Emerging materials for transition: A taxonomy proposal from a design perspective

In response to environmental challenges, design promotes emerging materials connected with the circular economy and environmental sustainability. However, there is confusion about their definition and contribution to sustainable design and production, showing a gap in their classification. This article proposes a taxonomy as a helpful tool to consolidate and unify terminology, definitions and general understanding of these emerging materials. An analysis of 31 real-world case studies helped outline the taxonomic proposal to formalise knowledge, fostering clarity in classifying and identifying them. The taxonomy aims to organise emerging materials, generate reflections, and encourage their responsible development, diffusion, and adoption

Emerging materials fostering interdisciplinary collaboration in Materials Design

Materials Design is a recognized emerging and growing area in design practice and research that converges different fields and approaches to addressing a holistic perspective of materials in and for design. Therefore, it incorporates knowledge from various disciplines, like engineering and science. Direct interdisciplinary collaboration between engineers, scientists, artists and designers can benefit projects whose purpose is to bring innovation regarding materials and design. We assume this interdisciplinarity is a crucial practice for developing the emerging field of Materials Design with a sustainable and circular perspective. This article conveys the findings of an empirical collection of case studies on emerging materials and product design. The results demonstrate the sustainability and circularity orientations they present and different disciplinary cooperation to generate innovative outcomes. The authors examined ten European enterprises that present products driven by emerging materials from alternative sources to support the statement. The paper identifies and reflects on the importance and value of collaboration. It aims to disseminate knowledge about the field of Materials Design and intends to highlight that interdisciplinary collaboration in this area can be favourable for achieving a sustainable paradigm and more responsible production and consumption patterns

Variation in fine-scale genetic structure and local dispersal patterns between peripheral populations of a South American passerine bird

Indexación: Scopus.The distribution of suitable habitat influences natal and breeding dispersal at small spatial scales, resulting in strong microgeographic genetic structure. Although environmental variation can promote interpopulation differences in dispersal behavior and local spatial patterns, the effects of distinct ecological conditions on within-species variation in dispersal strategies and in fine-scale genetic structure remain poorly understood. We studied local dispersal and fine-scale genetic structure in the thorn-tailed rayadito (Aphrastura spinicauda), a South American bird that breeds along a wide latitudinal gradient. We combine capture-mark-recapture data from eight breeding seasons and molecular genetics to compare two peripheral populations with contrasting environments in Chile: Navarino Island, a continuous and low density habitat, and Fray Jorge National Park, a fragmented, densely populated and more stressful environment. Natal dispersal showed no sex bias in Navarino but was female-biased in the more dense population in Fray Jorge. In the latter, male movements were restricted, and some birds seemed to skip breeding in their first year, suggesting habitat saturation. Breeding dispersal was limited in both populations, with males being more philopatric than females. Spatial genetic autocorrelation analyzes using 13 polymorphic microsatellite loci confirmed the observed dispersal patterns: a fine-scale genetic structure was only detectable for males in Fray Jorge for distances up to 450 m. Furthermore, two-dimensional autocorrelation analyzes and estimates of genetic relatedness indicated that related males tended to be spatially clustered in this population. Our study shows evidence for context-dependent variation in natal dispersal and corresponding local genetic structure in peripheral populations of this bird. It seems likely that the costs of dispersal are higher in the fragmented and higher density environment in Fray Jorge, particularly for males. The observed differences in microgeographic genetic structure for rayaditos might reflect the genetic consequences of population-specific responses to contrasting environmental pressures near the range limits of its distribution.http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/ece3.3342/epd

Response of Growing Dairy Bulls to Dietary Tannin in Rations with Varying Energy Levels

This study was conducted to determine the effect of dietary tannin on growth performance, rumen fluid characteristics, and apparent total-tract digestibility in growing Holstein-Friesian x Sahiwal bulls fed low and high energy rations. Eighteen growing bulls with initial body weight (BW) of 162.8±12.7 kg at 15±0.80 months were used in an unbalanced randomized complete block design set-up in a 2x2 factorial arrangement. The experimental animals were blocked by their respective BW. Animals were fed with concentrates containing metabolizable energy (ME) at 2.47 and 2.72 Mcal/kg without or with 20g/kg tannin in dry matter basis. At the final week of the trial, rumen fluid and fecal samples were collected for the rumen fluid characteristics and apparent total-tract digestibility analyses. No differences (p>0.05) were observed between the growth performance, rumen gas production, volatile fatty acids as well as organic matter, crude protein, and energy digestibility. High energy concentrates had higher (p<0.05) dry matter and neutral detergent fiber digestibility than low energy concentrates. Low energy concentrates without tannin had cheaper (p<0.001) total feed cost but feed cost per kilogram BW gain was similar (p>0.05) across treatments. Feed savings costs of US$ 17.58 per animal were attained in feeding low energy concentrates without tannin. Therefore, feeding concentrates containing 2.47 Mcal/kg ME without additional tannin can still be fed economically to growing cattle without any adverse effect on growth, ruminal fermentation characteristics, and apparent total-tract digestibility

Fomalhaut b could be massive and sculpting the narrow, eccentric debris disc, if in mean-motion resonance with it

