Lightweight Inflatable Borehole Receiver Unit for Seismic Testing

A borehole receiver for seismic testing has a support frame and an inflatable membrane configured to form a single, compact unit. The inflatable membrane has at least one sensor, such as an accelerometer affixed to the membrane. The at least one accelerometer may be adhesively affixed to an interior portion of the membrane with a cyanoacrylate adhesive. A pneumatic inflation system is used to inflate the membrane with pressurized air. In use, the membrane is slipped over the support frame and secured with a pair of O-rings. Once the borehole receiver is properly positioned in the borehole, pressurized air from the pneumatic inflation system inflates the membrane such that the at least one accelerometer achieves intimate coupling with a wall of the borehole to accurately measure dynamic seismic waves

Forming Student Online Teams For Maximum Performance

What is the best way to assign graduate business students to online team-based projects?  Team assignments are frequently made on the basis of alphabet, time zones or previous performance.  This study reviews personality as an indicator of student online team performance.  The personality assessment IDE (Insights Discovery Evaluator) was administered to 450 students in the first six-week course of a proprietary online university MBA program. The IDE was utilized for the study because the university had selected the IDE as a part of its business curriculum. In the second week, students were randomly placed on 138 virtual teams and quantitative data collected from an assignment where students self-reported their IDE type. A qualitative method was used to determine subject IDE type in those cases where subjects did not clearly identify their type. Performance was measured using three instructor- graded assignments completed during the course. Student virtual teams were categorized as random, variable and dominant, contingent upon the composition of team personality types. This study found no statistically significant relationship between IDE’s personality types or the cognitive trait variables of attitude (extroversion and introversion) or trait function (thinking and feeling) on team performance.  Personality trait did not appear to be a variable with the intentional formation of higher performing online student teams. All personality traits performed equally as well. Personality Bias (IDE type homogeneity) was the closest to being statistically significant as a factor in virtual team performance. A model is presented describing the relationship between personality and performance

Retention of contaminants and its controlling factors in constructed and semi-natural floodplain soils in urban river systems

The retention of floods is one of the most relevant ecosystem function of urban floodplains, which is often improved by the construction of retention ponds and other water management measures. Retention ponds are connected to the river in a direct or a parallel arrangement and can be constructed as dry or wet retention pond under normal run-off conditions. Carbon sequestration, nutrient and contaminant regulation and recreation are further important ecosystem functions provided by the floodplain soils. However, with ongoing urbanization these ecosystem functions are significantly endangered. In our study we analyze the soil-based ecosystem functions of two river catchments in the City of Hamburg. The presentation will focus on the retention of contaminants in sediments and soils of eleven retention ponds and ten flooded areas within one catchment. The amount and concentrations of contaminants will be analyzed and compared between the retention ponds and flooded areas. Furthermore, controlling factors on the contaminant amount and concentration like grain size distribution, land-use within the headwaters and others will be investigated. Finally, we will give an assessment on the current contaminant retention in this specific urban catchment area