Friendly touch increases gratitude by inducing communal feelings

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Cláudia eSimão

2015-06-01

Full Text Available Communion among people is easily identifiable. Close friends or relatives frequently touch each other and this physical contact helps identifying the type of relationship they have. We tested whether a friendly touch and benefits elicit the emotion of gratitude given the close link between gratitude and communal relations. In Study 1 we induced a communal mindset and manipulated friendly touch (vs. non-touch and benefit to female participants by a female confederate. We measured pre- and post-benefit gratitude, communal feelings, and liking towards the toucher, as well as general affect. In Study 2 we manipulated mindset, friendly touch and benefit, and measured the same variables in female pairs (confederate and participants. In both studies the results showed a main effect of touch on pre-benefit gratitude: participants who were touched by the confederate indicated more gratitude than those not touched. Moreover, benefit increased gratitude towards a confederate in the absence of touch, but not in the presence of touch. Additionally, perceiving the relationship as communal, and not merely liking the confederate, or a positive mood mediated the link between touch and gratitude. The results further support a causal model where touch increases communal feelings, which in turn increase gratitude at the end of the interaction, after having received a benefit from the interaction partner. These results support a broader definition of gratitude as an emotion embodied in communal relationship cues.

Professors as Value Agents: A Typology of Management Academics' Value Structures

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Moosmayer, Dirk

2011-01-01

The paper addresses the paradox of value-free science and the need for value-oriented management education. Taking the values discussion in the German management community as an example, we identify two stereotypes in management literature: an allegedly value-free scientist who limits responsibility to economic aims and a value-laden academic who…

Joint care can outweigh costs of nonkin competition in communal breeders.

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Bebbington, Kat; Fairfield, Eleanor A; Spurgin, Lewis G; Kingma, Sjouke A; Dugdale, Hannah; Komdeur, Jan; Richardson, David S

2018-01-01

Competition between offspring can greatly influence offspring fitness and parental investment decisions, especially in communal breeders where unrelated competitors have less incentive to concede resources. Given the potential for escalated conflict, it remains unclear what mechanisms facilitate the evolution of communal breeding among unrelated females. Resolving this question requires simultaneous consideration of offspring in noncommunal and communal nurseries, but such comparisons are missing. In the Seychelles warbler Acrocephalus sechellensis, we compare nestling pairs from communal nests (2 mothers) and noncommunal nests (1 mother) with singleton nestlings. Our results indicate that increased provisioning rate can act as a mechanism to mitigate the costs of offspring rivalry among nonkin. Increased provisioning in communal broods, as a consequence of having 2 female parents, mitigates any elevated costs of offspring rivalry among nonkin: per-capita provisioning and survival was equal in communal broods and singletons, but lower in noncommunal broods. Individual offspring costs were also more divergent in noncommunal broods, likely because resource limitation exacerbates differences in competitive ability between nestlings. It is typically assumed that offspring rivalry among nonkin will be more costly because offspring are not driven by kin selection to concede resources to their competitors. Our findings are correlational and require further corroboration, but may help explain the evolutionary maintenance of communal breeding by providing a mechanism by which communal breeders can avoid these costs.

Individual Values, Learning Routines and Academic Procrastination

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Dietz, Franziska; Hofer, Manfred; Fries, Stefan

2007-01-01

Background: Academic procrastination, the tendency to postpone learning activities, is regarded as a consequence of postmodern values that are prominent in post-industrialized societies. When students strive for leisure goals and have no structured routines for academic tasks, delaying strenuous learning activities becomes probable. Aims: The…

Rights and obligations of communal enterprises under Polish administrative law

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Filipek, J.

1992-01-01

The paper elucidates the legal environment in which Polish power producing and distributing enterprises operate. In particular, the different forms of communal enterprises are described: public owned companies; public owned companies serving ''higher purposes''; communal enterprises operating on the strength of special laws; forms of organization subject to private law. Over the long term the rules in the sphere of the communal economy can be simplified. As the administrative judiciary develops, comprehensive administrative surveillance will become superfluous. The communal enterprises render their services to the citizen. The legal remedies at the citizen's disposal are the administrative complaint and the appeal to the administrative courts. (orig./HSCH) [de

Managing "Academic Value": The 360-Degree Perspective

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Wilson, Margaret R.; Corr, Philip J.

2018-01-01

The "raison d'etre" of all universities is to create and deliver "academic value", which we define as the sum total of the contributions from the 360-degree "angles" of the academic community, including all categories of staff, as well as external stakeholders (e.g. regulatory, commercial, professional and community…

Reducing consumption through communal living

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Herring, Horace [The Open Univ., Milton Keynes (United Kingdom). Energy and Environment Research Unit

2003-07-01

This paper examines ways consumers and communities can voluntarily adopt a low consumption (or low carbon) lifestyle, often termed 'voluntary simplicity' or a policy of 'sufficiency'. There is an increasing academic literature within Europe in the last five years on the whole question of 'sustainable consumption', and the relationship between income levels and consumption particularly at the household. This debate has moved beyond 'green consumerism' to look at building 'new concepts of prosperity' through local community actions, or reducing working time to allow more time for the creation of social capital. The paper will concentrate on one aspect of the quest for sustainable communities, the relevance of communal living to reducing consumption through examining energy consumption (both direct and indirect) in one such community in the UK. The results from this preliminary study reveal that it is not the sharing of resources that reduces consumption but the mutual reinforcement of attitudes towards a low consumption lifestyle. Thus it is the creation of social capital in a community that is its key to its ecological lifestyle.

PRIVATIZATION OF HOUSING AND COMMUNAL SERVICE ENTERPRISES: PRIVATIZATION MECHANISM AND PROPERTY EVALUATION

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G. G. Kuznetsova

2011-01-01

Full Text Available Housing and communal services in Russia are provided by state or municipality owned so-called unitary enterprises. At present, most of these enterprises are at the brink of bankruptcy. Privatization in the field of housing and communal economy (HCE sector is one of most efficient instruments of improvement thereof. Particular feature of the author’s approach to evaluation of the total or partial cost of such enterprises is summing up the values of the element-to-element property assessment on the basis of the enterprise’s net assets. Described in the article is a system and succession of steps to be followed by private entities formed on the basis of HCE enterprises’ whole or partial property or acquiring rights thereupon.

Communal egg-laying in reptiles and amphibians: evolutionary patterns and hypotheses.

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Doody, J Sean; Freedberg, Steve; Keogh, J Scott

2009-09-01

Communal egg-laying is widespread among animals, occurring in insects, mollusks, fish, amphibians, reptiles, and birds, just to name a few. While some benefits of communal egg-laying may be pervasive (e.g., it saves time and energy and may ensure the survival of mothers and their offspring), the remarkable diversity in the life histories of the animals that exhibit this behavior presents a great challenge to discovering any general explanation. Reptiles and amphibians offer ideal systems for investigating communal egg-laying because they generally lack parental care--a simplification that brings nest site choice behavior into sharp focus. We exhaustively reviewed the published literature for data on communal egg-laying in reptiles and amphibians. Our analysis demonstrates that the behavior is much more common than previously recognized (occurring in 481 spp.), especially among lizards (N = 255 spp.), where the behavior has evolved multiple times. Our conceptual review strongly suggests that different forces may be driving the evolution and maintenance of communal egg-laying in different taxa. Using a game theory approach, we demonstrate how a stable equilibrium may occur between solitary and communal layers, thus allowing both strategies to co-exist in some populations, and we discuss factors that may influence these proportions. We conclude by outlining future research directions for determining the proximate and ultimate causes of communal egg-laying.

Communal biomass conversion plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Holm-Nielsen, J.B.; Huntingford, S.; Halberg, N.

1993-03-01

The aim was to show the agricultural advantages of farmers being in connection with Communal Biogas Plant. Whether a more environmentally protectire distribution of plant nutrients from animal manure takes place through a biogas plants distribution system, whether the nitrogen in the digested slurry is better utilized and whether the connection results in slurry transportation-time reduction, are discussed. The average amount of nitrogen from animal manure used per hectare was reduced. The area of manure distribution was larger. The nitrogen efficiency was increased when using digested slurry and purchase of N mineral fertilizer decreased, resulting in considerable reduction in nitrogen leaching. The amount of slurry delivered to the local storage tanks was approximately 45 per cent of the total amount treated on the biogas plant. Conditions of manure transport improved greatly as this was now the responsibility of the communal biomass conversion plant administrators. (AB) (24 refs.)

Choice of the marketing concept of management of housing-and-communal services

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Skripnik, Oksana

2017-10-01

According to the author, housing-and-communal services comprise the basis of regional infrastructure forming quality and the standard of living of the population, being one of the most important prerequisites of development of social and economic capacity of the region. Some marketing concepts of management of housing-and-communal services are considered in the article, the problems, interfering the use of marketing technologies in management of housing-and-communal services are revealed. The need of use of marketing management for effective activity of housing-and-communal services is also reasoned. The author proves that the introduction of housing-and-communal services in practice as the marketing concept of management allows to solve the whole complex of issues, which are studied in the article.

Closing the Communal Gap: The Importance of Communal Affordances in Science Career Motivation.

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Brown, Elizabeth R; Thoman, Dustin B; Smith, Jessi L; Diekman, Amanda B

2015-12-01

To remain competitive in the global economy, the United States (and other countries) is trying to broaden participation in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) by graduating an additional 1 million people in STEM fields by 2018. Although communion (working with, helping, and caring for others) is a basic human need, STEM careers are often (mis)perceived as being uncommunal. Across three naturalistic studies we found greater support for the communal affordance hypothesis, that perceiving STEM careers as affording greater communion is associated with greater STEM career interest, than two alternative hypotheses derived from goal congruity theory. Importantly, these findings held regardless of major (Study 1), college enrollment (Study 2), and gender (Studies 1-3). For undergraduate research assistants, mid-semester beliefs that STEM affords communion predicted end of the semester STEM motivation (Study 3). Our data highlight the importance of educational and workplace motivational interventions targeting communal affordances beliefs about STEM.

Ibuanyidanda (Complementary Reflection), Communalism and ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Fr. Prof. Asouzu

Glossary of Igbo Terms and Phrases ihe ahụ na anya ... other words, it is in mutual dependence that the feeling of intimacy found among kindred ..... Complementary Reflection, Communalism and Theory Formulation in African Philosophy 25.

The role of between-parent values agreement in parent-to-child transmission of academic values.

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Gniewosz, Burkhard; Noack, Peter

2012-08-01

The present study investigates the intergenerational transmission of academic task values within family in early adolescence. Social learning processes are assumed to operate through the students' perceptions of their parents' values. The major goal of this study is to show that this values transmission is facilitated by between-parent value agreement. Based on a longitudinal data set including 1019 German students, their mothers (N = 847), and fathers (N = 733), structural equation models showed significant effects of the parents' task values regarding math and German language as academic subjects on the respective task values reported by the students, mediated through the student-perceived parental values. This transmission chain was only found if the between-parent agreement was high. The results are discussed in terms of parent-specific mechanisms fostering transmission if both parents agree on academic values, such as an improved perceptive accuracy as well as the increased salience and mutual reinforcement of parental messages. Copyright © 2011 The Foundation for Professionals in Services for Adolescents. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Does Enjoying Friendship Help or Impede Academic Achievement? Academic and Social Intrinsic Value Profiles Predict Academic Achievement

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Seo, Eunjin; Lee, You-kyung

2018-01-01

We examine the intrinsic value students placed on schoolwork (i.e. academic intrinsic value) and social relationships (i.e. social intrinsic value). We then look at how these values predict middle and high school achievement. To do this, we came up with four profiles based on cluster analyses of 6,562 South Korean middle school students. The four…

Hacking in the University: Contesting the Valorisation of Academic Labour

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Joss Winn

2013-11-01

Full Text Available In this article I argue for a different way of understanding the emergence of hacker culture. In doing so, I outline an account of ‘the university’ as an institution that provided the material and subsequent intellectual conditions that early hackers were drawn to and in which they worked. I argue that hacking was originally a form of academic labour that emerged out of the intensification and valorisation of scientific research within the institutional context of the university. The reproduction of hacking as a form of academic labour took place over many decades as academics and their institutions shifted from an ideal of unproductive, communal science to a more productive, entrepreneurial approach to the production of knowledge.  A such, I view hacking as a peculiar, historically situated form of labour that arose out of the contradictions of the academy: vocation vs. profession; teaching vs. research; basic vs. applied research; research vs. development; private vs. public; war vs. peace; institutional autonomy vs. state dependence; scientific communalism vs. intellectual property.

Importance of the Alternative Five and Trait Emotional Intelligence for Agentic and Communal Domains of Satisfaction

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Andreja Avsec

2011-12-01

Full Text Available Many studies supported the importance of trait emotional intelligence (EI for subjective well-being but specific domains of life-satisfaction were rarely of interest. Our study investigated whether emotional intelligence is more important for interpersonal or communal-related domains (e.g. satisfaction with friends, intimate partners than for agentic domains of satisfaction (e.g. satisfaction with finances, work. Due to the problematic differential validity of trait EI from personality, the relationship between trait EI and domains of satisfaction was controlled for by personality. Slovene students and young adults (N=442 completed the Emotional Skills and Competence Questionnaire and the Zuckerman-Kuhlman Personality Questionnaire, and rated their satisfaction with 12 aspects of life. Principal component analysis of these domains revealed three components, explaining 62% of total variance. The communal domains included self-reported satisfaction with popularity, respect, influence on others, family relationships, and intimate relationship. The agentic domains included satisfaction with professional carrier, financial situation, academic education, and achieved goals. The physical domains component was comprised of satisfaction with appearance, fitness, and health. After accounting for personality, trait EI explained 16% of variance in communal domain and 10% of variance in agentic domain, thus suggesting greater importance of trait EI for interpersonal domains. However, trait EI seems to play an important role for satisfaction in the agentic domains also, as successful management of our emotions can help us reach our goals and thus be more satisfied.

Linking Communalism to Achievement Correlates for Black and White Undergraduates

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Tyler, Kenneth; Love, Keisha; Brown, Carrie; Roan-Belle, Clarissa; Thomas, Deneia; Garriott, Patton O.

2010-01-01

This study examined relationships between home-based communal activities and beliefs and student reports of various achievement correlates with 290 black and white undergraduates. MANOVA procedures examined differences in self-esteem, self-efficacy, identified motivation, motivation to know, and amotivation and scores on Home Communalism Measure…

Serosurvey for canine distemper virus exposure in dogs in communal lands in Zimbabwe

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P.J. Kelly

2005-06-01

Full Text Available Sera from 173 apparently healthy, unvaccinated dogs from 4 widely separated communal lands in Zimbabwe were tested by ELISA for antibodies against canine distemper virus. Overall, 82 % were positive with high prevalences found in each communal land. The highest seroprevalence was in dogs between 1 and 2 years of age (91 %; 49/54. These results show dogs in the communal lands of Zimbabwe are commonly exposed to canine distemper virus and that a substantial number survive infection. The role that the virus might play in the high mortality rate of the dog population on communal land warrants further investigation.

Ibuanyidanda (Complementary Reflection), Communalism and ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

This paper avers that most attempts at formulating viable theories in African philosophy are saddled with intrusions of ethnophilosophic and ethnocentric types: The author identifies this as the phenomenon of “unintended ethnocentric commitment”. He uses communalism, a socio-political theory in African philosophy, ...

Diverse we stand: Horizontal inequality and ethno-communal conflict in Indonesia

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Kleine Deters, B.; Nimeh, Z.

2014-01-01

This paper aims to shed some light on the drivers of (relatively) small-scale ethno-communal violence within an ethnically diverse state, by quantitatively examining the relationship between horizontal inequalities and ethno-communal violence. Specifically it addresses the complexity in assessing

An economic analysis of communal goat production.

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Sebel, P J; McCrindle, C M E; Webb, E C

2004-03-01

The economic impact of different extension messages used was calculated using enterprise budgeting (gross margin analysis). Input data were gleaned from the literature, from participatory appraisals, as well as a field study, spanning 12 months, of small-scale communal goat farming systems in Jericho in the Odi District of North West Province. The number of offspring weaned per annum, as a proportion of does owned, was selected as the desired output for analysis. This study has shown that small-scale communal goat farmers are not adopting or implementing extension messages to improve production capacity. In South Africa the majority of goats are slaughtered in the informal sector. If the informal sector is to be persuaded to market goats commercially through formal channels, then knowledge of the economics of goat farming on communal lands should be provided. The economic aspects of extension messages are probably an important factor in determining acceptance and sustainability yet appear to be seldom investigated. The probable reason for lack of adoption of standard extension messages, which promote improved nutrition, parasite control, vaccination and treatment of goats, was economic. In other words, the so-called 'poor management practices' used by communal farmers appeared to be economically more profitable than the 'good management practices' suggested to increase production. The price of communal goats was not related to their mass. A higher level of inputs would probably have resulted in a heavier kid, however it was established that this would not have influenced the price received as a majority of the goats were slaughtered for ritual purposes where age, colour and sex were more important to the purchaser than body mass. It is standard practice in commercial farming systems to evaluate the economic benefits of all management practices before they are implemented. Production animal veterinarians use veterinary economics to compare different scenarios to

Using biodiversity stewardship as a means to secure the natural wild values on communal land in South Africa

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Kevin McCann; Roelie Kloppers; Andrew Venter

2015-01-01

South Africa is one of the most biodiversity-rich countries in the world, with much valuable biodiversity situated on a range of different land tenure types, including state, private and communal land. Despite this, these wild lands are being lost at an unprecedented rate, with the resultant loss of natural areas and associated ecosystem services. The challenge lies in...

Communal space design as student interaction in polnep campus

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Hasriyanti, N.; Zulestari, A.; Judhi, J.; Ikayanti, P.

2018-03-01

Communal space is a means to do for social interaction, from private to the public. The purpose of this study was conducted to explore the phenomenon of communal space setting of Pontianak State Polytechnic students from 8 departments of study both indoor and outdoor spaces. The research method used is a rationalistic study. The planned activities to be undertaken include the determination of communal places (indoor and outdoor), sample determination, data collection with surveys and interviews, presenting data and analysis and drawing conclusions as a basis for designing communal space for Polnep students. The research were analyzed of building and space character, analysis of space organization and circulation, space requirement analysis, material and color analysis, site analysis, and analysis of inner space elements and outer space elements. From the results of this study, it can be concluded that Polnep campus environment requires the addition of public space for students in conducting formal activities outside lectures. Some activity which to do some student such as activity to waiting lecturer, do some coursework, discussion, relaxation, extracurricular activities, and other informal activities still require adequate space infrastructure and are equipped with street furnitures such as garden lights, benches, outer space markers and shade vegetation.

Commentary: Latina Literacies in "Convivencia": Communal Spaces of Teaching and Learning

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Villenas, Sofia A.

2005-01-01

Inspired by Delgado-Gaitan's work with Latina mothers' stories of transformation, this commentary engages scholarship on the communal "mujer-" or womanist-oriented spaces of teaching and learning. The author explores themes of "convivencia" (communalism) centered on faith, spirituality, and humor central to creating compassionate spaces of…

How Academic Libraries Provide Value through Course Readings

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Tabacaru, Simona; Hartnett, Eric

2017-01-01

Academic libraries are continually being asked to demonstrate their value. Showing benefits that provide financial value to the user community is one approach to meeting this challenge. With a focus on journal articles and monographs, the authors have analyzed course syllabi to determine the cost savings graduate students in psychology receive…

Predictors and consequences of gender typicality: the mediating role of communality.

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DiDonato, Matthew D; Berenbaum, Sheri A

2013-04-01

Considerable work has shown the benefits for psychological health of being gender typed (i.e., perceiving oneself in ways that are consistent with one's sex). Nevertheless, little is known about the reasons for the link. In two studies of young adults (total N = 673), we studied (1) the ways in which gender typing is predicted from gender-related interests and personal qualities, and (2) links between gender typing and adjustment (self-esteem and negative emotionality). In the first study, gender typicality was positively predicted by a variety of gender-related characteristics and by communal traits, a female-typed characteristic; gender typicality was also positively associated with adjustment. To clarify the role of communality in predicting gender typicality and its link with adjustment, we conducted a follow-up study examining both gender typicality and "university typicality." Gender typicality was again predicted by gender-related characteristics and communality, and associated with adjustment. Further, university typicality was also predicted by communality and associated with adjustment. Mediation analyses showed that feelings of communality were partly responsible for the links between gender/university typicality and adjustment. Thus, the psychological benefits suggested to accrue from gender typicality may not be specific to gender, but rather may reflect the benefits of normativity in general. These findings were discussed in relation to the broader literature on the relation between identity and adjustment.

Demographic Factors and Communal Mastery as Predictors of Academic Motivation and Test Anxiety

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Ünal-Karagüven, M. Hülya

2015-01-01

Academic motivation and test anxiety have been still adduced for low performance of students by educators. To know the factors that have an effect on students' academic motivation and test anxiety levels can be helpful to improve students' academic performance. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of demographic variables and…

Cross-Generational Valuing among Peer Academic Librarians

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Munde, Gail; Coonin, Bryna

2015-01-01

This study investigated the skills, knowledge, abilities or dispositions that are most valued and respected by academic librarians, and determined how these qualities might, or might not, be associated with generational membership. Other variables included institutional classification, career length, years since first professional degree, and…

Leadership values in academic medicine.

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Souba, Wiley W; Day, David V

2006-01-01

To gain a deeper understanding of the guiding core values that deans of academic medical centers (AMCs) considered most essential for their leadership and the major leadership challenges that confront them. In 2003-04, semistructured interviews of 18 deans at U.S. colleges of medicine or AMCs were organized around four dimensions: background, leadership challenges, organizational effectiveness, and systems enablers/restrainers for leadership. A values Q-sort was used to determine how widely core values were shared among deans and how the complex challenges they faced did or did not align with these values. Fourteen of the 18 (78%) deans identified financial difficulties as their most pressing leadership challenge, followed by weak institutional alignment (61%), staffing problems (33%), and poor morale (28%). Open, candid communication was reported as the most effective means of addressing these complex problems. Enacting espoused shared values and having a positive attitude were identified as the most important enablers of systemic leadership, whereas micromanagement and difficult people were the major restraints. Q-sort results on 38 positive leadership values indicated that participants considered integrity most essential. Integrity was positively correlated with humanistic values and negatively correlated with results. Vision, another highly espoused value, correlated strongly with performance-oriented values but correlated negatively with humanistic values. A dynamic tension exists in AMCs between humanistic values and performance-based core values. The ability to manage that tension (i.e., when to prioritize one set of values over the other) is inherent in a dean's work.

Communalism Predicts Maternal Affect, Stress, and Physiology Better than Ethnicity and SES

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Abdou, Cleopatra M.; Schetter, Christine Dunkel; Campos, Belinda; Hilmert, Clayton J.; Dominguez, Tyan Parker; Hobel, Calvin J.; Glynn, Laura M.; Sandman, Curt

2010-01-01

The present study examined the relevance of communalism, operationalized as a cultural orientation emphasizing interdependence, to maternal prenatal emotional health and physiology and distinguished its effects from those of ethnicity and childhood and adult SES. African American and European American women (N=297) were recruited early in pregnancy and followed through 32 weeks gestation using interviews and medical chart review. Overall, African American women and women of lower socioeconomic backgrounds had higher levels of negative affect, stress and blood pressure, but these ethnic and socioeconomic disparities were not observed among women higher in communalism. Hierarchical multivariate regression analyses showed that communalism was a more robust predictor of prenatal emotional health than ethnicity, childhood SES, and adult SES. Communalism also interacted with ethnicity and SES, resulting in lower blood pressure during pregnancy for African American women and women who experienced socioeconomic disadvantage over the life course. The effects of communalism on prenatal affect, stress, and physiology were not explained by depressive symptoms at study entry, perceived availability of social support, self-esteem, optimism, mastery, nor pregnancy-specific factors, including whether the pregnancy was planned, desired after conception, or how frequently the woman felt happy to be pregnant. This suggests that a communal cultural orientation benefits maternal prenatal emotional health and physiology over and above its links to better-understood personal and social resources in addition to economic resources. Implications regarding culture as a determinant of maternal prenatal health and well-being and as a potentially important lens for examining ethnic and socioeconomic inequalities in health are discussed. PMID:20658883

Patterns and determinants of communal latrine usage in urban poverty pockets in Bhopal, India.

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Biran, A; Jenkins, M W; Dabrase, P; Bhagwat, I

2011-07-01

To explore and explain patterns of use of communal latrine facilities in urban poverty pockets. Six poverty pockets with communal latrine facilities representing two management models (Sulabh and municipal) were selected. Sampling was random and stratified by poverty pocket population size. A seventh, community-managed facility was also included. Data were collected by exit interviews with facility users and by interviews with residents from a randomly selected representative sample of poverty pocket households, on social, economic and demographic characteristics of households, latrine ownership, defecation practices, costs of using the facility and distance from the house to the facility. A tally of facility users was kept for 1 day at each facility. Data were analysed using logistic regression modelling to identify determinants of communal latrine usage. Communal latrines differed in their facilities, conditions, management and operating characteristics, and rates of usage. Reported usage rates among non-latrine-owning households ranged from 15% to 100%. There was significant variation in wealth, occupation and household structure across the poverty pockets as well as in household latrine ownership. Households in pockets with municipal communal latrine facilities appeared poorer. Households in pockets with Sulabh-managed communal facilities were significantly more likely to own a household latrine. Determinants of communal facility usage among households without a latrine were access and convenience (distance and opening hours), facility age, cleanliness/upkeep and cost. The ratio of male to female users was 2:1 across all facilities for both adults and children. Provision of communal facilities reduces but does not end the problem of open defecation in poverty pockets. Women appear to be relatively poorly served by communal facilities and, cost is a barrier to use by poorer households. Results suggest improving facility convenience and access and modifying fee

Attitudes toward older adults: A matter of cultural values or personal values?

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Zhang, Xin; Xing, Cai; Guan, Yanjun; Song, Xuan; Melloy, Robert; Wang, Fei; Jin, Xiaoyu

2016-02-01

The current research aimed to address the inconsistent findings regarding cultural differences in attitudes toward older adults by differentiating the effects of personal and cultural values. In Study 1, we used data from the sixth wave of the World Values Survey to examine attitudes toward older adults across cultures, and how different personal values (i.e., communal vs. agentic) and cultural values (i.e., individualism) predicted these attitudes. The results of hierarchical linear modeling analyses showed that after controlling for potential covariates, personal communal values positively correlated with positive attitudes toward older adults; however, cultural individualistic values did not. To further examine the causal effects of personal values (vs. cultural values), we conducted an experimental study and confirmed that priming personal values rather than cultural values had significant effects on ageism attitudes. The present studies help to reconcile conflicting results on cultural differences in attitudes toward older adults. (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved).

Increase in competitiveness of housing-and-communal services

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Skripnik, Oksana

2017-10-01

The problems, interfering effective activity of housing-and-communal complex are considered in the article. Some factors of the increase in competitiveness and the importance of transactional expenses are revealed. The assessment of competitiveness of the organizations of the sphere of housing-and-communal services is considered as the set of the following basic elements organizational and administrative, marketing, financial, production, indicators of quality, indicators of development, labor indicators interconnected with processes of the organization. The author proves that the increase in competitiveness is possible by carrying out organizational and administrative, innovative, technological, economic transformations, increasing quality of services, reducing costs for production and realization of services, providing new services.

Non-Violence and Civilian Agency in Communal War : Evidence from Jos, Nigeria

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Krause, J.

2017-01-01

Communal violence is one of the deadliest forms of political violence in Nigeria. Research has yet to identify and explain the variation in spread and intensity of violence ‘within’ communal conflicts. This article analyses violence and non-violence in two almost contiguous neighbourhoods located in

Age differences in personal values: Universal or cultural specific?

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Fung, Helene H; Ho, Yuan Wan; Zhang, Rui; Zhang, Xin; Noels, Kimberly A; Tam, Kim-Pong

2016-05-01

Prior studies on value development across adulthood have generally shown that as people age, they espouse communal values more strongly and agentic values less strongly. Two studies investigated whether these age differences in personal values might differ according to cultural values. Study 1 examined whether these age differences in personal values, and their associations with subjective well-being, showed the same pattern across countries that differed in individualism-collectivism. Study 2 compared age differences in personal values in the Canadian culture that emphasized agentic values more and the Chinese culture that emphasized communal values more. Personal and cultural values of each individual were directly measured, and their congruence were calculated and compared across age and cultures. Findings revealed that across cultures, older people had lower endorsement of agentic personal values and higher endorsement of communal personal values than did younger people. These age differences, and their associations with subjective well-being, were generally not influenced by cultural values. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved).

Demography and dog-human relationships of the dog population in Zimbabwean communal lands.

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Butler, J R; Bingham, J

2000-10-14

Dogs are Zimbabwe's primary vector for rabies, and the majority live in communal lands (traditional agropastoralist rural areas). In 1994, a household questionnaire survey was conducted to provide baseline data on the demography and dog-human relationships of the dogs in the communal lands. The survey showed that all the dogs were owned, and there was no evidence of a feral population. They were unrestricted and semi-dependent on people. The numbers of dogs per capita varied little in each communal land, resulting in higher dog densities in communal lands with higher human densities, and indicating that people were not intolerant of dogs at higher densities. The population turnover was rapid: the life expectancy of the dogs was 1.1 years, the mean age 2.0 years, and 71.8 per cent died in their first year. The population was heavily skewed towards juveniles, with 40.8 per cent aged less than 12 months. Despite the high juvenile mortality, the population was growing by 6.52 per cent per annum. It was estimated that in 1994 there were 1.36 million dogs in communal lands.

Communal Participation in Payment for Environmental Services (PES): Unpacking the Collective Decision to Enroll

Science.gov (United States)

Murtinho, Felipe; Hayes, Tanya

2017-06-01

Payment for Environmental Service programs are increasingly applied in communal settings where resource users collectively join the program and agree to limit their shared use of a common-property resource. Who decides to join PES and the degree to which community members agree with the collective decision is critical for the success of said programs. Yet, we have limited understanding of the factors that influence communal participation and the collective decision process. This paper examines communal participation in a national payment for conservation program in Ecuador. We use quantitative and qualitative analysis to (i) identify the attributes of the communities that participate (or not), and factors that facilitate participation ( n = 67), and (ii) assess household preference and alignment with the collective decision to participate ( n = 212). Household participation preferences indicate varying degrees of consensus with the collective decision to participate, with those using the resource less likely to support participation. At the communal level, however, our results indicate that over time, those communities that depend more heavily on their resource systems may ultimately choose to participate. Our findings suggest that communal governance structures and outside organizations may be instrumental in gaining participation in resource-dependent communities and building consensus. Findings also point to the need for further research on communal decision-processes to ensure that the collective decision is based on an informed and democratic process.

Communalism predicts prenatal affect, stress, and physiology better than ethnicity and socioeconomic status.

Science.gov (United States)

Abdou, Cleopatra M; Dunkel Schetter, Christine; Campos, Belinda; Hilmert, Clayton J; Dominguez, Tyan Parker; Hobel, Calvin J; Glynn, Laura M; Sandman, Curt

2010-07-01

The authors examined the relevance of communalism, operationalized as a cultural orientation emphasizing interdependence, to maternal prenatal emotional health and physiology and distinguished its effects from those of ethnicity and childhood and adult socioeconomic status (SES). African American and European American women (N = 297) were recruited early in pregnancy and followed through 32 weeks gestation using interviews and medical chart review. Overall, African American women and women of lower socioeconomic backgrounds had higher levels of negative affect, stress, and blood pressure, but these ethnic and socioeconomic disparities were not observed among women higher in communalism. Hierarchical multivariate regression analyses showed that communalism was a more robust predictor of prenatal emotional health than ethnicity, childhood SES, and adult SES. Communalism also interacted with ethnicity and SES, resulting in lower blood pressure during pregnancy for African American women and women who experienced socioeconomic disadvantage over the life course. The effects of communalism on prenatal affect, stress, and physiology were not explained by depressive symptoms at study entry, perceived availability of social support, self-esteem, optimism, mastery, nor pregnancy-specific factors, including whether the pregnancy was planned, whether the pregnancy was desired after conception, or how frequently the woman felt happy to be pregnant. This suggests that a communal cultural orientation benefits maternal prenatal emotional health and physiology over and above its links to better understood personal and social resources in addition to economic resources. Implications of culture as a determinant of maternal prenatal health and well-being and an important lens for examining ethnic and socioeconomic inequalities in health are discussed.

