The National Educational Technology Plan Doesn't Live up to Its Call for Revolutionary Transformation

Science.gov (United States)

Rose, Raymond M.

2011-01-01

The National Educational Technology Plan (NETP) calls for the revolutionary transformation of the American educational system. The plan correctly points to the decisions of the late 1800s that still direct educational policy today, and correctly calls the school change efforts evolutionary tinkering. The author, a pioneer in online education…

Apologies as Politeness Strategies Expressed by Characters in "Revolutionary Road" Movie

OpenAIRE

Elham Abedi; Farinaz Shirani Bidabadi; Hadi Salehi

2016-01-01

This research aimed to investigate kinds of offences that motivate the characters in the movie "Revolutionary Road" to deliver their apology and to describe the way the characters express their apologies. The study used Trosborg's apology strategies and Holmes' social dimensions of communication and kinds of offences finding, Hymes' ethnography of communication with SPEAKING formula. The data of the research were taken from apology expressions employed in the movie entitled "Revolutionary Roa...

Revolutionary Art – Nationalism – Anti-Semitism: The Case of Wagner

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Goran Gretić

2014-01-01

Full Text Available The article deals with the political aspects of revolutionary art of Richard Wagner. Through reading of Wagner’s artistic-philosophical project by his most influential interpreters – Friedrich Nietzsche, Thomas Mann and Theodor Adorno – author offers intellectual history of the reception of this project. Discourse on Wagner’s revolutionary art leads to the assessment of the influence Wagner’s cultural anti-Semitism and nationalism had on European politics in 20th century.

Revolutionary Pressures and Social Movements in Nigeria: The ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

User

2011-05-20

May 20, 2011 ... of revolutionary pressures vis-a-vis social movements in Nigeria in general and the ... material conditions, the dynamic character of reality and the .... (EFCC) and the Independent Corrupt Practices Commission (I.C.P.C) are.

Critical Revolutionary Pedagogy Spiced by Pedagogical Love

Science.gov (United States)

FitzSimmons, Robert; Uusiautti, Satu

2013-01-01

The latest incidents demonstrating human beings' inhumanity to their fellow human beings have given impetus to dissect the connection between critical revolutionary pedagogy and the idea of pedagogical love. In this essay we attempt to answer the following questions: How do these two pedagogies complement each other? What can they offer for…

Women in Post-Revolutionary Egypt

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Nielsen, Mette Toft; Hervik, Peter

and in drawings. Based on the analysis of this material the reader gets insights into personal experiences, believes and opinions of a diverse group of women in terms of age, economic class, education, geography, culture, religion, ethnicity, marital status, and political orientation. The detail-rich empirical......This book addresses how identity, structures, and agency affect women’s everyday lives in post-revolutionary Egypt. The authors analyse the topic both on a macro- as well as on a micro-level. Through interviews and workshops, women around Egypt express their own experiences in dialogue, in groups...

Campobello’s Cartuchos and Cisneros’s Molotovs: Transborder Revolutionary Feminist Narratives

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Geneva M. Gano

2015-03-01

Full Text Available Though “revolutionary” acts and attitudes were frequently claimed in various civil rights–era movements in the US, this article considers the specific meaning of the term in a Mexican-Chicano context through a simultaneous examination of Sandra Cisneros’s The House on Mango Street (1984 and Nellie Campobello’s Cartucho: relatos de la lucha en el norte de México (1931.  By way of a formal allusion to Campobello’s revolutionary text, Cisneros forces her readers to reconsider Mango Street from a hemispheric perspective, prompting new readings of her work. Most broadly, it resituates the text within a broader Latino tradition of the modern testimonio, which demands recognition of its sociopolitical significance. More specifically, the formal connection Cisneros forges insists on a similarity between the violent spaces of the post-WWII barrio and revolutionary Durango. Thus Cisneros collapses national and temporal distinctions that would assure US readers (Cisneros’s main audience that poverty, violence, and revolution cannot happen here. To Gano, this radical use of form threatens not just literary conventions (this is not simply an assertion of “revolutionary style” but also contains the suggestive threat that the barrio is a potential site of revolution, inseparable from violent acts. That this is a woman-centered story is significant: Cisneros’s kindling world is comprised largely of women and children who are inundated with daily episodes of violence. Often dismissed as political actors, these individuals are transformed in Cisneros’s work into potential revolutionaries.

Apologies as Politeness Strategies Expressed by Characters in "Revolutionary Road" Movie

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Elham Abedi

2016-11-01

Full Text Available This research aimed to investigate kinds of offences that motivate the characters in the movie "Revolutionary Road" to deliver their apology and to describe the way the characters express their apologies. The study used Trosborg's apology strategies and Holmes' social dimensions of communication and kinds of offences finding, Hymes' ethnography of communication with SPEAKING formula. The data of the research were taken from apology expressions employed in the movie entitled "Revolutionary Road". The corpus included the sentences containing apology expressions following an offence, and other supporting expressions employed by the characters in the movie "Revolutionary Road". The dialogues containing apology expressions and the types of offenses from the apology expressions were transcribed. The result showed that the kinds of offenses were infringement on space, infringement on talk, infringement on time, infringement on possession and social behavior offence. The characters in the movie “Revolutionary Road” expressed their apologies with the simple and complex form of apology strategies both directly and indirectly. They also delivered their apologies in high tone and low tone. They also showed nonverbal expressions in apologizing. The apology strategies were influenced by the degree of severity of the offence and the response given by the addressee. The employing of apology strategy in apologizing was influenced by the social distance, the formality of the situation, and the social status of the participants. It is implied that the speech act of apology in different contexts including movies should be regarded and considered by sociolinguistics.

Einstein's Revolutionary Light-Quantum Hypothesis

Science.gov (United States)

Stuewer, Roger H.

2005-05-01

The paper in which Albert Einstein proposed his light-quantum hypothesis was the only one of his great papers of 1905 that he himself termed ``revolutionary.'' Contrary to widespread belief, Einstein did not propose his light-quantum hypothesis ``to explain the photoelectric effect.'' Instead, he based his argument for light quanta on the statistical interpretation of the second law of thermodynamics, with the photoelectric effect being only one of three phenomena that he offered as possible experimental support for it. I will discuss Einstein's light-quantum hypothesis of 1905 and his introduction of the wave-particle duality in 1909 and then turn to the reception of his work on light quanta by his contemporaries. We will examine the reasons that prominent physicists advanced to reject Einstein's light-quantum hypothesis in succeeding years. Those physicists included Robert A. Millikan, even though he provided convincing experimental proof of the validity of Einstein's equation of the photoelectric effect in 1915. The turning point came after Arthur Holly Compton discovered the Compton effect in late 1922, but even then Compton's discovery was contested both on experimental and on theoretical grounds. Niels Bohr, in particular, had never accepted the reality of light quanta and now, in 1924, proposed a theory, the Bohr-Kramers-Slater theory, which assumed that energy and momentum were conserved only statistically in microscopic interactions. Only after that theory was disproved experimentally in 1925 was Einstein's revolutionary light-quantum hypothesis generally accepted by physicists---a full two decades after Einstein had proposed it.

Film as Revolutionary Weapon: A Pedagogical Analysis. Latin American Studies Program, Film Series No. 3.

Science.gov (United States)

California Univ., Riverside. Latin American Studies Program.

This paper describes a university course designed to examine the use of film as a revolutionary medium in Latin American countries. Objectives of the course were to illustrate the complexity of studying a film genre, develop an analytical framework for comparing revolutionary films, and encourage students to reach their own conclusions about the…

Revolutionary business trends in supply chain management

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Mijušković Veljko

2010-01-01

Full Text Available Contemporary turbulent business conditions in the era of high technology bring inherent rapid changes. In order to survive, the imperative set upon all market players is not the position of a follower but more of an anticipator and trend setter. These unexpected changes erase existing business models, traditional enterprise paradigms and customary philosophies. A business isolated in its way of seeing operations and unconnected with other strategic constituents within the supply chain is destined to fail. On the other hand, even those businesses that do get involved with contemporary trends are not automatically guaranteed with the market survival. The spirit of change must therefore be deeply integrated within the organization, so that the new 'mantra' could become strategic but also operative driver on all fronts of doing business, at all times. The goal of this paper is to try to illustrate and categorize comprehensive fundamental changes which are more and more present in the modern supply chains. The analysis shows that the spirit of business model changes is not a fiction but reality, thus their deepness truly revolutionizes the functioning of traditional supply chains. The first part of the paper shows actual market situation within the supply chains. 'Kaleidoscope of changes' in the chain shows that its operations have been altered compared to traditional way of doing business, having assimilated the fact that final customers identify multiple dimensions of value while choosing products or services. The market survival demands the perception and possession of all these dimensions. The second part explains the supply chain changes focusing on ten most important trends. Their implementation creates revolutionary effects compared to traditional business matrix. Finally, the third part, identifies key challenges and inhibitors that might emerge during the 'restructuring' of the traditional supply chains, as a real-life situation limitation

Globalization and Education within Two Revolutionary Organizations in the United States of America: A Gramscian Analysis

Science.gov (United States)

Holst, John D.

2004-01-01

This article presents the history, strategy, structure, educational practices, and globalization perspectives of two revolutionary organizations in the United States of America: the Freedom Road Socialist Organization and the League of Revolutionaries for a New America. This article relates the work of these organizations to the theory and…

Deep learning for visual understanding

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Guo, Y.

2017-01-01

With the dramatic growth of the image data on the web, there is an increasing demand of the algorithms capable of understanding the visual information automatically. Deep learning, served as one of the most significant breakthroughs, has brought revolutionary success in diverse visual applications,

Evolving, innovating, and revolutionary changes in cardiovascular imaging: We've only just begun!

Science.gov (United States)

Shaw, Leslee J; Hachamovitch, Rory; Min, James K; Di Carli, Marcelo; Mieres, Jennifer H; Phillips, Lawrence; Blankstein, Ron; Einstein, Andrew; Taqueti, Viviany R; Hendel, Robert; Berman, Daniel S

2018-06-01

In this review, we highlight the need for innovation and creativity to reinvent the field of nuclear cardiology. Revolutionary ideas brought forth today are needed to create greater value in patient care and highlight the need for more contemporary evidence supporting the use of nuclear cardiology practices. We put forth discussions on the need for disruptive innovation in imaging-guided care that places the imager as a central force in care coordination. Value-based nuclear cardiology is defined as care that is both efficient and effective. Novel testing strategies that defer testing in lower risk patients are examples of the kind of innovation needed in today's healthcare environment. A major focus of current research is the evolution of the importance of ischemia and the prognostic significance of non-obstructive atherosclerotic plaque and coronary microvascular dysfunction. Embracing novel paradigms, such as this, can aid in the development of optimal strategies for coronary disease management. We hope that our article will spurn the field toward greater innovation and focus on transformative imaging leading the way for new generations of novel cardiovascular care.

Social networks as anti-revolutionary forces: Facebook and political ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

The much celebrated Arab Spring has championed social media as an organizing force. This led to the celebration of a new revolutionary force for people seeking more justice and accountability from their leaders. Maghreb became the example to follow for others across Africa especially given the central role youth played ...

Endogenous money: the evolutionary versus revolutionary views

OpenAIRE

Louis-Philippe Rochon; Sergio Rossi

2013-01-01

The purpose of this paper is to shed light on the endogenous nature of money. Contrary to the established post-Keynesian, or evolutionary, view, this paper argues that money has always been endogenous, irrespective of the historical period. Instead of the evolutionary theory of money and banking that can be traced back to Chick (1986), this paper puts forward a revolutionary definition of endogenous money consistent with many aspects of post-Keynesian economics as well as with the monetary ci...

Untangling Spaghetti: How Innovation Changed at Oticon (A)

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Stranne, Søren; Maier, Anja; Strebel, Paul

The bottom-up “Spaghetti Organization” for pioneering innovation at Oticon was successful growing the top line for almost two decades, but gradually became too fragmented and costly as the company increased in size. The failure of a high cost revolutionary new product launch, together with the ap....... Understanding the importance of aligning organization and culture to support change (application of the Galbraith Star Model)....

Book Review: Revolutionary Keywords for A New Left by Ian Parker

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Eyal Z Clyne

2018-01-01

Full Text Available Eyal Clyne reviews Ian Parker's "Revolutionary Keywords for A New Left" (Winchester and Washington: Zero books ISBN: 978-1-78535-642-1, a book that unlocks complex Left-struggle issues in short and accessible essays.

The Coming Revolution of Peer Production and Revolutionary Cooperatives. A Response to Michel Bauwens, Vasilis Kostakis and Stefan Meretz

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Jakob Rigi

2014-04-01

Full Text Available This article agrees with Meretz (2014 that the peer producing cooperatives which are proposed by Bauwens & Kostakis (2014 will become parts and parcels of the capitalist economy. Further, it argues that the so called Peer Production Licenses (PPL, originally designed by Dmitry Kleiner (2010, which is the basis of their proposal is a rent seeking instrument. Contra Bauwens & Kostakis, it argues that, from the perspectives of both reform and revolution, GPL is profoundly anti-capitalist. The article critiques Meretz`s understanding of exchange and reciprocity, on the one hand, and his underestimation of GPL`s communist aspect, on the other. On the positive side, the article, explicating the communist nature of GPL-oriented peer production, speculates about the general contours of a society where peer production is the dominant mode of production. The technological basis of this society, the article suggests, will be digital copying and automation. Spatially, it will be based on localities that transcend the current division between the city and country, synthesising agriculture with industrial, affective and symbolic production. The rise of a globally unified revolutionary social struggle which adopts peer production as its platform is indispensible for the transformation of capitalism into such a society.  A global network of revolutionary peer producing cooperatives which break with market and reduce their relations to it to an absolutely unavoidable necessary minimum can be a significant component of this social struggle. The building of these revolutionary cooperatives requires a massive exodus from the city to the country.

All that is Banned is Desired: ‘Rebel Documentaries’ and the Representation of Egyptian Revolutionaries

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Ilka Eickhof

2016-05-01

Full Text Available Related to the increasing attention to so-called Egyptian revolutionary graffiti, one can also observe the appearance of “Rebel-Documentaries”, focusing on a similar group of protagonists: young, mostly male (graffiti artists and revolutionaries. In this article, I will take a closer look at a selection of these documentaries and their inherent power structures that frame the representational mechanics with a focus on the western notion of ‘the revolutionary rebel.’ The case examples are: Abdo–Coming of Age in a Revolution (Jakob Gross, 2015; Art War (Marco Wilms, 2014; Al Midan–The Square (Jehane Noujaim, 2013; and The Noise of Cairo–Art, Cairo, and Revolution (Heiko Lange, 2012. All four focus on the role and the supposedly ‘free, rebellious spirit’ of the young generation in Egypt. Although taking different perspectives, the films sketch out a snap shot of a generation that is caught in an ongoing violent revolutionary process by (representing a specific rebellious Egyptian identity. In discussing the works, I will look at different intertwined representational effects that are related to the composition, realization and commercialization of the films. Finally, the article raises questions about the self-positionality of the protagonists as well as to the localization of the films, and the existence of embedded power structures and symbolic capital complicit with neoliberal and other pressures.

Features Of The Local Government Development In Pre-Revolutionary Russia

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Lyubov I. Rogacheva

2014-09-01

Full Text Available In the present article historical development of the municipal government institutes in the pre-revolutionary Russia are analyzed. Author emphasizes that in Russia at different stages of the statehood historical development a great experience of various forms and institutes of self-government were developed. History shows that municipal government in Russian conditions cannot develop in full in the conditions of weakening government. Without support of the strong state, municipal government have weak chances, but strong government may also suppress, crush self-government. In the Russian history the balance of public administration and self-government was quite often broken into the favor of the first, what may be explained by political and geographical factors of the country development which caused need of the strong centralized government existence. Reforms in the middle of the XIX century aggravated a question of the municipal government reforming, on the creation of new system instead of imperfect and outdated former structure. Elimination of the serfdom which changed legal status of the considerable part of population in the country caused the need of country estate involvement in the solution of various economic tasks at the municipal level. This task in a certain degree was solved during the reforms of the second half of the XIX century. However model created during this period was not ideal, it suffered from many defects, inherent for the long time by the system of the state and public relations in Russia. At the beginning of the XX century questions of the municipal government reforming were again actively discussed by scientists and public figures, on this subject there were numerous publications. However, revolutionary events made questions of municipal government almost irrelevant for the long time.

Imagining the Impossible: Revolutionary Critical Pedagogy Against the 21st Century American Imperium

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Valerie Scatamburlo-D’Annibale

2006-10-01

Full Text Available This article examines some of the major Marxist-humanist themes that animate the revolutionary critical pedagogy delineated by Peter McLaren in recent years. Among these themes are radical universalism, an interrogation of the capitalization and commodification of human labor, and the interrelatedness of American imperialism and neoliberal globalized capitalism. It argues that McLaren’s scholarship provides progressive educationalists with an alternative to those “post-alized” and liberal humanist versions of critical pedagogy that have virtually abandoned all forms of class analysis. It contends that revolutionary critical pedagogy offers a much-needed narrative capable of challenging the most recent manifestations of empire, wars of aggression, and exploitative capitalist relations.

The iSelect 9 K SNP analysis revealed polyploidization induced revolutionary changes and intense human selection causing strong haplotype blocks in wheat.

Science.gov (United States)

Hao, Chenyang; Wang, Yuquan; Chao, Shiaoman; Li, Tian; Liu, Hongxia; Wang, Lanfen; Zhang, Xueyong

2017-01-30

A Chinese wheat mini core collection was genotyped using the wheat 9 K iSelect SNP array. Total 2420 and 2396 polymorphic SNPs were detected on the A and the B genome chromosomes, which formed 878 haplotype blocks. There were more blocks in the B genome, but the average block size was significantly (P polyploidization of wheat (both tetraploidization and hexaploidization) induced revolutionary changes in both the A and the B genomes, with a greater increase of gene diversity compared to their diploid ancestors. Modern breeding has dramatically increased diversity in the gene coding regions, though obvious blocks were formed on most of the chromosomes in both tetraploid and hexaploid wheats. Tag-SNP markers identified in this study can be used for marker assisted selection using haplotype blocks as a wheat breeding strategy. This strategy can also be employed to facilitate genome selection in other self-pollinating crop species.

latin American literary testimony: historical foreshadowing of gender in the revolutionary discourse of the sixties

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Victoria García

2015-06-01

Full Text Available The foundation of testimonio in Latin American literary field, initiated at the end of the ‘60, makes part of the institutionalization of the Cuban revolution, process where its projection to the rest of Latin America constitued a central problem. This paper studies political preconditions of testimonio. In particular, it analizes certain aspects of Cuban revolutionary discourse that anticipate features eventually developed by the literary genre, in the ways the relation between literature and politics is represented, and in the subjects of discourse that are proposed as embodiments of such relation. The paper introduces the question of Cuban revolution, as regards the exemplary status it acquired in Latin America during the sixties. Then, it examines the literary positioning represented by testimonio, as the corollary of a reflexive reconsideration operated by some Latin American writers and critics, concerning their historical role. Finally, it considers three representative documents of Cuban revolution and its continental projection: History will absolve me, by Fidel Castro, and Reminiscences of the Cuban revolutionary war and Bolivian diary, by Ernesto Guevara. We show the textual configuration of a revolutionary subject whose legitimity emerges not only from a political experience which testimony enunciates, but also from particular ways of living and representing literature in the context of a revolutionary practice. In the end of the sixties, the continental literary field would reaffirm such features as its discourse legitimating criteria, during the institutionalization of testimonio as its privileged genre.

Bypassing Islamism and Feminism: Women’s Resistance and Rebellion in Post-revolutionary Iran

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Fatemeh Sadeghi

2012-01-01

Full Text Available This paper explores the reason behind the crisis of representation in post-revolutionary competing Iranian gender discourses. These competing discourses include Islamic fundamentalism, religious revisionism, and secular feminism. The crisis of representation is related to at least three main presuppositions and attendant action programs: first, discrimination against women and possible accommodations should be examined in the context of religious and legal institutions. This approach resulted in the depoliticization of women’s issues, even though most Iranian women have persistently proclaimed equality and citizenship through political participation. This was the case for the 1979 Islamic Revolution, the reform movement and most recently, the Green Movement following the 2009 presidential election. The second presupposition is that individual identity is a fundamental condition for socio-political activism. The third presupposition is that discrimination against women in post-revolutionary Iran is essentially a legalist strategy and has resulted in campaigns that failed to address women’s daily challenges. On the contrary, women’s political participation in post-revolutionary Iran shows that gender issues are always political issues and need to be understood politically and politicized. Such a notion challenges attitudes which relegate gender discrimination and social solutions to the purview of religion or secularism.

Women on the Edge of Time: Representations of revolutionary motherhood in the NEP-era Soviet Union

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Hannah Proctor

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Following the October revolution of 1917 the fledgling Soviet government legalized divorce and abortion, secularized marriage, and decriminalized homosexuality. Utopians dreamed of the withering away of the family and the transformation of women's roles in the home and the workplace. But at least for the time being, only some bodies were capable of bearing children. Women's bodies became contested territory, a site of paradox. On the one hand the image of woman was re-imagined as a de-libidinalized fellow comrade, but this was combined with a continued emphasis on women's biological role as the privileged carriers of the future generation. Rather than circumventing this seeming contradiction, Soviet artworks of the 1920s confronted it, depicting motherhood as an emancipatory and revolutionary act. And this crucially does not only relate to bodies but to emotions. Revolutionary maternal love has a positive, affective dimension that provides an alternative to sexual love. The figure of the revolutionary mother prefigures the still hazily defined qualitative richness of the communist future. This article examines the figure of the revolutionary mother through a discussion of key artworks from the NEP era (1921-1928 concluding by considering how the representation of motherhood shifted in the Stalin era. The article asks what these historical ideas might still teach us today.

Energy statistics of pre-revolutionary Russia

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N. S. Simonov

2017-01-01

Full Text Available The article is devoted to the problem of creation and development of the energy statistics of the Russian Empire of the initial stage of electrification and the formation of the energy economy, which is related to: 1 the economic upsurge of the 1890s; 2 the new economic recovery of 1907–1913 and 3 the militarization of industry in 1914–1916. The real technical and economic indicators and complex statistical data of the pre-revolutionary electric power industry were either hushed up or deliberately distorted during the Soviet era. Even in the encyclopaedic literature it was considered that pre-revolutionaryRussia“was on one of the last places in the world” for the production of electricity. The author analyzes statistical surveys (censuses of the manufacturing industry for 1900 and 1908 (the “varzar censuses”, which gave the first material on the state of its energy sector, namely: the composition, quantity and power of primary engines and electric motors. For the first time in historiography, the data of the “energy censuses” of the Ministry of Finance for 1905 and 1913 on the number and capacity of central public power stations and private power stations (block stations of industrial enterprises, organizations and institutions are cited. The data of the census were conducted with the participation of the apparatus of factory and factory inspections in 1906 and in1916 inall provinces of the Russian Empire, with the exception of six provinces of the frontline zone. A lot of work was done to record electricity production / consumption, which was conducted by the Russian electrotechnical community. According to incomplete data published in 1917 by the Secretariat of the Standing Committee of the VII All-Russia Electrotechnical Congress, from 1905 to 1913 (that is, for 8 years the total number of power stations in the Russian Empire increased by 1.7 times, and the amount of electricity produced by them Has grown in 3,8 times. The

The British Southern Campaign in the Revolutionary War: Implications for Contemporary Counter Insurgency

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Clover, Julian P

2006-01-01

The British effort in the Southern Campaign (1780-1782) of the Revolutionary War failed because of flawed national strategy and a failure to focus sufficient elements of national power against a background of competing global threats...

Understanding climatic change

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fellous, J.L.; Gautier, C.; Andre, J.C.; Balstad, R.; Boucher, O.; Brasseur, G.; Chahine, M.T.; Chanin, M.L.; Ciais, P.; Corell, W.; Duplessy, J.C.; Hourcade, J.C.; Jouzel, J.; Kaufman, Y.J.; Laval, K.; Le Treut, H.; Minster, J.F.; Moore, B. III; Morel, P.; Rasool, S.I.; Remy, F.; Smith, R.C.; Somerville, R.C.J.; Wood, E.F.; Wood, H.; Wunsch, C.

2007-01-01

Climatic change is gaining ground and with no doubt is stimulated by human activities. It is therefore urgent to better understand its nature, importance and potential impacts. The chapters of this book have been written by US and French experts of the global warming question. After a description of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC, GIEC in French) consensus, they present the past and present researches on each of the main component of the climate system, on the question of climatic change impacts and on the possible answers. The conclusion summarizes the results of each chapter. Content: presentation of the IPCC; greenhouse effect, radiation balance and clouds; atmospheric aerosols and climatic change; global water cycle and climate; influence of climatic change on the continental hydrologic cycle; ocean and climate; ice and climate; global carbon cycle; about some impacts of climatic change on Europe and the Atlantic Ocean; interaction between atmospheric chemistry and climate; climate and society, the human dimension. (J.S.)

Revolutionary Intelligence: The Expanding Intelligence Role of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps

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Udit Banerjea

2015-09-01

Full Text Available The Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC is a military and paramilitary organization that is meant to defend the ideals of the Iranian Islamic Revolution in 1979. Since its formation, the IRGC has grown in influence and its intelligence role has expanded. This paper examines the role of the IRGC in Iran’s intelligence system through a comprehensive analysis of the organization of the IRGC’s intelligence arm, along with its operations and capabilities. In doing so, the scope, objectives, resources, customers, and sponsors of the IRGC’s intelligence activities are also analyzed. Additionally, this paper explores how the IRGC interacts with the government of Iran, the Ministry of Intelligence and Security (MOIS, other key internal stakeholders, and foreign client organizations. A key focus of this analysis is the evolution of the relationship between the IRGC and the MOIS and the growing influence of the IRGC in Iran’s intelligence community over the last decade. The paper concludes that the IRGC has now eclipsed the MOIS within Iran’s intelligence community and is one of the most powerful institutions in Iranian politics today, using its intelligence activities as its key means of maintaining power and influence within the country.

Educational Excursions in Technical Schools of Pre-revolutionary Russia

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Timur A. Magsumov

2013-01-01

Full Text Available The author, using the data of pre-revolutionary technical schools, traces the genesis and trends of educational excursions development in the Russian Empire. Special attention is attached to the types, organizational forms and methods of excursion activities, educational policy, concerning its development. The article presents author’s classification of educational excursions, notes that educational excursions have become traditional and were operated systematically by the early XX century. Field excursions, which in fact displaced introductive training, prevailed in technical schools

Comparing Generative and Inter-generative Subjectivity in Post-Revolutionary Academic Generations in Iran

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mehran Sohrabzadeh

2010-01-01

Full Text Available Comparative study of different post-revolutionary generation has been broadly applied by social scientists; among them some believe there is a gulf between generations, while some others endorsing some small differences among generations, emphasis that this variety is natural. Avoiding being loyal to any of these two views, the present study attempts to compare three different post-revolutionary academic generations using theory of “generative objects” which explores generations’ view about their behaviors, Beliefs, and historical monuments. Sampling was carried among 3 generations; firstly ones who were student in 60s and now are experienced faculties in the university, secondly ones who are recently employed as faculty members, and finally who are now students in universities. Results show that in all 3 generations there are essential in-generation similarities, while comparatively there are some differentiations in inter-generative analysis.

Harbingers of the Caliphate: Islamic State Revolutionary Actions 2011-2014

Science.gov (United States)

2016-06-01

Together: Symbolic Violence and Guerrilla Mobilisation,” Third World Quarterly 28, no. 2 (2007): 295–320. 8 generate a bandwagon effect that further...military force. The fall of Mosul and other population centers within the Sunni regions of Iraq and Syria were the product of a lengthy and effective ...against revolutionary movements that are not isolated from society can have a counter-productive effect on the population, actually increasing public

The Man Who Tamed Mexico's Tiger: General Joaquin Amaro and the Professionalization of Mexico's Revolutionary Army

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Carriedo, Robert

2005-01-01

.... While effective in overthrowing Diaz, Mexico's revolutionary armies neither disbanded nor submitted themselves to civilian rule, but instead retained their character as undisciplined and fiercely...

Climate change 101 : understanding and responding to global climate change

Science.gov (United States)

2009-01-01

To inform the climate change dialogue, the Pew Center on Global Climate Change and the Pew Center on the States have developed a series of brief reports entitled Climate Change 101: Understanding and Responding to Global Climate Change. These reports...

Alienation and Revolutionary Vision in East African Post-Colonial Dramatic Literature

OpenAIRE

Fashina, Nelson O.

2009-01-01

This paper is a trans-disciplinary inquiry into the principles of alienation and revolutionary ethos in two East African plays of postcolonial society. It engages literary-textual exegesis and sociological theories to unravel the multi-dimensional forms of alienation as an interrogation of contemporary postcolonial history. The writers, though somewhat in throes and dilemma of exilic consciousness, ‘commodify’ and appropriate the literary enterprise as weapon of active physical revolt and tex...

Mish mabsoota: on teaching with a camera in revolutionary Cairo†

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Mark R. Westmoreland

2015-12-01

Full Text Available Made in the wake of the 2011 Egyptian Revolution, Inti Mabsoota? is an experimental pedagogical video project that draws upon the emerging mobile esthetics of cell phone filmmaking and public encounters with revolutionary spontaneity. Inspired by the landmark cinéma-vérité film, Chronique d'un été (1960, in which participants ask people on the streets of Paris if they are happy, several of my students at the American University in Cairo became mobile film units, asking people the same innocuous question, “Inta mabsoot?/Inti mabsoota?”—Are you happy? Are you content? This seemingly benign exercise belies a variety of conceptual and methodological frictions, which offered productive pedagogical possibilities. Drawing upon the emergent revolutionary visual culture, this student project complicated both the reductive assessments of the “Arab Spring” as a manifestation of digital democracy and the heavy-handed way that western journalism has tended to address the “Arab Street” as a volatile mob. Using an embodied visual approach allowed students to apprehend modes of lived experience that might not register as political in more normative models, but which nonetheless form the basis of how people live and experience political life. Highlighting the non-representational aspects of the encounter also foregrounds the corporeal and visceral dimensions of the students’ experience. Accordingly, the critical video methods employed elucidate the kinds of affective knowledge produced for those on screen, behind the camera, and viewing from a distance.

Revolutionary composite joining method; from an aerospace thesis research to founding a new company

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Bergman, A.

2014-01-01

In 2011, Peter Madlener started his graduation thesis at the Aerospace Engineering faculty on a new joining technology for composite sandwich panels. The promising results gained in this thesis led to the foundation of MOCS: a young company with the ambitious goal of introducing a revolutionary

Bell and Banner: Armenian Revolutionaries at the End of the Ottoman Empire

Science.gov (United States)

2011-12-01

of the Russian bourgeoisie whose sympathy with the Ottoman Armenian cause prompted their activism. Socially, they were members of a relatively...the Armenian bourgeoisie in Russia who contested the Hunchak program on anti-socialist grounds, as well as the Ottoman Armenian elite whose self...were held by the Armenian bourgeoisie , it is significant that the Armenian revolutionaries would defend such assets as this implies at best a degree

1787 and 1776: Patrick Henry, James Madison, and the Revolutionary Legitimacy of the Constitution.

Science.gov (United States)

Banning, Lance

1988-01-01

Discusses Patrick Henry's and James Madison's opinions on how the U.S. Constitution should be constructed. Describes how Henry introduced a set of substantive objections which were shared by Antifederalists throughout the country and persuaded many Revolutionaries that the Constitution was essentially at odds with the principles of 1776. (BSR)

A Hybrid Approach to Cognitive Engineering: Supporting Development of a Revolutionary Warfighter-Centered Command and Control System

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Ockerman, Jennifer; McKneely, Jennifer A; Koterba, Nathan

2005-01-01

...) for the requirements analysis and design of revolutionary command and control systems and domains. This hybrid approach uses knowledge elicitation and representation techniques from several current cognitive engineering methodologies...

Starting Anew: Exploring the Links between Radio and Journalism Education in Post-Revolutionary Romania.

Science.gov (United States)

Hochheimer, John L.; Hochheimer, Joanne Dvorak

This paper examines the evolution of Romanian radio, as well as some of the inherent problems of journalism education in Romania in the post-revolutionary era. The paper discusses the legacy of repression during the Ceausescu dictatorship, which limited radio services throughout the country and left only one journalism school, a school that…

Exploring elementary students’ understanding of energy and climate change

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Colin BOYLAN

2008-10-01

Full Text Available As environmental changes become a significant societal issue, elementary science curriculaneed to develop students’ understanding about the key concepts of energy and climate change.For teachers, developing quality learning experiences involves establishing what theirstudents’ prior understanding about energy and climate change are. A survey was developed toexplore what elementary students know and understand about renewable and non-renewablesources of energy and their relationship to climate change issues. The findings from thissurvey are reported in this paper.

Revolutionary interdisciplinary cooperation. Effects of short- term regulation studied in a river environment

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Saimakallio, H.; Virsu, R.

1996-11-01

A three-year study on how short-term regulation affects the river environment provides power plant builders with new capabilities to meet the needs of the riverside population, recreational users and power plants. The study also opens up new perspectives to researchers. Interdisciplinary cooperation between experts on the living environment, vegetation, fish, recreational use and energy has been revolutionary even on the international scale. (orig.)

Far Away from the Revolution: Understanding the Cuban Revolutionary Armed Forces Mission Changes

Science.gov (United States)

2011-12-01

to the inclusion of “four senior FAR officers— Generals Abelardo Colome, Ulises Rosales del Toro, Julio Casas Regueiro, and Leopoldo Cintra Frias...Raulismo.” Revista Guaracabuya. 1999. http://www.amigospais-guaracabuya.org/oagfm001.php. _____. “The Far and its Economic Role: From Civic to

Reifications of the intellectual: representations, organization and agency in revolutionary China.

Science.gov (United States)

U, Eddy

2013-12-01

How did 'intellectuals' evolve from a class of subjects in Marxian thoughts to highly visible populations under communism? Such 'reifications of the intellectual' have deeply affected subjectivity, conflict and organization, but received little attention in the political sociology of communism. This essay draws on research on classifications and social boundaries to address the objective and subjective foundations of the reifications and their impact on communist rule. The intellectual is viewed as an identification formed and performed around multiple social axes (most notably family background, educational achievement, occupational history, institutional affiliation and revolutionary rank) that reflected broader patterns of communist political domination. I use the Chinese Communist movement to demonstrate that (1) interaction of political contests, ruling strategies and institutional developments turned a diversity of persons into 'intellectuals' who were allegedly imbued with reprehensible interests and habits linked to privileged economic classes; (2) constant competitions for power and organizational changes led to classificatory ambiguities and, in turn, allowed individuals some control over their identifications; and (3) the developments profoundly influenced identity, state and class formation. Focusing on the dynamics that produced a highly visible but fluid population of 'intellectuals' opens new pathways for comparative research on communism. © London School of Economics and Political Science 2013.

Early industrial stage of modernization pre-revolutionary Russia: sources, tendencies and results

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Татьяна Михайловна Братченко

2010-03-01

Full Text Available In the article the sources, occurrence and development of industrialization of pre-revolutionary Russia at its early stage are analyzed. The authors have shown the basic tendencies and directions of these processes. In the article the set of the reasons of industrialization of Russia is opened, among which not internal conditions, and external factors were basic. Is shown also, that the earli-industrial modernization in the liberal - conservative form has put a society in the extremely unstable, «transitive» condition, that was fraught with social shocks.

Building a democratic education. The Teacher Training College Model in times of revolutionary crisis (1974-1976

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Luís Mota

2015-05-01

Full Text Available The present paper attempts to analyze the model and meaning of the reform of ordinary primary education, its ends and goals, and to address the ideological debate and clashes present in Teacher Training Colleges during the Ongoing Revolutionary Process (PREC. Experimental times of «pedagogical experiences», of the democratic construction of education, supported by a logic of equal opportunities and openness and intervention in the community, at a time when the educational system received the mandate to democratize success and combat social inequalities (Stoer, Stoleroff, Correia, 1990. Based on the triangulation of information (Denzin and Lincoln, 2000, our analysis focuses on the stakeholders’ discourses published by media specialized in education and teaching, or other, using anamnesis, oral accounts collected through interviews, and the few (still existing information sources. During the ideological debate and clash, two trends of the revolutionary process competed, that of the basic dynamics and of instrumentalisation. In the context of Teacher Training Colleges, the latter prevailed. It formed a centralised vision of the revolutionary process by fostering a mobilising dynamics, from the centre to the periphery, using the dimensions of academic knowledge, ideological principles and techniques for organising society following the ideological model established. It captured the strength and energy of the basic dynamics, either by outlining first the sense of mobilisation or assessing the propriety of the proposals arising from the mobilisation and adjusting them to its purposes. How to reference this article Mota, L., & Ferreira, A. G. (2015. La construcción de una educación democrática. Las escuelas de magisterio primario en tiempos de crisis revolucionaria (1974-1976. Espacio, Tiempo y Educación, 2(2, 265-288. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.14516/ete.2015.002.002.013

Understanding Breast Changes: A Health Guide for Women

Science.gov (United States)

... and Conditions Understanding Breast Changes: Health Guide for Women can be printed or viewed as a booklet, ... During Your Lifetime That Are Not Cancer Most women have changes in the breasts at different times ...

Revolutionary Aeropropulsion Concept for Sustainable Aviation: Turboelectric Distributed Propulsion

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Hyun Dae; Felder, James L.; Tong, Michael. T.; Armstrong, Michael

2013-01-01

In response to growing aviation demands and concerns about the environment and energy usage, a team at NASA proposed and examined a revolutionary aeropropulsion concept, a turboelectric distributed propulsion system, which employs multiple electric motor-driven propulsors that are distributed on a large transport vehicle. The power to drive these electric propulsors is generated by separately located gas-turbine-driven electric generators on the airframe. This arrangement enables the use of many small-distributed propulsors, allowing a very high effective bypass ratio, while retaining the superior efficiency of large core engines, which are physically separated but connected to the propulsors through electric power lines. Because of the physical separation of propulsors from power generating devices, a new class of vehicles with unprecedented performance employing such revolutionary propulsion system is possible in vehicle design. One such vehicle currently being investigated by NASA is called the "N3-X" that uses a hybrid-wing-body for an airframe and superconducting generators, motors, and transmission lines for its propulsion system. On the N3-X these new degrees of design freedom are used (1) to place two large turboshaft engines driving generators in freestream conditions to minimize total pressure losses and (2) to embed a broad continuous array of 14 motor-driven fans on the upper surface of the aircraft near the trailing edge of the hybrid-wing-body airframe to maximize propulsive efficiency by ingesting thick airframe boundary layer flow. Through a system analysis in engine cycle and weight estimation, it was determined that the N3-X would be able to achieve a reduction of 70% or 72% (depending on the cooling system) in energy usage relative to the reference aircraft, a Boeing 777-200LR. Since the high-power electric system is used in its propulsion system, a study of the electric power distribution system was performed to identify critical dynamic and

Revolutionary Climatology: Rings of Saturn, Ringed by Red Lightning

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sarah K. Stanley

2016-05-01

Full Text Available Walter Benjamin’s concept of historical materialism is considered as a practice of media archaeology invented through literary montage and photo philosophy. The Arcades Project that facilitated this new research methodology involving a mobile archive. The main case involving architectural theory considers how Benjamin redeployed Sigfried Giedion and Laszlo Moholy-Nagy’s Building in France as a media environment, drawing upon its layout design, photo illustrations and textual systems. In terms of his urban writing, a reading of ‘A Berlin Chronicle’ considers how the diagram contributes to Benjamin’s archaeological methods, as a theory to generate site writing. Benjamin’s mode of media archaeology is then employed to map the arcades architecture onto the train stations and libraries in Berlin and Paris, sites that informed The Arcades Project. The final section assembles a set of citations as ‘Revolutionary Climatology’, thought-images as flashes of red lightning.

Understanding Transfer as Personal Change: Concerns, Intentions, and Resistance

Science.gov (United States)

Young, Jeani C.

2013-01-01

Adult education is about change. Change in knowledge and understanding. Change in attitudes and beliefs. Change in skills and behaviors. The transfer that adult educators and learners often want to achieve is that change. In situations where transfer equals change, models of change can be useful to describe, support, and predict transfer. This…

Catalyst for Change

Science.gov (United States)

Barton, Casey; Collura, Kenneth

2003-01-01

As a pioneer in education technology, Bishop Hartley High School, a Catholic high school in Columbus, Ohio, has sought to embrace change with a revolutionary computer from Hewlett-Packard known as the Compaq Tablet PC TC1000. In February 2003, Bishop Hartley became the first high school in the country to give an entire student class their own…

Understanding a Resistance to Change: A Challenge for Universities

Science.gov (United States)

Caruth, Gail D.; Caruth, Donald L.

2013-01-01

Change is inevitable. Today more than ever the pace of change is accelerating. Where there is organizational change there will be resistance to this change. To deal with the resistance effectively university administrators must understand the nature and causes of resistance to change. Only by dealing effectively with resistance to change can…

Dreaming the Chinese Dream. How the People’s Republic of China Moved from Revolutionary Goals to Global Ambitions

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Stefan R. Landsberger

2014-12-01

Full Text Available On 1 October 2014, the People’s Republic of China (PRC will observe the 65th anniversary of its founding which ended a decades’ long period of oppression by imperialism, internal strife and (civil war. Under the Chinese Communist Party (CCP, modernisation became the most important task. Marxism-Leninism and Mao Zedong Thought guided the nation along this path that would lead to modernisation and the recognition of the new, strong China. As the first three decades passed, it became clear that ideological purity and revolutionary motivation did not lead to the realisation of the dream of rejuvenation. In late 1978, the Maoist revolutionary goals were replaced by the pragmatic policies that turned China into today’s economic powerhouse. How has this radical turn from revolution to economic development been realised? How has it affected China’s political, social and artistic cultures? Is China’s present Dream structurally different from the one cherished in 1949?

Square-Toed Boots and Felt Hats: Irish Revolutionaries and the Invasion of Canada (1848-1871

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Marta Ramón-García

2010-03-01

Full Text Available The Fenian movement was born in 1858 as an alliance between the Irish Republican Brotherhood, a revolutionary secret society, and the Fenian Brotherhood, an Irish-American organisation intended to supply this society with funds and trained officers. This was not the first time that Irish nationalists on both sides of the Atlantic had tried to cooperate, but it was the first time that there was a steady arrangement in place. The Fenian partnership was extremely successful on the surface, but it was undermined by fundamental differences in customs, political attitudes and ultimate goals between Irish and American Fenians. The clearest evidence of these differences was afforded by the Fenian Brotherhood’s successive attempts to invade Canada between 1866 and 1871. As military episodes the Canadian raids were negligible; as Irish revolutionary attempts they seem absurd. However, they were a perfectly coherent manifestation of the Irish-American “hyphenated identity”. The present article traces the parallel evolution of the Irish Republican Brotherhood and the Fenian Brotherhood up to 1866, and reconstructs the cultural and political reasons for the revival of the Canadian scheme, the ensuing split in the Fenian Brotherhood, and the final collapse of the Fenian alliance.

Revolutionary and Christian Ecumenes and Desire for Modernity in the Vietnamese Highlands

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Salemink, Oscar

2015-01-01

Inspired by a critical reading of James Scott's The Art of Not Being Governed (2009) which argued that Highlanders in Southeast Asia have intentionally evaded ‘state capture and state formations’, I offer a contrasting vision of Highlander motivations and desires from the Central Highlands...... in scholarship but in such phrases as ‘remote and backward areas’. For postcolonial Vietnam, I show that Highlanders were often motivated by the desire to become modern, and enacted such desires by joining ecumenes that embody modern universals, in particular revolutionary and Christian ecumenes, exemplifying...... oppositional pathways to modernity that contrast with those offered by authors Tania Li and Holly High....

Revolutionary landscapes: the PCTP/MRPP mural paintings in the Lisbon Metropolitan Area

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Andre Carmo

2011-12-01

Full Text Available This article investigates the mural paintings made by the PCTP/MRPP in the Lisbon Metropolitan Area, in the aftermath of the 1974 Portuguese revolution. Drawing on Erwin Panofsky’s iconographic method of interpretation, murals are explored from an integrated landscape approach that combines two perspectives: landscapes as representations and landscapes as material artifacts. Findings suggest that the PCTP/MRPP mural paintings translated the visual ideology of social transformation and revolution underlying its politics. Furthermore, they also crystallized performative revolutionary landscapes, in the sense that they materialized acts of collective artistic citizenship, in which the social space of mural production played a fundamental role.

[Anarchists, Assassins and Revolutionaries. The Psychopathologization of "Political Criminals" between 1880 and 1920].

Science.gov (United States)

Hahn, Judith

2016-01-01

"Political criminals" of the early 20th century were adjudged to be psychopaths, a term which was generally accompanied by a negative moral judgement. However, other more positive appraisals were also made at this time. These contradictory moral judgements by psychiatrists expose the need for an examination of the historical development of concepts, traditions and moral debates associated with political criminals (anarchists, assassins, revolutionaries). This will be undertaken in the context of psychiatry/ criminology, security (and surveillance) policy as well as culture and the arts in German-speaking countries from 1880 to the early 1920s.

Feminist change revisited: Gender mainstreaming as slow revolution

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Davids, T.; Driel, F.T.M. van; Parren, F.B.

2014-01-01

Within the growing body of literature on gender mainstreaming, intense and vivid discussions on an assumed loss of transformative potential and a feminist, revolutionary promise of change exist. Our analysis uses a paradigm shift in thinking on power and social relations, for analysing

Smart medicine: how the changing role of doctors will revolutionize health care

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Hanson, William, M.D

2011-01-01

.... In Smart Medicine, William Hanson brings to life the fascinating true world of doctors and nurses and reveals the revolutionary changes that will soon be sweeping through the medical community...

An empirical perspective for understanding climate change impacts in Switzerland

Science.gov (United States)

Henne, Paul; Bigalke, Moritz; Büntgen, Ulf; Colombaroli, Daniele; Conedera, Marco; Feller, Urs; Frank, David; Fuhrer, Jürg; Grosjean, Martin; Heiri, Oliver; Luterbacher, Jürg; Mestrot, Adrien; Rigling, Andreas; Rössler, Ole; Rohr, Christian; Rutishauser, This; Schwikowski, Margit; Stampfli, Andreas; Szidat, Sönke; Theurillat, Jean-Paul; Weingartner, Rolf; Wilcke, Wolfgan; Tinner, Willy

2018-01-01

Planning for the future requires a detailed understanding of how climate change affects a wide range of systems at spatial scales that are relevant to humans. Understanding of climate change impacts can be gained from observational and reconstruction approaches and from numerical models that apply existing knowledge to climate change scenarios. Although modeling approaches are prominent in climate change assessments, observations and reconstructions provide insights that cannot be derived from simulations alone, especially at local to regional scales where climate adaptation policies are implemented. Here, we review the wealth of understanding that emerged from observations and reconstructions of ongoing and past climate change impacts in Switzerland, with wider applicability in Europe. We draw examples from hydrological, alpine, forest, and agricultural systems, which are of paramount societal importance, and are projected to undergo important changes by the end of this century. For each system, we review existing model-based projections, present what is known from observations, and discuss how empirical evidence may help improve future projections. A particular focus is given to better understanding thresholds, tipping points and feedbacks that may operate on different time scales. Observational approaches provide the grounding in evidence that is needed to develop local to regional climate adaptation strategies. Our review demonstrates that observational approaches should ideally have a synergistic relationship with modeling in identifying inconsistencies in projections as well as avenues for improvement. They are critical for uncovering unexpected relationships between climate and agricultural, natural, and hydrological systems that will be important to society in the future.

Understanding Global Change: Frameworks and Models for Teaching Systems Thinking

Science.gov (United States)

Bean, J. R.; Mitchell, K.; Zoehfeld, K.; Oshry, A.; Menicucci, A. J.; White, L. D.; Marshall, C. R.

2017-12-01

The scientific and education communities must impart to teachers, students, and the public an understanding of how the various factors that drive climate and global change operate, and why the rates and magnitudes of these changes related to human perturbation of Earth system processes today are cause for deep concern. Even though effective educational modules explaining components of the Earth and climate system exist, interdisciplinary learning tools are necessary to conceptually link the causes and consequences of global changes. To address this issue, the Understanding Global Change Project at the University of California Museum of Paleontology (UCMP) at UC Berkeley developed an interdisciplinary framework that organizes global change topics into three categories: (1) causes of climate change, both human and non-human (e.g., burning of fossil fuels, deforestation, Earth's tilt and orbit), (2) Earth system processes that shape the way the Earth works (e.g., Earth's energy budget, water cycle), and (3) the measurable changes in the Earth system (e.g., temperature, precipitation, ocean acidification). To facilitate student learning about the Earth as a dynamic, interacting system, a website will provide visualizations of Earth system models and written descriptions of how each framework topic is conceptually linked to other components of the framework. These visualizations and textual summarizations of relationships and feedbacks in the Earth system are a unique and crucial contribution to science communication and education, informed by a team of interdisciplinary scientists and educators. The system models are also mechanisms by which scientists can communicate how their own work informs our understanding of the Earth system. Educators can provide context and relevancy for authentic datasets and concurrently can assess student understanding of the interconnectedness of global change phenomena. The UGC resources will be available through a web-based platform and

Sixth-Grade Students' Progress in Understanding the Mechanisms of Global Climate Change

Science.gov (United States)

Visintainer, Tammie; Linn, Marcia

2015-01-01

Developing solutions for complex issues such as global climate change requires an understanding of the mechanisms involved. This study reports on the impact of a technology-enhanced unit designed to improve understanding of global climate change, its mechanisms, and their relationship to everyday energy use. Global Climate Change, implemented in…

Sixth-Grade Students' Progress in Understanding the Mechanisms of Global Climate Change

Science.gov (United States)

Visintainer, Tammie; Linn, Marcia

2015-04-01

Developing solutions for complex issues such as global climate change requires an understanding of the mechanisms involved. This study reports on the impact of a technology-enhanced unit designed to improve understanding of global climate change, its mechanisms, and their relationship to everyday energy use. Global Climate Change, implemented in the Web-based Inquiry Science Environment (WISE), engages sixth-grade students in conducting virtual investigations using NetLogo models to foster an understanding of core mechanisms including the greenhouse effect. Students then test how the greenhouse effect is enhanced by everyday energy use. This study draws on three data sources: (1) pre- and post-unit interviews, (2) analysis of embedded assessments following virtual investigations, and (3) contrasting cases of two students (normative vs. non-normative understanding of the greenhouse effect). Results show the value of using virtual investigations for teaching the mechanisms associated with global climate change. Interviews document that students hold a wide range of ideas about the mechanisms driving global climate change. Investigations with models help students use evidence-based reasoning to distinguish their ideas. Results show that understanding the greenhouse effect offers a foundation for building connections between everyday energy use and increases in global temperature. An impediment to establishing coherent understanding was the persistence of an alternative conception about ozone as an explanation for climate change. These findings illustrate the need for regular revision of curriculum based on classroom trials. We discuss key design features of models and instructional revisions that can transform the teaching and learning of global climate change.

General Chemistry Students' Understanding of Climate Change and the Chemistry Related to Climate Change

Science.gov (United States)

Versprille, Ashley N.; Towns, Marcy H.

2015-01-01

While much is known about secondary students' perspectives of climate change, rather less is known about undergraduate students' perspectives. The purpose of this study is to investigate general chemistry students' understanding of the chemistry underlying climate change. Findings that emerged from the analysis of the 24 interviews indicate that…

Public Understanding of Climate Change in the United States

Science.gov (United States)

Weber, Elke U.; Stern, Paul C.

2011-01-01

This article considers scientific and public understandings of climate change and addresses the following question: Why is it that while scientific evidence has accumulated to document global climate change and scientific opinion has solidified about its existence and causes, U.S. public opinion has not and has instead become more polarized? Our…

A martyr for modernity: Qiu Jin -- feminist warrior, and revolutionary.

Science.gov (United States)

Fan, H; Mangan, J A

2001-01-01

Qui Jin, at one level, was an oriental twentieth-century Judith, the mythical Jewish widow from Bethulia who cut off the head of Holofernes, the Assyrian general besieging the city, thus saving the Israelites from destruction. Qui Jin was, as Judith was, a self-reliant heroine who when others seemed 'helpless and demoralized undertook to save them single-handedly', or in her case virtually single-handedly. This, of course, was both her making and her unmaking. In Chinese terms the story of Qui Jin, like the story of Judith if less famous, less publicised, more recent, is the story of an icon at once central and at the same time marginal to tradition. She contradicted the most cherished customs on Confucian Chinese culture. She was a radical force who thrust her way to the centre of the concentric circles of customs surrounding this culture and was pushed back to the margins by conservatism. Nevertheless Qui Jin was not without success. She challenged a long-established mythology of exclusively masterful patriarchy - and created a counter myth of purposeful patriotic feminism. She was a counter-cultural icon who changed perceptions of Chinese femininity. She gave courage, confidence and purpose to those women who came after her and absorbed her ambitions for modern Chinese womanhood. For them she was a modern national heroine and a personification of a modern nation of equal men and women. For Qui Jin the body was an instrument of female revolution to be trained, strengthened and prepared for confrontation. As a revolutionary militant she was a failure; as a revolutionary talisman she was a success. For the Chinese women of the 1911 Revolution hers was an exemplary emancipatory story: subscribe, struggle, sacrifice. Patriotism through feminism is the purpose. Her heroism was firmly outside the historic patriarchal order. Her adulation is thus all the more remarkable because of the profound traditions she rejected, the controversial mannerisms she adopted, the

Middle School Students' Understandings About Anthropogenic Climate Change

Science.gov (United States)

Golden, B. W.

2013-12-01

they discussed the validation of their beliefs. That is, we argue that the unit, and the emphases contained within the unit, resulted in the "epistemic scaffolding" of their ideas, to the extent that they shifted from arguing from anecdotes to arguing based on other types of data, especially from line graphs. Additionally, we found that students' understandings of climate change were tied to their ontological constructions of the subject matter, i.e., many perceived climate change as just another environmentally sensitive issue such as littering and pollution, and were therefore limited in their ability to understand anthropogenic climate change in the vast and robust sense meant by current scientific consensus. Given these known difficulties, it is critical to explore further research of this sort in order to better understand what students are actually thinking, and how that thinking is prone to change, modification, or not. Subsequently, K-12 strategies might be better designed, if that is indeed a priority of US/Western society.

Understanding Resistance to Climate Change Resistance.

