scholarly journals Exploring Predatory Nematode Chemotaxis Using Low-Cost and Easy-to-Use Microfluidics

2017 ◽  
Vol 79 (9) ◽  
pp. 753-762 ◽  
Author(s):  
Matthew D. Stilwell ◽  
Julia F. Nepper ◽  
Elizabeth D. Clawson ◽  
Val Blair ◽  
Travis Tangen ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Low Cost ◽  
Complex Environments ◽  
Soil Composition ◽  
Ecological Studies ◽  
Teachers And Students ◽  
Nematode Chemotaxis ◽  
Microbial Symbiosis ◽  
Quantitative Changes ◽  
K 12 ◽  
Insight Into

Symbiosis is a fascinating and diverse phenomenon. The study of symbiosis is important to understanding ecology, as it helps us understand relationships between organisms and provides insight into co-evolution, mutualism, adaptation, and survival. Ecological studies are challenging to implement in K-12 classrooms because they often require multiple organisms (often very different in size) and complex environments that are difficult to replicate accurately (e.g., soil composition, temperature, pH, and humidity). These factors can make it difficult to study quantitative changes in ecosystems. We developed an inexpensive, quantitative experiment for classrooms that can be used to explore important aspects of microbial symbiosis, pathogenesis, and ecology, and that helps support more investigations in this area of education. The experiment is low-cost, designed for K-12 teachers and students, uses common materials, and teaches students about the exciting relationships among bacteria, worms, and insects.

scholarly journals Completely non-fused electron acceptor with 3D-interpenetrated crystalline structure enables efficient and stable organic solar cell

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Lijiao Ma ◽  
Shaoqing Zhang ◽  
Jincheng Zhu ◽  
Jingwen Wang ◽  
Junzhen Ren ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Organic Solar Cell ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Three Dimensional ◽  
Molecular Geometry ◽  
Interpenetrating Network ◽  
Fused Ring ◽  
Molecule Design ◽  
End Capping ◽  
Conversion Efficiencies ◽  
Insight Into

AbstractNon-fullerene acceptors (NFAs) based on non-fused conjugated structures have more potential to realize low-cost organic photovoltaic (OPV) cells. However, their power conversion efficiencies (PCEs) are much lower than those of the fused-ring NFAs. Herein, a new bithiophene-based non-fused core (TT-Pi) featuring good planarity as well as large steric hindrance was designed, based on which a completely non-fused NFA, A4T-16, was developed. The single-crystal result of A4T-16 reveals that a three-dimensional interpenetrating network can be formed due to the compact π–π stacking between the adjacent end-capping groups. A high PCE of 15.2% is achieved based on PBDB-TF:A4T-16, which is the highest value for the cells based on the non-fused NFAs. Notably, the device retains ~84% of its initial PCE after 1300 h under the simulated AM 1.5 G illumination (100 mW cm−2). Overall, this work provides insight into molecule design of the non-fused NFAs from the aspect of molecular geometry control.

Assessment and Management of Mercury-Catalyzed Polyurethane Gym Floors: 10 Lessons from 10 New Jersey School Districts

2021 ◽  
Vol 8 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Richard Lynch ◽  
Elissa Favata ◽  
Michael Gochfeld ◽  
Richard Lynch
Keyword(s):  
New Jersey ◽  
School Districts ◽  
Mercury Vapor ◽  
Mercury Exposure ◽  
Air Monitoring ◽  
Teachers And Students ◽  
Floor Coverings ◽  
K 12 ◽  
Effective Assessment ◽  
Assessment Strategies

Objective: Mercury catalyzed polyurethane (MCPU) floors installed in K-12 gymnasiums may release mercury vapor presenting possible mercury exposure to teachers and students. Varied approaches to sampling, air monitoring, ventilation, evacuation of gyms and/or removal of the floor coverings have occurred. As many gyms are being converted to classrooms during the COVID-19 pandemic, effective assessment and management of these floors is essential. Methods: Mercury assessment strategies for 10 New Jersey schools with MCPU floors were reviewed to assist school districts with decisions for management in-place or removal. Results: Bulk mercury levels do not predict airborne mercury levels. Mercury generation rates ranged between 0.02 to 0.17 μg/ft2/ hour. Hazards encountered during removal are substantial. Conclusions: Decisions to manage or remove mercury catalyzed rubber-like gym floor should be based upon a rigorous multi-factor assessment. Mercury exposures often can be managed via HVAC, added ventilation, temperature, and maintenance controls. A statewide registry of MCPU floors should be considered. Removal of MCPU floors should be professionally monitored to protect teachers, staff, and students.

