152 research outputs found
Towards a teacher-centric approach for multi-touch surfaces in classrooms
The potential of tabletops to enable simultaneous interaction and face-to-face collaboration can provide novel learning opportunities. Despite significant research in the area of collaborative learning around tabletops, little attention has been paid to the integration of multi-touch surfaces into classroom layouts and how to employ this technology to facilitate teacher-learner dialogue and teacher-led activities across multi-touch surfaces. While most existing techniques focus on the collaboration between learners, this work aims to gain a better understanding of practical challenges that need to be considered when integrating multi-touch surfaces into classrooms. It presents a multi-touch interaction technique, called TablePortal, which enables teachers to manage and monitor collaborative learning on students' tables. Early observations of using the proposed technique within a novel classroom consisting of networked
Towards a transformative understanding of the oceanâs biological pump: Priorities for future research - Report on the NSF Biology of the Biological Pump Workshop
NSF Biology of the Biological Pump Workshop,
February 19â20, 2016 (Hyatt Place New Orleans, New Orleans, LA)The net transfer of organic matter from the surface to the deep ocean is a key function of
ocean food webs. The combination of biological, physical, and chemical processes that
contribute to and control this export is collectively known as the âbiological pumpâ, and current
estimates of the global magnitude of this export range from 5 â 12 Pg C yr-1. This material can
be exported in dissolved or particulate form, and many of the biological processes that regulate
the composition, quantity, timing, and distribution of this export are poorly understood or
constrained. Export of organic material is of fundamental importance to the biological and
chemical functioning of the ocean, supporting deep ocean food webs and controlling the
vertical and horizontal segregation of elements throughout the ocean. Remineralization of
exported organic matter in the upper mesopelagic zone provides nutrients for surface
production, while material exported to depths of 1000 m or more is generally considered to be
sequestered â i.e. out of contact with the atmosphere for centuries or longer.
The ability to accurately model a system is a reflection of the degree to which the system is
understood. In the case of export, semi-empirical and simple mechanistic models show a wide
range of predictive skill. This is, in part, due to the sparseness of available data, which impedes
our inability to accurately represent, or even include, all relevant processes (sometimes for
legitimate computational reasons). Predictions will remain uncertain without improved
understanding and parameterization of key biological processes affecting export.Funding for this workshop was provided by the National Science Foundation (NSF).
Coordination and logistical support for this workshop was provided by the Ocean Carbon and
Biogeochemistry (OCB) Program (www.us-ocb.org
Aggregation and Degradation of Dispersants and Oil by Microbial Exopolymers (ADDOMEx): Toward a Synthesis of Processes and Pathways of Marine Oil Snow Formation in Determining the Fate of Hydrocarbons
Microbes (bacteria, phytoplankton) in the ocean are responsible for the copious production of exopolymeric substances (EPS) that include transparent exopolymeric particles. These materials act as a matrix to form marine snow. After the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, marine oil snow (MOS) formed in massive quantities and influenced the fate and transport of oil in the ocean. The processes and pathways of MOS formation require further elucidation to be better understood, in particular we need to better understand how dispersants affect aggregation and degradation of oil. Toward that end, recent work has characterized EPS as a function of microbial community and environmental conditions. We present a conceptual model that incorporates recent findings in our understanding of the driving forces of MOS sedimentation and flocculent accumulation (MOSSFA) including factors that influence the scavenging of oil into MOS and the routes that promote decomposition of the oil post MOS formation. In particular, the model incorporates advances in our understanding of processes that control interactions between oil, dispersant, and EPS in producing either MOS that can sink or dispersed gels promoting microbial degradation of oil compounds. A critical element is the role of protein to carbohydrate ratios (P/C ratios) of EPS in the aggregation process of colloid and particle formation. The P/C ratio of EPS provides a chemical basis for the stickiness ; factor that is used in analytical or numerical simulations of the aggregation process. This factor also provides a relative measure for the strength of attachment of EPS to particle surfaces. Results from recent laboratory experiments demonstrate (i) the rapid formation of microbial assemblages, including their EPS, on oil droplets that is enhanced in the presence of Corexit-dispersed oil, and (ii) the subsequent rapid oil oxidation and microbial degradation in water. These findings, combined with the conceptual model, further improve our understanding of the fate of the sinking MOS (e.g., subsequent sedimentation and preservation/degradation) and expand our ability to predict the behavior and transport of spilled oil in the ocean, and the potential effects of Corexit application, specifically with respect to MOS processes (i.e., formation, fate, and half-lives) and Marine Oil Snow Sedimentation and Flocculent Accumulation
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Aged soils contribute little to contemporary carbon cycling downstream of thawing permafrost peatlands
