2,021 research outputs found

    Ecosystem (dis)benefits arising from formal and informal land-use in Manchester (UK); a case study of urban soil characteristics associated with local green space management

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    Urban soils are subject to anthropogenic influences and, reciprocally, provide benefits and dis-benefits to human wellbeing; for example carbon storage, nutrient cycling and the regulation trace element and contaminant mobility. Collective stewardship of urban green commons provides contemporary examples of the diversity of uses and management of green space in cities and represents a growing movement in user participation in, and awareness of, the importance of urban ecological health. Exploring the range of social-ecological benefits exemplified in the urban environment has generally focused on above-ground processes, with few studies examining the potential for (dis)benefits arising from edaphic characteristics of collectively-managed spaces. An investigation into the influence of formal and informal green space management on carbon fluxes and heavy metal concentrations in urban soils was carried out in Manchester (UK) finding that carbon storage in soils of collectively managed urban green commons (7.15 ±1.42 kg C m⁻²) was significantly greater than at formally managed sites (for example city parks: 5.08 ±0.69 kg C m⁻²), though the latter exhibited reduced losses through CO2 emission. Variation in heavy metal concentrations and mobility were likewise observed, exemplified by the acidification of surface soils by leaf litter at orchard sites, and the resultant increase in the mobility of lead (Pb) and zinc (Zn). The results of this study indicate the importance of small-scale contemporary urban green space management on selected ecosystem services provided by the limited soil resource of cities. Thus, a greater consideration of the effects of horticultural and amenity activities with regards to soil quality/functionality is required to ensure available urban green commons retain or increase their ecological quality over time

    Quantum tunneling dynamics of an interacting Bose-Einstein condensate through a Gaussian barrier

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    The transmission of an interacting Bose-Einstein condensate incident on a repulsive Gaussian barrier is investigated through numerical simulation. The dynamics associated with interatomic interactions are studied across a broad parameter range not previously explored. Effective 1D Gross-Pitaevskii equation (GPE) simulations are compared to classical Boltzmann-Vlasov equation (BVE) simulations in order to isolate purely coherent matterwave effects. Quantum tunneling is then defined as the portion of the GPE transmission not described by the classical BVE. An exponential dependence of transmission on barrier height is observed in the purely classical simulation, suggesting that observing such exponential dependence is not a sufficient condition for quantum tunneling. Furthermore, the transmission is found to be predominately described by classical effects, although interatomic interactions are shown to modify the magnitude of the quantum tunneling. Interactions are also seen to affect the amount of classical transmission, producing transmission in regions where the non-interacting equivalent has none. This theoretical investigation clarifies the contribution quantum tunneling makes to overall transmission in many-particle interacting systems, potentially informing future tunneling experiments with ultracold atoms.Comment: Close to the published versio

    Pedagogy Analysis Framework: a video-based tool for combining teacher, pupil & researcher perspectives

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    BACKGROUND: dialogue between the teaching profession and researchers regarding pedagogical strategy is sometimes problematic. Pedagogy research may benefit from incorporating research methods that can investigate teachers’ and pupils’ interpretations. PURPOSE: this research expands the Pedagogy Analysis Framework (Riordan, 2020) by explaining in detail the meso-strategies (tactics) and a macro-strategy (grand strategy) used by participants in three school science lessons about chromatography. The research design builds on previous work by using full lessons and introducing pupil group verbal protocols. In addition, Pedagogy Analysis Notation is introduced to help understand and explain macro-strategic behaviours. SAMPLE: one class of thirty 13-year-old pupils and one science teacher. DESIGN AND METHOD: four research methods were used (lesson video analysis, teacher verbal protocols, pupil group verbal protocols and researcher group interviews). Data were video recorded (managed using NVivo). Fourteen hours of video data were analysed using Grounded Theory Methods by two educational researchers and the class teacher. The interpretivist theoretical perspective (symbolic interactionism) was underpinned by a social constructionist epistemology (hence the methodology is Straussian Grounded Theory). Appropriate criteria for evaluating the emergent grounded theory were used. Data were recorded in 2017. RESULTS: the Pedagogy Analysis Framework uses the concepts: means (human and non-human), strategy (a spectrum from micro-strategies (actions), through meso-strategies (tactics) to macro-strategies (grand strategies)), ends (regarding the self, another person or a thing, or a group of people or things), and accidents. Types of tactics identified in these data were: inform (misinform and disinform), question, instruct, use space/time, repeat, train, assess, and interact. Pedagogy Analysis Notation is used to understand and explain ‘the stationary [sic] cupboard’ incident. CONCLUSION: the extended Pedagogy Analysis Framework, combined with the Pedagogy Analysis Notation, improves strategic dialogue between teachers, pupils and educational researchers. This research design facilitates comparison of interpretations of classroom pedagogy by a teacher, pupils and two researchers

    Perancangan Papan Permainan Tentang Pentingnya Sayuran Berbasis Family Games sebagai Sarana Pendidikan Anak-anak Usia 6-12 Tahun

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    The design work of this thesis aims to teach the importance of vegetable benefits as a media education for children aged 6-12 years. The selected media educational board game because it can facilitate the learning process and absoroption of information to children because it's supported by enjoyable atmosphere and also can grow familiarity. Using board game which is exciting and interactive as a safe learning media to convey information about the importance of vegetables would be more efficient. This game is peddled with attractive illustration to attract the interest of children who are the target audience

