University of Rhode Island

About: University of Rhode Island is a education organization based out in Kingston, Rhode Island, United States. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Population & Bay. The organization has 11464 authors who have published 22770 publications receiving 841066 citations. The organization is also known as: URI & Rhode Island College of Agriculture and the Mechanic Arts.

Geochemical evidence for African dust inputs to soils of western Atlantic islands: Barbados, the Bahamas, and Florida

Abstract: [1] We studied soils on high-purity limestones of Quaternary age on the western Atlantic Ocean islands of Barbados, the Florida Keys, and the Bahamas. Potential soil parent materials in this region, external to the carbonate substrate, include volcanic ash from the island of St. Vincent (near Barbados), volcanic ash from the islands of Dominica and St. Lucia (somewhat farther from Barbados), the fine-grained component of distal loess from the lower Mississippi River Valley, and wind-transported dust from Africa. These four parent materials can be differentiated using trace elements (Sc, Cr, Th, and Zr) and rare earth elements that have minimal mobility in the soil-forming environment. Barbados soils have compositions that indicate a complex derivation. Volcanic ash from the island of St. Vincent appears to have been the most important influence, but African dust is a significant contributor, and even Mississippi River valley loess may be a very minor contributor to Barbados soils. Soils on the Florida Keys and islands in the Bahamas appear to have developed mostly from African dust, but Mississippi River valley loess may be a significant contributor. Our results indicate that inputs of African dust are more important to the genesis of soils on islands in the western Atlantic Ocean than previously supposed. We hypothesize that African dust may also be a major contributor to soils on other islands of the Caribbean and to soils in northern South America, central America, Mexico, and the southeastern United States. Dust inputs to subtropical and tropical soils in this region increase both nutrient-holding capacity and nutrient status and thus may be critical in sustaining vegetation.

Chlorinated hydrocarbons in the Sargasso sea atmosphere and surface water.

Abstract: Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB), DDT, and chlordane concentrations were measured in air sampled from a tower on the south shore of Bermuda and in Sargasso Sea surface water approximately 80 to 320 kilometers south of Bermuda. The atmospheric chlorinated hydrocarbons appeared to be gaseous, and the DDT concentration was two orders of magnitude higher than previously reported particulate values. The PCB and DDT were enriched in the surface microlayer (150 micrometers) relative to their concentrations in water at a depth of 30 centimeters. Atmospheric residence times for PCB and DDT of 40 to 50 days, calculated from the concentrations in the air and water, are 20 times shorter than values previously estimated for DDT from rainfall and DDT production data.

What would a theory of interprofessional education look like? Some suggestions for developing a theoretical framework for teamwork training 1.

Abstract: Much of the literature on interprofessional education (IPE) is descriptive, anecdotal, and atheoretical. To advance both practice and research in this field, IPE needs to develop theoretical frameworks that: (i) identify major concepts to guide the development of course and program structures and processes, (ii) specify learning objectives and effective methods for their achievement, (iii) suggest appropriate roles for faculty and students in the educational process, and (iv) aid in research and assessment of program impacts and outcomes. Following an exploration of what theory should mean and the role it might play in advancing IPE, this discussion surveys five different theoretical approaches for guidance in developing an IPE framework: (i) cooperative, collaborative, or social learning; (ii) experiential learning; (iii) epistemology and ontology of interdisciplinary inquiry; (iv) cognitive and ethical student development; and (v) education of the reflective practitioner. Common themes are discussed and their implications for IPE are explored. These include: (i) social context of collaborative and experiential learning, (ii) epistemology and ontology, facts and values, (iii) importance of reflection, and (iv) implications for student and faculty roles. Overall, this discussion aims to foster continued dialogue, discussion, and debate on the need for, and the role of, theory in IPE.