bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Natural convection flow of a hybrid nanofluid in a square enclosure partially filled with a porous medium using a thermal non-equilibrium model
Authors: Al-Srayyih Basil Mahdi , Gao Shian , Hussain Salam Hadi
Published: April 2019

Buoyancy-driven flow inside a superposed enclosure filled with composite porous-hybrid nanofluid layers was investigated numerically using a local thermal nonequilibrium model for the heat transfer between the fluid and the solid phases. The bottom wall of the enclosure was partly heated to provide a heat flux, while the other parts of the wall were thermally insulated. The top and vertical walls of the enclosure were maintained at constant cold temperatures. The Darcy-Brinkman model was adopted to model the flow inside the porous layer. The Galerkin finite element method was used to solve the governing equations using the semi-implicit method for pressure linked equations algorithm. The selected parameters are presented for the Rayleigh number (Ra), 103 ≤ Ra ≤ 107, the Darcy number (Da), 10−7 ≤ Da ≤ 1, the porous layer thickness (S), 0 ≤ S ≤ 1, the modified conductivity ratio (γ), 10−1 ≤ γ ≤ 104, the interphase heat transfer coefficient (H), 10−1 ≤ H ≤ 1000, the heat source length (B), 0.2, 0.4, 0.6, 0.8 and 1, and the nanoparticle volume fraction (ϕ), 0 ≤ ϕ ≤ 0.2. It has been concluded that the rate of heat transfer of hybrid nanofluid (Cu−Al2O3/water) is higher than with the pure fluid. Furthermore, at Ra ≤ 105, the heat transfer rate maintains its maximum value when S reaches the critical value (S = 0.3). The values of S, Da, and B were found to have a significant effect on the heat removal from the heat source. Increasing the values of γ and H can strongly enhance the heat transfer rate and satisfy the thermal equilibrium case.
Coherent and dissipative quantum process tensor reconstructions in two-dimensional electronic spectroscopy
Authors: Gururangan Karthik , Harel Elad
Published: April 2019

A major goal of time-resolved spectroscopy is to resolve the dynamical processes that follow photoexcitation. This amounts to identifying all the quantum states involved and the rates of population transfer between them. Unfortunately, such quantum state and kinetic reconstructions are ambiguous using one-dimensional methods such as transient absorption even when all the states of the system are fully resolved. Higher-dimensionality methods like two-dimensional spectroscopy lift some of the ambiguity, but unless the spectral features are well-separated, current inversion methods generally fail. Here, we show that, using both coherence and population signals of the nonlinear response, it is indeed possible to accurately extract both static and dynamic information from the 2D spectrum even when features are highly congested. Coherences report on the positions of the vibronic states of the system, providing a useful constraint for extracting the full kinetic scheme. We model time-resolved 2D photon echo spectra using a sum-over-states approach and show in which regimes the Hamiltonian and kinetic schemes may be recovered. Furthermore, we discuss how such algorithms may be applied to experimental data and where some of the underlying assumptions may fail. The ability to systematically extract the maximal information content of multidimensional spectroscopic data is an important step toward utilizing the full power of these techniques and elucidating the structure and dynamics of increasingly complex molecular systems.
Water column impact on a rigid wall with air cavity effects
Authors: Song Bingyue , Zhang Chongwei
Published: April 2019

Water column impacts on a rigid wall without and with air cavity entrapment are investigated based on potential-flow theory without considering the gravity effect. A boundary element method is employed to simulate the entire hydrodynamic process, with an introduced decoupling technique of a shallow-water approximation to tackle the thin jet difficulty in impact problems. Numerical techniques to deal with processes including the cavity jet impingement and fluid immersion are also introduced. Numerical simulations are carried out for water column impact processes with cavities of different volumes, shapes, and initial pressures inside. Theoretical deductions are performed for the limiting case of impact without air cavity at the initial and steady state. From the energy point of view, an energy transfer relation is established to achieve a quantitative prediction of the maximum pressure in a deforming cavity in a general impact process. Quantitative analysis is made to assess the effects of the initial nondimensional potential energy of the cavity on the maximum cavity pressure during the impact. Interesting phenomena such as the inner jet generated away from the impact surface are observed and discussed.
Matrix material structure dependence of the embedded electron spin decoherence
Authors: You Jiangyang , Carić Dejana , Rakvin Boris , Štefanić Zoran , Užarević Krunoslav , Kveder Marina
Published: April 2019