Science.gov (United States)

Coyle, Maureen

2014-12-01

Fifty years after the emergence of warnings over the effects of the environmental impacts of industrialization and other conditions of a planet subjugated by humans, we are still entertaining discussions about the existence of the phenomena of climate change. Worse still, we have not checked the behaviors and conditions that exacerbate the rate of environmental destruction. Older people, particularly those who are economically vulnerable, are among those most at risk in disasters, including events resulting from climate change. By applying the "epistemologies of ignorance" outlined by Nancy Tuana, I attempt to understand the rooted ignorance that prevents acceptance of the environmental impact of human kind's unrepentant misuse of the world's natural resources and the refusal to curb the excesses that have lead to environmental damage that has had, and that will continue to have, dire consequences on the planet and for the most vulnerable denizens of Earth. Far from being a pessimistic project of abjection and despair, this article proposes that an examination of climate change denial can provide guidance for the development of a better counter-narrative. © The Author(s) 2015.

76 FR 16443 - Proposed Information Collection: Strengthening the Scientific Understanding of Climate Change...

Science.gov (United States)

2011-03-23

... Collection: Strengthening the Scientific Understanding of Climate Change Impacts on Freshwater Resources of... Scientific Understanding of Climate Change Impacts on Freshwater Resources of the United States.'' The draft report reviews key issues related to freshwater resource data and climate change and identifies next...

Conservative and revolutionary readings of the categorical imperative: The logic of desire and the logic of drive in Kant’s practical philosophy

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Selimbegović Ivan

2011-01-01

Full Text Available This paper will confront two possible conceptions of Imamanuel Kant’s practical philosophy based on two different possible understandings of categorical imperative. The first conception sees the categorical imperative as prescribing a form for the maxime under which a subject is to act if his actions are to be taken as moral. This conception is shown to be conservative as it preserves the existing moral norms of a society. This way of functioning of categorical imperative is shown to be homologuous to the logic of desiare as described by the french psychoanalyst Jacques Lacan and as incapable of providing a basis for ascribing responsibility to a subject for his acts. Another conception will be offered as an alternative: on that conception the categorical imeprative prescribes a manner of willing any maxime which is shown to be analoguous to the logic of the death drive. It’s ethical and revolutionary character are elucidated towards the end of the paper.

Innovation in Flight: Research of the NASA Langley Research Center on Revolutionary Advanced Concepts for Aeronautics

Science.gov (United States)

Chambers, Joseph R.

2005-01-01

The goal of this publication is to provide an overview of the topic of revolutionary research in aeronautics at Langley, including many examples of research efforts that offer significant potential benefits, but have not yet been applied. The discussion also includes an overview of how innovation and creativity is stimulated within the Center, and a perspective on the future of innovation. The documentation of this topic, especially the scope and experiences of the example research activities covered, is intended to provide background information for future researchers.

About the science-theoretical measuring of history of revolutionary shocks in Russia (to the 100 year of February and October, 1917

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Andrey V. Ishin

2017-01-01

Full Text Available The article is devoted the comprehension of the science-theoretical tool of research of revolutionary shocks in Russia. The 100-years-old anniversary of revolutionary shocks in Russia pulls out before researchers the vital task of complex comprehension of reasons, character and consequences of revolution. Scientific tasks which stood before the scientists of soviet epoch lay mainly inplane illumination of event of revolution and Civil war as displays of fight of «leading revolutionary class» — proletariat at the head with bolshevist communist party with «regressive classes» — bourgeoisie, squires, clergy, the «kulak». Within the framework of this main approach, researchers succeeded to form the fully integral scientific picture of social and political conflict of 1917-1922 years, on the whole to expose his motive forces, leading political actors, to trace the dynamics of events.However and presently to a full degree the task of comprehensive scientific analysis of structural-functional features of becoming and evolution of organs of power saves the actuality, which functioned within the framework of the different political modes, including modes of antibolshevist orientation. The important element of search is an exposure of specific of mutual relations of public institutions, basic directions of policy, historical factors which stipulated acceptance and practical realization of important administrative decisions.Іnstitucional approach must organically complement dominant to this day in scientific literature historical-event approach. Institucional approach consists in that a look to the social and political process is inplane not «from» (as in the historical-event measuring outside, and, vice versa, «from within». In obedience to this approach, research attention applies foremost on subsoil and on organization of administrative mechanisms, internal logic of acceptance both key and, on the face of it, second-rate decisions

A little-known narrative of Ukrainian political emigration in Czechoslovakia: assessment of the revolutionary experience and idea of the liberation struggle

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

L. V. Doiar

2017-07-01

Full Text Available This article is devoted to the revolutionary struggle of the Ukrainian people in order to build their own state. The exile stage of the liberation struggle has been investigated by the author. This stage happened after the defeat of the revolution. Its members, while in exile emigration, were trying to comprehend what happened, to rethink it, to assess achievements and to conceptualize the future of the Ukrainian liberation process. During the investigation, the materials of the Central State Archive of higher authorities and government of Ukraine, sources from private funds of М. Shapoval, M. Balash, М. Timchenko; the fund of Prague group of the Ukrainian Socialist Revolutionary Party; funds of the Committee on commemoration of M. Shapoval; Funds of Ukrainian Social Institute (Ukrainian Sociological Institute, Ukrainian Free University, Ukrainian Economic Academy, established by Ukrainian emigrants on the territory of First Czechoslovak Republic, have been used. The above-mentioned sources are mainly narrative. Due to their disorder and dispersion, they still are little known. Moreover, the factual weakness of the narrative is its personal attitude, documentary non-proven, and, hence, its possible uncertain nature. However, the author does not exclude the fact that small attention to the exciting content of the post-revolutionary exile epistolary is explained by the dual unacceptability of its content: the Soviet historiography was unable to study it because of its ideological censorship restrictions and prohibitions, and modern historiography does not want to focus on defamatory assessments and interpretations on the liberation struggle of 1917-1921, especially heard from emigrants. Thanks to some openness of the participants of the revolution, which were very sincere in their stories due to the pain of defeat and grief of their exile status, and although biased at the same time, we can get some knowledge about atypical verbal history, that

CFD Vision 2030 Study: A Path to Revolutionary Computational Aerosciences

Science.gov (United States)

Slotnick, Jeffrey; Khodadoust, Abdollah; Alonso, Juan; Darmofal, David; Gropp, William; Lurie, Elizabeth; Mavriplis, Dimitri

2014-01-01

This report documents the results of a study to address the long range, strategic planning required by NASA's Revolutionary Computational Aerosciences (RCA) program in the area of computational fluid dynamics (CFD), including future software and hardware requirements for High Performance Computing (HPC). Specifically, the "Vision 2030" CFD study is to provide a knowledge-based forecast of the future computational capabilities required for turbulent, transitional, and reacting flow simulations across a broad Mach number regime, and to lay the foundation for the development of a future framework and/or environment where physics-based, accurate predictions of complex turbulent flows, including flow separation, can be accomplished routinely and efficiently in cooperation with other physics-based simulations to enable multi-physics analysis and design. Specific technical requirements from the aerospace industrial and scientific communities were obtained to determine critical capability gaps, anticipated technical challenges, and impediments to achieving the target CFD capability in 2030. A preliminary development plan and roadmap were created to help focus investments in technology development to help achieve the CFD vision in 2030.

The Revolutionary Vertical Lift Technology (RVLT) Project

Science.gov (United States)

Yamauchi, Gloria K.

2018-01-01

The Revolutionary Vertical Lift Technology (RVLT) Project is one of six projects in the Advanced Air Vehicles Program (AAVP) of the NASA Aeronautics Research Mission Directorate. The overarching goal of the RVLT Project is to develop and validate tools, technologies, and concepts to overcome key barriers for vertical lift vehicles. The project vision is to enable the next generation of vertical lift vehicles with aggressive goals for efficiency, noise, and emissions, to expand current capabilities and develop new commercial markets. The RVLT Project invests in technologies that support conventional, non-conventional, and emerging vertical-lift aircraft in the very light to heavy vehicle classes. Research areas include acoustic, aeromechanics, drive systems, engines, icing, hybrid-electric systems, impact dynamics, experimental techniques, computational methods, and conceptual design. The project research is executed at NASA Ames, Glenn, and Langley Research Centers; the research extensively leverages partnerships with the US Army, the Federal Aviation Administration, industry, and academia. The primary facilities used by the project for testing of vertical-lift technologies include the 14- by 22-Ft Wind Tunnel, Icing Research Tunnel, National Full-Scale Aerodynamics Complex, 7- by 10-Ft Wind Tunnel, Rotor Test Cell, Landing and Impact Research facility, Compressor Test Facility, Drive System Test Facilities, Transonic Turbine Blade Cascade Facility, Vertical Motion Simulator, Mobile Acoustic Facility, Exterior Effects Synthesis and Simulation Lab, and the NASA Advanced Supercomputing Complex. To learn more about the RVLT Project, please stop by booth #1004 or visit their website at https://www.nasa.gov/aeroresearch/programs/aavp/rvlt.

John Punch, Scotist Holy War, and the Irish Catholic Revolutionary Tradition in the Seventeenth Century.

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Campbell, Ian W

2016-07-01

During the 1640s, the Irish Franciscan theologian John Punch taught his theology students in Rome that war against Protestants was made just by their religion alone. Jesuits like Luis de Molina identified the holy war tradition in which Punch stood as a Scotist one, and insisted that the Scotists had confused the natural and supernatural spheres. Among Irishmen, Punch was unusual. The main Irish Catholic revolutionary tradition employed Jesuit and Thomist theory. They argued that the Stuarts had lost the right to rule Ireland for natural reasons, not supernatural ones; because the Stuarts were tyrants, not because they were Protestants.

The Assault on the Citadel: Reflections on a Quarter Century of Change in the Relationships Between the Student and the University.

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Reidhaar, Donald L.

1985-01-01

The revolutionary changes in the relationship between students and their colleges and the role of court litigation in crystallizing or bringing about social, political, and educational change are discussed. (MSE)

Twenty-first Century Managers and Intuition: An Exploratory Example of Pedagogic Change for Business Undergraduates

Science.gov (United States)

Brown, A.; Holtham, C.; Rich, M.; Dove, A.

2015-01-01

Throughout the 20th century, business organizations have been subject to and have contributed to enormous changes in the way they work and the situations with which they have to deal, from revolutionary technology developments to the changing competitive environment. Since 2007, business has changed following the financial crisis. Management…

Understanding, Predicting, and Preventing Life Changing and Life Threatening Health Changes among Aging Veterans and Civilians with Spinal Cord Injury

Science.gov (United States)

2017-10-01

AWARD NUMBER: W81XWH-16-1-0629 TITLE: Understanding, Predicting, and Preventing Life -Changing and Life -Threatening Health Changes among Aging...Annual 3. DATES COVERED 30 Sep 2016 - 29 Sep 2017 4. TITLE AND SUBTITLE Understanding, Predicting, and Preventing Life -Changing and Life ... hope of preventing them. Our purpose is to better understand the how and why of the development of negative health spirals and how they may best be

Devereux Jarratt’s spiritual search: an example of autobiography in colonial and revolutionary Virginia

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Vostrikov Pavel Vyacheslavovich

2017-12-01

Full Text Available This article is about the life story of Devereux Jarratt (1733-1801, an Anglican clergyman from colonial and revolutionary Virginia. His autobiography reflects the colonists’ views on many features of social and cultural life. The progress of his life was quite unusual for that period as he was able to overcome social barriers separating simple yeomen from the ruling elite, and he became a man of book culture. Jarratt was an enthusiastic preacher in the times of Great Awakening (1740-1790, a protestant of revival movement; in his writings he preserved memories of many important events and tendencies in the state of Anglican Church as well as activities of Presbyterians, Baptists and Methodists.

Understanding the divide between the theory and practice of organisational change

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Julien Pollack

2015-07-01

Full Text Available This paper reviews the different ways that academics and practitioners write about and discuss change management, to develop an understanding of whether there is a divide between the theory and practice of change management. This research used scientometric research techniques to compare three corpora: one based on the most cited research in the general management literature on change management; one based on the most cited research in specialist change management journals; and one based on interviews with practising change managers. It was found that the general management literature emphasised an abstract understanding of knowledge management and the learning organisation, while the change management literature focused more on issues associated with value, culture and social identity. The practitioners emphasised issues at the individual, project and team levels, the need for the effective use of targeted communication to achieve organisational change objectives, and the value of rapidly identifying key drivers in a new context. This research found significant differences between these three corpora, which lends support to other researchers’ claims of a divide between theory and practice in change management.

Understanding the DSM-5: stasis and change.

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Cooper, Rachel

2018-03-01

This paper aims to understand the DSM-5 through situating it within the context of the historical development of the DSM series. When one looks at the sets of diagnostic criteria, the DSM-5 is strikingly similar to the DSM-IV. I argue that at this level the DSM has become 'locked-in' and difficult to change. At the same time, at the structural, or conceptual, level there have been radical changes, for example in the definition of 'mental disorder', in the role of theory and of values, and in the abandonment of the multiaxial approach to diagnosis. The way that the DSM-5 was constructed means that the overall conceptual framework of the classification only barely constrains the sets of diagnostic criteria it contains.

Adrian Marino and the intellectual travel journal as an expression of revolutionary freedom

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Rodica FRENŢIU

2011-01-01

Full Text Available Seen as a logical continuation of the author’s preoccupations for comparative literature, the travel journal becomes a journal of ideas in Adrian Marino’s case, by trying not only to explain the formation of a certain type of personality, but also to transcribe/redact a chronicle of social and political history. Adrian Marino’s journal of ideas firstly emphasizes an „individual” reality, but also bears deeper „universal” signification, as it militates for humanism and liberal democracy, for actual convergence of world cultures. The present study (Adrian Marino and the intellectual travel journal as an expression of revolutionary freedom proposes an investigation attempting to prove that Adrian Marino eventually suggests a personal dialogue with the world and especially with Europe, audaciously trying to concur at substantiating a modern Romanian conscience.

Western Australian High School Students' Understandings about the Socioscientific Issue of Climate Change

Science.gov (United States)

Dawson, Vaille

2015-05-01

Climate change is one of the most significant science issues facing humanity; yet, teaching students about climate change is challenging: not only is it multidisciplinary, but also it is contentious and debated in political, social and media forums. Students need to be equipped with an understanding of climate change science to be able to participate in this discourse. The purpose of this study was to examine Western Australian high school students' understanding of climate change and the greenhouse effect, in order to identify their alternative conceptions about climate change science and provide a baseline for more effective teaching. A questionnaire designed to elicit students' understanding and alternative conceptions was completed by 438 Year 10 students (14-15 years old). A further 20 students were interviewed. Results showed that students know different features of both climate change and the greenhouse effect, however not necessarily all of them and the relationships between. Five categories of alternative conceptions were identified. The categories were (1) the greenhouse effect and the ozone layer; (2) types of greenhouse gases; (3) types of radiation; (4) weather and climate and (5) air pollution. These findings provide science educators a basis upon which to develop strategies and curriculum resources to improve their students' understanding and decision-making skills about the socioscientific issue, climate change.

Understanding Global Change: Tools for exploring Earth processes and biotic change through time

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Bean, J. R.; White, L. D.; Berbeco, M.

2014-12-01

Teaching global change is one of the great pedagogical challenges of our day because real understanding entails integrating a variety of concepts from different scientific subject areas, including chemistry, physics, and biology, with a variety of causes and impacts in the past, present, and future. With the adoption of the Next Generation Science Standards, which emphasize climate change and other human impacts on natural systems, there has never been a better time to provide instructional support to educators on these topics. In response to this clear need, the University of California Museum of Paleontology, in collaboration with the National Center for Science Education, developed a new web resource for teachers and students titled "Understanding Global Change" (UGC) that introduces the drivers and impacts of global change. This website clarifies the connections among deep time, modern Earth system processes, and anthropogenic influences, and provides K-16 instructors with a wide range of easy-to-use tools, strategies, and lesson plans for communicating these important concepts regarding global change and the basic Earth systems processes. In summer 2014, the UGC website was field-tested during a workshop with 25 K-12 teachers and science educators. Feedback from participants helped the UGC team develop and identify pedagogically sound lesson plans and instructional tools on global change. These resources are accessible through UGC's searchable database, are aligned with NGSS and Common Core, and are categorized by grade level, subject, and level of inquiry-based instruction (confirmation, structured, guided, open). Providing a range of content and tools at levels appropriate for teachers is essential because our initial needs assessment found that educators often feel that they lack the content knowledge and expertise to address complex, but relevant global change issues, such as ocean acidification and deforestation. Ongoing needs assessments and surveys of

Detecting and Understanding Changing Arctic Carbon Emissions

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Bruhwiler, L.

2017-12-01

Warming in the Arctic has proceeded faster than anyplace on Earth. Our current understanding of biogeochemistry suggests that we can expect feedbacks between climate and carbon in the Arctic. Changes in terrestrial fluxes of carbon can be expected as the Arctic warms, and the vast stores of organic carbon frozen in Arctic soils could be mobilized to the atmosphere, with possible significant impacts on global climate. Quantifying trends in Arctic carbon exchanges is important for policymaking because greater reductions in anthropogenic emissions may be required to meet climate goals. Observations of greenhouse gases in the Arctic and globally have been collected for several decades. Analysis of this data does not currently support significantly changed Arctic emissions of CH4, however it is difficult to detect changes in Arctic emissions because of transport from lower latitudes and large inter-annual variability. Unfortunately, current space-based remote sensing systems have limitations at Arctic latitudes. Modeling systems can help untangle the Arctic budget of greenhouse gases, but they are dependent on underlying prior fluxes, wetland distributions and global anthropogenic emissions. Also, atmospheric transport models may have significant biases and errors. For example, unrealistic near-surface stability can lead to underestimation of emissions in atmospheric inversions. We discuss our current understanding of the Arctic carbon budget from both top-down and bottom-up approaches. We show that current atmospheric inversions agree well on the CH4 budget. On the other hand, bottom-up models vary widely in their predictions of natural emissions, with some models predicting emissions too large to be accommodated by the budget implied by global observations. Large emissions from the shallow Arctic ocean are also inconsistent with atmospheric observations. We also discuss the sensitivity of the current atmospheric network to what is likely small, gradual increases in

Understanding the Changing Planet: Strategic Directions for the Geographical Sciences

Science.gov (United States)

National Academies Press, 2010

2010-01-01

From the oceans to continental heartlands, human activities have altered the physical characteristics of Earth's surface. With Earth's population projected to peak at 8 to 12 billion people by 2050 and the additional stress of climate change, it is more important than ever to understand how and where these changes are happening. Innovation in the…

Conceptual Change in Understanding the Nature of Science Learning: An Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis

Science.gov (United States)

DiBenedetto, Christina M.

This study is the first of its kind to explore the thoughts, beliefs, attitudes and values of secondary educators as they experience conceptual change in their understanding of the nature of science learning vis a vis the Framework for K-12 Science Education published by the National Research Council. The study takes aim at the existing gap between the vision for science learning as an active process of inquiry and current pedagogical practices in K-12 science classrooms. For students to understand and explain everyday science ideas and succeed in science studies and careers, the means by which they learn science must change. Focusing on this change, the study explores the significance of educator attitudes, beliefs and values to science learning through interpretive phenomenological analysis around the central question, "In what ways do educators understand and articulate attitudes and beliefs toward the nature of science learning?" The study further explores the questions, "How do educators experience changes in their understanding of the nature of science learning?" and "How do educators believe these changes influence their pedagogical practice?" Study findings converge on four conceptions that science learning: is the action of inquiry; is a visible process initiated by both teacher and learner; values student voice and changing conceptions is science learning. These findings have implications for the primacy of educator beliefs, attitudes and values in reform efforts, science teacher leadership and the explicit instruction of both Nature of Science and conceptual change in educator preparation programs. This study supports the understanding that the nature of science learning is cognitive and affective conceptual change. Keywords: conceptual change, educator attitudes and beliefs, framework for K-12 science education, interpretive phenomenological analysis, nature of science learning, next generation science standards, science professional development

Jules Verne's Captain Nemo and French Revolutionary Gustave Flourens:A Hidden Character Model?

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Leonidas Kallivretakis

2005-01-01

Full Text Available This article treats the recent assumption made by Vernian specialist William Butcher that Jules Verne's most famous character, Captain Nemo, is based on the French revolutionary intellectual Gustave Flourens (1838-1871, son of the eminent physiologist J. P. M. Flourens. Gustave Flourens fought in the Cretan insurrection of 1866-1868, later participated in the republican opposition against Napoleon III's imperial regime, eventually became a friend of Karl Marx and was finally killed as a general of the Paris Commune. By comparing step-by-step Verne's inspiration and writing procedures with Flourens' unfolding activities and fame, it is concluded that there is little basis for such an assumption. The article includes also a brief account of the Cretan question in the nineteenth century and of the deep discord between Marx's and Flourens' respective analyses of the Eastern Question.

Fulltext PDF

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

Schelling also proclaims that "man is born to act and not to speculate"; and when he ... The threat of revolutionary change brings forth repression and reaction. ..... quoted, about the-cultivation of understanding through spontaneous action continue as ..... we are to move toward a deeper understanding of these matters. Here ...

Papers of the CWRA climate change symposium : understanding climate change impacts on Manitoba's water resources

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2003-01-01

This symposium provided an opportunity for discussions on climate change issues with particular reference to the impacts on Manitoba's water resources. The presentations addressed issues of importance to governments, scientists, academics, managers, consultants and the general public. Topics of discussion ranged from climate change impacts on water quality, wetlands, hydropower, fisheries and drought, to adaptation to climate change. Recent advances in global and regional climate modelling were highlighted along with paleo-environmental indicators of climate change. The objective was to provide a better understanding of the science of climate change. The conference featured 16 presentations of which 1 was indexed separately for inclusion in this database. refs., tabs., figs

Revolutionary optical sensor for physiological monitoring in the battlefield

Science.gov (United States)

Kingsley, Stuart A.; Sriram, Sriram; Pollick, Andrea; Marsh, John

2004-09-01

SRICO has developed a revolutionary approach to physiological status monitoring using state-of-the-art optical chip technology. The company"s patent pending Photrode is a photonic electrode that uses unique optical voltage sensing technology to measure and monitor electrophysiological parameters. The optical-based monitoring system enables dry-contact measurements of EEG and ECG signals that require no surface preparation or conductive gel and non-contact measurements of ECG signals through the clothing. The Photrode applies high performance optical integrated circuit technology, that has been successfully implemented in military & commercial aerospace, missile, and communications applications for sensing and signal transmission. SRICO"s award winning Photrode represents a new paradigm for the measurement of biopotentials in a reliable, convenient, and non-intrusive manner. Photrode technology has significant applications on the battlefield for rapid triage to determine the brain dead from those with viable brain function. An ECG may be obtained over the clothing without any direct skin contact. Such applications would enable the combat medic to receive timely medical information and to make important decisions regarding identification, location, triage priority and treatment of casualties. Other applications for the Photrode include anesthesia awareness monitoring, sleep medicine, mobile medical monitoring for space flight, emergency patient care, functional magnetic resonance imaging, various biopotential signal acquisition (EMG, EOG), and routine neuro and cardio diagnostics.

Gambling in revolutionary Paris - The Palais Royal: 1789-1838.

Science.gov (United States)

Barnhart, R T

1992-06-01

By the revolution of 1789, the four-story, quadrangular Palais Royal in Paris had become the most glittering tourist center of Europe, with 180 shops and cafes in its ground floor arcades. By 1791, its basement and secondary story contained over 100 separate, illicit gambling operations featuring the most popular dice and card games. The mania for gambling had been transferred from defunct, monarchical Versailles to the thriving, bourgeois Palais Royal, where the five main gaming clubs throbbed from noon till midnight. During the Revolution, Prince Talleyrand won 30,000 francs at one club, and after Waterloo in 1815, Marshal Blucher lost 1,500,000 francs in one night at another. To bring the situation under control and raise taxes for the state, in 1806 Napoleon legalized the main clubs, which from 1819 to 1837 grossed an enormous 137 million francs. When the anti-gambling forces triumphed in 1837 and the clubs were closed down, the National Guard had to be called out to evict the mobs of gamblers who refused to leave the tables. Dramatic reports from Revolutionary police raids, and quotations from the memoirs of humorous French gamblers and shocked foreign visitors, provide anecdotal illustrations of the 49 years during which the Palais Royal was the most intriguing and picturesque gambling mecca of Europe-and probably of the world.

Understanding and managing organizational change: implications for public health management.

Science.gov (United States)

Thompson, Jon M

2010-01-01

Managing organizational change has become a significant responsibility of managers. Managing the change process within public health organizations is important because appropriately and systematically managing change is linked to improved organizational performance. However, change is difficult and the change process poses formidable challenges for managers. Managers themselves face increased pressure to respond to environmental influences and provide the necessary leadership to their organizations in the change process. In fact, managing organizational change has become a key competency for healthcare managers. This article addresses the important topic of organizational change in public health organizations. It provides a conceptual foundation for understanding organizational change and its relationship to healthcare organizational performance, and then discusses the types and nature of change, using some examples and evidence from those organizations that have successfully managed change. A framework for guiding public health managers in the change management process is provided. The article concludes with suggested management competencies to establish a change-oriented organization with the culture and capacity for change.

The ubiquitous reflex and its critics in post-revolutionary Russia.

Science.gov (United States)

Sirotkina, Irina

2009-03-01

In the last century, the reflex was more than a scientific concept: it was a cultural idiom that could be used to various aims--political, scholarly, and artistic. In Russia in the 1920s, the reflex became a ubiquitous notion and a current word, part of the revolutionary discourse and, finally, a password to modernity. Two major factors contributed to it: physiological theories of the reflex, widespread in Russia at the early twentieth-century, and the materialist philosophy backed after the Revolution by the Communist party. Everybody who wished to be modern and materialist, in conformity with the official communist views, had to refer to reflexes. Yet, even in this period, the concept was not unproblematic and was criticized by some scientists, philosophers, artists and even Party members. In the paper, I describe both the array of uses of the term and the criticism it received in political, scientific and artistic discourses. It is not uncommon that, taking their origins in culture and common language, scientific concepts later return there in the form of metaphors. Similarly, the reflex was made into a rigorous scientific concept in the nineteenth century but, in the next century, it circulated as a cultural idiom penetrating various areas of political, artistic and academic life.

For a Critique of Transatlantic Mestiza Territoriality: Challenging the Angolan-Cuban Revolutionary Community

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Magdalena López

2017-11-01

Full Text Available This essay presents the transatlantic confluence of two hegemonic cultural traditions; the ideology of mestizaje and lusotropicalismo in the discourses of the Angolan and Cuban socialist regimes. The shared political utopia during the Angolan Civil War envisioned a South-South community, racially homogeneous. In the last part of the essay I review the works Dulces guerreros cubanos (1999 by Norberto Fuentes, Desconfiemos de los amaneceres apacibles (2011 by Emilio Comas Paret, Geração da Utopía (1992 by Pepetela, and Estação das Chuvas (1996 by José Eduardo Agualusa, in order to demonstrate socio-racial conflicts embedded in the leftist armed struggle. These narratives challenge the homogeneity of official discourses about identity that sustained the transatlantic mestiza territoriality. In doing so, they note a historical continuity of inequality and authoritarianism between colonial and postcolonial, between pre-national and revolutionary nation.

On emergence: a neo-psychoanalytic essay on change and science.

Science.gov (United States)

Whitehead, Clay C

2011-01-01

The neo-psychoanalytic paradigm re-establishes the connection between psychodynamics and evolution. This allows us to transcend the limitations of dualistic metapsychology, and to make seminal contributions to traditional science. The new paradigm employs the concept of emergence, the potential for change in the evolutionary and clinical process. Emergence is described as originating with the Big Bang, but also is reflected at much higher levels, for example, biochemistry, or the capacity of the evolved mind to produce insights in psychotherapy. The constraints of dualistic theories are examined. A neuron-based view of change illustrates the evolution of traditional science as well as the neuron, itself. The new mind paradigm recognizes individual, familial, communitarian, and global reciprocal influences mediated by culture and illustrated by the extended mind and the democratic spirit. Thus both traditional and psychodynamic sciences are undergoing revolutionary changes in their common efforts to better understand the mechanisms of knowledge, relationship and consciousness. The boundaries of the self and the consultation suite are also expanded in this view. Following a survey of invagination, the work is concluded by an application of emergence theory to the creationist controversy and Freud's views of religion.

Grand challenges in understanding the interplay of climate and land changes

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Shuguang; Bond-Lamberty, Ben; Boysen, Lena R.; Ford, James D.; Fox, Andrew; Gallo, Kevin; Hatfield, Jerry L.; Henebry, Geoffrey M.; Huntington, Thomas G.; Liu, Zhihua; Loveland, Thomas R.; Norby, Richard J.; Sohl, Terry L.; Steiner, Allison L.; Yuan, Wenping; Zhang, Zhao; Zhao, Shuqing

2017-01-01

Half of Earth’s land surface has been altered by human activities, creating various consequences on the climate and weather systems at local to global scales, which in turn affect a myriad of land surface processes and the adaptation behaviors. This study reviews the status and major knowledge gaps in the interactions of land and atmospheric changes and present 11 grand challenge areas for the scientific research and adaptation community in the coming decade. These land-cover and land-use change (LCLUC)-related areas include 1) impacts on weather and climate, 2) carbon and other biogeochemical cycles, 3) biospheric emissions, 4) the water cycle, 5) agriculture, 6) urbanization, 7) acclimation of biogeochemical processes to climate change, 8) plant migration, 9) land-use projections, 10) model and data uncertainties, and, finally, 11) adaptation strategies. Numerous studies have demonstrated the effects of LCLUC on local to global climate and weather systems, but these putative effects vary greatly in magnitude and even sign across space, time, and scale and thus remain highly uncertain. At the same time, many challenges exist toward improved understanding of the consequences of atmospheric and climate change on land process dynamics and services. Future effort must improve the understanding of the scale-dependent, multifaceted perturbations and feedbacks between land and climate changes in both reality and models. To this end, one critical cross-disciplinary need is to systematically quantify and better understand measurement and model uncertainties. Finally, LCLUC mitigation and adaptation assessments must be strengthened to identify implementation barriers, evaluate and prioritize opportunities, and examine how decision-making processes work in specific contexts.

Understanding and Representing Changing Work Structures and Practices through Art

Science.gov (United States)

Wieland, Stacey M. B.

2018-01-01

Courses: Organizational Communication, Advanced Organizational Communication, Organizing Work, Management/Organizational History. Objectives: This activity will help students to understand major shifts in the organization of work and creatively represent changing work structures and practices. An optional follow-up assignment is included. A…

Consequences of the Communist Revolutionary Ideology for the Catholic Community in Slovenia

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Bogdan Kolar

2013-09-01

Full Text Available The Second World War began in Slovenia on 6 April, 1941 with the occupation of the national territory by the German, Italian and Hungarian occupying forces and resulted not only in the efforts to liberate the country but gave rise to intense revolutionary events. By declaring the liberation movement its exclusive right, the Communist Party, until then banned and working underground, announced a fierce fight against anyone not willing to submit to its plans and leadership. It also used the Civil War to launch a revolution. Following the Church’s teaching, Slovenian Catholics were reluctant to go along with such conduct. Violence against ideological opponents of Communism began already in the autumn of 1941. At the end of war when the Communist Party and its satellite organizations took over the country, the violence against those who disagreed continued and culminated in the summer of 1945. Among them were many Catholic families, priests and members of religious orders. Pressure on the priests started to decline after 1960, yet the pressure on the Catholic laity grew stronger.

Changes in the ''Urania - Postepy Astronomii'' astronomical magazine

Science.gov (United States)

Czart, Krzysztof; Mikołajewski, Maciej

2014-12-01

''Urania - Postepy Astronomii'' is one of the oldest popular science magazines about astronomy in the world. During 2012-2013 it undergone revolutionary changes into a modern magazine suitable for 21st century market of popular science press, at the same time maintaining a high level of popularization. The main changes included: diversity of content, full colour for all pages, changing website into modern internet portal, using social media, ambitious project of a digital archive of all issues from 1922 to 2011, web store to provide easier access for everyone, and projects aimed at schools and school libraries.

An Interpretation of the Revolutionary Proyect of Cornelius Castoriadis against the Economic Crisis: Autonomy, Politics and Democracy

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Carlos Tapia

2017-11-01

Full Text Available The economic crisis that began in 2008 has shown a deep social crisis that reflects the progressive unembeddednes of individual from society, promoting the emergence of social alternatives that sacrifice freedom in exchange for security. This article presents an interpretation of the revolutionary project of Cornelius Castoriadis as an alternative to the current liberal democracy, able to face social crisis by placing society itself as a central element in their own construction. The emergence of a lucid and thoughtful individual able to develop a conscious political action drives towards individual and social autonomy, building a democratic regime that involves the combination of freedom and equality.

Land use and land cover change in the Western Cape Province: quantification of changes & understanding of driving factors

CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

Tizora, P

2016-07-01

Full Text Available changes in land use and land cover (LULC) and incited issues such as urban sprawl, marginalization of the poor, limited public access to resources, land degradation and climate change. This paper seeks to understand the most significant drivers of LULC...

The Role of Motivation and Understanding in the Change of Teaching Practices

Science.gov (United States)

Ostinelli, Giorgio

2016-01-01

This is a reflection on a case of in-service teacher education. Two Swiss teachers, assisted by a change agent, were developing an innovative teaching approach, inspired by Wiggins & McTighe's methodology Understanding by Design (UbD). While one developed a real understanding and mastery of this approach--improving therefore his professional…

Solar Spicules: Prospects for Breakthroughs in Understanding with Solar-B

Science.gov (United States)

Sterling, A.

Spicules densely populate the lower solar atmosphere; any image or movie of the chromosphere shows a plethora of them or their "cousins," such as mottles or fibrils. Yet despite several decades of effort we still do not know the mechanism that generates them, or how important their contribution is to the material and energy balance of the overall solar atmosphere. Solar-B will provide exciting new chromospheric observations at high time- and spatial-resolution, along with associated quality magnetic field data, that promise to open doors to revolutionary breakthroughs in spicule research. In this presentation we will review the current observational and theoretical status of spicule studies, and discuss prospects for advances in spicule understanding during the Solar-B era.

Local understanding of forest conservation in land use change dynamics

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Shaleh, Muhammad Adha; Guth, Miriam Karen; Rahman, Syed Ajijur

2016-01-01

Forest (SEPPSF), Malaysia. Nine in-depth interviews were conducted with Orang Asli Jakun living in SEPPSF using open-ended questions. Local communities have positive perspectives toward the forest conservation program, despite massive environmental changes in their living landscape. This study suggests......The success of local forest conservation program depends on a critical appreciation of local communities. Based on this understanding, the present study aims to explore people’s perspective of forest conservation in a context of changes in their living landscape at South East Pahang Peat Swamp...

Promoting Conceptual Change in First Year Students' Understanding of Evaporation

Science.gov (United States)

Costu, Bayram; Ayas, Alipasa; Niaz, Mansoor

2010-01-01

We constructed the PDEODE (Predict-Discuss-Explain-Observe-Discuss-Explain) teaching strategy, a variant of the classical POE (Predict-Observe-Explain) activity, to promote conceptual change, and investigated its effectiveness on student understanding of the evaporation concept. The sample consisted of 52 first year students in a primary science…

Networked Community Change: Understanding Community Systems Change through the Lens of Social Network Analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Lawlor, Jennifer A; Neal, Zachary P

2016-06-01

Addressing complex problems in communities has become a key area of focus in recent years (Kania & Kramer, 2013, Stanford Social Innovation Review). Building on existing approaches to understanding and addressing problems, such as action research, several new approaches have emerged that shift the way communities solve problems (e.g., Burns, 2007, Systemic Action Research; Foth, 2006, Action Research, 4, 205; Kania & Kramer, 2011, Stanford Social Innovation Review, 1, 36). Seeking to bring clarity to the emerging literature on community change strategies, this article identifies the common features of the most widespread community change strategies and explores the conditions under which such strategies have the potential to be effective. We identify and describe five common features among the approaches to change. Then, using an agent-based model, we simulate network-building behavior among stakeholders participating in community change efforts using these approaches. We find that the emergent stakeholder networks are efficient when the processes are implemented under ideal conditions. © Society for Community Research and Action 2016.

Dilemmas in the Analysis of Technological Change. A Cognitive Approach to Understand Innovation and Change in the Water Sector

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Dino Borri

2014-05-01

Full Text Available In this paper we argue for the need to apply a cognitive approach to understand deep dynamics and determinants of technological evolutions. After examining main contributions from innovation studies to the conceptualization of innovation and change in complex socio-technical environments, we highlight the contribution coming from the application of the cognitive approach to evolutionary studies on technologies and we introduce the concept of technological memory as an interpretative tool to understand those changes. We discuss our hypothesis with reference to several observations carried out in different local contexts – Mexico, India and Italy – in relation to technological change in the water sector. In those cases deliberate attempts to substitute traditional technologies with modern ones led to interesting trajectories of change ranging from the collapse of old technologies to the development of multifaceted hybridization patterns.

Changing currents: a strategy for understanding and predicting the changing ocean circulation.

Science.gov (United States)

Bryden, Harry L; Robinson, Carol; Griffiths, Gwyn

2012-12-13

Within the context of UK marine science, we project a strategy for ocean circulation research over the next 20 years. We recommend a focus on three types of research: (i) sustained observations of the varying and evolving ocean circulation, (ii) careful analysis and interpretation of the observed climate changes for comparison with climate model projections, and (iii) the design and execution of focused field experiments to understand ocean processes that are not resolved in coupled climate models so as to be able to embed these processes realistically in the models. Within UK-sustained observations, we emphasize smart, cost-effective design of the observational network to extract maximum information from limited field resources. We encourage the incorporation of new sensors and new energy sources within the operational environment of UK-sustained observational programmes to bridge the gap that normally separates laboratory prototype from operational instrument. For interpreting the climate-change records obtained through a variety of national and international sustained observational programmes, creative and dedicated UK scientists should lead efforts to extract the meaningful signals and patterns of climate change and to interpret them so as to project future changes. For the process studies, individual scientists will need to work together in team environments to combine observational and process modelling results into effective improvements in the coupled climate models that will lead to more accurate climate predictions.

Understanding climate change adaptation and adaptive capacity: synthesis report

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Patino, L. [Policy Research Initiative, Government of Canada, Ottawa, ON (Canada)

2010-09-15

In 2007, the Natural Resources Canada (NRCan) Climate Change Impacts and Adaptation Division (CCIAD) offered its support to research projects that were involved in understanding and improving adaptation and adaptive capacity and contributed to climate change decision-making and policy development in Canada. 20 research projects were commissioned by the CCIAD. With the collaboration of NRCan, the principal findings raised by the commissioned projects were synthesized by the Policy Research Initiative (PRI). Common themes and main messages are introduced in this synthesis report, and policy and program aspects that promote adaptive capacity to climate change in Canada are identified. Common themes and important messages emerging from the research projects, as well as the processes and barriers to adaptation and adaptive capacity identified in the commissioned projects, were discussed during a workshop held in Ottawa in 2009. Five main themes and four common barriers to adaptation were found. 25 refs.

Conclusions, synthesis, and future directions: understanding sources of population change

Science.gov (United States)

Esler, Daniel N.; Flint, Paul L.; Derksen, Dirk V.; Savard, Jean-Pierre L.; Eadie, John M.

2015-01-01

The material in this volume reflects the burgeoning interest in sea ducks, both as study species with compelling and unique ecological attributes and as taxa of conservation concern. In this review, we provide perspective on the current state of sea duck knowledge by highlighting key findings in the preceding chapters that are of particular value for understanding or influencing population change. We also introduce a conceptual model that characterizes links among topics covered by individual chapters and places them in the context of demographic responses. Finally, we offer recommendations for areas of future research that we suggest will have importance for understanding and managing sea duck population dynamics.

Understanding Attitude Change in Developing Effective Substance Abuse Prevention Programs for Adolescents.

Science.gov (United States)

Scott, Cynthia G.

1996-01-01

Alcohol and drug use may be a significant part of the adolescent, high school experience. Programs should be based on an understanding of attitudes and patterns of use, and how change occurs. Elaboration Likelihood Model of Persuasion is a framework with which to examine attitude change and provide a base for building sound drug prevention…

Western Australian High School Students' Understandings about the Socioscientific Issue of Climate Change

Science.gov (United States)

Dawson, Vaille

2015-01-01

Climate change is one of the most significant science issues facing humanity; yet, teaching students about climate change is challenging: not only is it multidisciplinary, but also it is contentious and debated in political, social and media forums. Students need to be equipped with an understanding of climate change science to be able to…

Metaphors of mind and society. The origins of German psychiatry in the revolutionary era.

Science.gov (United States)

Hansen, L

1998-09-01

Johann Christian Reil's long polemic, Rhapsodieen über die Anwendung der psychischen Curmethode der Geisteszerrütungen (1803), is a call for the reform of the treatment of the insane. It also marks a transition from the Kantian approach to physiology of his earlier work to the Naturphilosophie that increasingly characterized his publications after this time. In this essay I first survey the historiographical debates of recent years concerning society and the emergence of psychiatry. I then examine the social-cultural context of the late Aufklärung in Prussia, out of which Reil's work emerged, before sketching the intellectual background of the Rhapsodieen, which lies in the development of German physiology since the 1750s. The heart of my work is a close analysis of Reil's theory of mental illness. Here I tease out his political and cultural imagery and note the ways in which his originally Enlightenment assumptions shifted toward the Romantic amid the anxieties of the revolutionary era.

The Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC and the Development of Narco-Submarines

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Michelle Jacome Jaramillo

2016-03-01

Full Text Available The Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC have been one of the world's most consistently formidable violent non-state actors over the last forty years. Unsurprisingly, the group has provided one of the most compelling and concerning examples of the level of technical sophistication attainable by sub-state organizations. Over the last two decades the group has carried out an iterative and innovative process that, in reaction to improved detection capabilities, has brought them from depending on disposable go-fast boats to transport drugs to possessing fully submersible and reusable covert vessels for transportation. The following case study will discuss the development of narco-submarines and the underlying motivations behind the pursuit of this complex engineering task. The case study will outline the different phases of the narco-submarine development and highlight FARC’s determination to overcome the challenges present in each design. This discussion will show how FARC’s systematized acquiring of information and expertise has resulted in the accomplishment of fully submersible vessels, capable of transporting more than 10 tons of illicit product.

THE MODERN MEDIA AND THEIR EFFECT ON THE REVOLUTIONARY PROCESS «ARAB SPRING»

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Murad Mohammed Ba Alawi

2015-02-01

Full Text Available The article is about the role that played the Internet in the organization of the occurred events of 2011 in the Arab world, the so-called «Arab spring».It has been shown how they used new media as an instrument of calls, organizing protests and exchanging information and the import of revolution from one country to another. It is revealed how the Arab events have demonstrated the importance and high efficiency of modern technologies.Purpose. To reveal the role of modern media and their influence on the revolutionary process in the Arab countries.Methodology. Applied general scientific methods of analysis and synthesis, system approach. In the process of preparations the article carried out an analysis of factual material, scientific sources, used statistical data.Results. It has been shown the absence of trust in the traditional media that belongs to the state, and mastering new technological facilities have led to an active use of the Internet as a political instrument during the «Arab Spring».

Strategic maneuvering in supporting the feasibility of political change: A pragma-dialectical analysis of Egyptian anti-regime columns

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Omar, A.A.A.M.H.

2016-01-01

Paving the way to the revolutionary uprising of 2011, Egyptian anti-regime columnists aimed at convincing their audiences that a political change towards democracy would not only be desirable but also feasible. The extended pragma-dialectical argumentation theory is used as a theoretical and

Cognitive Neuroscience Approaches to Understanding Behavior Change in Alcohol Use Disorder Treatments.

Science.gov (United States)

Naqvi, Nasir H; Morgenstern, Jon

2015-01-01

Researchers have begun to apply cognitive neuroscience concepts and methods to study behavior change mechanisms in alcohol use disorder (AUD) treatments. This review begins with an examination of the current state of treatment mechanisms research using clinical and social psychological approaches. It then summarizes what is currently understood about the pathophysiology of addiction from a cognitive neuroscience perspective. Finally, it reviews recent efforts to use cognitive neuroscience approaches to understand the neural mechanisms of behavior change in AUD, including studies that use neural functioning to predict relapse and abstinence; studies examining neural mechanisms that operate in current evidence-based behavioral interventions for AUD; as well as research on novel behavioral interventions that are being derived from our emerging understanding of the neural and cognitive mechanisms of behavior change in AUD. The article highlights how the regulation of subcortical regions involved in alcohol incentive motivation by prefrontal cortical regions involved in cognitive control may be a core mechanism that plays a role in these varied forms of behavior change in AUD. We also lay out a multilevel framework for integrating cognitive neuroscience approaches with more traditional methods for examining AUD treatment mechanisms.

Dependent Capitalism and Autocratic Culture: Contributions to understanding contemporary Brazil

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Morena Gomes Marques

2018-02-01

Full Text Available This essay is motivated by the need to understand the nature of the dilemmas seen in Brazil today – an economy adorned by internal needs, marked by the systematic restriction of workers to access fundamental social rights, and a state power that is impermeable to the needs of the broad majorities. The article conducts a critical analysis of what we call autocratic culture based on its two constitutive elements: dependence and a recycling of the counter-revolutionary period. We understand autocratic culture to be the political expression of dependence, characterized by the permanent recycling of the democratic process, which remains focused on annulling the impetus of the social forces from below and preserving both the current standard of capital accumulation, as well as the self-privilege of the dominant class. The study involved bibliographic and document research. Our main interlocutors to the theme were the thinkers Florestan Fernandes (1976, 2008, 2009 and Ruy Mauro Marini (2011, 2012, because we believe that their work is essential to the phenomenon of Latin American dependence.

Global environmental change: local perceptions, understandings, and explanations

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Aili Pyhälä

2016-09-01

Full Text Available Global environmental change (GEC is an increasingly discussed phenomenon in the scientific literature as evidence of its presence and impacts continues to grow. Yet, while the documentation of GEC is becoming more readily available, local perceptions of GEC - particularly in small-scale societies - and preferences about how to deal with it, are still largely overlooked. Local knowledge and perceptions of GEC are important in that agents make decisions (including on natural resource management based on individual perceptions. We carried out a systematic literature review that aims to provide an exhaustive state-of-the-art of the degree to and manner in which the study of local perceptions of change are being addressed in GEC research. We reviewed 126 articles found in peer-reviewed journals (between 1998 and 2014 that address local perceptions of GEC. We used three particular lenses of analysis that are known to influence local perceptions, namely (i cognition, (ii culture and knowledge, and (iii possibilities for adaptation.We present our findings on the geographical distribution of the current research, the most common changes reported, perceived drivers and impacts of change, and local explanations and evaluations of change and impacts. Overall, we found the studies to be geographically biased, lacking methodological reporting, mostly theory based with little primary data, and lacking of indepth analysis of the psychological and ontological influences in perception and implications for adaptation. We provide recommendations for future GEC research and propose the development of a "meta-language" around adaptation, perception, and mediation to encourage a greater appreciation and understanding of the diversity around these phenomena across multiple scales, and improved codesign and facilitation of locally relevant adaptation and mitigation strategies.

What's in a name? Commonalities and differences in public understanding of "climate change" and "global warming"

OpenAIRE

Whitmarsh, Lorraine E.

2009-01-01

This paper reports on findings from a survey of public understanding of climate change and global warming amongst residents in the south of England. Whereas much previous research has relied on survey checklists to measure public understanding of climate change, this study employed a more qualitative approach to reveal participants' unprompted conceptions of climate change and global warming. Overall, the findings show a tendency for the public to dissociate themselves from the causes, impact...

Towards more eclectic understandings of energy demand and change

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jensen, Charlotte Louise; Quitzau, Maj-Britt

2017-01-01

the strategic work carried out in a particular case of energy renovation seems to have involved: 1) acknowledgment of the need for reconfiguring bundles of practices, 2) actively enrolling different actors in the reconfiguring of bundles of practices, and 3) basing new practice arrangements......, we explore theoretical understandings of practices and translations as a means to illustrate how certain engagements with strategic work aimed at reconfiguring bundles of practices enable a different approach to establishing momentum for change through planning interventions. We illustrate how......’ performance....

Population, Environment, and Climate in the Albertine Rift: Understanding Local Impacts of Regional Change

Science.gov (United States)

Hartter, J.; Ryan, S. J.; Diem, J.; Palace, M. W.

2012-12-01

Climate change is of critical concern for conservation and to develop appropriate policies and responses, it is important not only to anticipate the nature of changes, but also how they are perceived, interpreted and adapted to by local people. The Albertine Rift in East Africa is one of the most threatened biodiversity hotspots due to dense settlement, extreme poverty, and land conversion. We synthesize ongoing NSF-CNH research, where Ugandan park landscapes are examined to understand the impacts of climate change on livelihoods. Kibale National Park, the main study site, exemplifies the challenges facing many parks because of its isolation within a densely populated agricultural landscape. Three separate household surveys (n=251, 130, 100) reveal that the most perceived benefits provided by Kibale were ecosystem services and farmers cite rainfall as one of the park's most important benefits, but are also concerned with variable precipitation. Analysis of 30+ years of daily rainfall station data shows total rainfall has not changed significantly, but timing and transitions of seasons and intra-seasonal distribution are highly variable, which may contribute to changes in farming schedules and threaten food security. Further, the contrast between land use/cover change over 25 years around the park and the stability of forest within the park underscores the need to understand this landscape for future sustainability planning and the inevitable population growth outside its boundaries. Understanding climate change impacts and feedbacks to and from socio-ecological systems are important to address the dual challenge of biodiversity conservation and poverty alleviation.

Turar Ryskulov: the Career of a Kazakh Revolutionary Leader during the Construction of the New Soviet State, 1917-1926

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Xavier Hallez

2014-12-01

Full Text Available Turar Ryskulov: the Career of a Kazakh Revolutionary Leader during the Construction of the New Soviet State, 1917-1926 This article is about the biography of a young Kazakh born in the last decade of the 19th century, Turar Ryskulov (1894-1938, who was an essential actor of the revolutionary period in Russian Turkestan. The approach of this brief biography will follow the line of a definition of the national and the nation. The postulate is that the identity is tackled through a political understanding and that it is chosen among multiple pre-existing or invented designations. National identity is a moving construction, favoring one of the possible designations depending on the needs of a group in the struggle for power. Ryskulov began his political activity with the idea of a common Kirghiz interest, then went through the Muslim and Turkic designations. Finally, he had to submit to a soviet Kazakh one. Against the Russian colonial heritage, Ryskulov’s political project was to offer a real place for his Turkestani compatriot in the new soviet regime. He thought it through a unified Turkestan beyond Kazakh, Uzbek, Turkmen or Tajik designations. Turar Ryskulov: kariera kazachskiego przywódcy rewolucyjnego w epoce tworzenia nowego państwa radzieckiego, 1917-1926 Artykuł dotyczy biografii młodego Kazacha urodzonego w ostatniej dekadzie XIX wieku, Turara Ryskulova (1894-1938; Ryskulov był kluczowym aktorem okresu rewolucyjnego w radzieckim Turkiestanie. Jego krótka biografia będzie się koncentrować wokół definicji narodu oraz tożsamości narodowej. W myśl przesłanki wyjściowej tożsamość kształtuje się zgodnie z interpretacją polityczną i jest wynikiem wyboru spośród wielu uprzednich lub wymyślonych kategorii. Tożsamość narodowa to konstrukcja płynna, skłaniająca się do jednej pośród możliwych kategorii w zależności od potrzeb grupy walczącej o władzę. Ryskulov w początkach kariery politycznej głosił ide

Mark Twain in the Russian Pre-Revolutionary Periodical. Part 2

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Ekaterina A. Stetsenko

2017-09-01

Full Text Available This article deals with the analysis of interpretation of the works by Mark Twain, famous American author, in the Russian pre-revolutionary periodical press (1872–1916. The objects of research are critical articles, essays, reviews, correspondences, introductions to publications of Twain’s short stories and novels, obituaries, and other materials printed in central and provincial magazines and newspapers. Perception of Twain in Russia was contingent on many factors including political and cultural situation in the country, state of social thought and literary criticism, newspaper and magazine conjuncture etc., always remaining polysemantic and conflicting. In different times, in the years of democratic rising or reaction critics looked for something in Twain’s works that corresponded to the spirit of their time and helped solve ideological and aesthetic problems. Twain had reputation of either a “pure humorist” or a great writer, philosopher, and moralist. Democrats, liberals, conservatives, feminists, adepts of realistic or naturalistic trends in art discussed Twain’s works that became a source of knowledge about the United States and inspired polemics about Russia’s further development. Twain was highly esteemed as the author of books for children and young people. Yet his works that criticized monarchism and imperialism were often ignored or abridged. The history of Twain’s interpretation in the Russian press serves as evidence of the fact that perception of foreign literature is a dynamic and bumpy process, repeating itself and moving backwards but also getting to deeper levels of meanings.

A revolutionary concept to improve the efficiency of IC antennas

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Milanesio, D.; Maggiora, R. [Politecnico di Torino, Dipartimento di Elettronica e Telecomunicazioni (DET), Torino (Italy)

2014-02-12

The successful design of an Ion Cyclotron (IC) antenna mainly relies on the capability of coupling high power to the plasma (MW), feature that is currently reached by allowing rather high voltages (tens of kV) on the unavoidable unmatched part of the feeding lines. This requirement is often responsible of arcs along the transmission lines and other unwanted phenomena that considerably limit the usage of IC launchers. In this work, we suggest and describe a revolutionary approach based on high impedance surfaces, which allows to increase the antenna radiation efficiency and, hence, to highly reduce the imposed voltages to couple the same level of power to the plasma. High-impedance surfaces are periodic metallic structures (patches) displaced usually on top of a dielectric substrate and grounded by means of vertical posts usually embedded inside a dielectric, in a mushroom-like shape. In terms of working properties, high impedance surfaces are electrically thin in-phase reflectors, i.e. they present a high impedance, within a given frequency band, such that the image currents are in-phase with the currents of the antenna itself, thus determining a significant efficiency increase. While the usual design of a high impedance surface requires the presence of a dielectric layer, some alternative solutions can be realized in vacuum, taking advantage of double layers ofmetallic patches. After an introductory part on the properties of high impedance surfaces, this work documents both their design by means of numerical codes and their implementation on a scaled mock-up.

Prerequisites for understanding climate-change impacts on northern prairie wetlands

Science.gov (United States)

Anteau, Michael J.; Wiltermuth, Mark T.; Post van der Burg, Max; Pearse, Aaron T.

