Plasmonic atoms and plasmonic molecules

The proposed paradigm of plasmonic atoms and plasmonic molecules allows one to describe and predict the strongly localized plasmonic oscillations in the clusters of nanoparticles and some other nanostructures in uniform way. Strongly localized plasmonic molecules near the contacting surfaces might become the fundamental elements (by analogy with Lego bricks) for a construction of fully integrated opto-electronic nanodevices of any complexity and scale of integration.Comment: 30 pages, 16 figure

Using behavior-analytic implicit tests to assess sexual interests among normal and sex-offender populations

The development of implicit tests for measuring biases and behavioral predispositions is a recent development within psychology. While such tests are usually researched within a social-cognitive paradigm, behavioral researchers have also begun to view these tests as potential tests of conditioning histories, including in the sexual domain. The objective of this paper is to illustrate the utility of a behavioral approach to implicit testing and means by which implicit tests can be built to the standards of behavioral psychologists. Research findings illustrating the short history of implicit testing within the experimental analysis of behavior are reviewed. Relevant parallel and overlapping research findings from the field of social cognition and on the Implicit Association Test are also outlined. New preliminary data obtained with both normal and sex offender populations are described in order to illustrate how behavior-analytically conceived implicit tests may have potential as investigative tools for assessing histories of sexual arousal conditioning and derived stimulus associations. It is concluded that popular implicit tests are likely sensitive to conditioned and derived stimulus associations in the history of the test-taker rather than 'unconscious cognitions', per se

Phytoremediation and high rainfall combine to improve soil and plant health in a North America Northern Great Plains saline sodic soil

Saline/sodic soils are often remediated by applying gypsum, improving drainage, and irrigating with high quality water. However, these management approaches may not be effective or feasible in dryland soils supersaturated with gypsum. A field study, conducted between 2017 and 2021, investigated the effect of phytoremediation on soil and plant health in a landscape containing productive, transition, and saline/sodic soils. Phytoremediation treatments–corn (Zea mays) and two perennial grass mixes (mix 1 slender wheatgrass [Elymus trachycaulus] and beardless wildrye [Leymus triticoides], and mix 2 slender wheatgrass, creeping meadow foxtail [Alopecurus arundinaceus], western wheatgrass [Agropyron smithii], and green wheatgrass [Elymus Hoffmannii])–were planted and compared with a no-plant control treatment across three soil zones. Perennial grasses were dormant seeded in the winter of 2017 and 2018, and corn was grown in 2018, 2019, and 2020. Soil samples (0 to 15 cm) were collected on July 24, 2018, July 23, 2019, July 24, 2020, and April 15, 2021. Across soil zones, corn production was 5,990 (grain + stover), 3,900 (stover only), and 6,150 (grain + stover) kg ha−1 in 2018, 2019, and 2020, respectively, whereas perennial grass biomass yields averaged 1,220, 9,065, and 7,375 kg ha−1 in 2018, 2019, and 2020, respectively. Due to high rainfall that occurred from the fall of 2018 through the summer of 2019, the depth to the water table decreased and the soil electrical conductivity (EC1:1) (−0.83 ± 0.149 dS m−1) and exchangeable sodium (Na+) (−656 ± 220) decreased in all treatments. In addition, from 2018 to 2019, the risk of soil dispersion (lower Na+/EC1:1 ratio) was less in treatments with growing plants (p = 0.02) than plots without plants. With drier conditions from the fall of 2019 through the spring of 2021, the depth to groundwater increased, the EC1:1 decreased in the transition soil but increased in the saline/sodic soil (p = 0.001), and the Na+/EC1:1 ratio increased in the productive and transition soils and was static or decreased in the saline/sodic soil (p = 0.001). In conclusion, this and related work showed that phytoremediation when combined with high natural rainfall reduced soil EC1:1 and the exchangeable Na+ in all soils; however, these benefits may be short lived, and as the water tables dropped in 2020, EC1:1 increased in the saline/sodic zones. Laboratory and linked research from the study site also showed that fertilizing saline sodic soils can result in very high nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions, and reseeding degraded soil to perennial plants provides soil cover that reduces the risk of erosion and provides habitat for wildlife

How does formal instrumental music tuition (FIMT) impact on self- and teacher-evaluations of adolescents’ computer-based compositions?

This study examined 48 computer-based compositions produced by adolescents (13–14 years old) using evaluations by specialist music teachers and the adolescents’ self-evaluations and self-assessments. Based on previous research (Seddon and O’Neill, 2001), we expected that the teachers’ evaluations of the compositions would not differentiate between the compositions by adolescents with or without 2–4 years prior experience of formal instrumental music tuition (FIMT). We also predicted that the self-evaluations and selfassessments of adolescents with FIMT would be higher than the self-evaluations and self-assessments by adolescents without FIMT. The results supported our predictions suggesting that adolescents’ self-evaluations of their ability to compose and their self-assessments of their own compositions are determined by their levels of self-perceived competence, and that this is influenced by whether or not they have previous experience of FIMT. Implications for the use of selfevaluations and self-assessments in music education are discussed