Sensor of CO2 Soil Degassing: Example from La Solfatara (Naples, Southern Italy)
Authors: Lefevre Jean-Claude , Gillot Pierre-Yves , Cardellini Carlo , Gresse Marceau , Lesage Louis , Chiodini Giovani , Oberlin Christine
Published: December 2017

Soil CO2 flux measurement is a key method that can be used to monitor the hazards in an active volcanic area. In order to determine accurately the variations of the CO2 soil emission we propose an approach based on the radiocarbon (14C) deficiency recorded in the plants grown in and around the Solfatara (Naples, Italy). We twice sampled selected poaceae plants in 17 defined sites around the Solfatara volcano. 14C measurements by liquid scintillation counting (LSC) were achieved on the grass samples. The 14C deficiency determined in the sampled plants, compared to the atmosphere 14C activity, ranged from 6.6 to 51.6%. We then compared the proportion of magmatic CO2 inferred to the instantaneous measurements of CO2 fluxes from soil performed by the accumulation chamber CO2 degassing measurement at the moment of the sampling at each site. The results show a clear correlation (r=0.88) between soil CO2 fluxes and 14C activity. The determination of the plants 14C deficiency provides an estimate of the CO2 rate within a few square meters, integrating CO2 soil degassing variations and meteorological incidences over a few months. It can therefore become an efficient bio-sensor and can be used as a proxy to cartography of the soil CO2 and to determine its variations through time
The conservation costs and economic benefits of using biodiversity offsets to meet international targets for protected area expansion
Authors: Buschke Falko T. , Brownlie Susie , Manuel Jeff
Published: December 2017

Aichi Biodiversity Target 11 under the Convention on Biological Diversity sets out to conserve at least 17% of terrestrial area by 2020. However, few countries are on track to meet this target and it is uncertain whether developing countries have allocated sufficient resources to expand their protected areas. Biodiversity offsets could resolve this conservation shortfall if developers who affect biodiversity negatively at one locality are made responsible for its protection elsewhere. Here we simulate the use of biodiversity offsetting to expand protected area coverage in South Africa's grassland biome. South Africa's biodiversity offsets policy has been designed specifically to compensate for the residual loss of biodiversity caused by development, by establishing and managing protected areas within the same ecosystem type. We show that it is possible to meet protected area targets using only offsets, while facilitating economic development. However, doing so could slash the current extent of intact habitat by half. These losses could be reduced considerably should the gains in protected areas through offsetting supplement rather than supplant existing government commitments to protected area expansion. Moreover, supplementing existing government commitments would result in comparatively small reductions in potential economic gains, because the marginal economic benefit of transforming habitat decreases as more intact habitat is lost. Therefore, the intended role of biodiversity offsetting in achieving a country's protected area target should be made explicit to fully understand the associated trade-offs between conservation and economic development.
The Atlantic Prehistory of Private International Law: Trading Companies of the New World and the Pursuit of Restitution in England and France, 1613–43
Authors: Cavanagh Edward
Published: December 2017

This article concerns itself with the kind of legal conflicts that broke out in the Atlantic New World between merchant interests from different parts of Europe. Case studies are made of two disputes: one between Samuel Argall of the Virginia Company and a factor on behalf of Antoinette de Pons at the Île des Monts-Déserts, and the other between the Compagnie de Caën and the Kirke brothers at the Saint Lawrence River. Together, these case studies reveal how important it was for merchant interests to have resident ambassadors and state officials advancing their interests in England and France. Procedural difficulties and jurisdictional uncertainty often impeded the road to redress. Additionally, this article suggests that the peacetime reckoning of events associated with warfare provided an optimal opportunity for disaffected private actors to have their claims for redress recognised. The extent to which private overtures for restitution relied upon public acts of diplomacy reveals some of the reasons why it is not possible to date the origins of private international law before the long nineteenth century. Rather we might profitably identify, in events such as these, the prehistory of private international law.
“Such Monsters Do Exist in Nature”: Mermaids, Tritons, and the Science of Wonder in Eighteenth-Century Europe
Authors: Scribner Vaughn
Published: December 2017

While a thick vein of scepticism marked Enlightenment thinkers’ studies, such investigations cannot be divorced from their concurrent quest to merge the wondrous and the rational. Perhaps nowhere is this more apparent than in philosophers’ investigations of merpeople. Examining European gentlemen’s debates over mermaids and tritons illuminate their willingness to embrace wonder in their larger quest to understand the origins of humankind. Naturalists utilized a wide range of methodologies to critically study these seemingly wondrous creatures and, in turn, assert the reality of merpeople as evidence of humanity’s aquatic roots. As with other creatures they encountered in their global travels, European philosophers utilized various theories—including those of racial, biological, taxonomical, and geographic difference—to understand merpeople’s place in the natural world. By the second half of the eighteenth century, certain thinkers integrated merpeople into their explanation of humanity’s origins, thus bringing this phenomenon full circle.
Converting the Hospital: British Missionaries and Medicine in Nineteenth-Century Madagascar
Authors: Anderson Thomas
Published: December 2017

This paper examines the attempt of British missionaries on Madagascar to use medicine and the mission hospital as a way to convert the Malagasy people during the latter half of the nineteenth century. In their attempt to educate the Malagasy about the benefits of Western civilization, which was often defined through science as well as Christianity, missionaries were challenged by Malagasy culture and the local environment. To counter the ability of the Malagasy to challenge Western methods through their cultural beliefs and healing practices and so convert the Malagasy to Western ways, British missionaries had to carve out a space isolated from the Malagasy environment. Medicine, particularly the mission hospital, offered a space to champion Western science and Christianity. In their attempt to bring civilization to Madagascar, missionaries directly tied together science and Christianity while domesticating the space of the hospital.
RECONSTRUCCIÓN DE SERIES DE VALOR DEL COMERCIO EXTERIOR DE HONDURAS. 1880–1930
Authors: Díaz Rafael Ángel Ledezma
Published: December 2017

