EXAMINING ASSOCIATIONS BETWEEN FISH ASSEMBLAGES AND PHYSICAL HABITAT

EPA Science Inventory

Assessing lotic fish-habitat interactions from regional survey data requires that we consider a comprehensive representation, at the appropriate scale, of the likely controls on fish assemblages. At the scale of stream and river reaches, the important dimensions of physical habi...

MWSA's physical habitat approach - combining knowledge of habitat requirements with mechanisms of geomorphic and anthropogenic influence on stream channel form

EPA Science Inventory

Effective environmental policy decisions benefit from stream habitat information that is accurate, precise, and relevant. The recent National Wadeable Streams Assessment (NWSA) carried out by the U.S. EPA required physical habitat information sufficiently comprehensive to facilit...

Physical habitat monitoring strategy (PHAMS) for reach-scale restoration effectiveness monitoring

USGS Publications Warehouse

Jones, Krista L.; O'Daniel, Scott J.; Beechie, Tim J.; Zakrajsek, John; Webster, John G.

2015-04-14

Habitat restoration efforts by the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation (CTUIR) have shifted from the site scale (1-10 meters) to the reach scale (100-1,000 meters). This shift was in response to the growing scientific emphasis on process-based restoration and to support from the 2007 Accords Agreement with the Bonneville Power Administration. With the increased size of restoration projects, the CTUIR and other agencies are in need of applicable monitoring methods for assessing large-scale changes in river and floodplain habitats following restoration. The goal of the Physical Habitat Monitoring Strategy is to outline methods that are useful for capturing reach-scale changes in surface and groundwater hydrology, geomorphology, hydrologic connectivity, and riparian vegetation at restoration projects. The Physical Habitat Monitoring Strategy aims to avoid duplication with existing regional effectiveness monitoring protocols by identifying complimentary reach-scale metrics and methods that may improve the ability of CTUIR and others to detect instream and riparian changes at large restoration projects.

Relationship among fish assemblages and main-channel-border physical habitats in the unimpounded Upper Mississippi River

USGS Publications Warehouse

Barko, V.A.; Herzog, D.P.; Hrabik, R.A.; Scheibe, J.S.

2004-01-01

Large rivers worldwide have been altered by the construction and maintenance of navigation channels, which include extensive bank revetments, wing dikes, and levees. Using 7 years of Long-Term Resource Monitoring Program (LTRMP) data collected from the unimpounded upper Mississippi River, we investigated assemblages in two main-channel-border physical habitats-those with wing dikes and those without wing dikes. Fishes were captured using daytime electrofishing, mini-fyke netting, large hoop netting, and small hoop netting. Our objectives were to (1) assess associations among fish species richness, physical measurements, and main-channel-border physical habitats using stepwise multiple regression and indicator variables; (2) identify abundant adult and young-of-year (age-0) families in both physical habitats to further investigate assemblage composition; and (3) calculate standardized species richness estimates within each physical habitat for adult and age-0 fishes to provide additional information on community structure. We found species richness was greater at wing dikes for both adult and age-0 fishes when compared with main channel borders. Stepwise multiple regression revealed significant relationships between adult species richness and passive gear deployment (e.g,, hoop nets and mini-fyke nets), physical habitat type, and river elevation, as well as interactions between physical habitat and passive gears, and physical habitat and transparency (i.e., Secchi depth). This model explained 56% of the variance in adult species richness. Approximately 15% of the variation in age-0 species richness was explained by the sample period, sample date, transparency, physical habitat, and depth of gear deployment. Long-term impacts of river modifications on fishes have not been well documented in many large river systems and warrant further study. The findings from this study provide baseline ecological information on fish assemblages using main channel borders in the

CADDIS Volume 2. Sources, Stressors and Responses: Urbanization - Physical Habitat

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

Introduction to physical habitat changes associated with urbanization, overview of how urbanization can lead to channel enlargement, summary of how road crossings can affect stream ecosystems, summary of how urbanization can alter streambed substrates.

Evaluating physical habitat condition in the National Lakes Assessment (NLA)

EPA Science Inventory

The NLA and other lake survey and monitoring efforts increasingly rely upon biological assemblage data to define lake condition. Information concerning the multiple dimensions of physical and chemical habitat is necessary to interpret this biological information and meaningfully...

Accuracy of gap analysis habitat models in predicting physical features for wildlife-habitat associations in the southwest U.S.

USGS Publications Warehouse

Boykin, K.G.; Thompson, B.C.; Propeck-Gray, S.

2010-01-01

Despite widespread and long-standing efforts to model wildlife-habitat associations using remotely sensed and other spatially explicit data, there are relatively few evaluations of the performance of variables included in predictive models relative to actual features on the landscape. As part of the National Gap Analysis Program, we specifically examined physical site features at randomly selected sample locations in the Southwestern U.S. to assess degree of concordance with predicted features used in modeling vertebrate habitat distribution. Our analysis considered hypotheses about relative accuracy with respect to 30 vertebrate species selected to represent the spectrum of habitat generalist to specialist and categorization of site by relative degree of conservation emphasis accorded to the site. Overall comparison of 19 variables observed at 382 sample sites indicated ???60% concordance for 12 variables. Directly measured or observed variables (slope, soil composition, rock outcrop) generally displayed high concordance, while variables that required judgments regarding descriptive categories (aspect, ecological system, landform) were less concordant. There were no differences detected in concordance among taxa groups, degree of specialization or generalization of selected taxa, or land conservation categorization of sample sites with respect to all sites. We found no support for the hypothesis that accuracy of habitat models is inversely related to degree of taxa specialization when model features for a habitat specialist could be more difficult to represent spatially. Likewise, we did not find support for the hypothesis that physical features will be predicted with higher accuracy on lands with greater dedication to biodiversity conservation than on other lands because of relative differences regarding available information. Accuracy generally was similar (>60%) to that observed for land cover mapping at the ecological system level. These patterns demonstrate

The Psychology of Physical Science

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Feist, Gregory J.

2006-12-01

Who becomes a physical scientist is not completely a coincidence. People with spatial talent and who are thing-oriented are most likely to be attracted to physical science, including astronomy. Additional lessons from the psychology of science suggest that compared with non-scientists and social scientists, physical scientists are most likely to be introverted, independent, self-confident, and yet somewhat arrogant. Understanding the physical and inanimate world is part of what physical scientists do, and understanding those who understand the physical world is part of what psychologists of science do.

Strong Predictability Of Spatially Distributed Physical Habitat Preferences For O. Mykiss Spawning Across Three Spatial Scales

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kammel, L.; Pasternack, G. B.; Wyrick, J. R.; Massa, D.; Bratovich, P.; Johnson, T.

2012-12-01

Currently accepted perception assumes Oncorhynchus mykiss prefer different ranges of similar physical habitat elements for spawning than Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha), taking into account their difference in size. While there is increasing research interest regarding O. mykiss habitat use and migratory behavior, research conducted to date distinguishing the physical habitat conditions utilized for O. mykiss spawning has not provided quantified understanding of their spawning habitat preferences. The purpose of this study was to use electivity indices and other measures to assess the physical habitat characteristics preferred for O. mykiss spawning in terms of both 1-m scale microhabitat attributes, and landforms at different spatial scales from 0.1-100 times channel width. The testbed for this study was the 37.5-km regulated gravel-cobble Lower Yuba River (LYR). Using spatially distributed 2D hydrodynamic model results, substrate mapping, and a census of O. mykiss redds from two years of observation, micro- and meso-scale representations of physical habitat were tested for their ability to predict spawning habitat preference and avoidance. Overall there was strong stratification of O. mykiss redd occurrence for all representation types of physical habitat. A strong preference of hydraulic conditions was shown for mean water column velocities of 1.18-2.25 ft/s, and water depths of 1.25-2.76 ft. There was a marked preference for the two most upstream alluvial reaches of the LYR (out of 8 total reaches), accounting for 92% of all redds observed. The preferred morphological units (MUs) for O. mykiss spawning were more variable than for Chinook salmon and changed with increasing discharge, demonstrating that O. mykiss shift spawning to different MUs in order to utilize their preferred hydraulic conditions. The substrate range preferred for O. mykiss spawning was within 32-90 mm. Overall, O. mykiss spawning behavior was highly predictable and required a

Physics Guided Data Science in the Earth Sciences

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ganguly, A. R.

2017-12-01

Even as the geosciences are becoming relatively data-rich owing to remote sensing and archived model simulations, established physical understanding and process knowledge cannot be ignored. The ability to leverage both physics and data-intensive sciences may lead to new discoveries and predictive insights. A principled approach to physics guided data science, where physics informs feature selection, output constraints, and even the architecture of the learning models, is motivated. The possibility of hybrid physics and data science models at the level of component processes is discussed. The challenges and opportunities, as well as the relations to other approaches such as data assimilation - which also bring physics and data together - are discussed. Case studies are presented in climate, hydrology and meteorology.

Green sturgeon physical habitat use in the coastal Pacific Ocean.

PubMed

Huff, David D; Lindley, Steven T; Rankin, Polly S; Mora, Ethan A

2011-01-01

The green sturgeon (Acipenser medirostris) is a highly migratory, oceanic, anadromous species with a complex life history that makes it vulnerable to species-wide threats in both freshwater and at sea. Green sturgeon population declines have preceded legal protection and curtailment of activities in marine environments deemed to increase its extinction risk. Yet, its marine habitat is poorly understood. We built a statistical model to characterize green sturgeon marine habitat using data from a coastal tracking array located along the Siletz Reef near Newport, Oregon, USA that recorded the passage of 37 acoustically tagged green sturgeon. We classified seafloor physical habitat features with high-resolution bathymetric and backscatter data. We then described the distribution of habitat components and their relationship to green sturgeon presence using ordination and subsequently used generalized linear model selection to identify important habitat components. Finally, we summarized depth and temperature recordings from seven green sturgeon present off the Oregon coast that were fitted with pop-off archival geolocation tags. Our analyses indicated that green sturgeon, on average, spent a longer duration in areas with high seafloor complexity, especially where a greater proportion of the substrate consists of boulders. Green sturgeon in marine habitats are primarily found at depths of 20-60 meters and from 9.5-16.0°C. Many sturgeon in this study were likely migrating in a northward direction, moving deeper, and may have been using complex seafloor habitat because it coincides with the distribution of benthic prey taxa or provides refuge from predators. Identifying important green sturgeon marine habitat is an essential step towards accurately defining the conditions that are necessary for its survival and will eventually yield range-wide, spatially explicit predictions of green sturgeon distribution.

Green Sturgeon Physical Habitat Use in the Coastal Pacific Ocean

PubMed Central

Huff, David D.; Lindley, Steven T.; Rankin, Polly S.; Mora, Ethan A.

2011-01-01

The green sturgeon (Acipenser medirostris) is a highly migratory, oceanic, anadromous species with a complex life history that makes it vulnerable to species-wide threats in both freshwater and at sea. Green sturgeon population declines have preceded legal protection and curtailment of activities in marine environments deemed to increase its extinction risk. Yet, its marine habitat is poorly understood. We built a statistical model to characterize green sturgeon marine habitat using data from a coastal tracking array located along the Siletz Reef near Newport, Oregon, USA that recorded the passage of 37 acoustically tagged green sturgeon. We classified seafloor physical habitat features with high-resolution bathymetric and backscatter data. We then described the distribution of habitat components and their relationship to green sturgeon presence using ordination and subsequently used generalized linear model selection to identify important habitat components. Finally, we summarized depth and temperature recordings from seven green sturgeon present off the Oregon coast that were fitted with pop-off archival geolocation tags. Our analyses indicated that green sturgeon, on average, spent a longer duration in areas with high seafloor complexity, especially where a greater proportion of the substrate consists of boulders. Green sturgeon in marine habitats are primarily found at depths of 20–60 meters and from 9.5–16.0°C. Many sturgeon in this study were likely migrating in a northward direction, moving deeper, and may have been using complex seafloor habitat because it coincides with the distribution of benthic prey taxa or provides refuge from predators. Identifying important green sturgeon marine habitat is an essential step towards accurately defining the conditions that are necessary for its survival and will eventually yield range-wide, spatially explicit predictions of green sturgeon distribution. PMID:21966442

Fort Collins Science Center: Species and Habitats of Federal Interest

USGS Publications Warehouse

Stevens, Patty

2004-01-01

Ecosystem changes directly affect a wide variety of plant and animal species, floral and faunal communities, and groups of species such as amphibians and grassland birds. Appropriate management of public lands plays a crucial role in the conservation and recovery of endangered species and can be a key element in preventing a species from being listed under the Endangered Species Act. The Species and Habitats of Federal Interest Branch of the Fort Collins Science Center (FORT) conducts research on the ecology, habitat requirements, distribution and abundance, population dynamics, and genetics and systematics of many species facing threatened or endangered status or of special concern to resource management agencies. FORT scientists develop reintroduction and restoration techniques, technologies for monitoring populations, and novel methods to analyze data on population trends and habitat requirements. FORT expertise encompasses both traditional and specialized natural resource disciplines within wildlife biology, including population dynamics, animal behavior, plant and community ecology, inventory and monitoring, statistics and computer applications, conservation genetics, stable isotope analysis, and curatorial expertise.

Use of remote-sensing techniques to survey the physical habitat of large rivers

USGS Publications Warehouse

Edsall, Thomas A.; Behrendt, Thomas E.; Cholwek, Gary; Frey, Jeffery W.; Kennedy, Gregory W.; Smith, Stephen B.; Edsall, Thomas A.; Behrendt, Thomas E.; Cholwek, Gary; Frey, Jeffrey W.; Kennedy, Gregory W.; Smith, Stephen B.

1997-01-01

Remote-sensing techniques that can be used to quantitatively characterize the physical habitat in large rivers in the United States where traditional survey approaches typically used in small- and medium-sized streams and rivers would be ineffective or impossible to apply. The state-of-the-art remote-sensing technologies that we discuss here include side-scan sonar, RoxAnn, acoustic Doppler current profiler, remotely operated vehicles and camera systems, global positioning systems, and laser level survey systems. The use of these technologies will permit the collection of information needed to create computer visualizations and hard copy maps and generate quantitative databases that can be used in real-time mode in the field to characterize the physical habitat at a study location of interest and to guide the distribution of sampling effort needed to address other habitat-related study objectives. This report augments habitat sampling and characterization guidance provided by Meador et al. (1993) and is intended for use primarily by U.S. Geological Survey National Water Quality Assessment program managers and scientists who are documenting water quality in streams and rivers of the United States.

Science Activities for Children 3 to 9 Years Old.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nelson, Bonnie E.

Activities in the life and physical sciences are provided (in separate sections) for preschool and elementary school students. Life science activities include those related to plants, soil, habitats, fossils, animals, life cycles, food chains, nutrition, and other biologically-oriented topics. Physical science activities include those related to…

Physical habitat classification and instream flow modeling to determine habitat availability during low-flow periods, North Fork Shenandoah River, Virginia

USGS Publications Warehouse

Krstolic, Jennifer L.; Hayes, Donald C.; Ruhl, Peter M.

2006-01-01

Increasing development and increasing water withdrawals for public, industrial, and agricultural water supply threaten to reduce streamflows in the Shenandoah River basin in Virginia. Water managers need more information to balance human water-supply needs with the daily streamflows necessary for maintaining the aquatic ecosystems. To meet the need for comprehensive information on hydrology, water supply, and instream-flow requirements of the Shenandoah River basin, the U.S. Geological Survey and the Northern Shenandoah Valley Regional Commission conducted a cooperative investigation of habitat availability during low-flow periods on the North Fork Shenandoah River. Historic streamflow data and empirical data on physical habitat, river hydraulics, fish community structure, and recreation were used to develop a physical habitat simulation model. Hydraulic measurements were made during low, medium, and high flows in six reaches at a total of 36 transects that included riffles, runs, and pools, and that had a variety of substrates and cover types. Habitat suitability criteria for fish were developed from detailed fish-community sampling and microhabitat observations. Fish were grouped into four guilds of species and life stages with similar habitat requirements. Simulated habitat was considered in the context of seasonal flow regimes to show the availability of flows that sustain suitable habitat during months when precipitation and streamflow are scarce. The North Fork Shenandoah River basin was divided into three management sections for analysis purposes: the upper section, middle section, and lower section. The months of July, August, and September were chosen to represent a low-flow period in the basin with low mean monthly flows, low precipitation, high temperatures, and high water withdrawals. Exceedance flows calculated from the combined data from these three months describe low-flow periods on the North Fork Shenandoah River. Long-term records from three

Historical assessments and comparisons of benthic communities and physical habitat in two agricultural streams in California's San Joaquin watershed.

PubMed

Hall, Lenwood W; Killen, William D

2006-01-01

This study was designed to assess trends in physical habitat and benthic communities (macroinvertebrates) annually in two agricultural streams (Del Puerto Creek and Salt Slough) in California's San Joaquin Valley from 2001 to 2005, determine the relationship between benthic communities and both water quality and physical habitat from both streams over the 5-year period, and compare benthic communities and physical habitat in both streams from 2001 to 2005. Physical habitat, measured with 10 metrics and a total score, was reported to be fairly stable over 5 years in Del Puerto Creek but somewhat variable in Salt Slough. Benthic communities, measured with 18 metrics, were reported to be marginally variable over time in Del Puerto Creek but fairly stable in Salt Slough. Rank correlation analysis for both water bodies combined showed that channel alteration, embeddedness, riparian buffer, and velocity/depth/diversity were the most important physical habitat metrics influencing the various benthic metrics. Correlations of water quality parameters and benthic community metrics for both water bodies combined showed that turbidity, dissolved oxygen, and conductivity were the most important water quality parameters influencing the different benthic metrics. A comparison of physical habitat metrics (including total score) for both water bodies over the 5-year period showed that habitat metrics were more positive in Del Puerto Creek when compared to Salt Slough. A comparison of benthic metrics in both water bodies showed that approximately one-third of the metrics were significantly different between the two water bodies. Generally, the more positive benthic metric scores were reported in Del Puerto Creek, which suggests that the communities in this creek are more robust than Salt Slough.

Physical Habitat Characteristics on the North Fork Shenandoah River, VA in 2002-2003

USGS Publications Warehouse

Krstolic, Jennifer L.; Hayes, Donald C.; Ruhl, Peter M.

2010-01-01

This dataset was collected with a PLGR government-issue GPS, and through manual measurement in the field. Points were gathered while canoeing along the North Fork Shenandoah River. Each location marked a change in meso-scale habitat type. GPS points were supplemented with GIS-derived points in areas where manual measurements were made. The points were used to generate a line coverage. This coverage represents physical habitat at a meso-scale (width of stream).

Physics transforming the life sciences.

PubMed

Onuchic, José N

2014-10-08

Biological physics is clearly becoming one of the leading sciences of the 21st century. This field involves the cross-fertilization of ideas and methods from biology and biochemistry on the one hand and the physics of complex and far from equilibrium systems on the other. Here I want to discuss how biological physics is a new area of physics and not simply applications of known physics to biological problems. I will focus in particular on the new advances in theoretical physics that are already flourishing today. They will become central pieces in the creation of this new frontier of science.

Physical stream habitat dynamics in Lower Bear Creek, northern Arkansas

USGS Publications Warehouse

Reuter, Joanna M.; Jacobson, Robert B.; Elliott, Caroline M.

2003-01-01

We evaluated the roles of geomorphic and hydrologic dynamics in determining physical stream habitat in Bear Creek, a stream with a 239 km2 drainage basin in the Ozark Plateaus (Ozarks) in northern Arkansas. During a relatively wet 12-month monitoring period, the geomorphology of Bear Creek was altered by a series of floods, including at least four floods with peak discharges exceeding a 1-year recurrence interval and another flood with an estimated 2- to 4-year recurrence interval. These floods resulted in a net erosion of sediment from the study reach at Crane Bottom at rates far in excess of other sites previously studied in the Ozarks. The riffle-pool framework of the study reach at Crane Bottom was not substantially altered by these floods, but volumes of habitat in riffles and pools changed. The 2- to 4-year flood scoured gravel from pools and deposited it in riffles, increasing the diversity of available stream habitat. In contract, the smaller floods eroded gravel from the riffles and deposited it in pools, possibly flushing fine sediment from the substrate but also decreasing habitat diversity. Channel geometry measured at the beginning of the study was use to develop a two-dimensional, finite-element hydraulic model at assess how habitat varies with hydrologic dynamics. Distributions of depth and velocity simulated over the range of discharges observed during the study (0.1 to 556 cubic meters per second, cms) were classified into habitat units based on limiting depths and Froude number criteria. The results indicate that the areas of habitats are especially sensitive to change to low to medium flows. Races (areas of swift, relatively deep water downstream from riffles) disappear completely at the lowest flows, and riffles (areas of swift, relatively shallow water) contract substantially in area. Pools also contract in area during low flow, but deep scours associated with bedrock outcrops sustain some pool area even at the lowest modeled flows. Modeled

Physical experience enhances science learning.

PubMed

Kontra, Carly; Lyons, Daniel J; Fischer, Susan M; Beilock, Sian L

2015-06-01

Three laboratory experiments involving students' behavior and brain imaging and one randomized field experiment in a college physics class explored the importance of physical experience in science learning. We reasoned that students' understanding of science concepts such as torque and angular momentum is aided by activation of sensorimotor brain systems that add kinetic detail and meaning to students' thinking. We tested whether physical experience with angular momentum increases involvement of sensorimotor brain systems during students' subsequent reasoning and whether this involvement aids their understanding. The physical experience, a brief exposure to forces associated with angular momentum, significantly improved quiz scores. Moreover, improved performance was explained by activation of sensorimotor brain regions when students later reasoned about angular momentum. This finding specifies a mechanism underlying the value of physical experience in science education and leads the way for classroom practices in which experience with the physical world is an integral part of learning. © The Author(s) 2015.

Connecting science, policy, and implementation for landscape-scale habitat connectivity.

PubMed

Brodie, Jedediah F; Paxton, Midori; Nagulendran, Kangayatkarasu; Balamurugan, G; Clements, Gopalasamy Reuben; Reynolds, Glen; Jain, Anuj; Hon, Jason

2016-10-01

We examined the links between the science and policy of habitat corridors to better understand how corridors can be implemented effectively. As a case study, we focused on a suite of landscape-scale connectivity plans in tropical and subtropical Asia (Malaysia, Singapore, and Bhutan). The process of corridor designation may be more efficient if the scientific determination of optimal corridor locations and arrangement is synchronized in time with political buy-in and establishment of policies to create corridors. Land tenure and the intactness of existing habitat in the region are also important to consider because optimal connectivity strategies may be very different if there are few, versus many, political jurisdictions (including commercial and traditional land tenures) and intact versus degraded habitat between patches. Novel financing mechanisms for corridors include bed taxes, payments for ecosystem services, and strategic forest certifications. Gaps in knowledge of effective corridor design include an understanding of how corridors, particularly those managed by local communities, can be protected from degradation and unsustainable hunting. There is a critical need for quantitative, data-driven models that can be used to prioritize potential corridors or multicorridor networks based on their relative contributions to long-term metacommunity persistence. © 2016 Society for Conservation Biology.

Physics of Health Sciences

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Baublitz, Millard; Goldberg, Bennett

A one-semester algebra-based physics course is being offered to Boston University students whose major fields of study are in allied health sciences: physical therapy, athletic training, and speech, language, and hearing sciences. The classroom instruction incorporates high-engagement learning techniques including worksheets, student response devices, small group discussions, and physics demonstrations instead of traditional lectures. The use of pre-session exercises and quizzes has been implemented. The course also requires weekly laboratory experiments in mechanics or electricity. We are using standard pre- and post-course concept inventories to compare this one-semester introductory physics course to ten years of pre- and post-course data collected on students in the same majors but who completed a two-semester course.

The Physical Sciences. Report of the National Science Board Submitted to the Congress.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Handler, Philip

Recent advances in the physical sciences, including astronomy, chemical synthesis, chemical dynamics, solid-state sciences, atomic and nuclear science, and elementary particles and high-energy physics are summarized in this report to Congress. The nature of physical science, including its increasing unity, the relationship between science and…

Physical aquatic habitat assessment, Fort Randall segment of the Missouri River, Nebraska and South Dakota

USGS Publications Warehouse

Elliott, Caroline M.; Jacobson, Robert B.; DeLonay, Aaron J.

2004-01-01

This study addressed habitat availability and use by endangered pallid sturgeon (Scaphirhynchus albus) in the Fort Randall segment of the Missouri River. Physical aquatic habitat - depth, velocity, and substrate - was mapped in 15 sites in Augsust and October of 2002. Habitat assessments were compared with fish locations using radio telemetry. Results indicate that pallid sturgeon preferentially use locations in the Fort Randall segment deeper than the average available habitat, with prominent usage peaks aat 3.5-4.0 m and 6-6.5 m, compared to the modal availability at 3-3.5 m. The fish use habitats with a modal velocity of 80 cm/s; the used velocities appear to be in proportion to their availability. Fish located preferentially over sand substrate and seemed to avoid mud and submerged vegetation.

Enhancing interdisciplinary, mathematics, and physical science in an undergraduate life science program through physical chemistry.

PubMed

Pursell, David P

2009-01-01

BIO2010 advocates enhancing the interdisciplinary, mathematics, and physical science components of the undergraduate biology curriculum. The Department of Chemistry and Life Science at West Point responded by developing a required physical chemistry course tailored to the interests of life science majors. To overcome student resistance to physical chemistry, students were enabled as long-term stakeholders who would shape the syllabus by selecting life science topics of interest to them. The initial 2 yr of assessment indicates that students have a positive view of the course, feel they have succeeded in achieving course outcome goals, and that the course is relevant to their professional future. Instructor assessment of student outcome goal achievement via performance on exams and labs is comparable to that of students in traditional physical chemistry courses. Perhaps more noteworthy, both student and instructor assessment indicate positive trends from year 1 to year 2, presumably due to the student stakeholder effect.

Enhancing Interdisciplinary, Mathematics, and Physical Science in an Undergraduate Life Science Program through Physical Chemistry

PubMed Central

2009-01-01

BIO2010 advocates enhancing the interdisciplinary, mathematics, and physical science components of the undergraduate biology curriculum. The Department of Chemistry and Life Science at West Point responded by developing a required physical chemistry course tailored to the interests of life science majors. To overcome student resistance to physical chemistry, students were enabled as long-term stakeholders who would shape the syllabus by selecting life science topics of interest to them. The initial 2 yr of assessment indicates that students have a positive view of the course, feel they have succeeded in achieving course outcome goals, and that the course is relevant to their professional future. Instructor assessment of student outcome goal achievement via performance on exams and labs is comparable to that of students in traditional physical chemistry courses. Perhaps more noteworthy, both student and instructor assessment indicate positive trends from year 1 to year 2, presumably due to the student stakeholder effect. PMID:19255133

Characterizing Physical Habitat of a Mixed-Land Use Stream of the Central U.S.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hooper, L. W.; Hubbart, J. A.; Hosmer, G. W.; Hogan, M. L.

2014-12-01

Land use altered flow regime impacts on aquatic biological habitat can be quantified by means of a physical habitat assessment (PHA). PHA metrics include (but are not limited to) channel substrate, width and wetted width, bank slope, and bank height. Hinkson Creek, located in Boone County, Missouri, was placed on the Missouri Department of Natural Resources list of impaired waters (Section 303d) of the Clean Water Act in 1998. A physical habitat assessment of Hinkson Creek in 2014 provides quantitative data characterizing the current potential of Hinkson Creek to fully support aquatic life, specifically macroinvertebrates (a goal for delisting). The PHA was conducted every 100m of Hinkson Creek (56km). Results from the lower 87.9% (contiguous) of the drainage indicate channel width ranged from a maximum of 70m to a minimum of 4.6m, with a mean width of 17m and standard deviation (SD) of 7.4m. Bankfull width ranged from a maximum of 74m to a minimum of 8.8m (mean = 26.1m, SD = 8.2). Bank height ranged from a maximum of 5.8m to a minimum of 0.4m (mean = 2.9m, SD = 1m). Mean bank angle for the left and right banks was nearly equivalent (left = 33.8°, right = 34.6°). Bank height and bankfull width increased with increasing drainage distance. Trench pools were the dominant channel unit at 71.4% of the sample transects, while riffles were present at 16.6%. Analysis of stream channel bed composition was conducted using a modified Wolman pebble count survey at each site and Thalweg profile between sites. Size class results were quantified as follows: 56.1% fines (16mm or less), 36.2% intermediate (16mm to 1000mm, plus vegetation and wood), 8.7% large/bedrock (greater than 1000mm, riprap and bedrock). Study results provide science-based information to better equip land planners in Hinkson Creek watershed and similar multi-use watersheds of the central United States for future management decisions and development scenarios.

The National Cancer Institute's Physical Sciences - Oncology Network

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Espey, Michael Graham

In 2009, the NCI launched the Physical Sciences - Oncology Centers (PS-OC) initiative with 12 Centers (U54) funded through 2014. The current phase of the Program includes U54 funded Centers with the added feature of soliciting new Physical Science - Oncology Projects (PS-OP) U01 grant applications through 2017; see NCI PAR-15-021. The PS-OPs, individually and along with other PS-OPs and the Physical Sciences-Oncology Centers (PS-OCs), comprise the Physical Sciences-Oncology Network (PS-ON). The foundation of the Physical Sciences-Oncology initiative is a high-risk, high-reward program that promotes a `physical sciences perspective' of cancer and fosters the convergence of physical science and cancer research by forming transdisciplinary teams of physical scientists (e.g., physicists, mathematicians, chemists, engineers, computer scientists) and cancer researchers (e.g., cancer biologists, oncologists, pathologists) who work closely together to advance our understanding of cancer. The collaborative PS-ON structure catalyzes transformative science through increased exchange of people, ideas, and approaches. PS-ON resources are leveraged to fund Trans-Network pilot projects to enable synergy and cross-testing of experimental and/or theoretical concepts. This session will include a brief PS-ON overview followed by a strategic discussion with the APS community to exchange perspectives on the progression of trans-disciplinary physical sciences in cancer research.

Physical Habitat and Energy Inputs Determine Freshwater Invertebrate Communities in Reference and Cranberry Farm Impacted Northeastern Coastal Zone Streams

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lander, D. M. P.; McCanty, S. T.; Dimino, T. F.; Christian, A. D.

2016-02-01

The River Continuum Concept (RCC) predicts stream biological communities based on dominant physical structures and energy inputs into streams and predicts how these features and corresponding communities change along the stream continuum. Verifying RCC expectations is important for creating valid points of comparison during stream ecosystem evaluation. These reference expectations are critical for restoration projects, such as the restoration of decommissioned cranberry bogs. Our research compares the physical habitat and freshwater invertebrate functional feeding groups (FWIFFG) of reference, active cranberry farming, and cranberry farm passive restoration sites in Northeastern Coastal Zone streams of Massachusetts to the specific RCC FWIFFG predictions. We characterized stream physical habitat using a semi-quantitative habitat characterization protocol and sampled freshwater invertebrates using the U.S. EPA standard 20-jab multi-habitat protocol. We expected that stream habitat would be most homogeneous at active farming stations, intermediate at restoration stations, and most heterogeneous at reference stations. Furthermore, we expected reference stream FWIFFG would be accurately predicted by the RCC and distributions at restoration and active sites would vary significantly. Habitat data was analyzed using a principle component analysis and results confirmed our predictions showing more homogeneous habitat for the active and reference stations, while showing a more heterogeneous habitat at the reference stations. The FWIFFG chi-squared analysis showed significant deviation from our specific RCC FWIFFG predictions. Because published FWIFFG distributions did not match our empirical values for a least disturbed Northeastern Coastal Zone headwater stream, using our data as a community structure template for current and future restoration projects is not recommend without further considerations.

Inference for the physical sciences

PubMed Central

Jones, Nick S.; Maccarone, Thomas J.

2013-01-01

There is a disconnect between developments in modern data analysis and some parts of the physical sciences in which they could find ready use. This introduction, and this issue, provides resources to help experimental researchers access modern data analysis tools and exposure for analysts to extant challenges in physical science. We include a table of resources connecting statistical and physical disciplines and point to appropriate books, journals, videos and articles. We conclude by highlighting the relevance of each of the articles in the associated issue. PMID:23277613

The Effect of Physical Activity on Science Competence and Attitude towards Science Content

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Klinkenborg, Ann Maria

This study examines the effect of physical activity on science instruction. To combat the implications of physical inactivity, schools need to be willing to consider all possible opportunities for students to engage in moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA). Integrating physical activity with traditional classroom content is one instructional method to consider. Researchers have typically focused on integration with English/language arts (ELA) and mathematics. The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of physical activity on science competence and attitude towards science. Fifty-three third grade children participated in this investigation; one group received science instruction with a physical activity intervention while the other group received traditional science instruction. Participants in both groups completed a modified version of What I Really Think of Science attitude scale (Pell & Jarvis, 2001) and a physical science test of competence prior to and following the intervention. Children were videotaped during science instruction and their movement coded to measure the proportion of time spent in MVPA. Results revealed that children in the intervention group demonstrated greater MVPA during the instructional period. A moderate to large effect size (partial eta squared = .091) was seen in the intervention group science competence post-test indicating greater understanding of force, motion, work, and simple machines concepts than that of the control group who were less physically active. There was no statistically significant attitude difference between the intervention and control groups post-test, (F(1,51) = .375, p = .543). These results provide evidence that integration can effectively present physical science content and have a positive impact on the number of minutes of health-enhancing physical activity in a school day.

A Physics Course for Non-Physical Science Teachers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cottle, Paul D.

1997-11-01

A two semester introductory physics sequence exclusively for undergraduates and graduate students in science education who were not seeking certification in physics was taught at Florida State for the first time in 1996-97. The course emphasized building understanding in both qualitative and quantitative aspects of physics through group learning approaches to laboratories and written problem assignments, assessments which required detailed written explanations, and frequent interactions between the instructor and individual students. This talk will briefly outline the structure of the course and some of the more interesting observations made by the group of science education graduate students and faculty who evaluated aspects of the course.

"Physics and Life" for Europe's Science Teachers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

2003-04-01

The EIROforum Contribution to the European Science and Technology Week 2003 [Physics on Stage 3 Logo] What do you know about modern science? Was your school science teacher inspiring and enthusiastic? Or was physics class a good time to take a nap? Unfortunately, many young Europeans don't have the fondest memories of science in school, and the result is a widespread disinterest and lack of understanding of science among adults. This has become a real problem - especially at a time when science is having a growing impact on our daily lives, and when society needs more scientists than ever! What can be done? Some of Europe's leading research organisations, scientists and teachers have put their heads together and come up with a unique approach called "Physics on Stage" . This will be the third year that these institutes, with substantial support from the European Commission, are running this project - attacking the problem at its roots. EIROforum and "Physics on Stage 3" [EIROforum Logo] "Physics On Stage 3" is based on the very successful "Physics On Stage" concept that was introduced in 2000. It is directed towards science teachers and students in Europe's secondary schools. It is a part of the year-long build-up to the European Science and Technology Week 2003 (3-9 November), an initiative by the European Commission, and is run by seven of Europe's leading Intergovernmental Research Organizations (the EIROforum) [1]. The project addresses the content and format of science teaching in European schools , seeking to improve the quality of teaching and to find new ways to stimulate pupils to take an interest in science. Innovative and inspirational science teaching is seen as a key component to attract young people to deal with scientific issues, whether or not they finally choose a career in science. Hence, "Physics On Stage 3" aims to stimulate the interest of young people through the school teachers, who can play a key role in reversing the trend of falling

The Growth of Physical Science

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jeans, James

2009-07-01

1. The remote beginnings; 2. Ionia and early Greece; 3. Science and Alexandria; 4. Science in the dark ages; 5. The birth of modern science; 6. The century of genius; 7. The two centuries after Newton; 8. The era of modern physics.

The relationships of seabird assemblages to physical habitat features in Pacific equatorial waters during spring 1984-1991

USGS Publications Warehouse

Ribic, C.A.; Ainley, D.G.

1997-01-01

The association of seabird species groups with physical habitat was investigated in the eastern tropical Pacific Ocean, far from any breeding colonies. This avoided birds that commute between colony and feeding habitat, behaviour that confuses associations with specific water types and current systems. Seabirds were counted on duplicate tracks in the eastern tropical Pacific each spring from 1984-1991. On each cruise, seabird habitat was measured on the basis of six factors and focused on three species groups: (A) black-winged petrel and white-winged petrel, (B) Juan Fernandez petrel, wedge-tailed shearwater, and sooty tern, and (C) Leach's storm-petrel and wedge-rumped storm-petrel. Group A was associated with the South Equatorial Current, particularly in cooler waters (median of 26.4??C); both petrel species followed this assemblage association with current. Group B was associated with areas characterized by deep thermoclines (median of 60 m) and low salinities (median of 34.33). Within Group B, two of the three species' responses were consistent with the group pattern; Juan Fernandez petrel differed by occurring more often where thermocline slopes were steep (median of 9.8 deg C m-1). Group C was not associated with any physical habitat variable. This was due to species in the group being associated with different habitats: Leach's storm-petrel with the tropical and equatorial surface water masses and wedge-rumped storm-petrel with waters having shallower thermocline depths (median of 22 m). Overall, two of the three assemblages appeared to be associated with physical habitat during spring with consistency among the species in the group. An association with thermocline depth may indicate that productivity was an important predictor of assemblage presence.

Relationships in Physical Science.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Goodstein, Madeline Prager; Sitzman, Barbara Pressey

This document presents activities in the physical sciences. Activities are grouped in the following chapters: (1) "Science and Measurement"; (2) "Measurement Units"; (3) "Introduction to Chemistry"; (4) "The Periodic Table"; (5) "What is Inside an Atom?"; (6) "Bonding"; (7) "Formulas and Equations"; (8) "The Bursting Atom"; (9) "Relationships…

Developing the Learning Physical Science Curriculum: Adapting a Small Enrollment, Laboratory and Discussion Based Physical Science Course for Large Enrollments

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Goldberg, Fred; Price, Edward; Robinson, Stephen; Boyd-Harlow, Danielle; McKean, Michael

2012-01-01

We report on the adaptation of the small enrollment, lab and discussion based physical science course, "Physical Science and Everyday Thinking" (PSET), for a large-enrollment, lecture-style setting. Like PSET, the new "Learning Physical Science" (LEPS) curriculum was designed around specific principles based on research on learning to meet the…

Physical habitat structure of the lake shoreline and littoral zone -- How important is it?

EPA Science Inventory

The recent National Lakes Assessment (NLA) included the first national assessment of littoral and lakeshore physical habitat. It quantified water depth, surface characteristics, bank morphology, lake level fluctuations, substrate, fish concealment features, aquatic macrophytes, l...

POWER TO DETECT REGIONAL TRENDS IN PHYSICAL HABITAT

EPA Science Inventory

The condition of stream habitat draws considerable attention concerning the protection and recovery of salmonid populations in the West. Habitat degradation continues and substantial sums of money are spent on habitat restoration. However, aided by uncertainty concerning the ad...

Teaching Science through Physical Education.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kumar, David; Whitehurst, Michael

1997-01-01

Physical education can serve as a vehicle for teaching science and make student understanding of certain personal health-related science concepts meaningful. Describes activities involving the musculoskeletal system, the nervous system, and the cardiovascular system. (DKM)

Plasma Physics at the National Science Foundation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lukin, Vyacheslav

2017-10-01

The Town Meeting on Plasma Physics at the National Science Foundation will provide an opportunity for Q&A about the variety of NSF programs and solicitations relevant to a broad cross-section of the academic plasma science community, from graduating college seniors to senior leaders in the field, and from plasma astrophysics to basic physics to plasma engineering communities. We will discuss recent NSF-hosted events, research awards, and multi-agency partnerships aimed at enabling the progress of science in plasma science and engineering. Future outlook for plasma physics and broader plasma science support at NSF, with an emphasis on how you can help NSF to help the community, will be speculated upon within the uncertainty of the federal budgeting process.

Using Environmental Science as a Motivational Tool to Teach Physics to Non-Science Majors

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Busch, Hauke C.

2010-01-01

A traditional physical science course was transformed into an environmental physical science course to teach physics to non-science majors. The objective of the new course was to improve the learning of basic physics principles by applying them to current issues of interest. A new curriculum was developed with new labs, homework assignments,…

Riverine habitat dynamics

USGS Publications Warehouse

Jacobson, R.B.

2013-01-01

The physical habitat template is a fundamental influence on riverine ecosystem structure and function. Habitat dynamics refers to the variation in habitat through space and time as the result of varying discharge and varying geomorphology. Habitat dynamics can be assessed at spatial scales ranging from the grain (the smallest resolution at which an organism relates to its environment) to the extent (the broadest resolution inclusive of all space occupied during its life cycle). In addition to a potentially broad range of spatial scales, assessments of habitat dynamics may include dynamics of both occupied and nonoccupied habitat patches because of process interactions among patches. Temporal aspects of riverine habitat dynamics can be categorized into hydrodynamics and morphodynamics. Hydrodynamics refers to habitat variation that results from changes in discharge in the absence of significant change of channel morphology and at generally low sediment-transport rates. Hydrodynamic assessments are useful in cases of relatively high flow exceedance (percent of time a flow is equaled or exceeded) or high critical shear stress, conditions that are applicable in many studies of instream flows. Morphodynamics refers to habitat variation resulting from changes to substrate conditions or channel/floodplain morphology. Morphodynamic assessments are necessary when channel and floodplain boundary conditions have been significantly changed, generally by relatively rare flood events or in rivers with low critical shear stress. Morphodynamic habitat variation can be particularly important as disturbance mechanisms that mediate population growth or for providing conditions needed for reproduction, such as channel-migration events that erode cutbanks and provide new pointbar surfaces for germination of riparian trees. Understanding of habitat dynamics is increasing in importance as societal goals shift toward restoration of riverine ecosystems. Effective investment in restoration

Science and the Physically Handicapped.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ricker, Kenneth S.

1979-01-01

The integration of physically (sensory and orthopedic) handicapped students into science classes creates a complex problem for science educators. Suggestions are offered for teacher preparation and for the development of specialized materials and modifications for instructional strategies. (JMF)

Physical Sciences Research Priorities and Plans in OBPR

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Trinh, Eugene

2002-01-01

This paper presents viewgraphs of physical sciences research priorities and plans at the Office of Biological and Physical Sciences Research (OBPR). The topics include: 1) Sixth Microgravity Fluid Physics and Transport Phenomena Conference; 2) Beneficial Characteristics of the Space Environment; 3) Windows of Opportunity for Research Derived from Microgravity; 4) Physical Sciences Research Program; 5) Fundamental Research: Space-based Results and Ground-based Applications; 6) Nonlinear Oscillations; and 7) Fundamental Research: Applications to Mission-Oriented Research.

