High power laser research and development at the Laboratory for Laser Energetics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Soures, J.M.; McCrory, R.L.; Cerqua, K.A.

1986-01-01

As part of its research mission - to investigate the interaction of intense radiation with matter - the Laboratory for Laser Energetics (LLE) of the University of Rochester is developing a number of high-peak power and high-average-power laser systems. In this paper we highlight some of the LLE work on solid-state laser research, development and applications. Specifically, we discuss the performance and operating characteristics of Omega, a twenty-four beam, 4000 Joule, Nd:glass laser system which is frequently tripled using the polarization mismatch scheme. We also discuss progress in efforts to develop high-average-power solid-state laser systems with active-mirror and slab geometries and to implement liquid-crystal devices in high-power Nd:glass lasers. Finally we present results from a program to develop a compact, ultrahigh-peak-power solid-state laser using the concept of frequency chirped pulse amplification

Students Share Their Research at Student Poster Day | Poster

Science.gov (United States)

Students Share Their Research at Student Poster Day  By Ashley DeVine, Staff Writer More than 50 Werner H. Kirsten student interns and college interns presented their research at Summer Student Poster Day on August 6 in the Building 549 lobby.  Joseph Bergman, a high school intern in the Center for Cancer Research Nanobiology Laboratory, participated in the event “for the

Original Research By Young Twinkle Students(ORBYTS): When can students start performingoriginal research?

Science.gov (United States)

Sousa-Silva, Clara; ORBYTS, Twinkle Space Mission, ExoMol

2018-01-01

Involving students in state-of-the-art research from an early age eliminates the idea that science is only for the scientists and empowers young people to explore STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths) subjects. It is also a great opportunity to dispel harmful stereotypes about who is suitable for STEM careers, while leaving students feeling engaged in modern science and the scientific method. As part of the Twinkle Space Mission’s educational programme, EduTwinkle, students between the ages of 15 and 18 have been performing original research associated with the exploration of space since January 2016. The student groups have each been led by junior researchers - PhD student and post-doctoral scientists - who themselves benefit substantially from the opportunity to supervise and manage a research project. This research aims to meet a standard for publication in peer-reviewed journals. At present the research of one ORBYTS team has been published in the Astrophysical Journal Supplement Series and another submitted to JQSRT; we expect more papers to follow. Here we outline the necessary steps for a productive scientific collaboration with school children, generalising from the successes and downfalls of the pilot ORBYTS projects.

The location of energetic compartments affects energetic communication in cardiomyocytes

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rikke eBirkedal

2014-09-01

Full Text Available The heart relies on accurate regulation of mitochondrial energy supply to match energy demand. The main regulators are Ca2+ and feedback of ADP and Pi. Regulation via feedback has intrigued for decades. First, the heart exhibits a remarkable metabolic stability. Second, diffusion of ADP and other molecules is restricted specifically in heart and red muscle, where a fast feedback is needed the most. To explain the regulation by feedback, compartmentalization must be taken into account. Experiments and theoretical approaches suggest that cardiomyocyte energetic compartmentalization is elaborate with barriers obstructing diffusion in the cytosol and at the level of the mitochondrial outer membrane (MOM. A recent study suggests the barriers are organized in a lattice with dimensions in agreement with those of intracellular structures. Here, we discuss the possible location of these barriers. The more plausible scenario includes a barrier at the level of MOM. Much research has focused on how the permeability of MOM itself is regulated, and the importance of the creatine kinase system to facilitate energetic communication. We hypothesize that at least part of the diffusion restriction at the MOM level is not by MOM itself, but due to the close physical association between the sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR and mitochondria. This will explain why animals with a disabled creatine kinase system exhibit rather mild phenotype modifications. Mitochondria are hubs of energetics, but also ROS production and signaling. The close association between SR and mitochondria may form a diffusion barrier to ADP added outside a permeabilised cardiomyocyte. But in vivo, it is the structural basis for the mitochondrial-SR coupling that is crucial for the regulation of mitochondrial Ca2+-transients to regulate energetics, and for avoiding Ca2+-overload and irreversible opening of the mitochondrial permeability transition pore.

Chemical rocket propulsion a comprehensive survey of energetic materials

CERN Document Server

Shimada, Toru; Sinditskii, Valery; Calabro, Max

2017-01-01

Developed and expanded from the work presented at the New Energetic Materials and Propulsion Techniques for Space Exploration workshop in June 2014, this book contains new scientific results, up-to-date reviews, and inspiring perspectives in a number of areas related to the energetic aspects of chemical rocket propulsion. This collection covers the entire life of energetic materials from their conceptual formulation to practical manufacturing; it includes coverage of theoretical and experimental ballistics, performance properties, as well as laboratory-scale and full system-scale, handling, hazards, environment, ageing, and disposal. Chemical Rocket Propulsion is a unique work, where a selection of accomplished experts from the pioneering era of space propulsion and current technologists from the most advanced international laboratories discuss the future of chemical rocket propulsion for access to, and exploration of, space. It will be of interest to both postgraduate and final-year undergraduate students in...

Student Research Projects Inhibiting Factors from the Students Perspective

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Laila Nikrooz

2012-09-01

Full Text Available Background & Objective: Identifying the research barriers and assess the ability of students to use the university services and facilities is crucial to promote research activities. Present study was carried out to determine the inhibiting factors influencing the student's research projects from the view point of Yasuj University of Medical Sciences students in 2008. Materials & Methods: In this cross sectional study 96 students of Yasuj Medical University were selected by stratified random sampling. The data were collected by validate & reliable questionnaire, containing demographic information, inhibiting factors related to students (personal and organization. The data were analyzed by SPSS software. Results: The mean scores against the personal barriers and the organizational barriers questions were 43.23±12.96 and 62.58±12.08 respectively. There was a significant difference between personal and organizational barriers (P<0.001 and personal barriers were more important. According to the results, the student's inadequate skills & knowledge of research methodology and lack of awareness of research topics were the most prevalent personal barriers. The most prevalent organizational barriers were unavailability of research consulters, inadequate research skills of consulter, insufficient facilities & equipment and lack of motivating staff & faculties. Other variables such as gender, subject of study and research experience are mentioned in the full text. Conclusion: This study showed that the personal barriers were more important than organizational barriers which interfere with the student's research projects. This can be corrected and controlled by teachers, faculty members, university officials and students, themselves.

Upper atmosphere research satellite program. [to study the chemistry energetics, and dynamics

Science.gov (United States)

Huntress, W. T., Jr.

1978-01-01

A satellite program to conduct research on the chemistry, energetics, and dynamics of the upper atmosphere was developed. The scientific goals of the Upper Atmospheric Research Program, the program requirements, and the approach toward meeting those requirements are outlined. An initial series of two overlapping spacecraft missions is described. Both spacecraft are launched and recovered by the STS, one in the winter of 1983 at a 56 deg inclination, and the other a year later at a 70 deg inclination. The duration of each mission is 18 months, and each carries instruments to make global measurements of the temperature, winds, composition, irradation, and radiance in the stratosphere, mesosphere, and lower thermosphere between the tropopause and 120 km altitude. The program requires a dedicated ground-based data system and a science team organization that leads to a strong interaction between the experiments and theory. The program includes supportive observations from other platforms such as rockets, balloons, and the Spacelab.

Undergraduate Research in Quantum Information Science

Science.gov (United States)

Lyons, David W.

2017-01-01

Quantum Information Science (QIS) is an interdisciplinary field involving mathematics, computer science, and physics. Appealing aspects include an abundance of accessible open problems, active interest and support from government and industry, and an energetic, open, and collaborative international research culture. We describe our student-faculty…

Energy engineering: Student-researcher collaboration

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Leban, Krisztina Monika; Ritchie, Ewen; Beckowska, Patrycja Maria

2013-01-01

This article reports on cooperation methods between researchers and students at different levels. Levels included in this work are BSc, MSc and PhD student levels. At Aalborg University, Department of Energy Technology education and research are closely linked. The relationship between student...

Energetic charged particles above thunderclouds

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fullekrug, Martin; Diver, Declan; Pincon, Jean-Louis; Renard, Jean-Baptiste; Phelps, Alan D.R.; Bourdon, Anne; Helling, Christiane; Blanc, Elisabeth; Honary, Farideh; Kosch, Mike; Harrison, Giles; Sauvaud, Jean-Andre; Lester, Mark; Rycroft, Michael; Kosch, Mike; Horne, Richard B.; Soula, Serge; Gaffet, Stephane

2013-01-01

The French government has committed to launch the satellite TARANIS to study transient coupling processes between the Earth's atmosphere and near-Earth space. The prime objective of TARANIS is to detect energetic charged particles and hard radiation emanating from thunderclouds. The British Nobel prize winner C. T. R. Wilson predicted lightning discharges from the top of thunderclouds into space almost a century ago. However, new experiments have only recently confirmed energetic discharge processes which transfer energy from the top of thunderclouds into the upper atmosphere and near-Earth space; they are now denoted as transient luminous events, terrestrial gamma-ray flashes and relativistic electron beams. This meeting report builds on the current state of scientific knowledge on the physics of plasmas in the laboratory and naturally occurring plasmas in the Earth's atmosphere to propose areas of future research. The report specifically reflects presentations delivered by the members of a novel Franco-British collaboration during a meeting at the French Embassy in London held in November 2011. The scientific subjects of the report tackle ionization processes leading to electrical discharge processes, observations of transient luminous events, electromagnetic emissions, energetic charged particles and their impact on the Earth's atmosphere. The importance of future research in this area for science and society, and towards spacecraft protection, is emphasized. (authors)

Energetic materials and methods of tailoring electrostatic discharge sensitivity of energetic materials

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Daniels, Michael A.; Heaps, Ronald J.; Wallace, Ronald S.; Pantoya, Michelle L.; Collins, Eric S.

2016-11-01

An energetic material comprising an elemental fuel, an oxidizer or other element, and a carbon nanofiller or carbon fiber rods, where the carbon nanofiller or carbon fiber rods are substantially homogeneously dispersed in the energetic material. Methods of tailoring the electrostatic discharge sensitivity of an energetic material are also disclosed.

Energetics Conditioning Facility

Data.gov (United States)

Federal Laboratory Consortium — The Energetics Conditioning Facility is used for long term and short term aging studies of energetic materials. The facility has 10 conditioning chambers of which 2...

Inter-Cultural Communication in Student Research

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hjaltadóttir, Rannveig Edda

This article describes a project undertaken at the University of Southern Denmark designed to support active group work and inter-cultural communication between international students. The project is based on using group work and cooperative learning principles to do student research, therefore...... challenging the students to solve problems as a group. The main aim of the research is to investigate the possible effects of using integrated student research and group work using cooperative learning methods to develop international communication skills of students in multi-cultural higher education courses....

Immersion research education: students as catalysts in international collaboration research.

Science.gov (United States)

Anderson, K H; Friedemann, M L; Bűscher, A; Sansoni, J; Hodnicki, D

2012-12-01

This paper describes an international nursing and health research immersion program. Minority students from the USA work with an international faculty mentor in teams conducting collaborative research. The Minority Health International Research Training (MHIRT) program students become catalysts in the conduct of cross-cultural research. To narrow the healthcare gap for disadvantaged families in the USA and partner countries. Faculty from the USA, Germany, Italy, Colombia, England, Austria and Thailand formed an international research and education team to explore and compare family health issues, disparities in chronic illness care, social inequities and healthcare solutions. USA students in the MHIRT program complete two introductory courses followed by a 3-month research practicum in a partner country guided by faculty mentors abroad. The overall program development, student study abroad preparation, research project activities, cultural learning, and student and faculty team outcomes are explored. Cross-fertilization of research, cultural awareness and ideas about improving family health occur through education, international exchange and research immersion. Faculty research and international team collaboration provide opportunities for learning about research, health disparities, cultural influences and healthcare systems. The students are catalysts in the research effort, the dissemination of research findings and other educational endeavours. Five steps of the collaborative activities lead to programmatic success. MHIRT scholars bring creativity, enthusiasm, and gain a genuine desire to conduct health research about families with chronic illness. Their cultural learning stimulates career plans that include international research and attention to vulnerable populations. © 2012 The Authors. International Nursing Review © 2012 International Council of Nurses.

Energetic Particle Physics In Fusion Research In Preparation For Burning Plasma Experiments

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Gorelenkov, Nikolai N [PPPL

2013-06-01

The area of energetic particle (EP) physics of fusion research has been actively and extensively researched in recent decades. The progress achieved in advancing and understanding EP physics has been substantial since the last comprehensive review on this topic by W.W. Heidbrink and G.J. Sadler [1]. That review coincided with the start of deuterium-tritium (DT) experiments on Tokamak Fusion Test reactor (TFTR) and full scale fusion alphas physics studies. Fusion research in recent years has been influenced by EP physics in many ways including the limitations imposed by the "sea" of Alfven eigenmodes (AE) in particular by the toroidicityinduced AEs (TAE) modes and reversed shear Alfven (RSAE). In present paper we attempt a broad review of EP physics progress in tokamaks and spherical tori since the first DT experiments on TFTR and JET (Joint European Torus) including helical/stellarator devices. Introductory discussions on basic ingredients of EP physics, i.e. particle orbits in STs, fundamental diagnostic techniques of EPs and instabilities, wave particle resonances and others are given to help understanding the advanced topics of EP physics. At the end we cover important and interesting physics issues toward the burning plasma experiments such as ITER (International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor).

Global Positioning System (GPS) Energetic Particle Data

Data.gov (United States)

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce — Energetic particle data from the CXD and BDD instrument on the GPS constellation are available to the space weather research community. The release of these data...

Original Research By Young Twinkle Students (ORBYTS): when can students start performing original research?

Science.gov (United States)

Sousa-Silva, Clara; McKemmish, Laura K.; Chubb, Katy L.; Gorman, Maire N.; Baker, Jack S.; Barton, Emma J.; Rivlin, Tom; Tennyson, Jonathan

2018-01-01

Involving students in state-of-the-art research from an early age eliminates the idea that science is only for the scientists and empowers young people to explore STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths) subjects. It is also a great opportunity to dispel harmful stereotypes about who is suitable for STEM careers, while leaving students feeling engaged in modern science and the scientific method. As part of the Twinkle Space Mission’s educational programme, EduTwinkle, students between the ages of 15 and 18 have been performing original research associated with the exploration of space since January 2016. The student groups have each been led by junior researchers—PhD and post-doctoral scientists—who themselves benefit substantially from the opportunity to supervise and manage a research project. This research aims to meet a standard for publication in peer-reviewed journals. At present the research of two ORBYTS teams have been published, one in the Astrophysical Journal Supplement Series and another in JQSRT; we expect more papers to follow. Here we outline the necessary steps for a productive scientific collaboration with school children, generalising from the successes and downfalls of the pilot ORBYTS projects.

Engaging college physics students with photonics research

Science.gov (United States)

Adams, Rhys; Chen, Lawrence R.

2017-08-01

As educators and researchers in the field of photonics, we find what we do to be very exciting, and sharing this passion and excitement to our university students is natural to us. Via outreach programs and college research funding, a new college and university collaboration has broadened our student audience: photonics is brought into the college classroom and research opportunities are provided to college students. Photonics-themed active learning activities are conducted in the college Waves and Modern Physics class, helping students forge relationships between course content and modern communications technologies. Presentations on photonics research are prepared and presented by the professor and past college student-researchers. The students are then given a full tour of the photonics university laboratories. Furthermore, funds are set aside to give college students a unique opportunity to assist the college professor with experiments during a paid summer research internship.

About the wind energetics development

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Strebkov, D.S.; Kharitonov, V.P.; Murugov, V.P.; Sokol'skij, A.K.

1996-01-01

The review of wind power energetics state in USA, Europe, Russia is given. The data of EC on wind power plants production in different periods are presented. The directions of scientific-research works with the purpose of increasing the level of wind power industry of Russia corresponding to economics demands were elaborated. (author). 8 refs., 3 tabs

Nuclear energy I, Non-energetic applications

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lartigue G, J.; Navarrete T, M.; Cabrera M, L.; Arandia, P.A.; Arriola S, H.

1986-01-01

The nuclear energy is defined as the energy produced or absorbed in the nuclear reactions, therefore, these are divided in endothermic and exothermic. The exothermic nuclear reactions present more interest from the point of view of its applications and they can show in four main forms: radioactivity (from 0 to 4 MeV/reaction; light nucleus fusion ( ∼ 20 MeV/reaction), heavy nucleus fusion (∼ 200 MeV/reaction) and nucleons annihilation ( ∼ 2000 MeV/reaction). Nowadays only the fission has reached the stage of profitable energetic application, finding the other three forms in research and development. The non-energetic applications of the nuclear energy are characterized by they do not require of prior conversion to another form of energy and they are made through the use of radioisotopes as well as through the use of endothermic reaction caused in particle accelerators. In this work are presented some of the non-energetic applications with its theoretical and experimental basis as well as its benefits of each one. (Author)

Animal Galloping and Human Hopping: An Energetics and Biomechanics Laboratory Exercise

Science.gov (United States)

Lindstedt, Stan L.; Mineo, Patrick M.; Schaeffer, Paul J.

2013-01-01

This laboratory exercise demonstrates fundamental principles of mammalian locomotion. It provides opportunities to interrogate aspects of locomotion from biomechanics to energetics to body size scaling. It has the added benefit of having results with robust signal to noise so that students will have success even if not "meticulous" in…

Electrical initiation of an energetic nanolaminate film

Science.gov (United States)

Tringe, Joseph W.; Gash, Alexander E.; Barbee, Jr., Troy W.

2010-03-30

A heating apparatus comprising an energetic nanolaminate film that produces heat when initiated, a power source that provides an electric current, and a control that initiates the energetic nanolaminate film by directing the electric current to the energetic nanolaminate film and joule heating the energetic nanolaminate film to an initiation temperature. Also a method of heating comprising providing an energetic nanolaminate film that produces heat when initiated, and initiating the energetic nanolaminate film by directing an electric current to the energetic nanolaminate film and joule heating the energetic nanolaminate film to an initiation temperature.

A Graduate Student's Experience and Perspective on a Student-Teacher-Researcher Partnership

Science.gov (United States)

Bostic, J.; Stylinski, C.; Doty, C.

2017-12-01

Teachers and their K-12 students lack firsthand experience in science research and often harbor misconceptions about science practices and the nature of science. To address this challenge, the NOAA-funded Student-Teacher-Researcher (STAR) partnership that provides rural high school students with authentic research experiences investigating the amount and sources of nitrate in schoolyard runoff. Teachers received training, guiding curricular materials aligned with NGSS and in-classroom support. With a focus on evidence-based reasoning skills, students actively participate in the research process through sample collection, data analysis, and an in-person discussion of conclusions and implications with our scientist team. As a member of this team, I assisted with refining the study design, analyzing nitrate isotope runoff samples, and sharing insights and feedback with students during the in-person discussion session. Assessment results indicate student gained an understanding of nitrate pollution and of science practices. As a graduate student, young scientist, and possessor of a B.S. in Science Education, I already recognized the value of involving K-12 students and teachers in authentic research experiences, as these experiences expose students to the nature of science while also improving content knowledge. During the STAR partnership, I learned firsthand some of the obstacles presented during outreach involving partnerships between a research institution and schools, such as inflexibility of school scheduling and the need for flexibility with research questions requiring complex lab analysis. Additionally, I discovered the challenge of working systemically across a school district, which can have broad impact but limit student experiences. Highlights of my experience included interactions with students and teachers, especially when students have unexpected answers to my questions, providing novel explanations for patterns observed in the data. Despite the

Research Students' Satisfaction in Jamshoro Education City

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jagul Huma Lashari

2014-10-01

Full Text Available This study is performed to identify and examine research students? satisfaction in three universities; SU (University of Sindh, MUET (Mehran University of Engineering & Technology and LUMHS (Liaquat University of Medical & Health Sciences at Jamshoro Education City. Different service factors required for research students are identified and examined by using a triangulation technique (interviews and quantitative (survey questionnaire. Data is analyzed by using descriptive analysis and chi-square test to obtain the required results. In total, 27 service factors related to research students? satisfaction, identified by interviews & literature review have been organized under three clusters: ?University policies?; ?University Services? and ?Role of Supervisor?. The survey analysis revealed that all identified factors are positively related to research students? satisfaction. Result identifies difference in the research students? experiences with respect to their characteristics including (enrolled university, financial resources, employment status. The comparison of different service factors also shows differences in three clusters within the universities. The satisfaction of research students associated with ?role of supervisor? were identified as most satisfying experience in comparison to ?university policies? and ?university services? of Jamshoro Education City. In the end, research has derived a new framework of SDC (Satisfaction for Degree Completion framework to identify and examine the research students satisfaction

Chemical Research Writing: A Preparatory Course for Student Capstone Research

Science.gov (United States)

Schepmann, Hala G.; Hughes, Laura A.

2006-01-01

A research writing course was developed to prepare chemistry majors to conduct and report on their capstone research projects. The course guides students through a multistep process of preparing a literature review and research proposal. Students learn how to identify and avoid plagiarism, critically read and summarize a scientific article,…

About Russian nuclear energetic perspectives

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Laletin, N.I.

2003-01-01

My particular view about Russian nuclear energetics perspectives is presented. The nearest and the further perspectives are considered. The arguments are adduced that the most probable scenario of nuclear energetic development is its stabilization in the near future. Fur further development the arguments of supporters and opponents of nuclear energetics are analyzed. Three points of view are considered. The first point of view that there is not alternative for nuclear energetics. My notes are the following ones. a) I express a skeptic opinion about a statement of quick exhaustion of fossil organic fuel recourses and corresponding estimations are presented. b) It is expressed skeptic opinion about the statement that nuclear energetics can have a visual influence on ''steam effect''. c) I agree that nuclear energetics is the most ecological technology for normal work but however we can't disregard possibilities of catastrophic accidents. The second point of view that the use of nuclear energetics can't have the justification. I adduce the arguments contrary to this statement. The third point of view that nuclear energetics is a usual technology and the only criteria for discussions about what dimension and where one ought develop it is total cost of its unit. Expressed an opinion that the deceived for the choose of a way the skill of the estimate correctly and optimized so named the external parts of the unit energy costs for different energy technologies. (author)

Using Intersectionality in Student Affairs Research

Science.gov (United States)

Strayhorn, Terrell L.

2017-01-01

This chapter presents intersectionality as a useful heuristic for conducting research in higher education and student affairs contexts. Much more than just another theory, intersectionality can powerfully shape student affairs research in both obvious and tacit ways.

Observation of enhanced radial transport of energetic ion due to energetic particle mode destabilized by helically-trapped energetic ion in the Large Helical Device

Science.gov (United States)

Ogawa, K.; Isobe, M.; Kawase, H.; Nishitani, T.; Seki, R.; Osakabe, M.; LHD Experiment Group

2018-04-01

A deuterium experiment was initiated to achieve higher-temperature and higher-density plasmas in March 2017 in the Large Helical Device (LHD). The central ion temperature notably increases compared with that in hydrogen experiments. However, an energetic particle mode called the helically-trapped energetic-ion-driven resistive interchange (EIC) mode is often excited by intensive perpendicular neutral beam injections on high ion-temperature discharges. The mode leads to significant decrease of the ion temperature or to limiting the sustainment of the high ion-temperature state. To understand the effect of EIC on the energetic ion confinement, the radial transport of energetic ions is studied by means of the neutron flux monitor and vertical neutron camera newly installed on the LHD. Decreases of the line-integrated neutron profile in core channels show that helically-trapped energetic ions are lost from the plasma.

Analysis of the energetic sector through the national energetic matrix

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Garzon Lozano, Enrique

2007-01-01

The author shows the results of the national energetic balance 1975-2005, through the energetic matrix of the country, giving an annual growth of 5.1% in this period of offer of primary energy, where the mineral coal participates with 9,6%, the hydraulic energy with 4,8%, natural gas with 4,2%, trash with 2,4% and petroleum with 2,2%, while the firewood fell in 0,5%

Energetics of feeding, social behavior, and life history in non-human primates.

Science.gov (United States)

Emery Thompson, Melissa

2017-05-01

Energy is a variable of key importance to a wide range of research in primate behavioral ecology, life history, and conservation. However, obtaining detailed data on variation in energetic condition, and its biological consequences, has been a considerable challenge. In the past 20years, tremendous strides have been made towards non-invasive methods for monitoring the physiology of animals in their natural environment. These methods provide detailed, individualized data about energetic condition, as well as energy allocations to growth, reproduction, and somatic health. In doing so, they add much-needed resolution by which to move beyond correlative studies to research programs that can discriminate causes from effects and disaggregate multiple correlated features of the social and physical environment. In this review, I describe the conceptual and methodological approaches for studying primate energetics. I then discuss the core questions about primate feeding ecology, social behavior, and life history that can benefit from physiological studies, highlighting the ways in which recent research has done so. Among these are studies that test, and often refute, common assumptions about how feeding ecology shapes primate biology, and those that reveal proximate associations between energetics and reproductive strategies. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

A multifaceted program to encourage medical students' research.

Science.gov (United States)

Zier, K; Stagnaro-Green, A

2001-07-01

Clinician-scientists are important members of a research community that has more opportunities than ever before to solve problems important to patients. Nevertheless, the number of physicians applying for and receiving grants from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) has dropped. Introducing medical students to research and relevant support mechanisms early in their education may help to reverse this trend. In 1995, the Mount Sinai School of Medicine created its Office of Student Research Opportunities (OSRO) to stimulate students to engage in research. It also appointed a new dean to direct the OSRO; the person who filled this new position was a senior faculty member involved in patient-oriented research. The OSRO advises students, identifies faculty who want to mentor students, sponsors the Distinction in Research program, organizes an annual research day, helps fund summer and full-time research, and has created an endowment to support student travel to national meetings. Between 1997 and 2000 the number of students who participated in the research day increased from 18 to 74, and the number of publications by the graduating classes increased from 34 to 58 between 1997 and 1999. Participants have presented both basic and clinical projects. The authors' experience has shown that medical students can be motivated to carry out research with appropriate encouragement from the administration and the faculty, something that may help to reverse a troubling national trend. Based upon these early successes, Mount Sinai is developing a novel five-year program to provide medical students with research training.

Summer research training for medical students: impact on research self-efficacy.

Science.gov (United States)

Black, Michelle L; Curran, Maureen C; Golshan, Shahrokh; Daly, Rebecca; Depp, Colin; Kelly, Carolyn; Jeste, Dilip V

2013-12-01

There is a well-documented shortage of physician researchers, and numerous training programs have been launched to facilitate development of new physician scientists. Short-term research training programs are the most practical form of research exposure for most medical students, and the summer between their first and second years of medical school is generally the longest period they can devote solely to research. The goal of short-term training programs is to whet the students' appetite for research and spark their interest in the field. Relatively little research has been done to test the effectiveness of short-term research training programs. In an effort to examine short-term effects of three different NIH-funded summer research training programs for medical students, we assessed the trainees' (N = 75) research self-efficacy prior to and after the programs using an 11-item scale. These hands-on training programs combined experiential, didactic, and mentoring elements. The students demonstrated a significant increase in their self-efficacy for research. Trainees' gender, ranking of their school, type of research, and specific content of research project did not predict improvement. Effect sizes for different types of items on the scale varied, with the largest gain seen in research methodology and communication of study findings. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

U.S. dental students' attitudes toward research and science: impact of research experience.

Science.gov (United States)

Holman, Shaina Devi; Wietecha, Mateusz S; Gullard, Angela; Peterson, Jon M B

2014-03-01

This study aimed to provide a first nationwide assessment of dental students' attitudes toward the importance of research and its integration into the dental curriculum. For this purpose, the American Association for Dental Research National Student Research Group developed an online survey that was distributed to 89 percent of U.S. dental students in May 2012. The survey consisted of twenty-one Likert-type items divided into three groups: importance of research in dentistry, barriers to research involvement, and exposure to research in the dental curriculum. There were 733 responses (3.9 percent response rate), including students in all stages of education representing fifty-eight out of sixty-one dental schools. Age and race/ethnic distributions corresponded with U.S. dental school enrollees. Results showed that 63 percent of respondents had conducted research before matriculation, and of the 34 percent that participated in research during dental school, only 27 percent were newcomers. Respondents strongly agreed that scientific research enabled their progress in dentistry. Inadequate time in the curriculum was an obstacle they perceived to research involvement during dental school. Respondents agreed that dental curricula emphasize evidence-based practices but may be inadequately teaching biostatistics and research methodologies. Students with research experience tended to have stronger positive opinions about the importance of research in dental education. Efforts to foster research in schools have been well received by students, but several issues remain for enriching dental education through greater involvement of students in research.

Partnering with Indigenous student co-researchers: improving research processes and outcomes.

Science.gov (United States)

Genuis, Shelagh K; Willows, Noreen; Jardine, Cindy G

2015-01-01

To examine the contribution of student co-researchers to a community-based participatory Photovoice investigation of Indigenous children's food-related lived experience. We examine co-researchers' contributions to the research process, their role in knowledge co-generation and dissemination, and factors that fostered research partnership with the teenage co-researchers. High school students attending a First Nation community school in Canada were trained as research partners. They contributed to aspects of research design, conducted interviews with grades 3 and 4 Photovoice participants, and participated in data analysis and the development of a culturally relevant photobook. The study was initiated by the community's research committee. It is informed by critical consciousness theory and the positive youth development framework. Student co-researchers incorporated culturally appropriate strategies as they interviewed participants. Co-researchers adopted conversational approaches, built rapport by articulating personal and cultural connections, and engaged in mentoring and health promotion as they interviewed participants. They made critical contributions to dissemination by developing photobook content that promoted the importance of traditional foods and the vital role of family and community in healthy eating practices. Relationships and "dialogic" space were important to building partnership with and promoting capacity development among youth co-researchers. Partnership between university researchers and Indigenous student co-researchers holds great promise for health promotion in communities. Co-researchers developed research and leadership skills, gained understanding of health challenges facing their community, and initiated health and cultural promotion through the project's Photobook. This investigation supports the powerful potential of student co-researchers to meaningfully contribute to research processes and to build knowledge that is relevant and

Undergraduate Research as Engaged Student Learning

Science.gov (United States)

Wolf, Lorraine W.

2018-01-01

This chapter discusses the impact of undergraduate research as a form of engaged student learning. It summarizes the gains reported in post-fellowship assessment essays acquired from students participating in the Auburn University Undergraduate Research Fellowship Program. The chapter also discusses the program's efforts to increase opportunities…

Partnering with Indigenous student co-researchers: improving research processes and outcomes

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Shelagh K. Genuis

2015-07-01

Full Text Available Objective: To examine the contribution of student co-researchers to a community-based participatory Photovoice investigation of Indigenous children's food-related lived experience. We examine co-researchers’ contributions to the research process, their role in knowledge co-generation and dissemination, and factors that fostered research partnership with the teenage co-researchers. Methods: High school students attending a First Nation community school in Canada were trained as research partners. They contributed to aspects of research design, conducted interviews with grades 3 and 4 Photovoice participants, and participated in data analysis and the development of a culturally relevant photobook. The study was initiated by the community's research committee. It is informed by critical consciousness theory and the positive youth development framework. Results: Student co-researchers incorporated culturally appropriate strategies as they interviewed participants. Co-researchers adopted conversational approaches, built rapport by articulating personal and cultural connections, and engaged in mentoring and health promotion as they interviewed participants. They made critical contributions to dissemination by developing photobook content that promoted the importance of traditional foods and the vital role of family and community in healthy eating practices. Relationships and “dialogic” space were important to building partnership with and promoting capacity development among youth co-researchers. Conclusions: Partnership between university researchers and Indigenous student co-researchers holds great promise for health promotion in communities. Co-researchers developed research and leadership skills, gained understanding of health challenges facing their community, and initiated health and cultural promotion through the project's Photobook. This investigation supports the powerful potential of student co-researchers to meaningfully contribute to

Investigation of energetic particle induced geodesic acoustic mode

Science.gov (United States)

Schneller, Mirjam; Fu, Guoyong; Chavdarovski, Ilija; Wang, Weixing; Lauber, Philipp; Lu, Zhixin

2017-10-01

Energetic particles are ubiquitous in present and future tokamaks due to heating systems and fusion reactions. Anisotropy in the distribution function of the energetic particle population is able to excite oscillations from the continuous spectrum of geodesic acoustic modes (GAMs), which cannot be driven by plasma pressure gradients due to their toroidally and nearly poloidally symmetric structures. These oscillations are known as energetic particle-induced geodesic acoustic modes (EGAMs) [G.Y. Fu'08] and have been observed in recent experiments [R. Nazikian'08]. EGAMs are particularly attractive in the framework of turbulence regulation, since they lead to an oscillatory radial electric shear which can potentially saturate the turbulence. For the presented work, the nonlinear gyrokinetic, electrostatic, particle-in-cell code GTS [W.X. Wang'06] has been extended to include an energetic particle population following either bump-on-tail Maxwellian or slowing-down [Stix'76] distribution function. With this new tool, we study growth rate, frequency and mode structure of the EGAM in an ASDEX Upgrade-like scenario. A detailed understanding of EGAM excitation reveals essential for future studies of EGAM interaction with micro-turbulence. Funded by the Max Planck Princeton Research Center. Computational resources of MPCDF and NERSC are greatefully acknowledged.

Teaching ethical aptitude to graduate student researchers.

Science.gov (United States)

Weyrich, Laura S; Harvill, Eric T

2013-01-01

Limited time dedicated to each training areas, irrelevant case-studies, and ethics "checklists" have resulted in bare-bones Responsible Conduct of Research (RCR) training for present biomedical graduate student researchers. Here, we argue that science graduate students be taught classical ethical theory, such as virtue ethics, consequentialist theory, and deontological theory, to provide a basic framework to guide researchers through ethically complex situations and examine the applicability, implications, and societal ramifications of their research. Using a relevant biomedical research example to illustrate this point, we argue that proper ethics training for graduate student researchers not only will enhance current RCR training, but train more creative, responsible scientists.

Research Skills Development in Higher Education Students

Science.gov (United States)

Bergamini, Tiziana Priede; Navarro, Cristina Lopez-Cozar

2014-01-01

This case study presents the development of a research project in a third-year undergraduate course, Family Business Administration. The research project aimed at promoting research skills in students. The authors formed working groups of no more than six students, and each group had to select an original research topic after conducting a…

Remote Research Mentoring of Virginia High School Students

Science.gov (United States)

Corby, Joanna; Dirienzo, W. J.; Beaton, R.; Pennucci, T.; Zasowski, G.

2013-01-01

Graduate students at the University of Virginia (UVa) are volunteering as research advisors on astronomy projects for Virginia's science and technology high schools. In previous years, we have worked with more than a dozen students through a research class at Central Virginia Governor's School in Lynchburg to develop an astronomy research curriculum that teaches background concepts and terminology, guides students in data analysis, and prepares them to present material in poster and oral forums. In our fourth year of operation, we are continuing to work with Central Virginia Governor's School and adapting the research curriculum to an independent course at Roanoke Valley Governor's School in Roanoke. Because both schools are far from UVa in Charlottesville, the program operates remotely; graduate advisors and high school students interact through "virtual" means, establishing a successful framework for meaningful remote mentoring. In the current year, six students will complete projects on astrophysical topics including megamasers, astrochemistry, and pulsars using data taken by the Green Bank Telescope (GBT). Students at Roanoke Valley were directly trained on the GBT as part of a separate outreach program called the Pulsar Search Collaboratory, and all six students will receive hands-on experience in handling GBT data. The current projects are components of larger research efforts by graduate student and professional level researchers, so that the projects contribute to high-level projects only possible with the GBT. This stands as a rare outreach program that uses the principle of “deliberative practice” to train high school students in the development of skills that are crucial to success in science. Furthermore, it provides graduate students with an opportunity to plan and advise research projects, developing a skill set that is required in more advanced academic positions. Our poster discusses the implementation of our online curriculum in two distinct

Student and Faculty Outcomes of Undergraduate Science Research Projects by Geographically Dispersed Students

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lawton Shaw

2013-12-01

Full Text Available Senior undergraduate research projects are important components of most undergraduate science degrees. The delivery of such projects in a distance education format is challenging. Athabasca University (AU science project courses allow distance education students to complete research project courses by working with research supervisors in their local area, coordinated at a distance by AU faculty. This paper presents demographics and course performance for 155 students over five years. Pass rates were similar to other distance education courses. Research students were surveyed by questionnaire, and external supervisors and AU faculty were interviewed, to examine the outcomes of these project courses for each group. Students reported high levels of satisfaction with the course, local supervisors, and faculty coordinators. Students also reported that the experience increased their interest in research, and the probability that they would pursue graduate or additional certification. Local supervisors and faculty affirmed that the purposes of project courses are to introduce the student to research, provide opportunity for students to use their cumulative knowledge, develop cognitive abilities, and independent thinking. The advantages and challenges associated with this course model are discussed.

Developing Research-Ready Skills: Preparing Early Academic Students for Participation in Research Experiences

Science.gov (United States)

Charlevoix, D. J.; Morris, A. R.

2015-12-01

Engaging lower-division undergraduates in research experiences is a key but challenging aspect of guiding talented students into the geoscience research pipeline. UNAVCO conducted a summer internship program to prepare first and second year college students for participation in authentic, scientific research. Many students in their first two years of academic studies do not have the science content knowledge or sufficient math skills to conduct independent research. Students from groups historically underrepresented in the geosciences may face additional challenges in that they often have a less robust support structure to help them navigate the university environment and may be less aware of professional opportunities in the geosciences.UNAVCO, manager of NSF's geodetic facility, hosted four students during summer 2015 internship experience aimed to help them develop skills that will prepare them for research internships and skills that will help them advance professionally. Students spent eight weeks working with UNAVCO technical staff learning how to use equipment, prepare instrumentation for field campaigns, among other technical skills. Interns also participated in a suite of professional development activities including communications workshops, skills seminars, career circles, geology-focused field trips, and informal interactions with research interns and graduate student interns at UNAVCO. This presentation will outline the successes and challenges of engaging students early in their academic careers and outline the unique role such experiences can have in students' academic careers.

Preliminary Hazard Analysis of Supercritical Fluid Separation of Energetic Materials

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

1997-01-01

.... Army Research Laboratory (ARL) and elsewhere, particularly at the Phasex Corporation, Lawrence, MA, has demonstrated the feasibility of separating the energetic moieties by use of supercritical CO2...

Musical Tasks and Energetic Arousal.

Science.gov (United States)

Lim, Hayoung A; Watson, Angela L

2018-03-08

Music is widely recognized as a motivating stimulus. Investigators have examined the use of music to improve a variety of motivation-related outcomes; however, these studies have focused primarily on passive music listening rather than active participation in musical activities. To examine the influence of participation in musical tasks and unique participant characteristics on energetic arousal. We used a one-way Welch's ANOVA to examine the influence of musical participation (i.e., a non-musical control and four different musical task conditions) upon energetic arousal. In addition, ancillary analyses of participant characteristics including personality, age, gender, sleep, musical training, caffeine, nicotine, and alcohol revealed their possible influence upon pretest and posttest energetic arousal scores. Musical participation yielded a significant relationship with energetic arousal, F(4, 55.62) = 44.38, p = .000, estimated ω2 = 0.60. Games-Howell post hoc pairwise comparisons revealed statistically significant differences between five conditions. Descriptive statistics revealed expected differences between introverts' and extraverts' energetic arousal scores at the pretest, F(1, 115) = 6.80, p = .010, partial η2= .06; however, mean differences failed to reach significance at the posttest following musical task participation. No other measured participant characteristics yielded meaningful results. Passive tasks (i.e., listening to a story or song) were related to decreased energetic arousal, while active musical tasks (i.e., singing, rhythm tapping, and keyboard playing) were related to increased energetic arousal. Musical task participation appeared to have a differential effect for individuals with certain personality traits (i.e., extroverts and introverts).

What do medical students understand by research and research skills? Identifying research opportunities within undergraduate projects.