2016-01-01

The Prairie Pothole Region (PPR) contains ecosystems that are typified by an extensive matrix of grasslands and depressional wetlands, which provide numerous ecosystem services. Over the past 150 years the PPR has experienced numerous landscape modifications resulting in agricultural conversion of 75–99 % of native prairie uplands and drainage of 50–90 % of wetlands. There is concern over how and where conservation dollars should be spent within the PPR to protect and restore wetland basins to support waterbird populations that will be robust to a changing climate. However, while hydrological impacts of landscape modifications appear substantial, they are still poorly understood. Previous modeling efforts addressing impacts of climate change on PPR wetlands have yet to fully incorporate interacting or potentially overshadowing impacts of landscape modification. We outlined several information needs for building more informative models to predict climate change effects on PPR wetlands. We reviewed how landscape modification influences wetland hydrology and present a conceptual model to describe how modified wetlands might respond to climate variability. We note that current climate projections do not incorporate cyclical variability in climate between wet and dry periods even though such dynamics have shaped the hydrology and ecology of PPR wetlands. We conclude that there are at least three prerequisite steps to making meaningful predictions about effects of climate change on PPR wetlands. Those evident to us are: 1) an understanding of how physical and watershed characteristics of wetland basins of similar hydroperiods vary across temperature and moisture gradients; 2) a mechanistic understanding of how wetlands respond to climate across a gradient of anthropogenic modifications; and 3) improved climate projections for the PPR that can meaningfully represent potential changes in climate variability including intensity and duration of wet and dry periods. Once

Understanding practice change in community pharmacy: a qualitative research instrument based on organisational theory.

Science.gov (United States)

Roberts, Alison S; Hopp, Trine; Sørensen, Ellen Westh; Benrimoj, Shalom I; Chen, Timothy F; Herborg, Hanne; Williams, Kylie; Aslani, Parisa

2003-10-01

The past decade has seen a notable shift in the practice of pharmacy, with a strong focus on the provision of cognitive pharmaceutical services (CPS) by community pharmacists. The benefits of these services have been well documented, yet their uptake appears to be slow. Various strategies have been developed to overcome barriers to the implementation of CPS, with varying degrees of success, and little is known about the sustainability of the practice changes they produce. Furthermore, the strategies developed are often specific to individual programs or services, and their applicability to other CPS has not been explored. There seems to be a need for a flexible change management model for the implementation and dissemination of a range of CPS, but before it can be developed, a better understanding of the change process is required. This paper describes the development of a qualitative research instrument that may be utilised to investigate practice change in community pharmacy. Specific objectives included gaining knowledge about the circumstances surrounding attempts to implement CPS, and understanding relationships that are important to the change process. Organisational theory provided the conceptual framework for development of the qualitative research instrument, within which two theories were used to give insight into the change process: Borum's theory of organisational change, which categorizes change strategies as rational, natural, political or open; and Social Network Theory, which helps identify and explain the relationships between key people involved in the change process. A semi-structured affecting practice change found in the literature that warranted further investigation with the theoretical perspectives of organisational change and social networks. To address the research objectives, the instrument covered four broad themes: roles, experiences, strategies and networks. The qualitative research instrument developed in this study provides a

Developing an In-depth Understanding of Elderly Adult's Vulnerability to Climate Change.

Science.gov (United States)

Rhoades, Jason L; Gruber, James S; Horton, Bill

2018-05-08

Recent reports highlight the vulnerability of elderly adults to climate change, yet limited research has focused on this topic. To address this, the purpose of this study was to develop an in-depth understanding of elderly adult's vulnerability to climate change within the context of a specific community. A case study methodology utilizing a community-based action research approach was employed to engage elderly participants living in Bridgeport, CT, in exploring their vulnerability to current and predicted climate stressors with a focus on extreme heat, flooding and storms, and air pollution. This research identifies personal characteristics that interact with contextual factors to influence elderly adult's vulnerability to climate change. Personal characteristics include health, economic, and social considerations. Contextual factors include the adequacy of emergency preparedness measures, transportation resources, and coping and recovery resources. As a result of the interplay of these characteristics and factors, predicted climate changes could have serious consequences for Bridgeport's elderly adults. This research provides a contextualized and detailed illustration of how climate change could overwhelm elderly adult's adaptive capacity and highlights the need for support services to provide safeguards. The issues and concerns raised may bear similarities to other locations, especially urban settings facing similar climate stressors with similar socioeconomic conditions. The findings suggest a need for further research to improve our understanding and serve as the basis for collaborative adaptation planning that engages elderly communities with local governments and a broad coalition of partners to keep elders safe.

Taking part in 'Understanding Your Child's Behaviour' and positive changes for parents.

Science.gov (United States)

Appleton, Rebecca; Douglas, Hazel; Rheeston, Mary

2016-02-01

ABSTRACT The Solihull Approach's Understanding Your Child's Behaviour (UYCB) is a 10-session group for parents run by facilitators in their local area. Previous studies have shown that parents enjoy taking part in the group, and that UYCB can reduce problematic behaviours in children. Building on this research, the present study evaluated whether UYCB programmes run more recently in the UK were rated as positively by parents, and what positive changes were reported by parents. Both quantitative and qualitative data was analysed from 105 parents who took part in 18 different UYCB groups between 2012 and 2015. The results of this analysis showed that 90 per cent of parents found the group a great place to relax and share experiences, 93 per cent rated the group as 'great' for helping them understand their child, and 92 per cent gave a 'great' rating for helping them identify changes. In addition to this, content analysis showed that 47 per cent of parents reported having a better relationship with their child after taking part, 42 per cent said they were more confident, and importantly six per cent reported a significant positive change in their lives generally as a direct result of UYCB.

Tilting the Balance: A Management Consultant's Prescription for Changing the Equilibrium between Central Office and Schools

Science.gov (United States)

Ouchi, William G.

2004-01-01

During the past 30 years, the author has served as a management consultant to companies that wanted to achieve revolutionary change to become more successful. He has worked with companies as small as 100 employees and as large as General Motors, IBM and Amgen, the world's largest biotechnology company. More recently he has worked (as a pro bono…

Experts’ understandings of drinking water risk management in a climate change scenario

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Åsa Boholm

2017-01-01

Full Text Available The challenges for society presented by climate change are complex and demanding. This paper focuses on one particular resource of utmost necessity and vulnerability to climate change: namely, the provisioning of safe drinking water. From a critical perspective on the role of expertise in risk debates, this paper looks at how Swedish experts understand risk to drinking water in a climate change scenario and how they reason about challenges to risk management and adaptation strategies. The empirical material derives from ten in-depth semi-structured interviews with experts, employed both at government agencies and at universities, and with disciplinary backgrounds in a variety of fields (water engineering, planning, geology and environmental chemistry. The experts understand risk factors affecting both drinking water quality and availability as complex and systemically interrelated. A lack of political saliency of drinking water as a public service is identified as an obstacle to the development of robust adaptation strategies. Another area of concern relates to the geographical, organizational and institutional boundaries (regulatory, political and epistemological between the plethora of public actors with partly overlapping and sometimes unclear responsibilities for the provisioning of safe drinking water. The study concludes that climate change adaptation regarding drinking water provisioning will require a new integration of the knowledge of systemic risk relations, in combination with more efficient agency collaboration based on a clear demarcation of responsibility between actors.

U.S. Geological Survey climate and land use change science strategy: a framework for understanding and responding to global change

Science.gov (United States)

Burkett, Virginia R.; Kirtland, David A.; Taylor, Ione L.; Belnap, Jayne; Cronin, Thomas M.; Dettinger, Michael D.; Frazier, Eldrich L.; Haines, John W.; Loveland, Thomas R.; Milly, Paul C.D.; ,; ,; ,; Robert, S.; Maule, Alec G.; McMahon, Gerard; Striegl, Robert G.

2013-01-01

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), a nonregulatory Federal science agency with national scope and responsibilities, is uniquely positioned to serve the Nation’s needs in understanding and responding to global change, including changes in climate, water availability, sea level, land use and land cover, ecosystems, and global biogeochemical cycles. Global change is among the most challenging and formidable issues confronting our Nation and society. Scientists agree that global environmental changes during this century will have far-reaching societal implications (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, 2007; U.S. Global Change Research Program, 2009). In the face of these challenges, the Nation can benefit greatly by using natural science information in decisionmaking.

Understanding the Changes in Global Crop Yields Through Changes in Climate and Technology

Science.gov (United States)

Najafi, Ehsan; Devineni, Naresh; Khanbilvardi, Reza M.; Kogan, Felix

2018-03-01

During the last few decades, the global agricultural production has risen and technology enhancement is still contributing to yield growth. However, population growth, water crisis, deforestation, and climate change threaten the global food security. An understanding of the variables that caused past changes in crop yields can help improve future crop prediction models. In this article, we present a comprehensive global analysis of the changes in the crop yields and how they relate to different large-scale and regional climate variables, climate change variables and technology in a unified framework. A new multilevel model for yield prediction at the country level is developed and demonstrated. The structural relationships between average yield and climate attributes as well as trends are estimated simultaneously. All countries are modeled in a single multilevel model with partial pooling to automatically group and reduce estimation uncertainties. El Niño-southern oscillation (ENSO), Palmer drought severity index (PDSI), geopotential height anomalies (GPH), historical carbon dioxide (CO2) concentration and country-based time series of GDP per capita as an approximation of technology measurement are used as predictors to estimate annual agricultural crop yields for each country from 1961 to 2013. Results indicate that these variables can explain the variability in historical crop yields for most of the countries and the model performs well under out-of-sample verifications. While some countries were not generally affected by climatic factors, PDSI and GPH acted both positively and negatively in different regions for crop yields in many countries.

Understanding the school 'climate': secondary school children and climate change

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kovacs, Susan; Bernier, Sandrine; Blanchet, Aymeric; Derkenne, Chantal; Clement, Florence; Petitjean, Leslie

2012-01-01

This interdisciplinary study analyzes the production, circulation and reception of messages on climate change in secondary schools in France. The objective is to understand how political and educational policy initiatives influence the ways in which schools contribute to creating youngsters' perceptions and opinions about climate change. In order to study the conditions of production and reception of information about climate change, a survey was conducted in four French secondary schools, in the 'Bas Rhin' and 'Nord' departments, and local political actors in each department were interviewed. The cross disciplinary analytical and methodological approach uses the tools of sociological inquiry, information science, and political science: questionnaires and interviews were conducted with members of the educational and governmental communities of each school and department, semiotic and discursive analyses of corpuses of documents were carried out, in order to characterize documents used by students and teachers at school or in more informal contexts; the nature and extent of the relations between the political contexts and school directives and programs were also discussed. This interdisciplinary approach, combining sociological, communicational, and political methods, was chosen in response to the hypothesis that three types of variables (social, communicational and political) contribute to the structuring and production of messages about climate change in schools. This report offers a contextualized overview of activities developed within the four secondary schools to help sensitize children to the risks associated with climate change. A study of the networks of individuals (teachers, staff, members of associations, etc.) created in and around the school environment is presented. The degree of involvement of these actors in climate change programs is analyzed, as it is related to their motives and objectives, to the school discipline taught, and to the position

UNDERSTANDING INFORMAL CONSTITUTIONAL CHANGE

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Stephen M. Griffin

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Amid much recent American work on the problem of informal constitutional change, this article stakes out a distinctive position. I argue that theories of constitutional change in the US must address the question of the relationship between the “small c” and “big C” Constitution and treat seriously the possibility of conflict between them. I stress the unavoidable role the text of the Constitution and structural doctrines of federalism and separation of powers play in this relationship and thus in constitutional change, both formal and informal. I therefore counsel against theories that rely solely on a practice-based approach or analogies between “small c” constitutional developments and British or Commonwealth traditions of the “unwritten” constitution and constitutional “conventions.” The alternative I advocate is to approach constitutional change from a historicist perspective that focuses attention on state building and the creation of new institutional capacities. This approach will allow us to make progress by highlighting that there can be multiple constitutional orders in a given historical era, thus accounting for the conflictual nature of contemporary constitutional development in the US.

Conceptual understanding of climate change with a globally resolved energy balance model

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Dommenget, Dietmar [Monash University, School of Mathematical Sciences, Melbourne, VIC (Australia); Floeter, Janine [Leibniz Institute for Marine Sciences, Kiel (Germany)

2011-12-15

The future climate change projections are essentially based on coupled general circulation model (CGCM) simulations, which give a distinct global warming pattern with arctic winter amplification, an equilibrium land-sea warming contrast and an inter-hemispheric warming gradient. While these simulations are the most important tool of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) predictions, the conceptual understanding of these predicted structures of climate change and the causes of their uncertainties is very difficult to reach if only based on these highly complex CGCM simulations. In the study presented here we will introduce a very simple, globally resolved energy balance (GREB) model, which is capable of simulating the main characteristics of global warming. The model shall give a bridge between the strongly simplified energy balance models and the fully coupled 4-dimensional complex CGCMs. It provides a fast tool for the conceptual understanding and development of hypotheses for climate change studies, which shall build a basis or starting point for more detailed studies of observations and CGCM simulations. It is based on the surface energy balance by very simple representations of solar and thermal radiation, the atmospheric hydrological cycle, sensible turbulent heat flux, transport by the mean atmospheric circulation and heat exchange with the deeper ocean. Despite some limitations in the representations of the basic processes, the models climate sensitivity and the spatial structure of the warming pattern are within the uncertainties of the IPCC models simulations. It is capable of simulating aspects of the arctic winter amplification, the equilibrium land-sea warming contrast and the inter-hemispheric warming gradient with good agreement to the IPCC models in amplitude and structure. The results give some insight into the understanding of the land-sea contrast and the polar amplification. The GREB model suggests that the regional inhomogeneous

DOW AGROSCIENCES TODAY AND NEW REVOLUTIONARY SOLUTIONS

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Slavko Vujević

2008-09-01

Full Text Available Dow AgroSciences LLC, based in Indianapolis, Indiana, USA, is a top tier agricultural company providing innovative crop protection, pest and vegetation management, seed, and agricultural biotechnology solutions to serve the world's growing population. Global sales for Dow AgroSciences, a wholly owned subsidiary of The Dow Chemical Company, are $3.8 billion. The company's roots in the agricultural marketplace date back to 1950 as the agricultural unit of The Dow Chemical Company and as part of Eli Lilly and Company's agricultural business. In 1989, the DowElanco joint venture was formed, and the company continued to develop new products and acquire strategic businesses. DowElanco acquired majority ownership in Mycogen Seeds in 1996; in 1997, The Dow Chemical Company acquired 100 percent of DowElanco and the company was renamed Dow AgroSciences. Other significant acquisitions include acetochlor herbicide, Cargill Hybrid Seeds, several Brazilian seed companies and the agricultural chemicals business of Rohm and Haas. Dow AgroSciences is positioned for the future through focused implementation of its strategy which revolves around productivity, portfolio management and innovation. This focus allows the company to grow through an ambitious innovation program that maximizes the products being sold today and creates new, revolutionary solutions that will surprise customers in the future. D Dow AgroSciences is committed to sustainable chemistry and has a competitive advantage in our natural products discovery capability. We've won a prestigious award for technical innovation incorporating "green" chemistry principles into chemical design, manufacture and use. Dow AgroSciences offers a full range of seeds for corn, sunflowers, canola, cotton, soybeans and alfalfa. In addition, we have developed seeds specifically bred for nutritional quality. Dow AgroSciences uses conventional breeding techniques and tools of biotechnology to produce oils that are low in

Scenarios of Earth system change in western Canada: Conceptual understanding and process insights from the Changing Cold Regions Network

Science.gov (United States)

DeBeer, C. M.; Wheater, H. S.; Pomeroy, J. W.; Stewart, R. E.; Turetsky, M. R.; Baltzer, J. L.; Pietroniro, A.; Marsh, P.; Carey, S.; Howard, A.; Barr, A.; Elshamy, M.

2017-12-01

The interior of western Canada has been experiencing rapid, widespread, and severe hydroclimatic change in recent decades, and this is projected to continue in the future. To better assess future hydrological, cryospheric and ecological states and fluxes under future climates, a regional hydroclimate project was formed under the auspices of the Global Energy and Water Exchanges (GEWEX) project of the World Climate Research Programme; the Changing Cold Regions Network (CCRN; www.ccrnetwork.ca) aims to understand, diagnose, and predict interactions among the changing Earth system components at multiple spatial scales over the Mackenzie and Saskatchewan River basins of western Canada. A particular challenge is in applying land surface and hydrological models under future climates, as system changes and cold regions process interactions are not often straightforward, and model structures and parameterizations based on historical observations and understanding of contemporary system functioning may not adequately capture these complexities. To address this and provide guidance and direction to the modelling community, CCRN has drawn insights from a multi-disciplinary perspective on the process controls and system trajectories to develop a set of feasible scenarios of change for the 21st century across the region. This presentation will describe CCRN's efforts towards formalizing these insights and applying them in a large-scale modelling context. This will address what are seen as the most critical processes and key drivers affecting hydrological, cryospheric and ecological change, how these will most likely evolve in the coming decades, and how these are parameterized and incorporated as future scenarios for terrestrial ecology, hydrological functioning, permafrost state, glaciers, agriculture, and water management.

Revisiting of Stommel's model for the understanding of the abrupt climate change

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Scatamacchia, R.; Purini, R.; Rafanelli, C.

2010-01-01

Despite the enormous number of papers devoted to modelling climate changes, the pionieristic Stommel paper (1961) remains a still valid tool for the understanding of the basic mechanism that governs the abrupt climate change, i.e. the existence of multipla equilibria in the governing non-linear equations. Using non-dimensional quantities, Stommel did not provide any explicit information about the temporal scale affecting the process under examination when the control parameters are varied. On the basis of this consideration, the present paper revisits the Stommel theory putting some emphasis on the quantitative estimate of how the variations of the control system parameters system modify the fundamental motor of the climate change, i.e. the thermohaline circulation.

Validity of marti’s thought in the cuban revolutionary sport philosophy

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

María de Lourdes Rodríguez-Pérez

2013-12-01

Full Text Available On José Martí long pilgrimage around the world, nothing was estranging for him. Nobody as he knew how to describe with so much beauty, emotion and analytic Revista electrónica de Ciencia y Tecnología en la Cultura Física vision the facts and the environment that surrounded him. In the informative journalistic branch he covered, among other things, reports with sport traits. It is highlighted the correct relationship that he found between the physical exercise and the mental health offering in his chronicles an appropriate valuation of the Physical Culture social necessity. Martí was ahead to the campaign that today it is carried out against the sedentary lifestyle and the physical inactivity when he praised the importance of the exercise in the man's life. His experience together with the journalistic profession that he exercised during long years, qualified him to emit concepts regarding to the scientific content of the physical culture, not exempt of aesthetic and humane valuation, studying the man like a biological, psychological and social entity, thought that maintains today a full validity. The aspects related with the sport and the physical education previously referred are analyzed and examined in the work through textual appointments of the chronicles written by the apostle, which have connections with some Fidel Castro’s statements expressed on his speeches about the importance of the sport and it characteristics in the revolutionary stage in which its reflected the validity o The Teacher’s ideas.

Can pictures speak a thousand words in understanding climate change?

Science.gov (United States)

Walton, P.

2017-12-01

Pictures are able to engage, inspire and educate people in a way that the spoken or written word cannot, and with 21st Century technology we now have even more ways to present images. Researchers and campaigners working in climate change have used the power of images to great effect, bringing the issue of a warming planet into stark relief through iconic scenes such as the forlorn polar bear adrift on an iceberg. Whilst undeniably successful, this image has now become passé and invisible necessitating the scientific community to identify new ways to engage and educate the general public. This paper reports on a new high resolution visualisation app that has been developed by the European Space Agency to illustrate the change over time of a number of climate variables. Data, collected via satellite Earth observations, have been rendered into visually stunning animations that can be interrogated in a number of ways to allow the user to understand the spatial and temporal changes of that variable. But is it enough? Can it ever be that all that glisters really is gold?

Wiki management a revolutionary new model for a rapidly changing and collaborative world

CERN Document Server

Collins, Rod

2013-01-01

We now live in a "wiki" world where mass collaboration is not only possible-it's often the best solution. Conventional management thought assumes that command-and-control is the most effective way to organize the efforts of large numbers of people, but rapid change and increasing complexity have rendered that model obsolete. As a result, most managers today lack the skills and knowledge needed to succeed in an age when networks are proving smarter and faster than hierarchies. Designing organizations for mass collaboration demands a new and very different model-wiki management.

The essential interactions between understanding climate variability and climate change

Science.gov (United States)

Neelin, J. D.

2017-12-01

Global change is sometimes perceived as a field separate from other aspects of atmospheric and oceanic sciences. Despite the long history of communication between the scientific communities studying global change and those studying interannual variability and weather, increasing specialization and conflicting societal demands on the fields can put these interactions at risk. At the same time, current trajectories for greenhouse gas emissions imply substantial adaptation to climate change will be necessary. Instead of simply projecting effects to be avoided, the field is increasingly being asked to provide regional-level information for specific adaptation strategies—with associated requirements for increased precision on projections. For extreme events, challenges include validating models for rare events, especially for events that are unprecedented in the historical record. These factors will be illustrated with examples of information transfer to climate change from work on fundamental climate processes aimed originally at timescales from hours to interannual. Work to understand the effects that control probability distributions of moisture, temperature and precipitation in historical weather can yield new factors to examine for the changes in the extremes of these distributions under climate change. Surprisingly simple process models can give insights into the behavior of vastly more complex climate models. Observation systems and model ensembles aimed at weather and interannual variations prove valuable for global change and vice versa. Work on teleconnections in the climate system, such as the remote impacts of El Niño, is informing analysis of projected regional rainfall change over California. Young scientists need to prepare to work across the full spectrum of climate variability and change, and to communicate their findings, as they and our society head for future that is more interesting than optimal.

UNDERSTANDING THE CHANGING ROLE OF PUBLIC SECTOR PERFORMANCE MEASUREMENT IN LESS DEVELOPED COUNTRIES

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Tillema, Sandra; Mimba, Ni Putu S. H.; Van Helden, G. Jan

This article develops a framework for understanding changes in the demand for and supply of performance information in public sector organizations in less developed countries (LDCs). New Institutional Sociology (NIS) is used to argue that pressures from specific stakeholders stimulate organizations

Understanding the influence of climate change on the embodied energy of water supply.

Science.gov (United States)

Mo, Weiwei; Wang, Haiying; Jacobs, Jennifer M

2016-05-15

The current study aims to advance understandings on how and to what degree climate change will affect the life cycle chemical and energy uses of drinking water supply. A dynamic life cycle assessment was performed to quantify historical monthly operational embodied energy of a selected water supply system located in northeast US. Comprehensive multivariate and regression analyses were then performed to understand the statistical correlation among monthly life cycle energy consumptions, three water quality indicators (UV254, pH, and water temperature), and five climate indicators (monthly mean temperature, monthly mean maximum/minimum temperatures, total precipitation, and total snow fall). Thirdly, a calculation was performed to understand how volumetric and total life cycle energy consumptions will change under two selected IPCC emission scenarios (A2 and B1). It was found that volumetric life cycle energy consumptions are highest in winter months mainly due to the higher uses of natural gas in the case study system, but total monthly life cycle energy consumptions peak in both July and January because of the increasing water demand in summer months. Most of the variations in chemical and energy uses can be interpreted by water quality and climate variations except for the use of soda ash. It was also found that climate change might lead to an average decrease of 3-6% in the volumetric energy use of the case study system by the end of the century. This result combined with conclusions reached by previous climate versus water supply studies indicates that effects of climate change on drinking water supply might be highly dependent on the geographical location and treatment process of individual water supply systems. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Effect of Conceptual Change Approach on Students' Understanding of Reaction Rate Concepts

Science.gov (United States)

Kingir, Sevgi; Geban, Omer

2012-01-01

The purpose of the present study was to investigate the effect of conceptual change text oriented instruction compared to traditional instruction on 10th grade students' understanding of reaction rate concepts. 45 students from two classes of the same teacher in a public high school participated in this study. Students in the experimental group…

Towards a Better Understanding of Climate Change Negotiations

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Bryndís Arndal Woods

2012-12-01

Full Text Available The bulk of environmental economics literature applies non-cooperative game theory to examine the stability of International Environmental Agreements. Recently, a new trend has emerged in the literature whereby scholars use modified economic approaches to better account for ‘reality’ as such. This article builds upon the work of Hugh Ward, Frank Grundig and Ethan Zorick who conducted a mixed-method analysis to create a model of international climate change negotiations which could explain why policy change has been minimal in this issue area. The purpose of this article is to further develop the mixed-method approach in order to gain a better understanding of international climate change negotiations. Using the progression of the 2011 Durban negotiation session as our raw data, we demonstrate the usefulness of conducting qualitative and quantitative analyses simultaneously to best represent reality. Content and discourse analyses are applied to the Durban negotiations to identify the properties of the underlying game. The results are applied to the future of the negotiations in order to identify trends which need to be addressed to reach more progressive outcomes in the future. The main results of the qualitative analyses of the Durban negotiations included that players had modest expectations at the outset of the negotiations, which influenced the issues they addressed. The quantitative analysis demonstrated that players achieved a high degree of success at Durban; all players achieved their desired outcomes on at least half of the issues they addressed. Finally, the mixed-method approach identified important trends from the negotiations, most importantly the cracks exposed within the BASIC bloc and the role of the ‘middle ground’ alliance.

CEOS Theory: A Comprehensive Approach to Understanding Hard to Maintain Behaviour Change.

Science.gov (United States)

Borland, Ron

2017-03-01

This paper provides a brief introduction to CEOS theory, a comprehensive theory for understanding hard to maintain behaviour change. The name CEOS is an acronym for Context, Executive, and Operational Systems theory. Behaviour is theorised to be the result of the moment by moment interaction between internal needs (operational processes) in relation to environmental conditions, and for humans this is augmented by goal-directed, executive action which can transcend immediate contingencies. All behaviour is generated by operational processes. Goal-directed behaviours only triumph over contingency-generated competing behaviours when operational processes have been sufficiently activated to support them. Affective force can be generated around executive system (ES) goals from such things as memories of direct experience, vicarious experience, and emotionally charged communications mediated through stories the person generates. This paper makes some refinements and elaborations of the theory, particularly around the role of feelings, and of the importance of stories and scripts for facilitating executive action. It also sketches out how it reconceptualises a range of issues relevant to behaviour change. CEOS provides a framework for understanding the limitations of both informational and environmental approaches to behaviour change, the need for self-regulatory strategies and for taking into account more basic aspects of human functioning. © 2016 The Authors. Applied Psychology: Health and Well-Being published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of International Association of Applied Psychology.

Teaching Climate Change Using System Models: An Understanding Global Change Project Pilot Study

Science.gov (United States)

Bean, J. R.; Stuhlsatz, M.; Bracey, Z. B.; Marshall, C. R.

2017-12-01

Teaching and learning about historical and anthropogenic climate change in the classroom requires integrating instructional resources that address physical, chemical, and biological processes. The Understanding Global Change (UGC) framework and system models developed at the University of California Museum of Paleontology (UCMP) provide visualizations of the relationships and feedbacks between Earth system processes, and the consequences of anthropogenic activities on global climate. This schema provides a mechanism for developing pedagogic narratives that are known to support comprehension and retention of information and relationships. We designed a nine-day instructional unit for middle and high school students that includes a sequence of hands-on, inquiry-based, data rich activities combined with conceptual modeling exercises intended to foster students' development of systems thinking and their understanding of human influences on Earth system processes. The pilot unit, Sea Level Rise in the San Francisco Bay Area, addresses the human causes and consequences of sea level rise and related Earth system processes (i.e., the water cycle and greenhouse effect). Most of the content is not Bay Area specific, and could be used to explore sea level rise in any coastal region. Students completed pre and post assessments, which included questions about the connectedness of components of the Earth system and probed their attitudes towards participating in environmental stewardship activities. Students sequentially drew models representing the content explored in the activities and wrote short descriptions of their system diagrams that were collected by teachers for analysis. We also randomly assigned classes to engage in a very short additional intervention that asked students to think about the role that humans play in the Earth system and to draw themselves into the models. The study will determine if these students have higher stewardship scores and more frequently

Root for rain : Towards understanding land-use change impacts on the water cycle

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Wang-Erlandsson, L.

2017-01-01

We live today on a human-dominated planet under unprecedented pressure on both land and water. The water cycle is intrinsically linked to vegetation and land use, and anticipating the consequences of simultaneous changes in land and water systems requires a thorough understanding of their

Words at war: the revolutionary experience and reactionary language | Palabras en guerra: la experiencia revolucionaria y el lenguaje de la reacción

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Encarna García Monerris

2011-12-01

Full Text Available This paper aims to introduce a new approach to the study of the reactionary thought emerged from the experience of the Spanish (liberal revolution. It focuses on Rafael de Velez’s work Preservativo contra la irreligión and it approaches the study of reaction as an inherent part of the revolutionary process itself. The distorted mirror of that revolution, which gave way to a new policy arena and a new conception of the public, gave birth to an invented tradition which in many respects, was as novel as the revolutionary principles that reactionaries were fighting. The dialectic Enlightenment and anti-Enlightenment was subsumed, from 1808 on, in the dialectic Revolution– Counter-Revolution. | Este trabajo se plantea como objetivo una aproximación nueva al pensamiento reaccionario surgido a raíz de la experiencia revolucionaria española a partir de la obra de Rafael de Vélez, Preservativo contra la irreligión. En él abordamos el estudio de la reacción como parte inherente al propio proceso revolucionario. El espejo deformado de esa revolución, que daba paso a un nuevo escenario de la política y de lo público, eran las propuestas de una tradición inventada por los reaccionarios que, en muchos aspectos, resultaba tan novedosa como los principios revolucionarios que combatía. La dialéctica Ilustración-Antiilustración se subsumía, a partir de 1808, en la dialéctica Revolución-Contrarrevolución.

Chronic disease and climate change: understanding co-benefits and their policy implications.

Science.gov (United States)

Capon, Anthony G; Rissel, Chris E

2010-01-01

Chronic disease and climate change are major public policy challenges facing governments around the world. An improved understanding of the relationship between chronic disease and climate change should enable improved policy formulation to support both human health and the health of the planet. Chronic disease and climate change are both unintended consequences of our way of life, and are attributable in part to the ready availability of inexpensive fossil fuel energy. There are co-benefits for health from actions to address climate change. For example, substituting physical activity and a vegetable-rich diet for motor vehicle transport and a meat-rich diet is both good for health and good for the planet. We should encourage ways of living that use less carbon as these can be healthy ways of living, for both individuals and society. Quantitative modelling of co-benefits should inform policy responses.

Understanding Global Change: A New Conceptual Framework To Guide Teaching About Planetary Systems And Both The Causes And Effects Of Changes In Those Systems

Science.gov (United States)

Levine, J.; Bean, J. R.

2016-12-01

Goals of the Next Generation Science Standards include understanding climate change and learning about ways to moderate the causes and mitigate the consequences of planetary-scale anthropogenic activities that interact synergistically to affect ecosystems and societies. The sheer number and scale of both causes and effects of global change can be daunting for teachers, and the lack of a clear conceptual framework for presenting this material usually leads educators (and textbooks) to present these phenomenon as a disjointed "laundry list." But an alternative approach is in the works. The Understanding Global Change web resource, currently under development at the UC Berkeley Museum of Paleontology, will provide educators with a conceptual framework, graphic models, lessons, and assessment templates for teaching NGSS-aligned, interdisciplinary, global change curricula. The core of this resource is an original informational graphic that presents and relates Earth's global systems, human and non-human factors that produce changes in those systems, and the effects of those changes that scientists can measure.

Understanding Recent Mass Balance Changes of the Greenland Ice Sheet

Science.gov (United States)

vanderVeen, Cornelius

2003-01-01

The ultimate goal of this project is to better understand the current transfer of mass between the Greenland Ice Sheet, the world's oceans and the atmosphere, and to identify processes controlling the rate of this transfer, to be able to predict with greater confidence future contributions to global sea level rise. During the first year of this project, we focused on establishing longer-term records of change of selected outlet glaciers, reevaluation of mass input to the ice sheet and analysis of climate records derived from ice cores, and modeling meltwater production and runoff from the margins of the ice sheet.

Synthesizing International Understanding of Changes in the Arctic Hydrological System

Science.gov (United States)

Pundsack, J. W.; Vorosmarty, C. J.; Hinzman, L. D.

2009-12-01

There are several notable gaps in our current level of understanding of Arctic hydrological systems. At the same time, rapidly emerging data sets, technologies, and modeling resources provide us with an unprecedented opportunity to move substantially forward. The Arctic Community-Wide Hydrological Analysis and Monitoring Program (Arctic-CHAMP), funded by NSF/ARCSS, was established to initiate a major effort to improve our current monitoring of water cycle variables, and to foster collaboration with the many relevant U.S. and international arctic research initiatives. These projects, funded under ARCSS through the ‘Freshwater Integration (FWI) study’, links CHAMP, the Arctic/Subarctic Ocean Fluxes (ASOF) Programme, and SEARCH. As part of the overall synthesis and integration efforts of the NSF-ARCSS Freshwater Integration (FWI) study, the program carried-out a major International Synthesis Capstone Workshop in Fall 2009 as an International Polar Year (IPY) affiliated meeting. The workshop, "Synthesizing International Understanding of Changes in the Arctic Hydrological System,” was held 30 September to 4 October 2009 in Stockholm at the Beijer Auditorium of the Royal Swedish Academy. The workshop was sponsored by the NSF-ARCSS Arctic-CHAMP Science Management Office (City College of New York / Univ. of New Hampshire), the International Study of Arctic Change (ISAC), and the International Arctic Research Center (IARC; Univ. of Alaska Fairbanks). The overarching goals of the meeting were to stage a post-IPY lessons-learned workshop with co-equal numbers of FWI, IPY, and ICARP-II researchers, using insights from recent scientific findings, data, and strategies to afford synthesis. The workshop aimed to: (1) take stock of recent advances in our understanding of changes in the Arctic hydrological system; (2) identify key remaining research gaps / unanswered questions; and (3) gather insight on where to focus future research efforts/initiatives (nationally and

Understanding of Grassland Ecosystems under Climate Change and Economic Development Pressures in the Mongolia Plateau

Science.gov (United States)

Qi, J.; Chen, J.; Shan, P.; Pan, X.; Wei, Y.; Wang, M.; Xin, X.

2011-12-01

The land use and land cover change, especially in the form of grassland degradation, in the Mongolian Plateau, exhibited a unique spatio-temporal pattern that is a characteristic of a mixed stress from economic development and climate change of the region. The social dimension of the region played a key role in shaping the landscape and land use change, including the cultural clashes with economic development, conflicts between indigenous people and business ventures, and exogenous international influences. Various research projects have been conducted in the region to focus on physical degradation of grasslands and/or on economic development but there is a lack of understanding how the social and economic dimensions interact with grassland ecosystems and changes. In this talk, a synthesis report was made based on the most recent workshop held in Hohhot, Inner Mongolia, of China, that specifically focused on climate change and grassland ecosystems. The report analyzed the degree of grassland degradation, its climate and social drivers, and coupling nature of economic development and conservation of traditional grassland values. The goal is to fully understand the socio-ecological-economic interactions that together shape the trajectory of the grassland ecosystems in the Mongolia Plateau.

Understanding turning points in intimate partner violence: factors and circumstances leading women victims toward change.

Science.gov (United States)

Chang, Judy C; Dado, Diane; Hawker, Lynn; Cluss, Patricia A; Buranosky, Raquel; Slagel, Leslie; McNeil, Melissa; Scholle, Sarah Hudson

2010-02-01

When counseling women experiencing intimate partner violence (IPV), healthcare providers can benefit from understanding the factors contributing to a women's motivation to change her situation. We wished to examine the various factors and situations associated with turning points and change seeking in the IPV situation. We performed qualitative analysis on data from 7 focus groups and 20 individual interviews with women (61 participants) with past and/or current histories of IPV. The turning points women identified fell into 5 major themes: (1) protecting others from the abuse/abuser; (2) increased severity/humiliation with abuse; (3) increased awareness of options/access to support and resources; (4) fatigue/recognition that the abuser was not going to change; and (5) partner betrayal/infidelity. Women experiencing IPV can identify specific factors and events constituting turning points or catalyst to change in their IPV situation. These turning points are dramatic shifts in beliefs and perceptions of themselves, their partners, and/or their situation that alter the women's willingness to tolerate the situation and motivate them to consider change. When counseling women experiencing IPV, health providers can incorporate understanding of turning points to motivate women to move forward in their process of changing their IPV situation.

Shifting Preservice Teachers' Beliefs and Understandings to Support Pedagogical Change in Mathematics

Science.gov (United States)

Letwinsky, Karim Medico; Cavender, Monica

2018-01-01

Many preservice teacher (PST) programs throughout the world are preparing students to implement the Core Standards, which require deeper conceptual understandings of mathematics and an informed approach for teaching. In this qualitative multi-case study, researchers explored the teaching methods for two university instructors and changes in PSTs…

Mental hygiene movement as a (r)evolutionary trend in public health in interwar Kaunas and Vilnius from 1918 to 1939.

Science.gov (United States)

Žalnora, Aistis; Miežutavičiūtė, Vitalija

2016-01-01

The health care system of the interwar period is distinguished by its revolutionary attempts to overcome social diseases and social hardships in general. In the researches published after the Second World War, different and in some cases even contradicting ideas on mental hygiene and eugenics were mixed together and were associated - almost exclusively - with the Nazi's racist ideology, totalitarian, or authoritarian regimes. The assessments of social-medical policy of the interwar period in the Baltic region also became rather one-sided. Felder's recent study (1) gives the impression that changes in psychiatry in Lithuania were caused by the Nazi's eugenics as a single agent. However, there were other factors. One of the most significant ones was the mental hygiene movement that will be discussed in this paper. In this research we used descriptive and comparative methods. After the First World War, the problem of treatment of the mentally ill was a medical and a social issue that required a completely new approach both in Lithuania and in Vilnius. The most notable manifestation of such a new attitude in psychiatry was a mental hygiene movement. University scientists in Vilnius and Kaunas were discussing issues of mental hygiene. The mental hygiene movement of the early 20th century played an important role in the later development in psychiatry and medical sciences. The ideas published by the medical doctors in Kaunas and Vilnius were partly characteristic of the interwar period, although some of them went far ahead of their times.

Understanding rapid theoretical change in particle physics: a month-by-month co-citation analysis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sullivan, D.; Koester, D.; White, D.H.; Kern, R.

1979-01-01

While co-citation analysis has proved a powerful tool in the study of changes in intellectual foci in science, no one has ever used the technique to study very rapid changes in the theoretical structure of a scientific field. This paper presents month-by-month co-citation analyses of key phases in the weak-electromagnetic unification research program within particle physics, and shows that these analyses capture and illuminate very rapid intellectual changes. These data provide yet another illustration of the utility of co-citation analysis for understanding the history of science. 8 figures

Revolutionary non-migratory migrants

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Jonker, M.R.

2011-01-01

In the migratory behaviour of the Barnacle Goose Branta leucopsis several changes have

occurred over the past few decades. Barnacle geese breeding in Russia have delayed the

commencement of spring migration with approximately one month since the 1980s,

new

Seagrasses under threat: Understanding the resilience of temperate seagrass meadows in a changing environment

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Soissons, L.M.

2017-01-01

Despite being highly valuable ecosystems, seagrass meadows are threatened worldwide, mostly by human activities. In order to preserve seagrass meadows from collapse, we need to better understand their resilience in a changing environment. By means of various

Crucial knowledge gaps in current understanding of climate change impacts on coral reef fishes

KAUST Repository

Wilson, S. K.; Adjeroud, M.; Bellwood, D. R.; Berumen, Michael L.; Booth, D.; Bozec, Y.-M.; Chabanet, P.; Cheal, A.; Cinner, J.; Depczynski, M.; Feary, D. A.; Gagliano, M.; Graham, N. A. J.; Halford, A. R.; Halpern, B. S.; Harborne, A. R.; Hoey, A. S.; Holbrook, S. J.; Jones, G. P.; Kulbiki, M.; Letourneur, Y.; De Loma, T. L.; McClanahan, T.; McCormick, M. I.; Meekan, M. G.; Mumby, P. J.; Munday, P. L.; Ohman, M. C.; Pratchett, M. S.; Riegl, B.; Sano, M.; Schmitt, R. J.; Syms, C.

2010-01-01

Expert opinion was canvassed to identify crucial knowledge gaps in current understanding of climate change impacts on coral reef fishes. Scientists that had published three or more papers on the effects of climate and environmental factors on reef

Integrating population and genetic monitoring to understand changes in the abundance of a threatened seabird

Science.gov (United States)

Catalina Vásquez-Carrillo; R. William Henry; Laird Henkel; M. Zachariah. Peery

2013-01-01

Population monitoring programs for threatened species are rarely designed to disentangle the effects of movements from changes in birth and death rates on estimated trends in abundance. Here, we illustrate how population and genetic monitoring can be integrated to understand the cause of large changes in the abundance of a threatened species of seabird, the Marbled...

A Unique Historical Case to Understand the Present Sustainable Development.

Science.gov (United States)

Barona, Astrid; Etxebarria, Begoña; Aleksanyan, Aida; Gallastegui, Gorka; Rojo, Naiara; Diaz-Tena, Estibaliz

2018-02-01

Every innovation seeks to become a profitable business, with this considered to be the engine for economic prosperity. When an innovation is revolutionary, its long-term consequences can be revolutionary too. The Haber-Bosh process for ammonia synthesis is arguably the twentieth century's most significant innovation, and its importance to global food production and its impact on the environment are not expected to diminish over the coming decades. The historical case of the ammonia synthesis process invented by Fritz Haber and the ensuing innovation provides an incomparable opportunity to illustrate the interactions across contemporary needs, prominent scientists, political concerns, moral dilemmas, ethics, governance and environmental implications at a time when the concept of sustainability was still in its infancy. Despite its high economic and environmental costs, no cleaner or more efficient sustainable alternative has so far been found, and so replacing this "old" innovation that still "feeds" a large part of the world's population does not appear to be on the cards in the near future.

Recent Advances in Understanding the Effects of Climate Change on Coral Reefs

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Andrew S. Hoey

2016-05-01

Full Text Available Climate change is one of the greatest threats to the persistence of coral reefs. Sustained and ongoing increases in ocean temperatures and acidification are altering the structure and function of reefs globally. Here, we summarise recent advances in our understanding of the effects of climate change on scleractinian corals and reef fish. Although there is considerable among-species variability in responses to increasing temperature and seawater chemistry, changing temperature regimes are likely to have the greatest influence on the structure of coral and fish assemblages, at least over short–medium timeframes. Recent evidence of increases in coral bleaching thresholds, local genetic adaptation and inheritance of heat tolerance suggest that coral populations may have some capacity to respond to warming, although the extent to which these changes can keep pace with changing environmental conditions is unknown. For coral reef fishes, current evidence indicates increasing seawater temperature will be a major determinant of future assemblages, through both habitat degradation and direct effects on physiology and behaviour. The effects of climate change are, however, being compounded by a range of anthropogenic disturbances, which may undermine the capacity of coral reef organisms to acclimate and/or adapt to specific changes in environmental conditions.

Ophthalmic changes and increased intracranial pressure associated with long duration spaceflight: An emerging understanding

Science.gov (United States)

Marshall-Bowman, Karina; Barratt, Michael R.; Gibson, C. Robert

2013-06-01

For many years, there have been anecdotal reports of vision changes by astronauts following short and long-duration spaceflight. Much of this was attributed to hyperopic shifts related to the age of the flying population. However, it has recently been recognized that vision changes are actually quite common in astronauts and are associated with a constellation of findings including elevated intracranial pressure, optic disc edema, globe flattening, optic nerve sheath thickening, hyperopic shifts and retinal changes. With advanced imaging modalities available on the ground along with the fidelity of in-flight diagnostic capabilities previously unavailable, information on this newly recognized syndrome is accumulating. As of this writing, 11 cases of visual impairment experienced by astronauts during missions on-board the International Space Station (ISS) have been documented and studied. Although the exact mechanisms of the vision changes are unknown, it is hypothesized that increased intracranial pressure (ICP) is a contributing factor. Microgravity is the dominant cause of many physiological changes during spaceflight and is thought to contribute significantly to the observed ophthalmic changes. However, several secondary factors that could contribute to increased ICP and vision changes in spaceflight have been proposed. Possible contributors include microgravity-induced cephalad fluid shift, venous obstruction due to microgravity-induced anatomical shifts, high levels of spacecraft cabin carbon dioxide, heavy resistive exercise, and high sodium diet. Individual susceptibility to visual impairment is not fully understood, though a demographic of affected astronauts is emerging. This paper describes the current understanding of this newly recognized syndrome, presents data from 11 individual cases, and discusses details of potential contributing factors. The occurrence of visual changes in long duration missions in microgravity is one of the most significant

Conceptualizing In-service Secondary School Science Teachers' Knowledge Base for Promoting Understanding about the Science of Global Climate Change

Science.gov (United States)

Bhattacharya, Devarati

Efforts to adapt and mitigate the effects of global climate change (GCC) have been ongoing for the past two decades and have become a major global concern. However, research and practice for promoting climate literacy and understanding about GCC have only recently become a national priority. The National Research Council (NRC), has recently emphasized upon the importance of developing learners' capacity of reasoning, their argumentation skills and understanding of GCC (Framework for K-12 Science Education, National Research Council, 2012). This framework focuses on fostering conceptual clarity about GCC to promote innovation, resilience, and readiness in students as a response towards the threat of a changing environment. Previous research about teacher understanding of GCC describes that in spite of the prevalent frameworks like the AAAS Science Literacy Atlas (AAAS, 2007) and the Essential Principles for Climate Literacy (United States Global Climate Research Program, 2009; Bardsley, 2007), most learners are challenged in understanding the science of GCC (Michail et al., 2007) and misinformed perceptions about basic climate science content and the role of human activities in changing climate remain persistent (Reibich and Gautier, 2006). Our teacher participants had a rather simplistic knowledge structure. While aware of climate change, teacher participants lacked in depth understanding of how change in climate can impact various ecosystems on the Earth. Furthermore, they felt overwhelmed with the extensive amount of information needed to comprehend the complexity in GCC. Hence, extensive efforts not only focused on assessing conceptual understanding of GCC but also for teaching complex science topics like GCC are essential. This dissertation explains concept mapping, and the photo elicitation method for assessing teachers' understanding of GCC and the use of metacognitive scaffolding in instruction of GCC for developing competence of learners in this complex

Crucial knowledge gaps in current understanding of climate change impacts on coral reef fishes

KAUST Repository

Wilson, S. K.

2010-02-26

Expert opinion was canvassed to identify crucial knowledge gaps in current understanding of climate change impacts on coral reef fishes. Scientists that had published three or more papers on the effects of climate and environmental factors on reef fishes were invited to submit five questions that, if addressed, would improve our understanding of climate change effects on coral reef fishes. Thirty-three scientists provided 155 questions, and 32 scientists scored these questions in terms of: (i) identifying a knowledge gap, (ii) achievability, (iii) applicability to a broad spectrum of species and reef habitats, and (iv) priority. Forty-two per cent of the questions related to habitat associations and community dynamics of fish, reflecting the established effects and immediate concern relating to climate-induced coral loss and habitat degradation. However, there were also questions on fish demographics, physiology, behaviour and management, all of which could be potentially affected by climate change. Irrespective of their individual expertise and background, scientists scored questions from different topics similarly, suggesting limited bias and recognition of a need for greater interdisciplinary and collaborative research. Presented here are the 53 highest-scoring unique questions. These questions should act as a guide for future research, providing a basis for better assessment and management of climate change impacts on coral reefs and associated fish communities.

RASC-AL (Revolutionary Aerospace Systems Concepts-Academic Linkage): 2002 Advanced Concept Design Presentation

Science.gov (United States)

2002-01-01

The Revolutionary Aerospace Systems Concepts-Academic Linkage (RASC-AL) is a program of the Lunar and Planetary Institute (LPI) in collaboration with the Universities Space Research Association's (USRA) ICASE institute through the NASA Langley Research Center. The RASC-AL key objectives are to develop relationships between universities and NASA that lead to opportunities for future NASA research and programs, and to develop aerospace systems concepts and technology requirements to enable future NASA missions. The program seeks to look decades into the future to explore new mission capabilities and discover what's possible. NASA seeks concepts and technologies that can make it possible to go anywhere, at anytime, safely, reliably, and affordably to accomplish strategic goals for science, exploration, and commercialization. University teams were invited to submit research topics from the following themes: Human and Robotic Space Exploration, Orbital Aggregation & Space Infrastructure Systems (OASIS), Zero-Emissions Aircraft, and Remote Sensing. RASC-AL is an outgrowth of the HEDS-UP (University Partners) Program sponsored by the LPI. HEDS-UP was a program of the Lunar and Planetary Institute designed to link universities with NASA's Human Exploration and Development of Space (HEDS) enterprise. The first RASC-AL Forum was held November 5-8, 2002, at the Hilton Cocoa Beach Oceanfront Hotel in Cocoa Beach, Florida. Representatives from 10 university teams presented student research design projects at this year's Forum. Each team contributed a written report and these reports are presented.

Environmental change and hydrological responses in the interior of western Canada: Towards improved understanding, diagnosis, and prediction by the Changing Cold Regions Network

Science.gov (United States)

DeBeer, C. M.; Wheater, H. S.; Carey, S. K.; Pomeroy, J. W.; Stewart, R. E.

2016-12-01

The past several decades have been a period of rapid climatic and environmental change. In western Canada, as in other areas globally, warming and changes in precipitation have led to vast reductions in seasonal snowcover and freshwater ice cover, retreating glaciers, thawing permafrost, changing forest composition and structure, increasing northern shrub coverage, and earlier timing of river flows in spring. Yet streamflow volume has exhibited a variety of responses across the region and over different time scales, and patterns of change are not easily generalizable. Improved understanding, diagnosis, and prediction of the rapidly changing components of the Earth system are key to managing uncertain water futures, but this is challenging due to complex system behavior and sometimes compensatory responses. The Changing Cold Regions Network (CCRN) is a Canadian research network and GEWEX Regional Hydroclimate Project that is addressing these issues, with a geographic focus on the Saskatchewan and Mackenzie River basins. This paper will present examples of the changes that have been observed at a set of long-term and well-studied headwater research basins, and highlight how various processes confound hydrological responses here, pointing to the need for careful diagnosis. We will discuss some recent CCRN activities and progress toward improving conceptual understanding and developing scenarios of change for the 21st century, which can then be applied within process-based hydrological models for future prediction. Several priority research areas that will be a focus of continued work in CCRN will be recommended.

Forests under climate change and air pollution: Gaps in understanding and future directions for research

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Matyssek, R.; Wieser, G.; Calfapietra, C.; Vries, W. de; Dizengremel, P.; Ernst, D.; Jolivet, Y.; Mikkelsen, T.N.; Mohren, G.M.J.; Le Thiec, D.; Tuovinen, J.-P.

2012-01-01

Forests in Europe face significant changes in climate, which in interaction with air quality changes, may significantly affect forest productivity, stand composition and carbon sequestration in both vegetation and soils. Identified knowledge gaps and research needs include: (i) interaction between changes in air quality (trace gas concentrations), climate and other site factors on forest ecosystem response, (ii) significance of biotic processes in system response, (iii) tools for mechanistic and diagnostic understanding and upscaling, and (iv) the need for unifying modelling and empirical research for synthesis. This position paper highlights the above focuses, including the global dimension of air pollution as part of climate change and the need for knowledge transfer to enable reliable risk assessment. A new type of research site in forest ecosystems (“supersites”) will be conducive to addressing these gaps by enabling integration of experimentation and modelling within the soil-plant-atmosphere interface, as well as further model development. - Highlights: ► Research needs are identified for forests under climate change and air pollution. ► Abiotic–biotic interactions in response impede tree-ecosystem upscaling. ► Integration of empirical and modelling research is advocated. ► The concept of multi-scale investigations at novel “Supersites” is propagated. ► “Supersites” warrant mechanistic understanding of soil-plant-atmosphere interface. - Forests under climate change and air pollution require empirical and modelling research needs to be integrated at novel “Supersites” through multi-scale investigations.

From Marx to Marcos - Search of the Subject and the Strategy of Revolution

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ilya L. Morozov

2017-12-01

Full Text Available The article discusses the evolution of theories of social revolution from the mid-nineteenth to the late twentieth centuries. The author analyzes the basic concepts of theorists and practitioners of the armed revolutionary struggle – from the founder of the classical Communist theory of Karl Marx to the Mexican guerrilla leader Subcomandante Marcos. The author focuses on the analysis of changes in the understanding of the subject (“driving forces” of the left political revolution, as well as the strategy of armed revolutionary struggle. The author comes to the conclusion about the historical evolution of the subject of the revolutionary struggle from major sustainable macro-groups (“classes”, targeted at the armed struggle, to self-born (by the network principle unstructured protest groups, situational leaders, mild forms of the revolutionary struggle, which minimize the armed violence, though do not eliminate it completely. The author substantiates the conclusion about the absence in the modern protest movement of social forces, able to become the subject of revolution socialist orientation. This increases the danger of dominance of the social protest of extremist nationalist and religious political spectra. The author offers two models of response to this threat: the growing influence of the reigning centre-right conservative parties of Russia; return to center-left positions of the social democratic movement of the countries of the European Union.

Evolutionistic or revolutionary paths? A PACS maturity model for strategic situational planning.

Science.gov (United States)

van de Wetering, Rogier; Batenburg, Ronald; Lederman, Reeva

2010-07-01

While many hospitals are re-evaluating their current Picture Archiving and Communication System (PACS), few have a mature strategy for PACS deployment. Furthermore, strategies for implementation, strategic and situational planning methods for the evolution of PACS maturity are scarce in the scientific literature. Consequently, in this paper we propose a strategic planning method for PACS deployment. This method builds upon a PACS maturity model (PMM), based on the elaboration of the strategic alignment concept and the maturity growth path concept previously developed in the PACS domain. First, we review the literature on strategic planning for information systems and information technology and PACS maturity. Secondly, the PMM is extended by applying four different strategic perspectives of the Strategic Alignment Framework whereupon two types of growth paths (evolutionistic and revolutionary) are applied that focus on a roadmap for PMM. This roadmap builds a path to get from one level of maturity and evolve to the next. An extended method for PACS strategic planning is developed. This method defines eight distinctive strategies for PACS strategic situational planning that allow decision-makers in hospitals to decide which approach best suits their hospitals' current situation and future ambition and what in principle is needed to evolve through the different maturity levels. The proposed method allows hospitals to strategically plan for PACS maturation. It is situational in that the required investments and activities depend on the alignment between the hospital strategy and the selected growth path. The inclusion of both strategic alignment and maturity growth path concepts make the planning method rigorous, and provide a framework for further empirical research and clinical practice.