scholarly journals Beyond the Museum Walls: Developing Inexpensive Discovery Trunks for k-12

2018 ◽  
Vol 2 ◽  
pp. e25925
Author(s):  
Julia Robinson
Keyword(s):  
Low Cost ◽  
Inquiry Learning ◽  
Thinking Skills ◽  
Critical Thinking Skills ◽  
Student Centered ◽  
Analytical Skills ◽  
New Knowledge ◽  
State Educational ◽  
Problem Solvers ◽  
K 12

Discovery Trunks - specimen-based educational kits - use museum collections and standardized curricula to catalyze critical thinking skills through inquiry learning. Inquiry learning facilitates the development of new knowledge by examining a novel situation in light of past experience - a crucial skill for a child in today’s unpredictable world. Inquiry learning empowers students by making them stronger and more confident in their discovery and synthesis of information. Discovery Trunks enhance learning opportunities for students, promote the parent institutions, and develop new audiences by taking the institutional mission beyond classroom walls. Such Trunks contain authentic, real world objects and inquiry lessons that align with state educational standards. Discovery Trunks encourage contemplative analytical skills, thoughtful communication, thorough exploration of a topic, and cultivate a citizenry of open-minded problem solvers. Through inquiry-based learning, we see key components of this personal investigation exemplified through student-centered, student-driven activities that connect new knowledge and prior knowledge. This presentation will deconstruct these multidisciplinary kits and their contents to guide museum professionals to explore effective, high value, low cost materials and methods to produce and advertise educational kits to the community. Offered as an essential outreach component, these educational kits cultivate tomorrow’s thinkers, movers, and laborers in an ever-changing society.

scholarly journals Bionomy of Mosquitoes in Bamboo Internodes in an Atlantic Forest Remnant of the State of Rio De Janeiro, Brazil

2021 ◽  
Vol 37 (4) ◽  
pp. 208-215
Author(s):  
Amanda Queiroz Bastos ◽  
Paulo José Leite ◽  
Cecilia Ferreira de Mello ◽  
Daniele Aguiar Maia ◽  
Sergio Lisboa Machado ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Atlantic Forest ◽  
Rio De Janeiro ◽  
Adult Stage ◽  
Mosquito Species ◽  
Common Species ◽  
Complex Environments ◽  
Ecological Studies ◽  
Immature Development ◽  
Forest Remnant ◽  
Mosquito Oviposition

ABSTRACT Living bamboo stalks are one of the most specialized habitats for mosquito oviposition and immature development. Most of the mosquito species that breed in these habitats are sylvatic, and some are of importance for public health as possible vectors of pathogens. Perforated internodes are a very specialized environment due to the difficulty of access. Furthermore, due to their relatively simple fauna, they represent a valuable model for ecological studies that may be applicable to more complex environments. This study aims to assess the mosquito bionomics of species raised in bamboo internodes. Therefore, the diversity of mosquito species and the influence of abiotic variables (pH and temperature) on the distribution of mosquitoes that breed in this habitat were analyzed. The study area is a fragment of Atlantic Forest within the Association of da Armada (ATA) in Nova Iguaçu, state of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Immature mosquitoes were sampled with suction tubes (mouth aspirators) between August 2017 and July 2018. A total of 3,170 larvae were collected in 5 bamboo plants, each with 8 stalks perforated. Of these, 688 larvae reached the adult stage, representing 10 genera and 19 species. The most common species were Culex neglectus (43%), Trichoprosopon digitatum (22%), Culex iridescens (8%), Sabethes identicus (7%), and Orthopodomyia albicosta (7%). The richness of the immatures collected in the ATA was 19 species, with a diversity of 1.10 and Shannon evenness of 0.57. A diverse composition of Culicidae in bamboo stalks was found, although dominance was low.