Science.gov (United States)

Murdoch-Eaton, Deborah; Drewery, Sarah; Elton, Sarah; Emmerson, Catherine; Marshall, Michelle; Smith, John A; Stark, Patsy; Whittle, Sue

2010-01-01

Undergraduate research exposure leads to increased recruitment into academic medicine, enhanced employability and improved postgraduate research productivity. Uptake of undergraduate research opportunities is reported to be disappointing, and little is known about how students perceive research. To investigate opportunities for undergraduate participation in research, recognition of such opportunities, and associated skills development. A mixed method approach, incorporating student focus and study groups, and documentary analysis at five UK medical schools. Undergraduates recognised the benefits of acquiring research skills, but identified practical difficulties and disadvantages of participating. Analysis of 905 projects in four main research skill areas - (1) research methods; (2) information gathering; (3) critical analysis and review; (4) data processing - indicated 52% of projects provided opportunities for students to develop one or more skills, only 13% offered development in all areas. In 17%, project descriptions provided insufficient information to determine opportunities. Supplied with information from a representative sample of projects (n = 80), there was little consensus in identifying skills among students or between students and researchers. Consensus improved dramatically following guidance on how to identify skills. Undergraduates recognise the benefits of research experience but need a realistic understanding of the research process. Opportunities for research skill development may not be obvious. Undergraduates require training to recognise the skills required for research and enhanced transparency in potential project outcomes.

Student Poster Days Showcase Young Researchers | Poster

Science.gov (United States)

Student interns presented their research to the NCI at Frederick community during the annual Student Poster Days event, held in the Building 549 lobby and the Advanced Technology Research Facility (ATRF) atrium over two days.

Supporting research projects via student workshops

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Marschall, Max; Schmeck, Michel; Gengnagel, Christoph

2016-01-01

As part of a joint research project between the Centre for Information Technology and Architecture (CITA) and te Department for Structural Design and Technology (KET), a one week student workshop was organised at the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts (KADK) in Copenhagen. This paper outlines...... the teaching methods applied to reach maximum insight from student interaction, despite the unfamiliarity the students had with the research matter: physical and numeric form-finding for lightweight hybrid structures. Hybrid structures are defined here as combining different components of low stiffness...

SIMULATION OF ENERGETIC NEUTRAL ATOMS FROM SOLAR ENERGETIC PARTICLES

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wang, Linghua [Institute of Space Physics and Applied Technology, Peking University, Beijing 100871 (China); Li, Gang [Department of Space Science and CSPAR, University of Alabama in Huntsville, Huntsville, AL 35899 (United States); Shih, Albert Y. [Solar Physics Laboratory, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD 20770 (United States); Lin, Robert P. [Space Sciences Laboratory, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720-7450 (United States); Wimmer-Schweingruber, Robert F., E-mail: wanglhwang@gmail.com [Institut fuer Experimentelle und Angewandte Physik, University of Kiel, Leibnizstrasse 11, D-24118 Kiel (Germany)

2014-10-01

Energetic neutral atoms (ENAs) provide the only way to observe the acceleration site of coronal-mass-ejection-driven (CME-driven) shock-accelerated solar energetic particles (SEPs). In gradual SEP events, energetic protons can charge exchange with the ambient solar wind or interstellar neutrals to become ENAs. Assuming a CME-driven shock with a constant speed of 1800 km s{sup –1} and compression ratio of 3.5, propagating from 1.5 to 40 R{sub S} , we calculate the accelerated SEPs at 5-5000 keV and the resulting ENAs via various charge-exchange interactions. Taking into account the ENA losses in the interplanetary medium, we obtain the flux-time profiles of these solar ENAs reaching 1 AU. We find that the arriving ENAs at energies above ∼100 keV show a sharply peaked flux-time profile, mainly originating from the shock source below 5 R{sub S} , whereas the ENAs below ∼20 keV have a flat-top time profile, mostly originating from the source beyond 10 R{sub S} . Assuming the accelerated protons are effectively trapped downstream of the shock, we can reproduce the STEREO ENA fluence observations at ∼2-5 MeV/nucleon. We also estimate the flux of ENAs coming from the charge exchange of energetic storm protons, accelerated by the fast CME-driven shock near 1 AU, with interstellar hydrogen and helium. Our results suggest that appropriate instrumentation would be able to detect ENAs from SEPs and to even make ENA images of SEPs at energies above ∼10-20 keV.

Changing opinions about research by Saudi medical students

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Abulaban A

2017-08-01

Full Text Available Ahmad Abulaban, Abdulrahman Alharbi, Osama BinDajam, Mohammed Al Jarbou, Hatem Alharbi, Faiz Alanazi, Khalid Aldamiri, Ahmed Althobaiti, Abdulla Al Sayyari Department of Medicine, Division of Neurology, King Saud bin-Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences, King Abdulaziz Medical City, National Guard Health Affairs, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia Objective: The objective of this study was to investigate and compare the opinions and attitudes of medical students toward medical research in five Saudi universities and examine the changes observed in these opinions and attitudes in one of these universities over a period of time.Methods: This is a cross-sectional study conducted among medical students in five Saudi universities. This study was based on a survey undertaken in 2015. The survey consisted of five questions inquiring about the opinions and attitudes of medical students toward medical research. The same survey was carried out 8 years earlier in one of these universities (King Abdulaziz University [KAU], and the results obtained during the two periods (2007 and 2015 were compared.Results: A convenient sample of 924 students was selected from five Saudi universities. Ninety-five (10.3% of the medical students were not aware of the usefulness and importance scientific research will have on their future careers. A total of 409 (44.3% stated that they had no knowledge on how to conduct scientific research. On the other hand, a vast majority of medical students (98.1% expressed a willingness and interest to participate in scientific research if provided with an opportunity. The percentage of students from KAU strongly agreeing to participate in research rose from 33.1% in 2007 to 81.5% in 2015 (P=0.001. Of all the students surveyed, 431 (46.6% had participated in scientific research as undergraduates.Conclusion: Most students in five Saudi universities expressed enthusiasm for participating in a research project, but only a few of them had

Alternative Energetics DC Microgrid With Hydrogen Energy Storage System

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Zaļeskis Genadijs

2016-12-01

Full Text Available This paper is related to an alternative energetics microgrid with a wind generator and a hydrogen energy storage system. The main aim of this research is the development of solutions for effective use of the wind generators in alternative energetics devices, at the same time providing uninterrupted power supply of the critical loads. In this research, it was accepted that the alternative energetics microgrid operates in an autonomous mode and the connection to the conventional power grid is not used. In the case when wind speed is low, the necessary power is provided by the energy storage system, which includes a fuel cell and a tank with stored hydrogen. The theoretical analysis of the storage system operation is made. The possible usage time of the stored hydrogen depends on the available amount of hydrogen and the consumption of the hydrogen by the fuel cell. The consumption, in turn, depends on used fuel cell power. The experimental results suggest that if the wind generator can provide only a part of the needed power, the abiding power can be provided by the fuel cell. In this case, a load filter is necessary to decrease the fuel cell current pulsations.

Student Research Projects

Science.gov (United States)

Yeske, Lanny A.

1998-01-01

Numerous FY1998 student research projects were sponsored by the Mississippi State University Center for Air Sea Technology. This technical note describes these projects which include research on: (1) Graphical User Interfaces, (2) Master Environmental Library, (3) Database Management Systems, (4) Naval Interactive Data Analysis System, (5) Relocatable Modeling Environment, (6) Tidal Models, (7) Book Inventories, (8) System Analysis, (9) World Wide Web Development, (10) Virtual Data Warehouse, (11) Enterprise Information Explorer, (12) Equipment Inventories, (13) COADS, and (14) JavaScript Technology.

Photoactive energetic materials

Science.gov (United States)

Chavez, David E.; Hanson, Susan Kloek; Scharff, Robert Jason; Veauthier, Jacqueline Marie; Myers, Thomas Winfield

2018-02-27

Energetic materials that are photoactive or believed to be photoactive may include a conventional explosive (e.g. PETN, nitroglycerine) derivatized with an energetic UV-absorbing and/or VIS-absorbing chromophore such as 1,2,4,5-tetrazine or 1,3,5-triazine. Absorption of laser light having a suitably chosen wavelength may result in photodissociation, decomposition, and explosive release of energy. These materials may be used as ligands to form complexes. Coordination compounds include such complexes with counterions. Some having the formula M(L).sub.n.sup.2+ were synthesized, wherein M is a transition metal and L is a ligand and n is 2 or 3. These may be photoactive upon exposure to a laser light beam having an appropriate wavelength of UV light, near-IR and/or visible light. Photoactive materials also include coordination compounds bearing non-energetic ligands; in this case, the counterion may be an oxidant such as perchlorate.

Teaching Research Methodologies to Professionally Oriented Honors Students

Science.gov (United States)

Levinson, Julie; Mandel, Richard

2013-01-01

The benefits of encouraging undergraduate students to pursue independent research have been well documented (Craney; Guterman; Hathaway et al.; Ishiyama; Kremer and Bringle; Volkwein and Carbone). Introducing students to research processes and protocols is always a challenge, particularly for students enrolled in professionally oriented,…

Students' Involvement in Faculty Research: Ethical and Methodological Issues

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Linda M. Ferguson

2004-12-01

Full Text Available Faculty who engage students as participants in their qualitative research often encounter methodological and ethical problems. Ethical issues arise from the fiduciary relationship between faculty and their students, and violations of that relationship occur when the educator has a dual role as researcher with those students. Methodological issues arise from research designs to address these ethical issues. This conflict is particularly evident in faculty research on pedagogy in their own disciplines, for which students are necessary as participants but are captive in the relationship. In this article, the authors explore the issues of double agency when faculty involve students as participants in their research.

Report of an innovative research program for baccalaureate nursing students.

Science.gov (United States)

Sheil, E P; Crain, H

1992-10-01

In summary, an innovative low-cost way to teach undergraduate students about research and to socialize students into attending research conferences has been developed. It is not perfect yet, but with time, critical students, and responsive research-productive faculty, each program should improve. It is not surprising that sophomore students do not achieve the objectives at the same level as older students. As students move closer to the "real" world of nursing practice and develop increasing sophistication about nursing in general and research in particular, they are, hopefully, more knowledgeable consumers of nursing research. What is particularly satisfying to the planners of those Research Days is that through the experience of attending Undergraduate Research Day at various points in their educational progress, students are socialized into discussing research. Additionally, they seemed to develop some degree of comfort with this aspect of their future nursing role. The RN and former student panel participants normalized research involvement for the student attendees. Panel member stories about their mistakes and successes made students realize that nursing investigations need not be the sole property of those with doctoral degrees. A serendipitous outcome of these programs was an increased awareness by students of the specific research project in which their teachers were engaged. Students informally reported a feeling of pride and reflected accomplishment. The importance of timing in offering such programs should not have been a surprise at this urban commuter university. Unwittingly, in scheduling the Friday afternoon program the planners ignored the initial consideration that the program not impose financial hardship on students.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Dine College Students Research Diabetes for Their People.

Science.gov (United States)

Ambler, Marjane

1999-01-01

Summarizes Dine College's (New Mexico) leading role in researching diabetes and other Navajo health problems, and its employment of students to help conduct research. States that because of an intimate understanding of their people, students can research topics that outside researchers would not or could not choose. (VWC)

Student Theological Research as an Invitation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

William Badke

2011-12-01

Full Text Available Seminary students, despite having graduated from bachelors programs, struggle to make sense of the goals, processes, skills, and resources of research as graduate students. Beyond brief introductions to research, a scattered number of seminaries have developed either a separate theological information literacy course or have taken a through-the-curriculum approach to enhancing the information abilities of students. The former, however, separates information literacy from the curriculum, while the latter is difficult to implement and maintain. Living in a world of information glut, seminary professors are finding that traditional information dissemination models of education are becoming less viable. What is more, such models tend to teach students about a discipline rather than inviting them into it. These problems present a unique opportunity to place the teaching of information literacy at the foundation of theological education. With such an approach, students may be invited into the disciplines of their professors and enabled to practice these disciplines, thus becoming equipped to turn knowledge into praxis.

Authentic research projects: Students' perspectives on the process, ownership, and benefits of doing research

Science.gov (United States)

Bernard, Warren

2005-11-01

Authentic research projects are one type of inquiry activity as defined by the American Association for the Advancement of Science (1993) and are a core component in science education reform movements. The purpose of this study was to examine high school students' perspectives of an authentic research project. The context for this study was a local Science and Engineering Fair (SEF) that involved students from a Metro-Atlanta public high school. This study provided information about this type of activity from the student's perspective, an emic viewpoint. In this qualitative study, demographic information was used for the purposeful selection of fourteen students making up the study sample. In this descriptive ethnography, data were collected via an open-ended survey, three individual interviews, a web log, and a group interview. Interviews were audio taped and conducted according to the protocol established by Lincoln and Guba (1998). Transcripts of the interviews, web logs, and survey responses were coded and analyzed by the constant comparative method as described by Glaser and Strauss (1965). Reliability and validity were achieved through member checks and triangulation. Using Gowin's Vee diagram (1981) as a theoretical framework for analysis, themes emerged describing the students' research experience. The themes included the students' initial reactions, difficulty getting started, accepting ownership of their project, growing interest, acknowledged benefits of the research experience, and a reflective look back at their experience. Overall, students described the authentic research experience as a worthwhile activity. The implications of the study are two-fold. At the practitioner level, teachers should engage students in research, but should do so in a manner that maximizes authenticity. Examples may include having students present a formal prospectus and work with a scientist mentor. For Science Educators in teacher preparation programs, there should be an

Mammalian energetics. Flexible energetics of cheetah hunting strategies provide resistance against kleptoparasitism.

Science.gov (United States)

Scantlebury, David M; Mills, Michael G L; Wilson, Rory P; Wilson, John W; Mills, Margaret E J; Durant, Sarah M; Bennett, Nigel C; Bradford, Peter; Marks, Nikki J; Speakman, John R

2014-10-03

Population viability is driven by individual survival, which in turn depends on individuals balancing energy budgets. As carnivores may function close to maximum sustained power outputs, decreased food availability or increased activity may render some populations energetically vulnerable. Prey theft may compromise energetic budgets of mesopredators, such as cheetahs and wild dogs, which are susceptible to competition from larger carnivores. We show that daily energy expenditure (DEE) of cheetahs was similar to size-based predictions and positively related to distance traveled. Theft at 25% only requires cheetahs to hunt for an extra 1.1 hour per day, increasing DEE by just 12%. Therefore, not all mesopredators are energetically constrained by direct competition. Other factors that increase DEE, such as those that increase travel, may be more important for population viability. Copyright © 2014, American Association for the Advancement of Science.

Double Star Research: A Student-Centered Community of Practice

Science.gov (United States)

Johnson, Jolyon

2016-06-01

Project and team-based pedagogies are increasingly augmenting lecture-style science classrooms. Occasionally, university professors will invite students to tangentially partcipate in their research. Since 2006, Dr. Russ Genet has led an astronomy research seminar for community college and high school students that allows participants to work closely with a melange of professional and advanced amatuer researchers. The vast majority of topics have centered on measuring the position angles and searations of double stars which can be readily published in the Journal of Double Star Observations. In the intervening years, a collaborative community of practice (Wenger, 1998) formed with the students as lead researchers on their projects with the guidance of experienced astronomers and educators. The students who join the research seminar are often well prepared for further STEM education in college and career. Today, the research seminar involves multile schools in multiple states with a volunteer educator acting as an assistant instructor at each location. These assistant instructors interface with remote observatories, ensure progress is made, and recruit students. The key deliverables from each student team include a published research paper and a public presentation online or in-person. Citing a published paper on scholarship and college applications gives students' educational carreers a boost. Recently the Journal of Double Star Observations published its first special issue of exlusively student-centered research.

NASA's Student Airborne Research Program (SARP) 2009-2017

Science.gov (United States)

Schaller, E. L.

2017-12-01

The NASA Student Airborne Research Program (SARP) is a unique summer internship program for rising senior undergraduates majoring in any of the STEM disciplines. SARP participants acquire hands-on research experience in all aspects of a NASA airborne campaign, including flying onboard NASA research aircraft while studying Earth system processes. Approximately thirty-two students are competitively selected each summer from colleges and universities across the United States. Students work in four interdisciplinary teams to study surface, atmospheric, and oceanographic processes. Participants assist in the operation of instruments onboard NASA aircraft where they sample and measure atmospheric gases and image land and water surfaces in multiple spectral bands. Along with airborne data collection, students participate in taking measurements at field sites. Mission faculty and research mentors help to guide participants through instrument operation, sample analysis, and data reduction. Over the eight-week program, each student develops an individual research project from the data collected and delivers a conference-style final presentation on their results. Each year, several students present the results of their SARP research projects in scientific sessions at this meeting. We discuss the results and effectiveness of the program over the past nine summers and plans for the future.

Partnership of Environmental Education and Research-A compilation of student research, 1999-2008

Science.gov (United States)

Bradley, Michael W.; Armstrong, Patrice; Byl, Thomas D.

2011-01-01

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Tennessee Water Science Center and the College of Engineering and Technology at Tennessee State University developed a Partnership in Environmental Education and Research (PEER) to support environmental research at TSU and to expand the environmental research capabilities of the USGS in Tennessee. The PEER program is driven by the research needs to better define the occurrence, fate, and transport of contaminants in groundwater and surface water. Research in the PEER program has primarily focused on the transport and remediation of organic contamination in karst settings. Research conducted through the program has also expanded to a variety of media and settings. Research areas include contaminant occurrence and transport, natural and enhanced bioremediation, geochemical conditions in karst aquifers, mathematical modeling for contaminant transport and degradation, new methods to evaluate groundwater contamination, the resuspension of bacteria from sediment in streams, the use of bioluminescence and chemiluminescence to identify the presence of contaminants, and contaminant remediation in wetlands. The PEER program has increased research and education opportunities for students in the College of Engineering, Technology, and Computer Science and has provided students with experience in presenting the results of their research. Students in the program have participated in state, regional, national and international conferences with more than 140 presentations since 1998 and more than 40 student awards. The PEER program also supports TSU outreach activities and efforts to increase minority participation in environmental and earth science programs at the undergraduate and graduate levels. TSU students and USGS staff participate in the TSU summer programs for elementary and high school students to promote earth sciences. The 2007 summer camps included more than 130 students from 20 different States and Washington DC.

Energetic stress: The reciprocal relationship between energy availability and the stress response.

Science.gov (United States)

Harrell, C S; Gillespie, C F; Neigh, G N

2016-11-01

The worldwide epidemic of metabolic syndromes and the recognized burden of mental health disorders have driven increased research into the relationship between the two. A maladaptive stress response is implicated in both mental health disorders and metabolic disorders, implicating the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis as a key mediator of this relationship. This review explores how an altered energetic state, such as hyper- or hypoglycemia, as may be manifested in obesity or diabetes, affects the stress response and the HPA axis in particular. We propose that changes in energetic state or energetic demands can result in "energetic stress" that can, if prolonged, lead to a dysfunctional stress response. In this review, we summarize the role of the hypothalamus in modulating energy homeostasis and then briefly discuss the relationship between metabolism and stress-induced activation of the HPA axis. Next, we examine seven mechanisms whereby energetic stress interacts with neuroendocrine stress response systems, including by glucocorticoid signaling both within and beyond the HPA axis; by nutrient-induced changes in glucocorticoid signaling; by impacting the sympathetic nervous system; through changes in other neuroendocrine factors; by inducing inflammatory changes; and by altering the gut-brain axis. Recognizing these effects of energetic stress can drive novel therapies and prevention strategies for mental health disorders, including dietary intervention, probiotics, and even fecal transplant. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Energetic transitions by the French engineers and scientists

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wiltz, Bruno

2014-01-01

The energetic transition concerns the French scientists and engineers very much (1 million) because they are a lot involved in research, innovation, development, exploitation and generally in industry, in a field of fast-changing environment and of vital national interest, which, despite the absence of dominant classical resources, has remarkable potentials. (O.M.)

Motivating Students' Research Skills and Interests through a Multimodal, Multigenre Research Project

Science.gov (United States)

Bailey, Nancy M.; Carroll, Kristen M.

2010-01-01

The authors investigate how innovative research assignments based on students' personal interests can help them want to develop their research skills. They find that multimodal communication and representation, including film, written scripts, comic strips, music, and photography, encourage students to carefully select information from the…

Research-oriented medical education for graduate medical students.

Science.gov (United States)

Deo, Madhav G

2013-01-01

In most parts of the world, medical education is predominantly geared to create service personnel for medical and health services. Training in research is ignored, which is a major handicap for students who are motivated to do research. The main objective of this study was to develop, for such students, a cost-effective 'in-study' research training module that could be adopted even by medical colleges, which have a modest research infrastructure, in different regions of India. Short-duration workshops on the clinical and laboratory medicine research methods including clinical protocol development were held in different parts of India to facilitate participation of students from various regions. Nine workshops covering the entire country were conducted between July 2010 and December 2011. Participation was voluntary and by invitation only to the recipients of the Indian Council of Medical Research-Short-term Studentship programme (ICMR- STS), which was taken as an index of students' research motivation. Faculty was drawn from the medical institutions in the region. All expenses on students, including their travel, and that of the faculty were borne by the academy. Impact of the workshop was judged by the performance of the participants in pre- and post-workshop tests with multiple-choice questions (MCQs) containing the same set of questions. There was no negative marking. Anonymous student feedback was obtained using a questionnaire. Forty-one per cent of the 1009 invited students attended the workshops. These workshops had a positive impact on the participants. Only 20% students could pass and just 2.3% scored >80% marks in the pre-workshop test. There was a three-fold increase in the pass percentage and over 20% of the participants scored >80% marks (A grade) in the post-workshop test. The difference between the pre- and post- workshop performance was statistically significant at all the centres. In the feedback from participants, the workshop received an average

Student Approaches to Learning and Studying. Research Monograph.

Science.gov (United States)

Biggs, John B.

A common thread in contemporary research in student learning refers to the ways in which students go about learning. A theory of learning is presented that accentuates the interaction between the person and the situation. Research evidence implies a form of meta-cognition called meta-learning, the awareness of students of their own learning…

10 Years of Student Questions about the Sun and Solar Physics: Preparing Graduate Students to Work with Parker Solar Probe Data

Science.gov (United States)

Gross, N. A.; Hughes, W. J.; Wiltberger, M. J.

2017-12-01

The NSF funded CISM Space Weather Summer School is designed for graduate students who are just starting in space physics. It provides comprehensive conceptual background to the field. Insights about student understanding and learning from this summer school can provide valuable information to graduate instructors and graduate student mentors. During the school, students are invited to submit questions at the end of the lecture component each day. The lecturers then take the time to respond to these questions. We have collected over 4000 student questions over the last 15 years. A significant portion of the summer school schedule is devoted to solar physics and solar observations, and the questions submitted reflect this. As researchers prepare to work with graduate students who will analyze the data from the Parker Solar Probe, they should be aware of the sorts of questions these students will have as they start in the field. Some student questions are simply about definitions: - What is a facula/prominence/ribbon structure/arcade? - What is a Type 3 radio burst? - How is a solar flare defined? How is it different from a CME/energetic particle event? - What is the difference between "soft" and "hard" X-rays?Other student questions involve associations and correlations. - Why are solar flares associated with CME's? - Are all magnetic active regions associated with sunspots? - How does a prominence eruption compare to a CME? - Why do energetic particles follow the magnetic field lines but the solar wind does not? - Why are radio burst (F10.7 flux) associated with solar flares (EUV Flux)?Others can be topics of current research. - What is the source of the slow solar wind? - Why is there a double peak in the sunspot number the solar maximum? - Why is the corona hotter than the solar surface. What is the mechanism of coronal heating? The goal of this paper is to identify and categorize these questions for the community so that graduate educators can be aware of them

Developing engineering students' research and technology assessment abilities

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Vries, de M.J.; Stroeken, J.H.M.

1996-01-01

This article describes research done among M. Eng. students in several faculties of the Eindhoven University of Technology into their abilities to integrate nontechnical (social) elements in the research that led to their M. Eng. theses. It was found that these students often lacked research skills

PhD students: making research and publishing

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ioan Sporea, MD, PhD

2016-12-01

Full Text Available PhD student time is very interesting in the life of researchers. Many of them are young graduates, without or with very few experience in the field of scientific research. During four years, they must become experts in a narrow field (virtually, the subject of their PhD thesis, but at the same time they have to be trained for research and for publishing. Is it possible? It is mandatory! PhD students start with a one year training in the basic field of research during which they attend different courses regarding how to search the literature, how to perform research, how to perform statistical analysis, how to prepare a paper, where and how to publish and so on. Following this training year, together with their mentor (the coordinator of the PhD thesis, the PhD student starts working on the thesis. And this means reading as much as possible significant published data regarding his/her subject, proper research (basic, experimental, or clinical, and finally preparing papers for publication (in the beginning as abstracts for different meetings and later as original articles in dedicated journals.Participation of PhD students to different meetings is important to improve the quality of their research as an exercise for oral presentations. On the other hand, oral presentation is useful because the paper is open for discussion and corrections can be made during and after the oral presentation. During last ten years, there were organized conferences for PhD students and young doctors, particularly in Târgu Mureș and Timișoara. It was a good opportunity to show results, to discuss and to cooperate.This is why in December 2016, the Doctoral School of Victor Babes University of Medicine and Pharmacy decided to organize a scientific competition between PhD students, in an interesting scientific session. The top 10 PhD students (according to the cumulative Impact Factor of their first author publications were invited to present their scientific research

Medical students as human subjects in educational research

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Adina L. Kalet

2013-02-01

Full Text Available Introduction: Special concerns often arise when medical students are themselves the subjects of education research. A recently completed large, multi-center randomized controlled trial of computer-assisted learning modules for surgical clerks provided the opportunity to explore the perceived level of risk of studies where medical students serve as human subjects by reporting on: 1 the response of Institutional Review Boards (IRBs at seven institutions to the same study protocol; and 2 the thoughts and feelings of students across study sites about being research subjects. Methods: From July 2009 to August 2010, all third-year medical students at seven collaborating institutions were eligible to participate. Patterns of IRB review of the same protocol were compared. Participation burden was calculated in terms of the time spent interacting with the modules. Focus groups were conducted with medical students at each site. Transcripts were coded by three independent reviewers and analyzed using Atlas.ti. Results: The IRBs at the seven participating institutions granted full (n=1, expedited (n=4, or exempt (n=2 review of the WISE Trial protocol. 995 (73% of those eligible consented to participate, and 207 (20% of these students completed all outcome measures. The average time to complete the computer modules and associated measures was 175 min. Common themes in focus groups with participant students included the desire to contribute to medical education research, the absence of coercion to consent, and the low-risk nature of the research. Discussion: Our findings demonstrate that risk assessment and the extent of review utilized for medical education research vary among IRBs. Despite variability in the perception of risk implied by differing IRB requirements, students themselves felt education research was low risk and did not consider themselves to be vulnerable. The vast majority of eligible medical students were willing to participate as research

Assessing Student Outcomes of Undergraduate Research with URSSA, the Undergraduate Student Self-Assessment Instrument

Science.gov (United States)

Laursen, S. L.; Weston, T. J.; Thiry, H.

2012-12-01

URSSA is the Undergraduate Research Student Self-Assessment, an online survey instrument for programs and departments to use in assessing the student outcomes of undergraduate research (UR). URSSA focuses on what students learn from their UR experience, rather than whether they liked it. The online questionnaire includes both multiple-choice and open-ended items that focus on students' gains from undergraduate research. These gains include skills, knowledge, deeper understanding of the intellectual and practical work of science, growth in confidence, changes in identity, and career preparation. Other items probe students' participation in important research-related activities that lead to these gains (e.g. giving presentations, having responsibility for a project). These activities, and the gains themselves, are based in research and thus constitute a core set of items. Using these items as a group helps to align a particular program assessment with research-demonstrated outcomes. Optional items may be used to probe particular features that are augment the research experience (e.g. field trips, career seminars, housing arrangements). The URSSA items are based on extensive, interview-based research and evaluation work on undergraduate research by our group and others. This grounding in research means that URSSA measures what we know to be important about the UR experience The items were tested with students, revised and re-tested. Data from a large pilot sample of over 500 students enabled statistical testing of the items' validity and reliability. Optional items about UR program elements were developed in consultation with UR program developers and leaders. The resulting instrument is flexible. Users begin with a set of core items, then customize their survey with optional items to probe students' experiences of specific program elements. The online instrument is free and easy to use, with numeric results available as raw data, summary statistics, cross-tabs, and

DO STUDENTS PREFER RESEARCH AS A CURRICULUM IN MBBS?

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Shantaraman

2016-02-01

Full Text Available BACKGROUND Biomedical research has very little representation in the graduate curriculum in India. Research and academic education operate in tandem and enhance critical appraisal skills of the students and orients them to evidence based medical practice in the years of their profession. It has been reported that students in medical schools report mixed interest in undertaking research during the study period. MATERIALS & METHODS This institute implements a short term student Research Program as a systemic annual curricular engagement. A questionnaire based assessment of the awareness, knowledge and attitude of MBBS students about research as a curricular activity was performed. RESULTS & CONCLUSION The responses of the medical students were tabulated and statistically analysed. Of the 347 respondents, 70.32% were aware that medical research was possible during the graduate course period in the medical school, in the current medical curriculum and 87.6% opined that research as a compulsory part of graduate medical curriculum was welcome.

Instructor-Created Activities to Engage Undergraduate Nursing Research Students.

Science.gov (United States)

Pierce, Linda L; Reuille, Kristina M

2018-03-01

In flipped or blended classrooms, instruction intentionally shifts to a student-centered model for a problem-based learning approach, where class time explores topics in greater depth, creating meaningful learning opportunities. This article describes instructor-created activities focused on research processes linked to evidence-based practice that engage undergraduate nursing research students. In the classroom, these activities include individual and team work to foster critical thinking and stimulate student discussion of topic material. Six activities for small and large student groups are related to quantitative, qualitative, and both research processes, as well as applying research evidence to practice. Positive student outcomes included quantitative success on assignments and robust student topic discussions, along with instructor-noted overall group engagement and interest. Using these activities can result in class time for the construction of meaning, rather than primarily information transmission. Instructors may adopt these activities to involve and stimulate students' critical thinking about research and evidence-based practice. [J Nurs Educ. 2018;57(3):174-177.]. Copyright 2018, SLACK Incorporated.

U.S. Department of Energy student research participation programs. Underrepresented minorities in U.S. Department of Energy student research participation programs

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

1996-03-01

The purpose of this study was to identify those particular aspects of US Department of Energy (DOE) research participation programs for undergraduate and graduate students that are most associated with attracting and benefiting underrepresented minority students and encouraging them to pursue careers in science, engineering, and technology. A survey of selected former underrepresented minority participants, focus group analysis, and critical incident analysis serve as the data sources for this report. Data collected from underrepresented minority participants indicate that concerns expressed and suggestions made for conducting student research programs at DOE contractor facilities are not remarkably different from those made by all participants involved in such student research participation programs. With the exception of specific suggestions regarding recruitment, the findings summarized in this report can be interpreted to apply to all student research participants in DOE national laboratories. Clearly defined assignments, a close mentor-student association, good communication, and an opportunity to interact with other participants and staff are those characteristics that enhance any educational program and have positive impacts on career development.

Skype Me! Astronomers, Students, and Cutting-Edge Research

Science.gov (United States)

Hickox, Ryan C.; Gauthier, Adrienne J.

2014-06-01

A primary goal of many university science courses is to promote understanding of the process of contemporary scientific inquiry. One powerful way to achieve this is for students to explore current research and then interact directly with the leading scientist, the feasibility of which has recently increased dramatically due to free online video communication tools. We report on a program implemented at Dartmouth College in which students connect with a guest astronomer through Skype (video chat). The Skype session is wrapped in a larger activity where students explore current research articles, interact with the astronomer, and then reflect on the experience. The in-class Skype discussions require a small time commitment from scientists (20-30 minutes, with little or no need for preparation) while providing students direct access to researchers at the cutting edge of modern astronomy. We outline the procedures used to implement these discussions, and present qualitative assessments of student's understanding of the process of research, as well as feedback from the guest astronomers.

Rural energetic development: cuban experience

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Aguilera Barciela, M.

1994-01-01

The development of electro energetic national system in Cuba has been directed to the following objectives: to brake the rural population's exodus toward the cities, electrification of dairy farm, interconnection to the system electro energetic of all the sugar central production, these improves the rural population's conditions life

Magneto-Hydrodynamic Activity and Energetic Particles - Application to Beta Alfven Eigenmodes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nguyen, Ch.

2009-12-01

The goal of magnetic fusion research is to extract the power released by fusion reactions and carried by the product of these reactions, liberated at energies of the order of a few MeV. The feasibility of fusion energy production relies on our ability to confine these energetic particles, while keeping the thermonuclear plasma in safe operating conditions. For that purpose, it is necessary to understand and find ways to control the interaction between energetic particles and the thermonuclear plasma. Reaching these two goals is the general motivation for this work. More specifically, our focus is on one type of instability, the Beta Alfven Eigenmode (BAE), which can be driven by energetic particles and impact on the confinement of both energetic and thermal particles. In this work, we study the characteristics of BAEs analytically and derive its dispersion relation and structure. Next, we analyze the linear stability of the mode in the presence of energetic particles. First, a purely linear description is used, which makes possible to get an analytical linear criterion for BAE destabilization in the presence of energetic particles. This criterion is compared with experiments conducted in the Tore-Supra tokamak. Secondly, because the linear analysis reveals some features of the BAE stability which are subject to a strong nonlinear modification, the question is raised of the possibility of a sub-critical activity of the mode. We propose a simple scenario which makes possible the existence of meta-stable modes, verified analytically and numerically. Such a scenario is found to be relevant to the physics and scales characterizing BAEs. (author)

Teaching-based research: Models of and experiences with students doing research and inquiry – results from a university-wide initiative in a research-intensive environment

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Rump, Camilla Østerberg; Damsholt, Tine; Sandberg, Marie

, where students coproduce knowledge together with teachers. Two case studies, (3) and (4), also relate to students engaging in research-like activities, where students are engaged in inquiry, but do not produce new knowledge as such. One project was done across faculties (3), one was done...... a two-dimensional model distinguish between different research-based forms of teaching: Research-led: Students are mainly an audience, emphasis on research content • Students learn about current research in the discipline. Research-oriented: Students are mainly an audience, emphasis on research...... processes and problems • Students develop research skills and techniques. Research-based: Student are active, emphasis on research processes and problems • Students undertake research and inquiry. Research-tutored: Student are active, emphasis on research content • Students engage in research discussions...

Empowering and Engaging Students in Learning Research Methods

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Shuang; Breit, Rhonda

2013-01-01

The capacity to conduct research is essential for university graduates to survive and thrive in their future career. However, research methods courses have often been considered by students as "abstract", "uninteresting", and "hard". Thus, motivating students to engage in the process of learning research methods has become a crucial challenge for…

Student Scientific Research within Communities-of-Practice

Science.gov (United States)

Genet, Russell; Armstrong, James; Blanko, Philip; Boyce, Grady Boyce, Pat; Brewer, Mark; Buchheim, Robert; Calanog, Jae; Castaneda, Diana; Chamberlin, Rebecca; Clark, R. Kent; Collins, Dwight; Conti, Dennis Cormier, Sebastien; Fitzgerald, Michael; Estrada, Chris; Estrada, Reed; Freed, Rachel Gomez, Edward; Hardersen, Paul; Harshaw, Richard; Johnson, Jolyon Kafka, Stella; Kenney, John; Mohanan, Kakkala; Ridgely, John; Rowe, David Silliman, Mark; Stojimirovic, Irena; Tock, Kalee; Walker, Douglas; Wallen, Vera

2017-06-01

Social learning theory suggests that students who wish to become scientists will benefit by being active researchers early in their educational careers. As coauthors of published research, they identify themselves as scientists. This provides them with the inspiration, motivation, and staying power that many will need to complete the long educational process. This hypothesis was put to the test over the past decade by a one-semester astronomy research seminar where teams of students managed their own research. Well over a hundred published papers coauthored by high school and undergraduate students at a handful of schools substantiated this hypothesis. However, one could argue that this was a special case. Astronomy, after all, is supported by a large professional-amateur community-of-practice. Furthermore, the specific area of research-double star astrometry-was chosen because the observations could be quickly made, the data reduction and analysis was straight forward, and publication of the research was welcomed by the Journal of Double Star Observations. A recently initiated seminar development and expansion program-supported in part by the National Science Foundation-is testing a more general hypothesis that: (1) the seminar can be successfully adopted by many other schools; (2) research within astronomy can be extended from double star astrometry to time series photometry of variable stars, exoplanet transits, and asteroids; and (3) the seminar model can be extended to a science beyond astronomy: environmental science-specifically atmospheric science. If the more general hypothesis is also supported, seminars that similarly feature published high school and undergraduate student team research could have the potential to significantly improve science education by increasing the percentage of students who complete the education required to become professional scientists.

Graduate students' teaching experiences improve their methodological research skills.

Science.gov (United States)

Feldon, David F; Peugh, James; Timmerman, Briana E; Maher, Michelle A; Hurst, Melissa; Strickland, Denise; Gilmore, Joanna A; Stiegelmeyer, Cindy

2011-08-19

Science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) graduate students are often encouraged to maximize their engagement with supervised research and minimize teaching obligations. However, the process of teaching students engaged in inquiry provides practice in the application of important research skills. Using a performance rubric, we compared the quality of methodological skills demonstrated in written research proposals for two groups of early career graduate students (those with both teaching and research responsibilities and those with only research responsibilities) at the beginning and end of an academic year. After statistically controlling for preexisting differences between groups, students who both taught and conducted research demonstrate significantly greater improvement in their abilities to generate testable hypotheses and design valid experiments. These results indicate that teaching experience can contribute substantially to the improvement of essential research skills.

Student Use of Library Research Guides Following Library Instruction

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mardi Mahaffy

2013-02-01

Full Text Available Librarians often provide students who attend one-shot library instruction sessions with research guides they can refer to once class is over. These guides, whether in paper or electronic form, serve to remind the students of key points and resources addressed during the session. It is unclear, though, if and how students refer to these guides once leaving the classroom. This article reports on the results of two focus groups made up of students who attended a basic library instruction session as part of a survey art course. The students shared how they used a paper and electronic research guide, delivered via LibGuides, and what they would like research guides to contain. The article also suggests directions for further research on the topic.

Proceedings of the 6th IAEA Technical Committee meeting on energetic particles in magnetic confinement systems

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

2000-03-01

The sixth IAEA Technical Committee Meeting was organized by Japan Atomic Energy Research Institute. It was held at Naka, JAERI during October 12-14, 1999. The previous meetings of this series, formerly entitled 'Alpha Particles in Fusion Research', were held biennially in Kiev (1989), Aspenas (1991), Trieste (1993), Princeton (1995), and Abingdon (1997). The scope of the meeting covered theoretical and experimental work on alpha particle physics, transport of energetic particles, effects of energetic particles on fusion plasma, related collective phenomena, runaway electrons in disruption and diagnostics on energetic particles. The TCM was attended by over 60 participants. Twenty seven papers were presented orally and 19 papers as posters. This proceedings include 37 contributed papers in the meeting. (J.P.N.)

Proceedings of the 6th IAEA Technical Committee meeting on energetic particles in magnetic confinement systems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2000-03-01

The sixth IAEA Technical Committee Meeting was organized by Japan Atomic Energy Research Institute. It was held at Naka, JAERI during October 12-14, 1999. The previous meetings of this series, formerly entitled 'Alpha Particles in Fusion Research', were held biennially in Kiev (1989), Aspenas (1991), Trieste (1993), Princeton (1995), and Abingdon (1997). The scope of the meeting covered theoretical and experimental work on alpha particle physics, transport of energetic particles, effects of energetic particles on fusion plasma, related collective phenomena, runaway electrons in disruption and diagnostics on energetic particles. The TCM was attended by over 60 participants. Twenty seven papers were presented orally and 19 papers as posters. This proceedings include 37 contributed papers in the meeting. (J.P.N.)

