A field like today's? The strength of the geomagnetic field 1.1 billion years ago

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sprain, Courtney J.; Swanson-Hysell, Nicholas L.; Fairchild, Luke M.; Gaastra, Kevin

2018-06-01

Palaeomagnetic data from ancient rocks are one of the few types of observational data that can be brought to bear on the long-term evolution of Earth's core. A recent compilation of palaeointensity estimates from throughout Earth history has been interpreted to indicate that Earth's magnetic field strength increased in the Mesoproterozoic (between 1.5 and 1.0 billion years ago), with this increase taken to mark the onset of inner core nucleation. However, much of the data within the Precambrian palaeointensity database are from Thellier-style experiments with non-ideal behaviour that manifests in results such as double-slope Arai plots. Choices made when interpreting these data may significantly change conclusions about long-term trends in the intensity of Earth's geomagnetic field. In this study, we present new palaeointensity results from volcanics of the ˜1.1-billion-year-old North American Midcontinent Rift. While most of the results exhibit non-ideal double-slope or sagging behaviour in Arai plots, some flows have more ideal single-slope behaviour leading to palaeointensity estimates that may be some of the best constraints on the strength of Earth's field for this time. Taken together, new and previously published palaeointensity data from the Midcontinent Rift yield a median field strength estimate of 56.0 ZAm2—very similar to the median for the past 300 Myr. These field strength estimates are distinctly higher than those for the preceding billion years (Ga) after excluding ca. 1.3 Ga data that may be biased by non-ideal behaviour—consistent with an increase in field strength in the late Mesoproterozoic. However, given that ˜90 per cent of palaeointensity estimates from 1.1 to 0.5 Ga come from the Midcontinent Rift, it is difficult to evaluate whether these high values relative to those estimated for the preceding billion years are the result of a stepwise, sustained increase in dipole moment. Regardless, palaeointensity estimates from the Midcontinent

The Integration of Multimedia and Field Experience.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dawson, George

A professor of science education at Florida State University shares his experiences with the growth of the field of environmental education and the problems inherent in trying to teach formal environmental education outdoors. Although field experience is best, it must be limited in most situations since logistics get in the way. Technology can…

Pre-Service Teachers' Knowledge of Language Concepts: Relationships to Field Experiences

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tetley, Deborah; Jones, Caroline

2014-01-01

Acquisition of language concepts by pre-service teachers (PSTs) is likely influenced by university coursework and field experiences, but little research has examined how. Knowledge of phonics and phonological awareness and confidence to teach reading were surveyed among primary PSTs at one New South Wales university, most in second year following…

A three-year experiment confirms continuous immobilization of cadmium and lead in contaminated paddy field with biochar amendment.

PubMed

Bian, Rongjun; Joseph, Stephen; Cui, Liqiang; Pan, Genxing; Li, Lianqing; Liu, Xiaoyu; Zhang, Afeng; Rutlidge, Helen; Wong, Singwei; Chia, Chee; Marjo, Chris; Gong, Bin; Munroe, Paul; Donne, Scott

2014-05-15

Heavy metal contamination in croplands has been a serious concern because of its high health risk through soil-food chain transfer. A field experiment was conducted in 2010-2012 in a contaminated rice paddy in southern China to determine if bioavailability of soil Cd and Pb could be reduced while grain yield was sustained over 3 years after a single soil amendment of wheat straw biochar. Contaminated biochar particles were separated from the biochar amended soil and microscopically analyzed to help determine where, and how, metals were immobilized with biochar. Biochar soil amendment (BSA) consistently and significantly increased soil pH, total organic carbon and decreased soil extractable Cd and Pb over the 3 year period. While rice plant tissues' Cd content was significantly reduced, depending on biochar application rate, reduction in plant Pb concentration was found only in root tissue. Analysis of the fresh and contaminated biochar particles indicated that Cd and Pb had probably been bonded with the mineral phases of Al, Fe and P on and around and inside the contaminated biochar particle. Immobilization of the Pb and Cd also occurred to cation exchange on the porous carbon structure. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Lamont-Doherty's Secondary School Field Research Program: 10 years of field research-based education.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Newton, R.; Vincent, S.; Gribbin, S.; Peteet, D. M.; Sambrotto, R.; Bostick, B. C.; Corbett, E.; Nguyen, K.; Bjornton, J.; Lee, D.; Dubossi, D.; Reyes, N.

2014-12-01

This fall marks the 10th year in which we have run a research-project-based educational program for high school students and science teachers at the Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory. This summer's cohort included 31 teenagers, 7 science teachers, and 16 college students, most of whom are returning to the program to help run the research projects. Nearly all of our students attend non-competitive-entry public schools in NYC or the neighborhoods around the Observatory. Over 80% are from under-served minority populations. Most receive Title I/III assistance. About 60% are young women. During the past 10 years, nearly all of our participants have gone on to 4-year colleges. About half are declaring science and engineering majors. Our students receive scholarship support at rates several times higher than their graduating peers, including 5 Gates Millennium scholars over the past 5 years. Our science is centered on studies of a nearby tidal wetland, where we have expanded from fish collections in year one to include everything from sediment core analysis to soil chemistry to nutrient cycles to the local food web. In this presentation we will look back over 10 years of experience and focus on what lessons can be learned about (1) how to engage teams of young investigators in authentic scientific research; (2) what cultural/organizational structures encourage them to make use of place- and project-based learning and (3) what the participants themselves report as the most useful aspects of our programming. The presentation will include video clips from the students' field experiences and from reflective interviews with "graduates".

International Field Experience--What Do Student Teachers Learn?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lee, Jackie Fung King

2011-01-01

This inquiry aimed to examine the benefits of having international field experience for a group of Hong Kong postgraduate student teachers who joined a six-week immersion programme in New Zealand. Through participants' reflections, interviews and programme evaluations, the present investigation found that the overseas field experience not only…

Preparing New Teachers: Operating Successful Field Experience Programs.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Slick, Gloria Appelt, Ed.

This is the second in a series of four books presenting a variety of field experience program models and philosophies that drive the programs provided to preservice teachers during their undergraduate teacher preparation. This publication addresses the operational aspects of a successfully functioning field experience program and office. The…

TRACKING CHANGES IN WETLANDS WITH URBANIZATION: SIXTEEN YEARS OF EXPERIENCE IN PORTLAND, OREGON

EPA Science Inventory

Urban wetlands can provide valuable ecological and societal services. They also can experience rapid change with development. Data from National Wetland Inventory Maps (NWI) and a series of field studies conducted between 1987 and 1998 were used to track changes over 16 years i...

Cartoon music in a candy store: a field experiment.

PubMed

Le Guellec, Hélène; Guéguen, Nicolas; Jacob, Céline; Pascual, Alexandre

2007-06-01

An experiment on consumers' behavior was carried out in a new field context. According to a random assignment, 60 customers from ages 12 to 14 years who entered a candy store were exposed to Top Forty music which was usually played in this store, music from cartoons (Captain Flame, Candy, Olive & Tom, etc.), or no music. Analysis showed that customers spent significantly more time in the store when cartoon music was played, but the two styles of music were not related to the amount of money spent.

A new estimate of average dipole field strength for the last five million years

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cromwell, G.; Tauxe, L.; Halldorsson, S. A.

2013-12-01

The Earth's ancient magnetic field can be approximated by a geocentric axial dipole (GAD) where the average field intensity is twice as strong at the poles than at the equator. The present day geomagnetic field, and some global paleointensity datasets, support the GAD hypothesis with a virtual axial dipole moment (VADM) of about 80 ZAm2. Significant departures from GAD for 0-5 Ma are found in Antarctica and Iceland where paleointensity experiments on massive flows (Antarctica) (1) and volcanic glasses (Iceland) produce average VADM estimates of 41.4 ZAm2 and 59.5 ZAm2, respectively. These combined intensities are much closer to a lower estimate for long-term dipole field strength, 50 ZAm2 (2), and some other estimates of average VADM based on paleointensities strictly from volcanic glasses. Proposed explanations for the observed non-GAD behavior, from otherwise high-quality paleointensity results, include incomplete temporal sampling, effects from the tangent cylinder, and hemispheric asymmetry. Differences in estimates of average magnetic field strength likely arise from inconsistent selection protocols and experiment methodologies. We address these possible biases and estimate the average dipole field strength for the last five million years by compiling measurement level data of IZZI-modified paleointensity experiments from lava flows around the globe (including new results from Iceland and the HSDP-2 Hawaii drill core). We use the Thellier Gui paleointensity interpreter (3) in order to apply objective criteria to all specimens, ensuring consistency between sites. Specimen level selection criteria are determined from a recent paleointensity investigation of modern Hawaiian lava flows where the expected magnetic field strength was accurately recovered when following certain selection parameters. Our new estimate of average dipole field strength for the last five million years incorporates multiple paleointensity studies on lava flows with diverse global and

Exploring Group Cohesion in a Higher Education Field Experience

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Malcarne, Brian Keith

2012-01-01

The purpose of this study was to gain understanding into the experience of group cohesion for university students participating in an academic field experience. A mixed methods approach was used following a two-phase, sequential research design to help provide a more complete explanation of how group cohesion was impacted by the field experience.…

Junior physicians' workplace experiences in clinical fields in German-speaking Switzerland.

PubMed

Buddeberg-Fischer, Barbara; Klaghofer, Richard; Abel, Thomas; Buddeberg, Claus

2005-01-08

To date, there have been several prospective cohort studies investigating the workplace experiences of junior physicians, but with limited focus on gender issues. The objective of the present study is to explore the workplace experiences of first-year residents according to gender, type of training hospital, and clinical field. Data reported are from the second assessment of the longitudinal Swiss physicians' career development study, begun in 2001. In 2003, 497 residents (54.7% females, 45.3% males) assessed their workplace conditions, social support at work, and effort-reward imbalance. There are few, but relevant, gender related differences in workplace experiences, with female physicians experiencing less mentoring and higher over-commitment, yet more positive social relationships at work. In a multivariate model, significant differences in some workplace variables with regard to type of training hospital and/or clinical field are found: workplace conditions are rated worse in type "A" hospitals (university and cantonal hospitals) than in type "B"/"C"/"D" hospitals (regional hospitals and highly specialised units), and in surgical fields than in internal medicine. In "A" hospitals mentoring is assessed as better, but positive social relationships as worse. Both scales are rated worse in surgical fields than in internal medicine. The effort-reward imbalance (ERI) is rated significantly higher (unfavourable) in "A" hospitals than in "B"/"C"/"D" hospitals, regardless of gender and clinical field. Significantly more subjects with an ERI quotient above 1 (which is unfavourable) work in "A" hospitals, and in surgical fields regardless of hospital type. Of the total sample, 81 subjects (16.3%), 41 males and 40 females, show an ERI quotient above 1. The greater the workload, the worse the rating of workplace conditions, effort-reward imbalance, and over-commitment. Institutional determinants are crucial factors for the workplace experiences and first career steps of

Designing a Field Experience Tracking System in the Area of Special Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

He, Wu; Watson, Silvana

2014-01-01

Purpose: To improve the quality of field experience, support field experience cooperation and streamline field experience management, the purpose of this paper is to describe the experience in using Activity Theory to design and develop a web-based field experience tracking system for a special education program. Design/methodology/approach: The…

Magnetic field experiment for Voyagers 1 and 2

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Behannon, K. W.; Aluna, M. H.; Burlaga, L. F.; Lepping, R. P.; Ness, N. F.; Neubauer, F. M.

1977-01-01

The magnetic field experiment to be carried on the Voyager 1 and 2 missions consists of dual low field (LFM) and high field magnetometer (HFM) systems. The dual systems provide greater reliability and, in the case of the LFM's, permit the separation of spacecraft magnetic fields from the ambient fields. Additional reliability is achieved through electronics redundancy. The wide dynamic ranges of plus or minus 0.5G for the LFM's and plus or minus 20G for the HFM's, low quantization uncertainty of plus or minus 0.002 gamma in the most sensitive (plus or minus 8 gamma) LFM range, low sensor RMS noise level of 0.006 gamma, and use of data compaction schemes to optimize the experiment information rate all combine to permit the study of a broad spectrum of phenomena during the mission. Planetary fields at Jupiter, Saturn, and possibly Uranus; satellites of these planets; solar wind and satellite interactions with the planetary fields; and the large-scale structure and microscale characteristics of the interplanetary magnetic field are studied. The interstellar field may also be measured.

The Freshman Year Experience.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gardner, John N.

1986-01-01

The movement to enhance the freshman year experience by changing the way institutions treat, welcome, assimilate, support, and inform freshman students is discussed and illustrated. The potential importance of the movement to admissions officers and registrars is emphasized. (MSE)

Mojave remote sensing field experiment

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Arvidson, Raymond E.; Petroy, S. B.; Plaut, J. J.; Shepard, Michael K.; Evans, D.; Farr, T.; Greeley, Ronald; Gaddis, L.; Lancaster, N.

1991-01-01

The Mojave Remote Sensing Field Experiment (MFE), conducted in June 1988, involved acquisition of Thermal Infrared Multispectral Scanner (TIMS); C, L, and P-band polarimetric radar (AIRSAR) data; and simultaneous field observations at the Pisgah and Cima volcanic fields, and Lavic and Silver Lake Playas, Mojave Desert, California. A LANDSAT Thematic Mapper (TM) scene is also included in the MFE archive. TM-based reflectance and TIMS-based emissivity surface spectra were extracted for selected surfaces. Radiative transfer procedures were used to model the atmosphere and surface simultaneously, with the constraint that the spectra must be consistent with field-based spectral observations. AIRSAR data were calibrated to backscatter cross sections using corner reflectors deployed at target sites. Analyses of MFE data focus on extraction of reflectance, emissivity, and cross section for lava flows of various ages and degradation states. Results have relevance for the evolution of volcanic plains on Venus and Mars.

Application of transcerebral, weak (1 microT) complex magnetic fields and mystical experiences: are they generated by field-induced dimethyltryptamine release from the pineal organ?

PubMed

Hill, D R; Persinger, M A

2003-12-01

During the last 15 years weak, complex magnetic fields have been applied across the two cerebral hemispheres at the level of the temporoparietal lobes of more than 500 volunteers. Most of these subjects have reported visual, vestibular, and proprioceptive sensations as well as experiences of detachment from the body of 'sentient beings'. Similar but more intense experiences were reported by Strassman in 2001 for volunteers who were injected with N,n-dimethyltryptamine, a compound Strassman hypothesized as the primary mediator of these experiences. If this speculation is valid, then subjects who are exposed to the very weak, complex fields known to elicit similar experiences should display significant increases in the metabolites of this compound within their blood.

An illustrated gardener's guide to transgenic Arabidopsis field experiments.

PubMed

Frenkel, Martin; Jänkänpää, Hanna Johansson; Moen, Jon; Jansson, Stefan

2008-01-01

Field studies with transgenic Arabidopsis lines have been performed over 8 yr, to better understand the influence that certain genes have on plant performance. Many (if not most) plant phenotypes cannot be observed under the near constant, low-stress conditions in growth chambers, making field experiments necessary. However, there are challenges in performing such experiments: permission must be obtained and regulations obeyed, the profound influence of uncontrollable biotic and abiotic factors has to be considered, and experimental design has to be strictly controlled. The aim here is to provide inspiration and guidelines for researchers who are not used to setting up such experiments, allowing others to learn from our mistakes. This is believed to be the first example of a 'manual' for field experiments with transgenic Arabidopsis plants. Many of the challenges encountered are common for all field experiments, and many researchers from ecological backgrounds are skilled in such methods. There is huge potential in combining the detailed mechanistic understanding of molecular biologists with ecologists' expertise in examining plant performance under field conditions, and it is suggested that more interdisciplinary collaborations will open up new scientific avenues to aid analyses of the roles of genetic and physiological variation in natural systems.

Using Case Studies to Enrich Field Experience.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Florio-Ruane, Susan; Clark, Christopher M.

1990-01-01

This paper discusses the use of field experience in teacher education and how it can be augmented by phenomenological case studies. It summarizes a particular case study involving three teacher education classes, noting that reflective analysis of cases can prepare students to observe in the field. (SM)

NASA Cold Land Processes Experiment (CLPX 2002/03): Field measurements of snowpack properties and soil moisture

Treesearch

Kelly Elder; Don Cline; Glen E. Liston; Richard Armstrong

2009-01-01

A field measurement program was undertaken as part NASA's Cold Land Processes Experiment (CLPX). Extensive snowpack and soil measurements were taken at field sites in Colorado over four study periods during the two study years (2002 and 2003). Measurements included snow depth, density, temperature, grain type and size, surface wetness, surface roughness, and...

Teaching Representation Translations with Magnetic Field Experiments

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tillotson, Wilson Andrew; McCaskey, Timothy; Nasser, Luis

2017-01-01

We have developed a laboratory exercise designed to help students translate between different field representations. It starts with students qualitatively mapping field lines for various bar magnet configurations and continues with a Hall probe experiment in which students execute a series of scaffolded tasks, culminating in the prediction and…

South American Field Experience: An Initiative in International Education. The Implementation Journal for the South American Field Experience.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Martin, William J.

A description is provided of Williamsport Area Community College's (WACC's) South American Field Experience program, a travel/study program for faculty and staff designed to provide a variety of learning experiences through a three week trip to Peru, Chile, Argentina, and Brazil. Chapter I presents an overview of the development of the project,…

Drift studies--comparison of field and wind tunnel experiments.

PubMed

Stadler, R; Regenauer, W

2005-01-01

Drift at pesticide application leads to a pollution of non-target crops, non-target species and surface water. Spray drift is influenced by many factors like environmental conditions, vegetation, technical conditions, and physical properties of the tank mixes and influenced by Chemicals. Field experiments to characterise spray drift effects with the risk of permanent changing weather conditions can be supported by wind tunnel experiments. Wind tunnel experiments do not lead to the same soil deposition curves like field experiments, but the ratio of drift reduction potential is comparable.

Concerns of Teacher Candidates in an Early Field Experience

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chang, Sau Hou

2009-01-01

The present study examined the concerns of teacher candidates in an early field experience. Thirty-five teacher candidates completed the Teacher Concerns Checklist (TCC, Fuller & Borich, 2000) at the beginning, middle and end of their early field experiences. Results showed that teacher candidates ranked impact as the highest concern, self as…

Technology's Role in Field Experiences for Preservice Teacher Training

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hixon, Emily; So, Hyo-Jeong

2009-01-01

The purpose of this paper is to provide a comprehensive review of how technology has been used to enhance or replace field experiences in preservice teacher preparation programs, and discuss the benefits and limitations of traditional and technology-enhanced/virtual field experience approaches. In this paper, three types of technology-enhanced…

Experience of 16 years and its associated challenges in the Field Epidemiology Training Program in Korea.

PubMed

Lee, Moo-Sik; Kim, Eun-Young; Lee, Sang-Won

2017-01-01

The field epidemiologist system of South Korea, which employs public health doctors who are relatively more readily available, was created in 1999 to ensure a ready supply of experts for epidemiological investigations and enable an effective response for new and reemerging infectious diseases. However, the 2015 outbreak of Middle East Respiratory Syndrome revealed limitations in the existing systems of management of field epidemiologists and communicable diseases. The present study aims to evaluate data on current states, administrative reports, and other literature on the field epidemiologist system that has been in place in South Korea for 16 years since 1999 and to suggest appropriate future improvements in this system. By suggesting methods to evaluate the field epidemiologist system and training programs and by suggesting ways for the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to conduct evaluations on its own, the present study provides supporting evidence for improvement of systems for training of experts in epidemiological investigations. Moreover, based on the findings, this study also suggests methods to systematically train experts in communicable diseases management and a sustainable system to establish the basis of and develop strategies for a systematic and phased management of field epidemiologist training programs. The present study suggests the possibility of establishing dedicated training facilities, revising the guidelines on training and improvement of the competency of public health experts, while not limiting the scope of application to communicable diseases.

Two Year Community: Design and Components of a Two-Year College Interdisciplinary Field-Study Course

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wolfe, Benjamin A.; Martin, Todd C.

2013-01-01

Interdisciplinary field study courses at 2-year colleges can provide an opportunity to enhance student learning. The authors present here an 11-day interdisciplinary field-study course designed for nonscience majors at a 2-year college. Using a theoretical learning framework that emphasizes cognitive and metacognitive gains, the field study…

The Geneva University Global Health and Human Rights Summer School: A 5-Year Intercultural Collaborative Experience.

PubMed

Chastonay, Philippe; Mpinga, Emmanuel K

2018-01-01

Education and training in human rights has been set as a priority by the United Nations. Health and human rights are closely related. Training professionals from various backgrounds in human rights might ultimately contribute to improve the health of individuals and communities. We present the 5 years' experience with a 3-week residential Global Health and Human Rights Course developed at the University of Geneva and implemented with the support/participation of international organizations (IOs) and non-governmental organizations active in the health and human rights sector. Over the years, roughly 150 students from 43 nationalities, with many different educational backgrounds, attended the course. The male/female ratio was 1/5. The adopted educational approach was multifold and comprised lectures from academics and experts with field experience, group work, individual case studies, journal clubs, and site visits. Evaluation data show that site visits at IOs were highly appreciated as well as networking opportunities among students, with academics and experts with field experience. The variety of topics discussed was, at times, "too much"; yet, it allowed students to measure the extent of the challenges the field is facing. The adopted active learning approach facilitated the exchange of experiences among students and allowed them to get acquainted with different cultural sensitivities. The Global Health and Human Rights Summer-School of the University of Geneva allowed its participants, coming from all over the world, to identify challenges of the interlinked fields of health and human rights, reflect upon their underlying causes, and imagine possible solutions. Sharing our experience will hopefully help passionate educators around the world to develop similar programs.

Classroom and Field Experiments for Florida's Environmental Resources.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lewis, Jim

This booklet is intended to help teachers in Florida manage the growing interest in environmental education. Fourteen experiments are grouped into the environmental areas of the water cycle, groundwater, water pollution, waste and water treatment, air pollution, and field experiments. Experiments include demonstrations of the water cycle, the…

Short-term, informal, and low-stakes scientific laboratory and field experiences improve STEM student retention and academic success

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hintz, C.; Pride, C. J.; Cox, T.

2017-12-01

Formal internship experiences strongly improve student success in the STEM fields. Classical programs like NSF's Research Experiences for Undergraduates are highly successful for traditional and non-traditional students. Moreover when early undergraduate and at-risk (e.g., low income, academically-challenged) students engage in these experiences, their career paths are re-enforced or changed, academic progress and retention improves, and they are encouraged to continue into graduate school. Students build connections to their course-based learning and experience the life of a working scientist. However, NSF formal experiences are relatively expensive to provide (>5000 per student per experience) and are available to fewer than 5% of geoscience majors each year. Although other funded formal internship opportunities exist, they are likely available to no more than 10% of total enrolled geoscience students. These high-quality programs cannot impact enough early undergraduate students to encourage their remaining in science and improve the current overall retention and graduation rates in the US. Savannah State University faculty successfully completed multiple grants funding low-stakes undergraduate field-science experiences. These short-term (semester to year), part-time (5-10h/week) experiences provide similar classroom-to-real-world science connections, offer students direct laboratory and field experiences, build skill sets, and provide a small source of revenue assisting financially-challenged students to stay on campus rather than seeking off-campus employment. For a much lower investment in time and grant resources (500-1500 per student per experience), participant graduation rates exceeded 80%, well above the university 27-34% graduation rate during the same time period. Relatively small infusions of research dollars targeting undergraduate experiences in the field and laboratory could significantly impact long-term student outcomes in STEM disciplines. These

I-880 field experiment : analysis of incident data.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1997-01-01

The I-880 field experiment has produced one of the largest data bases on incidents and freeway traffic-flow characteristics ever compiled. Field data on incidents were collected through observations of probe-vehicle drivers before and after the imple...

Field Instructors' Perspectives on Foundation Year MSW Students' Preplacement Anxiety

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rosenthal Gelman, Caroline

2011-01-01

This study elicited 39 field instructors' perspectives on the anxiety that students experience as they begin field placements. Field instructors rated students as significantly more anxious than did students themselves, and although field instructors believed anxiety interferes with learning to a greater extent than did students, they did not…

Overview of Field Experience - Degradation Rates & Lifetimes

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

Jordan, Dirk; Kurtz, Sarah

2015-09-14

The way a PV module fails may depend not only on its design and the materials used in its construction, but also on the weather it experiences, the way it is mounted, and the quality control during its manufacture. This presentation gives an overview of Field Experience - what degradation rates and what lifetimes are being observed in various regions.

Field Experiences Using iPads: Impact of Experience on Preservice Teachers' Beliefs

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Reese, Jill A.; Bicheler, Rachel; Robinson, Callan

2016-01-01

The purpose of this phenomenological case study was to investigate the lived experiences of preservice music teachers using iPads to engage secondary general music students in creating and performing music during field teaching experiences. Two questions guided this research study: (a) What are these preservice teachers' perceptions of their…

Experiences of using mobile technologies and virtual field tours in Physical Geography: implications for hydrology education

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kingston, D. G.; Eastwood, W. J.; Jones, P. I.; Johnson, R.; Marshall, S.; Hannah, D. M.

2012-05-01

Education in hydrology is changing rapidly due to diversification of students, emergent major scientific and practical challenges that our discipline must engage with, shifting pedagogic ideas and higher education environments, the need for students to develop new discipline specific and transferrable skills, and the advent of innovative technologies for learning and teaching. This paper focuses on new technologies in the context of learning and teaching in Physical Geography and reflects on the implications of our experiences for education in hydrology. We evaluate the experience of designing and trialling novel mobile technology-based field exercises and a virtual field tour for a Year 1 undergraduate Physical Geography module at a UK university. The new exercises are based on using and obtaining spatial data, operation of meteorological equipment (explained using an interactive DVD), and include introductions to global positioning systems (GPS) and geographical information systems (GIS). The technology and exercises were well received in a pilot study and subsequent rolling-out to the full student cohort (∼150 students). A statistically significant improvement in marks was observed following the redesign. Although the students enjoyed using mobile technology, the increased interactivity and opportunity for peer learning were considered to be the primary benefits by students. This is reinforced further by student preference for the new interactive virtual field tour over the previous "show-and-tell" field exercise. Despite the new exercises having many advantages, exercise development was not trivial due to the high start-up costs, the need for provision of sufficient technical support and the relative difficulty of making year-to-year changes (to the virtual field tour in particular). Our experiences are highly relevant to the implementation of novel learning and teaching technologies in hydrology education.

Apollo Field Geology: 45 Years of Digesting Rocks, Field Data, and Future Objectives

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schmitt, H. H.

2012-12-01

Twelve Apollo astronauts participated in the Lunar Field Geological Experiment, overseen by Gene Shoemaker, Gordon Swann, and Bill Muehlberger and their Co-Investigators. In conjunction with geologists and engineers of the Geological Survey and NASA, this team planned, trained and executed the first extraterrestrial field geological investigation. As a result, astronaut sample selection, observations, photo-documentation and experiment deployment underpin 45 years of laboratory analyses and interpretation by thousands of lunar and planetary scientists. --Current hypotheses related to the origin, evolution and nature of the Moon would be far different had Apollo geological explorations not occurred, even assuming that all robotic missions flown before and since Apollo were flown. *Would we have recognized lunar meteorites without the broad suite of Apollo samples to guide us? If we eventually had properly identified such meteorites, would their chemistry and age data give us the same detailed insights about the origin and evolution of the Moon without the highly specific field documentation of samples collected by the astronauts? *Would we recognize that the early history of the Earth and Mars up to 3.8 billion years ago, including the development of life's precursors, was a period of the prolonged violence due to impacts of asteroids and comets? Would we have realized that clay minerals, produced by the alteration of impact-generated glass and debris, would have been dominant components and potential templates for complex organic molecules in the terrestrial and Martian environments? *Would we fully understand the surface environments of asteroids and young terrestrial planets without the detailed dissection and analysis of Apollo's lunar regolith samples? *Would the Moon's near-surface environment, and its mantle and core structure, be as well defined as they are without the ground-truth provided by Apollo samples and the equipment carefully emplaced there by the

Field Trips as Valuable Learning Experiences in Geography Courses

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Krakowka, Amy Richmond

2012-01-01

Field trips have been acknowledged as valuable learning experiences in geography. This article uses Kolb's (1984) experiential learning model to discuss how students learn and how field trips can help enhance learning. Using Kolb's experiential learning theory as a guide in the design of field trips helps ensure that field trips contribute to…

Residence Life Programs and the First-Year Experience. The Freshman Year Experience. Monograph Series No. 5.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zeller, William, Ed.; And Others

This monograph contains papers which suggest means of implementing residential programs, services, and facilities that will help to meet the needs of first-year college students. Fourteen papers are presented and are as follows: "Reflections on the First Year Residential Experience" (John N. Gardner); "The Role of Residential Programs in the…

NSF GK-12 Fellows as Mentors for K-12 Teachers Participating in Field Research Experiences

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ellins, K.; Perry, E.

2005-12-01

The University of Texas Institute for Geophysics (UTIG) recognizes the value of providing educational opportunities to K-12 teachers who play a critical role in shaping the minds of young people who are the future of our science. To that end, UTIG established the "Texas Teachers in the Field" program in 2000 to formalize the participation of K-12 teachers in field programs that included UTIG scientists. In 2002, "Texas Teachers in the Field" evolved through UTIG's involvement in a University of Texas at Austin GK-12 project led by the Environmental Sciences Institute, which enabled UTIG to partner a subset of GK-12 Fellows with teachers participating in geophysical field programs. During the three years of the GK-12 project, UTIG successfully partnered four GK-12 Fellows with five K-12 teachers. The Fellows served as mentors to the teachers, as liaisons between UTIG scientists leading field programs and teachers and their students, and as resources in science, mathematics, and technology instruction. Specifically, Fellows prepared teachers and their students for the field investigations, supervised the design of individual Teacher Research Experience (TRE) projects, and helped teachers to develop standards-aligned curriculum resources related to the field program for use in their own classrooms, as well as broader distribution. Although all but one TRE occurred during the school year, Texas school districts and principals were willing to release teachers to participate because the experience and destinations were so extraordinary (i.e., a land-based program in Tierra del Fuego, Argentina; and research cruises to the Southeast Caribbean Sea and Hess Deep in the Pacific Ocean) and carried opportunities to work with scientists from around the world. This exceptional collaboration of GK-12 Fellows, K-12 teachers and research scientists enriches K-12 student learning and promotes greater enthusiasm for science. The level of mentoring, preparation and follow-up provided

Coping with the challenges of early disaster response: 24 years of field hospital experience after earthquakes.

PubMed

Bar-On, Elhanan; Abargel, Avi; Peleg, Kobi; Kreiss, Yitshak

2013-10-01

To propose strategies and recommendations for future planning and deployment of field hospitals after earthquakes by comparing the experience of 4 field hospitals deployed by The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) Medical Corps in Armenia, Turkey, India and Haiti. Quantitative data regarding the earthquakes were collected from published sources; data regarding hospital activity were collected from IDF records; and qualitative information was obtained from structured interviews with key figures involved in the missions. The hospitals started operating between 89 and 262 hours after the earthquakes. Their sizes ranged from 25 to 72 beds, and their personnel numbered between 34 and 100. The number of patients treated varied from 1111 to 2400. The proportion of earthquake-related diagnoses ranged from 28% to 67% (P < .001), with hospitalization rates between 3% and 66% (P < .001) and surgical rates from 1% to 24% (P < .001). In spite of characteristic scenarios and injury patterns after earthquakes, patient caseload and treatment requirements varied widely. The variables affecting the patient profile most significantly were time until deployment, total number of injured, availability of adjacent medical facilities, and possibility of evacuation from the disaster area. When deploying a field hospital in the early phase after an earthquake, a wide variability in patient caseload should be anticipated. Customization is difficult due to the paucity of information. Therefore, early deployment necessitates full logistic self-sufficiency and operational versatility. Also, collaboration with local and international medical teams can greatly enhance treatment capabilities.

First Year Experience Course: Insights from the First Two Years

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Erickson, Sheri L.; Stone, Mary F.

2012-01-01

Retention rates of students in a business school Freshman Year Experience (FYE) course were compared to overall University retention rates for two successive years. Slightly higher retention was experienced by the business FYE students than for the University overall. Student responses to exit survey questions were compared to retention activity…

Science objectives of the magnetic field experiment onboard Aditya-L1 spacecraft

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yadav, Vipin K.; Srivastava, Nandita; Ghosh, S. S.; Srikar, P. T.; Subhalakshmi, Krishnamoorthy

2018-01-01

The Aditya-L1 is first Indian solar mission scheduled to be placed in a halo orbit around the first Lagrangian point (L1) of Sun-Earth system in the year 2018-19. The approved scientific payloads onboard Aditya-L1 spacecraft includes a Fluxgate Digital Magnetometer (FGM) to measure the local magnetic field which is necessary to supplement the outcome of other scientific experiments onboard. The in-situ vector magnetic field data at L1 is essential for better understanding of the data provided by the particle and plasma analysis experiments, onboard Aditya-L1 mission. Also, the dynamics of Coronal Mass Ejections (CMEs) can be better understood with the help of in-situ magnetic field data at the L1 point region. This data will also serve as crucial input for the short lead-time space weather forecasting models. The proposed FGM is a dual range magnetic sensor on a 6 m long boom mounted on the Sun viewing panel deck and configured to deploy along the negative roll direction of the spacecraft. Two sets of sensors (tri-axial each) are proposed to be mounted, one at the tip of boom (6 m from the spacecraft) and other, midway (3 m from the spacecraft). The main science objective of this experiment is to measure the magnitude and nature of the interplanetary magnetic field (IMF) locally and to study the disturbed magnetic conditions and extreme solar events by detecting the CME from Sun as a transient event. The proposed secondary science objectives are to study the impact of interplanetary structures and shock solar wind interaction on geo-space environment and to detect low frequency plasma waves emanating from the solar corona at L1 point. This will provide a better understanding on how the Sun affects interplanetary space. In this paper, we shall give the main scientific objectives of the magnetic field experiment and brief technical details of the FGM onboard Aditya-1 spacecraft.

Effect of Biochar on Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Nitrogen Cycling in Laboratory and Field Experiments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hagemann, Nikolas; Harter, Johannes; Kaldamukova, Radina; Ruser, Reiner; Graeff-Hönninger, Simone; Kappler, Andreas; Behrens, Sebastian

2014-05-01

The extensive use of nitrogen (N) fertilizers in agriculture is a major source of anthropogenic N2O emissions contributing 8% to global greenhouse gas emissions. Soil biochar amendment has been suggested as a means to reduce both CO2 and non-CO2 greenhouse gas emissions. The reduction of N2O emissions by biochar has been demonstrated repeatedly in field and laboratory experiments. However, the mechanisms of the reduction remain unclear. Further it is not known how biochar field-weathering affects GHG emissions and how agro-chemicals, such as the nitrification inhibitor 3,4-dimethylpyrazole phosphate (DMPP), that is often simultaneously applied together with commercial N-fertilizers, impact nitrogen transformation and N2O emissions from biochar amended soils. In order investigate the duration of the biochar effect on soil N2O emissions and its susceptibility to DMPP application we performed a microcosm and field study with a high-temperature (400 ° C) beech wood derived biochar (60 t ha-1 and 5 % (w/w) biochar in the field and microcosms, respectively). While the field site contained the biochar already for three years, soil and biochar were freshly mixed for the laboratory microcosm experiments. In both studies we quantified GHG emissions and soil nitrogen speciation (nitrate, nitrite, ammonium). While the field study was carried out over the whole vegetation period of the sunflower Helianthus annuus L., soil microcosm experiments were performed for up to 9 days at 28° C. In both experiments a N-fertilizer containing DMPP was applied either before planting of the sunflowers or at the beginning of soil microcosms incubation. Laboratory microcosm experiments were performed at 60% water filled pore space reflecting average field conditions. Our results show that biochar effectively reduced soil N2O emissions by up to 60 % in the field and in the soil microcosm experiments. No significant differences in N2O emission mitigation potential between field-aged and fresh

Assisting Your Preservice Teacher to Be Successful during Field Experiences

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Brett, Christine

2006-01-01

Field experience (junior practicum and student teaching) is considered by many to be the most influential part of a teacher preparation program (Cruickshank & Aramalin, 1986; Tannehill & Zakrajsek, 1988). During field experiences, preservice teachers (hereafter referred to as PSTs) are guided by a cooperating teacher (hereafter referred to as a…

Putting Biology Students Out to Grass: the Nettlecombe Experiment After Thirteen Years.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Crothers, J. H.; Lucas, A. M.

1982-01-01

The importance of examining both the natural history of organisms being investigated and numerical data from long-term field experiments is illustrated by describing a long-running field experiment at an English Field Study Council Centre. Sample results are discussed and alternative methods of using field studies in biology instruction are…

Emerging Trends in Teacher Preparation: The Future of Field Experiences.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Slick, Gloria Appelt, Ed.

This is the fourth in a series of four books presenting a variety of field experience program models and philosophies that drive the programs provided to preservice teachers during their undergraduate teacher preparation. This book focuses on critical issues facing teaching education in the future, in particular field experiences. Major themes…

EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN AND INSTRUMENTATION FOR A FIELD EXPERIMENT

EPA Science Inventory

This report concerns the design of a field experiment for a military setting in which the effects of carbon monoxide on neurobehavioral variables are to be studied. ield experiment is distinguished from a survey by the fact that independent variables are manipulated, just as in t...

Development of Virtual Field Experiences for undergraduate geoscience using 3D models from aerial drone imagery and other data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Karchewski, B.; Dolphin, G.; Dutchak, A.; Cooper, J.

2017-12-01

In geoscience one must develop important skills related to data collection, analysis and interpretation in the field. The quadrupling of student enrollment in geoscience at the University of Calgary in recent years presents a unique challenge in providing field experience. With introductory classes ranging from 300-500 students, field trips are logistical impossibilities and the impact on the quality of student learning and engagement is major and negative. Field experience is fundamental to geoscience education, but is presently lacking prior to the third year curriculum. To mitigate the absence of field experience in the introductory curricula, we are developing a set of Virtual Field Experiences (VFEs) that approximate field experiences via inquiry-based exploration of geoscientific principles. We incorporate a variety of data into the VFEs including gigapan photographs, geologic maps and high resolution 3D models constructed from aerial drone imagery. We link the data using a web-based platform to support lab exercises guided by a set of inquiry questions. An important feature that distinguishes a VFE is that students explore the data in a nonlinear fashion to construct and revise models that explain the nature of the field site. The aim is to approximate an actual field experience rather than provide a virtual guided tour where the explanation of the site comes pre-packaged. Thus far, our group has collected data at three sites in Southern Alberta: Mt. Yamnuska, Drumheller environs and the North Saskatchewan River valley near the toe of the Saskatchewan Glacier. The Mt. Yamnuska site focusses on a prominent thrust fault in the front ranges of the Western Cordillera. The Drumheller environs site demonstrates the siliciclastic sedimentation and stratigraphy typical of southeastern Alberta. The Saskatchewan Glacier site highlights periglacial geomorphology and glacial recession. All three sites were selected because they showcase a broad range of geoscientific

Imaging non-Gaussian output fields produced by Josephson parametric amplifiers: experiments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Toyli, D. M.; Venkatramani, A. V.; Boutin, S.; Eddins, A.; Didier, N.; Clerk, A. A.; Blais, A.; Siddiqi, I.

2015-03-01

In recent years, squeezed microwave states have become the focus of intense research motivated by applications in continuous-variables quantum computation and precision qubit measurement. Despite numerous demonstrations of vacuum squeezing with superconducting parametric amplifiers such as the Josephson parametric amplifier (JPA), most experiments have also suggested that the squeezed output field becomes non-ideal at the large (> 10dB) signal gains required for low-noise qubit measurement. Here we describe a systematic experimental study of JPA squeezing performance in this regime for varying lumped-element device designs and pumping methods. We reconstruct the JPA output fields through homodyne detection of the field moments and quantify the deviations from an ideal squeezed state using maximal entropy techniques. These methods provide a powerful diagnostic tool to understand how effects such as gain compression impact JPA squeezing. Our results highlight the importance of weak device nonlinearity for generating highly squeezed states. This work is supported by ARO and ONR.

Coordinating Effective Field Experiences: Recommendations for Cooperating Teachers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McEntyre, Kelsey; Baxter, Deborah; Richards, K. Andrew R.

2018-01-01

The role of the cooperating teacher is an integral component of field-based teacher education because the cooperating teacher can bridge the gap between the knowledge developed on campus during physical education teacher education and preservice teachers' field-based learning experiences leading up to and including student teaching. In order to…

Bacterial Transport in Heterogeneous Porous Media: Laboratory and Field Experiments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fuller, M. E.

2001-12-01

A fully instrumented research site for examining field-scale bacterial transport has been established on the eastern shore of Virginia. Studies employing intact sediment cores from the South Oyster site have been performed to examine the effects of physical and chemical heterogeneity, to derive transport parameters, and to aid in the selection of bacterial strains for use in field experiments. A variety of innovative methods for tracking bacteria were developed and evaluated under both laboratory and field conditions, providing the tools to detect target cell concentrations in groundwater down to <20 cells/ml, and to perform real-time monitoring in the field. Comprehensive modeling efforts have provided a framework for the layout and instrumentation of the field site, and have aided in the design and interpretation of field-scale bacterial transport experiments. Field transport experiments were conducted in both aerobic and an anoxic flow cells to determine the effects of physical and chemical heterogeneity on field-scale bacterial transport. The results of this research not only contribute to the development of more effective bioremediation strategies, but also have implications for a better understanding of bacterial movement in the subsurface as it relates to public health microbiology and general microbial ecology.

Validation of the Land-Surface Energy Budget and Planetary Boundary Layer for Several Intensive field Experiments

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bosilovich, Michael G.; Schubert, Siegfried; Molod, Andrea; Houser, Paul R.

1999-01-01

Land-surface processes in a data assimilation system influence the lower troposphere and must be properly represented. With the recent incorporation of the Mosaic Land-surface Model (LSM) into the GEOS Data Assimilation System (DAS), the detailed land-surface processes require strict validation. While global data sources can identify large-scale systematic biases at the monthly timescale, the diurnal cycle is difficult to validate. Moreover, global data sets rarely include variables such as evaporation, sensible heat and soil water. Intensive field experiments, on the other hand, can provide high temporal resolution energy budget and vertical profile data for sufficiently long periods, without global coverage. Here, we evaluate the GEOS DAS against several intensive field experiments. The field experiments are First ISLSCP Field Experiment (FIFE, Kansas, summer 1987), Cabauw (as used in PILPS, Netherlands, summer 1987), Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM, Southern Great Plains, winter and summer 1998) and the Surface Heat Budget of the Arctic Ocean (SHEBA, Arctic ice sheet, winter and summer 1998). The sites provide complete surface energy budget data for periods of at least one year, and some periods of vertical profiles. This comparison provides a detailed validation of the Mosaic LSM within the GEOS DAS for a variety of climatologic and geographic conditions.

The Role of Peer Advising in the First-Year Experience

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kuba, Sarah E.

2010-01-01

For more than 35 years, the first-year experience movement has been working to improve the first-year experience for freshmen and decrease first-year and subsequent dropout rates. The purpose of this study is to examine student perceptions of the role of peer advising in the first-year experience. Through emphasis on support, involvement, and…

A sensor fusion field experiment in forest ecosystem dynamics

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Smith, James A.; Ranson, K. Jon; Williams, Darrel L.; Levine, Elissa R.; Goltz, Stewart M.

1990-01-01

The background of the Forest Ecosystem Dynamics field campaign is presented, a progress report on the analysis of the collected data and related modeling activities is provided, and plans for future experiments at different points in the phenological cycle are outlined. The ecological overview of the study site is presented, and attention is focused on forest stands, needles, and atmospheric measurements. Sensor deployment and thermal and microwave observations are discussed, along with two examples of the optical radiation measurements obtained during the experiment in support of radiative transfer modeling. Future activities pertaining to an archival system, synthetic aperture radar, carbon acquisition modeling, and upcoming field experiments are considered.

Genetic and epigenetic divergence between disturbed and undisturbed subpopulations of a Mediterranean shrub: a 20-year field experiment.

PubMed

Herrera, Carlos M; Bazaga, Pilar

2016-06-01

Little is known on the potential of ecological disturbance to cause genetic and epigenetic changes in plant populations. We take advantage of a long-term field experiment initiated in 1986 to study the demography of the shrub Lavandula latifolia , and compare genetic and epigenetic characteristics of plants in two adjacent subplots, one experimentally disturbed and one left undisturbed, 20 years after disturbance. Experimental setup was comparable to an unreplicated 'Before-After-Control-Impact' (BACI) design where a single pair of perturbed and control areas were compared. When sampled in 2005, plants in the two subplots had roughly similar ages, but they had established in contrasting environments: dense conspecific population ('Undisturbed' subpopulation) versus open area with all conspecifics removed ('Disturbed' subpopulation). Plants were characterized genetically and epigenetically using amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP) and two classes of methylation-sensitive AFLP (MSAP) markers. Subpopulations were similar in genetic diversity but differed in epigenetic diversity and multilocus genetic and epigenetic characteristics. Epigenetic divergence between subpopulations was statistically unrelated to genetic divergence. Bayesian clustering revealed an abrupt linear boundary between subpopulations closely coincident with the arbitrary demarcation line between subplots drawn 20 years back, which supports that genetic and epigenetic divergence between subpopulations was caused by artificial disturbance. There was significant fine-scale spatial structuring of MSAP markers in both subpopulations, which in the Undisturbed one was indistinguishable from that of AFLP markers. Genetic differences between subpopulations could be explained by divergent selection alone, while the concerted action of divergent selection and disturbance-driven appearance of new methylation variants in the Disturbed subpopulation is proposed to explain epigenetic differences. This

Field Experience Study in a Traditional Setting.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Perenich, Theresa A.

1978-01-01

A field experience in fashion marketing for Kansas State University students is described. The functions and responsibilities of the coordinator, the student, and the departmental supervisor are outlined, along with the evaluation processes used. (Author/LBH)

Magnetic Field Experiment Data Analysis System

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Holland, D. B.; Zanetti, L. J.; Suther, L. L.; Potemra, T. A.; Anderson, B. J.

1995-01-01

The Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory (JHU/APL) Magnetic Field Experiment Data Analysis System (MFEDAS) has been developed to process and analyze satellite magnetic field experiment data from the TRIAD, MAGSAT, AMPTE/CCE, Viking, Polar BEAR, DMSP, HILAT, UARS, and Freja satellites. The MFEDAS provides extensive data management and analysis capabilities. The system is based on standard data structures and a standard user interface. The MFEDAS has two major elements: (1) a set of satellite unique telemetry processing programs for uniform and rapid conversion of the raw data to a standard format and (2) the program Magplot which has file handling, data analysis, and data display sections. This system is an example of software reuse, allowing new data sets and software extensions to be added in a cost effective and timely manner. Future additions to the system will include the addition of standard format file import routines, modification of the display routines to use a commercial graphics package based on X-Window protocols, and a generic utility for telemetry data access and conversion.

Global meteorological data facility for real-time field experiments support and guidance

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Shipham, Mark C.; Shipley, Scott T.; Trepte, Charles R.

1988-01-01

A Global Meteorological Data Facility (GMDF) has been constructed to provide economical real-time meteorological support to atmospheric field experiments. After collection and analysis of meteorological data sets at a central station, tailored meteorological products are transmitted to experiment field sites using conventional ground link or satellite communication techniques. The GMDF supported the Global Tropospheric Experiment Amazon Boundary Layer Experiment (GTE-ABLE II) based in Manaus, Brazil, during July and August 1985; an arctic airborne lidar survey mission for the Polar Stratospheric Clouds (PSC) experiment during January 1986; and the Genesis of Atlantic Lows Experiment (GALE) during January, February and March 1986. GMDF structure is similar to the UNIDATA concept, including meteorological data from the Zephyr Weather Transmission Service, a mode AAA GOES downlink, and dedicated processors for image manipulation, transmission and display. The GMDF improved field experiment operations in general, with the greatest benefits arising from the ability to communicate with field personnel in real time.

Using a Field Experience to Build Understanding of Planetary Geology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Higbie, M.; Treiman, A.; Kiefer, W.; Shipp, S.