A survey analysis of indigenous goat production in communal farming systems of Botswana.

Science.gov (United States)

Monau, P I; Visser, C; Nsoso, S J; Van Marle-Köster, E

2017-08-01

A total of 153 communal farmers in four agro-ecological regions of Botswana were interviewed using a structured questionnaire. The aims of the survey were to characterise existing communal goat production systems, evaluate the importance of goats to farmers and identify breeding practices and constraints encountered in goat production in Botswana. Data was collected on socio-economic parameters, general and breeding management practices and major constraints limiting goat production in Botswana. All respondents were small-scale communal farmers with 63% respondents practising mixed crop-livestock farming and 37% keeping livestock as their primary activity. The majority (33%) of respondents were older than 60 years. Over 80% of the farmers kept goats for cash required for tuition, school uniforms and household commodities as well as re-stocking of animals. Most farmers (62%) kept indigenous crossed genotypes. Generally, uncontrolled mating was practised with the majority of farmers (41%) using on-farm reared bucks for more than two years of breeding and communal bucks (36%) as an alternative. The major constraints limiting goat productivity in communal areas included uncontrolled breeding, predators, theft and diseases. Issues raised by farmers should be considered in designing and implementing effective breeding programs for goats to improve their overall productivity and contribution to poverty alleviation in these communities.

COMMUNAL DISCERNMENT IN THE EARLY CHURCH

African Journals Online (AJOL)

takes place: it is first and foremost a communal matter which brings together all parties in order ... article analyses the way in which wisdom of community leaders and wisdom of the ... examples from biblical texts reveal.4 The gospels challenge their readers ... learning to act in discerning ways”) and Lonsdale (1992:99-113).

WAYS TO OPTIMIZE THE LABOUR IN THE COMMUNAL HOUSING COMPLEX

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Adriana BUZDUGAN

2013-02-01

Full Text Available The management of communal complex-residential retention can be improved through the material, spiritual service, staff, and workers in the field. The main method of efficiency of functioning of the communal system of dwelling: development tool-stimulating, determining the parameters (levers supporting. Study of the utility function in profile all employees, workers, the use of economic-mathematical methods for solving problems, developing systems of imitation of the functioning of the overall system, studying the elasticity of exogenous origin of each parameter.

Ways to optimize the labour in the communal housing complex

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Buzdugan Adriana

2013-02-01

Full Text Available The management of communal complex-residential retention can be improved through the material, spiritual service, staff, and workers in the field. The main method of efficiency of functioning of the communal system of dwelling: development tool-stimulating, determining the parameters (levers supporting. Study of the utility function in profile all employees, workers, the use of economic-mathematical methods for solving problems, developing systems of imitation of the functioning of the overall system, studying the elasticity of exogenous origin of each parameter.

An underexamined inequality: cultural and psychological barriers to men's engagement with communal roles.

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Croft, Alyssa; Schmader, Toni; Block, Katharina

2015-11-01

Social psychological research has sought to understand and mitigate the psychological barriers that block women's interest, performance, and advancement in male-dominated, agentic roles (e.g., science, technology, engineering, and math). Research has not, however, correspondingly examined men's underrepresentation in communal roles, traditionally occupied by women (e.g., careers in health care, early childhood education, and domestic roles including child care). In this article, we seek to provide a roadmap for research on this underexamined inequality by (a) outlining the benefits of increasing men's representation in communal roles; (b) reviewing cultural, evolutionary, and historical perspectives on the asymmetry in status assigned to men's and women's roles; and (c) articulating the role of gender stereotypes in creating social and psychological barriers to men's interest and inclusion in communal roles. We argue that promoting equal opportunities for both women and men requires a better understanding of the psychological barriers to men's involvement in communal roles. © 2015 by the Society for Personality and Social Psychology, Inc.

Biodiversity conservation values of fragmented communally reserved forests, managed by indigenous people, in a human-modified landscape in Borneo.

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Takeuchi, Yayoi; Soda, Ryoji; Diway, Bibian; Kuda, Tinjan Ak; Nakagawa, Michiko; Nagamasu, Hidetoshi; Nakashizuka, Tohru

2017-01-01

This study explored the conservation values of communally reserved forests (CRFs), which local indigenous communities deliberately preserve within their area of shifting cultivation. In the current landscape of rural Borneo, CRFs are the only option for conservation because other forested areas have already been logged or transformed into plantations. By analyzing their alpha and beta diversity, we investigated how these forests can contribute to restore regional biodiversity. Although CRFs were fragmented and some had been disturbed in the past, their tree species diversity was high and equivalent to that of primary forests. The species composition of intact forests and forests disturbed in the past did not differ clearly, which indicates that past logging was not intensive. All CRFs contained unique and endangered species, which are on the IUCN Red List, Sarawak protected plants, or both. On the other hand, the forest size structure differed between disturbed and intact CRFs, with the disturbed CRFs consisting of relatively smaller trees. Although the beta diversity among CRFs was also high, we found a high contribution of species replacement (turnover), but not of richness difference, in the total beta diversity. This suggests that all CRFs have a conservation value for restoring the overall regional biodiversity. Therefore, for maintaining the regional species diversity and endangered species, it would be suitable to design a conservation target into all CRFs.

An economic analysis of communal goat production

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P.J. Sebei

2004-06-01

Full Text Available The economic impact of different extension messages used was calculated using enterprise budgeting (gross margin analysis. Input data were gleaned from the literature, from participatory appraisals, as well as a field study, spanning 12 months, of small-scalecommunal goat farming systems in Jericho in the Odi District of NorthWest Province. The number of offspring weaned per annum, as a proportion of does owned, was selected as the desired output for analysis. This study has shown that small-scale communal goat farmers are not adopting or implementing extension messages to improve production capacity. In south Africa the majority of goats are slaughtered in the informal sector. If the informal sector is to be persuaded to market goats commercially through formal channels, then knowledge of the economics of goat farming on communal lands should be provided. The economic aspects of extension messages are probably an important factor in determining acceptance and sustainability yet appear to be seldom investigated. The probable reason for lack of adoption of standard extension messages, which promote improved nutrition, parasite control, vaccination and treatment of goats, was economic. In other words, the so-called 'poor management practices' used by communal farmers appeared to be economically more profitable than the 'good management practices' suggested to increase production. The price of communal goats was not related to their mass. A higher level of inputs would probably have resulted in a heavier kid, however it was established that this would not have influenced the price received as a majority of the goats were slaughtered for ritual purposes where age, colour and sex were more important to the purchaser than body mass. It is standard practice in commercial farming systems to evaluate the economic benefits of all management practices before they are implemented. Production animal veterinarians use veterinary economics to compare different

A longitudinal study investigating the prevalence of Staphylococcus aureus genotype B in seasonally communal dairy herds.

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Voelk, V; Graber, H U; van den Borne, B H P; Sartori, C; Steiner, A; Bodmer, M; Haerdi-Landerer, M C

2014-07-01

Staphylococcus aureus is a major mastitis-causing pathogen. Various genotypes have been recently identified in Switzerland but Staph. aureus genotype B (GTB) was the only genotype associated with high within-herd prevalence. The risk of introducing this Staph. aureus genotype into a herd may be increased by frequent animal movements. This may also be the case when cows from different herds of origin are commingled and share their milking equipment for a limited period of time. The aim of the present study was to determine the prevalence of Staph. aureus GTB in seasonally communal dairy herds before and after a summer period when dairy farming is characterized by mixing cows from different herds of origin in 1 communal operation. In addition, the environment was investigated to identify potential Staph. aureus GTB reservoirs relevant for transmission of the disease. A total of 829 cows from 110 herds of origin in 9 communal operations were included in the study. Composite milk samples were collected from all cows during the first or second milking after arrival at the communal operation and again shortly before the end of the season. Swab samples from the environment, involved personnel, and herding dogs present were collected before the cows arrived. At the end of the season, sampling of personnel was repeated. All samples were analyzed for the presence of Staph. aureus GTB using an established quantitative PCR. At the beginning of the season, Staph. aureus GTB-positive cows were identified in 7 out of 9 communal operations and the within-communal operation prevalence ranged from 2.2 to 38.9%. At the second sampling, all communal operations were Staph. aureus GTB positive, showing within-communal operation prevalence from 1 to 72.1%. The between-herd of origin prevalence increased from 27.3 to 56.6% and the cow-level prevalence increased from 11.2% at the beginning of the season to 29.6% at the end of the season. On 3 different communal operations, Staph. aureus

Self-Esteem, Perceived Control and Communal Relationship ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

This study attempted to determine whether self-esteem, perceived control and communal relationship strength would predict emotional distress in Nigerian university students. 148 students from a Christian university and 158 students from a Secular university responded to measures of the variables listed above.

The Use of Refuges by Communally Housed Cats

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Adriana Sicuto de Oliveira

2015-04-01

Full Text Available The increase of domestic animals kept in shelters highlights the need to ensure animal welfare. Environmental enrichment can improve animal welfare in many ways, such as encouraging captive animals to use all the space available to them. The effects of physical environmental enrichment on the spatial distribution and behavioral repertoire of 35 neutered domestic cats housed communally were analyzed. The provision of boxes in the environment increases the use of available space by the cats. We suggest this improves the cats’ welfare while in communally-housed rescue shelters. The frequencies of active and especially inactive behaviors also increased in the enriched condition. In a test with vertical environmental enrichment, the animals showed an increased length of stay in refuges located at a height of 0.5 m compared to those on the ground (0.0 m. However, the entry frequency was higher in refuges at 0.0 m. Both horizontal and vertical environmental enrichment increased the use of available space, demonstrating that box refuges as enrichment are effective in providing a refuge when at a height, or a place to explore at ground level. We suggest it enhances the welfare of cats in communally housed shelters. This information adds to the body of evidence relating to cat enrichment and can be useful in designing cat housing in veterinary clinics, research laboratories, shelters and domestic homes.

The Relational Value of Professional Dialogue for Academics Pursuing HEA Fellowship

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Asghar, Mandy; Pilkington, Ruth

2018-01-01

The question of how academics in higher education institutions demonstrate they have the ability to teach and provide a high quality learning experience challenges the sector. Within this context, the use of professional dialogue for recognising teaching expertise is growing. This qualitative research explored how 16 academics valued their…

A longitudinal study on transmission of Staphylococcus aureus genotype B in Swiss communal dairy herds.

Science.gov (United States)

van den Borne, Bart H P; Graber, Hans U; Voelk, Verena; Sartori, Carlotta; Steiner, Adrian; Haerdi-Landerer, M Christina; Bodmer, Michèle

2017-01-01

Staphylococcus aureus is a common mastitis causing pathogen of dairy cattle. Several S. aureus genotypes exist, of which genotype B (GTB) is highly prevalent in Swiss dairy herds. Dairy farming in mountainous regions of Switzerland is characterised by the movement of dairy cattle to communal pasture-based operations at higher altitudes. Cows from different herds of origin share pastures and milking equipment for a period of 2 to 3 months during summer. The aim of this longitudinal observational study was to quantify transmission of S. aureus GTB in communal dairy operations. Cows (n=551) belonging to 7 communal operations were sampled at the beginning and end of the communal period. Transmission parameter β was estimated using a Susceptible-Infectious-Susceptible (SIS) model. The basic reproduction ratio R 0 was subsequently derived using previously published information about the duration of infection. Mean transmission parameter β was estimated to be 0.0232 (95% CI: 0.0197-0.0274). R 0 was 2.6 (95% CI: 2.2-3.0), indicating that S. aureus GTB is capable of causing major outbreaks in Swiss communal dairy operations. This study emphasized the contagious behaviour of S. aureus GTB. Mastitis management in communal dairy operations should be optimized to reduce S. aureus GTB transmission between cows and back to their herds of origin. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Agentic and communal narcissism and satisfaction with life: The mediating role of psychological entitlement and self-esteem.

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Żemojtel-Piotrowska, Magdalena A; Piotrowski, Jarosław P; Maltby, John

2017-10-01

This study examined the mediational role of self-esteem (as an enhancement) and psychological entitlement (as a cost) in the relationship between an agentic-communal model of grandiose narcissism and satisfaction with life. Two hundred and forty-eight university undergraduate students completed measures of agentic and communal narcissism, self-esteem, psychological entitlement and satisfaction with life. The findings suggest that there is support for the usefulness of the agentic-communal model of narcissism, and, consistent with predictions in the wider literature, self-esteem and psychological entitlement mediated the relationship between agentic-communal narcissism and life satisfaction. © 2015 International Union of Psychological Science.

Academic Library Administrators Perceive Value in Their Librarians’ Research

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Elaine Sullo

2014-09-01

Full Text Available A Review of: Perkins, G.H. & Slowik, A.J.W. (2013. The value of research in academic libraries. College & Research Libraries, 74(2, 143-158. Retrieved from http://crl.acrl.org/content/74/2/143.full.pdf+html Abstract Objective – To explore academic library administrators’ perceived value of their librarians’ research, specifically the importance to the profession and the library community. Design – Qualitative, exploratory study using a survey questionnaire. Setting – Academic libraries in the United States of America. Subjects – 23 library administrators. Methods – During the summer of 2010, one of the authors conducted 20-30 minute telephone interviews with 23 academic library administrators. Interviews were recorded and transcribed for coding. Interview questions 1-3 and 8-19 were content-analyzed; the authors described common themes for each of these questions. Items 4-7 had Likert scale response formats, and a mean and standard deviation were computed for each of these items. Main Results – The benefits of librarians’ research included fulfilling tenure-track requirements, enriching relationships with teaching faculty, library faculty recognition, improved services and programs, collaboration with others, research result application to daily issues, development as librarians, and improved knowledge of the research field. The perceived current changes and future issues for university libraries included increased digitization of collections, scholarly communication, and expanded instructional engagement of faculty and students, as well as future economic downturn and budget cuts. Administrators noted several methods that influenced their thinking: professional meetings, reading professional journals, informal discussions with colleagues, and social media such as Facebook and Twitter. Academic library administrators used a variety of methods to support their librarians’ research. These included tenure-track requirements

Ethnicity, Communal Relations, and Education in Malaysia.

Science.gov (United States)

Sharma, C. L.

Communal life in Malaysia is characterized by discords, tensions, and strife, especially between the Malays and Chinese. By and large, Malays are educationally and economically backward in comparison to non-Malays. Malays seek to redress what they consider racial imbalances through use of their political power. Constitutionally, certain privileges…

Environmental accounting on a communal level: A tool to support environmental management and decision-making by communal executives.

Science.gov (United States)

Kröger, G; Pietsch, J; Ufermann, K

1999-01-01

Starting from an ecological perspective of urban-industrial areas, environmental accounting is used to analyse and to evaluate which environmental impacts are the result of communal activities (e.g. the results of different kinds of water supply systems). Therefore, the anthropogenic fluxes, the changing quality of areas as well as the processes between the environmental fields are taken into account. The approach is based on methodical elements of te Life Cycle Analysis and the Environmental Impact Assessment. Looking at the 'urban systems' within the communal activities, 'ecological modelling' gives us a new and fuller picture of the spatial and temporal character of urban metabolism. The approach supports the perception of cumulative effects and the postponement of environmental problems and opens new horizons for process-oriented environmental planning within the community. Greater efficiency and a decrease in costs can be arrived at by leaving 'end of the pipe' strategies; opportunities for a better planning process and measures for different individuals and organisations can be drawn up. A data base which acts as a 'support system' implements the computer-aided approach to environmental accounting.

Indigenous knowledge and communal conflict resolution: Evidence ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

This paper discusses an experience of relying on indigenous knowledge to resolve a communal conflict between two Nigerian local communities. The authors were working in one of the communities when conflict erupted, and had to initiate moves to restore peace and normality. They relied largely on information on the ...

The Impact of Values Education on School Ambience and Academic Diligence

Science.gov (United States)

Lovat, Terence; Clement, Neville; Dally, Kerry; Toomey, Ron

2011-01-01

The article will focus on demonstrating the effects of values education on enhancing students' academic diligence through the more positive ambience it creates in the school. Evidence will be drawn from international studies but principally from the Australian Government's Values Education Program and, especially from the "Values Education…

Distinguishing communal narcissism from agentic narcissism: a behavior genetics analysis on the agency-communion model of narcissism

OpenAIRE

Luo, Y.L.L; Cai, H.; Sedikides, C.; Song, H.

2014-01-01

This article examined the genetic and environmental bases of the newly proposed agency–communion model of narcissism. The model distinguishes between agentic narcissism and communal narcissism. The sample comprised 304 pairs of twins. Genes explained 47% and 25% of the variance in agentic and communal narcissism, respectively; shared environments contributed 0% and 15%, respectively, to agentic and communal narcissism, with non-shared environments accounting for the remaining portions. Althou...

Complementary benefits of tourism and hunting to communal conservancies in Namibia.

Science.gov (United States)

Naidoo, Robin; Weaver, L Chris; Diggle, Richard W; Matongo, Greenwell; Stuart-Hill, Greg; Thouless, Chris

2016-06-01

Tourism and hunting both generate substantial revenues for communities and private operators in Africa, but few studies have quantitatively examined the trade-offs and synergies that may result from these two activities. We evaluated financial and in-kind benefit streams from tourism and hunting on 77 communal conservancies in Namibia from 1998 to 2013, where community-based wildlife conservation has been promoted as a land-use that complements traditional subsistence agriculture. We used data collected annually for all communal conservancies to characterize whether benefits were derived from hunting or tourism. We classified these benefits into 3 broad classes and examined how benefits flowed to stakeholders within communities under the status quo and under a simulated ban on hunting. Across all conservancies, total benefits from hunting and tourism increased at roughly the same rate, although conservancies typically started generating benefits from hunting within 3 years of formation as opposed to after 6 years for tourism. Disaggregation of data revealed that the main benefits from hunting were income for conservancy management and food in the form of meat for the community at large. The majority of tourism benefits were salaried jobs at lodges. A simulated ban on trophy hunting significantly reduced the number of conservancies that could cover their operating costs, whereas eliminating income from tourism did not have as severe an effect. Given that the benefits generated from hunting and tourism typically begin at different times in a conservancy's life-span (earlier vs. later, respectively) and flow to different segments of local communities, these 2 activities together may provide the greatest incentives for conservation on communal lands in Namibia. A singular focus on either hunting or tourism would reduce the value of wildlife as a competitive land-use option and have grave repercussions for the viability of community-based conservation efforts in Namibia

Communal orientation and the burnout syndrome among nurses

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Van Yperen, N.W.; Buunk, Abraham P.; Schaufeli, Wilmar B.

1992-01-01

In the present study, burnout symptoms (emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and reduced personal accomplishment) were hypothesized to occur among male and female nurses who are low in communal orientation and feel they invest more in their relationships with patients than they receive in

THE HOUSING AND COMMUNAL SPHERE AS THE MAIN INDICATOR OF QUALITY OF LIFE CHANGES

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Leyla Borisovna Leonova

2016-02-01

Full Text Available The article describes the historical experience of the management of the housing and communal sector in Russia, which shows that the state has always paid a lot of attention to this sphere.The article also provides an international experience of management in the apartment buildings (AB and the main foreign models of management in communal sphere. This experience of management in the AB is very important and interesting for Russia, because almost 85% of the population live in such houses.The authors examine the market fundamental principals in the housing and communal sector and the inability of their realization in the current economic situation in Russia.The authors believe that the main approach taken in the early 1990-s, namely the formation of market relations, will not allow the communal sphere to come for the forefront economic row, either to improve the quality of life of the Russian population or to increase its reproduction.For the population of the country, where the poor can be attributed about 85%, and who lives in a cold climate (60% of Russian territory is above the Arctic Circle, the housing and communal sphere– is the sphere of survive.

Positive effects of communal coping in the aftermath of a collective trauma: The case of the 2010 Chilean earthquake

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Anna Wlodarczyk

2016-06-01

Full Text Available A cross-sectional study examines the relationship between participation in secular demonstrations, spiritual rituals, and communal coping, as well as the question whether these strategies might serve as triggers of post-traumatic growth, and enhance social well-being. A communal coping scale, showing satisfactory structural validity, was administered to a quasi-random sample (N = 517 of people affected by an earthquake in Chile in 2010. The results indicated that adaptive forms, such as communal reappraisal, regulated emotional expression, communal distraction, and communal searching for social support, were associated with social well-being (SWB and post-traumatic growth (PTG. Participation in spiritual rituals was specifically related to communal reappraisal and contributed to post-traumatic growth. On the other hand, participation in secular collective gatherings also reinforced post-traumatic growth, as well as social well-being, but not through communal reappraisal. Overall, this study confirmed social functions of collective ritualized activities, which through the reinforcement of in-group interaction, foster individual post-traumatic growth and social well-being of people affected by a collective trauma, like an earthquake. Results are discussed in the framework of a collective positive psychology approach on micro- and macro-social processes of coping and their implications for social well-being.

Positive effects of communal coping in the aftermath of a collective trauma: The case of the 2010 Chilean earthquake

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Anna Wlodarczyk

2016-06-01

Full Text Available A cross-sectional study examines the relationship between participation in secular demonstrations, spiritual rituals, and communal coping, as well as the question whether these strategies might serve as triggers of post-traumatic growth, and enhance social well-being. A communal coping scale, showing satisfactory structural validity, was administered to a quasi-random sample (N = 517 of people affected by an earthquake in Chile in 2010. The results indicated that adaptive forms, such as communal reappraisal, regulated emotional expression, communal distraction, and communal searching for social support, were associated with social well-being (SWB and post-traumatic growth (PTG. Participation in spiritual rituals was specifically related to communal reappraisal and contributed to post-traumatic growth. On the other hand, participation in secular collective gatherings also reinforced post-traumatic growth, as well as social well-being, but not through communal reappraisal. Overall, this study confirmed social functions of collective ritualized activities, which through the reinforcement of in-group interaction, foster individual post-traumatic growth and social well-being of people affected by a collective trauma, like an earthquake. Results are discussed in the framework of a collective positive psychology approach on micro- and macro-social processes of coping and their implications for social well-being.

Self-Efficacy, Satisfaction, and Academic Achievement: The Mediator Role of Students' Expectancy-Value Beliefs.

Science.gov (United States)

Doménech-Betoret, Fernando; Abellán-Roselló, Laura; Gómez-Artiga, Amparo

2017-01-01

Although there is considerable evidence to support the direct effects of self-efficacy beliefs on academic achievement, very few studies have explored the motivational mechanism that mediates the self-efficacy-achievement relationship, and they are necessary to understand how and why self-efficacy affects students' academic achievement. Based on a socio-cognitive perspective of motivation, this study examines the relationships among academic self-efficacy, students' expectancy-value beliefs, teaching process satisfaction, and academic achievement. Its main aim is to identify some motivational-underlying processes through which students' academic self-efficacy affects student achievement and satisfaction. Student achievement and satisfaction are two of the most important learning outcomes, and are considered key indicators of education quality. The sample comprises 797 Spanish secondary education students from 36 educational settings and three schools. The scales that referred to self-efficacy and expectancy-value beliefs were administered at the beginning of the course, while student satisfaction and achievement were measured at the end of the course. The data analysis was conducted by structural equation modeling (SEM). The results revealed that students' expectancy-value beliefs (Subject value, Process expectancy, Achievement expectancy, Cost expectancy) played a mediator role between academic self-efficacy and the achievement/satisfaction relationship. These results provided empirical evidence to better understand the mechanism that mediates self-efficacy-achievement and efficacy-course satisfaction relationships. The implications of these findings for teaching and learning in secondary education are discussed.

Self-Efficacy, Satisfaction, and Academic Achievement: The Mediator Role of Students' Expectancy-Value Beliefs

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Fernando Doménech-Betoret

2017-07-01

Full Text Available Although there is considerable evidence to support the direct effects of self-efficacy beliefs on academic achievement, very few studies have explored the motivational mechanism that mediates the self-efficacy–achievement relationship, and they are necessary to understand how and why self-efficacy affects students' academic achievement. Based on a socio-cognitive perspective of motivation, this study examines the relationships among academic self-efficacy, students' expectancy-value beliefs, teaching process satisfaction, and academic achievement. Its main aim is to identify some motivational-underlying processes through which students' academic self-efficacy affects student achievement and satisfaction. Student achievement and satisfaction are two of the most important learning outcomes, and are considered key indicators of education quality. The sample comprises 797 Spanish secondary education students from 36 educational settings and three schools. The scales that referred to self-efficacy and expectancy-value beliefs were administered at the beginning of the course, while student satisfaction and achievement were measured at the end of the course. The data analysis was conducted by structural equation modeling (SEM. The results revealed that students' expectancy-value beliefs (Subject value, Process expectancy, Achievement expectancy, Cost expectancy played a mediator role between academic self-efficacy and the achievement/satisfaction relationship. These results provided empirical evidence to better understand the mechanism that mediates self-efficacy–achievement and efficacy–course satisfaction relationships. The implications of these findings for teaching and learning in secondary education are discussed.

DEVELOPMENT OF PUBLIC (MUNICIPAL MANAGEMENT OF THE SPHERE OF HOUSING AND COMMUNAL SERVICES: PROBLEMS AND PROSPECTS

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G. G. Kuznetsova

2011-01-01

Full Text Available The state, municipality, population and entrepreneurship interrelation mechanism is far from being perfect in Russian housing and communal services industry. The problem may be solved provided interests of all the above participants of the industry are balanced. Most reasonable is to provide for parallel functioning of the market and governmental and municipal bodies, all of them acting in accordance with respective legal norms. More power should be given to municipalities who are non-governmental local public self-management bodies formed to provide for proper living conditions topopulation within certain territory by asserting priority interests common for this population. Negative consequences of the monopoly status of suppliers and providers of communal services should be eradicated. Transition from the monopolistic and closed communal services market to that open and competitive should become general strategy of Russian housing and communal services industry development.

Subordinating Timor: Central authority and the origins of communal identities in East Timor

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Douglas Kammen

2010-09-01

Full Text Available In 2006, a mere seven years after the overwhelming vote in opposition to Indonesia's final offer of 'broad autonomy' and only four years after the restoration of independence, communal violence erupted in Dili, the capital of East Timor. This violence was framed in terms of tensions between westerners, known as kaladi, and easterners, known as firaku. This essay seeks to answer two basic puzzles. First, what are the origins of these communal labels? Second, why did these terms resonate so profoundly within East Timorese society so soon after independence? Tracing the history of these terms, this essay argues that across more than three centuries these communal labels have emerged during crucial struggles to exert central authority. In doing so, this essay highlights the relationship between regional identities and the social ecology of food.

Protected area coverage of threatened vertebrates and ecoregions in Peru: Comparison of communal, private and state reserves.

Science.gov (United States)

Shanee, Sam; Shanee, Noga; Monteferri, Bruno; Allgas, Nestor; Alarcon Pardo, Alejandro; Horwich, Robert H

2017-11-01

Protected areas (PAs) are a conservation mainstay and arguably the most effective conservation strategy for species protection. As a 'megadiverse' country, Peru is a priority for conservation actions. Peruvian legislation allows for the creation of state PAs and private/communal PAs. Using publicly available species distribution and protected area data sets we evaluated the coverage of Threatened terrestrial vertebrate species distributions and ecoregions provided by both kinds of PA in Peru. Peru's state PA system covers 217,879 km 2 and private/communal PAs cover 16,588 km 2 . Of the 462 species of Threatened and Data Deficient species we evaluated, 75% had distributions that overlapped with at least one PA but only 53% had ≥10% of their distributions within PAs, with inclusion much reduced at higher coverage targets. Of the species we evaluated, 118 species are only found in national PAs and 29 species only found in private/communal PAs. Of the 17 terrestrial ecoregions found in Peru all are represented in PAs; the national PA system included coverage of 16 and private/communal PAs protect 13. One ecoregion is only protected in private/communal PAs, whereas four are only covered in national PAs. Our results show the important role private/communal PAs can play in the protection of ecological diversity. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Voluntary and involuntary emotional memory following an analogue traumatic stressor: the differential effects of communality in men and women.

Science.gov (United States)

Kamboj, Sunjeev K; Oldfield, Lucy; Loewenberger, Alana; Das, Ravi K; Bisby, James; Brewin, Chris R

2014-12-01

Men and women show differences in performance on emotional processing tasks. Sex also interacts with personality traits to affect information processing. Here we examine effects of sex, and two personality traits that are differentially expressed in men and women - instrumentality and communality - on voluntary and involuntary memory for distressing video-footage. On session one, participants (n = 39 men; 40 women) completed the Bem Sex-Role Inventory, which assesses communal and instrumental traits. After viewing film-footage of death/serious injury, participants recorded daily involuntary memories (intrusions) relating to the footage on an online diary for seven days, returning on day eight for a second session to perform a voluntary memory task relating to the film. Communality interacted with sex such that men with higher levels of communality reported more frequent involuntary memories. Alternatively, a communality × sex interaction reflected a tendency for women with high levels of communality to perform more poorly on the voluntary recognition memory task. The study involved healthy volunteers with no history of significant psychological disorder. Future research with clinical populations will help to determine the generalizability of the current findings. Communality has separate effects on voluntary and involuntary emotional memory. We suggest that high levels of communality in men and women may confer vulnerability to the negative effects of stressful events either through the over-encoding of sensory/perceptual-information in men or the reduced encoding of contextualised, verbally-based, voluntarily accessible representations in women. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

When giving feels good. The intrinsic benefits of sacrifice in romantic relationships for the communally motivated.

Science.gov (United States)

Kogan, Aleksandr; Impett, Emily A; Oveis, Christopher; Hui, Bryant; Gordon, Amie M; Keltner, Dacher

2010-12-01

Who benefits most from making sacrifices for others? The current study provides one answer to this question by demonstrating the intrinsic benefits of sacrifice for people who are highly motivated to respond to a specific romantic partner's needs noncontingently, a phenomenon termed communal strength. In a 14-day daily-experience study of 69 romantic couples, communal strength was positively associated with positive emotions during the sacrifice itself, with feeling appreciated by the partner for the sacrifice, and with feelings of relationship satisfaction on the day of the sacrifice. Furthermore, feelings of authenticity for the sacrifice mediated these associations. Several alternative hypotheses were ruled out: The effects were not due to individuals higher in communal strength making qualitatively different kinds of sacrifices, being more positive in general, or being involved in happier relationships. Implications for research and theory on communal relationships and positive emotions are discussed.

Adaptive management for complex communal rangelands in South ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Many of the intransigent problems facing the world arise in complex systems. In this paper, I propose that communal rangelands in South Africa be recognised as complex social–ecological systems and that one of the reasons that development initiatives have had little impact on improving livelihoods and rangeland ...

Wildlife or livestock? New directions for developing communal ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

The paper agrees with three fundamental points raised by Vetter (in this issue), whilst highlighting an emerging trend in wildlife land use, which should be considered in policy making. Firstly, the paper supports the argument that communal rangelands are important as objects of biodiversity conservation and, secondly, the ...

Broad themes of difference between French and Americans in attitudes to food and other life domains: Personal versus communal values, quantity versus quality, and comforts versus joys

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Paul eRozin

2011-07-01

Full Text Available Analysis of previous literature on the role of food in life in France and the United States suggests some fundamental differences in attitudes which may generalize outside of the food domain. Questionnaire results from French and American adults suggest that, compared to the French, Americans emphasize quantity rather than quality in making choices, Americans have a higher preference for variety, and Americans usually prefer comforts (things that make life easier over joys (unique things that make life interesting. The American preference for quantity over quality is discussed in terms of the American focus on abundance as opposed to the French preference for moderation. The American preference for variety is reflective of Americans’ more personal as opposed to communal food and other values.

Broad Themes of Difference between French and Americans in Attitudes to Food and Other Life Domains: Personal Versus Communal Values, Quantity Versus Quality, and Comforts Versus Joys.

Science.gov (United States)

Rozin, Paul; Remick, Abigail K; Fischler, Claude

2011-01-01

Analysis of previous literature on the role of food in life in France and the United States suggests some fundamental differences in attitudes which may generalize outside of the food domain. Questionnaire results from French and American adults suggest that, compared to the French, Americans emphasize quantity rather than quality in making choices, Americans have a higher preference for variety, and Americans usually prefer comforts (things that make life easier) over joys (unique things that make life interesting). The American preference for quantity over quality is discussed in terms of the American focus on abundance as opposed to the French preference for moderation. The American preference for variety is reflective of Americans' more personal as opposed to communal food and other values.