Physical Science Rocks! Outreach for Elementary Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McKone, Kevin

2010-01-01

Students at Copiah-Lincoln Community College (Co-Lin) have been hesitant to take courses in the physical sciences, mostly because of a lack of exposure to them in K-12 or a bad experience in this area. The college is addressing this need by exposing students to the physical sciences early on in their education. The science division at Co-Lin has…

The Next Generation Science Standards: A Focus on Physical Science

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Krajcik, Joe

2013-01-01

This article describes ways to adapt U.S. science curriculum to the U.S. National Research Council (NRC) "Framework for K-12 Science Education" and "Next Generation of Science Standards" (NGSS), noting their focus on teaching the physical sciences. The overall goal of the Framework and NGSS is to help all learners develop the…

Summer Institute for Physical Science Teachers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Maheswaranathan, Ponn; Calloway, Cliff

2007-04-01

A summer institute for physical science teachers was conducted at Winthrop University, June 19-29, 2006. Ninth grade physical science teachers at schools within a 50-mile radius from Winthrop were targeted. We developed a graduate level physics professional development course covering selected topics from both the physics and chemistry content areas of the South Carolina Science Standards. Delivery of the material included traditional lectures and the following new approaches in science teaching: hands-on experiments, group activities, computer based data collection, computer modeling, with group discussions & presentations. Two experienced master teachers assisted us during the delivery of the course. The institute was funded by the South Carolina Department of Education. The requested funds were used for the following: faculty salaries, the University contract course fee, some of the participants' room and board, startup equipment for each teacher, and indirect costs to Winthrop University. Startup equipment included a Pasco stand-alone, portable Xplorer GLX interface with sensors (temperature, voltage, pH, pressure, motion, and sound), and modeling software (Wavefunction's Spartan Student and Odyssey). What we learned and ideas for future K-12 teacher preparation initiatives will be presented.

Macrophytes, epipelic biofilm, and invertebrates as biotic indicators of physical habitat degradation of lowland streams (Argentina).

PubMed

Cortelezzi, Agustina; Sierra, María Victoria; Gómez, Nora; Marinelli, Claudia; Rodrigues Capítulo, Alberto

2013-07-01

Our objective was to assess the effect of the physical habitat degradation in three lowland streams of Argentina that are subject to different land uses. To address this matter, we looked into some physical habitat alterations, mainly the water quality and channel changes, the impact on macrophytes' community, and the structural and functional descriptors of the epipelic biofilm and invertebrate assemblages. As a consequence of physical and chemical perturbations, we differentiated sampling sites with different degradation levels. The low degraded sites were affected mainly for the suburban land use, the moderately degraded sites for the rural land use, and the highly degraded sites for the urban land use. The data shows that the biotic descriptors that best reflected the environmental degradation were vegetation cover and macrophytes richness, the dominance of tolerant species (epipelic biofilm and invertebrates), algal biomass, O2 consumption by the epipelic biofilm, and invertebrates' richness and diversity. Furthermore, the results obtained highlight the importance of the macrophytes in the lowland streams, where there is a poor diversification of abiotic substrates and where the macrophytes not only provide shelter but also a food source for invertebrates and other trophic levels such as fish. We also noted that both in benthic communities, invertebrates and epipelic biofilm supplied different information: the habitat's physical structure provided by the macrophytes influenced mainly the invertebrate descriptors; meanwhile, the water quality mainly influenced most of the epipelic biofilm descriptors.

Integration of Biological and Physical Sciences to Advance Ecological Understanding of Aquatic Ecosystems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Luce, C. H.; Buffington, J. M.; Rieman, B. E.; Dunham, J. B.; McKean, J. A.; Thurow, R. F.; Gutierrez-Teira, B.; Rosenberger, A. E.

2005-05-01

Conservation and restoration of freshwater stream and river habitats are important goals for land management and natural resources research. Several examples of research have emerged showing that many species are adapted to temporary habitat disruptions, but that these adaptations are sensitive to the spatial grain and extent of disturbance as well as to its duration. When viewed from this perspective, questions of timing, spatial pattern, and relevant scales emerge as critical issues. In contrast, much regulation, management, and research remains tied to pollutant loading paradigms that are insensitive to either time or space scales. It is becoming clear that research is needed to examine questions and hypotheses about how physical processes affect ecological processes. Two overarching questions concisely frame the scientific issues: 1) How do we quantify physical watershed processes in a way that is meaningful to biological and ecological processes, and 2) how does the answer to that question vary with changing spatial and temporal scales? A joint understanding of scaling characteristics of physical process and the plasticity of aquatic species will be needed to accomplish this research; hence a strong need exists for integrative and collaborative development. Considering conservation biology problems in this fashion can lead to creative and non-obvious solutions because the integrated system has important non-linearities and feedbacks related to a biological system that has responded to substantial natural variability in the past. We propose that research beginning with ecological theories and principles followed with a structured examination of each physical process as related to the specific ecological theories is a strong approach to developing the necessary science, and such an approach may form a basis for development of scaling theories of hydrologic and geomorphic process. We illustrate the approach with several examples.

Experimental Physical Sciences Vistas Performance through Science Winter 2017

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Kippen, Karen Elizabeth; Cruz, James Michael; Hockaday, Mary Yvonne P.

This issue of Experimental Physical Sciences Vistas focuses on the integrated science that plays a critical role in Los Alamos National Laboratory’s support of the nation’s nuclear deterrent. I hope you will enjoy reading about these accomplishments, opportunities, and challenges.

77 FR 17102 - Advisory Committee for Mathematical and Physical Sciences

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-03-23

... NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION Advisory Committee for Mathematical and Physical Sciences Correction... meeting information is as follows: Name: Directorate for Mathematical and Physical Sciences Advisory... Person: Dr. Morris L. Aizenman, Senior Science Associate, Directorate for Mathematical and Physical...

The Influence of Accelerator Science on Physics Research

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Haussecker, Enzo F.; Chao, Alexander W.

2011-06-01

We evaluate accelerator science in the context of its contributions to the physics community. We address the problem of quantifying these contributions and present a scheme for a numerical evaluation of them. We show by using a statistical sample of important developments in modern physics that accelerator science has influenced 28% of post-1938 physicists and also 28% of post-1938 physics research. We also examine how the influence of accelerator science has evolved over time, and show that on average it has contributed to a physics Nobel Prize-winning research every 2.9 years.

Physical Science Day: Design, Implementation, and Assessment

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zeng, Liang; Cunningham, Mark A.; Tidrow, Steven C.; Smith, K. Christopher; Contreras, Jerry

2016-01-01

Physical Science Day at The University of Texas--Pan American (UTPA), in collaboration with the Edinburg Consolidated Independent School District, has been designed, developed and implemented to address an identified fundamental shortcoming in our educational process within this primarily (90+%) Hispanic serving border region. Physical Science Day…

Physics in advanced GNVQ Science

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sang, D.

1995-07-01

GNVQ Science is a vocational qualification for students in England, with a demand equivalent to traditional GCE A-levels. This article looks at the approach adopted by GNVQ to physics, and discusses the way in which appropriate teaching resources have been developed by the Nuffield Science in Practice project.

Physical Sciences in a College of Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bunton, M. H. H.

1970-01-01

Describes the objectives and contents of a physical science course for preservice teachers in a teacher's college in England. The course extends over three years, emphasizes physical science concepts, and is laboratory oriented. Discusses how the topics of spectroscopy and crystallography are treated in the course. The syllabus is included. (LC)

Physical Science Experiments for Scientific Glassblowing Technicians.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tillis, Samuel E.; Donaghay, Herbert C.

The twenty experiments in this text have been designed to give the scientific glassblowing technician the opportunity to use scientific glass apparatus in the study of physical science. Primary emphasis of these experiments is on the practical application of the physical science program as a working tool for the scientific glassblowing technician.…

Physical Science Laboratory Manual, Experimental Version.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cooperative General Science Project, Atlanta, GA.

Provided are physical science laboratory experiments which have been developed and used as a part of an experimental one year undergraduate course in general science for non-science majors. The experiments cover a limited number of topics representative of the scientific enterprise. Some of the topics are pressure and buoyancy, heat, motion,…

Conceptual model for quantifying pre-smolt production from flow-dependent physical habitat and water temperature

USGS Publications Warehouse

Williamson, S. C.; Bartholow, J. M.; Stalnaker, C. B.

1993-01-01

A conceptual model has been developed to test river regulation concepts by linking physical habitat and water temperature with salmonid population and production in cold water streams. Work is in progress to examine numerous questions as part of flow evaluation and habitat restoration programmes in the Trinity River of California and elsewhere. For instance, how much change in pre-smolt chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) production in the Trinity River would result from a different annual instream allocation (i.e. up or down from 271 × 106 m3released in the late 1980s) and how much change in pre-smolt production would result from a different release pattern (i.e. different from the 8.5 m3 s−1 year-round release). The conceptual model is being used to: design, integrate and improve young-of-year population data collection efforts; test hypotheses that physical habitat significantly influences movement, growth and mortality of salmonid fishes; and analyse the relative severity of limiting factors during each life stage. The conceptual model, in conjunction with previously developed tools in the Instream Flow Incremental Methodology, should provide the means to more effectively manage a fishery resource below a regulated reservoir and to provide positive feedback to planning of annual reservoir operations.

Physics. Teacher's Guide. Investigations in Natural Science.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Renner, John W.; And Others

Investigations in Natural Science is a program in secondary school biology, chemistry, and physics based upon the description of science as a quest for knowledge, not the knowledge itself. This teaching guide is designed for use with the 36 physics investigations found in the student manual. These investigations focus on concepts related to:…

Debating science policy in the physics classroom.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mayer, Shannon

2010-03-01

It is critically important that national and international science policy be scientifically grounded. To this end, the next generation of scientists and engineers will need to be technically competent, effective communicators of science, and engaged advisors in the debate and formulation of science policy. We describe three science policy debates developed for the physics classroom aimed at encouraging students to draw connections between their developing technical expertise and important science policy issues. The first debate considers the proposal for a 450-megawatt wind farm on public lands in Nantucket Sound and fits naturally into the curriculum related to alternative forms of energy production. The second debate considers national fuel-economy standards for sport-utility vehicles and can be incorporated into the curriculum related to heat engines. The third debate, suitable for the curriculum in optics, considers solid state lighting and implications of recent United States legislation that places stringent new energy-efficiency and reliability requirements on conventional lighting. The technical foundation for each of these debates fits naturally into the undergraduate physics curriculum and the material is suitable for a wide range of physics courses, including general science courses for non-majors.

Physical Science-Supplement: Project Oriented.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nederland Independent School District, TX.

GRADES OR AGES: No mention; appears to be for secondary grades. SUBJECT MATTER: Physical sciences for slow learners. ORGANIZATION AND PHYSICAL APPEARANCE: The guide is divided into 11 units, each of which is further subdivided into several chapters. Each chapter is laid out in three columns; column headings are concepts, content, and activities.…

Life science students' attitudes, interest, and performance in introductory physics for life sciences: An exploratory study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Crouch, Catherine H.; Wisittanawat, Panchompoo; Cai, Ming; Renninger, K. Ann

2018-06-01

In response to national calls for improved physical sciences education for students pursuing careers in the life sciences and medicine, reformed introductory physics for life sciences (IPLS) courses are being developed. This exploratory study is among the first to assess the effect of an IPLS course on students' attitudes, interest, and performance. The IPLS course studied was the second semester of introductory physics, following a standard first semester course, allowing the outcomes of the same students in a standard course and in an IPLS course to be compared. In the IPLS course, each physics topic was introduced and elaborated in the context of a life science example, and developing students' skills in applying physics to life science situations was an explicitly stated course goal. Items from the Colorado Learning about Science Survey were used to assess change in students' attitudes toward and their interest in physics. Whereas the same students' attitudes declined during the standard first semester course, we found that students' attitudes toward physics hold steady or improve in the IPLS course. In particular, students with low initial interest in physics displayed greater increases in both attitudes and interest during the IPLS course than in the preceding standard course. We also find that in the IPLS course, students' interest in the life science examples is a better predictor of their performance than their pre-IPLS interest in physics. Our work suggests that the life science examples in the IPLS course can support the development of student interest in physics and positively influence their performance.

The material co-construction of hard science fiction and physics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hasse, Cathrine

2015-12-01

This article explores the relationship between hard science fiction and physics and a gendered culture of science. Empirical studies indicate that science fiction references might spur some students' interest in physics and help develop this interest throughout school, into a university education and even further later inspire the practice of doing science. There are many kinds of fiction within the science fiction genre. In the presented empirical exploration physics students seem particularly fond of what is called `hard science fiction': a particular type of science fiction dealing with technological developments (Hartwell and Cramer in The hard SF renaissance, Orb/TOR, New York, 2002). Especially hard science fiction as a motivating fantasy may, however, also come with a gender bias. The locally materialized techno-fantasies spurring dreams of the terraforming of planets like Mars and travels in time and space may not be shared by all physics students. Especially female students express a need for other concerns in science. The entanglement of physics with hard science fiction may thus help develop some students' interest in learning school physics and help create an interest for studying physics at university level. But research indicates that especially female students are not captured by the hard techno-fantasies to the same extent as some of their male colleagues. Other visions (e.g. inspired by soft science fiction) are not materialized as a resource in the local educational culture. It calls for an argument of how teaching science is also teaching cultural values, ethics and concerns, which may be gendered. Teaching materials, like the use of hard science fiction in education, may not just be (yet another) gender bias in science education but also carrier of particular visions for scientific endeavours.

Linking social, ecological, and physical science to advance natural and nature-based protection for coastal communities.

PubMed

Arkema, Katie K; Griffin, Robert; Maldonado, Sergio; Silver, Jessica; Suckale, Jenny; Guerry, Anne D

2017-07-01

Interest in the role that ecosystems play in reducing the impacts of coastal hazards has grown dramatically. Yet the magnitude and nature of their effects are highly context dependent, making it difficult to know under what conditions coastal habitats, such as saltmarshes, reefs, and forests, are likely to be effective for saving lives and protecting property. We operationalize the concept of natural and nature-based solutions for coastal protection by adopting an ecosystem services framework that propagates the outcome of a management action through ecosystems to societal benefits. We review the literature on the basis of the steps in this framework, considering not only the supply of coastal protection provided by ecosystems but also the demand for protective services from beneficiaries. We recommend further attention to (1) biophysical processes beyond wave attenuation, (2) the combined effects of multiple habitat types (e.g., reefs, vegetation), (3) marginal values and expected damage functions, and, in particular, (4) community dependence on ecosystems for coastal protection and co-benefits. We apply our approach to two case studies to illustrate how estimates of multiple benefits and losses can inform restoration and development decisions. Finally, we discuss frontiers for linking social, ecological, and physical science to advance natural and nature-based solutions to coastal protection. © 2017 New York Academy of Sciences.

Evaluation of physicochemical and physical habitat associations for Cambarus callainus (Big Sandy crayfish), an imperilled crayfish endemic to the Central Appalachians

USGS Publications Warehouse

Loughman, Zachary J.; Welsh, Stuart A.; Sadecky, Nicole M.; Dillard, Zachary W.; Scott, R. Katie

2017-01-01

1. Crayfish represent one of the most imperilled animal groups on the planet. Habitat degradation, destruction and fragmentation, introduction of invasive crayfishes, and a lack of applied biological information have all been identified as agents thwarting crayfish conservation.2. Cambarus callainus was warranted federal protection by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) in April, 2016. As part of the USFWS listing procedure, a survey for C. callainus in the Big Sandy River catchment was conducted to determine points of occurrence with a secondary objective of determining reach level physical habitat and physicochemical correlates of C. callainus presence and absence.3. At each site, physicochemical and physical habitat data were collected to determine the influence of abiotic covariates on the presence of C. callainus. Cambarus callainus presence or absence and associated site covariates were modelled using logistic regression.4. Survey results recorded C. callainus at 39 sites in the Upper Levisa Fork (ULF) and Tug Fork (TF) drainages of the Big Sandy River; no C. callainus were collected in the Lower Levisa Fork (LLF). An additive effects model of physical habitat quality (Basin + Boulder presence/embeddedness) was the only model selected, supporting an association of C. callainus with slab boulders, open interstitial spaces, and moderate to no sedimentation. All sites lacking C. callainus were experiencing some degree of sedimentation. Physicochemical covariates were not supported by the data.5. Results indicated that good quality habitat was lacking in the LLF, but was present in the ULF and TF catchments, with ULF supporting the most robust populations and most suitable habitat. Effective conservation for C. callainus should focus on efforts that limit sedimentation as well as restore good quality instream habitat in the greater Big Sandy catchment.

When physics is not "just physics": complexity science invites new measurement frames for exploring the physics of cognitive and biological development.

PubMed

Kelty-Stephen, Damian; Dixon, James A

2012-01-01

The neurobiological sciences have struggled to resolve the physical foundations for biological and cognitive phenomena with a suspicion that biological and cognitive systems, capable of exhibiting and contributing to structure within themselves and through their contexts, are fundamentally distinct or autonomous from purely physical systems. Complexity science offers new physics-based approaches to explaining biological and cognitive phenomena. In response to controversy over whether complexity science might seek to "explain away" biology and cognition as "just physics," we propose that complexity science serves as an application of recent advances in physics to phenomena in biology and cognition without reducing or undermining the integrity of the phenomena to be explained. We highlight that physics is, like the neurobiological sciences, an evolving field and that the threat of reduction is overstated. We propose that distinctions between biological and cognitive systems from physical systems are pretheoretical and thus optional. We review our own work applying insights from post-classical physics regarding turbulence and fractal fluctuations to the problems of developing cognitive structure. Far from hoping to reduce biology and cognition to "nothing but" physics, we present our view that complexity science offers new explanatory frameworks for considering physical foundations of biological and cognitive phenomena.

The role of physical habitat and sampling effort on estimates of benthic macroinvertebrate taxonomic richness at basin and site scales.

PubMed

Silva, Déborah R O; Ligeiro, Raphael; Hughes, Robert M; Callisto, Marcos

2016-06-01

Taxonomic richness is one of the most important measures of biological diversity in ecological studies, including those with stream macroinvertebrates. However, it is impractical to measure the true richness of any site directly by sampling. Our objective was to evaluate the effect of sampling effort on estimates of macroinvertebrate family and Ephemeroptera, Plecoptera, and Trichoptera (EPT) genera richness at two scales: basin and stream site. In addition, we tried to determine which environmental factors at the site scale most influenced the amount of sampling effort needed. We sampled 39 sites in the Cerrado biome (neotropical savanna). In each site, we obtained 11 equidistant samples of the benthic assemblage and multiple physical habitat measurements. The observed basin-scale richness achieved a consistent estimation from Chao 1, Jack 1, and Jack 2 richness estimators. However, at the site scale, there was a constant increase in the observed number of taxa with increased number of samples. Models that best explained the slope of site-scale sampling curves (representing the necessity of greater sampling effort) included metrics that describe habitat heterogeneity, habitat structure, anthropogenic disturbance, and water quality, for both macroinvertebrate family and EPT genera richness. Our results demonstrate the importance of considering basin- and site-scale sampling effort in ecological surveys and that taxa accumulation curves and richness estimators are good tools for assessing sampling efficiency. The physical habitat explained a significant amount of the sampling effort needed. Therefore, future studies should explore the possible implications of physical habitat characteristics when developing sampling objectives, study designs, and calculating the needed sampling effort.

Theme: Physical Science in Agriscience--The New Ag Mech.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Buriak, Phil; And Others

1992-01-01

Seven theme articles discuss strategies for teaching mechanics, physical sciences in the study of foods, scientific principles in the agricultural curriculum, environmental issues in agriculture, and applied physical sciences. (SK)

Science Awareness and Science Literacy through the Basic Physics Course: Physics with a bit of Metaphysics?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rusli, Aloysius

2016-08-01

Until the 1980s, it is well known and practiced in Indonesian Basic Physics courses, to present physics by its effective technicalities: The ideally elastic spring, the pulley and moving blocks, the thermodynamics of ideal engine models, theoretical electrostatics and electrodynamics with model capacitors and inductors, wave behavior and its various superpositions, and hopefully closed with a modern physics description. A different approach was then also experimented with, using the Hobson and Moore texts, stressing the alternative aim of fostering awareness, not just mastery, of science and the scientific method. This is hypothesized to be more in line with the changed attitude of the so-called Millenials cohort who are less attentive if not interested, and are more used to multi-tasking which suits their shorter span of attention. The upside is increased awareness of science and the scientific method. The downside is that they are getting less experience of the scientific method which intensely bases itself on critical observation, analytic thinking to set up conclusions or hypotheses, and checking consistency of the hypotheses with measured data. Another aspect is recognition that the human person encompasses both the reasoning capacity and the mental- spiritual-cultural capacity. This is considered essential, as the world grows even smaller due to increased communication capacity, causing strong interactions, nonlinear effects, and showing that value systems become more challenging and challenged due to physics / science and its cosmology, which is successfully based on the scientific method. So students should be made aware of the common basis of these two capacities: the assumptions, the reasoning capacity and the consistency assumption. This shows that the limits of science are their set of basic quantifiable assumptions, and the limits of the mental-spiritual-cultural aspects of life are their set of basic metaphysical (non-quantifiable) assumptions. The

Science as Myth in Physical Education.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kirk, David

Scientization is a process that refers to the mythologies that are generated around the practices of working scientists. This paper discusses how science works on popular consciousness and how particular occupational groups use science to legitimatize their discipline, specifically in physical education. Two examples are presented to illustrate…

Bio-physical characterisation of polynyas as a key foraging habitat for juvenile male southern elephant seals (Mirounga leonina) in Prydz Bay, East Antarctica

PubMed Central

Bestley, Sophie; Corney, Stuart; Welsford, Dirk; Labrousse, Sara; Sumner, Michael; Hindell, Mark

2017-01-01

Antarctic coastal polynyas are persistent open water areas in the sea ice zone, and regions of high biological productivity thought to be important foraging habitat for marine predators. This study quantified southern elephant seal (Mirounga leonina) habitat use within and around the polynyas of the Prydz Bay region (63°E– 88°E) in East Antarctica, and examined the bio-physical characteristics structuring polynyas as foraging habitat. Output from a climatological regional ocean model was used to provide context for in situ temperature-salinity vertical profiles collected by tagged elephant seals and to characterise the physical properties structuring polynyas. Biological properties were explored using remotely-sensed surface chlorophyll (Chl-a) and, qualitatively, historical fish assemblage data. Spatially gridded residence time of seals was examined in relation to habitat characteristics using generalized additive mixed models. The results showed clear polynya usage during early autumn and increasingly concentrated usage during early winter. Bathymetry, Chl-a, surface net heat flux (representing polynya location), and bottom temperature were identified as significant bio-physical predictors of the spatio-temporal habitat usage. The findings from this study confirm that the most important marine habitats for juvenile male southern elephant seals within Prydz Bay region are polynyas. A hypothesis exists regarding the seasonal evolution of primary productivity, coupling from surface to subsurface productivity and supporting elevated rates of secondary production in the upper water column during summer-autumn. An advancement to this hypothesis is proposed here, whereby this bio-physical coupling is likely to extend throughout the water column as it becomes fully convected during autumn-winter, to also promote pelagic-benthic linkages important for benthic foraging within polynyas. PMID:28902905

The "Next Generation Science Standards": A Focus on Physical Science

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Krajcik, Joe

2013-01-01

What should all students know about the physical sciences? Why should all students have a basic understanding of these ideas? An amazing number of new scientific breakthroughs have occurred in the last 20 years that impact daily lives. This article focuses on the "Next Generation Science Standards" (NGSS) disciplinary core ideas in…

Research Trend of Physical Skill Science --Towards Elucidation of Physical Skill--

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Furukawa, Koichi; Ueno, Ken; Ozaki, Tomonobu; Kamisato, Shihoko; Kawamoto, Ryuji; Shibuya, Koji; Shiratori, Naruhiko; Suwa, Masaki; Soga, Masato; Taki, Hirokazu; Fujinami, Tsutomu; Hori, Satoshi; Motomura, Yoichi; Morita, Souhei

Physical skills and language skills are both fundamental intelligent abilities of human being. In this paper, we focus our attention to such sophisticated physical skills as playing sports and playing instruments and introduce research activities aiming at elucidating and verbalizing them. This research area has been launched recently. We introduce approaches from physical modeling, measurements and data analysis, cognitive science and human interface. We also discuss such issues as skill acquisition and its support systems. Furthermore, we consider a fundamental issue of individual differences occurring in every application of skill elucidation. Finally we introduce several attempts of skill elucidation in the fields of dancing, manufacturing, playing string instruments, sports science and medical care.

Sage-grouse habitat assessment framework: multi-scale habitat assessment tool

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

This document provides policymakers, resource managers, and specialists with a comprehensive framework for assessing sage-grouse habitat in the sagebrush ecosystem. Four pillars form the foundation for the success of this approach: science, effective conservation policy, implementation, and adapti...

Ontogenetic shifts in fishes between vegetated and unvegetated tidepools: assessing the effect of physical structure on fish habitat selection.

PubMed

Oliveira, R R de S; Macieira, R M; Giarrizzo, T

2016-07-01

The aim of this study of tidepool fishes was analyse variation in their use of intertidal habitats (rocky shore, mangrove and salt marsh). Specimens were collected during wet and dry periods from 18 tidepools in the three habitats. A total of 7690 specimens, belonging to 19 families and 30 species, was captured. The fish assemblage in rocky shore pools was clearly distinct from that of vegetated habitats (mangrove and salt marshes). The rocky shore fauna was dominated by permanent resident species, whereas pools in mangrove and salt marsh habitats were inhabited primarily by opportunistic and transient species. Habitat segregation by ontogenetic stage (e.g. smaller individuals in mangroves, intermediate size classes in salt marsh and sub-adults/adults on rocky shores) indicates age-related migration in response to the physical structure of these habitats and to the natural history of each fish species. These findings are important for the development of effective conservation and management plans for intertidal fishes. © 2016 The Fisheries Society of the British Isles.

Physical Habitat Characteristics on the North and South Forks of the Shenandoah River, VA in 2002-2007

USGS Publications Warehouse

Krstolic, Jennifer L.; Hayes, Donald C.

2010-01-01

Data collected with the GeoXT Trimble GPS unit using ArcPad 6.1. (summer 2006-2007). Files were created within a geodatabase to create a data dictionary for use in ArcPad during data collection. Drop down lists for habitat type, substrate, depth, width, length, and descriptions were included. Data files produced on the GeoXT were point shapefiles that could be checked back into the geodatabase and viewable as a layer. Points were gathered while canoeing along the South Fork Shenandoah River. Each location marked a change in meso-scale habitat type. GPS points were supplemented with GIS-derived points in areas where manual measurements were made. The points were used to generate a line coverage. This coverage represents physical habitat at a meso-scale (width of stream).

A little something from physics for medicine (Scientific session of the Physical Sciences Division of the Russian Academy of Sciences, 23 April 2014)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

2014-12-01

A scientific session of the Physical Sciences Division of the Russian Academy of Sciences (RAS), entitled "A little something from physics for medicine", was held on 23 April 2014 at the conference hall of the Lebedev Physical Institute, RAS. The agenda posted on the website of the Physical Sciences Division, RAS, http://www.gpad.ac.ru, included the following reports: (1) Rumyantsev S A (D Rogachev Federal Research and Clinical Center of Pediatric Hematology, Oncology, and Immunology, Moscow) "Translational medicine as a basis of progress in hematology/oncology"; (2) Akulinichev S V (Institute for Nuclear Research, RAS, Moscow) "Promising nuclear medicine research at the INR, RAS"; (3) Nikitin P P (Prokhorov General Physics Institute, RAS, Moscow) "Biosensorics: new possibilities provided by marker-free optical methods and magnetic nanoparticles for medical diagnostics"; (4) Alimpiev S S, Nikiforov S M, Grechnikov A A (Prokhorov General Physics Institute, RAS, Moscow) "New approaches in laser mass-spectrometry of organic objects". The publication of the article based on the oral report No. 2 is presented below. • Promising nuclear medicine research in the Institute for Nuclear Research, Russian Academy of Sciences, V V Akulinichev Physics-Uspekhi, 2014, Volume 57, Number 12, Pages 1239-1243

Putting the spark into physical science and algebra

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pill, Bruce; Dagenais, Andre

2007-06-01

The presenters will describe a number of laboratory activities developed in collaboration with the Department of Electrical Engineering at the University of Delaware as part of their outreach program to help make math and science more authentic on the pre-college level. Lessons relating to electrical topics are often abstract and appropriate only for advanced students in math and science. We have devised lessons that rely on simple equipment. They promote skills that are included in National and State Standards. They emphasize the connections between math and science; they are appropriate for an algebra course, a physical science course, a PhysicsFirst course or a traditional physics course. Students benefit from seeing that what they learn in math and science courses can lead to cutting-edge work in areas such as passive wave imaging, photonics, wireless communication and high performance computing. The collaboration has been meaningful because it has motivated us to tailor our lessons to reflect what is happening in the research lab of our local university. Written materials for use in teacher training workshops will also be available.

Linking Science Fiction and Physics Courses

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

McBride, Krista K.

2016-05-01

Generally, cohorts or learning communities enrich higher learning in students. Learning communities consist of conventionally separate groups of students that meet together with common academic purposes and goals. Types of learning communities include paired courses with concurrent student enrollment, living-learning communities, and faculty learning communities. This article discusses a learning community of 21 students that I created with a colleague in the English department. The community encompasses two general education courses: an algebra-based physics course entitled "Intro to Physics" and a literature course entitled "Science Fiction, Science Fact." Students must enroll in both of these courses during the same semester. Additionally, I highlight advantages to linking these courses through surveying the assignments and course materials that we used in our learning community. Figure 1 shows the topics that are covered in both physics and literature courses.

Do physical habitat complexity and predator cues influence the baseline and stress-induced glucocorticoid levels of a mangrove-associated fish?

PubMed

Magel, Jennifer M T; Pleizier, Naomi; Wilson, Alexander D M; Shultz, Aaron D; Vera Chang, Marilyn N; Moon, Thomas W; Cooke, Steven J

2017-01-01

As human populations continue to expand, increases in coastal development have led to the alteration of much of the world's mangrove habitat, creating problems for the multitude of species that inhabit these unique ecosystems. Habitat alteration often leads to changes in habitat complexity and predation risk, which may serve as additional stressors for those species that rely on mangroves for protection from predators. However, few studies have been conducted to date to assess the effects of these specific stressors on glucocorticoid (GC) stress hormone levels in wild fish populations. Using the checkered puffer as a model, our study sought to examine the effects of physical habitat complexity and predator environment on baseline and acute stress-induced GC levels. This was accomplished by examining changes in glucose and cortisol concentrations of fish placed in artificial environments for short periods (several hours) where substrate type and the presence of mangrove roots and predator cues were manipulated. Our results suggest that baseline and stress-induced GC levels are not significantly influenced by changes in physical habitat complexity or the predator environment using the experimental protocol that we applied. Although more research is required, the current study suggests that checkered puffers may be capable of withstanding changes in habitat complexity and increases in predation risk without experiencing adverse GC-mediated physiological effects, possibly as a result of the puffers' unique morphological and chemical defenses that help them to avoid predation in the wild. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Engineering and physical sciences in oncology: challenges and opportunities.

PubMed

Mitchell, Michael J; Jain, Rakesh K; Langer, Robert

2017-11-01

The principles of engineering and physics have been applied to oncology for nearly 50 years. Engineers and physical scientists have made contributions to all aspects of cancer biology, from quantitative understanding of tumour growth and progression to improved detection and treatment of cancer. Many early efforts focused on experimental and computational modelling of drug distribution, cell cycle kinetics and tumour growth dynamics. In the past decade, we have witnessed exponential growth at the interface of engineering, physics and oncology that has been fuelled by advances in fields including materials science, microfabrication, nanomedicine, microfluidics, imaging, and catalysed by new programmes at the National Institutes of Health (NIH), including the National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering (NIBIB), Physical Sciences in Oncology, and the National Cancer Institute (NCI) Alliance for Nanotechnology. Here, we review the advances made at the interface of engineering and physical sciences and oncology in four important areas: the physical microenvironment of the tumour and technological advances in drug delivery; cellular and molecular imaging; and microfluidics and microfabrication. We discussthe research advances, opportunities and challenges for integrating engineering and physical sciences with oncology to develop new methods to study, detect and treat cancer, and we also describe the future outlook for these emerging areas.

Engineering and physical sciences in oncology: challenges and opportunities

PubMed Central

Mitchell, Michael J.; Jain, Rakesh K.; Langer, Robert

2017-01-01

The principles of engineering and physics have been applied to oncology for nearly 50 years. Engineers and physical scientists have made contributions to all aspects of cancer biology, from quantitative understanding of tumour growth and progression to improved detection and treatment of cancer. Many early efforts focused on experimental and computational modelling of drug distribution, cell cycle kinetics and tumour growth dynamics. In the past decade, we have witnessed exponential growth at the interface of engineering, physics and oncology that has been fuelled by advances in fields including materials science, microfabrication, nanomedicine, microfluidics, imaging, and catalysed by new programmes at the National Institutes of Health (NIH), including the National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering (NIBIB), Physical Sciences in Oncology, and the National Cancer Institute (NCI) Alliance for Nanotechnology. Here, we review the advances made at the interface of engineering and physical sciences and oncology in four important areas: the physical microenvironment of the tumour and technological advances in drug delivery; cellular and molecular imaging; and microfluidics and microfabrication. We discussthe research advances, opportunities and challenges for integrating engineering and physical sciences with oncology to develop new methods to study, detect and treat cancer, and we also describe the future outlook for these emerging areas. PMID:29026204

A Physics Professor and a Science Librarian Challenge Non-Majors to Evaluate Science

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Iber, Mary; Sherman, Derin

2009-01-01

Required science courses can have limited interest from some students. In this article, a physics professor and a science librarian describe methods used to engage non majors in learning about science in a non-threatening way. By evaluating the science on selected web sites, and classifying the sites according to six categories (valid,…

75 FR 62891 - Advisory Committee for Mathematical and Physical Sciences; Notice of Meeting

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-10-13

... science and education activities within the Directorate for Mathematical and Physical Sciences. Agenda... NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION Advisory Committee for Mathematical and Physical Sciences; Notice of... Science Foundation announces the following meeting: Name: Directorate for Mathematical and Physical...

77 FR 64831 - Advisory Committee for Mathematical and Physical Sciences; Notice of Meeting

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-10-23

... education activities within the Directorate for Mathematical and Physical Sciences. Agenda: Update on... NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION Advisory Committee for Mathematical and Physical Sciences; Notice of... Science Foundation announces the following meeting: Name: Mathematical and Physical Sciences Advisory...

76 FR 64123 - Advisory Committee for Mathematical and Physical Sciences; Notice of Meeting

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-10-17

... NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION Advisory Committee for Mathematical and Physical Sciences; Notice of... Science Foundation announces the following meeting: Name: Directorate for Mathematical and Physical.... Morris L. Aizenman, Senior Science Associate, Directorate for Mathematical and Physical Sciences, Room...

75 FR 29369 - Advisory Committee for Mathematical and Physical Sciences; Notice of Meeting

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-05-25

... NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION Advisory Committee for Mathematical and Physical Sciences; Notice of... Science Foundation announces the following meeting: Name: Directorate for Mathematical and Physical... Physical Sciences, Room 1005, National Science Foundation, 4201 Wilson Boulevard, Arlington, VA 22230. (703...

Career Exploration in the Physical Sciences.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ohio State Univ., Columbus. Center for Vocational and Technical Education.

The purpose of the teacher's guide is to acquaint ninth grade students with the areas of physical science and the possible occupations within those areas. By exploring some of the basic concepts of chemistry, physics, metallurgy, and geology, students gain insight into the knowledge and skill required by those in occupations related to these…

Advanced Plant Habitat

NASA Image and Video Library

2016-11-17

A test unit, or prototype, of NASA's Advanced Plant Habitat (APH) was delivered to the Space Station Processing Facility at the agency's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The APH is the largest plant chamber built for the agency. The unit is being prepared for engineering development tests to see how the science will integrate with the various systems of the plant habitat. It will have 180 sensors and four times the light output of Veggie. The APH will be delivered to the International Space Station in March 2017.

Advanced Plant Habitat

NASA Image and Video Library

2016-11-17

A test unit, or prototype, of NASA's Advanced Plant Habitat (APH) was delivered to the Space Station Processing Facility at the agency's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The APH is the largest plant chamber built for the agency. The base of the APH is being prepared for engineering development tests to see how the science will integrate with the various systems of the plant habitat. It will have 180 sensors and four times the light output of Veggie. The APH will be delivered to the International Space Station in March 2017.

The Material Co-Construction of Hard Science Fiction and Physics

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hasse, Cathrine

2015-01-01

This article explores the relationship between hard science fiction and physics and a gendered culture of science. Empirical studies indicate that science fiction references might spur some students' interest in physics and help develop this interest throughout school, into a university education and even further later inspire the practice of…

Gulf of Mexico Integrated Science - Tampa Bay Study: Examining the Impact of Urbanization on Seafloor Habitats

USGS Publications Warehouse

Yates, Kimberly

2005-01-01

Seafloor habitats, such as seagrass beds, provide essential habitat for fish and marine mammals. For many years, the study of seagrass vitality has been a priority for scientists and resource managers working in Tampa Bay. Seafloor habitats are extremely sensitive to changes in water quality. Like a canary in a coal mine, seagrass can serve as an ecological indicator of estuary health. Between the 1940s and the 1970s, seagrass gradually died in Tampa Bay. This loss has been attributed to a rise in urbanization and an increase in nutrient loading into the bay. Better treatment of industrial wastewater and runoff beginning in the 1980s resulted in the continuous recovery of seagrass beds. However, in the mid-1990s, the recovery began to level off in areas where good water quality was expected to support continued seagrass recovery, demonstrating that nutrient loading may be only one factor impacting seagrass health. Researchers now are trying to determine what might be affecting the recovery of seagrass in these areas. Currently, little is understood about the effects that other aspects of urbanization and natural change, such as groundwater and sediment quality, might have on seagrass vitality. This segment of the Tampa Bay integrated science study is intended to identify, quantify, and develop models that illustrate the impact that urbanization may have on seafloor habitat distribution, health, and restoration.

Physical and virtual laboratories in science and engineering education.

PubMed

de Jong, Ton; Linn, Marcia C; Zacharia, Zacharias C

2013-04-19

The world needs young people who are skillful in and enthusiastic about science and who view science as their future career field. Ensuring that we will have such young people requires initiatives that engage students in interesting and motivating science experiences. Today, students can investigate scientific phenomena using the tools, data collection techniques, models, and theories of science in physical laboratories that support interactions with the material world or in virtual laboratories that take advantage of simulations. Here, we review a selection of the literature to contrast the value of physical and virtual investigations and to offer recommendations for combining the two to strengthen science learning.

The Effect of Physical Activity on Science Competence and Attitude towards Science Content

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Klinkenborg, Ann Maria

2011-01-01

This study examines the effect of physical activity on science instruction. To combat the implications of physical inactivity, schools need to be willing to consider all possible opportunities for students to engage in moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA). Integrating physical activity with traditional classroom content is one…

The Utility of a Physics Education in Science Policy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Roberts, Drew

2016-03-01

In order for regulators to create successful policies on technical issues, ranging from environmental protection to distribution of national Grant money, the scientific community must play an integral role in the legislative process. Through a summer-long internship with the Science, Space, and Technology Committee of the U.S. House of Representatives, I have learned that skills developed while pursuing an undergraduate degree in physics are very valuable in the policy realm. My physics education provided me the necessary tools to bridge the goals of the scientific and political communities. The need for effective comprehension and communication of technical subjects provides an important opportunity for individuals with physics degrees to make substantial contributions to government policy. Science policy should be encouraged as one of the many career pathways for physics students. Society of Physics Students, John and Jane Mather Foundation for Science and the Arts.

Physics. Student Investigations and Readings. Investigations in Natural Science.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Renner, John W.; And Others

Investigations in Natural Science is a program in secondary school biology, chemistry, and physics based upon the description of science as a quest for knowledge, not the knowledge itself. This student manual contains the 36 physics investigations which focus on concepts related to: movement; vectors; falling objects; force and acceleration; a…

Optimizing Introductory Physics for the Life Sciences: Placing Physics in Biological Context

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Crouch, Catherine

2014-03-01

Physics is a critical foundation for today's life sciences and medicine. However, the physics content and ways of thinking identified by life scientists as most important for their fields are often not taught, or underemphasized, in traditional introductory physics courses. Furthermore, such courses rarely give students practice using physics to understand living systems in a substantial way. Consequently, students are unlikely to recognize the value of physics to their chosen fields, or to develop facility in applying physics to biological systems. At Swarthmore, as at several other institutions engaged in reforming this course, we have reorganized the introductory course for life science students around touchstone biological examples, in which fundamental physics contributes significantly to understanding biological phenomena or research techniques, in order to make explicit the value of physics to the life sciences. We have also focused on the physics topics and approaches most relevant to biology while seeking to develop rigorous qualitative reasoning and quantitative problem solving skills, using established pedagogical best practices. Each unit is motivated by and culminates with students analyzing one or more touchstone examples. For example, in the second semester we emphasize electric potential and potential difference more than electric field, and start from students' typically superficial understanding of the cell membrane potential and of electrical interactions in biochemistry to help them develop a more sophisticated understanding of electric forces, field, and potential, including in the salt water environment of life. Other second semester touchstones include optics of vision and microscopes, circuit models for neural signaling, and magnetotactic bacteria. When possible, we have adapted existing research-based curricular materials to support these examples. This talk will describe the design and development process for this course, give examples of

77 FR 42768 - Advisory Committee for Mathematical and Physical Sciences; Notice of Meeting

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-07-20

... NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION Advisory Committee for Mathematical and Physical Sciences; Notice of... Science Foundation announces the following meeting: Name: Directorate for Mathematical and Physical... Person: Dr. Morris L. Aizenman, Senior Science Associate, Directorate for Mathematical and Physical...

77 FR 16076 - Advisory Committee for Mathematical and Physical Sciences; Notice of Meeting

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-03-19

... education activities within the Directorate for Mathematical and Physical Sciences. Agenda Update on current... National Science Foundation Advisory Committee for Mathematical and Physical Sciences; Notice of... Science Foundation announces the following meeting: Name: Directorate for Mathematical and Physical...

Preparing prospective physics teachers to teach integrated science in junior high school

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wiyanto; Hartono; Nugroho, S. E.

2018-03-01

The physics education study program especially prepares its students to teach physics in senior high school, however in reality many its graduates have become science teachers in junior high school. Therefore introducing integrated science to prospective physics teachers is important, because based on the curriculum, science in the junior high school should be taught integratedly. This study analyzed integrated science teaching materials that developed by prospective physics teachers. Results from this study showed that majority of the integration materials that developed by the prospective physics teachers focused on topic with an overlapping concept or theme as connecting between two or three subjects.

Advanced Plant Habitat

NASA Image and Video Library

2016-11-17

A test unit, or prototype, of NASA's Advanced Plant Habitat (APH) was delivered to the Space Station Processing Facility at the agency's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The APH is the largest plant chamber built for the agency. Oscar Monje, a scientist on the Engineering Services Contract, prepares the base of the APH for engineering development tests to see how the science will integrate with the various systems of the plant habitat. The APH will have about 180 sensors and fourt times the light output of Veggie. The APH will be delivered to the International Space Station in March 2017.

RESTORATION OF STREAM PHYSICAL HABITAT AND FOOD RESOURCES: INFLUENCE ON JUVENILE COHO GROWTH AND SALMON DERIVED NUTRIENT INCORPORATION IN COASTAL OREGON STREAMS

EPA Science Inventory

ABSTRACT - Stream restoration in Western Oregon and Washington includes physical habitat improvement and salmon carcass additions. However, few studies examine the effects of carcass placement on juvenile fish in western Oregon, and in particular the interaction with physical hab...

