Response of coastal marine eco-environment to river fluxes into the sea: A case study of the Huanghe (Yellow) River mouth and adjacent waters

The impact of the Huanghe (Yellow) River outflows on its estuary was investigated with river gauging and shipboard hydrographic observations. The river flux has been decreasing dramatically; the discharges of water and sediment in the 1990s dropped to 27.4% and 31.9% of those in the 1950s, respectively, resulting in frequent and lengthy events of downstream channel dry-up since the 1970s. There were accumulatively 897 zero-flow days during the 1990s in the river course below the Lijin Hydrological Station, 100 km upstream from the river mouth, which is 82.4% of that in 1972. As freshwater input decreases, river-borne nutrients to the estuarine increased significantly. Concentration of dissolved inorganic nitrogen (DIN) in the 1990s was four times of that in 1950s. Changes in amount and content of the riverine inputs have greatly affected the estuarine ecosystem. Over the past several decades, sea surface temperature and salinity in the estuary and its adjacent waters increased and their distribution pattern altered in response to the reduction of freshwater inflow. The distribution of and seasonal succession in nutrient concentrations in the surface layer have also changed with a shift of river outlet and the decrease in riverine nutrient loads. Furthermore, deterioration of estuarine ecosystem by less river input has decreased primary productivity in the deltaic region waters, and in turn depressed the fishery. (C) 2008 Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Kinetic study of the accelerating effect of coal-burning additives on the combustion of graphite

The catalytic and accelerating effects of three coal-burning additives (CBA) on the burning of graphite were studied with the help of thermogravimetric (TG) analysis. The kinetic study on the catalytic oxidation of the graphite doped with CBA was carried out and the results were presented. The results show that the CBA can change the carbon oxidation/combustion course by catalytic action and change the activation energy, thus improving the combustion efficiency.

The stability of nanosized HZSM-5 zeolite: a high-resolution solid-state NMR study

The thermal and hydrothermal stabilities of HZSM-5 zeolites with crystal sizes less than 100 nm have been studied by multinuclear solid-state NMR, combined with BET and XRD. As evidenced by Al-27 and Si-29 MAS as well as their corresponding cross-polarization/MAS NMR investigations, the thermal stability of nanosized HZSM-5 is not so good as that of microsized HZSM-5. This is due to two processes concerning dealumination and desilicification involved in the calcination of nanosized HZSM-5, while only the dealumination process is conducted in microsized HZSM-5 under the similar calcination process. The hydrothermal stability of nanosized HZSM-5 is, contrary to what was expected, not so bad as that of the microsized HZSM-5 in the course of steam treatment. The actual resistance of the hydrothermal stability to the crystal size of HZSM-5 can be ascribed to an active reconstruction of zeolitic framework through an effective filling of amorphous Si species into nanosized HZSM-5 during hydrothermal treatment. (C) 2001 Published by Elsevier Science B.V.

Evaluation of a national evidence-based health care course via teleconference in a developing country

Rationale, aims and objectives Continuing health education is essential but challenged. in 2006, the Brazilian Cochrane Center, in collaboration with the Ministry of Health, launched a mass teaching initiative in evidence-based health care (EBH) for public-sector professionals via teleconferencing. This 152-hour, interactive EBH course has enrolled over 4500 professionals. This study aimed to assess the acquisition EBH knowledge and skills, as well as the attitudes and perceptions of a sample of students enrolled in the 2009 course via teleconferencing.Methods This prospective cohort study analyzed three aspects of this 152-hour EBH course that recruited 1040 volunteer participants, all public health sector employees working in 131 different hospitals or health agencies. Pre- and post-course tests using a modified version of the Berlin questionnaire with 20 multiple-choice questions were used to examine knowledge acquisition in a sample of 297 students. Tests were completed upon registration and at course completion. the research projects submitted by 872 participants were evaluated to assess skill acquisition. Answers to an anonymous survey assessed the attitudes and perceptions of 914 participants.Results There was a significant increase in knowledge from baseline to course completion (mean scores 8.2 +/- 3.3 versus 13.7 +/- 3.0, P < 0.001). Over 90% of the research projects were judged to be of adequate quality (appropriate rationale for the study, well-formulated research question and feasible execution); over 95% of the participants were satisfied with the course.Conclusion the Brazilian EBH course via teleconference improved the knowledge and skills of public-sector health professionals and was approved by the vast majority of students.

Code warriors and code-a-phobes: a study in attitude and pair programming

Thomas, L., Ratcliffe, M., and Robertson, A. 2003. Code warriors and code-a-phobes: a study in attitude and pair programming. SIGCSE Bull. 35, 1 (Jan. 2003), 363-367.

