Dynamical models for sand ripples beneath surface waves

We introduce order parameter models for describing the dynamics of sand ripple patterns under oscillatory flow. A crucial ingredient of these models is the mass transport between adjacent ripples, which we obtain from detailed numerical simulations for a range of ripple sizes. Using this mass transport function, our models predict the existence of a stable band of wavenumbers limited by secondary instabilities. Small ripples coarsen in our models and this process leads to a sharply selected final wavenumber, in agreement with experimental observations.Comment: 9 pages. Shortened version of previous submissio

Getting shot of elves: healing, witchcraft and fairies in the Scottish witchcraft trials

This paper re-examines the evidence of the Scottish witchcraft trials for beliefs associated by scholars with "elf-shot." Some supposed evidence for elf-shot is dismissed, but other material illuminates the interplay between illness, healing and fairy-lore in early modern Scotland, and the relationship of these beliefs to witchcraft itself

Estimates of the Sensitivities of the Value of the Firm to Profitability, Growth, and Capital Intensity

Value-based management systems concentrate on actions that generate value for the shareholders in the wealth creation process (Fisher 1995; Lieber 1996; Walbert 1994). This study focuses explicitly on profitability, growth, and capital intensity as drivers of the value of the firm by extending a free cash flow valuation model for the firm. The extended model is used to provide information about the sensitivities of the value of the firm to changes in the firm\u27s profitability, growth, and capital intensity. These sensitivities are presented in terms of partial derivatives and dollar changes. The partial derivatives show the changes in the value of the firm resulting from a small change in the measures for profitability, growth, or capital intensity. Each dollar amount shows the dollar changes in the value of the firm resulting from a small change in the profitability, growth, or capital intensity measures. These sensitivities show the impact of changes in the profitability, growth, and capital intensity measures on the value of the firm. This information is valuable in helping managers predict the results of actions to improve the wealth generating ability of the firm by managing these value drivers more effectivel

Psychometric test of the Team Climate Inventory-short version investigated in Dutch quality improvement teams

Abstract BACKGROUND: Although some studies have used the Team Climate Inventory within teams working in health care settings, none of these included quality improvement teams. The aim of our study is to investigate the psychometric properties of the 14-item version of the Team Climate Inventory in healthcare quality improvement teams participating in a Dutch quality collaborative. METHODS: This study included quality improvement teams participating in the Care for Better improvement program for home care, care for the handicapped and the elderly in the Netherlands between 2006 and 2008. As part of a larger evaluation study 270 written questionnaires from team members were collected at baseline and 139 questionnaires at end measurement. Confirmatory factor analyses, reliability, Pearson correlations and paired samples t-tests were conducted to investigate construct validity, reliability, predictive validity and temporal stability. RESULTS: Confirmatory factor analyses revealed the expected four-factor structure and good fit indices. For the four subscales--vision, participative safety, task orientation and support for innovation--acceptable Cronbach's alpha coefficients and high inter-item correlations were found. The four subscales all proved significant predictors of perceived team effectiveness, with participatory safety being the best predictor. As expected the four subscales were found to be stable over time; i.e. without significant changes between baseline and end measurement. CONCLUSION: The psychometric properties of the Dutch version of the TCI-14 are satisfactory. Together these results show that the TCI-14 is a useful instrument to assess to what extent aspects of team climate influence perceived team effectiveness of quality improvement teams

Tomorrow’s Champions Of Sustainability: How Everyday Leaders Can Harness Grass Roots Momentum to Advance Adoption of Ecologically Sound Practices in Sport and Event Management

For more than a decade, we have appealed to corporations to consider sustainability. Leading companies have enjoyed positive media attention, improved bottom line profits and enhanced competitiveness through environmental management and social initiatives. Sustainability in the broader sense has become everyone’s job, and the momentum crosses age groups and economic strata. This paper focuses on the event organizer as ordinary leader, inspiring an engaged, accessible audience toward sustainability, and offers rationale for promoting socially and environmentally responsible event management. With a captive audience, ordinary leaders have an opportunity to model socially and environmentally responsible practices through effective education, communication, metrics and follow-up

Exploring the use of technology designed to support the supervision process in teacher training placements

The practicum supervision process in teacher education comprises various cyclic experiential learning activities (e.g. planning, observation and supervision conversation). Research has documented considerable challenges relating to this process, but also that digital technology can help. In the study, a software program designed for practicum supervision (MOSO) is tested in three Scandinavian teacher education programmes in which groups of student teachers are supervised by a mentor teacher. Throughout this process, the participants continuously alternate between individual reflection, and analogue/digital collaborative reflection. The aim of the study is to contribute knowledge about the experiences of using this technology, and data was collected through qualitative survey and focus groups. The software contributed to improving the quality of the practicum supervision process, for example by: safeguarding supervision on lesson planning; improving observations, feedback and recollection; and facilitating more reflective and collaborative student teachers. The study also identifies important challenges when using such technology

