Shock Tube Determination of Autoionization Lifetime and Oscillator Strengths of the 352 3P 2Po-353P2 2S1/2 Doublet of Al I Scientific Report No. 2

Shock tube measurement of autoionization lifetime and oscillator strengths of states above first ionization potential for aluminu

On the 6s6p2 2S1/2 Level and the Configuration-mixing of the 6s6p2 4P3/2 Level in T1I Scientific Report No. 11

Absorption spectrum of shock heated thallium vapo

Absorption line series and autoionization resonance structure analysis in the ultraviolet spectrum of Sr I

Photoelectric spectrometer to measure absorption line series and autoionization resonance in ultraviolet spectrum of strontium vapo

Sydney particle characterisation study PM2.5 source apportionment in the Sydney Region between 2000 and 2014

The Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation (ANSTO) has been applying accelerator based nuclear techniques to the characterisation of fine PM2.5 ambient air pollution since the early 1990s. Over the decades large long-term databases have been acquired at dozens of sites both in Australia and internationally on the PM2.5 mass together with over 23 different elemental and chemical species that make up this fine particle pollution. In this study we used data previously collected by ANSTO from four of our long-term sampling sites covering the period from 1 January 2000 to 31 December 2014. Positive matrix factorisation (PMF) source apportionment techniques were applied to this data to identify seven different source components or fingerprints that make up the measured total PM2.5mass at each of these four sites. The primary aim of this study was to: convert the existing 15-year PM2.5 mass and elemental datasets for four given sites in the Sydney basin into identifiable source fingerprints quantify the absolute and the percentage contribution of each of these fingerprints to the total fine PM2.5 mass provide seasonal and annual variations for each of the source fingerprints provide a readily accessible database containing the daily source fingerprints and their contributions covering the 15-year period from 2000–2014 for four given sites in the Sydney basin if possible, identify and quantify the major contributors of fine particle pollution to the ambient air quality in Sydney. Typically fine particles were collected over 24-hour periods twice a week (104 filters per year) at Lucas Heights, Richmond, Mascot and Liverpool sites over a 15-year period from 2000 to 2014. In all, around 6000 sampling days are represented by this study. Each of these filters was analysed for the 23 elemental and chemical species: hydrogen (H), sodium (Na), al uminium (Al), silicon (Si), phosphorous (P), sulfur (S), chlorine (Cl), potassium (K), calcium (Ca), titanium (Ti), vanadium (V), chromium (Cr), manganese (Mn), iron (Fe), cobalt (Co), nickel (Ni), copper (Cu), zinc (Zn), selenium (Se), bromium (Br), lead (Pb), bl ack carbon (BC) and total nitrogen (TotN) to concentrations down to 1ngm–3 of air sampled. TotN is the total nitrogen from ammonium and nitrate ions. © 2016 ANST

Can IBA techniques quantify the contributions of deserts, winter domestic heating and coal fired power stations to the ambient fine particle air pollution concentrations in the Sydney Basin?

ANSTO has used accelerator based ion beam analysis (IBA) techniques to characterise, fingerprint and source fine particles in and around Australia since the early 1990's. This large database covering many years allows us to now look quantitatively at fine particle sources, including automobiles, smoke, sea spray, soils and industrial emissions. This talk will discuss the accelerator based IBA techniques and how they are used to identify the contributions of windblown soils, wood heating and coal fired power stations to ambient air pollution in the Sydney Basin between 1998 and the present

Developing coaches for mathematical resilience: level 2

The construct ‘Mathematical Resilience’ [1] has been developed to describe a positive stance towards mathematics that enables learners to develop approaches to mathematical learning which allow them to overcome the barriers and setbacks that are frequently part of learning mathematics for many people. A resilient stance towards mathematics can be engineered by a strategic and explicit focus on the culture of learning mathematics within both formal and informal learning environments. As part of that cultural engineering, we have developed the notion of coaches specifically to support emergent resilience. The work described here is focused on developing coaches who can work beside learners, helping them to conjecture and use resilient learning ideas when facing difficulties in mathematics. Coaches develop a culture of ‘can do’ mathematics which works to counter the prevalent culture of mathematics helplessness and mathematics anxiety in the general population when faced with mathematical ideas. The coaches are not required to know the answer but rather to know ways that might yield an understanding of the mathematical ideas involved and thus lead to an answer. Our previous paper described the outcomes of the level 1 course, in which participants became skilled at peer-coaching. This paper discusses the outcomes of a second pilot course (Sept to Nov 2013) designed to develop ‘coaches for mathematical resilience’ at level 2, equipped to work with learners under the direction of a mathematics tutor outside the course. The 10 participants at Level 2, who regularly work with apprentices, both young and more mature, in a work-based environment continued with part 2 of the programme because of the positive outcomes from level 1. In the Level 1 course, they had worked to develop their knowledge of how to overcome deep seated antipathy to mathematics in themselves and in those with whom they work. The data confirms that once an individual has begun to develop their own personal mathematical resilience, worked through their own anxieties and negative stance towards mathematics in a safe and collaborative environment, they can then successfully coach learners to develop as resilient learners of mathematics. They become able to help those learners to find or develop the resources and skills to overcome their own barriers to learning mathematics and to manage any anxiety that may be engendered. Importantly, when the coach learns not to take any responsibility for the mathematics, but rather to focus on the learning skills and well-being of the learner, t learner outcomes are improved

