Using Cloudworks to Support OER Activities

This report forms the third and final output of the Pearls in the Clouds project, funded by the Higher Education Academy. It focuses on evaluation of the use of a social networking site, Cloudworks, to support evidence-based practice. The aim of this project (Pearls in the Clouds) has been to evaluate the ways in which web 2.0 tools like Cloudworks can support evidence-informed practices in relation to learning and teaching. We have reviewed evidence from empirically grounded studies surrounding the uses of web2.0 in higher education and highlighted the gap between using web2.0 to support learning and teaching, and using it to support learning about learning and teaching (in an evidence-informed way) (Conole and Alevizou, 2010). We have reported on findings from a case study focusing on the use of Cloudworks by a community of practice - educational technologists - reflecting upon, and, negotiating their role in enhancing teaching and learning in higher education (Galley et al., 2010). The object of this study is to explore and evaluate the use of the site by individuals and communities involved in the production of, and research on, the development, delivery and use of Open Educational Resources (OER)

Case Study: Using Cloudworks for an Open Literature Review

This case study is one of a series exploring the ongoing use and development of the Cloudworks site. This case study will focus on an expert elicitation Cloudscape established to support a literature review project led by the University of Exeter and funded by the Higher Education Academy (HEA): "The positioning of educational technologists in enhancing the student experience". We will look in detail at the way the site was utilised by the project teams and other participants in the review, and evaluate the site's effectiveness in supporting this piece of research. We will make recommendations for the development of support resources associated with the site and suggest factors that might impact on the success of similar activities

High pressure infrared studies of HMX

We are studying the effects of pressure on HMX (Octahydro-1,3,5,7-tetranitro-1,3,5,7-tetrazocine) using infrared spectroscopy. The sample is put under pressure using a diamond anvil cell at ambient temperature, data is collected at the National Synchrotron Light Source in Brookhaven National Laboratory. In analyzing this data, we hope to learn more about the molecular vibrations as the molecule bends and deforms under pressure. Such understanding could aid in determining new safety standards or more efficient ways of using HMX. In future studies, we intend to include the aspect of temperature variation in addition to pressure, with the goal of describing the molecule in a phase diagram

Potassium chlorate decomposition under high pressure

High pressure physics involves placing various substances under high pressure and observing changes in that substance. In this experiment this high amount of pressure is induced using a diamond anvil cell. A diamond anvil cell uses a metal gasket to hold the sample between two diamonds, which will press on the sample to reach high pressures. High pressures are reached with a moderate amount of force by exerting that force over a small area. Diamonds are used for the compression because of their hardness and ability to resist compression. The pressure being exerted on the sample using a diamond anvil cell is often measured using ruby fluorescence. The behavior of ruby under high pressure is well known so the pressure inside the diamond anvil cell can be determined by observing the ruby fluorescence. Ruby is placed inside the gasket along with the sample so that it is always at the same pressure as the sample. Potassium Chlorate is a chemical that is often used as an oxygen producer and as an explosive when mixed with other chemicals. It decomposes under heat to release oxygen gas, which is the reaction we are trying to induce by placing the chemical under pressure. When molecules heat up they begin to vibrate more rapidly and are more likely to collide with each other. When molecules undergo higher pressures they are also more likely to collide as atoms get closer together. The purpose of this experiment is to determine if pressure can induce the same reaction in Potassium Chlorate as heat

Pharmacological activation of endogenous protective pathways against oxidative stress under conditions of sepsis

Funding The study was funded entirely by institutional funds.Peer reviewedPostprin

A nonlinear scalar model of extreme mass ratio inspirals in effective field theory II. Scalar perturbations and a master source

The motion of a small compact object (SCO) in a background spacetime is investigated further in a class of model nonlinear scalar field theories having a perturbative structure analogous to the General Relativistic description of extreme mass ratio inspirals (EMRIs). We derive regular expressions for the scalar perturbations generated by the SCO's motion valid through third order in $\epsilon$, the size of the SCO to the background curvature length scale. Our expressions are compared to those calculated through second order in $\epsilon$ by Rosenthal in [E. Rosenthal, CQG 22, S859 (2005)] and found to agree but our procedure for regularizing the scalar perturbations is considerably simpler. Following the Detweiler-Whiting (DW) scheme, we use our regular expressions for the field and derive the regular self-force corrections through third order. We find agreement with our previous derivation based on a variational principle of an effective action for the worldline associated with the SCO thus demonstrating the internal consistency of our formalism. This also explicitly demonstrates that the DW decomposition of Green's functions is a valid and practical method of self force computation at higher orders in perturbation theory and, as we show in an appendix, at all orders in perturbation theory. Finally, we identify a master source from which all other physically relevant quantities are derivable. Knowing the master source perturbatively allows one to construct the waveform measured by an observer, the regular part of the field on the worldline, the regular part of the self force, and orbital quantities such as shifts of the innermost stable circular orbit, etc. The existence of a master source together with the regularization methods implemented in this series should be indispensable for derivations of higher-order gravitational self force corrections.Comment: For Part 1 of this series, see arXiv:1012.4488. 20 pages, 7 figure