Estimating carbon and water footprints associated with commercial milk formula production and use:development and implications of the Green Feeding Climate Action Tool

Carbon offset frameworks like the UN Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) have largely overlooked interventions involving food, health, and care systems, including breastfeeding. The innovative Green Feeding Climate Action Tool (GFT) assesses the environmental impact of commercial milk formula (CMF) use, and advocates for breastfeeding support interventions as legitimate carbon offsets. This paper provides an overview of the GFT’s development, key features, and potential uses. The offline and online GFT were developed using the DMADV methodology (Define, Measure, Analyze, Design, Verify). The GFT reveals that the production and use of CMF by infants under 6 months results in annual global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions of between 5.9 and 7.5 billion kg CO2 eq. and consumes 2,562.5 billion liters of water. As a national example, in India, one of the world’s most populous countries, CMF consumption requires 250.6 billion liters of water and results in GHG emissions ranging from 579 to 737 million kg CO2 eq. annually, despite the country’s high breastfeeding prevalence among infants under 6 months. The GFT mainly draws on data for low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), as many high-income countries (HICs) do not collect suitable data for such calculations. Despite poor official data on breastfeeding practices in HICs, GFT users can input their own data from smaller-scale surveys or their best estimates. The GFT also offers the capability to estimate and compare baseline with counterfactual scenarios, such as for interventions or policy changes that improve breastfeeding practices. In conclusion, the GFT is an important innovation to quantify CMF’s environmental impact and highlight the significance of breastfeeding for planetary as well as human health. Women’s contributions to environmental preservation through breastfeeding should be recognized, and breastfeeding interventions and policies should be funded as legitimate carbon offsets. The GFT quantifies CMF’s carbon and water footprints and facilitates financing breastfeeding support as a carbon offset initiative under CDM funding facilities.</p

Streamflow-metal relationship in a highly urbanized river basin

Although many water contaminants can be found in urban runoff, certain pollutants depending on site specific characteristics can be used as representative indicators. In this study, copper and lead were taken into account as metal contaminants. The Blackstone River, an interstate river with 74 kin length, was examined. Total lead concentration and both lead and copper loads in the river were found to be a function of flow rate. Lead concentration and load is highly depended upon streamflow than that of copper concentration. Furthermore, wet weather was found to be the main responsible factor of increasing total metal concentrations and loads in the river

Distribution of heavy metals in vegetation surrounding the Blackstone River, USA: Considerations regarding sediment contamination and long term metals transport in freshwater riverine ecosystems

The Blackstone River, a 74 km interstate stream located in South Central Massachusetts and Rhode Island (USA), has had a long history of problems due to high concentrations of metals such as copper and lead, The river has been subjected to metals load that include contributions from urban runoff, wastewater discharges, contaminated sediments, and also resuspension of contaminated sediments in the river-bed. All of these effects lead to elevated concentrations of metals such as lead, copper, zinc, chromium, cadmium and arsenic. Furthermore, the contaminated sediments located behind impoundments become especially important when higher flows cause resuspension of the previously deposited sediments and associated metals. While it is known that high metals concentrations in this river are found in the bottom sediments, the fate of the metals and impact on the ecosystem are not well known. This paper addresses the potential impacts that metals may have on vegetation and plant tissues in the vicinity of the river Plant tissues (primarily mosses), were collected from a number of sampling sites along a 14 km stretch of this river At each site, samples were collected from multiple distances from the riverbank. Laboratory analyses made use of both wet digestion and dry ashing digestion methods, followed by analysis using an atomic absorption spectrophotometer The wet and dry ashing digestion methods yielded similar results, although the results Worded by the dry ashing methods were slightly lower than the results obtained from the wet method. The results showed that the metals concentrations in vegetation (as determined from plant tissue analyses) were generally inversely related to the distance between the vegetation and the riverbank, with higher metals concentrations existing in plant tissues located close to the rivet-bank. In addition, it was found that the transport of meta's concentrations to the terrestrial vegetation adjacent to this section of the Blackstone River was affected by the river morphology and flow characteristics (including velocity flow rate and depth of flow, which can govern the potential for plant submergence, as well as the dynamics of flow and transport in the soil near the river). The analyses help to provide an improved understanding of metals transport and potential significance of metals contamination in a terrestrial ecosystem that is located adjacent to a rive

Experimental study of transverse effects in planar dielectric wakefield accelerating structures with elliptical beams

The main obstacle to the practical implementation of the dielectric wakefield acceleration (DWA) concept is the development of the beam breakup instability due to transverse dipole wakefields generated when the beam propagates off axis in the accelerating structure. One of the methods to suppress this instability is to elliptically shape the beam and accelerate it in a planar structure. Here, we report a detailed experimental investigation of the transverse dynamics of elliptical beams in planar dielectric structure with parameters mimicking future DWA modules. Both dipole and quadrupole wakefields’ effects on beam stability and projected emittance were studied. This study has highlighted the importance of counteracting quadrupole wakefields in future DWA implementations