The impact of school structures and cultures on change in teaching and learning : the case of languages

This paper reports on a project of structural and curriculum change in the Languages learning area in three Australian schools that implemented new models of Languages provision over a 3-year period and seeks to examine the ways that school cultures influence processes of change. The project adopted a qualitative collective case study approach that involved collaboration between teachers, school leadership and the research team on activities related to implementing the models, including a contextual analysis of policies and structures, collaborative curriculum planning and implementation, planning of interventions relevant to each site, monitoring, and ongoing evaluation and annual reporting. It also collected structural data in the form of school profiles, including information about the school context and learner groups, curriculum data, including program documentation, resources, student work samples, tasks and assessment data, and teacher and student evaluation data. Interviews were conducted with participating teachers, school leaders and students on a continuous basis, gathering each participant’s perspectives on the process of change over time. The paper examines the ways that the culture of schools, and in particular the structures that existed in the schools in relation to timetabling, the organisation of curriculum, the planning and enactment of teaching, learning and assessment and the approach to staffing, influenced what was possible in terms of change and ultimately the sustainability of change, particularly in relation to a learning area that is perceived to be ‘specialist’

Food quality, fasting periods and temperature stress : effects of energy challenges on the feeding patterns of avian nectarivores

The small size of nectarivorous birds is associated with high mass-specific metabolic rates and energetic lifestyles. Their energy balance is likely to be strongly influenced by environmental factors. Firstly, nectar varies in sugar concentration between different food plants and birds must adjust their consumption to maintain a constant energy intake. Secondly, unfavourable weather conditions, such as storms and heavy rains, may prevent birds from feeding, and they must increase their energy intake to compensate for the loss in foraging time. Low ambient temperature, as a third energetic challenge, results in higher energy demands for thermoregulation, which leads to increased food intake. However, these compensatory feeding responses may be constrained by physiological limitations to nectar ingestion, digestion and osmoregulatory processes. My research focused on the behavioural and physiological responses of captive sunbirds (Nectariniidae) and honeyeaters (Meliphagidae) to energetic challenges, namely variations in nectar quality and availability and in ambient temperature. For sunbirds, I also investigated on a novel short-term scale how feeding patterns are adjusted in order to compensate for alterations in energy intake or requirements. Feeding events were recorded using a photodetection system, and body mass was monitored continuously by connecting the perches to electronic balances, interfaced to a computer. Whitebellied sunbirds (Cinnyris talatala) were fed various nectar sugar concentrations. Their feeding durations were found to provide an estimate of meal size on all food concentrations. When exposed to a decrease in sugar concentration, birds generally demonstrated an increased feeding frequency and food intake within 10 min. The number and duration of meals increased in the first few minutes after return of a more concentrated diet. When whitebellied sunbirds and brown honeyeaters (Lichmera indistincta) were exposed to a 2 h fasting period during the day, they increased their nectar intake and energy accumulation after the fast. Sunbirds achieved this by increasing meal size but not meal frequency. However, both species weighed less in the evening following the fast than the previous evening, indicating that the compensation for lost foraging time was incomplete. During acute cold exposure, whitebellied sunbirds, amethyst sunbirds (Chalcomitra amethystina) and brown honeyeaters increased their nectar intake, but lost body mass irrespective of nectar sugar concentration. Honeyeaters ingested more food at subsequent cold exposure, suggesting physiological adaptation to high feeding rates. A chemical reactor model of digestive capacity, which assumes sucrose hydrolysis to be the limiting step in nectar digestion, accurately predicted maximal food intake in honeyeaters, but mostly underestimated it in sunbirds. Sugar assimilation efficiency was higher than 99% in whitebellied sunbirds and brown honeyeaters. Lastly, licking frequencies and tongue loads of whitebellied and amethyst sunbirds were investigated. In both species, tongue lick duration increased, and licking frequency and consumption per lick decreased, with increasing nectar concentration. Birds did not adjust their licking behaviour after a fasting period. In conclusion, the response to varied energy challenges is shaped by both compensatory feeding and physiological constraints. Although unrelated, sunbirds and honeyeaters showed convergence in their responses, probably due to their similar nectarfeeding lifestyle.Thesis (PhD)--University of Pretoria, 2009.Zoology and Entomologyunrestricte

