ALBERT

Beschreibung: Ecological Applications, Volume 0, Issue 0, Ahead of Print. Patterns of migratory connectivity are a vital yet poorly understood component of the ecology and evolution of migratory birds. Our ability to accurately characterize patterns of migratory connectivity is often limited by the spatial resolution of the data but recent advances in probabilistic assignment approaches have begun pairing stable isotopes with other sources of data (e.g., genetic and mark-recapture) to improve the accuracy and precision of inferences based on a single marker. Here, we combine stable isotopes and geographic variation in morphology (wing length) to probabilistically assign Wood thrush (Hylocichla mustilena) captured on the wintering grounds to breeding locations. In addition, we use known origin samples to validate our model and assess potentially important impacts of covariates of isotopic and morphological data (age, sex and breeding location). Our results show that despite relatively high levels of mixing across their breeding and non-breeding ranges, moderate levels of migratory connectivity along an east-west gradient exist. In addition, combining stable isotopes with geographic variation in wing improved the precision of breeding assignments by 10% and 37% compared to assignments based on isotopes alone or wing length alone, respectively. These results demonstrate that geographical variation in morphological traits can greatly improve estimates of migratory connectivity when combined with other intrinsic markers (e.g., stable isotopes or genetic data). The wealth of morphological data available from museum specimens across the world represents a tremendously valuable, but largely untapped, resource that is widely applicable for quantifying patterns of migratory connectivity.

Beschreibung: Homogenous liquid precursor for ZrC – SiC was prepared by blending of Zr ( OC 4 H 9 ) 4 and Poly[(methylsilylene)acetylene]. This precursor could be cured at 250°C and converted into binary ZrC – SiC composite ceramics upon heat treatment at 1700°C. The pyrolysis mechanism and optimal molar ratio of the precursor were investigated by XRD. The morphology and elements analyses were conducted by SEM and corresponding energy-dispersive spectrometer. The evolution of carbon during ceramization was studied by Raman spectroscopy. The results showed that the precursor samples heat treated at 900°C consisted of t- ZrO 2 (main phase) and m- ZrO 2 (minor phase). The higher temperature induced phase transformation and t- ZrO 2 converted into m- ZrO 2 . Further heating led to the formation of ZrC and SiC due to the carbothermal reduction, and the ceramic sample changed from compact to porous due to the generation of carbon oxides. With the increasing molar ratios of C / Zr , the residual oxides in 1700°C ceramic samples converted into ZrC and almost pure ZrC – SiC composite ceramics could be obtained in ZS-3 sample. The Zr , Si , and C elements were well distributed in the obtained ceramics powders and particles with a distribution of 100 ~ 300 nm consisted of well-crystallized ZrC and SiC phases.

Beschreibung: Ecological Applications, Volume 0, Issue 0, Ahead of Print. Predicting how climate change is likely to interact with myriad other stressors that threaten species of conservation concern is an essential challenge in aquatic ecosystems. This study provides a framework to accomplish this task in salmon-bearing streams of the northwestern United States, where land-use related reductions in riparian shading have caused changes in stream thermal regimes, and additional warming from projected climate change may result in significant losses of coldwater fish habitat over the next century. Predatory non-native smallmouth bass have also been introduced into many northwestern streams and their range is likely to expand as streams warm, presenting an additional challenge to the persistence of threatened Pacific salmon. The goal of this work was to forecast the interactive effects of climate change, riparian management, and non-native species on stream-rearing salmon, and to evaluate the capacity of restoration to mitigate these effects. We intersected downscaled global climate forecasts with a local-scale water temperature model to predict mid- and end-of-century temperatures in streams in the Columbia River basin; we compared one stream that is thermally impaired due to the loss of riparian vegetation and another that is cooler and has a largely intact riparian corridor. Using the forecasted stream temperatures in conjunction with fish-habitat models, we predicted how stream-rearing Chinook salmon and bass distributions would change as each stream warmed. In the highly modified stream, end-of-century warming may cause near total loss of Chinook salmon rearing habitat and a complete invasion of the upper watershed by bass. In the less modified stream, bass were thermally restricted from the upstream-most areas. In both systems, temperature increases resulted in higher predicted spatial overlap between stream-rearing Chinook salmon and potentially predatory bass in the early summer (2-4-fold increase) and greater abundance of bass. We found that riparian restoration could prevent the extirpation of Chinook salmon from the more altered stream, and could also restrict bass from occupying the upper 31 km of salmon rearing habitat. The proposed methodology and model predictions are critical for prioritizing climate-change adaptation strategies before salmonids are exposed to both warmer water and greater predation risk by non-native species.

Beschreibung: Ce -doped BaTiO 3 -based ceramics were prepared and studied to satisfy ultra-broad temperature stability (from −55°C to 300°C, capacitance variation rate based on C 20°C is within ±15%). The sample with 0.6 mol% CeO 2 succeeds to achieve this performance with a remarkably high ceiling temperature of 300°C. Meanwhile, the sample has good dielectric and electrical properties at room temperature (ε r  = 1667, tanδ = 1.478%, ρ V  = 5.9 × 10 12  Ω·cm). Ce ion can substitute for Ti ion as Ce 4+ or Ba ion as Ce 3+ . The substitution decreases the spontaneous polarization of BaTiO 3 , and then weakens the ferroelectricity of BaTiO 3 . As a result, the temperature stability of samples is improved obviously. Besides, CeO 2 addition promotes the formation of exaggerated grains, which are consisting of Ba 6 Ti 17 O 40 .

Beschreibung: This study aims to optimize quantitative X-ray diffraction (XRD) mineralogical analysis of the minority phases in clinker. The proposed method consists of applying Rietveld quantitative refinement to the XRD patterns for both clinker and the insoluble residue remaining after it is attacked with methanol and salicylic acid (Takashima method). The method was tested with industrial clinker and the same material after modifying its mineralogy by refiring at 1500°C followed by slow cooling. The findings showed that the C 4 AF / C 3 A ratios for quickly and gradually cooled clinker were much higher when the clinker diffractograms were refined with the Rietveld procedure than when the proposed method was used. The proportion of C 3 A found with the proposed method was ≈2.8-fold higher than when Rietveld only was applied to the diffractograms for clinkers. Taken together, the refinement data for the two materials (clinker and Takashima residua) revealed that Rietveld quantitative XRD applied to clinker underestimates the low C 3 A content. These findings are supported by postsulfate attack durability studies conducted on cements prepared with the two clinkers.

Beschreibung: The effect of increasing poling fields on the properties of (1− x )BZT– x BCT compositions across the morphotropic phase boundary (MPB) is studied using large signal polarization and strain, small signal permittivity and piezoelectric coefficient, and XRD measurements. Successive poling causes charge carrier migration inducing an internal bias field, which becomes large with respect to the coercive field resulting in biased ferroelectric and ferroelastic switching. Improvements in piezoelectric coefficient of 9% are significantly smaller in the tetragonal 60BCT composition compared with the improvement of approximately 50% in the rhombohedral 40BCT and MPB 50BCT compositions. While the properties continue to change with increased poling fields, the remnant ferroelastic domain texture parallel to the field direction, as observed from XRD, stays approximately constant. The improvement in overall domain alignment leading to largely enhanced intrinsic piezoelectricity originates from the alignment of 180° domains and possibly non-180° domains in grains with orientations inclined to the electric field. As a result, poling is most effective in BZT–BCT materials that have low coercive fields, show low distortions and possess more polarization orientations, such as compositions in the rhombohedral phase field or near the MPB.

Beschreibung: The defect chemistry-modulated dielectric properties of dense yttria-doped zirconia ceramics prepared by conventional sintering (at 1350°C–1500°C) and electric field-assisted flash sintering (55 V/cm at 900°C) were studied by impedance spectroscopy. While the bulk dielectric properties from both sets of samples showed only small and insignificant changes in conductivity and permittivity, respectively, a huge increase of these properties was measured for the grain boundaries in the flash sintered specimens. A close analysis of these results suggests that flash sintering reduced grain-boundary thickness (by about 30%), while increasing the concentration of oxygen vacancies near these interfaces (by about 49%). The underlying mechanism proposed is electric field-assisted generation and accommodation of defects in the space-charge layers adjacent to the grain surface. The changes in measured permittivity are attributed to the boundary thickness effect on capacitance, while conductivity involved variations in its defect density-dependent intrinsic value, accounting for changes also observed in grain-boundary relaxation frequencies. Therefore, in terms of modifications to the specific dielectric properties of these materials, the overall consequence of flash sintering was to considerably lower the semi-blocking character of the grain boundaries.

Beschreibung: This article presents a detailed study on the nanoscaled interface between microelongated gold particles (GP) and biphase leucite/feldspar glass-ceramic matrix. The glass-ceramic composite with a nonuniform GP distribution was processed through hot-pressing under vacuum using a commercial dental ceramic furnace for glass-ceramic dental crown manufacturing. Heat treatments at 900°C, 1100°C, and 1300°C were conducted, and microstructural features along the interface were used to verify the chemical reactions between GP and glass-ceramic matrix. It was observed that the amorphous glass-ceramic matrix had nanoscaled biphase structures, and the distributed nanoscaled amorphous leucite phase was attracted to GP during hot-pressing, and was more reactive with GP than the feldspar phase. The thickness of the interfacial phase formed through chemical reactions between GP and glass-ceramic matrix is around 30 nm. The chemically bonded interface has contributed significantly toward the substantial improvements in both strength and toughness of the GP-reinforced glass-ceramic matrix composite. Characterization techniques, including X-ray diffraction and field-emission scanning electron Microscopy, incorporating X-ray microanalysis using energy dispersive spectrometry, have been employed in this study.

Beschreibung: Recent investigations have revealed the great potential of Raman spectroscopy for the characterization of clinker minerals and commercial Portland cements. The usefulness of this technique for the identification of anhydrous, hydrated, and carbonated phases in cement-based materials has been demonstrated. In the present work, the application of micro-Raman spectroscopy for the characterization of the main clinker phases of calcium aluminate cements and calcium sulfoaluminate cement is explored. The main stable hydrated phases as well as several important carbonated phases are investigated. Raman measurements on the following phases are reported: (i) pure, unhydrated phases: CA, C 12 A 7 , CA 2 , C 2 AS, cubic- C 3 A , C 4 AF, and C 4 A 3 ; (ii) hydrated phases: ettringite, monosulfoaluminate, and hydrogarnet ( C 3 AH 6 ); (iii) carboaluminate phases: hemicarboaluminate and monocarboaluminate. The present results, which are discussed in terms of the internal vibrational modes of the aluminate, carbonate, and sulfate molecular groups as well as stretching O–H vibrations, show the ability of Raman spectroscopy to identify the main hydrated and unhydrated phases in the aluminate and sulfoaluminate cements. The Raman spectra obtained in this work provide an extended database to the existing data published in the literature.

Beschreibung: Acmite ( NaFeSi 2 O 6 ) films were formed on steel coupons via solvothermal reaction of silica, sodium hydroxide, and 1, 4-butanediol in an autoclave under autogenous pressure. Systematic variation in processing variables led to homogenous coatings comprised of pinacoidal acmite grains with an average grain size of ~33 μm. The coatings were produced on the steel coupons from reactant conditions of 0.635 m SiO 2 , 2.546 m NaOH , and 3.087 m 1,4-butanediol for 72 h at 240°C.

Beschreibung: Ecological Applications, Volume 0, Issue 0, Ahead of Print. Efforts to test and improve terrestrial biosphere models (TBMs) using a variety of data sources have become increasingly common. However, geographically extensive forest inventories have been under-exploited in previous model-data fusion efforts. Inventory observations of forest growth, mortality, and biomass integrate processes across a range of time scales, including slow time-scale processes such as species turnover, that are likely to have important effects on ecosystem responses to environmental variation. However, the large number (thousands) of inventory plots precludes detailed measurements at each location, so that uncertainty in climate, soil properties, and other environmental drivers may be large. Errors in driver variables, if ignored, introduce bias into model-data fusion. We estimated errors in climate and soil drivers at U.S. Forest Inventory and Analysis (FIA) plots, and we explored the effects of these errors on model-data fusion with the Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Laboratory LM3V dynamic global vegetation model. When driver errors were ignored or assumed small at FIA plots, responses of biomass production in LM3V to precipitation and soil available water capacity appeared steeper than the corresponding responses estimated from FIA data. These differences became non-significant if driver errors at FIA plots were assumed large. Ignoring driver errors when optimizing LM3V parameter values yielded estimates for fine-root allocation that were larger than biometric estimates, which is consistent with the expected direction of bias. To explore if complications posed by driver errors could be circumvented by relying on intensive study sites where driver errors are small, we performed a power analysis. To accurately quantify the response of biomass production to spatial variation in mean annual precipitation within the eastern U.S. would require at least 40 intensive study sites, which is larger than the number of sites typically available for individual biomes in existing plot networks. Driver errors may be accommodated by several existing model-data fusion approaches, including hierarchical Bayesian methods and ensemble filtering methods; however, these methods are computationally expensive. We propose a new approach, in which the TBM functional response is fit directly to the driver-error-corrected functional response estimated from data, rather than to the raw observations.