The star Fomalhaut hosts a narrow, eccentric debris disc, plus a highly eccentric companion Fomalhaut b. It is often argued that Fomalhaut b cannot have significant mass, otherwise it would quickly perturb the disc. We show that material in internal mean-motion resonances with a massive, coplanar Fomalhaut b would actually be long-term stable, and occupy orbits similar to the observed debris. Furthermore, millimetre dust released in collisions between resonant bodies could reproduce the width, shape and orientation of the observed disc. We first re-examine the possible orbits of Fomalhaut b, assuming that it moves under gravity alone. If Fomalhaut b orbits close to the disc midplane then its orbit crosses the disc, and the two are apsidally aligned. This alignment may hint at an ongoing dynamical interaction. Using the observationally allowed orbits, we then model the interaction between a massive Fomalhaut b and debris. Whilst most debris is unstable in such an extreme configuration, we identify several resonant populations that remain stable for the stellar lifetime, despite crossing the orbit of Fomalhaut b. This debris occupies low-eccentricity orbits similar to the observed debris ring. These resonant bodies would have a clumpy distribution, but dust released in collisions between them would form a narrow, relatively smooth ring similar to observations. We show that if Fomalhaut b has a mass between those of Earth and Jupiter then, far from removing the observed debris, it could actually be sculpting it through resonant interactions.Comment: 24 pages, 11 figures, accepted for publication in MNRA

A Narrative Inquiry Into the Role of Social Media in Online Businesses in the Philippines

Social media is not only used for entertainment and personal communication. It is also utilized in transactions of businesses and interactions with customers. This research explores the perceptions and experiences of online business owners concerning the role of social media in their businesses. Narrative inquiry was used as a research design. Qualitative data were collected through semi-structured interviews online. The study used purposive sampling to identify people who are willing to share their perspectives and experiences. The results show that business owners attribute the increase of their consumers’ reach and consequently growth in sales to social media. While business owners believe in the essential engagement of social media in businesses, they offer a caveat to be observant of the comments inputted by the people who interact with their online business presence because they can make or break the business reputation

¿Sustentabilidad paramétrica?

El Diseño Paramétrico genera geometría a partir de variables y algoritmos para crear un árbol derelaciones con un rango de posibles soluciones, con software específico.El denominador común es la exacerbación de formas, un lenguaje pregnante, profusión de formasorgánicas y riqueza de superficies y texturas. Abandona la estructura racional-mecanicista paravincularse con los códigos formales de la biología.Rompe el paradigma sobre la forma de proyectar, que se transforma en un continuo con larepresentación y la producción. Es una nueva forma de interpretar la actividad proyectual.Esta investigación aplicada estudia la correlación entre las herramientas que ofrece el diseñoparamétrico y su incidencia en la sustentabilidad ambiental de los proyectos.El enfoque ecoambiental crece en relación directa con los efectos negativos sobre el planeta y lasdisciplinas proyectuales que crean y modifican espacios y objetos construidos por el hombre,tienen una responsabilidad social ineludible.El marco teórico concuerda con Leonardo Boff, (Boff, 2012) quien evidencia el antropocentrismodel Informe Bruntland. Por ello es pertinente el concepto de “biocentrismo” (Fiori, 2005). Seincorpora el concepto de capital natural, propugnar su preservación y enriquecimiento y pone envalor su capacidad de regeneración, reproducción y eco evolución.El cruce entre Sustentabilidad y Diseño Paramétrico permitiría aplicar las herramientas de esteúltimo a proyectos que incorporen principios de preservación del medio ambiente al diseño y laarquitectura; analizando soluciones de la naturaleza para hacer sustentables los proyectos.La hipótesis plantea que si el proceso proyectual paramétrico se concreta con criterios de la propianaturaleza, los resultados serían sustentables.Se rediseño el Diagrama Morfológico (Baker, 1993) por Niveles, Parámetros y Variables paraanalizar objetos, instalaciones, stands, equipamientos y fachadas y se utiliza una escala cromáticadel verde al rojo para visualizar los resultados.Se consideraron 5 niveles, por ello el Grafo de Sustentabilidad es un pentágono.Se realizaron 44 Fichas de Análisis de proyectos, cada una con un Diagrama de Sustentabilidad,que evalúa los 5 parámetros.Se priorizaron obras y objetos de Arquitectura, Diseño Interior, Mobiliario y Equipamiento.Los resultados indican predominancia de variables con mayor Impacto Ambiental (52%). Lasvariables de mejor sustentabilidad solo suman el 25%.Los resultados expresan que la sustentabilidad se debe definir como premisa del proyecto, pueslas herramientas digitales “per se” no son una condición para hacer sustentables los mismos.Proponemos el Diseño Paramétrico Sustentable, como concepto que refleja ambas disciplinasintegradas, Diseño Paramétrico y Sustentabilidad

Intraspecific variability of popcorn S7 lines for phosphorus efficiency in the soil.

The expansion of agriculture, coupled with the need for sustainable cropping, is one of the greatest challenges of the scientific community working on the generation of new cultivars adapted to abiotic stress conditions. The aim of this study was to evaluate the variability of popcorn lines as to responsiveness and efficiency in phosphorus use, as a first step towards the implementation of a breeding program interested in the practice of sustainable agriculture. Twenty-five popcorn lines were evaluated in two locations with different phosphorus levels in the soil, using a randomized block design. The following traits were measured: plant height, ear height, female flowering date, male flowering date, male-female flowering interval, ear diameter, ear length, 100-grain weight, grain yield, popping expansion, and expanded popcorn volume per hectare. A combined analysis of variance and test of means were performed, and the lines were classified as to their phosphorus use efficiency, according to their production performance in the different environments. The genetic diversity between the lines was estimated by Tocher?s and UPGMA clustering methods, using generalized Mahalanobis distance. Lines L59, P7, P2, P3, P4, P8, P10, P9, L66, L70, L69, and P5 were efficient and responsive, whereas lines L75, L80, L61, L77, L63, L65, P1, L54, L53, L88, and L71 were inefficient and nonresponsive. Genetic variability was greater in the environments with low phosphorus in the soil, suggesting that the selection pressure exerted in the stressing environment is a decisive factor to obtain a higher expression of variability