Improving the quality of homework of culturally and linguistically diverse students through translation for parents

The purpose of this study was to determine if culturally and linguistically diverse (CLD) students were provided with Spanish versions of homework for their parents to assist them, their homework performance would improve. Research has shown that in order to remove biases in education, the academic program and the characteristics of the student must be compatible. The sample consisted of 6 CLD students in the same Social Studies class. Student grades on homework were used to determine if student homework averages increased when homework assignments were translated into the parent\u27s native language. The results of the study does give some support to the hypothesis that the homework performance of CLD students would improve when they were sent home with homework in both Spanish and English. Through the results it was apparent that some students had a slight increase in their averages when comparing the pre and post-data of both homework and test averages

Winter Flows in the Mackenzie Drainage System

Winter low flow of northern rivers refers to the diminished discharge between the time of rapid flow reduction in the freeze-up period and the arrival of spring freshet, when the flow makes a quick rise. For the Mackenzie River in Canada, the duration of the winter low-flow season so defined varies considerably within the river’s large basin (1.8 million km2); therefore, to give a common time frame that enables between-basin comparison we consider 1 November to 31 March as the winter flow season. Several hydroclimatic conditions influence winter flows to varying degrees. Lengthy periods of sub-freezing temper­atures inhibit rain events and prevent snowmelt, while the formation of river ice increases channel storage at the expense of discharge. Groundwater sustains baseflow, and the flow amount at most stations is related to autumnal discharge, which reflects groundwater storage status in the pre-winter season. Large reservoirs and lakes provide substantially higher winter flows than their neighboring non-lake areas. Winter flow increases downstream as more water is gathered from the expanded drainage network, but flow contribution varies: larger baseflow is delivered from uplands than from lowlands, and discharge from the Williston Lake reservoir, regulated for hydropower production, provides about half of the total winter flow of the Mackenzie. Monotonic linear trends in winter flow are detected statistically for some tributaries, but the effect of short-term flow variability and the confounding influence of managed flow should be evaluated when considering long-term tendencies and their causative factors.L’étiage des rivières du Nord en hiver est lié à la réduction du débit d’eau entre le moment de l’amenuisement de l’écoulement rapide pendant la période de la prise des glaces et l’arrivée de la crue nivale printanière, lorsque le débit augmente rapidement. Dans le cas du fleuve Mackenzie, au Canada, la durée de la saison de l’étiage hivernal ainsi défini varie considé­rablement à la grandeur du grand bassin du fleuve (1,8 million km2). Par conséquent, pour aboutir à une période de référence permettant de comparer divers bassins, nous considérons que la saison du débit hivernal se déroule du 1er novembre au 31 mars. Plusieurs conditions hydroclimatiques influencent le débit hivernal selon divers degrés. De longues périodes de températures sous le point de congélation empêchent la pluie et la fonte des neiges de se produire, tandis que la formation de glace fluviale augmente l’emmagasinement en cours d’eau au détriment du débit d’eau. L’eau souterraine nourrit le débit de base, et à la plupart des stations, la quantité d’écoulement est liée au débit d’eau automnal, qui résulte de l’état d’emmagasinement d’eau souterraine pendant la saison préhivernale. En présence de grands réservoirs et de grands lacs, l’écoulement hivernal est beaucoup plus important que dans les milieux environnants où il n’y a pas de lacs. L’écoulement hivernal s’intensifie en aval, au fur et à mesure que de plus grandes quantités d’eau sont recueillies à partir du réseau hydrographique, mais l’écoulement varie : les hautes terres produisent un plus grand débit de base que les basses terres, et le débit d’eau du réservoir du lac Williston, régularisé en vue de la production d’électricité, fournit environ la moitié de l’écoulement hivernal total du fleuve Mackenzie. Des tendances linéaires monotones caractérisant l’écoulement hivernal sont détectées, à l’aide de statistiques, à partir de certains affluents, mais l’effet de la variabilité de l’écoulement à court terme et l’influence confusionnelle de l’écoulement prescrit devraient être pris en compte dans la considération des tendances à long terme et de leurs facteurs causals.Mots clés : étiage, eau souterraine, emmagasinement dans les lacs, glace fluviale, écoulement régularisé, réservoir, tendance, fleuve Mackenzi

