Developing a Numerical Water Quality Model for Brewster Lake

The purpose of this research study was to develop an advanced two-dimensional process-oriented numerical water quality model for Brewster Lake that incorporates the physical, chemical, and biological interactions that occur within the lake. The study included measuring and obtaining the basic physical, chemical, and biological characteristics of the lake to develop the model and appropriate initial and boundary conditions. Two rounds of measurements, one in the beginning of June and one at the end of July 2013, of the physical and chemical variables were conducted and were used to develop and calibrate the model. A hydrodynamic analysis of the lake\u27s watershed was completed using a mass balance approach over water. A set of process-oriented water quality mathematical equations that incorporates the water chemical and biological interactions was developed. The finite element solution will result in predicted values for the lake\u27s water quality parameters as a function of time and varying environmental conditions. It is anticipated that the results of this computer modeling will aid the Pierce Cedar Creek Institute staff in decision-making related to the management and planning of Brewster Lake and its watershed

Understanding the role of social norms in a web-based personalised, feedback intervention for alochol use

Excessive alcohol consumption in university students in the UK has been identified by Government agencies and health care providers as significant problem. Social norms research suggests students evaluate and regulate their own alcohol consumption through social comparison with peers. However, students are prone to misperceptions, inaccurately estimating others’ alcohol consumption to be higher than their own. The over estimation of normative peer alcohol consumption has been associated with higher personal alcohol consumption. Unitcheck is an online alcohol resource available to university students in the UK (www.unitcheck.co.uk). Using a social norms approach this online alcohol intervention provides instant personalised normative feedback to students, directly comparing reported individual alcohol consumption with normative peer alcohol consumption. This comparison is designed to correct students’ overestimation of normative peer drinking and encourage moderate alcohol consumption. Currently, Unitcheck feedback is labelled as comparing personal alcohol consumption to normative alcohol consumption of the typical University of Leeds student. There is a paucity of research exploring student responses to personalised normative feedback on an individual level. The aim of this study was to evaluate how students reporting alcohol consumption above recommended weekly limits at the University of Leeds, respond to instant, online personalised normative feedback presented as part of a study version of Unitcheck. A between subjects experimental design employing qualitative think-aloud methodology, plus a semi-structured interview was used. Participants were 21 Undergraduate students in their first or second year of study at the University of Leeds, 67% female, mean age 19.3 years (range 18-21), meanalcohol consumption over the previous week 38.4 units (range 10-150). Participants were randomised to one of two study groups and asked to work through the Unitcheck resource whilst thinking their thoughts aloud. Group A (n=11) used a same-sex referent group in the personalised normative feedback for University of Leeds students. Group B (n=10) used typical University of Leeds student as the normative referent group. All participants then completed a semi-structured interview assessing how believable and personally relevant they found the feedback. Findings from thematic analysis of the transcripts suggest that personalised feedback prompts participants to actively consider their personal value judgements regarding acceptable drinking behaviour. Students responded directly to the normative feedback component. Justifications of ratings of believability of normative feedback were based on personal observations of student drinking behaviour and perceived credibility of the normative data. The current manipulation focussed on gender as a salient comparison group, participants suggested year of study and age as alternative salient normative comparison groups

Real‐life research projects improve student engagement and provide reliable data for academics

Student engagement can have a positive influence on student success. Many methods exist for fostering engagement but tend to be generic and require tailoring to specific contexts, subjects, and students. In the case of undergraduate science students, practical classes are a popular tool for increasing engagement. However, despite strong potential for improvement via links with “real life” research projects (RLRPs), few academic staff incorporate research participation with teaching activities. This is potentially due to poor time availability and low opinions of students' ability to collect reliable data. This study aims to examine whether involvement with RLRPs can generate reliable scientific data and also act as a motivational tool for engaging tertiary science students. A preexisting core activity for first‐year biology and marine biology students was modified to include a short RLRP component. Student‐based data collection and a questionnaire about experiences were used to examine the reliability of student‐collected data and student perceptions of RLRPs. Results indicated that error rate in student‐collected data was minimal. Irrespective of participating in a “normal” practical class or a class with a RLRP component, students collected equally accurate data. However, when the topic aligned specifically with their degree subject, student accuracy was higher. All students surveyed reported high motivation with the idea of RLRP participation, placing high importance on this from an educational and employability perspective. Yet, students were not confident about participating in RLRPs until they had engaged with one, suggesting that introducing such projects into taught sessions early‐on may encourage students to seek further opportunities in the future. In conclusion, incorporating RLRPs into the curriculum of undergraduate science courses has considerable potential benefits for both students and academic staff

Social media and information agencies

This document outlines ten technologies that information agencies, libraries specifically, can use to increase and manage their presence on social media platforms.LinkedIn -- Facebook -- Twitter -- YouTube -- Snapchat -- Tumblr -- Pinterest -- Hootesuite -- Trello -- Zapier -- Resources.Includes bibliographical references

Increasing numbers of harbour seals and grey seals in the Solent

Harbour seals (Phoca vitulina) and grey seals (Halichoerus grypus) both occur within the UK, but display regional contrasting population trends. While grey seals are typically increasing in number, harbour seals have shown varying trends in recent decades following repeated pandemics. There is a need for monitoring of regional and local populations to understand overall trends. This study utilized a 20-year dataset of seal counts from two neighboring harbours in the Solent region of south England. Generalized additive models showed a significant increase in the numbers of harbour (mean 5.3–30.5) and grey (mean 0–12.0) seals utilizing Chichester Harbour. Conversely, in Langstone Harbour there has been a slight decrease in the number of harbour seals (mean 5.3–4.0). Accompanying photographic data from 2016 to 18 supports the increase in seal numbers within Chichester Harbour, with a total of 68 harbour and 8 grey seals identified. These data also show evidence of site fidelity of harbour seals in this area, with almost a quarter of animals resighted within the past three years. Overall, this long-term study indicates an increasing number of both harbour and grey seals within the Solent. However, more research is required to identify the drivers of this trend.</p