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A case study of foundation damping in a piled offshore wind jacket structure
No full textThis paper presents an assessment of foundation damping in piled offshore wind jacket structures through a case study of the Block Island Wind Farm (BIWF). Foundation damping is one of several sources of energy dissipation which can improve fatigue performance in offshore wind structures. Damping was quantified through operational model analysis (i.e. system identification) using structural health monitoring data combined with foundation damping modeling. The results showed that for the 1st bending mode the hysteretic damping ratio of the pile under axial cyclic loading was estimated to range from 0.2% to 1.5%. This range was comparable in magnitude to the foundation damping ratios documented for operational offshore wind monopiles under lateral loading
Precision Enhancement in Sustained Visual Attention Training Platforms: Offline EEG Signal Analysis for Classifier Fine-Tuning
No full textIn this study, a novel open-source brain-computer interface (BCI) platform was developed to decode scalp electroencephalography (EEG) signals associated with sustained attention. The EEG signal collection was conducted using a wireless headset during a sustained visual attention task, where participants were instructed to discriminate between composite images superimposed with scenes and faces, responding only to the relevant subcategory while ignoring the irrelevant ones. Seven volunteers participated in this experiment. The data collected were subjected to analyses through event-related potential (ERP), Hilbert Transform, and Wavelet Transform to extract temporal and spectral features. For each participant, utilizing its extracted features, personalized Support Vector Machine (SVM) and Random Forest (RF) models with tuned hyperparameters were developed. The models aimed to decode the participant\u27s attentional state towards the face and scene stimuli. The SVM models achieved a higher average accuracy of 80% and an Area Under the Curve (AUC) of 0.86, while the RF models showed an average accuracy of 78% and AUC of 0.8. This work suggests potential applications for the evaluation of visual attention and the development of closed-loop brainwave regulation systems in the future
Differential scanning fluorimetry to assess PFAS binding to bovine serum albumin protein
No full textThe rapid screening of protein binding affinity for poly- and perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) benefits risk assessment and fate and transport modelling. PFAS are known to bioaccumulate in livestock through contaminated food and water. One excretion pathway is through milk, which may be facilitated by binding to milk proteins such as bovine serum albumin (BSA). We report a label-free differential scanning fluorimetry approach to determine PFAS–BSA binding over a broad temperature range. This method utilizes the tryptophan residue within the protein binding pocket as an intrinsic fluorophore, eliminating the need for fluorophore labels that may influence binding. BSA association constants were determined by (a) an equilibrium-based model at the melting temperature of BSA and (b) the Hill adsorption model to account for temperature dependent binding and binding cooperativity. Differences in binding between PFAS and fatty acid analogs revealed that a combination of size and hydrophobicity drives PFAS binding
“I had not really considered this at all”: Preservice teachers critique media creators using Five Key Questions
Get PDFWe have a responsibility, now more than ever, to develop media literacy skills and to help the younger generation develop them as well. This essay tells the story of how two teacher educators invited their preservice teachers to use the Center for Media Literacy’s (2009) Five Key Questions to critically analyze and reflect on the media and messages they interact with on a regular basis. The authors suggest that classroom activities like this can help future teachers—and, in turn, their young students—develop habits of mind to become more critical consumers of digital media
Teaching There...and Back Again: Building a Practice of Reflective Teaching
Get PDFHow do you move forward to improve your teaching approaches and pedagogical decisions over time? Research has shown that reflective teaching provides instructors with opportunities to examine their classroom teaching, learning objects, and assessment. This reflection can inspire strategic new approaches, guide changes that improve student learning, and promote a holistic evaluation of instructional practice. For academic library instructors, dedicating time to reflective work can be challenging, but participating in this work as part of an iterative practice, either independently or within a community, can improve accountability, strengthen departmental collaboration, and foster exciting new ideas.
In this session, a team of librarians will discuss how they implemented a collective reflective teaching practice to improve student outcomes, share ideas across class sections, and make iterative improvements to a semester-length credit-bearing information literacy course. We will profile our community of practice, sharing the documentation that structures our regular reflective teaching entries and discuss how we’ve leveraged this practice to make meaningful changes to our pedagogy and teaching materials. Our reflective teaching tool was adapted from a prior reflective practice focused on one-shot and embedded librarianship, so though our presentation profiles reflective teaching in a credit-bearing course, our approach and documentation are applicable to a diverse array of instructional contexts.
As part of this session, participants will engage with the presenters and with one another as they consider how to leverage reflective teaching practices to build community and conversation around pedagogy at their own institutions. We will share a template version of our reflective teaching form that participants can tailor to their own instructional needs and priorities
Passive Sampler Derived Profiles and Mass Flows of Perfluorinated Alkyl Substances (PFASs) across the Fram Strait in the North Atlantic
Get PDFPer- and polyfluorinated alkyl substances (PFAS) are a family of pollutants of high concern due to their ubiquity and negative human health impacts. The long-range marine transport of PFAS was observed during year-long deployments of passive tube samplers in the Fram Strait across three depth transects. Time weighted average concentrations ranged from 2.4 to 360 pg L–1, and 10 different PFAS were regularly observed. PFAS profiles and concentrations were generally similar to those previously characterized for polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) at these sites. The detection of several anionic PFAS in “old” water demonstrated that they are not perfect water mass tracers but are also transported to depth via settling particles. Mass flows of PFAS through the Fram Strait in and out of the Arctic Ocean were basically similar (112 ± 82 Mg year–1 northward flow, 100 ± 54 Mg year–1 southward flow). For perfluorooctane sulfonamide (FOSA), export from the Arctic Ocean via the Fram Strait exceeded import by Atlantic Water, likely due to preferential transport and deposition in the Arctic Ocean. These observations suggest that PFAS in the Arctic are governed by the feedback loop previously described for polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in the region─with additional atmospheric transport delivering volatile PFAS to the Arctic, which then get exported via Arctic water masses
Effect of sampling bias on global estimates of ocean carbon export
Get PDFShipboard sampling of ocean biogeochemical properties is necessarily limited by logistical and practical constraints. As a result, the majority of observations are obtained for the spring/summer period and in regions relatively accessible from a major port. This limitation may bias the conceptual understanding we have of the spatial and seasonal variability in important components of the Earth system. Here we examine the influence of sampling bias on global estimates of carbon export flux by sub-sampling a biogeochemical model to simulate real, realistic and random sampling. We find that both the sparseness and the \u27clumpy\u27 character of shipboard flux observations generate errors in estimates of globally extrapolated export flux of up to ∼ ± 20%. The use of autonomous technologies, such as the Biogeochemical-Argo network, will reduce the uncertainty in global flux estimates to ∼ ± 3% by both increasing the sample size and reducing clumpiness in the spatial distribution of observations. Nevertheless, determining the climate change-driven trend in global export flux may be hampered due to the uncertainty introduced by interannual variability in sampling patterns
Towards a Sustainable Planet: Review of ‘Global Environmental Politics’ by Kütting and Herman (2018)
Get PDFGlobal Environmental Politics by Kütting and Herman (2018) explores our planet\u27s complex challenges, urging collective action for sustainability. Across 13 chapters, the book explores sustainable consumption, the role of technology, and the impact of evolving economies on global politics. This comprehensive guide emphasizes the interconnectedness of environmental, social, and economic factors, offering insights for stakeholders to navigate toward a healthier future