In this article, we present the novel application of the nuclear spin bath model and the cluster correlation expansion method on studying the matrix material structure via embedded electron spin decoherence. Profiles of embedded electron spin decoherence under the Carr-Purcell-Meiboom-Gill dynamical decoupling pulse series in a model system for organic solids (malonic acid) are calculated for different structures. Resulting decay profiles exhibit a strong correlation to the variations of an adjacent proton environment among them. In addition, the decoherence behavior of embedded spin in proton spin bath(s) of organic solids is found to be significantly different from bath models with other nuclei through the violation of the even-odd pulse parity, which characterizes the influence of large dipolar coupling between protons at the quantum level. Theoretical predictions of decoherence profiles in polycrystalline, the relative distribution of Hahn echo signal decay time scales among single crystal orientations, and the reduction in Hahn echo signal decay time scale by disorder are positively verified by experiments.
Lithium-air batteries: Challenges coexist with opportunities
Authors: Wang Chengyi , Xie Zhaojun , Zhou Zhen
Published: April 2019

Lithium-air batteries have caught worldwide attention due to their extremely high theoretical energy density and are regarded as powerful competitors to replace traditional lithium ion batteries. However, it is rather critical how to maximize the capacity while keeping good cycling stability, which has impeded practical applications of Li-air batteries for decades. Although admirable achievements have been made in recent years, there are still many unsolved issues for developing practical Li-air batteries. In this review, the challenges are pointed out and the recent progress in cathodes, anodes, and electrolytes is also summarized for Li-air batteries, as well as the relationship between each part for better electrochemical performances. Furthermore, some inspiring results on constructing advanced Li-air batteries are discussed particularly. Finally, opportunities and perspectives are also provided.
Memristor crossbar array for binarized neural networks
Authors: Kim Yong , Jeong Won Hee , Tran Son Bao , Woo Hyo Cheon , Kim Jihun , Hwang Cheol Seong , Min Kyeong-Sik , Choi Byung Joon
Published: April 2019

Memristor crossbar arrays were fabricated based on a Ti/HfO2/Ti stack that exhibited electroforming-free behavior and low device variability in a 10 x 10 array size. The binary states of high-resistance-state and low-resistance-state in the bipolar memristor device were used for the synaptic weight representation of a binarized neural network. The electroforming-free memristor was confirmed as being suitable as a binary synaptic device because of its higher device yield, lower variability, and less severe malfunction (for example, hard break-down) than the electroformed memristors based on a Ti/HfO2/Pt structure. The feasibly working binarized neural network adopting the electroforming-free binary memristors was demonstrated through simulation.
The separation of the reaction coordinate in transition state theory: Regularity and dimensionality reduction resulting from local symmetry
Authors: Lorquet J. C.
Published: April 2019

Local symmetry in a transition state is defined as the absence of cross terms involving the reaction coordinate in the Taylor expansion about a saddle point of a potential energy surface (i.e., by the assumption ∂2V/∂R∂qj|* = 0). Then, the plane R = R* is, but in the immediate neighborhood of the saddle point only, a local plane of symmetry of the potential energy surface. When this decisive condition is met, together with a second requirement that the kinetic energy be diagonal, the reaction dynamics becomes extremely simple, even in a multidimensional system, because it is determined solely by the harmonic part of the potential, at least during the early stages of the evolution. The dimensionality of the system is then reduced, with the reaction coordinate neatly separated from the vibrational degrees of freedom. The latter are then spectators that can only interact among themselves. As a result of this local symmetry, the subset of reactive trajectories is, during an appreciable period of time, observed to form a bundle grouped around an average trajectory. The distance separating the centers of mass of the two dissociating fragments is the appropriate reaction coordinate. The dynamical reaction path, defined as the central curve of a reactive cylinder in phase space, can be derived in closed form as a surprisingly simple one-dimensional law of motion and can be said to derive from a 1D effective Hamiltonian. An alternative formulation of the problem is possible, in which bond lengths are adopted as internal coordinates, although the expression of the kinetic energy becomes much more complicated. Explicit conditions under which the reaction coordinate decouples from spectator modes can be stipulated.
Estimating PV power from aggregate power measurements within the distribution grid
Authors: Vrettos E. , Kara E. C. , Stewart E. M. , Roberts C.
Published: April 2019

The increased integration of photovoltaic (PV) systems in distribution grids reduces visibility and situational awareness for utilities because the PV systems' power production is usually not monitored by them. To address this problem, a method called Contextually Supervised Source Separation (CSSS) has been recently adapted for real-time estimation of aggregate PV active power generation from aggregate net active and reactive power measurements at a point in a radially configured distribution grid (e.g., substation). In its original version, PV disaggregation is formulated as an optimization problem that fits linear regression models for the aggregate PV active power generation and true substation active power load. This paper extends the previous work by adding regularization terms in the objective function to capture additional contextual information such as smoothness, by adding new constraints, by introducing new regressors such as ambient temperature, and by investigating the use of time-varying regressors. Furthermore, we perform extensive parametric analysis to study tuning of the objective function weighting factors in a way that maximizes performance and robustness. The proposed PV disaggregation method can be applied to networks with either a single PV system (e.g., megawatt scale) or many distributed ones (e.g., residential scale) connected downstream of the substation. Simulation studies with real field recorded data show that the enhancements of the proposed method reduce disaggregation error by 58% in winter and 35% in summer compared to previous CSSS-based work. When compared against a commonly used transposition model based approach, the reduction in disaggregation error is more pronounced (78% reduction in winter and 45% in summer). Additional simulations indicate that the proposed algorithm is also applicable for PV systems with time-varying power factors. Overall, our results show that—with appropriate modeling and tuning—it is possible to accurately estimate the aggregated PV active power generation of a distribution feeder with minimal or no additional sensor deployment.
The correlation-bound anion of p-chloroaniline
Authors: Ciborowski Sandra M. , Harris Rachel M. , Liu Gaoxiang , Martinez-Martinez Chalynette J. , Skurski Piotr , Bowen Kit H.
Published: April 2019

