Revision of Introductory Chemistry Lab Curriculum to Incorporate Inquiry-Based Experiments to Enhance Student Learning

The Chemistry Department at BSU is restructuring its curriculum to integrate and scaffold research into the four-year curriculum as part of a CUR-NSF grant. The overall goal of this Honors Thesis was to contribute to the Introductory Chemistry laboratory (CHEM 141L) curriculum development by selecting experiments that move away from traditional “cookbook” laboratory experiments to inquiry-based labs to better engage students and maximize their learning. Three skills identified by chemistry faculty as essential for the restructured CHEM 141L are: preparation of solutions; use of standard curves in quantitative analysis; and graphical analysis of data using Excel. The specific goals of this honors thesis were: (1) to select inquiry-based lab experiments (IBLs) that address two to three of those essential skills; (2) test, modify and refine the experiments to ensure that their level is appropriate for introductory chemistry lab and based on resources available in the department; and (3) write a CHEM141 laboratory handout for one to two IBLs that include background information, prelab questions to guide students in their inquiry, experimental procedure, and post-lab questions to ensure students understand the main purpose of the experiment. These goals were accomplished by searching for Journal of Chemical Education articles for IBLs that address 2-3 of the aforementioned skills and narrowing down the selection from an initial pool of 17 to three. Each of the selected IBLs were tested by following the experimental procedure, then the procedure was modified and finalized to ensure that they are level-appropriate for CHEM 141 laboratory curriculum. Of the three IBLs, the “Determination of Percent Cranberry in Cranberry-Apple Juice Blends” was selected for adoption because it was the most cost effective and the safest to perform. Finally, a CHEM 141 lab handout was written for this selected IBL

Multilayered Agency and Religion: A Study of the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (1986–1998)

The present thesis examines the core issue of how to understand and situate the agency of a religious actor in International Relations (IR). This is investigated through a case study of the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) in two comparative policy contexts: agrarian land reform and family planning. The CBCP is a permanent institution within the Catholic Church as a collective of the bishops of the Philippines. The research employs analytic eclecticism as the method to integrate select works from four principal scholars: Colin Wight, Adrian Pabst, Atalia Omer and Mariano Barbato. Wight’s tripartite multilayered framework of agency structures the analysis of the case study; Pabst’s metaphysical political realism is employed to supplement the engagement with the religious traditions of the CBCP; the approach to religious traditions and agency is further strengthened by the adoption of Omer’s arguments for a religious self-identification and non-reductionist approach; and Barbato’s seminal concept of multilayered actorness is repurposed in select instances to show the varied kinds of actor the CBCP occupies within and between policy contexts. The constructed analytically eclectic framework is operationalised in the second part of thesis via the Philippine case study. The present thesis makes several original contributions to research knowledge: a) a new application of analytic eclecticism to the study of religion in IR, b) understanding of a particular religious actor in its local and global dimensions and c) an IR analysis of the CBCP in a time of political transition in the Philippines. Taken together, these contributions advance the IR discourse on religion and agency in new ways

Poseidon Linux 3.x - The scientific GNU/Linux option

This software review is about the newest version of Poseidon Linux (3.x). The current Poseidon Linux is a remastering from Ubuntu LTS family (Long Term Support), with extra specific software applicable to many areas of scientific research and education. It contains specialist software for GIS/Mapping, bathymetry, numerical modeling, 2D/3D/4D visualization, bioinformatics, chemistry, statistics, as well as tools for creating simple and complex graphics and programming languages. It also includes basic packages as would be expected on a normal desktop, such as a complete office suite, internet browser, e-mail client, instant messaging, chat, multimedia and many other tools. Poseidon Linux can run in two modes, as a live-DVD or installed on the hard disk. There are versions for 32 and 64 bit computers, and support for Brazilian Portuguese, English, Spanish, French, Greek, Italian and German languages. Resumo. Poseidon Linux 3.x – A opção científica GNU/Linux. Esta resenha trata da nova versão do software Poseidon Linux (3.x). A versão atual é uma remasterização a partir do sistema operacional Ubuntu, família LTS (Suporte de Longo Prazo), com pacotes extras para várias áreas da ciência e educação. Contém programas específicos para SIG/mapeamento, batimetria, modelagem numérica, visualização 2D/3D/4D, bioinformática, química, estatística, bem como ferramentas para elaboração de gráficos simples e complexos e linguagem de programação. Inclui também os programas necessários encontrados num sistema operacional desktop, tais como suporte completo para escritório, navegador de internet, programas para envio e recebimento de mensagens instantâneas, multimídia e várias outras ferramentas. O Poseidon Linux pode ser utilizado de duas formas: diretamente do DVD, sem instalá-lo, ou instalando-o no disco rígido do computador. É apresentado nas versões 32 e 64 bits e pode ser totalmente configurado em Português do Brasil, Inglês, Espanhol, Francês, Grego, Italiano e Alemão

Design and fabrication of ceramic beads and laminated composites for the study of stress wave mitigation

