Variability of Millennial-Scale Trends in the Geomagnetic Axial Dipole

The historical trend in the axial dipole is sufficient to reverse the field in less than 2 kyr. Assessing the prospect of an imminent polarity reversal depends on the probability of sustaining the historical trend for long enough to produce a reversal. We use a stochastic model to predict the variability of trends for arbitrary time windows. Our predictions agree well with the trends computed from paleomagnetic models. Applying these predictions to the historical record shows that the current trend is likely due to natural variability. Furthermore, an extrapolation of the current trend for the next 1 to 2 kyr is highly unlikely. Instead, we compute the trend and time window needed to reverse the field with a specified probability. We find that the dipole could reverse in the next 20 kyr with a probability of 2%

The Shortage Of Teachers In America Today

There is a shortage of skilled labor in America today, but there is no sector where this problem is more acute than in education. The news has often covered strikes by teachers’ unions across the country, where teachers have been asking for more pay from state governments. It is clear that teachers are underpaid compared to other college graduates; this makes the profession of teaching much less attractive. This is because of the nature of the labor market for teachers, causing them to be underpaid as a whole. Teachers’ salaries are 21 percent below the median salary for other college graduates as of 2018. The main reason for the shortage of teachers is the uncompetitive salary of teachers when compared to other occupations for college graduates, leading to a shortage of people who want to become teachers. Many school districts in 2018 reported having job vacancies, and across America, school districts have had to cope with this shortage by hiring under- qualified individuals or increasing class sizes. This has led to a decrease in the quality of education in many places across America. The quality of education is extremely important to this country and could have adverse impacts on the nation as a whole and individuals in the future. The places where these problems are felt the most is in high poverty areas. The goal of this paper is to identify the effects of the shortage of quality educators in America. It will analyze education statistics across states and present possible solutions that can make teaching a more attractive career choice for college graduates

Open Access Textbooks in a Professional Communication Classroom: A Pilot Study

In this paper, we share our findings from a curricular innovation project: a small pilot study replacing a conventional professional communication textbook with an open access book. Results showed that students received the change favorably and a final grade comparison showed no variation between similar courses that used conventional books and those that used open access books. While far from definitive, this study demonstrates the promise of open access books and open educational resources (OER), and that further study is needed in this area

Asians Applying for Postsecondary Success: Students, Schools, and Socioeconomic Status

Higher education recruitment rates are rapidly declining as schools are stymied by dynamic demographic shifts and a competitive ecosystem. Despite the constant realities of this challenge for tertiary institutions, the complexities of the interplay for demographics, student motivation, parental influences, and school environments during the postsecondary education application process is often overlooked. This thesis analyses how these four domains impact Asian American students within the Education Longitudinal Study (ELS) in terms of the number of postsecondary schools to which they apply? This study examines a sample (N = 662) of the ELS by employing multivariate regression analysis on the number of postsecondary schools to which these students apply to during the first round of applications. The analysis suggests that parental implications are not significant influencers for these students as previous literature suggests. The paramount predictors in this process are socioeconomic status and students’ belief in their own potential. Although every system involved in this progression impacts this critical process, special effort should be made by scholars, educators, administrators, and policymakers to continue to develop policies and practices that support these primary postsecondary education application influencers of socioeconomic status and self-aspirations

Green Infrastructure, Revitalization, and Sustainability

MCOM 441 Class “American Sponge City: Alternative Water Structures” Avery Davis: “The Los Angeles River: A City’s Urban Heartbeat” Robyn M. B. Stuber “Linking Social Sustainability to Sea Level Rise Through Vulnerability in Wicomico County, Maryland” Brent Cagle “Water Resources and Plant-Based Eating: Radical Lifestyle or Reality Check?

Maine’s Aquaculture Sector & Its R&D Priorities

Within a competitive world economy, Maine’s economic prosperity is dependent on its geography, physical resources and human capital. In this context, Maine’s coastline and marine resources represent a unique asset supporting a wide spectrum of interlinked sectors and within this spectrum the aquaculture sector plays a major role. Of the approximate 107 aquaculture businesses in production in Maine in 2014, 71 replied to the 2015 Maine Aquaculture Economic Impact Survey. In order to provide current insights on the nature of Maine’s industry, the study aims to provide an up-to-date and accurate understanding of the economic impact aquaculture has on the state of Maine, and to determine aquaculture business owner and farm demographics

Maine Aquaculture Economic Impact Report

Aquaculture is the farming of aquatic organisms (such as finfish, shellfish or plants) in water (freshwater or marine). Aquaculture produces food fish, sport fish, bait fish, ornamental fish, crustaceans, mollusks, algae, sea vegetables, research animals, and fish eggs. Aquaculture also includes the production of ornamental fish for the aquarium trade, and growing plant species used in a range of food, pharmaceutical, nutritional, and biotechnology products. Stock restoration or “enhancement” is a form of aquaculture in which hatchery fish and shellfish are released into the wild to rebuild wild populations or coastal habitats such as oyster reefs. Business entities practicing stock enhancement did not report revenue for the purposes of this report

