Trade Liberalization and Environmental Quality: Opposing Viewpoints, Additional Issues, and the Necessity of Intervention

International trade, while promoting economic growth and development, is one of many suspects contributing to excessive rates of environmental degradation. Free trade compromises environmental quality in favor of welfare improvements and economic prosperity. The difficulty of measuring environmental amenities, trade theory’s inability to address externalities and decisions overtime, and numerous market failures regarding socially optimal prices, serve as red flags requiring intervention. The most successful form of intervention is domestic policies that internalize externalities. Intervention is also necessary to balance the interests of environmentalists and free traders and to ensure that the gains from trade are devoted to environmental protection

Model for Change: A Rural Elementary School

An unusual program in a small, rural school uses individualized instruction, student self-scheduling, freedom, an outdoor classroom, teachers-as-advisers, learning centers rather than classrooms, and a library which is the true heart of the school

Die Eignung der Leitfähigkeitsmessung zur Eutergesundheitsüberwachung bei Milchschafen

Sheep milk production is not very common in Germany. Only 10,000 sheep are used for milking. However, a considerable number of farmers work according to the stan-dards of organic farming. Only farm dairies process the milk and sell the products directly to the consumer. Thus, the quality of the raw milk has to be high although the EU regulations for sheep milk are not as strict as for cow’s milk. Animal recording is not a standard in dairy sheep production and farmers lack the information which might be gained by this monthly monitoring of each animal. Animal side tests are necessary and the aim of our study was to investigate the usability of conductivity measurement as an indicator of sub clinical mastitis in ewes. Data were collected from 164 ewes in six organic dairy sheep farms. At first, electrical conductivity (EC) of foremilk was measured to avoid the influence of alveolar milk ejection. Afterwards samples for cyto-bacteriological analyses were gained aseptically. 318 samples could be used for statistical analysis. Prevalence of sub clinical mastitis was low. Only 5.3% of all sam-ples showed a somatic cell count over 100,000 cells per ml in combination with a positive result of the bacteriological investigation. The important pathogens were coagulase-negative staphylococci (79.1% of all positive tested samples). Mean EC was low, but differed significantly between the group of udder halves with normal secretion and with mastitis: 4.9 and 5.5 mS/cm, respectively. The calculation of EC differences between the halves of each udder leaded to the same result: healthy halves had a mean difference of 0.1 mS/cm; 0.4 mS/cm was the difference between healthy and mastitic halves. Nevertheless, the EC difference was to low to use it as an indicator alone. EC measurement can be used to monitor udder health in dairy sheep, but should be carried out on a regular base to achieve reliable results

SUBmercial: Research at its Closest Proximity

Located off the coast of Northern California, just west of Eureka and Humboldt Bay, it is the intention of mine to design a site specific research facility to primarily study oceanic activity. Responding to the planet’s current environmental conditions, I feel it necessary for solutions to manifest themselves within the realm of sustainable, as well as in an interest for future energy sources. The planet’s oceans hold one possible answer for this. By committing to a project that focuses on researching water at an extremely close proximity, it will also strive for the ability to be dependent on water for its own energy needs. Thus, the function of the structure will be of the highest expectation. Buildings make up the largest culprit of emitting carbon dioxide gases, but in addition to this, pollution of ground water and many others are directly related to my project

Ein haptischer Zugang zu Moden von Kugelschwingungen

Kugelschwingungen können anhand der Anzahl und Lage ihrer Knotenflächen klassifiziert werden. Die Geometriekann allerdings nicht einfach in zwei Dimensionen dargestellt werden. Ein Lösungsansatz ist daher die Darstellungmittels Animationen und 3D-gedruckten haptischen Modellen. Dieser Ansatz bietet eine Möglichkeit, das Lernenvon Kugelflächenfunktionen und Kugelschwingungen sinnvoll zu unterstützen

Ein haptischer Zugang zu Moden von Kugelschwingungen

Kugelschwingungen können anhand der Anzahl und Lage ihrer Knotenflächen klassifiziert werden. Die Geometriekann allerdings nicht einfach in zwei Dimensionen dargestellt werden. Ein Lösungsansatz ist daher die Darstellungmittels Animationen und 3D-gedruckten haptischen Modellen. Dieser Ansatz bietet eine Möglichkeit, das Lernenvon Kugelflächenfunktionen und Kugelschwingungen sinnvoll zu unterstützen

