Reproducing Hierarchies at the APSA Annual Meeting: Patterns of Panel Attendance by Gender, Race, and Ethnicity

Research on the political science profession has shown that homophilous research networks—that is, those organized along the lines of gender and race/ethnicity—reproduce hierarchies. Research networks composed of white men experience the most prestige and lead to the most opportunities. This study documents homophilous networks in a setting where they likely are nurtured: academic conferences. Drawing data from the 2019 Annual Meeting of the American Political Science Association, we examine the correspondence between the gender and the racial/ethnic composition of section members, panelists, and audience members for four research sections: Political Methodology; Political Psychology; Race, Ethnicity, and Politics; and Women and Politics. We find that attendees’ and panelists’ gender and racial/ethnic identity largely mirror the dominant gender and racial/ethnic group in their section. These findings indicate that homophily manifests at academic conferences and that efforts to diversify research networks should consider who listens to whom in these settings

Peopled landscapes: questions of coexistence in invasive plant management and rewilding

1. The concept of ‘peopled landscapes’ is based on the notion that it is not possible, nor socially or politically desirable, to remove people from the environment in the era of the Anthropocene. As such, it is necessary to document and develop ways to coexist and flourish. 2. This review examines emergent scholarship about peopled landscapes and biodiversity conservation by considering invasive plant management and rewilding as social processes. While invasive plant management and rewilding are often understood as separate, thinking through social scientific research and examples from Australia and the UK, we demonstrate how both forms of human action in landscapes can be more usefully understood as social relations with nature involving social change and social action. 3. Drawing attention to agency, practices and capacity, we show how diverse forms of human and nonhuman actions are recognised, attributed or acknowledged in biodiversity conservation in peopled landscapes. 4. In practice, centring the idea of peopled landscapes (rather than conceiving of the environment as where the impact of people is minimised) shows how invasive plant management and rewilding can be understood as related responses to environmental problems. 5. Flourishing and coexistence in peopled landscapes require recognition of the diverse human and nonhuman agencies that shape the politics of acceptable action, and illustrate the inseparability of environmental and social justice

Light emission intensities of luminescent Y2O3:Eu and Gd2O3:Eu particles of various sizes

There is great technological interest in elucidating the effect of particle size on the luminescence efficiency of doped rare earth oxides. This study demonstrates unambiguously that there is a size effect and that it is not dependent on the calcination temperature. The Y2O3:Eu and Gd2O3:Eu particles used in this study were synthesized using wet chemistry to produce particles ranging in size between 7 nm and 326 nm and a commercially available phosphor. These particles were characterized using three excitation methods: UV light at 250 nm wavelength, electron beam at 10 kV, and X-rays generated at 100 kV. Regardless of the excitation source, it was found that with increasing particle diameter there is an increase in emitted light. Furthermore, dense particles emit more light than porous particles. These results can be explained by considering the larger surface area to volume ratio of the smallest particles and increased internal surface area of the pores found in the large particles. For the small particles, the additional surface area hosts adsorbates that lead to non-radiative recombination, and in the porous particles, the pore walls can quench fluorescence. This trend is valid across calcination temperatures and is evident when comparing particles from the same calcination temperature

Supporting information for: "Instability and transport of metal catalyst in the growth of tapered silicon nanowires"

Nano Letters, 6(9): pp. 1852-1857. http://dx.doi.org/10.1021/nl060533rDuring metal-catalyzed growth of tapered silicon nanowires, or silicon nanocones (SiNCs), Au-Si eutectic particles are seen to undergo significant and reproducible reductions in their diameters. The reductions are accompanied by the transfer of eutectic droplet mass to adjacent, initially metal catalyst-free substrates, producing secondary nucleation and growth of SiNCs. Remarkably, the catalyst particle diameters on the SiNCs grown on the adjacent substrates are strongly correlated with those on the SiNCs grown on the initially Au-nanoparticle-coated substrate. These post-growth nanoparticle sizes depend on temperature and are found to be independent of the initial nanoparticle sizes. Our modeling and analysis indicates that the size reduction and mass transfer could be explained by electrostatic charge-induced dissociation of the droplet. The reduction in size enables the controlled growth of SiNCs with tip sharpnesses approaching the atomic scale, indicating that metal-catalyst nanoparticles can play an even more dynamic role than previously thought, and suggesting additional modes of control of shape, and of nucleation and growth location

Psychosis detection in dementia: a systematic review of diagnostic test accuracy studies

