A Phenomenological Exploration of Teacher Training Regarding Academically Advanced/High-Ability Students

The needs of academically advanced/high-ability students may not be met in today\u27s schools. When educational needs are not met, students may not reach full potential, may lose intrinsic motivation for learning, and may develop poor work and study habits. The rural school district involved in this study lacks a formal gifted and talented program. The purpose of this qualitative, phenomenological research study was to explore the lived experiences of 15 K-8 teachers in the identified school district via individual interviews. The National Association for Gifted Children\u27s knowledge and skill standards in gifted and talented education served as the conceptual framework for this study. The research questions explored teacher training for working with academically advanced students and the skills and knowledge teachers feel they require on this topic. Possible supports and barriers to the implementation of these skills and knowledge were also addressed. Data were analyzed using Moustakas\u27s approach to Husserl\u27s transcendental phenomenology. Three conclusions from the findings indicated that teachers have received very little to no preservice and inservice training on the topic; district teaming situations are a training strength; and regular, on-going training on the topic of academically advanced students is necessary. Recommendations include incorporating a scope and sequence to the curriculum for academically advanced students, implementing state/federal mandates for these students, and integrating this study\u27s conceptual framework into teacher preservice programs and staff development. In addition to contributing to potential positive social change in the school district, the results may inform training practices in other districts, preservice programs, and state policy formation, all of which can impact learning and well-being of academically advanced/high-ability students

Cosmogenic ³⁵S measurements in the Tibetan Plateau to quantify glacier snowmelt

The cosmogenic radionuclide ³⁵S (t₁/₂ ~ 87 days) is a unique tracer for high-altitude air mass and has been used extensively to understand stratospheric air mass mixing. In this paper, we investigate if ³⁵S can be utilized as an independent tracer to quantify glacier melt. We report the first measurements of ³⁵S in samples collected from the Tibetan Plateau during 2009–2012 with an aim to interpret ³⁵S in atmospheric particles and their deposition over glacier and snowmelts. Our measurements show that ³⁵S activity in the aerosol phase varies from 116 ± 13 to 2229 ± 52 atoms/m³ resulting in higher values during winter–spring and lower values during summer–autumn. This seasonality is likely due to higher mixing of ³⁵S-rich stratospheric air masses during winter–spring and ³⁵S-poor air masses from the Bay of Bengal during the Asian summer monsoon. The average ³⁵S activity in the Zhadang glacier was found to be 3–8 times higher relative to the nearby lake water. The main source of ³⁵S activity in the Zhadang glacier is atmospheric deposition, whereas both atmospheric deposition and glacier snowmelt are the primary sources in the Nam Co Lake. The focus of this study is to quantitatively determine the spatial and temporal variations in glacier snowmelt. In the future, extensive sampling of aerosols and snow is required for determining ³⁵S in combination with stable oxygen isotopes in sulfate to better understand the glacier melt process and hydrological cycle on the Tibetan Plateau

After the peak water: the increasing influence of rock glaciers on alpine river systems

Human-accelerated climate change is quickly leading to glacier-free mountains, with consequences for the ecology and hydrology of alpine river systems. Water origin (i.e. glacier, snowmelt, precipitation, groundwater) is a key control on multiple facets of alpine stream ecosystems, since it drives the physico-chemical template of the habitat in which ecological communities reside and interact, and ecosystem processes occur. Accordingly, distinct alpine stream types and associated communities have been identified. However, unlike streams fed by glaciers (i.e. kryal), groundwater (i.e. krenal), and snowmelt-precipitation (i.e. rhithral), those fed by rock glaciers are still poorly documented. We characterized the physical and chemical features of these streams and investigated the influence of rock glaciers on the habitat template of alpine river networks. We analysed two subcatchments in a deglaciating area of the Central European Alps, where rock glacier-fed, groundwater-fed, and glacier-fed streams are all present. We monitored the spatial, seasonal, and diel variability of physical conditions (i.e. water temperature, turbidity, channel stability, discharge) and chemical variables (electrical conductivity, major ions and trace element concentrations) during the snowmelt, glacier ablation, and flow recession periods of two consecutive years. We observed distinct physical and chemical conditions and seasonal responses for the different stream types. Rock glacial streams were characterized by very low and constant water temperatures, stable channels, clear waters, and high concentrations of ions and trace elements that increased as summer progressed. Furthermore, one rock glacier strongly influenced the habitat template of downstream waters due to high solute export, especially in late summer under increased permafrost thaw. Given their unique set of environmental conditions, we suggest that streams fed by thawing rock glaciers are distinct river habitats that differ from those normally classified for alpine streams. Rock glaciers may become increasingly important in shaping the hydroecology of alpine river systems under continued deglaciation

Impact of Patient Prescription History on Emergency Department Opioid Prescribing for Acute Pain

With prescription opioid abuse having reached epidemic proportions, Emergency Department clinicians must assess the safety of prescribing opioid pain medication to patients for whom they have limited information or history. Prescription Drug Monitoring Programs (PDMPs) may provide information that impacts prescribing. In an online survey, 37 emergency physicians and physician assistants indicated their likelihood to prescribe opioids to three fictional patients with acute, non-cancer pain before and after reviewing each patient’s PDMP profile. Our main finding is that respondents were less likely to prescribe opioids in all three scenarios after viewing the PDMP profiles. PDMP profiles may substantively impact a prescriber’s likelihood to prescribe opioids in certain acute pain situations

Power electronics design : a practitioner's guide /

This book serves as an invaluable reference to Power Electronics Design, covering the application of high-power semiconductor technology to large motor drives, power supplies, power conversion equipment, electric utility auxiliaries and numerous other applications. Design engineers, design drafters and technicians in the power electronics industry, as well as students studying power electronics in various contexts, will benefit from Keith Sueker's decades of experience in the industry. With this experience, the author has put the overall power electronics design process in the context of primary electronic components and the many associated components required for a system. The seeming complexity of power electronics design is made transparent with Keith Sueker's simple, direct language and a minimum reliance on mathematics. Readers will come away with a wealth of practical design information that has hundreds of explanatory diagrams to support it, having also seen many examples of potential pitfalls in the design process.1. Electric Power -- 2. Power Apparatus -- 3. Analytical Tools -- 4. Feedback Control Systems -- 5. Transients -- 6. Traveling Waves -- 7. Transformers and Reactors -- 8. Rotating Machines -- 9. Rectifiers and Converters -- 10. Phase Control -- 11. Series and Parallel Operation -- 12. Pulsed Converters -- 13. Switchmode Systems -- 14. Power Factor and Harmonics -- 15. Thermal Considerations -- 16. Power Electronics Applications.This book serves as an invaluable reference to Power Electronics Design, covering the application of high-power semiconductor technology to large motor drives, power supplies, power conversion equipment, electric utility auxiliaries and numerous other applications. Design engineers, design drafters and technicians in the power electronics industry, as well as students studying power electronics in various contexts, will benefit from Keith Sueker's decades of experience in the industry. With this experience, the author has put the overall power electronics design process in the context of primary electronic components and the many associated components required for a system. The seeming complexity of power electronics design is made transparent with Keith Sueker's simple, direct language and a minimum reliance on mathematics. Readers will come away with a wealth of practical design information that has hundreds of explanatory diagrams to support it, having also seen many examples of potential pitfalls in the design process.Elsevie