Stephen Hall Receives 2012 Walter Sullivan Award for Excellence in Science Journalism-Features: Citation

Science.gov (United States)

Pearson, Helen

2013-01-01

Stephen Hall, a freelance science writer and science-communication teacher, received the Walter Sullivan Award for Excellence in Science Journalism-Features at the AGU Fall Meeting Honors Ceremony, held on 5 December 2012 in San Francisco, Calif. Hall was honored for the article "At Fault?" published 15 September 2011 in Nature. The article examines the legal, personal, and political repercussions from a 2009 earthquake in L'Aquila, Italy for seismologists who had attempted to convey seismic risk assessments to the public. The 6.3 magnitude quake devastated the medieval town and caused more than 300 deaths. Six scientists and one government official were subsequently convicted of manslaughter and sentenced to prison for inadequately assessing and mischaracterizing the risks to city residents, despite the inexact nature of seismic risk assessment. The Sullivan award is for work published with a deadline pressure of more than 1 week.

Why Popper can't resolve the debate over global warming: Problems with the uses of philosophy of science in the media and public framing of the science of global warming.

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Mercer, David

2018-02-01

A notable feature in the public framing of debates involving the science of Anthropogenic Global Warming are appeals to uncritical 'positivist' images of the ideal scientific method. Versions of Sir Karl Popper's philosophy of falsification appear most frequently, featuring in many Web sites and broader media. This use of pop philosophy of science forms part of strategies used by critics, mainly from conservative political backgrounds, to manufacture doubt, by setting unrealistic standards for sound science, in the veracity of science of Anthropogenic Global Warming. It will be shown, nevertheless, that prominent supporters of Anthropogenic Global Warming science also often use similar references to Popper to support their claims. It will also be suggested that this pattern reflects longer traditions of the use of Popperian philosophy of science in controversial settings, particularly in the United States, where appeals to the authority of science to legitimize policy have been most common. It will be concluded that studies of the science of Anthropogenic Global Warming debate would benefit from taking greater interest in questions raised by un-reflexive and politically expedient public understanding(s) of the philosophy of science of both critics and supporters of the science of Anthropogenic Global Warming.

Relevant Features of Science: Values in Conservation Biology

Science.gov (United States)

van Dijk, Esther M.

2013-01-01

The development of an understanding of the nature of science is generally assumed to be an important aspect of science communication with respect to the enhancement of scientific literacy. At present, a general characterization of the nature of science is still lacking and probably such a characterization will not be achievable. The overall aim of…

Conceptualizing science learning as a collective social practice: changing the social pedagogical compass for a child with visual impairment

Science.gov (United States)

Fleer, Marilyn; March, Sue

2015-09-01

The international literature on science learning in inclusive settings has a long history, but it is generally very limited in scope. Few studies have been undertaken that draw upon a cultural-historical reading of inclusive pedagogy, and even less in the area of science education. In addition, we know next to nothing about the science learning of preschool children with visual impairment using cultural-historical theory. This paper seeks to fill this gap by presenting a study of one child with Albinism who participated in a unit of early childhood science where fairy tales were used for learning about the concepts of sound and growth. This paper reports upon the social and material conditions that were created to support learning in the preschool, whilst also examining how the learning of growth and sound were supported at home. The study found three new pedagogical features for inclusion: Imagination in science; Ongoing scientific narrative; and Scientific mirroring. It was found that when a dialectical reading of home and centre practices feature, greater insights into inclusive pedagogy for science learning are afforded, and a view of science as a collective enterprise emerges. It is argued that a cultural-historical conception of inclusion demands that the social conditions, rather than the biology of the child, is foregrounded, and through this greater insights into how science learning for children with visual impairment is gained.

The Next Generation Science Standards and the Life Sciences

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Bybee, Rodger W.

2013-01-01

Using the life sciences, this article first reviews essential features of the "NRC Framework for K-12 Science Education" that provided a foundation for the new standards. Second, the article describes the important features of life science standards for elementary, middle, and high school levels. Special attention is paid to the teaching…

Tactile Earth and Space Science Materials for Students with Visual Impairments: Contours, Craters, Asteroids, and Features of Mars

Science.gov (United States)

Rule, Audrey C.

2011-01-01

New tactile curriculum materials for teaching Earth and planetary science lessons on rotation=revolution, silhouettes of objects from different views, contour maps, impact craters, asteroids, and topographic features of Mars to 11 elementary and middle school students with sight impairments at a week-long residential summer camp are presented…

Building Model NASA Satellites: Elementary Students Studying Science Using a NASA-Themed Transmedia Book Featuring Digital Fabrication Activities

Science.gov (United States)

Tillman, Daniel; An, Song; Boren, Rachel; Slykhuis, David

2014-01-01

This study assessed the impact of nine lessons incorporating a NASA-themed transmedia book featuring digital fabrication activities on 5th-grade students (n = 29) recognized as advanced in mathematics based on their academic record. Data collected included a pretest and posttest of science content questions taken from released Virginia Standards…

The Next Generation Science Standards: The Features and Challenges

Science.gov (United States)

Pruitt, Stephen L.

2014-01-01

Beginning in January of 2010, the Carnegie Corporation of New York funded a two-step process to develop a new set of state developed science standards intended to prepare students for college and career readiness in science. These new internationally benchmarked science standards, the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) were completed in…

Predicting Greater Prairie-Chicken Lek Site Suitability to Inform Conservation Actions.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Torre J Hovick

Full Text Available The demands of a growing human population dictates that expansion of energy infrastructure, roads, and other development frequently takes place in native rangelands. Particularly, transmission lines and roads commonly divide rural landscapes and increase fragmentation. This has direct and indirect consequences on native wildlife that can be mitigated through thoughtful planning and proactive approaches to identifying areas of high conservation priority. We used nine years (2003-2011 of Greater Prairie-Chicken (Tympanuchus cupido lek locations totaling 870 unique leks sites in Kansas and seven geographic information system (GIS layers describing land cover, topography, and anthropogenic structures to model habitat suitability across the state. The models obtained had low omission rates (0.81, indicating high model performance and reliability of predicted habitat suitability for Greater Prairie-Chickens. We found that elevation was the most influential in predicting lek locations, contributing three times more predictive power than any other variable. However, models were improved by the addition of land cover and anthropogenic features (transmission lines, roads, and oil and gas structures. Overall, our analysis provides a hierarchal understanding of Greater Prairie-Chicken habitat suitability that is broadly based on geomorphological features followed by land cover suitability. We found that when land features and vegetation cover are suitable for Greater Prairie-Chickens, fragmentation by anthropogenic sources such as roadways and transmission lines are a concern. Therefore, it is our recommendation that future human development in Kansas avoid areas that our models identified as highly suitable for Greater Prairie-Chickens and focus development on land cover types that are of lower conservation concern.

The Impact of a Racing Feature on Middle School Science Students' Performance in an Educational Game: The Effect of Content-Free Game-Actions

Science.gov (United States)

Ault, Marilyn; Craig-Hare, Jana; Frey, Bruce

2016-01-01

Reason Racer is an online, rate-based, multiplayer game designed to engage middle school students in the knowledge and skills related to scientific argumentation. Several game features are included as design considerations unrelated to science content or argumentation. One specific feature, a competitive racing component that occurs in between…

Searching for a traveling feature in Saturn's rings in Cassini Imaging Science Subsystem data

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Aye, Klaus-Michael; Rehnberg, Morgan; Brown, Zarah; Esposito, Larry W.

2016-10-01

Introduction: Using Cassini UVIS occultation data, a traveling wave feature has been identified in the Saturn rings that is most likely caused by the radial positions swap of the moons Janus and Epimetheus [1]. The hypothesis is that non-linear interferences between the linear density waves when being relocated by the moon swap create a solitary wave that is traveling outward through the rings. The observations in [1] further lead to the derivation of values for the radial travel speeds of the identified traveling features, from 39.6 km/yr for the Janus 5:4 resonance up to 45.8 for the Janus 4:3 resonance.Previous confirmations in ISS data: Work in [1] also identified the feature in Cassini Imaging Science Subsystem (ISS) data that was taken around the time of the UVIS occultations where the phenomenon was first discovered, so far one ISS image for each Janus resonances 2:1, 4:3, 5:4, and 6:5.Search guided by predicted locations: Using the observation-fitted radial velocities from [1], we can extrapolate these to identify Saturn radii at which the traveling feature should be found at later times. Using this and new image analysis and plotting tools available in [2], we have identified a potential candidate feature in an ISS image that was taken 2.5 years after the feature causing moon swap in January 2006. We intend to expand our search by identifying candidate ISS data by a meta-database search constraining the radius at future times corresponding to the predicted future locations of the hypothesized solitary wave and present our findings at this conference.References: [1] Rehnberg, M.E., Esposito, L.W., Brown, Z.L., Albers, N., Sremčević, M., Stewart, G.R., 2016. A Traveling Feature in Saturn's Rings. Icarus, accepted in June 2016. [2] K.-Michael Aye. (2016). pyciss: v0.5.0. Zenodo. 10.5281/zenodo.53092

Confirmation of a traveling feature in Saturn's rings in Cassini Imaging Science Subsystem data

Science.gov (United States)

Aye, K. M.; Rehnberg, M.; Esposito, L. W.

2017-12-01

Introduction: Using Cassini UVIS occultation data, a traveling wave feature has been identified in the Saturn rings that is most likely caused by the radial positions swap of the moons Janus and Epimetheus [1]. The hypothesis is that non-linear interferences between the density waves when being relocated by the moon swap create a solitary wave that is traveling outward through the rings. The observations in [1] further lead to the derivation of values for the radial travel speeds of the identified traveling features, from 39.6 km/yr for the Janus 5:4 resonance up to 45.8 for the Janus 4:3 resonance. Previous confirmations in ISS data: Work in [1] also identified the feature in Cassini Imaging Science Subsystem (ISS) data that was taken around the time of the UVIS occultations where the phenomenon was first discovered, so far one ISS image for each Janus resonances 2:1, 4:3, 5:4, and 6:5. Searches performed in ISS data: Filtering all existing ISS data down to the best resolutions that include both a clearly identifiable minimum and maximum ring radius, we have visually inspected approx. 200 images, both with and without known resonances within the image, but unbeknownst to the inspector. Identification of a feature of interest happens when train waves are being interrupted by anomalies. Comparing the radial locations of identified ISS features with those in UV data of [1], we have identified several at the same radii. Considering the vast differences in radial resolution, we conclude that the traveling feature causes observable anomalies at both small scales of meters, up to large scales of hundreds of meters to kilometers.References: [1] Rehnberg, M.E., Esposito, L.W., Brown, Z.L., Albers, N., Sremčević, M., Stewart, G.R., 2016. A Traveling Feature in Saturn's Rings. Icarus, accepted in June 2016. [2] K.-Michael Aye (2016, November 11). michaelaye/pyciss: . v0.6.0 Zenodo. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.596802

International trends in health science librarianship Part 10: The Greater China area.

Science.gov (United States)

Xie, Zhiyun; Chan, Julia L Y; Lam, Louisa Mei Chun; Chiu, Tzu-Heng

2014-06-01

This is the 10th in a series of articles exploring international trends in health science librarianship. This issue describes developments in health science librarianship in the first decade of the 21st century in China, Hong Kong and Taiwan. The next issue will report on Japan and South Korea. JM. © 2014 The authors. Health Information and Libraries Journal © 2014 Health Libraries Group.

"Replicability and other features of a high-quality science: Toward a balanced and empirical approach": Correction to Finkel et al. (2017).

Science.gov (United States)

2017-11-01

Reports an error in "Replicability and other features of a high-quality science: Toward a balanced and empirical approach" by Eli J. Finkel, Paul W. Eastwick and Harry T. Reis ( Journal of Personality and Social Psychology , 2017[Aug], Vol 113[2], 244-253). In the commentary, there was an error in the References list. The publishing year for the 18th article was cited incorrectly as 2016. The in-text acronym associated with this citation should read instead as LCL2017. The correct References list citation should read as follows: LeBel, E. P., Campbell, L., & Loving, T. J. (2017). Benefits of open and high-powered research outweigh costs. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology , 113, 230-243. http://dx.doi.org/10 .1037/pspi0000049. The online version of this article has been corrected. (The following abstract of the original article appeared in record 2017-30567-002.) Finkel, Eastwick, and Reis (2015; FER2015) argued that psychological science is better served by responding to apprehensions about replicability rates with contextualized solutions than with one-size-fits-all solutions. Here, we extend FER2015's analysis to suggest that much of the discussion of best research practices since 2011 has focused on a single feature of high-quality science-replicability-with insufficient sensitivity to the implications of recommended practices for other features, like discovery, internal validity, external validity, construct validity, consequentiality, and cumulativeness. Thus, although recommendations for bolstering replicability have been innovative, compelling, and abundant, it is difficult to evaluate their impact on our science as a whole, especially because many research practices that are beneficial for some features of scientific quality are harmful for others. For example, FER2015 argued that bigger samples are generally better, but also noted that very large samples ("those larger than required for effect sizes to stabilize"; p. 291) could have the downside

Portraying Real Science in Science Communication

Science.gov (United States)

van Dijk, Esther M.

2011-01-01

In both formal and informal settings, not only science but also views on the nature of science are communicated. Although there probably is no singular nature shared by all fields of science, in the field of science education it is commonly assumed that on a certain level of generality there is a consensus on many features of science. In this…

Features of construction of the individual trajectory education to computer science on the basis dynamic integrated estimation of level of knowledge

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ольга Юрьевна Заславская

2010-12-01

Full Text Available In article features of realisation of the mechanism of construction of an optimum trajectory of education to computer science on the basis of a dynamic integrated estimation of level of knowledge are considered.

Integration of basic sciences and clinical sciences in oral radiology education for dental students.

Science.gov (United States)

Baghdady, Mariam T; Carnahan, Heather; Lam, Ernest W N; Woods, Nicole N

2013-06-01

Educational research suggests that cognitive processing in diagnostic radiology requires a solid foundation in the basic sciences and knowledge of the radiological changes associated with disease. Although it is generally assumed that dental students must acquire both sets of knowledge, little is known about the most effective way to teach them. Currently, the basic and clinical sciences are taught separately. This study was conducted to compare the diagnostic accuracy of students when taught basic sciences segregated or integrated with clinical features. Predoctoral dental students (n=51) were taught four confusable intrabony abnormalities using basic science descriptions integrated with the radiographic features or taught segregated from the radiographic features. The students were tested with diagnostic images, and memory tests were performed immediately after learning and one week later. On immediate and delayed testing, participants in the integrated basic science group outperformed those from the segregated group. A main effect of learning condition was found to be significant (pbasic sciences integrated with clinical features produces higher diagnostic accuracy in novices than teaching basic sciences segregated from clinical features.

[Comparison of the compilation features of Science of Meridians and Acupoints among different editions].

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Xiaojun

The compilation features of Jingluo Shuxue Xue ( Science of Meridians and Acupoints ) among different editions were summarized and analyzed. Jingluo Xue ( Science of Meridians ) and Shuxue Xue ( Science of Acupoints ) published by Shanghai Scientific and Technical Publishers in 1984 are the pioneer as the textbook for the education of acupuncture discipline for the bachelor degree, but there is the big controversy for the editions in 1996. These two books were combined as one, titled Science of Meridians and Acupoints , 2013 edition, published by China Press of Traditional Chinese Medicine. It is concise and coherent in content and is regarded as the milestone in the history of textbook compilation. This book was re-edited in 2007 without major changes in content. The one in 2009 was revised a lot on the basis of the original several editions, published by Shanghai Scientific and Technical Publishers. But unfortunately, it did not bring the big impacts in China. The edition in 2012, published by China Press of Traditional Chinese Medicine had made the innovations besides integrating the achievements of the previous editions, characterized as preciseness and conciseness. By contrast, the edition in 2012, published by People's Medical Publishing House was accomplished by simple modification on the basis of the editions in 2003 and in 2007, without great innovation. Regarding the on-going publication of the textbooks in "the 13th five-year plan", it is viewed that the new edition of textbook should maintain the general framework of "the 12th five-year plan", based on which, a few questions should be revised appropriately. Additionally, "less words, more illustration" should be the basic principle for the revision of the new edition.

New Science in Plain Sight: Optical Manifestations of Coupled Subauroral Features Documented by Citizen Scientists

Science.gov (United States)

MacDonald, E.; Heavner, M.; Kosar, B.; Case, N.; Donovan, E.; Spanswick, E.; Nishimura, Y.; Gallardo-Lacourt, B.

2017-12-01

Aurora has been observed and recorded by people for thousands of years. Recently, citizen scientists captured features of aurora-like arc events not previously described in the literature at subauroral latitudes. Amateur photo sequences show unusual flow, unstable composition changes, and field aligned structures. Observations from the Swarm satellite crossing the arc reveals thermal enhancement, density depletion, and strong westward ion flow. These signatures resemble features previously described from in situ observation however the optical manifestation is surprising and contains rich, unstable signatures as well. The relevant observations have presented important implications on a variety of open questions, including the fundamental definition of aurora, and limitations of jargon and subfield distinctions. This paper covers the discovery, its context, and the significant implications for the application of public participation measurement modes to the natural sciences whereby they can form a disruptive gap to expose new observing perspectives. Photo Credit: Notanee Bourassa, Alberta Aurora Chasers

Implications of the Next Generation Science Standards for Earth and Space Sciences

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Wysession, M. E.; Colson, M.; Duschl, R. A.; Huff, K.; Lopez, R. E.; Messina, P.; Speranza, P.; Matthews, T.; Childress, J.

2012-12-01

The Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS), due to be released in 2013, set a new direction for K-12 science education in America. These standards will put forth significant changes for Earth and space sciences. The NGSS are based upon the recommendations of the National Research Council's 2011 report "A Framework for K-12 Science Education: Practices, Cross-Cutting Concepts, and Core Ideas." The standards are being written by a large group of authors who represent many different constituencies, including 26 participating states, in a process led by Achieve, Inc. The standards encourage innovative ways to teach science at the K-12 level, including enhanced integration between the content, practices, and crosscutting ideas of science and greater assimilation among the sciences and engineering, and among the sciences, mathematics, and English language arts. The NGSS presents a greater emphasis on Earth and space sciences than in previous standards, recommending a year at both the middle and high school levels. The new standards also present a greater emphasis on areas of direct impact between humans and the Earth system, including climate change, natural hazards, resource management, and sustainability.

Evaluating the Stability of Feature Selectors that Optimize Feature Subset Cardinality

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Somol, Petr; Novovičová, Jana

2008-01-01

Roč. 2008, č. 5342 (2008), s. 956-966 ISSN 0302-9743. [Joint IAPR International Workshops SSPR 2008 and SPR 2008. Orlando , 04.12.2008-06.12.2008] R&D Projects: GA AV ČR 1ET400750407; GA MŠk 1M0572; GA ČR GA102/07/1594 Grant - others:GA MŠk(CZ) 2C06019 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z10750506 Keywords : Feature selection * stability * relative weighted consistency measure * sequential search * floating search Subject RIV: IN - Informatics, Computer Science http://library.utia.cas.cz/separaty/2008/RO/somol-evaluating the stability of feature selectors that optimize feature subset cardinality.pdf

Science Fiction on Film.

Science.gov (United States)

Burmester, David

1985-01-01

Reviews science fiction films used in a science fiction class. Discusses feature films, short science fiction films, short story adaptations, original science fiction pieces and factual science films that enrich literature. (EL)

Innovations in individual feature history management - The significance of feature-based temporal model

Science.gov (United States)

Choi, J.; Seong, J.C.; Kim, B.; Usery, E.L.

2008-01-01

A feature relies on three dimensions (space, theme, and time) for its representation. Even though spatiotemporal models have been proposed, they have principally focused on the spatial changes of a feature. In this paper, a feature-based temporal model is proposed to represent the changes of both space and theme independently. The proposed model modifies the ISO's temporal schema and adds new explicit temporal relationship structure that stores temporal topological relationship with the ISO's temporal primitives of a feature in order to keep track feature history. The explicit temporal relationship can enhance query performance on feature history by removing topological comparison during query process. Further, a prototype system has been developed to test a proposed feature-based temporal model by querying land parcel history in Athens, Georgia. The result of temporal query on individual feature history shows the efficiency of the explicit temporal relationship structure. ?? Springer Science+Business Media, LLC 2007.

Data-Science Analysis of the Macro-scale Features Governing the Corrosion to Crack Transition in AA7050-T7451

Science.gov (United States)

Co, Noelle Easter C.; Brown, Donald E.; Burns, James T.

2018-05-01

This study applies data science approaches (random forest and logistic regression) to determine the extent to which macro-scale corrosion damage features govern the crack formation behavior in AA7050-T7451. Each corrosion morphology has a set of corresponding predictor variables (pit depth, volume, area, diameter, pit density, total fissure length, surface roughness metrics, etc.) describing the shape of the corrosion damage. The values of the predictor variables are obtained from white light interferometry, x-ray tomography, and scanning electron microscope imaging of the corrosion damage. A permutation test is employed to assess the significance of the logistic and random forest model predictions. Results indicate minimal relationship between the macro-scale corrosion feature predictor variables and fatigue crack initiation. These findings suggest that the macro-scale corrosion features and their interactions do not solely govern the crack formation behavior. While these results do not imply that the macro-features have no impact, they do suggest that additional parameters must be considered to rigorously inform the crack formation location.

First Materials Science Research Rack Capabilities and Design Features

Science.gov (United States)

Schaefer, D.; King, R.; Cobb, S.; Whitaker, Ann F. (Technical Monitor)

2001-01-01

The first Materials Science Research Rack (MSRR-1) will accommodate dual Experiment Modules (EM's) and provide simultaneous on-orbit processing operations capability. The first international Materials Science Experiment Module for the MSRR-1 is an international cooperative research activity between NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) and the European Space Agency's (ESA) European Space Research and Technology Center. (ESTEC). This International Standard Payload Rack (ISPR) will contain the Materials Science Laboratory (MSL) developed by ESA as an Experiment Module. The MSL Experiment Module will accommodate several on-orbit exchangeable experiment-specific Module Inserts. Module Inserts currently planned are a Quench Module Insert, Low Gradient Furnace, Solidification with Quench Furnace, and Diffusion Module Insert. The second Experiment Module for the MSRR-1 configuration is a commercial device supplied by MSFC's Space Products Department (SPD). It includes capabilities for vapor transport processes and liquid metal sintering. This Experiment Module will be replaced on-orbit with other NASA Materials Science EMs.

Gender differences in commuting behavior: Women's greater sensitivity

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Olmo Sanchez, M.I.; Maeso Gonzalez, E.

2016-07-01

Women's greater sensitivity to changes in their environment is one of the most distinguishing features between both genders. This article raises women's greater sensitivity to the different variables which influence their commuting modal choice. In order to do this, gender gaps detected in the choice of means of transport in commuting trips with respect to the decision factors such as age, education level, driver's license, private transport access; location, household size and net income, are quantified.The results show a greater female sensitivity to the different variables that affect their modal choice, which helps to better understand the different mobility patterns and it is useful for planning measures favoring sustainable mobility policies and equity. (Author)

METHODOLOGICAL FEATURES OF HISTORICAL TYPES OF ECONOMIC THEORY'S SCIENTIFIC RATIONALITY IN TERMS OF MODERN PHILOSOPHY OF SCIENCE

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

T. Gaidai

2015-10-01

Full Text Available The article studies the evolution of basic methodological features of economic theory on its different historical stages.The research highlights the fruitful usage of a new analytical approach on the basis of the achievements of modern philosophy of science. Its presents the research of main types of scientific rationality dominating at certain historical stages of science maturity. Such as historical, classical, nonclassical and postnonclassical types of scientific rationality. Structuring and research of basic methodological features of such historical types of economic theory’s scientific rationality as classical economics (end of ХVII century – 70-th of XIX century, nonclassical economics (70-th of ХІХ century – 70-th of ХХ century, postnonclassical economics (70-th of ХХст. – the beginning of ХХI century are undertaken. Methodological analysis accentuated ideological, ontological, epistemological dominants and main differences in basic techniques of the main types of economic theory’s scientific rationality. The research argues the illegality of existing in the economics literature attempts to identification or simplified reduction of more mature types of scientific rationality to the less mature. The article shows the contribution made by the leaders of classical, nonclassical and postnonclassical economics in the development of normative and positive economic methodology. It is emphasized a general tendency to methodological pluralism, pluralism of paradigmal structureand interdisciplinary of scientific economic knowledge throughout its historical development.

Fascinating! Popular Science Communication and Literary Science Fiction

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Meyer, Gitte

2017-01-01

Some see literary Science Fiction as a possible vehicle for critical discussions about the future development and the ethical implications of science-based technologies. According to that understanding, literary Science Fiction constitutes a variety of science communication. Along related lines, ......, popular science communication with science fiction features might be expected to serve a similar purpose. Only, it is far from obvious that it actually works that way.......Some see literary Science Fiction as a possible vehicle for critical discussions about the future development and the ethical implications of science-based technologies. According to that understanding, literary Science Fiction constitutes a variety of science communication. Along related lines...

"Hey! Today I Will Tell You about the Water Cycle!": Variations of Language and Organizational Features in Third-Grade Science Explanation Writing

Science.gov (United States)

Avalos, Mary A.; Secada, Walter G.; Zisselsberger, Margarita Gómez; Gort, Mileidis

2017-01-01

This study investigated third graders' use and variation of linguistic resources when writing a science explanation. Using systemic functional linguistics as a framework, we purposefully selected and analyzed writing samples of students with high and low scores to explore how the students' use of language features (i.e., lexicogrammatical…

ANALYZE THE KNOWLEDGE INQUIRY SCIENCE PHYSICS TEACHER CANDIDATES WITH ESSENCE INQUIRY SCIENCE TEST INSTRUMENT OPTIKA GEOMETRY

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Wawan Bunawan

2013-06-01

Full Text Available The objective in this research to explore the relationship between ability of the knowledge essential features inquiry science and their reasons underlying sense of scientific inquiry for physics teacher candidates on content geometrical optics. The essential features of inquiry science are components that should arise during the learning process subject matter of geometrical optics reflectance of light on a flat mirror, the reflection of light on curved mirrors and refraction of light at the lens. Five of essential features inquiry science adopted from assessment system developed by the National Research Council. Content geometrical optics developed from an analysis of a college syllabus material. Based on the study of the essential features of inquiry and content develop the multiple choice diagnostic test three tier. Data were taken from the students who are taking courses in optics and wave from one the LPTK in North Sumatra totaled 38 students. Instruments showed Cronbach alpha reliability of 0.67 to test the essential features of inquiry science and 0.61 to there as on geometrical optics science inquiry.

Summary of science, activities, programs, and policies that influence the rangewide conservation of Greater Sage-Grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus)

Science.gov (United States)

Manier, D.J.; Wood, David J.A.; Bowen, Z.H.; Donovan, R.M.; Holloran, M.J.; Juliusson, L.M.; Mayne, K.S.; Oyler-McCance, S.J.; Quamen, F.R.; Saher, D.J.; Titolo, A.J.

2013-01-01

The Greater Sage-Grouse, has been observed, hunted, and counted for decades. The sagebrush biome, home to the Greater Sage-Grouse, includes sagebrush-steppe and Great Basin sagebrush communities, interspersed with grasslands, salt flats, badlands, mountain ranges, springs, intermittent creeks and washes, and major river systems, and is one of the most widespread and enigmatic components of Western U.S. landscapes. Over time, habitat conversion, degradation, and fragmentation have accumulated across the entire range such that local conditions as well as habitat distributions at local and regional scales are negatively affecting the long-term persistence of this species. Historic patterns of human use and settlement of the sagebrush ecosystem have contributed to the current condition and status of sage-grouse populations. The accumulation of habitat loss, persistent habitat degradation, and fragmentation by industry and urban infrastructure, as indicated by U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) findings, presents a significant challenge for conservation of this species and sustainable management of the sagebrush ecosystem. Because of the wide variations in natural and human history across these landscapes, no single prescription for management of sagebrush ecosystems (including sage-grouse habitats) will suffice to guide the collective efforts of public and private entities to conserve the species and its habitat. This report documents and summarizes several decades of work on sage-grouse populations, sagebrush as habitat, and sagebrush community and ecosystem functions based on the recent assessment and findings of the USFWS under consideration of the Endangered Species Act. As reflected here, some of these topics receive a greater depth of discussion because of the perceived importance of the issue for sagebrush ecosystems and sage-grouse populations. Drawing connections between the direct effects on sagebrush ecosystems and the effect of ecosystem condition on

Science Outside the Lab: Helping Graduate Students in Science and Engineering Understand the Complexities of Science Policy.

Science.gov (United States)

Bernstein, Michael J; Reifschneider, Kiera; Bennett, Ira; Wetmore, Jameson M

2017-06-01

Helping scientists and engineers challenge received assumptions about how science, engineering, and society relate is a critical cornerstone for macroethics education. Scientific and engineering research are frequently framed as first steps of a value-free linear model that inexorably leads to societal benefit. Social studies of science and assessments of scientific and engineering research speak to the need for a more critical approach to the noble intentions underlying these assumptions. "Science Outside the Lab" is a program designed to help early-career scientists and engineers understand the complexities of science and engineering policy. Assessment of the program entailed a pre-, post-, and 1 year follow up survey to gauge student perspectives on relationships between science and society, as well as a pre-post concept map exercise to elicit student conceptualizations of science policy. Students leave Science Outside the Lab with greater humility about the role of scientific expertise in science and engineering policy; greater skepticism toward linear notions of scientific advances benefiting society; a deeper, more nuanced understanding of the actors involved in shaping science policy; and a continued appreciation of the contributions of science and engineering to society. The study presents an efficacious program that helps scientists and engineers make inroads into macroethical debates, reframe the ways in which they think about values of science and engineering in society, and more thoughtfully engage with critical mediators of science and society relationships: policy makers and policy processes.

Journal of Chemical Sciences | Indian Academy of Sciences

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

Home; Journals; Journal of Chemical Sciences. Biman Jana. Articles written in Journal of Chemical Sciences. Volume 119 Issue 5 September 2007 pp 343-350. Orientational dynamics and energy landscape features of thermotropic liquid crystals: An analogy with supercooled liquids · Biman Jana Biman Bagchi.

Complex Topographic Feature Ontology Patterns

Science.gov (United States)

Varanka, Dalia E.; Jerris, Thomas J.

2015-01-01

Semantic ontologies are examined as effective data models for the representation of complex topographic feature types. Complex feature types are viewed as integrated relations between basic features for a basic purpose. In the context of topographic science, such component assemblages are supported by resource systems and found on the local landscape. Ontologies are organized within six thematic modules of a domain ontology called Topography that includes within its sphere basic feature types, resource systems, and landscape types. Context is constructed not only as a spatial and temporal setting, but a setting also based on environmental processes. Types of spatial relations that exist between components include location, generative processes, and description. An example is offered in a complex feature type ‘mine.’ The identification and extraction of complex feature types are an area for future research.

Tanzania Journal of Science: Editorial Policies

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Tanzania Journal of Science (TJS), is professional, peer reviewed journal, published in ... Optics, Thin films, Zoography, Military sciences, Biological sciences, Biodiversity, ... animal and veterinary sciences, Geology, Agricultural Sciences, Cytology, ... available to the public supports a greater global exchange of knowledge.

Rethinking Conceptions of Borders in the Greater Mekong Subregion: An Interview With Chayan Vaddhanabhuti (RCSD

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Napakadol Kittisenee

2011-01-01

Full Text Available Dr. Chayan Vaddhanabhuti is Director of the Regional Centre for Social Science and Sustainable Development (RCSD, Thailand. The RCSD was established in 1998 at the Faculty of Social Sciences, Chiang Mai University, in response to the need for integration of social science and natural science knowledge in order to gain a better understanding of sustainable development in upper Mainland South-East Asia. Chayan Vaddhanabhuti has long been dedicated to the fi eld of social sciences, development issues, and engaged himself extensively with ethnic groups both within Thailand and beyond. In this interview he introduces the work of RSCD and discusses the changing perceptions of the concept of ‘border’ in the context of Thailand and the Greater Mekong Subregion.

A comparative analysis of DNA barcode microarray feature size

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Smith Andrew M

2009-10-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Microarrays are an invaluable tool in many modern genomic studies. It is generally perceived that decreasing the size of microarray features leads to arrays with higher resolution (due to greater feature density, but this increase in resolution can compromise sensitivity. Results We demonstrate that barcode microarrays with smaller features are equally capable of detecting variation in DNA barcode intensity when compared to larger feature sizes within a specific microarray platform. The barcodes used in this study are the well-characterized set derived from the Yeast KnockOut (YKO collection used for screens of pooled yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae deletion mutants. We treated these pools with the glycosylation inhibitor tunicamycin as a test compound. Three generations of barcode microarrays at 30, 8 and 5 μm features sizes independently identified the primary target of tunicamycin to be ALG7. Conclusion We show that the data obtained with 5 μm feature size is of comparable quality to the 30 μm size and propose that further shrinking of features could yield barcode microarrays with equal or greater resolving power and, more importantly, higher density.

The Supply of Science Teachers to Secondary Schools in Ondo ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Male science teachers were in greater numbers than female science teachers in the schools. The number of science teachers supplied from higher institutions outside the State was greater than the number supplied from higher institutions within the State The supply of science teachers did not match the demand for them in ...

Personality Features of Motorists

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Andrej Justinek

1997-12-01

Full Text Available Justinek tries to answer the question whether or not motorists have specific personality features which predispose them for safe and well-mannered driving. A good driver should have sensory abilities which enable psycho-motor coordiation of a vehicle, intellectual and cognitive features that are important for solving problems in new, unknown situations, and emotional and motivational trails defining a driver's maturity. Justmek advocates the belief that in training future drivers greater attention should be paid to developing these features which are vital for safe driving and appropriate behaviour of drivers in traffic. He also suggests certain learning methods leading to development of the above­ mentioned personality traits. Justinek introduces the notion of the 'philosophy of driving' as an essential educational category in training future drivers.

Examining Preservice Science Teacher Understanding of Nature of Science: Discriminating Variables on the Aspects of Nature of Science

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Jones, William I.

This study examined the understanding of nature of science among participants in their final year of a 4-year undergraduate teacher education program at a Midwest liberal arts university. The Logic Model Process was used as an integrative framework to focus the collection, organization, analysis, and interpretation of the data for the purpose of (1) describing participant understanding of NOS and (2) to identify participant characteristics and teacher education program features related to those understandings. The Views of Nature of Science Questionnaire form C (VNOS-C) was used to survey participant understanding of 7 target aspects of Nature of Science (NOS). A rubric was developed from a review of the literature to categorize and score participant understanding of the target aspects of NOS. Participants' high school and college transcripts, planning guides for their respective teacher education program majors, and science content and science teaching methods course syllabi were examined to identify and categorize participant characteristics and teacher education program features. The R software (R Project for Statistical Computing, 2010) was used to conduct an exploratory analysis to determine correlations of the antecedent and transaction predictor variables with participants' scores on the 7 target aspects of NOS. Fourteen participant characteristics and teacher education program features were moderately and significantly ( p Middle Childhood with a science concentration program major or in the Adolescent/Young Adult Science Education program major were more likely to have an informed understanding on each of the 7 target aspects of NOS. Analyses of the planning guides and the course syllabi in each teacher education program major revealed differences between the program majors that may account for the results.

Science@NASA: Direct to People!

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Koczor, Ronald J.; Adams, Mitzi; Gallagher, Dennis; Whitaker, Ann (Technical Monitor)

2002-01-01

Science@NASA is a science communication effort sponsored by NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center. It is the result of a four year research project between Marshall, the University of Florida College of Journalism and Communications and the internet communications company, Bishop Web Works. The goals of Science@NASA are to inform, inspire, and involve people in the excitement of NASA science by bringing that science directly to them. We stress not only the reporting of the facts of a particular topic, but also the context and importance of the research. Science@NASA involves several levels of activity from academic communications research to production of content for 6 websites, in an integrated process involving all phases of production. A Science Communications Roundtable Process is in place that includes scientists, managers, writers, editors, and Web technical experts. The close connection between the scientists and the writers/editors assures a high level of scientific accuracy in the finished products. The websites each have unique characters and are aimed at different audience segments: 1. http://science.nasa.gov. (SNG) Carries stories featuring various aspects of NASA science activity. The site carries 2 or 3 new stories each week in written and audio formats for science-attentive adults. 2. http://liftoff.msfc.nasa.gov. Features stories from SNG that are recast for a high school level audience. J-Track and J-Pass applets for tracking satellites are our most popular product. 3. http://kids. msfc.nasa.gov. This is the Nursemaids site and is aimed at a middle school audience. The NASAKids Club is a new feature at the site. 4. http://www.thursdaysclassroom.com . This site features lesson plans and classroom activities for educators centered around one of the science stories carried on SNG. 5. http://www.spaceweather.com. This site gives the status of solar activity and its interactions with the Earth's ionosphere and magnetosphere.

Using Mathematics in Science: Working with Your Mathematics Department

Science.gov (United States)

Lyon, Steve

2014-01-01

Changes to the mathematics and science curriculums are designed to increase rigour in mathematics, and place greater emphasis on mathematical content in science subjects at key stages 3, 4 and 5 (ages 11-18). One way to meet the growing challenge of providing increased emphasis on mathematics in the science curriculum is greater collaboration…

The Laboratory of the Mind Thought Experiments in the Natural Sciences

CERN Document Server

Brown, James Robert

2010-01-01

Newton's bucket, Einstein's elevator, Schrödinger's cat - these are some of the best-known examples of thought experiments in the natural sciences. But what function do these experiments perform? Are they really experiments at all? Can they help us gain a greater understanding of the natural world?  How is it possible that we can learn new things just by thinking?   In this revised and updated new edition of his classic text The Laboratory of the Mind, James Robert Brown continues to defend apriorism in the physical world. This edition features two new chapters, one on "counter

Gender roles and science beliefs and their relationship to science interest

Science.gov (United States)

Paolucci, Judith Jean

This study investigated adolescents' views about the nature of science (NOS) and conceptions of their gender identities, and revealed whether these conceptions and views are related to their science interest. Participants were 566 high school students enrolled in chemistry courses at three high schools in a New England state. A questionnaire was used to assess participants' science interest, gender role perceptions, and views about science, as well as to provide background and math and science achievement data. The study found that while student scores of NOS understanding did not differ by gender, some significant differences were noted on the student responses to statements about science. Students with higher-than-average science interest scores responded to these statements differently than students with lower science interest scores; their responses tended to more closely match statements about NOS taken from current reform documents. The study also found that math and science achievement, masculinity scores, and NOS scores accounted for a greater variance of science interest for girls than for boys, though all three also contributed significantly and positively to the regression equation for boys. These predictor variables predicted membership to the lower or higher science interest groups, but could not predict students' career aspiration groups. Thus, other mediating factors not considered in this study may translate high science interest to science career aspiration. The results of this study coed prior research, which found that science and math achievement and masculinity are positively and significantly related to science interest for boy boys and girls. Moreover, the study found that achievement in math and science courses is a greater predictor of science interest for girls than for boys. The results of this study provide a rationale for incorporating the nature of science into the science curriculum. Moreover, since the science interest of boys was

FEATURES TERMINOLOGY IN MODERN MEDICAL SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING

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Zlepko S.M.

2016-02-01

Full Text Available The article is devoted to the problem of compliance with terms and definitions in medical science and engineering to the actual essence. One of the components of successful development of these trends is adequate linguistic support of the process of development and operation, basic level of determination and terms which indicated certain principles, approaches, processes and so on.

Applying Landscape Science to Natural Resource Management

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Guy M. Robinson

2013-03-01

Full Text Available This is the introduction to the Ecology and Society special feature on "Applying Landscape Science to Natural Resource Management". Primarily drawing upon examples from Australia, the nine papers in the feature illustrate how landscape science seeks to integrate information from diverse sources to generate management solutions for implementation by individual land managers, communities, and governments at different levels. This introduction refers to the genesis of the feature, briefly outlines the nature and content of landscape science, and then summarizes key features of the nine papers. These are organized into two sections: one deals with inputs from human agents in the landscape, and one with the development of models enabling different management scenarios and environmental changes to be envisaged, understood, and applied to policy development.

Analysis of scientific production archival science in brazil: a literature review

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José Mauro Gouveia de Medeiros

2016-12-01

Full Text Available Introduction: review of the literature resulting from bibliographic survey about the scientific literature of archives in Brazil. Objective: to identify aspects of scientific literature of archival science, through bibliographical research, that aims to introduce the features of the archival science in Brazil. Methodology: Brazilian sites, databases and reference services were used as sources to identify 523 references. 15 texts were selected and analyzed with respect to authorship, affiliation, publication year, publication type, type and size of sources used, methodology, geographical range, results, among other aspects. Results: the scientific articles were the main object of study; the book was the most cited channel; the journal Arquivo & Administração and Encontro Nacional de Pesquisa em Ciência da Informação have importance on the national scene; Rio de Janeiro is the geographic region with greater production; There has been growth in the number of works since the 2007 and increased collaboration. Conclusions: the interest in Archival Science literature is increasing significantly; there was diversification of the publishing channels, mainly works of events and articles since 2013; the Archival Science is consolidating in Brazil with an increasing production, collaboration and interest in its scientific literature.

Science, Science Signaling, and Science Translational Medicine – AAAS Special Collection on Cancer Research, March 2011

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Forsythe, Katherine H.

2011-10-01

Full Text Available The National Cancer Act, signed in 1971, aimed to eliminate cancer deaths through a massive increase in research funding. The American Association for the Advancement of Science, the publisher of Science, Science Signaling, and Science Translational Medicine, observed the 40th anniversary of the Cancer Act in 2011, with special research articles and features, found in all three journals, on the state of cancer research 40 years later. This collection of articles explores both breakthroughs and the challenges in cancer research over the last four decades, and lets us know what we might expect in the future.

Test-enhanced learning: the potential for testing to promote greater learning in undergraduate science courses.

Science.gov (United States)

Brame, Cynthia J; Biel, Rachel

2015-01-01

Testing within the science classroom is commonly used for both formative and summative assessment purposes to let the student and the instructor gauge progress toward learning goals. Research within cognitive science suggests, however, that testing can also be a learning event. We present summaries of studies that suggest that repeated retrieval can enhance long-term learning in a laboratory setting; various testing formats can promote learning; feedback enhances the benefits of testing; testing can potentiate further study; and benefits of testing are not limited to rote memory. Most of these studies were performed in a laboratory environment, so we also present summaries of experiments suggesting that the benefits of testing can extend to the classroom. Finally, we suggest opportunities that these observations raise for the classroom and for further research. © 2015 C. J. Brame and R. Biel. CBE—Life Sciences Education © 2015 The American Society for Cell Biology. This article is distributed by The American Society for Cell Biology under license from the author(s). It is available to the public under an Attribution–Noncommercial–Share Alike 3.0 Unported Creative Commons License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0).

Struggling readers learning with graphic-rich digital science text: Effects of a Highlight & Animate Feature and Manipulable Graphics

Science.gov (United States)

Defrance, Nancy L.

Technology offers promise of 'leveling the playing field' for struggling readers. That is, instructional support features within digital texts may enable all readers to learn. This quasi-experimental study examined the effects on learning of two support features, which offered unique opportunities to interact with text. The Highlight & Animate Feature highlighted an important idea in prose, while simultaneously animating its representation in an adjacent graphic. It invited readers to integrate ideas depicted in graphics and prose, using each one to interpret the other. The Manipulable Graphics had parts that the reader could operate to discover relationships among phenomena. It invited readers to test or refine the ideas that they brought to, or gleaned from, the text. Use of these support features was compulsory. Twenty fifth grade struggling readers read a graphic-rich digital science text in a clinical interview setting, under one of two conditions: using either the Highlight & Animate Feature or the Manipulable Graphics. Participants in both conditions made statistically significant gains on a multiple choice measure of knowledge of the topic of the text. While there were no significant differences by condition in the amount of knowledge gained; there were significant differences in the quality of knowledge expressed. Transcripts revealed that understandings about light and vision, expressed by those who used the Highlight & Animate Feature, were more often conceptually and linguistically 'complete.' That is, their understandings included both a description of phenomena as well as an explanation of underlying scientific principles, which participants articulated using the vocabulary of the text. This finding may be attributed to the multiple opportunities to integrate graphics (depicting the behavior of phenomena) and prose (providing the scientific explanation of that phenomena), which characterized the Highlight & Animate Condition. Those who used the

Measuring Adolescent Science Motivation

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Schumm, Maximiliane F.; Bogner, Franz X.

2016-01-01

To monitor science motivation, 232 tenth graders of the college preparatory level ("Gymnasium") completed the Science Motivation Questionnaire II (SMQ-II). Additionally, personality data were collected using a 10-item version of the Big Five Inventory. A subsequent exploratory factor analysis based on the eigenvalue-greater-than-one…

First Materials Science Research Facility Rack Capabilities and Design Features

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Cobb, S.; Higgins, D.; Kitchens, L.; Curreri, Peter (Technical Monitor)

2002-01-01

The first Materials Science Research Rack (MSRR-1) is the primary facility for U.S. sponsored materials science research on the International Space Station. MSRR-1 is contained in an International Standard Payload Rack (ISPR) equipped with the Active Rack Isolation System (ARIS) for the best possible microgravity environment. MSRR-1 will accommodate dual Experiment Modules and provide simultaneous on-orbit processing operations capability. The first Experiment Module for the MSRR-1, the Materials Science Laboratory (MSL), is an international cooperative activity between NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) and the European Space Agency's (ESA) European Space Research and Technology Center (ESTEC). The MSL Experiment Module will accommodate several on-orbit exchangeable experiment-specific Module Inserts which provide distinct thermal processing capabilities. Module Inserts currently planned for the MSL are a Quench Module Insert, Low Gradient Furnace, and a Solidification with Quench Furnace. The second Experiment Module for the MSRR-1 configuration is a commercial device supplied by MSFC's Space Products Development (SPD) Group. Transparent furnace assemblies include capabilities for vapor transport processes and annealing of glass fiber preforms. This Experiment Module is replaceable on-orbit. This paper will describe facility capabilities, schedule to flight and research opportunities.

Senator Fred Harris's National Social Science Foundation proposal: Reconsidering federal science policy, natural science-social science relations, and American liberalism during the 1960s.

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Solovey, Mark

2012-03-01

During the 1960s, a growing contingent of left-leaning voices claimed that the social sciences suffered mistreatment and undue constraints within the natural science-dominated federal science establishment. According to these critics, the entrenched scientific pecking order in Washington had an unreasonable commitment to the unity of the sciences, which reinforced unacceptable inequalities between the social and the natural sciences. The most important political figure who advanced this critique, together with a substantial legislative proposal for reform, was the Oklahoma Democratic Senator Fred Harris. Yet histories of science and social science have told us surprisingly little about Harris. Moreover, existing accounts of his effort to create a National Social Science Foundation have misunderstood crucial features of this story. This essay argues that Harris's NSSF proposal developed into a robust, historically unique, and increasingly critical liberal challenge to the post-World War II federal science establishment's treatment of the social sciences as "second-class citizens."

Ground Pollution Science

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Oh, Jong Min; Bae, Jae Geun

1997-08-01

This book deals with ground pollution science and soil science, classification of soil and fundamentals, ground pollution and human, ground pollution and organic matter, ground pollution and city environment, environmental problems of the earth and ground pollution, soil pollution and development of geological features of the ground, ground pollution and landfill of waste, case of measurement of ground pollution.

Science Fiction: Serious Reading, Critical Reading

Science.gov (United States)

Zigo, Diane; Moore, Michael T.

2004-01-01

Science fiction deserves a greater respect, serious and critical reading and a better place in high school literature classes. Some of the science fiction books by Isaac Asimov, Alfred Bester, Ray Bradbury and Octavia L. Butler and various activities for incorporating science fiction into the English language arts instruction classroom are…

Sustaining Student Engagement in Learning Science

Science.gov (United States)

Ateh, Comfort M.; Charpentier, Alicia

2014-01-01

Many students perceive science to be a difficult subject and are minimally engaged in learning it. This article describes a lesson that embedded an activity to engage students in learning science. It also identifies features of a science lesson that are likely to enhance students' engagement and learning of science and possibly reverse students'…

Hollywood Science: Good for Hollywood, Bad for Science?