Beschreibung: Ecological Applications, Volume 0, Issue 0, Ahead of Print. Much of our understanding of natural forest dynamics in the temperate region of Europe is based on observational studies in old-growth remnants that have emphasized small-scale gap dynamics and equilibrium stand structure and composition. Relatively little attention has been given to the role of infrequent disturbance events in forest dynamics. In this study, we analyzed dendroecological data from four stands and three windthrow patches in an old-growth landscape in the Dinaric Mountains of Bosnia and Herzegovina to examine disturbance history, tree life history traits, and compositional dynamics. Over all stands, most decades during the past 340 years experienced less than 10% canopy loss, yet each stand showed evidence of periodic intermediate severity disturbances that removed 〉 40% of the canopy, some of which were synchronized over the study area landscape. Analysis of radial growth patterns indicated several life history differences among the dominant canopy trees; beech was markedly older than fir, while growth patterns of dead and dying trees suggested fir was able to tolerate longer periods of suppressed growth in shade. Maple had the fastest radial growth and accessed the canopy primarily through rapid early growth in canopy gaps, whereas most beech and fir experienced a period of suppressed growth prior to canopy accession. Peaks in disturbance were roughly linked to increased recruitment, but mainly of shade tolerant beech and fir; less tolerant species (i.e. maple, ash, and elm) recruited successfully on some of the windthown sites where advance regeneration of beech and fir was less abundant. The results challenge the traditional notions of stability in temperate old-growth of Europe and highlight the non-equilibrial nature of canopy composition due to unique histories of disturbance and tree life history differences. These findings provide valuable information for developing natural disturbance-based silvicultural systems, as well as insight into maintaining less shade tolerant, but valuable broadleaved trees in temperate forests of Europe.

Beschreibung: Ecological Applications, Volume 23, Issue 6, Page 1322-1330, September 2013. Cities produce considerable ecological light pollution (ELP), yet the effects of artificial night lighting on biological communities and ecosystem function have not been fully explored. From June 2010 to June 2011, we surveyed aquatic emergent insects, riparian arthropods entering the water, and riparian spiders of the family Tetragnathidae at nine stream reaches representing common ambient ELP levels of Columbus, Ohio, USA, streams (low, 0.1–0.5 lux; moderate, 0.6–2.0 lux; high, 2.1–4.0 lux). In August 2011, we experimentally increased light levels at the low- and moderate-treatment reaches to 10–12 lux to represent urban streams exposed to extremely high levels of ELP. Although season exerted the dominant influence on invertebrate fluxes over the course of the year, when analyzed by season, we found that light strongly influenced multiple invertebrate responses. The experimental light addition resulted in a 44% decrease in tetragnathid spider density (P = 0.035), decreases of 16% in family richness (P = 0.040) and 76% in mean body size (P = 0.022) of aquatic emergent insects, and a 309% increase in mean body size of terrestrial arthropods (P = 0.015). Our results provide evidence that artificial light sources can alter community structure and ecosystem function in streams via changes in reciprocal aquatic–terrestrial fluxes of invertebrates.

Beschreibung: Ecological Applications, Volume 23, Issue 6, Page 1357-1366, September 2013. Examining the causes of interspecific differences in susceptibility to bidirectional land-use changes (land abandonment and use-intensification) is important for understanding the mechanisms of global biodiversity loss in agricultural landscapes. We tested the hypothesis that rare (endangered) plant species prefer wet and oligotrophic areas within topography- and management-mediated resource (soil water content, nutrient, and aboveground biomass) gradients, making them more susceptible to both abandonment and use-intensification of agricultural lands. We demonstrated that topography and management practices generated resource gradients in seminatural grasslands around traditional paddy terraces. Terraced topography and management practices produced a soil moisture gradient within levees and a nutrient gradient within paddy terraces. Both total and rare species diversity increased with soil water content. Total species diversity increased in more eutrophied areas with low aboveground biomass, whereas rare species diversity was high under oligotrophic conditions. Rare and common species were differentially distributed along the human-induced nutrient gradient, with rare species preferring wet, nutrient-poor environments in the agricultural landscapes studied. We suggest that conservation efforts should concentrate on wet, nutrient-poor areas within such landscapes, which can be located easily using land-use and topography maps. This strategy would reduce the costs of finding and conserving rare grassland species in a given agricultural landscape.

Beschreibung: Ecological Applications, Volume 23, Issue 6, Page 1429-1442, September 2013. Carryover effects occur when experiences early in life affect an individual's performance at a later stage. Many studies have shown carryover effects to be important for future performance. However, it is currently unclear whether variation in later environments could overwhelm factors from an earlier life stage. We were interested in whether similar patterns would emerge under the same experimental design with similar taxa. To examine this, we implemented a four-way factorial experimental design with different forestry practices on three species of anurans (each examined in different years) in the aquatic larval environment and terrestrial juvenile environment in outdoor mesocosms in central Missouri, USA. Using Cormack-Jolly-Seber mark–recapture models implemented in program MARK, we investigated whether one environment or both environments best predicted terrestrial juvenile survival. We found only limited evidence of carryover effects for one of three species in one time period. These were the effects of time to metamorphosis and body condition at metamorphosis predicting leopard frog (Lithobates sphenocephalus) survival. However, both effects were counterintuitive and/or very weak. For wood frogs (L. sylvaticus), all of the variables predicting survival had confidence intervals that included zero, but very low survival may have limited our ability to estimate parameters. The terrestrial environment was important for predicting survival in both American toads (Anaxyrus americanus) and southern leopard frogs. The partial harvest forest tended to increase survival relative to control forest and early-successional forest in American toads. Alternately, early-successional forest with downed wood removed increased survival for leopard frogs, but this treatment was no different from control forest for American toads. Previous studies have shown negative effects of recent clearcuts on terrestrial amphibians. It appears that vegetative regrowth after just a few years can mitigate these initial negative effects. Our study shows that variation in later environments probably can overwhelm variation from earlier environments. However, previous evidence of carryover effects suggests that more research is needed to predict when carryover effects are likely to occur.

Beschreibung: Ecological Applications, Volume 23, Issue 6, Page 1475-1487, September 2013. Statistical indicators such as rising variance and rising skewness in key system parameters may provide early warning of “regime shifts” in communities and populations. However, the utility of these indicators has rarely been tested in the large, complex ecosystems that are of most interest to managers. Crustacean fisheries in the Gulf of Alaska and Bering Sea experienced a series of collapses beginning in the 1970s, and we used spatially resolved catch data from these fisheries to test the predictions that increasing variability and skewness would precede stock collapse. Our data set consisted of catch data from 14 fisheries (12 collapsing and two non-collapsing), spanning 278 cumulative years. Our sampling unit for analysis was the Alaska Department of Fish and Game statistical reporting area (mean n for individual fisheries = 42 areas, range 7–81). We found that spatial variability in catches increased prior to stock collapse: a random-effects model estimating trend in variability across all 12 collapsing fisheries showed strong evidence of increasing variability prior to collapse. Individual trends in variability were statistically significant for only four of the 12 collapsing fisheries, suggesting that rising variability might be most effective as an indicator when information from multiple populations is available. Analyzing data across multiple fisheries allowed us to detect increasing variability 1–4 years prior to collapse, and trends in variability were significantly different for collapsing and non-collapsing fisheries. In spite of theoretical expectations, we found no evidence of pre-collapse increases in catch skewness. Further, while models generally predict that rising variability should be a transient phenomenon around collapse points, increased variability was a persistent feature of collapsed fisheries in our study. We conclude that this result is more consistent with fishing effects as the cause of increased catch variability, rather than the critical slowing down that is the driver of increased variability in regime shift models. While our results support the use of rising spatial variability as a leading indicator of regime shifts, the failure of our data to support other model-derived predictions underscores the need for empirical validation before these indicators can be used with confidence by ecosystem managers.

Beschreibung: A 50:50 vol% MgO – Y 2 O 3 nanocomposite with ~150 nm grain size was prepared in an attempt to make 3–5 μm infrared-transmitting windows with increased durability and thermal shock resistance. Flexure strength of the composite at 21°C is 679 MPa for 0.88 cm 2 under load. Hardness is consistent with that of the constituents with similar grain size. For 3-mm-thick material at 4.85 μm, the total scatter loss is 1.5%, forward scatter is 0.2%, and absorptance is 1.8%. Optical scatter below 2 μm is 100%. Variable intensity OH absorption (~6% absorptance) is observed near 3 μm. The refractive index is ~0.4% below the volume-fraction-weighted average of those of the constituents. Thermal expansion is equal to the volume-fraction-weighted average of expansion of the constituents. Specific heat capacity is equal to the mass-fraction-weighted average of heat capacities of the constituents. Thermal conductivity lies between those of the constituents up to 1200 K. Elastic constants lie between those of the constituents. The Hasselman mild thermal shock resistance parameter for the composite is twice as great as that of common 3–5 μm window materials, but half as great as that of c -plane sapphire.

Beschreibung: Ecological Applications, Volume 0, Issue 0, Ahead of Print. Determining the range of a species and exploring species-habitat associations are central questions in ecology and can be answered by analyzing presence-absence data. Often, both the sampling of sites and the desired area of inference involve neighboring sites; thus positive spatial autocorrelation between these sites is expected. Using survey data for the Southern ground hornbill (Bucorvus leadbeateri) from the Southern African Bird Atlas Project, we compared advantages and disadvantages of three increasingly complex models for species occupancy: an occupancy model that accounted for nondetection but assumed all sites were independent, and two spatial occupancy models that accounted for both nondetection and spatial autocorrelation. We modeled the spatial autocorrelation with an intrinsic conditional autoregressive (ICAR) model and with a restricted spatial regression (RSR) model. Both spatial models can readily be applied to any other gridded, presence-absence data set using a newly introduced R package. The RSR model provided the best inference and was able to capture small-scale variation that the other models did not. It showed that ground hornbills are strongly dependent on protected areas in the north of their South African range but less so further south. The ICAR models did not capture any spatial autocorrelation in the data, and they took an order of magnitude longer than the RSR models to run. Thus, the RSR occupancy model appears to be an attractive choice for modeling occurrences at large spatial domains, while accounting for imperfect detection and spatial autocorrelation.

Beschreibung: Ecological Applications, Volume 0, Issue 0, Ahead of Print. Our increasing dependence on a small number of agricultural crops such as corn is leading to reductions in agricultural biodiversity. Reductions in the number of crops in rotation or the replacement of rotations by monocultures are responsible for this loss of biodiversity. The belowground implications of simplifying agricultural plant communities remain unresolved; however, agroecosystem sustainability will be severely compromised if reductions in biodiversity reduce soil C and N concentrations, alter microbial communities, and degrade soil ecosystem functions as reported in natural communities. We conducted a meta-analysis of 122 studies to examine crop rotation effects on total soil C and N concentrations, and the faster cycling microbial biomass C and N pools that play key roles in soil nutrient cycling and physical processes such as aggregate formation. We specifically examined how rotation crop type and management practices influence C and N dynamics in different climates and soil types. We found that adding one or more crops in rotation to a monoculture increased total soil C by 3.6% and total N by 5.3%, but when rotations included a cover crop (i.e. crops that are not harvested but produced to enrich the soil and capture inorganic N), total C increased by 8.5% and total N 12.8%. Rotations substantially increased the soil microbial biomass C (20.7%) and N (26.1%) pools, and these overwhelming effects on microbial biomass were not moderated by crop type or management practices. Crop rotations, especially those that include cover crops, sustain soil quality and productivity by enhancing soil C, N and microbial biomass, making them a cornerstone for sustainable agroecosystems.

Beschreibung: In this work, novel Y 2 Si 2 O 7 / ZrO 2 composites were developed for structural and coating applications by taking advantage of their unique properties, such as good damage tolerance, tunable mechanical properties, and superior wear resistance. The γ- Y 2 Si 2 O 7 / ZrO 2 composites showed improved mechanical properties compared to the γ- Y 2 Si 2 O 7 matrix material, that is, the Young's modulus was enhanced from 155 to 188 GPa (121%) and the flexural strength from 135 to 254 MPa (181%); when the amount of ZrO 2 was increased from 0 to 50 vol%, the γ- Y 2 Si 2 O 7 / ZrO 2 composites also presented relatively high facture toughness (〉1.7 MPa·m 1/2 ), but this exhibited an inverse relationship with the ZrO 2 content. The composition–mechanical property–tribology relationships of the Y 2 Si 2 O 7 / ZrO 2 composites were elucidated. The wear resistance of the composites is not only influenced by the applied load, hardness, strength, toughness, and rigidity but also effectively depends on micromechanical stability properties of the microstructures. The easy growth of subcritical microcracks in Y 2 Si 2 O 7 grains and at grain boundaries significantly contributes to the macroscopic fracture toughness, but promotes the pull-out of individual grains, thus resulting in a lack of correlation between the wear rate and the macroscopic fracture toughness of the composites.

Beschreibung: The as-prepared BiFeO 3 ceramic shows a piezoelectric d 33 coefficient of −14 pC/N, that is, an obvious ferroelectric self-poling phenomenon. The temperature gradient between the two surfaces of BiFeO 3 ceramic was intentionally enlarged when BiFeO 3 was prepared with a rapid liquid sintering method. This temperature gradient and the corresponding thermal strain can introduce defect dipoles through separating bismuth vacancies from oxygen vacancies. A mass of these dipoles introduce a macroscopic internal electric field ( E in ) which downward poles BiFeO 3 ceramic during its cooling down process. As expected, an E in of 〉10 kV/cm is confirmed by the asymmetrical polarization/strain versus electric field curves.

Beschreibung: The effect of Ba content on the stress sensitivity of the antiferroelectric to ferroelectric phase transition in ( Pb 0.94− x La 0.04 Ba x )[( Zr 0.60 Sn 0.40 ) 0.84 Ti 0.16 ] O 3 ceramics is investigated through monitoring electric field-induced polarization and longitudinal strain under compressive prestresses. It is found that incorporation of Ba significantly suppresses the stress sensitivity of the phase transition, as manifested by slight decreases under prestresses up to 100 MPa in the maximum polarization ( P m ) and longitudinal strain ( x m ). The energy storage density is even increased under the mechanical confinement in compositions x  = 0.02 and 0.04. X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy, and dielectric measurements indicate that the suppressed stress sensitivity is associated with the disruption of micrometersized antiferroelectric domains into nanodomains and the transition from antiferroelectric to relaxor behavior.

