Winter School Research Articles

Impact of the Arizona NExSS Winter School on Astrobiology Knowledge and Attitudes.

Astrobiology is an inherently interdisciplinary area of study, demanding communication across multiple fields: astronomy, geochemistry, planetary science, and so on. Successful communication requires that researchers be aware of the basic findings, open questions, and tools and techniques of allied fields and possess an appreciation and respect for what these fields consider good science. To facilitate this communication between early-career researchers, the Arizona NExSS Winter School was hosted in February 2016, bringing together graduate students and postdoctoral researchers from backgrounds spanning the field of astrobiology. Students virtually attended a scientific Workshop Without Walls and participated in lectures, discussions, field trips, and hands-on activities, culminating in the writing and review of mock proposals by interdisciplinary teams. We assess the impact of the school on interdisciplinarity using a pre- and posttest survey of 24 students, informed by National Science Foundation impact categories (Friedman et al., 2008 ) within the Impact Analysis Method (IAM) described by Davis and Scalice ( 2015 ). We demonstrate that students gained knowledge, especially in fields outside their home discipline. Furthermore, an underlying disciplinary divide between geochemists and planetary scientists on the role of life in planetary evolution is observed and interpreted. These findings demonstrate that the Arizona NExSS Winter School had measurable impact on interdisciplinarity and that the IAM rubric has utility in measuring impact. We make recommendations for further research to understand the interdisciplinary gaps in astrobiology and how best to bridge them. Key Words: Interdisciplinarity-Attitudes-Knowledge-Scientific dialogue-Training. Astrobiology 18, 365-375.

Diversifying methods in educational research: what we learned at Winter School

ABSTRACTAustralasian Association for Engineering Education (AAEE) has been sponsoring a Winter School in Engineering Education Research Methods since 2011. This paper describes how in 2017 attendees at the School applied what they had learned about a little-used data-gathering technique: observation. Starting with a Program Logic analysis, which identifies what an intervention ought to be doing, and hence what kind of evidence needs to be collected to describe its effect, some participants who had attended prior Winter Schools, were given the chance to collect the evidence. They found observation to be much harder to do well than one would think. This paper describes their experience and argues for the use of observational techniques in order to triangulate our data-gathering methods and improve the quality of our educational research. However, we also learned that a great benefit of observation comes from sustained reflection on the process and the data collected. Without such reflection, we argue observation is likely to produce rather thin results.abbriviations: AAEE - Australasian Association of Engineering Education; JEE - Australasian Journal of Engineering Education; WS2017 - 2017 Winter School

Proyectos multipropósito para la gestión de recursos hídricos en los Andes tropicales: planteamientos generales basados en proceso participativo

In view of an increasing magnitude of climate change impacts, adaptation has turned into a political priority at international level. The direction and attribution of adaptation measures imply a complex analysis process of characteristics and impacts of hydro-climatic and socioenvironmental systems in high-mountain regions. In the Tropical Andes, changes in the hydrological regime –and their subsequent impact on glacier shrinkage and socio-economic development in the region– require robust response mechanisms based on integrative analysis of multidimensional realities and landscapes. In this context, Multi-Purpose Projects for Water Resources (MPP-WR) represent promising strategies in order to deal with current and future challenges in high-mountain regions, considering a transdisciplinary-participatory approach. The present article aims to present a participatory pilot initiative in the field of water resources management and MPP-WR in Andean glacier areas. The workshop, called Winter School, emphasized a structured formulation process for MPP-WR, through which the elements that condition the design of sustainable water projects in the Tropical Andes were identified and analysed (e.g., access to scientific data, social conflicts, institutionality, local culture). Furthermore, through the design and formulation of the MPP, the relevance (and challenges) of a coordinated work between different disciplines and actors was demonstrated, in which both professional experience and local practical knowledge were considered. Future related studies and programmes should take into account the context, variables and scenarios for the formulation (and implementation) of MPP-WR, in order to contribute to robust adaptation measures on the long term in basins with multiple pressures over water resources.