Town Meeting on Plasma Physics at the National Science Foundation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

2015-11-01

We invite you to the Town Meeting on the role of the National Science Foundation (NSF) in supporting basic and applied research in Plasma Physics in the U.S. The overarching goal of NSF is to promote the progress of science and to enable training of the next generation of scientists and engineers at US colleges and universities. In this context, the role of the NSF Physics Division in leading the nearly 20 year old NSF/DOE Partnership in Basic Plasma Science and Engineering serves as an example of the long history of NSF support for basic plasma physics research. Yet, the NSF interest in maintaining a healthy university research base in plasma sciences extends across the Foundation. A total of five NSF Divisions are participating in the most recent Partnership solicitation, and a host of other multi-disciplinary and core programs provide opportunities for scientists to perform research on applications of plasma physics to Space & Solar Physics, Astrophysics, Accelerator Science, Material Science, Plasma Medicine, and many sub-disciplines within Engineering. This Town Meeting will provide a chance to discuss the full range of relevant NSF funding opportunities, and to begin a conversation on the present and future role of NSF in stewarding basic plasma science and engineering research at US colleges and universities. We would like to particularly encourage early career scientists and graduate students to participate in this Town Meeting, though everyone is invited to join what we hope to be a lively discussion.

COASTAL SUBMERGED VEGETATION: AQUATIC HABITAT RESEARCH

EPA Science Inventory

Aquatic vegetation is one of the most widespread and important types of aquatic habitat, in part because of the exceptional productivity of the plants. Aquatic vegetation also strongly influences local physical and chemical habitat conditions of significance to fish and shellfis...

Life Science Students' Attitudes, Interest, and Performance in Introductory Physics for Life Sciences: An Exploratory Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Crouch, Catherine H.; Wisittanawat, Panchompoo; Cai, Ming; Renninger, K. Ann

2018-01-01

In response to national calls for improved physical sciences education for students pursuing careers in the life sciences and medicine, reformed introductory physics for life sciences (IPLS) courses are being developed. This exploratory study is among the first to assess the effect of an IPLS course on students' attitudes, interest, and…

78 FR 37590 - Advisory Committee for Mathematical and Physical Sciences #66; Notice of Meeting

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-06-21

... NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION Advisory Committee for Mathematical and Physical Sciences 66; Notice... Physical Sciences ( 66). Dates/Time: July 18, 2013 1:00 p.m.-5:15 p.m. Place: National Science Foundation... Federal Officer, Directorate for Mathematical and Physical Sciences, National Science Foundation, 4201...

S.E.A. Lab. Science Experiments and Activities. Marine Science for High School Students in Chemistry, Biology and Physics.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hart, Kathy, Ed.

A series of science experiments and activities designed for secondary school students taking biology, chemistry, physics, physical science or marine science courses are outlined. Each of the three major sections--chemistry, biology, and physics--addresses concepts that are generally covered in those courses but incorporates aspects of marine…

A Science Strategy for Space Physics

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1995-01-01

This report by the Committee on Solar and Space Physics and the Committee on Solar-Terrestrial Research recommends the major directions for scientific research in space physics for the coming decade. As a field of science, space physics has passed through the stage of simply looking to see what is out beyond Earth's atmosphere. It has become a 'hard' science, focusing on understanding the fundamental interactions between charged particles, electromagnetic fields, and gases in the natural laboratory consisting of the galaxy, the Sun, the heliosphere, and planetary magnetospheres, ionospheres, and upper atmospheres. The motivation for space physics research goes far beyond basic physics and intellectual curiosity, however, because long-term variations in the brightness of the Sun virtually affect the habitability of the Earth, while sudden rearrangements of magnetic fields above the solar surface can have profound effects on the delicate balance of the forces that shape our environment in space and on the human technology that is sensitive to that balance. The several subfields of space physics share the following objectives: to understand the fundamental laws or processes of nature as they apply to space plasmas and rarefied gases both on the microscale and in the larger complex systems that constitute the domain of space physics; to understand the links between changes in the Sun and the resulting effects at the Earth, with the eventual goal of predicting the significant effects on the terrestrial environment; and to continue the exploration and description of the plasmas and rarefied gases in the solar system.

Sex, Class, and Physical Science Educational Attainment: Portions due to Achievement Versus Recruitment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Simon, Richard M.; Farkas, George

Nationally representative data from the National Education Longitudinal Study are used to investigate why males (rather than females) and children of parents with advanced degrees (rather than those from less-educated parents) are more highly represented among physical science bachelor's degrees and graduate students. Parental education is measured by three categories: neither parent has a bachelor's degree, at least one parent has a bachelor's degree, or at least one parent has a degree beyond the bachelor's. Physical science is defined as students majoring in physics, engineering, mathematics, or computer science. The effects of mathematics achievement and effects not accounted for by mathematics achievement (what the authors call "recruitment" effects) are isolated for parental education categories and for sex, allowing inequality in physical science degree attainment to be decomposed into portions due to achievement and portions due to recruitment. Additionally, the results from logistic regressions predicting the attainment of a bachelor's degree in physical science as well as the pursuit of a graduate degree in physical science are presented. It is found that for parental education categories, the gaps in physical science educational attainment are nearly entirely accounted for by differences in mathematics achievement, suggesting that if achievement could be equalized, physical science educational attainment differences among parental education categories would disappear. However, the sex gap in physical science educational attainment operates almost entirely independent of achievement effects, suggesting that if the mathematics achievement distributions of males and females were identical, the sex gap in physical science educational attainment would be unchanged from what it is today.

(re)producing Good Science Students: Girls' Participation in High School Physics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Carlone, Heidi B.

In this ethnographic study, the author describes the meanings of science and science student in a physics classroom in an upper-middle-class high school and the ways girls participated within these meanings. The classroom practices reproduced prototypical meanings of science (as authoritative) and science student (as "dutiful"). The results highlight girls' embrace of prototypical school science. Yet at the end of the school year, the girls did not consider themselves "science people," nor did they want to pursue physics further. The author's interpretation of these results takes seriously girls' agency in producing the meaning of the physics class (as a way to polish one's transcript) and draws attention to the promoted identities (prototypical good student identities) in the classroom. The author argues that students' agency in resisting or accepting the practices, identities, and knowledge of school science is worth understanding for the improvement of science education.

Physical Science Informatics: Providing Open Science Access to Microheater Array Boiling Experiment Data

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

McQuillen, John; Green, Robert D.; Henrie, Ben; Miller, Teresa; Chiaramonte, Fran

2014-01-01

The Physical Science Informatics (PSI) system is the next step in this an effort to make NASA sponsored flight data available to the scientific and engineering community, along with the general public. The experimental data, from six overall disciplines, Combustion Science, Fluid Physics, Complex Fluids, Fundamental Physics, and Materials Science, will present some unique challenges. Besides data in textual or numerical format, large portions of both the raw and analyzed data for many of these experiments are digital images and video, requiring large data storage requirements. In addition, the accessible data will include experiment design and engineering data (including applicable drawings), any analytical or numerical models, publications, reports, and patents, and any commercial products developed as a result of the research. This objective of paper includes the following: Present the preliminary layout (Figure 2) of MABE data within the PSI database. Obtain feedback on the layout. Present the procedure to obtain access to this database.

Defining and Identifying Functional Habitat to Inform Species Recovery on a Large Regulated River

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Erwin, S.; Jacobson, R. B.; Elliott, C. M.; Gemeinhardt, T.; Welker, T.; DeLonay, A. J.; Chojnacki, K.

2014-12-01

Goals and objectives for the restoration of aquatic ecosystems often focus on species recovery, but often the primary tools available to managers involve the manipulation of flow regime and physical habitat. Management decisions thus rely on hypotheses about the links between management actions, the response of physical habitat, and the assumed response of a target organism. Ongoing efforts to inform management of the Missouri River as part of Missouri River Restoration Project are focused on the recovery of three endangered species, including the pallid sturgeon (Scaphirhynchus albus), which is endemic to the Mississippi River basin. Recovery of the pallid sturgeon is hampered by uncertainties surrounding the definition and dynamics of ecologically significant habitats for the fish across a range of life stages. Of special interest are constructed side-channel chutes. Construction of these features has emerged as one of the primary restoration techniques used on the Lower Missouri River, yet much remains to be learned about the effectiveness of these chutes in the effort to recover pallid sturgeon. It remains unclear whether these constructed features provide habitat that may be beneficial to the species and for which life stages. Biologists hypothesize that these areas may be critical for larval retention, refugia, food production, foraging, or spawning. We present the integration of a suite of data - high-resolution hydroacoustic data, hydrodynamic modeling, biotic inventories, and laboratory experiments - designed to refine our understanding of habitat dynamics critical during the early life stages of the pallid sturgeon. We present our findings in the context of ongoing restoration activities in the basin and describe how fundamental science exploring habitat dynamics may be incorporated within the existing adaptive management framework.

Complex network problems in physics, computer science and biology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cojocaru, Radu Ionut

There is a close relation between physics and mathematics and the exchange of ideas between these two sciences are well established. However until few years ago there was no such a close relation between physics and computer science. Even more, only recently biologists started to use methods and tools from statistical physics in order to study the behavior of complex system. In this thesis we concentrate on applying and analyzing several methods borrowed from computer science to biology and also we use methods from statistical physics in solving hard problems from computer science. In recent years physicists have been interested in studying the behavior of complex networks. Physics is an experimental science in which theoretical predictions are compared to experiments. In this definition, the term prediction plays a very important role: although the system is complex, it is still possible to get predictions for its behavior, but these predictions are of a probabilistic nature. Spin glasses, lattice gases or the Potts model are a few examples of complex systems in physics. Spin glasses and many frustrated antiferromagnets map exactly to computer science problems in the NP-hard class defined in Chapter 1. In Chapter 1 we discuss a common result from artificial intelligence (AI) which shows that there are some problems which are NP-complete, with the implication that these problems are difficult to solve. We introduce a few well known hard problems from computer science (Satisfiability, Coloring, Vertex Cover together with Maximum Independent Set and Number Partitioning) and then discuss their mapping to problems from physics. In Chapter 2 we provide a short review of combinatorial optimization algorithms and their applications to ground state problems in disordered systems. We discuss the cavity method initially developed for studying the Sherrington-Kirkpatrick model of spin glasses. We extend this model to the study of a specific case of spin glass on the Bethe

Using spatial principles to optimize distributed computing for enabling the physical science discoveries

PubMed Central

Yang, Chaowei; Wu, Huayi; Huang, Qunying; Li, Zhenlong; Li, Jing

2011-01-01

Contemporary physical science studies rely on the effective analyses of geographically dispersed spatial data and simulations of physical phenomena. Single computers and generic high-end computing are not sufficient to process the data for complex physical science analysis and simulations, which can be successfully supported only through distributed computing, best optimized through the application of spatial principles. Spatial computing, the computing aspect of a spatial cyberinfrastructure, refers to a computing paradigm that utilizes spatial principles to optimize distributed computers to catalyze advancements in the physical sciences. Spatial principles govern the interactions between scientific parameters across space and time by providing the spatial connections and constraints to drive the progression of the phenomena. Therefore, spatial computing studies could better position us to leverage spatial principles in simulating physical phenomena and, by extension, advance the physical sciences. Using geospatial science as an example, this paper illustrates through three research examples how spatial computing could (i) enable data intensive science with efficient data/services search, access, and utilization, (ii) facilitate physical science studies with enabling high-performance computing capabilities, and (iii) empower scientists with multidimensional visualization tools to understand observations and simulations. The research examples demonstrate that spatial computing is of critical importance to design computing methods to catalyze physical science studies with better data access, phenomena simulation, and analytical visualization. We envision that spatial computing will become a core technology that drives fundamental physical science advancements in the 21st century. PMID:21444779

Using spatial principles to optimize distributed computing for enabling the physical science discoveries.

PubMed

Yang, Chaowei; Wu, Huayi; Huang, Qunying; Li, Zhenlong; Li, Jing

2011-04-05

Contemporary physical science studies rely on the effective analyses of geographically dispersed spatial data and simulations of physical phenomena. Single computers and generic high-end computing are not sufficient to process the data for complex physical science analysis and simulations, which can be successfully supported only through distributed computing, best optimized through the application of spatial principles. Spatial computing, the computing aspect of a spatial cyberinfrastructure, refers to a computing paradigm that utilizes spatial principles to optimize distributed computers to catalyze advancements in the physical sciences. Spatial principles govern the interactions between scientific parameters across space and time by providing the spatial connections and constraints to drive the progression of the phenomena. Therefore, spatial computing studies could better position us to leverage spatial principles in simulating physical phenomena and, by extension, advance the physical sciences. Using geospatial science as an example, this paper illustrates through three research examples how spatial computing could (i) enable data intensive science with efficient data/services search, access, and utilization, (ii) facilitate physical science studies with enabling high-performance computing capabilities, and (iii) empower scientists with multidimensional visualization tools to understand observations and simulations. The research examples demonstrate that spatial computing is of critical importance to design computing methods to catalyze physical science studies with better data access, phenomena simulation, and analytical visualization. We envision that spatial computing will become a core technology that drives fundamental physical science advancements in the 21st century.

Developing the learning physical science curriculum: Adapting a small enrollment, laboratory and discussion based physical science course for large enrollments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Goldberg, Fred; Price, Edward; Robinson, Stephen; Boyd-Harlow, Danielle; McKean, Michael

2012-06-01

We report on the adaptation of the small enrollment, lab and discussion based physical science course, Physical Science and Everyday Thinking (PSET), for a large-enrollment, lecture-style setting. Like PSET, the new Learning Physical Science (LEPS) curriculum was designed around specific principles based on research on learning to meet the needs of nonscience students, especially prospective and practicing elementary and middle school teachers. We describe the structure of the two curricula and the adaptation process, including a detailed comparison of similar activities from the two curricula and a case study of a LEPS classroom implementation. In LEPS, short instructor-guided lessons replace lengthier small group activities, and movies, rather than hands-on investigations, provide the evidence used to support and test ideas. LEPS promotes student peer interaction as an important part of sense making via “clicker” questions, rather than small group and whole class discussions typical of PSET. Examples of student dialog indicate that this format is capable of generating substantive student discussion and successfully enacting the design principles. Field-test data show similar student content learning gains with the two curricula. Nevertheless, because of classroom constraints, some important practices of science that were an integral part of PSET were not included in LEPS.

Revitalizing Support for the Physical Sciences: The American Competitiveness Initiative

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rooney, Peter

2006-11-01

In January 2006, during his State of the Union Address, President Bush announced a renewed commitment on the part of his Administration to funding math and science education, and science and engineering research. Two weeks later, in February 2006, the President submitted his budget request to Congress, including The American Competitiveness Initiative (ACI), a budget initiative that proposes to double federal investments in fundamental research in the physical sciences at three civilian science agencies---the Office of Science in the Department of Energy, the National Science Foundation (NSF), and the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST)---over ten years. To date, ACI has fared well in Congress. The House of Representatives has already approved the increases for the Office of Science (up 14 percent), NSF (up 8 percent), and NIST (core laboratory research and infrastructure up 24 percent). Key Senate Subcommittees have approved similar increases. Of equal significance to the budget proposal, the President's pronouncements represent an effort to change the public perception of the value of science. This is the capstone of a fifteen-year effort on the part of the scientific community, including the American Physical Society, to develop a new rationale for funding physical science research in the post-Cold War era. 30 years of economic research suggests there is a strong correlation between the government investments in education and research, particularly physical science and engineering research, and future economic performance. The President made this connection explicit for the public in his State of the Union Address and in subsequent speeches and town hall meetings. The author will discuss these trends and the outlook for ACI going forward.

Long-term historical analysis of benthic communities and physical habitat in an agricultural stream in California's San Joaquin River watershed.

PubMed

Hall, Lenwood W; Killen, William D; Alden, Raymond

2009-05-01

This study was designed to characterize long-term annual temporal and spatial trends (2001 to 2007) in physical habitat and benthic communities and to determine relationships of habitat and benthic communities during this 7-year period in an agricultural stream in the San Joaquin River watershed in California (Del Puerto Creek). The canonical discriminant analysis indicated that there were no overall significant temporal patterns for the habitat metrics although spatial patterns were prominent for nearly all the habitat metrics. Channel alteration, riparian vegetative zone, bank stability, vegetative protection and frequency of riffles/bends were the primary habitat metrics associated with these site effects. Approximately 3,700 to 4,500 individual macroinvertebrates were picked and identified from five Del Puerto Creek sites sampled annually from 2001 to 2007. The total number of taxa by year ranged from 81 in 2003 to 106 in 2007. These benthic assemblages were generally comprised of tolerant to moderately tolerant taxa such as blackflies, oligochaetes, snails and chironomids. The metrics % predators, % EPT index, % collectors/filterers and % shredders were the benthic metrics that were most associated with the temporal effects. Ephemeroptera taxa, trichoptera taxa, and % sensitive EPT index were the benthic metrics that were most associated with the site effects. The most upstream site in Del Puerto Creek had the most robust and healthy benthic communites. Strong statistical relationships were reported between certain benthic metrics and habitat metrics. Overall, samples taken from site-year combinations with sediments that were qualitatively less muddy (less fines) and that had higher habitat metric scores for embeddedness, riparian vegetative zone, and channel alteration tended to have benthic communities characterized by higher values of the benthic metrics such as EPT taxa, Ephemeroptera taxa, EPT index, abundance, and taxonomic richness, among others

Promoting Students' Motivation in Learning Physical Science--An Action Research Approach.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tuan, Hsiao-Lin; Chin, Chi-Chin; Tsai, Chih-Chung

This study reported how four science teachers used action research to promote their students' motivation in learning physical science. Four teachers with one of their 8th grade physical science classes participated in the study. A combination of qualitative and quantitative research design were used in the study, and data collection included…

77 FR 41147 - Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Designation of Revised Critical Habitat for the...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-07-12

... segments and associated flycatcher habitat are anticipated to support the strategy, rationale, and science... strategy, rationale, and science of flycatcher conservation in order to meet territory and habitat-related... costs associated with monitoring and education activities, fencing, habitat restoration and creation...

Physical Science Teachers' Attitudes to and Factors Affecting Their Integration of Technology Education in Science Teaching in Benin

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kelani, Raphael R.; Gado, Issaou

2018-01-01

Following the calls of international conferences related to the teaching of science and technology, technology education (TE) was integrated as a component of physical sciences programmes in Benin, West Africa. This study investigates physical science teachers' attitudes towards the integration of TE topics in secondary school science curricula in…

The impact of run-off change on physical instream habitats and its response to river morphology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hauer, Christoph; Habersack, Helmut

2010-05-01

by total station (Leica805) to derive high quality DTM-models for modelling. Monitoring data of temperature (period: 1948 - 2006) and gauging data of three stations (Vorderanger, period: 1966 - 2008; Furthmühle, period: 1951 - 2008; Teufelmühle, period: 1951 - 2008) along the investigated reach were additionally provided by the local government agencies. The results of the statistical testing (for significant breakpoints in temperature trends) exhibited significant changes (p>95%) for the seasons spring (year 1989) and summer (year 1990) (increase in regional temperature). Simultaneously, the periods of run-off below statistically determined low-flow thresholds increased significantly especially for summer periods (e.g. gauging station Furthmühle: period 1951 - 1990: n = 684 days / 1990 - 2008: n = 760 days). The impact of those intensified low flow conditions on subadult / adult grayling were (and are) limiting available physical habitats especially within the plane-bed sections (n=3). Only riffle-pool reaches exhibited suitable habitats (evaluated by habitatmodelling) for these dry-periods. However, those riffle-pool reaches are rare and randomly distributed over the 45 km river length (investigated reach). In the presented study it could be figured out, that climate change affects instream fish habitats not only by an increase in water temperatures, but also by limiting physical habitats (in relation to various morphological types). Thus, the response of fish (e.g. grayling) could be on the one hand an upstream migration due to the warmer water temperatures (frequently documented) but on the other hand a downstream migration caused by unsuitable habitats. This second finding should be seen as one crucial point especially for the restoration of regulated rivers with respect to climate change and to fulfil the aims of the European Water Framework Directive.

Physics Myth Busting: A Lab-Centered Course for Non-Science Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Madsen, Martin John

2011-01-01

There is ongoing interest in how and what we teach in physics courses for non-science students, so-called "physics for poets" courses. Art Hobson has effectively argued that teaching science literacy should be a key ingredient in these courses. Hobson uses Jon Millers definition of science literacy, which has two components: first, "a basic…

Scientific Research in British Universities and Colleges 1969-70, Volume I, Physical Sciences.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Department of Education and Science, London (England).

This annual publication (1969-1970) contains brief statements about current research in the physical sciences being conducted at British universities and colleges. Areas included are chemistry, physics, engineering, biochemistry, biometry, biophysics, physical geography, mathematics, computing science, and history and philosophy of science. (CP)

Science Education in Two-Year Colleges: Physics.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mooney, William T., Jr.

Physics instruction is examined as revealed in a study of science education at two-year colleges which involved a review of the literature, an analysis of the catalogs and class schedules of 175 representative institutions, and a survey of 45 physics instructors. Each of the two parts of the report reviews pertinent literature, reports study…

Biographical Sources in the Sciences--Life, Earth and Physical Sciences (1989-2006). LC Science Tracer Bullet. TB 06-4

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Freitag, Ruth, Comp.; Bradley, Michelle Cadoree, Comp.

2006-01-01

This guide offers a systematic approach to the wide variety of published biographical information on men and women of science in the life, earth and physical sciences, primarily from 1989 to 2006, and complements Library of Congress Science Tracer Bullet "TB88-3" ("Biographical Sources in the Sciences," compiled 1988 [ED306074]) and "TB06-7"…

3 CFR - Proposed Revised Habitat for the Spotted Owl: Minimizing Regulatory Burdens

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... “regulatory system must protect public health, welfare, safety, and our environment while promoting economic... habitat, consistent with applicable law and science; and (6) to the extent permitted by law, adopt the... habitat for the spotted owl, based on a full evaluation of all key criteria: the relevant science...

Experimental Physical Sciences Vitae 2017

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Kippen, Karen Elizabeth; Del Mauro, Diana; Patterson, Eileen Frances

Frequently our most basic research experiments stimulate solutions for some of the most intractable national security problems, such as nuclear weapons stewardship, homeland security, intelligence and information analysis, and nuclear and alternative energy. This publication highlights our talented and creative staff who deliver solutions to these complex scientific and technological challenges by conducting cutting-edge multidisciplinary physical science research.

Courses in Modern Physics for Non-science Majors, Future Science Teachers, and Biology Students

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zollman, Dean

2001-03-01

For the past 15 years Kansas State University has offered a course in modern physics for students who are not majoring in physics. This course carries a prerequisite of one physics course so that the students have a basic introduction in classical topics. The majors of students range from liberal arts to engineering. Future secondary science teachers whose first area of teaching is not physics can use the course as part of their study of science. The course has evolved from a lecture format to one which is highly interactive and uses a combination of hands-on activities, tutorials and visualizations, particularly the Visual Quantum Mechanics materials. Another course encourages biology students to continue their physics learning beyond the introductory course. Modern Miracle Medical Machines introduces the basic physics which underlie diagnosis techniques such as MRI and PET and laser surgical techniques. Additional information is available at http://www.phys.ksu.edu/perg/

Physics Problems Based on Up-to-Date Science and Technology.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Folan, Lorcan M.; Tsifrinovich, Vladimir I.

2007-03-01

We observe a huge chasm between up-to-date science and undergraduate education. The result of this chasm is that current student interest in undergraduate science is low. Consequently, students who are graduating from college are often unable to take advantage of the many opportunities offered by science and technology. Cutting edge science and technology frequently use the methods learned in undergraduate courses, but up-to-date applications are not normally used as examples or for problems in undergraduate courses. There are many physics problems which contain information about the latest achievements in science and technology. But typically, the level of these problems is too advanced for undergraduates. We created physics problems for undergraduate science and engineering students, which are based on the latest achievements in science and technology. These problems have been successfully used in our courses at the Polytechnic University in New York. We believe that university faculty may suggest such problems in order to provide information about the frontiers of science and technological, demonstrate the importance of undergraduate physics in solving contemporary problems and raise the interest of talented students in science. From the other side, our approach may be considered an indirect way for advertising advanced technologies, which undergraduate students and, even more important, future college graduates could use in their working lives.

"Active Science": Integrating Physical Activity and Science Learning into the Afterschool Environment

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Finn, Kevin E.; Yan, Zi; McInnis, Kyle J.

2015-01-01

Background: Afterschool programs offer significant opportunities to increase physical activity levels and improve academic performance of children. Purpose: This study assessed an innovative approach to embed physical activity into science lessons in an afterschool community setting. Methods: Participants were 47 boys and girls (age = 10.8 ± 0.7…

Introductory physics in biological context: An approach to improve introductory physics for life science students

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Crouch, Catherine H.; Heller, Kenneth

2014-05-01

We describe restructuring the introductory physics for life science students (IPLS) course to better support these students in using physics to understand their chosen fields. Our courses teach physics using biologically rich contexts. Specifically, we use examples in which fundamental physics contributes significantly to understanding a biological system to make explicit the value of physics to the life sciences. This requires selecting the course content to reflect the topics most relevant to biology while maintaining the fundamental disciplinary structure of physics. In addition to stressing the importance of the fundamental principles of physics, an important goal is developing students' quantitative and problem solving skills. Our guiding pedagogical framework is the cognitive apprenticeship model, in which learning occurs most effectively when students can articulate why what they are learning matters to them. In this article, we describe our courses, summarize initial assessment data, and identify needs for future research.

Learning physical descriptors for materials science by compressed sensing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ghiringhelli, Luca M.; Vybiral, Jan; Ahmetcik, Emre; Ouyang, Runhai; Levchenko, Sergey V.; Draxl, Claudia; Scheffler, Matthias

2017-02-01

The availability of big data in materials science offers new routes for analyzing materials properties and functions and achieving scientific understanding. Finding structure in these data that is not directly visible by standard tools and exploitation of the scientific information requires new and dedicated methodology based on approaches from statistical learning, compressed sensing, and other recent methods from applied mathematics, computer science, statistics, signal processing, and information science. In this paper, we explain and demonstrate a compressed-sensing based methodology for feature selection, specifically for discovering physical descriptors, i.e., physical parameters that describe the material and its properties of interest, and associated equations that explicitly and quantitatively describe those relevant properties. As showcase application and proof of concept, we describe how to build a physical model for the quantitative prediction of the crystal structure of binary compound semiconductors.

Our use, misuse, and abandonment of a concept: Whither habitat?

PubMed

Kirk, David Anthony; Park, Allysia C; Smith, Adam C; Howes, Briar J; Prouse, Brigid K; Kyssa, Naschelly G; Fairhurst, Elizabeth N; Prior, Kent A

2018-04-01

The foundational concept of habitat lies at the very root of the entire science of ecology, but inaccurate use of the term compromises scientific rigor and communication among scientists and nonscientists. In 1997, Hall, Krausman & Morrison showed that 'habitat' was used correctly in only 55% of articles. We ask whether use of the term has been more accurate since their plea for standardization and whether use varies across the broader range of journals and taxa in the contemporary literature (1998-2012). We searched contemporary literature for 'habitat' and habitat-related terms, ranking usage as either correct or incorrect, following a simplified version of Hall et al.'s definitions. We used generalized linear models to compare use of the term in contemporary literature with the papers reviewed by Hall et al. and to test the effects of taxa, journal impact in the contemporary articles and effects due to authors that cited Hall et al. Use of the term 'habitat' has not improved; it was still only used correctly about 55% of the time in the contemporary data. Proportionately more correct uses occurred in articles that focused on animals compared to ones that included plants, and papers that cited Hall et al. did use the term correctly more often. However, journal impact had no effect. Some habitat terms are more likely to be misused than others, notably 'habitat type', usually used to refer to vegetation type, and 'suitable habitat' or 'unsuitable habitat', which are either redundant or nonsensical by definition. Inaccurate and inconsistent use of the term can lead to (1) misinterpretation of scientific findings; (2) inefficient use of conservation resources; (3) ineffective identification and prioritization of protected areas; (4) limited comparability among studies; and (5) miscommunication of science-based findings. Correct usage would improve communication with scientists and nonscientists, thereby benefiting conservation efforts, and ecology as a science.

Pre-Service Physics Teachers' Conceptions of Nature of Science

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Buaraphan, Khajornsak

2011-01-01

Understanding of NOS (nature of science) appears as a prerequisite of a scientifically literate person. Promoting adequate understanding of NOS in pre-service physics teachers is, therefore, an important task of science educators. Before doing that, science educators must have information concerning their pre-service teachers' conceptions of NOS.…

78 FR 42111 - Advisory Committee for Mathematical and Physical Sciences #66; Notice of Meeting; Correction

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-07-15

... NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION Advisory Committee for Mathematical and Physical Sciences 66; Notice... July 18 Advisory Committee for Mathematical and Physical Sciences in the Federal Register on June 21..., Directorate for Mathematical and Physical Sciences, National Science Foundation, 4201 Wilson Blvd., Arlington...

Scope and Sequence. Life Sciences, Physical Sciences, Earth and Space Sciences. A Summer Curriculum Development Project.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cortland-Madison Board of Cooperative Educational Services, Cortland, NY.

Presented is a booklet containing scope and sequence charts for kindergarten and grades 1 to 6 science units. Overviews and lists of major concepts for units in the life, physical, and earth/space sciences are provided in tables for each grade level. Also presented are seven complete units, one for each grade level. Following a table of contents,…

Physics at the International Science and Engineering Fair.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Walker, Jearl

1979-01-01

A judge for the physics projects for the 1979 International Science and Engineering Fair describes many of the more popular science projects. Projects described include the following: carbon dioxide and helium-neon lasers, reverse flame investigations, holography, construction of a magnetic bottle to confine plasma, and aerodynamic drag. (BT)

A content analysis of physical science textbooks with regard to the nature of science and ethnic diversity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Brooks, Kristine M.

nature of science and what is the balance of ethnic diversity in the participants in science (students and scientists) in physical science textbooks? To establish an answer to these questions, this investigation used content analysis. For the balance of the four aspects of the nature of science, the analysis was conducted on random page samples of five physical science textbooks. A random sampling of the pages within the physical science textbooks should be sufficient to represent the content of the textbooks (Garcia, 1985). For the balance of ethnic diversity of the participants in science, the analysis was conducted on all pictures or drawings of students and scientists within the content of the five textbooks. One of these IPC books is under current use in a large, local school district and the other four were published during the same, or similar, year. Coding procedures for the sample used two sets of coders. One set of coders have previously analyzed for the nature of science in a study on middle school science textbooks (Phillips, 2006) and the coders for ethnic diversity are public school teachers who have worked with ethnically diverse students for over ten years. Both sets of coders were trained and the reliability of their coding checked before coding the five textbooks. To check for inter-coder reliability, percent agreement, Cohen's kappa and Krippendorff's alpha were calculated. The results from this study indicate that science as a body of knowledge and science as a way of investigating are the prevalent themes of the nature of science in the five physical science textbooks. This investigation also found that there is an imbalance in the ethnic diversity of students and scientists portrayed within the chapters of the physical science textbooks studied. This imbalance reflects ratios that are neither equally balanced nor in align with the U.S. Census. Given that textbooks are the main sources of information in most classrooms, the imbalance of the nature of

Energy. Physical Science in Action. Teacher's Manual and Workbook.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sneider, Cary I.; Piccotto, Henri

The Science in Action series is designed to teach practical science concepts to special-needs students. It is intended to develop students' problem-solving skills by teaching them to observe, record, analyze, conclude, and predict. This document contains a student workbook which deals with basic principles of physical science. Six separate units…

Sound. Physical Science in Action. Teacher's Manual and Workbook.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chan, Janis Fisher; Friedland, Mary

The Science in Action series is designed to teach practical science concepts to special-needs students. It is intended to develop students' problem-solving skills by teaching them to observe, record, analyze, conclude, and predict. This document contains a student workbook which deals with basic principles of physical science. Six separate units…

Putting the “Spark” into Physical Science and Algebra

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dagenais, Andre; Pill, B.

2006-12-01

The presenters will describe a number of laboratory activities developed in collaboration with the Department of Electrical Engineering at the University of Delaware as part of their outreach program to help make math and science more authentic on the pre-college level. Lessons relating to electrical topics are often abstract and appropriate only for advanced students in math and science. We have devised lessons that rely on simple equipment. They promote skills that are included in National and State Standards. They emphasize the connections between math and science; they are appropriate for an algebra course, a physical science course, a PhysicsFirst course or a traditional physics course. Students benefit from seeing that what they learn in math and science courses can lead to cutting-edge work in areas such as passive wave imaging, photonics, wireless communication and high performance computing. The collaboration has been meaningful because it has motivated us to tailor our lessons to reflect what is happening in the research lab of our local university. Written materials for use in teacher training workshops will also be available. Funded by NSF Research Experience for Teachers(RET #0322633) program under the direction of Dr. Dennis Prather, University of Delaware Electrical Engineering

High School Physics Students' Personal Epistemologies and School Science Practice

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Alpaslan, Muhammet Mustafa; Yalvac, Bugrahan; Loving, Cathleen

2017-11-01

This case study explores students' physics-related personal epistemologies in school science practices. The school science practices of nine eleventh grade students in a physics class were audio-taped over 6 weeks. The students were also interviewed to find out their ideas on the nature of scientific knowledge after each activity. Analysis of transcripts yielded several epistemological resources that students activated in their school science practice. The findings show that there is inconsistency between students' definitions of scientific theories and their epistemological judgments. Analysis revealed that students used several epistemological resources to decide on the accuracy of their data including accuracy via following the right procedure and accuracy via what the others find. Traditional, formulation-based, physics instruction might have led students to activate naive epistemological resources that prevent them to participate in the practice of science in ways that are more meaningful. Implications for future studies are presented.

Sparking Women's Interest in Physics through Science Education

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Merali, Aliya; Wissel, S. A.; Ortiz, M.; Morgan, J. T.; Zwicker, A.

2011-10-01

As of 2010, less than 10% of the members of the APS division of plasma physics are female. Data from a 2005 AIP publication indicate that a lack of female presence in physics exists as early as high school and is perpetuated throughout the educational careers of women. Of the undergraduate programs run by PPPL, 16% of participants are female, and only 11% of participants that continue on to graduate school are female. In an effort to increase the exposure of young women to physics, we have expanded existing programs and initiated new programs such as a mentorship program and an energy focused essay contest. The goal of these programs is to bridge the gap between young and established women in science in order to increase young women's interest in the field of physics and thus increase the likelihood that they will continue on to study higher-level physics. Using data collected from participant surveys we have assessed the short-term effectiveness of PPPL programs in influencing young women to pursue careers in science and plasma physics. Ivie and Ray. AIP Publication Number R-430.02 (February 2005)

Constellation Architecture Team-Lunar: Lunar Habitat Concepts

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Toups, Larry; Kennedy, Kriss J.

2008-01-01

This paper will describe lunar habitat concepts that were defined as part of the Constellation Architecture Team-Lunar (CxAT-Lunar) in support of the Vision for Space Exploration. There are many challenges to designing lunar habitats such as mission objectives, launch packaging, lander capability, and risks. Surface habitats are required in support of sustaining human life to meet the mission objectives of lunar exploration, operations, and sustainability. Lunar surface operations consist of crew operations, mission operations, EVA operations, science operations, and logistics operations. Habitats are crewed pressurized vessels that include surface mission operations, science laboratories, living support capabilities, EVA support, logistics, and maintenance facilities. The challenge is to deliver, unload, and deploy self-contained habitats and laboratories to the lunar surface. The CxAT-Lunar surface campaign analysis focused on three primary trade sets of analysis. Trade set one (TS1) investigated sustaining a crew of four for six months with full outpost capability and the ability to perform long surface mission excursions using large mobility systems. Two basic habitat concepts of a hard metallic horizontal cylinder and a larger inflatable torus concept were investigated as options in response to the surface exploration architecture campaign analysis. Figure 1 and 2 depicts the notional outpost configurations for this trade set. Trade set two (TS2) investigated a mobile architecture approach with the campaign focused on early exploration using two small pressurized rovers and a mobile logistics support capability. This exploration concept will not be described in this paper. Trade set three (TS3) investigated delivery of a "core' habitation capability in support of an early outpost that would mature into the TS1 full outpost capability. Three core habitat concepts were defined for this campaign analysis. One with a four port core habitat, another with a 2 port

Two-dimensional habitat modeling in the Yellowstone/Upper Missouri River system

USGS Publications Warehouse

Waddle, T. J.; Bovee, K.D.; Bowen, Z.H.

1997-01-01

This study is being conducted to provide the aquatic biology component of a decision support system being developed by the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation. In an attempt to capture the habitat needs of Great Plains fish communities we are looking beyond previous habitat modeling methods. Traditional habitat modeling approaches have relied on one-dimensional hydraulic models and lumped compositional habitat metrics to describe aquatic habitat. A broader range of habitat descriptors is available when both composition and configuration of habitats is considered. Habitat metrics that consider both composition and configuration can be adapted from terrestrial biology. These metrics are most conveniently accessed with spatially explicit descriptors of the physical variables driving habitat composition. Two-dimensional hydrodynamic models have advanced to the point that they may provide the spatially explicit description of physical parameters needed to address this problem. This paper reports progress to date on applying two-dimensional hydraulic and habitat models on the Yellowstone and Missouri Rivers and uses examples from the Yellowstone River to illustrate the configurational metrics as a new tool for assessing riverine habitats.

Astrophysics and astronomy (Scientific session of the Physical Sciences Division of the Russian Academy of Sciences, 26 January 2011)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

2011-10-01

An Astrophysics and Astronomy scientific session of the Physical Sciences Division of the Russian Academy of Sciences (RAS) was held in the Conference Hall of the P N Lebedev Physical Institute, RAS, on 26 January 2011. The following reports were put on the session's agenda posted on the web site www.gpad.ac.ru of the Physical Sciences Division, RAS: (1) Cherepashchuk A M (Sternberg Astronomical Institute, Moscow State University, Moscow) "Investigation of X-ray sources"; (2) Shustov B M (Institute of Astronomy, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow) "Asteroid and comet hazards: physical and other aspects"; (3) Sazhin M V (Sternberg Astronomical Institute, Moscow State University, Moscow) "Search for cosmic strings"; (4) Zakharov A F (Russian Federation State Scientific Center 'A I Alikhanov Institute for Theoretical and Experimental Physics', Moscow) "Exoplanet search using gravitational microlensing". Papers written on the basis of the reports are published below. • Optical investigations of X-ray binary systems, A M Cherepashchuk Physics-Uspekhi, 2011, Volume 54, Number 10, Pages 1061-1067 • Asteroid and comet hazards: the role of physical sciences in solving the problem, B M Shustov Physics-Uspekhi, 2011, Volume 54, Number 10, Pages 1068-1071 • Search for cosmic strings using optical and radio astronomy methods, O S Sazhina, M V Sazhin, M Capaccioli, G Longo Physics-Uspekhi, 2011, Volume 54, Number 10, Pages 1072-1077 • Search for exoplanets using gravitational microlensing, A F Zakharov Physics-Uspekhi, 2011, Volume 54, Number 10, Pages 1077-1084

NASA's Plans for Materials Science on ISS: Cooperative Utilization of the MSRR-MSL

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Chiaramonte, Francis; Szofran, Frank

2008-01-01

The ISS Research Project draws Life (non-human) and Physical Sciences investigations on the ISS, free flyer and ground-based into one coordinated project. The project has two categories: I. Exploration Research Program: a) Utilizes the ISS as a low Technology Readiness Level (TRL) test bed for technology development, demonstration and problem resolution in the areas of life support, fire safety, power, propulsion, thermal management, materials technology, habitat design, etc.; b) Will include endorsement letters from other ETDP projects to show relevancy. II. Non-Exploration Research Program; a) Not directly related to supporting the human exploration program. Research conducted in the life (non-human) and physical sciences; b) The program will sustain, to the maximum extent practicable, the United States scientific expertise and research capability in fundamental microgravity research. Physical Sciences has about 44 grants, and Life Sciences has approximately 32 grants, mostly with universities, to conduct low TRL research; this includes grants to be awarded from the 2008 Fluid Physics and Life Science NRA's.

Cumulative and Synergistic Effects of Physical, Biological, and Acoustic Signals on Marine Mammal Habitat Use Physical Oceanography Component: Soundscapes Under Sea Ice: Can We Listen for Open Water?

DTIC Science & Technology

2013-09-30

Physical, Biological, and Acoustic Signals on Marine Mammal Habitat Use Physical Oceanography Component: Soundscapes Under Sea Ice: Can we listen for... Soundscapes Under Sea Ice: Can we listen for open water? 5a. CONTRACT NUMBER 5b. GRANT NUMBER 5c. PROGRAM ELEMENT NUMBER 6. AUTHOR(S) 5d...the source. These different sounds can be described as “ soundscapes ”, and graphically represented by comparing two or more features of the sound

Spacelab 1 - Scientific objectives, life sciences, space plasma physics, astronomy and solar physics

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Chappell, C. R.

1985-01-01

A general overview of the accomplishments of the Spacelab 1 complement to the Shuttle mission of Nov. 28, 1983, is presented. Consideration is given to scientific results in the fields of life sciences, materials sciences, atmospheric physics, and earth observations. A table is given which lists the scientific objectives and the percentage of objectives accomplished in each field.

The areal extent of brown shrimp habitat suitability in Mobile Bay, Alabama, USA: Targeting vegetated habitat restoration

USGS Publications Warehouse

Smith, L.M.; Nestlerode, J.A.; Harwell, L.C.; Bourgeois, P.

2010-01-01

The availability of wetlands and shallow water habitats significantly influences Gulf of Mexico (GOM) penaeid shrimp fishery productivity. However, the GOM region has the highest rate of wetland loss in the USA. Protection and management of these vital GOM habitats are critical to sustainable shrimp fisheries. Brown shrimp (Farfantepenaeus aztecus) are a major component of GOM fisheries. We present an approach for estimating the areal extent of suitable habitat for post-larval and juvenile brown shrimp in Mobile Bay, Alabama, using an existing habitat suitability index model for the northern GOM calculated from probabilistic survey of water quality and sediment data, land cover data, and submerged aquatic vegetation coverages. This estuarine scale approach is intended to support targeted protection and restoration of these habitats. These analyses indicate that approximately 60% of the area of Mobile Bay is categorized as suitable to near optimal for post-larval and juvenile shrimp and 38% of the area is marginally to minimally suitable. We identify potential units within Mobile Bay for targeted restoration to improve habitat suitability. ?? 2010 Springer Science+Business Media B.V.

Resources and approaches for teaching physics to pre-health and life science majors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Widenhorn, Ralf

2014-03-01

As science is advancing, the skill set for a physician or medical researcher today and in the future is very different than it has been in the past. As an example, the American Association of Medical Colleges revised the Medical College Admissions Test (MCAT) to reflect this dynamic environment. Because of these changes, the needs of students entering into these professions are often not met by a traditional physics course. Developing curriculum for an introductory physics course that helps to prepare life science and pre-health students can be challenging for many physics instructors who lack a strong foundation in biology or medicine. This presentation will address various approaches that physics instructors without a background in life sciences can use to successfully teach an introductory physics course for life science and pre-heath students. For these courses, an online resource may be a useful tool. Online resources already exist today, but their utility relies on active engagement and sharing of teaching material by physics instructors possessing a background in both physics and the life sciences. This talk will address ways for the biomedical physics community to contribute to this effort.