African communal basis for autonomy and life choices.

Science.gov (United States)

Ikuenobe, Polycarp

2017-09-05

I argue that the metaphysical capacity of autonomy is not intrinsically valuable; it is valuable only when used in relation to a community's values and instrumentally for making the proper choices that will promote one's own and the community's well-being. I use the example of the choice to take one's life by suicide to illuminate this view. I articulate a plausible African conception of personhood as a basis for the idea of relational autonomy. I argue that this conception is better understood as a social-moral thesis, and not a metaphysical thesis. A metaphysical thesis gives an account of the abstract nature of an atomic individual, his agency, and rational choice. The social-moral thesis indicates that personhood and autonomy are positive and relational to the life plans, well-being, material conditions, and the best means for achieving them that are made available and possible by harmonious living in a community. This idea of autonomy is not just having the capacity of freewill; it also involves how such freewill is used, in terms of how an individual's choices are guided by internalized communal values. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Local Government Administration and Communal Clashes in Nigeria

African Journals Online (AJOL)

This paper notes that the increasing communal clashes in local areas are not caused by prevailing disputes such as land disputes, ethnic intolerance, cultural or religious extremism but persistent anomalies, inconsistencies in service delivery performance that have been continued over the years. It is quite an irony that in an ...

No evidence for punishment in communally nursing female house mice (Mus musculus domesticus).

Science.gov (United States)

Ferrari, Manuela; König, Barbara

2017-01-01

Punishment is claimed as an important mechanism to stabilise costly cooperation in humans, but its importance in social animals has been questioned recently due to both conceptual considerations and a lack of empirical evidence (only few published studies). We empirically tested whether there is evidence for punishment in communally nursing house mice (Mus musculus domesticus, direct descendants of "wild" animals). Communally breeding females pool their litters and raise all offspring together, indiscriminately caring for own and other offspring. Such a situation resembles a public good and provides scope for exploitation if females vary in their relative contributions to the joint nest (offspring number). We allowed two females to communally breed and conducted removal experiments both in the presence and absence of pups. We aimed to test whether reduced investment by one of the females (induced through separation from the partner and their combined offspring for 4 or 12 hours) leads to increased aggression by the other female after the reunion. We found no evidence for punishment, on the contrary, females increased socio-positive behaviours. The costs of losing a partner in a communally breeding species might be too high and hinder the evolution of punishment. Our findings add to a growing list of examples questioning the role of punishment in cooperating non-human animals and emphasise the importance of empirical testing of its assumptions and predictions.

Expressing pride: Effects on perceived agency, communality, and stereotype-based gender disparities.

Science.gov (United States)

Brosi, Prisca; Spörrle, Matthias; Welpe, Isabell M; Heilman, Madeline E

2016-09-01

Two experimental studies were conducted to investigate how the expression of pride shapes agency-related and communality-related judgments, and how those judgments differ when the pride expresser is a man or a woman. Results indicated that the expression of pride (as compared to the expression of happiness) had positive effects on perceptions of agency and inferences about task-oriented leadership competence, and negative effects on perceptions of communality and inferences about people-oriented leadership competence. Pride expression also elevated ascriptions of interpersonal hostility. For agency-related judgments and ascriptions of interpersonal hostility, these effects were consistently stronger when the pride expresser was a woman than a man. Moreover, the expression of pride was found to affect disparities in judgments about men and women, eliminating the stereotype-consistent differences that were evident when happiness was expressed. With a display of pride women were not seen as any more deficient in agency-related attributes and competencies, nor were they seen as any more exceptional in communality-related attributes and competencies, than were men. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved).

An Exploration into the Influence of Academic and Social Values, Procrastination, and Perceived School Belongingness on Academic Performance

Science.gov (United States)

Kennedy, Gary J.; Tuckman, Bruce W.

2013-01-01

The results of a structural equation model showed that a tendency to procrastinate, assessed early in college students' first term, was positively related to social values, assessed as concerns over social exclusion, but was negatively related to academic task values and grade goal-setting. The results suggest that procrastination may be a…

Communal and Agentic Interpersonal and Intergroup Motives Predict Preferences for Status Versus Power.

Science.gov (United States)

Locke, Kenneth D; Heller, Sonja

2017-01-01

Seven studies involving 1,343 participants showed how circumplex models of social motives can help explain individual differences in preferences for status (having others' admiration) versus power (controlling valuable resources). Studies 1 to 3 and 7 concerned interpersonal motives in workplace contexts, and found that stronger communal motives (to have mutual trust, support, and cooperation) predicted being more attracted to status (but not power) and achieving more workplace status, while stronger agentic motives (to be firm, decisive, and influential) predicted being more attracted to and achieving more workplace power, and experiencing a stronger connection between workplace power and job satisfaction. Studies 4 to 6 found similar effects for intergroup motives: Stronger communal motives predicted wanting one's ingroup (e.g., country) to have status-but not power-relative to other groups. Finally, most people preferred status over power, and this was especially true for women, which was partially explained by women having stronger communal motives.

Changes in the value chain of scientific information: economic consequences for academic institutions

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Roosendaal, Hans E.; Huibers, Theo W.C.; Geurts, Petrus A.T.M.; van der Vet, P.E.

2003-01-01

The economic impact of information and communication technology (ICT) on the academic library and on the academic institution are discussed in terms of changes in the value chain of scientific information induced by the use of ICT. Argues that ICT is a very strong engine for change as it has the

Multiple strategies for resilient livelihoods in communal areas of ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

The cash and non-cash benefits derived from livestock, as well as the wide range of secondary resources harvested from communal rangelands, make an important contribution to livelihood diversification and, hence, resilience. Rural development policy should therefore not focus narrowly on commercialisation of livestock ...

Original article Agentic and communal narcissism and subjective well-being: are narcissistic individuals unhappy? A research report

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Magdalena Żemojtel-Piotrowska

2014-05-01

Full Text Available Background The communal/agentic model of narcissism is well accepted in the current research literature (Gebauer, Sedikides, Verplanken & Maio, 2012. This model could be particularly useful in examining the relation between narcissism and hedonistic and eudaimonic subjective well-being (SWB; Deci & Ryan, 2008. Participants and procedure In an effort to examine the relationship between narcissism and SWB, correlational analyses of survey responses obtained from students (n = 138 were conducted. Agentic narcissism was measured using the Narcissistic Personality Inventory (NPI; Raskin & Terry, 1988 and communal narcissism by the Communal Narcissism Inventory (CNI; Gebauer et al., 2012. Subjective well-being measures included the Satisfaction With Life Scale (SWLS; Diener, Emmons, Larsen & Griffin, 1985, Positive And Negative Affect Schedule (PANAS; Watson, Clark & Tegellen, 1988, and the Social Well-being Scale (SWBS; Keyes, 1998. Self-esteem was included in the study in order to examine the potential mediating role of self-esteem in the relationship between narcissism and subjective well-being. Results Agentic narcissism was positively related to the affective component of SWB whereas communal narcissism was positively related to the cognitive component of SWB. Both forms of narcissism were positively related to social well-being. All relationships were mediated by the participant’s self-esteem level. Conclusions The results indicate that both agentic narcissism and communal narcissism are positively related to SWB. The results are discussed in the context of the agentic/communal model of narcissism (Gebauer et al., 2012 and hedonistic/eudaimonic well-being (Deci & Ryan, 2008.

Communal Cattle in Mixteca Alta: From Colonial Times to the Twentieth Century. The Case of Tepelmeme

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Edgar Mendoza García

2002-04-01

Full Text Available This is an analysis of the political  and economic factors than allowed the keeping of a herd of goats as communal property from the  república de indios of the colonial period until municipal administrations at the beginning of the twentieth century  in the region called the Mixteca Alta. The case of Tepelmeme, Oaxaca, is the basis of an account of the economic importance of communal property in the local governments of villages and  municipios, as well of the opposition of villages to liberal laws of the nineteenth century. In short, during the colonial period and part of the nineteenth century,  communal property was the main economic support of Indian villages. Not only was this property equivalent to communal  savings kept  for  critical  moments, but  also  an  economic means  that  allowed financing public  administration and  paying for religious services. Moreover, it was a factor that gave cohesion to these villages and inserted them into a regional economy.

The evolution of institutions and rules governing communal grazing ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

This paper traces the tradition and evolution of the institutions and rules governing communal grazing lands in Botswana. It shows how the problem of resource overuse arose partly from the dismantling and delegitimization of traditional resource management institutions that occurred during the colonial period, and was ...

A description of rangeland on commercial and communal land ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Analysis of a Landsat TM image from a rangeland near Peddie, Eastern Cape, revealed differences in two vegetation indices (normalised difference vegetation index, NDVI, and moving standard deviation index, MSDI) between communal and commercial rangeland. It was suggested that the difference in the MSDI reflected ...

Evaluation of the communal Photovoltaic system with distribution nets in La Venturosa, Colombia

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Castillo C, J.J; Romero R, L.C.

1997-01-01

A communal Photovoltaic minigrid grid system had been operating for about two years in La Venturosa, a small Village located at the Easter Plains of Colombia. The Institute of Nuclear Sciences and Alternative Energies, INEA, had been evaluating this system for about a year of operation in order to measure performance, level of satisfaction in users and sustain ability of the project. The results of this evaluation concluded that the option of communal minigrid Photovoltaic systems represents a good alternative, but that the human element can affect the sustain ability for this type of projects

An Exploratory Study of Value-Added and Academic Optimism of Urban Reading Teachers

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Huff-Franklin, Clairie L.

2017-01-01

The purpose of this study is to explore the correlation between state-recorded value- added (VA) scores and academic optimism (AO) scores, which measure teacher self-efficacy, trust, and academic emphasis. The sample for this study is 87 third through eighth grade Reading teachers, from fifty-five schools, in an urban school district in Ohio who…

Communal range defence in primates as a public goods dilemma.

Science.gov (United States)

Willems, Erik P; Arseneau, T Jean M; Schleuning, Xenia; van Schaik, Carel P

2015-12-05

Classic socio-ecological theory holds that the occurrence of aggressive range defence is primarily driven by ecological incentives, most notably by the economic defendability of an area or the resources it contains. While this ecological cost-benefit framework has great explanatory power in solitary or pair-living species, comparative work on group-living primates has always found economic defendability to be a necessary, but not sufficient condition to account for the distribution of effective range defence across the taxon. This mismatch between theory and observation has recently been ascribed to a collective action problem among group members in, what is more informatively viewed as, a public goods dilemma: mounting effective defence of a communal range against intrusions by outgroup conspecifics. We here further develop this framework, and report on analyses at three levels of biological organization: across species, across populations within a single lineage and across groups and individuals within a single population. We find that communal range defence in primates very rarely involves collective action sensu stricto and that it is best interpreted as the outcome of opportunistic and strategic individual-level decisions. Whether the public good of a defended communal range is produced by solitary, joint or collective action is thus the outcome of the interplay between the unique characteristics of each individual, local and current socio-ecological conditions, and fundamental life-history traits of the species. © 2015 The Author(s).

The rise and fall of communal responsibility in ancient law

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Parisi, F.; Dari-Mattiacci, G.; Miller, G.P.

2010-01-01

In ancient societies, rules of communal responsibility permitted the imposition of retaliatory sanctions on a wrongdoer's clan. These rules followed the collective ownership structure of early communities. Over time, notions of personal responsibility emerged, terminating the transfer of

Academic Freedom: Its Nature, Extent and Value

Science.gov (United States)

Barrow, Robin

2009-01-01

Academic freedom does not refer to freedom to engage in any speech act, but to freedom to hold any belief and espouse it in an appropriately academic manner. This freedom belongs to certain institutions, rather than to individuals, because of their academic nature. Academic freedom should be absolute, regardless of any offence it may on occasion…

Conjugative plasmids: Vessels of the communal gene pool

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Norman, Anders; Hansen, Lars H.; Sørensen, Søren Johannes

2009-01-01

to the hosts and, potentially, other resident prokaryotes within specific environmental niches. Insight into the evolution of plasmid modules therefore contributes to our knowledge of gene dissemination and evolution within prokaryotic communities. This communal pool provides the prokaryotes with an important...... mechanistic framework for obtaining adaptability and functional diversity that alleviates the need for large genomes of specialized ‘private genes'....

Sleeping Out of Home in a Kibbutz Communal Arrangement: It Makes a Difference for Infant-Mother Attachment.

Science.gov (United States)

Sagi, Abraham; And Others

1994-01-01

Compared the attachment classification distributions of 23 infants in Israeli kibbutzim with communal sleeping arrangements with those of 25 infants in kibbutzim with home-based sleeping arrangements. Among the home-based infants, 80% were securely attached to their mothers versus only 48% of the infants in communal sleeping arrangements. (MDM)

A Goal Congruity Model of Role Entry, Engagement, and Exit: Understanding Communal Goal Processes in STEM Gender Gaps.

Science.gov (United States)

Diekman, Amanda B; Steinberg, Mia; Brown, Elizabeth R; Belanger, Aimee L; Clark, Emily K

2017-05-01

The goal congruity perspective provides a theoretical framework to understand how motivational processes influence and are influenced by social roles. In particular, we invoke this framework to understand communal goal processes as proximal motivators of decisions to engage in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). STEM fields are not perceived as affording communal opportunities to work with or help others, and understanding these perceived goal affordances can inform knowledge about differences between (a) STEM and other career pathways and (b) women's and men's choices. We review the patterning of gender disparities in STEM that leads to a focus on communal goal congruity (Part I), provide evidence for the foundational logic of the perspective (Part II), and explore the implications for research and policy (Part III). Understanding and transmitting the opportunities for communal goal pursuit within STEM can reap widespread benefits for broadening and deepening participation.

aspirations and needs of farmers on communal grazing areas in the ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

lynette

The study evaluated the needs and aspirations of farmers in communal or commonage ..... Improve the involvement of women, youth and people with disabilities; ... towards self-reliance and economically and environmentally sound practices.

Competitiveness of peat briquets compared with other types of solid communal household fuel

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Dem' yanov, Ye S; Dayen, Ye I

1979-01-01

Approximately 20% solid, boiler furnace fuel, the greater part of which is coal, is presently used in communal-househould sector of the national economy of the country. However, the limited quantity of high grade coal, which leads to deliveries of coal with an increased fines content to the communal and domestic sector, as well as a significant sulfur content in it (3-6%) justified an examination of the conditions in which the portion of the demand for communal and domestic needs can be increased, primarily in the European part of the USSR, in the peat briquets. Both the low content of sulfur in them (approximately 0.3%), as well as the high useful utilization factor of the briquets with burning (approximately 81.7%) speak in favor of an expansion in the use of peat briquets. An important feature in increasing the competitiveness of the peat briquets is a reduction in the cost of their production. So that the peat briquets could compare in realization conditions with, for instance, Donetsk coal, the coast of 1 t of briquets at peat briquet factories must not exceed 11 ruble, 32 kopeks. The Moscow branch of VNIITP is developing an economic and mathematical model of the distribution of solid fuel to communal domestic needs in a region of the country. The model is designed for computer calculation of the optimal variants of providing the population with fuel which makes it possible to reduce expenditures on transport, to reduce the costs of domestic organizations and to increase profits, depending on the optimization criterion used.

Misconception p value among Chilean and Italian academic psychologists

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Laura Badenes-Ribera

2016-08-01

Full Text Available The p value misconceptions are based on certain beliefs and attributions about the significance of the results. Thus, they affect the professionals’ decisions and jeopardize the quality of interventions and the accumulation of valid scientific knowledge. We conducted a survey on 164 academic psychologists (134 Italians, 30 Chileans, questioned on this topic. Our findings are consistent with original research and suggest that some participants do not know how to correctly interpret p values. The inverse probability fallacy presents the greatest comprehension problems, followed by the replication fallacy. These results highlight the importance of the statistical re-education of researchers. Recommendations for improving statistical cognition are proposed.

Organisational Culture and Values and the Adaptation of Academic Units in Australian Universities

Science.gov (United States)

de Zilwa, Deanna

2007-01-01

This study explores connections between the organisational culture and values of academic units in Australian universities and their efforts to adapt to external environmental pressures. It integrates empirical findings from case studies with theories of organisational culture and values and adaptation. It identifies seven dimensions of academic…

A Survey of Current Valued Academic Leadership Qualities in Nursing.

Science.gov (United States)

Delgado, Cheryl; Mitchell, Maureen M

2016-01-01

An informal survey was used to identify nurse faculty leadership qualities currently valued and relevant. The accelerating retirement rate for seasoned leaders has created a need for nurse educators and academic leaders. Our school was concerned that we were not meeting students' needs for today's leadership challenges. We were also interested in the experiences of leadership preparation. This was a cross-sectional, online survey of faculty at top nursing schools as determined by US News & World Report. The top leadership qualities identified were integrity, communication clarity, and problem-solving ability. Current challenges for leaders were finding qualified faculty, obtaining resources, and team building. The results may guide curricular adjustments and the transition to a new generation of nurse academic leaders.

Patenting and licensing of university research: promoting innovation or undermining academic values?

Science.gov (United States)

Sterckx, Sigrid

2011-03-01

Since the 1980s in the US and the 1990s in Europe, patenting and licensing activities by universities have massively increased. This is strongly encouraged by governments throughout the Western world. Many regard academic patenting as essential to achieve 'knowledge transfer' from academia to industry. This trend has far-reaching consequences for access to the fruits of academic research and so the question arises whether the current policies are indeed promoting innovation or whether they are instead a symptom of a pro-intellectual property (IP) culture which is blind to adverse effects. Addressing this question requires both empirical analysis (how real is the link between academic patenting and licensing and 'development' of academic research by industry?) and normative assessment (which justifications are given for the current policies and to what extent do they threaten important academic values?). After illustrating the major rise of academic patenting and licensing in the US and Europe and commenting on the increasing trend of 'upstream' patenting and the focus on exclusive as opposed to non-exclusive licences, this paper will discuss five negative effects of these trends. Subsequently, the question as to why policymakers seem to ignore these adverse effects will be addressed. Finally, a number of proposals for improving university policies will be made.

Academic Procrastination in Linking Motivation and Achievement-Related Behaviours: A Perspective of Expectancy-Value Theory

Science.gov (United States)

Wu, Fan; Fan, Weihua

2017-01-01

The objective of the present study was to investigate the relationships among college students' achievement motivation (subjective task value and academic self-efficacy), academic procrastination (delay and missing deadlines) and achievement-related behaviours (effort and persistence). More specifically, the study investigated the mediating role…

Social significance of communal dining in Etruscan Italy from the seventh to the fourth century BC: an iconographical approach

OpenAIRE

Geissler, Sabine

2012-01-01

Imagery relating to communal dining or banqueting in ancient Etruria is relatively abundant and provides a useful source of potential information about the workings of Etruscan society, not least because of the semantic value of banquet scenes. The conduct of eating and drinking in company generally reflects patterns of social behavior, governed by local traditions, rules, ritual, beliefs and ideology embedded in society. In addition, banqueting or feasting may be closely inter...

Joint care can outweigh costs of nonkin competition in communal breeders

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Bebbington, Kat; Fairfield, Eleanor A; Spurgin, Lewis G.; Kingma, Sjouke A.; Dugdale, Hannah; Komdeur, Jan; Richardson, David

Competition between offspring can greatly influence offspring fitness and parental investment decisions, especially in communal breeders where unrelated competitors have less incentive to concede resources. Given the potential for escalated conflict, it remains unclear what mechanisms facilitate the

Joint care can outweigh costs of nonkin competition in communal breeders

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Bebbington, Kat; Fairfield, Eleanor A.; Spurgin, Lewis G.; Kingma, Sjouke A.; Dugdale, Hannah; Komdeur, Jan; Richardson, David S.

2018-01-01

Competition between offspring can greatly influence offspring fitness and parental investment decisions, especially in communal breeders where unrelated competitors have less incentive to concede resources. Given the potential for escalated conflict, it remains unclear what mechanisms facilitate the

Maintaining warm, trusting relationships with brands: increased temperature perceptions after thinking of communal brands.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hans IJzerman

Full Text Available Classical theories on interpersonal relations have long suggested that social interactions are influenced by sensation, such as the experience of warmth. Past empirical work now confirms that perceived differences in temperature impact how people form thoughts about relationships. The present work first integrates our knowledge database on brand research with this idea of "grounded social cognition". It then leverages a large sample (total N = 2,552 toward elucidating links between estimates of temperature and positive versus negative evaluations of communal brands. In five studies, the authors have found that thinking about positively (vs. negatively perceived communal brands leads to heightened temperature estimates. A meta-analysis of the five studies shows a small but consistent effect in this noisy environment, r = .11, 95% CI, .05, .18. Exploratory analyses in Studies 1a and b further suggest that temperature perceptions mediate the (significant relationship between perceived communality and willingness to purchase from the brand. The authors discuss implications for theory and practice and consider the effects from a Social Baseline Perspective.

Maintaining warm, trusting relationships with brands: increased temperature perceptions after thinking of communal brands.

Science.gov (United States)

IJzerman, Hans; Janssen, Janneke A; Coan, James A

2015-01-01

Classical theories on interpersonal relations have long suggested that social interactions are influenced by sensation, such as the experience of warmth. Past empirical work now confirms that perceived differences in temperature impact how people form thoughts about relationships. The present work first integrates our knowledge database on brand research with this idea of "grounded social cognition". It then leverages a large sample (total N = 2,552) toward elucidating links between estimates of temperature and positive versus negative evaluations of communal brands. In five studies, the authors have found that thinking about positively (vs. negatively) perceived communal brands leads to heightened temperature estimates. A meta-analysis of the five studies shows a small but consistent effect in this noisy environment, r = .11, 95% CI, .05, .18. Exploratory analyses in Studies 1a and b further suggest that temperature perceptions mediate the (significant) relationship between perceived communality and willingness to purchase from the brand. The authors discuss implications for theory and practice and consider the effects from a Social Baseline Perspective.

"Innovation" institutes in academic health centers: enhancing value through leadership, education, engagement, and scholarship.

Science.gov (United States)

Pines, Jesse M; Farmer, Steven A; Akman, Jeffrey S

2014-09-01

In the next decade, the biggest change in medicine in the United States will be the organizational transformation of the delivery system. Organizations-including academic health centers-able to achieve better outcomes for less will be the financial winners as new payment models become more prevalent. For medical educators, the question is how to prepare the next generation of physicians for these changes. One solution is the development of new "innovation" or "value" institutes. Around the nation, many of these new institutes are focused on surmounting barriers to value-based care in academic health centers, educating faculty, house staff, and medical students in discussions of cost-conscious care. Innovation institutes can also lead discussions about how value-based care may impact education in environments where there may be less autonomy and more standardization. Quality metrics will play a larger role at academic health centers as metrics focus more on outcomes than processes. Optimizing outcomes will require that medical educators both learn and teach the principles of patient safety and quality improvement. Innovation institutes can also facilitate cross-institutional discussions to compare data on utilization and outcomes, and share best practices that maximize value. Another barrier to cost-conscious care is defensive medicine, which is highly engrained in U.S. medicine and culture. Innovation institutes may not be able to overcome all the barriers to making medical care more cost-conscious, but they can be critical in enabling academic health centers to optimize their teaching and research missions while remaining financially competitive.

Investigating Married Adults' Communal Coping with Genetic Health Risk and Perceived Discrimination

Science.gov (United States)

Smith, Rachel A.; Sillars, Alan; Chesnut, Ryan P.; Zhu, Xun

2017-01-01

Increased genetic testing in personalized medicine presents unique challenges for couples, including managing disease risk and potential discrimination as a couple. This study investigated couples' conflicts and support gaps as they coped with perceived genetic discrimination. We also explored the degree to which communal coping was beneficial in reducing support gaps, and ultimately stress. Dyadic analysis of married adults (N = 266, 133 couples), in which one person had the genetic risk for serious illness, showed that perceived discrimination predicted more frequent conflicts about AATD-related treatment, privacy boundaries, and finances, which, in turn, predicted wider gaps in emotion and esteem support, and greater stress for both spouses. Communal coping predicted lower support gaps for both partners and marginally lower stress. PMID:29731540

Investigating Married Adults' Communal Coping with Genetic Health Risk and Perceived Discrimination.

Science.gov (United States)

Smith, Rachel A; Sillars, Alan; Chesnut, Ryan P; Zhu, Xun

2018-01-01

Increased genetic testing in personalized medicine presents unique challenges for couples, including managing disease risk and potential discrimination as a couple. This study investigated couples' conflicts and support gaps as they coped with perceived genetic discrimination. We also explored the degree to which communal coping was beneficial in reducing support gaps, and ultimately stress. Dyadic analysis of married adults ( N = 266, 133 couples), in which one person had the genetic risk for serious illness, showed that perceived discrimination predicted more frequent conflicts about AATD-related treatment, privacy boundaries, and finances, which, in turn, predicted wider gaps in emotion and esteem support, and greater stress for both spouses. Communal coping predicted lower support gaps for both partners and marginally lower stress.

Getting along or ahead: Effects of gender identity threat on communal and agentic self-presentations.

Science.gov (United States)

Sinclair, Samantha; Carlsson, Rickard; Björklund, Fredrik

2016-10-01

When faced with a threat to gender identity, people may try to restore their gender status by acting in a more gender-typical manner. The present research investigated effects of gender identity threat on self-presentations of agentic and communal traits in a Swedish and an Argentine sample (N = 242). Under threat (vs. affirmation), Swedish women deemphasized agentic traits (d [95% CI] = -0.41 [-0.93, 0.11]), Argentine women increased their emphasis on communal traits (d = 0.44 [-0.08, 0.97]), and Argentine men increased their emphasis on agentic traits (d = 0.49 [-0.03, 1.01]). However, Swedish men did not appear to be affected by the threat regarding agentic (d = 0.04 [-0.47, 0.55]) or communal traits (d = 0.23 [-0.29, 0.74]). The findings are to be considered tentative. Implications for identity threat research are discussed. © 2016 Scandinavian Psychological Associations and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Academic Manager or Managed Academic? Academic Identity Schisms in Higher Education

Science.gov (United States)

Winter, Richard

2009-01-01

The relationship between values and academic identity has received scant attention in the higher education literature with some notable exceptions (Churchman, 2006; Harley, 2002; Henkel, 2005). This paper contends that the perceived need to align all academics around corporate values and goals has given rise to academic identity schisms in higher…

Living out our values: the legacy of Christian academic nursing leadership.

Science.gov (United States)

Coeling, Harriet V; Chiang-Hanisko, Lenny; Thompson, Mary

2011-01-01

Retired academic nursing leaders possess a rich legacy of knowledge. Using a grounded theory approach, knowledge possessed by 14 retired Christian Chairperson/Deans was explored. Two themes representing commitment to living out Christian values; and fortitude, understanding, and spiritual guidance emerged from written responses to open-ended survey questions.

Use of scanning electron microscopy to confirm the identity of lice infesting communally grazed goat herds

OpenAIRE

P.J. Sebei; C.M.E. McCrindle; E.D. Green; M.L. Turner

2004-01-01

Lice have been described on goats in commercial farming systems in South Africa but not from flocks on communal grazing. During a longitudinal survey on the causes of goat kid mortality, conducted in Jericho district, North West Province, lice were collected from communally grazed indigenous goats. These lice were prepared for and viewed by scanning electron microscopy, and micromorphological taxonomic details are described. Three species of lice were found in the study area and identif...

Study of Ethical Values and Practices in Academic Programmes at a Higher Learning Institution

Science.gov (United States)

Narayanasamy, Kogilah; Shetty, M. V.

The study on ethical values in academic programmes has attracted the attention of many researchers throughout the world especially in view of its important role today. Many academic programmes today focus on how to make profit both for the individual and the organization and on how to increase the firm`s market share and shareholders value and in the process may compromise on their ethical values and have unethical practices. Thus, this study is undertaken to evaluate the extent of integration of ethical values in the academic programmes of the higher learning operating institution involved with post graduate and higher level programs. The impact of demographics and race of the lecturer and students have been separately ascertained. The sample has been taken from one college, rated to be high in ethical values and practices, a sample of 120 students and 31 lecturers from a leading college (reputed for ethical values) have been collated and analyzed for validation of the objectives. The explanation on ethics has been done to a large extent in the study. The study also indicates the number of higher learning institutions to indicate the extent of impact if these issues are appropriately addressed. Government policy in this regard also needs to be reviewed and improved to avoid deterioration of ethical values and practices in the dynamic market place of today. This study review that, the level at which lecturers at the institutions have high ethical values and do incorporate it in their lectures and discussions in the classroom. The impact of demographic factors on the ethical values and practice of the lecturers have useful insights for academic staff recruitment and staff training. On the other hand, students` ethical values and behavior is a cause for concern to everyone as these future pillars of the nation have been found to have their ethical values and practices at low levels. The implications for the college management as to consider further emphasis on the

THE HOUSING AND COMMUNAL SPHERE AS THE MAIN INDICATOR OF QUALITY OF LIFE CHANGES

OpenAIRE

Leyla Borisovna Leonova

2016-01-01

The article describes the historical experience of the management of the housing and communal sector in Russia, which shows that the state has always paid a lot of attention to this sphere.The article also provides an international experience of management in the apartment buildings (AB) and the main foreign models of management in communal sphere. This experience of management in the AB is very important and interesting for Russia, because almost 85% of the population live in such houses.The...

Interpersonal value profiles and analysis of adolescent academic performance and social thought

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

José Jesús eGázquez

2015-05-01

Full Text Available The purposes of this study were to identify interpersonal value profiles and find out whether there were any differences in academic performance and social thinking. The study sample was 885 high school students of whom 49.8% (N=441 were boys and 50.2% (N=444 were girls. The results show that students with low Benevolence and Conformity levels showed higher prevalence of failures and repeated the year more often. Furthermore, students with a high level of Recognition and Leadership and low Conformity and Benevolence are socially incompetent students. Intervention programs should to achieve high levels of kindness and consideration, respect for rules and generosity, and diminish the perception of recognition by others and exertion of authority. Thus, this study shows the values that must be worked on to improve students’ Academic Performance and social competence.

The Notion of Ubuntu and Communalism in African Educational Discourse

Science.gov (United States)

Venter, Elza

2004-01-01

The notion of "ubuntu" and "communalism" is of great importance in an African educational discourse, as well as in African Philosophy of Education and in African philosophical discourse. "Ubuntu" is a philosophy that promotes the common good of society and includes humanness as an essential element of human growth. In…

Use of traditional veterinary medicine in Nhema communal area of ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

This study documents the use of ethno-veterinary medicine to treat livestock in Nhema communal area in the Midlands province of Zimbabwe. This study employed oral interviews and detailed discussions with 69 smallholder farmers and 3 traditional healers. The local people use 23 plant species belonging to 16 families ...

Provosts' Perceptions of Academic Library Value and Preferences for Communication: A National Study

Science.gov (United States)

Murray, Adam; Ireland, Ashley

2018-01-01

While many studies have been conducted under the auspices of calculating academic library value, there are no large-scale studies into the perceptions that college or university provosts have of library value, nor are there studies into how provosts prefer library value data to be communicated. This study addresses that gap through a national…

Women chairs in academic medicine: engendering strategic intuition

Science.gov (United States)

Isaac, Carol; Griffin, Lindsay

2017-01-01

Purpose Because stereotypically masculine behaviors are required for effective leadership, examining female chairs’ leadership in academic medicine can provide insight into the complex ways in which gender impacts on their leadership practices. The paper aims to discuss this issue. Design/methodology/approach The author interviewed three female clinical chairs and compared the findings to interviews with 28 of their faculty. Grounded theory analysis of the subsequent text gathered comprehensive, systematic, and in-depth information about this case of interest at a US top-tier academic medical center. Findings Four of five themes from the faculty were consistent with the chair’s narrative with modifications: Prior Environment (Motivated by Excellence), Tough, Direct, Transparent (Developing Trust), Communal Actions (Creating Diversity of Opinion), and Building Power through Consensus (an “Artful Exercise”) with an additional theme, the Significance (and Insignificance) of a Female Chair. While faculty members were acutely aware of the chair’s gender, the chairs paradoxically vacillated between gender being a “non-issue” and noting that male chairs “don’t do laundry.” All three female chairs in this study independently and explicitly stated that gender was not a barrier, yet intuitively used successful strategies derived from the research literature. Originality/value This study suggests that while their gender was highlighted by faculty, these women dismissed gender as a “non-issue.” The duality of gender for these three female leaders was both minimized and subtly affirmed. PMID:26045192

THE ANALYSIS OF THE CURRENT STATE OF HOUSING AND COMMUNAL SERVICES AND TARIFF POLICY IN THE REPUBLIC OF DAGHESTAN

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M. M. Shabanova

2014-01-01

Full Text Available In article the condition of housing and communal services in the Republic of Daghestan is considered, the main problems, characteristic for the present stage of development of this sphere are revealed, the priority directions of improvement of tariff policy and management of development of housing and communal services are defined. 

