Expanding Outreach via Colorado Master Gardener Clinics

Data supports the success of Colorado Master Gardener sm (MG) of Boulder County outreach beyond the Cooperative Extension office at outlying clinic sites. Initially unique in Colorado, MG plant clinics at area nurseries and garden centers has gained acceptance in other counties of Colorado. Exploration of benefits and investments for programs interested in expanding outreach to the public are discussed to provide a blueprint for clinics start-up. MG clinics are set up to provide answers to questions from the public on Friday through Sundays from April through mid-July. This schedule, coupled with the Monday through Friday MG desk hours, provides seven day per week access to the public during the busiest part of the growing season. Clinics are conveniently located in all county communities at Green Industry locations. Participating businesses consider the clinics a benefit worth investing IN and justification of sites is uniform. Additional single-day clinics have spun off as an addition to fixed clinic schedule. High requirement of staff time, increased sample load and resource investment is offset by the benefits of increased visibility of program in the community leading to increased recruitment of volunteers. Knowledge gained by the public has brought about measurable positive changes in pesticide use and responsible cultural practices. Volunteer retention is favorably affected with increased flexibility of scheduling opportunities and communications. Information on setting up clinic sites, what the sites receive, staff time and services requirements, and refinements as a result of clinic survey will be given.

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Clinic Outreach Impact Survey

HortScience ◽

10.21273/hortsci.39.4.839c ◽

2004 ◽

Vol 39 (4) ◽

pp. 839C-839

Author(s):

Kerrie B. Badertscher* ◽

Carol A. O'Meara

Keyword(s):

Behavioral Change ◽

Status Quo ◽

Comfort Level ◽

Master Gardener ◽

The Public ◽

Boulder County ◽

Green Industry ◽

Data Points ◽

Timely Fashion ◽

Pesticide Usage

Since the 1970's, the Colorado Master Gardenersm (MG) program in Boulder County has had volunteer opportunities external to the extension office site. Collaboration occurs with various green industry locations via “clinics”. Volunteers are on location Friday through Sunday, April through mid-July to answer questions for the public at large. Due to the length of time this program had been in place, the staff time and resources committed to it, and budget cutbacks, need for a study of impact and effectiveness of this program was identified. A three-year study was conducted to determine efficacy, pertinence and should this system remain status quo. In year 1, a sampling of the general public was conducted to determine: behavioral change as a result of receiving information (such as a diagnosis); was the information delivered in a timely fashion; satisfaction level; pesticide usage trends; continuance of this program and other data points. In year 2, active MG's in Boulder County were surveyed about participation at various facilities, information about clientele activity, and success rate with clients. Additionally, their comfort level on ability to assist clients plus their perception of the value of clinics to the community were surveyed. Data on diagnostics was correlated with weekly statistics. In year 3, partnering Green Industry collaborators were surveyed to gauge satisfaction with clinic service, timeliness of clinic schedule, and value of clinic service to business, and overall benefits to their staff resources. Reports on each survey will be delivered.

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Membrane bioreactor for water reclamation in Singapore

Water Practice & Technology ◽

10.2166/wpt.2008.040 ◽

2008 ◽

Vol 3 (2) ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Guihe Tao ◽

Kiran Kekre ◽

Bala Visvanath ◽

Maung Htun Oo ◽

Harry Seah

Keyword(s):

Membrane Bioreactor ◽

Pilot Scale ◽

Water Reclamation ◽

Industrial Water ◽

Technology Evaluation ◽

Chemical Cleaning ◽

The Public ◽

Start Up ◽

Demonstration Plant ◽

Set Up

The Public Utilities Board (PUB) of Singapore embarked on MBR technology evaluation program in 2002. The three systems, i.e. Zenon system, Mitsubishi system and Kubota system, were set up in early 2003 and evaluated. Other MBR systems like Memcor MBR, Toyoplus MBR, Singaport Cleanseas MBR, Huber MBR and Asahi MBR were tested later on or is under testing. These trials have generated valuable information on the design and operation of the MBR systems under tropical environment in pilot scales. PUB decided to extend the pilot scale operations by building a 23,000 m3/d demonstration plant at Ulu Pandan Water Reclamation Plant. This plant was commissioned in December 2006. The product of this plant is supplied to industries as Industrial Water. The plant produces industrial water which is superior to all the requirements. The power consumption is about 0.55 kwh/m3 and no intensive chemical cleaning has been done since the start-up of the plant for about 7 months.