Practitioners' Ideas on Laboratory Skills Competencies Needed for Physical Science Teachers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

James, Robert K.; Schaaf, Joel

1975-01-01

In order to determine the competencies needed for teaching secondary physical science a survey of a sample of physical science teachers in Kansas secondary schools was conducted. The major competencies reported could be classified under the following general headings: equipment purchase and operation, maintenance of laboratory safety, and…

Grasslands. Habitat Ecology Learning Program (HELP). Teachers' Manual.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wildlife Conservation Society, Bronx, NY.

The goal of this guide is to address a major environmental dilemma: worldwide habitat destruction and the disappearance of species. This guide is one of six that are included in the Habitat Ecology Learning Program (HELP), a holistic life science curriculum that involves students in an in-depth study of ecology. HELP includes six teaching guides…

Deserts. Habitat Ecology Learning Program (HELP). Teachers' Manual.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wildlife Conservation Society, Bronx, NY.

The goal of this guide is to address a major environmental dilemma: worldwide habitat destruction and the disappearance of species. This guide is one of six that are included in the Habitat Ecology Learning Program (HELP), a holistic life science curriculum that involves students in an in-depth study of ecology. HELP includes six teaching guides…

Deep Time Ecosystem Engineers: The Correlation between Palaeozoic Vegetation, Evolution of Physical Riverine Habitats, and Plant and Animal Terrestrialization

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Davies, N. S.; Gibling, M. R.

2012-04-01

Evidence from the deep time geological record attests to the fundamental importance of plant life to the construction of physical habitats within fluvial environments. Data from an extensive literature review and original fieldwork has demonstrated that many landforms and geomorphic features present in modern river systems do not appear in the deep time stratigraphic record until terrestrial vegetation had adopted certain evolutionary advances that enabled them: for example, stable point bars are associated with the development of deep rooting in the Siluro-Devonian and avulsive anabranching fluvial systems appear at the same time as extensive arborescent vegetation in the Carboniferous. In this presentation, we demonstrate a correlation between the diversification of physical fluvial sedimentary environments and the expansion of terrestrial fauna and flora throughout the Cambrian to Carboniferous, and offer an explanation for this observation that considers plants as ecosystem engineers on an evolutionary timescale. Many extrinsic factors have been considered when attempting to identify controls on the evolutionary timelines of terrestrialization for various different organisms. Factors such as O2 and CO2 levels in the atmosphere, climatic events, global tectonic organisation, sea-level changes, extinction events, weathering rates and nutrient supply are all known to have played a role. However, another factor is likely to have been a fundamental prerequisite for achieving terrestrial biodiversity: the variety of physical habitats available for newly evolved organisms. In fluvial environments, this is a function of the diversity of hydrodynamic regimes (both temporal and spatial) within the world's river systems. In a world where only sheet-like ephemeral braided rivers existed, such as appears to be the case in pre-vegetation settings, both the geographic extent of riparian margins and the diversity of hydrodynamic regimes would be minimal. However, as fluvial

Feasibility of Integration of Selected Aspects of (CBA) Chemistry, (CHEMS) Chemistry and (PSSC) Physics into a Two Year Physical Science Sequence.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fiasca, Michael Aldo

Compared, for selected outcomes, were integrated chemistry-physics courses with chemistry and physics courses taught separately. Three classes studying integrated Physical Science Study Committee (PSSC)-Chemical Bond Approach (CBA), and three classes studying integrated Physical Science Study Committee-Chemical Education Materials Study (CHEMS)…

Beyond habitat structure: Landscape heterogeneity explains the monito del monte (Dromiciops gliroides) occurrence and behavior at habitats dominated by exotic trees.

PubMed

Salazar, Daniela A; Fontúrbel, Francisco E

2016-09-01

Habitat structure determines species occurrence and behavior. However, human activities are altering natural habitat structure, potentially hampering native species due to the loss of nesting cavities, shelter or movement pathways. The South American temperate rainforest is experiencing an accelerated loss and degradation, compromising the persistence of many native species, and particularly of the monito del monte (Dromiciops gliroides Thomas, 1894), an arboreal marsupial that plays a key role as seed disperser. Aiming to compare 2 contrasting habitats (a native forest and a transformed habitat composed of abandoned Eucalyptus plantations and native understory vegetation), we assessed D. gliroides' occurrence using camera traps and measured several structural features (e.g. shrub and bamboo cover, deadwood presence, moss abundance) at 100 camera locations. Complementarily, we used radio telemetry to assess its spatial ecology, aiming to depict a more complete scenario. Moss abundance was the only significant variable explaining D. gliroides occurrence between habitats, and no structural variable explained its occurrence at the transformed habitat. There were no differences in home range, core area or inter-individual overlapping. In the transformed habitats, tracked individuals used native and Eucalyptus-associated vegetation types according to their abundance. Diurnal locations (and, hence, nesting sites) were located exclusively in native vegetation. The landscape heterogeneity resulting from the vicinity of native and Eucalyptus-associated vegetation likely explains D. gliroides occurrence better than the habitat structure itself, as it may be use Eucalyptus-associated vegetation for feeding purposes but depend on native vegetation for nesting. © 2016 International Society of Zoological Sciences, Institute of Zoology/Chinese Academy of Sciences and John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd.

From the history of physics (Scientific session of the General Meeting of the Physical Sciences Division of the Russian Academy of Sciences, 17 December 2012)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

2013-05-01

A scientific session of the General Meeting of the Physical Sciences Division of the Russian Academy of Sciences (RAS) was held in the conference hall of the Lebedev Physical Institute, RAS on 17 December 2012.The following reports were put on the session's agenda posted on the website http://www.gpad.ac.ru of the RAS Physical Sciences Division: (1) Dianov E M (Fiber Optics Research Center, RAS, Moscow) "On the threshold of a peta era"; (2) Zabrodskii A G (Ioffe Physical Technical Institute, RAS, St. Petersburg) "Scientists' contribution to the great victory in WWII using the example of the Leningrad (now A F Ioffe) Physical Technical Institute"; (3) Ilkaev R I (Russian Federal Nuclear Center --- All-Russian Research Institute of Experimental Physics, Sarov) "Major stages of the Soviet Atomic Project"; (4) Cherepashchuk A M (Sternberg State Astronomical Institute of Lomonosov Moscow State University, Moscow) "History of the Astronomy history ". Papers written on the basis of the reports are published below. • On the Threshold of Peta-era, E M Dianov Physics-Uspekhi, 2013, Volume 56, Number 5, Pages 486-492 • Scientists' contribution to the Great Victory in WWII on the example of the Leningrad (now A F Ioffe) Physical Technical Institute, A G Zabrodskii Physics-Uspekhi, 2013, Volume 56, Number 5, Pages 493-502 • Major stages of the Atomic Project, R I Ilkaev Physics-Uspekhi, 2013, Volume 56, Number 5, Pages 502-509 • History of the Universe History, A M Cherepashchuk Physics-Uspekhi, 2013, Volume 56, Number 5, Pages 509-530

Causal modeling of secondary science students' intentions to enroll in physics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Crawley, Frank E.; Black, Carolyn B.

The purpose of this study was to explore the utility of the theory of planned behavior model developed by social psychologists for understanding and predicting the behavioral intentions of secondary science students regarding enrolling in physics. In particular, the study used a three-stage causal model to investigate the links from external variables to behavioral, normative, and control beliefs; from beliefs to attitudes, subjective norm, and perceived behavioral control; and from attitudes, subjective norm, and perceived behavioral control to behavioral intentions. The causal modeling method was employed to verify the underlying causes of secondary science students' interest in enrolling physics as predicted in the theory of planned behavior. Data were collected from secondary science students (N = 264) residing in a central Texas city who were enrolled in earth science (8th grade), biology (9th grade), physical science (10th grade), or chemistry (11th grade) courses. Cause-and-effect relationships were analyzed using path analysis to test the direct effects of model variables specified in the theory of planned behavior. Results of this study indicated that students' intention to enroll in a high school physics course was determined by their attitude toward enrollment and their degree of perceived behavioral control. Attitude, subjective norm, and perceived behavioral control were, in turn, formed as a result of specific beliefs that students held about enrolling in physics. Grade level and career goals were found to be instrumental in shaping students' attitude. Immediate family members were identified as major referents in the social support system for enrolling in physics. Course and extracurricular conflicts and the fear of failure were shown to be the primary beliefs obstructing students' perception of control over physics enrollment. Specific recommendations are offered to researchers and practitioners for strengthening secondary school students

Science Education Research vs. Physics Education Research: A Structural Comparison

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Akarsu, Bayram

2010-01-01

The main goal of this article is to introduce physics education research (PER) to researchers in other fields. Topics include discussion of differences between science education research (SER) and physics education research (PER), physics educators, research design and methodology in physics education research and current research traditions and…

A Physics-Inspired Introduction to Political Science

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Taagepera, Rein

1976-01-01

This paper analyzes what is involved in patterning part of an introduction to politics along the lines of physical sciences, and it presents contents and results of a course in which the author did this. (Author/ND)

Ideas and Activities for Physical Science.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chiappetta, Eugene L., Ed.

This manual is designed to supplement an existing physical science curriculum and to assist in providing the learning experiences required to implement an effective course. The first chapter outlines the purposes of this manual and provides a set of teaching tips. Topics such as electricity, wave motion, light, sound, periodic table and nuclear…

Factors that affect the physical science career interest of female students: Testing five common hypotheses

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hazari, Zahra; Potvin, Geoff; Lock, Robynne M.; Lung, Florin; Sonnert, Gerhard; Sadler, Philip M.

2013-12-01

There are many hypotheses regarding factors that may encourage female students to pursue careers in the physical sciences. Using multivariate matching methods on national data drawn from the Persistence Research in Science and Engineering (PRiSE) project (n=7505), we test the following five commonly held beliefs regarding what factors might impact females’ physical science career interest: (i) having a single-sex physics class, (ii) having a female physics teacher, (iii) having female scientist guest speakers in physics class, (iv) discussing the work of female scientists in physics class, and (v) discussing the underrepresentation of women in physics class. The effect of these experiences on physical science career interest is compared for female students who are matched on several factors, including prior science interests, prior mathematics interests, grades in science, grades in mathematics, and years of enrollment in high school physics. No significant effects are found for single-sex classes, female teachers, female scientist guest speakers, and discussing the work of female scientists. However, discussions about women’s underrepresentation have a significant positive effect.

High School Physics Students' Personal Epistemologies and School Science Practice

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Alpaslan, Muhammet Mustafa; Yalvac, Bugrahan; Loving, Cathleen

2017-01-01

This case study explores students' physics-related personal epistemologies in school science practices. The school science practices of nine eleventh grade students in a physics class were audio-taped over 6 weeks. The students were also interviewed to find out their ideas on the nature of scientific knowledge after each activity. Analysis of…

The creation of science projects in the physics teachers preparation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Horváthová, Daniela; Rakovská, Mária; Zelenický, Ľubomír

2017-01-01

Terms - project, projecting and the method of projecting - are nowadays frequently used in different relations. Those terms, especially as methods (of a cognitive process), are also transferred to the educational process. Before a new educational method comes to practice, the teacher should be familiar with it and preferably when it is done so during his university studies. An optional subject called Physics in a system of science subjects has been included into physics curricula for students of the fourth year of their studies at the Faculty of Science of Constantine the Philosopher University in Nitra. Its task is to make students aware of ways how to coordinate knowledge and instructions presented in these subjects through analysis of curricula and textbooks. As a part of their seminars students are asked to create integrated tasks and experiments which can be assessed from the point of view of either physics or chemistry or biology and which can motivate pupils and form their complex view on various phenomena in the nature. Therefore the article discusses theoretical and also practical questions related to experience that originates from placing the mentioned method and the subject Physics in a system of science subjects into the preparation of a natural sciences teacher in our workplace.

Vision and change in introductory physics for the life sciences

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mochrie, S. G. J.

2016-07-01

Since 2010, our physics department has offered a re-imagined calculus-based introductory physics sequence for the life sciences. These courses include a selection of biologically and medically relevant topics that we believe are more meaningful to undergraduate premedical and biological science students than those found in a traditional course. In this paper, we highlight new aspects of the first-semester course, and present a comparison of student evaluations of this course versus a more traditional one. We also present the effect on student perception of the relevance of physics to biology and medicine after having taken this course.

Physics First: Impact of course sequencing on the attitudes of female students toward science

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

O'Connor, Linda Miller

This study was causal-comparative research to determine if there is any relationship between course sequencing and female students' attitudes toward science and their intent to participate in advanced level science courses or pursue science related careers. Physics First promotes the reversal of the traditional sequencing of high school science courses (biology, chemistry and physics) to physics, chemistry and biology or a two or three year integrated European science approach. Physics as a first year high school course of study necessitates changing the course approach to a more conceptual approach and less mathematical and theoretical. Eleventh grade students from two suburban Chicago high schools comprised the sample. The two schools were judged to be extremely similar in their demographic make-up as reported in the 2002 Illinois School Report Card. The notable difference between the schools being the science course sequence recommended for average and above average students. The sample responded to a scanable questionnaire consisting of demographic data and the Test of Science Related Attitudes (TOSRA). TOSRA is a seventy item Likert Scale instrument that addresses attitudes in seven domains; social implications of science, normality of scientists, attitude toward inquiry, adoption of scientific attitudes, enjoyment of science lessons, leisure interest in science, and career interest in science. Values from 1-50 are obtained for each domain with no overall attitude value assigned. The research found that girls in general had significantly more positive attitudes toward science in all seven of the measured domains and the females from the traditional approach were more positive than the females from the Physics First approach. Girls from the traditional approach also reported intent to take high-level (AP) science courses in their senior year at a significantly higher rate than did the girls in Physics First. Neither science approach showed any significance in

Does Everyone's Motivational Beliefs about Physical Science Decline in Secondary School?: Heterogeneity of Adolescents' Achievement Motivation Trajectories in Physics and Chemistry.

PubMed

Wang, Ming-Te; Chow, Angela; Degol, Jessica Lauren; Eccles, Jacquelynne Sue

2017-08-01

Students' motivational beliefs about learning physical science are critical for achieving positive educational outcomes. In this study, we incorporated expectancy-value theory to capture the heterogeneity of adolescents' motivational trajectories in physics and chemistry from seventh to twelfth grade and linked these trajectories to science-related outcomes. We used a cross-sequential design based on three different cohorts of adolescents (N = 699; 51.5 % female; 95 % European American; M ages for youngest, middle, and oldest cohorts at the first wave = 13.2, 14.1, and 15.3 years) coming from ten public secondary schools. Although many studies claim that physical science motivation declines on average over time, we identified seven differential motivational trajectories of ability self-concept and task values, and found associations of these trajectories with science achievement, advanced science course taking, and science career aspirations. Adolescents' ability self-concept and task values in physics and chemistry were also positively related and interlinked over time. Examining how students' motivational beliefs about physical science develop in secondary school offers insight into the capacity of different groups of students to successfully adapt to their changing educational environments.

Teaching the Teachers: Physical Science for the Non-Scientific

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Michels, D. J.; Pickert, S. M.; Montrose, C. J.; Thompson, J. L.

2004-12-01

The Catholic University of America, in collaboration with the Solar Physics Branch of the Naval Research Laboratory and the Goddard Space Flight Center, has begun development of an experimental, inquiry-driven and standards-referenced physical science course for undergraduate, pre-service K-8 teachers. The course is team-taught by faculty from the University's Departments of Education and Physics and NRL solar physics research personnel. Basic physical science concepts are taught in the context of the Sun and Sun-Earth Connections, through direct observation, web-based solar data, and images and movies from ongoing space missions. The Sun can illuminate, in ways that cannot be duplicated with comparable clarity in the laboratory, the basics of magnetic and gravitational force fields, Newton's Laws, and light and optics. The immediacy of the connection to ongoing space research and live mission data serves as well to inspire student interest and curiosity. Teaching objectives include pedagogical methods, especially hands-on and observational experiences appropriate to the physics content and the K-8 classroom. The CUA Program, called TOPS! (Top Teachers of Physical Science!) has completed its first year of classroom experience; the first few batches of Program graduates should be in K-8 classrooms in time to capitalize on the motivational opportunities offered by the 2007-2008 IHY and IPY. We present data on the attitudinal and scientific progress of fifteen pre-service Early Childhood and Elementary Education majors as they experienced, many for the first time, the marvels of attractive and repulsive forces, live observations of solar system dynamics, access to real-time satellite data and NASA educational resources.

Effects of spatial habitat heterogeneity on habitat selection and annual fecundity for a migratory forest songbird

USGS Publications Warehouse

Cornell, K.L.; Donovan, T.M.

2010-01-01

Understanding how spatial habitat patterns influence abundance and dynamics of animal populations is a primary goal in landscape ecology. We used an information-theoretic approach to investigate the association between habitat patterns at multiple spatial scales and demographic patterns for black-throated blue warblers (Dendroica caerulescens) at 20 study sites in west-central Vermont, USA from 2002 to 2005. Sites were characterized by: (1) territory-scale shrub density, (2) patch-scale shrub density occurring within 25 ha of territories, and (3) landscape-scale habitat patterns occurring within 5 km radius extents of territories. We considered multiple population parameters including abundance, age ratios, and annual fecundity. Territory-scale shrub density was most important for determining abundance and age ratios, but landscape-scale habitat structure strongly influenced reproductive output. Sites with higher territory-scale shrub density had higher abundance, and were more likely to be occupied by older, more experienced individuals compared to sites with lower shrub density. However, annual fecundity was higher on sites located in contiguously forested landscapes where shrub density was lower than the fragmented sites. Further, effects of habitat pattern at one spatial scale depended on habitat conditions at different scales. For example, abundance increased with increasing territory-scale shrub density, but this effect was much stronger in fragmented landscapes than in contiguously forested landscapes. These results suggest that habitat pattern at different spatial scales affect demographic parameters in different ways, and that effects of habitat patterns at one spatial scale depends on habitat conditions at other scales. ?? Springer Science+Business Media B.V. 2009.

Considering direct and indirect habitat influences on stream biota in eco-geomorphology research to better understand, model, and manage riverine ecosystems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cienciala, P.; Nelson, A. D.

2017-12-01

The field of fluvial eco-geomorphology strives to improve the understanding of interactions between physical and biological processes in running waters. This body of research has greatly contributed to the advancement of integrated river science and management. Arguably, the most popular research themes in eco-geomorphology include hydrogemorphic controls of habitat quality and effects of disturbances such as floods, sediment transport events or sediment accumulation. However, in contrast to the related field of ecology, the distinction between direct and indirect mechanisms which may affect habitat quality and biotic response to disturbance has been poorly explored in eco-geomorphic research. This knowledge gap poses an important challenge for interpretations of field observations and model development. In this research, using the examples of benthic invertebrates and fish, we examine the importance of direct and indirect influences that geomorphic and hydraulic processes may exert on stream biota. We also investigate their implications for modeling of organism-habitat relationships. To achieve our goal, we integrate field and remote sensing data from montane streams in the Pacific Northwest region with habitat models. Preliminary results indicate that indirect hydrogeomorphic influences of stream organisms, such as those mediated by altered availability of food resources, can be as important as direct influences (e.g. physical disturbance). We suggest that these findings may also have important implications for modeling of riverine habitat.

Fighting for physics and Earth science in Florida's high schools

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cottle, Paul

2009-11-01

During its Spring 2009 session, the Florida Legislature considered a bill that would have suspended its comprehensive standardized test in high school science and substituted an end-of-course test in biology to satisfy the requirements of the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act. By doing so, the bill would have further deemphasized high school physics and Earth science in a state where physics courses are sometimes not available in high schools (even in International Baccalaureate programs) and where the state's own statistics say that only 16% of high school graduates have taken a physics course. A group of about one hundred science faculty from thirteen colleges and universities in Florida responded with a letter to Governor Crist and visits to legislators asking that the biology-only provisions be defeated (and they were). The group has now produced a white paper on high school science requirements that has been distributed to government and business leaders and been publicized via op-ed pieces and news items in several media outlets statewide. This poster will describe the situation in Florida and the faculty group's efforts. It will also compare Florida's high school requirements in science with those in the other SESAPS states.

Integration of students with physical impairment in Canadian university rehabilitation sciences programs.

PubMed

Guitard, Paulette; Duguay, Elise; Thériault, France-Andrée; Sirois, Nathalie Julie; Lajoie, Mélissa

2010-03-01

The purpose of this research was two-fold. First, it sought to determine if Canadian rehabilitation science programs are equipped to admit students with physical impairments and, second, to document the experience of these students. A survey (questionnaire) conducted among all Canadian university rehabilitation science programs (n=34) and interviews with students with physical impairments (n=3) from one university help better delineate this problem. Twenty-three programs completed the survey. Of these, 21 (91%) rehabilitation science programs have admitted students with a variety of physical impairments. Programs have access to their university's Special Service Center to help answer the needs of these students. Strategies have been developed to overcome the difficulties encountered and to meet the programs' requirements. Canadian university rehabilitation science programs seem well equipped to facilitate the integration of individuals with physical impairments. Students report a positive university experience; however, they voice several recommendations to smooth the integration process. Although significant efforts have been made to facilitate the integration process of students with physical limitations, adjustments are still warranted.

Factors that encourage females to pursue physical science careers: Testing five common hypotheses

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hazari, Zahra; Potvin, Geoff; Lock, Robynne M.; Lung, Florin; Sadler, Philip M.; Sonnert, Gerhard

2012-03-01

There are many hypotheses regarding factors that may encourage female students to pursue careers in the physical sciences. Using Propensity Score Matching (PSM) on national data (n=7505) drawn from the Persistence Research in Science and Engineering (PRiSE) project, we test five commonly held beliefs including having a single-sex physics class, having a female physics teacher, having female scientist guest speakers in physics class, discussing the work of women scientists in physics class, and discussing the under-representation of women in physics class. The effect of these experiences is compared for female students who are matched on several factors, including parental education, prior science/math interests, and academic background, thereby controlling for the effect of many confounding variables.

The Science Shop for Physics: an interface between practical problems in society and physical knowledge

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

van den Berg, G. P.

1998-03-01

Since some 20 years most Dutch universities have one or more science shops. Central shops handle research questions for all disciplines. Specialized shops are part of a department of chemistry or medicine, history, social science, etc. The shops have evolved rather differently, but their main mission still is to help social groups that lack money and have no easy access to scientific knowledge, e.g. neighbourhood, environmental, third world or patient groups. Most also help non-commercial organizations such as schools, trade unions or local authorities. Low-cost help can be provided because students do the work as part of their training, mainly in student projects (literature search, practical work, graduation, etc.). A total staff of 80, helped by 600 students, 250 voluntary and 50 paid researchers, handle 1500 questions resulting in 300 reports (estimated figures 1995). Science shops for physics (`Physics Shop', PS) have to deal with practical problems, generally involving classical physics. Major topics are noise, vibration, radiation, indoor climate and energy: most of the work lies in estimating/measuring relevant parameters, assessing impact, seeking solutions. The 3 Dutch PS's have developed in different directions. One is run entirely by students and deals with small, concrete problems. The second PS is managed by a co-ordinator who mediates between client groups and physics staff members who assist students in small and larger projects. The third has a lot of in-house expertise, and the shop staff is in direct contact with client groups as well as students who work in the PS itself. In questions submitted to the PS it is not always immediately clear what to do or how to do it because of the non-scientific phrasing of the problems and problems include non-physical (e.g. technical, health or legal) aspects. Also, difficulties in solving the problems are typically not in the underlying physics, but in the lack of accurate data and of control of the complex

Static Atmospheres in a Rotating Space Habitat.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McKinley, John M.

1980-01-01

Discusses O'Neill's proposal for the colonization of space as it offers new problems in pure physics. Addresses specifically the distribution of the atmosphere in O'Neill's habitat and whether there will be enough air at the axis of rotation to allow human-powered flight, with particular reference to the habitat's "artificial gravity."…

Physical habitat predictors of Manayunkia speciosa distribution in the Klamath River and implications for management of Ceratomyxa shasta, a parasite with a complex life cycle

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jordan, M. S.; Alexander, J. D.; Grant, G. E.; Bartholomew, J. L.

2011-12-01

Management strategies for parasites with complex life cycles may target not the parasite itself, but one of the alternate hosts. One approach is to decrease habitat for the alternate host, and in river systems flow manipulations may be employed. Two-dimensional hydraulic models can be powerful tools for predicting the relationship between flow alterations and changes in physical habit, however they require a rigorous definition of physical habitat for the organism of interest. We present habitat characterization data for the case of the alternate host of a salmonid parasite and introduce how it will be used in conjunction with a 2-dimensional hydraulic model. Ceratomyxa shasta is a myxozoan parasite of salmonids that requires a freshwater polychaete Manayunkia speciosa to complete its life cycle. Manayunkia speciosa is a small (3mm) benthic filter-feeding worm that attaches itself perpendicularly to substrate through construction of a flexible tube. In the Klamath River, CA/OR, C. shasta causes significant juvenile salmon mortality, imposing social and economic losses on commercial, sport and tribal fisheries. An interest in manipulating habitat for the polychaete host to decrease the abundance of C. shasta has therefore developed. Unfortunately, there are limited data on the habitat requirements of M. speciosa or the influence of streamflow regime and hydraulics on population dynamics and infection prevalence. This work aims to address these data needs by identifying physical habitat variables that influence the distribution of M. speciosa and determining the relationship between those variables, M. speciosa population density, and C. shasta infection prevalence. Biological samples were collected from nine sites representing three river features (runs, pools, and eddies) within the Klamath River during the summer and fall of 2010 and 2011. Environmental data including depth, velocity, and substrate, were collected at each polychaete sampling location. We tested

Conceptual change in pre-service science teachers' views on nature of science when learning a unit on the physics of waves

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kattoula, Ehsan Habib

Recent reform efforts in science education have culminated in National Science Education Standards (NSES), which include the nature of science and science inquiry themes across all grade levels. Consideration must be given to pre-service science teachers' nature of science conceptions and their perceived roles in implementing the nature of science in the science classroom. This qualitative study investigates how pre-service science teachers' views about the nature of science develop and change when learning a college physics unit on waves in an urban university. The study uses case study methodology with four pre-service science teachers as individual units of analysis. Data regarding the participants' views about the nature of science were collected before and after the instruction on the physics of waves unit. The research design used 'The Views of Nature of Science/Views of Scientific Inquiry-Physics Questionnaire' followed by structured interviews throughout the wave unit. In addition, the participants responded to daily questions that incorporated nature of science themes and constructed concept maps regarding the physics content and their nature of science understanding. After completing the VNOS/VOSI-PHYS questionnaire the pre-service science teachers' views of the nature of science were found to be mainly naive and transitional before the instruction. At the end of the wave unit instruction, the data indicated that conceptual change occurred in participants' nature of science views, shifting toward informed views. The findings of this study provide evidence that using explicit instruction with specific activities, such as experiments and concept mapping, shifted the pre-service science teachers' views away from naive and toward informed.

Exemplary Programs in Physics, Chemistry, Biology, and Earth Science.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Yager, Robert E., Ed.

The 1982 Search for Excellence in Science Education project has identified 50 exemplary programs in physics, chemistry, biology, and earth science. Descriptions of four of these programs and the criteria used in their selection are presented. The first section reviews the direction established by Project Synthesis in searching for exemplary…

Exploring what contributes to the knowledge development of secondary physics and physical science teachers in a continuous professional development context

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nelms, April Wagnon

This dissertation used qualitative methodologies, specifically phenomenological research, to investigate what contributes to the development of pedagogical content knowledge (PCK) of physics and physical science teachers who participate in a content-specific continuous professional development program. There were five participants in this study. The researcher conducted participant observations and interviews, rated participants degree of reformed teaching practices using the Reformed Teaching Observation Protocol, surveyed participants' self-efficacy beliefs using the Science Teacher Efficacy Belief Instrument "A," and rated participants'' level of PCK using the PCK Rubrics.. All data were analyzed, and a composite description of what contributes to physics and physical science teachers' PCK development through a continuous professional development program emerged. A theory also emerged from the participants' experiences pertaining to how teachers' assimilate new conditions into their existing teaching schema, how conditions change teachers' perceptions of their practice, and outcomes of teachers' new ideas towards their practice. This study contributed to the literature by suggesting emergent themes and a theory on the development of physics and physical science teachers' PCK. PCK development is theorized to be a spiral process incorporating new conditions into the spiral as teachers employ new science content knowledge and pedagogical practices in their individual classroom contexts.

Physical, chemical, and biological data for four wetland habitats in Canaan Valley, West Virginia

USGS Publications Warehouse

Chambers, D.B.

1996-01-01

This report contains data collected during 1992 as part of a project designed to identify microenvironmental factors affecting rates of denitrification in wetlands in Canaan Valley, West Virginia. Four wetland habitats were selected for the study--a moss-lichen wetland, a persistent emergent wetland, a scrub-shrub wetland, and a riverine wetland. Physical, chemical, and biological characteristics of each habitat were determined by field measurements and laboratory analyses. Samples were collected in March, June, August, and October. Sediment pH, temperature, and oxidation-reduction potential were measured in the field. Sediment samples were analyzed for concentrations of calcium, sodium, magnesium, potassium, nitrate and nitrite, ammonia, ammonia plus organic nitrogen, phosphorus, inorganic carbon, and total carbon. The most probable number of denitrifying bacteria was determined by a multiple-tube test. The dominant plant species were identified by plant-community analysis. The moss-lichen wetland was characterized by low pH (3.4 to 5.0) and small populations of denitrifying bacteria (70 to 400 per gram of wet soil). The scrub-shrub wetland was also acidic (pH 4.0 to 5.0), but supported larger numbers of denitrifying bacteria (510 to 11,000 per gram of wet soil). The number of denitrifying bacteria in the persistent emergent wetland exceeded 1,000,000 per gram of wet soil in early summer and pH in this habitat was higher (5.1 to 6.6) than in the bogs. Riverine wetland pH ranged from 5.4 to 6.9, and the number of denitrifying bacteria ranged from 200 to 11,000 per gram of wet soil.

Temperate Forests. Habitat Ecology Learning Program (HELP). Teachers' Manual.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wildlife Conservation Society, Bronx, NY.

The goal of this guide is to address a major environmental dilemma: worldwide habitat destruction and the disappearance of species. This guide is one of six that are included in the Habitat Ecology Learning Program (HELP), a holistic life science curriculum that involves students in an in-depth study of ecology. HELP includes six teaching guides…

Physical Change. Learning in Science Project. Working Paper No. 26.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cosgrove, Mark; Osborne, Roger

One area explored in the second (in-depth) phase of the Learning in Science Project was "children's science," defined as views of the world and the meanings for words that children have and bring with them to science lessons. The investigation reported focuses on students' (N=43) views of physical change associated with boiling, melting,…

Ultracold atoms and their applications (Scientific session of the Physical Sciences Division of the Russian Academy of Sciences, 28 October 2015)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

2016-02-01

A scientific session of the Physical Sciences Division of the Russian Academy of Sciences (RAS), "Ultracold atoms and their applications", was held in the conference hall of the Lebedev Physical Institute, RAS, on 28 October 2015.The papers collected in this issue were written based on talks given at the session:(1) Vishnyakova G A, Golovizin A A, Kalganova E S, Tregubov D O, Khabarova K Yu (Lebedev Physical Institute, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow; Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology (State University), Dolgoprudnyi, Moscow region), Sorokin V N, Sukachev D D, Kolachevsky N N (Lebedev Physical Institute, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow) "Ultracold lanthanides: from optical clock to a quantum simulator"; (2) Barmashova T V, Martiyanov K A, Makhalov V B (Institute of Applied Physics, Russian Academy of Sciences, Nizhny Novgorod), Turlapov A V (Institute of Applied Physics, Russian Academy of Sciences, Nizhny Novgorod; Lobachevsky State University of Nizhny Novgorod, Nizhny Novgorod) "Fermi liquid to Bose condensate crossover in a two-dimensional ultracold gas experiment"; (3) Taichenachev A V, Yudin V I, Bagayev S N (Institute of Laser Physics, Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Novosibirsk; Novosibirsk State University, Novosibirsk) "Ultraprecise optical frequency standards based on ultracold atoms: state of the art and prospects"; (4) Ryabtsev I I, Beterov I I, Tretyakov D B, Entin V M, Yakshina E A (Rzhanov Institute of Semiconductor Physics, Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Novosibirsk; Novosibirsk State University, Novosibirsk) "Spectroscopy of cold rubidium Rydberg atoms for applications in quantum information". • Ultracold lanthanides: from optical clock to a quantum simulator, G A Vishnyakova, A A Golovizin, E S Kalganova, V N Sorokin, D D Sukachev, D O Tregubov, K Yu Khabarova, N N Kolachevsky Physics-Uspekhi, 2016, Volume 59, Number 2, Pages 168-173 • Fermi liquid-to-Bose condensate crossover in a two

SMALL MAMMALS: CONSEQUENCES OF STOCHASTIC DATA VARIATION FOR MODELING INDICATORS OF HABITAT SUITABILITY FOR A WELL-STUDIED RESOURCE

EPA Science Inventory

Increasingly, models of physical habitat variables (i.e. vegetation, soil) are utilized as indicators of small mammal habitat suitability or quality. Presumably, use of physical habitat models indicating habitat suitability or quality would be improved and enhanced by the extens...

The first lunar outpost: The design reference mission and a new era in lunar science

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lofgren, Gary E.

1993-01-01

The content of the First Lunar Outpost (FLO) Design Reference Mission has been formulated and a 'strawman' science program has been established. The mission consists of two independent launches using heavy lift vehicles that land directly on the lunar surface. A habitat module and support systems are flown to the Moon first. After confirmation of a successful deployment of the habitat systems, the crewed lunar lander is launched and piloted to within easy walking distance (2 km) of the habitat. By eliminating the Apollo style lunar orbit rendezvous, landing sites at very high latitudes can be considered. A surface rover and the science experiments will accompany the crew. The planned stay time is 45 days, two lunar days and one night. A payload of 3.3 metric tons will support a series of geophysics, geology, astronomy, space physics, resource utilization, and life science experiments. Sample return is 150 to 200 kg. The rover is unpressurized and can carry four astronauts or two astronauts and 500 kg of payload. The rover can also operate in robotic mode with the addition of a robotics package. The science and engineering experiment strategy is built around a representative set of place holder experiments.

Linking hydrologic, physical and chemical habitat environments for the potential assessment of fish community rehabilitation in a developing city

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhao, C. S.; Yang, S. T.; Liu, C. M.; Dou, T. W.; Yang, Z. L.; Yang, Z. Y.; Liu, X. L.; Xiang, H.; Nie, S. Y.; Zhang, J. L.; Mitrovic, S. M.; Yu, Q.; Lim, R. P.

2015-04-01

Aquatic ecological rehabilitation is increasingly attracting considerable public and research attention. An effective method that requires less data and expertise would help in the assessment of rehabilitation potential and in the monitoring of rehabilitation activities as complicated theories and excessive data requirements on assemblage information make many current assessment models expensive and limit their wide use. This paper presents an assessment model for restoration potential which successfully links hydrologic, physical and chemical habitat factors to fish assemblage attributes drawn from monitoring datasets on hydrology, water quality and fish assemblages at a total of 144 sites, where 5084 fish were sampled and tested. In this model three newly developed sub-models, integrated habitat index (IHSI), integrated ecological niche breadth (INB) and integrated ecological niche overlap (INO), are established to study spatial heterogeneity of the restoration potential of fish assemblages based on gradient methods of habitat suitability index and ecological niche models. To reduce uncertainties in the model, as many fish species as possible, including important native fish, were selected as dominant species with monitoring occurring over several seasons to comprehensively select key habitat factors. Furthermore, a detrended correspondence analysis (DCA) was employed prior to a canonical correspondence analysis (CCA) of the data to avoid the "arc effect" in the selection of key habitat factors. Application of the model to data collected at Jinan City, China proved effective reveals that three lower potential regions that should be targeted in future aquatic ecosystem rehabilitation programs. They were well validated by the distribution of two habitat parameters: river width and transparency. River width positively influenced and transparency negatively influenced fish assemblages. The model can be applied for monitoring the effects of fish assemblage restoration

Optimal flow for brown trout: Habitat - prey optimization.

PubMed

Fornaroli, Riccardo; Cabrini, Riccardo; Sartori, Laura; Marazzi, Francesca; Canobbio, Sergio; Mezzanotte, Valeria

2016-10-01

The correct definition of ecosystem needs is essential in order to guide policy and management strategies to optimize the increasing use of freshwater by human activities. Commonly, the assessment of the optimal or minimum flow rates needed to preserve ecosystem functionality has been done by habitat-based models that define a relationship between in-stream flow and habitat availability for various species of fish. We propose a new approach for the identification of optimal flows using the limiting factor approach and the evaluation of basic ecological relationships, considering the appropriate spatial scale for different organisms. We developed density-environment relationships for three different life stages of brown trout that show the limiting effects of hydromorphological variables at habitat scale. In our analyses, we found that the factors limiting the densities of trout were water velocity, substrate characteristics and refugia availability. For all the life stages, the selected models considered simultaneously two variables and implied that higher velocities provided a less suitable habitat, regardless of other physical characteristics and with different patterns. We used these relationships within habitat based models in order to select a range of flows that preserve most of the physical habitat for all the life stages. We also estimated the effect of varying discharge flows on macroinvertebrate biomass and used the obtained results to identify an optimal flow maximizing habitat and prey availability. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Differences within: A comparative analysis of women in the physical sciences --- Motivation and background factors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dabney, Katherine Patricia Traudel

Science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education has become a critical focus in the United States due to economic concerns and public policy (National Academy of Sciences, 2007; U.S. Department of Education, 2006). Part of this focus has been an emphasis on encouraging and evaluating career choice and persistence factors among underrepresented groups such as females in the physical sciences (Hill et al., 2010; National Academy of Sciences, 2007). The majority of existing STEM research studies compare women to men, yet a paucity of research exists that examines what differentiates female career choice within the physical sciences. In light of these research trends and recommendations, this study examines the following questions: 1. On average, do females who select chemistry or physics doctoral programs differ in their reported personal motivations and background factors prior to entering the field? 2. Do such variables as racial and ethnic background, age, highest level of education completed by guardians/parents, citizenship status, family interest in science, first interest in general science, first interest in the physical sciences, average grades in high school and undergraduate studies in the physical sciences, and experiences in undergraduate physical science courses explain a significant amount of variance in female physical scientists' years to Ph.D. completion? These questions are analyzed using variables from the Project Crossover Survey dataset through a subset of female physical science doctoral students and scientists. Logistic regression analyses are performed to uncover what differentiates women in the physical sciences based on their background, interest, academic achievement, and experiences ranging prior to elementary school through postsecondary education. Significant variables that positively predict a career choice in chemistry or physics include content specific high school and undergraduate academic achievement and positive

Science and Cooking: Motivating the Study of Freshman Physics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Weitz, David

2011-03-01

This talk will describe a course offered to Harvard undergraduates as a general education science course, meant to intrduce freshman-level science for non-science majors. The course was a collaboration between world-class chefs and science professors. The chefs introduced concepts of cooking and the professors used these to motivate scientific concepts. The lectures were designed to provide a coherent introduction to freshman physics, primarily through soft matter science. The lectures were supplemented by a lab experiments, designed by a team of very talented graduate students and post docs, that supplemented the science taught in lecture. The course was very successful in motivating non-science students to learn, and even enjoy, basic science concepts. This course depended on contributions from Michael Brenner, Otger Campas, Amy Rowat and a team of talented graduate student teaching fellows.

Quantitative biology: where modern biology meets physical sciences.

PubMed

Shekhar, Shashank; Zhu, Lian; Mazutis, Linas; Sgro, Allyson E; Fai, Thomas G; Podolski, Marija

2014-11-05

Quantitative methods and approaches have been playing an increasingly important role in cell biology in recent years. They involve making accurate measurements to test a predefined hypothesis in order to compare experimental data with predictions generated by theoretical models, an approach that has benefited physicists for decades. Building quantitative models in experimental biology not only has led to discoveries of counterintuitive phenomena but has also opened up novel research directions. To make the biological sciences more quantitative, we believe a two-pronged approach needs to be taken. First, graduate training needs to be revamped to ensure biology students are adequately trained in physical and mathematical sciences and vice versa. Second, students of both the biological and the physical sciences need to be provided adequate opportunities for hands-on engagement with the methods and approaches necessary to be able to work at the intersection of the biological and physical sciences. We present the annual Physiology Course organized at the Marine Biological Laboratory (Woods Hole, MA) as a case study for a hands-on training program that gives young scientists the opportunity not only to acquire the tools of quantitative biology but also to develop the necessary thought processes that will enable them to bridge the gap between these disciplines. © 2014 Shekhar, Zhu, Mazutis, Sgro, Fai, and Podolski. This article is distributed by The American Society for Cell Biology under license from the author(s). Two months after publication it is available to the public under an Attribution–Noncommercial–Share Alike 3.0 Unported Creative Commons License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0).

Climate change and Southern Ocean ecosystems I: how changes in physical habitats directly affect marine biota.

PubMed

Constable, Andrew J; Melbourne-Thomas, Jessica; Corney, Stuart P; Arrigo, Kevin R; Barbraud, Christophe; Barnes, David K A; Bindoff, Nathaniel L; Boyd, Philip W; Brandt, Angelika; Costa, Daniel P; Davidson, Andrew T; Ducklow, Hugh W; Emmerson, Louise; Fukuchi, Mitsuo; Gutt, Julian; Hindell, Mark A; Hofmann, Eileen E; Hosie, Graham W; Iida, Takahiro; Jacob, Sarah; Johnston, Nadine M; Kawaguchi, So; Kokubun, Nobuo; Koubbi, Philippe; Lea, Mary-Anne; Makhado, Azwianewi; Massom, Rob A; Meiners, Klaus; Meredith, Michael P; Murphy, Eugene J; Nicol, Stephen; Reid, Keith; Richerson, Kate; Riddle, Martin J; Rintoul, Stephen R; Smith, Walker O; Southwell, Colin; Stark, Jonathon S; Sumner, Michael; Swadling, Kerrie M; Takahashi, Kunio T; Trathan, Phil N; Welsford, Dirk C; Weimerskirch, Henri; Westwood, Karen J; Wienecke, Barbara C; Wolf-Gladrow, Dieter; Wright, Simon W; Xavier, Jose C; Ziegler, Philippe

2014-10-01

Antarctic and Southern Ocean (ASO) marine ecosystems have been changing for at least the last 30 years, including in response to increasing ocean temperatures and changes in the extent and seasonality of sea ice; the magnitude and direction of these changes differ between regions around Antarctica that could see populations of the same species changing differently in different regions. This article reviews current and expected changes in ASO physical habitats in response to climate change. It then reviews how these changes may impact the autecology of marine biota of this polar region: microbes, zooplankton, salps, Antarctic krill, fish, cephalopods, marine mammals, seabirds, and benthos. The general prognosis for ASO marine habitats is for an overall warming and freshening, strengthening of westerly winds, with a potential pole-ward movement of those winds and the frontal systems, and an increase in ocean eddy activity. Many habitat parameters will have regionally specific changes, particularly relating to sea ice characteristics and seasonal dynamics. Lower trophic levels are expected to move south as the ocean conditions in which they are currently found move pole-ward. For Antarctic krill and finfish, the latitudinal breadth of their range will depend on their tolerance of warming oceans and changes to productivity. Ocean acidification is a concern not only for calcifying organisms but also for crustaceans such as Antarctic krill; it is also likely to be the most important change in benthic habitats over the coming century. For marine mammals and birds, the expected changes primarily relate to their flexibility in moving to alternative locations for food and the energetic cost of longer or more complex foraging trips for those that are bound to breeding colonies. Few species are sufficiently well studied to make comprehensive species-specific vulnerability assessments possible. Priorities for future work are discussed. © 2014 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

An Integrated Earth Science, Astronomy, and Physics Course for Elementary Education Majors

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Plotnick, Roy E.; Varelas, Maria; Fan, Qian

2009-01-01

Physical World is a one-semester course designed for elementary education majors, that integrates earth science, astronomy, and physics. The course is part of a four-course set that explores science concepts, processes, and skills, along with the nature of scientific practice, that are included in state and national standards for elementary school…

Measurement in Physical Education and Exercise Science: A Brief Report on 2017

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Myers, Nicholas D.; Lee, Seungmin; Kostelis, Kimberly T.