On Cell Problems for Nonlinear PDES and Its Application to Homogenization

This proceeding is based on the lecture given by the author at GSIS international winter school 2017 on ``Stochastic homogenization and its applications'' at Tohoku University. The main purpose of this proceeding is to present ideas of the works of [5, 6] on (periodic) homogenization for the Hamilton–Jacobi equation, and give a recent result of [16] on the selection problem for the cell problem as simply as possible.

KAWA lecture notes on complex hyperbolic geometry

These lecture notes are based on a mini-course given at the fifth KAWA Winter School on March 24-29, 2014 at CIRM, Marseille. They provide an introduction to hyperbolicity of complex algebraic varieties namely the geometry of entire curves, and a description of some recent developments.

Ricci curvature in Kähler geometry

These are the notes for lectures given at the Sanya winter school in complex analysis and geometry in January 2016. In Sec. 1, we review the meaning of Ricci curvature of Kähler metrics and introduce the problem of finding Kähler–Einstein metrics. In Sec. 2, we describe the formal picture that leads to the notion of K-stability of Fano manifolds, which is an algebro-geometric criterion for the existence of a Kähler–Einstein metric, by the recent result of Chen–Donaldson–Sun. In Sec. 3, we discuss algebraic structure on Gromov–Hausdorff limits, which is a key ingredient in the proof of the Kähler–Einstein result. In Sec. 4, we give a brief survey of the more recent work on tangent cones of singular Kähler–Einstein metrics arising from Gromov–Hausdorff limits, and the connections with algebraic geometry.

K2 Winter School 2017, K2 Symposium 2017: Designing Future Cities

K2 Winter School 2017, K2 Symposium 2017: Designing Future Cities

Press release about III winter school. The topic 2017: «Photodynamic therapy in oncodermatology, dermatology and cosmetology»

Press release about III winter school. The topic 2017: «Photodynamic therapy in oncodermatology, dermatology and cosmetology»

Winter School on Continuous Media Mechanics

PREFACEWinter Schools on Continuum Mechanics are held biennially by the Institute of Continuous Media Mechanics of the Ural Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences beginning with 2017. The papers in this issue of the journal were selected on the basis of their bearing on the materials of the XX Winter School held in 2017.About 350 people from 30 cities of 7 countries (Russia, Austria, Germany, Poland, Israel, India, Japan) took part in the work of the XX-th Winter School on Continuum Mechanics. Russian participants represented 47 organizations in 23 cities (Perm, St.-Petersburg, Moscow, Yekaterinburg, Krasnoyarsk, Novosibirsk, Kazan, Chelyabinsk, Samara Rostov-on-Don, etc.) The scope of the problems addressed at the Conference is extremely wide and includes the following topics:– computational continuum mechanics– coupled problems of solid mechanics– physics and mechanics of meso- and nano-structured systems– convection, hydrodynamic stability and turbulence– hydrodynamics of multiphase media– hydrodynamics of non-Newtonian liquids and liquids with special characteristics– interdisciplinary studiesAll these topics are among the central themes of modern continuum mechanics, as evidenced by the increasing number of publications in the leading Russian and foreign journals During the panel sessions a great number of papers on the fundamental and applied problems of continuum mechanics were presented. Of particular interest were the invited papers of the well-known specialists in different areas of continuum mechanics (full members of RAS, corresponding members of RAS, doctors of sciences), and the presentations of representatives of industries manufacturing hi-tech products.Chairman of the XX Winter School On Continuum Mechanicsacademician of RAS V.P. Matveenko

Outcome of Doctors Attending the European Society for Paediatric Endocrinology Winter Schools 2008–2014

Background/Aims: Since 1995, the European Society for Paediatric Endocrinology (ESPE) has hosted Winter School (WS), a 5-day interactive meeting of 25 trainees and 7 teachers designed to cover all main endocrine topics. The aim of the present study was to determine subsequent outcome in ex-WS “students.” Methods: A questionnaire was sent in August 2016 to all ESPE WS participants between 2008 and 2014. Information was requested on job/training status at WS attendance and in 2016, and subsequent involvement with ESPE. Results: Of 174 participants (144 women, 30 men) including 5 attending two WS, 129 (74.5%) responded. At the time of WS/2016 survey 58/3 participants were junior trainees, 38/21 senior trainees, and 33/101 consultants. One hundred and seventeen (90.6%) responders were still involved with endocrinology, 107 (82%) rating WS as having a strong/very strong influence on their careers. Following WS, 80/174 (46%) participants had attended at least one ESPE main meeting, 28 (16%) had been awarded ESPE fellowships, and 34 (19%) had become ESPE members. Conclusions: The great majority of WS participants responding to the questionnaire are still involved with endocrinology and rated WS as influential. This favourable outcome supports the continuing funding of WS and similar educational programmes.

