Never Ask for a Lighter Rain but a Stronger Umbrella

In a recent editorial in the journal Nature Sustainability, the editors raised the concern that journal submissions on water studies appear too similar. The gist of the editorial: “too many publications and not enough ideas.” In this response, we contest this notion, and point to the numerous new ideas that result from taking a broader view of the water science field. Drawing inspiration from a recently hosted conference geared at transcending traditional disciplinary silos and forging new paradigms for water research, we are, in fact, enthusiastic and optimistic about the ways scientists are investigating political, economic, historical, and cultural intersections toward more just and sustainable human-water relations and ways of knowing.

Non-invasive identification of textile fibres using near-infrared fibre optics reflectance spectroscopy and multivariate classification techniques

The identification of textile fibres from cultural property provides information about the object's technology. Today, microscopic examination remains the preferred method, and molecular spectroscopies (e.g. Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) and Raman spectroscopies) can complement it but may present some limitations. To avoid sampling, non-invasive fibre optics reflectance spectroscopy (FORS) in the near-infrared (NIR) range showed promising results for identifying textile fibres; but examining and interpreting numerous spectra with features that are not well defined is highly time-consuming. Multivariate classification techniques may overcome this problem and have already shown promising results for classifying textile fibres for the textile industry but have been seldom used in the heritage science field. In this work, we compare the performance of two classification techniques, principal component analysis–linear discrimination analysis (PCA-LDA) and soft independent modelling of class analogy (SIMCA), to identify cotton, wool, and silk fibres, and their mixtures in historical textiles using FORS in the NIR range (1000–1700 nm). We built our models analysing reference samples of single fibres and their mixtures, and after the model calculation and evaluation, we studied four historical textiles: three Persian carpets from the nineteenth and twentieth centuries and an Italian seventeenth-century tapestry. We cross-checked the results with Raman spectroscopy. The results highlight the advantages and disadvantages of both techniques for the non-invasive identification of the three fibre types in historical textiles and the influence their vicinity can have in the classification.

The Use of Genre Based Approach in Training and Mentoring for Improving Argument Skills in Research Articles Journal Writing for Social and Humanity Authors

Argumentation in writing research articles is very crucial for showing the position of authors in a certain science field, but the social and humanity authors are still lower in skill for argumentation. This research investigated the using and impact of the Genre Based Approach (GBA) in training and mentoring of Research Article writing in improving the skill of argumentation in writing RA. The aim of this study is to describe the activity of learning and teaching by using GBA in training and mentoring of writing RA for social and humanity authors and the impact of this training and mentoring on the skill of argumentation in RAs writing. The material and steps of learning and teaching activity are adapted and modified from Widodo (2006) who stated that the rule of GBA is to prepare, focus, task, evaluate and elaborate. Moreover, Ferris & Hedgcock (2005) also explained that GBA is started from joint construction and independent construction stages when students start to write. The instruments of this research were direct observation and RAs draft analysis. Direct observing is also conducted to record every side of GBA design for teaching writing articles. To find the effect of GBA in training and mentoring to improve argumentative skills, the content analysis to the draft of RAs is conducted. The Result shows that the first the activity of training and mentoring writing RAs by using GBA to improve argumentation skills can be described from prepare, focus, task, evaluate and elaborate. The second finding shows that the participants have competence in writing argumentative for each section of RAS. Thus, it can be concluded that GBA in training and mentoring to write RAs is effective to improve argumentative skills in writing class especially writing RAs class.

Exploring Development Trends of Terrestrial Ecosystem Health—A Case Study from China