2018-01-01

The purpose of this annual report is to provide a summary of measurement in physical education and exercise science-related activities in 2017. A recent trend for an annual increase in manuscript submissions to measurement in physical education and exercise science continued in 2017. Twenty-nine countries were represented (i.e., corresponding…

For the Love of Science: Learning Orientation and Physical Science Success

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hazari, Zahra; Potvin, Geoff; Tai, Robert; Almarode, John

2010-02-01

An individual's motivational orientation serves as a drive to action and can influence their productivity. This study examines how the goal orientation of students towards the pursuit of their graduate degree in physics and chemistry influences their future success outcomes as practicing scientists. Two main orientations are focused on: performance (or ego/ability) orientation and learning (or task/mastery) orientation. The data was obtained as part of Project Crossover, which applied a mixed methodological approach to studying the transition from graduate student to scientist in the physical sciences. Using regression analysis on survey data from 2353 PhD holders in physics and chemistry, we found that individuals exhibiting a learning orientation were more productive than those exhibiting a performance orientation in terms of first-author publications and grant funding. Furthermore, given equal salary, learning-oriented physical scientists produced more first-author publications than average. )

UFOs and Physical Sciences

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Teodorani, M.

1999-03-01

The psycho-sociological reasons why the academic science is not willing to face operatively and officially a hard problem such as the 'UFO phenomenon', are introduced in the ambit of an episthemological discussion. It is shown how such a phenomenon, due to his peculiar nature, might impose a drastic revision of the laws of physics which are commonly accepted. It is demonstrated how a strict application of the measurement methods which are normally adopted by physics can permit to obtain relevant quantitative results, whatever they are. As an example of such a procedure, the anomalous light phenomenology which reoccurs in the Hessdalen valley in Norway is presented, by showing that it represents so far the ideal worldly physical laboratory for the study of luminous phenomena in the low atmosphere. After describing the multiform morphologic and dynamic characteristics of the luminous component of the phenomenon as they are deduced from visual and photographic reports, the results coming out from the magnetometric, radiometric and radar monitoring operations which were carried out by Project Hessdalen in 1984, are presented in detail. Subsequently, the postumous analysis carried out by the author is shown, by pointing out the clear cohexistence of the magnetic and the optical phenomenology and the apparent correlation of the magnetic component of the phenomenon with maxima of solar activity. In a subsequent phase, the most credited physical theories, which have been proposed so far in order to interpret the phenomenon, are described and discussed, together with 'non-canonical hypotheses'. Finally, it is pointed out how the physical parameters which are expected to be measured with the proper instrumented equipment and aimed tactics and strategies, resemble strictly the methodology which is normally used during astrophysical observations.

Are Grades 10-12 Physical Sciences Teachers Equipped to Teach Physics?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Basson, Ilsa; Kriek, Jeanne

2012-01-01

South African schools have been confronted with educational reform since the mid-nineties and the process is still continuing. The concomitant changes put a very high demand on physical sciences teachers and also have an impact on teacher behaviour. The purpose of this study was to probe whether teachers could be considered equipped to teach the…

Impacting university physics students through participation in informal science

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hinko, Kathleen; Finkelstein, Noah D.

2013-01-01

Informal education programs organized by university physics departments are a popular means of reaching out to communities and satisfying grant requirements. The outcomes of these programs are often described in terms of broader impacts on the community. Comparatively little attention, however, has been paid to the influence of such programs on those students facilitating the informal science programs. Through Partnerships for Informal Science Education in the Community (PISEC) at the University of Colorado Boulder, undergraduate and graduate physics students coach elementary and middle school children during an inquiry-based science afterschool program. As part of their participation in PISEC, university students complete preparation in pedagogy, communication and diversity, engage with children on a weekly basis and provide regular feedback about the program. We present findings that indicate these experiences improve the ability of university students to communicate in everyday language and positively influence their perspectives on teaching and learning.

Water quality, physical habitat, and fish community composition in streams in the Twin Cities metropolitan area, Minnesota, 1997-98

USGS Publications Warehouse

Talmage, Philip J.; Lee, Kathy E.; Goldstein, Robert M.; Anderson, Jesse P.; Fallon, James D.

1999-01-01

Water quality, physical habitat, and fish-community composition were characterized at 13 Twin Cities metropolitan area streams during low-flow conditions, September 1997. Fish communities were resampled during September 1998. Sites were selected based on a range of human population density. Nutrient concentrations were generally low, rarely exceeding concentrations found in agricultural streams or water-quality criteria. Seventeen pesticides and five pesticide metabolites were detected, with atrazine being the only pesticide detected at all 13 streams. Colony counts of fecal coliform bacteria ranged from 54 to greater than 11,000 colonies per 100 mL. Instream fish habitat was sparse with little woody debris and few boulders, cobble, or other suitable fish habitat. Thirty-eight species and one hybrid from 10 families were collected. Fish communities were characterized by high percentages of omnivores and tolerant species with few intolerant species. Index of Biotic Integrity scores were low, with most streams rating fair to very poor. Percent impervious surface was positively correlated with sodium and chloride concentrations and human population density, but was negatively correlated with fish species richness and diversity. Urban land use and human population density influence fish communities and water quality in Twin Cities metropolitan area streams. Other factors that may influence fish community composition include percent impervious cover, water chemistry, water temperature, geomorphology, substrate, instream habitat, and migration barriers.

Inflatable Habitat Health Monitoring: Implementation, Lessons Learned, and Application to Lunar or Martian Habitat Health Monitoring

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rojdev, Kristina; Hong, Todd; Hafermalz, Scott; Hunkins, Robert; Valle, Gerald; Toups, Larry

2009-01-01

NASA's exploration mission is to send humans to the Moon and Mars, in which the purpose is to learn how to live and work safely in those harsh environments. A critical aspect of living in an extreme environment is habitation, and within that habitation element there are key systems which monitor the habitation environment to provide a safe and comfortable living and working space for humans. Expandable habitats are one of the options currently being considered due to their potential mass and volume efficiencies. This paper discusses a joint project between the National Science Foundation (NSF), ILC Dover, and NASA in which an expandable habitat was deployed in the extreme environment of Antarctica to better understand the performance and operations over a one-year period. This project was conducted through the Innovative Partnership Program (IPP) where the NSF provided the location at McMurdo Station in Antarctica and support at the location, ILC Dover provided the inflatable habitat, and NASA provided the instrumentation and data system for monitoring the habitat. The outcome of this project provided lessons learned in the implementation of an inflatable habitat and the systems that support that habitat. These lessons learned will be used to improve current habitation capabilities and systems to meet the objectives of exploration missions to the moon and Mars.

Assessing Students' Deep Conceptual Understanding in Physical Sciences: An Example on Sinking and Floating

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Shen, Ji; Liu, Ou Lydia; Chang, Hsin-Yi

2017-01-01

This paper presents a transformative modeling framework that guides the development of assessment to measure students' deep understanding in physical sciences. The framework emphasizes 3 types of connections that students need to make when learning physical sciences: (1) linking physical states, processes, and explanatory models, (2) integrating…

A Science Summer Camp as an Effective Way to Recruit High School Students to Major in the Physical Sciences and Science Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bischoff, Paul J.; Castendyk, Devin; Gallagher, Hugh; Schaumloffel, John; Labroo, Sunil

2008-01-01

Now in its fifth year, PR[superscript 2]EPS is a National Science Foundation funded initiative designed to recruit high school students to attend college majoring in the physical sciences, including engineering and secondary science education, and to help ensure their retention within these programs until graduation. A central feature of the…

Leveraging Citizen Science and Information Technology for Population Physical Activity Promotion.

PubMed

King, Abby C; Winter, Sandra J; Sheats, Jylana L; Rosas, Lisa G; Buman, Matthew P; Salvo, Deborah; Rodriguez, Nicole M; Seguin, Rebecca A; Moran, Mika; Garber, Randi; Broderick, Bonnie; Zieff, Susan G; Sarmiento, Olga Lucia; Gonzalez, Silvia A; Banchoff, Ann; Dommarco, Juan Rivera

2016-05-15

While technology is a major driver of many of society's comforts, conveniences, and advances, it has been responsible, in a significant way, for engineering regular physical activity and a number of other positive health behaviors out of people's daily lives. A key question concerns how to harness information and communication technologies (ICT) to bring about positive changes in the health promotion field. One such approach involves community-engaged "citizen science," in which local residents leverage the potential of ICT to foster data-driven consensus-building and mobilization efforts that advance physical activity at the individual, social, built environment, and policy levels. The history of citizen science in the research arena is briefly described and an evidence-based method that embeds citizen science in a multi-level, multi-sectoral community-based participatory research framework for physical activity promotion is presented. Several examples of this citizen science-driven community engagement framework for promoting active lifestyles, called "Our Voice", are discussed, including pilot projects from diverse communities in the U.S. as well as internationally. The opportunities and challenges involved in leveraging citizen science activities as part of a broader population approach to promoting regular physical activity are explored. The strategic engagement of citizen scientists from socio-demographically diverse communities across the globe as both assessment as well as change agents provides a promising, potentially low-cost and scalable strategy for creating more active, healthful, and equitable neighborhoods and communities worldwide.

Teaching the history of science in physics classrooms—the story of the neutrino

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Demirci, Neset

2016-07-01

Because there is little connection between physics concepts and real life, most students find physics very difficult. In this frontline I have provided a timely link of the historical development using the basic story of neutrino physics and integrated this into introductory modern physics courses in high schools or in higher education. In this way an instructor may be able to build on students’ curiosity in order to enhance the curriculum with some remarkable new physics. Using the history of science in the classroom shapes and improves students’ views and knowledge of the nature of science and increase students’ interest in physics.

Influence of culture and language sensitive physics on science attitude enhancement

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Morales, Marie Paz E.

2015-12-01

The study critically explored how culture and language sensitive curriculum materials in physics improve Pangasinan learners' attitude towards science. Their cultural dimensions, epistemological beliefs, and views on integration of culture and language in the teaching and learning process determined their cultural preference or profile. Design and development of culture and language sensitive curriculum materials in physics were heavily influenced by these learners' cultural preference or profile. Pilot-study using interviews and focus group discussions with natives of Pangasinan and document analysis were conducted to identify the culture, practices, and traditions integrated in the lesson development. Comparison of experimental participants' pretest and posttest results on science attitude measure showed significant statistical difference. Appraisal of science attitude enhancement favored the experimental group over the control group. Qualitative data deduced from post implementation interviews, focus group discussions, and journal log entries showed the same trend in favor of the experimental participants. The study revealed that culture and language integration in the teaching and learning process of physics concepts enabled students to develop positive attitude to science, their culture, and native language.

Annual Report of the Commission on Physical Sciences, Mathematics, and Resources.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

National Academy of Sciences - National Research Council, Washington, DC. Commission on Physical Sciences, Mathematics, and Resources.

This report highlights and presents examples of the Commission on Physical Science, Mathematics, and Resources' (CPSMR) recent activities and future plans. Selected programs and activities from the 224 boards and committees that operate within CPSMR are reviewed. These range from studies of basic science to examinations of applied science and…

Beaver dams maintain fish biodiversity by increasing habitat heterogeneity throughout a low-gradient stream network

USGS Publications Warehouse

Smith, Joseph M.; Mather, Martha E.

2013-01-01

In summary, within a stream network, beaver dams maintained fish biodiversity by altering in-stream habitat and increasing habitat heterogeneity. Understanding the relationship between habitat heterogeneity and biodiversity can advance basic freshwater ecology and provide science-based support for applied aquatic conservation

Ecological values of shallow-water habitats: Implications for the restoration of disturbed ecosystems

USGS Publications Warehouse

Lopez, C.B.; Cloern, J.E.; Schraga, T.S.; Little, A.J.; Lucas, L.V.; Thompson, J.K.; Burau, J.R.

2006-01-01

A presumed value of shallow-habitat enhanced pelagic productivity derives from the principle that in nutrient-rich aquatic systems phytoplankton growth rate is controlled by light availability, which varies inversely with habitat depth. We measured a set of biological indicators across the gradient of habitat depth within the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta (California) to test the hypothesis that plankton biomass, production, and pelagic energy flow also vary systematically with habitat depth. Results showed that phytoplankton biomass and production were only weakly related to phytoplankton growth rates whereas other processes (transport, consumption) were important controls. Distribution of the invasive clam Corbicula fluminea was patchy, and heavily colonized habitats all supported low phytoplankton biomass and production and functioned as food sinks. Surplus primary production in shallow, uncolonized habitats provided potential subsidies to neighboring recipient habitats. Zooplankton in deeper habitats, where grazing exceeded phytoplankton production, were likely supported by significant fluxes of phytoplankton biomass from connected donor habitats. Our results provide three important lessons for ecosystem science: (a) in the absence of process measurements, derived indices provide valuable information to improve our mechanistic understanding of ecosystem function and to benefit adaptive management strategies; (b) the benefits of some ecosystem functions are displaced by water movements, so the value of individual habitat types can only be revealed through a regional perspective that includes connectedness among habitats; and (c) invasive species can act as overriding controls of habitat function, adding to the uncertainty of management outcomes. ?? 2006 Springer Science+Business Media, Inc.

Popular Science: Introductory Physics Textbooks for Home Economics Students

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Behrman, Joanna

2014-03-01

For many decades now there has been an ongoing debate about the way and extent to which physics ought to be popularized by appealing to a student's every day experience. Part of this debate has focused on how textbooks, a major factor shaping students' education, ought to be written and presented. I examine the background, passages, and problems of two examples drawn from the special genre of ``Household Physics'' textbooks which were published largely between 1910 and 1940. The pedagogy of applying or relating physics to the everyday experience engenders values defining how and by whom science is to be applied. These books are particularly evocative, as well, of the extent to which gender can be tied to differing everyday experiences and the consequences therefore of using experiential examples. Using popular science textbooks can alienate students by drawing an implicit division between the reader and the practicing scientist.

Extended abstracts from the Coastal Habitats in Puget Sound (CHIPS) 2006 Workshop

USGS Publications Warehouse

Gelfenbaum, Guy R.; Fuentes, Tracy L.; Duda, Jeffrey J.; Grossman, Eric E.; Takesue, Renee K.

2010-01-01

Puget Sound is the second largest estuary in the United States. Its unique geology, climate, and nutrient-rich waters produce and sustain biologically productive coastal habitats. These same natural characteristics also contribute to a high quality of life that has led to a significant growth in human population and associated development. This population growth, and the accompanying rural and urban development, has played a role in degrading Puget Sound ecosystems, including declines in fish and wildlife populations, water-quality issues, and loss and degradation of coastal habitats.In response to these ecosystem declines and the potential for strategic large-scale preservation and restoration, a coalition of local, State, and Federal agencies, including the private sector, Tribes, and local universities, initiated the Puget Sound Nearshore Ecosystem Restoration Project (PSNERP). The Nearshore Science Team (NST) of PSNERP, along with the U.S. Geological Survey, developed a Science Strategy and Research Plan (Gelfenbaum and others, 2006) to help guide science activities associated with nearshore ecosystem restoration. Implementation of the Research Plan includes a call for State and Federal agencies to direct scientific studies to support PSNERP information needs. In addition, the overall Science Strategy promotes greater communication with decision makers and dissemination of scientific results to the broader scientific community.On November 14–16, 2006, the U.S. Geological Survey sponsored an interdisciplinary Coastal Habitats in Puget Sound (CHIPS) Research Workshop at Fort Worden State Park, Port Townsend, Washington. The main goals of the workshop were to coordinate, integrate, and link research on the nearshore of Puget Sound. Presented research focused on three themes: (1) restoration of large river deltas; (2) recovery of the nearshore ecosystem of the Elwha River; and (3) effects of urbanization on nearshore ecosystems. The more than 35 presentations

Examining the Conceptual Organization of Students in an Integrated Algebra and Physical Science Class.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Westbrook, Susan L.

1998-01-01

Compares the conceptual organization of students in an integrated algebra and physical science class (SAM 9) with that of students in a discipline-specific physical science class (PSO). Analysis of students' concept maps indicates that the SAM9 students used a greater number of procedural linkages to connect mathematics and science concepts than…

Physical Science, Units 5 and 6, Field Test Copy.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Washington State Univ., Pullman.

This student workbook contains units five and six of a six-unit physical science course. The program is intended for high school students who have not had a chemistry or physics course, and is designed to be self instructional. Unit five involves experiments and problems in these subject areas: temperature versus heat; units of heat; specific…

75 FR 6651 - Office of Science; High Energy Physics Advisory Panel

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-02-10

... DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY Office of Science; High Energy Physics Advisory Panel AGENCY: Department of... Physics Advisory Panel (HEPAP). Federal Advisory Committee Act (Public Law 92- 463, 86 Stat. 770) requires...; High Energy Physics Advisory Panel; U.S. Department of Energy; SC-25/ Germantown Building, 1000...

The Nobel Prize in the Physics Class: Science, History, and Glamour

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Eshach, Haim

2009-01-01

This paper introduces a novel strategy for teaching physics: using the Nobel Physics Prize as an organizational theme for high school or even first year university physics, bringing together history, social contexts of science, and central themes in modern physics. The idea underlying the strategy is that the glamour and glitter of the Nobel Prize…

How Nature Works. Habitat Ecology Learning Program (HELP). Teachers' Manual.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wildlife Conservation Society, Bronx, NY.

The goal of this guide is to address a major environmental dilemma: worldwide habitat destruction and the disappearance of species. This guide is one of six that are included in the Habitat Ecology Learning Program (HELP), a holistic life science curriculum that involves students in an in-depth study of ecology. HELP includes six teaching guides…

Exploring Sun-Earth Connections: A Physical Science Program for (K-8)Teachers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Michels, D. J.; Pickert, S. M.; Thompson, J. L.; Montrose, C. J.

2003-12-01

An experimental, inquiry-based physical science curriculum for undergraduate, pre-service K-8 teachers is under development at the Catholic University of America in collaboration with the Solar Physics Branch of the Naval Research Laboratory and NASA's Sun-Earth Connection missions. This is a progress report. The current, stunningly successful exploratory phase in Sun-Earth Connection (SEC) physics, sparked by SOHO, Yohkoh, TRACE, and other International Solar Terrestrial Physics (ISTP) and Living With a Star (LWS) programs, has provided dynamic, visually intuitive data that can be used for teaching basic physical concepts such as the properties of gravitational and electromagnetic fields which are manifest in beautiful imagery of the astrophysical plasmas of the solar atmosphere and Earth's auroras. Through a team approach capitalizing on the combined expertise of the Catholic University's departments of Education and Physics and of NRL solar researchers deeply involved in SEC missions we have laid out a program that will teach non-science-major undergraduates a very limited number of physical science concepts but in such a way as to develop for each one both a formal understanding and an intuitive grasp that will instill confidence, spark interest and scientific curiosity and, ideally, inspire a habit of lifetime inquiry and professional growth. A three-semester sequence is planned. The first semester will be required of incoming Education freshmen. The second and third semesters will be of such a level as to satisfy the one-year science requirement for non-science majors in the College of Arts and Sciences. The approach as adopted will integrate physics content and educational methods, with each concept introduced through inquiry-based, hands-on investigation using methods and materials directly applicable to K-8 teaching situations (Exploration Phase). The topic is further developed through discussion, demonstration and lecture, introducing such mathematical

A Study of Common Beliefs and Misconceptions in Physical Science

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stein, Mary; Larrabee, Timothy G.; Barman, Charles R.

2008-01-01

The Science Belief Test is an online instrument comprised of 47 statements that require true or false responses and request written explanations to accompany these responses. It targets topics in chemistry, physics, biology, earth science, and astronomy and was initially designed to assess preservice elementary teachers' beliefs about general…

Women in Physical Science: From Drudges to Discoverers.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Brush, Stephen G.

1985-01-01

Shows that important discoveries in physical sciences cited in textbooks were made by women, although they may not be given credit for their work. Also discusses the contributions of 10 female scientists to provide role models for students. (DH)

Plasmonics (Scientific session of the Physical Sciences Division of the Russian Academy of Sciences, 21 February 2012)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

2012-10-01

A scientific session of the Physical Sciences Division of the Russian Academy of Sciences (RAS), entitled 'Plasmonics', was held in the Conference Hall of the Lebedev Physical Institute, RAS on 21 February 2012. The following reports were put on the session agenda posted on the website www.gpad.ac.ru of the RAS Physical Sciences Division: (1) Kukushkin I V, Murav'ev V M (Institute of Solid State Physics, RAS, Chernogolovka, Moscow region) "Terahertz plasmonics"; (2) Lozovik Yu E (Institute of Spectroscopy, RAS, Troitsk, Moscow region) "Plasmonics and magnetoplasmonics based on graphene and a topological insulator"; (3) Protsenko I E (P N Lebedev Physical Institute, RAS, Moscow) "Dipole nanolaser"; (4) Vinogradov A P, Andrianov E S, Pukhov A A, Dorofeenko A V (Institute for Theoretical and Applied Electrodynamics, RAS, Moscow), Lisyansky A A (Queens College of the City University of New York, USA) "Quantum plasmonics of metamaterials: loss compensation using spasers"; (5) Klimov V V (Lebedev Physical Institute, RAS, Moscow) "Quantum theory of radiation of optically active molecules in the vicinity of chiral nano-meta-particles". The papers written on the basis of oral reports 2-5 are published below. • Plasmonics and magnetoplasmonics based on graphene and a topological insulator, Yu E Lozovik Physics-Uspekhi, 2012, Volume 55, Number 10, Pages 1035-1039 • Theory of the dipole nanolaser, I E Protsenko Physics-Uspekhi, 2012, Volume 55, Number 10, Pages 1040-1046 • Quantum plasmonics of metamaterials: loss compensation using spasers, A P Vinogradov, E S Andrianov, A A Pukhov, A V Dorofeenko, A A Lisyansky Physics-Uspekhi, 2012, Volume 55, Number 10, Pages 1046-1053 • Using chiral nano-meta-particles to control chiral molecule radiation, V V Klimov, D V Guzatov Physics-Uspekhi, 2012, Volume 55, Number 10, Pages 1054-1058

Habitat assessment, Missouri River at Hermann, Missouri

USGS Publications Warehouse

Jacobson, Robert B.; Laustrup, Mark S.; Reuter, Joanna M.

2002-01-01

This report documents methods and results of aquatic habitat assessment in the Missouri River near Hermann, Missouri. The assessment is intended to improve understanding of spatial and temporal variability of aquatic habitat, including habitats thought to be critical for the endangered pallid sturgeon (Scaphirhynchus albus). Physical aquatic habitat - depth, velocity, and substrate - was assessed around 9 wing dikes and adjacent to the U.S. Route 19 bridge, at discharges varying from 44,000 cubic feet per second (cfs) to 146, 000 cfs during August 2000-May, 2001. For the river as a whole, velocities are bi-modally distributed with distinct peaks relating to navigation channel and wing-dike environments. Velocities predictably showed an increasing trend with increasing discharge. Substrate within wing dikes was dominated by mud at low discharges, whereas the navigation channel had patches of transporting sand, rippled sand, and coarse sand. Discharges that overtopped the wing dikes (about 93,000 cfs, March 2001) were associated with increases of patchy sand, rippled sand, and coarse sand within the wing dikes. When flows were substantially over the wing dikes (146,000 cfs, May 2001) substrates within most wing dikes showed substantial reorganization and coarsening. The habitat assessment provides a geospatial database that can be used to query wing dikes for distributions of depth, velocity, and substrate for comparison with fish samples collected by US Fish and Wildlife Service biologists (Grady and others, 2001). In addition, the assessment documented spatial and temporal variation in habitat within the Hermann reach and over a range of discharges. Measurable geomorphic change--alteration of substrate conditions plus substantial erosion and deposition--was associated with flows equaled or exceeded 12-40% of the time (40-140 days per year). Documented geomorphic change associated with high-frequency flows underscores the natural temporal variability of physical

Evaluating physical habitat and water chemistry data from statewide stream monitoring programs to establish least-impacted conditions in Washington State

USGS Publications Warehouse

Wilmoth, Siri K.; Irvine, Kathryn M.; Larson, Chad

2015-01-01

Various GIS-generated land-use predictor variables, physical habitat metrics, and water chemistry variables from 75 reference streams and 351 randomly sampled sites throughout Washington State were evaluated for effectiveness at discriminating reference from random sites within level III ecoregions. A combination of multivariate clustering and ordination techniques were used. We describe average observed conditions for a subset of predictor variables as well as proposing statistical criteria for establishing reference conditions for stream habitat in Washington. Using these criteria, we determined whether any of the random sites met expectations for reference condition and whether any of the established reference sites failed to meet expectations for reference condition. Establishing these criteria will set a benchmark from which future data will be compared.

The "Earth Physics" Workshops Offered by the Earth Science Education Unit

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Davies, Stephen

2012-01-01

Earth science has a part to play in broadening students' learning experience in physics. The Earth Science Education Unit presents a range of (free) workshops to teachers and trainee teachers, suggesting how Earth-based science activities, which show how we understand and use the planet we live on, can easily be slotted into normal science…

Marine Habitats. Man and the Gulf of Mexico Series.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Irby, Bobby N.; And Others

"Man and the Gulf of Mexico (MGM)" is a marine science curriculum developed to meet the marine science needs of tenth through twelfth grade students in Mississippi and Alabama schools. This MGM unit, which focuses on marine habitats, contains an introduction (with unit objectives and brief introductory comments) followed by five…

A natural user interface to integrate citizen science and physical exercise

PubMed Central

Palermo, Eduardo; Laut, Jeffrey; Nov, Oded; Porfiri, Maurizio

2017-01-01

Citizen science enables volunteers to contribute to scientific projects, where massive data collection and analysis are often required. Volunteers participate in citizen science activities online from their homes or in the field and are motivated by both intrinsic and extrinsic factors. Here, we investigated the possibility of integrating citizen science tasks within physical exercises envisaged as part of a potential rehabilitation therapy session. The citizen science activity entailed environmental mapping of a polluted body of water using a miniature instrumented boat, which was remotely controlled by the participants through their physical gesture tracked by a low-cost markerless motion capture system. Our findings demonstrate that the natural user interface offers an engaging and effective means for performing environmental monitoring tasks. At the same time, the citizen science activity increases the commitment of the participants, leading to a better motion performance, quantified through an array of objective indices. The study constitutes a first and necessary step toward rehabilitative treatments of the upper limb through citizen science and low-cost markerless optical systems. PMID:28231261

A natural user interface to integrate citizen science and physical exercise.

PubMed

Palermo, Eduardo; Laut, Jeffrey; Nov, Oded; Cappa, Paolo; Porfiri, Maurizio

2017-01-01

Citizen science enables volunteers to contribute to scientific projects, where massive data collection and analysis are often required. Volunteers participate in citizen science activities online from their homes or in the field and are motivated by both intrinsic and extrinsic factors. Here, we investigated the possibility of integrating citizen science tasks within physical exercises envisaged as part of a potential rehabilitation therapy session. The citizen science activity entailed environmental mapping of a polluted body of water using a miniature instrumented boat, which was remotely controlled by the participants through their physical gesture tracked by a low-cost markerless motion capture system. Our findings demonstrate that the natural user interface offers an engaging and effective means for performing environmental monitoring tasks. At the same time, the citizen science activity increases the commitment of the participants, leading to a better motion performance, quantified through an array of objective indices. The study constitutes a first and necessary step toward rehabilitative treatments of the upper limb through citizen science and low-cost markerless optical systems.

Where Is Earth Science? Mining for Opportunities in Chemistry, Physics, and Biology

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Thomas, Julie; Ivey, Toni; Puckette, Jim

2013-01-01

The Earth sciences are newly marginalized in K-12 classrooms. With few high schools offering Earth science courses, students' exposure to the Earth sciences relies on the teacher's ability to incorporate Earth science material into a biology, chemistry, or physics course. ''G.E.T. (Geoscience Experiences for Teachers) in the Field'' is an…

Leveraging Citizen Science and Information Technology for Population Physical Activity Promotion

PubMed Central

King, Abby C.; Winter, Sandra J.; Sheats, Jylana L.; Rosas, Lisa G.; Buman, Matthew P.; Salvo, Deborah; Rodriguez, Nicole M.; Seguin, Rebecca A.; Moran, Mika; Garber, Randi; Broderick, Bonnie; Zieff, Susan G.; Sarmiento, Olga Lucia; Gonzalez, Silvia A.; Banchoff, Ann; Dommarco, Juan Rivera

2016-01-01

PURPOSE While technology is a major driver of many of society’s comforts, conveniences, and advances, it has been responsible, in a significant way, for engineering regular physical activity and a number of other positive health behaviors out of people’s daily lives. A key question concerns how to harness information and communication technologies (ICT) to bring about positive changes in the health promotion field. One such approach involves community-engaged “citizen science,” in which local residents leverage the potential of ICT to foster data-driven consensus-building and mobilization efforts that advance physical activity at the individual, social, built environment, and policy levels. METHOD The history of citizen science in the research arena is briefly described and an evidence-based method that embeds citizen science in a multi-level, multi-sectoral community-based participatory research framework for physical activity promotion is presented. RESULTS Several examples of this citizen science-driven community engagement framework for promoting active lifestyles, called “Our Voice”, are discussed, including pilot projects from diverse communities in the U.S. as well as internationally. CONCLUSIONS The opportunities and challenges involved in leveraging citizen science activities as part of a broader population approach to promoting regular physical activity are explored. The strategic engagement of citizen scientists from socio-demographically diverse communities across the globe as both assessment as well as change agents provides a promising, potentially low-cost and scalable strategy for creating more active, healthful, and equitable neighborhoods and communities worldwide. PMID:27525309

Black holes: theory and observations (Scientific session of the Physical Sciences Division of the Russian Academy of Sciences, 23 December 2015)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

2016-07-01

A scientific session of the Physical Sciences Division of the Russian Academy of Sciences (RAS), "Black holes: theory and observations," was held in the conference hall of the Lebedev Physical Institute, RAS, on 23 December 2015. The papers collected in this issue were written based on talks given at the session: (1) I D Novikov (Lebedev Physical Institute, Russian Academy of Sciences, Astro Space Center, Moscow; The Niels Bohr International Academy, The Niels Bohr Institute, Copenhagen; National Research Center 'Kurchatov Institute', Moscow) "Black holes, wormholes, and time machines"; (2) A M Cherepashchuk (Lomonosov Moscow State University, Sternberg Astronomical Institute, Moscow) "Observing stellar-mass and supermassive black holes"; (3) N S Kardashev (Lebedev Physical Institute, Russian Academy of Sciences, Astro Space Center, Moscow) "Millimetron space project: a tool for researching black holes and wormholes." Papers written on the basis of oral presentations 1, 2 are published below. • Observing stellar mass and supermassive black holes, A M Cherepashchuk Physics-Uspekhi, 2016, Volume 59, Number 7, Pages 702-712 • Black holes, wormholes, and time machines, I D Novikov Physics-Uspekhi, 2016, Volume 59, Number 7, Pages 713-715

What Attracts High-Achieving Socioeconomically Disadvantaged Students to the Physical Sciences and Engineering?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Conrad, Sarah; Canetto, Silvia Sara; MacPhee, David; Farro, Samantha

2009-01-01

Socioeconomically disadvantaged (SED) students are less likely to major in physical sciences or engineering. To guide recruitment and retention of a diversity of talent, this study examined what attracts high-achieving SED students to these fields. Participants were 50 undergraduates majoring in physical sciences or engineering enrolled in the…

Experimental Physical Sciences Vistas: MaRIE (draft)

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Shlachter, Jack

To achieve breakthrough scientific discoveries in the 21st century, a convergence and integration of world-leading experimental facilities and capabilities with theory, modeling, and simulation is necessary. In this issue of Experimental Physical Sciences Vistas, I am excited to present our plans for Los Alamos National Laboratory's future flagship experimental facility, MaRIE (Matter-Radiation Interactions in Extremes). MaRIE is a facility that will provide transformational understanding of matter in extreme conditions required to reduce or resolve key weapons performance uncertainties, develop the materials needed for advanced energy systems, and transform our ability to create materials by design. Our unique role in materialsmore » science starting with the Manhattan Project has positioned us well to develop a contemporary materials strategy pushing the frontiers of controlled functionality - the design and tailoring of a material for the unique demands of a specific application. Controlled functionality requires improvement in understanding of the structure and properties of materials in order to synthesize and process materials with unique characteristics. In the nuclear weapons program today, improving data and models to increase confidence in the stockpile can take years from concept to new knowledge. Our goal with MaRIE is to accelerate this process by enhancing predictive capability - the ability to compute a priori the observables of an experiment or test and pertinent confidence intervals using verified and validated simulation tools. It is a science-based approach that includes the use of advanced experimental tools, theoretical models, and multi-physics codes, simultaneously dealing with multiple aspects of physical operation of a system that are needed to develop an increasingly mature predictive capability. This same approach is needed to accelerate improvements to other systems such as nuclear reactors. MaRIE will be valuable to many national

Revised Methods for Characterizing Stream Habitat in the National Water-Quality Assessment Program

USGS Publications Warehouse

Fitzpatrick, Faith A.; Waite, Ian R.; D'Arconte, Patricia J.; Meador, Michael R.; Maupin, Molly A.; Gurtz, Martin E.

1998-01-01

Stream habitat is characterized in the U.S. Geological Survey's National Water-Quality Assessment (NAWQA) Program as part of an integrated physical, chemical, and biological assessment of the Nation's water quality. The goal of stream habitat characterization is to relate habitat to other physical, chemical, and biological factors that describe water-quality conditions. To accomplish this goal, environmental settings are described at sites selected for water-quality assessment. In addition, spatial and temporal patterns in habitat are examined at local, regional, and national scales. This habitat protocol contains updated methods for evaluating habitat in NAWQA Study Units. Revisions are based on lessons learned after 6 years of applying the original NAWQA habitat protocol to NAWQA Study Unit ecological surveys. Similar to the original protocol, these revised methods for evaluating stream habitat are based on a spatially hierarchical framework that incorporates habitat data at basin, segment, reach, and microhabitat scales. This framework provides a basis for national consistency in collection techniques while allowing flexibility in habitat assessment within individual Study Units. Procedures are described for collecting habitat data at basin and segment scales; these procedures include use of geographic information system data bases, topographic maps, and aerial photographs. Data collected at the reach scale include channel, bank, and riparian characteristics.

JILA Science | Exploring the frontiers of physics

Science.gov Websites

group are lighting up dark excitons. Specifically, the Raschke group developed a method to observe dark into a highly reactive hydroxyl radical (OH). And when CO and OH meet, one byproduct is carbon dioxide one of the nation's leading research institutes in the physical sciences. Learn more about JILA -->

The integration of climate change, spatial dynamics, and habitat fragmentation: A conceptual overview.

PubMed

Holyoak, Marcel; Heath, Sacha K

2016-01-01

A growing number of studies have looked at how climate change alters the effects of habitat fragmentation and degradation on both single and multiple species; some raise concern that biodiversity loss and its effects will be exacerbated. The published literature on spatial dynamics (such as dispersal and metapopulation dynamics), habitat fragmentation and climate change requires synthesis and a conceptual framework to simplify thinking. We propose a framework that integrates how climate change affects spatial population dynamics and the effects of habitat fragmentation in terms of: (i) habitat quality, quantity and distribution; (ii) habitat connectivity; and (iii) the dynamics of habitat itself. We use the framework to categorize existing autecological studies and investigate how each is affected by anthropogenic climate change. It is clear that a changing climate produces changes in the geographic distribution of climatic conditions, and the amount and quality of habitat. The most thorough published studies show how such changes impact metapopulation persistence, source-sink dynamics, changes in species' geographic range and community composition. Climate-related changes in movement behavior and quantity, quality and distribution of habitat have also produced empirical changes in habitat connectivity for some species. An underexplored area is how habitat dynamics that are driven by climatic processes will affect species that live in dynamic habitats. We end our discussion by suggesting ways to improve current attempts to integrate climate change, spatial population dynamics and habitat fragmentation effects, and suggest distinct areas of study that might provide opportunities for more fully integrative work. © 2015 International Society of Zoological Sciences, Institute of Zoology/Chinese Academy of Sciences and John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd.

Human habitation field study of the Habitat Demonstration Unit (HDU)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Litaker, Harry L.; Archer, Ronald D.; Szabo, Richard; Twyford, Evan S.; Conlee, Carl S.; Howard, Robert L.

2013-10-01

Landing and supporting a permanent outpost on a planetary surface represents humankind's capability to expand its own horizons and challenge current technology. With this in mind, habitability of these structures becomes more essential given the longer durations of the missions. The purpose of this evaluation was to obtain preliminary human-in-the-loop performance data on the Habitat Demonstration Unit (HDU) in a Pressurized Excursion Module (PEM) configuration during a 14-day simulated lunar exploration field trial and to apply this knowledge to further enhance the habitat's capabilities for forward designs. Human factors engineers at the NASA/Johnson Space Center's Habitability and Human Factors Branch recorded approximately 96 h of crew task performance with four work stations. Human factors measures used during this study included the NASA Task Load Index (TLX) and customized post questionnaires. Overall the volume for the PEM was considered acceptable by the crew; however; the habitat's individual work station volume was constrained when setting up the vehicle for operation, medical operations, and suit maintenance while general maintenance, logistical resupply, and geo science was considered acceptable. Crew workload for each station indicated resupply as being the lowest rated, with medical operations, general maintenance, and geo science tasks as being light, while suit maintenance was considered moderate and general vehicle setup being rated the highest. Stowage was an issue around the habitat with the Space Exploration Vehicle (SEV) resupply stowage located in the center of the habitat as interfering with some work station volumes and activities. Ergonomics of the geo science station was considered a major issue, especially with the overhead touch screens.

Relation between Classroom Climate and Achievement in Physical Science of Secondary School Pupils

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

R., Smitha; Sajan, K. S.

2010-01-01

This study estimates the extent of relationship between "Achievement in Physical Science" and "Classroom Climate" for the total sample and Sub sample based on gender. The tools used for collecting the data are scale of classroom climate and achievement test in physical science. The study reveals that boys show indifferent or…

Towson University's Professional Science Master's Program in Applied Physics: The first 5 years

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kolagani, Rajeswari

It is a well-established fact that the scientific knowledge and skills acquired in the process of obtaining a degree in physics meet the needs of a variety of positions in multiple science and technology sectors. However, in addition to scientific competence, challenging careers often call for skills in advanced communication, leadership and team functions. The professional science master's degree, which has been nick-named as the `Science MBA', aims at providing science graduates an edge both in terms of employability and earning levels by imparting such skills. Our Professional Science Master's Program in Applied Physics is designed to develop these `plus' skills through multiple avenues. In addition to advanced courses in Applied Physics, the curriculum includes graduate courses in project management, business and technical writing, together with research and internship components. I will discuss our experience and lessons learned over the 5 years since the inception of the program in 2010. The author acknowledges support from the Elkins Professorship of the University System of Maryland.

Physics and Science Education through Project Activities of University Students and Regional Collaboration

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hasegawa, Makoto

A project team "Rika-Kobo" organized by university students has actively performed various science education activities at primary and secondary schools and other educational facilities as well as in science events in local areas. The activities of this student project team are related to various fields of physics and sciences. In order to provide more attractive activities, the student members prepare original experiment tools and easily-understandable presentation and explanation. Through such activities, the members can have opportunities of obtaining new knowledge and refreshing their already-obtained understandings in related fields of physics and sciences. They can also have chances of improving their skills and abilities such as presentation, problem-finding and solving, which are useful for realizing their career development. The activities of the student project team have been also welcomed by children, parents, teachers and other people in local areas because the activities provide them with opportunities of knowing and learning new knowledge in physics and sciences.

Understanding Misconceptions: Teaching and Learning in Middle School Physical Science

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sadler, Philip M.; Sonnert, Gerhard

2016-01-01

In this study the authors set out to better understand the relationship between teacher knowledge of science and student learning. The authors administered identical multiple-choice assessment items both to teachers of middle school physical science and to their students throughout the school year. The authors found that teachers who have strong…

Teaching Particle Physics in the Open University's Science Foundation Course.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Farmelo, Graham

1992-01-01

Discusses four topics presented in the science foundation course of the Open University that exemplify current developments in particle physics, in particular, and that describe important issues about the nature of science, in general. Topics include the omega minus particle, the diversity of quarks, the heavy lepton, and the discovery of the W…

Using Video to Communicate Scientific Findings -- Habitat Connections in Urban Streams

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Harned, D. A.; Moorman, M.; Fitzpatrick, F. A.; McMahon, G.

2011-12-01

The U.S Geological Survey (USGS) National Water-Quality Assessment Program (NAWQA) provides information about (1) water-quality conditions and how those conditions vary locally, regionally, and nationally, (2) water-quality trends, and (3) factors that affect those conditions. As part of the NAWQA Program, the Effects of Urbanization on Stream Ecosystems (EUSE) study examined the vulnerability and resilience of streams to urbanization. Completion of the EUSE study has resulted in over 20 scientific publications. Video podcasts are being used in addition to these publications to communicate the relevance of these scientific findings to more general audiences such as resource managers, educational groups, public officials, and the general public. An example of one of the podcasts is a film examining effects of urbanization on stream habitat. "Habitat Connections in Urban Streams" explores how urbanization changes some of the physical features that provide in-stream habitat and examines examples of stream restoration projects designed to improve stream form and function. The "connections" theme is emphasized, including the connection of in-stream habitats from the headwaters to the stream mouth; connections between stream habitat and the surrounding floodplains, wetlands and basin; and connections between streams and people-- resource managers, public officials, scientists, and the general public. Examples of innovative stream restoration projects in Baltimore Maryland; Milwaukee, Wisconsin; and Portland Oregon are shown with interviews of managers, engineers, scientists, and others describing the projects. The film is combined with a website with links to extended film versions of the stream-restoration project interviews. The website and films are an example of USGS efforts aimed at improving science communication to a general audience. The film is available for access from the EUSE website: http://water.usgs.gov/nawqa/urban/html/podcasts.html. Additional films are

White sturgeon spawning and rearing habitat in the lower Columbia River

USGS Publications Warehouse

Parsley, Michael J.; Beckman, Lance G.

