Transient water flow in the TOXSWA model (FOCUS) versions): concepts and mathematical description

The TOXSWA model is used in the pesticide registration procedures in the Netherlands and the EU. This report documents the transient water flow module of TOXSWA, which simulates variable discharges and water depths in the edge-of-field ponds, ditches and streams of the EU FOCUS Surface Water Scenarios at an hourly resolution. It combines water conservation equations with water depth-discharge relations based upon weirs located downstream. In watercourses, backwater curves describe water depths as a function of distance to the weir. The water conservation equations consist of a base flow, excess water fluxes from drainage or runoff and an outflow. The conservation equations have been solved numerically using the finite difference method. A limited verification of the numerical solution has been undertaken. Example runs present model input and outpu

David or Mia? The influence of gender on adolescent girls' choice of sport role models

This article explores the relationship between adolescent girls and their sport role models with a particular focus on gender. Social learning theory as well as gender theory are considered. Based on quantitative and qualitative data collected in Australia through two focus group interviews and questionnaires (n = 357) the researchers found that gender influences the choice of sport role models of adolescent girls. When asked to nominate their role model, girls overwhelmingly choose a female role model, however, when their role model came from the sporting domain the percentage of female role models decreased. Further, qualitative comments support the notion that gender and gendered heroism play a critical role in the adoption of sport role models by adolescent girls. The authors argue that sport role models, in traditional gender terms, are ideologically contradictory. A trend towards acceptance of a perspective of multiple femininities and masculinities may be a prospect for change. © 2008 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved

Modelling water temperature in TOXSWA

A reasonably accurate estimate of the water temperature is necessary for a good description of the degradation of plant protection products in water which is used in the surface water model TOXSWA. Based on a consideration of basic physical processes that describe the influence of weather on the energy balance of natural water bodies, we propose to extend TOXSWA with a 1D bulk approach to estimate water temperature. Evaluation of such a system confirmed that it is physically realistic and yet simple, with limited data requirements. It is expected to perform reasonably well in most conditions, and fits well into the present structure of the TOXSWA model. In particular the estimation of degradation rates in shallow and turbid water will benefit from introducing the proposed system

Adult education : too important to be left to chance : adult learner survey

The APPG for Adult Education commissioned the Warwick Institute for Employment Research at the University of Warwick (April – June 2016) to conduct research into the needs of adult learners.1 This work was managed by nine Specialist Designated Institutions (SDIs) including: City Lit, Morley College, Hillcroft College, Northern College, Ruskin College, Working Men’s College, Mary Ward Centre, Fircroft College and the Workers’ Educational Association (WEA). Each has its own identity, mission and distinctive approach, which adds to the rich diversity of adult education. Our primary focus is on adult education, and on adults returning to learn. Learning can occur in education or training institutions (offline or online), the workplace (on or off the job), the family, or cultural and especially, community settings. We use ‘learning’ to refer to all kinds of formal education and training (organised/accredited). We also include non-formal (organised unaccredited) and informal approaches (not organised, e.g. learning from colleagues or friends) provided these have a degree of adult education focus

An Apppraisal of Social Network Media Use for Online Group Buying in South AFrica

South Africa's socio-economic modernization has led to the adoption a variety of ICT based consumer goods marketing practices. One of the contemporary ICT based consumer goods marketing practices which is fast becoming popular among South African consumer goods and services firms and consumers is the online group buying. this research was therefore carried out in order to do an empirical appraisal of online group buying in the South AFrican consumer goods market using examples from the Western Cape Province. The study's primary objectives are to examine the social phenomena underpinning the use of social networking platforms facebook and twitter by merchants, vendors and consumer who participate in online group buying in South AFrica and to examine the benefit they derive and challenges they face. The research is qualitative and therefore adopted adopted exploration soft systems (SS) approach that was based on the principles of SS methodology developed by Peter Checkland in 1999. The study revealed that merchants use of facebook and twitter is limited. It also reach with which group buying vendors have on facebook and twitter in term of the number of their facebook and twitter members (merchants) influenced merchants' choice of vendors to manage their online group buying campaigns. The study also revealed that vendors are not able to use facebook and twitter in ways that encourage merchants to join their online networks and to engage them to manage their online group buying initiatives. Particularly the study revealed that online group vendors did not handle the communicativeness of their own websites and that of facebook and twitter in manner that their communication richness can be harnessed for the purpose of online group buying. This hampers the social aspect of online group buying and prevents vendors from appropriately sharing required and available information about group buying deals to members within their online networks. The research also reveal that there is room for improvement in the ways facebook and twitter are being used for online group buying campaigns in South AFrica. As a result, conclusion was reached and recommendation proffered

