Observations of Fallout from the Fukushima Reactor Accident in San Francisco Bay Area Rainwater

We have observed fallout from the recent Fukushima Dai-ichi reactor accident in samples of rainwater collected in the San Francisco Bay area. Gamma ray spectra measured from these samples show clear evidence of fission products - 131,132I, 132Te, and 134,137Cs. The activity levels we have measured for these isotopes are very low and pose no health risk to the public.Comment: 5 pages, 2 figure

Counselor Education Unplugged? An Exploration of Current Attitudes Surrounding the Use of Online Learning as a Modality in Graduate Counselor Education

This dissertation qualitatively investigates counselor education faculty perceptions regarding online courses or programs and the overall perception of counselor education faculty regarding the effectiveness of online learning. A total of 154 counselor educators completed the CEATOLS instrument, a survey designed to capture demographic information, perceptions of effectiveness of online learning in counselor education, and concerns related to online learning in counselor education. Results indicate that, overall, counselor educators have a markedly lower perception of the effectiveness of online counselor education courses than of traditional Analysis of the concerns expressed by counselor educators reveal a five-factor structure similar to that which was hypothesized in the development of the CEATOLS instrument. Results indicate a need for further refinement of the CEATOLS instrument and additional study to better capture the specific factors that may be impacting the counselor education community’s perception of online learning as an effective medium of course delivery

Chemical and physical properties of abandoned underground coal mine pools

Long term drainage quality of five closed underground coal mines in West Virginia and Pennsylvania was investigated for mineral reactions, chemical processes, and hydrogeologic controls. Three mines were flooded and had circumneutral water with dissolved iron and sulfate. Two unflooded mines had acidic water with high concentrations of iron, aluminum and sulfate. The monitoring record ranged from 12 to 35 years for the five mine-pools.;The two acidic mine-pools had large long term declines in chemical concentration and flux. Both mine-pools approached equilibrium for hydrous iron sulfate minerals of the jarosite series. One mine-pool also exhibited equilibrium for the hydrous aluminum sulfate mineral jurbanite.;Annual recharge rate for the unflooded mines was 0.28 and 0.36 gallon/A-min. About 75% of the total annual chemical flux is discharged in a six month period.;Flooding profoundly affected drainage quality of closed mines. Three mines had circumneutral pH after inundation and flushing. Extreme chemical stratification can occur in flooded mines. One mine-pool with two pumping rates had greater chemical concentrations at increased pumping rate.;Significant in-situ acid consumption occurred in all five mine-pools. The unflooded mine-pools consumed 50 to 70% of original mine acidity, and neutralization exceeded 100% in the flooded net alkaline mine-pools. Mineral weathering accounts for most in-situ acid consumption.;Chemical concentration time trends fit a first order decay function. Decay constants for total acidity, iron, sulfate, aluminum and total dissolved solids were on the order of 10-4/day in all mine-pools. Decay times of 30 to 70 years were estimated to approach suitable water composition. Decay constants are useful for estimating long term trends.;Flushing model calculations suggest that chemical concentration change in mine-pools is largely a function of transport of reactants and products, not chemical kinetics

Reconstructing the character of the eastern sector of the Scandinavian ice sheet using remote sensing

The extensive glacial landforms in the Baltic States and neighbouring countries have been used to infer the dynamic behaviour of the Scandinavian ice sheet.Landsat TM imagery was acquired of the Baltic States and neighbouring regions south of the Gulf of Finland (the Eastern Baltic region) in digital form. Computer image processing techniques were used to enhance the glacial geomorphology without enhancing the pattern of agricultural land usage. Mapping of glacial landforms was done (on-screen) using computer software. Using computers allowed the interpretations to be manipulated, analysed and compared with further information from digital elevation models, land cover maps and published literature /maps. This allowed the limit of Weichselian ice to be delineated using four different methods.Streamlined glacial lineations, including megaflutes, drumlins, megadrumlins and elongated hills have been mapped using this technique. Coherent groups of lineations were identified as flow sets, which were considered to have been formed by the same phase of ice flow. Where the lineations of different flow sets intersect, the temporal relationship between the flow sets, and therefore between the ice flows, was determined.While pre- Weichselian phases of ice flow were identified, it was concluded that the majority of lineations within the Eastern Baltic formed during the Late Weichselian. Long (up to 21 km), well-defined lineations were found to have formed during the Late Weichselian maximum when the ice velocities were greatest. These form flow sets with a north -south trend. Lineations from the final deglaciation are shorter in length and form flow sets orientated at 170 °. During the final deglaciation ice streams developed. Interstream areas generally coincide with regions of elevated bed rock.The interpretations resulting from these observations were combined with similar data from Finland to create a data set covering the area from the ice divide to beyond the limit of Weichselian ice. The spatial distribution of lineation size was examined using this data set and compared to output from a glaciological model. It was concluded that flow -parallel lineations were most likely formed by a single mechanism. The most likely mechanism was concluded to be subglacial deformation with the most active zone of lineation formation occurring within 100 km of the ice sheet margin.Variations in the frequency distribution of lineation length between Finland and the Eastern Baltic regions point to differences in the controls on lineation formation. Differences in the character of deglaciation between Finland and the Eastern Baltic were identified. Ice streams in Finland appear to have been more stable in location and about twice the width of those observed in the Eastern Baltic region. These differences may be explained by the interaction between the ice sheet and its substratum

Gold standard or fool's gold: the pursuit of certainty in experimental criminology

This article assesses some of the claims made for experimental research in the field of rehabilitation of offenders. It suggests that both policy officials and evaluators have tended to over-invest financially and intellectually in a technocratic model of reducing reoffending that emphasizes programmes for offenders, and to under-invest in models that see the process as a complex ‘people changing’ skill. It argues that the complexity of this process renders it hard to evaluate using experimental methods of evaluation such as randomized controlled trials (RCTs). RCTs provide strong internal validity, but in complex settings offer weak external validity, making it hard to generalize from the experimental setting to other settings. The article suggests that the proper role for evaluative research in this field should be seen as building and testing middle-level theories about how best to change offenders’ behaviour

Double Play: The Need for 4-H to Partner in Youth Sports

Fewer children in the United States are playing team-based sports, and the trend is making national headlines. While there is no complete agreement as to the predominant reason for this trend, it is clear that a national conversation on this problem has begun, and Cooperative Extension holds the potential for getting kids back in the game. At its core, this conversation is about the healthful development of our children and their advancement as contributors to society. Cooperative Extension has decades of experience creating a playbook for youth development, and it is time to put that playbook into action

Community-Based Interventions: Addressing Underserved Urban Populations

It is widely acknowledged that individuals residing in urban communities are commonly plagued by income inequalities, unemployment, crowding, crime, physical decay, unstable housing, and social disorder. The combination of these social and economic forces typically gives rise to the sources of adversity that policy analysts are familiar with when analyzing the problems of urban blight and decay. We propose that the most effective solution to mitigate these widespread problems are those that are anchored within the communities themselves. The community-based interventions we examine bring to life the processes, challenges, and opportunities involved with undertaking this type of field-based research