The Canadian Northern Corridor Roundtable Program: Results and Lessons Learned

Key Messsages: Canada needs a long-term strategic and integrated infrastructure vision for mid- and northern Canada that focuses on long-term policy priorities of communities. Infrastructure policy development for mid- and northern Canada must focus on collaborative approaches that foster cooperation and coordination rather than competition between community rights- and stakeholders. Streamlining of regulatory frameworks is required to improve efficiency, integration and coordination in the planning and approval of hard and soft infrastructure development. Decision-makers are encouraged to adopt a holistic infrastructure approach which includes not only physical infrastructure assets but also digital and soft infrastructure supporting social goals and outcomes, such as education and healthcare. A focus on local community capacity-building should be incorporated into any type of northern infrastructure development strategy to help support communities to address their own challenges and to foster cooperation between both public and private rights- and stakeholders. While federal support is important, any national infrastructure vision for mid- and northern Canada must incorporate the priorities of local Indigenous and municipal rights- and stakeholders. This approach avoids a top-down infrastructure approach and recognizes the role these communities have in in addressing the challenges related to climate change and supply chain constraints that we are facing today. A majority of communities in mid- and northern Canada consist of Indigenous populations, including First Nations, Métis and Inuit. A connective infrastructure approach can be a tool of reconciliation but only if it supports Indigenous self-governance, participation, inclusion and facilitates Indigenous-owned initiatives. While infrastructure needs vary across mid- and northern Canada, the digital divide across Canada is a common challenge. To sustain prosperity and mitigating challenges, communities need reliable and affordable high-speed internet access. Recent disruptions in global and Canadian supply chains underlines the need for strategic and targeted infrastructure optionality, ensuring reliable transportation and access to goods and services. Infrastructure development, focused on transportation and access to services such as healthcare, is essential to safeguard the high living standards we are enjoying today for future generations. For all Canadians to benefit, infrastructure development must adhere to the principles of equity, diversity, inclusion and accessibility

The Canadian Northern Corridor Community Engagement Program: Results and Lessons Learned

The Canadian Northern Corridor (CNC) Research Program is an investigation of the feasibility, desirability, and acceptability of infrastructure corridors in advancing integrated, long-term infrastructure planning and development in Canada. The Corridor Concept involves a series of multi-modal rights-of-way across mid- and northern Canada — connecting all three coasts and linked to existing corridors in southern Canada — for the efficient, timely and integrated development of trade, transportation, and communications infrastructure. Corridors are expected to make public and private infrastructure investments more attractive by reducing the uncertainty associated with project approval processes; sharing the costs associated with establishing and administering rights-of-way; decreasing negative environmental impacts; and moving to a more strategic, integrated and long-term approach to national infrastructure planning and development. A key outcome of corridor development is decreasing the existing infrastructure gap that persists between northern and southern Canadian regions and communities. The causes of this gap are complex and will require a diverse set of tools and solutions to resolve; the CNC is a useful conceptual tool to initiate discussions on northern infrastructure and to identify feasible and lasting solutions to address Canada’s infrastructure gap

Increasing Multiyear Sea Ice Loss in the Beaufort Sea: A New Export Pathway for the Diminishing Multiyear Ice Cover of the Arctic Ocean

Historically, multiyear sea ice (MYI) covered a majority of the Arctic and circulated through the Beaufort Gyre for years. However, increased ice melt in the Beaufort Sea during the early 2000s was proposed to have severed this circulation. Constructing a regional MYI budget from 1997 to 2021 reveals that MYI import into the Beaufort Sea has increased year-round, yet less MYI now survives through summer and is transported onwards in the Gyre. Annual average MYI loss quadrupled over the study period and increased from ∼7% to ∼33% of annual Fram Strait MYI export, while the peak in 2018 (385,000 km2) was similar in magnitude to Fram Strait MYI export. The ice-albedo feedback coupled with the transition toward younger thinner MYI is responsible for the increased MYI loss. MYI transport through the Beaufort Gyre has not been severed, but it has been reduced so severely to prevent it from being redistributed throughout the Arctic Ocean