Mapping student understanding in chemistry: The perspectives of chemists

AbstractIn prior work, we have been developing a conceptual framework, called the Perspectives of Chemists, that attempts to capture a view of how student understanding progresses in chemistry. The framework was developed through Living by Chemistry (LBC), a chemistry curriculum project with, an assessment system for secondary and university chemistry objectives called ChemQuery, both funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF). ChemQuery is an assessment approach that uses this framework of key ideas in the discipline, and criterion-referenced analysis, to map student progress. It includes assessment questions, a scoring rubric, question exemplars, and a framework, which we refer to as the Perspectives of Chemists. Empirical data is then collected combined with Rasch family measurement models (IRT) to help analyze and interpret the data (Wilson, 2005). Student learning progress within or between courses can be described and individual differences can be explored for how students seem to be learning the scientific concepts. Our purpose was to study how students learn so that by knowing what they know we would know how to best help them. At the time, our work represented an early description of a possible learning progression in chemistry that we feel is still relevant today. Therefore this paper will focus on what we have learned about the pathway of student learning in chemistry through the development of the Perspectives framework in the ChemQuery assessment system

Managers' Practices of Tobacco and Marijuana Smoking Policies in Hispanic-Occupied Multiunit Housing.

Purpose: This study assessed the knowledge, attitudes, and practices of managers of Hispanic-occupied multiunit housing (MUH) related to the prevalence and prevention of secondhand smoke (SHS), thirdhand tobacco smoke, and secondhand marijuana smoke (SHMS). Methods: A narrative analysis was conducted of 20 interviews with live-in apartment managers. Their opinions on policies and an educational fotonovela were also gathered. Results: The properties were located in 10 cities within the Los Angeles County, representing a wide array of local policies and practices. Only two managers were correctly informed of the existing MUH smoking policies in their cities. Participants reported ambiguity in city laws and company rules regarding smoking. Managers do not distinguish between smoking recreational marijuana and medicinal marijuana. Several respondents believed the landlords have more power to create rules. Most favored a total ban on smoking of all substances on the premises. Conclusions: Most managers report low agency in being able to pass no-smoking rules. Participants support smoking policies that include all smokable products. Managers would like new government policies, manager trainings, tenant education, and ways to enforce rules to protect apartment tenants from SHS and SHMS. Educational interventions should coincide with the timing of key manager/tenant activities. Results can be used in policy development and educational interventions

The Shifting Effect of One Acre Fund on Agricultural Production Possibility Frontier: An Econometrics Analysis of Treatment Effect Estimation of Maize Yield in Busia County, Kenya

Maize is a staple food and its adequacy is a measure of food security in Busia County and across Kenya. Despite myriad efforts to increase its yield, the national level has remained low at 1.6 tons/ha relative to world average of 5.5 tons/ha and Busia County experiences much lower yield of 1.2 tons/ha. This low yield in the county coupled by high population growth rate arising from a fertility rate of 6 percent in the county when national level is 4.6 percent and a large population of women within productive age puts the county’s food security at stake. In attempts to support maize farming, One Acre Fund, a non-governmental organization has intervened through provision of farm inputs such as fertilizer and seeds as well as extension services among others. Thus this study sought to investigate the effect of interventions by One Acre Fund on maize yield in Busia County in Kenya. The study used primary data collected from a sample of 264 maize farmers’ family heads using questionnaires. The county was first stratified into seven constituent sub-counties out of which two sub-counties, Nambale and Teso North were randomly selected. The study sample was then drawn randomly from these two sub-counties. Robust regression result showed that improved inputs (using certified seeds and organic fertilizers as proxies) and organic manure had the effect of increasing maize yield. Propensity score matching estimation results using three matching algorithms interchangeably which are: nearest neighbor, kernel matching and radius matching with a radius of 0.01 indicated that One Acre Fund farmers managed to achieve significantly higher yields than similar non-members. The study recommends expansion of One Acre Fund membership and increased use of organic and inorganic fertilizer. Keywords: Maize yield, One Acre Fund, Busia County, Propensity Score Matching, Average Treatment Effect on the Treated, improved input