The p-chloroaniline anion was generated by Rydberg electron transfer and studied via velocity-map imaging anion photoelectron spectroscopy. The vertical detachment energy (VDE) of the p-chloroaniline anion was measured to be 6.6 meV. This value is in accord with the VDE of 10 meV calculated by Skurski and co-workers. They found the binding of the excess electron in the p-chloroaniline anion to be due almost entirely to electron correlation effects, with only a small contribution from the long-range dipole potential. As such, the p-chloroaniline anion is the first essentially correlation-bound anion to be observed experimentally.
Effects of different foliar iron applications on activity of ferric chelate reductase and concentration of iron in sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas)
Authors: Tan Xiaoli , Yang Xin , Xie Yinan , Xiao Han , Liu Mengjiao , Wu Lianghuan
Published: April 2019

We studied the relative efficacy of different forms of foliar iron (Fe) fertilisation on leaf re-greening in Fe-deficient, purple-fleshed sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas (L.) Lam.) varieties xuzi8 and xuzi6. Activities of ferric chelate reductase (FCR) and concentrations of Fe were measured in the leaves and roots at intervals over 5 days to quantify recovery from leaf chlorosis. Freshly expanded and chlorotic leaves were immersed in one of three different fertiliser compounds containing 9 mm Fe: FeSO4, Fe2(SO4)3, Fe(III)-EDTA. An Fe-sufficient treatment and an Fe-deficient control were included. The experiment had a completely randomised block design with five replications per treatment and was conducted in a sunlit glasshouse. For variety xuzi8, leaf FCR activity in the Fe2(SO4)3 treatment was highest at 1 h after application, and higher than all other treatments, whereas FeSO4 and Fe(III)-EDTA treatments showed their highest FCR at day 5 after application, both significantly higher than the Fe2(SO4)3 and control treatments. Furthermore, leaf Fe concentration reached a maximum in the FeSO4 treatment at day 1, and in the Fe2(SO4)3 treatment at day 3. By contrast, root Fe concentration was relatively constant and lower in the foliar Fe treatments than the Fe-sufficient and -deficient treatments. For variety xuzi6, leaf SPAD was higher with the Fe2(SO4)3 than the FeSO4 treatment at day 5 after application. In general, FCR activity and Fe concentrations in roots and leaves of xuzi6 were higher than those of xuzi8. Variations in leaf Fe concentrations were similar for both the FeSO4 and Fe2(SO4)3 treatments of the two varieties. Maximum leaf Fe levels in xuzi6 were ~4-fold those in xuzi8. The results of the study suggest that foliar-applied Fe2(SO4)3 was the most effective compound at correcting Fe-deficiency symptoms. The higher leaf and root FCR activity and Fe concentration in xuzi6 might explain its higher tolerance to Fe deficiency and better re-greening than xuzi8.
Vitamin D deficiency and benign paroxysmal positioning vertigo
Authors: Carneiro de Sousa Pedro Jorge Matos , Abreu Pereira Diogo Manuel , Carneiro Melo Pereira de Magalhães Pedro , Duarte Delfim Rui da Silva , Trigueiros da Silva Cunha Nuno Maria
Published: April 2019

Objectives:

Benign paroxysmal positioning vertigo (BPPV) has significant recurrence rates, mainly in older patients. The etiopathology of recurrent BPPV is possibly related to low serum vitamin D levels. Finding a therapeutic weapon will help with these complicated cases, reducing disability, falling risk and also health care costs.

Study design:

Clinical trial: one-year duration.

Setting:

Ten patients with diagnosis of BPPV made by history and physical examination and at least two episodes of documented BPPV in the previous two years and chronic complaints of dizziness. Neurologic and other otological diseases were excluded for these patients.

Subjects and methods:

Vitamin D was evaluated by measuring serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25-OHD). Levels below 20 ng/mL were considered deficiency and levels between 20 and 30 ng/mL were considered insufficiency. Half of the patients (treatment group) started a treatment with cholecalciferol while the remaining patients were the control group. All of the patients were reevaluated every three months.

Results:

All patients of the treatment group did not have any subsequent episode of positional vertigo, dizziness complaints or nystagmus evoked by provocative manoeuvers. At reevaluations, the mean value of serum 25-OHD for the treatment group had increased noticeably. It was also significantly higher than the mean value of control group. All patients of control group had positional vertigo episodes, as well as positional nystagmus at office reevaluations.