Learning to Teach and its Implications for the Continuum of Teacher Education: A Nine Country Cross-national Study.

The purpose of this Report is to inform discussions, policy formulation, and strategic planning on teacher education in Ireland. The research gives priority to initial teacher education (ITE) and induction, their interface, and implications for the continuum of teacher education, including continuing professional development (CPD). The study involved a two-pronged approach: a narrative review of recent and relevant literature and a cross-national review of teacher education policies in nine countries, namely, Ireland, Northern Ireland, Scotland, England, Finland, USA, Poland, Singapore and New Zealand. Adopting a broad, balanced and comprehensive understanding of the role of the contemporary teacher, it provides a framework for developing quality teacher education in Ireland. The Report incorporates exemplars of good practice and notes their implementation challenges for the Irish context.  Chapter One provides a framework for conceptualising quality teacher education and the continuum. Key features that emerge from the literature are discussed: teachers¿ practice, quality teaching, the professional life-cycle, teacher learning and relationships. With more specific reference to the continuum, Chapter Two overviews initial teacher education, induction, learning outcomes and accreditation in the selected countries, including Ireland. Key features of policy in the various countries are summarised. Individual country profiles, incorporating descriptions of socio-political, teaching and teacher education contexts, are further detailed in Appendix A. Chapter Three analyses relevant literature on initial teacher education, induction, learning outcomes/professional standards and accreditation. Along with previous chapters it provides the basis for recommendations for teacher education that are presented in Chapter Four. Chapter Four draws together the findings emerging from the cross-national review in terms of the contemporary context of teacher education in Ireland and identifies key challenges and possible lines of policy development as well as recommendations for the Teaching Council and other teacher education stakeholders. Each generation has an opportunity to provide the vision and resources for renewing teacher education in light of ambitious social, economic and educational aspirations to meet perceived societal and education challenges (as occurred in the 1970s). Despite the publication of two key reviews of initial teacher education a number of years ago, there is considerable scope for further reform of teacher education. However, significant changes have occurred to teacher education course provision and content over the last 100 years. In this report, we have stressed the need for, and called for investment in, greater system and programme coherence, mentoring to support assisted practice, knowledge integration, critical reflective practice, inquiry and the development of vibrant partnerships between higher education institutions and schools as the basis for teacher education reform across the continuum. This Executive Summary presents the Report¿s context, key findings and recommendations emerging from the analysis.  

An exploratory study on the impact of an early years' preschool intervention programme in the Republic of Ireland

Early years’ education has increasingly been identified as a mechanism to alleviate educational disadvantage in areas of social exclusion. Early years’ intervention programmes are now a common government social policy for addressing social problems (Reynolds, Mann, Miedel, and Smokowski, 1997). In particular, state provided early years’ programmes such as Head Start in the United States and Early Start in Ireland have been established to combat educational disadvantage for children experiencing poverty and socio-economic inequality. The focus of this research is on the long-term outcomes of an early years’ intervention programme in Ireland. It aims to assess whether participation in the programme enhances the life course of children at-risk of educational disadvantage. It involves an in-depth analysis of one Early Start project which was included in the original eight projects established by the Department of Education and Science in 1994. The study utilises a multi-group design to provide a detailed analysis of both the academic and social progress of programme participants. It examines programme outcomes from a number of perspectives by collecting the views of the three main stakeholders involved in the education process; students who participated in Early Start in 1994/5, their parents and their teachers. To contribute to understanding the impact of the programme from a community perspective interviews were also conducted with local community educators and other local early years’ services. In general, Early Start was perceived by all participants in this study as making a positive contribution to parent involvement in education and to strengthening educational capital in the local area. The study found that parents and primary school teachers identified aspects of school readiness as the main benefit of participation in Early Start and parents and teachers were very positive about the role of Early Start in preparing children for the transition to formal school. In addition to this, participation in Early Start appears to have made a positive contribution to academic attainment in Maths and Science at Junior Certificate level. Students who had participated in Early Start were also rated more highly by their second level teachers in terms of goal-setting and future orientation which are important factors in educational attainment. Early Start then can be viewed as providing a positive contribution to the long-term social and academic outcomes for its participants.