Challenges and Changes: Developing Teachers' and Initial Teacher Education Students' Understandings of the Nature of Science

Science.gov (United States)

Ward, Gillian; Haigh, Mavis

2017-12-01

Teachers need an understanding of the nature of science (NOS) to enable them to incorporate NOS into their teaching of science. The current study examines the usefulness of a strategy for challenging or changing teachers' understandings of NOS. The teachers who participated in this study were 10 initial teacher education chemistry students and six experienced teachers from secondary and primary schools who were introduced to an explicit and reflective activity, a dramatic reading about a historical scientific development. Concept maps were used before and after the activity to assess teachers' knowledge of NOS. The participants also took part in a focus group interview to establish whether they perceived the activity as useful in developing their own understanding of NOS. Initial analysis led us to ask another group, comprising seven initial teacher education chemistry students, to take part in a modified study. These participants not only completed the same tasks as the previous participants but also completed a written reflection commenting on whether the activity and focus group discussion enhanced their understanding of NOS. Both Lederman et al.'s (Journal of Research in Science Teaching, 39(6), 497-521, 2002) concepts of NOS and notions of "naive" and "informed" understandings of NOS and Hay's (Studies in Higher Education, 32(1), 39-57, 2007) notions of "surface" and "deep" learning were used as frameworks to examine the participants' specific understandings of NOS and the depth of their learning. The ways in which participants' understandings of NOS were broadened or changed by taking part in the dramatic reading are presented. The impact of the data-gathering tools on the participants' professional learning is also discussed.

Understanding Technology?

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Erik Bendtsen

2016-11-01

Full Text Available We are facing radical changes in our ways of living in the nearest future. Not necessarily of our own choice, but because tchnological development is moving so fast, that it will have still greater impact on many aspects of our lives. We have seen the beginnings of that change within the latest 35 years or so, but according to newest research that change will speed up immensely in the nearest years to come. The impact of that change or these changes will affect our working life immensely as a consequence of automation. How these changes are brought about and which are their consequences in a broad sense is being attempted to be understood and guessed by researchers. No one knows for sure, but specific patterns are visible. This paper will not try to guess, what will come, but will rather try to understand the deepest ”nature” of technology in order to understand the driving factors in this development: the genesis of technology in a broad sense in order to contibute to the understanding of the basis for the expected development.

Understanding Early Educators' Readiness to Change

Science.gov (United States)

Peterson, Shira M.

2012-01-01

Researchers in the fields of humanistic psychology, counseling, organizational change, and implementation science have been asking a question that is at the heart of today's early care and education quality improvement efforts: When it comes to changing one's behavior, what makes a person ready to change? Although the concept of readiness to…

The Effect of a Conceptual Change Approach on Understanding of Students' Chemical Equilibrium Concepts

Science.gov (United States)

Atasoy, Basri; Akkus, Huseyin; Kadayifci, Hakki

2009-01-01

The purpose of this study was to compare the effects of a conceptual change approach over traditional instruction on tenth-grade students' conceptual achievement in understanding chemical equilibrium. The study was conducted in two classes of the same teacher with participation of a total of 44 tenth-grade students. In this study, a…

Early Holocene hydroclimate of Baffin Bay: Understanding the interplay between abrupt climate change events and ice sheet fluctuations

Science.gov (United States)

Corcoran, M. C.; Thomas, E. K.; Castañeda, I. S.; Briner, J. P.

2017-12-01

Understanding the causes of ice sheet fluctuations resulting in sea level rise is essential in today's warming climate. In high-latitude ice-sheet-proximal environments such as Baffin Bay, studying both the cause and the rate of ice sheet variability during past abrupt climate change events aids in predictions. Past climate reconstructions are used to understand ice sheet responses to changes in temperature and precipitation. The 9,300 and 8,200 yr BP events are examples of abrupt climate change events in the Baffin Bay region during which there were multiple re-advances of the Greenland and Laurentide ice sheets. High-resolution (decadal-scale) hydroclimate variability near the ice sheet margins during these abrupt climate change events is still unknown. We will generate a decadal-scale record of early Holocene temperature and precipitation using leaf wax hydrogen isotopes, δ2Hwax, from a lake sediment archive on Baffin Island, western Baffin Bay, to better understand abrupt climate change in this region. Shifts in temperature and moisture source result in changes in environmental water δ2H, which in turn is reflected in δ2Hwax, allowing for past hydroclimate to be determined from these compound-specific isotopes. The combination of terrestrial and aquatic δ2Hwax is used to determine soil evaporation and is ultimately used to reconstruct moisture variability. We will compare our results with a previous analysis of δ2Hwax and branched glycerol dialkyl glycerol tetraethers, a temperature and pH proxy, in lake sediment from western Greenland, eastern Baffin Bay, which indicates that cool and dry climate occurred in response to freshwater forcing events in the Labrador Sea. Reconstructing and comparing records on both the western and eastern sides of Baffin Bay during the early Holocene will allow for a spatial understanding of temperature and moisture balance changes during abrupt climate events, aiding in ice sheet modeling and predictions of future sea level

A Conceptual Model of Counterinsurgency: Understanding Elements, Factors, and Probability of Success

Science.gov (United States)

2011-05-03

the counterinsurgent. Galula is critical of Mao Tse -tung in the regard that Mao‘s ―laws of revolutionary warfare‖ are only applicable for the side...Algerian Independence 1954 1962 Government Loses Eritrea 1960 1993 Government Loses Laos 1960 1975 Government Loses Namibia 1960 1989 Government

Climate change and livestock system in mountain: Understanding from Gandaki River basin of Nepal Himalaya.

Science.gov (United States)

Dahal, P.; Shrestha, N. S.; Krakauer, N.; Lakhankar, T.; Panthi, J., Sr.; Pradhanang, S.; Jha, A. K.; Shrestha, M.; Sharma, M.

2015-12-01

In recent years climate change has emerged as a source of vulnerability for agro-livestock smallholders in Nepal where people are mostly dependent on rain-fed agriculture and livestock farming for their livelihoods. There is a need to understand and predict the potential impacts of climate change on agro-livestock farmer to develop effective mitigation and adaptation strategies. To understand dynamics of this vulnerability, we assess the farmers' perceptions of climate change, analysis of historical and future projections of climatic parameters and try to understand impact of climate change on livestock system in Gandaki River Basin of Central Nepal. During the period of 1981-2012, as reported by the mountain communities, the most serious hazards for livestock system and agriculture are the increasing trend of temperature, erratic rainfall patterns and increase in drought. Poor households without irrigated land are facing greater risks and stresses than well-off people. Analysis of historical climate data also supports the farmer perception. Result shows that there is increasing trend of temperature but no consistent trend in precipitation but a notable finding is that wet areas are getting wetter and dry areas getting drier. Besides that, there is increase in percentage of warm days and nights with decrease in the cool nights and days. The magnitude of the trend is found to be higher in high altitude. Trend of wet days has found to be increasing with decreasing in rainy days. Most areas are characterized by increases in both severity and frequency of drought and are more evident in recent years. The summers of 2004/05/06/09 and winters of 2006/08/09 were the worst widespread droughts and have a serious impact on livestock since 1981. Future projected change in temperature and precipitation obtained from downscaling the data global model by regional climate model shows that precipitation in central Nepal will change by -8% to 12% and temperature will change by 1

Argumentation as a Strategy for Increasing Preservice Teachers’ Understanding of Climate Change, a Key Global Socioscientific Issue

OpenAIRE

Lambert, Julie L.; Bleicher, Robert E.

2017-01-01

Findings of this study suggest that scientific argumentation can play an effective role in addressing complex socioscientific issues (i.e. global climate change). This research examined changes in preservice teachers’ knowledge and perceptions about climate change in an innovative undergraduate-level elementary science methods course. The preservice teachers’ understanding of fundamental concepts (e.g., the difference between weather and climate, causes of recent global warming, etc.) increas...

Understanding sudden environmental and societal change through coupled geochronological and artefact shape analyses

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hoggard, Christian Steven; Sauer, Florian Rudolf; Zernack, Anke Verena

Over the last twenty years, advances in geometric morphometric methodologies have revolutionised how archaeologists understand changes in artefact shape and form (size plus shape) throughout the Quaternary period. Such methodologies provide a high resolution of artefact coverage, and allow...... a critical analysis of previous taxonomic classificatory schemas and human tool-use in the past. Despite this, methodologies into artefact shape through geometric morphometrics have not been integrated within extensive geochronological data to better understand periods of high environmental stress and......, with respect to archaeology, how past societies reacted to such stress. The Laacher See volcanic eruption (c. 13,000 BP) in western Germany is believed, given its hypothesised characteristics, to have had profound impact on the lifeways of hunter-gatherers towards the end of the Final Palaeolithic (Riede, 2017...

A conceptual connectivity framework for understanding geomorphic change in human-impacted fluvial systems

Science.gov (United States)

Pöppl, Ronald; Keesstra, Saskia; Maroulis, Jerry

2017-04-01

Human-induced landscape change is difficult to predict due to the complexity inherent in both geomorphic and social systems as well as due to emerging coupling relationships between them. To better understand system complexity and system response to change, connectivity has become an important research paradigm within various disciplines including geomorphology, hydrology and ecology. With the proposed conceptual connectivity framework on geomorphic change in human-impacted fluvial systems a cautionary note is flagged regarding the need (i) to include and to systematically conceptualise the role of different types of human agency in altering connectivity relationships in geomorphic systems and (ii) to integrate notions of human-environment interactions to connectivity concepts in geomorphology to better explain causes and trajectories of landscape change. Underpinned by case study examples, the presented conceptual framework is able to explain how geomorphic response of fluvial systems to human disturbance is determined by system-specific boundary conditions (incl. system history, related legacy effects and lag times), vegetation dynamics and human-induced functional relationships (i.e. feedback mechanisms) between the different spatial dimensions of connectivity. It is further demonstrated how changes in social systems can trigger a process-response feedback loop between social and geomorphic systems that further governs the trajectory of landscape change in coupled human-geomorphic systems.

The revolutionary importance of coal

OpenAIRE

Macfarlane, Alan

2004-01-01

Alan Macfarlane discusses the coal revolution, the change from energy harvested from the sun through plants and animals, to the stored carbon energy of millions of years of sunlight. Filmed on a coal heap in Coalbrookdale, where the industrial revolution in England began.

Commoning in the periphery – The role of the commons for understanding rural continuities and change

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Emil Sandström

2017-03-01

Full Text Available This paper explores how commons reproduce over time and introduces the concept of commoning to discuss rural continuities and change. The point of departure is that commons are essential for local community development in that they have an important role for mediating social change and for local identity production. Through an ethnographic and historical study of a number of commons systems from the village of Ängersjö in the Midwest of Sweden, the paper argues for a more historically and socially grounded understanding of how commons evolve. The paper examines Ängersjö’s commons within two broad historical time frames – the pre-industrial (4th to 20th century and the post-industrial time periods (20th century to the present – in order to understand commons, not just as arenas for resource extraction and resource struggles, but also as important contexts for identity formation, local mobilisation and for shaping rural change. The paper reveals how the commons have co-evolved with changes in society at large and how the meanings and functions of the commons have changed throughout history – from being important economic resources – to cultural and symbolic resources that have created new avenues for collective action.

Bringing radical behaviorism to revolutionary Brazil and back: Fred Keller's Personalized System of Instruction and Cold War engineering education.

Science.gov (United States)

Akera, Atsushi

2017-09-01

This article traces the shifting epistemic commitments of Fred S. Keller and his behaviorist colleagues during their application of Skinnerian radical behaviorism to higher education pedagogy. Building on prior work by Alexandra Rutherford and her focus on the successive adaptation of Skinnerian behaviorism during its successive applications, this study utilizes sociologist of science Karin Knorr Cetina's concept of epistemic cultures to more precisely trace the changes in the epistemic commitments of a group of radical behaviorists as they shifted their focus to applied behavioral analysis. The story revolves around a self-paced system of instruction known as the Personalized System of Instruction, or PSI, which utilized behaviorist principles to accelerate learning within the classroom. Unlike Skinner's entry into education, and his focus on educational technologies, Keller developed a mastery-based approach to instruction that utilized generalized reinforcers to cultivate higher-order learning behaviors. As it happens, the story also unfolds across a rather fantastic political terrain: PSI originated in the context of Brazilian revolutionary history, but circulated widely in the U.S. amidst Cold War concerns about an engineering manpower(sic) crisis. This study also presents us with an opportunity to test Knorr Cetina's conjecture about the possible use of a focus on epistemic cultures in addressing a classic problem in the sociology of science, namely unpacking the relationship between knowledge and its social context. Ultimately, however, this study complements another historical case study in applied behavioral analysis, where a difference in outcome helps to lay out the range of possible shifts in the epistemic commitments of radical behaviorists who entered different domains of application. The case study also has some practical implications for those creating distance learning environments today, which are briefly explored in the conclusion. © 2017 Wiley

Naming as Strategic Communication: Understanding Corporate Name Change through an Integrative Framework Encompassing Branding, Identity and Institutional Theory

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Schmeltz, Line; Kjeldsen, Anna Karina

2016-01-01

This article presents a framework for understanding corporate name change as strategic communication. From a corporate branding perspective, the choice of a new name can be seen as a wish to stand out from a group of similar organizations. Conversely, from an institutional perspective, name change...

How a more detailed understanding of culture is needed before successful educational change can be made.

Science.gov (United States)

Rosenthal, Meagen; Desselle, Shane; Holmes, Erin

2017-09-01

The profession of pharmacy is being afforded many important opportunities, and continues to face many challenges. To successfully address these issues schools and colleges of pharmacy must have a complete understanding of their current context, which includes culture. However, little of the work on culture in pharmacy education specifically defines what these cultures are, and equally importantly how this understanding of culture can be used to make changes, improve student learning, and ultimately develop pharmacists better prepared to improve patient outcomes. Organizational culture has been defined in a multitude of ways in the literature. Martin's three-perspectives approach, which combines integrated, differentiated, and fragmented understandings, offers one way to approach defining culture and leveraging that definition of change. Furthermore, the organizational culture profile (OCP), is one tool that can be used to identify and differentiate between Martin's three perspectives. Culture plays an important role in academic pharmacy, but before it can reach its highest potential in improving student outcomes, and faculty experience, it must be completely understood. Martin's approach and the OCP offer one way to achieve this objective. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Forests under climate change and air pollution: Gaps in understanding and future directions for research

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Matyssek, R.; Wieser, G.; Calfapietra, C.

2012-01-01

Forests in Europe face significant changes in climate, which in interaction with air quality changes, may significantly affect forest productivity, stand composition and carbon sequestration in both vegetation and soils. Identified knowledge gaps and research needs include: (i) interaction between...... changes in air quality (trace gas concentrations), climate and other site factors on forest ecosystem response, (ii) significance of biotic processes in system response, (iii) tools for mechanistic and diagnostic understanding and upscaling, and (iv) the need for unifying modelling and empirical research...... for synthesis. This position paper highlights the above focuses, including the global dimension of air pollution as part of climate change and the need for knowledge transfer to enable reliable risk assessment. A new type of research site in forest ecosystems (“supersites”) will be conducive to addressing...

Piloting a logic-based framework for understanding organisational change process for a health IT implementation.

Science.gov (United States)

Diment, Kieren; Garrety, Karin; Yu, Ping

2011-01-01

This paper describes how a method for evaluating organisational change based on the theory of logical types can be used for classifying organisational change processes to understand change after the implementation of an electronic documentation system in a residential aged care facility. In this instance we assess the organisational change reflected by care staff's perceptions of the benefits of the new documentation system at one site, at pre-implementation, and at 12 months post-implementation. The results show how a coherent view from the staff as a whole of the personal benefits, the benefits for others and the benefits for the organization create a situation of positive feedback leading to embeddedness of the documentation system into the site, and a broader appreciation of the potential capabilities of the electronic documentation system.

Managing madness, murderers and paedophiles: Understanding change in the field of English forensic psychiatry.

Science.gov (United States)

McDonald, Ruth; Furtado, Vivek; Vollm, Birgit

2016-09-01

This paper discusses changes occurring in the field of English forensic psychiatry which appear to be linked to feelings of discomfort amongst medical professionals who manage care in such settings. These changes are neither the result of a sudden 'shock' to the system, nor small improvisations at the margins, but instead appear to reflect a growing perception amongst psychiatrists of accepted field practice as inadequate for some types of patients. To understand how feelings and emotions are implicated in these changes we draw on and develop the work of Pierre Bourdieu to suggest that changes must be seen in the context of field tensions, which have implications for habitus. However, we do not view feelings of discomfort merely as a response to these tensions. Instead we suggest a more dynamic process. The habitus plays a key role in structuring what people pay attention to, how they perceive it and therefore, whether they experience particular feelings in the first place. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Moving to understanding and change.

Science.gov (United States)

Washington, Deborah

2010-05-01

Creating an environment of inclusion for a culturally diverse nursing workforce is complex. The demographic shift in the country forecasted for over a decade has arrived. Today programs set up to recruit and retain multicultural and multilingual nursing staff are important organizational priorities. Employers want to build responsive and welcoming workplaces in which all feel engaged. This requires several things. Leaders must oversee system changes stimulated by a workforce similar to newly emerging cultural groups in their areas of service. The need exists for managers to possess non-ethnocentric management skills and are competent to take charge of teams motivated by a broad range of culture based values and beliefs. Diversity training, mentoring of staff and leadership development are benchmarks of an organization at the "tipping point" of change related to employing a diverse workforce.

The Contribution of Conceptual Change Texts Accompanied by Concept Mapping to Eleventh-Grade Students Understanding of Cellular Respiration Concepts

Science.gov (United States)

Al khawaldeh, Salem A.; Al Olaimat, Ali M.

2010-01-01

The present study conducted to investigate the contribution of conceptual change texts, accompanied by concept mapping instruction to eleventh-grade students' understanding of cellular respiration concepts, and their retention of this understanding. Cellular respiration concepts test was developed as a result of examination of related literature…

Understanding Coral's Short-term Adaptive Ability to Changing Environment

Science.gov (United States)

Tisthammer, K.; Richmond, R. H.

2016-02-01

Corals in Maunalua Bay, Hawaii are under chronic pressures from sedimentation and terrestrial runoffs containing multiple pollutants as a result of large scale urbanization that has taken place in the last 100 years. However, some individual corals thrive despite the prolonged exposure to these environmental stressors, which suggests that these individuals may have adapted to withstand such stressors. A recent survey showed that the lobe coral Porites lobata from the `high-stress' nearshore site had an elevated level of stress ixnduced proteins, compared to those from the `low-stress,' less polluted offshore site. To understand the genetic basis for the observed differential stress responses between the nearshore and offshore P. lobata populations, an analysis of the lineage-scale population genetic structure, as well as a reciprocal transplant experiment were conducted. The result of the genetic analysis revealed a clear genetic differentiation between P. lobata from the nearshore site and the offshore site. Following the 30- day reciprocal transplant experiment, protein expression profiles and other stress-related physiological characteristics were compared between the two populations. The experimental results suggest that the nearshore genotype can cope better with sedimentation/pollutants than the offshore genotype. This indicates that the observed genetic differentiation is due to selection for tolerance to these environmental stressors. Understanding the little-known, linage-scale genetic variation in corals offers a critical insight into their short-term adaptive ability, which is indispensable for protecting corals from impending environmental and climate change. The results of this study also offer a valuable tool for resource managers to make effective decisions on coral reef conservation, such as designing marine protected areas that incorporate and maintain such genetic diversity, and establishing acceptable pollution run-off levels.

Understanding changes in cardiovascular pathophysiology.

Science.gov (United States)

Chummun, Harry

Cardiovascular pathophysiological changes, such as hypertension and enlarged ventricles, reflect the altered functions of the heart and its circulation during ill-health. This article examines the normal and altered anatomy of the cardiac valves, the contractile elements and enzymes of the myocardium, the significance of the different factors associated with cardiac output, and the role of the autonomic nervous system in the heart beat. It also explores how certain diseases alter these functions and result in cardiac symptoms. Nurses can benefit from knowledge of these specific changes, for example, by being able to ask relevant questions in order to ascertain the nature of a patients condition, by being able to take an effective patient history and by being able to read diagnostic results, such as electrocardiograms and cardiac enzyme results. All this will help nurses to promote sound cardiac care based on a physiological rationale.

Radioisotope tracer approach for understanding the impacts of global change-induced pedoturbation on soil C dynamics

Science.gov (United States)

Gonzalez-Meler, M. A.; Sturchio, N. C.; Sanchez-de Leon, Y.; Blanc-Betes, E.; Taneva, L.; Poghosyan, A.; Norby, R. J.; Filley, T. R.; Guilderson, T. P.; Welker, J. M.

2010-12-01

Biogeochemical carbon-cycle feedbacks to climate are apparent but uncertain, primarily because of gaps in mechanistic understanding on the ecosystem processes that drive carbon cycling and storage in terrestrial ecosystems, particularly in soils. Recent findings are increasingly recognizing the interaction between soil biota and the soil physical environment. Soil carbon turnover is partly determined by burial of organic matter and its physical and chemical protection. These factors are potentially affected by changes in climate (freezing-thawing or wet-drying cycles) or ecosystem structure including biological invasions. A major impediment to understanding dynamics of soil C in terrestrial systems is our inability to measure soil physical processes such as soil mixing rates or turnover of soil structures, including aggregates. Here we present a multiple radioisotope tracer approach (naturally occurring and man-made) to measure soil mixing rates in response to global change. We will present evidence of soil mixing rate changes in a temperate forest exposed to increased levels of atmospheric CO2 and in a tundra ecosystem exposed to increased thermal insulation. In both cases, radioisotope tracers proved to be an effective way to measure effects of global change on pedoturbation. Results also provided insights into the specific mechanisms involved in the responses. Elevated CO2 resulted in deeper soil mixing cells (increased by about 5cm on average) when compared to control soils as a consequence of changes in biota (increased root growth, higher earthworm density). In the tundra, soil warming induced higher rates of cryoturbation, resulting in what appears to be a net uplift of organic matter to the surface thereby exposing deeper C to decomposers. In both cases, global change factors affected the vertical distribution of C and changed the amount of bulk soil actively involved in soil processes. As a consequence, comparisons of C budgets to a given soil depth in

Health Behavior Change Challenge: Understanding Stages of Change

Science.gov (United States)

Sullivan, Claire F.

2011-01-01

This semester-long activity requires students to reflect on their own strengths and weaknesses in attempting to take on a personally meaningful health behavior change challenge. This assignment affords them the opportunity to take a deeper look at theory and health concepts learned throughout the semester and to see how it has informed their own…

Understanding dynamic changes in live cell adhesion with neutron reflectometry

Science.gov (United States)

Junghans, Ann

Understanding the structure and functionality of biological systems on a nanometer-resolution and short temporal scales is important for solving complex biological problems, developing innovative treatment, and advancing the design of highly functionalized biomimetic materials. For example, adhesion of cells to an underlying substrate plays a crucial role in physiology and disease development, and has been investigated with great interest for several decades. In the talk, we would like to highlight recent advances in utilizing neutron scattering to study bio-related structures in dynamic conditions (e . g . under the shear flow) including in-situ investigations of the interfacial properties of living cells. The strength of neutron reflectometry is its non-pertubative nature, the ability to probe buried interfaces with nanometer resolution and its sensitivity to light elements like hydrogen and carbon. That allows us to study details of cell - substrate interfaces that are not accessible with any other standard techniques. We studied the adhesion of human brain tumor cells (U251) to quartz substrates and their responses to the external mechanical forces. Such cells are isolated within the central nervous system which makes them difficult to reach with conventional therapies and therefore making them highly invasive. Our results reveal changes in the thickness and composition of the adhesion layer (a layer between the cell lipid membrane and the quartz substrate), largely composed of hyaluronic acid and associated proteoglycans, when the cells were subjected to shear stress. Further studies will allow us to determine more conditions triggering changes in the composition of the bio-material in the adhesion layer. This, in turn, can help to identify changes that correlate with tumor invasiveness, which can have significant medical impact for the development of targeted anti-invasive therapies.

The Prospects of Radical Change Today

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Slavoj Žižek

2018-05-01

Full Text Available In this contribution, Slavoj Žižek takes the occasion of Marx’s bicentenary for reflecting on the prospects of radical change today. First, it is shown that under Stalinism, Lenin’s works were quoted out of context in an arbitrary way in order to legitimise arbitrary political measures. Marxism thereby became an ideology that justified brutal subjective interventions. Second, this contribution poses the question of the revolutionary subject and democracy today. It stresses the role of both contingency and strategy in revolutions. In political assemblages taking place on public squares, the inert mass of ordinary people is transubstantiated into a politically engaged united force. The basic political problem today is how to best reconfigure democracy. Third, this contribution analyses the “interesting times” we live in. These are times that feature multiple crises, right-wing populism à la Donald Trump and Marine Le Pen, the lower classes’ opposition to immigration, and the refugee crisis. Questions about human rights and their violation and about radical change need to be asked in this context.

No extended sphere: the Batavian understanding of the American Constitution and the problem of faction

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Oddens, J.

2012-01-01

In 1795 the old Republic of the Seven United Provinces collapsed, and Dutch revolutionaries founded a new, "Batavian" Republic. This essay reexamines the Batavian appreciation of the example of the American Revolution by focusing on one specific political phenomenon that troubled both the American

Twentieth century North Atlantic climate change. Part II: Understanding the effect of Indian Ocean warming

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hoerling, M.P.; Xu, T.; Bates, G.T. [Climate Diagnostics Center NOAA, Boulder, CO 80305-3328 (United States); Hurrell, J.W.; Phillips, A.S. [National Center for Atmospheric Research, Boulder, CO (United States)

2004-09-01

Ensembles of atmospheric general circulation model (AGCM) experiments are used in an effort to understand the boreal winter Northern Hemisphere (NH) extratropical climate response to the observed warming of tropical sea surface temperatures (SSTs) over the last half of the twentieth Century. Specifically, we inquire about the origins of unusual, if not unprecedented, changes in the wintertime North Atlantic and European climate that are well described by a linear trend in most indices of the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO). The simulated NH atmospheric response to the linear trend component of tropic-wide SST change since 1950 projects strongly onto the positive polarity of the NAO and is a hemispheric pattern distinguished by decreased (increased) Arctic (middle latitude) sea level pressure. Progressive warming of the Indian Ocean is the principal contributor to this wintertime extratropical response, as shown through additional AGCM ensembles forced with only the SST trend in that sector. The Indian Ocean influence is further established through the reproducibility of results across three different models forced with identical, idealized patterns of the observed warming. Examination of the transient atmospheric adjustment to a sudden ''switch-on'' of an Indian Ocean SST anomaly reveals that the North Atlantic response is not consistent with linear theory and most likely involves synoptic eddy feedbacks associated with changes in the North Atlantic storm track. The tropical SST control exerted over twentieth century regional climate underlies the importance of determining the future course of tropical SST for regional climate change and its uncertainty. Better understanding of the extratropical responses to different, plausible trajectories of the tropical oceans is key to such efforts. (orig.)

The understanding of world climate change

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Petit, M.

2008-01-01

After having recalled that the problem of global warming in relationship with human activities has been studied since the end of the nineteenth century and since then by different scientific programs, the author describes how the IPCC's or Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change's report is produced. He briefly comments how Earth's temperature is determined and the various natural parameters which influence the climate on Earth. He recalls how the IPCC showed the actual influence of human activities, and which changes have actually been observed

A survey of doctors at a UK teaching hospital to assess understanding of recent changes to consent law.

Science.gov (United States)

O'Brien, J W; Natarajan, M; Shaikh, I

2017-06-01

The UK Supreme Court recently ruled that when consenting patients for treatments or procedures, clinicians must also discuss any associated material risks. We surveyed medical staff at a large UK teaching hospital in order to ascertain knowledge of consent law and current understanding of this change. Email survey sent to medical staff in all specialities at Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital in February 2016. 245 responses (141 Consultants and 104 junior doctors, response rate 32%). 82% consent patients for procedures at least monthly and 23% daily. 31% were not familiar with the concept of material risk. 35% were familiar with the recent change in consent law, 41% were not. 18% were "very uncertain" and 64% "a little uncertain" that their consenting process meets current legal requirements. >92% think that landmark cases and changes in law should be discussed through professional bodies and circulated better locally. The majority were not familiar with the concept of material risk and recent legal changes. A majority were not confident that their practice meets current requirements, suggesting that recent changes in consent law may not be widely understood at this hospital. We suggest more guidance and education may be necessary than is currently available. Increased understanding of recent changes to consent law will reduce the risk taken by NHS trusts and offer patients a service compliant with Supreme Court guidance.

Forests under climate change and air pollution: gaps in understanding and future directions for research.

Science.gov (United States)

Matyssek, R; Wieser, G; Calfapietra, C; de Vries, W; Dizengremel, P; Ernst, D; Jolivet, Y; Mikkelsen, T N; Mohren, G M J; Le Thiec, D; Tuovinen, J-P; Weatherall, A; Paoletti, E

2012-01-01

Forests in Europe face significant changes in climate, which in interaction with air quality changes, may significantly affect forest productivity, stand composition and carbon sequestration in both vegetation and soils. Identified knowledge gaps and research needs include: (i) interaction between changes in air quality (trace gas concentrations), climate and other site factors on forest ecosystem response, (ii) significance of biotic processes in system response, (iii) tools for mechanistic and diagnostic understanding and upscaling, and (iv) the need for unifying modelling and empirical research for synthesis. This position paper highlights the above focuses, including the global dimension of air pollution as part of climate change and the need for knowledge transfer to enable reliable risk assessment. A new type of research site in forest ecosystems ("supersites") will be conducive to addressing these gaps by enabling integration of experimentation and modelling within the soil-plant-atmosphere interface, as well as further model development. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

A survey of doctors at a UK teaching hospital to assess understanding of recent changes to consent law

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

J.W. O'Brien, BSc MRCS

2017-06-01

Conclusion: The majority were not familiar with the concept of material risk and recent legal changes. A majority were not confident that their practice meets current requirements, suggesting that recent changes in consent law may not be widely understood at this hospital. We suggest more guidance and education may be necessary than is currently available. Increased understanding of recent changes to consent law will reduce the risk taken by NHS trusts and offer patients a service compliant with Supreme Court guidance.

Proteome-based bacterial identification using matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization-time of flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS): A revolutionary shift in clinical diagnostic microbiology.

Science.gov (United States)

Nomura, Fumio

2015-06-01

Rapid and accurate identification of microorganisms, a prerequisite for appropriate patient care and infection control, is a critical function of any clinical microbiology laboratory. Matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization-time of flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS) is a quick and reliable method for identification of microorganisms, including bacteria, yeast, molds, and mycobacteria. Indeed, there has been a revolutionary shift in clinical diagnostic microbiology. In the present review, the state of the art and advantages of MALDI-TOF MS-based bacterial identification are described. The potential of this innovative technology for use in strain typing and detection of antibiotic resistance is also discussed. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled: Medical Proteomics. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Understanding persuasion contexts in health gamification: A systematic analysis of gamified health behavior change support systems literature.

Science.gov (United States)

Alahäivälä, Tuomas; Oinas-Kukkonen, Harri

2016-12-01

Gamification is increasingly used as a design strategy when developing behavior change support systems in the healthcare domain. It is commonly agreed that understanding the contextual factors is critical for successful gamification, but systematic analyses of the persuasive contexts have been lacking so far within gamified health intervention studies. Through a persuasion context analysis of the gamified health behavior change support systems (hBCSSs) literature, we inspect how the contextual factors have been addressed in the prior gamified health BCSS studies. The implications of this study are to provide the practitioners and researchers examples of how to conduct a systematic analysis to help guide the design and research on gamified health BCSSs. The ideas derived from the analysis of the included studies will help identify potential pitfalls and shortcomings in both the research and implementations of gamified health behavior change support systems. We systematically analyzed the persuasion contexts of 15 gamified health intervention studies. According to our results, gamified hBCSSs are implemented under different facets of lifestyle change and treatments compliance, and use a multitude of technologies and methods. We present a set of ideas and concepts to help improve endeavors in studying gamified health intervention through comprehensive understanding of the persuasive contextual factors. Future research on gamified hBCSSs should systematically compare the different combinations of contextual factors, related theories, chosen gamification strategies, and the study of outcomes to help understand how to achieve the most efficient use of gamification on the different aspects of healthcare. Analyzing the persuasion context is essential to achieve this. With the attained knowledge, those planning health interventions can choose the 'tried-and-tested' approaches for each particular situation, rather than develop solutions in an ad-hoc manner. Copyright © 2016

Understanding Culture and Influencing Change

Science.gov (United States)

2010-03-01

difference to significantly change the society from a collectivist to individualist culture .42 Pakistan scores fourteen which indicates a strongly...score lower than fifty indicating a more collectivist society. This helps the strategic leader to appreciate the importance class and culture play on...Pakistan which possess strong uncertainty avoidance scores (70) and low individualistic scores (14) - and are collectivists - rules and laws are

Paleoclimates: Understanding climate change past and present

Science.gov (United States)

Cronin, Thomas M.

2010-01-01

The field of paleoclimatology relies on physical, chemical, and biological proxies of past climate changes that have been preserved in natural archives such as glacial ice, tree rings, sediments, corals, and speleothems. Paleoclimate archives obtained through field investigations, ocean sediment coring expeditions, ice sheet coring programs, and other projects allow scientists to reconstruct climate change over much of earth's history. When combined with computer model simulations, paleoclimatic reconstructions are used to test hypotheses about the causes of climatic change, such as greenhouse gases, solar variability, earth's orbital variations, and hydrological, oceanic, and tectonic processes. This book is a comprehensive, state-of-the art synthesis of paleoclimate research covering all geological timescales, emphasizing topics that shed light on modern trends in the earth's climate. Thomas M. Cronin discusses recent discoveries about past periods of global warmth, changes in atmospheric greenhouse gas concentrations, abrupt climate and sea-level change, natural temperature variability, and other topics directly relevant to controversies over the causes and impacts of climate change. This text is geared toward advanced undergraduate and graduate students and researchers in geology, geography, biology, glaciology, oceanography, atmospheric sciences, and climate modeling, fields that contribute to paleoclimatology. This volume can also serve as a reference for those requiring a general background on natural climate variability.

The Collaboration of Cooperative Learning and Conceptual Change: Enhancing the Students' Understanding of Chemical Bonding Concepts

Science.gov (United States)

Eymur, Gülüzar; Geban, Ömer

2017-01-01

The main purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of cooperative learning based on conceptual change approach instruction on ninth-grade students' understanding in chemical bonding concepts compared to traditional instruction. Seventy-two ninth-grade students from two intact chemistry classes taught by the same teacher in a public high…

Age-Related Changes in Children's Understanding of Effort and Ability: Implications for Attribution Theory and Motivation

Science.gov (United States)

Folmer, Amy S.; Cole, David A.; Sigal, Amanda B.; Benbow, Lovisa D.; Satterwhite, Lindsay F.; Swygert, Katherine E.; Ciesla, Jeffrey A.

2008-01-01

Building on Nicholls's earlier work, we examined developmental changes in children's understanding of effort and ability when faced with a negative outcome. In a sample of 166 children and adolescents (ages 5-15 years), younger children conflated the meaning of effort and ability, explaining that smart students work hard, whereas older children…

From Oil Crisis to Climate Change. Understanding CO2 Emission Trends in IEA Countries

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Unander, F.

2003-11-01

OECD CO2 emissions from fuel combustion increased 13% between 1990 and 2001. This signals an important shift since, over the 1973 to 1990 period, emissions only increased by 3.4%. As a result, CO2 emissions from energy use (fuel combustion) contributed 81.1% of total OECD greenhouse gas emissions in 2001 compared to 77.7% in 1990. As these figures make clear, reducing CO2 emissions from fuel combustion constitutes a key challenge to combat climate change. Developing and successfully implementing the most efficient policies for reducing CO2 emissions requires a good understanding of how factors such as income, prices, demography, economic structure, lifestyle, climate, energy efficiency and fuel mix affect energy use and resulting CO2 emissions. This paper presents selected results from the analysis of CO2 developments included in the IEA publication 'From Oil Crisis to Climate Challenge: 30 Years of Energy Use in IEA Countries'. The paper gives a brief overview of aggregate CO2 emission trends and of how recent developments in selected IEA countries compare to emissions levels implied by the Kyoto targets. A deeper understanding of the aggregate trends is provided by showing results from a decomposition analysis and by discussing developments in key end-use sectors. The full publication presents a more detailed analysis of how various factors have shaped energy use patterns and CO2 emissions since 1973. The analysis draws on a newly developed database with detailed information on energy use in the manufacturing, household, service and transport sectors. The database represents the most disaggregated information available on a consistent basis across countries and sectors. The study uses quantitative measures to illustrate the forces that drive or restrain energy use. These measures - or indicators - include: activities such as manufacturing output or heated-floor-area of homes; structural developments such as changes in manufacturing output mix or changes in the

A remedy against delinquency: child labour in lock-up institutions in post-revolutionary Mexico City

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sosenski, Susana

2008-12-01

Full Text Available In post-revolutionary Mexico City, work therapy prevailed over other treatments used to correct what was considered a social disease: child delinquency. Thousands of children took up the fields of farm schools as well as workshops in reformatories and industrial schools. The manual labor carried out by children of the popular sectors was used in childhood establishments as a way to make up for what they received in those places. Based on the logic that work as regenerator of a sick body and an ill mind, the Mexican state tried to turn the young delinquents into the future workers.

En la Ciudad de México, durante el periodo posrevolucionario la terapéutica del trabajo se impuso frente a otros tratamientos como forma de prevenir y corregir lo que se consideraba una enfermedad social: la delincuencia infantil. Mientras miles de niños ocuparon los campos de cultivo de las escuelas granjas y las decenas de talleres de las correccionales y escuelas industriales. La mano de obra de los niños de los sectores populares fue utilizada en establecimientos de «protección» a la infancia como retribución a lo que recibían en estos lugares. Bajo la lógica del trabajo como regenerador de un cuerpo y una mente enferma, se pretendió convertir a los niños infractores en los futuros trabajadores y de esa forma incorporarlos al proyecto económico del Estado mexicano.

iRESM INITIATIVE UNDERSTANDING DECISION SUPPORT NEEDS FOR CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION AND ADAPTATION --US Midwest Region—

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Rice, Jennie S.; Runci, Paul J.; Moss, Richard H.; Anderson, Kate L.

2010-10-01

The impacts of climate change are already affecting human and environmental systems worldwide, yet many uncertainties persist in the prediction of future climate changes and impacts due to limitations in scientific understanding of relevant causal factors. In particular, there is mounting urgency to efforts to improve models of human and environmental systems at the regional scale, and to integrate climate, ecosystem and energy-economic models to support policy, investment, and risk management decisions related to climate change mitigation (i.e., reducing greenhouse gas emissions) and adaptation (i.e., responding to climate change impacts). The Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) is developing a modeling framework, the integrated Regional Earth System Model (iRESM), to address regional human-environmental system interactions in response to climate change and the uncertainties therein. The framework will consist of a suite of integrated models representing regional climate change, regional climate policy, and the regional economy, with a focus on simulating the mitigation and adaptation decisions made over time in the energy, transportation, agriculture, and natural resource management sectors.

Hegemony, technological innovation and corporate identities : 50 years of agricultural revolutions in Argentina

OpenAIRE

Gras, C.; Hernandez, Valeria

2016-01-01

The technological changes that have occurred since the mid-1960s in Argentine agriculture - first the Green Revolution and then the Agribusiness Paradigm - have been conceptualized as revolutionary not only with regard to their productivity improvements but also because they brought with them a change of mentality. Based on two different business conceptions, during each period an agrarian elite led the revolutionary' process, offering a technological response as the means of guaranteeing agr...

Understanding Social Media’s Take on Climate Change through Large-Scale Analysis of Targeted Opinions and Emotions

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Pathak, Neetu; Henry, Michael J.; Volkova, Svitlana

2017-03-29

Social media is a powerful data source for researchers interested in understanding population-level behavior, having been successfully leveraged in a number of different application areas including flu and illness prediction models, detecting civil unrest, and measuring public sentiment towards a given topic of interest within the public discourse. In this work, we present a study of a large collection of Twitter data centered on the social conversation around global cli- mate change during the UN Climate Change Conference, held in Paris, France during December 2015 (COP21). We first developed a mechanism for distinguishing between personal and non-personal accounts. We then analyzed demographics and emotion and opinion dynamics over time and location in order to understand how the different user types converse around meaningful topics on social media. This methodology offers an in-depth insight into the behavior and opinions around a topic where multiple distinct narratives are present, and lays the groundwork for future work in studying narratives in social media.

Revolutionary business trends in supply chain management

OpenAIRE

Mijušković Veljko

2010-01-01

Contemporary turbulent business conditions in the era of high technology bring inherent rapid changes. In order to survive, the imperative set upon all market players is not the position of a follower but more of an anticipator and trend setter. These unexpected changes erase existing business models, traditional enterprise paradigms and customary philosophies. A business isolated in its way of seeing operations and unconnected with other strategic constituents within the supply chain is dest...

Technical aspects in understanding effects of gamma irradiation on flower colour changes in Dendrobium Sonia

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sakinah Ariffin; Azhar Mohammad; Ratnam, W.

2012-01-01

Colour is one of the most important traits in orchids and has created great interest in breeding programmes. Gamma irradiation is an alternative way for generation of somaclonal variation for new flower colours. Phenotypic changes are usually observed during screening and selection of mutants. Understanding of targeted gene expression level and evaluation of the changes facilitate in the development of functional markers for selection of desired flower colour mutants. Four Dendrobium orchid sequences (NCBI accessions: AM490639, AY41319, FM209429 and DQ462460) were selected to design gene specific primers based on information for chalcone synthase (CHS) from NCBI database. Quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR) was used to understand flower colour expression quantitatively derived from the CHS gene activities in different flower tissues (petal and sepal) from control Dendrobium Sonia (red purple), mutant DS 35-1/M (purple pink) and mutant DS 35-WhiteA. It was found that expression of CHS gene was highest in sepals of white flowers and lowest in both sepals and petals of purple pink flowers. Genomic DNA was amplified and PCR products were sequenced, aligned and compared. Sequence variations of CHS partial gene in Dendrobium Sonia mutants with different flower colour showed that two protein positions have been changed as compared to the control. These non-synonymous mutations may have contributed to the colour alterations in the white and purple pink mutants. This paper describes important procedures to quantify gene expression such as RNA isolation (quantity and quality), cDNA synthesis and primer design steps for CHS genes. (author)

A student's guide to Einstein's major papers

CERN Document Server

Kennedy, Robert E

2012-01-01

Our understanding of the physical universe underwent a revolution in the early twentieth century - evolving from the classical physics of Newton, Galileo, and Maxwell to the modern physics of relativity and quantum mechanics. The dominant figure in this revolutionary change was Albert Einstein. In a single year, 1905, Einstein produced breakthrough works in three areas of physics: on the size and the effects of atoms; on the quantization of the electromagnetic field; and on the special theory of relativity. In 1916 he produced a fourth breakthrough work, the general theory of relativity. A Student's Guide to Einstein's Major Papers focuses on Einstein's contributions, setting his major works into their historical context, and then takes the reader through the details of each paper, including the mathematics. This book helps the reader appreciate the simplicity and insightfulness of Einstein's ideas and how revolutionary his work was, and locate it in the evolution of scientific thought begun by the ancient...

Understanding and managing change in health care organizations.

Science.gov (United States)

Nagaike, K

1997-01-01

Change impacts affected people and often causes difficulties. Health care organizations, locally and nationally, have undergone tremendous change to deliver quality services in a more effective and efficient manner in a competitive environment, with varying degrees of success. This article presents Robbins's categories of change and relates them to current changes in health care organizations. It discusses areas to consider to develop adaptable plans and to assist affected employees to better deal with these changes throughout the transition.

From the Field to the Classroom: Developing Scientifically Literate Citizens Using the Understanding Global Change Framework in Education and Citizen Science

Science.gov (United States)

Toupin, C.; Bean, J. R.; Gavenus, K.; Johnson, H.; Toupin, S.

2017-12-01

With the copious amount of science and pseudoscience reported on by non-experts in the media, it is critical for educators to help students develop into scientifically literate citizens. One of the most direct ways to help students develop deep scientific understanding and the skills to critically question the information they encounter is to bring science into their daily experiences and to contextualize scientific inquiry within the classroom. Our work aims to use a systems-based models approach to engage students in science, in both formal and informal contexts. Using the Understanding Global Change (UGC) and the Understanding Science models developed at the Museum of Paleontology at UC Berkeley, high school students from Arizona were tasked with developing a viable citizen science program for use at the Center for Alaskan Coastal Studies in Homer, Alaska. Experts used the UGC model to help students define why they were doing the work, and give context to the importance of citizen science. Empowered with an understanding of the scientific process, excited by the purpose of their work and how it could contribute to the scientific community, students whole-heartedly worked together to develop intertidal monitoring protocols for two locations while staying at Peterson Bay Field Station, Homer. Students, instructors, and scientists used system models to communicate and discuss their understanding of the biological, physical, and chemical processes in Kachemak Bay. This systems-based models approach is also being used in an integrative high school physics, chemistry, and biology curriculum in a truly unprecedented manner. Using the Understanding Global Change framework to organize curriculum scope and sequence, the course addresses how the earth systems work, how interdisciplinary science knowledge is necessary to understand those systems, and how scientists and students can measure changes within those systems.

Breakthrough! 100 astronomical images that changed the world

CERN Document Server

Gendler, Robert

2015-01-01

This unique volume by two renowned astrophotographers unveils the science and history behind 100 of the most significant astronomical images of all time. The authors have carefully selected their list of images from across time and technology to bring to the reader the most relevant photographic images spanning all eras of modern astronomical history.    Based on scientific evidence today we have a basic notion of how Earth and the universe came to be. The road to this knowledge was paved with 175 years of astronomical images acquired by the coupling of two revolutionary technologies – the camera and telescope. With ingenuity and determination humankind would quickly embrace these technologies to tell the story of the cosmos and unravel its mysteries.   This book presents in pictures and words a photographic chronology of our aspiration to understand the universe. From the first fledgling attempts to photograph the Moon, planets, and stars to the marvels of orbiting observatories that record the cosmos a...

The nature of science and the preservice elementary teacher: Changes in understanding and practice

Science.gov (United States)

Rivas, Michael Gerald

This action research project studies preservice elementary teachers in a science methods course. The purpose of this research project was to enhance preservice teachers' understanding of specific nature of science (NOS) tenets so as to promote equity and access within the elementary science classroom. In particular, I chose five NOS tenets that were listed in the first chapter of the AAAS (1989) document titled, "The Nature of Science," and connected them to equitable educational goals and practices. The theoretical framework guiding this study came from bodies of scholarship relating to the NOS, social constructivism, and action research. This study addressed the following three questions: (1) What opportunities were provided the preservice teachers so that they could enhance their understandings of the NOS? (2) What were the changes in preservice teachers' understanding of the NOS as a result? (3) How did the prospective teachers' understandings of the NOS translate into their classroom practice? The analysis revealed that the science methods course's operational curriculum consisted of implicit and explicit teaching of the NOS, as well as intended and untended NOS tenets. The prospective teachers initially held a limited view of the NOS, but by the end of the course their view had been enhanced. In addition, the participants made direct connections between their new understandings of the NOS and equity and access in the science classroom. In their teaching, the preservice teachers as a group implicitly taught all five of the NOS tenets. In fact, a majority taught three of the five intended tenets. Explicitly, only one tenet was taught, but it was taught with a direct connection to making the science classroom more inclusive. The findings of this study indicate that preservice teachers can have their views of the NOS enhanced even though they may have experienced years of deficient science instruction. They pointed out that this enhanced view of the NOS can be

Advances in Understanding Energy Consumption Behavior and the Governance of Its Change – Outline of an Integrated Framework

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Burger, Paul, E-mail: paul.burger@unibas.ch [Sustainability Research Group, University of Basel, Basel (Switzerland); Bezençon, Valéry [Enterprise Institute, University of Neuchâtel, Neuchâtel (Switzerland); Bornemann, Basil [Sustainability Research Group, University of Basel, Basel (Switzerland); Brosch, Tobias [Department of Psychology, Swiss Center for Affective Sciences, University of Geneva, Geneva (Switzerland); Carabias-Hütter, Vicente [Institute of Sustainable Development, Zurich University of Applied Sciences, Winterthur (Switzerland); Farsi, Mehdi [Institute of Economic Research, University of Neuchâtel, Neuchâtel (Switzerland); Hille, Stefanie Lena [Institute for Economy and the Environment, University of St. Gallen, St. Gallen (Switzerland); Moser, Corinne [Institute of Sustainable Development, Zurich University of Applied Sciences, Winterthur (Switzerland); Ramseier, Céline [Center for Energy Policy and Economics, ETH Zurich, Zurich (Switzerland); Samuel, Robin [Institute of Sociology, University of Bern, Bern (Switzerland); Social Research and Methodology Group, University of Basel, Basel (Switzerland); Sander, David [Department of Psychology, Swiss Center for Affective Sciences, University of Geneva, Geneva (Switzerland); Schmidt, Stephan; Sohre, Annika [Sustainability Research Group, University of Basel, Basel (Switzerland); Volland, Benjamin [Institute of Economic Research, University of Neuchâtel, Neuchâtel (Switzerland)

2015-06-15

Transforming today’s energy systems in industrialized countries requires a substantial reduction of the total energy consumption at the individual level. Selected instruments have been found to be effective in changing people’s behavior in single domains. However, the so far weak success story on reducing overall energy consumption indicates that our understanding of the determining factors of individual energy consumption as well as of its change is far from being conclusive. Among others, the scientific state of the art is dominated by analyzing single domains of consumption and by neglecting embodied energy. It also displays strong disciplinary splits and the literature often fails to distinguish between explaining behavior and explaining change of behavior. Moreover, there are knowledge gaps regarding the legitimacy and effectiveness of the governance of individual consumption behavior and its change. Against this backdrop, the aim of this paper is to establish an integrated interdisciplinary framework that offers a systematic basis for linking the different aspects in research on energy related consumption behavior, thus paving the way for establishing a better evidence base to inform societal actions. The framework connects the three relevant analytical aspects of the topic in question: (1) it systematically and conceptually frames the objects, i.e., the energy consumption behavior and its change (explananda); (2) it structures the factors that potentially explain the energy consumption behavior and its change (explanantia); (3) it provides a differentiated understanding of change inducing interventions in terms of governance. Based on the existing states of the art approaches from different disciplines within the social sciences, the proposed framework is supposed to guide interdisciplinary empirical research.

Advances in Understanding Energy Consumption Behavior and the Governance of Its Change – Outline of an Integrated Framework

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Burger, Paul; Bezençon, Valéry; Bornemann, Basil; Brosch, Tobias; Carabias-Hütter, Vicente; Farsi, Mehdi; Hille, Stefanie Lena; Moser, Corinne; Ramseier, Céline; Samuel, Robin; Sander, David; Schmidt, Stephan; Sohre, Annika; Volland, Benjamin

2015-01-01

Transforming today’s energy systems in industrialized countries requires a substantial reduction of the total energy consumption at the individual level. Selected instruments have been found to be effective in changing people’s behavior in single domains. However, the so far weak success story on reducing overall energy consumption indicates that our understanding of the determining factors of individual energy consumption as well as of its change is far from being conclusive. Among others, the scientific state of the art is dominated by analyzing single domains of consumption and by neglecting embodied energy. It also displays strong disciplinary splits and the literature often fails to distinguish between explaining behavior and explaining change of behavior. Moreover, there are knowledge gaps regarding the legitimacy and effectiveness of the governance of individual consumption behavior and its change. Against this backdrop, the aim of this paper is to establish an integrated interdisciplinary framework that offers a systematic basis for linking the different aspects in research on energy related consumption behavior, thus paving the way for establishing a better evidence base to inform societal actions. The framework connects the three relevant analytical aspects of the topic in question: (1) it systematically and conceptually frames the objects, i.e., the energy consumption behavior and its change (explananda); (2) it structures the factors that potentially explain the energy consumption behavior and its change (explanantia); (3) it provides a differentiated understanding of change inducing interventions in terms of governance. Based on the existing states of the art approaches from different disciplines within the social sciences, the proposed framework is supposed to guide interdisciplinary empirical research.

What is needed to understand feedback mechanisms from agricultural and climate changes that can alter the hydrological system and the transport of sediments and agricultural chemicals?

Science.gov (United States)

Coupe, Richard; Payraudeau, Sylvain; Babcsányi, Izabella; Imfeld, Gwenaël

2015-04-01

Modern agriculture activities are constantly changing as producers try to produce a crop, keep their soils fertile, control pests, and prevent contamination of air and water resources. Because most of the world's arable land is already in production we must become more efficient if we are to feed and clothe the world's growing population as well as do this in a sustainable manner; leaving a legacy of fertile soil and clean water resources for our descendants. The objective of this paper is to demonstrate the importance of historical datasets and of developing new strategies to understand the effects of changing agricultural systems on the environment. Scientists who study agriculture and its effects on water must constantly adapt their strategies and evaluate how changing agricultural activities impact the environment. As well as understand from historical datasets on hydrology and agriculture how a changing climate or agricultural activity such as a change in tillage method might impact the processes that determine the movement of agricultural chemicals off of the target site. The 42.7 ha Hohrain (Rouffach, Alsace, France) vineyard experimental catchment offers several examples of how scientists have used historical data from this catchment to understand how the transport of agricultural chemicals may change due to a changing climate as well as how new strategies are developed for understanding the transport of agricultural chemicals. Runoff is a major process of pesticide transport from agricultural land to downstream aquatic ecosystems. The impact of rainfall characteristics on the transport of runoff-related pesticides is crucial to understanding how to prevent or minimize their movement now, but also in understanding how climate change might affect runoff. If we understand how rainfall characteristics affect the transport of pesticides, we can use climate change models to predict how those characteristics might change in the future and be better prepared for

The coming alliance revolution in health care.

Science.gov (United States)

Lynch, R P

1993-01-01

Like it or not, the health care profession is being "shifted" into a revolutionary new world. The question is not will it change but rather how will it change? Who will determine its fate? What form will these changes take? What are the best alternatives for physicians, institutions, health care workers, insurers, employers, and, most importantly, patients? Some of the changes will come from government mandate, others from market forces. To understand what the future might bring, we should look at both the driving forces behind the changes and how other industries have responded to similar forces. An important consideration for health care professionals will be how, if at all, the concepts of collaboration and cooperation that are inherent in networking and alliances will guide their planning.

Statistical Primer for Athletic Trainers: The Essentials of Understanding Measures of Reliability and Minimal Important Change.