2004-12-01

In the summer of 2004, the Lunar and Planetary Institute hosted 25 middle- and high-school teachers on a week-long field experience in Idaho and Montana. This workshop mixed field work with classroom experiences and provided educators and scientists the opportunity to interact. The educators investigated deposits associated with Glacial Lake Missoula floods and lava flows in the Craters of the Moon National Monument and Preserve. The participants applied what they learned about Earth-based processes to develop understanding of processes operating on Mars and the most recent results from NASA's missions to Mars. This was the most recent of five field-based experiences that used Earth-planet comparisons as a basis for experiential learning. These field experiences all are designed to strengthen content knowledge of geologic processes and planetary sciences. Learning geology through fieldwork enables participants to take ownership of the content through real-life experience; in essence, the teacher becomes the student. Establishing deeper knowledge of the content increases their confidence in facilitating inquiry-based science in their own classrooms. In addition to content, the educators are immersed in the process of science. Participants make observations, compile notes and illustrations, debate interpretations, draw conclusions, and communicate findings. Care was taken to separate observations and interpretations to help build an understanding of scientific reasoning. Discussions often involved questions without solutions, or with multiple solutions. While some participants expressed discomfort with these aspects of the nature of science, most were more comfortable with open-ended, inquiry based exploration by the close of the workshop. The field work is coupled with discussion and activities in the classroom. Participants reflected on the field sites and placed them in the context of the geologic history of the region. Observations and interpretations at

The 1953 Stanley L. Miller Experiment: Fifty Years of Prebiotic Organic Chemistry

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lazcano, Antonio; Bada, Jeffrey L.

2003-01-01

The field of prebiotic chemistry effectively began with a publication in Science 50 years ago by Stanley L. Miller on the spark discharge synthesis of amino acids and other compounds using a mixture of reduced gases that were thought to represent the components of the atmosphere on the primitive Earth. On the anniversary of this landmark publication, we provide here an accounting of the events leading to the publication of the paper. We also discuss the historical aspects that lead up to the landmark Miller experiment.

Uniform magnetic fields and double-wrapped coil systems: improved techniques for the design of bioelectromagnetic experiments.

PubMed

Kirschvink, J L

1992-01-01

A common mistake in biomagnetic experimentation is the assumption that Helmholtz coils provide uniform magnetic fields; this is true only for a limited volume at their center. Substantial improvements on this design have been made during the past 140 years with systems of three, four, and five coils. Numerical comparisons of the field uniformity generated by these designs are made here, along with a table of construction details and recommendations for their use in experiments in which large volumes of uniform intensity magnetic exposures are needed. Double-wrapping, or systems of bifilar windings, can also help control for the non-magnetic effects of the electric coils used in many experiments. In this design, each coil is wrapped in parallel with two separate, adjacent strands of copper wire, rather than the single strand used normally. If currents are flowing in antiparallel directions, the magnetic fields generated by each strand will cancel and yield virtually no external magnetic field, whereas parallel currents will yield an external field. Both cases will produce similar non-magnetic effects of ohmic heating, and simple measures can reduce the small vibration and electric field differences. Control experiments can then be designed such that the only major difference between treated and untreated groups is the presence or absence of the magnetic field. Double-wrapped coils also facilitate the use of truly double-blind protocol, as the same apparatus can be used either for experimental or control groups.

Life on the Reservation: Cross-Cultural Field Experiences and Student Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Richardson, Belinda Conrad; Dinkins, Elizabeth G.

2014-01-01

Twenty-first century classrooms are filled with increasingly diverse student populations. Effective teacher preparation programs must include explicit course work in culturally responsive pedagogies and field experiences that place educators in new sociocultural contexts. Field experiences in cross-cultural, place-based settings have the potential…

Field-cycling NMR experiments in an ultra-wide magnetic field range: relaxation and coherent polarization transfer.

PubMed

Zhukov, Ivan V; Kiryutin, Alexey S; Yurkovskaya, Alexandra V; Grishin, Yuri A; Vieth, Hans-Martin; Ivanov, Konstantin L

2018-05-09

An experimental method is described allowing fast field-cycling Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) experiments over a wide range of magnetic fields from 5 nT to 10 T. The method makes use of a hybrid technique: the high field range is covered by positioning the sample in the inhomogeneous stray field of the NMR spectrometer magnet. For fields below 2 mT a magnetic shield is mounted on top of the spectrometer; inside the shield the magnetic field is controlled by a specially designed coil system. This combination allows us to measure T1-relaxation times and nuclear Overhauser effect parameters over the full range in a routine way. For coupled proton-carbon spin systems relaxation with a common T1 is found at low fields, where the spins are "strongly coupled". In some cases, experiments at ultralow fields provide access to heteronuclear long-lived spin states. Efficient coherent polarization transfer is seen for proton-carbon spin systems at ultralow fields as follows from the observation of quantum oscillations in the polarization evolution. Applications to analysis and the manipulation of heteronuclear spin systems are discussed.

A Communities of Practice Approach to Field Experiences in Teacher Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Warner, Connor Kirwan; Hallman, Heidi L.

2017-01-01

This article argues that prospective teachers who have the most productive experiences within pre-student teaching field experiences are those whose field sites allow them to become members of communities of practice, the conditions of which, according to Wenger (1998) include joint enterprise, mutual engagement, and shared repertoire. Employing…

Random Assignment: Practical Considerations from Field Experiments.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dunford, Franklyn W.

1990-01-01

Seven qualitative issues associated with randomization that have the potential to weaken or destroy otherwise sound experimental designs are reviewed and illustrated via actual field experiments. Issue areas include ethics and legality, liability risks, manipulation of randomized outcomes, hidden bias, design intrusiveness, case flow, and…

Experiments on the Dynamics of Molecular Processes: a Chronicle of Fifty Years

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Boato, Giovanni; Volpi, Gian Gualberto

1999-10-01

This paper reviews the way in which, in the Italy of the years immediately after World War II, interest in the dynamics of molecular processes was awakened. The narrative begins with the work of a small number of chemists and physicists who, in the initial stage, interacted closely. In the course of the years, their interests diverged and younger people joined the newly formed groups. Even now, after half a century, a common approach can still to be seen regarding how to attack problems and perform experiments. Experimental work is discussed, bringing out the common viewpoint of fields as diverse as mass spectrometry, isotope effects, chemical kinetics, molecular beams, molecule-molecule interactions, molecule-ion interactions, molecule-surface interactions, and plasma chemistry.

Lessons in collaboration and effective field research from the Appalachian Headwaters Research Experience for Undergraduates Program

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jones, A. L.; Fox, J.; Wilder, M. S.

2009-12-01

In the summer of 2009, the authors launched year one of a three-year National Science Foundation-funded Research Experience for Undergraduates entitled "Carbon Storage and Headwater Health in the Appalachian Headwaters." Eight undergraduates selected from a nationally competitive field of more than 60 applicants participated in the ten-week field- and laboratory-based program along with three middle- and high-school teachers. Each student developed and completed an independent research project related to coal mining’s impact on soil organic carbon and sediment transport processes. Specifically, they used isotope ratio mass spectrometry to measure the carbon and nitrogen stable isotopic signature of soils and sediments in the Appalachian headwater landscapes and first order streams of Kentucky's southeastern coalfields. Among the program's innovative features was its fundamentally collaborative nature--which was represented in several ways. First, the background of the three program leaders was very different: an environmental planner with an academic background in land use planning and administration (Jones); a civil engineer trained in biogeochemistry and watershed modeling (Fox); and an environmental educator experienced in both formal and nonformal educator training and certification (Wilder). The program was also a collaboration between a Carnegie 1 research-oriented institution and an undergraduate/ teaching -focused regional comprehensive university. Finally, the participants themselves represented a diversity of disciplines and institutional backgrounds--including biology, geology, chemistry, environmental science and civil engineering. The Research Experience for Teachers component was another innovative program element. The teachers participated in all field and laboratory research activities during the first six weeks, then developed a unit of study for their own classrooms to be implemented during the current school year. In addition to the six

Communication, Community, and Disconnection: Pre-Service Teachers in Virtual School Field Experiences

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wilkens, Christian; Eckdahl, Kelli; Morone, Mike; Cook, Vicki; Giblin, Thomas; Coon, Joshua

2014-01-01

This study examined the experiences of 11 graduate-level pre-service teachers completing Virtual School Field Experiences (VSFEs) with cooperating teachers in fully online, asynchronous high school courses in New York State. The VSFEs included a 7-week online teacher training course, and a 7-week online field experience. Pre-service teachers…

International Perspectives on the First-Year Experience in Higher Education. The First-Year Experience Monograph Series No. 52

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nutt, Diane, Ed.; Calderon, Denis, Ed.

2009-01-01

Students around the globe have unique first-year experiences but struggle with many of the same challenges. This monograph focuses on their journeys and provides insights for educators interested in learning about how institutions across the globe provide supports to students dealing with first-year transition issues. Based on the successful…

The Elon Gap Experience: A Transformative First-Year Experience

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Morrison, Stephen T.; Burr, Katherine H.; Waters, Rexford A.; Hall, Eric E.

2016-01-01

The Elon Gap Experience (EGE) was conceived out of Elon University's most recent strategic plan, the Elon Commitment (Elon University, 2009). One theme calls for "strategic and innovative pathways in undergraduate and graduate education," specifically "to launch a service program as part of a gap-year program" (Elon University,…

One Year of FOS Measurements in CMS Experiment at CERN

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Szillási, Zoltán; Buontempo, Salvatore; Béni, Noémi; Breglio, Giovanni; Cusano, Andrea; Laudati, Armando; Giordano, Michele; Saccomanno, Andrea; Druzhkin, Dmitry; Tsirou, Andromachi

Results are presented on the activity carried out by our research group, in collaboration with the SME Optosmart s.r.l. (an Italian spin-off company), on the application of Fiber Optic Sensor (FOS) techniques to monitor high-energy physics (HEP) detectors. Assuming that Fiber Bragg Grating sensors (FBGs) radiation hardness has been deeply studied for other field of application, we have applied the FBG technology to the HEP research domain. We present here the experimental evidences of the solid possibility to use such a class of sensors also in HEP detector very complex environmental side conditions. In particular we present more than one year data results of FBG measurements in the Compact Muon Solenoid (CMS) experiment set up at the CERN, where we have monitored temperatures (within CMS core) and strains in different locations by using FBG sensors during the detector operation with the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) collisions and high magnetic field. FOS data and FOS readout system stability and reliability is demonstrated, with continuous 24/24 h 7/7d data taking under severe and complex side conditions.

Guidelines for Evaluating...The First-Year Experience at Four-Year Colleges. 2nd Edition.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gardner, John N.; Barefoot, Betsy O.; Swing, Randy L.

This booklet contains a blueprint of questions that can be used at public and private four-year colleges and universities by an institution-wide task force examining the first-year experience or the broader campus experience. The blueprint can also be used to aid in an overall process of campus self-study or assessment. The questions a task force…

Deconvolution and analysis of wide-angle longwave radiation data from Nimbus 6 Earth radiation budget experiment for the first year

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bess, T. D.; Green, R. N.; Smith, G. L.

1980-01-01

One year of longwave radiation data from July 1975 through June 1976 from the Nimbus 6 satellite Earth radiation budget experiment is analyzed by representing the radiation field by a spherical harmonic expansion. The data are from the wide field of view instrument. Contour maps of the longwave radiation field and spherical harmonic coefficients to degree 12 and order 12 are presented for a 12 month data period.

Multidisciplinary Field Training in Undergraduate Physical Geography: Russian Experience

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kasimov, Nikolay S.; Chalov, Sergey R.; Panin, Andrey V.

2013-01-01

Field training is seen as a central component of the discipline of Physical Geography and an essential part of the undergraduate curriculum. This paper explores the structure and relationships between fieldwork and theoretical courses and the abundant experiences of field training in the undergraduate curriculum of 37 Russian universities. It…

[Research under reduced gravity. Part II: experiments in variable gravitational fields].

PubMed

Volkmann, D; Sievers, A

1992-03-01

Recently, the reduced gravitational field of space laboratories, rockets, or satellites in Earth orbits offers a gravitational field which is variable from 10(-4) g to 1 g by the use of centrifuges. Especially with plants, data concerning gravisensitivity are based on experiments with clinostats. First experiments in reduced gravitational fields, however, demonstrate the uncertainty of these results. Thus, the main task of gravitational biologists is to test the validity of results obtained with the aid of clinostats. On this basis it should be possible to find a common mechanism to explain the influence of gravity on organisms. Experiments under reduced gravity in sounding rockets provided new knowledge on the perception of the gravity stimulus in plant cells.

Short- and Long-Term Outcomes of Student Field Research Experiences in Special Populations.

PubMed

Soliman, Amr S; Chamberlain, Robert M

2016-06-01

Global health education and training of biomedical students in international and minority health research is expending through U.S. academic institutions. This study addresses the short- and long-term outcomes of an NCI-funded R25 short-term summer field research training program. This program is designed for MPH and Ph.D. students in cancer epidemiology and related disciplines, in international and minority settings (special populations) in a recent 7-year period. Positive short-term outcome of 73 students was measured as publishing a manuscript from the field research data and having a job in special populations. Positive long-term outcome was measured as having a post-doc position, being in a doctoral program, and/or employment in special populations at least 3 years from finishing the program. Significant factors associated with both short- and long-term success included resourcefulness of the student and compatibility of personalities and interests between the student and the on-campus and off-campus mentors. Short-term-success of students who conducted international filed research was associated with visits of the on-campus mentor to the field site. Short-term success was also associated with extent of mentorship in the field site and with long-term success. Future studies should investigate how field research sites could enhance careers of students, appropriateness of the sites for specific training competencies, and how to maximize the learning experience of students in international and minority research sites.

Perspectives of Turkish Intern and Non-Intern Students towards Sport Management Internship within the Context of Field Experience

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Coknaz, Dilsad

2014-01-01

The purpose of this study was to examine differences between intern and non-intern students in terms of their perspectives on sport management internship within the context of field experience. The subjects of the study were a total of 189 students. They were 4th year students who completed their internship and 3rd year students who were yet to…

First Year Experience Courses. What Works Clearinghouse Intervention Report

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

What Works Clearinghouse, 2016

2016-01-01

Based on four studies that meet WWC group design standards, "first year experience courses" were found to have potentially positive effects on credit accumulation, degree attainment (college), and general academic achievement (college) for freshman college students. "First year experience courses", often referred to as college…

Utilizing Urban Environments for Effective Field Experiences

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

MacAvoy, S. E.; Knee, K.

2014-12-01

Research surveys suggest that students are demanding more applied field experiences from their undergraduate environmental science programs. For geoscience educators at liberal arts colleges without field camps, university vehicles, or even geology departments, getting students into the field is especially rewarding - and especially challenging. Here, we present strategies that we have used in courses ranging from introductory environmental science for non-majors, to upper level environmental methods and geology classes. Urban locations provide an opportunity for a different type of local "field-work" than would otherwise be available. In the upper-level undergraduate Environmental Methods class, we relied on a National Park area located a 10-minute walk from campus for most field exercises. Activities included soil analysis, measuring stream flow and water quality parameters, dendrochronology, and aquatic microbe metabolism. In the non-majors class, we make use of our urban location to contrast water quality in parks and highly channelized urban streams. Here we share detailed lesson plans and budgets for field activities that can be completed during a class period of 2.5 hours with a $75 course fee, show how these activities help students gain quantitative competency, and provide student feedback about the classes and activities.

45 CFR 158.231 - Life-years used to determine credible experience.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

... 45 Public Welfare 1 2013-10-01 2013-10-01 false Life-years used to determine credible experience... and Providing the Rebate § 158.231 Life-years used to determine credible experience. (a) The life-years used to determine the credibility of an issuer's experience are the life-years for the MLR...

45 CFR 158.231 - Life-years used to determine credible experience.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

... 45 Public Welfare 1 2014-10-01 2014-10-01 false Life-years used to determine credible experience... and Providing the Rebate § 158.231 Life-years used to determine credible experience. (a) The life-years used to determine the credibility of an issuer's experience are the life-years for the MLR...

A 12 years brazilian space education activity experience

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stancato, Fernando; Gustavo Catalani Racca, João; Ballarotti, MaurícioG.

2001-03-01

A multidisciplinary group of students from the university and latter also from the high school was formed in 1988 with the objective to make them put in practice their knowledge in physics, chemistry and mathematics and engineering fields in experimental rocketry. The group was called "Grupo de Foguetes Experimentais", GFE. Since that time more than 150 students passed throw the group and now many of them are in the space arena. The benefits for students in a space hands-on project are many: More interest in their school subjects is gotten as they see an application for them; Interrelation attitudes are learned as space projects is a team activity; Responsibility is gained as each is responsible for a part of a critical mission project; Multidisciplinary and international experience is gotten as these are space project characteristics; Learn how to work in a high stress environment as use to be a project launch. This paper will cover the educational experiences gotten during these years and how some structured groups work. It is explained the objectives and how the group was formed. The group structure and the different phases that at each year the new team passes are described. It is shown the different activities that the group uses to do from scientific seminars, scientific club and international meetings to technical tours and assistance to rocket activities in regional schools. It is also explained the group outreach activities as some launches were covered by the media in more then 6 articles in newspaper and 7 television news. In 1999 as formed an official group called NATA, Núcleo de Atividades Aerospaciais within the Universidade Estadual de Londrina, UEL, by some GFE members and teachers from university. It is explained the first group project results.

The Geneva University Global Health and Human Rights Summer School: A 5-Year Intercultural Collaborative Experience

PubMed Central

Chastonay, Philippe; Mpinga, Emmanuel K.

2018-01-01

Education and training in human rights has been set as a priority by the United Nations. Health and human rights are closely related. Training professionals from various backgrounds in human rights might ultimately contribute to improve the health of individuals and communities. We present the 5 years’ experience with a 3-week residential Global Health and Human Rights Course developed at the University of Geneva and implemented with the support/participation of international organizations (IOs) and non-governmental organizations active in the health and human rights sector. Over the years, roughly 150 students from 43 nationalities, with many different educational backgrounds, attended the course. The male/female ratio was 1/5. The adopted educational approach was multifold and comprised lectures from academics and experts with field experience, group work, individual case studies, journal clubs, and site visits. Evaluation data show that site visits at IOs were highly appreciated as well as networking opportunities among students, with academics and experts with field experience. The variety of topics discussed was, at times, “too much”; yet, it allowed students to measure the extent of the challenges the field is facing. The adopted active learning approach facilitated the exchange of experiences among students and allowed them to get acquainted with different cultural sensitivities. The Global Health and Human Rights Summer-School of the University of Geneva allowed its participants, coming from all over the world, to identify challenges of the interlinked fields of health and human rights, reflect upon their underlying causes, and imagine possible solutions. Sharing our experience will hopefully help passionate educators around the world to develop similar programs. PMID:29868537

First experiments probing the collision of parallel magnetic fields using laser-produced plasmas

DOE PAGES

Rosenberg, M. J.; Li, C. K.; Fox, W.; ...

2015-04-08

Novel experiments to study the strongly-driven collision of parallel magnetic fields in β~10, laser-produced plasmas have been conducted using monoenergetic proton radiography. These experiments were designed to probe the process of magnetic flux pileup, which has been identified in prior laser-plasma experiments as a key physical mechanism in the reconnection of anti-parallel magnetic fields when the reconnection inflow is dominated by strong plasma flows. In the present experiments using colliding plasmas carrying parallel magnetic fields, the magnetic flux is found to be conserved and slightly compressed in the collision region. Two-dimensional (2D) particle-in-cell (PIC) simulations predict a stronger flux compressionmore » and amplification of the magnetic field strength, and this discrepancy is attributed to the three-dimensional (3D) collision geometry. Future experiments may drive a stronger collision and further explore flux pileup in the context of the strongly-driven interaction of magnetic fields.« less

Severe Weather Field Experience: An Undergraduate Field Course on Career Enhancement and Severe Convective Storms

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Godfrey, Christopher M.; Barrett, Bradford S.; Godfrey, Elaine S.

2011-01-01

Undergraduate students acquire a deeper understanding of scientific principles through first-hand experience. To enhance the learning environment for atmospheric science majors, the University of North Carolina at Asheville has developed the severe weather field experience. Participants travel to Tornado Alley in the Great Plains to forecast and…

Polar Magnetic Field Experiment

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Russell, C. T.

1999-01-01

This grant covers the initial data reduction and analysis of the magnetic field measurements of the Polar spacecraft. At this writing data for the first three years of the mission have been processed and deposited in the key parameter database. These data are also available in a variety of time resolutions and coordinate systems via a webserver at UCLA that provides both plots and digital data. The flight software has twice been reprogrammed: once to remove a glitch in the data where there were rare collisions between commands in the central processing unit and once to provide burst mode data at 100 samples per second on a regular basis. The instrument continues to function as described in the instrument paper (1.1 in the bibliography attached below). The early observations were compared with observations on the same field lines at lower altitude. The polar magnetic measurements also proved to be most useful for testing the accuracy of MHD models. WE also made important contributions to study of waves and turbulence.

The FIELDS experiment for Solar Probe Plus

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bale, S.; Spp/Fields Team

2010-12-01

Many of our basic ideas on the plasma physics of acceleration, energy flow, and dissipation, and structure of the solar wind have never been rigorously confronted by direct experimental measurements in the region where these processes are actually occurring. Although Alfven waves, shocks, and magnetic reconnection are often invoked as heating mechanisms, there have never been any direct measurements of Alfvenic waves nor the associated Poynting flux nor any measurements of ion or electron kinetic energy flux in the region from 10 R_s to 30 R_s where the final stages of wind acceleration are believed to occur. The radial profiles of both slow and fast solar wind acceleration are based on remote-sensing measurements and have been obtained for only a few selected events. Thus, the spatial radial and perpendicular scales of the acceleration process have been averaged by line-of-sight effects and the possibility of intense localized acceleration cannot be ruled out. The Solar Probe Plus (SPP) mission calls for the high quality fields and particles measurements required to solve the coronal heating and wind acceleration problem. The SPP 'FIELDS' experiment measures the electric and magnetic fields fundamental to the plasma physics of the structured and turbulent solar wind, flux ropes, collisionless shocks, and magnetic reconnection. FIELDS will make the first-ever measurements of the DC/Low-Frequency electric field inside of 1 AU allowing for in situ, high cadence measurements of the Poynting vector, the Elsasser variables, and E/B diagnostics of the wave spectrum to fce in the solar wind. SPP/FIELDS measures the radio wave (type III and II) signatures of microflares, energized electrons, and CME propagation. SPP/ FIELDS measures the plasma electron density to ~2% accuracy and the core electron temperature to ~5-10% accuracy more than 90% of the time at perihelion. FIELDS will also measure the in situ density fluctuation spectrum and structures at a very high cadence (�

A ``Cyber Wind Facility'' for HPC Wind Turbine Field Experiments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Brasseur, James; Paterson, Eric; Schmitz, Sven; Campbell, Robert; Vijayakumar, Ganesh; Lavely, Adam; Jayaraman, Balaji; Nandi, Tarak; Jha, Pankaj; Dunbar, Alex; Motta-Mena, Javier; Craven, Brent; Haupt, Sue

2013-03-01

The Penn State ``Cyber Wind Facility'' (CWF) is a high-fidelity multi-scale high performance computing (HPC) environment in which ``cyber field experiments'' are designed and ``cyber data'' collected from wind turbines operating within the atmospheric boundary layer (ABL) environment. Conceptually the ``facility'' is akin to a high-tech wind tunnel with controlled physical environment, but unlike a wind tunnel it replicates commercial-scale wind turbines operating in the field and forced by true atmospheric turbulence with controlled stability state. The CWF is created from state-of-the-art high-accuracy technology geometry and grid design and numerical methods, and with high-resolution simulation strategies that blend unsteady RANS near the surface with high fidelity large-eddy simulation (LES) in separated boundary layer, blade and rotor wake regions, embedded within high-resolution LES of the ABL. CWF experiments complement physical field facility experiments that can capture wider ranges of meteorological events, but with minimal control over the environment and with very small numbers of sensors at low spatial resolution. I shall report on the first CWF experiments aimed at dynamical interactions between ABL turbulence and space-time wind turbine loadings. Supported by DOE and NSF.

Deconstructing Pre-Service Teachers' Field Experience Narratives: The Role of Epistemological Beliefs

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bays, Rebecca B.; Ashong, Carol; Ward, Teresa E.; Commander, Nannette E.

2014-01-01

Teacher development programs incorporate field experiences for pre-service teachers (PTs) to gain first hand teaching experiences. The purpose of this study is to examine PTs' perceptions of field experiences, and more specifically, to investigate whether these perceptions relate to PTs epistemological beliefs. A sample of 115 undergraduate…

The Influence of Technology-Rich Early Childhood Field Experiences on Preservice Teachers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lux, Nicholas; Lux, Christine

2015-01-01

Despite a comprehensive body of research on field experiences in teacher education, technology-rich early field experiences in early childhood environments is one particular area of inquiry lacking substantive current research. Therefore, this study was conducted to better understand how preservice teachers' perceptions of global concepts related…

Engaging Sacred Space: Experiments in the Field

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

della Dora, Veronica

2011-01-01

This article reflects on the experience of theorizing sacred space through field practice as part of a fieldtrip to Barcelona. In particular, it focuses on the critical analysis of different approaches to sacred space as applied to various sites in the city. The article opens with a brief review of three mainstream approaches to sacred space: the…

Using Field Experiments to Evaluate the Impact of Financial Planning and Counseling Interventions

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Collins, J. Michael

2017-01-01

Field experiments, which are a powerful research technique, are common in some fields, but they have not been widely used in studying the effect of financial and counseling planning interventions. Financial services can benefit from the expanded use of field experiments to explore potential causal mechanisms for the effects of financial planning…

Virtual navigation performance: the relationship to field of view and prior video gaming experience.

PubMed

Richardson, Anthony E; Collaer, Marcia L

2011-04-01

Two experiments examined whether learning a virtual environment was influenced by field of view and how it related to prior video gaming experience. In the first experiment, participants (42 men, 39 women; M age = 19.5 yr., SD = 1.8) performed worse on a spatial orientation task displayed with a narrow field of view in comparison to medium and wide field-of-view displays. Counter to initial hypotheses, wide field-of-view displays did not improve performance over medium displays, and this was replicated in a second experiment (30 men, 30 women; M age = 20.4 yr., SD = 1.9) presenting a more complex learning environment. Self-reported video gaming experience correlated with several spatial tasks: virtual environment pointing and tests of Judgment of Line Angle and Position, mental rotation, and Useful Field of View (with correlations between .31 and .45). When prior video gaming experience was included as a covariate, sex differences in spatial tasks disappeared.

Combining sprinkling experiments and superconducting gravimetry in the field: a qualitative approach to identify dominant infiltration patterns

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Reich, Marvin; Mikolaj, Michal; Blume, Theresa; Güntner, Andreas

2017-04-01

Hydrological process research at the plot to catchment scale commonly involves invasive field methods, leading to a large amount of point data. A promising alternative, which gained increasing interest in the hydrological community over the last years, is gravimetry. The combination of its non-invasive and integrative nature opens up new possibilities to approach hydrological process research. In this study we combine a field-scale sprinkling experiment with continuous superconducting gravity (SG) measurements. The experimental design consists of 8 sprinkler units, arranged symmetrically within a radius of about ten meters around an iGrav (SG) in a field enclosure. The gravity signal of the infiltrating sprinkling water is analyzed using a simple 3D water mass distribution model. We first conducted a number of virtual sprinkling experiments resulting in different idealized infiltration patterns and determined the pattern specific gravity response. In a next step we determined which combination of idealized infiltration patterns was able to reproduce the gravity response of our real-world experiment at the Wettzell Observatory (Germany). This process hypothesis is then evaluated with measured point-scale soil moisture responses and the results of the time-lapse electric resistivity survey which was carried out during the sprinkling experiment. This study demonstrates that a controlled sprinkling experiment around a gravimeter in combination with a simple infiltration model is sufficient to identify subsurface flow patterns and thus the dominant infiltration processes. As gravimeters become more portable and can actually be deployed in the field, their combination with sprinkling experiments as shown here constitutes a promising possibility to investigate hydrological processes in a non-invasive way.

Collisionless plasma interpenetration in a strong magnetic field for laboratory astrophysics experiments

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

Korneev, Ph., E-mail: korneev@theor.mephi.ru; National Research Nuclear University “MEPhI”, 115409, Moscow; D'Humières, E.

A theoretical analysis for astrophysics-oriented laser-matter interaction experiments in the presence of a strong ambient magnetic field is presented. It is shown that the plasma collision in the ambient magnetic field implies significant perturbations in the electron density and magnetic field distribution. This transient stage is difficult to observe in astrophysical phenomena, but it could be investigated in laboratory experiments. Analytic models are presented, which are supported by particles-in-cell simulations.

Evaluating Experience-Based Geologic Field Instruction: Lessons Learned from A Large-Scale Eye-Tracking Experiment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tarduno, J. A.; Walders, K.; Bono, R. K.; Pelz, J.; Jacobs, R.

2015-12-01

A course centered on experience-based learning in field geology has been offered ten times at the University of Rochester. The centerpiece of the course is a 10-day field excursion to California featuring a broad cross-section of the geology of the state, from the San Andreas Fault to Death Valley. Here we describe results from a large-scale eye-tracking experiment aimed at understanding how experts and novices acquire visual geologic information. One ultimate goal of the project is to determine whether expert gaze patterns can be quantified to improve the instruction of beginning geology students. Another goal is to determine if aspects of the field experience can be transferred to the classroom/laboratory. Accordingly, ultra-high resolution segmented panoramic images have been collected at key sites visited during the field excursion. We have found that strict controls are needed in the field to obtain meaningful data; this often involves behavior atypical of geologists (e.g. limiting the field of view prior to data collection and placing time limits on scene viewing). Nevertheless some general conclusions can be made from a select data set. After an initial quick search, experts tend to exhibit scanning behavior that appears to support hypothesis testing. Novice fixations appear to define a scattered search pattern and/or one distracted by geologic noise in a scene. Noise sources include modern erosion features and vegetation. One way to quantify noise is through the use of saliency maps. With the caveat that our expert data set is small, our preliminary analysis suggests that experts tend to exhibit top-down behavior (indicating hypothesis driven responses) whereas novices show bottom-up gaze patterns, influenced by more salient features in a scene. We will present examples and discuss how these observations might be used to improve instruction.

Examining the Content of Preservice Teachers' Reflections of Early Field Experiences

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Subramaniam, Karthigeyan

2013-01-01

This paper describes an exploratory study that examined the content of preservice elementary teachers' reflections of their documented early field experiences of science teaching in authentic contexts. The study used an early field experience model that was focused on the objective of profiling an elementary science teacher as the practical…

Development of a summer field-based hydrogeology research experience for undergraduates

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Singha, K.

2011-12-01

transport in the field. For most of the students, this was their first opportunity to work in the field, and also their first time working with numerical models. The capstone of the class is a final poster presentation with a short oral introduction. Most students commented that this session, attended by graduate students and faculty at Penn State, was an inspiring experience. Feedback for the course has been uniformly positive, with one student noting on post-course feedback that "The best way of learning is by doing it". One benefit of CAREER funding is the ability to develop innovative pedagogy and bring it into the classroom with ease, due to financial support. In my case, the diverse backgrounds of the students in the course has required all of the students to work with students from other demographics, and that alone has been a valuable experience. One difficulty will be continuing this field program once the grant has ended; numerous students commented that they felt lucky to be part of the program during its 5-year existence and lamented that other students wouldn't have the same opportunity. The students' data and model runs will be published and used for my long-term research agenda in discriminating transport processes in situ, as well, making a positive feedback loop between research and education.

Enhancing the Understanding of Marine Ecosystems through Teleducation and Field Experiences

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Macko, S.

2006-12-01

This project is an outreach and education program with a partner in the K-12 schools at Accomack County on the Eastern Shore of Virginia. It endeavors to build a community more knowledgeable of the importance the ocean plays daily in our lives, and our own impact on the ocean. It is an program built in stages that: 1) Establish high speed teleducation linkages with Eastern Shore of Virginia High Schools, for live interactive, classes (teleducation) for earth science teachers enabling them to remotely participate in University of Virginia classes in Oceanography (designed on a faculty development basis or acquire NSTA certification in Earth Science Education, as well as participation by seniors in the Accomack Schools; 2) Establish field experiences for teachers and selected students that involve travel to both the Virginia Coast Reserve Long Term Ecological Research (VCR/LTER) Center, UVA and the NOAA Beaufort, NC Laboratory to observe first- hand the science programs at those locations and participate in cutting edge coastal marine research efforts. These experiences will not only improve student understanding of the ocean-atmosphere biogeophysical system, but also encourage students to explore the sciences as a field of study and possible vocation. Advanced high school students and science teachers from Accomack County Public Schools participated in an experience involving field and laboratory methods employed in a NSF-sponsored study of the coupled natural-human dynamics on the Eastern Shore of Virginia over the past 500 years (NSF-Biocomplexity). Students and teachers worked with researchers of the VCR facility in Oyster, VA, collected sediment cores from Chesapeake Bay tributaries, and traveled to the Organic Geochemistry Laboratory at UVA, in Charlottesville, VA to prepare and analyze samples for isotopic and palynological information. In a first of its kind connectivity, in June/July, 2006, using high speed internet connections, a summer class in

Why does land-use history facilitate non-native plant invasion? A field experiment with Celastrus orbiculatus in the southern Appalachians

Treesearch

Timothy R. Kuhman; Scott M. Pearson; Monica G. Turner

2013-01-01

Although historic land use is often implicated in non-native plant invasion of forests, little is known about how land-use legacies might actually facilitate invasion. We conducted a 2-year field seeding experiment in western North Carolina, USA, to compare germination and first-year seedling survival of Celastrus orbiculatus Thunb. in stands that...

Engaging students in research learning experiences through hydrology field excursions and short films

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ewen, Tracy; Seibert, Jan

2015-04-01

One of the best ways to engage students and instill enthusiasm for hydrology is to expose them to hands-on learning. A focus on hydrology field research can be used to develop context-rich and active learning, and help solidify idealized learning where students are introduced to individual processes through textbook examples, often neglecting process interactions and an appreciation for the complexity of the system. We introduced a field course where hydrological measurement techniques are used to study processes such as snow hydrology and runoff generation, while also introducing students to field research and design of their own field project. Additionally, we produced short films of each of these research-based field excursions, with in-house film expertise. These films present a short overview of field methods applied in alpine regions and will be used for our larger introductory hydrology courses, exposing students to field research at an early stage, and for outreach activities, including for potential high school students curious about hydrology. In the field course, students design a low-budget experiment with the aim of going through the different steps of a 'real' scientific project, from formulating the research question to presenting their results. During the field excursions, students make discharge measurements in several alpine streams with a salt tracer to better understand the spatial characteristics of an alpine catchment, where source waters originate and how they contribute to runoff generation. Soil moisture measurements taken by students in this field excursion were used to analyze spatial soil moisture patterns in the alpine catchment and subsequently used in a publication. Another field excursion repeats a published experiment, where preferential soil flow paths are studied using a tracer and compared to previously collected data. For each field excursion, observational data collected by the students is uploaded to an online database we

A balloon-borne experiment to investigate the Martian magnetic field

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schwingenschuh, K.; Feldhofer, H.; Koren, W.; Jernej, I.; Stachel, M.; Riedler, W.; Slamanig, H.; Auster, H.-U.; Rustenbach, J.; Fornacon, H. K.; Schenk, H. J.; Hillenmaier, O.; Haerendel, G.; Yeroshenko, Ye.; Styashkin, V.; Zaroutzky, A.; Best, A.; Scholz, G.; Russell, C. T.; Means, J.; Pierce, D.; Luhmann, J. G.

1996-03-01

The Space Research Institute of the Austrian Academy, of Sciences (Graz, Austria) in cooperation with MPE (Berlin, Germany), GFZ Potsdam (Obs. Niemegk, Germany) IZMIRAN/IOFAN (Moscow, Russian) and IGPP/UCLA (Los Angeles, USA) is designing the magnetic field experiment MAGIBAL (MAGnetic field experiment aboard a martian BALloon) to investigate the magnetic field on the surface of Mars. The dual sensor fluxgate magnetometer is part of the MARS-98/MARS-TOGETHER balloon payload. During a ten days period the balloon will float over a distance of about 2000 km at altitudes between 0 and 4 km. Due to the limited power and telemetry allocation the magnetometer can transmit only one vector per ten seconds and spectral information in the frequency range from 2 - 25 Hz. The dynamic range is +/- 2000 nT. The main scientific objectives of the experiment are: • Determination of the magnetism of the Martian rocks • Investigation of the leakage of the solar wind induced magnetosphere using the correlation between orbiter and balloon observations • Measurement of the magnetic field profile between the orbiter and the surface of Mars during the descent phase of the balloon. Terrestrial test flights with a hot air balloon were performed in order to test the original MAGIBAL equipment under balloon flight conditions.

The experiences of women engineers who have completed one to five years of professional engineering employment: A phenomenological study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

White, Susan M.

Women engineers remain underrepresented in employment in engineering fields in the United States. Feminist theory views this gender disparity beyond equity in numbers for women engineers and looks at structural issues of women's access, opportunities, and quality of experience in the workplace. Research on women's success and persistence in engineering education is diverse; however, there are few studies that focus on the early years of women's careers in engineering and less using a phenomenological research design. Experiences of women engineers who have completed one to five years of professional engineering employment are presented using a phenomenological research design. Research questions explored the individual and composite experiences for the co-researchers of the study as well as challenges and advantages of the phenomenon of having completed one to five years of professional engineering employment. Themes that emanated from the data were a feeling that engineering is a positive profession, liking math and science from an early age, having experiences of attending math and science camps or learning and practicing engineering interests with their fathers for some co-researchers. Other themes included a feeling of being different as a woman in the engineering workplace, taking advantage of opportunities for training, education, and advancement to further their careers, and the role of informal and formal mentoring in developing workplace networks and engineering expertise. Co-researchers negotiated issues of management quality and support, experiences of gender discrimination in the workplace, and having to make decisions balancing their careers and family responsibilities. Finally, the women engineers for this research study expressed intentions to persist in their careers while pursuing expertise and experience in their individual engineering fields.

Kicker field simulation and measurement for the muon g-2 experiment at FNAL

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chang, Seung Pyo; Kim, Young Im; Choi, Jihoon; Semertzidis, Yannis; muon g-2 experiment Collaboration

2017-01-01

In the Muon g-2 experiment, muon beam is injected to the storage ring in a slightly tilted orbit whose center is 77 mm away from the center of the ring. The kicker is needed to send the muon beam to the central orbit. The magnetic kicker is designed for the experiment and about 0.1 Tm field integral is needed. The peak current pulse is 4200 A to make this field integral. This strong kicker pulse could make unwanted eddy current occur. This eddy current could spoil the main magnetic field of the storage ring. This could be a critical threat to the precision of experiment. The kicker field simulation has done using OPERA to estimate the effects. Also the kicker field should be measured based on Faraday effect. The measurement has tested in the lab before install the experiment area. In this presentation, the simulation and measurement results will be discussed. This work was supported by IBS-R017-D1-2016-a00.

Using Field Experiments to Change the Template of How We Teach Economics

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

List, John A.

2014-01-01

In this article, the author explains why field experiments can improve what we teach and how we teach economics. Economists no longer operate as passive observers of economic phenomena. Instead, they participate actively in the research process by collecting data from field experiments to investigate the economics of everyday life. This change can…

Biocide leaching during field experiments on treated articles.

PubMed

Schoknecht, Ute; Mathies, Helena; Wegner, Robby

2016-01-01

Biocidal products can be sources of active substances in surface waters caused by weathering of treated articles. Marketing and use of biocidal products can be limited according to the European Biocidal Products Regulation if unacceptable risks to the environment are expected. Leaching of active substances from treated articles was observed in field experiments to obtain information on leaching processes and investigate the suitability of a proposed test method. Leaching under weathering conditions proceeds discontinuously and tends to decrease with duration of exposure. It does not only mainly depend on the availability of water but is also controlled by transport processes within the materials and stability of the observed substances. Runoff amount proved to be a suitable basis to compare results from different experiments. Concentrations of substances are higher in runoff collected from vertical surfaces compared to horizontal ones, whereas the leached amounts per surface area are higher from horizontal surfaces. Gaps in mass balances indicate that additional processes such as degradation and evaporation may be relevant to the fate of active substances in treated articles. Leached amounts of substances were considerably higher when the materials were exposed to intermittent water contact under laboratory conditions as compared to weathering of vertically exposed surfaces. Experiences from the field experiments were used to define parameters of a procedure that is now provided to fulfil the requirements of the Biocidal Products Regulation. The experiments confirmed that the amount of water which is in contact with exposed surfaces is the crucial parameter determining leaching of substances.

IMP 8. Volume 1: EM field experiment

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1980-01-01

The electromagnetic fields experiment on IMP-J used two electric dipole antennas and a triaxial search coil magnetic antenna to sense the electric and magnetic field of plasma waves in space. The electric dipole antennas consisted of a fine wire, 0.021 inches in diameter, with a nominal extended tip-to-tip length of 400 ft. The outermost 50 ft. of each element was conducting and the rest of the antenna was covered with an insulating coating. The search coil antennas each consisted of a high mu core with two separate windings of 40,000 turns each to sense ac magnetic fields. The search coils had a length of 18 inches tip-to-tip and are mounted on the end of a boom. The axes of the x prime and y prime search coil antennas were parallel to the x prime and y prime electric antenna axes.

Magnetic Field Monitoring in the SNS and LANL Neutron EDM Experiments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Aleksandrova, Alina; SNS nEDM Collaboration; LANL nEDM Collaboration

2017-09-01

The SNS neutron EDM experiment requires the ability to precisely control and monitor the magnetic field inside of the fiducial volume. However, it is not always practical (or even possible) to measure the field within the region of interest directly. To remedy this issue, we have designed a field monitoring system that will allow us to reconstruct the field inside of the fiducial volume using noninvasive measurements of the field components at discrete locations external to this volume. A prototype probe array (consisting of 12 single-axis fluxgate magnetometer sensors) was used to monitor the magnetic field within the fiducial volume of an in-house magnetic testing apparatus. In this talk, the design and results of this test will be presented, and the possible implementation of this field monitoring method may have in the room temperature LANL neutron EDM experiment will be discussed. This material is based upon work supported by the U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Science, Office of Nuclear Physics, under Award Number DE-SC-0014622.

Field size, length, and width distributions based on LACIE ground truth data. [large area crop inventory experiment

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Pitts, D. E.; Badhwar, G.

1980-01-01

The development of agricultural remote sensing systems requires knowledge of agricultural field size distributions so that the sensors, sampling frames, image interpretation schemes, registration systems, and classification systems can be properly designed. Malila et al. (1976) studied the field size distribution for wheat and all other crops in two Kansas LACIE (Large Area Crop Inventory Experiment) intensive test sites using ground observations of the crops and measurements of their field areas based on current year rectified aerial photomaps. The field area and size distributions reported in the present investigation are derived from a representative subset of a stratified random sample of LACIE sample segments. In contrast to previous work, the obtained results indicate that most field-size distributions are not log-normally distributed. The most common field size observed in this study was 10 acres for most crops studied.

Critical Experiences for Field Geologists: Emergent Themes in Interest Development

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

LaDue, Nicole D.; Pacheco, Heather A.

2013-01-01

Geoscience education researchers are working to understand how we can most effectively increase our overall geoscience workforce capacity. The present study employed an inductive approach to explore the critical experiences that led to the persistence of successful field geologists in this STEM field. Interviews with 29 professional field…

Meta-analysis of field experiments shows no change in racial discrimination in hiring over time.

PubMed

Quillian, Lincoln; Pager, Devah; Hexel, Ole; Midtbøen, Arnfinn H

2017-10-10

This study investigates change over time in the level of hiring discrimination in US labor markets. We perform a meta-analysis of every available field experiment of hiring discrimination against African Americans or Latinos ( n = 28). Together, these studies represent 55,842 applications submitted for 26,326 positions. We focus on trends since 1989 ( n = 24 studies), when field experiments became more common and improved methodologically. Since 1989, whites receive on average 36% more callbacks than African Americans, and 24% more callbacks than Latinos. We observe no change in the level of hiring discrimination against African Americans over the past 25 years, although we find modest evidence of a decline in discrimination against Latinos. Accounting for applicant education, applicant gender, study method, occupational groups, and local labor market conditions does little to alter this result. Contrary to claims of declining discrimination in American society, our estimates suggest that levels of discrimination remain largely unchanged, at least at the point of hire.

Earth Science Project Office (ESPO) Field Experiences During ORACLES, ATom, KORUS and POSIDON

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Salazar, Vidal; Zavaleta, Jhony

2017-01-01

Very often, scientific field campaigns entail years of planning and incur substantial cost, especially if they involve the operation of large research aircraft in remote locations. Deploying and operating these aircrafts even for short periods of time poses challenges that, if not addressed properly, can have significant negative consequences and potentially jeopardize the success of a scientific campaign. Challenges vary from country to country and range from safety, health, and security risks to differences in cultural and social norms. Our presentation will focus on sharing experiences on the ESPO 2016 conducted field campaigns ORACLES, ATom, KORUS and POSIDON. We will focus on the best practices, lessons learned, international relations and coordination aspects of the country-specific experiences. This presentation will be part of the ICARE Conference (2nd International Conference on Airborne Research for the Environment (ICARE 2017) that will focus on "Developing the infrastructure to meet future scientific challenges". This unique conference and gathering of facility support experts will not only allow for dissemination and sharing of knowledge but also promote collaboration and networking among groups that support scientific research using airborne platforms around the globe.

Sphincter-sparing local excision and hypofractionated radiation therapy for anorectal melanoma: a 20-year experience.

PubMed

Kelly, Patrick; Zagars, Gunar K; Cormier, Jancie N; Ross, Merrick I; Guadagnolo, B Ashleigh

2011-10-15

Anorectal melanoma is a rare disease with a poor prognosis. Because survival is determined by distant failure, many centers have adopted sphincter-sparing excision for primary tumor control. However, this approach is associated with high rates of local failure (∼50%). In this study, the authors report their 20-year experience with sphincter-sparing excision combined with radiation therapy (RT) for the treatment of localized anorectal melanoma. The authors reviewed the records of 54 patients with localized anorectal melanoma who were treated at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center from 1989 to 2008. All patients underwent definitive local excision with or without sentinel lymph node biopsy or lymph node dissection. RT (25-36 grays in 5-6 fractions) was delivered to extended fields that targeted the primary site and draining pelvic/inguinal lymphatics in 39 patients and to limited fields that targeted only the primary site in 15 patients. The 5-year rates of local control (LC), lymph node control (NC), and sphincter preservation were 82%, 88%, and 96%, respectively. However, because of the high rate of distant metastasis, the overall survival (OS) rate at 5 years was only 30%. Although there were no significant differences in LC, NC, or OS based on RT field extent, patients who received extended-field RT had higher rates of lymphedema than patients who received limited-field RT. The current results indicated that combined sphincter-sparing local excision and RT is a well tolerated approach that provides effective LC for patients with anorectal melanoma. Inclusion of the inguinal lymph node basins in the RT fields did not improve outcomes and was associated with an increased risk of lymphedema. Copyright © 2011 American Cancer Society.

A Field-Based Learning Experience for Introductory Level GIS Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Carlson, Tom

2007-01-01

This article describes a pedagogic foundation for introducing a field-based geographic information systems (GIS) experience to the GIS curriculum at the university level and uses a dual evaluation methodology to monitor student learning and satisfaction. Students learned the basics of field-based global position systems (GPS) and GIS data…

Tools and Setups for Experiments with AC and Rotating Magnetic Fields

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ponikvar, D.

2010-01-01

A rotating magnetic field is the basis for the transformation of electrical energy to mechanical energy. School experiments on the rotating magnetic field are rare since they require the use of specially prepared mechanical setups and/or relatively large, three-phase power supplies to achieve strong magnetic fields. This paper proposes several…

Coupled fluid-flow and magnetic-field simulation of the Riga dynamo experiment

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

Kenjeres, S.; Hanjalic, K.; Renaudier, S.