Direct-Drive Inertial Fusion Research at the University of Rochester's Laboratory for Laser Energetics: A Review

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

McCrory, R.L.; Meyerhofer, D.D.; Loucks, S.J.; Skupsky, S.; Bahr, R.E.; Betti, R.; Boehly, T.R.; Craxton, R.S.; Collins, T.J.B.; Delettrez, J.A.; Donaldson, W.R.; Epstein, R.; Fletcher, K.A.; Freeman, C.; Frenje, J.A.; Glebov, V.Yu.; Goncharov, V.N.; Harding, D.R.; Jaanimagi, P.A.; Keck, R.L.; Kelly, J.H.; Kessler, T.J.; Kilkenny, J.D.; Knauer, J.P.; Li, C.K.; Lund, L.D.; Marozas, J.A.; McKenty, P.W.; Marshall, F.J.; Morse, S.F.B.; Padalino, S.; Petrasso, R.D.; Radha, P.B.; Regan, S.P.; Roberts, S.; Sangster, T.C.; Seguin, F.H.; Seka, W.; Smalyuk, V.A.; Soures, J.M.; Stoeckl, C.; Thorp, K.A.; Yaakobi, B.; Zuegel, J.D.

2010-01-01

This paper reviews the status of direct-drive inertial confinement fusion (ICF) research at the University of Rochester's Laboratory for Laser Energetics (LLE). LLE's goal is to demonstrate direct-drive ignition on the National Ignition Facility (NIF) by 2014. Baseline 'all-DT' NIF direct-drive ignition target designs have been developed that have a predicted gain of 45 (1-D) at a NIF drive energy of ∼1.6 MJ. Significantly higher gains are calculated for targets that include a DT-wicked foam ablator. This paper also reviews the results of both warm fuel and initial cryogenic-fuel spherical target implosion experiments carried out on the OMEGA UV laser. The results of these experiments and design calculations increase confidence that the NIF direct-drive ICF ignition goal will be achieved.

Using UAVs to Conduct Student-led Research Projects

Science.gov (United States)

Olds, S. E.; Lewis, P. M., Jr.

2016-12-01

Recreational drones can inspire students to initiate research projects. These "toys" have a low cost (Arduino board, SABEL collects temperature, humidity, and GPS position. This presentation will provide examples of student-led investigations, instructions for building the SABEL sensor package, and the status of the new e-book compilation of student-focused activities using recreational drones to pursue science, math, engineering, and technology research investigations.

The GLOBE Program's Student Climate Research Campaign: Empowering Students to Measure, Investigate, and Understand Climate

Science.gov (United States)

Mackaro, J.; Andersen, T.; Malmberg, J.; Randolph, J. G.; Wegner, K.; Tessendorf, S. A.

2012-12-01

The GLOBE Program's Student Climate Research Campaign (SCRC) is a two-year campaign focused on empowering students to measure, investigate, and understand the climate system in their local community and around the world. Schools can participate in the campaign via three mechanisms: climate foundations, intensive observing periods (IOPs), and research investigations. Participation in the first year of the SCRC focused on increasing student understanding and awareness of climate. Students in 49 countries participated by joining a quarterly webinar, completing the online climate learning activity, collecting and entering data during IOPs, or completing an online join survey. The year also included a video competition with the theme of Earth Day 2012, as well as a virtual student conference in conjunction with The GLOBE Program's From Learning to Research Project. As the SCRC continues into its second year, the goal is for students to increase their understanding of and ability to conduct scientific research focused on climate. Furthermore, year two of the SCRC seeks to improve students' global awareness by encouraging collaborations among students, teachers and scientists focused on understanding the Earth as a system. In addition to the continuation of activities from year one, year two will have even more webinars offered, two competitions, the introduction of two new IOPs, and a culminating virtual student conference. It is anticipated that this virtual conference will showcase research by students who are enthusiastic and dedicated to understanding climate and mitigating impacts of climate change in their communities. This presentation will highlight examples of how the SCRC is engaging students all over the world in hands-on and locally relevant climate research.

Attitudes of Saudi Arabian Undergraduate Medical Students towards Health Research

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sara M. Al-Hilali

2016-02-01

Full Text Available Objectives: This study aimed to evaluate attitudes, perceptions and perceived barriers towards health research among Saudi Arabian undergraduate medical students. Methods: This cross-sectional study took place between August and October 2014 and included 520 students from five medical schools across Saudi Arabia. An anonymous online survey with 21 close-ended questions was designed to assess students’ attitudes towards research, contribution to research-related activities, awareness of the importance of research, perception of available resources/opportunities for research, appreciation of medical students’ research contributions and perceived barriers to research. Responses were scored on a 5-point Likert scale. Results: A total of 401 students participated in the study (response rate: 77.1%. Of these, 278 (69.3% were female. A positive attitude towards research was reported by 43.9% of the students. No statistically significant differences were observed between genders with regards to attitudes towards and available resources for research (P = 0.500 and 0.200, respectively. Clinical students had a significantly more positive attitude towards research compared to preclinical students (P = 0.007. Only 26.4% of the respondents believed that they had adequate resources/opportunities for research. According to the students, perceived barriers to undertaking research included time constraints (n = 200; 49.9%, lack of research mentors (n = 95; 23.7%, lack of formal research methodology training (n = 170; 42.4% and difficulties in conducting literature searches (n = 145; 36.2%. Conclusion: Less than half of the surveyed Saudi Arabian medical students had a positive attitude towards health research. Medical education policies should aim to counteract the barriers identified in this study.

Undergraduate Research or Research-Based Courses: Which Is Most Beneficial for Science Students?

Science.gov (United States)

Olivares-Donoso, Ruby; González, Carlos

2017-06-01

Over the last 25 years, both research literature and practice-oriented reports have claimed the need for improving the quality of undergraduate science education through linking research and teaching. Two manners of doing this are reported: undergraduate research and research-based courses. Although there are studies reporting benefits of participating in these experiences, few synthesize their findings. In this article, we present a literature review aimed at synthesizing and comparing results of the impact of participating in these research experiences to establish which approach is most beneficial for students to develop as scientists. Twenty studies on student participation in undergraduate research and research-based courses were reviewed. Results show that both types of experiences have positive effects on students. These results have implications for both practice and research. Regarding practice, we propose ideas for designing and implementing experiences that combine both types of experiences. Concerning research, we identify some methodological limitations that should be addressed in further studies.

The Principle of Energetic Consistency

Science.gov (United States)

Cohn, Stephen E.

2009-01-01

A basic result in estimation theory is that the minimum variance estimate of the dynamical state, given the observations, is the conditional mean estimate. This result holds independently of the specifics of any dynamical or observation nonlinearity or stochasticity, requiring only that the probability density function of the state, conditioned on the observations, has two moments. For nonlinear dynamics that conserve a total energy, this general result implies the principle of energetic consistency: if the dynamical variables are taken to be the natural energy variables, then the sum of the total energy of the conditional mean and the trace of the conditional covariance matrix (the total variance) is constant between observations. Ensemble Kalman filtering methods are designed to approximate the evolution of the conditional mean and covariance matrix. For them the principle of energetic consistency holds independently of ensemble size, even with covariance localization. However, full Kalman filter experiments with advection dynamics have shown that a small amount of numerical dissipation can cause a large, state-dependent loss of total variance, to the detriment of filter performance. The principle of energetic consistency offers a simple way to test whether this spurious loss of variance limits ensemble filter performance in full-blown applications. The classical second-moment closure (third-moment discard) equations also satisfy the principle of energetic consistency, independently of the rank of the conditional covariance matrix. Low-rank approximation of these equations offers an energetically consistent, computationally viable alternative to ensemble filtering. Current formulations of long-window, weak-constraint, four-dimensional variational methods are designed to approximate the conditional mode rather than the conditional mean. Thus they neglect the nonlinear bias term in the second-moment closure equation for the conditional mean. The principle of

A cross-sectional survey on nursing students' attitude towards research

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Samia Saud Al Furaikh

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Background: Nursing research promotes optimum care for patients through evidence-based nursing practice. Students' attitude towards research motivates them to engage in research, develop research skills and apply research findings in clinical settings to promote positive patient outcome. Aim: The aim of this study is to analyse the attitudes of undergraduate nursing students towards research component in order to discover implications for the best practices in teaching/learning process. Materials and Methods: A descriptive, cross-sectional investigation was carried out with purposively selected n = 186, level 5–8 students at the College of Nursing-A, King Saud bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences, Al-Ahsa from 2016 to 2107. With informed, voluntary consent, data on students' attitudes towards research were collected using a self-administered questionnaire. The questionnaire consisted of 32 items on a Likert scale of strongly agree (4 to strongly disagree (1 with the scores ranging from 32 to 128. Analyses were performed using SPSS version 20. Results: The overall attitude towards research was positive with a mean score (68.4 ± 6.580. Most of the students (78% regarded that research is useful for the nursing profession. Positive attitude towards research was demonstrated by 68% of the nursing students, 61% reported that research plays an important role in professional and personal life, whereas the highest proportion of students (71% perceived research as a difficult, complicated, stressful subject and 64% reported statistical difficulty. Conclusion: Although many of the students have a favourable attitude towards the research process and acknowledge its usefulness and benefit to the nursing profession, many of them perceived their research course as stressful. Most of them reported having negative feelings and anxiety towards the research process. Incorporating research course(s into the curriculum at the pre-university level and

2016 Energetic Materials Gordon Research Conference and Gordon Research Seminar Research Area 7: Chemical Sciences 7.0 Chemical Sciences (Dr. James K. Parker)

Science.gov (United States)

2016-08-10

Energetic Materials" 8:45 pm - 8:55 pm Discussion 8:55 pm - 9:20 pm Michael Zdilla (Temple University, USA) "Expedition to Breach the CHNO Ceiling by...Introduction by Discussion Leader 9:15 am - 9:45 am Ryan Austin (Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, USA) "Investigating the Crystal -Level

International Research Students' Experiences in Academic Success

Science.gov (United States)

Yeoh, Joanne Sin Wei; Terry, Daniel R.

2013-01-01

The flow of international students to study in Australia increases each year. It is a challenge for students to study abroad in a different sociocultural environment, especially for postgraduate research students, as they experience numerous difficulties in an unfamiliar and vastly different study environment. A study aimed to investigate the…

Students' perspectives of undergraduate research methods ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Introduction: in this study we used a model of adult learning to explore undergraduate students' views on how to improve the teaching of research methods and biostatistics. Methods: this was a secondary analysis of survey data of 600 undergraduate students from three medical schools in Uganda. The analysis looked at ...

Barriers and challenges in researches by Iranian students of medical universities.

Science.gov (United States)

Anbari, Zohreh; Mohammadbeigi, Abolfazl; Jadidi, Rahmatollah

2015-01-01

Health sciences research (HSR) is an essential part of improving health care which plays a critical role in the field of medicine and clinical practice. The aim of the current study was to assess barriers to the research by students of medical sciences as well as to find out effective strategies for management of student researches in Iranian universities. This study utilized a hybrid design with quantitative and qualitative analytical approaches conducted on 627 students in six schools of medical sciences in two universities in Central Province in Iran from April to December, 2012. Questionnaires were distributed among researcher and non-researcher students to find barriers to the research. These barriers were approved and validated by similar studies and strategies using the Delphi technique on 36 students. The most important barriers among researcher students were institutional barriers (3.3 ± 1.3), but in non-researcher students they were individual barriers (3.6 ± 1.7). The majority of barriers to involvement in the research among researcher students appeared to be time, lack of access to electronic resources and prolongation of the process of buying equipment. In addition, the greatest barriers among non-researcher students included the lack of time, scientific writing skills, and access to trained assistants. The results showed the issue of attitudes towards compulsory research as a component of critical scholarship in the curriculum of medical courses. Moreover, employment of the research experts can be helpful for research training in schools of medical sciences.

Student Perceptions on Live-Case Projects: Undergraduate Marketing Research

Science.gov (United States)

Gundala, Raghava Rao; Singh, Mandeep; Baldwin, Andrew

2014-01-01

This paper is an investigation into undergraduate students' perceptions on use of live projects as a teaching pedagogy in marketing research courses. Students in undergraduate marketing research courses from fall 2009 to spring 2013 completed an online questionnaire consisting of 17 items. The results suggested that student understanding of…

Energetic map

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2012-01-01

This report explains the energetic map of Uruguay as well as the different systems that delimits political frontiers in the region. The electrical system importance is due to the electricity, oil and derived , natural gas, potential study, biofuels, wind and solar energy

Changes in nursing students' perceptions of research and evidence-based practice after completing a research course.

Science.gov (United States)

Keib, Carrie N; Cailor, Stephanie M; Kiersma, Mary E; Chen, Aleda M H

2017-07-01

Nurses need a sound education in research and evidence-based practice (EBP) to provide patients with optimal care, but current teaching methods could be more effective. To evaluate the changes in nursing students 1) perceptions of research and EBP, 2) confidence in research and EBP, and 3) interest in research participation after completing a course in research and EBP. A pre-post assessment design was utilized to compare changes in students. This project was conducted at a small, private liberal arts institution with Bachelor of Science (BSN) students. Two cohorts of third-year BSN students (Year 1 N=55, Year 2 N=54) who were taking a required, semester-long Nursing Research and EBP course. Students' perceptions of and confidence in research and EBP were assessed pre- and post-semester using the Confidence in Research and EBP survey, which contained 7 demographic items, 9 Research Perceptions items, and 19 Confidence in Research items (5-point Likert scale; 1=Not at all confident, 5=Extremely confident). Two years of data were collected and analyzed in SPSS v.24.0. Wilcoxon signed-ranks tests and Mann-Whitney-U tests were utilized to examine the data. Students had significant improvements in perceptions of and confidence in research and EBP (pnursing practice. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Economical aspects of nuclear energetics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Celinski, Z.

2000-01-01

The economical aspects of nuclear power generation in respect to costs of conventional energetics have been discussed in detail. The costs and competitiveness of nuclear power have been considered on the base of worldwide trends taking into account investment and fuel costs as well as 'social' costs being result of impact of different types of energetics on environment, human health etc

Reflections by a student and a faculty member on student-faculty collaborative geophysical field research

Science.gov (United States)

Bank, C.; Rotzien, J.

2007-12-01

More and more students and faculty engage in collaborative research. Field geophysics provides a fascinating venue, as it always contributes to interpersonal relations, usually involves off-campus work, and often allows us to meet new people and explore a different culture. Tackling an authentic research problem keeps a faculty member excited about her/his discipline, while allowing a student to engage in the process of science, follow a researcher's thoughts and contribute to a real project. The exchange of ideas and the generation of new knowledge is rewarding to the student as it facilitates her/his academic growth. Despite the obvious advantages of including students in field-based research, few students are allowed such an opportunity because of the institutional commitment in time and money that is necessary for success. Other challenges in field-based geophysical research include steep learning curves related to the use of equipment, unknown outcomes (data that is often difficult to interpret), and a true commitment to the project on the student's part. The faculty member on the other hand faces additional challenges because of the responsibility for students in the field, scheduling constraints, limited funding, and students' diverse academic goals. This presentation will be given by a faculty member and a student who have engaged in various authentic research projects. Projects ranged from afternoon lab exercises on campus (eg, microgravity survey over a tunnel on campus), course projects connected to field trips (eg, magnetic study and subsequent potential field analysis), summer research projects (eg, georadar survey of Deboullie Lake rock glacier), to year-long undergraduate thesis projects (eg, potential field studies at igneous centres of the Navajo Volcanic Field). We will present highlights of these projects, examine their pedagogical merits, and discuss the advantages and rewards we earned as well as the challenges we faced. Despite all challenges

How Sex Education Research Methodologies Frame GLBTIQ Students

Science.gov (United States)

Jones, Tiffany

2013-01-01

The "bullied" gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, intersex and otherwise Queer (GLBTIQ) student is a fairly recent figure in the sexuality education research literature. GLBTIQ students have previously been problematised by sex education research in a range of different ways and have been the subjects of varying methodological…

Energetic Sustainability and the Environment: A Transdisciplinary, Economic–Ecological Approach

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ioan G. Pop

2017-05-01

Full Text Available The paper combines original concepts about eco-energetic systems, in a transdisciplinary sustainable context. Firstly, it introduces the concept of M.E.N. (Mega-Eco-Nega-Watt, the eco-energetic paradigm based on three different but complementary ecological economic spaces: the Megawatt as needed energy, the Ecowatt as ecological energy, and the Negawatt as preserved energy. The paper also deals with the renewable energies and technologies in the context of electrical energy production. Secondly, in the context of the M.E.N. eco-energetic paradigm, comprehensive definitions are given about eco-energetic systems and for pollution. Thirdly, the paper introduces a new formula for the eco-energetic efficiency which correlates the energetic efficiency of the system and the necessary newly defined ecological coefficient. The proposed formula for eco-energetic efficiency enables an interesting form of relating to different situations in which the input energy, output energy, lost energy, and externalities involved in an energetic process, interact to produce energy in a specific energetic system, in connection with the circular resilient economy model. Finally, the paper presents an original energetic diagram to explain different channels to produce electricity in a resilience regime, with high eco-energetic efficiency from primary external energetic sources (gravitation and solar sources, fuels (classical and radioactive, internal energetic sources (geothermal, volcanoes and other kind of sources. Regardless the kind of energetic sources used to obtain electricity, the entire process should be sustainable in what concerns the transdisciplinary integration of the different representative spheres as energy, socio-economy, and ecology (environment.

The importance of energetic utilization is increasing; Energetische Verwertung waechst

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Briese, Dirk; Meyer, Christian [trend:research GmbH, Institut fuer Trend- und Marktforschung, Bremen (Germany)

2010-04-15

In spite of uniform standards and regulations, sewage treatment strategies of the European states differ dramatically. A current study shows that thermal treatment in monocombustion or cocombustion plants is increasingly important. Forecasts of the trend:research trend and marketing research institute, energetic utilization will become the dominant utilization strategy in Europe, with a share that will have increase by about 50 percent by 2020. (orig.)

Reflection: Research by Design: Design-Based Research and the Higher Degree Research Student

Science.gov (United States)

Kennedy-Clark, Shannon

2015-01-01

The article "Research by design: Design-based research and the higher degree research student" (Kennedy-Clark, 2013) appeared in the "Journal of Learning Design" Volume 6, Issue 2 in 2013. Two years on, Shannon Kennedy-Clark reflects upon her original article. Upon being asked to revisit this article the author reflected upon…

Research skills development in higher education students

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Tiziana Priede Bergamini

2014-03-01

Full Text Available This case study presents the development of a research project in a third-year undergraduate course, Family Business Administration. The research project aimed at promoting research skills in students. The authors formed working groups of no more than six students, and each group had to select an original research topic after conducting a literature review. Students were guided by the teachers and provided with initial reading materials, as well as an activity rubric specifying the minimum requirements of a scientific paper. The activity evaluation consisted of two parts, a written article (group assessment and an oral presentation (individual assessment. After the activity concluded, students were asked to answer an online satisfaction survey. Results showed students viewed the activity as positive and appreciated the chance to develop several competencies, including research skills. The authors conclude several objectives were achieved, including: familiarize students with scientific research; make sure students are cable of finding information through primary sources; have students apply the knowledge acquired during the course; promote responsibility in students; cultivate in students the capacity to summarize ideas and expose them in a reasoned way; have students learn from the experiences and knowledge of others; and develop in students the capacity to synthesize all that information. -------------------------- El desarrollo de la capacidad investigadora en estudiantes de educación superior Resumen  Este estudio de caso presenta el desarrollo de un proyecto de investigación en la asignatura “Administración de la Empresa Familiar” de tercer curso. El proyecto de investigación tenía como propósito fomentar de forma específica la capacidad investigadora de los alumnos. Se formaron grupos de trabajo de no más de seis estudiantes, y cada grupo tenía que seleccionar un tema de investigación original tras realizar una búsqueda de

Student Voice in High School: An Action Research Study

Science.gov (United States)

Termini, Lorraine

2013-01-01

This action research study examined the effects of student voice in one high school and the self-reflection of the researcher-administrator involved in the effort. Using three cycles of action research, the researcher-administrator completed a pilot study, implemented a student voice project in one class, and developed a professional development…

A Guide for Scientists Interested in Researching Student Outcomes

Science.gov (United States)

Buxner, Sanlyn R.; Anbar, Ariel; Semken, Steve; Mead, Chris; Horodyskyj, Lev; Perera, Viranga; Bruce, Geoffrey; Schönstein, David

2015-11-01

Scientists spend years training in their scientific discipline and are well versed the literature, methods, and innovations in their own field. Many scientists also take on teaching responsibilities with little formal training in how to implement their courses or assess their students. There is a growing body of literature of what students know in space science courses and the types of innovations that can work to increase student learning but scientists rarely have exposure to this body of literature. For scientists who are interested in more effectively understanding what their students know or investigating the impact their courses have on students, there is little guidance. Undertaking a more formal study of students poses more complexities including finding robust instruments and employing appropriate data analysis. Additionally, formal research with students involves issues of privacy and human subjects concerns, both regulated by federal laws.This poster details the important decisions and issues to consider for both course evaluation and more formal research using a course developed, facilitated, evaluated and researched by a hybrid team of scientists and science education researchers. HabWorlds, designed and implemented by a team of scientists and faculty at Arizona State University, has been using student data to continually improve the course as well as conduct formal research on students’ knowledge and attitudes in science. This ongoing project has had external funding sources to allow robust assessment not available to most instructors. This is a case study for discussing issues that are applicable to designing and assessing all science courses. Over the course of several years, instructors have refined course outcomes and learning objectives that are shared with students as a roadmap of instruction. The team has searched for appropriate tools for assessing student learning and attitudes, tested them and decided which have worked, or not, for

Barriers and challenges in researches by Iranian students of medical universities

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Zohreh Anbari

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Background: Health sciences research (HSR is an essential part of improving health care which plays a critical role in the field of medicine and clinical practice. The aim of the current study was to assess barriers to the research by students of medical sciences as well as to find out effective strategies for management of student researches in Iranian universities. Materials and Methods: This study utilized a hybrid design with quantitative and qualitative analytical approaches conducted on 627 students in six schools of medical sciences in two universities in Central Province in Iran from April to December, 2012. Questionnaires were distributed among researcher and non-researcher students to find barriers to the research. These barriers were approved and validated by similar studies and strategies using the Delphi technique on 36 students. Results: The most important barriers among researcher students were institutional barriers (3.3 ± 1.3, but in non-researcher students they were individual barriers (3.6 ± 1.7. The majority of barriers to involvement in the research among researcher students appeared to be time, lack of access to electronic resources and prolongation of the process of buying equipment. In addition, the greatest barriers among non-researcher students included the lack of time, scientific writing skills, and access to trained assistants. Conclusion: The results showed the issue of attitudes towards compulsory research as a component of critical scholarship in the curriculum of medical courses. Moreover, employment of the research experts can be helpful for research training in schools of medical sciences.

University-Level Research Projects for High School Students

Science.gov (United States)

McConnell, Mark L.

2000-01-01

The goal of this project was to provide an opportunity for high school students to participate in university-level research projects. In this case, students from Pinkerton Academy (Derry, New Hampshire) were invited to participate in efforts to catalog data from the COMPTEL experiment on NASA's Compton Gamma-Ray Observatory (CGRO). These activities were part of a senior level honors course at Pinkerton. Although the success of this particular program was rather limited, we feel that the general concept is a sound one. In principle, the concept of partnerships between local schools and university researchers is one that could be especially attractive to soft money researchers. Programs can be carefully designed to benefit both the students and the research program.

Safer energetic materials by a nanotechnological approach

Science.gov (United States)

Siegert, Benny; Comet, Marc; Spitzer, Denis

2011-09-01

Energetic materials - explosives, thermites, populsive powders - are used in a variety of military and civilian applications. Their mechanical and electrostatic sensitivity is high in many cases, which can lead to accidents during handling and transport. These considerations limit the practical use of some energetic materials despite their good performance. For industrial applications, safety is one of the main criteria for selecting energetic materials. The sensitivity has been regarded as an intrinsic property of a substance for a long time. However, in recent years, several approaches to lower the sensitivity of a given substance, using nanotechnology and materials engineering, have been described. This feature article gives an overview over ways to prepare energetic (nano-)materials with a lower sensitivity.Energetic materials - explosives, thermites, populsive powders - are used in a variety of military and civilian applications. Their mechanical and electrostatic sensitivity is high in many cases, which can lead to accidents during handling and transport. These considerations limit the practical use of some energetic materials despite their good performance. For industrial applications, safety is one of the main criteria for selecting energetic materials. The sensitivity has been regarded as an intrinsic property of a substance for a long time. However, in recent years, several approaches to lower the sensitivity of a given substance, using nanotechnology and materials engineering, have been described. This feature article gives an overview over ways to prepare energetic (nano-)materials with a lower sensitivity. Electronic supplementary information (ESI) available: Experimental details for the preparation of the V2O5@CNF/Al nanothermite; X-ray diffractogram of the V2O5@CNF/Al combustion residue; installation instructions and source code for the nt-timeline program. See DOI: 10.1039/c1nr10292c

Methods for Retention of Undergraduate Students in Field-Based Research

Science.gov (United States)

Lehnen, J. N.

2017-12-01

Undergraduate students often participate in research by following the vision, creativity, and procedures established by their principal investigators. Students at the undergraduate level rarely get a chance to direct the course of their own research and have little experience creatively solving advanced problems and establishing project objectives. This lack of independence and ingenuity results in students missing out on some of the most key aspects of research. For the last two years, the Undergraduate Student Instrument Project (USIP) at the University of Houston has encouraged students to become more independent scientists by completing a research project from start to finish with minimal reliance on faculty mentors. As part of USIP, students were responsible for proposing scientific questions about the upper stratosphere, designing instruments to answer those questions, and launching their experiments into the atmosphere of Fairbanks, Alaska. Everything from formulation of experiment ideas to actual launching of the balloon borne payloads was planned by and performed by students; members of the team even established a student leadership system, handled monetary responsibilities, and coordinated with NASA representatives to complete design review requirements. This session will discuss the pros and cons of student-led research by drawing on USIP as an example, focusing specifically on how the experience impacted student engagement and retention in the program. This session will also discuss how to encourage students to disseminate their knowledge through conferences, collaborations, and educational outreach initiatives by again using USIP students as an example.

Identification of organization values according to the perception of the employees of the Energetic and Nuclear Research Institute - IPEN

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pupak, Marcia Orrico; Roman, Edson; Perrota, Jose Augusto; Feher, Ana Claudia M.; Magalhaes, Adriana B.V.B.; Massi, Maria Julia Gili; Rogero, Jose Roberto; Maximiano, Antonio Cesar Amaru

2002-01-01

The purpose of this research was to identify the organizational values, according to the perception of employees of the Energetic and Nuclear Research Institute - IPEN. The instrument used in this research was the 'Organization Values Questionnaire'. This survey contains a list with 38 values, each followed by a parenthetical explanation that clarifies its meaning. Respondents rated each value on a 6-point scale from, less important (0) to very important (6), in response to the question: How important is each values for the organizational life? This evaluation should be done in two levels of perception: REAL plan, and IDEAL plan. The population investigated was constituent by 1000 employees. The total of 553, i.e. 55.3%, questionnaires were turned back. As result, it was identified on REAL plan, values related to coefficient as EFFICIENCY, EFFICACY and MANAGEMENT. On IDEAL plan, they were related to EMPLOYEE VALORIZATION and INOVATION coefficient. As consequence, the institutional commitment is to form working groups, inside the Strategic Planning Revision, in order to elaborate the Core Values, based on the values identified on this research. (author)

Optimization of some eco-energetic systems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Purica, I.; Pavelescu, M.; Stoica, M.

1976-01-01

An optimization problem of two eco-energetic systems is described. The first one is close to the actual eco-energetic system in Romania, while the second is a new one, based on nuclear energy as primary source and hydrogen energy as secondary source. The optimization problem solved is to find the optimal structure of the systems so that the objective functions adopted, namely unitary energy cost C and total pollution P, to be minimum at the same time. The problem can be modelated with a bimatrix cooperative mathematical game without side payments. We demonstrate the superiority of the new eco-energetic system. (author)

Doctoral Research Education in Canada: Full-Time and Part-Time Students' Access to Research Assistantships

Science.gov (United States)

Niemczyk, Ewalina Kinga

2016-01-01

Graduate students' development as researchers is a key objective in higher education internationally. Research assistantships (RAships) nurture graduate students as novice researchers as they develop theoretical and methodological knowledge. However, few studies have investigated the ways institutional regulations, informal practices, and…

Energetics Laboratory Facilities

Data.gov (United States)

Federal Laboratory Consortium — These energetic materials laboratories are equipped with explosion proof hoods with blow out walls for added safety, that are certified for safe handling of primary...

Establishing a Student Research and Publishing Program in High School Physics

Science.gov (United States)

Eales, Jonathan; Laksana, Sangob

2016-01-01

Student learning in science is improved by authentic personal experience of research projects and the publication of findings. Graduate students do this, but it is uncommon to find student research and publishing in high school science programs. We describe here the Student Research and Publishing Program (SRPP) established at International School…

Research Game: an innovative educational tool for teachers and students

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Franca Sangiorgio

2014-12-01

Full Text Available This contribution describes ‘Research Game’, a game produced in a Lifelong Learning Programme-Comenius Project (The European Scientific Research Game which aims at motivating secondary school students through the experience of the excitement of scientific research. The project proposes practical and didactic works which combine theoretical activities with ICT in order to introduce students to the scientific research. Students collaborated internationally across Europe, to build hypotheses, carry out research, test the validity of their hypothesis and finalize a theory based on their findings. On the project platform (www.researchgame.eu/platform teachers and students registered, created a team, interacted on a forum space, played and learned science in a new innovative way. Here, the students shared their research findings with other groups of all Europe; finally competed online playing a serious game and showing to be able to apply the scientific method.

Students' Reflective Essays as Insights into Student Centred-Pedagogies within the Undergraduate Research Methods Curriculum

Science.gov (United States)

Hosein, Anesa; Rao, Namrata

2017-01-01

In higher education, despite the emphasis on student-centred pedagogical approaches, undergraduate research methods pedagogy remains surprisingly teacher-directed. Consequently, it may lead to research methods students assuming that becoming a researcher involves gathering information rather than it being a continuous developmental process. To…

Entrepreneurship in Cyberspace Research of Mru Management and Administration Students

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Mindaugas Kiškis

2012-07-01

Full Text Available Youth entrepreneurship is one of the European Union’s public policy priorities. Student entrepreneurship in this context is particularly important as academic studies at the university shall develop an entrepreneurial personality.Student entrepreneurship is not widely examined in Lithuanian scholarly work. This phenomenon tends to be analyzed in the context of development of general entrepreneurial skills. There is no prior work on student entrepreneurship in cyberspace—most notably there is no empirical research in this area. This situation emphasizes the need for empirical studies of student entrepreneurship.The purpose of this article is to analyze student entrepreneurship in cyberspace status quo at Mykolas Romeris University (MRU. This research objective was chosen in order to determine the current status and to enable a reference for further research of student entrepreneurship in cyberspace. Additional practical goals are adopted, namely—based on the results of this study, to identify development guidelines for study programs as well as the “Entrepreneurship in Cyberspace” discipline taught in a postgraduate studies at MRU in order to focus them on the needs of future postgraduate students.The research was conducted using a survey method. Before the research three hypotheses were proposed:1 MRU students are more enterprising than the statistical resident of Lithuania;2 student entrepreneurship education in Management and Administration studies is inadequate;3 students need specialized knowledge of entrepreneurship in cyberspace.After the analysis of gathered data from students all three hypotheses were confirmed: students are more entrepreneurial then the general population of Lithuania, entrepreneurial education at the university is insufficient and there is a need among students for specialized knowledge in the field of e-business.Follow-up study of the negative dynamics of student entrepreneurship should be carried out in the

Research Microcultures as Socialization Contexts for Underrepresented Science Students.

Science.gov (United States)

Thoman, Dustin B; Muragishi, Gregg A; Smith, Jessi L

2017-06-01

How much does scientific research potentially help people? We tested whether prosocial-affordance beliefs (PABs) about science spread among group members and contribute to individual students' motivation for science. We tested this question within the context of research experience for undergraduates working in faculty-led laboratories, focusing on students who belong to underrepresented minority (URM) groups. Longitudinal survey data were collected from 522 research assistants in 41 labs at six institutions. We used multilevel modeling, and results supported a socialization effect for URM students: The aggregate PABs of their lab mates predicted the students' own initial PABs, as well as their subsequent experiences of interest and their motivation to pursue a career in science, even after controlling for individual-level PABs. Results demonstrate that research labs serve as microcultures of information about the science norms and values that influence motivation. URM students are particularly sensitive to this information. Efforts to broaden participation should be informed by an understanding of the group processes that convey such prosocial values.

Developing Research Competence in Undergraduate Students through Hands on Learning

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Zoe E. Davidson

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Evidence-based practice is the foundation of nutrition and dietetics. To effectively apply evidence-based practice, health professionals must understand the basis of research. Previous work has identified the lack of involvement of dietitians in research. As part of a curriculum redevelopment in undergraduate nutrition and dietetics courses, research skill teaching was enhanced. This study evaluated the effect of a new, year two level nutrition research methods unit on the perceived research skills of students. The unit consisted of two key components: a student-led class research project and a small group systematic literature review. Prior to commencement and on completion of the course, students completed a modified version of the Research Skills Questionnaire. Results demonstrated that self-perceived competence increased by a small degree in a set of specific research skills as well as in broader skills such as information gathering and handling, information evaluation, ability to work independently, and critical thinking. The new research unit was also evaluated highly on a student satisfaction survey. Despite these positive findings, students indicated that their general feelings towards research or a career in research were unchanged. In summary, this unit enhanced students’ perceived research skills. Further exploration of students’ attitude towards research is warranted.

Institutional Image of Anadolu University According To Farabi Students: A Research on Incoming Students

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Dilek MERİÇ

2015-09-01

Full Text Available Farabi Exchange Program provides mobility of students and academic staff among Turkish higher education institutions. The purpose of this research is to explore institutional image of Anadolu University according to Farabi students and to investigate what priorities or criteria they have when they prefer Anadolu University and to explore which factors impact the decision process. With this purpose, a survey design is used as a research method. The study covers surveys of 132 of 180 students who preferred Anadolu University through Farabi Exchange Program in the academic year of 2013-2014. Research results revealed that the incoming Farabi Exchange Program students perceive the institutional image of Anadolu University positively. Although the university itself has the most important effect on the decision process, it is found that other factors like the city and the faculty/ the department also have impact on the university preferences of Farabi students. No empirical research has been found investigating the institutional image and its role in the decision process of the students benefiting from the Farabi exchange program in the literature. This study is important since it contributes to the empirical literature and provides university administrations with practical information about factors affecting university preferences.

Theoretical Studies of Small-System Thermodynamics in Energetic Materials

Science.gov (United States)

2016-01-06

SECURITY CLASSIFICATION OF: This is a comprehensive theoretical research program to investigate the fundamental principles of small-system thermodynamics ...a.k.a. nanothermodynamics). The proposed work is motivated by our desire to better understand the fundamental dynamics and thermodynamics of...for Public Release; Distribution Unlimited Final Report: Theoretical Studies of Small-System Thermodynamics in Energetic Materials The views, opinions

Entrepreneurship in Cyberspace Research of Mru Management and Administration Students

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mindaugas Kiškis

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Youth entrepreneurship is one of the European Union’s public policy priorities. Student entrepreneurship in this context is particularly important as academic studies at the university shall develop an entrepreneurial personality. Student entrepreneurship is not widely examined in Lithuanian scholarly work. This phenomenon tends to be analyzed in the context of development of general entrepreneurial skills. There is no prior work on student entrepreneurship in cyberspace—most notably there is no empirical research in this area. This situation emphasizes the need for empirical studies of student entrepreneurship. The purpose of this article is to analyze student entrepreneurship in cyberspace status quo at Mykolas Romeris University (MRU. This research objective was chosen in order to determine the current status and to enable a reference for further research of student entrepreneurship in cyberspace. Additional practical goals are adopted, namely—based on the results of this study, to identify development guidelines for study programs as well as the “Entrepreneurship in Cyberspace” discipline taught in a postgraduate studies at MRU in order to focus them on the needs of future postgraduate students. The research was conducted using a survey method. Before the research three hypotheses were proposed: 1 MRU students are more enterprising than the statistical resident of Lithuania; 2 student entrepreneurship education in Management and Administration studies is inadequate; 3 students need specialized knowledge of entrepreneurship in cyberspace. After the analysis of gathered data from students all three hypotheses were confirmed: students are more entrepreneurial then the general population of Lithuania, entrepreneurial education at the university is insufficient and there is a need among students for specialized knowledge in the field of e-business. Follow-up study of the negative dynamics of student entrepreneurship should be carried

Evaluation of the medical student research programme in Norwegian medical schools. A survey of students and supervisors

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tømmerås Karin

2009-07-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background The Medical Student Research Programme is a national education and grant scheme for medical students who wish to carry out research in parallel with their studies. The purpose of the programme is to increase recruitment of people with a standard medical degree to medical research. The Research Programme was established in 2002 and underwent a thorough evaluation during the spring of 2007. The evaluation should investigate if the programme had fulfilled its objectives of increased recruitment to medical research, in addition to the students' and supervisors' satisfaction of the programme, and unwanted differences between the universities. Methods Data was collected from students, supervisors and administrative staff via web-based questionnaires. Information about admission, implementation, results achieved and satisfaction was analysed and compared between the four Norwegian medical schools. In addition, the position of the scheme in relation to the national Quality Reform of Higher Education was analysed. Results At the end of 2006, the Medical Student Research Programme had recruited 265 medical students to research. These consisted of 214 active students, 35 who had completed their studies and only 17 who had dropped out. Both students and supervisors were generally very satisfied with the scheme, including the curriculum, the results achieved and the administrative service. The majority of students wanted to continue their research towards a PhD and, of those who had completed the Medical Student Research Programme, practically all had published one or several scientific papers. The survey showed only small differences between the four medical schools, despite their choice of somewhat different solutions in terms of administration and organisation. The Medical Student Research Programme satisfies the majority of the demands of the Quality Reform, however as an integrated research programme aimed at a PhD it presupposes

Evaluation of the medical student research programme in Norwegian medical schools. A survey of students and supervisors

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Hunskaar, Steinar; Breivik, Jarle; Siebke, Maje; Tømmerås, Karin; Figenschau, Kristian; Hansen, John-Bjarne

2009-01-01

Background The Medical Student Research Programme is a national education and grant scheme for medical students who wish to carry out research in parallel with their studies. The purpose of the programme is to increase recruitment of people with a standard medical degree to medical research. The Research Programme was established in 2002 and underwent a thorough evaluation during the spring of 2007. The evaluation should investigate if the programme had fulfilled its objectives of increased recruitment to medical research, in addition to the students' and supervisors' satisfaction of the programme, and unwanted differences between the universities. Methods Data was collected from students, supervisors and administrative staff via web-based questionnaires. Information about admission, implementation, results achieved and satisfaction was analysed and compared between the four Norwegian medical schools. In addition, the position of the scheme in relation to the national Quality Reform of Higher Education was analysed. Results At the end of 2006, the Medical Student Research Programme had recruited 265 medical students to research. These consisted of 214 active students, 35 who had completed their studies and only 17 who had dropped out. Both students and supervisors were generally very satisfied with the scheme, including the curriculum, the results achieved and the administrative service. The majority of students wanted to continue their research towards a PhD and, of those who had completed the Medical Student Research Programme, practically all had published one or several scientific papers. The survey showed only small differences between the four medical schools, despite their choice of somewhat different solutions in terms of administration and organisation. The Medical Student Research Programme satisfies the majority of the demands of the Quality Reform, however as an integrated research programme aimed at a PhD it presupposes access to PhD courses before the

Quantitative Research Attitudes and Research Training Perceptions among Master's-Level Students

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Steele, Janeé M.; Rawls, Glinda J.