Science.gov (United States)

Perkowitz, Sidney

2009-03-01

Like it or not, most science depicted in feature films is in the form of science fiction. This isn't likely to change any time soon, if only because science fiction films are huge moneymakers for Hollywood. But beyond that, these films are a powerful cultural force. They reach millions as they depict scientific ideas from DNA and cloning to space science, whether correctly or incorrectly; reflect contemporary issues of science and society like climate change, nuclear power and biowarfare; inspire young people to become scientists; and provide defining images -- or stereotypes -- of scientists for the majority of people who've never met a real one. Certainly, most scientists feel that screen depictions of science and scientists are badly distorted. Many are, but not always. In this talk, based on my book Hollywood Science [1], I'll show examples of good and bad screen treatments of science, scientists, and their impact on society. I'll also discuss efforts to improve how science is treated in film and ways to use even bad movie science to convey real science. [4pt] [1] Sidney Perkowitz, Hollywood Science: Movies, Science, and the End of the World (Columbia University Press, New York, 2007). ISBN: 978-0231142809

Sonography of greater trochanteric pain syndrome and the rarity of primary bursitis.

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Long, Suzanne S; Surrey, David E; Nazarian, Levon N

2013-11-01

Greater trochanteric pain syndrome is a common condition with clinical features of pain and tenderness at the lateral aspect of the hip. Diagnosing the origin of greater trochanteric pain is important because the treatment varies depending on the cause. We hypothesized that sonographic evaluation of sources for greater trochanteric pain syndrome would show that bursitis was not the most commonly encountered abnormality. We performed a retrospective review of musculoskeletal sonographic examinations performed at our institution over a 6-year period for greater trochanteric pain syndrome; completed a tabulation of the sonographic findings; and assessed the prevalence of trochanteric bursitis, gluteal tendon abnormalities, iliotibial band abnormalities, or a combination of findings. Prevalence of abnormal findings, associations of bursitis, gluteal tendinosis, gluteal tendon tears, and iliotibial band abnormalities were calculated. The final study population consisted of 877 unique patients: 602 women, 275 men; average age, 54 years; and age range, 15-87 years). Of the 877 patients with greater trochanteric pain, 700 (79.8%) did not have bursitis on ultrasound. A minority of patients (177, 20.2%) had trochanteric bursitis. Of the 877 patients with greater trochanteric pain, 438 (49.9%) had gluteal tendinosis, four (0.5%) had gluteal tendon tears, and 250 (28.5%) had a thickened iliotibial band. The cause of greater trochanteric pain syndrome is usually some combination of pathology involving the gluteus medius and gluteus minimus tendons as well as the iliotibial band. Bursitis is present in only the minority of patients. These findings have implications for treatment of this common condition.

Science framework for the conservation and restoration strategy of DOI secretarial order 3336: Utilizing resilience and resistance concepts to assess threats to sagebrush ecosystems and greater sage-grouse, prioritize conservation and restoration actions, and inform management strategies

Science.gov (United States)

Chambers, Jeanne C.; Campbell, Steve; Carlson, John; Beck, Jeffrey L.; Clause, Karen J.; Dinkins, Jonathan B.; Doherty, Kevin E.; Espinosa, Shawn; Griffin, Kathleen A.; Christiansen, Thomas J.; Crist, Michele R.; Hanser, Steven E.; Havlina, Douglas W.; Henke, Kenneth F.; Hennig, Jacob D.; Kurth, Laurie L.; Maestas, Jeremy D.; Mayer, Kenneth E.; Manning, Mary E.; Mealor, Brian A.; McCarthy, Clinton; Pellant, Mike; Prentice, Karen L.; Perea, Marco A.; Pyke, David A.; Wiechman , Lief A.; Wuenschel, Amarina

2016-01-01

The Science Framework for the Conservation and Restoration Strategy of the Department of the Interior, Secretarial Order 3336 (SO 3336), Rangeland Fire Prevention, Management and Restoration, provides a strategic, multiscale approach for prioritizing areas for management and determining effective management strategies across the sagebrush biome. The emphasis of this version is on sagebrush ecosystems and greater sage-grouse. The Science Framework uses a six step process in which sagebrush ecosystem resilience to disturbance and resistance to nonnative, invasive annual grasses is linked to species habitat information based on the distribution and abundance of focal species. The predominant ecosystem and anthropogenic threats are assessed, and a habitat matrix is developed that helps decision makers evaluate risks and determine appropriate management strategies at regional and local scales. Areas are prioritized for management action using a geospatial approach that overlays resilience and resistance, species habitat information, and predominant threats. Decision tools are discussed for determining the suitability of priority areas for management and the most appropriate management actions at regional to local scales. The Science Framework and geospatial crosscut are intended to complement the mitigation strategies associated with the Greater Sage-Grouse Land Use Plan amendments for the Department of the Interior Bureaus, such as the Bureau of Land Management, and the U.S. Forest Service.

Greater happiness for a greater number: Is that possible in Austria?

NARCIS (Netherlands)

R. Veenhoven (Ruut)

2011-01-01

textabstractWhat is the final goal of public policy? Jeremy Bentham (1789) would say: greater happiness for a greater number. He thought of happiness as subjective enjoyment of life; in his words as “the sum of pleasures and pains”. In his time the happiness of the great number could not be measured

Greater happiness for a greater number: Is that possible in Germany?

NARCIS (Netherlands)

R. Veenhoven (Ruut)

2009-01-01

textabstractWhat is the final goal of public policy? Jeremy Bentham (1789) would say: greater happiness for a greater number. He thought of happiness as subjective enjoyment of life; in his words as “the sum of pleasures and pains”. In his time the Happiness of the great number could not be measured

Economic effect of applied nuclear-agricultural science in China

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ji Xiaobing; Zhou Zhihong; Zhao Shoufeng

1998-01-01

The economic effect of applied nuclear-agricultural science for 40 years in China have been summarized, analyzed and appraised. The economic regularity and features which are followed by research-development-production in the field of applied nuclear agricultural science in China are explored according to the essential characteristics of economics for input-output ratio and the itself-features of nuclear agricultural science. Some propositions for promoting the development and the economic effect of the applied nuclear-agricultural science in China are also given

On the Nature of Science

OpenAIRE

Jennings, B. K.

2006-01-01

A 21st century view of the nature of science is presented. It attempts to show how a consistent description of science and scientific progress can be given. Science advances through a sequence of models with progressively greater predictive power. The philosophical and metaphysical implications of the models change in unpredictable ways as the predictive power increases. The view of science arrived at is one based on instrumentalism. Philosophical realism can only be recovered by a subtle use...

Examining the Types, Features, and Use of Instructional Materials in Afterschool Science

Science.gov (United States)

D'Angelo, Cynthia M.; Harris, Christopher J.; Lundh, Patrik; House, Ann; Leones, Tiffany; Llorente, Carlin

2017-01-01

Afterschool programs have garnered much attention as promising environments for learning where children can engage in rich science activities. Yet, little is known about the kinds of instructional materials used in typical, large-scale afterschool programs that implement science with diverse populations of children. In this study, we investigated…

Can citizen science enhance public understanding of science?

Science.gov (United States)

Bonney, Rick; Phillips, Tina B; Ballard, Heidi L; Enck, Jody W

2016-01-01

Over the past 20 years, thousands of citizen science projects engaging millions of participants in collecting and/or processing data have sprung up around the world. Here we review documented outcomes from four categories of citizen science projects which are defined by the nature of the activities in which their participants engage - Data Collection, Data Processing, Curriculum-based, and Community Science. We find strong evidence that scientific outcomes of citizen science are well documented, particularly for Data Collection and Data Processing projects. We find limited but growing evidence that citizen science projects achieve participant gains in knowledge about science knowledge and process, increase public awareness of the diversity of scientific research, and provide deeper meaning to participants' hobbies. We also find some evidence that citizen science can contribute positively to social well-being by influencing the questions that are being addressed and by giving people a voice in local environmental decision making. While not all citizen science projects are intended to achieve a greater degree of public understanding of science, social change, or improved science -society relationships, those projects that do require effort and resources in four main categories: (1) project design, (2) outcomes measurement, (3) engagement of new audiences, and (4) new directions for research. © The Author(s) 2015.

Moral Perceptions of College Science Students

Science.gov (United States)

Nolan, Eric

This thesis argues that college-level science education is in need of explicit moral focuses centered on society's use of scientific knowledge. Many benefits come with scientific advancements but unfortunately the misuse of scientific knowledge has led to planetary crises that should be a concern for all who inhabit the Earth (e.g., climate change). The teaching of the misuses of science is often left out of college science classrooms and the purpose of this thesis is to see what effect college science students' education has had on their moral perception of these pressing issues. To evaluate how college science students morally perceive these global issues within their educational experiences, two focus group interviews were conducted and analyzed. Students converged on three themes when thinking of society's misuse of science: 1) there is something wrong with the way science is communicated between science and non-science groups; 2) misusing science for private benefit is not right, and 3) it is important for people to comprehend sustainability along different scales of understanding and action. This thesis concludes that although to some extent students were familiar with moral features that stem from society's misuse of science, they did not attribute their learning of those features from any of their required coursework within their programs of study.

Ontology patterns for complex topographic feature yypes

Science.gov (United States)

Varanka, Dalia E.

2011-01-01

Complex feature types are defined as integrated relations between basic features for a shared meaning or concept. The shared semantic concept is difficult to define in commonly used geographic information systems (GIS) and remote sensing technologies. The role of spatial relations between complex feature parts was recognized in early GIS literature, but had limited representation in the feature or coverage data models of GIS. Spatial relations are more explicitly specified in semantic technology. In this paper, semantics for topographic feature ontology design patterns (ODP) are developed as data models for the representation of complex features. In the context of topographic processes, component assemblages are supported by resource systems and are found on local landscapes. The topographic ontology is organized across six thematic modules that can account for basic feature types, resource systems, and landscape types. Types of complex feature attributes include location, generative processes and physical description. Node/edge networks model standard spatial relations and relations specific to topographic science to represent complex features. To demonstrate these concepts, data from The National Map of the U. S. Geological Survey was converted and assembled into ODP.

Feature-Based Statistical Analysis of Combustion Simulation Data

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bennett, J; Krishnamoorthy, V; Liu, S; Grout, R; Hawkes, E; Chen, J; Pascucci, V; Bremer, P T

2011-11-18

We present a new framework for feature-based statistical analysis of large-scale scientific data and demonstrate its effectiveness by analyzing features from Direct Numerical Simulations (DNS) of turbulent combustion. Turbulent flows are ubiquitous and account for transport and mixing processes in combustion, astrophysics, fusion, and climate modeling among other disciplines. They are also characterized by coherent structure or organized motion, i.e. nonlocal entities whose geometrical features can directly impact molecular mixing and reactive processes. While traditional multi-point statistics provide correlative information, they lack nonlocal structural information, and hence, fail to provide mechanistic causality information between organized fluid motion and mixing and reactive processes. Hence, it is of great interest to capture and track flow features and their statistics together with their correlation with relevant scalar quantities, e.g. temperature or species concentrations. In our approach we encode the set of all possible flow features by pre-computing merge trees augmented with attributes, such as statistical moments of various scalar fields, e.g. temperature, as well as length-scales computed via spectral analysis. The computation is performed in an efficient streaming manner in a pre-processing step and results in a collection of meta-data that is orders of magnitude smaller than the original simulation data. This meta-data is sufficient to support a fully flexible and interactive analysis of the features, allowing for arbitrary thresholds, providing per-feature statistics, and creating various global diagnostics such as Cumulative Density Functions (CDFs), histograms, or time-series. We combine the analysis with a rendering of the features in a linked-view browser that enables scientists to interactively explore, visualize, and analyze the equivalent of one terabyte of simulation data. We highlight the utility of this new framework for combustion

New learning resource features CERN

CERN Multimedia

Katarina Anthony

2011-01-01

A new educational website, STEM Works, has been launched this month, presenting science and technology in an industrial context for students aged 11-14. Developed with contributions from CERN, the site highlights the Laboratory as a “real-world” example of the opportunities available to science graduates. While the site was developed in Northern Ireland, STEM Works addresses issues of global relevance.   Students share their projects with Steve Myers, Richard Hanna (CCEA), and Catriona Ruane (Education Minister). STEM stands for Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics – the four cornerstones of the curriculum featured on the STEM Works website. It is part of a nationwide push in Northern Ireland to highlight how important STEM subjects are to both academia and industry. CERN worked closely with the Northern Ireland Council for the Curriculum, Examinations and Assessment (CCEA) to develop educational content for the site. “The CCEA STEM Works site i...

Crossing borders: High school science teachers learning to teach the specialized language of science

Science.gov (United States)

Patrick, Jennifer Drake

The highly specialized language of science is both challenging and alienating to adolescent readers. This study investigated how secondary science teachers learn to teach the specialized language of science in their classrooms. Three research questions guided this study: (a) what do science teachers know about teaching reading in science? (b) what understanding about the unique language demands of science reading do they construct through professional development? and (c) how do they integrate what they have learned about these specialized features of science language into their teaching practices? This study investigated the experience of seven secondary science teachers as they participated in a professional development program designed to teach them about the specialized language of science. Data sources included participant interviews, audio-taped professional development sessions, field notes from classroom observations, and a prior knowledge survey. Results from this study suggest that science teachers (a) were excited to learn about disciplinary reading practices, (b) developed an emergent awareness of the specialized features of science language and the various genres of science writing, and (c) recognized that the challenges of science reading goes beyond vocabulary. These teachers' efforts to understand and address the language of science in their teaching practices were undermined by their lack of basic knowledge of grammar, availability of time and resources, their prior knowledge and experiences, existing curriculum, and school structure. This study contributes to our understanding of how secondary science teachers learn about disciplinary literacy and apply that knowledge in their classroom instruction. It has important implications for literacy educators and science educators who are interested in using language and literacy practices in the service of science teaching and learning. (Full text of this dissertation may be available via the University

The Effect of Physical Activity on Science Competence and Attitude towards Science Content

Science.gov (United States)

Klinkenborg, Ann Maria

This study examines the effect of physical activity on science instruction. To combat the implications of physical inactivity, schools need to be willing to consider all possible opportunities for students to engage in moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA). Integrating physical activity with traditional classroom content is one instructional method to consider. Researchers have typically focused on integration with English/language arts (ELA) and mathematics. The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of physical activity on science competence and attitude towards science. Fifty-three third grade children participated in this investigation; one group received science instruction with a physical activity intervention while the other group received traditional science instruction. Participants in both groups completed a modified version of What I Really Think of Science attitude scale (Pell & Jarvis, 2001) and a physical science test of competence prior to and following the intervention. Children were videotaped during science instruction and their movement coded to measure the proportion of time spent in MVPA. Results revealed that children in the intervention group demonstrated greater MVPA during the instructional period. A moderate to large effect size (partial eta squared = .091) was seen in the intervention group science competence post-test indicating greater understanding of force, motion, work, and simple machines concepts than that of the control group who were less physically active. There was no statistically significant attitude difference between the intervention and control groups post-test, (F(1,51) = .375, p = .543). These results provide evidence that integration can effectively present physical science content and have a positive impact on the number of minutes of health-enhancing physical activity in a school day.

Factors Influencing Science Content Accuracy in Elementary Inquiry Science Lessons

Science.gov (United States)

Nowicki, Barbara L.; Sullivan-Watts, Barbara; Shim, Minsuk K.; Young, Betty; Pockalny, Robert

2013-06-01

Elementary teachers face increasing demands to engage children in authentic science process and argument while simultaneously preparing them with knowledge of science facts, vocabulary, and concepts. This reform is particularly challenging due to concerns that elementary teachers lack adequate science background to teach science accurately. This study examined 81 in-classroom inquiry science lessons for preservice education majors and their cooperating teachers to determine the accuracy of the science content delivered in elementary classrooms. Our results showed that 74 % of experienced teachers and 50 % of student teachers presented science lessons with greater than 90 % accuracy. Eleven of the 81 lessons (9 preservice, 2 cooperating teachers) failed to deliver accurate science content to the class. Science content accuracy was highly correlated with the use of kit-based resources supported with professional development, a preference for teaching science, and grade level. There was no correlation between the accuracy of science content and some common measures of teacher content knowledge (i.e., number of college science courses, science grades, or scores on a general science content test). Our study concluded that when provided with high quality curricular materials and targeted professional development, elementary teachers learn needed science content and present it accurately to their students.

An adaptation study of internal and external features in facial representations.

Science.gov (United States)

Hills, Charlotte; Romano, Kali; Davies-Thompson, Jodie; Barton, Jason J S

2014-07-01

Prior work suggests that internal features contribute more than external features to face processing. Whether this asymmetry is also true of the mental representations of faces is not known. We used face adaptation to determine whether the internal and external features of faces contribute differently to the representation of facial identity, whether this was affected by familiarity, and whether the results differed if the features were presented in isolation or as part of a whole face. In a first experiment, subjects performed a study of identity adaptation for famous and novel faces, in which the adapting stimuli were whole faces, the internal features alone, or the external features alone. In a second experiment, the same faces were used, but the adapting internal and external features were superimposed on whole faces that were ambiguous to identity. The first experiment showed larger aftereffects for unfamiliar faces, and greater aftereffects from internal than from external features, and the latter was true for both familiar and unfamiliar faces. When internal and external features were presented in a whole-face context in the second experiment, aftereffects from either internal or external features was less than that from the whole face, and did not differ from each other. While we reproduce the greater importance of internal features when presented in isolation, we find this is equally true for familiar and unfamiliar faces. The dominant influence of internal features is reduced when integrated into a whole-face context, suggesting another facet of expert face processing. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Books and Stories in Children's Science

Science.gov (United States)

McCullagh, John; Walsh, Glenda; Greenwood, Julian

2010-01-01

A group of third-year undergraduate student teachers used books and stories during science enquiry lessons as part of the BASICS (Books And Stories In Children's Science) project funded by the AstraZeneca Science Teaching Trust. This three-year project involved a cluster of five primary schools in the greater Belfast area. The aim of the project…

Interoperability In The New Planetary Science Archive (PSA)

Science.gov (United States)

Rios, C.; Barbarisi, I.; Docasal, R.; Macfarlane, A. J.; Gonzalez, J.; Arviset, C.; Grotheer, E.; Besse, S.; Martinez, S.; Heather, D.; De Marchi, G.; Lim, T.; Fraga, D.; Barthelemy, M.

2015-12-01

As the world becomes increasingly interconnected, there is a greater need to provide interoperability with software and applications that are commonly being used globally. For this purpose, the development of the new Planetary Science Archive (PSA), by the European Space Astronomy Centre (ESAC) Science Data Centre (ESDC), is focused on building a modern science archive that takes into account internationally recognised standards in order to provide access to the archive through tools from third parties, for example by the NASA Planetary Data System (PDS), the VESPA project from the Virtual Observatory of Paris as well as other international institutions. The protocols and standards currently being supported by the new Planetary Science Archive at this time are the Planetary Data Access Protocol (PDAP), the EuroPlanet-Table Access Protocol (EPN-TAP) and Open Geospatial Consortium (OGC) standards. The architecture of the PSA consists of a Geoserver (an open-source map server), the goal of which is to support use cases such as the distribution of search results, sharing and processing data through a OGC Web Feature Service (WFS) and a Web Map Service (WMS). This server also allows the retrieval of requested information in several standard output formats like Keyhole Markup Language (KML), Geography Markup Language (GML), shapefile, JavaScript Object Notation (JSON) and Comma Separated Values (CSV), among others. The provision of these various output formats enables end-users to be able to transfer retrieved data into popular applications such as Google Mars and NASA World Wind.

Science teaching in science education

Science.gov (United States)

Callahan, Brendan E.; Dopico, Eduardo

2016-06-01

Reading the interesting article Discerning selective traditions in science education by Per Sund , which is published in this issue of CSSE, allows us to open the discussion on procedures for teaching science today. Clearly there is overlap between the teaching of science and other areas of knowledge. However, we must constantly develop new methods to teach and differentiate between science education and teaching science in response to the changing needs of our students, and we must analyze what role teachers and teacher educators play in both. We must continually examine the methods and concepts involved in developing pedagogical content knowledge in science teachers. Otherwise, the possibility that these routines, based on subjective traditions, prevent emerging processes of educational innovation. Modern science is an enormous field of knowledge in its own right, which is made more expansive when examined within the context of its place in society. We propose the need to design educative interactions around situations that involve science and society. Science education must provide students with all four dimensions of the cognitive process: factual knowledge, conceptual knowledge, procedural knowledge, and metacognitive knowledge. We can observe in classrooms at all levels of education that students understand the concepts better when they have the opportunity to apply the scientific knowledge in a personally relevant way. When students find value in practical exercises and they are provided opportunities to reinterpret their experiences, greater learning gains are achieved. In this sense, a key aspect of educational innovation is the change in teaching methodology. We need new tools to respond to new problems. A shift in teacher education is needed to realize the rewards of situating science questions in a societal context and opening classroom doors to active methodologies in science education to promote meaningful learning through meaningful teaching.

National Institute of General Medical Sciences

Science.gov (United States)

... Over Navigation Links National Institute of General Medical Sciences Site Map Staff Search My Order Search the ... NIGMS Website Research Funding Research Training News & Meetings Science Education About NIGMS Feature Slides View All Slides ...

Trend spotting--whither health science librarianship?

Science.gov (United States)

Murphy, Jeannette

2011-12-01

This feature surveys 20th-century trends in health sciences librarianship. It sets the scene for a series of features looking at 21st-century trends in various countries and regions. Whilst the mission of the health science library remains constant, librarians must find ways of adjusting their role and the services they provide to take account of changes in the external environment. © 2011 The authors. Health Information and Libraries Journal © 2011 Health Libraries Group.

Currency features for visually impaired people

Science.gov (United States)

Hyland, Sandra L.; Legge, Gordon E.; Shannon, Robert R.; Baer, Norbert S.

1996-03-01

The estimated 3.7 million Americans with low vision experience a uniquely difficult task in identifying the denominations of U.S. banknotes because the notes are remarkably uniform in size, color, and general design. The National Research Council's Committee on Currency Features Usable by the Visually Impaired assessed features that could be used by people who are visually disabled to distinguish currency from other documents and to denominate and authenticate banknotes using available technology. Variation of length and height, introduction of large numerals on a uniform, high-contrast background, use of different colors for each of the six denominations printed, and the introduction of overt denomination codes that could lead to development of effective, low-cost devices for examining banknotes were all deemed features available now. Issues affecting performance, including the science of visual and tactile perception, were addressed for these features, as well as for those features requiring additional research and development. In this group the committee included durable tactile features such as those printed with transparent ink, and the production of currency with holes to indicate denomination. Among long-range approaches considered were the development of technologically advanced devices and smart money.

Electronic Materials Science

Science.gov (United States)

Irene, Eugene A.

2005-02-01

A thorough introduction to fundamental principles and applications From its beginnings in metallurgy and ceramics, materials science now encompasses such high- tech fields as microelectronics, polymers, biomaterials, and nanotechnology. Electronic Materials Science presents the fundamentals of the subject in a detailed fashion for a multidisciplinary audience. Offering a higher-level treatment than an undergraduate textbook provides, this text benefits students and practitioners not only in electronics and optical materials science, but also in additional cutting-edge fields like polymers and biomaterials. Readers with a basic understanding of physical chemistry or physics will appreciate the text's sophisticated presentation of today's materials science. Instructive derivations of important formulae, usually omitted in an introductory text, are included here. This feature offers a useful glimpse into the foundations of how the discipline understands such topics as defects, phase equilibria, and mechanical properties. Additionally, concepts such as reciprocal space, electron energy band theory, and thermodynamics enter the discussion earlier and in a more robust fashion than in other texts. Electronic Materials Science also features: An orientation towards industry and academia drawn from the author's experience in both arenas Information on applications in semiconductors, optoelectronics, photocells, and nanoelectronics Problem sets and important references throughout Flexibility for various pedagogical needs Treating the subject with more depth than any other introductory text, Electronic Materials Science prepares graduate and upper-level undergraduate students for advanced topics in the discipline and gives scientists in associated disciplines a clear review of the field and its leading technologies.

A Systemic Functional Linguistic Analysis of the Utterances of Three South African Physical Sciences Teachers

Science.gov (United States)

Jawahar, Kavish; Dempster, Edith R.

2013-06-01

In this study, the sociocultural view of science as a language and some quantitative language features of the complementary theoretical framework of systemic functional linguistics are employed to analyse the utterances of three South African Physical Sciences teachers. Using a multi-case study methodology, this study provides a sophisticated description of the utterances of Pietermaritzburg Physical Sciences teachers in language contexts characterised by varying proportions of English Second Language (ESL) students in each class. The results reveal that, as expected, lexical cohesion as measured by the cohesive harmony index and proportion of repeated content words relative to total words, increased with an increasing proportion of ESL students. However, the use of nominalisation by the teachers and the lexical density of their utterances did not decrease with an increasing proportion of ESL students. Furthermore, the results reveal that each individual Physical Sciences teacher had a 'signature' talk, unrelated to the language context in which they taught. This study signals the urgent and critical need for South African science teacher training programmes to place a greater emphasis on the functional use of language for different language contexts in order to empower South African Physical Sciences teachers to adequately apprentice their students into the use of the register of scientific English.

Journal of Earth System Science | Indian Academy of Sciences

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

Home; Journals; Journal of Earth System Science; Volume 111; Issue 3 ... support the well-known fact that oceanic eddies are distributed worldwide in the ocean. ... The classification of typical vortical features in the ocean detected in remote ...

NASA/MSFC/NSSTC Science Communication Roundtable

Science.gov (United States)

Adams, M. L.; Gallagher, D. L.; Koczor, R.; Six, N. Frank (Technical Monitor)

2002-01-01

The Science Directorate at Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) conducts a diverse program of Internet-based science communication through a Science Roundtable process. The Roundtable includes active researchers, writers, NASA public relations staff, educators, and administrators. The Science@NASA award-winning family of Web sites features science, mathematics, and space news to inform, involve, and inspire students and the public about science. We describe here the process of producing stories, results from research to understand the science communication process, and we highlight each member of our Web family.

Disruption of visual feature binding in working memory.

Science.gov (United States)

Ueno, Taiji; Allen, Richard J; Baddeley, Alan D; Hitch, Graham J; Saito, Satoru

2011-01-01

In a series of five experiments, we studied the effect of a visual suffix on the retention in short-term visual memory of both individual visual features and objects involving the binding of two features. Experiments 1A, 1B, and 2 involved suffixes consisting of features external to the to-be-remembered set and revealed a modest but equivalent disruption on individual and bound feature conditions. Experiments 3A and 3B involved suffixes comprising features that could potentially have formed part of the to-be-remembered set (but did not on that trial). Both experiments showed greater disruption of retention for objects comprising bound features than for their individual features. The results are interpreted as differentiating two components of suffix interference, one affecting memory for features and bindings equally, the other affecting memory for bindings. The general component is tentatively identified with the attentional cost of operating a filter to prevent the suffix from entering visual working memory, whereas the specific component is attributed to the particular fragility of bound representations when the filter fails.

Nuclear instrument engineering - the measuring and informative basis of nuclear science and technology

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Matveev, V.V.; Krasheninnikov, I.S.; Murin, I.D.; Stas', K.N.

1977-01-01

The cornerstones of developing nuclear instrument engineering in the USSR are shortly discussed. The industry is based on a well developed theory. A system approach is a characteristic feature of the present-day measuring and control systems engineering. Major functions of reactor instruments measuring different types of ionizing radiation are discussed at greater length. Nuclear measuring and control instruments and methods are widely used in different fields of science and technoloay and in different industries in the USSR. The efficient and safe operation of a nuclear facility is underlined to depend strongly upon a correlation between a technological process and the information and control system of the facility

Epidemiology and clinical features of patients with hepatocellular ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

2016-02-28

Feb 28, 2016 ... deaths worldwide.[1] It is the fifth most common type ... Qari and Mosli: Epidemiological and clinical features of liver cancer. 44. Nigerian Journal of ... Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS Inc., Chicago, IL,. USA), version 16.

SINET: Ethiopian Journal of Science

African Journals Online (AJOL)

... bi-annual journal of science published by the Faculty of Science, Addis Ababa University, Ethiopia. The Journal is designed for an international readership both within Africa and overseas. Since its inception in 1978, SINET has been publishing original research articles, review articles, short communications and feature ...

Psychopathological traits in college students from top-ranking french schools: Do autistic features impair success in science when associated with schizotypal traits?

Science.gov (United States)

Choteau, Laura; Raynal, Patrick; Goutaudier, Nelly; Chabrol, Henri

2016-03-30

The link between personality and the interest of individuals for science has not been thoroughly explored. In this report, we studied psychopathological traits in students studying science in French top-ranking institutions. Three hundred and forty seven individuals answered questionnaires assessing autistic and schizotypal dimensions, as well as anxiety, depression symptomatology and attachment quality. A cluster analysis based on autistic and schizotypal traits led to the identification of 4 distinct profiles: a "low trait cluster", a "moderate autistic trait cluster", a "moderate schizotypal trait cluster" and a "high trait cluster" (HTC) composed of individuals with high scores on both autistic and schizotypal scales. Each cluster represented 20.1-27.1% of participants and was clearly different from the three others, both on autistic and on schizotypal dimensions. These groups could be also typified by their level of anxiety, depression or degraded attachment, which are proportional to the extent of psychopathological traits. Moreover, students from the HTC cluster displayed lower academic results, thus implying that autistic traits might impair success in science when they are associated with moderate schizotypal personality features. This study also suggests that depression and anxiety might mediate performance inhibition in the HTC group. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Becoming a science teacher: moving toward creolized science and an ethic of cosmopolitanism

Science.gov (United States)

Seiler, Gale

2011-03-01

Although communities and schools in North America are increasingly diverse and positioned in a global web, schools continue to adhere to Western norms and the teacher workforce remains largely White, continuing an ideology of collective sameness and conformity. Hybridization of teacher identity and of science teaching are suggested as ways to advance an ethic of solidarity through difference (cosmopolitanism) with science teaching as its vehicle. In this paper, I explore identity hybridization among non-dominant science teachers as they merge identity narratives, or who they are around science and science teaching, with who they are out-of-school. Our attention is focused on their experiences of dis-identification with science in terms of diaspora, or the sense of being taken away from what one knows and values. By generating a creolized approach to science teaching, teachers create possibilities for greater student identification with science in school, which in turn has potential for changing the face of who does science and of science itself.

Global Patterns in Students' Views of Science and Interest in Science

Science.gov (United States)

van Griethuijsen, Ralf A. L. F.; van Eijck, Michiel W.; Haste, Helen; den Brok, Perry J.; Skinner, Nigel C.; Mansour, Nasser; Savran Gencer, Ayse; BouJaoude, Saouma

2015-08-01

International studies have shown that interest in science and technology among primary and secondary school students in Western European countries is low and seems to be decreasing. In many countries outside Europe, and especially in developing countries, interest in science and technology remains strong. As part of the large-scale European Union funded `Science Education for Diversity' project, a questionnaire probing potential reasons for this difference was completed by students in the UK, Netherlands, Turkey, Lebanon, India and Malaysia. This questionnaire sought information about favourite courses, extracurricular activities and views on the nature of science. Over 9,000 students aged mainly between 10 and 14 years completed the questionnaire. Results revealed that students in countries outside Western Europe showed a greater interest in school science, in careers related to science and in extracurricular activities related to science than did Western European students. Non-European students were also more likely to hold an empiricist view of the nature of science and to believe that science can solve many problems faced by the world. Multilevel analysis revealed a strong correlation between interest in science and having such a view of the Nature of Science.

Marine Science

African Journals Online (AJOL)

ination of high quality research generated in the Western Indian Ocean (WIO) region, ... fisheries, recovery and restoration processes, legal and institutional frameworks, and interactions/relationships ... Science features state-of-the-art review articles and short communications. ... Non-metric multidimensional scaling (nMDS).

Gender and Acquisition of science process skills among junior

African Journals Online (AJOL)

PROF. BARTH EKWEME

the UBE scheme should be actively involved in classroom activities, and that activity-based methods of instruction be employed in teaching Basic sciences to enable a greater percentage of students to acquire Science Process Skills with higher scores for effective learning of Science subjects. INTRODUCTION. Science Skill ...

Brains--Computers--Machines: Neural Engineering in Science Classrooms

Science.gov (United States)

Chudler, Eric H.; Bergsman, Kristen Clapper

2016-01-01

Neural engineering is an emerging field of high relevance to students, teachers, and the general public. This feature presents online resources that educators and scientists can use to introduce students to neural engineering and to integrate core ideas from the life sciences, physical sciences, social sciences, computer science, and engineering…

Second-Career Science Teachers' Classroom Conceptions of Science and Engineering Practices Examined through the Lens of Their Professional Histories

Science.gov (United States)

Antink-Meyer, Allison; Brown, Ryan A.

2017-01-01

Science standards in the U.S. have shifted to emphasise science and engineering process skills (i.e. specific practices within inquiry) to a greater extent than previous standards' emphases on broad representations of inquiry. This study examined the alignment between second-career science teachers' personal histories with the latter and examined…

Journal of Earth System Science | Indian Academy of Sciences

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

Home; Journals; Journal of Earth System Science; Volume 126; Issue 4. Deep learning for predicting the monsoon over the homogeneous regions of India. Moumita Saha Pabitra Mitra ... Keywords. Feature learning; stacked autoencoder; monsoon predictor; ensemble of regression trees; regional Indian summer monsoon.

Greater-Than-Class C low-level radioactive waste treatment technology evaluation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Garrison, T.W.; Fischer, D.K.

1993-01-01

This report was developed to provide the Greater-Than-Class C Low-Level Radioactive Waste Management Program with criteria and a methodology to select candidate treatment technologies for Greater-Than-Class C low-level radioactive waste (GTCC LLW) destined for dedicated storage and ultimately disposal. The technology selection criteria are provided in a Lotus spreadsheet format to allow the methodology to evolve as the GTCC LLW Program evolves. It is recognized that the final disposal facility is not yet defined; thus, the waste acceptance criteria and other facility-specific features are subject to change. The spreadsheet format will allow for these changes a they occur. As additional treatment information becomes available, it can be factored into the analysis. The technology selection criteria were established from program goals, draft waste acceptance criteria for dedicated storage (including applicable regulations), and accepted remedial investigation methods utilized under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act. Kepner-Tregoe decisionmaking techniques are used to compare and rank technologies against the criteria

Resonance – Journal of Science Education | Indian Academy of ...

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

Home; Journals; Resonance – Journal of Science Education. Categories. Resonance – Journal of Science Education. Article in a Box · Article-in-a-Box · Book Review · Books Received · Classics · Classroom · Crossword · Editorial · Errata · Face to Face · Feature Article · Featured Scientist · Filler · Film Review · Flowering ...

Citizen Science and Crowdsourcing as effective STEM Education and Engagement activities for Diverse Audiences: case studies featured in THE CROWD & THE CLOUD public TV series.

Science.gov (United States)

Haines-Stiles, G.; Abdalati, W.; Akuginow, E.

2017-12-01

Citizen science and crowdsourcing are relatively unfamiliar terms to the general public, including parents, children and teachers, as seen in focus groups convened by the NSF-funded THE CROWD & THE CLOUD public television series. Once aware, however, of the potential of today's citizen science—often relying on smartphones, apps and innovative sensors—both citizens and professional scientists become excited and seek to learn more. CROWD & CLOUD, premiering on PBS stations in April 2017, hosted by former NASA Chief Scientist Waleed Abdalati, and streaming at CrowdAndCloud.org, features a wide range of projects supported by NASA, NOAA, USGS, EPA and other Federal agencies. Some, such as EyesOnALZ, a startup which aims to accelerate research on Alzheimer's disease, adapt a crowdsourcing model first developed to help analyze data returned by NASA's Stardust spacecraft. Early results from its "StallCatchers" puzzle-game show both high quality data and have been shown to cut one year's worth of academic labor down to one month of effort by "the crowd." While longstanding citizen science projects such as Audubon's Christmas Bird Count (starting in 1900) have proven their worth, Smartfin—embedding sensors in surfboard fins—is taking advantage of recent technical innovations to track sea surface temperatures and ocean acidification, with their accuracy validated by the Scripps Institution of Oceanography. The NASA-supported GLOBE Observer mosquito habitat mapper project uses a $6 microscope attached to a smartphone to aid in species identification. Some projects tap adult volunteers, but many, such as USGS's Nature's Notebook, also appeal to youngsters. In Albuquerque local teens track invasive species and help refuge managers, usefully supplementing the sole salaried ranger. In the Rockaways, New York, high school students plant pollinator gardens and promote ecosystem resilience following Superstorm Sandy. This presentation will feature short videos demonstrating

Flow-like Features On Europa

Science.gov (United States)

1997-01-01

This image shows features on Jupiter's moon Europa that may be 'flows' from ice volcanoes. It was taken by the Galileo spacecraft solid state imaging (CCD) system during its seventh orbit around Jupiter. North is to the top of the image. The sun illuminates the scene from the left, showing features with shapes similar to lava flows on Earth. Two such features can be seen in the northwest corner of the image. The southern feature appears to have flowed over a ridge along its western edge. Scientists use these types of relationships to determine which feature formed first. In this case, the ridge probably formed before the flow-like feature that covers it.The image, centered at 22.6 degrees north latitude and 106.7 degrees west longitude, covers an area of 180 by 215 kilometers (112 by 134 miles). The smallest distinguishable features in the image are about 1.1 kilometers (0.7 miles) across. This image was obtained on April 28, 1997, when Galileo was 27,590 kilometers (16,830 miles) from Europa.The Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, CA manages the Galileo mission for NASA's Office of Space Science, Washington, DC. JPL is an operating division of California Institute of Technology (Caltech).This image and other images and data received from Galileo are posted on the World Wide Web, on the Galileo mission home page at URL http://galileo.jpl.nasa.gov. Background information and educational context for the images can be found at URL http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/galileo/sepo

Physics Guided Data Science in the Earth Sciences

Science.gov (United States)

Ganguly, A. R.

2017-12-01

Even as the geosciences are becoming relatively data-rich owing to remote sensing and archived model simulations, established physical understanding and process knowledge cannot be ignored. The ability to leverage both physics and data-intensive sciences may lead to new discoveries and predictive insights. A principled approach to physics guided data science, where physics informs feature selection, output constraints, and even the architecture of the learning models, is motivated. The possibility of hybrid physics and data science models at the level of component processes is discussed. The challenges and opportunities, as well as the relations to other approaches such as data assimilation - which also bring physics and data together - are discussed. Case studies are presented in climate, hydrology and meteorology.

Clinical features of patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

of this study was to determine the most common features of patients with systemic lupus erythematosus ... Conclusion: Most of the findings correlate with similar studies worldwide. .... Sciences, University of the Free State to conduct the study.

High school teacher enhancement in the sciences

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mohamed, A. [Jackson State Univ., MS (United States). School of Science and Technology; Shepard, R.L. [Science and Engineering Alliance, Inc., Washington, DC (United States)

1997-03-01

As part of an effort to improve the teaching of science in a four-State region (Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, and Texas), the Science and Engineering Alliance (SEA) initiated a series of teacher enhancement workshops in science. The workshops focus on teaching problem solving through experience gained in laboratory, field work, classroom discussions and interactions/debates, critical analysis of the literature, obtaining a greater appreciation of the application of mathematics in science, and interactions with experts in various fields of science.

Multimedia encyclopedia of nuclear science

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Blanc, J.A.; Langlands, T.L.M.; Crooks, J.R.; Milne-Jones, S.R.; D'Urso, C.A.; Stone, C.A.

1997-01-01

We are developing a multimedia encyclopedia that provides a framework for students to learn nuclear science. A variety of media formats are used to present concepts, including text, static figures, animations, and video. Two special presentation formats use dynamically produced simulations to expose students to nuclear science relationships. These media types provide greater interactivity and flexibility than simple animations. Students access information through tutorials, a dictionary of nuclear science terms, biographies of notable scientists, and a timeline of nuclear science history.The tutorial organization emphasizes the interrelationships among topics. We present an overview of the encyclopedia. (author)

Women, race, and science: The academic experiences of twenty women of color with a passion for science

Science.gov (United States)

Johnson, Angela C.

Women of color drop out of science at higher rates than other students. This study is an ethnographic examination of why this occurs and how women of color can be supported in studying science. Through participant observation in science classes, labs, and a program supporting high-achieving students of color, as well as interviews with minority women science students, the student identities celebrated by science departments, as well as those embraced by my informants, were uncovered. Cultural norms of science classes often differed from those of the women in the study. Only one identity---apprentice research scientist---was celebrated in science settings, although others were tolerated. The women tended to either embrace the apprentice research scientist identity, form an alternative science-oriented identity, or never form a satisfying science student identity. Women who were more racially marked were more likely to fall into the second and third groups. This study uncovered difficulties which women students of color faced more than other science students. In addition, it uncovered several seemingly neutral institutional features of science lectures and labs which actually served to discourage or marginalize women students of color. It revealed values held in common by the women in the study and how those characteristics (especially altruism and pride and pleasure in academic challenge) led them to study science. It also revealed strategies used by the most successful women science students, as well as by professors and programs most successful at supporting women of color in the study of science. Based on this study, increasing the participation of women of color in science holds the possibility of altering the basic values of science; however, institutional features and personal interactions within science departments tend to resist those changes, primarily by encouraging women of color to abandon their study of science.

Passive Safety Features for Small Modular Reactors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ingersoll, Daniel T.

2010-01-01

The rapid growth in the size and complexity of commercial nuclear power plants in the 1970s spawned an interest in smaller, simpler designs that are inherently or intrinsically safe through the use of passive design features. Several designs were developed, but none were ever built, although some of their passive safety features were incorporated into large commercial plant designs that are being planned or built today. In recent years, several reactor vendors are actively redeveloping small modular reactor (SMR) designs with even greater use of passive features. Several designs incorporate the ultimate in passive safety they completely eliminate specific accident initiators from the design. Other design features help to reduce the likelihood of an accident or help to mitigate the accidents consequences, should one occur. While some passive safety features are common to most SMR designs, irrespective of the coolant technology, other features are specific to water, gas, or liquid-metal cooled SMR designs. The extensive use of passive safety features in SMRs promise to make these plants highly robust, protecting both the general public and the owner/investor. Once demonstrated, these plants should allow nuclear power to be used confidently for a broader range of customers and applications than will be possible with large plants alone.

Science, Technology, and YA Lit

Science.gov (United States)

Clemmons, Karina; Sheehy, Colleen

2011-01-01

Science teachers today need engaging projects to help students build 21st-century skills (NSTA 2011). Contemporary young adult literature (YA lit) can form the basis of one such project. YA lit--a genre of fiction geared toward 2 to 20-year-olds--opens a powerful avenue to connect with students and cover science topics in greater depth. YA lit is…

How Nonfiction Reveals the Nature of Science

Science.gov (United States)

Zarnowski, Myra; Turkel, Susan

2013-01-01

In this article, the authors consider whether children's trade books promote an authentic understanding of the nature of science. They begin by discussing the characteristics of the nature of science and then examine existing research in children's science books for evidence of the visibility of these features. They describe the problems…

The Moon Mineralogy Mapper (M3) imaging spectrometerfor lunar science: Instrument description, calibration, on‐orbit measurements, science data calibration and on‐orbit validation

Science.gov (United States)

C. Pieters,; P. Mouroulis,; M. Eastwood,; J. Boardman,; Green, R.O.; Glavich, T.; Isaacson, P.; Annadurai, M.; Besse, S.; Cate, D.; Chatterjee, A.; Clark, R.; Barr, D.; Cheek, L.; Combe, J.; Dhingra, D.; Essandoh, V.; Geier, S.; Goswami, J.N.; Green, R.; Haemmerle, V.; Head, J.; Hovland, L.; Hyman, S.; Klima, R.; Koch, T.; Kramer, G.; Kumar, A.S.K.; Lee, K.; Lundeen, S.; Malaret, E.; McCord, T.; McLaughlin, S.; Mustard, J.; Nettles, J.; Petro, N.; Plourde, K.; Racho, C.; Rodriguez, J.; Runyon, C.; Sellar, G.; Smith, C.; Sobel, H.; Staid, M.; Sunshine, J.; Taylor, L.; Thaisen, K.; Tompkins, S.; Tseng, H.; Vane, G.; Varanasi, P.; White, M.; Wilson, D.

2011-01-01

The NASA Discovery Moon Mineralogy Mapper imaging spectrometer was selected to pursue a wide range of science objectives requiring measurement of composition at fine spatial scales over the full lunar surface. To pursue these objectives, a broad spectral range imaging spectrometer with high uniformity and high signal-to-noise ratio capable of measuring compositionally diagnostic spectral absorption features from a wide variety of known and possible lunar materials was required. For this purpose the Moon Mineralogy Mapper imaging spectrometer was designed and developed that measures the spectral range from 430 to 3000 nm with 10 nm spectral sampling through a 24 degree field of view with 0.7 milliradian spatial sampling. The instrument has a signal-to-noise ratio of greater than 400 for the specified equatorial reference radiance and greater than 100 for the polar reference radiance. The spectral cross-track uniformity is >90% and spectral instantaneous field-of-view uniformity is >90%. The Moon Mineralogy Mapper was launched on Chandrayaan-1 on the 22nd of October. On the 18th of November 2008 the Moon Mineralogy Mapper was turned on and collected a first light data set within 24 h. During this early checkout period and throughout the mission the spacecraft thermal environment and orbital parameters varied more than expected and placed operational and data quality constraints on the measurements. On the 29th of August 2009, spacecraft communication was lost. Over the course of the flight mission 1542 downlinked data sets were acquired that provide coverage of more than 95% of the lunar surface. An end-to-end science data calibration system was developed and all measurements have been passed through this system and delivered to the Planetary Data System (PDS.NASA.GOV). An extensive effort has been undertaken by the science team to validate the Moon Mineralogy Mapper science measurements in the context of the mission objectives. A focused spectral, radiometric

The flipped classroom: practices and opportunities for health sciences librarians.

Science.gov (United States)

Youngkin, C Andrew

2014-01-01

The "flipped classroom" instructional model is being introduced into medical and health sciences curricula to provide greater efficiency in curriculum delivery and produce greater opportunity for in-depth class discussion and problem solving among participants. As educators employ the flipped classroom to invert curriculum delivery and enhance learning, health sciences librarians are also starting to explore the flipped classroom model for library instruction. This article discusses how academic and health sciences librarians are using the flipped classroom and suggests opportunities for this model to be further explored for library services.

Neighbors Based Discriminative Feature Difference Learning for Kinship Verification

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Duan, Xiaodong; Tan, Zheng-Hua

2015-01-01

In this paper, we present a discriminative feature difference learning method for facial image based kinship verification. To transform feature difference of an image pair to be discriminative for kinship verification, a linear transformation matrix for feature difference between an image pair...... than the commonly used feature concatenation, leading to a low complexity. Furthermore, there is no positive semi-definitive constrain on the transformation matrix while there is in metric learning methods, leading to an easy solution for the transformation matrix. Experimental results on two public...... databases show that the proposed method combined with a SVM classification method outperforms or is comparable to state-of-the-art kinship verification methods. © Springer International Publishing AG, Part of Springer Science+Business Media...

Greater happiness for a greater number: Is that possible? If so how? (Arabic)

NARCIS (Netherlands)

R. Veenhoven (Ruut); E. Samuel (Emad)

2012-01-01

textabstractWhat is the final goal of public policy? Jeremy Bentham (1789) would say: greater happiness for a greater number. He thought of happiness as subjective enjoyment of life; in his words as “the sum of pleasures and pains”. In his time, the happiness of the great number could not be

Uncertainty analysis: an evaluation metric for synthesis science

Science.gov (United States)

Mark E. Harmon; Becky Fasth; Charles B. Halpern; James A. Lutz

2015-01-01

The methods for conducting reductionist ecological science are well known and widely used. In contrast, those used in the synthesis of ecological science (i.e., synthesis science) are still being developed, vary widely, and often lack the rigor of reductionist approaches. This is unfortunate because the synthesis of ecological parts into a greater whole is...

Resonance – Journal of Science Education | Indian Academy of ...

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

Featured Scientist. Articles in Resonance – Journal of Science Education. Volume 1 Issue 1 January 1996 pp 130-130 Featured Scientist. Pierre-Simon ... More Details Fulltext PDF. Volume 1 Issue 10 October 1996 pp 98-98 Featured Scientist.

Automated Feature and Event Detection with SDO AIA and HMI Data

Science.gov (United States)

Davey, Alisdair; Martens, P. C. H.; Attrill, G. D. R.; Engell, A.; Farid, S.; Grigis, P. C.; Kasper, J.; Korreck, K.; Saar, S. H.; Su, Y.; Testa, P.; Wills-Davey, M.; Savcheva, A.; Bernasconi, P. N.; Raouafi, N.-E.; Delouille, V. A.; Hochedez, J. F..; Cirtain, J. W.; Deforest, C. E.; Angryk, R. A.; de Moortel, I.; Wiegelmann, T.; Georgouli, M. K.; McAteer, R. T. J.; Hurlburt, N.; Timmons, R.

The Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) represents a new frontier in quantity and quality of solar data. At about 1.5 TB/day, the data will not be easily digestible by solar physicists using the same methods that have been employed for images from previous missions. In order for solar scientists to use the SDO data effectively they need meta-data that will allow them to identify and retrieve data sets that address their particular science questions. We are building a comprehensive computer vision pipeline for SDO, abstracting complete metadata on many of the features and events detectable on the Sun without human intervention. Our project unites more than a dozen individual, existing codes into a systematic tool that can be used by the entire solar community. The feature finding codes will run as part of the SDO Event Detection System (EDS) at the Joint Science Operations Center (JSOC; joint between Stanford and LMSAL). The metadata produced will be stored in the Heliophysics Event Knowledgebase (HEK), which will be accessible on-line for the rest of the world directly or via the Virtual Solar Observatory (VSO) . Solar scientists will be able to use the HEK to select event and feature data to download for science studies.

How Peircean semiotic philosophy connects Western science with Eastern emptiness ontology.

Science.gov (United States)

Brier, Søren

2017-12-01

In recent articles in this journal I have discussed why a traditional physicalist and mechanist, as well as an info-computationalist, view of science cannot fulfil the goal of building a transdisciplinary science across Snow's two cultures. There seems to be no path proceeding from mechanistic physicalism to views that encompass phenomenological theories of experiential consciousness and meaning-based cognition and communication. I have suggested, as an alternative, the Cybersemiotic framework's integration of Peirce's semiotics and Luhmann's autopoietic system theory. The present article considers in greater depth the ontological developments necessary to make this possible. It shows how Peirce avoids materialism and German idealism through his building on a concept of emptiness similar to modern quantum field theory, positing an indeterminist objective chance feeding into an evolutionary philosophy of knowing based on pure mathematics and phenomenology that is itself combined with empirically executed fallibilism. Furthermore, he created a new metaphysics in the form of a philosophical synechist triadic process philosophy. This was integrated into the transcendentalist view of process view of science and spirituality developed from Western Unitarianism by Emerson (agapism), and featuring a metaphysics of emptiness and spontaneity (tychism) that are also essential for the Eastern philosophies of Buddhism and Vedanta. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

A Ranking Analysis of the Management Schools in Greater China (2000-2010): Evidence from the SSCI Database

Science.gov (United States)

Hou, Mingjun; Fan, Peihua; Liu, Heng

2014-01-01

The authors rank the management schools in Greater China (including Mainland China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, and Macau) based on their academic publications in the Social Sciences Citation Index management and business journals from 2000 to 2010. Following K. Ritzberger's (2008) and X. Yu and Z. Gao's (2010) ranking method, the authors develop six…

FEATURES OF TEACHING COMPUTER SCIENCE FOR FOREIGN STUDENTS OF HUMANITARIAN SPHERE OF TRAINING

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Н А Савченко

2015-12-01

Full Text Available In the current socio-economic conditions of modern society it is impossible without the introducing information technologies into all spheres of life. The importance of teaching natural Sciences for Humanities is of no doubt. This article addresses the main problems of teaching computer science for foreign students studying in the field of training 41.03.01 “Foreign area studies”.

Indigenous Knowledge, Science, and Resilience: What Have We Learned from a Decade of International Literature on "Integration"?

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Erin L. Bohensky

2011-12-01

Full Text Available Despite the increasing trend worldwide of integrating indigenous and scientific knowledge in natural resource management, there has been little stock-taking of literature on lessons learned from bringing indigenous knowledge and science together and the implications for maintaining and building social-ecological system resilience. In this paper we investigate: (1 themes, questions, or problems encountered for integration of indigenous knowledge and science; (2 the relationship between knowledge integration and social-ecological system resilience; and (3 critical features of knowledge integration practice needed to foster productive and mutually beneficial relationships between indigenous knowledge and science. We examine these questions through content analyses of three special journal issues and an edited book published in the past decade on indigenous, local, and traditional knowledge and its interface with science. We identified broad themes in the literature related to: (1 similarities and differences between knowledge systems; (2 methods and processes of integration; (3 social contexts of integration; and (4 evaluation of knowledge. A minority of papers discuss a relationship between knowledge integration and social-ecological system resilience, but there remains a lack of clarity and empirical evidence for such a relationship that can help distinguish how indigenous knowledge and knowledge integration contribute most to resilience. Four critical features of knowledge integration are likely to enable a more productive and mutually beneficial relationship between indigenous and scientific knowledge: new frames for integration, greater cognizance of the social contexts of integration, expanded modes of knowledge evaluation, and involvement of inter-cultural "knowledge bridgers."

Examining classroom interactions related to difference in students' science achievement

Science.gov (United States)

Zady, Madelon F.; Portes, Pedro R.; Ochs, V. Dan

2003-01-01

The current study examines the cognitive supports that underlie achievement in science by using a cultural historical framework (L. S. Vygotsky (1934/1986), Thought and Language, MIT Press, Cambridge, MA.) and the activity setting (AS) construct (R. G. Tharp & R. Gallimore (1988), Rousing minds to life: Teaching, learning and schooling in social context, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, MA.) with its five features: personnel, motivations, scripts, task demands, and beliefs. Observations were made of the classrooms of seventh-grade science students, 32 of whom had participated in a prior achievement-related parent-child interaction or home study (P. R. Portes, M. F. Zady, & R. M. Dunham (1998), Journal of Genetic Psychology, 159, 163-178). The results of a quantitative analysis of classroom interaction showed two features of the AS: personnel and scripts. The qualitative field analysis generated four emergent phenomena related to the features of the AS that appeared to influence student opportunity for conceptual development. The emergent phenomenon were science activities, the building of learning, meaning in lessons, and the conflict over control. Lastly, the results of the two-part classroom study were compared to those of the home science AS of high and low achievers. Mismatches in the AS features in the science classroom may constrain the opportunity to learn. Educational implications are discussed.

Key Features of Governance in Brazilian Science and Technology Parks

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Milton Correia Sampaio Filho

2017-09-01

Full Text Available The situation of Brazilian Science and Technology Parks (STPs operation led to the field research. Even with the public policy of stimulus and support of associations, nothing has been mapped on the dissemination of results (economic growth and regional development. This scenario instigates the question: What are the governance characteristics of Brazilian Science and Technology Parks? A empirical field research was developed, taking into consideration the possibility of replication trought the registration of the choice criteria in the multiple cases and trought research detalhes and data colection. Eight STPs (TECNOPUC - Porto Alegre, Valetec - Novo Hamburgo, Tecnosinos - Sao Leopoldo, Unicamp, CIATEC and TECHNOPARK - Campinas, Rio Park - Rio de Janeiro and SergipeTec participated in research. The results and considerations about the research question allows to infer the little effectiveness of governance (without qualitative or quantitative performance indicators is possibly caused by tensions characterized by elements such as heterogeneity in characteristics of organizations that are part of STPs, lack of consensus on common goals, pressure forces and influences affecting trusts, nonconformity standards and personal and organizational preferences. Leadership relations championed by the government and / or companies can negatively influence the STP's performance as a whole.

Science youth action research: Promoting critical science literacy through relevance and agency

Science.gov (United States)

Coleman, Elizabeth R.

This three-article dissertation presents complementary perspectives on Science Youth Action Research (Sci-YAR), a K-12 curriculum designed to emphasize relevance and agency to promote youth's science learning. In Sci-YAR, youth conduct action research projects to better understand science-related issues in their lives, schools, or communities, while they simultaneously document, analyze, and reflect upon their own practices as researchers. The first article defines Sci-YAR and argues for its potential to enhance youth's participation as citizens in a democratic society. The second article details findings from a case study of youth engaged in Sci-YAR, describing how the curriculum enabled and constrained youth's identity work in service of critical science agency. The third article provides guidance to science teachers in implementing student-driven curriculum and instruction by emphasizing Sci-YAR's key features as a way to promote student agency and relevance in school science.

Scientist Spotlight Homework Assignments Shift Students' Stereotypes of Scientists and Enhance Science Identity in a Diverse Introductory Science Class

Science.gov (United States)

Schinske, Jeffrey N.; Perkins, Heather; Snyder, Amanda; Wyer, Mary

2016-01-01

Research into science identity, stereotype threat, and possible selves suggests a lack of diverse representations of scientists could impede traditionally underserved students from persisting and succeeding in science. We evaluated a series of metacognitive homework assignments ("Scientist Spotlights") that featured counterstereotypical…

Nuclear analytical methods in the life sciences

NARCIS (Netherlands)

de Goeij, J.J.M.

1994-01-01

A survey is given of various nuclear analytical methods. The type of analytical information obtainable and advantageous features for application in the life sciences are briefly indicated. These features are: physically different basis of the analytical method, isotopic rather than elemental

Science and technology

CERN Document Server

Chorafas, Dimitris N

2014-01-01

The aim of this book is to explore science and technology from the viewpoint of creating new knowledge, as opposed to the reinterpretation of existing knowledge in ever greater but uncertain detail. Scientists and technologists make progress by distinguishing between what they regard as meaningful and what they consider as secondary or unimportant. The meaningful is dynamic; typically, the less important is static. Science and technology have made a major contribution to the culture and to the standard of living of our society. From antiquity to the present day, the most distinguished scientis

American Association for the Advancement of Science

Science.gov (United States)

... Lecture: Richard Harris on Challenges of Replication in Science Elect a Strong Leadership for AAAS: Deadline Ends Soon! Elect a Strong ... 20140730_leadership-seminar_teaser.jpg 13 Nov 2017 Leadership Seminar in Science & Technology Policy... REGISTER event-featured-twothird_Default_200x200. ...

Journal of Earth System Science | Indian Academy of Sciences

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

During large scale ductile shear deformation, linear features of the rocks tend to be reoriented towards the direction of bulk shear. This is demonstrated in a crustal scale shear zone of the Himalaya, the Main Central Thrust (MCT), typically exposed in the Munsiari–Milam area of eastern Kumaun Greater Himalaya. Along the ...

Bringing Up Girls in Science (BUGS): The Effectiveness of an Afterschool Environmental Science Program for Increasing Female Students' Interest in Science Careers

Science.gov (United States)

Tyler-Wood, Tandra; Ellison, Amber; Lim, Okyoung; Periathiruvadi, Sita

2012-02-01

Bringing Up Girls in Science (BUGS) was an afterschool program for 4th and 5th grade girls that provided authentic learning experiences in environmental science as well as valuable female mentoring opportunities in an effort to increase participants' academic achievement in science. BUGS participants demonstrated significantly greater amounts of gain in science knowledge as measured by the Iowa Test of Basic Skills in Science (ITBS-S). The original BUGS participants and contrasts have now completed high school and entered college, allowing researchers to assess the long-term impact of the BUGS program. Fourteen former BUGS participants completed two instruments to assess their perceptions of science and science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) careers. Their results were compared to four contrast groups composed entirely of females: 12 former BUGS contrasts, 10 college science majors, 10 non-science majors, and 9 current STEM professionals. Results indicate that BUGS participants have higher perceptions of science careers than BUGS contrasts. There were no significant differences between BUGS participants, Science Majors, and STEM professionals in their perceptions of science and STEM careers, whereas the BUGS contrast group was significantly lower than BUGS participants, Science Majors, and STEM Professionals. Additional results and implications are discussed within.

A Science Education that Promotes the Characteristics of Science and Scientists: Features of teaching

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Michael P. Clough

2015-07-01

Full Text Available Effectively teaching about science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM is far more complex than policymakers, the public, and even many teachers realize. Leinhardt and Greeno (1986, p. 75 write that “teaching occurs in a relatively ill-structured, dynamic environment”, and this is even more so the case when attempting to teach STEM through inquiry (activities that require significant student decision-making and sense-making, and the necessary pedagogical practices that support student learning in those experiences and as inquiry (helping students understand how knowledge in STEM disciplines is developed and comes to be accepted.

Guilt by Association: The 13 Micron Dust Emission Feature and Its Correlation to Other Gas and Dust Features

Science.gov (United States)

Sloan, G. C.; Kraemer, Kathleen E.; Goebel, J. H.; Price, Stephan D.

2003-09-01

A study of all full-scan spectra of optically thin oxygen-rich circumstellar dust shells in the database produced by the Short Wavelength Spectrometer on ISO reveals that the strength of several infrared spectral features correlates with the strength of the 13 μm dust feature. These correlated features include dust features at 19.8 and 28.1 μm and the bands produced by warm carbon dioxide molecules (the strongest of which are at 13.9, 15.0, and 16.2 μm). The database does not provide any evidence for a correlation of the 13 μm feature with a dust feature at 32 μm, and it is more likely that a weak emission feature at 16.8 μm arises from carbon dioxide gas rather than dust. The correlated dust features at 13, 20, and 28 μm tend to be stronger with respect to the total dust emission in semiregular and irregular variables associated with the asymptotic giant branch than in Mira variables or supergiants. This family of dust features also tends to be stronger in systems with lower infrared excesses and thus lower mass-loss rates. We hypothesize that the dust features arise from crystalline forms of alumina (13 μm) and silicates (20 and 28 μm). Based on observations with the ISO, a European Space Agency (ESA) project with instruments funded by ESA member states (especially the Principal Investigator countries: France, Germany, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom) and with the participation of the Institute of Space and Astronautical Science (ISAS) and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA).

SCIENCE FICTION IN HISTORICAL AND CULTURAL LITERARY DISCOURSE

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Simona Siderevičiūtė

2014-04-01

Full Text Available This work intends to complement literary studies in science fiction. It discusses the history of global science fiction, overviews the most cha­racteristic features of its historical periods, and provides an introduction to Lithuanian science fiction, indicating its main features and topics. In the context of culture, science fiction is often defined as a literary genre with the emphasis on its nature as fiction. Only rarely are the history of the origin of science fiction, its variations, and the pioneers of science fiction whose works are still highly valued taken into account. Science fiction is often criticized through the filter of preconceived ideas that consider this type of literature to be “friv­olous.” This article discusses the possible reasons for such an approach. In Lithuania, this genre is still associated only with pop literature, and its expression cannot yet equal the works of foreign authors. The basic classical motifs of global science fiction found in Lithuanian science fiction include: representatives of extraterrestrial civilizations and human contact with them, scientists and inventors, agents of military institutions, and space travel. Lithuanian science fiction writers follow the tra­ditions of global science fiction when using these classical motifs; however, a general lack of original and individual themes, motifs, and manifestations may be observed.

Journal of Earth System Science | Indian Academy of Sciences

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

Home; Journals; Journal of Earth System Science; Volume 126; Issue 5. Issue front cover thumbnail. Volume 126, Issue 5. July 2017. Article ID 62. Meteorological features associated with unprecedented precipitation over India during 1st week of March 2015 · Naresh Kumar M Mohapatra A K Jaswal · More Details Abstract ...

Science for common entrance physics : answers

CERN Document Server

Pickering, W R

2015-01-01

This book contains answers to all exercises featured in the accompanying textbook Science for Common Entrance: Physics , which covers every Level 1 and 2 topic in the ISEB 13+ Physics Common Entrance exam syllabus. - Clean, clear layout for easy marking. - Includes examples of high-scoring answers with diagrams and workings. - Suitable for ISEB 13+ Mathematics Common Entrance exams taken from Autumn 2017 onwards. Also available to purchase from the Galore Park website www.galorepark.co.uk :. - Science for Common Entrance: Physics. - Science for Common Entrance: Biology. - Science for Common En

Harnessing implementation science to improve care quality and patient safety: a systematic review of targeted literature.

Science.gov (United States)

Braithwaite, Jeffrey; Marks, Danielle; Taylor, Natalie

2014-06-01

Getting greater levels of evidence into practice is a key problem for health systems, compounded by the volume of research produced. Implementation science aims to improve the adoption and spread of research evidence. A linked problem is how to enhance quality of care and patient safety based on evidence when care settings are complex adaptive systems. Our research question was: according to the implementation science literature, which common implementation factors are associated with improving the quality and safety of care for patients? We conducted a targeted search of key journals to examine implementation science in the quality and safety domain applying PRISMA procedures. Fifty-seven out of 466 references retrieved were considered relevant following the application of exclusion criteria. Included articles were subjected to content analysis. Three reviewers extracted and documented key characteristics of the papers. Grounded theory was used to distil key features of the literature to derive emergent success factors. Eight success factors of implementation emerged: preparing for change, capacity for implementation-people, capacity for implementation-setting, types of implementation, resources, leverage, desirable implementation enabling features, and sustainability. Obstacles in implementation are the mirror image of these: for example, when people fail to prepare, have insufficient capacity for implementation or when the setting is resistant to change, then care quality is at risk, and patient safety can be compromised. This review of key studies in the quality and safety literature discusses the current state-of-play of implementation science applied to these domains. © The Author 2014. Published by Oxford University Press in association with the International Society for Quality in Health Care; all rights reserved.

Is the binding of visual features in working memory resource-demanding?

Science.gov (United States)

Allen, Richard J; Baddeley, Alan D; Hitch, Graham J

2006-05-01

The episodic buffer component of working memory is assumed to play a role in the binding of features into chunks. A series of experiments compared memory for arrays of colors or shapes with memory for bound combinations of these features. Demanding concurrent verbal tasks were used to investigate the role of general attentional processes, producing load effects that were no greater on memory for feature combinations than for the features themselves. However, the binding condition was significantly less accurate with sequential rather than simultaneous presentation, especially for items earlier in the sequence. The findings are interpreted as evidence of a relatively automatic but fragile visual feature binding mechanism in working memory. Implications for the concept of an episodic buffer are discussed. 2006 APA, all rights reserved

For the greater credibility: Jesuit science and education in modern Portugal (1858-1910).

Science.gov (United States)

Malta Romeiras, Francisco

2018-03-01

Upon the restoration of the Society of Jesus in Portugal in 1858, the Jesuits founded two important colleges that made significant efforts in the promotion of hands-on experimental teaching of the natural sciences. At the Colégio de Campolide (Lisbon, 1858-1910) and the Colégio de São Fiel (Louriçal do Campo, 1863-1910) the Jesuits created modern chemistry and physics laboratories, organized significant botanical, zoological and geological collections, promoted scientific expeditions with their students to observe eclipses and to collect novel species of animals and plants, and engaged in original research work in physics, botany, and zoology. The successful implementation of modern scientific practices gained these colleges public recognition as the most prominent secondary institutions in nineteenth-century Portugal, and this made a major contribution to countering the widespread and commonly accepted anti-Jesuit accusations of obscurantism and scientific backwardness.

Preschool children's interests in science

Science.gov (United States)

Coulson, R. I.

1991-12-01

Studies of children's attitudes towards science indicate that a tendency for girls and boys to have different patterns of interest in science is established by upper primary school level. It is not know when these interest patterns develop. This paper presents the results of part of a project designed to investigate preschool children's interests in science. Individual 4 5 year-old children were asked to say what they would prefer to do from each of a series of paired drawings showing either a science and a non-science activity, or activities from two different areas of science. Girls and boys were very similar in their overall patterns of choice for science and non-science items. Within science, the average number of physical science items chosen by boys was significantly greater than the average number chosen by girls (p=.026). Girls tended to choose more biology items than did boys, but this difference was not quite significant at the .05 level (p=.054). The temporal stability of these choices was explored.

Interplay of multiple synaptic plasticity features in filamentary memristive devices for neuromorphic computing

Science.gov (United States)

La Barbera, Selina; Vincent, Adrien F.; Vuillaume, Dominique; Querlioz, Damien; Alibart, Fabien

2016-12-01

Bio-inspired computing represents today a major challenge at different levels ranging from material science for the design of innovative devices and circuits to computer science for the understanding of the key features required for processing of natural data. In this paper, we propose a detail analysis of resistive switching dynamics in electrochemical metallization cells for synaptic plasticity implementation. We show how filament stability associated to joule effect during switching can be used to emulate key synaptic features such as short term to long term plasticity transition and spike timing dependent plasticity. Furthermore, an interplay between these different synaptic features is demonstrated for object motion detection in a spike-based neuromorphic circuit. System level simulation presents robust learning and promising synaptic operation paving the way to complex bio-inspired computing systems composed of innovative memory devices.

Special feature on imaging systems and techniques

Science.gov (United States)

Yang, Wuqiang; Giakos, George

2013-07-01

The IEEE International Conference on Imaging Systems and Techniques (IST'2012) was held in Manchester, UK, on 16-17 July 2012. The participants came from 26 countries or regions: Austria, Brazil, Canada, China, Denmark, France, Germany, Greece, India, Iran, Iraq, Italy, Japan, Korea, Latvia, Malaysia, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, Tunisia, UAE, UK and USA. The technical program of the conference consisted of a series of scientific and technical sessions, exploring physical principles, engineering and applications of new imaging systems and techniques, as reflected by the diversity of the submitted papers. Following a rigorous review process, a total of 123 papers were accepted, and they were organized into 30 oral presentation sessions and a poster session. In addition, six invited keynotes were arranged. The conference not only provided the participants with a unique opportunity to exchange ideas and disseminate research outcomes but also paved a way to establish global collaboration. Following the IST'2012, a total of 55 papers, which were technically extended substantially from their versions in the conference proceeding, were submitted as regular papers to this special feature of Measurement Science and Technology . Following a rigorous reviewing process, 25 papers have been finally accepted for publication in this special feature and they are organized into three categories: (1) industrial tomography, (2) imaging systems and techniques and (3) image processing. These papers not only present the latest developments in the field of imaging systems and techniques but also offer potential solutions to existing problems. We hope that this special feature provides a good reference for researchers who are active in the field and will serve as a catalyst to trigger further research. It has been our great pleasure to be the guest editors of this special feature. We would like to thank the authors for their contributions, without which it would

Quantum mechanics and the science of measurements

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ramsey, N.F.

1992-01-01

The accuracies of measurements of almost all fundamental physical constants have increased by factors of about 10,000 during the past 60 years. Although some of the improvements are due to greater care, most are due to new techniques based on quantum mechanics. In popular accounts of quantum mechanics, such great emphases is placed on the Heisenberg Uncertainty Principle that it often appears that the primary effect of quantum mechanics should be to diminish measurement accuracy whereas in most cases it is the validity of quantum mechanics that makes possible the vastly improved measurement accuracies. Seven quantum features that have a profound influence on the science of measurements are: (1) Existence of discrete quantum states of energy W i . (2) Energy conservation in transitions between two states. (3) Electromagnetic radiation of frequency ν is quantized with energy hν per quantum. (4) The identity principle. (5) The Heisenberg Uncertainty Principle. (6) Addition of probability amplitudes (not probabilities) so P=vertical strokeψ 1 +ψ 2 vertical stroke 2 ≠vertical strokeψ 1 vertical stroke 2 +vertical strokeψ 2 vertical stroke 2 . (7) Wave and coherent phase phenomena. Of these seven quantum features, only the Heisenberg Uncertainty Principle limits the accuracy of measurements, and its affect is often negligibly small. The other six features make possible much more accurate measurements of quantum systems than with almost all classical systems and the identity principle provides meaning and significance to highly precise measurements with quantized systems. These effects are discussed and illustrated. (orig.)

Do science coaches promote inquiry-based instruction in the elementary science classroom?

Science.gov (United States)

Wicker, Rosemary Knight

The South Carolina Mathematics and Science Coaching Initiative established a school-based science coaching model that was effective in improving instruction by increasing the level of inquiry-based instruction in elementary science classrooms. Classroom learning environment data from both teacher groups indicated considerable differences in the quality of inquiry instruction for those classrooms of teachers supported by a science coach. All essential features of inquiry were demonstrated more frequently and at a higher level of open-ended inquiry in classrooms with the support of a science coach than were demonstrated in classrooms without a science coach. However, from teacher observations and interviews, it was determined that elementary schoolteacher practice of having students evaluate conclusions and connect them to current scientific knowledge was often neglected. Teachers with support of a science coach reported changes in inquiry-based instruction that were statistically significant. This mixed ethnographic study also suggested that the Mathematics and Science Coaching Initiative Theory of Action for Instructional Improvement was an effective model when examining the work of science coaches. All components of effective school infrastructure were positively impacted by a variety of science coaching strategies intended to promote inquiry. Professional development for competent teachers, implementation of researched-based curriculum, and instructional materials support were areas highly impacted by the work of science coaches.

Closing the science achievement gap for ninth grade English learners through standards- and inquiry-based science instruction

Science.gov (United States)

Estrada, Myrna Hipol

In light of the need to close the achievement gap among our culturally and linguistically diverse students, more specifically the Hispanics and the Hispanic English Learners (ELs), the effects of teacher professional development (2 year PD vs. 1 Year PD vs. no PD) on the implementation of a standards-aligned and inquiry-based science curriculum program---the Integrated Coordinated Science for the 21st Century published by It's About Time, Inc. (ICS-IAT)---on the LAUSD ninth graders science scores were examined. Participants included 8,937 9th grade students (7,356 Hispanics). The primary outcome measurement was scaled scores from the California Standard Test (CST) in Integrated Coordinated Science (CST_ICS1). Correlations between California English Language Development Test (CELDT) component subscores (reading, listening and speaking) and CST scores were also examined. Results indicated that the science scores of the students of teachers who participated in two year PD were significantly higher compared to the scores of students of the one year PD group and the control group. The results show that all ethnic groups benefited from two years of teacher PD, except the African American group. Among Hispanics, students classified as IFEP, RFEP and EO gained from the teachers having two years of professional development. But the target population, ELs did not benefit from two years of teacher PD. The correlations between the CELDT and CST_ELA were much higher than the CELDT and CST_ICS1 correlations. This finding validates Abedi's claim (2004) that EL students are disadvantaged because of their language handicap on tests that have a greater language load. Two year PD participation significantly enhanced the accessibility of science to the ninth graders. The essential features in the PD were classroom simulation of all the activities identified in the storyboard with the actual and correct use of needed equipment and materials; creation and presentation of sample or model

Evil genius? How dishonesty can lead to greater creativity.

Science.gov (United States)

Gino, Francesca; Wiltermuth, Scott S

2014-04-01

We propose that dishonest and creative behavior have something in common: They both involve breaking rules. Because of this shared feature, creativity may lead to dishonesty (as shown in prior work), and dishonesty may lead to creativity (the hypothesis we tested in this research). In five experiments, participants had the opportunity to behave dishonestly by overreporting their performance on various tasks. They then completed one or more tasks designed to measure creativity. Those who cheated were subsequently more creative than noncheaters, even when we accounted for individual differences in their creative ability (Experiment 1). Using random assignment, we confirmed that acting dishonestly leads to greater creativity in subsequent tasks (Experiments 2 and 3). The link between dishonesty and creativity is explained by a heightened feeling of being unconstrained by rules, as indicated by both mediation (Experiment 4) and moderation (Experiment 5).

Motor features in posterior cortical atrophy and their imaging correlates.

Science.gov (United States)

Ryan, Natalie S; Shakespeare, Timothy J; Lehmann, Manja; Keihaninejad, Shiva; Nicholas, Jennifer M; Leung, Kelvin K; Fox, Nick C; Crutch, Sebastian J

2014-12-01

Posterior cortical atrophy (PCA) is a neurodegenerative syndrome characterized by impaired higher visual processing skills; however, motor features more commonly associated with corticobasal syndrome may also occur. We investigated the frequency and clinical characteristics of motor features in 44 PCA patients and, with 30 controls, conducted voxel-based morphometry, cortical thickness, and subcortical volumetric analyses of their magnetic resonance imaging. Prominent limb rigidity was used to define a PCA-motor subgroup. A total of 30% (13) had PCA-motor; all demonstrating asymmetrical left upper limb rigidity. Limb apraxia was more frequent and asymmetrical in PCA-motor, as was myoclonus. Tremor and alien limb phenomena only occurred in this subgroup. The subgroups did not differ in neuropsychological test performance or apolipoprotein E4 allele frequency. Greater asymmetry of atrophy occurred in PCA-motor, particularly involving right frontoparietal and peri-rolandic cortices, putamen, and thalamus. The 9 patients (including 4 PCA-motor) with pathology or cerebrospinal fluid all showed evidence of Alzheimer's disease. Our data suggest that PCA patients with motor features have greater atrophy of contralateral sensorimotor areas but are still likely to have underlying Alzheimer's disease. Copyright © 2014 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Motor features in posterior cortical atrophy and their imaging correlates☆

Science.gov (United States)

Ryan, Natalie S.; Shakespeare, Timothy J.; Lehmann, Manja; Keihaninejad, Shiva; Nicholas, Jennifer M.; Leung, Kelvin K.; Fox, Nick C.; Crutch, Sebastian J.

2014-01-01

Posterior cortical atrophy (PCA) is a neurodegenerative syndrome characterized by impaired higher visual processing skills; however, motor features more commonly associated with corticobasal syndrome may also occur. We investigated the frequency and clinical characteristics of motor features in 44 PCA patients and, with 30 controls, conducted voxel-based morphometry, cortical thickness, and subcortical volumetric analyses of their magnetic resonance imaging. Prominent limb rigidity was used to define a PCA-motor subgroup. A total of 30% (13) had PCA-motor; all demonstrating asymmetrical left upper limb rigidity. Limb apraxia was more frequent and asymmetrical in PCA-motor, as was myoclonus. Tremor and alien limb phenomena only occurred in this subgroup. The subgroups did not differ in neuropsychological test performance or apolipoprotein E4 allele frequency. Greater asymmetry of atrophy occurred in PCA-motor, particularly involving right frontoparietal and peri-rolandic cortices, putamen, and thalamus. The 9 patients (including 4 PCA-motor) with pathology or cerebrospinal fluid all showed evidence of Alzheimer's disease. Our data suggest that PCA patients with motor features have greater atrophy of contralateral sensorimotor areas but are still likely to have underlying Alzheimer's disease. PMID:25086839

Combustion process science and technology

Science.gov (United States)

Hale, Robert R.

1989-01-01

An important and substantial area of technical work in which noncontact temperature measurement (NCTM) is desired is that involving combustion process research. In the planning for this workshop, it was hoped that W. Serignano would provide a briefing regarding the experimental requirements for thermal measurements to support such research. The particular features of thermal measurement requirements included those describing the timeline for combustion experiments, the requirements for thermal control and diagnostics of temperature and other related thermal measurements and the criticality to the involved science to parametric features of measurement capability including precision, repeatability, stability, and resolution. In addition, it was hoped that definitions could be provided which characterize the needs for concurrent imaging as it relates to science observations during the conduct of experimentation.

Fundamentals of electrochemical science

CERN Document Server

Oldham, Keith

1993-01-01

Key Features* Deals comprehensively with the basic science of electrochemistry* Treats electrochemistry as a discipline in its own right and not as a branch of physical or analytical chemistry* Provides a thorough and quantitative description of electrochemical fundamentals

Satellite-observed cold-ring-shaped features atop deep convective clouds

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Setvák, M.; Lindsey, D. T.; Novák, P.; Wang, P. K.; Radová, Michaela; Kerkmann, J.; Grasso, L.; Su, S.-H.; Rabin, R. M.; Šťástka, J.; Charvát, Z.

2010-01-01

Roč. 97, 1-2 (2010), s. 80-96 ISSN 0169-8095 R&D Projects: GA ČR GA205/07/0905; GA MŠk ME09033 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z30420517 Keywords : convective storm * storm top * cloud top height * cold-ring shape * cold-U shape * enhanced-V feature * overshooting top * lower stratosphere * Meteosat second generation Subject RIV: DG - Athmosphere Sciences, Meteorology Impact factor: 1.597, year: 2010 http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S016980951000058X

(A)Historical science.

Science.gov (United States)

Casadevall, Arturo; Fang, Ferric C

2015-12-01

In contrast to many other human endeavors, science pays little attention to its history. Fundamental scientific discoveries are often considered to be timeless and independent of how they were made. Science and the history of science are regarded as independent academic disciplines. Although most scientists are aware of great discoveries in their fields and their association with the names of individual scientists, few know the detailed stories behind the discoveries. Indeed, the history of scientific discovery is sometimes recorded only in informal accounts that may be inaccurate or biased for self-serving reasons. Scientific papers are generally written in a formulaic style that bears no relationship to the actual process of discovery. Here we examine why scientists should care more about the history of science. A better understanding of history can illuminate social influences on the scientific process, allow scientists to learn from previous errors, and provide a greater appreciation for the importance of serendipity in scientific discovery. Moreover, history can help to assign credit where it is due and call attention to evolving ethical standards in science. History can make science better. Copyright © 2015, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

Distinctive features of academic mobility in today’s Russia

OpenAIRE

Dushina, Svetlana; Lomovitskaya, Valentina

2013-01-01

The paper investigates practice of international mobility in Russian science. Special attention is paid to the experience of the BRIC group in the field of migration management. Characteristic features of academic mobility, both international and Russian, are brought to light. Significance and prospects of academic mobility are assessed.

Changes in science classrooms resulting from collaborative action research initiatives

Science.gov (United States)

Oh, Phil Seok

variety of pedagogical functions. Students perceived Group-Investigations and Peer Assessments as positive in that they contributed to realizing constructivist features in their classrooms. The students also reported that they gained several learning outcomes through Group-Investigations, including more positive attitudes, new knowledge, greater learning capabilities, and improved self-esteem. However, the Group-Investigation and Peer Assessment methods were perceived as negative and problematic by those who had rarely been exposed to such inquiry-based, student-centered approaches.

USSR Report, Life Sciences Biomedical and Behavioral Sciences

Science.gov (United States)

1984-02-02

chromosome composition . Couch grass chromosomes were identified in the substituted state in the hybrid’s endosperm. Phytophathological study showed...the Director of the Laboratory of Enzyme Chemistry of the institute, Doctor of Chemical Sciences, Yuozas Kulis told us: It is known that, in the... nucleolus by 35%. The corresponding values for the large neutrons were 50%, 36%, and 35%, respectively. These changes may reflect the greater metabolic

Working memory for visual features and conjunctions in schizophrenia.

Science.gov (United States)

Gold, James M; Wilk, Christopher M; McMahon, Robert P; Buchanan, Robert W; Luck, Steven J

2003-02-01

The visual working memory (WM) storage capacity of patients with schizophrenia was investigated using a change detection paradigm. Participants were presented with 2, 3, 4, or 6 colored bars with testing of both single feature (color, orientation) and feature conjunction conditions. Patients performed significantly worse than controls at all set sizes but demonstrated normal feature binding. Unlike controls, patient WM capacity declined at set size 6 relative to set size 4. Impairments with subcapacity arrays suggest a deficit in task set maintenance: Greater impairment for supercapacity set sizes suggests a deficit in the ability to selectively encode information for WM storage. Thus, the WM impairment in schizophrenia appears to be a consequence of attentional deficits rather than a reduction in storage capacity.

The Changing Landscape of Science News

Science.gov (United States)

Riordon, James

2011-03-01

Social media are revolutionizing the ways that people communicate and the ways they get their news. Traditional news outlets are in decline, and no subject area is declining faster than science news. Every day there are fewer professional science journalists working in traditional media. On the other hand, ever greater numbers of scientists, science enthusiasts, and online journalists are turning to blogs, podcasts, eBooks, twitter feeds, and social media sites like Facebook and Tumbler to spread news about science. I will present an overview of the state of science journalism and speculate on the likely directions it seems to be heading. I will also offer some general guidelines to help scientists understand what makes a good science news story, as well as suggesting ways that they can get their work in the news.

How do marine and coastal citizen science experiences foster environmental engagement?

Science.gov (United States)

Dean, Angela J; Church, Emma K; Loder, Jenn; Fielding, Kelly S; Wilson, Kerrie A

2018-05-01

Citizen science programs enable community involvement in scientific research. In addition to fostering greater science literacy, some citizen science programs aim to foster engagement in environmental issues. However, few data are available to indicate whether and how citizen science programs can achieve greater environmental engagement. We survey individuals choosing to attend one of seventeen reef citizen science events and examine the extent to which attendees reported three indicators of greater environmental engagement: (i) willingness to share information, (ii) increased support for marine conservation and citizen science, and (iii) intentions to adopt a new behavior. Most participants reported being willing to share information about reef conservation (91%) and described increased support for marine science and conservation (87%). Half of participants (51%) reported intentions to adopt a new conservation behavior. We found that key elements of the citizen science experience associated with these outcomes were learning about actions to protect reefs and coasts (procedural learning), experiencing surprise, and experiencing negative emotions about environmental problems. Excitement was also associated with positive outcomes, but only in participants who were less likely to see themselves as environmental, or were less frequent visitors to reefs and coasts. Importantly, the association between factual learning and environmental engagement outcomes was limited or negative. These findings suggest that the way citizen science experiences make people feel, may be more important for fostering future environmental engagement than factual-based learning. When designing citizen science programs for community members, these findings provide a reminder to not focus on provision of factual information alone, but to highlight environmental impacts while providing meaningful experiences and building environmental skills. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Open Access Articles Have a Greater Research Impact Than Articles Not Freely Available, A review of: Antelman, Kristin. “Do Open-Access Articles Have a Greater Research Impact?” College & Research Libraries 65.5 (Sep. 2004: 372-82.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Suzanne P. Lewis

2006-09-01

Full Text Available Objective – To ascertain whether open access articles have a greater research impact than articles not freely available, as measured by citations in the ISI Web of Science database. Design – Analysis of mean citation rates of a sample population of journal articles across four disciplines. Setting – Journal literature across the disciplines of philosophy, political science, mathematics, and electrical and electronic engineering. Subjects – A sample of 2,017 articles across the four disciplines published between 2001 and 2002 (for political science, mathematics, and electrical and electronic engineering and between 1999 and 2000 (for philosophy. Methods – A systematic presample of articles for each of the disciplines was taken to calculate the necessary sample sizes. Based on this calculation, articles were sourced from ten leading journals in each discipline. The leading journals in political science, mathematics, and electrical and electronic engineering were defined by ISI’s Journal Citation Reports for 2002. The ten leading philosophy journals were selected using a combination of other methods. Once the sample population had been identified, each article title and the number of citations to each article (in the ISI Web of Science database were recorded. Then the article title was searched in Google and if any freely available full text version was found, the article was classified as open access. The mean citation rate for open access and non‐open access articles in each discipline was identified, and the percentage difference between the means was calculated. Main results – The four disciplines represented a range of open access uptake: 17% of articles in philosophy were open access, 29% in political science, 37% in electrical and electronic engineering, and 69% in mathematics. There was a significant difference in the mean citation rates for open access articles and non‐open access articles in all four disciplines. The

Cloning, chromosome localization and features of a novel human ...

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

We report cloning and some features of a novel human gene, MATH2, which encodes a protein of 337 amino acid residues with a basic helix–loop–helix domain ... State Key Laboratory of Genetic Engineering, Institute of Genetics, School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai 200433, People's Republic of China ...

Measuring adolescent science motivation

Science.gov (United States)

Schumm, Maximiliane F.; Bogner, Franz X.

2016-02-01

To monitor science motivation, 232 tenth graders of the college preparatory level ('Gymnasium') completed the Science Motivation Questionnaire II (SMQ-II). Additionally, personality data were collected using a 10-item version of the Big Five Inventory. A subsequent exploratory factor analysis based on the eigenvalue-greater-than-one criterion, extracted a loading pattern, which in principle, followed the SMQ-II frame. Two items were dropped due to inappropriate loadings. The remaining SMQ-II seems to provide a consistent scale matching the findings in literature. Nevertheless, also possible shortcomings of the scale are discussed. Data showed a higher perceived self-determination in girls which seems compensated by their lower self-efficacy beliefs leading to equality of females and males in overall science motivation scores. Additionally, the Big Five personality traits and science motivation components show little relationship.

Key features for more successful place-based sustainability research on social-ecological systems: a Programme on Ecosystem Change and Society (PECS perspective

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Patricia Balvanera

2017-03-01

Full Text Available The emerging discipline of sustainability science is focused explicitly on the dynamic interactions between nature and society and is committed to research that spans multiple scales and can support transitions toward greater sustainability. Because a growing body of place-based social-ecological sustainability research (PBSESR has emerged in recent decades, there is a growing need to understand better how to maximize the effectiveness of this work. The Programme on Ecosystem Change and Society (PECS provides a unique opportunity for synthesizing insights gained from this research community on key features that may contribute to the relative success of PBSESR. We surveyed the leaders of PECS-affiliated projects using a combination of open, closed, and semistructured questions to identify which features of a research project are perceived to contribute to successful research design and implementation. We assessed six types of research features: problem orientation, research team, and contextual, conceptual, methodological, and evaluative features. We examined the desirable and undesirable aspects of each feature, the enabling factors and obstacles associated with project implementation, and asked respondents to assess the performance of their own projects in relation to these features. Responses were obtained from 25 projects working in 42 social-ecological study cases within 25 countries. Factors that contribute to the overall success of PBSESR included: explicitly addressing integrated social-ecological systems; a focus on solution- and transformation-oriented research; adaptation of studies to their local context; trusted, long-term, and frequent engagement with stakeholders and partners; and an early definition of the purpose and scope of research. Factors that hindered the success of PBSESR included: the complexities inherent to social-ecological systems, the imposition of particular epistemologies and methods on the wider research group

A study of science leadership and science standards in exemplary standards-based science programs

Science.gov (United States)

Carpenter, Wendy Renae

The purpose for conducting this qualitative study was to explore best practices of exemplary standards-based science programs and instructional leadership practices in a charter high school and in a traditional high school. The focus of this study included how twelve participants aligned practices to National Science Education Standards to describe their science programs and science instructional practices. This study used a multi-site case study qualitative design. Data were obtained through a review of literature, interviews, observations, review of educational documents, and researcher's notes collected in a field log. The methodology used was a multi-site case study because of the potential, through cross analysis, for providing greater explanation of the findings in the study (Merriam, 1988). This study discovered six characteristics about the two high school's science programs that enhance the literature found in the National Science Education Standards; (a) Culture of expectations for learning-In exemplary science programs teachers are familiar with a wide range of curricula. They have the ability to examine critically and select activities to use with their students to promote the understanding of science; (b) Culture of varied experiences-In exemplary science programs students are provided different paths to learning, which help students, take in information and make sense of concepts and skills that are set forth by the standards; (c) Culture of continuous feedback-In exemplary science programs teachers and students work together to engage students in ongoing assessments of their work and that of others as prescribed in the standards; (d) Culture of Observations-In exemplary science programs students, teachers, and principals reflect on classroom instructional practices; teachers receive ongoing evaluations about their teaching and apply feedback towards improving practices as outlined in the standards; (e) Culture of continuous learning-In exemplary

Recent Research in Science Teaching and Learning

Science.gov (United States)

Allen, Deborah

2012-01-01

This article features recent research in science teaching and learning. It presents three current articles of interest in life sciences education, as well as more general and noteworthy publications in education research. URLs are provided for the abstracts or full text of articles. For articles listed as "Abstract available," full text may be…

Journal of Genetics | Indian Academy of Sciences

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

... Journal of Chemical Sciences · Journal of Earth System Science · Journal of ... It is based on the trisutra, which are the three aspects of causes, features and ... of tridosha that are not only genetically determined but also influenced by the ... Development and progression of different diseases with their subtypes are thought ...

Online feature selection with streaming features.

Science.gov (United States)

Wu, Xindong; Yu, Kui; Ding, Wei; Wang, Hao; Zhu, Xingquan

2013-05-01

We propose a new online feature selection framework for applications with streaming features where the knowledge of the full feature space is unknown in advance. We define streaming features as features that flow in one by one over time whereas the number of training examples remains fixed. This is in contrast with traditional online learning methods that only deal with sequentially added observations, with little attention being paid to streaming features. The critical challenges for Online Streaming Feature Selection (OSFS) include 1) the continuous growth of feature volumes over time, 2) a large feature space, possibly of unknown or infinite size, and 3) the unavailability of the entire feature set before learning starts. In the paper, we present a novel Online Streaming Feature Selection method to select strongly relevant and nonredundant features on the fly. An efficient Fast-OSFS algorithm is proposed to improve feature selection performance. The proposed algorithms are evaluated extensively on high-dimensional datasets and also with a real-world case study on impact crater detection. Experimental results demonstrate that the algorithms achieve better compactness and higher prediction accuracy than existing streaming feature selection algorithms.

Understanding Legacy Features with Featureous

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Olszak, Andrzej; Jørgensen, Bo Nørregaard

2011-01-01

Java programs called Featureous that addresses this issue. Featureous allows a programmer to easily establish feature-code traceability links and to analyze their characteristics using a number of visualizations. Featureous is an extension to the NetBeans IDE, and can itself be extended by third...

The Moon Mineralogy Mapper (M3) imaging spectrometer for lunar science: Instrument description, calibration, on-orbit measurements, science data calibration and on-orbit validation

Science.gov (United States)

Green, R.O.; Pieters, C.; Mouroulis, P.; Eastwood, M.; Boardman, J.; Glavich, T.; Isaacson, P.; Annadurai, M.; Besse, S.; Barr, D.; Buratti, B.; Cate, D.; Chatterjee, A.; Clark, R.; Cheek, L.; Combe, J.; Dhingra, D.; Essandoh, V.; Geier, S.; Goswami, J.N.; Green, R.; Haemmerle, V.; Head, J.; Hovland, L.; Hyman, S.; Klima, R.; Koch, T.; Kramer, G.; Kumar, A.S.K.; Lee, Kenneth; Lundeen, S.; Malaret, E.; McCord, T.; McLaughlin, S.; Mustard, J.; Nettles, J.; Petro, N.; Plourde, K.; Racho, C.; Rodriquez, J.; Runyon, C.; Sellar, G.; Smith, C.; Sobel, H.; Staid, M.; Sunshine, J.; Taylor, L.; Thaisen, K.; Tompkins, S.; Tseng, H.; Vane, G.; Varanasi, P.; White, M.; Wilson, D.

2011-01-01

The NASA Discovery Moon Mineralogy Mapper imaging spectrometer was selected to pursue a wide range of science objectives requiring measurement of composition at fine spatial scales over the full lunar surface. To pursue these objectives, a broad spectral range imaging spectrometer with high uniformity and high signal-to-noise ratio capable of measuring compositionally diagnostic spectral absorption features from a wide variety of known and possible lunar materials was required. For this purpose the Moon Mineralogy Mapper imaging spectrometer was designed and developed that measures the spectral range from 430 to 3000 nm with 10 nm spectral sampling through a 24 degree field of view with 0.7 milliradian spatial sampling. The instrument has a signal-to-noise ratio of greater than 400 for the specified equatorial reference radiance and greater than 100 for the polar reference radiance. The spectral cross-track uniformity is >90% and spectral instantaneous field-of-view uniformity is >90%. The Moon Mineralogy Mapper was launched on Chandrayaan-1 on the 22nd of October. On the 18th of November 2008 the Moon Mineralogy Mapper was turned on and collected a first light data set within 24 h. During this early checkout period and throughout the mission the spacecraft thermal environment and orbital parameters varied more than expected and placed operational and data quality constraints on the measurements. On the 29th of August 2009, spacecraft communication was lost. Over the course of the flight mission 1542 downlinked data sets were acquired that provide coverage of more than 95% of the lunar surface. An end-to-end science data calibration system was developed and all measurements have been passed through this system and delivered to the Planetary Data System (PDS.NASA.GOV). An extensive effort has been undertaken by the science team to validate the Moon Mineralogy Mapper science measurements in the context of the mission objectives. A focused spectral, radiometric

Adding a Feature: Can a Pop-Up Chat Box Enhance Virtual Reference Services?

Science.gov (United States)

Fan, Suhua Caroline; Fought, Rick L; Gahn, Paul C

2017-01-01

Online users seek help from virtual reference services via email, phone, texting, and live chat. Technologies have enabled new features in library websites to help make this service more accessible and effective. This article is an evaluation of an experimental pop-up live chat box on the website of a health sciences library to see whether the feature would enhance virtual reference services.

Designing Computer-Supported Complex Systems Curricula for the Next Generation Science Standards in High School Science Classrooms

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Susan A. Yoon

2016-12-01

Full Text Available We present a curriculum and instruction framework for computer-supported teaching and learning about complex systems in high school science classrooms. This work responds to a need in K-12 science education research and practice for the articulation of design features for classroom instruction that can address the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS recently launched in the USA. We outline the features of the framework, including curricular relevance, cognitively rich pedagogies, computational tools for teaching and learning, and the development of content expertise, and provide examples of how the framework is translated into practice. We follow this up with evidence from a preliminary study conducted with 10 teachers and 361 students, aimed at understanding the extent to which students learned from the activities. Results demonstrated gains in students’ complex systems understanding and biology content knowledge. In interviews, students identified influences of various aspects of the curriculum and instruction framework on their learning.