Innovated re-claimed communal water - Benefits and challenges

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kostandin Kristo

2018-03-01

Full Text Available The drought regarding a climate forecast in Albanian departments that have marked the past three months were the result of winter rainfall that was insufficient for replenishing water tables this year and before. It is often said that water shortages are not a threat for Albania due to plenty water sources. It’s possible to think of this compared to other countries. Still in some Albanian regions the availability of water resources is becoming an urgent problem, even more so if we link this to the different scenarios tied to climate change. Each basin has specificities, but some general evolutions should be planned for the increase in water demand due to the rise of temperatures causing an increase in the price of water. This paper aims to introduce the benefits and challenges of applying at homes or communal buildings an Eco-innovation through developing a new inside distribution of wastewater so that it concludes into sustainable development of communal water distribution, therefore recycling in houses. Another objective of the study is to make evident the cost - efficiency importance of these re-distribution systems and how they affect improvement in water needs sector, highlighting the deficiencies that cause their not fully-efficient re-use of grey inside water and the positive impact on potable water saving.

Vegetation of the eastern communal conservancies in Namibia: I. Phytosociological descriptions

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Ben J. Strohbach

2014-11-01

Conservation implications: This article described 13 plant associations of the central Kalahari in eastern Namibia, an area hitherto virtually unknown to science. The information presented in this article forms a baseline description, which can be used for future monitoring of the vegetation under communal land use.

Getting to value in neurological care: a roadmap for academic neurology.

Science.gov (United States)

Holloway, Robert G; Ringel, Steven P

2011-06-01

Academic neurology is undergoing transformational changes. The public investment in biomedical research and clinical care is enormous and there is a growing perception that the return on this huge investment is insufficient. Hospitals, departments, and individual neurologists should expect more scrutiny as information about their quality of care and financial relationships with industry are increasingly reported to the public. There are unprecedented changes occurring in the financing and delivery of health care and research that will have profound impact on the mission and operation of academic departments of neurology. With the passage of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) there will be increasing emphasis on research that demonstrates value and includes the patient's perspective. Here we review neurological investigations of our clinical and research enterprises that focus on quality of care and comparative effectiveness, including cost-effectiveness. By highlighting progress made and the challenges that lie ahead, we hope to create a clinical, educational, and research roadmap for academic departments of neurology to thrive in today's increasingly regulated environment. Copyright © 2011 American Neurological Association.

Offering a Framework for Value Co-Creation in Virtual Academic Learning Environments

Science.gov (United States)

Ranjbarfard, Mina; Heidari Sureshjani, Mahboobeh

2018-01-01

Purpose: This research aims to convert the traditional teacher-student models, in which teachers determine the learning resources, into a flexible structure and an active learning environment so that students can participate in the educational processes and value co-creation in virtual academic learning environments (VALEs).…

The value of speed mentoring in a pediatric academic organization.

Science.gov (United States)

Serwint, Janet R; Cellini, Melissa M; Spector, Nancy D; Gusic, Maryellen E

2014-01-01

A reliable and supportive mentor is indispensable to the career development of successful academic professionals. The Academic Pediatric Association (APA) utilized a speed mentoring format at the 2012 Pediatric Academic Societies meeting to enhance mentoring potential. We sought to evaluate the structure of the speed mentoring event and to determine the benefits and impact from the perspectives of the mentors and mentees. Sixty mentees were matched with 60 mentors within various tracks. Each mentee met with 6 mentors for 10 minutes for each dyad. Participants were then asked to complete a survey 1 to 4 weeks after the event. Survey items included expectation, impact, and value of the experience along with potential for ongoing mentoring relationships. Fifty-four (90%) of the 60 mentees and 52 (87%) of 60 of the mentors completed the evaluation. Mentees stated that the event allowed them to receive advice from multiple mentors in a short time period. Mentors appreciated that they gained new insights, reflected on their own careers, and were able to give back to their field. Both mentees and mentors agreed that the time was well spent, would participate again, and identified chemistry as a major factor in pursuing an ongoing relationship. This national speed mentoring event provided an innovative, fun, and time-efficient mechanism to establish connections, network, and determine whether chemistry existed for potential mentor-mentee relationships. Further study should evaluate whether it can be used in other venues and lead to the development of lasting mentor-mentee relationships. Copyright © 2014 Academic Pediatric Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Educating Communal Agents: Building on the Perspectivism of G.H. Mead

Science.gov (United States)

Martin, Jack

2007-01-01

In their search for more communal forms of agency that might guide education, contemporary educational psychologists have mostly neglected the theorizing of George Herbert Mead. In this essay, Jack Martin aims to remedy such oversight by interpreting Mead's social-psychological and educational theorizing of selfhood and agency through the lenses…

How do nurse academics value and engage with evidence-based practice across Australia: Findings from a grounded theory study.

Science.gov (United States)

Malik, Gulzar; McKenna, Lisa; Griffiths, Debra

2016-06-01

Integrating evidence-based practice (EBP) into undergraduate education and preparing future nurses to embrace EBP in clinical practice becomes paramount in today's complex and evolving healthcare environment. The role that EBP plays in the practical lives of nursing students will depend on the degree to which it is promoted by academics, how it is incorporated into courses and its application to clinical setting. Hence, nursing academics play a crucial role in influencing its integration into curricula. Drawn from a larger doctoral study, this paper presents findings discussing how nurse academics value and engage with EBP. Grounded theory was employed to explore processes used by nursing academics while incorporating EBP into teaching and learning practices. Twenty-three academics across Australian universities were interviewed. Nine were also observed while teaching undergraduate students. Data were collected from semi-structured interviews and non-participant observation. In keeping with the tenets of grounded theory, data collection and analysis continued until theoretical saturation was reached. In total, four categories emerged. This paper focuses on the category conceptualised as Valuing and Engaging with EBP. How nursing academics valued and engaged with EBP was closely associated with meanings they constructed around understanding it, attitudes and commitment to implementation while teaching and working clinically. Different opinions also existed in regard to what actually constituted EBP. However, they engaged with and valued EBP by keeping themselves up-to-date, being involved in research activities, using evidence in teaching, therefore leading by example. Participants identified a number of barriers influencing their engagement with EBP including heavy workloads, limited time, lack of commitment within their schools, lack of confidence with teaching EBP, and complexity of EBP application. Faculty clinical practice, committed academics, workload

Partner Pronoun Use, Communal Coping, and Abstinence during Couple-Focused Intervention for Problematic Alcohol Use.

Science.gov (United States)

Rentscher, Kelly E; Soriano, Emily C; Rohrbaugh, Michael J; Shoham, Varda; Mehl, Matthias R

2017-06-01

Communal coping-a process in which romantic partners view a problem as ours rather than yours or mine, and take collaborative action to address it -has emerged as an important predictor of health and treatment outcomes. In a study of partners' pronoun use prior to and during couple-focused alcohol interventions, we examined first-person plural (we-talk) and singular (I-talk) pronouns as linguistic markers of communal coping and behavioral predictors of treatment outcome. Thirty-three couples in which one partner abused alcohol were selected from a randomized control trial (N = 63) of couple-focused Cognitive-Behavioral or Family Systems Therapy if they had unambiguously successful or unsuccessful treatment outcomes (i.e., patient maintained abstinence for 30 days prior to treatment termination or had more than one heavy drinking day in the same period). Pronoun measures for each partner were obtained via computerized text analysis from transcripts of partners' speech, derived from a videotaped pretreatment interaction task and three subsequent therapy sessions. Spouse we-talk during the intervention (accounting for pretreatment we-talk), as an index of communal orientation, uniquely predicted successful treatment outcomes. In contrast, both patient and spouse I-talk during the intervention (accounting for pretreatment I-talk), as a marker of individualistic orientation, uniquely predicted unsuccessful outcomes, especially when distinguishing active and passive (I vs. me/my) pronoun forms. Results strengthen evidence for the prognostic significance of spouse behavior for patient health outcomes and for communal coping (indexed via pronoun use) as a potential mechanism of change in couple-focused interventions for health problems. © 2015 Family Process Institute.

The academic value of rehabilitation medicine meetings.

Science.gov (United States)

Sivan, Manoj; Smith, Matthew; Bavikatte, Ganesh; Bradley, Lloyd

2010-01-01

Twice-yearly meetings of The British Society of Rehabilitation Medicine (BSRM) take place at which posters and free papers are generated, as abstracts, to present novel research findings, audits and case reports. The aim of this study was to evaluate the academic value of these meetings, by determining the subsequent rate of publication in peer-reviewed journals of abstracts presented. This was compared to the publication rate of other European medical specialist society meetings. The authors used MEDLINE, PubMed and Google Scholar search engines to look for publication of abstracts presented at BSRM meetings within peer-reviewed journals over a 7-year period (2000-2006). The abstracts were categorised into sub-groups (original study, audit, review, case report and service description) to determine which type was more likely to be published. The above databases were used also to extract studies on publication rate of other medical specialties in Europe. In 7 years, a total of 251 abstracts (of which 152 are original studies) have been presented as free papers or posters in a total of 13 meetings. The publication rate for the described study categories were: total 34%, original study 52%, review 50%, case report 5%, audit 0% and service description 0%. Publication rates from other specialist meetings in Europe range from 10% to 70%. The average publication rate for an abstract submitted to a BSRM meeting is 34% for any abstract and 52% for an original study suggesting that the meeting is generating abstracts of comparable academic interest to other specialist societies.

Securing Communal Land Rights to Achieve Sustainable Development in Sub-Saharan Africa: Critical Analysis and Policy Implications

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Ross Andrew Clarke

2009-09-01

Full Text Available While the concept of sustainable development gains increasing traction under international law, effective and scalable policies to translate these principles into practice remain largely beyond reach. This article analyses one possible strategy in Sub-Saharan Africa - increasing security of communal tenure to improve resource management and achieve rural sustainable development. Although this approach has attracted some attention, particularly with management responsibility of communal property increasingly devolved to the community-level, the expected results in terms of more sustainable resource exploitation and sounder environmental management have yet to be realised. Through critical analysis, with particular emphasis on the Gestion Terroir approach in Burkina Faso , the article explores the reasons behind the limited success. The article suggests that greater emphasis must be placed on bridging statutory command-and-control regimes with community-based models. Focusing on the links between communal land tenure and environmental management, and effectively embedding community land management institutions within existing environmental governance structures offers a practical model to promote sustainable development.

Immunocompetence of breeding females is sensitive to cortisol levels but not to communal rearing in the degu (Octodon degus).

Science.gov (United States)

Ebensperger, Luis A; León, Cecilia; Ramírez-Estrada, Juan; Abades, Sebastian; Hayes, Loren D; Nova, Esteban; Salazar, Fabián; Bhattacharjee, Joydeep; Becker, María Inés

2015-03-01

One hypothesis largely examined in social insects is that cooperation in the context of breeding benefits individuals through decreasing the burden of immunocompetence and provide passive immunity through social contact. Similarly, communal rearing in social mammals may benefit adult female members of social groups by reducing the cost of immunocompetence, and through the transfer of immunological compounds during allonursing. Yet, these benefits may come at a cost to breeders in terms of a need to increase investment in individual immunocompetence. We examined how these potential immunocompetence costs and benefits relate to reproductive success and survival in a natural population of the communally rearing rodent, Octodon degus. We related immunocompetence (based on ratios of white blood cell counts, total and specific immunoglobulins of G isotype titers) and fecal glucocorticoid metabolite (FGC) levels of adults immunized with hemocyanin from the mollusk Concholepas concholepas to measures of sociality (group size) and communal rearing (number of breeding females). Offspring immunocompetence was quantified based on circulating levels of the same immune parameters. Neither female nor offspring immunocompetence was influenced by communal rearing or sociality. These findings did not support that communal rearing and sociality enhance the ability of females to respond to immunological challenges during lactation, or contribute to enhance offspring condition (based on immunocompetence) or early survival (i.e., to 3months of age). Instead, levels of humoral and cellular components of immunocompetence were associated with variation in glucorcorticoid levels of females. We hypothesize that this covariation is driven by physiological (life-history) adjustments needed to sustain breeding. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

The rupture and repair of the couple's communal body with prostate cancer.

Science.gov (United States)

Fergus, Karen D

2011-06-01

Intimate partners' ability to adopt a "we" outlook in relation to cancer has consistently been associated with optimal adaptation for couples. This investigation adds to the growing body of literature on dyadic coping and resiliency in couples through an in-depth examination of five well-adjusted couples' experiences with prostate cancer. Of specific interest were (1) how the experience of prostate cancer affected the couple's unique intersubjective identity, and how in turn (2) the couple's identity and relationship culture influenced their adjustment to cancer. An ethnographic mode of inquiry was adopted. Marital partners were interviewed together on two separate occasions with the intention of having them deepen their conjoint reflexive processing of their relationship. During the interviews, couples were asked to reflect upon and articulate their sense of themselves as a couple, their experience of "we-ness" and shared identity, and the interaction between the illness and we-ness. Interviews were transcribed verbatim and analyzed using the grounded theory method. The grounded theory analysis yielded three main themes portraying the couples' experience of prostate cancer: (1) riding the vortex, (2) holding the communal body intact, and (3) invincibility and its underbelly. A more broad understanding to arise from this investigation was the notion of a "communal body" and that couples participated in a shared corporeality, to which each partner's identity and sense of self was intricately tied. It is concluded that the intersubjective embodiment displayed by couples in this study was instrumental to the "repair" of the communal body ruptured by prostate cancer. ©2011 APA

The potential of optimization in communal routing problems : case studies from Finland

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Bräysy, Olli; Dullaert, Wout; Nakari, Pentti

2009-01-01

In many European countries, municipalities offer their inhabitants a wide variety of social services. In this paper we will focus on efficiently scheduling home care, transportation of the elderly, and home meal delivery. These so-called municipal or communal routing problems can be modeled as

Residential versus Communal Combination of Photovoltaic and Battery in Smart Energy Systems

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Marczinkowski, Hannah Mareike; Østergaard, Poul Alberg

2018-01-01

and involving the consumers. The importance of minimizing flows to and from the grid as a result from fluctuating energy sources is addressed in both approaches. While residential batteries improve the individual household electricity supply, a communal battery would further regulate other inputs and demands....

Alternative reproductive tactics in female striped mice: Solitary breeders have lower corticosterone levels than communal breeders.

Science.gov (United States)

Hill, Davina L; Pillay, Neville; Schradin, Carsten

2015-05-01

Alternative reproductive tactics (ARTs), where members of the same sex and population show distinct reproductive phenotypes governed by decision-rules, have been well-documented in males of many species, but are less well understood in females. The relative plasticity hypothesis (RPH) predicts that switches between plastic ARTs are mediated by changes in steroid hormones. This has received much support in males, but little is known about the endocrine control of female ARTs. Here, using a free-living population of African striped mice (Rhabdomys pumilio) over five breeding seasons, we tested whether females following different tactics differed in corticosterone and testosterone levels, as reported for male striped mice using ARTs, and in progesterone and oestrogen, which are important in female reproduction. Female striped mice employ three ARTs: communal breeders give birth in a shared nest and provide alloparental care, returners leave the group temporarily to give birth, and solitary breeders leave to give birth and do not return. We expected communal breeders and returners to have higher corticosterone, owing to the social stress of group-living, and lower testosterone than solitary breeders, which must defend territories alone. Solitary breeders had lower corticosterone than returners and communal breeders, as predicted, but testosterone and progesterone did not differ between ARTs. Oestrogen levels were higher in returners (measured before leaving the group) than in communal and solitary breeders, consistent with a modulatory role. Our study demonstrates hormonal differences between females following (or about to follow) different tactics, and provides the first support for the RPH in females. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Management of reforming of housing-and-communal services

Science.gov (United States)

Skripnik, Oksana

2017-10-01

The international experience of reforming of housing and communal services is considered. The main scientific and methodical approaches of system transformation of the housing sphere are analyzed in the article. The main models of reforming are pointed out, interaction of participants of structural change process from the point of view of their commercial and social importance is characterized, advantages and shortcomings are revealed, model elements of the reform transformations from the point of view of the formation of investment appeal, competitiveness, energy efficiency and social importance of the carried-out actions are allocated.

Account Managers Creation of Social Capital: Communal and Instrumental Investments and Performance Implications

NARCIS (Netherlands)

W.J.M.I. Verbeke (Willem); F.D. Belschak (Frank); S.H.K. Wuyts (Stefan); R.P. Bagozzi (Richard)

2004-01-01

textabstractAccount managers invest in two distinct, compensatory social ties to achieve social capital, namely peripheral knowledge ties and implementation support ties. The first ties require communal investments, which consist of organizational citizenship behaviors and peripheral information

Ecological solid fuels, effective heating devices for communal management and their testing methods

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kubica, K.

1995-12-31

The national balance of primary energy consumption is almost 90% based upon coal. Coal is used not only in electricity production, but also in the communal sector - in heating facilities comprising chiefly local boiler houses and private households.

An optimization approach for communal home meal delivery service : A case study

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Bräysy, Olli; Nakari, Pentti; Dullaert, Wout; Neittaanmäki, Pekka

2009-01-01

This paper is the first to discuss the communal home meal delivery problem. The problem can be modelled as a multiple travelling salesman problem with time windows, that is closely related to the well-studied vehicle routing problem with time windows. Experimental results are reported for a

Analisis Pengaruh Communal Activation terhadap Keputusan Membeli untuk Meningkatkan Brand Loyalty (Studi Kasus Teh Botol Sosro Less Sugar

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Annetta Gunawan

2013-11-01

Full Text Available Established in 1974 PT Sinar Sosro is the first bottled ready-to-drink tea producer in Indonesia. In order to fulfill its lovers wherever they are, the newest innovation has been launched, i.e. Teh Botol Sosro Less Sugar, which focuses on diabetics, sportsmen/athletes, and young executives as its target markets. To foster brand loyalty and control the community, PT Sinar Sosro utilizes crowd combo marketing concept, especiallycommunal activation activity that is adjusted with the current New Wave Marketing era, so PT Sinar Sosro can integrate supply and access of Teh Botol Sosro Less Sugar product. The objectives of this research are to analyze the influence of Communal Activation on Buying Decision of Teh Botol Sosro Less Sugar, and to analyze the influence of Communal Activation and Buying Decision on Brand Loyalty of Teh Botol Sosro Less Sugar. The data collection technique used was questionnaire disseminated to the members of Teh Botol Sosro Less Sugar online community, using Likert scale. While the data analysis technique used was Path Analysis. The result of Path Analysis shows the structural equation Y = 0,523 X + 0,8526 ε1 which Communal Activation significantly contributes to Buying Decision at 27,3% and Z = 0,552 X2 + 0,229 Y + 0,7141 ε2 which Communal Activation and Buying Decision simultantly and significantly contribute to Brand Loyalty at 49%.

Pengaruh Communal Activation untuk Membentuk Brand Loyalty Produk Minuman

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Hartiwi Prabowo

2012-05-01

Full Text Available Established in 1974, PT Sinar Sosro is the first ready-to-drink tea beverage in bottles in Indonesia and in the world. Teh Botol Sosro market position is the leader in ready to drink tea industry. One of the leading products of PT Sinar Sosro is Teh Botol Sosro glass bottle often called RGB (returnable Glass Bottle. To meet the lovers’ needs anywhere they are, the latest innovation from Teh Botol Sosro products is Teh Botol Sosro Less Sugar which was launched on August 20, 2008. As the time passes by, the market condition encourages a change in marketing plan that leads to a decentralized system (horizontal in which the customer demands the same service from the same brand from any location they are. This era is called the New Wave Marketing (2008, which is still running today. The purpose of this research is to analyze the influence of communal activation of the buying decisions to increase brand loyalty in Teh Botol Sosro Less Sugar product. Data collecting technique is the questionnaire to members of the online community Botol Sosro Less Sugar and interviews, while the data analysis technique using path analysis. Path Analysis Results show there was an impact dan significant between Communal Activation and Buying Decisions, and there was also a positive correlation and significant between Buying Decisions and Brand Loyalty.

Diversity of governance arrangements for indigenous natural products in communal areas of Namibia

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Ndeinoma, A.; Wiersum, K.F.

2017-01-01

In several countries, it has been observed that development of policies and regulations for non-timber forest products (NTFPs) rarely follows a systematic approach. This paper characterises the diversity of governance arrangements for accessing and marketing indigenous natural products in communal

Reflecting on law, morality and communal mores (with particular reference to the protection of pre-natal life

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lourens M. du Plessis

1991-03-01

Full Text Available This article deals with the relationship between law, morality and communal mores with particular reference to the protection of pre-natal life in South Africa. It is argued that personal, moral choice influences communal mores and that these mores can, in turn, be transformed into legal norms, thus becoming part of the legal system. It is pointed out that South African law lends insufficient protection tofoetal life - especially in situations where it stands to be destroyed as a result of abortion. It is then suggested that the legal subjectivity of the foetus should be recognized and that every application for an abortion should be heard by a court of law or, alternatively, a specialist tribunal. The foetus should be represented at these proceedings by a curator ad litem. It is finally argued that the proposed arrangement will not unduly encroach on the moral freedom of the individual and that personal, moral choice and communal mores will still be of decisive significance in regulating 'bio-ethical' morality.

Coupling, Parenting, and the Presence of Others: Intimate Relationships in Communal Households

Science.gov (United States)

Kanter, Rosabeth Moss; And Others

1975-01-01

This paper considers the nature of couple and parent-child relationships when family space is public rather than private, and others are present as audiences, claimants on the intimate territory, and sources of alternative ties. Research on 35 urban communal households found an initial shift in the locus of social control. (Author)

Human-modified landscapes: patterns of fine-scale woody vegetation structure in communal savannah rangelands

CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

Fisher, T

2011-11-01

Full Text Available structure in five communal rangelands around 12 settlements in Bushbuckridge, a municipality in the Kruger to Canyons Biosphere Reserve (South Africa). The importance of underlying abiotic factors was evaluated by measuring size class distributions across...

Climate change trends and environmental impacts in the Makonde Communal Lands, Zimbabwe

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Ishumael Sango

2015-07-01

Full Text Available During the last century, climate has increasingly become variable and changeable, with significant deviations from the observed normal averages, which often leads to disruptive consequences to ecosystems and livelihoods. Climate change induced environmental challenges are viewed to be particularly severe to economically challenged tropical societies including the Zimbabwean rural communities. We sought to determine local level climate change trends and associated biophysical implications in the Makonde Communal Lands of Zimbabwe. Our findings suggest that there has been significant climate change in the Makonde Communal Lands since 1962. The climate change observed has induced the deterioration of ecosystem productivity, diversity and services, to the detriment of human livelihoods. We provide insights into how to better understand local level dynamics between climate change and local ecosystem goods and services as the basis of livelihood in marginalised rural communities. Among the key reasons for concern about impacts of anthropogenic activities on climate is the fact that changing climate has direct impacts on the biophysical world, which in turn is a vital asset for human livelihoods, economies and general well-being.

The integration of ecopolitical needs in communal competition politics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kraemer, L.

1993-01-01

Politically and institutionally the integration of ecopolitical needs in Communal competition politics has not progressed very far. In the domain of Article 85 trade-internal agreements and agreements for self-imposed moderation attain particular importance from the ecopolitical viewpoint. Protection of the environment as a task of common European interest cannot be realed solely or even in large part through market mechanisms. Therefore financial aids for the promotion of environment protection are principally both desirable and permissible. This is the starting point from which to assess effects of ecopolitical measures on competition. (orig./HSCH) [de

Residents values in a rational decision-making model: an interest in academics in emergency medicine.

Science.gov (United States)

Burkhardt, John Christian; Smith-Coggins, Rebecca; Santen, Sally

2016-10-01

Academic physicians train the next generation of doctors. It is important to understand the factors that lead residents to choose an academic career to continue to effectively recruit residents who will join the national medical faculty. A decision-making theory-driven, large scale assessment of this process has not been previously undertaken. To examine the factors that predict an Emergency resident's interest in pursuing an academic career at the conclusion of training. This study employs the ABEM Longitudinal Survey (n = 365). A logistic regression model was estimated using an interest in an academic career in residency as the dependent variable. Independent variables include gender, under-represented minority status, survey cohort, number of dependent children, possession of an advanced degree, ongoing research, publications, and the appeal of science, independence, and clinical work in choosing EM. Logistic regression resulted in a statistically significant model (p < 0.001). Residents who chose EM due to the appeal of science, had peer-reviewed publications and ongoing research were more likely to be interested in an academic career at the end of residency (p < 0.05). An increased number of children (p < 0.05) was negatively associated with an interest in academics. Individual resident career interests, research productivity, and lifestyle can help predict an interest in pursuing an academic career. Recruitment and enrichment of residents who have similar values and behaviors should be considered in programs interested in generating more graduates who enter an academic career.

How Danish communal heat planning empowers municipalities and benefits individual consumers

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Chittum, Anna; Østergaard, Poul Alberg

2014-01-01

Danish municipal heat planning empowers municipalities to implement locally appropriate energy solutions that are the best fit for the locality as a whole and the individual consumers served. Supportive policies and actions at the national and local levels have encouraged heat planning that confe...... locations, the practical aspects of power sharing, socio-economic cost–benefit analyses, and communal decision-making may inform approaches to local heat planning around the world....

Participation, Poverty and Public Policies: 3P Challenging Community Environmental Psychology (The Case of the Communal Councils in Venezuela

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Esther Wiesenfeld

2012-12-01

Full Text Available Participation, poverty and public policy are three relevant topics for the state, society and academy, particularly for environmental and community social psychology. Meanings and ways of addressing these topics by the above mentioned sector have varied across time and places. Recent impact of new governance models, such as participative democracy, has provoked changes in public policy modes of influence, as a strategy for poverty reduction. Such changes’ orientations coincide with those of environmental community psychology, social constructionist theoretical perspective and qualitative methodology. In Venezuela, only Latin American country where participation has been given a constitutional and legal status, it is important to study participation’s meanings and its implications in public management as a strategy for poverty reduction. Communal councils constitute the main community participatory structure, which integrates poor sectors and vehicles their requirements together with governmental entities. Conscious as we are of existing gaps between discourses and actions, the present research analyses official discourses on participation, through the Venezuelan Constitution and the Organic Communal Councils Law, and compares them with participatory meanings and experiences provided by communal councils’ members and other community stakeholders’ narratives. Results show differences between official and community perspectives on participation in communal councils, as well as discrepancies within communities: they also point out to the difficulties of state induced participation, as is the venezuelan case, for its protagonists’ limitations for transcending projects and exerting power outside community boundaries.

Value-Personality Link Measured With Novel Instruments Developed With an Emic Perspective

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Suna Tevrüz

2017-05-01

Full Text Available The first aim of this study is to investigate whether instruments developed with an emic approach in Turkey produce the same trait-value links obtained with studies using near universal instruments, and if emic traits and value concepts are composed under agency and communal conceptions. So, the first aim of this study is to inspect the conceptual similarities in the links between traits and values. The second aim is to examine the moderating effect of disposable income on the strength of the trait-value relationship. Undergraduate and graduate students (N = 595 from six universities in Istanbul responded to the Personality Profile Scale (PPS and the Life Goal Values (LGV questionnaire. Second order factor analysis indicated that indigenous value and trait items were representative of communal and agency conceptions. Furthermore, most of the value-trait links revealed with regression analysis, and the sinusoid relationships revealed with Pearson correlation coefficients were consistent with the findings measured with near universal instruments. Additionally found relationships between traits and especially conservation values can be interpreted as the instrumentality of agentic traits for personal as well for social focused values. Disposable income had a moderating effect on five trait-value relationships and three out of five were weaker in the low-income group.

Communal nests of Hemidactylus mabouia (Moreau de Jonnès, 1818 (Squamata: Gekkonidae in a remnant of Atlantic Forest in northeastern Brazil

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Pablo Augusto Gurgel de Sousa

2010-09-01

Full Text Available Communal nesting has been registered for several species of lizards. The egg aggregations offer potential advantages such as protection, predator-satiation and thermoregulation. Hemidactylus mabouia is a successful colonizing species with continuous reproduction and a fixed size of two eggs each time. Here, we report two communal nests of Hemidactylus mabouia for the Parque Estadual Mata da Pipa, Atlantic Forest of northeastern Brazil.

Tinto's Theoretical Perspective and Expectancy-Value Paradigm: A confrontation to explain freshmen's academic achievement

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Sandrine Neuville

2007-05-01

Full Text Available For decades, success in postsecondary education has preoccupied psychological and educational researchers. In this respect, Tinto's student integration model (1982, 1997 is one of the most frequently cited models. Tinto proposed that students' background characteristics, initial intentions and aspirations towards college influence their academic and social integration, which in turn affect their persistence. Unfortunately, although this model is an integrative one, it does not take motivational variables such as students' self-efficacy (Bandura, 1997; Bong & Skaalvik, 2003 and students' subjective value of academic tasks (Eccles & Wigfield, 2002; Neuville, 2004 into account although their impact on learning has been widely demonstrated (Robbins, Lauver, Le, Davis, & Langley, 2004. The purpose of this study, conducted with 2637 first-year university students from all the Bachelor's degree programs of a Belgian university, is to compare, through structural equation models, the explanatory power of these two research traditions (students' integration, on the one hand, and a motivational paradigm, on the other hand in predicting students' academic performance.

The method of complex evaluation of management in the sphere of housing and communal services

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Okhotina Svetlana

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Many researchers considered the quality of management, but the definition of “quality control” in the literature is quite rare. The author’s definition of this concept, whose distinctive features are as follows: management is considered as a system, and its quality is determined by the quality of the elements of the system; management is of high quality, if not only provides function, but also the development of the facility; the quality of management is measured by customer satisfaction. The study authors of market relations in the sphere of housing and communal services helped to define the modern model of management of the industry of housing and communal services, which involves the preservation of state regulation and control and the bringing to market of private operators. Identified the need for further sustained efforts to implement the new economic relations in the system of housing and communal services at all levels of government, which requires further improvement of management. Based on the authors analysis of the methods of evaluation of activities of management companies found that despite their diversity they all have several disadvantages, the main of which is the lack of standard indicators by which to judge to what extent the housing managers of the organization implement the adopted programme. Therefore, the author proposes two sets of criteria (representing the result of control and management efficiency, which will be monitored and evaluated the quality management of the organization.

Inter-communal migrations in Switzerland: a "mountain factor"?

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Martin Camenisch

2011-05-01

Full Text Available To go beyond existing publications on inter-communal migrations in Switzerland, this paper focuses on a comparison of behaviours between communes of different types: rural, urban, mountain, tourist, etc. It is based on two sets of data: the Swiss Population Census (1999-2008 and the Swiss Household Panel. This paper has two main conclusions of this paper: first, contrary to the dominant practice which compares communes according to their respective difference between in-migration and out-migration rate, this paper highlights the contrast between “warm” and “cold” communes (comparing the migration rate itself; there is a "mountain factor" which means that most inter-communal migrations occur within the mountain zone, or within the Swiss Plateau.Prolongeant les publications existantes sur les migrations intercommunales en Suisse, l'article focalise son attention sur les comportements différenciés des communes selon les types dont elles relèvent: urbaines, montagnardes, touristiques, rurales, etc. Il repose sur l'utilisation des données du recensement fédéral de la population (1999-2008 et sur celles du Panel Suisse des Ménages. Il parvient à deux conclusions principales: les communes que l'on compare le plus souvent en fonction de leur bilan migratoire, peuvent aussi être utilement différenciées selon qu'elles sont « chaudes » ou « froides » (avec un taux de migration fort ou faible, quelque soit le solde; il existe un "effet montagne" qui signifie ici la propension des migrations à se faire principalement à l'intérieur de la zone de montagne suisse ou à l'intérieur du Plateau suisse.

Moving away from a cultural deficit to a holistic perspective: Traditional gender role values, academic attitudes, and educational goals for Mexican descent adolescents.

