USCID fourth international conference

Presented at the Role of irrigation and drainage in a sustainable future: USCID fourth international conference on irrigation and drainage on October 3-6, 2007 in Sacramento, California.Includes bibliographical references.Application of different irrigation management practices plays a considerable role in water saving to achieve potential yields. On the other hand, network water distribution schedule is a governing factor in this regard. In current study conducted in Mahabad plain in North West of Iran, four different irrigation managements on sugarbeet cultivation including traditional farmer's management, Furrow Deepening, Reduced Discharge per Deepened Furrow, and Alternate Furrow Irrigation have been studied in real farmers' fields measuring 10.2 hectares. Participatory management approach has been used while working in farmers' fields. Soils textures are silty clayey. Results of studies indicate that water used has been reduced considerably while higher root and sugar yields are obtained due to better on-farm water management practices. Water Use Efficiency, in kg of yield per m3 of water used, increased considerably under alternate furrow irrigation management in comparison to what obtained under traditional management. Results show application of alternate furrow irrigation in sugarbeet cultivation not only resulted in lesser water use per hectare, but also it increased both root and sugar yields and, consequently, higher water use efficiency was obtained. Assessments have been made on irrigation schedule imposed by the irrigation network and its effects on actual water requirements. Results show that the delivery schedule practiced in the network in incapable of delivering the actual amount of water requirement for the dominant crop of the scheme. Suggestions are made to the network operator to improve overall network efficiency including revisions on water resources planning and allocation and/or improve network operation system

MORPHODYNAMICS IN THE LAGOS LAGOON: OBSERVATION AND INFERENCES OF CHANGE

The focus of this research is the study of lagoon ecosystem interaction and adjustment of the lagoon floor morphologies, water dynamics and sequences of change involving the motion of sediment. The aim of the study is to implement a functional mechanism to evaluate and analyse changes in the Lagos Lagoon and its ecosystem, with the objectives: (i) to investigate the extent and impact of urban expansion on the Lagoon coastline and its ecosystem; (ii) to quantify changes in the spatial extent of mangroves by use of satellite images from 1984 to 2016; (iii) to investigate the spatial dynamics of the Lagoon water floor and estimate its flushing time, (iv) to investigate the behaviour and relationship pattern of the Lagoon hydrodynamic parameters;, (v) to collect sediment samples from the Lagoon, analyse their settling behaviour and particle size distribution (PSD) in order to study their spatial evolution and characterisation; and (vi) to initiate a model that can predict the influence of sea level rise on the Lagoon ecosystem. The existing problem of an overcrowded human population in Lagos, the incessant repository of industrial effluence into its Lagoon, and increased flooding from the immediate watershed generate the research questions for this thesis. Lack of studies in the areas of morphodynamics and hydrodynamics on the Lagoon is a gap in the body of coastal knowledge, especially the temporal and long term dynamics of a significant Lagoon like that of Lagos. Understanding the dynamics of the Lagoon will enhance efficient monitoring, sustainable management and hence reveal the great importance the Lagoon preserves for the coastal region. Landsat images (1984 – 2016) of the study area (Lagos Lagoon) and its ecosystem were obtained for some specific data derivations. Land Surface Temperature (LST), NDVI and delineated Lagoon coastline were derived from the images. An Environment for Visualizing Images (ENVI) and a Geographic Information System (GIS) were used to extract land classification information, likewise, the GIS was used to develop a model for investigating the Lagoon coastline changes. With the use of ENVI and GIS software, land classification types were derived with the percentage of the coverage area for each land use classification for the years of study. A novel empirical method was designed to collect in-situ hydrodynamic data for both the dry and wet seasons in 2014, this was correlated and analysed using a case study approach. Also, in-situ bathymetric data was collected in 2014 to join the 2008 available data for studying the changes in the Lagoon water bed morphology. Functional models were used to examine the interaction of the various hydrodynamic information that was studied on the Lagoon. Results and inferences from the study show that the wetland of the system is depleting rapidly with increase urbanisation. In both lateral and vertical directions, the morphological shape of the Lagoon is reducing both in size and depth. The result from the model that investigated the system coastline indicates that reclamation and recession are taking place on the Lagoon coast at an approximate ratio of 4 to 1 whereas, the total surface area has reduced to approximately 204.51km2 as opposed to its approximate area of 208km2 as at the year 2010. The results from the analysis of the Lagoon salinity implies a wide salinity variation between the dry and the wet season; this confirms the system as brackish water in the dry season and freshwater in the wet season. Other inferences reveal the critical point of well-mixed water mass, significant vertical mixing during the wet season and a stable state during the dry season. In overview, the ratio of the Lagoon stratification during the dry season to that of the wet season is approximately 1 to 7 and flushing time of approximately 26 days and 22 days respectively. Lastly, the Lagoon possesses a varying settling velocity that is uniquely related to the diameter of its particles at various spatial locations. This research has been able to provide baseline investigations concerning the morphology and hydrodynamic study of the Lagos Lagoon.Federal Government of Nigeria through Tertiary Education Fund Trust (TETFund)Surveyors Council Of Nigeria (SURCON

