ELF: The electronic learning facilitator

As the world‐wide computer network becomes ubiquitous, new tools have been developed, such as the World Wide Web (WWW), for the delivery of multimedia hypertext‐based documents. Similarly, there has been an explosion in the amount of email, bulletin boards, and Usenet News available. This has led to a major problem of information overload: we are slowly but surely being overwhelmed by the amount of information available to us

An Unfinished Canvas: District Capacity and the Use of New State Funds for Arts Education in California

Questions about district leadership and capacity -- particularly in light of the new funding -- served as the impetus for this study. Through a survey of leaders in 385 districts, we assessed districts' capacity with respect to arts education, explored early spending choices, and examined the relationship between the two. We also studied changes in arts education since the new resources became available and worked to understand the barriers that continue to stand in the way of comprehensive arts education for all California students

An analysis of the training methods utilized in business and industrial organizations by West Virginia training professionals

The question of which method of instruction is most appropriate for delivering instruction in training and development venues is very important for today\u27s human resource personnel. As more and more business and industrial organizations downsize, reorganize, or even expand, the need arises for new training or retraining of adult workers. This training of employees is crucial in order for the employees to efficiently perform their current jobs or future positions in the workplace. As technology advances and job requirements change, what types of training methods are business and industrial organizations implementing in order to achieve maximum benefits from employee training? Are companies offering employee training on a regular basis? These are the types of issues addressed to business and industrial organizations in the research project. The research study has identified the various training methods utilized in business and industrial organizations by training professionals in the state of West Virginia. The types of training methods employed and the frequency of 8 use of each training method will be studied. The information that is obtained from the research project will provide information to trainers which will be useful in developing training programs in the state of West Virginia. With numerous changes taking place in today\u27s workplace, are business and industrial organizations in West Virginia providing training to employees on a regular basis? If employees do not receive the type of training they need, they are unable to perform the duties required of their job at the maximum level of efficiency

Supergravity and Superstring Signatures of the One-Parameter Model at LHC

Many string constructions have a classical no-scale structure, resulting in a one-parameter model (OPM) for the supersymmetry breaking soft terms. As a highly constrained subset of mSUGRA, the OPM has the potential to be predictive. Conversely, if the observed superpartner spectrum at LHC is a subset of the OPM parameter space, then this may provide a clue to the underlying theory at high energies. We investigate the allowed supersymmetry parameter space for a generic one-parameter model taking into account the most recent experimental constraints. We find that in the strict moduli scenario, there are no regions of the parameter space which may satisfy all constraints. However, for the dilaton scenario, there are small regions of the parameter space where all constraints may be satisfied and for which the observed dark matter density may be generated. We also survey the possible signatures which may be observable at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC). Finally, we compare collider signatures of OPM to those from a model with non-universal soft terms, in particular those of an intersecting D6-brane model. We find that it may be possible to distinguish between these diverse scenarios at LHC.Comment: 25 pages, 10 figures, accepted for publication in PR

An Unfinished Canvas: Allocating Funding and Instructional Time for Elementary Arts Education

An Unfinished Canvas found that California's elementary schools face unique challenges inproviding all students with sequential, standards-based arts education. In particular, elementary principals identified inadequate funding and insufficient instructional time as significant barriers to the provision of arts education. For this study, we sought to further understand the impact of funding and time on elementary arts education. To do so, we examined the allocation of funding and instructional time in 10 schools across five states (Kentucky, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Jersey, and California)

Antimony and arsenic behaviour in lead/zinc mine tailings during storage under vegetation cover

The high-volume, fine grained tailings produced from Pb/Zn ore processing need to be carefully managed. Metalloid elements, As and Sb, are present in tailings at ∼800 and ∼80 mg kg−1 respectively, and in neutral pH leachates at 5–50 μg L−1. Despite these relatively low leachate concentrations, As and Sb can cause regulatory concern due to their high toxicity and propensity for bioaccumulation. As and Sb mobility in tailings are controlled by their chemical speciation and associations with mineral phases. Changes in As and Sb speciation were, therefore, determined in depth profile samples taken from an active tailings management facility during waste storage up to 8 years since deposition. At this site, primarily to prevent dust formation, a vegetation cover was established by addition of organic compost to surface layers and seeding grasses. Over time a robust vegetation cover was established consisting of perennial grasses, clovers, and after 8 years, small trees and shrubs. The surface layer of the tailings also became progressively more oxidised over time producing a substrate more suitable for plant growth enabling the establishment of beneficial vegetation cover and the development of a thin soil-like surface layer. As and Sb were both present in predominately reduced 3+ forms in freshly deposited tailings but were converted to oxidised 5+ forms in older samples. Oxidation of Fe(II) in pyrite also occurred, producing increased amounts of weak acid leachable Fe(III)-oxides in the tailings. Sorption of As to neoformed iron oxides in leachate drains reduced concentrations in leachates to below regulatory limits, but Sb sorption was relatively ineffective resulting in higher Sb concentration in site drainage waters, which may require specific treatments to reduce Sb concentrations prior to discharge