1994-01-01

Estimates of spawning habitat for white sturgeons Acipenser transmontanus in the tailraces of the four dams on the lower 470 km of the Columbia River were obtained by using the Physical Habitat Simulation System of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's Instream Flow Incremental Methodology to identify areas with suitable water depths, water velocities, and substrates. Rearing habitat throughout the lower Columbia River was assessed by using a geographic information system to identify areas with suitable water depths and substrates. The lowering of spring and summer river discharges from hydropower system operation reduces the availability of spawning habitat for white sturgeons. The four dam tailraces in the study area differ in the amount and quality of spawning habitat available at various discharges; the differences are due to channel morphology. The three impoundments and the free-flowing Columbia River downstream from Bonneville Dam provide extensive areas that are physically suitable for rearing young-of-the-year and juvenile white sturgeons.

STREAM FISH HABITAT SUITABILITY AND THE RISK OF POPULATION DECLINE

EPA Science Inventory

Over half of the streams in the Mid-Atlantic Highlands have fish communities that are in fair or poor condition, and the EPA concluded that physical habitat alteration represents the greatest potential stressor across this region. A quantitative method for relating habitat quali...

Working with the nature of science in physics class: turning ‘ordinary’ classroom situations into nature of science learning situations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hansson, Lena; Leden, Lotta

2016-09-01

In the science education research field there is a large body of literature on the ‘nature of science’ (NOS). NOS captures issues about what characterizes the research process as well as the scientific knowledge. Here we, in line with a broad body of literature, use a wide definition of NOS including also e.g. socio-cultural aspects. It is argued that NOS issues, for a number of reasons, should be included in the teaching of science/physics. Research shows that NOS should be taught explicitly. There are plenty of suggestions on specific and separate NOS activities, but the necessity of discussing NOS issues in connection to specific science/physics content and to laboratory work, is also highlighted. In this article we draw on this body of literature on NOS and science teaching, and discuss how classroom situations in secondary physics classes could be turned into NOS-learning situations. The discussed situations have been suggested by secondary teachers, during in-service teacher training, as situations from every-day physics teaching, from which NOS could be highlighted.

Measuring acoustic habitats

PubMed Central

Merchant, Nathan D; Fristrup, Kurt M; Johnson, Mark P; Tyack, Peter L; Witt, Matthew J; Blondel, Philippe; Parks, Susan E

2015-01-01

1. Many organisms depend on sound for communication, predator/prey detection and navigation. The acoustic environment can therefore play an important role in ecosystem dynamics and evolution. A growing number of studies are documenting acoustic habitats and their influences on animal development, behaviour, physiology and spatial ecology, which has led to increasing demand for passive acoustic monitoring (PAM) expertise in the life sciences. However, as yet, there has been no synthesis of data processing methods for acoustic habitat monitoring, which presents an unnecessary obstacle to would-be PAM analysts. 2. Here, we review the signal processing techniques needed to produce calibrated measurements of terrestrial and aquatic acoustic habitats. We include a supplemental tutorial and template computer codes in matlab and r, which give detailed guidance on how to produce calibrated spectrograms and statistical analyses of sound levels. Key metrics and terminology for the characterisation of biotic, abiotic and anthropogenic sound are covered, and their application to relevant monitoring scenarios is illustrated through example data sets. To inform study design and hardware selection, we also include an up-to-date overview of terrestrial and aquatic PAM instruments. 3. Monitoring of acoustic habitats at large spatiotemporal scales is becoming possible through recent advances in PAM technology. This will enhance our understanding of the role of sound in the spatial ecology of acoustically sensitive species and inform spatial planning to mitigate the rising influence of anthropogenic noise in these ecosystems. As we demonstrate in this work, progress in these areas will depend upon the application of consistent and appropriate PAM methodologies. PMID:25954500

Measuring acoustic habitats.

PubMed

Merchant, Nathan D; Fristrup, Kurt M; Johnson, Mark P; Tyack, Peter L; Witt, Matthew J; Blondel, Philippe; Parks, Susan E

2015-03-01

1. Many organisms depend on sound for communication, predator/prey detection and navigation. The acoustic environment can therefore play an important role in ecosystem dynamics and evolution. A growing number of studies are documenting acoustic habitats and their influences on animal development, behaviour, physiology and spatial ecology, which has led to increasing demand for passive acoustic monitoring (PAM) expertise in the life sciences. However, as yet, there has been no synthesis of data processing methods for acoustic habitat monitoring, which presents an unnecessary obstacle to would-be PAM analysts. 2. Here, we review the signal processing techniques needed to produce calibrated measurements of terrestrial and aquatic acoustic habitats. We include a supplemental tutorial and template computer codes in matlab and r, which give detailed guidance on how to produce calibrated spectrograms and statistical analyses of sound levels. Key metrics and terminology for the characterisation of biotic, abiotic and anthropogenic sound are covered, and their application to relevant monitoring scenarios is illustrated through example data sets. To inform study design and hardware selection, we also include an up-to-date overview of terrestrial and aquatic PAM instruments. 3. Monitoring of acoustic habitats at large spatiotemporal scales is becoming possible through recent advances in PAM technology. This will enhance our understanding of the role of sound in the spatial ecology of acoustically sensitive species and inform spatial planning to mitigate the rising influence of anthropogenic noise in these ecosystems. As we demonstrate in this work, progress in these areas will depend upon the application of consistent and appropriate PAM methodologies.

Temporal and spatial assessment of water quality, physical habitat, and benthic communities in an impaired agricultural stream in California's San Joaquin Valley.

PubMed

Hall, Lenwood W; Killen, William D

2005-01-01

The goal of this study was to characterize and discuss the relationships among water quality, physical habitat, and benthic community data collected annually over a three-year period (2000--2002) in an impaired agricultural stream (Orestimba Creek) in California's San Joaquin River watershed. Conductivity, pH, and turbidity were the most important water quality conditions influencing the various benthic metrics. Significantly higher flow conditions and lower dissolved oxygen values were reported in Orestimba Creek in 2001; increased turbidity conditions were reported in 2002. Channel alteration, riparian buffer, sediment deposition, and channel flow were the most important physical habitat metrics influencing the various benthic metrics. Higher total physical habitat scores were reported in 2001 when compared with 2002. The most dominant benthic taxa collected during all three years of sampling were oligochaetes and chironomids. Oligochaetes are found in stressful environments while chironomids can be either sensitive or tolerant to environmental stressors depending on the species. Populations of both daphnids and the exotic clam Corbicula were reported to increase over time. Both of these taxa are generally tolerant to most types of environmental degradation. The exception is that daphnids are highly sensitive to organophosphate insecticides. The % filterers increased over time, which suggests an increase in environmental disturbance. The % collectors decreased from 2000 to 2002, which suggests an improvement in environmental conditions. The presence of approximately 100 taxa in Orestimba Creek during each of the three years of sampling implies that benthic communities in this stream are fairly diverse, considering their ephemeral environment, but without a clear definition of benthic community expectations based on established referenc conditions it is unknown if this water body is actually impaired.

Learning the 'grammar of science': The influence of a physical science content course on teachers' understanding of the nature of science

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hanuscin, Deborah L.

This research examined the development of practicing K--8 teachers' views of the nature of science (NOS) within a physical science content course. Reforms in science education have called for the teaching of science as inquiry. In order to achieve the vision of the reforms, teachers must understand science, both a body of knowledge and as a process, but also the very nature of science itself-or the values and assumptions inherent in the construction of scientific knowledge. NOS has been deemed a critical component of scientific literacy, with implications for making informed decisions about scientific claims. Research has indicated that despite the emphasis of reforms, teachers generally do not possess accurate views of NOS. Recent work in science education has led to the recommendation that efforts undertaken within teacher education programs to improve teachers' understanding of NOS can be enhanced through relevant coursework in other academic areas, including the sciences. The purpose of this dissertation was to provide an empirical basis for this recommendation, by examining the development of teachers' views of NOS within a physical science content course. To this end, the researcher employed qualitative methodology including participant observation, interview, document analysis, and questionnaire to assess teacher participants' views of the nature of science and the impact of their experience in the content course on these views. As a result of this research, implications for both the course design and science teacher education have been described. In addition, various aspects of the community of practice that characterizes the classroom that inhibit the development of understandings about the nature of science are identified. It is argued that instruction in NOS should be approached from the perspective that builds bridges between the communities of practice of learners and of scientists.

Satellite-based remote sensing of running water habitats at large riverscape scales: Tools to analyze habitat heterogeneity for river ecosystem management

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hugue, F.; Lapointe, M.; Eaton, B. C.; Lepoutre, A.

2016-01-01

We illustrate an approach to quantify patterns in hydraulic habitat composition and local heterogeneity applicable at low cost over very large river extents, with selectable reach window scales. Ongoing developments in remote sensing and geographical information science massively improve efficiencies in analyzing earth surface features. With the development of new satellite sensors and drone platforms and with the lowered cost of high resolution multispectral imagery, fluvial geomorphology is experiencing a revolution in mapping streams at high resolution. Exploiting the power of aerial or satellite imagery is particularly useful in a riverscape research framework (Fausch et al., 2002), where high resolution sampling of fluvial features and very large coverage extents are needed. This study presents a satellite remote sensing method that requires very limited field calibration data to estimate over various scales ranging from 1 m to many tens or river kilometers (i) spatial composition metrics for key hydraulic mesohabitat types and (ii) reach-scale wetted habitat heterogeneity indices such as the hydromorphological index of diversity (HMID). When the purpose is hydraulic habitat characterization applied over long river networks, the proposed method (although less accurate) is much less computationally expensive and less data demanding than two dimensional computational fluid dynamics (CFD). Here, we illustrate the tools based on a Worldview 2 satellite image of the Kiamika River, near Mont Laurier, Quebec, Canada, specifically over a 17-km river reach below the Kiamika dam. In the first step, a high resolution water depth (D) map is produced from a spectral band ratio (calculated from the multispectral image), calibrated with limited field measurements. Next, based only on known river discharge and estimated cross section depths at time of image capture, empirical-based pseudo-2D hydraulic rules are used to rapidly generate a two-dimensional map of flow velocity

Building bridges between the physical and biological sciences.

PubMed

Ninham, B W; Boström, M

2005-12-16

This paper attempts to identify major conceptual issues that have inhibited the application of physical chemistry to problems in the biological sciences. We will trace out where theories went wrong, how to repair the present foundations, and discuss current progress toward building a better dialogue.

Physics and Mathematics as Interwoven Disciplines in Science Education

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Galili, Igal

2018-03-01

The relationship between physics and mathematics is reviewed upgrading the common in physics classes' perspective of mathematics as a toolkit for physics. The nature of the physics-mathematics relationship is considered along a certain historical path. The triadic hierarchical structure of discipline-culture helps to identify different ways in which mathematics is used in physics and to appreciate its contribution, to recognize the difference between mathematics and physics as disciplines in approaches, values, methods, and forms. We mentioned certain forms of mathematical knowledge important for physics but often missing in school curricula. The geometrical mode of codification of mathematical knowledge is compared with the analytical one in context of teaching school physics and mathematics; their complementarity is exemplified. Teaching may adopt the examples facilitating the claims of the study to reach science literacy and meaningful learning.

Comparison of Career Concerns among College Women and Men Enrolled in Biological and Physical Sciences

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dodson, Maria

The underrepresentation of women enrolled in the physical sciences continues to challenge academic leaders despite over 40 years of programming to promote gender equity within these curricula. This study employed a quantitative, causal comparative method to explore if and to what extent career concerns differed among female and male undergraduate physical and biological science students. The theory of planned behavior and life-span, life-space theory served as the theoretical framework for the study. Quantitative survey data were collected from 43 students at four institutions across the United States. The findings indicated that undergraduate women in physical science programs of study had a significantly different level of concern about the Innovating sub-category of the third stage of career development, Maintenance, as compared to undergraduate women in biological science curricula [F(1,33) = 6.244, p = 0.018]. Additionally, there was a statistically significant difference between female undergraduate physical science students and undergraduate male science students in the sub-categories of Implementation [F(1,19) = 7.228, p = 0.015], Advancing [F(1,19) = 11.877, p = 0.003], and Innovating [F(1,19) = 11.782, p = 0.003] within the first three stages of career development (Exploration, Establishment, and Maintenance). The comparative differences among the study groups offers new information about undergraduate career concerns that may contribute to the underrepresentation of women enrolled in the physical sciences. Suggestions for future research and programs within higher education targeted at reducing the career concerns of current and prospective female students in physical science curricula are discussed.

Superconductivity in iron-based compounds (Scientific session of the Physical Sciences Division of the Russian Academy of Sciences, 29 January 2014)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

2014-08-01

A scientific session of the Physical Sciences Division of the Russian Academy of Sciences (RAS), entitled 'Superconductivity in iron-based compounds', was held on 29 January 2014 at the conference hall of the Lebedev Physical Institute, RAS. The agenda of the session, announced on the website http://www.gpad.ac.ru of the RAS Physical Sciences Division listed the following reports: (1) Eremin I M (Institut für Theoretische Physik III, Ruhr-Universität Bochum, Bochum, Deutschland; Kazan (Volga region) Federal University, Kazan, Russian Federation) "Antiferromagnetism in iron-based superconductors: interaction of the magnetic, orbital, and lattice degrees of freedom"; (2) Korshunov M M (Kirenskii Institute of Physics, Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Krasnoyarsk) "Superconducting state in iron-based materials and spin-fluctuation pairing theory"; (3) Kuzmicheva T E (Lebedev Physical Institute, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow; Lomonosov Moscow State University) "Andreev spectroscopy of iron-based superconductors: temperature dependence of the order parameters and scaling of Δ_L, S with T_C"; (4) Eltsev Yu F (Lebedev Physical Institute, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow) "Synthesis and study of the magnetic and transport properties of iron-based superconductors of the 122 family". Papers written on the basis of oral presentations 1-4 are published below. • Antiferromagnetism in iron-based superconductors: magnetic order in the model of delocalized electrons, I M Eremin Physics-Uspekhi, 2014, Volume 57, Number 8, Pages 807-813 • Superconducting state in iron-based materials and spin-fluctuation pairing theory, M M Korshunov Physics-Uspekhi, 2014, Volume 57, Number 8, Pages 813-819 • Andreev spectroscopy of iron-based superconductors: temperature dependence of the order parameters and scaling of Δ_L, S with T_C, T E Kuzmicheva, S A Kuzmichev, M G Mikheev, Ya G Ponomarev, S N Tchesnokov, V M Pudalov, E P Khlybov, N D Zhigadlo Physics

Aquatic habitat measurement and valuation: imputing social benefits to instream flow levels

USGS Publications Warehouse

Douglas, Aaron J.; Johnson, Richard L.

1991-01-01

Instream flow conflicts have been analysed from the perspectives offered by policy oriented applied (physical) science, theories of conflict resolution and negotiation strategy, and psychological analyses of the behavior patterns of the bargaining parties. Economics also offers some useful insights in analysing conflict resolution within the context of these water allocation problems. We attempt to analyse the economics of the bargaining process in conjunction with a discussion of the water allocation process. In particular, we examine in detail the relation between certain habitat estimation techniques, and the socially optimal allocation of non-market resources. The results developed here describe the welfare implications implicit in the contemporary general equilibrium analysis of a competitive market economy. We also review certain currently available techniques for assigning dollar values to the social benefits of instream flow. The limitations of non-market valuation techniques with respect to estimating the benefits provided by instream flows and the aquatic habitat contingent on these flows should not deter resource managers from using economic analysis as a basic tool for settling instream flow conflicts.

Can we enhance amphibians' habitat restoration in the post-mining areas?

PubMed

Klimaszewski, Krzysztof; Pacholik, Ewa; Snopek, Adam

2016-09-01

The study was aimed to evaluate the selected improvements of nature restoration in a depleted gravel pit. The study site consisted of four water reservoirs of different shapes and sizes, flooded after the gravel extraction ended. Ecological succession monitoring, conducted by the Warsaw University of Life Sciences students associated in the Student Scientific Association of Animal Sciences Faculty since the completion of mining, have focused on amphibians. A twofold approach upheld amphibian species population dynamics, as well as selected habitat elements. The restoration practices dedicated to habitat conditions enhancing have been proved to be definitely effective and useful for similar sites.

Measuring Habitat Quality for Deep-Sea Corals and Sponges to Add Conservation Value to Telepresence-Enabled Science and Technology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Etnoyer, P. J.; Hourigan, T. F.; Reser, B.; Monaco, M.

2016-02-01

The growing fleet of telepresence-enabled research vessels equipped with deep-sea imaging technology provides a new opportunity to catalyze and coordinate research efforts among ships. This development is particularly useful for studying the distribution and diversity of deep-sea corals, which occur worldwide from 50 to 8600 m depth. Marine managers around the world seek to conserve these habitats, but require a clear consensus on what types of information are most important and most relevant for marine conservation. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) seeks to develop a reproducible, non-invasive set of ROV methods designed to measure conservation value, or habitat quality, for deep-sea corals and sponges. New tools and methods will be proposed to inform ocean resource management, as well as facilitate research, outreach, and education. A new database schema will be presented, building upon the Ocean Biogeographic Information System (OBIS) and efforts of submersible and ROV teams over the years. Visual information about corals and sponges has proven paramount, particularly high-quality images with standard attributes for marine geology and marine biology, including scientific names, colony size, health, abundance, and density. Improved habitat suitability models can be developed from these data if presence and absence are measured. Recent efforts to incorporate physical sampling into telepresence protocols further increase the value of such information. It is possible for systematic observations with small file sizes to be distributed as geo-referenced, time-stamped still images with environmental variables for water chemistry and a standardized habitat classification. The technique is common among researchers, but a distributed network for this information is still in its infancy. One goal of this presentation is to make progress towards a more integrated network of these measured observations of habitat quality to better facilitate

Solar and Space Physics: A Science for a Technological Society

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2013-01-01

From the interior of the Sun, to the upper atmosphere and near-space environment of Earth, and outward to a region far beyond Pluto where the Sun's influence wanes, advances during the past decade in space physics and solar physics the disciplines NASA refers to as heliophysics have yielded spectacular insights into the phenomena that affect our home in space. This report, from the National Research Council's (NRC's) Committee for a Decadal Strategy in Solar and Space Physics, is the second NRC decadal survey in heliophysics. Building on the research accomplishments realized over the past decade, the report presents a program of basic and applied research for the period 2013-2022 that will improve scientific understanding of the mechanisms that drive the Sun's activity and the fundamental physical processes underlying near-Earth plasma dynamics, determine the physical interactions of Earth's atmospheric layers in the context of the connected Sun-Earth system, and enhance greatly the capability to provide realistic and specific forecasts of Earth's space environment that will better serve the needs of society. Although the recommended program is directed primarily to NASA (Science Mission Directorate -- Heliophysics Division) and the National Science Foundation (NSF) (Directorate for Geosciences -- Atmospheric and Geospace Sciences) for action, the report also recommends actions by other federal agencies, especially the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) those parts of NOAA charged with the day-to-day (operational) forecast of space weather. In addition to the recommendations included in this summary, related recommendations are presented in the main text of the report.

Lake Shore and Littoral Habitat Structure: Precision and biological Relevance of a Field Survey Method.

EPA Science Inventory

Until recently, lake physical habitat assessment has been an underemployed tool for assessing lake and reservoir ecological condition. We outline and evaluate a rapid field sampling and analytical approach for quantifying near-shore physical habitat. We quantified the repeatabil...

Comparative analysis of female physicists in the physical sciences: Motivation and background variables

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dabney, Katherine P.; Tai, Robert H.

2014-06-01

The majority of existing science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) research studies compare women to men, yet a paucity of research exists that examines what differentiates female career choice within the physical sciences. In light of these research trends and recommendations, this study examines the following question: On average, do females who select physics as compared to chemistry doctoral programs differ in their reported personal motivations and background factors prior to entering the field? This question is analyzed using variables from the Project Crossover Survey data set through a subset of female physical science doctoral students and scientists (n =1137). A logistic regression analysis and prototypical odds ratio uncover what differentiates women in the physical sciences based on their academic achievement and experiences ranging from high school through undergraduate education. Results indicate that females who have negative undergraduate chemistry experiences as well as higher grades and positive experiences in undergraduate physics are more likely to pursue a career in physics as opposed to chemistry. Conclusions suggest that a greater emphasis should be placed on the classroom experiences that are provided to females in gateway physics courses. Analyses show that women are not a single entity that should only be examined as a whole group or in comparison to men. Instead women can be compared to one another to see what influences their differences in educational experiences and career choice in STEM-based fields as well as other academic areas of study.

Analysis on the science literacy ability of vocational school physics teacher using NOSLiT indicators

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rahayu, P. P.; Masykuri, M.; Soeparmi

2018-04-01

Professional Physics teacher must be able to manage science learning process by associating science itself with the daily life. At first the teacher must have competency in the ability of science literacy. The target of this research is vocational school Physics teachers for the purpose to describe their ability on science literacy. This research is a survey research using test method. The test instrument is The NOSLiT by Wenning.Research results are: 1) Scientific Nomenclature : 38.46 %, 2) Basic experimental and observational abilities : 38.46 %, 3) Rules of scientific evidence : 0%, 4) Postulate science: 15.38%, 5) scientific disposition: 7. 69%.Conclusion: The result of each indicator shows that the ability of science literacy of vocational school Physics teachers has not met the expectations yet. It’s can be used as the reflection for education experts to improve their science literacy ability so that can be applied to the learning process that directly or indirectly will have an impact on improving the students’ science literacy.

Predictors of gender achievement in physical science at the secondary level

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kozlenko, Brittany Hunter

This study used the 2009 National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) science restricted data-set for twelfth graders. The NAEP data used in this research study is derived from a sample group of 11,100 twelfth grade students that represented a national population of over 3,000,000 twelfth grade students enrolled in science in the United States in 2009. The researcher chose the NAEP data set because it provided a national sample using uniform questions. This study investigated how the factors of socioeconomic status (SES), parental education level, mode of instruction, and affective disposition affect twelfth grade students' physical science achievement levels in school for the sample population and subgroups for gender. The factors mode of instruction and affective disposition were built through factor analysis based on available questions from the student surveys. All four factors were found to be significant predictors of physical science achievement for the sample population. NAEP exams are administered to a national sample that represents the population of American students enrolled in public and private schools. This was a non-experimental study that adds to the literature on factors that impact physical science for both genders. A gender gap is essentially nonexistent at the fourth grade level but appears at the eighth grade level in science based on information from NAEP (NCES, 1997). The results of the study can be used to make recommendation for policy change to diminish this gender gap in the future. Educators need to be using research to make instructional decisions; research-based instruction helps all students.

The emergence of time's arrows and special science laws from physics

PubMed Central

Loewer, Barry

2012-01-01

In this paper, I will argue that there is an important connection between two questions concerning how certain features of the macro world emerge from the laws and processes of fundamental microphysics and suggest an approach to answering these questions. The approach involves a kind of emergence but quite different from ‘top-down’ emergence discussed at the conference, for which an earlier version of this paper was written. The two questions are (i) How do ‘the arrows of time’ emerge from microphysics? (ii) How do macroscopic special science laws and causation emerge from microphysics? Answering these questions is especially urgent for those, who like myself, think that a certain version of physicalism, which I call ‘micro-physical completeness’ (MC), is true. According to MC, there are fundamental dynamical laws that completely govern (deterministically or probabilistically), the evolution of all micro-physical events and there are no additional ontologically independent dynamical or causal special science laws. In other words, there is no ontologically independent ‘top-down’ causation. Of course, MC does not imply that physicists now or ever will know or propose the complete laws of physics. Or even if the complete laws were known we would know how special science properties and laws reduce to laws and properties of fundamental physics. Rather, MC is a contingent metaphysical claim about the laws of our world. After a discussion of the two questions, I will argue the key to showing how it is possible for the arrows of time and the special science laws to emerge from microphysics and a certain account of how thermodynamics is related to fundamental dynamical laws. PMID:23386956

The emergence of time's arrows and special science laws from physics.

PubMed

Loewer, Barry

2012-02-06

In this paper, I will argue that there is an important connection between two questions concerning how certain features of the macro world emerge from the laws and processes of fundamental microphysics and suggest an approach to answering these questions. The approach involves a kind of emergence but quite different from 'top-down' emergence discussed at the conference, for which an earlier version of this paper was written. The two questions are (i) How do 'the arrows of time' emerge from microphysics? (ii) How do macroscopic special science laws and causation emerge from microphysics? Answering these questions is especially urgent for those, who like myself, think that a certain version of physicalism, which I call 'micro-physical completeness' (MC), is true. According to MC, there are fundamental dynamical laws that completely govern (deterministically or probabilistically), the evolution of all micro-physical events and there are no additional ontologically independent dynamical or causal special science laws. In other words, there is no ontologically independent 'top-down' causation. Of course, MC does not imply that physicists now or ever will know or propose the complete laws of physics. Or even if the complete laws were known we would know how special science properties and laws reduce to laws and properties of fundamental physics. Rather, MC is a contingent metaphysical claim about the laws of our world. After a discussion of the two questions, I will argue the key to showing how it is possible for the arrows of time and the special science laws to emerge from microphysics and a certain account of how thermodynamics is related to fundamental dynamical laws.

Pima College Students' Knowledge of Selected Basic Physical Science Concepts.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Iadevaia, David G.

In 1989 a study was conducted at Pima Community College (PCC) to assess students' knowledge of basic physical science concepts. A three-part survey instrument was administered to students in a second semester sociology class, a first semester astronomy class, a second semester Spanish class, and a first semester physics class. The survey…

Lower Columbia River and Estuary Habitat Monitoring Study, 2011 - Final Report

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Borde, Amy B.; Kaufmann, Ronald M.; Cullinan, Valerie I.

The Ecosystem Monitoring Program is a collaborative effort between the Lower Columbia River Estuary Partnership (LCREP), University of Washington, Wetland Ecosystem Team (UW), US Geological Survey, Water Science Center (USGS), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, National Marine Fisheries Service (NOAA-Fisheries, hereafter NOAA), and Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Marine Sciences Laboratory (PNNL). The goal of the program is to conduct emergent wetland monitoring aimed at characterizing salmonid habitats in the lower Columbia River and estuary (LCRE) from the mouth of the estuary to Bonneville Dam (Figure 1). This is an ecosystem based monitoring program focused on evaluating status and trends inmore » habitat and reducing uncertainties regarding these ecosystems to ultimately improve the survival of juvenile salmonids through the LCRE. This project comprehensively assesses habitat, fish, food web, and abiotic conditions in the lower river, focusing on shallow water and vegetated habitats used by juvenile salmonids for feeding, rearing and refugia. The information is intended to be used to guide management actions associated with species recovery, particularly that of threatened and endangered salmonids. PNNL’s role in this multi-year study is to monitor the habitat structure (e.g., vegetation, topography, channel morphology, and sediment type) as well as hydrologic patterns.« less

A Guide to Federal Funding in the Physical and Mathematical Sciences.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ficklen, Myra

This guide provides summaries of federal programs in the physical and mathematical sciences of interest to colleges and universities. Programs from the following federal agencies are included: National Science Foundation; Department of Energy; Environmental Protection Agency; Office of Education; Department of Interior; Smithsonian Institution;…

The importance of fluvial hydraulics to fish-habitat restoration in low-gradient alluvial streams

USGS Publications Warehouse

Rabeni, Charles F.; Jacobson, Robert B.

1993-01-01

1. A major cause of degradation and loss of stream fish is alteration of physical habitat within and adjacent to the channel. We describe a potentially efficient approach to fish restoration based upon the relationship between fluvial hydraulics, geomorphology, and those habitats important to fish.2. The aquatic habitat in a low-gradient, alluvial stream in the Ozark Plateaus physiographical province was classified according to location in the channel, patterns of water flow, and structures that control flow. The resulting habitat types were ranked in terms of their temporal stability and ability to be manipulated.3. Delineation and quantification of discrete physical spaces in a stream, termed hydraulic habitat units, are shown to be useful in stream restoration programmes if the ecological importance of each habitat unit is known, and if habitats are defined by fluvial dynamics so that restoration is aided by natural forces.4. Examples, using different taxa, are given to illustrate management options.

PR^2EPS: Preparation, recruitment, retention and excellence in the physical sciences

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gallagher, Hugh; Labroo, Sunil; Schaumloffel, John; Bischoff, Paul; Bachman, Nancy

2007-04-01

The PR^2EPS program is a multidisciplinary effort to increase the number of majors attending (and graduating) from SUNY Oneonta with degrees in physics, chemistry, secondary physics or chemistry education and related areas. Components of the program include a walk-in tutoring center, a free, weeklong summer science camp, scholarship opportunities, professional conference experiences, and an equipment loan program for regional secondary science teachers. 2006 was the third year of this NSF-DUE funded program. Evaluation of our progress to date shows that the program is effective at steering students (or at least reinforcing their desire) to studying the sciences in college and retaining them in their science programs. A summary of our goals, challenges and accomplishments, including tutoring center operation and efficacy, activities and operational details for the summer camp, and the overall impact on science programs at a medium sized college will be presented.

Habitat evaluation for outbreak of Yangtze voles (Microtus fortis) and management implications.

PubMed

Xu, Zhenggang; Zhao, Yunlin; Li, Bo; Zhang, Meiwen; Shen, Guo; Wang, Yong

2015-05-01

Rodent pests severely damage agricultural crops. Outbreak risk models of rodent pests often do not include sufficient information regarding geographic variation. Habitat plays an important role in rodent-pest outbreak risk, and more information about the relationship between habitat and crop protection is urgently needed. The goal of the present study was to provide an outbreak risk map for the Dongting Lake region and to understand the relationship between rodent-pest outbreak variation and habitat distribution. The main rodent pests in the Dongting Lake region are Yangtze voles (Microtus fortis). These pests cause massive damage in outbreak years, most notably in 2007. Habitat evaluation and ecological details were obtained by analyzing the correlation between habitat suitability and outbreak risk, as indicated by population density and historical events. For the source-sink population, 96.18% of Yangtze vole disaster regions were covered by a 10-km buffer zone of suitable habitat in 2007. Historical outbreak frequency and peak population density were significantly correlated with the proportion of land covered by suitable habitat (r = 0.68, P = 0.04 and r = 0.76, P = 0.03, respectively). The Yangtze vole population tends to migrate approximately 10 km in outbreak years. Here, we propose a practical method for habitat evaluation that can be used to create integrated pest management plans for rodent pests when combined with basic information on the biology, ecology and behavior of the target species. © 2014 International Society of Zoological Sciences, Institute of Zoology/Chinese Academy of Sciences and Wiley Publishing Asia Pty Ltd.

Data Stewardship in the Ocean Sciences Needs to Include Physical Samples

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Carter, M.; Lehnert, K.

2016-02-01

Across the Ocean Sciences, research involves the collection and study of samples collected above, at, and below the seafloor, including but not limited to rocks, sediments, fluids, gases, and living organisms. Many domains in the Earth Sciences have recently expressed the need for better discovery, access, and sharing of scientific samples and collections (EarthCube End-User Domain workshops, 2012 and 2013, http://earthcube.org/info/about/end-user-workshops), as has the US government (OSTP Memo, March 2014). iSamples (Internet of Samples in the Earth Sciences) is a Research Coordination Network within the EarthCube program that aims to advance the use of innovative cyberinfrastructure to support and advance the utility of physical samples and sample collections for science and ensure reproducibility of sample-based data and research results. iSamples strives to build, grow, and foster a new community of practice, in which domain scientists, curators of sample repositories and collections, computer and information scientists, software developers and technology innovators engage in and collaborate on defining, articulating, and addressing the needs and challenges of physical samples as a critical component of digital data infrastructure. A primary goal of iSamples is to deliver a community-endorsed set of best practices and standards for the registration, description, identification, and citation of physical specimens and define an actionable plan for implementation. iSamples conducted a broad community survey about sample sharing and has created 5 different working groups to address the different challenges of developing the internet of samples - from metadata schemas and unique identifiers to an architecture for a shared cyberinfrastructure to manage collections, to digitization of existing collections, to education, and ultimately to establishing the physical infrastructure that will ensure preservation and access of the physical samples. Repositories that curate

ASP2012: Fundamental Physics and Accelerator Sciences in Africa

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Darve, Christine

2012-02-01

Much remains to be done to improve education and scientific research in Africa. Supported by the international scientific community, our initiative has been to contribute to fostering science in sub-Saharan Africa by establishing a biennial school on fundamental subatomic physics and its applications. The school is based on a close interplay between theoretical, experimental, and applied physics. The lectures are addressed to students or young researchers with at least a background of 4 years of university formation. The aim of the school is to develop capacity, interpret, and capitalize on the results of current and future physics experiments with particle accelerators; thereby spreading education for innovation in related applications and technologies, such as medicine and information science. Following the worldwide success of the first school edition, which gathered 65 students for 3-week in Stellenbosch (South Africa) in August 2010, the second edition will be hosted in Ghana from July 15 to August 4, 2012. The school is a non-profit organization, which provides partial or full financial support to 50 of the selected students, with priority to Sub-Saharan African students.

An Instructional System in Physical Science, Teacher's Guide and Keys.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Washington State Univ., Pullman.

This manual is a teacher's guide to a self-instructional program in basic physical science, designed for high school students who have not had a course in chemistry or physics. There are six units in the manual relating to these areas: problem solving and experimental procedures; universal standards, metric system and conversion; mechanics; the…

Challenging traditional assumptions of high school science through the physics and Everyday Thinking Curriculum(TM)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ross, Michael J.

Science education in the U.S. has failed for over a century to bring the experience of scientific induction to classrooms, from elementary science to undergraduate courses. The achievement of American students on international comparisons of science proficiency is unacceptable, and the disparities between groups underrepresented in STEM and others are large and resistant to reform efforts. This study investigated the enactment of a physics curriculum designed upon the inductive method in a high school serving mostly students from groups underrepresented in science. The Physics and Everyday Thinking curriculum was designed to model the central practices of science and to provide opportunities for students to both extract general principles of physics and to develop scientific models from laboratory evidence. The findings of this study suggest that scientific induction is not only a process that is well within the capacity of high school students, but they enjoy it as well. Students that engaged in the central practices of science through the inductive method reported a new sense of agency and control in their learning. These findings suggest that modeling the pedagogy of the science classroom upon the epistemology of science can result in a mode of learning that can lead to positive identification with physics and the development of scientific literacy.

Pre-Service Science Teachers' Pedagogical Content Knowledge in the Physics, Chemistry, and Biology Topics

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bektas, Oktay

2015-01-01

This study investigated pre-service science teachers' pedagogical content knowledge in the physics, chemistry, and biology topics. These topics were the light and sound, the physical and chemical changes, and reproduction, growth, and evolution. Qualitative research design was utilized. Data were collected from 33 pre-service science teachers…

Dr Skateboard's Action Science: Teaching Physics in Context

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Robertson, William H.

2009-01-01

In order to create student interest and promote new connections to the understanding of fundamental physics concepts, there is a need for new approaches and methods that are both contemporary and relevant. Dr Skateboard's Action Science, a curriculum supplement comprising video instruction and classroom activities, is an example that focuses on…

Biological and Physical Space Research Laboratory 2002 Science Review

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Curreri, P. A. (Editor); Robinson, M. B. (Editor); Murphy, K. L. (Editor)

2003-01-01

With the International Space Station Program approaching core complete, our NASA Headquarters sponsor, the new Code U Enterprise, Biological and Physical Research, is shifting its research emphasis from purely fundamental microgravity and biological sciences to strategic research aimed at enabling human missions beyond Earth orbit. Although we anticipate supporting microgravity research on the ISS for some time to come, our laboratory has been vigorously engaged in developing these new strategic research areas.This Technical Memorandum documents the internal science research at our laboratory as presented in a review to Dr. Ann Whitaker, MSFC Science Director, in July 2002. These presentations have been revised and updated as appropriate for this report. It provides a snapshot of the internal science capability of our laboratory as an aid to other NASA organizations and the external scientific community.

History of science, physics, and art: a complex approach in Brazilian syllabuses

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Braga, Marco; Guerra, Andreia; Reis, José Claudio

2013-09-01

This paper is about new contents that can be introduced into science education. It is a description of an experience aimed at introducing a complex approach into the final grade of a Brazilian elementary school. The aim is to show the transformation of the conception of space and time from the Middle Ages with the physics of Aristotle to the 20th century, when a new conception arose with the physics of Einstein. These changes were accompanied by new visions of space and time in both physics and arts. Comparison between these two expressions of human culture is used to introduce science as a human construct inserted into history.

Student Science Training Program in Mathematics, Physics and Computer Science. Final Report to the National Science Foundation. Artificial Intelligence Memo No. 393.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Abelson, Harold; diSessa, Andy

During the summer of 1976, the MIT Artificial Intelligence Laboratory sponsored a Student Science Training Program in Mathematics, Physics, and Computer Science for high ability secondary school students. This report describes, in some detail, the style of the program, the curriculum and the projects the students under-took. It is hoped that this…

Simulation-Based Performance Assessment: An Innovative Approach to Exploring Understanding of Physical Science Concepts

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gale, Jessica; Wind, Stefanie; Koval, Jayma; Dagosta, Joseph; Ryan, Mike; Usselman, Marion

2016-01-01

This paper illustrates the use of simulation-based performance assessment (PA) methodology in a recent study of eighth-grade students' understanding of physical science concepts. A set of four simulation-based PA tasks were iteratively developed to assess student understanding of an array of physical science concepts, including net force,…

A Semantic Differential Evaluation of Attitudinal Outcomes of Introductory Physical Science.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hecht, Alfred Roland

This study was designed to assess the attitudinal outcomes of Introductory Physical Science (IPS) curriculum materials used in schools. Random samples of 240 students receiving IPS instruction and 240 non-science students were assigned to separate Solomon four-group designs with non-equivalent control groups. Random samples of 60 traditional…

(Dis)Solving the Differences: A Physical Science Lesson Using Universal Design

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kurtts, Stephanie A.; Matthews, Catherine E.; Smallwood, Tammy

2009-01-01

Universal design for learning (UDL) holds promise for teachers who are struggling with creating lessons that allow all students access to and engagement with the general science curriculum. In this article, the authors demonstrate how a secondary physical science lesson about solubility and concentration can be designed for diverse learners' needs…

A DIRECTORY OF INFORMATION RESOURCES IN THE UNITED STATES. PHYSICAL SCIENCES, BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES, ENGINEERING.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Library of Congress, Washington, DC.

SOURCES OF INFORMATION FOR BIOLOGICAL AND PHYSICAL SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING ARE LISTED. THEY INCLUDE--(1) LIBRARIES, (2) CENTRALIZED INFORMATION CENTERS, (3) PROFESSIONAL SOCIETIES AND OTHER SPECIALIZING ORGANIZATIONS, (4) INDUSTRIAL FIRMS, (5) GOVERNMENTAL AGENCIES OR OFFICES, AND (6) OTHER INFORMATION SOURCES WHICH MAKE SCIENTIFIC AND…

Life Science-Related Physics Laboratory on Geometrical Optics

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Edwards, T. H.; And Others

1975-01-01

Describes a laboratory experiment on geometrical optics designed for life science majors in a noncalculus introductory physics course. The thin lens equation is used by the students to calculate the focal length of the lens necessary to correct a myopic condition in an optical bench simulation of a human eye. (Author/MLH)

China and India: A New Sputnik? Federal Funding of Physical Sciences Research

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pierson, Steve

2007-11-01

Federal funding for the physical sciences has been stagnant for many decades, hindering scientific progress in many regards. Meanwhile, in the last decade, countries like China and India have made huge strides in improving their science and technology infrastructure, to the extent that U.S. leadership in many scientific fields is, or will soon be, challenged. The United States is also losing high-tech market share and jobs. Just as Sputnik jolted the U.S. into action 50 years ago, many believe that the current challenges require a Sputnik-like response. The American Physical Society is working hard to convince Members of Congress and the Administration to increase science research funding. In this talk, I will discuss challenges to U.S. science leadership and the APS advocacy. I will also address whether physicists can have an impact in Washington.

The impetus theory: Between history of physics and science education

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Giannetto, Enrico

1993-09-01

Through a physical, historical and epistemological analysis it is shown how much is wrong with the idea that relates impetus theory to a “non-grown-up” physical and epistemological conception. Indeed, it yields that impetus theory of Buridan and Oresme can be formalised and can furnish us a “natural”, “non-violent” interpretation of (classical) mechanics as well as a more general, physical hermeneutics of the world. Then, the possible relevance of impetus theory for science education is strongly pointed out.

PREFACE: 1st International Conference in Applied Physics and Materials Science

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

2015-06-01

We are delighted to come up with thirty two (32) contributed research papers in these proceedings, focusing on Materials Science and Applied Physics as an output of the 2013 International Conference in Applied Physics and Materials Science (ICAMS2013) held on October 22-24, 2013 at the Ateneo de Davao University, Davao City, Philippines. The conference was set to provide a high level of international forum and had brought together leading academic scientists, industry professionals, researchers and scholars from universities, industries and government agencies who have shared their experiences, research results and discussed the practical challenges encountered and the solutions adopted as well as the advances in the fields of Applied Physics and Materials Science. This conference has provided a wide opportunity to establish multidisciplinary collaborations with local and foreign experts. ICAMS2013, held concurrently with 15th Samahang Pisika ng Visayas at Mindanao (SPVM) National Physics Conference and 2013 International Meeting for Complex Systems, was organized by the Samahang Pisika ng Visayas at Mindanao (Physics Society of Visayas and Mindanao) based in MSU-Iligan Institute of Technology, Iligan City, Philippines. The international flavor of converging budding researchers and experts on Materials Science and Applied Physics was the first to be organized in the 19 years of SPVM operation in the Philippines. We highlighted ICAMS2013 gathering by the motivating presence of Dr. Stuart Parkin, a British Physicist, as one of our conference's plenary speakers. Equal measures of gratitude were also due to all other plenary speakers, Dr. Elizabeth Taylor of Institute of Physics (IOP) in London, Dr. Surya Raghu of Advanced Fluidics in Maryland, USA and Prof. Hitoshi Miyata of Niigata University, Japan, Prof. Djulia Onggo of Institut Teknologi Bandung, Indonesia, and Dr. Hironori Katagiri of Nagaoka National College of Technology, Japan. The warm hospitality of the host

The Impact of Internet Virtual Physics Laboratory Instruction on the Achievement in Physics, Science Process Skills and Computer Attitudes of 10th-Grade Students

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yang, Kun-Yuan; Heh, Jia-Sheng

2007-10-01

The purpose of this study was to investigate and compare the impact of Internet Virtual Physics Laboratory (IVPL) instruction with traditional laboratory instruction in physics academic achievement, performance of science process skills, and computer attitudes of tenth grade students. One-hundred and fifty students from four classes at one private senior high school in Taoyuan Country, Taiwan, R.O.C. were sampled. All four classes contained 75 students who were equally divided into an experimental group and a control group. The pre-test results indicated that the students' entry-level physics academic achievement, science process skills, and computer attitudes were equal for both groups. On the post-test, the experimental group achieved significantly higher mean scores in physics academic achievement and science process skills. There was no significant difference in computer attitudes between the groups. We concluded that the IVPL had potential to help tenth graders improve their physics academic achievement and science process skills.

