Showing papers by "University of Arkansas published in 2013"
TL;DR: These guidelines elaborate on three important aspects of conducting mixed methods research: appropriateness of a mixed methods approach; development of meta-inferences; and assessment of the quality of Meta-Inferences.
Abstract: Mixed methods research is an approach that combines quantitative and qualitative research methods in the same research inquiry. Such work can help develop rich insights into various phenomena of interest that cannot be fully understood using only a quantitative or a qualitative method. Notwithstanding the benefits and repeated calls for such work, there is a dearth of mixed methods research in information systems. Building on the literature on recent methodological advances in mixed methods research, we develop a set of guidelines for conducting mixed methods research in IS. We particularly elaborate on three important aspects of conducting mixed methods research: (1) appropriateness of a mixed methods approach; (2) development of meta-inferences (i.e., substantive theory) from mixed methods research; and (3) assessment of the quality of meta-inferences (i.e., validation of mixed methods research). The applicability of these guidelines is illustrated using two published IS papers that used mixed methods.
1,978 citations
Posted Content•
TL;DR: The myriad of opportunities for research where supply chain management intersects with data science, predictive analytics, and big data, collectively referred to as DPB are illuminated.
Abstract: We illuminate the myriad of opportunities for research where supply chain management intersects with data science, predictive analytics, and big data, collectively referred to as DPB. We show that these terms are not only becoming popular but are also relevant to supply chain research and education. Data science requires both domain knowledge and a broad set of quantitative skills, but there is a dearth of literature on the topic and many questions. We call for research on skills that are needed by SCM data scientists and discuss how such skills and domain knowledge affect the effectiveness of a SCM data scientist. Such knowledge is crucial to developing future supply chain leaders. We propose definitions of data science and predictive analytics as applied to supply chain management. We examine possible applications of DPB in practice and provide examples of research questions from these applications, as well as examples of research questions employing DPB that stem from management theories. Finally, we propose specific steps interested researchers can take to respond to our call for research on the intersection of supply chain management and DPB.
933 citations
TL;DR: In this article, the authors illuminate the myriad of opportunities for research where supply chain management (SCM) intersects with data science, predictive analytics, and big data, collectively referred to as DPB.
Abstract: We illuminate the myriad of opportunities for research where supply chain management (SCM) intersects with data science, predictive analytics, and big data, collectively referred to as DPB. We show that these terms are not only becoming popular but are also relevant to supply chain research and education. Data science requires both domain knowledge and a broad set of quantitative skills, but there is a dearth of literature on the topic and many questions. We call for research on skills that are needed by SCM data scientists and discuss how such skills and domain knowledge affect the effectiveness of an SCM data scientist. Such knowledge is crucial to develop future supply chain leaders. We propose definitions of data science and predictive analytics as applied to SCM. We examine possible applications of DPB in practice and provide examples of research questions from these applications, as well as examples of research questions employing DPB that stem from management theories. Finally, we propose specific steps interested researchers can take to respond to our call for research on the intersection of SCM and DPB.
924 citations
TL;DR: This study examined the drivers of legacy P at the watershed scale, specifically in relation to the physical cascades and biogeochemical spirals of P along the continuum from soils to rivers and lakes and via surface and subsurface flow pathways.
Abstract: The water quality response to implementation of conservation measures across watersheds has been slower and smaller than expected. This has led many to question the efficacy of these measures and to call for stricter land and nutrient management strategies. In many cases, this limited response has been due to the legacies of past management activities, where sinks and stores of P along the land-freshwater continuum mask the effects of reductions in edge-of-field losses of P. Accounting for legacy P along this continuum is important to correctly apportion sources and to develop successful watershed remediation. In this study, we examined the drivers of legacy P at the watershed scale, specifically in relation to the physical cascades and biogeochemical spirals of P along the continuum from soils to rivers and lakes and via surface and subsurface flow pathways. Terrestrial P legacies encompass prior nutrient and land management activities that have built up soil P to levels that exceed crop requirements and modified the connectivity between terrestrial P sources and fluvial transport. River and lake P legacies encompass a range of processes that control retention and remobilization of P, and these are linked to water and sediment residence times. We provide case studies that highlight the major processes and varying timescales across which legacy P continues to contribute P to receiving waters and undermine restoration efforts, and we discuss how these P legacies could be managed in future conservation programs.