Science.gov (United States)

Piña-Watson, Brandy; Lorenzo-Blanco, Elma I; Dornhecker, Marianela; Martinez, Ashley J; Nagoshi, Julie L

2016-04-01

Latina/o youth lag behind Asian American and non-Latina/o White youth in many academic areas. Previous research has taken a deficit approach to understand the factors that affect academic outcomes for Latina/o youth often neglecting to highlight both the potential positive and negative contributions of gender role values. The present study took a holistic perspective to understand the affect of traditional Latina/o gender role values (i.e., marianismo, machismo, and caballerismo) on the academic attitudes and educational goals of Mexican descent youth. Structural equation models were tested to examine the associations of "positive" and "negative" gender role values on educational goals using 524 Mexican descent adolescents from a mid-sized city in southern Texas. We hypothesized that positive aspects of traditional Latina/o gender role values (i.e., "positive marianismo" and caballerismo) would be associated with more positive attitudes toward academics and higher educational goals. We further expected negative gender role values (i.e., "negative marianismo" and machismo) to have the opposite effect. Additionally, based on the theory of planned behavior and gender schema theory, academic attitudes were hypothesized to mediate the relation between gender role values and educational goals. An alternative model was tested in which educational goals mediated the relation between gender roles and academic attitudes. Results indicated that both models fit the data well, and recommendations are made for future longitudinal research aimed at disentangling the directionality of the relations in the model. Implications for research and practice are discussed. (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved).

Evaluation of the PV minigrid communal system project in La Venturosa Colombia

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Castillo Cordoba, Juan Jacobo; Romero Romero, Luis Carlos [Instituto de Ciencias Nucleares y Energias Alternativas - INEA, (Colombia)

1997-12-31

A communal photovoltaic minigrid grid system had been operating for about two years in La Venturosa Village located at the Easter Plains of Colombia. The Institute of Nuclear Sciences and Alternative Energies, INEA, had been evaluating this system for about a year of operation in order to measure performance, level of satisfaction in users and sustainability of the project. The results of this evaluation concluded that the option of communal minigrid photovoltaic systems represents a good alternative, but that the human element can affect the sustainability for this type of projects. [Espanol] Por alrededor de dos anos ha estado en operacion un sistema comunal fotovoltaico mini-red en la villa La Venturosa, localizada en las Llanuras Orientales de Colombia. El Instituto de Ciencias Nucleares y Energias Alternativas, INEA, ha estado evaluando este sistema durante aproximadamente un ano de operacion para medir su rendimiento, nivel de satisfaccion de los usuarios y sustentabilidad del proyecto. Los resultados de esta evaluacion concluyeron que la opcion de sistemas comunales fotovoltaicos mini-red representan una buena alternativa, pero que el elemento humano puede afectar la sostenibilidad de este tipo de proyectos.

Evaluation of the PV minigrid communal system project in La Venturosa Colombia

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Castillo Cordoba, Juan Jacobo; Romero Romero, Luis Carlos [Instituto de Ciencias Nucleares y Energias Alternativas - INEA, (Colombia)

1998-12-31

A communal photovoltaic minigrid grid system had been operating for about two years in La Venturosa Village located at the Easter Plains of Colombia. The Institute of Nuclear Sciences and Alternative Energies, INEA, had been evaluating this system for about a year of operation in order to measure performance, level of satisfaction in users and sustainability of the project. The results of this evaluation concluded that the option of communal minigrid photovoltaic systems represents a good alternative, but that the human element can affect the sustainability for this type of projects. [Espanol] Por alrededor de dos anos ha estado en operacion un sistema comunal fotovoltaico mini-red en la villa La Venturosa, localizada en las Llanuras Orientales de Colombia. El Instituto de Ciencias Nucleares y Energias Alternativas, INEA, ha estado evaluando este sistema durante aproximadamente un ano de operacion para medir su rendimiento, nivel de satisfaccion de los usuarios y sustentabilidad del proyecto. Los resultados de esta evaluacion concluyeron que la opcion de sistemas comunales fotovoltaicos mini-red representan una buena alternativa, pero que el elemento humano puede afectar la sostenibilidad de este tipo de proyectos.

Similarities and differences among paramilitaries, severe aggressors and communal control, a case-control study in Medellín, Colombia

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Luis F. Duque

2007-08-01

Full Text Available A case-control study was performed in Medellín during 2003-2004 to compare characteristics of severe aggressors, members of Colombian United Selfdefense Forces members (AUC, otherwise named paramilitaries, and communal control. Severe aggressors and paramilitaries have lower educational level than communal control; their families were biparental in a lower proportion, and experienced drug and alcohol abuse in a higher proportion than in the case of families of communal control. Severe aggressors and paramilitaries’ families suffered forced displacement and assassination of one of its members in a higher proportion than those of controls. There were no differences relating time of residence in Medellín or current neighborhood, or current family socioeconomic stressors. No differences were found regarding believing in God, religious practice and reasons for practicing religion. There were no significant differences for all mentioned variables between severe aggressors and paramilitaries. Paramilitaries did inform having suffered extreme poverty conditions during childhood in a higher proportion than severe aggressors and controls. Progress opportunities perception was also explored.

Communal proactive coping strategies among Tamil refugees in Norway: A case study in a naturalistic setting

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Guribye Eugene

2011-04-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background An exclusive focus on individual or family coping strategies may be inadequate for people whose major point of concern may be collective healing on a more communal level. Methods To our knowledge, the current study is the first to make use of ethnographic fieldwork methods to investigate this type of coping as a process in a natural setting over time. Participant observation was employed within a Tamil NGO in Norway between August 2006 and December 2008. Results Tamil refugees in Norway co-operated to appraise their shared life situation and accumulate resources communally to improve it in culturally meaningful ways. Long term aspirations were related to both the situation in the homeland and in exile. However, unforeseen social events created considerable challenges and forced them to modify and adapt their coping strategies. Conclusions We describe a form of coping previously not described in the scientific literature: Communal proactive coping strategies, defined as the process by which group members feel collectively responsible for their future well-being and co-operate to promote desired outcomes and prevent undesired changes. The study shows that proactive coping efforts occur in a dynamic social setting which may force people to use their accumulated proactive coping resources in reactive coping efforts. Theoretical and clinical implications are explored.

The factors to assess the quality of management of housing and communal services

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Agapitova Elena

2017-01-01

Full Text Available The article reveals the author’s ideas for improving the quality of management of housing and communal services of a large city. The authors address the issue of expediting the provision of services. The article defined the most important rules and consistency of decision-making by managers, providing services to residents of apartment buildings. One of the major challenges is to meet all the needs of residents. The solution to this problem breaks down into two components: the first is the definition itself needs, the second is the determination of ways to meet them. Management involves the implementation of a system of interconnected plans aimed at achieving a common goal. In the market environment of the Russian Federation on management processes overlap with requirements of government regulation, a complex representation which is not available in open sources. A lot of internal regulations contradict each other. Thus, actualizarea scientific problem of allocating the factors of assessing the quality of management of enterprises of housing and communal services that should be considered when developing a unified concept of public administration.

Communal nesting under climate change: fitness consequences of higher incubation temperatures for a nocturnal lizard.

Science.gov (United States)

Dayananda, Buddhi; Gray, Sarah; Pike, David; Webb, Jonathan K

2016-07-01

Communal nesting lizards may be vulnerable to climate warming, particularly if air temperatures regulate nest temperatures. In southeastern Australia, velvet geckos Oedura lesueurii lay eggs communally inside rock crevices. We investigated whether increases in air temperatures could elevate nest temperatures, and if so, how this could influence hatching phenotypes, survival, and population dynamics. In natural nests, maximum daily air temperature influenced mean and maximum daily nest temperatures, implying that nest temperatures will increase under climate warming. To determine whether hotter nests influence hatchling phenotypes, we incubated eggs under two fluctuating temperature regimes to mimic current 'cold' nests (mean = 23.2 °C, range 10-33 °C) and future 'hot' nests (27.0 °C, 14-37 °C). 'Hot' incubation temperatures produced smaller hatchlings than did cold temperature incubation. We released individually marked hatchlings into the wild in 2014 and 2015, and monitored their survival over 10 months. In 2014 and 2015, hot-incubated hatchlings had higher annual mortality (99%, 97%) than cold-incubated (11%, 58%) or wild-born hatchlings (78%, 22%). To determine future trajectories of velvet gecko populations under climate warming, we ran population viability analyses in Vortex and varied annual rates of hatchling mortality within the range 78- 96%. Hatchling mortality strongly influenced the probability of extinction and the mean time to extinction. When hatchling mortality was >86%, populations had a higher probability of extinction (PE: range 0.52- 1.0) with mean times to extinction of 18-44 years. Whether future changes in hatchling survival translate into reduced population viability will depend on the ability of females to modify their nest-site choices. Over the period 1992-2015, females used the same communal nests annually, suggesting that there may be little plasticity in maternal nest-site selection. The impacts of climate change may

Academic workload management towards learning, components of academic work

OpenAIRE

Ocvirk, Aleksandra; Trunk Širca, Nada

2013-01-01

This paper deals with attributing time value to academic workload from the point of view of an HEI, management of teaching and an individual. We have conducted a qualitative study aimed at analysing documents on academic workload in terms of its definition, and at analysing the attribution of time value to components of academic work in relation to the proportion of workload devoted to teaching in the sense of ensuring quality and effectiveness of learning, and in relation to financial implic...

Cultivating nature-based solutions: The governance of communal urban gardens in the European Union

NARCIS (Netherlands)

van der Jagt, Alexander P.N.|info:eu-repo/dai/nl/41276086X; Szaraz, Luca R.; Delshammar, Tim; Cvejić, Rozalija; Santos, Artur; Goodness, Julie; Buijs, Arjen

2017-01-01

In many countries in the European Union (EU), the popularity of communal urban gardening (CUG) on allotments and community gardens is on the rise. Given the role of this practice in increasing urban resilience, most notably social resilience, municipalities in the Global North are promoting CUG as a

Interpersonal value profiles and analysis of adolescent academic performance and social thinking

OpenAIRE

Gázquez, José J.; Sainz, Jorge; Pérez-Fuentes, María del C.; Molero, María del M.; Soler, Francisco J.

2015-01-01

The purposes of this study were to identify interpersonal value profiles and find out whether there were any differences in academic performance and social thinking. The study sample was 885 high school students of whom 49.8% (N = 441) were boys and 50.2% (N = 444) were girls. The results show that students with low Benevolence and Conformity levels showed higher prevalence of failures and repeated the year more often. Furthermore, students with a high level of Recognition and Leadership and ...

Muslim and Hindu Women's public and private behaviors: gender, family, and communalized politics in India.

Science.gov (United States)

Desai, Sonalde; Temsah, Gheda

2014-12-01

Prior research on fundamentalist religious movements has focused attention on the complicated relationship among gender, family, and religion. Using data from a nationally representative survey of 30,000 Hindu and Muslim women, this study compares the daily public and private behaviors of women in India to examine how gender and family norms are shaped in the context of communalized identity politics. Building on the theoretical framework of "doing gender," we argue that because communal identities are expressed through externally visible behaviors, greater religious differences are expected in external markers of gendered behaviors and family norms. Results indicate that Muslim women are more likely to engage in veiling and less likely to venture outside the home for recreation and employment. However, religious differences are absent when attention is directed at private behaviors, such as household decision-making power, gender segregation within households, and discrimination against daughters. Results underscore the multidimensionality of gender.

On innovation patterns and value-tensions in public services

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Fuglsang, Lars; Rønning, Rolf

2015-01-01

to the possibility of intertwined innovation patterns. Focusing public sector services, this paper agues that intertwined innovation patterns emerge within public services as a response to value-tensions. Values can be defined as measures for beneficial behaviour that guide innovation. Value-tensions in public...... services include tensions between the political, economic, communal, aesthetic and intellectual values. The contribution of the paper to service innovation research is the emphasis on the concept of intertwined innovation patterns, such as the intertwinement of science driven and task driven innovation....... Further, the paper contributes by pinpointing how varied values guide innovation in public services....

The impact of gender-blindness on social-ecological resilience: The case of a communal pasture in the highlands of Ethiopia.

Science.gov (United States)

Aregu, Lemlem; Darnhofer, Ika; Tegegne, Azage; Hoekstra, Dirk; Wurzinger, Maria

2016-12-01

We studied how the failure to take into account gendered roles in the management of a communal pasture can affect the resilience of this social-ecological system. Data were collected using qualitative methods, including focus group discussions, in-depth interviews, and participant observations from one community in the highlands of Ethiopia. The results show that women are excluded from the informal institution that defines the access and use rules which guide the management of the communal pasture. Consequently, women's knowledge, preferences, and needs are not taken into account. This negatively affects the resilience of the communal pasture in two ways. Firstly, the exclusion of women's knowledge leads to future adaptation options being overlooked. Secondly, as a result of the failure to address women's needs, they start to question the legitimacy of the informal institution. The case study thus shows how excluding women, i.e., side-lining their knowledge and needs, weakens social learning and the adaptiveness of the management rules. Being blind to gender-related issues may thus undermine the resilience of a social-ecological system.

Organizational culture in an academic health center: an exploratory study using a competing values framework.

Science.gov (United States)

Ovseiko, Pavel V; Buchan, Alastair M

2012-06-01

Implementing cultural change and aligning organizational cultures could enhance innovation, quality, safety, and job satisfaction. The authors conducted this mixed-methods study to assess academic physician-scientists' perceptions of the current and preferred future organizational culture at a university medical school and its partner health system. In October 2010, the authors surveyed academic physicians and scientists jointly employed by the University of Oxford and its local, major partner health system. The survey included the U.S. Veterans Affairs Administration's 14-item Competing Values Framework instrument and two extra items prompting respondents to identify their substantive employer and to provide any additional open-ended comments. Of 436 academic physicians and scientists, 170 (39%) responded. Of these, 69 (41%) provided open-ended comments. Dominant hierarchical culture, moderate rational and team cultures, and underdeveloped entrepreneurial culture characterized the health system culture profile. The university profile was more balanced, with strong rational and entrepreneurial cultures, and moderate-to-strong hierarchical and team cultures. The preferred future culture (within five years) would emphasize team and entrepreneurial cultures and-to a lesser degree-rational culture, and would deemphasize hierarchical culture. Whereas the university and the health system currently have distinct organizational cultures, academic physicians and scientists would prefer the same type of culture across the two organizations so that both could more successfully pursue the shared mission of academic medicine. Further research should explore strengthening the validity and reliability of the organizational culture instrument for academic medicine and building an evidence base of effective culture change strategies and interventions.

Enacting President Trump's Leadership Contract with Educators: Toward a Communal Leadership Perspective

Science.gov (United States)

Schechter, Chen

2018-01-01

This article proposes the communal leadership framework as a leverage for reciprocal educational policy in uncertain and turbulent times. It is argued that leadership at the policy level should abandon the seductive dance with the "self" where knowledge resides at a specific location in the system (policy-makers' perceptions and agendas)…

Total bacterial count and somatic cell count in refrigerated raw milk stored in communal tanks

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Edmar da Costa Alves

2014-09-01

Full Text Available The current industry demand for dairy products with extended shelf life has resulted in new challenges for milk quality maintenance. The processing of milk with high bacterial counts compromises the quality and performance of industrial products. The study aimed to evaluate the total bacteria counts (TBC and somatic cell count (SCC in 768 samples of refrigerated raw milk, from 32 communal tanks. Samples were collected in the first quarter of 2010, 2011, 2012 and 2013 and analyzed by the Laboratory of Milk Quality - LQL. Results showed that 62.5%, 37.5%, 15.6% and 27.1% of the means for TBC in 2010, 2011, 2012 and 2013, respectively, were above the values established by legislation. However, we observed a significant reduction in the levels of total bacterial count (TBC in the studied periods. For somatic cell count, 100% of the means indicated values below 600.000 cells/mL, complying with the actual Brazilian legislation. The values found for the somatic cell count suggests the adoption of effective measures for the sanitary control of the herd. However, the results must be considered with caution as it highlights the need for quality improvements of the raw material until it achieves reliable results effectively.

Agentic or Communal? Associations between Interpersonal Goals, Popularity, and Bullying in Middle Childhood and Early Adolescence

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Caravita, S.C.S.; Cillessen, A.H.N.

2012-01-01

This study investigated whether perceived popularity mediates and/or moderates the association between agentic goals and bullying, and whether sociometric popularity mediates and/or moderates the association between communal goals and bullying. Age and gender differences were also examined.

To Grab and To Hold: Cultivating communal goals to overcome cultural and structural barriers in first generation college students' science interest.

Science.gov (United States)

Allen, Jill M; Muragishi, Gregg A; Smith, Jessi L; Thoman, Dustin B; Brown, Elizabeth R

2015-12-01

Homogeneity within science limits creativity and discovery, and can feed into a perpetuating cycle of underrepresentation. From enhancing social justice to alleviating health and economic disadvantages, broadening participation in science is imperative. We focus here on first-generation students (FGS) and identify factors which grab and hold science interest among this underrepresented group. Might the culture and norms within science unintentionally limit FGS' participation? We argue that two distinct aspects of communal goals contribute to FGS' underrepresentation at different stages of the STEM pipeline: cultural perceptions of science as uncommunal (little emphasis on prosocial behavior and collaboration) and the uncommunal structure of STEM graduate education and training. Across 2 studies we investigated factors that catch (Study 1) and hold (Study 2) FGS' science interest. In Study 1, we find only when FGS believe that working in science will allow them to fulfill prosocial communal purpose goals are they more intrinsically interested in science. Yet, later in the pipeline science education devalues prosocial communal goals creating a structural mobility barrier among FGS. Study 2 found that FGS generally want to stay close to home instead of relocating to pursue a graduate education. For FGS (versus continuing-generation students), higher prosocial communal goal orientation significantly predicted lower residential mobility. We discuss implications for interventions to counteract the uncommunal science education and training culture to help improve access to FGS and other similarly situated underrepresented populations.

Communal normalization in an online self-help group for adolescents with a mentally ill parent.

Science.gov (United States)

Trondsen, Marianne V; Tjora, Aksel

2014-10-01

Although implications of parental mental illness are well documented, most children of mentally ill parents are left to manage their family situation with limited information and support. We explored the role of a Norwegian online self-help group for adolescents (aged 15 to 18) with a mentally ill parent. Through in-depth interviews with 13 participants, we found that the online self-help group provided "communal normalization" by which participants, through communication in the forum, made sense of everyday experiences and emotions arising from having a mentally ill parent. We identified three main aspects of this process-recognizability, openness, and agency-all of which were important for the adolescents' efforts to obtain support, to be supportive, and to handle everyday life situations better. Communal normalization might provide resources for significantly improving the participants' life situations, and could demonstrate similar potential for users in other situations characterized by stigma, loneliness, silence, and health worries. © The Author(s) 2014.

Beyond the information centre hypothesis : communal roosting for information on food, predators, travel companions and mates?

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Bijleveld, Allert I.; Egas, Martijn; van Gils, Jan A.; Piersma, Theunis; Schmidt, Kenneth

Communal roosting - the grouping of more than two individuals resting together - is common among animals, notably birds. The main functions of this complicated social behaviour are thought to be reduced costs of predation and thermoregulation, and increased foraging efficiency. One specific

Potential of ricehull communal power generation in the Philippines - a preliminary study

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bernardo, J.Y.; Navarro, L.B.; Abito, G.F.; Lim, B.P.

1992-01-01

The preliminary feasibility study of utilizing ricehulls as fuel for power generation in a communal set-up involving ricemills was completed by PNOC-ERDC for the EC-AIT COGEN Programme. The study assessed the market, evaluated the patterns and level of ricehull availability, and their implications on plant operation characteristics and financial viability. Ten potential areas were studied more closely for their suitability as pilot demonstration sites. (auth.). 8 tabs.; 4 figs.; 1 ref

Social acceptance and self-esteem: tuning the sociometer to interpersonal value.

Science.gov (United States)

Anthony, Danu B; Holmes, John G; Wood, Joanne V

2007-06-01

The authors draw on sociometer theory to propose that self-esteem is attuned to traits that garner others' acceptance, and the traits that garner acceptance depend on one's social role. Attunement of self-esteem refers to the linkage, or connection, between self-esteem and specific traits, which may be observed most clearly in the association between self-esteem and specific self-evaluations. In most roles, appearance and popularity determine acceptance, so self-esteem is most attuned to those traits. At the same time, interdependent social roles emphasize the value of communal qualities, so occupants of those roles have self-esteem that is more attuned to communal qualities than is the general norm. To avoid the biases of people's personal theories, the authors assessed attunement of self-esteem to particular traits indirectly via the correlation between self-esteem and self-ratings, cognitive accessibility measures, and an experiment involving social decision making. As hypothesized, self-esteem was generally more attuned to appearances than to communal qualities, but interdependent social roles predicted heightened attunement of self-esteem to qualities like kindness and understanding. (c) 2007 APA, all rights reserved.

Academic stress and positive affect: Asian value and self-worth contingency as moderators among Chinese international students.

Science.gov (United States)

Liao, Kelly Yu-Hsin; Wei, Meifen

2014-01-01

The theoretical model proposed by Berry and colleagues (Berry, 1997; Berry, Kim, Minde, & Mok, 1987) highlights the importance of identifying moderators in the acculturation process. Accordingly, the current study examined the Asian cultural value of family recognition through achievement (FRTA) and contingency of self-worth on academic competence (CSW-AC) as moderators in the association between academic stress and positive affect among Chinese international students. A total of 370 Chinese international students completed online surveys. Results from a hierarchical regression indicated that while academic stress was negatively associated with positive affect, FRTA was positively associated with positive affect. In other words, those with high academic stress reported a lower level of positive affect. However, individuals who endorsed high levels of FRTA reported a higher level of positive affect. In addition, results also revealed a significant interaction between academic stress and CSW-AC on positive affect. Thus, the study's finding supported the moderator role of CSW-AC. Simple effect analyses were conducted to examine the significant interaction. The results showed that higher levels of CSW-AC strengthened the negative association between academic stress and positive affect but lower levels of CSW-AC did not. Future research directions and implications are discussed.

Automatic affective-motivational regulation processes underlying supportive dyadic coping: the role of increased implicit positive attitudes toward communal goals in response to a stressed relationship partner.

Science.gov (United States)

Koranyi, Nicolas; Hilpert, Peter; Job, Veronika; Bodenmann, Guy

2017-09-01

We examined the implicit affective mechanisms underlying provision of support in intimate dyads. Specifically, we hypothesized that in individuals with high relationship satisfaction, the perception that one's partner is stressed leads to increased implicit positive attitudes toward communal goals. In turn, this change in implicit attitudes facilitates supportive behavior. In two studies, we induced partner stress by instructing participants to either recall a situation where their partner was highly stressed (Study 1; N = 47 university students) or imagine a specific stressful event (excessive workload; Study 2; N = 85 university students). Subsequently, implicit attitudes toward communal goals were assessed with an Implicit Association Test. In both studies, we found that among participants with high relationship satisfaction partner stress increases preferences for communal goals. In addition, implicit preferences for communal goals predicted stronger inclinations to engage in supportive dyadic coping (Study 2). The current findings provide important insights into the implicit cognitive-affective mechanics of dyadic coping. Moreover, they can explain how people manage to avoid experiencing motivational conflicts between partner-oriented and self-oriented goals in situations characterized by high partner stress.

Management of communal rangelands - the dialogue between science and indigenous knowledge: the case of the Eastern Cape

CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

Dube, S

2010-07-01

Full Text Available Communal area rangeland resource users are an important part of the rangeland ecosystem; rangeland management policies and practice should, therefore, accommodate their socio-cultural practices and knowledge. Indigenous knowledge (IK) is often...

The culture of academic medicine: faculty perceptions of the lack of alignment between individual and institutional values.

Science.gov (United States)

Pololi, Linda; Kern, David E; Carr, Phyllis; Conrad, Peter; Knight, Sharon

2009-12-01

Energized, talented faculty are essential to achieving the missions of academic medical centers (AMCs) in education, research and health care. The alignment of individuals' values with workplace experiences are linked to meaningfulness of work and productivity. To determine faculty values and their alignment with institutional values. A qualitative hypothesis-generating interview study to understand the professional experiences of faculty and organizational approach in five AMCs that were nationally representative in regional and organizational characteristics. Analysis was inductive and data driven. Using stratified, purposeful sampling, we interviewed 96 male and female faculty at different career stages (early career, plateaued, senior faculty and those who had left academic medicine) and diverse specialties (generalists, medical and surgical subspecialists, and research scientists). Dominant themes that emerged from the data. Faculty described values relating to excellence in clinical care, community service (including care for the underserved and disadvantaged), teaching, intellectual rigor/freedom and discovery, all values that mirror the stated missions of AMCs. However, many faculty also described behaviors that led them to conclude that their AMCs, in practice, undervalued excellence in clinical care, and their social and educational missions. Themes were seen across gender, career stage, race and discipline, except that female leaders appeared more likely than male leaders to identify incongruence of individual values and organizational practices. In this study of five diverse medical schools, faculty values were well aligned with stated institutional missions; however, many perceived that institutional behaviors were not always aligned with individual faculty values.

A Novel Conceptual Model of Environmental Communal Education: Content Analysis Based on Distance Education Approach

Science.gov (United States)

Hafezi, Soheila; Shobeiri, Seyed Mohammad; Sarmadi, Mohammad Reza; Ebadi, Abbas

2013-01-01

Environmental education as a learning process increases people's knowledge and awareness about the environment. Although in some countries, the Environmental Communal Education (ECE) is the core of the environmental education by formal and informal organizations and groups, but, it has not clarified the meaning of the ECE's concept. Therefore the…

Organisation communale et droits sur l'eau et la terre à San Juan de Uchucuanicu, vallée du Chancay

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

1975-01-01

Full Text Available Le village de San Juan est organisé en communauté paysanne comme tous les autres villages de la vallée de Chancay. Sont brièvement exposés l'entrée dans la communauté, les charges communales, les droits communaux et individuels sur les eaux et les terres. Aux charges politiques s'ajoutent les charges cérémonielles pour les fêtes, ainsi que les charges communales concernant les travaux d'intérêt commun (faenas. Les diverses 'terres' du terroir sont exploitées suivant un système complexe de droits dans lesquels coexistent des droits communaux et individuels dont l'existence et les modifications présentes ne semblent pas favoriser l'égalité des divers comuneros. El pueblo de San Juan está organizado como comunidad campesina al igual que los otros pueblos del valle del Chancay. Brevemente se expone la entrada en la comunidad, las cargas comunales, los derechos comunales, los derechos comunales e individuales sobre las aguas y las tierras. A los cargos políticos se agregan los cargos ceremoniales en las fiestas, lo mismo que los cargos comunales concernientes a los trabajos de interés común (faenas. Las diferentes ''tierras' del terruño se explotan siguiendo un sistema complejo de derechos entre los que coexisten derechos comunales e individuales cuya existencia y las modificaciones presentes no parecen favorecer la igualdad de los diversos comuneros. San Juan village is organized into a village community as the other villages in the valley of Chancay. We will expose briefly the entrance to the community, the communal functions, communal and individual rights upon water and lands. Added to the political functions, the ceremonial ones during the festivals as the ones which are concerning works made for the common interest (faenas. The different lands of the soil are exploited according to a complex right system in which coexist communal and individual rights but their existence and present modifications don't seem to help the

Females of the communally breeding rodent, Octodon degus, transfer antibodies to their offspring during pregnancy and lactation.

Science.gov (United States)

Becker, María Inés; De Ioannes, Alfredo E; León, Cecilia; Ebensperger, Luis A

2007-06-01

Females in numerous rodent species engage in communal nesting and breeding, meaning that they share a nest to rear their young together. One potential benefit to communally nesting mothers is that infants improve their immunocompetence. Thus, suckling from two or more females might provide newborns with a more diverse array of antibodies and defensive cells. As a first step toward testing the immunocompetence hypothesis, we assessed whether female degus (Octodon degus), a communally nesting and breeding caviomorph rodent, transfer immunoglobulins to their young through the yolk sac or placenta while in the uterus and, during lactation, through milk. With this aim, adult degu females were immunized with four antigens, including two mollusk hemocyanins from Concholepas and Megathura (CCH and KLH, respectively), porcine thyroglobulin and tetanus toxoid. Specific antibodies against the experimental antigens were used to track the origin of antibodies in the young. To establish the presence of specific antibodies of IgG and IgA isotypes in sera and milk of animals, an indirect enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was developed. Degu females produced specific antibodies against antigens not found in their natural environment, and mothers were able to transfer the induced antibodies to their litters during pregnancy (IgG) and during lactation (IgA). However, we recorded only limited evidence of degu offspring acquiring antibodies from lactating mothers other than their own, giving little support to the increased immunocompetence hypothesis.

Le projet "Développement Forestier Communal dans l'AItiplano Bolivien" : une nouvelle vision de l'agroforesterie communautaire

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Dimanche, PH.

2000-01-01

Full Text Available The Project "Communal Forestry Development in the Bolivian Highlands (Altiplano " : a New Vision of the Communautary Agroforestry. Since 1991, the "Communal Forestry Development in the Bolivian Highlands (Altiplano " project has been promoting self-supporting agroforestry activities, integrated into the farmerproductive system, boosting the satisfaction of needs in forest products, increasing agriculture production and conserving natural resources. High demands on land and the difficult climatic conditions prevailing in Potosi department, where the project is located, are serious constraints to a massive forestation. Taking these constraints into account, the project has developped a strategy, the Communal Forestry Development, which is focussed on an integrated and participative approach : "integrated" means the technical available alternatives, including agroforestry actions (promotion of forester, fruit, and forrage trees and shrubs as well as hydraulic and soil conservation actions, are implemented inside the productive agro-sylvo-pastoral systems. Within the scope of an implication of the stakeholders, the project uses "participative" ways as communautary planning of agroforestry priorities. Those objectives are reached by means of training, extension and communication. Another orientation consists in a flexible coordination with all the organizations working on the field. The project is now implementing a second phase. The results which have been registered so far lead towards a strenghthening of integrated actions and increasing responsabilities of as well communities as other institutions. Such an orientation points out the necessity of a long-term and flexible project conception.

African communalism and public health policies: the relevance ofindigenous concepts of personal identity to HIV/AIDS policies in Botswana.

Science.gov (United States)

Jensen, Kipton; Gaie, Joseph Br

2010-09-01

This article explores the possible relevance of African communalism to HIV/AIDS policies in Botswana and other parts of sub-Saharan Africa. We examine various interpretations of African communalism, which many consider to be the cardinal insight of African thought. We suggest several applications of this indigenous notion of personhood to HIV prevention in general and to routine HIV-testing policies in particular. This analysis demonstrates some of the ethical dilemmas and cultural complexities inherent in designing as well as implementing effective HIV-prevention programmes that strike a conscientious balance between protecting individual freedoms and securing public health. Recovering past traditions (such as African conceptions of personal identity) is valuable not only for the purpose of self-identification but also for helping us meet the challenges and problems of today in Africa. We also suggest that the human-rights-based approach to HIV prevention, which strives to protect individuals, is possibly incompatible with the socio-ethical ideals espoused by African communalism. We conclude that public health programmes in Botswana and other parts of sub-Saharan Africa would be more effective if those who designed and implemented them possessed a better understanding of indigenous conceptions of personhood or human agency as well as existing ethno-medical beliefs and cultural practices.

Agentic or Communal? Associations between Interpersonal Goals, Popularity, and Bullying in Middle Childhood and Early Adolescence

Science.gov (United States)

Caravita, Simona C. S.; Cillessen, Antonius H. N.

2012-01-01

This study investigated whether perceived popularity mediates and/or moderates the association between agentic goals and bullying, and whether sociometric popularity mediates and/or moderates the association between communal goals and bullying. Age and gender differences were also examined. Participants were 276 fourth and fifth graders (middle…

Use of scanning electron microscopy to confirm the identity of lice infesting communally grazed goat herds

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P.J. Sebei

2004-11-01

Full Text Available Lice have been described on goats in commercial farming systems in South Africa but not from flocks on communal grazing. During a longitudinal survey on the causes of goat kid mortality, conducted in Jericho district, North West Province, lice were collected from communally grazed indigenous goats. These lice were prepared for and viewed by scanning electron microscopy, and micromorphological taxonomic details are described. Three species of lice were found in the study area and identified as Bovicola caprae, Bovicola limbatus and Linognathus africanus. Sucking and biting lice were found in ten of the 12 herds of goats examined. Lice were found on both mature goats and kids. Bovicola caprae and L. africanus were the most common biting and sucking lice respectively in all herds examined. Scanning electron microscopy revealed additional features which aided in the identification of the louse species. Photomicrographs were more accurate aids to identification than the line drawings in the literature and facilitated identification using dissecting microscope.