Science.gov (United States)

Riemann, Bryan L; Lininger, Monica R

2018-01-01

  To describe the concepts of measurement reliability and minimal important change.   All measurements have some magnitude of error. Because clinical practice involves measurement, clinicians need to understand measurement reliability. The reliability of an instrument is integral in determining if a change in patient status is meaningful.   Measurement reliability is the extent to which a test result is consistent and free of error. Three perspectives of reliability-relative reliability, systematic bias, and absolute reliability-are often reported. However, absolute reliability statistics, such as the minimal detectable difference, are most relevant to clinicians because they provide an expected error estimate. The minimal important difference is the smallest change in a treatment outcome that the patient would identify as important.   Clinicians should use absolute reliability characteristics, preferably the minimal detectable difference, to determine the extent of error around a patient's measurement. The minimal detectable difference, coupled with an appropriately estimated minimal important difference, can assist the practitioner in identifying clinically meaningful changes in patients.

The Promise and Limitations of Using Analogies to Improve Decision-Relevant Understanding of Climate Change.

Science.gov (United States)

Raimi, Kaitlin T; Stern, Paul C; Maki, Alexander

2017-01-01

To make informed choices about how to address climate change, members of the public must develop ways to consider established facts of climate science and the uncertainties about its future trajectories, in addition to the risks attendant to various responses, including non-response, to climate change. One method suggested for educating the public about these issues is the use of simple mental models, or analogies comparing climate change to familiar domains such as medical decision making, disaster preparedness, or courtroom trials. Two studies were conducted using online participants in the U.S.A. to test the use of analogies to highlight seven key decision-relevant elements of climate change, including uncertainties about when and where serious damage may occur, its unprecedented and progressive nature, and tradeoffs in limiting climate change. An internal meta-analysis was then conducted to estimate overall effect sizes across the two studies. Analogies were not found to inform knowledge about climate literacy facts. However, results suggested that people found the medical analogy helpful and that it led people-especially political conservatives-to better recognize several decision-relevant attributes of climate change. These effects were weak, perhaps reflecting a well-documented and overwhelming effect of political ideology on climate change communication and education efforts in the U.S.A. The potential of analogies and similar education tools to improve understanding and communication in a polarized political environment are discussed.

The Promise and Limitations of Using Analogies to Improve Decision-Relevant Understanding of Climate Change

Science.gov (United States)

Stern, Paul C.; Maki, Alexander

2017-01-01

To make informed choices about how to address climate change, members of the public must develop ways to consider established facts of climate science and the uncertainties about its future trajectories, in addition to the risks attendant to various responses, including non-response, to climate change. One method suggested for educating the public about these issues is the use of simple mental models, or analogies comparing climate change to familiar domains such as medical decision making, disaster preparedness, or courtroom trials. Two studies were conducted using online participants in the U.S.A. to test the use of analogies to highlight seven key decision-relevant elements of climate change, including uncertainties about when and where serious damage may occur, its unprecedented and progressive nature, and tradeoffs in limiting climate change. An internal meta-analysis was then conducted to estimate overall effect sizes across the two studies. Analogies were not found to inform knowledge about climate literacy facts. However, results suggested that people found the medical analogy helpful and that it led people—especially political conservatives—to better recognize several decision-relevant attributes of climate change. These effects were weak, perhaps reflecting a well-documented and overwhelming effect of political ideology on climate change communication and education efforts in the U.S.A. The potential of analogies and similar education tools to improve understanding and communication in a polarized political environment are discussed. PMID:28135337

The Promise and Limitations of Using Analogies to Improve Decision-Relevant Understanding of Climate Change.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kaitlin T Raimi

Full Text Available To make informed choices about how to address climate change, members of the public must develop ways to consider established facts of climate science and the uncertainties about its future trajectories, in addition to the risks attendant to various responses, including non-response, to climate change. One method suggested for educating the public about these issues is the use of simple mental models, or analogies comparing climate change to familiar domains such as medical decision making, disaster preparedness, or courtroom trials. Two studies were conducted using online participants in the U.S.A. to test the use of analogies to highlight seven key decision-relevant elements of climate change, including uncertainties about when and where serious damage may occur, its unprecedented and progressive nature, and tradeoffs in limiting climate change. An internal meta-analysis was then conducted to estimate overall effect sizes across the two studies. Analogies were not found to inform knowledge about climate literacy facts. However, results suggested that people found the medical analogy helpful and that it led people-especially political conservatives-to better recognize several decision-relevant attributes of climate change. These effects were weak, perhaps reflecting a well-documented and overwhelming effect of political ideology on climate change communication and education efforts in the U.S.A. The potential of analogies and similar education tools to improve understanding and communication in a polarized political environment are discussed.

Butterfly effect: understanding and mitigating the local consequences of climate change impacts

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lorenz, Donna

2007-01-01

Full text: The Butterfly Effect is the notion that tiny differences in initial conditions are amplified in the evolution of a dynamic system and directly affect the eventual outcome. In 1963 mathematician and meteorologist Edward Lorenz proposed that the flapping of a butterfly's wing would cause a disturbance that becomes exponentially amplified so as to eventually affect large-scale atmospheric motion. This was to illustrate the 'sensitive dependence on initial conditions'; sensitivity also true in affecting the extent of damages experienced as a result of climate change. In a climate change context, The Butterfly Effect suggests the local consequences of climate change impacts will depend on their interaction with the economic, environmental, institutional, technological and demographic attributes unique to a city or region. It is this mix of factors that will determine the extent, both positively and negatively, to which climate change will be experienced locally. For a truly effective climate change response, it is imperative that regional risk assessments and adaptation strategies take into account not only the projected impacts but the full range of flow-on implications of those impacts and their sensitivity factors. Understanding of the sensitivity factors that will amplify or mitigate climate change impacts and implications enables government and business leaders to calculate the likely extent of localised damages if no adaptation is undertaken. This allows industries and communities to evaluate the likely significance of a particular impact and to consider how to adjust or counter the sensitivity factor to build resilience and reduce vulnerability. Thus, it also assists in the local prioritisation of issues and responses. Such a strategic response can also mean the required adaptation measures may be less extensive and thereby require less cost and time to implement. This paper discusses the flow-on implications of Australia's projected climate change

Understanding Puberty (For Parents)

Science.gov (United States)

... Safe Videos for Educators Search English Español Understanding Puberty KidsHealth / For Parents / Understanding Puberty What's in this ... your child through all the changes? Stages of Puberty Sure, most of us know the telltale signs ...

Understanding The Process Of Strategic Change From A Structurational And Cognitive Perspective: Case Study Of The Users Of A New Technology

OpenAIRE

Slocum, Alesia

2007-01-01

How does strategic change happen, and how is it understood around technology? This ethnographic research has sought to better understand this process, from a structurational, cognitive and practice perspective. Researchers have shown that change is a continuous and ongoing process (Tsoukas and Chia, 2002; Weick and Quinn, 1999), while others have shown that change, while not determinate, can be intentional and directed to a large extent by change agents in practice (Balogun ...

Global change and modern coral reefs: New opportunities to understand shallow-water carbonate depositional processes

Science.gov (United States)

Hallock, Pamela

2005-04-01

Human activities are impacting coral reefs physically, biologically, and chemically. Nutrification, sedimentation, chemical pollution, and overfishing are significant local threats that are occurring worldwide. Ozone depletion and global warming are triggering mass coral-bleaching events; corals under temperature stress lose the ability to synthesize protective sunscreens and become more sensitive to sunlight. Photo-oxidative stress also reduces fitness, rendering reef-building organisms more susceptible to emerging diseases. Increasing concentration of atmospheric CO 2 has already reduced CaCO 3 saturation in surface waters by more than 10%. Doubling of atmospheric CO 2 concentration over pre-industrial concentration in the 21st century may reduce carbonate production in tropical shallow marine environments by as much as 80%. As shallow-water reefs decline worldwide, opportunities abound for researchers to expand understanding of carbonate depositional systems. Coordinated studies of carbonate geochemistry with photozoan physiology and calcification, particularly in cool subtropical-transition zones between photozoan-reef and heterotrophic carbonate-ramp communities, will contribute to understanding of carbonate sedimentation under environmental change, both in the future and in the geologic record. Cyanobacteria are becoming increasingly prominent on declining reefs, as these microbes can tolerate strong solar radiation, higher temperatures, and abundant nutrients. The responses of reef-dwelling cyanobacteria to environmental parameters associated with global change are prime topics for further research, with both ecological and geological implications.

Using Geomorphic Change Detection to Understand Restoration Project Success Relative to Stream Size

Science.gov (United States)

Yeager, A.; Segura, C.

2017-12-01

Large wood (LW) jams have long been utilized as a stream restoration strategy to create fish habitat, with a strong focus on Coho salmon in the Pacific Northwest. These projects continue to be implemented despite limited understanding of their success in streams of different size. In this study, we assessed the changes triggered by LW introductions in 10 alluvial plane bed reaches with varying drainage areas (3.9-22 km²) and bankfull widths (6.4-14.7 m) in one Oregon Coast Range basin. In this basin, LW was added in an effort to improve winter rearing habitat for Coho salmon. We used detailed topographic mapping (0.5 m² resolution) to describe the local stream and floodplain geometry. Pebble counts were used to monitor changes in average substrate size after the LW addition. Field surveys were conducted immediately after the LW were installed, in the summer of 2016, and one year after installation, in the summer of 2017. We used geomorphic change detection analysis to quantify the amount of scour and deposition at each site along with changes in average bankfull width. Then we determined the relative amount of change among all sites to identify which size stream changed the most. We also modeled fluctuations in water surface elevation at each site, correlating frequency and inundation of the LW with geomorphic changes detected from the topographic surveys. Preliminary results show an increase in channel width and floodplain connectivity at all sites, indicating an increase in off-channel habitat for juvenile Coho salmon. Bankfull widths increased up to 75% in small sites and up to 25% in large sites. Median grain size became coarser in large streams (increased up to 20%), while we saw a similar amount of fining at smaller sites. The overall increase in channel width is compensated by an overall decrease in bed elevation at both large and small sites, suggesting the maintenance of overall geomorphic equilibrium. Further work will include quantifying these

Missouri Agricultural Energy Saving Team-A Revolutionary Opportunity (MAESTRO)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

McIntosh, Jane [MDA; Schumacher, Leon [University of Missouri

2014-10-23

The Missouri Agricultural Energy Saving Team-A Revolutionary Opportunity (MAESTRO) program brought together a team of representatives from government, academia, and private industry to enhance the availability of energy efficiency services for small livestock producers in the State of Missouri. The Missouri Department of Agriculture (MDA) managed the project via a subcontract with the University of Missouri (MU), College of Agriculture Food and Natural Resources, MU Extension, the MU College of Human Environmental Sciences, the MU College of Engineering, and the Missouri Agricultural and Small Business Development Authority (MASBDA). MU teamed with EnSave, Inc, a nationally-recognized expert in agricultural energy efficiency to assist with marketing, outreach, provision of farm energy audits and customer service. MU also teamed with independent home contractors to facilitate energy audits of the farm buildings and homes of these livestock producers. The goals of the project were to: (1) improve the environment by reducing fossil fuel emissions and reducing the total energy used on small animal farms; (2) stimulate the economy of local and regional communities by creating or retaining jobs; and (3) improve the profitability of Missouri livestock producers by reducing their energy expenditures. Historically, Missouri scientists/engineers conducted programs on energy use in agriculture, such as in equipment, grain handling and tillage practices. The MAESTRO program was the first to focus strictly on energy efficiency associated with livestock production systems in Missouri and to investigate the applicability and potential of addressing energy efficiency in animal production from a building efficiency perspective. A. Project Objectives The goal of the MAESTRO program was to strengthen the financial viability and environmental soundness of Missouri's small animal farms by helping them implement energy efficient technologies for the production facility, farm

Understanding Indian Institutional Networks and Participation in Water Management Adaptation to Climate Change

Science.gov (United States)

Azhoni, A.; Holman, I.; Jude, S.

2014-12-01

Adaptation to climate change for water management involves complex interactions between different actors and sectors. The need to understand the relationships between key stakeholder institutions (KSIs) is increasingly recognized. The complexity of water management in India has meant that enhancing adaptive capacity through improved inter-institutional networks remains a challenge for both government and non-governmental institutions. To analyse such complex inter-actions this study has used Social Network and Stakeholder Analysis tools to quantify the participation of, and interactions between, each KSI in the climate change adaptation and water discourse based on keyword analysis of their online presence. Using NodeXL, a Social Network Analysis tool, network diagrams have been used to evaluate the inter-relationships between these KSIs. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with twenty-five KSIs to identify the main barriers to adaptation and to triangulate the findings of the e-documents analysis. The analysis found that there is an inverse relationship between institutions' reference to water and climate change in their web-documents. Most institutions emphasize mitigation rather than adaptation. Bureaucratic delays, poor coordination between the KSIs, unclear policies and systemic deficiencies are identified as key barriers to improving adaptive capacity within water management to climate change. However, the increasing attention being given to the perceived climate change impacts on the water sector and improving the inter-institutional networks are some of the opportunities for Indian water institutions. Although websites of Union Government Institutions seldom directly hyperlink to one another, they are linked through "bridging" websites which have the potential to act as brokers for enhancing adaptive capacity. The research has wider implications for analysis of complex inter-disciplinary and inter-institutional issues involving multi stakeholders.

Understanding Perceptions of Climate Change, Priorities, and Decision-Making among Municipalities in Lima, Peru to Better Inform Adaptation and Mitigation Planning.

Science.gov (United States)

Siña, Mariella; Wood, Rachel C; Saldarriaga, Enrique; Lawler, Joshua; Zunt, Joseph; Garcia, Patricia; Cárcamo, César

2016-01-01

Climate change poses multiple risks to the population of Lima, the largest city and capital of Peru, located on the Pacific coast in a desert ecosystem. These risks include increased water scarcity, increased heat, and the introduction and emergence of vector-borne and other climate sensitive diseases. To respond to these threats, it is necessary for the government, at every level, to adopt more mitigation and adaptation strategies. Here, focus groups were conducted with representatives from five Lima municipalities to determine priorities, perception of climate change, and decision-making processes for implementing projects within each municipality. These factors can affect the ability and desire of a community to implement climate change adaptation and mitigation strategies. The results show that climate change and other environmental factors are of relatively low priority, whereas public safety and water and sanitation services are of highest concern. Perhaps most importantly, climate change is not well understood among the municipalities. Participants had trouble distinguishing climate change from other environmental issues and did not fully understand its causes and effects. Greater understanding of what climate change is and why it is important is necessary for it to become a priority for the municipalities. Different aspects of increased climate change awareness seem to be connected to having experienced extreme weather events, whether related or not to climate change, and to higher socioeconomic status.

A multiple-proxy approach to understanding rapid Holocene climate change in Southeast Greenland

Science.gov (United States)

Davin, S. H.; Bradley, R. S.; Balascio, N. L.; de Wet, G.

2012-12-01

The susceptibility of the Arctic to climate change has made it an excellent workshop for paleoclimatological research. Although there have been previous studies concerning climate variability carried out in the Arctic, there remains a critical dearth of knowledge due the limited number of high-resolution Holocene climate-proxy records available from this region. This gap skews our understanding of observed and predicted climate change, and fuels uncertainty both in the realms of science and policy. This study takes a comprehensive approach to tracking Holocene climate variability in the vicinity of Tasiilaq, Southeast Greenland using a ~5.6 m sediment core from Lower Sermilik Lake. An age-depth model for the core has been established using 8 radiocarbon dates, the oldest of which was taken at 4 m down core and has been been dated to approximately 6.2 kyr BP. The bottom meter of the core below the final radiocarbon date contains a transition from cobbles and coarse sand to organic-rich laminations, indicating the termination of direct glacial influence and therefore likely marking the end of the last glacial period in this region. The remainder of the core is similarly organic-rich, with light-to-dark brown laminations ranging from 0.5 -1 cm in thickness and riddled with turbidites. Using this core in tandem with findings from an on-site assessment of the geomorphic history of the locale we attempt to assess and infer the rapid climatic shifts associated with the Holocene on a sub-centennial scale. Such changes include the termination of the last glacial period, the Mid-Holocene Climatic Optimum, the Neoglacial Period, the Medieval Climatic Optimum, and the Little Ice Age. A multiple proxy approach including magnetic susceptibility, bulk organic geochemistry, elemental profiles acquired by XRF scanning, grain-size, and spectral data will be used to characterize the sediment and infer paleoclimate conditions. Additionally, percent biogenic silica by weight has been

Understanding Changes in Modeled Land Surface Characteristics Prior to Lightning-Initiated Holdover Fire Breakout

Science.gov (United States)

Schultz, Christopher J.; Case, Jonathan L.; Hain, Christopher R.; White, Kristopher; Wachter, J. Brent; Nauslar, Nicholas; MacNamara, Brittany

2018-01-01

Lightning initiated wildfires are only 16% of the total number of wildfires within the United States, but account for 56% of the acreage burned. One of the challenges with lightning-initiated wildfires is their ability to "holdover" which means smolder for up to 2+ weeks before breaking out into a full fledged fire. This work helps characterize the percentage of holdover events due to lightning, and helps quantify changes in the land surface characteristics to help understand trends in soil moisture and vegetation stress that potentially contribute to the fire breaking out into a full wildfire.

Global observation of EKC hypothesis for CO2, SOx and NOx emission: A policy understanding for climate change mitigation in Bangladesh

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Danesh Miah, Md.; Farhad Hossain Masum, Md.; Koike, Masao

2010-01-01

Environmental Kuznets Curve (EKC) hypothesis is critical to understanding the developmental path of a nation in relation to its environment. How the effects of economic development processes dictate environmental changes can be found through the study of EKC. To understand the EKC phenomena for climate change, this study was undertaken by reviewing the available literature. As CO 2 , SO x and NO x are the significant greenhouse gases (GHG) responsible for global warming, thus leading to climate change, the study focused on those GHGs for EKC consideration. With an understanding of the different EKC trajectories, an attempt was made to determine the implications for the economic development of Bangladesh in regards to the EKC. It was shown that EKC for CO 2 was following a monotonous straight line in most cases. SO x were shown to follow the full trajectory of the EKC in most situations and NO x was shown the hope only for the developed countries getting the low-income turning point. The type of economic policy that Bangladesh should follow in regards to the discussed pollutants and sources is also revealed. From these discussions, contributions to policy stimulation in Bangladesh are likely to be made.

Global Origins of World War One. Part Two: A Chain of Revolutionary Events Across the World Island

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Anthony D'Agostino

2009-12-01

Full Text Available El camino a la Gran Guerra se inició con los alineamientos formados a causa de la contienda por las concesiones en el Oriente Lejano. La crisis mundial de 1904-1905 encuadró los alineamientos. Sólo cambió el lugar de la confrontación, que por una cadena de hechos extraordinarios, cruzó la isla-mundo hasta Europa. Después de la derrota de Rusia ante Japón, tanto ella como su adversaria tenían pocas dificultades a la hora de dividir sus esferas de influencias en Asia. Japón hizo un acuerdo similar con Francia. Japón desde ese momento era un miembro efectivo de la Triple Entente. También intentó llegar a pactos similares con los Estados Unidos.______________________ABSTRACT:The road to the Great War led out of the alignments formed by the Scramble for Concessions in the Far East. The world crisis of 1904-1905 had shaped the alignments. It only remained to shift the locus of the confrontation, by a chain of revolutionary events, across the world island into Europe. After Russia’s defeat in the war with Japan, she and her adversary had little difficulty dividing their Asian spheres of influence. Japan made a similar settlement with the French. Japan was at this point in effect a member of the Triple Entente. She also attempted to settle matters with the United States.

Experimental history: swinging pendulums and melting shellac.

Science.gov (United States)

Palmieri, Paolo

2009-09-01

Four hundred years ago Galileo Galilei aimed a telescope at the sky. He revolutionized astronomy. Equally revolutionary were his experiments in physics. Unlike his astronomical observations the experiments remain difficult to understand and replicate even today. Two centuries after Galileo, Augustin Coulomb demonstrated experimentally the law of electrostatic force. It has never been successfully replicated. Yet both Galileo and Coulomb were exquisite experimentalists. The fact is that revolutionary experiments in physics are never finished. They are open for investigation for generations to come.

Liberal, ecumenical, revolutionary and pluralistic Protestantism in Brazil – a project that has not been extinguished as yet

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Carlos Eduardo Brandão Calvani

2015-12-01

Full Text Available In recent years, Protestant churches in Brazil have become intolerant to pluralism, opposed to ecumenism and immune to theological criticism. The profile of the current leadership of Brazilian Protestant churches in no way resembles the generation of Protestant intellectuals from the 30’s to the 50’s and even less the generation of ecumenical and revolutionary Protestants of the 60’s and 70’s. These two generations, within their limits and possibilities, helped build in Brazil a kind of Protestantism that, in spite of being a minority group, brought many contributions not only to their churches, but also to society. However, this type of Protestantism seems to be disappearing in the waves of a conservative model, not much given to theological reflection and uninterested in the new demands of social inclusion and in the rights of minorities. Apparently, we experience the end of this type of Protestantism in Brazil. That Protestantism tempered by the ideals of modernity seems to have failed. The text recovers some memories of these two generations, highlighting their opposition to fundamentalist advances that have found fertile ground in Brazil, and pays tribute to the heroes of resistance, sharing the same ideals and the same hope: may the Brazilian Protestantism be more liberal, ecumenical and pluralistic.

Heating up Climate Literacy Education: Understanding Teachers' and Students' Motivational and Affective Response to Climate Change

Science.gov (United States)

Sinatra, G. M.

2011-12-01

presentation, findings from a research program exploring the role of "hot constructs" such as motivation and emotion in teaching and learning about climate change will be shared. In these studies, we have explored constructs such as emotions, misconceptions, plausibility perceptions, understanding deep time, and dispositions towards uncertainty. Results from four studies will be highlighted. In the first study, we demonstrated that comfort with ambiguity and a willingness to think deeply about issues predicted both change in attitudes towards climate change and expressed willingness to take mitigative action in college students (Sinatra, et al. 2011). In another study with college students, we demonstrated that knowledge of deep time and plausibility perceptions of human-induced climate change were related to students' understanding of weather and climate distinctions (Lombardi & Sinatra, 2010). In a study with graduate education students, we found that misconceptions about climate change were associated with strong emotions (Broughton, et al., 2011). With practicing teachers we have found that emotions, specifically anger and hopelessness, were significant predictors of plausibility perceptions of human-induced climate change (Lombardi & Sinatra, in preparation). The implications for climate change education of the findings will be discussed.

An Exploratory Mixed Method Assessment of Low Income, Pregnant Hispanic Women's Understanding of Gestational Diabetes and Dietary Change

Science.gov (United States)

Rhoads-Baeza, Maria Elena; Reis, Janet

2012-01-01

Objective: To describe and assess low income, healthy, pregnant Hispanic women's understanding of gestational diabetes (GDM) and willingness to change aspects of their diet. Design: One-on-one, in-person interviews conducted in Spanish with 94 women (primarily Mexican). Setting: Federal Qualified Community Health Center's prenatal clinic. Method:…

Beyond Insurgency to Radical Social Change: The New Situation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

John Foran

2014-04-01

Full Text Available The Arab Spring and U.S. Occupy movements surprised the world in 2011, showing that movements for radical social change remain viable responses to the intertwined crises of globalization: economic precarity, political disenchantment, rampant inequality, and the long-term fuse of potentially catastrophic climate change. These movements possess political cultural affinities of emotion, historical memory, and oppositional and creative discourses with each other and with a chain of movements that have gathered renewed momentum and relevance as neoliberal globalization runs up against the consequences of its own rapaciousness.Three paths to radical social change have emerged that differ from the hierarchical revolutionary movements of the twentieth century: 1 the electoral path to power pursued by the Latin American Pink Tide nations, 2 the route of re-making power at the local level or seeking change at the global level, both by-passing the traditional goal of taking state power, and 3 the occupation of public space to force out tyrants, as in Tunisia and Egypt.This paper assesses the strengths and limitations of each path, arguing that social movements and progressive parties together may possess the best chances for making radical social change in this new situation. These threads of resistance may also point toward a future of radical social change as we imagine their enduring results, self-evident and more subtle. 

Embodied Understanding

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Mark Leonard Johnson

2015-06-01

Full Text Available Western culture has inherited a view of understanding as an intellectual cognitive operation of grasping of concepts and their relations. However, cognitive science research has shown that this received intellectualist conception is substantially out of touch with how humans actually make and experience meaning. The view emerging from the mind sciences recognizes that understanding is profoundly embodied, insofar as our conceptualization and reasoning recruit sensory, motor, and affective patterns and processes to structure our understanding of, and engagement with, our world. A psychologically realistic account of understanding must begin with the patterns of ongoing interaction between an organism and its physical and cultural environments and must include both our emotional responses to changes in our body and environment, and also the actions by which we continuously transform our experience. Consequently, embodied understanding is not merely a conceptual/propositional activity of thought, but rather constitutes our most basic way of being in, and engaging with, our surroundings in a deep visceral manner.

Understanding Student Cognition about Complex Earth System Processes Related to Climate Change

Science.gov (United States)

McNeal, K. S.; Libarkin, J.; Ledley, T. S.; Dutta, S.; Templeton, M. C.; Geroux, J.; Blakeney, G. A.

2011-12-01

The Earth's climate system includes complex behavior and interconnections with other Earth spheres that present challenges to student learning. To better understand these unique challenges, we have conducted experiments with high-school and introductory level college students to determine how information pertaining to the connections between the Earth's atmospheric system and the other Earth spheres (e.g., hydrosphere and cryosphere) are processed. Specifically, we include psychomotor tests (e.g., eye-tracking) and open-ended questionnaires in this research study, where participants were provided scientific images of the Earth (e.g., global precipitation and ocean and atmospheric currents), eye-tracked, and asked to provide causal or relational explanations about the viewed images. In addition, the students engaged in on-line modules (http://serc.carleton.edu/eslabs/climate/index.html) focused on Earth system science as training activities to address potential cognitive barriers. The developed modules included interactive media, hands-on lessons, links to outside resources, and formative assessment questions to promote a supportive and data-rich learning environment. Student eye movements were tracked during engagement with the materials to determine the role of perception and attention on understanding. Students also completed a conceptual questionnaire pre-post to determine if these on-line curriculum materials assisted in their development of connections between Earth's atmospheric system and the other Earth systems. The pre-post results of students' thinking about climate change concepts, as well as eye-tracking results, will be presented.

Changes in health perceptions after exposure to human suffering: using discrete emotions to understand underlying processes.

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Antonia A Paschali

Full Text Available BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to examine whether exposure to human suffering is associated with negative changes in perceptions about personal health. We further examined the relation of possible health perception changes, to changes in five discrete emotions (i.e., fear, guilt, hostility/anger, and joviality, as a guide to understand the processes underlying health perception changes, provided that each emotion conveys information regarding triggering conditions. METHODOLOGY/FINDINGS: An experimental group (N = 47 was exposed to images of human affliction, whereas a control group (N = 47 was exposed to relaxing images. Participants in the experimental group reported more health anxiety and health value, as well as lower health-related optimism and internal health locus of control, in comparison to participants exposed to relaxing images. They also reported more fear, guilt, hostility and sadness, as well as less joviality. Changes in each health perception were related to changes in particular emotions. CONCLUSION: These findings imply that health perceptions are shaped in a constant dialogue with the representations about the broader world. Furthermore, it seems that the core of health perception changes lies in the acceptance that personal well-being is subject to several potential threats, as well as that people cannot fully control many of the factors the determine their own well-being.

A wireless partially glaciated watershed in a virtual globe: Integrating data, models, and visualization to increase climate change understanding

Science.gov (United States)

Jones, J.; Hood, E.; Fatland, D. R.; Berner, L.; Heavner, M.; Connor, C.; O'Brien, W.

2008-12-01

SEAMONSTER, a NASA funded sensor web project, is the SouthEast Alaska MOnitoring Network for Science, Telecommunications, Education and Research. SEAMONSTER is operating in the partially glaciated Mendenhall and Lemon Creek Watersheds, in the Juneau area, on the margins of the Juneau Icefield. These watersheds are studied for both 1. long term monitoring of changes, and 2. detection and analysis of transient events (such as glacier lake outburst floods). The diverse sensors (meteorological, dual frequency GPS, water quality, lake level, etc), power and bandwidth constraints, and competing time scales of interest require autonomous reactivity of the sensor web. The sensors are deployed throughout two partially glaciated watersheds and facilitated data acquisition in temperate rain forest, alpine, lacustrine, and glacial environments. Understanding these environments is important for public understanding of climate change. These environments are geographically isolated, limiting public access to, and understanding of, such locales. In an effort to inform the general public and primary educators about the basic processes occurring in these unique natural systems, we have developed an interactive website. This web portal supplements and enhances environmental science primary education by providing educators and students with interactive access to basic information from the glaciological, hydrological, and meteorological systems we are studying. In addition, we have developed an interactive virtual tour of the Lemon Glacier and its watershed. The focus of this presentation is using the data gathered by the SEAMONSTER sensor web, coupled with a temperature-indexed glacial melt model, to educate students and the public on topics ranging from modeling responses due to environmental changes to glacial hydrology. The interactive SEAMONSTER web site is the primary source for visualizing the data, while Google Earth can be used to visualize the isolated Lemon Creek watershed

The Effect of Cooperative Learning Approach Based on Conceptual Change Condition on Students' Understanding of Chemical Equilibrium Concepts

Science.gov (United States)

Bilgin, Ibrahim; Geban, Omer

2006-01-01

The purpose of this study is to investigate the effects of the cooperative learning approach based on conceptual change conditions over traditional instruction on 10th grade students' conceptual understanding and achievement of computational problems related to chemical equilibrium concepts. The subjects of this study consisted of 87 tenth grade…

Should NDM change our understanding of decision making?

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Kerstholt, J.H.; Ayton, P.

2001-01-01

What sort of activity should we understand to be encompassed by the term decision making? As laid out by Lipshitz et al. (this issue), the Naturalistic Decision Making (NDM) framework offers a view of human decision making that stems not from the familiar economic/mathematical theoretical tradition

Great experiments in physics firsthand accounts from Galileo to Einstein

CERN Document Server

1959-01-01

From Galileo's famous experiments in accelerated motion to Einstein's revolutionary theory of relativity, the experiments recorded here trace the evolution of modern physics from its beginnings to the mid-20th century. Brought together for the first time in one volume are important source readings on 25 epochal discoveries that changed man's understanding of the physical world. The accounts, written by the physicists who made them, include:Issac Newton: The Laws of MotionHenry Cavendish: The Law of GravitationAugustin Fresnel: The Diffraction of LightHans Christian Oersted: ElecromagnetismH

Stem cells-the future of dentistry: A review

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Sunil Vyas

2011-01-01

Full Text Available Research and development in the last millennium and in the present decade has brought about revolutionary changes in the way we understand and treat diseases. Stem cells are one of the most favorable areas of biology. Stem cell plasticity has resulted in a new field of medicine entitled regenerative medicine and dentistry. Scientists have successfully regenerated tooth root and supporting periodontal ligament to restore tooth function in an animal model. The breakthrough in stem cell research holds significant promise for clinical application in human patients.

Perfectly Reasonable in a Practical World: Understanding Chemistry Teacher Responses to a Change Proposal

Science.gov (United States)

Westbroek, Hanna; Janssen, Fred; Doyle, Walter

2017-12-01

Curriculum ideals often get compromised as a curriculum moves through its various levels of representation. Across the different science reforms, this process of slippage is clearly present. Research shows that teacher subject matter knowledge, PCK, beliefs and context factors all influence implementation. Professional development arrangements focus on fixing deficiencies in teachers' knowledge, beliefs or work context. This approach has not solved the problem of slippage, as we still do not understand what mechanisms operate when teachers make decisions about change proposals. In this study, we unpacked the decision mechanisms of three highly qualified chemistry teachers who subsequently adapted an innovative context-based chemistry unit. In spite of a state of the art professional development arrangement and the teachers being highly qualified, slippage occurred. The teachers' goal systems were used to interpret their reasoning. A goal system is a context-dependent, within-person mental construct that consists of a hierarchy of a person's goals and means in pursuit of a task. We showed that all three teachers adopted or redesigned elements of the change proposals to meet their core goals, i.e., goals that had multiple connections with other goals. This indicated that the adaptations teachers made were perfectly reasonable ways to serve their professional goals. For change to happen, we contend that one should begin with ways to connect teachers' core goals with the lesson or unit goal demands of a proposed innovation. Change emerges from the adaptions teachers make in the service of their core goals.

Changes in Pre-service Science Teachers' Understandings After Being Involved in Explicit Nature of Science and Socioscientific Argumentation Processes

Science.gov (United States)

Kutluca, A. Y.; Aydın, A.

2017-08-01

The study explored the changes in pre-service science teachers' understanding of the nature of science and their opinions about the nature of science, science teaching and argumentation after their participation in explicit nature of science (NOS) and socioscientific argumentation processes. The participants were 56 third-grade pre-service science teachers studying in a state university in Turkey. The treatment group comprised 27 participants, and there were 29 participants in the comparison group. The comparison group participants were involved in a student-centred science-teaching process, and the participants of the treatment group were involved in explicit NOS and socioscientific argumentation processes. In the study, which lasted a total of 11 weeks, a NOS-as-argumentation questionnaire was administered to all the participants to determine their understanding of NOS at the beginning and end of the data collection process, and six random participants of the treatment group participated in semi-structured interview questions in order to further understand their views regarding NOS, science teaching and argumentation. Qualitative and quantitative data analysis revealed that the explicit NOS and socioscientific argumentation processes had a significant effect on pre-service science teachers' NOS understandings. Furthermore, NOS, argumentation and science teaching views of the participants in the treatment group showed a positive change. The results of this study are discussed in light of the related literature, and suggestions are made within the context of contribution to science-teaching literature, improvement of education quality and education of pre-service teachers.

The Development and Validation of an Alternative Assessment to Measure Changes in Understanding of the Longleaf Pine Ecosystem

Science.gov (United States)

Dentzau, Michael W.; Martínez, Alejandro José Gallard

2016-01-01

A drawing assessment to gauge changes in fourth grade students' understanding of the essential components of the longleaf pine ecosystem was developed to support an out-of-school environmental education program. Pre- and post-attendance drawings were scored with a rubric that was determined to have content validity and reliability among users. In…

El manzano revolucionario de Gustave Flaubert y los ocho materialismo de Jacques Lacan // Gustave Flaubert`s revolutionary apple tree and Lacan`s eight materialisms

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David Pavón Cuéllar

2012-12-01

Full Text Available Se examina la actitud ambivalente de Jacques Lacan hacia el materialismo a la luz de una escena puntual en la novela Bouvard et Pécuchet de Gustave Flaubert. Esta escena, en la que un manzano reviste la forma de un revolucionario, nos permite discutir la esencia problemática de la materialidad en Lacan. Se distinguen ocho formas de materialismo en la teoría lacaniana y se muestra su oposición con respecto a otras formas de materialismo rechazadas en la misma teoría. // Jacques Lacan's ambivalent attitude towards materialism is examined at the light of a precise scene in Gustave Flaubert's novel Bouvard et Pécuchet. This scene, in which an apple tree takes the form of a revolutionary, allows us to discuss the problematic essence of materiality in Lacan. Eight forms of materialism are distinguished in Lacanian theory and opposed to other forms of materialism that would be rejected in this theory.

Understanding changes in employees' identification and professional identity : the case of teachers in higher vocational education in the Netherlands

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Max Aangenendt

2015-01-01

The central aim of this dissertation is to increase our understanding of changes in identifications and in the professional identity of employees, by investigating the prominent foci of identification, their mix in higher-order social identities and the personal and organisational factors (HRM and

Towards a Stochastic Predictive Understanding of Ecosystem Functioning and Resilience to Environmental Changes

Science.gov (United States)

Pappas, C.

2017-12-01

Terrestrial ecosystem processes respond differently to hydrometeorological variability across timescales, and so does our scientific understanding of the underlying mechanisms. Process-based modeling of ecosystem functioning is therefore challenging, especially when long-term predictions are envisioned. Here we analyze the statistical properties of hydrometeorological and ecosystem variability, i.e., the variability of ecosystem process related to vegetation carbon dynamics, from hourly to decadal timescales. 23 extra-tropical forest sites, covering different climatic zones and vegetation characteristics, are examined. Micrometeorological and reanalysis data of precipitation, air temperature, shortwave radiation and vapor pressure deficit are used to describe hydrometeorological variability. Ecosystem variability is quantified using long-term eddy covariance flux data of hourly net ecosystem exchange of CO2 between land surface and atmosphere, monthly remote sensing vegetation indices, annual tree-ring widths and above-ground biomass increment estimates. We find that across sites and timescales ecosystem variability is confined within a hydrometeorological envelope that describes the range of variability of the available resources, i.e., water and energy. Furthermore, ecosystem variability demonstrates long-term persistence, highlighting ecological memory and slow ecosystem recovery rates after disturbances. We derive an analytical model, combining deterministic harmonics and stochastic processes, that represents major mechanisms and uncertainties and mimics the observed pattern of hydrometeorological and ecosystem variability. This stochastic framework offers a parsimonious and mathematically tractable approach for modelling ecosystem functioning and for understanding its response and resilience to environmental changes. Furthermore, this framework reflects well the observed ecological memory, an inherent property of ecosystem functioning that is currently not

Application of first order rate kinetics to explain changes in bloom toxicity—the importance of understanding cell toxin quotas

Science.gov (United States)

Orr, Philip T.; Willis, Anusuya; Burford, Michele A.

2018-04-01

Cyanobacteria are oxygenic photosynthetic Gram-negative bacteria that can form potentially toxic blooms in eutrophic and slow flowing aquatic ecosystems. Bloom toxicity varies spatially and temporally, but understanding the mechanisms that drive these changes remains largely a mystery. Changes in bloom toxicity may result from changes in intracellular toxin pool sizes of cyanotoxins with differing molecular toxicities, and/or from changes in the cell concentrations of toxic and non-toxic cyanobacterial species or strains within bloom populations. We show here how first-order rate kinetics at the cellular level can be used to explain how environmental conditions drive changes in bloom toxicity at the ecological level. First order rate constants can be calculated for changes in cell concentration (μ c: specific cell division rate) or the volumetric biomass concentration (μ g: specific growth rate) between short time intervals throughout the cell cycle. Similar first order rate constants can be calculated for changes in nett volumetric cyanotoxin concentration (μ tox: specific cyanotoxin production rate) over similar time intervals. How μ c (or μ g ) covaries with μ tox over the cell cycle shows conclusively when cyanotoxins are being produced and metabolised, and how the toxicity of cells change in response to environment stressors. When μ tox/μ c>1, cyanotoxin cell quotas increase and individual cells become more toxic because the nett cyanotoxin production rate is higher than the cell division rate. When μ tox/μ c=1, cell cyanotoxin quotas remains fixed because the nett cyanotoxin production rate matches the cell division rate. When μ tox/μ ccyanotoxin cell quota decreases because either the nett cyanotoxin production rate is lower than the cell division rate, or metabolic breakdown and/or secretion of cyanotoxins is occurring. These fundamental equations describe cyanotoxin metabolism dynamics at the cellular level and provide the necessary

Understanding and Improving Ocean Mixing Parameterizations for modeling Climate Change

Science.gov (United States)

Howard, A. M.; Fells, J.; Clarke, J.; Cheng, Y.; Canuto, V.; Dubovikov, M. S.

2017-12-01

Climate is vital. Earth is only habitable due to the atmosphere&oceans' distribution of energy. Our Greenhouse Gas emissions shift overall the balance between absorbed and emitted radiation causing Global Warming. How much of these emissions are stored in the ocean vs. entering the atmosphere to cause warming and how the extra heat is distributed depends on atmosphere&ocean dynamics, which we must understand to know risks of both progressive Climate Change and Climate Variability which affect us all in many ways including extreme weather, floods, droughts, sea-level rise and ecosystem disruption. Citizens must be informed to make decisions such as "business as usual" vs. mitigating emissions to avert catastrophe. Simulations of Climate Change provide needed knowledge but in turn need reliable parameterizations of key physical processes, including ocean mixing, which greatly impacts transport&storage of heat and dissolved CO2. The turbulence group at NASA-GISS seeks to use physical theory to improve parameterizations of ocean mixing, including smallscale convective, shear driven, double diffusive, internal wave and tidal driven vertical mixing, as well as mixing by submesoscale eddies, and lateral mixing along isopycnals by mesoscale eddies. Medgar Evers undergraduates aid NASA research while learning climate science and developing computer&math skills. We write our own programs in MATLAB and FORTRAN to visualize and process output of ocean simulations including producing statistics to help judge impacts of different parameterizations on fidelity in reproducing realistic temperatures&salinities, diffusivities and turbulent power. The results can help upgrade the parameterizations. Students are introduced to complex system modeling and gain deeper appreciation of climate science and programming skills, while furthering climate science. We are incorporating climate projects into the Medgar Evers college curriculum. The PI is both a member of the turbulence group at

Effectiveness of Conceptual Change Text-oriented Instruction on Students' Understanding of Energy in Chemical Reactions

Science.gov (United States)

Taştan, Özgecan; Yalçınkaya, Eylem; Boz, Yezdan

2008-10-01

The aim of this study is to compare the effectiveness of conceptual change text instruction (CCT) in the context of energy in chemical reactions. The subjects of the study were 60, 10th grade students at a high school, who were in two different classes and taught by the same teacher. One of the classes was randomly selected as the experimental group in which CCT instruction was applied, and the other as the control group in which traditional teaching method was used. The data were obtained through the use of Energy Concept Test (ECT), the Attitude Scale towards Chemistry (ASC) and Science Process Skill Test (SPST). In order to find out the effect of the conceptual change text on students' learning of energy concept, independent sample t-tests, ANCOVA (analysis of covariance) and ANOVA (analysis of variance) were used. Results revealed that there was a statistically significant mean difference between the experimental and control group in terms of students' ECT total mean scores; however, there was no statistically significant difference between the experimental and control group in terms of students' attitude towards chemistry. These findings suggest that conceptual change text instruction enhances the understanding and achievement.

Conceptual Understanding of the Russian-Caucasian Relations in the XVI–XIX centuries in the Official Imperial Historiography

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hadzhi-Murat A. Sabanchiev

2017-03-01

Full Text Available The domestic Caucasus Studies contains various, often conflicting concepts and approaches, claiming to be the most complete and objective coverage of issues of Russian-Caucasian historical interaction. Though in different studies, the same category is filled with a variety of semantic content that creates a discursive field requiring thorough scientific research. The article analyzes the research works of official direction of pre-revolutionary historiography devoted to the problem of relations between Russia and the North Caucasus in the XVI–XIX centuries. The disciplinary matrix of historical science of J. Ryuzen is used as an instrument of historiographical analysis in this research. This theoretical construct allowed to typologize and to conceptualize the pre-revolutionary studies, to formulate criteria for selection of the conservative direction in the study of the Russian-Caucasian relations. The authors of the article relate the works of M.M. Shcherbatov, N.K. Karamzin, P.P. Zubov, R.А. Fadeev, A.P. Berge, N.F. Dubrovin, V.A. Potto, D.N. Dubenskiy, I. Ivanin, S.S. Esadze et al to the research works of the official direction of the pre-revolutionary historical thought. The cognitive interest of this group of researchers is caused by the search for the most effective ways of conquest and managing the North Caucasian peoples. Caucasus war was examined by the researchers-conservatives as the process of strengthening the position of the Russian Empire in the North Caucasus region justified from a historical and geopolitical point of view. The official approach supposed the civilizational motivation for the particular military conquest of the North Caucasus societies, deprived of citizenship and social order. The authors conclude that the research works of the conservative direction of imperial historiography solve important problems of legitimation of the Russian policy in the North Caucasus.

Evaluating the effects of ideology on public understanding of climate change science: how to improve communication across ideological divides?

Science.gov (United States)

Zia, Asim; Todd, Anne Marie

2010-11-01

While ideology can have a strong effect on citizen understanding of science, it is unclear how ideology interacts with other complicating factors, such as college education, which influence citizens' comprehension of information. We focus on public understanding of climate change science and test the hypotheses: [H1] as citizens' ideology shifts from liberal to conservative, concern for global warming decreases; [H2] citizens with college education and higher general science literacy tend to have higher concern for global warming; and [H3] college education does not increase global warming concern for conservative ideologues. We implemented a survey instrument in California's San Francisco Bay Area, and employed regression models to test the effects of ideology and other socio-demographic variables on citizen concern about global warming, terrorism, the economy, health care and poverty. We are able to confirm H1 and H3, but reject H2. Various strategies are discussed to improve the communication of climate change science across ideological divides.

The 1970s and Early 1980s: Enabling a Military Offset

Science.gov (United States)

2017-04-05

already obsolete or see that technologies such as drones and artificial intelligence are revolutionary changes in the nature of warfare that make the...and feed revolutionary new systems, such as extended-range precision-guided munitions, stealth aircraft, and new intelligence , surveillance, and...approach to military competition that seeks to asymmetrically compensate for a disadvantaged position. Rather than competing head to head in an area

Understanding Climate Change and Manifestation of its Driven ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

This article examines the nature and manifestation of climate change driven impacts on the agrarian districts of Kongwa and Bahi in the semi arid areas of Dodoma region in Tanzania. A Survey of 398 households in the study area was undertaken to elicit information on the nature and manifestation of climate change driven ...

Understanding socio-technical change : A system-network-agent approach

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Chiong Meza, C.M.

2012-01-01

Transitions are processes of change that have always occurred in society: for example, the production of goods changed from handcraft to machine-made. In recent years, these transitions attract more and more attention, mainly because societies now wish to actively bring about certain changes, such

Attitude change through understanding (cognition of the influence of the persuasive language of liturgy

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ferdi Kruger

2016-11-01

Full Text Available The aim of this article is to argue that the use of language in liturgy during worship services should be meaningful to contribute to persuasion in the lives of the participants in liturgy. Language is a prominent medium to convey meaning. In fact, the essence of liturgy that has to lead to the liturgy of life is in itself a meaningful act. The question regarding the meaning of worship services that people often raise is another reason why research on the influence of liturgy is crucial. This investigation is anchored in research on the importance of cognition in persuasive language use to promote attitude change. The research gathers insights from the fields of language philosophy and cognitive psychology. It is clear that the meaning of words in language can never be separated from people’s understanding of the meaning of language. Communication and communion are not opposites. In the normative phase of this investigation, perspectives from Romans 12 are offered. The renewal of the mind that leads to discernment of God’s will must also lead to a new cognition (understanding or phronesis of each believer’s place within the Body of Christ. The insights gained from language philosophy, cognitive psychology and the normative grounding make it evident that people always try to make sense of what they are experiencing and of what they are observing. The attempt to understand necessitates further reflection on the importance of cognition. Finally, practical theological perspectives are offered to indicate that cognition is important to create a meaningful liturgy. This cognition is anchored in God’s presence during worship services and, therefore, it requires meaningful words from liturgists.

A Collaborative Proposal: Simulating and Understanding Abrupt Climate-Ecosystem Changes During Holocene with NCAR-CCSM3.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zhengyu Liu, Bette Otto-Bliesner

2013-02-01

We have made significant progress in our proposed work in the last 4 years (3 years plus 1 year of no cost extension). In anticipation of the next phase of study, we have spent time on the abrupt changes since the last glacial maximum. First, we have performed further model-data comparison based on our baseline TRACE-21 simulation and made important progress towards the understanding of several major climate transitions. Second, we have made a significant effort in processing the model output of TRACE-21 and have put this output on a website for access by the community. Third, we have completed many additional sensitivity experiments. In addition, we have organized synthesis workshops to facilitate and promote transient model-data comparison for the international community. Finally, we have identified new areas of interest for Holocene climate changes.

Is the metaphor of 'barriers to change' useful in understanding implementation? Evidence from general medical practice.

Science.gov (United States)

Checkland, Kath; Harrison, Stephen; Marshall, Martin

2007-04-01

To investigate how general medical practices in the UK react to bureaucratic initiatives, such as National Health Service (NHS) National Service Frameworks (NSFs), and to explore the value of the metaphor of 'barriers to change' for understanding this. Interviews, non-participant observation and documentary analysis within case studies of four practices in northern England. The practices had not actively implemented NSFs. At interview, various 'barriers' that had prevented implementation were listed, including the complexity of the documents and lack of time. Observation suggested that these barriers were constructions used by the participants to make sense of the situation in which they found themselves. The metaphor of 'removing barriers to change' was of limited use in a context where non-implementation of policy was an emergent property of underlying organizational realities, likely to be modifiable only if these realities were addressed.

Smoking cessation: an application of theory of planned behavior to understanding progress through stages of change.

Science.gov (United States)

Bledsoe, Linda K

2006-07-01

The purpose of this research was to investigate variables relevant to smoking cessation early in the process of change through an application of the Theory of Planned Behavior [Ajzen, I. (1985). From intentions to actions: A theory of planned behavior. In J. Kuhl and J. Beckman (Eds). Action-control: From cognition to behavior (pp.11-39). Heidelberg: Springer.] to the temporal structure provided by the Transtheoretical Model. Study 1 was a preliminary elicitation study (n=68) conducted to ground the concepts used in the model testing in Study 2 [Ajzen, I., Fishbein, M. (1980). Understanding attitudes and predicting social behavior, Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall.]. Study 2 tested the proposed model fit with data from a sample of 230 adult smokers. Structural equation modeling did not support the Theory of Planned Behavior as a model of motivation for progress through the stages of change and highlighted measurement issues with perceived behavioral control. A modified model using the Theory of Reasoned Action provided a good fit to the data, accounting for approximately 64% of the variance in intention to quit smoking and stage of change. This research addresses the need for a more complete theoretical rationale for progress through stages of change.

Work related Changes And New Understandings Of Prevention: Results Of Multi-Level Participatory Interventions In Four SMEs

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Ipsen, Christine; Poulsen, Signe; Gish, Liv

2014-01-01

This paper presents the result of four SMEs’ use of a multi-level participatory self-help intervention model (the PoWRS model – Prevention of Work Related Stress). The model itself supports a new view on prevention of work-related stress in the participating companies besides the concrete...... to explicate tacit knowledge about what creates enthusiasms and stress at the work place, Multi-voting which decided two work-related changes to be initiated, a KickOff session to mark the start-up of the actual changes, continuous interviews of colleagues by the in-house facilitators, and ongoing status...... be addressed and how prevention of work-related stress can be understood. In addition to supporting a new understanding of prevention, the use of the model also results in concrete changes which become solutions to the work-place’s current and specific problems. The use of the PoWRS model thus enables an SME...

Toward a mechanistic understanding of human-induced rapid environmental change: A case study linking energy development, avian nest predation, and predators

Science.gov (United States)

Hethcoat, Matthew G.; Chalfoun, Anna D.

2015-01-01

Demographic consequences of human-induced rapid environmental change (HIREC) have been widely documented for many populations. The mechanisms underlying such patterns, however, are rarely investigated and yet are critical to understand for effective conservation and management.

Changing Perception: The Red Arrow Division in WWI

Science.gov (United States)

2017-05-25

Revolutionary War and the mid nineteen sixties. Hill’s focus is a general history of the National Guard with the intent of illustrating its evolution...A Brief History ................................................................................ 9 Preparation for War & Baptism of Fire: 15 July...Crisis. Less than a year after deactivation, America declared war on Germany and the National Guard once again filled the gap in capability by

Understanding the real risks of changing employee benefit plans.

Science.gov (United States)

Kane, Jon; St Amour, Jeffrey

2005-01-01

In an environment of constant change, corporations are looking to alter employee benefits programs to make them more responsive to employee and business needs. A complete risk assessment process is the key to preparing for changes to employee benefits programs by providing employers with an analysis of cost savings against the potential negative ramifications of change. This article outlines the steps involved in a complete review of risk assessment. It then discusses how employers can develop successful change management communication strategies if, after conducting a risk assessment, employers decide to move forward with alterations to their employee benefits programs.

Understanding organization and institutional changes for management of environmental affairs in the Brazilian petroleum sector

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Oliveira, J.A.P. de

2003-01-01

This article analyzes how governments and an oil company adapted their institutional and organization frameworks to manage actual and potential environmental impacts of oil-related activities in Brazil. Two major factors are important for understanding these changes. First, the monopoly of the state to explore and produce oil is over. Foreign companies have entered Brazil and increased the competitiveness of the oil sector. Second, major oil spills into waterways in recent years resulted in severe fines and an increasing outcry from government and civil society representatives for greater control over oil activities. These two factors raised a debate about what are, or should be, the roles of various stakeholders involved in controlling oil activities and their impacts on the environment. Legislative changes assigned different roles to the state oil company, to a newly created regulatory agency, to the Navy and to federal and state environmental agencies. Because many of the legal changes were not well defined, accountability among institutional actors remained unclear and institutional conflicts about who is accountable for what were likely to occur. As well, government organizations, public prosecutors, media and civil society increasingly influenced the regulation of both government agencies and companies. As a result, these responded to regulatory change and market forces by changing their relations with external stakeholders and their organizational arrangements for environmental management. This article identifies some of the institutional conflicts in selected case studies from the oil industry, the difficulties in clarifying regulatory roles within the industry, and responses in terms of the environmental strategies of regulatory bodies and oil companies, specifically the Brazilian state company, Petrobas. (author)

The Race To Understand A Changing Planet

Science.gov (United States)

Sellers, Piers J.

2012-01-01

The Earth's climate is changing rapidly. In some respects, the rate of change is outpacing the predictions of only a few years ago. The challenge to Earth Science is to put forward credible projections of possible future climates so that the public and policy makers can make science-based decisions about energy development strategies. Models, observations and experiments all play strong roles in improving knowledge and increasing confidence in our predictions. The models have progressed from simple, coarse-resolution descriptions of atmospheric dynamics and physics only twenty years ago, to full-up Earth System models (ESMs) that include complete descriptions of the oceans and cryosphere. It has been convincingly argued that such complexity - the construction of realistic "toy" Earth's - is necessary to address the complex processes involved in climate change, including not only the physical atmosphere, oceans and cryosphere, but also the carbon cycle - both its natural and anthropogenic components - and the biosphere. Observations, particularly satellite observations, have more or less kept pace with the demands of the modelers, being able to observe progressively more and different facets of the Earth system, but the global satellite fleet is in need of an overhaul very soon. Lastly, field experiments and process studies confront the models with facts and allow us to develop more sophisticated and accurate satellite data algorithms. The challenges facing our relatively small Earth and planetary science communities are considerable and the stakes are significant. The stakeholders, now numbering 7 billion but soon to be 10 billion, will be relying on our results and capabilitie's to guide them into the future.

Understanding How Participation in Education Changes Mothers' Parenting Practices

Science.gov (United States)

Harding, Jessica F.; Morris, Pamela A.

2015-01-01

This research explores whether low-income mothers' participation in education influences a constellation of different parenting practices that are related to young children's academic outcomes. Importantly, understanding whether maternal participation in education influences mothers' parenting practices can illuminate a pathway by which increases…

Understanding Phase-Change Memory Alloys from a Chemical Perspective

Science.gov (United States)

Kolobov, A. V.; Fons, P.; Tominaga, J.