726 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors show that global drylands have expanded in the last sixty years and will continue to expand in the 21st century, and that the world's drylands are projected to be 5.8 × 10 6 km 2 (or 10%) larger than in the 1961-1990 climatology.
Abstract: . Global drylands encompassing hyper-arid, arid, semiarid, and dry subhumid areas cover about 41 percent of the earth's terrestrial surface and are home to more than a third of the world's population. By analyzing observations for 1948–2008 and climate model simulations for 1948–2100, we show that global drylands have expanded in the last sixty years and will continue to expand in the 21st~century. By the end of this century, the world's drylands (under a high greenhouse gas emission scenario) are projected to be 5.8 × 10 6 km 2 (or 10%) larger than in the 1961–1990 climatology. The major expansion of arid regions will occur over southwest North America, the northern fringe of Africa, southern Africa, and Australia, while major expansions of semiarid regions will occur over the north side of the Mediterranean, southern Africa, and North and South America. The global dryland expansions will increase the population affected by water scarcity and land degradations.
707 citations
TL;DR: The survey describes the most commonly encountered impediment of OFDM systems, the PAPR problem and consequent impact on power amplifiers leading to nonlinear distortion, and provides insights into the transmitted power constraint by showing the possibility of satisfying the constraint without added complexity by the use of companding transforms with suitably chosen companding parameters.
Abstract: The objective of this survey is to provide the readers and practitioners in the industry with a broader understanding of the high peak-to-average power ratio (PAPR) problem in orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) systems and generate a taxonomy of the available solutions to mitigate the problem. Beginning with a description of OFDM systems, the survey describes the most commonly encountered impediment of OFDM systems, the PAPR problem and consequent impact on power amplifiers leading to nonlinear distortion. The survey clearly defines the metrics based on which the performance of PAPR reduction schemes can be evaluated. A taxonomy of PAPR reduction schemes classifies them into signal distortion, multiple signaling and probabilistic, and coding techniques with further classification within each category. We also provide complexity analyses for a few PAPR reduction methods to demonstrate the differences in complexity requirements between different methods. Moreover, the paper provides insights into the transmitted power constraint by showing the possibility of satisfying the constraint without added complexity by the use of companding transforms with suitably chosen companding parameters. The rapid growth in multimedia-based applications has triggered an insatiable thirst for high data rates and hence increased demand on OFDM-based wireless systems that can support high data rates and high mobility. As the data rates and mobility supported by the OFDM system increase, the number of subcarriers also increases, which in turn leads to high PAPR. As future OFDM-based systems may push the number of subcarriers up to meet the higher data rates and mobility demands, there will be also a need to mitigate the high PAPR that arises, which will likely spur new research activities. The authors believe that this survey will serve as a valuable pedagogical resource for understanding the current research contributions in the area of PAPR reduction in OFDM systems, the different techniques that are available for designers and their trade-offs towards developing more efficient and practical solutions, especially for future research in PAPR reduction schemes for high data rate OFDM systems.
676 citations
TL;DR: In this article, the Allostatic Load model is used as an organizing framework for reviewing the vast literature that has considered health outcomes that are associated with exposure to psychosocial stressors at work.
632 citations
TL;DR: This article provided a meta-analytic review of CEP and CFP literature and identified potential moderators to the CEP-CFP relationship including environmental performance type (e.g., reactive vs. proactive performance), firm characteristics (i.e., large vs. small firms), and methodological issues (i., self-report measures).