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Retaining volunteers in volunteer computing projects

Philosophical Transactions of The Royal Society A Mathematical Physical and Engineering Sciences ◽

10.1098/rsta.2010.0163 ◽

2010 ◽

Vol 368 (1926) ◽

pp. 4177-4192 ◽

Cited By ~ 13

Author(s):

Peter Darch ◽

Annamaria Carusi

Keyword(s):

Scientific Data ◽

Drop Out ◽

Retention Rates ◽

Volunteer Computing ◽

Spare Capacity ◽

Volunteer Retention ◽

The Public ◽

Software Engineers ◽

Computationally Intensive ◽

Set Up

Volunteer computing projects (VCPs) have been set up by groups of scientists to recruit members of the public who are asked to donate spare capacity on their personal computers to the processing of scientific data or computationally intensive models. VCPs serve two purposes: to acquire significant computing capacity and to educate the public about science. A particular challenge for these scientists is the retention of volunteers as there is a very high drop-out rate. This paper develops recommendations for scientists and software engineers setting up or running VCPs regarding which strategies to pursue in order to improve volunteer retention rates. These recommendations are based on a qualitative study of volunteers in a VCP (climateprediction.net). A typology of volunteers has been developed, and three particularly important classes of volunteers are presented in this paper: for each type of volunteer, the particular benefits they offer to a project are described, and their motivations for continued participation in a VCP are identified and linked to particular strategies. In this way, those setting up a VCP can identify which types of volunteers they should be particularly keen to retain, and can then find recommendations to increase the retention rates of their target volunteers.

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How can we regulate the supply and at the same time improve the quality of candidates legally available to enter the public school service as "novice teachers"? C. How can we set up defensible policies and work out effective programs for the selective admission of entrants to teacher-training institutions

PsycEXTRA Dataset ◽

10.1037/e597312010-256 ◽

1930 ◽

Author(s):

Alonzo F. Myers

Keyword(s):

Public School ◽

Teacher Training ◽

Novice Teachers ◽

The Public ◽

Training Institutions ◽

Set Up ◽

Effective Programs

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Water Pollution and Its Impact on Environment of Society

International Research Journal of Management IT and Social Sciences ◽

10.21744/irjmis.v3i5.10 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 3 (5) ◽

Author(s):

N. Thyagaraju

Keyword(s):

Water Pollution ◽

Pollution Prevention ◽

Human Beings ◽

Individual Level ◽

The Public ◽

The Government ◽

Living Organisms ◽

Set Up ◽

Biological Entities ◽

Micro Organisms

The present seminar paper mainly highlight the concept of water pollution, causes of water pollution, Its Effects, Elements of pollutants, Methods used to prevent the water pollution in environment and the mandatory initiatives taken by the concerned authorities for prevention of water pollution. Water is essential for survival of all living organisms on the earth. Thus for human beings and plants to survive on land, water should be easily accessible. The term “Pollution” is generally refers to addition of any foreign body either living or non – living or deletion of anything that naturally exists. The basic Sources of Water pollution causes due to Culmination into lakes, rivers, ponds, seas, oceans etc. Domestic drainage and sanitary waste, Industrial drainage and sewage, Industrial waste from factories, Dumping of domestic garbage, Immersion of Idols made of plaster of Paris, Excess use of Insecticides , pesticides, fungicides, Chemical fertilizers, Soil erosion during heavy rains and floods, Natural disasters, tsunami etc. General pollutants which are also caused for water pollution which include Organic, Inorganic, and Biological entities, Insecticides, Pesticides, Disinfectants ,Detergents, Industrial solvents, Acids, Ammonia fertilizers, heavy metals, Harmful bacteria, Virus, Micro –Organisms and worms, Toxic chemicals. Agricultural lands become infertile and thereby production also drops, Spread of epidemic diseases like Cholera, Dysentery, Typhoid, Diarrhea, Hepatitis, Jaundice etc. The basic responsibility of the Government, NGOs, National Pioneer scientific Research Institutions may conduct research oriented programs on control of water pollution by create awareness among the public through mass media and Environmental Education on recycling units, and water treatment plants must be established both at domestic levels and Industry levels, Every citizen must feel responsible to control water pollution. There have been many water pollution prevention acts that have been set up by the governments of the world. But these are not enough for permanent water pollution solutions. Each of us needs to take up the responsibility and do something at an everyday at individual level. Otherwise we can’t survive in a society forever in a future.