Training Unloading During Winter Break Improves Fitness in Male Rugby Players

When athletes experience training distress, a break in training may facilitate recovery and improve performance. Conversely, when team training is interrupted, such as occurs during winter break in collegiate athletes, deconditioning may result. In the current study, physiological responses to exercise were made before and after an unstructured winter break in male collegiate rugby players. PURPOSE: The purpose of the study was to examine detraining effects that occurred when structured training was interrupted for four weeks. METHODS: Fourteen (n=14) male club rugby players underwent exercise testing to assess aerobic capacity (VO2 max), strength (maximal bench press and leg squat), speed (10 yd dash), power (vertical jump), and body composition (body weight and % body fat by underwater weighing). A subject orientation of the testing was performed for all tests, and the treatment data were collected just prior to, and after the winter school break. T-tests were performed on pre- and post-winter break values. RESULTS: There was no evidence of detraining after four weeks of unstructured training. No changes were observed in bench press strength (183 versus 188.6 lbs) or speed (1.69 versus 1.69 seconds) across the break. However, performance measures for aerobic capacity (45.45 versus 47.70 ml/kg/min), squat strength (269.6 versus 308.2 lbs) and vertical jump (22.52 versus 23.94 inches) all showed significant improvements following the break. Additionally, there were significant increases in body weight (176.96 versus 178.63 lbs) and percent fat (12.76 versus 15.27% fat). CONCLUSION: Four weeks of unstructured training over the winter school break appears to have provided a recovery period that allowed for increases in physiological function despite increases in body fat.

Proceedings of the EuBIC Winter School 2017

The 2017 EuBIC Winter School was held from January 10th to January 13th 2017 in Semmering, Austria. This meeting gathered international researchers in the fields of bioinformatics and proteomics to discuss current challenges in data analysis and biological interpretation. This article outlines the scientific program and exchanges that took place on this occasion and presents the current challenges of this ever-growing field. Biological significanceThe EUPA bioinformatics community (EuBIC) organized its first winter school in January 2017. This successful event illustrates the growing need of the bioinformatics community in proteomics to gather and discuss current and future challenges in the field. In addition to the organization of yearly meetings, the young and active EuBIC community aims to develop new collaborative open source projects, spread bioinformatics knowledge in Europe, and actively promote data sharing through public repositories.

XXI-th Urals International Winter School on the Physics of Semiconductors

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46th Winter School on Wave and Quantum Acoustics XLVth Jubilee Winter School on Environmental Acoustics and Vibroacoustics Szczyrk, Poland, February 27 – March 2, 2017

46th Winter School on Wave and Quantum Acoustics constitutes a platform for sharing the results and achievements obtained in different branches of physical acoustics. During the Conference Workshop on Acoustoelectronics and Workshop on Molecular Acoustics, Relaxation and Calorimetric Methods will be held. XLVth Jubilee Winter School on Environmental Acoustics and Vibroacoustics is the forum for all environmental and vibroacoustics fields. Particularly it concerns traffic noise, vibroacoustics of machines, room acoustics, building acoustics, noise protection and similar problems. During the Conference in association with SVANTEK there will be organised seminars on “Measurement of noise and vibration at the workplace”, “Enivironmental noise monitoring” combined with measurement workshops.

Effects of school breaks on influenza-like illness incidence in a temperate Chinese region: an ecological study from 2008 to 2015

ObjectiveTo assess the effects of winter/summer school breaks on occurrences of influenza-like illness (ILI).MethodsWe jointly analysed ILI surveillance data with the timing of school breaks in a temperate district in...