Streamflow in the Mackenzie Basin, Canada

Rivers of the Mackenzie Basin exhibit several seasonal flow patterns that include the nival (snowmelt dominated), proglacial (influenced by glacier melt), wetland, prolacustrine (below large lakes), and regulated flow regimes. The Mackenzie amalgamates and moderates these regimes to deliver spring peak flows, followed by declining summer discharge and low winter flows, to the Arctic Ocean. The mountainous sub-basins in the west (Liard, Peace, and northern mountains) contribute about 60% of the Mackenzie flow, while the interior plains and eastern Canadian Shield contribute only about 25%, even though the two regions have similar total areas (each occupying about 40% of the total Mackenzie Basin). The mountain zone is the dominant flow contributor to the Mackenzie in both high-flow and low-flow years. A case study of the Great Slave system demonstrates the effects of natural runoff, regulated runoff, and lake storage on streamflow, as well as the large year-to-year variability of lake levels and discharge. Despite a warming trend in the past three decades, annual runoff of the Mackenzie Basin has not changed. Significant warming at most climatic stations in April (and at some, also in May or June) could have triggered earlier snowmelt. The first day of hydrograph rise for the main trunk of the Mackenzie (seen as a proxy for breakup) has advanced by about three days per decade, though the trend was not statistically significant for the mountain rivers. Peak flows do not reveal any trend, but the arrival of the spring peaks has become more variable. More evidence is needed to interpret these flow phenomena properly.Les rivières du bassin du Mackenzie manifestent plusieurs modèles d'écoulement qui comprennent les régimes d'écoulement nival (dominé par la fonte des neiges), proglaciaire (influencé par la fonte glaciaire), de marécages, prolascustre (en aval de grands lacs) et régularisé. Le Mackenzie combine et modère ces régimes pour donner des débits de pointe au printemps, suivis d'un débit à la baisse en été, puis de faibles débits en hiver, en direction de l'océan Arctique. Les sous-bassins montagneux occidentaux (Liard, Peace et montagnes du Nord) contribuent pour environ 60 % au débit du Mackenzie, tandis que les plaines intérieures et le Bouclier canadien oriental ne contribuent que pour environ 25 %, même si les deux régions ont une superficie globale semblable (chacune occupant environ 40 % de la superficie totale du bassin du Mackenzie). La zone montagneuse apporte la contribution majeure au régime du Mackenzie, dans les années à fort débit comme dans celles à faible débit. Une étude de cas du réseau du Grand lac des Esclaves révèle l'impact sur le débit fluvial de l'écoulement naturel, de l'écoulement régularisé et de la hauteur d'eau dans le lac, ainsi que la grande variabilité d'une année sur l'autre du niveau et du débit des lacs. Malgré la tendance au réchauffement des trois dernières décennies, l'écoulement annuel du bassin du Mackenzie n'a pas changé. Un réchauffement notable enregistré à la plupart des stations climatiques en avril (et à certaines aussi en mai ou juin) pourrait avoir provoqué une fonte nivale précoce. Le premier jour où se manifeste l'augmentation du régime hydrique pour l'artère principale du Mackenzie (considéré comme un indicateur de la débâcle) a avancé d'environ trois jours par décennie, bien que statistiquement cette tendance ne soit pas significative pour les rivières de montagne. Les débits de pointe ne révèlent aucune tendance, mais l'arrivée des pics printaniers est devenue plus variable. Il faudrait des preuves supplémentaires pour interpréter correctement ces phénomènes d'écoulement