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Astronomy to understand a human environment

International Astronomical Union Colloquium ◽

10.1017/s0252921100115118 ◽

1998 ◽

Vol 162 ◽

pp. 211-213

Author(s):

S. Isobe

Keyword(s):

School System ◽

Environmental Science ◽

The Other ◽

Human Environment ◽

Science Courses ◽

The Public ◽

Global Environmental Problems ◽

Global Environmental ◽

Set Up ◽

School Period

Astronomy is an important science in understanding a human environment. However, it is thought by most politicians, economists, and members of the public that astronomy is a pure science having no contribution to daily human activities except a few matters relating to time. The Japanese government is studying a reorganisation of our school system to have 5 school days per week, instead of 6 days per week, and this July its committee made a recommendation to reduce school hours for science and set up new courses for practical computers and environmental science. I currently made a proposal. It is very difficult for most of the school pupils, who will have non-scientific jobs, to understand science courses currently taught in school, because each science is taught independently from the other sciences. Therefore, their knowledge of sciences obtained during their school period does not greatly help their understanding of global environmental problems.

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Showcasing Science

10.5117/9789462982246 ◽

2019 ◽

Author(s):

Martin Weiss

Keyword(s):

Nineteenth Century ◽

Art Museum ◽

Scientific Instrument ◽

The Public ◽

Public Role ◽

Electrostatic Generator ◽

History Of ◽

World Class ◽

Hendrik Antoon Lorentz ◽

Set Up

Teylers Museum was founded in 1784 and soon thereafter became one of the most important centres of Dutch science. The Museum’s first director, Martinus van Marum, famously had the world’s largest electrostatic generator built and set up in Haarlem. This subsequently became the most prominent item in the Museum’s world-class, publicly accessible, and constantly growing collections. These comprised scientific instruments, mineralogical and palaeontological specimens, prints, drawings, paintings, and coins. Van Marum’s successors continued to uphold the institution’s prestige and use the collections for research purposes, while it was increasingly perceived as an art museum by the public. In the early twentieth century, the Nobel Prize laureate Hendrik Antoon Lorentz was appointed head of the scientific instrument collection and conducted experiments on the Museum’s premises. Showcasing Science: A History of Teylers Museum in the Nineteenth Century charts the history of Teylers Museum from its inception until Lorentz’ tenure. From the vantage point of the Museum’s scientific instrument collection, this book gives an analysis of the changing public role of Teylers Museum over the course of the nineteenth century.

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La réforme régionale italienne : Un bilan à l'occasion des élections régionales des 8 et 9 juin 1980

Res Publica ◽

10.21825/rp.v22i4.19362 ◽

1980 ◽

Vol 22 (4) ◽

pp. 547-562

Author(s):

Catherine Guillermet ◽

Johan Ryngaert

Keyword(s):

Political Parties ◽

Communist Party ◽

Central Government ◽

The Political ◽

Geographical Differences ◽

The Public ◽

Political Bargaining ◽

Italian Regions ◽

Set Up ◽

Political Differences

Ten years after they were set up, the Italian regions have fallen into general discredit. They are discredited by the central government who regards them as a source of support for the opposing Communist Party and has sought to undermine this reform by depriving the regions of all true autonomy. The regions are discredited by the public opinion by not fulfilling the expectations placed in them. Such an assessment does not stand up to a close examination of regional practices : some geographical differences rapidly become obvious, but especially evident are the political differences. In fact, the regions are the product of an apparent agreement between the political parties and have always suffered from political bargaining which explains the national scale of the issues raised at the last elections. Strengthened by the favorable results obtained in certain regions, the Communist Party was quick to turn this statement of the electoral opinion into a « referendum » about the newly formed Cossiga government.

