Problem detection

Problem detection is the process by which people first become concerned that events may be taking an unexpected and undesirable direction that potentially requires action. Previous accounts [e.g., Cowan (Acad Manage Rev 11(4):763–776, 1986)] described problem detection as the accumulation of discrepancies until a threshold was reached. In reviewing incidents taken from a variety of natural settings, we found that discrepancy accumulation did not apply to the incidents we reviewed, because (a) cues to problems may be subtle and context-dependent, and (b) what counts as a discrepancy depends on the problem-solvers experience and the stance taken in interpreting the situation. In many cases, detecting a problem is equivalent to reconceptualizing the situation.     

Phosphorus speciation and transformation in long-term fertilized soil: evidence from chemical fractionation and P <Emphasis Type="Italic">K</Emphasis>-edge XANES spectroscopy

Knowledge of speciation and transformation of phosphorus (P) in soil following high application rates of chemical and organic fertilizers is essential for improving P management in Chinese agricultural ecosystems because P fertilizers have been increasingly overapplied in China. Phosphorus speciation of the soil in three long-term fertilization experiments established in 1990 was investigated jointly with a sequential fractionation scheme and P K-edge X-ray absorption near edge structure (XANES) spectroscopy. Both chemical fractionation and XANES spectroscopy confirmed that P species in the topsoils (0–20 cm) were mainly composed of iron phosphate, calcium phosphate and organic P, regardless of soil pH and mineralogy. The continuous application of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium fertilizers (NPK) had little effect on the distribution of P species in the topsoils compared with that in the control and 1990 baseline topsoils. In contrast, the application of NPK plus organic manures (MNPK) changed significantly the speciation distribution of P by increasing distinctly available P in the soil. The transportation and transformation of P species depended on soil properties including P levels, organic carbon concentrations and mineral types. The long-term application of MNPK facilitated the transportation of P into lower horizons and the accumulation of organic P in the soil. The XANES results provided spectroscopic support for the P species identified by the fractionation scheme, and the combination of the two techniques provided complementary information on the speciation and transformation of P in soil.     

Finite strain behavior of poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) and poly(ethylene terephthalate)-glycol (PETG)

Uniaxial and plane strain compression experiments are conducted on amorphous poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) and poly(ethylene terephthalate)-glycol (PETG) over a wide range of temperatures (25-110 °C) and strain rates (.005-1.0 s⁻¹). The stress-strain behavior of each material is presented and the results for the two materials are found to be remarkably similar over the investigated range of rates, temperatures, and strain levels. Below the glass transition temperature (θ_g=80 °C), the materials exhibit a distinct yield stress, followed by strain softening then moderate strain hardening at moderate strain levels and dramatic strain hardening at large strains. Above the glass transition temperature, the stress-strain curves exhibit the classic trends of a rubbery material during loading, albeit with a strong temperature and time dependence. Instead of a distinct yield stress, the curve transitions gradually, or rolls over, to flow. As in the sub-θ_g range, this is followed by moderate strain hardening and stiffening, and subsequent dramatic hardening. The exhibition of dramatic hardening in PETG, a copolymer of PET which does not undergo strain-induced crystallization, indicates that crystallization may not be the source of the dramatic hardening and stiffening in PET and, instead molecular orientation is the primary hardening and stiffening mechanism in both PET and PETG. Indeed, it is only in cases of deformation which result in highly uniaxial network orientation that the stress-strain behavior of PET differs significantly from that of PETG, suggesting the influence of a meso-ordered structure or crystallization in these instances. During unloading, PETG exhibits extensive elastic recovery, whereas PET exhibits relatively little recovery, suggesting that crystallization occurs (or continues to develop) after active loading ceases and unloading has commenced, locking in much of the deformation in PET.     

Allelopathy as a factor in the success ofHelianthus mollis Lam.

A method to rapidly screen species suspected of producing allelochemics, using results from simple bioassay tests, is presented. By measuring the osmotic potential ofH. mollis extracts and using mannitol solutions of comparable osmotic potential, the influence of osmotic potential in the bioassay was eliminated. Nested analysis of variance was used to examine the separate influences of (1) extract concentration, (2) source of plants used in extract preparation (edge or center of clones) (3) osmotic potential of the extract, and (4) the differential development of radicles and shoots of species used in the bioassay tests. Bioassay tests for allelopathy showed that extracts made of wholeH. mollis plants significantly inhibited both radicle and shoot development of radish and wheat, but only the radicle of little bluestem. There was a significant increase in the inhibition of radish shoots and wheat radicles at high concentration of the extract, but the radicle of little bluestem was inhibited more at the lower concentration. Extracts prepared from plants collected from the clone center inhibited radish radicle development significantly more than extracts made of plants growing at the clone edge.     

The Mark of the Cognitive: Reply to Elpidorou

In a recent paper, Adams and Garrison (Minds Mach 23:339–352, 2013) offer an hypothesis about what constitutes the mark of the cognitive. In an even more recent paper, Elpidorou (Minds Mach, 2013) offers criticisms of our account. In this paper, we respond to Elpidourou’s criticisms and defend our account of the mark of the cognitive.     

Band‐Tail Recombination in Hybrid Lead Iodide Perovskite

Traps limit the photovoltaic efficiency and affect the charge transport of optoelectronic devices based on hybrid lead halide perovskites. Understanding the nature and energy scale of these trap states is therefore crucial for the development and optimization of solar cell and laser technology based on these materials. Here, the low‐temperature photoluminescence of formamidinium lead triiodide (HC(NH₂)₂PbI₃) is investigated. A power‐law time dependence in the emission intensity and an additional low‐energy emission peak that exhibits an anomalous relative Stokes shift are observed. Using a rate‐equation model and a Monte Carlo simulation, it is revealed that both phenomena arise from an exponential trap‐density tail with characteristic energy scale of ≈3 meV. Charge‐carrier recombination from sites deep within the tail is found to cause emission with energy downshifted by up to several tens of meV. Hence, such phenomena may in part be responsible for open‐circuit voltage losses commonly observed in these materials. In this high‐quality hybrid perovskite, trap states thus predominantly comprise a continuum of energetic levels (associated with disorder) rather than discrete trap energy levels (associated, e.g., with elemental vacancies). Hybrid perovskites may therefore be viewed as classic semiconductors whose band‐structure picture is moderated by a modest degree of energetic disorder.