Factors controlling tropospheric O3, OH, NOx, and SO2 over the tropical Pacific during PEM-Tropics B

Observations over the tropical Pacific during the Pacific Exploratory Mission (PEM)-Tropics B experiment (March-April 1999) are analyzed. Concentrations of CO and long-lived nonmethane hydrocarbons in the region are significantly enhanced due to transport of pollutants from northern industrial continents. This pollutant import also enhances moderately O3 concentrations but not NOx concentrations. It therefore tends to depress OH concentrations over the tropical Pacific. These effects contrast to the large enhancements of O3 and NOx concentrations and the moderate increase of OH concentrations due to biomass burning outflow during the PEM-Tropics A experiment (September-October 1996). Observed CH3I concentrations, as in PEM-Tropics A, indicate that convective mass outflux in the middle and upper troposphere is largely independent of altitude over the tropical Pacific. Constraining a one-dimensiohal model with CH3I observations yields a 10-day timescale for convective turnover of the free troposphere, a factor of 2 faster than during PEM-Tropics A. Model simulated HO2, CH2O, H2O2, and CH3OOH concentrations are generally in agreement with observations. However, simulated OH concentrations are lower (∼25%) than observations above 6 km. Whereas models tend to overestimate previous field measurements, simulated HNO3 concentrations during PEM-Tropics B are too low (a factor of 2-4 below 6 km) compared to observations. Budget analyses indicate that chemical production of O3 accounts for only 50% of chemical loss; significant transport of O3 into the region appears to take place within the tropics. Convective transport of CH3OOH enhances the production of HOx and O3 in the upper troposphere, but this effect is offset by HOx loss due to the scavenging of H2O2. Convective transport and scavenging of reactive nitrogen species imply a necessary source of 0.4-1 Tg yr-1 of NOx in the free troposphere (above 4 km) over the tropics. A large fraction of the source could be from marine lightning. Oxidation of DMS transported by convection from the boundary layer could explain the observed free tropospheric SO2 concentrations over the tropical Pacific. This source of DMS due to convection, however, would imply in the model free tropospheric concentrations much higher than observed. The model overestimate cannot be reconciled using recent kinetics measurements of the DMS-OH adduct reaction at low pressures and temperatures and may reflect enhanced OH oxidation of DMS during convection. Copyright 2001 by the American Geophysical Union

Presentation and Outcomes After Medical and Surgical Treatment Versus Medical Treatment Alone of Spontaneous Infectious Spondylodiscitis: A Systematic Literature Review and Meta-Analysis.

Study Design: Systematic literature review. Objectives: The aims of this study were to (1) describe the clinical features, disabilities, and incidence of neurologic deficits of pyogenic spondylodiscitis prior to treatment and (2) compare the functional outcomes between patients who underwent medical treatment alone or in combination with surgery for pyogenic spondylodiscitis. Methods: A systematic literature review was performed using PubMed according to PRISMA guidelines. No year restriction was put in place. Statistical analysis of pooled data, when documented in the original report (ie, number of patients with desired variable and number of patients evaluated), was conducted to determine the most common presenting symptoms, incidence of pre- and postoperative neurologic deficits, associated comorbidities, infectious pathogens, approach for surgery when performed, and duration of hospitalization. Outcomes data, including return to work status, resolution of back pain, and functional recovery were also pooled among all studies and surgery-specific studies alone. Meta-analysis of studies with subgroup analysis of pain-free outcome in surgical and medical patients was performed. Results: Fifty of 1286 studies were included, comprising 4173 patients undergoing either medical treatment alone or in combination with surgery. Back pain was the most common presenting symptom, reported in 91% of patients. Neurologic deficit was noted in 31% of patients. Conclusion: Medical management remains first-line treatment of infectious pyogenic spondylodiscitis. Surgery may be indicated for progressive pain, persistent infection on imaging, deformity or neurologic deficits. If surgery is required, reported literature shows potential for significant pain reduction, improved neurologic function and a high number of patients returning to a normal functional/work status

Country Characteristics, Internet Connectivity and Combating Misinformation: A Network Analysis of Global North-South

Analyzing data on 152 countries using network and regression analyses, this study examined how countries’ positions in the global Internet network are associated with their political, economic, and technological characteristics, and how those characteristics are related to media, information, and digital (MID) education programs in the countries. This research shows countries with higher levels of international Internet bandwidth capacity, Internet use, and press freedom status are more likely to have MID programs that are comprehensive. Differences between Global North and Global South countries were significant both in terms of Internet capacity and use and in terms of MID complexity and dimensions. MID literacy education is an important long-term solution to misinformation, as such education informs people’s epistemological beliefs which in turn have direct effects on their comprehension of various issues and topics. This study offers important scholarly and policy implications in the areas of digital connectivity, MID literacies, misinformation, and international communication. In particular, it offers guidance for comparative studies in this area