Rain Forests. Habitat Ecology Learning Program (H.E.L.P.), Teachers' Manual.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wildlife Conservation Society, Bronx, NY.

The goal of this guide is to address a major environmental dilemma: worldwide habitat destruction and the disappearance of species. This guide is one of six that are included in the Habitat Ecology Learning Program (HELP), a holistic life science curriculum that involves students in an in-depth study of ecology. HELP includes six teaching guides…

76 FR 14996 - Advisory Committee for Mathematical and Physical Sciences; Notice of Meeting

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-03-18

.... Aizenman, Senior Science Associate, Directorate for Mathematical and Physical Sciences, Room 1005, National... Committee of Visitors Report of NSF Advisory Working Groups Meeting of MPSAC with Divisions within MPS...

Relating Aerospace to Physical Science Grades 7-12.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Williams, Mary H.; Rademacher, Jean

This guide is intended to provide the teacher of secondary school physical science classes with a source of information about recent applications, discoveries, and innovations in aerospace. Each section of the guide is subdivided into parts in which objectives are listed, background information for the use of the teacher and/or the student is…

Econophysics and evolutionary economics (Scientific session of the Physical Sciences Division of the Russian Academy of Sciences, 2 November 2010)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

2011-07-01

The scientific session "Econophysics and evolutionary economics" of the Division of Physical Sciences of the Russian Academy of Sciences (RAS) took place on 2 November 2010 in the conference hall of the Lebedev Physical Institute, Russian Academy of Sciences. The session agenda announced on the website www.gpad.ac.ru of the RAS Physical Sciences Division listed the following reports: (1) Maevsky V I (Institute of Economics, RAS, Moscow) "The transition from simple reproduction to economic growth"; (2) Yudanov A Yu (Financial University of the Government of the Russian Federation, Moscow) "Experimental data on the development of fast-growing innovative companies in Russia"; (3) Pospelov I G (Dorodnitsyn Computation Center, RAS, Moscow) "Why is it sometimes possible to successfully model an economy? (4) Chernyavskii D S (Lebedev Physical Institute, RAS, Moscow) "Theoretical economics"; (5) Romanovskii M Yu (Prokhorov Institute of General Physics, RAS, Moscow) "Nonclassical random walks and the phenomenology of fluctuations of the yield of securities in the securities market"; (6) Dubovikov M M, Starchenko N V (INTRAST Management Company, Moscow Engineering Physics Institute, Moscow) "Fractal analysis of financial time series and the prediction problem"; Papers written on the basis of these reports are published below. • The transition from simple reproduction to economic growth, V I Maevsky, S Yu Malkov Physics-Uspekhi, 2011, Volume 54, Number 7, Pages 729-733 • High-growth firms in Russia: experimental data and prospects for the econophysical simulation of economic modernization, A Yu Yudanov Physics-Uspekhi, 2011, Volume 54, Number 7, Pages 733-737 • Equilibrium models of economics in the period of a global financial crisis, I G Pospelov Physics-Uspekhi, 2011, Volume 54, Number 7, Pages 738-742 • On econophysics and its place in modern theoretical economics, D S Chernavskii, N I Starkov, S Yu Malkov, Yu V Kosse, A V Shcherbakov Physics-Uspekhi, 2011, Volume

Learning Activity Package, Physical Science. LAP Numbers 5, 6, and 7.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Williams, G. J.

These three units of the Learning Activity Packages (LAPs) for individualized instruction in physical science cover the physical and chemical properties of water, dehydration of crystals, solutions, acidity, strong and weak bases, neutral properties of salts, amorphous forms of carbon, hydrocarbons, and petroleum products. Each unit contains a…

Improving the Teaching of Science through Discipline-Based Education Research: An Example from Physics

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McDermott, Lillian C.

2013-01-01

Research on the learning and teaching of science is an important field for scholarly inquiry by faculty in science departments. Such research has proved to be an efficient means for improving the effectiveness of instruction in physics. A basic topic in introductory physics is used to illustrate how discipline-based education research has helped…

Eelgrass habitat near Liberty Bay: Chapter 5

USGS Publications Warehouse

Dinicola, Richard S.; Takesue, Renee K.

2015-01-01

Seagrasses are a widespread type of marine flowering plants that grow in nearshore intertidal and subtidal zones. Seagrass beds are ecologically important because they affect physical, biological, and chemical characteristics of nearshore habitat, and they are sensitive to changes in coastal water quality (Stevenson and others, 1993; Koch, 2001; Martinez-Crego and others, 2008). Zostera marina, commonly known as eelgrass, is protected by a no-net-loss policy in Washington State where it may be used as spawning habitat by herring, a key prey species for salmon, seabirds, and marine mammals (Bargmann, 1998). Eelgrass forms broad meadows in shallow embayments or narrow fringes on open shorelines (Berry and others, 2003). Anthropogenic activities that increase turbidity, nutrient loading, and physical disturbance at the coast can result in dramatic seagrass decline (Ralph and others, 2006).

Causes and consequences of habitat fragmentation in river networks.

PubMed

Fuller, Matthew R; Doyle, Martin W; Strayer, David L

2015-10-01

Increases in river fragmentation globally threaten freshwater biodiversity. Rivers are fragmented by many agents, both natural and anthropogenic. We review the distribution and frequency of these major agents, along with their effects on connectivity and habitat quality. Most fragmentation research has focused on terrestrial habitats, but theories and generalizations developed in terrestrial habitats do not always apply well to river networks. For example, terrestrial habitats are usually conceptualized as two-dimensional, whereas rivers often are conceptualized as one-dimensional or dendritic. In addition, river flow often leads to highly asymmetric effects of barriers on habitat and permeability. New approaches tailored to river networks can be applied to describe the network-wide effects of multiple barriers on both connectivity and habitat quality. The net effects of anthropogenic fragmentation on freshwater biodiversity are likely underestimated, because of time lags in effects and the difficulty of generating a single, simple signal of fragmentation that applies to all aquatic species. We conclude by presenting a decision tree for managing freshwater fragmentation, as well as some research horizons for evaluating fragmented riverscapes. © 2015 New York Academy of Sciences.

The effectiveness of CPI model to improve positive attitude toward science (PATS) for pre-service physics teacher

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sunarti, T.; Wasis; Madlazim; Suyidno; Prahani, B. K.

2018-03-01

In the previous research, learning material based Construction, Production, and Implementation (CPI) model has been developed to improve scientific literacy and positive attitude toward science for pre-service physics teacher. CPI model has 4 phases, included: 1) Motivation; 2) Construction (Cycle I); 3) Production (Cycle II); and 4) Evaluation. This research is aimed to analyze the effectiveness of CPI model towards the improvement Positive Attitude toward Science (PATS) for pre-service physics teacher. This research used one group pre-test and post-test design on 160 pre-service physics teacher divided into 4 groups at Lambung Mangkurat University and Surabaya State University (Indonesia), academic year 2016/2017. Data collection was conducted through questioner, observation, and interview. Positive attitude toward science for pre-service physics teacher measurement were conducted through Positive Attitude toward Science Evaluation Sheet (PATSES). The data analysis technique was done by using Wilcoxon test and n-gain. The results showed that there was a significant increase in positive attitude toward science for pre-service physics teacher at α = 5%, with n-gain average of high category. Thus, the CPI model is effective for improving positive attitude toward science for pre-service physics teacher.

Translating statistical species-habitat models to interactive decision support tools

USGS Publications Warehouse

Wszola, Lyndsie S.; Simonsen, Victoria L.; Stuber, Erica F.; Gillespie, Caitlyn R.; Messinger, Lindsey N.; Decker, Karie L.; Lusk, Jeffrey J.; Jorgensen, Christopher F.; Bishop, Andrew A.; Fontaine, Joseph J.

2017-01-01

Understanding species-habitat relationships is vital to successful conservation, but the tools used to communicate species-habitat relationships are often poorly suited to the information needs of conservation practitioners. Here we present a novel method for translating a statistical species-habitat model, a regression analysis relating ring-necked pheasant abundance to landcover, into an interactive online tool. The Pheasant Habitat Simulator combines the analytical power of the R programming environment with the user-friendly Shiny web interface to create an online platform in which wildlife professionals can explore the effects of variation in local landcover on relative pheasant habitat suitability within spatial scales relevant to individual wildlife managers. Our tool allows users to virtually manipulate the landcover composition of a simulated space to explore how changes in landcover may affect pheasant relative habitat suitability, and guides users through the economic tradeoffs of landscape changes. We offer suggestions for development of similar interactive applications and demonstrate their potential as innovative science delivery tools for diverse professional and public audiences.

Translating statistical species-habitat models to interactive decision support tools.

PubMed

Wszola, Lyndsie S; Simonsen, Victoria L; Stuber, Erica F; Gillespie, Caitlyn R; Messinger, Lindsey N; Decker, Karie L; Lusk, Jeffrey J; Jorgensen, Christopher F; Bishop, Andrew A; Fontaine, Joseph J

2017-01-01

Understanding species-habitat relationships is vital to successful conservation, but the tools used to communicate species-habitat relationships are often poorly suited to the information needs of conservation practitioners. Here we present a novel method for translating a statistical species-habitat model, a regression analysis relating ring-necked pheasant abundance to landcover, into an interactive online tool. The Pheasant Habitat Simulator combines the analytical power of the R programming environment with the user-friendly Shiny web interface to create an online platform in which wildlife professionals can explore the effects of variation in local landcover on relative pheasant habitat suitability within spatial scales relevant to individual wildlife managers. Our tool allows users to virtually manipulate the landcover composition of a simulated space to explore how changes in landcover may affect pheasant relative habitat suitability, and guides users through the economic tradeoffs of landscape changes. We offer suggestions for development of similar interactive applications and demonstrate their potential as innovative science delivery tools for diverse professional and public audiences.

Translating statistical species-habitat models to interactive decision support tools

PubMed Central

Simonsen, Victoria L.; Stuber, Erica F.; Gillespie, Caitlyn R.; Messinger, Lindsey N.; Decker, Karie L.; Lusk, Jeffrey J.; Jorgensen, Christopher F.; Bishop, Andrew A.; Fontaine, Joseph J.

2017-01-01

Understanding species-habitat relationships is vital to successful conservation, but the tools used to communicate species-habitat relationships are often poorly suited to the information needs of conservation practitioners. Here we present a novel method for translating a statistical species-habitat model, a regression analysis relating ring-necked pheasant abundance to landcover, into an interactive online tool. The Pheasant Habitat Simulator combines the analytical power of the R programming environment with the user-friendly Shiny web interface to create an online platform in which wildlife professionals can explore the effects of variation in local landcover on relative pheasant habitat suitability within spatial scales relevant to individual wildlife managers. Our tool allows users to virtually manipulate the landcover composition of a simulated space to explore how changes in landcover may affect pheasant relative habitat suitability, and guides users through the economic tradeoffs of landscape changes. We offer suggestions for development of similar interactive applications and demonstrate their potential as innovative science delivery tools for diverse professional and public audiences. PMID:29236707

Land-use changes and the physical habitat of streams - a review with emphasis on studies within the U.S. Geological Survey Federal-State Cooperative Program

USGS Publications Warehouse

Jacobson, Robert B.; Femmer, Suzanne R.; McKenney, Rose A.

2001-01-01

Understanding the links between land-use changes and physical stream habitat responses is of increasing importance to guide resource management and stream restoration strategies. Transmission of runoff and sediment to streams can involve complex responses of drainage basins, including time lags, thresholds, and cumulative effects. Land-use induced runoff and sediment yield often combine with channel-scale disturbances that decrease flow resistance and erosion resistance, or increase stream energy. The net effects of these interactions on physical stream habitat—depth, velocity, substrate, cover, and temperature—are a challenge to predict. Improved diagnosis and predictive understanding of future change usually require multifaceted, multi-scale, and multidisciplinary studies based on a firm understanding of the history and processes operating in a drainage basin. The U.S. Geological Survey Federal-State Cooperative Program has been instrumental in fostering studies of the links between land use and stream habitat nationwide.

Teachers and Students Perceptions of the Active Science Curriculum: Incorporating Physical Activity into Middle School Science Classrooms

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Finn, Kevin E.; McInnis, Kyle J.

2014-01-01

Many children get little to no regular physical education during the school day. National recommendations call for schools to offer physical activity as part of planned academic lessons that teach math, language arts, science, and other subjects through movement. The purpose of this study was to analyze the student and teacher perceptions of the…

Avian habitat relationships in pinyon-juniper woodland

USGS Publications Warehouse

Sedgwick, James A.

1987-01-01

Habitat relationships of breeding birds were examined in northwestern Colorado in pinyon-juniper (Pinus edulis-Juniperus osteosperma) woodland and in openings where most overstory trees had been knocked down by anchor chaining. Vegetation characteristics and physical habitat features were measured in 233 0.04-ha circular plots around singing males of 13 species of birds from 15 May to 15 July 1980. Thirteen-group discriminant function analysis ordinated bird species along three habitat dimensions described by (1) canopy height; (2) slope, shrub size, and shrub species diversity; and (3) percentage canopy cover, large tree density, distance from a habitat edge, litter cover, and green cover. Woodland, open-area, and intermediate edge species were clearly segregated along the first discriminant axis, and species' associations with shrubs, inclination, ground cover, and edges were revealed by the ordinations along the second and third discriminant axes. Two-group discriminant analyses comparing occupied and available plots identified additional and more specific habitat associations. For example, Hermit Thrushes (Catharus guttatus) were associated with mature forested habitats and forest interiors, Virginia's Warblers (Vermivora virginiae) favored steep, oak-covered draws, Rock Wrens (Salpinctes obsoletus) selected areas where percentage log cover and small tree density were high, and Dusky Flycatchers (Empidonax oberholseri) preferred shrubby slopes with scattered large trees near woodland edges.

Removal of small dams and its influence on physical habitat for salmonids in a Norwegian river

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fjeldstad, Hans-Petter; Barlaup, Bjørn; Stickler, Morten; Alfredsen, Knut; Gabrielsen, Sven-Erik

2010-05-01

While research and implementation of upstream migration solutions is extensive, and indeed often successful, full scale restoration projects and investigations of their influence on fish biology are rare in Norway. Acid deposition in Norwegian catchments peaked in the 1980's and resulted in both chronically and episodically acidified rivers and Salmonids in River Nidelva, one of the largest cathments in southern Norway, where extinct for decades. During this period hydropower development in the river paid limited attention to aquatic ecology. Weirs were constructed for esthetic purposes in the late 1970's and turned a 3 km stretch into a lake habitat, well suited for lake dwelling fish species, but unsuited for migration, spawning and juvenile habitat for salmonids. Since 2005, continuous liming to mitigate acidification has improved the water quality and a program for reintroduction of Atlantic salmon has been implemented. We used hydraulic modeling to plan the removal of two weirs on a bypass reach of the river. The 50 meters wide concrete weirs were blasted and removed in 2007, and ecological monitoring has been carried out in the river to assess the effect of weir removal. Topographic mapping, hydraulic measurements and modeling, in combination with biological surveys before and after the removal of the weirs, has proved to represent a powerful method for design of physical habitat adjustments and assessing their influence on fish biology. The model results also supported a rapid progress of planning and executing of the works. While telemetry studies before weir removal suggested that adult migration past the weirs was delayed with several weeks the fish can now pass the reach with minor obstacles. Spawning sites were discovered in the old bed substrate and were occupied already the first season after water velocities increased to suitable levels for spawning. Accordingly, the densities of Atlantic salmon juveniles have shown a marked increased after the

Secondary Physical Science Teachers' Conceptions of Science Teaching in a Context of Change

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Taylor, Dale L.; Booth, Shirley

2015-05-01

Pre-service teachers enter initial teacher education programmes with conceptions of teaching gleaned from their own schooling. These conceptions, which include teachers' beliefs, may be resistant to change, which is a challenge in contexts where teacher educators hope that teachers will teach in ways different from their own schooling. Conceptions of teaching found in different cultural and disciplinary contexts have contextual differences but have resonances with the results of research into teacher beliefs. Our sample of eight South African secondary physical science teachers was schooled in a system which encouraged knowledge transmission, but they were prepared in their initial teacher education for a learner-centred approach. After they had taught for a few years, we explored their conceptions of science teaching, using phenomenographic interviews. Four conceptions emerged inductively from the analysis: transferring science knowledge from mind to mind; transferring problematic science knowledge from mind to mind; creating space for learning science knowledge and creating space for learning problematic science knowledge. Internally these conceptions are constituted by three dimensions of variation: the nature of the science knowledge to be learnt, the role of the students and the role of the teacher. Media and practical work play different roles in the external horizon of these conceptions. These conceptions reflect the disciplinary context as well as the emphases of the sample's initial teacher education programme. This suggests that initial teacher education can significantly shape teachers' conceptions of teaching.

Rockets: Physical science teacher's guide with activities

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vogt, Gregory L.; Rosenberg, Carla R.

1993-07-01

This guide begins with background information sections on the history of rocketry, scientific principles, and practical rocketry. The sections on scientific principles and practical rocketry are based on Isaac Newton's three laws of motion. These laws explain why rockets work and how to make them more efficient. The background sections are followed with a series of physical science activities that demonstrate the basic science of rocketry. Each activity is designed to be simple and take advantage of inexpensive materials. Construction diagrams, materials and tools lists, and instructions are included. A brief discussion elaborates on the concepts covered in the activities and is followed with teaching notes and discussion questions. The guide concludes with a glossary of terms, suggested reading list, NASA educational resources, and an evaluation questionnaire with a mailer.

Rockets: Physical science teacher's guide with activities

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Vogt, Gregory L.; Rosenberg, Carla R. (Editor)

1993-01-01

This guide begins with background information sections on the history of rocketry, scientific principles, and practical rocketry. The sections on scientific principles and practical rocketry are based on Isaac Newton's three laws of motion. These laws explain why rockets work and how to make them more efficient. The background sections are followed with a series of physical science activities that demonstrate the basic science of rocketry. Each activity is designed to be simple and take advantage of inexpensive materials. Construction diagrams, materials and tools lists, and instructions are included. A brief discussion elaborates on the concepts covered in the activities and is followed with teaching notes and discussion questions. The guide concludes with a glossary of terms, suggested reading list, NASA educational resources, and an evaluation questionnaire with a mailer.

Workshop on Research for Space Exploration: Physical Sciences and Process Technology

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Singh, Bhim S.

1998-01-01

This report summarizes the results of a workshop sponsored by the Microgravity Research Division of NASA to define contributions the microgravity research community can provide to advance the human exploration of space. Invited speakers and attendees participated in an exchange of ideas to identify issues of interest in physical sciences and process technologies. This workshop was part of a continuing effort to broaden the contribution of the microgravity research community toward achieving the goals of the space agency in human exploration, as identified in the NASA Human Exploration and Development of Space (HEDS) strategic plan. The Microgravity program is one of NASA'a major links to academic and industrial basic research in the physical and engineering sciences. At present, it supports close to 400 principal investigators, who represent many of the nation's leading researchers in the physical and engineering sciences and biotechnology. The intent of the workshop provided a dialogue between NASA and this large, influential research community, mission planners and industry technical experts with the goal of defining enabling research for the Human Exploration and Development of Space activities to which the microgravity research community can contribute.

Teaching habitat and animal classification to fourth graders using an engineering-design model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Marulcu, Ismail

2014-05-01

Background: The motivation for this work is built upon the premise that there is a need for research-based materials for design-based science instruction. In this paper, a small portion of our work investigating the impact of a LEGOTM engineering unit on fourth grade students' preconceptions and understanding of animals is presented. Purpose: The driving questions for our work are: (1) What is the impact of an engineering-design-based curricular module on students' understanding of habitat and animal classification? (2) What are students' misconceptions regarding animal classification and habitat? Sample: The study was conducted in an inner-city K-8 school in the northeastern region of the United States. There were two fourth grade classrooms in the school. The first classroom included seven girls and nine boys, whereas the other classroom included eight girls and eight boys. All fourth grade students participated in the study. Design and methods: In answering the research questions mixed-method approaches are used. Data collection methods included pre- and post-tests, pre- and post-interviews, student journals, and classroom observations. Identical pre- and post-tests were administered to measure students' understanding of animals. They included four multiple-choice and six open-ended questions. Identical pre- and post-interviews were administered to explore students' in-depth understanding of animals. Results: Our results show that students significantly increased their performance after instruction on both the multiple-choice questions (t = -3.586, p = .001) and the open-ended questions (t = -5.04, p = .000). They performed better on the post interviews as well. Also, it is found that design-based instruction helped students comprehend core concepts of a life science subject, animals. Conclusions: Based on these results, the main argument of the study is that engineering design is a useful framework for teaching not only physical science-related subjects, but

Exploring the Impact of Culture- and Language-Influenced Physics on Science Attitude Enhancement

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Morales, Marie Paz E.

2016-02-01

"Culture," a set of principles that trace and familiarize human beings within their existential realities, may provide an invisible lens through which reality could be discerned. Critically explored in this study is how culture- and language-sensitive curriculum materials in physics improve Pangasinan learners' attitude toward science. Their cultural preference or profile defined their cultural dimensions, epistemological beliefs, and views on integration of culture and language in the teaching and learning processes. The culture- and language-influenced curriculum materials in physics were heavily influenced by Pangasinan learners' cultural preference or profile. Results of the experimental participants' pretest and posttest on science attitude measure, when compared, showed significant statistical difference. Assessment of science attitude enhancement favored the experimental group over the control group. Qualitative data gathered from postimplementation interviews, focus group discussions, and journal log entries indicated the same trend in favor of the experimental participants. The study yielded that culture and language integration in the teaching and learning processes of physics concepts allowed students to develop positive attitude to science, their culture, and native language.

Effects of physical science courses which emphasize content or process on efficacy beliefs of preservice elementary teachers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Aldrich, Lynn Karter

1997-09-01

Concerns about the teaching of science in elementary grades have led in recent years to studies of teacher efficacy beliefs, their relation to teaching behaviors, and mechanisms which promote positive changes in those beliefs. The purpose of this study was to determine if science teaching efficacy beliefs of preservice elementary teachers are changed by a process emphasis physical science course and by a content emphasis physical science course and to compare these two effects. The STEBI-B instrument was given as a pretest at the beginning and a posttest at the conclusion of semester physical science courses to 94 subjects in a small liberal arts-based college. The STEBI-B instrument was also given as a pretest at the beginning and a posttest at the conclusion of semester science teaching methods courses to 61 subjects at the same college. No significant change occurred in the outcome expectancy subscale for the content emphasis course, the process emphasis course, or the science methods course. No significant change occurred in the self-efficacy subscale for the content emphasis course. A significant increase occurred in the self-efficacy subscale for the process emphasis course and the science methods course. When the process emphasis subjects were broken down into subgroups based on when the methods course was taken, a significant increase was found only for the subgroups who had previously taken or were concurrently taking a methods course with the physical science course. No significant difference was found in either outcome expectancy or self-efficacy between the content emphasis and process emphasis with ANCOVA using the pretest STEBI-B subscale as a covariate. The results suggest that a physical science course which emphasizes science process by using an integrated approach of lecture, hands-on activities and discussion may result in increased science teaching self-efficacy beliefs for preservice elementary teachers. The results also suggest that these

Physical Computing and Its Scope--Towards a Constructionist Computer Science Curriculum with Physical Computing

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Przybylla, Mareen; Romeike, Ralf

2014-01-01

Physical computing covers the design and realization of interactive objects and installations and allows students to develop concrete, tangible products of the real world, which arise from the learners' imagination. This can be used in computer science education to provide students with interesting and motivating access to the different topic…

Laboratory for Nuclear Science. High Energy Physics Program

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Milner, Richard

High energy and nuclear physics research at MIT is conducted within the Laboratory for Nuclear Science (LNS). Almost half of the faculty in the MIT Physics Department carry out research in LNS at the theoretical and experimental frontiers of subatomic physics. Since 2004, the U.S. Department of Energy has funded the high energy physics research program through grant DE-FG02-05ER41360 (other grants and cooperative agreements provided decades of support prior to 2004). The Director of LNS serves as PI. The grant supports the research of four groups within LNS as “tasks” within the umbrella grant. Brief descriptions of each group aremore » given here. A more detailed report from each task follows in later sections. Although grant DE-FG02-05ER41360 has ended, DOE continues to fund LNS high energy physics research through five separate grants (a research grant for each of the four groups, as well as a grant for AMS Operations). We are pleased to continue this longstanding partnership.« less

The Physics of Living in Space: A Physicist's Attempt to Provide Science and Engineering Education for Non-Science Students.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Holbrow, C. H.

1983-01-01

A course was developed to teach physics concepts and to help students understand mathematics, the nature and role of engineers and engineering in society, and to distinguish between science/technology from pseudo-science. Includes course goals/content, mechanics, start-up, and long-term projects. (JN)

A Systemic Functional Linguistic Analysis of the Utterances of Three South African Physical Sciences Teachers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jawahar, Kavish; Dempster, Edith R.

2013-06-01

In this study, the sociocultural view of science as a language and some quantitative language features of the complementary theoretical framework of systemic functional linguistics are employed to analyse the utterances of three South African Physical Sciences teachers. Using a multi-case study methodology, this study provides a sophisticated description of the utterances of Pietermaritzburg Physical Sciences teachers in language contexts characterised by varying proportions of English Second Language (ESL) students in each class. The results reveal that, as expected, lexical cohesion as measured by the cohesive harmony index and proportion of repeated content words relative to total words, increased with an increasing proportion of ESL students. However, the use of nominalisation by the teachers and the lexical density of their utterances did not decrease with an increasing proportion of ESL students. Furthermore, the results reveal that each individual Physical Sciences teacher had a 'signature' talk, unrelated to the language context in which they taught. This study signals the urgent and critical need for South African science teacher training programmes to place a greater emphasis on the functional use of language for different language contexts in order to empower South African Physical Sciences teachers to adequately apprentice their students into the use of the register of scientific English.

Physical habitat and its alteration: A common ground for exposure of amphibians to environmental stressors

USGS Publications Warehouse

Bishop, Christine A.; Cunnington, David C.; Fellers, Gary M.; Gibbs, James P.; Pauli, Bruce D.; Rothermel, Betsie B.; Linder, Greg L.; Krest, Sherry K.; Sparling, Donald W.

2003-01-01

Amphibians as a class of vertebrates have persisted for hundreds of millions of years (Stebbins and Cohen 1995), but they are currently threatened by a variety of stressors, many resulting from human-related alterations of the environment. Most species of amphibians live closely associated with moist environments throughout their life and have evolved specialized adaptations that conserve water and reduce desiccation (Stebbins and Cohen 1995; Henry 2000; Chapter 2A). Amphibians are ectotherms, so their body temperatures fluctuate with the local environment. Latitude, elevation, and habitat affect environmental temperature and have a strong influence on amphibian distributions. Despite these physiological and habitat constraints, the 4750 species of amphibians in the world today have exploited a wide variety of habitats that range from dry deserts to tropical rain forests and from sea level to elevations above 4000 m (McDairmid and Mitchell 2000).The direct loss of suitable habitat has had a profound effect on amphibian populations (Johnson 1992), as it has on nearly all species of wildlife. In the U.S., 53% of wetlands have been lost to human development in the last 200 years (Dahl 1990). Similar loss of wetlands has occurred throughout much of the world, especially in developing countries (Miller 1993). In many regions, deforestation has reduced or eliminated suitable terrestrial habitats, and this may prove to be the largest global threat to amphibian populations (Johnson 1992). Eight thousand years ago, forests covered approximately 40% of the world’s land (6 billion hectares), but by 1997, the world’s forests had been reduced to 3.5 billion hectares, a 42% loss worldwide (CIDA 2001). The effect of habitat loss is generally both obvious and predictable; with increasing restriction of suitable habitat, amphibian populations will probably not survive. The anthropogenic effects on the quality of the habitat that remains are often less obvious.

A dialogue regarding "The material co-construction of hard science fiction and physics"

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Geelan, David; Prain, Vaughan; Hasse, Cathrine

2015-12-01

Science fiction and the `technofantasies' of the future that it provides may attract some students to study physics. The details and assumptions informing these `imaginaries' may, on the other hand, be unattractive to other students, or imply that there is not a place for them. This forum discussion complements Cathrine Hasse's paper discussing the ways in which gender and other interests interact in the `entanglement' of physics and science fiction. The conversation interrogates some of the issues in Cathrine's paper, and brings in complementary literatures and perspectives. It discusses the possibility of a `successor science' and new, more inclusive ways of imagining and constructing our possible futures.

EMODnet Physics: open and free marine physical data for science and for society

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nolan, G.; Novellino, A.; Gorringe, P.; Manzella, G. M. R., Sr.; Schaap, D.; Pouliquen, S.; Richards, L.

2016-02-01

Europe is sustaining a long term strategy on Blue Growth, looking at seas and oceans as drivers for innovation and growth. A number of weaknesses have been identified, among which gaps in knowledge and data about the state of our oceans, seabed resources, marine life and risks to habitats and ecosystems. European Marine Observation and Data Network (EMODnet) has been created to improve the usefulness to European users for scientific, regulatory and commercial purposes of observations and the resulting marine data collected and held by European public and private bodies. EMODNet Physics is providing access to archived and real time data catalog on the physical condition in Europe's seas and oceans. The overall objectives are to provide access to archived and near real-time data on physical conditions in Europe's seas and oceans by means of a dedicated portal and to determine how well the data meet the needs of users from industry, public authorities and scientists. EMODnet Physics is contributing to the broader initiative 'Marine Knowledge 2020', and in particular to the implementation of the European Copernicus programme, an EU-wide programme that aims to support policymakers, business, and citizens with improved environmental information. In the global context, Copernicus is an integral part of the Global Earth Observation System of Systems. Near real time data and metadata are populated by data owners, organized at EuroGOOS level according its regional operational systems (ROOSs) infrastructure and conventions and made available with the EMODnet Physics user interface. Latest 60 days are freely viewable and downloadable while the access to older data (monthly archives) request credentials. Archived data series and metadata are organized according and in collaboration with NODCs network (SeaDataNet). Access to data and metadata consider measurements on winds at the sea surface, waves, temperature and salinity, water velocities, light attenuation, sea level and ice

Fuels planning: science synthesis and integration; environmental consequences fact sheet 15: The Wildlife Habitat Response Model

Treesearch

David Pilliod

2005-01-01

The Wildlife Habitat Response Model (WHRM) is a Web-based computer tool for evaluating the potential effects of fuel-reduction projects on terrestrial wildlife habitats. It uses species-habitat associations in ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa), dry-type Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii), lodgepole pine (Pinus...

Not-So-Messy Hands-On Science.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bryan, Denise; Denty, Amy

2002-01-01

Presents four elementary hands-on science activities that highlight animal adaptation (how birds' beaks are adapted to suit their habitats), the water cycle (how nature cleans rainwater that seeps into the ground), aquatic ecosystems (changes over time in an aquatic habitat), and animal habitats (all living beings' need for food, water, shelter,…

Exploring Relationships: Teacher Characteristics and Student Learning in Physical Science

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Close, Eleanor; Vokos, S.; Seeley, L.

2006-12-01

The Department of Physics and the School of Education at Seattle Pacific University, together with FACET Innovations, LLC, are beginning the second year of a five-year NSF TPC grant, Improving the Effectiveness of Teacher Diagnostic Skills and Tools. We are working in partnership with school districts in Washington State to identify and characterize widespread productive and unproductive modes of reasoning employed by both pre-college students and teachers on foundational topics in physical science. In the first year of the grant, base-line preand post-test data were collected from a large number (N 2300) of middle and high school students. We will discuss relationships between preand post-test results, student learning gains, and student and teacher characteristics. * Supported in part by NSF grant #ESI-0455796, The Boeing Corporation, and the SPU Science Initiative.

Space Station Biological Research Project Habitat: Incubator

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Nakamura, G. J.; Kirven-Brooks, M.; Scheller, N. M.

2001-01-01

Developed as part of the suite of Space Station Biological Research Project (SSBRP) hardware to support research aboard the International Space Station (ISS), the Incubator is a temperature-controlled chamber, for conducting life science research with small animal, plant and microbial specimens. The Incubator is designed for use only on the ISS and is transported to/from the ISS, unpowered and without specimens, in the Multi-Purpose Logistics Module (MPLM) of the Shuttle. The Incubator interfaces with the three SSBRP Host Systems; the Habitat Holding Racks (HHR), the Life Sciences Glovebox (LSG) and the 2.5 m Centrifuge Rotor (CR), providing investigators with the ability to conduct research in microgravity and at variable gravity levels of up to 2-g. The temperature within the Specimen Chamber can be controlled between 4 and 45 C. Cabin air is recirculated within the Specimen Chamber and can be exchanged with the ISS cabin at a rate of approximately equal 50 cc/min. The humidity of the Specimen Chamber is monitored. The Specimen Chamber has a usable volume of approximately equal 19 liters and contains two (2) connectors at 28v dc, (60W) for science equipment; 5 dedicated thermometers for science; ports to support analog and digital signals from experiment unique sensors or other equipment; an Ethernet port; and a video port. It is currently manifested for UF-3 and will be launched integrated within the first SSBRP Habitat Holding Rack.

Nuclear Science Outreach in the World Year of Physics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

McMahan, Margaret

2006-04-01

The ability of scientists to articulate the importance and value of their research has become increasingly important in the present climate of declining budgets, and this is most critical in the field of nuclear science ,where researchers must fight an uphill battle against negative public perception. Yet nuclear science encompasses important technical and societal issues that should be of primary interest to informed citizens, and the need for scientists trained in nuclear techniques are important for many applications in nuclear medicine, national security and future energy sources. The NSAC Education Subcommittee Report [1] identified the need for a nationally coordinated effort in nuclear science outreach, naming as its first recommendation that `the highest priority for new investment in education be the creation by the DOE and NSF of a Center for Nuclear Science Outreach'. This talk will review the present status of public outreach in nuclear science and highlight some specific efforts that have taken place during the World Year of Physics. [1] Education in Nuclear Science: A Status Report and Recommendations for the Beginning of the 21^st Century, A Report of the DOE/NSF Nuclear Science Advisory Committee Subcommittee on Education, November 2004, http://www.sc.doe.gov/henp/np/nsac/docs/NSACCReducationreportfinal.pdf.

The Status of Physics 12 in BC: Reflections from UBC Science Teacher Candidates.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nashon, Samson Madera

As part of attempts to find out why few high school science students take Physics 12, this case study sought University of British Columbia (UBC) science teacher educators' perspectives on the topic. A survey method employing questionnaires and interviews as part of the study was used to elicit science teacher candidates' perspectives. Forty-five…

Discrete choice modeling of shovelnose sturgeon habitat selection in the Lower Missouri River

USGS Publications Warehouse

Bonnot, T.W.; Wildhaber, M.L.; Millspaugh, J.J.; DeLonay, A.J.; Jacobson, R.B.; Bryan, J.L.

2011-01-01

Substantive changes to physical habitat in the Lower Missouri River, resulting from intensive management, have been implicated in the decline of pallid (Scaphirhynchus albus) and shovelnose (S. platorynchus) sturgeon. To aid in habitat rehabilitation efforts, we evaluated habitat selection of gravid, female shovelnose sturgeon during the spawning season in two sections (lower and upper) of the Lower Missouri River in 2005 and in the upper section in 2007. We fit discrete choice models within an information theoretic framework to identify selection of means and variability in three components of physical habitat. Characterizing habitat within divisions around fish better explained selection than habitat values at the fish locations. In general, female shovelnose sturgeon were negatively associated with mean velocity between them and the bank and positively associated with variability in surrounding depths. For example, in the upper section in 2005, a 0.5 m s-1 decrease in velocity within 10 m in the bank direction increased the relative probability of selection 70%. In the upper section fish also selected sites with surrounding structure in depth (e.g., change in relief). Differences in models between sections and years, which are reinforced by validation rates, suggest that changes in habitat due to geomorphology, hydrology, and their interactions over time need to be addressed when evaluating habitat selection. Because of the importance of variability in surrounding depths, these results support an emphasis on restoring channel complexity as an objective of habitat restoration for shovelnose sturgeon in the Lower Missouri River.

Analysis of fish movements between Great Lakes coastal wetlands and near shore habitat via otolith microchemistry

EPA Science Inventory

Great Lakes coastal wetlands are unique habitats with physical connections with near shore environments. This facilitates the exchange of energy between habitats in a principle known as habitat coupling. Coupling can be facilitated by movements of consumers; however, wetland us...

Teaching Physical Science through Children's Literature. 20 Complete Lessons for Elementary Grades.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gertz, Susan E.; Portman, Dwight J.; Sarquis, Mickey

This guide focuses on teaching hands-on, discovery-oriented physical science in the elementary classroom using children's literature. Each lesson is an integrated learning episode with a clearly defined science content objective which is supported and enriched through literature, writing, and mathematics. The three sections are: (1) "Properties of…

PR^2EPS: Preparation, Recruitment, Retention and Excellence in the Physical Sciences.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Labroo, Sunil; Schaumloffel, John; Gallagher, Hugh; Bischoff, Paul; Bachman, Nancy

2007-03-01

The PR^2EPS program is a multidisciplinary effort to increase the number of majors attending (and graduating) from SUNY Oneonta with degrees in chemistry, physics, biochemistry, astronomy, secondary chemistry or physics education and related areas. Components of the program include a walk-in tutoring center, a free, weeklong summer science camp, scholarship opportunities and an equipment loan program for regional secondary science teachers. 2006 was the third year of this NSF-DUE funded program. Evaluation of our progress to date shows that the program is effective at steering students (or at least reinforcing their desire) to studying the sciences in college. A summary of our goals, challenges and accomplishments, including tutoring center operation and efficacy, activities and operational details for the summer camp and other facets of the program will be presented.

Popper's Third World: Moral Habits, Moral Habitat and Their Maintenance

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ozolins, Janis Talivaldis

2010-01-01

If we accept Popper's idea that the human habitat is described in terms of three worlds, and that there are overlaps between these three worlds, our moral actions and values will also be subject to the same kinds of consideration as a repertoire of behaviours exhibited in a physical environment. We will develop moral habits in a moral habitat and…

Designing physics video hooks for science students

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

McHugh, M.; McCauley, V.

2016-01-01

This paper offers an insight into the design structure of physics video hooks that were developed by the Science Education Resource design team in the school of education (SOE) in National University of Ireland, Galway (NUI Galway). A hook, is an instructional technique used to stimulate student attention (Hunter 1994, Lemov 2010), interest (Jewett 2013) and engagement (McCrory 2011, Riendeau 2013). The physics video hooks followed a design framework that is illustrated below by breaking down the centre of gravity (COG) hook. Various design principles and elements embedded within the COG hook are presented with examples and the time they occur within the video. The intention of this article is that the design can be replicated and modified to aid teachers and designers in the development of a multitude of classroom based multimedia resources.

Learning Science-Based Fitness Knowledge in Constructivist Physical Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sun, Haichun; Chen, Ang; Zhu, Xihe; Ennis, Catherine D.

2012-01-01

Teaching fitness-related knowledge has become critical in developing children's healthful living behavior. The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of a science-based, constructivist physical education curriculum on learning fitness knowledge critical to healthful living in elementary school students. The schools (N = 30) were randomly…

Learning Activity Package, Physical Science 92, LAPs 1-9.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Williams, G. J.

This set of nine teacher-prepared Learning Activity Packages (LAPs) for individualized instruction in physical science covers the topics of scientific equipment and procedures; measure of time, length, area, and volume; water; oxygen and oxidation; atmospheric pressure; motion; machines; carbon; and light and sound. Each unit contains a rationale…

70th anniversary of the E K Zavoisky Kazan Physical-Technical Institute, Kazan Scientific Center of the Russian Academy of Sciences (Scientific session of the Physical Sciences Division of the Russian Academy of Sciences, 4 February 2016)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

2016-06-01

A scientific session of the Physical Sciences Division of the Russian Academy of Sciences (RAS) was held on 4 February 2016 at the E K Zavoisky Kazan Physical-Technical Institute, Kazan Scientific Center (KSC), RAS, devoted to the 70th anniversary of the E K Zavoisky Kazan Physical-Technical Institute, KSC RAS. The agenda posted on the website of the Physical Sciences Division RAS http://www.gpad.ac.ru comprised the following reports: (1) Demishev S V (Prokhorov General Physics Institute, RAS, Moscow) "Quantum phase transitions in spiral magnets without an inversion center"; (2) Smirnov A I (Kapitza Institute for Physical Problems, RAS, Moscow) "Magnetic resonance of spinons in quantum magnets"; (3) Ryazanov V V (Institute of Solid State Physics, RAS, Chernogolovka, Moscow region) "Coherent and nonequilibrium phenomena in superconductor- and ferromagnet-based structures"; (4) Mel'nikov A S (Institute for Physics of Microstructures, RAS, Nizhny Novgorod) "Mechanisms of long-range proximity effects in superconducting spintronics"; (5) Fel'dman E B (Institute of Problems of Chemical Physics, RAS, Chernogolovka, Moscow region) "Magnus expansion paradoxes in the study of equilibrium magnetization and entanglement in multi-pulse spin locking"; (6) Fraerman A A (Institute for Physics of Microstructures, RAS, Nizhny Novgorod) "Features of the motion of spin-1/2 particles in a noncoplanar magnetic field"; (7) Salikhov K M (E K Zavoisky Kazan Physical-Technical Institute, KSC, RAS, Kazan) "Electron paramagnetic resonance applications: promising developments at the E K Zavoisky Kazan Physical-Technical Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences"; (8) Vinogradov E A (Institute for Spectroscopy, RAS, Troitsk, Moscow) "Ultrathin film characterization using far-field surface polariton spectroscopy"; (9) Glyavin M Yu (Institute of Applied Physics, RAS, Nizhny Novgorod) "High-power terahertz sources for spectroscopy and material diagnostics"; (10) Soltamov V A (Ioffe Institute

Phylogeography of Cephalotaxus oliveri (Cephalotaxaceae) in relation to habitat heterogeneity, physical barriers and the uplift of the Yungui Plateau.

PubMed

Wang, C B; Wang, T; Su, Y J

2014-11-01

Habitat heterogeneity, physical barriers, and the uplift of the Yungui Plateau were found to deeply affect the phylogeographic pattern and evolutionary history of Cephalotaxus oliveri, a perennial conifer endemic to China. In this study, we explored the phylogeography using three chloroplast sequences (trnL-trnF, trnT-trnD and atpB-rbcL) in 22 natural populations of C. oliveri distributed throughout its range. The Yungui Plateau populations of C. oliveri were revealed to origin ca. 9.15Ma by molecular clock estimation, which is consistent with rapid uplift of the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau (QTP) ca. 8-10Ma. Additionally, geological effects of the Yungui Plateau were suggested to promote the rapid intra-specific differentiation of C. oliveri in the Pliocene and Early Pleistocene. The relatively low level of genetic diversity (h=0.719, θ=1.17×10(-3)) and high population differentiation (NST=0.771 and GST=0.642) implied restricted gene flow among populations, which was confirmed by the Nested Clade Analysis (NCA). Mismatch distribution and haplotypes network provided evidences of recent demographic population expansion. Furthermore, the statistical dispersal-vicariance analysis indicated that the center of origin was in Central China. The comparison of haplotype distribution patterns indicated that the regions of HNHPS and HBLD were the potential refugia during the Pleistocene ice ages. Our results highlighted that habitat heterogeneity and physical barriers presenting in a species range can predict genetic patterns. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Interspecific aggression and habitat partitioning in garter snakes.

