Teachers’ Understanding and Usage of Scientific Data Visualizations for Teaching Topics in Earth and Space Science

Scientific data visualizations are the products, and increasingly a core practice, of modern computational science across all domains. With recent science education standards emphasizing student engagement in practices, these scientific visualizations will only increase in their availability and use for K-12 science instruction. But teacher practice is key to the successful learning outcomes for these, and any, educational technology. This study follows eleven science teachers from initial exposure in a PD program through classroom use of scientific data visualizations that address topics in Earth and Space science. The framework of technological pedagogical content knowledge (TPCK) is used to examine key dimensions of teacher knowledge that are activated as they seek to understand the data visualizations and the conceptual models that they represent, select and integrate them into their curriculum, and ultimately use them for instruction. Baseline measures of select dimensions of TPCK are measured for all teachers. Two representative case studies allow for a deep analysis of TPCK in action throughout their professional and instructional experience, and finally the impact on teachers’ knowledge from the experience is examined, with implications for educative curricular material and PD program design

Totally Tubular: Carving Out Your Best Content with DCX

When waves of content are crashing on your IR shore, how do you make sure your visitors can surf the raddest? The recently released Digital Commons Exhibit solution helps you carve out your coolest, so your audience doesn’t have to look too hard for the best set. In this session, Rachel Evans, Metadata Services and Special Collections Librarian at University of Georgia School of Law, and Michael Biondo, Electronic Resources and Scholarly Communications Librarian at South Dakota State University, will share how they’ve used Digital Commons Exhibits to highlight different collections for a variety of stakeholders. From special collections to grant-funded projects, they’ll cover some of the most compelling use cases for DCX. Ann Connolly will also provide a scan of the DCX horizon to share what’s next and provide a surf-along workshop where attendees can build their own totally tubular set with DCX

A bin-microphysics parcel model investigation of secondary ice formation in an idealised shallow convective cloud

We provide the first systematic study of ice formation in idealised shallow clouds from collisions of supercooled water drops with ice particles (&lsquo;mode 2&rsquo;). Using the University of Manchester bin-microphysics parcel model, we investigated the sensitivity of ice formation due to mode 2 for a wide range of parameters: aerosol particle size distribution, updraft speed, cloud base temperature, cloud depth, ice-nucleating particle concentration and freezing fraction of mode 2. We provide context to our results with other secondary ice production mechanisms as single mechanisms and combinations (rime-splintering, spherical freezing fragmentation of drops [&lsquo;mode 1&rsquo;] and ice-ice collisions). There was a significant sensitivity to aerosol particle size distribution when updraft speeds were low (0.5 m s&minus;1); secondary ice formation did not occur when the aerosol particle size distribution mimicked polluted environments. Where secondary ice formation did occur in simulated clouds, significant ice formation in the shallower clouds (1.3 km deep) was due to mode 2 or a combination which included mode 2. The deeper clouds (2.4 km deep) also had significant contributions from rime-splintering or ice-ice collisions SIP mechanisms. While simulations with cloud base temperatures of 7 &deg;C were relatively insensitive to ice-nucleating particle concentrations, there was a sensitivity in simulations cloud base temperatures of 0 &deg;C. Increasing the ice-nucleating particle concentration delayed ice formation. Our results suggest that collisions of supercooled water drops with ice particles may be a significant ice formation mechanism within shallow convective clouds where rime-splintering is not active.</p

Translating national standards into practice: Supporting social care professionals

The Health Information and Quality Authority [HIQA] was established in 2007 to drive high quality and safe care for people using health and social care services in Ireland. One of the functions of HIQA is to set national standards for services. When developing standards HIQA conducts a thorough review of evidence and extensively engages stakeholders through focus groups, advisory groups and public consultations. To validate the robustness of its processes HIQA distributed a survey to key stakeholders with experience of the standards development processes in 2018. It also undertook an international review of how other organisations approach the development of standards for health and social care services and support their implementation. The survey was completed by 54 stakeholders and 13 organisations were included in the international review. Analysis of the data identified three main themes used internationally to translate national standards into practice improve understanding and increase implementation. There are early engagement with stakeholders; resources and guidance to support implementation and effective dissemination, communication and promotion of both the standards and related resources across services. In response to these findings HIQA is taking steps to help people implement the national standards and to improve the experience and outcomes of people using services