Beschreibung: Powders and nanoceramics composed of composites of CoFe 2 O 4 , CoFe 2 , and a small amount of FeO were prepared by heating CoFe 2 O 4 powder in reducing atmosphere and by sintering the product of reducing reaction at 350°C via spark plasma sintering technology. In the powders, increase in the molar ratios of CoFe 2 : CoFe 2 O 4 and a great change in magnetic parameters were observed with the change in heating temperature from 300°C to 400°C, and the dominance of dipole interaction over exchange coupling in the interparticle interactions was confirmed by the steps in magnetic hysteresis loops and the negative Henkel plots. However, in the nanoceramics, significant enhancement in exchange coupling was found when the sintering temperature was raised to 500°C and 650°C, which was confirmed by both the positivity of Henkel plot and the single-phase style of the magnetic hysteresis loop.

Beschreibung: Gas adsorption porosity measurement of geopolymers (GPs) is required for quantitative understanding of such mesoporous structures, but the complex nature of the GP system makes analysis difficult. Previous results in the literature are often ambiguous or contradictory. A systematic investigation of metakaolin GP gas adsorption results was conducted to optimize the use of this measurement technique and verify that results match known theory about GP structure. It was found that GP undergoes structural change upon degassing at 100°C or higher. If and only if this change is prevented by degassing at a lower temperature could it be shown that specific surface area and total gas adsorption increases with both increasing curing temperature and decreased Si : Al ratio. This observation is consistent with previous suggestions of increased zeolitic character under these conditions, where previous gas adsorption investigations had not observed this expected relationship. Hydrogen physisorption is proposed as a substitute technique for micropore isotherms in GPs due to the difficulty of removing trace gasses from GPs and the measurement effect of such gasses at high vacuum. A hydrogen physisorption isotherm qualitatively resembled an equivalent nitrogen micropore isotherm.

Beschreibung: In this work, the role of europium doping of glasses formulated in the ternary system ZnO – CdO – TeO 2 is described. The Eu -doped oxide glasses were prepared by the conventional melt-quenching method and by using three different compositions. Structural studies reveal that there exists a good affinity between Cd and some rare earth (RE) ions to form the crystalline phase. The X-ray diffraction (XRD) diagrams display that the structure of these glasses is amorphous and with the increase in CdO content and the compatibility of Eu 3+ , there is a tendency to form nanocrystals of CdTe 2 O 5 . The scanning electron microscopic (SEM) observation of their microstructure confirms the presence of phase separation. Differential thermal analysis (DTA) of these glasses showed small exothermic peaks noted around 450°C for the V2 glass and 480°C for V1 and V3 glasses, which could be attributed to the formation of these crystals. The infrared spectra showed a main absorption band around 800–600 cm −1 corresponding to the Te – O stretching mode in TeO 4 and TeO 3 groups. By optical absorption (OA), the band gap ( E g ) for each glass was determined; these values were 3.27, 3.14, and 3.3 eV for the V1–V3 glasses, respectively. Furthermore, the presence of Eu 3+ was detected in the 370–470 nm short-range wavelengths. The photoluminescence (PL) experiments of the glasses showed light emission due to the following transitions: 5D0 → 7F1, 5D0 → 7F2, 5D0 → 7F3, and 5D0 → 7F4.

Beschreibung: Ecological Applications, Volume 0, Issue 0, Ahead of Print. Tropical forests play a vital role in the global carbon cycle, but the amount of carbon they contain and its spatial distribution remain uncertain. Recent studies suggest that once tree height is accounted for in biomass calculations, in addition to diameter and wood density, carbon stock estimates are reduced in many areas. However, it is possible that larger crown sizes might offset the reduction in biomass estimates in some forests where tree heights are lower because even comparatively short trees develop large, well-lit crowns in or above the forest canopy. While current allometric models and theory focus on diameter, wood density, and height, the influence of crown size and structure has not been well studied. To test the extent to which accounting for crown parameters can improve biomass estimates, we harvested and weighed 51 trees (11-169 cm diameter) in southwestern Amazonia where no direct biomass measurements have been made. The trees in our study had nearly half of total aboveground biomass in the branches (44 ± 2 %), demonstrating the importance of accounting for tree crowns. Consistent with our predictions, key pantropical equations that include height, but do not account for crown dimensions, underestimated the sum total biomass of all 51 trees by 11 to 14 %, primarily due to severe underestimates of many of the largest trees. In our models, including crown radius greatly improves performance and reduces error, especially for the largest trees. In addition, over the full dataset, crown radius marginally explained more variation in aboveground biomass (10.5 %) than height (6.0 %). Crown form is also important: trees with a monopodial architectural type are estimated to have 21-44 % less mass than trees with other growth patterns. Our analysis suggests that accounting for crown allometry would substantially improve the accuracy of tropical estimates of tree biomass and its distribution in primary and degraded forests.

Beschreibung: Ecological Applications, Volume 0, Issue 0, Ahead of Print. Tropical forests are important storehouses of carbon and biodiversity. In isolated island ecosystems such as the Hawaiian Islands, relative dominance of native and non-native tree species may influence patterns of forest carbon stocks and biodiversity. We determined aboveground carbon density (ACD) across a matrix of lava flows differing in age, texture and vegetation composition (i.e., native or non-native dominated) in wet lowland forests of Hawaii Island. To do this at the large scales necessary to accurately capture the inherent heterogeneity of these forests, we collected LiDAR data across areas of interest and developed relationships between LiDAR metrics and field-based estimates of forest ACD. This approach enabled us to inventory, rather than merely sample, the entire populations (i.e., forests) of interest. Native Hawaiian wet lowland forests exhibited ACD values similar to those of intact tropical forests elsewhere. In general, ACD of these forests increased with increasing lava flow age, but patterns differed between native and non-native forest stands. On the youngest lavas, native-dominated forest ACD averaged 〈 60 Mg ha-1 compared to ca. 100 Mg C ha-1 for non-native dominated forests. This difference was due to the presence of the non-native, N2-fixing trees, F. moluccana and C. equisetifolia in the non-native dominated forest stands, as well as the corresponding absence of N2-fixing trees in native-dominated forest stands. Following approximately 500 years of primary succession and thereafter, however, both forest types exhibited ACD values averaging ca. 130 Mg C ha-1, although it took non-native forests only 75 to 80 years of post-establishment succession to reach those values. Given the large areas of early successional M. polymorpha-dominated forest on young lava flows, further spread of F. moluccana and C. equisetifolia populations would likely increase ACD stocks but would constitute a significant erosion of the invaluable contribution of Hawaii's native ecosystems to global biodiversity.

Beschreibung: Ecological Applications, Volume 0, Issue 0, Ahead of Print. Despite the importance of fire and herbivory in structuring savanna systems, few replicated experiments have examined the interactive effects of herbivory and fire on plant dynamics. In addition, the effects of fire on associated ant-tree mutualisms have been largely unexplored. We carried out small controlled burns in each of 18 herbivore treatment plots of the Kenya Long-term Exclosure Experiment (KLEE), where experimentally excluding elephants has resulting in 42% greater tree densities. The KLEE design includes six different herbivore treatments that allowed us to examine how different combinations of megaherbivore wildlife, mesoherbivore wildlife, and cattle affect fire temperatures and subsequent loss of ant symbionts from Acacia trees. Before burning, we quantified herbaceous fuel loads and plant community composition. We tagged all trees, measured their height and basal diameter, and identified the resident ant species on each. We recorded weather conditions during the burns and used ceramic tiles painted with fire-sensitive paints to estimate fire temperatures at different heights and in different microsites (under versus between trees). Across all treatments, fire temperatures were highest at 0-50cm off the ground and hotter in the grass under trees than in the grassy areas between trees. Plots with more trees burned hotter than plots with fewer trees, perhaps because of greater fine woody debris. Plots grazed by wildlife and by cattle prior to burning had lower herbaceous fuel loads and experienced lower burn temperatures than ungrazed plots. Many trees lost their ant colonies during the burns. Ant survivorship differed by ant species, and at the plot level was positively associated with previous herbivory (and lower fire temperatures). Across all treatments, ant colonies on taller trees were more likely to survive, but even some of the tallest trees lost their ant colonies. Our study marks a significant step in understanding the mechanisms that underlie the interactions between fire and herbivory in savanna ecosystems.

Beschreibung: The conductivity of nominal CaWO 4 , CaW 0.99 Ta 0.01 O 4–δ , 0.7( CaWO 4 )–0.3( La 0.99 Ca 0.01 NbO 4–δ ), and Ca 0.9 La 0.1 WO 4+δ has been studied by means of a.c. impedance measurements. Proton conductivity was observed for CaW 0.99 Ta 0.01 O 4–δ , which displayed exothermic hydration with enthalpy and entropy of –82 kJ/mol and –120 J/molK, respectively. The proton mobility in CaW 0.99 Ta 0.01 O 4–δ was low, with enthalpy and preexponential factor of mobility of 82 kJ/mol and 0.7 cm 2 K/Vs. The high enthalpy of mobility is interpreted to reflect association between the acceptor dopant and protonic defects, whereas the low preexponential factor of mobility may reflect a lower proton concentration than assumed. Rietveld refinement indicated low solubilities of La on Ca -site and Ta on W-site. Proton conductivity was also observed in undoped CaWO 4 , however, not in Ca 0.9 La 0.1 WO 4+δ . The conductivity of 0.7( CaWO 4 )–0.3( La 0.99 Ca 0.01 NbO 4–δ ) behaved much like that of undoped LaNbO 4 , likely due to a very low acceptor dopant concentration.

Beschreibung: A new lead-free BNT-based piezoelectric ceramics of (1 −  x ) Bi 0.5 Na 0.5 TiO 3 – x Bi ( Al 0.5 Ga 0.5 ) O 3 ( x  = 0, 0.02, 0.03, 0.04, and 0.05) were synthesized using a conventional ceramic fabrication method. Their structures and electrical properties were investigated. All the samples show a typical ferroelectric P ( E ) loops and S ( E ) curves at room temperature. The optimal properties are obtained at the composition of the x  = 0.03. The substitution of Bi ( Al 0.5 Ga 0.5 ) O 3 enhances piezoelectric constant and increases Curie temperature from 58 pC/N and 310°C of pure BNT to 93 pC/N and 325°C of the x  = 0.03. The temperature-dependent P ( E ) loops and S ( E ) curves of 0.97BNT–0.03BAG indicate that phase transition from ferroelectric to antiferroelectric takes place over a very wide temperature region from 80°C to 180°C. The results show that the introduction of BAG improves the electrical properties of BNT.

Beschreibung: Ecological Applications, Volume 23, Issue 7, Page 1531-1543, October 2013. While the area of organic crop production increases at a global scale, the potential interactions between pest management in organic and conventionally managed systems have so far received little attention. Here, we evaluate the landscape-level co-dependence of insecticide-based and natural enemy-based pest management using a simulation model for parasitoid–host interactions in landscapes consisting of conventionally and organically managed fields. In our simulations conventional management consists of broad-spectrum or selective insecticide application, while organic management involves no insecticides. Simulations indicate that insecticide use can easily result in lose–lose scenarios whereby both organically and conventionally managed fields suffer from increased pest loads as compared to a scenario where no insecticides are used, but that under some conditions insecticide use can be compatible with biocontrol. Simulations also suggest that the pathway to achieve the insecticide reduction without triggering additional pest pressure is not straightforward, because increasing the proportion of organically managed fields or reducing the spray frequency in conventional fields can potentially give rise to dramatic increases in pest load. The disruptive effect of insecticide use, however, can be mitigated by spatially clustering organic fields and using selective insecticides, although the effectiveness of this mitigation depends on the behavioral traits of the biocontrol agents. Poorly dispersing parasitoids and parasitoids with high attack rates required a lower amount of organically managed fields for effective pest suppression. Our findings show that the transition from a landscape dominated by conventionally managed crops to organic management has potential pitfalls; intermediate levels of organic management may lead to higher pest burdens than either low or high adoption of organic management.

Beschreibung: Ecological Applications, Volume 23, Issue 7, Page 1603-1618, October 2013. The regional spatial scale is a vital linkage for the informed extrapolation of results from local to continental scales to address broad-scale environmental problems. Among-region variation in ecosystem state is commonly accounted for by using a regionalization framework, such as an ecoregion classification. Rarely have alternative regionalization frameworks been tested for variables measuring ecosystem state, nor have the underlying relationships with the variables that are used to define them been assessed. In this study, we asked two questions: (1) How much among-region variation is there for ecosystems and does it differ by regionalization framework? (2) What are the likely causes of this among-region variation? We present a case study using a large data set of lake water chemistry, uni- and multi-scaled hydrogeomorphic and anthropogenic driver variables that likely influence lake chemistry at the subcontinental scale, and seven existing regionalization frameworks. We used multilevel models to quantify and explain within- and among-region variation in lake water chemistry. Our models account for local driver variables of ecosystem variation within regions, differences in regional mean ecosystem state (i.e., random intercepts in multilevel models), and differences in relationships between local drivers and ecosystem state by region (i.e., random slopes in multilevel models). Using one of the best performing regionalization frameworks (Ecological Drainage Units), we found that for lake phosphorus and alkalinity: (1) a majority of all the variation in water chemistry among the studied lakes occurred among regions, (2) very few regional-scale landscape driver variables were required to explain among-region variation in lake water chemistry, (3) a much higher proportion of the total variation among lakes was explained at the regional scale than at the local scale, and (4) some relationships between local-scale driver variables and lake water chemistry varied by region. Our results demonstrate the importance of considering the regional spatial scale for broad-scale research and ecosystem management and conservation. Our quantitative approach can be easily applied to other response variables, ecosystem types, geographic areas, and spatial extents to inform ecosystem responses to global environmental stressors.