Use of scanning electron microscopy to confirm the identity of lice infesting communally grazed goat herds.

Science.gov (United States)

Sebei, P J; McCrindle, C M E; Green, E D; Turner, M L

2004-06-01

Lice have been described on goats in commercial farming systems in South Africa but not from flocks on communal grazing. During a longitudinal survey on the causes of goat kid mortality, conducted in Jericho district, North West Province, lice were collected from communally grazed indigenous goats. These lice were prepared for and viewed by scanning electron microscopy, and micro-morphological taxonomic details are described. Three species of lice were found in the study area and identified as Bovicola caprae, Bovicola limbatus and Linognathus africanus. Sucking and biting lice were found in ten of the 12 herds of goats examined. Lice were found on both mature goats and kids. Bovicola caprae and L. africanus were the most common biting and sucking lice respectively in all herds examined. Scanning electron microscopy revealed additional features which aided in the identification of the louse species. Photomicrographs were more accurate aids to identification than the line drawings in the literature and facilitated identification using dissecting microscope.

Muslim and Hindu Women’s Public and Private Behaviors: Gender, Family and Communalized Politics in India

Science.gov (United States)

Desai, Sonalde; Temsah, Gheda

2015-01-01

Prior research on fundamentalist religious movements has focused attention on the complicated relationship between gender, family and religion. Using data from a nationally representative survey of 30,000 Hindu and Muslim women, this study compares the daily public and private behaviors of women in India to examine how gender and family norms are shaped in the context of communalized identity politics. Building on the theoretical framework of “doing gender”, it argues that because communal identities are expressed through externally visible behaviors, greater religious differences are expected in external markers of gendered behaviors and family norms. Results indicate that Muslim women are more likely to engage in veiling and less likely to venture outside the home for recreation and employment. However, religious differences are absent when attention is directed at private behaviors such as household decision making power, gender segregation within households, and discrimination against daughters. Results underscore the multidimensionality of gender. PMID:25143018

Debating the Conduct and Nature of Malaysian Politics: Communalism and New Media Post-March 2008

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Joseph Chinyong Liow

2010-01-01

Full Text Available The results of Malaysia’s general election held on 8 March 2008 was nothing short of monumental. By winning five state legislatures and denying the incumbent governing coalition its hitherto routine two-thirds parliamentary majority, the performance of the opposition, swayed by the contribution of the new media, raised hopes that Malaysian politics had turned a corner. Following the elections, the popular discursive terrain in Malaysia was awash with talk of a “new politics” that had emerged, and that transcended the traditional narratives of race, religion, and communalism. The purpose of this paper is to examine the veracity of these claims in relation to the nature and conduct of politics in Malaysia. It argues that, three years after the 2008 elections, the communal narrative remains as forceful a factor in Malaysian politics despite the presence of a multi-ethnic opposition coalition and the hope engendered by the emergence of the new media as an equalizing factor that has eroded the incumbent’s traditional hegemonic control over information.

Agentic women and communal leadership: how role prescriptions confer advantage to top women leaders.

Science.gov (United States)

Rosette, Ashleigh Shelby; Tost, Leigh Plunkett

2010-03-01

The authors contribute to the ongoing debate about the existence of a female leadership advantage by specifying contextual factors that moderate the likelihood of the emergence of such an advantage. The investigation considered whether the perceived role incongruence between the female gender role and the leader role led to a female leader disadvantage (as predicted by role congruity theory) or whether instead a female leader advantage would emerge (as predicted by double standards and stereotype content research). In Study 1, it was only when success was internally attributed that women top leaders were evaluated as more agentic and more communal than men top leaders. Study 2 showed that the favorable ratings were unique to top-level positions and further showed that the effect on agentic traits was mediated by perceptions of double standards, while the effect on communal traits was mediated by expectations of feminized management skills. Finally, Study 2 showed that top women leaders were evaluated most favorably on overall leader effectiveness, and this effect was mediated by both mediators. Our results support the existence of a qualified female leadership advantage. 2010 APA, all rights reserved

Predictive value of parenting styles on the academic achievement of ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

This study investigated the relationship between parenting styles and the academic achievement level of secondary school students in Benin City. A correlational ... of the Ministry of Education. The findings revealed that authoritative parenting significantly predict the academic achievement of students in English Language.

Study of the Efficacy of Cognitive Restructuring Teaching at Student\\'s Attribution Style and Academic Performance

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Niloofar Mikaeili

2010-10-01

Full Text Available Objectives: One of the education ministry’s concerns in high schools is the problem of academic achievement. The researches have mentioned that student’s false attribution and absence of scholastic counseling service are the most important factors affecting student’s low performance and achievements. The main goal of this research was to study the rate of cognitive reconstructive effect on attribution style and girl students’ academic performance at high school in Khalkhal. Methods: Pre-test and post-test experimental designs with control group were used in this study. Thirty high school girl students were chosen randomly in 2 groups including 15 persons in experimental group and 15 persons in control group. Eight sessions of cognitive reconstructive counseling, like communal for experimental group, were held. Subjects were evaluated by attributive style inventory and school year average by per-test and post–test. The general hypothesis was “cognitive reconstructive education influence, students’ attribution style and academic performance”. Manava and independent groups’ t-test for testing hypotheses were used. Results: Analyses showed that cognitive reconstructive education increase internal, permanent and general attributions for positive events and decrease those attributions for negative events. Discussion: Cognitive reconstructive education increase students’ academic performance.

Lomba Merpati: Place-making and Communal Signalling within Javanese Pigeon Racing.

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Leyla Stevens

2016-02-01

Full Text Available The project, Lomba Merpati, is a series of photographs and video works documenting pigeon racing in Yogyakarta, Indonesia. Associated as a lower socio-economic class sport and tied up with expressions of Javanese masculinity, pigeon racing occupies a central position within much of the daily social activity of Javanese villages.  The project explores the significance of pigeon training grounds as communal gathering points for young men in Yogyakarta. Comprising short video and photographic portraits, the series focuses on the performative gestures enacted by pigeon fanciers as they train their pigeons for short distance sprinting.

A Comparison of Student Satisfaction and Value of Academic Community between Blended and Online Sections of a University-Level Educational Foundations Course

Science.gov (United States)

Overbaugh, Richard C.; Nickel, Christine E.

2011-01-01

This pre-test/post-test study explores students' (n = 262) sense of academic community, including their perspectives of the value of academic community, plus course satisfaction and perceived learning in nearly identical blended and online sections of an educational foundations course. Students in both delivery modes were generally satisfied with…

HIV and dyadic intervention: an interdependence and communal coping analysis.

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Catherine M Montgomery

Full Text Available The most common form of HIV transmission in sub-Saharan Africa is heterosexual sex between two partners. While most HIV prevention interventions are aimed at the individual, there is mounting evidence of the feasibility, acceptability, and efficacy of dyadic interventions. However, the mechanisms through which dyadic-level interventions achieve success remain little explored. We address this gap by using Lewis et al's interdependence model of couple communal coping and behaviour change to analyse data from partners participating in an HIV prevention trial in Uganda and Zambia.We conducted a comparative qualitative study using in-depth interviews. Thirty-three interviews were conducted in total; ten with couples and twenty-three with staff members at the two sites. The Ugandan site recruited a sero-discordant couple cohort and the Zambian site recruited women alone. Spouses' transformation of motivation is strong where couples are recruited and both partners stand to gain considerably by participating in the research; it is weaker where this is not the case. As such, coping mechanisms differ in the two sites; among sero-discordant couples in Uganda, communal coping is evidenced through joint consent to participate, regular couple counselling and workshops, sharing of HIV test results, and strong spousal support for adherence and retention. By contrast, coping at the Zambian site is predominantly left to the individual woman and occurs against a backdrop of mutual mistrust and male disenfranchisement. We discuss these findings in light of practical and ethical considerations of recruiting couples to HIV research.We argue for the need to consider the broader context within which behaviour change occurs and propose that future dyadic research be situated within the framework of the 'risk environment'.

An evolutionary framework for cultural change: Selectionism versus communal exchange

Science.gov (United States)

Gabora, Liane

2013-06-01

Dawkins' replicator-based conception of evolution has led to widespread mis-application of selectionism across the social sciences because it does not address the paradox that necessitated the theory of natural selection in the first place: how do organisms accumulate change when traits acquired over their lifetime are obliterated? This is addressed by von Neumann's concept of a self-replicating automaton (SRA). A SRA consists of a self-assembly code that is used in two distinct ways: (1) actively deciphered during development to construct a self-similar replicant, and (2) passively copied to the replicant to ensure that it can reproduce. Information that is acquired over a lifetime is not transmitted to offspring, whereas information that is inherited during copying is transmitted. In cultural evolution there is no mechanism for discarding acquired change. Acquired change can accumulate orders of magnitude faster than, and quickly overwhelm, inherited change due to differential replication of variants in response to selection. This prohibits a selectionist but not an evolutionary framework for culture and the creative processes that fuel it. The importance non-Darwinian processes in biological evolution is increasingly recognized. Recent work on the origin of life suggests that early life evolved through a non-Darwinian process referred to as communal exchange that does not involve a self-assembly code, and that natural selection emerged from this more haphazard, ancestral evolutionary process. It is proposed that communal exchange provides an evolutionary framework for culture that enables specification of cognitive features necessary for a (real or artificial) societies to evolve culture. This is supported by a computational model of cultural evolution and a conceptual network based program for documenting material cultural history, and it is consistent with high levels of human cooperation.

Two routes toward optimism: how agentic and communal themes in autobiographical memories guide optimism for the future.

Science.gov (United States)

Austin, Adrienne; Costabile, Kristi

2017-11-01

Autobiographical memories are particularly adaptive because they function not only to preserve the past, but also to direct our future thoughts and behaviours. Two studies were conducted to examine how communal and agentic themes of positive autobiographical memories differentially predicted the route from autobiographical memories to optimism for the future. Across two studies, results revealed that the degree to which participants focused on communal themes in their autobiographical memories predicted their experience of nostalgia. In turn, the experience of nostalgia increased participants' levels of self-esteem and in turn, optimism for the future. By contrast, the degree to which participants focused on agentic themes in their memories predicted self-esteem and optimism, operating outside the experience of nostalgia. These effects remained even after controlling for self-focused attention. Together, these studies provide greater understanding of the interrelations among autobiographical memory, self-concept, and time, and demonstrate how agency and communion operate to influence perceptions of one's future when thinking about the past.

Admissibility and policies of public-private partnerships on communal level in the field of energy supply; Rechtliche Zulaessigkeit und Handlungsvorgaben gemischt-wirtschaftlicher Unternehmen mit kommunaler Beteiligung im Bereich der Energieversorgung

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Chen, Hsing-An

2012-11-01

The investigation comprised four steps. In the first step, background information on public-private partnerships is presented, and trends are outlined. The relationship between PPP and privatisation is discussed, definitions are given, and basic models of PPP are presented before proceeding to a discussion of public-private partnerships in the energy supply sector. The second part focuses on communal energy supply. The role of energy supply within the range of services provided by communal administration is defined, and public-private partnerships in the communal sector are gone into. In the third section, legal boundary conditions for the establishment of public-private energy utilities in the communal sector are analyzed. The emphasis is on the legal requirements and limitations to be observed by communities intending to establish public-private energy utilities or cooperate in them. Finally, the fourth section goes into the policies that should be adapted by communal PPP utilities under energy industry law. A distinction is made between the different activities of energy utilities, i.e. as grid operators and power suppliers, and the different legal obligations involved. Pricing is another important consideration. For this reason, the regulations of cartel law and energy industry law concerning pricing in power supply are investigated in detail, especially as grid connection, grid access and base load power supply are concerned.

European moves to a communal energy policy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Klijs, K.

1978-01-01

The author has endeavoured to discover whether there is talk of a communal energy policy in the EEC and if so how far are the developments, on what foundation is the policy based and what factors are hindering its realisation. It is concluded that as yet there is scarely any talk of a communual energy policy within the activities of the EEC, although the growing dependence on oil imports is seen as a reason to discuss this policy. The main aim of such a policy is to reduce oil imports from 61% of energy sources in 1973 to 30% in 1985, since the oil from Arab lands is seen as a totally unreliable energy source. A very strong development in nuclear energy is seen as a means of reducing oil imports. The failure of a European energy policy cannot be blamed on the different conceptions of the member states. The choice against oil imports and for nuclear energy is general, and each member is initially trying to make the national energy provision safe. (C.F.)

Removal of Organic Load in Communal Wastewater by using the Six Stage Anaerobic Baffle Reactor (ABR

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Trilita Minarni Nur

2016-01-01

Full Text Available The reduction of water quality in the urban drainage is a crucial problem to overcome because it can affect the health of community. This fact encouraged the researcher to conduct the research in efforts to increase the water quality in the drainage. One of the solutions to increase the water quality in the drainage is that the domestic wastewater must be treated at first before it is flown through the drainage. Furthermore, the wastewater treatment was conducted by employing the communal wastewater processor. The research was aimed at knowing the capability of Anaerobic Baffle Reactor with the six-stage design in communal wastewater processor in efforts to decrease the organic load. This research was conducted in a laboratory scale. Meanwhile, the sort of waste used was taken from the domestic wastewater of settlement by varying its discharge and waste concentration flowing into the waste processor. Finally, the research result showed that the reduction of organic load of COD was reaching up to 92%, N was 85% and Phosphate was 50%.

The role of philosophy in the academic study of religion in Indian

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Sonia SIKKA

2016-06-01

Full Text Available Joseph T. O’Connell drew attention to the relative scarcity of academic work on religion in South Asia, and offered as a plausible explanation for this state of affairs the tension between secular and religio‑political communal interests. This paper explores the potential role of philosophy as an established academic discipline within this situation, in the context of India. It argues that objective study, including evaluation, of the truth claims of various religious traditions is an important aspect of academic as opposed to confessional engagement with religion, and that philosophy in India is especially well suited to undertake such reflection and to provide corresponding education. Unlike Western countries, philosophy and religion were never clearly separated in India and did not evolve in tension with one another. The history of Indian philosophy therefore includes and is included within the history of its ‘religions’, in a way that makes philosophical examination of the truth claims of Indian religions internal to those religions themselves. By tracing this history, the discipline of philosophy can help to unsettle the idea of religion as a matter of fixed dogma. It can also continue the procedure of interpreting and evaluating metaphysical and epistemological theses that has been an intrinsic component of Indian religious thought for most of its history.

Predicting who will major in a science discipline: Expectancy-value theory as part of an ecological model for studying academic communities

Science.gov (United States)

Sullins, Ellen S.; Hernandez, Delia; Fuller, Carol; Shiro Tashiro, Jay

Research on factors that shape recruitment and retention in undergraduate science majors currently is highly fragmented and in need of an integrative research framework. Such a framework should incorporate analyses of the various levels of organization that characterize academic communities (i.e., the broad institutional level, the departmental level, and the student level), and should also provide ways to study the interactions occurring within and between these structural levels. We propose that academic communities are analogous to ecosystems, and that the research paradigms of modern community ecology can provide the necessary framework, as well as new and innovative approaches to a very complex area. This article also presents the results of a pilot study that demonstrates the promise of this approach at the student level. We administered a questionnaire based on expectancy-value theory to undergraduates enrolled in introductory biology courses. Itself an integrative approach, expectancy-value theory views achievement-related behavior as a joint function of the person's expectancy of success in the behavior and the subjective value placed on such success. Our results indicated: (a) significant gender differences in the underlying factor structures of expectations and values related to the discipline of biology, (b) expectancy-value factors significantly distinguished biology majors from nonmajors, and (c) expectancy-value factors significantly predicted students' intent to enroll in future biology courses. We explore the expectancy-value framework as an operationally integrative framework in our ecological model for studying academic communities, especially in the context of assessing the underrepresentation of women and minorities in the sciences. Future research directions as well as practical implications are also discussed.

Women chairs in academic medicine: engendering strategic intuition.

Science.gov (United States)

Isaac, Carol; Griffin, Lindsay

2015-01-01

Because stereotypically masculine behaviors are required for effective leadership, examining female chairs' leadership in academic medicine can provide insight into the complex ways in which gender impacts on their leadership practices. The paper aims to discuss this issue. The author interviewed three female clinical chairs and compared the findings to interviews with 28 of their faculty. Grounded theory analysis of the subsequent text gathered comprehensive, systematic, and in-depth information about this case of interest at a US top-tier academic medical center. Four of five themes from the faculty were consistent with the chair's narrative with modifications: Prior Environment (Motivated by Excellence), Tough, Direct, Transparent (Developing Trust), Communal Actions (Creating Diversity of Opinion), and Building Power through Consensus (an "Artful Exercise") with an additional theme, the Significance (and Insignificance) of a Female Chair. While faculty members were acutely aware of the chair's gender, the chairs paradoxically vacillated between gender being a "non-issue" and noting that male chairs "don't do laundry." All three female chairs in this study independently and explicitly stated that gender was not a barrier, yet intuitively used successful strategies derived from the research literature. This study suggests that while their gender was highlighted by faculty, these women dismissed gender as a "non-issue." The duality of gender for these three female leaders was both minimized and subtly affirmed.

Academic Race Stereotypes, Academic Self-Concept, and Racial Centrality in African American Youth

Science.gov (United States)

Okeke, Ndidi A.; Howard, Lionel C.; Kurtz-Costes, Beth; Rowley, Stephanie J.

2009-01-01

The relation between academic race stereotype endorsement and academic self-concept was examined in two studies of seventh- and eighth-grade African Americans. Based on expectancy-value theory, the authors hypothesized that academic race stereotype endorsement would be negatively related to self-perceptions. Furthermore, it was anticipated that…

Non-Relative Value Unit-Generating Activities Represent One-Fifth of Academic Neuroradiologist Productivity.

Science.gov (United States)

Wintermark, M; Zeineh, M; Zaharchuk, G; Srivastava, A; Fischbein, N

2016-07-01

A neuroradiologist's activity includes many tasks beyond interpreting relative value unit-generating imaging studies. Our aim was to test a simple method to record and quantify the non-relative value unit-generating clinical activity represented by consults and clinical conferences, including tumor boards. Four full-time neuroradiologists, working an average of 50% clinical and 50% academic activity, systematically recorded all the non-relative value unit-generating consults and conferences in which they were involved during 3 months by using a simple, Web-based, computer-based application accessible from smartphones, tablets, or computers. The number and type of imaging studies they interpreted during the same period and the associated relative value units were extracted from our billing system. During 3 months, the 4 neuroradiologists working an average of 50% clinical activity interpreted 4241 relative value unit-generating imaging studies, representing 8152 work relative value units. During the same period, they recorded 792 non-relative value unit-generating study reviews as part of consults and conferences (not including reading room consults), representing 19% of the interpreted relative value unit-generating imaging studies. We propose a simple Web-based smartphone app to record and quantify non-relative value unit-generating activities including consults, clinical conferences, and tumor boards. The quantification of non-relative value unit-generating activities is paramount in this time of a paradigm shift from volume to value. It also represents an important tool for determining staffing levels, which cannot be performed on the basis of relative value unit only, considering the importance of time spent by radiologists on non-relative value unit-generating activities. It may also influence payment models from medical centers to radiology departments or practices. © 2016 by American Journal of Neuroradiology.

The Effect of Children's Sleeping Arrangements (Communal vs. Familial) on Fatherhood among Men in an Israeli Kibbutz.

Science.gov (United States)

Lev-Wiesel, Rachel

2000-01-01

In Israel, examines the effect of children's sleeping arrangements (communal versus familial) on the extent of fathers' involvement in their children's lives and their level of satisfaction from fatherhood. Reveals that fathers who sleep at home have a higher level of satisfaction with fatherhood and are more involved in their children's lives.…

Adding Value to Total Joint Arthroplasty Care in an Academic Environment: The Utah Experience.

Science.gov (United States)

Pelt, Christopher E; Anderson, Mike B; Erickson, Jill A; Gililland, Jeremy M; Peters, Christopher L

2018-06-01

Adding value in a university-based academic health care system provides unique challenges when compared to other health care delivery models. Herein, we describe our experience in adding value to joint arthroplasty care at the University of Utah, where the concept of value-based health care reform has become an embraced and driving force. To improve the value, new resources were needed for care redesign, physician leadership, and engagement in alternative payment models. The changes that occurred at our institution are described. Real-time data and knowledgeable personnel working behind the scenes, while physicians provide clinical care, help move clinical pathway redesigns. Engaged physicians are essential to the successful implementation of value creation and care pathway redesign that can lead to improvements in value. An investment of money and resources toward added infrastructure and personnel is often needed to realize large-scale improvements. Alignment of providers, payers, and hospital administration, including by means of gainsharing programs, can lead to improvements. Although significant care pathway redesign efforts may realize substantial initial cost savings, savings may be asymptotic in nature, which calls into question the likely sustainability of programs that incentivize or penalize payments based on historical targets. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Shapley value-based multi-objective data envelopment analysis application for assessing academic efficiency of university departments

Science.gov (United States)

Abing, Stephen Lloyd N.; Barton, Mercie Grace L.; Dumdum, Michael Gerard M.; Bongo, Miriam F.; Ocampo, Lanndon A.

2018-02-01

This paper adopts a modified approach of data envelopment analysis (DEA) to measure the academic efficiency of university departments. In real-world case studies, conventional DEA models often identify too many decision-making units (DMUs) as efficient. This occurs when the number of DMUs under evaluation is not large enough compared to the total number of decision variables. To overcome this limitation and reduce the number of decision variables, multi-objective data envelopment analysis (MODEA) approach previously presented in the literature is applied. The MODEA approach applies Shapley value as a cooperative game to determine the appropriate weights and efficiency score of each category of inputs. To illustrate the performance of the adopted approach, a case study is conducted in a university in the Philippines. The input variables are academic staff, non-academic staff, classrooms, laboratories, research grants, and department expenditures, while the output variables are the number of graduates and publications. The results of the case study revealed that all DMUs are inefficient. DMUs with efficiency scores close to the ideal efficiency score may be emulated by other DMUs with least efficiency scores.

Resilience of South African communal grazing lands after the removal of high grazing pressure

CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

Harrison, YA

1999-05-01

Full Text Available , et al., 1990; Dahlberg, 1993; Scoones, 1993; Shackleton, 1993; Sullivan, 1996). Invariably `overstocking' and hence overgrazing are deemed to be responsible for the apparent degradation. Despite this o cial perspective, most communal lands have... ones (Kelly and Walker, 1976; O'Connor and Pickett, 1992; Parsons, et al., 1997). However, these studies have not indicated the permanence, or reversibility, of the measured changes, and the magnitude of grazing eC128ects is usually minor relative...

Academic Value of Internships in Agronomy: A Survey.

Science.gov (United States)

Herring, Matthew D.; And Others

1990-01-01

A survey of the academic requirements of internships, benefits in taking part in an internship, and problems encountered in internship programs are described. Results indicated that one of the problems with internship programs occurred when faculty did not have direct control over the experience. (CW)

The Mcdonaldization of Academic Libraries and the Values of Transformational Change

Science.gov (United States)

Nicholson, Karen P.

2015-01-01

In his article "The McDonaldization of Academic Libraries?" Brian Quinn explores to what extent and to what effect academic libraries have become "McDonaldized," according to the concept developed by sociologist George Ritzer. Quinn identifies a number of ways in which the four dimensions of…

Sustainability study of domestic communal wastewater treatment plant in Surabaya City

Science.gov (United States)

Bahar, E.; Sudarno; Zaman, B.

2017-06-01

Sanitation is one of the critical infrastructure sectors in order to improve community health status. The Ministry of Public Works of the Republic of Indonesia to define that word sanitation include: domestic waste water management, solid waste management, rain water management (drainage management) as well as the provision of clean water. Surabaya city as the capital of East Java province and Indonesia’s second largest city with a population of 2,853,661 inhabitants in 2014 (the second largest after Jakarta), but the people who have been served by the sanitation infrastructure systems were expected at 176,105 families or about 26.95 % of the population of the city is already using sanitation facilities. In the White Book Sanitation of Surabaya City in 2010, Surabaya City sanitation development mission is to realize the wastewater management of settlements in a sustainable and affordable by the community. This study aims to assess the sustainability of the wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) domestic communal in the city of Surabaya. The method in this research is quantitative method through observation, structured interviews and laboratory testing of the variables analyzed. Analyses were performed using a technique Multidisciplinary rapid appraisal (Rap-fish) to determine the level of sustainability of the management of communal WWTP based on a number of attributes that easy scored. Attributes of each dimension includes the technical, environmental quality, institutional, economic, and social. The results of this study are sustainability index of environmental quality dimension at 84.32 with highly sustainable status, technical dimension at 62.61 with fairly sustainable status, social dimension at 57.98 with fairly sustainable status, economic dimension at 43.24 with less sustainable status, and institutional dimension at 39.67 with less sustainable status.

Sustainability of a Community-Based Enterprise through shared value. Case: Mallay Communal Company

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William Munoz Marticorena

2018-01-01

Full Text Available The relationship of a community-based enterprise (CBE and a mining company was reviewed from the perspective of shared value creation. Specifically, through the study of the Mallay CBE and its interaction with the Buenaventura mining company, the opportunity to create economic value by creating value for the community was verified. The CBE is an organizational innovation whose management is oriented towards the market, integrating its activities with the operative dynamics of the mining company through the provision of services. CBE focuses on member’s economic benefit and the social welfare of the broader community. There are, however, barriers that limit the growth and optimization of the desired impacts caused by this articulation. Despite this, the economic and social value generated is significant and the defined growth model under certain circumstances could be replicable and scalable.

Contracts on electric power supply set up between communities (communal associations, countries) and public electricity utilities

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hedrich, B

1976-01-01

There is not any original communal right to energy supply for the population. The affiliation of local power supply to the local administration cannot be justified either by the public purpose of service or by the term provision of existence. The utilities do not get a communal license when getting the so-called licensing contract. According to its legal nature, the licensing contract is a mixture of legal positions composed of elements of the civil law and the public law. (Administrative lawsuit). The so-called power supply contract is a mutual legal relationship under civil law on the utilization of electric power, made to last. (Permanent obligation for utilization). When concluding both contracts, it is a matter of economic activities undertaken by the communities. Fiscal considerations are in the foreground. Legal regulations concerning roads and distances and serving as starting points for concluding a licensing contract are alien to the system and are to be abolished. Communities should only be responsible for local energy supply on a basis under public law. In lieu of it a stronger obligation to be met by large utilities ought to be ensured by ties under public law.

Microbial Content of “Bowl Water” Used for Communal Handwashing in Preschools within Accra Metropolis, Ghana

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Patience B. Tetteh-Quarcoo

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Objective. This study aimed at determining the microbial content of “bowl water” used for communal handwashing in preschools within the Accra Metropolis. Method. Six (6 preschools in the Accra Metropolis were involved in the study. Water samples and swabs from the hands of the preschool children were collected. The samples were analysed and tested for bacteria, fungi, parasites, and rotavirus. Results. Eight different bacteria, two different parasites, and a fungus were isolated while no rotavirus was detected. Unlike the rest of the microbes, bacterial isolates were found among samples from all the schools, with Staphylococcus species being the most prevalent (40.9%. Out of the three schools that had parasites in their water, two of them had Cryptosporidium parvum. The fungus isolated from two out of the six schools was Aspergillus niger. All bacteria isolated were found to be resistant to cotrimoxazole, ciprofloxacin, and ampicillin and susceptible to amikacin and levofloxacin. Conclusion. Although handwashing has the ability to get rid of microbes, communal handwashing practices using water in bowls could be considered a possible transmission route and may be of public concern.

Farmer perceptions on factors influencing water scarcity for goats in resource-limited communal farming environments.

Science.gov (United States)

Mdletshe, Zwelethu Mfanafuthi; Ndlela, Sithembile Zenith; Nsahlai, Ignatius Verla; Chimonyo, Michael

2018-05-09

The objective of the study was to compare factors influencing water scarcity for goats in areas where there are seasonal and perennial rivers under resource-limited communal farming environments. Data were collected using a structured questionnaire (n = 285) administered randomly to smallholder goat farmers from areas with seasonal and perennial rivers. Ceremonies was ranked as the major reason for keeping goats. Water scarcity was ranked the major constraint to goat production in areas with seasonal rivers when compared to areas with perennial rivers (P goat drinking in areas with seasonal and perennial river systems during cool dry and rainy seasons. Rivers were ranked as an important water source for goat drinking where there are seasonal and perennial river systems during the cool dry season. Households located close (≤ 3 km) to the nearest water source reported drinking water for goats a scarce resource. These results show that river systems, season and distance to the nearest water source from a household were factors perceived by farmers to influence water scarcity for goats in resource-limited communal farming environments. Farmers should explore water-saving strategies such as recycling wastewater from kitchens and bathrooms as an alternative water source. The government may assist farmers through sinking boreholes to supply water for both humans and livestock.

Male Student-Athlete Perceptions of University Academic Staff Expectations: A Qualitative Analysis of Perceptions, Value and Academic Motivation

Science.gov (United States)

Verbeck, Teresa A.

2010-01-01

Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 11 male collegiate student-athletes in a revenue-generating sport in an effort to better inform current academic support practitioners how to best serve this population. The inquiry focused on student-athlete perceptions of two areas: (1) perceptions regarding the expectations academic personnel have…

Down-regulating narcissistic tendencies: communal focus reduces state narcissism.

Science.gov (United States)

Giacomin, Miranda; Jordan, Christian H

2014-04-01

Narcissism has been conceptualized as a set of coherent, mutually reinforcing attributes that orients individuals toward self-enhancement and positive self-feelings. In this view, reducing one element of narcissism--such as a greater concern for agency than communion--may situationally reduce narcissism in a state-like manner. Across five studies, we found that increasing communal focus toward others decreases state narcissism. In Study 1, participants induced to feel empathy reported less state narcissism. In Studies 2 to 4, participants primed with interdependent self-construal reported less state narcissism than control participants and those primed with independent self-construal. Furthermore, in Study 4, changes in state narcissism mediated changes in desire for fame and perceptions that others deserve help. Thus, changes in one element of narcissism may situationally reduce narcissistic tendencies. These findings suggest that narcissism is more state-like and context-dependent than previously assumed.

Significant Value Found in Mentoring Programs for Novice Tenure-Track Academic Librarians

OpenAIRE

Saori Wendy Herman, MLIS, AHIP

2016-01-01

A Review of: Goodsett, M., & Walsh, A. (2015). Building a strong foundation: Mentoring programs for novice tenure-track librarians in academic libraries. College & Research Libraries, 76(7), 914-933. http://dx.doi.org/10.5860/crl.76.7.914 Objective – To examine the effectiveness of mentoring programs for novice tenure-track academic librarians, and to identify critical elements that define a successful mentoring program in various academic library settings. Design – Survey questionn...

Academic Race Stereotypes, Academic Self-Concept, and Racial Centrality in African American Youth

Science.gov (United States)

Okeke, Ndidi A.; Howard, Lionel C.; Kurtz-Costes, Beth; Rowley, Stephanie J.

2010-01-01

The relation between academic race stereotype endorsement and academic self-concept was examined in two studies of seventh- and eighth-grade African Americans. Based on expectancy-value theory, the authors hypothesized that academic race stereotype endorsement would be negatively related to self-perceptions. Furthermore, it was anticipated that the relation between stereotype endorsement and self-perceptions would be moderated by racial centrality. The hypothesis was supported in two independent samples. Among students with high racial centrality, endorsement of traditional race stereotypes was linked to lower self-perceptions of academic competence. The stereotype/self-concept relation was nonsignificant among youth for whom race was less central to their identities. These results confirm the supposition of expectancy-value theory and illustrate the interweaving of group and individual identity with motivational beliefs. PMID:20625536

Relative solidarity: Conceptualising communal participation in genomic research among potential research participants in a developing Sub-Saharan African setting.