Estimating photometric redshifts with artificial neural networks

A new approach to estimating photometric redshifts - using Artificial Neural Networks (ANNs) - is investigated. Unlike the standard template-fitting photometric redshift technique, a large spectroscopically-identified training set is required but, where one is available, ANNs produce photometric redshift accuracies at least as good as and often better than the template-fitting method. The Bayesian priors on the underlying redshift distribution are automatically taken into account. Furthermore, inputs other than galaxy colours - such as morphology, angular size and surface brightness - may be easily incorporated, and their utility assessed. Different ANN architectures are tested on a semi-analytic model galaxy catalogue and the results are compared with the template-fitting method. Finally the method is tested on a sample of ~ 20000 galaxies from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey. The r.m.s. redshift error in the range z < 0.35 is ~ 0.021.Comment: Submitted to MNRAS, 9 pages, 9 figures, substantial improvements to paper structur

What Underpins Good Child-centred Practices in Children’s Social Services?

The children who engage with children’s social services are some of those who are at most risk of harm and abuse in society (Health Information and Quality Authority, 2012). The aim of the study was to identify what underpins good child-centred practice in children’s social services. This study was conducted to inform the development of National Standards for Children\u27s Social Services. The Health Information and Quality Authority (HIQA) undertook a public scoping consultation to consult with people who have experience of children’s social services. Also a literature review was conducted as part of a review and synthesis of literature and evidence. Findings show that all children’s individual needs should be assessed and each child requires an approach tailored to their individual strengths and needs in order to keep them safe and promote their wellbeing. Although standardisation of certain processes can be helpful, both staff and children benefit from a degree of flexibility in the provision of services. Relationships with staff and having meaningful social connections are significant for children, in order for them to understand how their views can shape their care and support. The findings also indicate that accountable children\u27s social services have strong leadership at both a national and local level to ensure that plans are carried out effectively across children’s social services

Ventricular endocardial tissue geometry affects stimulus threshold and effective refractory period

Background: Understanding the biophysical processes by which electrical stimuli applied to cardiac tissue may result in local activation is important in both the experimental and clinical electrophysiology laboratory environments, as well as for gaining a more in-depth knowledge of the mechanisms of focal-trigger-induced arrhythmias. Previous computational models have predicted that local myocardial tissue architecture alone may significantly modulate tissue excitability, affecting both the local stimulus current required to excite the tissue and the local effective refractory period (ERP). In this work, we present experimental validation of this structural modulation of local tissue excitability on the endocardial tissue surface, use computational models to provide mechanistic understanding of this phenomena in relation to localized changes in electrotonic loading, and demonstrate its implications for the capture of afterdepolarizations. Methods and Results: Experiments on rabbit ventricular wedge preparations showed that endocardial ridges (surfaces of negative mean curvature) had a stimulus capture threshold that was 0.21 ± 0.03 V less than endocardial grooves (surfaces of positive mean curvature) for pairwise comparison (24% reduction, corresponding to 56.2 ± 6.4% of the energy). When stimulated at the minimal stimulus strength for capture, ridge locations showed a shorter ERP than grooves (n = 6, mean pairwise difference 7.4 ± 4.2 ms). When each site was stimulated with identical-strength stimuli, the difference in ERP was further increased (mean pairwise difference 15.8 ± 5.3 ms). Computational bidomain models of highly idealized cylindrical endocardial structures qualitatively agreed with these findings, showing that such changes in excitability are driven by structural modulation in electrotonic loading, quantifying this relationship as a function of surface curvature. Simulations further showed that capture of delayed afterdepolarizations was more likely in trabecular ridges than grooves, driven by this difference in loading. Conclusions: We have demonstrated experimentally and explained mechanistically in computer simulations that the ability to capture tissue on the endocardial surface depends upon the local tissue architecture. These findings have important implications for deepening our understanding of excitability differences related to anatomical structure during stimulus application that may have important applications in the translation of novel experimental optogenetics pacing strategies. The uncovered preferential vulnerability to capture of afterdepolarizations of endocardial ridges, compared to grooves, provides important insight for understanding the mechanisms of focal-trigger-induced arrhythmias