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Research from China finds no significant difference in impact of public service motivation (PSM) in public and private sectors

Human Resource Management International Digest ◽

10.1108/hrmid-08-2021-0169 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽

Keyword(s):

Public Sector ◽

Private Sector ◽

Employee Performance ◽

Intention To Leave ◽

Public And Private ◽

Content Type ◽

The Public ◽

Significant Difference ◽

Set Up ◽

The Impact

Purpose The authors assumed PSM would be higher in the public sector, but they set up a trial to find out if this was the case. Design/methodology/approach To test their theories, the authors conducted two independent surveys. The first consisted of 220 usable responses from public sector employees in Changsha, China. The second survey involved 260 usable responses from private sector employees taking an MBA course at a university in the Changsha district. A questionnaire was used to assess attitudes. Findings The results found no significant difference between the impact of public sector motivation (PSM) on employee performance across the public and private sectors. The data showed that PSM had a significant impact on self-reported employee performance, but the relationship did not differ much between sectors. Meanwhile, it was in the private sector that PSM had the greatest impact on intention to leave. Originality/value The authors said the research project was one of the first to test if the concept of PSM operated in the same way across sectors. It also contributed, they said, to the ongoing debate about PSM in China.

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How prediction statistics can help us cope when we are shaken, scared and irrational

10.5194/egusphere-egu21-15219 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Yavor Kamer ◽

Shyam Nandan ◽

Stefan Hiemer ◽

Guy Ouillon ◽

Didier Sornette

Keyword(s):

Earthquake Prediction ◽

Information Technologies ◽

Predictive Performance ◽

Earthquake Forecasting ◽

Skill Assessment ◽

Surveillance Network ◽

The Public ◽

Predictive Skill ◽

Earthquake Predictability ◽

Set Up

Nature is scary. You can be sitting at your home and next thing you know you are trapped under the ruble of your own house or sucked into a sinkhole. For millions of years we have been the figurines of this precarious scene and we have found our own ways of dealing with the anxiety. It is natural that we create and consume prophecies, conspiracies and false predictions. Information technologies amplify not only our rational but also irrational deeds. Social media algorithms, tuned to maximize attention, make sure that misinformation spreads much faster than its counterpart.What can we do to minimize the adverse effects of misinformation, especially in the case of earthquakes? One option could be to designate one authoritative institute, set up a big surveillance network and cancel or ban every source of misinformation before it spreads. This might have worked a few centuries ago but not in this day and age. Instead we propose a more inclusive option: embrace all voices and channel them into an actual, prospective earthquake prediction platform (Kamer et al. 2020). The platform is powered by a global state-of-the-art statistical earthquake forecasting model that provides near real-time earthquake occurrence probabilities anywhere on the globe (Nandan et al. 2020). Using this model as a benchmark in statistical metrics specifically tailored to the prediction problem, we are able to distill all these voices and quantify the essence of predictive skill. This approach has several advantages. Rather than trying to silence or denounce, we listen and evaluate each claim and report the predictive skill of the source. We engage the public and allow them to take part in a scientific experiment that will increase their risk awareness. We effectively demonstrate that anybody with an internet connected device can make an earthquake prediction, but that it is not so trivial to achieve skillful predictive performance.Here we shall present initial results from our global earthquake prediction experiment that we have been conducting on www.richterx.com for the past two years, yielding more than 10,000 predictions. These results will hopefully demystify the act of predicting an earthquake in the eyes of the public, and next time someone forwards a prediction message it would arouse more scrutiny than panic or distaste. Nandan, S., Kamer, Y., Ouillon, G., Hiemer, S., Sornette, D. (2020). Global models for short-term earthquake forecasting and predictive skill assessment. European Physical Journal ST. doi: 10.1140/epjst/e2020-000259-3 Kamer, Y., Nandan, S., Ouillon, G., Hiemer, S., Sornette, D. (2020). Democratizing earthquake predictability research: introducing the RichterX platform. European Physical Journal ST. doi: 10.1140/epjst/e2020-000260-2&#160;

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