Interaktion von Erfahrungsgrad und Modelleinsatz bei Tree-Reading-Prozessen

Diagramme phylogenetischer Verwandtschaft (DpV) modellieren Hypothesen zu evolutiven Verwandtschaftsverhältnissen von Arten oder Populationen. Das Interpretieren und Vergleichen von DpV wird als Tree-Reading bezeichnet und ist essentiell für das Evolutionsverständnis. DpV werden in der Wissenschaft als Modelle verwendet, um Wissen zu kommunizieren (medialer Modelleinsatz) und neue Erkenntnisse zu generieren (methodischer Modelleinsatz). Im Biologieunterricht werden Modelle oft nur medial eingesetzt. Während Wissenschaftler:innen mit einschlägigem Forschungsschwerpunkt die wissenschaftlich erforderlichen Ausprägungen von Tree-Reading vorweisen, weichen Lernende mit oberflächlichen oder wissenschaftlich inadäquaten Aussagen zu DpV häufig davon ab. Die vorliegende Studie untersucht anhand verbaler und visueller Daten, inwiefern der Erfahrungsgrad mit DpV und der Modelleinsatz bei Tree-Reading-Prozessen interagieren. Wissenschaftler:innen mit hohem Erfahrungsgrad mit DpV (n = 10) und Studierende des Master of Education Biologie mit niedrigem Erfahrungsgrad (n = 15) bearbeiteten Aufgaben, in denen DpV im medialen oder im methodischen Modelleinsatz eingebettet waren. Die Studierenden zeigten heterogene Tree-Reading-Prozesse, die sich teilweise nicht von denen von Wissenschaftler:innen unterschieden. Dies lässt sich mit dem Revised STREAM (Schramm, Jose, & Schmiemann, 2021) erklären, das Tree-Reading in fünf Dimensionen einteilt, die in unterschiedlicher Ausprägung beherrscht werden können. Entsprechend sollte Tree-Reading bei Lernenden individuell gefördert werden, um das Evolutionsverständnis und das Verständnis gesellschaftsrelevanter Themen zu stärken. Die vorliegende Studie bietet erstmals umfassende Einblicke in Tree-Reading-Prozesse und ist damit Ausgangspunkt für tiefergehende Untersuchungen der einzelnen Aspekte.Phylogenetic trees (PT) model hypotheses about evolutionary relationships among species or populations. Interpreting and comparing PT is defined as tree reading and is essential for understanding evolution. PT as models are used in science to communicate knowledge (medial perspective) and to generate new insights (methodical perspective). In biology classrooms, model use is often limited to the medial perspective. While experienced scientists exhibit scientifically adequate tree reading, learners often show superficial and scientifically inadequate tree reading. Based on verbal and visual data the present study investigates how the degree of experience with PT and the perspective from which models are used interact in tree reading processes. Scientists with a high degree of experience with PT (n = 10) and pre-service biology teachers with low degree of experience (n = 15) solved tasks with medially and methodically embedded PT, respectively. Pre-service teachers showed heterogeneous tree reading processes, which sometimes did not differ from scientists’ processes. This is in line with the Revised STREAM (Schramm, Jose, & Schmiemann, 2021) dividing tree reading into five dimensions that learners can master on differing levels. Corresponding to these findings, learners’ tree reading skills should be fostered individually to strengthen understanding of evolution and socially relevant issues. The present study provides unique and comprehensive insights into tree reading processes and thus represents a starting point for more profound investigation of the found aspects

The Future Quantum Workforce: Competences, Requirements and Forecasts

With the increasing industrial relevance of new quantum technologies, a well educated quantum workforce becomes increasingly crucial. The foreseeable lack of workforce raises important questions. What are the expectations regarding the future relevance of second generation quantum technologies? What are the requirements for the workforce in the coming quantum industry? Which competences, knowledge and skills should the future employees have? In this paper, we report the results of our study that was aimed at mapping requirements and forecasts for the future quantum workforce. Our study consisted of three consecutive survey rounds. In total, we gathered $188$ responses from industry and academic experts across Europe. Our study results served as an input for the development of the European Competence Framework for Quantum Technologies, delivered by the project QTEdu CSA for the European Quantum Flagship. In addition, we will discuss predictions from experts related to the future quantum workforce, including the expected industrial relevance of the main areas of quantum technologies, the need for educational efforts, and the expected influence of quantum technologies on everyday life.Comment: 19 pages, 10 figures; reviewed version to be published in Phys. Rev. Phys. Educ. Re

Beyond Unprecedented S3 Ep2 ESG: Losing Its Cool

The corporate environmental, social, and governance (ESG) movement has come under fire. After many large corporations began to adopt specific ESG measures in response to shareholder pressure, other shareholder groups are trying to undo them. Inclusive Capital Partners co-founders Lynn Forester de Rothschild ’79 and Jeff Ubben discuss the rise in “anti-woke” shareholder activism, the politicization of ESG, and what lies ahead.https://scholarship.law.columbia.edu/beyond_unprecedented_3/1002/thumbnail.jp