Conclusion:

These results support the need to systematically measure and correct vitamin D levels in patients with recurrent BPPV.
Strong seedling recruitment does not limit mangrove vulnerability to harvest
Authors: Gaoue Orou G , Yessoufou Kowiyou
Published: April 2019

Ecological studies on the impacts of timber harvesting contributed to inform sustainable management strategies of tropical forests. However, these studies rely strongly on two major assumptions: (i) strong seedlings recruitment predispose for positive population dynamics, and (ii) more adult trees is a guarantee for a strong reproductive capability of the population. These assumptions are applied without accounting for the life history of the harvested species. Here, we revisit these assumptions in light of the life history theory, which predicts different responses of short- and long-lived species to perturbation. We predict that harvesting adults, rather than reducing seedling recruitment of long-lived species, would have greater impact on population dynamics. We tested our prediction on three mangrove species in South Africa. First, we reconstructed the projection matrices for three mangrove species in the Mngazana Estuary of Eastern Cape province of South Africa. Next, we simulated a range of harvest intensities for different life stages and explored how harvesting influences population dynamics. Finally, we examined the age-specific mortality trajectories for all three species. We found that populations of all three species were closer to their stable stage distribution. Contrary to popular belief, we found that changes in seedling recruitment will have minimal effects on mangrove long-term population dynamics, a finding consistent with the life history theory. However, contrary to expectation, simulating harvest of adults had minimal effect on population dynamics. This is due to low reproductive values for these late stages. Our analysis of age-specific mortality trajectories further provided evidence for positive senescence particularly forAvicenniawhich was the least resilient to harvest. Our findings cast doubt on the traditional forest management strategies that rely strongly on seedling density as a metric of sustainability and forbid unquestionably harvesting large individuals. We call for caution while generalizing forest management strategies irrespective of the life history of the species at hand.
Evaluation of eddy current damper for vibration control of a frame structure
Authors: Ao Wai Kei , Reynolds Paul
Published: April 2019

In this study, an eddy current damper (ECD) prototype model is presented. The ECD consists of three principal components: Neodymium Iron Boron (NdFeB) permanent magnets, a copper plate (conductive material) and an aluminium frame. The magnets have a rectangular design, and can be assembled with magnetic pole projection in either alternative or unidirectional orientations and in two orthogonal directions. The key merit of this type of ECD is its non-contact characteristic; thus there is a complete absence of mechanical friction. This study examines the use of this prototype damper when applied to suppress structural vibration in multi-storey frame structure. To effectively estimate the damping performance of the ECD, simple analytical calculations involving both infinite and finite boundaries are proposed and illustrated in this paper. These can be compared against the results of more sophisticated finite element analysis (FEA). The conductive material can be defined to move in two orthogonal directions. Therefore, based on the four magnet configurations and two directions of motion of conductive material, a total of eight models were created for analysis and validated by the proposed designed formule. It was found that analysis based on the method of images provides a satisfactory estimation of the damping force, similar to that estimated using the FE model. This study also includes experimental testing of a prototype ECD applied to suppress vibration within a six-storey aluminium frame structure. This testing shows that the prototype ECD is able to provide a significant level of damping with performance comparable to that of an ideal conventional linear viscous damper.
Non-classical correlations in reducible quantum electrodynamics
Authors: Naudts Jan
Published: April 2019

The question is discussed whether the momentum of a photon has a quantum uncertainty or whether it is a classical quantity. The latter assumption is the main characteristic of reducible Quantum Electrodynamics (QED). Recent experiments in Quantum Optics may resolve the question. The non-classical correlation of quantum noise in color-entangled beams cannot be explained by reducible QED without modification of the standing explanation. On the other hand, reducible QED explains uncertainty of the momentum of a single photon when it is entangled with a quantum spin residing in its environment. The explanation of the historical experiment with equally-polarized pairs of photons, showing violation of the Bell inequalities, invokes the argument of collapse of the wave function, also in reducible QED.
Assessment for Learning in Management Education: A Practical Perspective
Authors: Brown Sally
Published: April 2019

Good assessment and feedback are essential for high student achievement, retention, and satisfaction in contemporary higher education, and adopting a fit-for-purpose approach that emphasizes assessment for learning can have a significant impact, but it is a complex and highly nuanced process so needs careful and research-informed design principles. Here the crucial importance of assessment in contemporary higher education pedagogy is considered, the key principles of good assessment are reviewed, and some suggestions are made for a framework to effectively interrogate individual practice with a view to continuous improvement.