Use of a sonification system for science learning by people who are blind

2016 ◽  
Vol 10 (4) ◽  
pp. 187-198 ◽  
Author(s):  
Orly Lahav ◽  
Nuha Chagab ◽  
Vadim Talis
Keyword(s):  
Complex Systems ◽  
Conceptual Knowledge ◽  
Science Curriculum ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Agent Based Modeling ◽  
Learning System ◽  
Learning Ability ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Agent Based ◽  
K 12

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine a central need of students who are blind: the ability to access science curriculum content. Design/methodology/approach Agent-based modeling is a relatively new computational modeling paradigm that models complex dynamic systems. NetLogo is a widely used agent-based modeling language that enables exploration and construction of models of complex systems by programming and running the rules and behaviors. Sonification of variables and events in an agent-based NetLogo computer model of gas in a container is used to convey phenomena information. This study examined mainly two research topics: the scientific conceptual knowledge and systems reasoning that were learned as a result of interaction with the listen-to-complexity (L2C) environment as appeared in answers to the pre- and post-tests and the learning topics of kinetic molecular theory of gas in chemistry that was learned as a result of interaction with the L2C environment. The case study research focused on A., a woman who is adventitiously blind, for eight sessions. Findings The participant successfully completed all curricular assignments; her scientific conceptual knowledge and systems reasoning became more specific and aligned with scientific knowledge. Practical implications A practical implication of further studies is that they are likely to have an impact on the accessibility of learning materials, especially in science education for students who are blind, as equal access to low-cost learning environments that are equivalent to those used by sighted users would support their inclusion in the K-12 academic curriculum. Originality/value The innovative and low-cost learning system that is used in this research is based on transmittal of visual information of dynamic and complex systems, providing perceptual compensation by harnessing auditory feedback. For the first time the L2C system is based on sound that represents a dynamic rather than a static array. In this study, the authors explore how a combination of several auditory representations may affect cognitive learning ability.

Building Trauma Informed Schools: A Survey of Teachers’ Knowledge, Skills and Needs

2021 ◽  
Vol 22 (1) ◽  
pp. 5-22
Author(s):  
Yvonne Vissing ◽  
Michele Solloway ◽  
Samantha Koury
Keyword(s):  
Public School ◽  
School District ◽  
New England ◽  
Adverse Childhood Experiences ◽  
Formal Training ◽  
Childhood Experiences ◽  
Adverse Childhood ◽  
Teachers And Students ◽  
Trauma Informed ◽  
K 12

Teachers regularly find themselves in situations when they are dealing with students who have experienced adverse childhood experiences (ACES) and trauma. In a survey of public school K-12 teachers in a New England school district, this article analyzes their trauma-related knowledge, skills and needs. While they feel they are doing the best they can, most do not have formal training on how to identify trauma in students or how best to address it. Most indicate that they do not have sufficient background in trauma identification, prevention or treatment and they feel they would benefit from it. Building trauma-informed schools will provide both teachers and students with greater supports and systems for more successfully addressing the traumas they carry.

Knowledge Management, Communities of Practice, and the Role of Technology

2011 ◽  
pp. 573-585 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lee Tan Wee Hin ◽  
Thiam-Seng Koh ◽  
Wei-Loong David Hung
Keyword(s):  
Knowledge Management ◽  
Communities Of Practice ◽  
Situated Cognition ◽  
Research Work ◽  
Learning Processes ◽  
Current Work ◽  
Community Of Learners ◽  
Teachers And Students ◽  
K 12

This chapter reviews the current work in knowledge management (KM) and attempts to draw lessons from research work in situated cognition about the nature of knowledge which can be useful to the field of KM. The role of technologies and the issues of literacy in technology are discussed in the context of communities of practice (CoPs) and the KM framework with some examples described for K-12 settings. Implications are drawn in terms of how teachers and students can be a community of learners-practitioners through technologies which support their work and learning processes.