Beschreibung: Ecological Applications, Volume 23, Issue 7, Page 1544-1553, October 2013. Invasive species are costly and difficult to control. In order to gain a mechanistic understanding of potential control measures, individual-based models uniquely parameterized to reflect the salient life-history characteristics of invasive species are useful. Using invasive Australian Rhinella marina as a case study, we constructed a cohort- and individual-based population simulation that incorporates growth and body size of terrestrial stages. We used this allometric approach to examine the efficacy of nontraditional control methods (i.e., tadpole alarm chemicals and native meat ants) that may have indirect effects on population dynamics mediated by effects on body size. We compared population estimates resulting from these control methods with traditional hand removal. We also conducted a sensitivity analysis to investigate the effect that model parameters, specifically those associated with growth and body size, had on adult population estimates. Incremental increases in hand removal of adults and juveniles caused nonlinear decreases in adult population estimates, suggesting less return with increased investment in hand-removal efforts. Applying tadpole alarm chemicals or meat ants decreased adult population estimates on the same level as removing 15–25% of adults and juveniles by hand. The combined application of tadpole alarm chemicals and meat ants resulted in ∼80% decrease in adult abundance, the largest of any applied control method. In further support of the nontraditional control methods, which greatly affected the metamorph stage, our model was most sensitive to changes in metamorph survival, juvenile survival, metamorph growth rate, and adult survival. Our results highlight the use and insights that can be gained from individual-based models that incorporate growth and body size and the potential success that nontraditional control methods could have in controlling established, invasive Rhinella marina populations.

Beschreibung: Ecological Applications, Volume 23, Issue 7, Page 1659-1676, October 2013. This paper proposes a hierarchical Bayesian framework for modeling the life cycle of marine exploited fish with a spatial perspective. The application was developed for a nursery-dependent fish species, the common sole (Solea solea), on the Eastern Channel population (Western Europe). The approach combined processes of different natures and various sources of observations within an integrated framework for life-cycle modeling: (1) outputs of an individual-based model for larval drift and survival that provided yearly estimates of the dispersion and mortality of eggs and larvae, from spawning grounds to settlement in several coastal nurseries; (2) a habitat suitability model, based on juvenile trawl surveys coupled with a geographic information system, to estimate juvenile densities and surface areas of suitable juvenile habitat in each nursery sector; (3) a statistical catch-at-age model for the estimation of the numbers-at-age and the fishing mortality on subadults and adults. The approach provided estimates of hidden variables and parameters of key biological significance. A simulation approach provided insight to the robustness of the approach when only weak data are available. Estimates of spawning biomass, fishing mortality, and recruitment were close to the estimations derived from stock-assessment working groups. In addition, the model quantified mortality along the life cycle, and estimated site-specific density-dependent mortalities between settled larvae and age-0 juveniles in each nursery ground. This provided a better understanding of the productivity and the specific contribution of each nursery ground toward recruitment and population renewal. Perspectives include further development of the modeling framework on the common sole and applications to other fish species to disentangle the effects of multiple interacting stress factors (e.g., estuarine and coastal nursery habitat degradation, fishing pressure) on population renewal and to develop risk analysis in the context of marine spatial planning for sustainable management of fish resources.

Beschreibung: We studied ancient enamels on gilded copper from a collection of archeological horse harness pendants of the Museo Instituto Valencia de Don Juan (Madrid, Spain) to test the benefits of a new, nondestructive analytical methodology based on chemometric analysis (i.e., Principal Component Analysis, PCA) on micro-ATR-FTIR spectral data and chemical quantification using SEM-EDS. The novelty of this approach was threefold: (i) PCA allowed the discrimination of the different harness pendants of known origin and attributed to the 14th and 15th centuries according to the chemical complex composition, nanostructure, glass weathering, and/or coloring mechanisms of each colored enamel, separately (i.e., red, purple, blue, and white), (ii) it is a cheap, easily available and nondestructive methodology that enables us to (iii) draw archeological conclusions about the quality of the manufacturing process, reassess the chronology of these objects and attempt to attribute them to different workshops according to the different traditional recipes identified. In particular, the enamels were made of alkali and/or alkaline earth lead-glass with a wide range of chemical compounds in the form of pigments or opacifiers. Two types of coloring mechanisms were identified, colloidal particles such as copper-ruby for red enamels, and ionic mechanisms such as Fe (II) and Co (II) to achieve a blue pigments; Mn (III) in the purple pigment; and two kind of white enamels were identified, i.e., tin oxide as an opacifier and uranium oxide. In addition, we established the reason for the poor state of conservation of some of the enamels by means of the identification of depolymerization and ion exchanges, well-known harmful effects of glass weathering, and finally a chronology was assigned for some of these pieces according to the enamel composition.

Beschreibung: Novel glass-ceramics with embedded thermoelectric Bi 2 Se 3 crystals were prepared from glass matrices in the Ge 20 Se 100− x Bi x ( x  = 5, 10, 12 mol%) system. Based on DSC results performed at different heating rates, characteristic activation energies ( E c ) and Avrami exponents ( n ) were obtained and analyzed by using Kissinger's relation, Ozawa's method, Augis–Bennett approximation and Matusita–Sakka theory. XRD results showed that pure Bi 2 Se 3 crystalline phase precipitated upon annealing at different temperatures for various time. The crystal size and crystalline fraction in the samples could be tuned by controlling the annealing time.

Beschreibung: In the present investigations nano size high alumina cements (HAC) were prepared by very effective co-melt precursor sintering technique from their metal nitrate precursors. The prime cementing phases observed were CA, CA 2 , and C 12 A 7 . The addition of nano structured cements in refractory castables has improved the thermo-chemical-mechanical properties to a significant extent. Each batch of low cement castables (LCC) was prepared from calcined Chinese bauxite, HAC, and superfine additives. The effect of HAC in bauxite castable with the additives similar to Silicon Carbide, reactive alumina, and micro-fine silica on the sinterability and properties of these castables was investigated. Physical properties such as apparent porosity and bulk density, mechanical properties such as hot modulus of rupture (HMOR), cold and hot modulus of rupture (CMOR), and cold crushing strength (CCS) of hydrated and sintered castables were studied. The sintered castables were also characterized for their solid phase compositions and microstructure using X-ray diffraction (XRD) and FE-SEM, respectively. In the castables new phases such as mullite, α-alumina were formed at the expense of bauxite and silica. Solid solution of mullite formed at high temperature acts as a bonding phase and is accounted for high HMOR, CMOR, and CCS values. These excellent properties of such castables may enable their uses in various applications such as refractory lining for fabrication of steel, aluminium, copper, glass, cement, chemicals, and ceramics.

Beschreibung: Zn 2 GeO 4 ceramic materials were synthesized by the solid-state method. Zn 2 GeO 4 powders were investigated with X-ray powder diffraction (XRD) and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM). Oxygen defects in the Zn 2 GeO 4 ceramics were investigated by photoluminescence, Raman, and EDS spectra. Conductivity of Zn 2 GeO 4 was 0.18 S/cm at low temperature of 773 K, and its activation energy was 0.49 eV. The results showed that Zn 2 GeO 4 was a promising low-temperature electrolyte with high conductivity.

Beschreibung: This article details the influence of zirconium doping on the piezoelectric properties and relaxor characteristics of 94( Bi 1/2 Na 1/2 ) TiO 3 –6 Ba ( Zr x Ti 1− x ) O 3 (BNT–6BZT) bulk ceramics. Neutron diffraction measurements of BNT–6BZT doped with 0%–15% Zr revealed an electric-field-induced transition of the average crystal structure from pseudo-cubic to rhombohedral/tetragonal symmetries across the entire compositional range. The addition of Zr up to 10% stabilizes this transition, resulting in saturated polarization hysteresis loops with a maximum polarization of 40 μC/cm 2 at 5.5 kV/mm, while corresponding strain hysteresis measurements yield a maximum strain of 0.3%. With further Zr addition, the ferroelectric order is progressively destabilized and typical relaxor characteristics such as double peaks in the current density loops are observed. In the strain hysteresis, this destabilization leads to an increase of the maximum strain by 0.05%. These changes to the physical behavior caused by Zr addition are consistent with a reduction of the transition temperature T F-R , above which the field-induced transformation from the relaxor to ferroelectric state becomes reversible.

Beschreibung: Precursor glasses for the ferroelectric barium bismuth titanate ( BaBi 4 Ti 4 O 15 ) (BBiT) have been prepared by the melt-quench technique in the SiO 2 – K 2 O – BaO – Bi 2 O 3 – TiO 2 (SKBBT) glass system with and without Eu 2 O 3 doping. BBiT glass–ceramic (GC) nanocomposites have been derived from these glasses by controlled heat treatment. The structural properties of the GCs have been investigated using X-ray diffraction (XRD), electron microscopy (FE-SEM, TEM), and FT-IR reflectance spectroscopy. FE-SEM images show the formation of randomly oriented hexagonal rod-shaped crystals of 200–400 nm and TEM images show 10–20 nm crystallites. FT-IR spectra exhibit the characteristic bands of BBiT at 480, 585, and 680 cm −1 . The activation energy of crystallization ( E c ) varies from 295 to 307 kJ/mol. The dielectric constants (ε r ) of glass and GC nanocomposites increase with an increase in frequency up to 3.0 MHz and then decrease up to 5.0 MHz. Heat-treated GCs show higher ε r values, in the range 25–55, compared to the precursor glasses (20–37). Dielectric losses (tan δ) for all the samples increase from 0.005 to 1.0 with an increase in frequency from 100 Hz to 5.0 MHz. Excitation spectra were recorded by monitoring emission at 613 nm corresponding to the 5 D 0 → 7 F 2 transition. An intense 466 nm excitation band corresponding to the 7 F 0 → 5 D 2 transition was observed. Emission spectra were then recorded by exciting the glass samples at 466 nm. Longer heat-treatment times led to a 15-fold increase in the intensity of the red emission at 612 nm, attributed to the segregation of Eu 3+ ions into the low phonon energy BBiT crystallites. The hardness (3.8–5.1 GPa) and fracture toughness (1.8–3.5 MPam 0.5 ) values obtained in the GCs are high and suitable for structural applications.

Beschreibung: Carbon doping is known to be very effective for enhancing the high-field properties of magnesium diboride, MgB 2 , but not for the low-field properties. Here, we report that both the high- and the low-field properties can be improved simultaneously without doping by increasing the initial magnesium partial pressure, by simply reducing the size of the magnesium particles. It is shown that in situ processed bulk MgB 2 sintered with fine magnesium powders has superior superconducting properties compared with a bulk sample fabricated using coarse magnesium lumps. The change in the lattice parameters was almost negligible; however, a clear increase in lattice strain can be observed for the sample sintered with fine magnesium powders. The increase in the lattice strain results in an enhancement of the high-field properties. Furthermore, it has also been found that the low-field critical current density is not reduced, but rather slightly increased for the fine magnesium powder sample. This is due to a closer linkage among the grains that drastically improves grain connectivity. These findings demonstrate that the initial growth mechanism of MgB 2 is very crucial for its superior superconducting properties, and it especially indicates the importance of magnesium vapor pressure.

Beschreibung: Revisiting classic phase diagrams and chemical phase relations in the solid state of a very well-studied oxide system, such as the lithium aluminosilicate (LAS) system, can open a new window for the design of new advanced materials with improved properties. Crystal chemistry and phase equilibria are used to demonstrate the ability to design materials with particular desired properties in the alumina-rich corner of the LAS phase diagram. The experimental results demonstrate the alumina and β-eucryptite solid-state compatibility.

Beschreibung: This work reports the crystallization, microstructure, and surface composition of Cu In 0.7 Ga 0.3 Se 2 (CIGS) thin films grown by femtosecond pulsed laser deposition at different annealing temperatures. The structural and optical properties of the CIGS films were characterized by X-ray diffraction, Raman scattering, UV-visible spectroscopy, and Hall effect measurement. The results indicate that binary crystals of CuS e initially formed on the as-deposited film, but then completely turned into a quaternary chalcopyrite structure after annealing at 400°C. Phase transformation significantly affects the surface morphology, Hall properties, and band gap. Transmission electron microscopy further revealed that an interface between the Mo substrate and CIGS crystallites contains an amorphous layer even at the high temperature of 500°C. For the application of photovoltaic devices, we also report on the photoresponse of both as-deposited and annealed films as demonstrated by preliminary tests.

Beschreibung: Reactive sintering of 3 Ti : Sn :2 C and 3Ti:Sn:2C:0.6Fe powder mixtures is studied in the temperature range 510°C–1200°C under argon. It is demonstrated that the recently discovered Ti 3 SnC 2 phase is formed, provided that Fe is added to a 3 Ti : Sn :2 C reactant mixture within the synthesis conditions used. Using dilatometric and X-Ray diffraction analyses, the formation mechanism of Ti 3 SnC 2 is discussed. Results show that at low temperature (about 510°C), tin is consumed to form Fe x Sn y intermetallics. At high temperature (about 1060°C), tin is newly available to form Ti 3 SnC 2 due to the melting of Fe x Sn y . Then, the intermediate phases, TiC and Ti 2 SnC , and/or Ti 5 Sn 3 , TiC , C , and Ti are dissolved in the ( Fe  +  Sn ) liquid phase and Ti 3 SnC 2 very likely precipitate from the melt. The second part of the study deals with the optimization of the Fe content in the initial 3Ti:Sn:2C reactant powder mixture to synthesize samples with larger Ti 3 SnC 2 content by hot isostatic pressing.