Additionally, different means of offering feedback can help students to get the measure of their learning and point them toward future enhancement strategies but must be achieved in ways that are manageable for all stakeholders. Taxing questions are provided here for use by curriculum designers and all those who deliver and assess it enabling them to draw together key issues into a workable framework for assessment enhancement.
Minority Employees’ Ethnic Identity in the Workplace
Authors: Carrim Nasima M. H.
Published: April 2019

With an increase in the number of diverse groups of individuals (including ethnic minorities) entering organizations, managing diversity in the 21st-century workplace has become imperative. The workplace provides employees with opportunities to work interactively with others in diverse situations and to express their identities, including ethnic identity. Despite Western-based organizations’ adoption of strategies such as affirmative action in an effort to integrate diverse employees into their workplaces, members of ethnic minority groups may still experience great difficulties in obtaining instrumental and social support in these organizations. While some minorities may not outwardly manifest their ethnicity, in the majority of cases, ethnic identity forms a core identity of many individuals and employees do not leave this identity at the doorstep of the organization. In some countries, ethnic minorities have refused to assimilate into the majority workplace culture, and have maintained strong ethnic identities. By outwardly expressing their identities, ethnic minority employees face discrimination, stereotyping and micro-aggressive behaviors within the workplace, and in the majority of cases are relegated to dead-end lower level posts and face barriers to their career advancement. Also, having strong ethnic identities results in a conflict between minorities ethnic identities and the workplace culture. This is especially apparent in terms of religious beliefs and values. Embracing ethnic identity of migrants into organizational cultures is especially challenging for organizations these days, as many immigrants are highly skilled professionals that enter western corporations. They experience discrimination and not receiving support in order to advance their careers.
Implications of Queer Theory for Qualitative Research
Authors: Wozolek Boni
Published: April 2019

Queer theory is a tool that can be used to reconsider sociopolitical, historical, and cultural norms and values. Similarly, in qualitative research, queer theory tends to analyze the narratives of LGBTQ+ people and groups in ways that seek to queer everyday experiences. Both the theoretical framework and the narratives collected and analyzed in qualitative research are significant to unpacking business-as-usual in and across sociocultural contexts. This is especially true for systems of schooling, whereby LGBTQ+ people and groups are marginalized through schooling and schools, a process of exclusion that is detrimental to queer youth who are learning in spaces and places specifically designed against their ways of being and knowing. The significance of qualitative research as it meets the framework of queer theory is that it offers a practically and institutionally queered set of voices, perspectives, and understandings with which to think about the everyday in schools. This becomes increasingly important as schooling has historically been a place in which LGBTQ+ students and groups have resided at an intersection, where the sociopolitical and cultural marginalization that keeps the status quo in place crosses with contemporary values that both interrupt and reify such histories.
The Influence of Teacher Education on Teacher Beliefs
Authors: Tatto Maria Teresa
Published: April 2019

Beliefs defined as the cognitive basis for the articulation of values and behaviors that mediate teaching practice can serve as powerful indicators of teacher education influence on current and prospective teachers’ thinking. Notwithstanding the importance of this construct, the field seems to lack across the board agreement concerning the kinds of beliefs that are essential for effective teaching, and whether and how opportunities to learn and other experiences have the potential to influence beliefs and knowledge in ways that may equip teachers to interpret, frame and guide action, and to fruitfully engage all pupils with powerful learning experiences. Large-scale international comparative studies provide the opportunity to develop shared definitions that facilitate the exploration of these questions within and across nations.
Land Acquisition and Dispossession in India
Authors: Bhattacharyya Debjani
Published: April 2019

Contemporary India is among the top seven countries in the world witnessing the rise of mega urban regions, infrastructural expansion by government and private entities, and acceleration of special economic zones; the fallout of these trends has been the loss of cropland, and massive resistance coupled with political destabilization. Since the 1990s India’s political economy has increasingly been defined by land dispossession. Indeed, some politicians and big industrialists argue that the developmental agenda of India remains an unfulfilled dream because of land scarcity. On the other hand, strong grass-roots protest movements against land grab have toppled reigning governments and, in some cases, managed to thwart the outward march of land capitalization, dispossession, and ecological degradation. Land ownership remains a protean issue for Indian politics and its social matrix. Yet, it is not a recent phenomenon.

Land acquisition and dispossession have a long genealogy in India and have gone through successive stages, engendering new political modalities within different economic regimes. Although not a settler colony, the East India Company grabbed land from the 18th century onward, dispossessing and uprooting people in the process, while alienating and disembedding land from its social matrix. Beginning with the Permanent Settlement of agricultural lands in eastern India in 1793, the Company sought legal authority to justify taking land, thus initiating a regime of quasi-eminent domain claims upon land for a wide range of practices, among them salt manufacturing, urbanization, infrastructure, and railways. The political authority and dubious legitimacy of the joint-stock company acting as a trustee of land was written into the various laws on land acquisition, ultimately culminating in the colonial Land Acquisition Act (LAA) of 1894. While independent India envisioned distributive justice through land redistribution, land acquisition and dispossession continued unabated, and postcolonial India’s land acquisition law merely offered procedural legitimacy to the act of taking land from people against their will for the greater “public,” and thereafter for public–private partnership. From 1947 state-led development resulted in the expropriation of land for industrialization, dams, and mega-infrastructural projects resulting in massive development-induced displacement across the country. India’s economic liberalization from the 1990s began a transnational movement of capital on an unprecedented scale, which manifested itself as an emerging configuration of real-estate-as-development. The government of India created new legal entitlements for private companies by enacting the Special Economic Zone (SEZ) Act in 2005 for export industries, IT companies, mining companies, and supporting real-estate development, resulting in dispossession, resistance, land speculation, and the emergence of land mafias.
Japanese Empire and Pan-Asianism
Authors: Saaler Sven
Published: April 2019