2015-01-01

This study explored master's-level counseling students' (N = 804) perceptions of training in the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (2009) Research and Program Evaluation standard, and their attitudes toward quantitative research. Training perceptions and quantitative research attitudes were low to moderate,…

Research Students' Conceptions of the Role of Information and Communication Technologies in Educational Technology Research

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Markauskaite, Lina; Wardak, Dewa

2015-01-01

The emergence of "big data," "digital scholarship" and "eResearch" raises the question of how these digital developments in research methods and practices affect research students. This paper presents findings from a phenomenographic study that investigated postgraduate students' conceptions of the role of information…

Student Scientific Research within Communities-of-Practice (Abstract)

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Genet, R.; Armstrong, J.; Blanko, P.; Boyce, G. B. P.; Brewer, M.; Buchheim, R.; Calanog, J.; Castaneda, D.; Chamberlin, R.; Clark, R. K.; Collins, D.; Conti, D.; Cormier, S.; FItzgerald, M.; Estrada, C.; Estrada, R.; Freed, R.; Gomez, E.; Hardersen, P.; Harshaw, R.; Johnson, J.; Kafka, S.; Kenney, J.; Monanan, K.; Ridgely, J.; Rowe, D.; Silliman, M.; Stojimirovic, I.; Tock, K.; Walker, D.

2017-12-01

(Abstract only) Social learning theory suggests that students who wish to become scientists will benefit by being active researchers early in their educational careers. As coauthors of published research, they identify themselves as scientists. This provides them with the inspiration, motivation, and staying power that many will need to complete the long educational process. This hypothesis was put to the test over the past decade by a one-semester astronomy research seminar where teams of students managed their own research. Well over a hundred published papers coauthored by high school and undergraduate students at a handful of schools substantiated this hypothesis. However, one could argue that this was a special case. Astronomy, after all, is supported by a large professional-amateur community-of-practice. Furthermore, the specific area of research - double star astrometry - was chosen because the observations could be quickly made, the data reduction and analysis was straight forward, and publication of the research was welcomed by the Journal of Double Star Observations. A recently initiated seminar development and expansion program - supported in part by the National Science Foundation - is testing a more general hypothesis that: (1) the seminar can be successfully adopted by many other schools; (2) research within astronomy can be extended from double star astrometry to time series photometry of variable stars, exoplanet transits, and asteroids; and (3) the seminar model can be extended to a science beyond astronomy: environmental science' specifically atmospheric science. If the more general hypothesis is also supported, seminars that similarly feature published high school and undergraduate student team research could have the potential to significantly improve science education by increasing the percentage of students who complete the education required to become professional scientists.

The Role of High School Research Experiences in Shaping Students' Research Self-Efficacy and Preparation for Undergraduate Research Participation

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Swan, Amy K.; Inkelas, Karen Kurotsuchi; Jones, Jill N.; Pretlow, Joshua; Keller, Tierney F.

2018-01-01

The effects of undergraduate research participation are well documented, but less is known about students' pathways into undergraduate research participation. This mixed-methods study explored the role of an International Baccalaureate research project in students' development of research self-efficacy in high school, and how this development…

Feminist teacher research and students' visions of science: Listening as research and pedagogy

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Howes, Elaine Virginia

In this dissertation, I bring together methodologies deriving from teacher research and feminist research to study students' visions of the content and processes of science. Through listening intently to students' talk and studying their writing, I address the following questions: (1) What can intensive listening to students tell us about students' thinking and beliefs concerning their images of science as a social enterprise? (2) What kinds of classroom situations encourage and support students' expressions of their lives and beliefs in connection to science? (3) How can feminist theories of education and critiques of science inform our efforts for "science for all"? This study is organized by focusing on the connection between national standards for science education and feminist theories of pedagogy and feminist critiques of science. From this starting point, students' ideas are presented and interpreted thematically. The resonances and dissonances between students' ideas, standards' goals, and feminist theory are explicated. Current best practice in science education demands that science teachers attend to what their students are thinking. For this dissertation, I have taken a perspective that is slightly askew from that of listening to students in order to support or challenge their thinking about natural phenomena. During my teaching, I set up situations in which students could speak about their images of science; these situations are integral to this study. My research goal was to listen in order to learn what students were thinking and believing--but not necessarily in order to change that thinking or those beliefs. My work is meant to cultivate common ground between feminist scholarship and science education, while deepening our understanding of students' thinking about the activities and knowledge of science. I hope that this dissertation will open up conversations between science educators and their students around issues concerning students

Ab initio research of stopping power for energetic ions in solids

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

He, Bin, E-mail: hebin-rc@163.com; Meng, Xu-Jun; Wang, Jian-Guo

2017-03-01

A new physical scenario is suggested to estimate the stopping power of energetic α particles in solid-density Be, Na, and Al at room temperature in an ab initio way based on the average atom model. In the scenario the stopping power is caused by the transition of free electrons to higher energy states and the ionization of bound electrons of the atom. Our results are found generally in good agreement with the recommended data in Al, Be and Na as well as the experimental data in Al. A comparison of energy loss with the recent experiment of protons in Be indicates that the scenario is more reasonable than the local density approximation in this case.

Underlying Paradigms in Student Affairs Research and Practice

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Guido, Florence M.; Chavez, Alicia Fedelina; Lincoln, Yvonna S.

2010-01-01

Student affairs professionals benefit from understanding paradigms, worldviews, and ways of being among diverse faculty, staff, and students. It is challenging to understand core differences of paradigms, design student affairs practice and research in congruence with or across specific philosophies, and work effectively with individuals operating…

International Students on an American Campus: An Undergraduate Research Study.

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Matthews, Judith; Quattrocki, Carolyn

1981-01-01

Describes a seminar in which undergraduate students in home economics were provided with research training and the opportunity to work together on a research project which included housing, clothing, nutrition, consumer services, child development, and family relations. Students also explored difficulties international students encounter in…

Rocket measurements of energetic particles in the midlatitude precipitation zone

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Voss, H. D.; Smith, L. G.; Braswell, F. M.

1980-01-01

Measurements of energetic ion and electron properties as a function of altitude in the midlatitude zone of nighttime energetic particle precipitation are reported. The measurements of particle fluxes, energy spectra and pitch angle distributions were obtained by a Langmuir probe, six energetic particle spectrometers and an electrostatic analyzer on board a Nike Apache rocket launched near the center of the midlatitude zone during disturbed conditions. It is found that the incident flux was primarily absorbed rather than backscattered, and consists of mainly energetic hydrogen together with some helium and a small energetic electron component. Observed differential energy spectra of protons having an exponential energy spectrum, and pitch angle distributions at various altitudes indicate that the energetic particle flux decreases rapidly for pitch angles less than 70 deg. An energetic particle energy flux of 0.002 ergs/sq cm per sec is calculated which indicates the significance of energetic particles as a primary nighttime ionization source for altitudes between 120 and 200 km in the midlatitude precipitation zone.

Cross-disciplinary, authentic student research projects

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Heck, A.; Uylings, P.; Kędzierska, E.; Ellermeijer, T.

2010-01-01

In the Dutch secondary education system, students must carry out at the end of their school career a rather large research or design project to demonstrate their ability to apply acquired knowledge and skills while pursuing a research question or design goal in some depth. They are encouraged to

Research on Divorce among Postsecondary Students: Surprisingly Missing

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Galvin, Christina Rosen

2006-01-01

The rigors of university life can be demanding, especially with non-traditional students juggling multiple responsibilities such as being a student, parent, and/or spouse, and working full-time. Such responsibilities can affect couple relationships and marriages. This article reviews the research literature on divorce among postsecondary students.…

Applying Equity Theory to Students' Perceptions of Research Participation Requirements

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Miles, Shannon R.; Cromer, Lisa DeMarni; Narayan, Anupama

2015-01-01

Human subject pools have been a valuable resource to universities conducting research with student participants. However, the costs and benefits to student participants must be carefully weighed by students, researchers, and institutional review board administrators in order to avoid coercion. Participant perceptions are pivotal in deciding…

Test Anxiety Research: Students with Vision Impairments and Students with Mild Intellectual Disabilities

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Datta, Poulomee

2014-01-01

There is an absence of research on test anxiety in students with disabilities although such testing is taken for granted among students without disabilities. This study investigated the test anxiety of the students in each of the two disability groups, those with vision impairments and those with intellectual disabilities who are placed in…

Monitoring of the solar activity and solar energetic particles

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Akioka, Maki; Kubo, Yuki; Nagatsuma, Tsutomu; Ohtaka, Kazuhiro

2009-01-01

Solar activity is the source of various space weather phenomena in geospace and deep space. Solar X-ray radiation in flare, energetic particles, coronal mass ejection (CME) can cause various kind of disturbance near earth space. Therefore, detailed monitoring of the solar activity and its propagation in the interplanetary space is essential task for space weather. For example, solar energetic particle which sometimes affect spacecraft operation and manned space flight, is considered to be produced by solar flares and travelling shockwave caused by flares and CME. The research and development of monitoring technique and system for various solar activity has been an important topic of space weather forecast program in NICT. In this article, we will introduce the real time data acquisitions of STEREO and optical and radio observations of the Sun at Hiraiso Solar Observatory. (author)

Students' Perceptions of an Applied Research Experience in an Undergraduate Exercise Science Course.

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Pearson, Regis C; Crandall, K Jason; Dispennette, Kathryn; Maples, Jill M

2017-01-01

Applied research experiences can provide numerous benefits to undergraduate students, however few studies have assessed the perceptions of Exercise Science (EXS) students to an applied research experience. The purpose of this study was two-fold: 1) to describe the rationale and implementation of an applied research experience into an EXS curriculum and 2) to evaluate EXS undergraduate students' perceptions of an applied research experience. An EXS measurement course was chosen for implementation of an applied research experience. The applied research experience required groups of students to design, implement, and evaluate a student-led research project. Fourteen questions were constructed, tailored to EXS undergraduate students, to assess students' perceptions of the experience. Qualitative analysis was used for all applicable data, with repeated trends noted; quantitative data were collapsed to determine frequencies. There was an overall positive student perception of the experience and 85.7% of students agreed an applied research experience should be continued. 84.7% of students perceived the experience as educationally enriching, while 92.8% reported the experience was academically challenging. This experience allowed students to develop comprehensive solutions to problems that arose throughout the semester; while facilitating communication, collaboration, and problem solving. Students believed research experiences were beneficial, but could be time consuming when paired with other responsibilities. Results suggest an applied research experience has the potential to help further the development of EXS undergraduate students. Understanding student perceptions of an applied research experience may prove useful to faculty interested in engaging students in the research process.

Students as Researchers: What and Why Seventh-Grade Students Choose to Write When Investigating Their Own Research Question

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Bjørkvold, Tuva; Blikstad-Balas, Marte

2018-01-01

All scientists depend on both reading and writing to do their scientific work. It is of paramount importance to ensure that students have a relevant repertoire of practices they can employ when facing scientific content inside and outside the school context. The present study reports on students in seventh grade acting as researchers. Over an…

Reducing Research Anxiety among MSW Students

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Einbinder, Susan Dana

2014-01-01

Research anxiety significantly declined in a diverse sample of 59 MSW students in their first-year hybrid online research course in which the instructor used an array of innovative educational techniques empirically proven to reduce this phenomenon. The pretest/posttest study, the standardized survey instruments used, and a summary of these…

Structure of Energetic Particle Mediated Shocks Revisited

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mostafavi, P.; Zank, G. P.; Webb, G. M.

2017-01-01

The structure of collisionless shock waves is often modified by the presence of energetic particles that are not equilibrated with the thermal plasma (such as pickup ions [PUIs] and solar energetic particles [SEPs]). This is relevant to the inner and outer heliosphere and the Very Local Interstellar Medium (VLISM), where observations of shock waves (e.g., in the inner heliosphere) show that both the magnetic field and thermal gas pressure are less than the energetic particle component pressures. Voyager 2 observations revealed that the heliospheric termination shock (HTS) is very broad and mediated by energetic particles. PUIs and SEPs contribute both a collisionless heat flux and a higher-order viscosity. We show that the incorporation of both effects can completely determine the structure of collisionless shocks mediated by energetic ions. Since the reduced form of the PUI-mediated plasma model is structurally identical to the classical cosmic ray two-fluid model, we note that the presence of viscosity, at least formally, eliminates the need for a gas sub-shock in the classical two-fluid model, including in that regime where three are possible. By considering parameters upstream of the HTS, we show that the thermal gas remains relatively cold and the shock is mediated by PUIs. We determine the structure of the weak interstellar shock observed by Voyager 1 . We consider the inclusion of the thermal heat flux and viscosity to address the most general form of an energetic particle-thermal plasma two-fluid model.

Structure of Energetic Particle Mediated Shocks Revisited

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mostafavi, P.; Zank, G. P. [Department of Space Science, University of Alabama in Huntsville, Huntsville, AL 35899 (United States); Webb, G. M. [Center for Space Plasma and Aeronomic Research (CSPAR), University of Alabama in Huntsville, Huntsville, AL 35899 (United States)

2017-05-20

The structure of collisionless shock waves is often modified by the presence of energetic particles that are not equilibrated with the thermal plasma (such as pickup ions [PUIs] and solar energetic particles [SEPs]). This is relevant to the inner and outer heliosphere and the Very Local Interstellar Medium (VLISM), where observations of shock waves (e.g., in the inner heliosphere) show that both the magnetic field and thermal gas pressure are less than the energetic particle component pressures. Voyager 2 observations revealed that the heliospheric termination shock (HTS) is very broad and mediated by energetic particles. PUIs and SEPs contribute both a collisionless heat flux and a higher-order viscosity. We show that the incorporation of both effects can completely determine the structure of collisionless shocks mediated by energetic ions. Since the reduced form of the PUI-mediated plasma model is structurally identical to the classical cosmic ray two-fluid model, we note that the presence of viscosity, at least formally, eliminates the need for a gas sub-shock in the classical two-fluid model, including in that regime where three are possible. By considering parameters upstream of the HTS, we show that the thermal gas remains relatively cold and the shock is mediated by PUIs. We determine the structure of the weak interstellar shock observed by Voyager 1 . We consider the inclusion of the thermal heat flux and viscosity to address the most general form of an energetic particle-thermal plasma two-fluid model.

Energetic consumption levels and human development indexes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Boa Nova, Antonio Carlos

1999-01-01

The article overviews the energetic consumption levels and human development indexes. The human development indexes are described based on the United Nations Development Programme. A comparison between the energetic consumption levels and human development indexes is also presented

Research supervision: Perceptions of postgraduate nursing students ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Ethical clearance was obtained from UKZN's Ethics Committee. The population consisted of the PG coursework Master's nursing students who were registered for the research project module during 2012. A total of 56 students participated, with a response rate of 70%. Data were analysed using the Statistical Package for ...

ASSESSMENT OF WATER PUMPING SYSTEM AND IMPROVEMENT IN HYDRO-ENERGETIC PERFORMANCE

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Augusto da Gama Rego

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Within the policy of sanitation services for all and the need t o lower electricity consumption, the current analysis evaluates the water pumping s ystem and defines actions for the improvement of hydro-energetic performance. The present research was divided into two sections: assessment of the water pumping syst em (based on hydro- energetic simulation and an analysis of the impact of ineffici ency on electric energy consumption (based on computer simulation. Results revealed th at methodology was satisfactory and that the main operational issues could be iden tified and corrections could be computer-simulated. A potential 16% reduction in consu mption and in electricity costs could be obtained.

Fostering research aptitude among high school students through space weather competition

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Abdullah, M.; Majid, R. A.; Bais, B.; Bahri, N. S.; Asillam, M. F.

2018-01-01

Cultivating research culture at an early stage is important for capacity building in a community. The high school level is the appropriate stage for research to be introduced because of students' competitive nature. Participation in the space weather competition is one of the ways in which research aptitude can be fostered in high school students in Malaysia. Accordingly, this paper presents how research elements were introduced to the students at the high school level through their participation in the space weather competition. The competition required the students to build a system to detect the presence of solar flares by utilizing VLF signals reflected from the ionosphere. The space weather competition started off with proposal writing for the space weather related project where the students were required to execute extensive literature review on the given topic. Additionally, the students were also required to conduct the experiments and analyse the data. Results obtained from data analysis were then validated by the students through various other observations that they had to carry out. At the end of the competition, students were expected to write a comprehensive technical report. Through this competition, the students learnt how to conduct research in accordance to the guidelines provided through the step by step approach exposed to them. Ultimately, this project revealed that the students were able to conduct research on their own with minimal guidance and that participation in the competition not only generated enjoyment in learning but also their interest in science and research.

Graduate Student Needs in Relation to Library Research Skills

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Young, Shawna; Jacobs, Warren

2013-01-01

Traditionally, graduate study includes a research component, requiring library skills to locate relevant literature. Upon matriculation into graduate programs, many students are underprepared in library research skills, making library instruction a priority for the success of graduate students. This qualitative study, utilizing emergent design,…

Managing students' learning in classrooms: Reframing classroom research

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Fawns, Rod; Salder, Jo

1996-06-01

Research on improving teaching typically focuses on the public statements of teachers and students. In the treatment of transcripts only the public “on task” utterances are usually coded and formally enter the research. In this paper the authors analysed Year 8 students' public and private statements to themselves and their peers collected in the course of their multi-year study of teacher management of communication in cooperative learning groups. The authors analysed the students' utterances as data about their cognitive and emotional responses to the management strategies The data reflect how the students perceived and responded to subtle features in the public enactment of the curriculum, the task and the setting during the ongoing lesson. The approach allows a better understanding of students' actual experiences, their responses to the overt and covert curriculum, their use of prior knowledge and their strategies for engaging with the science curriculum.

Atypical energetic particle events observed prior energetic particle enhancements associated with corotating interaction regions

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Khabarova, Olga; Malandraki, Olga; Zank, Gary; Jackson, Bernard; Bisi, Mario; Desai, Mihir; Li, Gang; le Roux, Jakobus; Yu, Hsiu-Shan

2017-04-01

Recent studies of mechanisms of particle acceleration in the heliosphere have revealed the importance of the comprehensive analysis of stream-stream interactions as well as the heliospheric current sheet (HCS) - stream interactions that often occur in the solar wind, producing huge magnetic cavities bounded by strong current sheets. Such cavities are usually filled with small-scale magnetic islands that trap and re-accelerate energetic particles (Zank et al. ApJ, 2014, 2015; le Roux et al. ApJ, 2015, 2016; Khabarova et al. ApJ, 2015, 2016). Crossings of these regions are associated with unusual variations in the energetic particle flux up to several MeV/nuc near the Earth's orbit. These energetic particle flux enhancements called "atypical energetic particle events" (AEPEs) are not associated with standard mechanisms of particle acceleration. The analysis of multi-spacecraft measurements of energetic particle flux, plasma and the interplanetary magnetic field shows that AEPEs have a local origin as they are observed by different spacecraft with a time delay corresponding to the solar wind propagation from one spacecraft to another, which is a signature of local particle acceleration in the region embedded in expanding and rotating background solar wind. AEPEs are often observed before the arrival of corotating interaction regions (CIRs) or stream interaction regions (SIRs) to the Earth's orbit. When fast solar wind streams catch up with slow solar wind, SIRs of compressed heated plasma or more regular CIRs are created at the leading edge of the high-speed stream. Since coronal holes are often long-lived structures, the same CIR re-appears often for several consecutive solar rotations. At low heliographic latitudes, such CIRs are typically bounded by forward and reverse waves on their leading and trailing edges, respectively, that steepen into shocks at heliocentric distances beyond 1 AU. Energetic ion increases have been frequently observed in association with CIR

Attracting Students Into Science: Insights From a Summer Research Internship Program for Community College Students in Colorado

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Anderson, S. P.; Smith, L. K.; Gold, A. U.; Batchelor, R. L.; Monday, B.

2014-12-01

Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) programs commonly serve students already committed to careers in science. To spark student interest in the sciences early in their college career, the CIRES diversity initiative teamed with the Boulder Creek Critical Zone Observatory to build an REU for Colorado community college students. A group of 7 students was selected from consideration of diversity, prior training, and personal statements. Each student was paired with a research science mentor. Field excursions and team-building exercises filled the first week of the 8-week program. Students received weekly training in science communication, responsible conduct of research, use of spreadsheet and graphing software, and statistical analysis. Each student presented their research in a poster session, an oral presentation, and a written report. Several aspects of this pilot program worked well. The students formed a very supportive cohort, despite the fact that they were not in residence. Cohesion grew out of the immersion in field trips, and was reinforced with weekly check-ins. The trainings were essential for seeing projects through to written and oral presentations. Teaming students for fieldwork was an effective strategy to build support, and reduce mentor fatigue. Each student produced useful data. In the future, we would include a workshop on personal finances to address a clear need. Transportation support will be provided. A residential program might attract some but could preclude participation of students with families or other life-issues. Personal tutoring tailored to research projects would address low math skills. All 7 students completed the program; several elected to submit to the undergraduate virtual poster session at Fall AGU. Students all reported enormous personal and academic growth. Some are discussing transfer and graduate school opportunities with their mentors. The enthusiasm and appreciation of the students was unparalleled.

FOOD SELF-SUFFICIENCY OF THE EUROPEAN UNION COUNTRIES – ENERGETIC APPROACH

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Arkadiusz Sadowski

2016-06-01

Full Text Available The paper covers the issues of a basic social need, namely alimentation. The aim of the research is to evaluate the energetic food self-sufficiency and its changes in the European Union countries. The research has been conducted using the author’s methodology basing on the amount of energy produced and consumed in 1990-2009. The analyses proved that within the considered period, the European Union became an importer of net energy comprised in agricultural products. The excess in produced energy was mainly observed by the countries of European lowland. Moreover in most of the countries, a decrease in the analyzed factor was observed when compared with the 1990-1999 period. On the other hand, in relation to the new member states the increase in food energetic self-sufficiency was observed. The conclusion has been drawn that, while the general food self-sufficiency is mainly determined by environmental factors, its dynamics is primarily influenced by the factors connected with agricultural policy.

Take It or Leave It: Students' Attitudes about Research Methods

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Wisecup, Allison K.

2017-01-01

This study employs a cross-sectional design to explore sociology majors' attitudes toward research methods. Survey data from a convenience sample of students enrolled in 16 departments are used to compare the attitudes of students who have and have not completed a research methods course. Despite consistent anecdotal claims that students harbor…

Gyrokinetics Simulation of Energetic Particle Turbulence and Transport

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Diamond, Patrick H.

2011-09-21

Progress in research during this year elucidated the physics of precession resonance and its interaction with radial scattering to form phase space density granulations. Momentum theorems for drift wave-zonal flow systems involving precession resonance were derived. These are directly generalizable to energetic particle modes. A novel nonlinear, subcritical growth mechanism was identified, which has now been verified by simulation. These results strengthen the foundation of our understanding of transport in burning plasmas

Gyrokinetics Simulation of Energetic Particle Turbulence and Transport

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Diamond, Patrick H.

2011-01-01

Progress in research during this year elucidated the physics of precession resonance and its interaction with radial scattering to form phase space density granulations. Momentum theorems for drift wave-zonal flow systems involving precession resonance were derived. These are directly generalizable to energetic particle modes. A novel nonlinear, subcritical growth mechanism was identified, which has now been verified by simulation. These results strengthen the foundation of our understanding of transport in burning plasmas

Promoting Academic Physicists, Their Students, and Their Research through Library Partnerships

Science.gov (United States)

Rozum, B.; Wesolek, A.

2012-12-01

At many institutions, attracting and mentoring quality students is of key importance. Through their developing careers, typically under the tutelage of one primary faculty member, students build portfolios, prepare for graduate school, and apply to post-doc programs or faculty positions. Often though, the corpus of that primary faculty member's work is not available in a single location. This is a disadvantage both for current students, who wish to highlight the importance of their work within the context of a research group and for the department, which can miss opportunities to attract high-quality future students. Utah State University Libraries hosts a thriving institutional repository, DigitalCommons@USU, which provides open access to scholarly works, research, reports, publications, and journals produced by Utah State University faculty, staff, and students. The Library and the Physics Department developed a partnership to transcend traditional library repository architecture and emphasize faculty research groups within the department. Previously, only student theses and dissertations were collected, and they were not associated with the department in any way. Now student presentations, papers, and posters appear with other faculty works all in the same research work space. This poster session highlights the features of the University's repository and describes what is required to establish a similar structure at other academic institutions. We anticipate several long-term benefits of this new structure. Students are pleased with the increased visibility of their research and with having an online presence through their "Selected Works" personal author site. Faculty are pleased with the opportunity to highlight their research and the potential to attract new students to their research groups. This new repository model also allows the library to amplify the existing scientific outreach initiatives of the physics department. One example of this is a recent

University and Student Segmentation: Multilevel Latent-Class Analysis of Students' Attitudes towards Research Methods and Statistics

Science.gov (United States)

Mutz, Rudiger; Daniel, Hans-Dieter

2013-01-01

Background: It is often claimed that psychology students' attitudes towards research methods and statistics affect course enrolment, persistence, achievement, and course climate. However, the inter-institutional variability has been widely neglected in the research on students' attitudes towards research methods and statistics, but it is important…

Involving students in real-world research: a pilot study for teaching public health and research skills

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Wilson Nick

2009-07-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background There is some evidence that medical students consider population health issues less important than other domains in the health sciences and attitudes to this field may become more negative as training progresses. A need to improve research skills among medical students has also been suggested. Therefore we piloted an integrative teaching exercise that combined teaching of research skills and public health, with real-world research. Methods Third year medical students at the University of Otago (Dunedin, New Zealand filled in a questionnaire on their housing conditions and health. The students were given the results of the survey to discuss in a subsequent class. Student response to this teaching exercise was assessed using a Course Evaluation Questionnaire. Results Of the 210 students in the class, 136 completed the Course Evaluation Questionnaire (65%. A majority of those who responded (77% greatly supported or supported the use of the survey and seminar discussion for future third year classes. Most (70% thought that the session had made them more aware and concerned about societal problems, and 72% felt that they now had an improved understanding of the environmental determinants of health. Students liked the relevance and interaction of the session, but thought it could be improved by the inclusion of small group discussion. The findings of the students' housing and health were considered by the tutors to be of sufficient value to submit to a scientific journal and are now contributing to community action to improve student housing in the city. Conclusion In this pilot study it was feasible to integrate medical student teaching with real-world research. A large majority of the students responded favourably to the teaching exercise and this was generally successful in raising the profile of public health and research. This approach to integrated teaching/research should be considered further in health sciences training and

Nonperturbative effects of energetic ions on Alfven eigenmodes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Todo, Y.; Nakajima, N.; Shinohara, K.; Takechi, M.; Ishikawa, M.; Yamamoto, S.

2005-01-01

Linear properties and nonlinear evolutions of an energetic-ion driven instability in a JT-60U plasma were investigated using a simulation code for magnetohydrodynamics and energetic particles. The spatial profile of the unstable mode peaks near the plasma center where the safety factor profile is flat. The unstable mode is not a toroidal Alfven eigenmode (TAE) because the spatial profile deviates from the expected location of TAE and the spatial profile consists of a single primary harmonic m/n = 2/1 where m, n are poloidal and toroidal mode numbers. The real frequency of the unstable mode is close to the experimental starting frequency of the fast frequency sweeping mode. The simulation results demonstrate that the energetic ion orbit width and the energetic ion pressure significantly broaden radial profile of the unstable mode. For the smallest value among the investigated energetic ion orbit width, the unstable mode is localized within 20% of the minor radius. This gives an upper limit of the spatial profile width of the unstable mode which the magnetohydrodynamic effects alone can induce. For the experimental condition of the JT-60U plasma, the energetic ions broaden the spatial profile of the unstable mode by a factor of 3 compared with the smallest orbit width case. The unstable mode is primarily induced by the energetic particles. It is demonstrated that the frequency shifts both upward and downward in the nonlinear evolution at the rate close to that of the fast frequency sweeping mode. In addition to the energetic particle mode in the JT-60U plasma, an investigation of TAE in an LHD-like plasma using the simulation code for the helical coordinate system is reported. (author)

Nonperturbative effects of energetic ions on Alfven eigenmodes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Todo, Y.; Nakajima, N.; Shinohara, Kouji; Takechi, Manabu; Ishikawa, Masao

2005-01-01

Linear properties and nonlinear evolutions of an energetic-ion driven instability in a JT-60U plasma were investigated using a simulation code for magnetohydrodynamics and energetic particles. The spatial profile of the unstable mode peaks near the plasma center where the safety factor profile is flat. The unstable mode is not a toroidal Alfven eigenmode (TAE) because the spatial profile deviates from the expected location of TAE and the spatial profile consists of a single primary harmonic m/n=2/1 where m, n are poloidal and toroidal mode numbers. The real frequency of the unstable mode is close to the experimental starting frequency of the fast frequency sweeping mode. The simulation results demonstrate that the energetic ion orbit width and the energetic ion pressure significantly broaden radial profile of the unstable mode. For the smallest value among the investigated energetic ion orbit width, the unstable mode is localized within 20% of the minor radius. This gives an upper limit of the spatial profile width of the unstable mode which the magnetohydrodynamic effects alone can induce. For the experimental condition of the JT-60U plasma, the energetic ions broaden the spatial profile of the unstable mode by a factor of 3 compared with the smallest orbit width case. The unstable mode is primarily induced by the energetic particles. It is demonstrated that the frequency shifts both upward and downward in the nonlinear evolution at the rate close to that of the fast frequency sweeping mode. In addition to the energetic particle mode in the JT-60U plasma, an investigation of TAE in an LHD-like plasma using the simulation code for the helical coordinate system is reported. (author)

Cultivation of university students in radiology using research facilities at KAERI

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Shin, Byung Chul [Nuclear Training and Education Center, Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute, Daejeon (Korea, Republic of)

2017-09-15

The purpose of present research is to offer a specialized educational opportunity for potential users, university students in radiology, by developing specific curriculum on site at KAERI, using HANARO research reactor and National radiation research facilities. The specific items of this research accomplished are: First, Development and operation of various curricula for specific research using HANARO and National radiation research facilities to provide university students with opportunities to use the facilities. Second, Operation of the experiment training programs for university students in radiology to foster next generation specialists. Third, through the on-site experiment training for students in radiology, support future potential experts of the radiation research fields, and broaden the base. A textbook and a teaching aid, a questionnaire have been developed to support the program. 714 university students have completed the courses for radiology experiment from 2006 to 2017. It is hoped that these experiments broaden public awareness and acceptance by the present and potential future utilization of the research reactor and national radiation research facilities, thereby bring positive impacts to policy making.

An overview of ten years of student research and JDSO publications

Science.gov (United States)

Freed, Rachel; Fitzgerald, Michael; Genet, Russell; Davidson, Brendan

2017-06-01

The astronomy research seminar, initially designed and taught by Russell Genet at Cuesta College over the past decade, has resulted in over 100 published student research papers in the Journal of Double Star Observations along with dozens of other papers and conference presentations. While the seminar began at a single community college it has now spread to include students from dozens of institutions and instructors, reaching students from middle school through graduate school. The seminar has integrated the large community-of-practice of amateur and professional astronomers, educators, students, and hardware and software engineers while providing an important experience for student researchers. In this paper, we provide an overview analysis of 109 publications authored by 320 individual students involved in the astronomy research seminar over the last decade.

Ecological problems of thermonuclear energetics. Review

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sivintsev, Yu V

1980-01-01

A review of preliminary quantitative estimates of radiation hazard of thermonuclear reactors is presented. Main attention is given to three aspects: nonradiation effect on environment, radionuclide blow-ups at normal operation and emergency situations with their consequences. The given data testify to great radiological advantages of thermonuclear energetics as compared with the modern nuclear energetics with thermal and prospective fast reactors.

High school students as science researchers: Opportunities and challenges

Science.gov (United States)

Smith, W. R.; Grannas, A. M.

2007-12-01

Today's K-12 students will be the scientists and engineers who bring currently emerging technologies to fruition. Existing research endeavors will be continued and expanded upon in the future only if these students are adequately prepared. High school-university collaborations provide an effective means of recruiting and training the next generation of scientists and engineers. Here, we describe our successful high school-university collaboration in the context of other models. We have developed an authentic inquiry-oriented environmental chemistry research program involving high school students as researchers. The impetus behind the development of this project was twofold. First, participation in authentic research may give some of our students the experience and drive to enter technical studies after high school. One specific goal was to develop a program to recruit underrepresented minorities into university STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) programs. Second, inquiry-oriented lessons have been shown to be highly effective in developing scientific literacy among the general population of students. This collaboration involves the use of local resources and equipment available to most high schools and could serve as a model for developing high school- university partnerships.

Inclination towards research and the pursuit of a research career among medical students: an international cohort study.

Science.gov (United States)

Ha, Tam Cam; Ng, Sheryl; Chen, Cynthia; Yong, Sook Kwin; Koh, Gerald C H; Tan, Say Beng; Malhotra, Rahul; Altermatt, Fernando; Seim, Arnfinn; Biderman, Aya; Woolley, Torres; Østbye, Truls

2018-05-02

Involvement of clinicians in biomedical research is imperative for the future of healthcare. Several factors influence clinicians' inclination towards research: the medical school experience, exposure to research article reading and writing, and knowledge of research. This cohort study follows up medical students at time of graduation to explore changes in their inclination towards research and pursuing a research career compared to their inclination at time of entry into medical school. Students from medical schools in six different countries were enrolled in their first year of school and followed-up upon graduation in their final year. Students answered the same self-administered questionnaire at both time points. Changes in inclination towards research and pursuing a research career were assessed. Factors correlated with these changes were analysed. Of the 777 medical students who responded to the study questionnaire at entry into medical school, 332 (42.7%) completed the follow-up survey. Among these 332 students, there was no significant increase in inclination towards research or pursuing a research career over the course of their medical schooling. Students from a United States based school, in contrast to those from schools other countries, were more likely to report having research role models to guide them (51.5% vs. 0%-26.4%) and to have published in a peer-reviewed journal (75.7% vs. 8.9%-45%). Absence of a role model was significantly associated with a decrease in inclination towards research, while an increased desire to learn more about statistics was significantly associated with an increase in inclination towards pursuing a research career. Most medical students did not experience changes in their inclination towards research or pursuing a research career over the course of their medical schooling. Factors that increased their inclination to undertaking research or pursuing a research career were availability of a good role model, and a good

Student Inquiry in the Research Process: Part I: Inquiry Research Basics.

Science.gov (United States)

Preddy, Leslie B.

2002-01-01

Discusses the appropriate use of inquiry among students, teachers, and library media specialists. Topics include planning for an inquiry research project; collaboration between the library media specialist and classroom teacher; national goals, standards, and best practices; teacher roles for inquiry; and evaluating inquiry research. (LRW)

A Graduate Student's Perspective on Engaging High School Students in Research Outside of the Classroom

Science.gov (United States)

Kaess, A. B.; Horton, R. A., Jr.; Andrews, G. D.

2014-12-01

The southern San Joaquin basin is one of the United States' most prolific oil producing regions but also one facing numerous problems including low high school graduation rates, low college enrollments, high college dropout rates, low wages, and higher than average unemployment. Investment in STEM education experiences for high school students has been emphasized by California State University Bakersfield as a means to improving these metrics with programs such as the Research Experience Vitalizing Science-University Program (REVS-UP). Now in its seventh year, the REVS-UP (funded by Chevron) forms teams of high school students, a high school teacher, a CSUB graduate student, and a CSUB professor to work for four weeks on a research project. For the past two summers student-teacher teams investigated the diagenesis and mineralogy of the Temblor Formation sandstones in the subsurface of the San Joaquin basin oil fields that are potential CO2 sequestration sites. With a graduate student leading the teams in sample preparation and analysis by scanning electron microscope equipped with an energy dispersive x-ray spectrometer (SEM-EDS) and cathode luminescence system (SEM-CL) data was gathered on diagenetic processes, detrital framework grains, and authigenic cements. Typically students are introduced to the project in a series of brief seminars by faculty and are then introduced to the techniques and samples. During the second week the students are usually capable of preparing samples and collecting data independently. The final week is focused on developing student-authored research posters which are independently presented by the students on the final day. This gives high school students the opportunity to learn advanced geologic topics and analytical techniques that they would otherwise not be exposed to as well as to gain research and presentation skills. These types of projects are equally important for the graduate students involved as it allows them the

Space Weather Forecasting and Research at the Community Coordinated Modeling Center

Science.gov (United States)

Aronne, M.

2015-12-01

The Space Weather Research Center (SWRC), within the Community Coordinated Modeling Center (CCMC), provides experimental research forecasts and analysis for NASA's robotic mission operators. Space weather conditions are monitored to provide advance warning and forecasts based on observations and modeling using the integrated Space Weather Analysis Network (iSWA). Space weather forecasters come from a variety of backgrounds, ranging from modelers to astrophysicists to undergraduate students. This presentation will discuss space weather operations and research from an undergraduate perspective. The Space Weather Research, Education, and Development Initiative (SW REDI) is the starting point for many undergraduate opportunities in space weather forecasting and research. Space weather analyst interns play an active role year-round as entry-level space weather analysts. Students develop the technical and professional skills to forecast space weather through a summer internship that includes a two week long space weather boot camp, mentorship, poster session, and research opportunities. My unique development of research projects includes studying high speed stream events as well as a study of 20 historic, high-impact solar energetic particle events. This unique opportunity to combine daily real-time analysis with related research prepares students for future careers in Heliophysics.

Cultivating Geographical Thinking: A Framework for Student-Led Research on Food Waste

Science.gov (United States)

Finlayson, Caitlin; Gregory, Meredith; Ludtke, Clara; Meoli, Christian; Ryan, Michael

2017-01-01

Research has consistently demonstrated the wide-ranging benefits of student-led research, from increased student engagement to higher retention and graduation rates. Despite these calls to increase research opportunities for students, however, the availability of practical, easy-to-implement research frameworks in disciplinary-specific settings…

Students' Use of a Rubric for Research Theses

Science.gov (United States)

Prins, Frans J.; de Kleijn, Renske; van Tartwijk, Jan

2017-01-01

A rubric for research theses was developed, based on the manual of the American Psychological Association, to be used as an assessment tool for teachers and students. The aim was to make students aware of what is expected, get familiar with criteria, and interpret teacher and peer feedback. In two studies, it was examined whether students use and…

An Online Student Research Institute Designed to Engage Students in Original Scientific Research Using State of the Art Technologies to Increase Participation in STEM Fields

Science.gov (United States)

Freed, R.

2015-12-01

Affordable and accessible technology has advanced tremendously in the last decade allowing educational paradigms to change dramatically to more student-centered, experiential and project-based models. Additionally, as the need to increase the number of students entering STEM fields in the United States becomes more critical it is imperative to understand the factors that determine student career pathways and to provide opportunities for students to experience, understand and pursue scientific endeavors. The Institute for Student Astronomical Research was founded in order to provide a means for high school and early undergraduate students to engage in meaningful and relevant scientific research. A major goal is to give students the experience of true-to-life scientific investigation from the planning and proposal stages to the data collection and analysis, writing up and presenting of scientific findings and finally to the publication of results. Furthermore, the Institute is designed to collect data on how involvement in the Science Research Seminars influences educational and career choices for students in longitudinal studies following participants for several years. In the first year of the online course of the Institute 10 student teams conducted original research and published their findings in peer-reviewed journals. Lessons learned from the pilot year are being applied to the Institute as efforts to scale up the program are underway.

Appreciation of the research supervisory relationship by postgraduate nursing students.