Beschreibung: The effects of non-stoichiometry on the microstructure, oxygen vacancies, and piezoelectric properties of ( Na 0.5 K 0.5 ) x NbO 3 (NK x N, where x  =   0.98, 1.00, 1.01, and 1.02) ceramics doped with sintering aid CuTa 2 O 6 (CT) doping were investigated. X-ray diffraction (XRD) patterns indicated that a secondary phase formed in CT-doped NK x N (NK x NCT) ceramics with x  〈   1.00 and that a pure phase was obtained with x  ≥   1.00. The grain size of NK x NCT ceramics increased with increasing x value due to the formation of a liquid phase. The internal bias field, activation energy, and Raman analysis for NK x NCT ceramics showed that the number of induced oxygen vacancies increased with decreasing x value. The high mechanical quality factor ( Q m ) value obtained for NK x NCT ceramics did not correspond to a higher concentration of oxygen vacancies, illustrating that the suitable compensation (excess Na and K ) is more important than the concentration of oxygen vacancies to obtain the ceramics with high Q m values. The NK x NCT ceramics with x  =   1.01 exhibited excellent piezoelectric properties, with k p and Q m values of 39.9% and 2,070, respectively.

Beschreibung: Low-temperature sintering of β-spodumene ceramics with low coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) was attained using Li 2 O – GeO 2 sintering additive. Single-phase β-spodumene ceramics could be synthesized by heat treatment at 1000°C using highly pure and fine amorphous silica, α-alumina, and lithium carbonate powders mixture via the solid-state reaction route. The mixture was calcined at 950°C, finely pulverized, compacted, and finally sintered with or without the sintering additive at 800°C–1400°C for 2 h. The relative density reached 98% for the sample sintered with 3 mass% Li 2 O – GeO 2 additive at 1000°C. Its Young's modulus was 167 GPa and flexural strength was 115 MPa. Its CTE (from R.T. to 800°C) was 0.7 × 10 −6  K −1 and dielectric constant was 6.8 with loss tangent of 0.9% at 5 MHz. These properties were excellent or comparative compared with those previously reported for the samples sintered at around 1300°C–1400°C via melt-quenching routes. As a result, β-spodumene ceramics with single phase and sufficient properties were obtained at about 300°C lower sintering temperature by adding Li 2 O – GeO 2 sintering additive via the conventional solid-state reaction route. These results suggest that β-spodumene ceramics sintered with Li 2 O – GeO 2 sintering additive has a potential use as LTCC for multichip modules.

Beschreibung: Pyrochlore-structured lanthanide stannate ceramic ( Ln 2 Sn 2 O 7 ) has been synthesized via a new complex precipitation method. A suite of characterization techniques, including FTIR, Raman, X-ray, and electron diffraction as well as nitrogen sorption were employed to investigate the structural evolution of the synthesized and calcined powder. Raman, XRD, and selected area electron diffraction results confirm the presence of the pyrochlore structure after calcination of the powder above 1200°C. TEM imaging shows fine crystallites gradually increased in size from approximately 100 nm to about 500 nm with higher calcination temperatures. Grain growth and powder densification upon increasing the calcination temperature was confirmed by nitrogen sorption results. This aqueous synthetic method provides a simple pathway for the preparation of homogeneous lanthanide stannate ceramics.

Beschreibung: Ecological Applications, Volume 0, Issue 0, Ahead of Print. The process of disease transmission is determined by the interaction of host susceptibility and exposure to parasite infectious stages. Host behavior is an important determinant of the likelihood of exposure to infectious stages, but is difficult to measure and often assumed to be homogenous in models of disease spread. We evaluated the importance of precisely defining host contact when using networks that estimate exposure and predict infection prevalence in a replicated, empirical system. In particular, we hypothesized that infection patterns would be predicted only by a contact network that is defined according to host behavior and parasite life-cycle. Two competing host contact criteria were used to construct networks defined by parasite life-cycle and social contacts. First, parasite defined contacts were based on shared space with a time-delay corresponding to the environmental development time of nematode parasites with a direct fecal-oral life-cycle. Second, social contacts were defined by shared space in the same time period. To quantify the competing networks of exposure and infection, we sampled natural populations of the eastern chipmunk and infection of their gastro-intestinal helminth community using replicated longitudinal capture-mark-recapture techniques. We predicted that 1) infection with parasites with direct fecal-oral life-cycles would be explained by the time-delay contact network but not the social contact network; 2) infection with parasites with trophic life-cycles (via a mobile intermediate host, thus, spatially decoupling transmission from host contact) would not be explained by either contact network. The prevalence of fecal-oral life-cycle nematode parasites was strongly correlated to the number and strength of network connections from the parasite-defined network (including the time-delay), while the prevalence of trophic life-cycle parasites was not correlated with any network metrics. We concluded that incorporating the parasite life-cycle, relative to the way that exposure is measured, is key to inferring transmission and can be empirically quantified using network techniques. In addition, appropriately defining and measuring contacts according the life-history of the parasite and relevant behaviors of the host is a crucial step in applying network analyses to empirical systems.

Beschreibung: Ecological Applications, Volume 23, Issue 4, Page 766-776, June 2013. Autogenic ecosystem engineers are critically important parts of many marine and estuarine systems because of their substantial effect on ecosystem services. Oysters are of particular importance because of their capacity to modify coastal and estuarine habitats and the highly degraded status of their habitats worldwide. However, models to predict dynamics of ecosystem engineers have not previously included the effects of exploitation. We developed a linked population and habitat model for autogenic ecosystem engineers undergoing exploitation. We parameterized the model to represent eastern oyster (Crassostrea virginica) in upper Chesapeake Bay by selecting sets of parameter values that matched observed rates of change in abundance and habitat. We used the model to evaluate the effects of a range of management and restoration options including sustainability of historical fishing pressure, effectiveness of a newly enacted sanctuary program, and relative performance of two restoration approaches. In general, autogenic ecosystem engineers are expected to be substantially less resilient to fishing than an equivalent species that does not rely on itself for habitat. Historical fishing mortality rates in upper Chesapeake Bay for oysters were above the levels that would lead to extirpation. Reductions in fishing or closure of the fishery were projected to lead to long-term increases in abundance and habitat. For fisheries to become sustainable outside of sanctuaries, a substantial larval subsidy would be required from oysters within sanctuaries. Restoration efforts using high-relief reefs were predicted to allow recovery within a shorter period of time than low-relief reefs. Models such as ours, that allow for feedbacks between population and habitat dynamics, can be effective tools for guiding management and restoration of autogenic ecosystem engineers.

Beschreibung: Ceramics have played a crucial role in the development of fission based nuclear power, in glass & glass composite high level wasteforms, in composite cements to encapsulate intermediate level wastes (ILW) and also for oxide nuclear fuels based on UO 2 and PuO 2 /UO 2 mixed oxides. They are also used as porous filters with the ability to absorb radionuclides (RN) from air and liquids and are playing a key role in the cleanup at Fukushima. Non-oxides also find current fission applications including in graphite moderators and B 4 C control rods. Ceramics will continue to be significant in the near-term expansion of nuclear power via next-step developments of fuels with inert matrices or based on thoria and in wasteforms using alternative composite cements or single or multiphase ceramics that can host Pu & other difficult RN. Longer term advances for Generation IV reactors, which will operate at higher temperatures & with higher fuel burn-up require innovative fuel developments potentially via carbides & nitrides or composite fuel systems. Novel non-thermal (cement-like) and thermal techniques are currently being developed to treat some of the difficult legacy wastes. Non-thermally derived wasteforms developed from geopolymers, composite cements, hydroceramics, and phosphate-bonded ceramics and thermally derived wasteforms made by Hot Isostatic Pressing and fluidized bed steam reforming (FBSR) as well as vitrification techniques based on cold crucible melting (CCM), Joule-heater in-container melting and plasma melting (PM) are described. Future developments in waste treatment will be based on separation technologies for partitioning individual RN along with design & construction of RN-containing ceramic targets for inducing transmutation reactions. Near demonstration actinide-hosting ceramic wasteforms including multiphase Synroc systems are described. Opportunities also exist for ceramics in structural applications in Generation IV reactors such as composite SiC / SiC and C / C for fuel cladding and control rods and MAX phases and ultrahigh-temperature ceramics (UHTCs) may find near core fuel coating and cladding applications. Uses of ceramics in fusion reactor systems will be both functional (ceramic superconductors in magnet systems for plasma control and in Li silicate breeder blankets in tokamaks) and structural including as sapphire diagnostic windows, graphite diverters, and plasma facing C and UHTCs. In all these cases, performance is limited by poorly understood radiation damage and interface controlled processes, which demands a combined modeling/experimental approach.

Beschreibung: Ecological Applications, Volume 0, Issue 0, Ahead of Print. A simple population model is developed to evaluate the role of plastic and evolutionary life history changes on sustainable exploitation rates. Plastic changes are embodied in density-dependent compensatory adjustments to somatic growth rate and larval/juvenile survival, which can compensate for the reductions in reproductive lifetime and mean population fecundity that accompany the higher adult mortality imposed by exploitation. Evolutionary changes are embodied in the selective pressures that higher adult mortality imposes on age at maturity, length at maturity, and reproductive investment. Analytical development, based on a biphasic growth model, leads to simple equations that show explicitly how sustainable exploitation rates are bounded by each of these effects. We show that density-dependent growth combined with a fixed length at maturity and fixed reproductive investment can support exploitation-driven mortality that is 80% of the level supported by evolutionary changes in maturation and reproductive investment. Sustainable fishing mortality is proportional to natural mortality (M) times the degree of density-dependent growth, as modified by both the degree of density-dependent early survival and the minimum harvestable length. We apply this model to estimate sustainable exploitation rates for North American walleye populations (Sander vitreus). Our analysis of demographic data from walleye populations spread across a broad latitudinal range indicates that density-dependent variation in growth rate can vary by a factor of two. Implications of this growth response are generally consistent with empirical studies suggesting that optimal fishing mortality is approximately 0.75M for teleosts. This approach can be adapted to the management of other species, particularly when significant exploitation is imposed on many, widely distributed but geographically isolated populations.

Beschreibung: Ecological Applications, Volume 0, Issue 0, Ahead of Print. Long-term fire exclusion has altered ecological function in many forested ecosystems in North America. The invasion of fire-sensitive tree species into formerly pyrogenic upland forests in the southeastern USA has resulted in dramatic shifts in surface fuels that have been hypothesized to cause reductions in plant community flammability. The mechanism for the reduced flammability or "mesophication" has lacked empirical study. Here we evaluate a potential mechanism of reduced flammability by quantifying moisture retention (response time and initial moisture capacity) of foliar litter beds from 17 southeastern tree species spanning a wide range of fire tolerance. K-means cluster analysis resulted in four species groups: a rapidly drying cluster of eight species; a five species group that absorbed little water, but desorbed slowly; a two species group that absorbed substantial moisture but desorbed rapidly; and a two species cluster that absorbed substantial moisture and dried slowly. Fire-sensitive species were segregated into the slow moisture loss clusters while fire-tolerant species tended to cluster in the rapid drying groups. Principal Components Analysis indicated that several leaf characteristics correlated with absorption capacity and drying rates. Thin-leaved species with high surface area:volume absorbed the greatest moisture content, while those with large, curling leaves had the fastest drying rates. The dramatic shifts in litter fuels as a result of invasion by fire-sensitive species generate a positive feedback that reduce the windows of ignition, thereby facilitating the survival, persistence, and continued invasion of fire-sensitive species in the uplands of the southeastern USA.

Beschreibung: Ecological Applications, Volume 23, Issue 4, Page 936-943, June 2013. A typical way to quantify aboveground carbon in forests is to measure tree diameters and use species-specific allometric equations to estimate biomass and carbon stocks. Using “citizen scientists” to collect data that are usually time-consuming and labor-intensive can play a valuable role in ecological research. However, data validation, such as establishing the sampling error in volunteer measurements, is a crucial, but little studied, part of utilizing citizen science data. The aims of this study were to (1) evaluate the quality of tree diameter and height measurements carried out by volunteers compared to expert scientists and (2) estimate how sensitive carbon stock estimates are to these measurement sampling errors. Using all diameter data measured with a diameter tape, the volunteer mean sampling error (difference between repeated measurements of the same stem) was 9.9 mm, and the expert sampling error was 1.8 mm. Excluding those sampling errors 〉1 cm, the mean sampling errors were 2.3 mm (volunteers) and 1.4 mm (experts) (this excluded 14% [volunteer] and 3% [expert] of the data). The sampling error in diameter measurements had a small effect on the biomass estimates of the plots: a volunteer (expert) diameter sampling error of 2.3 mm (1.4 mm) translated into 1.7% (0.9%) change in the biomass estimates calculated from species-specific allometric equations based upon diameter. Height sampling error had a dependent relationship with tree height. Including height measurements in biomass calculations compounded the sampling error markedly; the impact of volunteer sampling error on biomass estimates was ±15%, and the expert range was ±9%. Using dendrometer bands, used to measure growth rates, we calculated that the volunteer (vs. expert) sampling error was 0.6 mm (vs. 0.3 mm), which is equivalent to a difference in carbon storage of ±0.011 kg C/yr (vs. ±0.002 kg C/yr) per stem. Using a citizen science model for monitoring carbon stocks not only has benefits in educating and engaging the public in science, but as demonstrated here, can also provide accurate estimates of biomass or forest carbon stocks.