2006-12-15

Magnetic fields of planets, stars, and galaxies result from self-excitation in moving electroconducting fluids, also known as the dynamo effect. This phenomenon was recently experimentally confirmed in the Riga dynamo experiment [A. Gailitis et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 84, 4365 (2000); A. Gailitis et al., Physics of Plasmas 11, 2838 (2004)], consisting of a helical motion of sodium in a long pipe followed by a straight backflow in a surrounding annular passage, which provided adequate conditions for magnetic-field self-excitation. In this paper, a first attempt to simulate computationally the Riga experiment is reported. The velocity and turbulence fields are modeledmore » by a finite-volume Navier-Stokes solver using a Reynolds-averaged-Navier-Stokes turbulence model. The magnetic field is computed by an Adams-Bashforth finite-difference solver. The coupling of the two computational codes, although performed sequentially, provides an improved understanding of the interaction between the fluid velocity and magnetic fields in the saturation regime of the Riga dynamo experiment under realistic working conditions.« less

Effect of long-term fertilization strategies on bacterial community composition in a 35-year field experiment of Chinese Mollisols.

PubMed

Ma, Mingchao; Zhou, Jing; Ongena, Marc; Liu, Wenzheng; Wei, Dan; Zhao, Baisuo; Guan, Dawei; Jiang, Xin; Li, Jun

2018-02-13

Bacteria play vital roles in soil biological fertility; however, it remains poorly understood about their response to long-term fertilization in Chinese Mollisols, especially when organic manure is substituted for inorganic nitrogen (N) fertilizer. To broaden our knowledge, high-throughput pyrosequencing and quantitative PCR were used to explore the impacts of inorganic fertilizer and manure on bacterial community composition in a 35-year field experiment of Chinese Mollisols. Soils were collected from four treatments: no fertilizer (CK), inorganic phosphorus (P) and potassium (K) fertilizer (PK), inorganic P, K, and N fertilizer (NPK), and inorganic P and K fertilizer plus manure (MPK). All fertilization differently changed soil properties. Compared with CK, the PK and NPK treatments acidified soil by significantly decreasing soil pH from 6.48 to 5.53 and 6.16, respectively, while MPK application showed no significant differences of soil pH, indicating alleviation of soil acidification. Moreover, all fertilization significantly increased soil organic matter (OM) and soybean yields, with the highest observed under MPK regime. In addition, the community composition at each taxonomic level varied considerably among the fertilization strategies. Bacterial taxa, associated with plant growth promotion, OM accumulation, disease suppression, and increased soil enzyme activity, were overrepresented in the MPK regime, while they were present at low abundant levels under NPK treatment, i.e. phyla Proteobacteria and Bacteroidetes, class Alphaproteobacteria, and genera Variovorax, Chthoniobacter, Massilia, Lysobacter, Catelliglobosispora and Steroidobacter. The application of MPK shifted soil bacterial community composition towards a better status, and such shifts were primarily derived from changes in soil pH and OM.

Transition to blended learning: experiences from the first year of our blended learning Bachelor of Nursing Studies programme.

PubMed

Sweeney, Mary-Rose; Kirwan, Anne; Kelly, Mary; Corbally, Melissa; O Neill, Sandra; Kirwan, Mary; Hourican, Susan; Matthews, Anne; Hussey, Pamela

2016-10-01

The School of Nursing at Dublin City University offered a new blended learning Bachelor of Nursing Studies programme in the academic year 2011. To document the experiences of the academic team making the transition from a face-to-face classroom-delivered programme to the new blended learning format. Academics who delivered the programme were asked to describe their experiences of developing the new programme via two focus groups. Five dominant themes were identified: Staff Readiness; Student Readiness; Programme Delivery and Student Engagement; Assessment of Module Learning Outcomes and Feedback; and Reflecting on the First Year and Thinking of the Future. Face-to-face tutorials were identified as very important to both academics and students. Reservations about whether migrating the programme to an online format encouraged students to engage in additional practices of plagiarism were expressed by some. Student ability/readiness to engage with technology-enhanced learning was an important determinant of their own success academically. In the field of nursing blended learning is a relatively new and emerging field which will require huge cultural shifts for staff and students alike.

Wave-Sediment Interaction in Muddy Environments: Subbottom Field Experiment

DTIC Science & Technology

2011-09-30

instrumentation deployed on nearby oil and gas platforms. WORK COMPLETED Field experiment and data analysis : The “Sub-bottom Field Experiment” project...Berkeley, Doctoral thesis, 149p. Chou, H.-T., M.A. Foda , and J.R. Hunt (1993). Rheological response of cohesive sediments to oscillatory forcing”, In...Wave dissipation by muddy seafloors, Geophys. Res. Lett. 35/7, L07611. Foda , A.M., J.R. Hunt, and H.-T. Chou (1993). A nonlinear model for the

Wave-Sediment Interaction in Muddy Environments: Subbottom Field Experiment

DTIC Science & Technology

2012-09-30

instrumentation deployed on nearby oil and gas platforms. WORK COMPLETED Field experiment and data analysis : The “Sub-bottom Field Experiment” project...Berkeley, Doctoral thesis, 149p. Chou, H.-T., M.A. Foda , and J.R. Hunt (1993). Rheological response of cohesive sediments to oscillatory forcing”, In...dissipation by muddy seafloors, Geophys. Res. Lett. 35/7, L07611. Foda , A.M., J.R. Hunt, and H.-T. Chou (1993). A nonlinear model for the

Environmental optimization and shielding for NMR experiments and imaging in the earth's magnetic field.

PubMed

Favre, B; Bonche, J P; Meheir, H; Peyrin, J O

1990-02-01

For many years, a number of laboratories have been working on the applications of very low field NMR. In 1985, our laboratory presented the first NMR images using the earth's magnetic field. However, the use of this technique was limited by the weakness of the signal and the disturbing effects of the environment on the signal-to-noise ratio and on the homogeneity of the static magnetic field. Therefore experiments has to be performed in places with low environmental disturbances, such as open country or large parks. In 1986, we installed a new station in Lyon, in the town's hostile environment. Good NMR signals can now be obtained (with a signal-to-noise ratio better than 200 and a time constant T2 better than 3s for 200-mnl water samples and at a temperature of about 40 degrees C). We report the terrace roof of our faculty building. Gradient coils were used to correct the local inhomogeneities of the earth's magnetic field. We show FIDs and MR images of water-filled tubes made with or without these improvements.

Minimising the Residual Field and Field Gradient in a Magnetically Shielded Room for an nEDM experiment at Los Alamos National Laboratory

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Amarasinghe, Chamindu; LANL nEDM Collaboration

2017-09-01

The LANL neutron Electric Dipole Moment (nEDM) experiment is an effort to set a sensitivity limit of 3.2 × 10-27 e cm on the electric dipole moment of the neutron, an order of magnitude smaller than the current upper limit. This measurement uses Ramsey's method of oscillating magnetic fields. The magnetic field and field gradient have to be low enough to avoid the smearing of the Ramsey fringes and to increase the neutron dephasing time respectively. The experiment is enclosed in a two layer Mu-metal magnetically shielded room (MSR) to null any external magnetic fields from the environment. The MSR is degaussed to sufficiently reduce its residual magnetic field and field gradient. The MSR is designed for residual fields as low as 30 nT. The experiment further requires a field gradient of 1 nT/m or smaller. Here we report on the degaussing procedure and the resulting improvement in the shielding prowess of the MSR. Funded by an NSF Grant.

Creating Dissonance in Pre-Service Teachers' Field Experiences

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Eisenhardt, Sara; Besnoy, Kevin; Steele, Emily

2012-01-01

The study is practical in nature and addresses the call for investigating effective aspects of field experiences in teacher preparation. The authors designed a framework of assignments requiring the pre-service teachers to collect data about two diverse elementary students in their assigned elementary classroom during the twelve weeks of their…

Exploring International Multicultural Field Experiences in Educational Technology

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wilder, Hilary; Ferris, Sharmila Pixy; An, Heejung

2010-01-01

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to explore an online field experience between technology facilitator candidates in the USA and K-12 teachers in Namibia, to improve candidates' understanding of diversity and equity issues in the successful incorporation of information and communication technologies (ICT) in teaching and learning.…

An Experiment In Field-Based Elementary Teacher Education.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Swann, Margaret H.

The Experimental Program in Elementary Education (EXEL) at Shepherd College in West Virginia began in 1973 with authorization by the West Virginia State Department of Education. The program was developed with the hope of producing more confident and competent teachers. EXEL provides continuous field experience from the second semester of the…

Atmospheric Radiation Measurement Madden-Julian Oscillation Investigation Experiment Field Campaign Report

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

Long, Chuck

2016-07-01

Every 30–90 days during the Northern Hemisphere winter, the equatorial tropical atmosphere experiences pulses of extraordinarily strong deep convection and rainfall. This phenomenon is referred to as the Madden–Julian Oscillation, or MJO, named after the scientists who identified this cycle. The MJO significantly affects weather and rainfall patterns around the world (Zhang 2013). To improve predictions of the MJO—especially about how it forms and evolves throughout its lifecycle—an international group of scientists collected an unprecedented set of observations from the Indian Ocean and western Pacific region from October 2011 through March 2012 through several coordinated efforts. The coordinated field campaignsmore » captured six distinct MJO cycles in the Indian Ocean. The rich set of observations capturing several MJO events from these efforts will be used for many years to study the physics of the MJO. Here we highlight early research results using data from the Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) Madden-Julian Oscillation Investigation Experiment (AMIE), sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) Climate Research Facility.« less

Investigation of Electric and Self-Generated Magnetic Fields in Implosion Experiments on OMEGA

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Igumenshchev, I. V.; Nilson, P. M.; Goncharov, V. N.; Li, C. K.; Zylstra, A. B.; Petrasso, R. D.

2013-10-01

Electric and self-generated magnetic fields in direct-drive implosion experiments on the OMEGA laser were investigated using proton radiography. The experiments use plastic-shell targets with various surface defects (glue spot, wire, and stalk mount) to seed perturbations and generate localized electromagnetic fields at the ablation surface and in the plasma corona surrounding the targets. Proton radiographs show features from these perturbations and quasi-spherical multiple shell structures around the capsules at earlier times of implosions (up to ~700 ps for a 1-ns laser pulse) indicating the development of the fields. Two-dimensional magnetohydrodynamic simulations of these experiments predict the growth of magnetic fields up to several MG. The simulated distributions of electromagnetic fields were used to produce proton images, which show good agreement with experimental radiographs. This material is based upon work supported by the Department of Energy National Nuclear Security Administration under Award Number DE-NA0001944.

[Ovarian tissue cryopreservation in cancer patients--six years of clinical experience].

PubMed

Huser, M; Záková, J; Crha, I; Smardová, L; Král, Z; Revel, A; Ventruba, P

2012-04-01

Presentation of clinical results and experience with this technique during past six years. Original paper. Gynekologicko-porodnická klinika LF MU a FN Brno, Interní hemato-onkologická klinika LF MU a FN Brno, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology. Hadassah University Hospital Ein-Karem, Jerusalem, Izrael. Ovarian tissue cryopreservation (OTC) and its future auto-transplantation becomes an alternative for patients to prevent serious damage of ovarian function by oncology treatment. Patient is indicated to OTC in case of high risk of ovarian failure due to planned chemotherapy and impossibility to use other oncofertility techniques. Ovarian tissue harvesting is done by laparoscopy in short-term general anesthesia. After tissue processing the samples are cryopreserved in programmable automatic freezer or by vitrification. The auto-transplantation of ovarian tissue is planned after the complete cure of patient's malignancy. Our workplace doesn't have own experience with tissue transplantation - until now cryopreserved tissue has not yet been utilized by the patients. Clinical experience with this technique gained by our team during academic stay in abroad Israeli clinic is presented. During the years of 2005-2011 the OTC was performed in 19 cancer patients before chemotherapy. In majority of cases, patients suffered from blood or lymph node systemic malignancy (84%). Average age of women was 26 years. The patient set consisted of mostly nulliparous women (88%). Patient's average body mass index was 23,9 kg/m2. The length of systemic chemotherapy averaged 7.1 months. Time from fertility preservation counseling to chemotherapy was not exceeding one week (7.2 days on average). Ovarian tissue harvesting was conducted by laparoscopic surgery in all cases. The length of surgery did not exceed 60 minutes and no surgical complications were observed. The case of ovarian tissue transplantation performed on abroad university settings is discussed. In the consensus of with

Electric field measurements during the Condor critical velocity experiment

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kelley, M. C.; Pfaff, R. F.; Haerendel, G.

1986-01-01

The instrumentation of the Condor critical velocity Ba experiment (Wescott et al., 1986) for the measurements of the energetic particles and the electric field associated with a Ba explosion is described. The Ba explosion created a complex electric field pulse detected in situ by a single-axis double electric-field probe on a separate spacecraft. The measurements provide evidence of several important links in the critical-velocity chain, and are consistent with two hypotheses. The first hypothesis involves the creation of large polarization electric field due to charge separation; the second hypothesis implies a polarization of the beam by currents flowing across it. The chain of physical processes inferred from the observations is in agreement with most theories for the Alfven process.

Community-Based Field Experiences in Teacher Education: Possibilities for a Pedagogical Third Space

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hallman, Heidi L.

2012-01-01

The present article discusses the importance of community-based field experiences as a feature of teacher education programs. Through a qualitative case study, prospective teachers' work with homeless youth in an after-school initiative is presented. Framing community-based field experiences in teacher education through "third space" theory, the…

The Causal Effect of Survey Mode on Students' Evaluations of Teaching: Empirical Evidence from Three Field Experiments

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Treischl, Edgar; Wolbring, Tobias

2017-01-01

In recent years many universities switched from paper- to online-based student evaluation of teaching (SET) without knowing the consequences for data quality. Based on a series of three consecutive field experiments--a split-half design, twin courses, and pre-post-measurements--this paper examines the effects of survey mode on SET. First, all…

An Integral, Multidisciplinary and Global Geophysical Field Experience for Undergraduates

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vázquez, O.; Carrillo, D. J.; Pérez-Campos, X.

2007-05-01

The udergraduate program of Geophysical Engineering at the School of Engineering, of the Univesidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM), went through an update process that concluded in 2006. As part of the program, the student takes three geophysical prospecting courses (gravity and magnetics, electric, electromagnetics, and seismic methods). The older program required a three-week field experience for each course in order to gradute. The new program considers only one extended field experience. This work stresses the importance of international academic exchange, where undergraduate students could participate, such as the Summer of Applied Geophysical Experience (SAGE), and interaction with research programs, such as the MesoAmerican Subduction Experiment (MASE). Also, we propose a scheeme for this activity based on those examples; both of them have in common real geophysical problems, from which students could benefit. Our proposal covers academic and logistic aspects to be taken into account, enhancing the relevance of interaction between other academic institutions, industry, and UNAM, in order to obtain a broader view of geophysics.

Influence of the mode of deformation on recrystallisation behaviour of titanium through experiments, mean field theory and phase field model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Athreya, C. N.; Mukilventhan, A.; Suwas, Satyam; Vedantam, Srikanth; Subramanya Sarma, V.

2018-04-01

The influence of the mode of deformation on recrystallisation behaviour of Ti was studied by experiments and modelling. Ti samples were deformed through torsion and rolling to the same equivalent strain of 0.5. The deformed samples were annealed at different temperatures for different time durations and the recrystallisation kinetics were compared. Recrystallisation is found to be faster in the rolled samples compared to the torsion deformed samples. This is attributed to the differences in stored energy and number of nuclei per unit area in the two modes of deformation. Considering decay in stored energy during recrystallisation, the grain boundary mobility was estimated through a mean field model. The activation energy for recrystallisation obtained from experiments matched with the activation energy for grain boundary migration obtained from mobility calculation. A multi-phase field model (with mobility estimated from the mean field model as a constitutive input) was used to simulate the kinetics, microstructure and texture evolution. The recrystallisation kinetics and grain size distributions obtained from experiments matched reasonably well with the phase field simulations. The recrystallisation texture predicted through phase field simulations compares well with experiments though few additional texture components are present in simulations. This is attributed to the anisotropy in grain boundary mobility, which is not accounted for in the present study.

A case study of urban student and teacher experiences surrounding an outdoor environmental science field trip

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Preusch, Peggy L.

2009-12-01

Field trips provide opportunities for students to experience many different contexts beyond the classroom, and are a popular choice of K-12 teachers in the US. Recent interest in learning that occurs at informal science education centers such as museums, zoos and aquariums has stimulated studies of the relationship between learning in and outside of schools. Although many studies focus on the teachers, the contexts, and/or the students during the field trip, only a few look at the entire process of learning by including the classroom setting before and after the field trip. This study was designed to develop understandings of the student process of learning during and surrounding an environmental science field trip to an outdoor setting. John Dewey's extensive writings on the relationship between experience and learning informed the analysis, creating a focus on active and passive elements of the experience, continuity within and across contexts, the interactive nature of the experience and the importance of subject matter. An exploration of environmental education (EE), environmental science (ES), and nature study as content revealed the complexities of the subject matter of the field trip that make its presentation problematic. An urban school was chosen to contribute to the research literature about urban student learning in outdoor environments. During the field trip, the students' active engagement with each other and the environment supported meaningful remembrances of the field trip experiences during interviews after the field trip. The students accurately described plants and animals they had observed in different habitats during the field trip. They also made connections with their home life and prior experiences in the outdoors as they discussed the field trip and drew pictures that represented their experiences. One student integrated his outdoor experience with a language arts assignment as he reflected deeply on the field trip. One implication of this

Wilderness visitor experiences: Lessons from 50 years of research

Treesearch

David N. Cole; Daniel R. Williams

2012-01-01

This paper reviews 50 years of research on the experiences of wilderness visitors. Research on the nature of experiences began with an emphasis on motivations for taking wilderness trips and a focus on the experiential outcomes of wilderness visits. This perspective has been complemented by recent work that more deeply explores the lived experience in wilderness, its...

The electromagnetic bio-field: clinical experiments and interferences.

PubMed

Burnei, G; Hodorogea, D; Georgescu, I; Gavriliu, Ş; Drăghici, I; Dan, D; Vlad, C; Drăghici, L

2012-06-12

One of the most important factors is the technical and scientifically rapid development that is continually modifying the world we live in and polluting it with electromagnetic radiations. A functional and structural influence of magnetic and electromagnetic field on living organisms is presented in the literature by many performed experiments. The notion of bio-field represents the electromagnetic field generated by the bio-structures, not only in their normal physiological activities but also in their pathological states. There is a tight interdependency between the bio-field and the bio-structure, which respects the primary notion of an electromagnetic field given by the Maxwell-Faraday laws, in which, the electromagnetic phenomena are simplified to the field variations. These variations can be expressed in a coherent differential equation system that bounds the field vectors to different space points at different time moments. The living organisms cannot contain electrostatic and magneto-static fields due to the intense activity of the bio-structures. The biochemical reactions that have high rhythms and speeds always impose the electrodynamics character of the biologic field that also corresponds to the stability of the protein molecule that can be explained only through a dynamic way. The existent energy is not considered an exciting agent, and it does not lead to any effects. The parameters of these elementary bio-fields cannot yet be fully known due to technical reasons. The biological structures are very complex ones and undergo continuous dynamical activity. That is why the calculus model should be related to the constant dynamics, nowadays being very difficult to express.

Oscillating field current drive experiments in the Madison Symmetric Torus

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Blair, Arthur P., Jr.

Oscillating Field Current Drive (OFCD) is an inductive current drive method for toroidal pinches. To test OFCD, two 280 Hz 2 MVA oscillators were installed in the toroidal and poloidal magnetic field circuits of the Madison Symmetric Torus (MST) Reversed Field Pinch (RFP.) Partial sustainment experiments were conducted where the two voltage oscillations were superimposed on the standard MST power supplies. Supplementary current drive of about 10% has been demonstrated, comparable to theoretical predictions. However, maximum current drive does not coincide with maximum helicity injection rate - possibly due to an observed dependence of core and edge tearing modes on the relative phase of the oscillators. A dependence of wall interactions on phase was also observed, the largest interaction coinciding with negative current drive. Experiments were conducted at 280 and 530 Hz. 530 Hz proved to be too high and yielded little or no net current drive. Experiments at 280 Hz proved more fruitful. A 1D relaxed state model was used to predict the effects of voltage amplitudes, frequencies, and waveforms on performance and to optimize the design of OFCD hardware. Predicted current drive was comparable to experimental values, though the aforementioned phase dependence was not. Comparisons were also made with a more comprehensive 3D model which proved to be a more accurate predictor of current drive. Both 1D and 3D models predicted the feasability of full sustainment via OFCD. Experiments were also conducted with only the toroidal field oscillator applied. An entrainment of the natural sawtooth frequency to our applied oscillation was observed as well as a slow modulation of the edge tearing mode amplitudes. A large modulation (20 to 80 eV) of the ion temperature was also observed that can be partially accounted for by collisional heating via magnetic pumping. Work is in progress to increase the power of the existing OFCD hardware.

Using Teleducation and Field Experiences to further the Understanding of Coastal Environments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Macko, S. A.; Szuba, T. A.; Shugart, H.

2007-05-01

This project is an outreach and education program with a partner in the K-12 schools at Accomack County on the Eastern Shore of Virginia. It endeavors to build a community knowledgeable of the importance the ocean plays daily in our lives, and our own impact on the ocean. It is an program built in stages that: 1) Establish high speed live interactive classes (teleducation) linkages with the Eastern Shore High Schools with earth science teachers enabling them to remotely participate in University of Virginia classes in Oceanography (designed on a faculty development basis or acquire NSTA certification in Earth Science Education, as well as participation by seniors in the Accomack Schools; 2) Establish field experiences for teachers and selected students that involve travel to both the Virginia Coast Reserve Long Term Ecological Research (VCR/LTER) Center, UVA to observe first- hand the science programs at those locations and participate in cutting edge coastal marine research efforts. These experiences improve student understanding of the ocean-atmosphere biogeophysical system and encourage students to explore the sciences as a field of study and possible vocation. Advanced high school students and science teachers from Accomack County Public Schools participated in an experience involving field and laboratory methods employed in a NSF-sponsored study of the coupled natural-human dynamics on the Eastern Shore of Virginia over the past 500 years (NSF-Biocomplexity). Students and teachers worked with researchers of the VCR facility in Oyster, VA, collected sediment cores from Chesapeake Bay tributaries, and traveled to the Organic Geochemistry Laboratory at UVA, in Charlottesville, VA to prepare and analyze samples for isotopic and palynological information. In a first of its kind connectivity, in June/July, 2006, using high speed internet connections, a summer class in Oceanography was live, interactively broadcast (teleducation) from UVA to Arcadia High School on

First Year Teacher of First Year Teachers: A Reflection on Teacher Training in the Field of Piano Pedagogy

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Elgersma, Kristin

2012-01-01

While there is a great deal of scholarly inquiry focusing on student teaching experiences in the field of classroom education, there are few resources devoted to student teaching in the context of the applied music lesson. In this article, a teacher educator in the field of piano pedagogy uses self-study to combine reflection on personal…

MPL-Net data products available at co-located AERONET sites and field experiment locations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Welton, E. J.; Campbell, J. R.; Berkoff, T. A.

2002-05-01

Micro-pulse lidar (MPL) systems are small, eye-safe lidars capable of profiling the vertical distribution of aerosol and cloud layers. There are now over 20 MPL systems around the world, and they have been used in numerous field experiments. A new project was started at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center in 2000. The new project, MPL-Net, is a coordinated network of long-time MPL sites. The network also supports a limited number of field experiments each year. Most MPL-Net sites and field locations are co-located with AERONET sunphotometers. At these locations, the AERONET and MPL-Net data are combined together to provide both column and vertically resolved aerosol and cloud measurements. The MPL-Net project coordinates the maintenance and repair for all instruments in the network. In addition, data is archived and processed by the project using common, standardized algorithms that have been developed and utilized over the past 10 years. These procedures ensure that stable, calibrated MPL systems are operating at sites and that the data quality remains high. Rigorous uncertainty calculations are performed on all MPL-Net data products. Automated, real-time level 1.0 data processing algorithms have been developed and are operational. Level 1.0 algorithms are used to process the raw MPL data into the form of range corrected, uncalibrated lidar signals. Automated, real-time level 1.5 algorithms have also been developed and are now operational. Level 1.5 algorithms are used to calibrate the MPL systems, determine cloud and aerosol layer heights, and calculate the optical depth and extinction profile of the aerosol boundary layer. The co-located AERONET sunphotometer provides the aerosol optical depth, which is used as a constraint to solve for the extinction-to-backscatter ratio and the aerosol extinction profile. Browse images and data files are available on the MPL-Net web-site. An overview of the processing algorithms and initial results from selected sites and field

Linking manipulative experiments to field data to test the dilution effect.

PubMed

Venesky, Matthew D; Liu, Xuan; Sauer, Erin L; Rohr, Jason R

2014-05-01

The dilution effect, the hypothesis that biodiversity reduces disease risk, has received support in many systems. However, few dilution effect studies have linked mechanistic experiments to field patterns to establish both causality and ecological relevance. We conducted a series of laboratory experiments and tested the dilution effect hypothesis in an amphibian-Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd) system and tested for consistency between our laboratory experiments and field patterns of amphibian species richness, host identity and Bd prevalence. In our laboratory experiments, we show that tadpoles can filter feed Bd zoospores and that the degree of suspension feeding was positively associated with their dilution potential. The obligate suspension feeder, Gastrophryne carolinensis, generally diluted the risk of chytridiomycosis for tadpoles of Bufo terrestris and Hyla cinerea, whereas tadpoles of B. terrestris (an obligate benthos feeder) generally amplified infections for the other species. In addition, G. carolinensis reduced Bd abundance on H. cinerea more so in the presence than absence of B. terrestris and B. terrestris amplified Bd abundance on H. cinerea more so in the absence than presence of G. carolinensis. Also, when ignoring species identity, species richness was a significant negative predictor of Bd abundance. In our analysis of field data, the presence of Bufo spp. and Gastrophryne spp. were significant positive and negative predictors of Bd prevalence, respectively, even after controlling for climate, vegetation, anthropogenic factors (human footprint), species richness and sampling effort. These patterns of dilution and amplification supported our laboratory findings, demonstrating that the results are likely ecologically relevant. The results from our laboratory and field data support the dilution effect hypothesis and also suggest that dilution and amplification are predictable based on host traits. Our study is among the first to link

Field and Experience Influences on Ethical Decision-Making in the Sciences

PubMed Central

Mumford, Michael D.; Connelly, Shane; Murphy, Stephen T.; Devenport, Lynn D.; Antes, Alison L.; Brown, Ryan P.; Hill, Jason H.; Waples, Ethan P.

2009-01-01

Differences across fields and experience levels are frequently considered in discussions of ethical decision-making and ethical behavior. In the present study, doctoral students in the health, biological, and social sciences completed measures of ethical decision-making. The effects of field and level of experience with respect to ethical decision-making, metacognitive reasoning strategies, social-behavioral responses, and exposure to unethical events were examined. Social and biological scientists performed better than health scientists with respect to ethical decision-making. Furthermore, the ethical decision-making of health science students decreased as experience increased. Moreover, these effects appeared to be linked to the specific strategies underlying participants' ethical decision-making. The implications of these findings for ethical decision-making are discussed. PMID:19750129

Local technicians in long-term research projects: evaluation of 25 years experience in an active tropical research station.

PubMed

Hurtado, Johanna; Clark, David B

2011-12-01

Most field ecology is conceived and financed by scientists from urban areas but is actually carried out in rural areas. Field staff can either be imported from urban areas or recruited from local residents. We evaluated the advantages and disadvantages of involving rural residents as local technicians over a 25- year period at active field research site in Costa Rica. We defined "local technicians" as local residents with no university education who acquired significant experience in field data collection, data management and/or laboratory work. We analyzed the experiences of incorporating these technicians into field research in developing countries from the points of view of scientist and of the local technicians themselves. Primary data were written responses from to a standardized survey of 19 senior scientists and Ph.D. students,and results from standardized personal interviews with 22 local technicians. Researchers highlighted the advantages of highly-skilled technicians with minimal staff turnover, as well as the technicians' knowledge of local ecological conditions. Local technicians considered the primary advantages of their jobs to be opportunities for continuing education training in science as well as cultural enrichment through interactions with people of different cultures. The main challenges identified by researchers were the lack of long-term funding for projects and extended training required for local technicians. Local technicians can be of great benefit to research projects by providing high-quality data collection at reasonable costs with low staff turnover. Over the last 25 years the research model at the field station we studied has evolved to the point that most long-term projects now depend heavily on local technicians. This model of involving local technicians in long-term research has multiple benefits for the researchers, the technicians and the local community, and could be adapted to a variety of settings in rural areas of developing

'The Real Classroom Is Outside—Get into It!' Teaching through Field Experiences

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Passow, M. J.

2015-12-01

Field-based experiences can be powerful influences on students of any age, from pre-college through grad school, as well as on the general public. Every place-based learning experience will be different because the combination of location, participant background, available resources, and other factors will be unique. But certain shared goals, necessities, and similarities can be recognized. Intended outcomes should be identified in advance to inform planning. Preparation for field experiences should involve the students along with other participants. More-experienced students can become role models for new-comers. Field experiences involve active learning, as participants are fully immersed in the sampling site and have all senses stimulated. Constantly-changing variables highlight interconnectedness of Earth processes and fosters Systems Thinking. Decisions about the most effective ways to communicate data and results will differ from what might be based on classroom or laboratory venues. Three examples of field-based learning will be provided. One involves collaboration between educational specialists at a scientific research institution, the Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory of Columbia University, with high school students enrolled in their school's Authentic Science Research program. The second describes orientation for beginning graduate students to the geology, geography, and history of their new home region through a tourist boat ride, the well-known Circle Ride around Manhattan. The third illustrates use of 'eco-hikes' to enhance environmental understanding for Open House and other visitors. These can serve as models for designing experience-based programs in other situations.

10-Year Experience with HLA-G in Heart Transplantation.

PubMed

Lazarte, Julieta; Adamson, Mitchell B; Tumiati, Laura C; Delgado, Diego H

2018-05-30

The Human Leukocyte Antigen-G (HLA-G) is a MHC-class Ib molecule with robust immunomodulatory properties; in transplant, it inhibits cytotoxic activity of immune cells and thus has a pivotal role in protecting the allograft from immune attack. The present review details a 10-year experience investigating the influence of HLA-G on heart transplantation, allograft rejection and cardiac allograft vasculopathy development. Exploration of HLA-G in transplantation began with the initial findings of its increased expression in allograft hearts. Since then, HLA-G has been recognized as an important factor in transplant immunology. We discuss inducers of HLA-G expression, and the importance of HLA-G as a potential biomarker in allograft rejection and heart failure. We also highlight the importance of polymorphisms and how they may influence both HLA-G expression and clinical outcomes. There remains much to be done in this field, however we hope that findings from our group and other groups will ignite interest and facilitate further expansion of HLA-G research in transplantation. Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Survey of Academic Field Experiences (SAFE): Trainees Report Harassment and Assault

PubMed Central

Clancy, Kathryn B. H.; Nelson, Robin G.; Rutherford, Julienne N.; Hinde, Katie

2014-01-01

Little is known about the climate of the scientific fieldwork setting as it relates to gendered experiences, sexual harassment, and sexual assault. We conducted an internet-based survey of field scientists (N = 666) to characterize these experiences. Codes of conduct and sexual harassment policies were not regularly encountered by respondents, while harassment and assault were commonly experienced by respondents during trainee career stages. Women trainees were the primary targets; their perpetrators were predominantly senior to them professionally within the research team. Male trainees were more often targeted by their peers at the research site. Few respondents were aware of mechanisms to report incidents; most who did report were unsatisfied with the outcome. These findings suggest that policies emphasizing safety, inclusivity, and collegiality have the potential to improve field experiences of a diversity of researchers, especially during early career stages. These include better awareness of mechanisms for direct and oblique reporting of harassment and assault and, the implementation of productive response mechanisms when such behaviors are reported. Principal investigators are particularly well positioned to influence workplace culture at their field sites. PMID:25028932

Survey of academic field experiences (SAFE): trainees report harassment and assault.

PubMed

Clancy, Kathryn B H; Nelson, Robin G; Rutherford, Julienne N; Hinde, Katie

2014-01-01

Little is known about the climate of the scientific fieldwork setting as it relates to gendered experiences, sexual harassment, and sexual assault. We conducted an internet-based survey of field scientists (N = 666) to characterize these experiences. Codes of conduct and sexual harassment policies were not regularly encountered by respondents, while harassment and assault were commonly experienced by respondents during trainee career stages. Women trainees were the primary targets; their perpetrators were predominantly senior to them professionally within the research team. Male trainees were more often targeted by their peers at the research site. Few respondents were aware of mechanisms to report incidents; most who did report were unsatisfied with the outcome. These findings suggest that policies emphasizing safety, inclusivity, and collegiality have the potential to improve field experiences of a diversity of researchers, especially during early career stages. These include better awareness of mechanisms for direct and oblique reporting of harassment and assault and, the implementation of productive response mechanisms when such behaviors are reported. Principal investigators are particularly well positioned to influence workplace culture at their field sites.

Experience-based Learning in Acadia National Park: a Successful, Long-running, Model Field Course

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Connaughton, M.

2015-12-01

This two-week field course has been offered alternate summers since 2000 in Acadia National Park on Mount Desert Island, Maine and addresses the geological history, physical and biological oceanography and principles of community ecology applicable to terrestrial and/or marine communities of coastal Maine. The course is often transformative and deeply meaningful to the students, many of whom have limited travel experience. The essential components of experience-based learning are well represented in this class with multiple opportunities for abstract conceptualization, active experimentation, concrete hands-on experiences and reflective observation built into the course. Each day begins with a lecture introducing concepts, which are then made concrete though daily field trips (4-8 hours in duration) into the park that include rigorous hiking, some kayaking and one commercial nature cruise. Field trips include hands-on experience with lecture concepts, on-site lessons in field methods, and data collection for independent projects. Each field trip is tied to a specific independent project, which are generated by the instructor, but self-selected by the students. Every student is actively involved in data collection during each field trip, with one student in charge of the collection each day. Daily guided journaling in three parts (scientific, personal and creative) and evening discussions provide ample opportunity for the student to reflect on the scientific content of the course, examine their personal reactions to what they have experienced and to be creative, sharing prior experiences, prior learning and their personalities. The course includes two exams, each following a week of lecture and field experiences. Independent research projects include the production of a manuscript-formatted report complete with statistical analysis of the data and a literature-based discussion of the conclusions. The combination of experiential reinforcement of concepts, abundant

The Cryptophlebia Leucotreta Granulovirus—10 Years of Commercial Field Use

PubMed Central

Moore, Sean D.; Kirkman, Wayne; Richards, Garth I.; Stephen, Peter R.

2015-01-01

In the last 15 years, extensive work on the Cryptophlebia leucotreta granulovirus (CrleGV) has been conducted in South Africa, initially in the laboratory, but subsequently also in the field. This culminated in the registration of the first CrleGV-based biopesticide in 2004 (hence, the 10 years of commercial use in the field) and the second one three years later. Since 2000, more than 50 field trials have been conducted with CrleGV against the false codling moth, Thaumatotibia leucotreta, on citrus in South Africa. In a representative sample of 13 field trials reported over this period, efficacy (measured by reduction in larval infestation of fruit) ranged between 30% and 92%. Efficacy was shown to persist at a level of 70% for up to 17 weeks after application of CrleGV. This only occurred where the virus was applied in blocks rather than to single trees. The addition of molasses substantially and sometimes significantly enhanced efficacy. It was also established that CrleGV should not be applied at less than ~2 × 1013 OBs per ha in order to avoid compromised efficacy. As CrleGV-based products were shown to be at least as effective as chemical alternatives, persistent and compatible with natural enemies, their use is recommended within an integrated program for control of T. leucotreta on citrus and other crops. PMID:25809025

Interpretation of the electric fields measured in an ionospheric critical ionization velocity experiment

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Brenning, N.; Faelthammar, C.-G.; Marklund, G.; Haerendel, G.; Kelley, M. C.; Pfaff, R.

1991-01-01

The quasi-dc electric fields measured in the CRIT I ionospheric release experiment are studied. In the experiment, two identical barium shaped charges were fired toward a main payload, and three-dimensional measurements of the electric field inside the streams were made. The relevance of proposed mechanisms for electron heating in the critical ionization velocity (CIV) mechanism is addressed. It is concluded that both the 'homogeneous' and the 'ionizing front' models probably are valid, but in different parts of the streams. It is also possible that electrons are directly accelerated by a magnetic field-aligned component of the electric field. The coupling between the ambient ionosphere and the ionized barium stream is more complicated that is usually assumed in CIV theories, with strong magnetic-field-aligned electric fields and probably current limitation as important processes.

Feasibility of Pb phytoextraction using nano-materials assisted ryegrass: Results of a one-year field-scale experiment.

PubMed

Liang, Shu-Xuan; Jin, Yu; Liu, Wei; Li, Xiliang; Shen, Shi-Gang; Ding, Ling

2017-04-01

The effect of the combined application of nano-hydroxyapatite (NHAP) or nano-carbon black (NCB) on the phytoextraction of Pb by ryegrass was investigated as an enhanced remediation technique for soils by field-scale experiment. After the addition of 0.2% NHAP or NCB to the soil, temporal variation of the uptake of Pb in aboveground parts and roots were observed. Ryegrass shoot concentrations of Pb were lower with nano-materials application than without nano-materials for the first month. However, the shoot concentrations of Pb were significantly increased with nano-materials application, in particular NHAP groups. The ryegrass root concentrations of Pb were lower with nano-materials application for the first month. These results indicated that nano-materials had significant effects on stabilization of lead, especially at the beginning of the experiment. Along with the experimental proceeding, phytotoxicity was alleviated after the incorporation of nano-materials. The ryegrass biomass was significantly higher with nano-materials application. Consequently, the Pb phytoextraction potential of ryegrass significantly increased with nano-materials application compared to the gounps without nano-materials application. The total removal rates of soil Pb were higher after combined application of NHAP than NCB. NHAP is more suitable than NCB for in-situ remediation of Pb-contaminated soils. The ryegrass translocation factor exhibited a marked increase with time. It was thought that the major role of NHP and NBA might be to alleviate the Pb phytotoxicity and increase biomass of plants. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The electromagnetic bio-field: clinical experiments and interferences

PubMed Central

Burnei, G; Hodorogea, D; Georgescu, I; Gavriliu, Ş; Drăghici, I; Dan, D; Vlad, C; Drăghici, L

2012-01-01

Introduction: One of the most important factors is the technical and scientifically rapid development that is continually modifying the world we live in and polluting it with electromagnetic radiations. A functional and structural influence of magnetic and electromagnetic field on living organisms is presented in the literature by many performed experiments. Material and methods: The notion of bio-field represents the electromagnetic field generated by the bio-structures, not only in their normal physiological activities but also in their pathological states. There is a tight interdependency between the bio-field and the bio-structure, which respects the primary notion of an electromagnetic field given by the Maxwell-Faraday laws, in which, the electromagnetic phenomena are simplified to the field variations. These variations can be expressed in a coherent differential equation system that bounds the field vectors to different space points at different time moments. Results: The living organisms cannot contain electrostatic and magneto-static fields due to the intense activity of the bio-structures. The biochemical reactions that have high rhythms and speeds always impose the electrodynamics character of the biologic field that also corresponds to the stability of the protein molecule that can be explained only through a dynamic way. The existent energy is not considered an exciting agent, and it does not lead to any effects. Conclusions: The parameters of these elementary bio-fields cannot yet be fully known due to technical reasons. The biological structures are very complex ones and undergo continuous dynamical activity. That is why the calculus model should be related to the constant dynamics, nowadays being very difficult to express. PMID:22802878

Additional motional-magnetic-field considerations for electric-dipole-moment experiments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lamoreaux, S. K.

1996-06-01

Electric-dipole-moment experiments based on spin-precession measurements of stored atoms or neutrons are generally considered to be immune from the effects of v×E or motional magnetic fields. This is because the average velocity for such systems is zero. We show here that the fluctuating field associated with the random velocity, heretofore not considered, can in fact lead to sizable systematic effects.

Do Employers Prefer Workers Who Attend For-Profit Colleges? Evidence from a Field Experiment. Working Paper No. WR-1054

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Darolia, Rajeev; Koedel, Cory; Martorell, Paco; Wilson, Katie; Perez-Arce, Francisco

2014-01-01

This paper reports results from a resume-based field experiment designed to examine employer preferences for job applicants who attended for-profit colleges. For-profit colleges have seen sharp increases in enrollment in recent years despite alternatives such as public community colleges being much cheaper. We sent almost 9,000 fictitious resumes…

GUMICS-4 Year Run: Ground Magnetic Field Predictions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Honkonen, I. J.; Viljanen, A.; Juusola, L.; Facsko, G.; Vanhamäki, H.

2013-12-01

Space weather can have severe effects even at ground level when Geomagnetically Induced Currents (GIC) disrupt power transmission networks, the worst case being a complete blackout affecting millions of people. The importance of space weather forecasting as well as the need for model improvement and validation has been recognized internationally. The recently concluded GUMICS-4 one year run, in which solar wind observations obtained from OMNIWeb for the period 2002-01-29 to 2003-02-02 were given as input to the model, will allow GUMICS to be validated against observations on an unprecedented scale. The performance of GUMICS can be quantified statistically, as a function of, for example, the solar wind driver, various geomagnetic indices, magnetic local time and other parameters. Here we concentrate on the ability of GUMICS to predict ground magnetic field observations for one year of simulated results. The ground magnetic field predictions are compared to observations of the mainland IMAGE magnetometer stations located at CGM latitudes 54-68 N. Furthermore the GIC derived from ground magnetic field predictions are compared to observations along the natural gas pipeline at Mäntsälä, South Finland. Various metrics are used to objectively evaluate the performance of GUMICS as a function of different parameters, thereby providing significant insight into the space weather forecasting ability of models based on first principles.

Entering the Field: Beginning Teachers' Positioning Experiences of the Staffroom

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Christensen, Erin; Rossi, Tony; lisahunter; Tinning, Richard

2018-01-01

Little is known about beginning teachers' political positioning experiences of the staffroom. This paper employs Bourdieu's conceptual tools of field, habitus and capital to explore beginning health and physical education teachers' positioning experiences and learning in staffrooms, the place in which teachers spend the majority of their…

Predicting Community College Student Success by Participation in a First-Year Experience Course

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gardner, Andy Franklin

2013-01-01

A first-year experience is a collaborative effort of many initiatives, with varying names that have the greatest impact on student success during the first year of college. A first-year experience course, a feature of the first-year experience, is an intervention program designed to increase student academic performance and integration (Braxton…

Infusing Outdoor Field Experiences into the Secondary Biology Curriculum.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Owens, Ginny

1984-01-01

To offer students biological field experiences, teachers should use their own basic skills, be enthusiastic motivators, participate in community programs/courses/workshops to acquire additional skills/knowledge for outdoor biological education, plan outdoor excursions with safety considerations in mind, and use available resources for classroom…

Asian Tracer Experiment and Atmospheric Modeling (TEAM) Project: Draft Field Work Plan for the Asian Long-Range Tracer Experiment

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

Allwine, K Jerry; Flaherty, Julia E.

2007-08-01

This report provides an experimental plan for a proposed Asian long-range tracer study as part of the international Tracer Experiment and Atmospheric Modeling (TEAM) Project. The TEAM partners are China, Japan, South Korea and the United States. Optimal times of year to conduct the study, meteorological measurements needed, proposed tracer release locations, proposed tracer sampling locations and the proposed durations of tracer releases and subsequent sampling are given. Also given are the activities necessary to prepare for the study and the schedule for completing the preparation activities leading to conducting the actual field operations. This report is intended to providemore » the TEAM members with the information necessary for planning and conducting the Asian long-range tracer study. The experimental plan is proposed, at this time, to describe the efforts necessary to conduct the Asian long-range tracer study, and the plan will undoubtedly be revised and refined as the planning goes forward over the next year.« less

The lure of local SETI: Fifty years of field experiments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ailleris, Philippe

2011-01-01

With the commemoration in October 2007 of the Sputnik launch, space exploration celebrated its 50th anniversary. Despite impressive technological and scientific achievements the fascination for space has weakened during the last decades. One contributing factor has been the gradual disappearance of mankind's hope of discovering extraterrestrial life within its close neighbourhood. In striking contrast and since the middle of the 20th century, a non-negligible proportion of the population have already concluded that intelligent beings from other worlds do exist and visit Earth through space vehicles popularly called Unidentified Flying Objects (UFOs). In light of the continuous public interest for the UFO enigma symbolized by the recent widely diffused media announcements on the release of French and English governmental files; and considering the approach of broadening the strategies of the "Active SETI" approach and the existence of a rich multi-disciplinary UFO documentation of potential interest for SETI; this paper describes some past scientific attempts to demonstrate the physical reality of the phenomena and potentially the presence on Earth of probes of extraterrestrial origin. Details of the different instrumented field studies deployed by scientists and organizations during the period 1950-1990 in the USA, Canada and Europe are provided. In conclusion it will be argued that while continuing the current radio/optical SETI searches, there is the necessity to maintain sustaining attention to the topic of anomalous aerospace phenomena and to develop new rigorous research approaches.

Extraterrestrial Virtual Field Experience: Water at Meridiani

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Duggan-Haas, D.; Million, C.; Sullivan, R. J., Jr.; Hayes, A. G., Jr.; Ross, R. M.; St Clair, M.

2014-12-01

The Spacecraft Planetary Imaging Facility (SPIF) at Cornell University, in collaboration with Million Concepts and the Paleontological Research Institute (PRI), has developed the Extraterrestrial Virtual Field Experience (EVFE), a web-based, game-like and inquiry-driven classroom activity targeted to middle school through undergraduate introductory Earth science classrooms. Students play the role of mission scientists for a NASA rover mission, tasked with targeting the rover's scientific instruments to investigate a specific scientific question about the landing site. As with the real mission, the student operators must optimize the efficient use of limited resources and time against the need to make observations to address working hypotheses. The activity uses only real--not artificial or simulated--mission data, and students are guided throughout by a "Mission Manager" who provides hints and advice about the scientific meaning of observations within the broader context of the mission objectives. The MER Opportunity EVFE is a pilot effort, the first of five EVFE modules planned a rate of one per year that will feature different NASA missions and scientific topics. The MER Opportunity EVFE has already been developed and focuses on the investigation of the history of water on Mars at the Meridiani landing site of the Opportunity rover. The module includes a teacher guide and is currently available to educators through the SPIF website.

Exploration of the Professional Development Needs of New York City High School Principals with Less than 5 Years Experience

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Berman, Margaret Lacey

2015-01-01

This grounded theory study was conducted to explore the professional development needs of New York City high school principals with less than five years' experience based on the McREL balanced leadership framework. The purpose of this research is to answer the three research questions below in hopes of contributing to the field. The research for…

Supporting Learning to Teach in Early Field Experiences: The UTE Model

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bieda, Kristen N.; Dillman, Brittany; Gundlach, Michael; Voogt, Kevin

2017-01-01

Most teacher preparation programs require prospective teachers (PTs) to engage in early field experiences (EFEs) prior to completing required coursework. These EFEs, however, may lack meaningful connections to course content and provide limited opportunities to experience the demands of classroom teaching. In this paper, we share evidence from the…

Improved understanding of geologic CO{sub 2} storage processes requires risk-driven field experiments

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

Oldenburg, C.M.

2011-06-01

The need for risk-driven field experiments for CO{sub 2} geologic storage processes to complement ongoing pilot-scale demonstrations is discussed. These risk-driven field experiments would be aimed at understanding the circumstances under which things can go wrong with a CO{sub 2} capture and storage (CCS) project and cause it to fail, as distinguished from accomplishing this end using demonstration and industrial scale sites. Such risk-driven tests would complement risk-assessment efforts that have already been carried out by providing opportunities to validate risk models. In addition to experimenting with high-risk scenarios, these controlled field experiments could help validate monitoring approaches to improvemore » performance assessment and guide development of mitigation strategies.« less

Active experiments in the ionosphere and geomagnetic field variations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sivokon, V. P.; Cherneva, N. V.; Khomutov, S. Y.; Serovetnikov, A. S.

2014-11-01

Variations of ionospheric-magnetospheric relation energy, as one of the possible outer climatology factors, may be traced on the basis of analysis of natural geophysical phenomena such as ionosphere artificial radio radiation and magnetic storms. Experiments on active impact on the ionosphere have been carried out for quite a long time in Russia as well. The most modern heating stand is located in Alaska; it has been used within the HAARP Program. The possibility of this stand to affect geophysical fields, in particular, the geomagnetic field is of interest.

