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In my secret life: Reflections on media life, learning, and research
Get PDFThis paper describes a year-long ethnographic, phenomenologically hermeneutically oriented project of research and practical education that focused on a) the media experiences of adolescents aged 15-17, and b) nurturing adolescents’ ability to reflect upon their lived media experiences. Autoethnography is used to illustrate a day in the life of a teacher and researcher who takes a holistic approach to media learning and to explore how self-reflection can enrich both students’ lives and learning and professional research, in a mediatized world. The author reflects on his own media experiences and exposes an inner dialogue about the role media plays in his life. He questions things that are taken for granted, and reveals his approach to the use of self-reflection in research and educational practice. This article explores self-reflection as a long-term, comprehensive, sensitive, age-adapted approach to media education
Health care professionals\u27 experiences of possibilities and constraints in caring for older adults living with long-term pain in community home care
Get PDFCaring for a growing population of older adults with complex health problems in their homes is part of every-day work for many health care professionals in the world. This qualitative interview study explores the way health care professionals perceive possibilities and constraints when caring for older adults living with long-term pain in community home care in Sweden. The study aims to understand the relationship between health care professionals\u27 subjective experiences and social structures such as the organization of care and shared norms and values in regard to their perceived space of action. Findings provide insight into how institutional structures such as organization and time, conflate with cultural notions, norms, and ideals, and how these enable and constrain health care professionals in their daily work but also create dilemmas. Findings suggest centering the meaning of structuring aspects in social organizations as a tool for reflection on priorities, improvement, and development in care settings
Birnessite films are sensitive indicators of microbial manganese reduction in soil
No full textManganese (Mn) and Fe indicator of reduction in soils (IRIS) devices are low-cost, convenient tools for identifying reducing conditions in soils. Because Mn is reduced at similar redox potentials as nitrate, there is considerable interest in using Mn IRIS tools for understanding microbial reduction of Mn as a surrogate for processes such as denitrification. However, the sensitivity of these devices to differences in Mn-reducing capacity has not been empirically investigated. Here we have found that the rate of birnessite paint removal from Mn IRIS films exposed to a twofold dilution series of the Mn-reducing bacterium Shewanella oneidensis is directly proportional to the number of S. oneidensis cells added. Thus, regularly monitored birnessite IRIS sensors are capable of indicating twofold differences in Mn reduction in soil and can be used to measure relative Mn reduction rates over time in a single location or compare and contrast Mn reduction rates across soil types
Influence of relict milldams on riparian sediment biogeochemistry
No full textPurpose: Riparian zones are important modifiers of nutrient flux between terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems. However, dams alter riparian zones—trapping fine-grained, organic matter-rich sediment and creating poorly mixed, low oxygen conditions—thereby affecting sediment biogeochemistry in poorly understood ways. Methods: We characterized the impact of two relict US mid-Atlantic milldams (one from a primarily agricultural watershed and one from a mixed land use/urban watershed) on spatial patterns of bioavailable element concentrations (Mehlich-3 extractable P, K, Ca, Mg, Mn, Zn, Cu, Fe, B, S, and Na) in sediments upstream and downstream of milldams, with depth, and along transects running parallel and perpendicular to the stream. Results: Element concentrations were not clearly correlated with grain size or organic matter content and, although generally higher, were not significantly more concentrated in upstream riparian sediments when similar (shallow, variably saturated) depths were compared. Pronounced differences were observed: upstream of milldams, sediment concentrations of Ca and Mg were highest in variably saturated shallow sediments, while Fe and Mn were highest in deeper, continuously saturated, low-oxygen sediments. Additionally, data was significantly different by milldam site, a result of differences in land-use histories (e.g., road salt and fertilizer application/runoff) and dominant bedrock geology. Conclusion: Overall, results highlight the combined importance of milldams (and associated influences on groundwater hydrology and sediment redox conditions) and external drivers (other land-use legacies and bedrock geology) in influencing spatial patterns of bioavailable elements in riparian sediments
Salinity Effects on Growth and Nutritional Content of Newly Isolated Microalgal with Potential Use in The Shrimp-Hatcheries
Get PDFA two-week batch experiment was conducted on three newly isolated Indonesian microalgal strains (Kb1-2 identified as Chaetoceros sp., Kb1-3 and Kb1-5) and Tisochrysis lutea to determine salinity effects upon the growth, proximate composition and ω-3, eicosapentaenoic acidand docosahexaenoic acid, (EPA and DHA) and ω-6 (arachidonic acid /ARA) fatty acids. Salinity within each strain growth of all microalgae tested. The highest cell densities were observed in Indonesian strains, Kb1-3 on day 8 at 25 psu and Kb1-5 on day 10 at 35 psu. Salinity significantly affected the lipid, protein and carbohydrate content in all microalgae cultured. The highest total lipid content was found in T. lutea cultured at 30 psu (28.3 %) followed by Kb1-2 cultured at 20 psu (25.0 %) and T. lutea at 35 psu (24.8 %). Kb1-3 produced highest protein when cultured at 20 and 25 psu, decreasing at higher salinities of 30 and 35 psu, 44.7 and 39.2 % to 31.5 and 32.6 %, respectively, similar to T. lutea. Kb1-5 had higher protein at both 25 and 35 psu but showed lower protein levels at 20 and 30 psu. Indonesian strains showed almost a similar content of carbohydrate across culture salinities similar to T. lutea. Although all Indonesian microalgae contained important ω-3 (EPA and DHA) and ω-6 (ARA) fatty acids, concentrations were low in comparison to T. lutea. All Indonesian microalgal strains also contained the dicarboxylic acid (DCA), phthalic acid, which was not present in T. lutea