Beschreibung: Ecological Applications, Volume 23, Issue 4, Page 710-725, June 2013. Decision-makers charged with implementing ecosystem-based management (EBM) rely on scientists to predict the consequences of decisions relating to multiple, potentially conflicting, objectives. Such predictions are inherently uncertain, and this can be a barrier to decision-making. The Convention on the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources requires managers of Southern Ocean fisheries to sustain the productivity of target stocks, the health and resilience of the ecosystem, and the performance of the fisheries themselves. The managers of the Antarctic krill fishery in the Scotia Sea and southern Drake Passage have requested advice on candidate management measures consisting of a regional catch limit and options for subdividing this among smaller areas. We developed a spatially resolved model that simulates krill–predator–fishery interactions and reproduces a plausible representation of past dynamics. We worked with experts and stakeholders to identify (1) key uncertainties affecting our ability to predict ecosystem state; (2) illustrative reference points that represent the management objectives; and (3) a clear and simple way of conveying our results to decision-makers. We developed four scenarios that bracket the key uncertainties and evaluated candidate management measures in each of these scenarios using multiple stochastic simulations. The model emphasizes uncertainty and simulates multiple ecosystem components relating to diverse objectives. We summarize the potentially complex results as estimates of the risk that each illustrative objective will not be achieved (i.e., of the state being outside the range specified by the reference point). This approach allows direct comparisons between objectives. It also demonstrates that a candid appraisal of uncertainty, in the form of risk estimates, can be an aid, rather than a barrier, to understanding and using ecosystem model predictions. Management measures that reduce coastal fishing, relative to oceanic fishing, apparently reduce risks to both the fishery and the ecosystem. However, alternative reference points could alter the perceived risks, so further stakeholder involvement is needed to identify risk metrics that appropriately represent their objectives.

Beschreibung: The promotion of zircon ( ZrSiO 4 ) crystallization by ZnO from a zirconium-based frit glaze was studied and the possible mechanism was discussed. X-ray diffraction was used to analyze the relative quantities of zircon and other transitional crystals in the samples. The results show that ZnO can significantly decrease the crystallization temperature of zirconium-based glaze, depress the formation of Ca 2 ZrSi 4 O 12 , and promote the devitrification of transitional crystals t - ZrO 2 and Ca 2 ZnSi 2 O 7 , as well as lead to the formation of more zircon than the ZnO -free glaze. It was also found that zircon not only can form from the interaction between t - ZrO 2 and SiO 2 but also can devitrify directly from the glass phase of zirconium-based glaze.

Beschreibung: Barium-substituted CsAlSi 2 O 6 pollucites, Cs x Ba (1− x )/2 AlSi 2 O 6 , and barium- and iron-substituted pollucites, Cs x Ba (1− x )/2 Al x Fe 1− x Si 2 O 6 and Cs x Ba 1− x Al x Fe 1− x Si 2 O 6 were synthesized with 1 ≥  x ≥ 0.7 using a hydrothermal synthesis procedure. Rietveld analysis of X-ray diffraction data confirmed the substitution of Ba for Cs and Fe for Al , respectively. The crystallographic analysis also describes the effects of three different types of pollucite substitutions on the pollucite unit cell: Ba 2+ for Cs 1+ cation results in little effect on cell dimensions, intermediate concentrations of Ba 2+ and Fe 3+ substitution result in net minor expansion due to Fe 3+ addition, and large Ba and Fe substitutions result in overall framework contraction. Elemental analysis combined with microscopy further supports the phase purity of these new phases. These materials can be used to study the stability of CsAlSi 2 O 6 as a durable ceramic waste form, which could accommodate with time Cs and its decay product, Ba . Furthermore, success in iron substitution for aluminum into the pollucite lattice predicts that redox charge compensation for Cs cation decay is possible.

Beschreibung: Nitrogen-doped mullite fibers were first synthesized through the nitridation of Al 2 O 3 – SiO 2 gel fibers in NH 3 . The results showed that nitrogen take-up began at 800°C, reached the maximum at 900°C, and then decreased with increasing temperature. The ceramic fibers nitridated at 900°C were essentially amorphous, but contained a small amount of nano-sized Al – Si spinel crystals. Mullite was formed after nitridation at 1200°C, accompanied by crystallization of χ- SiAlON and δ- Al 2 O 3 . The incorporation of nitrogen resulted in the formation of a variety of nitrogen-containing crystalline phases. The grain size of the mullite fibers can be adjusted by changing of the nitrogen content.

Beschreibung: The solubility limit of Ca in 99.99% pure α- Al 2 O 3 (alumina) was measured using a wavelength dispersive spectrometer mounted on a scanning electron microscope. Al 2 O 3 samples were equilibrated at a concentration which ensured saturation of the Al 2 O 3 grains with Ca , and were quenched in water from 1600°C. The results were compared with those from samples which were furnace cooled from 1600°C. For the quenched samples, the Ca solubility limit was found to be 51 ± 1 ppm, which is significantly larger than the solubility limit for samples which were furnace cooled (26 ± 1 ppm).

Beschreibung: The possibility of developing large solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) stacks based upon 25 cm 2 ceramic oxide anode-supported cells is investigated. Planar fuel cells comprising strontium titanate-based anode support impregnated with active catalysts were prepared using a combination of deposition techniques. The fuel cell tests performed in a semisealed rig have shown power densities of 185 mW cm −2 at 850°C using humidified hydrogen as fuel and air as oxidant. The structure and evolution of the catalytically active impregnated materials-10 mol% Gd -doped CeO 2 and nickel- are analysed using electron microscopy at the end of the fuel cell test, revealing that a ceria and nickel layer surrounds the titanate backbone grains while ~50–150 nm spherical-like nickel particles uniformly decorate this top layer.

Beschreibung: Structural and dielectric properties of (1− x ) BaTiO 3 – x Bi ( Mg 1/2 Ti 1/2 ) O 3 ( x  = 0.1–0.5) were investigated to understand the binary system and utilize it for high-voltage, high energy density capacitors. The solubility limit for Bi ( Mg 1/2 Ti 1/2 ) O 3 in a BaTiO 3 perovskite was between x  = 0.4 and x  = 0.5. A phase with pseudocubic symmetry was formed for x  = 0.1–0.4; a secondary phase developed at x  = 0.5. Dielectric measurements showed highly diffusive and dispersive relaxor-like characteristics from 10 to 40 mol% of Bi ( Mg 1/2 Ti 1/2 ) O 3 . These compositions also showed high relative permittivity with low-temperature coefficients of permittivity over a wide range of temperatures −100°C–600°C. Relaxation behavior was quantitatively investigated using the Vogel–Fulcher model, which revealed the activation energy of 0.17–0.22 eV. Prototyped multilayer capacitors of 18 mm × 17 mm × 4 mm dimensions with a capacitance of 12.5 nF at 1 kHz were successfully constructed and demonstrated multiple charge–discharge characteristics up to 10 kV.

Beschreibung: K 3 Gd ( PO 4 ) 2 : RE 3+ (RE = Eu, Tb) are prepared by solid-state reaction and their photoluminescence (PL) properties are investigated under UV and VUV excitation, respectively. The obtained experimental data show that no energy transfer happens among the activator ions Tb 3+ or Eu 3+ under UV excitation. Under 147-nm excitation, the strongest emission intensity of K 3 Gd ( PO 4 ) 2 : RE 3+ (RE = Eu, Tb) is obtained when the activator ions Tb 3+ or Eu 3+ concentration is 0.8 mol, the integrate emission intensity of K 3 Gd 0.2 (PO 4 ) 2 :0.8Tb 3+ is about 204% of commercial phosphor Zn 1.96 SiO 4 :0.04 Mn 2+ with chromaticity coordinates of (0.340, 0.561) and the decay time of about 5.09 ms under 147-nm excitation. We analyze the experimental data and propose a possible energy-transfer mechanism under 147-nm excitation.

Beschreibung: The 0.72 Bi ( Fe 1− x Al x ) O 3 –0.28 BaTiO 3 ( x  = 0, 0.01, 0.03, 0.05, and 0.07, abbreviated as BFA x – BT ) lead-free high-temperature ceramics were prepared by the conventional ceramic processing. Systematic investigation on the microstructures, crystalline structures, dielectric and piezoelectric properties, and high-temperature stability of piezoelectric properties was carried out. The crystalline structures of BFA x –BT ceramics evolve from rhombohedral structure with x 〈  0.01 to the coexistence of rhombohedral structure and pseudocubic phases with x  ≈ 0.01, finally to pseudocubic phases when x 〉  0.03. Remarkably high-temperature stability with near-zero temperature coefficient of piezoelectric properties ( TCk p ), together with improved piezoelectric properties has been achieved for x  = 0.01 BFA x –BT ceramics. The BFA x –BT( x  = 0.01) ceramics simultaneously show the excellent piezoelectric properties of d 33  = 151 pC/N, k p  = 0.31 and super-high-temperature stability of T d  = 420°C, TCk p  = 1 × 10 −4 . It is considered that the observed strong piezoelectricity and remarkably high-temperature stability should be ascribed to the phase coexistence of rhombohedral and pseudocubic phases. The rhombohedral phases have a positive TCk p value and the pseudocubic phases possess a negative TCk p value. Thus, the TCk p value of BFA x –BT ceramics can be tuned by composition of x .

Beschreibung: Ecological Applications, Volume 0, Issue 0, Ahead of Print. Understanding tree growth as a function of tree size is important for a multitude of ecological and management applications. Determining what limits growth is of central interest, and forest inventory permanent plots are an abundant source of long-term information but are highly complex. Observation error and multiple sources of shared variation (spatial plot effects, temporal repeated measures, and a mosaic of sampling intervals) make these data challenging to use for growth estimation. We account for these complexities and incorporate potential limiting factors (tree size, competition, and resource supply) into a hierarchical state-space model. We estimate the diameter growth of white fir Abies concolor in the Sierra Nevada of California from forest inventory data, showing that estimating such a model is feasible in a Bayesian framework using readily available modeling tools. In this forest, white fir growth depends strongly on tree size, total plot basal area, and unexplained variation between individual trees. Plot-level resource supply variables (reflecting light, water, and nutrient availability) do not have a strong impact on inventory-size trees. This approach can be applied to many permanent forest plots, leading to greater ecological insights on tree growth.

Beschreibung: Ecological Applications, Volume 0, Issue 0, Ahead of Print. Acoustic sensors can be used to estimate species richness for vocal species such as birds. They can continuously and passively record large volumes of data over extended periods. This data must subsequently be analysed to detect the presence of vocal species. Automated analysis of acoustic data for large numbers of species is complex and can be subject to high levels of false positive and false negative results. Manual analysis by experienced surveyors can produce accurate results, however the time and effort required to process even small volumes of data can make manual analysis prohibitive. This study examined the use of sampling methods to reduce the cost of analysing large volumes of acoustic sensor data, while retaining high levels of species detection accuracy. Utilising five days of manually analysed acoustic sensor data from four sites, we examined a range of sampling frequencies and methods including random, stratified and biologically informed. We found that randomly selecting 120 one-minute samples from the three hours immediately following dawn over five days of recordings, detected the highest number of species. On average, this method detected 62% of total species from 120 one-minute samples, compared to 34% of total species detected from traditional area search methods. Our results demonstrate that targeted sampling methods can provide an effective means for analysing large volumes of acoustic sensor data efficiently and accurately. Development of automated and semi-automated techniques are required to assist in analysing large volumes of acoustic sensor data.

Beschreibung: Owing to the widespread presence of electromagnetic interferences, it is necessary to develop new materials with excellent high-temperature electromagnetic wave (EM) absorption properties. In the present work, ZnO is infiltrated into porous ZrSiO 4 substrates to form ZnO / ZrSiO 4 composite ceramics using sol-gel process. The doping of aluminum results in the improvement of electrical conductivity and the significant change in the morphology of ZnO . With the increase in environment temperature during measurement, the permittivity of the composite ceramics increases first and then decreases dramatically, which is attributed to the change in conductive loss. The electrical conductivity increases with increasing measurement temperature. However, the concentration of oxygen vacancies decreases under air atmosphere when the measurement temperature increases continuously, which results in the reduction in conductivity. Therefore, permittivities of the undoped and doped ceramics measured at 673 K are higher than the ones at the other temperatures. The composite ceramics maintain a relatively high EM absorption coefficient, low reflection coefficient (RC), and wide effective absorption bandwidth at environment temperatures up to 773 K. As a result, we conclude that the ZnO / ZrSiO 4 composite ceramics exhibit a promising prospect as a kind of high-temperature EM absorbing material.

Beschreibung: [0001] textured alumina ceramics with a fine grain size were fabricated between 1400°C and 1600°C via templated grain growth (TGG) using fine alumina platelets (~0.6 and ~3 μm diameter) aligned by tape casting in either a 50 nm α- Al 2 O 3 matrix powder, or in a seeded boehmite sol. The 3 μm templates could be readily aligned by tape casting in both matrices (orientation parameters r  = 0.27 and 0.18, respectively), whereas 0.6 μm diameter templates were well aligned in the seeded boehmite sol only ( r  = 0.29). Improved alignment in boehmite sols is attributed to inorganic gelation, resulting in a strongly pseudo-plastic rheology that preserves template alignment against the influence of Brownian motion. The in situ formation of fine α- Al 2 O 3 matrix after transformation in the seeded boehmite system results in a higher driving force for TGG and improves texture development. The combination of 3 μm templates with a seeded boehmite matrix results in extremely high texture qualities (texture fraction f  = 0.97–0.99, r  = 0.17) while maintaining a relatively fine grain size (5–10 μm in diameter and 1.5–3 μm in thickness). Although undoped samples can be fully textured at 1600°C, adding as little as ~0.25 wt% CaO / SiO 2 dopant improves TGG kinetics and yields full texture at 1400°C.

