Electronic structure of the SrAl2O4：Eu^2＋ persistent luminescence material

The electronic structure of the strontium aluminate (SrAl₂O₄:Eu²⁺) materials was studied with a combined experimental and theoretical approach. The UV-VUV synchrotron radiation was applied in the experimental study while the electronic structure of the non-optimized and optimized crystal structure were investigated theoretically by using the density functional theory. The structure of the valence and conduction bands as well as the band gap energy of the material together with the position of the Eu²⁺ 4f^{7 8}S_7/2 ground state were calculated. The calculated band gap energy (6.4 eV) agreed well with the experimental value of 6.6 eV. The valence band consisted mainly of oxygen states whereas the bottom of the conduction band of strontium states. In agreement with the experimental results, the calculated 4f^{7 8}S_7/2 ground state of Eu²⁺ lies in the energy gap of the host. The position of the 4f⁷ ground state depended on the Coulomb repulsion strength. The position of the 4f⁷ ground state with respect to the valence and conduction bands was discussed using theoretical and experimental evidence available.     

On the isolation of virus from sewage treatment plant sludges

Sludges from biological and chemical treatments of urban sewage were examined for virus. Virus was found bound to particles and was not eluated at pH 9·0 in the samples from activated sludge treatment. The secondary sludge contained less virus than the primary sludge.Treatment with lime, ferric chloride and aluminum sulfate in experimental scale removed virus from raw sewage so that virus could be demonstrated in the sludge from sewage where virus was not demonstrated. No virus inactivation in the chemical sludges were observed.     

Fragmented publishing: a large-scale study of health science

Scientometrics - Fragmented or multiple publishing is generally considered negative, as authors may inflate their number of articles through duplicate publications and salami publications. However,...     

Advancing large-scale R&D projects towards grand challenges through involvement of organizational knowledge integrators

Public and private funding bodies make massive investments in research to address the grand challenges of the world. These require collective research efforts of a large number of partners to generate knowledge and ultimately create technologies to meet today’s grand challenges. Surprisingly, little research is conducted on how to design the research consortia appropriately that actually result in the development of new technologies. This article argues that when organisational knowledge integrators are involved in large-scale projects, they ensure that the research findings of earlier technology development efforts in a project are pulled towards innovation outcomes through their own position in the innovation value chain. This article uses a data-set with 376 collaborative R&D projects within energy technologies. Most importantly, this article confirms the existence of organisational knowledge integrators and the positive effects on project outcomes. These results are discussed with implications drawn for both applicants and funding bodies for future projects.     

Taking scholarly books into account,part II: a comparison of 19 European countries in evaluation and funding

Scientometrics - In May 2016, an article published in Scientometrics, titled ‘Taking scholarly books into account: current developments in five European countries’, introduced a...     

Association analysis for udder index and milking speed with imputed whole-genome sequence variants in Nordic Holstein cattle

Genome-wide association testing facilitates the identification of genetic variants associated with complex traits. Mapping genes that promote genetic resistance to mastitis could reduce the cost of antibiotic use and enhance animal welfare and milk production by improving outcomes of breeding for udder health. Using imputed whole-genome sequence variants, we carried out association studies for 2 traits related to udder health, udder index, and milking speed in Nordic Holstein cattle. A total of 4,921 bulls genotyped with the BovineSNP50 BeadChip array were imputed to high-density genotypes (Illumina BovineHD BeadChip, Illumina, San Diego, CA) and, subsequently, to whole-genome sequence variants. An association analysis was carried out using a linear mixed model. Phenotypes used in the association analyses were deregressed breeding values. Multitrait meta-analysis was carried out for these 2 traits. We identified 10 and 8 chromosomes harboring markers that were significantly associated with udder index and milking speed, respectively. Strongest association signals were observed on chromosome 20 for udder index and chromosome 19 for milking speed. Multitrait meta-analysis identified 13 chromosomes harboring associated markers for the combination of udder index and milking speed. The associated region on chromosome 20 overlapped with earlier reported quantitative trait loci for similar traits in other cattle populations. Moreover, this region was located close to the FYB gene, which is involved in platelet activation and controls IL-2 expression; FYB is a strong candidate gene for udder health and worthy of further investigation.     

Recent applications of synchrotron radiation and neutrons in the study of soft matter

The broad range of applications of synchrotron and neutron scattering in the investigation of soft condensed matter is reviewed. Appropriate combinations of these techniques allow probing the structure and dynamics of these complex systems from sub-nm to micron size scales and picoseconds to seconds and longer time ranges. Applications include a myriad of systems such as polymers, colloids, surfactants, phospholipids, biological macromolecules and functional materials both in bulk and at interfaces. Most studies are performed in situ under the real thermodynamic state of the given system and large ensemble averaged information is readily obtained. The new generations of synchrotron and neutron sources open possibilities for investigating more complex soft matter systems in hitherto unexplored dynamical states.