Terrestrial ecosystem health (TEH) is the basis of regional sustainability development. The state of TEH is an important research direction in the land science field. The purpose of this paper was to explore the development trends and influencing factors of the. By using the radial basis function (RBF), neural network model, geographic information system (GIS), and the comprehensive index method, this paper predicted the land ecological changes of Henan Province from 2007 to 2025 based on a comprehensive evaluation of the system. The results show that the TEH of Henan Province exhibited a general trend of improvement from 2007 to 2025. The predictions exhibited a tendency to fluctuate and increase, from “severe warning” to “moderate warning” and even to “no warning” state. The early warning index of the subsystem showed a fluctuating upward trend except for the press subsystem, which fluctuated between “extraordinary warning” and “heavy warning” states. The overall TEH level is improving but is largely dependent on effective corresponding measures. The health status of the land ecosystem in Henan Province is guaranteed to be stable due to improvements in rural residential incomes, mechanization levels of cultivated land, domestic sewage treatment rates, and the numbers of scientific and technological personnel per unit of land. The TEH is mainly restricted by the population densities, urbanization levels, inputs of fertilizers and pesticides, and average wastewater load factors of the land. To improve the health level of the land ecosystem, it is necessary to reduce the use of fertilizers and pesticides and to control the urbanization rate. At the same time, improving the level of forest coverage and the effective irrigation rate play a positive role in improving ecosystem health. The results provide a reference for land-use planning and management decisions.

Bridging Legends and Science: Field Evidence of a Large Tsunami that Affected the Kingdom of Tonga in the 15th Century

The pre-colonial history (i.e. before the 16th century) of Tonga and West Polynesia still suffers from major gaps despite significant scientific advances in recent years, particularly in the field of archaeology. By the 14th century, the powerful Tu’i Tonga kingdom united the islands of the Tongan archipelago under a centralised authority and, according to tradition, extended its influence to neighbouring island groups in the Central Pacific. However, some periods of deep crisis were identified, e.g. in the mid- 15th century, marked by an abrupt cessation of inter-archipelago migration on the deep seas in the Pacific, significant cultural changes, and a decrease in accessible natural resources. The origins of these disturbances are still debated, and they are usually assigned to internal political problems or loss of external influence vis-à-vis neighboring chiefdoms. However, the hypothesis of a major natural disaster was rarely suggested up to now, while field evidence points to the occurrence of a very large tsunami in the past, including the presence of numerous megablocks that were deposited by a “red wave” (or peau kula, which also mean tsunami in the Tongan language) according to a local myth. Drawing on a body of new evidence from sedimentary signatures and radiocarbon dating of charcoal and marine bioclasts, geomorphology, and sedimentology, in support of previously published archaeological data, we argue that a large tsunami inundated large areas of Tongatapu island in the mid-15th century with runup heights up to 30 m, and that the Tu’i Tonga kingdom was severely impacted by this event. We also discuss the likely sources of this tsunami.

Time and temporality in library and information science

PurposeThe article introduces selected theoretical approaches to time and temporality relevant to the field of library and information science, and it briefly introduces the papers gathered in this special issue. A number of issues that could potentially be followed in future research are presented.Design/methodology/approachThe authors review a selection of theoretical and empirical approaches to the study of time that originate in or are of particular relevance to library and information science. Four main themes are identified: (1) information as object in temporal perspectives; (2) time and information as tools of power and control; (3) time in society; and (4) experiencing and practicing time.FindingsThe paper advocates a thorough engagement with how time and temporality shape notions of information more broadly. This includes, for example, paying attention to how various dimensions of the late-modern time regime of acceleration feed into the ways in which information is operationalised, how information work is commodified, and how hierarchies of information are established; paying attention to the changing temporal dynamics that networked information systems imply for our understanding of documents or of memory institutions; or how external events such as social and natural crises quickly alter modes, speed, and forms of data production and use, in areas as diverse as information practices, policy, management, representation, and organisation, amongst others.Originality/valueBy foregrounding temporal perspectives in library and information science, the authors advocate dialogue with important perspectives on time that come from other fields. Rather than just including such perspectives in library and information science, however, the authors find that the focus on information and documents that the library and information science field contributes has great potential to advance the understanding of how notions and experiences of time shape late-modern societies and individuals.