Technical and safe development features of modern research reactor

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang Jiaying; Dong Duo

1998-01-01

The development trend of research reactor in the world, and development situation in China are introduced. Up to now, some research reactors have serviced for long time and equipment have aged, not to be satisfied for requirement of science and technology development. New research reactors must been developed. The technical features and safe features of new type research reactor in China, for example: multi-pile utilization, compact core of high flux, high automation level of control, reactor two independent shutdown systems, great coefficient of negative temperature, passive safety systems, reliable residual heat removal system are studied

Greater-confinement disposal

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Trevorrow, L.E.; Schubert, J.P.

1989-01-01

Greater-confinement disposal (GCD) is a general term for low-level waste (LLW) disposal technologies that employ natural and/or engineered barriers and provide a degree of confinement greater than that of shallow-land burial (SLB) but possibly less than that of a geologic repository. Thus GCD is associated with lower risk/hazard ratios than SLB. Although any number of disposal technologies might satisfy the definition of GCD, eight have been selected for consideration in this discussion. These technologies include: (1) earth-covered tumuli, (2) concrete structures, both above and below grade, (3) deep trenches, (4) augered shafts, (5) rock cavities, (6) abandoned mines, (7) high-integrity containers, and (8) hydrofracture. Each of these technologies employ several operations that are mature,however, some are at more advanced stages of development and demonstration than others. Each is defined and further described by information on design, advantages and disadvantages, special equipment requirements, and characteristic operations such as construction, waste emplacement, and closure

Teaching science and ethics to undergraduates: a multidisciplinary approach.

Science.gov (United States)

McGowan, Alan H

2013-06-01

The teaching of the ethical implications of scientific advances in science courses for undergraduates has significant advantages for both science and non-science majors. The article describes three courses taught by the author as examples of the concept, and examines the disadvantages as well as the advantages. A significant advantage of this approach is that many students take the courses primarily because of the ethical component who would not otherwise take science. A disadvantage is less time in the course for the science; arguably, this is outweighed by the greater retention of the science when it is put into context.

Benefits and challenges of incorporating citizen science into university education.

Science.gov (United States)

Mitchell, Nicola; Triska, Maggie; Liberatore, Andrea; Ashcroft, Linden; Weatherill, Richard; Longnecker, Nancy

2017-01-01

A common feature of many citizen science projects is the collection of data by unpaid contributors with the expectation that the data will be used in research. Here we report a teaching strategy that combined citizen science with inquiry-based learning to offer first year university students an authentic research experience. A six-year partnership with the Australian phenology citizen science program ClimateWatch has enabled biology students from the University of Western Australia to contribute phenological data on plants and animals, and to conduct the first research on unvalidated species datasets contributed by public and university participants. Students wrote scientific articles on their findings, peer-reviewed each other's work and the best articles were published online in a student journal. Surveys of more than 1500 students showed that their environmental engagement increased significantly after participating in data collection and data analysis. However, only 31% of students agreed with the statement that "data collected by citizen scientists are reliable" at the end of the project, whereas the rate of agreement was initially 79%. This change in perception was likely due to students discovering erroneous records when they mapped data points and analysed submitted photographs. A positive consequence was that students subsequently reported being more careful to avoid errors in their own data collection, and making greater efforts to contribute records that were useful for future scientific research. Evaluation of our project has shown that by embedding a research process within citizen science participation, university students are given cause to improve their contributions to environmental datasets. If true for citizen scientists in general, enabling participants as well as scientists to analyse data could enhance data quality, and so address a key constraint of broad-scale citizen science programs.

Chemical features, cholesterol and energy content of table hen eggs ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Chemical features, cholesterol and energy content of table hen eggs from conventional and alternative farming systems. ... South African Journal of Animal Science ... This study was carried out to investigate the effect of conventional farming systems for laying hens (standard cage batteries) and new alternative systems ...

What is Science?

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Quinn, H.

2009-01-01

Helen Quinn is a theoretical particle physicist at SLAC. Throughout her career, she has been passionately involved in science education and public understanding of science. In talking about science, whether to the public or to students, we scientists often assume that they share with us a common idea of science. In my experience that is often not the case. To oversimplify, scientists think of science both as a process for discovering properties of nature, and as the resulting body of knowledge, whereas most people seem to think of science, or perhaps scientists, as an authority that provides some information--just one more story among the many that they use to help make sense of their world. Can we close that gap in understanding? Middle school teachers typically spend a day or so teaching something called the scientific method, but the process by which scientific ideas are developed and tested is messier and much more interesting than that typical capsule description. Some remarkable features of the process are seldom stressed in teaching science, nor are they addressed in explaining any one piece of science to the public. My goal in this column is to provide some ideas for closing that gap in understanding, and to encourage scientists and teachers to communicate about the process as they discuss scientific work

An investigation of children's levels of inquiry in an informal science setting

Science.gov (United States)

Clark-Thomas, Beth Anne

Elementary school students' understanding of both science content and processes are enhanced by the higher level thinking associated with inquiry-based science investigations. Informal science setting personnel, elementary school teachers, and curriculum specialists charged with designing inquiry-based investigations would be well served by an understanding of the varying influence of certain present factors upon the students' willingness and ability to delve into such higher level inquiries. This study examined young children's use of inquiry-based materials and factors which may influence the level of inquiry they engaged in during informal science activities. An informal science setting was selected as the context for the examination of student inquiry behaviors because of the rich inquiry-based environment present at the site and the benefits previously noted in the research regarding the impact of informal science settings upon the construction of knowledge in science. The study revealed several patterns of behavior among children when they are engaged in inquiry-based activities at informal science exhibits. These repeated behaviors varied in the children's apparent purposeful use of the materials at the exhibits. These levels of inquiry behavior were taxonomically defined as high/medium/low within this study utilizing a researcher-developed tool. Furthermore, in this study adult interventions, questions, or prompting were found to impact the level of inquiry engaged in by the children. This study revealed that higher levels of inquiry were preceded by task directed and physical feature prompts. Moreover, the levels of inquiry behaviors were haltered, even lowered, when preceded by a prompt that focused on a science content or concept question. Results of this study have implications for the enhancement of inquiry-based science activities in elementary schools as well as in informal science settings. These findings have significance for all science educators

Philosophy of Science and Philosophy of Chemistry

OpenAIRE

Jaap van Brakel

2014-01-01

In this paper I assess the relation between philosophy of chemistry and (general) philosophy of science, focusing on those themes in the philosophy of chemistry that may bring about major revisions or extensions of current philosophy of science. Three themes can claim to make a unique contribution to philosophy of science: first, the variety of materials in the (natural and artificial) world; second, extending the world by making new stuff; and, third, specific features of the relations betwe...

A biologically inspired scale-space for illumination invariant feature detection

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vonikakis, Vasillios; Chrysostomou, Dimitrios; Kouskouridas, Rigas; Gasteratos, Antonios

2013-01-01

This paper presents a new illumination invariant operator, combining the nonlinear characteristics of biological center-surround cells with the classic difference of Gaussians operator. It specifically targets the underexposed image regions, exhibiting increased sensitivity to low contrast, while not affecting performance in the correctly exposed ones. The proposed operator can be used to create a scale-space, which in turn can be a part of a SIFT-based detector module. The main advantage of this illumination invariant scale-space is that, using just one global threshold, keypoints can be detected in both dark and bright image regions. In order to evaluate the degree of illumination invariance that the proposed, as well as other, existing, operators exhibit, a new benchmark dataset is introduced. It features a greater variety of imaging conditions, compared to existing databases, containing real scenes under various degrees and combinations of uniform and non-uniform illumination. Experimental results show that the proposed detector extracts a greater number of features, with a high level of repeatability, compared to other approaches, for both uniform and non-uniform illumination. This, along with its simple implementation, renders the proposed feature detector particularly appropriate for outdoor vision systems, working in environments under uncontrolled illumination conditions. (paper)

Maximum entropy methods for extracting the learned features of deep neural networks.

Science.gov (United States)

Finnegan, Alex; Song, Jun S

2017-10-01

New architectures of multilayer artificial neural networks and new methods for training them are rapidly revolutionizing the application of machine learning in diverse fields, including business, social science, physical sciences, and biology. Interpreting deep neural networks, however, currently remains elusive, and a critical challenge lies in understanding which meaningful features a network is actually learning. We present a general method for interpreting deep neural networks and extracting network-learned features from input data. We describe our algorithm in the context of biological sequence analysis. Our approach, based on ideas from statistical physics, samples from the maximum entropy distribution over possible sequences, anchored at an input sequence and subject to constraints implied by the empirical function learned by a network. Using our framework, we demonstrate that local transcription factor binding motifs can be identified from a network trained on ChIP-seq data and that nucleosome positioning signals are indeed learned by a network trained on chemical cleavage nucleosome maps. Imposing a further constraint on the maximum entropy distribution also allows us to probe whether a network is learning global sequence features, such as the high GC content in nucleosome-rich regions. This work thus provides valuable mathematical tools for interpreting and extracting learned features from feed-forward neural networks.

Beautiful Earth: Inspiring Native American students in Earth Science through Music, Art and Science

Science.gov (United States)

Casasanto, V.; Rock, J.; Hallowell, R.; Williams, K.; Angell, D.; Beautiful Earth

2011-12-01

The Beautiful Earth program, awarded by NASA's Competitive Opportunities in Education and Public Outreach for Earth and Space Science (EPOESS), is a live multi-media performance at partner science centers linked with hands-on workshops featuring Earth scientists and Native American experts. It aims to inspire, engage and educate diverse students in Earth science through an experience of viewing the Earth from space as one interconnected whole, as seen through the eyes of astronauts. The informal education program is an outgrowth of Kenji Williams' BELLA GAIA Living Atlas Experience (www.bellagaia.com) performed across the globe since 2008 and following the successful Earth Day education events in 2009 and 2010 with NASA's DLN (Digital Learning Network) http://tinyurl.com/2ckg2rh. Beautiful Earth takes a new approach to teaching, by combining live music and data visualizations, Earth Science with indigenous perspectives of the Earth, and hands-on interactive workshops. The program will utilize the emotionally inspiring multi-media show as a springboard to inspire participants to learn more about Earth systems and science. Native Earth Ways (NEW) will be the first module in a series of three "Beautiful Earth" experiences, that will launch the national tour at a presentation in October 2011 at the MOST science museum in collaboration with the Onandaga Nation School in Syracuse, New York. The NEW Module will include Native American experts to explain how they study and conserve the Earth in their own unique ways along with hands-on activities to convey the science which was seen in the show. In this first pilot run of the module, 110 K-12 students with faculty and family members of the Onandaga Nations School will take part. The goal of the program is to introduce Native American students to Earth Sciences and STEM careers, and encourage them to study these sciences and become responsible stewards of the Earth. The second workshop presented to participants will be the

Teachers' voices: A comparison of two secondary science teacher preparation programs

Science.gov (United States)

Kohlhaas Labuda, Kathryn

This dissertation, using cross-case qualitative methodology, investigates the salient and latent features of two philosophically different university-based secondary science teacher preparation programs. Written documents from the two programs and from the Salish I Research project provided the salient data. New teachers' interview transcripts provided the latent data. This study provides the opportunity to hear teachers voice their perceptions of preparation programs. Three questions were investigated in this research study. First, What are the salient features of two different secondary science teacher preparation programs? Second, What are the latent features of two different secondary science teacher programs as perceived by new teachers? Third, How do new secondary science teachers from different programs perceive their preservice programs? The last question incorporates teachers' perceptions of gaps and coherence in the programs and teachers' recommendations to improve their preservice programs. Salient features of the programs revealed differences in the types of certification, and the amounts and types of required course work. Both programs certified teachers at the secondary science level, but only M program certified their teachers as elementary science specialists. Program M required more semester hours of education and science course work than Program S. Although teachers from both programs perceived little coherence between their science and education courses, S-teachers presented a more fragmented picture of their education program and perceived fewer benefits from the program. Lack of relevance and courses that focused on elementary teaching were perceived as part of the problem. M-teachers perceived some cohesion through the use of cohorts in three consecutive semesters of science methods courses that provided multiple field experiences prior to student teaching. S-teachers did not perceive an organized philosophy of their program. M

Informing the Development of Science Exhibitions through Educational Research

Science.gov (United States)

Laherto, Antti

2013-01-01

This paper calls for greater use of educational research in the development of science exhibitions. During the past few decades, museums and science centres throughout the world have placed increasing emphasis on their educational function. Although exhibitions are the primary means of promoting visitors' learning, educational research is not…

Letting in the light: Science and democracy in the Muslim world ...

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

2011-02-21

Feb 21, 2011 ... ... science and its values to advance sustainable and equitable development, ... But following the 13th century, for several reasons, Muslim societies fell into ... far greater investment in science, technology, and innovation must ...

Impact of load-related neural processes on feature binding in visuospatial working memory.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nicole A Kochan

Full Text Available BACKGROUND: The capacity of visual working memory (WM is substantially limited and only a fraction of what we see is maintained as a temporary trace. The process of binding visual features has been proposed as an adaptive means of minimising information demands on WM. However the neural mechanisms underlying this process, and its modulation by task and load effects, are not well understood. OBJECTIVE: To investigate the neural correlates of feature binding and its modulation by WM load during the sequential phases of encoding, maintenance and retrieval. METHODS AND FINDINGS: 18 young healthy participants performed a visuospatial WM task with independent factors of load and feature conjunction (object identity and position in an event-related functional MRI study. During stimulus encoding, load-invariant conjunction-related activity was observed in left prefrontal cortex and left hippocampus. During maintenance, greater activity for task demands of feature conjunction versus single features, and for increased load was observed in left-sided regions of the superior occipital cortex, precuneus and superior frontal cortex. Where these effects were expressed in overlapping cortical regions, their combined effect was additive. During retrieval, however, an interaction of load and feature conjunction was observed. This modulation of feature conjunction activity under increased load was expressed through greater deactivation in medial structures identified as part of the default mode network. CONCLUSIONS AND SIGNIFICANCE: The relationship between memory load and feature binding qualitatively differed through each phase of the WM task. Of particular interest was the interaction of these factors observed within regions of the default mode network during retrieval which we interpret as suggesting that at low loads, binding processes may be 'automatic' but at higher loads it becomes a resource-intensive process leading to disengagement of activity in this

Simultaneous bilateral isolated greater trochanter fracture

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Maruti Kambali

2013-01-01

Full Text Available A 48-year-old woman sustained simultaneous isolated bilateral greater trochanteric fracture, following a road traffic accident. The patient presented to us 1 month after the injury. She presented with complaints of pain in the left hip and inability to walk. Roentgenograms revealed displaced comminuted bilateral greater trochanter fractures. The fracture of the left greater trochanter was reduced and fixed internally using the tension band wiring technique. The greater trochanter fracture on the right side was asymptomatic and was managed conservatively. The patient regained full range of motion and use of her hips after a postoperative follow-up of 6 months. Isolated fractures of the greater trochanter are unusual injuries. Because of their relative rarity and the unsettled controversy regarding their etiology and pathogenesis, several methods of treatment have been advocated. Furthermore, the reports of this particular type of injury are not plentiful and the average textbook coverage afforded to this entity is limited. In our study we discuss the mechanism of injury and the various treatment options available.

My Summer with Science Policy

Science.gov (United States)

Murray, Marissa

This past summer I interned at the American Institute of Physics and helped research and write articles for the FYI Science Policy Bulletin. FYI is an objective digest of science policy developments in Washington, D.C. that impact the greater physical sciences community. Over the course of the summer, I independently attended, analyzed, and reported on a variety of science, technology, and funding related events including congressional hearings, government agency advisory committee meetings, and scientific society events. I wrote and co-wrote three articles on basic energy research legislation, the National Institute of Standards and Technology improvement act, and the National Science Foundation's big ideas for future investment. I had the opportunity to examine some challenging questions such as what is the role of government in funding applied research? How should science priorities be set? What is the right balance of funding across different agencies and programs? I learned about how science policy is a two-way street: science is used to inform policy decisions and policy is made to fund and regulate the conduct of science. I will conclude with how my summer working with FYI showed me the importance of science advocacy, being informed, and voting. Society of Physics Students.

Phenomenological features of dreams: Results from dream log studies using the Subjective Experiences Rating Scale (SERS).

Science.gov (United States)

Kahan, Tracey L; Claudatos, Stephanie

2016-04-01

Self-ratings of dream experiences were obtained from 144 college women for 788 dreams, using the Subjective Experiences Rating Scale (SERS). Consistent with past studies, dreams were characterized by a greater prevalence of vision, audition, and movement than smell, touch, or taste, by both positive and negative emotion, and by a range of cognitive processes. A Principal Components Analysis of SERS ratings revealed ten subscales: four sensory, three affective, one cognitive, and two structural (events/actions, locations). Correlations (Pearson r) among subscale means showed a stronger relationship among the process-oriented features (sensory, cognitive, affective) than between the process-oriented and content-centered (structural) features--a pattern predicted from past research (e.g., Bulkeley & Kahan, 2008). Notably, cognition and positive emotion were associated with a greater number of other phenomenal features than was negative emotion; these findings are consistent with studies of the qualitative features of waking autobiographical memory (e.g., Fredrickson, 2001). Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

To appreciate variation between scientists: A perspective for seeing science's vitality

Science.gov (United States)

Wong, E. David

2002-05-01

At the heart of theoretical and practical ideas about science education is an image of scientific work. This image draws attention to particular features of scientific work, which then guides scholarship and pedagogy in science education. In the field of science education, much discussion in this vein focuses on the question, What is the nature of science? Most images of science found in education, psychology, and philosophy emerge from conceptual and methodological perspectives that emphasize norms, conventions, and broad trends. Some groups are motivated to distinguish science from other activities while some groups work in the opposite direction and blur the lines between science and others ways of knowing. Underlying both perspectives is an implicit focus on general qualities common to groups or subgroups (e.g. believing that ideas are subject to change, explanations demand evidence, science is a complex social activities, etc.). I propose that the vital qualities of science are best illuminated by just the opposite process: by appreciating the uncommon, rather than common, features. By attending to individual variation, we are more likely to understand what makes science a creative, motivating, and deeply personal enterprise. In addition, appreciating these variations reveals judgment, creativity, adaptation - the hallmark of scientific work. Implications of this perspective for science education are discussed.

What science are you singing? A study of the science image in the mainstream music of Taiwan.

Science.gov (United States)

Huang, Chun-Ju; Allgaier, Joachim

2015-01-01

Previous research showed that pop music bands in the Western world have sometimes included science imagery in their lyrics. Their songs could potentially be helpful facilitators for science communication and public engagement purposes. However, so far no systematic research has been conducted for investigating science in popular music in Eastern cultures. This study explores whether science has been regarded as an element in the creation of popular mainstream music, and examines the content and quantity of distribution through an analysis of mainstream music lyrics, to reflect on the conditions of the absorption of science into popular culture. The results indicate that expressions related to astronomy and space science feature very prominently. Most of the lyrics are connected to emotional states and mood expressions and they are only very rarely related to actual issues of science. The implications for science communication and further research are discussed in the final section. © The Author(s) 2014.

Resonance – Journal of Science Education | Indian Academy of ...

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

Home; Journals; Resonance – Journal of Science Education; Volume 2; Issue 11. What's New in Computers ? Evolving Video Compression Standard: MPEG. Vijnan Shastri. Feature Article ... Author Affiliations. Vijnan Shastri1. Centre for Electronics Design Technology, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore 560 012, India ...

Resonance – Journal of Science Education | Indian Academy of ...

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

Home; Journals; Resonance – Journal of Science Education. J Balasingh. Articles written in Resonance – Journal of Science Education. Volume 7 Issue 7 July 2002 pp 63-67 Feature Article. Nature Watch - Tent-making Bats · N Gopukumar J Balasingh · More Details Fulltext PDF ...

Accommodating Scientific Illiteracy: Award-Winning Visualizations on the Covers of "Science"

Science.gov (United States)

Gigante, Maria E.

2012-01-01

The International Science and Engineering Visualization Challenge, recently established by the National Science Foundation (NSF), is an alleged attempt at public outreach. The NSF encourages scientists to submit visualizations that would appeal to non-expert audiences by displaying their work in an annual "special feature" in "Science" magazine,…

Ethiopian Journal of Science and Technology

African Journals Online (AJOL)

EJST) publishes high quality original research articles, reviews, short communications, and feature articles on basic and applied aspects of science, technology, agriculture, health and other related fields. Other websites associated with this ...

Science on the streets of the Big Apple.

Science.gov (United States)

Greene, Brian; Nurse, Paul

2008-05-30

A five-day festival of science takes place this week at venues across New York City. The festival features not only leading researchers from New York and beyond but also actors, writers, musicians, and choreographers in a series of multimedia programs designed to reveal science to the general public in exciting new ways.

Symposium 1: Challenges in science education and popularization of Science

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ildeo de Castro Moreira

2014-08-01

Full Text Available Science education and popularization of science are important elements for social inclusion. The Brazil exhibits strong inequalities regarding the distribution of wealth, access to cultural assets and appropriation of scientific and technological knowledge. Each Brazilian should have the opportunity to acquire a basic knowledge of science and its operation that allow them to understand their environment and expand their professional opportunities. However, the overall performance of Brazilian students in science and math is bad. The basic science education has, most often, few resources and is discouraging, with little appreciation of experimentation, interdisciplinarity and creativity. Beside the shortage of science teachers, especially teachers with good formation, predominate poor wage and working conditions, and deficiencies in instructional materials and laboratories. If there was a significant expansion in access to basic education, the challenge remains to improve their quality. According to the last National Conference of STI, there is need of a profound educational reform at all levels, in particular with regard to science education. Already, the popularization of science can be an important tool for the construction of scientific culture and refinement of the formal teaching instrument. However, we still lack a comprehensive and adequate public policy to her intended. Clearly, in recent decades, an increase in scientific publication occurred: creating science centers and museums; greater media presence; use of the internet and social networks; outreach events, such as the National Week of CT. But the scenario is shown still fragile and limited to broad swathes of Brazilians without access to scientific education and qualified information on CT. In this presentation, from a general diagnosis of the situation, some of the main challenges related to education and popularization of science in the country will address herself.

Science Goal Driven Observing: A Step towards Maximizing Science Returns and Spacecraft Autonomy

Science.gov (United States)

Koratkar, Anuradha; Grosvenor, Sandy; Jones, Jeremy E.; Memarsadeghi, Nargess; Wolf, Karl R.

2002-12-01

In the coming decade, the drive to increase the scientific returns on capital investment and to reduce costs will force automation to be implemented in many of the scientific tasks that have traditionally been manually overseen. Thus, spacecraft autonomy will become an even greater part of mission operations. While recent missions have made great strides in the ability to autonomously monitor and react to changing health and physical status of spacecraft, little progress has been made in responding quickly to science driven events. The new generation of space-based telescopes/observatories will see deeper, with greater clarity, and they will generate data at an unprecedented rate. Yet, while onboard data processing and storage capability will increase rapidly, bandwidth for downloading data will not increase as fast and can become a significant bottleneck and cost of a science program. For observations of inherently variable targets and targets of opportunity, the ability to recognize early if an observation will not meet the science goals of variability or minimum brightness, and react accordingly, can have a major positive impact on the overall scientific returns of an observatory and on its operational costs. If the observatory can reprioritize the schedule to focus on alternate targets, discard uninteresting observations prior to downloading, or download them at a reduced resolution its overall efficiency will be dramatically increased. We are investigating and developing tools for a science goal monitoring (SGM) system. The SGM will have an interface to help capture higher-level science goals from scientists and translate them into a flexible observing strategy that SGM can execute and monitor. SGM will then monitor the incoming data stream and interface with data processing systems to recognize significant events. When an event occurs, the system will use the science goals given it to reprioritize observations, and react appropriately and/or communicate with

Perceptual approaches to finding features in data

Science.gov (United States)

Rogowitz, Bernice E.

2013-03-01

Electronic imaging applications hinge on the ability to discover features in data. For example, doctors examine diagnostic images for tumors, broken bones and changes in metabolic activity. Financial analysts explore visualizations of market data to find correlations, outliers and interaction effects. Seismologists look for signatures in geological data to tell them where to drill or where an earthquake may begin. These data are very diverse, including images, numbers, graphs, 3-D graphics, and text, and are growing exponentially, largely through the rise in automatic data collection technologies such as sensors and digital imaging. This paper explores important trends in the art and science of finding features in data, such as the tension between bottom-up and top-down processing, the semantics of features, and the integration of human- and algorithm-based approaches. This story is told from the perspective of the IS and T/SPIE Conference on Human Vision and Electronic Imaging (HVEI), which has fostered research at the intersection between human perception and the evolution of new technologies.

Modifiable futures: science fiction at the bench.

Science.gov (United States)

Milburn, Colin

2010-09-01

Science fiction remains an alien dimension of the history of science. Historical and literary studies of science have become increasingly attentive to various "literary technologies" in scientific practice, the metaphorical features of scientific discourse, and the impact of popular science writing on the social development of scientific knowledge. But the function of science fiction and even literature as such in the history of scientific and technological innovation has often been obscured, misconstrued, or repudiated owing to conventional notions of authorship, influence, and the organic unity of texts. The better to address those close encounters where scientific practice makes use of speculative fiction, this essay proposes that we instead analyze such exchanges as processes of appropriation, remixing, and modification.

Physics of the Life Sciences

CERN Document Server

Newman, Jay

2008-01-01

Originally developed for the author's course at Union College, this text is designed for life science students who need to understand the connections of fundamental physics to modern biology and medicine. Almost all areas of modern life sciences integrally involve physics in both experimental techniques and in basic understanding of structure and function. Physics of the Life Sciences is not a watered-down, algebra-based engineering physics book with sections on relevant biomedical topics added as an afterthought. This authoritative and engaging text, which is designed to be covered in a two-semester course, was written with a thoroughgoing commitment to the needs and interests of life science students. Although covering most of the standard topics in introductory physics in a more or less traditional sequence, the author gives added weight and space to concepts and applications of greater relevance to the life sciences. Students benefit from occasional sidebars using calculus to derive fundamental relations,...

Seeding science success: Relations of secondary students' science self-concepts and motivation with aspirations and achievement

Science.gov (United States)

Chandrasena, Wanasinghe Durayalage

This research comprises three inter-related synergistic studies. Study 1 aims to develop a psychometrically sound tool to measure secondary students' science self-concepts, motivation, and aspirations in biology, chemistry, earth and environmental methodology to explicate students' and teachers' views, practices, and personal experiences, to identify the barriers to undertaking science for secondary students and to provide rich insights into the relations of secondary students' science self-concepts and motivation with their aspirations and achievement. Study 3 will detect additional issues that may not necessarily be identifiable from the quantitative findings of Study 2. The psychometric properties of the newly developed instrument demonstrated that students' science self-concepts were domain specific, while science motivation and science aspirations were not. Students' self-concepts in general science, chemistry, and physics were stronger for males than females. Students' self-concepts in general science and biology became stronger for students in higher years of secondary schooling. Students' science motivation did not vary across gender and year levels. Though students' science aspirations did not vary across gender, they became stronger with age. In general, students' science self-concepts and science motivation were positively related to science aspirations and science achievement. Specifically, students' year level, biology self-concept, and physics self concept predicted their science and career aspirations. Biology self-concept predicted teacher ratings of students' achievement, and students' general science self-concepts predicted their achievement according to students' ratings. Students' year level and intrinsic motivation in science were predictors of their science aspirations, and intrinsic motivation was a greater significant predictor of students' achievement, according to student ratings. Based upon students' and teachers' perceptions, the

Explanations - Styles of explanation in science

Science.gov (United States)

Cornwell, John

2004-06-01

Our lives, states of health, relationships, behavior, experiences of the natural world, and the technologies that shape our contemporary existence are subject to a superfluity of competing, multi-faceted and sometimes incompatible explanations. Widespread confusion about the nature of "explanation" and its scope and limits pervades popular exposition of the natural sciences, popular history and philosophy of science. This fascinating book explores the way explanations work, why they vary between disciplines, periods, and cultures, and whether they have any necessary boundaries. In other words, Explanations aims to achieve a better understanding of explanation, both within the sciences and the humanities. It features contributions from expert writers from a wide range of disciplines, including science, philosophy, mathematics, and social anthropology.

Academic writing in a corpus of 4th grade science notebooks: An analysis of student language use and adult expectations of the genres of school science

Science.gov (United States)

Esquinca, Alberto

This is a study of language use in the context of an inquiry-based science curriculum in which conceptual understanding ratings are used split texts into groups of "successful" and "unsuccessful" texts. "Successful" texts could include known features of science language. 420 texts generated by students in 14 classrooms from three school districts, culled from a prior study on the effectiveness of science notebooks to assess understanding, in addition to the aforementioned ratings are the data sources. In science notebooks, students write in the process of learning (here, a unit on electricity). The analytical framework is systemic functional linguistics (Halliday and Matthiessen, 2004; Eggins, 2004), specifically the concepts of genre, register and nominalization. Genre classification involves an analysis of the purpose and register features in the text (Schleppegrell, 2004). The use of features of the scientific academic register, namely the use relational processes and nominalization (Halliday and Martin, 1993), requires transitivity analysis and noun analysis. Transitivity analysis, consisting of the identification of the process type, is conducted on 4737 ranking clauses. A manual count of each noun used in the corpus allows for a typology of nouns. Four school science genres, procedures, procedural recounts reports and explanations, are found. Most texts (85.4%) are factual, and 14.1% are classified as explanations, the analytical genre. Logistic regression analysis indicates that there is no significant probability that the texts classified as explanation are placed in the group of "successful" texts. In addition, material process clauses predominate in the corpus, followed by relational process clauses. Results of a logistic regression analysis indicate that there is a significant probability (Chi square = 15.23, p placed in the group of "successful" texts. In addition, 59.5% of 6511 nouns are references to physical materials, followed by references to

Stonehenge's Greater Cursus

Science.gov (United States)

Burley, Paul; Mooers, Howard D.

2016-01-01

Archaeological investigations have emphasized relationships between solar and lunar phenomena and architectural features of prehistoric sites located on the Stonehenge ritual landscape. However, no over-riding landscape design has been identified to explain the purpose of placing hundreds of Neolithic through Iron Age burial sites upon the landscape. Our research and analysis shows the mid-4th millennium BC (mid-Neolithic) landscape represents an 'above, so below' cosmo-geographical relationship. Type, shape, size and orientation of specific elements (such as long barrows, henges, cursus and topography) created a hierotopy representing the Winter Hexagon asterism, Milky Way, ecliptic and other stellar features. The resulting pattern of ritual sites represents translocation of the astronomical Otherworld - the Spirit World - onto the plain. Results of the analysis create a new paradigm of purpose for the built landscape circa 3500 BC, and identifies the reason why Stonehenge is located where it is with respect to other contemorary monuments.

The influence of political ideology on trust in science

Science.gov (United States)

McCright, Aaron M.; Dentzman, Katherine; Charters, Meghan; Dietz, Thomas

2013-12-01

In recent years, some scholars, journalists, and science advocates have promoted broad claims that ‘conservatives distrust science’ or ‘conservatives oppose science’. We argue that such claims may oversimplify in ways that lead to empirical inaccuracies. The Anti-Reflexivity Thesis suggests a more nuanced examination of how political ideology influences views about science. The Anti-Reflexivity Thesis hypothesizes that some sectors of society mobilize to defend the industrial capitalist order from the claims of environmentalists and some environmental scientists that the current economic system causes serious ecological and public health problems. The Anti-Reflexivity Thesis expects that conservatives will report significantly less trust in, and support for, science that identifies environmental and public health impacts of economic production (i.e., impact science) than liberals. It also expects that conservatives will report a similar or greater level of trust in, and support for, science that provides new inventions or innovations for economic production (i.e., production science) than liberals. Analyzing data from a recent survey experiment with 798 adults recruited from the US general public, our results confirm the expectations of the Anti-Reflexivity Thesis. Conservatives report less trust in impact scientists but greater trust in production scientists than their liberal counterparts. We argue that further work that increases the accuracy and depth of our understanding of the relationship between political ideology and views about science is likely crucial for addressing the politicized science-based issues of our age.

The influence of political ideology on trust in science

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

McCright, Aaron M; Dentzman, Katherine; Charters, Meghan; Dietz, Thomas

2013-01-01

In recent years, some scholars, journalists, and science advocates have promoted broad claims that ‘conservatives distrust science’ or ‘conservatives oppose science’. We argue that such claims may oversimplify in ways that lead to empirical inaccuracies. The Anti-Reflexivity Thesis suggests a more nuanced examination of how political ideology influences views about science. The Anti-Reflexivity Thesis hypothesizes that some sectors of society mobilize to defend the industrial capitalist order from the claims of environmentalists and some environmental scientists that the current economic system causes serious ecological and public health problems. The Anti-Reflexivity Thesis expects that conservatives will report significantly less trust in, and support for, science that identifies environmental and public health impacts of economic production (i.e., impact science) than liberals. It also expects that conservatives will report a similar or greater level of trust in, and support for, science that provides new inventions or innovations for economic production (i.e., production science) than liberals. Analyzing data from a recent survey experiment with 798 adults recruited from the US general public, our results confirm the expectations of the Anti-Reflexivity Thesis. Conservatives report less trust in impact scientists but greater trust in production scientists than their liberal counterparts. We argue that further work that increases the accuracy and depth of our understanding of the relationship between political ideology and views about science is likely crucial for addressing the politicized science-based issues of our age. (letter)

Resonance – Journal of Science Education | Indian Academy of ...

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

Home; Journals; Resonance – Journal of Science Education. Arun Venkataraman. Articles written in Resonance – Journal of Science Education. Volume 1 Issue 2 February 1996 pp 74-79 Feature Article. Nature Watch The Dhole or the Asiatic Wild Dog · Arun Venkataraman · More Details Fulltext PDF ...

Characteristics of Abductive Inquiry in Earth Science: An Undergraduate Case Study

Science.gov (United States)

Oh, Phil Seok

2011-01-01

The goal of this case study was to describe characteristic features of abductive inquiry learning activities in the domain of earth science. Participants were undergraduate junior and senior students who were enrolled in an earth science education course offered for preservice secondary science teachers at a university in Korea. The undergraduate…

Features and News: The Importance of Discoveries in Animal Science to Human Welfare

Science.gov (United States)

BioScience, 1972

1972-01-01

Five short notes describe the contributions to human welfare of animal research in reproductive physiology; ruminant nutrition; meat science research; genetics and animal breeding; and recycling food by-products. (AL)

Open science, e-science and the new technologies: Challenges and old problems in qualitative research in the social sciences

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ercilia García-Álvarez

2012-12-01

Full Text Available Purpose: As well as introducing the articles in the special issue titled "Qualitative Research in the Social Sciences", this article reviews the challenges, problems and main advances made by the qualitative paradigm in the context of the new European science policy based on open science and e-Science and analysis alternative technologies freely available in the 2.0 environment and their application to fieldwork and data analysis. Design/methodology: Theoretical review. Practical implications: The article identifies open access technologies with applications in qualitative research such as applications for smartphones and tablets, web platforms and specific qualitative data analysis software, all developed in both the e-Science context and the 2.0 environment. Social implications: The article discusses the possible role to be played by qualitative research in the open science and e-Science context and considers the impact of this new context on the size and structure of research groups, the development of truly collaborative research, the emergence of new ethical problems and quality assessment in review processes in an open environment. Originality/value: The article describes the characteristics that define the new scientific environment and the challenges posed for qualitative research, reviews the latest open access technologies available to researchers in terms of their main features and proposes specific applications suitable for fieldwork and data analysis.

Spatial Relation Predicates in Topographic Feature Semantics

Science.gov (United States)

Varanka, Dalia E.; Caro, Holly K.

2013-01-01

Topographic data are designed and widely used for base maps of diverse applications, yet the power of these information sources largely relies on the interpretive skills of map readers and relational database expert users once the data are in map or geographic information system (GIS) form. Advances in geospatial semantic technology offer data model alternatives for explicating concepts and articulating complex data queries and statements. To understand and enrich the vocabulary of topographic feature properties for semantic technology, English language spatial relation predicates were analyzed in three standard topographic feature glossaries. The analytical approach drew from disciplinary concepts in geography, linguistics, and information science. Five major classes of spatial relation predicates were identified from the analysis; representations for most of these are not widely available. The classes are: part-whole (which are commonly modeled throughout semantic and linked-data networks), geometric, processes, human intention, and spatial prepositions. These are commonly found in the ‘real world’ and support the environmental science basis for digital topographical mapping. The spatial relation concepts are based on sets of relation terms presented in this chapter, though these lists are not prescriptive or exhaustive. The results of this study make explicit the concepts forming a broad set of spatial relation expressions, which in turn form the basis for expanding the range of possible queries for topographical data analysis and mapping.

Training for life science experiments in space at the NASA Ames Research Center

Science.gov (United States)

Rodrigues, Annette T.; Maese, A. Christopher

1993-01-01

As this country prepares for exploration to other planets, the need to understand the affects of long duration exposure to microgravity is evident. The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Ames Research Center's Space Life Sciences Payloads Office is responsible for a number of non-human life sciences payloads on NASA's Space Shuttle's Spacelab. Included in this responsibility is the training of those individuals who will be conducting the experiments during flight, the astronauts. Preparing a crew to conduct such experiments requires training protocols that build on simple tasks. Once a defined degree of performance proficiency is met for each task, these tasks are combined to increase the complexity of the activities. As tasks are combined into in-flight operations, they are subjected to time constraints and the crew enhances their skills through repetition. The science objectives must be completely understood by the crew and are critical to the overall training program. Completion of the in-flight activities is proof of success. Because the crew is exposed to the background of early research and plans for post-flight analyses, they have a vested interest in the flight activities. The salient features of this training approach is that it allows for flexibility in implementation, consideration of individual differences, and a greater ability to retain experiment information. This training approach offers another effective alternative training tool to existing methodologies.

Development and Implementation of Science and Technology Ethics Education Program for Prospective Science Teachers

Science.gov (United States)

Rhee, Hyang-yon; Choi, Kyunghee

2014-05-01

The purposes of this study were (1) to develop a science and technology (ST) ethics education program for prospective science teachers, (2) to examine the effect of the program on the perceptions of the participants, in terms of their ethics and education concerns, and (3) to evaluate the impact of the program design. The program utilized problem-based learning (PBL) which was performed as an iterative process during two cycles. A total of 23 and 29 prospective teachers in each cycle performed team activities. A PBL-based ST ethics education program for the science classroom setting was effective in enhancing participants' perceptions of ethics and education in ST. These perceptions motivated prospective science teachers to develop and implement ST ethics education in their future classrooms. The change in the prospective teachers' perceptions of ethical issues and the need for ethics education was greater when the topic was controversial.

Sixty years of science at UNESCO 1945-2005

CERN Document Server

Zharov, V; Glaser, G; Richardson, J; de Padirac, B; Archibald, G

2006-01-01

Sixty Years of Science at UNESCO 1945-2005 offers an inside perspective on the past six decades of this engagement. Written by historians and scientists from all over the world as well as by former and active staff members, the story is enriched by an historical analysis of the first 20 years of the Organization's action in science. The volume traces through six parts the role played by UNESCO in the history of international science cooperation in an ever-changing world : I. Setting the Scene, 1945-1965 II. Basic Sciences and Engineering III. Environmental Sciences IV. Science and Society V. Overviews and Analyses and VI. Looking Ahead. It also features a list of chronological milestones set along the way.

International trends in health science librarianship part 17: a comparison of health science libraries with academic and research libraries.

Science.gov (United States)

Murphy, Jeannette

2015-12-01

Over the last 4 years this Regular Feature has looked at trends in health science librarianship in the 21st century. Although there are still a few more regions to be covered in this series, this issue explores general trends in academic and research libraries with a view to discovering whether the trends identified for health science libraries are similar. Are health science libraries unique? Or do their experiences mirror those found in the wider world of academic and research libraries? © 2015 Health Libraries Group.

Examining the Impact of Question Surface Features on Students' Answers to Constructed-Response Questions on Photosynthesis

Science.gov (United States)

Weston, Michele; Haudek, Kevin C.; Prevost, Luanna; Urban-Lurain, Mark; Merrill, John

2015-01-01

One challenge in science education assessment is that students often focus on surface features of questions rather than the underlying scientific principles. We investigated how student written responses to constructed-response questions about photosynthesis vary based on two surface features of the question: the species of plant and the order of…

Improved Management of Water and Natural Resources Requires Open, Cognizant, Adaptive Science and Policy

Science.gov (United States)

Glynn, P. D.; Voinov, A. A.; Shapiro, C. D.; Jenni, K. E.

2017-12-01

Water issues impact the availability and use of other natural resources as well as environmental conditions. In an increasingly populated hyper-connected world, water issues are increasingly "wicked problems": complex problems with high uncertainties and no independent observers. Water is essential to life, and life affects water quality and availability. Scientists, managers, decision-makers, and the greater public all have a stake in improving the management of water resources. In turn, they are part of the systems that they are studying, deciding on, affecting, or trying to improve. Governance of water issues requires greater accessibility, traceability, and accountability (ATA) in science and policy. Water-related studies and decision-making need transdisciplinary science, inclusive participatory processes, and consideration and acceptance of multiple perspectives. Biases, Beliefs, Heuristics, and Values (BBHV) shape much of our perceptions and knowledge, and inevitably, affect both science and policy. Understanding the role of BBHV is critical to (1) understanding individual and group judgments and choices, (2) recognizing potential differences between societal "wants" and societal "needs", and (3) identifying "winners" and "losers" of policy decisions. Societal acceptance of proposed policies and actions can be fostered by enhancing participatory processes and by providing greater ATA in science, in policy, and in development of the laws, rules, and traditions that constrain decision-making. An adaptive science-infused governance framework is proposed that seeks greater cognizance of the role of BBHV in shaping science and policy choices and decisions, and that also seeks "Open Traceable Accountable Policy" to complement "Open Science". We discuss the limitations of the governance that we suggest, as well as tools and approaches to help implementation.

Autonomous Science Analysis with the New Millennium Program-Autonomous Sciencecraft Experiment

Science.gov (United States)

Doggett, T.; Davies, A. G.; Castano, R. A.; Baker, V. R.; Dohm, J. M.; Greeley, R.; Williams, K. K.; Chien, S.; Sherwood, R.

2002-12-01

The NASA New Millennium Program (NMP) is a testbed for new, high-risk technologies, including new software and hardware. The Autonomous Sciencecraft Experiment (ASE) will fly on the Air Force Research Laboratory TechSat-21 mission in 2006 is such a NMP mission, and is managed by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology. TechSat-21 consists of three satellites, each equipped with X-band Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) that will occupy a 13-day repeat track Earth orbit. The main science objectives of ASE are to demonstrate that process-related change detection and feature identification can be conducted autonomously during space flight, leading to autonomous onboard retargeting of the spacecraft. This mission will observe transient geological and environmental processes using SAR. Examples of geologic processes that may be observed and investigated include active volcanism, the movement of sand dunes and transient features in desert environments, water flooding, and the formation and break-up of lake ice. Science software onboard the spacecraft will allow autonomous processing and formation of SAR images and extraction of scientific information. The subsequent analyses, performed on images formed onboard from the SAR data, will include feature identification using scalable feature "templates" for each target, change detection through comparison of current and archived images, and science discovery, a search for other features of interest in each image. This approach results in obtaining the same science return for a reduced amount of resource use (such as downlink) when compared to that from a mission operating without ASE technology. Redundant data is discarded. The science-driven goals of ASE will evolve during the ASE mission through onboard replanning software that can re-task satellite operations. If necessary, as a result of a discovery made autonomously by onboard science processing, existing observation sequences will be pre-empted to

Planetary Science Exploration Through 2050: Strategic Gaps in Commercial and International Partnerships

Science.gov (United States)

Ghosh, A.

2017-02-01

Planetary science will see greater participation from the commercial sector and international space agencies. It is critical to understand how these entities can partner with NASA through 2050 and help realize NASA's goals in planetary science.

Pre-college Science Experiences; Timing and Causes of Gender Influence Science Interest Levels

Science.gov (United States)

Kaplita, E.; Reed, D. E.; McKenzie, D. A.; Jones, R.; May, L. W.

2015-12-01

It is known that female students tend to turn away from science during their pre-college years. Experiences during this time are not limited to the classroom, as cultural influences extend beyond K-12 science education and lead to the widely studied reduction in females in STEM fields. This has a large impact on climate science because currently relatively little effort is put into K-12 climate education, yet this is when college attitudes towards science are formed. To help quantify these changes, 400 surveys were collected from 4 different colleges in Oklahoma. Student responses were compared by gender against student experiences (positive and negative), and interest in science. Results of our work show that females tend to have their first positive experience with science at a younger age with friends, family and in the classroom, and have more of an interest in science when they are younger. Males in general like experiencing science more on their own, and surpass the interest levels of females late in high school and during college. While in college, males are more comfortable with science content than females, and males enjoy math and statistics more while those aspects of science were the largest areas of dislike in females. Understanding how to keep students (particularly female) interested in science as they enter their teen years is extremely important in preventing climate misconceptions in the adult population. Potential small changes such as hosting K-12 climate outreach events and including parents, as opposed to just inviting students, could greatly improve student experiences with science and hence, their understanding of climate science. Importantly, a greater focus on female students is warranted.

Resonance – Journal of Science Education | Indian Academy of ...

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

Home; Journals; Resonance – Journal of Science Education. K G Padmakumar. Articles written in Resonance – Journal of Science Education. Volume 4 Issue 3 March 1999 pp 62-70 Feature Article. Nature Watch - Rice Bowl in Turmoil: The Kuttanad Wetland Ecosystem · K C Manorama Thampatti K G Padmakumar.

Pedagogy of Science Teaching Tests: Formative assessments of science teaching orientations

Science.gov (United States)

Cobern, William W.; Schuster, David; Adams, Betty; Skjold, Brandy Ann; Zeynep Muğaloğlu, Ebru; Bentz, Amy; Sparks, Kelly

2014-09-01

A critical aspect of teacher education is gaining pedagogical content knowledge of how to teach science for conceptual understanding. Given the time limitations of college methods courses, it is difficult to touch on more than a fraction of the science topics potentially taught across grades K-8, particularly in the context of relevant pedagogies. This research and development work centers on constructing a formative assessment resource to help expose pre-service teachers to a greater number of science topics within teaching episodes using various modes of instruction. To this end, 100 problem-based, science pedagogy assessment items were developed via expert group discussions and pilot testing. Each item contains a classroom vignette followed by response choices carefully crafted to include four basic pedagogies (didactic direct, active direct, guided inquiry, and open inquiry). The brief but numerous items allow a substantial increase in the number of science topics that pre-service students may consider. The intention is that students and teachers will be able to share and discuss particular responses to individual items, or else record their responses to collections of items and thereby create a snapshot profile of their teaching orientations. Subsets of items were piloted with students in pre-service science methods courses, and the quantitative results of student responses were spread sufficiently to suggest that the items can be effective for their intended purpose.

Teaching the Future: On the Use of Science Fiction in English Language Learning.

Science.gov (United States)

Stockwell, Peter

2001-01-01

Outlines the features of "pulpstyle" and its continuing influence on later science fiction. Considers some science fiction texts that explicitly address language issues. These ideas are related to practical techniques of using science fiction in the language classroom. (Author/VWL)

Hydrovolcanic features on Mars: Preliminary observations from the first Mars year of HiRISE imaging

Science.gov (United States)

Keszthelyi, L.P.; Jaeger, W.L.; Dundas, C.M.; Martinez-Alonso, S.; McEwen, A.S.; Milazzo, M.P.

2010-01-01

We provide an overview of features indicative of the interaction between water and lava and/or magma on Mars as seen by the High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment (HiRISE) camera during the Primary Science Phase of the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO) mission. The ability to confidently resolve meter-scale features from orbit has been extremely useful in the study of the most pristine examples. In particular, HiRISE has allowed the documentation of previously undescribed features associated with phreatovolcanic cones (formed by the interaction of lava and groundwater) on rapidly emplaced flood lavas. These include "moats" and "wakes" that indicate that the lava crust was thin and mobile, respectively [Jaeger, W.L., Keszthelyi, L.P., McEwen, A.S., Dundas, C.M., Russel, P.S., 2007. Science 317, 1709-1711]. HiRISE has also discovered entablature-style jointing in lavas that is indicative of water-cooling [Milazzo, M.P., Keszthelyi, L.P., Jaeger, W.L., Rosiek, M., Mattson, S., Verba, C., Beyer, R.A., Geissler, P.E., McEwen, A.S., and the HiRISE Team, 2009. Geology 37, 171-174]. Other observations strongly support the idea of extensive volcanic mudflows (lahars). Evidence for other forms of hydrovolcanism, including glaciovolcanic interactions, is more equivocal. This is largely because most older and high-latitude terrains have been extensively modified, masking any earlier 1-10 m scale features. Much like terrestrial fieldwork, the prerequisite for making full use of HiRISE's capabilities is finding good outcrops.