Exploring the Role of Field Experience Context in Preservice Teachers' Development as Mathematics Educators

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cooper, Sandi; Nesmith, Suzanne

2013-01-01

Although the importance of field experience is supported and attended to by teacher education programs across the United States, there have been numerous national reports and research findings stressing the need for major improvements in the preparation of teachers with an emphasis on more authentic experiences. Quality field experiences have the…

Multiple-year nitrous oxide emissions from a greenhouse vegetable field in China: Effects of nitrogen management.

PubMed

Zhang, Jing; Li, Hu; Wang, Yingchun; Deng, Jia; Wang, Ligang

2018-03-01

The greenhouse vegetable (GV) field is an important agricultural system in China. It may also be a hot spot of nitrous oxide (N 2 O) emissions. However, knowledge on N 2 O emission from GV fields and its mitigation are limited due to considerable variations of N 2 O emissions. In this study, we performed a multi-year experiment at a GV field in Beijing, China, using the static opaque chamber method, to quantify N 2 O emissions from GV fields and evaluated N 2 O mitigation efficiency of alternative nitrogen (N) managements. The experiment period spanned three rotation periods and included seven vegetable growing seasons. We measured N 2 O emissions under four treatments, including no N fertilizer use (CK), farmers' conventional fertilizer application (FP), reduced N fertilizer rate (R), and R combined with the nitrification inhibitor "dicyandiamide (DCD)" (R+DCD). The seasonal cumulative N 2 O emissions ranged between 2.09 and 19.66, 1.13 and 11.33, 0.94 and 9.46, and 0.15 and 3.27kgNha -1 for FP, R, R+DCD, and CK, respectively. The cumulative N 2 O emissions of three rotational periods varied from 18.71 to 26.58 (FP), 9.58 to 15.96 (R), 7.11 to 13.42 (R+DCD), and 1.66 to 3.73kgNha -1 (CK). The R and R+DCD treatments significantly (P<0.05) reduced the N 2 O emissions under FP by 38.1% to 48.8% and 49.5% to 62.0%, across the three rotational periods, although their mitigation efficiencies were highly variable among different vegetable seasons. This study suggests that GV fields associated with intensive N application and frequent flooding irrigation may substantially contribute to the N 2 O emissions and great N 2 O mitigations can be achieved through reasonably reducing the N-fertilizer rate and/or applying a nitrification inhibitor. The large variations in the N 2 O emission and mitigation across different vegetable growing seasons and rotational periods stress the necessity of multi-year observations for reliably quantifying and mitigating N 2 O emissions for GV

Identifying Attrition Risk Based on the First Year Experience

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Naylor, Ryan; Baik, Chi; Arkoudis, Sophia

2018-01-01

Using data collected from a recent national survey of Australian first-year students, this paper defines and validates four scales--belonging, feeling supported, intellectual engagement and workload stress--to measure the student experience of university. These scales provide insights into the university experience for both groups and individual…

Psychosocial risk among migrant workers: what we can learn from literature and field experiences.

PubMed

Porru, S; Elmetti, S; Arici, Cecilia

2014-01-01

Mental health problems are possible in migrant workers (MWs), who are mainly employed in dangerous jobs and face many barriers to prevention and care. To outline current scientific evidence about psychosocial risk among MWs; to present data from clinical and field experiences. Non-systematic literature review (PubMed, last 10 years); case series of 20 MWs, evaluated for mental and/or behavioural disorders at a public occupational health unit; applied field research, in enterprise contexts. A relatively low number of publications about psychosocial risk among MWs was found. Individual migrants may find the experience of migration to be stressful, with increased rates of depression and/or anxiety disorders. Data from clinical case series suggest that MWs from some ethnic groups, with a medium-high level of education, employed in metal or manufacturing industries, might have an increased risk of developing psychiatric disorders. Preliminary data from our field study seem to confirm that MWs, predominantly employed in unskilled/manual jobs and more prone to work overtime, tend to present higher prevalence of psychiatric disorders. There is a growing need to improve the scientific knowledge on migration, work, and mental health, as well as to promote workplace prevention of mental disorders in MWs. This can be achieved also by reducing structural barriers to mental wellbeing: in particular, occupational physicians should answer to MWs' mental health needs, contributing both to diagnosis and management of MWs' work-related psychiatric disorders.

Lung transplantation in Hong Kong: 12 years of experience.

PubMed

Wong, Chi Fong; Fung, Siu Leung; Yan, See Wan; Lee, Joseph; Cheng, Lik Cheung; Chiu, Clement S W

2008-11-01

A lung transplant programme was launched in August 1994 at Grantham Hospital in Hong Kong with the first single-lung transplant performed in July 1995. A retrospective study was undertaken of all patients who had undergone lung transplantation and their outcomes analysed. Data were collected from hospital and outpatient records. There were 12 transplants (two single-lung and 10 double-lung) performed in the 12 years to December 2006. No postoperative or early mortality was observed. In addition to the usual complications there were two cases of early pulmonary tuberculosis and one rare case of delayed fungal sternotomy infection. The 1-year, 3-year and 5-year survival rates were 100%, 100% and 76.2%, respectively. All fatalities were related to the consequences of chronic rejection or its treatment. Despite the limited experience and the small case volume, the survival of patients was good and comparable with international experience.

Measuring the Earth’s magnetic field dip angle using a smartphone-aided setup: a simple experiment for introductory physics laboratories

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Arabasi, Sameer; Al-Taani, Hussein

2017-03-01

Measurement of the Earth’s magnetic field dip angle is a widely used experiment in most introductory physics laboratories. In this paper we propose a smartphone-aided setup that takes advantage of the smartphone’s magnetometer sensor to measure the Earth’s magnetic field dip angle. This set-up will help students visualize the vector nature of the Earth’s magnetic field, especially high school and first year college students who are not quite experienced with vectors. This set-up is affordable and easy to use and could be easily produced by any high school or college physics instructor.

Factors That Influence Student's Satisfaction in an Environmental Field Day Experience

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wang, Hui-Hui; Carlson, Stephan P.

2011-01-01

A field trip is a common strategy used by educators to bring out-of-school learning experience into schools. Many research studies suggest a field trip will not only bring an individual close to the real-world, but may also increase an individual's environmental knowledge and responsible behaviors. Program evaluations usually focus on the…

Abiotic stress QTL in lettuce crop–wild hybrids: comparing greenhouse and field experiments

PubMed Central

Hartman, Yorike; Hooftman, Danny A P; Uwimana, Brigitte; Schranz, M Eric; van de Wiel, Clemens C M; Smulders, Marinus J M; Visser, Richard G F; Michelmore, Richard W; van Tienderen, Peter H

2014-01-01

The development of stress-tolerant crops is an increasingly important goal of current crop breeding. A higher abiotic stress tolerance could increase the probability of introgression of genes from crops to wild relatives. This is particularly relevant to the discussion on the risks of new GM crops that may be engineered to increase abiotic stress resistance. We investigated abiotic stress QTL in greenhouse and field experiments in which we subjected recombinant inbred lines from a cross between cultivated Lactuca sativa cv. Salinas and its wild relative L. serriola to drought, low nutrients, salt stress, and aboveground competition. Aboveground biomass at the end of the rosette stage was used as a proxy for the performance of plants under a particular stress. We detected a mosaic of abiotic stress QTL over the entire genome with little overlap between QTL from different stresses. The two QTL clusters that were identified reflected general growth rather than specific stress responses and colocated with clusters found in earlier studies for leaf shape and flowering time. Genetic correlations across treatments were often higher among different stress treatments within the same experiment (greenhouse or field), than among the same type of stress applied in different experiments. Moreover, the effects of the field stress treatments were more correlated with those of the greenhouse competition treatments than to those of the other greenhouse stress experiments, suggesting that competition rather than abiotic stress is a major factor in the field. In conclusion, the introgression risk of stress tolerance (trans-)genes under field conditions cannot easily be predicted based on genomic background selection patterns from controlled QTL experiments in greenhouses, especially field data will be needed to assess potential (negative) ecological effects of introgression of these transgenes into wild relatives. PMID:25360276

Prosocial Behavior and Subjective Insecurity in Violent Contexts: Field Experiments.

PubMed

Vélez, María Alejandra; Trujillo, Carlos Andres; Moros, Lina; Forero, Clemente

2016-01-01

Subjective insecurity is a key determinant of different forms of prosocial behavior. In Study 1, we used field experiments with farmers in Colombian villages exposed to different levels of violence to investigate how individual perceptions of insecurity affect cooperation, trust, reciprocity and altruism. To do so, we developed a cognitive-affective measure of subjective insecurity. We found that subjective insecurity has a negative effect on cooperation but influences trust and altruism positively. In Study 2, carried out three years after Study 1, we repeated the initial design with additional measures of victimization. Our goal was to relate subjective insecurity with actual victimization. The findings of Study 2 support the initial results, and are robust and consistent for cooperative behavior and trust when including victimization as a mediator. Different indicators of victimization are positively correlated with subjective insecurity and an aggregate index of victimization has a negative effect on cooperation but exerts a positive influence on trust.

Prosocial Behavior and Subjective Insecurity in Violent Contexts: Field Experiments

PubMed Central

Vélez, María Alejandra; Trujillo, Carlos Andres; Moros, Lina; Forero, Clemente

2016-01-01

Subjective insecurity is a key determinant of different forms of prosocial behavior. In Study 1, we used field experiments with farmers in Colombian villages exposed to different levels of violence to investigate how individual perceptions of insecurity affect cooperation, trust, reciprocity and altruism. To do so, we developed a cognitive-affective measure of subjective insecurity. We found that subjective insecurity has a negative effect on cooperation but influences trust and altruism positively. In Study 2, carried out three years after Study 1, we repeated the initial design with additional measures of victimization. Our goal was to relate subjective insecurity with actual victimization. The findings of Study 2 support the initial results, and are robust and consistent for cooperative behavior and trust when including victimization as a mediator. Different indicators of victimization are positively correlated with subjective insecurity and an aggregate index of victimization has a negative effect on cooperation but exerts a positive influence on trust. PMID:27472437

The Freshman Year Experience. Helping Students Survive and Succeed in College.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Upcraft, M. Lee; Gardner, John N.

Guidelines to enhancing the freshman year experience are presented in the following chapters: (1) "A Comprehensive Approach to Enhancing Freshman Success" (M. Lee Upcraft, John N. Gardner); (2) "Who Are Today's Freshmen?" (Arthur Levine); (3) "A Historical Look at the Freshman Year Experience" (John Orr Dwyer); (4) "Understanding Student…

Field Experience and Prospective Teachers' Mathematical Knowledge and Beliefs

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jacobson, Erik D.

2017-01-01

This study (n = 1,044) used data from the Teacher Education and Development Study in Mathematics (TEDS-M) to examine the relationship between field experience focus (instruction- or exploration-focused), duration, and timing (early or not) and prospective elementary teachers' intertwined knowledge and beliefs about mathematics and mathematics…

Building and Deploying Remotely Operated Vehicles in the First-Year Experience

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

O'Brien-Gayes, A.; Fuss, K.; Gayes, P.

2007-12-01

Coastal Carolina University has committed to improving student retention and success in Mathematics and Science through a pilot program to engage first-year students in an applied and investigative project as part of the University's First-Year Experience (FYE). During the fall 2007 semester, five pilot sections of FYE classes, consisting of students from the College of Natural and Applied Sciences are building and deploying Remotely Operated Vehicles (ROVs). These ROV-based classes are designed to: accelerate exploration of the broad fields of science and mathematics; enlist interest in technology by engaging students in a multi-stepped, interdisciplinary problem solving experience; explore science and mathematical concepts; institute experiential learning; and build a culture of active learners to benefit student success across traditional departmental boundaries. Teams of three students (forty teams total) will build, based on the MIT Sea Perch design, and test ROVs in addition to collecting data with their ROVs. Various accessories attached to the vehicles for data collection will include temperature and light sensors, plankton nets and underwater cameras. The first-year students will then analyze the data, and the results will be documented as part of their capstone projects. Additionally, two launch days will take place on two campus ponds. Local middle and high school teachers and their students will be invited to observe this event. The teams of students with the most capable and successful ROVs will participate in a workshop held in November 2007 for regional elementary, middle and high school teachers. These students will give a presentation on the building of the ROVs and also provide a hands-on demonstration for the workshop participants. These activities will ensure an incorporation of service learning into the first semester of the freshmen experience. The desired outcomes of the ROV-based FYE classes are: increased retention at the postsecondary

Beyond Book Learning: Cultivating the Pedagogy of Experience through Field Trips.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jakubowski, Lisa Marie

2003-01-01

A pedagogy of experience can be cultivated by using a critically responsive approach based on experience, critical thinking, reflection, and action. A service-learning field trip to Cuba illustrates how experiential learning can bring classroom and community together in a way that invites students to engage in meaningful, active forms of learning…

Integrating Field-Centered, Project Based Activities with Academic Year Coursework: A Curriculum Wide Approach

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kelso, P. R.; Brown, L. M.

2015-12-01

Based upon constructivist principles and the recognition that many students are motivated by hands-on activities and field experiences, we designed a new undergraduate curriculum at Lake Superior State University. One of our major goals was to develop stand-alone field projects in most of the academic year courses. Examples of courses impacted include structural geology, geophysics, and geotectonics, Students learn geophysical concepts in the context of near surface field-based geophysical studies while students in structural geology learn about structural processes through outcrop study of fractures, folds and faults. In geotectonics students learn about collisional and rifting processes through on-site field studies of specific geologic provinces. Another goal was to integrate data and samples collected by students in our sophomore level introductory field course along with stand-alone field projects in our clastic systems and sequence stratigraphy courses. Our emphasis on active learning helps students develop a meaningful geoscience knowledge base and complex reasoning skills in authentic contexts. We simulate the activities of practicing geoscientists by engaging students in all aspects of a project, for example: field-oriented project planning and design; acquiring, analyzing, and interpreting data; incorporating supplemental material and background data; and preparing oral and written project reports. We find through anecdotal evidence including student comments and personal observation that the projects stimulate interest, provide motivation for learning new concepts, integrate skill and concept acquisition vertically through the curriculum, apply concepts from multiple geoscience subdisiplines, and develop soft skills such as team work, problem solving, critical thinking and communication skills. Through this projected-centered Lake Superior State University geology curriculum students practice our motto of "learn geology by doing geology."

Fifty Years of "Comparative Education Review" Bibliographies: Reflections on the Field

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Raby, Rosalind Latiner

2007-01-01

For the past three years, the "Comparative Education Review" ("CER") has published annual bibliographic essays reflecting the changes in the field over the previous year. This year, to mark the 50th anniversary of the Comparative and International Education Society (CIES), the author analyzed "CER" bibliographies since 1959, in addition to…

Field_ac: a research project on ocean modelling in coastal areas. The experience in the Catalan Sea.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Grifoll, Manel; Pallarès, Elena; Tolosana-Delgado, Raimon; Fernandez, Juan; Lopez, Jaime; Mosso, Cesar; Hermosilla, Fernando; Espino, Manuel; Sanchez-Arcilla, Agustín

2013-04-01

The EU founded Field_ac project has investigated during the last three years methods and strategies for improving operational services in coastal areas. The objective has been to generate added value for shelf and regional scale predictions from GMES Marine Core Services. In this sense the experience in the Catalan Sea site has allowed to combine high-resolution numerical modeling tools nested into regional GMES services, data from intensive field campaigns or local observational networks and remote sensing products. Multi-scale coupled models have been implemented to evaluate different temporal and spatial scales of the dominant physical processes related with waves, currents, continental/river discharges or sediment transport. In this sense the experience of the Field_ac project in the Catalan Sea has permit to "connect" GMES marine core service results to the coastal (local) anthropogenic forcing (e.g. causes of morphodynamic evolution and ecosystem degradation) and will support a knowledge-based assessment of decisions in the coastal zone. This will contribute to the implementation of EU directives (e.g., the Water Framework Directive for water quality at beaches near harbour entrances or the Risk or Flood Directives for waves and sea-level at beach/river-mouth scales).

Rumination, Age, and Years of Experience: A Predictive Study of Burnout

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McDuffy, Moriel S.

2016-01-01

This study used a non-experimental design to examine whether job satisfaction, rumination, age and years of experience predict burnout among human service workers serving high-risk populations. The study also used a stepwise regression to assess whether job satisfaction, rumination, age, or years of experience predict burnout equally. Burnout was…

Validation of design procedure and performance modeling of a heat and fluid transport field experiment in the unsaturated zone

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nir, A.; Doughty, C.; Tsang, C. F.

Validation methods which developed in the context of deterministic concepts of past generations often cannot be directly applied to environmental problems, which may be characterized by limited reproducibility of results and highly complex models. Instead, validation is interpreted here as a series of activities, including both theoretical and experimental tests, designed to enhance our confidence in the capability of a proposed model to describe some aspect of reality. We examine the validation process applied to a project concerned with heat and fluid transport in porous media, in which mathematical modeling, simulation, and results of field experiments are evaluated in order to determine the feasibility of a system for seasonal thermal energy storage in shallow unsaturated soils. Technical details of the field experiments are not included, but appear in previous publications. Validation activities are divided into three stages. The first stage, carried out prior to the field experiments, is concerned with modeling the relevant physical processes, optimization of the heat-exchanger configuration and the shape of the storage volume, and multi-year simulation. Subjects requiring further theoretical and experimental study are identified at this stage. The second stage encompasses the planning and evaluation of the initial field experiment. Simulations are made to determine the experimental time scale and optimal sensor locations. Soil thermal parameters and temperature boundary conditions are estimated using an inverse method. Then results of the experiment are compared with model predictions using different parameter values and modeling approximations. In the third stage, results of an experiment performed under different boundary conditions are compared to predictions made by the models developed in the second stage. Various aspects of this theoretical and experimental field study are described as examples of the verification and validation procedure. There is no

A Global Aerosol Model Forecast for the ACE-Asia Field Experiment

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Chin, Mian; Ginoux, Paul; Lucchesi, Robert; Huebert, Barry; Weber, Rodney; Anderson, Tad; Masonis, Sarah; Blomquist, Byron; Bandy, Alan; Thornton, Donald

2003-01-01

We present the results of aerosol forecast during the Aerosol Characterization Experiment (ACE-Asia) field experiment in spring 2001, using the Georgia Tech/Goddard Global Ozone Chemistry Aerosol Radiation and Transport (GOCART) model and the meteorological forecast fields from the Goddard Earth Observing System Data Assimilation System (GEOS DAS). The aerosol model forecast provides direct information on aerosol optical thickness and concentrations, enabling effective flight planning, while feedbacks from measurements constantly evaluate the model, making successful model improvements. We verify the model forecast skill by comparing model predicted total aerosol extinction, dust, sulfate, and SO2 concentrations with those quantities measured by the C-130 aircraft during the ACE-Asia intensive operation period. The GEOS DAS meteorological forecast system shows excellent skills in predicting winds, relative humidity, and temperature for the ACE-Asia experiment area as well as for each individual flight, with skill scores usually above 0.7. The model is also skillful in forecast of pollution aerosols, with most scores above 0.5. The model correctly predicted the dust outbreak events and their trans-Pacific transport, but it constantly missed the high dust concentrations observed in the boundary layer. We attribute this missing dust source to the desertification regions in the Inner Mongolia Province in China, which have developed in recent years but were not included in the model during forecasting. After incorporating the desertification sources, the model is able to reproduce the observed high dust concentrations at low altitudes over the Yellow Sea. Two key elements for a successful aerosol model forecast are correct source locations that determine where the emissions take place, and realistic forecast winds and convection that determine where the aerosols are transported. We demonstrate that our global model can not only account for the large

Mycorrhizal inoculation as a tool for sustainable bio-engineering measures in steep alpine environments? - Results of a three year field experiment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bast, Alexander; Wilcke, Wolfgang; Lüscher, Peter; Graf, Frank; Gärtner, Holger

2013-04-01

were hand-seeded with an Alpine seed-mixture. In addition, a third was selected but not treated, reflecting the natural conditions and serving as a control. Next to analysing aboveground whole-plant traits (e.g. plant height, crown diameter, stem thickness) and leaf traits (e.g. specific leaf area, leaf size, leaf dry matter content, nitrogen and potassium analyses), we also focused on belowground properties. Undisturbed soil cores (0-20cm in depth) allow a determination of a aggregate stability coefficient, the aggregate-size development, as well as root traits (e.g. root length density, fine(root)diameter). Linear mixed-effect models and testing a posteriori contrasts permit a comparison between the different treatments. Preliminary results indicate, that four months after stabilization plant mortality was high over the two treatments, but it was significantly less on the inoculated treatment. In general plant and leaf traits are showing, that plant vitality is higher at the mycorrhizal-treated plots. Examination of belowground properties yield surprising results; the non-inoculated treatment is showing higher aggregate stability coefficients and higher root length density, which is in contrast to laboratory results. Our contribution will highlight the results of the entire three year field experiment.

My Experience as NASN School Nurse of the Year

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Reilly, Dorothy J.

2004-01-01

This article shares the author's experience as the National Association of School Nurses (NASN) School Nurse of the Year. Recognition by one's peers for excellence in the profession is indeed an honor and a humbling experience. She states that it was a wonderful opportunity to reconnect with many NASN friends. Special recognition and awards from…

Field-scale experiments reveal persistent yield gaps in low-input and organic cropping systems

PubMed Central

Kravchenko, Alexandra N.; Snapp, Sieglinde S.; Robertson, G. Philip

2017-01-01

Knowledge of production-system performance is largely based on observations at the experimental plot scale. Although yield gaps between plot-scale and field-scale research are widely acknowledged, their extent and persistence have not been experimentally examined in a systematic manner. At a site in southwest Michigan, we conducted a 6-y experiment to test the accuracy with which plot-scale crop-yield results can inform field-scale conclusions. We compared conventional versus alternative, that is, reduced-input and biologically based–organic, management practices for a corn–soybean–wheat rotation in a randomized complete block-design experiment, using 27 commercial-size agricultural fields. Nearby plot-scale experiments (0.02-ha to 1.0-ha plots) provided a comparison of plot versus field performance. We found that plot-scale yields well matched field-scale yields for conventional management but not for alternative systems. For all three crops, at the plot scale, reduced-input and conventional managements produced similar yields; at the field scale, reduced-input yields were lower than conventional. For soybeans at the plot scale, biological and conventional managements produced similar yields; at the field scale, biological yielded less than conventional. For corn, biological management produced lower yields than conventional in both plot- and field-scale experiments. Wheat yields appeared to be less affected by the experimental scale than corn and soybean. Conventional management was more resilient to field-scale challenges than alternative practices, which were more dependent on timely management interventions; in particular, mechanical weed control. Results underscore the need for much wider adoption of field-scale experimentation when assessing new technologies and production-system performance, especially as related to closing yield gaps in organic farming and in low-resourced systems typical of much of the developing world. PMID:28096409

Field-scale experiments reveal persistent yield gaps in low-input and organic cropping systems.

PubMed

Kravchenko, Alexandra N; Snapp, Sieglinde S; Robertson, G Philip

2017-01-31

Knowledge of production-system performance is largely based on observations at the experimental plot scale. Although yield gaps between plot-scale and field-scale research are widely acknowledged, their extent and persistence have not been experimentally examined in a systematic manner. At a site in southwest Michigan, we conducted a 6-y experiment to test the accuracy with which plot-scale crop-yield results can inform field-scale conclusions. We compared conventional versus alternative, that is, reduced-input and biologically based-organic, management practices for a corn-soybean-wheat rotation in a randomized complete block-design experiment, using 27 commercial-size agricultural fields. Nearby plot-scale experiments (0.02-ha to 1.0-ha plots) provided a comparison of plot versus field performance. We found that plot-scale yields well matched field-scale yields for conventional management but not for alternative systems. For all three crops, at the plot scale, reduced-input and conventional managements produced similar yields; at the field scale, reduced-input yields were lower than conventional. For soybeans at the plot scale, biological and conventional managements produced similar yields; at the field scale, biological yielded less than conventional. For corn, biological management produced lower yields than conventional in both plot- and field-scale experiments. Wheat yields appeared to be less affected by the experimental scale than corn and soybean. Conventional management was more resilient to field-scale challenges than alternative practices, which were more dependent on timely management interventions; in particular, mechanical weed control. Results underscore the need for much wider adoption of field-scale experimentation when assessing new technologies and production-system performance, especially as related to closing yield gaps in organic farming and in low-resourced systems typical of much of the developing world.

USC Undergraduate Team Research, Geological Field Experience and Outdoor Education in the Tuolumne Batholith and Kings Canyon, High Sierra Nevada

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Culbert, K. N.; Anderson, J. L.; Cao, W.; Chang, J.; Ehret, P.; Enriquez, M.; Gross, M. B.; Gelbach, L. B.; Hardy, J.; Paterson, S. R.; Ianno, A.; Iannone, M.; Memeti, V.; Morris, M.; Lodewyk, J.; Davis, J.; Stanley, R.; van Guilder, E.; Whitesides, A. S.; Zhang, T.

2009-12-01

Within four years, USC’s College of Letters, Arts and Sciences and Earth Science department have successfully launched the revolutionary undergraduate team research (UTR) program “Geologic Wonders of Yosemite at Two Miles High”. A diverse group of professors, graduate students and undergraduates spent two weeks mapping the Boyden Cave in Kings Canyon National Park, the Iron Mountain pendants south of Yosemite, the Western Metamorphic belt along the Merced River, and the Tuolumne Batholith (TB) in June and August 2009. During their experience in the field, the undergraduates learned geologic field techniques from their peers, professors, and experienced graduate students and developed ideas that will form the basis of the independent and group research projects. Apart from teaching undergraduates about the geology of the TB and Kings Canyon, the two weeks in the field were also rigorous exercise in critical thinking and communication. Every day spent in the field required complete cooperation between mentors and undergraduates in order to successfully gather and interpret the day’s data. Undergraduates were to execute the next day’s schedule and divide mapping duties among themselves. The two-week field experience was also the ideal setting in which to learn about the environmental impacts of their work and the actions of others. The UTR groups quickly adapted to the demanding conditions of the High Sierra—snow, grizzly bears, tourists, and all. For many of the undergraduates, the two weeks spent in the field was their first experience with field geology. The vast differences in geological experience among the undergraduates proved to be advantageous to the ‘team-teaching’ focus of the program: more experienced undergraduates were able to assist less experienced undergraduates while cementing their own previously gained knowledge about geology. Over the rest of the academic year, undergraduates will learn about the research process and scientific

British Isles Field Experience: An Initiative in International Education.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Martin, William J.

The British Isles Field Experience (BIFE) program was initiated at Williamsport Area Community College (WACC) to provide a group of WACC faculty and staff members with individual and group activities of a personal, professional, and cultural nature in order to promote an international perspective that can be infused into student, collegiate, and…

Computer aided field editing in the DHS context: the Turkey experiment.

PubMed

Cushing, J; Loaiza, E

1994-01-01

"In this study two types of field editing used during the Turkey Demographic and Health Survey are compared. These two types of editing are computer aided field editing and manual editing. It is known that manual editing by field editors is a tedious job in which errors especially on skip questions can be missed; however, with the aid of computers field editors could quickly find all occasions on which an interviewer incorrectly followed a skip instruction. At the end of the experiment it has been found...that the field editing done with the aid of a notebook computer was consistently better than that done in the standard manual manner." (SUMMARY IN TUR) excerpt

Emotional Experience Improves With Age: Evidence Based on Over 10 Years of Experience Sampling

PubMed Central

Carstensen, Laura L.; Turan, Bulent; Scheibe, Susanne; Ram, Nilam; Ersner-Hershfield, Hal; Samanez-Larkin, Gregory R.; Brooks, Kathryn P.; Nesselroade, John R.

2012-01-01

Recent evidence suggests that emotional well-being improves from early adulthood to old age. This study used experience-sampling to examine the developmental course of emotional experience in a representative sample of adults spanning early to very late adulthood. Participants (N = 184, Wave 1; N = 191, Wave 2; N = 178, Wave 3) reported their emotional states at five randomly selected times each day for a one week period. Using a measurement burst design, the one-week sampling procedure was repeated five and then ten years later. Cross-sectional and growth curve analyses indicate that aging is associated with more positive overall emotional well-being, with greater emotional stability and with more complexity (as evidenced by greater co-occurrence of positive and negative emotions). These findings remained robust after accounting for other variables that may be related to emotional experience (personality, verbal fluency, physical health, and demographic variables). Finally, emotional experience predicted mortality; controlling for age, sex, and ethnicity, individuals who experienced relatively more positive than negative emotions in everyday life were more likely to have survived over a 13 year period. Findings are discussed in the theoretical context of socioemotional selectivity theory. PMID:20973600

Reviewing Special Education Teacher Preparation Field Experience Placements, Activities, and Research: Do We Know the Difference Maker?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nagro, Sarah A.; deBettencourt, Laurie U.

2017-01-01

There is a paucity of research on what constitutes an ideal special education field experience, and it is not clear which components or activities within a field experience impact a teacher's growth to the greatest extent. Reviewing past research will assist in categorizing the components typically included in field experiences and may assist in…

Turbulent Dynamo Amplification of Magnetic Fields in Laser-Produced Plasmas: Simulations and Experiments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tzeferacos, P.; Rigby, A.; Bott, A.; Bell, A.; Bingham, R.; Casner, A.; Cattaneo, F.; Churazov, E.; Forest, C.; Katz, J.; Koenig, M.; Li, C.-K.; Meinecke, J.; Petrasso, R.; Park, H.-S.; Remington, B.; Ross, J.; Ryutov, D.; Ryu, D.; Reville, B.; Miniati, F.; Schekochihin, A.; Froula, D.; Lamb, D.; Gregori, G.

2017-10-01

The universe is permeated by magnetic fields, with strengths ranging from a femtogauss in the voids between the filaments of galaxy clusters to several teragauss in black holes and neutron stars. The standard model for cosmological magnetic fields is the nonlinear amplification of seed fields via turbulent dynamo. We have conceived experiments to demonstrate and study the turbulent dynamo mechanism in the laboratory. Here, we describe the design of these experiments through large-scale 3D FLASH simulations on the Mira supercomputer at ANL, and the laser-driven experiments we conducted with the OMEGA laser at LLE. Our results indicate that turbulence is capable of rapidly amplifying seed fields to near equipartition with the turbulent fluid motions. This work was supported in part from the ERC (FP7/2007-2013, No. 256973 and 247039), and the U.S. DOE, Contract No. B591485 to LLNL, FWP 57789 to ANL, Grant No. DE-NA0002724 and DE-SC0016566 to the University of Chicago, and DE-AC02-06CH11357 to ANL.

The electric field structure of auroral arcs as determined from barium plasma injection experiments

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wescott, E. M.

1981-01-01

Barium plasma injection experiments have revealed a number of features of electric fields in and near auroral forms extending from a few hundred to many thousands of km in altitude. There is evidence for V-type potential structures over some auroras, but not in others. For some auroral arcs, large E fields are found at ionospheric altitudes outside the arc but the E field inside the arc is near zero. In a few other auroras, most recently one investigated in an experiment conducted from Poker Flat on March 22, 1980, large, rapidly fluctuating E fields were detected by barium plasma near 600 km altitude. These E fields suggest that the motion of auroral rays can be an effect of low-altitude electric fields, or that V-type potential structures may be found at low altitudes.

Anisotropic diffusion at the field scale in a 4-year multi-tracer diffusion and retention experiment - I: Insights from the experimental data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gimmi, Thomas; Leupin, Olivier X.; Eikenberg, Jost; Glaus, Martin A.; Van Loon, Luc R.; Waber, H. Niklaus; Wersin, Paul; Wang, Hao A. O.; Grolimund, Daniel; Borca, Camelia N.; Dewonck, Sarah; Wittebroodt, Charles

2014-01-01

Claystones are considered worldwide as barrier materials for nuclear waste repositories. In the Mont Terri underground research laboratory (URL), a nearly 4-year diffusion and retention (DR) experiment has been performed in Opalinus Clay. It aimed at (1) obtaining data at larger space and time scales than in laboratory experiments and (2) under relevant in situ conditions with respect to pore water chemistry and mechanical stress, (3) quantifying the anisotropy of in situ diffusion, and (4) exploring possible effects of a borehole-disturbed zone. The experiment included two tracer injection intervals in a borehole perpendicular to bedding, through which traced artificial pore water (APW) was circulated, and a pressure monitoring interval. The APW was spiked with neutral tracers (HTO, HDO, H2O-18), anions (Br, I, SeO4), and cations (Na-22, Ba-133, Sr-85, Cs-137, Co-60, Eu-152, stable Cs, and stable Eu). Most tracers were added at the beginning, some were added at a later stage. The hydraulic pressure in the injection intervals was adjusted according to the measured value in the pressure monitoring interval to ensure transport by diffusion only. Concentration time-series in the APW within the borehole intervals were obtained, as well as 2D concentration distributions in the rock at the end of the experiment after overcoring and subsampling which resulted in ∼250 samples and ∼1300 analyses. As expected, HTO diffused the furthest into the rock, followed by the anions (Br, I, SeO4) and by the cationic sorbing tracers (Na-22, Ba-133, Cs, Cs-137, Co-60, Eu-152). The diffusion of SeO4 was slower than that of Br or I, approximately proportional to the ratio of their diffusion coefficients in water. Ba-133 diffused only into ∼0.1 m during the ∼4 a. Stable Cs, added at a higher concentration than Cs-137, diffused further into the rock than Cs-137, consistent with a non-linear sorption behavior. The rock properties (e.g., water contents) were rather homogeneous at the

Taking Them into the Field: Mathematics Teacher Candidate Learning about Equity-Oriented Teaching Practices in a Mediated Field Experience

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Campbell, Sara Sunshine

2012-01-01

Teacher education programs have been criticized as too theoretical with university courses disconnected from the practical realities of classrooms. This single case study investigates a model of teacher education that worked to bridge the coursework-fieldwork gap in teacher education. The Mediated Field Experience (MFE) is a field experience…

The context of employment discrimination: interpreting the findings of a field experiment.

PubMed

Midtbøen, Arnfinn H

2015-03-01

Although field experiments have documented the contemporary relevance of discrimination in employment, theories developed to explain the dynamics of differential treatment cannot account for differences across organizational and institutional contexts. In this article, I address this shortcoming by presenting the main empirical findings from a multi-method research project, in which a field experiment of ethnic discrimination in the Norwegian labour market was complemented with forty-two in-depth interviews with employers who were observed in the first stage of the study. While the experimental data support earlier findings in documenting that ethnic discrimination indeed takes place, the qualitative material suggests that theorizing in the field experiment literature have been too concerned with individual and intra-psychic explanations. Discriminatory outcomes in employment processes seems to be more dependent on contextual factors such as the number of applications received, whether requirements are specified, and the degree to which recruitment procedures are formalized. I argue that different contexts of employment provide different opportunity structures for discrimination, a finding with important theoretical and methodological implications. © London School of Economics and Political Science 2014.

First Year Experience: How We Can Better Assist First-Year International Students in Higher Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Yan, Zi; Sendall, Patricia

2016-01-01

While many American colleges and universities are providing a First Year Experience (FYE) course or program for their first year students, those programs are not often customized to take into account international students' (IS) unique challenges. Using quantitative and qualitative methods, this study evaluated a FYE course that was customized for…

Identifying Discrimination at Work: The Use of Field Experiments.

PubMed

Pager, Devah; Western, Bruce

2012-06-01

Antidiscrimination law offers protection to workers who have been treated unfairly on the basis of their race, gender, religion, or national origin. In order for these protections to be invoked, however, potential plaintiffs must be aware of and able to document discriminatory treatment. Given the subtlety of contemporary forms of discrimination, it is often difficult to identify discrimination when it has taken place. The methodology of field experiments offers one approach to measuring and detecting hiring discrimination, providing direct observation of discrimination in real-world settings. In this article, we discuss the findings of two recent field experiments measuring racial discrimination in low wage labor markets. This research provides several relevant findings for researchers and those interested in civil rights enforcement: (1) it produces estimates of the rate of discrimination at the point of hire; (2) it yields evidence about the interactions associated with discrimination (many of which reveal the subtlety with which contemporary discrimination is practiced); and (3) it provides a vehicle for both research on and enforcement of antidiscrimination law.

[Ambulatory pediatric surgery: 25 years of experience].

PubMed

González Landa, G; Sánchez-Ruiz, I; Prado, C; Azcona, I; Sánchez, C

2000-10-01

The objectives of this study are: collect 25 years of experience with ambulatory pediatric surgery in The Pediatric Surgery Service of Hospital de Cruces, present the results of a parents-patient satisfaction survey and show the estimated money savings in the last five years. In the period 1973-1997, 19,934 children (56% of the total surgical cases) were operated with ambulatory surgery, and have been grouped in five quinquenia, showing a constant increase of the percentage of ambulatory surgery. General surgery and ENT are the specialities that more frequently uses this type of surgery (72.4% and 68.6% of the surgical cases of each speciality, respectively, in the last ten years). In general surgery inguinal hernia is the most frequent diagnosis with an increase of orchidopexy in the last five years. ENT is doing ambulatory tonsilectomies in the last ten years. The prolonged recovery stay and unanticipated admissions are rare, usually due to vomiting. The parents satisfaction survey shows great acceptancy, although 13% preferred an overnight postoperative stay. The estimated money saved in the last quinquenia has been important.

Field experiment with liquid manure and enhanced biochar

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dunst, Gerald

2017-04-01

Field experiments with low amounts of various liquid manure enhanced biochars. In 2016 a new machine was developed to inject liquid biochar based fertilizer directly into the crop root zone. A large-scale field experiment with corn and oil seed pumpkin was set-up on 42 hectares on 15 different fields in the south East of Austria. Three treatments were compared: (1) surface spreading of liquid manure as control (common practice), (2) 20 cm deep root zone injection with same amount of liquid manure, and (3) 20 cm deep root zone injection with same amount of liquid manure mixed with 1 to 2 tons of various nutrient enhanced biochars. The biochar were quenched with the liquid phase from a separated digestate from a biogas plant (feedstock: cow manure). From May to October nitrate and ammonium content was analyzed monthly from 0-30cm and 30-60cm soil horizons. At the end of the growing season the yield was determined. The root zone injection of the liquid manure reduced the nitrate content during the first two months at 13-16% compared to the control. When the liquid manure was blended with biochar, Nitrate soil content was lowest (reduction 40-47%). On average the root zone injection of manure-biochar increased the yield by 7% compared to the surface applied control and 3% compared to the root zone injected manure without biochar. The results shows, that biochar is able to reduce the Nitrate load in soils and increase the yield of corn at the same time. The nutrient efficiency of organic liquid fertilizers can be increased.

First-Year Practicum Experiences for Preservice Early Childhood Education Teachers Working with Birth-to-3-Year-Olds: An Australasian Experience

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

White, E. Jayne; Peter, Mira; Sims, Margaret; Rockel, Jean; Kumeroa, Maureen

2016-01-01

This article reports on a project, "Collaboration of Universities Pedagogies of Infants' and Toddlers' Development-'down under' (CUPID)," in which the practicum experiences of 1st-year preservice initial teacher education (ITE) students at five universities across Australia and New Zealand (NZ) engaging in early childhood education (ECE)…

Using Magnetic Field Gradients to Simulate Variable Gravity in Fluids and Materials Experiments

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ramachandran, Narayanan

2006-01-01

Fluid flow due to a gravitational field is caused by sedimentation, thermal buoyancy, or solutal buoyancy induced convection. During crystal growth, for example, these flows are undesirable and can lead to crystal imperfections. While crystallization in microgravity can approach diffusion limited growth conditions (no convection), terrestrially strong magnetic fields can be used to control fluid flow and sedimentation effects. In this work, a theory is presented on the stability of solutal convection of a magnetized fluid(weak1y paramagnetic) in the presence of a magnetic field. The requirements for stability are developed and compared to experiments performed within the bore of a superconducting magnet. The theoretical predictions are in good agreement with the experiments. Extension of the technique can also be applied to study artificial gravity requirements for long duration exploration missions. Discussion of this application with preliminary experiments and application of the technique to crystal growth will be provided.

The Hot Serial Cereal Experiment for modeling wheat response to temperature: field experiments and AgMIP-Wheat multi-model simulations

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

The data set reported here includes the part of a Hot Serial Cereal Experiment (HSC) experiment recently used in the AgMIP-Wheat project to analyze the uncertainty of 30 wheat models and quantify their response to temperature. The HSC experiment was conducted in an open-field in a semiarid environme...

Physical barriers formed from gelling liquids: 1. numerical design of laboratory and field experiments

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

Finsterle, S.; Moridis, G.J.; Pruess, K.

1994-01-01

The emplacement of liquids under controlled viscosity conditions is investigated by means of numerical simulations. Design calculations are performed for a laboratory experiment on a decimeter scale, and a field experiment on a meter scale. The purpose of the laboratory experiment is to study the behavior of multiple gout plumes when injected in a porous medium. The calculations for the field trial aim at designing a grout injection test from a vertical well in order to create a grout plume of a significant extent in the subsurface.

A modified Stern-Gerlach experiment using a quantum two-state magnetic field

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Daghigh, Ramin G.; Green, Michael D.; West, Christopher J.

2018-06-01

The Stern-Gerlach experiment has played an important role in our understanding of quantum behavior. We propose and analyze a modified version of this experiment where the magnetic field of the detector is in a quantum superposition, which may be experimentally realized using a superconducting flux qubit. We show that if incident spin-1/2 particles couple with the two-state magnetic field, a discrete target distribution results that resembles the distribution in the classical Stern-Gerlach experiment. As an application of the general result, we compute the distribution for a Gaussian waveform of the incident fermion. This analysis allows us to demonstrate theoretically: (1) the quantization of the intrinsic angular momentum of a spin-1/2 particle, and (2) a correlation between EPR pairs leading to nonlocality, without necessarily collapsing the particle's spin wavefunction.

Electromagnetic Emissions During Rock-fracturing Experiments Inside Magnetic Field Free Space

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, H.; Zhou, J.; Zhu, T.; Jin, H.

2012-12-01

Abnormal electromagnetic emission (EME) signal is one type of the most important precursors before earthquake, which has been widely observed and recorded before large earthquake, but the physical mechanism underlying the phenomenon is unclear and under controversy. Monitoring the EME signals during rock-fracturing experiments in laboratory is an effective way to study the phenomena and their underlying mechanism. Electromagnetic noise is everywhere because industrial and civilian electrical equipments have been widely used, which make difficulties to the in-lab experiments and field monitoring. To avoid the interference from electromagnetic noise, electromagnetic experiments must be carried out inside shielded space. Magnetic Field Free Space (MFFS) was constructed by Institute of Geophysics, China Earthquake Administration in 1980s. MFFS is a near-spherical polyhedron 'space' with 26 faces and inside diameter about 2.3 m. It is enclosed by 8-layer permalloy 1J85 for shielding magnetic field and 2-layer purified aluminium for shielding electric field. MFFS mainly shields static magnetic field by a factor of 160-4000 for the magnetic signals with the frequencies ranging from 0.01 Hz to 10 Hz. The intensity of magnetic field inside the space is less than 20 nT and its fluctuation is less than 0.3 nT in 90 hours. MFFS can dramatically shield EME signals in the frequency range of EME antennas utilized in our experiments, (several to ~320) kHz, by at least 90%, based on observation. Rock specimens (granite, marble) were fractured by two ways inside MFFS. 1) Cuboid bulk specimens were drilled, filled with static cracking agent, and then dilated from inside until fracture. 2) Cylindrical rock specimens were stressed until fracture by using a non-magnetic rock testing machine with the maximum testing force 300kN. EME, acoustic emission (AE) and strain signals were collected synchronously by the same data acquisitor, Acoustic Emission Workstation made by Physical Acoustics

Which Field Experiences Best Prepare Future School Leaders? An Analysis of Kentucky's Principal Preparation Program

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dodson, Richard L.

2014-01-01

This paper examines the effectiveness of field experiences in preparing school principals for the exigencies of the job. Current school principals throughout Kentucky were surveyed regarding their perceptions of the utility and comparative effectiveness of field experiences in the principal preparation program (PPP) each attended. Surveys were…

Boltzmann analyses of swarm experiments over the years

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pitchford, Leanne

2013-09-01

Art Phelps was one of the ``grand old men'' in field of gaseous electronics. He was a graduate student when the GEC got started and he attended almost all of the meetings over the years. During his remarkably long career, he produced a number of the classic papers in our field as a glance at Web of Science will show. Art was my mentor and friend, and I had the privilege of working with him for many years on various topics related mainly to electron scattering and transport in weakly ionized gases. In this talk, I will discuss the originality of some of his early work on these subjects in the context of their times, focusing in particular on his publications from the mid-1960's with his colleagues from Westinghouse Research Laboratories. These report the first numerical solutions of the Boltzmann equation for electrons, to my knowledge, and they inspired much subsequent work related to the extraction of quantitative information about low-energy electron scatting with simple gases from measurements of macroscopic parameters (mobility, diffusion,..). I will outline some of the work he and I did together in this topical area using more sophisticated numerical techniques. This and other work in the field eventually led to the establishment of the ongoing GEC Plasma Data Exchange Project which now involves a number of people (the LXCat team), as discussed in Tuesday's workshop. The LXCat team had completed work on noble gases and had just started working on evaluations of cross sections for simple molecules when Art died. We are fortunate to have had his involvement on these projects. Art had ideas for future work in these areas, and some are included in a long e-mail message from Art a couple of years ago that I will share because it includes some suggestions [to the community] for future work.

Laboratory Experiment of Magnetic Reconnection between Merging Flux Tubes with Strong Guide FIeld

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Inomoto, M.; Kamio, S.; Kuwahata, A.; Ono, Y.

2013-12-01

Magnetic reconnection governs variety of energy release events in the universe, such as solar flares, geomagnetic substorms, and sawtooth crash in laboratory nuclear fusion experiments. Differently from the classical steady reconnection models, non-steady behavior of magnetic reconnection is often observed. In solar flares, intermittent enhancement of HXR emission is observed synchronously with multiple ejection of plammoids [1]. In laboratory reconnection experiments, the existence of the guide field, that is perpendicular to the reconnection field, makes significant changes on reconnection process. Generally the guide field will slow down the reconnection rate due to the increased magnetic pressure inside the current sheet. It also brings about asymmetric structure of the separatrices or effective particle acceleration in collisionless conditions. We have conducted laboratory experiments to study the behavior of the guide-field magnetic reconnection using plasma merging technique (push reconnection). Under substantial guide field even larger than the reconnection field, the reconnection generally exhibits non-steady feature which involves intermittent detachment of X-point and reconnection current center[2]. Transient enhancement of reconnection rate is observed simultaneously with the X-point motion[3]. We found two distinct phenomena associated with the guide-field non-steady reconnection. The one is the temporal and localized He II emission from X-point region, suggesting the production of energetic electrons which could excite the He ions in the vicinity of the X-point. The other is the excitation of large-amplitude electromagnetic waves which have similar properties with kinetic Alfven waves, whose amplitude show positive correlation with the enhancement of the reconnection electric field[4]. Electron beam instability caused by the energetic electrons accelerated to more than twice of the electron thermal velocity could be a potential driver of the

Field Evaluation of Highly Insulating Windows in the Lab Homes: Winter Experiment

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

Parker, Graham B.; Widder, Sarah H.; Bauman, Nathan N.

2012-06-01

This field evaluation of highly insulating windows was undertaken in a matched pair of 'Lab Homes' located on the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) campus during the 2012 winter heating season. Improving the insulation and solar heat gain characteristics of a home's windows has the potential to significantly improve the home's building envelope and overall thermal performance by reducing heat loss (in the winter), and cooling loss and solar heat gain (in the summer) through the windows. A high quality installation and/or window retrofit will also minimize or reduce air leakage through the window cavity and thus also contribute tomore » reduced heat loss in the winter and cooling loss in the summer. These improvements all contribute to decreasing overall annual home energy use. Occupant comfort (non-quantifiable) can also be increased by minimizing or eliminating the cold 'draft' (temperature) many residents experience at or near window surfaces that are at a noticeably lower temperature than the room air temperature. Lastly, although not measured in this experiment, highly insulating windows (triple-pane in this experiment) also have the potential to significantly reduce the noise transmittance through windows compared to standard double-pane windows. The metered data taken in the Lab Homes and data analysis presented here represent 70 days of data taken during the 2012 heating season. As such, the savings from highly insulating windows in the experimental home (Lab Home B) compared to the standard double-pane clear glass windows in the baseline home (Lab Home A) are only a portion of the energy savings expected from a year-long experiment that would include a cooling season. The cooling season experiment will take place in the homes in the summer of 2012, and results of that experiment will be reported in a subsequent report available to all stakeholders.« less

Biochar-manure compost in conjunction with pyroligneous solution alleviated salt stress and improved leaf bioactivity of maize in a saline soil from central China: a 2-year field experiment.