Behind the paravent: a study of Konrad Bayer's dramatic texts

This thesis is a study of Konrad Bayer's dramatic texts. It has evolved out of various attempts to read those texts, some filed and some more successful. It does not claim to be authoritative or complete, since the nature of Bayer's texts, as will become clear in the course of the ensuing chapters, means that they resist such an interpretation. To accept this was an important prerequisite for the writing of this thesis, but a difficult one to fulfill because for the Bayer commentator it constitutes a certain acceptance of defeat even before one begins. Chapter 1 will begin by providing some introductory information about Konrad Bayer, including details of his life and his membership of the Wiener Gruppe, a formative phase in his development as a writer. It will also consider the historical and cultural climate of 1950s Austria that provided the backdrop for Bayer's literary work. The phenomenon of the Wiener Gruppe will then be examined against the background of preceding experimental movements, for the purpose of situating Bayer's work historically and artistically. The aim of this historical and artistic survey is to prepare for the confrontation with Bayer's texts that makes up the other chapters of the thesis. Chapter 2 will constitute a close textual study of one of Bayer's dramatic texts using criteria from the field of text linguistics. Such a study will offer an entry point into Bayer's texts and will supply material which will form the basis for the interpretative investigations of the chapters that follow it. Chapter 3 will consider the influence of language and the individual. In chapter 4 the figure of the Lion of Belfort, a recurring figure in Bayer's dramatic texts, is discussed. The final chapter of this thesis will examine the recurring motifs of violence and cannibalism and will consider them in terms of the findings of preceding chapters.

A study of the Zhiqing identity

More than seventeen million Chinese urban youth (Zhiqing in Chinese) went to the countryside, lived and engaged in agricultural work there during the Up to the Mountains and Down to the Countryside (UMDC) Movement (1967-1981). Although this movement was officially terminated in 1981, it has left an imprint on these people – the Zhiqing identity by which they are still characterized as a unique group in Chinese society and a special generation in Chinese history. Historical and sociological perspectives are combined in this study. By applying Glen H. Elder’s life course approach, the study reveals how Zhiqing’s life trajectories are embedded in the social history and identifies a series of interrelated factors that made Zhiqing into a unique generation. With the guidance of Henri Tajfel’s social identity theory, the study uncovers the emergence of the Zhiqing group and the Zhiqing identity, explains individuals’ acquisitions of the Zhiqing identity and analyzes how it has kept influencing individuals’ lives during and after the UMDC Movement. Using Zhiqing’s life stories allowed the researcher to combine the historical and sociological aspects in her examination of Zhiqing’s identity issues. In each life story, the narrator reviewed his/her life experience, reflected on socio-historical changes and expressed his/her emotions and ideas about identity issues. Utilizing methods of in-depth interview and thematic analysis, the researcher completed the study and presents this thesis as one interpretation on the Zhiqing identity, which, as according the researcher’s hermeneutic stance, is open to further discussion and future research.

Robust test method for time-course microarray experiments.

BACKGROUND: In a time-course microarray experiment, the expression level for each gene is observed across a number of time-points in order to characterize the temporal trajectories of the gene-expression profiles. For many of these experiments, the scientific aim is the identification of genes for which the trajectories depend on an experimental or phenotypic factor. There is an extensive recent body of literature on statistical methodology for addressing this analytical problem. Most of the existing methods are based on estimating the time-course trajectories using parametric or non-parametric mean regression methods. The sensitivity of these regression methods to outliers, an issue that is well documented in the statistical literature, should be of concern when analyzing microarray data. RESULTS: In this paper, we propose a robust testing method for identifying genes whose expression time profiles depend on a factor. Furthermore, we propose a multiple testing procedure to adjust for multiplicity. CONCLUSIONS: Through an extensive simulation study, we will illustrate the performance of our method. Finally, we will report the results from applying our method to a case study and discussing potential extensions.

BAROQUE MUSIC FOR TRUMPET: A STUDY OF SOLO AND CHAMBER REPERTOIRE

The trumpet experienced important changes in terms of its musical use during the middle and late Baroque period. Prior to the Baroque, and even in to the first half of the 17th century, the trumpet had historically been used for rather "non-musical" purposes, sometimes as an instrument for battle or as a tool to be used in the town square to announce the arrival of a dignitary. On the whole, the trumpet was most certainly not used as an instrument of melody -that was typically reserved for violins, flutes, and oboes. However, in the late 1600's, composers such as Allesandro Stradella and Henry Purcell began to treat the trumpet differently. They saw the melodic potential in the trumpet and began to feature the trumpet more as an instrument of melody, as opposed to relegating it to only outlining triads and emphasizing harmony. Of course, keyboard, string, and woodwind instruments had long established a significant catalogue of works by the late 17th century. Additionally, even after the trumpet had been established as an instrument of melody, prominent composers of the time still wrote significantly more solo music for these other instrument families than for the trumpet. Consequently, the overall Baroque repertoire for the solo trumpet pales in comparison to that of the other families of instruments. But, much of this Baroque literature not originally written for trumpet can be presented effectively in the form of a transcription, thereby adding greatly to the repertoire of the Baroque solo trumpet. The goal of these three dissertation recitals is twofold: 1) to perform literature that offers music from a variety of countries of origin that span the entire Baroque era and 2) to feature music that has remained relatively unknown in the trumpet world, yet is musically strong. I will also introduce viable "new" music to the trumpet repertoire through Baroque transcriptions originally written for other instruments or voice. The majority of the transcriptions I will be performing have originated from my own listening and study of Baroque music, and I have selected music that I felt would translate well for the trumpet.

