Could do better? Students' critique of written feedback

This feature starts with the observation that current research into university assessment feedback has a tendency to conclude that students want ‘more feedback’ but in general, don’t know what to do with it. Likewise, related research notes the mismatch of expectations between tutors’ and students’ perceptions of the purposes of feedback

A parsec-scale flow associated with the IRAS 16547-4247 radio jet

IRAS 16547-4247 is the most luminous (6.2 x 10^4 Lsun) embedded young stellar object known to harbor a thermal radio jet. We report the discovery using VLT-ISAAC of a chain of H_2 2.12 um emission knots that trace a collimated flow extending over 1.5 pc. The alignment of the H_2 flow and the central location of the radio jet implies that these phenomena are intimately linked. We have also detected using TIMMI2 an isolated, unresolved 12 um infrared source towards the radio jet . Our findings affirm that IRAS 16547-4247 is excited by a single O-type star that is driving a collimated jet. We argue that the accretion mechanism which produces jets in low-mass star formation also operates in the higher mass regime.Comment: Accepted for publication in ApJL, 10 pages, 2 figure

Doing research in care homes: the experiences of researchers and participants

The UK Prime Minister's Challenge on Dementia 2020 includes a target for more research to be conducted in care homes, yet research in care homes can be complex, as they are both homes and workplaces. We reflect on our experiences as researchers on a mixed methods study in six care homes over a year. We include the experiences of care home residents, their family and friends, and members of staff. Care home staff turnover was high, funding was constrained and priorities often differed from those of the researchers. Negotiating ongoing access and data collection was therefore challenging at times. Most residents did not mind taking part, but those who preferred not to felt able to decline. Private space was limited. Research in care homes needs to be adequately planned and resourced, including funding for staff time, if staff, residents and visitors are to participate in a meaningful way

Trends in Nebraska Agricultural Land Ownership and Rental Patterns

In Nebraska, different types of rental arrangements are used on agricultural land. These arrangements commonly include crop share, cash lease, and cash lease with flexible provisions. Crop Share: landowner receives a percentage of actual crop yield as payment for leasing the agricultural land to the tenant. The landowner may share input and production costs of raising the crop. Cash Leases: landowner receives an agreed upon cash payment amount for leasing the agricultural land to the tenant. Cash lease with Flexible Provisions: land owner and tenant set a base cash rental rate which can flex upon actual crop yields, prices, or a combination of the two. Final cash payment made to the landlord for leasing the agricultural land to the tenant may have premiums or discounts made to the base rate depending upon the agreements set up by the two parties

Special issue: Agri-food systems transformation: sustainability, resilience, and the role of technology

The agri-food systems around the world are faced with the challenges from unprecedented short-term shocks and long-term supply and demand shifts. The need for transformation towards more sustainable and resilient agri-food systems has thus risen to the centre of attention of agribusiness industry and policy decision makers. Technological innovations in the areas of supply chain management, environmental protection, and nutrition improvement have a potential of playing an important catalytic role in such systematic transformations. This special issue includes 11 research articles examining a range of strategic and technological solutions aimed at facilitating the resilience and sustainability of agri-food systems to shocks such as COVID-19, pest infestations, trade restrictions, shifting diets and consumer preferences, armed conflicts, and extreme weather events. The research findings and insights provide implications for a wide range of food and agribusiness stakeholders including managers and policy makers

Policing for Peace: Training for a 21st Century Police Force

We review the present state of research on police training in the United States, highlighting gaps in the literature, and limitations of trainings in use by local policing agencies. We focus on training content relevant to the volatile situations that are at the center of controversy, we evaluate content areas that focus on successfully navigating real-time, unpredictable, and potentially dangerous interactions, and discuss training needs in these areas. We suggest that one common response to the issue of bias—implicit bias training—lacks evidence of efficacy. Accordingly, we recommend alternative training content to address bias and discrimination. Finally, we call attention to potential barriers, including the highly charged political environment and officer resistance, that could limit the effectiveness of new training programs

Cleaning up Eta Carinae: Detection of Ammonia in the Homunculus

We report the first detection of ammonia in the Homunculus nebula around eta Carinae, which is also the first detection of emission from a polyatomic molecule in this or any other luminous blue variable (LBV) nebula. Observations of the NH3 (J,K)=(3,3) inversion transition made with the Australia Telescope Compact Array reveal emission at locations where infrared H2 emission had been detected previously, near the strongest dust emission in the core of the Homunculus. We also detect ammonia emission from the so-called ``strontium filament'' in the equatorial disk. The presence of NH3 around eta Car hints that molecular shells around some Wolf-Rayet stars could have originated in prior LBV eruptions, rather than in cool red supergiant winds or the ambient interstellar medium. Combined with the lack of any CO detection, NH3 seems to suggest that the Homunculus is nitrogen rich like the ionized ejecta around eta Car. It also indicates that the Homunculus is a unique laboratory in which to study unusual molecule and dust chemistry, as well as their rapid formation in a nitrogen-rich environment around a hot star. We encourage future observations of other transitions like NH3 (1,1) and (2,2), related molecules like N2H+, and renewed attempts to detect CO.Comment: 4 pages, accepted to ApJ letter

Are You Paid for Your Hard Red Winter Wheat Quality? Yes, but indirectly.

Hard red winter wheat (HRWW) is the largest wheat class grown in the United States, with approximately 660 million bushels produced in 2020, representing about 36% of total U.S. wheat production (USDA ERS 2021). The world market is an important destination for U.S. HRWW. In 2020, exports of U.S. HRWW represented 52% of U.S. production and total U.S. wheat exports represented 13% of total world exports (USDA ERS 2021). U.S. HRWW differs from other wheat classes based on physical characteristics such as color, kernel hardness and planting season as well as consistency in producing end uses such as pan and hearth style breads, hard rolls, croissants, general-purpose flour and blending (U.S. Wheat Associates 2019). U.S. HRWW is divided into five numerical grades and a sample grade based on test weight and total defects, reflecting the physical conditions of the sample (USDA FGIS 2014). U.S. HRWW is also tested for several nongrade characteristics that may affect the wheat’s milling and baking quality including dockage, moisture, protein, falling number, and color. These grade and nongrade characteristics are often used as indicators of the suitability of the wheat for milling and baking, and therefore, represent important factors in determining value. Wheat that is marketed to international buyers may require additional testing based on pre-established rules in each destination country

Producer Long-term Marketing Opportunities with Ethanol Plants

Commodity marketing operates in a complex decision environment with constant information flow, which can conceal long-run financially profitable marketing opportunities for producers. In the corn marketing space, the competitive role of ethanol plants throughout the state may provide producers with long-run financial gains by strategically approaching marketing decisions. In this article, we characterize whether producers can gain financially from strategically marketing corn to ethanol plants. For example, do ethanol plants provide a better long-run return from pre-harvest hedging, spring sale, or harvest sale? We investigate three important contracting times--forward contract for harvest delivery (called pre-harvest hereafter), harvest delivery, and spring sale--from ethanol plants that differ in capacity. This difference in capacity, in turn, impacts the size of the grain bid. Our results focus on observed corn prices. There are more elements to consider when selling crops, such as patronage (if any), unloading wait times, corn discount schedules (for example, test weight, moisture), and opportunity cost of time. As we focus on price, our results provide a useful starting point to take these other important conditions into account