Engaging Science, Technology, and Society, Sep 14, 2022
Few studies consider how changes in science studies education might reduce barriers to fruitful e... more Few studies consider how changes in science studies education might reduce barriers to fruitful engagement with scientific practices. This paper is co-authored by the participants and instructor of a small interdisciplinary graduate seminar at the University of British Columbia (UBC) in Vancouver, Canada. The seminar reflected on the role of value-judgments in science, considering the learning experiences of a science studies student (AR, first author) and four students (of a total of six students registered in the seminar) who have backgrounds in the sciences (JA, GG, BHW, SL), their responses to course materials, and outlines lessons learned with respect to interdisciplinary communication. AR was surprised to find that the science students enjoyed reading and engaging with science studies texts as she thought they would be apprehensive about the epistemic content, but they thought the texts effectively illustrated that science is influenced by social factors. Instead of expressing concerns about epistemic issues, the science students' critiques pertained to the length of texts and writing style. They also felt that some texts "unfairly" attacked scientists, and could be "dry," "abstract," and overly "problem-focused" without offering concrete solutions. This study suggests that interventions which explicitly encourage conversation and collaboration between students in science studies and the sciences more broadly can play a crucial role in dismantling unknowingly held simplistic views of other disciplines. It also speaks to the critical necessity of broad interdisciplinary scholarship which explicitly includes both the natural sciences and humanities. AR noted RAMACHANDRAN et al. 134 she initially believed that science students would react negatively to outsiders' critiques of the sciences and concluded that science studies education ought to include meaningful engagement with practicing scientists, which is rarely the case. This study illustrates the importance of using texts which have a style and vocabulary not felt as disparaging towards scientists when introducing science students or researchers to concepts in science studies. It also points to the need for studies investigating how students from different research backgrounds may learn to "see" their use of jargon and the implicit assumptions they make about their listeners' familiarity or understanding of a specific idea.
This paper reports on an AI-informed and NLP-based work in progress. It shares the technology, ed... more This paper reports on an AI-informed and NLP-based work in progress. It shares the technology, educational and cognitive approaches for enabling science students to engage with automated (AI) personalized (meta)-cognitive scaffolding to learn aspects of written scientific argumentation. We briefly report on the features and functionalities of MindWare technology and preliminary and brief results of a small-scale pilot to gauge the impact of technology-mediated scaffolding on students’ learning of how to argue (in written form). CCS Concepts •Computing methodologies ➝ Cognitive
International Journal of Information Technology & Decision Making, 2018
Identifying the best solutions to large infrastructure decisions is a context-dependent multi-dim... more Identifying the best solutions to large infrastructure decisions is a context-dependent multi-dimensional multi-stakeholder challenge in which competing objectives must be identified and trade-offs made. Our aim is to identify and explore features in an interactive visualization tool to help make group decision analysis more participatory, transparent, and comprehensible. We extended the interactive visualization tool ValueCharts to create Group ValueCharts. The new tool was introduced in two real-world scenarios in which stakeholders were in the midst of wrestling with decisions about infrastructure investment. We modeled the alternatives under consideration, for both scenarios, using prescribed criteria identified by domain experts. Participants in both groups were given instructions on how to use the tool to represent their preferences. Preferences for all participants were then displayed and discussed. The discussions were audio-recorded and the participants were surveyed to eva...
The objectives of the present study were: (i) to evaluate methods for detection of low rates of c... more The objectives of the present study were: (i) to evaluate methods for detection of low rates of chloroperoxidase activity in aqueous solutions; (ii) to investigate the ability of soil extracts to catalyze chlorination; (iii) to investigate if the catalyzing ability of soil extracts is due to enzymatic activity. Initially, solutions of a commercially-available chloroperoxidase (EC 1.11.1.10, CPO) were studied, and it was found that chlorination of monochlorodimedone (MCD) and anisole followed by gas chomatographic analysis of chlorinated reaction products represented sensitive assay methods for determination of chloroperoxidase activity. Using these methods, eight out of nine soil extracts, obtained by performing a modified peroxidase extraction procedure, were found to catalyze chlorination. Further experimentation provided the following information: (i) the reaction did not proceed in the absence of hydrogen peroxide; (ii) the catalyst had a molecular weight larger than 10,000, (iii) the incorporation of chlorine was strongly pH-dependent, with an optimum at pH 3.G3.5; (iv) the reaction was inhibited by orcinol, resorcinol and phloroglucinol. All these properties are similar to those of the commercial chloroperoxidase. It was therefore concluded that a chloroperoxidase-like catalyst was present in the investigated soils.