Adult education : too important to be left to chance : research report for the All Party Parliamentary Group for Adult Education (APPG) – Inquiry into Adult Education

Our primary focus is on adult education, and on adults returning to learn. Learning can occur in education or training institutions (offline or online), the workplace (on or off the job), the family, or cultural and especially, community settings. We use ‘learning’ to refer to all kinds of formal education and training (organised/accredited). We also include non-formal (organised unaccredited) and informal approaches (not organised, e.g. learning from colleagues or friends) provided these have a degree of adult education focus. The aim of the study was to scope the need, reach and areas for policy and practice development for adult education concerning disadvantaged adults. Four key research questions emerged: How can a greater priority be given to adults’ views to support a demand-led approach? What practices and models of learning best motivate non-traditional students to keep on going with their studies while others from a similar background drop-out? What do we know already about the added value, cost-effectiveness and impact of adult education? What policy development is needed to secure the future of adult education

Gender equality in sport leadership: From the Brighton Declaration to the Sydney Scoreboard

This study investigated the development of the legacies of the five World Conferences on Women and Sport that have been convened by the International Working Group on Women and Sport from 1994 to 2010. In particular, it examined the ways in which gender is constructed in these legacies in relation to gender equality in sport leadership. The theoretical framework was drawn from Connell’s four-dimensional gender model, which suggests that gender relations can be characterized in terms of four interwoven dimensions of social life: production, power, emotion and symbolism. The method used was a comparative case study of five legacies. We conducted a content analysis of documents relevant to the five legacies. Findings show that, in all five legacies, gender in relation to sport leadership was mainly constructed on the dimension of production and power relations (more women in leadership positions) and symbolic relations (creating a sporting culture that values women’s participation at all levels). By contrast, the gendered dimension of emotional relations – collaboration between men and women – received limited attention. The implications of these findings for the acceleration of gender equality in sport leadership are discussed

Vogelconcentraties en vogelbewegingen in Zeeland

The paper presents the results of a detailed study of the annual rainfall of India in relation to the sunspot cycle for the period 1871 to 1978. Rainfall time series of individual stations as well as of meteorological subdivisions have been examined for the full period (108 years) and for two half periods.The correlation coefficients (CC) of 306 stations for the full period lie between 4-0-29 and -0-14 with a preponderance of positive over negative values in the ratio 4:1. Twenty-six CC values are significant at the 5 per cent level. The CC values for the two subseries reveal appreciable temporal variations, the correlations being higher for the first half. Lag correlations between the rainfall and sunspot series indicate that the CC values tend to increase when the rainfall is correlated with sunspot numbers 1 to 3 years later and to decrease when correlated with sunspot numbers 1 to 3 years earlier.Examination of the all-India rainfall series and the sunspot series for the full period shows that excess rainfall years were significantly more during the ascending phase of alternate cycles. Superposed epoch analysis and the Student t test show that the rainfall around the maximum of even cycles characterized by high sunspot activity is significantly higher than the corresponding rainfall in the odd cycles with lesser spot activity. Correlation study with a 15-year sliding window reveals large temporal variations in the CC values.Although most of the variance in the rainfall time series is due to causes unconnected with the sunspot cycle, the present study suggests the existence of a weak positive association between Indian rainfall and sunspots on the 22-year time scale, although the causal connection is unknown