Impulse Response of Civil Structures from Ambient Noise Analysis

Increased monitoring of civil structures for response to earthquake motions is fundamental to reducing seismic risk. Seismic monitoring is difficult because typically only a few useful, intermediate to large earthquakes occur per decade near instrumented structures. Here, we demonstrate that the impulse response function (IRF) of a multistory building can be generated from ambient noise. Estimated shear-wave velocity, attenuation values, and resonance frequencies from the IRF agree with previous estimates for the instrumented University of California, Los Angeles, Factor building. The accuracy of the approach is demonstrated by predicting the Factor building’s response to an M 4.2 earthquake. The methodology described here allows for rapid, noninvasive determination of structural parameters from the IRFs within days and could be used for state-of-health monitoring of civil structures (buildings, bridges, etc.) before and/or after major earthquakes

Iron-catalyzed depolymerizations of end-of-life silicones with fatty alcohols

During the last decades, polymers became one of the major materials in our society and a future without polymers is hardly imaginable. However, as negative issue of this success enormous amount of end-of-life materials are accumulated, which are mainly treated by landfill storage, thermal recycling or down-cycling. On the other hand, feedstock recycling can be an interesting option to convert end-of-life polymers to high quality polymers, via depolymerization reactions to low-molecular weight building blocks and subsequent transformation via polymerization reactions. In this regard, we present herein the depolymerization of polysiloxanes (silicones) applying fatty alcohols as depolymerization reagents. In more detail, in the presence of catalytic amounts of simple iron salts, low-molecular weight products with the motif R(OSiMe2)mOR (R = alkyl, m = 1-2) were attained. Remarkably, the reaction of R(OSiMe2)mOR with water showed the formation of new cyclic siloxanes, which are useful starting materials for long-chain silicones, and the corresponding fatty alcohol as side product, which can be directly reused in subsequent depolymerization reactions. Importantly, a recycling of the silicones and a straightforward recycling of the depolymerization reagent are feasible. © 2015 Tomsk Polytechnic University. Production and hosting by Elsevier B.V. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/). Peer review under responsibility of Tomsk Polytechnic University

Regulation of nutrient intake in nectar-feeding birds : insights from the geometric framework

A nectar diet is simple in nutritional composition and easily digested, but may vary greatly in its proportions of sugar and water. Here, we apply the geometric framework, a modelling approach for investigating how animals balance nutrient needs in multidimensional and dynamic nutritional environments, to captive whitebellied sunbirds (Cinnyris talatala). We address the question of how these small birds (»8 g) prioritise sugar and water intake, and how dietary salt content interacts with sugar and water intake. Sunbirds kept at 20°C and provided with moderate to high sucrose concentrations (¸1 M), together with supplementary water, converge on an intake target of 2.79 g day¡1 of sucrose and 7.72 g day¡1 of water: equivalent to 0.85 M sucrose. When the birds are given more dilute sucrose concentrations, they defend their sugar intake by over-ingesting water, up to a ceiling of 47 g day¡1. Sugar intake thus gets priority over water intake, but the birds have a Wnite capacity to overingest water to gain the target level of sugar. Regulation appears to be less precise when birds are given a choice between two sucrose solutions than when they choose between a sugar solution and supplementary water. Intake targets vary in response to internal and external factors, and sunbirds increase their sugar intake in response to increased activity and cold, irrespective of nectar concentration. They also compensate for interruptions in foraging activity, whether overnight or during the day. Interactive eVects become evident when sodium is included as a third nutrient: on very dilute nectar (·0.1 M), where sunbirds lose body mass, the addition of sodium to the diet helps to achieve the carbohydrate intake target, while raising the ceiling on water intake. This analysis provides a new perspective on nectarivory, while adding to the comparative database on nutrient regulation and emphasising water as a nutrient.The University of Pretoria, the South African National Research Foundation and the Claude Leon Foundation. DR received support from the Massey University Research Fund.http://www.springer.com/life+sci/biochemistry/journal/360ab201