Questions from a Contraceptive Pill Junkie: Applying Human Psychometrics to Investigate Gender Bias in Machine Learning

<p>With the rapid uptake of machine learning artificial intelligence in our daily lives, we are beginning to realise the risks involved in implementing this technology in high-stakes decision making. This risk is due to machine learning decisions being based in human-curated datasets, meaning these decisions are not bias-free. Machine learning datasets put women at a disadvantage due to factors including (but not limited to) historical exclusion of women in data collection, research, and design; as well as the low participation of women in artificial intelligence fields. These factors mean that applications of machine learning may fail to treat the needs and experiences of women as equal to those of men. Research into understanding gender biases in machine learning frequently occurs within the computer science field. This has frequently resulted in research where bias is inconsistently defined, and proposed techniques do not engage with relevant literature outside of the artificial intelligence field. This research proposes a novel, interdisciplinary approach to the measurement and validation of gender biases in machine learning. This approach translates methods of human-based gender bias measurement in psychology, forming a gender bias questionnaire for use on a machine rather than a human. The final output system of this research as a proof of concept demonstrates the potential for a new approach to gender bias investigation. This system takes advantage of the qualitative nature of language to provide a new way of understanding gender data biases by outputting both quantitative and qualitative results. These results can then be meaningfully translated into their real-world implications.</p>

Questions from a Contraceptive Pill Junkie: Applying Human Psychometrics to Investigate Gender Bias in Machine Learning

<p>With the rapid uptake of machine learning artificial intelligence in our daily lives, we are beginning to realise the risks involved in implementing this technology in high-stakes decision making. This risk is due to machine learning decisions being based in human-curated datasets, meaning these decisions are not bias-free. Machine learning datasets put women at a disadvantage due to factors including (but not limited to) historical exclusion of women in data collection, research, and design; as well as the low participation of women in artificial intelligence fields. These factors mean that applications of machine learning may fail to treat the needs and experiences of women as equal to those of men. Research into understanding gender biases in machine learning frequently occurs within the computer science field. This has frequently resulted in research where bias is inconsistently defined, and proposed techniques do not engage with relevant literature outside of the artificial intelligence field. This research proposes a novel, interdisciplinary approach to the measurement and validation of gender biases in machine learning. This approach translates methods of human-based gender bias measurement in psychology, forming a gender bias questionnaire for use on a machine rather than a human. The final output system of this research as a proof of concept demonstrates the potential for a new approach to gender bias investigation. This system takes advantage of the qualitative nature of language to provide a new way of understanding gender data biases by outputting both quantitative and qualitative results. These results can then be meaningfully translated into their real-world implications.</p>

Area of Specialization and Teaching Performance of the Secondary Science Teachers in Negros Oriental, Philippines

The K to 12 reform and the new Philippine Professional Standard for Teachers have changed the landscape of teacher quality requirements in the Philippines. It is in this context that this study is deemed necessary to determine the area of specialization and the teaching performance of the public secondary school Science teachers in terms of science content knowledge with this new educational schemeThere were 46 respondents in this study from the Department of Education-Guihulngan City Division, Negros Oriental Philippines. Findings reveal that the science teachers’ area of specialization can be categorized as Bachelor of Secondary Education (BSED) major in General Science, BS in Scientific Field (Nursing, Biology, and Chemical Engineering) and the Non-Science Field (English, TLE, Social Science). It indicates that majority of them lack the needed educational qualification to teach all science disciplines in the K12 curriculum. Furthermore, it shows that the BSED-General Science teachers with outstanding rating perform better than the B.S. in Scientific Field group and the non-science teachers with very good and good performance ratings respectively. It is an indication of lack of science content knowledge among the non-science teachers. Furthermore, the result discloses that the area of specialization is a determining factor in their teaching performance. It revealed that among the three groups of respondents, the general science teachers appear to be the most efficient. They are followed by those in the B.S. in Scientific field, and the non-science teachers came out to be the lowest. Hence, it clearly suggests that the BSED-General Science teachers are the most qualified to teach science since they have the sufficient educational preparations. The B.S.in Scientific Field teachers need to undergo more training and enroll in graduate studies to master all the science areas in the K12 curriculum. While the non-science teachers are discouraged to handle science subjects since they lack the necessary educational preparation to teach science.

The Pioneers of Russian Computer Graphics

Любое современное приложение трудно представить без элементов компьютерной графики, и может сложиться впечатление, что так было всегда, а машинная графика — это легко и просто. Однако это не так. Russian scientists contributed a lot to the creation of the computer graphics discipline, with their research works still influencing the development of this applied science field.