Search

The issue of poor student behaviour within higher education institutions (HEIs) has been well documented in recent years. Although the number of reported cases constitutes a very small percentage of the overall student population in the UK, the impact of student misconduct on the rest of the student body and staff in HEIs can be substantial. For the student, their behaviour can impact on their studies as well as on their accommodation, particularly where breaches to a Halls of Residence licence are concerned. Students on professional courses could jeopardise their future careers where their conduct raises fitness to practise issues. Whilst serious incidents will be unpleasant and distressing for those involved, it is often the lower-level disruptive behaviour (e.g. talking in class, arriving late, being rude to students and staff, not being cooperative in lectures/seminars) that impacts on students and staff, particularly in relation to their respective learning experiences. If such low-level disruptive behaviour is not corrected then it can often escalate into more serious forms of misconduct which can impact on student retention and indeed the reputation of a HEI at both local and national levels. This article looks at the underlying causes of student misconduct and identifies a number of strategies to deal with it in order to prevent escalation to a more formal stage. There is very little research on this subject for the higher education sector in the UK, and studies in the USA tend to focus on academic incivility in the classroom. Therefore, the article draws on the authors' own experiences in dealing with student misconduct in addition to case studies in the higher education sector.

The recent wildfires in the western United States during 2018 and 2020 caused record‐breaking fire damage and casualties. Despite remarkable advances in fire modeling and weather forecasting, it remains challenging to anticipate catastrophic wildfire events and associated damage. One key missing component is a fire weather prediction system with sufficiently long lead time capable of providing useful regional details. Here, we develop a hybrid prediction model of wildfire danger called CFS with super resolution (CFS‐SR) as a proof of concept to fill that void. The CFS‐SR model is constructed by integrating the Climate Forecast System version 2 with a deep learning (DL) technique from Single Image Super Resolution, a method widely used in enhancing image resolution. We show that for the 2018–2019 fire season, the CFS‐SR model significantly improves accuracy in forecasting fire weather at lead times of up to 7 days with an enhanced spatial resolution up to 4 km. This level of high resolution provides county‐level fire weather forecast, making it more practical for allocating resources to mitigate wildfire danger. Our study demonstrates that a proper combination of ensemble climate predictions with DL techniques can boost predictability at finer spatial scales, increasing the utility of fire weather forecasts for practical applications. Plain Language Summary: Fire weather prediction is significantly improved by a hybrid approach‐ a weather forecast model and machine learning algorithm. We train a deep learning (DL) technique with model simulations to directly produce a fire hazard estimate based solely on predicted weather conditions. The predictability of extreme danger fire conditions is enhanced which can be useful in reducing fire pre‐suppression activities. The applied DL technique also successfully produces a higher spatial resolution (4 km) product for county‐level fire forecasting. This approach shows that DL can be integrated in weather/climate models to produce better quality. Key Points: Combining dynamical model prediction and deep learning (DL) can boost predictability of wildfire risk up to 14 daysDL efficiently reduces the internal bias of dynamical model and enhances feature depiction up to 4 km resolutionPredictions, especially associated with extreme fire weather, are well grounded on the characteristics of wind behavior [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Low-carbon mobility (LCM) features strongly in debates about the sustainability of cities and their resilience in the face of demographic, economic, and climate change. Transport is a major source of carbon emissions and there are indications that these continue to increase, despite the considerable recent advances in vehicle, engine, and fuel technologies. Reducing carbon emissions from transport may become more difficult, not easier. A particular issue relates to the New World cities, typified by those of North America and Australasia, which largely developed from the latter half of the nineteenth century onward and whose transportation systems were largely based around private vehicle ownership and usage. These cities are typically composed of low-density, dispersed suburbs, which are highly car dependent and resource and carbon emission intensive. This article develops a research agenda directed at determining and testing policy and planning measures relevant to the quest for low carbon mobility in New World cities. It suggests a rich agenda for essential research on LCM. Much of this agenda falls within the realm of the integration of transport and land use, with attention to urban design details to enhance the perceptions of and opportunities to use low carbon transport alternatives. Research topics identified for LCM research include (1) urban design and land use–transport integration (LUTI), (2) low carbon mobility policies directed at achieving widespread behavior change, (3) opportunities for new technology and its application, including requirements for systems and infrastructure, and (4) analysis and tools for informed decision making, including modeling, measurement, visualization, and especially assessment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article focuses on an addition to the papers of American art gallery owner Richard Kuhlenschmidt at the Archives of American Art, which include photographs of letters from Las Vegas, Nevada casino signage. The author provides a brief biography of Kuhlenschmidt and discusses the gallery operated by Kuhlenschmidt and Tim Jancar in an apartment in Los Angeles, California, and the gallery he operated with Joan Simon Menkes in West Hollywood, California.