Science.gov (United States)

van Wyk, N C; Coetzee, I M; Havenga, Y; Heyns, T

2016-03-01

The quality of the relationship between postgraduate students and their supervisors often determines the progress of the students. Successful supervision according to students is associated with the expertise of the supervisors and their willingness to share their knowledge with their students. On the other hand, supervisors expect their students to be able to work independently to a large extent. Contradictory expectations of supervisors and postgraduate students can cause delays in the progress of students. The aim of this study was to explore and describe the aspects of the supervisory relationship that postgraduate students in nursing science at a selected university in South Africa appreciate. A qualitative research design with an appreciative inquiry approach was used and 18 students under the guidance of an independent facilitator provided the data during group interviews. Specific personal and professional qualities of the supervisors contribute to a valued supervisory relationship. Regarding personal qualities, the supervisors should show their understanding of the unique circumstances of the students in challenging times. Supervisors should also be expert researchers. The valued relationship refers to an open and trusting relationship between the students and the supervisors. The students' appreciation of the research supervisory relationship contributes to the understanding of the expectations of postgraduate students regarding the support that they need to become scholars in an academic discipline. There is a need for continuing professional development of supervisors to sensitize them about the expectations of the students. © 2015 International Council of Nurses.

Original Research by Young Twinkle Students (ORBYTS): When Can Students Start Performing Original Research?

Science.gov (United States)

Sousa-Silva, Clara; McKemmish, Laura K.; Chubb, Katy L.; Gorman, Marie N.; Baker, Jack S.; Barton, Emma J.; Rivlin, Tom; Tennyson, Jonathan

2018-01-01

Involving students in state-of-the-art research from an early age eliminates the idea that science is only for the scientists and empowers young people to explore STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths) subjects. It is also a great opportunity to dispel harmful stereotypes about who is suitable for STEM careers, while leaving students…

The Benefits of Being a Student of Teacher Researchers Experiences (sotre)

Science.gov (United States)

Eubanks, E.; Guinan, E.; Chiste, M.; Lavoie, A.

2016-02-01

Being a Student of Teacher Researcher Experiences (SoTRE), gets students excited for science. Eubanks brings real, current science to the classroom because of time spent in Teacher Researcher Experiences (TRE), where she works with researchers in and out of the field. She involves students in many programs including the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Polar TREC (Teachers and Researchers & Exploring & Collaboration), National Science Foundation (NSF) funded researchers, (EARTH) Education and Research: Testing Hypothesis, the RJ Dunlap Marine Conservation Program, C-DEBI (Center for Dark Energy Biosphere Investigations and (STARS) Sending Teachers Aboard Research Ships. Being in these programs gives students special privileges such as understanding unique research ideas, tracking tagged sharks, following daily journals written on location, taking part in cross-continental experiments, tracking real time data, exploring current research via posters or visiting universities. Furthermore, contacts made by a TRE give students an added set of resources. When doing experiments for class or advancing their education or career goals, Mrs. Eubanks helps students connect with scientists. This gives students a unique opportunity to learn from real scientists. Being part of these relationships with NOAA, Polar TREC, EARTH, RJ Dunlap, STARS and NSF funded scientists who are actively working, makes being SoTRE the ultimate learning experience. Many students have felt so strongly about the TRE relationship that they have presented at several local and international science conferences. Their message is to encourage scientists to partner with teachers. The benefits of participation in such conferences have included abstract writing and submission, travel, poster creation, networking and presentation, all tools that they will carry with them for a lifetime.

Feminist Interruptions: Creating Care-ful and Collaborative Community-Based Research with Students

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kelly Concannon

2014-05-01

Full Text Available This article describes a feminist community-based research project involving faculty and student collaboration to evaluate a dating and domestic violence awareness initiative. Using a critical ethics of care that emphasizes relationships and allows for constant reflection about power dynamics, role, positionality, and emotions, the authors reflect on what was learned during the research process. Faculty and student researchers share their perspectives and offer suggestions for future feminist collaborative research projects. Significant lessons learned include ensuring that all are invested from the outset of the project, guaranteeing that student researchers understand why their role is so critical in community-based research, and acknowledging not just faculty power over students but student privilege as well.

Assessment of accident energetics in LMFBR core-disruptive accidents

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fauske, H.K.

1977-01-01

An assessment of accident energetics in LMFBR core-disruptive accidents is given with emphasis on the generic issues of energetic recriticality and energetic fuel-coolant interaction events. Application of a few general behavior principles to the oxide-fueled system suggests that such events are highly unlikely following a postulated core meltdown event

Association of learning styles with research self-efficacy: study of short-term research training program for medical students.

Science.gov (United States)

Dumbauld, Jill; Black, Michelle; Depp, Colin A; Daly, Rebecca; Curran, Maureen A; Winegarden, Babbi; Jeste, Dilip V

2014-12-01

With a growing need for developing future physician scientists, identifying characteristics of medical students who are likely to benefit from research training programs is important. This study assessed if specific learning styles of medical students, participating in federally funded short-term research training programs, were associated with research self-efficacy, a potential predictor of research career success. Seventy-five first-year medical students from 28 medical schools, selected to participate in two competitive NIH-supported summer programs for research training in aging, completed rating scales to evaluate learning styles at baseline, and research self-efficacy before and after training. We examined associations of individual learning styles (visual-verbal, sequential-global, sensing-intuitive, and active-reflective) with students' gender, ranking of medical school, and research self-efficacy. Research self-efficacy improved significantly following the training programs. Students with a verbal learning style reported significantly greater research self-efficacy at baseline, while visual, sequential, and intuitive learners demonstrated significantly greater increases in research self-efficacy from baseline to posttraining. No significant relationships were found between learning styles and students' gender or ranking of their medical school. Assessments of learning styles may provide useful information to guide future training endeavors aimed at developing the next generation of physician-scientists. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Heliospheric Observations of Energetic Particles

Science.gov (United States)

Summerlin, Errol J.

2011-01-01

Heliospheric observations of energetic particles have shown that, on long time averages, a consistent v^-5 power-law index arises even in the absence of transient events. This implies an ubiquitous acceleration process present in the solar wind that is required to generate these power-law tails and maintain them against adiabatic losses and coulomb-collisions which will cool and thermalize the plasma respectively. Though the details of this acceleration process are being debated within the community, most agree that the energy required for these tails comes from fluctuations in the magnetic field which are damped as the energy is transferred to particles. Given this source for the tail, is it then reasonable to assume that the turbulent LISM should give rise to such a power-law tail as well? IBEX observations clearly show a power-law tail of index approximately -5 in energetic neutral atoms. The simplest explanation for the origins of these ENAs are that they are energetic ions which have charge-exchanged with a neutral atom. However, this would imply that energetic ions possess a v^-5 power-law distribution at keV energies at the source of these ENAs. If the source is presumed to be the LISM, it provides additional options for explaining the, so called, IBEX ribbon. This presentation will discuss some of these options as well as potential mechanisms for the generation of a power-law spectrum in the LISM.

Physics of energetic ions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1999-01-01

Physics knowledge (theory and experiment) in energetic particles relevant to design of a reactor scale tokamak is reviewed, and projections for ITER are provided in this Chapter of the ITER Physics Basis. The review includes single particle effects such as classical alpha particle heating and toroidal field ripple loss, as well as collective instabilities that might be generated in ITER plasmas by energetic alpha particles. The overall conclusion is that fusion alpha particles are expected to provide an efficient plasma heating for ignition and sustained burn in the next step device. The major concern is localized heat loads on the plasma facing components produced by alpha particle loss, which might affect their lifetime in a tokamak reactor. (author)

Energetic particle observations at the subsolar magnetopause

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

A. A. Eccles

Full Text Available The pitch-angle distributions (PAD of energetic particles are examined as the ISEE-1 satellite crosses the Earth’s magnetopause near the subsolar point. The investigation focuses on the possible existence of a particular type of distribution that would be associated with a source of energetic particles in the high-latitude magnetosphere. PADs, demonstrating broad, persistent field-aligned fluxes filling a single hemisphere (upper/northern or lower/southern, were observed just sunward of the magnetopause current layer for an extended period of many minutes. These distributions are a direct prediction of a possible source of energetic particles located in the high altitude dayside cusp and we present five examples in detail of the three-dimensional particle distributions to demonstrate their existence. From these results, other possible causes of such PADs are examined.

Key words. Magnetospheric physics (energetic particles, precipitating; magnetopause, cusp and boundary layers; magnetospheric configuration and dynamics

Energetically resolved multiple-fluid equilibria of tokamak plasmas

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hole, M J; Dennis, G

2009-01-01

In many magnetically confined fusion experiments, a significant fraction of the stored energy of the plasma resides in energetic, or non-thermal, particle populations. Despite this, most equilibrium treatments are based on MHD: a single fluid treatment which assumes a Maxwell-Boltzmann distribution function. Detailed magnetic reconstruction based on this treatment ignore the energetic complexity of the plasma and can result in model-data inconsistencies, such as thermal pressure profiles which are inconsistent with the total stored kinetic energy of the plasma. Alternatively, ad hoc corrections to the pressure profile, such as summing the energetic and thermal pressures, have poor theoretical justification. Motivated by this omission, we generalize ideal MHD one step further: we consider multiple quasi-neutral fluids, each in thermal equilibrium and each thermally insulated from each other-no population mixing occurs. Kinetically, such a model may be able to describe the ion or electron distribution function in regions of velocity phase space with a large number of particles, at the expense of more weakly populated phase space, which may have uncharacteristically high temperature and hence pressure. As magnetic equilibrium effects increase with the increase in pressure, our work constitutes an upper limit to the effect of energetic particles. When implemented into an existing solver, FLOW (Guazzotto et al 2004 Phys. Plasmas 11, 604-14), it becomes possible to qualitatively explore the impact of resolving the energetic populations on plasma equilibrium configurations in realistic geometry. Deploying the modified code, FLOW-M, on a high performance spherical torus configuration, we find that the effect of variations of the pressure, poloidal flow and toroidal flow of the energetic populations is qualitatively similar to variations in the background plasma. We also study the robustness of the equilibrium to uncertainties in the current profile and the energetic

Expedition Earth and Beyond: Student Scientist Guidebook. Model Research Investigation

Science.gov (United States)

Graff, Paige Valderrama

2009-01-01

The Expedition Earth and Beyond Student Scientist Guidebook is designed to help student researchers model the process of science and conduct a research investigation. The Table of Contents listed outlines the steps included in this guidebook

Visiting summer students enhance research skills

OpenAIRE

Constantinescu, Ana

2007-01-01

Seven undergraduate students from universities across the nation and one from Virginia Tech are working side by side with Virginia Tech professors this summer on research projects related to sustainable management of resources.

Graduate Students' Expectations of an Introductory Research Methods Course

Science.gov (United States)

Earley, Mark A.

2013-01-01

While there is a scattered literature base on teaching research methods courses, there is very little literature that speaks to what and how students learn in research methods courses. Students are often described as coming to the course not seeing its relevance, bringing negative attitudes and low motivation with them. The purpose of this…

Outreach to Science Faculty and Students through Research Exhibitions

Science.gov (United States)

Chan, Tina; Hebblethwaite, Chris

2014-01-01

Penfield Library at the State University of New York at Oswego (SUNY Oswego) has a gallery exhibit space near the front entrance that is used to showcase student-faculty research and art class projects. This article features the library's outreach efforts to science faculty and students through research exhibitions. The library held an exhibition…

Energetic Techniques For Planetary Defense

Science.gov (United States)

Barbee, B.; Bambacus, M.; Bruck Syal, M.; Greenaugh, K. C.; Leung, R. Y.; Plesko, C. S.

2017-12-01

Near-Earth Objects (NEOs) are asteroids and comets whose heliocentric orbits tend to approach or cross Earth's heliocentric orbit. NEOs of various sizes periodically collide with Earth, and efforts are currently underway to discover, track, and characterize NEOs so that those on Earth-impacting trajectories are discovered far enough in advance that we would have opportunities to deflect or destroy them prior to Earth impact, if warranted. We will describe current efforts by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) to assess options for energetic methods of deflecting or destroying hazardous NEOs. These methods include kinetic impactors, which are spacecraft designed to collide with an NEO and thereby alter the NEO's trajectory, and nuclear engineering devices, which are used to rapidly vaporize a layer of NEO surface material. Depending on the amount of energy imparted, this can result in either deflection of the NEO via alteration of its trajectory, or robust disruption of the NEO and dispersal of the remaining fragments. We have studied the efficacies and limitations of these techniques in simulations, and have combined the techniques with corresponding spacecraft designs and mission designs. From those results we have generalized planetary defense mission design strategies and drawn conclusions that are applicable to a range of plausible scenarios. We will present and summarize our research efforts to date, and describe approaches to carrying out planetary defense missions with energetic NEO deflection or disruption techniques.

Student Augmentation for Crystal Growth Research

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Prasad, V

1999-01-01

... intelligent modeling, design and control of crystal growth processes. One doctoral student worked on integrating the radiation heat transfer model into MASTRAPP, the crystal growth model developed by the Consortium for Crystal Growth Research...

Peer Mentoring to Facilitate Original Scientific Research by Students With Special Needs

Science.gov (United States)

Danch, J. M.

2007-12-01

Developed to allow high school students with special needs to participate in original scientific research, the Peer Mentoring Program was a supplement to existing science instruction for students in a self-contained classroom. Peer mentors were high school seniors at the end of a three-year advanced science research course who used their experience to create and develop inquiry-based research activities appropriate for students in the self- contained classroom. Peer mentors then assisted cooperative learning groups of special education students to facilitate the implementation of the research activities. Students with special needs successfully carried out an original research project and developed critical thinking and laboratory skills. Prior to embarking on their undergraduate course of study in the sciences, peer mentors developed an appreciation for the need to bring original scientific research to students of all levels. The program will be expanded and continued during the 2007-2008 school year.

Energetic policies 2005-2030

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2008-01-01

This power point exhibition shows the following topics: energy analysis, production and use, supply and demand, consumption, energy sources, energetic prospective of Uruguay country, medium and long term perspectives.

Scaling the Thrust Production and Energetics of Inviscid Intermittent Swimming

Science.gov (United States)

Akoz, Emre; Moored, Keith

2015-11-01

Many fish have adopted an intermittent swimming gait sometimes referred as a burst-and-coast behavior. By using this gait, fish have been estimated at reducing their energetic cost of swimming by about 50%. Lighthill proposed that the skin friction drag of an undulating body can be around 400% greater than a rigidly-held coasting body, which may explain the energetic savings of intermittent swimming. Recent studies have confirmed the increase in skin friction drag over an undulating body, however, the increase is on the order of 20-70%. This more modest gain in skin friction drag is not sufficient to lead to the observed energy savings. Motivated by these observations, we investigate the inviscid mechanisms behind intermittent swimming for parameters typical of biology. We see that there is an energy savings at a fixed swimming speed for intermittent swimming as compared to continuous swimming. Then we consider three questions: What is the nature of the inviscid mechanism that leads to the observed energy savings, how do the forces and energetics of intermittent swimming scale with the swimming parameters, and what are the limitations to the benefit? Supported by the Office of Naval Research under Program Director Dr. Bob Brizzola, MURI grant number N00014-14-1-0533.

176: EVIDENCE-BASED AND EFFECTIVE RESEARCH SKILLS OF IRANIAN MIDDLE SCHOOL STUDENTS

Science.gov (United States)

Mostafaei, Helia; Sadeghi-Ghyassi, Fatemeh; Mostafaei, Hadi

2017-01-01

Background and aims Recently, digital research is very popular in schools. The capacity of students to do an effective search is unclear which can lead to utilization of unacceptable evidence in their research. Aims To evaluate middle school students' effective search skills. Methods This survey was done during the summer school of Farzanegan talented students middle school. The self-administrated questionnaire studied 30 items about effective search and digital research skills of students. One hundred questionnaires were distributed in this summer school and students in the 7th and 8th grades filled the questionnaires. The administration of the questionnaire was counted as their concept. All data was analyzed at Excel 2013. Results Eighty percent of students including 67.5% of the seventh and 32.5% of the eighth grade students responded to the questionnaires respectively. Shockingly, 96.2% of students only googled and most of them (73.7%) type the topic of their research in Persian to start their research strategy. More than half of them (52.5) believed the result of their search is mostly or always correct and 66.2% of them copy-pasted their findings without any assessment. Surprisingly, only 27.5% of them have proposed that they had problem with appraising the evidence. The best sources of the students for finding the answer of their questions were: Wikipedia, telegram, TV, books, E-Books, YouTube, classmates, Facebook and student information websites, and EBSCO, accordingly. 76.2% acknowledged that internet has turned students into copy machines. Only 31.2% agreed their teachers taught them how to do effective research. Conclusion Most of the students were not familiar with valid sources of research evidence. Language barrier may limit their access to best evidence. Most students were not used to retrieving the evidence.

Undergraduate Research Involving Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing Students in Interdisciplinary Science Projects

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Todd Pagano

2015-05-01

Full Text Available Scientific undergraduate research in higher education often yields positive outcomes for student and faculty member participants alike, with underrepresented students often showing even more substantial gains (academic, professional, and personal as a result of the experience. Significant success can be realized when involving deaf and hard-of-hearing (d/hh undergraduate students, who are also vastly underrepresented in the sciences, in interdisciplinary research projects. Even d/hh Associate degree level students and those in the first two years of their postsecondary careers can contribute to, and benefit from, the research process when faculty mentors properly plan/design projects. We discuss strategies, including the dissemination/communication of research results, for involving these students in research groups with different communication dynamics and share both findings of our research program and examples of successful chemical and biological research projects that have involved d/hh undergraduate students. We hope to stimulate a renewed interest in encouraging diversity and involving students with disabilities into higher education research experiences globally and across multiple scientific disciplines, thus strengthening the education and career pipeline of these students.

Predicting self-reported research misconduct and questionable research practices in university students using an augmented Theory of Planned Behavior

Science.gov (United States)

Rajah-Kanagasabai, Camilla J.; Roberts, Lynne D.

2015-01-01

This study examined the utility of the Theory of Planned Behavior model, augmented by descriptive norms and justifications, for predicting self-reported research misconduct and questionable research practices in university students. A convenience sample of 205 research active Western Australian university students (47 male, 158 female, ages 18–53 years, M = 22, SD = 4.78) completed an online survey. There was a low level of engagement in research misconduct, with approximately one in seven students reporting data fabrication and one in eight data falsification. Path analysis and model testing in LISREL supported a parsimonious two step mediation model, providing good fit to the data. After controlling for social desirability, the effect of attitudes, subjective norms, descriptive norms and perceived behavioral control on student engagement in research misconduct and questionable research practices was mediated by justifications and then intention. This revised augmented model accounted for a substantial 40.8% of the variance in student engagement in research misconduct and questionable research practices, demonstrating its predictive utility. The model can be used to target interventions aimed at reducing student engagement in research misconduct and questionable research practices. PMID:25983709

Accounting Research Methodology Textbook Development to Provide College Students in Accounting Subject

OpenAIRE

Muchson, Mochamad

2015-01-01

Due to the lackness of a research accounting methodology book (accounting research methodology) causing difficulties for college students to understand the steps of research in accounting, so that's the textbook is needed to completing Accounting Research Methodology book that has been exist and aimed to guide students for proposal composing or accounting research report so that it is easier to study by students.This textbook contains of accounting research methodology definition, accounting ...

Teacher Research Experience Programs = Increase in Student Achievement

Science.gov (United States)

Dubner, J.

2010-12-01

Columbia University's Summer Research Program for Science Teachers (SRP), founded in 1990, is one of the largest, best known university-based professional development programs for science teachers in the U.S. The program’s basic premise is simple: teachers cannot effectively teach science if they have not experienced it firsthand. For eight weeks in each of two consecutive summers, teachers participate as a member of a research team, led by a member of Columbia University’s research faculty. In addition to the laboratory experience, all teachers meet as a group one day each week during the summer for a series of pedagogical activities. A unique quality of the Summer Research Program is its focus on objective assessment of its impact on attitudes and instructional practices of participating teachers, on the performance of these teachers in their mentors’ laboratories, and most importantly, on the impact of their participation in the program on student interest and performance in science. SRP uses pass rate on the New York State Regents standardized science examinations as an objective measure of student achievement. SRP's data is the first scientific evidence of a connection between a research experience for teachers program and gains in student achievement. As a result of the research, findings were published in Science Magazine. The author will present an overview of Columbia's teacher research program and the results of the published program evaluation.

Sol-Gel Manufactured Energetic Materials

Science.gov (United States)

Simpson, Randall L.; Lee, Ronald S.; Tillotson, Thomas M.; Hrubesh, Lawrence W.; Swansiger, Rosalind W.; Fox, Glenn A.

2005-05-17

Sol-gel chemistry is used for the preparation of energetic materials (explosives, propellants and pyrotechnics) with improved homogeneity, and/or which can be cast to near-net shape, and/or made into precision molding powders. The sol-gel method is a synthetic chemical process where reactive monomers are mixed into a solution, polymerization occurs leading to a highly cross-linked three dimensional solid network resulting in a gel. The energetic materials can be incorporated during the formation of the solution or during the gel stage of the process. The composition, pore, and primary particle sizes, gel time, surface areas, and density may be tailored and controlled by the solution chemistry. The gel is then dried using supercritical extraction to produce a highly porous low density aerogel or by controlled slow evaporation to produce a xerogel. Applying stress during the extraction phase can result in high density materials. Thus, the sol-gel method can be used for precision detonator explosive manufacturing as well as producing precision explosives, propellants, and pyrotechnics, along with high power composite energetic materials.

Participatory action research: involving students in parent education.

Science.gov (United States)

Fowler, Cathrine; Wu, Cynthia; Lam, Winsome

2014-01-01

Competition for scarce clinical placements has increased requiring new and innovative models to be developed to meet the growing need. A participatory action research project was used to provide a community nursing clinical experience of involvement in parent education. Nine Hong Kong nursing students self-selected to participate in the project to implement a parenting program called Parenting Young Children in a Digital World. Three project cycles were used: needs identification, skills development and program implementation. Students were fully involved in each cycle's planning, action and reflection phase. Qualitative and quantitative data were collected to inform the project. The overall outcome of the project was the provision of a rich and viable clinical placement experience that created significant learning opportunities for the students and researchers. This paper will explore the student's participation in this PAR project as an innovative clinical practice opportunity. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Research on Motivation in Educational Settings: Implications for Hearing-Impaired Students.

Science.gov (United States)

Stinson, Michael

Part of a collection of papers commissioned by Foundations (a project designed to determine the career development needs of deaf postsecondary students), the paper reviews research on student motivation. The first section addresses research on normally hearing students in classrooms with different motivational orientations. Advantages and…

Increasing High School Student Interest in Science: An Action Research Study

Science.gov (United States)

Vartuli, Cindy A.

An action research study was conducted to determine how to increase student interest in learning science and pursuing a STEM career. The study began by exploring 10th-grade student and teacher perceptions of student interest in science in order to design an instructional strategy for stimulating student interest in learning and pursuing science. Data for this study included responses from 270 students to an on-line science survey and interviews with 11 students and eight science teachers. The action research intervention included two iterations of the STEM Career Project. The first iteration introduced four chemistry classes to the intervention. The researcher used student reflections and a post-project survey to determine if the intervention had influence on the students' interest in pursuing science. The second iteration was completed by three science teachers who had implemented the intervention with their chemistry classes, using student reflections and post-project surveys, as a way to make further procedural refinements and improvements to the intervention and measures. Findings from the exploratory phase of the study suggested students generally had interest in learning science but increasing that interest required including personally relevant applications and laboratory experiences. The intervention included a student-directed learning module in which students investigated three STEM careers and presented information on one of their chosen careers. The STEM Career Project enabled students to explore career possibilities in order to increase their awareness of STEM careers. Findings from the first iteration of the intervention suggested a positive influence on student interest in learning and pursuing science. The second iteration included modifications to the intervention resulting in support for the findings of the first iteration. Results of the second iteration provided modifications that would allow the project to be used for different academic levels

Nuclear energy I, Non-energetic applications; Energia Nuclear I, Aplicaciones no energeticas

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lartigue G, J; Navarrete T, M; Cabrera M, L; Arandia, P A; Arriola S, H [Facultad de Quimica, 04510 Mexico D.F. (Mexico)

1986-07-01

The nuclear energy is defined as the energy produced or absorbed in the nuclear reactions, therefore, these are divided in endothermic and exothermic. The exothermic nuclear reactions present more interest from the point of view of its applications and they can show in four main forms: radioactivity (from 0 to 4 MeV/reaction; light nucleus fusion ( {approx} 20 MeV/reaction), heavy nucleus fusion ({approx} 200 MeV/reaction) and nucleons annihilation ( {approx} 2000 MeV/reaction). Nowadays only the fission has reached the stage of profitable energetic application, finding the other three forms in research and development. The non-energetic applications of the nuclear energy are characterized by they do not require of prior conversion to another form of energy and they are made through the use of radioisotopes as well as through the use of endothermic reaction caused in particle accelerators. In this work are presented some of the non-energetic applications with its theoretical and experimental basis as well as its benefits of each one. (Author)

Examining Student Research Choices and Processes in a Disintermediated Searching Environment

Science.gov (United States)

Rempel, Hannah Gascho; Buck, Stefanie; Deitering, Anne-Marie

2013-01-01

Students today perform research in a disintermediated environment, which often allows them to struggle directly with the process of selecting research tools and choosing scholarly sources. The authors conducted a qualitative study with twenty students, using structured observations to ascertain the processes students use to select databases and…

The quest for greater chemical energy storage in energetic materials: Grounding expectations

Science.gov (United States)

Lindsay, C. Michael; Fajardo, Mario E.

2017-01-01

It is well known that the performance of modern energetic materials based on organic chemistry has plateaued, with only ˜ 40% improvements realized over the past half century. This fact has stimulated research on alternative chemical energy storage schemes in various U.S. government funded "High Energy Density Materials" (HEDM) programs since the 1950's. These efforts have examined a wide range of phenomena such as free radical stabilization, metallic hydrogen, metastable helium, polynitrogens, extended molecular solids, nanothermites, and others. In spite of the substantial research investments, significant improvements in energetic material performance have not been forthcoming. This paper discusses the lessons learned in the various HEDM programs, the different degrees of freedom in which to store energy in materials, and the fundamental limitations and orders of magnitude of the energies involved. The discussion focuses almost exclusively on the topic of energy density and only mentions in passing other equally important properties of explosives and propellants such as gas generation and reaction rate.

Energetic materials: crystallization, characterization and insensitive plastic bonded explosives

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Heijden, Antoine E.D.M. van der; Creyghton, Yves L.M.; Marino, Emanuela; Bouma, Richard H.B.; Scholtes, Gert J.H.G.; Duvalois, Willem [TNO Defence, Security and Safety, P. O. Box 45, 2280 AA Rijswijk (Netherlands); Roelands, Marc C.P.M. [TNO Science and Industry, P. O. Box 342, 7300 AH Apeldoorn (Netherlands)

2008-02-15

The product quality of energetic materials is predominantly determined by the crystallization process applied to produce these materials. It has been demonstrated in the past that the higher the product quality of the solid energetic ingredients, the less sensitive a plastic bonded explosive containing these energetic materials becomes. The application of submicron or nanometric energetic materials is generally considered to further decrease the sensitiveness of explosives. In order to assess the product quality of energetic materials, a range of analytical techniques is available. Recent attempts within the Reduced-sensitivity RDX Round Robin (R4) have provided the EM community a better insight into these analytical techniques and in some cases a correlation between product quality and shock initiation of plastic bonded explosives containing (RS-)RDX was identified, which would provide a possibility to discriminate between conventional and reduced sensitivity grades. (Abstract Copyright [2008], Wiley Periodicals, Inc.)

Energetic matrix of Rio de Janeiro State, Brazil - 1994/2004

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1996-01-01

This book has been structured into three parts and three appendices. In the first part, named Energetic matrix of Rio de Janeiro State, the most important economic and social aspects of the State and the methodology for elaboration of economic and energetic scenarios has been detailed. In the second part, an analysis of seven consumption sectors components of the energetic matrix structure ( industrial, transports, residential, commercial, energetic, agriculture and cattle-breeding, non energetic) has been performed, with the objective of providing information on the present status and future prospects of energy consumption by sectors up to 2004. Finally, in the third part, the energy supply of Rio de Janeiro State for the consumption sectors has been discussed

SoTRE's Speak Up: Students Share the Benefits of Teacher Researcher Experiences

Science.gov (United States)

Eubanks, E.; Allen, S.; Farmer, S.; Jones, K.

2016-12-01

Being Students of Teacher Researcher Experiences (SoTRE) gives students special advantages that most students do not get. Teachers Elizabeth Eubanks and Steve Allen share their knowledge gained via partnerships with Teacher Researcher Experiences (TRE's) such as the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration Teacher at Sea program (NOAA- TAS), Polar TREC (Teachers and Researchers & Exploring & Collaboration), National Science Foundation (NSF) funded researchers, (EARTH) Education and Research: Testing Hypothesis, the RJ Dunlap Marine Conservation Program, C-DEBI (Center for Dark Energy Biosphere Investigations and (STARS) Sending Teachers Aboard Research Ships, The Maury Project and Mate. Students gain special privileges such as understanding unique research ideas, tracking tagged sharks, following daily journals written on location, taking part in cross-continental experiments, tracking real time data, exploring current research via posters or visiting universities. Furthermore, contacts made by a TRE give students an added set of resources. When doing experiments for class or advancing their education or career goals Eubanks and Allen help students connect with scientists. Many students have felt so strongly about the TRE relationship that they have presented at several local and international science conferences. Their message is to encourage scientists to partner with teachers. The benefits of participation in such conferences have included abstract writing and submission, travel, poster creation, oral presentation, networking and personal research presentation, all tools that they will carry with them for a lifetime.

Rutgers Young Horse Teaching and Research Program: undergraduate student outcomes.

Science.gov (United States)

Ralston, Sarah L

2012-12-01

Equine teaching and research programs are popular but expensive components of most land grant universities. External funding for equine research, however, is limited and restricts undergraduate research opportunities that enhance student learning. In 1999, a novel undergraduate teaching and research program was initiated at Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ. A unique aspect of this program was the use of young horses generally considered "at risk" and in need of rescue but of relatively low value. The media interest in such horses was utilized to advantage to obtain funding for the program. The use of horses from pregnant mare urine (PMU) ranches and Bureau of Land Management (BLM) mustangs held the risks of attracting negative publicity, potential of injury while training previously unhandled young horses, and uncertainty regarding re-sale value; however, none of these concerns were realized. For 12 years the Young Horse Teaching and Research Program received extensive positive press and provided invaluable learning opportunities for students. Over 500 students, at least 80 of which were minorities, participated in not only horse management and training but also research, event planning, public outreach, fund-raising, and website development. Public and industry support provided program sustainability with only basic University infrastructural support despite severe economic downturns. Student research projects generated 25 research abstracts presented at national and international meetings and 14 honors theses. Over 100 students went on to veterinary school or other higher education programs, and more than 100 others pursued equine- or science-related careers. Laudatory popular press articles were published in a wide variety of breed/discipline journals and in local and regional newspapers each year. Taking the risk of using "at risk" horses yielded positive outcomes for all, especially the undergraduate students.

ASPIRE: Teachers and researchers working together to enhance student learning

Science.gov (United States)

Yager, P. L.; Garay, D. L.; Warburton, J.

2016-02-01

Given the impact of human activities on the ocean, involving teachers, students, and their families in scientific inquiry has never been more important. Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) disciplines have become key focus areas in the education community of the United States. Newly adopted across the nation, Next Generation Science Standards require that educators embrace innovative approaches to teaching. Transforming classrooms to actively engage students through a combination of knowledge and practice develops conceptual understanding and application skills. The partnerships between researchers and educators during the Amundsen Sea Polynya International Research Expedition (ASPIRE) offer an example of how academic research can enhance K-12 student learning. In this presentation, we illustrate how ASPIRE teacher-scientist partnerships helped engage students with actual and virtual authentic scientific investigations. Scientists benefit from teacher/researcher collaborations as well, as funding for scientific research also depends on effective communication between scientists and the public. While contributing to broader impacts needed to justify federal funding, scientists also benefit by having their research explained in ways that the broader public can understand: collaborations with teachers produce classroom lessons and published work that generate interest in the scientists' research specifically and in marine science in general. Researchers can also learn from their education partners about more effective teaching strategies that can be transferred to the college level. Researchers who work with teachers in turn gain perspectives on the constraints that teachers and students face in the pre-college classroom. Crosscutting concepts of research in polar marine science can serve as intellectual tools to connect important ideas about ocean and climate science for the public good.

DEVELOPMENT OF AN INTERACTIVE SOFTWARE TO STUDY ENERGETIC METABOLISM

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Emanuella da Silva Cardoso

2016-11-01

Full Text Available INTRODUCTION: Technology allows the creation of dynamic interfaces and graphics, which enables the construction of different scenarios that simulate biochemical events at cellular and molecular level. Furthermore, games have the ability to amuse and stimulate students and thus keeping them interested and receptive. Therefore, digital games must be explored as teaching aids once they have features that enhance the teaching process. OBJECTIVES: This project aimed to develop an educational software that contributes to the understanding of various events taking place in energetic metabolism. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We developed a downloadable educational game in Java, divided into two levels, each of which tackle issues about the Krebs cycle, the respiratory chain and oxidative phosphorylation. Initially, the names of the components of the metabolic process appear randomly on computer screen and the user must follow clues to place them in the right sequence, until all the biochemical reactions are complete. In next phase, there is a quiz about details and clinical correlates related to the theme of the game. Finally, students have to answer a form in order to verify acceptance and relevance of the game. DISCUSSION AND RESULTS: The game was applied to 40 medical students from UFF. The game’s subject matter and its difficulty were analyzed and more than 40% of students classified both respiratory chain and Krebs cycle as difficult. These findings highlight the need to establish new methods to enhance the teaching and learning processes and decrease the students’ difficulties, which is the game’s purpose. The game was very highly rated by students once they evaluated the game as an excellent educational aid and 92% of students agreed that it complements the content discussed in classroom. Finally, 97,5% of students said they would play again. CONCLUSION: Therefore, educational games could be an excellent tool to optimize learning.

Energetic magnetospheric protons in the plasma depletion layer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fuselier, S.A.

1992-01-01

Interplanetary magnetic field draping against the Earth's dayside subsolar magnetopause creates a region of reduced plasma density and increased magnetic field called the plasma depletion layer. In this region, leakage of energetic ions from the Earth's magnetosphere onto magnetic field lines in the plasma depletion layer can be studied without interference from ions accelerated at the Earth's quasi-parallel bow shock. Active Magnetospheric Particle Tracer Experiment/Charge Composition Explorer (AMPTE/CCE) observations for 13 plasma depletion layer events are used to determine the characteristics of energetic protons between a few keV/e and ∼100keV/e leaked from the magnetosphere. Results indicate that the leaked proton distributions resemble those in the magnetosphere except that they have lower densities and temperatures and much higher velocities parallel (or antiparallel) and perpendicular to the magnetic field. Compared to the low-energy magnetosheath proton distributions present in the depletion layer, the leaked energetic proton distributions typically have substantially higher flow velocities along the magnetic field indicate that the leaked energetic proton distributions to contribute to the energetic proton population seen upstream and downstream from the quasi-parallel bow shock. However, their contribution is small compared to the contribution from acceleration of protons at the bow shock because the leaked proton densities are on the order of 10 times smaller than the energetic proton densities typically observed in the vicinity of the quasi-parallel bow shock

Student and Faculty Outcomes of Undergraduate Science Research Projects by Geographically Dispersed Students

Science.gov (United States)

Shaw, Lawton; Kennepohl, Dietmar

2013-01-01

Senior undergraduate research projects are important components of most undergraduate science degrees. The delivery of such projects in a distance education format is challenging. Athabasca University (AU) science project courses allow distance education students to complete research project courses by working with research supervisors in their…

EcoHealth Student: Emerging Researcher Awards encourages ...

International Development Research Centre (IDRC) Digital Library (Canada)

2011-05-10

May 10, 2011 ... ... who were paired with EcoHealth board members or journal editors to score ... Students' work was evaluated based on its contribution to science and ecohealth. ... Through her previous epidemiological and medical research, and ... Her research findings have been surprising and run counter to global ...

Learning Practice-Based Research Methods: Capturing the Experiences of MSW Students

Science.gov (United States)

Natland, Sidsel; Weissinger, Erika; Graaf, Genevieve; Carnochan, Sarah

2016-01-01

The literature on teaching research methods to social work students identifies many challenges, such as dealing with the tensions related to producing research relevant to practice, access to data to teach practice-based research, and limited student interest in learning research methods. This is an exploratory study of the learning experiences of…

Pathway to Success: Research and Internship Opportunities for Students

Science.gov (United States)

Vlahovic, G.; Malhotra, R.

2008-12-01

This paper presents efforts by North Carolina Central University (NCCU) in promoting geosciences by offering students paid career training opportunities with private, non-profit and government organizations. North Carolina Central University is the nation's first state-supported public Liberal Arts College funded for African Americans with approximately 86 % minority enrollment. Using data gathered from 1975 to 1999, NCCU is ranked eleventh among all US institutions based on the number of black, US citizen Ph.D.s who received their baccalaureate degree from that institution (Thurgood et al., 2006). Therefore, successful creation of research and internship pathways for NCCU students has national implications because it will increase the number of minority students joining the workforce and applying to PhD programs. Several related efforts will be described, including partnerships with the Fugro EarthData Inc., The Center for Remote Sensing and Mapping Science at the University of Georgia, The Center for Earthquake Research and Information at University of Memphis, Tennessee, and City of Durham. By developing both academic research and industry internship tracks we hope to be able to accommodate different student career goals. For example, graduate students planning to continue onto a PhD will be more interested in research based opportunities at collaborating academic institutions whereas the industry internship track is more appropriate for undergraduate or graduate students planning to enter the job market upon graduation. The internships are conducted under the aegis of the Geospatial Research, Innovative Teaching and Service Center (GRITS) housed in the Department of Environmental, Earth and Geospatial Sciences (DEEGS) at NCCU. The center was established in 2006 with funding from the National Science Foundation to promote the learning and application of geospatial technologies. Since then the GRITS center has been a hub for Geographical Information Science (GIS

URSSA, the Undergraduate Research Student Self-Assessment: A Tool for Assessing Student Outcomes of Undergraduate Research

Science.gov (United States)

Laursen, S. L.; Hunter, A.; Weston, T.; Thiry, H.

2009-12-01

Evidence-based thinking is essential both to science and to the development of effective educational programs. Thus assessment of student learning—gathering evidence about the nature and depth of students’ learning gains, and about how they arise—is a centerpiece of any effective undergraduate research (UR) program. Assessment data can be used to monitor progress, to diagnose problems, to strengthen program designs, and to report both good outcomes and strategies to improve them to institutional and financial stakeholders in UR programs. While the positive impact of UR on students’ educational, personal and professional development has long been a matter of faith, only recently have researchers and evaluators developed an empirical basis by which to identify and explain these outcomes. Based on this growing body of evidence, URSSA, the Undergraduate Research Student Self-Assessment, is a survey tool that departments and programs can use to assess student outcomes of UR. URSSA focuses on what students learn from their UR experience, rather than whether they liked it. Both multiple-choice and open-ended items focus on students’ gains from UR, including: (1) skills such as lab work and communication; (2) conceptual knowledge and linkages among ideas in their field and with other fields; (3) deepened understanding of the intellectual and practical work of science; (4) growth in confidence and adoption of the identity of scientist; (5) preparation for a career or graduate school in science; and (6) greater clarity in understanding what career or educational path they might wish to pursue. Other items probe students’ participation in important activities that have been shown to lead to these gains; and a set of optional items can be included to probe specific program features that may supplement UR (e.g. field trips, career seminars, housing arrangements). The poster will describe URSSA's content, development, validation, and use. For more information about

176: EVIDENCE-BASED AND EFFECTIVE RESEARCH SKILLS OF IRANIAN MIDDLE SCHOOL STUDENTS

OpenAIRE

Mostafaei, Helia; Sadeghi-Ghyassi, Fatemeh; Mostafaei, Hadi

2017-01-01

Background and aims Recently, digital research is very popular in schools. The capacity of students to do an effective search is unclear which can lead to utilization of unacceptable evidence in their research. Aims To evaluate middle school students' effective search skills. Methods This survey was done during the summer school of Farzanegan talented students middle school. The self-administrated questionnaire studied 30 items about effective search and digital research skills of students. O...