... Chemical characterization of organohalogens in conifer forest soil, (this publication). Hjelm... more ... Chemical characterization of organohalogens in conifer forest soil, (this publication). Hjelm. 0., MB Johansson and G. Asplund (1994). ... Biohalogenation: Principles, Basic Roles and Applications.Ellis Horwood Series in Organic Chemistry. Chichester: Ellis Horwood Limited. ...
Organic Micropollutants in the Aquatic Environment, 1991
Adsorbable organic halogens (AOX) are ubiquitous in surface water, groundwater, sea water, soil a... more Adsorbable organic halogens (AOX) are ubiquitous in surface water, groundwater, sea water, soil and precipitation. Studies recently performed in Sweden and Denmark have shown that this widespread occurrence of organohalogens must to a large extent be explained by natural halogenation of organic matter. Data reviewed in the present paper show that processes in terrestrial environments account for the major fraction of AOX in surface waters in Sweden. Enzymatically mediated halogenation of humic matter in soil may be one important source of AOX. However, processes in vegetation may also make substantial contributions. Most of the organically bound halogens in aquatic environments are incorporated into organic macromolecules, but there is also strong evidence of natural production of low-molecular-weight compounds such as chlorophenols.
Humic matter has recently been shown to contain considerable quantities of naturally produced org... more Humic matter has recently been shown to contain considerable quantities of naturally produced organohalogens. The present study investigated the possibility of a non-specific, enzymatically mediated halogenation of organic matter in soil. The results showed that, in the presence of chloride and hydrogen peroxide, the enzyme chloroperoxidase (CPO) from the fungus Caldariomyces fumago catalyzes chlorination of fulvic acid. At pH 2.5
Recent research has shown that large amounts of high-molecular weight organic chlorine of unknown... more Recent research has shown that large amounts of high-molecular weight organic chlorine of unknown origen are present in the terrestrial environment. There are indications that an underlying process may be microorganisms which produce reactive chlorine that chemically degrades organic matter and facilitates degradation of recalcitrant organic matter on one hand, and on the other hand causes a formation of organic chlorine. Our aim was to test one part of this hypothesis by investigating whether reactive chlorine facilitates microbial degradation of lignin. Dierent concentrations of chlorine dioxide were added to the autoclaved lignin suspension. Mycelium of the white-rot fungus P. chrysosporium was used to inoculate ¯asks with the lignin solutions. The evolution of CO 2 was followed during 8 d of continuous measurement. At the end of the experiment the solutions were analyzed for organic chlorine. The amount of CO 2 evolved was variable, but the results were repeatedable; addition of chlorine dioxide to the lignin solutions caused an increase in the mineralization by P. chrysosporium that increased with increasing additions of chlorine dioxide. This suggests that exposure of lignin to reactive chlorine enhance its biodegradability. The most likely cause of the observed eect is that the addition of chlorine dioxide initiated a fragmentation and oxidation of the lignin, thus rendering a more easily degraded substrate. However, the results may also be interpreted as if an additional cause to the observed eect is that the chlorination in itself somehow enhanced degradation. The amount of organically-bound chlorine decreased during the incubation, and the decrease was more pronounced with the chlorination of lignin, whereas no change at all was observable in the control batches. This makes it tempting to suggest that P. chrysosporium rather than having an enzyme system just capable of handling the chlorinated compounds, actually has a system that preferentially degrades such compounds.
The ability of Lepista nuda to produce organically bound halogens was tested both in a laboratory... more The ability of Lepista nuda to produce organically bound halogens was tested both in a laboratory study of a pure culture and in a ®eld study. It was found that L. nuda caused an increase in the total amount of organically bound halogens in the study of a pure culture, but possibly because of large variance between replicates, no such increase could be detected in the ®eld study. In addition, in both the laboratory and the ®eld studies, low-molecular-weight organohalogens such as chlorinated benzaldehydes were detected in all samples aected by the fungus and the amounts were 0.2±82 mg/g d.w. These low-molecular-weight compounds correspond to approximately 30% of the increase in organohalogens detected in the laboratory study. It is suggested that the low-molecular-weight organohalogens detected, most likely are produced de novo by L. nuda and that production of such compounds followed by an incorporation into high-molecular-weight compounds is an explanation for the increase in amounts in the laboratory study.