PUSAT KECANTIKAN DI KOTA SEMARANG DENGAN PENDEKATAN ARSITEKTUR MODERN

Seiring berkembangnya zaman, perkembangan dunia kecantikan juga seakan berkembang cukup pesat. Kesadaran terhadap sebuah penampilan merupakan hal yang dirasa sangat penting karena peningkatan kepedulian mereka terhadap penampilan. Kebutuhan berekspresi tidak hanya gaya berpakaian yang kompleks, namun penampilan wajah dan tubuh juga menjadi kebutuhan utama, dimana saat ini seseorang berpenampilan bukan hanya menjadi keharusan, namun juga dijadikan sebagai suatu simbol status dan prestise. Perkembangan industri kecantikan di Indonesia sangat berkembang dengan baik. Bahkan menurut Majalah SWA, Indonesia adalah salah satu negara yang memiliki potensi besar dalam industri kecantikan yang pertumbuhannya hingga 2017 diperkirakan 20%. Di Indonesia sendiri khususnya Kota Semarang juga memiliki potensi besar untuk dapat mengikuti perkembangan di dunia kecantikan. Di Kota Semarang telah terdapat banyak pelayanan medis dermatologi kecantikan (beauty clinic) dan pusat bedah plastik (plastic surgery) namun bangunan bersifat terpisah dan biasanya hanya fokus pada satu sektor industri. Maka dihadirkan bangunan Pusat Kecantikan di Semarang yang dapat mewadahi kedua sektor industri kecantikan tersebut sehingga keinginan seseorang untuk memiliki penampilan yang lebih baik akan dapat terwujud dan para insan beauty face and body dapat bertukar pikiran serta lebih berekspresi. Pusat kecantikan merupakan kebutuhan tersier yang artinya berkaitan dengan usaha menciptakan harga diri (prestise) atau gengsi yang berarti kemewahan (luxury) manusia. Para pengunjung fasilitas seperti ini umumnya yaitu masyarakat yang memiliki kemampuan ekonomi atau keuangan yang lebih untuk biaya perawatan kecantikan, sehingga target utama pada perancangan pusat kecantikan ini merupakan masyarakat yang berasal dari golongan menengah keatas, para eksekutif muda dan sebagainnya. Maka tampilan bangunan pusat kecantikan harus dapat menunjukan karakter kegiatan dan fasilitas didalamnya. Dengan penerapan desain arsitektur modern dapat diwujudkan melalui tampilan bangunan yang modern, representatif dan menarik untuk kegiatan perawatan kecantikan sebagai bangunan yang eksklusif dan prestige. Hasil dari pembangunan Pusat Kecantikan ini adalah untuk dapat memenuhi kebutuhan perawatan kecantikan yang lebih maksimal bagi masyarakat kalangan menengah ke atas di Kota Semarang

PUSAT KECANTIKAN DI KOTA SEMARANG DENGAN PENDEKATAN ARSITEKTUR MODERN

TIDAK AD

Potensi Polisakarida dari Limbah Buah-buahan sebagai Koagulan Alami dalam Pengolahan Air dan Limbah Cair: Review

Nowadays, various studies related to utilization of biobased materials as natural coagulants have been explored. Based on the source, natural coagulants can be classified as animal, vegetable, or microbial based. Furthermore, based on the active ingredients, it can be classified as protein, polyphenols, and polysaccharides. Polysaccharides are abundant natural ingredients and are often found in plants or animals. In this study, we focused on polysaccharides, especially those from fruit waste, such as seeds and fruit peels. It is known that around 25-30% of the total weight of fruit is generally wasted, even though it contains phytochemicals and various active ingredients that can be utilized, especially as a natural coagulant. This review will focus on the use of pectin and starch from fruit waste as natural coagulants for water- wastewater treatment. Generally, pectin is commonly found in the skin of fruits as part of the cell wall structure, while starch is found in fruit seeds as food reserves. To be used as a natural coagulant, pectin or starch need to be extracted first. In particular, starch needs to be modified either physically or chemically. The coagulation mechanism of pectin and starch usually follows the interparticle bridging mechanism. The use of pectin and starch from fruit waste needs to be explored and further investigated, to substitute the use of chemical coagulants.Keywords: coagulation; fruit waste; natural coagulant; polysaccharidesA B S T R A KDewasa ini berbagai studi terkait pemanfaatan bahan alam sebagai koagulan alami telah banyak dieksplorasi. Berdasarkan sumbernya, koagulan alami dapat digolongkan berbasis hewani, nabati, maupun mikrobial, sementara berdasarkan bahan aktifnya dapat digolongkan sebagai protein, polifenol, dan polisakarida. Polisakarida merupakan bahan alam yang berlimpah dan seringkali dijumpai pada tumbuh-tumbuhan dan hewan. Pada kajian ini difokuskan pada polisakarida terutama yang berasal dari limbah buah-buahan yang tidak termanfaatkan, seperti biji dan kulit buah. Diketahui sekitar 25-30% dari total berat buah pada umumnya terbuang, padahal memiliki kandungan fitokimia dan berbagai bahan aktif yang dapat dimanfaatkan, salah satunya sebagai koagulan alami. Pada tinjauan ini akan difokuskan pada pemanfaatan pektin dan pati dari limbah buah-buahan sebagai koagulan alami untuk pengolahan air dan limbah cair. Secara umum pektin umum dijumpai pada bagian kulit buah-buahan sebagai bagian dari struktur dinding sel, sementara pati umum dijumpai pada biji buah-buahan sebagai cadangan makanan. Untuk dapat dimanfaatkan sebagai koagulan alami, pektin ataupun pati perlu diekstrak terlebih dahulu, dan pati secara khusus perlu dimodifikasi baik secara fisika maupun kimia. Secara umum mekanisme koagulasi oleh pektin dan pati mengikuti mekanisme interparticle bridging. Pemanfaatan pektin dan pati dari limbah buah-buahan perlu dieksplorasi dan diteliti lebih lanjut, agar dapat mensubstitusi penggunaan koagulan kimia secara komersial.Kata kunci: koagulasi; koagulan alami; limbah buah-buahan; polisakarid