Funder: Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, UK Government; Id: http://dx.doi.org/10.13039/100011693Abstract: Vast stores of millennialâaged soil carbon (MSC) in permafrost peatlands risk leaching into the contemporary carbon cycle after thaw caused by climate warming or increased wildfire activity. Here we tracked the export and downstream fate of MSC from two peatlandâdominated catchments in subarctic Canada, one of which was recently affected by wildlife. We tested whether thermokarst bog expansion and deepening of seasonally thawed soils due to wildfire increased the contributions of MSC to downstream waters. Despite being available for lateral transport, MSC accounted for â€6% of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) pools at catchment outlets. Assimilation of MSC into the aquatic food web could not explain its absence at the outlets. Using ÎŽ13CâÎ14CâÎŽ15NâÎŽ2H measurements, we estimated only 7% of consumer biomass came from MSC by direct assimilation and algal recycling of heterotrophic respiration. Recent wildfire that caused seasonally thawed soils to reach twice as deep in one catchment did not change these results. In contrast to many other Arctic ecosystems undergoing climate warming, we suggest waterlogged peatlands will protect against downstream delivery and transformation of MSC after climateâ and wildfireâinduced permafrost thaw
Exponential potentials and cosmological scaling solutions
We present a phase-plane analysis of cosmologies containing a barotropic
fluid with equation of state , plus a scalar
field with an exponential potential where . In addition to the well-known inflationary
solutions for in which the scalar field energy density tracks that of the barotropic
fluid (which for example might be radiation or dust). We show that the scaling
solutions are the unique late-time attractors whenever they exist. The
fluid-dominated solutions, where at late times, are
always unstable (except for the cosmological constant case ). The
relative energy density of the fluid and scalar field depends on the steepness
of the exponential potential, which is constrained by nucleosynthesis to
. We show that standard inflation models are unable to solve
this `relic density' problem.Comment: 6 pages RevTeX file with four figures incorporated (uses RevTeX and
epsf). Matches published versio
On the Asymptotic Behaviour of Cosmological Models in Scalar-Tensor Theories of Gravity
We study the qualitative properties of cosmological models in scalar-tensor
theories of gravity by exploiting the formal equivalence of these theories with
general relativity minimally coupled to a scalar field under a conformal
transformation and field redefinition. In particular, we investigate the
asymptotic behaviour of spatially homogeneous cosmological models in a class of
scalar-tensor theories which are conformally equivalent to general relativistic
Bianchi cosmologies with a scalar field and an exponential potential whose
qualitative features have been studied previously. Particular attention is
focussed on those scalar-tensor theory cosmological models, which are shown to
be self-similar, that correspond to general relativistic models that play an
important r\^{o}le in describing the asymptotic behaviour of more general
models (e.g., those cosmological models that act as early-time and late-time
attractors).Comment: 22 pages, submitted to Phys Rev
Sustaining complex interventions in long-term care: a qualitative study of direct care staff and managers
Abstract Background Little is known about the sustainability of behavioral change interventions in long-term care (LTC). Following a cluster randomized trial of an intervention to improve staff communication (CONNECT), we conducted focus groups of direct care staff and managers to elicit their perceptions of factors that enhance or reduce sustainability in the LTC setting. The overall aim was to generate hypotheses about how to sustain complex interventions in LTC. Methods In eight facilities, we conducted 15 focus groups with 83 staff who had participated in at least one intervention session. Where possible, separate groups were conducted with direct care staff and managers. An interview guide probed for staff perceptions of intervention salience and sustainability. Framework analysis of coded transcripts was used to distill insights about sustainability related to intervention features, organizational context, and external supports. Results Staff described important factors for intervention sustainability that are particularly challenging in LTC. Because of the tremendous diversity in staff roles and education level, interventions should balance complexity and simplicity, use a variety of delivery methods and venues (e.g., group and individual sessions, role-play/storytelling), and be inclusive of many work positions. Intervention customizability and flexibility was particularly prized in this unpredictable and resource-strapped environment. Contextual features noted to be important include addressing the frequent lack of trust between direct care staff and managers and ensuring that direct care staff directly observe manager participation and support for the program. External supports suggested to be useful for sustainability include formalization of changes into facility routines, using âtrain the trainerâ approaches and refresher sessions. High staff turnover is common in LTC, and providing materials for new staff orientation was reported to be important for sustainability. Conclusions When designing or implementing complex behavior change interventions in LTC, consideration of these particularly salient intervention features, contextual factors, and external supports identified by staff may enhance sustainability. Trial registration ClinicalTrial.gov, NCT0063667
Sinking Organic Particles in the OceanâFlux Estimates From in situ Optical Devices
Optical particle measurements are emerging as an important technique for understanding the ocean carbon cycle, including contributions to estimates of their downward flux, which sequesters carbon dioxide (CO2) in the deep sea. Optical instruments can be used from ships or installed on autonomous platforms, delivering much greater spatial and temporal coverage of particles in the mesopelagic zone of the ocean than traditional techniques, such as sediment traps. Technologies to image particles have advanced greatly over the last two decades, but the quantitative translation of these immense datasets into biogeochemical properties remains a challenge. In particular, advances are needed to enable the optimal translation of imaged objects into carbon content and sinking velocities. In addition, different devices often measure different optical properties, leading to difficulties in comparing results. Here we provide a practical overview of the challenges and potential of using these instruments, as a step toward improvement and expansion of their applications
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