PubMed

Edgehouse, Michael; Latta, Leigh C; Brodie, Edmund D; Brodie, Edmund D

2014-01-01

Defense of a limited resource, such as space or food, has recently been discovered in snakes and has been widely documented in lizards. Garter snakes (Thamnophis spp.) are historically considered generalist predators such that food is not a limiting resource. However, in this study we show that the common garter snake (Thamnophis sirtalis) and the aquatic garter snake (Thamnophis atratus) show a strong preference for amphibians as their primary food source at the Santa Lucia Preserve (SLP), Monterey County, California. This food preference forces these snake species at SLP to exploit aquatic habitats. Our principle goal was to investigate the aggressive behavior of T. sirtalis and the potential that this aggression displaces T. atratus from its preferred habitat. We found that when individuals from either species are alone, a 100% preference for aquatic or near aquatic habitat is observed. In contrast, when these species are together, T. sirtalis occupy the aquatic habitat and T. atratus occupy an area far removed from water. Thamnophis sirtalis often physically force T. atratus from the aquatic habitat through repeated biting and other displays of aggression.

Interspecific Aggression and Habitat Partitioning in Garter Snakes

PubMed Central

Edgehouse, Michael; Latta, Leigh C.; Brodie, Edmund D.; Brodie, Edmund D.

2014-01-01

Defense of a limited resource, such as space or food, has recently been discovered in snakes and has been widely documented in lizards. Garter snakes (Thamnophis spp.) are historically considered generalist predators such that food is not a limiting resource. However, in this study we show that the common garter snake (Thamnophis sirtalis) and the aquatic garter snake (Thamnophis atratus) show a strong preference for amphibians as their primary food source at the Santa Lucia Preserve (SLP), Monterey County, California. This food preference forces these snake species at SLP to exploit aquatic habitats. Our principle goal was to investigate the aggressive behavior of T. sirtalis and the potential that this aggression displaces T. atratus from its preferred habitat. We found that when individuals from either species are alone, a 100% preference for aquatic or near aquatic habitat is observed. In contrast, when these species are together, T. sirtalis occupy the aquatic habitat and T. atratus occupy an area far removed from water. Thamnophis sirtalis often physically force T. atratus from the aquatic habitat through repeated biting and other displays of aggression. PMID:24465962

Learning Activity Package, Physical Science. LAP Numbers 1, 2, 3, and 4.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Williams, G. J.

These four units of the Learning Activity Packages (LAPs) for individualized instruction in physical science cover measuring techniques, operations of instruments, metric system heat, matter, energy, elements, atomic numbers, isotopes, molecules, mixtures, compounds, physical and chemical properties, liquids, solids, and gases. Each unit contains…

Scientific session of the General meeting of the Physical Sciences Division of the Russian Academy of Sciences (7 December 2015)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

2016-05-01

A scientific session of the General meeting of the Physical Sciences Division of the Russian Academy of Sciences (RAS) was held in the conference hall of the Lebedev Physical Institute, RAS on 7 December 2015. The papers collected in this issue were written based on talks given at the session (the program of the session is available on the RAS Physical Sciences Division website http://www.gpad.ac.ru). (1) Loshchenov V B (Prokhorov General Physics Institute, RAS, Moscow) "Pharmacodynamics of a nanophotosensitizer under irradiation by an electromagnetic field: from THz to Cherenkov radiation"; (2) Zhuikov B L (Institute for Nuclear Research, RAS, Moscow) "Successes and problems in the development of medical radioisotope production in Russia"; (3) Tikhonov Yu A (Budker Institute of Nuclear Physics, SB RAS, Novosibirsk) "Applying nuclear physics methods in healthcare"; (4) Turchin I V (Institute of Applied Physics, RAS, Nizhny Novgorod) "Methods of biomedical optical imaging: from subcellular structures to tissues and organs"; (5) Breus T K, Petrukovich A A (Space Research Institute, RAS, Moscow), Binhi V N (Prokhorov General Physics Institute, RAS, Moscow; Lomonosov Moscow State University, Moscow) "Magnetic factor in solar-terrestrial relations and its impact on the human body: physical problems and prospects for research"; (6) Makarov D I (Special Astrophysical Observatory, RAS, Nizhnii Arkhyz, Zelenchukskii region, Karachai-Cherkessian Republic) "Studying the Local University". Papers based on oral reports 2, 4, and 5 are presented below. • Successes and problems in the development of medical radioisotope production in Russia, B L Zhuikov Physics-Uspekhi, 2016, Volume 59, Number 5, Pages 481-486 • Methods of biomedical optical imaging: from subcellular structures to tissues and organs, I V Turchin Physics-Uspekhi, 2016, Volume 59, Number 5, Pages 487-501 • Magnetic factor in solar-terrestrial relations and its impact on the human body: physical problems and

Rodent Habitat On ISS: Spaceflight Effects On Mouse Behavior

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ronca, A. E.; Moyer, E. L.; Talyansky, Y.; Padmanabhan, S.; Choi, S.; Gong, C.; Globus, R. K.

2016-01-01

The NASA Decadal Survey (2011), Recapturing a Future for Space Exploration: Life and Physical Sciences Research for a New Era, emphasized the importance of expanding NASA life sciences research to long duration, rodent experiments on the International Space Station (ISS). To accomplish this objective, flight hardware, operations, and science capabilities supporting mouse studies in space were developed at NASA Ames Research Center. The first flight experiment carrying mice, Rodent Research Hardware and Operations Validation (Rodent Research-1), was launched on Sept 21, 2014 in an unmanned Dragon Capsule, SpaceX4, exposing the mice to a total of 37 days in space. Ground control groups were maintained in environmental chambers at Kennedy Space Center. Mouse health and behavior were monitored for the duration of the experiment via video streaming. Here we present behavioral analysis of two groups of five C57BL/6 female adult mice viewed via fixed camera views compared with identically housed Ground Controls. Flight (Flt) and Ground Control (GC) mice exhibited the same range of behaviors, including eating, drinking, exploratory behavior, self- and allo-grooming, and social interactions at similar or greater levels of occurrence. Mice propelled themselves freely and actively throughout the Habitat using their forelimbs to push off or by floating from one cage area to another, and they quickly learned to anchor themselves using tails and/or paws. Overall activity was greater in Flt as compared to GC mice, with spontaneous ambulatory behavior including the development of organized ‘circling’ or ‘race-tracking’ behavior that emerged within the first few days of flight and encompassed the primary dark cycle activity for the remainder of the experiment. We quantified the bout frequency, duration and rate of circling with respect to characteristic behaviors observed in the varying stages of the progressive development of circling: flipping utilizing two sides of the

Teaching with Socio-Scientific Issues in Physical Science: Teacher and Students' Experiences

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Talens, Joy

2016-01-01

Socio-scientific issues (SSI) are recommended by many science educators worldwide for learners to acquire first hand experience to apply what they learned in class. This investigated experiences of teacher-researcher and students in using SSI in Physical Science, Second Semester, School Year 2012-2013. Latest and controversial news articles on…

Physical Science in Barcelona

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Roca-Rosell, Antoni; Roqué, Xavier

2013-12-01

We provide a tour of Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain, following four routes through the city and one elsewhere in the city and beyond, focusing on sites of importance in physics. Route 1 covers the Old Town, its Gothic Quarter, Plaça del Rei, Plaça de Sant Jaume, and Jewish Quarter. Route 2 identifies sites on and close to La Rambla, the main promenade in the city. Route 3 goes from the medieval shipyards to the Board of Commerce to Citadel Park. Route 4 concentrates on the Extension ( Eixample) and covers the restored University, the Industrial University, and the new campus of the University of Barcelona. Elsewhere in the city and beyond are the Fabra Observatory; the Plaça de les Glòries with its large steel sculpture depicting the meridian arc from Dunkirk to Barcelona; Montjuïc, the site of the National Art Museum of Catalonia; and the National Museum of Science and Technology in Terrassa.

Linking Science and Literacy

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Plummer, Donna M.; Davis, Betty Jo; Brazier, Victoria

2011-01-01

We successfully integrated science and language arts in a third-grade classroom. The students used "scientist's eyes" and "poet's eyes" to write original poetry. In addition, they created habitat posters about a swamp organism. Scoring guides for the habitat poems and posters are also included. (Contains 5 figures and 2 tables.)

Architectural considerations for lunar long duration habitat

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bahrami, Payam

The future of space exploration science and technology is expected to move toward long duration missions. During this long duration missions the most important factor to success will be the habitation system, the place that crew will live and work. The broad range of future space exploration, new advances in technology and increasing demand for space travel and space tourism will create great opportunities for architects to use their special abilities and skills in the realm of space. The lunar habitat is defined as a multidisciplinary task and cannot be considered an independent project from the main module. Therefore, habitability will become the most important aspect of future human exploration. A successful design strategy should integrate architecture, structure and other disciplines and should bring in elements such as psychological and physiological factors, human interfaces, and privacy. The current research provides "Habitat Architectural Design System (HADS)" in order to evaluate lunar habitat concepts based on habitability, functional optimization, and human factors. HADS helps to promote parametric studied and evaluation of habitat concepts. It will provide a guideline dependent upon mission objectives to standardize architectural needs within the engineering applications and scientific demands. The significance of this research is the process of developing lunar habitat concepts using an architectural system to evaluate the quality of each concept via habitability aspects. This process can be employed during the early stage of design development and is flexible enough to be adjusted by different parameters according to the objectives of lunar mission, limitations, and cost. It also emphasizes the importance of architecture involvement in space projects, especially habitats.

Facing the Future: Sharing Habitats with Wildlife; A Civic Engagement Partnership between St. Mary's College and Lindsay Wildlife Museum through SENCER-ISE

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Baldridge, A. M.; Bachofer, S.; Pan, W.

2014-12-01

The phrase "Enter to Learn, Leave to Serve " is at the heart of St Mary's College of California's education philosophy. The community engagement requirement of the core curriculum requires that students leave the classroom and engage with the world "to apply their intellectual experiences to communities beyond [the campus]". St. Mary's College actively participates with SENCER-ISE (Science Education for New Civic Engagements and Responsibilities-Informal Science Education), a National Science Foundation program developed to inspire more community engagement science projects in higher education to make science more real, accessible and civically important. Through this program, St. Mary's College and Lindsay Wildlife Museum have developed the project "Facing the Future: Sharing Habitats with Wildlife", which explores issues of urban habitats - their ephemerality, and the need for citizens to share responsibility and promote their success. The institutions are (1) studying a San Francisco Bay Area watershed habitat; (2) designing data collection methods, (GIS mapping and mobile app creation) intended to educate children and adults on urban habitats and the need to protect them; and (3) preparing interpretive materials to raise awareness of habitat issues. Here we report on the impact of this work, which is in the first year of a three-year grant and how a durable partnership can be established.

Exoplanet Science in the Classroom: Learning Activities for an Introductory Physics Course

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Della-Rose, Devin; Carlson, Randall; de La Harpe, Kimberly; Novotny, Steven; Polsgrove, Daniel

2018-03-01

Discovery of planets outside our solar system, known as extra-solar planets or exoplanets for short, has been at the forefront of astronomical research for over 25 years. Reports of new discoveries have almost become routine; however, the excitement surrounding them has not. Amazingly, as groundbreaking as exoplanet science is, the basic physics is quite accessible to first-year physics students, as discussed in previous TPT articles. To further illustrate this point, we developed an iOS application that generates synthetic exoplanet data to provide students and teachers with interactive learning activities. Using introductory physics concepts, we demonstrate how to estimate exoplanet mass, radius, and density from the app output. These calculations form the basis for a diverse range of classroom activities. We conclude with a summary of exoplanet science resources for teachers.

Perspectives on the Contribution of Social Science to Adapted Physical Activity: Looking Forward, Looking Back

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Causgrove Dunn, Janice; Cairney, John; Zimmer, Chantelle

2016-01-01

In this article, we reflect on the contributions of the social sciences to the field of adapted physical activity by examining the theories and methods that have been adopted from the social science disciplines. To broaden our perspective on adapted physical activity and provide new avenues for theoretical and empirical exploration, we discuss and…

Sedimentary facies, geomorphic features and habitat distribution at the Hudson Canyon head from AUV multibeam data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pierdomenico, Martina; Guida, Vincent G.; Macelloni, Leonardo; Chiocci, Francesco L.; Rona, Peter A.; Scranton, Mary I.; Asper, Vernon; Diercks, Arne

2015-11-01

Mapping of physical benthic habitats at the head of Hudson Canyon was performed by means of integrated analysis of acoustic data, video surveys and seafloor sampling. Acoustic mapping, performed using AUV-mounted multibeam sonar, provided ultra-high resolution bathymetric and backscatter imagery for the identification of geomorphological features and the characterization of surficial sediments. Habitat characterization in terms of seafloor texture and identification of benthic and demersal communities was accomplished by visual analysis of still photographs from underwater vehicles. Habitat classes were defined on the basis of the seafloor texture observed on photos and then compared with the geophysical data in order to associate habitats to acoustic classes and/or geomorphological features. This enabled us to infer habitat distribution on the basis of morpho-acoustic classes and extrapolate results over larger areas. Results from bottom trawling were used to determine the overall biodiversity within the identified habitats. Our analysis revealed a variety of topographic and sedimentological structures that provide a wide range of physical habitats. A variety of sandy and muddy substrates, gravel patches and mudstone outcrops host rich and varied faunal assemblages, including cold-water corals and sponge communities. Pockmark fields below 300 m depth suggest that methane-based chemosynthetic carbonate deposition may contributes to creation of specific benthic habitats. Hummocky terrain has been delineated along the canyon rims and associated with extensive, long-term burrowing activity by golden tilefish (Lopholatilus chamaeleonticeps). These results show the relationships of physical features to benthic habitat variation, support the notion of the area as a biodiversity hotspot and define essential habitats for planning of sustainable regional fisheries.

SU-F-E-08: Medical Physics as a Teaching Tool for High School Science Curriculum

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Buckley, L

Purpose: Delivering high school science curriculum in a timely manner and in way that is accessible to all students is a challenge for teachers. Although many high schools offer career workshops, these are typically directed at senior students and do not relate directly to details of the curriculum. The objective of this initiative was to create a series of lectures that use medical physics to relate many aspects of the high school science curriculum to tangible clinical applications and to introduce students to alternate pathways into a career in health sciences. Methods: A series of lectures has been developed basedmore » on the Ontario High School Science Curriculum. Each lecture uses a career in radiotherapy medical physics as the framework for discussion of topics specific to the high school course being addressed. Results: At present, these lectures have been delivered in five area high schools to students ranging from sophomores to seniors. Survey documents are given to the students before and after the lecture to assess their awareness of careers in health care, applications of physics and their general interest in the subject areas. As expected, students have limited up front awareness of the wide variety of health related career paths. The idea of combining a career lecture with topics specific to the classroom curriculum has been well-received by teachers and students alike. Conclusion: Career talks for high school students are useful for students contemplating their post- secondary career path. Relating career discussion with direct course curriculum makes their studies more relevant and engaging. Students aspiring to a career in health sciences often focus their studies on life sciences due to limited knowledge of potential careers. An early introduction to medical physics presents them with an alternate path through the physical sciences into health care.« less

Physical, biotic, and sampling influences on diel habitat use by stream-dwelling bull trout

Treesearch

Nolan P. Banish; James T. Peterson; Russell F. Thurow

2008-01-01

We used daytime and nighttime underwater observation to assess microhabitat use by bull trout Salvelinus confluentus (N = 213) in streams of the intermountain western USA during the summers of 2001 and 2002. We recorded fish focal points and measured a set of habitat characteristics as well as habitat availability via line transects. Bull trout were...

PR2EPS: Preparation, Recruitment, Retention and Excellence in the Physical Sciences

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gallagher, H. A.; Schaumloffel, J. C.; Bischoff, P.; Labroo, S.; Bachman, N.

2006-05-01

PR2EPS is a multifaceted NSF-DUE sponsored program at SUNY Oneonta that strives to enhance the number of students pursuing degrees in the physical sciences and increase the retention rate of students pursuing STEM degrees. A key focus of the project, which is beginning its third year, is drawing students from the five rural counties surrounding Oneonta, NY. Team members visit 15 to 20 local high schools each year leading discussions on academic and career opportunities in STEM disciplines and inviting students to participate in a one week summer science camp. A variety of hands-on science and engineering activities are designed to engage students and demonstrate to them that they possess the requisite skills and potential to succeed in these technically demanding disciplines. Campers who decide to study physical science at SUNY Oneonta are supported with a modest financial inducement and an evening tutoring center. As these students progress, they gain exposure to research and professional activities designed to show them opportunities and developments in their field and integrate them into the broader community of learners. A description of the program, which is a collaboration of faculty from the Departments of Physics & Astronomy, Chemistry & Biochemistry and Education, as well as an evaluation of the effectiveness of the overall program and its components will be provided.

Plasma Physics/Fusion Energy Education at the Liberty Science Center

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zwicker, Andrew; Delooper, John; Carpe, Andy; Amara, Joe; Butnick, Nancy; Lynch, Ellen; Osowski, Jeff

2007-11-01

The Liberty Science Center (LSC) is the largest (300,000 sq. ft.) education resource in the New Jersey-New York City region. A major 109 million expansion and renewal was recently completed. Accordingly, PPPL has expanded the science education collaboration with the Center into three innovative, hands-on programs. On the main floor, a new fusion exhibit is one of the focuses of ``Energy Quest.'' This includes a DC glow discharge tube with a permanent external magnet allowing visitors to manipulate the plasma while reading information on plasma creation and fusion energy. In the section of LSC dedicated to intensive science investigations (20,000 sq. ft) we have added ``Live from NSTX'' which will give students an opportunity to connect via video-conferencing to the NSTX control room during plasma operations. A prototype program was completed in May, 2007 with three high school physics classes and will be expanded when NSTX resumes operation. Finally, a plasma physics laboratory in this area will have a fully functioning, research-grade plasma source that will allow long-term visitors an opportunity to perform experiments in plasma processing, plasma spectroscopy, and dusty plasmas.

An Evaluation of the Particle Physics Masterclass as a Context for Student Learning about the Nature of Science

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wadness, Michael J.

2010-01-01

This dissertation addresses the research question: To what extent do secondary school science students attending the U.S. Particle Physics Masterclass change their view of the nature of science (NOS)? The U.S. Particle Physics Masterclass is a physics outreach program run by QuarkNet, a national organization of secondary school physics teachers…

Enhancing Student Performance through Cooperative Learning in Physical Sciences

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gupta, Madan L.

2004-01-01

Students in a physical sciences course were introduced to cooperative learning at the University of Queensland, Gatton Campus. Groups of four to five students worked together in tutorial and practical sessions. Mid-term and practical examinations were abolished and 40% of total marks were allocated to the cooperative learning activities. A peer-…

Ohio Teacher Professional Development in the Physical Sciences

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cervenec, Jason; Harper, Kathleen A.

2006-02-01

An in-service teacher program held during the summers of 2004 and 2005 is described. This program, sponsored with state funds, drew a varied group of participants to learn Modeling Instruction in physics. The workshop leaders used the state science proficiency standards and physics education research (PER) results to guide many of the workshop's activities. In 2004, the participants experienced the Modeling mechanics curriculum while pretending to be students; in 2005, the teachers worked in small teams to develop Modeling-consistent units in other areas, often utilizing PER-based materials. Indications are that the experience was valuable to the teachers and that the workshop series should be offered for a new cohort.

Competency-based reforms of the undergraduate biology curriculum: integrating the physical and biological sciences.

PubMed

Thompson, Katerina V; Chmielewski, Jean; Gaines, Michael S; Hrycyna, Christine A; LaCourse, William R

2013-06-01

The National Experiment in Undergraduate Science Education project funded by the Howard Hughes Medical Institute is a direct response to the Scientific Foundations for Future Physicians report, which urged a shift in premedical student preparation from a narrow list of specific course work to a more flexible curriculum that helps students develop broad scientific competencies. A consortium of four universities is working to create, pilot, and assess modular, competency-based curricular units that require students to use higher-order cognitive skills and reason across traditional disciplinary boundaries. Purdue University; the University of Maryland, Baltimore County; and the University of Miami are each developing modules and case studies that integrate the biological, chemical, physical, and mathematical sciences. The University of Maryland, College Park, is leading the effort to create an introductory physics for life sciences course that is reformed in both content and pedagogy. This course has prerequisites of biology, chemistry, and calculus, allowing students to apply strategies from the physical sciences to solving authentic biological problems. A comprehensive assessment plan is examining students' conceptual knowledge of physics, their attitudes toward interdisciplinary approaches, and the development of specific scientific competencies. Teaching modules developed during this initial phase will be tested on multiple partner campuses in preparation for eventual broad dissemination.

Spawning Habitat Studies of Hanford Reach Fall Chinook Salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha), Final Report.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Geist, David R.; Arntzen, Evan V.; Chien, Yi-Ju

2009-03-02

The Pacific Northwest National Laboratory conducted this study for the Bonneville Power Administration (BPA) with funding provided through the Northwest Power and Conservation Council(a) and the BPA Fish and Wildlife Program. The study was conducted in the Hanford Reach of the Columbia River. The goal of study was to determine the physical habitat factors necessary to define the redd capacity of fall Chinook salmon that spawn in large mainstem rivers like the Hanford Reach and Snake River. The study was originally commissioned in FY 1994 and then recommissioned in FY 2000 through the Fish and Wildlife Program rolling review ofmore » the Columbia River Basin projects. The work described in this report covers the period from 1994 through 2004; however, the majority of the information comes from the last four years of the study (2000 through 2004). Results from the work conducted from 1994 to 2000 were covered in an earlier report. More than any other stock of Pacific salmon, fall Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) have suffered severe impacts from the hydroelectric development in the Columbia River Basin. Fall Chinook salmon rely heavily on mainstem habitats for all phases of their life cycle, and mainstem hydroelectric dams have inundated or blocked areas that were historically used for spawning and rearing. The natural flow pattern that existed in the historic period has been altered by the dams, which in turn have affected the physical and biological template upon which fall Chinook salmon depend upon for successful reproduction. Operation of the dams to produce power to meet short-term needs in electricity (termed power peaking) produces unnatural fluctuations in flow over a 24-hour cycle. These flow fluctuations alter the physical habitat and disrupt the cues that salmon use to select spawning sites, as well as strand fish in near-shore habitat that becomes dewatered. The quality of spawning gravels has been affected by dam construction, flood

Northern goshawk habitat: an intersection of science, management, and conservation

Treesearch

Richard T. Reynolds; Russell T. Graham; Douglas A. Boyce

2008-01-01

We responded to the claim by Greenwald et al. (2005) that the management recommendations for the northern goshawk in the Southwestern United States (MRNG; Reynolds et al. 1992), a food web-based conservation plan that incorporated both northern goshawk (Accipiter gentilis) and multiple prey habitats, may be inadequate to protect goshawks. Greenwald...

Valuing IKS in Successive South African Physical Sciences Curricula

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Taylor, Dale L.; Cameron, Ann

2016-01-01

The valuing of Indigenous Knowledge Systems (IKS) is one of the principles on which the South African school curriculum is supposed to be based. The purpose of this paper is to critique the treatment of indigenous knowledge in the South African secondary Physical Sciences curriculum against a backdrop of international debates on the relationship…

Enhancing Middle School Science Lessons with Playground Activities: A Study of the Impact of Playground Physics

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Friedman, Lawrence B.; Margolin, Jonathan; Swanlund, Andrew; Dhillon, Sonica; Liu, Feng

2017-01-01

Playground Physics is a technology-based application and accompanying curriculum designed by New York Hall of Science (NYSCI) to support middle school students' science engagement and learning of force, energy, and motion. The program includes professional development, the Playground Physics app, and a curriculum aligned with New York State…

News Music: Here comes science that rocks Student trip: Two views of the future of CERN Classroom: Researchers can motivate pupils Appointment: AstraZeneca trust appoints new director Multimedia: Physics Education comes to YouTube Competition: Students compete in European Union Science Olympiad 2010 Physics roadshow: Pupils see wonders of physics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

2010-07-01

Music: Here comes science that rocks Student trip: Two views of the future of CERN Classroom: Researchers can motivate pupils Appointment: AstraZeneca trust appoints new director Multimedia: Physics Education comes to YouTube Competition: Students compete in European Union Science Olympiad 2010 Physics roadshow: Pupils see wonders of physics

An investigation of the early factors which influence women's career choices in physical science and technology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Payne, Anneliese

The composition of the workforce has begun to undergo a change. The U.S. Department of Labor estimates that women, minorities, and immigrants will constitute 80 percent of the additions to the labor force between 1987 and the year 2000 (Oakes, 1990). The National Science Foundation projects that the United States may have a shortfall of 400,000 scientists and over 250,000 engineers by the year 2006 (Argonne, 1990). Since women are among those who are significantly underrepresented among individuals preparing for a career in science, thirty women who are currently pursuing a successful career in physical science and technology were interviewed. This study determined participants' perceptions of the factors that first influenced an early interest in physical science and technology. The investigation included perceptions regarding: (1) whether certain identifiable events or experiences influenced the decision to pursue science as a career and what those events and experiences were; (2) at what age these events occurred; (3) whether an adult(s) was influential and which adult(s) it was; and (4) identification of where these events and experiences occurred. The interview technique was selected as the best research method for collecting the qualitative and demographic data needed for this study. The results represent the participants' recollections of out-of-school and in-school activities, family, friends and teacher support, self-image during the formative years, parents as the most important factor which influenced an interest in physical science, and major obstacles that had to be overcome by the participants in order to pursue successful careers in physical science and technology. Also included is participants' advice to parents and teachers who want to encourage females to pursue a career in physical science and technology.

Undergraduate Research in Physics as a course for Engineering and Computer Science Majors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

O'Brien, James; Rueckert, Franz; Sirokman, Greg

2017-01-01

Undergraduate research has become more and more integral to the functioning of higher educational institutions. At many institutions undergraduate research is conducted as capstone projects in the pure sciences, however, science faculty at some schools (including that of the authors) face the challenge of not having science majors. Even at these institutions, a select population of high achieving engineering students will often express a keen interest in conducting pure science research. Since a foray into science research provides the student the full exposure to the scientific method and scientific collaboration, the experience can be quite rewarding and beneficial to the development of the student as a professional. To this end, the authors have been working to find new contexts in which to offer research experiences to non- science majors, including a new undergraduate research class conducted by physics and chemistry faculty. An added benefit is that these courses are inherently interdisciplinary. Students in the engineering and computer science fields step into physics and chemistry labs to solve science problems, often invoking their own relevant expertise. In this paper we start by discussing the common themes and outcomes of the course. We then discuss three particular projects that were conducted with engineering students and focus on how the undergraduate research experience enhanced their already rigorous engineering curriculum.

The Inclusion of Science Process Skills in Yemeni Secondary School Physics Textbooks

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Aziz, Majed S.; Zain, Ahmad Nurulazam Md

2010-01-01

The aim of this study is to compare and contrast the science process skills (SPS) included in the 10th-12th grade physics textbooks content utilized in Yemeni schools. The study revealed weaknesses and strengths in the textbooks' content. For instance, a number of science process skills (SPS), such as measuring, predicting and hypothesizing, have…

Semantic e-Science in Space Physics - A Case Study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Narock, T.; Yoon, V.; Merka, J.; Szabo, A.

2009-05-01

Several search and retrieval systems for space physics data are currently under development in NASA's heliophysics data environment. We present a case study of two such systems, and describe our efforts in implementing an ontology to aid in data discovery. In doing so we highlight the various aspects of knowledge representation and show how they led to our ontology design, creation, and implementation. We discuss advantages that scientific reasoning allows, as well as difficulties encountered in current tools and standards. Finally, we present a space physics research project conducted with and without e-Science and contrast the two approaches.

Relationships of field habitat measurements, visual habitat indices, and land cover to benthic macroinvertebrates in urbanized streams of the Santa Clara Valley, California

USGS Publications Warehouse

Fend, S.V.; Carter, J.L.; Kearns, F.R.

2005-01-01

We evaluated several approaches for measuring natural and anthropogenic habitat characteristics to predict benthic macroinvertebrate assemblages over a range of urban intensity at 85 stream sites in the Santa Clara Valley, California. Land cover was summarized as percentage urban land cover and impervious area within upstream buffers and the upstream subwatersheds. Field measurements characterized water chemistry, channel slope, sediment, and riparian canopy. In . addition to applying the visual-based habitat assessment in U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's rapid bioassessment protocol, we developed a simplified urban habitat assessment index based on turbidity, fine sediment deposition, riparian condition, and channel modification. Natural and anthropogenic habitat variables covaried along longitudinal stream gradients and were highly correlated with elevation. At the scale of the entire watershed, benthic macroinvertebrate measures were equally correlated with variables expressing natural gradients and urbanization effects. When natural gradients were reduced by partitioning sites into ecoregion subsection groupings, habitat variables most highly correlated with macroinvertebrate measures differed between upland and valley floor site groups. Among the valley floor sites, channel slope and physical modification of channel and riparian habitats appeared more important than upstream land cover or water quality in determining macroinvertebrate richness and ordination scores. Among upland sites, effects of upstream reservoir releases on habitat quality appeared important. Rapid habitat evaluation methods appeared to be an effective method for describing habitat features important to benthic macroinvertebrates when adapted for the region and the disturbance of interest. ?? 2005 by the American Fisheries Society.

A Study of Three Outcomes of a College Level Course in Physical Science for Nonscience Students (Adapted PSNS).

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Frangos, George John

This study was designed to determine if an adapted version of Physical Science for Nonscience Students (PSNS), a physical science course used for nonscience majors in college, significantly contributes to an understanding of the scientific enterprise, positive attitudes toward science and scientists, and knowledge of solid matter and the…

Ecosystem Services Linking People to Coastal Habitats ...

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

Background/Question/Methods: There is a growing need to incorporate and prioritize ecosystem services/condition information into land-use decision making. While there are a number of place-based studies looking at how land-use decisions affect the availability and delivery of coastal services, many of these methods require data, funding and/or expertise that may be inaccessible to many coastal communities. Using existing classification standards for beneficiaries and coastal habitats, (i.e., Final Ecosystem Goods and Services Classification System (FEGS-CS) and Coastal and Marine Ecological Classification Standard (CMECS)), a comprehensive literature review was coupled with a “weight of evidence” approach to evaluate linkages between beneficiaries and coastal habitat features most relevant to community needs. An initial search of peer-reviewed journal articles was conducted using JSTOR and ScienceDirect repositories identifying sources that provide evidence for coastal beneficiary:habitat linkages. Potential sources were further refined based on a double-blind review of titles, abstracts, and full-texts, when needed. Articles in the final list were then scored based on habitat/beneficiary specificity and data quality (e.g., indirect evidence from literature reviews was scored lower than direct evidence from case studies with valuation results). Scores were then incorporated into a weight of evidence framework summarizing the support for each benefici

Analysing the Problems of Science Teachers That They Encounter While Teaching Physics Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Demir, Cihat; Sincar, Burhan; Çelik, Ridvan

2015-01-01

Even though physical science is very important in our daily lives, it is insufficiently understood by students. In order for students to get a better physical education, the teachers who have given physics lesson should first eliminated the problems that they face during the teaching process. The aim of this survey is to specify the matters…

Developing a top-down land-use management procedure for fish habitat enhancement

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chiang, Li-Chi; Lin, Yu-Pin; Wu, Chen-Huan

2013-04-01

Land-use change can influence stream ecosystem and alter instream physical, chemical and biological habitat. For example, urbanization usually contributes to increasing sediment loadings to streams and inappropriate agricultural management results in degradation of stream water quality. Watershed model is an effective way to forecast the watershed response to different land-use change scenarios. We developed a top-down approach from the watershed scale to the microscale by combining the habitat model, land-use change model and watershed hydrological model. This approach can assist land-use planner to make optimal decisions with fish habitat enhancement. The study was conducted in Datuan Stream, located in Tamsui District, New Taipei City and the target species is monk goby (Sicyopterus japonicus). The spatially explicit land-use change model, CLUE-s was first applied to project several future land-use scenarios and the Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) was then applied to simulate streamflow for different land-use scenarios. The simulated streamflow were used as input data for simulating river habitat, where Habitat Suitability Analysis is one of the most important processes. The relationship between target species and multiple environmental factors of habitat was first developed using the Habitat suitability index (HSI). In this study, we used fish presence probabilities for each velocity and water depth to establish different HSI functions under 4 flow conditions (slack, riffle, pool and run) using genetic programming (GP). The physical habitat model, River 2D, was then applied to simulate the river section and calculate weighted usable area (WUA). Based on the WUA results for different land-use scenarios, we further evaluated the relationships between WUA and land-use/landscape patterns using a spatial pattern analysis program, Fragstats. The results showed that by using the habitat model for classified flows, the habitat suitability curve which reflects

News Almost dry but never dull: ASE 2014 EuroPhysicsFun shows physics to Europe Institute of Physics for Africa (IOPfA) South Sudan Report October 2013 Celebrating the centenary of x-ray diffraction The Niels Bohr Institute—an EPS Historical Site Nordic Research Symposium on Science Education (NFSUN) 2014: inquiry-based science education in technology-rich environments Physics World Cup 2013

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

2014-03-01

Almost dry but never dull: ASE 2014 EuroPhysicsFun shows physics to Europe Institute of Physics for Africa (IOPfA) South Sudan Report October 2013 Celebrating the centenary of x-ray diffraction The Niels Bohr Institute—an EPS Historical Site Nordic Research Symposium on Science Education (NFSUN) 2014: inquiry-based science education in technology-rich environments Physics World Cup 2013

Changes in habitat availability for outmigrating juvenile salmon (Oncorhychus spp.) following estuary restoration

USGS Publications Warehouse

Ellings, Christopher S.; Davis, Melanie; Grossman, Eric E.; Hodgson, Sayre; Turner, Kelley L.; Woo PR, Isa; Nakai, Glynnis; Takekawa, Jean E.; Takekawa, John Y.

2016-01-01

The restoration of the Nisqually River Delta (Washington, U.S.A.) represents one of the largest efforts toward reestablishing the ecosystem function and resilience of modified habitat in the Puget Sound, particularly for anadromous salmonid species. The opportunity for outmigrating salmon to access and benefit from the expansion of available tidal habitat can be quantified by several physical attributes, which are related to the ecological and physiological responses of juvenile salmon. We monitored a variety of physical parameters to measure changes in opportunity potential from historic, pre-restoration, and post-restoration habitat conditions at several sites across the delta. These parameters included channel morphology, water quality, tidal elevation, and landscape connectivity. We conducted fish catch surveys across the delta to determine if salmon was utilizing restored estuary habitat. Overall major channel area increased 42% and major channel length increased 131% from pre- to post-restoration conditions. Furthermore, the results of our tidal inundation model indicated that major channels were accessible up to 75% of the time, as opposed to 30% pre-restoration. Outmigrating salmon utilized this newly accessible habitat as quickly as 1 year post-restoration. The presence of salmon in restored tidal channels confirmed rapid post-restoration increases in opportunity potential on the delta despite habitat quality differences between restored and reference sites.

The Fort Collins Science Center

USGS Publications Warehouse

Wilson, Juliette T.; Banowetz, Michele M.

2012-01-01

With a focus on biological research, the U.S. Geological Survey Fort Collins Science Center (FORT) develops and disseminates science-based information and tools to support natural resource decision-making. This brochure succinctly describes the integrated science capabilities, products, and services that the FORT science community offers across the disciplines of aquatic systems, ecosystem dynamics, information science, invasive species science, policy analysis and social science assistance, and trust species and habitats.

Physics teacher use of the history of science

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Winrich, Charles

The School of Education and the Department of Physics at Boston University offer a sequence of 10 two-credit professional development courses through the Improving the Teaching of Physics (ITOP) project. The ITOP courses combine physics content, readings from the physics education research (PER) literature, and the conceptual history of physics (CHOP). ITOP participants self-report changes to their teaching practices as a result of their participation in ITOP. The purpose of this study was to verify and characterize those changes in the specific area of the participants' use of history after their study of CHOP. Ten recent ITOP participants were observed, interviewed, and asked to provide lesson plans and samples of student work from their classes. Case studies of each participant's teaching were constructed from the data. The individual cases were synthesized to characterize the impact of CHOP on the ITOP participants. The results show that the participants integrate CHOP into their pedagogical content knowledge (PCK) to inform their understanding of: (1) the relationship between physics and other disciplines, (2) the relationship between specific physics concepts, (3) student understanding of physics concepts, (4) student difficulties in learning physics concepts, and (5) methods for teaching physics concepts. The participants use history to teach a variety of topics, although the most common were mechanics and electromagnetism. All of the participants used history to teach aspects of the nature of science (NOS) and to increase student interest in physics, while eight participants taught physics concepts through history. The predominant mode of incorporating history was through adding anecdotes about the scientists who worked on the concepts, but seven participants had their students study the historical development of physical concepts. All the participants discussed a lack of time as a factor that inhibits a greater use of history in their courses. Eight

Drawdown Effects on Lake and Reservoir Physical Habitat - a National Picture

EPA Science Inventory

Structural complexity at the land-water interface of lakes promotes interchange of water, nutrients and energy; and provides diverse habitat for aquatic and terrestrial organisms. Shoreline zones are hot-spots for both biological diversity and human activity. Lake level fluctuat...

Stratification of habitats for identifying habitat selection by Merriam's turkeys

Treesearch

Mark A. Rumble; Stanley H. Anderson

1992-01-01

Habitat selection patterns of Merriam’s Turkeys were compared in hierarchical analyses of three levels of habitat stratification. Habitat descriptions in first-level analyses were based on dominant species of vegetation. Habitat descriptions in second-level analyses were based on dominant species of vegetation and overstory canopy cover. Habitat descriptions in third-...

Inquiry-Based Practical Work in Physical Sciences: Equitable Access and Social Justice Issues

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tsakeni, Maria

2018-01-01

Physical sciences education comes with high expectations for learners to be successfully placed in tertiary institutions in related fields, and developing countries' aspirations to develop advanced and specialised skills to drive economies. However, some of the prevailing instructional strategies in science classrooms work to marginalise learners.…

78 FR 56505 - Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Designation of Critical Habitat for Georgia Rockcress

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-09-12

... proposed critical habitat is designed to provide sufficient habitat to maintain self-sustaining populations... as lands covered by water, buildings, pavement, and other structures because such lands lack physical...

Advanced systems data for mapping Emperor Penguin habitats in Antarctica

USGS Publications Warehouse

Sanchez, Richard D.; Kooyman, Gerald L.

2004-01-01

Commercial orbital sensor systems combined with other resource data from the U.S. Geological Survey National Civil Applications Program (NCAP) may offer an effective way of mapping Emperor penguin habitats and their response to regional climate change in Antarctica. This project examined these resources to determine their applicability for mapping Emperor penguin habitats to support the National Science Foundation. This work is especially significant to investigate satellite-based imaging as an alternative to intrusive in-the-field enumeration of Emperor penguins and the potential of applying these procedures to support The National Map (TNP).

Benefits and shortcomings of non-destructive benthic imagery for monitoring hard-bottom habitats.

PubMed

Beisiegel, Kolja; Darr, Alexander; Gogina, Mayya; Zettler, Michael L

2017-08-15

Hard-bottom habitats with complex topography and fragile epibenthic communities are still not adequately considered in benthic monitoring programs, despite their potential ecological importance. While indicators of ecosystem health are defined by major EU directives, methods commonly used to measure them are deficient in quantification of biota on hard surfaces. We address the suitability of seafloor imaging for monitoring activities. We compared the ability of high-resolution imagery and physical sampling methods (grab, dredge, SCUBA-diving) to detect taxonomic and functional components of epibenthos. Results reveal that (1) with minimal habitat disturbance on large spatial scales, imagery provides valuable, cost-effective assessment of rocky reef habitat features and community structure, (2) despite poor taxonomic resolution, image-derived data for habitat-forming taxa might be sufficient to infer richness of small sessile and mobile fauna, (3) physical collections are necessary to develop a robust record of species richness, including species-level taxonomic identifications, and to establish a baseline. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

On Trial: the Compatibility of Measurement in the Physical and Social Sciences

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cano, S. J.; Vosk, T.; Pendrill, L. R.; Stenner, A. J.

2016-11-01

In this paper, we put social measurement on trial: providing two perspectives arguing why measurement in the social and in the physical sciences are incompatible and counter with two perspectives supporting compatibility. For the case ‘against’, we first argue that there is a lack of definition in the social sciences. Thus, while measurement in the physical sciences is supported by empirical evidence, calibrated instruments, and predictive theory that work together to test the quantitative nature of properties, measurement in the social sciences, in the main, rests on a vague, discretionary definition of measurement that places hardly any restrictions on empirical data, does not require calibrated instruments, and rarely articulates predictive theories. The second argument for the case ‘against’ introduces the problem associated with psychometrics, including different approaches, methodologies, criteria for success and failure, and considerations as to what counts as measurement. Making the first case ‘for’, we highlight practical principles for improved social measurement including units, laws, theory, and metrology. The second argument ‘for’ introduces the exemplar of the Lexile Framework for reading that exploits metrological principles and parallels the paths taken by, for example, thermometry. We conclude by proposing a way forward potentially applicable to both physical and social measurement, in which inferences are modelled in terms of a measurement system, where specifically the output of the instrument in response to probing the object (‘entity’) is a performance metric, i.e. how well the set-up performs the assessment.

From ancient Greece to the cognitive revolution: A comprehensive view of physical rehabilitation sciences.

PubMed

Martínez-Pernía, David; González-Castán, Óscar; Huepe, David

2017-02-01

The development of rehabilitation has traditionally focused on measurements of motor disorders and measurements of the improvements produced during the therapeutic process; however, physical rehabilitation sciences have not focused on understanding the philosophical and scientific principles in clinical intervention and how they are interrelated. The main aim of this paper is to explain the foundation stones of the disciplines of physical therapy, occupational therapy, and speech/language therapy in recovery from motor disorder. To reach our goals, the mechanistic view and how it is integrated into physical rehabilitation will first be explained. Next, a classification into mechanistic therapy based on an old version (automaton model) and a technological version (cyborg model) will be shown. Then, it will be shown how physical rehabilitation sciences found a new perspective in motor recovery, which is based on functionalism, during the cognitive revolution in the 1960s. Through this cognitive theory, physical rehabilitation incorporated into motor recovery of those therapeutic strategies that solicit the activation of the brain and/or symbolic processing; aspects that were not taken into account in mechanistic therapy. In addition, a classification into functionalist rehabilitation based on a computational therapy and a brain therapy will be shown. At the end of the article, the methodological principles in physical rehabilitation sciences will be explained. It will allow us to go deeper into the differences and similarities between therapeutic mechanism and therapeutic functionalism.