A whole-cell and single-channel study of the voltage-dependent outward potassium current in avian hepatocytes.

Voltage-dependent membrane currents were studied in dissociated hepatocytes from chick, using the patch-clamp technique. All cells had voltage-dependent outward K+ currents; in 10% of the cells, a fast, transient, tetrodotoxin-sensitive Na+ current was identified. None of the cells had voltage-dependent inward Ca2+ currents. The K+ current activated at a membrane potential of about -10 mV, had a sigmoidal time course, and did not inactivate in 500 ms. The maximum outward conductance was 6.6 +/- 2.4 nS in 18 cells. The reversal potential, estimated from tail current measurements, shifted by 50 mV per 10-fold increase in the external K+ concentration. The current traces were fitted by n2 kinetics with voltage-dependent time constants. Omitting Ca2+ from the external bath or buffering the internal Ca2+ with EGTA did not alter the outward current, which shows that Ca2+-activated K+ currents were not present. 1-5 mM 4-aminopyridine, 0.5-2 mM BaCl2, and 0.1-1 mM CdCl2 reversibly inhibited the current. The block caused by Ba was voltage dependent. Single-channel currents were recorded in cell-attached and outside-out patches. The mean unitary conductance was 7 pS, and the channels displayed bursting kinetics. Thus, avian hepatocytes have a single type of K+ channel belonging to the delayed rectifier class of K+ channels.

A case study in the teaching of HCI

This poster describes a "real world" example of the teaching of Human-Computer Interaction at the final level of a Computer Science degree. It highlights many of the problems of the ever expanding HCI domain and the consequential issues of what to teach and why. The poster describes the conception and development of a new HCI course, its historical background, the justification for decisions made, lessons learnt from its implementation, and questions arising from its implementation that are yet to be addressed. For example, should HCI be taught as a course in its own right or as a component of another course? At what level is the teaching of HCI appropriate, and how is teaching influenced by industry? It considers suitable learning pedagogies as well as the demands and the contribution of industry. The experiences presented will no doubt be familiar to many HCI educators. Whilst the poster raises more questions than it answers, the resolution of some questions will hopefully be achieved by the workshop.

A case study of pre-midlife crisis: an extraordinary transformational episode in an ordinary life

This case study explored a single in-depth narrative of an episode of crisis. The participant, an English Jewish man in his late thirties (Guy), was selected using a ‘random purposeful’ design from a sample who had previously participated in a study on the experience of crisis in pre-midlife adulthood. From a subgroup of participants chosen for giving full accounts of both inner and outer dimensions of crisis, the individual was selected randomly. Data collection comprised two interviews followed by an email discussion. The crisis occurred in Guy’s late thirties, just before the midlife transition, and so can be considered a ‘pre-midlife’ crisis. It subsumed the period surrounding leaving a high-profile banking career and a dysfunctional marriage, and the ensuing attempts to rebuild life after this difficult and emotional period. Qualitative analysis found four trajectories of personal transformation over the course of the episode: Firstly there was a shift away from the use of a conventional persona to a more spontaneous and ‘authentic’ expression of self; secondly there was a move away from materialistic values toward relational values; thirdly a developing capacity to reflect on himself and his actions; fourthly an emerging feminine component of his personality. The case study portrays an extraordinary event in the life of an ordinary man approaching middle age. It illustrates the transformative nature of crisis in ordinary lives, the dramatic nature of narrative surrounding crisis, and also illustrates existing theory about the nature of adult crises.

Structured reflection breaks embedded in an online course – effects on learning experience, time on task and performance

The purpose of this article is to gain an insight into the effects of practicing short, frequent,and structured reflection breaks interspersed with the learning material in a computer-based course. To that end, the study sets up a standardized control trial with two groups of secondary school pupils. The study shows that while performance is not affected by these embedded “reflection rituals,” they significantly impact time on task and perceived learning. The study also suggests that the exposure to such built-in opportunities for reflection modifies the engagement with the content and fosters the claimed readiness for application of a similar reflective approach to learning in other occasions.