This article presents, for the first time, a continuous series of value of Honduran exports and imports for the period 1880-1930, extending the series previously available from Notten (2012). The new series were constructed based on the official statistics of the main trading partners of Honduras (United States, Great Britain, Germany and France) corrected from Honduran and complementary sources. The correction criteria applied are based on the results of a previous reliability validation exercise. The data obtained allow to delimit a new chronology of the foreign trade of Honduras where the “export age” began before the banana export boom that took place between 1903 and 1930.
Teaching and learning collocation in adult second and foreign language learning
Authors: Boers Frank , Webb Stuart
Published: December 2017

Perhaps the greatest challenge to creating a research timeline on teaching and learning collocation is deciding how wide to cast the net in the search for relevant publications. For one thing, the term ‘collocation’ does not have the same meaning for all (applied) linguists and practitioners (Barfield & Gyllstad 2009) (see timeline). For another, items that are labelled as collocations in one study may be called something else in another study (Wray 2000: 465).
Research tasks on identity in language learning and teaching
Authors: Norton Bonny , De Costa Peter I.
Published: December 2017

The growing interest in identity and language education over the past two decades, coupled with increased interest in digital technology and transnationalism, has resulted in a rich body of work that has informed language learning, teaching, and research. To keep abreast of these developments in identity research, the authors propose a series of research tasks arising from this changing landscape. To frame the discussion, they first examine how theories of identity have developed, and present a theoretical toolkit that might help scholars negotiate the fast evolving research area. In the second section, they present three broad and interrelated research questions relevant to identity in language learning and teaching, and describe nine research tasks that arise from the questions outlined. In the final section, they provide readers with a methodology toolkit to help carry out the research tasks discussed in the second section. By framing the nine proposed research tasks in relation to current theoretical and methodological developments, they provide a contemporary guide to research on identity in language learning and teaching. In doing so, the authors hope to contribute to a trajectory of vibrant and productive research in language education and applied linguistics.
Formation of electron holes in the long-time evolution of the bump-on-tail instability
Authors: Shoucri Magdi
Published: December 2017

An Eulerian Vlasov code is applied for the numerical solution of the one-dimensional Vlasov–Poisson system of equations for electrons, and with ions forming an immobile background. We study the non-linear evolution of the bump-on-tail instability in the case when the system length L is greater than the wavelength λ of the unstable mode, with a beam density of 10% of the total density, nb = 0.1. We follow the growth and the saturation of an initially unstable wave perturbation, and the formation of a traveling Bernstein–Greene–Kruskal (BGK) mode, which evolves out of the instability. This first stage is followed by sidebands growing from round-off errors which develop and disrupt the BGK equilibrium. In the excited spectrum, mode coupling is mediated by the oscillating resonant particles and results in the electric energy of the system flowing to the longest wavelengths (inverse cascade), and reaching in the asymptotic state a steady state with constant amplitude oscillation modulated by the persistent oscillation of the trapped particles. Coherent phase-space electron holes are formed, which are localized phase-space regions of reduced density on trapped electron orbits, where the electron density is lower than the surrounding plasma electron density. The distribution function evolves to a shape with stationary inflection points of zero slope, at the phase velocities of the excited waves. The longest wavelengths show oscillations at frequencies below the plasma frequency, with phase velocities higher than that of the injected beam, which can accelerate electrons to energies in excess of the initial beam energy. The present work makes a connection between the formation of electron holes, the existence of inflection points of zero slopes in the electron distribution function at the phase velocities of the dominant waves, and at frequencies below the plasma frequency. A fine resolution grid is used in the Eulerian Vlasov code in the phase space and time to allow an accurate calculation of the time history of the system and of the dynamic and oscillation of the trapped particles in the low-density regions of the phase space, and of those particles at the separatrix regions of the vortex structures which evolve periodically between trapping and untrapping states and which can only be accurately studied using a fine-resolution phase-space grid.
Affective Debts: Manumission by Grace and the Making of Gradual Emancipation Laws in Cuba, 1817–68
Authors: Chira Adriana
Published: December 2017

Drawing on thirty freedom suits from nineteenth-century eastern Cuba, this article explores how some slaves redefined slaveholders' oral promises of manumissions by grace from philanthropic acts into contracts providing a deferred wage payout. Manumissions by grace tended to reward affective labor (loyalty, affection) and to be granted to domestic slaves. Across Cuba, as in other slave societies of Spanish America, through self-purchase, slaves made sustained efforts to monetize the labor that they did by virtue of their ascribed status. The monetization of affective work stands out amongst such efforts. Freedom litigants involved in conflicts over manumissions by grace emphasized the market logics in domestic slavery, revealing that slavery was a fundamentally economic institution even in such instances where it appeared to be intertwined with kinship and domesticity. Through this move, they challenged the assumption that slaves toiled loyally for masters out of a natural commitment to an unchanging master-slave hierarchy. By the 1880s, through court litigation and extra-judicial violence, slave litigants and insurgents would turn oral promises of manumission by grace into a blueprint for general emancipation. Through their legal actions, enslaved people, especially women, revealed the significance and transactional nature of care work, a notion familiar to us today.