Sunbirds increase foraging success by using color as a cue for nectar quality

Nectar concentration and composition varies widely between plant species. Nectarivorous birds that associate floral characteristics with nectar quality may be able to avoid less rewarding flowers and therefore forage more efficiently. We assessed the abilities of amethyst sunbirds (Chalcomitra amethystina) to utilize color cues to discriminate between concentrated (1 M) and dilute (0.25 M) sucrose solutions. In an outdoor aviary, birds were presented with three rich feeders among six poor feeders on a feeding board. Following the assessment of baseline performance with optically identical feeders, color cues were added to the feeders for a 6 h training period. To assess the retention of learnt visual cues, birds were tested 1 and 7 days following the training. Observations lasted for 3 h, with feeders being re-arranged every 30 min to minimize spatial learning. In the absence of color cues, birds selected feeders randomly, but when color cues were available visited more rich than poor feeders. This more rapid identification of rich feeders resulted in a decrease in feeding duration and feeding frequency, compared to the baseline performance. Energy uptake from rich feeders, and therefore the rate of energy gain, increased when birds foraged with color cues. No differences were found between days 1 and 7 after training. Total energy intake decreased with visual cues, which may indicate a reduction in foraging costs when cues allow for location of rewarding feeders. Our findings demonstrate that sunbirds forage more efficiently with cues, which may lead to increased fitness.South African National Research Foundation (grant number 73671) and the University of Pretoria.http://beheco.oxfordjournals.orghb2014ab2014Zoology and Entomolog

A new design for honey bee hoarding cages for laboratory experiments

Honey bees are the subject of research around the world due to their great economic importance and current population declines (vanEngelsdorp and Meixner, 2010). Many studies cannot be conducted at the colony level. Controlled cage experiments provide insight into behavioural interactions (Elzen et al., 2001), diseases (Martín-Hernández et al., 2009), nutritional requirements (Altaye et al., 2010) and effects of insecticides and genetically engineered plants on these important pollinators (Malone et al., 1999; Medrzycki et al., 2003).A grant from BBSRC, Defra, NERC, the Scottish Government and the Wellcome Trust, under the Insect Pollinators Initiative (BBI000968/1)http://www.ibra.org.uk/am2014ab201

Honeybees and nectar nicotine : deterrence and reduced survival versus potential health benefits

Secondary metabolites produced by plants for herbivore defence are often found in floral nectar, but their effect on the foraging behaviour and physiological performance of pollinators is largely unknown. Nicotine is highly toxic to most herbivores, and nicotine-based insecticides may contribute to current pollinator declines. We examined the effects of nectar nicotine on honeybee foraging choices and worker longevity. Free-flying honeybee (Apis mellifera scutellata) workers from six colonies were given a choice between multiple nicotine concentrations (0–1000 lM) in artificial nectar (0.15–0.63 M sucrose). The dose-dependent deterrent effect of nicotine was stronger in lower sugar concentrations, but even the highest nicotine concentrations did not completely repel honeybees, i.e. bees did not stop feeding on these diets. Nicotine in nectar acts as a partial repellent, which may keep pollinators moving between plants and enhance cross-pollination. In the second part of the study, newly emerged workers from 12 colonies were caged and fed one of four nicotine concentrations (0–300 lM) in 0.63 M sucrose for 21 days. Moderate (630 lM) nicotine concentrations had no significant detrimental effect, but high nicotine concentrations reduced the survival of caged workers and their nectar storage in the honey comb. In contrast, worker groups that survived poorly on sugar-only diets demonstrated increased survival on all nicotine diets. In the absence of alternative nectar sources, honeybees tolerate naturally occurring nectar nicotine concentrations; and low concentrations can even be beneficial to honeybees. However, high nicotine concentrations may have a detrimental effect on colony fitness.http://www.elsevier.com/ locate/ jinsphyshb2014ab201