    Rebranding P.o Eka-mira sebagai Upaya Mempertahankan Brand Loyalty

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    Public transportation or public transport is a means of transportation when the passengers not traveling use his own vehicle. Public transportation deliberately provided for residents to fulfill transportation they do daily needs. With using a public transportation, many benefits that can be obtained the community. Business competition that is more strict now this caused many companies involved in the fulfillment of the needs and consumer advocacy. It is means that each companies should put orientation in customer satisfaction as the main objective of. Po Eka-Mira is the company that moves in transportation service, especially transport service passengers that provides armada-armada good in economy class and executive class. To the specifications bus, the economy class bus named Mira and an executive class bus named Eka. The research was done by using the method the qualitative study is by applying interview, Observation , documentation , and the literature study to get the data used as a support making the concept of design rebranding. The result of design rebranding this is to anticipate consumers who move ( brand loyalty ) to a product competitors because products competitors who has experienced reform in the design and services . Design for that rebranding it is certainly are also to be used to getting a new consumer

    Observation of a Modulational Instability in Bose-Einstein condensates

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    We observe the breakup dynamics of an elongated cloud of condensed 85^{85}Rb atoms placed in an optical waveguide. The number of localized spatial components observed in the breakup is compared with the number of solitons predicted by a plane-wave stability analysis of the nonpolynomial nonlinear Schr\"odinger equation, an effective one-dimensional approximation of the Gross-Pitaevskii equation for cigar-shaped condensates. It is shown that the numbers predicted from the fastest growing sidebands are consistent with the experimental data, suggesting that modulational instability is the key underlying physical mechanism driving the breakup.Comment: 6 pages, 5 figure

    Believing in food addiction: helpful or counter-productive for eating behaviour?

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    Objective: Obesity is often attributed to an addiction to food, and many people believe themselves to be “food addicts.” However, little is known about how such beliefs may affect dietary control and weight management. The current research examined the impact of experimentally manipulating participants' personal food addiction beliefs on eating behavior. Methods In two studies, female participants (study 1: N  = 64; study 2: N  = 90) completed food‐related computerized tasks and were given bogus feedback on their performance which indicated that they had high, low, or average food addiction tendencies. Food intake was then assessed in an ad libitum taste test. Dietary concern and time taken to complete the taste test were recorded in study 2. Results: In study 1, participants in the high‐addiction condition consumed fewer calories than those in the low‐addiction condition, F (1,60) = 7.61, P  = 0.008, η p2 = 0.11. Study 2 replicated and extended this finding, showing that the effect of the high‐addiction condition on food intake was mediated by increased dietary concern, which reduced the amount of time participants willingly spent exposed to the foods during the taste test, b  = −0.06 (0.03), 95% confidence interval = −0.13 to −0.01. Conclusions: Believing oneself to be a food addict is associated with short‐term dietary restriction. The longer‐term effects on weight management now warrant attention

    Optically guided linear Mach Zehnder atom interferometer

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    We demonstrate a horizontal, linearly guided Mach Zehnder atom interferometer in an optical waveguide. Intended as a proof-of-principle experiment, the interferometer utilises a Bose-Einstein condensate in the magnetically insensitive |F=1,mF=0> state of Rubidium-87 as an acceleration sensitive test mass. We achieve a modest sensitivity to acceleration of da = 7x10^-4 m/s^2. Our fringe visibility is as high as 38% in this optically guided atom interferometer. We observe a time-of-flight in the waveguide of over half a second, demonstrating the utility of our optical guide for future sensors.Comment: 6 pages, 3 figures. Submitted to Phys. Rev.

    Intercomparison of carbonate chemistry measurements on a cruise in northwestern European shelf seas

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    Four carbonate system variables were measured in surface waters during a cruise aimed at investigating ocean acidification impacts traversing northwestern European shelf seas in the summer of 2011. High-resolution surface water data were collected for partial pressure of carbon dioxide (pCO2; using two independent instruments) and pH using the total pH scale (pHT), in addition to discrete measurements of total alkalinity and dissolved inorganic carbon. We thus overdetermined the carbonate system (four measured variables, two degrees of freedom), which allowed us to evaluate the level of agreement between the variables on a cruise whose main aim was not intercomparison, and thus where conditions were more representative of normal working conditions. Calculations of carbonate system variables from other measurements generally compared well with direct observations of the same variables (Pearson’s correlation coefficient always greater than or equal to 0.94; mean residuals were similar to the respective accuracies of the measurements). We therefore conclude that four of the independent data sets of carbonate chemistry variables were of high quality. A diurnal cycle with a maximum amplitude of 41 μatm was observed in the difference between the pCO2 values obtained by the two independent analytical pCO2 systems, and this was partly attributed to irregular seawater flows to the equilibrator and partly to biological activity inside the seawater supply and one of the equilibrators. We discuss how these issues can be addressed to improve carbonate chemistry data quality on future research cruises

    In vitro comparison of conventional film and direct digital imaging in the detection of approximal caries

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    This is the published version. Copyright 2014 British Institute of Radiology.Objectives: To compare the diagnostic accuracy of conventional film, unenhanced direct digital and inversion grayscale direct digital imaging in the detection of approximal caries. Methods: 150 approximal surfaces of extracted permanent molars and premolars were selected for the study on the basis of varying lesion depth. The teeth were radiographed using Ektaspeed Plus film; digital images were made with a Schick CMOS-APS sensor. 7 examiners evaluated 58 randomized images of each modality. Histological sectioning of the teeth was used to verify the presence and extent of decay. Results: No significant difference was found between the diagnostic accuracies of the three imaging modalities (P=0.226). Analysis of the diagnostic accuracy of the three modalities on lesion depth showed no statistically significant interaction; however, the main effect of the lesion depth was significant (P<0.001, η2=0.936). Conclusions: The overall diagnostic accuracy of the three modalities in the detection of approximal carious lesions was comparable. All three modalities performed poorly in the detection of enamel lesions
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