A universal language in the engineering higher education role of descriptive geometry in laying foundations of engineering education

In past decades, the quantity of graphical data carriers and information transferred by them has multiplied. Selection, interpretation and reception of knowledge forwarded by images seriously try human visual thinking. In addition to traditional tools of engineering communication, computer-aided techniques are also spreading. These facts force us to reconsider the role and place of engineering representation in engineering education. What values do this more than 300-year old basic subject represent in the university subject structure in the 21st century? What opportunities are there under which conditions for formation of visual thinking of engineers-to-be and their skills in drawing? This paper discusses these issues

Crafting Assessment Questions: Creating the Tools to Assess Information Literacy Objectives for Art and Design: A Workshop

Now that information literacy standards for higher education have been created and are commonly incorporated within university curricula, assessing student mastery of the objectives is the next step in creating a measurable information literacy program. In addition to responding to institutional needs for data on student learning, assessment data is a valuable resource for updating instruction programs based on student knowledge and performance. While many librarians have vast amounts of anecdotal knowledge about what students know, being able to gather hard data on what students learn from online and in-person instruction can quantify the strengths and needs of your instruction program, making it easier to report on the library’s role in student learning. Writing effective test questions is the foundation of any assessment endeavor. Assessing complex abilities, such as information literacy, requires a combination of creativity and formal methodology. This workshop will focus on the art and science of crafting test questions that assess student knowledge of specific objectives. Writing useful test questions draws on creativity as well as familiarity with standards. Using ACRL’s Information Competencies for Higher Education and ARLIS’ Information Competencies for Students in Design Disciplines, the workshop leaders will engage participants in identifying which objectives lend themselves to being assessed via multiple-choice formats. The essentials of writing multiple-choice items will be addressed via the Haladyna, Downing, and Rodriguez Revised Taxonomy of Multiple Choice Item Writing Guides. Presented information will include how to select objectives for assessment and elements of effective test questions. Aspects of test construction and administration will also be addressed. Workshop participants will have the opportunity to practice writing questions and review sample questions for reliability and validity

Estimation of Cirrus and Stratus Cloud Heights Using Landsat Imagery

A new method based upon high-spatial-resolution imagery is presented that matches cloud and shadow regions to estimate cirrus and stratus cloud heights. The distance between the cloud and the matching shadow pattern is accomplished using the 2D cross-correlation function from which the cloud height is derived. The distance between the matching cloud-shadow patterns is verified manually. The derived heights also are validated through comparison with a temperature-based retrieval of cloud height. It is also demonstrated that an estimate of cloud thickness can be retrieved if both the sunside and anti-sunside of the cloud-shadow pair are apparent. The technique requires some intepretation to determine the cloud height level retrieved (i.e., the top, base, or mid-level). It is concluded that the method is accurate to within several pixels, equivalent to cloud height variations of about +/- 250 m. The results show that precise placement of the templates is unnecessary, so that the development of a semi-automated procedure is possible. Cloud templates of about 64 pixels on a side or larger produce consistent results. The procedure was repeated for imagery degraded to simulate lower spatial resolutions. The results suggest that spatial resolution of 150-200 m or better is necessary in order to obtain stable cloud height retrievals

OpenSHMEM Application Programming Interface, v1.0 Final

This document defines the elements of the OpenSHMEM Application Programming Interface. The purpose of the OpenSHMEM API is to provide programmers with a standard interface for writing parallel programs using C, C++ and Fortran with one-sided communication

SURE-Farm Approach to Assess the Resilience of European Farming Systems

Accumulating shocks and long-term stresses, such as trade conflicts, climate change and deteriorating public trust in agricultural practices have raised concerns about the resilience of Europe’s diverse farming systems. The SURE-Farm approach aims to systematically assess the resilience capacities of farming systems, i.e. regional constellations of farms and other actors that provide a range of private and public goods, using local resources and traded inputs. This chapter introduces the key concepts and outlines the SURE-Farm approach to assess the resilience challenges and capacities of farming systems. It sets the scene for the empirical analyses and synthesizing assessments presented in the following chapters

Observations of the variation in aerosol and cloud microphysics along the 20°s transect on 13 november 2008 during VOCALS-REx

Observations are presented of the structure of the marine boundary layer (MBL) in the southeastern Pacific made with the U.K. BAe 146 aircraft on 13 November 2008 as it flew at a variety of altitudes along 20°S between the coast of Chile and a buoy 950 km offshore during the Variability of American Monsoon Systems (VAMOS) Ocean-Cloud-Atmosphere-Land Study (VOCALS) Regional Experiment (REx). The purpose of the study is to determine the variations along the 20°S transect in the clouds and boundary layer on this particular day as compared to the typical structure determined from the composite studies. The aircraft flew in three regions on this day: relatively continuous thick stratocumulus clouds, open cells, and closed cells. Results show three particular features. First, the results of the cloud microphysics are consistent with the typical behavior showing a decrease in aerosol particles by a factor of 3-4, and a decrease in cloud droplet number concentration westward from the coast from about 200 to 100 cm or less with a corresponding increase in the concentration of drizzle drops with a maximum in open cells. Sulfate was dominant in the aerosol mass. Second, there was evidence of decoupling of the marine boundary layer that coincided with a change in the cloud type from stratiform to convective. The case differs from the average found in VOCALS in that the decoupling is not consistent with the deepening-warming idea. Precipitation is thought to possibly be the cause instead, suggesting that aerosol might play a controlling role in the cloud-boundary layer structure. Finally, cold pools were observed in the MBL from the dropsonde data