Diagnóstico y tratamiento de dirofilariasis (Dirofilaria immitis) en un paciente canino positivo en Managua por las técnicas de Inmunocromatografía, Tincion Diff-Quick® y observación al fresco

Con el objetivo de evaluar el tratamiento y evolución de un paciente canino diagnosticado con Dirofilariasis (Dirofilaria immitis) en Managua, se llevó a cabo el siguiente estudio de caso descriptivo por las técnicas de Inmunocromatografía, Tinción Diff-Quick® y Observación al fresco. A su vez se identificaron a través de otros estudios, factores que favorecen el desarrollo de esta parasitosis como son los vectores, las condiciones ambientales y los factores de manejo que permiten el desarrollo o ausencia de la enfermedad, la sintomatología clínica presente y su potencial zoonótico; en el período de noviembre del año 2017 a marzo del año 2018. El estudio se realizó en 4 fases, tomando a un paciente canino de 4 años con sintomatología de afectación respiratoria, en la fase clínica; se realizó una exploración física y un registro de la historia clínica, en la fase de diagnóstico laboratorial; se tomaron 3 muestras, la primera fue confirmativa al diagnóstico, la segunda y tercera toma de muestra fueron realizadas para evaluar la condición y evolución del paciente, realizándose la toma por venopunción. Al hacer la muestra en fresco, se identificó la presencia de microfilarias, realizándose un conteo por campo. Se utilizó la técnica de Inmunocromatografía para la detección de antígenos de Dirofilaria Immitis, SNAP® 4Dx®Plus, tomando la muestra de sangre total anticoagulada con EDTA. El desarrollo del color en los puntos del Test SNAP® 4Dx®Plus, indicó la presencia de antígeno de Dirofilaria immitis, anticuerpos frente a Ehrlichia canis o Ehrlichia ewingii en la muestra. La Técnica de knott nos permitió hacer un examen morfológico microscópico de las larvas de Dirofilaria. immitis. Se realizaron pruebas bioquímicas (Creatinina, BUN, T.G.O/ ASAT, T.G.P/ ALAT) con la finalidad de evaluar la funcionalidad y el estado en que se encontraban el hígado y los riñones. Se realizó el EGO, en la segunda y tercera exploración clínica, con la finalidad de evaluar las características físicas, químicas y microscópicas de la orina. Los principales factores que condicionan la difusión de la enfermedad son ambientales, tales como la temperatura y la humedad; además, depende de la densidad poblacional de los mosquitos vectores y de la presencia de los huéspedes definitivos en los que el parásito completa su desarrollo y se reproduce. Es una enfermedad de interés zoonótico, por la capacidad que tienen estos mosquitos de transmitir esta enfermedad al humano. Se recomienda la prevención de la enfermedad con un tratamiento a base de ivermectina, y en los casos positivos, Nicaragua, debería de contar con tratamiento como los arsénicos en este caso la melarsomina que actúa en la fase adulta, ante este limitante, el tratamiento que se instauró en el paciente canino positivo fue Doxiciclina que actúa contra la bacteria endosimbionte Wolbachia pipientis y el uso de productos con ivermectina, y tratamiento sintomático como Prednisona. Al finalizar este estudio se llegó a la conclusión que existe la presencia de Dirofilariasis en Managua. Se identificó la existencia de mosquitos vectores (Culex spp, Anopheles spp, Aedes spp.) de esta parasitosis. Se deberá realizar una investigación más extensa en Managua, para determinar la prevalencia de esta parasitosis

Contestable adulthood: variability and disparity in markers for negotiating the transition to adulthood

Recent research has identified a discreet set of subjective markers that are seen as characterizing the transition to adulthood. The current study challenges this coherence by examining the disparity and variability in young people’s selection of such criteria. Four sentence-completion cues corresponding to four differentcontexts in which adult status might be contested were given to 156 British 16- to 17-year-olds. Their qualitative responses were analyzed to explore patterns whilst capturing some of their richness and diversity. An astonishing amount of variability emerged, both within and between cued contexts.The implications of this variability for how the transition to adulthood is experienced are explored. The argument is made that markers of the transition to adulthood are not merely reflective of the bio–psycho–social development of young people. Rather, adulthood here is seen as an essentially contested concept,located within the discursive interactional environment in which young people participate