PubMed

Lashari, Muhammad Siddique; Ye, Yingxin; Ji, Haishi; Li, Lianqing; Kibue, Grace Wanjiru; Lu, Haifei; Zheng, Jufeng; Pan, Genxing

2015-04-01

Salinity is a major stress threatening crop production in dry lands. A 2-year field experiment was conducted to assess the potential of a biochar product to alleviate salt-stress to a maize crop in a saline soil. The soil was amended with a compost at 12 t ha(-1) of wheat straw biochar and poultry manure compost (BPC), and a diluted pyroligneous solution (PS) at 0.15 t ha(-1) (BPC-PS). Changes in soil salinity and plant performance, leaf bioactivity were examined in the first (BPC-PS1) and second (BPC-PS2) year following a single amendment. While soil salinity significantly decreased, there were large increases in leaf area index, plant performance, and maize grain yield, with a considerable decrease in leaf electrolyte leakage when grown in amendments. Maize leaf sap nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium increased while sodium and chloride decreased, leaf bioactivity related to osmotic stress was significantly improved following the treatments. These effects were generally greater in the second than in the first year. A combined amendment of crop straw biochar with manure compost plus pyroligneous solution could help combat salinity stress to maize and improve productivity in saline croplands in arid/semi-arid regions threatened increasingly by global climate change. © 2014 Society of Chemical Industry.

Polyurethane-covered mammary implants: a 12-year experience.

PubMed

Gasperoni, C; Salgarello, M; Gargani, G

1992-10-01

Polyurethane-covered mammary implants are the implants of choice in aesthetic and reconstructive mammary surgery. These implants give very good results in regard to breast contour and consistency, and have a very low complication rate. We present our 12-year experience using polyurethane-covered prostheses. We place the implant mostly in the subglandular or subcutaneous site, and their capsular contracture rate is extremely low (3.3%). Based on our experience, we also review the other complications and side effects occurring with polyurethane prostheses and discuss them in detail.

Students with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD): The First-Year Postsecondary Educational Experience

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Shook Torres, Elizabeth

2014-01-01

This study utilized a qualitative case study interview methodology to explore the transition to postsecondary education and first-year postsecondary educational experiences of four students with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD). This research provided a comprehensive understanding of the first-year postsecondary educational experience of the…

Controlling stray electric fields on an atom chip for experiments on Rydberg atoms

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Davtyan, D.; Machluf, S.; Soudijn, M. L.; Naber, J. B.; van Druten, N. J.; van Linden van den Heuvell, H. B.; Spreeuw, R. J. C.

2018-02-01

Experiments handling Rydberg atoms near surfaces must necessarily deal with the high sensitivity of Rydberg atoms to (stray) electric fields that typically emanate from adsorbates on the surface. We demonstrate a method to modify and reduce the stray electric field by changing the adsorbate distribution. We use one of the Rydberg excitation lasers to locally affect the adsorbed dipole distribution. By adjusting the averaged exposure time we change the strength (with the minimal value less than 0.2 V /cm at 78 μ m from the chip) and even the sign of the perpendicular field component. This technique is a useful tool for experiments handling Rydberg atoms near surfaces, including atom chips.

Evaluation of Fast-Time Wake Models Using Denver 2006 Field Experiment Data

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ahmad, Nash’at N.; Pruis, Matthew J.

2015-01-01

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration conducted a series of wake vortex field experiments at Denver in 2003, 2005, and 2006. This paper describes the lidar wake vortex measurements and associated meteorological data collected during the 2006 deployment, and includes results of recent reprocessing of the lidar data using a new wake vortex algorithm and estimates of the atmospheric turbulence using a new algorithm to estimate eddy dissipation rate from the lidar data. The configuration and set-up of the 2006 field experiment allowed out-of-ground effect vortices to be tracked in lateral transport further than any previous campaign and thereby provides an opportunity to study long-lived wake vortices in moderate to low crosswinds. An evaluation of NASA's fast-time wake vortex transport and decay models using the dataset shows similar performance as previous studies using other field data.

The UoSAT-5 solar cell experiment: First year in orbit

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Goodbody, C.

1993-01-01

The results for the first year in orbit of the DRA solar cell experiment flying on the Surrey University UoSAT-5 satellite are described. Several problems were identified with the measured data, which are discussed along with the techniques used to remove or minimize the effect of the problems. After 1 year in orbit the majority of the cells flying on the experiment have undergone little or no degradation. The exception to this are all the ITO/InP cells, supplied by two different manufacturers, they are showing more degradation than the GaAs cells. This result is unexpected and currently unexplainable. It will be necessary to retrieve data from the experiment for several years to obtain the best results due to the relatively benign radiation environment.

15-Year-Experience of a Knee Arthroscopist

PubMed Central

Tatari, Mehmet Hasan; Bektaş, Yunus Emre; Demirkıran, Demirhan; Ellidokuz, Hülya

2014-01-01

Objectives: Arthroscopic knee surgery is a an experience-demanding procedure throughout diagnostic and reconstructive parts. Altough the literature says that there must be no need for diagnostic arthroscopy today, most arthroscopic surgeons have gained experience and developed themselves by the help of diagnostic arthroscopy and some basic procedures like debridement and lavage. The purpose of this study was to observe what happenned in the 15-year-experience of an orthopaedic surgeon who deals with knee arthroscopy. The hypothesis was that the mean age of the patients, who have undergone arthroscopic procedures, would decrease, and the percentage of the diagnostic and debridement applications would diminish and reconstructive procedures would increase. Methods: For this purpose, 959 patients who have undergone knee arthroscopy in 15 years, were evaluated retrospectively. The gender, age, operation year and the procedure applied for the patients were enrolled on an Excel file. Chi-Square test was used for statistical evaluation. The patients were divided into three groups according to the year they were operated. Period 1 included the patients who were operated between the years 1999-2003, Period 2 between 2004-2008 and Period 3 between 2009-2013. According to their ages, the patients were evaluated in three groups; Group 1 included the patients ≤ 25 years old while Group 2 between 26-40 and Group 3 ≥ 41. Arthroscopic procedures were evaluated in three groups: Group X: meniscectomy, chondral debridement, lavage, synoviectomy, loose body removal. Group Y: ACL and PCL reconstruction, meniscal repair. Group Z: Microfracture, lateral release, meniscal normalization, second look arthroscopy, diagnostic arthroscopy before osteotomy. Results: Among all patients, 60 % was male and Group 3 (45.4 %) was the larger group in population. The procedures in Group X were used in most of the operations ( 59.2 %). The population of the patients in the periods increased gradually

Enabling Field Experiences in Introductory Geoscience Classes through the Use of Immersive Virtual Reality

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Moysey, S. M.; Smith, E.; Sellers, V.; Wyant, P.; Boyer, D. M.; Mobley, C.; Brame, S.

2015-12-01

Although field experiences are an important aspect of geoscience education, the opportunity to provide physical world experiences to large groups of introductory students is often limited by access, logistical, and financial constraints. Our project (NSF IUSE 1504619) is investigating the use of immersive virtual reality (VR) technologies as a surrogate for real field experiences in introductory geosciences classes. We are developing a toolbox that leverages innovations in the field of VR, including the Oculus Rift and Google Cardboard, to enable every student in an introductory geology classroom the opportunity to have a first-person virtual field experience in the Grand Canyon. We have opted to structure our VR experience as an interactive game where students must explore the Canyon to accomplish a series of tasks designed to emphasize key aspects of geoscience learning. So far we have produced two demo products for the virtual field trip. The first is a standalone "Rock Box" app developed for the iPhone, which allows students to select different rock samples, examine them in 3D, and obtain basic information about the properties of each sample. The app can act as a supplement to the traditional rock box used in physical geology labs. The second product is a fully functioning VR environment for the Grand Canyon developed using satellite-based topographic and imagery data to retain real geologic features within the experience. Players can freely navigate to explore anywhere they desire within the Canyon, but are guided to points of interest where they are able to complete exercises that will be aligned with specific learning goals. To this point we have integrated elements of the "Rock Box" app within the VR environment, allowing players to examine 3D details of rock samples they encounter within the Grand Canyon. We plan to provide demos of both products and obtain user feedback during our presentation.

Near-Field to Far-Field Uncertainty Propagation and Quantification of Ground Motions Generated by the Source Physics Experiments (SPE)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Antoun, T.; Ezzedine, S. M.; Vorobiev, O.; Pitarka, A.; Hurley, R.; Hirakawa, E. T.; Glenn, L.; Walter, W. R.

2016-12-01

LLNL has developed a framework for uncertainty propagation and quantification using HPC numerical codes to simulate end-to-end, from source to receivers, the ground motions observed during the Source Physics Experiments (SPE) conducted in fractured granitic rock at the Nevada National Security Site (NNSS). SPE includes six underground chemical explosions designed with different yields initiated at different depths. To date we have successfully applied this framework to explain the near-field shear motions observed in the vicinity of SPE3 thru SPE5. However, systematic uncertainty propagation to the far-field seismic receiver has not been addressed yet. In the current study, we used a coupling between the non-linear inelastic hydrodynamic regime in the near-field and the seismic elastic regime in the far-field to conduct the analysis. Several realizations of the stochastic discrete fracture network were generated conditional to the observed sparse data. These realizations were then used to calculate the ground motions generated from the SPE shots up to the elastic radius. The latter serves as the handshake interface for the far-field simulations. By creating several realizations of near-field responses one can embed those sources into the far-field elastic wave code and further the uncertainty propagation to the receivers. We will present a full assessment from end-to-end for the near- and far-field measurements. Separate analyses of the effect of the different conceptual geological models are also carried over using a nested Monte Carlo scheme. We compare the observed frequency content at several gages with the simulated ones. We conclude that both regions experience different sampling of frequencies: small features are relevant to near-field simulations while larger feature are more dominant at the far-field. We finally rank the primary sensitive parameters for both regions to drive and refine the field characterization data collection.

Situating Second-Year Success: Understanding Second-Year STEM Experiences at a Liberal Arts College

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gregg-Jolly, Leslie; Swartz, Jim; Iverson, Ellen; Stern, Joyce; Brown, Narren; Lopatto, David

2016-01-01

Challenges particular to second-year students have been identified that can impact persistence in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields. We implemented a program to improve student success in intermediate-level science courses by helping students to feel they belonged and could succeed in STEM. We used survey measures of…

Magnetic field experiment on the SUNSAT satellite

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kotzé, P. B.; Langenhoven, B.; Risbo, T.

2002-03-01

On Tuesday 23 February 1999, at 10:29 UTC, SUNSAT was launched into an 857×655 km, 96.47° polar orbit on a Boeing-Delta II rocket from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California, USA. Both SUNSAT and Ørsted were NASA-sponsored secondary payloads accompanying the USA Air Force Argos satellite. In the process it became South Africa's (and Africa's) first satellite in space. Although sponsored by several private industrial organisations, it is essentially a student project with more than 96 graduate students in the Department of Electronic and Electrical Engineering at the University of Stellenbosch providing the majority of SUNSAT's engineering development and operation since 1992. This paper reports on the magnetic field experiment on board the Sunsat satellite, consisting of two fluxgate magnetometers, called Orimag and Scimag, both built and calibrated by the Hermanus Magnetic Observatory. Orimag is mainly used for orientation control purposes on SUNSAT, while Scimag, mounted on a boom of 2.2 m is designed to perform geomagnetic field observations, employing standard navigation fluxgate technology.

Field experiment on CO2 back-production at the Ketzin pilot site

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Martens, Sonja; Möller, Fabian; Schmidt-Hattenberger, Cornelia; Streibel, Martin; Szizybalski, Alexandra; Liebscher, Axel

2015-04-01

The operational phase of the Ketzin pilot site for geological CO2 storage in Germany started in June 2008 and ended in August 2013. Over the period of approximately five years, a total amount of 67 kt of CO2 was successfully injected into a saline aquifer (Upper Triassic sandstone) at a depth of 630 m - 650 m. The CO2 used was mainly of food grade quality. In addition, 1.5 kt of CO2 from the pilot capture facility "Schwarze Pumpe" (lignite power plant CO2) was used in 2011. At the end of the injection period, 32 t N2 and 613 t CO2 were co-injected during a four-week field test in July and August 2013. In October 2014, a field experiment was carried out at Ketzin with the aim to back-produce parts of the injected CO2 during a two-week period. This experiment addressed two main questions: (i) How do reservoir and wellbore behave during back-production of CO2? and (ii) What is the composition of the CO2 and the co-produced formation fluid? The back-production was carried out through the former injection well. It was conducted continuously over the first week and with an alternating regime including production during day-time and shut-ins during night-time in the second week. During the test, a total amount of 240 t of CO2 and 57 m3 of brine were safely back-produced from the reservoir. Production rates up to 3,200 kg/h - which corresponds to the former highest injection rate - could be tested. Vital monitoring parameters included production rates of CO2 and brine, wellhead and bottomhole pressure and temperature at the production and observation wells and distributed temperature sensing (DTS) along the production well. A permanently installed geoelectrical array was used for crosshole electrical resistivity tomography (ERT) monitoring of the reservoir. Formation fluid and gas samples were collected and analysed. The measured compositions allow studying the geochemical interactions between CO2, formation fluid and rocks under in-situ conditions The field experiment

Plot-scale field experiment of surface hydrologic processes with EOS implications

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Laymon, Charles A.; Macari, Emir J.; Costes, Nicholas C.

1992-01-01

Plot-scale hydrologic field studies were initiated at NASA Marshall Space Flight Center to a) investigate the spatial and temporal variability of surface and subsurface hydrologic processes, particularly as affected by vegetation, and b) develop experimental techniques and associated instrumentation methodology to study hydrologic processes at increasingly large spatial scales. About 150 instruments, most of which are remotely operated, have been installed at the field site to monitor ground atmospheric conditions, precipitation, interception, soil-water status, and energy flux. This paper describes the nature of the field experiment, instrumentation and sampling rationale, and presents preliminary findings.

Acoustic experience shapes female mate choice in field crickets

PubMed Central

Bailey, Nathan W; Zuk, Marlene

2008-01-01

Female choice can drive the evolution of extravagant male traits. In invertebrates, the influence of prior social experience on female choice has only recently been considered. To better understand the evolutionary implications of experience-mediated plasticity in female choice, we investigated the effect of acoustic experience during rearing on female responsiveness to male song in the field cricket Teleogryllus oceanicus. Acoustic experience has unique biological relevance in this species: a morphological mutation has rendered over 90 per cent of males on the Hawaiian island of Kauai silent in fewer than 20 generations, impeding females' abilities to locate potential mates. Females reared in silent conditions mimicking Kauai were less discriminating of male calling song and more responsive to playbacks, compared with females that experienced song during rearing. Our results to our knowledge, are the first demonstration of long-term effects of acoustic experience in an arthropod, and suggest that female T. oceanicus may be able to compensate for the reduced availability of long-range male sexual signals by increasing their responsiveness to the few remaining signallers. Understanding the adaptive significance of experience-mediated plasticity in female choice provides insight into processes that facilitate rapid evolutionary change and shape sexual selection pressure in natural populations. PMID:18700205

Comparison and modeling of effects of normal and reduced precipitation supply in field experiment with spring barley

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pohanková, Eva; Orság, Matěj; Fischer, Milan; Hlavinka, Petr

2015-04-01

This paper evaluates two-year (2013 and 2014) results of field experiments with spring barley (cultivar Bojos) under reduced precipitation supply. The field experiments were carried out at the experimental station in Domanínek (Czech Republic; 49°31,470'N, 16°14,400'E, altitude 530 m a.s.l.) and conducted by Institute of Agrosystems and bioclimatology at Mendel Univerzity in Brno in cooperation with Global Change Research Centre AS CR. The field experiments consisted of small plots in two variants and three repetitions. The first variant was uncovered the second was partially covered to exclude rain through out the whole vegetation season. For the partial covering of the plot, a material which transmits solar radiation and diverts rainwater away from the percentage coverage of the plots was used. In 2013, the covered area of the experimental plot was 30%, and in 2014, it was 70%. The main aim was to determine whether there are any differences in the spring barley's development, growth and yield in the uncovered and the partially covered plots, and a comparison of the results. Firstly, differences of key parameters (seasonal dynamics of the leaf area index and above ground biomass, soil water content, yield components and yields) compared; secondly, the results of the field experiments served as input data for the crop growth model DAISY. Subsequently, the crop growth model' ability to simulate crop growth and crop development which were affected by the drought stress was explored. The results were assessed using the following statistical indexes: root mean square error (RMSE) and mean bias error (MBE). This study was funded by project "Building up a multidisciplinary scientific team focused on drought" No. CZ.1.07/2.3.00/20.0248, NAZV-JPI - project supported by Czech National Agency of Agricultural Research No. QJ1310123 "Crop modelling as a tool for increasing the production potential and food security of the Czech Republic under Climate Change" and project LD

Introducing Ocean Science Research to Two-Year College (2YC) Students Through Inquiry-Based Experiences

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gamage, K. R.

2016-02-01

An effective approach to introduce 2YC students to ocean science research is through propagating inquiry-based experiences into existing geosciences courses using a series of research activities. The proposed activity is based on scientific ocean drilling, where students begin their research experience (pre-field activity) by reading articles from scientific journals and analyzing and interpreting core and log data on a specific research topic. At the end of the pre-field activity, students will visit the Gulf Coast Repository to examine actual cores, smear slides, thin sections etc. After the visit, students will integrate findings from their pre-field and field activities to produce a term paper. These simple activities allow students to experience in the iterative process of scientific research, illuminates how scientists approach ocean science, and can be the hook to get students interested in pursuing ocean science as a career.

Survival and Competitiveness of Bradyrhizobium japonicum Strains 20 Years after Introduction into Field Locations in Poland

PubMed Central

Narożna, Dorota; Pudełko, Krzysztof; Króliczak, Joanna; Golińska, Barbara; Sugawara, Masayuki; Mądrzak, Cezary J.

2015-01-01

It was previously demonstrated that there are no indigenous strains of Bradyrhizobium japonicum forming nitrogen-fixing root nodule symbioses with soybean plants in arable field soils in Poland. However, bacteria currently classified within this species are present (together with Bradyrhizobium canariense) as indigenous populations of strains specific for nodulation of legumes in the Genisteae tribe. These rhizobia, infecting legumes such as lupins, are well established in Polish soils. The studies described here were based on soybean nodulation field experiments, established at the Poznań University of Life Sciences Experiment Station in Gorzyń, Poland, and initiated in the spring of 1994. Long-term research was then conducted in order to study the relation between B. japonicum USDA 110 and USDA 123, introduced together into the same location, where no soybean rhizobia were earlier detected, and nodulation and competitive success were followed over time. Here we report the extra-long-term saprophytic survival of B. japonicum strains nodulating soybeans that were introduced as inoculants 20 years earlier and where soybeans were not grown for the next 17 years. The strains remained viable and symbiotically competent, and molecular and immunochemical methods showed that the strains were undistinguishable from the original inoculum strains USDA 110 and USDA 123. We also show that the strains had balanced numbers and their mobility in soil was low. To our knowledge, this is the first report showing the extra-long-term persistence of soybean-nodulating strains introduced into Polish soils and the first analyzing the long-term competitive relations of USDA 110 and USDA 123 after the two strains, neither of which was native, were introduced into the environment almost 2 decades ago. PMID:26048934

The Senior Year Experience. Facilitating Integration, Reflection, Closure, and Transition.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gardner, John N.; Van der Veer, Gretchen

The theme of this collection of 17 monographs is defined as the "senior year experience," that final period of the undergraduate experience leading to entry into graduate school or the workplace. Part 1, "Understanding the Unique Needs of Today's Seniors," examines the characteristics and needs of senior as they make the…

Teaching Students to "Cook": Promoting Writing in the First Year Experience Course

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Eberly, Charlene; Trand, Patsy A. Self

2010-01-01

This paper is a continuation of a previous article, "Teaching Students to "Cook": Promoting Reading in the First Year Experience Course," The Learning Assistance Review 14 (2), on the importance of teaching critical thinking through the foundational skills of analytical reading and writing within the First Year Experience (FYE)…

Suggestions for Implementing First Year Experience Learning Communities in Teacher Education Programs

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hintz, Kathryn; Genareo, Vincent

2017-01-01

This article describes the creation of a First Year Experience learning community in a teacher education program. The First Year Experience model was adopted by the university because of declining enrollment, retention, and graduation rates and has been generally successful in the education department. With little information available for teacher…

Multibar sawless lint cleaner: fiber quality analysis after 3rd year of field testing

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

After two years of field testing a prototype spiked-tooth lint cleaner, the Multibar Sawless Lint Cleaner (MBSLC), a final year of field evaluation was conducted at commercial cotton gin in West Texas located approximately 30 miles Southwest of Lubbock, Texas.The cotton lint cleaner was tested in a ...

Psychology as Field Experience: Impact on Attitudes Toward Social Interventions.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Snellman, Lynn A.; And Others

An innovation in the teaching of undergraduate psychology courses is the implementation of a field experience that gives students the opportunity to apply newly learned skills and knowledge in a community setting. Changes in undergraduates' attitudes toward various delinquency interventions were examined as a result of participation in a…

The first ISLSCP field experiment (FIFE). [International Satellite Land Surface Climatology Project

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sellers, P. J.; Hall, F. G.; Asrar, G.; Strebel, D. E.; Murphy, R. E.

1988-01-01

The background and planning of the first International Satellite Land Surface Climatology Project (ISLSCP) field experiment (FIFE) are discussed. In FIFE, the NOAA series of satellites and GOES will be used to provide a moderate-temporal resolution coarse-spatial resolution data set, with SPOT and aircraft data providing the high-spatial resolution pointable-instrument capability. The paper describes the experiment design, the measurement strategy, the configuration of the site of the experiment (which will be at and around the Konza prairie near Manhattan, Kansas), and the experiment's operations and execution.

First Year Experience for At-Risk College Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Connolly, Sara; Flynn, Ellen E.; Jemmott, Jill; Oestreicher, Edina

2017-01-01

In this study, we explored whether a uniquely designed First Year Experience (FYE) class for newly admitted at-risk college students would increase academic success; help students avoid academic probation; and increase retention for the following semester. Participants included 40 students (75% African Americans, 20% Hispanic Americans, and 5%…

Integration of Field Geophysics and Geology in an International Setting: Multidisciplinary Geoscience Field Experience at the University of Western Ontario

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Brenders, A. J.; Banerjee, N.; Pratt, R. G.

2010-12-01

The pedagogical value of the field experience is unequaled: students, teaching assistants, and professors alike return with a renewed sense of purpose, community, and the context in which to place classroom education. It is widely regarded as valuable to personal development, and is required by the Canadian Council of Professional Geoscientists for professional registration. As part of our ongoing International Geoscience Field Experience Initiative, Earth Sciences students at the University of Western Ontario have the opportunity to enhance their education through a study abroad program. The focus is on a residential field experience to world-class localities, offered with the collaboration of internationally recognized academic researchers, government survey personnel, and industry leaders. Recent trips have included the Sn-W mineralization in the Cornwall district of the U.K., the Iberian Pyrite Belt (IPB) in Portugal and Spain, and the metallogenic belts of Western Turkey. The integration of geological knowledge with geophysical data was one of the key organizing principles of our recent field trips to the IPB and Western Turkey. This integration is a foundation of modern Earth Sciences, and common practice in industry, it is relatively rare in classroom settings. Lectures before departure and evening exercises during the field trip supplemented the core undergraduate curriculum in geophysics, reviewing gravity, DC resistivity, induced polarization (IP), and magnetotelluric methods, focusing on application to mineral exploration. During our trip to the IPB, partnership with industry allowed students the opportunity to work with state of the art geophysical data, acquired on an exploration prospect visited during the field trip. Multi-parameter geophysical inversions of the IP and MT data produced cross-sections in depth - results interpretable by the students in the complex geological environment of the Iberian Pyrite Belt. Although the students gained valuable

Experiences of Sexuality Six Years After Stroke: A Qualitative Study.

PubMed

Nilsson, Marie I; Fugl-Meyer, Kerstin; von Koch, Lena; Ytterberg, Charlotte

2017-06-01

Little is known about the long-term consequences of stroke on sexuality, and studies on how individuals with stroke communicate with health care professionals about information and/or interventions on sexuality are even sparser. To explore experiences of sexuality 6 years after stroke, including communication with health care professionals concerning sexuality. This qualitative study was based on data collected by semistructured interviews with 12 informants 43 to 81 years old 6 years after stroke. Interviews were recorded and transcribed verbatim and thematic analysis was performed. The analysis resulted in the following three themes. Not exclusively negative experiences in sexuality after stroke: Most informants experienced some change in their sexual life from before their stroke. Decreased sexual interest and function were ascribed to decreased sensibility, post-stroke pain, or fatigue. Some informants reported positive changes in sexuality, which were attributed to feelings of increased intimacy. Individual differences and variability on how to handle sexuality after stroke: Different strategies were used to manage unwanted negative changes such as actively trying to adapt by planning time with the partner and decreasing pressure or stress. Open communication about sexuality with one's partner also was described as important. Strikingly, most informants with negative experiences of sexual life attributed these to age or a stage in life and not to the stroke or health issues. Furthermore, they compared themselves with others without stroke but with changes in sexuality, thus achieving a sense of normality. Communication and counseling concerning sexuality-many unmet needs: Experiences of communication with health care professionals varied. Very few informants had received any information or discussed sexuality with health care professionals during the 6 years since the stroke, although such needs were identified by most informants. When encountering individuals

Proving and Improving: Strategies for Assessing the First College Year. The First-Year Experience Monograph Series.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Swing, Randy L., Ed.

The essays in this collection, initially written for an online audience, focus on the philosophy, methods, and outcomes of assessing the first-year experience of college students. Several recurrent themes highlight general agreement about best practices in first-year assessment, but the collection contains some differences of opinion also. The…

Pushing precipitation to the extremes in distributed experiments: Recommendations for simulating wet and dry years

USGS Publications Warehouse

Knapp, Alan K.; Avolio, Meghan L.; Beier, Claus; Carroll, Charles J.W.; Collins, Scott L.; Dukes, Jeffrey S.; Fraser, Lauchlan H.; Griffin-Nolan, Robert J.; Hoover, David L.; Jentsch, Anke; Loik, Michael E.; Phillips, Richard P.; Post, Alison K.; Sala, Osvaldo E.; Slette, Ingrid J.; Yahdjian, Laura; Smith, Melinda D.

2017-01-01

Intensification of the global hydrological cycle, ranging from larger individual precipitation events to more extreme multiyear droughts, has the potential to cause widespread alterations in ecosystem structure and function. With evidence that the incidence of extreme precipitation years (defined statistically from historical precipitation records) is increasing, there is a clear need to identify ecosystems that are most vulnerable to these changes and understand why some ecosystems are more sensitive to extremes than others. To date, opportunistic studies of naturally occurring extreme precipitation years, combined with results from a relatively small number of experiments, have provided limited mechanistic understanding of differences in ecosystem sensitivity, suggesting that new approaches are needed. Coordinated distributed experiments (CDEs) arrayed across multiple ecosystem types and focused on water can enhance our understanding of differential ecosystem sensitivity to precipitation extremes, but there are many design challenges to overcome (e.g., cost, comparability, standardization). Here, we evaluate contemporary experimental approaches for manipulating precipitation under field conditions to inform the design of ‘Drought-Net’, a relatively low-cost CDE that simulates extreme precipitation years. A common method for imposing both dry and wet years is to alter each ambient precipitation event. We endorse this approach for imposing extreme precipitation years because it simultaneously alters other precipitation characteristics (i.e., event size) consistent with natural precipitation patterns. However, we do not advocate applying identical treatment levels at all sites – a common approach to standardization in CDEs. This is because precipitation variability varies >fivefold globally resulting in a wide range of ecosystem-specific thresholds for defining extreme precipitation years. For CDEs focused on precipitation extremes, treatments should be based

Pushing precipitation to the extremes in distributed experiments: recommendations for simulating wet and dry years.

PubMed

Knapp, Alan K; Avolio, Meghan L; Beier, Claus; Carroll, Charles J W; Collins, Scott L; Dukes, Jeffrey S; Fraser, Lauchlan H; Griffin-Nolan, Robert J; Hoover, David L; Jentsch, Anke; Loik, Michael E; Phillips, Richard P; Post, Alison K; Sala, Osvaldo E; Slette, Ingrid J; Yahdjian, Laura; Smith, Melinda D

2017-05-01

Intensification of the global hydrological cycle, ranging from larger individual precipitation events to more extreme multiyear droughts, has the potential to cause widespread alterations in ecosystem structure and function. With evidence that the incidence of extreme precipitation years (defined statistically from historical precipitation records) is increasing, there is a clear need to identify ecosystems that are most vulnerable to these changes and understand why some ecosystems are more sensitive to extremes than others. To date, opportunistic studies of naturally occurring extreme precipitation years, combined with results from a relatively small number of experiments, have provided limited mechanistic understanding of differences in ecosystem sensitivity, suggesting that new approaches are needed. Coordinated distributed experiments (CDEs) arrayed across multiple ecosystem types and focused on water can enhance our understanding of differential ecosystem sensitivity to precipitation extremes, but there are many design challenges to overcome (e.g., cost, comparability, standardization). Here, we evaluate contemporary experimental approaches for manipulating precipitation under field conditions to inform the design of 'Drought-Net', a relatively low-cost CDE that simulates extreme precipitation years. A common method for imposing both dry and wet years is to alter each ambient precipitation event. We endorse this approach for imposing extreme precipitation years because it simultaneously alters other precipitation characteristics (i.e., event size) consistent with natural precipitation patterns. However, we do not advocate applying identical treatment levels at all sites - a common approach to standardization in CDEs. This is because precipitation variability varies >fivefold globally resulting in a wide range of ecosystem-specific thresholds for defining extreme precipitation years. For CDEs focused on precipitation extremes, treatments should be based on

Effectiveness of subsidies in promoting healthy food purchases and consumption: a review of field experiments.

PubMed

An, Ruopeng

2013-07-01

To systematically review evidence from field interventions on the effectiveness of monetary subsidies in promoting healthier food purchases and consumption. Keyword and reference searches were conducted in five electronic databases: Cochrane Library, EconLit, MEDLINE, PsycINFO and Web of Science. Studies were included based on the following criteria: (i) intervention: field experiments; (ii) population: adolescents 12–17 years old or adults 18 years and older; (iii) design: randomized controlled trials, cohort studies or pre–post studies; (iv) subsidy: price discounts or vouchers for healthier foods; (v) outcome: food purchases or consumption; (vi) period: 1990–2012; and (vii) language: English. Twenty-four articles on twenty distinct experiments were included with study quality assessed using predefined methodological criteria. Interventions were conducted in seven countries: the USA (n 14), Canada (n 1), France (n 1), Germany (n 1), Netherlands (n 1), South Africa (n 1) and the UK (n 1). Subsidies applied to different types of foods such as fruits, vegetables and low-fat snacks sold in supermarkets, cafeterias, vending machines, farmers’ markets or restaurants. Interventions enrolled various population subgroups such as school/ university students, metropolitan transit workers and low-income women. All but one study found subsidies on healthier foods to significantly increase the purchase and consumption of promoted products. Study limitations include small and convenience samples, short intervention and follow-up duration, and lack of cost-effectiveness and overall diet assessment. Subsidizing healthier foods tends to be effective in modifying dietary behaviour. Future studies should examine its long-term effectiveness and cost-effectiveness at the population level and its impact on overall diet intake.

Effectiveness of Subsidies in Promoting Healthy Food Purchases and Consumption: A Review of Field Experiments

PubMed Central

An, Ruopeng

2013-01-01

Objective: To systematically review evidence from field interventions on the effectiveness of monetary subsidies in promoting healthier food purchases and consumption. Design: Keyword and reference search were conducted in 5 electronic databases: Cochrane Library, EconLit, MEDLINE, PsycINFO, and Web of Science. Studies were included based on the following criteria – intervention: field experiments; population: adolescents 12-17 years old or adults 18 years and older; design: randomized controlled trials, cohort studies, or pre-post studies; subsidy: price discounts or vouchers for healthier foods; outcome: food purchases or consumption; period: 1990-2012; and language: English. Twenty-four articles on 20 distinct experiments were included with study quality assessed using predefined methodological criteria. Setting: Interventions were conducted in 7 countries: USA (n 14), New Zealand (n 1), France (n 1), Germany (n 1), Netherlands (n 1), South Africa (n 1), and United Kingdom (n 1). Subsidies applied to different types of foods such as fruits, vegetables, and low-fat snacks sold in supermarket, cafeteria, vending machine, farmers' market, or restaurant. Subjects: Interventions enrolled various population subgroups such as school/university students, metropolitan transit workers, and low-income women. Results: All but one study found subsidies on healthier foods to significantly increase the purchase and consumption of promoted products. Study limitations include small and convenience samples, short intervention and follow-up duration, and lack of cost-effectiveness and overall diet assessment. Conclusions: Subsidizing healthier foods tends to be effective in modifying dietary behavior. Future studies should examine its long-term effectiveness and cost-effectiveness at the population level and its impact on overall diet intake. PMID:23122423

3.0-T functional brain imaging: a 5-year experience.

PubMed

Scarabino, T; Giannatempo, G M; Popolizio, T; Tosetti, M; d'Alesio, V; Esposito, F; Di Salle, F; Di Costanzo, A; Bertolino, A; Maggialetti, A; Salvolini, U

2007-02-01

The aim of this paper is to illustrate the technical, methodological and diagnostic features of functional imaging (comprising spectroscopy, diffusion, perfusion and cortical activation techniques) and its principal neuroradiological applications on the basis of the experience gained by the authors in the 5 years since the installation of a high-field magnetic resonance (MR) magnet. These MR techniques are particularly effective at 3.0 Tesla (T) owing to their high signal, resolution and sensitivity, reduced scanning times and overall improved diagnostic ability. In particular, the high-field strength enhances spectroscopic analysis due to a greater signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) and improved spectral, space and time resolution, resulting in the ability to obtain high-resolution spectroscopic studies not only of the more common metabolites, but also--and especially--of those which, due to their smaller concentrations, are difficult to detect using 1.5-T systems. All of these advantages can be obtained with reduced acquisition times. In diffusion studies, the high-field strength results in greater SNR, because 3.0-T magnets enable increased spatial resolution, which enhances accuracy. They also allow exploration in greater detail of more complex phenomena (such as diffusion tensor and tractography), which are not clearly depicted on 1.5-T systems. The most common perfusion study (with intravenous injection of a contrast agent) benefits from the greater SNR and higher magnetic susceptibility by achieving dramatically improved signal changes, and thus greater reliability, using smaller doses of contrast agent. Functional MR imaging (fMRI) is without doubt the modality in which high-field strength has had the greatest impact. Images acquired with the blood-oxygen-level-dependent (BOLD) technique benefit from the greater SNR afforded by 3.0-T magnets and from their stronger magnetic susceptibility effects, providing higher signal and spatial resolution. This enhances

Equilibrium evolution in oscillating-field current-drive experiments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

McCollam, K. J.; Anderson, J. K.; Blair, A. P.; Craig, D.; Den Hartog, D. J.; Ebrahimi, F.; O'Connell, R.; Reusch, J. A.; Sarff, J. S.; Stephens, H. D.; Stone, D. R.; Brower, D. L.; Deng, B. H.; Ding, W. X.

2010-08-01

Oscillating-field current drive (OFCD) is a proposed method of steady-state toroidal plasma sustainment in which ac poloidal and toroidal loop voltages are applied to produce a dc plasma current. OFCD is added to standard, inductively sustained reversed-field pinch plasmas in the Madison Symmetric Torus [R. N. Dexter et al., Fusion Technol. 19, 131 (1991)]. Equilibrium profiles and fluctuations during a single cycle are measured and analyzed for different relative phases between the two OFCD voltages and for OFCD off. For OFCD phases leading to the most added plasma current, the measured energy confinement is slightly better than that for OFCD off. By contrast, the phase of the maximum OFCD helicity-injection rate also has the maximum decay rate, which is ascribed to transport losses during discrete magnetic-fluctuation events induced by OFCD. Resistive-magnetohydrodynamic simulations of the experiments reproduce the observed phase dependence of the added current.

Methods to test the interactive effects of drought and plant invasion on ecosystem structure and function using complementary common garden and field experiments.

PubMed

Alba, Christina; NeSmith, Julienne E; Fahey, Catherine; Angelini, Christine; Flory, Stephen Luke

2017-03-01

Abiotic global change drivers affect ecosystem structure and function, but how they interact with biotic factors such as invasive plants is understudied. Such interactions may be additive, synergistic, or offsetting, and difficult to predict. We present methods to test the individual and interactive effects of drought and plant invasion on native ecosystems. We coupled a factorial common garden experiment containing resident communities exposed to drought (imposed with rainout shelters) and invasion with a field experiment where the invader was removed from sites spanning a natural soil moisture gradient. We detail treatments and their effects on abiotic conditions, including soil moisture, light, temperature, and humidity, which shape community and ecosystem responses. Ambient precipitation during the garden experiment exceeded historic norms despite severe drought in prior years. Soil moisture was 48% lower in drought than ambient plots, but the invader largely offset drought effects. Additionally, temperature and light were lower and humidity higher in invaded plots. Field sites spanned up to a 10-fold range in soil moisture and up to a 2.5-fold range in light availability. Invaded and resident vegetation did not differentially mediate soil moisture, unlike in the garden experiment. Herbicide effectively removed invaded and resident vegetation, with removal having site-specific effects on soil moisture and light availability. However, light was generally higher in invader-removal than control plots, whereas resident removal had less effect on light, similar to the garden experiment. Invasion mitigated a constellation of abiotic conditions associated with drought stress in the garden experiment. In the field, where other factors co-varied, these patterns did not emerge. Still, neither experiment suggested that drought and invasion will have synergistic negative effects on ecosystems, although invasion can limit light availability. Coupling factorial garden

Observed chlorine concentrations during Jack Rabbit I and Lyme Bay field experiments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hanna, Steven; Chang, Joseph; Huq, Pablo

2016-01-01

As part of planning for a series of field experiments where large quantities (up to 20 tons) of pressurized liquefied chlorine will be released, observations from previous chlorine field experiments are analyzed to estimate the ranges of chlorine concentrations expected at various downwind distances. In five field experiment days during the summer 2010 Jack Rabbit I (JR I) field trials, up to two tons of chlorine were released and concentrations were observed at distances, x, from 25 to 500 m. In the 1927 Lyme Bay (LB) experiments, there were four days of trials, where 3-10 tons of chlorine were released in about 15 min from the back of a ship. Concentrations were sampled at LB from four ships sailing across the cloud path at downwind distances in the range from about 350 to 3000 m. Thus, the distances from which JR I concentrations were available slightly overlapped the LB distances. One-minute arc-maximum chlorine concentrations, C (g/m3), were analyzed from four JR I trials and two LB trials. Normalized concentrations (Cu/Q) were plotted versus x (m), where u (m/s) is measured wind speed at heights of 2-10 m and Q (g/s) is continuous mass release rate. It is found that the JR I and LB Cu/Q observations smoothly merge with each other and fall along a line with approximate slope of -2 at distances beyond about 200 m (i.e., Cu/Q is proportional to x-2). At x < 200 m, where dense gas effects are more important, the slope is less (about -1.5). Most of the data points are within a factor of two of the "best-fit" line.

Outcomes of Synergetic Peer Assessment: First-Year Experience

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hodgson, Paula; Chan, Kitty; Liu, Justina

2014-01-01

Active participation in learning activities and reviewing assessment activity can facilitate learners engaged in these processes. This case study reports student experiences of the process of peer assessment with teacher guidance in a group project for a first-year nursing course with 153 students. Twenty groups of students were assigned roles in…

Biochar Improves Soil Aggregate Stability and Water Availability in a Mollisol after Three Years of Field Application.

PubMed

Ma, Ningning; Zhang, Lili; Zhang, Yulan; Yang, Lijie; Yu, Chunxiao; Yin, Guanghua; Doane, Timothy A; Wu, Zhijie; Zhu, Ping; Ma, Xingzhu

2016-01-01

A field experiment was carried out to evaluate the effect of organic amendments on soil organic carbon, total nitrogen, bulk density, aggregate stability, field capacity and plant available water in a representative Chinese Mollisol. Four treatments were as follows: no fertilization (CK), application of inorganic fertilizer (NPK), combined application of inorganic fertilizer with maize straw (NPK+S) and addition of biochar with inorganic fertilizer (NPK+B). Our results showed that after three consecutive years of application, the values of soil bulk density were significantly lower in both organic amendment-treated plots than in unamended (CK and NPK) plots. Compared with NPK, NPK+B more effectively increased the contents of soil organic carbon, improved the relative proportion of soil macro-aggregates and mean weight diameter, and enhanced field capacity as well as plant available water. Organic amendments had no obvious effect on soil C/N ratio or wilting coefficient. The results of linear regression indicated that the improvement in soil water retention could be attributed to the increases in soil organic carbon and aggregate stability.

Biochar Improves Soil Aggregate Stability and Water Availability in a Mollisol after Three Years of Field Application

PubMed Central

Zhang, Yulan; Yang, Lijie; Yu, Chunxiao; Yin, Guanghua; Doane, Timothy A.; Wu, Zhijie; Zhu, Ping; Ma, Xingzhu

2016-01-01

A field experiment was carried out to evaluate the effect of organic amendments on soil organic carbon, total nitrogen, bulk density, aggregate stability, field capacity and plant available water in a representative Chinese Mollisol. Four treatments were as follows: no fertilization (CK), application of inorganic fertilizer (NPK), combined application of inorganic fertilizer with maize straw (NPK+S) and addition of biochar with inorganic fertilizer (NPK+B). Our results showed that after three consecutive years of application, the values of soil bulk density were significantly lower in both organic amendment-treated plots than in unamended (CK and NPK) plots. Compared with NPK, NPK+B more effectively increased the contents of soil organic carbon, improved the relative proportion of soil macro-aggregates and mean weight diameter, and enhanced field capacity as well as plant available water. Organic amendments had no obvious effect on soil C/N ratio or wilting coefficient. The results of linear regression indicated that the improvement in soil water retention could be attributed to the increases in soil organic carbon and aggregate stability. PMID:27191160

Corn Yield and Soil Nitrous Oxide Emission under Different Fertilizer and Soil Management: A Three-Year Field Experiment in Middle Tennessee.

PubMed

Deng, Qi; Hui, Dafeng; Wang, Junming; Iwuozo, Stephen; Yu, Chih-Li; Jima, Tigist; Smart, David; Reddy, Chandra; Dennis, Sam

2015-01-01

A three-year field experiment was conducted to examine the responses of corn yield and soil nitrous oxide (N2O) emission to various management practices in middle Tennessee. The management practices include no-tillage + regular applications of urea ammonium nitrate (NT-URAN); no-tillage + regular applications of URAN + denitrification inhibitor (NT-inhibitor); no-tillage + regular applications of URAN + biochar (NT-biochar); no-tillage + 20% applications of URAN + chicken litter (NT-litter), no-tillage + split applications of URAN (NT-split); and conventional tillage + regular applications of URAN as a control (CT-URAN). Fertilizer equivalent to 217 kg N ha(-1) was applied to each of the experimental plots. Results showed that no-tillage (NT-URAN) significantly increased corn yield by 28% over the conventional tillage (CT-URAN) due to soil water conservation. The management practices significantly altered soil N2O emission, with the highest in the CT-URAN (0.48 mg N2O m(-2) h(-1)) and the lowest in the NT-inhibitor (0.20 mg N2O m(-2) h(-1)) and NT-biochar (0.16 mg N2O m(-2) h(-1)) treatments. Significant exponential relationships between soil N2O emission and water filled pore space were revealed in all treatments. However, variations in soil N2O emission among the treatments were positively correlated with the moisture sensitivity of soil N2O emission that likely reflects an interactive effect between soil properties and WFPS. Our results indicated that improved fertilizer and soil management have the potential to maintain highly productive corn yield while reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

Corn Yield and Soil Nitrous Oxide Emission under Different Fertilizer and Soil Management: A Three-Year Field Experiment in Middle Tennessee

PubMed Central

Deng, Qi; Hui, Dafeng; Wang, Junming; Iwuozo, Stephen; Yu, Chih-Li; Jima, Tigist; Smart, David; Reddy, Chandra; Dennis, Sam

2015-01-01

Background A three-year field experiment was conducted to examine the responses of corn yield and soil nitrous oxide (N2O) emission to various management practices in middle Tennessee. Methodology/Principal Findings The management practices include no-tillage + regular applications of urea ammonium nitrate (NT-URAN); no-tillage + regular applications of URAN + denitrification inhibitor (NT-inhibitor); no-tillage + regular applications of URAN + biochar (NT-biochar); no-tillage + 20% applications of URAN + chicken litter (NT-litter), no-tillage + split applications of URAN (NT-split); and conventional tillage + regular applications of URAN as a control (CT-URAN). Fertilizer equivalent to 217 kg N ha-1 was applied to each of the experimental plots. Results showed that no-tillage (NT-URAN) significantly increased corn yield by 28% over the conventional tillage (CT-URAN) due to soil water conservation. The management practices significantly altered soil N2O emission, with the highest in the CT-URAN (0.48 mg N2O m-2 h-1) and the lowest in the NT-inhibitor (0.20 mg N2O m-2 h-1) and NT-biochar (0.16 mg N2O m-2 h-1) treatments. Significant exponential relationships between soil N2O emission and water filled pore space were revealed in all treatments. However, variations in soil N2O emission among the treatments were positively correlated with the moisture sensitivity of soil N2O emission that likely reflects an interactive effect between soil properties and WFPS. Conclusion/Significance Our results indicated that improved fertilizer and soil management have the potential to maintain highly productive corn yield while reducing greenhouse gas emissions. PMID:25923716

Pre-Service English Teachers' Perceptions and Practice of Field Experience and Professional Learning from Expert Teachers' Mentoring

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chien, Chin-Wen

2015-01-01

Though it is well known that pre-service teachers' field experiences are recognized as key to enhancing teaching practice, Taiwanese pre-service teachers who take "Teaching Methods and Materials" in elementary school's seven areas often complain that they lack field experience. They do not have the opportunity to experience teaching…

Model Errors in Simulating Precipitation and Radiation fields in the NARCCAP Hindcast Experiment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kim, J.; Waliser, D. E.; Mearns, L. O.; Mattmann, C. A.; McGinnis, S. A.; Goodale, C. E.; Hart, A. F.; Crichton, D. J.

2012-12-01

The relationship between the model errors in simulating precipitation and radiation fields including the surface insolation and OLR, is examined from the multi-RCM NARCCAP hindcast experiment for the conterminous U.S. region. Findings in this study suggest that the RCM biases in simulating precipitation are related with those in simulating radiation fields. For a majority of RCMs participated in the NARCCAP hindcast experiment as well as their ensemble, the spatial pattern of the insolation bias is negatively correlated with that of the precipitation bias, suggesting that the biases in precipitation and surface insolation are systematically related, most likely via the cloud fields. The relationship varies according to seasons as well with stronger relationship between the simulated precipitation and surface insolation during winter. This suggests that the RCM biases in precipitation and radiation are related via cloud fields. Additional analysis on the RCM errors in OLR is underway to examine more details of this relationship.

Spirituality, religion, and health: over the last 15 years of field research (1999-2013).

PubMed

Lucchetti, Giancarlo; Lucchetti, Alessandra Lamas Granero

2014-01-01

Although several studies have examined the contribution of specific countries, journals, and authors in different scientific disciplines, little is known about the contribution of different world countries, journals, and authors to scientific research in the field of "Spirituality, religion, and health" (S/R). The present study aims to analyze the last 15 years of research in the field of spirituality and religiousness (S/R) through a bibliometric analysis. Using the Pubmed database, we retrieved all articles related to S/R field for the period 1999-2013. We then estimated the total number of publications, number of articles published per year, articles published per country, journals with most publications in S/R field, most productive authors, and most used keywords. We found a growth of publications in the last years, most from the United States and the United Kingdom and published in the English language. Noteworthy, some developing countries such as India, Brazil, Israel, and Iran are at higher positions in this list. The S/R articles were published in journals embracing all fields of research, including high impact journals. In the present study, we took a closer look at the field of "Spirituality, religion, and health," showing that this field of research has been constantly growing and consolidating in the scientific community.