Surveillance Communities of Practice

2012 ◽  
pp. 170-180
Author(s):  
Peter Goldschmidt
Keyword(s):  
Communities Of Practice ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Information Assurance ◽  
Decision Time ◽  
Management Decision ◽  
Surveillance Systems ◽  
Complex Environments ◽  
Remedial Action ◽  
Work Systems ◽  
Management Decision Making

This discussion focuses primarily on supporting communities of practice tasked with compliance monitoring in complex environments. Here, the decision makers, as members of the surveillance community of practice, may be confronted with rapidly changing information, and the solution or solutions may be required rapidly at a low cost. In these cases, fully automated monitoring or surveillance systems are limited in their utility because of dynamic contexts and temporal and spatial variations. Managing these limitations typically requires human judgement to assess the results of these monitoring systems. Other reasons for requiring human judgement include a need for the surveillance results to be verified and assured with substantiating evidence, and the delegation of control and responsibility when actioning remedial responses to generated alerts and alarms. Surveillance Information Systems performance depends on reducing the decision time for remedial action by verifying alarms and generating actionable indicators, in context. This chapter discusses support and assurance of surveillance monitoring and compliance verification knowledge management of surveillance results. The aim is to support information assurance real time alarm identification and verification, assurance and management decision making by tracking the parameters monitored by the existing information assurance monitoring infrastructure and operating work systems, and using that data/knowledge to create useful and actionable information. The goal is to reduce the (information assurance remedial action) time to decision to enable accurate and rapid operational execution.

Artificial Intelligence in Education

2021 ◽  
pp. 256-277
Author(s):  
Rashmi Khazanchi ◽  
Pankaj Khazanchi
Keyword(s):  
Artificial Intelligence ◽  
Intelligent Tutoring Systems ◽  
Intelligent Tutoring ◽  
Pedagogical Practices ◽  
Student Centered ◽  
Tutoring Systems ◽  
Artificial Intelligence In Education ◽  
K 12 ◽  
Insight Into

Current educational developments in theories and practices advocate a more personalized, student-centered approach to teach 21st-century skills. However, the existing pedagogical practices cannot provide optimal student engagement as they follow a ‘one size fits all' approach. How can we provide high-quality adaptive instructions at a personalized level? Intelligent tutoring systems with embedded artificial intelligence can assist both students and teachers in providing personalized support. This chapter highlights the role of artificial intelligence in the development of intelligent tutoring systems and how these are providing personalized instructions to students with and without disabilities. This chapter gives insight into the challenges and barriers posed by the integration of intelligent tutoring systems in K-12 classrooms.

scholarly journals Envisioning AI for K-12: What Should Every Child Know about AI?

2019 ◽  
Vol 33 ◽  
pp. 9795-9799 ◽  
Author(s):  
David Touretzky ◽  
Christina Gardner-McCune ◽  
Fred Martin ◽  
Deborah Seehorn
Keyword(s):  
Artificial Intelligence ◽  
Science Teachers ◽  
Working Group ◽  
National Standards ◽  
National Guidelines ◽  
Call To Action ◽  
The Public ◽  
Online Resource ◽  
Teachers And Students ◽  
K 12

The ubiquity of AI in society means the time is ripe to consider what educated 21st century digital citizens should know about this subject. In May 2018, the Association for the Advancement of Artificial Intelligence (AAAI) and the Computer Science Teachers Association (CSTA) formed a joint working group to develop national guidelines for teaching AI to K-12 students. Inspired by CSTA's national standards for K-12 computing education, the AI for K-12 guidelines will define what students in each grade band should know about artificial intelligence, machine learning, and robotics. The AI for K-12 working group is also creating an online resource directory where teachers can find AI- related videos, demos, software, and activity descriptions they can incorporate into their lesson plans. This blue sky talk invites the AI research community to reflect on the big ideas in AI that every K-12 student should know, and how we should communicate with the public about advances in AI and their future impact on society. It is a call to action for more AI researchers to become AI educators, creating resources that help teachers and students understand our work.

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