Distribution of ferns in the Maple-Beech Forest at the Cedar-Sauk Field Station

This report is another in a series of plant studies under investigation at the UWM Cedar-Sauk Field Station. Most of the previous studies were concerned with seed plants and only limited attention was given to the fern flora. In this study, carried out chiefly in the summer of 1970, the fern species were evaluated to determine their importance, distribution and ecological relationships in the maple-beech forest

Evidence for increasing incidence of abnormalities of the human testis: a review.

Recent reports have suggested that the incidence of genitourinary abnormalities in human males has increased during the past 50 years, including congenital abnormalities such as cryptorchidism and hypospadia, which seem to be occurring more commonly. Also, the incidence of testicular cancer has increased 3- to 4-fold since the 1940s. This increase seems to be worldwide including countries with a very high frequency of testicular neoplasia as well as those in which this cancer is rather uncommon. It has also been postulated that semen quality has been decreasing for the last half century. A recent study showed that the average sperm density has decreased significantly from 113 million/mL in 1940 to 66 million/mL in 1990. The mean seminal volume has also declined, indicating that the decrease in the total sperm count is even more pronounced than the fall in sperm density would indicate. The remarkable increase in frequency of testicular abnormalities over a relatively short period of time may be due to environmental rather than genetic factors. There is an epidemiological link between the occurrence of different testicular abnormalities. Therefore, common prenatally acting etiological factors with adverse effects on the fetal male gonad might be suspected. However, postnatal influences may also have a deleterious effect on male fertility. From the reproductive point of view, an increased impact on the human male gonad is of concern

Organizational creativity as idea work: Intertextual placing and legitimating imaginings in media development and oil exploration

How do we understand the nature of organizational creativity when dealing with complex, composite ideas rather than singular ones? In response to this question, we problematize assumptions of the linearity of creative processes and the singularity of ideas in mainstream creativity theory. We draw on the work of Bakhtin and longitudinal research in two contrasting cases: developing hydrocarbon prospects and concepts for films and TV series. From these two cases, we highlight two forms of work on ideas: (i) intertextual placing, whereby focal ideas are constituted by being connected to other elements in a larger idea field; and (ii) legitimating imaginings, where ideas of what to do are linked to ideas of what is worth doing and becoming. This ongoing constitution and legitimating is not confined to particular stages but takes place in practices of generating, connecting, communicating, evaluating and reshaping ideas, which we call idea work. The article contributes to a better understanding of the processual character of creativity and the deeply intertextual nature of ideas, including the multiplicity of idea content and shifting parts–whole relationships. Idea work also serves to explore the neglected role of co-optative power in creativity

Parameterizing anisotropic reflectance of snow surfaces from airborne digital camera observations in Antarctica

The surface reflection of solar radiation comprises an important boundary condition for solar radiative transfer simulations. In polar regions above snow surfaces, the surface reflection is particularly anisotropic due to low Sun elevations and the highly anisotropic scattering phase function of the snow crystals. The characterization of this surface reflection anisotropy is essential for satellite remote sensing over both the Arctic and Antarctica. To quantify the angular snow reflection properties, the hemispherical-directional reflectance factor (HDRF) of snow surfaces was derived from airborne measurements in Antarctica during austral summer in 2013/14. For this purpose, a digital 180∘ fish-eye camera (green channel, 490–585 nm wavelength band) was used. The HDRF was measured for different surface roughness conditions, optical-equivalent snow grain sizes, and solar zenith angles. The airborne observations covered an area of around 1000 km × 1000 km in the vicinity of Kohnen Station (75∘0′ S, 0∘4′ E) at the outer part of the East Antarctic Plateau. The observations include regions with higher (coastal areas) and lower (inner Antarctica) precipitation amounts and frequencies. The digital camera provided upward, angular-dependent radiance measurements from the lower hemisphere. The comparison of the measured HDRF derived for smooth and rough snow surfaces (sastrugi) showed significant differences, which are superimposed on the diurnal cycle. By inverting a semi-empirical kernel-driven bidirectional reflectance distribution function (BRDF) model, the measured HDRF of snow surfaces was parameterized as a function of solar zenith angle, surface roughness, and optical-equivalent snow grain size. This allows a direct comparison of the HDRF measurements with the BRDF derived from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) satellite product MCD43. For the analyzed cases, MODIS observations (545–565 nm wavelength band) generally underestimated the anisotropy of the surface reflection. The largest deviations were found for the volumetric model weight fvol (average underestimation by a factor of 10). These deviations are likely linked to short-term changes in snow properties

Geometrical Optics Formalism to Model Contrast in Dark-Field X-ray Microscopy

Dark-field X-ray microscopy is a new full-field imaging technique that nondestructively maps the structure and local strain inside deeply embedded crystalline elements in three dimensions. Placing an objective lens in the diffracted beam generates a magnified projection image of a local volume. We provide a general formalism based on geometrical optics for the diffraction imaging, valid for any crystallographic space group. This allows simulation of diffraction images based on micro-mechanical models. We present example simulations with the formalism, demonstrating how it may be used to design new experiments or interpret existing ones. In particular, we show how modifications to the experimental design may tailor the reciprocal-space resolution function to map specific components of the deformation gradient tensor. The formalism supports multi-length scale experiments, as it enables DFXM to be interfaced with 3DXRD. The formalism is demonstrated by comparison to experimental images of the strain field around a straight dislocation

The importance of stakeholders in scoping risk assessments—Lessons from low-carbon transitions

Identifying the risks that could impact a low-carbon transition is a prerequisite to assessing and managing these risks. We systematically characterise risks associated with decarbonisation pathways in fifteen case studies conducted in twelve countries around the world. We find that stakeholders from business, government, NGOs, and others supplied some 40 % of these risk inputs, significantly widening the scope of risks considered by academics and experts. Overall, experts and academics consider more economic risks and assess these with quantitative methods and models, while other stakeholders consider political risks more. To avoid losing sight of risks that cannot be easily quantified and modelled, including some economic risks, impact assessment modelling should be complemented with qualitative research and active stakeholder engagement. A systematic risk elicitation facilitates communication with stakeholders, enables better risk mitigation, and increases the chance of a sustainable transition