The present study has shown that surface water, groundwater and soil, even in areas far from indu... more The present study has shown that surface water, groundwater and soil, even in areas far from industrial activities, contain measurable amounts of adsorbable organic halogens (AOX). Although the concentrations are relatively low, the pools of AOX in the environment are considerable. In surface water, the ratio between AOX and total organic carbon (TOC) varied between 730 and 8600 pg/g. In soil, the AOX content ranged from 210 to 1400 pg AOX per g organic matter. The fact that organohalogens (230 -370 pg/g) could be detected in fulvic acids isolated from old groundwaters (1300, 4600 and 5200 yrs) indicates a large natural production of organohalogens. This hypothesis was further strengthened by mass balance calculations for a raised bog in Sweden. The pool of AOX in this bog is at least 300 times larger than the present annual deposition. The total pool of AOX in peat in Sweden was estimated to be at least 300,000 metric tons. Potential artefacts in the analytical procedures used are discussed
The drive toward sustainable wastewater management is challenging the conventional paradigm of li... more The drive toward sustainable wastewater management is challenging the conventional paradigm of linear end-ofpipe solutions. A shift toward more sustainable solutions requires that information about new ideas, systems and technologies be more readily accessible for addressing wastewater problems. It is commonly argued that decision-making needs to involve engineers and other community representatives to define values and brainstorm solutions. This paper describes a decision support system (DSS) prototype that is designed to help community planners identify solutions which balance environmental, economic and social goals. The system is designed to be scalable, adaptable and flexible to allow fair assessment of new ideas and technologies. It supports the exploration of consequences of various alternatives and visualizes the trade-offs between them. Our DSS takes in modular descriptions of components and a description of a community context, automates the design of alternative wastewater systems, and facilitates evaluating how well each design satisfies the given context. It provides an adaptable platform from which new solutions can be designed without having to predefine how a single component fits within a specific system. Our DSS facilitates the exploration of alternative solutions by visualizing the effect of various trade-offs and their consequences in relation to the community's sustainability goals.
Organochlorine compounds were dumped by chemical industries during the 1970s in many areas of the... more Organochlorine compounds were dumped by chemical industries during the 1970s in many areas of the coastal plain of Sa ˜o Paulo state in Brazil. These dumps, located on hillsides and in valleys, in both rural and urban environments, are responsible for soil and water pollution. The objective of this work was to determine how the pollutants have spread in an area occupied by a spodosol-type soil mantle. The study combines soil morphological observations with soil and water analysis of hexachlorobenzene (HCB) and pentachlorophenol (PCP) in soil toposequences. The results indicate that the highest pollutant concentrations are observed near the dump site and that the compounds contamination is increasing. A map integrating topography and chemical concentrations was created to visualize the spatial distribution of HCB levels in the landscape. Physical and chemical analyses were performed to measure HCB and PCP levels in the soil. Soil water appears to act as a vector of HCB, probably through complexation with and dispersal of dissolved organic matter. The persistence of HCB at the studied site is most likely due to the low pH values in combination with a high content of organic matter. HCB was consistently found in higher concentrations than PCP. It is plausible that the cause of this difference is that PCP is degraded more easily under sunlight than HCB and that degradation of PCP under acid conditions leads to the formation of HCB.
The aim of the present study was to describe and analyse the process of formulating the acidifica... more The aim of the present study was to describe and analyse the process of formulating the acidification theory in the Swedish research community. The empirical material was limited to articles written by Swedish researchers during the period 1950–1989 and published in international scientific journals utilizing a peer-review system. A model was developed to represent what Swedish researchers have regarded as the core of the acidification theory. Guided by the developed model, a qualitative content analysis of the scientific articles was conducted; i.e., we examined how central components and causal relationships of the theory have been explained and discussed. It should be emphasized that the present article describes an investigation of science itself (i.e., science in action) and is not an up-to-date review of acidification research. Our analysis revealed that some parts of the chain of evidence underlying the acidification theory were accepted before they were scrutinized by the sc...