Effects of Fibrolytic Enzymes on \u3cem\u3ein Vitro\u3c/em\u3e Ruminal Fermentation and Methane Production from \u3cem\u3ePanicum maximum\u3c/em\u3e (Wild Guinea Grass--Ecotype A) and Rice Straw (\u3cem\u3eOryza sativa\u3c/em\u3e)

The wide gap between an animal’s energy requirement and the nutrients available from feeds is a major constraint in animal productivity and should urgently be addressed with novel methods to improve feed utilization and efficiency (Murad and Azzaz 2010). Forages such as Guinea grass (Panicum maximum) and agricultural by products such as rice (Oryza sativa) straw play a vital role as animal feeds in the tropics. However, the total energy requirement of animal cannot be met due to the high fiber content and low digestibility of these feeds. The low digestibility of these feeds not only limits the available energy to the animal, it also accelerates enteric methane (CH4) production a potent greenhouse gas. Supplementation of ruminant diets with exogenous enzymes has recently gained considerable attention as a promising area with potential to improve animal productivity through enhanced digestibility and environment impact. As a starting point in the screening and selection of suitable enzymes and/or enzyme additives to use as feed additives, this study aimed to determine the effects of fibrolytic enzymes on in vitro ruminal fermentation and methane production of two fibrous feeds in artificial ruminal conditions

Installing a Test Tap on a Metal Battery Case

A mechanical fitting and relatively simple and safe method of installing it on the metal case of a battery have been devised to provide access to the interior of the battery to perform inspection and/or to measure such internal conditions as temperature and pressure. A metal boss or stud having an exterior thread is attached to the case by capacitor-discharge stud welding (CDSW), which takes only 3 to 6 milliseconds and in which the metallurgical bond (weld) and the heat-affected zone are limited to a depth of a few thousandths of an inch (a few hundredths of a millimeter). These characteristics of CDSW prevent distortion of the case and localized internal heating that could damage the chemical components inside of the battery. An access hole is then drilled through the stud and case, into the interior of the battery. A mechanical fitting having a matching thread is installed on the stud and the interior end of the fitting is sealed with a pressure-sealing washer/gasket. The exterior end of the fitting is configured for attachment of whatever instrumentation is required for the selected inspection or measurement

The application of passive sampler (DGT) technology for improved understanding of metal behaviour at a marine disposal site

Metal behaviour and availability at a contaminated dredge material disposal site within UK waters has been investigated using Diffusive Gradient in Thin films (DGT) passive sampling technology. Three stations representing contrasting history and presence of maintenance dredge disposal, including a control station outside the disposal site, have been studied and depth profiles of fluxes of different metals (Fe, Mn, Pb, Cu, Cd, Cr, Ni, Zn) to the binding gel (Chelex 100) have been derived. Higher flux rates and shallower mobilisation of metals (Mn and Fe) to the binding gel were observed at the disposal stations compared to the control station. Here we describe metal mobilization at different depths, linking the remobilization of Fe2+ and Mn2+ to the sediment (re)supply of other heavy metals of interest with a focus on Cd, Ni and Pb and as they are on the Water Framework Directive (WFD) list of priority substances and OSPAR list of priority pollutants. Results showed that Cd, Pb and Ni exhibited signs of resupply at the sediment-water interface (SWI). There was a potential increased mobilisation and source to the water column of Pb and Ni at the disposal site stations, but there was no Cd source, despite higher total loadings. This information has the potential to improve our current understanding of metal cycles at disposal sites. This work can be used as an indication of likely metal bioavailability and also assist in determining whether the sites act as sources or sinks of heavy metals. This information could assist disposal site monitoring and dredge material licensing