Research on theoretical models to study stress wave management has created new opportunities to design and fabricate beads and laminated composites in order to improve the material performance of engineering devices such as armors, casing for sensitive equipment, and heavy machinery. This thesis provides in detail the steps to formulate, test, and characterize the beads developed by two different approaches (sol- gel and vibration method) as well as laminated composites. Through the sol-gel method, the forming techniques and parameters for producing alumina beads using sodium alginate were developed. This simple, inexpensive, and environmentally friendly approach to producing alumina beads using bead-forming equipment occurs when a flat-tipped needle produces droplets that cross-link, forming green bodies upon contact with a CaCl2 solution. An exchange of ions takes place, where sodium alginates substitute their Na+ for Ca2+ ions to form semi-rigid bodies. Spherical ceramic beads using 50 wt% alumina suspension with 0.04 wt% polyacrylate dispersant are produced when: the viscosity of the slurry is below 0.3 Pa•s, the surface tension of the gelling solution is below 50 mN/m, and the distance of the nozzle tip to the reacting solution is approximately 3 cm. The sol-gel method approach for producing alumina beads using alginates will allow its use for any type of ceramic material, changing its chemical composition and controlling the microstructure and shape of the beads. Moreover, a second technique to make beads larger than 5 mm in diameter was established. Through the vibration approach, several types of alumina beads such as oblate, prolate, and tri-axial were produced with variable size and levels of porosity. In this approach, a formulation of 82.7 wt% alumina powder dispersed in 17.3 wt% water using 0.8 wt% ammonium salt dispersant with 0.2 wt% polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) binder was used. After the drying of the alumina slurry, the mixture becomes a paste and it is fairly solid when left at rest, but will begin to flow under applied stress. With the correct moisture content (~9 wt% water content), the alumina paste can then be placed in a vibrating table within enclosures to form beads. Through an understanding of the formation of the alumina beads, it was found that the alumina paste is a viscoelastic solid with limited strain recovery. Based on the thermal treatment process, the optimum conditions were 700 oC/1hr for calcination and 1650 oC/4hrs for sintering, where the density was 97% of the theoretical value and the compressive load of the alumina beads were 3954 + 93 N. Furthermore, the refinement step provided more insight in to mechanical performance of the alumina beads. The three stages under longer milling times revealed that during the first 50 hours at 220 rpm, the bead diameter was reduced by 0.7 %; during the second stage, the diameter remained constant; and during the third stage, the alumina bead either fractured or became misshapen. Lastly, this thesis presents the Split Hokinson Pressure Bar (SHPB) results using Brazilian disk geometry to understand the stress wave propagation in a laminated alumina/epoxy system. The impact orientation of the layered alumina/epoxy system was gradually changed every 45o from 0o to 90o in order to understand the evolution of the fracture. In addition, laminated alumina and pure epoxy samples were the control experiments to compare their dynamic responses and fracture behavior. Through careful evaluation of the tested laminate samples, it was concluded that as the angular orientation of the laminate alumina/epoxy disks increased within the tested angle of orientation from 0o to 90o, transmitted force of the laminates decreased and their failure mode changed from major delamination to minor cracks. In the case of the control experiments, the epoxy sample did not fracture because of the nature of the polymer. However, the laminated alumina sample had a minor indentation in the impacted area

State of the art of pricing policy in air transportation: network carriers vs. low-cost airlines

The modern air transport industry is highly competitive. To survive in the market, the implementation of a successful marketing strategy is fundamental. In particular, an effective pricing policy has become crucial for airlines to remain profitable. Correspondingly, the different types of airline in the market have also established very distinct pricing policies. The present study is based on a literature review and presents the state of the art of pricing policy in air transportation. The aim is to compare and discuss the pricing strategies of network carriers and low-cost airlines. Special attention is paid to Revenue Management, which is a very important management tool used by airlines to take advantage of the differences in willingness to pay of passengers. The pricing policy, however, depends on the overall business strategy of the airline. Results show many differences, resulting from the fact that these two types of airline are characterized by very different fundamental business models and, correspondingly, also target groups. Since network carriers and also low-cost airlines have adjusted their pricing strategies lately, these recent developments will be discussed as well. This paper adds to the knowledge of this topic because it presents the most up-to-date and complete study on pricing regarding network carriers vs. low-cost airlines.A moderna indústria do transporte aéreo é altamente competitiva. Para sobreviver no mercado, a implementação de uma estratégia de marketing bem-sucedida é fundamental. Em particular, uma política de preços eficaz tornou-se crucial para as companhias aéreas continuarem lucrativas. Os diferentes tipos de companhias aéreas no mercado também estabeleceram políticas de preços muito distintas. O presente estudo baseia-se numa revisão da literatura e apresenta o estado da arte da política de preços no transporte aéreo. O objetivo é comparar e discutir as estratégias de preços de companhias aéreas de linha e companhias aéreas de baixo custo. Atenção especial é dada à Gestão de Receitas (Revenue Management), que é uma ferramenta de gestão usada pelas companhias aéreas para aproveitar as diferenças na disposição de pagar dos passageiros. A política de preços, no entanto, depende da estratégia geral de negócios da companhia aérea. Os resultados mostram muitas diferenças, resultantes do facto de que esses dois tipos de companhias aéreas são caracterizados por modelos de negócios fundamentais muito diferentes e, correspondentemente, também grupos-alvo. Como as operadoras de rede e também as companhias aéreas de baixo custo ajustaram as suas estratégias de preços ultimamente, esses desenvolvimentos recentes também serão discutidos. Este documento contribui para o conhecimento deste tópico, pois apresenta o estudo mais atualizado e completo sobre preços de companhias aéreas de linha versus companhias aéreas de baixo custo.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio