Methods for predicting properties and tailoring salt solutions for industrial processes

An algorithm developed at Oak Ridge National Laboratory accurately and quickly predicts thermodynamic properties of concentrated aqueous salt solutions. This algorithm is much simpler and much faster than other modeling schemes and is unique because it can predict solution behavior at very high concentrations and under varying conditions. Typical industrial applications of this algorithm would be in manufacture of inorganic chemicals by crystallization, thermal storage, refrigeration and cooling, extraction of metals, emissions controls, etc

Timing is everything: Drivers of interannual variability in blue whale migration.

Blue whales need to time their migration from their breeding grounds to their feeding grounds to avoid missing peak prey abundances, but the cues they use for this are unknown. We examine migration timing (inferred from the local onset and cessation of blue whale calls recorded on seafloor-mounted hydrophones), environmental conditions (e.g., sea surface temperature anomalies and chlorophyll a), and prey (spring krill biomass from annual net tow surveys) during a 10 year period (2008-2017) in waters of the Southern California Region where blue whales feed in the summer. Colder sea surface temperature anomalies the previous season were correlated with greater krill biomass the following year, and earlier arrival by blue whales. Our results demonstrate a plastic response of blue whales to interannual variability and the importance of krill as a driving force behind migration timing. A decadal-scale increase in temperature due to climate change has led to blue whales extending their overall time in Southern California. By the end of our 10-year study, whales were arriving at the feeding grounds more than one month earlier, while their departure date did not change. Conservation strategies will need to account for increased anthropogenic threats resulting from longer times at the feeding grounds

Exploring the Roles of Social Participation in Mobile Social Media Learning: A Social Network Analysis

Social media is increasingly becoming an essential platform for social connectivity in our daily lives. The availability of mobile technology has further fueled its importance – making it a ubiquitous tool for social interaction. However, limited studies have been conducted to investigate roles of social participation in this field. Thus, the study investigates roles of social participation in mobile social media learning using the “ladder of participation and mastering.” Participants were students taking an educational technology course in a local university. The study was conducted in a four-month period. Data was collected from discussions while learning among the students a social media platform, Facebook groups, on mobile devices. The data was analyzed using a social network analysis tool, NodeXL. Data was analyzed based on egocentric networks, betweeness centrality, and closeness centrality. The findings revealed that there are four roles of social participation in mobile social media, which are: (i) lurkers; (ii) gradually mastering members/passive members; (iii) recognized members; and (iv) coaches. The findings also indicated that over the course of four months, learners can inter-change roles of social participation – becoming more central or less central in learning discussions. As a result, a roles of social participation continuum for mobile social media learning is proposed. Future research could be conducted in other fields to investigate whether the continuum produced could be used to understand the relationship between mobile social media learning and social participation roles

Cross-breeding cattle for milk production in the tropics: achievements, challenges and opportunities

This paper reviews experiences with cross-breeding for milk production in the tropics. Data were compiled from 23 different studies evaluating the performance of different grades of cross-bred animals as well as local breeds. Relative performance of indigenous breeds compared with different grades of cross-breeds was calculated for three climatic zones. Traits considered were milk yield per lactation, age at first calving, services per conception, lifetime milk yield and total number of lactations completed. At 50 percent Bos taurus blood, lactation milk yields were 2.6, 2.4 and 2.2 times higher than those of local cattle in the highland, tropical wet and dry, and semi-arid climatic zones, respectively; lactation lengths increased by 1.2, 1.2 and 1.9 months in the above-mentioned climatic zones, respectively; there was a reduction in calving interval by 0.8 times and in age at first calving by 0.9 times. Similarly, cross-breds with 50 percent B. taurus genes had 1.8 times higher lifetime milk yields and a 1.2 times higher number of total lactations. Although cross-breeding faces a number of challenges such as better infrastructure, higher demand for health care, there are many advantages of using it. These are higher production per animal, higher income for the families and provision of high-value food. It is therefore likely to continue to be an important livestock improvement tool in the tropics in the future, where farmers can provide sufficient management for maintaining animals with higher input requirements and access to the milk market can be secured

Susceptibility of Eucalyptus Species and Clones to Red Gum Lerp Psyllid, Glycaspis brimblecombei, (Hemiptera: Psyllidae) in Mbizi Forest Plantation, Tanzania

Glycaspis brimblecombei is a sap-sucking insect that feeds on Eucalypts. The pest is native to Australia. The nymph feeds on eucalypt leaves and secretes honeydew with which they construct a waxy cover (called a lerp) around themselves. This cover is whitish and conical in shape and shelters the insects until the adult stage. The insect is considered a serious pest that causes leaf discoloration, severe leaf drop, twig dieback and some tree mortality on some Eucalyptus species. In October 2016, the red gum lerp psyllid was recorded for the first time in Mbizi forest plantation in Tanzania infesting Eucalyptus camaldulensis and different Eucalyptus clones. A study was conducted to determine the susceptibility of Eucalypt germplasm to the insect pest. Results showed that E. camaldulensis was more infested followed by GC 514, GC 167, GC 584, GC 15, GC 785 clones while GC 940 was the least infested. Eucalyptus grandis was not infested. Stakeholders can be able to use the susceptibility grouping of the Eucalyptus germplasm to determine what to plant in areas of red gum lerp psyllid infestation. Similar research work should be carried in all major host tree growing areas to determine susceptibility groups for the areas

Manganese(iv) oxamato-catalyzed oxidation of secondary alcohols to ketones by dioxygen and pivalaldehyde

A new manganese(IV) oxamato complex possessing a bis(moxo) dimanganese core has been synthesized, magnetically and structurally characterized, and found to catalyze the aerobic oxidation of secondary alcohols to ketones with cooxidation of pivalaldehyde to pivalic acid with good yields and high selectivities.Ruiz Garcia, Rafael, [email protected] ; Fernandez Picot, Isabel, [email protected] ; Pedro Llinares, Jose Ramon, [email protected] ; Rosello Arce, Antonio Luis, [email protected] ; Castro Bleda, Isabel, [email protected]