Coloured and toxic nectar : feeding choices of the Madagascar giant day gecko, Phelsuma grandis

Coloured nectar is a rare phenomenon best known from islands and insular habitats. Islands are also known for lizard pollination, where coloured nectar potentially acts as a visual cue to attract pollinators, advertising the sweet reward. However, nectar may also contain secondary metabolites with toxic or deterrent effects. The aim of this study was to determine which factors are important as artificial nectar choice determinants to the Madagascar giant day gecko, Phelsuma grandis, an island pollinator: artificial nectar colour, artificial nectar colour saturation, artificial nectar conspicuousness and/or the presence of the alkaloid nicotine. Coloured artificial nectar and the darkest artificial nectar colour saturation were found to be important visual cues for the geckos, while the contrast between artificial nectar and petal colour was not. Geckos were deterred only by high nicotine concentrations (1000 lM in 0.63 M sucrose) and may even prefer low nicotine concentrations to sucroseonly solutions. Given their overall fondness for sugar solutions, Madagascar giant day geckos are likely to be important pollinators of Malagasy plant species that produce enough nectar to attract them, and plants with coloured nectar and/or secondary metabolites may have evolved those traits to attract the geckos in particular.This work was supported by the South African National Research Foundation (grant number 73671) and the University of Pretoria.http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com./journal/10.1111/(ISSN)1439-0310hb2013ab201

RÁDIO IFC WEB: NAVEGANDO NO ENSINO, PESQUISA E EXTENSÃO

O Instituto Federal Catarinense, no âmbito em que está inserido, tem como objetivos a integração e a solução dos problemas da comunidade. Nesse quesito, o projeto de extensão Rádio IFC Web, do campus Brusque, serve de alicerce na busca de comunicação, informação e aprendizagem dos espectadores, tanto na esfera estudantil quanto na comunidade em que está inserido. Além de promover informações sobre a instituição, eventos e projetos realizados no campus, a radioifcweb também conta com programas originais atuantes em diversas áreas do conhecimento como educação, social, esporte, economia, política, artes e cultura. Juntamente com esses programas, o projeto promove o desenvolvimento de atividades pedagógicas à distância, com pesquisas e divulgação das demandas da comunidade acadêmica e da comunidade local, regional e nacional e, ainda possibilita aos pais, o acompanhamento das atividades desenvolvidas pela escola. Entendendo que a web é uma ferramenta de comunicação cada vez mais presente na vida de crianças, jovens e adultos, a radioifcweb foi um importante instrumento e uma estratégia educacional de aproximação durante a pandemia e o isolamento social ao criar o programa Quarentena Existencial, que visa o compartilhamento das experiências de realidade vividas durante este período e que ultrapassou recordes de audiência. Considerando ainda os objetivos de integração, a Rádio, em parceria com o Laboratório de Pesquisa e Desenvolvimento de Hardware (LABPDHS) desenvolveu o aplicativo oficial da radioifcweb, aproximando ainda mais os conteúdos de sua programação, dos estudantes e comunidade. Graças a todos os aspectos apresentados, o perfil do Instagram do projeto conseguiu alcançar mais de mil seguidores e os programas atingem mais de três mil ouvintes por semana sendo de grande relevância para a comunidade brusquense, principalmente no período da pandemia, por ser uma importante ferramenta de socialização e aproximação da comunidade interna com a comunidade externa, privilegiando o protagonismo estudantil com atividades artísticas, sociais, culturais e educacionais desenvolvidas no Instituto Federal Catarinense e no Campus-Brusque