Engaging Science, Technology, and Society, Sep 14, 2022
Few studies consider how changes in science studies education might reduce barriers to fruitful e... more Few studies consider how changes in science studies education might reduce barriers to fruitful engagement with scientific practices. This paper is co-authored by the participants and instructor of a small interdisciplinary graduate seminar at the University of British Columbia (UBC) in Vancouver, Canada. The seminar reflected on the role of value-judgments in science, considering the learning experiences of a science studies student (AR, first author) and four students (of a total of six students registered in the seminar) who have backgrounds in the sciences (JA, GG, BHW, SL), their responses to course materials, and outlines lessons learned with respect to interdisciplinary communication. AR was surprised to find that the science students enjoyed reading and engaging with science studies texts as she thought they would be apprehensive about the epistemic content, but they thought the texts effectively illustrated that science is influenced by social factors. Instead of expressing concerns about epistemic issues, the science students' critiques pertained to the length of texts and writing style. They also felt that some texts "unfairly" attacked scientists, and could be "dry," "abstract," and overly "problem-focused" without offering concrete solutions. This study suggests that interventions which explicitly encourage conversation and collaboration between students in science studies and the sciences more broadly can play a crucial role in dismantling unknowingly held simplistic views of other disciplines. It also speaks to the critical necessity of broad interdisciplinary scholarship which explicitly includes both the natural sciences and humanities. AR noted RAMACHANDRAN et al. 134 she initially believed that science students would react negatively to outsiders' critiques of the sciences and concluded that science studies education ought to include meaningful engagement with practicing scientists, which is rarely the case. This study illustrates the importance of using texts which have a style and vocabulary not felt as disparaging towards scientists when introducing science students or researchers to concepts in science studies. It also points to the need for studies investigating how students from different research backgrounds may learn to "see" their use of jargon and the implicit assumptions they make about their listeners' familiarity or understanding of a specific idea.
This paper reports on an AI-informed and NLP-based work in progress. It shares the technology, ed... more This paper reports on an AI-informed and NLP-based work in progress. It shares the technology, educational and cognitive approaches for enabling science students to engage with automated (AI) personalized (meta)-cognitive scaffolding to learn aspects of written scientific argumentation. We briefly report on the features and functionalities of MindWare technology and preliminary and brief results of a small-scale pilot to gauge the impact of technology-mediated scaffolding on students’ learning of how to argue (in written form). CCS Concepts •Computing methodologies ➝ Cognitive
International Journal of Information Technology & Decision Making, 2018
Identifying the best solutions to large infrastructure decisions is a context-dependent multi-dim... more Identifying the best solutions to large infrastructure decisions is a context-dependent multi-dimensional multi-stakeholder challenge in which competing objectives must be identified and trade-offs made. Our aim is to identify and explore features in an interactive visualization tool to help make group decision analysis more participatory, transparent, and comprehensible. We extended the interactive visualization tool ValueCharts to create Group ValueCharts. The new tool was introduced in two real-world scenarios in which stakeholders were in the midst of wrestling with decisions about infrastructure investment. We modeled the alternatives under consideration, for both scenarios, using prescribed criteria identified by domain experts. Participants in both groups were given instructions on how to use the tool to represent their preferences. Preferences for all participants were then displayed and discussed. The discussions were audio-recorded and the participants were surveyed to eva...
The objectives of the present study were: (i) to evaluate methods for detection of low rates of c... more The objectives of the present study were: (i) to evaluate methods for detection of low rates of chloroperoxidase activity in aqueous solutions; (ii) to investigate the ability of soil extracts to catalyze chlorination; (iii) to investigate if the catalyzing ability of soil extracts is due to enzymatic activity. Initially, solutions of a commercially-available chloroperoxidase (EC 1.11.1.10, CPO) were studied, and it was found that chlorination of monochlorodimedone (MCD) and anisole followed by gas chomatographic analysis of chlorinated reaction products represented sensitive assay methods for determination of chloroperoxidase activity. Using these methods, eight out of nine soil extracts, obtained by performing a modified peroxidase extraction procedure, were found to catalyze chlorination. Further experimentation provided the following information: (i) the reaction did not proceed in the absence of hydrogen peroxide; (ii) the catalyst had a molecular weight larger than 10,000, (iii) the incorporation of chlorine was strongly pH-dependent, with an optimum at pH 3.G3.5; (iv) the reaction was inhibited by orcinol, resorcinol and phloroglucinol. All these properties are similar to those of the commercial chloroperoxidase. It was therefore concluded that a chloroperoxidase-like catalyst was present in the investigated soils.