2015-09-01

Phase-change memories (PCM) are associated with reversible ultra-fast low-energy crystal-to-amorphous switching in GeTe-based alloys co-existing with the high stability of the two phases at ambient temperature, a unique property that has been recently explained by the high fragility of the glass-forming liquid phase, where the activation barrier for crystallisation drastically increases as the temperature decreases from the glass-transition to room temperature. At the same time the atomistic dynamics of the phase-change process and the associated changes in the nature of bonding have remained unknown. In this work we demonstrate that key to this behavior is the formation of transient three-center bonds in the excited state that is enabled due to the presence of lone-pair electrons. Our findings additionally reveal previously ignored fundamental similarities between the mechanisms of reversible photoinduced structural changes in chalcogenide glasses and phase-change alloys and offer new insights into the development of efficient PCM materials.

From novelty to the every-day: the evolution of ureteroscopy.

Science.gov (United States)

Ridyard, Douglas; Dagrosa, Lawrence; Pais, Vernon M

2016-12-01

Ureteroscopy revolutionized the surgical approach to the upper urinary tract, and is well recognized as a cornerstone of modern urology. Although now commonplace, ureteroscopic equipment and techniques were truly revolutionary. A review of the innovations and innovators that developed ureteroscopic surgery sets the stage for a more thorough understanding of what can be done ureteroscopically, and may additionally better inform what limitations remain. Given that future advancements in urologic therapy will be dependent upon a similar pursuit of paradigm shifting improvements in disease management, an overview of the development of modern ureteroscopy may inspire such change.

Understanding the physics of changing mass phenomena

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Ellermeijer, A.L.

2008-01-01

Changing mass phenomena, like a falling chain or a bungee jumper, might give surprising results, even for experienced physicists. They have resulted in hot discussions in journals, in which for instance Physics professors claim the impossibility of an acceleration larger then g in case of a bungee

Understanding Controversies in Urban Climate Change Adaptation

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Baron, Nina; Petersen, Lars Kjerulf

2015-01-01

This article explores the controversies that exist in urban climate change adaptation and how these controversies influence the role of homeowners in urban adaptation planning. A concrete SUDS project in a housing cooperative in Copenhagen has been used as a case study thereby investigating the m...

Climate changes - To understand and to react

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2011-01-01

The first part of this report recalls the definition of the greenhouse effect, comments the climate past variations, outlines that climate changes are already here and that greenhouse effect has a human origin, and discusses the expected impacts during the 21. century. The second part presents the basis of international action in the struggle against climate change, outlines the necessity to strengthen this international action, describes the role of Europe in international negotiations on climate, outlines the need of an international agreement on climate, proposes an overview of the French climate policy (national and local actions), and outlines that some political responses do not match with sustainable development (nuclear energy, agro-fuels, carbon capture and storage, shale gas and oil). The third part indicates how one can compute his own impact on climate, and presents some collective and citizen innovative initiatives in the fields of agriculture and food, of energy, of transports and mobility, and of wastes

The Effect of Conceptual Change Model in the Senior High School Students’ Understanding and Character in Learning Physics

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Santyasa I Wayan

2018-01-01

Full Text Available Learning physics for senior high school (SMA students is often coloured by misconceptions that hinder students in achieving deep understanding. So a relevant learning model is needed. This study aims to examine the effect of conceptual change model (CCM compared with direct instruction model (DIM on the students’ conceptual understanding and character in the subject area of motion and force. This quasi-experimental research using a non-equivalence pre-test post-test control groups design. The population is 20 classes (738 students of grade X consisted of 8 classes (272 students of SMA 1 Amlapura, 8 classes (256 students of SMA 2 Amlapura, and 6 classes (210 students of SMA 1 Manggis in Karangasem regency in Bali. The random assignment technique is used to assign 6 classes (202 students, or 26.5% of the population. In each school there are set 2 classes each as a CCM group and DIM groups. The data of students’ conceptual understanding is collected by tests, while the characters by questionnaires. To analyse the data a one way MANCOVA statistics was used. The result of the analysis showed that there was a significant difference of effect between CCM group and DIM group on the students’ conceptual understanding and character. The effect of the CCM group is higher than the DIM group on the students’ conceptual understanding and character in learning subject area of motion and force.

Global environmental change: understanding the human dimensions

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Stern, Paul C; Young, Oran R; Druckman, Daniel

... on the Human Dimensions of Global Change Commission on the Behavioral and Social Sciences and Education National Research Council NATIONAL ACADEMY PRESS Washington, D.C. 1992 Copyrightthe cannot be not from book, paper however, version for formatting, original authoritative the typesetting-specific the as from created publication files ...

Global Environmental Change : Understanding the Human Dimensions

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Stern, Paul C; Druckman, Daniel; Young, Oran R; National Research Council; National Academy of Sciences; Stern, Paul C; Druckman, Daniel

... on the Human Dimensions of Global Change Commission on the Behavioral and Social Sciences and Education National Research Council NATIONAL ACADEMY PRESS Washington, D.C. 1992 Copyrightthe cannot be not from book, paper however, version for formatting, original authoritative the typesetting-specific the as from created publication files ...

Carbon-Water-Nitrogen relationships between lichens and the atmosphere: Tools to understand metabolism and ecosystem change

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Cristina Máguas

2013-04-01

Full Text Available Due to the close linking between the biosphere and atmosphere, there are clear impacts of changes in climate, atmospheric deposition of nutrients/pollutants and land use (Global Changes on the terrestrial biosphere. Lichens, with a direct dependence on atmospheric conditions, are much more affected by their immediate microclimate than by the ecosystem’s prevailing macroclimate. In contrast to higher plants, poikilohydric organisms have different mechanisms of water and CO2 exchange. The application of stable isotopes to the understanding of the mechanisms that are fundamental to lichen gas exchange and water uptake is a promising tool for the evaluation of lichen response to environmental changes. Indeed, lichens have been shown to be influenced by a large number of natural and anthropogenic environmental factors, serving as ecological indicators. Thus, we may use these organisms to model the impact of key global change drivers, such as nitrogen deposition and biodiversity changes, at local scale. Particularly useful is the application of the Lichen Diversity Value (LDV in order to evaluate the impact of global drivers. Moreover, it has been shown that these indices, associated with main photobiont types, green-algae (LDVch or cyanobacteria (LDVcyh, and/or nitrophilous versus oligotrophic species, were good candidates as ecological indicators. Besides mapping with high spatial resolution the effects of climate alterations, lichen functional groups could also be used as an early-warning system in order to detect the first effects of climate change in ecosystems before sudden shifts occur on other components that may be less sensitive. Clearly, lichens possess the adequate traits to be used as powerful indicators of complex interactions between atmosphere and biosphere, and thus can generate potentially interesting models for global change drivers.

Changes in Pre-Service Science Teachers' Understandings After Being Involved in Explicit Nature of Science and Socioscientific Argumentation Processes

Science.gov (United States)

Kutluca, A. Y.; Aydin, A.

2017-01-01

The study explored the changes in pre-service science teachers' understanding of the nature of science and their opinions about the nature of science, science teaching and argumentation after their participation in explicit nature of science (NOS) and socioscientific argumentation processes. The participants were 56 third-grade pre-service science…

Understanding Language Change: Phonetics, Phonology and Child Language Acquisition

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Volk, Kevin

1999-01-01

Language change is a phenomenon that has fascinated scholars for centuries. As a science, linguistic theory has evolved considerably during the 20th century, but the overall puzzle of language change still remains unsolved...

Changing the fundamentals[Drill technology

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Flatern, R. von

2003-02-01

Evolution of the science of drilling oil and gas wells has evolved in fits and starts. From drilling with cables to rotary tables to top drives, from straight holes to horizontal, it has been a process interrupted occasionally by flashes of revolutionary brilliance. In this article the author looks at the state of just a few of the technologies that define or threaten to change how drillers go about their business. In the early days of deepwater exploration drillers responded more to technical challenges than financial ones, primarily with immense semisubmersibles and drillships, together with all he necessary ancillary items. The goal of getting deeper faster is not a new one, better performance bits, muds, LWD and MWD, together with numerous other developments all emerged as a result of the desire to shorten the time between spud and TD. But whereas saving a day or two drilling onshore or nearshore is desirable, it has never before been possible to realize the kind of substantial financial benefits from relatively small time savings. Research and development into these type of savings with the design and improvement of different types drill bits and casing drilling is described.

Understanding resilience of pastoralists to climate change and variability in the Southern Afar Region, Ethiopia

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Muluken Mekuyie

Full Text Available Change in climate and climate extremes are acknowledged as a vital challenge to pastoral production systems. Alternative systems that are accessible to a household in order to make a living could determine the household’s resilience at a given point in time. This study was conducted in the Southern Afar region in Ethiopia to understand the resilience of pastoralists to climate change and variability. A household questionnaire survey and focus group discussions were employed to collect primary data at household level. A total of 250 pastoral households were sampled using stratified random sampling. The data obtained were analysed using descriptive statistics and principal component analysis. The resilience of households to climate shocks and stresses was determined using a two-step modelling approach by clustering households into livelihood groups, gender and districts. The results indicated that agro-pastoral households were more resilient than pastoralists to climate-induced shock. Furthermore, households in the Gewane district were more resilient than those in the Amibara district. Female-headed households were less resilient than male-headed households. Enhancing livestock assets and productivity, social safety nets, access to market, credit, extension services and education, improving irrigation crop farming, and providing farm inputs significantly enhanced the resilience of pastoralists to climate change and variability. Keywords: Asset, Livelihood, Climate shock, Pastoralist, Resilience

Objectives and strategies for energy revolution in the context of tackling climate change

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jian-Kun He

2015-06-01

Full Text Available Global climate change mitigation and CO2 emission reduction have promoted the revolutionary transformation in energy system. The core content of energy system revolutionary transformation is to replace the high-carbon energy system dominated by fossil energy with low-carbon energy system dominated by new and renewable energy and finally realize the near-zero emission of CO2. The new energy system transformation has also led to a reform in global economic and social development patterns. Developing low-carbon economy becomes the fundamental strategy of sustainable development under climate risk management and the only solution to getting on the road from industrial civilization to ecological civilization. China intends to achieve the peaking of CO2 emissions around 2030 and increase the share of non-fossil fuels in primary energy consumption to around 20% by 2030. Guided by the targets, China directs its economy development to a low-carbon pattern. Therefore, new and renewable power capacity need to reach 1300 GW, and the electricity generated should be 4 times of that in 2013 with a continuous increase rate of 6%–8% around 2030. The pace of energy substitution need to be accelerated and efficient, safe, clean, and low-carbon energy supply and consumption systems should be established besides strengthened energy conservation and improved energy efficient. Therefore, reform need be deepened, favorable policy system and market mechanism for energy revolution and low-carbon development need be established, energy pricing mechanism should be reformed, and national carbon market should be formed to provide a favorable policy and market environment for low-carbon technology innovation and industry development.

Understanding Core-Collapse Supernovae

Science.gov (United States)

Hix, W. R.; Lentz, E. J.; Baird, M.; Messer, O. E. B.; Mezzacappa, A.; Lee, C.-T.; Bruenn, S. W.; Blondin, J. M.; Marronetti, P.

2010-03-01

Our understanding of core-collapse supernovae continues to improve as better microphysics is included in increasingly realistic neutrino-radiationhydrodynamic simulations. Recent multi-dimensional models with spectral neutrino transport, which slowly develop successful explosions for a range of progenitors between 12 and 25 solar mass, have motivated changes in our understanding of the neutrino reheating mechanism. In a similar fashion, improvements in nuclear physics, most notably explorations of weak interactions on nuclei and the nuclear equation of state, continue to refine our understanding of how supernovae explode. Recent progresses on both the macroscopic and microscopic effects that affect core-collapse supernovae are discussed.

Understanding change: Wildfire in Larimer County, Colorado

Science.gov (United States)

Hannah Brenkert-Smith; Patricia A. Champ

2013-01-01

Wildfire activity continues to plague communities in the American West. Three causes are often identified as key contributors to the wildfire problem: accumulated fuels on public lands due to a history of suppressing wildfires; climate change; and an influx of residents into fire prone areas referred to as the wildland-urban interface (WUI). The latter of these...

Understanding change: Wildfire in Boulder County, Colorado

Science.gov (United States)

Hannah Brenkert-Smith; Patricia A. Champ; Amy L. Telligman

2013-01-01

Wildfire activity continues to plague communities in the American West. Three causes are often identified as key contributors to the wildfire problem: accumulated fuels on public lands due to a history of suppressing wildfires; climate change; and an influx of residents into fire prone areas referred to as the wildland-urban interface (WUI). The latter of these...

Changing behaviours, pushing social practices towards more sustainability. The contribution of human and social sciences to understand and act

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Martin, Solange; Gaspard, Albane

2016-09-01

Beyond broad policy declarations, the implementation of ecological transition - which consists mainly in curbing consumption of energy and raw materials in our societies - requires substantial behavioural change at the collective, but also, quite obviously, the individual level. Yet, though there is general consensus around the principle of embarking on the path to transition, things get more complicated when it comes to changing our practices and habits. Can we act on individual behaviour and collective dynamics in respect of this particular aim of ecological transition, and, if so, how are we to go about it? Solange Martin and Albane Gaspard have examined this question for the French Environment and Energy Management Agency (ADEME) and offer us the fruit of their labours here. They show, for example, how the social and human sciences help to understand behaviour both at the individual level and in its collective dimensions, and they outline different possible lines of action to modify it. But, given the entanglement between various levels, it is essential, if we are to act effectively on behaviour, to combine approaches, tools and actors, and to analyse and understand social practices thoroughly before implementing political projects or measures

Beyond synergy: The revolutionary elements in horizontal technology

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hatala, R.

1994-01-01

The petroleum industry is undergoing a fundamental restructuring that is changing the shape and texture of the business. Four principles are guiding this restructuring: proactivity, simplicity/focus, flexibility and synergy. These four elements are contained within horizontal technology applications in Canada and are impacting the upstream operating companies and the service and supply sectors. The evolving socio-economic and political environments of these changes within the petroleum industry are examined. The specific resource base potential, financial, regulatory and market forces that support the application of horizontal technology are addressed and their forecast impacts on industry relationships, production and economic trends over the next 5 years are discussed. The blurred distinctions between operating and service sectors will continue such that service entities will participate directly in oil and gas opportunities in consort with operating companies or countries. 4 refs., 3 figs

From theory to practice: Understanding transformational change in NAMAs

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Mersmann, Florian; Olsen, Karen Holm; Wehnert, Timon

and transformational change, exploring their possible applicability to NAMAs. The theoretical approaches are the basis to propose hypotheses for the dynamics, indicators and success factors that foster transformational change, which is necessary to assess whether a NAMA intervention has been or can be transformational...

The Crucible simulation: Behavioral simulation improves clinical leadership skills and understanding of complex health policy change.

Science.gov (United States)

Cohen, Daniel; Vlaev, Ivo; McMahon, Laurie; Harvey, Sarah; Mitchell, Andy; Borovoi, Leah; Darzi, Ara

2017-05-11

The Health and Social Care Act 2012 represents the most complex National Health Service reforms in history. High-quality clinical leadership is important for successful implementation of health service reform. However, little is known about the effectiveness of current leadership training. This study describes the use of a behavioral simulation to improve the knowledge and leadership of a cohort of medical doctors expected to take leadership roles in the National Health Service. A day-long behavioral simulation (The Crucible) was developed and run based on a fictitious but realistic health economy. Participants completed pre- and postsimulation questionnaires generating qualitative and quantitative data. Leadership skills, knowledge, and behavior change processes described by the "theory of planned behavior" were self-assessed pre- and postsimulation. Sixty-nine medical doctors attended. Participants deemed the simulation immersive and relevant. Significant improvements were shown in perceived knowledge, capability, attitudes, subjective norms, intentions, and leadership competency following the program. Nearly one third of participants reported that they had implemented knowledge and skills from the simulation into practice within 4 weeks. This study systematically demonstrates the effectiveness of behavioral simulation for clinical management training and understanding of health policy reform. Potential future uses and strategies for analysis are discussed. High-quality care requires understanding of health systems and strong leadership. Policymakers should consider the use of behavioral simulation to improve understanding of health service reform and development of leadership skills in clinicians, who readily adopt skills from simulation into everyday practice.

Engagement: Looking beyond the mirror to understand action understanding.

Science.gov (United States)

Reddy, Vasudevi; Uithol, Sebo

2016-03-01

In this paper, we argue that the current focus on mirroring as the route to explaining the development of action understanding is misleading and problematic. It facilitates a fundamentally spectatorial stance, ignoring engagement and dialogue; it focuses on similarity between self and other and neglects difference; and it succumbs to the static terminology of mechanism rather than a dynamic language of process. Contrary to this view, dialogic exchanges are evident from the start of life, revealing infants' ability to engage with and respond appropriately to actions that are outside their own motor repertoire. We suggest that engagement rather than mirroring better accounts for many current findings in action understanding. The neurological evidence to date shows that action perception involves a process of continuous synchronization and change, suggesting that it might be more fruitful for research and theory to look beyond mirroring and instead adopt dynamic processual explanations of action understanding within interaction. © 2015 The British Psychological Society.

A study of primary school teachers’ conceptual understanding on states of matter and their changes based on their job locations (case study at Ambon island in Moluccas-Indonesia)

Science.gov (United States)

Banawi, A.; Sopandi, W.; Kadarohman, A.; Solehuddin, M.

2018-05-01

The research aims to describe primary school teachers’ conceptual understandings about states of matter and their changes. The method was descriptive which involved 15 primary school teachers from three different school locations. They were from urban school (CS1), sub-urban school (CS2), and rular school (CS3) at Ambon Island on 2016/2017 academic year. The research instrument was a multiple-choice test combined with both essay and confidence level of their answers. The test was used to measure teachers’ understanding levels about states of matter and their changes. They were macroscopic, sub-microscopic and symbolic levels. Teachers’ understanding levels were classified into following categorization, they were understand, partly understand, misconception, and do not understand. The results show that primary school teachers’ conceptual understanding is varied based on their job locations and primary school teachers’ level understanding. Generally, primary school teachers’ conceptual understandings at sub-urban location (CS2) are better than those of both of urban (CS1) and rular locations (CS3). The results suggest that teachers need improvement to make better primary school teachers’ conceptual understanding. It can be on the job training and in service training activities. We also need a further research in order to investigate the program effectiveness.

Revolutionary Road

Science.gov (United States)

Adults Learning, 2009

2009-01-01

Last month, the Government published "The Learning Revolution," its long-awaited White Paper on informal adult learning. This article asks some of the key players and commentators whether they thought the paper lived up to its optimistic title. It presents the views of these commentators about the "Learning Revolution" White…

Studying the complexity of change: toward an analytical framework for understanding deliberate social-ecological transformations

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Michele-Lee Moore

2014-12-01

Full Text Available Faced with numerous seemingly intractable social and environmental challenges, many scholars and practitioners are increasingly interested in understanding how to actively engage and transform the existing systems holding such problems in place. Although a variety of analytical models have emerged in recent years, most emphasize either the social or ecological elements of such transformations rather than their coupled nature. To address this, first we have presented a definition of the core elements of a social-ecological system (SES that could potentially be altered in a transformation. Second, we drew on insights about transformation from three branches of literature focused on radical change, i.e., social movements, socio-technical transitions, and social innovation, and gave consideration to the similarities and differences with the current studies by resilience scholars. Drawing on these findings, we have proposed a framework that outlines the process and phases of transformative change in an SES. Future research will be able to utilize the framework as a tool for analyzing the alteration of social-ecological feedbacks, identifying critical barriers and leverage points and assessing the outcome of social-ecological transformations.

Understanding the interactions between Social Capital, climate change, and community resilience in Gulf of Mexico coastal counties

Science.gov (United States)

Young, C.; Blomberg, B.; Kolker, A.; Nguyen, U.; Page, C. M.; Sherchan, S. P.; Tobias, V. D.; Wu, H.

2017-12-01

Coastal communities in the Gulf of Mexico are facing new and complex challenges as their physical environment is altered by climate warming and sea level rise. To effectively prepare for environmental changes, coastal communities must build resilience in both physical structures and social structures. One measure of social structure resilience is how much social capital a community possesses. Social capital is defined as the connections among individuals which result in networks with shared norms, values and understandings that facilitate cooperation within or among groups. Social capital exists in three levels; bonding, bridging and linking. Bonding social capital is a measure of the strength of relationships amongst members of a network who are similar in some form. Bridging social capital is a measure of relationships amongst people who are dissimilar in some way, such as age, education, or race/ethnicity. Finally Linking social capital measures the extent to which individuals build relationships with institutions and individuals who have relative power over them (e.g local government, educational institutions). Using census and American Community Survey data, we calculated a Social Capital index value for bonding, bridging and linking for 60 Gulf of Mexico coastal counties for the years 2000, and 2010 to 2015. To investigate the impact of social capital on community resilience we coupled social capital index values with physical datasets of land-use/land cover, sea level change, climate, elevation and surface water quality for each coastal county in each year. Preliminary results indicate that in Gulf of Mexico coastal counties, increased bonding social capital results in decreased population change. In addition, we observed a multi-year time lag in the effect of increased bridging social capital on population stability, potentially suggesting key linkages between the physical and social environment in this complex coupled-natural human system. This

Understanding the Role of Microorganisms in Soil Quality and Fertility under changing Climatic Conditions

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Dercon, Gerd; Adu-Gyamfi, Joseph; Heiling, Maria; Aigner, Martina; Nguyen, Minh-Long [Soil and Water Management and Crop Nutrition Laboratory, Joint FAO/IAEA Division for Nuclear Techniques in Food and Agriculture, Seibersdorf (Austria); Schwartz, Egbert [Department of Biological Sciences, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, Arizona, (United States); Dexin, Lin [Soil and Water Management and Crop Nutrition Laboratory, Joint FAO/IAEA Division for Nuclear Techniques in Food and Agriculture, Seibersdorf, (Austria); Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fujian (China)

2013-01-15

The Soil and Water Management and Crop Nutrition (SWMCN) Subprogramme (Section and Laboratory) assists FAO and IAEA Member States in the development, validation and dissemination of a range of soil, water and crop management technology packages using nuclear and nuclear-related techniques. In the coming years, SWMCN aims to (i) improve soil quality and soil resilience against the impacts of climate change and variability and (ii) reduce greenhouse gas emissions and increase soil carbon sequestration in both productive and marginal lands. To achieve these aims, the SWMCN Subprogramme is planning to put major emphasis on applied microbial ecology. Microbial communities play a major role in soil fertility improvement through the decomposition of crop residues, live- stock manure and soil organic matter. These microbes are often affected by variations in rainfall and temperature patterns caused by climate change. Recent advances in the use of stable isotopes like carbon-3, nitrogen-5 and oxygen-18 as biomarkers to characterize microbial communities and their interactions with soil nutrient and organic matter processes, known as stable isotope probing (SIP), are important for soil-water-nutrient management. SIP helps us to understand the interactions between soil microbial communities and their specific functions in soil carbon sequestration, soil organic matter stabilization, soil fertility and soil resilience, as well as the soil productive capacity for sustainable intensification of cropping and livestock production. SIP involves the introduction of a stable isotope labelled substrate into a soil microbial community to trace the fate of the substrate. This allows direct observations of substrate assimilation to be made in minimally disturbed communities of microorganisms. Microorganisms that are actively involved in specific metabolic processes can be identified under in-situ conditions. SIP is most developed for carbon-13 probing, but studies using nitrogen-15 and

Changing fields of rationality - a policy for change?

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Strumse, Einar; Westskog, Hege; Winther, Tanja

2010-07-01

Work objective: To analyze effective strategies for changing households' energy consumption based on an interdisciplinary model for understanding change. Methodology: In this paper we develop a conceptual model for understanding individuals' energy consumption. We synthesize insights from anthropology, social psychology and economics grasping perspectives from behaviour to practice and from the Bourdieu's fields to rationality thinking in economics. We use this insight to analyze strategies for change. Abstract: In this paper we analyze effective strategies for changing households' energy consumption based on an interdisciplinary model for understanding change. The model focuses on four main categories for understanding individual consumption: a. Material constraints b. Values and identity c. Norms d. Ability These are the main influencing factors of the individual's consumption level, but in interaction with the corresponding group and the societal levels for the same factors. The model can be illustrated. One combination of factors on all levels constitutes a field of rationality. We claim that an important strategy for changing energy consumption towards sustainability is changing the field of rationality of the individual. Changing of rationality fields would from our point of view initiate reflection which is an important condition for changed behavior. One example of changing of fields is information measures that relates energy consumption to the 'citizen' field rather than the 'consumer' field. Hence, according to our conceptual framework - how policy should be framed (information measures for instance ) would be an important knowledge area for design of effective policy measures. (Author)

Forests and Phenology: Designing the Early Warning System to Understand Forest Change

Science.gov (United States)

Pierce, T.; Phillips, M. B.; Hargrove, W. W.; Dobson, G.; Hicks, J.; Hutchins, M.; Lichtenstein, K.

2010-12-01

Vegetative phenology is the study of plant development and changes with the seasons, such as the greening-up and browning-down of forests, and how these events are influenced by variations in climate. A National Phenology Data Set, based on Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer satellite images covering 2002 through 2009, is now available from work by NASA, the US Forest Service, and Oak Ridge National Laboratory. This new data set provides an easily interpretable product useful for detecting changes to the landscape due to long-term factors such as climate change, as well as finding areas affected by short-term forest threats such as insects or disease. The Early Warning System (EWS) is a toolset being developed by the US Forest Service and the University of North Carolina-Asheville to support distribution and use of the National Phenology Data Set. The Early Warning System will help research scientists, US Forest Service personnel, forest and natural resources managers, decision makers, and the public in the use of phenology data to better understand unexpected change within our nation’s forests. These changes could have multiple natural sources such as insects, disease, or storm damage, or may be due to human-induced events, like thinning, harvest, forest conversion to agriculture, or residential and commercial use. The primary goal of the Early Warning System is to provide a seamless integration between monitoring, detection, early warning and prediction of these forest disturbances as observed through phenological data. The system consists of PC and web-based components that are structured to support four user stages of increasing knowledge and data sophistication. Building Literacy: This stage of the Early Warning System educates potential users about the system, why the system should be used, and the fundamentals about the data the system uses. The channels for this education include a website, interactive tutorials, pamphlets, and other technology

Predicting Changes in Arctic Tundra Vegetation: Towards an Understanding of Plant Trait Uncertainty

Science.gov (United States)

Euskirchen, E. S.; Serbin, S.; Carman, T.; Iversen, C. M.; Salmon, V.; Helene, G.; McGuire, A. D.

2017-12-01

Arctic tundra plant communities are currently undergoing unprecedented changes in both composition and distribution under a warming climate. Predicting how these dynamics may play out in the future is important since these vegetation shifts impact both biogeochemical and biogeophysical processes. More precise estimates of these future vegetation shifts is a key challenge due to both a scarcity of data with which to parameterize vegetation models, particularly in the Arctic, as well as a limited understanding of the importance of each of the model parameters and how they may vary over space and time. Here, we incorporate newly available field data from arctic Alaska into a dynamic vegetation model specifically developed to take into account a particularly wide array of plant species as well as the permafrost soils of the arctic tundra (the Terrestrial Ecosystem Model with Dynamic Vegetation and Dynamic Organic Soil, Terrestrial Ecosystem Model; DVM-DOS-TEM). We integrate the model within the Predicative Ecosystem Analyzer (PEcAn), an open-source integrated ecological bioinformatics toolbox that facilitates the flows of information into and out of process models and model-data integration. We use PEcAn to evaluate the plant functional traits that contribute most to model variability based on a sensitivity analysis. We perform this analysis for the dominant types of tundra in arctic Alaska, including heath, shrub, tussock and wet sedge tundra. The results from this analysis will help inform future data collection in arctic tundra and reduce model uncertainty, thereby improving our ability to simulate Arctic vegetation structure and function in response to global change.

Understanding Prostate Changes: A Health Guide for Men

Science.gov (United States)

... enzyme changes the male hormone testosterone into dihydrotestosterone (DHT), which stimulates prostate growth. When the action of 5-alpha reductase is blocked, DHT production is lowered and prostate growth slows. This ...

Towards understanding hydroclimatic change in Victoria, Australia – preliminary insights into the "Big Dry"

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

A. S. Kiem

2010-03-01

Full Text Available Since the mid-1990s the majority of Victoria, Australia, has experienced severe drought conditions (i.e. the "Big Dry" characterized by streamflow that is the lowest in approximately 80 years of record. While decreases in annual and seasonal rainfall totals have also been observed, this alone does not seem to explain the observed reduction in flow. In this study, we investigate the large-scale climate drivers for Victoria and demonstrate how these modulate the regional scale synoptic patterns, which in turn alter the way seasonal rainfall totals are compiled and the amount of runoff per unit rainfall that is produced. The hydrological implications are significant and illustrate the need for robust hydrological modelling, that takes into account insights into physical mechanisms that drive regional hydroclimatology, in order to properly understand and quantify the impacts of climate change (natural and/or anthropogenic on water resources.

Societal Change and the Growing Divide between Knowing and Understanding

Science.gov (United States)

Elkind, David

2011-01-01

Social and economic changes affect children indirectly, through the modifications they engender in parental behavior. No-fault divorce laws, for example, made divorce easier and led to a substantial increase in the number of separated families. In contrast to social and economic change, technological change can impact children directly without…

Mobile communication in the global south

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Ling, Richard; Horst, Heather

2011-01-01

and how it is challenging, and in many cases changing, notions of gender. While the mobile phone reshapes development and micro dynamics of gendered interactions, it is not necessarily a revolutionary tool. Existing power structures may be rearranged, but they are nonetheless quite stable. The analysis...... of mobile communication in the global south helps us to understand the rise of innovative practices around information and communication technologies and, in turn, enables us to develop theory to understand these emergent empirical realities.......Mobile communication has become a common phenomenon in most parts of the world. There are indeed more mobile subscriptions than there are people who use the internet. For many people outside of the metropolitan areas of Europe and North America, this is literally their first use of electronically...

Receptive Audiences for Climate Change Education: Understanding Attitudes and Barriers

Science.gov (United States)

Kelly, L. D.; Luebke, J. F.; Clayton, S.; Saunders, C. D.; Matiasek, J.; Grajal, A.

2012-12-01

Much effort has been devoted to finding ways to explain climate change to uninterested audiences and encourage mitigation behaviors among dismissive audiences. Most approaches have focused on conveying information about climate change processes or threats. Here we report the results of a national survey designed to characterize the readiness of zoo and aquarium visitors to engage with the issue of climate change. Two survey forms, one focused primarily on attitudes (N=3,594) and another on behaviors (N=3,588), were administered concurrently in summer 2011 at 15 Association of Zoos and Aquariums accredited institutions. The attitudes survey used Global Warming's Six Americas segmentation protocols (climatechangecommunication.org) to compare climate change attitudes of zoo and aquarium visitors with the American public (Leiserowitz et al., 2011). Our results reveal that visitors are receptive audiences for climate change education and want to do more to address climate change. Even these favorable audiences, however, perceive barriers to engaging in the issue, signifying the importance of meeting the learning needs of those who acknowledge anthropogenic climate change, and not only of climate change 'deniers.' While 39% of the general public is 'concerned' or 'alarmed' about global warming, 64% of zoo and aquarium visitors fall into these two "Six Americas" segments. Visitors also differ from the national sample in key attitudinal characteristics related to global warming. For example, nearly two-thirds believe human actions are related to global warming, versus less than one-half of the general public; and approximately 60% think global warming will harm them personally, moderately or a great deal, versus less than 30% of the general public. Moreover, 69% of visitors would like to do more to address climate change. Despite zoo and aquarium visitors' awareness of climate change and motivation to address it, survey results indicate they experience barriers to

Understanding the Impact of Anthropogenic and Environmental Changes on Dengue Fever Cases in Puerto Rico

Science.gov (United States)

Akanda, A. S.; Serman, E. A.; Couret, J.; Puggioni, G.; Ginsberg, H. S.

2016-12-01

Worldwide, there are an estimated 50-100 million cases of dengue fever each year, roughly 30 times the number of cases as 50 years ago. Dengue was introduced to Puerto Rico (PR) in 1963 and it has experienced epidemic activity ever since. There have been 4 large epidemics since 1990, the most recent in 2010 where almost 27,000 cases were reported. Vaccine development remains in the testing stages, and years away from mass distribution. Effective control thus depends on our understanding of the complex relationships between environmental and anthropogenic factors, mosquito vector ecology, and disease epidemiology. Dengue virus is primarily transmitted by Aedes aegypti mosquitoes, which also carry the Zika virus, and humans in urban environments are their preferred hosts. The purpose of our analysis is to identify trends between anthropogenic and environmental changes and dengue fever cases in PR over the past 15 years. Data on housing and population density, percent impervious surface, and percent tree canopy at the municipality level were procured from the U.S. Census Bureau and the Multi-Resolution Land Characteristics Consortium (MLRC) project, respectively. Land cover data from the National Land Cover Database, created by USGS and NOAA, as well as environmental data from the National Climatic Data Center (NCDC), were also used. Smaller land cover and green space analysis studies have been performed for PR, but this is the first study to consider the island as a whole, and in six distinct regions, with regards to increases in dengue fever cases. The results from this study can be used to understand the effects of urbanization and climate change on vector-borne disease transmission in PR and to project the impact of growing sub-urban and urban areas on dengue cases in coming years. Our results could also be used to assess Dengue and Zika transmission in growing megacites of the world, where urban slums provide a favorable habitat for Ae. aegypti and foster

What do autonomous vehicles mean to traffic congestion and crash? : Network traffic flow modeling and simulation for autonomous vehicles.

Science.gov (United States)

2016-01-01

Transportation infrastructure is quickly moving towards revolutionary changes to : accommodate the deployment of AVs. On the other hand, the transition to new : vehicle technologies will be shaped in large part by changes in performance of : roadway ...

Constancy of character and Paul's understanding of change in his ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

2010-11-21

Nov 21, 2010 ... Paul's concern for explaining his own change in behaviour as positive and ... of fear of those of the circumcision (Gl 2:11–14), is not justified. ... have been changed by a divine call, and any further change of behaviour dishonours the divine ... Jewish Christians to which Betz appeals, as well as the idea that ...

Revolutionary Pressures and Social Movements in Nigeria: The ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

More often than not, social movements by their very nature are predicated on a penchant for change from below which embodies a revolution. An x-ray of the peculiar experience of the Nigerian polity with specific reference to theNiger Delta reveals deep-seated discontent whether expressed or otherwise.Right from the pre ...

Know this today's most interesting and important scientific ideas, discoveries, and developments

CERN Document Server

2017-01-01

Today's most visionary thinkers reveal the cutting-edge scientific ideas and breakthroughs you must understand. Scientific developments radically change and enlighten our understanding of the world -- whether it's advances in technology and medical research or the latest revelations of neuroscience, psychology, physics, economics, anthropology, climatology, or genetics. And yet amid the flood of information today, it's often difficult to recognize the truly revolutionary ideas that will have lasting impact. In the spirit of identifying the most significant new theories and discoveries, John Brockman, publisher of Edge.org ("The world's smartest website" -- The Guardian), asked 198 of the finest minds What do you consider the most interesting recent scientific news? What makes it important? Pulitzer Prize-winning author of Guns, Germs, and Steel Jared Diamond on the best way to understand complex problems * author of Seven Brief Lessons on Physics Carlo Rovelli on the mystery of black holes * Harvard psychol...

Proceedings of the third USGS modeling conference, June 7-11, 2010, Broomfield, Colorado-Understanding and predicting for a changing world

Science.gov (United States)

Brady, Shailaja R.

2011-01-01

The Third USGS Modeling Conference was held June 7th-11, 2010, in Broomfield, Colorado. The conference focused on the development and application of analytical and theoretical models and data availability that support managing the Nation's resources and help protect lives and property. Participants at the conference included scientists and managers from Department of the Interior (DOI) Bureaus; national and international Federal, State, and local agencies; academic institutions; and nongovernmental organizations. The conference was organized according to DOI priorities and the strategic directions of the USGS Science Strategy; the following themes were emphasized: (1) Understanding Ecosystems and Restoring America's Treasured Landscapes; (2) Climate Change and Impact; (3) New Energy Frontier and Minerals for America; (4) A National Hazards, Risk, and Resilience Assessment Program; (5) Role of Environment and Wildlife in Human Health; (6) A Water Census of the United States; and (7) New Methods of Investigation and Discovery. The conference theme-"Understanding and Predicting for a Changing World"-focused on the following goals: advance development and application of models; provide tools that address management issues; present state-of-the-art models ranging from individual phenomena to integrated systems; and foster a working community among scientists and managers.

Public Administration Theoretical Aspects Disputes in Legal Science of the Second Half of XX – Early XXI Centuries

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ol'ga D. Karnaukh

2013-01-01

Full Text Available The article is focused on comparative aspect of different approaches to the “public administration” notion in the legal science of the second half of the XX – early XXI centuries. The author came to a conclusion that the study of many pre-revolutionary, Soviet and modern scientists’ views of the problem of public administration notion definition, its structure, functional orientation and territory administration features allows to conclude that different approaches to its understanding, developed by pre-revolutionary scientists objectively survived, were affected by class ideology in Soviet period and are influenced by the paradigm of law-governed democratic state at present.

Hills and valleys: Understanding the under-eye

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Milind N Naik

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Soft tissue deflation and descent have long been implicated in the pathogenesis of facial aging. In the periorbital area, the upper orbital region is thought to change by descent of the eyebrow, as well as deflation of brow fat. While the understanding of the aging changes in the upper eyelid region are relatively simple, the lower eyelid poses a myriad of aging changes, each demanding a specific management plan. These can be best described in terms of elevations, or 'Hills' and hollows, or 'Valleys'. This article simplifies the understanding of the lower eyelid in the light of anatomical knowledge, and available literature. It forms a basis of easy diagnosis and treatment of the soft tissue changes in the lower eyelid and malar region.

Educational Reforms as Paradigm Shifts: Utilizing Kuhnian Lenses for a Better Understanding of the Meaning of, and Resistance to, Educational Change

Science.gov (United States)

Irez, Serhat; Han, Cigdem

2011-01-01

Research acknowledges that reform efforts in education often face resistance, particularly on the part of teachers. This study attempts to get to a better understanding of the reasons of resistance to change on the teachers' side through utilizing the structure of scientific revolutions as described by Thomas Kuhn as an analogy. To this end, a…

Understanding Pan-Arctic Tundra Vegetation Change Through Long-term Remotely Sensed Data

Science.gov (United States)

Bhatt, U.; Walker, D. A.; Bieniek, P.; Raynolds, M. K.; Epstein, H. E.; Comiso, J. C.; Pinzon, J. E.; Tucker, C. J.

2012-12-01

The goal of this paper is to present an analysis of the seasonality of tundra vegetation variability and change using long-term remotely sensed data as well as ground based measurements and reanalyses. An increase of Pan-Arctic tundra vegetation greenness has been documented using the remotely sensed Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI). Coherent variability between NDVI, springtime coastal sea ice (passive microwave) and land surface temperatures (AVHRR) has also been established. Satellite based snow and cloud cover data sets are being incorporated into this analysis. The Arctic tundra is divided into domains based on Treshnikov divisions that are modified based on floristic provinces. There is notable heterogeneity in Pan-Arctic vegetation and climate trends, which necessitates a regional analysis. This study uses remotely sensed weekly 25-km sea ice concentration, weekly surface temperature, and bi-weekly NDVI from 1982 to 2010. The GIMMS NDVI3g data has been corrected for biases during the spring and fall, with special focus on the Arctic. Trends of Maximum NDVI (MaxNDVI), Time Integrated NDVI (TI-NDVI), Summer Warmth Index (SWI, sum of degree months above freezing during May-August), and open water area are calculated for the Pan Arctic. Remotely sensed snow data trends suggest varying patterns throughout the Arctic and may in part explain the heterogeneous MaxNDVI trends. Standard climate data (station, reanalysis, and model data) and ground observations are used in the analysis to provide additional support for hypothesized mechanisms. Overall, we find that trends over the 30-year record are changing as evidenced by the following examples from recent years. The sea ice decline has increased in Eurasia and slowed in North America. The weekly AVHRR landsurface temperatures reveal that there has been summer cooling over Eurasia and that the warming over North America has slowed. The MaxNDVI rates of change have diverged between N. America and Eurasia

Night vision: changing the way we drive

Science.gov (United States)

Klapper, Stuart H.; Kyle, Robert J. S.; Nicklin, Robert L.; Kormos, Alexander L.

2001-03-01

A revolutionary new Night Vision System has been designed to help drivers see well beyond their headlights. From luxury automobiles to heavy trucks, Night Vision is helping drivers see better, see further, and react sooner. This paper describes how Night Vision Systems are being used in transportation and their viability for the future. It describes recent improvements to the system currently in the second year of production. It also addresses consumer education and awareness, cost reduction, product reliability, market expansion and future improvements.

Is There a Role for Endogenous 5-HT in Gastrointestinal Motility? How Recent Studies Have Changed Our Understanding.

Science.gov (United States)

Spencer, Nick J; Keating, Damien J

2016-01-01

Over the past few years, there have been dramatic changes in our understanding of the role of endogenous 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) in the generation of gastrointestinal (GI) motility patterns in the small and large intestine. The idea that endogenous 5-HT played a major role in the generation of peristalsis in the small intestine was first proposed in the mid 1950s, after it was discovered that endogenous 5-HT could be released from the mucosa at a similar time that peristalsis occurred; and that exogenous 5-HT could potently stimulate peristalsis. The fact that exogenous 5-HT stimulated peristalsis and that there was a similarity in timing between the release of 5-HT from the mucosa and the onset of peristalsis led investigators to propose that release of endogenous 5-HT from the mucosa was causally related to the generation of peristalsis. In further support of this, other studies showed that selective 5-HT antagonists could inhibit or block peristalsis, and other motor patterns, such as the migrating motor complex. Taken together, based on these findings, some laboratories believed that endogenous 5-HT (synthesized in the gut wall) was an important mediator, or initiator, of different propulsive motor patterns in the lower GI tract. This notion changed dramatically in the past few years, however, after it was discovered that removal of the mucosa abolished all cyclical release of endogenous 5-HT, but did not block peristalsis, nor the cyclical migrating complex. Furthermore, other laboratories revealed that genetic deletion of the gene tryptophan hydroxylase 1 (TPH-1) (that synthesizes endogenous 5-HT in the mucosa) actually had no inhibitory effect on transit of intestinal contents in live animals. Then, perhaps one of the most startling of all observations was the discovery that selective 5-HT receptor antagonists actually have the same inhibitory effects on peristalsis and the migrating complex in segments of intestine that had been depleted of all

Transforming Department of Defense’s Core Business Processes for Revolutionary Change

Science.gov (United States)

2015-01-01

of experiences. He served as President and Chief Operating Officer of Medco Health Solutions until 2012. Mr. Klepper was recruited to Medco...billion. From 1995 to 2003 Mr. Klepper was an executive at Empire Blue Cross Blue Shield of New York, the nation’s largest Blue Cross franchise . He was...the first executive recruited to the CEO’s turnaround team to help the company recover from near bankruptcy. Within twelve months, financial

Big Data - A Revolutionary "Space" that Changes the Way Business is Done

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nicodim Liliana

2017-01-01

Since the collection of data expressed as a result of business activity is not a major issue, thechallenge arises when it comes to analyzing, storing, transferring, querying and securinginformation-bearing data. Companies continuously seek to find software products that allow themto analyze these data and help in obtaining relevant information in decision-making.

Restoflex--a revolutionary change in preclinical practice for restorative dentistry and endodontics.

Science.gov (United States)

Jain, Shweta; Khaiser, Imran M; Thakur, Sophia; Jain, Shikha

2014-05-01

Preclinical exercises are very important for the dental students in order to master various dental techniques. The objective of this article is to introduce a new preclinical working model named Restoflex. It is especially designed for the students to carry out various restorative and endodontic procedures in an environment that closely simulate clinical situations. This will help them to provide a smooth transition from preclinical environment to the clinical one. It would also mean an increased confidence level and the efficiency with which the students would deal with their cases.

A Plan for Revolutionary Change in Gas Turbine Engine Control System Architecture

Science.gov (United States)

Culley, Dennis E.

2011-01-01

The implementation of Distributed Engine Control technology on the gas turbine engine has been a vexing challenge for the controls community. A successful implementation requires the resolution of multiple technical issues in areas such as network communications, power distribution, and system integration, but especially in the area of high temperature electronics. Impeding the achievement has been the lack of a clearly articulated message about the importance of the distributed control technology to future turbine engine system goals and objectives. To resolve these issues and bring the technology to fruition has, and will continue to require, a broad coalition of resources from government, industry, and academia. This presentation will describe the broad challenges facing the next generation of advanced control systems and the plan which is being put into action to successfully implement the technology on the next generation of gas turbine engine systems.

Understanding the Hydrologic Response of a Coastal Plain Watershed to Forest Management and Climate Change in South Carolina, U.S.A.

Science.gov (United States)

J. Lu; Ge Sun; Devendra M. Amatya; S. V. Harder; Steve G. McNulty

2006-01-01

The hydrologic processes in wetland ecosystems are not well understood. There are also great concerns and uncertainties about the hydrologic response of wetlands to forest management and climate change. The objective of this study is to apply a hydrologic model to better understand the hydrologic processes of a low relief coastal forested watershed and its responses to...

Mexico: Pemex caught between revolutionary heritage and the market

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rousseau, Isabelle

2016-01-01

Some constitutional modifications adopted in Mexico in 2013 marked an important watershed in the history and development of the Mexican oil industry: by opening this sector to private national or foreign investors, they make possible the emergence of an actual energy market. They also put an end to the monopoly of the Mexican public company, Pemex. In this article, the author proposes an historical perspective in order to better understand the influence of the Mexican Constitution of 1917 and of the oil industry nationalisation act of 1938 on the creation and development of the Mexican oil industry

Understanding Organizational Reality

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Keith O. Owen

2012-10-01

Full Text Available To achieve their purposes, organizations must constantly learn, adapt, and grow, a process typically referred to as change. Research shows that only a relatively few change efforts achieve great success—most just get by while the majority fail to reach predefined performance goals and objectives. That the success of planned change is relatively rare led to the following questions: (a What facilitates or inhibits the change process? (b How do these facilitators and inhibitors evolve within an organization? and (c What are the implications of understanding this evolutionary process relative to achieving a more sustainable level of performance? This article addresses these questions and presents a holistic model for creating an open, fully transparent environment in which the many differences of potential relevance to a change are put in the open for analysis. The approach, the Full Dimensional Systems Model, assumes there are multiple, interrelated domains of influence that affect change and that these must each be appreciated and addressed simultaneously to achieve sustainable performance improvement.

Building on IPY Data, Collaborations and Infrastructure to Understand the Changing Poles (Invited)

Science.gov (United States)

Bell, R. E.; Krupnik, I.; Hik, D.; Alverson, K. D.; Drinkwater, M. R.

2010-12-01

programs in the poles continue to necessitate shared resources, ideas and infrastructure. Goals for the post IPY 2007-9 polar science should include: (1) securing a robust, internationally-coordinated polar-observing infrastructure by sustaining existing IPY elements, complemented by critical new observations to fill identified gaps; (2) building complete ice, ocean, terrestrial and atmospheric data sets to facilitate accurate models of earth systems that will enable prediction and adaptation to future change; (3) recognition that fundamental exploratory science is necessary to ensure our ideas are not too narrow and entrenched; (4) interdisciplinary work must be encouraged to understand the complexity of coupled systems; (5) building on the IPY education and outreach efforts to ensure a vibrant new cohort of polar scientists ready to address polar change and its global ramifications.

Development and validation of a system of assimilation indices: A mixed method approach to understand change in psychotherapy.

Science.gov (United States)

Neto, David D; Baptista, Telmo M; Dent-Brown, Kim

2015-06-01

Assimilation is an important process in understanding change in psychotherapy. Similar to other psychological processes, assimilation may be traceable in the speech of clients by attending to its signs or indices. In the present research, we aimed to build a system of indices of assimilation. This research follows a mixed method design. The indices were derived through qualitative analysis, using grounded theory. Subsequently, the indices were adjusted quantitatively and applied to 30 single psychotherapy sessions of adult clients with depression and 11 therapists. Forty-two indices were found and grouped into the following five process categories of assimilation: external distress, pain, noticing, decentring and action. The indices showed good inter-rater reliability and internal consistency. Except for noticing, all process categories correlated significantly with each other according to conceptual proximity. The system of indices also showed convergent validity with an existing coding system of assimilation for two process categories. The results suggest that the system of indices is a useful approach for understanding assimilation. The consideration of assimilation in a continuous fashion through sub-processes may help to extend our knowledge of this process and provide a tool for clinical practice. Assimilation is an important process in understanding change in psychotherapy in the sense that it takes into account insight and action-related processes. Clients convey in their speech signs or indices of the assimilation process which can be observed both in the style and content of their utterances. Using these indices, therapists can continuously assess assimilation and use this information in choosing interventions. Limitations: This study follows a cross-sectional design and does not allow consideration of the predictive value of the indices. The outcome of the therapy was not taken into account, which restricts validity considerations to the comparison with

The contributions of cognitive neuroscience and neuroimaging to understanding mechanisms of behavior change in addiction.

Science.gov (United States)

Morgenstern, Jon; Naqvi, Nasir H; Debellis, Robert; Breiter, Hans C

2013-06-01

In the last decade, there has been an upsurge of interest in understanding the mechanisms of behavior change (MOBC) and effective behavioral interventions as a strategy to improve addiction-treatment efficacy. However, there remains considerable uncertainty about how treatment research should proceed to address the MOBC issue. In this article, we argue that limitations in the underlying models of addiction that inform behavioral treatment pose an obstacle to elucidating MOBC. We consider how advances in the cognitive neuroscience of addiction offer an alternative conceptual and methodological approach to studying the psychological processes that characterize addiction, and how such advances could inform treatment process research. In addition, we review neuroimaging studies that have tested aspects of neurocognitive theories as a strategy to inform addiction therapies and discuss future directions for transdisciplinary collaborations across cognitive neuroscience and MOBC research. 2013 APA, all rights reserved

Understanding the Ties that Bind and the Possibilities for Change

Science.gov (United States)

Teachout, David J.

2007-01-01

The author describes how contemporary music education at the secondary level has fallen short of Dr. Charles Leonhard's vision for developing musical understanding and musical responsiveness in all students and cites several historical events as pivotal in promoting the profession's current path. The author then challenges this generalization by…

Understanding unemployment

OpenAIRE

Guillaume Rocheteau

2006-01-01

Modern economists have built models of the labor market, which isolate the market’s key drivers and describe the way these interact to produce particular levels of unemployment. One of the most popular models used by macroeconomists today is the search-matching model of equilibrium unemployment. We explain this model, and show how it can be applied to understand the way various policies, such as unemployment benefits, taxes, or technological changes, can affect the unemployment rate.

Understanding land administration systems

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

P. Williamson, Ian; Enemark, Stig; Wallace, Judy

2008-01-01

This paper introduces basic land administration theory and highlights four key concepts that are fundamental to understanding modern land administration systems. Readers may recall the first part of the paper in October issue of Coordinates. Here is the concluding part that focuses on the changing...

Understanding China's Transformations

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Li, Xing

The objective of this paper is to offer a framework of understanding the dialectical nexus between China's internal evolutions and the external influences with a focus on the century-long "challenge-response" dynamism. That is to explore how external factors helped shaping China's internal...... transformations, i.e. how generations of Chinese have been struggling in responding to the external challenges and attempting to sinicize external political ideas in order to change China from within. Likewise, it is equally important to understand how China's inner transformation contributed to reshaping...... the world. Each time, be it China's dominance or decline, the capitalist world system has to adjust and readjust itself to the opportunities and constraints brought about by the "China factors"....

TERRECO: A Flux-Based Approach to Understanding Landscape Change, Potentials of Resilience and Sustainability in Ecosystem Services

Science.gov (United States)

Tenhunen, J. D.; Kang, S.

2011-12-01

The Millenium Assessment has provided a broad perspective on the ways and degree to which global change has stressed ecosystems and their potential to deliver goods and services to mankind. Management of natural resources at regional scale requires a clear understanding of the ways that ongoing human activities modify or create new system stressors, leading to net gains or losses in ecosystem services. Ever since information from the International Biological Program (IBP) was summarized in the 1960s, we know that ecosystem stress response, recovery and resilience are related to changes in ecosystem turnover of materials, nutrient retention or loss, resource use efficiencies, and additional ecosystem properties that determine fluxes of carbon, water and nutrients. At landscape or regional scale, changes in system drivers influence land-surface to atmosphere gas exchange (water, carbon and trace gas emissions), the seasonal course of soil resource stores, hydrology, and transport of nutrients and carbon into and through river systems. In today's terminology, shifts in these fluxes indicate a modification of potential ecosystem services provided to us by the landscape or region of interest, and upon which we depend. Ongoing modeling efforts of the TERRECO project carried out in S. Korea focus on describing landscape and regional level flow networks for carbon, water, and nutrients, but in addition monetary flows associated with gains and losses in ecosystem services (cf. Fig. 1). The description is embedded within a framework which examines the trade-offs between agricultural intensification versus yield of high quality water to reservoirs for drinking water supply. The models also quantify hypothetical changes in flow networks that would occur in the context of climate, land use and social change scenarios.

Why understanding the impacts of the changing environment on river basin hydrology matters in Texas?

Science.gov (United States)

Gao, H.; Zhao, G.; Lee, K.; Zhang, S.; Shen, X.; Shao, M.; Nickelson, C.

2017-12-01

The State of Texas is prone to floods and droughts—both of which are expected to become more frequent, and more intensified, under a changing climate. This has a direct negative effect on agricultural productivity, which is a major revenue source for the state. Meanwhile, with the rapid population growth and economic development, the burden to Texas water resources is exacerbated by the ever increasing demands from users. From a hydrological processes perspective, the direct consequence of the increased impervious area due to urbanization is greater surface runoff and higher flood peaks. Although many reservoirs have been built during the past several decades to regulate river flows and increase water supply, the role of these reservoirs in the context of different future climate change and urbanization scenarios needs to be explored. Furthermore, phytoplankton productivity—an important indicator of coastal ecosystem health— is significantly affected by river discharge. The objective of this presentation is to reveal the importance of understanding the impacts of climate change, urbanization, and flow regulation on Texas river flows, water resources, and coastal water quality. Using state-of-the-art modeling and remote sensing techniques, we will showcase our results over representative Texas river basins and bay areas. A few examples include modeling peak flows in the San Antonio River Basin, evaluating water supply resilience under future drought and urbanization over the Dallas metropolitan area, projecting future crop yields from Texas agricultural lands, and monitoring and forecasting Chlorophyll-a concentrations over Galveston Bay. Results from these studies are expected to provide information relevant to decision making, both with regard to water resources management and to ecosystem protection.