Highlights various initiatives to retrace the geographical details of the 1800s expedition of William Clark and Meriwether Lewis in the U.S. Deployment of geospatial technologies in the efforts; Citations of the web sites providing information about the expedition; Overview on the program of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration on the Lewis and Clark experience.

Examines changes in access, quality of care and clinical outcomes in HIV-infected and HIV-affected infants and children seen in a pediatric infectious disease clinic of an urban hospital in the United States. Onset of epidemic; Implementation of highly active antiretroviral therapy; Mortality rate.

The recent controversy over the use of MTBE within gasoline to boost oxygen content and decrease carbon monoxide emissions to the atmosphere has led to a proposed phase-out of this compound by 2002. This paper is a preliminary investigation into the use of gas chromatography isotope-ratio mass spectrometry (GCIRMS) to determine both carbon and hydrogen isotopic compositions of MTBE as a means of differentiating sources of MTBE. Three pure MTBE samples were purchased from chemical distributors. Little variation of the δ 13 C values were observed although the samples had isotopically distinct δ-D values. Four different methods of obtaining carbon isotope ratios of neat MTBE, MTBE in gasoline, and MTBE in water are described, and the precision and accuracy of each is discussed. The carbon isotopic compositions of MTBE within 10 gasoline samples from three different areas of the United States show a wide range of carbon isotope compositions. This novel method of MTBE analysis could be valuable in forensic investigations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article reviews several web sites related to cerebral palsy, including United Cerebral Palsy at http://www.ucpa.org/, United States Cerebral Palsy Athletic Association (USCPAA) at http://www.uscpaa.org/, and Treatment of Cerebral Palsy at http://www.healthtouch.com/level1/ leaflets/ninds/ninds037.htm.

Discusses the state of the law covering federal health care fraud and its enforcement in the United States. Statutes on false claims, false statements, mail and wire fraud; Statutes to address Medicare and Medicaid fraud such as the anti-kickback prohibition, self-referral/stark amendments, Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996; Safe harbor provisions; Enforcement.

The article informs that the accelerated pace of technological progress, especially since World War I, has placed a premium upon the services of youth in American industry. With the transition from an agricultural to an urban-industrial economy, numerous older persons who otherwise might have been gainfully employed long after the conventional retirement age were committed to the industrial scrap-heap. Due largely to greater productive efficiency in agriculture, moreover, the long-term trend unquestionably has been toward proportionately fewer workers on farms. In this connection, it is significant that agricultural employment in the nation as a whole actually attained its peak nearly forty years ago. A possible alternative to employment may lie in the direction, of an earlier retirement age, say 55 with much greater liberalization of coverage and benefits under the Social Security program than may be contemplated at present. It is encouraging to note that certain leaders in the major political parties are becoming increasingly aware of the widespread social and economic implications of this problem. From the standpoint of medical opinion, however, it appears certain that the premature retirement of a formerly active worker, with almost complete cessation of purposeful activity, is injurious to health and morale.

The article discusses issues regarding the proposed agreements between the U.S. and seven North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) countries on the transfer of U.S. nuclear weapons information and equipment. The agreements are seen to be profoundly disturbing to certain members of Congress. Senator Hubert H. Humphrey has asked for hearings on the proposed agreements and a debate on them in Senate, for which both had taken place. On July 17, 1959, Senator Humphrey voiced his misgivings over the agreements in the speech before the Senate where he also asked several questions. The Federation of American Scientists has also opposed the said agreements with the NATO countries.

The article discusses artist Eileen Cowin's professional and personal papers dating from 1965 to 2004 which which includes her correspondence and negatives, work prints and documentation of her public art projects. Topics include Cowin's contributions to American art photography, and the insights Cowin's papers offers to her evolution as an artist and the Conceptual and experimental photography scene in Southern California.