Drawing Snow White and Animating Buzz Lightyear: Technological Toolkit Characteristics and Creativity in Cross-Disciplinary Teams

The use of technological tools to execute creative tasks is pervasive within cross-disciplinary teams, yet little attention has been paid to their role in influencing team creativity. In particular, no research has focused on how the characteristics of a team’s technological toolkit – the set of technological tools a team can draw upon to construct its actions – can affect team creativity. I propose that considering the toolkit, rather than just isolated tools, and the multiple functions played by tools is critical to understand how technology characteristics influence team creativity. I hypothesize that creativity in cross-disciplinary teams is influenced by the size and field diffusion of the team toolkit, with size having a curvilinear relationship with creativity, and diffusion having a positive relationship. Moreover, I hypothesize that these effects will be mitigated when the number of team members who are experts with the focal tool is high. I test and find support for these hypotheses in a study set in the context of the Hollywood animation industry, a knowledge-intensive industry characterized by the presence of cross-disciplinary teams using a variety of technological tools. Theoretical and practical implications of the results are discussed

The differential impact of knowledge depth and knowledge breadth on creativity over individual careers

While usually argued to be fostering creativity, the effect of knowledge depth and breadth on creativity is actually mixed. We take a dynamic approach to the knowledge-creativity relationship and argue that the effect of knowledge depth and knowledge breadth is likely to be contingent on career age. We propose that individuals' knowledge structures become increasingly rigid as career age grows and that because of this, knowledge depth and breadth have different effects on creativity at different points of the career. More specifically, we hypothesize that knowledge depth is more beneficial for creativity in earlier stages of one's career, when creators need to increase the complexity of knowledge structures, while knowledge breadth is more beneficial in later stages, when flexibility is most needed. We test and find support for our hypotheses in a longitudinal study set in the context of the Hollywood animation industry, a setting characterized by the presence of a variety of creators involved in knowledge-intensive activities. Theoretical and practical implications of the results are discussed

Extremely compact massive galaxies at z~1.4

The optical rest-frame sizes of 10 of the most massive (~5x10^{11}h_{70}^{-2}M_sun) galaxies found in the near-infrared MUNICS survey at 1.2<z<1.7 are analysed. Sizes were estimated both in the J and K' filters. These massive galaxies are at least a factor of 4_{-1.0}^{+1.9} (+-1 sigma) smaller in the rest-frame V-band than local counterparts of the same stellar mass. Consequently, the stellar mass density of these objects is (at least) 60 times larger than massive ellipticals today. Although the stellar populations of these objects are passively fading, their structural properties are rapidly changing since that redshift. This observational fact disagrees with a scenario where the more massive and passive galaxies are fully assembled at z~1.4 (i.e. a monolithic scenario) and points towards a dry merger scenario as the responsible mechanism for the subsequent evolution of these galaxies.Comment: 5 pages, 2 figures, 1 table, accepted for publication in MNRAS letter

Dense, Fe-rich Ejecta in Supernova Remnants DEM L238 and DEM L249: A New Class of Type Ia Supernova?

We present observations of two LMC supernova remnants (SNRs), DEM L238 and DEM L249, with the Chandra and XMM-Newton X-ray satellites. Bright central emission, surrounded by a faint shell, is present in both remnants. The central emission has an entirely thermal spectrum dominated by strong Fe L-shell lines, with the deduced Fe abundance in excess of solar and not consistent with the LMC abundance. This Fe overabundance leads to the conclusion that DEM L238 and DEM L249 are remnants of thermonuclear (Type Ia) explosions. The shell emission originates in gas swept up and heated by the blast wave. A standard Sedov analysis implies about 50 solar masses in both swept-up shells, SNR ages between 10,000 and 15,000 yr, low (< 0.05 cm^-3) preshock densities, and subluminous explosions with energies of 3x10^50 ergs. The central Fe-rich supernova ejecta are close to collisional ionization equilibrium. Their presence is unexpected, because standard Type Ia SNR models predict faint ejecta emission with short ionization ages. Both SNRs belong to a previously unrecognized class of Type Ia SNRs characterized by bright interior emission. Denser than expected ejecta and/or a dense circumstellar medium around the progenitors are required to explain the presence of Fe-rich ejecta in these SNRs. Substantial amounts of circumstellar gas are more likely to be present in explosions of more massive Type Ia progenitors. DEM L238, DEM L249, and similar SNRs could be remnants of ``prompt'' Type Ia explosions with young (~100 Myr old) progenitors.Comment: 24 pages, 8 figures, ApJ, in pres