UNDERSTANDING OF GENETICALLY MODIFIED ORGANISMS

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Željko Kaluđerović

2012-09-01

Full Text Available During the last sixteen years biotechnology, genetic engineering, transgenic organisms or genetically modified organisms (GMOs have been raising numerous controversies. In the scientific sphere, genetic engineering and GMOs represent a special challenge for geneticists, breeders and physicians, in philosophy it is a topic of interest for bioethicists and agricultural ethicists, environmentalists are interested in the interconnectictions between new technology and environment protection, for multinational companies this is a potential source of huge profits, and for certain governments they represent an instrument for strategic control of food production within their countries as well as internationally. By taking into account the views of both advocates and opponents of this "revolutionary" method, authors believe that we should not a priori reject new and insufficiently studied technologies, but that in this particular it is necessary to be extremely cautious, in other words that from (bioethical point of view only those GMO investigations limited to scientific purposes are justified, provided that all required precautions have been taken. Also, authors are of the opinion that in this region as well as in Europe as a whole, at this moment, transgenic organisms are not necessery, neither in agricultural production nor in the food chain. Arguments for such a statement are found primarily in the potential issues that intentional breeding of GMOs might inflict upon the human health and environment. Namely, if borders of individual species are not overstepped and if their endogenous traits are made stronger, the potential risk of causing irreparable damage for both present and future generations which may be brought by changed biological succession will be reduced, i.e. one of the four fundamental bioethical principles will be applied and that is the nonmaleficence. Further intentional decreasing of biodiversity should not be allowed, which means

UNDERSTANDING OF GENETICALLY MODIFIED ORGANISMS

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Željko Kaluđerović

2012-09-01

Full Text Available During the last sixteen years biotechnology, genetic engineering, transgenic organisms or genetically modified organisms (GMOs have been raising numerous controversies. In the scientific sphere, genetic engineering and GMOs represent a special challenge for geneticists, breeders and physicians, in philosophy it is a topic of interest for bioethicists and agricultural ethicists, environmentalists are interested in the interconnectictions between new technology and environment protection, for multinational companies this is a potential source of huge profits, and for certain governments they represent an instrument for strategic control of food production within their countries as well as internationally. By taking into account the views of both advocates and opponents of this "revolutionary" method, authors believe that we should not a priori reject new and insufficiently studied technologies, but that in this particular it is necessary to be extremely cautious, in other words that from (bioethical point of view only those GMO investigations limited to scientific purposes are justified, provided that all required precautions have been taken. Also, authors are of the opinion that in this region as well as in Europe as a whole, at this moment, transgenic organisms are not necessery, neither in agricultural production nor in the food chain. Arguments for such a statement are found primarily in the potential issues that intentional breeding of GMOs might inflict upon the human health and environment. Namely, if borders of individual species are not overstepped and if their endogenous traits are made stronger, the potential risk of causing irreparable damage for both present and future generations which may be brought by changed biological succession will be reduced, i.e. one of the four fundamental bioethical principles will be applied and that is the nonmaleficence. Further intentional decreasing of biodiversity should not be allowed, which means

The Effect of the Conceptual Change Oriented Instruction through Cooperative Learning on 4th Grade Students' Understanding of Earth and Sky Concepts

Science.gov (United States)

Celikten, Oksan; Ipekcioglu, Sevgi; Ertepinar, Hamide; Geban, Omer

2012-01-01

The purpose of this study was to compare the effectiveness of the conceptual change oriented instruction through cooperative learning (CCICL) and traditional science instruction (TI) on 4th grade students' understanding of earth and sky concepts and their attitudes toward earth and sky concepts. In this study, 56 fourth grade students from the…

Understanding nucleic acid structural changes by comparing wide-angle x-ray scattering (WAXS) experiments to molecular dynamics simulations

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Pabit, Suzette A.; Katz, Andrea M.; Pollack, Lois [School of Applied and Engineering Physics, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14853 (United States); Tolokh, Igor S. [Department of Computer Science, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Virginia 24061 (United States); Drozdetski, Aleksander [Department of Physics, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Virginia 24061 (United States); Baker, Nathan [Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, Washington 99352 (United States); Onufriev, Alexey V. [Department of Computer Science, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Virginia 24061 (United States); Department of Physics, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Virginia 24061 (United States)

2016-05-28

Wide-angle x-ray scattering (WAXS) is emerging as a powerful tool for increasing the resolution of solution structure measurements of biomolecules. Compared to its better known complement, small angle x-ray scattering (SAXS), WAXS targets higher scattering angles and can enhance structural studies of molecules by accessing finer details of solution structures. Although the extension from SAXS to WAXS is easy to implement experimentally, the computational tools required to fully harness the power of WAXS are still under development. Currently, WAXS is employed to study structural changes and ligand binding in proteins; however, the methods are not as fully developed for nucleic acids. Here, we show how WAXS can qualitatively characterize nucleic acid structures as well as the small but significant structural changes driven by the addition of multivalent ions. We show the potential of WAXS to test all-atom molecular dynamics (MD) simulations and to provide insight into understanding how the trivalent ion cobalt(III) hexammine (CoHex) affects the structure of RNA and DNA helices. We find that MD simulations capture the RNA structural change that occurs due to addition of CoHex.

Understanding the causes of architecture changes using OSS mailing lists

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Ding, Wei; Liang, Peng; Tang, Anthony; Van Vliet, Hans

2015-01-01

The causes of architecture changes can tell about why architecture changes, and this knowledge can be captured to prevent architecture knowledge vaporization and architecture degeneration. But the causes are not always known, especially in open source software (OSS) development. This makes it very

An Accessible Approach to Understanding Entropy and Change

Science.gov (United States)

Johnson, Philip

2018-01-01

This article challenges the notion that entropy is something to be avoided. A line of argument is presented that is accessible to those not having specialist knowledge and that offers a new perspective to those more familiar with the concept. It shows that temperature is better understood by addressing entropy. Entropy change diagrams are…

From Bearing Witness to Art Exhibitions to Inspiring the Understanding of Climate Change

Science.gov (United States)

Burko, D.

2016-12-01

I intend to demonstrate how artists such as myself can influence the public discourse on climate change. I believe aesthetically compelling visualizations can transcend data and language. I will speak specifically to how I communicate scientific research to diverse populations. I have much to share since first speaking in 2012 on the Panel "Communication of Science through Art: Raison d'Etre for Interdisciplinary Communication". I then illustrated how I utilized visual cues such as archival evidence in the form of repeats, geological charts of recessional lines, graphs, symbols and Landsat maps in my large scale paintings and photographs and inspired learning. I continue to develop visual strategies delivering information on an emotional/non-verbal level. Now 4 years later, I've added the most dramatic layer to my creative process: bearing witness. I've been to the three largest ice fields in the world: Greenland, Antarctica and Argentina's Patagonia, observing the unprecedented pace of glacial melt. Those expeditions feed my practice, leading to exhibitions that begin a dialog with an audience not initially interested in science. In the past 5 years my work has appeared in 6 solo and 19 group exhibits all devoted to the environment. I make myself present in universities, museums and galleries to explain what the images are about. I require universities to include a public component: an all-college lecture or panel where the geography/environmental/sociology/geology departments participate with broad student involvement. I believe that such endeavors are worthwhile and can be models for further efforts to educate an unsuspecting audience. Artists can bridge the gap communicating to a public of art appreciators, nonscientists - how easy it is to understand geology and global warming. I believe we can even inspire attitudinal change. Aside from personal examples I will include other artists and exhibition venues contributing to this phenomenon.

Microencapsulated Phase Change Materials in Solar-Thermal Conversion Systems: Understanding Geometry-Dependent Heating Efficiency and System Reliability.

Science.gov (United States)

Zheng, Zhaoliang; Chang, Zhuo; Xu, Guang-Kui; McBride, Fiona; Ho, Alexandra; Zhuola, Zhuola; Michailidis, Marios; Li, Wei; Raval, Rasmita; Akhtar, Riaz; Shchukin, Dmitry

2017-01-24

The performance of solar-thermal conversion systems can be improved by incorporation of nanocarbon-stabilized microencapsulated phase change materials (MPCMs). The geometry of MPCMs in the microcapsules plays an important role for improving their heating efficiency and reliability. Yet few efforts have been made to critically examine the formation mechanism of different geometries and their effect on MPCMs-shell interaction. Herein, through changing the cooling rate of original emulsions, we acquire MPCMs within the nanocarbon microcapsules with a hollow structure of MPCMs (h-MPCMs) or solid PCM core particles (s-MPCMs). X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and atomic force microscopy reveals that the capsule shell of the h-MPCMs is enriched with nanocarbons and has a greater MPCMs-shell interaction compared to s-MPCMs. This results in the h-MPCMs being more stable and having greater heat diffusivity within and above the phase transition range than the s-MPCMs do. The geometry-dependent heating efficiency and system stability may have important and general implications for the fundamental understanding of microencapsulation and wider breadth of heating generating systems.

Understanding semantic mapping evolution by observing changes in biomedical ontologies.

Science.gov (United States)

dos Reis, Julio Cesar; Pruski, Cédric; Da Silveira, Marcos; Reynaud-Delaître, Chantal

2014-02-01

Knowledge Organization Systems (KOSs) are extensively used in the biomedical domain to support information sharing between software applications. KOSs are proposed covering different, but overlapping subjects, and mappings indicate the semantic relation between concepts from two KOSs. Over time, KOSs change as do the mappings between them. This can result from a new discovery or a revision of existing knowledge which includes corrections of concepts or mappings. Indeed, changes affecting KOS entities may force the underline mappings to be updated in order to ensure their reliability over time. To tackle this open research problem, we study how mappings are affected by KOS evolution. This article presents a detailed descriptive analysis of the impact that changes in KOS have on mappings. As a case study, we use the official mappings established between SNOMED CT and ICD-9-CM from 2009 to 2011. Results highlight factors according to which KOS changes in varying degrees influence the evolution of mappings. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Cognitive theory and brain fact: Insights for the future of cognitive neuroscience. Comment on “Toward a computational framework for cognitive biology: Unifying approaches from cognitive neuroscience and comparative cognition” by W. Tecumseh Fitch

Science.gov (United States)

Bowling, Daniel

2014-09-01

A central challenge in neuroscience is to understand the relationship between the mechanistic operation of the nervous system and the psychological phenomena we experience everyday (e.g., perception, memory, attention, emotion, and consciousness). Supported by revolutionary advances in technology, knowledge of neural mechanisms has grown dramatically over recent decades, but with few exceptions our understanding of how these mechanisms relate to psychological phenomena remains poor.

Habit Discontinuity, Self-Activation, and the Diminishing Influence of Context Change: Evidence from the UK Understanding Society Survey.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Gregory Owen Thomas

Full Text Available Repeated behaviours in stable contexts can become automatic habits. Habits are resistant to information-based techniques to change behaviour, but are contextually cued, so a change in behaviour context (e.g., location weakens habit strength and can facilitate greater consideration of the behaviour. This idea was demonstrated in previous work, whereby people with strong environmental attitudes have lower car use, but only after recently moving home. We examine the habit discontinuity hypothesis by analysing the Understanding Society dataset with 18,053 individuals representative of the UK population, measuring time since moving home, travel mode to work, and strength of environmental attitudes. Results support previous findings where car use is significantly lower among those with stronger environmental views (but only after recently moving home, and in addition, demonstrate a trend where this effects decays as the time since moving home increases. We discuss results in light of moving into a new home being a potential 'window of opportunity' to promote pro-environmental behaviours.

Habit Discontinuity, Self-Activation, and the Diminishing Influence of Context Change: Evidence from the UK Understanding Society Survey.

Science.gov (United States)

Thomas, Gregory Owen; Poortinga, Wouter; Sautkina, Elena

2016-01-01

Repeated behaviours in stable contexts can become automatic habits. Habits are resistant to information-based techniques to change behaviour, but are contextually cued, so a change in behaviour context (e.g., location) weakens habit strength and can facilitate greater consideration of the behaviour. This idea was demonstrated in previous work, whereby people with strong environmental attitudes have lower car use, but only after recently moving home. We examine the habit discontinuity hypothesis by analysing the Understanding Society dataset with 18,053 individuals representative of the UK population, measuring time since moving home, travel mode to work, and strength of environmental attitudes. Results support previous findings where car use is significantly lower among those with stronger environmental views (but only after recently moving home), and in addition, demonstrate a trend where this effects decays as the time since moving home increases. We discuss results in light of moving into a new home being a potential 'window of opportunity' to promote pro-environmental behaviours.

Global observation of EKC hypothesis for CO{sub 2}, SO{sub x} and NO{sub x} emission: A policy understanding for climate change mitigation in Bangladesh

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Danesh Miah, Md., E-mail: dansforestry@yahoo.co [Institute of Forestry and Environmental Sciences, University of Chittagong, Chittagong 4331 (Bangladesh); Forest Policy Laboratory, Shinshu University, 8304 Minamimminowa-Mura, Kami Ina Gun, 399-4598 Nagano-ken (Japan); Farhad Hossain Masum, Md. [Institute of Forestry and Environmental Sciences, University of Chittagong, Chittagong 4331 (Bangladesh); Koike, Masao [Forest Policy Laboratory, Shinshu University, 8304 Minamimminowa-Mura, Kami Ina Gun, 399-4598 Nagano-ken (Japan)

2010-08-15

Environmental Kuznets Curve (EKC) hypothesis is critical to understanding the developmental path of a nation in relation to its environment. How the effects of economic development processes dictate environmental changes can be found through the study of EKC. To understand the EKC phenomena for climate change, this study was undertaken by reviewing the available literature. As CO{sub 2}, SO{sub x} and NO{sub x} are the significant greenhouse gases (GHG) responsible for global warming, thus leading to climate change, the study focused on those GHGs for EKC consideration. With an understanding of the different EKC trajectories, an attempt was made to determine the implications for the economic development of Bangladesh in regards to the EKC. It was shown that EKC for CO{sub 2} was following a monotonous straight line in most cases. SO{sub x} were shown to follow the full trajectory of the EKC in most situations and NO{sub x} was shown the hope only for the developed countries getting the low-income turning point. The type of economic policy that Bangladesh should follow in regards to the discussed pollutants and sources is also revealed. From these discussions, contributions to policy stimulation in Bangladesh are likely to be made.

Global observation of EKC hypothesis for CO{sub 2}, SO{sub x} and NO{sub x} emission. A policy understanding for climate change mitigation in Bangladesh

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Danesh Miah, Md. [Institute of Forestry and Environmental Sciences, University of Chittagong, Chittagong 4331 (Bangladesh); Forest Policy Laboratory, Shinshu University, 8304 Minamimminowa-Mura, Kami Ina Gun, 399-4598 Nagano-ken (Japan); Farhad Hossain Masum, Md. [Institute of Forestry and Environmental Sciences, University of Chittagong, Chittagong 4331 (Bangladesh); Koike, Masao [Forest Policy Laboratory, Shinshu University, 8304 Minamimminowa-Mura, Kami Ina Gun, 399-4598 Nagano-ken (Japan)

2010-08-15

Environmental Kuznets Curve (EKC) hypothesis is critical to understanding the developmental path of a nation in relation to its environment. How the effects of economic development processes dictate environmental changes can be found through the study of EKC. To understand the EKC phenomena for climate change, this study was undertaken by reviewing the available literature. As CO{sub 2}, SO{sub x} and NO{sub x} are the significant greenhouse gases (GHG) responsible for global warming, thus leading to climate change, the study focused on those GHGs for EKC consideration. With an understanding of the different EKC trajectories, an attempt was made to determine the implications for the economic development of Bangladesh in regards to the EKC. It was shown that EKC for CO{sub 2} was following a monotonous straight line in most cases. SO{sub x} were shown to follow the full trajectory of the EKC in most situations and NO{sub x} was shown the hope only for the developed countries getting the low-income turning point. The type of economic policy that Bangladesh should follow in regards to the discussed pollutants and sources is also revealed. From these discussions, contributions to policy stimulation in Bangladesh are likely to be made. (author)

Enrico Fermi the obedient genius

CERN Document Server

Bruzzaniti, Giuseppe

2016-01-01

This biography explores the life and career of the Italian physicist Enrico Fermi, which is also the story of thirty years that transformed physics and forever changed our understanding of matter and the universe: nuclear physics and elementary particle physics were born, nuclear fission was discovered, the Manhattan Project was developed, the atomic bombs were dropped, and the era of “big science” began. It would be impossible to capture the full essence of this revolutionary period without first understanding Fermi, without whom it would not have been possible. Enrico Fermi: The Obedient Genius attempts to shed light on all aspects of Fermi’s life - his work, motivation, influences, achievements, and personal thoughts - beginning with the publication of his first paper in 1921 through his death in 1954. During this time, Fermi demonstrated that he was indeed following in the footsteps of Galileo, excelling in his work both theoretically and experimentally by deepening our understanding of the Pauli e...

Influence of the Family in Career Decision-Making.

Science.gov (United States)

Chope, Robert C.

2001-01-01

Two recently emerging factors are changing the role of family in career decision making: the revolutionary changes in family structure and increased emphasis on interpersonal relationships in work. Career counselors need new protocols in order to work with clients and family members. (SK)

Agent-Based Modelling and Simulation of Safety and Resilience in Air Transportation

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Bouarfa, S.

2015-01-01

Purpose: In order to improve the safety, capacity, economy, and sustainability of air transportation, revolutionary changes are required. These changes might range from the introduction of new technology and operational procedures to unprecedented roles of human operators and the way they interact.

Identifying students’ mental models of sound propagation: The role of conceptual blending in understanding conceptual change

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Zdeslav Hrepic

2010-09-01

Full Text Available We investigated introductory physics students’ mental models of sound propagation. We used a phenomenographic method to analyze the data in the study. In addition to the scientifically accepted Wave model, students used the “Entity” model to describe the propagation of sound. In this latter model sound is a self-standing entity, different from the medium through which it propagates. All other observed alternative models contain elements of both Entity and Wave models, but at the same time are distinct from each of the constituent models. We called these models “hybrid” or “blend” models. We discuss how students use these models in various contexts before and after instruction and how our findings contribute to the understanding of conceptual change. Implications of our findings for teaching are summarized.

Shape understanding system machine understanding and human understanding

CERN Document Server

Les, Zbigniew

2015-01-01

This is the third book presenting selected results of research on the further development of the shape understanding system (SUS) carried out by authors in the newly founded Queen Jadwiga Research Institute of Understanding. In this book the new term Machine Understanding is introduced referring to a new area of research aiming to investigate the possibility of building machines with the ability to understand. It is presented that SUS needs to some extent mimic human understanding and for this reason machines are evaluated according to the rules applied for the evaluation of human understanding. The book shows how to formulate problems and how it can be tested if the machine is able to solve these problems.    

Process Network Approach to Understanding How Forest Ecosystems Adapt to Changes

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, J.; Yun, J.; Hong, J.; Kwon, H.; Chun, J.

2011-12-01

Sustainability challenges are transforming science and its role in society. Complex systems science has emerged as an inevitable field of education and research, which transcends disciplinary boundaries and focuses on understanding of the dynamics of complex social-ecological systems (SES). SES is a combined system of social and ecological components and drivers that interact and give rise to results, which could not be understood on the basis of sociological or ecological considerations alone. However, both systems may be viewed as a network of processes, and such a network hierarchy may serve as a hinge to bridge social and ecological systems. As a first step toward such effort, we attempted to delineate and interpret such process networks in forest ecosystems, which play a critical role in the cycles of carbon and water from local to global scales. These cycles and their variability, in turn, play an important role in the emergent and self-organizing interactions between forest ecosystems and their environment. Ruddell and Kumar (2009) define a process network as a network of feedback loops and the related time scales, which describe the magnitude and direction of the flow of energy, matter, and information between the different variables in a complex system. Observational evidence, based on micrometeorological eddy covariance measurements, suggests that heterogeneity and disturbances in forest ecosystems in monsoon East Asia may facilitate to build resilience for adaptation to change. Yet, the principles that characterize the role of variability in these interactions remain elusive. In this presentation, we report results from the analysis of multivariate ecohydrologic and biogeochemical time series data obtained from temperate forest ecosystems in East Asia based on information flow statistics.

Any Small Change?: Teacher Education, Compassion, Understandings and Perspectives on Global Development Education

Science.gov (United States)

Varadharajan, Meera; Buchanan, John

2017-01-01

Increased migration of people(s), goods, ideas and ideologies necessitate global understanding, empathies and responses on the part of teachers and their students. This paper investigates the effects on 100 primary pre-service teachers' understandings of and attitudes toward a semester-long course exploring, inter alia, global development. The…

Local Leader, Liberalism and Autonomy in the Mexican Revolution. Pahuatlán, Puebla, 1911–1914

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Óscar Fernando López Meraz

2017-07-01

Full Text Available The article analyzes the revolutionary process in the municipality of Pahuatlán, located in the Sierra Norte de Puebla (Mexico, from 1911 to 1914. The objective is to understand the particularities of this space to know the impact it had on the daily life of its inhabitants. The questions that led the investigation were: How does the Revolution arrive in Pahuatlán? What motivated the pahuatecos to be part of the revolutionary process? How did your participation in daily life affect you? Likewise, we assume that Pahuateca's participation was due to the attempt of the regional political leaders to execute the mandates of the liberal state in terms that were locally acceptable; That is to say, they elaborated a local agenda that provided political and social stability in the municipality based on the defense of the local autonomy, and not in the necessity of an agrarian claim. From a local perspective, we observe how the specific characteristics acquired by the revolutionary movement in Pahuatlán are closely related to what happened at the national and state levels.

Understanding A.M. Iqbal’s Vision on Perfect Man

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Imam Bahroni

2013-12-01

Full Text Available This article tries to elucidate A.M Iqbal’s vision on the concept of perfectman. Its significance is at the point that Man can transform both his being andhis surroundings according to his own desires and aspirations. He actually makesimprovements upon what is created by God. God created night, he inventedthe lamp; God created clay, and from it he made the cup; God created deserts,mountains, forests, orchards, gardens, and groves. He makes glass out of stoneand turns poison into an antidote. God created the world, but he made it morebeautiful.Iqbal’s reasoning amply justifies belief in the ascendancy of man overthe universe and his predicted perfection. The perfect man is the ultimate endof the revolutionary process, and he is developed out of the present man, justas the full moon is developed from the crescent.

New infrastructures for knowledge production understanding e-science

CERN Document Server

Hine, Christine

2006-01-01

New Infrastructures for Knowledge Production: Understanding E-Science offers a distinctive understanding of new infrastructures for knowledge production based in science and technology studies. This field offers a unique potential to assess systematically the prospects for new modes of science enabled by information and communication technologies. The authors use varied methodological approaches, reviewing the origins of initiatives to develop e-science infrastructures, exploring the diversity of the various solutions and the scientific cultures which use them, and assessing the prospects for wholesale change in scientific structures and practices. New Infrastructures for Knowledge Production: Understanding E-Science contains practical advice for the design of appropriate technological solutions, and long range assessments of the prospects for change useful both to policy makers and those implementing institutional infrastructures. Readers interested in understanding contemporary science will gain a rich pict...

Risk-oriented banking supervision: understanding change of course

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Vlasov K. A.

2017-11-01

Full Text Available in this article the existing model of national bank supervision, its substantial party are considered. By means of the legal analysis and comparative jurisprudence foreign models of bank supervision, the international standards of the «soft» right are investigated, the analysis of an opportunity and positive sides of change of approach of the operating bank supervision to substantial (risk-focused is made.

Understanding the dynamics of sustainable change: A 20-year case study of integrated health and social care.

Science.gov (United States)

Klinga, Charlotte; Hasson, Henna; Andreen Sachs, Magna; Hansson, Johan

2018-06-04

Change initiatives face many challenges, and only a few lead to long-term sustainability. One area in which the challenge of achieving long-term sustainability is particularly noticeable is integrated health and social care. Service integration is crucial for a wide range of patients including people with complex mental health and social care needs. However, previous research has focused on the initiation, resistance and implementation of change, while longitudinal studies remain sparse. The objective of this study was therefore to gain insight into the dynamics of sustainable changes in integrated health and social care through an analysis of local actions that were triggered by a national policy. A retrospective and qualitative case-study research design was used, and data from the model organisation's steering-committee minutes covering 1995-2015 were gathered and analysed. The analysis generated a narrative case description, which was mirrored to the key elements of the Dynamic Sustainability Framework (DSF). The development of inter-sectoral cooperation was characterized by a participatory approach in which a shared structure was created to support cooperation and on-going quality improvement and learning based on the needs of the service user. A key management principle was cooperation, not only on all organisational levels, but also with service users, stakeholder associations and other partner organisations. It was shown that all these parts were interrelated and collectively contributed to the creation of a structure and a culture which supported the development of a dynamic sustainable health and social care. This study provides valuable insights into the dynamics of organizational sustainability and understanding of key managerial actions taken to establish, develop and support integration of health and social care for people with complex mental health needs. The service user involvement and regular reviews of service users' needs were essential in order

Resilience, political ecology, and well-being: an interdisciplinary approach to understanding social-ecological change in coastal Bangladesh

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sonia F. Hoque

2017-06-01

Full Text Available The commodification of peasant livelihoods through export-oriented aquaculture has brought about significant social-ecological changes in low-lying coastal areas in many parts of Asia. A better understanding of the underlying drivers and distributional effects of these changes requires integration of social and ecological approaches that often have different epistemological origins. Resilience thinking has gained increased traction in social-ecological systems research because it provides a dynamic analysis of the cross-scalar interactions between multiple conditions and processes. However, the system-oriented perspective inherent in resilience thinking fails to acknowledge the heterogeneous values, interests, and power of social actors and their roles in navigating social-ecological change. Incorporation of political ecology and well-being perspectives can provide an actor-oriented analysis of the trade-offs associated with change and help to determine which state is desirable for whom. However, empirical demonstrations of such interdisciplinary approaches remain scarce. Here, we explore the combined application of resilience, political ecology, and well-being in investigating the root causes of social-ecological change and identifying the winners and losers of system transformation through empirical analysis of the differential changes in farming systems in two villages in coastal Bangladesh. Using the adaptive cycle as a structuring model, we examine the evolution of the shrimp aquaculture system over the past few decades, particularly looking at the power dynamics between households of different wealth classes. We found that although asymmetric land ownership and political ties enabled the wealthier households to reach their desired farming system in one village, social resilience achieved through memory, leadership, and crisis empowered poorer households to exercise their agency in another village. Material dimensions such as improved

Arabism and Islam: Stateless Nations and Nationless States

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Helms, Christine M

1990-01-01

During the 1980s, Islamic activists in the Arab Middle East have challenged the definition of "legitimate authority" and provided the means and rationale for revolutionary change, hoping to pressure...

Comparison between the Understanding Levels of Boys and Girls on the Concepts of Environmental Degradation, Meteorology and Climate Change in Tanzanian Secondary Schools

Science.gov (United States)

Kira, Ernest S.; Komba, Sotco C.

2015-01-01

The study aimed to determine whether there was any significant difference in understanding levels between secondary school boys and girls on the concepts of environmental degradation, meteorology and climate change. Both structured survey and focus group discussions were used to collect information from 480 students, sampled randomly from 12…

ESTABLISHING SUSTAINABLE US HEV/PHEV MANUFACTURING BASE: STABILIZED LITHIUM METAL POWDER, ENABLING MATERIAL AND REVOLUTIONARY TECHNOLOGY FOR HIGH ENERGY LI-ION BATTERIES

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Yakovleva, Marina

2012-12-31

FMC Lithium Division has successfully completed the project “Establishing Sustainable US PHEV/EV Manufacturing Base: Stabilized Lithium Metal Powder, Enabling Material and Revolutionary Technology for High Energy Li-ion Batteries”. The project included design, acquisition and process development for the production scale units to 1) produce stabilized lithium dispersions in oil medium, 2) to produce dry stabilized lithium metal powders, 3) to evaluate, design and acquire pilot-scale unit for alternative production technology to further decrease the cost, and 4) to demonstrate concepts for integrating SLMP technology into the Li- ion batteries to increase energy density. It is very difficult to satisfy safety, cost and performance requirements for the PHEV and EV applications. As the initial step in SLMP Technology introduction, industry can use commercially available LiMn2O4 or LiFePO4, for example, that are the only proven safer and cheaper lithium providing cathodes available on the market. Unfortunately, these cathodes alone are inferior to the energy density of the conventional LiCoO2 cathode and, even when paired with the advanced anode materials, such as silicon composite material, the resulting cell will still not meet the energy density requirements. We have demonstrated, however, if SLMP Technology is used to compensate for the irreversible capacity in the anode, the efficiency of the cathode utilization will be improved and the cost of the cell, based on the materials, will decrease.

Understanding Change in Higher Education as Bricolage: How Academics Engage in Curriculum Change

Science.gov (United States)

Louvel, Séverine

2013-01-01

The engagement of academics in organizational change in higher education institutions is generally understood as involving a wide range of behaviors, and previous studies have situated academics' actions at various points along a continuum between passivity and pro-activity. This article complements this approach by asking how--rather than in…

75 FR 12245 - Program Comment for the Department of the Navy for the Disposition of Historic Vessels

Science.gov (United States)

2010-03-15

... foreign nation by sale, lease, grant, loan, barter, transfer or otherwise. These six methods of final..., weapons systems, or other upgrades that represent a revolutionary change in naval design or warfighting...

Realism and Peaceful Change

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Wivel, Anders

2018-01-01

This chapter discusses how to understand peaceful change from the perspective of classical realism, structural realism and neoclassical realism.......This chapter discusses how to understand peaceful change from the perspective of classical realism, structural realism and neoclassical realism....

Immersive Planetarium Visualizations for Teaching Solar System Moon Concepts to Undergraduates

Science.gov (United States)

Yu, Ka Chun; Sahami, Kamran; Denn, Grant; Sahami, Victoria; Sessions, Larry C.

2016-01-01

Digital video fulldome has long been heralded as a revolutionary educational technology; yet the discipline-based astronomy education research literature showing planetarium effectiveness has been sparse. In order to help understand to what extent immersion impacts learning and the effect of the "narrative journey" model of presentation,…

Counting and Weighing

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Ehrensvärd, Martin Gustaf; Rezetko, Robert; Young, Ian

2017-01-01

The intuition of established scholars often holds them back from appreciating revolutionary advances in the understanding of how the biblical texts evolved and how to view their language in that context. Kuhn’s theory of paradigm shifts helps elucidate what is currently going on in our field. We...

Whitehead Policy Symposium. The Human Genome Project: Science, law, and social change in the 21st century

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Nichols, E.K.

2000-02-17

Advances in the biomedical sciences, especially in human genomics, will dramatically influence law, medicine, public health, and many other sectors of our society in the decades ahead. The public already senses the revolutionary nature of genomic knowledge. In the US and Europe, we have seen widespread discussions about genetic discrimination in health insurance; privacy issues raised by the proliferation of DNA data banks; the challenge of interpreting new DNA diagnostic tests; changing definitions of what it means to be healthy; and the science and ethics of cloning animals and human beings. The primary goal of the Whitehead/ASLME Policy Symposium was to provide a bridge between the research community and professionals, who were just beginning to grasp the potential impact of new genetic technologies on their fields. The ''Human Genome Project: Science, Law, and Social Change in the 21st Century'' initially was designed as a forum for 300-500 physicians, lawyers, consumers, ethicists, and scientists to explore the impact of new genetic technologies and prepare for the challenges ahead.

Electromagnetic mode conversion: understanding waves that suddenly change their nature

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Batchelor, D B; Berry, L A; Bonoli, P T; Carter, M D; Choi, M; D'Azevedo, E; D'Ippolito, D A; Gorelenkov, N; Harvey, R W; Jaeger, E F; Myra, J R; Okuda, H; Phillips, C K; Smithe, D N; Wright, J C

2005-01-01

In a magnetized plasma, such as in fusion devices or the Earth's magnetosphere, several different kinds of waves can simultaneously exist, having very different physical properties. Under the right conditions one wave can quite suddenly convert to another type. Depending on the case, this can be either a great benefit or a problem for the use of waves to heat and control fusion plasmas. Understanding and accurately modeling such behavior is a major computational challenge

Technological and structural change : Understanding economic growth in countries and regions

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Diodato, D.

2017-01-01

The research aims at improving our understanding of the link between economic structure and growth, by tackling a number of open questions. First, it asks whether economic structure – meaning the distribution of production factors among different industries – can significantly explain differences in

December ’89. The revolutionary transfer of power

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Adrian-Cosmin Canae

2014-12-01

Full Text Available Romanian Revolution of December 1989, represented a fierce struggle between the civilian population and the communist political class existing, as well as the Department of State Security at the time, having Nicolae Ceaușescu at the helm of state. After the bloody revolution of 1989, Romania’s history is also marked by the transition from communist regime with, repression of individual freedom, monopartidist system, planned economy, to democracy with free market economy, freedom and freedom of speech. Certainly, it is the only revolution in Central and Eastern Europe, which has been the most violent system change, resulting in many deaths and wounded people.

Predicting plant diversity patterns in Madagascar: understanding the effects of climate and land cover change in a biodiversity hotspot.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kerry A Brown

Full Text Available Climate and land cover change are driving a major reorganization of terrestrial biotic communities in tropical ecosystems. In an effort to understand how biodiversity patterns in the tropics will respond to individual and combined effects of these two drivers of environmental change, we use species distribution models (SDMs calibrated for recent climate and land cover variables and projected to future scenarios to predict changes in diversity patterns in Madagascar. We collected occurrence records for 828 plant genera and 2186 plant species. We developed three scenarios, (i.e., climate only, land cover only and combined climate-land cover based on recent and future climate and land cover variables. We used this modelling framework to investigate how the impacts of changes to climate and land cover influenced biodiversity across ecoregions and elevation bands. There were large-scale climate- and land cover-driven changes in plant biodiversity across Madagascar, including both losses and gains in diversity. The sharpest declines in biodiversity were projected for the eastern escarpment and high elevation ecosystems. Sharp declines in diversity were driven by the combined climate-land cover scenarios; however, there were subtle, region-specific differences in model outputs for each scenario, where certain regions experienced relatively higher species loss under climate or land cover only models. We strongly caution that predicted future gains in plant diversity will depend on the development and maintenance of dispersal pathways that connect current and future suitable habitats. The forecast for Madagascar's plant diversity in the face of future environmental change is worrying: regional diversity will continue to decrease in response to the combined effects of climate and land cover change, with habitats such as ericoid thickets and eastern lowland and sub-humid forests particularly vulnerable into the future.

Teaching Teaching & Understanding Understanding

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

2006-01-01

"Teaching Teaching & Understanding Understanding" is a 19-minute award-winning short-film about teaching at university and higher-level educational institutions. It is based on the "Constructive Alignment" theory developed by Prof. John Biggs. The film delivers a foundation for understanding what...

History and evolution of concepts in physics

CERN Document Server

Varvoglis, Harry

2014-01-01

Our understanding of nature, and in particular of physics and the laws governing it, has changed radically since the days of the ancient Greek natural philosophers. This book explains how and why these changes occurred, through landmark experiments as well as theories that - for their time - were revolutionary. The presentation covers Mechanics, Optics, Electromagnetism, Thermodynamics, Relativity Theory, Atomic Physics and Quantum Physics. The book places emphasis on ideas and on a qualitative presentation, rather than on mathematics and equations. Thus, although primarily addressed to those who are studying or have studied science, it can also be read by non-specialists. The author concludes with a discussion of the evolution and organization of universities, from ancient times until today, and of the organization and dissemination of knowledge through scientific publications and conferences.

Managing a reservoir-based hydro-energy plant: building understanding in the buy and sell decisions in a changing environment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ackere, A. van; Ruud, Morten; Davidsen, Paal

2005-01-01

This paper describes a modelling process at a Norwegian chemical producer, who owns 20% of a reservoir based hydro-energy plant. While the initial objective was to increase the profitability of the energy plant (in particular by an improved understanding of buying and selling decisions and a reconciliation of the managerial and engineering points of view in the context of a liberalised energy market) the process resulted in the company's decision to refocus on its core-business. The process illustrates how a modelling process can lead to a fundamental re framing of the issue, resulting in major change for the company

Coupling environmental, social and economic models to understand land-use change dynamics in the Mekong Delta

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Alexis eDrogoul

2016-03-01

Full Text Available The Vietnamese Mekong Delta has undergone in recent years a considerable transformation in agricultural land-use, fueled by a boom of the exportation, an increase of population, a focus on intensive crops, but also environmental factors like sea level rise or the progression of soil salinity. These transformations have been, however, largely misestimated by the ten-year agricultural plans designed at the provincial levels, on the predictions of which, though, most of the large-scale investments (irrigation infrastructures, protection against flooding or salinity intrusion, and so on are normally planned. This situation raises the question of how to explain the divergence between the predictions used as a basis for these plans and the actual situation. Answering it could, as a matter of fact, offer some insights on the dynamics at play and hopefully allow designing them more accurately.The dynamics of land-use change at a scale of a region results from the interactions between heterogeneous actors and factors at different scales, among them institutional policies, individual farming choices, land-cover and environmental changes, economic conditions, social dynamics, just to name a few. Understanding its evolution, for example, in this case, to better support agricultural planning, therefore requires the use of models that can represent the individual contributions of each actor or factor, and of course their interactions.We address this question through the design of an integrated hybrid model of land-use change in a specific and carefully chosen case study, which relies on the central hypothesis that the main force driving land-use change is actually the individual choices made by farmers at their local level. Farmers are the actors who decide (or not to switch from one culture to another and the shifts observed at more global levels (village, district, province, region are considered, in this model, as a consequence of the aggregation of these

Toward a Psychology of Social Change: A Typology of Social Change

Science.gov (United States)

de la Sablonnière, Roxane

2017-01-01

Millions of people worldwide are affected by dramatic social change (DSC). While sociological theory aims to understand its precipitants, the psychological consequences remain poorly understood. A large-scale literature review pointed to the desperate need for a typology of social change that might guide theory and research toward a better understanding of the psychology of social change. Over 5,000 abstracts from peer-reviewed articles were assessed from sociological and psychological publications. Based on stringent inclusion criteria, a final 325 articles were used to construct a novel, multi-level typology designed to conceptualize and categorize social change in terms of its psychological threat to psychological well-being. The typology of social change includes four social contexts: Stability, Inertia, Incremental Social Change and, finally, DSC. Four characteristics of DSC were further identified: the pace of social change, rupture to the social structure, rupture to the normative structure, and the level of threat to one's cultural identity. A theoretical model that links the characteristics of social change together and with the social contexts is also suggested. The typology of social change as well as our theoretical proposition may serve as a foundation for future investigations and increase our understanding of the psychologically adaptive mechanisms used in the wake of DSC. PMID:28400739

Toward a Psychology of Social Change: A Typology of Social Change.

Science.gov (United States)

de la Sablonnière, Roxane

2017-01-01

Millions of people worldwide are affected by dramatic social change (DSC). While sociological theory aims to understand its precipitants, the psychological consequences remain poorly understood. A large-scale literature review pointed to the desperate need for a typology of social change that might guide theory and research toward a better understanding of the psychology of social change. Over 5,000 abstracts from peer-reviewed articles were assessed from sociological and psychological publications. Based on stringent inclusion criteria, a final 325 articles were used to construct a novel, multi-level typology designed to conceptualize and categorize social change in terms of its psychological threat to psychological well-being. The typology of social change includes four social contexts: Stability, Inertia, Incremental Social Change and, finally, DSC. Four characteristics of DSC were further identified: the pace of social change, rupture to the social structure, rupture to the normative structure, and the level of threat to one's cultural identity. A theoretical model that links the characteristics of social change together and with the social contexts is also suggested. The typology of social change as well as our theoretical proposition may serve as a foundation for future investigations and increase our understanding of the psychologically adaptive mechanisms used in the wake of DSC.

Black Political Socialization and Political Change: The Black Panther Party Platform as a "Model" of Radical Political Socialization

Science.gov (United States)

McLemore, Leslie Burl

1975-01-01

Considers the potential impact of black revolutionary nationalism--cultural and military--upon the social patterns of black people, arguing that a racial, cultural, and military approach through black organizations with a highly developed system of communications holds the key to black salvation in America. (Author/JM)

Anatomical Mercury: Changing Understandings of Quicksilver, Blood, and the Lymphatic System, 1650-1800.

Science.gov (United States)

Hendriksen, Marieke M A

2015-10-01

The use of mercury as an injection mass in anatomical experiments and preparations was common throughout Europe in the long eighteenth century, and refined mercury-injected preparations as well as plates of anatomical mercury remain today. The use and meaning of mercury in related disciplines such as medicine and chemistry in the same period have been studied, but our knowledge of anatomical mercury is sparse and tends to focus on technicalities. This article argues that mercury had a distinct meaning in anatomy, which was initially influenced by alchemical and classical understandings of mercury. Moreover, it demonstrates that the choice of mercury as an anatomical injection mass was deliberate and informed by an intricate cultural understanding of its materiality, and that its use in anatomical preparations and its perception as an anatomical material evolved with the understanding of the circulatory and lymphatic systems. By using the material culture of anatomical mercury as a starting point, I seek to provide a new, object-driven interpretation of complex and strongly interrelated historiographical categories such as mechanism, vitalism, chemistry, anatomy, and physiology, which are difficult to understand through a historiography that focuses exclusively on ideas. © The Author 2014. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Native American Students' Understanding of Geologic Time Scale: 4th-8th Grade Ojibwe Students' Understanding of Earth's Geologic History

Science.gov (United States)

Nam, Younkyeong; Karahan, Engin; Roehrig, Gillian

2016-01-01

Geologic time scale is a very important concept for understanding long-term earth system events such as climate change. This study examines forty-three 4th-8th grade Native American--particularly Ojibwe tribe--students' understanding of relative ordering and absolute time of Earth's significant geological and biological events. This study also…

Time-Series Similarity Analysis of Satellite Derived Data to Understand Changes in Forest Biomass.

Science.gov (United States)

Singh, N.; Fritz, B.

2017-12-01

One of the goals of promoting bioenergy is reducing green-house gas emissions by replacing fossil fuels. However, there are concerns that carbon emissions due to changes in land use resulting from crop production for ethanol will negate the impact of biofuels on the environment. So, the current focus is to use lignocellulose feedstocks also referred to as second generation biofuels as the new source of bioenergy. Wood based pellets derived from the forests of southeastern United States are one such source which is being exported to Europe as a carbon-neutral fuel. These wood-pellets meet the EU standard for carbon emissions and are being used to replace coal for energy generation and heating. As a result US exports of wood-based pellets have increased from nearly zero to over 6 million metric tons over the past 8 years. Wood-based pellets are traditionally produced from softwood trees which have a relatively shorter life-cycle and propagate easily, and thus are expected to provide a sustainable source of wood chips used for pellet production. However, there are concerns that as the demand and price of wood pellets increases, lumber mills will seek wood chips from other sources as well, particularly from hardwood trees resulting in higher carbon emissions as well as loss of biodiversity. In this study we use annual stacks of normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) data at a 16-day temporal resolution to monitor biomass around pellet mills in southeastern United States. We use a combination of time series similarity technique and supervised learning to understand if there have been significant changes in biomass around pellet mills in the southeastern US. We also demonstrate how our method can be used to monitor biomass over large geographic regions using phenological properties of growing vegetation.

Understanding the biological underpinnings of ecohydrological processes

Science.gov (United States)

Huxman, T. E.; Scott, R. L.; Barron-Gafford, G. A.; Hamerlynck, E. P.; Jenerette, D.; Tissue, D. T.; Breshears, D. D.; Saleska, S. R.

2012-12-01

Climate change presents a challenge for predicting ecosystem response, as multiple factors drive both the physical and life processes happening on the land surface and their interactions result in a complex, evolving coupled system. For example, changes in surface temperature and precipitation influence near-surface hydrology through impacts on system energy balance, affecting a range of physical processes. These changes in the salient features of the environment affect biological processes and elicit responses along the hierarchy of life (biochemistry to community composition). Many of these structural or process changes can alter patterns of soil water-use and influence land surface characteristics that affect local climate. Of the many features that affect our ability to predict the future dynamics of ecosystems, it is this hierarchical response of life that creates substantial complexity. Advances in the ability to predict or understand aspects of demography help describe thresholds in coupled ecohydrological system. Disentangling the physical and biological features that underlie land surface dynamics following disturbance are allowing a better understanding of the partitioning of water in the time-course of recovery. Better predicting the timing of phenology and key seasonal events allow for a more accurate description of the full functional response of the land surface to climate. In addition, explicitly considering the hierarchical structural features of life are helping to describe complex time-dependent behavior in ecosystems. However, despite this progress, we have yet to build an ability to fully account for the generalization of the main features of living systems into models that can describe ecohydrological processes, especially acclimation, assembly and adaptation. This is unfortunate, given that many key ecosystem services are functions of these coupled co-evolutionary processes. To date, both the lack of controlled measurements and experimentation

Facilitating conceptual change in students’ understanding of concepts related to pressure

Science.gov (United States)

Ozkan, Gulbin; Sezgin Selcuk, Gamze

2016-09-01

The aim of this research was to explore the effects of three different types of methods of learning physics (conceptual change-based, real life context-based and traditional learning) on high school physics students in the 11th grade in terms of conceptual change they achieved in learning about the various topics (pressure exerted by solids, pressure in stagnant liquids and gases, buoyancy, Bernoulli’s principle). In this study, a pre-test/post-test quasi-experimental method with nonequivalent control group, involving a 3 (group) × 2 (time) factorial design was used. Study group 1 were given the conceptual change texts on the mentioned subjects, study group 2 were offered a teaching approach based on real life context-based learning, whereas the control group was taught in the traditional style. Data for the research were collected with the ‘pressure conceptual test’. As a result of research, the number of misconceptions had been reduced or shifted altogether in all three groups. After the instruction, it was seen that none of the students formed new misconceptions. It was found that the most positive change could be seen in the conceptual change text group followed by context-based and lastly traditional. The fact that none of the students formed new misconceptions is important, particularly since research such as the following shows that conceptual change is tenuous and inconsistent, taking time to shift in a sustained manner.

TECHNOLOGICAL DRIVERS OF (REVOLUTIONARY CHANGE IN MODERN SOCIETIES AND HOW DEVELOPING COUNTRIES MIGHT PRODUCTIVELY RESPOND TO THEM VIA INTENTIONAL, THOUGHTFUL “LEAPFROGGING”

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Eric GILDER

2014-11-01

Full Text Available Over the time since he was a fresh graduate student in the early 1980s till now, this academic has seen the world being totally transformed from an analogue into a digital “format”. It all started innocently enough with large computers in rooms doing tedious counting and data-tabulating tasks on Hollerith cards while we humans carried on our analogue lives in relative peace. From 1985-1995, the world did change from an (largely unseen tsunami begun from the small waves made by these nascent digital technologies. By 1995, the CD, audio digital recorders and DVD player had replaced earlier technologies. Computers (of a second or third generation had replaced the typewriter; the Soviet bloc and its (long-decaying governance models were only a bad memory (its economic model undone by technologies and demands of the new “third wave” post-industrial knowledge society. Finally, the worldwide web Internet 2.0 was arriving, which would surely change the means and modes of the communicative acts, affecting the economic, political and social/cultural spheres in turn. Using Kenneth Boulding, Marshall McLuhan and Johan Galtung as sage guides, the paper will outline the transformations these technical inventions wrought in the economic, political and cultural spheres in rapid order over the noted decade, considering how the “developed” world has been affected by these changes, bot negatively and positively. Following this, it will briefly consider how the disruptive effects of the digital revolution experienced can be counter-balanced by looking at how “developing” communities and economies have been able to “leap-frog” barriers in how they use digital technologies for both individual and collective humanistic gain.

Learning-Related Changes in Adolescents' Neural Networks during Hypothesis-Generating and Hypothesis-Understanding Training

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Jun-Ki; Kwon, Yongju

2012-01-01

Fourteen science high school students participated in this study, which investigated neural-network plasticity associated with hypothesis-generating and hypothesis-understanding in learning. The students were divided into two groups and participated in either hypothesis-generating or hypothesis-understanding type learning programs, which were…

Understanding the Dynamics of Violent Political Revolutions in an Agent-Based Framework.

Science.gov (United States)

Moro, Alessandro

2016-01-01

This paper develops an agent-based computational model of violent political revolutions in which a subjugated population of citizens and an armed revolutionary organisation attempt to overthrow a central authority and its loyal forces. The model replicates several patterns of rebellion consistent with major historical revolutions, and provides an explanation for the multiplicity of outcomes that can arise from an uprising. The relevance of the heterogeneity of scenarios predicted by the model can be understood by considering the recent experience of the Arab Spring involving several rebellions that arose in an apparently similar way, but resulted in completely different political outcomes: the successful revolution in Tunisia, the failed protests in Saudi Arabia and Bahrain, and civil war in Syria and Libya.

A revolutionary time

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Newman, G.

2000-01-01

The article picks up some points raised at the recent Small Hydro 2000 conference in Lisbon. The problems of small-scale hydro plants supplying the national grid are discussed with special reference to easing some of the regulatory and financial concerns. It was suggested that it is easier to develop small-scale hydro in Europe than in Asia. In Europe, public opinion is one of the obstacles to be overcome. Multi-purpose projects were highlighted as a method of raising the power output of existing plant or adding additional functions to energy production. In terms of acceptability, the provision of recreational facilities would be valuable in the eyes of both governments and the general public

Using Pre-Assessment and In-Class Questions to Change Student Understanding of Molecular Movements

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jia Shi

2017-05-01

Full Text Available Understanding how different types of molecules move through cell membranes is a fundamental part of cell biology. To identify and address student misconceptions surrounding molecular movement through cell membranes, we surveyed student understanding on this topic using pre-class questions, in-class clicker questions, and subsequent exam questions in a large introductory biology course. Common misconceptions identified in student responses to the pre-class assessment questions were used to generate distractors for clicker questions. Two-tier diagnostic clicker questions were used to probe incoming common student misconceptions (first tier and their reasoning (second tier. Two subsequent lectures with assessment clicker questions were used to help students construct a new framework to understand molecular movement through cell membranes. Comparison of pre-assessment and post-assessment (exam performance showed dramatic improvement in students’ understanding of molecular movement: student answers to exam questions were 74.6% correct with correct reasoning while only 1.3% of the student answers were correct with correct reasoning on the pre-class assessment. Our results show that students’ conceptual understanding of molecular movement through cell membranes progressively increases through discussions of a series of clicker questions and suggest that this clicker-based teaching strategy was highly effective in correcting common student misconceptions on this topic.

Bacterial CRISPR/Cas DNA endonucleases: A revolutionary technology that could dramatically impact viral research and treatment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kennedy, Edward M.; Cullen, Bryan R.

2015-01-01

might be destroyed. In conclusion, we believe that the continued rapid evolution of CRISPR/Cas technology will soon have a major, possibly revolutionary, impact on the field of virology. - Highlights: • Bacterial CRISPR/Cas systems can edit specific DNA sequences in mammalian cells. • CRISPR/Cas systems could eliminate latent or persistent DNA viruses in vivo. • CRISPR/Cas could also be used to screen for viral co-factors or restriction factors

Bacterial CRISPR/Cas DNA endonucleases: A revolutionary technology that could dramatically impact viral research and treatment

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kennedy, Edward M.; Cullen, Bryan R., E-mail: bryan.cullen@duke.edu

2015-05-15

might be destroyed. In conclusion, we believe that the continued rapid evolution of CRISPR/Cas technology will soon have a major, possibly revolutionary, impact on the field of virology. - Highlights: • Bacterial CRISPR/Cas systems can edit specific DNA sequences in mammalian cells. • CRISPR/Cas systems could eliminate latent or persistent DNA viruses in vivo. • CRISPR/Cas could also be used to screen for viral co-factors or restriction factors.

National Research, Technology and Training: Implementing Recreation Design Concepts

Science.gov (United States)

Edward J. Hamilton

1992-01-01

These are exciting times. The changes that have occurred and that will occur for people with disabilities are of a magnitude similar to those changes occurring in Eastern Europe. The removal of physical and social barriers for people with disabilities are analogous to the removal of the Berlin Wall. As with the revolutionary changes occurring in Eastern Europe, the...

Understanding the economic benefits of climate change commitments

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hinge, A.W.; Bourgeois, T.G.

1998-01-01

Much has been written about the likely economic costs of US commitment to a global climate change treaty, whereby signatory countries would be expected to stabilize or reduce carbon emissions. A great deal of rhetoric has surrounded the potential costs of such action, with some estimates stating that committing to such a treaty would result in 1.2 to 1.8 million job losses by the year 2010. On the other side of the discussion, the Energy Innovations report prepared by ACEEE and others showed that emissions could be cut by 10% by 2010, at the same time that the economy would grow modestly by $2.8 billion over a base case, including a net gain of 800,000 additional jobs. One area that has not been adequately addressed in the debate is quantifying the current level of activity of the positively affected industries from such a climate treaty, including the energy efficiency and renewable energy industries and other environmental businesses. This paper presents information on the current and prospective contribution of the energy efficiency industries to US economic output, exports and job creation. This will better define what the possible benefits to the US economy might be of potential global climate change policies. The magnitude of the beneficial economic impact will in part be determined by the extent to which energy efficiency products, and the components which comprise them, are manufactured in the US. An important issue to be addressed is the existence, scale, and the competitive position of these energy efficiency industries in the US

Understanding the dynamic changes in India's peri-urban regions ...

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

Peri-urban areas, which are beyond a city's administrative limits but adjacent to it, are ... where there are resource constraints, and where access to services such as water, ... The project is funded through the Opportunity Fund of the Think Tank ... IDRC congratulates first cohort of Women in Climate Change Science Fellows.

Understanding of Foreign Language Learning of Generation Y

Science.gov (United States)

Bozavli, Ebubekir

2016-01-01

Different generations are constituted depending on social changes and they are designed sociologically as traditional, baby boomer, X, Y and Z. Many studies have been reported on understanding of foreign language learning generation Y. This study aims to realise the gap in and contribute to the research on language learning understanding of…

USGS global change science strategy: A framework for understanding and responding to climate and land-use change

Science.gov (United States)

Burkett, Virginia R.; Taylor, Ione L.; Belnap, Jayne; Cronin, Thomas M.; Dettinger, Michael D.; Frazier, Eldrich L.; Haines, John W.; Kirtland, David A.; Loveland, Thomas R.; Milly, Paul C.D.; O'Malley, Robin; Thompson, Robert S.