Abstract: Review of extant research on the corporate environmental performance (CEP) and corporate financial performance (CFP) link generally demonstrates a positive relationship. However, some arguments and empirical results have demonstrated otherwise. As a result, researchers have called for a contingency approach to this research stream, which moves beyond the basic question “does it pay to be green?” and instead asks “when does it pay to be green?” In answering this call, we provide a meta-analytic review of CEP–CFP literature in which we identify potential moderators to the CEP–CFP relationship including environmental performance type (e.g., reactive vs. proactive performance), firm characteristics (e.g., large vs. small firms), and methodological issues (e.g., self-report measures). By analyzing these contingencies, this study attempts to provide a basis on which to draw conclusions regarding some inconsistencies and debates in the CEP–CFP research. Some of the results of the moderator analysis suggest that small firms benefit from environmental performance as much or more than large firms, US firms seem to benefit more than international counterparts, and environmental performance seems to have the strongest influence on market-measures of financial performance.
501 citations
TL;DR: An introductory-level thought experiment is described to provide the reader with an intuitive understanding of criticality and quantitative evidence that three functional properties of the cortex are optimized at criticality is reviewed.
Abstract: Rapidly growing empirical evidence supports the hypothesis that the cortex operates near criticality. Although the confirmation of this hypothesis would mark a significant advance in fundamental understanding of cortical physiology, a natural question arises: What functional benefits are endowed to cortical circuits that operate at criticality? In this review, we first describe an introductory-level thought experiment to provide the reader with an intuitive understanding of criticality. Second, we discuss some practical approaches for investigating criticality. Finally, we review quantitative evidence that three functional properties of the cortex are optimized at criticality: 1) dynamic range, 2) information transmission, and 3) information capacity. We focus on recently reported experimental evidence and briefly discuss the theory and history of these ideas.
471 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, the theoretical underpinnings of co-production and co-creation are reviewed and discussed in a hotel context, and the benefits for hotels of moving from Co-production to Co-creation on this continuum are discussed.
383 citations
TL;DR: A capabilities perspective is used to propose digital design as an antecedent to two customer service capabilities--namely, customer orientation capability and customer response capability--across a firm's CSUs, which will help a firm to locally sense and respond to customer needs.
Abstract: With the growing recognition of the customer's role in service creation and delivery, there is an increased impetus on building customer-centric organizations. Digital technologies play a key role in such organizations. Prior research studying digital business strategies has largely focused on building production-side competencies and there has been little focus on customer-side digital business strategies to leverage these technologies. We propose a theory to understand the effectiveness of a customer-side digital business strategy focused on localized dynamics--here, a firm's customer service units (CSUs). Specifically, we use a capabilities perspective to propose digital design as an antecedent to two customer service capabilities--namely, customer orientation capability and customer response capability--across a firm's CSUs. These two capabilities will help a firm to locally sense and respond to customer needs, respectively. Information quality from the digital design of the CSU is proposed as the antecedent to the two capabilities. Proposed capability-building dynamics are tested using data collected from multiple respondents across 170 branches of a large bank. Findings suggest that the impacts of information quality in capability-building are contingent on the local process characteristics. We offer implications for a firm's customer-side digital business strategy and present new areas for future examination of such strategies.
TL;DR: Synthetic applications of amine radical cations produced by visible light photocatalysis are reviewed, finding this approach and subsequent chemistries are emerging as a powerful tool in amine synthesis.
Abstract: Amine radical cations are highly useful reactive intermediates in amine synthesis. They have displayed several modes of reactivity leading to some highly sought-after synthetic intermediates including iminium ions, α-amino radicals, and distonic ions. One appealing method to access amine radical cations is through one-electron oxidation of the corresponding amines under visible light photoredox conditions. This approach and subsequent chemistries are emerging as a powerful tool in amine synthesis. This article reviews synthetic applications of amine radical cations produced by visible light photocatalysis.
TL;DR: In this article, the state-of-the-art in electrochemical and electro discharge machining processes is reviewed, which reflect the state of the art in academic and industrial research and applications.
TL;DR: In this article, the authors posit that a supply chain organization's internal integration competence provides complementary information processing capabilities required to yield expected responsiveness from greater supply chain visibility, and an analysis of data from 206 firms strongly supports this hypothesis.
TL;DR: In this article, the authors present a methodology for quantifying and assessing changes in multiple ecosystems services as a result of land use change using the Integrated Valuation of Ecosystem Services and Tradeoffs (InVEST) model.
University of Paris-Sud1, University of Rouen2, University of Arkansas3, Paris Diderot University4, University of New South Wales5, École Centrale Paris6, Russian Academy of Sciences7, Moscow State University8, University of South Florida9, Xi'an Jiaotong University10, Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology11
TL;DR: It is revealed that strain progressively drives the average spin angle from in-plane to out-of-plane, a property used to tune the exchange bias and giant-magnetoresistive response of spin valves.
Abstract: Multiferroics are compounds that show ferroelectricity and magnetism. BiFeO3, by far the most studied, has outstanding ferroelectric properties, a cycloidal magnetic order in the bulk, and many unexpected virtues such as conductive domain walls or a low bandgap of interest for photovoltaics. Although this flurry of properties makes BiFeO3 a paradigmatic multifunctional material, most are related to its ferroelectric character, and its other ferroic property--antiferromagnetism--has not been investigated extensively, especially in thin films. Here we bring insight into the rich spin physics of BiFeO3 in a detailed study of the static and dynamic magnetic response of strain-engineered films. Using Mossbauer and Raman spectroscopies combined with Landau-Ginzburg theory and effective Hamiltonian calculations, we show that the bulk-like cycloidal spin modulation that exists at low compressive strain is driven towards pseudo-collinear antiferromagnetism at high strain, both tensile and compressive. For moderate tensile strain we also predict and observe indications of a new cycloid. Accordingly, we find that the magnonic response is entirely modified, with low-energy magnon modes being suppressed as strain increases. Finally, we reveal that strain progressively drives the average spin angle from in-plane to out-of-plane, a property we use to tune the exchange bias and giant-magnetoresistive response of spin valves.
TL;DR: The concept of energy cooperation is introduced, where a user wirelessly transmits a portion of its energy to another energy harvesting user, which enables shaping and optimization of the energy arrivals at the energy-receiving node, and improves the overall system performance, despite the loss incurred in energy transfer.
Abstract: In energy harvesting communications, users transmit messages using energy harvested from nature during the course of communication. With an optimum transmit policy, the performance of the system depends only on the energy arrival profiles. In this paper, we introduce the concept of energy cooperation, where a user wirelessly transmits a portion of its energy to another energy harvesting user. This enables shaping and optimization of the energy arrivals at the energy-receiving node, and improves the overall system performance, despite the loss incurred in energy transfer. We consider several basic multi-user network structures with energy harvesting and wireless energy transfer capabilities: relay channel, two-way channel and multiple access channel. We determine energy management policies that maximize the system throughput within a given duration using a Lagrangian formulation and the resulting KKT optimality conditions. We develop a two-dimensional directional water-filling algorithm which optimally controls the flow of harvested energy in two dimensions: in time (from past to future) and among users (from energy-transferring to energy-receiving) and show that a generalized version of this algorithm achieves the boundary of the capacity region of the two-way channel.
TL;DR: There are genes or TFs containing both DRE/CRT and ABRE, which can integrate input stimuli from salinity, drought, cold and ABA signaling pathways, thereby enabling cross-tolerance to multiple stresses.