Design and operating criteria for rural water systems

Rural homesites in the United States require the availability of high quality water. One means of meeting this need is with the rural water district, a system composed of tank storage and a pipe network serving a number of homes. The tanks are filled by pumping during periods of minimal water use and serve as the immediate water source for homes. Optimum design requires consideration of not only immediate needs and economic factors but also the possibility of expansion at some future date. Accurate prediction of monthly usage rates is sometimes necessary to set contractural needs. Daily water use per person must be known to appropriately choose the size of the storage tank. Peak use rates are important for proper selection of pipe sizes. The temporal distribution of demand is important in determining available pump operation periods for filling of storage with a minimum of interference and has a bearing on pump and pipe selection. This paper presents the results of a study (Goodwin, 1975) describing design criteria for projects serving dairies and domiciles. Homes are divided into two different economic groups and design recommendations are made for each group

Developing peer coaching for mathematical resilience in post- 16 students who are encountering mathematics in other subjects

A significant number of students are known to have mathematics anxiety (Johnston-Wilder et al 2014). When such students begin to specialise, they may deliberately choose courses to keep mathematical content to a minimum or seek to avoid it altogether. Nevertheless, many courses employ more mathematics than expected, requiring students to apply mathematical thinking or mathematical ideas in their work, and this can often result in significant distress. Typically students feel alone in facing such issues as mathematics anxiety. In previous work, we used the term ‘mathematical resilience’ to describe the positive stance towards mathematics that enables learners to overcome barriers and set-backs that can be part of learning mathematics. In this paper, we present and discuss the outcomes of a course in ‘peer coaching for mathematical resilience’ for students who have chosen not to take courses with explicit mathematics, but who continue to encounter mathematics within other subjects. Mathematical resilience can be engineered by a strategic and explicit focus on the culture of learning mathematics within both formal and informal learning environments. Such a culture can be engineered by using coaches specifically trained to support emergent resilience. We aimed to develop a group of peer coaches in school, who support each other and their peers to develop mathematical resilience. Coaches for mathematical resilience develop a culture of ‘can do’ mathematics which works to counter the prevalent culture of mathematics helplessness and mathematics anxiety in the general population. The coaches are not required to know the answer but rather to know ways that might yield an understanding of the mathematical ideas involved which thus leads to an answer. A previous paper described the development, pilot and outcomes of the level 1 Coaching for Mathematical Resilience course, in which participants were adult trainers, mostly maths-anxious, working in an apprenticeship context. This paper discusses the outcomes of the same course for a group of 5 school students (Sept to Nov 2014), who volunteered to become ‘peer coaches for mathematical resilience’ in school. The course provided a safe and collaborative working environment in which the school students learned to manage their own reactions to mathematical ideas, to explore choices and to reflect on how to support someone else to find the resources to overcome their own barriers to learning mathematics. The data confirm that once a school student has begun to develop their own personal mathematical resilience, they can successfully coach themselves and others to manage their anxiety and develop as resilient learners and users of mathematics. Learner outcomes improved noticeably as a result

Developing mathematical resilience in school-students who have experienced repeated failure

Mathematics qualifications in the UK and many other countries represent valued cultural capital. In the UK, the typical qualification sought for employment in teaching, nursing, policing and many other professions is a GCSE award (minimum grade C) in mathematics. Although GCSE is typically taken at age 16, there is no logical or statutory reason why the award cannot be gained earlier or later. The UK government has recently determined that any student aged 16 to 19 who has not achieved at least grade C in GCSE mathematics should be enrolled on an approved mathematics course as part of their programme. Many students repeatedly fail to pass the examination; often such students re-sit the examination several times. We hypothesised that students, faced with a re-sit in mathematics, who complete a course to develop their mathematical resilience at the beginning, would be more likely to achieve the desired result. The construct ‘mathematical resilience’ has been developed by Johnston-Wilder and Lee [1] to describe a positive stance towards learning mathematics. Mathematical resilience can be engineered within both formal and informal learning environments by a strategic and explicit focus on the culture of learning mathematics. Previous papers (for example, [2]) have described engineering the growth of mathematical resilience through training adult coaches for mathematical resilience to work alongside learners outside the school environment. This paper discusses a course in mathematical resilience; the course was versioned for school students in year 12, students who had repeatedly failed to achieve the required grade in GCSE mathematics, and who were now preparing to retake the examination yet again. This short course, which ran from September to November 2014, was focused on helping students to overcome affective barriers and develop more resilient strategies for working with mathematical ideas, rather than on memorising mathematics content. The 17 students had been given very strong direction by the school to attend this course; they were told that if they attended and subsequently failed GCSE mathematics again, they would have shown they were making the effort and future opportunities would be approved for them to re-sit, however if they did not attend and failed again, they would be asked to leave the school. The course aimed to develop students’ mathematical resilience, so that they could more effectively support one another when facing difficulties in mathematics. This work developed a culture of ‘can do’ mathematics to counter the prevalent culture of mathematics helplessness, failure and mathematics anxiety. Participants learned to consider and manage their own reactions to mathematical ideas, to explore choices and to reflect on how to support themselves and each other to overcome their barriers to learning mathematics. The data confirm that, once an individual has begun to develop their own mathematical resilience and has worked through their own anxieties and negative stance towards mathematics in a safe and collaborative environment, they can then successfully coach themselves and others to develop mathematical resilience. Outcomes for these learners will be discussed