2011-01-01

This U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Global Change Science Strategy expands on the Climate Variability and Change science component of the USGS 2007 Science Strategy, “Facing Tomorrow’s Challenges: USGS Science in the Coming Decade” (U.S. Geological Survey, 2007). Here we embrace the broad definition of global change provided in the U.S. Global Change Research Act of 1990 (Public Law 101–606,104 Stat. 3096–3104)—“Changes in the global environment (including alterations in climate, land productivity, oceans or other water resources, atmospheric chemistry, and ecological systems) that may alter the capacity of the Earth to sustain life”—with a focus on climate and land-use change.There are three major characteristics of this science strategy. First, it addresses the science required to broadly inform global change policy, while emphasizing the needs of natural-resource managers and reflecting the role of the USGS as the science provider for the Department of the Interior and other resource-management agencies. Second, the strategy identifies core competencies, noting 10 critical capabilities and strengths the USGS uses to overcome key problem areas. We highlight those areas in which the USGS is a science leader, recognizing the strong partnerships and effective collaboration that are essential to address complex global environmental challenges. Third, it uses a query-based approach listing key research questions that need to be addressed to create an agenda for hypothesis-driven global change science organized under six strategic goals. Overall, the strategy starts from where we are, provides a vision for where we want to go, and then describes high-priority strategic actions, including outcomes, products, and partnerships that can get us there. Global change science is a well-defined research field with strong linkages to the ecosystems, water, energy and minerals, natural hazards, and environmental health components of the USGS Science Strategy

Threshold concepts as barriers to understanding climate science

Science.gov (United States)

Walton, P.

2013-12-01

Whilst the scientific case for current climate change is compelling, the consequences of climate change have largely failed to permeate through to individuals. This lack of public awareness of the science and the potential impacts could be considered a key obstacle to action. The possible reasons for such limited success centre on the issue that climate change is a complex subject, and that a wide ranging academic, political and social research literature on the science and wider implications of climate change has failed to communicate the key issues in an accessible way. These failures to adequately communicate both the science and the social science of climate change at a number of levels results in ';communication gaps' that act as fundamental barriers to both understanding and engagement with the issue. Meyer and Land (2003) suggest that learners can find certain ideas and concepts within a discipline difficult to understand and these act as a barrier to deeper understanding of a subject. To move beyond these threshold concepts, they suggest that the expert needs to support the learner through a range of learning experiences that allows the development of learning strategies particular to the individual. Meyer and Land's research into these threshold concepts has been situated within Economics, but has been suggested to be more widely applicable though there has been no attempt to either define or evaluate threshold concepts to climate change science. By identifying whether common threshold concepts exist specifically in climate science for cohorts of either formal or informal learners, scientists will be better able to support the public in understanding these concepts by changing how the knowledge is communicated to help overcome these barriers to learning. This paper reports on the findings of a study that examined the role of threshold concepts as barriers to understanding climate science in a UK University and considers its implications for wider

Understanding Sensemaking/Sensegiving in Transformational Change Processes from the Bottom up

Science.gov (United States)

Kezar, Adrianna

2013-01-01

Government agencies, foundations, business and industry, and other important higher education stakeholders continue to invest in important and deep changes they think are necessary for the vitality and health of higher education particularly interdisciplinary teaching and research. But we know little about how transformational changes happen,…

Understanding Personal Change in a Women’s Faith-Based Transitional Center

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ariana Mishay Stone

2011-06-01

Full Text Available An impressive research literature has emerged that identifies linkages between religion and a wide range of attitudes, behaviors, and life events. We contribute to this literature by exploring how women undergoing difficult life circumstances—such as incarceration, drug and alcohol addiction, domestic violence, unemployment, and homelessness—use faith to cope with and change these circumstances. To address this issue we analyze semi-structured interviews with 40 residents of a faith-based transitional center for women in the Southern United States. The residents outline a narrative of change in which they distinguish between the “old self” and “new self.” The narratives also specify the role of religiosity in facilitating change, the creation of a faith-based identity, and the strategies used for maintaining change. We conclude with implications for faith-based treatment programs, local pastors and religious congregants involved in social outreach ministry, sociology of religion scholars, and policy makers.

Exploiting temporal variability to understand tree recruitment response to climate change

Science.gov (United States)

Ines Ibanez; James S. Clark; Shannon LaDeau; Janneke Hill Ris Lambers

2007-01-01

Predicting vegetation shifts under climate change is a challenging endeavor, given the complex interactions between biotic and abiotic variables that influence demographic rates. To determine how current trends and variation in climate change affect seedling establishment, we analyzed demographic responses to spatiotemporal variation to temperature and soil moisture in...

Understanding and Managing Process Interaction in IS Development Projects

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bygstad, Bendik; Nielsen, Peter Axel

2012-01-01

Software-based information systems must be developed and implemented as a part of business change. This is a major challenge, since business change and the development of software-based information systems usually are performed in separate processes. Thus, there is a need to understand and manage...... critical events in the case, what led to the events, and what the consequences are. We discuss the implications for information systems research and in particular we discuss the contribution to project management of iterative and incremental software development.......Software-based information systems must be developed and implemented as a part of business change. This is a major challenge, since business change and the development of software-based information systems usually are performed in separate processes. Thus, there is a need to understand and manage...

Understanding and Managing Process Interaction in IS Development Projects

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bygstad, Bendik; Nielsen, Peter Axel

2005-01-01

Increasingly, information systems must be developed and implemented as a part of business change. This is a challenge for the IS project manager, since business change and information systems development usually are performed as separate processes. Thus, there is a need to understand and manage......-technical innovation in a situation where the organisational change process and the IS development process are parallel but incongruent. We also argue that iterative software engineering frameworks are well structured to support process interaction. Finally, we advocate that the IS project manager needs to manage...... the relationship between these two kinds of processes. To understand the interaction between information systems development and planned organisational change we introduce the concept of process interaction. We draw on a longitudinal case study of an IS development project that used an iterative and incremental...

Schwarzkopf's Gulf War Campaign: Revolutionary Future Strategy or Historic Anomaly?

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

New, Larry

1996-01-01

.... and tactical levels General Schwarzkopf. the Commander in Chief of Central Command who led the Gulf War campaign significantly changed his standing operations plan to achieve the results he did, During the crisis planning, Schwarzkopf asked...

Fetal Programming Informing Federal Policy: A Look toward the Future

Science.gov (United States)

Willis, David W.

2014-01-01

There have been revolutionary advances in the last decade in researcher's understanding of the genesis of life course health from the critical formative experiences before birth. Even more striking are the factors in a mother's developmental and nutritional history and experience that shape her health, a healthy pregnancy and delivery, and the…

The Most Beautiful Friendship: Revolution, War and Ends of Social Gravity in Syria

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Brønd, Thomas Vladimir

2017-01-01

This article focuses on overlooked revolutionary friendship as a primary vehicle of revolutionary politics. It draws on ethnographic fieldwork among revolutionaries of Syria’s peaceful protest movements. The article depicts how friendships emerge in revolutionary moments. It analyzes the experience...... of friendship as a primary locus for revolutionary politics and as part of social transformations, which often occur during war and revolutions. Drawing on the anthropology of friendship and social theory, I demonstrate how new zones of social gravity were created in beautiful friendships challenging the neo...

76 FR 34805 - Designation of Three Entities and One Individual Pursuant to Executive Order 13553

Science.gov (United States)

2011-06-14

... OF THE GUARDIANS OF THE ISLAMIC REVOLUTION; a.k.a. THE IRANIAN REVOLUTIONARY GUARDS), Tehran, Iran... (individual) [IRAN-HR] Entities ISLAMIC REVOLUTIONARY GUARD CORPS (a.k.a. AGIR; a.k.a. IRANIAN REVOLUTIONARY GUARD CORPS; a.k.a. IRG; a.k.a. IRGC; a.k.a. ISLAMIC REVOLUTIONARY CORPS; a.k.a. PASDARAN; a.k.a...

Educational Leadership ? understanding and developing practice

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hargreaves, Andy; Fink, Dean; Southworth, Geoff

institutions. Different stakeholders bring different interests into policy debate, practice and research on leadership.The articles in this book explore and discuss the theme of 'Educational leadership: Understanding and developing practice' from the following perspectives.- Leadership and change- Leadership...

Personal ideas about the application of the International Rules of Nomenclature, or, as with the Rules themselves, International deliberation? II. Some denominations of Dicotyledonous Trees and Shrubs species. With a Retrospection and a set of Propositions on the Nomenclature-Rules

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Valckenier Suringar, J.

1928-01-01

This second Part has its origin principally in Dr. ALFRED REHDER’S “Manual of Cultivated Trees and Shrubs” 1927. That admirable work contains several revolutionary looking changes of names, which changes partly were already propagated in BAILEY’S works of the last years; and I have made a study of

The Future Institutional Research Office: Brave New Workplace or Electronic Sweatshop? AIR 1989 Annual Forum Paper.

Science.gov (United States)

Liebmann, Jeffrey D.

Information technology is changing the workplace. Forecasts range from wondrous visions of future capabilities to dark scenarios of employment loss and dehumanization. Some predict revolutionary impacts, while others conclude that the way we do business will change only gradually if much at all. The less positive visions of the future workplace…

The Credibility Revolution in Empirical Economics: How Better Research Design is Taking the Con out of Econometrics. NBER Working Paper No. 15794

Science.gov (United States)

Angrist, Joshua; Pischke, Jorn-Steffen

2010-01-01

This essay reviews progress in empirical economics since Leamer'rs (1983) critique. Leamer highlighted the benefits of sensitivity analysis, a procedure in which researchers show how their results change with changes in specification or functional form. Sensitivity analysis has had a salutary but not a revolutionary effect on econometric practice.…

A History of Medicine and the Establishment of Medical Institutions in Middlesex County, New Jersey that Transformed Doctor and Patient Relationships during the Early Twentieth Century

Science.gov (United States)

Whitfield-Spinner, Linda

2011-01-01

The early twentieth century was a period of tremendous advancements in medicine and technology and as a result experienced a revolutionary change in the delivery of healthcare in America. Modern medicine which encompassed specialized knowledge, technical procedures, and rules of behavior, changed the way medical care was provided in the United…

Characterizing the development of students' understandings regarding the second law of thermodynamics: Using learning progressions to illuminate thinking in high school chemistry

Science.gov (United States)

Cunningham, Kevin D.

As demonstrated by their emphasis in the new, national, science education standards, learning progressions (LPs) have become a valuable means of informing teaching and learning. LPs serve this role by isolating the key components of central skills and understandings, and by describing how those abilities and concepts tend to develop over time among students in a particular context. Some LPs also identify common challenges students experience in learning specific content and suggest methods of instruction and assessment, particularly ways in which difficulties can be identified and addressed. LPs are research-based and created through the integration of content analyses and interpretations of student performances with respect to the skills and understandings in question. The present research produced two LPs portraying the development of understandings associated with the second law of thermodynamics as evidenced by the evolving explanations for the spontaneity and irreversibility of diffusion and the cooling of a hot object constructed periodically by twenty students over two consecutive years in high school chemistry. While the curriculum they experienced did not emphasize the processes of diffusion and cooling or the second law and its applications, these students received prolonged instruction regarding key aspects of the particulate nature of matter. Working in small groups and as individuals, they were also taught and regularly expected to create, test, and revise particulate-based, conceptual models to account for the properties and behavior of a wide variety of common phenomena. Although some students quickly exhibited dramatic improvements in explaining and understanding the phenomena of interest, conceptual development for most was evolutionary rather than revolutionary, and success in explaining one phenomenon did not generally translate into successes in explaining related but different phenomena. Few students reached the uppermost learning goals of

Understanding how deployment experiences change over time: Comparison of female and male OEF/OIF and Gulf War veterans.

Science.gov (United States)

Fox, Annie B; Walker, Brian E; Smith, Brian N; King, Daniel W; King, Lynda A; Vogt, Dawne

2016-03-01

Despite increased attention to the evolving nature of war, the unique challenges of contemporary deployment, and women's changing role in warfare, few studies have examined differences in deployment stressors across eras of service or evaluated how gender differences in deployment experiences have changed over time. Using data collected from two national survey studies, we examined war cohort and gender differences in veterans' reports of both mission-related and interpersonal stressors during deployment. Although Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom veterans reported more combat experiences and greater preparedness for deployment compared to Gulf War veterans, Gulf War veterans reported higher levels of other mission-related stressors, including difficult living and working environment, perceived threat, and potential exposure to nuclear, biological, and chemical weapons. Gender differences also emerged, with men reporting greater exposure to mission-related stressors and women reporting higher levels of interpersonal stressors. However, the size and nature of gender differences did not differ significantly when comparing veterans of the two eras. By understanding how risk factors for PTSD differ based on war era and gender, veterans' experiences can be better contextualized. (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved).

Chemistry Misconceptions Associated with Understanding Calcium and Phosphate Homeostasis

Science.gov (United States)

Cliff, William H.

2009-01-01

Successful learning of many aspects in physiology depends on a meaningful understanding of fundamental chemistry concepts. Two conceptual diagnostic questions measured student understanding of the chemical equilibrium underlying calcium and phosphate homeostasis. One question assessed the ability to predict the change in phosphate concentration…

"Her mouth is medicine": Beth Brant and Paula Gunn Allen's decolonizing queer erotics.

Science.gov (United States)

Burford, Arianne

2013-01-01

This article asserts the need to recognize the complexity of the theoretical work of more lesbian Native American writers, focusing specifically Beth Brant (Bay of Quinte Mohawk) and Paula Gunn Allen (Laguna Pueblo). Their poetry and short stories provide a theoretically nuanced analysis of how heteronormativity is intertwined in and dependent on colonialism, and thus a methodology for Queer Theory that requires an understanding of it in relation to colonialism. They reject heteronormative Pocahontas fantasies about Native women, offering a lesbian-based tactic for decolonization through the expression of erotic desire. This article demonstrates the endless possibilities for fierce queer resistance, revolutionary change, and healing from the trauma of genocide and the accompanying colonialist heteropatriarchal disciplining of Native women's bodies.

Important theories of the 20th century. Relativity, cosmology, quantum mechanics and chaos theory. 3. corr. ed.

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kinnebrock, Werner

2011-01-01

The past century changed the classical, scientific way of view enormously. The quantum theory broke with the imagination of continuity of all dynamical processes and gave space to completely new, nearly revolutionary approaches of thinking. Einstein's relativity theory put the absoluteness of time and space as well as the general validity of the Euclidean geometry in question. The absolute calculability, as it was formulated by Laplace, was by the influence of chaos theory proven as illusion. Computers made by the Mandelbrot set the presentation of new esthetic and never seen structures. Hilbert's century program of a complete formalization of mathematics failed because of the famous law of Goedel. It is the demand of this book to present all these theories and conclusions easily understandably and entertainingly.

War And Reconstruction: Four Comparative Case Studies

African Journals Online (AJOL)

The four case studies are taken from four different continents, four different wars under .... and revolutionary changes in the structures and power relations in society and ..... general public accept nowadays that although states' rights were the ...

Managing Organizational Change.

Science.gov (United States)

Watwood, Britt; And Others

Based on studies comparing leadership in two rural community colleges undergoing change and examining the management of change at Maryland's Allegany College, this paper presents a conceptual framework and model for managing organizational change. First, a framework for understanding the community college chair's role in organizational change is…

Common and Particular Features in Meidzi Revolution and LiberalEcuador Revolution (second half of the XIXth and the beginning of the XXth centuries

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Е S Galibina

2008-12-01

Full Text Available The article is devoted to the analysis of political and socio-economic situation in Japan in the middle of the XIX century and in Ecuador in the middle of the XIX and the beginning of the XX centuries. This study gives the clue to understand the revolutionary events in the distance countries.

Understanding sex determination in the mouse: genetics ...

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

challenge now is to understand how controlled epigenomic changes effect the now familiar sexually dimorphic transcriptomic profiles of the ... Cattanach, personal communication, April 2015. .... The human homologue, DMRT1, is found on.

Becoming a Chaosmeister

Science.gov (United States)

2015-05-01

Fort Belvoir, Virginia. Defense AT&L: May–June 2015 6 ”These are the times that try [our] souls .” What was said in Revolutionary War times seems as apt...hesitate to propose the changes needed for success. Opportunity for change is time sensitive; opportunity windows tend to close rapidly. So we, as

Introducing a New Elementary GLOBE Book on Climate: Supporting Educators and Students in their Understanding of the Concepts Underlying Climate and Climate Change

Science.gov (United States)

Stanitski, D.; Hatheway, B.; Gardiner, L. S.; Taylor, J.; Chambers, L. H.

2016-12-01

Much of the focus on climate literacy in K-12 occurs in middle and high school, where teachers and students can dig into the science in some depth. It is important, however, to introduce this topic at an early age, building on a child's natural curiosity about the world around them - but without overwhelming them with frightening climate change impacts. In some U.S. school systems, a recent focus on standardized testing has crowded out science instruction in order to bring up literacy scores. To give teachers a resource to maintain some science instruction under these conditions, a series of Elementary GLOBE books have been developed. These fictional stories describe sound science and engineering practices that are essential for students to learn the process of science while expanding literacy skills, strongly encouraged in the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS). The main concepts developed in a new Elementary GLOBE book on climate, titled "What in the World Is Happening to Our Climate?", will be introduced in this presentation. This book complements six other Earth System Science modules within the Elementary GLOBE curriculum and is freely available on the GLOBE website (www.globe.gov/elementaryglobe). The book discusses the concept that climate is changing in different ways and places around the world, and what happens to the climate in one place affects other locations across the globe. Supporting ideas clarify the difference between weather and climate, introduce climate science concepts, reveal the impacts of sea level rise, and help students understand that, while humans are contributing to climate change, they can also participate in solutions that address this challenge. Accompanying teacher's notes and companion classroom activities will be described to help elementary school teachers understand how to approach the subject of climate change with their students.

Understanding the Relationship between Social Change and Its Impacts: The Experience of Rural Land Use Change in South-Eastern Australia

Science.gov (United States)

Williams, Kathryn J. H.; Schirmer, Jacki

2012-01-01

This study investigated socio-economic impacts of land use change, giving explicit attention to the relationships between independently observed land use change and associated socio-economic changes, perceived land use change and socio-economic change, attributed cause of change, and experienced impacts of change. Using a case study region in…

Bridging the Gap between Scientific and Indigenous knowledge to Better Understand Social Impacts of Changing Rainfall Regimes

Science.gov (United States)

Lynch, A. H.; Joachim, L.; Zhu, X.; Hammer, C.; Harris, M.; Griggs, D.

2011-12-01

The Murray-Darling Basin incorporates Australia's three longest rivers and is important for an agricultural industry worth more than $9 billion per annum, a rich biodiversity of habitat and species, and the very life of its traditional owners. The complex and sometimes enigmatic relationships between modes of variability and Australian regional rainfall distribution means that reliable projections of future water availability remain highly uncertain. Persistent drought, with associated heat stress and high fire danger, and episodic flooding rains present further challenges. Indeed, recent extremes likely herald a tipping point for the communities and ecosystems that rely on the river system. The Barmah-Millewa region in the Murray-Darling Basin is the heart of Yorta Yorta Traditional Tribal Lands. The Yorta Yorta continue to assert their inherent rights to country and have shown through oral, documentary and material evidence, that their social, spiritual, economic and cultural links with country have never been broken. Current water policy and practice, highly contested community consultation processes, cross-border governance issues and a changing social landscape create in this region a microcosm for understanding the complex demands of economic, environmental and cultural security along the Murray-Darling Basin as the climate changes. New approaches to bridging the gap between scientific and Indigenous epistemologies have emerged in recent years, including for example ecosystem-based adaptation (Vignola et al. 2009) and the analysis of cultural water flows (Weir 2010). The potential for innovation using these approaches has informed a study that investigates how the deep knowledge of country of the Yorta Yorta people can be combined with state of the art climate science to develop a better understanding of the competing demands on water resources in the Barmah-Millewa region now and in the future. An important dimension of this collaborative work with the Yorta

A Big Data Guide to Understanding Climate Change: The Case for Theory-Guided Data Science.

Science.gov (United States)

Faghmous, James H; Kumar, Vipin

2014-09-01

Global climate change and its impact on human life has become one of our era's greatest challenges. Despite the urgency, data science has had little impact on furthering our understanding of our planet in spite of the abundance of climate data. This is a stark contrast from other fields such as advertising or electronic commerce where big data has been a great success story. This discrepancy stems from the complex nature of climate data as well as the scientific questions climate science brings forth. This article introduces a data science audience to the challenges and opportunities to mine large climate datasets, with an emphasis on the nuanced difference between mining climate data and traditional big data approaches. We focus on data, methods, and application challenges that must be addressed in order for big data to fulfill their promise with regard to climate science applications. More importantly, we highlight research showing that solely relying on traditional big data techniques results in dubious findings, and we instead propose a theory-guided data science paradigm that uses scientific theory to constrain both the big data techniques as well as the results-interpretation process to extract accurate insight from large climate data .

Information And Communication Technology To Aid Constructivism ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

2012-12-01

Dec 1, 2012 ... they are applied to our everyday life and the field of .... reflection of the quality of STEM education that still receives ... revolutionary change of the human- computer interface ... artificial intelligence arose with advent of. MYCIN ...

Regional Arctic System Model (RASM): A Tool to Advance Understanding and Prediction of Arctic Climate Change at Process Scales

Science.gov (United States)

Maslowski, W.; Roberts, A.; Osinski, R.; Brunke, M.; Cassano, J. J.; Clement Kinney, J. L.; Craig, A.; Duvivier, A.; Fisel, B. J.; Gutowski, W. J., Jr.; Hamman, J.; Hughes, M.; Nijssen, B.; Zeng, X.

2014-12-01

The Arctic is undergoing rapid climatic changes, which are some of the most coordinated changes currently occurring anywhere on Earth. They are exemplified by the retreat of the perennial sea ice cover, which integrates forcing by, exchanges with and feedbacks between atmosphere, ocean and land. While historical reconstructions from Global Climate and Global Earth System Models (GC/ESMs) are in broad agreement with these changes, the rate of change in the GC/ESMs remains outpaced by observations. Reasons for that stem from a combination of coarse model resolution, inadequate parameterizations, unrepresented processes and a limited knowledge of physical and other real world interactions. We demonstrate the capability of the Regional Arctic System Model (RASM) in addressing some of the GC/ESM limitations in simulating observed seasonal to decadal variability and trends in the sea ice cover and climate. RASM is a high resolution, fully coupled, pan-Arctic climate model that uses the Community Earth System Model (CESM) framework. It uses the Los Alamos Sea Ice Model (CICE) and Parallel Ocean Program (POP) configured at an eddy-permitting resolution of 1/12° as well as the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) and Variable Infiltration Capacity (VIC) models at 50 km resolution. All RASM components are coupled via the CESM flux coupler (CPL7) at 20-minute intervals. RASM is an example of limited-area, process-resolving, fully coupled earth system model, which due to the additional constraints from lateral boundary conditions and nudging within a regional model domain facilitates detailed comparisons with observational statistics that are not possible with GC/ESMs. In this talk, we will emphasize the utility of RASM to understand sensitivity to variable parameter space, importance of critical processes, coupled feedbacks and ultimately to reduce uncertainty in arctic climate change projections.

The emergence of land change science for global environmental change and sustainability

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Turner II, B.L.; Lambin, E.F.; Reenberg, Anette

2007-01-01

  Land change science has emerged as a fundamental component of global environmental change and sustainability research.  This interdisciplinary field seeks to understand the dynamics of land-cover and land-use as a coupled human-environment system in order to address theory, concepts, models......, and applications relevant to environmental and societal problems, including the intersection of the two.  The major components and advances in land change are addressed: observation and monitoring; understanding the coupled system-causes, impacts, and consequences; modeling; and synthesis issues.  The six articles...

A Computer-Aided Exercise for Checking Novices' Understanding of Market Equilibrium Changes.

Science.gov (United States)

Katz, Arnold

1999-01-01

Describes a computer-aided supplement to the introductory microeconomics course that enhances students' understanding with simulation-based tools for reviewing what they have learned from lectures and conventional textbooks about comparing market equilibria. Includes a discussion of students' learning progressions and retention after using the…

The Next Technology Revolution - Nano Electronic Technology

Science.gov (United States)

Turlik, Iwona

2004-03-01

Nanotechnology is a revolutionary engine that will engender enormous changes in a vast majority of today's industries and markets, while potentially creating whole new industries. The impact of nanotechnology is particularly significant in the electronics industry, which is constantly driven by the need for higher performance, increased functionality, smaller size and lower cost. Nanotechnology can influence many of the hundreds of components that are typically assembled to manufacture modern electronic devices. Motorola manufactures electronics for a wide range of industries and communication products. In this presentation, the typical components of a cellular phone are outlined and technology requirements for future products, the customer benefits, and the potential impact of nanotechnology on many of the components are discussed. Technology needs include reliable materials supply, processes for high volume production, experimental and simulation tools, etc. For example, even routine procedures such as failure characterization may require the development of new tools for investigating nano-scale phenomena. Business needs include the development of an effective, high volume supply chain for nano-materials and devices, disruptive product platforms, and visible performance impact on the end consumer. An equally significant long-term industry need is the availability of science and engineering graduates with a multidisciplinary focus and a deep understanding of the fundamentals of nano-technology, that can harness the technology to create revolutionary products.

Angicos (Freire e Barbiana (Milani: leituras de mundo e radicalidade pedagógica - Angicos (Freire and Barbiana (Milani: what defines an educational approach as revolutionary?

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Danilo R. Streck

2011-03-01

Full Text Available Resumo O artigo faz um estudo comparativo entre Paulo Freire (Brasil e Lorenzo Milani (Itália, tendo como eixo da reflexão o caráter radical e revolucionário de suas práticas educativas. O título remete às experiências pelas quais os dois educadores se tornaram conhecidos, respectivamente Angicos, no Nordeste brasileiro, e Barbiana, um vilarejo nas proximidades de Florença. Na análise são destacados os  seguintes elementos que contribuem para a compreensão de suas práticas como revolucionárias: a o caráter profético-testemunhal de ambos enquanto educadores; b o respeito pelo diferente que se transforma na pedagogia do outro; c a leitura da realidade e o concomitante poder transformador da palavra. No contexto de um panorama global em que se fazem necessárias propostas pedagógicas abrangentes, o estudo evidencia a importância de ler comparativamente autores que em seus contextos sociais e históricos ousaram propor alternativas pedagógicas emancipatórias. Palavras-chave: Paulo Freire; Lorenzo Milani; Escola de Barbiana; Angicos; pedagogia radical.   ANGICOS (FREIRE AND BARBIANA (MILANI: WHAT DEFINES AN EDUCATIONAL APPROACH AS REVOLUTIONARY? Abstract The article presents a comparative study between Paulo Freire (Brasil and Lorenzo Milani (Italy with special attention to the radical and revolutionary character of their educational practices. The title refers to the experiences through which both educators became known, respectively, Angicos, a small town in Brazilian Northeast, and Barbiana, a village in the proximities of Florence. The analysis highlights the following elements which contribute for the identification of their practices as revolutionary: a the testimonial prophetic character of their work as educators; b the respect for the other as originating a pedagogy of the other; c the reading of reality, and the concomitant transformative power of the word. In a global panorama where it is necessary that pedagogical

Developmental Readiness in the Understanding of Own and Other’s False Beliefs

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Anna Amadó

2014-01-01

Full Text Available One of the most important milestones in the development of theory of mind is the understanding of false beliefs. This study compares children’s understanding of representational change and others’ false beliefs and evaluates the effectiveness of an appearance-reality training for improving children’s false belief understanding. A total of 78 children ranging in age from 41 to 47 months were trained in three sessions and evaluated in a pretest and in a posttest. The results show that for children it is easier to understand representational change than false beliefs in others, and that the improvement after training was greater when starting from a higher score in the pretest. The implications of this for training in false belief understanding are discussed.

Mutual understanding: a communication model for general practice.

Science.gov (United States)

Hantho, Arne; Jensen, Lena; Malterud, Kirsti

2002-12-01

To present our pursuits towards development of a simple model for clinical communication intended for application by the practitioner as a tool for enhancing mutual understanding. Inspired by theories about patient-centredness and interactive modes of understanding, and supported by the perspectives of the Danish philosopher Niels Thomassen, we reviewed audiotapes from our own consultations. Recognising four dimensions assumed to be essential for mutual understanding in the transcripts, we explored these dimensions further. We present a communication model consisting of the following dimensions: The Framework, within which the communication takes place; The Subject, about which the communication takes place; The Persons, between whom the communication takes place; and The Action, verbally and non-verbally, through which communication takes place. We describe these dimensions in detail. The nature of the dimensions indicates that there is an interrelationship between them, implying that the character of the communication may change if one of the factors is changed. Analysis of an ongoing or recent consultation completed in accordance with these four dimensions allows the doctor to refocus the communication, thus leading to a more extensive mutual understanding and perhaps enhanced freedom of action.

Growing Canopy on a College Campus: Understanding Urban Forest Change through Archival Records and Aerial Photography.

Science.gov (United States)

Roman, Lara A; Fristensky, Jason P; Eisenman, Theodore S; Greenfield, Eric J; Lundgren, Robert E; Cerwinka, Chloe E; Hewitt, David A; Welsh, Caitlin C

2017-12-01

Many municipalities are setting ambitious tree canopy cover goals to increase the extent of their urban forests. A historical perspective on urban forest development can help cities strategize how to establish and achieve appropriate tree cover targets. To understand how long-term urban forest change occurs, we examined the history of trees on an urban college campus: the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, PA. Using a mixed methods approach, including qualitative assessments of archival records (1870-2017), complemented by quantitative analysis of tree cover from aerial imagery (1970-2012), our analysis revealed drastic canopy cover increase in the late 20th and early 21st centuries along with the principle mechanisms of that change. We organized the historical narrative into periods reflecting campus planting actions and management approaches; these periods are also connected to broader urban greening and city planning movements, such as City Beautiful and urban sustainability. University faculty in botany, landscape architecture, and urban design contributed to the design of campus green spaces, developed comprehensive landscape plans, and advocated for campus trees. A 1977 Landscape Development Plan was particularly influential, setting forth design principles and planting recommendations that enabled the dramatic canopy cover gains we observed, and continue to guide landscape management today. Our results indicate that increasing urban tree cover requires generational time scales and systematic management coupled with a clear urban design vision and long-term commitments. With the campus as a microcosm of broader trends in urban forest development, we conclude with a discussion of implications for municipal tree cover planning.

Growing Canopy on a College Campus: Understanding Urban Forest Change through Archival Records and Aerial Photography

Science.gov (United States)

Roman, Lara A.; Fristensky, Jason P.; Eisenman, Theodore S.; Greenfield, Eric J.; Lundgren, Robert E.; Cerwinka, Chloe E.; Hewitt, David A.; Welsh, Caitlin C.

2017-12-01

Many municipalities are setting ambitious tree canopy cover goals to increase the extent of their urban forests. A historical perspective on urban forest development can help cities strategize how to establish and achieve appropriate tree cover targets. To understand how long-term urban forest change occurs, we examined the history of trees on an urban college campus: the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, PA. Using a mixed methods approach, including qualitative assessments of archival records (1870-2017), complemented by quantitative analysis of tree cover from aerial imagery (1970-2012), our analysis revealed drastic canopy cover increase in the late 20th and early 21st centuries along with the principle mechanisms of that change. We organized the historical narrative into periods reflecting campus planting actions and management approaches; these periods are also connected to broader urban greening and city planning movements, such as City Beautiful and urban sustainability. University faculty in botany, landscape architecture, and urban design contributed to the design of campus green spaces, developed comprehensive landscape plans, and advocated for campus trees. A 1977 Landscape Development Plan was particularly influential, setting forth design principles and planting recommendations that enabled the dramatic canopy cover gains we observed, and continue to guide landscape management today. Our results indicate that increasing urban tree cover requires generational time scales and systematic management coupled with a clear urban design vision and long-term commitments. With the campus as a microcosm of broader trends in urban forest development, we conclude with a discussion of implications for municipal tree cover planning.

Application of the Theoretical Domains Framework and the Behaviour Change Wheel to Understand Physicians' Behaviors and Behavior Change in Using Temporary Work Modifications for Return to Work: A Qualitative Study.

Science.gov (United States)

Horppu, Ritva; Martimo, K P; MacEachen, E; Lallukka, T; Viikari-Juntura, E

2018-03-01

Purpose Applying the theoretical domains framework (TDF) and the Behaviour Change Wheel (BCW) to understand physicians' behaviors and behavior change in using temporary work modifications (TWMs) for return to work (RTW). Methods Interviews and focus group discussions were conducted with 15 occupational physicians (OPs). Responses were coded using the TDF and the BCW. Results Key behaviors related to applying TWMs were initiating the process with the employee, making recommendations to the workplace, and following up the process. OP behaviors were influenced by several factors related to personal capability and motivation, and opportunities provided by the physical and social environment. Capability comprised relevant knowledge and skills related to applying TWMs, remembering to initiate TWMS and monitor the process, and being accustomed to reflective practice. Opportunity comprised physical resources (e.g., time, predefined procedures, and availability of modified work at companies), and social pressure from stakeholders. Motivation comprised conceptions of a proper OP role, confidence to carry out TWMs, personal RTW-related goals, beliefs about the outcomes of one's actions, feedback received from earlier cases, and feelings related to applying TWMs. OPs' perceived means to target these identified factors were linked to the following BCW intervention functions: education, training, persuasion, environmental restructuring, and enablement. The results suggest that at least these functions should be considered when designing future interventions. Conclusions Our study illustrates how theoretical frameworks TDF and BCW can be utilized in a RTW context to understand which determinants of physicians' behavior need to be targeted, and how, to promote desired behaviors.

Metabolic and oncological consequences of laparoscopic surgery

NARCIS (Netherlands)

N.D. Kannekens-Bouvy (Nicole)

1997-01-01

textabstractIn 1986, Philip Mouret and his colleagues performed the first laparoscopic cholecystectomy. They initiated the most revolutionary change in traditional surgery, since the introduction of anaesthesia, asepsis, antibiotics and blood-transfusion. At the same time, industry propelled this

Understanding the varied response of the extratropical storm tracks to climate change

OpenAIRE

O’Gorman, Paul A.

2010-01-01

Transient eddies in the extratropical storm tracks are a primary mechanism for the transport of momentum, energy, and water in the atmosphere, and as such are a major component of the climate system. Changes in the extratropical storm tracks under global warming would impact these transports, the ocean circulation and carbon cycle, and society through changing weather patterns. I show that the southern storm track intensifies in the multimodel mean of simulations of 21st century climate chang...

Mainstreaming Climate Change: Recent and Ongoing Efforts to Understand, Improve, and Expand Consideration of Climate Change in Federal Water Resources Planning

Science.gov (United States)

Ferguson, I. M.; McGuire, M.; Broman, D.; Gangopadhyay, S.

2017-12-01

The Bureau of Reclamation is a Federal agency tasked with developing and managing water supply and hydropower projects in the Western U.S. Climate and hydrologic variability and change significantly impact management actions and outcomes across Reclamation's programs and initiatives, including water resource planning and operations, infrastructure design and maintenance, hydropower generation, and ecosystem restoration, among others. Planning, design, and implementation of these programs therefore requires consideration of future climate and hydrologic conditions will impact program objectives. Over the past decade, Reclamation and other Federal agencies have adopted new guidelines, directives, and mandates that require consideration of climate change in water resources planning and decision making. Meanwhile, the scientific community has developed a large number of climate projections, along with an array of models, methods, and tools to facilitate consideration of climate projections in planning and decision making. However, water resources engineers, planners, and decision makers continue to face challenges regarding how best to use the available data and tools to support major decisions, including decisions regarding infrastructure investments and long-term operating criteria. This presentation will discuss recent and ongoing research towards understanding, improving, and expanding consideration of climate projections and related uncertainties in Federal water resources planning and decision making. These research efforts address a variety of challenges, including: How to choose between available climate projection datasets and related methods, models, and tools—many of which are considered experimental or research tools? How to select an appropriate decision framework when design or operating alternatives may differ between climate scenarios? How to effectively communicate results of a climate impacts analysis to decision makers? And, how to improve

Pathways of understanding: The interactions of humanity and global environmental change

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jacobson, H.K.; Katzenberger, J.; Lousma, J.; Mooney, H.A.; Moss, R.H.; Kuhn, W.; Luterbacher, U.; Wiegandt, E.

1992-01-01

How humans, interacting within social systems, affect and are affected by global change is explored. Recognizing the impact human activities have on the environment and responding to the need to document the interactions among human activities, the Consortium for International Earth Science Information Network (CIESIN) commissioned a group of 12 scientists to develop a framework illustrating the key human systems that contribute to global change. This framework, called the Social Process Diagram, will help natural and social scientists, educators, resource managers and policy makers envision and analyze how human systems interact among themselves and with the natural system. The Social Process Diagram consists of the following blocks that constitute the Diagram's structural framework: (1) fund of knowledge and experience; (2) preferences and expectations; (3) factors of production and technology; (4) population and social structure; (5) economic systems; (6) political systems and institutions; and (7) global scale environmental processes. To demonstrate potential ways the Diagram can be used, this document includes 3 hypothetical scenarios of global change issues: global warming and sea level rise; the environmental impact of human population migration; and energy and the environment. These scenarios demonstrate the Diagram's usefulness for visualizing specific processes that might be studied to evaluate a particular global change issues. The scenario also shows that interesting and unanticipated questions may emerge as links are explored between categories on the Diagram

Pathways of Understanding: the Interactions of Humanity and Global Environmental Change

Science.gov (United States)

Jacobson, Harold K.; Katzenberger, John; Lousma, Jack; Mooney, Harold A.; Moss, Richard H.; Kuhn, William; Luterbacher, Urs; Wiegandt, Ellen

1992-01-01

How humans, interacting within social systems, affect and are affected by global change is explored. Recognizing the impact human activities have on the environment and responding to the need to document the interactions among human activities, the Consortium for International Earth Science Information Network (CIESIN) commissioned a group of 12 scientists to develop a framework illustrating the key human systems that contribute to global change. This framework, called the Social Process Diagram, will help natural and social scientists, educators, resource managers and policy makers envision and analyze how human systems interact among themselves and with the natural system. The Social Process Diagram consists of the following blocks that constitute the Diagram's structural framework: (1) fund of knowledge and experience; (2) preferences and expectations; (3) factors of production and technology; (4) population and social structure; (5) economic systems; (6) political systems and institutions; and (7) global scale environmental processes. To demonstrate potential ways the Diagram can be used, this document includes 3 hypothetical scenarios of global change issues: global warming and sea level rise; the environmental impact of human population migration; and energy and the environment. These scenarios demonstrate the Diagram's usefulness for visualizing specific processes that might be studied to evaluate a particular global change issues. The scenario also shows that interesting and unanticipated questions may emerge as links are explored between categories on the Diagram.

Adapt or disperse: understanding species persistence in a changing world.

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Berg, M.P.; Kiers, E.T.; Driessen, G.J.J.; van der Heijden, M.G.A.; Kooi, B.W.; Kuenen, F.J.A.; Liefting, M.; Verhoef, H.A.; Ellers, J.

2010-01-01

The majority of studies on environmental change focus on the response of single species and neglect fundamental biotic interactions, such as mutualism, competition, predation, and parasitism, which complicate patterns of species persistence. Under global warming, disruption of community interactions

An overview of GSM-R technology and its shortcomings

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Sniady, Aleksander; Soler, José

2012-01-01

Railway communication technologies undergo a revolutionary change bringing them from the analog to the digital era. The European Rail Traffic Management System (ERTMS) replaces numerous incompatible analog radio systems, classical side-track signs and legacy in-cab signaling with an integrated...

Polar Bears or People?: How Framing Can Provide a Useful Analytic Tool to Understand & Improve Climate Change Communication in Classrooms

Science.gov (United States)

Busch, K. C.

2014-12-01

Not only will young adults bear the brunt of climate change's effects, they are also the ones who will be required to take action - to mitigate and to adapt. The Next Generation Science Standards include climate change, ensuring the topic will be covered in U.S. science classrooms in the near future. Additionally, school is a primary source of information about climate change for young adults. The larger question, though, is how can the teaching of climate change be done in such a way as to ascribe agency - a willingness to act - to students? Framing - as both a theory and an analytic method - has been used to understand how language in the media can affect the audience's intention to act. Frames function as a two-way filter, affecting both the message sent and the message received. This study adapted both the theory and the analytic methods of framing, applying them to teachers in the classroom to answer the research question: How do teachers frame climate change in the classroom? To answer this question, twenty-five lessons from seven teachers were analyzed using semiotic discourse analysis methods. It was found that the teachers' frames overlapped to form two distinct discourses: a Science Discourse and a Social Discourse. The Science Discourse, which was dominant, can be summarized as: Climate change is a current scientific problem that will have profound global effects on the Earth's physical systems. The Social Discourse, used much less often, can be summarized as: Climate change is a future social issue because it will have negative impacts at the local level on people. While it may not be surprising that the Science Discourse was most often heard in these science classrooms, it is possibly problematic if it were the only discourse used. The research literature on framing indicates that the frames found in the Science Discourse - global scale, scientific statistics and facts, and impact on the Earth's systems - are not likely to inspire action-taking. This

Linking Hunter Knowledge with Forest Change to Understand Changing Deer Harvest Opportunities in Intensively Logged Landscapes

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Todd J. Brinkman

2009-06-01

Full Text Available The effects of landscape changes caused by intensive logging on the availability of wild game are important when the harvest of wild game is a critical cultural practice, food source, and recreational activity. We assessed the influence of extensive industrial logging on the availability of wild game by drawing on local knowledge and ecological science to evaluate the relationship between forest change and opportunities to harvest Sitka black-tailed deer (Odocoileus hemionus sitkensis on Prince of Wales Island, Alaska. We used data collected through interviews with local deer hunters and GIS analysis of land cover to determine relationships among landscape change, hunter access, and habitat for deer hunting over the last 50 yr. We then used these relationships to predict how harvest opportunities may change in the future. Intensive logging from 1950 into the 1990s provided better access to deer and habitat that facilitated deer hunting. However, successional changes in intensively logged forests in combination with a decline in current logging activity have reduced access to deer and increased undesirable habitat for deer hunting. In this new landscape, harvest opportunities in previously logged landscapes have declined, and hunters identify second-growth forest as one of the least popular habitats for hunting. Given the current state of the logging industry in Alaska, it is unlikely that the logging of the remaining old-growth forests or intensive management of second-growth forests will cause hunter opportunities to rebound to historic levels. Instead, hunter opportunities may continue to decline for at least another human generation, even if the long-term impacts of logging activity and deer harvest on deer numbers are minimal. Adapting hunting strategies to focus on naturally open habitats such as alpine and muskeg that are less influenced by external market forces may require considerably more hunting effort but provide the best option for

Strategic positioning of retail entrepreneurship in marketing channels

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ristić Miloš

2005-01-01

Full Text Available Both the actual market flows and dynamiting of power ratios bring about the revolutionary changes within the marketing strategies and basic management approaches, while completely deranging the traditional value system (i.e. system established through marketing channel members' interaction. What is being altered are the market performance patterns, channel communication standards, and forms of institutional pressure manifestation toward the remainder of members which is being performed by the institution with highest economic and negotiating power. Retail company becomes the leader in development of break-the-rule strategies as well as the mutual revolutionary and innovational processes in marketing channel functioning. The final objectives of initiation of co-revolutionary retail strategy with the remainder of marketing channel members are identification and removal of all non-efficient points in the process of development and the process of adding value at all levels of distribution. In addition, these goals are the advanced management of supply chain and integration of consumers with appropriate marketing channel on a long-term basis.

COLLABORATIVE RESEARCH: TOWARDS ADVANCED UNDERSTANDING AND PREDICTIVE CAPABILITY OF CLIMATE CHANGE IN THE ARCTIC USING A HIGH-RESOLUTION REGIONAL ARCTIC CLIMATE SYSTEM MODEL

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Gutowski, William J.

2013-02-07

The motivation for this project was to advance the science of climate change and prediction in the Arctic region. Its primary goals were to (i) develop a state-of-the-art Regional Arctic Climate system Model (RACM) including high-resolution atmosphere, land, ocean, sea ice and land hydrology components and (ii) to perform extended numerical experiments using high performance computers to minimize uncertainties and fundamentally improve current predictions of climate change in the northern polar regions. These goals were realized first through evaluation studies of climate system components via one-way coupling experiments. Simulations were then used to examine the effects of advancements in climate component systems on their representation of main physics, time-mean fields and to understand variability signals at scales over many years. As such this research directly addressed some of the major science objectives of the BER Climate Change Research Division (CCRD) regarding the advancement of long-term climate prediction.

Signage as a tool for behavioral change: Direct and indirect routes to understanding the meaning of a sign.

Science.gov (United States)

Meis, Julia; Kashima, Yoshihisa

2017-01-01

Signs, prompts, and symbols are a common means to change behavior in our society. Understanding the psychological mechanisms by which signage influences behavior is a critical first step to achieve the desired outcome. In the current research, we propose a theoretical model of sign-to-behavior process. The model suggests that when one encounters a sign, it is encoded to construct an action representation (comprehension process), which is then acted on unless its enactment is inhibited (decision process). We test the implications of the model in two studies. In support of our hypothesis, for unfamiliar signs, clarity of purpose predicts perceived effectiveness of a sign; however, for familiar signs, clarity of purpose does not matter. Insights gained from the studies will help to design effective signs. Practical implications of the model are discussed, and future research directions are outlined.

Epidemiology: Past, Present, and Future Impacts on Understanding Disease Dynamics and Improving Plant Disease Management-A Summary of Focus Issue Articles.

Science.gov (United States)

Ojiambo, P S; Yuen, J; van den Bosch, F; Madden, L V

2017-10-01

Epidemiology has made significant contributions to plant pathology by elucidating the general principles underlying the development of disease epidemics. This has resulted in a greatly improved theoretical and empirical understanding of the dynamics of disease epidemics in time and space, predictions of disease outbreaks or the need for disease control in real-time basis, and tactical and strategic solutions to disease problems. Availability of high-resolution experimental data at multiple temporal and spatial scales has now provided a platform to test and validate theories on the spread of diseases at a wide range of spatial scales ranging from the local to the landscape level. Relatively new approaches in plant disease epidemiology, ranging from network to information theory, coupled with the availability of large-scale datasets and the rapid development of computer technology, are leading to revolutionary thinking about epidemics that can result in considerable improvement of strategic and tactical decision making in the control and management of plant diseases. Methods that were previously restricted to topics such as population biology or evolution are now being employed in epidemiology to enable a better understanding of the forces that drive the development of plant disease epidemics in space and time. This Focus Issue of Phytopathology features research articles that address broad themes in epidemiology including social and political consequences of disease epidemics, decision theory and support, pathogen dispersal and disease spread, disease assessment and pathogen biology and disease resistance. It is important to emphasize that these articles are just a sample of the types of research projects that are relevant to epidemiology. Below, we provide a succinct summary of the articles that are published in this Focus Issue .

Use of the computational-informational web-GIS system for the development of climatology students' skills in modeling and understanding climate change

Science.gov (United States)

Gordova, Yulia; Martynova, Yulia; Shulgina, Tamara

2015-04-01

The current situation with the training of specialists in environmental sciences is complicated by the fact that the very scientific field is experiencing a period of rapid development. Global change has caused the development of measurement techniques and modeling of environmental characteristics, accompanied by the expansion of the conceptual and mathematical apparatus. Understanding and forecasting processes in the Earth system requires extensive use of mathematical modeling and advanced computing technologies. As a rule, available training programs in the environmental sciences disciplines do not have time to adapt to such rapid changes in the domain content. As a result, graduates of faculties do not understand processes and mechanisms of the global change, have only superficial knowledge of mathematical modeling of processes in the environment. They do not have the required skills in numerical modeling, data processing and analysis of observations and computation outputs and are not prepared to work with the meteorological data. For adequate training of future specialists in environmental sciences we propose the following approach, which reflects the new "research" paradigm in education. We believe that the training of such specialists should be done not in an artificial learning environment, but based on actual operating information-computational systems used in environment studies, in the so-called virtual research environment via development of virtual research and learning laboratories. In the report the results of the use of computational-informational web-GIS system "Climate" (http://climate.scert.ru/) as a prototype of such laboratory are discussed. The approach is realized at Tomsk State University to prepare bachelors in meteorology. Student survey shows that their knowledge has become deeper and more systemic after undergoing training in virtual learning laboratory. The scientific team plans to assist any educators to utilize the system in earth

Teaching 5th grade science for aesthetic understanding

Science.gov (United States)

Girod, Mark A.

Many scientists speak with great zeal about the role of aesthetics and beauty in their science and inquiry. Few systematic efforts have been made to teach science in ways that appeal directly to aesthetics and this research is designed to do just that. Drawing from the aesthetic theory of Dewey, I describe an analytic lens called learning for aesthetic understanding that finds power in the degree to which our perceptions of the world are transformed, our interests and enthusiasm piqued, and our actions changed as we seek further experiences in the world. This learning theory is contrasted against two other current and popular theories of science learning, that of learning for conceptual understanding via conceptual change theory and learning for a language-oriented or discourse-based understanding. After a lengthy articulation of the pedagogical strategies used to teach for aesthetic understanding the research is described in which comparisons are drawn between students in two 5th grade classrooms---one taught for the goal of conceptual understanding and the other taught for the goal of aesthetic understanding. Results of this comparison show that more students in the treatment classroom had aesthetic experiences with science ideas and came to an aesthetic understanding when studying weather, erosion, and structure of matter than students in the control group. Also statistically significant effects are shown on measures of interest, affect, and efficacy for students in the treatment class. On measures of conceptual understanding it appears that treatment class students learned more and forgot less over time than control class students. The effect of the treatment does not generally depend on gender, ethnicity, or prior achievement except in students' identity beliefs about themselves as science learners. In this case, a significant interaction for treatment class females on science identity beliefs did occur. A discussion of these results as well as elaboration and

Teachers as learners: A case study of teachers' understanding of ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

The research reported here investigates the efficacy of a module in an Advanced Certificate in Education course in promoting conceptual understanding in Astronomy. The research attempted to find out how teachers' understanding of astronomy concepts and processes change after completing this module as well as the ...

iSeeChange: Crowdsourced Climate Change Reporting

Science.gov (United States)

Drapkin, J. K.

2012-12-01

Directly engaging local communities about their climate change experiences has never been more important. As weather and climate become more unpredictable, these experiences provide a baseline for community decisions, developing adaptation strategies, and planning for the future. Typically, climate change is documented in a top-down fashion: a scientist has a question, makes observations, and publishes a study; in the best case scenario, a journalist reports on the results; if there's time, a local anecdote is sought to put the results in a familiar context. iSeeChange, a public media project funded by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, reports local environmental change in reverse and turns community questions and conversations with scientists into reported stories that promote opportunities to learn about climate change's affects on the environment and daily life. iSeeChange engages residents of the North Fork Valley region of western Colorado in a multiplatform conversation with scientists about how they perceive their environment is changing through the course of a year - season to season. By bringing together public radio, a mobile reporting and cellular engagement strategy, and a custom crowdsourcing multimedia platform, iSeeChange provides a central access point to collect observations (texts, photographs, voice recordings, and video), organize conversations and interviews with scientists, and report stories online and on air. In this way, iSeeChange is building a dynamic crowdsourced reservoir of information that can increase awareness of environmental problems and potentially disseminate useful information about climate change and successful adaptation strategies. Ultimately, by understanding the community's information needs in a localized question-driven context, the iSeeChange platform presents opportunities for the science community to better understand the value of information and develop better ways to tailor information for communities to use

Paraphyly changes understanding of timing and tempo of diversification in subtribe Hakeinae (Proteaceae), a giant Australian plant radiation.

Science.gov (United States)

Mast, Austin R; Olde, Peter M; Makinson, Robert O; Jones, Eric; Kubes, Amanda; Miller, Eliot T; Weston, Peter H

2015-10-01

Subtribe Hakeinae (526 spp.) represents a large Australian plant radiation central to our understanding of that flora's evolution and ecology. It contains Grevillea-the third largest plant genus in Australia and a group inferred to have among the highest diversification rates in the angiosperms. However, we lack a robust phylogenetic framework for understanding subtribe Hakeinae and recognize that Grevillea lacks an unambiguous synapomorphy supporting its monophyly. We used four plastid and one nuclear DNA region from a taxonomically even sampling of a third of the species to infer a time-calibrated phylogeny of Hakeinae and absolute diversification rates of major clades. We developed the R package addTaxa to add unsampled taxa to the tree for diversification rate inference. Grevillea is paraphyletic with respect to Hakea and Finschia. Under most parameter combinations, Hakea contains the major clade with the highest diversification rate in Hakeinae, rather than Grevillea. The crown age of the Grevillea+Hakea+Finschia crown group is about double that of prior estimates. We demonstrate that the paraphyly of Grevillea considerably enlarges the number of Australian descendants from its most recent common ancestor but has also misled investigators who considered a single operational taxonomic unit as adequate to represent the genus for inferences of diversification rate and timing. Our time-calibrated phylogeny can form the basis of future evolutionary, comparative ecology, and biogeography studies involving this large Australian plant radiation, as well as nomenclatural changes. © 2015 Botanical Society of America.

Secondary Science Teachers Making Sense of Model-Based Classroom Instruction: Understanding the Learning and Learning Pathways Teachers Describe as Supporting Changes in Teaching Practice

Science.gov (United States)

Hvidsten, Connie J.

Connie J. Hvidsten September 2016 Education Secondary Science Teachers Making Sense of Model-Based Classroom Instruction: Understanding the Learning and Learning Pathways Teachers Describe as Supporting Changes in Teaching Practice This dissertation consists of three papers analyzing writings and interviews of experienced secondary science teachers during and after a two-year professional development (PD) program focused on model-based reasoning (MBR). MBR is an approach to science instruction that provides opportunities for students to use conceptual models to make sense of natural phenomena in ways that are similar to the use of models within the scientific community. The aim of this research is to better understand the learning and learning pathways teachers identified as valuable in supporting changes in their teaching practice. To accomplish this aim, the papers analyze the ways teachers 1) ascribe their learning to various aspects of the program, 2) describe what they learned, and 3) reflect on the impact the PD had on their teaching practice. Twenty-one secondary science teachers completed the Innovations in Science Instruction through Modeling (ISIM) program from 2007 through 2009. Commonalities in the written reflections and interview responses led to a set of generalizable findings related to the impacts and outcomes of the PD. The first of the three papers describes elements of the ISIM program that teachers associated with their own learning. One of the most frequently mentioned PD feature was being in the position of an adult learner. Embedding learning in instructional practice by collaboratively developing and revising lessons, and observing the lessons in one-another's classrooms provided a sense of professional community, accountability, and support teachers reported were necessary to overcome the challenges of implementing new pedagogical practices. Additionally, teachers described that opportunities to reflect on their learning and connect their