Alpine Tales: un’esperienza di costruttivismo vissuto

Alpine Tales is a residential event organized by the European Constructivist Training Network (ECTN). The aim of the winter school is to promote the networking between people interested in PCP from different countries. This event is thought as an opportunity to share resources and ideas, therefore enhancing our professional skills and potentially starting new collaborations. Hosted in an alpine self-managed house, the event offers participative training activities, like workshop and Open Space Technology sessions. It is focused on a collaborative approach: in Alpine Tales every activity – training as well as the houseworks – needs the active involvement of everyone. The Winter School, now at its third edition[2], has represented so far an enthusiastic experience of exchanging thoughts and ideas, useful both in the professional field and in our everyday life. This event has been a chance to share new and creative tools for working in a strategically oriented way, to reflect on concrete projects and to build relationships that constitute the basis for a strong european network. Alpine Tales is therefore to be considered a great experience of lived constructivism.

Student responses to classroom thermal environments in rural primary and secondary schools in winter

A comfortable classroom environment is conducive to the growth and education of young students. The goal of this study was to investigate the thermal environments in rural primary and secondary school classrooms in Northwest China and identify suitable values for the design parameters of heating systems to ensure the thermal comfort of the students. Surveys were conducted and field measurements were obtained from November 2014 to December 2015. The measurements included indoor and outdoor environmental parameters, such as the dry-bulb temperature, the relative humidity, the indoor air-flow speed, the globe temperature and the CO2 concentration. Data were collected in a total of 36 classrooms in 13 primary and secondary schools. The perceptions of 1126 students regarding the indoor environment were collected through questionnaires. Both the thermal sensation vote (TSV) and the predicted mean vote (PMV) were evaluated. The slope of the TSV curve was noticeably less than that of the PMV curve, which indicates that the students are less sensitive to temperature changes than predicted. The adaptive predicted mean vote (aPMV) model was also used to evaluate the students' mean thermal sensation and was more suitable for this research. The neutral temperature, the preferred temperature and the comfortable temperature range of students were obtained by analyzing the actual predicted percentage dissatisfied (PPD*) and the students' thermal comfort expectations. The findings can serve as a guideline for the design and evaluation of heating systems in primary and secondary schools in rural areas.

Концепция мультикультурализма в современной политике Азербайджана

The concept of multiculturalism of Azerbaijan is considered, which plays a significant role in today’s domestic and foreign policy of Azerbaijan. The relevance of the study is determined, in particular, by the fact that 2016 was declared in Azerbaijan “the year of multiculturalism.” It is reported that during this year there were a huge number of events dedicated to multiculturalism - from the global forum of the UN Alliance of civilizations to youth summer and winter schools. The article examines the origin and content of modern Azerbaijan’s policy of multiculturalism. Variability of its interpretations is shown, even at the domestic level. It is proved that the Azerbaijani multiculturalism typologically can be assigned to the traditional model of multiculturalism, characteristic for many countries of the world where there are diverse religions, ethnic groups and culture, such as in Russia. It is shown that Azerbaijan is actively using the policy of multiculturalism to promote a positive image of the country globally with the participation of international organizations and in bilateral relations with individual countries.

The International Hypothermia Registry (IHR): Dieter's ESAO Winter Schools and Beat's International Hypothermia Registry

Accidental hypothermia could be listed as an 'orphan disease,' since mild hypothermia is common but has no severe medical consequences, whereas severe hypothermia is rare and life-threatening. In order to increase our knowledge, find new outcome predictors, and propose better guidelines for the treatment of deep accidental hypothermia victims, we created the International Hypothermia Registry (IHR: https://www.hypothermia-registry.org), which will allow us to gather a large number of cases in order to achieve statistical significance and issue evidence-based recommendations.

SAM Trainee Report Spring 2017

Our spring conference this year heads to Cardiff. Ex SAM trainee representative and new acute medicine consultant Nerys Conway will be hosting us on May 4th and 5th 2017 at a conference entitled ‘Together Stronger.’ Along with our regular favourites like Cases that changed my practice, we have an exciting trainee session organised including reflections from a past attendee at the EFIM winter school, an update on the Chief Registrars’ program and insight into choosing Neurology as your specialist skill.