Metallicity evolution, metallicity gradients and gas fractions at z~3.4

We used near-infrared integral field spectroscopic observations from the AMAZE and LSD programs to constrain the metallicity in a sample of 40 star forming galaxies at 3<z<5 (most of which at z~3.4). We measure metallicities by exploiting strong emission line diagnostics. We found that a significant fraction of star-forming galaxies at z~3.4 deviate from the Fundamental Metallicity Relation (FMR), with a metallicity up to a factor of ten lower than expected according to the FMR. This deviation does not correlate with the dynamical properties of the galaxy or with the presence of interactions. To investigate the origin of the metallicity deviations in more detail, we also infer information on the gas content, by inverting the Schmidt-Kennicutt relation. In agreement with recent CO observational data, we found that, in contrast with the steeply rising trend at 0<z<2, the gas fraction in massive galaxies remains constant, with indication of a marginal decline, at 2<z<3.5. When combined with the metallicity information, we infer that to explain both the low metallicity and gas content in z~3.4 galaxies, both prominent outflows and massive pristine gas inflows are needed. In ten galaxies we can also spatially resolve the metallicity distribution. We found that the metallicity generally anticorrelates with the distribution of star formation and with the gas surface density. We discuss these findings in terms of pristine gas inflows towards the center, and outflows of metal rich gas from the center toward the external regions. (Abridged)Comment: Replaced to match the published versio

Fostering creativity across countries: The moderating effect of cultural bundles on creativity

Research has traditionally focused on the moderating role of single cultural dimensions to capture differences in how individual creativity is fostered across cultures. Culture, however, is a multidimensional construct, with cultural dimensions operating interdependently. Building on this reasoning, we propose that the moderating effect of culture is better understood by focusing on the configuration of cultural bundles. We define a cultural bundle as set including the cultural value dimensions that characterize a given country, and the strength of the norms enforcing these values. We find support for this view in a mixed-methods study that combines a meta-analysis of 584 effect sizes from 205 studies set in 38 different countries with fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis (fs/QCA). We discuss the theoretical and practical implications of these findings, arguing for the importance of focusing on cultural bundles, rather than cultural dimensions in isolation, to understand the moderating effect of culture on creativity

"Who are you going to call?" Network activation in creative idea generation and elaboration

Considering creativity as a journey beyond idea generation, scholars have theorized that different ties are beneficial in different phases. As individuals usually possess different types of ties, selecting the optimal ties in each phase and changing ties as needed are central activities for creative success. We identify the types of ties (weak or strong) that are helpful in idea generation and idea elaboration, and given this understanding, whether individuals activate ties in each phase accordingly. In an experimental study of individuals conversing with their ties, we provide evidence of the causal effects of weak and strong ties on idea generation and idea elaboration. We also find that individuals do not always activate ties optimally and identify network size and risk as barriers. Our results in a series of studies reveal that individuals with large networks, despite providing more opportunity to activate both strong and weak ties, activate fewer weak ties and are less likely to switch ties across phases than individuals with smaller networks, particularly when creativity is perceived as a high-risk endeavor. Finally, we find that activating the wrong ties leads to either dropping creative ideas or pursuing uncreative ones

Networks, creativity, and time: staying creative through brokerage and network rejuvenation