Preference effects on friendship choice: Evidence from an online field experiment.

PubMed

Yu, Siyu; Xie, Yu

2017-08-01

Observed friendship choices are constrained by social structures and thus problematic indicators for underlying personal preferences. In this paper, we report on a study demonstrating the causal effects of preference in friendship choice based on an online field experiment. Specifically, we tested two important forces that govern friendship choices: preference for shared group identity (operationalized as the desire to befriend others sharing the same place-of-origin identity) and preference for high status (operationalized as the desire to befriend others from high-status institutions). Using an online field experiment in one of the largest social network service websites in China, we investigated the causal preference effects of these two forces free from structural constraints. The results of our study confirm the preference effects on friendship choice in both of the two dimensions we tested. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Rational Ignorance in Education: A Field Experiment in Student Plagiarism

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dee, Thomas S.; Jacob, Brian A.

2012-01-01

Plagiarism appears to be a common problem among college students, yet there is little evidence on the effectiveness of interventions designed to minimize plagiarism. This study presents the results of a field experiment that evaluated the effects of a web-based educational tutorial in reducing plagiarism. We found that assignment to the treatment…

Engaging students in research learning experiences through hydrology field excursions and projects

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ewen, T.; Seibert, J.

2014-12-01

One of the best ways to engage students and instill enthusiasm for hydrology is to expose them to hands-on learning. A focus on hydrology field research can be used to develop context-rich and active learning, and help solidify idealized learning where students are introduced to individual processes through textbook examples, often neglecting process interactions and an appreciation for the complexity of the system. We introduced a field course where hydrological measurement techniques are used to study processes such as snow hydrology and runoff generation, while also introducing students to field research and design of their own field project. In the field projects, students design a low-budget experiment with the aim of going through the different steps of a 'real' scientific project, from formulating the research question to presenting their results. In one of the field excursions, students make discharge measurements in several alpine streams with a salt tracer to better understand the spatial characteristics of an alpine catchment, where source waters originate and how they contribute to runoff generation. Soil moisture measurements taken by students in this field excursion were used to analyze spatial soil moisture patterns in the alpine catchment and subsequently used in a publication. Another field excursion repeats a published experiment, where preferential soil flow paths are studied using a tracer and compared to previously collected data. For each field excursion, observational data collected by the students is uploaded to an online database we developed, which also allows students to retrieve data from past excursions to further analyze and compare their data. At each of the field sites, weather stations were installed and a webviewer allows access to realtime data from data loggers, allowing students to explore how processes relate to climatic conditions. With in-house film expertise, these field excursions were also filmed and short virtual

Declining Academic Fields in U.S. Four-Year Colleges and Universities, 1970-2006

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Brint, Steven; Proctor, Kristopher; Mulligan, Kerry; Rotondi, Matthew B.; Hanneman, Robert A.

2012-01-01

This research identifies 22 fields that declined in absolute numbers and/or prevalence over a 35-year period. Most were basic fields in the arts and sciences. Steep declines were evident only in a few fields, notably European languages and literatures. Larger, higher status, and historically liberal arts oriented institutions were less likely to…

The Effects of Age, Years of Experience, and Type of Experience in the Teacher Selection Process

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Vail, David Scott

2010-01-01

Paper screening in the pre-selection process of hiring teachers has been the focus in an ongoing series of similar studies starting with Allison in 1981. There have been many independent variables, including, but not limited to, age, gender, ethnic background, years of experience, type of experience, and grade point average, introduced into the…

Overview of long-term field experiments in Germany - metadata visualization

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Muqit Zoarder, Md Abdul; Heinrich, Uwe; Svoboda, Nikolai; Grosse, Meike; Hierold, Wilfried

2017-04-01

BonaRes ("soil as a sustainable resource for the bioeconomy") is conducting to collect data and metadata of agricultural long-term field experiments (LTFE) of Germany. It is funded by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) under the umbrella of the National Research Strategy BioEconomy 2030. BonaRes consists of ten interdisciplinary research project consortia and the 'BonaRes - Centre for Soil Research'. BonaRes Data Centre is responsible for collecting all LTFE data and regarding metadata into an enterprise database upon higher level of security and visualization of the data and metadata through data portal. In the frame of the BonaRes project, we are compiling an overview of long-term field experiments in Germany that is based on a literature review, the results of the online survey and direct contacts with LTFE operators. Information about research topic, contact person, website, experiment setup and analyzed parameters are collected. Based on the collected LTFE data, an enterprise geodatabase is developed and a GIS-based web-information system about LTFE in Germany is also settled. Various aspects of the LTFE, like experiment type, land-use type, agricultural category and duration of experiment, are presented in thematic maps. This information system is dynamically linked to the database, which means changes in the data directly affect the presentation. An easy data searching option using LTFE name, -location or -operators and the dynamic layer selection ensure a user-friendly web application. Dispersion and visualization of the overlapping LTFE points on the overview map are also challenging and we make it automatized at very zoom level which is also a consistent part of this application. The application provides both, spatial location and meta-information of LTFEs, which is backed-up by an enterprise geodatabase, GIS server for hosting map services and Java script API for web application development.

Learning from Experience: The Expectations and Experiences of First-Year Undergraduate Psychology Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rowley, Martin; Hartley, James; Larkin, Derek

2008-01-01

Single-honours psychology students at an English university were asked about their expectations and experiences at the start and the end of their first year. Students without a pre-university (A-level) qualification in psychology (n = 37: 22%) felt less well-prepared for studying psychology than students with an A-level qualification (n = 132:…

Non-Dipole Features of the Geomagnetic Field May Persist for Millions of Years

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Biasi, J.; Kirschvink, J. L.

2017-12-01

Here we present paleointensity results from within the South Atlantic Anomaly (SAA), which is a large non-dipole feature of the geomagnetic field. Within the area of the SAA, anomalous declinations, inclinations, and intensities are observed. Our results suggest that the SAA has been present for at least 5 Ma. This is orders-of-magnitude greater than any previous estimate, and suggests that some non-dipole features do not `average out' over geologic time, which is a fundamental assumption in all paleodirectional studies. The SAA has been steadily growing in size since the first magnetic measurements were made in the South Atlantic, and it is widely believed to have appeared 400 years ago. Recent studies from South Africa (Tarduno et al. (2015)) and Tristan da Cunha (Shah et al. (2016)) have suggested that the SAA has persisted for 1 ka and 96 ka respectively. We conducted paleointensity (PI) experiments on basaltic lavas from James Ross Island, on the Antarctic Peninsula. This large shield volcano has been erupting regularly over the last 6+ Ma (dated via Ar/Ar geochronology), and therefore contains the most complete volcanostratigraphic record in the south Atlantic. Our PI experiments used the Thellier-Thellier method, the IZZI protocol, and the same selection criteria as the Lawrence et al. (2009) study of Ross Island lavas (near McMurdo Station), which is the only comparable PI study on the Antarctic continent. We determined an average paleointensity at JRI of 13.8±5.2 μT, which is far lower than what we would expect from a dipole field (55 μT). In addition, this is far lower than the current value over James Ross Island of 36 μT. These results support the following conclusions: The time-averaged field model of Juarez et al. (1998) and Tauxe et al. (2013) is strongly favored by our PI data. The SAA has persisted over James Ross Island for at least 5 Ma, and has not drifted significantly over that time. The strength of non-dipole features such as the SAA

Generating Knowledge From Field Experience: Two Competing Conclusions About Potential Teacher Center Support

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fox, G. Thomas, Jr.

1978-01-01

Suggests that there exist great potential and much professional support for practitioner involvement (teachers, students, and administrators) in generating knowledge (creating new understandings of what is occurring in our experience and why) from field experience and that the probable consequences noted when practitioners become involved in…

Broadening Participation in Geosciences with Academic Year and Summer Research Experiences

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Austin, S. A.; Howard, A.; Johnson, L. P.; Gutierrez, R.; Chow, Y.

2013-12-01

Medgar Evers College, City University of New York, has initiated a multi-tiered strategy aimed at increasing the number of under-represented minority and female students pursuing careers in the Geosciences, especially Earth and Atmospheric Sciences and related areas. The strategy incorporates research on the persistence of minority and female under-represented students in STEM disciplines. The initiatives include NASA and NSF-funded team-based undergraduate research activities during the summer and academic year as well as academic support (clustering, PTLT workshops for gatekeeper courses), curriculum integration modules, and independent study/special topics courses. In addition, high school students are integrated into summer research activities working with undergraduate and graduate students as well as faculty and other scientist mentors. An important initial component was the building of an infrastructure to support remote sensing, supported by NASA. A range of academic year and summer research experiences are provided to capture student interest in the geosciences. NYC-based research activities include urban impacts of global climate change, the urban heat island, ocean turbulence and general circulation models, and space weather: magnetic rope structure, solar flares and CMEs. Field-based investigations include atmospheric observations using BalloonSat sounding vehicles, observations of tropospheric ozone using ozonesondes, and investigations of the ionosphere using a CubeSat. This presentation provides a description of the programs, student impact, challenges and observations.

Assessment of Habitat Suitability Is Affected by Plant-Soil Feedback: Comparison of Field and Garden Experiment.

PubMed

Hemrová, Lucie; Knappová, Jana; Münzbergová, Zuzana

2016-01-01

Field translocation experiments (i.e., the introduction of seeds or seedlings of different species into different localities) are commonly used to study habitat associations of species, as well as factors limiting species distributions and local abundances. Species planted or sown in sites where they naturally occur are expected to perform better or equally well compared to sites at which they do not occur or are rare. This, however, contrasts with the predictions of the Janzen-Connell hypothesis and commonly reported intraspecific negative plant-soil feedback. The few previous studies indicating poorer performance of plants at sites where they naturally occur did not explore the mechanisms behind this pattern. In this study, we used field translocation experiments established using both seeds and seedlings to study the determinants of local abundance of four dominant species in grasslands. To explore the possible effects of intraspecific negative plant-soil feedback on our results, we tested the effect of local species abundance on the performance of the plants in the field experiment. In addition, we set up a garden experiment to explore the intensity of intraspecific as well as interspecific feedback between the dominants used in the experiment. In some cases, the distribution and local abundances of the species were partly driven by habitat conditions at the sites, and species performed better at their own sites. However, the prevailing pattern was that the local dominants performed worse at sites where they naturally occur than at any other sites. Moreover, the success of plants in the field experiment was lower in the case of higher intraspecific abundance prior to experimental setup. In the garden feedback experiment, two of the species performed significantly worse in soils conditioned by their species than in soils conditioned by the other species. In addition, the performance of the plants was significantly correlated between the two experiments

Ten years later: Evaluation of the effectiveness of 12.5% amitraz against a field population of Rhipicephalus (Boophilus) microplus using field studies, artificial infestation (Stall tests) and adult immersion tests.

PubMed

Maciel, Willian Giquelin; Lopes, Welber Daniel Zanetti; Cruz, Breno Cayeiro; Gomes, Lucas Vinicius Costa; Teixeira, Weslen Fabrício Pires; Buzzulini, Carolina; Bichuette, Murilo Abud; Campos, Gabriel Pimentel; Felippelli, Gustavo; Soares, Vando Edésio; de Oliveira, Gilson Pereira; da Costa, Alvimar José

2015-12-15

Using field trials, artificial infestations (Stall tests) and in vitro adult immersion tests, the present study evaluated the acaricidal efficacy of 12.5% amitraz administered via whole body spraying against a Rhipicephalus (Boophilus) microplus population that did not have any contact with chemical products belonging to this acaricide family for 10 years (approximately 40 generations). Two natural infestation trials, two artificial infestation trials (Stall tests) and two adult immersion tests were performed in two different stages in 2005 and 2015. Between 2002 and 2015, the bovine herd of this property was formed by approximately 450 animals from the Simmental breed that were divided into nine paddocks formed by Cynodon dactylon (L.) Pers. For the natural infestation experiments in 2005 and 2015, we selected nearly 70 animals naturally infested with ticks from the same herd that belonged to the "São Paulo" farm located in São José do Rio Pardo, São Paulo, Brazil. Field studies were performed in the same paddock (9). To evaluate anti-R. (B.) microplus activity in the artificially infested cattle (Stall tests) and adult immersion tests, two experiments of each methodology were performed at CPPAR (the Center of Research in Animal Health located on the FCAV/UNESP campus in Jaboticabal, São Paulo, Brazil) in 2005 and 2015. R. (B.) microplus used in the artificial infestation, and adult immersion test experiments were obtained from paddocks 1-9 in 2005 and 2015 from the commercial farm where the field studies were performed. Based on the obtained results, it was possible to conclude that amitraz use in rotation with pyrethroids every 28 days for three consecutive years (2002-2004) previous to the beginning of the first trial (2005) was sufficient to generate a R. (B.) microplus strain resistant to amitraz. Moreover, using field trials, artificial infestations (Stall tests) and adult immersion tests, we verified that 40 generations of the tick species with no

Teacher Field Research Experiences: Building and Maintaining the Passion for K-12 Science Education

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dunton, K.; Schonberg, S.

2006-12-01

Academic scientists and researchers are increasingly encouraged to develop connections with K-12 educators to promote scientific literacy and bring excitement into the classroom. Such partnerships carry long-term benefits to both teachers and researchers. Teachers gain the tools, confidence, and knowledge to develop research activities with their students that promote scientific inquiry, and researchers benefit from outreach activities that improve communication skills for sharing scientific knowledge with the public. Our K-12 programs have been field based under a theme of Classrooms Without Walls, to take advantage of our local marine environment and a long-term research program on the Alaskan Arctic coast. Our professional development programs for teachers have included the creation of an annual summer graduate level course (Application of Field Research Experiences for K-12 Science and Math Educators) as an introduction to scientific methodology, observation, and inquiry based learning. We provide graduate students as resources in classrooms and for field trip experiences and provide supplies and instrumentation to teachers for K-12 field projects. Finally, teachers have an opportunity to join our researchers to remote sites under various competitive programs that receive federal support (e.g. GK-12, ARMADA). We provide examples of our activities, which are based on recent needs assessment surveys of science teachers; these included development of content knowledge and providing students with opportunities to connect concepts with experiences. Our goal is to provide field experiences to teachers and students that enable them to relate science concepts to the real world.

Integrating geoscience and Native American experiences through a multi-state geoscience field trip for high school students

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kelso, P. R.; Brown, L. M.; Spencer, M.; Sabatine, S.; Goetz, E. R.

2012-12-01

experiences led by Lake Superior State University professors, K-12 earth science teachers, local science experts (most with tribal affiliation), and local Native American leaders. Student selection is based on an application that includes academic background and performance, a personal essay, and teacher and counselor references. All of the students invited to be part of the GRANITE program participated in the summer field excursion. The GRANITE summer field trip was structured to address over 50% of Michigan's high school geology standards. Each student's geoscience knowledge and interest is assessed through questionnaires administered pre- and post the summer field experience. Also, student feedback is gathered during the GRANITE field trip and more than six months post field trip. Students recorded field observations and discussion in their field books which they used to produce powerpoint slides summarizing and reflecting upon what they did and learned each day. Students' post field excursion, content-oriented scores increased each of the three years of the program. In addition to geosciences content growth, all of the students responded affirmatively that GRANITE "increased my understanding of how geoscientists study the Earth "and "increased my knowledge of the importance of geoscience to our society."

Searching for Authentic Context in Designing PISA-like Mathematics Problem: From Indoor to Outdoor Field Experience

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Siswono, T. Y. E.; Kohar, A. W.; Rosyidi, A. H.; Hartono, S.; Masriyah

2018-01-01

Designing problem like in PISA is known as a challenging activity for teachers particularly as the use of authentic context within that type of problem. This paper aims to describe the experiences of secondary mathematics teachers in designing PISA-like problems within an innovative training program focusing on building teachers’ understanding on the concept of mathematical literacy. The teachers were engaged in a set of problem-solving and problem-posing activities using PISA-based problem within indoor and outdoor field experiences. Within indoor field experience, the teachers worked collaboratively in groups on designing PISA-like problems with a given context through problem generation and reformulation techniques. Within outdoor field experience, they worked on designing PISA-like problems with self-chosen context from the place where the outdoor field experience took place. Our analysis indicates that there were improvements on the PISA-like problems designed by teachers based on its level use of context from indoor to outdoor experience. Also, the teachers were relatively successful with creating appropriate and motivating contexts by harnessing a variety of context consisting of personal, occupational, societal, and scientific contexts. However, they still experienced difficulties in turning these contexts into an appropriate problem satisfying PISA framework such as regarding authenticity of context use, language structure, and PISA task profile.

Testing the Impact of a Multi-year, Curriculum-based Undergraduate Research Experience (MY-CURE) in the Geosciences: Baseline Observations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Allen, J. L.; Creamer, E. G.; Kuehn, S. C.

2016-12-01

Short-term undergraduate research experiences (URE's) provide skill and confidence enhancement to students, but it is unclear how effective they are in comparison to a dedicated, longer-term URE. This study examines the impact of a long-term URE embedded in a sequence of five courses in the geology curriculum. It begins with a sophomore course in environmental geology, and continues through mineralogy, structural geology, and petrology, before concluding at our summer geology field camp. In this sequence, they build upon individual URE's related to the structure and petrology of fault rocks from a mid-crustal shear zone. Rather than have students engage in one or more short-term URE's, they retain the same project for two calendar years so that we can assess when and how different gains, including a more sophisticated understanding of the nature of science, begin to emerge and mature. As each student progresses, we document the longitudinal development of a diverse suite of gains including: (1) Technical and higher-order research skills, (2) personal gains such as self-identity as a scientist, and (3) communication skills. In this presentation, we describe the framework of the study and baseline observations recorded during the first year of a 2-year cohort. Using a Q-sort method, students were given a deck of 16 index cards with an educational outcome listed on each. They sorted the cards into three piles: Those that encouraged an interest in geology, those that deterred an interest, and those with no impact. Participants discussed the top cards from the negative and positive piles. The top attractors to geology are collegial relationships with faculty, the opportunity to use scientific equipment, field work, the concreteness of geology, and the availability of jobs. Factors that deter interest include hours of tedious homework, math courses, and time invested in wrong answers or failed experiments/sample preparation. Factors not yet evident include confidence in

Comparing Field-Teaching Experiences: A Longitudinal Examination of Preservice and First-Year Teacher Perspectives

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bartolome, Sarah J.

2017-01-01

The purpose of this longitudinal study was to examine preservice and first-year music educators' perspectives on fieldwork activities embedded within a music teacher preparation program. One cohort of students was tracked for 2.5 years as they participated in an elementary teaching practicum, fulfilled the student teaching internship, and…

"'They' Taught 'Me'": The Benefits of Early Community-Based Field Experiences in Teacher Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Coffey, Heather

2010-01-01

Research in teacher education suggests that field experiences in community settings can offer pre-service teachers a context for understanding the link between theory and practice. This paper documents the experiences of pre-service educators participating in a service-learning experience at a Children's Defense Fund Freedom School in the…

Saturn's Magnetic Field Model: Birotor Dipole From Cassini RPWS and MAG Experiments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Galopeau, P. H. M.

2016-12-01

The radio and plasma wave science (RPWS) experiment on board the Cassini spacecraft, orbiting around Saturn since July 2004, revealed the presence of two distinct and variable rotation periods in the Saturnian kilometric radiation (SKR) which were attributed to the northern and southern hemispheres respectively. We believe that the periodic time modulations present in the SKR are mainly due to the rotation of Saturn's inner magnetic field. The existence of a double period implies that the inner field is not only limited to a simple rotation dipole but displays more complex structures having the same time periodicities than the radio emission. In order to build a model of this complex magnetic field, it is absolutely necessary to know the accurate phases of rotation linked with the two periods. The radio observations from the RPWS experiment allow a continuous and accurate follow-up of these rotation phases, since the SKR emission is permanently observable and produced very close to the planetary surface. A wavelet transform analysis of the intensity of the SKR signal received at 290 kHz between July 2004 and June 2012 was performed in order to calculate in the same time the different periodicities and phases. A dipole model was proposed for Saturn's inner magnetic field: this dipole presents the particularity to have North and South poles rotating around Saturn's axis at two different angular velocities; this dipole is tilted and not centered. 57 Cassini's revolutions, the periapsis of which is less than 5 Saturnian radii, have been selected for this study. For each of these chosen orbits, it is possible to fit with high precision the measurements of the MAG data experiment given by the magnetometers embarked on board Cassini. A nonrotating external magnetic field completes the model. This study suggests that Saturn's inner magnetic field is neither stationary nor fully axisymmetric. These results can be used as a boundary condition for modelling and constraining

Inequalities in dental caries experience among 4-year-old New Zealand children.

PubMed

Shackleton, Nichola; Broadbent, Jonathan M; Thornley, Simon; Milne, Barry J; Crengle, Sue; Exeter, Daniel J

2018-06-01

To investigate ethnic-specific deprivation gradients in early childhood dental caries experience considering different domains of deprivation. We used cross-sectional near whole population-level data on 318 321 four-year-olds attending the "B4 School check," a national health and development check in New Zealand, across 6 fiscal years (2010/2011 to 2015/2016). The "lift the lip" screening tool was used to estimate experience of any caries and severe caries. We investigated deprivation gradients using the Index of Multiple Deprivation (IMD), which measures seven domains of deprivation across 5958 geographical areas ("data zones"). Ethnicity was categorized into five groups: (i) Māori, (ii) Pacific, (iii) Asian, (iv) Middle Eastern, Latin American and African (MELAA) and (v) European & Other (combined). We used a random intercepts model to estimate mutually adjusted associations between deprivation, ethnicity, age, fiscal year, and evidence of any dental caries experience. Reports of any caries experience decreased from 15.8% (95% CI: 15.7; 15.9%) to 14.7% 95% CI: 14.4; 14.8%), while reports of severe caries experience increased from 3.0% (95% CI: 3.0; 3.1%) to 4.4% (95% CI: 4.3; 4.5%) from 2010/2011 to 2015/2016. This varied by ethnicity with larger increases in severe caries for Pacific children from 7.1% (95% CI: 6.8; 7.4%) to 14.1% (95% CI: 13.7; 14.5%). There were deprivation gradients in dental caries experience with considerable variation by ethnicity and by domain of deprivation. The association between deprivation and dental caries experience was weakest for Asian children and was most pronounced for Pacific and Māori children. Socioeconomic gradients in dental caries experience are evident by age 4 years, and these gradients vary by ethnicity and domain of deprivation. © 2018 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

The South Carolina Coastal Erosion Study: Nearshore Hydrodynamics Field Experiment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Haas, K. A.; Voulgaris, G.; Demir, H.; Work, P. A.; Hanes, D. M.

2004-12-01

As part of the South Carolina Coastal Erosion Study (SCCES) a nearshore field experiment was carried out for five days in December 2003 just north of Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, providing measurements of the waves, currents and morphological evolution. This experiment occurred concurrently with an extensive field campaign several kilometers offshore which included measurements of the waves and currents on and near a significant sand shoal. The purpose of the nearshore experiment was to aid in the identification of the effect of the offshore shoal on the nearshore processes. The resulting dataset will be used for verification of numerical models being used to investigate the hydrodynamics of the region. The experiment was carried out from December 10 to December 15 and consisted of measurements of the waves and currents, extensive surveys of the bathymetry every day, grab samples of the sediments, and video imagery. The hydrodynamics were measured using two Sontek Triton downward-looking Acoustic Doppler Velocimeters and two Nortek AquaDopp profilers arranged in a cross-shore line from inside the swash to several surf zone widths past the breakers. The bathymetric surveying was accomplished using both a differential GPS system and a total station. Surveying was performed each day in order to capture the morphological changes. On the last day, seven sediment samples were taken along a single cross-section to determine the sediment characteristics across the beach. Additionally, a video camera was located on a balcony of the top floor of a nearby hotel providing an excellent field of view of the entire experimental area. Digital video was captured directly onto a computer during all daylight hours and many control points were surveyed in each day to facilitate rectification of the imagery. A variety of conditions were encountered during the experiment, including two storm fronts which passed through, generating wind speeds up to 15 m/s. The first storm generated

ETIPS: Using Cases with Virtual Schools to Prepare for, Extend, and Deepen Preservice Teachers' Field Experiences

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dexter, Sara L.; Riedel, Eric; Scharber, Cassandra

2008-01-01

Field experiences are identified as an important component in the preparation of new teachers. As such, methods to supplement field experiences with pre- and post-activities that ready preservice teachers to effectively learn from them warrant further examination. This paper presents one tool that has been used successfully to improve preservice…

Survival and Competitiveness of Bradyrhizobium japonicum Strains 20 Years after Introduction into Field Locations in Poland.

PubMed

Narożna, Dorota; Pudełko, Krzysztof; Króliczak, Joanna; Golińska, Barbara; Sugawara, Masayuki; Mądrzak, Cezary J; Sadowsky, Michael J

2015-08-15

It was previously demonstrated that there are no indigenous strains of Bradyrhizobium japonicum forming nitrogen-fixing root nodule symbioses with soybean plants in arable field soils in Poland. However, bacteria currently classified within this species are present (together with Bradyrhizobium canariense) as indigenous populations of strains specific for nodulation of legumes in the Genisteae tribe. These rhizobia, infecting legumes such as lupins, are well established in Polish soils. The studies described here were based on soybean nodulation field experiments, established at the Poznań University of Life Sciences Experiment Station in Gorzyń, Poland, and initiated in the spring of 1994. Long-term research was then conducted in order to study the relation between B. japonicum USDA 110 and USDA 123, introduced together into the same location, where no soybean rhizobia were earlier detected, and nodulation and competitive success were followed over time. Here we report the extra-long-term saprophytic survival of B. japonicum strains nodulating soybeans that were introduced as inoculants 20 years earlier and where soybeans were not grown for the next 17 years. The strains remained viable and symbiotically competent, and molecular and immunochemical methods showed that the strains were undistinguishable from the original inoculum strains USDA 110 and USDA 123. We also show that the strains had balanced numbers and their mobility in soil was low. To our knowledge, this is the first report showing the extra-long-term persistence of soybean-nodulating strains introduced into Polish soils and the first analyzing the long-term competitive relations of USDA 110 and USDA 123 after the two strains, neither of which was native, were introduced into the environment almost 2 decades ago. Copyright © 2015, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

Clogging of an Alpine streambed by silt-sized particles - Insights from laboratory and field experiments.

PubMed

Fetzer, Jasmin; Holzner, Markus; Plötze, Michael; Furrer, Gerhard

2017-12-01

Clogging of streambeds by suspended particles (SP) can cause environmental problems, as it can negatively influence, e.g., habitats for macrozoobenthos, fish reproduction and groundwater recharge. This especially applies in the case of silt-sized SP. Until now, most research has dealt with coarse SP and was carried out in laboratory systems. The aims of this study are to examine (1) whether physical clogging by silt-sized SP exhibits the same dynamics and patterns as by sand-sized SP, and (2) the comparability of results between laboratory and field experiments. We carried out vertical column experiments with sand-sized bed material and silt-sized SP, which are rich in mica minerals. In laboratory experiments, we investigated the degree of clogging quantified by the reduction of porosity and hydraulic conductivity and the maximum clogging depth as a function of size and shape of bed material, size of SP, pore water flow velocity, and concentration of calcium cations. The SP were collected from an Alpine sedimentation basin, where our field experiments were carried out. To investigate the clogging process in the field, we buried columns filled with sand-sized quartz in the stream bed. We found that the maximal bed-to-grain ratio where clogging still occurs is larger for silt-sized SP than for sand-sized SP. The observed clogging depths and the reduction of flow rate through the column from our laboratory experiments were comparable to those from the field. However, our field results showed that the extent of clogging strongly depends on the naturally-occurring hydrological dynamics. The field location was characterized by a more polydisperse suspension, a strongly fluctuating water regime, and high SP concentrations at times, leading to more heterogeneous and more pronounced clogging when compared to laboratory results. Copyright © 2017 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

Dark matter effective field theory scattering in direct detection experiments

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

Schneck, K.; Cabrera, B.; Cerdeño, D. G.

2015-05-18

We examine the consequences of the effective field theory (EFT) of dark matter-nucleon scattering for current and proposed direct detection experiments. Exclusion limits on EFT coupling constants computed using the optimum interval method are presented for SuperCDMS Soudan, CDMS II, and LUX, and the necessity of combining results from multiple experiments in order to determine dark matter parameters is discussed. Here. we demonstrate that spectral differences between the standard dark matter model and a general EFT interaction can produce a bias when calculating exclusion limits and when developing signal models for likelihood and machine learning techniques. In conclusion, we discussmore » the implications of the EFT for the next-generation (G2) direct detection experiments and point out regions of complementarity in the EFT parameter space.« less

Dark matter effective field theory scattering in direct detection experiments

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

Schneck, K.; Cabrera, B.; Cerdeño, D. G.

2015-05-18

We examine the consequences of the effective field theory (EFT) of dark matter–nucleon scattering for current and proposed direct detection experiments. Exclusion limits on EFT coupling constants computed using the optimum interval method are presented for SuperCDMS Soudan, CDMS II, and LUX, and the necessity of combining results from multiple experiments in order to determine dark matter parameters is discussed. We demonstrate that spectral differences between the standard dark matter model and a general EFT interaction can produce a bias when calculating exclusion limits and when developing signal models for likelihood and machine learning techniques. We also discuss the implicationsmore » of the EFT for the next-generation (G2) direct detection experiments and point out regions of complementarity in the EFT parameter space.« less

Dark matter effective field theory scattering in direct detection experiments

DOE PAGES

Schneck, K.

2015-05-01

We examine the consequences of the effective field theory (EFT) of dark matter–nucleon scattering for current and proposed direct detection experiments. Exclusion limits on EFT coupling constants computed using the optimum interval method are presented for SuperCDMS Soudan, CDMS II, and LUX, and the necessity of combining results from multiple experiments in order to determine dark matter parameters is discussed. We demonstrate that spectral differences between the standard dark matter model and a general EFT interaction can produce a bias when calculating exclusion limits and when developing signal models for likelihood and machine learning techniques. We also discuss the implicationsmore » of the EFT for the next-generation (G2) direct detection experiments and point out regions of complementarity in the EFT parameter space.« less

Soil Carbon Inputs and Ecosystem Respiration: a Field Priming Experiment in Arctic Coastal Tundra

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vaughn, L. S.; Zhu, B.; Bimueller, C.; Curtis, J. B.; Chafe, O.; Bill, M.; Abramoff, R. Z.; Torn, M. S.

2016-12-01

In Arctic ecosystems, climate change is expected to influence soil carbon stocks through changes in both plant carbon inputs and organic matter decomposition. This study addresses the potential for a priming effect, an interaction between these changes in which root-derived carbon inputs alter SOM decomposition rates via microbial biomass increases, co-metabolism of substrates, induced nitrogen limitation, or other possible mechanisms. The priming effect has been observed in numerous laboratory and greenhouse experiments, and is increasingly included in ecosystem models. Few studies, however, have evaluated the priming effect with in situ field manipulations. In a two-year field experiment in Barrow, Alaska, we tested for a priming effect under natural environmental variability. In September 2014 and August 2015, we added 6.1g of 13C-labeled glucose to 25cm diameter mesocosms, 15cm below the soil surface in the mineral soil layer. Over the following month, we quantified effects on the rate and temperature sensitivity of native (non-glucose) ecosystem respiration and GPP. Following the 2014 treatment, soil samples were collected at 1 and 3 weeks for microbial biomass carbon and 13C/12C analysis, and ion exchange membranes were buried for one week to assess nitrate and ammonium availability. In contrast with many laboratory incubation studies using soils from a broad range of ecosystems, we observed no significant priming effect. In spite of a clear signal of 13C-glucose decomposition in respired CO2 and microbial biomass, we detected no treatment effect on background ecosystem respiration or total microbial biomass carbon. Our findings suggest that glucose taken up by microbes was not used for production of additional SOM-decomposing enzymes, possibly due to stoichiometric limitations on enzyme production. To best inform models representing complex and dynamic ecosystems, this study calls for further research relating theory, laboratory findings, and field

Cognitive Responses to Mass Communication: Results from Laboratory Studies and a Field Experiment.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ward, Scott; Ray, Michael L.

This paper examines some of the cognitive responses people experience while attending to messages. Two laboratory studies and a field experiment were conducted. In the lab studies, three different audience groups (junior and senior high school students and parents) were shown three different anti-drug abuse messages. Various levels of audio…

Field experiments on eyewitness identification: towards a better understanding of pitfalls and prospects.

PubMed

Wells, Gary L

2008-02-01

The Illinois pilot program on lineup procedures has helped sharpen the focus on the types of controls that are needed in eyewitness field experiments and the limits that exist for interpreting outcome measures (rates of suspect and filler identifications). A widely-known limitation of field experiments is that, unlike simulated crime experiments, the guilt or innocence of the suspects is not easily known independently of the behavior of the eyewitnesses. Less well appreciated is that the rate of identification of lineup fillers, although clearly errors, can be a misleading measure if the filler identification rate is used to assess which of two or more lineup procedures is the better procedure. Several examples are used to illustrate that there are clearly improper procedures that would yield fewer identifications of fillers than would their proper counterparts. For example, biased lineup structure (e.g., using poorly matched fillers) as well as suggestive lineup procedures (that can result from non-blind administration of lineups) would reduce filler identification errors compared to unbiased and non-suggestive procedures. Hence, under many circumstances filler identification rates can be misleading indicators of preferred methods. Comparisons of lineup procedures in future field experiments will not be easily accepted in the absence of double-blind administration methods in all conditions plus true random assignment to conditions.

The joys of mapping: qualitative insights into the student experience of a residential geoscience field course

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stokes, Alison

2010-05-01

Using a mixed-format survey instrument, Boyle et al. (2007) identify significant effects in the affective domain resulting from participation in residential fieldwork. These findings are echoed by Stokes & Boyle (2009) in a separate, more detailed, study into the experiences of geoscience students when learning geologic mapping. While providing a quantifiable measure of changes in the students' attitudes and feelings, however, these survey data provide limited information about the experiences that have resulted in these changes, or of the factors likely to have influenced them. In order to gain a deeper insight into the students' affective responses, the quantitative data collected during this study were supplemented with qualitative data from in-situ and group interviews, open (free-text) survey questions, and direct observation of fieldwork activities. This provided a richness and depth of information that could not be achieved from quantitative data alone, and thus afforded a greater understanding of the students' experiences of this particular field activity. The survey findings showed that positive feelings and attitudes present at the start of the mapping field course became reinforced, but closer scrutiny of the data revealed that over half of the student cohort (57%) embarked on the fieldwork with some degree of worry, concern, or anxiety. The qualitative data enabled the source of these negative feelings to be identified, and provided evidence that these were overcome as a result of participating in the fieldwork. Thematic content analysis of the data resulted in the emergence of ten major themes; these provided a clear indication of factors significant to the student experience, and of specific aspects of the field course likely to generate either positive or negative affective responses. Further, these data highlighted the complexity of the learning process, and demonstrated the extent to which experiences varied between individual students. The social

Lessons from high-throughput protein crystallization screening: 10 years of practical experience

PubMed Central

JR, Luft; EH, Snell; GT, DeTitta

2011-01-01

Introduction X-ray crystallography provides the majority of our structural biological knowledge at a molecular level and in terms of pharmaceutical design is a valuable tool to accelerate discovery. It is the premier technique in the field, but its usefulness is significantly limited by the need to grow well-diffracting crystals. It is for this reason that high-throughput crystallization has become a key technology that has matured over the past 10 years through the field of structural genomics. Areas covered The authors describe their experiences in high-throughput crystallization screening in the context of structural genomics and the general biomedical community. They focus on the lessons learnt from the operation of a high-throughput crystallization screening laboratory, which to date has screened over 12,500 biological macromolecules. They also describe the approaches taken to maximize the success while minimizing the effort. Through this, the authors hope that the reader will gain an insight into the efficient design of a laboratory and protocols to accomplish high-throughput crystallization on a single-, multiuser-laboratory or industrial scale. Expert Opinion High-throughput crystallization screening is readily available but, despite the power of the crystallographic technique, getting crystals is still not a solved problem. High-throughput approaches can help when used skillfully; however, they still require human input in the detailed analysis and interpretation of results to be more successful. PMID:22646073

Root responses to elevated CO2, warming, and irrigation in a semiarid grassland: integrating biomass, length, and lifespan in a 5-year field experiment

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Plant roots mediate the impacts of environmental change on ecosystems, yet knowledge of root responses to environmental change is limited because few experiments manipulate multiple environmental factors and root dynamics are rarely measured thoroughly. Using five years of observations from an exper...

Practices of Cooperating Teachers Contributing to a High Quality Field Experience

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lafferty, Karen Elizabeth

2015-01-01

This mixed methods study framed in cognitive apprenticeship theory involved cooperating and preservice teachers from 10 university-based credentialing programs in California. It examined the connection between cooperating teacher practices and preservice teachers' perceptions of a high quality field experience. Survey responses from 146…

Aortic root remodeling: ten-year experience with 274 patients.

PubMed

Aicher, Diana; Langer, Frank; Lausberg, Henning; Bierbach, Benjamin; Schäfers, Hans-Joachim

2007-10-01

Dilatation of the aortic root with concomitant aortic regurgitation can be treated by valve-preserving surgery. We have consistently chosen root remodeling rather than reimplantation whenever the aortoventricular junction was not dilated. We have analyzed our 11-year experience with root remodeling. Between October 1995 and October 2006, 274 patients (201 male; 73 female, aged 59 +/- 15 years) were treated by root remodeling in the presence of a preserved aortoventricular diameter (<30 mm). Acute aortic dissection was present in 46 patients. The valve anatomy was tricuspid in 193 and bicuspid in 81 patients. Cusp disease was additionally corrected in 173 (63%) patients. Follow-up was complete in 99%. Cumulative follow-up was 1045 patient-years (mean of 4.0 +/- 2.7 years). Hospital mortality was 3.6% (elective 3.1%; emergency 6.5%). One patient had endocarditis 2 months postoperatively and subsequently underwent valve replacement. Freedom from aortic regurgitation of grade II or more was 91% and 87% at 10 years for bicuspid and tricuspid aortic valves. Nine patients required reoperation: in 6 patients the valve was replaced and in 3 patients rerepaired. Freedom from reoperation was 96% at 5 and 10 years, and freedom from valve replacement was 98% at 5 and 10 years. A comparison of 3 operative periods (1995-1998, 1999-2002, and 2003-2006) showed that with increasing experience cusp prolapse was diagnosed and corrected more frequently (8/49 = 17%; 62/105 = 59%; 103/108 = 82%; P < .0001), and repair stability significantly improved over time (P = .007). Root remodeling leads to durable restoration of aortic valve function in both tricuspid and bicuspid valve anatomy. Aggressive correction of cusp prolapse seems to have a beneficial effect on aortic valve competence.

Developing the Precision Magnetic Field for the E989 Muon g{2 Experiment

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

Smith, Matthias W.

The experimental value ofmore » $$(g\\hbox{--}2)_\\mu$$ historically has been and contemporarily remains an important probe into the Standard Model and proposed extensions. Previous measurements of $$(g\\hbox{--}2)_\\mu$$ exhibit a persistent statistical tension with calculations using the Standard Model implying that the theory may be incomplete and constraining possible extensions. The Fermilab Muon g-2 experiment, E989, endeavors to increase the precision over previous experiments by a factor of four and probe more deeply into the tension with the Standard Model. The $$(g\\hbox{--}2)_\\mu$$ experimental implementation measures two spin precession frequencies defined by the magnetic field, proton precession and muon precession. The value of $$(g\\hbox{--}2)_\\mu$$ is derived from a relationship between the two frequencies. The precision of magnetic field measurements and the overall magnetic field uniformity achieved over the muon storage volume are then two undeniably important aspects of the e xperiment in minimizing uncertainty. The current thesis details the methods employed to achieve magnetic field goals and results of the effort.« less

How to grow transgenic Arabidopsis in the field.

PubMed

Jänkänpää, Hanna Johansson; Jansson, Stefan

2012-01-01

Arabidopsis is naturally adapted to habitats in which both biotic variables (e.g., light, wind, and humidity) and abiotic variables (e.g., competition, herbivory, and pathogen densities) strongly fluctuate. Hence, conditions in controlled growth chambers (in which Arabidopsis is typically grown for scientific experiments) differ substantially from those in natural environments. In order to mimic more closely natural conditions, we grow Arabidopsis outdoors under "semi-natural" field conditions. Performing experiments on transgenic Arabidopsis grown in the field that are sufficiently reliable for publication is challenging. In this chapter, we present some of our experiences based on 10 years of field experimentation, which may be of use to researchers seeking to perform field experiments using transgenic Arabidopsis.

Drug Coverage Surveys for Neglected Tropical Diseases: 10 Years of Field Experience

PubMed Central

Worrell, Caitlin; Mathieu, Els

2012-01-01

Mass drug administration is one of the public health strategies recommended by the World Health Organization for the control and elimination of seven neglected tropical diseases (NTDs). Because adequate coverage is vital to achieve program goals, periodically conducting surveys to validate reported coverage to guide NTD programs is recommended. Over the past decade, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and collaborators conducted more than 30 two-stage cluster household surveys across three continents. The questionnaires gathered coverage data and information relevant to improving NTD programs including NTD-related attitudes and practices. From the 37 coverage survey estimates obtained in those surveys, 73.3% indicated an over reporting of coverage, including all three that assessed school-based distributions. It took an average of 1 week to conduct a survey. Our experiences led us to conclude that coverage surveys are useful and feasible tools to ensure NTD elimination and control goals are reached. PMID:22855750

Modeling and risk assessment of a 30-Year-old subsurface radioactive-liquid drain field

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dawson, Lon A.; Pohl, Phillip I.

1997-11-01

The contamination from a 30-year-old radioactive liquid drain field was assessed for movement in the subsurface and potential risks to humans. This assessment included determining field concentrations of cesium 137 (137Cs) and other inorganic contaminants and modeling of the flow and transport of the liquid waste that was sent to the drain field. The field investigation detected no contamination deeper than 15 feet (4.6 m) from the bottom of the drain field. Prediction of the water content of the vadose zone showed no saturated conditions for times greater than 10 years after the known infiltration. Sensitivity analysis of the modeling parameters showed the equilibrium sorption coefficient to be the most important factor in predicting the contaminant plumes. Calibration of modeling results with field data gave a 137Cs sorption coefficient that is within the range of values found in the literature. The risk assessment for the site showed that the contamination poses no significant risk to human health.

Practical Applications for Using Peer Assessment in Physical Education Teacher Education Field Experiences

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Patton, Beth J.; Marty-Snyder, Melissa

2014-01-01

Peer assessment (PA) occurs in many higher education programs. However, there is limited research examining PA in physical education teacher education (PETE) in regards to student teaching experiences. PA may be a method to better prepare PETE students to assess their future students. The field experience students assessed their fellow peers on…

Simulating the volatilization of solvents in unsaturated soils during laboratory and field infiltration experiments

USGS Publications Warehouse

Cho, H. Jean; Jaffe, Peter R.; Smith, James A.

1993-01-01

This paper describes laboratory and field experiments which were conducted to study the dynamics of trichloroethylene (TCE) as it volatilized from contaminated groundwater and diffused in the presence of infiltrating water through the unsaturated soil zone to the land surface. The field experiments were conducted at the Picatinny Arsenal, which is part of the United States Geological Survey Toxic Substances Hydrology Program. In both laboratory and field settings the gas and water phase concentrations of TCE were not in equilibrium during infiltration. Gas-water mass transfer rate constants were calibrated to the experimental data using a model in which the water phase was treated as two phases: a mobile water phase and an immobile water phase. The mass transfer limitations of a volatile organic compound between the gas and liquid phases were described explicitly in the model. In the laboratory experiment the porous medium was nonsorbing, and water infiltration rates ranged from 0.076 to 0.28 cm h−1. In the field experiment the water infiltration rate was 0.34 cm h−1, and sorption onto the soil matrix was significant. The laboratory-calibrated gas-water mass transfer rate constant is 3.3×10−4 h−1 for an infiltration rate of 0.076 cm h−1 and 1.4×10−3 h−1 for an infiltration rate of 0.28 cm h−1. The overall mass transfer rate coefficients, incorporating the contribution of mass transfer between mobile and immobile water phases and the variation of interfacial area with moisture content, range from 3×10−4 h−1 to 1×10−2 h−1. A power law model relates the gas-water mass transfer rate constant to the infiltration rate and the fraction of the water phase which is mobile. It was found that the results from the laboratory experiments could not be extrapolated to the field. In order to simulate the field experiment the very slow desorption of TCE from the soil matrix was incorporated into the mathematical model. When desorption from the

Bringing the Field to the Supervisor: Innovation in Distance Supervision for Field-Based Experiences Using Mobile Technologies

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Schmidt, Matthew; Gage, Ashley MacSuga; Gage, Nicholas; Cox, Penny; McLeskey, James

2015-01-01

This paper provides a summary of the design, development, and evaluation of a mobile distance supervision system for teacher interns in their field-based teaching experiences. Developed as part of the University of Florida's Restructuring and Improving Teacher Education 325T grant project, the prototype system streams video of teachers in rural…

ADX: a high field, high power density, Advanced Divertor test eXperiment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vieira, R.; Labombard, B.; Marmar, E.; Irby, J.; Shiraiwa, S.; Terry, J.; Wallace, G.; Whyte, D. G.; Wolfe, S.; Wukitch, S.; ADX Team

2014-10-01

The MIT PSFC and collaborators are proposing an advanced divertor experiment (ADX) - a tokamak specifically designed to address critical gaps in the world fusion research program on the pathway to FNSF/DEMO. This high field (6.5 tesla, 1.5 MA), high power density (P/S ~ 1.5 MW/m2) facility would utilize Alcator magnet technology to test innovative divertor concepts for next-step DT fusion devices (FNSF, DEMO) at reactor-level boundary plasma pressures and parallel heat flux densities while producing high performance core plasma conditions. The experimental platform would also test advanced lower hybrid current drive (LHCD) and ion-cyclotron range of frequency (ICRF) actuators and wave physics at the plasma densities and magnetic field strengths of a DEMO, with the unique ability to deploy launcher structures both on the low-magnetic-field side and the high-field side - a location where energetic plasma-material interactions can be controlled and wave physics is most favorable for efficient current drive, heating and flow drive. This innovative experiment would perform plasma science and technology R&D necessary to inform the conceptual development and accelerate the readiness-for-deployment of FNSF/DEMO - in a timely manner, on a cost-effective research platform. Supported by DE-FC02-99ER54512.

EFEDA - European field experiment in a desertification-threatened area

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bolle, H.-J.; Andre, J.-C.; Arrue, J. L.; Barth, H. K.; Bessemoulin, P.; Brasa, A.; De Bruin, H. A. R.; Cruces, J.; Dugdale, G.; Engman, E. T.

1993-01-01

During June 1991 more than 30 scientific teams worked in Castilla-La Mancha, Spain, studying the energy and water transfer processes between soil, vegetation, and the atmosphere in semiarid conditions within the coordinated European research project EFEDA (European Field Experiment in Desertification-threatened Areas). Measurements were made from the microscale (e.g., measurements on single plants) up to a scale compatible with the grid size of global models. For this purpose three sites were selected 70 km apart and heavily instrumented at a scale in the order of 30 sq km. Aircraft missions, satellite data, and movable equipment were deployed to provide a bridge to the larger scale. This paper gives a description of the experimental design along with some of the preliminary results of this successful experiment.