The Japanese colonial empire was composed of territories adjacent to the Japanese archipelago, ranging from Southern Sakhalin in the north to Taiwan in the south. Unlike most European powers, Japan did not acquire colonial territories that were far away from the metropolis; rather, it did so within the region in which it was located—East Asia. The geographical proximity between the metropolis and its colonial territories influenced not only the structure of the colonial administration, racial hierarchies in the empire, and colonial and metropolitan identities but also the rhetorical strategies that were used to legitimize colonial rule.

Although the government generally envisioned a European-style empire, the creation of which would earn Japan the respect of the Great Powers and eventually lead to the recognition of Japanese equality, a significant number of politicians, writers, and activists argued that it was Japan’s mission to unite the Asian people and protect or liberate them from Western colonial rule. These discourses have been summarized under the term “Pan-Asianism,” a movement and an ideology that emerged in the late 19th century and became mainstream by the time World War I began. However, although some advocates of Pan-Asianism were motivated by sincere feelings of solidarity, the expansion of Japanese colonial rule and the escalation of war in China and throughout Asia in the 1930s brought to the fore an increasing number of contradictions and ambiguities. By the time World War II started, Pan-Asianism had become a cloak of Japanese expansionism and an instrument to legitimize the empire, a process that culminated in the Greater East Asia Conference of 1943.

The contradictions between Japan’s brutal wars in Asia and the ideology of Asian solidarity continue to haunt that country’s relations with its neighbors, by way of ambiguous historical memories of the empire and war in contemporary Japanese politics and society.
Hegemony
Authors: Schenoni Luis L.
Published: April 2019

Somewhere in between unipolar and imperial orders, hegemonies divide the continuum from anarchy to hierarchy in world politics, connoting interstate systems of the highest concentration of authority. However, depending on the author, hegemony might denote the concentration of relative capabilities in a single state, the presence of a state that seeks international leadership, general consent in the international society regarding subordination to a central order, or a combination of these phenomena. Similarly, scholars debate the extent to which the relation of authority entailed by hegemony should encompass the economic, military, and/or ideational domains. Given this multiplicity of meanings, this review of extant definitions illuminates some issues that must be addressed explicitly when dealing with this concept. Although hegemony might mean different things for different intellectual traditions, these understandings are interconnected in a family resemblance structure that has facilitated mutual intelligibility. A mapping of this network of meanings suggests that special attention needs to be paid to how scholars have thought about the capabilities that would-be hegemons have, the roles they play, and the type of response they elicit from subordinate states. It also suggests the economic, military, and ideational dimensions of hegemony should be explicitly considered in theoretical discussions. Finally, it highlights the importance of avoiding ambiguity by connecting theory with empirics and providing clear measurement strategies. Measurement is essential to delineate the geographical and temporal scope of hegemonies with more precision, to compare them, and to evaluate their effects on certain outcomes. Debates about hegemony have undergone important empirical progress throughout the decades rendering this a promising area for future research.
The United States Department of Agriculture, 1900–1945
Authors: Effland Anne
Published: April 2019

President Abraham Lincoln signed the law that established the Department of Agriculture in 1862 and in 1889, President Grover Cleveland signed the law that raised the Department to Cabinet status. Thus, by 1900 the US Department of Agriculture had been established for nearly four decades, had been a Cabinet-level department for one, and was recognized as a rising star among agricultural science institutions. Over the first half of the next century, the USDA would grow beyond its scientific research roots to assume a role in supporting rural and farm life more broadly, with a presence that reached across the nation. The Department acquired regulatory responsibilities in plant and animal health and food safety and quality, added research in farm management and agricultural economics, provided extension services to reach farms and rural communities in all regions, and created conservation and forestry programs to protect natural resources and prevent soil erosion and flooding across the geographical diversity of rural America. The Department gained additional responsibility for delivering credit, price supports, supply management, and rural rehabilitation programs during the severe economic depression that disrupted the agricultural economy and rural life from 1920 to 1940, while building efficient systems for encouraging production and facilitating distribution of food during the crises of World War I and World War II that bounded those decades. In the process, the Department became a pioneer in developing the regulatory state as well as in piloting programs and bureaucratic systems that empowered cooperative leadership at the federal, state, and local levels and democratic participation in implementing programs in local communities.
Wildlife in Brazil: History, Threats, and Opportunities
Authors: Franco José Luiz de Andrade , Drummond José Augusto
Published: April 2019