Beschreibung: Yttria partially stabilized zirconia Y-PSZ/glass-ceramic composites were prepared by reaction sintering using powder mixtures of a SiO 2 – Al 2 O 3 – ZnO – CaO – ZrO 2 – TiO 2 -based glass and yttria partially stabilized zirconia (Y-PSZ). The glass crystallized during sintering at temperatures of 1173, 1273, and 1373 K to give a glass-ceramic matrix for high-temperature protecting coatings. With the increasing firing time, the added zirconia reacted with the base glass and a glass-ceramic material with dispersed zircon particles was prepared in situ . Furthermore, the added zirconia changed the crystallization behavior of the base glass, affecting the shape, amount, and distribution of zircon in the microstructure. The bipyramid-like zircon grains with imbedded residual zirconia particles turned out to have two growth mechanisms: the inward growth and the outward growth, and its rapid growth was mainly dominated by the later one. For comparison, the referenced glass-ceramic was prepared by sintering using exclusive glass granules and its crystallization behavior at 1173–1373 K was examined as well. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and X-ray diffraction (XRD) were used to characterize the crystallization behavior of the base glass and the phase evolution of the Y-PSZ/glass-ceramic composites.

Beschreibung: In this study, we present the preparation of a bulk material with a composition of 80 GeTe 2 –20 Ga 2 Te 3 by combining mechanosynthesis and sintering. This composition cannot be prepared by conventional melt/quenching technique. The progressive evolution of the powder during ball-milling is followed by X-ray Diffraction (XRD) and Differential Scanning Calorimetry analysis. The final powder obtained is highly crystalline, but a glass transition temperature ( T g ) is observed, indicating the presence of some amorphous phase remaining, allowing for its efficient sintering. By hot-pressing, a dense bulk material with a fine microstructure and a high electrical conductivity is obtained. The synthesis method described represents a simple and cost-effective way to produce tellurium-based materials of desired dimension with potential applications for optical storage or thermoelectric devices.

Beschreibung: Revealing and understanding the microscopic origins of the macroscopic properties of aluminosilicate glasses is important for the design of new glasses with optimized properties. In this work, we study the composition-structure-property relationships in 20 MgO / CaO sodium aluminosilicate glasses upon Al 2 O 3 -for- SiO 2 and MgO -for- CaO substitutions. We find that some properties (density, molar volume, Young's modulus, and shear modulus) are linear through the investigated range of Al 2 O 3 compositions, while others (refractive index, coefficient of thermal expansion, Vickers hardness, isokom temperatures, and liquid fragility index) exhibit a change in the slope around the composition with [ Al 2 O 3 ] = [ Na 2 O ], which is especially pronounced for the glasses containing MgO . We discuss these phenomena based on structural information obtained by NMR spectroscopy and topological considerations.

Beschreibung: In this article the changes on the surface of the 45S5 bioglass submitted to an enrichment with calcium ions were investigated. The method employed was the immersion of bioglass in calcium molten salt bath at 450°C. Changes in composition were probed by different techniques of chemical analysis. The use of SEM-EDS allowed estimating the thickness modified, as being about 10 μm. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy enabled to infer over the structural changes on the surface of 45S5 bioactive glass. The entry of calcium in the vitreous network promoted the phase separation of microdomains rich in silica and phosphate on the surface of the glass. The formation of immiscibility region was attributed a depolymerization of silica network and also, to a possible migration of phosphate species from the bulk. The results of this study indicate a great change in the surface properties of this biomaterial. In addition, the method proposed in this study proved to be very promising in the possibility of designing the surface of bioactive glasses, to modulate the desired properties, keeping the bulk unchanged.

Beschreibung: Ecological Applications, Volume 0, Issue 0, Ahead of Print. Ecological systems often exhibit resilient states that are maintained through negative feedbacks. In ponderosa pine forests, fire historically represented the negative feedback mechanism that maintained ecosystem resilience; fire exclusion reduced that resilience, predisposing transition to an alternative ecosystem state upon reintroduction of fire. We evaluated the effects of reintroduced frequent wildfire in unlogged, fire-excluded ponderosa pine forest in the Bob Marshall Wilderness, Montana, USA. Initial reintroduction of fire in 2003 reduced tree density and consumed surface fuels, but also stimulated establishment of a dense cohort of lodgepole pine, maintaining a trajectory towards an alternative state. Resumption of a frequent fire regime by a second fire in 2011 restored a low-density forest dominated by large-diameter ponderosa pine by eliminating many regenerating lodgepole pines and by continuing to remove surface fuels and small-diameter lodgepole pine and Douglas-fir that established during the fire suppression era. Our data demonstrate that some unlogged, fire-excluded ponderosa pine forests possess latent resilience to reintroduced fire. A passive model of simply allowing lightning-ignited fires to burn appears to be a viable approach to restoration of such forests.

Beschreibung: Lanthanum hexaaluminate is a promising competitor to establish yttria partially stabilized zirconia as a thermal barrier coating material for Ni -based superalloy due to its relative low intrinsic thermal conductivity and low sinterability at temperatures exceeding 1100°C. Sr 2+ and Ti 4+ were selected as two dopants to partially substitute the La 3+ and Al 3+ in LaMgAl 11 O 19 , respectively. The variation in thermal conductivity with Sr 2+ and Ti 4+ fractions was analyzed based on structure information provided by X-ray diffraction and Raman spectroscopy. The average crystal size of LaMgAl 11 O 19 sintered at 1600°C for 10 min by spark plasma sintering is in nanoscale. The fully dense La 1− x Sr x MgAl 11− x Ti x O 19 solid solution showed a minimum thermal conductivity value (λ = 1.12 W/(m K) −1 , T  = 1273 K) at the composition of La 0.5 Sr 0.5 MgAl 10.5 Ti 0.5 O 19 ,which possibly reduces from the enhanced phonon scattering due to mass and strain fluctuations at the Ln 3+ and B 3+ sites.

Beschreibung: Aqueous 3Y-TZP inks with solid contents of 22 and 27 vol% were used for fabricating three-dimensional ceramic components by the direct ink-jet printing process (DIP). The DIP fabrication was realized using a thermal ink-jet (TIJ) printing system. Despite the different physical properties of the inks, both inks were successfully ejected and deposited. To define the optimum window of the ink properties required for a stable printing operation, both ceramic inks as well as a typical TIJ ink were characterized in terms of particle size distribution, zeta potential, viscosity, surface tension, and the inverse Ohnesorge number ( Oh −1 ). Moreover, single drops of all inks were deposited and analyzed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) to examine the form and integrity of the ejected drops. Demonstration objects (a base with curved channels and a sample molar tooth) were DIP fabricated using both of the ceramic inks. These objects show the potentials of the DIP process for ceramics manufacturing particularly by using TIJ printing systems.

Beschreibung: Spherical granules of aluminum nitride (AlN) with an average particle size of about 50 μm were produced from aqueous suspensions using an AlN powder surface treated against hydrolysis with aluminum dihydrogenphosphate [Al(H 2 PO 4 ) 3 ]. Two different amounts of Al(H 2 PO 4 ) 3 were tested and the effects of surface treatment and aging time were evaluated by various techniques (XRD, TG-DTA, zeta potential and pH measurements). The treated powder exhibited antihydrolytic property and good dispersing behavior, enabling the preparation of low-viscosity and high-concentration aqueous AlN slurries for freeze granulation. The spherical AlN granules were sintered in a boron nitride (BN) powder bed followed by ultrasonic washing of the AlN granulates/BN mixture to remove BN. The sintered spherical AlN granules present excellent crystallinity and high sphericity as observed from SEM micrographs.

Beschreibung: Near-infrared (NIR) quantum cutting involving the emission of two NIR photons for each visible photon absorbed is realized from Eu 2+ /Yb 3+ codoped chalcohalide glasses. Excitation, emission and decay spectra are measured to prove the occurrence of cooperative energy transfer (ET) from Eu 2+ to Yb 3+ . The maximum ET efficiency obtained is as high as 85%. The ET from Eu 2+ to Yb 3+ is followed by dipole-dipole interaction. The possible mechanism of ET is discussed.

Beschreibung: Well-crystallized pure BiFeO 3 nanopowders were successfully synthesized at the temperature as low as 120°C by an ethanol-assisted hydrothermal process. In this synthesis, the composition of the solvent played important roles in the formation of pure BiFeO 3 . The BiFeO 3 nanopowders synthesized with 4:3 ethanol/water ratio mainly consists of cubic structures with size from 50 to 150 nm. Zero-field-cooled (ZFC) and field-cooled (FC) magnetization measurements indicated that pure BiFeO 3 nanopowders showed a spin-glass transition below the freezing temperature. Moreover, the BiFeO 3 nanopowders exhibited ferromagnetic order at room temperature.

Beschreibung: Nanoparticles of Co 0.6 Zn 0.4 Fe 2 O 4 , with narrow size distribution, regular morphology, and high saturation magnetization, have been synthesized. The synthesis, involved a very rapid mixing of reducible metal cations with sodium borohydride, is carried out in a colloid mill and followed by a separate hydrothermal process. The microstructure and magnetic properties of the synthesized nanoparticles are characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM). The effects of different synthesis conditions (synthesis temperature and reaction time) on the characteristics of the ferrite nanoparticles are discussed. The changes in cation contribution are revealed by the Raman study. The magnetic measurements explore that all the as-synthesized samples are superparamagnetic in nature. The corresponding superparamagnetic behavior is explained by paramagnetic Langevin theory. Note that, the superparamagnetic Co 0.6 Zn 0.4 Fe 2 O 4 ferrite nanoparticle, with excellent performance, can be synthesized at 160°C for a short reaction time (4 h).

Beschreibung: We show that multilayer green tapes constituted from sandwiched layers of NiO–zirconia anode and cubic zirconia electrolyte can be sintered below 1000°C in a few seconds under the influence of a DC electric field. The sintering yields a dense electrolyte layer with minor closed porosity, and an anode layer with open porosity, and, most importantly, a multilayer that is largely devoid of defects and delamination.

Beschreibung: Ecological Applications, Volume 23, Issue 6, Page 1396-1409, September 2013. Hydrologic connectivity is critical to the structure, function, and dynamic process of river ecosystems. Dams, road crossings, and water diversions impact connectivity by altering flow regimes, behavioral cues, local geomorphology, and nutrient cycling. This longitudinal fragmentation of river ecosystems also increases genetic and reproductive isolation of aquatic biota such as migratory fishes. The cumulative effects on fish passage of many structures along a river are often substantial, even when individual barriers have negligible impact. Habitat connectivity can be improved through dam removal or other means of fish passage improvement (e.g., ladders, bypasses, culvert improvement). Environmental managers require techniques for comparing alternative fish passage restoration actions at alternative or multiple locations. Herein, we examined a graph-theoretic algorithm for assessing upstream habitat connectivity to investigate both basic and applied fish passage connectivity problems. First, we used hypothetical watershed configurations to assess general alterations to upstream fish passage connectivity with changes in watershed network topology (e.g., linear vs. highly dendritic) and the quantity, location, and passability of each barrier. Our hypothetical network modeling indicates that locations of dams with limited passage efficiency near the watershed outlet create a strong fragmentation signal but are not individually sufficient to disconnect the system. Furthermore, there exists a threshold in the number of dams beyond which connectivity declines precipitously, regardless of watershed topology and dam configuration. Watersheds with highly branched configurations are shown to be less susceptible to disconnection as measured by this metric. Second, we applied the model to prioritize barrier improvement in the mainstem of the Truckee River, Nevada, USA. The Truckee River application demonstrates the ability of the algorithm to address conditions common in fish passage projects including incomplete data, parameter uncertainty, and rapid application. This study demonstrates the utility of a graph-theoretic approach for assessing fish passage connectivity in dendritic river networks assuming full basin utilization for a given species, guild, or community of concern.

Beschreibung: Ecological Applications, Volume 0, Issue 0, Ahead of Print. A unique high temporal frequency dataset from an irrigated cotton-wheat rotation was used to test the agroecosystem model DayCent to simulate daily N2O emissions from sub-tropical vertisols under different irrigation intensities. DayCent was able to simulate the effect of different irrigation intensities on N2O fluxes and yield, although it tended to overestimate seasonal fluxes during the cotton season. DayCent accurately predicted soil moisture dynamics and the timing and magnitude of high fluxes associated with fertilizer additions and irrigation events. At the daily scale we found a good correlation of predicted vs. measured N2O fluxes (r2 = 0.52), confirming that DayCent can be used to test agricultural practices for mitigating N2O emission from irrigated cropping systems. A 25 year scenario analysis indicated that N2O losses from irrigated cotton-wheat rotations on black vertisols in Australia can be substantially reduced by an optimized fertilizer and irrigation management system (i.e. frequent irrigation, avoidance of excessive fertiliser application), while sustaining maximum yield potentials.