Undergraduate Student Teachers' Views and Experiences of a Compulsory Course in Research Methods

Science.gov (United States)

Lombard, B. J. J.

2015-01-01

In comparison to attention given to research methods for education students at postgraduate level, the offering of research methods for education students at undergraduate level is less often considered. Yet, it is agreed that research methods for undergraduate level students is important for shaping student attitudes, learning and achievement in…

An Overview of Ten Years of Student Research and JDSO Publications (Abstract)

Science.gov (United States)

Freed, R.; Fitzgerald, M.; Genet, R.; Davidson, B.

2017-12-01

(Abstract only) The astronomy research seminar, initially designed and taught by Russell Genet at Cuesta College over the past decade, has resulted in over 100 published student research papers in the Journal of Double Star Observations along with dozens of other papers and conference presentations. While the seminar began at a single community college, it has now spread to include students from dozens of institutions and instructors, reaching students from middle school through graduate school. The seminar has integrated the large community-of-practice of amateur and professional astronomers, educators, students, and hardware and software engineers while providing an important experience for student researchers. In this paper, we provide an overview analysis of 109 publications authored by 320 individual students involved in the astronomy research seminar over the last decade.

Engaging Students in Survey Research Projects across Research Methods and Statistics Courses

Science.gov (United States)

Lovekamp, William E.; Soboroff, Shane D.; Gillespie, Michael D.

2017-01-01

One innovative way to help students make sense of survey research has been to create a multifaceted, collaborative assignment that promotes critical thinking, comparative analysis, self-reflection, and statistical literacy. We use a short questionnaire adapted from the Higher Education Research Institute's Cooperative Institutional Research…

Doctoral Students Becoming Researchers: An Innovative Curriculum

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Deborah S. Garson

2016-12-01

Full Text Available Creating a quality literature review is fundamental to doctoral student professionalization, yet research into how the literature review is taught, learned, or experienced is limited.  Responding to this under-addressed but critical key to doctoral education, the focus of this mixed methods study is on students’ perceptions of a year-long course, co-taught by a faculty member and embedded librarian, devoted specifically to addressing the literature review.  Analysis of students’ course evaluations and written reflections/feedback over an eight year period revealed four primary themes: 1 Entering students’ technological know-how does not guarantee effective information literacy skill and without the requisite skills one-shot library workshops are insufficient for making learning whole;  2 Rather than conceiving of the literature review as a product, constructing a literature review represents a pivotal process in doctoral students’ research and literacy skill development; 3 Creating a literature review, and the process it entails, signals in students the development of their professional researcher identity, involving movement beyond “how to” to address questions of “why” and “for whom”; 4 The literature review course was experienced as a substantively different course than is typical in the doctoral experience, mirroring the course’s  foundational assumption that librarians, instructors, and learners share agency in creating the literature review process. The course curriculum is framed by two simultaneous learning streams: information literacy competencies and student research agenda. The course curriculum aligns information literacy competencies and research methodology with the goal of exploring and purposefully integrating creativity and curiosity in the search and research construction process.

Cutting and machining energetic materials with a femtosecond laser

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Roeske, Frank; Benterou, Jerry; Lee, Ronald; Roos, Edward [Energetic Materials Center, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, P. O. Box 808, Livermore, CA 94550 (United States)

2003-04-01

A femtosecond (fs) laser has been used as a tool for solving many problems involving access, machining, disassembly, inspection and avoidance of undesirable hazardous waste streams in systems containing energetic materials. Because of the unique properties of the interaction of ultrashort laser pulses with matter, the femtosecond laser can be used to safely cut these energetic materials in a precise manner without creating an unacceptable waste stream. Many types of secondary high explosives (HE) and propellants have been cut with the laser for a variety of applications ranging from disassembly of aging conventional weapons (demilitarization), inspection of energetic components of aging systems to creating unique shapes of HE for purposes of initiation and detonation physics studies. Hundreds of samples of energetic materials have been cut with the fs laser without ignition and, in most cases, without changing the surface morphology of the cut surfaces. The laser has also been useful in cutting nonenergetic components in close proximity to energetic materials. (Abstract Copyright [2003], Wiley Periodicals, Inc.)

Factors Affecting Research Environment at Syrian Business Faculties: A Student-Perceived Model

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Bayan Khalifa

2016-12-01

Full Text Available This study aims at investigating the factors that affect the research environment of business postgraduate students, particularly master students, from the perspective of these students. From the same perspective, it also aims at assessing these factors together with the quality of research environment. A questionnaire survey method was employed. The questionnaire was developed by academics from five business faculties based on relevant studies and was distributed to graduate students enrolled in all of the research business programs at the Faculty of Economics, Damascus University, ending up with 88 valid responses. To explore the factors that may affect research environment, exploratory factor analysis was employed. In addition, multiple regression analysis and t-test were applied to respond to the study purposes. Facilities and industry linkage come to be significant factors in the research environment. However, the results show insignificant impact for each of the research courses, networking, and research skills in the overall research environment. Variations in regard to the availability of these factors were identified with low level of availability for the facilities and industry linkage. The study is one of a kind that investigates factors affecting research environment of postgraduate students and particularly master students. Further and to the best of our knowledge, it is the first study that examines such factors in war conditions, which enables us to understand what students perceive as critical factors influencing their research performance in these conditions. Recommendations to policy makers are presented to develop strategies that respond to students’ concerns for a better research environment.

Development of a pharmacy student research program at a large academic medical center.

Science.gov (United States)

McLaughlin, Milena M; Skoglund, Erik; Bergman, Scott; Scheetz, Marc H

2015-11-01

A program to promote research by pharmacy students created through the collaboration of an academic medical center and a college of pharmacy is described. In 2009, Midwestern University Chicago College of Pharmacy and Northwestern Memorial Hospital (NMH) expanded their existing partnership by establishing a program to increase opportunities for pharmacy students to conduct clinical-translational research. All professional year 1, 2, or 3 students at the college, as well as professional year 4 students on rotation at NMH, can participate in the program. Central to the program's infrastructure is the mentorship of student leads by faculty- and hospital-based pharmacists. The mentors oversee the student research projects and guide development of poster presentations; student leads mentor junior students and assist with orientation and training activities. Publication of research findings in the peer-reviewed literature is a key program goal. In the first four years after program implementation, participation in a summer research program grew nearly 10-fold (mainly among incoming professional year 2 or 3 students, and student poster presentations at national pharmacy meetings increased nearly 20-fold; the number of published research articles involving student authors increased from zero in 2009 to three in 2012 and two in 2013. A collaborative program between an academic medical center and a college of pharmacy has enabled pharmacy students to conduct research at the medical center and has been associated with increases in the numbers of poster presentations and publications involving students. Copyright © 2015 by the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists, Inc. All rights reserved.

Developing a Curriculum for Remote Research Mentoring of Virginia High School Students

Science.gov (United States)

Dirienzo, William J.; Corby, J.; Beaton, R.; Barcos-Munoz, L. D.; Jones, K. M.; Pennucci, T.

2014-01-01

Graduate students at the University of Virginia (UVa) are volunteering as research advisors on astronomy projects for Virginia's science and technology high schools. Over five years, we have worked with more than a dozen students through a research class at Central Virginia Governor's School for Science and Technology in Lynchburg and two students last year at Roanoke Valley Governor's School in Roanoke to develop an astronomy research curriculum that teaches background concepts and terminology, guides students in data analysis, and prepares them to present material in poster and oral forums. Because both schools are far from UVa in Charlottesville, the program operates remotely; graduate advisors and high school students interact through "virtual" means, establishing a successful framework for meaningful remote mentoring. In the current year, four students will complete projects on astrophysical topics including megamasers and astrochemistry using data taken by the Robert C. Byrd Green Bank Telescope (GBT). Previous topics also include pulsar searches, extended green object (EGO) searches, and the X-ray properties of YSOs in the Carina complex. All four students this year will receive hands-on experience in handling GBT data. The current projects are components of larger research efforts by graduate student and professional level researchers, so that the projects contribute to high-level projects only possible with the GBT. This stands as a rare outreach program that uses the principle of “deliberative practice” to train high school students in the development of skills that are crucial to success in science. Furthermore, it provides graduate students with an opportunity to plan and advise research projects, developing a skill set that is required in more advanced academic positions. Our poster discusses the implementation of our online curriculum in two distinct class settings and highlights the students' research contributions.

Malaysian and American Students' Perceptions of Research Ethics

Science.gov (United States)

Bowman, Laura L.; Anthonysamy, Angela

2006-01-01

Differences in perceptions of research ethics between Malaysian and American students were assessed using a questionnaire that measured perceptions of voluntary informed consent for adults and children, assessment of the risk/benefit ratio, issues of deception, and issues of privacy and confidentiality. As predicted, Malaysian students had less…

Are students kidding with health research ethics? The case of HIV/AIDS research in Cameroon

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Munung Nchangwi

2012-06-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Universities in Cameroon are playing an active part in HIV/AIDS research and much of this research is carried out by students, usually for the purpose of a dissertation/thesis. Student theses/dissertations present research findings in a much more comprehensive manner and have been described as the stepping-stone of a budding scientist’s potential in becoming an independent researcher. It is therefore important to verify how students handle issues of research ethics. Method Theses/dissertations on HIV/AIDS that described research studies involving the use of human research participants were screened to verify if research ethics approval and informed consent were obtained and documented. The contents of the consent forms were also qualitatively analyzed. Results Of 174 theses/dissertations on HIV, ethics approval was documented in 17 (9.77% and informed consent in 77 (47.83%. Research ethics approval was first mentioned at all in 2002 and highly reported in the year 2007. Evidence of ethics approval was found for the first time in 2005 and informed consent first observed and evidenced in 1997. Ethics approval was mostly reported by students studying for an MD (14.01% and was not reported in any Bachelors’ degree dissertation. Informed consent was also highly reported in MD theses (64.58% followed by undergraduate theses (31.58%. Voluntary participation and potential benefits of the study were some of the common aspects dealt with in most of the consent forms. The right to discontinue participation in the study and management of residual samples were scarcely ever mentioned. Conclusions Overall, and given the current state of the art of research ethics around the world, student-scientists in Cameroon would seem to be merely kidding with research ethics. It is thus essential that training in health research ethics (HRE be incorporated in the curriculum of universities in Cameroon in order that the next generation of

Energetic particle physics with applications in fusion and space plasmas

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cheng, C.Z.

1997-01-01

Energetic particle physics is the study of the effects of energetic particles on collective electromagnetic (EM) instabilities and energetic particle transport in plasmas. Anomalously large energetic particle transport is often caused by low frequency MHD instabilities, which are driven by these energetic particles in the presence of a much denser background of thermal particles. The theory of collective energetic particle phenomena studies complex wave-particle interactions in which particle kinetic physics involving small spatial and fast temporal scales can strongly affect the MHD structure and long-time behavior of plasmas. The difficulty of modeling kinetic-MHD multiscale coupling processes stems from the disparate scales which are traditionally analyzed separately: the macroscale MHD phenomena are studied using the fluid MHD framework, while microscale kinetic phenomena are best described by complicated kinetic theories. The authors have developed a kinetic-MHD model that properly incorporates major particle kinetic effects into the MHD fluid description. For tokamak plasmas a nonvariational kinetic-MHD stability code, the NOVA-K code, has been successfully developed and applied to study problems such as the excitation of fishbone and Toroidal Alfven Eigenmodes (TAE) and the sawtooth stabilization by energetic ions in tokamaks. In space plasmas the authors have employed the kinetic-MHD model to study the energetic particle effects on the ballooning-mirror instability which explains the multisatellite observation of the stability and field-aligned structure of compressional Pc 5 waves in the magnetospheric ring current plasma

Short-course Astronomical Research Seminars for High School and College Students

Science.gov (United States)

Johnson, Jolyon

2011-05-01

Since 2008, I have helped lead several short-course astronomical research seminars with Russell M. Genet. These seminars have ranged from semester-long courses at Cuesta College in San Luis Obispo, California to long weekends at the University of Oregon's Pine Mountain Observatory. Each seminar is led by an experienced observer or group of observers who guide high school and college students through the scientific process from observations to publication. The students (anywhere from half a dozen to twenty in number) participate in and contribute to every step. Being a coauthor on one or more research papers offers students an advantage on college and scholarship applications. Similarly, graduate schools often prefer students with research experience. Many topics of research are appropriate for these short-courses including variable star, exoplanet, and asteroid photometry. However, the most successful topic has been visual double stars because the observations required are straitforward and the equipment is relatively inexpensive. The Journal of Double Star Observations is also welcoming of student research and provides swift publication. A detailed description of the short-course seminars can be found in the recent Collins Foundation Press volume titled Small Telescopes and Astronomical Research.

Theoretical model of Orion gamma emission: acceleration, propagation and interaction of energetic particles in the interstellar medium

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Parizot, Etienne

1997-01-01

This research thesis reports the development of a general model for the study of the propagation and interaction of energetic particles (cosmic rays, and so on) in the interstellar medium (ISM). The first part addresses the development of theoretical and numerical tools. The author presents cosmic rays and energetic particles, presents and describes the various processes related to high-energy particles (matter ionisation, synchrotron and Bremsstrahlung radiation, Compton scattering, nuclear processes), addresses the transport and acceleration of energetic particles (plasmas, magnetic fields and energetic particles, elements of kinetic theory, transport and acceleration of energetic particles), and describes the general model of production of γ nuclear lines and of secondary nuclei. The second part addresses the gamma signature of a massive star in a dense medium: presentation and description of massive stars and of the circumstellar medium, life, death and gamma resurrection of a massive star at the heart of a cloud. The third part addresses the case of the gamma emission by Orion, and more particularly presents a theoretical model of this emission. Some generalities and perspectives (theoretical as well as observational) are then stated [fr

Neoclassical transport of energetic beam ions in the Large Helical Device

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Murakami, Sadayoshi; Yamada, Hiroshi; Kaneko, Osamu

2000-01-01

The neoclassical (collisional) transport of energetic ions is investigated by the global neoclassical transport simulation in the Large Helical Device (LHD). The steady state distributions of energetic ions are evaluated assuming an energetic particle source by NBI heating (tangentally injected). Significant radial transport of energetic ions can be seen due to the radial motion of trapped particles in the velocity region below near critical velocity. Our simulation results show relatively good agreements with the experimental results of fast particle measurements in the LHD. This suggests an important role of neoclassical transport in the radial transport process of energetic ions in heliotrons. (author)

Research Attitudes and Involvement among Medical Students and Students of Allied Health Occupations.

Science.gov (United States)

Delin, Catherine R.

1994-01-01

Medicine has a long research tradition, whereas allied health areas have only recently become involved in research. A questionnaire study was conducted to investigate the attitudes to research of a total of 314 students of medicine, dentistry, occupational therapy, physiotherapy, and nursing courses on the city campuses of two South Australian…

An international basic science and clinical research summer program for medical students.

Science.gov (United States)

Ramjiawan, Bram; Pierce, Grant N; Anindo, Mohammad Iffat Kabir; Alkukhun, Abedalrazaq; Alshammari, Abdullah; Chamsi, Ahmad Talal; Abousaleh, Mohannad; Alkhani, Anas; Ganguly, Pallab K

2012-03-01

An important part of training the next generation of physicians is ensuring that they are exposed to the integral role that research plays in improving medical treatment. However, medical students often do not have sufficient time to be trained to carry out any projects in biomedical and clinical research. Many medical students also fail to understand and grasp translational research as an important concept today. In addition, since medical training is often an international affair whereby a medical student/resident/fellow will likely train in many different countries during his/her early training years, it is important to provide a learning environment whereby a young medical student experiences the unique challenges and value of an international educational experience. This article describes a program that bridges the gap between the basic and clinical research concepts in a unique international educational experience. After completing two semester curricula at Alfaisal University in Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, six medical students undertook a summer program at St. Boniface Hospital Research Centre, in Winnipeg, MB, Canada. The program lasted for 2 mo and addressed advanced training in basic science research topics in medicine such as cell isolation, functional assessment, and molecular techniques of analysis and manipulation as well as sessions on the conduct of clinical research trials, ethics, and intellectual property management. Programs such as these are essential to provide a base from which medical students can decide if research is an attractive career choice for them during their clinical practice in subsequent years. An innovative international summer research course for medical students is necessary to cater to the needs of the medical students in the 21st century.

Nuclear energetics all over the world

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wojcik, T.

2000-01-01

The actual state and tendencies of nuclear power further development for different world regions have been presented and discussed. The problem of safety of energetic nuclear reactors, radioactive waste management and related problems have been discussed in respect of regulations in different countries. The economical aspects of nuclear energetics in comparison with different fossil fuel power plants exploitation costs has been presented as well. The official state of international organizations (IAEA, WANO, HASA etc.) have been also shown in respect to subject presented

Teachers' learning about research for enhancing students' thinking skills in science learning

Science.gov (United States)

Nammungkhun, Wisanugorn; Satchukorn, Sureerat; Saenpuk, Nudchanard; Yuenyong, Chokchai; Chantharanuwong, Warawun

2018-01-01

This paper aimed to clarify teachers' learning about research for enhancing students' thinking skills in science learning. The study applied the lens of sociocultural view of learning to discuss teachers' learning about research. Participants included teachers who participated in the project of thinking research schools: research for enhancing students' thinking skills. The project of thinking research schools provided participants chance to learn knowledge about research and thinking research, doing research and publication, and participate in the international conference. Methodology regarded ethnographic research. The tools of interpretation included participant observation, interview, and document analysis. The researchers as participants of the research project of thinking research schools tried to clarify what they learned about research from their way of seeing the view of research about enhancing students' thinking skills through participant observation. The findings revealed what and how teachers as apprenticeship learn about research through legitimate peripheral participation in the research project community of practice. The paper clarified teachers' conceptualization about research for enhancing students' thinking through the workshop, doing research, writing up research article with supported by experts, presenting research in the international conference, editing their research article on the way of publishing, and so on.

Sudanese Medical Students and Scientific Research | Mohamed ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Only 14.7% knew the engines used for finding medical literature. Conclusion: The low knowledge score is due to lack of application of research in the academic curriculum; however, the students have a fairly positive attitude. The knowledge is expected to improve with the intended policy to include practical research in the ...

A Study of Gestalt Teaching Theory and How It Compares to Standard Air Force Highly Technical Training for Air Force Students

Science.gov (United States)

Sutton, Richard J.

2009-01-01

The challenge of delivering effective training to our nation's Military personnel is one that has bested many over the years. How does one instruct young, energetic students on highly technical and often boring material in a manner that makes the best use of the available time? This study used a researcher-designed questionnaire to collect data…

Undergraduate Research in Earth Science Classes: Engaging Students in the First Two Years

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Mogk, D. W.; Wysession, M. E.; Beauregard, A.; Reinen, L. A.; Surpless, K.; O'Connell, K.; McDaris, J. R.

2014-12-01

The recent PCAST report (2012), Engage to Excel, calls for a major shift in instructional modes in introductory (geo)science courses by "replacing standard laboratory courses with discovery-based research courses". An increased emphasis is recommended to engage students in experiments with the possibility of true discovery and expanded use of scientific research courses in the first two years. To address this challenge, the On the Cutting Edge program convened a workshop of geoscience faculty to explore the many ways that true research experiences can be built into introductory geoscience courses. The workshop goals included: consideration of the opportunities, strategies and methods used to provide research experiences for students in lower division geoscience courses; examination of ways to develop students' "geoscience habits of mind" through participation in authentic research activities; exploration of ways that student research projects can be designed to contribute to public science literacy with applications to a range of issues facing humanity; and development of strategies to obtain funding for these research projects, to make these programs sustainable in departments and institutions, and to scale-up these programs so that all students may participate. Access to Earth data, information technology, lab and field-based instrumentation, and field experiences provide unprecedented opportunities for students to engage in authentic research at early stages in their careers. Early exposure to research experiences has proven to be effective in the recruitment of students to the geoscience disciplines, improved retention and persistence in degree programs, motivation for students to learn and increase self-efficacy, improved attitudes and values about science, and overall increased student success. Workshop outcomes include an online collection of tested research projects currently being used in geoscience classes, resources related to effective design

Undergraduate Science Coursework: Teachers' Goal Statements and How Students Experience Research

Science.gov (United States)

Van der Rijst, Roeland M.; Visser-Wijnveen, Gerda J.; Verloop, Nico; Van Driel, Jan H.

2013-01-01

Understanding the relation between teachers' goal statements and students' experiences about the position of research in undergraduate coursework can give use insight into ways to integrate research and teaching and foster undergraduate research. In this study, we examined to what extent teachers' goal statements agreed with students' experiences…

The future of qualitative research in psychology--a students' perspective.

Science.gov (United States)

Terkildsen, Thomas; Petersen, Sofie

2015-06-01

The aim of this article is to explore the future of qualitative research as seen from a students' perspective. This exploration will initially be incited through a discussion of the use of the term 'qualitative research', and the risks associated with the use of such an umbrella term. It is discussed that the use of an overarching umbrella term can lead to an overhomogenized understanding of qualitative research, that fails to represent the diversity and variety of methodological and epistemological approaches that exist within this research paradigm. It is also discussed that this overhomogenization reinforces the idea of qualitative research as an anti-doctrine to quantitative research, which is argued to discourage interparadigmatic integration. Lastly, it is considered how these (mis)conceptions of qualitative research influence how psychology students are taught about research methodology and how this education could affect these (mis)conceptions. We advocate that the future for qualitative research in psychology should be ensured through a restructure and a refocus on an educational level. This change should overall be centered around teaching students how to be reflective research practitioners based on an in-depth understanding of the variety of epistemologies within both meta-research-paradigms.

Energetic certification in Europe

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1998-01-01

At community level the problem of energy quality control in a building was introduced by EEC recommendation n. 93/76 in 1993. In this item are reported some notes on energetic certification in European countries [it

Research-Based Astronomy Workshops for Secondary School Students in Thailand

Science.gov (United States)

Rujopakarn, Wiphu; Kirdkao, Thagoon

We present the results of the Learning Center for Earth Sciences and Astronomy (LESA). Thai-land organizes a series of research-based astronomical workshops for secondary school students in the country during 2006 present. The goal of LESA is to apply the research-based learn-ing approach to complement astronomy education, which has been included in the national curriculum since 2002, and to let students gain first-hand experience in astronomical research. Realization of research-based astronomical education in Thailand has long been held back by the limited availability of astronomical facilities in the country. We therefore developed work-shop modules for students using professional astronomical data generously made available to us through various collaborations and on-line archives. Two major difficulties we have overcame in developing these modules are, first, to seek research topics that are meaningful, inspiring, and can demonstrate the process of astronomical research with minimal background in astrophysics, and second, to find the software capable of processing large amounts of astronomical data, yet easily accessible for students. Our workshop modules centered on the basic research methods in observational astronomy, including astrometry, photometry, and spectroscopy. Data for these analysis modules were obtained through collaboration with various research groups, such as re-mote robotic telescopes access from the Robotic Optical Transient Search Experiment and the Las Cumbres Observatory Global Telescope Network, archival images from the Catalina Sky Survey, archival spectra from the Observatoire de Haute-Provence, and imaging and spectral data from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey. We adapt the raw data such that they can be accessed and analyzed with freely-available astronomical software such as the Iris or SAOImage ds9 and VSpec for imaging and spectral data, respectively. In each of the past five years, we have organized year-round workshops for students

Technology and Teacher-Student Interactions: A Review of Empirical Research

Science.gov (United States)

Harper, Ben

2018-01-01

As technology becomes ubiquitous in education, it is critical to understand the ways in which technology influences interactions between teachers and their students. The overarching research question that guided this systematic review was: What does research tell us about how technology influences interactions between teachers and students in K-12…

Energetic Particles Dynamics in Mercury's Magnetosphere

Science.gov (United States)

Walsh, Brian M.; Ryou, A.S.; Sibeck, D. G.; Alexeev, I. I.

2013-01-01

We investigate the drift paths of energetic particles in Mercury's magnetosphere by tracing their motion through a model magnetic field. Test particle simulations solving the full Lorentz force show a quasi-trapped energetic particle population that gradient and curvature drift around the planet via "Shabansky" orbits, passing though high latitudes in the compressed dayside by equatorial latitudes on the nightside. Due to their large gyroradii, energetic H+ and Na+ ions will typically collide with the planet or the magnetopause and will not be able to complete a full drift orbit. These simulations provide direct comparison for recent spacecraft measurements from MESSENGER. Mercury's offset dipole results in an asymmetric loss cone and therefore an asymmetry in particle precipitation with more particles precipitating in the southern hemisphere. Since the planet lacks an atmosphere, precipitating particles will collide directly with the surface of the planet. The incident charged particles can kick up neutrals from the surface and have implications for the formation of the exosphere and weathering of the surface

Engaging Students in Space Research: Young Engineers and Scientists 2008

Science.gov (United States)

Boice, D. C.; Asbell, H. E.; Reiff, P. H.

2008-12-01

Young Engineers and Scientists (YES) is a community partnership between Southwest Research Institute (SwRI), and local high schools in San Antonio, Texas (USA) during the past 16 years. The YES program provides talented high school juniors and seniors a bridge between classroom instruction and real world, research experiences in physical sciences (including space science) and engineering. YES consists of an intensive three-week summer workshop held at SwRI and a collegial mentorship where students complete individual research projects under the guidance of their professional mentors during the academic year. During the summer workshop, students experience the research environment first-hand; develop skills and acquire tools for solving scientific problems, attend mini-courses and seminars on electronics, computers and the Internet, careers, science ethics, and other topics; and select individual research projects to be completed during the academic year. At the end of the school year, students publicly present and display their work, acknowledging their accomplishments and spreading career awareness to other students and teachers. YES has developed a website for topics in space science from the perspective of high school students, including NASA's Magnetospheric Multiscale Mission (MMS) (http://yesserver.space.swri.edu). Student evaluations indicate the effectiveness of YES on their academic preparation and choice of college majors. Over the past 16 years, all YES graduates have entered college, several have worked for SwRI, one business has started, and three scientific publications have resulted. Acknowledgements. We acknowledge funding and support from the NASA MMS Mission, Texas Space Grant Consortium, Northside Independent School District, SwRI, and several local charitable foundations.

Energetic Materials Effects on Essential Soil Processes: Decomposition of Orchard Grass (Dactylis glomerata) Litter in Soil Contaminated with Energetic Materials

Science.gov (United States)

2014-02-01

availabilities of their respective food sources (bacteria and fungi ), were also unaffected-or-increasing in soil with CL-20 treatments. This is...ENERGETIC MATERIALS EFFECTS ON ESSENTIAL SOIL PROCESSES: DECOMPOSITION OF ORCHARD...GRASS (DACTYLIS GLOMERATA) LITTER IN SOIL CONTAMINATED WITH ENERGETIC MATERIALS ECBC-TR-1199 Roman G. Kuperman Ronald T. Checkai Michael Simini

Research Review: Laboratory Student Magazine Programs.

Science.gov (United States)

Wheeler, Tom

1994-01-01

Explores research on student-produced magazines at journalism schools, including the nature of various programs and curricular structures, ethical considerations, and the role of faculty advisors. Addresses collateral sources that provide practical and philosophical foundations for the establishment and conduct of magazine production programs.…

Computational studies on energetic properties of nitrogen-rich ...

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

Computational studies on energetic properties of nitrogen-rich energetic materials with ditetrazoles. LI XIAO-HONGa,b,∗ and ZHANG RUI-ZHOUa. aCollege of Physics and Engineering, Henan University of Science and Technology, Luoyang 471 003, China. bLuoyang Key Laboratory of Photoelectric Functional Materials, ...

The Energetics of Economics (Money as access to Energy)

OpenAIRE

Ternyik, Stephen I.

2013-01-01

Money is being portrayed as temporal access to energy and a new methodical approach to the energetics of the human economy is introduced.The economic evolution of world system energetics is put into the historical focus of all global monetary civilization, reaching back to Sumerian city states.This long wave energetics of human economic action clearly points to the biophysical boundaries of the globalized monetary production economy which is also based on natural law.The future perspective of...

Interaction in the large energetic companies in the Republic of Macedonia

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Janevski, Risto

1999-01-01

After disintegration of former power energetic system of Yugoslavia 1991, the Republic of Macedonia has faced enormous problems in the energetic field. It was necessary to realize all options in order to secure enough electric power for normal economic capacities function. In that course a direct involvement of five large companies, which represent very significant energetic subjects, will largely determine the future energetic conditions and circumstances in our country. These are the following companies: P.E. Electric Power Company Of Macedonia; OKTA Crude Oil Refinery; Heat Power Company; HEK Jugohrom; Fenimak. The paper presents the electric power consumption of these macro energetic companies during the period 1991-1998

ASPIRE: Teachers and researchers working together to enhance student learning

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lollie Garay

2014-11-01

Full Text Available Abstract Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM disciplines have become key focus areas in the education community of the United States. Newly adopted across the nation, Next Generation Science Standards require that educators embrace innovative approaches to teaching. Transforming classrooms to actively engage students through a combination of knowledge and practice develops conceptual understanding and application skills. The partnerships between researchers and educators during the Amundsen Sea Polynya International Research Expedition (ASPIRE offer an example of how academic research can enhance K-12 student learning. In this commentary, we illustrate how ASPIRE teacher–scientist partnerships helped engage students with actual and virtual authentic scientific investigations. Crosscutting concepts of research in polar marine science can serve as intellectual tools to connect important ideas about ocean and climate science for the public good.

Observations of Energetic Particle Escape at the Magnetopause: Early Results from the MMS Energetic Ion Spectrometer (EIS)

Science.gov (United States)

Cohen, I. J.; Mauk, B. H.; Anderson, B. J.; Westlake, J. H.; Sibeck, David Gary; Giles, Barbara L.; Pollock, C. J.; Turner, D. L.; Fennell, J. F.; Blake, J. B.;

The Elements of Library Research: What Every Student Needs to Know

Science.gov (United States)

George, Mary W.

2008-01-01

To do solid academic research, college students need to look beyond the computer search engine. This short, practical book introduces students to the important components of the information-seeking process. "The Elements of Library Research" provides a foundation for success in any research assignment, from a freshman paper to a senior thesis.…

Addiction Studies: Exploring Students' Attitudes toward Research in a Graduate Program

Science.gov (United States)

James, Raven; Simons, Lori

2011-01-01

An exploratory study was conducted to compare addiction studies and community counseling students' attitudes toward research. A survey of 66 addiction studies and 17 community counseling students in graduate programs was used to explore interest and self-efficacy in research and the research training environment. A pre/post test design was used to…

Quinquennial National Program (1990-1994) for the Energetic Modernization

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1990-01-01

The Mexican Energetics Sector currently has the eighth possition regarding reserves of hydrocarbons and the sixth regarding oil production, the installed capacity in electricity matters is among the first 20 of the world. The Program established first, a general balance of the situation in which the energetics sector lays today. It also points out the strategic role that this sector holds, as well an on the solutions to the problems faced. This Program establishes the objectives pursued by the energetics sector and that are as follows: to guarantee enough supply of energetics, to strenghten the link between the energetics sector and economy, society and environmental protection, to consolidate an energetics sector that is more current and better integrated. This Program presents the proposal to tend to five priorities: productivity, saving and effective use of energy, financing of the development and expansion of the offer, to diversify sources, as well as an efficient participation in international markets. In the chapter the effort regarding supply and demand of energy, it is evident that the effort made to expand the offer must be great, facing the total demand of energy demonstrated by the figures. For 1994 this demmand is of 31 - 36 % greater to that observed in 1988. Lastly, two statistic documents are enclosed, one historic, with general pointers of the sector, and another with the basic variables for national energy balance

Climate Research by K-12 Students: Can They Do It? Will Anybody Care?

Science.gov (United States)

Brooks, D. R.

2011-12-01

Starting from the premise that engaging students in authentic science research is an activity that benefits science education in general, it is first necessary to consider whether students, in collaboration with teachers and climate scientists, can do climate-related research that actually has scientific value. A workshop held in November 2010, co-sponsored by NSF and NOAA, addressed this question. It took as its starting point this "scientific interest" test: "If students conduct a climate-related research project according to protocols designed in collaboration with climate scientists, when they get done, will any of those scientists care whether they did it or not?" If the answer to this question is "yes," then the project may constitute authentic research, but if the answer is "no," then the project may have educational value, but it is not research. This test is important because only when climate scientists (and other stakeholders interested in climate and climate change) are invested in the outcomes of student research will meaningful student research programs with sustainable support be forthcoming. The absence of climate-related projects in high-level student science fair competitions indicates that, currently, the investment and infrastructure required to support student climate research is lacking. As a result, climate science is losing the battle for the "hearts and minds" of today's best students. The critical task for student climate research is to define projects that are theoretically and practically accessible. This excludes the "big questions" of climate science, such as "Is Earth getting warmer?", but includes many observationally based projects that can help to refine our understanding of climate and climate change. The characteristics of collaborative climate research with students include: 1. carefully drawn distinctions between inquiry-based "learning about" activities and actual research; 2. an identified audience of potential stakeholders

Study on Related Courses to Help Undergraduate Students Write Research Reports: A Curriculum Evaluation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Eny Winarti

2014-02-01

Full Text Available From the experience of joining the boards in the students’ research report defence, teaching education research methodology, and classroom action research, the researcher indicated that students had challenges related with the logic of research methods and academic research writing.  These findings encouraged the researcher to study the courses that have potential in helping students writing their research reports.  To study the courses, the researcher analysed related documents, such as syllabi and lesson plans.  The researcher also interviewed teachers and students to clarify the relevance of the syllabi and the classroom learning.  The results of the study indicated that logic, academic writing, statistics, research methodology, and classroom action research had the potential of helping the students write their research report.  The researcher also indicated that the content of the courses should have been more helpful.  The fact, however, was that the students still had challenges understanding the materials after taking the courses.  Further study about this fact is then recommended.

Emerging Information Literacy and Research-Method Competencies in Urban Community College Psychology Students

Science.gov (United States)

Wolfe, Kate S.

2015-01-01

This article details an assignment developed to teach students at urban community colleges information-literacy skills. This annotated bibliography assignment introduces students to library research skills, helps increase information literacy in beginning college students, and helps psychology students learn research methodology crucial in…

Preparation and participation of undergraduate students to inform culturally sensitive research.

Science.gov (United States)

Wells, Jo Nell; Cagle, Carolyn Spence

2009-07-01

Most student work as research assistants occurs at the graduate level of nursing education, and little is known about the role of undergraduate students as research assistants (RAs) in major research projects. Based on our desire to study Mexican American (MA) cancer caregivers, we needed bilingual and bicultural RAs to serve as data collectors with women who spoke Spanish and possessed cultural beliefs that influenced their caregiving. Following successful recruitment, orientation, and mentoring based on Bandura's social learning theory [Bandura, A., 2001. Social learning theory: an agentic perspective. Annual Review of Psychology 52, 1-26] and accepted teaching-learning principles, RAs engaged in various behaviors that facilitated study outcomes. Faculty researchers, RAs, and study participants benefitted greatly from the undergraduate student involvement in this project. This article describes successful student inclusion approaches, ongoing faculty-RA interactions, and lessons learned from the research team experience. Guidelines discussed support the potential for making the undergraduate RA role a useful and unique learning experience.

The energetic significance of cooking.

Science.gov (United States)

Carmody, Rachel N; Wrangham, Richard W

2009-10-01

While cooking has long been argued to improve the diet, the nature of the improvement has not been well defined. As a result, the evolutionary significance of cooking has variously been proposed as being substantial or relatively trivial. In this paper, we evaluate the hypothesis that an important and consistent effect of cooking food is a rise in its net energy value. The pathways by which cooking influences net energy value differ for starch, protein, and lipid, and we therefore consider plant and animal foods separately. Evidence of compromised physiological performance among individuals on raw diets supports the hypothesis that cooked diets tend to provide energy. Mechanisms contributing to energy being gained from cooking include increased digestibility of starch and protein, reduced costs of digestion for cooked versus raw meat, and reduced energetic costs of detoxification and defence against pathogens. If cooking consistently improves the energetic value of foods through such mechanisms, its evolutionary impact depends partly on the relative energetic benefits of non-thermal processing methods used prior to cooking. We suggest that if non-thermal processing methods such as pounding were used by Lower Palaeolithic Homo, they likely provided an important increase in energy gain over unprocessed raw diets. However, cooking has critical effects not easily achievable by non-thermal processing, including the relatively complete gelatinisation of starch, efficient denaturing of proteins, and killing of food borne pathogens. This means that however sophisticated the non-thermal processing methods were, cooking would have conferred incremental energetic benefits. While much remains to be discovered, we conclude that the adoption of cooking would have led to an important rise in energy availability. For this reason, we predict that cooking had substantial evolutionary significance.

GLOBE-al Impact through Diversity Bootcamps and Student Research Symposia

Science.gov (United States)

Bourgeault, J.; Murphy, T.; Johnson, J.; Sparrow, E. B.; Czajkowski, K. P.; Herron, S.; Falcon, P.

2016-12-01

Inclusion, diversity, underrepresented groups, underserved populations...the key words and phrases that represent the students, we, as science education professionals, want to reach and encourage to enter the geoscience pipeline. Wanting to do this is one thing and having the skills to succeed is very different. It is also one that the GLOBE Program, an international science and education program, is working on as a community. GLOBE encourages students from around the world to participate in authentic scientific research of the Earth system. Students use scientific protocols to explore their local environments, compare their findings with other GLOBE schools both in the U.S. and in other participating countries, and then share their findings via the GLOBE.gov website. In the last year, two initiatives, six face-to-face Student Research Symposia and two diversity-focused GLOBE Partner Bootcamps, set the GLOBE community of Partners, teachers and students on the path to being able to address this challenge. This presentation will include the framework for the student research symposia, the barriers the leadership team faced when recruiting and getting students there and the lessons learned. Agendas for the GLOBE Partner Bootcamps will be shared to demonstrate how facilitators supplemented a standard GLOBE Partner workshop to model a more inclusive environment, along with future improvements to the format.

[Assessment of dietary habits in students of the Medical University of Bialystok with differentiated nutritional status].

Science.gov (United States)

Stefańiska, Ewa; Ostrowska, Lucyna; Sajewicz, Joanna

2011-01-01

The research was conducted into 360 students of Medical University in Bialystok with differentiated nutritional status. The study involved 251 female students (46 with underweight, 186 with normal weight, 19 with excessive body weight) and 69 male students (7 with underweight, 47 with normal weight, 15 with excessive body weight). The quantity analyze of daily food rations was conducted on the base of the previous day 24 h dietary recall method. The computer program Diet 2.0 designed in the Institute of Food and Nutrition in Warsaw was used for calculations. Energetic value and basic nutrients supply was estimated and also the average content of dietary fiber and cholesterol. The results of the conducted research indicate lack ofbalanced content ofessential nutrients in daily food rations of the tested students of both sexes, irrespective of nutritional status. Energy supply was far too low comparing to recommended standards. It was proved that carbohydrate and fat supply was definitely lower than recommended standards. The research also showed low consumption of dietary fiber in all investigated groups and high consumption of cholesterol in men.

Sawteeth stabilization by energetic trapped ions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Samain, A.; Edery, D.; Garbet, X.; Roubin, J.P.

1991-01-01

The analysis of a possible stabilization of sawteeth by a population of energetic ions is performed by using the Lagrangian of the electromagnetic perturbation. It is shown that the trapped component of such a population has a small influence compared to that of the passing component. The stabilization threshold is calculated assuming a non linear regime in the q=1 resonant layer. The energetic population must create a stable tearing structure if the average curvature effect on thermal particles in the layer is small. However, this effect decreases the actual threshold

Very energetic photons at HERA

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bawa, A.C.; Krawczyk, M.