Adjusting Pulse Amplitude During Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation Does Not Provide Greater Hypoalgesia.

Science.gov (United States)

Bergeron-Vézina, Kayla; Filion, Camille; Couture, Chantal; Vallée, Élisabeth; Laroche, Sarah; Léonard, Guillaume

2018-03-01

Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) is an electrotherapeutic modality commonly used in rehabilitation to relieve pain. Adjusting pulse amplitude (intensity) during TENS treatment has been suggested to overcome nerve habituation. However, it is still unclear if this procedure leads to greater hypoalgesia. The aim of this study was to determine if the hypoalgesic effect of TENS is greater when pulse amplitude is adjusted throughout the TENS treatment session in chronic low-back pain patients. Randomized double-blind crossover study. Recruitment and assessment were conducted at the Clinique universitaire de réadaptation de l'Estrie (CURE) of the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences of the Université de Sherbrooke. Twenty-one volunteers with chronic low-back pain were enrolled and completed this investigation. Each patient received two high-frequency TENS treatments on two separate sessions: (1) with adjustment of pulse amplitude and (2) without pulse amplitude adjustment. Pain intensity and unpleasantness were assessed before, during, and after TENS application with a 10 cm visual analog scale. Both TENS conditions (with and without adjustment of intensity) decreased pain intensity and unpleasantness when compared with baseline. No difference was observed between the two stimulation conditions for both pain intensity and unpleasantness. The current results suggest that adjustment of pulse amplitude during TENS application does not provide greater hypoalgesia in individuals with chronic low-back pain. Future studies are needed to confirm these findings in other pain populations.

The Earth Science Women's Network (ESWN): A member-driven network approach to supporting women in the Geosciences

Science.gov (United States)

Hastings, M. G.; Kontak, R.; Adams, A. S.; Barnes, R. T.; Fischer, E. V.; Glessmer, M. S.; Holloway, T.; Marin-Spiotta, E.; Rodriguez, C.; Steiner, A. L.; Wiedinmyer, C.; Laursen, S. L.

2013-12-01

The Earth Science Women's Network (ESWN) is an organization of women geoscientists, many in the early stages of their careers. The mission of ESWN is to promote success in scientific careers by facilitating career development, community, informal mentoring and support, and professional collaborations. ESWN currently connects nearly 2000 women across the globe, and includes graduate students, postdoctoral scientists, tenure and non-tenure track faculty from diverse colleges and universities, program managers, and government, non-government and industry researchers. In 2009, ESWN received an NSF ADVANCE PAID award, with the primary goals to grow our membership to serve a wider section of the geosciences community, to design and administer career development workshops, to promote professional networking at scientific conferences, and to develop web resources to build connections, collaborations, and peer mentoring for and among women in the Earth Sciences. Now at the end of the grant, ESWN members have reported gains in a number of aspects of their personal and professional lives including: knowledge about career resources; a greater understanding of the challenges facing women in science and resources to overcome them; a sense of community and less isolation; greater confidence in their own career trajectories; professional collaborations; emotional support on a variety of issues; and greater engagement and retention in scientific careers. The new ESWN web center (www.ESWNonline.org), a major development supported by NSF ADVANCE and AGU, was created to facilitate communication and networking among our members. The web center offers a state-of-the-art social networking platform and features: 1) a public site offering information on ESWN, career resources for all early career scientists, and a 'members' spotlight' highlighting members' scientific and professional achievements; and 2) a password protected member area where users can personalize profiles, create and

Normal Science in a Multiverse

Science.gov (United States)

Carroll, Sean

2016-06-01

A number of theories in contemporary physics and cosmology place an emphasis on features that are hard, and arguably impossible, to test. These include the cosmological multiverse as well as some approaches to quantum gravity. Worries have been raised that these models attempt to sidestep the purportedly crucial principle of falsifiability. Proponents of these theories sometimes suggest that we are seeing a new approach to science, while opponents fear that we are abandoning science altogether. I will argue that in fact these theories are straightforwardly scientific and can be evaluated in absolutely conventional ways, based on empiricism, abduction (inference to the best explanation), and Bayesian reasoning. The integrity of science remains intact.

Pathway for agricultural science impact in West Africa: lessons from the Convergence of Sciences programme

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Nederlof, S.; Röling, N.; Huis, van A.

2007-01-01

The impact of agricultural research on the livelihoods of resource-poor farmers in West Africa has been disappointing. This article reports on research on agricultural research that sought to identify an alternative pathway of science that would lead to greater impact. It is based on the analysis of

Science exemplars in the eye of the beholder: How exposure to online science information affects attitudes

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Knobloch-Westerwick, S.; Johnson, B.K.; Silver, N.A.; Westerwick, A.

2015-01-01

Drawing on exemplification theory and confirmation bias, this study examined exposure to online science information and subsequent attitude impacts. Participants freely browsed online messages manipulated to feature (a) either exemplar or numeric information and (b) opposing viewpoints, resulting in

Ninth Grade Student Responses to Authentic Science Instruction

Science.gov (United States)

Ellison, Michael Steven

This mixed methods case study documents an effort to implement authentic science and engineering instruction in one teacher's ninth grade science classrooms in a science-focused public school. The research framework and methodology is a derivative of work developed and reported by Newmann and others (Newmann & Associates, 1996). Based on a working definition of authenticity, data were collected for eight months on the authenticity in the experienced teacher's pedagogy and in student performance. Authenticity was defined as the degree to which a classroom lesson, an assessment task, or an example of student performance demonstrates construction of knowledge through use of the meaning-making processes of science and engineering, and has some value to students beyond demonstrating success in school (Wehlage et al., 1996). Instruments adapted for this study produced a rich description of the authenticity of the teacher's instruction and student performance. The pedagogical practices of the classroom teacher were measured as moderately authentic on average. However, the authenticity model revealed the teacher's strategy of interspersing relatively low authenticity instructional units focused on building science knowledge with much higher authenticity tasks requiring students to apply these concepts and skills. The authenticity of the construction of knowledge and science meaning-making processes components of authentic pedagogy were found to be greater, than the authenticity of affordances for students to find value in classroom activities beyond demonstrating success in school. Instruction frequently included one aspect of value beyond school, connections to the world outside the classroom, but students were infrequently afforded the opportunity to present their classwork to audiences beyond the teacher. When the science instruction in the case was measured to afford a greater level of authentic intellectual work, a higher level of authentic student performance on

Surface Science Foundations of Catalysis and Nanoscience

CERN Document Server

Kolasinski, Kurt K

2012-01-01

Surface science has evolved from being a sub-field of chemistry or physics, and has now established itself as an interdisciplinary topic. Knowledge has developed sufficiently that we can now understand catalysis from a surface science perspective. No-where is the underpinning nature of surface science better illustrated than with nanoscience. Now in its third edition, this successful textbook aims to provide students with an understanding of chemical transformations and the formation of structures at surfaces. The chapters build from simple to more advanced principles with each featuring exerc

Imaging Sciences Workshop Proceedings

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Candy, J.V.

1996-11-21

This report contains the proceedings of the Imaging Sciences Workshop sponsored by C.A.S.LS., the Center for Advanced Signal & Image Sciences. The Center, established primarily to provide a forum where researchers can freely exchange ideas on the signal and image sciences in a comfortable intellectual environment, has grown over the last two years with the opening of a Reference Library (located in Building 272). The Technical Program for the 1996 Workshop include a variety of efforts in the Imaging Sciences including applications in the Microwave Imaging, highlighted by the Micro-Impulse Radar (MIR) system invented at LLNL, as well as other applications in this area. Special sessions organized by various individuals in Speech, Acoustic Ocean Imaging, Radar Ocean Imaging, Ultrasonic Imaging, and Optical Imaging discuss various applica- tions of real world problems. For the more theoretical, sessions on Imaging Algorithms and Computed Tomography were organized as well as for the more pragmatic featuring a session on Imaging Systems.

Resonance – Journal of Science Education | Indian Academy of ...

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

Home; Journals; Resonance – Journal of Science Education. S Balakrishnan. Articles written in Resonance – Journal of Science Education. Volume 2 Issue 9 September 1997 pp 48-57 Feature Article. What's New in Computers ? MMX Technology for Multimedia PCs · S Balakrishnan · More Details Fulltext PDF. Volume 4 ...

The New Science of Cybernetics: A Primer

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Karl H. Müller

2013-12-01

Full Text Available Four years after the publication of the first volume on the new science of cybernetics (NSC (Müller, 2009 and after two more books on NSC (Müller, 2011, 2012 it is time to present and to summarize the main features and characteristics of the new science of cybernetics within a single article. - Historically, the new science of cybernetics can be viewed as a potential outline of Heinz von Foerster's vision of second-order cybernetics as the science of observing systems or, alternatively, of living systems by living systems for living systems. Heinz von Foerster introduced the concept of second-order cybernetics on several occasions, without specifying, however, its content and cognitive organization (Foerster, 1974, 2003 - Systematically, the new science of cybernetics operates on a new level which, not quite unexpectedly and surprisingly, can be characterized as second-order level. This second-order level is self-reflexive by nature and by design, because this level comes into play whenever a concept, a model or an academic field turns onto itself, like in understanding or in cybernetics of cybernetics. - Functionally, the new science of cybernetics can be viewed as a trans- or post-disciplinary second-order field for navigating through an ocean of first-order level science. NSC operates primarily with objects or with operations from first-order science and transforms them into new components which exhibit strong comparative advantages in terms of novelty and robustness. This list of historic, systemic and functional features of the new science of cybernetics(NSC may look strange or incomprehensible at first sight. It will become, thus, the main purpose of this article to transform these seemingly vague and unclear descriptions into concise ones which readers with only a weak familiarity with the old science of cybernetics can understand. Eventually, even the short set above of critical characteristics of the new science of cybernetics should

An image-processing methodology for extracting bloodstain pattern features.

Science.gov (United States)

Arthur, Ravishka M; Humburg, Philomena J; Hoogenboom, Jerry; Baiker, Martin; Taylor, Michael C; de Bruin, Karla G

2017-08-01

There is a growing trend in forensic science to develop methods to make forensic pattern comparison tasks more objective. This has generally involved the application of suitable image-processing methods to provide numerical data for identification or comparison. This paper outlines a unique image-processing methodology that can be utilised by analysts to generate reliable pattern data that will assist them in forming objective conclusions about a pattern. A range of features were defined and extracted from a laboratory-generated impact spatter pattern. These features were based in part on bloodstain properties commonly used in the analysis of spatter bloodstain patterns. The values of these features were consistent with properties reported qualitatively for such patterns. The image-processing method developed shows considerable promise as a way to establish measurable discriminating pattern criteria that are lacking in current bloodstain pattern taxonomies. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

The Art Of Planetary Science: An Exhibition - Bringing Together The Art And Science Communities To Engage The Public

Science.gov (United States)

Molaro, Jamie; Keane, Jamies; Peacock, Sarah; Schaefer, Ethan; Tanquary, Hannah

2014-11-01

The University of Arizona’s Lunar and Planetary Laboratory (LPL) presents the 2nd Annual The Art of Planetary Science: An Exhibition (TAPS) on 17-19 October 2014. This art exhibition and competition features artwork inspired by planetary science, alongside works created from scientific data. It is designed to connect the local art and science communities of Tucson, and engage the public together in celebration of the beauty and elegance of the universe. The exhibition is organized by a team of volunteer graduate students, with the help of LPL’s Space Imaging Center, and support from the LPL administration. Last year’s inaugural event featured over 150 works of art from 70 artists and scientists. A variety of mediums were represented, including paintings, photography, digital prints, sculpture, glasswork, textiles, film, and written word. Over 300 guests attended the opening. Art submission and event attendance are free, and open to anyone.The primary goal of the event is to present a different side of science to the public. Too often, the public sees science as dull or beyond their grasp. This event provides scientists the opportunity to demonstrate the beauty that they find in their science, by creating art out of their scientific data. These works utilized, for example, equations, simulations, visual representations of spacecraft data, and images of extra-terrestrial material samples. Viewing these works alongside more traditional artwork inspired by those same scientific ideas provided the audience a more complex, multifaceted view of the content that would not be possible viewing either alone. The event also provides a way to reach out specifically to the adult community. Most science outreach is targeted towards engaging children in STEM fields. While this is vital for the long term, adults have more immediate control over the perception of science and public policy that provides funding and research opportunities to scientists. We hope this event raises

What is science?

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kiss, D.

1992-01-01

Some characteristic features of real science (i.e. fundamental or basic research), as compared to activity aimed at applied research and technical development are defined. The condusion if these activitites can corrupt fundamental science, especially in small and not rich countries. Basic research has no definite 'end-product'; its end-product is new knowledge. It is not a sin but the duty of a basic researcher to 'play'. The wonderful results to technical civiliozation were born as a result of this 'play', i.e. basic research. Modern industry spends yearly about the value of its daily production on scientific research. No small country can subsist if all its scientific information and knowledge are imported

Science centres around the world see unrest for art and science in society

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Alessandra Drioli

2009-06-01

Full Text Available In present times it would not be appropriate to say art made a “debut” in science centres, as it has been a feature since the beginning of their history, and it appeared precisely in the ‘parent’ science centre, the Exploratorium. However, now it is time to check the progress. There is unrest for this issue, as in history-making times, and it is worthwhile to follow the new developments and hear the words of the coordinators of the artistic activities in science centres and, more in general, in science museums, and also of the artists involved in the process. The goal is to promote a debate on the final results of this phenomenon and on what will happen next. Also, emphasis should be put on the importance for each museum to define right from the start an ‘art policy’, even a complex one, but somehow structured, that may be employed at many levels according to the needs of the museum itself.

Teaching and learning grade 7 science concepts by elaborate analogies: Mainstream and East and South Asian ESL students' experiences

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Judy Joo-Hyun

This study explored the effectiveness of an instructional tool, elaborate analogy, in teaching the particle theory to both Grade 7 mainstream and East or South Asian ESL students. Ten Grade 7 science classes from five different schools in a large school district in the Greater Toronto area participated. Each of the ten classes were designated as either Group X or Y. Using a quasi-experimental counterbalanced design, Group X students were taught one science unit using the elaborate analogies, while Group Y students were taught by their teachers' usual methods of teaching. The instructional methods used for Group X and Y were interchanged for the subsequent science unit. Quantitative data were collected from 95 students (50 mainstream and 45 ESL) by means of a posttest and a follow-up test for each of the units. When the differences between mainstream and East or South Asian ESL students were analyzed, the results indicate that both groups scored higher on the posttests when they were instructed with elaborate analogies, and that the difference between the two groups was not significant. That is, the ESL students, as well as the mainstream students, benefited academically when they were instructed with the elaborate analogies. The students obtained higher inferential scores on the posttest when their teacher connected the features of less familiar and more abstract scientific concepts to the features of the familiar and easy-to-visualize concept of school dances. However, after two months, the students were unable to recall inferential content knowledge. This is perhaps due to the lack of opportunity for the students to represent and test their initial mental models. Rather than merely employing elaborate analogies, perhaps, science teachers can supplement the use of elaborate analogies with explicit guidance in helping students to represent and test the coherence of their mental models.

Advances in Computer Science, Engineering & Applications : Proceedings of the Second International Conference on Computer Science, Engineering & Applications

CERN Document Server

Zizka, Jan; Nagamalai, Dhinaharan

2012-01-01

The International conference series on Computer Science, Engineering & Applications (ICCSEA) aims to bring together researchers and practitioners from academia and industry to focus on understanding computer science, engineering and applications and to establish new collaborations in these areas. The Second International Conference on Computer Science, Engineering & Applications (ICCSEA-2012), held in Delhi, India, during May 25-27, 2012 attracted many local and international delegates, presenting a balanced mixture of  intellect and research both from the East and from the West. Upon a strenuous peer-review process the best submissions were selected leading to an exciting, rich and a high quality technical conference program, which featured high-impact presentations in the latest developments of various areas of computer science, engineering and applications research.

Advances in Computer Science, Engineering & Applications : Proceedings of the Second International Conference on Computer Science, Engineering & Applications

CERN Document Server

Zizka, Jan; Nagamalai, Dhinaharan

2012-01-01

The International conference series on Computer Science, Engineering & Applications (ICCSEA) aims to bring together researchers and practitioners from academia and industry to focus on understanding computer science, engineering and applications and to establish new collaborations in these areas. The Second International Conference on Computer Science, Engineering & Applications (ICCSEA-2012), held in Delhi, India, during May 25-27, 2012 attracted many local and international delegates, presenting a balanced mixture of  intellect and research both from the East and from the West. Upon a strenuous peer-review process the best submissions were selected leading to an exciting, rich and a high quality technical conference program, which featured high-impact presentations in the latest developments of various areas of computer science, engineering and applications research.  

Degrees of systematic thoroughness: A text analysis of student technical science writing

Science.gov (United States)

Esch, Catherine Julia

This dissertation investigates student technical science writing and use of evidence. Student writers attended a writing-intensive undergraduate university oceanography course where they were required to write a technical paper drawing from an instructor-designed software program, Our Dynamic Planet. This software includes multiple interactive geological data sets relevant to plate tectonics. Through qualitative text analysis of students science writing, two research questions frame the study asking: How are the papers textually structured? Are there distinctions between high- and low-rated papers? General and specific text characteristics within three critical sections of the technical paper are identified and analyzed (Observations, Interpretations, Conclusions). Specific text characteristics consist of typical types of figures displayed in the papers, and typical statements within each paper section. Data gathering consisted of collecting 15 student papers which constitute the population of study. An analytical method was designed to manage and analyze the text characteristics. It has three stages: identifying coding categories, re-formulating the categories, and configuring categories. Three important elements emerged that identified notable distinctions in paper quality: data display and use, narration of complex geological feature relationships, and overall organization of text structure. An inter-rater coding concordance check was conducted, and showed high concordance ratios for the coding of each section: Observations = 0.95; Interpretations = 0.93; and Conclusions = 0.87. These categories collectively reveal a larger pattern of general differences in the paper quality levels (high, low, medium). This variation in the quality of papers demonstrates degrees of systematic thoroughness, which is defined as how systematically each student engages in the tasks of the assignment, and how thoroughly and consistently the student follows through on that systematic

Bulletin of Materials Science | News

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

Home; Journals; Bulletin of Materials Science; Volume 27; Issue 4. Issue front cover thumbnail. Volume 27, Issue 4. August 2004, pages 323-394. pp 323-325 Crystal Growth. Growth features of ammonium hydrogen -tartrate single crystals · G Sajeevkumar R Raveendran B S Remadevi Alexander Varghese Vaidyan.

Fusion of geometric and texture features for finger knuckle surface recognition

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

K. Usha

2016-03-01

Full Text Available Hand-based biometrics plays a significant role in establishing security for real-time environments involving human interaction and is found to be more successful in terms of high speed and accuracy. This paper investigates on an integrated approach for personal authentication using Finger Back Knuckle Surface (FBKS based on two methodologies viz., Angular Geometric Analysis based Feature Extraction Method (AGFEM and Contourlet Transform based Feature Extraction Method (CTFEM. Based on these methods, this personal authentication system simultaneously extracts shape oriented feature information and textural pattern information of FBKS for authenticating an individual. Furthermore, the proposed geometric and textural analysis methods extract feature information from both proximal phalanx and distal phalanx knuckle regions (FBKS, while the existing works of the literature concentrate only on the features of proximal phalanx knuckle region. The finger joint region found nearer to the tip of the finger is called distal phalanx region of FBKS, which is a unique feature and has greater potentiality toward identification. Extensive experiments conducted using newly created database with 5400 FBKS images and the obtained results infer that the integration of shape oriented features with texture feature information yields excellent accuracy rate of 99.12% with lowest equal error rate of 1.04%.

Resonance – Journal of Science Education | Indian Academy of ...

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

Home; Journals; Resonance – Journal of Science Education. Uday Maitra. Articles written in Resonance – Journal of Science Education. Volume 1 Issue 1 January 1996 pp 90-91 Feature Article. Molecule of the Month Cyclobutadiene in a Molecular Prison! Uday Maitra · More Details Fulltext PDF. Volume 1 Issue 1 January ...

The NUCLEONICA Nuclear Science Portal

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Magill, Joseph; Dreher, Raymond

2009-01-01

NUCLEONICA (www.nucleonica.net) is a new nuclear science web portal which provides a customisable, integrated environment and collaboration platform using the latest internet 'Web 2.0' technology. NUCLEONICA is aimed at professionals, academics and students working in nuclear power, health physics and radiation protection, nuclear and radio-chemistry, and astrophysics. A unique feature of the portal is the wide range of user friendly web-based nuclear science applications. The portal is also ideal for education and training purposes and as a knowledge management platform to preserve nuclear knowledge built up over many decades.

An exploration of administrators' perceptions of elementary science: A case study of the role of science in two elementary schools based on the interactions of administrators with colleagues, science content and state standards

Science.gov (United States)

Brogdon, Lori-Anne Stelmark

This research is a case study on the perceptions and attitudes of administrators in the area of elementary science and how their responses reflect agreement or dissonance with the perceptions of elementary teachers on the subject of science within the same district. The study used Likert-type surveys and interviews from both administrators and teachers on five key areas: 1) Attitudes towards science and teaching 2) Attitudes towards teaching science 3) Attitudes towards administrators 4) Time teaching science and 5) Attitudes about policy and standards. Survey data was analyzed within and across areas to identify similarity and difference within each group. The medians from the administrative and teacher surveys were then crossed referenced through the use of a Mann Whitney test to identify areas of similarity. Interview data was coded around three major themes: 1) Standards 2) Classroom Instruction and 3) Conversations. The findings show that even though administrators' perceptions favor the inclusion of science in the elementary classroom, both administrators and teachers in this study reported limited involvement from, and conversation with, each other on the topic of science education. Heavy reliance by the administrators was placed on the use of consultants to provide professional development in the area of science instruction and to review the use of state standards, resulting in limited conversation between administrators and teachers about science. Teachers reported a heavy reliance upon their colleagues in the area of science instruction and curriculum planning. In addition, both administrators and teachers reported a greater focus on math and English for classroom instruction. Findings in this research support implications that more focus should be placed on the role of administrators in the implementation of science instruction. Administrators can play a crucial role in the success of science programs at the building, district and state levels

Feature conjunctions and auditory sensory memory.

Science.gov (United States)

Sussman, E; Gomes, H; Nousak, J M; Ritter, W; Vaughan, H G

1998-05-18

This study sought to obtain additional evidence that transient auditory memory stores information about conjunctions of features on an automatic basis. The mismatch negativity of event-related potentials was employed because its operations are based on information that is stored in transient auditory memory. The mismatch negativity was found to be elicited by a tone that differed from standard tones in a combination of its perceived location and frequency. The result lends further support to the hypothesis that the system upon which the mismatch negativity relies processes stimuli in an holistic manner. Copyright 1998 Elsevier Science B.V.

Mechanical science

CERN Document Server

Bolton, W C

2013-01-01

This book gives comprehensive coverage of mechanical science for HNC/HND students taking mechanical engineering courses, including all topics likely to be covered in both years of such courses, as well as for first year undergraduate courses in mechanical engineering. It features 500 problems with answers and 200 worked examples. The third edition includes a new section on power transmission and an appendix on mathematics to help students with the basic notation of calculus and solution of differential equations.

NEWS: Why choose science?

Science.gov (United States)

2000-05-01

National concerns over the uptake of science subjects and an analysis of how school science departments together with careers programmes influence students' subject choices feature in a recent report from the UK's National Institute for Careers Education and Counselling. It points out that decisions on science subjects are taken very early in pupils' education, often well before the implications of those choices can be clearly understood. If pupils are to be encouraged to keep science options open, then both science teachers and careers advisers have important roles to play. Physics is in fact singled out in the report's recommendations as in need of special attention, due to its perceived difficulty both within the double-award science course and also at A-level. The lack of qualified teachers in physics is noted as a problem for schools and the many initiatives to address these issues should be encouraged according to the report, but within an overall high-profile and well funded national strategy for developing science education in schools. The report also notes that science teachers do not feel able to keep up with career information, whilst few careers advisers have a science background and have little opportunity to build up their knowledge of science syllabuses or of science and engineering careers. More contact between both types of specialist is naturally advocated. Copies of the full report, Choosing Science at 16 by Mary Munro and David Elsom, are available from NICEC, Sheraton House, Castle Park, Cambridge CB3 0AX on receipt of an A4 stamped (70p) addressed envelope. A NICEC briefing summary is also available from the same address (20p stamp required).

Close connections between open science and open-source software

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

YouHua Chen

2014-09-01

Full Text Available Open science is increasingly gaining attention in recent years. In this mini-review, we briefly discuss and summarize the reasons of introducing open science into academic publications for scientists. We argue that open-source software (like R and Python software can be the universal and important platforms for doing open science because of their appealing features: open source, easy-reading document, commonly used in various scientific disciplines like statistics, chemistry and biology. At last, the challenges and future perspectives of performing open science are discussed.

Text Mining in Python through the HTRC Feature Reader

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Peter Organisciak

2016-11-01

Full Text Available We introduce a toolkit for working with the 13.6 million volume Extracted Features Dataset from the HathiTrust Research Center. You will learn how to peer at the words and trends of any book in the collection, while developing broadly useful Python data analysis skills. The HathiTrust holds nearly 15 million digitized volumes from libraries around the world. In addition to their individual value, these works in aggregate are extremely valuable for historians. Spanning many centuries and genres, they offer a way to learn about large-scale trends in history and culture, as well as evidence for changes in language or even the structure of the book. To simplify access to this collection the HathiTrust Research Center (HTRC has released the Extracted Features dataset (Capitanu et al. 2015: a dataset that provides quantitative information describing every page of every volume in the collection. In this lesson, we introduce the HTRC Feature Reader, a library for working with the HTRC Extracted Features dataset using the Python programming language. The HTRC Feature Reader is structured to support work using popular data science libraries, particularly Pandas. Pandas provides simple structures for holding data and powerful ways to interact with it. The HTRC Feature Reader uses these data structures, so learning how to use it will also cover general data analysis skills in Python.

Comparison of CT and MRI features in sinusitis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chong, V.F.H.; Fan, Y.F.

1998-01-01

Objective: To correlate the features of inflammatory changes in the paranasal sinuses on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) with computed tomography (CT). Methods and patients: One hundred and fourteen patients with histologically proven nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) were staged with both CT and MRI. All CT and MRI images of patients with mucosal thickening but no tumour involvement of the sinuses were retrospectively analysed. Results: There were inflammatory changes in 36 maxillary, 21 sphenoid and 16 ethmoid sinuses. These changes include mucosal thickening, retention cysts, retained secretions, inspissated secretions and dystrophic calcification. MRI is superior to CT in separating thickened mucosa, retained secretions and retentions cysts. Conclusion: It is important to appreciate CT changes of sinusitis and the corresponding spectrum of MRI features. (Copyright (c) 1998 Elsevier Science B.V., Amsterdam. All rights reserved.)

Digital reference service: trends in academic health science libraries.

Science.gov (United States)

Dee, Cheryl R

2005-01-01

Two years after the initial 2002 study, a greater number of academic health science libraries are offering digital reference chat services, and this number appears poised to grow in the coming years. This 2004 follow-up study found that 36 (27%) of the academic health science libraries examined provide digital chat reference services; this was an approximately 6% increase over the 25 libraries (21%) located in 2002. Trends in digital reference services in academic health science libraries were derived from the exploration of academic health science library Web sites and from digital correspondence with academic health science library personnel using e-mail and chat. This article presents an overview of the current state of digital reference service in academic health science libraries.

Estimating the reproducibility of psychological science

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Anderson, Joanna E.; Aarts, Alexander A.; Anderson, Christopher J.; Attridge, Peter R.; Attwood, Angela; Axt, Jordan; Babel, Molly; Bahník, Štěpán; Baranski, Erica; Barnett-Cowan, Michael; Bartmess, Elizabeth; Beer, Jennifer; Bell, Raoul; Bentley, Heather; Beyan, Leah; Binion, Grace; Borsboom, Denny; Bosch, Annick; Bosco, Frank A.; Bowman, Sara D.; Brandt, Mark J.; Braswell, Erin; Brohmer, Hilmar; Brown, Benjamin T.; Brown, Kristina; Brüning, Jovita; Calhoun-Sauls, Ann; Callahan, Shannon P.; Chagnon, Elizabeth; Chandler, Jesse; Chartier, Christopher R.; Cheung, Felix; Christopherson, Cody D.; Cillessen, Linda; Clay, Russ; Cleary, Hayley; Cloud, Mark D.; Conn, Michael; Cohoon, Johanna; Columbus, Simon; Cordes, Andreas; Costantini, Giulio; Alvarez, Leslie D Cramblet; Cremata, Ed; Crusius, Jan; DeCoster, Jamie; DeGaetano, Michelle A.; Penna, Nicolás Delia; Den Bezemer, Bobby; Deserno, Marie K.; Devitt, Olivia; Dewitte, Laura; Dobolyi, David G.; Dodson, Geneva T.; Donnellan, M. Brent; Donohue, Ryan; Dore, Rebecca A.; Dorrough, Angela; Dreber, Anna; Dugas, Michelle; Dunn, Elizabeth W.; Easey, Kayleigh; Eboigbe, Sylvia; Eggleston, Casey; Embley, Jo; Epskamp, Sacha; Errington, Timothy M.; Estel, Vivien; Farach, Frank J.; Feather, Jenelle; Fedor, Anna; Fernández-Castilla, Belén; Fiedler, Susann; Field, James G.; Fitneva, Stanka A.; Flagan, Taru; Forest, Amanda L.; Forsell, Eskil; Foster, Joshua D.; Frank, Michael C.; Frazier, Rebecca S.; Fuchs, Heather; Gable, Philip; Galak, Jeff; Galliani, Elisa Maria; Gampa, Anup; Garcia, Sara; Gazarian, Douglas; Gilbert, Elizabeth; Giner-Sorolla, Roger; Glöckner, Andreas; Goellner, Lars; Goh, Jin X.; Goldberg, Rebecca; Goodbourn, Patrick T.; Gordon-McKeon, Shauna; Gorges, Bryan; Gorges, Jessie; Goss, Justin; Graham, Jesse; Grange, James A.; Gray, Jeremy; Hartgerink, Chris; Hartshorne, Joshua; Hasselman, Fred; Hayes, Timothy; Heikensten, Emma; Henninger, Felix; Hodsoll, John; Holubar, Taylor; Hoogendoorn, Gea; Humphries, Denise J.; Hung, Cathy O Y; Immelman, Nathali; Irsik, Vanessa C.; Jahn, Georg; Jäkel, Frank; Jekel, Marc; Johannesson, Magnus; Johnson, Larissa G.; Johnson, David J.; Johnson, Kate M.; Johnston, William J.; Jonas, Kai; Joy-Gaba, Jennifer A.; Kappes, Heather Barry; Kelso, Kim; Kidwell, Mallory C.; Kim, Seung Kyung; Kirkhart, Matthew; Kleinberg, Bennett; Knežević, Goran; Kolorz, Franziska Maria; Kossakowski, Jolanda J.; Krause, Robert Wilhelm; Krijnen, Job; Kuhlmann, Tim; Kunkels, Yoram K.; Kyc, Megan M.; Lai, Calvin K.; Laique, Aamir; Lakens, Daniël|info:eu-repo/dai/nl/298811855; Lane, Kristin A.; Lassetter, Bethany; Lazarević, Ljiljana B.; Le Bel, Etienne P.; Lee, Key Jung; Lee, Minha; Lemm, Kristi; Levitan, Carmel A.; Lewis, Melissa; Lin, Lin; Lin, Stephanie; Lippold, Matthias; Loureiro, Darren; Luteijn, Ilse; MacKinnon, Sean; Mainard, Heather N.; Marigold, Denise C.; Martin, Daniel P.; Martinez, Tylar; Masicampo, E. J.; Matacotta, Josh; Mathur, Maya; May, Michael; Mechin, Nicole; Mehta, Pranjal; Meixner, Johannes; Melinger, Alissa; Miller, Jeremy K.; Miller, Mallorie; Moore, Katherine; Möschl, Marcus; Motyl, Matt; Müller, Stephanie M.; Munafo, Marcus; Neijenhuijs, Koen I.; Nervi, Taylor; Nicolas, Gandalf; Nilsonne, Gustav; Nosek, Brian A.; Nuijten, Michèle B.; Olsson, Catherine; Osborne, Colleen; Ostkamp, Lutz; Pavel, Misha; Penton-Voak, Ian S.; Perna, Olivia; Pernet, Cyril; Perugini, Marco; Pipitone, R. Nathan; Pitts, Michael; Plessow, Franziska; Prenoveau, Jason M.; Rahal, Rima Maria; Ratliff, Kate A.; Reinhard, David; Renkewitz, Frank; Ricker, Ashley A.; Rigney, Anastasia; Rivers, Andrew M.; Roebke, Mark; Rutchick, Abraham M.; Ryan, Robert S.; Sahin, Onur; Saide, Anondah; Sandstrom, Gillian M.; Santos, David; Saxe, Rebecca; Schlegelmilch, René; Schmidt, Kathleen; Scholz, Sabine; Seibel, Larissa; Selterman, Dylan Faulkner; Shaki, Samuel; Simpson, William B.; Sinclair, H. Colleen; Skorinko, Jeanine L M; Slowik, Agnieszka; Snyder, Joel S.; Soderberg, Courtney; Sonnleitner, Carina; Spencer, Nick; Spies, Jeffrey R.; Steegen, Sara; Stieger, Stefan; Strohminger, Nina; Sullivan, Gavin B.; Talhelm, Thomas; Tapia, Megan; Te Dorsthorst, Anniek; Thomae, Manuela; Thomas, Sarah L.; Tio, Pia; Traets, Frits; Tsang, Steve; Tuerlinckx, Francis; Turchan, Paul; Valášek, Milan; Van't Veer, Anna E.; Van Aert, Robbie; Van Assen, Marcel|info:eu-repo/dai/nl/407629971; Van Bork, Riet; Van De Ven, Mathijs; Van Den Bergh, Don; Van Der Hulst, Marije; Van Dooren, Roel; Van Doorn, Johnny; Van Renswoude, Daan R.; Van Rijn, Hedderik; Vanpaemel, Wolf; Echeverría, Alejandro Vásquez; Vazquez, Melissa; Velez, Natalia; Vermue, Marieke; Verschoor, Mark; Vianello, Michelangelo; Voracek, Martin; Vuu, Gina; Wagenmakers, Eric Jan; Weerdmeester, Joanneke; Welsh, Ashlee; Westgate, Erin C.; Wissink, Joeri; Wood, Michael; Woods, Andy; Wright, Emily; Wu, Sining; Zeelenberg, Marcel; Zuni, Kellylynn

2015-01-01

Reproducibility is a defining feature of science, but the extent to which it characterizes current research is unknown. We conducted replications of 100 experimental and correlational studies published in three psychology journals using high-powered designs and original materials when available.

Comparison of health risk behavior, awareness, and health benefit beliefs of health science and non-health science students: An international study.

Science.gov (United States)

Peltzer, Karl; Pengpid, Supa; Yung, Tony K C; Aounallah-Skhiri, Hajer; Rehman, Rehana

2016-06-01

This study determines the differences in health risk behavior, knowledge, and health benefit beliefs between health science and non-health science university students in 17 low and middle income countries. Anonymous questionnaire data were collected in a cross-sectional survey of 13,042 undergraduate university students (4,981 health science and 8,061 non-health science students) from 17 universities in 17 countries across Asia, Africa, and the Americas. Results indicate that overall, health science students had the same mean number of health risk behaviors as non-health science university students. Regarding addictive risk behavior, fewer health science students used tobacco, were binge drinkers, or gambled once a week or more. Health science students also had a greater awareness of health behavior risks (5.5) than non-health science students (4.6). Linear regression analysis found a strong association with poor or weak health benefit beliefs and the health risk behavior index. There was no association between risk awareness and health risk behavior among health science students and an inverse association among non-health science students. © 2015 Wiley Publishing Asia Pty Ltd.

Personality Disorder Features and Insomnia Status amongst Hypnotic-Dependent Adults

Science.gov (United States)

Ruiter, Megan E.; Lichstein, Kenneth L.; Nau, Sidney D.; Geyer, James

2012-01-01

Objective To determine the prevalence of personality disorders and their relation to insomnia parameters among persons with chronic insomnia with hypnotic dependence. Methods Eighty-four adults with chronic insomnia with hypnotic dependence completed the SCID-II personality questionnaire, two-weeks of sleep diaries, polysomnography, and measures of insomnia severity, impact, fatigue severity, depression, anxiety, and quality of life. Frequencies, between-subjects t-tests and hierarchical regression models were conducted. Results Cluster C personality disorders were most prevalent (50%). Obsessive-compulsive personality disorder (OCPD) was most common (n=39). These individuals compared to participants with no personality disorders did not differ in objective and subjective sleep parameters. Yet, they had poorer insomnia-related daytime functioning. OCPD and Avoidant personality disorders features were associated with poorer daytime functioning. OCPD features were related to greater fatigue severity, and overestimation of time awake was trending. Schizotypal and Schizoid features were positively associated with insomnia severity. Dependent personality disorder features were related to underestimating time awake. Conclusions Cluster C personality disorders were highly prevalent in patients with chronic insomnia with hypnotic dependence. Features of Cluster C and A personality disorders were variously associated with poorer insomnia-related daytime functioning, fatigue, and estimation of nightly wake-time. Future interventions may need to address these personality features. PMID:22938862

Personality disorder features and insomnia status amongst hypnotic-dependent adults.

Science.gov (United States)

Ruiter, Megan E; Lichstein, Kenneth L; Nau, Sidney D; Geyer, James D

2012-10-01

To determine the prevalence of personality disorders and their relation to insomnia parameters among persons with chronic insomnia with hypnotic dependence. Eighty-four adults with chronic insomnia with hypnotic dependence completed the SCID-II personality questionnaire, two-weeks of sleep diaries, polysomnography, and measures of insomnia severity, impact, fatigue severity, depression, anxiety, and quality of life. Frequencies, between-subjects t-tests and hierarchical regression models were conducted. Cluster C personality disorders were most prevalent (50%). Obsessive-Compulsive personality disorder (OCPD) was most common (n=39). These individuals compared to participants with no personality disorders did not differ in objective and subjective sleep parameters. Yet, they had poorer insomnia-related daytime functioning. OCPD and Avoidant personality disorders features were associated with poorer daytime functioning. OCPD features were related to greater fatigue severity, and overestimation of time awake was trending. Schizotypal and Schizoid features were positively associated with insomnia severity. Dependent personality disorder features were related to underestimating time awake. Cluster C personality disorders were highly prevalent in patients with chronic insomnia with hypnotic dependence. Features of Cluster C and A personality disorders were variously associated with poorer insomnia-related daytime functioning, fatigue, and estimation of nightly wake-time. Future interventions may need to address these personality features. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Collaborative Web between open and closed science

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Alessandro Delfanti

2008-06-01

Full Text Available “Web 2.0” is the mantra enthusiastically repeated in the past few years on anything concerning the production of culture, dialogue and online communication. Even science is changing, along with the processes involving the communication, collaboration and cooperation created through the web, yet rooted in some of its historical features of openness. For this issue, JCOM has asked some experts on the most recent changes in science to analyse the potential and the contradictions lying in online collaborative science. The new open science feeds on the opportunity to freely contribute to knowledge production, sharing not only data, but also software and hardware. But it is open also to the outside, where citizens use Web 2.0 instruments to discuss about science in a horizontal way.

Future Scenarios for Mobile Science Learning

Science.gov (United States)

Burden, Kevin; Kearney, Matthew

2016-04-01

This paper adopts scenario planning as a methodological approach and tool to help science educators reconceptualise their use of mobile technologies across various different futures. These `futures' are set out neither as predictions nor prognoses but rather as stimuli to encourage greater discussion and reflection around the use of mobile technologies in science education. Informed by the literature and our empirical data, we consider four alternative futures for science education in a mobile world, with a particular focus on networked collaboration and student agency. We conclude that `seamless learning', whereby students are empowered to use their mobile technologies to negotiate across physical and virtual boundaries (e.g. between school and out-of-school activities), may be the most significant factor in encouraging educators to rethink their existing pedagogical patterns, thereby realizing some of the promises of contextualised participatory science learning.

Principles of systems science

CERN Document Server

Mobus, George E

2015-01-01

This pioneering text provides a comprehensive introduction to systems structure, function, and modeling as applied in all fields of science and engineering. Systems understanding is increasingly recognized as a key to a more holistic education and greater problem solving skills, and is also reflected in the trend toward interdisciplinary approaches to research on complex phenomena. The subject of systems science, as a basis for understanding the components and drivers of phenomena at all scales, should be viewed with the same importance as a traditional liberal arts education. Principles of Systems Science contains many graphs, illustrations, side bars, examples, and problems to enhance understanding. From basic principles of organization, complexity, abstract representations, and behavior (dynamics) to deeper aspects such as the relations between information, knowledge, computation, and system control, to higher order aspects such as auto-organization, emergence and evolution, the book provides an integrated...

History and Philosophy of Science through Models: The Case of Chemical Kinetics.

Science.gov (United States)

Justi, Rosaria; Gilbert, John K.

1999-01-01

A greater role for the history and philosophy of science in science education can only be realized if it is based on both a credible analytical approach--such as that of Lakatos--and if the evolution of a sufficient number of major themes in science is known in suitable detail. Considers chemical kinetics as an example topic. Contains 62…

Psychology, philosophy and nuclear science

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Edwards, M.; Byrne, A.

2011-01-01

At first glance, one might wonder what psychology has got to do with nuclear science. On closer inspection, it is clear that nuclear science and technology have historically attracted controversy, and still today public and political opposition cloud its future, perhaps even more so with recent tragic events in Japan. A key focus for psychology has been an attempt to explicate public opposition to nuclear power, and this has been largely carried out by examining attitudes and risk perception. But it is easy to demonstrate that this has not been enough. There are also other important psychological issues that warrant greater attention than has been given. In this paper, I will first give an overview of the 'discipline' of psychology, including some inherent philosophical problems, before outlining specific psychological issues of relevance to nuclear science. I will then discuss whether these issues have been adequately addressed to date, before finally suggesting ways in which psychology might better respond to the questions nuclear science and technology raise. (author)

Automatically measuring the effect of strategy drawing features on pupils' handwriting and gender

Science.gov (United States)

Tabatabaey-Mashadi, Narges; Sudirman, Rubita; Guest, Richard M.; Khalid, Puspa Inayat

2013-12-01

Children's dynamic drawing strategies have been recently recognized as indicators of handwriting ability. However the influence of each feature in predicting handwriting is unknown due to lack of a measuring system. An automated measuring algorithm suitable for psychological assessment and non-subjective scoring is presented here. Using the weight vector and classification rate of a machine learning algorithm, an overall feature's effect is calculated which is comparable in different groupings. In this study thirteen previously detected drawing strategy features are measured for their influence on handwriting and gender. Features are extracted from drawing a triangle, Beery VMI and Bender Gestalt tangent patterns. Samples are related to 203 pupils (77 below average writers, and 101 female). The results show that the number of strokes in drawing the triangle pattern plays a major role in both groupings; however Left Tendency flag feature is affected by children's handwriting about 2.5 times greater than their gender. Experiments indicate that different forms of a feature sometimes show different influences.

International Conference on Recent Trends in Materials Science and Applications

CERN Document Server

2017-01-01

This book gathers the proceedings of the plenary sessions, invited lectures, and papers presented at the International Conference on Recent Trends in Materials Science and Applications (ICRTMSA-2016). It also features revealing presentations on various aspects of Materials Science, such as nanomaterials, photonic crystal fibers, quantum dots, thin film techniques, crystal growth, spectroscopic procedures, fabrication and characterisation of new materials / compounds with enhanced features, and potential applications in nonlinear optical and electro-optic devices, solar cell device, chemical sensing, biomedical imaging, diagnosis and treatment of cancer, energy storage device etc. This book will be of great interest to beginning and seasoned researchers alike.

Specialized science.

Science.gov (United States)

Casadevall, Arturo; Fang, Ferric C

2014-04-01

As the body of scientific knowledge in a discipline increases, there is pressure for specialization. Fields spawn subfields that then become entities in themselves that promote further specialization. The process by which scientists join specialized groups has remarkable similarities to the guild system of the middle ages. The advantages of specialization of science include efficiency, the establishment of normative standards, and the potential for greater rigor in experimental research. However, specialization also carries risks of monopoly, monotony, and isolation. The current tendency to judge scientific work by the impact factor of the journal in which it is published may have roots in overspecialization, as scientists are less able to critically evaluate work outside their field than before. Scientists in particular define themselves through group identity and adopt practices that conform to the expectations and dynamics of such groups. As part of our continuing analysis of issues confronting contemporary science, we analyze the emergence and consequences of specialization in science, with a particular emphasis on microbiology, a field highly vulnerable to balkanization along microbial phylogenetic boundaries, and suggest that specialization carries significant costs. We propose measures to mitigate the detrimental effects of scientific specialism.

Students' Motivational Beliefs in Science Learning, School Motivational Contexts, and Science Achievement in Taiwan

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Cheng-Lung; Liou, Pey-Yan

2017-01-01

Taiwanese students are featured as having high academic achievement but low motivational beliefs according to the serial results of the Trends in Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS). Moreover, given that the role of context has become more important in the development of academic motivation theory, this study aimed to examine the relationship…

Materials Science Research Hardware for Application on the International Space Station: an Overview of Typical Hardware Requirements and Features

Science.gov (United States)

Schaefer, D. A.; Cobb, S.; Fiske, M. R.; Srinivas, R.

2000-01-01

NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) is the lead center for Materials Science Microgravity Research. The Materials Science Research Facility (MSRF) is a key development effort underway at MSFC. The MSRF will be the primary facility for microgravity materials science research on board the International Space Station (ISS) and will implement the NASA Materials Science Microgravity Research Program. It will operate in the U.S. Laboratory Module and support U. S. Microgravity Materials Science Investigations. This facility is being designed to maintain the momentum of the U.S. role in microgravity materials science and support NASA's Human Exploration and Development of Space (HEDS) Enterprise goals and objectives for Materials Science. The MSRF as currently envisioned will consist of three Materials Science Research Racks (MSRR), which will be deployed to the International Space Station (ISS) in phases, Each rack is being designed to accommodate various Experiment Modules, which comprise processing facilities for peer selected Materials Science experiments. Phased deployment will enable early opportunities for the U.S. and International Partners, and support the timely incorporation of technology updates to the Experiment Modules and sensor devices.

Science in the Public Sphere: Greater Sage-grouse Conservation Planning from a Transdisciplinary Perspective

Science.gov (United States)

Torregrosa, Alicia; Casazza, Michael L.; Caldwell, Margaret R.; Mathiasmeier, Teresa A.; Morgan, Peter M.; Overton, Cory T.

2010-01-01

Integration of scientific data and adaptive management techniques is critical to the success of species conservation, however, there are uncertainties about effective methods of knowledge exchange between scientists and decisionmakers. The conservation planning and implementation process for Greater Sage-grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus; ) in the Mono Basin, Calif. region, was used as a case study to observe the exchange of scientific information among stakeholders with differing perspectives; resource manager, scientist, public official, rancher, and others. The collaborative development of a risk-simulation model was explored as a tool to transfer knowledge between stakeholders and inform conservation planning and management decisions. Observations compiled using a transdisciplinary approach were used to compare the exchange of information during the collaborative model development and more traditional interactions such as scientist-led presentations at stakeholder meetings. Lack of congruence around knowledge needs and prioritization led to insufficient commitment to completely implement the risk-simulation model. Ethnographic analysis of the case study suggests that further application of epistemic community theory, which posits a strong boundary condition on knowledge transfer, could help support application of risk simulation models in conservation-planning efforts within similarly complex social and bureaucratic landscapes.

Learning about the internal structure of categories through classification and feature inference.

