Defects which reduce quality and yield of Oak-Hickory stands in Southeastern Iowa

Data from 753 sample trees, representative of conditions commonly encountered in forests of southeastern Iowa indicate that: 1. Volume loss from all types of defects averaged 8.5 percent of the total volume of trees in the merchantable size class, 5.2 percent of the total volume of large poles and 6.2 percent of the total volume of saplings. 2. In white oak, the most important species represented, the percentage of defective volume decreased with increasing diameter. 3. Slightly over 60 percent of the trees were partially defective from one or more causes. 4. In three out of every four defective trees the defects were evident only after felling and splitting. 5. Over 90 percent of all trees had branch stubs larger than 0.5 inch in diameter, but only 11 percent of these were defective, probably due to the fact that the majority of the sample trees were of the younger age classes. 6. Eight percent of all trees bore fire scars, and 50 percent of the scarred trees were defective. Most of the scars were found in trees of merchantable size. 7. The oldest fire scar found in one of the larger trees dissected, originated in 1847-48. Fires have occurred at irregular intervals from that date until the present time. 8. Butt rot, transmitted from the parent stump, was found to be present in the young sprout growth and less prevalent in the older sprout stands. 9. Stereum gausapatum was isolated more than five times as often as any other fungus. It was responsible for almost all of the basal rots of which the causal agent was identified. 10. Sixty percent of all trees bore insect injuries, although the defects caused by insects averaged less than 2 percent of the total volume for all diameter classes

About These Iowa Forests

Experiment Station, Extension Service and Government Cooperate to improve woodlands

The ties that bind: an attachment theory perspective of social bonds in tourism

The management of personal business-to-business (B2B) relationships is an important yet under-researched issue in tourism. Social bonds which develop for a business partner when individuals work together can impact positively on maintaining the relationship with the business partner’s organization and prevent switching to a competitor. The literature suggests that the management of social bonds is especially significant for small tourism businesses. However there has been limited use of theory to explain what social bonds are and how they can be created. Attachment theory has been used extensively in researching personal relationships but in tourism, its application has been mainly limited to studies on place attachment. This research combines existing knowledge of social bonds and attachment theory to develop a multidimensional social bonds scale which was tested in three separate studies involving tourism and hospitality professionals. The results confirmed the existence of two distinct social bonds: the security bond and the closeness bond, and the scale items provide useful guidance for creating personalized strategies to manage B2B relationships with tourism partners. The new scale is proposed as an important tool to measure the strength of social bonds and recommendations are given on further tourism contexts where the scale could be tested

Scalable Synthesis of Microsized, Nanocrystalline Zn0.9_{0.9}Fe0.1_{0.1}O-C Secondary Particles and Their Use in Zn0.9_{0.9}Fe0.1_{0.1} O-C/LiNi0.5_{0.5}Mn1.5_{1.5}O4_{4} Lithium-Ion Full Cells

Conversion/alloying materials (CAMs) are a potential alternative to graphite as Li‐ion anodes, especially for high‐power performance. The so far most investigated CAM is carbon‐coated Zn$_{0.9}$Fe$_{0.1}$O, which provides very high specific capacity of more than 900 mAh g$^{-1}$ and good rate capability. Especially for the latter the optimal particle size is in the nanometer regime. However, this leads to limited electrode packing densities and safety issues in large‐scale handling and processing. Herein, a new synthesis route including three spray‐drying steps that results in the formation of microsized, spherical secondary particles is reported. The resulting particles with sizes of 10–15 μm are composed of carbon‐coated Zn$_{0.9}$Fe$_{0.1}$O nanocrystals with an average diameter of approximately 30–40 nm. The carbon coating ensures fast electron transport in the secondary particles and, thus, high rate capability of the resulting electrodes. Coupling partially prelithiated, carbon‐coated Zn$_{0.9}$Fe$_{0.1}$O anodes with LiNi$_{0.5}$Mn$_{1.5}$O$_{4}$ cathodes results in cobalt‐free Li‐ion cells delivering a specific energy of up to 284 Wh kg$^{-1}$ (at 1 C rate) and power of 1105 W kg−1 (at 3 C) with remarkable energy efficiency (>93 % at 1 C and 91.8 % at 3 C)

Spatial and Temporal Dynamics of Pacific Oyster Hemolymph Microbiota across Multiple Scales

Unveiling the factors and processes that shape the dynamics of host associated microbial communities (microbiota) under natural conditions is an important part of understanding and predicting an organism's response to a changing environment. The microbiota is shaped by host (i.e., genetic) factors as well as by the biotic and abiotic environment. Studying natural variation of microbial community composition in multiple host genetic backgrounds across spatial as well as temporal scales represents a means to untangle this complex interplay. Here, we combined a spatially-stratified with a longitudinal sampling scheme within differentiated host genetic backgrounds by reciprocally transplanting Pacific oysters between two sites in the Wadden Sea (Sylt and Texel). To further differentiate contingent site from host genetic effects, we repeatedly sampled the same individuals over a summer season to examine structure, diversity and dynamics of individual hemolymph microbiota following experimental removal of resident microbiota by antibiotic treatment. While a large proportion of microbiome variation could be attributed to immediate environmental conditions, we observed persistent effects of antibiotic treatment and translocation suggesting that hemolymph microbial community dynamics is subject to within-microbiome interactions and host population specific factors. In addition, the analysis of spatial variation revealed that the within-site microenvironmental heterogeneity resulted in high small-scale variability, as opposed to large-scale (between-site) stability. Similarly, considerable within-individual temporal variability was in contrast with the overall temporal stability at the site level. Overall, our longitudinal, spatially-stratified sampling design revealed that variation in hemolymph microbiota is strongly influenced by site and immediate environmental conditions, whereas internal microbiome dynamics and oyster-related factors add to their long-term stability. The combination of small and large scale resolution of spatial and temporal observations therefore represents a crucial but underused tool to study host-associated microbiome dynamics

