Spectrophotometry of planets, asteroids and satellites from the international ultraviolet explorer satellite

A total of 14 8 hour I.U.E. observing sessions resulted in 39 spectra of 11 asteroids and 9 solar type stars as well as 57 spectra at various locations on the disk of Jupiter. The Jupiter observations include a total of 5 center to limb series of spectra at various latitudes and a North South series along the central meridian. In the range from 2000-3000 A, the planet shows a striking decrease in brightness at latitudes greater than about 30 degrees, and exhibits limb brightening at low latitudes and limb darkening at high latitudes. Preliminary results indicate that about 6 km-amagats of clean hydrogen are required above a haze of absorbing aerosols to reproduce the limb brightening observed at 2500 A in the equatorial regions. At higher latitudes, the aerosols extend to even higher levels of the atmosphere. Comparison of the Jovian data with detailed model calculations and the analyses of the asteroid spectra are still in progress with other support

Reducing Disparities by way of a Cancer Disparities Research Training Program

Background: For minority populations, there is a continuing disparity in the burden of death and illness from cancer. Research to address this disparity should be conducted by investigators who can best understand and address the needs of culturally diverse communities. However, minorities are under-represented in health-related research. The goal of this project was to develop and evaluate an approach to motivating and preparing master’s degree students for careers dedicated to cancer disparities research. Method: A Cancer Disparities Research Training Program (CDRTP) was initiated in 2010. The program consists of coursework, practicum experiences, and research opportunities. Assessment of the curriculum is based on monitoring achievement of evaluation indicators and includes a quantitative assessment and qualitative approach. Results: In its first three years, the program graduated 20 trainees, all of whom were minorities (18 African Americans and two Asians). When asked about career goals, two-thirds of the trainees indicated interest in pursuing careers in research on cancer prevention and control. The trainees expressed high satisfaction with the courses, instructor, materials, and curriculum. Although trainees had suggestions about course details, evaluations overall were positive. Across focus groups, three recurrent themes emerged regarding activities to enhance the student experience: having a wider variety of topics, more guest speakers, and field trips. Conclusion: The CDRTP was intended to recruit students – primarily African Americans – into research on prevention and control of cancer disparities. Although final evaluation of the program’s overall outcome will not be available for several years, a preliminary evaluation indicates the program is being successful

Administrator Perceptions of School Improvement Policies in a High-Impact Policy Setting

This study investigated school administrators’ perceptions of school improvement policies in a high-impact policy environment by measuring the impact of accountability, site-based management, professional development, and scheduling reform on the three dependent variables of a) academic outcomes, b) staff morale, and c) parent and community involvement. Using a convenience sampling method, 49 public school principals from Texas participated and an online survey was constructed to gather both quantitative (i.e., Likert scale) and qualitative (i.e., open ended response) data. The findings clearly point to principals, regardless of geographical district type and grade level school type, viewing less controversial and more intrinsically oriented policies (i.e., site-based management and professional development) as having a greater positive impact on outcomes as a whole than more radical alternatives (i.e., accountability and time and schedule reform). The evidence suggests that more aggressive school improvement policy approaches are likely failing to generate enough convincing outcomes to generate high commitment and confidence from school leaders. Further studies may look at the interaction of policy impact with minority student enrollments and with subgroup populations

Harold Jeffreys's Theory of Probability Revisited

Published exactly seventy years ago, Jeffreys's Theory of Probability (1939) has had a unique impact on the Bayesian community and is now considered to be one of the main classics in Bayesian Statistics as well as the initiator of the objective Bayes school. In particular, its advances on the derivation of noninformative priors as well as on the scaling of Bayes factors have had a lasting impact on the field. However, the book reflects the characteristics of the time, especially in terms of mathematical rigor. In this paper we point out the fundamental aspects of this reference work, especially the thorough coverage of testing problems and the construction of both estimation and testing noninformative priors based on functional divergences. Our major aim here is to help modern readers in navigating in this difficult text and in concentrating on passages that are still relevant today.Comment: This paper commented in: [arXiv:1001.2967], [arXiv:1001.2968], [arXiv:1001.2970], [arXiv:1001.2975], [arXiv:1001.2985], [arXiv:1001.3073]. Rejoinder in [arXiv:0909.1008]. Published in at http://dx.doi.org/10.1214/09-STS284 the Statistical Science (http://www.imstat.org/sts/) by the Institute of Mathematical Statistics (http://www.imstat.org

Prognosegesteuerte Bekämpfungsstrategien im Ökologischen Kartoffelanbau- mögliche Kupfereinsparungspotentiale und Vergleich der Bekämpfungserfolge

Im Rahmen des Forschungsprojektes ÖKOSIMPHYT liegen mittlerweile dreijährige Versuchsergebnisse zur Bekämpfung der Kraut- und Knollenfäule (Phytophthora infestans) im Ökologischen Kartoffelanbau vor, in denen die Anwendung des neuen Prognosesystems ÖKOSIMPHYT im Freiland getestet wurde. Ziel des Projektes ist, durch eine zielgerichtete Applikation den Kupfereinsatz sowohl aus Bekämpfung- als auch aus ökologischer Sicht zu optimieren

Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Approach for Seniors (MBCAS): Program Development and Implementation

# The Author(s) 2013. This article is published with open access at Springerlink.com Abstract A number of cognitive interventions have been developed to enhance cognitive functioning in the growing population of the elderly. We describe the Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Approach for Seniors (MBCAS), a new training program designed especially for seniors. It was conceived in the context of self-development for seniors who wish to enhance their relationship with their inner and outer selves in order to navigate their aging process more easily and fluently. Physical and psychosocial problems related to aging, as well as some temporal issues, were taken into account in developing this program. Unlike clinically oriented mindfulness-based programs, which are generally delivered during an 8-week period, the MBCAS training program is presented over a period of 8 months. The main objectives of this program are to teach seniors to observe current experi-ences with nonjudgmental awareness, to identify automatic behaviors or reactions to current experiences that are poten-tially nonadaptive, and to enhance and reinforce positive coping with typical difficulties that they face in their daily lives. Details of the program development and initial imple-mentation are presented, with suggestions for evaluating the program's effectiveness

Möglichkeiten zur Optimierung der Kupferwirkung gegen Krautfäule im Ökologischen Kartoffelanbau

Die Regulierung der Kraut- und Knollenfäule, verursacht durch Phytophthora infestans, stellt im ökologischen Landbau nach wie vor ein nur schwer zu lösendes Problem dar. Bislang ist eine befriedigende Befallsreduktion nur durch den Einsatz kupferhaltiger Pflanzenschutzmittel möglich, deren Einsatz durch die Anbauverbände, sofern überhaupt gestattet, auf 3kg pro Jahr begrenzt ist. Im Rahmen des Projekts „ÖKO-SIMPHYT“ wurden daher verschiedene Kupferapplikationsverfahren zur Bekämpfung der Phytophthora infestans-Sekundärinfektionen untersucht, um die zur Verfügung stehenden Kupfermengen optimal einzusetzen

Kupferminimierungsstrategien im ökologischen Kartoffelanbau – Projekt “ÖKO-SIMPHYT“: Erste Erfahrungen aus dem norddeutschen Freiland

In the research project „ÖKO-SIMPHYT“ different strategies are tested to reduce the copper application for Phytophthora infestans in organic potato cultivation. Within the first two years of our research a reduction of the total amount of copper per hectare could be accomplished when applying the new developed forecast system ÖKO-SIMPHYT. With this decision support system a reduction of copper up to 46% was possible, when the infection pressure was relatively low. These first results have now to be proven under high infection pressure conditions. Experiments were carried out in the greenhouse to test the rain stability of copper and contacting agents. It could be proved that precipitation of 30 mm is able to reduce the degree of a copper treatment by up to 25%

First albedo determination of 2867 Steins, target of the Rosetta mission

We present the first albedo determination of 2867 Steins, the asteroid target o f the Rosetta space mission together with 21 Lutetia. The data were obtained in polarimetric mode at the ESO-VLT telescope with the FORS1 instrument in the V and R filters. Observations were carried out from Jun e to August 2005 covering the phase angle range from 10.3 deg. to 28.3 deg., allowing the determination of the asteroid albedo by the well known experimenta l relationship between the albedo and the slope of the polarimetric curve at th e inversion angle. The measured polarization values of Steins are small, confirming an E-type cla ssification for this asteroid, as already suggested from its spectral propertie s. The inversion angle of the polarization curve in the V and R filters is resp ectively of 17.3 +/-1.5deg. and 18.4+/-1.0 deg., and the corresponding sl ope parameter is of 0.037+/-0.003 %/deg and 0.032+/-0.003 %/deg. On the basis of its polarimetric slope value, we have derived an albedo of 0.45 +/-0.1, that gives an estimated diameter of 4.6 km, assuming an absolute V ma gnitude of 13.18 mag.Comment: 4 pages, 4 figures, letter accepted for pubblication on A&

A revised asteroid polarization-albedo relationship using WISE/NEOWISE data

We present a reanalysis of the relationship between asteroid albedo and polarization properties using the albedos derived from the Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer. We find that the function that best describes this relation is a three-dimensional linear fit in the space of log(albedo)-log(polarization slope)-log(minimum polarization). When projected to two dimensions the parameters of the fit are consistent with those found in previous work. We also define p* as the quantity of maximal polarization variation when compared with albedo and present the best fitting albedo-p* relation. Some asteroid taxonomic types stand out in this three-dimensional space, notably the E, B, and M Tholen types, while others cluster in clumps coincident with the S- and C-complex bodies. We note that both low albedo and small (D<30 km) asteroids are under-represented in the polarimetric sample, and we encourage future polarimetric surveys to focus on these bodies.Comment: 16 pages, Accepted to Ap