Summer Low Flow Events in the Mackenzie River System

Most northern rivers experience recurrent low flow conditions in the summer (June to September), and rivers of the Mackenzie Basin are no exception. Low flow affects water supply, poses problems for river traffic, and can adversely affect aquatic ecology. Factors that affect summer low flow, which encompasses flows below specified discharge thresholds of concern, include evapotranspiration that leads to water loss from flow-contributing areas, antecedent high flow in which peak discharge is followed by gradual recession to low flow, rainfall and local glacier melt events that interrupt low discharge, replenishments of flow from upstream drainage networks, and arbitrary termination of summer low flow at the end of September. The storage mechanism of large lakes and the regulation effect of reservoirs can produce low flow regimes that differ from those exhibited by rivers without such storage functions. For most rivers, low flow events of longer duration cause larger deficits, and events with large deficits are accompanied by lower minimum discharge. The deficit-to-demand ratio measures the extent to which river flow fails to satisfy water needs. Applying this index to rivers of the Mackenzie drainage shows the hazard of streamflow drought in the basin. Low flow attributes can be summarized by their probability distributions: Gumbel distribution for minimum discharge of events and generalized exponential distribution for event duration. By fitting theoretical distributions to recorded events, one can estimate the probability of occurrence of low flow events that did not occur in the historical past.La plupart des rivières du Nord connaissent des conditions récurrentes de faible débit estival (de juin à septembre), et les rivières du bassin du Mackenzie n’y font pas exception. Le faible débit a des incidences sur l’approvisionnement en eau, pose des problèmes sur le plan du trafic fluvial et peut nuire à l’écologie aquatique. Les facteurs qui influencent le faible débit estival, incluant les débits sous les seuils de préoccupation indiqués, comprennent l’évapotranspiration qui entraîne des pertes en eau des segments contribuant à l’écoulement, un antécédent de débit élevé pour lequel le débit de pointe est suivi d’une diminution progressive jusqu’à un faible débit, des épisodes de chutes de pluie et de fontes des glaciers locaux qui interrompent le faible débit, la réalimentation en eau des réseaux hydrographiques en amont et l’arrêt arbitraire du faible débit estival à la fin de septembre. Le mécanisme de stockage des grands lacs et l’effet de régularisation des réservoirs peuvent produire des régimes de faible débit qui diffèrent de ceux présentés par les rivières qui ne possèdent pas de telles fonctions de stockage. Pour la plupart des rivières, les épisodes de faible débit de plus longue durée occasionnent de plus grands déficits et les épisodes assortis de plus grands déficits sont accompagnés de débits minimaux plus faibles. La mesure entre le déficit et la demande indique à quel point le débit fluvial ne réussit pas à répondre aux besoins en eau. Cet indice appliqué aux rivières du bassin du Mackenzie démontre le risque de sécheresse de l’écoulement fluvial dans le bassin. Les caractéristiques du faible débit peuvent se résumer par la distribution de leurs probabilités : une distribution de Gumbel pour les épisodes de débit minimal et une distribution exponentielle généralisée pour la durée de l’épisode. En appliquant ces distributions théoriques aux épisodes enregistrés, il est possible d’estimer la probabilité de l’occurrence des épisodes de faible débit qui n’ont pas eu lieu dans le passé historique

Exploring Resilience and Individual Differences

Few studies have investigated the relationships among resilience, optimism, and personality traits with U.S. college students; although some work has been done with Chinese university students. The current study explores the relationship between resilience, optimism and the Big Five personality traits. A sample of 251 undergraduate students completed the Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale (CD-RISC), the 9-item version of the Personal Optimism & Self-Efficacy Optimism Scale (POSE-E), and the NEO- Five Factor Inventory (NEO-FFI). Results indicate a significant positive relationship between resilience and optimism. The results also indicate positive significant relationships between resilience and extraversion, as well as resilience and conscientiousness. A significant negative significant relationship between resilience and neuroticism was found. The results of this study helpful identify characteristics of students who are at-risk following life stressors and traumas

Reference hydrologic networks II: using reference hydrologic networks to assess climate-driven changes in streamflow

Reference hydrologic networks (RHNs) can play an important role in monitoring for changes in the hydrological regime related to climate variation and change. Currently, the literature concerning hydrological response to climate variations is complex and confounded by the combinations of many methods of analysis, wide variations in hydrology, and the inclusion of data series that include changes in land use, storage regulation and water use in addition to those of climate. Three case studies that illustrate a variety of approaches to the analysis of data from RHNs are presented and used, together with a summary of studies from the literature, to develop approaches for the investigation of changes in the hydrological regime at a continental or global scale, particularly for international comparison. We present recommendations for an analysis framework and the next steps to advance such an initiative. There is a particular focus on the desirability of establishing standardized procedures and methodologies for both the creation of new national RHNs and the systematic analysis of data derived from a collection of RHNs

Heat and drought impact on carbon exchange in an age-sequence of temperate pine forests