Abstract: Salinity, drought and low temperature are the common forms of abiotic stress encountered by land plants. To cope with these adverse environmental factors, plants execute several physiological and metabolic responses. Both osmotic stress (elicited by water deficit or high salt) and cold stress increase the endogenous level of the phytohormone abscisic acid (ABA). ABA-dependent stomatal closure to reduce water loss is associated with small signaling molecules like nitric oxide, reactive oxygen species and cytosolic free calcium, and mediated by rapidly altering ion fluxes in guard cells. ABA also triggers the expression of osmotic stress-responsive (OR) genes, which usually contain single/multiple copies of cis-acting sequence called abscisic acid-responsive element (ABRE) in their upstream regions, mostly recognized by the basic leucine zipper-transcription factors (TFs), namely, ABA-responsive element-binding protein/ABA-binding factor. Another conserved sequence called the dehydration-responsive element (DRE)/C-repeat, responding to cold or osmotic stress, but not to ABA, occurs in some OR promoters, to which the DRE-binding protein/C-repeat-binding factor binds. In contrast, there are genes or TFs containing both DRE/CRT and ABRE, which can integrate input stimuli from salinity, drought, cold and ABA signaling pathways, thereby enabling cross-tolerance to multiple stresses. A strong candidate that mediates such cross-talk is calcium, which serves as a common second messenger for abiotic stress conditions and ABA. The present review highlights the involvement of both ABA-dependent and ABA-independent signaling components and their interaction or convergence in activating the stress genes. We restrict our discussion to salinity, drought and cold stress.
TL;DR: In this article, the authors analyzed the global banking network using data on cross-border banking flows for 184 countries during 1978-2010 and found that the density of global banking networks defined by these flows is procyclical, expanding and contracting with the global cycle of capital flows.
Abstract: We analyze the global banking network using data on cross-border banking flows for 184 countries during 1978–2010. We find that the density of the global banking network defined by these flows is procyclical, expanding and contracting with the global cycle of capital flows. We also find that country connectedness in the network tends to rise before banking and debt crises and to fall in their aftermath. Despite a historically unique build-up in aggregate flows prior to the global financial crisis, network density in 2007 was comparable to earlier peaks. This suggests that factors other than connectedness, such as the location of the initial shock to the core of the network, have contributed to the severity of the crisis. The global financial crisis stands out as an unusually large perturbation to the global banking network, with indicators of network density in 2008 reaching all-time lows.
TL;DR: Men are conceptualized as sexual initiators and women as sexual gatekeepers, and that men's sexual pleasure is primary whereas women's experience of pleasure is secondary, articulate the need for more pointed research aimed at assessing sexual consent among college students.
Abstract: Sexual assault continues to be a salient health concern, especially among college women. Because assault is often defined in terms of consent, prevention efforts hinge on promoting the definition and the obtainment of consent as a mechanism to reduce assault. Despite the focus on consent promotion, research specifically examining consent in general and among college students specifically is limited. College students (n = 185) were recruited to participate in an open-ended survey in which they were asked to report how they indicated consent and interpreted their partners' consent to engage in a range of sexual behaviors. Content analysis was utilized to qualitatively analyze responses. In the current study, data were assessed for emerging themes across all items. In examining participants' responses, four distinct themes emerged: (a) endorsement of the traditional sexual script; (b) women are responsible for performing oral sex; (c) men's consent to sex can be aggressive; and (d) men utilize deception to o...
TL;DR: A case is argued for a more holistic approach to eutrophication management that includes more sophisticated regime-based nutrient criteria and considers other nutrient and pollutant controls and river restoration to promote more resilient water quality and ecosystem functioning along the land-freshwater continuum.
Abstract: This commentary examines an "inconvenient truth" that phosphorus (P)-based nutrient mitigation, long regarded as the key tool in eutrophication management, in many cases has not yet yielded the desired reductions in water quality and nuisance algal growth in rivers and their associated downstream ecosystems. We examine why the water quality and aquatic ecology have not recovered, in some case after two decades or more of reduced P inputs, including (i) legacies of past land-use management, (ii) decoupling of algal growth responses to river P loading in eutrophically impaired rivers; and (iii) recovery trajectories, which may be nonlinear and characterized by thresholds and alternative stable states. It is possible that baselines have shifted and that some disturbed river environments may never return to predisturbance conditions or may require P reductions below those that originally triggered ecological degradation. We discuss the practical implications of setting P-based nutrient criteria to protect and improve river water quality and ecology, drawing on a case study from the Red River Basin in the United States. We conclude that the challenges facing nutrient management and eutrophication control bear the hallmarks of "postnormal" science, where uncertainties are large, management intervention is urgently required, and decision stakes are high. We argue a case for a more holistic approach to eutrophication management that includes more sophisticated regime-based nutrient criteria and considers other nutrient and pollutant controls and river restoration (e.g., physical habitat and functional food web interactions) to promote more resilient water quality and ecosystem functioning along the land-freshwater continuum.