Science.gov (United States)

Ogunrin, Olubunmi; Woolfall, Kerry; Gabbay, Mark; Frith, Lucy

2018-01-01

As genomic research gathers momentum in sub-Saharan Africa, it has become increasingly important to understand the reasons why individuals wish to participate in this kind of medical research. Against the background of communitarianism conceived as typical of African communities, it is often suggested that individuals consent to participate on the grounds of solidarity and to further the common good. In this paper, we seek to explore this contention by presenting data from focus groups with potential research participants about what would influence their decisions to participate in genomic research. These focus groups were conducted as part of a larger qualitative study with a purposively selected group of participants from a community situated in south west Nigeria. We conducted fifteen focus group sessions comprising 50 participants organized by age and sex, namely: 1) adult (>30 years) males, 2) adult females, 3) youth (18-30 years) males, and 4) youth females. A mixed age-group was conducted to probe different views between the age groups. There was discordance and clear division between the adults and youths regarding the decision to participate in genomic research based on commitment to communal values. Adults based their decision to participate on altruism and furthering the common good while youths based their decisions on personal benefits and preferences and also took into account the views and welfare of family members and neighbours. This discordance suggests a 'generational shift' and we advance a model of 'relative solidarity' among the youths, which is different from the communal solidarity model typical of African communitarianism. Our findings suggest the need for a closer look at strategies for implementation of community engagement and informed consent in genomic research in this region, and we recommend further studies to explore this emerging trend.

Why Do Children Worry about Their Academic Achievement? An Expectancy-Value Perspective on Elementary Students' Worries about Their Mathematics and Reading Performance

Science.gov (United States)

Lauermann, Fani; Eccles, Jacquelynne S.; Pekrun, Reinhard

2017-01-01

Children's worrying about their academic performance has profound implications for their learning and wellbeing in school. Understanding the contextual and psychological antecedents of students' worry thus represents an important area of research. Drawing on Eccles and colleagues' expectancy-value theory and Pekrun's control-value theory and using…

Involvement of Rabbinic and communal authorities in decision-making by haredi Jews in the UK with breast cancer: an interpretative phenomenological analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Coleman-Brueckheimer, Kate; Spitzer, Joseph; Koffman, Jonathan

2009-01-01

This paper examines how Rabbinic and communal authorities participated in treatment decisions made by a group of strictly orthodox haredi Jews with breast cancer living in London. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with five haredi breast cancer patients. The transcripts were analysed using interpretative phenomenological analysis. Demographic and personal data were collected using structured questionnaires. All participants sought Rabbinic involvement, with four seeking rulings concerning religious rituals and treatment options. Participants' motivations were to ensure their actions accorded with Jewish law and hence God's will. By delegating treatment decisions, decision-making became easier and participants could avoid guilt and blame. They could actively participate in the process by choosing which Rabbi to approach, by providing personal information and by stating their preferences. Attitudes towards Rabbinic involvement were occasionally conflicted. This was related to the understanding that Rabbinic rulings were binding, and occasional doubts that their situation would be correctly interpreted. Three participants consulted the community's 'culture broker' for medical referrals and non-binding advice concerning treatment. Those who consulted the culture broker had to transcend social norms restricting unnecessary contact between men and women. Hence, some participants described talking to him as uncomfortable. Other concerns related to confidentiality. By consulting Rabbinic authorities, haredi cancer patients participated in a socially sanctioned method of decision-making continuous with their religious values. Imposing meaning on their illness in this way may be associated with positive psychological adjustment. Rabbinic and communal figures may endorse therapeutic recommendations and make religious and cultural issues comprehensible to clinicians, and as such healthcare practitioners may benefit from this involvement.

The Development of a Bi-Lingual Assessment Instrument to Measure Agentic and Communal Consumer Motives in English and French.

Science.gov (United States)

Friedman, Mike; Bartier, Anne-Laure; Lown, Josh; Hopwood, Christopher J

2016-01-01

Consumer behavior is driven, in part, by the degree to which goods and services appeal to underlying motives for agency and communion. The purpose of this research was to develop a brief individual differences measure of these motivations for use in behavioral research and theoretical and applied consumer psychology and marketing studies. We employed a bi-lingual scale development procedure to create the 10-item Agentic and Communal Consumer Motivation Inventory (ACCMI) in English and French. Two studies show that the ACCMI is language invariant, demonstrates convergent and discriminant validity with consumer, motivational, and interpersonal constructs, and predicts evaluations of products described in agentic and communal terms, respectively, in both languages. The general conclusion of this research is that agency and communion provide a useful framework for understanding and studying consumer buying motivations. Discussion focuses on the relevance of motivational factors for studying human behavior and the applied utility of the ACCMI.

The development of a bi-lingual assessment instrument to measure agentic and communal consumer motives in English and French

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mike Friedman

2016-08-01

Full Text Available Consumer behavior is driven, in part, by the degree to which goods and services appeal to underlying motives for agency and communion. The purpose of this research was to develop a brief individual differences measure of these motivations for use in behavioral research and theoretical and applied consumer psychology and marketing studies. We employed a bi-lingual scale development procedure to create the 10-item Agentic and Communal Consumer Motivation Inventory (ACCMI in English and French. Two studies show that the ACCMI is language invariant, demonstrates convergent and discriminant validity with consumer, motivational, and interpersonal constructs, and predicts evaluations of products described in agentic and communal terms, respectively, in both languages. The general conclusion of this research is that agency and communion provide a useful framework for understanding and studying consumer buying motivations. Discussion focuses on the relevance of motivational factors for studying human behavior and the applied utility of the ACCMI.

The Development of a Bi-Lingual Assessment Instrument to Measure Agentic and Communal Consumer Motives in English and French

Science.gov (United States)

Friedman, Mike; Bartier, Anne-Laure; Lown, Josh; Hopwood, Christopher J.

2016-01-01

Consumer behavior is driven, in part, by the degree to which goods and services appeal to underlying motives for agency and communion. The purpose of this research was to develop a brief individual differences measure of these motivations for use in behavioral research and theoretical and applied consumer psychology and marketing studies. We employed a bi-lingual scale development procedure to create the 10-item Agentic and Communal Consumer Motivation Inventory (ACCMI) in English and French. Two studies show that the ACCMI is language invariant, demonstrates convergent and discriminant validity with consumer, motivational, and interpersonal constructs, and predicts evaluations of products described in agentic and communal terms, respectively, in both languages. The general conclusion of this research is that agency and communion provide a useful framework for understanding and studying consumer buying motivations. Discussion focuses on the relevance of motivational factors for studying human behavior and the applied utility of the ACCMI. PMID:27563295

The Influence of Academic Values on Scholarly Publication and Communication Practices. Research and Occasional Paper Series: CSHE.13.06

Science.gov (United States)

Harley, Diane; Earl-Novell, Sarah; Arter, Jennifer; Lawrence, Shannon; King, C. Judson

2006-01-01

This study reports on five disciplinary case studies that explore academic value systems as they influence publishing behavior and attitudes of University of California, Berkeley faculty. The case studies are based on direct interviews with relevant stakeholders--faculty, advancement reviewers, librarians, and editors--in five fields: chemical…

Making Value-Based Payment Work for Academic Health Centers.

Science.gov (United States)

Miller, Harold D

2015-10-01

Under fee-for-service payment systems, physicians and hospitals can be financially harmed by delivering higher-quality, more efficient care. The author describes how current "value-based purchasing" initiatives fail to address the underlying problems in fee-for-service payment and can be particularly problematic for academic health centers (AHCs). Bundled payments, warranties, and condition-based payments can correct the problems with fee-for-service payments and enable physicians and hospitals to redesign care delivery without causing financial problems for themselves. However, the author explains several specific actions that are needed to ensure that payment reforms can be a "win-win-win" for patients, purchasers, and AHCs: (1) disconnecting funding for teaching and research from payment for service delivery, (2) providing predictable payment for essential hospital services, (3) improving the quality and efficiency of care at AHCs, and (4) supporting collaborative relationships between AHCs and community providers by allowing each to focus on their unique strengths and by paying AHC specialists to assist community providers in diagnosis and treatment. With appropriate payment reforms and a commitment by AHCs to redesign care delivery, medical education, and research, AHCs could provide the leadership needed to improve care for patients, lower costs for health care purchasers, and maintain the financial viability of both AHCs and community providers.

Academic Excellence: A Commentary and Reflections on the Inherent Value of Peer Review

Science.gov (United States)

Roberts, Thomas J.; Shambrook, Jennifer

2012-01-01

Academic peer review is widely viewed as fair, equitable, and essential to academic quality. Successfully completing the process through publication or award is widely deemed as one of the most rigorous and prestigious forms of scholarly accomplishment. Despite this sentiment the academic peer review process is not without fault. It is criticized…

An investigation into the causes of low calving percentage in communally grazed cattle in Jericho, North West Province

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

E. Mokantla

2004-06-01

Full Text Available The communal grazing system is generally understood to have a low input, low output type of management. However, the actual inputs and outputs of the farmers are not well known and the farmers are often unaware of their problems. Although the causes of low calving percentage are well understood in commercial beef farming enterprises in South Africa, the same is not true for communal farming systems. The aim of this study was to determine the reproductive performance of beef cattle on a communal farming system in Jericho, NorthWest Province. Ten farmers from five villages with a total of 265 cows and 13 bulls were purposively selected. The selection criteria were that each farmer had to have a minimum of 10 breeding cows and a bull and be willing to participate in the study. This was followed by a 12-month longitudinal study with monthly herd visits where cows were examined rectally and bulls (n = 13 were subjected to a single breeding soundness evaluation. The calving percentage was found to be 37.7 %. This is lower than the recorded percentages for commercial beef cattle on extensive grazing. The factors playing a role in low calving percentage were ranked using field data. From this it appeared that failure of cows to become pregnant was the main cause of poor calving percentage as opposed of loss of calves through abortion or resorption. Sub-fertility of the bulls was found to be of great significance and it is proposed that this be included in extension messages and that bulls be fertility tested routinely. Poor body condition score of cows, mainly caused by poor management, was also considered to play a major role in reducing pregnancy rates. Infectious diseases like trichomonosis, campylobacteriosis and brucellosis played a much leser role than anticipated.

COMMUNAL SPACE IN ISLAMIC ACTIVITY OF DUKUH KRAJAN, DESA KROMENGAN,KABUPATEN MALANG

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sri Winarni

2013-12-01

Full Text Available Abstract Dukuh Krajan settlement is a one of the settlement that still hold and maintain the value of tradition, social and cultural  in the  daily and social life. Nowadays, the  phenomena that  happens in the  social-cultural community is the decrement of life pattern of the rural community consist of the value of togetherness and mutual cooperation. This transformation will affect changes of common space. It still needs a deeper research about the formed common spaces especially in the relation with Islamic activity in regular nor incidentally basis. With purpose so that the formed common space can be benficial to grow some communal senses and mutual cooperation in the next generation. The research using qualitative with rationalistic approach. With the data acquired from the filed observation and interview with social figure and the residence. Common space is a common area that formed from the participation of the residence. Space as a base of common life grow from the alliance by building those spaces for a joint interest. the physical room of the Islamic activity consist of two namely residence house Islamic activity and public facility Islamic activity. Those function can transform when the Islamic activity being held. Semi public spaces, semi private, and private will change into common space function. This is affected by the activity, user, time and the room atribute inside. The space application of one activity has a sequence which give the activity and the user a interpretation, in this case togetherness and communality.   Keywords:  Common Space, Islamic Activity, Rural Settlement     Abstrak Permukiman Dukuh Krajan merupakan salah satu pedesaan yang  masih memegang dan mempertahankan nilai- nilai tradisi, sosial dan budaya baik dalam kehidupan sehari-hari maupun kehidupan sosial. Dalam kehidupan sosial-budaya masyarakat  desa saat ini corak kehidupan masyarakat desa yang berupa nilai-nilai kebersamaan dan kegotong

Academic Vocational Training

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Willert, Søren; Keller, Hanne Dauer; Stegeager, Nikolaj

2010-01-01

Danish society puts a high value on education which is traditionally seen as a crucial vehicle for development in all spheres of social and economic life. Large sums are spent on work-related adult learning, an important example being academically based masters programs. Yet, the actual effects o......, with examples, a framework for designing educational programs which can help make academic teaching relevant to production-oriented life in organizations. The paper may be read as a statement from which criteria for evaluating the said masters programs can be generated.......Danish society puts a high value on education which is traditionally seen as a crucial vehicle for development in all spheres of social and economic life. Large sums are spent on work-related adult learning, an important example being academically based masters programs. Yet, the actual effects...... of such educational investment in terms of improved workplace efficiency remain obscure both with respect to the organization and the individual. Academically acquired knowledge is generally admitted not to affect work-related outcomes to any significant extent. The three authors of this paper are all involved...

Considering wind energy in regional planning guidelines and communal land-use planning; Die Beruecksichtigung der Windenergie in der Richt- und Nutzungsplanung

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Soguel, R. [Atelier North and Robyr, Neuchatel (Switzerland); Henz, H.R. [Metron Raumplanung AG, Brugg (Switzerland)

2001-07-01

This report made for the Swiss Federal Office of Energy (SFOE) discusses the situation in Switzerland regarding the planning guidelines required at regional and communal level that are required for the granting of permission to build wind energy installations. Various types of wind turbines and wind farms are described and topics such as planning tools, landscape protection and promotional concepts are discussed. The role of the Swiss Cantons in the promotion of wind energy is examined and the question of how to integrate wind energy plant into cantonal and communal planning guidelines is looked at. This working guide introduces two schemes that demonstrate how the planning process for the construction of wind farms can be co-ordinated with the development of land-use plans. Examples of current cantonal guidelines are presented in the appendix to the report.

Farmers' perceptions of goat kid mortality under communal farming in Eastern Cape, South Africa.

Science.gov (United States)

Slayi, Mhlangabezi; Maphosa, Viola; Fayemi, Olutope Peter; Mapfumo, Lizwell

2014-10-01

Rearing of goats under communal farming conditions is characterised by high kid mortality and low weaning percentages. A survey was conducted to determine farmers' perceptions on the causes of kid mortality during summer under the communal farming system in Nkonkobe Local Municipality in the Eastern Cape, South Africa. This was done by administering questionnaires to a total of 162 respondents in 14 villages around Nkonkobe Local Municipality. The study showed that majority of farmers (75 %) keep flock sizes of less than 10 goats and kids, and this indicates that goat production in Nkonkobe Local Municipality is suppressed. According to the farmers, diseases (89 %), endo-parasites (72 %) and ecto-parasites (68 %) were perceived as the major causes of kid mortality. Other causes reported include starvation (15 %), extreme weather conditions (28 %), abortion (7 %), theft (35 %), diarrhoea (43 %), accidents (10 %) and wounds (9 %). The low number of goats could be attributed to high mortalities. It was also found that all causes reported by farmers played a role in high kid mortality in Nkonkobe Local Municipality. However, the causes which require more emphasis to formulate extension support were tick-borne diseases and parasites. This study provided baseline information on possible causes of kid mortalities in Nkonkobe Local Municipality. There is, however, a need to conduct further studies to determine actual causes of high kid mortalities so as to develop preventive strategies that would minimize kid mortality for good economic returns.

Valuing Essays: Essaying Values

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Badley, Graham

2010-01-01

The essay regularly comes under attack. It is criticised for being rigidly linear rather than flexible and reflective. I first challenge this view by examining reasons why the essay should be valued as an important genre. Secondly, I propose that in using the essay form students and academics necessarily exemplify their own critical values. Essays…

Sisters in hereditary breast and ovarian cancer families: communal coping, social integration, and psychological well-being.

Science.gov (United States)

Koehly, Laura M; Peters, June A; Kuhn, Natalia; Hoskins, Lindsey; Letocha, Anne; Kenen, Regina; Loud, Jennifer; Greene, Mark H

2008-08-01

We investigated the association between psychological distress and indices of social integration and communal coping among sisters from hereditary breast and ovarian cancer (HBOC) families. Sixty-five sisters from 31 HBOC families completed the Brief Symptom Inventory-18 and the Colored Eco-Genetic Relationship Map, which identified members of participants' social support networks. Hierarchical linear models were used for all analyses to account for the clustering of sisters within families. Intra-family correlation coefficients suggested that sisters shared perceptions of breast cancer risk and worry, but not ovarian cancer risk and worry. Further, sisters demonstrated shared levels of anxiety and somatization, but not depressive symptoms. Communal coping indices quantifying shared support resources were negatively related to anxiety and somatization. The number of persons with whom cancer risk information was shared exhibited a positive trend with somatization. Social integration, as measured by the size of participants' emotional support network, was negatively associated with anxiety. Lower depression scores were observed among participants with more persons playing multiple support roles and fewer persons providing tangible assistance. Understanding how support relationships impact well-being among persons adjusting to HBOC risk, and the particular role of family in that process, will facilitate developing appropriate management approaches to help cancer-prone families adjust to their cancer risk.

Extended parental care in communal social groups

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Stephen H. Forbes

2002-11-01

Full Text Available Recent developments in social insect research have challenged the need for close kinship as a prerequisite for the evolution of stable group living. In a model communal bee species, Lasioglossum (Chilalictus hemichalceum, previous allozyme work indicated that groups of cooperating adult females are not relatives. Yet at any given time, not all group members perform the risky task of foraging. We previously hypothesized that tolerance for non-foragers was a component of extended parental care, previously known only for kin based social systems. DNA microsatellites were used to study colony genetic structure in order to test this hypothesis. Microsatellite polymorphism was substantial (He = 0.775. Overall intracolony relatedness, mainly of immatures, was low but significant in nine, late season nests (r = 0.136 plus or minus0.023, indicating that broods contain five to six unrelated sib ships. Detailed analyses of kinship between pairs of individuals revealed that most pairs were unrelated and most related pairs were siblings. Mothers are absent for 89-91% of the developing immature females, and 97% of developing males. Alternatively, 46% of adult females had neither sibs nor offspring in their nests. These findings indicate that the extended parental care model applies broadly to both kin based and nonkin based social systems in the Hymenoptera.

Studying the impact of academic events

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hansen, Thomas Trøst; Pedersen, David Budtz

2018-01-01

of scholarly work, to increase collaboration with non-academic partners and to achieve a broad range of socio-economic benefits. Impact assessment frameworks are occupied with documenting the effects of science on a large number of variables. However, the participation and hosting of academic events have......Demands that publicly funded scientific research should demonstrate its academic and societal impact have been commonplace for some time. Research communities, university administrators and policy-makers are looking to impact assessments and impact toolkits to better communicate the value...... not been included in most frameworks. In this scoping review, we demonstrate that academic events are an important vehicle for academic and societal value-creation that should be integrated in future impact studies. The review presents the main trends in the literature by categorizing the impact...

Investigating Student Use and Value of E-Learning Resources to Develop Academic Writing within the Discipline of Environmental Science

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Taffs, Kathryn H.; Holt, Julienne I.

2013-01-01

The use of information and communication technologies (ICTs) in higher education to support student learning is expanding. However, student usage has been low and the value of e-learning resources has been under investigation. We reflect on best practices for pedagogical design of e-learning resources to support academic writing in environmental…

The Impact of Agentic and Communal Exercise Messages on Individuals' Exercise Class Attitudes, Self-Efficacy Beliefs, and Intention to Attend.

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Howle, Timothy C; Dimmock, James A; Ntoumanis, Nikos; Chatzisarantis, Nikos L D; Sparks, Cassandra; Jackson, Ben

2017-12-01

We tested the effects of advertisements about a fictitious exercise class-derived using the theoretical constructs of agency and communion-on recipients' perceptions about, and interest in, the class. The final sample consisted of 150 adults (M age  = 44.69, SD = 15.83). Results revealed that participants who received a communal-oriented message reported significantly greater exercise task self-efficacy and more positive affective attitudes relative to those who received an agentic-oriented message. Communal (relative to agentic) messages were also indirectly responsible for greater intentions to attend the class, via more positive self-efficacy beliefs and affective attitudes. These findings were obtained despite the use of another manipulation to orient participants to either agency or communion goals. The results indicate that the primacy of communion over agency for message recipients may extend to exercise settings and may occur irrespective of whether participants are situationally oriented toward agency or communion.

Academic Freedom in Higher Education

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Tokay GEDİKOĞLU

2013-12-01

Full Text Available In this study, the concept ‘academic freedom’ is discussed, its implications and value for the academics, institutions of higher education, and the society are focused, and a few suggestions for the Turkish higher education are made. Academic freedom is defined as the freedom of the academic staff to look for and to find the truth in their scientific field, to publish the findings, and to teach these findings to their students without any external intervention. The concept has gained a further definition with inclusion of research activities into academic freedom as part of the reform attempts started in the German higher education in the 19th century. Therefore, academic freedom is at the very core of the missions of the institutions of higher education; that is, teaching-learning and research. On the point of academic staff and their academic activities of the academic freedom, the subjects such as the aim of the course, choosing the teaching materials and textbooks, the lecturer, and the criteria for the measurement and evaluation of the course take place. And he point of research covers the aim of the study, academicians can’t be imposed the involve in an academic and artistic studies that conflict their values and beliefs; researchers should comply with codes of ethical principles and practices during the process of researching; and research outputs should be reported accurately and honestly without any misleading manipulation. Academic freedom does not provide any exemption from accountability in academic activities of the faculty, nor does it provide any right to act against the well-being of the society, current laws and regulations, and codes of ethical principles and practices.

The Relationship between Students' Attitudes towards School, Values of Education, Achievement Motivation and Academic Achievement in Gondar Secondary Schools, Ethiopia

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Dagnew, Asrat

2017-01-01

The current study investigated the relationship between students' attitudes towards school, values of education, achievement motivation and academic achievement. Accordingly, the study adopted a correlation research design. To achieve the objectives of the study, 362 students using systematic sampling technique were taken from grade 9 students of…

Work Values and College Major Choice

Science.gov (United States)

Balsamo, Michela; Lauriola, Marco; Saggino, Aristide

2013-01-01

Our study sought to clarify the nature of the known individual differences in work values associated with academic college major choice, specifically the question whether these precede or follow the choice of an academic major. To rule out environmental influences during academic study, group differences in five value orientations were evaluated…

Latinos and Latinas in Communal Settings: A Grounded Theory of Recovery

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Joseph R. Ferrari

2009-03-01

Full Text Available Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 12 Latino/a residents of a mutual help residential recovery program (Oxford House in order to elicit their experiences of the program’s therapeutic elements. A model of recovery emerged from the analysis including several themes supported by existing literature: personal motivation and readiness to change, mutual help, sober environment, social support, and accountability. Consistent with a broad conceptualization of recovery, outcomes included abstinence, new life skills, and increased self-esteem/sense of purpose. Most participants were the only Latino/a in their Houses; however, cultural differences did not emerge as salient issues. The study’s findings highlight potential therapeutic aspects of mutual-help communal recovery programs and suggest that English-speaking, bicultural Latinos/as have positive experiences and may benefit from participating in these programs.

Communal goat production in Southern Africa: a review.

Science.gov (United States)

Rumosa Gwaze, F; Chimonyo, M; Dzama, K

2009-10-01

Despite the fact that about 64% of goats in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) are located in rural arid (38%) and semi-arid (26%) agro-ecological zones and that more than 90% of goats in these zones are indigenous, information on indigenous breeds is inadequate. This paper reviews the social and economic importance of goats to the communal farmer and assesses the potential of using goats in rural development in Southern Africa. Farmers in Southern Africa largely use the village goat management system. There are various goat breeds in Southern Africa, of which the Mashona, Matabele, Tswana, Nguni and the Landim are the dominant ones. It is, however, not clear if these breeds are distinct. Major constraints to goat production include high disease and parasite prevalence, low levels of management, limited forage availability and poor marketing management. Potential research areas that are required to ensure that goats are vehicles for rural development include evaluation of constraints to goat production, assessing the contribution of goats to household economies and food securities throughout the year, genetic and phenotypic characterisation of the indigenous breeds to identify appropriate strains and sustainable methods of goat improvement through either selection or crossbreeding.

Competing use of organic resources, village-level interactions between farm types and climate variability in a communal area of NE Zimbabwe

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Rufino, M.C.; Dury, J.; Tittonell, P.A.; Wijk, van M.T.; Herrero, M.; Zingore, S.; Mapfumo, P.; Giller, K.E.

2011-01-01

In communal areas of NE Zimbabwe, feed resources are collectively managed, with herds grazing on grasslands during the rainy season and mainly on crop residues during the dry season, which creates interactions between farmers and competition for organic resources. Addition of crop residues or animal

From Academic to Post-Academic Science

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Mohammad Amin Ghaneirad

2014-03-01

Full Text Available This paper studies the cultural change in science from academic science to post-academic science by the use of documentary studying and analytical reasoning. The aim of this study is determining the direction of cultural change in science and comparing it with cultural change in society.The knowledge production which surrounds academy has little relationship with the values of society and epistemological norms regulate scientists' behavior from within the scientific system. But in post-academic science the relationship between science and society operates in the same line with market and government and science produce within the social context and scientists' behavior controlled by the norms out of the scientific system. So the culture of science has changed because science applied to meet the requirements of market and industry. The result is that contrary to cultural change in society that goes from materialism to post-materialism, cultural change in science moves from post-materialism to materialism.

An Examination of How Academic Advancement of U.S. Journalism Students Relates to Their Degree Motivations, Values, and Technology Use

Science.gov (United States)

Carpenter, Serena; Hoag, Anne; Grant, August E.; Bowe, Brian J.

2015-01-01

The newsroom is a powerful influence in a journalist's identity formation. Research has yet to verify the socializing impact of academia. This research utilized the quantitative survey method applying it to undergraduate journalism students (n = 798) to assess how academic status relates to students' degree motivations, life values, and technology…

The Value of Reflective: Functioning within an Academic Therapeutic Nursery.

Science.gov (United States)

LaLonde, Mary M; Dreier, Mona; Aaronson, Gayle; O'Brien, John

2015-01-01

The self begins as a social self and is dependent on the other and the self-other relationship. Furthermore, shortly after birth, the intersubjective self is nurtured and sustained by the reciprocal interactions with the significant other. Recent research suggests that the significant other's reciprocity depends on his or her capacity for mentalization, and this reflective functioning capacity influences not only the child's developing sense of I, other, and we, but also his or her developing attachment pattern. Several studies have demonstrated that parental reflective functioning can be improved with intervention, and enhancing parental reflective functioning can lead to a more secure attachment pattern and better outcomes for the child and parent. Therefore, intervention with toddlers and their families requires us to consider this dynamic two-person psychology. In this paper, we describe an academic parent-child nursery program aimed at enhancing parental reflective functioning. A clinical example from the collaborative treatment of a mother and her two-year-old will demonstrate how reflective functioning can be enhanced in the parent-child dyad and lead to a more secure parent-child relationship. We will also discuss the value of reflective functioning to the interdisciplinary team and how we dealt with countertransference issues that arose during the treatment.

"A Degree Is a Part of the Puzzle, but Only a Piece." Understanding How Employers Determine the Value of Academic Credentials

Science.gov (United States)

Kaspari, Brenda Anderson

2017-01-01

With the skyrocketing costs of higher education and the increased scrutiny of how educational institutions prepare graduates for the workplace, this dissertation explored how the "outsiders," or employers, view and determine the value of academic credentials. Using the premise of credentialism, this grounded theory, qualitative study…

Nest structure and communal nesting in Euglossa (Glossura annectans Dressler (Hymenoptera, Apidae, Euglossini

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Carlos Alberto Garófalo

1998-01-01

Full Text Available Three nests of Euglossa (Glossura annectans Dressier, 1982 were obtained from trap nests at Serra do Japi, Jundiai, São Paulo State, Brazil. The bees nested in bamboo cane (one nest and in wooden-boxes (two nests. Solitary (two cases and pleometrotic (one case foundations were observed. Two nests were re-used once by two females working in each of them. Re-using females that shared the nests were of the same generation and each built, provisioned and oviposited in her own cells, characterizing a communal association. The brood development period was related to climatic conditions. Natural enemies included Anthrax oedipus oedipus Fabricius, 1805 (Bombyliidae, Coelioxys sp. (Megachilidae and Melittobia sp. (Eulophidae.

Academic Motivation: Concepts, Strategies, and Counseling Approaches

Science.gov (United States)

Rowell, Lonnie; Hong, Eunsook

2013-01-01

Motivation is an important foundation of academic development in students. This article discusses academic motivation; its various component concepts in areas such as beliefs, goals, and values; and intrinsic and extrinsic motivation. It also presents major, widely studied theoretical perspectives of academic motivation and briefly illustrates…

Attending to detail by communal spider-eating spiders.

Science.gov (United States)

Jackson, Robert R; Nelson, Ximena J

2012-07-01

Communal predators may often need to make especially intricate foraging decisions, as a predator's success may depend on the actions of its neighbours. Here,we consider the decisions made by Portia africana, a jumping spider (Salticidae) that preys on other spiders, including Oecobius amboseli (Oecobiidae), a small prey spider that lives under small sheets of silk (nests) on the walls of buildings. P. africana juveniles settle near oecobiid nests and then ambush oecobiids as they leave or enter the nest. Two or more P. africana juveniles sometimes settle at the same nest and, when an oecobiid is captured, the P. africana juveniles may share the meal. We investigated the joining decisions made by naïve P. africana juveniles. Experiments were based on using lures (dead spiders positioned in lifelike posture) arranged in a series of 17 different scenes defined by the presence/absence of a nest, the lure types present and the configuration of the lures and the nest. Our findings imply that P. africana juveniles make remarkably precise predatory decisions, with the variables that matter including whether a nest is present, the identity of spiders inside and outside a nest and how spiders are positioned relative to each other and the nest.

Frontières administratives et identités communales. Le cas de la France, XVIII-XXe siècles

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Claude Motte

2009-01-01

Full Text Available Parmi les différentes déclinaisons du terme "frontière" (naturelle, politique, administrative, identitaire, existe-t-il une combinaison d'entre elles qui résisterait le plus farouchement à l'épreuve du temps? Le cas de la France qui, au sein de l'Europe, connaît une exception administrative particulière, est intéressant à observer. Ses nombreuses frontières intérieures ont repoussé avec obstination toute tentative de réduction de leur nombre. Sans doute parce que, laissée à l'initiative des populations locales et respectée par les successifs gouvernements, la définition des territoires s'est appuyée sur la reconnaissance des identités communales construites au cours des siècles par le quotidien des habitants. La correspondance cartographique établie entre le tissu paroissial du XVIIIe siècle en France, et le maillage communal d'aujourd'hui illustre, en dépit des quelques variations observées, la remarquable stabilité de ses frontières administratives.

Modern technical solutions of gas-fired heating devices of household and communal use and analysis of their testing

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bodzon, L.; Radwan, W. [Oil Mining and Gas Engineering Institute, Cracow (Poland)

1995-12-31

A review of technical solutions for gas-fired heating devices for household and communal use in Poland is presented. Based upon the analysis it is stated that the power output of Polish and foreign boilers ranges between 9 and 35 kW. The carbon monoxide content in flue gases reaches (on average) 0.005 vol.%, i.e., it is much lower than the maximum permissible level. Temperature of flue gases (excluding condensation boilers and those with air-tight combustion chamber) ranges between 150 and 200{degrees}C and their heating efficiency reaches 87-93%. The best parameters are given for condensation boilers, however they are still not widespread in Poland for the high cost of the equipment and assembling works. Among the heaters, the most safe are convection devices with closed combustion chamber; their efficiency is also the highest. Thus, it is concluded that a wide spectrum of high efficiency heating devices with good combustion parameters are available. The range of output is sufficient to meet household and communal requirement. They are however - predominantly - units manufactured abroad. It is difficult to formulate the program aimed at the improvement of the technique of heating devices made in Poland, and its implementation is uncertain because the production process is broken up into small handicraft workshops.

Academic medicine amenities unit: developing a model to integrate academic medical care with luxury hotel services.

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Kennedy, David W; Kagan, Sarah H; Abramson, Kelly Brennen; Boberick, Cheryl; Kaiser, Larry R

2009-02-01

The interface between established values of academic medicine and the trend toward inpatient amenities units requires close examination. Opinions of such units can be polarized, reflecting traditional reservations about the ethical dilemma of offering exclusive services only to an elite patient group. An amenities unit was developed at the University of Pennsylvania Health System in 2007, using an approach that integrated academic medicine values with the benefits of philanthropy and service excellence to make amenities unit services available to all patients. Given inherent internal political concerns, a broadly based steering committee of academic and hospital leadership was developed. An academically appropriate model was conceived, anchored by four principles: (1) integration of academic values, (2) interdisciplinary senior leadership, (3) service excellence, and (4) recalibrated occupancy expectations based on multiple revenue streams. Foremost is ensuring the same health care is afforded all patients throughout the hospital, thereby overcoming ethical challenges and optimizing teaching experiences. Service excellence frames the service ethic for all staff, and this, in addition to luxury hotel-style amenities, differentiates the style and feel of the unit from others in the hospital. Recalibrated occupancy creates program viability given revenue streams redefined to encompass gifts and patient revenue, including both reimbursement and self-pay. The medical-surgical amenities patient-care unit has enjoyed a successful first year and a growing stream of returning patients and admitting physicians. Implications for other academic medical centers include opportunities to extrapolate service excellence throughout the hospital and to cultivate philanthropy to benefit services throughout the medical center.