Background Most North American temperate forests are plantation or regrowth forests, which are actively managed. These forests are in different stages of their growth cycles and their ability to sequester atmospheric carbon is affected by extreme weather events. In this study, the impact of heat and drought events on carbon sequestration in an age-sequence (80, 45, and 17 years as of 2019) of eastern white pine (Pinus strobus L.) forests in southern Ontario, Canada was examined using eddy covariance flux measurements from 2003 to 2019. Results Over the 17-year study period, the mean annual values of net ecosystem productivity (NEP) were 180 +/- 96, 538 +/- 177 and 64 +/- 165 g C m(-2) yr(-1) in the 80-, 45- and 17-year-old stands, respectively, with the highest annual carbon sequestration rate observed in the 45-year-old stand. We found that air temperature (Ta) was the dominant control on NEP in all three different-aged stands and drought, which was a limiting factor for both gross ecosystem productivity (GEP) and ecosystems respiration (RE), had a smaller impact on NEP. However, the simultaneous occurrence of heat and drought events during the early growing seasons or over the consecutive years had a significant negative impact on annual NEP in all three forests. We observed a similar trend of NEP decline in all three stands over three consecutive years that experienced extreme weather events, with 2016 being a hot and dry, 2017 being a dry, and 2018 being a hot year. The youngest stand became a net source of carbon for all three of these years and the oldest stand became a small source of carbon for the first time in 2018 since observations started in 2003. However, in 2019, all three stands reverted to annual net carbon sinks. Conclusions Our study results indicate that the timing, frequency and concurrent or consecutive occurrence of extreme weather events may have significant implications for carbon sequestration in temperate conifer forests in Eastern North America. This study is one of few globally available to provide long-term observational data on carbon exchanges in different-aged temperate plantation forests. It highlights interannual variability in carbon fluxes and enhances our understanding of the responses of these forest ecosystems to extreme weather events. Study results will help in developing climate resilient and sustainable forestry practices to offset atmospheric greenhouse gas emissions and improving simulation of carbon exchange processes in terrestrial ecosystem models

DEVILS: cosmic evolution of SED-derived metallicities and their connection to star formation histories

Gas-phase metallicities of galaxies are typically measured through auroral or nebular emission lines, but metallicity also leaves an imprint on the overall spectral energy distribution (SED) of a galaxy and can be estimated through SED fitting. We use the PROSPECT SED fitting code with a flexible parametric star formation history and an evolving metallicity history to self-consistently measure metallicities, stellar mass, and other galaxy properties for 90 000 galaxies from the Deep Extragalactic VIsible Legacy Survey (DEVILS) and Galaxy and Mass Assembly (GAMA) survey. We use these to trace the evolution of the mass–metallicity relation (MZR) and show that the MZR only evolves in normalization by 0.1 dex at stellar mass M = 1010.5 M. We find no difference in the MZR between galaxies with and without SED evidence of active galactic nuclei emission at low redshifts (z \u3c 0.3). Our results suggest an anticorrelation between metallicity and star formation activity at fixed stellar mass for galaxies with M \u3e 1010.5 M for z \u3c 0.3. Using the star formation histories extracted using PROSPECT we explore higher order correlations of the MZR with properties of the star formation history including age, width, and shape. We find that at a given stellar mass, galaxies with higher metallicities formed most of their mass over shorter time-scales, and before their peak star formation rate. This work highlights the value of exploring the connection of a galaxy’s current gas-phase metallicity to its star formation history in order to understand the physical processes shaping the MZR

Extension of the TAMSAT satellite-based rainfall monitoring over Africa and from 1983 to present

Tropical Applications of Meteorology Using Satellite Data and Ground-Based Observations (TAMSAT) rainfall monitoring products have been extended to provide spatially contiguous rainfall estimates across Africa. This has been achieved through a new, climatology-based calibration, which varies in both space and time. As a result, cumulative estimates of rainfall are now issued at the end of each 10-day period (dekad) at 4-km spatial resolution with pan-African coverage. The utility of the products for decision making is improved by the routine provision of validation reports, for which the 10-day (dekadal) TAMSAT rainfall estimates are compared with independent gauge observations. This paper describes the methodology by which the TAMSAT method has been applied to generate the pan-African rainfall monitoring products. It is demonstrated through comparison with gauge measurements that the method provides skillful estimates, although with a systematic dry bias. This study illustrates TAMSAT’s value as a complementary method of estimating rainfall through examples of successful operational application