The rich variety of the tropical ecosystems and wildlife native to the current territory of Brazil has captured the attention of several groups of observers since the early 1800s. Wildlife and landscapes in particular generated a continuous stream of appreciation of their uniqueness and concern about their integrity. This perception affected government officials and foreign traveling naturalists of the 19th century, when dozens of French, German, Austrian, English, Belgians and North American naturalists traversed the immense territory of the former Portuguese colony that had been virtually closed to trained scientists. Throughout the 20th century, newly trained Brazilian scientists and again foreign scientists, besides government officials and activist citizens, continued to explore species, ecosystems, and landscapes of what now recognized as the largest tropical country of the world. More recently, the growing amount of information about the global distribution of biodiversity placed Brazil at the top of the ranking, as a truly “megadiverse” country. As a consequence, Brazil has engaged, through environmental non-governmental organizations (NGOs), government agencies, and foreign and locally trained scientists, in a remarkable series of successful projects aimed at the identification and protection of endangered species. The country has only recently built a cadre of wildlife and ecological scientists trained to initiate and manage these types of projects. Despite the fact that these efforts are still far from being a priority in terms of its national environmental policies, Brazil has been quite active and successful in the protection of some of its most endangered animal species and their habitats.
The Colonial Amazon
Authors: Chambouleyron Rafael , Ibáñez-Bonillo Pablo
Published: April 2019

The region known as the Amazon represents approximately forty percent of the territory of the South American continent. Today, it spreads through the territory of eight countries and one European overseas territory. In the colonial period, this vast area, which stretched from the piedmont of the Andes to the Atlantic Ocean, was an essential space for European imperial conflict in the Americas. The Spanish, Portuguese, Dutch, English, and French struggled for the possession of the region from the 16th century onward. However, the history of this vast region begins much earlier. A multiplicity of ethnically and linguistically distinct peoples occupied this territory, and their social, political, and economic arrangements were crucial for European conquest and colonization. Many of these peoples were directly affected by the arrival and settlement of the Europeans, especially by disease and wars. Others integrated into colonial society through religious missions, voluntary settlement, and forced labor. The Indian labor force was crucial for the development of the colonial economy in the Amazon. However, European dominion over this territory was limited to the banks of the main rivers, and most of the Amazonian lands remained indigenous.
French Intellectuals and Cultural Diplomacy in Brazil, 1934–1943
Authors: Suppo Hugo Rogelio
Published: April 2019

Between 1934 and 1943, French cultural diplomacy in Brazil was the task of intellectuals, the so called “intellectual ambassadors.” Notwithstanding the differences in their individual profiles, political convictions, academic conceptions, and religious beliefs, they all carried out their common mission of creating a pro-French profile in the Brazilian academic realm. The article is an analysis of the strategies, means, actors, and results of French cultural diplomacy in Brazil between 1934 and 1943, whose success can be explained, fundamentally, by the symbiosis between the university field and the diplomatic field.
inflation
Authors: Elliott Colin P.
Published: April 2019

Inflation typically refers to rising prices. In both ancient and modern societies, inflation is sometimes difficult to identify, measure, and explain with precision. Inflation can occur in the prices of individual goods, the goods and services associated with a particular industry or sector of an economy, or as a macro-phenomenon in which all or most prices in an economy rise. The magnitude of price rises and the duration during which prices stay elevated also have a bearing on how inflation is studied. The ancient world witnessed periods of both slow and steady inflation as well as punctuated surges in prices. Some regions, such as Egypt, offer hundreds of prices, which facilitate quantitative measurements of inflation. In many areas and periods, however, inflation is poorly understood because sufficient numbers of prices do not survive. Scholars, therefore, often use theoretical models and proxy evidence to better understand the nuances and complexity of inflation in classical antiquity.
Syntactic Cartography
Authors: Shlonsky Ur , Bocci Giuliano
Published: April 2019

Syntactic cartography emerged in the 1990s as a result of the growing consensus in the field about the central role played by functional elements and by morphosyntactic features in syntax. The declared aim of this research direction is to draw maps of the structures of syntactic constituents, characterize their functional structure, and study the array and hierarchy of syntactically relevant features. Syntactic cartography has made significant empirical discoveries, and its methodology has been very influential in research in comparative syntax and morphosyntax. A central theme in current cartographic research concerns the source of the emerging featural/structural hierarchies. The idea that the functional hierarchy is not a primitive of Universal Grammar but derives from other principles does not undermine the scientific relevance of the study of the cartographic structures. On the contrary, the cartographic research aims at providing empirical evidence that may help answer these questions about the source of the hierarchy and shed light on how the computational principles and requirements of the interface with sound and meaning interact.
Greek in Contact with Romance
Authors: Ralli Angela
Published: April 2019