TL;DR: The factors that impact the ability of Salmonella to colonize a particular host species, such as chickens, are complex and multifactorial, involving the host, the pathogen, and extrinsic pressures.
Abstract: Enteric pathogens such as Salmonella enterica cause significant morbidity and mortality. S. enterica serovars are a diverse group of pathogens that have evolved to survive in a wide range of environments and across multiple hosts. S. enterica serovars such as S. Typhi, S. Dublin, and S. Gallinarum have a restricted host range, in which they are typically associated with one or a few host species, while S. Enteritidis and S. Typhimurium have broad host ranges. This review examines how S. enterica has evolved through adaptation to different host environments, especially as related to the chicken host, and continues to be an important human pathogen. Several factors impact host range, and these include the acquisition of genes via horizontal gene transfer with plasmids, transposons, and phages, which can potentially expand host range, and the loss of genes or their function, which would reduce the range of hosts that the organism can infect. S. Gallinarum, with a limited host range, has a large number of pseudogenes in its genome compared to broader-host-range serovars. S. enterica serovars such as S. Kentucky and S. Heidelberg also often have plasmids that may help them colonize poultry more efficiently. The ability to colonize different hosts also involves interactions with the host's immune system and commensal organisms that are present. Thus, the factors that impact the ability of Salmonella to colonize a particular host species, such as chickens, are complex and multifactorial, involving the host, the pathogen, and extrinsic pressures. It is the interplay of these factors which leads to the differences in host ranges that we observe today.
TL;DR: In this article, the presence and characteristics of environmental committees on the board of directors and a Chief Sustainability Officer (CSO) among the management team were examined to provide evidence on whether sustainability-oriented corporate governance mechanisms impact the voluntary assurance of corporate sustainability reports.
Abstract: The following study seeks to provide evidence on whether sustainability-oriented corporate governance mechanisms impact the voluntary assurance of corporate sustainability reports. Specifically, we consider the presence and characteristics of environmental committees on the board of directors and a Chief Sustainability Officer (CSO) among the management team. When examining the assurance services, we make a distinction between those services performed by external assurance providers and the company’s internal auditors. We find that the presence of an environmental committee and a CSO are positively associated with corporate sustainability report assurance services. However, presently, environmental committees appear to prefer the services of consultants and internal auditors. Additional analysis suggests the associations are conditional upon the committee’s expertise and overlap with the audit committee. Similarly, sustainability assurance appears to increase in relation to CSO expertise. Our results are particularly important to those with interests in understanding the evolution and demand for sustainability assurance, as well as the impact of environmental governance mechanisms that are increasingly part of the corporate mosaic. Overall our results suggest that there remain large opportunities for both external and internal audit standard setters to establish stronger guidelines increasing the value and demand for sustainability assurance services.
TL;DR: The histopathological changes occurring in white striping indicate a degenerative myopathy that could be associated with increased growth rate in birds and is supported by the findings from proximate analysis.