IntroductionSymptoms of psychosis, characterized by delusions and hallucinations, are commonly experienced by persons living with dementia. A systematic review was completed to identify tools to evaluate symptoms of psychosis compared to a reference standard in persons with dementia. Articles reporting correlation values between psychosis tools were also identified.MethodsThe search concepts psychosis, dementia, and diagnostic accuracy were used to search MEDLINE, PsycINFO, and Embase. Included articles meeting the primary objective described a tool to assess symptoms of psychosis, delusions, or hallucinations in persons with dementia, a reference standard form of diagnostic assessment for psychosis, and diagnostic accuracy outcomes for the psychosis tool. Secondary objective articles reported correlation values between two or more psychosis tools in persons with dementia.ResultsOne study met the primary objective and described the sensitivity and specificity of the Neuropsychiatric Inventory (NPI) and Columbia University Scale for Psychopathology in Alzheimer's Disease (CUSPAD) in identifying symptoms of psychosis, hallucinations, and delusions. The sensitivity of the NPI and CUSPAD in identifying symptoms of psychosis was 83 and 90%, respectively. Nine studies meeting the secondary objective described eleven unique tools and examined the degree to which tools used to assess psychotic symptoms in persons with dementia were related.DiscussionThe NPI and CUSPAD were identified in a single study as psychosis tools that have been evaluated against a reference standard of psychosis assessment in persons with dementia. Various tools to assess the burden of psychotic symptoms in persons with dementia exist, but the diagnostic accuracy of existing tools remains understudied. Further research on the comparative utility and diagnostic accuracy is required for all psychosis tools used with persons with dementia

Fabrication and Characterization of Electrospun Semiconductor Nanoparticle—Polyelectrolyte Ultra-Fine Fiber Composites for Sensing Applications

Fluorescent composite fibrous assembles of nanoparticle-polyelectrolyte fibers are useful multifunctional materials, utilized in filtration, sensing and tissue engineering applications, with the added benefits of improved mechanical, electrical or structural characteristics over the individual components. Composite fibrous mats were prepared by electrospinning aqueous solutions of 6 wt% poly(acrylic acid) (PAA) loaded with 0.15 and 0.20% v/v, carboxyl functionalized CdSe/ZnS nanoparticles (SNPs). The resulting fluorescent composite fibrous mats exhibits recoverable quenching when exposed to high humidity. The sensor response is sensitive to water concentration and is attributed to the change in the local charges around the SNPs due to deprotonation of the carboxylic acids on the SNPs and the surrounding polymer matrix

Archaeobotany in Australia and New Guinea: practice, potential and prospects

Archaeobotany is the study of plant remains from archaeological contexts. Despite Australasian research being at the forefront of several methodological innovations over the last three decades, archaebotany is now a relatively peripheral concern to most archaeological projects in Australia and New Guinea. In this paper, many practicing archaeobotanists working in these regions argue for a more central role for archaeobotany in standard archaeological practice. An overview of archaeobotanical techniques and applications is presented, the potential for archaeobotany to address key historical research questions is indicated, and initiatives designed to promote archaeobotany and improve current practices are outlined

Archaeobotany in Australia and New Guinea: practice, potential and prospects

Archaeobotany is the study of plant remains from archaeological contexts. Despite Australasian research being at the forefront of several methodological innovations over the last three decades, archaebotany is now a relatively peripheral concern to most archaeological projects in Australia and New Guinea. In this paper, many practicing archaeobotanists working in these regions argue for a more central role for archaeobotany in standard archaeological practice. An overview of archaeobotanical techniques and applications is presented, the potential for archaeobotany to address key historical research questions is indicated, and initiatives designed to promote archaeobotany and improve current practices are outlined

Operationalizing marketable blue carbon

The global carbon sequestration and avoided emissions potentially achieved via blue carbon is high (∼3% of annual global greenhouse gas emissions); however, it is limited by multidisciplinary and interacting uncertainties spanning the social, governance, financial, and technological dimensions. We compiled a transdisciplinary team of experts to elucidate these challenges and identify a way forward. Key actions to enhance blue carbon as a natural climate solution include improving policy and legal arrangements to ensure equitable sharing of benefits; improving stewardship by incorporating indigenous knowledge and values; clarifying property rights; improving financial approaches and accounting tools to incorporate co-benefits; developing technological solutions for measuring blue carbon sequestration at low cost; and resolving knowledge gaps regarding blue carbon cycles. Implementing these actions and operationalizing blue carbon will achieve measurable changes to atmospheric greenhouse gas concentrations, provide multiple co-benefits, and address national obligations associated with international agreements