Science.gov (United States)

Jee, Benjamin D; Wiley, Jennifer

2014-01-01

Previous research on category learning has found that classification tasks produce representations that are skewed toward diagnostic feature dimensions, whereas feature inference tasks lead to richer representations of within-category structure. Yet, prior studies often measure category knowledge through tasks that involve identifying only the typical features of a category. This neglects an important aspect of a category's internal structure: how typical and atypical features are distributed within a category. The present experiments tested the hypothesis that inference learning results in richer knowledge of internal category structure than classification learning. We introduced several new measures to probe learners' representations of within-category structure. Experiment 1 found that participants in the inference condition learned and used a wider range of feature dimensions than classification learners. Classification learners, however, were more sensitive to the presence of atypical features within categories. Experiment 2 provided converging evidence that classification learners were more likely to incorporate atypical features into their representations. Inference learners were less likely to encode atypical category features, even in a "partial inference" condition that focused learners' attention on the feature dimensions relevant to classification. Overall, these results are contrary to the hypothesis that inference learning produces superior knowledge of within-category structure. Although inference learning promoted representations that included a broad range of category-typical features, classification learning promoted greater sensitivity to the distribution of typical and atypical features within categories.

Gas, Oil, and Water Production from Jonah, Pinedale, Greater Wamsutter, and Stagecoach Draw Fields in the Greater Green River Basin, Wyoming

Science.gov (United States)

Nelson, Philip H.; Ewald, Shauna M.; Santus, Stephen L.; Trainor, Patrick K.

2010-01-01

in water production are rare in the upper part of the Almond, and a higher percentage of wells in the upper part of the Almond show water decreasing at the same rate as gas than in the main or combined parts of the Almond. In Stagecoach Draw field, the gas production rate after five years is about one-fourth that of the first sample, whereas in Pinedale, Jonah, and Greater Wamsutter fields, the production rate after five years is about one-half that of the first sample. The more rapid gas decline rate seems to be the outstanding feature distinguishing Stagecoach Draw field, which is characterized as a conventional field, from Pinedale, Jonah, and Greater Wamsutter fields, which are generally characterized as tight-gas accumulations. Oil-gas ratios are fairly consistent within Jonah, Pinedale, and Stagecoach Draw fields, suggesting similar chemical composition and pressure-temperature conditions within each field, and are less than the 20 bbl/mmcf upper limit for wet gas. However, oil-gas ratios vary considerably from one area to another in the Greater Wamsutter field, demonstrating a lack of commonality in either chemistry or pressure-temperature conditions among the six areas. In all wells in all four fields examined here, water production commences with gas production-there are no examples of wells with water-free production and no examples where water production commences after first-sample gas production. The fraction of records with water production higher in the second sample than in the first sample varies from field to field, with Pinedale field showing the lowest percentage of such cases and Jonah field showing the most. Most wells have water-gas ratios exceeding the amount that could exist dissolved in gas at reservoir pressure and temperature.

International trends in health science librarianship part 20: Russia.

Science.gov (United States)

Murphy, Jeannette; Jargin, Serge

2017-03-01

This is the last in a series of articles exploring international trends in health science librarianship in the 21st century. The focus of the present issue is Russia. The next feature column will initiate a new series entitled New Directions in Health Science Librarianship. The first contribution will be from Australia. JM. © 2017 Health Libraries Group.

PHILOSOPHY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY: IT'S IMPACT ON RECENT DEVELOPMENT

OpenAIRE

Dr. P.K. Rejimon*

2017-01-01

In the contemporary society, science and technology are very much dominating in all part of the world, because the world is running with faster than ever before. The social and cultural values are shifting towards techno innovative. The philosophy will play a greater extent to understating the basic ethical and moral issues and crisis in science and technology of the global society. The science and technology as socially embedded enterprises, which change the intellectual paradigms. Philosoph...

Hypermetabolism in ALS is associated with greater functional decline and shorter survival.

Science.gov (United States)

Steyn, Frederik J; Ioannides, Zara A; van Eijk, Ruben P A; Heggie, Susan; Thorpe, Kathryn A; Ceslis, Amelia; Heshmat, Saman; Henders, Anjali K; Wray, Naomi R; van den Berg, Leonard H; Henderson, Robert D; McCombe, Pamela A; Ngo, Shyuan T

2018-04-29

To determine the prevalence of hypermetabolism, relative to body composition, in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and its relationship with clinical features of disease and survival. Fifty-eight patients with clinically definite or probable ALS as defined by El Escorial criteria, and 58 age and sex-matched control participants underwent assessment of energy expenditure. Our primary outcome was the prevalence of hypermetabolism in cases and controls. Longitudinal changes in clinical parameters between hypermetabolic and normometabolic patients with ALS were determined for up to 12 months following metabolic assessment. Survival was monitored over a 30-month period following metabolic assessment. Hypermetabolism was more prevalent in patients with ALS than controls (41% vs 12%, adjusted OR=5.4; pALS. Mean lower motor neuron score (SD) was greater in hypermetabolic patients when compared with normometabolic patients (4 (0.3) vs 3 (0.7); p=0.04). In the 12 months following metabolic assessment, there was a greater change in Revised ALS Functional Rating Scale score in hypermetabolic patients when compared with normometabolic patients (-0.68 points/month vs -0.39 points/month; p=0.01). Hypermetabolism was inversely associated with survival. Overall, hypermetabolism increased the risk of death during follow-up to 220% (HR 3.2, 95% CI 1.1 to 9.4, p=0.03). Hypermetabolic patients with ALS have a greater level of lower motor neuron involvement, faster rate of functional decline and shorter survival. The metabolic index could be important for informing prognosis in ALS. © Article author(s) (or their employer(s) unless otherwise stated in the text of the article) 2018. All rights reserved. No commercial use is permitted unless otherwise expressly granted.

Quantum Opportunities and Challenges for Fundamental Sciences in Space

Science.gov (United States)

Yu, Nan

2012-01-01

Space platforms offer unique environment for and measurements of quantum world and fundamental physics. Quantum technology and measurements enhance measurement capabilities in space and result in greater science returns.

Greater autonomy at work

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Houtman, I.L.D.

2004-01-01

In the past 10 years, workers in the Netherlands increasingly report more decision-making power in their work. This is important for an economy in recession and where workers face greater work demands. It makes work more interesting, creates a healthier work environment, and provides opportunities

Metabolic Concomitants of Obese and Nonobese Women With Features of Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome

Science.gov (United States)

Boumosleh, Jocelyne Matar; Grundy, Scott M.; Phan, Jennifer; Neeland, Ian J.; Chang, Alice

2017-01-01

Context: Polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) is often associated with obesity and diabetes. Objective: The present study measured body fat distribution and metabolic risk factors in women with features of PCOS. Design: Cross-sectional, multiethnic study of cardiovascular risks. Setting: General community. Study Participants: 145 PCOS and 344 non-PCOS women. Exposure Measures: Body composition by dual x-ray absorptiometry; abdominal fat masses measured by magnetic resonance imaging and hepatic triglyceride by magnetic resonance spectroscopy. Outcomes Measures: Body composition, liver fat content, homeostatic model assessment for insulin resistance (HOMA-IR), revised, and metabolic syndrome components. Results: PCOS women had a higher free androgen index compared with the non-PCOS women. Nonobese PCOS and non-PCOS women had a similar body fat content and distribution, HOMA-IR, and hepatic triglyceride content. Obese PCOS women had a similar total body fat percentage compared with their non-PCOS counterparts (41.4% and 41.4% respectively). Both obese groups had similar intraperitoneal fat (1.4% of total body mass in PCOS vs 1.4% in non-PCOS). However, obese PCOS women had a greater ratio of truncal/lower body fat (1.42 vs 1.27; P < 0.016). They also had greater insulin resistance (HOMA-IR: PCOS, 2.24% vs non-PCOS, 1.91%; P < 0.016), higher liver triglyceride content (6.96% in PCOS vs 4.44% in non-PCOS; P < 0.016), and a greater incidence of hypertension (33% vs 24%; P < 0.05). No differences were observed in other metabolic risk factors. Conclusions: Both obese and nonobese women with PCOS features had a greater free androgen index compared with non-PCOS women, but neither had greater intraperitoneal fat or abnormal lipid levels. Obese, but not nonobese, women with PCOS had a greater truncal/lower extremity fat ratio, HOMA-IR, and liver triglyceride content. PMID:29264465

Community Resilience Informed by Science and Experience (C-RISE)

Science.gov (United States)

Young Morse, R.; Peake, L.; Bowness, G.

2017-12-01

The Gulf of Maine Research Institute is developing an interactive learning experience that engages participants in the interdependence of humans and the environment, the cycles of observation and experiment that advance science knowledge, and the changes we see now and that are predicted for sea level and storm frequency. These scientific concepts and principles will be brought to human scale through the connection to the challenge of city planning in our harbor communities. We are leveraging the ESRI Story Maps platform to build rich visualization-based narratives that feature NOAA maps, data and tools. Our program participants work in teams to navigate the content and participate in facilitated group discussions led by our educators. Based on the adult learning experience and in concert with new content being developed for the LabVenture program around the theme of Climate Change, we will develop a learning experience for 5th and 6th graders.Our goal is to immerse 1000+ adults from target communities in Greater Portland region as well as 8000+ middle school students from throughout the state in the experience.

New candidates for carbon stars with silicate features

Science.gov (United States)

Chan, S. J.; Kwok, Sun

1991-01-01

All stars in the General Catalog of Cool Galactic Carbon Stars with IRAS 12-micron fluxes greater than 10 Jy were searched for Low-Resolution-Spectrometer (LRS) spectra in the IRAS LRS data base. Out of the 532 spectra examined, 11 were found to show the 9.7-micron silicate emission feature. Four of these are identified for the first time. This group of carbon stars may represent transition objects between oxygen-rich and carbon-rich stars on the asymptotic giant branch.

Future Scenarios for Mobile Science Learning

Science.gov (United States)

Burden, Kevin; Kearney, Matthew

2016-01-01

This paper adopts scenario planning as a methodological approach and tool to help science educators reconceptualise their use of mobile technologies across various different futures. These "futures" are set out neither as predictions nor prognoses but rather as stimuli to encourage greater discussion and reflection around the use of…

Why Do Women Leave Science and Engineering?

OpenAIRE

Hunt, Jennifer

2012-01-01

I use the 1993 and 2003 National Surveys of College Graduates to examine the higher exit rate of women compared to men from science and engineering relative to other fields. I find that the higher relative exit rate is driven by engineering rather than science, and show that 60\\% of the gap can be explained by the relatively greater exit rate from engineering of women dissatisfied with pay and promotion opportunities. Contrary to the existing literature, I find that family--related constraint...

2013 Alan Blizzard Award Feature Article--Enriching Educational Experiences through UBC's First Year Seminar in Science (SCIE113)

Science.gov (United States)

Fox, Joanne; Birol, Gülnur; Han, Andrea; Cassidy, Alice; Nakonechny, Joanne; Berger, Jim; Peacock, Simon; Samuels, Lacey

2014-01-01

The First Year Seminar in Science (SCIE113) was developed during 2009/2010 academic year through an exemplary collaboration between faculty, administrators and educational support staff in the Faculty of Science at the University of British Columbia (UBC). SCIE113 reflects the vision and values of the Faculty of Science and UBC by offering an…

Working Alongside Scientists. Impacts on Primary Teacher Beliefs and Knowledge About Science and Science Education

Science.gov (United States)

Anderson, Dayle; Moeed, Azra

2017-05-01

Current curriculum demands require primary teachers to teach about the Nature of Science; yet, few primary teachers have had opportunity to learn about science as a discipline. Prior schooling and vicarious experiences of science may shape their beliefs about science and, as a result, their science teaching. This qualitative study describes the impact on teacher beliefs about science and science education of a programme where 26 New Zealand primary (elementary) teachers worked fulltime for 6 months alongside scientists, experiencing the nature of work in scientific research institutes. During the 6 months, teachers were supported, through a series of targeted professional development days, to make connections between their experiences working with scientists, the curriculum and the classroom. Data for the study consisted of mid- and end-of-programme written teacher reports and open-ended questionnaires collected at three points, prior to and following 6 months with the science host and after 6 to 12 months back in school. A shift in many teachers' beliefs was observed after the 6 months of working with scientists in combination with curriculum development days; for many, these changes were sustained 6 to 12 months after returning to school. Beliefs about the aims of science education became more closely aligned with the New Zealand curriculum and its goal of developing science for citizenship. Responses show greater appreciation of the value of scientific ways of thinking, deeper understanding about the nature of scientists' work and the ways in which science and society influence each other.

Anomalous strength of the 2200 Angstroem feature in Cassiopeia-Taurus association

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Morales, C.; Ruiz del Arbol, J.A.; Llorente de Andres, F.

1980-01-01

From a large sample of reddened stars we computed the individual extinction curves which agree with that calculated by Nandy et al. (1976), except for four stars which show that the extinction at the 2200 Angstroem feature is greater than that deduced for the rest of stars. These four stars belong to the Cassiopeia-Taurus association. (orig.)

The place of practical wisdom in science education: what can be learned from Aristotelian ethics and a virtue-based theory of knowledge

Science.gov (United States)

Salloum, Sara

2017-06-01

This conceptual paper aims to characterize science teachers' practical knowledge utilizing a virtue-based theory of knowledge and the Aristotelian notion of phronesis/practical wisdom. The article argues that a greater understanding of the concept of phronesis and its relevance to science education would enrich our understandings of teacher knowledge, its development, and consequently models of teacher education. Views of teacher knowledge presented in this paper are informed by philosophical literature that questions normative views of knowledge and argues for a virtue-based epistemology rather than a belief-based one. The paper first outlines general features of phronesis/practical wisdom. Later, a virtue-based view of knowledge is described. A virtue-based view binds knowledge with moral concepts and suggests that knowledge development is motivated by intellectual virtues such as intellectual sobriety, perseverance, fairness, and humility. A virtue-based theory of knowledge gives prominence to the virtue of phronesis/practical wisdom, whose primary function is to mediate among virtues and theoretical knowledge into a line of action that serves human goods. The role of phronesis and its relevance to teaching science are explained accordingly. I also discuss differences among various characterizations of practical knowledge in science education and a virtue-based characterization. Finally, implications and further questions for teacher education are presented.

Second-career science teachers' classroom conceptions of science and engineering practices examined through the lens of their professional histories

Science.gov (United States)

Antink-Meyer, Allison; Brown, Ryan A.

2017-07-01

Science standards in the U.S. have shifted to emphasise science and engineering process skills (i.e. specific practices within inquiry) to a greater extent than previous standards' emphases on broad representations of inquiry. This study examined the alignment between second-career science teachers' personal histories with the latter and examined the extent to which they viewed that history as a factor in their teaching. Four, second-career science teachers with professional backgrounds in engineering, environmental, industrial, and research and development careers participated. Through the examination of participants' methodological and contextual histories in science and engineering, little evidence of conflict with teaching was found. They generally exemplified the agency and motivation of a second-career teacher-scientist that has been found elsewhere [Gilbert, A. (2011). There and back again: Exploring teacher attrition and mobility with two transitioning science teachers. Journal of Science Teacher Education, 22(5), 393-415; Grier, J. M., & Johnston, C. C. (2009). An inquiry into the development of teacher identities in STEM career changers. Journal of Science Teacher Education, 20(1), 57-75]. The methodological and pedagogical perspectives of participants are explored and a discussion of the implications of findings for science teacher education are presented.

Notes on the evolution of feature selection methodology

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Somol, Petr; Novovičová, Jana; Pudil, Pavel

2007-01-01

Roč. 43, č. 5 (2007), s. 713-730 ISSN 0023-5954 R&D Projects: GA ČR GA102/07/1594; GA MŠk 1M0572; GA AV ČR IAA2075302 EU Projects: European Commission(XE) 507752 - MUSCLE Grant - others:GA MŠk(CZ) 2C06019 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z10750506 Keywords : feature selection * branch and bound * sequential search * mixture model Subject RIV: IN - Informatics, Computer Science Impact factor: 0.552, year: 2007

OXFORD DICTIONARY OF SPORTS SCIENCE AND MEDICINE

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Michael Kent

2007-03-01

Full Text Available DESCRIPTION The Oxford Dictionary of Sports Science and Medicine provides reliable definitions of sports science and medicine terms. It provides an invaluable reference book for anyone interested in the captivating subject of sport. PURPOSE This dictionary aims to include almost every sports science, anatomy, physiology, biomechanical, injuries description, and psychological term as related to sports medicine and science and support the explanations by illustrations wherever necessary. AUDIENCE As a comprehensive dictionary of sports science and medicine, it will be of particular help to medical specialists and general practitioners, as well as students of PE, coaches, and athletes who need to understand the anatomical structures and physiological processes which affect athletic performance. Any member of public interested in health and fitness; exercise and sport or wants to understand what the obscure terms mean, like jogger's nipple, social loafing, and Zatopek phenomenon will also benefit from this book. FEATURES The Oxford Dictionary of Sports Science and Medicine features terms in A to Z fashion at all the major areas of sports science and medicine including: anatomy, physiology/exercise physiology, biomechanics, training principles and techniques, nutrition, sports psychology and sociology, sports injuries and rehabilitation. A team of prominent contributors and advisers put together this dictionary in the first edition. The third edition includes around 8000 cross-referenced terms which have been updated or added since the first edition. There are plenty of illustrations wherever appropriate to make the terms easily understandable. ASSESSMENT A must-have dictionary for all medics practising in sports and exercise medicine, as well as students of medicine, physical education, nursing and physiotherapy. Even coaches, trainers, biomechanical experts; in fact anyone who has a special interest in this area will find this dictionary useful.

Characteristics of effective professional development for early career science teachers

Science.gov (United States)

Simon, Shirley; Campbell, Sandra; Johnson, Sally; Stylianidou, Fani

2011-04-01

The research reported here set out to investigate the features in schools and science departments that were seen as effective in contributing to the continuing professional development (CPD) of early career science teachers. Ten schools took part in the study, selected on the basis of their reputation for having effective CPD practices. To gain different perspectives from within the organisations we conducted interviews with senior members of staff, heads of science departments and early career teachers. A thematic analysis of the interviews is presented, drawing on findings from across the 10 schools, and exemplified in more detail by a vignette to show specific features of effective CPD practice. The study has revealed a wealth of practice across the 10 schools, which included a focus on broadening experience beyond the classroom, having an open, sharing, non-threatening culture and systemic procedures for mentoring and support that involved ring-fenced budgets. The schools also deployed staff judiciously in critical roles that model practice and motivate early career science teachers. Early career teachers were concerned primarily with their overall development as teachers, though some science specific examples such as observing practical work and sessions to address subject knowledge were seen as important.

'Utilitarian' judgments in sacrificial moral dilemmas do not reflect impartial concern for the greater good.

Science.gov (United States)

Kahane, Guy; Everett, Jim A C; Earp, Brian D; Farias, Miguel; Savulescu, Julian

2015-01-01

A growing body of research has focused on so-called 'utilitarian' judgments in moral dilemmas in which participants have to choose whether to sacrifice one person in order to save the lives of a greater number. However, the relation between such 'utilitarian' judgments and genuine utilitarian impartial concern for the greater good remains unclear. Across four studies, we investigated the relationship between 'utilitarian' judgment in such sacrificial dilemmas and a range of traits, attitudes, judgments and behaviors that either reflect or reject an impartial concern for the greater good of all. In Study 1, we found that rates of 'utilitarian' judgment were associated with a broadly immoral outlook concerning clear ethical transgressions in a business context, as well as with sub-clinical psychopathy. In Study 2, we found that 'utilitarian' judgment was associated with greater endorsement of rational egoism, less donation of money to a charity, and less identification with the whole of humanity, a core feature of classical utilitarianism. In Studies 3 and 4, we found no association between 'utilitarian' judgments in sacrificial dilemmas and characteristic utilitarian judgments relating to assistance to distant people in need, self-sacrifice and impartiality, even when the utilitarian justification for these judgments was made explicit and unequivocal. This lack of association remained even when we controlled for the antisocial element in 'utilitarian' judgment. Taken together, these results suggest that there is very little relation between sacrificial judgments in the hypothetical dilemmas that dominate current research, and a genuine utilitarian approach to ethics. Copyright © 2014 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Textual and shape-based feature extraction and neuro-fuzzy classifier for nuclear track recognition

Science.gov (United States)

Khayat, Omid; Afarideh, Hossein

2013-04-01

Track counting algorithms as one of the fundamental principles of nuclear science have been emphasized in the recent years. Accurate measurement of nuclear tracks on solid-state nuclear track detectors is the aim of track counting systems. Commonly track counting systems comprise a hardware system for the task of imaging and software for analysing the track images. In this paper, a track recognition algorithm based on 12 defined textual and shape-based features and a neuro-fuzzy classifier is proposed. Features are defined so as to discern the tracks from the background and small objects. Then, according to the defined features, tracks are detected using a trained neuro-fuzzy system. Features and the classifier are finally validated via 100 Alpha track images and 40 training samples. It is shown that principle textual and shape-based features concomitantly yield a high rate of track detection compared with the single-feature based methods.

Estimating the reproducibility of psychological science

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Aarts, Alexander A.; Anderson, Joanna E.; Anderson, Christopher J.; Attridge, Peter R.; Attwood, Angela; Axt, Jordan; Babel, Molly; Bahnik, Stepan; Baranski, Erica; Barnett-Cowan, Michael; Bartmess, Elizabeth; Beer, Jennifer; Bell, Raoul; Bentley, Heather; Beyan, Leah; Binion, Grace; Borsboom, Denny; Bosch, Annick; Bosco, Frank A.; Bowman, Sara D.; Brandt, Mark J.; Braswell, Erin; Brohmer, Hilmar; Brown, Benjamin T.; Brown, Kristina; Bruening, Jovita; Calhoun-Sauls, Ann; Chagnon, Elizabeth; Callahan, Shannon P.; Chandler, Jesse; Chartier, Christopher R.; Cheung, Felix; Cillessen, Linda; Christopherson, Cody D.; Clay, Russ; Cleary, Hayley; Cloud, Mark D.; Cohn, Michael; Cohoon, Johanna; Columbus, Simon; Cordes, Andreas; Costantini, Giulio; Hartgerink, Chris; Krijnen, Job; Nuijten, Michele B.; van 't Veer, Anna E.; Van Aert, Robbie; van Assen, M.A.L.M.; Wissink, Joeri; Zeelenberg, Marcel

2015-01-01

INTRODUCTION Reproducibility is a defining feature of science, but the extent to which it characterizes current research is unknown. Scientific claims should not gain credence because of the status or authority of their originator but by the replicability of their supporting evidence. Even research

The Eyes Have It. Teaching Science.

Science.gov (United States)

Leyden, Michael B.

1995-01-01

Features science concepts with accompanying activities teachers can use in the classroom. Presents a lesson in optics that utilizes optical illusions to illustrate scientific points and allows students to use the following processes: observing, communicating, controlling variables, hypothesizing, and gathering and interpreting data. (ET)

Discovery stories in the science classroom

Science.gov (United States)

Arya, Diana Jaleh

School science has been criticized for its lack of emphasis on the tentative, dynamic nature of science as a process of learning more about our world. This criticism is the guiding force for this present body of work, which focuses on the question: what are the educational benefits for middle school students of reading texts that highlight the process of science in the form of a discovery narrative? This dissertation traces my journey through a review of theoretical perspectives of narrative, an analysis of first-hand accounts of scientific discovery, the complex process of developing age-appropriate, cohesive and engaging science texts for middle school students, and a comparison study (N=209) that seeks to determine the unique benefits of the scientific discovery narrative for the interest in and retained understanding of conceptual information presented in middle school science texts. A total of 209 middle school participants in nine different classrooms from two different schools participated in the experimental study. Each subject read two science texts that differed in topic (the qualities of and uses for radioactive elements and the use of telescopic technology to see planets in space) and genre (the discovery narrative and the "conceptually known exposition" comparison text). The differences between the SDN and CKE versions for each topic were equivalent in all possible ways (initial introduction, overall conceptual accuracy, elements of human interest, coherence and readability level), save for the unique components of the discovery narrative (i.e., love for their work, acknowledgement of the known, identification of the unknown and the explorative or experimental process to discovery). Participants generally chose the discovery narrative version as the more interesting of the two texts. Additional findings from the experimental study suggest that science texts in the form of SDNs elicit greater long-term retention of key conceptual information, especially

Microgravity Materials Science Conference 2000. Volume 1

Science.gov (United States)

Ramachandran, Narayanan (Editor); Bennett, Nancy (Editor); McCauley, Dannah (Editor); Murphy, Karen (Editor); Poindexter, Samantha (Editor)

2001-01-01

This is Volume 1 of 3 of the 2000 Microgravity Material Science Conference that was held June 6-8 at the Von Braun Center, Huntsville, Alabama. It was organized by the Microgravity Materials Science Discipline Working Group, sponsored by the Microgravity Research Division (MRD) at NASA Headquarters, and hosted by NASA Marshall Space Flight Center and the Alliance for Microgravity Materials Science and Applications (AMMSA). It was the fourth NASA conference of this type in the microgravity materials science discipline. The microgravity science program sponsored approx. 200 investigators, all of whom made oral or poster presentations at this conference. In addition, posters and exhibits covering NASA microgravity facilities, advanced technology development projects sponsored by the NASA Microgravity Research Division at NASA Headquarters, and commercial interests were exhibited. The purpose of the conference was to inform the materials science community of research opportunities in reduced gravity and to highlight the Spring 2001 release of the NASA Research Announcement (NRA) to solicit proposals for future investigations. It also served to review the current research and activities in materials science, to discuss the envisioned long-term goals. and to highlight new crosscutting research areas of particular interest to MRD. The conference was aimed at materials science researchers from academia, industry, and government. A workshop on in situ resource utilization (ISRU) was held in conjunction with the conference with the goal of evaluating and prioritizing processing issues in Lunar and Martian type environments. The workshop participation included invited speakers and investigators currently funded in the material science program under the Human Exploration and Development of Space (HEDS) initiative. The conference featured a plenary session every day with an invited speaker that was followed by three parallel breakout sessions in subdisciplines. Attendance was

Microgravity Materials Science Conference 2000. Volume 3

Science.gov (United States)

Ramachandran, Narayanan; Bennett, Nancy; McCauley, Dannah; Murphy, Karen; Poindexter, Samantha

2001-01-01

This is Volume 3 of 3 of the 2000 Microgravity Materials Science Conference that was held June 6-8 at the Von Braun Center, Huntsville, Alabama. It was organized by the Microgravity Materials Science Discipline Working Group, sponsored by the Microgravity Research Division (MRD) at NASA Headquarters, and hosted by NASA Marshall Space Flight Center and the Alliance for Microgravity Materials Science and Applications (AMMSA). It was the fourth NASA conference of this type in the Microgravity materials science discipline. The microgravity science program sponsored 200 investigators, all of whom made oral or poster presentations at this conference- In addition, posters and exhibits covering NASA microgravity facilities, advanced technology development projects sponsored by the NASA Microgravity Research Division at NASA Headquarters, and commercial interests were exhibited. The purpose of the conference was to inform the materials science community of research opportunities in reduced gravity and to highlight the Spring 2001 release of the NASA Research Announcement (NRA) to solicit proposals for future investigations. It also served to review the current research and activities in material,, science, to discuss the envisioned long-term goals. and to highlight new crosscutting research areas of particular interest to MRD. The conference was aimed at materials science researchers from academia, industry, and government. A workshop on in situ resource utilization (ISRU) was held in conjunction with the conference with the goal of evaluating and prioritizing processing issues in Lunar and Martian type environments. The workshop participation included invited speakers and investigators currently funded in the material science program under the Human Exploration and Development of Space (HEDS) initiative. The conference featured a plenary session every day with an invited speaker that was followed by three parallel breakout sessions in subdisciplines. Attendance was close

Microgravity Materials Science Conference 2000. Volume 2

Science.gov (United States)

Ramachandran, Narayanan (Editor); Bennett, Nancy (Editor); McCauley, Dannah (Editor); Murphy, Karen (Editor); Poindexter, Samantha (Editor)

2001-01-01

This is Volume 2 of 3 of the 2000 Microgravity Materials Science Conference that was held June 6-8 at the Von Braun Center, Huntsville, Alabama. It was organized by the Microgravity Materials Science Discipline Working Group, sponsored by the Microgravity Research Division (MRD) at NASA Headquarters, and hosted by NASA Marshall Space Flight Center and the Alliance for Microgravity Materials Science and Applications (AMMSA). It was the fourth NASA conference of this type in the Microgravity materials science discipline. The microgravity science program sponsored approx. 200 investigators, all of whom made oral or poster presentations at this conference- In addition, posters and exhibits covering NASA microgravity facilities, advanced technology development projects sponsored by the NASA Microgravity Research Division at NASA Headquarters, and commercial interests were exhibited. The purpose of the conference %%,its to inform the materials science community of research opportunities in reduced gravity and to highlight the Spring 2001 release of the NASA Research Announcement (NRA) to solicit proposals for future investigations. It also served to review the current research and activities in material,, science, to discuss the envisioned long-term goals. and to highlight new crosscutting research areas of particular interest to MRD. The conference was aimed at materials science researchers from academia, industry, and government. A workshop on in situ resource utilization (ISRU) was held in conjunction with the conference with the goal of evaluating and prioritizing processing issues in Lunar and Martian type environments. The workshop participation included invited speakers and investigators currently funded in the material science program under the Human Exploration and Development of Space (HEDS) initiative. The conference featured a plenary session every day with an invited speaker that was followed by three parallel breakout sessions in subdisciplines. Attendance

Spectral Caustics in Attosecond Science

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Dudovich N.

2013-03-01

Full Text Available A unique type of singularity common in wave phenomena, known as caustics, links processes observed in many different branches of physics [1]. We investigate the role of caustics in attosecond science and in particular the physical process behind high harmonic generation. By exploiting singularities of the three-step model that describes HHG, we can manipulate and enhance specific features in the emitted harmonic spectrum. This new level of control holds promises in both scientific and technological aspects of attosecond science, and provides a deeper insight into the basic mechanism underlying the high harmonic generation process.

NASA/MSFC/NSSTC Science Communication Roundtable

Science.gov (United States)

Adams, Mitzi L.; Gallagher, D. L.; Koczor, R. J.; Whitaker, Ann F. (Technical Monitor)

2001-01-01

For the last several years the Science Directorate at Marshall Space Flight Center has carried out a diverse program of Internet-based science communication. The Directorate's Science Roundtable includes active researchers, NASA public relations, educators, and administrators. The Science@NASA award-winning family of Web sites features science, mathematics, and space news. The program includes extended stories about NASA science, a curriculum resource for teachers tied to national education standards, on-line activities for students, and webcasts of real-time events. Science stories cover a variety of space-related subjects and are expressed in simple terms everyone can understand. The sites address such questions as: what is space weather, what's in the heart of a hurricane, can humans live on Mars, and what is it like to live aboard the International Space Station? Along with a new look, the new format now offers articles organized by subject matter, such as astronomy, living in space, earth science or biology. The focus of sharing real-time science related events has been to involve and excite students and the public about science. Events have involved meteor showers, solar eclipses, natural very low frequency radio emissions, and amateur balloon flights. In some cases broadcasts accommodate active feedback and questions from Internet participants. Information will be provided about each member of the Science@NASA web sites.

Combining Semantic and Acoustic Features for Valence and Arousal Recognition in Speech

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Karadogan, Seliz; Larsen, Jan

2012-01-01

The recognition of affect in speech has attracted a lot of interest recently; especially in the area of cognitive and computer sciences. Most of the previous studies focused on the recognition of basic emotions (such as happiness, sadness and anger) using categorical approach. Recently, the focus...... has been shifting towards dimensional affect recognition based on the idea that emotional states are not independent from one another but related in a systematic manner. In this paper, we design a continuous dimensional speech affect recognition model that combines acoustic and semantic features. We...... show that combining semantic and acoustic information for dimensional speech recognition improves the results. Moreover, we show that valence is better estimated using semantic features while arousal is better estimated using acoustic features....

Digital fabrication as an instructional technology for supporting upper elementary and middle school science and mathematics education

Science.gov (United States)

Tillman, Daniel

The purpose of this three-paper manuscript dissertation was to study digital fabrication as an instructional technology for supporting elementary and middle school science and mathematics education. Article one analyzed the effects of digital fabrication activities that were designed to contextualize mathematics education at a summer mathematics enrichment program for upper elementary and middle school students. The primary dependent variables studied were the participants' knowledge of mathematics and science content, attitudes towards STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) and STEM-related careers. Based upon the data collected, three results were presented as having justifiable supporting empirical evidence: (1) The digital fabrication activities, combined with the other mathematics activities at the enrichment program, resulted in non-significant overall gains in students' mathematics test scores and attitudes towards STEM. (2) The digital fabrication activities, combined with the other mathematics activities at the enrichment program, resulted in noteworthy gains on the "Probability & Statistics" questions. (3) Some students who did poorly on the scored paper test on mathematics and science content were nonetheless nominated by their teachers as demonstrating meritorious distinction during the digital fabrication activities (termed "Great Thinkers" by the 5th-grade teachers). Article two focused on how an instructional technology course featuring digital fabrication activities impacted (1) preservice elementary teachers' efficacy beliefs about teaching science, and (2) their attitudes and understanding of how to include instructional technology and digital fabrication activities into teaching science. The research design compared two sections of a teaching with technology course featuring digital fabrication activities to another section of the same course that utilized a media cycle framework (Bull & Bell, 2005) that did not feature digital

The science commons in health research: structure, function, and value.

Science.gov (United States)

Cook-Deegan, Robert

The "science commons," knowledge that is widely accessible at low or no cost, is a uniquely important input to scientific advance and cumulative technological innovation. It is primarily, although not exclusively, funded by government and nonprofit sources. Much of it is produced at academic research centers, although some academic science is proprietary and some privately funded R&D enters the science commons. Science in general aspires to Mertonian norms of openness, universality, objectivity, and critical inquiry. The science commons diverges from proprietary science primarily in being open and being very broadly available. These features make the science commons particularly valuable for advancing knowledge, for training innovators who will ultimately work in both public and private sectors, and in providing a common stock of knowledge upon which all players-both public and private-can draw readily. Open science plays two important roles that proprietary R&D cannot: it enables practical benefits even in the absence of profitable markets for goods and services, and its lays a shared foundation for subsequent private R&D. The history of genomics in the period 1992-2004, covering two periods when genomic startup firms attracted significant private R&D investment, illustrates these features of how a science commons contributes value. Commercial interest in genomics was intense during this period. Fierce competition between private sector and public sector genomics programs was highly visible. Seemingly anomalous behavior, such as private firms funding "open science," can be explained by unusual business dynamics between established firms wanting to preserve a robust science commons to prevent startup firms from limiting established firms' freedom to operate. Deliberate policies to create and protect a large science commons were pursued by nonprofit and government funders of genomics research, such as the Wellcome Trust and National Institutes of Health. These

Biphasic dose responses in biology, toxicology and medicine: Accounting for their generalizability and quantitative features

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Calabrese, Edward J.

2013-01-01

The most common quantitative feature of the hormetic-biphasic dose response is its modest stimulatory response which at maximum is only 30–60% greater than control values, an observation that is consistently independent of biological model, level of organization (i.e., cell, organ or individual), endpoint measured, chemical/physical agent studied, or mechanism. This quantitative feature suggests an underlying “upstream” mechanism common across biological systems, therefore basic and general. Hormetic dose response relationships represent an estimate of the peak performance of integrative biological processes that are allometrically based. Hormetic responses reflect both direct stimulatory or overcompensation responses to damage induced by relatively low doses of chemical or physical agents. The integration of the hormetic dose response within an allometric framework provides, for the first time, an explanation for both the generality and the quantitative features of the hormetic dose response. -- Highlights: •The hormetic stimulation is at maximum 30–60% greater than control responses. •Hormesis is a measure of biological performance and plasticity. •The hormetic response is evolutionary based and highly generalizable. -- This paper provides a biologically based explanation for the generalizability/quantitative features of the hormetic dose response, representing a fundamental contribution to the field

Large-scale theoretical calculations in molecular science - design of a large computer system for molecular science and necessary conditions for future computers

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kashiwagi, H [Institute for Molecular Science, Okazaki, Aichi (Japan)

1982-06-01

A large computer system was designed and established for molecular science under the leadership of molecular scientists. Features of the computer system are an automated operation system and an open self-service system. Large-scale theoretical calculations have been performed to solve many problems in molecular science, using the computer system. Necessary conditions for future computers are discussed on the basis of this experience.

Large-scale theoretical calculations in molecular science - design of a large computer system for molecular science and necessary conditions for future computers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kashiwagi, H.

1982-01-01

A large computer system was designed and established for molecular science under the leadership of molecular scientists. Features of the computer system are an automated operation system and an open self-service system. Large-scale theoretical calculations have been performed to solve many problems in molecular science, using the computer system. Necessary conditions for future computers are discussed on the basis of this experience. (orig.)

Signal sciences workshop proceedings

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Candy, J.V.

1997-05-01

This meeting is aimed primarily at signal processing and controls. The technical program for the 1997 Workshop includes a variety of efforts in the Signal Sciences with applications in the Microtechnology Area a new program at LLNL and a future area of application for both Signal/Image Sciences. Special sessions organized by various individuals in Seismic and Optical Signal Processing as well as Micro-Impulse Radar Processing highlight the program, while the speakers at the Signal Processing Applications session discuss various applications of signal processing/control to real world problems. For the more theoretical, a session on Signal Processing Algorithms was organized as well as for the more pragmatic, featuring a session on Real-Time Signal Processing.

Signal sciences workshop. Proceedings

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Candy, J.V.

1997-01-01

This meeting is aimed primarily at signal processing and controls. The technical program for the 1997 Workshop includes a variety of efforts in the Signal Sciences with applications in the Microtechnology Area a new program at LLNL and a future area of application for both Signal/Image Sciences. Special sessions organized by various individuals in Seismic and Optical Signal Processing as well as Micro-Impulse Radar Processing highlight the program, while the speakers at the Signal Processing Applications session discuss various applications of signal processing/control to real world problems. For the more theoretical, a session on Signal Processing Algorithms was organized as well as for the more pragmatic, featuring a session on Real-Time Signal Processing

Syllabus for Weizmann Course: Earth System Science 101

Science.gov (United States)

Wiscombe, Warren J.

2011-01-01

This course aims for an understanding of Earth System Science and the interconnection of its various "spheres" (atmosphere, hydrosphere, etc.) by adopting the view that "the microcosm mirrors the macrocosm". We shall study a small set of microcosims, each residing primarily in one sphere, but substantially involving at least one other sphere, in order to illustrate the kinds of coupling that can occur and gain a greater appreciation of the complexity of even the smallest Earth System Science phenomenon.

A science data gateway for environmental management: A SCIENCE DATA GATEWAY FOR ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Agarwal, Deborah A. [Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States); Faybishenko, Boris [Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States); Freedman, Vicky L. [Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States); Krishnan, Harinarayan [Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States); Kushner, Gary [Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States); Lansing, Carina [Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States); Porter, Ellen [Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States); Romosan, Alexandru [Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States); Shoshani, Arie [Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States); Wainwright, Haruko [Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States); Weidmer, Arthur [Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States); Wu, Kesheng [Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States)

2015-10-12

Science data gateways are effective in providing complex science data collections to the world-wide user communities. In this paper we describe a gateway for the Advanced Simulation Capability for Environmental Management (ASCEM) framework. Built on top of established web service technologies, the ASCEM data gateway is specifically designed for environmental modeling applications. Its key distinguishing features include: (1) handling of complex spatiotemporal data, (2) offering a variety of selective data access mechanisms, (3) providing state of the art plotting and visualization of spatiotemporal data records, and (4) integrating seamlessly with a distributed workflow system using a RESTful interface. ASCEM project scientists have been using this data gateway since 2011.

Development and use of a remote waste handling system for disposal of greater confinement wastes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Williams, R.E.

1985-01-01

This paper discusses the design and development of a remotely controlled waste handling system (RWHS) for use in radioactive waste disposal operations. A RWHS was developed at the US Department of Energy's (DOE) Nevada Test Site for use in the Greater Confinement Disposal Test (GCDT). The RWHS consists of a remote control console and the following remotely operated features: a crane, a grapple/manipulator module which is suspended by the crane hoist hook, and closed-circuit television cameras. The RWHS was used to safely place high-specific-activity radioactive waste in greater confinement disposal. Between December 15, 1983, and February 23, 1984, five encapsulated sources were open-air transferred from shielded shipping casks and placed 30 m down a 3-m-dia augered shaft using the RWHS. These sources contained approximately 460 kCi of 90 Sr, 21 kCi of 137 Cs, and 390 Ci of 60 Co. Each source was transferred safely and efficiently and operational personnel did not receive any recordable doses. 3 references, 5 figures

Science and technology review: June 1996

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Failor, B.; Stull, S.

1996-06-01

The first feature article is a survey of four research projects showing how theory and modeling efforts by scientist in the Chemistry and Materials Science Directorate at LLNL are advancing the understanding of the property of materials with consideration of underlying structures. The second feature article discusses Livermore and DOE's Oakland Operations Office teaming up to decontaminate, decommission, and close out--on time and under budget--the Ann Arbor Inertial Confinement Fusion Facility in Michigan. Two research highlights on Mammoth Mountain CO 2 mystery and osteoporosis are also included

Science and technology review: June 1996

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Failor, B.; Stull, S. [eds.

1996-06-01

The first feature article is a survey of four research projects showing how theory and modeling efforts by scientist in the Chemistry and Materials Science Directorate at LLNL are advancing the understanding of the property of materials with consideration of underlying structures. The second feature article discusses Livermore and DOE`s Oakland Operations Office teaming up to decontaminate, decommission, and close out--on time and under budget--the Ann Arbor Inertial Confinement Fusion Facility in Michigan. Two research highlights on Mammoth Mountain CO{sub 2} mystery and osteoporosis are also included.

Science in the General Educational Development (GED) curriculum: Analyzing the science portion of GED programs and exploring adult students' attitudes toward science

Science.gov (United States)

Hariharan, Joya Reena

The General Educational Development (GED) tests enable people to earn a high school equivalency diploma and help them to qualify for more jobs and opportunities. Apart from this main goal, GED courses aim at enabling adults to improve the condition of their lives and to cope with a changing society. In today's world, science and technology play an exceedingly important role in helping people better their lives and in promoting the national goals of informed citizenship. Despite the current efforts in the field of secondary science education directed towards scientific literacy and the concept of "Science for all Americans", the literature does not reflect any corresponding efforts in the field of adult education. Science education research appears to have neglected a population that could possibly benefit from it. The purpose of this study is to explore: the science component of GED programs, significant features of the science portion of GED curricula and GED science materials, and adult learners' attitudes toward various aspects of science. Data collection methods included interviews with GED students and instructors, content analysis of relevant materials, and classroom observations. Data indicate that the students in general feel that the science they learn should be relevant to their lives and have direct applications in everyday life. Student understanding of science and interest in it appears to be contingent to their perceiving it as relevant to their lives and to society. Findings indicate that the instructional approaches used in GED programs influence students' perceptions about the relevance of science. Students in sites that use strategies such as group discussions and field trips appear to be more aware of science in the world around them and more enthusiastic about increasing this awareness. However, the dominant strategy in most GED programs is individual reading. The educational strategies used in GED programs generally focus on developing reading

Clinical Features Indicating Nigrostriatal Dopaminergic Degeneration in Drug-Induced Parkinsonism

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Seung Ha Lee

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Objective Patients with drug-induced parkinsonism (DIP may have nigrostriatal dopaminergic degeneration. We studied the clinical features that may indicate nigrostriatal dopaminergic degeneration in patients with DIP. Methods Forty-one DIP patients were classified into normal and abnormal [18F] FP-CIT scan groups. Differences in 32 clinical features and drug withdrawal effects were studied. Results Twenty-eight patients had normal (Group I and 13 patients had abnormal (Group II scans. Eight patients of Group I, but none of Group II, had taken calcium channel blockers (p = 0.040. Three patients of Group I and six of Group II had hyposmia (p = 0.018. After drug withdrawal, Group I showed greater improvement in Unified Parkinson’s Disease Rating Scale total motor scores and subscores for bradykinesia and tremors than Group II. Only hyposmia was an independent factor associated with abnormal scans, but it had suboptimal sensitivity. Conclusion None of the clinical features were practical indicators of nigrostriatal dopaminergic degeneration in patients with DIP.

Chiral recognition in separation science: an overview.

Science.gov (United States)

Scriba, Gerhard K E

2013-01-01

Chiral recognition phenomena play an important role in nature as well as analytical separation sciences. In separation sciences such as chromatography and capillary electrophoresis, enantiospecific interactions between the enantiomers of an analyte and the chiral selector are required in order to observe enantioseparations. Due to the large structural variety of chiral selectors applied, different mechanisms and structural features contribute to the chiral recognition process. This chapter briefly illustrates the current models of the enantiospecific recognition on the structural basics of various chiral selectors.

An Ecological System Curriculum: An Integrated MST Approach to Environmental Science Education.

Science.gov (United States)

Leonhardt, Nina A.

This paper describes an inquiry-based, student-centered mathematics, science, and technology curriculum guide. It features activities addressing such environmental science topics as groundwater modeling, water filtration, soil permeability and porosity, water temperature and salinity, and quadrant studies. Activities are organized so that the…

Building a Democratic Model of Science Teaching

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Suhadi Ibnu

2016-02-01

Full Text Available Earlier in the last century, learning in science, as was learning in other disciplines, was developed according to the philosophy of behaviorism. This did not serve the purposes of learning in science properly, as the students were forced to absorb information transferred from the main and the only source of learning, the teacher. Towards the end of the century a significant shift from behaviorism to constructivism philosophy took place. The shift promoted the development of more democratic models of learning in science which provided greater opportunities to the students to act as real scientist, chattering for the building of knowledge and scientific skills. Considering the characteristics of science and the characteristics of the students as active learners, the shift towards democratic models of learning is unavoidable and is merely a matter of time

Planetary Balloon-Based Science Platform Evaluation and Program Implementation

Science.gov (United States)

Dankanich, John W.; Kremic, Tibor; Hibbitts, Karl; Young, Eliot F.; Landis, Rob

2016-01-01

This report describes a study evaluating the potential for a balloon-based optical telescope as a planetary science asset to achieve decadal class science. The study considered potential science achievable and science traceability relative to the most recent planetary science decadal survey, potential platform features, and demonstration flights in the evaluation process. Science Potential and Benefits: This study confirms the cost the-benefit value for planetary science purposes. Forty-four (44) important questions of the decadal survey are at least partially addressable through balloon based capabilities. Planetary science through balloon observations can provide significant science through observations in the 300 nm to 5 m range and at longer wavelengths as well. Additionally, balloon missions have demonstrated the ability to progress from concept to observation to publication much faster than a space mission increasing the speed of science return. Planetary science from a balloon-borne platform is a relatively low-cost approach to new science measurements. This is particularly relevant within a cost-constrained planetary science budget. Repeated flights further reduce the cost of the per unit science data. Such flights offer observing time at a very competitive cost. Another advantage for planetary scientists is that a dedicated asset could provide significant new viewing opportunities not possible from the ground and allow unprecedented access to observations that cannot be realized with the time allocation pressures faced by current observing assets. In addition, flight systems that have a relatively short life cycle and where hardware is generally recovered, are excellent opportunities to train early career scientists, engineers, and project managers. The fact that balloon-borne payloads, unlike space missions, are generally recovered offers an excellent tool to test and mature instruments and other space craft systems. Desired Gondola Features: Potential

Science's disparate responsibilities: Patterns across European countries.

Science.gov (United States)

Mejlgaard, Niels

2018-04-01

It is a distinctive feature of European science policy that science is expected to meet economic and broader societal objectives simultaneously. Science should be governed democratically and take significant responsibilities towards the economy, the political system and civil society, but the coherency of these multiple claims is underexplored. Using metrics that emerge from both quantitative and qualitative studies, we examine the interrelatedness of different responsibilities at the level of countries. A total of 33 European Union member states and associated countries are included in the analysis. We find no trade-off between economic and broader societal contributions. Europe is, however, characterised by major divisions in terms of the location of science in society. There is a significant East-West divide, and Europe appears to be far from accomplishing an integrated European Research Area.