Color Forecasting
Get PDFColor forecasting is the practice of foreseeing what colors consumers will gravitate towards in the future. Companies that currently do trend forecasting are Pantone, PPG, WGSN, and Color Marketing Group. The present-day strategy for color forecasting is a two-day debate among well-experienced colorists. The experienced colorists forecast by looking at entertainment, travel, technology, sports, fashion, and the zeitgeist
Challenges in the Beauty Industry: Disability Inclusive Design
Get PDFThe beauty industry has long struggled with disability inclusion, despite the fact that a significant portion of the population faces various mobility and accessibility challenges. Inclusive design in the beauty industry can have lasting positive effects, such as improving self-esteem and body satisfaction for those with disabilities and increasing the availability of products for people with disabilities and the aging population. In addition, it can also increase profits and expand the consumer market by appealing to a wider range of people
Increasing voluntary enrollment in time-of-use electricity rates: Findings from a survey experiment
Get PDFRelative to flat rate pricing, time-of-use (TOU) electricity rates improve alignment of household incentives to reduce electricity consumption during times when the wholesale cost of electricity is expensive. This research seeks to understand factors of the TOU plan that impact voluntary enrollment with the purpose of identifying levers that are at the disposal of a utility to increase voluntary enrollment. We conducted an survey experiment of people living in the United States. The survey randomized the peak to off-peak price ratios, the peak hours, and the number of TOU plans being offered. Our results indicate several policy-relevant findings. On average, when only one TOU plan is offered, the peak to off-peak price ratio has no impact on enrollment decisions. Respondents who are offered more than one TOU plan are 14.2 percentage points more likely to enroll than respondents only offered one TOU plan, which suggests that the ability to compare TOU plans is an important mechanism. Further, when multiple plans are presented, the average respondent is price responsive, preferring TOU plans with a large peak to off-peak price ratio (larger price spread). Lastly, people prefer shorter on-peak period lengths when either one or multiple plans are offered
Modeling of historical and current distributions of lone star tick, Amblyomma americanum (Acari: Ixodidae), is consistent with ancestral range recovery
No full textThe lone star tick, Amblyomma americanum L., is a three-host hard tick notorious for aggressive feeding behavior. In the early to mid-20th century, this species’ range was mostly limited to the southern USA. Since the 1950s, A. americanum has been detected in many new localities in the western, northcentral, and northeastern regions of the country. To examine the influence of climate on this apparent expansion, we used historical (1748–1950) lone star locations from the literature and museum records to model areas suitable for this species based on past environmental conditions in the late 1800s – early 1900s. We then projected this model forward using present (2011–2020) climatic conditions and compared the two for evidence of climate-associated distributional shifts. A maximum entropy distribution or Maxent model was generated by using a priori selected climatic variables including temperature, precipitation, and vapor pressure deficit. Temperature and vapor pressure deficit were selected as the most important factors in creating a sensitive and specific model (success rate = 82.6 ± 6.1%) that had a good fit to the existing data and was significantly better than a random model [partial ROC (receiver operating characteristic) to AUC (area under the ROC curve) ratio = 1.97 ± 0.07, P \u3c 0.001]. The present projected model was tested with an independent dataset of curated museum records (1952–2020) and found to be 95.6% accurate. Comparison of past and present models revealed \u3e 98% A. americanum niche overlap. The model suggests that some areas along the western fringe are becoming less suitable for A. americanum, whereas areas in some Great Lakes and coastal northeastern regions are becoming more suitable, results that are compatible with possible effects of climate change. However, these changes are minor, and overall climate in North America does not appear to have changed in ways significant to A. americanum’s distribution. These findings are consistent with an alternative hypothesis that recent changes in A. americanum’s distribution are a result of this species re-occupying its historical range, driven predominantly by factors other than climate, such as shifts in land use and population densities of major hosts
PARTISANSHIP, TRUMP FAVORABILITY, AND CHANGES IN SUPPORT FOR TRADE
Get PDFWhy has the relationship between partisan identification and Americans’ trade attitudes shifted in recent years? We suggest that recent shifts in trade attitudes among partisans are driven by Donald Trump, who staked out a position on trade that is at odds with the position on trade traditionally held by Republicans. Using panel data from the Voter Study Group (VSG) surveys from 2011, 2016, and 2017, we conduct cross-sectional analyses showing that the relationship between partisanship and trade attitudes has shifted dramatically from 2011 to 2016/2017; in 2011, Republicans were significantly more supportive of expanded trade, but by 2016/2017 the relationship had reversed, with Democrats significantly more supportive of trade. We link changes over time in trade attitudes with how Americans evaluate Trump: individuals with favorable attitudes toward Donald Trump are significantly more likely to shift their attitudes in an anti-trade direction from 2011-2016. Because so many more Republicans have favorable attitudes toward Trump, the aggregate effect of Trump favorability is to shift Republicans as a group to be less favorable toward trade than Democrats. We suggest that Donald Trump has had a transformative effect on Americans’ trade attitudes, with previous supporters (opponents) of expanded trade now expressing opposing (supporting) attitudes