Assessment of Habitat Suitability Is Affected by Plant-Soil Feedback: Comparison of Field and Garden Experiment

PubMed Central

Hemrová, Lucie; Knappová, Jana; Münzbergová, Zuzana

2016-01-01

Background Field translocation experiments (i.e., the introduction of seeds or seedlings of different species into different localities) are commonly used to study habitat associations of species, as well as factors limiting species distributions and local abundances. Species planted or sown in sites where they naturally occur are expected to perform better or equally well compared to sites at which they do not occur or are rare. This, however, contrasts with the predictions of the Janzen-Connell hypothesis and commonly reported intraspecific negative plant-soil feedback. The few previous studies indicating poorer performance of plants at sites where they naturally occur did not explore the mechanisms behind this pattern. Aims and Methods In this study, we used field translocation experiments established using both seeds and seedlings to study the determinants of local abundance of four dominant species in grasslands. To explore the possible effects of intraspecific negative plant-soil feedback on our results, we tested the effect of local species abundance on the performance of the plants in the field experiment. In addition, we set up a garden experiment to explore the intensity of intraspecific as well as interspecific feedback between the dominants used in the experiment. Key Results In some cases, the distribution and local abundances of the species were partly driven by habitat conditions at the sites, and species performed better at their own sites. However, the prevailing pattern was that the local dominants performed worse at sites where they naturally occur than at any other sites. Moreover, the success of plants in the field experiment was lower in the case of higher intraspecific abundance prior to experimental setup. In the garden feedback experiment, two of the species performed significantly worse in soils conditioned by their species than in soils conditioned by the other species. In addition, the performance of the plants was significantly

Urban Field Experiences for Undergraduate Liberal Arts Students: Using Compromised Environments as Living Laboratories

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

MacAvoy, S. E.; Knee, K.

2015-12-01

While urban environments may lack the beauty of relatively pristine field sites, they can be used to deliver an effective demonstration of actual environmental damage. Students demanding applied field experiences from their undergraduate environmental science programs can be well served in urban settings. Here, we present strategies for integrating degraded urban systems into the undergraduate field experience. Urban locations provide an opportunity for a different type of local "field-work" than would otherwise be available. In the upper-level undergraduate Environmental Methods class, we relied on a National Park area located a 10-minute walk from campus for most field exercises. Activities included soil analysis, measuring stream flow and water quality parameters, dendrochronology, and aquatic microbe metabolism. In the non-majors class, we make use of our urban location to contrast water quality in parks and highly channelized urban streams. Students spend labs immersed in streams and wetlands heavily impacted by the urban runoff their city generates. Here we share lesson plans and budgets for field activities that can be completed during a class period of 2.5 hours with a $75 course fee, show how these activities help students gain quantitative competency.

Developing Standards-Based Geography Curricular Materials from Overseas Field Experiences for K-12 Teachers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Oberle, Alex; Palacios, Fabian Araya

2012-01-01

Overseas experiences provide educators with exceptional opportunities to incorporate field study, firsthand experiences, and tangible artifacts into the classroom. Despite this potential, teachers must consider curricular standards that direct how such international endeavors can be integrated. Furthermore, geography curriculum development is more…

Comfort and experience with online learning: trends over nine years and associations with knowledge.

PubMed

Cook, David A; Thompson, Warren G

2014-07-01

Some evidence suggests that attitude toward computer-based instruction is an important determinant of success in online learning. We sought to determine how comfort using computers and perceptions of prior online learning experiences have changed over the past decade, and how these associate with learning outcomes. Each year from 2003-2011 we conducted a prospective trial of online learning. As part of each year's study, we asked medicine residents about their comfort using computers and if their previous experiences with online learning were favorable. We assessed knowledge using a multiple-choice test. We used regression to analyze associations and changes over time. 371 internal medicine and family medicine residents participated. Neither comfort with computers nor perceptions of prior online learning experiences showed a significant change across years (p > 0.61), with mean comfort rating 3.96 (maximum 5 = very comfortable) and mean experience rating 4.42 (maximum 6 = strongly agree [favorable]). Comfort showed no significant association with knowledge scores (p = 0.39) but perceptions of prior experiences did, with a 1.56% rise in knowledge score for a 1-point rise in experience score (p = 0.02). Correlations among comfort, perceptions of prior experiences, and number of prior experiences were all small and not statistically significant. Comfort with computers and perceptions of prior experience with online learning remained stable over nine years. Prior good experiences (but not comfort with computers) demonstrated a modest association with knowledge outcomes, suggesting that prior course satisfaction may influence subsequent learning.

Patterns of Generative Discourse in Online Discussions during the Field Experience

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lafferty, Karen Elizabeth; Kopcha, Theodore J.

2016-01-01

This study examined how online discussion of the classroom challenges that preservice teachers face during the field experience can lead to problem solving and knowledge generation. Drawing upon Horn and Little's (2010) descriptions of generative discourse, the study examined how a community of preservice teachers, their university supervisors,…

Design of Field Experiments for Adaptive Sampling of the Ocean with Autonomous Vehicles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zheng, H.; Ooi, B. H.; Cho, W.; Dao, M. H.; Tkalich, P.; Patrikalakis, N. M.

2010-05-01

Due to the highly non-linear and dynamical nature of oceanic phenomena, the predictive capability of various ocean models depends on the availability of operational data. A practical method to improve the accuracy of the ocean forecast is to use a data assimilation methodology to combine in-situ measured and remotely acquired data with numerical forecast models of the physical environment. Autonomous surface and underwater vehicles with various sensors are economic and efficient tools for exploring and sampling the ocean for data assimilation; however there is an energy limitation to such vehicles, and thus effective resource allocation for adaptive sampling is required to optimize the efficiency of exploration. In this paper, we use physical oceanography forecasts of the coastal zone of Singapore for the design of a set of field experiments to acquire useful data for model calibration and data assimilation. The design process of our experiments relied on the oceanography forecast including the current speed, its gradient, and vorticity in a given region of interest for which permits for field experiments could be obtained and for time intervals that correspond to strong tidal currents. Based on these maps, resources available to our experimental team, including Autonomous Surface Craft (ASC) are allocated so as to capture the oceanic features that result from jets and vortices behind bluff bodies (e.g., islands) in the tidal current. Results are summarized from this resource allocation process and field experiments conducted in January 2009.

Career Field Experience: A Look at On-site Usage by High School Communication Class.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kaye, Thomas

The career field experience program at a midwestern high school places broadcasting students on location for observation of the profession and optional job training or work. In addition to radio and television stations, field locations include advertising agencies with production studios, corporate production facilities, recording studios, cable…

Aggregate stability, root length and root thickness influenced by a mycorrhizal inoculum? - Results from a three-year eco-engineering field experiment on an alpine slope.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bast, Alexander; Wilcke, Wolfgang; Lüscher, Peter; Graf, Frank; Gärtner, Holger

2014-05-01

In mountain environments many slopes are covered by coarse grained, glacial-, periglacial- or/and denudation-derived substrate. These slopes show a high geomorphic activity and are susceptible for erosional processes, shallow landslides or debris flows, which can result in a high socio-economic hazard potential. This is especially true for steep slopes, lacking a protecting vegetation cover. Regarding hazard prevention, eco-engineering gained in importance because related techniques provide a sustainable measure to protect erosion-prone hillslopes. The idea of using plants for sustainable erosion control and protection against shallow landslides, demands some essential requirements, as e.g., a stable seedbed providing appropriate water and nutrient supply. However, degraded alpine slopes are often unstable and the coarse-grained material shows a low retention capacity of water and nutrients. Extreme conditions like this hamper a fast and sustainable development of a protecting vegetation cover even if pioneer plants are used to stabilize the slopes. Thus, the question arises what needs to be done to give planted saplings within eco-engineering projects maximum support developing their above- and belowground structures to promote slope stabilization. Laboratory experiments using potted plants have shown a positive impact of mycorrhizal fungi inoculation plant development and soil structure, i.e. the formation of (stable) aggregates within several months. Soil aggregate stability is an integrating parameter, reflecting several aspects of the plant-soil system and for this also an indicator of soil development and soil stability. Because of this and based on the promising laboratory results, we intended to apply this approach in a field-experiment We established (i) mycorrhizal and (ii) non-mycorrhizal treated eco-engineered research plots on a field experimental scale, covering a total area of approx. 1000 m2 on an ENE exposed slope (coarse morainic and denudation

Wilderness visitor experiences: A selective review of 50 years of research

Treesearch

David N. Cole

2012-01-01

Two of the foremost conclusions from 50 years of research on wilderness visitors are that experiences are highly idiosyncratic and visitors are highly adaptable. The reasons people visit wilderness, their experiential aspirations, and their experiences in wilderness vary greatly among people and within people from visit to visit. Along with people's adaptability...

The SQUIRE Guidelines: an evaluation from the field, 5 years post release.

PubMed

Davies, Louise; Batalden, Paul; Davidoff, Frank; Stevens, David; Ogrinc, Greg

2015-12-01

The Standards for Quality Improvement Reporting Excellence (SQUIRE) Guidelines were published in 2008 to increase the completeness, precision and accuracy of published reports of systematic efforts to improve the quality, value and safety of healthcare. Since that time, the field has expanded. We asked people from the field to evaluate the Guidelines, a novel approach to a first step in revision. Evaluative design using focus groups and semi-structured interviews with 29 end users and an advisory group of 18 thinkers in the field. Sampling of end users was purposive to achieve variation in work setting, geographic location, area of expertise, manuscript writing experience, healthcare improvement and research experience. Study participants reported that SQUIRE was useful in planning a healthcare improvement project, but not as helpful during writing because of redundancies, uncertainty about what was important to include and lack of clarity in items. The concept "planning the study of the intervention" (item 10) was hard for many participants to understand. Participants varied in their interpretation of the meaning of item 10b "the concept of the mechanism by which changes were expected to occur". Participants disagreed about whether iterations of an intervention should be reported. Level of experience in writing, knowledge of the science of improvement and the evolving meaning of some terms in the field are hypothesised as the reasons for these findings. The original SQUIRE Guidelines help with planning healthcare improvement work, but are perceived as complicated and unclear during writing. Key goals of the revision will be to clarify items where conflict was identified and outline the key components necessary for complete reporting of improvement work. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://www.bmj.com/company/products-services/rights-and-licensing/

A Year-Long Research Experience Program in Solar and Atmospheric Physics at the Queensborough Community College of the City University of New York (CUNY)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Damas, M. C.; Cheung, T. D.; Ngwira, C.; Mohamed, A.; Knipp, D. J.; Johnson, L. P.; Zheng, Y.; Paglione, T.

2015-12-01

The Queensborough Community College (QCC) of the City University of New York (CUNY), a Hispanic and minority-serving institution, is the recipient of a 2-year NSF EAGER (Early Concept Grants for Exploratory Research) grant to design and implement a high-impact practice integrated research and education program in solar and atmospheric physics. Through a strong collaboration with CUNY/City College of New York and NASA Goddard Space Flight Center's Community Coordinated Modeling Center (CCMC), the project engages underrepresented community college students in geosciences-related STEM fields through a year-long research experience with two components: 1) during the academic year, students are enrolled in a course-based introductory research (CURE) where they conduct research on real-world problems; and 2) during the summer, students are placed in research internships at partner institutions. We will present the results of the first year-long research experience, including successes and challenges.

A Study of Guided Urban Field Experiences for Pre-Service Teachers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

White, Meg

2017-01-01

This research examined pre-service teachers' perceptions of urban schools and urban students before and after an 80-hour field experience in an urban K-12 district. The fieldwork placements were structured through a school-university partnership, and supported by university coursework. Quantitative data collected from 150 students over three…

Health Education Field Experience Stories: A Reflective, Digital, Performance-Based Project

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lyde, Adrian R.

2012-01-01

This article describes a reflective, systematic, performance-based project resulting in the development of a digital story about a community health education field experience. The project is designed for preservice health education students at the college/university level. The primary benefit of the project is that it challenges students to engage…

Cultural adaptation in translational research: field experiences.

PubMed

Dévieux, Jessy G; Malow, Robert M; Rosenberg, Rhonda; Jean-Gilles, Michèle; Samuels, Deanne; Ergon-Pérez, Emma; Jacobs, Robin

2005-06-01

The increase in the incidence of HIV/AIDS among minorities in the United States and in certain developing nations has prompted new intervention priorities, stressing the adaptation of efficacious interventions for diverse and marginalized groups. The experiences of Florida International University's AIDS Prevention Program in translating HIV primary and secondary prevention interventions among these multicultural populations provide insight into the process of cultural adaptations and address the new scientific emphasis on ecological validity. An iterative process involving forward and backward translation, a cultural linguistic committee, focus group discussions, documentation of project procedures, and consultations with other researchers in the field was used to modify interventions. This article presents strategies used to ensure fidelity in implementing the efficacious core components of evidence-based interventions for reducing HIV transmission and drug use behaviors and the challenges posed by making cultural adaptation for participants with low literacy. This experience demonstrates the importance of integrating culturally relevant material in the translation process with intense focus on language and nuance. The process must ensure that the level of intervention is appropriate for the educational level of participants. Furthermore, the rights of participants must be protected during consenting procedures by instituting policies that recognize the socioeconomic, educational, and systemic pressures to participate in research.

Oil field experiments of microbial improved oil recovery in Vyngapour, West Siberia, Russia

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

Murygina, V.P.; Mats, A.A.; Arinbasarov, M.U.

1995-12-31

Experiments on microbial improved oil recovery (MIOR) have been performed in the Vyngapour oil field in West Siberia for two years. Now, the product of some producing wells of the Vyngapour oil field is 98-99% water cut. The operation of such wells approaches an economic limit. The nutritious composition containing local industry wastes and sources of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium was pumped into an injection well on the pilot area. This method is called {open_quotes}nutritional flooding.{close_quotes} The mechanism of nutritional flooding is based on intensification of biosynthesis of oil-displacing metabolites by indigenous bacteria and bacteria from food industry wastes inmore » the stratum. 272.5 m{sup 3} of nutritious composition was introduced into the reservoir during the summer of 1993, and 450 m3 of nutritious composition-in 1994. The positive effect of the injections in 1993 showed up in 2-2.5 months and reached its maximum in 7 months after the injections were stopped. By July 1, 1994, 2,268.6 tons of oil was produced over the base variant, and the simultaneous water extraction reduced by 33,902 m{sup 3} as compared with the base variant. The injections in 1994 were carried out on the same pilot area.« less

Penile injuries: A 10-year experience

PubMed Central

Krishna Reddy, S.V.; Shaik, Ahammad Basha; Sreenivas, K.

2014-01-01

We report our 10-year experience with penile injuries. We retrospectively reviewed the records of 156 cases of male external genitalia injuries between May 2002 and December 2012. Of these, only 26 patients presented without urethral injuries and were included in this study. Patients were divided into 4 groups: Group 1 (n = 12) with patients with penile fractures injuries; Group 2 (n = 5) with patients with penile amputation injuries; Group 3 (n = 2) with patients with penile penetrating injuries; and Group 4 (n = 7) with patients with penile soft tissue injuries. Grading of injury was done using the American Association for the Surgery of Trauma (AAST)-Organ injury scale of penile injury. Penile injuries without urethral injuries are urological emergencies which require immediate attention. PMID:25295134

Computer-aided field editing in DHS: the Turkey experiment.

PubMed

1995-01-01

A study comparing field editing using a Notebook computer, computer-aided field editing (CAFE), with that done manually in the standard manner, during the 1993 Demographic and Health Survey (DHS) in Turkey, demonstrated that there was less missing data and a lower mean number of errors for teams using CAFE. 6 of 13 teams used CAFE in the Turkey experiment; the computers were equipped with Integrated System for Survey Analysis (ISSA) software for editing the DHS questionnaires. The CAFE teams completed 2466 out of 8619 household questionnaires and 1886 out of 6649 individual questionnaires. The CAFE team editor entered data into the computer and marked any detected errors on the questionnaire; the errors were then corrected by the editor, in the field, based on other responses in the questionnaire, or on corrections made by the interviewer to which the questionnaire was returned. Errors in questionnaires edited manually are not identified until they are sent to the survey office for data processing, when it is too late to ask for clarification from respondents. There was one area where the error rate was higher for CAFE teams; the CAFE editors paid less attention to errors presented as warnings only.

Freshmen Marketing: A First-Year Experience with Experiential Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Greene, Henry

2011-01-01

This paper describes an experiential learning activity designed for a New England university freshmen course, BUS101-Marketing First-Year Experience (FYE). The purpose of the activity is to teach basic principles of marketing, develop a general perspective of business, and provide FYE activities that facilitate the college transition. The specific…

Field experiments to determine wave propagation principles and mechanical properties of snow

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Simioni, Stephan; Gebhard, Felix; Dual, Jürg; Schweizer, Jürg

2017-04-01

To understand the release of snow avalanches by explosions one needs to know how acoustic waves travel above and within the snowpack. Hitherto, wave propagation was investigated in the laboratory with small samples or in the field in the shock wave region. We developed a measurement system and layout to derive wave attenuation in snow, wave speeds and elastic moduli on small-scale (1-2 m) field experiments to close the gap between the lab scale (0.1 m) and the scale of artificial release (10-100 m). We used solid explosives and hammer blows to create the load and accelerometers to measure the resulting wave within the snowpack. The strong attenuation we observed indicates that we measured the second longitudinal wave which propagates through the pore space. The wave speeds, however, corresponded to the speeds of the first longitudinal wave within the ice skeleton. The elastic moduli were high on the order of several tens of MPa for lower densities (150 kg m-3) and agreed well with earlier lab studies, in particular for the higher densities 250-400 kg m-3). However, the scatter was rather large as expected for in-situ experiments in the layered snow cover. In addition, we measured accelerations during propagation saw test experiments. The propagation of cracks during this type of snow instability test has mainly been studied by analysing the bending of the slab (due to the saw cut) using particle tracking velocimetry. We used the accelerometers to measure crack propagation speeds. The wave speeds were slightly higher for most experiments than reported previously. Furthermore, in some experiments, we encountered to different wave types with one propagating at a higher speed. This finding may be interpreted as the actual crack propagation and the settling of the weak layer (collapse wave). Our results show that field measurements of propagation properties are feasible and that crack propagation as observed during propagation saw tests may involve different processes

The accelerated residency program: the Marshall University family practice 9-year experience.

PubMed

Petrany, Stephen M; Crespo, Richard

2002-10-01

In 1989, the American Board of Family Practice (ABFP) approved the first of 12 accelerated residency programs in family practice. These experimental programs provide a 1-year experience for select medical students that combines the requirements of the fourth year of medical school with those of the first year of residency, reducing the total training time by 1 year. This paper reports on the achievements and limitations of the Marshall University accelerated residency program over a 9-year period that began in 1992. Several parameters have been monitored since the inception of the accelerated program and provide the basis for comparison of accelerated and traditional residents. These include initial resident characteristics, performance outcomes, and practice choices. A total of 16 students were accepted into the accelerated track from 1992 through 1998. During the same time period, 44 residents entered the traditional residency program. Accelerated resident tended to be older and had more career experience than their traditional counterparts. As a group, the accelerated residents scored an average of 30 points higher on the final in-training exams provided by the ABFP. All residents in both groups remained at Marshall to complete the full residency training experience, and all those who have taken the ABFP certifying exam have passed. Accelerated residents were more likely to practice in West Virginia, consistent with one of the initial goals for the program. In addition, accelerated residents were more likely to be elected chief resident and choose an academic career than those in the traditional group. Both groups opted for small town or rural practice equally. The Marshall University family practice 9-year experience with the accelerated residency track demonstrates that for carefully selected candidates, the program can provide an overall shortened path to board certification and attract students who excel academically and have high leadership potential

METALS (Minority Education Through Traveling and Learning in the Sciences) and the Value of Collaborative Field-centered Experiences in the Geosciences (Invited)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

White, L. D.

2013-12-01

METALS (Minority Education Through Traveling and Learning in the Sciences) is a field-based, geoscience diversity program developed by a collaborative venture among San Francisco State University, the University of Texas at El Paso, the University of New Orleans, and Purdue University. Since 2010, this program has created meaningful geoscience experiences for underrepresented minorities by engaging 30 high school students in experiential learning opportunities each year. During METALS field trips, the primarily urban students observe natural landforms, measure water quality, conduct beach profiles, and interpret stratigraphic and structural features in locations that have included southern Utah, southern Louisiana, central Wyoming, and northern California. In these geological settings participants are also able to focus on societally relevant, community-related issues. Results from program evaluation suggest that student participants view METALS as: (1) opening up new opportunities for field-based science not normally available to them, (2) engaging in a valuable science-based field experience, (3) an inspirational, but often physically challenging, undertaking that combines high-interest geology content with an exciting outdoor adventure, and (4) a unique social experience that brings together people from various parts of the United States. Further evaluation findings from the four summer trips completed thus far demonstrate that active learning opportunities through direct interaction with the environment is an effective way to engage students in geoscience-related learning. Students also seem to benefit from teaching strategies that include thoughtful reflection, journaling, and teamwork, and mentors are positive about engaging with these approaches. Participants appear motivated to explore geoscience topics further and often discuss having new insights and new perspectives leading to career choices in geosciences. Additionally, students who had a prior and

The Preservice Teachers Are Watching: Framing and Reframing the Field Experience

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Scherff, Lisa; Singer, Nancy Robb

2012-01-01

In this article we employ Sizers' (1999) school- and classroom-based lenses for observation and apply them to the events and interactions that teacher education students see during school-based field experiences. Our data include online reflections and discussions among 33 students enrolled in a teacher education program at a large, public…

Magnetic Field Design for the LANL nEDM Experiment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dadisman, Ryan

2017-09-01

A recent UCN source upgrade at LANSCE makes possible an order of magnitude advancement in the measurement of the neutron electric dipole moment by use of the familiar Ramsey method of separated oscillatory fields. A highly uniform B0 magnetic field is required to achieve sufficiently long spin-relaxation times and to suppress the false EDM caused by the geometric phase effect. We identified a multi-gap solenoid as an ideal candidate to simultaneously achieve the uniformity requirements, via optimization of the gap lengths between and current within different sections, and provide plentiful access to the fiducial region. Results from initial tests of the coil when installed in the magnetic shield house enclosing the experiment will be presented. This material is based upon work supported by the U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Science, Office of Nuclear Physics, under Award Number DE-SC-0014622.

An Experiment on Impatiens New Guinea for 11-12 Year Olds

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McEwan, Birgitta

2008-01-01

The following experiment describes an easy experiment for children 11-12 years old, performed during spring in a compulsory school near Karlstad, Sweden. Four different ripe fruits were placed under flowering plants of Impatiens New Guinea (Impatiens hawkeri) for four days on a table and with plastic bags around both plants and fruits. For one of…

Benchmark Data Set for Wheat Growth Models: Field Experiments and AgMIP Multi-Model Simulations.

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Asseng, S.; Ewert, F.; Martre, P.; Rosenzweig, C.; Jones, J. W.; Hatfield, J. L.; Ruane, A. C.; Boote, K. J.; Thorburn, P.J.; Rotter, R. P.

2015-01-01

The data set includes a current representative management treatment from detailed, quality-tested sentinel field experiments with wheat from four contrasting environments including Australia, The Netherlands, India and Argentina. Measurements include local daily climate data (solar radiation, maximum and minimum temperature, precipitation, surface wind, dew point temperature, relative humidity, and vapor pressure), soil characteristics, frequent growth, nitrogen in crop and soil, crop and soil water and yield components. Simulations include results from 27 wheat models and a sensitivity analysis with 26 models and 30 years (1981-2010) for each location, for elevated atmospheric CO2 and temperature changes, a heat stress sensitivity analysis at anthesis, and a sensitivity analysis with soil and crop management variations and a Global Climate Model end-century scenario.

Visual Prediction of Rover Slip: Learning Algorithms and Field Experiments

DTIC Science & Technology

2008-01-01

DATES COVERED 00-00-2008 to 00-00-2008 4. TITLE AND SUBTITLE Visual Prediction of Rover Slip: Learning Algorithms and Field Experiments 5a...rover mobility [23, 78]. Remote slip prediction will enable safe traversals on large slopes covered with sand, drift material or loose crater ejecta...aqueous processes, e.g., mineral-rich out- crops which imply exposure to water [92] or putative lake formations or shorelines, layered deposits, etc

Field experiments for student learning – what I learnt in my first weeks in Sweden two decades ago

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Seibert, Jan

2015-04-01

Field experiments can be extremely valuable for obtaining a good understanding of hydrological processes. In this poster I revisit a field course held by Allan Rodhe when I came to Sweden two decades ago, and ask myself, with a long-term perspective, what I learnt during this course. Some of the experiments are described in more detail such as the estimation of hydraulic conductivities based on groundwater salt dilution and an experiment to demonstrate the difference between flood-wave velocity and water particle velocity. Furthermore, some general thoughts on challenges to generate a good learning environment in the field are given based on my personal experiences as a student, an assistant and a teacher.

Pyranometer offsets triggered by ambient meteorology: insights from laboratory and field experiments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Oswald, Sandro M.; Pietsch, Helga; Baumgartner, Dietmar J.; Weihs, Philipp; Rieder, Harald E.

2017-03-01

This study investigates the effects of ambient meteorology on the accuracy of radiation (R) measurements performed with pyranometers contained in various heating and ventilation systems (HV-systems). It focuses particularly on instrument offsets observed following precipitation events. To quantify pyranometer responses to precipitation, a series of controlled laboratory experiments as well as two targeted field campaigns were performed in 2016. The results indicate that precipitation (as simulated by spray tests or observed under ambient conditions) significantly affects the thermal environment of the instruments and thus their stability. Statistical analyses of laboratory experiments showed that precipitation triggers zero offsets of -4 W m-2 or more, independent of the HV-system. Similar offsets were observed in field experiments under ambient environmental conditions, indicating a clear exceedance of BSRN (Baseline Surface Radiation Network) targets following precipitation events. All pyranometers required substantial time to return to their initial signal states after the simulated precipitation events. Therefore, for BSRN-class measurements, the recommendation would be to flag the radiation measurements during a natural precipitation event and 90 min after it in nighttime conditions. Further daytime experiments show pyranometer offsets of 50 W m-2 or more in comparison to the reference system. As they show a substantially faster recovery, the recommendation would be to flag the radiation measurements within a natural precipitation event and 10 min after it in daytime conditions.

A field experiment to assess impact of chemically dispersed oil on Arabian Gulf corals

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

Le Gore, R.S.; Cuddeback, J.E.; Hofmann, J.E.

1983-03-01

Field experiments were conducted on a coral reef at Jurayd Island (Saudi Arabia) in the Arabian Gulf to study the effects of chemically dispersed oil on local corals. Portions of the reef were exposed to predetermined concentrations of oil alone, dispersant alone, and oil-plus-dispersant mixtures. Areas of the reef not exposed to any of the toxicants were used as controls. Arabian Light Crude and Corexit 9527 dispersant were the test toxicants. Two series of experiments were conducted beginning in September 1981, one with a 24-hour exposure period and the other with a 5-day (120-hour) exposure period. Corals were stained formore » growth rate studies and extensively photographed to document any observed effects. Corals were examined for biological impacts immediately after the exposures, and then at 3-month intervals for 1 year. Water temperature, salinity, dissolved oxygen, and hydrocarbon content were recorded during the exposure periods. Coral growth appeared unaffected by exposure to the toxicants. Some Acropora species corals exposed to dispersed oil for 5 days exhibited delayed effects, which became apparent during the relatively cold winter season.« less

Early Pottery Making in Northern Coastal Peru. Part II: Field Firing Experiments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shimada, I.; Goldstein, D.; Sosa, J.; Wagner, U.

2003-09-01

We present data from three seasons of experimental field work designed to recreate ancient Andean coastal ceramic firing techniques. Based on the recent discovery of two different archaeological ceramic production sites in the La Leche river valley of northern coastal Peru, the opportunity arose to apply Mössbauer spectroscopy and other analytical methods to reconstruct ancient firing procedures. Two sets of firings took place in 1993 and 1997 in Batán Grande using a partially restored Formative kiln from about 800 BC, local hardwood and cow dung as fuel. A third experiment followed in 2000 after the discovery of a Middle Sicán ceramics workshop in use between ca. AD 950 and 1050 at Huaca Sialupe, where an exact replica of an ancient kiln was built from local clay, and fired with local wood and cow dung. Additionally, inverted urns found at Huaca Sialupe were tested for their potential use as furnaces for metal working. Mössbauer spectroscopy was used to compare the physical and chemical state of specimens produced in the field experiments with ancient ceramics and with specimens produced in controlled laboratory experiments.

The lived experience of first year undergraduate student nurses: A hermeneutic phenomenological study.

PubMed

Porteous, Debra J; Machin, Alison

2018-01-01

This study gives insight into the experiences and perceptions of one group of undergraduate nursing students as they make the transition into Higher Education and the nursing profession, during the first year, of their three-year programme. Research has shown that first year undergraduate experience is complex and challenging for any student. For undergraduate nursing students, the process of achieving additional professional practice competencies required for United Kingdom nursing registration adds additional responsibility and potentially, more pressure. Few studies have considered student nurses' lived experiences during their first year of study in any depth. This study aimed to understand how one group of undergraduate nursing students perceived their experiences of the transition into higher education and nursing profession. Framed within an interpretive philosophical paradigm, a hermeneutic phenomenological approach enabled the exploration of participants' lived experiences. The study took place at a Higher Education Institution approved nurse education provider in the North of England, United Kingdom (UK). Following ethical approval, ten first year student nurses from a range of different backgrounds gave informed consent to participate. Over a one year period between 2013 and 2014 participants provided data at three points during their first year (four months, eight months and twelve months) via semi-structured, digitally recorded individual interviews (n=30) and digital recordings of critical incident accounts as they occurred (n=30). Data was transcribed verbatim, systematically thematically analysed drawing on hermeneutic phenomenological principles and verified for thematic accuracy by participants in 2015. Five themes emerged from the data: uncertainty; expectations; learning to survive; seeking support; and moving forward. Findings identify that the participants had developed skills to survive however considerable variation in their experience

Constraining chameleon field theories using the GammeV afterglow experiments

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

Upadhye, A.; /Chicago U., EFI /KICP, Chicago; Steffen, J.H.

2009-11-01

The GammeV experiment has constrained the couplings of chameleon scalar fields to matter and photons. Here we present a detailed calculation of the chameleon afterglow rate underlying these constraints. The dependence of GammeV constraints on various assumptions in the calculation is studied. We discuss GammeV-CHASE, a second-generation GammeV experiment, which will improve upon GammeV in several major ways. Using our calculation of the chameleon afterglow rate, we forecast model-independent constraints achievable by GammeV-CHASE. We then apply these constraints to a variety of chameleon models, including quartic chameleons and chameleon dark energy models. The new experiment will be able to probemore » a large region of parameter space that is beyond the reach of current tests, such as fifth force searches, constraints on the dimming of distant astrophysical objects, and bounds on the variation of the fine structure constant.« less

Far ultraviolet wide field imaging with a SPARTAN /Experiment of Opportunity/ Payload

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Carruthers, G. R.; Heckathorn, H. M.; Opal, C. B.

1982-01-01

A wide-field electrographic Schmidt camera, sensitive in the far UV (1230-2000 A), has been developed and utilized in three sounding rocket flights. It is now being prepared for Shuttle flight as an Experiment of Opportunity Payload (EOP) (recently renamed as the SPARTAN program). In this paper, we discuss (1) design of the instrument and payload, particularly as influenced by our experience in rocket flights; (2) special problems of EOP in comparison to sounding rocket missions; (3) relationship of this experiment to, and special capabilities in comparison to, other space astronomy instruments such as Space Telescope; and (4) a tentative observing plan for an EOP mission.

The understanding and experience of mixed emotions in 3-5-year-old children.

PubMed

Smith, Joshua P; Glass, Daniel J; Fireman, Gary

2015-01-01

The term mixed emotions refers to the presence of two opposite-valence emotions toward a single target. Identifying when children begin to report experiencing and understanding mixed emotions is critical in identifying how skills such as adaptive functioning, coping strategies, environmental understanding, and socioemotional competence emerge. Prior research has shown that children as young as 5 years old can understand and experience mixed emotion, but perhaps appropriately sensitive methodologies can reveal these abilities in younger children. The present study evaluated 57 children between 3 and 5 years old for mixed emotion experience and understanding using an animated video clip in which a character experiences a mixed emotional episode. Ordinal logistic regression was utilized to examine the relation of gender, attention, and understanding of content to experience and understanding of mixed emotion. While only 12% of children reported experiencing mixed emotion while watching the clip, 49% of children-some as young as 3 years old-were able to recognize the mixed emotional experience of the character. Thus, mixed emotion understanding emerges earlier than previously identified and the expression of understanding may develop independently of the ability to report mixed emotion experience. These findings are discussed in relation to cognitive and developmental considerations.

Engineering and agronomy aspects of a long-term precision agriculture field experiment

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Much research has been conducted on specific precision agriculture tools and implementation strategies, but little has been reported on long-term evaluation of integrated precision agriculture field experiments. In 2004 our research team developed and initiated a multi-faceted “precision agriculture...

Six Years Experience with Porcine Extracellular Matrix: A New Paradigm for Pelvic Floor Repair

DTIC Science & Technology

2017-05-06

MDW/SGVU SUBJECT: Profess ional Presentation Approval 20 APR 20 17 1. Your paper, entitled Six Years Experience with Porcine Extracellular Matrix: A...NIA 6. TITLE OF MATERIAL TO BE PUBLISHED OR PRESENTED: Six Years Experience with Porcine Extracellular Matrix: A New Paradigm for Pelvic Floor Repair

Field Test: Results from the One Year Mission

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Reschke, M. F.; Kozlovskaya, I. B.; Kofman, I. S.; Tomilovskaya, E. S.; Cerisano, J. M.; Rosenberg, M. J. F.; Bloomberg, J. J.; Stenger, M. B.; Lee, S. M. C.; Laurie, S. S.;

Spruce-fir forest changes during a 30-year nitrogen saturation experiment

Treesearch

Steven G. McNulty; Johnny L. Boggs; John D. Aber; Lindsey E. Rustad

2017-01-01

A field experiment was established in a high elevation red spruce (Picea rubens Sarg.) – balsam fir (Abies balsamea) forest on Mount Ascutney Vermont, USA in 1988 to test the nitrogen (N) saturation hypothesis, and to better understand the mechanisms causing forest decline at the time. The study established replicate control, lowand high dose nitrogen addition plots (i...

Note: Versatile sample stick for neutron scattering experiments in high electric fields

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

Bartkowiak, M., E-mail: marek.bartkowiak@psi.ch; White, J. S.; Laboratory for Quantum Magnetism, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne

2014-02-15

We present a versatile high voltage sample stick that fits into all cryomagnets and standard cryostats at the Swiss Spallation Neutron Source, Paul Scherrer Institut, and which provides a low effort route to neutron scattering experiments that combine electric field with low temperature and magnetic field. The stick allows for voltages up to 5 kV and can be easily adapted for different scattering geometries. We discuss the design consideration and thermal behavior of the stick, and give one example to showcase the abilities of the device.

Relationship between sports experience and executive function in 6-12-year-old children: independence from physical fitness and moderation by gender.

PubMed

Ishihara, Toru; Sugasawa, Shigemi; Matsuda, Yusuke; Mizuno, Masao

2018-05-01

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the relationship between sports experience (i.e., tennis experience) and executive function in children while controlling for physical activity and physical fitness. Sixty-eight participants (6-12 years old, 34 males and 34 females) were enrolled in regular tennis lessons (mean = 2.4 years, range = 0.1-7.3 years) prior to the study. Executive functions, including inhibitory control (the Stroop Color-Word Test), working memory (the 2-back Task), and cognitive flexibility (the Local-global Task) were evaluated. Participants' levels of daily physical activity, ranging from moderate to vigorous, were evaluated using triaxial accelerometers. The total score for physical fitness was assessed using the Tennis Field Test. Hierarchical multiple regression analyses revealed interaction effects between gender and tennis experience on participants' reaction time (RT) on the switch cost of the Local-global Task after controlling for age, BMI, gender, physical activity, physical fitness, and tennis experience. Longer tennis experience was associated with shorter switch cost in males but not in females. Higher scores on physical fitness were positively associated with lower interference scores on the Stroop Color-Word Test, RT on the 2-back Task, and RT in the switching condition of the Local-global Task, after controlling for age, BMI, gender, and physical activity. In conclusion, all three foundational components of executive function (i.e., inhibitory control, working memory, and cognitive flexibility) were more strongly related to physical fitness than to physical activity in males and females, whereas greater cognitive flexibility was related to tennis experience only in the males. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Outdoor field experience with autonomous RPC based stations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lopes, L.; Assis, P.; Blanco, A.; Carolino, N.; Cerda, M. A.; Conceição, R.; Cunha, O.; Ferreira, M.; Fonte, P.; Luz, R.; Mendes, L.; Pereira, A.; Pimenta, M.; Sarmento, R.; Tomé, B.

2016-09-01

In the last two decades Resistive Plate Chambers were employed in the Cosmic Ray Experiments COVER-PLASTEX and ARGO/YBJ. In both experiments the detectors were housed indoors, likely owing to gas distribution requirements and the need to control environment variables that directly affect RPCs operational stability. But in experiments where Extended Air Shower (EAS) sampling is necessary, large area arrays composed by dispersed stations are deployed, rendering this kind of approach impossible. In this situation, it would be mandatory to have detectors that could be deployed in small standalone stations, with very rare opportunities for maintenance, and with good resilience to environmental conditions. Aiming to meet these requirements, we started some years ago the development of RPCs for Autonomous Stations. The results from indoor tests and measurements were very promising, both concerning performance and stability under very low gas flow rate, which is the main requirement for Autonomous Stations. In this work we update the indoor results and show the first ones concerning outdoor stable operation. In particular, a dynamic adjustment of the high voltage is applied to keep gas gain constant.

Photocurable Polymers for Ion Selective Field Effect Transistors. 20 Years of Applications

PubMed Central

Abramova, Natalia; Bratov, Andrei

2009-01-01

Application of photocurable polymers for encapsulation of ion selective field effect transistors (ISFET) and for membrane formation in chemical sensitive field effect transistors (ChemFET) during the last 20 years is discussed. From a technological point of view these materials are quite interesting because they allow the use of standard photo-lithographic processes, which reduces significantly the time required for sensor encapsulation and membrane deposition and the amount of manual work required for this, all items of importance for sensor mass production. Problems associated with the application of this kind of polymers in sensors are analysed and estimation of future trends in this field of research are presented. PMID:22399988

Search for Chameleon Scalar Fields with the Axion Dark Matter Experiment

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

Rybka, G.; Hotz, M.; Rosenberg, L. J

2010-07-30

Scalar fields with a 'chameleon' property, in which the effective particle mass is a function of its local environment, are common to many theories beyond the standard model and could be responsible for dark energy. If these fields couple weakly to the photon, they could be detectable through the afterglow effect of photon-chameleon-photon transitions. The ADMX experiment was used in the first chameleon search with a microwave cavity to set a new limit on scalar chameleon-photon coupling {beta}{sub {gamma}}excluding values between 2x10{sup 9} and 5x10{sup 14} for effective chameleon masses between 1.9510 and 1.9525 {mu}eV.

Soil Science as a Field Discipline - Experiences in Iowa, USA

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Burras, C. Lee

2015-04-01

Effective field understanding of soils is crucial. This is true everywhere but especially so in Iowa, a 15 million hectare state in the central USA's "corn belt." Iowa is intensely farmed and almost exclusively privately owned. Many regions of Iowa have had over 90% of their land area in row crops for the past 60 years. In these regions two very common land management strategies are tile drainage (1.5 million km total) and high rates of fertilization (e.g., 200 kg N/ha-yr for cropland) Iowa also has problematic environmental issues including high rates of erosion, excessive sediment and nutrient pollution in water bodies and episodic catastrophic floods. Given the preceding the Agronomy, Environmental Science and Sustainable Agriculture programs at Iowa State University (ISU) offer a strong suite of soil science classes - undergraduate through graduate. The objective of this presentation is to review selected field based soil science courses offered by those programs. This review includes contrasting and comparing campus-based and immersion classes. Immersion classes include ones offered at Iowa Lakeside Laboratory, as "soil judging" and internationally. Findings over the past 20 years are consistent. Students at all levels gain soil science knowledge, competency and confidence proportional to the amount of time spent in field activities. Furthermore their professional skepticism is sharpened. They are also preferentially hired even in career postings that do not require fieldwork. In other words, field learning results in better soil science professionals who have highly functional and sought after knowledge.

The NASA Real Time Mission Monitor - A Situational Awareness Tool for Conducting Tropical Cyclone Field Experiments

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Goodman, Michael; Blakeslee, Richard; Hall, John; Parker, Philip; He, Yubin

2008-01-01

The NASA Real Time Mission Monitor (RTMM) is a situational awareness tool that integrates satellite, aircraft state information, airborne and surface instruments, and weather state data in to a single visualization package for real time field experiment management. RTMM optimizes science and logistic decision-making during field experiments by presenting timely data and graphics to the users to improve real time situational awareness of the experiment's assets. The RTMM is proven in the field as it supported program managers, scientists, and aircraft personnel during the NASA African Monsoon Multidisciplinary Analyses (investigated African easterly waves and Tropical Storm Debby and Helene) during August-September 2006 in Cape Verde, the Tropical Composition, Cloud and Climate Coupling experiment during July-August 2007 in Costa Rica, and the Hurricane Aerosonde mission into Hurricane Noel in 2-3 November 2007. The integration and delivery of this information is made possible through data acquisition systems, network communication links, and network server resources built and managed by collaborators at NASA Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) and Dryden Flight Research Center (DFRC). RTMM is evolving towards a more flexible and dynamic combination of sensor ingest, network computing, and decision-making activities through the use of a service oriented architecture based on community standards and protocols. Each field experiment presents unique challenges and opportunities for advancing the functionality of RTMM. A description of RTMM, the missions it has supported, and its new features that are under development will be presented.

Final year students' experiences of the Bachelor of Midwifery course.

PubMed

Carolan-Olah, Mary; Kruger, Gina; Walter, Ruby; Mazzarino, Melissa

2014-05-01

: the aim of the study was to explore the experiences of final year Bachelor of Midwifery students. earlier research indicates that midwifery students experience a number of difficulties and concerns during their studentship. These difficulties can lead to a lack of confidence and poorer integration and socialisation into the profession. Ultimately, poorer integration may lead to dissatisfaction and attrition from the profession. a qualitative approach, informed by interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA), was used in this study. Ten completing Bachelor of Midwifery students participated in in-depth interviews and reflected on their experiences over their three year course. Data were subjected to IPA analytic steps as proposed by Smith and Osborn (2008). demographics revealed that participants were generally aged more than 35 years and worked 16 hours or less per week. Most had two or more children and lived with a spouse/partner. Four main themes emerged from the analysis: (1) a challenging start; (2) coming to terms with course requirements; (3) developing strategies; and (4) overall satisfaction with the course. Participants generally considered that their individual strengths and determination helped them to negotiate the many challenges they encountered during the course. this study indicates that students undergo a process of adjustment as they travel through the Bachelor of Midwifery course. The most critical transition phase appears to occur in the first year and students may require additional supports to assist their socialisation into both the university and their course. Particular needs identified include return to study skills for mature-aged students and counselling and support group needs generally. The provision of such supports may assist with the retention of students within the course and may contribute to overall student satisfaction. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Middle Years Science Teachers Voice Their First Experiences with Interactive Whiteboard Technology

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gadbois, Shannon A.; Haverstock, Nicole

2012-01-01

Among new technologies, interactive whiteboards (IWBs) particularly seem to engage students and offer entertainment value that may make them highly beneficial for learning. This study examined 10 Grade 6 teachers' initial experiences and uses of IWBs for teaching science. Through interviews, classroom visits, and field notes, the outcomes…

Spatial correlations and probability density function of the phase difference in a developed speckle-field: numerical and natural experiments

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

Mysina, N Yu; Maksimova, L A; Ryabukho, V P

Investigated are statistical properties of the phase difference of oscillations in speckle-fields at two points in the far-field diffraction region, with different shapes of the scatterer aperture. Statistical and spatial nonuniformity of the probability density function of the field phase difference is established. Numerical experiments show that, for the speckle-fields with an oscillating alternating-sign transverse correlation function, a significant nonuniformity of the probability density function of the phase difference in the correlation region of the field complex amplitude, with the most probable values 0 and p, is observed. A natural statistical interference experiment using Young diagrams has confirmed the resultsmore » of numerical experiments. (laser applications and other topics in quantum electronics)« less

Fulfilling the Promise of the Community College: Increasing First-Year Student Engagement and Success. The First-Year Experience Monograph Series Number 56

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Brown, Thomas, Ed.; King, Margaret C., Ed.; Stanley, Patricia, Ed.

2011-01-01

For the past three decades, American higher education has paid increasing attention to the beginning college experience--to ensuring that entering students make a successful transition to college. Yet, much of the extant research and practice literature focuses on the experience of first-year students entering four-year colleges and universities.…

Crystal field parameters in UCI 4: Experiment versus theory

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zolnierek, Z.; Gajek, Z.; Malek, Ch. Khan

1984-08-01

Crystal field effect on U 4+ ion with the 3H 4 ground term in tetragonal ligand field of UCl 4 has been studied in detail. Crystal field parameters determined experimentally from optical spectroscopy and magnetic susceptibility are in good agreement with CFP sets derived from the modified point charge model and the ab initio method. Theoretical calculations lead to overestimating the A44< r4> and lowering the A02< r2> values in comparison to those found in the experiments. The discrepancies are, however, within an accuracy of calculations. A large reduction of expectation values of the magnetic moment operator for the eigenvectors of lowest CF levels (17.8%), determined from magnetic susceptibility, cannot be attributed to the overlap and covalency effects only. The detailed calculations have shown that the latter effects provide about 4.6% reduction of respective matrix elements, and the applied J-J mixing procedure increases this factor up to 6.5%. Since similar, as in UCl 4, reduction factor(≈15%) has already been observed in a number of different uranium compounds, it seems likely that this feature is involved in the intrinsic properties of the U 4+ ion. We endeavor to explain this effect in terms of configuration interaction mechanisms.

Heat tracer test in an alluvial aquifer: Field experiment and inverse modelling

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Klepikova, Maria; Wildemeersch, Samuel; Hermans, Thomas; Jamin, Pierre; Orban, Philippe; Nguyen, Frédéric; Brouyère, Serge; Dassargues, Alain

2016-09-01

Using heat as an active tracer for aquifer characterization is a topic of increasing interest. In this study, we investigate the potential of using heat tracer tests for characterization of a shallow alluvial aquifer. A thermal tracer test was conducted in the alluvial aquifer of the Meuse River, Belgium. The tracing experiment consisted in simultaneously injecting heated water and a dye tracer in an injection well and monitoring the evolution of groundwater temperature and tracer concentration in the pumping well and in measurement intervals. To get insights in the 3D characteristics of the heat transport mechanisms, temperature data from a large number of observation wells closely spaced along three transects were used. Temperature breakthrough curves in observation wells are contrasted with what would be expected in an ideal layered aquifer. They reveal strongly unequal lateral and vertical components of the transport mechanisms. The observed complex behavior of the heat plume is explained by the groundwater flow gradient on the site and heterogeneities in the hydraulic conductivity field. Moreover, due to high injection temperatures during the field experiment a temperature-induced fluid density effect on heat transport occurred. By using a flow and heat transport numerical model with variable density coupled with a pilot point approach for inversion of the hydraulic conductivity field, the main preferential flow paths were delineated. The successful application of a field heat tracer test at this site suggests that heat tracer tests is a promising approach to image hydraulic conductivity field. This methodology could be applied in aquifer thermal energy storage (ATES) projects for assessing future efficiency that is strongly linked to the hydraulic conductivity variability in the considered aquifer.

Ten-year growth of planted paper birch in old fields in Maine

Treesearch

John C. Bjorkbom; John C. Bjorkbom

1973-01-01

Early results of planting paper birch in old fields in Maine have not been very encouraging. Observations of seven plantations in a study established in 1959 by the Northeastern Forest Experiment Station showed low survival and slow growth over the first five growing seasons. Removing the sod in advance of planting gave better results than planting directly in the sod...

Field warming experiments shed light on the wheat yield response to temperature in China

PubMed Central

Zhao, Chuang; Piao, Shilong; Huang, Yao; Wang, Xuhui; Ciais, Philippe; Huang, Mengtian; Zeng, Zhenzhong; Peng, Shushi

2016-01-01

Wheat growth is sensitive to temperature, but the effect of future warming on yield is uncertain. Here, focusing on China, we compiled 46 observations of the sensitivity of wheat yield to temperature change (SY,T, yield change per °C) from field warming experiments and 102 SY,T estimates from local process-based and statistical models. The average SY,T from field warming experiments, local process-based models and statistical models is −0.7±7.8(±s.d.)% per °C, −5.7±6.5% per °C and 0.4±4.4% per °C, respectively. Moreover, SY,T is different across regions and warming experiments indicate positive SY,T values in regions where growing-season mean temperature is low, and water supply is not limiting, and negative values elsewhere. Gridded crop model simulations from the Inter-Sectoral Impact Model Intercomparison Project appear to capture the spatial pattern of SY,T deduced from warming observations. These results from local manipulative experiments could be used to improve crop models in the future. PMID:27853151

Field Experiments on SAR Detection of Film Slicks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ermakov, S.; da Silva, J. C. B.; Kapustin, I.; Sergievskaya, I.