Beschreibung: Ecological Applications, Volume 0, Issue 0, Ahead of Print. Mangroves are recognized to possess a variety of ecosystem services including high rates of carbon sequestration and storage. Deforestation and conversion of these ecosystems continue to be high and have been predicted to result in significant carbon emissions to the atmosphere. Yet few studies have quantified the carbon stocks or losses associated with conversion of these ecosystems. In this study we quantified the ecosystem carbon stocks of three common mangrove types of the Caribbean as well as that of abandoned shrimp ponds in areas formerly occupied by mangrove; a common land use conversion of mangroves in the world. In the mangroves of the Montecristi Province in Northwest Dominican Republic, we found C stocks ranged from 706 to 1131 Mg/ha. The medium statured mangroves (3-10m ht) had the highest C stocks while the tall (〉10 m ht)) mangroves had the lowest ecosystem carbon storage. Carbon stocks of the low mangrove (shrub) type (

Beschreibung: Ecological Applications, Volume 0, Issue 0, Ahead of Print. Recent changes in sanitary policies by European Union (EU) concerning disposal of carcasses of domestic animals and the increase of non-natural mortality factors as illegal poisoning are threatening European vultures. However, the effects of anthropogenic actions in demographic parameters are poorly studied. Using a long-term study (1994-2011) of the threatened Pyrenean bearded vulture Gypaetus barbatus population, we assess the variation in the proportion of breeding pairs, egg-laying dates, clutch size, productivity, breeding success and survival following a sharp reduction in food availability in 2005. To test such variations we used Cusum tests (from the field of statistical process control) and multi-event capture-recapture modeling to estimate changes in survival probabilities. We found a delay in laying dates, and a regressive trend in clutch size, productivity, flight rate and survival. The maintenance of specific supplementary feeding stations for bearded vultures likely reduced the negative effects of illegal poisoning and food shortages, which mainly affected sub-adult survival. According to the Cusum test, demographic parameters suffered a significant shift after 2005 coinciding with a reduction in the food supply for the avian scavenger guild. Changes in food availability may have produced changes in demographic parameters and an increase in mortality due to an increased exposure to contaminated food. As a result supplementary feeding used as a precautionary measure can be a useful tool to reduce illegal poisoning and shifts in demographic parameters until precedent food availability scenarios are achieved. This study shows how anthropogenic actions through human health regulations affecting habitat quality can suddenly modify demographic parameters in long-lived raptors. Because in natural processes the variation of biological parameters is usually slow and gradual, and because randomness and environmental stochasticity makes it difficult to detect changes in the absence of a large number of records, the use of Cusum test constitutes a useful tool for studies in the field of ecology and evolution.

Beschreibung: Ecological Applications, Volume 0, Issue 0, Ahead of Print. Under a rapidly warming climate, a critical management issue in semi-arid forests of western North America is how to increase forest resilience to wildfire. We evaluated relationships between fuel reduction treatments and burn severity in the 2006 Tripod Complex fires which burned over 70,000 ha of mixed conifer forests in the North Cascades range of Washington State and involved 387 past harvest and fuel treatment units. A secondary objective was to investigate other drivers of burn severity including landform, weather, vegetation characteristics, and a recent mountain pine beetle outbreak. We used sequential autoregression (SAR) to evaluate drivers of burn severity, represented by the Relative differenced Normalized Burn Ratio index, in two study areas that are centered on early progressions of the wildfire complex. Significant predictor variables include treatment type, landform (elevation), fire weather (minimum relative humidity and maximum temperature), and vegetation characteristics including canopy closure, cover type, and mountain pine beetle attack. Recent mountain pine beetle damage was a statistically significant predictor variable with red and mixed classes of beetle attack associated with higher burn severity. Treatment age and size were only weakly correlated with burn severity and may be partly explained by the lack of treatments older than 30 years and low rates of fuel succession in these semi-arid forests. Even during extreme weather, fuel conditions and landform strongly influenced patterns of burn severity. Fuel treatments that included recent prescribed burning of surface fuels were particularly effective at mitigating burn severity. Although surface and canopy fuel treatments are unlikely to substantially reduce the area burned in regional fire years, recent research including this study suggests that they can be an effective management strategy for increasing forest landscape resilience to wildfires.

Beschreibung: Herein, we report on the crystal structures of Nb 2 AlC and TiNbAlC—actual composition (Ti 0.45 ,Nb 0.55 ) 2 AlC—compounds determined from Rietveld analysis of neutron diffraction patterns in the 300–1173 K temperature range. The average linear thermal expansion coefficients of a Nb 2 AlC sample in the a and c directions are, respectively, 7.9(5) × 10 −6 and 7.7(5) × 10 −6  K −1 on one neutron diffractometer and 7.3(3) × 10 −6 and 7.0(2) × 10 −6  K −1 on a second diffractometer. The respective values for the (Ti 0.45 ,Nb 0.55 ) 2 AlC composition—only tested on one diffractometer—are 8.5(3) × 10 −6 and 7.5(5) × 10 −6  K −1 . These values are relatively low compared to other MAX phases. Like other MAX phases, however, the atomic displacement parameters (APDs) show that the Al atoms vibrate with higher amplitudes than the Ti and C atoms, and more along the basal planes than normal to them. When the predictions of the APDs obtained from density functional theory are compared to the experimental results, good quantitative agreement is found for the Al atoms. In case of the Nb and C atoms, the agreement was more qualitative.

Beschreibung: In this study, lithium disilicate (LS 2 ) glass samples with different particle sizes ranging from less than 105 to 850 μm were prepared. These specimens were inserted in a Pt-Rh DSC crucible and heated to 850°C at different rates (ϕ = 0.5–30 K/min) to identify their crystallization peaks. The activation energies for the overall crystallization ( E ) and the Avrami coefficient ( n ) were evaluated using different nonisothermal models. Specifically, n was evaluated using the Augis–Benett model and the Ozawa method, and E was evaluated using the Kissinger and Ligero methods. As expected, the coarse particles mainly crystallized in the volume, while surface crystallization was predominant in the samples with particle sizes of less than 350 μm. This result was confirmed through SEM analysis of the double stage heat-treated samples. In contrast with previous studies, our results demonstrated that the activation energy decreased as the particle size increased. In addition, no clear correlation between the peak intensity (δ T p ) and the particle size was observed.

Beschreibung: In this letter, 2-μm Pb 0.97 La 0.02 (Zr 0.75 Sn 0.18 Ti 0.07 )O 3 antiferroelectric thick film with tetragonal structure was prepared. The effects of operating electric field, temperature, and frequency on the thermal–electrical energy harvesting capacity of the film were studied by using the Olsen cycle. The results demonstrated that giant energy harvesting effect could be realized in the antiferroelectric thick film. The maximum harvestable energy density per cycle of the film was about 7.8 J/cm 3 at 1 kHz, which was the largest reported value to date. The corresponding energy harvesting efficiency was 0.53%. Moreover, the film had a low leakage current density (about 7.3 × 10 −7 and 3.9 × 10 −5  A/cm 2 at 25 and 200°C, respectively), which was favorable for its application in the devices of the thermal–electrical energy harvesting.

Beschreibung: Discharged energy properties of PbO–SrO–Na 2 O–Nb 2 O 5 –SiO 2 glass-ceramics with crystallization time from 1 to 1000 min were investigated by measuring their hysteresis loops (described as quasi-static measuring method) and pulse-discharge current-time curves (described as dynamic measuring method). The results show the same trend for both measuring methods: With the increment of crystallization time, the discharged energy density increases gradually, while the energy efficiency decreases. The highest energy efficiencies were obtained in the sample with crystallization time of 1 min, which are 96.3% and 82.4%, corresponding quasi-static and dynamic measurement, respectively. The reduction of energy efficiency with crystallization time is attributed to combined effect of ferroelectric polarization and interfacial polarization, and part of the corresponding energy could not release in the pulse-discharge process.

Beschreibung: Ecological Applications, Volume 21, Issue 4, Page 1085-1095, June 2011.

Beschreibung: Ecological Applications, Volume 21, Issue 4, Page 1327-1339, June 2011.

Beschreibung: Ecological Applications, Volume 21, Issue 4, Page 1308-1326, June 2011.

Beschreibung: Ecological Applications, Volume 21, Issue 4, Page 1296-1307, June 2011.

Beschreibung: The dc electrical stability of ZnO varistors was effectively improved by controlling the composition proportion of Bi 2 O 3 and SiO 2 as well as annealing condition. The microstructure, current–voltage ( I – V ) property, and dc degradation characteristics are significantly affected by the molar ratio of Bi 2 O 3 to SiO 2 in composition. It is found that a phase transition from β-Bi 2 O 3 (with dissolved Si) to Bi 12 SiO 20 , with a volume contraction of 5.88%, occurred after annealing at 850°C. The formed Bi 12 SiO 20 plays an important role in improving the electrical stability by inhibiting the oxygen-desorption at the grain boundary.

Beschreibung: Ecological Applications, Volume 0, Issue 0, Ahead of Print.

Beschreibung: Dense (1- x )BaTiO 3 - x BiYbO 3 (BBTYb) ceramics were fabricated by the solid state reaction method. According to X-ray diffraction data, the average crystal symmetry of x ≤ 0.04 ceramics is described by the non-centro symmetric tetragonal P 4 mm space group, whereas the average crystal symmetry of x ≥ 0.06 ceramics is better described by the centrosymmetric cubic Pm m space group. Raman spectroscopy supports a change in the average crystal symmetry at x ≥ 0.06, but also reveals differences in the local crystal structure for x ≤ 0.04. In this compositional range, BBTYb ceramics undergo a so-called ferroelectric-to-relaxor crossover, which is a manifestation of the continuous modification of local structure. Weak-relaxor behavior was observed in x ≥ 0.06 ceramics, for which the local crystal symmetry departs from cubic, as indicated by the presence of Raman spectra.

Beschreibung: Rare earth (RE)-doped silica-based optical fibers with transparent glass ceramic (TGC) core was fabricated through the well-known modified chemical vapor deposition (MCVD) process without going through the commonly used stage of postceramming. The main characteristics of the RE-doped oxide nanoparticles namely, their density and mean diameter in the fibers are dictated by the concentration of alkaline-earth element used as phase-separating agent. Magnesium and erbium co-doped fibers were fabricated. Optical transmission in term of loss due to scattering as well as some spectroscopic characteristics of the erbium ions was studied. For low Mg content, nano-scale particles could be grown with and relatively low scattering losses were obtained, whereas large Mg-content causes the growth of larger particles resulting in much higher loss. However, in the latter case, certain interesting alteration of the spectroscopic properties of the erbium ions were observed. These initial studies should be useful in incorporating new doped materials to realize active optical fibers for constructing lasers and amplifiers.

Beschreibung: A novel two-step process has been developed for the preparation of Ba 0.9 Ca 0.1 TiO 3 plate-like grains with [110]-crystal-axis-orientation. In the first step, plate-like particles of a layered titanate H 1.07 Ti 1.73 O 4 are solvothermally treated in a Ba(OH) 2 –Ca(OH) 2 mixed solution, and then in the second step, heat-treat the solvothermally treated sample to complete the formation reaction of Ba 0.9 Ca 0.1 TiO 3 . The formation reaction and nanostructure of the Ba 0.9 Ca 0.1 TiO 3 plate-like grains were characterized using X-ray diffraction, FE-SEM, TEM, and SEAD. The Ba 0.9 Ca 0.1 TiO 3 plate-like grains are constructed from spherical nanoparticles with particle size of about 10–20 nm. The spherical nanocrystals in each plate-like grain arrange in the same crystal-axis-orientation direction, which presented a diffraction pattern similar to the single crystal. The Ba 0.9 Ca 0.1 TiO 3 plate-like grains were utilized to fabricate an oriented Ba 0.9 Ca 0.1 TiO 3 ceramic to demonstrate the potential application of the plate-like grains, and the [110]-oriented Ba 0.9 Ca 0.1 TiO 3 ceramic with a high degree orientation of F 110 = 76% and small grain size of about 1–2 μm was obtained.

Beschreibung: The surface and interface enthalpies of CeO 2 were studied by high temperature oxide melt solution calorimetry combined with water adsorption calorimetry. The surface enthalpies of the hydrated and anhydrous surfaces are 0.86 ± 0.02 and 1.16 ± 0.02 J/m 2 , respectively. The water adsorption enthalpies are similar for nano and bulk ceria; for the nano ceria the integral adsorption enthalpy for chemisorbed water relative to water vapor is −59.82 ± 0.74 kJ/mol with coverage of 8.79 ± 0.39 H 2 O/nm 2 and for the bulk it is −61.69 ± 1.26 kJ/mol with coverage of 8.15 ± 0.66 H 2 O/nm 2 . The interfacial enthalpy is 0.81 ± 0.14 J/m 2 . The obtained energies are in good agreement with reported data from atomistic simulations and less direct experimental determinations.

Beschreibung: Silicon nitride exhibits fatigue based on cyclic crack propagation which is critical for components under repeated loading. Lifetime predictions for such components are usually based on power law formulations and are most sensitive to the crack growth exponent n . Various statistical procedures exist to determine the parameters from cyclic tests of un-cracked smooth samples. In this work, an analysis is presented for silicon nitride (SL200) lifetime data with a focus on the relation between load ratio and the exponent n . It is found that n increases with the load ratio which has also been observed for macroscopic cracks in silicon nitride earlier. A high degree of uncertainty is associated with the crack growth exponent due to the sparse lifetime database. A pooling strategy is presented which increases the sample size of the underlying lifetime distribution and successfully decreases the scatter in the crack propagation curves and the uncertainty in the crack propagation exponent and, thus, in the lifetime prediction.

Beschreibung: A novel high-throughput combinatorial library preparation technique for ceramics requiring low levels of dopant is demonstrated and assessed for the case of donor-doped barium titanate (BT) materials with positive temperature coefficient of resistance (PTCR). The droplet-doping process is performed by infiltrating liquid dopant precursors into porous BT disks and viewed using a high-speed camera. The resulting dopant distribution in the body of the disk shows high uniformity as assessed by energy dispersive (EDS) and wavelength dispersive (WDS) spectroscopies. X-ray diffraction (XRD) measurements and resistivity–temperature (ρ– T ) curves show evidence of the changes in structure and PTCR profiles with change in composition and are closely matched to previously published data for samples made by conventional ceramic routes. The procedure, thus validated, has the potential to deliver dopant-doped BT-based PTCR libraries rapidly with a very wide range of dopant mixtures and concentrations for electrical property measurement and deserves to be applied to other low-level dopant ceramic systems.

Beschreibung: Ecological Applications, Volume 0, Issue 0, Ahead of Print.