Scoring the sum of correlated results in analytical proficiency testing

In proficiency tests the participants' results are usually converted into scores. In some schemes the participants are required to report the sum of the concentrations of a number of analytes and this total also is converted into a score. In such instances the scoring procedure for the total should be mathematically consistent with that for the separate analytes. When these analytes are determined from a single test portion, however, the errors in the results from a participant are likely to be correlated because some stages of the analysis are common to all of the analytes. For a consistent outcome, the scoring method must take account of such correlation

Nonlinear dynamic Interactions between flow-induced galloping and shell-like buckling

Acknowledgement The research of J.S. is supported by EPSRC Grant EP/J010820/1.Peer reviewedPublisher PD

Radiation Pressure Feedback in Galaxies

We evaluate radiation pressure from starlight on dust as a feedback mechanism in star-forming galaxies by comparing the luminosity and flux of star-forming systems to the dust Eddington limit. The linear LFIR--L'HCN correlation provides evidence that galaxies may be regulated by radiation pressure feedback. We show that star-forming galaxies approach but do not dramatically exceed Eddington, but many systems are significantly below Eddington, perhaps due to the "intermittency" of star formation. Better constraints on the dust-to-gas ratio and the CO- and HCN-to-H2 conversion factors are needed to make a definitive assessment of radiation pressure as a feedback mechanism.Comment: To appear in "Conditions and impact of star formation: New results with Herschel and beyond", Proceedings of the 5th Zermatt ISM symposium. 2 pages, 2 figure

Initial teacher education for the education and training sector in England: development and change in generic and subject specialist provision

This report reviews the current system of initial teacher education (ITE) for the education and training sector and its development from earlier systems. The report also discusses subject-specialist teaching in the education and training sector, leading to a provisional assessment of the potential of the current ITE system for enhancing subject-specialist pedagogy. The report begins by contextualising the development of ITE from the post-war period to the beginning of the New Labour years, followed by a more detailed discussion of the reforms introduced by Labour governments in 2001 and 2007 and the moves away from regulation introduced by the Conservative–Liberal Democrat Coalition government. The report then discusses the main features of the qualifications framework established following the Lingfield Review of 2011-12. The final part of the report focuses on the development of subject-specialist pedagogy in ITE courses, relating concerns expressed by Ofsted to debates about teacher knowledge and vocational pedagogies. A model for understanding approaches to subject-specialist pedagogy is developed, and applied to consider the potential of the current ITE system for strengthening this area of professional development

Sport Specific Drinking Motives Among Male Collegiate Hockey Players

Research shows that student athletes are consuming more alcohol than any other population on college campuses. Many studies have suggested that the culture of sport combined with the social setting and pressures of playing on a team put these athletes at a high risk for drinking heavily and suffering multiple alcohol related consequences. One area of research that has not been studied is the concept of sport specific drinking motives. Each individual sport has a unique culture and with it very diverse personalities. For this reason, we hypothesize that individual sports will likewise have unique drinking motives and expectations with regard to alcohol use. In particular, hockey players at UAF may drink for different reasons than the general UAF population

Surface Water Infiltration in Loess Soils of the Lower Mississippi River Valley: An Emphasis on Land Use

The Alluvial Aquifer is the shallowest and most heavily used groundwater aquifer in the Lower Mississippi River Valley, particularly in the Delta region of eastern Arkansas. However, the Alluvial Aquifer is being depleted faster than the rate of recharge, primarily due to excessive withdrawals for irrigated crop production. Since extensive irrigation in the highly agriculturally productive Delta region of eastern Arkansas has been a main culprit in the groundwater depletion issues the region faces, a better understanding of how ecological factors and/or agricultural best management practices could possibly increase infiltration, to consequently increase recharge, are needed in order to either slow down or reverse the declining aquifer levels through the Delta region of eastern Arkansas. Therefore, the objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of landuse on surface water infiltration into alluvial and loessial soils in the Delta region of eastern Arkansas. Landuse combinations of interest included conventional and no-tillage agricultural practices, deciduous and coniferous forests, and native/natural grasslands. Replicate infiltration measurements were conducted using a double-ring infiltrometer, with a 15-cm inner-ring diameter, across multiple sites representing each of the five landuses. Despite the initial soil water content being greater (P \u3c 0.05) in the grassland than in all other ecosystems, the overall infiltration rate into the deciduous forest ecosystem (1.2 cm hr-1) was greater (P \u3c 0.05) than all other landuse types, which did not differ and averaged 0.10 cm hr-1. In addition, though the slope of the relationship between the natural logarithm of the infiltration rate versus the mid-point of time was unaffected (P \u3e 0.05) by landuse, the intercept parameter differed (P \u3c 0.05) among landuses. Results of this study demonstrated that landuse significantly affects infiltration processes in the fine-textured loessial and alluvial soils in the Delta region of eastern Arkansas; thus, further research is warranted into factors that can increase surface infiltration and potentially groundwater recharge

Social Class and Concern for Climate Change in UNH College Students

This study explores the relationship between college students’ social class and level of concern for climate change. A survey was administered to 355 students at the University of New Hampshire, in the Fall of 2015. Using this data, this paper examines social class, as measured by parental college degree status, in relation to concern for climate change. The results show no statistically significant relationship between the independent and dependent variables for the entire sample, but a statically significant relationship among female respondents who were very concerned about climate change. Specifically, of women whose parents have a college degree, 37% responded with very concerned, only 18% of women whose parents do not have a college degree responded with very concerned. Further research with more in-depth measures of social class and with larger and more representative samples is recommended