... Chemical characterization of organohalogens in conifer forest soil, (this publication). Hjelm... more ... Chemical characterization of organohalogens in conifer forest soil, (this publication). Hjelm. 0., MB Johansson and G. Asplund (1994). ... Biohalogenation: Principles, Basic Roles and Applications.Ellis Horwood Series in Organic Chemistry. Chichester: Ellis Horwood Limited. ...
Organic Micropollutants in the Aquatic Environment, 1991
Adsorbable organic halogens (AOX) are ubiquitous in surface water, groundwater, sea water, soil a... more Adsorbable organic halogens (AOX) are ubiquitous in surface water, groundwater, sea water, soil and precipitation. Studies recently performed in Sweden and Denmark have shown that this widespread occurrence of organohalogens must to a large extent be explained by natural halogenation of organic matter. Data reviewed in the present paper show that processes in terrestrial environments account for the major fraction of AOX in surface waters in Sweden. Enzymatically mediated halogenation of humic matter in soil may be one important source of AOX. However, processes in vegetation may also make substantial contributions. Most of the organically bound halogens in aquatic environments are incorporated into organic macromolecules, but there is also strong evidence of natural production of low-molecular-weight compounds such as chlorophenols.
Humic matter has recently been shown to contain considerable quantities of naturally produced org... more Humic matter has recently been shown to contain considerable quantities of naturally produced organohalogens. The present study investigated the possibility of a non-specific, enzymatically mediated halogenation of organic matter in soil. The results showed that, in the presence of chloride and hydrogen peroxide, the enzyme chloroperoxidase (CPO) from the fungus Caldariomyces fumago catalyzes chlorination of fulvic acid. At pH 2.5
Recent research has shown that large amounts of high-molecular weight organic chlorine of unknown... more Recent research has shown that large amounts of high-molecular weight organic chlorine of unknown origen are present in the terrestrial environment. There are indications that an underlying process may be microorganisms which produce reactive chlorine that chemically degrades organic matter and facilitates degradation of recalcitrant organic matter on one hand, and on the other hand causes a formation of organic chlorine. Our aim was to test one part of this hypothesis by investigating whether reactive chlorine facilitates microbial degradation of lignin. Dierent concentrations of chlorine dioxide were added to the autoclaved lignin suspension. Mycelium of the white-rot fungus P. chrysosporium was used to inoculate ¯asks with the lignin solutions. The evolution of CO 2 was followed during 8 d of continuous measurement. At the end of the experiment the solutions were analyzed for organic chlorine. The amount of CO 2 evolved was variable, but the results were repeatedable; addition of chlorine dioxide to the lignin solutions caused an increase in the mineralization by P. chrysosporium that increased with increasing additions of chlorine dioxide. This suggests that exposure of lignin to reactive chlorine enhance its biodegradability. The most likely cause of the observed eect is that the addition of chlorine dioxide initiated a fragmentation and oxidation of the lignin, thus rendering a more easily degraded substrate. However, the results may also be interpreted as if an additional cause to the observed eect is that the chlorination in itself somehow enhanced degradation. The amount of organically-bound chlorine decreased during the incubation, and the decrease was more pronounced with the chlorination of lignin, whereas no change at all was observable in the control batches. This makes it tempting to suggest that P. chrysosporium rather than having an enzyme system just capable of handling the chlorinated compounds, actually has a system that preferentially degrades such compounds.
The ability of Lepista nuda to produce organically bound halogens was tested both in a laboratory... more The ability of Lepista nuda to produce organically bound halogens was tested both in a laboratory study of a pure culture and in a ®eld study. It was found that L. nuda caused an increase in the total amount of organically bound halogens in the study of a pure culture, but possibly because of large variance between replicates, no such increase could be detected in the ®eld study. In addition, in both the laboratory and the ®eld studies, low-molecular-weight organohalogens such as chlorinated benzaldehydes were detected in all samples aected by the fungus and the amounts were 0.2±82 mg/g d.w. These low-molecular-weight compounds correspond to approximately 30% of the increase in organohalogens detected in the laboratory study. It is suggested that the low-molecular-weight organohalogens detected, most likely are produced de novo by L. nuda and that production of such compounds followed by an incorporation into high-molecular-weight compounds is an explanation for the increase in amounts in the laboratory study.