In this paper we adopt a dynamic perspective on networks and creativity to propose that the oft-theorized creative benefits of open networks and heterogeneous content are less likely to be accrued over time if the network is stable. Specifically, we hypothesize that open networks and content heterogeneity will have a more positive effect on creativity when network stability is low. We base our prediction on the fact that over time network stability begets cognitive rigidity and social rigidity, thus limiting individuals’ ability to make use of the creative advantages provided by open networks and heterogeneous content. On the contrary, new ties bring a positive “shock” that pushes individuals in the network to change the way they organize and process knowledge, as well as the way they interact and collaborate – a shock that enables creators to accrue the creative advantages provided by open network structures and heterogeneous content. We test and find support for our theory in a study on the core artists who worked on the TV series *Doctor Who* between 1963 and 2014

Strongly star-forming rotating disks in a complex merging system at z = 4,7 as revealed by ALMA

We performed a kinematical analysis of the [CII] line emission of the BR 1202-0725 system at z~4,7 using ALMA observations. The most prominent sources of this system are a quasar and a submillimeter galaxy, separated by a projected distance of about 24 kpc and characterized by very high SFR, higher than 1000 Msun/yr. However, the ALMA observations reveal that these galaxies apparently have undisturbed rotating disks, which is at variance with the commonly accepted scenario in which strong star formation activity is induced by a major merger. We also detected faint components which, after spectral deblending, were spatially resolved from the main QSO and SMG emissions. The relative velocities and positions of these components are compatible with orbital motions within the gravitational potentials generated by the QSO host galaxy and the SMG, suggesting that they are smaller galaxies in interaction or gas clouds in accretion flows of tidal streams. We did not find any clear spectral evidence for outflows caused by AGN or stellar feedback. This suggests that the high star formation rates might be induced by interactions or minor mergers with these companions, which do not affect the large-scale kinematics of the disks, however. Our kinematical analysis also indicates that the QSO and the SMG have similar Mdyn, mostly in the form of molecular gas, and that the QSO host galaxy and the SMG are seen close to face-on with slightly different disk inclinations: the QSO host galaxy is seen almost face-on (i~15), while the SMG is seen at higher inclinations (i~25). Finally, the ratio between the black hole mass of the QSO, obtained from XShooter spectroscopy, and the Mdyn of the host galaxy is similar to value found in very massive local galaxies, suggesting that the evolution of black hole galaxy relations is probably better studied with dynamical than with stellar host galaxy masses.Comment: Accepted for publication in Astronomy and Astrophysic

The “Diabetes Comorbidome”: A Different Way for Health Professionals to Approach the Comorbidity Burden of Diabetes

: (1) Background: The disease burden related to diabetes is increasing greatly, particularly in older subjects. A more comprehensive approach towards the assessment and management of diabetes' comorbidities is necessary. The aim of this study was to implement our previous data identifying and representing the prevalence of the comorbidities, their association with mortality, and the strength of their relationship in hospitalized elderly patients with diabetes, developing, at the same time, a new graphic representation model of the comorbidome called "Diabetes Comorbidome". (2) Methods: Data were collected from the RePoSi register. Comorbidities, socio-demographic data, severity and comorbidity indexes (Cumulative Illness rating Scale CIRS-SI and CIRS-CI), and functional status (Barthel Index), were recorded. Mortality rates were assessed in hospital and 3 and 12 months after discharge. (3) Results: Of the 4714 hospitalized elderly patients, 1378 had diabetes. The comorbidities distribution showed that arterial hypertension (57.1%), ischemic heart disease (31.4%), chronic renal failure (28.8%), atrial fibrillation (25.6%), and COPD (22.7%), were the more frequent in subjects with diabetes. The graphic comorbidome showed that the strongest predictors of death at in hospital and at the 3-month follow-up were dementia and cancer. At the 1-year follow-up, cancer was the first comorbidity independently associated with mortality. (4) Conclusions: The "Diabetes Comorbidome" represents the perfect instrument for determining the prevalence of comorbidities and the strength of their relationship with risk of death, as well as the need for an effective treatment for improving clinical outcomes