1991-01-01

We show that every energetic photons in the backward direction can be produced in deep inelastic Compton scattering at HERA. Assuming a fixed energy of 9 GeV for the initial photons and 820 GeV for the protons a high rate is found for the production of final photons with a transverse momentum equal to 5 GeV/c and energy between 40 GeV and 300 GeV. These energetic photons arise mainly from the scattering of the soft gluonic constituents of the initial photon with quarks from the proton. They are produced in the backward direction in coincidence with a photon beam jet of energy ∝ 9 GeV in the forward direction. (orig.)

Practical recommendations to help students bridge the research-implementation gap and promote conservation.

Science.gov (United States)

Pietri, Diana M; Gurney, Georgina G; Benitez-Vina, Nancy; Kuklok, Audrey; Maxwell, Sara M; Whiting, Libby; Vina, Michael A; Jenkins, Lekelia D

2013-10-01

Seasoned conservation researchers often struggle to bridge the research-implementation gap and promote the translation of their work into meaningful conservation actions. Graduate students face the same problems and must contend with obstacles such as limited opportunities for relevant interdisciplinary training and a lack of institutional support for application of research results. However, students also have a crucial set of opportunities (e.g., access to academic resources outside their degree programs and opportunities to design research projects promoting collaboration with stakeholders) at their disposal to address these problems. On the basis of results of breakout discussions at a symposium on the human dimensions of the ocean, a review of the literature, and our own experiences, we devised recommendations on how graduate students can create resources within their academic institutions, institutionalize resources, and engage with stakeholders to promote real-world conservation outcomes. Within their academic institutions, graduate students should foster links to practitioners and promote knowledge and skill sharing among students. To institutionalize resources, students should cultivate student leaders and faculty sponsors, systematically document their program activities, and engage in strategic planning to promote the sustainability of their efforts. While conducting research, students should create connections to and engage actively with stakeholders in their relevant study areas and disseminate research results both to stakeholders and the broader public. Our recommendations can serve as a template for graduate students wishing to bridge the research-implementation gap, both during their current studies and in their future careers as conservation researchers and practitioners. © 2013 Society for Conservation Biology.

Energetically Unfavorable Amide Conformations for N6-Acetyllysine Side Chains in Refined Protein Structures

Science.gov (United States)

Genshaft, Alexander; Moser, Joe-Ann S.; D'Antonio, Edward L.; Bowman, Christine M.; Christianson, David W.

2013-01-01

The reversible acetylation of lysine to form N6-acetyllysine in the regulation of protein function is a hallmark of epigenetics. Acetylation of the positively charged amino group of the lysine side chain generates a neutral N-alkylacetamide moiety that serves as a molecular “switch” for the modulation of protein function and protein-protein interactions. We now report the analysis of 381 N6-acetyllysine side chain amide conformations as found in 79 protein crystal structures and 11 protein NMR structures deposited in the Protein Data Bank (PDB) of the Research Collaboratory for Structural Bioinformatics. We find that only 74.3% of N6-acetyllysine residues in protein crystal structures and 46.5% in protein NMR structures contain amide groups with energetically preferred trans or generously trans conformations. Surprisingly, 17.6% of N6-acetyllysine residues in protein crystal structures and 5.3% in protein NMR structures contain amide groups with energetically unfavorable cis or generously cis conformations. Even more surprisingly, 8.1% of N6-acetyllysine residues in protein crystal structures and 48.2% in NMR structures contain amide groups with energetically prohibitive twisted conformations that approach the transition state structure for cis-trans isomerization. In contrast, 109 unique N-alkylacetamide groups contained in 84 highly-accurate small molecule crystal structures retrieved from the Cambridge Structural Database exclusively adopt energetically preferred trans conformations. Therefore, we conclude that cis and twisted N6-acetyllysine amides in protein structures deposited in the PDB are erroneously modeled due to their energetically unfavorable or prohibitive conformations. PMID:23401043

Does integrating research into the prosthetics and orthotics undergraduate curriculum enhance students' clinical practice? An interview study on students' perception.

Science.gov (United States)

Al Qaroot, Bashar S; Sobuh, Mohammad

2016-06-01

Problem-based learning (where rather than feeding students the knowledge, they look for it themselves) has long been thought of as an ideal approach in teaching because it would encourage students to acquire knowledge from an undetermined medium of wrong and right answers. However, the effect of such approach in the learning experience of prosthetics and orthotics students has never been investigated. This study explores the implications of integrating problem-based learning into teaching on the students' learning experience via implementing a research-informed clinical practice module into the curriculum of last year prosthetics and orthotics undergraduate students at the University of Jordan (Amman, Jordan). Qualitative research pilot study. Grounded theory approach was used based on the data collected from interviewing a focus group of four students. Students have identified a number of arguments from their experience in the research-informed clinical practice where, generally speaking, students described research-informed clinical practice as a very good method of education. Integrating problem-based learning into teaching has many positive implications. In particular, students pointed out that their learning experience and clinical practice have much improved after the research-informed clinical practice. Findings from this investigation demonstrate that embedding problem-based learning into prosthetics and orthotics students' curriculum has the potential to enhance students' learning experience, particularly students' evidence-based practice. This may lead to graduates who are more knowledgeable and thus who can offer the optimal patient care (i.e. clinical practice). © The International Society for Prosthetics and Orthotics 2014.

Papers of 4. Scientific-Technical Seminar: Material Study for Electric Power Stations and Energetics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1997-01-01

The research on the materials commonly used in electric power stations and energetics have been summarized in the course of the seminar. Especially a different kinds of steels have been investigated from the view point of their desirable mechanical and corrosion properties

Bringing the excitement and motivation of research to students; Using inquiry and research-based learning in a year-long biochemistry laboratory : Part II-research-based laboratory-a semester-long research approach using malate dehydrogenase as a research model.

Science.gov (United States)

Knutson, Kristopher; Smith, Jennifer; Nichols, Paul; Wallert, Mark A; Provost, Joseph J

2010-09-01

Research-based learning in a teaching environment is an effective way to help bring the excitement and experience of independent bench research to a large number of students. The program described here is the second of a two-semester biochemistry laboratory series. Here, students are empowered to design, execute and analyze their own experiments for the entire semester. This style of laboratory replaces a variety of shorter labs in favor of an in depth research-based learning experience. The concept is to allow students to function in independent research groups. The research projects are focused on a series of wild-type and mutant clones of malate dehydrogenase. A common research theme for the laboratory helps instructors administer the course and is key to delivering a research opportunity to a large number of students. The outcome of this research-based learning laboratory results in students who are much more confident and skilled in critical areas in biochemistry and molecular biology. Students with research experience have significantly higher confidence and motivation than those students without a previous research experience. We have also found that all students performed better in advanced courses and in the workplace. Copyright © 2010 International Union of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Inc.

Study of energetic dependence of LiF TLDs for photons

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cavalieri, Tassio A.; Antunes, Paula C.G.; Paiva, Fabio; Branco, Isabela S.; Sena, Michelle K.S.; Siqueira, Paulo T.D.; Yoriyaz, Helio

2015-01-01

The LiF TLDs are widely used for photon dosimetry. However, in the most case the energetic dependence of these TLDs are not taken into account. This work is a preliminary study of energetic photon dependence in LiF TLD (TLD 700, enriched with 7 Li). For this study it was utilized a methodology already used in others works that seek understand the dependence energetic of TLD. It was utilized three different X-ray spectrum and a 137 Cs source; Beyond the calculus utilized in previous works, it was built the calibration curve for each spectrum to see the difference in dosimetry that the energetic dependence could cause. (author)

Study of energetic dependence of LiF TLDs for photons

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Cavalieri, Tassio A.; Antunes, Paula C.G.; Paiva, Fabio; Branco, Isabela S.; Sena, Michelle K.S.; Siqueira, Paulo T.D.; Yoriyaz, Helio, E-mail: tcavalieri@usp.br [Instituto de Pesquisas Energeticas e Nucleares (IPEN/CNEN-SP), Sao Paulo, SP (Brazil)

2015-07-01

The LiF TLDs are widely used for photon dosimetry. However, in the most case the energetic dependence of these TLDs are not taken into account. This work is a preliminary study of energetic photon dependence in LiF TLD (TLD 700, enriched with {sup 7}Li). For this study it was utilized a methodology already used in others works that seek understand the dependence energetic of TLD. It was utilized three different X-ray spectrum and a {sup 137}Cs source; Beyond the calculus utilized in previous works, it was built the calibration curve for each spectrum to see the difference in dosimetry that the energetic dependence could cause. (author)

Fostering Sustained Learning among Undergraduate Students: Emerging Research and Opportunities

Science.gov (United States)

Chemosit, Caroline; Rugutt, John; Rugutt, Joseph K.

2017-01-01

Keeping students engaged and receptive to learning can, at times, be a challenge. However, by the implementation of new methods and pedagogies, instructors can strengthen the drive to learn among their students. "Fostering Sustained Learning Among Undergraduate Students: Emerging Research and Opportunities" is an essential publication…

GLOBE Cornerstones: Advancing Student Research Worldwide through Virtual and Regional Symposia

Science.gov (United States)

Bourgeault, J.; Malmberg, J. S.; Murphy, T.; Darche, S.; Ruscher, P.; Jabot, M.; Odell, M. R. L.; Kennedy, T.

2016-12-01

The GLOBE Program, an international science and education program, encourages students from around the world to participate in authentic scientific research of the Earth system. Students use scientific protocols to explore their local environments, compare their findings with other GLOBE schools both in the U.S. and in other participating countries, and then share their findings via the GLOBE.gov website. In order to facilitate this scientific communication, GLOBE held an international virtual science fair in 2016. The science fair included 105 research projects submitted from GLOBE students in various countries, 37 mentoring scientists, and 24 judges. Mentors and judges were members of the GLOBE International STEM Professionals Network and located around the world. On a national level, NSF funded six face-to-face U.S. regional student research symposia where 164 students presented 67 research projects to scientists for review. The 1.5 day events included student activities, teacher professional development, tours of NASA centers, and opportunities for students to engage with scientists to discover both traditional and non-traditional STEM career pathways. To support teachers, the leadership team offered and archived webinars on science practices; from field investigation basics to creating a poster and GLOBE partners provided guidance along the way. This presentation will include the framework for the regional and international science symposia , the scoring rubrics and evaluation, recruitment of judges and mentors, and lessons learned.

Partnering with a Community College and Research University to attract Underrepresented Students to the Geosciences: The Student Experience

Science.gov (United States)

Wickham, J. S.; Saunders, D.; Smith, G.

2015-12-01

A NSF sponsored partnership between the University of Texas at Arlington and the Tarrant County College District aimed to attract underrepresented lower-division students interested in STEM to the geosciences. The program recruited 32 students over 3 years, developed an innovative field course, provided tutoring and mentoring programs, and offered research assistantships for students to work with the research university faculty on funded projects. Under-represented students were 66% of the group. The data was gathered via a web-based survey from April 2nd to April 17th, 2015, using both open ended and item-level responses. Out of 32 participants, the response rate was a significant 50%. Some of the survey results include: 1) Most students heard about the program from faulty who recruited them in introductory level classes; 2) Almost all agreed that the geosciences were interesting, fun, important and a good career path; 3) 92% of the community college respondents found transferring to a research university somewhat or not too difficult; 4) The most helpful parts of the program included faculty mentors, the field course, research assistant experiences and relationships with faculty. The least helpful parts included the tutoring services, relationships with other students, and the semester kickoff meetings; 5) over 60% of the students felt very confident in research skills, formulating research questions, lab skills, quantitative skills, time management, collaborating and working independently. They were less confident in planning research, graphing results, writing papers and making oral presentations; 6) most found the faculty very helpful in advising and mentoring, and 86% said they were comfortable asking at least one faculty member for a reference letter; 7) 93% said they were likely to pursue a geoscience career and 86% were confident or somewhat confident they would be successful.

Ten year experience with student pharmacist research within a health system and education center.

Science.gov (United States)

Michalets, Elizabeth Landrum; Williams, Charlene; Park, Irene

2018-03-01

Skills gained from research experience allow student pharmacists to evolve as practitioners, innovators and perpetual learners in an increasingly complex healthcare environment. Data published regarding pharmacy resident research are focused on external dissemination rates and research programs. Little is published regarding student research. This descriptive study was a five-year before and after comparison between the existing co-curricular model and a new longitudinal, 12-month research advanced pharmacy practice experience (L-APPE) model for student pharmacist research. The objective was to describe the development and transition to the L-APPE and compare the models in external dissemination rates and preceptor-classified impact on patient care. Preceptors were surveyed to characterize the impact on the health care institution. Over a ten-year period, 65 fourth year students engaged in research. From 2006-2011, 28 students (43.4% of student cohort) completed co-curricular research projects. From 2011-2016, 37 students (40.2% of student cohort) completed the L-APPE. The number of national poster presentations increased 6-fold with the L-APPE, from 6 (21.4%) to 36 (97.3%) (p posters and peer reviewed publications had a 350% higher occurrence (RR 4.5, 95% CI 1.9-10.9; p meaningful practice model or prescribing pattern benefits. Additional study of pharmacy student research is warranted. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Inc.

MOTIVATION, VALUES, AND CAREER RESEARCH AMONG UNIVERSITY STUDENTS

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Eva Gergely

2016-07-01

Full Text Available Career and motivation examinations are an interesting point to consider at all times. This is not only the company leaders need to find and hire the adequate employee but they have to be capable of keeping them. However, what motivates the individual? What is necessary for employees to stay at the organization? What kind of carrier expectation they have? These questions are not only important when somebody is in the system but when somebody is at the beginning of their work. Due to these questions, we have considered important to carry out examinations on motivation, value, and career among the employees and students. The research has been conducted among the students at the University of Debrecen Faculty of Economics. These students will be the fresh enterers of the labor market and may become talented employees of organizations. In the research joint surveys have been applied. The questionnaires were related to working values, values, motivation and career. The sample contains 235 full-time students. One of the positive results of the examination is sampled students are strongly performance motivated. Regarding their performances, the pursuit of success and the need for execution tasks are important, and the high level of effort-performance is outstanding. The results are closely aligned with the sampled students because personal development is important to them and this is a typical age characteristic. The appearance for fulfilling basic needs such as safety, material and physical environment and self-assertion also have a key role. Regarding their career orientation security is in the center of attention. They do not want reputation with all their hearts. Furthermore, management and leadership are not the most important for them. The career anchor analysis has also proved this because leader competence was the lowest career anchor. In the future it would be worth extending the research to the other faculties of the University of Debrecen or

US-China Collaboration on Landslide Research and Student Training

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, G.

2016-12-01

Funded by a NSF International Research Experience for Students (IRES) project (OIA: 1460034) at the University of Houston (http://ires.nsm.uh.edu), the author brought eight U.S. students to China in the summer of 2016. The host university at the China side is the China University of Geoscience at Wuhan. The international collaborative project is designed to expose U.S. students to the international landslide research community at an early stage of their careers. The NSF IRES program will support minimum 18 U.S. students (two graduates and four undergraduates per year) to conduct advanced landslide research in the Three Gorges area in China during the summers (eight weeks) of 2016, 2017, and 2018. The 2016 summer program includes a one-week-long pre-training at the University of Houston, a two-week-long intensive Chinese language and cultural course at the main campus of the China University of Geosciences (Wuhan), a four-week-long landslide field investigation in the Three Gorges Reservoir area, and a one-week-long wrap-up at the University of Houston. This presentation will introduce the experiences and lessons that we learned from the first-year activities of the international collaborative project.

Nesting doctoral students in collaborative North–South partnerships for health systems research

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Svetla Loukanova

2014-07-01

Full Text Available Background: The European Union (EU supports North–South Partnerships and collaborative research projects through its Framework Programmes and Horizon 2020. There is limited research on how such projects can be harnessed to provide a structured platform for doctoral level studies as a way of strengthening health system research capacity in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA. Objective: The aim of this study was to explore the challenges of, and facilitating factors for, ‘nesting’ doctoral students in North–South collaborative research projects. The term nesting refers to the embedding of the processes of recruiting, supervising, and coordinating doctoral students in the overall research plan and processes. Design: This cross-sectional qualitative study was undertaken by the EU-funded QUALMAT Project. A questionnaire was implemented with doctoral students, supervisors, and country principal investigators (PIs, and content analysis was undertaken. Results: Completed questionnaires were received from nine doctoral students, six supervisors, and three country PIs (86% responses rate. The doctoral students from SSA described high expectations about the input they would receive (administrative support, equipment, training, supervision. This contrasted with the expectations of the supervisors for proactivity and self-management on the part of the students. The rationale for candidate selection, and understandings of the purpose of the doctoral students in the project were areas of considerable divergence. There were some challenges associated with the use of the country PIs as co-supervisors. Doctoral student progress was at times impeded by delays in the release of funding instalments from the EU. The paper provides a checklist of essential requirements and a set of recommendations for effective nesting of doctoral students in joint North–South projects. Conclusion: There are considerable challenges to the effective nesting of doctoral students within

Forecast of nuclear energetics

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sikora, W

1976-01-01

The forecast concerning the development of nuclear energetics is presented. Some information on economics of nuclear power plants is given. The nuclear fuel reserves are estimated on the background of power resources of the world. The safety and environment protection problems are mentioned.

Energetic particle pressure in intense ESP events

Science.gov (United States)

Lario, D.; Decker, R. B.; Roelof, E. C.; Viñas, A.-F.

2015-09-01

We study three intense energetic storm particle (ESP) events in which the energetic particle pressure PEP exceeded both the pressure of the background thermal plasma Pth and the pressure of the magnetic field PB. The region upstream of the interplanetary shocks associated with these events was characterized by a depression of the magnetic field strength coincident with the increase of the energetic particle intensities and, when plasma measurements were available, a depleted solar wind density. The general feature of cosmic-ray mediated shocks such as the deceleration of the upstream background medium into which the shock propagates is generally observed. However, for those shocks where plasma parameters are available, pressure balance is not maintained either upstream of or across the shock, which may result from the fact that PEP is not included in the calculation of the shock parameters.

Challenging the Model Minority Myth: Engaging Asian American Students in Research on Asian American College Student Experiences

Science.gov (United States)

Suyemoto, Karen L.; Kim, Grace S.; Tanabe, Miwa; Tawa, John; Day, Stephanie C.

2009-01-01

In this article, the authors introduce a method of understanding the experiences and needs of Asian American students on college campuses through the research process. Specifically, the authors offer a students-as-researchers approach to connect the transformative educational aims of Asian American studies to the scholarship, service, and lived…

Undergraduate students' development of social, cultural, and human capital in a networked research experience

Science.gov (United States)

Thompson, Jennifer Jo; Conaway, Evan; Dolan, Erin L.

2016-12-01

Recent calls for reform in undergraduate biology education have emphasized integrating research experiences into the learning experiences of all undergraduates. Contemporary science research increasingly demands collaboration across disciplines and institutions to investigate complex research questions, providing new contexts and models for involving undergraduates in research. In this study, we examined the experiences of undergraduates participating in a multi-institution and interdisciplinary biology research network. Unlike the traditional apprenticeship model of research, in which a student participates in research under the guidance of a single faculty member, students participating in networked research have the opportunity to develop relationships with additional faculty and students working in other areas of the project, at their own and at other institutions. We examined how students in this network develop social ties and to what extent a networked research experience affords opportunities for students to develop social, cultural, and human capital. Most studies of undergraduate involvement in science research have focused on documenting student outcomes rather than elucidating how students gain access to research experiences or how elements of research participation lead to desired student outcomes. By taking a qualitative approach framed by capital theories, we have identified ways that undergraduates utilize and further develop various forms of capital important for success in science research. In our study of the first 16 months of a biology research network, we found that undergraduates drew upon a combination of human, cultural, and social capital to gain access to the network. Within their immediate research groups, students built multidimensional social ties with faculty, peers, and others, yielding social capital that can be drawn upon for information, resources, and support. They reported developing cultural capital in the form of learning to

pClone: Synthetic Biology Tool Makes Promoter Research Accessible to Beginning Biology Students

Science.gov (United States)

Eckdahl, Todd; Cronk, Brian; Andresen, Corinne; Frederick, Paul; Huckuntod, Samantha; Shinneman, Claire; Wacker, Annie; Yuan, Jason

2014-01-01

The Vision and Change report recommended genuine research experiences for undergraduate biology students. Authentic research improves science education, increases the number of scientifically literate citizens, and encourages students to pursue research. Synthetic biology is well suited for undergraduate research and is a growing area of science. We developed a laboratory module called pClone that empowers students to use advances in molecular cloning methods to discover new promoters for use by synthetic biologists. Our educational goals are consistent with Vision and Change and emphasize core concepts and competencies. pClone is a family of three plasmids that students use to clone a new transcriptional promoter or mutate a canonical promoter and measure promoter activity in Escherichia coli. We also developed the Registry of Functional Promoters, an open-access database of student promoter research results. Using pre- and posttests, we measured significant learning gains among students using pClone in introductory biology and genetics classes. Student posttest scores were significantly better than scores of students who did not use pClone. pClone is an easy and affordable mechanism for large-enrollment labs to meet the high standards of Vision and Change. PMID:26086659

Teaching Experiences for Graduate Student Researchers: A Study of the Design and Implementation of Science Courses for Secondary Students

Science.gov (United States)

Collins, Anne Wrigley

Modern science education reform recommends that teachers provide K-12 science students a more complete picture of the scientific enterprise, one that lies beyond content knowledge and centers more on the processes and culture of scientists. In the case of Research Experience for Teachers (RET) programs, the "teacher" becomes "researcher" and it is expected that he/she will draw from the short-term science research experience in his/her classroom, offering students more opportunities to practice science as scientists do. In contrast, this study takes place in a program that allows graduate students, engaged in research full-time, to design and implement a short-duration course for high school students on Saturdays; the "researcher" becomes "teacher" in an informal science program. In this study, I investigated eleven graduate students who taught in the Saturday Science (SS) program. Analyses revealed participants' sophisticated views of the nature of science. Furthermore, participants' ideas about science clearly resonated with the tenets of NOS recommended for K-12 education (McComas et al., 1998). This study also highlighted key factors graduate students considered when designing lessons. Instructors took great care to move away from models of traditional, "lecture"-based, university science teaching. Nonetheless, instruction lacked opportunities for students to engage in scientific inquiry. In instances when instructors included discussions of NOS in SS courses, opportunities for high school students to learn NOS were not explicit enough to align with current science reform recommendations (e.g., AAAS, 2009). Graduate students did, however, offer high school students access to their own science or engineering research communities. These findings have significant implications for K-12 classroom reform. Universities continue to be a valuable resource for K-12 given access to scientists, materials or equipment, and funding. Nonetheless, and as was the case with

Engaging College Students at Two-year Campuses in Aerospace Research

Science.gov (United States)

Dirienzo, William

2018-01-01

College students at two-year campuses have unique challenges to their learning and are often "nontraditional" students, including first-generation and/or returning adult students. They have little or no exposure to research, related to science and aerospace or otherwise, and so they do not think of these fields as possible careers or understand how the disciplines operate. Exposing these students to real research projects, especially ones that include rocket payloads, have a dramatic effect on the interests and academic success of students. Projects such as these can be quite large and expensive, perhaps prohibitively so for small institutions. We engaged a group of these students through the RockOn and RockSat programs lead by the Colorado Space Grant Consortium, which are programs for postsecondary students to access space with relatively easy access and low cost. The student team designed, built, and flew a scientific payload on a suborbital sounding rocket launched at NASA's Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia. The experiment sent E. coli DNA samples into space to assess the damage and measured the radiation exposure with and without radiation shielding, and assessed the samples for DNA damage upon their return. We report on the process and the effects on the students as part of their experience.

Published research studies conducted amongst Indian medical undergraduate students: Bibliometric Analysis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sandeep Sachdeva

2017-09-01

Full Text Available Objective: Evaluation of published original research conducted amongst Indian medical undergraduate students. Methodology: A systematic review was undertaken using keywords “MBBS students” or “medical students” or “health students” or “university students” and “India” through search engines, PUBMED and Google scholar. Considering feasibility, time frame of published original research article was restricted to one-year only i.e. 2016. Research domain, research design, author and other bibliometric details of research manuscript were captured using check-list and analysis carried out using descriptive statistics. Results: A total of 99 suitable original research articles were identified under certain criteria and considered in present analysis. With regard to thematic research domain, highest, 29 (29.2% articles were related to teaching and learning process followed by 13 (13.1% to mental health (depression, anxiety, sleep, spirituality of students; 07 (7.0% were based on physical fitness/ exercise/yoga; and substance abuse (6.0% amongst medical students etc. Nearly, 86 (86.8% of articles were cross-sectional descriptive based studies while 13 (13.1% had intervention based research design. A total of 34 (34.3% research articles could be labeled as “KAP” (knowledge, attitude and practice survey. Department wise detail of corresponding author was largely dominated by faculty from pre and para-clinical departments. Highest was community medicine in (35.3% articles, pharmacology (23.2%, physiology (17.1%, microbiology (6.0%, and biochemistry (4.0% etc. The studies covered an average sample size of 188.8 MBBS students (20-360, range; 57.5% of research article covered students from only one professional year. However, in 42 (42.4% articles there was no further mention of gender based sample information. Out of all the references used in research articles, only 57.3% were of recent (2005-2015 origin while the rest were from older

Undergraduate Research in Geoscience with Students from Two-year Colleges: SAGE 2YC Resources

Science.gov (United States)

McDaris, J. R.; Hodder, J.; Macdonald, H.; Baer, E. M.; Blodgett, R. H.

2014-12-01

Undergraduate research experiences are important for the development of expertise in geoscience disciplines. These experiences have been shown to help students learn content and skills, promote students' cognitive and affective development, and develop students' sense of self. Early exposure to research experiences has shown to be effective in the recruitment of students, improved retention and persistence in degree programs, motivation for students to learn and increase self-efficacy, improved attitudes and values about science, and overall increased student success. Just as departments at four-year institutions (4YCs) are increasingly integrating research into their introductory courses, two-year college (2YC) geoscience faculty have a great opportunity to ground their students in authentic research. The Undergraduate Research with Two-year College Students website developed by SAGE 2YC: Supporting and Advancing Geoscience Education at Two-year Colleges provides ideas and advice for 2YC and 4YC faculty who want to get more 2YC students involved in research. The continuum of possibilities for faculty to explore includes things that can be done at 2YCs (eg. doing research as part of a regular course, developing a course specifically around research on a particular topic, or independent study), done in collaboration with other local institutions (eg. using their facilities, conducting joint class research, or using research to support transfer programs), and by involving students in the kind of organized Undergraduate Research programs run by a number of institutions and organizations. The website includes profiles illustrating how 2YC geoscience faculty have tackled these various models of research and addressed potential challenges such as lack of time, space, and funding as part of supporting the wide diversity of students that attend 2YCs, most of whom have less experience than that of rising seniors who are the traditional REU participant. The website also

Research experience in Maine leads to teacher and student success in Texas

Science.gov (United States)

Slade-Redden, D.; Incze, L.; Census Of Marine Life-Maine

2010-12-01

As a High School science teacher it is my responsibility to present curriculum, to create enthusiasm for science, and to instill a passion and love for science in my students. Through a research experience as an ARMADA master teacher my passion and enthusiasm for the ocean was rekindled in the Gulf of Maine. Topics I had taught for years came alive in front of my eyes, and I was able to experience science to its fullest. I brought home many photographs, valuable information, and new enthusiasm to my students. I began a program called S.A.N.D. (Students As Nature Directors). In this program my students teach 3rd graders about the oceans and its many wonders. Also, I have incorporated hands-on research based projects. The research experience has enabled my students to become more scientifically literate and capable of sharing scientific knowledge with others. This presentation will show how research/teacher partnerships benefit students as well as teachers and how my students and district have benefited from my experience as an ARMADA master teacher. Author: Debra Slade-Redden Author #2: Lew Incze

Student and Staff Perceptions of a Vacation Research Assistantship Scheme

Science.gov (United States)

Penn, Felicity; Stephens, Danielle; Morgan, Jessica; Upton, Penney; Upton, Dominic

2013-01-01

There is a push for universities to equip graduates with desirable employability skills and "hands-on" experience. This article explores the perceptions of students and staff experiences of a research assistantship scheme. Nine students from the University of Worcester were given the opportunity to work as a student vacation researcher…

Staying Engaged: Knowledge and Research Needs in Student Engagement

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Ming-Te; Degol, Jessica

2016-01-01

In this article, we review knowledge about student engagement and look ahead to the future of study in this area. We begin by describing how researchers in the field define and study student engagement. In particular, we describe the levels, contexts, and dimensions that constitute the measurement of engagement, summarize the contexts that shape engagement and the outcomes that result from it, and articulate person-centered approaches for analyzing engagement. We conclude by addressing limitations to the research and providing recommendations for study. Specifically, we point to the importance of incorporating more work on how learning-related emotions, personality characteristics, prior learning experiences, shared values across contexts, and engagement in nonacademic activities influence individual differences in student engagement. We also stress the need to improve our understanding of the nuances involved in developing engagement over time by incorporating more extensive longitudinal analyses, intervention trials, research on affective neuroscience, and interactions among levels and dimensions of engagement. PMID:27087833

Study on Related Courses to Help Undergraduate Students Write Research Reports: a Curriculum Evaluation

OpenAIRE

Winarti, Eny

2014-01-01

From the experience of joining the boards in the students’ research report defence, teaching education research methodology, and classroom action research, the researcher indicated that students had challenges related with the logic of research methods and academic research writing.  These findings encouraged the researcher to study the courses that have potential in helping students writing their research reports.  To study the courses, the researcher analysed related documents, such as ...

Undergraduate Science Research: A Comparison of Influences and Experiences between Premed and Non–Premed Students

Science.gov (United States)

Pacifici, Lara Brongo; Thomson, Norman

2011-01-01

Most students participating in science undergraduate research (UR) plan to attend either medical school or graduate school. This study examines possible differences between premed and non–premed students in their influences to do research and expectations of research. Questionnaire responses from 55 premed students and 80 non–premed students were analyzed. No differences existed in the expectations of research between the two groups, but attitudes toward science and intrinsic motivation to learn more about science were significantly higher for non–premed students. Follow-up interviews with 11 of the students, including a case study with one premed student, provided explanation for the observed differences. Premed students, while not motivated to learn more about science, were motivated to help people, which is why most of them are pursuing medicine. They viewed research as a way to help them become doctors and to rule out the possibility of research as a career. Non–premed students participated in research to learn more about a specific science topic and gain experience that may be helpful in graduate school research. The difference in the reasons students want to do UR may be used to tailor UR experiences for students planning to go to graduate school or medical school. PMID:21633068

Undergraduate science research: a comparison of influences and experiences between premed and non-premed students.

Science.gov (United States)

Pacifici, Lara Brongo; Thomson, Norman

2011-01-01

Most students participating in science undergraduate research (UR) plan to attend either medical school or graduate school. This study examines possible differences between premed and non-premed students in their influences to do research and expectations of research. Questionnaire responses from 55 premed students and 80 non-premed students were analyzed. No differences existed in the expectations of research between the two groups, but attitudes toward science and intrinsic motivation to learn more about science were significantly higher for non-premed students. Follow-up interviews with 11 of the students, including a case study with one premed student, provided explanation for the observed differences. Premed students, while not motivated to learn more about science, were motivated to help people, which is why most of them are pursuing medicine. They viewed research as a way to help them become doctors and to rule out the possibility of research as a career. Non-premed students participated in research to learn more about a specific science topic and gain experience that may be helpful in graduate school research. The difference in the reasons students want to do UR may be used to tailor UR experiences for students planning to go to graduate school or medical school.

Energetic assessment of soybean biodiesel obtainment in West ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

SAM

2014-07-16

Jul 16, 2014 ... Energetic outputs added up to 3,003.75 MJ and energy balance was 57,132.54 MJ. ... biodiesel, the study was divided into three stages: soybean farming, ... considering energetic consumptions with labor, seeds, diesel oil, ... model MF 283(4X2 TDA), power 63.2 kW (86 cv) in the engine, board weight.

Resistive interchange mode destabilized by helically trapped energetic ions and its effects on energetic ions and bulk plasmas

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Du, X.D.; Toi, K.; Osakabe, M.

2014-10-01

A resistive interchange mode with bursting behavior and rapid frequency chirping in the range less than 10 kHz is observed for the first time in the magnetic hill region of net current-free, low beta LHD (Large Helical Device) plasmas during high power injection of perpendicular neutral beams. The mode resonates with the precession motion of helically trapped energetic beam ions, following the resonant condition. The radial mode structure is found to be very similar to that of usual pressure-driven interchange mode, of which radial displacement eigenfunction has an even function around the rational surface. This beam driven mode is excited when the beta value of helically trapped energetic ions exceed a certain threshold. The radial transport of helically trapped energetic ions induced by the mode transiently generates significant radial electric field near the plasma peripheral region. Thus generated radial electric field clearly suppresses micro turbulence and improves bulk plasma confinement, suggesting strong flow shear generation. (author)

Socratic Questioning: A Teaching Philosophy for the Student Research Consultation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Shannon Marie Robinson

2017-11-01

Full Text Available In Brief Socratic questioning, the act of asking questions in order to prompt critical thinking and reflection, expands the boundaries of librarianship by borrowing from the fields of philosophy, pedagogy, and psychology. When employed during the research consultation, Socratic questioning establishes a cooperative relationship between librarian and student that empowers the student to take agency over the interaction. Engaging learners not only academically but emotionally encourages them to become more deliberate and cognizant as they articulate their research need. This paper demonstrates how reference librarians can adjust interactions with students in order to encourage, empathize, and engage with these learners.

Teacher–student relationship at university: an important yet under-researched field

Science.gov (United States)

Hagenauer, Gerda; Volet, Simone E.

2014-01-01

This article reviews the extant research on the relationship between students and teachers in higher education across three main areas: the quality of this relationship, its consequences and its antecedents. The weaknesses and gaps in prior research are highlighted and the importance of addressing the multi-dimensional and context-bound nature of teacher–student relationships is proposed. A possible agenda for future research is outlined. PMID:27226693

Research trends in studies of medical students' characteristics: a scoping review.

Science.gov (United States)

Jung, Sung Soo; Park, Kwi Hwa; Roh, HyeRin; Yune, So Jung; Lee, Geon Ho; Chun, Kyunghee

2017-09-01

The purpose of this study is to investigate domestic and international research trends in studies of medical students' characteristics by using the scoping review methods. This study adopted the scoping review to assess papers on the characteristics of medical students. The procedure of research was carried out according to the five steps of the scoping review. The full texts of 100 papers are obtained and are read closely, after which suitable 88 papers are extracted by us for this research. The review is mapped by the year of the study, source, location, author, research design, research subject, objective, and key results. The frequency is analyzed by using Microsoft Excel and SPSS. We found 70 papers (79.5%) on a single medical school, 15 (17.0%) on multiple medical schools, and three (3.4%) on mixed schools, including medical and nonmedical schools. Sixty-nine (79.5%) were cross-sectional studies and 18 (20.5%) were longitudinal studies. Eighty-two papers (93.2%) adopted questionnaire surveys. We summarized research trends of studies on medical students in Korea and overseas by topic, and mapped them into physical health, mental health, psychological characteristics, cognitive characteristics, social characteristics, and career. This study provides insights into the future directions of research for the characteristics of medical students.

Streaming reversal of energetic particles in the magnetotail during a substorm

Science.gov (United States)

Lui, A. T. Y.; Williams, D. J.; Eastman, T. E.; Frank, L. A.; Akasofu, S.-I.

1984-01-01

A case of reversal in the streaming anisotropy of energetic ions and in the plasma flow observed from the IMP 8 spacecraft during a substorm on February 8, 1978 is studied in detail using measurements of energetic particles, plasma, and magnetic field. Four new features emerge when high time resolution data are examined in detail. The times of streaming reversal of energetic particles in different energy ranges do not coincide with the time of plasma flow reversal. Qualitatively different velocity distributions are observed in earthward and tailward plasma flows during the observed flow reversal intervals. Strong tailward streaming of energetic particles can be detected during northward magnetic field environments and, conversely, earthward streaming in southward field environments. During the period of tailward streaming of energetic particles, earthward streaming fluxes are occasionally detected.

Climate Change and Impacts Research Experiences for Urban Students

Science.gov (United States)

Marchese, P.; Carlson, B. E.; Rosenzweig, C.; Austin, S. A.; Peteet, D. M.; Druyan, L.; Fulakeza, M.; Gaffin, S.; Scalzo, F.; Frost, J.; Moshary, F.; Greenbaum, S.; Cheung, T. K.; Howard, A.; Steiner, J. C.; Johnson, L. P.

2011-12-01

Climate change and impacts research for undergraduate urban students is the focus of the Center for Global Climate Research (CGCR). We describe student research and significant results obtained during the Summer 2011. The NSF REU site, is a collaboration between the City University of New York (CUNY) and the NASA Goddard Institute for Space Studies (GISS). The research teams are mentored by NASA scientists and CUNY faculty. Student projects include: Effects of Stratospheric Aerosols on Tropical Cyclone Activity in the North Atlantic Basin; Comparison of Aerosol Optical Depth and Angstrom Exponent Retrieved by AERONET, MISR, and MODIS Measurements; White Roofs to the Rescue: Combating the Urban Heat Island Effect; Tropospheric Ozone Investigations in New York City; Carbon Sequestration with Climate Change in Alaskan Peatlands; Validating Regional Climate Models for Western Sub-Sahara Africa; Bio-Remediation of Toxic Waste Sites: Mineral Characteristics of Cyanide-Treated Mining Waste; Assessment of an Ocean Mixing Parameterization for Climate Studies; Comparative Wind Speed through Doppler Sounding with Pulsed Infrared LIDAR; and Satellite Telemetry and Communications. The CGCR also partners with the New York City Research Initiative (NYCRI) at GISS. The center is supported by NSF ATM-0851932 and the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA).

Energetic Ion Loss Diagnostic for the Wendelstein 7-AS Stellarator

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Darrow, D. S.; Werner, A.; Weller, A.

2000-01-01

A diagnostic to measure the loss of energetic ions from the Wendelstein 7-AS (W7-AS) stellarator has been built. It is capable of measuring losses of both neutral beam ions and energetic ions arising from ion cyclotron resonant heating. The probe can measure losses of both clockwise and counterclockwise-going energetic ions simultaneously, and accepts a wide range of pitch angles in both directions. Initial measurements by the diagnostic are reported

Energetics of hydrogen bonding in proteins: a model compound study.

OpenAIRE

Habermann, S. M.; Murphy, K. P.

1996-01-01

Differences in the energetics of amide-amide and amide-hydroxyl hydrogen bonds in proteins have been explored from the effect of hydroxyl groups on the structure and dissolution energetics of a series of crystalline cyclic dipeptides. The calorimetrically determined energetics are interpreted in light of the crystal structures of the studied compounds. Our results indicate that the amide-amide and amide-hydroxyl hydrogen bonds both provide considerable enthalpic stability, but that the amide-...

Student research activities in the Technology Assessments Section of the Health and Safety Research Division, Summer 1980

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Chester, R.O.; Roberts, D.A.

1981-08-01

Reports summarizing activities of students assigned to the Technology Assessments Section of the Health and Safety Research Division for the summer 1980 are presented. Unless indicated otherwise, each report was written by the student whose work is being described. For each student, the student's supervisor, the name of the program under which the student was brought to ORNL, the academic level of the student, and the name of the ORNL project to which the student was assigned are tabulated. The reports are presented in alphabetical order of the students' last names.

Student research activities in the Technology Assessments Section of the Health and Safety Research Division, Summer 1980

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chester, R.O.; Roberts, D.A.

1981-08-01

Reports summarizing activities of students assigned to the Technology Assessments Section of the Health and Safety Research Division for the summer 1980 are presented. Unless indicated otherwise, each report was written by the student whose work is being described. For each student, the student's supervisor, the name of the program under which the student was brought to ORNL, the academic level of the student, and the name of the ORNL project to which the student was assigned are tabulated. The reports are presented in alphabetical order of the students' last names

Research potential and cognitive features of students.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Bordovskaia N.V.