Psychology, philosophy and nuclear science

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Edwards, M.; Byrne, A. [Australian National Univ., Canberra (Australia)

2011-06-15

At first glance, one might wonder what psychology has got to do with nuclear science. On closer inspection, it is clear that nuclear science and technology have historically attracted controversy, and still today public and political opposition cloud its future, perhaps even more so with recent tragic events in Japan. A key focus for psychology has been an attempt to explicate public opposition to nuclear power, and this has been largely carried out by examining attitudes and risk perception. But it is easy to demonstrate that this has not been enough. There are also other important psychological issues that warrant greater attention than has been given. In this paper, I will first give an overview of the 'discipline' of psychology, including some inherent philosophical problems, before outlining specific psychological issues of relevance to nuclear science. I will then discuss whether these issues have been adequately addressed to date, before finally suggesting ways in which psychology might better respond to the questions nuclear science and technology raise. (author)

Atmospheric effects in astroparticle physics experiments and the challenge of ever greater precision in measurements

Science.gov (United States)

Louedec, Karim

2015-01-01

Astroparticle physics and cosmology allow us to scan the universe through multiple messengers. It is the combination of these probes that improves our understanding of the universe, both in its composition and its dynamics. Unlike other areas in science, research in astroparticle physics has a real originality in detection techniques, in infrastructure locations, and in the observed physical phenomenon that is not created directly by humans. It is these features that make the minimisation of statistical and systematic errors a perpetual challenge. In all these projects, the environment is turned into a detector medium or a target. The atmosphere is probably the environment component the most common in astroparticle physics and requires a continuous monitoring of its properties to minimise as much as possible the systematic uncertainties associated. This paper introduces the different atmospheric effects to take into account in astroparticle physics measurements and provides a non-exhaustive list of techniques and instruments to monitor the different elements composing the atmosphere. A discussion on the close link between astroparticle physics and Earth sciences ends this paper.

Cooperative learning in science: intervention in the secondary school

Science.gov (United States)

Topping, K. J.; Thurston, A.; Tolmie, A.; Christie, D.; Murray, P.; Karagiannidou, E.

2011-04-01

The use of cooperative learning in secondary school is reported - an area of considerable concern given attempts to make secondary schools more interactive and gain higher recruitment to university science courses. In this study the intervention group was 259 pupils aged 12-14 years in nine secondary schools, taught by 12 self-selected teachers. Comparison pupils came from both intervention and comparison schools (n = 385). Intervention teachers attended three continuing professional development days, in which they received information, engaged with resource packs and involved themselves in cooperative learning. Measures included both general and specific tests of science, attitudes to science, sociometry, self-esteem, attitudes to cooperative learning and transferable skills (all for pupils) and observation of implementation fidelity. There were increases during cooperative learning in pupil formulation of propositions, explanations and disagreements. Intervened pupils gained in attainment, but comparison pupils gained even more. Pupils who had experienced cooperative learning in primary school had higher pre-test scores in secondary education irrespective of being in the intervention or comparison group. On sociometry, comparison pupils showed greater affiliation to science work groups for work, but intervention pupils greater affiliation to these groups at break and out of school. Other measures were not significant. The results are discussed in relation to practice and policy implications.

Versatility of cooperative transcriptional activation: a thermodynamical modeling analysis for greater-than-additive and less-than-additive effects.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Till D Frank

Full Text Available We derive a statistical model of transcriptional activation using equilibrium thermodynamics of chemical reactions. We examine to what extent this statistical model predicts synergy effects of cooperative activation of gene expression. We determine parameter domains in which greater-than-additive and less-than-additive effects are predicted for cooperative regulation by two activators. We show that the statistical approach can be used to identify different causes of synergistic greater-than-additive effects: nonlinearities of the thermostatistical transcriptional machinery and three-body interactions between RNA polymerase and two activators. In particular, our model-based analysis suggests that at low transcription factor concentrations cooperative activation cannot yield synergistic greater-than-additive effects, i.e., DNA transcription can only exhibit less-than-additive effects. Accordingly, transcriptional activity turns from synergistic greater-than-additive responses at relatively high transcription factor concentrations into less-than-additive responses at relatively low concentrations. In addition, two types of re-entrant phenomena are predicted. First, our analysis predicts that under particular circumstances transcriptional activity will feature a sequence of less-than-additive, greater-than-additive, and eventually less-than-additive effects when for fixed activator concentrations the regulatory impact of activators on the binding of RNA polymerase to the promoter increases from weak, to moderate, to strong. Second, for appropriate promoter conditions when activator concentrations are increased then the aforementioned re-entrant sequence of less-than-additive, greater-than-additive, and less-than-additive effects is predicted as well. Finally, our model-based analysis suggests that even for weak activators that individually induce only negligible increases in promoter activity, promoter activity can exhibit greater

Integration of pore features into the evaluation of fingerprint evidence.

Science.gov (United States)

Anthonioz, Alexandre; Champod, Christophe

2014-01-01

Fingerprint practitioners rely on level 3 features to make decisions in relation to the source of an unknown friction ridge skin impression. This research proposes to assess the strength of evidence associated with pores when shown in (dis)agreement between a mark and a reference print. Based upon an algorithm designed to automatically detect pores, a metric is defined in order to compare different impressions. From this metric, the weight of the findings is quantified using a likelihood ratio. The results obtained on four configurations and 54 donors show the significant contribution of the pore features and translate into statistical terms what latent fingerprint examiners have developed holistically through experience. The system provides LRs that are indicative of the true state under both the prosecution and the defense propositions. Not only such a system brings transparency regarding the weight to assign to such features, but also forces a discussion in relation to the risks of such a model to mislead. © 2013 American Academy of Forensic Sciences.

Tensor-based Multi-view Feature Selection with Applications to Brain Diseases

Science.gov (United States)

Cao, Bokai; He, Lifang; Kong, Xiangnan; Yu, Philip S.; Hao, Zhifeng; Ragin, Ann B.

2015-01-01

In the era of big data, we can easily access information from multiple views which may be obtained from different sources or feature subsets. Generally, different views provide complementary information for learning tasks. Thus, multi-view learning can facilitate the learning process and is prevalent in a wide range of application domains. For example, in medical science, measurements from a series of medical examinations are documented for each subject, including clinical, imaging, immunologic, serologic and cognitive measures which are obtained from multiple sources. Specifically, for brain diagnosis, we can have different quantitative analysis which can be seen as different feature subsets of a subject. It is desirable to combine all these features in an effective way for disease diagnosis. However, some measurements from less relevant medical examinations can introduce irrelevant information which can even be exaggerated after view combinations. Feature selection should therefore be incorporated in the process of multi-view learning. In this paper, we explore tensor product to bring different views together in a joint space, and present a dual method of tensor-based multi-view feature selection (dual-Tmfs) based on the idea of support vector machine recursive feature elimination. Experiments conducted on datasets derived from neurological disorder demonstrate the features selected by our proposed method yield better classification performance and are relevant to disease diagnosis. PMID:25937823

GA Based Optimal Feature Extraction Method for Functional Data Classification

OpenAIRE

Jun Wan; Zehua Chen; Yingwu Chen; Zhidong Bai

2010-01-01

Classification is an interesting problem in functional data analysis (FDA), because many science and application problems end up with classification problems, such as recognition, prediction, control, decision making, management, etc. As the high dimension and high correlation in functional data (FD), it is a key problem to extract features from FD whereas keeping its global characters, which relates to the classification efficiency and precision to heavens. In this paper...

Relevance: An Interdisciplinary and Information Science Perspective

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Howard Greisdorf

2000-01-01

Full Text Available Although relevance has represented a key concept in the field of information science for evaluating information retrieval effectiveness, the broader context established by interdisciplinary frameworks could provide greater depth and breadth to on-going research in the field. This work provides an overview of the nature of relevance in the field of information science with a cursory view of how cross-disciplinary approaches to relevance could represent avenues for further investigation into the evaluative characteristics of relevance as a means for enhanced understanding of human information behavior.

Socio-economic considerations of cleaning Greater Vancouver's air

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2005-08-01

Socio-economic considerations of better air quality on the Greater Vancouver population and economy were discussed. The purpose of the study was to provide socio-economic information to staff and stakeholders of the Greater Vancouver Regional District (GVRD) who are participating in an Air Quality Management Plan (AQMP) development process and the Sustainable Region Initiative (SRI) process. The study incorporated the following methodologies: identification and review of Canadian, American, and European quantitative socio-economic, cost-benefit, cost effectiveness, competitiveness and health analyses of changes in air quality and measures to improve air quality; interviews with industry representatives in Greater Vancouver on competitiveness impacts of air quality changes and ways to improve air quality; and a qualitative analysis and discussion of secondary quantitative information that identifies and evaluates socio-economic impacts arising from changes in Greater Vancouver air quality. The study concluded that for the Greater Vancouver area, the qualitative analysis of an improvement in Greater Vancouver air quality shows positive socio-economic outcomes, as high positive economic efficiency impacts are expected along with good social quality of life impacts. 149 refs., 30 tabs., 6 appendices

Science & Technology Review July/August 2016

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Vogt, Ramona L. [Lawrence Livermore National Lab. (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States); Meissner, Caryn N. [Lawrence Livermore National Lab. (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States); Chinn, Ken B. [Lawrence Livermore National Lab. (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States)

2016-07-18

At Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, we focus on science and technology research to ensure our nation’s security. We also apply that expertise to solve other important national problems in energy, bioscience, and the environment. Science & Technology Review is published eight times a year to communicate, to a broad audience, the Laboratory’s scientific and technological accomplishments in fulfilling its primary missions. The publication’s goal is to help readers understand these accomplishments and appreciate their value to the individual citizen, the nation, and the world. In this issue for the months of July and August 2016, there are two features: one on Science and Technology in Support of Nuclear Nonproliferation, and another on Seeking Out Hidden Radioactive Materials. Then there are highlights are three research projects--on optics, plasma science, and the nature of neutrinos--along with a news section and patents and awards.

Science & Technology Review July/August 2016

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vogt, Ramona L.; Meissner, Caryn N.; Chinn, Ken B.

2016-01-01

At Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, we focus on science and technology research to ensure our nation's security. We also apply that expertise to solve other important national problems in energy, bioscience, and the environment. Science & Technology Review is published eight times a year to communicate, to a broad audience, the Laboratory's scientific and technological accomplishments in fulfilling its primary missions. The publication's goal is to help readers understand these accomplishments and appreciate their value to the individual citizen, the nation, and the world. In this issue for the months of July and August 2016, there are two features: one on Science and Technology in Support of Nuclear Nonproliferation, and another on Seeking Out Hidden Radioactive Materials. Then there are highlights are three research projects--on optics, plasma science, and the nature of neutrinos--along with a news section and patents and awards.

Impact of Reconstruction Algorithms on CT Radiomic Features of Pulmonary Tumors: Analysis of Intra- and Inter-Reader Variability and Inter-Reconstruction Algorithm Variability.

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Hyungjin; Park, Chang Min; Lee, Myunghee; Park, Sang Joon; Song, Yong Sub; Lee, Jong Hyuk; Hwang, Eui Jin; Goo, Jin Mo

2016-01-01

To identify the impact of reconstruction algorithms on CT radiomic features of pulmonary tumors and to reveal and compare the intra- and inter-reader and inter-reconstruction algorithm variability of each feature. Forty-two patients (M:F = 19:23; mean age, 60.43±10.56 years) with 42 pulmonary tumors (22.56±8.51mm) underwent contrast-enhanced CT scans, which were reconstructed with filtered back projection and commercial iterative reconstruction algorithm (level 3 and 5). Two readers independently segmented the whole tumor volume. Fifteen radiomic features were extracted and compared among reconstruction algorithms. Intra- and inter-reader variability and inter-reconstruction algorithm variability were calculated using coefficients of variation (CVs) and then compared. Among the 15 features, 5 first-order tumor intensity features and 4 gray level co-occurrence matrix (GLCM)-based features showed significant differences (palgorithms. As for the variability, effective diameter, sphericity, entropy, and GLCM entropy were the most robust features (CV≤5%). Inter-reader variability was larger than intra-reader or inter-reconstruction algorithm variability in 9 features. However, for entropy, homogeneity, and 4 GLCM-based features, inter-reconstruction algorithm variability was significantly greater than inter-reader variability (palgorithms. Inter-reconstruction algorithm variability was greater than inter-reader variability for entropy, homogeneity, and GLCM-based features.

In Science Communication, why does the Idea of a Public Deficit Always Return?

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Meyer, Gitte

2016-01-01

For centuries, science communication has been widely perceived, irrespective of context, as a didactic enterprise. That understanding does not accommodate a political category of science communication, featuring citizens on an equal footing – some of them scientists – who share responsibility...

Czech, Slovak science ten years after split

CERN Multimedia

2003-01-01

Ten years after the split of Czechoslovakia Czech and Slovak science are facing the same difficulties: shortage of money for research, poor salaries, obsolete equipment and brain drain, especially of the young, according to a feature in the Daily Lidove Noviny (1 page).

Encouraging a "Romantic Understanding" of Science: The Effect of the Nikola Tesla Story

Science.gov (United States)

Hadzigeorgiou, Yannis; Klassen, Stephen; Klassen, Cathrine Froese

2012-01-01

The purpose of this paper is to discuss and apply the notion of romantic understanding by outlining its features and its potential role in science education, to identify its features in the story of Nikola Tesla, and to describe an empirical study conducted to determine the effect of telling such a story to Grade 9 students. Elaborated features of…

Science That Matters: The Importance of a Cultural Connection in Underrepresented Students’ Science Pursuit

Science.gov (United States)

Jackson, Matthew C.; Galvez, Gino; Landa, Isidro; Buonora, Paul; Thoman, Dustin B.

2016-01-01

Recent research suggests that underrepresented minority (URM) college students, and especially first-generation URMs, may lose motivation to persist if they see science careers as unable to fulfill culturally relevant career goals. In the present study, we used a mixed-methods approach to explore patterns of motivation to pursue physical and life sciences across ethnic groups of freshman college students, as moderated by generational status. Results from a longitudinal survey (N = 249) demonstrated that freshman URM students who enter with a greater belief that science can be used to help their communities identified as scientists more strongly over time, but only among first-generation college students. Analysis of the survey data were consistent with content analysis of 11 transcripts from simultaneously conducted focus groups (N = 67); together, these studies reveal important differences in motivational characteristics both across and within ethnicity across educational generation status. First-generation URM students held the strongest prosocial values for pursuing a science major (e.g., giving back to the community). URM students broadly reported additional motivation to increase the status of their family (e.g., fulfilling aspirations for a better life). These findings demonstrate the importance of culturally connected career motives and for examining intersectional identities to understand science education choices and inform efforts to broaden participation. PMID:27543631

I Am Science - and So Can You!

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

DiChristina, Mariette [Scientific American

2013-05-08

Science is humanity’s best invention for getting at the truth about how things work (a.k.a. “basic research”) and solving problems (“applied”). I can even make a claim that most people are interested in science topics—they just don’t think of them as “science.” Consider how many of today’s top headlines have a critical science underpinning: energy supply, social change from digital innovations, efforts to treat cancer and other diseases, emerging infectious agents like bird flu, climate change, and so on. Clearly, a basic understanding about science is more vital than ever. At the same time, we see two trends: the collapse of traditional science journalism jobs as newspapers have cut thousands of positions and a greater access to—and a larger readership for—science-related materials than the world has ever known. Put another way, just when the public needs the Fourth Estate most, it’s instead drowning in a sea of 24/7 misinformation (a.k.a. “the Internet”). What’s a busy scientist to do to help engage the lay public? Glad you asked.

The interaction between awareness of one's own speech disorder with linguistics variables: distinctive features and severity of phonological disorder.

Science.gov (United States)

Dias, Roberta Freitas; Melo, Roberta Michelon; Mezzomo, Carolina Lisbôa; Mota, Helena Bolli

2013-01-01

To analyze the possible relationship among the awareness of one's own speech disorder and some aspects of the phonological system, as the number and the type of changed distinctive features, as well as the interaction among the severity of the disorder and the non-specification of distinctive features. The analyzed group has 23 children with diagnosis of speech disorder, aged 5:0 to 7:7. The speech data were analyzed through the Distinctive Features Analysis and classified by the Percentage of Correct Consonants. One also applied the Awareness of one's own speech disorder test. The children were separated in two groups: with awareness of their own speech disorder established (more than 50% of correct identification) and without awareness of their own speech disorder established (less than 50% of correct identification). Finally, the variables of this research were submitted to analysis using descriptive and inferential statistics. The type of changed distinctive features weren't different between the groups, as well as the total of changed features and the severity disorder. However, a correlation between the severity disorder and the non-specification of distinctive features was verified, because the more severe disorders have more changes in these linguistic variables. The awareness of one's own speech disorder doesn't seem to be directly influenced by the type and by the number of changed distinctive features, neither by the speech disorder severity. Moreover, one verifies that the greater phonological disorder severity, the greater the number of changed distinctive features.

Introduction to Special Feature on Catastrophic Thresholds, Perspectives, Definitions, and Applications

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Robert A. Washington-Allen

2010-09-01

Full Text Available The contributions to this special feature focus on several conceptual and operational applications for understanding non-linear behavior of complex systems with various ecological criteria at unique levels of organization. The organizing theme of the feature emphasizes alternative stable states or regimes and intervening thresholds that possess great relevance to ecology and natural resource management. The authors within this special feature address the conceptual models of catastrophe theory, self-organization, cross-scale interactions and time-scale calculus; develop operational definitions and procedures for understanding the occurrence of dynamic regimes or multiple stable states and thresholds; suggest diagnostics tools for detection of states and thresholds and contribute to the development of scaling laws; and finally, demonstrate applications that promote both greater ecological understanding and management prescriptions for insect and disease outbreaks, resource island formation, and characterization of ecological resilience. This Special Feature concludes with a synthesis of the commonalities and disparities of concepts and interpretations among the contributed papers to identify issues and approaches that merit further research emphasis.

Undergraduate Biotechnology Students' Views of Science Communication

Science.gov (United States)

Edmondston, Joanne Elisabeth; Dawson, Vaille; Schibeci, Renato

2010-01-01

Despite rapid growth of the biotechnology industry worldwide, a number of public concerns about the application of biotechnology and its regulation remain. In response to these concerns, greater emphasis has been placed on promoting biotechnologists' public engagement. As tertiary science degree programmes form the foundation of the biotechnology…

East African Journal of Sciences: Editorial Policies

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Open Access Policy. This journal provides immediate open access to its content, upon registration, on the principle that making research freely available to the public supports a greater global exchange of knowledge. Creative Commons License East African Journal of Sciences by Haramaya University is licensed under a ...

Improved Feature Detection in Fused Intensity-Range Images with Complex SIFT (ℂSIFT

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Boris Jutzi

2011-09-01

Full Text Available The real and imaginary parts are proposed as an alternative to the usual Polar representation of complex-valued images. It is proven that the transformation from Polar to Cartesian representation contributes to decreased mutual information, and hence to greater distinctiveness. The Complex Scale-Invariant Feature Transform (ℂSIFT detects distinctive features in complex-valued images. An evaluation method for estimating the uniformity of feature distributions in complex-valued images derived from intensity-range images is proposed. In order to experimentally evaluate the proposed methodology on intensity-range images, three different kinds of active sensing systems were used: Range Imaging, Laser Scanning, and Structured Light Projection devices (PMD CamCube 2.0, Z+F IMAGER 5003, Microsoft Kinect.

Double jeopardy in astronomy and planetary science: Women of color face greater risks of gendered and racial harassment

Science.gov (United States)

Clancy, Kathryn B. H.; Lee, Katharine M. N.; Rodgers, Erica M.; Richey, Christina

2017-07-01

Women generally, and women of color specifically, have reported hostile workplace experiences in astronomy and related fields for some time. However, little is known of the extent to which individuals in these disciplines experience inappropriate remarks, harassment, and assault. We hypothesized that the multiple marginality of women of color would mean that they would experience a higher frequency of inappropriate remarks, harassment, and assault in the astronomical and planetary science workplace. We conducted an internet-based survey of the workplace experiences of 474 astronomers and planetary scientists between 2011 and 2015 and found support for this hypothesis. In this sample, in nearly every significant finding, women of color experienced the highest rates of negative workplace experiences, including harassment and assault. Further, 40% of women of color reported feeling unsafe in the workplace as a result of their gender or sex, and 28% of women of color reported feeling unsafe as a result of their race. Finally, 18% of women of color, and 12% of white women, skipped professional events because they did not feel safe attending, identifying a significant loss of career opportunities due to a hostile climate. Our results suggest that the astronomy and planetary science community needs to address the experiences of women of color and white women as they move forward in their efforts to create an inclusive workplace for all scientists.

GSD Update: Year in Review: Spotlight on 2017 Research by the Grassland, Shrubland and Desert Ecosystems Science Program

Science.gov (United States)

Deborah M. Finch

2018-01-01

In this issue of the GSD Update, we feature selected studies of the RMRS Grassland, Shrubland and Desert Ecosystems Science Program (GSD) that focus on the theme of fire. Significant results of recent research and science delivery by GSD scientists are highlighted. We feature program research that lines up with the strategic priorities and goals of the USDA Forest...

Ten years of science news: A longitudinal analysis of scientific culture in the Spanish digital press.

Science.gov (United States)

Groves, Tamar; Figuerola, Carlos G; Quintanilla, Miguel Á

2016-08-01

This article presents our study of science coverage in the digital Spanish press over the last decade. We employed automated information retrieval procedures to create a corpus of 50,763 text units dealing with science and technology, and used automated text-analysis procedures in order to provide a general picture of the structure, characteristics and evolution of science news in Spain. We found between 6% and 7% of science coverage, a clear high proportion of biomedicine and predominance of science over technology, although we also detected an increase in technological content during the second half of the decade. Analysing the extrinsic and intrinsic features of science culture, we found a predominance of intrinsic features that still need further analysis. Our attempt to use specialised software to examine big data was effective, and allowed us to reach these preliminary conclusions. © The Author(s) 2015.

Science reporting in Accra, Ghana: Sources, barriers and motivational factors

Science.gov (United States)

Gastel, Barbara; Burdine, James N.; Russell, Leon H.

2014-01-01

In Ghana, as in many other developing countries, most science reporting is done by general reporters. However, few studies have investigated science reporting in such a situation. To understand better the dynamics of science reporting in such context, we surveyed 151 general reporters in Ghana. Respondents’ demographic characteristics resembled those found in studies elsewhere. Respondents perceived health professionals and scientists as very important sources of information for reporting science. There was an inverse correlation between journalism experience and the number of science feature stories reported in the past 12 months (p = .017). Most respondents indicated that science journalism training would motivate them to report science more. Likewise, most reported that easier access to research findings would do so. We identify characteristics of reporters, media, scientific, and training institutions that are important influences of Ghanaian reporters’ coverage of science. We provide recommendations for advancing science reporting in Ghana. PMID:25193967

Greater trochanteric pain syndrome diagnosis and treatment.

Science.gov (United States)

Mallow, Michael; Nazarian, Levon N

2014-05-01

Lateral hip pain, or greater trochanteric pain syndrome, is a commonly seen condition; in this article, the relevant anatomy, epidemiology, and evaluation strategies of greater trochanteric pain syndrome are reviewed. Specific attention is focused on imaging of this syndrome and treatment techniques, including ultrasound-guided interventions. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Science and technology in the global Cold War

CERN Document Server

Krige, John

2014-01-01

The Cold War period saw a dramatic expansion of state-funded science and technology research. Government and military patronage shaped Cold War technoscientific practices, imposing methods that were project oriented, team based, and subject to national-security restrictions. These changes affected not just the arms race and the space race but also research in agriculture, biomedicine, computer science, ecology, meteorology, and other fields. This volume examines science and technology in the context of the Cold War, considering whether the new institutions and institutional arrangements that emerged globally constrained technoscientific inquiry or offered greater opportunities for it. The contributors find that whatever the particular science, and whatever the political system in which that science was operating, the knowledge that was produced bore some relation to the goals of the nation-state. These goals varied from nation to nation; weapons research was emphasized in the United States and the Soviet Unio...

A prototype feature system for feature retrieval using relationships

Science.gov (United States)

Choi, J.; Usery, E.L.

2009-01-01

Using a feature data model, geographic phenomena can be represented effectively by integrating space, theme, and time. This paper extends and implements a feature data model that supports query and visualization of geographic features using their non-spatial and temporal relationships. A prototype feature-oriented geographic information system (FOGIS) is then developed and storage of features named Feature Database is designed. Buildings from the U.S. Marine Corps Base, Camp Lejeune, North Carolina and subways in Chicago, Illinois are used to test the developed system. The results of the applications show the strength of the feature data model and the developed system 'FOGIS' when they utilize non-spatial and temporal relationships in order to retrieve and visualize individual features.

‘Utilitarian’ judgments in sacrificial moral dilemmas do not reflect impartial concern for the greater good

Science.gov (United States)

Kahane, Guy; Everett, Jim A.C.; Earp, Brian D.; Farias, Miguel; Savulescu, Julian

2015-01-01

A growing body of research has focused on so-called ‘utilitarian’ judgments in moral dilemmas in which participants have to choose whether to sacrifice one person in order to save the lives of a greater number. However, the relation between such ‘utilitarian’ judgments and genuine utilitarian impartial concern for the greater good remains unclear. Across four studies, we investigated the relationship between ‘utilitarian’ judgment in such sacrificial dilemmas and a range of traits, attitudes, judgments and behaviors that either reflect or reject an impartial concern for the greater good of all. In Study 1, we found that rates of ‘utilitarian’ judgment were associated with a broadly immoral outlook concerning clear ethical transgressions in a business context, as well as with sub-clinical psychopathy. In Study 2, we found that ‘utilitarian’ judgment was associated with greater endorsement of rational egoism, less donation of money to a charity, and less identification with the whole of humanity, a core feature of classical utilitarianism. In Studies 3 and 4, we found no association between ‘utilitarian’ judgments in sacrificial dilemmas and characteristic utilitarian judgments relating to assistance to distant people in need, self-sacrifice and impartiality, even when the utilitarian justification for these judgments was made explicit and unequivocal. This lack of association remained even when we controlled for the antisocial element in ‘utilitarian’ judgment. Taken together, these results suggest that there is very little relation between sacrificial judgments in the hypothetical dilemmas that dominate current research, and a genuine utilitarian approach to ethics. PMID:25460392

Morphologic Features Suggestive of Endometriosis in Nondiagnostic Peritoneal Biopsies.

Science.gov (United States)

Harrison, Beth T; Mittal, Khush

2015-11-01

Endometriosis is a common disorder that causes significant morbidity from dysmenorrhea, pelvic pain, and subfertility. Establishment of a definitive diagnosis has important therapeutic implications; however, only approximately 50% of biopsies of laparoscopically suspicious areas provide a diagnosis of endometriosis. Histologic criteria for diagnosis require the presence of endometrial glands or endometrial-type stroma. We hypothesize that other frequently present, but nondiagnostic, histologic features of endometriosis suggest its presence in patients with nondiagnostic peritoneal biopsies. We performed a retrospective clinicopathologic study of morphologic and immunohistochemical features that may improve the histologic diagnosis of endometriosis on laparoscopic peritoneal biopsies. We compared diagnostic (n=88) and nondiagnostic (n=54) peritoneal biopsies from pathologically confirmed endometriosis cases with negative peritoneal biopsies (n=84) from early-stage gynecologic cancer cases. Statistical analysis utilized the Fisher exact test. Multiple morphologic features were significantly increased in nondiagnostic biopsies from patients with endometriosis in comparison with those from negative controls, including foamy macrophages (P=0.0001) and submesothelial stromal clusters (SSCs) (P=0.0008). SSCs ranged from subtle aggregates of spindle cells to nodules of whorled spindle cells with small vessels and extravasated red blood cells resembling stromal endometriosis. Immunohistochemical studies confirmed that ER and CD10-positive SSCs were present in a greater proportion of both nondiagnostic and diagnostic peritoneal biopsies and at a greater number of lesions per biopsy. The overall histologic detection rate of peritoneal biopsies for endometriosis was 62.0%, and inclusion of SSCs with or without foamy macrophages in the diagnostic criteria appreciably increased this rate to between 72.5% and 76.8%. We describe SSCs, which appear to be an early or less developed

Permutation importance: a corrected feature importance measure.

Science.gov (United States)

Altmann, André; Toloşi, Laura; Sander, Oliver; Lengauer, Thomas

2010-05-15

In life sciences, interpretability of machine learning models is as important as their prediction accuracy. Linear models are probably the most frequently used methods for assessing feature relevance, despite their relative inflexibility. However, in the past years effective estimators of feature relevance have been derived for highly complex or non-parametric models such as support vector machines and RandomForest (RF) models. Recently, it has been observed that RF models are biased in such a way that categorical variables with a large number of categories are preferred. In this work, we introduce a heuristic for normalizing feature importance measures that can correct the feature importance bias. The method is based on repeated permutations of the outcome vector for estimating the distribution of measured importance for each variable in a non-informative setting. The P-value of the observed importance provides a corrected measure of feature importance. We apply our method to simulated data and demonstrate that (i) non-informative predictors do not receive significant P-values, (ii) informative variables can successfully be recovered among non-informative variables and (iii) P-values computed with permutation importance (PIMP) are very helpful for deciding the significance of variables, and therefore improve model interpretability. Furthermore, PIMP was used to correct RF-based importance measures for two real-world case studies. We propose an improved RF model that uses the significant variables with respect to the PIMP measure and show that its prediction accuracy is superior to that of other existing models. R code for the method presented in this article is available at http://www.mpi-inf.mpg.de/ approximately altmann/download/PIMP.R CONTACT: altmann@mpi-inf.mpg.de, laura.tolosi@mpi-inf.mpg.de Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.

Science Learning in Rural Australia: Not Necessarily the Poor Cousin

Science.gov (United States)

Tytler, Russell; Symington, David

2015-01-01

There is considerable evidence suggesting that students in rural schools lag behind their city counterparts in measures of science literacy and attitude to science learning. If we are to address this situation we need to build as full a picture as we can of the key features of what is a complex and varied rural schooling context. In this article…

Perspectives on the Origins of Life in Science Textbooks from a Christian Publisher: Implications for Teaching Science

Science.gov (United States)

Santos Baptista, Geilsa Costa; da Silva Santos, Rodrigo; Cobern, William W.

2016-01-01

This paper presents the results of research regarding approaches to the origin of life featured in science textbooks produced by an Evangelical publisher. The research nature was qualitative with document analysis and an interpretive framework based on Epistemological Pluralism. Overall, the results indicate that there are four perspectives on the…

CSIR ScienceScope: Research for improved health

CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

CSIR

2009-11-01

Full Text Available In this edition of ScienceScope has chosen to focus on the CSIRs impact, and intended future impact, on health. The edition features some of the research approaches and progress in relation to the so-called diseases of poverty: malaria, tuberculosis...

Are Science Comics a Good Medium for Science Communication? The Case for Public Learning of Nanotechnology

Science.gov (United States)

Lin, Shu-Fen; Lin, Huann-shyang; Lee, Ling; Yore, Larry D.

2015-01-01

Comic books possessing the features of humour, narrative, and visual representation are deemed as a potential medium for science communication; however, empirical studies exploring the effects of comics are scarce. The purposes of this study were to examine and compare the impacts of a comic book and a text booklet on conveying the concepts of…

International Materials Research Meeting in the Greater Region: “Current Trends in the Characterisation of Materials and Surface Modification”

Science.gov (United States)

2017-10-01

Preface Dear ladies and gentlemen, On 6th and 7th of April 2017 took place the “International Materials Research Meeting in the Greater Region” at the Saarland University, Saarbrücken, Germany. This meeting corresponded to the 9th EEIGM International Conference on Advanced Materials Research and it was intended as a meeting place for researchers of the Greater Region as well as their partners of the different cooperation activities, like the EEIGM program, the ‘Erasmus Mundus’ Advanced Materials Science and Engineering Master program (AMASE), the ‘Erasmus Mundus’ Doctoral Program in Materials Science and Engineering (DocMASE) and the CREATe-Network. On this meeting, 72 participants from 15 countries and 24 institutions discussed and exchanged ideas on the latest trends in the characterization of materials and surface modifications. Different aspects of the material research of metals, ceramics, polymers and biomaterials were presented. As a conclusion of the meeting, the new astronaut of the European Space Agency Dr. Matthias Maurer, who is an alumni of the Saarland University and the EEIGM, held an exciting presentation about his activities. Following the publication of selected papers of the 2009 meeting in Volume 5 and 2012 meeting in Volume 31 of this journal, it is a great pleasure to present this selection of 9 articles to the readers of the IOP Conference Series: Materials Science and Engineering. The editors are thankful to all of the reviewers for reviewing the papers. Special praise is also given to the sponsors of the conference: European Commission within the program Erasmus Mundus (AMASE and DocMASE), Erasmus+ (AMASE), and Horizon2020 (CREATe-Network, Grant agreement No 644013): the DAAD (Alumni Program), and the German-French University (PhD-Track). List of Author signatures, Conference topics, Organization, Conference impressions and list of the participants are available in this PDF.

Science school and culture school: improving the efficiency of high school science teaching in a system of mass science education.

Science.gov (United States)

Charlton, Bruce G

2006-01-01

Educational expansion in western countries has been achieved mainly by adding years to full-time education; however, this process has probably reduced efficiency. Sooner or later, efficiency must improve, with a greater educational attainment per year. Future societies will probably wish more people to study science throughout high school (aged c. 11-19 years) and the first college degree. 'Science' may be defined as any abstract, systematic and research-based discipline: including mathematics, statistics and the natural sciences, economics, music theory, linguistics, and the conceptual or quantitative social sciences. Since formal teaching is usually necessary to learn science, science education should be regarded as the core function of high schools. One standard way to improve efficiency is the 'division of labour', with increased specialization of function. Modern schools are already specialized: teachers are specialized according to age-group taught, subject matter expertise, and administrative responsibilities. School students are stratified by age and academic aptitude. I propose a further institutional division of school function between science education, and cultural education (including education in arts, sports, ethics, social interaction and good citizenship). Existing schools might split into 'science school' and 'culture school', reflected in distinct buildings and zones, separate administrative structures, and the recruitment of differently-specialized teaching personnel. Science school would be distinguished by its focus on education in disciplines which promote abstract systematic cognition. All students would spend some part of each day (how much would depend on their aptitude and motivation) in the 'science school'; experiencing a traditional-style, didactic, disciplined and rigorous academic education. The remainder of the students' time at school would be spent in the cultural division, which would focus on broader aspects, and aim to generate

Sampling in Developmental Science: Situations, Shortcomings, Solutions, and Standards

OpenAIRE

Bornstein, Marc H.; Jager, Justin; Putnick, Diane L.

2013-01-01

Sampling is a key feature of every study in developmental science. Although sampling has far-reaching implications, too little attention is paid to sampling. Here, we describe, discuss, and evaluate four prominent sampling strategies in developmental science: population-based probability sampling, convenience sampling, quota sampling, and homogeneous sampling. We then judge these sampling strategies by five criteria: whether they yield representative and generalizable estimates of a study’s t...

English Computer Discourse: Some Characteristic Features

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tatjana Rusko

2013-12-01

Full Text Available The problem of virtual discourse is coming into focus of linguistic research. This interest results from the rapid spread of information technology, modern Internet culture incipience, a symbol of information revolution, new opportunities and threats that accompany computer civilization. The emergence of the communicative environment as a particular sphere of language actualization, necessitates new language means of communication or transformation and reframing the already existing ones. Obviously, it’s time to talk about the formation of a new discourse in the new communicative space – computer (electronic, virtual discourse, which subsequently may considerably affect the speech behavior of society. The present article makes an attempt to identify some linguistic and communicative features of virtual discourse. Computer discourse, being a sub-language of hybrid character, combines elements of oral and written discourse with its own specific features. It should be noted that in the context of information culture the problem of communication interaction is among the most topical issues in science and education. There is hardly any doubt that the study and advancement of virtual communication culture is one of higher education distinctive mission components.

Dome shaped features on Europa's surface

Science.gov (United States)

1997-01-01

The Solid State Imaging system aboard the spacecraft Galileo took this image of the surface of Europa on February 20, 1997 during its sixth orbit around Jupiter. The image is located near 16 North, 268 West; illumination is from the lower-right. The area covered is approximately 48 miles (80 kilometers) by 56 miles (95 kilometers) across. North is toward the top of the image.This image reveals that the icy surface of Europa has been disrupted by ridges and faults numerous times during its past. These ridges have themselves been disrupted by the localized formation of domes and other features that may be indicative of thermal upwelling of water from beneath the crust. These features provide strong evidence for the presence of subsurface liquid during Europa's recent past.The Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, CA manages the mission for NASA's Office of Space Science, Washington, DC.This image and other images and data received from Galileo are posted on the World Wide Web, on the Galileo mission home page at URL http://galileo.jpl.nasa.gov. Background information and educational context for the images can be found at URL http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/galileo/sepo

Operational technology for greater confinement disposal

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dickman, P.T.; Vollmer, A.T.; Hunter, P.H.

1984-12-01

Procedures and methods for the design and operation of a greater confinement disposal facility using large-diameter boreholes are discussed. It is assumed that the facility would be located at an operating low-level waste disposal site and that only a small portion of the wastes received at the site would require greater confinement disposal. The document is organized into sections addressing: facility planning process; facility construction; waste loading and handling; radiological safety planning; operations procedures; and engineering cost studies. While primarily written for low-level waste management site operators and managers, a detailed economic assessment section is included that should assist planners in performing cost analyses. Economic assessments for both commercial and US government greater confinement disposal facilities are included. The estimated disposal costs range from $27 to $104 per cubic foot for a commercial facility and from $17 to $60 per cubic foot for a government facility. These costs are based on average site preparation, construction, and waste loading costs for both contact- and remote-handled wastes. 14 figures, 22 tables

Opportunities in Participatory Science and Citizen Science with MRO's High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment: A Virtual Science Team Experience

Science.gov (United States)

Gulick, Ginny

2009-09-01

We report on the accomplishments of the HiRISE EPO program over the last two and a half years of science operations. We have focused primarily on delivering high impact science opportunities through our various participatory science and citizen science websites. Uniquely, we have invited students from around the world to become virtual HiRISE team members by submitting target suggestions via our HiRISE Quest Image challenges using HiWeb the team's image suggestion facility web tools. When images are acquired, students analyze their returned images, write a report and work with a HiRISE team member to write a image caption for release on the HiRISE website (http://hirise.lpl.arizona.edu). Another E/PO highlight has been our citizen scientist effort, HiRISE Clickworkers (http://clickworkers.arc.nasa.gov/hirise). Clickworkers enlists volunteers to identify geologic features (e.g., dunes, craters, wind streaks, gullies, etc.) in the HiRISE images and help generate searchable image databases. In addition, the large image sizes and incredible spatial resolution of the HiRISE camera can tax the capabilities of the most capable computers, so we have also focused on enabling typical users to browse, pan and zoom the HiRISE images using our HiRISE online image viewer (http://marsoweb.nas.nasa.gov/HiRISE/hirise_images/). Our educational materials available on the HiRISE EPO web site (http://hirise.seti.org/epo) include an assortment of K through college level, standards-based activity books, a K through 3 coloring/story book, a middle school level comic book, and several interactive educational games, including Mars jigsaw puzzles, crosswords, word searches and flash cards.

Gamelan Music Onset Detection based on Spectral Features

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yoyon Kusnendar Suprapto

2013-03-01

Full Text Available This research detects onsets of percussive instruments by examining the performance on the sound signals of gamelan instruments as one of traditional music instruments in Indonesia. Onset plays important role in determining musical rythmic structure, like beat, tempo, and is highly required in many applications of music information retrieval. There are four onset detection methods compared that employ spectral features, such as magnitude, phase, and the combination of both, which are phase slope (PS, weighted phase deviation (WPD, spectral flux (SF, and rectified complex domain (RCD. These features are extracted by representing the sound signals into time-frequency domain using overlapped Short-time Fourier Transform (STFT and varying the window length. Onset detection functions are processed through peak-picking using dynamic threshold. The results showed that by using suitable window length and parameter setting of dynamic threshold, F-measure which is greater than 0.80 can be obtained for certain methods.

The Effects of Features of Examination Questions on the Performance of Students with Dyslexia

Science.gov (United States)

Crisp, Victoria; Johnson, Martin; Novakovic, Nadezda

2012-01-01

This research investigated whether features of examination questions influence students with dyslexia differently to others, potentially affecting whether they have a fair opportunity to show their knowledge, understanding and skills. A number of science examination questions were chosen. For some questions two slightly different versions were…

PENGEMBANGAN SCIENCE MOBILE LEARNING BERWAWASAN KONSERVASI BERBASIS ANDROID APP INVENTOR 2

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Muhamad Taufiq

2017-02-01

Full Text Available Abstrak Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mengembangkan science mobile learning berwawasan konservasi berbasis android app inventor yang teruji baik dan mengetahui respon pengguna terhadap aplikasi science mobile learning sebagai suplemen materi pembelajaran berbasis mobile. Metodologi yang digunakan dalam pembuatan aplikasi ini ialah metodologi waterfall. Aplikasi science mobile leraning berwawasan konservasi ini diharapkan dapat membantu siswa secara khusus dan masyarakat ilmiah secara umum untuk mendapatkan kemudahan belajar konsep sains menggunakan perangkat smartphone tanpa harus mencetak mengunakan kertas (paperless. Aplikasi science mobile learning dilengkapi dengan fitur pendukung yaitu gambar, video dan quiz. Simpulan dalam penelitian ini yaitu telah dihasilkan aplikasi science mobile learning berwawasan konservasi layak digunakan untuk belajar konsep sains dan upaya pengurangan penggunaan kertas (paperless, aplikasi science mobile learning mendapatkan respon baik dari masyarakat pengguna terkait kemudahan akses, kesesuaian fitur dan konten sains, serta pemanfaatannya yang mendukung pengurangan penggunaan kertas. Abstract The purpose of this research was to develop science mobile learning conservation vission based on android app inventor well tested and find out the user response to the application of mobile learning science as a supplement materials of learning mobile based. The methodology used in the making of this application is the waterfall methodology. Science mobile learning applications conservation vission is expected to help the students in particular and the scientific community in general to get the ease of learning science concepts using a Smartphone device without having to print using paper (paperless. Applications of science mobile learning include by supporting features of images, videos and quizzes. The conclusions in this research that has generated the application of science mobile learning conservation vision

A content-oriented model for science exhibit engineering

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Achiam, Marianne

2013-01-01

Recently, science museums have begun to review their educational purposes and redesign their pedagogies. At the most basic level, this entails accounting for the performance of individual exhibits, and indeed, in some cases, research indicates shortcomings in exhibit design: While often successful......: as a means to operationalize the link between exhibit features and visitor activities; and as a template to transform scientists’ practices in the research context into visitors’ activities in the exhibit context. The resulting model of science exhibit engineering is presented and exemplified, and its...... implications for science exhibit design are discussed at three levels: the design product, the design process, and the design methodology....

The correlation between the ultraviolet lambda 220 feature and the diffuse lambda 4430 band

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nandy, K.; Thompson, G.I.

1975-01-01

Observations of the ultraviolet feature which occurs close to 2200 A are presented for over 60 stars for which interstellar lambda 4430 data are available in the literature. Observational material used here is obtained from the ultraviolet spectra taken with the Sky Survey telescope (S2/68) in the ESRO TD1 satellite. The equivalent widths of the lambda 2200 feature have been determined from ultraviolet extinction at 2190 and 2500 A, and the relation between the equivalent width of the ultraviolet feature and the central depth of the lambda 4430 band has been determined. It is found that they are well correlated and the correlation coefficient, including allowance for errors, is greater than 0.9; this indicates that the carriers for the lambda 2200 feature and diffuse band lambda 4430 coexist in the interstellar medium. (author)

[Competitiveness in science. Today, tomorrow, and forever].

Science.gov (United States)

de Bold, A J

2000-01-01

Paternalistic governments and highly bureaucratized administrations produce mediocre science policy decisions that often allow for the co-existence of potentially competitive scientists alongside with those that are not. This invariably results in failure to produce significant research. It seems apparent therefore, that policy change aiming at improving science and technology must begin with intensification of the level of individual competitiveness. Nations that have internationally competitive levels of technical and scientific activity such as Japan, USA and Canada, share in common certain features that foster individual competitiveness despite the fact that their socioeconomic basis are vastly different. These common features include administrative continuity, very high academic standards and a highly educated work force. The scientist's emotional cost in competitive environments is high but there seems to be no alternative given the sophistication of the topics that are dealt with in formerly purely descriptive sciences such as biomedicine, and given the enormous speed of electronic communications. The role of governments in fostering science and technology should be mainly concerned with conducting a sound fiscal policy in order to provide for the needs of education and scientific activity. Governments can also play a key role in insuring that science remains competitive through the delineation of rules that increase individual competitiveness rather than with policy schemes that fail to directly address the responsibility of the individual. Policies to increase individuals' performance may prove costly to politicians given that these adjustments imply unpopular decisions regarding an increase in academic performance expectation beginning in high school and the re-assignment of functions of individuals or institutions that do not meet international productivity criteria.

Science reporting in Accra, Ghana: sources, barriers and motivational factors.

Science.gov (United States)

Appiah, Bernard; Gastel, Barbara; Burdine, James N; Russell, Leon H

2015-01-01

In Ghana, as in many other developing countries, most science reporting is done by general reporters. However, few studies have investigated science reporting in such a situation. To understand better the dynamics of science reporting in such context, we surveyed 151 general reporters in Ghana. Respondents' demographic characteristics resembled those found in studies elsewhere. Respondents perceived health professionals and scientists as very important sources of information for reporting science. There was an inverse correlation between journalism experience and the number of science feature stories reported in the past 12 months (p=.017). Most respondents indicated that science journalism training would motivate them to report science more. Likewise, most reported that easier access to research findings would do so. We identify characteristics of reporters, media, scientific, and training institutions that are important influences of Ghanaian reporters' coverage of science. We provide recommendations for advancing science reporting in Ghana. © The Author(s) 2014.

Using Network Science to Support Design Research

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Parraguez Ruiz, Pedro; Maier, Anja

2016-01-01

and societal impact. This chapter contributes to the use of network science in empirical studies of design organisations. It focuses on introducing a network-based perspective on the design process and in particular on making use of network science to support design research and practice. The main contribution...... of this chapter is an overview of the methodological challenges and core decision points when embarking on network-based design research, namely defining the overall research purpose and selecting network features. We furthermore highlight the potential for using archival data, the opportunities for navigating...

Progress in photon science basics and applications

CERN Document Server

2017-01-01

This book features chapters based on lectures presented by world-leading researchers of photon science from Russia and Japan at the first “STEPS Symposium on Photon Science” held in Tokyo in March 2015. It describes recent progress in the field of photon science, covering a wide range of interest to experts in the field, including laser-plasma interaction, filamentation and its applications, laser assisted electron scattering, exotic properties of light, ultrafast imaging, molecules and clusters in intense laser fields, photochemistry and spectroscopy of novel materials, laser-assisted material synthesis, and photon technology.

Greater trochanteric fracture with occult intertrochanteric extension.

Science.gov (United States)

Reiter, Michael; O'Brien, Seth D; Bui-Mansfield, Liem T; Alderete, Joseph

2013-10-01

Proximal femoral fractures are frequently encountered in the emergency department (ED). Prompt diagnosis is paramount as delay will exacerbate the already poor outcomes associated with these injuries. In cases where radiography is negative but clinical suspicion remains high, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is the study of choice as it has the capability to depict fractures which are occult on other imaging modalities. Awareness of a particular subset of proximal femoral fractures, namely greater trochanteric fractures, is vital for both radiologists and clinicians since it has been well documented that they invariably have an intertrochanteric component which may require surgical management. The detection of intertrochanteric or cervical extension of greater trochanteric fractures has been described utilizing MRI but is underestimated with both computed tomography (CT) and bone scan. Therefore, if MRI is unavailable or contraindicated, the diagnosis of an isolated greater trochanteric fracture should be met with caution. The importance of avoiding this potential pitfall is demonstrated in the following case of an elderly woman with hip pain and CT demonstrating an isolated greater trochanteric fracture who subsequently returned to the ED with a displaced intertrochanteric fracture.

Identification of natural images and computer-generated graphics based on statistical and textural features.

Science.gov (United States)

Peng, Fei; Li, Jiao-ting; Long, Min

2015-03-01

To discriminate the acquisition pipelines of digital images, a novel scheme for the identification of natural images and computer-generated graphics is proposed based on statistical and textural features. First, the differences between them are investigated from the view of statistics and texture, and 31 dimensions of feature are acquired for identification. Then, LIBSVM is used for the classification. Finally, the experimental results are presented. The results show that it can achieve an identification accuracy of 97.89% for computer-generated graphics, and an identification accuracy of 97.75% for natural images. The analyses also demonstrate the proposed method has excellent performance, compared with some existing methods based only on statistical features or other features. The method has a great potential to be implemented for the identification of natural images and computer-generated graphics. © 2014 American Academy of Forensic Sciences.