2013-03-01

Field experiments on radar detection of film slicks using satellite synthetic aperture radar TerraSAR-X and X-band scatterometer on board a research vessel are described. The experiments were carried out with surfactant films with known physical parameters, the surface tension and the film elasticity, at low to moderate wind conditions and at different radar incidence angles. It is shown that the depression of radar backscatter (contrast) in films slicks for X-band SAR weakly depends on wind velocity/direction, film elasticity and incidence angles within the range of 200-400. Scatterometer contrasts obtained at incidence angles of about 600 are larger than SAR contrasts. Theoretical analysis of radar contrasts for low-to-moderate incidence angles has been carried out based on a hydrodynamic model of wind wave damping due to films and on a composite radar imaging model. The hydrodynamic model takes into account wave damping due to viscoelastic films, wind wave generation and a phenomenological term describing nonlinear limitation of the wind wave spectrum. The radar model takes into account Bragg scattering and specular scattering mechanisms, the latter is usually negligible compared to the Bragg mechanism at moderate incidence angles (larger than 30-35 degrees), but gives noticeable contribution to radar backscattering at smaller incidence angles particularly for slick areas when cm-scale ripples are strongly depressed by films. Calculated radar contrasts in slicks are compared with experiments and it is concluded that development of the model is needed to predict quantitatively observations.

Measurement and tricubic interpolation of the magnetic field for the OLYMPUS experiment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bernauer, J. C.; Diefenbach, J.; Elbakian, G.; Gavrilov, G.; Goerrissen, N.; Hasell, D. K.; Henderson, B. S.; Holler, Y.; Karyan, G.; Ludwig, J.; Marukyan, H.; Naryshkin, Y.; O'Connor, C.; Russell, R. L.; Schmidt, A.; Schneekloth, U.; Suvorov, K.; Veretennikov, D.

2016-07-01

The OLYMPUS experiment used a 0.3 T toroidal magnetic spectrometer to measure the momenta of outgoing charged particles. In order to accurately determine particle trajectories, knowledge of the magnetic field was needed throughout the spectrometer volume. For that purpose, the magnetic field was measured at over 36,000 positions using a three-dimensional Hall probe actuated by a system of translation tables. We used these field data to fit a numerical magnetic field model, which could be employed to calculate the magnetic field at any point in the spectrometer volume. Calculations with this model were computationally intensive; for analysis applications where speed was crucial, we pre-computed the magnetic field and its derivatives on an evenly spaced grid so that the field could be interpolated between grid points. We developed a spline-based interpolation scheme suitable for SIMD implementations, with a memory layout chosen to minimize space and optimize the cache behavior to quickly calculate field values. This scheme requires only one-eighth of the memory needed to store necessary coefficients compared with a previous scheme (Lekien and Marsden, 2005 [1]). This method was accurate for the vast majority of the spectrometer volume, though special fits and representations were needed to improve the accuracy close to the magnet coils and along the toroidal axis.

Student Teachers' Team Teaching during Field Experiences: An Evaluation by Their Mentors

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Simons, Mathea; Baeten, Marlies

2016-01-01

Since collaboration within schools gains importance, teacher educators are looking for alternative models of field experience inspired by collaborative learning. Team teaching is such a model. This study explores two team teaching models (parallel and sequential teaching) by investigating the mentors' perspective. Semi-structured interviews were…

Developing the Effective Teaching Skills of Teacher Candidates during Early Field Experiences

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Welsh, Kelly A.; Schaffer, Connie

2017-01-01

This study examined the development of effective teaching skills in teacher candidates in the context of early field experiences directly tied to a pedagogical course. Evidence from faculty instructors, mentor teachers, and teacher candidates suggests secondary education candidates were able to develop effective teaching skills related to…

Thinking outside the Classroom: Integrating Field Trips into a First-Year Undergraduate Chemistry Curriculum

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Forest, Kaya; Rayne, Sierra

2009-01-01

Studies on student learning during primary- and secondary-school course-related field trip activities have shown lasting cognitive and socio-cultural effects. However, fewer studies have investigated the potential benefits of incorporating field trip activities into post-secondary education. The curriculum in a first-year university chemistry…

First Year Experiences of Low-Income Students at a Public Flagship University

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ramsey, James Louis

2013-01-01

In order to improve the academic and cultural transition of low income, disadvantaged, first-generation, and working-class students at a public flagship institution, the purpose of this qualitative study is to listen as these students, with increasingly diverse background experiences, narrate their first-year experiences, including the summer…

Dynamics of Two Interactive Bubbles in An Acoustic Field - Part II: Experiments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ashgriz, Nasser; Barbat, Tiberiu; Liu, Ching-Shi

1996-11-01

The motion of two air bubbles levitated in water, in the presence of a high-frequency acoustic field is experimentally studied. The interaction force between them is named "secondary Bjerknes force" and may be significant in microgravity environments; in our experiments the buoyancy effect is compensated through the action of the "primary Bjerknes forces" - interaction between each bubble oscillation and external sound field. The stationary sound field is produced by a piezoceramic tranducer, in the range of 22-24 kHz. The experiments succesfully demonstrate the existence of three patterns of interaction between bubbles of various sizes: attraction, repulsion and oscillation. Bubbles attraction is quantitatively studied using a high speed video, for "large" bubbles (in the range 0.5-2 mm radius); bubbles repulsion and oscillations are only observed with a regular video, for "small" bubbles (around the resonance size at these frequencies, 0.12 mm). Velocities and accelerations of each bubble are computed from the time history of the motion. The theoretical equations of motion are completed with a drag force formula for single bubbles and solved numerically. Experimental results, for the case of two attracting bubbles, are in good agreement with the numerical model, especially for values of the mutual distance greater than 3 large bubble radii.

Preliminary calibration plan for the Advanced Particles and Field Observatory (APAFO) magnetometer experiment

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Voorhies, C. V.; Langel, R. A.; Slavin, J.; Lancaster, E. R.; Jones, S.

1991-01-01

Prelaunch and postlaunch calibration plans for the APAFO magnetometer experiment are presented. A study of tradeoffs between boom length and spacecraft field is described; the results are summarized. The prelaunch plan includes: calibration of the Vector Fluxgate Magnetometer (VFM), Star Sensors, and Scalar Helium Magnetometer (SHM); optical bench integration; and acquisition of basic spacecraft field data. Postlaunch calibration has two phases. In phase one, SHM data are used to calibrate the VFM, total vector magnetic field data are used to calibrate a physical model of the spacecraft field, and both calibrations are refined by iteration. In phase two, corrected vector data are transformed into geocentric coordinates, previously undetected spacecraft fields are isolated, and initial geomagnetic field models are computed. Provided the SHM is accurate to the required 1.0 nT and can be used to calibrate the VFM to the required 3.0- nT accuracy, the tradeoff study indicates that a 12 m boom and a spacecraft field model uncertainty of 5 percent together allow the 1.0 nT spacecraft field error requirement to be met.

10 years' experience with regular haemodialysis and renal transplantation.

PubMed Central

Chantler, C; Carter, J E; Bewick, M; Counahan, R; Cameron, J S; Ogg, C S; Williams, D G; Winder, E

1980-01-01

75 children aged under 15 years have entered the regular haemodialysis/renal transplant programme at Guy's Hospital in the 10 years since its inception; 13 children have subsequently died. A combination of hospital and home haemodialysis and renal transplantation was used. 64 children received 80 renal allografts; 37 1st grafts were from live, related donors and 27 were from cadaver donors. The 5-year acturial patient survival for the whole group and for those who had transplants was 76%. Live donor graft survival was 65% at 3 years, and 55% at 5 years; 1st cadaver graft survival was 42% at 3 years. Results obtained during the last 6 years of the 10-year period showed an improvement with a live related donor graft survival rate of 71%, and a 1st cadaver graft survival rate of 47% at 3 years. Particular experience was gained with home haemodialysis and live, related donor transplantation. Despite growth, and psychosocial and rehabilitation problems, the overall results were encouraging, particularly for the 46 children who had successful transplants. These children grew better, had fewer psychosocial difficulties, and were rehabilitated more successfully into normal life than those on long-term dialysis. We conclude that dialysis and transplantation should be offered to all suitable children with terminal renal failure. PMID:7002057

Insights into organic carbon oxidation potential during fluvial transport from laboratory and field experiments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Scheingross, J. S.; Dellinger, M.; Eglinton, T. I.; Fuchs, M. C.; Golombek, N.; Hilton, R. G.; Hovius, N.; Lupker, M.; Repasch, M. N.; Sachse, D.; Turowski, J. M.; Vieth-Hillebrand, A.; Wittmann, H.

2017-12-01

Over geologic timescales, the exchange of organic carbon (OC) between the atmosphere, hydropshere, biosphere and geosphere can be a major control on atmospheric carbon dioxide concentrations. The carbon fluxes from the oxidation of rock-derived OC (a CO2 source) and erosion, transport, and burial of biospheric OC (a potential CO2 sink) during fluvial transit are approximately the same order of magnitude or larger than those from silicate weathering. Despite field data showing increasing oxidation of OC moving downstream in lowland rivers, it is unclear if losses occur primarily during active fluvial transport, where OC is in continual motion within an aerated river, or during periods of temporary storage in river floodplains which may be anoxic. The unknown location of OC oxidation (i.e., river vs. floodplain) limits our ability to mechanistically link geochemical and geomorphic processes which are required to develop models capable of predicting OC losses, constrain carbon budgets, and unravel links between climate, tectonics, and erosion. To fill this knowledge gap, we investigated OC oxidation in controlled laboratory experiments and a simplified field setting. We performed experiments in annular flumes that simulate fluvial transport without floodplain storage, allowing mixtures of OC-rich and siliciclastic sediment to be transported for distances of 1000 km. Preliminary experiments exploring both rock-derived and biospheric OC sources show minimal OC oxidation during active river transport, consistent with the idea that the majority of OC loss occurs during transient floodplain storage. These results are also consistent with new field data collected in the Rio Bermejo, Argentina, a lowland river traversing 800 km with no tributary inputs, where aged floodplain deposits have 3 to 10 times lower OC concentrations compared to modern river sediments. Together our field data and experiments support the hypothesis that oxidation of OC occurs primarily during

The MOSO field experiment - Overview of findings

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ólafsson, Haraldur; Jonassen, Marius O.; Ágústsson, Hálfdán; Rögnvaldsson, Ólafur; Hjarðar, Bjarni G. Þ.; Rasol, Dubravka; Reuder, Joachim; Jónsson, Sigurður; Líf Kristinsdóttir, Birta

2013-04-01

In 2009 and 2011, the MOSO I and MOSO II meteorological field experiments took place in SW-Iceland. The main objectives were to describe the low level atmospheric coastal flows in the vicinity of mountains. The observations for the MOSO dataset were made using a large number of automatic weather stations, microbarographs, radiosoundings and a remotely piloted aircraft. The highlights of the findings include a four-dimensional description of the sea-breeze in Iceland, weak downslope acceleration, summer- and winter-time mountain wake flow, transition between wake flow and sea-breeze. The orographic drag force is explored and shown to be not so high most of the time in the predicted high-drag state. The observations from the remotely piloted aircraft have been used successfully to nudge simulations of the flow and are shown to be promising for operational use in numerical prediction of mesoscale coastal and orographic flows.

Aha Malawi! Envisioning Field Experiences That Nurture Cultural Competencies for Preservice Teachers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Talbot, Patricia A.

2011-01-01

This theoretical study uses the context of the writer's personal encounters in Malawi, Africa, to propose a conceptual model for creating diverse field experiences based on best practices in critical pedagogy, service learning, and the underpinnings of transformational learning theory, for the purpose of increasing the probability of meaningful…

Early Field Experience Innovations to Increase Positive Impact on K-12 Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Case, Anny Fritzen; Traynor, John

2016-01-01

This paper describes several innovations to an early field experience emerging from a community, school, and university partnership focused on a middle school serving diverse students from low-income neighborhoods. With the primary goal of utilizing teaching candidates to provide direct academic, social, and instructional support to the middle…

"Doing Gender" at "Body Worlds": Embodying Field Trips as Affective Educational Experience

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Davidson, Joyce; Huff, Leah; Bridgen, Jen; Carolan, Andrea; Chang, Ashley; Ennis, Katherine; Loynes, Kathryn; Miller, Jen

2009-01-01

This paper discusses the background, experience and outcomes of an explicitly feminist field trip to Gunther von Hagen's "Body Worlds 2: The Anatomical Exhibition of Real Human Bodies". The cultural landscape of this exhibition materialized gendered geographies very powerfully, facilitating observation and analysis of embodied and emotional,…

Dupuytren disease is highly prevalent in male field hockey players aged over 60 years.

PubMed

Broekstra, Dieuwke C; van den Heuvel, Edwin R; Lanting, Rosanne; Harder, Tom; Smits, Inge; Werker, Paul M N

2016-09-22

Dupuytren disease is a fibroproliferative hand condition. The role of exposure to vibration as a risk factor has been studied with contradictory results. Since field hockey is expected to be a strong source of hand-arm vibration, we hypothesised that long-term exposure to field hockey is associated with Dupuytren disease. In this cross-sectional cohort study, the hands of 169 male field hockey players (IQR: 65-71 years) and 156 male controls (IQR: 59-71 years) were examined for signs of Dupuytren disease. Details about their age, lifestyle factors, medical history, employment history and leisure activities were gathered. Prior to the analyses, the groups were balanced in risk factors using propensity score matching. The association between field hockey and Dupuytren disease was determined using a subject-specific generalised linear mixed model with a binomial distribution and logit link function (matched pairs analysis). Dupuytren disease was observed in 51.7% of the field hockey players, and in 13.8% of the controls. After propensity score matching, field hockey playing as dichotomous variable, was associated with Dupuytren disease (OR=9.42, 95% CI 3.01 to 29.53). A linear dose-response effect of field hockey (hours/week x years) within the field hockey players could not be demonstrated (OR=1.03, 95% CI 0.68 to 1.56). We found that field hockey playing has a strong association with the presence of Dupuytren disease. Clinicians in sports medicine should be alert to this less common diagnosis in this sport. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://www.bmj.com/company/products-services/rights-and-licensing/

Field versus laboratory experiments to evaluate the fate of azoxystrobin in an amended vineyard soil.

PubMed

Herrero-Hernández, E; Marín-Benito, J M; Andrades, M S; Sánchez-Martín, M J; Rodríguez-Cruz, M S

2015-11-01

This study reports the effect that adding spent mushroom substrate (SMS) to a representative vineyard soil from La Rioja region (Spain) has on the behaviour of azoxystrobin in two different environmental scenarios. Field dissipation experiments were conducted on experimental plots amended at rates of 50 and 150 t ha(-1), and similar dissipation experiments were simultaneously conducted in the laboratory to identify differences under controlled conditions. Azoxystrobin dissipation followed biphasic kinetics in both scenarios, although the initial dissipation phase was much faster in the field than in the laboratory experiments, and the half-life (DT50) values obtained in the two experiments were 0.34-46.3 days and 89.2-148 days, respectively. Fungicide residues in the soil profile increased in the SMS amended soil and they were much higher in the top two layers (0-20 cm) than in deeper layers. The persistence of fungicide in the soil profile is consistent with changes in azoxystrobin adsorption by unamended and amended soils over time. Changes in the dehydrogenase activity (DHA) of soils under different treatments assayed in the field and in the laboratory indicated that SMS and the fungicide had a stimulatory effect on soil DHA. The results reveal that the laboratory studies usually reported in the literature to explain the fate of pesticides in amended soils are insufficient to explain azoxystrobin behaviour under real conditions. Field studies are necessary to set up efficient applications of SMS and fungicide, with a view to preventing the possible risk of water contamination. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Innovating the Experience of Peer Learning and Earth Science Education in the Field

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Scoates, J. S.; Hanano, D. W.; Weis, D.; Bilenker, L.; Sherman, S. B.; Gilley, B.

2017-12-01

The use of active learning and collaborative strategies is widely gaining momentum at the university level and is ideally suited to field instructional settings. Peer learning, when students learn with and from each other, is based on the principle that students learn in a more profound way by explaining their ideas to others and by participating in activities in which they can learn from their peers. The Multidisciplinary Applied Geochemistry Network (MAGNET), an NSERC Collaborative Research and Training Experience (CREATE) initiative in Canada, recently experimented with this approach during its fourth annual workshop in August 2016. With a group of 25 geochemistry graduate students from universities across Canada, three remarkable field sites in Montana and Wyoming were explored: the Stillwater Complex, the Beartooth Mountains, and Yellowstone National Park. Rather than developing a rigorous teaching curriculum led by faculty, groups of students were tasked with designing and delivering half-day teaching modules that included field activities at each of the locations. Over the course of two months and with feedback from mentors, the graduate students transformed their ideas into formal lesson plans, complete with learning goals, a schedule of teaching activities, equipment lists, and plans for safety and environmental mitigation. This shift, from teacher-centered to learner-centered education, requires students to take greater initiative and responsibility for their own learning and development. We highlight the goals, structure and implementation of the workshop, as well as some of the successes and challenges. We also present the results of participant feedback taken immediately after each lesson and both pre- and post-trip surveys. The outdoor classroom and hands-on activities accelerated learning of field techniques and enhanced understanding of complex geological systems and processes. The trainee-led format facilitated peer knowledge transfer and the

Data management for interdisciplinary field experiments: OTTER project support

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Angelici, Gary; Popovici, Lidia; Skiles, J. W.

1993-01-01

The ability of investigators of an interdisciplinary science project to properly manage the data that are collected during the experiment is critical to the effective conduct of science. When the project becomes large, possibly including several scenes of large-format remotely sensed imagery shared by many investigators requiring several services, the data management effort can involve extensive staff and computerized data inventories. The OTTER (Oregon Transect Ecosystem Research) project was supported by the PLDS (Pilot Land Data System) with several data management services, such as data inventory, certification, and publication. After a brief description of these services, experiences in providing them are compared with earlier data management efforts and some conclusions regarding data management in support of interdisciplinary science are discussed. In addition to providing these services, a major goal of this data management capability was to adopt characteristics of a pro-active attitude, such as flexibility and responsiveness, believed to be crucial for the effective conduct of active, interdisciplinary science. These are also itemized and compared with previous data management support activities. Identifying and improving these services and characteristics can lead to the design and implementation of optimal data management support capabilities, which can result in higher quality science and data products from future interdisciplinary field experiments.

Four years into the Indian ocean field epidemiology training programme.

PubMed

Halm, Ariane; Seyler, Thomas; Mohamed, Sainda; Ali Mbaé, Saindou Ben; Randrianarivo-Solofoniaina, Armand Eugène; Ratsitorahina, Maherisoa; Nundlall, Ram; Aboobakar, Shahina; Bibi, Jastin; Filleul, Laurent; Piola, Patrice; Razafimandimby, Harimahefa; Rasamoelina, Harena; Valenciano, Marta; Moren, Alain; Cardinale, Eric; Lepec, Richard; Flachet, Loïc

2017-01-01

Following the 2005-6 chikungunya outbreak, a project to strengthen regional Public Health preparedness in the Indian Ocean was implemented. It includes the Comoros, Madagascar, Mauritius, Reunion (France) and Seychelles. A Field Epidemiology Training Programme (FETP-OI) was started in 2011 to develop a pool of well-trained intervention epidemiologists. The FETP-OI consists of two years of supervised, learning-by-doing, on-the-job training at national sites involved in disease surveillance and response. It includes work placements at the Madagascar Pasteur Institute and the French regional epidemiology unit in Reunion and up to three training courses per year. Training objectives include epidemiological surveillance, outbreak investigations, research studies, scientific communication and transfer of competencies. In four years, two cohorts of in total 15 fellows originating from four countries followed the FETP-OI. They led 42 surveillance projects (71% routine management, 14% evaluations, 12% setup, 3% other) and investigated 36 outbreak alerts, 58% of them in Madagascar; most investigations (72%) concerned foodborne pathogens, plague or malaria. Fellows performed 18 studies (44% descriptive analyses, 22% disease risk factors, and 34% on other subjects), and presented results during regional and international conferences through 26 oral and 15 poster presentations. Four articles were published in regional Public Health bulletins and several scientific manuscripts are in process. The FETP-OI has created a regional force of intervention consisting of field epidemiologists and trained supervisors using the same technical language and epidemiological methods. The third cohort is now ongoing. Technically and financially sustainable FETP-OI projects help addressing public health priorities of the Indian Ocean.

Females and STEM: Determining the K-12 Experiences that Influenced Women to Pursue STEM Fields

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Petersen, Anne Marie

In the United States, careers in the fields of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) are increasing yet there are not enough trained personnel to meet this demand. In addition, of those that seek to pursue STEM fields in the United States, only 26% are female. In order to increase the number of women seeking STEM based bachelor's degrees, K-12 education must provide a foundation that prepares students for entry into these fields. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to determine the perceived K-12 experiences that influenced females to pursue a STEM field. Twelve college juniors or seniors seeking a degree in Biology, Mathematics, or Physics were interviewed concerning their K-12 experiences. These interviews were analyzed and six themes emerged. Teacher passion and classroom characteristics such as incorporating challenging activities played a significant role in the females' decisions to enter STEM fields. Extra-curricular activities such as volunteer and mentor opportunities and the females' need to benefit others also influenced females in their career choice. Both the formal (within the school) and informal (outside of the traditional classroom) pipeline opportunities that these students encountered helped develop a sense of self-efficacy in science and mathematics; this self-efficacy enabled them to persist in pursuing these career fields. Several participants cited barriers that they encountered in K-12 education, but these barriers were primarily internal as they struggled with overcoming self-imposed obstacles in learning and being competitive in the mathematics and science classrooms. The experiences from these female students can be used by K-12 educators to prepare and encourage current female students to enter STEM occupations.

An Undergraduate Field Experiment for Measuring Exposure to Environmental Tobacco Smoke in Indoor Environments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Marsella, Adam M.; Huang, Jiping; Ellis, David A.; Mabury, Scott A.

1999-12-01

An undergraduate field experiment is described for the measurement of nicotine and various carbonyl compounds arising from environmental tobacco smoke. Students are introduced to practical techniques in HPLC-UV and GC-NPD. Also introduced are current methods in personal air sampling using small and portable field sampling pumps. Carbonyls (formaldehyde, acetaldehyde, acrolein, and acetone) are sampled with silica solid-phase extraction cartridges impregnated with 2,4-dinitrophenylhydrazine, eluted, and analyzed by HPLC-UV (360-380 nm). Nicotine is sampled using XAD-2 cartridges, extracted, and analyzed by GC-NPD. Students gain an appreciation for the problems associated with measuring ubiquitous pollutants such as formaldehyde, as well as the issue of chromatographic peak resolution when trying to resolve closely eluting peaks. By allowing the students to formulate their own hypothesis and sampling scheme, critical thinking and problem solving are developed in addition to analysis skills. As an experiment in analytical environmental chemistry, this laboratory introduces the application of field sampling and analysis techniques to the undergraduate lab.

Determination of Biology Department Students' Past Field Trip Experiences and Examination of Their Self-Efficacy Beliefs in Planning and Organising Educational Field Trips

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bozdogan, Aykut Emre

2015-01-01

The purpose of this study is to determine the past field trip experiences of pre-service teachers who are graduates of Faculty of Sciences, Department of Biology and who had pedagogical formation training certificate and to examine their self-efficacy beliefs in planning and organizing field trips with regard to different variables. The study was…

[Surgical treatment of esophageal achalasia--20 years experience].

PubMed

Yaramov, N; Sokolov, M; Angelov, K; Toshev, S; Petrov, B

2009-01-01

Achalasia comes from a Greek word that means "failure to relax." Cardiospasm and achalasia refer to the same condition. This report addresses esophageal achalasia--its history, diagnosis, pathophysiology, and treatment options. We report our experience in treating this disorder surgically using modified Heller myotomy combined or not with partial gastric fundoplication. 47 patients with achalasia surgically operated in 20-years period are reported by authors. These features make it reasonable to reasses the relative indications for surgery and nonsurgical therapy in achalasia of the esophagus.

Brine Migration in Heated Salt: Lessons Learned from Field Experiments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kuhlman, K. L.; Matteo, E. N.; Mills, M.

2017-12-01

We summarize several interesting brine migration related phenomena hinted at in field experiments from field testing related to salt radioactive waste repositories in Germany and the US. Past heater tests in salt have shown 1) thermal-hydrological-mechanical coupling is quite strong during both heating and cooling; 2) chemical composition of brine evolves during heating, and comprises a mix of several water sources; and 3) acid gas (HCl) generation has been observed during past heater tests and may have multiple mechanisms for formation. We present a heated brine migration test design, formulated with these complexities in mind. Sandia National Laboratories is a multimission laboratory managed and operated by National Technology and Engineering Solutions of Sandia LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Honeywell International Inc. for the U.S. Department of Energy's National Nuclear Security Administration under contract DE-NA0003525.

Women's experiences of social support during the first year following primary breast cancer surgery.

PubMed

Drageset, Sigrunn; Lindstrøm, Torill Christine; Giske, Tove; Underlid, Kjell

2016-06-01

The aim of this qualitative follow-up study was to describe women's individual experiences of social support during their first year after primary breast cancer surgery. Individual semi-structured interviews with 10 women 1 year after surgery analysed by Kvales' meaning condensation method. Sharing experiences, being understood as an individual, continuity, and information and explanations were themes identified. Sharing mutual experiences increased the women's knowledge regarding cancer, increased experience of support and minimised rumination. After 1 year, the women felt that the network around them had 'normalised' and was less supportive. Being seen as a person, not as 'a diagnosis being treated', and continuity of professional support were important, giving feelings of security and trust. The women felt uncertainty after loss of professional support post-treatment. Information and explanations regarding treatment and treatment-related problems were essential. Mutual sharing of experiences is an important part of social support. Continuity, availability, information and respect were essential aspects of experienced professional support. © 2015 Nordic College of Caring Science.

Dewey's Concept of Experience for Inquiry-Based Landscape Drawing during Field Studies

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tillmann, Alexander; Albrecht, Volker; Wunderlich, Jürgen

2017-01-01

The epistemological and educational philosophy of John Dewey is used as a theoretical basis to analyze processes of knowledge construction during geographical field studies. The experience of landscape drawing as a method of inquiry and a starting point for research-based learning is empirically evaluated. The basic drawing skills are acquired…

The Efficacy of Drama in Field Experience: A Qualitative Study Using MAXQDA

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Elaldi, Senel; Yerliyurt, Nazli Sila

2017-01-01

This study attempted to evaluate the views of senior preservice preschool teachers on the efficacy of drama activities in their field experience in terms of the effect of students' learning, socialization, individual or group work skills and school connectedness and also disclosed the suggestions of senior preservice preschool teachers for faculty…

Comfort and experience with online learning: trends over nine years and associations with knowledge

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

Background Some evidence suggests that attitude toward computer-based instruction is an important determinant of success in online learning. We sought to determine how comfort using computers and perceptions of prior online learning experiences have changed over the past decade, and how these associate with learning outcomes. Methods Each year from 2003–2011 we conducted a prospective trial of online learning. As part of each year’s study, we asked medicine residents about their comfort using computers and if their previous experiences with online learning were favorable. We assessed knowledge using a multiple-choice test. We used regression to analyze associations and changes over time. Results 371 internal medicine and family medicine residents participated. Neither comfort with computers nor perceptions of prior online learning experiences showed a significant change across years (p > 0.61), with mean comfort rating 3.96 (maximum 5 = very comfortable) and mean experience rating 4.42 (maximum 6 = strongly agree [favorable]). Comfort showed no significant association with knowledge scores (p = 0.39) but perceptions of prior experiences did, with a 1.56% rise in knowledge score for a 1-point rise in experience score (p = 0.02). Correlations among comfort, perceptions of prior experiences, and number of prior experiences were all small and not statistically significant. Conclusions Comfort with computers and perceptions of prior experience with online learning remained stable over nine years. Prior good experiences (but not comfort with computers) demonstrated a modest association with knowledge outcomes, suggesting that prior course satisfaction may influence subsequent learning. PMID:24985690

Perspectives on global nursing leadership: international experiences from the field.

PubMed

Buckner, E B; Anderson, D J; Garzon, N; Hafsteinsdóttir, T B; Lai, C K Y; Roshan, R

2014-12-01

Nursing leaders from six countries engaged in a year-long discussion on global leadership development. The purpose of these dialogues was to strengthen individual and collective capacity as nursing leaders in a global society. Field experiences in practice and education were shared. Perspectives on global leadership can strengthen nurses' contributions to practice, workplace and policy issues worldwide. Transformational leadership empowers nurses' increasing confidence. Mentoring is needed to stimulate leadership development but this is lacking in many settings where nurses practice, teach and influence policy. Organizations with global mission provide opportunity for nurses' professional growth in leadership through international dialogues. Dialogues among participants were held monthly by conference calls or videoconferences. Example stories from each participant illustrated nursing leadership in action. From these exemplars, concepts were chosen to create a framework. Emerging perspectives and leadership themes represented all contexts of practice, education, research and policy. The cultural context of each country was reflected in the examples. Themes emerged that crossed global regions and countries. Themes were creativity, change, collaboration, community, context and courage. Relationships initially formed in professional organizations can be extended to intentionally facilitate global nursing leadership development. Exemplars from the dialogues demonstrated nursing leadership in health policy development within each cultural context. Recommendations are given for infrastructure development in organizations to enhance future collaborations. © 2014 International Council of Nurses.

Modeling of coherent ultrafast magneto-optical experiments: Light-induced molecular mean-field model

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

Hinschberger, Y.; Hervieux, P.-A.

2015-12-28

We present calculations which aim to describe coherent ultrafast magneto-optical effects observed in time-resolved pump-probe experiments. Our approach is based on a nonlinear semi-classical Drude-Voigt model and is used to interpret experiments performed on nickel ferromagnetic thin film. Within this framework, a phenomenological light-induced coherent molecular mean-field depending on the polarizations of the pump and probe pulses is proposed whose microscopic origin is related to a spin-orbit coupling involving the electron spins of the material sample and the electric field of the laser pulses. Theoretical predictions are compared to available experimental data. The model successfully reproduces the observed experimental trendsmore » and gives meaningful insight into the understanding of magneto-optical rotation behavior in the ultrafast regime. Theoretical predictions for further experimental studies are also proposed.« less

Testing the Wisconsin Phosphorus Index with year-round, field-scale runoff monitoring.

PubMed

Good, Laura W; Vadas, Peter; Panuska, John C; Bonilla, Carlos A; Jokela, William E

2012-01-01

The Wisconsin Phosphorus Index (WPI) is one of several P indices in the United States that use equations to describe actual P loss processes. Although for nutrient management planning the WPI is reported as a dimensionless whole number, it is calculated as average annual dissolved P (DP) and particulate P (PP) mass delivered per unit area. The WPI calculations use soil P concentration, applied manure and fertilizer P, and estimates of average annual erosion and average annual runoff. We compared WPI estimated P losses to annual P loads measured in surface runoff from 86 field-years on crop fields and pastures. As the erosion and runoff generated by the weather in the monitoring years varied substantially from the average annual estimates used in the WPI, the WPI and measured loads were not well correlated. However, when measured runoff and erosion were used in the WPI field loss calculations, the WPI accurately estimated annual total P loads with a Nash-Sutcliffe Model Efficiency (NSE) of 0.87. The DP loss estimates were not as close to measured values (NSE = 0.40) as the PP loss estimates (NSE = 0.89). Some errors in estimating DP losses may be unavoidable due to uncertainties in estimating on-farm manure P application rates. The WPI is sensitive to field management that affects its erosion and runoff estimates. Provided that the WPI methods for estimating average annual erosion and runoff are accurately reflecting the effects of management, the WPI is an accurate field-level assessment tool for managing runoff P losses. Copyright © by the American Society of Agronomy, Crop Science Society of America, and Soil Science Society of America, Inc.

Radiative transfer model validations during the First ISLSCP Field Experiment

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Frouin, Robert; Breon, Francois-Marie; Gautier, Catherine

1990-01-01

Two simple radiative transfer models, the 5S model based on Tanre et al. (1985, 1986) and the wide-band model of Morcrette (1984) are validated by comparing their outputs with results obtained during the First ISLSCP Field Experiment on concomitant radiosonde, aerosol turbidity, and radiation measurements and sky photographs. Results showed that the 5S model overestimates the short-wave irradiance by 13.2 W/sq m, whereas the Morcrette model underestimated the long-wave irradiance by 7.4 W/sq m.

School Experiences of 15 and 16 Year-Olds. LSAY Briefing Number 16

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Underwood, Catherine; Rothman, Sheldon

2008-01-01

This "Briefing" provides a summary of students' experiences at school and their attitudes and perceptions of these experiences at ages 15 and 16. It is based on information obtained in both years from these young people who participated in Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) in 2003 and are now part of the Longitudinal…

Discover and Experience Outdoor Education. Junior Experience Information Packet.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Northern Illinois Univ., Oregon. Lorado Taft Field Campus.

This guide provides information about an 8-day outdoor education experience required for third-year teacher education majors at Northern Illinois University (NIU). The residential program is held at the Lorado Taft Field Campus of NIU. The guide addresses the values of outdoor education and the benefits for both teachers and students. General…

Magnetic shielding in a low temperature torsion pendulum experiment. [superconducting cylinders for attenuation earth field

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Phillips, P. R.

1979-01-01

A new type of ether drift experiment searches for anomalous torques on a permanent magnet. A torsion pendulum is used at liquid helium temperature, so that superconducting cylinders can be used to shield magnetic fields. Lead shields attenuate the earth's field, while Nb-Sn shields fastened to the pendulum contain the fields of the magnet. The paper describes the technique by which the earth's field can be reduced below 0.0001 G while simultaneously the moment of the magnet can be reduced by a factor 7 x 10 to the 4th.

Effects of supervision on tax compliance: Evidence from a field experiment in Austria.

PubMed

Gangl, Katharina; Torgler, Benno; Kirchler, Erich; Hofmann, Eva

2014-06-01

We conduct a field experiment on tax compliance, focusing on newly founded firms. As a novelty the effect of tax authorities' supervision on timely tax payments is examined. Interestingly, results show no positive overall effect of close supervision on tax compliance.

Methodology and application of high performance electrostatic field simulation in the KATRIN experiment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Corona, Thomas

The Karlsruhe Tritium Neutrino (KATRIN) experiment is a tritium beta decay experiment designed to make a direct, model independent measurement of the electron neutrino mass. The experimental apparatus employs strong ( O[T]) magnetostatic and (O[10 5 V/m]) electrostatic fields in regions of ultra high (O[10-11 mbar]) vacuum in order to obtain precise measurements of the electron energy spectrum near the endpoint of tritium beta-decay. The electrostatic fields in KATRIN are formed by multiscale electrode geometries, necessitating the development of high performance field simulation software. To this end, we present a Boundary Element Method (BEM) with analytic boundary integral terms in conjunction with the Robin Hood linear algebraic solver, a nonstationary successive subspace correction (SSC) method. We describe an implementation of these techniques for high performance computing environments in the software KEMField, along with the geometry modeling and discretization software KGeoBag. We detail the application of KEMField and KGeoBag to KATRIN's spectrometer and detector sections, and demonstrate its use in furthering several of KATRIN's scientific goals. Finally, we present the results of a measurement designed to probe the electrostatic profile of KATRIN's main spectrometer in comparison to simulated results.

Seeing What They See--A Photovoice Analysis of Exploratory Early Field Experiences

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Baker, Marshall A.; Culbertson, Avery L.; Robinson, J. Shane; Ramsey, Jon W.

2017-01-01

The purpose of this photovoice study was to investigate what and how pre-service teachers conceive and make meaning of exploration observations of early field experiences (EFEs). EFEs are vital components of the teacher preparation program and include all activities that occur in pre-service teacher education prior to student teaching, including…

A longitudinal study of women’s memories of their childbirth experiences at five years postpartum

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

Background Few studies have investigated whether women can accurately recall their birthing experiences after a long period. We investigated the consistency of women’s memories of their childbirth experiences between those at a few days postpartum and 5 years later. Methods This prospective cohort study comprised 1,168 women who delivered at a maternity hospital and four maternity homes in Japan between May 2002 and August 2003. Data were collected using structured interviews and transcriptions from medical records. The childbirth experience was assessed using the Childbirth Experience Scale (CBE-Scale) at a few days postpartum and 5 years later. Results We obtained 584 (50.0%) valid responses from women who completed the survey at a few days postpartum and 5 years later. Significant differences were observed in 16 out of 18 items on the CBE-Scale when responses were compared at both time points. Women who answered "yes" to any item on the CBE-Scale at the baseline survey tended to demonstrate a more precise recollection for that item 5 years after childbirth than those who answered "no" for the corresponding item. Conclusions We conclude that women remember their childbirth experience clearly at 5 years after the childbirth. PMID:24996683

Magnetic field experiment on the Freja Satellite

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Freja Magnetic Field Experiment Team

1994-11-01

Freja is a Swedish scientific satellite mission to study fine scale auroral processes. Launch was October 6, 1992, piggyback on a Chinese Long March 2C, to the present 600×1750 km, 63° inclination orbit. The JHU/APL provided the Magnetic Field Experiment (MFE), which includes a custom APL-designed Forth, language microprocessor. This approach has led to a truly generic and flexible design with adaptability to differing mission requirements and has resulted in the transfer of significant ground analysis to on-board processing. Special attention has been paid to the analog electronic and digital processing design in an effort to lower system noise levels, verified by inflight data showing unprecedented system noise levels for near-Earth magnetic field measurements, approaching the fluxgate sensor levels. The full dynamic range measurements are of the 3-axis Earth's magnetic field taken at 128 vector samples s-1 and digitized to 16 bit, resolution, primarily used to evaluate currents and the main magnetic field of the Earth. Additional 3-axis ‘AC’ channels are bandpass filtered from 1.5 to 128 Hz to remove the main field spin signal, the range is±650 nT. These vector measurements cover Pc waves to ion gyrofrequency magnetic wave signals up to the oxygen gyrofrequency (˜40 Hz). A separate, seventh channel samples the spin axis sensor with a bandpass filter of 1.5 to 256 Hz, the signal of which is fed to a software FFT. This on-board FFT processing covers the local helium gyrofrequencies (˜160 Hz) and is plotted in the Freja Summary Plots (FSPs) along with disturbance fields. First data were received in the U.S. October 16 from Kiruna, Sweden via the Internet and SPAN e-mail networks, and were from an orbit a few hours earlier over Greenland and Sweden. Data files and data products, e.g., FSPs generated at the Kiruna ground station, are communicated in a similar manner through an automatic mail distribution system in Stockholm to PIs and various users

NASA's Genesis and Rapid Intensification Processes (GRIP) Field Experiment

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Braun, Scott A.; Kakar, Ramesh; Zipser, Edward; Heymsfield, Gerald; Albers, Cerese; Brown, Shannon; Durden, Stephen; Guimond, Stephen; Halverson, Jeffery; Heymsfield, Andrew;

Modeling hexavalent chromium reduction in groundwater in field-scale transport and laboratory batch experiments

USGS Publications Warehouse

Friedly, J.C.; Davis, J.A.; Kent, D.B.

1995-01-01

A plausible and consistent model is developed to obtain a quantitative description of the gradual disappearance of hexavalent chromium (Cr(VI)) from groundwater in a small-scale field tracer test and in batch kinetic experiments using aquifer sediments under similar chemical conditions. The data exhibit three distinct timescales. Fast reduction occurs in well-stirred batch reactors in times much less than 1 hour and is followed by slow reduction over a timescale of the order of 2 days. In the field, reduction occurs on a timescale of the order of 8 days. The model is based on the following hypotheses. The chemical reduction reaction occurs very fast, and the longer timescales are caused by diffusion resistance. Diffusion into the secondary porosity of grains causes the apparent slow reduction rate in batch experiments. In the model of the field experiments, the reducing agent, heavy Fe(II)-bearing minerals, is heterogeneously distributed in thin strata located between larger nonreducing sand lenses that comprise the bulk of the aquifer solids. It is found that reducing strata of the order of centimeters thick are sufficient to contribute enough diffusion resistance to cause the observed longest timescale in the field. A one-dimensional advection/dispersion model is formulated that describes the major experimental trends. Diffusion rates are estimated in terms of an elementary physical picture of flow through a stratified medium containing identically sized spherical grains. Both reduction and sorption reactions are included. Batch simulation results are sensitive to the fraction of reductant located at or near the surface of grains, which controls the amount of rapid reduction, and the secondary porosity, which controls the rate of slow reduction observed in batch experiments. Results of Cr(VI) transport simulations are sensitive to the thickness and relative size of the reducing stratum. Transport simulation results suggest that nearly all of the reductant must be

Bullying in elementary school and psychotic experiences at 18 years: a longitudinal, population-based cohort study.

PubMed

Wolke, D; Lereya, S T; Fisher, H L; Lewis, G; Zammit, S

2014-07-01

Victims of bullying are at risk for psychotic experiences in early adolescence. It is unclear if this elevated risk extends into late adolescence. The aim of this study was to test whether bullying perpetration and victimization in elementary school predict psychotic experiences in late adolescence. The current study is based on the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC), a prospective community-based study. A total of 4720 subjects with bullying perpetration and victimization were repeatedly assessed between the ages of 8 and 11 years by child and mother reports. Suspected or definite psychotic experiences were assessed with the Psychosis-Like Symptoms semi-structured interview at age 18 years. Controlling for child's gender, intelligence quotient at age 8 years, childhood behavioural and emotional problems, and also depression symptoms and psychotic experiences in early adolescence, victims [child report at 10 years: odds ratio (OR) 2.4, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.6-3.4; mother report: OR 1.6, 95% CI 1.1-2.3], bully/victims (child report at 10 years: OR 3.1, 95% CI 1.7-5.8; mother: OR 2.9, 95% CI 1.7-5.0) and bullies (child report at 10 years: OR 4.9, 95% CI 1.3-17.7; mother: OR 1.2, 95% CI 0.46-3.1, n.s.) had a higher prevalence of psychotic experiences at age 18 years. Path analysis revealed that the association between peer victimization in childhood and psychotic experiences at age 18 years was only partially mediated by psychotic or depression symptoms in early adolescence. Involvement in bullying, whether as victim, bully/victim or bully, may increase the risk of developing psychotic experiences in adolescence. Health professionals should ask routinely during consultations with children about their bullying of and by peers.

Effects of supervision on tax compliance: Evidence from a field experiment in Austria

PubMed Central

Gangl, Katharina; Torgler, Benno; Kirchler, Erich; Hofmann, Eva

2014-01-01

We conduct a field experiment on tax compliance, focusing on newly founded firms. As a novelty the effect of tax authorities’ supervision on timely tax payments is examined. Interestingly, results show no positive overall effect of close supervision on tax compliance. PMID:25843992

Four years into the Indian ocean field epidemiology training programme

PubMed Central

Halm, Ariane; Seyler, Thomas; Mohamed, Sainda; Ali Mbaé, Saindou Ben; Randrianarivo-Solofoniaina, Armand Eugène; Ratsitorahina, Maherisoa; Nundlall, Ram; Aboobakar, Shahina; Bibi, Jastin; Filleul, Laurent; Piola, Patrice; Razafimandimby, Harimahefa; Rasamoelina, Harena; Valenciano, Marta; Moren, Alain; Cardinale, Eric; Lepec, Richard; Flachet, Loïc

2017-01-01

Introduction Following the 2005-6 chikungunya outbreak, a project to strengthen regional Public Health preparedness in the Indian Ocean was implemented. It includes the Comoros, Madagascar, Mauritius, Reunion (France) and Seychelles. A Field Epidemiology Training Programme (FETP-OI) was started in 2011 to develop a pool of well-trained intervention epidemiologists. Methods The FETP-OI consists of two years of supervised, learning-by-doing, on-the-job training at national sites involved in disease surveillance and response. It includes work placements at the Madagascar Pasteur Institute and the French regional epidemiology unit in Reunion and up to three training courses per year. Training objectives include epidemiological surveillance, outbreak investigations, research studies, scientific communication and transfer of competencies. Results In four years, two cohorts of in total 15 fellows originating from four countries followed the FETP-OI. They led 42 surveillance projects (71% routine management, 14% evaluations, 12% setup, 3% other) and investigated 36 outbreak alerts, 58% of them in Madagascar; most investigations (72%) concerned foodborne pathogens, plague or malaria. Fellows performed 18 studies (44% descriptive analyses, 22% disease risk factors, and 34% on other subjects), and presented results during regional and international conferences through 26 oral and 15 poster presentations. Four articles were published in regional Public Health bulletins and several scientific manuscripts are in process. Conclusion The FETP-OI has created a regional force of intervention consisting of field epidemiologists and trained supervisors using the same technical language and epidemiological methods. The third cohort is now ongoing. Technically and financially sustainable FETP-OI projects help addressing public health priorities of the Indian Ocean. PMID:28674588

Track and field athletics injuries--a one-year survey.

PubMed Central

D'Souza, D

1994-01-01

The training programmes and competitive performances of 147 track and field athletes, from many different clubs within the UK, were analysed retrospectively in order to study the incidence, severity and types of injuries which they had suffered during the year September 1989-September 1990. This information was then related to the particular event in which they specialized as well as a number of hypothetical risk factors proposed for making them more prone to injury. Of the athletes 96 (65.3%) were male and 51 (34.7%) were female, and their ages ranged from 14 to 32 years, with their levels of competition ranging from 'competitive spectators' to UK internationals. A marked correlation was noted between their age, level of competition, number of supervised training sessions which they attended, and their incidence of injuries. However, certain other factors which were studied, such as their sex, the hours they trained, and the particular event in which they specialized appeared to provide no obvious relationship. PMID:8000821

Widening the Gap: Pre-University Gap Years and the "Economy of Experience"

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Heath, Sue

2007-01-01

Embarking upon a pre-university gap year is an increasingly popular option among British students. Drawing on Brown et al.'s work on positional conflict theory and the increased importance of the "economy of experience", this paper seeks to explore this growing popularity and argues that the gap year's enhanced profile raises important…

Biodegradation of the surfactant linear alkylbenzenesulfonate in sewage- contaminated groundwater: A comparison of column experiments and field tracer tests

USGS Publications Warehouse

Krueger, C.J.; Radakovich, K.M.; Sawyer, T.E.; Barber, L.B.; Smith, R.L.; Field, J.A.

1998-01-01

Transport and biodegradation of linear alkylbenzenesulfonate (LAS) in sewage-contaminated groundwater were investigated for a range of dissolved oxygen concentrations. Both laboratory column and an 80-day continuous injection tracer test field experiments were conducted. The rates of LAS biodegradation increased with increasing dissolved oxygen concentrations and indicated the preferential biodegradation of the longer alkyl chain LAS homologues (i.e., C12 and C13) and external isomers (i.e., 2-and 3- phenyl). However, for similar dissolved oxygen concentrations, mass removal rates for LAS generally were 2-3 times greater in laboratory column experiments than in the field tracer test. Under low oxygen conditions (<1 mg/L) only a fraction of the LAS mixture biodegraded in both laboratory and field experiments. Biodegradation rate constants for the continuous injection field test (0.002-0.08 day-1) were comparable to those estimated for a 3-h injection (pulsed) tracer test conducted under similar biogeochemical conditions, indicating that increasing the exposure time of aquifer sediments to LAS did not increase biodegradation rates.Transport and biodegradation of linear alkylbenzenesulfonate (LAS) in sewage-contaminated groundwater were investigated for a range of dissolved oxygen concentrations. Both laboratory column and an 80-day continuous injection tracer test field experiments were conducted. The rates of LAS biodegradation increased with increasing dissolved oxygen concentrations and indicated the preferential biodegradation of the longer alkyl chain LAS homologues (i.e., C12 and C13) and external isomers (i.e., 2- and 3-phenyl). However, for similar dissolved oxygen concentrations, mass removal rates for LAS generally were 2-3 times greater in laboratory column experiments than in the field tracer test. Under low oxygen conditions (<1 mg/L) only a fraction of the LAS mixture biodegraded in both laboratory and field experiments. Biodegradation rate constants

A Nimbus G pre-launch field experiment in the Gulf of Mexico, October 1977