The significance of trust in the political system and motivation for pupils' learning progress in politics lessons

Very little research has been conducted on the contribution of political education to learning progress in Germany. Hence, there is a need for intervention studies measuring performance against the theoretical background of a political competence model. This model comprises three constructs: subject knowledge, motivation and attitudes. According to this model, politics lessons should not only convey knowledge but also arouse subject interest, promote political attitudes and develop problem-solving skills. This study investigates how knowledge acquisition is influenced by intervention using theory-oriented teaching materials on the European Union, intervention using conventional textbooks on the European Union and politics lessons without any reference to the European Union. It further asks how the performance-related self-concept and subject interest in political issues impact political knowledge and whether civic virtue and trust in the system are related to it. The sample comprises 1071 pupils. Theory-oriented politics classes lead to greater growth of pupils’ knowledge than in the control group. As anticipated, this study proves that a positive subject-specific self-concept impacts knowledge. The examination of political attitudes reveals a positive correlation between civic virtue and knowledge. There is no connection between trust in the political system and knowledge

Application of advanced laser diagnostics for the investigation of the ionization sensor signal in a combustion bomb

The ionization sensor is an electrical probe for diagnostics in internal combustion engines. Laser-induced fluorescence (LIF) imaging of fuel, hydroxyl (OH), and nitric oxide (NO) distributions has been employed to extend our knowledge about the governing processes leading to its signal. By monitoring the flame propagation in quiescent and turbulent mixtures, the cycle-to-cycle variations in the early sensor signal was attributed to the stochastic contact between flame front and electrodes. An analysis of the relationship between gas temperature and sensor current in the post-flame gas suggests a dominant role of alkali traces in the ionization process at the conditions under study. Significant cooling of the burned gas in the vicinity of the electrodes was observed in quiescent mixtures. Imaging of the post-flame gas in turbulent combustion revealed moving structures with varying NO and OH concentrations, which were identified as sources of variation in the sensor current

Atmospheric nitrogen inputs, soil nitrogen cycling, and soil respiration across the greater Boston area

This dataverse repository contains data from May to November of 2014 at fifteen locations across Metropolitan Boston for (1) throughfall nitrogen, (2) fossil fuel carbon dioxide emissions, (3) human population density, (4) land cover class, (5) ISA, (6) soil solution nitrogen and soil nitrogen cycling rates (mineralization and nitrification) and (7) soil respiration. Details of the methodology are provided in the following publications. Decina SM, PH Templer, LR Hutyra, CK Gately, P Rao. 2017. Variability, drivers, and effects of atmospheric nitrogen inputs across an urban area: emerging patterns among human activities, the atmosphere and soils. Science of the Total Environment 609:1524-1534. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2017.07.166 Decina S, LR Hutyra, CK Gately, JM Getson, AB Reinmann, AG Short Gianotti, and PH Templer. 2016. Soil respiration contributes significantly to urban carbon fluxes. Environmental Pollution 212:433-439. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envpol.2016.01.012<br