The typology and development of attitude to primary science education

Science.gov (United States)

Gray, Adelaide

The introduction and development of science within the primary curriculum has been a challenge to teachers, parents and children and a highly politicised decision. Augmenting any difficulties are the images of science within popular culture and the traditions of scientific inquiry that have maintained the Western, male elitist hierarchy of the Vienna circle throughout the last millennium. The Royal Society's committee on the public understanding of science has recognised the difficulty in recruiting students to higher-level science study and embarked on a programme of sponsorship to address this. At the same time major governmental policy changes have provided a new 'market' model of education that has encouraged parental involvement in schools and enforced a new 'transparency' of evaluation on schools through league tables and Ofsted. Set against this backdrop, this research explores the development of attitudes to science and science education in the parent's of primary school aged children. It examines the perceptions of science and science education through the narrative of the parent's and their understanding of the interaction between different areas of science. The use of key events within narrative as a method of exploring attitude and conceptual development is novel to this research and through this exploration the concept of attitude itself is examined and criticised developing a new concept of attitude as process-based rather than static or crystallised. This reconceptualisation allows a more operational understanding of attitude that overcomes the difficulties of the traditional concept, which has only a limited theoretical basis on which to examine behaviour. The research generates a typology for views of science and the more operational compliment to this, stance to science. This framework allows a greater understanding of attitude formation, how science is perceived and how this perception is actualised. It is particularly interesting given the

Language Recognition Using Latent Dynamic Conditional Random Field Model with Phonological Features

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Sirinoot Boonsuk

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Spoken language recognition (SLR has been of increasing interest in multilingual speech recognition for identifying the languages of speech utterances. Most existing SLR approaches apply statistical modeling techniques with acoustic and phonotactic features. Among the popular approaches, the acoustic approach has become of greater interest than others because it does not require any prior language-specific knowledge. Previous research on the acoustic approach has shown less interest in applying linguistic knowledge; it was only used as supplementary features, while the current state-of-the-art system assumes independency among features. This paper proposes an SLR system based on the latent-dynamic conditional random field (LDCRF model using phonological features (PFs. We use PFs to represent acoustic characteristics and linguistic knowledge. The LDCRF model was employed to capture the dynamics of the PFs sequences for language classification. Baseline systems were conducted to evaluate the features and methods including Gaussian mixture model (GMM based systems using PFs, GMM using cepstral features, and the CRF model using PFs. Evaluated on the NIST LRE 2007 corpus, the proposed method showed an improvement over the baseline systems. Additionally, it showed comparable result with the acoustic system based on i-vector. This research demonstrates that utilizing PFs can enhance the performance.

Robust classification of motor imagery EEG signals using statistical time–domain features

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Khorshidtalab, A; Salami, M J E; Hamedi, M

2013-01-01

The tradeoff between computational complexity and speed, in addition to growing demands for real-time BMI (brain–machine interface) systems, expose the necessity of applying methods with least possible complexity. Willison amplitude (WAMP) and slope sign change (SSC) are two promising time–domain features only if the right threshold value is defined for them. To overcome the drawback of going through trial and error for the determination of a suitable threshold value, modified WAMP and modified SSC are proposed in this paper. Besides, a comprehensive assessment of statistical time–domain features in which their effectiveness is evaluated with a support vector machine (SVM) is presented. To ensure the accuracy of the results obtained by the SVM, the performance of each feature is reassessed with supervised fuzzy C-means. The general assessment shows that every subject had at least one of his performances near or greater than 80%. The obtained results prove that for BMI applications, in which a few errors can be tolerated, these combinations of feature–classifier are suitable. Moreover, features that could perform satisfactorily were selected for feature combination. Combinations of the selected features are evaluated with the SVM, and they could significantly improve the results, in some cases, up to full accuracy. (paper)

Losing history: how extinctions prune features from the tree of life.

Science.gov (United States)

Davies, T Jonathan

2015-02-19

Biodiversity provides many valuable services to humanity; however, rapid expansion of the human population has placed increasing pressure on natural systems, and it has been suggested that we may be entering a sixth mass extinction. There is an urgent need, therefore, to prioritize conservation efforts if we are to maintain the provisioning of such service in the future. Phylogenetic diversity (PD), the summed branch lengths that connect species on the tree-of-life, might provide a valuable metric for conservation prioritization because it has been argued to capture feature diversity. Frequently, PD is estimated in millions of years, and therefore implicitly assumes an evolutionary model in which features diverge gradually over time. Here, I explore the expected loss of feature diversity when this assumption is violated. If evolution tends to slow down over time, as might be the case following adaptive radiations, losses of feature diversity might be relatively small. However, if evolution occurs in rapid bursts, following a punctuated model, impacts of extinctions might be much greater. PD captures many important properties, but if we use it as a proxy for feature diversity, we first need to ensure that we have the correct evolutionary model. © 2015 The Author(s) Published by the Royal Society. All rights reserved.

Enhancing facial features by using clear facial features

Science.gov (United States)

Rofoo, Fanar Fareed Hanna

2017-09-01

The similarity of features between individuals of same ethnicity motivated the idea of this project. The idea of this project is to extract features of clear facial image and impose them on blurred facial image of same ethnic origin as an approach to enhance a blurred facial image. A database of clear images containing 30 individuals equally divided to five different ethnicities which were Arab, African, Chines, European and Indian. Software was built to perform pre-processing on images in order to align the features of clear and blurred images. And the idea was to extract features of clear facial image or template built from clear facial images using wavelet transformation to impose them on blurred image by using reverse wavelet. The results of this approach did not come well as all the features did not align together as in most cases the eyes were aligned but the nose or mouth were not aligned. Then we decided in the next approach to deal with features separately but in the result in some cases a blocky effect was present on features due to not having close matching features. In general the available small database did not help to achieve the goal results, because of the number of available individuals. The color information and features similarity could be more investigated to achieve better results by having larger database as well as improving the process of enhancement by the availability of closer matches in each ethnicity.

Spatial features register: toward standardization of spatial features

Science.gov (United States)

Cascio, Janette

1994-01-01

As the need to share spatial data increases, more than agreement on a common format is needed to ensure that the data is meaningful to both the importer and the exporter. Effective data transfer also requires common definitions of spatial features. To achieve this, part 2 of the Spatial Data Transfer Standard (SDTS) provides a model for a spatial features data content specification and a glossary of features and attributes that fit this model. The model provides a foundation for standardizing spatial features. The glossary now contains only a limited subset of hydrographic and topographic features. For it to be useful, terms and definitions must be included for other categories, such as base cartographic, bathymetric, cadastral, cultural and demographic, geodetic, geologic, ground transportation, international boundaries, soils, vegetation, water, and wetlands, and the set of hydrographic and topographic features must be expanded. This paper will review the philosophy of the SDTS part 2 and the current plans for creating a national spatial features register as one mechanism for maintaining part 2.

Inquiry learning for gender equity using History of Science in Life and Earth Sciences’ learning environments

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

C. Sousa

2016-03-01

Full Text Available The main objective of the present work is the selection and integration of objectives and methods of education for gender equity within the Life and Earth Sciences’ learning environments in the current portuguese frameworks of middle and high school. My proposal combines inquiry learning-teaching methods with the aim of promoting gender equity, mainly focusing in relevant 20th century women-scientists with a huge contribute to the History of Science. The hands-on and minds-on activities proposed for high scholl students of Life and Earth Sciences onstitute a learnig environment enriched in features of science by focusing on the work of two scientists: Lynn Margulis (1938-2011  and her endosymbiosis theory of the origin of life on Earth and Inge Leehman (1888-1993 responsible for a breakthrough regarding the internal structure of Earth, by caracterizing a discontinuity within the nucleus, contributing to the current geophysical model. For middle scholl students the learning environment includes Inge Leehman and Mary Tharp (1920-2006 and her first world map of the ocean floor. My strategy includes features of science, such as: theory-laden nature of scientific knowledge, models, values and socio-scientific issues, technology contributes to science and feminism.  In conclusion, I consider that this study may constitute an example to facilitate the implementation, by other teachers, of active inquiry strategies focused on features of science within a framework of social responsibility of science, as well as the basis for future research.

Integrative activities content (aic: an auxiliary tool for the teaching of Biochemistry in the course of biological sciences at UFRN

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

F. D. Silva

2015-08-01

Full Text Available There are constant changes in the development of science, technology, politics, culture and society; the need for change is also evident in the training of teachers. The ease of access to information makes us realize that traditional teaching needs to be updated.The increasing demotivation of students,followed by high reprobation rates, has become a real challenge to the teaching practice.The objective of this work was to awaken in students enrolled in the discipline of MOLECULAR DIVERSITY (MD, a required curricular component in the Course of Biological Sciences at UFRN, an interest in studying the chemistry and functions of biomolecules, better relating the two to each other, and the content already studied in the course, in order to improve the teaching-learning process. This work was developed in a tutoring project registered at PROGRAD/UFRN. This discipline, MD, addresses chemical and structural features of the main organic molecules.The methodology focused on applying problem integrators called INTEGRATIVE ACTIVITIES OF CONTENT. This refers specifically to the application of problems that integrate the topics taught in the discipline, and also those administered in the disciplines processed in parallel, or even in previous semesters. In this way students realize that molecules relate and interact in all bodies; this gives rise to life through metabolism. The discipline is expected to promote meaningful and inter-related learning. We obtained the following results: greater participation and involvement of students in answering the questions posed; greater interest in the discipline;positive changes regarding the number of students who dropped the class, and in reprobation;and greater integration between teachers, students, and teaching assistants. The methodology used in this work was extremely important to achieve the proposed objectives, helping to facilitate the process of teaching-learning, as also to important relate content.

The Relationship in Biology between the Nature of Science and Scientific Inquiry

Science.gov (United States)

Kremer, Kerstin; Specht, Christiane; Urhahne, Detlef; Mayer, Jürgen

2014-01-01

Informed understandings of nature of science and scientific inquiry are generally accepted goals of biology education. This article points out central features of scientific inquiry with relation to biology and the nature of science in general terms and focuses on the relationship of students' inquiry skills in biology and their beliefs on the…

Characteristics of High School Students' and Science Teachers' Cognitive Frame about Effective Teaching Method for High School Science Subject

Science.gov (United States)

Chung, Duk Ho; Park, Kyeong-Jin; Cho, Kyu Seong

2016-04-01

We investigated the cognitive frame of high school students and inservice high school science teachers about effective teaching method, and we also explored how they understood about the teaching methods suggested by the 2009 revised Science Curriculum. Data were collected from 275 high school science teachers and 275 high school students. We analyzed data in terms of the words and the cognitive frame using the Semantic Network Analysis. The results were as follows. First, the teachers perceived that an activity oriented class was the effective science class that helped improve students'' problem-solving abilities and their inquiry skills. The students had the cognitive frame that their teacher had to present relevant and enough teaching materials to students, and that they should also receive assistance from teachers in science class to better prepare for college entrance exam. Second, both students and teachers retained the cognitive frame about the efficient science class that was not reflected 2009 revised Science Curriculum exactly. Especially, neither groups connected the elements of ''convergence'' as well as ''integration'' embedded across science subject areas to their cognitive frame nor cognized the fact that many science learning contents were closed related to one another. Therefore, various professional development opportunities should be offered so that teachers succinctly comprehend the essential features and the intents of the 2009 revised Science Curriculum and thereby implement it in their science lessons effectively. Keywords : semantic network analysis, cognitive frame, teaching method, science lesson

Hollyweird science the next generation : from spaceships to microchips

CERN Document Server

Grazier, Kevin R

2017-01-01

Informative, entertaining and upbeat, this book continues Grazier and Cass's exploration of how technology, science, and scientists are portrayed in Hollywood productions. Both big and small-screen productions are featured and their science content illuminated—first by the authors and subsequently by a range of experts from science and the film world. Starring roles in this volume are played by, among other things, computers (human and mechanical), artificial intelligences, robots, and spacecraft. Interviews with writers, producers, and directors of acclaimed science-themed films stand side by side with the perspectives of scientists, science fiction authors, and science advisors. The result is a stimulating and informative reading experience for the layperson and professional scientist or engineer alike. The book begins with a foreword by Zack Stentz, who co-wrote X-Men: First Class and Thor, and is currently a writer/producer on CW’s The Flash.

The Greater Sekhukhune-CAPABILITY outreach project.

Science.gov (United States)

Gregersen, Nerine; Lampret, Julie; Lane, Tony; Christianson, Arnold

2013-07-01

The Greater Sekhukhune-CAPABILITY Outreach Project was undertaken in a rural district in Limpopo, South Africa, as part of the European Union-funded CAPABILITY programme to investigate approaches for capacity building for the translation of genetic knowledge into care and prevention of congenital disorders. Based on previous experience of a clinical genetic outreach programme in Limpopo, it aimed to initiate a district clinical genetic service in Greater Sekhukhune to gain knowledge and experience to assist in the implementation and development of medical genetic services in South Africa. Implementing the service in Greater Sekhukhune was impeded by a developing staff shortage in the province and pressure on the health service from the existing HIV/AIDS and TB epidemics. This situation underscores the need for health needs assessment for developing services for the care and prevention of congenital disorders in middle- and low-income countries. However, these impediments stimulated the pioneering of innovate ways to offer medical genetic services in these circumstances, including tele-teaching of nurses and doctors, using cellular phones to enhance clinical care and adapting and assessing the clinical utility of a laboratory test, QF-PCR, for use in the local circumstances.

The effects of droplet characteristics on the surface features in a rain field

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, R.; Brown, H.; Liu, X.; Duncan, J. H.

2013-11-01

The characteristics of the shape of a water surface in response to the impact of simulated raindrops are studied experimentally in a 1.22-m-by-1.22-m water pool with a water depth of 0.3 m. A rain generator consisting of an open-surface water tank with an array of 22-gauge hypodermic needles (typical needle-to-needle spacing of about L0 = 3 . 5 cm) attached to holes in the tank bottom is mounted 2 m above the water pool. The tank is connected to a 2D translation stage to provide a small-radius (volumetric flow rate (nπd3 / 6) through control of the water depth in the generator tank. The water surface features, including the crown, stalk and ring waves, due to the impacts of the drops are measured with a cinematic laser-induced- fluorescence (LIF) technique. The dependence of these features on the rain characteristics are discussed. The support of the National Science Foundation, Division of Ocean Sciences, and the assistance of Mr. Larry Gong are gratefully acknowledged.

Feature Extraction and Analysis of Breast Cancer Specimen

Science.gov (United States)

Bhattacharyya, Debnath; Robles, Rosslin John; Kim, Tai-Hoon; Bandyopadhyay, Samir Kumar

In this paper, we propose a method to identify abnormal growth of cells in breast tissue and suggest further pathological test, if necessary. We compare normal breast tissue with malignant invasive breast tissue by a series of image processing steps. Normal ductal epithelial cells and ductal / lobular invasive carcinogenic cells also consider for comparison here in this paper. In fact, features of cancerous breast tissue (invasive) are extracted and analyses with normal breast tissue. We also suggest the breast cancer recognition technique through image processing and prevention by controlling p53 gene mutation to some greater extent.

Preserving the positive functions of the public domain in science

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Pamela Samuelson

2003-11-01

Full Text Available Science has advanced in part because data and scientific methodologies have traditionally not been subject to intellectual property protection. In recent years, intellectual property has played a greater role in scientific work. While intellectual property rights may have a positive role to play in some fields of science, so does the public domain. This paper will discuss some of the positive functions of the public domain and ways in which certain legal developments may negatively impact the public domain. It suggests some steps that scientists can take to preserve the positive functions of the public domain for science.

Object-based selection from spatially-invariant representations: evidence from a feature-report task.

Science.gov (United States)

Matsukura, Michi; Vecera, Shaun P

2011-02-01

Attention selects objects as well as locations. When attention selects an object's features, observers identify two features from a single object more accurately than two features from two different objects (object-based effect of attention; e.g., Duncan, Journal of Experimental Psychology: General, 113, 501-517, 1984). Several studies have demonstrated that object-based attention can operate at a late visual processing stage that is independent of objects' spatial information (Awh, Dhaliwal, Christensen, & Matsukura, Psychological Science, 12, 329-334, 2001; Matsukura & Vecera, Psychonomic Bulletin & Review, 16, 529-536, 2009; Vecera, Journal of Experimental Psychology: General, 126, 14-18, 1997; Vecera & Farah, Journal of Experimental Psychology: General, 123, 146-160, 1994). In the present study, we asked two questions regarding this late object-based selection mechanism. In Part I, we investigated how observers' foreknowledge of to-be-reported features allows attention to select objects, as opposed to individual features. Using a feature-report task, a significant object-based effect was observed when to-be-reported features were known in advance but not when this advance knowledge was absent. In Part II, we examined what drives attention to select objects rather than individual features in the absence of observers' foreknowledge of to-be-reported features. Results suggested that, when there was no opportunity for observers to direct their attention to objects that possess to-be-reported features at the time of stimulus presentation, these stimuli must retain strong perceptual cues to establish themselves as separate objects.

The boreal winter Madden-Julian Oscillation's influence on summertime precipitation in the greater Caribbean

Science.gov (United States)

Curtis, Scott; Gamble, Douglas W.

2016-07-01

Precipitation totals in the greater Caribbean are known to be affected by interannual variability. In particular, dry conditions in the spring-summer have been physically linked to the positive phase of North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) in the literature. In this study, it was found through regression analysis that an active Madden-Julian Oscillation (MJO) in winter geographically focused over the Maritime Continent contributes to a positive NAO in March via the generation of Rossby waves in the Northern Hemisphere. Specifically, a negative Pacific-North American pattern develops in the winter and transitions to an Atlantic pattern in spring. The positive NAO is a transient feature of this evolving wave train, but a center of significant positive 200 hPa geopotential heights is entrenched over the southeast U.S. throughout the February to May time period and is manifested as high pressure at the surface. The southern flank of this system increases the speeds of the trade winds and leads to a cooling of the Caribbean sea surface temperatures and, thus, convection suppression and reduced precipitation. Thus, this study advances our understanding of the climate of the greater Caribbean by using climate teleconnections to relate the MJO to rainfall in the region.

Conceptualizing Student Affect for Science and Technology at the Middle School Level: Development and Implementation of a Measure of Affect in Science and Technology (MAST)

Science.gov (United States)

Romine, William L.; Sadler, Troy D.; Wulff, Eric P.

2017-10-01

We describe the development of the Measure of Affect in Science and Technology (MAST), and study its usefulness for measuring science affect in middle school students via both classical and Rasch measurement perspectives. We then proceed to utilize the measurement structure of the MAST to understand how middle school students at varying levels of affect express their interest and attitudes toward science and technology and gender differences in how students express their affect. We found that affect in science and technology comprises a main dimension, science interest, and four peripheral dimensions: interest in careers in science and technology, attitudes toward science, and interest in attending science class. Of these, careers in science and technology carry the highest affective demand. While males showed higher levels of personal and situational interest in science, a greater interest in careers in science and technology was the biggest contributor to males' higher affect toward science and technology. We argue that whether the MAST is used as a measure of a single construct or multiple subconstructs depends upon specific research or evaluation goals; however, both uses of the MAST yield measures which produce valid inferences for student affect.

What factors are associated with increasing co-authorship in the social sciences? A case study of Danish Economics and Political Science

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Henriksen, Dorte

2018-01-01

these changes. This article examines the relationship between changes in co-authorship and research in Danish economics and political science to gain greater insights into whether there are changes in the research or in researchers' behavior. The analysis shows that articles with empirical research......The number of co-authors has in the social sciences has been rising over the last decades, but a deeper understanding of why this rise is occurring is lacking. Previous studies of co-authorship in the social sciences often refer to the physical or life sciences or anecdotal evidence to explain......, quantitative research and/or survey are more likely to have a higher number of coauthors than articles based on theoretical, interview, and qualitative research. Furthermore, international and interinstitutional Danish articles tend to have more coauthors than interinstitutional articles. The analysis also...

Statistical analyses of conserved features of genomic islands in bacteria.

Science.gov (United States)

Guo, F-B; Xia, Z-K; Wei, W; Zhao, H-L

2014-03-17

We performed statistical analyses of five conserved features of genomic islands of bacteria. Analyses were made based on 104 known genomic islands, which were identified by comparative methods. Four of these features include sequence size, abnormal G+C content, flanking tRNA gene, and embedded mobility gene, which are frequently investigated. One relatively new feature, G+C homogeneity, was also investigated. Among the 104 known genomic islands, 88.5% were found to fall in the typical length of 10-200 kb and 80.8% had G+C deviations with absolute values larger than 2%. For the 88 genomic islands whose hosts have been sequenced and annotated, 52.3% of them were found to have flanking tRNA genes and 64.7% had embedded mobility genes. For the homogeneity feature, 85% had an h homogeneity index less than 0.1, indicating that their G+C content is relatively uniform. Taking all the five features into account, 87.5% of 88 genomic islands had three of them. Only one genomic island had only one conserved feature and none of the genomic islands had zero features. These statistical results should help to understand the general structure of known genomic islands. We found that larger genomic islands tend to have relatively small G+C deviations relative to absolute values. For example, the absolute G+C deviations of 9 genomic islands longer than 100,000 bp were all less than 5%. This is a novel but reasonable result given that larger genomic islands should have greater restrictions in their G+C contents, in order to maintain the stable G+C content of the recipient genome.

CSIR ScienceScope: An Energy-secure South Africa

CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

CSIR

2009-06-01

Full Text Available issues, especially as buildings use more than 25% of national energy consumption. "An Energy-secure South Africa" the theme of this ScienceScope, features a multidisciplinary projects of the R&D work done on alternative energy solutions, clean and cleaner...

To Trust or Not to Trust? What Drives Public Trust in Science in Social Media Engagement

Science.gov (United States)

Hwong, Y. L.; Oliver, C.; Van Kranendonk, M. J.

2017-12-01

The erosion of public trust in science is a serious concern today. This climate of distrust has real consequences, from the anti-vaccination movement to climate change denials. The age of social media promises opportunities for improved interactivity between scientists and the public, which experts hope will help improve public confidence in science. However, evidence linking social media engagement and public attitude towards science is scarce. Our study aimed to help fill this gap. We examined Twitter engagement and its impact on public trust in science, focusing on two related science issues: space science and climate change. Our datasets comprised of 10,000 randomly sampled tweets over a month's period in 2016. We used human annotation and machine learning to analyse the tweets. Results revealed the level of distrust was significantly higher in the climate change tweets. However, in the climate change network, people who engaged with science personalities trust science more than those who did not. This difference in trust levels was not present in the space science network. There the two clusters of people displayed similar levels of trust in science. Additionally, we used machine learning to predict the trust labels of tweets and conducted feature analysis to find the properties of trust-inspiring tweets. Our supervised learning algorithm was able to predict trust in science in our sample tweets with 84% accuracy. The strongest predictors of trust in science (as conveyed by tweets) were similarity, presence of URL and authenticity. Contrast this with the findings of our previous study investigating the features of highly engaging space science related social media messages, authenticity is the only feature that also inspires trust. This indicates that what works to promote engagement (e.g. `retweets', `Likes') does not necessarily build trust in science. Social media science communication is not as simple as `we engage, therefore they trust'. We suggest that

FEATURE SELECTION METHODS BASED ON MUTUAL INFORMATION FOR CLASSIFYING HETEROGENEOUS FEATURES

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ratri Enggar Pawening

2016-06-01

Full Text Available Datasets with heterogeneous features can affect feature selection results that are not appropriate because it is difficult to evaluate heterogeneous features concurrently. Feature transformation (FT is another way to handle heterogeneous features subset selection. The results of transformation from non-numerical into numerical features may produce redundancy to the original numerical features. In this paper, we propose a method to select feature subset based on mutual information (MI for classifying heterogeneous features. We use unsupervised feature transformation (UFT methods and joint mutual information maximation (JMIM methods. UFT methods is used to transform non-numerical features into numerical features. JMIM methods is used to select feature subset with a consideration of the class label. The transformed and the original features are combined entirely, then determine features subset by using JMIM methods, and classify them using support vector machine (SVM algorithm. The classification accuracy are measured for any number of selected feature subset and compared between UFT-JMIM methods and Dummy-JMIM methods. The average classification accuracy for all experiments in this study that can be achieved by UFT-JMIM methods is about 84.47% and Dummy-JMIM methods is about 84.24%. This result shows that UFT-JMIM methods can minimize information loss between transformed and original features, and select feature subset to avoid redundant and irrelevant features.

Simulated cosmic microwave background maps at 0.5 deg resolution: Unresolved features

Science.gov (United States)

Kogut, A.; Hinshaw, G.; Bennett, C. L.

1995-01-01

High-contrast peaks in the cosmic microwave background (CMB) anisotropy can appear as unresolved sources to observers. We fit simluated CMB maps generated with a cold dark matter model to a set of unresolved features at instrumental resolution 0.5 deg-1.5 deg to derive the integral number density per steradian n (greater than absolute value of T) of features brighter than threshold temperature absolute value of T and compare the results to recent experiments. A typical medium-scale experiment observing 0.001 sr at 0.5 deg resolution would expect to observe one feature brighter than 85 micro-K after convolution with the beam profile, with less than 5% probability to observe a source brighter than 150 micro-K. Increasing the power-law index of primordial density perturbations n from 1 to 1.5 raises these temperature limits absolute value of T by a factor of 2. The MSAM features are in agreement with standard cold dark matter models and are not necessarily evidence for processes beyond the standard model.

Hooked on Science: How an Ohio Teacher is Training Students to Be Linked in to Forensics

Science.gov (United States)

Technology & Learning, 2008

2008-01-01

This article features Ohio teacher Carol Fleck's use of videoconferencing in teaching Contemporary BioScience and Genetics. Fleck, who says her initial vision for the class was "science without classroom walls," covers such topics as emerging diseases, bioterrorism, and forensic science. Collaboration between schools is a key part of the…

Fire patterns in the range of the greater sage-grouse, 1984-2013 — Implications for conservation and management

Science.gov (United States)

Brooks, Matthew L.; Matchett, John R.; Shinneman, Douglas J.; Coates, Peter S.

2015-09-10

Fire ranks among the top three threats to the greater sage-grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus) throughout its range, and among the top two threats in the western part of its range. The national research strategy for this species and the recent U.S. Department of the Interior Secretarial Order 3336 call for science-based threats assessment of fire to inform conservation planning and fire management efforts. The cornerstone of such assessments is a clear understanding of where fires are occurring and what aspects of fire regimes may be shifting outside of their historical range of variation. This report fulfills this need by describing patterns of fire area, fire size, fire rotation, and fire season length and timing from 1984 to 2013 across the range of the greater sage-grouse. This information need is further addressed by evaluating the ecological and management implications of these fire patterns. Analyses are stratified by major vegetation types and the seven greater sage-grouse management zones, delineated regionally as four western and three eastern management zones. Soil temperature and moisture indicators of resilience to fire and resistance to cheatgrass invasion, and the potential for establishment of a grass/fire cycle, are used as unifying concepts in developing fire threat assessments for each analysis strata.

Why Do Women Leave Science and Engineering? NBER Working Paper No. 15853

Science.gov (United States)

Hunt, Jennifer

2010-01-01

I use the 1993 and 2003 National Surveys of College Graduates to examine the higher exit rate of women compared to men from science and engineering relative to other fields. I find that the higher relative exit rate is driven by engineering rather than science, and show that 60% of the gap can be explained by the relatively greater exit rate from…

Spectral Feature Analysis of Minerals and Planetary Surfaces in an Introductory Planetary Science Course

Science.gov (United States)

Urban, Michael J.

2013-01-01

Using an ALTA II reflectance spectrometer, the USGS digital spectral library, graphs of planetary spectra, and a few mineral hand samples, one can teach how light can be used to study planets and moons. The author created the hands-on, inquiry-based activity for an undergraduate planetary science course consisting of freshman to senior level…

Life science students' attitudes, interest, and performance in introductory physics for life sciences: An exploratory study

Science.gov (United States)

Crouch, Catherine H.; Wisittanawat, Panchompoo; Cai, Ming; Renninger, K. Ann

2018-06-01

In response to national calls for improved physical sciences education for students pursuing careers in the life sciences and medicine, reformed introductory physics for life sciences (IPLS) courses are being developed. This exploratory study is among the first to assess the effect of an IPLS course on students' attitudes, interest, and performance. The IPLS course studied was the second semester of introductory physics, following a standard first semester course, allowing the outcomes of the same students in a standard course and in an IPLS course to be compared. In the IPLS course, each physics topic was introduced and elaborated in the context of a life science example, and developing students' skills in applying physics to life science situations was an explicitly stated course goal. Items from the Colorado Learning about Science Survey were used to assess change in students' attitudes toward and their interest in physics. Whereas the same students' attitudes declined during the standard first semester course, we found that students' attitudes toward physics hold steady or improve in the IPLS course. In particular, students with low initial interest in physics displayed greater increases in both attitudes and interest during the IPLS course than in the preceding standard course. We also find that in the IPLS course, students' interest in the life science examples is a better predictor of their performance than their pre-IPLS interest in physics. Our work suggests that the life science examples in the IPLS course can support the development of student interest in physics and positively influence their performance.

Life science students’ attitudes, interest, and performance in introductory physics for life sciences: An exploratory study

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Catherine H. Crouch

2018-03-01

Full Text Available In response to national calls for improved physical sciences education for students pursuing careers in the life sciences and medicine, reformed introductory physics for life sciences (IPLS courses are being developed. This exploratory study is among the first to assess the effect of an IPLS course on students’ attitudes, interest, and performance. The IPLS course studied was the second semester of introductory physics, following a standard first semester course, allowing the outcomes of the same students in a standard course and in an IPLS course to be compared. In the IPLS course, each physics topic was introduced and elaborated in the context of a life science example, and developing students’ skills in applying physics to life science situations was an explicitly stated course goal. Items from the Colorado Learning about Science Survey were used to assess change in students’ attitudes toward and their interest in physics. Whereas the same students’ attitudes declined during the standard first semester course, we found that students’ attitudes toward physics hold steady or improve in the IPLS course. In particular, students with low initial interest in physics displayed greater increases in both attitudes and interest during the IPLS course than in the preceding standard course. We also find that in the IPLS course, students’ interest in the life science examples is a better predictor of their performance than their pre-IPLS interest in physics. Our work suggests that the life science examples in the IPLS course can support the development of student interest in physics and positively influence their performance.

Reconstructing Iconic Experiments in Electrochemistry: Experiences from a History of Science Course

Science.gov (United States)

Eggen, Per-Odd; Kvittingen, Lise; Lykknes, Annette; Wittje, Roland

2012-01-01

The decomposition of water by electricity, and the voltaic pile as a means of generating electricity, have both held an iconic status in the history of science as well as in the history of science teaching. These experiments featured in chemistry and physics textbooks, as well as in classroom teaching, throughout the nineteenth and twentieth…

Time Domain Feature Extraction Technique for earth's electric field signal prior to the Earthquake

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Astuti, W; Sediono, W; Akmeliawati, R; Salami, M J E

2013-01-01

Earthquake is one of the most destructive of natural disasters that killed many people and destroyed a lot of properties. By considering these catastrophic effects, it is highly important of knowing ahead of earthquakes in order to reduce the number of victims and material losses. Earth's electric field is one of the features that can be used to predict earthquakes (EQs), since it has significant changes in the amplitude of the signal prior to the earthquake. This paper presents a detailed analysis of the earth's electric field due to earthquakes which occurred in Greece, between January 1, 2008 and June 30, 2008. In that period of time, 13 earthquakes had occurred. 6 of them were recorded with magnitudes greater than Ms=5R (5R), while 7 of them were recorded with magnitudes greater than Ms=6R (6R). Time domain feature extraction technique is applied to analyze the 1st significant changes in the earth's electric field prior to the earthquake. Two different time domain feature extraction techniques are applied in this work, namely Simple Square Integral (SSI) and Root Mean Square (RMS). The 1st significant change of the earth's electric field signal in each of monitoring sites is extracted using those two techniques. The feature extraction result can be used as input parameter for an earthquake prediction system

The Brazilian Science Data Center (BSDC)

Science.gov (United States)

de Almeida, Ulisses Barres; Bodmann, Benno; Giommi, Paolo; Brandt, Carlos H.

Astrophysics and Space Science are becoming increasingly characterised by what is now known as “big data”, the bottlenecks for progress partly shifting from data acquisition to “data mining”. Truth is that the amount and rate of data accumulation in many fields already surpasses the local capabilities for its processing and exploitation, and the efficient conversion of scientific data into knowledge is everywhere a challenge. The result is that, to a large extent, isolated data archives risk being progressively likened to “data graveyards”, where the information stored is not reused for scientific work. Responsible and efficient use of these large data-sets means democratising access and extracting the most science possible from it, which in turn signifies improving data accessibility and integration. Improving data processing capabilities is another important issue specific to researchers and computer scientists of each field. The project presented here wishes to exploit the enormous potential opened up by information technology at our age to advance a model for a science data center in astronomy which aims to expand data accessibility and integration to the largest possible extent and with the greatest efficiency for scientific and educational use. Greater access to data means more people producing and benefiting from information, whereas larger integration of related data from different origins means a greater research potential and increased scientific impact. The project of the BSDC is preoccupied, primarily, with providing tools and solutions for the Brazilian astronomical community. It nevertheless capitalizes on extensive international experience, and is developed in full cooperation with the ASI Science Data Center (ASDC), from the Italian Space Agency, granting it an essential ingredient of internationalisation. The BSDC is Virtual Observatory-complient and part of the “Open Universe”, a global initiative built under the auspices of the

History, Philosophy and Science Teaching: Some Answers to ``How?''

Science.gov (United States)

Pessoa de Carvalho, Anna Maria; Infantosi Vannucchi, Andréa

The study of the history and philosophy of science in school science courses is highly recommended. This paper deals with the methodological aspects derived from research in science education and how they have to be taken into account in order to generate effective classroom activities, so that history and philosophy are not relegated to the status of additional rhetoric of conclusions in an extensive curricula. This is illustrated with the analysis of episodes ___ transcribed from videotape records ___ which took place when such activity was introduced into high school physics classes. This analysis has shown that students, when working in cooperative groups over problematic historical episodes, may come to discuss essential features of science. This not only provides a more realistic view of science, but also enhances cognitive and argumentation skills, besides emphasizing the importance of teachers' guidance.

Regression analysis for the social sciences

CERN Document Server

Gordon, Rachel A

2010-01-01

The book provides graduate students in the social sciences with the basic skills that they need to estimate, interpret, present, and publish basic regression models using contemporary standards. Key features of the book include: interweaving the teaching of statistical concepts with examples developed for the course from publicly-available social science data or drawn from the literature. thorough integration of teaching statistical theory with teaching data processing and analysis. teaching of both SAS and Stata "side-by-side" and use of chapter exercises in which students practice programming and interpretation on the same data set and course exercises in which students can choose their own research questions and data set.

School 2.0: The Science Leadership Academy

Science.gov (United States)

Lehmann, Christopher

2007-01-01

This article features the Science Leadership Academy, a new public partnership school in Philadelphia that incorporates core values of inquiry, research, collaboration, presentation, and reflection. Founded by the School District of Philadelphia and The Franklin Institute, SLA is one of four partnership high schools that opened in September 2006…

Femtochemistry and femtobiology ultrafast dynamics in molecular science

CERN Document Server

Douhal, Abderrazzak

2002-01-01

This book contains important contributions from top international scientists on the-state-of-the-art of femtochemistry and femtobiology at the beginning of the new millennium. It consists of reviews and papers on ultrafast dynamics in molecular science.The coverage of topics highlights several important features of molecular science from the viewpoint of structure (space domain) and dynamics (time domain). First of all, the book presents the latest developments, such as experimental techniques for understanding ultrafast processes in gas, condensed and complex systems, including biological mol

Mathematical paradigms of climate science

CERN Document Server

Cannarsa, Piermarco; Jones, Christopher; Portaluri, Alessandro

2016-01-01

This book, featuring a truly interdisciplinary approach, provides an overview of cutting-edge mathematical theories and techniques that promise to play a central role in climate science. It brings together some of the most interesting overview lectures given by the invited speakers at an important workshop held in Rome in 2013 as a part of MPE2013 (“Mathematics of Planet Earth 2013”). The aim of the workshop was to foster the interaction between climate scientists and mathematicians active in various fields linked to climate sciences, such as dynamical systems, partial differential equations, control theory, stochastic systems, and numerical analysis. Mathematics and statistics already play a central role in this area. Likewise, computer science must have a say in the efforts to simulate the Earth’s environment on the unprecedented scale of petabytes. In the context of such complexity, new mathematical tools are needed to organize and simplify the approach. The growing importance of data assimilation te...

Feature-based attentional modulation increases with stimulus separation in divided-attention tasks.

Science.gov (United States)

Sally, Sharon L; Vidnyánsky, Zoltán; Papathomas, Thomas V

2009-01-01

Attention modifies our visual experience by selecting certain aspects of a scene for further processing. It is therefore important to understand factors that govern the deployment of selective attention over the visual field. Both location and feature-specific mechanisms of attention have been identified and their modulatory effects can interact at a neural level (Treue and Martinez-Trujillo, 1999). The effects of spatial parameters on feature-based attentional modulation were examined for the feature dimensions of orientation, motion and color using three divided-attention tasks. Subjects performed concurrent discriminations of two briefly presented targets (Gabor patches) to the left and right of a central fixation point at eccentricities of +/-2.5 degrees , 5 degrees , 10 degrees and 15 degrees in the horizontal plane. Gabors were size-scaled to maintain consistent single-task performance across eccentricities. For all feature dimensions, the data show a linear increase in the attentional effects with target separation. In a control experiment, Gabors were presented on an isoeccentric viewing arc at 10 degrees and 15 degrees at the closest spatial separation (+/-2.5 degrees ) of the main experiment. Under these conditions, the effects of feature-based attentional effects were largely eliminated. Our results are consistent with the hypothesis that feature-based attention prioritizes the processing of attended features. Feature-based attentional mechanisms may have helped direct the attentional focus to the appropriate target locations at greater separations, whereas similar assistance may not have been necessary at closer target spacings. The results of the present study specify conditions under which dual-task performance benefits from sharing similar target features and may therefore help elucidate the processes by which feature-based attention operates.

In-Service Science Teachers' and the Use of Multimedia as a Teaching Tool

Science.gov (United States)

Ameyaw, Y.; Quansah, E.

2013-01-01

The study investigated the attitudes of in-service teachers' towards the use of multimedia as a tool for science teaching in Junior High Schools in the Greater Accra Region of Ghana. The population sample consisted of 100 Junior High School (JHS) science teachers made up of 60 urban teachers and 40 rural teachers from three selected districts…

Resonance – Journal of Science Education | Indian Academy of ...

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

Articles written in Resonance – Journal of Science Education. Volume 7 Issue 6 June ... Introduction to Web Information Retrieval: A User Perspective - How to get what you want on the World Wide Web ... UNIX: Genesis and Design Features.

The post-orgasmic prolactin increase following intercourse is greater than following masturbation and suggests greater satiety.

Science.gov (United States)

Brody, Stuart; Krüger, Tillmann H C

2006-03-01

Research indicates that prolactin increases following orgasm are involved in a feedback loop that serves to decrease arousal through inhibitory central dopaminergic and probably peripheral processes. The magnitude of post-orgasmic prolactin increase is thus a neurohormonal index of sexual satiety. Using data from three studies of men and women engaging in masturbation or penile-vaginal intercourse to orgasm in the laboratory, we report that for both sexes (adjusted for prolactin changes in a non-sexual control condition), the magnitude of prolactin increase following intercourse is 400% greater than that following masturbation. The results are interpreted as an indication of intercourse being more physiologically satisfying than masturbation, and discussed in light of prior research reporting greater physiological and psychological benefits associated with coitus than with any other sexual activities.

Understanding Science and Technology Interactions Through Ocean Science Exploration: A Summer Course for Science Teachers

Science.gov (United States)

Baldauf, J.; Denton, J.

2003-12-01

, sea level change and geological time). This objective will be achieved by correctly answering 8 of 10 multiple choice items on course posttest on science themes of ODP/IODP. 2. Describe the technical tools and processes for determining sea level history by preparing and presenting a multimedia presentation on coring. 3. Describe the processes for describing a drill core and apply those processes to core samples from Leg 194 by developing a laboratory analysis report on core samples based on protocol for analyzing cores. 4. Explain the distinguishing features of scientific from industrial coring processes by developing a paper that contrasts scientific from industrial coring processes. 5. Describe the substructure of the ocean basin and the scientific tools (equipment and processes) used to explore this substructure by preparing and presenting a multimedia presentation on bore hole data interpretation. 6. Analyze and interpret data sets from a bore hole by developing a laboratory analysis report on bore-hole data. Student performance data for objectives indicate a 16% average positive change on the science themes addressed in instruction related to objective one occurred. Similarly, a 12% average positive change occurred on science education topics related to earth science among the students in this class. Ongoing contact between faculty members during the academic year is planned as these summer participants engage in implementing IT interventions and professional development experiences based on ocean science data experienced in the summer experience.

Cool Science: Engaging Adult and K-16 Audiences in Climate Change Science

Science.gov (United States)

Lustick, D.; Lohmeier, J.; Chen, R. F.

2012-12-01

A team of educators and scientists from the University of Massachusetts Lowell and the University of Massachusetts Boston will report on an informal science learning research project using mass transit spaces in Lowell, MA. Cool Science (CS) uses advertising spaces on buses and terminals to engage the public with an Out of Home Multi-Media (OHMM) learning experience. K-16 classrooms throughout Massachusetts will submit original artwork that conveys a scientific concept central to understanding climate change. The best 6 works submitted will be printed and placed on every bus in the city over a 6 month period during the first half of 2013. CS aims to promote and evaluate learning about climate change science among the general adult public and k-16 students/teachers. Cool Science offers teachers an efficient and effective means of seamlessly bringing the study of climate change into classroom learning both within science and across disciplines. The products of this effort are then used to improve public engagement with the science of climate change in mass transit environments. Cool Science is an example of Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Math education (STEAM). The goals of CS are: 1) Engage professors, teachers, and their respective students in a climate change science communication competition. 2) Run the winning 6 selected placards and posters throughout the LRTA. 3) Identify how different communities of risk among the riding public approach and understand climate change. 4) Identify the advantages and disadvantages of using buses as a context for research on informal science learning. 5) Determine the extent to which student artwork serves as a trusted source of information. As advances in technology allow for more scientific knowledge to be generated, the role of informal education to improve adult understanding of science has never been greater. We see the convergence of circumstances (ISE, climate change, OHMM, mobile technology) as an enormous

Effects of Engineering Design-Based Science on Elementary School Science Students' Engineering Identity Development across Gender and Grade

Science.gov (United States)

Capobianco, Brenda M.; Yu, Ji H.; French, Brian F.

2015-04-01

The integration of engineering concepts and practices into elementary science education has become an emerging concern for science educators and practitioners, alike. Moreover, how children, specifically preadolescents (grades 1-5), engage in engineering design-based learning activities may help science educators and researchers learn more about children's earliest identification with engineering. The purpose of this study was to examine the extent to which engineering identity differed among preadolescents across gender and grade, when exposing students to engineering design-based science learning activities. Five hundred fifty preadolescent participants completed the Engineering Identity Development Scale (EIDS), a recently developed measure with validity evidence that characterizes children's conceptions of engineering and potential career aspirations. Data analyses of variance among four factors (i.e., gender, grade, and group) indicated that elementary school students who engaged in the engineering design-based science learning activities demonstrated greater improvements on the EIDS subscales compared to those in the comparison group. Specifically, students in the lower grade levels showed substantial increases, while students in the higher grade levels showed decreases. Girls, regardless of grade level and participation in the engineering learning activities, showed higher scores in the academic subscale compared to boys. These findings suggest that the integration of engineering practices in the science classroom as early as grade one shows potential in fostering and sustaining student interest, participation, and self-concept in engineering and science.

The Value of Civic Science Literacy (Invited)

Science.gov (United States)

Kahan, D.

2013-12-01

The persistence of public conflict over climate change is commonly understood to be evidence of the cost borne by our democracy by the failure of citizens to recognize the best available decision-relevant science. This conclusion is true; what's not is the usual understanding of cause and effect that accompanies this perspective. Ordinarily, the inability of citizens to comprehend decision-relevant science is identified as the source of persistent political conflict over climate change (along myriad other issues that feature disputed facts that admit of scientific investigation). The truth, however, is it is the persistence of public conflict that disables citizens from recognizing and making effective use of decision-relevant science. As a result, efforts to promote civic science literacy can't be expected to dissipate such conflict. Instead, the root, cultural and psychological sources of such conflict must themselves be extinguished (with the use of tools and strategies themselves identified through valid scientific inquiry) so our democracy can realize the value of educators' considerable skills in making citizens science literate.

Identifying significant environmental features using feature recognition.

Science.gov (United States)

2015-10-01

The Department of Environmental Analysis at the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet has expressed an interest in feature-recognition capability because it may help analysts identify environmentally sensitive features in the landscape, : including those r...

Academic Effort and Achievement in Science: Beyond a Gendered Relationship

Science.gov (United States)

Adamuti-Trache, Maria; Sweet, Robert

2013-12-01

This study employs the 2004 School Achievement Indicators Program (SAIP) data to examine whether academic effort manifested by greater investments in school and homework does result in higher literacy scores in science for Canadian students. The study compares four gender-immigrant profiles: Canadian-born males, immigrant males, Canadian-born females, and immigrant females on their scores on teacher-assigned grades in science and on the SAIP science literacy test, and across a range of dispositions, beliefs, and behaviors suggested in the literature as predictive of achievement in science. Study findings show that Canadian-born students, particularly boys, have higher performance in the science literacy test despite their lower achievement in the science classroom and the least investments of time in doing science homework. In contrast, immigrant female students demonstrate the highest academic effort and achievement in science courses which are not matched by similar results in the science literacy test. We discuss these results in relation to different socialization experiences with science and technology that limit female and immigrant students' abilities to transfer knowledge to new situations that have not been learned in the classroom.

Various Landscapes and Features on Europa

Science.gov (United States)

1997-01-01

These 15 frames show the great variety of surface features on Jupiter's icy moon, Europa, which have been revealed by the Galileo spacecraft Solid State Imaging (CCD) system during its first six orbits around Jupiter from June 1996 to February 1997. North is to the top of each of the images. The features seen on Europa's surface document both internal and external processes shaping the icy crust. Internal processes and the possible presence of liquid water beneath the ice are indicated by features such as 'dark spots', lobe-shaped flow features, 'puddles','mottled terrain', knobs, pits, and the darker areas along ridges and triple bands.Europa is subjected to constant tugging from the giant planet, Jupiter, as well as from its neighboring moons, Io and Ganymede. This causes 'tidal' forces that affect Europa's interior and surface. Evidence for such forces includes ridges, fractures, wedge-shaped bands, and areas of 'chaos'. Some of these features result from alternate extension and compression buckling and pulling apart Europa's icy shell.Impact craters document external effects on a planet's surface. Although present on Europa, impact craters are relatively scarce compared to the number seen on Ganymede, Callisto, and on the surfaces of most other 'rocky' planets and moons in our solar system. This scarcity of craters suggests that the surface of Europa is very young. 'Maculae' on Europa may be the scars from large impact events.These images have resolutions from 27 meters (89 feet) to 7 kilometers (4.3 miles) per picture element (pixel) and were taken by Galileo at ranges of 2,500 kilometers (1,525 miles) to 677,000 kilometers (413,000 miles) from Europa.The Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, CA manages the Galileo mission for NASA's Office of Space Science, Washington, DC. JPL is an operating division of California Institute of Technology (Caltech).This image and other images and data received from Galileo are posted on the World Wide Web, on the Galileo

Toward discovery science of human brain function

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Biswal, Bharat B; Mennes, Maarten; Zuo, Xi-Nian

2010-01-01

Although it is being successfully implemented for exploration of the genome, discovery science has eluded the functional neuroimaging community. The core challenge remains the development of common paradigms for interrogating the myriad functional systems in the brain without the constraints...... individual's functional connectome exhibits unique features, with stable, meaningful interindividual differences in connectivity patterns and strengths. Comprehensive mapping of the functional connectome, and its subsequent exploitation to discern genetic influences and brain-behavior relationships...... in the brain. To initiate discovery science of brain function, the 1000 Functional Connectomes Project dataset is freely accessible at www.nitrc.org/projects/fcon_1000/....

Resonance – Journal of Science Education | News

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)