The mechanism of hydration of MgO-hydromagnesite blends

The hydration of reactive periclase (MgO) in the presence of hydromagnesite (Mg5(CO3)4(OH)2·4H2O) was investigated by a variety of physical and chemical techniques. Hydration of pure MgO-water mixtures gave very weak pastes of brucite (Mg(OH)2), but hydration of MgO-hydromagnesite blends gave pastes which set quickly and gave compressive strengths of potential interest for construction applications. The strengths of the blends increased with hydration time at least up to 28 days, and were not significantly decreased by increasing the hydromagnesite content up to 30%. Raman spectroscopy suggests that an amorphous phase, of composition between that of brucite, hydromagnesite and water, may form. Small amounts of calcite also form due to CaO in the MgO source. Thermodynamic calculations imply that the crystalline phase artinite (MgCO3·Mg(OH)2·3H2O) should be the stable product in this system, but it is not observed by either XRD or FTIR techniques, which suggests that its growth may be kinetically hindered

Reducing Capacity and Voltage Decay of Co-Free Li1.2Ni0.2Mn0.6O2 as Positive Electrode Material for Lithium Batteries Employing an Ionic Liquid-Based Electrolyte

Lithium‐rich layered oxides (LRLOs) exhibit specific capacities above 250 mAh g$^{-1}$, i.e., higher than any of the commercially employed lithium‐ion‐positive electrode materials. Such high capacities result in high specific energies, meeting the tough requirements for electric vehicle applications. However, LRLOs generally suffer from severe capacity and voltage fading, originating from undesired structural transformations during cycling. Herein, the eco‐friendly, cobalt‐free Li$_{1.2}$Ni$_{0.2}$Mn$_{0.6}$O$_{2}$ (LRNM), offering a specific energy above 800 Wh kg$^{-1}$ at 0.1 C, is investigated in combination with a lithium metal anode and a room temperature ionic liquid‐based electrolyte, i.e., lithium bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)imide and N‐butyl‐N‐methylpyrrolidinium bis(fluorosulfonyl)imide. As evidenced by electrochemical performance and high‐resolution transmission electron microscopy, X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and online differential electrochemical mass spectrometry characterization, this electrolyte is capable of suppressing the structural transformation of the positive electrode material, resulting in enhanced cycling stability compared to conventional carbonate‐based electrolytes. Practically, the capacity and voltage fading are significantly limited to only 19% and 3% (i.e., lower than 0.2 mV per cycle), respectively, after 500 cycles. Finally, the beneficial effect of the ionic liquid‐based electrolyte is validated in lithium‐ion cells employing LRNM and Li$_{4}$Ti$_{5}$O$_{12}$. These cells achieve a promising capacity retention of 80% after 500 cycles at 1 C

Assimilation of healthy and indulgent impressions from labelling influences fullness but not intake or sensory experience

Background: Recent evidence suggests that products believed to be healthy may be over-consumed relative to believed indulgent or highly caloric products. The extent to which these effects relate to expectations from labelling, oral experience or assimilation of expectations is unclear. Over two experiments, we tested the hypotheses that healthy and indulgent information could be assimilated by oral experience of beverages and influence sensory evaluation, expected satiety, satiation and subsequent appetite. Additionally, we explored how expectation-experience congruency influenced these factors. Results: Results supported some assimilation of healthiness and indulgent ratings—study 1 showed that indulgent ratings enhanced by the indulgent label persisted post-tasting, and this resulted in increased fullness ratings. In study 2, congruency of healthy labels and oral experience promoted enhanced healthiness ratings. These healthiness and indulgent beliefs did not influence sensory analysis or intake—these were dictated by the products themselves. Healthy labels, but not experience, were associated with decreased expected satiety. Conclusions: Overall labels generated expectations, and some assimilation where there were congruencies between expectation and experience, but oral experience tended to override initial expectations to determine ultimate sensory evaluations and intake. Familiarity with the sensory properties of the test beverages may have resulted in the use of prior knowledge, rather than the label information, to guide evaluations and behaviour

Asp1 Bifunctional Activity Modulates Spindle Function via Controlling Cellular Inositol Pyrophosphate Levels in Schizosaccharomyces pombe

The generation of two daughter cells with the same genetic information requires error-free chromosome segregation during mitosis. Chromosome transmission fidelity is dependent on spindle structure/function, which requires Asp1 in the fission yeast Schizosaccharomyces pombe. Asp1 belongs to the diphosphoinositol pentakisphosphate kinase (PPIP5K)/Vip1 family which generates high-energy inositol pyrophosphate (IPP) molecules. Here, we show that Asp1 is a bifunctional enzyme in vivo: Asp1 kinase generates specific IPPs which are the substrates of the Asp1 pyrophosphatase. Intracellular levels of these IPPs directly correlate with microtubule stability: pyrophosphatase loss-of-function mutants raised Asp1-made IPP levels 2-fold, thus increasing microtubule stability, while overexpression of the pyrophosphatase decreased microtubule stability. Absence of Asp1-generated IPPs resulted in an aberrant, increased spindle association of the S. pombe kinesin-5 family member Cut7, which led to spindle collapse. Thus, chromosome transmission is controlled via intracellular IPP levels. Intriguingly, identification of the mitochondrion-associated Met10 protein as the first pyrophosphatase inhibitor revealed that IPPs also regulate mitochondrial distribution