TL;DR: “Legacy Phosphorus”
Abstract: “Legacy Phosphorus” Helen P. Jarvie,†,* Andrew N. Sharpley,‡ Bryan Spears, Anthony R. Buda, Linda May, and Peter J. A. Kleinman †Centre for Ecology and Hydrology, Maclean Building, Crowmarsh Gifford, Wallingford, U.K. ‡Department of Crop, Soil and Environmental Sciences, Division of Agriculture, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, Arkansas, United States Centre for Ecology and Hydrology, Bush Estate, Penicuik, Midlothian, U.K. Agricultural Research Service, Pasture Systems and Watershed Management Research Unit, U.S. Department of Agriculture, University Park, Pennsylvania, United States
TL;DR: In this article, the authors analyzed the global banking network using data on cross-border banking flows for 184 countries during 1978-2010 and found that the density of global banking networks defined by these flows is pro-cyclical, expanding and contracting with the global cycle of capital flows.
TL;DR: Variation was found across vaccines, however, sensitivity and specificity did not vary substantially by either age or race/ethnicity; Hispanics were 2.7 times more likely to claim receipt of vaccination compared to whites.
Pennsylvania State University1, University of Tsukuba2, United States Department of Agriculture3, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory4, Iowa State University5, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention6, University of Sydney7, National University of Río Cuarto8, Harvard University9, University of Arkansas10, University of Georgia11, Centraalbureau voor Schimmelcultures12, Broad Institute13, University of Córdoba (Spain)14, Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station15, University of California, Davis16, Technical University of Denmark17, Agricultural Research Organization, Volcani Center18, Russian Academy19, University of Delaware20, Rothamsted Research21, Kansas State University22, National Research Council23, Minzu University of China24, University of Massachusetts Amherst25, University of Sassari26, Université catholique de Louvain27, Universidade Federal de Lavras28, University of Florida29, Universiti Sains Malaysia30, University of Pretoria31, Gifu University32, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio33, Michigan State University34, University of Arizona35, Stellenbosch University36, Wageningen University and Research Centre37, Purdue University38, University of Turku39, Rutgers University40
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors advocate recognizing the genus Fusarium as the sole name for a group of species of importance in plant pathology, mycotoxicology, medicine, and basic research.
Abstract: In this letter, we advocate recognizing the genus Fusarium as the sole name for a group that includes virtually all Fusarium species of importance in plant pathology, mycotoxicology, medicine, and basic research. This phylogenetically guided circumscription will free scientists from any obligation to use other genus names, including teleomorphs, for species nested within this clade, and preserve the application of the name Fusarium in the way it has been used for almost a century. Due to recent changes in the International Code of Nomenclature for algae, fungi, and plants, this is an urgent matter that requires community attention. The alternative is to break the longstanding concept of Fusarium into nine or more genera, and remove important taxa such as those in the F. solani species complex from the genus, a move we believe is unnecessary. Here we present taxonomic and nomenclatural proposals that will preserve established research connections and facilitate communication within and between research communities, and at the same time support strong scientific principles and good taxonomic practice.
TL;DR: A critical review of such inspiring biological surfaces and their nonbiological product analogs can be found in this article, where manufacturing science and engineering have adopted such advanced functional surface architectures.
Abstract: Over millions of years, biological subjects have been in continuous combat with extreme environmental conditions. The fittest have survived through continuous evolution, an ongoing process. In particular, biological surfaces, which are the active interfaces between subjects and the environment, are being evolved to a higher state of intelligent functionality. These surfaces became more efficient by using combinations of available materials, along with unique physical and chemical strategies. Noteworthy physical strategies include features such as texturing and structure, and chemical strategies such as sensing and actuation. These strategies collectively enable functional surfaces to deliver extraordinary adhesion, hydrophobicity, multispectral response, energy scavenging, thermal regulation, antibiofouling, and other advanced functions. Production industries have been intrigued with such biological surface strategies in order to learn clever surface architectures and implement those architectures to impart advanced functionalities into manufactured consumer products. This keynote paper delivers a critical review of such inspiring biological surfaces and their nonbiological product analogs, where manufacturing science and engineering have adopted such advanced functional surface architectures.
TL;DR: In this article, a 16-item measure of idiosyncratic deals (or i-deals) is proposed, which is mutually beneficial, personalized agreements of a nonstandard nature that are negotiated between individual employees and their employers.