Cartoons as interdiscourse : a quali-quantitative analysis of social representations based on collective imagination in cartoons produced after the Charlie Hebdo attack

The attacks against Charlie Hebdo in Paris at the beginning of the year 2015 urged many cartoonists – most professionals but some laymen as well – to create cartoons as a reaction to this tragedy. The main goal of this article is to show how traumatic events like this one can converge in a rather limited set of metaphors, ranging from easily recognizable topoi to rather vague interdiscourses that circulate in contemporary societies. To do so, we analyzed 450 cartoons that were produced as a reaction to the Charlie Hebdo attacks, and took a quali-quantitative approach that draws both on discourse analysis and semiotics. In this paper, we identified eight main themes and we analyzed the five ones which are anchored in collective imagination (the pen against the sword, the journalist as a modern hero, etc.). Then, we studied the cartoons at figurative, narrative and thematic levels thanks to Greimas’ model of the semiotic square. This paper shows the ways in which these cartoons build upon a memory-based network of events from the recent past (particularly 9/11), and more generally on a collective imagination which can be linked to Western values.SCOPUS: ar.jinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishe

Research on Teaching and Learning In Biology, Chemistry and Physics In ESERA 2013 Conference

This paper provides an overview of the topics in educational research that were published in the ESERA 2013 conference proceedings. The aim of the research was to identify what aspects of the teacher-student-content interaction were investigated frequently and what have been studied rarely. We used the categorization system developed by Kinnunen, Lampiselkä, Malmi and Meisalo (2016) and altogether 184 articles were analyzed. The analysis focused on secondary and tertiary level biology, chemistry, physics, and science education. The results showed that most of the studies focus on either the teacher’s pedagogical actions or on the student - content relationship. All other aspects were studied considerably less. For example, the teachers’ thoughts about the students’ perceptions and attitudes towards the goals and the content, and the teachers’ conceptions of the students’ actions towards achieving the goals were studied only rarely. Discussion about the scope and the coverage of the research in science education in Europe is needed.Peer reviewe

PBL Student Projects and Sustainable Development Goals: A Case Study

Working with the Sustainable Development Goals can be a highly motivating factor in Problem Based Learning, especially if the solutions produced can be used afterwards and have an actual impact on people and communities. This paper describes how three engineering students from Aalborg University, Denmark, collaborated with the South African Organisation Green Shoots on bringing IT-supported Math education out to some of the most disadvantaged learners from townships and rural areas of the Western Cape. The project provided the Danish students with a unique learning experience and have a lasting impact on the communities involved. While the content of the project focused on bringing IT-supported Math education to learners in previously disadvantaged areas around the Western Cape, the project also provided valuable insight into how such students’ projects, where the outcomes benefit people and communities suffering from socio-economic challenges e.g. poverty, can be carried out. In addition to demonstrate that such projects are actually possible, we studied three critical aspects: How to ensure a good fit between learning objectives and project outcome, how to ensure that the project creates value for the partner organisation and communities, and how to ensure that the projects can be conducted without overloading the university supervisors. We believe that student projects focusing on SDGs have a big potential in terms of providing highly motivating student projects yet at the same time contribute to a better world through solutions that are being used even afterwards. However, our study was just a single case with one group of three students. We hope it will serve as inspiration for larger studies, where more quantitative data could be gathered in terms of how to establish a good framework around such projects, and in order to demonstrate the value for students and societies