In the course of its long history, Greek has experienced a particularly multifarious and profound contact with Romance, in a wide geographical area that spreads from western to eastern Europe and also covers part of the once Hellenophone Asia Minor. The beginning of this contact is difficult to delimit given that the ancestor languages, Ancient Greek and Latin, were already in interaction even before the Roman period of the Greek-speaking world. Both Greek and Romance (Italo-Romance, Gallo-Romance, Aromanian, and Judeo-Spanish) have acted as donor or recipient, depending on the specific historical and sociolinguistic circumstances. A significant number of lexical items (roots, affixes, and words) were transferred from one language to another, while phonological and structural transfers have also occurred in areas where Greek has been in constant and long contact with Romance, as for instance, in south Italy. Greek has been the basis for the formation of scientific internationalisms in Romance, and reversely it has recently adopted Romance terms and term-forming affixes.
Idioms and Phraseology
Authors: Espinal M. Teresa , Mateu Jaume
Published: April 2019

Idioms, conceived as fixed multi-word expressions that conceptually encode non-compositional meaning, are linguistic units that raise a number of questions relevant in the study of language and mind (e.g., whether they are stored in the lexicon or in memory, whether they have internal or external syntax similar to other expressions of the language, whether their conventional use is parallel to their non-compositional meaning, whether they are processed in similar ways to regular compositional expressions of the language, etc.). Idioms show some similarities and differences with other sorts of formulaic expressions, the main types of idioms that have been characterized in the linguistic literature, and the dimensions on which idiomaticity lies. Syntactically, idioms manifest a set of syntactic properties, as well as a number of constraints that account for their internal and external structure. Semantically, idioms present an interesting behavior with respect to a set of semantic properties that account for their meaning (i.e., conventionality, compositionality, and transparency, as well as aspectuality, referentiality, thematic roles, etc.). The study of idioms has been approached from lexicographic and computational, as well as from psycholinguistic and neurolinguistic perspectives.
Rapid Assessment Instruments
Authors: McMurtry Steven L. , Rose Susan J. , Berger Lisa K.
Published: April 2019

Accurate measurement is essential for effective social work practice, but doing it well can be difficult. One solution is to use rapid assessment instruments (RAIs), which are brief scales that typically require less than 15 minutes to complete. Some are administered by practitioners, but most are self-administered on paper or electronically. RAIs are available for screening, initial assessment, monitoring of service progress, and outcome evaluation. Some require author permission, others are sold commercially, and many more are free and in the public domain. Selection of an RAI should be based first on its psychometric strength, including content, concurrent, and known-groups validity, as well as on types of reliability such as internal consistency, but practical criteria such as readability are also important. And when used in practice settings, RAIs should be part of a well-rounded measurement plan that also includes behavioral observations, client logs, unobtrusive measures, and other approaches.
G-CSF-mobilized peripheral blood mononuclear cells combined with platelet-rich plasma accelerate restoration of ovarian function in cyclophosphamide-induced POI rats†
Authors: Huang Qiuyan , Liu Bo , Jiang Rufang , Liao Shengbin , Wei Zhiyao , Bi Yin , Liu Xueyuan , Deng Rong , Jin Yufu , Tan Ying , Yang Yihua , Qin Aiping
Published: April 2019

Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) are rich in hematopoietic cells and mesenchymal stem cells. Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) is rich in various growth factors. PBMCs and PRP have been suggested, individually, to restore ovarian function by improving the local microenvironment. The current study investigated the effect of granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF)-mobilized PBMCs combined with PRP on restoring ovarian function in rats with primary ovarian insufficiency (POI). Thirty adult female rats were randomly subdivided into five groups: normal control (control), cyclophosphamide (CTX) plus subsequent PBS (POI + PBS), CTX plus subsequent PRP (POI + PRP), CTX plus subsequent G-CSF-mobilized PBMCs (POI + PBMCs), and CTX plus subsequent G-CSF-mobilized PBMCs combined with PRP (POI + PBMCs + PRP). CTX exposure induced the typical POI phenotype with increased diestrus; shortened estrus; follicle arrest at all stages; decreased serum levels of estradiol-17β (E2) and anti-Mullerian hormone (AMH); and increased levels of follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH). Transplantation of mobilized PBMCs with PRP resulted in a much earlier restoration of the estrous cycle, sex hormone levels, and preantral follicle growth in POI rats. Expression of the male-specific Sry gene in the ovarian tissues of POI + PBMCs + PRP female recipient rats was evident at 5, 10, and 20 days posttransplantation along with significant increases in the expression of angiogenesis markers CD34+ and VEGF and folliculogenesis markers AMH and FSHR. Additionally, PBMCs in combination with PRP mitigated granulosa cell apoptosis by downregulating BAX and upregulating BCL-2. These results demonstrate that G-CSF-mobilized PBMCs combined with PRP accelerate the restoration of ovarian function in POI rats by increasing ovarian neovascularization, reducing granulosa cell apoptosis, and promoting folliculogenesis.