The present study has shown that surface water, groundwater and soil, even in areas far from indu... more The present study has shown that surface water, groundwater and soil, even in areas far from industrial activities, contain measurable amounts of adsorbable organic halogens (AOX). Although the concentrations are relatively low, the pools of AOX in the environment are considerable. In surface water, the ratio between AOX and total organic carbon (TOC) varied between 730 and 8600 pg/g. In soil, the AOX content ranged from 210 to 1400 pg AOX per g organic matter. The fact that organohalogens (230 -370 pg/g) could be detected in fulvic acids isolated from old groundwaters (1300, 4600 and 5200 yrs) indicates a large natural production of organohalogens. This hypothesis was further strengthened by mass balance calculations for a raised bog in Sweden. The pool of AOX in this bog is at least 300 times larger than the present annual deposition. The total pool of AOX in peat in Sweden was estimated to be at least 300,000 metric tons. Potential artefacts in the analytical procedures used are discussed
The drive toward sustainable wastewater management is challenging the conventional paradigm of li... more The drive toward sustainable wastewater management is challenging the conventional paradigm of linear end-ofpipe solutions. A shift toward more sustainable solutions requires that information about new ideas, systems and technologies be more readily accessible for addressing wastewater problems. It is commonly argued that decision-making needs to involve engineers and other community representatives to define values and brainstorm solutions. This paper describes a decision support system (DSS) prototype that is designed to help community planners identify solutions which balance environmental, economic and social goals. The system is designed to be scalable, adaptable and flexible to allow fair assessment of new ideas and technologies. It supports the exploration of consequences of various alternatives and visualizes the trade-offs between them. Our DSS takes in modular descriptions of components and a description of a community context, automates the design of alternative wastewater systems, and facilitates evaluating how well each design satisfies the given context. It provides an adaptable platform from which new solutions can be designed without having to predefine how a single component fits within a specific system. Our DSS facilitates the exploration of alternative solutions by visualizing the effect of various trade-offs and their consequences in relation to the community's sustainability goals.
Organochlorine compounds were dumped by chemical industries during the 1970s in many areas of the... more Organochlorine compounds were dumped by chemical industries during the 1970s in many areas of the coastal plain of Sa ˜o Paulo state in Brazil. These dumps, located on hillsides and in valleys, in both rural and urban environments, are responsible for soil and water pollution. The objective of this work was to determine how the pollutants have spread in an area occupied by a spodosol-type soil mantle. The study combines soil morphological observations with soil and water analysis of hexachlorobenzene (HCB) and pentachlorophenol (PCP) in soil toposequences. The results indicate that the highest pollutant concentrations are observed near the dump site and that the compounds contamination is increasing. A map integrating topography and chemical concentrations was created to visualize the spatial distribution of HCB levels in the landscape. Physical and chemical analyses were performed to measure HCB and PCP levels in the soil. Soil water appears to act as a vector of HCB, probably through complexation with and dispersal of dissolved organic matter. The persistence of HCB at the studied site is most likely due to the low pH values in combination with a high content of organic matter. HCB was consistently found in higher concentrations than PCP. It is plausible that the cause of this difference is that PCP is degraded more easily under sunlight than HCB and that degradation of PCP under acid conditions leads to the formation of HCB.
The aim of the present study was to describe and analyse the process of formulating the acidifica... more The aim of the present study was to describe and analyse the process of formulating the acidification theory in the Swedish research community. The empirical material was limited to articles written by Swedish researchers during the period 1950–1989 and published in international scientific journals utilizing a peer-review system. A model was developed to represent what Swedish researchers have regarded as the core of the acidification theory. Guided by the developed model, a qualitative content analysis of the scientific articles was conducted; i.e., we examined how central components and causal relationships of the theory have been explained and discussed. It should be emphasized that the present article describes an investigation of science itself (i.e., science in action) and is not an up-to-date review of acidification research. Our analysis revealed that some parts of the chain of evidence underlying the acidification theory were accepted before they were scrutinized by the sc...
Uploads
Papers by Gunilla Öberg