2014-12-01

Full Text Available This article examines the theoretical and methodological justifications for studying students’ research potential. It presents proof of the isomorphic nature of human research activity and research potential as well as of the fluid nature of its development: from research-like behavior to science-based research activity. It defines three functional components (motivational, cognitive, and behavioral that form the structure of research potential. It further presents the results of empirically studying the cognitive features of master’s students possessing different levels of research potential. It provides data on the dynamics of research-potential components at different educational levels (bachelor’s and master’s programs. Special attention is given to a comparative analysis of evaluations by research tutors regarding their students’ research potential and of the indicators obtained using psychodiagnostic methods.

Research with School Students: Four Innovative Methods Used to Explore Effective Teaching

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jessica Faye Heal

2015-03-01

Full Text Available This article outlines four research methods we’ve employed to enhance how students from low-income backgrounds engage in research exploring effective teaching. It firstly outlines the need to be innovative, drawing Article 12 of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, and then moves on to explain two methods that scaffold a semi-structured interview, one child-led classroom tour and finally a creative ‘draw and tell’ approach. It argues that these methods are successful because they disrupt the researcher-participant power imbalance using the following techniques: Familiarity to the student, empowering the student to be an expert, and giving the student choice.

Tacit Information Literacies in Beginning College Students: Research Pedagogy in Geography

Science.gov (United States)

Bauch, Nicholas; Sheldon, Christina

2014-01-01

Whereas instruction on how to conduct original research can build on beginning college students' tacit information literacies, the explicit articulation of existing processes for information gathering is rarely elicited by instructors prior to students' submission of a final research paper. In this essay, authors Nicholas Bauch and Christina…

Development and pilot evaluation of Native CREST-a Cancer Research Experience and Student Training program for Navajo undergraduate students.

Science.gov (United States)

Hughes, Christine A; Bauer, Mark C; Horazdovsky, Bruce F; Garrison, Edward R; Patten, Christi A; Petersen, Wesley O; Bowman, Clarissa N; Vierkant, Robert A

2013-03-01

The Mayo Clinic Cancer Center and Diné College received funding for a 4-year collaborative P20 planning grant from the National Cancer Institute in 2006. The goal of the partnership was to increase Navajo undergraduates' interest in and commitment to biomedical coursework and careers, especially in cancer research. This paper describes the development, pilot testing, and evaluation of Native CREST (Cancer Research Experience and Student Training), a 10-week cancer research training program providing mentorship in a Mayo Clinic basic science or behavioral cancer research lab for Navajo undergraduate students. Seven Native American undergraduate students (five females, two males) were enrolled during the summers of 2008-2011. Students reported the program influenced their career goals and was valuable to their education and development. These efforts may increase the number of Native American career scientists developing and implementing cancer research, which will ultimately benefit the health of Native American people.

Cross-Cultural Communication Training for Students in Multidisciplinary Research Area of Biomedical Engineering

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Shigehiro Hashimoto

2014-08-01

Full Text Available Biomedical Engineering makes multidisciplinary research area, which includes biology, medicine, engineering and others. Communication training is important for students, who have a potential to develop Biomedical Engineering. Communication is not easy in a multidisciplinary research area, because each area has its own background of thinking. Because each nation has its own background of culture, on the other hand, international communication is not easy, either. A cross-cultural student program has been designed for communication training in the multidisciplinary research area. Students from a variety of backgrounds of research area and culture have joined in the program: mechanical engineering, material science, environmental engineering, science of nursing, dentist, pharmacy, electronics, and so on. The program works well for communication training in the multidisciplinary research area of biomedical engineering. Foreign language and digital data give students chance to study several things: how to make communication precisely, how to quote previous data. The experience in the program helps students not only understand new idea in the laboratory visit, but also make a presentation in the international research conference. The program relates to author's several experiences: the student internship abroad, the cross-cultural student camp, multi PhD theses, various affiliations, and the creation of the interdisciplinary department.

Research odyssey: the evolution of a research partnership between baccalaureate nursing students and practicing nurses.

Science.gov (United States)

Gray, Mary Tod

2010-05-01

This longitudinal descriptive study evaluates the implementation of an innovative teaching strategy: a research partnership between baccalaureate nursing students and nurses in two acute care hospitals. The impetus for this partnership was to introduce a concrete, clinical dimension to a junior level introductory nursing research course. Formative analysis was used to evaluate the success and weaknesses of this innovative strategy over 3 years. Following each year, an evaluation by students and nursing unit managers led to refinement of the partnership goals and logistics for the following year. The third year culminates in a comparison between student responses to the partnership in the small community hospital and those assigned to a larger magnet status hospital. Conclusions, based on content and descriptive analysis indicate the partnership's educational benefits for students and a few logistical concerns. Future directions for this educational strategy are presented. Copyright 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Surveying Inclusion in Greece: Empirical Research in 2683 Primary School Students

Science.gov (United States)

Soulis, Spyridon-Georgios; Georgiou, Alexandra; Dimoula, Katerina; Rapti, Danai

2016-01-01

Students' point of view for inclusion and for their classmates with disability is essential for its successful implementation. The objectives of this work are to examine the primary school students' attitudes towards students with disabilities. The findings of the research indicate that the majority of typically developing students has a positive…

Using the Power Balance Wristband to Improve Students' Research-Design Skills

Science.gov (United States)

Lawson, Timothy J.; Blackhart, Ginette C.; Gialopsos, Brooke M.

2016-01-01

We describe an exercise involving the power balance wristband (PBW) designed to enhance students' ability to design scientific tests. An instructor demonstrated that the PBW improved a student's balance, strength, and flexibility and invited students to design and conduct a brief scientific test of the PBW. Research methods students who…

Utilization of academic library by lecturers and students for research ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

This study examine d the importance of Academic library as it enhances lecturers' and students' research productivities in the university community. ... 15000 students, simple random sampling technique was used to sample 180 respondents.

Theoretical Studies of Alfven Waves and Energetic Particle Physics in Fusion Plasmas

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Chen, Liu [Univ. of California, Irvine, CA (United States)

2017-12-20

This report summarizes major theoretical findings in the linear as well as nonlinear physics of Alfvén waves and energetic particles in magnetically confined fusion plasmas. On the linear physics, a variational formulation, based on the separation of singular and regular spatial scales, for drift-Alfvén instabilities excited by energetic particles is established. This variational formulation is then applied to derive the general fishbone-like dispersion relations corresponding to the various Alfvén eigenmodes and energetic-particle modes. It is further employed to explore in depth the low-frequency Alfvén eigenmodes and demonstrate the non-perturbative nature of the energetic particles. On the nonlinear physics, new novel findings are obtained on both the nonlinear wave-wave interactions and nonlinear wave-energetic particle interactions. It is demonstrated that both the energetic particles and the fine radial mode structures could qualitatively affect the nonlinear evolution of Alfvén eigenmodes. Meanwhile, a theoretical approach based on the Dyson equation is developed to treat self-consistently the nonlinear interactions between Alfvén waves and energetic particles, and is then applied to explain simulation results of energetic-particle modes. Relevant list of journal publications on the above findings is also included.

The use of podcasts to enhance research-teaching linkages in undergraduate nursing students.

Science.gov (United States)

Strickland, Karen; Gray, Colin; Hill, Gordon

2012-07-01

An understanding of research is important to enable nurses to provide evidence-based care. However, undergraduate nursing students often find research a challenging subject. The purpose of this paper is to present an evaluation of the introduction of podcasts in an undergraduate research module to enhance research-teaching linkages between the theoretical content and research in practice and improve the level of student support offered in a blended learning environment. Two cohorts of students (n=228 and n=233) were given access to a series of 5 "guest speaker" podcasts made up of presentations and interviews with research experts within Edinburgh Napier. These staff would not normally have contact with students on this module, but through the podcasts were able to share their research expertise and methods with our learners. The main positive results of the podcasts suggest the increased understanding achieved by students due to the multi-modal delivery approach, a more personal student/tutor relationship leading to greater engagement, and the effective use of materials for revision and consolidation purposes. Negative effects of the podcasts centred around problems with the technology, most often difficulty in downloading and accessing the material. This paper contributes to the emerging knowledge base of podcasting in nurse education by demonstrating how podcasts can be used to enhance research-teaching linkages and raises the question of why students do not exploit the opportunities for mobile learning. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Engaging Undergraduate Students in Space Weather Research at a 2- Year College

Science.gov (United States)

Damas, M. C.

2017-07-01

The Queensborough Community College (QCC) of the City University of New York (CUNY), a Hispanic and minority-serving institution, has been very successful at engaging undergraduate students in space weather research for the past ten years. Recently, it received two awards to support student research and education in solar and atmospheric physics under the umbrella discipline of space weather. Through these awards, students receive stipends during the academic year and summer to engage in scientific research. Students also have the opportunity to complete a summer internship at NASA and at other partner institutions. Funding also supports the development of course materials and tools in space weather. Educational materials development and the challenges of engaging students in research as early as their first year will be discussed. Once funding is over, how is the program sustained? Sustaining such a program, as well as how to implement it at other universities will also be discussed.

METASYSTEMIC TECHNOLOGY OF INSTRUCTION, STUDENT RESEARCH AND INNOVATION

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Dumitru BALANEL

2017-07-01

Full Text Available Metasystemic technology of training, student research and innovation (D.Balanel – MTTRI is the development of educational technology J.F. Herbart by cybernetic, metasystem approach, feedbacks, diffusion of knowledges, com­petences in real time, intuition and with application in high education. “Metasystemic technology training, student research and innovation (D.Balanel” is introducing in science by author. Technology is based on metasystem, including pedagogy, psychology, management, cybernetics, mathematics.The paper discusses training, student-centered and competence-centered, the equation of training, equation of training with notes early, appropriate to Bologna Process, ways to educate interest and research capabilities, innovation of students; studying the factors that determine the student make transition to self-knowledge accumulation, learn with satisfaction the research and innovation, transition from apperception to intuition. The author relies on metasystemic training technology, skills to work in real time, using student thesaurus from computer science, informatics and history of cybernetics; learn experience and performance of the most eminent personalities in the development of computer science and cybernetics, Norbert Wiener and Alain Turing, William Ross Ashby and John von Neumann, others personalities, holding the Turing and Neumann and other Awards in cybernetics and informatics . Scientific education of students includes identifying scientific issues, enrollment of students in research. Identifying the scientific problems inherited as millennial problems in mathematics and computer science, current issues and future of science; incentives in applying forces young people to solve them. The enrollment of students in scientific work is done by conducting research with students on issues of university research in the scientific teams, scientific laboratories and simulators, training. The result of "IRI–triangle activity

Energetic consequences of human sociality: walking speed choices among friendly dyads.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Janelle Wagnild

Full Text Available Research has shown that individuals have an optimal walking speed-a speed which minimizes energy expenditure for a given distance. Because the optimal walking speed varies with mass and lower limb length, it also varies with sex, with males in any given population tending to have faster optimal walking speeds. This potentially creates an energetic dilemma for mixed-sex walking groups. Here we examine speed choices made by individuals of varying stature, mass, and sex walking together. Individuals (N = 22 walked around a track alone, with a significant other (with and without holding hands, and with friends of the same and opposite sex while their speeds were recorded every 100 m. Our findings show that males walk at a significantly slower pace to match the females' paces (p = 0.009, when the female is their romantic partner. The paces of friends of either same or mixed sex walking together did not significantly change (p>0.05. Thus significant pace adjustment appears to be limited to romantic partners. These findings have implications for both mobility and reproductive strategies of groups. Because the male carries the energetic burden by adjusting his pace (slowing down 7%, the female is spared the potentially increased caloric cost required to walk together. In energetically demanding environments, we will expect to find gender segregation in group composition, particularly when travelling longer distances.

Mentoring Undergraduate Students in Estuarine Research Experiences: Different Strokes for Different Folks

Science.gov (United States)

Moser, F. C.; Allen, M. R.; Montoya-Ospina, R. A.; Maldonado, P.; Barberena-Arias, M.; Olivo-Delgado, C.; Harris, L.; Pierson, J. J.; Alvarez, J. P.

2015-12-01

Here we consider how mentoring, both traditional and peer based, contributes to successful student outcomes in undergraduate research programs and we present several approaches to encourage positive mentor-mentee relationships. From several different research mentoring programs with undergraduates in Maryland and in Puerto Rico, we find that some mentoring techniques are universally useful, while others need to be tailored to a specific program and mentee population. Our programs differ in length, student composition, and student expectations, we find that success occurs across-the-board when mentors quickly establish rapport with their students and reach an early joint understanding of the program's requirements and the students' capabilities and needs through immersive orientations early in the program. Alternatively, mentors have to customize their approaches (e.g. simplify presentations of concepts, increase time for questions) when they encounter differences in student knowledge levels and cultural disconnects (e.g. language barriers, unfamiliarity with research labs and academia). Our current approach to improving and evaluating mentoring includes using a system of multiple mentor tiers (peer, near-peer, faculty, and program leaders), multiple qualitative and quantitative evaluations during the program, and post-research experience student outreach, all of which we believe improve student outcomes. Although we have measures of mentee success (e.g., presenting at national meetings, pursuing additional research experiences, applying to graduate school in marine science-related fields, etc.), we continue to look for additional short and long-term evaluation techniques that may help us to distinguish between the influence of mentoring and that of other program attributes (e.g. lab and field experiences, professional development seminars, ethics training, etc.) on student achievement.

Engaging Middle School Students in Authentic Research based on a summer research cruise

Science.gov (United States)

Manley, J.; Ellins, K. K.; Conte, M. H.

2011-12-01

In summer 2010, as a participant in the TXESS Revolution, a National Science Foundation (NSF)-sponsored professional development program for teachers in support of Earth and Space Science, I participated in a scientific research cruise led by Dr. Maureen Conte of the Bermuda Institute of Ocean Sciences (BIOS). The primary purpose of the cruise was to collect water samples from different ocean depths, make temperature and conductivity measurements, and retrieve biologic particle debris collection equipment deployed as part of the NSF-sponsored Oceanic Flux Program to measure particle fluxes in the deep Sargasso Sea. A secondary objective involved the collection of plastic debris floating within the sargassum grass trapped in the North Atlantic gyre in order to investigate plastic pollution. As a member of the science team I worked alongside of Dr. Conte, scientists and graduate students, giving me a personal experience to inspire my students' interest in the marine ecosystem. In the classroom, I used a Project Based Learning (PBL) approach to translate my experience and knowledge gained into productive learning for my students. With Project Based Learning, teams of students solve a real world, open-ended challenge problem through research and experimentation. In this Problem, the challenge was to design a virtual product to motivate ordinary people to change their habits regarding their use and improper disposal of plastics. Team products included websites, social network pages, and in-school announcements to create awareness about plastic pollution in the ocean. Fulfilling one of the basic principles of the PBL approach to provide student access to experts, cruise participant and University of North Carolina graduate student Bonnie Monteleone dedicated an entire day to speak with each of my classes about her experiences studying ocean plastics and answer their questions via SKYPE. In addition, Ms. Monteleone used her extensive contacts to post the best of my

Motivating Students for Project-based Learning for Application of Research Methodology Skills.

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Tiwari, Ranjana; Arya, Raj Kumar; Bansal, Manoj

2017-12-01

Project-based learning (PBL) is motivational for students to learn research methodology skills. It is a way to engage and give them ownership over their own learning. The aim of this study is to use PBL for application of research methodology skills for better learning by encouraging an all-inclusive approach in teaching and learning rather than an individualized tailored approach. The present study was carried out for MBBS 6 th - and 7 th -semester students of community medicine. Students and faculties were sensitized about PBL and components of research methodology skills. They worked in small groups. The students were asked to fill the student feedback Questionnaire and the faculty was also asked to fill the faculty feedback Questionnaire. Both the Questionnaires were assessed on a 5 point Likert scale. After submitted projects, document analysis was done. A total of 99 students of the 6 th and 7 th semester were participated in PBL. About 90.91% students agreed that there should be continuation of PBL in subsequent batches. 73.74% felt satisfied and motivated with PBL, whereas 76.77% felt that they would be able to use research methodology in the near future. PBL requires considerable knowledge, effort, persistence, and self-regulation on the part of the students. They need to devise plans, gather information evaluate both the findings, and their approach. Facilitator plays a critical role in helping students in the process by shaping opportunity for learning, guiding students, thinking, and helping them construct new understanding.

School Engagement for Academically At-Risk Students: A Participatory Research Project

Science.gov (United States)

O'Toole, Nadia; Due, Clemence

2015-01-01

While past literature has explored school engagement in older students, there is less research for younger children specifically, and very little which engages children themselves in the research process. This paper provides insight into school engagement for academically at-risk students in the second year of school through a participatory…

Graduate Student Library Research Skills: Is Online Instruction Effective?

Science.gov (United States)

Shaffer, Barbara A.

2011-01-01

Graduate students are a significant segment in online instruction programs, yet little is known about how well they learn the necessary library research skills in this increasingly popular mode of distance learning. This pre- and posttest study and citation analysis examined learning and confidence among students in graduate education programs,…

Student teaching and research laboratory focusing on brain-computer interface paradigms--A creative environment for computer science students.

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Rutkowski, Tomasz M

2015-08-01

This paper presents an applied concept of a brain-computer interface (BCI) student research laboratory (BCI-LAB) at the Life Science Center of TARA, University of Tsukuba, Japan. Several successful case studies of the student projects are reviewed together with the BCI Research Award 2014 winner case. The BCI-LAB design and project-based teaching philosophy is also explained. Future teaching and research directions summarize the review.

Using ASM Podcasts to Excite Undergraduate Students about Current Microbiological Research

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Stacey E. Lettini

2014-08-01

Full Text Available Innovative technology is often used as a mechanism to engage students in and out of the classroom and can be used to increase critical thinking skills. Podcasts are an excellent way to introduce students to current topics and research in microbiology. The American Society for Microbiology (ASM produces three podcasts that are microbiologically focused: This Week in Microbiology (TWiM, This Week in Parasitology (TWiP, and This Week in Virology (TWiV. These podcasts are usually presented in a manner similar to a journal club, as the presenters regularly invite guests to discuss current research papers. Since students often find reading scientific literature difficult and get bogged down in the details rather than seeing the over-arching purpose of a paper, these podcasts have been used in a General Microbiology course to introduce recent research articles. The students were first assigned an original research article to read and review, and they were asked to generate questions pertaining to things they did not understand. Next, students listened to the corresponding podcast that discussed the article and used it to answer their questions. This was followed by a classroom discussion of the article and the podcast. The ASM podcast helped to demystify original research by providing details of the experimental design and presentation of the results in a language that is more casual and relatable. Students demonstrated greater critical thinking and comprehension of microbiology literature after listening to the podcast. This activity can be used in a variety of courses in the biology curriculum.

pClone: Synthetic Biology Tool Makes Promoter Research Accessible to Beginning Biology Students

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Campbell, A. Malcolm; Eckdahl, Todd; Cronk, Brian; Andresen, Corinne; Frederick, Paul; Huckuntod, Samantha; Shinneman, Claire; Wacker, Annie; Yuan, Jason

2014-01-01

The "Vision and Change" report recommended genuine research experiences for undergraduate biology students. Authentic research improves science education, increases the number of scientifically literate citizens, and encourages students to pursue research. Synthetic biology is well suited for undergraduate research and is a growing area…

Action research to promote medical students' motivation in an English for Specific Purposes class.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Afsaneh Dehnad

2014-06-01

Full Text Available Action research is an attempt to seek immediate solutions to the problems experienced in educational settings. In this type of research, teachers are the researchers who intend to make instant reforms to develop, and improve their teaching styles and reflect on pedagogical practices. The purpose of this study was to conduct an action research to tackle the problem of students' low motivation in English classes at the medical school of Iran University of Medical Sciences in fall 2010. Participants of this study were 98 third-semester ESP students of medicine. To reform the situation and promote students' motivation to participate in classes more actively and eagerly, the researchers changed the syllabus by applying Kemmis and McTaggart's (1988 cyclical model of action research, and adopting task-based teaching. Data was collected by means of interviews with both teachers and students to determine the changes to be made in the syllabus, classroom observations to monitor students' behavioral changes, and a questionnaire to assess students' attitudes towards the changes. This research study had a number of valuable outcomes the most important of which was a change in classroom behavior of the students.

Action research to promote medical students' motivation in an English for Specific Purposes class.

Science.gov (United States)

Dehnad, Afsaneh; Nasser, Hayedeh

2014-01-01

Action research is an attempt to seek immediate solutions to the problems experienced in educational settings. In this type of research, teachers are the researchers who intend to make instant reforms to develop, and improve their teaching styles and reflect on pedagogical practices. The purpose of this study was to conduct an action research to tackle the problem of students' low motivation in English classes at the medical school of Iran University of Medical Sciences in fall 2010. Participants of this study were 98 third-semester ESP students of medicine. To reform the situation and promote students' motivation to participate in classes more actively and eagerly, the researchers changed the syllabus by applying Kemmis and McTaggart's (1988) cyclical model of action research, and adopting task-based teaching. Data was collected by means of interviews with both teachers and students to determine the changes to be made in the syllabus, classroom observations to monitor students' behavioral changes, and a questionnaire to assess students' attitudes towards the changes. This research study had a number of valuable outcomes the most important of which was a change in classroom behavior of the students.

Teaching Students about Research: Classroom Poster Sessions.

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Crowley-Long, Kathleen; And Others

1997-01-01

Finds that undergraduate students in an introductory psychology class acquired more favorable attitudes toward research as a result of their active participation in the creation and presentation of a poster that illustrates their independent work. Appends poster session instructions. (RS)

Short- and Long-Term Outcomes of Student Field Research Experiences in Special Populations.

Science.gov (United States)

Soliman, Amr S; Chamberlain, Robert M

2016-06-01

Global health education and training of biomedical students in international and minority health research is expending through U.S. academic institutions. This study addresses the short- and long-term outcomes of an NCI-funded R25 short-term summer field research training program. This program is designed for MPH and Ph.D. students in cancer epidemiology and related disciplines, in international and minority settings (special populations) in a recent 7-year period. Positive short-term outcome of 73 students was measured as publishing a manuscript from the field research data and having a job in special populations. Positive long-term outcome was measured as having a post-doc position, being in a doctoral program, and/or employment in special populations at least 3 years from finishing the program. Significant factors associated with both short- and long-term success included resourcefulness of the student and compatibility of personalities and interests between the student and the on-campus and off-campus mentors. Short-term-success of students who conducted international filed research was associated with visits of the on-campus mentor to the field site. Short-term success was also associated with extent of mentorship in the field site and with long-term success. Future studies should investigate how field research sites could enhance careers of students, appropriateness of the sites for specific training competencies, and how to maximize the learning experience of students in international and minority research sites.

Increasing High School Student Interest in Science: An Action Research Study

Science.gov (United States)

Vartuli, Cindy A.

2016-01-01

An action research study was conducted to determine how to increase student interest in learning science and pursuing a STEM career. The study began by exploring 10th-grade student and teacher perceptions of student interest in science in order to design an instructional strategy for stimulating student interest in learning and pursuing science.…

Research On: Motivation to Learn English among College Students in Sudan

Science.gov (United States)

Humaida, Ibrahim Abdelrahim Ibrahim

2012-01-01

This research was conducted to achieve the following objectives: to examine motivation to learn English language among students of faculty of arts, Islamic University-Sudan, to find out if there were significant statistical differences on motivation scores related to both student level and age. To pursue these objectives, the researcher used the…

Guiding Design: Exposing Librarian and Student Mental Models of Research Guides

Science.gov (United States)

Sinkinson, Caroline; Alexander, Stephanie; Hicks, Alison; Kahn, Meredith

2012-01-01

This article details an open card sort study administered to undergraduate students, graduate students, and librarians at the University of Colorado at Boulder in order to reveal perceptions of library research guides. The study identifies user group preferences for organization and content of research guides, as well as themes emerging from the…

Energetic lanthanide complexes: coordination chemistry and explosives applications

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Manner, V W; Barker, B J; Sanders, V E; Laintz, K E; Scott, B L; Preston, D N; Sandstrom, M; Reardon, B L

2014-01-01

Metals are generally added to organic molecular explosives in a heterogeneous composite to improve overall heat and energy release. In order to avoid creating a mixture that can vary in homogeneity, energetic organic molecules can be directly bonded to high molecular weight metals, forming a single metal complex with Angstrom-scale separation between the metal and the explosive. To probe the relationship between the structural properties of metal complexes and explosive performance, a new series of energetic lanthanide complexes has been prepared using energetic ligands such as NTO (5-nitro-2,4-dihydro-1,2,4-triazole-3-one). These are the first examples of lanthanide NTO complexes where no water is coordinated to the metal, demonstrating novel control of the coordination environment. The complexes have been characterized by X-ray crystallography, NMR and IR spectroscopies, photoluminescence, and sensitivity testing. The structural and energetic properties are discussed in the context of enhanced blast effects and detection. Cheetah calculations have been performed to fine-tune physical properties, creating a systematic method for producing explosives with 'tailor made' characteristics. These new complexes will be benchmarks for further study in the field of metalized high explosives.

The Role of Student-Advisor Interactions in Apprenticing Undergraduate Researchers into a Scientific Community of Practice

Science.gov (United States)

Thiry, Heather; Laursen, Sandra L.

2011-12-01

Among science educators, current interest in undergraduate research (UR) is influenced both by the traditional role of the research apprenticeship in scientists' preparation and by concerns about replacing the current scientific workforce. Recent research has begun to demonstrate the range of personal, professional, and intellectual benefits for STEM students from participating in UR, yet the processes by which student-advisor interactions contribute to these benefits are little understood. We employ situated learning theory (Lave and Wenger, Situated learning: legitimate peripheral participation, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge in 1991) to examine the role of student-advisor interactions in apprenticing undergraduate researchers, particularly in terms of acculturating students to the norms, values, and professional practice of science. This qualitative study examines interviews with a diverse sample of 73 undergraduate research students from two research-extensive institutions. From these interviews, we articulate a continuum of practices that research mentors employed in three domains to support undergraduate scientists-in-training: professional socialization, intellectual support, and personal/emotional support. The needs of novice students differed from those of experienced students in each of these areas. Novice students needed clear expectations, guidelines, and orientation to their specific research project, while experienced students needed broader socialization in adopting the traits, habits, and temperament of scientific researchers. Underrepresented minority students, and to a lesser extent, women, gained confidence from their interactions with their research mentors and broadened their future career and educational possibilities. Undergraduate research at research-extensive universities exemplifies a cycle of scientific learning and practice where undergraduate researchers are mentored by graduate students and postdoctoral researchers, who are

Biogas - energetical and environmental point of view

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Skele, A.; Upitis, A.; Kristapsons, M.; Goizevskis, O.; Ziemelis, I.

2003-01-01

Energy sector has been one of the most important priorities since reestablishment of independence of Latvia. The deficiency of energy resources in Latvia has created a need to assess all the possibilities to utilise all possibilities to utilise all the energy resources, including the biological ones, to motivate the trends in the development of energetic in Latvia. A huge non-utilised reserve in Latvia is methane fermentation of organic agricultural and municipal residue and sewage from food industry. The organic mass of solid and liquid waste of different origin and its energetic potential for rural region have been investigated. The work deals with an integrated system of the utilisation of agricultural waste with the anaerobic (biogas) and the thermal processes. Presently the anaerobic waste utilisation, in combination with the production of biogas and organic fertiliser, is considered as one of the energetically most efficient and environment-friendly ways of organic fertiliser utilisation (authors)

A Critical Analysis of the Research on Student Homelessness

Science.gov (United States)

Miller, Peter M.

2011-01-01

Since the onset of the economic recession, rates of student homelessness have increased rapidly in urban, suburban, and rural school districts throughout the United States. Despite the widespread urgency of the issue, there is a lack of general coherence in the research about how diverse conditions of homelessness affect students and how schools…

Research on Model of Student Engagement in Online Learning

Science.gov (United States)

Peng, Wang

2017-01-01

In this study, online learning refers students under the guidance of teachers through the online learning platform for organized learning. Based on the analysis of related research results, considering the existing problems, the main contents of this paper include the following aspects: (1) Analyze and study the current student engagement model.…

Energetic particle physics in JT-60U and JFT-2M

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Shinohara, K [Naka Fusion Research Establishment, Japan Atomic Energy Research Institute, Naka, Ibaraki, 311-0193 (Japan); Takechi, M [Naka Fusion Research Establishment, Japan Atomic Energy Research Institute, Naka, Ibaraki, 311-0193 (Japan); Ishikawa, M [Naka Fusion Research Establishment, Japan Atomic Energy Research Institute, Naka, Ibaraki, 311-0193 (Japan); Kusama, Y [Naka Fusion Research Establishment, Japan Atomic Energy Research Institute, Naka, Ibaraki, 311-0193 (Japan); Tsuzuki, K [Naka Fusion Research Establishment, Japan Atomic Energy Research Institute, Naka, Ibaraki, 311-0193 (Japan); Urata, K [Naka Fusion Research Establishment, Japan Atomic Energy Research Institute, Naka, Ibaraki, 311-0193 (Japan); Kawashima, H [Naka Fusion Research Establishment, Japan Atomic Energy Research Institute, Naka, Ibaraki, 311-0193 (Japan); Tobita, K [Naka Fusion Research Establishment, Japan Atomic Energy Research Institute, Naka, Ibaraki, 311-0193 (Japan); Fukuyama, A [Department of Nuclear Engineering, Kyoto University, 606-8501, (Japan); Cheng, C Z [Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory, PO Box 451, Princeton, NJ 08543 (United States); Darrow, D S [Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory, PO Box 451, Princeton, NJ 08543 (United States); Kramer, G J [Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory, PO Box 451, Princeton, NJ 08543 (United States); Gorelenkov, N N [Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory, PO Box 451, Princeton, NJ 08543 (United States); Nazikian, R [Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory, PO Box 451, Princeton, NJ 08543 (United States); Todo, Y [National Institute for Fusion Science, Oroshi-cho, Toki, Gifu, 509-5292, (Japan); Miura, Y [Naka Fusion Research Establishment, Japan Atomic Energy Research Institute, Naka, Ibaraki, 311-0193 (Japan); Ozeki, T [Naka Fusion Research Establishment, Japan Atomic Energy Research Institute, Naka, Ibaraki, 311-0193 (Japan)

2004-07-01

Recent energetic particle physics research in JT-60U and JFT-2M is reported. Alfven eigenmodes (AEs) are investigated in reversed-shear (RS) plasmas in JT-60U where frequency sweeping (FS) modes are observed to follow the q-profile evolution. The RS-induced AE model can explain the FS of the modes within the context of an evolving q-profile. Enhanced energetic ion transport is also investigated with the appearance of modes in the toroidicity-induced AE range of frequency in JT-60U using a multi-channel neutron profile monitor and in JFT-2M using a lost ion probe. Additionally, the ripple loss in the complex toroidal field ripple due to ferritic steel inserts in JFT-2M is shown and compared with model analysis. The simulation code developed to predict ripple loss in JFT-2M will be of use in estimating the heat flux in the complex ripple field of a future device such as ITER.

What does originality in research mean? A student's perspective.

Science.gov (United States)

Edwards, Mandy

2014-07-01

To provide a student's perspective of what it means to be original when undertaking a PhD. A review of the literature related to the concept of originality in doctoral research highlights the subjective nature of the concept in academia. Although there is much literature that explores the issues concerning examiners' views of originality, there is little on students' perspectives. A snowballing technique was used, where a recent article was read, and the references cited were then explored. Given the time constraints, the author recognises that the literature review was not as extensive as a systematic literature review. It is important for students to be clear about what is required to achieve a PhD. However, the vagaries associated with the formal assessment of the doctoral thesis and subsequent performance at viva can cause considerable uncertainty and anxiety for students. Originality in the PhD is a subjective concept and is not the only consideration for examiners. Of comparable importance is the assessment of the student's ability to demonstrate independence of thought and increasing maturity so they can become independent researchers. This article expresses a different perspective on what is meant when undertaking a PhD in terms of originality in the doctoral thesis. It is intended to help guide and reassure current and potential PhD students.

Pediatric Oncology Branch - training- medical student rotations | Center for Cancer Research

Science.gov (United States)

Medical Student Rotations Select 4th-year medical students may be approved for a 4-week elective rotation at the Pediatric Oncology Branch. This rotation emphasizes the important connection between research and patient care in pediatric oncology. The student is supervised directly by the Branch’s attending physician and clinical fellows. Students attend daily in-patient and

Students' Framing of a Reading Annotation Tool in the Context of Research-Based Teaching

Science.gov (United States)

Dahl, Jan Erik

2016-01-01

In the studied master's course, students participated both as research objects in a digital annotation experiment and as critical investigators of this technology in their semester projects. The students' role paralleled the researcher's role, opening an opportunity for researcher-student co-learning within what is often referred to as…

Engaging undergraduate students in hadron physics research and instrumentation

Science.gov (United States)

Horn, Tanja

2017-09-01

Nuclear physics research is fundamental to our understanding of the visible universe and at the same time intertwined with our daily life. Nuclear physics studies the origin and structure of the atomic nuclei in terms of their basic constituents, the quarks and gluons. Atoms and molecules would not exist without underlying quark-gluon interactions, which build nearly all the mass of the visible universe from an assembly of massless gluons and nearly-massless quarks. The study of hadron structure with electromagnetic probes through exclusive and semi-inclusive scattering experiments carried out at the 12 GeV Jefferson Laboratory plays an important role in this effort. In particular, planned precision measurements of pion and kaon form factors and longitudinal-transverse separated deep exclusive pion and kaon electroproduction cross sections to the highest momentum transfers achievable play an important role in understanding hadron structure and masses and provide essential constraints for 3D hadron imaging. While a growing fraction of nuclear physics research is carried out at large international laboratories, individual university research groups play critical roles in the success of that research. These include data analysis projects and the development of state-of-the-art instrumentation demanded by increasingly sophisticated experiments. These efforts are empowered by the creativity of university faculty, staff, postdocs, and provide students with unique hands-on experience. As an example, an aerogel Cherenkov detector enabling strangeness physics research in Hall C at Jefferson Lab was constructed at the Catholic University of America with the help of 16 undergraduate and high school students. The ''Conference Experience for Undergraduates'' (CEU) provides a venue for these students who have conducted research in nuclear physics. This presentation will present the experiences of one of the participants in the first years of the CEU, her current research program

Teachers' participation in research programs improves their students' achievement in science.

Science.gov (United States)

Silverstein, Samuel C; Dubner, Jay; Miller, Jon; Glied, Sherry; Loike, John D

2009-10-16

Research experience programs engage teachers in the hands-on practice of science. Program advocates assert that program participation enhances teachers' skills in communicating science to students. We measured the impact of New York City public high-school science teachers' participation in Columbia University's Summer Research Program on their students' academic performance in science. In the year before program entry, students of participating and nonparticipating teachers passed a New York State Regents science examination at the same rate. In years three and four after program entry, participating teachers' students passed Regents science exams at a rate that was 10.1% higher (P = 0.049) than that of nonparticipating teachers' students. Other program benefits include decreased teacher attrition from classroom teaching and school cost savings of U.S. $1.14 per $1 invested in the program.

Teaching Research in the Traditional Classroom: Why Make Graduate Students Wait?

Science.gov (United States)

Carr, Lincoln D.

2016-05-01

Physics graduate programs tend to divide the degree into two parts: (1) theory, taught in classes, almost totally divorced from the lab setting; and (2) research, taught in a research group through hands-on lab experience and mentorship. As we come to understand from undergraduate physics education research that modifying our teaching can rather easily produce quantifiably better results, it is reasonable to ask if we can make similar improvements at the graduate level. In this talk I will present the results of beginning research instruction in the classroom in the very first semester of graduate school, in the most traditional of classes - classical mechanics. In this approach, students build their knowledge from hands-on projects. They get immediately certified and experienced in the machine shop and electronics lab. There are no formal lectures. Students develop and present their own problems, and teach and challenge each other in the classroom. In contrast to polished lectures, both the instructor and the students together learn from their many public mistakes. Students give conference-style presentations instead of exams. As a result, students not only excel in analytical skills, but they also learn to tie theory to measurement, identify statistical and systematic errors, simulate computationally and model theoretically, and design their own experiments. Funded by NSF.

Energetic ions and electrons and their acceleration processes in the magnetotail

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Scholer, M.

1984-01-01

Observations of energetic particle fluxes in the geomagnetic tail show that these particles exhibit a bursty appearance on all time scales. Often, however, the bursty appearance is merely due to multiple entries and exits of the spacecraft into and out of the plasma sheet which always contains varying fluxes of energetic particles. Observations of the suprathermal and high-energy component of the plasma sheet are discussed, and observations are presented of energetic particle bursts in the plasma sheet proper, which may be due to a locally ongoing acceleration process. Also discussed are energetic particle phenomena occurring near the edge of the plasma sheet, either during thinning or during recovery. Some recent results from the ISEE 3 deep tail mission bearing on energetic particle acceleration are presented, and the present status of the theory of particle acceleration within the magnetotail is briefly reviewed. 40 references

Recent progress of hybrid simulation for energetic particles and MHD

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Todo, Y.

2013-01-01

Several hybrid simulation models have been constructed to study the evolution of Alfven eigenmodes destabilized by energetic particles. Recent hybrid simulation results of energetic particle driven instabilities are presented in this paper. (J.P.N.)

Internal Transport Barrier Driven by Redistribution of Energetic Ions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wong, K.L.; Heidbrink, W.W.; Ruskov, E.; Petty, C.C.; Greenfield, C.M.; Nazikian, R.; Budny, R.

2004-01-01

Alfven instabilities excited by energetic ions are used as a means to reduce the central magnetic shear in a tokamak via redistribution of energetic ions. When the central magnetic shear is low enough, ballooning modes become stable for any plasma pressure gradient and an internal transport barrier (ITB) with a steep pressure gradient can exist. This mechanism can sustain a steady-state ITB as demonstrated by experimental data from the DIII-D tokamak. It can also produce a shear in toroidal and poloidal plasma rotation. Possible application of this technique to use the energetic alpha particles for improvement of burning plasma performance is discussed

Training Elementary Teachers to Prepare Students for High School Authentic Scientific Research

Science.gov (United States)

Danch, J. M.

2017-12-01

The Woodbridge Township New Jersey School District has a 4-year high school Science Research program that depends on the enrollment of students with the prerequisite skills to conduct authentic scientific research at the high school level. A multifaceted approach to training elementary teachers in the methods of scientific investigation, data collection and analysis and communication of results was undertaken in 2017. Teachers of predominately grades 4 and 5 participated in hands on workshops at a Summer Tech Academy, an EdCamp, a District Inservice Day and a series of in-class workshops for teachers and students together. Aspects of the instruction for each of these activities was facilitated by high school students currently enrolled in the High School Science Research Program. Much of the training activities centered around a "Learning With Students" model where teachers and their students simultaneously learn to perform inquiry activities and conduct scientific research fostering inquiry as it is meant to be: where participants produce original data are not merely working to obtain previously determined results.

Engaging Students in Authentic Microbiology Research in an Introductory Biology Laboratory Course is Correlated with Gains in Student Understanding of the Nature of Authentic Research and Critical Thinking

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Brittany J. Gasper

2013-02-01

Full Text Available Recent recommendations for biology education highlight the role of authentic research experiences early in undergraduate education as a means of increasing the number and quality of biology majors. These experiences will inform students on the nature of science, increase their confidence in doing science, as well as foster critical thinking skills, an area that has been lacking despite it being one of the desired outcomes at undergraduate institutions and with future employers. With these things in mind, we have developed an introductory biology laboratory course where students design and execute an authentic microbiology research project. Students in this course are assimilated into the community of researchers by engaging in scholarly activities such as participating in inquiry, reading scientific literature, and communicating findings in written and oral formats. After three iterations of a semester-long laboratory course, we found that students who took the course showed a significant increase in their understanding of the nature of authentic research and their level of critical thinking skills.