Disruptive innovation in academic medical centers: balancing accountable and academic care.

Science.gov (United States)

Stein, Daniel; Chen, Christopher; Ackerly, D Clay

2015-05-01

Numerous academic medicine leaders have argued that academic referral centers must prepare for the growing importance of accountability-driven payment models by adopting population health initiatives. Although this shift has merit, execution of this strategy will prove significantly more problematic than most observers have appreciated. The authors describe how successful implementation of an accountable care health strategy within a referral academic medical center (AMC) requires navigating a critical tension: The academic referral business model, driven by tertiary-level care, is fundamentally in conflict with population health. Referral AMCs that create successful value-driven population health systems within their organizations will in effect disrupt their own existing tertiary care businesses. The theory of disruptive innovation suggests that balancing the push and pull of academic and accountable care within a single organization is achievable. However, it will require significant shifts in resource allocation and changes in management structure to enable AMCs to make the inherent difficult choices and trade-offs that will ensue. On the basis of the theories of disruptive innovation, the authors present recommendations for how academic health systems can successfully navigate these issues as they transition toward accountability-driven care.

Benchmarking Academic Anatomic Pathologists

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Barbara S. Ducatman MD

2016-10-01

Full Text Available The most common benchmarks for faculty productivity are derived from Medical Group Management Association (MGMA or Vizient-AAMC Faculty Practice Solutions Center ® (FPSC databases. The Association of Pathology Chairs has also collected similar survey data for several years. We examined the Association of Pathology Chairs annual faculty productivity data and compared it with MGMA and FPSC data to understand the value, inherent flaws, and limitations of benchmarking data. We hypothesized that the variability in calculated faculty productivity is due to the type of practice model and clinical effort allocation. Data from the Association of Pathology Chairs survey on 629 surgical pathologists and/or anatomic pathologists from 51 programs were analyzed. From review of service assignments, we were able to assign each pathologist to a specific practice model: general anatomic pathologists/surgical pathologists, 1 or more subspecialties, or a hybrid of the 2 models. There were statistically significant differences among academic ranks and practice types. When we analyzed our data using each organization’s methods, the median results for the anatomic pathologists/surgical pathologists general practice model compared to MGMA and FPSC results for anatomic and/or surgical pathology were quite close. Both MGMA and FPSC data exclude a significant proportion of academic pathologists with clinical duties. We used the more inclusive FPSC definition of clinical “full-time faculty” (0.60 clinical full-time equivalent and above. The correlation between clinical full-time equivalent effort allocation, annual days on service, and annual work relative value unit productivity was poor. This study demonstrates that effort allocations are variable across academic departments of pathology and do not correlate well with either work relative value unit effort or reported days on service. Although the Association of Pathology Chairs–reported median work relative

Are Quantitative Measures of Academic Productivity Correlated with Academic Rank in Plastic Surgery? A National Study.

Science.gov (United States)

Susarla, Srinivas M; Lopez, Joseph; Swanson, Edward W; Miller, Devin; O'Brien-Coon, Devin; Zins, James E; Serletti, Joseph M; Yaremchuk, Michael J; Manson, Paul N; Gordon, Chad R

2015-09-01

The purpose of this study was to investigate the correlation between quantitative measures of academic productivity and academic rank among full-time academic plastic surgeons. Bibliometric indices were computed for all full-time academic plastic surgeons in the United States. The primary study variable was academic rank. Bibliometric predictors included the Hirsch index, I-10 index, number of publications, number of citations, and highest number of citations for a single publication. Descriptive, bivariate, and correlation analyses were computed. Multiple comparisons testing was used to calculate adjusted associations for subgroups. For all analyses, a value of p productivity. Although academic promotion is the result of success in multiple different areas, bibliometric measures may be useful adjuncts for assessment of research productivity.

‘Living in a communal garden’ associated with well-being whilst reducing urban sprawl by 40%: a mixed methods cross-sectional study

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Jamie eAnderson

2015-07-01

Full Text Available Background: The extent to which novel land-efficient neighbourhood design can promote key health behaviours is examined, concentrating on communal outdoor space provision.Objectives: To test whether a neighbourhood (Accordia with a higher ratio of communal to private outdoor space is associated with higher levels of resident’s a self-reported local health behaviours and b observed engagement in local health behaviours, compared to a matched neighbourhood with lower proportion of communal outdoor space provision. Methods: Health behaviours were examined via direct observation and postal survey. Bespoke observation codes and survey items represented key well-being behaviours including: ‘connecting’, ‘keeping active’, ‘taking notice’, ‘keep learning’ and ‘giving’. The questionnaire was validated using psychometric analyses and observed behaviours were mapped in real-time. Results: General pursuit of health behaviours was very similar in both areas but Accordia residents reported substantially greater levels of local activity. Validated testing of survey dataset (n=256 showed support for a stronger Attitude to Neighbourhood Life (connecting and giving locally in Accordia and partial support of greater physical activity. Analyses of the behaviour observation dataset (n=7,298 support the self-reported findings. Mapped observations revealed a proliferation of activity within Accordia’s innovative outdoor hard spaces. Conclusion: Representation is limited to upper-middle class UK groups. However, Accordia was found to promote health behaviours compared a traditional neighbourhood that demands considerably more land area. The positive role of home zone streets, hard-standing and semi-civic space highlights the principle of quality as well as quantity. The findings should be considered as part of three forthcoming locally-led UK garden cities, to be built before 2020.

More Value through Greater Differentiation: Gender Differences in Value Beliefs about Math

Science.gov (United States)

Gaspard, Hanna; Dicke, Anna-Lena; Flunger, Barbara; Schreier, Brigitte; Häfner, Isabelle; Trautwein, Ulrich; Nagengast, Benjamin

2015-01-01

Expectancy-value theory (Eccles et al., 1983) is a prominent approach to explaining gender differences in math-related academic choices, with value beliefs acting as an important explanatory factor. Expectancy-value theory defines 4 value components: intrinsic value, attainment value, utility value, and cost. The present study followed up on…

Factors that influence the success of conservation programs in communal property areas in Mexico

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Verónica Bunge-Vivier

2017-03-01

Full Text Available More than half of the natural vegetation in Mexico is managed collectively within common property systems. The appropriation and continuity of government programs related to the conservation of land that is communally used is proposed to depend on the level of organization of the communities and the interaction between the local and governmental institutions, as well as the benefits derived from conservation projects. Patterns of what drives the conservation of common natural resources were analyzed in order to propose improvements to conservation policy. Changes in primary and secondary vegetation cover in common and private properties were identified by performing a historical spatial analysis. Questionnaires were used to survey 32 populations of seven states of the Mexican Republic to determine the conservation status of common property resources, as well as the ability of the community to continue conservation activities initially undertaken by government programs. Some 53% of the primary and secondary vegetation in Mexico is found in common property areas, but the change from primary and secondary vegetation to other uses is the same for common and private property. Communities with a high level of conservation of communal areas and with the ability to continue conservation projects were those that had dedicated the areas to recreation and conservation, had stronger community organization and were less marginalized. A recognition of the heterogeneity of the socioeconomic and cultural context of communities with common property is necessary to design governmental conservation programs that achieve long-term conservation. To meet the needs of a region that is both degraded and marginalized, the creation of synergies between programs that combat poverty and programs that promote conservation is needed. In addition, the continuation of payments with public funds for work that preserves or rehabilitates natural areas is needed, thereby

Academic Integrity: A Review of the Literature

Science.gov (United States)

Macfarlane, Bruce; Zhang, Jingjing; Pun, Annie

2014-01-01

This article provides a literature review on academic integrity, which encompasses the values, behaviour and conduct of academics in all aspects of their practice. This is a growing area of academic research as a result of the expansion of higher education on a global basis and concerns about standards of professional conduct. The article maps the…

Academic Freedom in the 21st Century

Science.gov (United States)

Tierney, William G.; Lechuga, Vicente M.

2005-01-01

Throughout the 20th century, academic freedom was a foundational value for the academy in the United States. The concept of academic freedom pertains to the right of faculty to enjoy considerable autonomy in their research and teaching. The assumption that drives academic freedom is that the country benefits when faculty are able to search for…

Academic Education Chain Operation Model

OpenAIRE

Ruskov, Petko; Ruskov, Andrey

2007-01-01

This paper presents an approach for modelling the educational processes as a value added chain. It is an attempt to use a business approach to interpret and compile existing business and educational processes towards reference models and suggest an Academic Education Chain Operation Model. The model can be used to develop an Academic Chain Operation Reference Model.

Nurses' roles in informed consent in a hierarchical and communal context.

Science.gov (United States)

Susilo, Astrid P; Van Dalen, Jan; Scherpbier, Albert; Tanto, Sugiharto; Yuhanti, Patricia; Ekawati, Nora

2013-06-01

Although the main responsibility for informed consent of medical procedures rests with doctors, nurses' roles are also important, especially as patient advocates. Nurses' preparation for this role in settings with a hierarchical and communal culture has received little attention. We explored the views of hospital managers and nurses regarding the roles of nurses in informed consent and factors influencing these roles. We conducted a qualitative study in a private, multispecialty hospital in Indonesia. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with seven managers. Two rounds of focus group discussions with nurses (n = 27) were conducted. Constant comparative approach was used in the analysis. Nurses can act as manager, witness, information giver, and advocate in the informed consent process. These roles are influenced by nurses' preparedness, hospital culture and policy, patients' understanding, family involvement, and cost-related issues. In preparation for these tasks, nurses should acquire communication skills, clinical knowledge, and legal and ethical knowledge.

Value Reappraisal as a Conceptual Model for Task-Value Interventions

Science.gov (United States)

Acee, Taylor W.; Weinstein, Claire Ellen; Hoang, Theresa V.; Flaggs, Darolyn A.

2018-01-01

We discuss task-value interventions as one type of relevance intervention and propose a process model of value reappraisal whereby task-value interventions elicit cognitive-affective responses that lead to attitude change and in turn affect academic outcomes. The model incorporates a metacognitive component showing that students can intentionally…

Reclaiming value from academic labor: commentary by the Editors of Human Geography

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

John C. Finn

2017-12-01

Full Text Available There have long been discussions about the need for an alternative publishing model for academic research. This has been made clear by the September 2017 scandal involving Third World Quarterly. The editor’s deeply problematic decision to publish an essay arguing in favor of colonialism was likely meant as click-bate to drive clicks and citations. But we should not lose sight of the fact that this latest scandal is only one recent manifestation of a long-simmering problem that has periodically commanded significant attention in the academic literature, blogs, email lists, conference sessions, and the popular press. As a direct result, over the last decade or more, new journals have been created that specifically endeavor to offer routes around corporate/capitalist academic publishing, and several existing journals have removed themselves from this profit-driven ecosystem. In this commentary, the editorial team of the journal Human Geography weighs in on what we see as the nature of the problem, what we are doing in response, what our successes have been, and what challenges remain.

From Social Motives to Spiritual Development: A Cultural Historical Activity Theory Analysis of Communal Spiritual Development in a Korean American House Church

Science.gov (United States)

Park, SinWoong Simon

2013-01-01

This study focused on a unique culturally shaped church formation, a Korean house church in the U.S., and how the members of the Korean house church learn and develop their spirituality in their communal relations and activities. (Abstract shortened by UMI.) [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest…

Significant Value Found in Mentoring Programs for Novice Tenure-Track Academic Librarians

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Saori Wendy Herman, MLIS, AHIP

2016-12-01

Full Text Available A Review of: Goodsett, M., & Walsh, A. (2015. Building a strong foundation: Mentoring programs for novice tenure-track librarians in academic libraries. College & Research Libraries, 76(7, 914-933. http://dx.doi.org/10.5860/crl.76.7.914 Objective – To examine the effectiveness of mentoring programs for novice tenure-track academic librarians, and to identify critical elements that define a successful mentoring program in various academic library settings. Design – Survey questionnaire with a voluntary phone interview. Setting – Academic libraries in the United States of America. Subjects – 283 librarians participated in a survey questionnaire. Researchers conducted additional interviews with 6 out of the 12 librarians who had volunteered on the survey questionnaire and who met the inclusion criteria. Methods – Researchers recruited participants through two professional e-mail lists: the Information Literacy Instruction Discussion List (ILI-L listserv and the American Library Association’s New Members Round Table (NMRT listserv. Interested participants completed a secured online survey that was hosted using SurveyMonkey. The researchers then coded and analyzed the collected survey data using the same software. At the end of the online survey, participants were given the opportunity to volunteer for an additional interview. Potential interviewees were selected if mentoring programs were available for tenure- track librarians at their institutions. Once selected, researchers contacted potential interviewees and conducted interviews. The interviews were transcribed, the data anonymized, and original recordings deleted. Researchers coded the anonymized interview data to identify common themes.

Research Productivity by Career Stage among Korean Academics

Science.gov (United States)

Jung, Jisun

2014-01-01

This study explores Korean academics' changes in research productivity by career stage. Career stage in this study is defined as a specific cohort based on one's length of job experience, with those in the same stage sharing similar interests, values, needs, and tasks; it is categorized into fledglings, maturing academics, established academics,…

Professionalism, responsibility, and service in academic medicine.

Science.gov (United States)

Souba, W W

1996-01-01

Academic medical centers have responded to health care reform initiatives by launching a series of strategic plans designed to maintain patient flow and reduce hospital expenditures. Thought is also being given to processes by which the faculty can individually and collectively adjust to these changes and maintain morale at a time when reductions in the labor force and pay cuts are virtually certain. Physicians are concerned because managed care threatens their autonomy and jeopardizes the traditional ways in which they have carried out their multiple missions. Some doctors believe that it will become increasingly difficult to obtain genuine satisfaction from their job. The strategies that academic medical centers have begun to use to address the numerous challenges posed by a system of health care based on managed competition are reviewed. Potential mechanisms by which academic departments can continue to find fulfillment in an environment that threatens their traditional missions and values are discussed. A study of the social and historical origins of medicine in the United States reveals that the introduction of corporate medicine in the United States was destined to happen. Strategies implemented by academic medical centers in response to managed care include building an integrated delivery network, the acquisition of primary care practices, increasing cost-effectiveness, and creating physician-hospital organizations. Emphasis must be placed on integrating traditional core values (excellence, leadership, and innovation) with newer values such as patient focus, accountability, and diversity. A shift from rugged individualism to entrepreneurial teamwork is crucial. These reforms, although frightening at the onset, can serve to reaffirm our commitment to academic medicine and preserve our mission. The evolving managed care environment offers unique opportunities for academic medical centers to shape and positively impact health care delivery in the twenty

Perceived Value of Academic Support Services for Post-Secondary Students with Learning Disabilities at Accredited Institutions of the Association for Biblical Higher Education

Science.gov (United States)

Wilhelm, Gretchen Marie

2014-01-01

This study examined the perceived value of academic support service types for post-secondary students with learning disabilities in the Christian higher education milieu. Grounded in a model of service utilization (Pescosolido, 1992), the research methodology applied in this study addressed the following research question: What is the perceived…

Participatory academic communities

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Aaen, Janus Holst; Nørgård, Rikke Toft

2015-01-01

understanding of participation in edu-cation can move educatees’ learning beyond institutions through focusing on educatees as researchers, participat-ing in society, building a research community and obtaining academic citizenship. Further, the article discusses how a value-based, vision-driven approach...

Caught in the Act: How Extraverted and Introverted Friends Communally Cope with Being Recorded.

Science.gov (United States)

Thorne, Avril; Shapiro, Lauren; Cardilla, Kim; Korobov, Neill; Nelson, Paul A

2009-08-01

This study explored how close friends who were similar or opposite on extraversion communally coped with being put on the spot to produce a recorded conversation. Participants were 50 pairs of same-sex college-age friends (54% female) who explicitly discussed the fact that their conversation was being recorded. The initial 'on-stage' episode emerged consistently earliest for extraverted dyads, and the majority of their episodes quickly diverted the on-stage moment. Dyads that included at least one introvert engaged in more extensive assortments of on-stage maneuvers, including research talk, soothing, and joking. In introvert-extravert dyads the extravert usually initiated and ended these episodes. Implications are discussed for understanding how personality is reciprocally implicated in managing shared everyday problems.

Whistleblowing in academic medicine

Science.gov (United States)

Rhodes, R; Strain, J

2004-01-01

The authors present and discuss cases of academic medicine failing to address unethical behaviour in academic science and, thereby, illustrate the scope and seriousness of the problem. The Olivieri/Apotex affair is just another instance of academic medicine's dereliction in a case of scientific fraud and misconduct. Instead of vigorously supporting their faculty member in her efforts to honestly communicate her findings and to protect patients from the risks associated with the use of the study drug, the University of Toronto collaborated with the Apotex company's "stalling tactics," closed down Dr Olivieri's laboratory, harassed her, and ultimately dismissed her. The authors argue that the incentives for addressing problematic behaviour have to be revised in order to effect a change in the current pattern of response that occurs in academic medicine. An externally imposed realignment of incentives could convert the perception of the whistleblower, from their present caste as the enemy within, into a new position, as valued friend of the institution. The authors explain how such a correction could encourage appropriate reactions to scientific misconduct from academic medicine. PMID:14872069

Do We Still Need Academic Freedom?

Science.gov (United States)

Shils, Edward

1993-01-01

This review of academic freedom in U.S. universities focuses on the role of the American Association of University Professors, which originally linked academic freedom and tenure but now views equality of genders, races, and cultures and the normality of homosexuality as the only real values, whereas truth is seen as illusory, even exploitative.…

Using remotely sensed imagery to monitor savanna rangeland deterioration through woody plant proliferation: a case study from communal and biodiversity conservation rangeland sites in Mokopane, South Africa

CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

Munyati, C

2011-05-01

Full Text Available rangeland, whereas the communal rangelands were getting more opened up by livestock trampling. Rangeland management practices of fire utilisation, stocking levels and stock concentration account for the differing trends. Lightly grazed and heavily grazed...

Communal energy law. An outline. 2. ed.; Kommunales Energierecht. Darstellung

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Henneke, Hans-Guenter; Ritgen, Klaus

2013-08-01

Ensuring a reliable, reasonably priced, environmentally friendly energy supply area-wide belongs to the most important public services that cities, administrative districts and municipalities are required to provide. In preparation of its second edition the present publication was thoroughly revised to do justice to the numerous legislative changes attending the energy turnaround. It presents the wide array of legal instruments at the disposal of municipalities for fulfilling their important duties in matters relating to the energy supply. It discusses the requirements of communal economic law as well as the constitutional and energy economy related framework conditions governing the energy supply. The concession contract, one of the most important instruments in the area of energy supply, has been given a chapter of its own. In regard to another of its focal topics the publication explains how municipal planning autonomy, especially in the area of land use planning, can help municipalities implement energy policies according to their own ideas. The publication concludes with a discussion of topics concerning municipalities as energy consumers, namely energy-related environmental law, the requirements of the Renewable Energy Heat Law and laws on energy saving.

Communal biomass conversion plants. From idea to reality

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1995-11-01

The first Danish biomass conversion plant for the production of methane was built in the nineteen seventies. It was just a little plant based on manure slurries from a local herd of farm animals. It was not until the nineteen eighties that larger plants were established so that enough methane could be produced as part fuels for decentral district heating and/or cogeneration plants. By November 1995 there were 15 communal biomass conversion plants producing methane in Denmark, three more plants were in the course of establishment and a number of similar projects were on the drawing board. The history of this development is narrated and plans for the future are indicated. The document also deals with the technological aspects, operational economics, environmental impacts, resources and re-use, wastes used as fertilizers, household organic wastes and sewage slam, standards of hygiene and reduction of infection risks, exports and commercial development and socio-economic evaluations in addition to areas within this field which need special attention in the very near future. It is concluded that the economics of Danish biomass conversion plants have improved significantly since 1987, and many older plants have been brought right up to date. Improvements in technology and an increase in the supply of industrial wastes have increased production. Details of the basis of many other betterments that have taken place in recent years are also given. (AB) 27 refs

A Study on the User Value of the ScienceNet Blog

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

张琦

2017-12-01

Full Text Available [Purpose/significance] The development of academic blogs is closely related to the use of users. The paper explores the user value which guides users to use academic blogs, and analyzes the relationship among user values. [Method/process] Based on Woodruff’s customer value hierarchical model, the paper conducted semi-structured interviews with 10 ScienceNet blog’ users through the laddering theory, and then encoded the interview content. [Result/conclusion] This paper creates the comprehensive correlation matrix of customer value of ScienceNet blog, and builds the user value hierarchy model. It also finds four value chains: blog writing--accomplishment, blog reading--academic communication, recommendation--communication effect, mutual friendship--academic communication.

Seasonal evolution of faecal egg output by gastrointestinal worms in goats on communal farms in eastern Namibia

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F.F. Kumba

2003-11-01

Full Text Available As a more detailed continuation of a previous study, faecal samples for worm egg counts were collected per rectum from ten marked adult animals in selected flocks of goats, in each of six villages evenly spread out in the communal farming district of Okakarara in eastern Namibia. The study was conducted on a monthly basis from August 1999 to July 2000. Average faecal worm egg counts (FECs were highest during the warm-wet season, much lower during the cold-dry months and moderate during the hot-dry season. Least square means of FECs were 2 140, 430 and 653 per gram of faeces for the three seasons, respectively. Seasonal variation in egg counts was significant (P < 0.0001. Gastrointestinal strongyles, and to a lesser extent Strongyloides species, were the predominant parasite groups identified in goats. Kidding rates peaked in the cold-dry season and mortality rates in the hot-dry season. Results of this study suggest that gastrointestinal parasitism may be a problem that accentuates the effect of poor nutrition on small ruminants during the season of food shortages in the east of Namibia and that the use of FECs per se to assess the severity of gastrointestinal parasitic infection in goats followed by chemoprophylactic strategic and / or tactical treatment, may not be the best approach to addressing the worm problem under resource-poor conditions. The use of the FAMACHA(c system that identifies severely affected animals for treatment is technically a better option for communal farmers.

Matching soil salinization and cropping systems in communally managed irrigation schemes

Science.gov (United States)

Malota, Mphatso; Mchenga, Joshua

2018-03-01

Occurrence of soil salinization in irrigation schemes can be a good indicator to introduce high salt tolerant crops in irrigation schemes. This study assessed the level of soil salinization in a communally managed 233 ha Nkhate irrigation scheme in the Lower Shire Valley region of Malawi. Soil samples were collected within the 0-0.4 m soil depth from eight randomly selected irrigation blocks. Irrigation water samples were also collected from five randomly selected locations along the Nkhate River which supplies irrigation water to the scheme. Salinity of both the soil and the irrigation water samples was determined using an electrical conductivity (EC) meter. Analysis of the results indicated that even for very low salinity tolerant crops (ECi water was suitable for irrigation purposes. However, root-zone soil salinity profiles depicted that leaching of salts was not adequate and that the leaching requirement for the scheme needs to be relooked and always be adhered to during irrigation operation. The study concluded that the crop system at the scheme needs to be adjusted to match with prevailing soil and irrigation water salinity levels.

Les architectes d’arrondissement et la transformation du paysage communal au XIXe siècle

OpenAIRE

Baumann, Fabien

2012-01-01

L’embellissement et la transformation du paysage communal en Alsace n’ont débuté qu’au lendemain de la Révolution française et de l’Empire. Dans le cadre de cette vaste politique d’aménagement – qui se poursuit activement pendant plusieurs décennies – l’architecte d’arrondissement occupe le devant de la scène et dispose d’un statut officiel institué par le préfet. Sous l’Ancien Régime déjà, les Inspecteurs des bâtiments publics et communaux – placés sous l’autorité directe de l’intendant – co...

The San values of conflict prevention and avoidance in Platfontein

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Nina Mollema

2017-09-01

Full Text Available The aim of this article is to identify measures that can prevent violent conflict through the maintenance of traditional cultural values that guide conflict avoidance. Moreover, the article focuses on the concepts of conflict prevention and conflict avoidance as applied by the San community of Platfontein. The causes of the inter-communal tensions between the San community members are also examined. A selected conflict situation, that of superstition and witchcraft, is assessed as factors increasing interpersonal conflict in the Platfontein community. This investigation is made to determine if the San preventive measures have an impact in the community, so as to prevent ongoing conflicts from escalating further.

Impact of communal land use and conservation on woody vegetation structure in the Lowveld savannas of South Africa

CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

Wessels, Konrad J

2011-01-01

Full Text Available @yahoo.co 0378-1127/ doi Please cite this article in press as: Wessels, K.J., et al., Impact of communal land use and conservation on woody vegetation structure in the Lowveld savannas of South Africa. Forest Ecol. Manage. (2010), doi:10.1016/j.foreco.2010....09.012 d in revised form 24 August 2010 d 7 September 2010 y words: R l land use r National Park y vegetation structure l wood a Using airborne LiDAR from the Carnegie Airborne Observatory (CAO), we quantified and compared tree canopy cover...

The Challenges of OER to Academic Practice

Science.gov (United States)

Browne, Tom; Holding, Richard; Howell, Anna; Rodway-Dyer, Sue

2010-01-01

The degree to which Open Educational Resources (OER) reflect the values of its institutional provider depends on questions of economics and the level of support amongst its academics. For project managers establishing OER repositories, the latter question--how to cultivate, nurture and maintain academic engagement--is critical. Whilst…

Predictive Value of the School-leaving Grade and Prognosis of Different Admission Groups for Academic Performance and Continuity in the Medical Course – a Longitudinal Study

Science.gov (United States)

Kadmon, Guni; Resch, Franz; Duelli, Roman; Kadmon, Martina

2014-01-01

Background: The school-leaving GPA and the time since completion of secondary education are the major criteria for admission to German medical schools. However, the predictive value of the school-leaving grade and the admission delay have not been thoroughly examined since the amendment of the Medical Licensing Regulations and the introduction of reformed curricula in 2002. Detailed information on the prognosis of the different admission groups is also missing. Aim: To examine the predictive values of the school-leaving grade and the age at enrolment for academic performance and continuity throughout the reformed medical course. Methods: The study includes the central admission groups “GPA-best” and “delayed admission” as well as the primary and secondary local admission groups of three consecutive cohorts. The relationship between the criteria academic performance and continuity and the predictors school-leaving GPA, enrolment age, and admission group affiliation were examined up to the beginning of the final clerkship year. Results: The academic performance and the prolongation of the pre-clinical part of undergraduate training were significantly related to the school-leaving GPA. Conversely, the dropout rate was related to age at enrolment. The students of the GPA-best group and the primary local admission group performed best and had the lowest dropout rates. The students of the delayed admission group and secondary local admission group performed significantly worse. More than 20% of these students dropped out within the pre-clinical course, half of them due to poor academic performance. However, the academic performance of all of the admission groups was highly variable and only about 35% of the students of each group reached the final clerkship year within the regular time. Discussion: The school-leaving grade and age appear to have different prognostic implications for academic performance and continuity. Both factors have consequences for the

The Bidimensional Impression Management Index (BIMI): measuring agentic and communal forms of impression management.

Science.gov (United States)

Blasberg, Sabrina A; Rogers, Katherine H; Paulhus, Delroy L

2014-01-01

Measures of impression management have yet to incorporate two-factor models of person perception. The 2 primary factors are often labeled agency and communion. In Study 1, we assembled a new measure of impression management—the Bidimensional Impression Management Index (BIMI): It comprises 2 subscales designed specifically to tap agentic and communal content. Both subscales showed adequate alpha reliabilities under both honest and faking conditions. In Study 2, the BIMI was cross-validated in a new sample: The subscales remained relatively independent, and their reliabilities remained solid. A coherent pattern of personality correlates also supported the validities of both subscales. In Study 3, the differential sensitivity of the 2 subscales was demonstrated by manipulating the job type in simulated job applications. Implications and applications of the BIMI are discussed.

#IWD2016 Academic Inspiration

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Meier, Ninna

2016-01-01

What academics or books have inspired you in your writing and research, or helped to make sense of the world around you? In this feature essay, Ninna Meier returns to her experience of reading Hannah Arendt as she sought to understand work and how it relates to value production in capitalist...... economies. Meier recounts how Arendt’s book On Revolution (1963) forged connective threads between the ‘smallest parts’ and the ‘largest wholes’ and showed how academic work is never fully relegated to the past, but can return in new iterations across time....

Integrative Perspectives of Academic Motivation

Science.gov (United States)

Chittum, Jessica Rebecca

My overall objective in this dissertation was to develop more integrative perspectives of several aspects of academic motivation. Rarely have researchers and theorists examined a more comprehensive model of academic motivation that pools multiple constructs that interact in a complex and dynamic fashion (Kaplan, Katz, & Flum, 2012; Turner, Christensen, Kackar-Cam, Trucano, & Fulmer, 2014). The more common trend in motivation research and theory has been to identify and explain only a few motivation constructs and their linear relationships rather than examine complex relationships involving "continuously emerging systems of dynamically interrelated components" (Kaplan et al., 2014, para. 4). In this dissertation, my co-author and I focused on a more integrative perspective of academic motivation by first reviewing varying characterizations of one motivation construct (Manuscript 1) and then empirically testing dynamic interactions among multiple motivation constructs using a person-centered methodological approach (Manuscript 2). Within the first manuscript (Chapter 2), a theoretical review paper, we summarized multiple perspectives of the need for autonomy and similar constructs in academic motivation, primarily autonomy in self-determination theory, autonomy supports, and choice. We provided an integrative review and extrapolated practical teaching implications. We concluded with recommendations for researchers and instructors, including a call for more integrated perspectives of academic motivation and autonomy that focus on complex and dynamic patterns in individuals' motivational beliefs. Within the second manuscript (Chapter 3), we empirically investigated students' motivation in science class as a complex, dynamic, and context-bound phenomenon that incorporates multiple motivation constructs. Following a person-centered approach, we completed cluster analyses of students' perceptions of 5 well-known motivation constructs (autonomy, utility value, expectancy

Motivational values and gendered research performance

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Chris W. Callaghan

2017-03-01

Full Text Available Orientation: Given theory offered by Kuhn and Lakatos that predicts academic research can be non-innovative, this research sought to test the extent to which the motivational values of highly productive researchers are innovative. Research purpose: The aim of the research was to test theory predicting the structure of motivational values of academics in the South African university context. Motivation for the study: The study was motivated by a lack of knowledge about whether innovative and self-transcendence (the prioritisation of the needs of others values characterise highly productive researchers. Research design, approach and method: A large South African university was sampled. Multiple linear regression and structural equation modelling techniques were applied. Main findings: Findings indicate that non-innovative and gendered motivational values of security (sensitivity to uncertainty and safety issues are associated with higher productivity. However, hedonism (self-oriented and benevolence (self-transcendent values are both found to be negatively associated with research productivity. Practical/managerial implications: Supporting Kuhn’s perspective, innovative values such as self-direction are not found to be related to research productivity. Contribution/value-add: This study provides evidence in support of theory which predicts that academic research might not be motivated by innovative values.

Evaluating Nonclinical Performance of the Academic Pathologist

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Austin Blackburn Wiles MD

2018-02-01

Full Text Available Academic pathologists perform clinical duties, as well as valuable nonclinical activities. Nonclinical activities may consist of research, teaching, and administrative management among many other important tasks. While clinical duties have many clear metrics to measure productivity, like the relative value units of Medicare reimbursement, nonclinical performance is often difficult to measure. Despite the difficulty of evaluating nonclinical activities, nonclinical productivity is used to determine promotion, funding, and inform professional evaluations of performance. In order to better evaluate the important nonclinical performance of academic pathologists, we present an evaluation system for leadership use. This system uses a Microsoft Excel workbook to provide academic pathologist respondents and reviewing leadership a transparent, easy-to-complete system that is both flexible and scalable. This system provides real-time feedback to academic pathologist respondents and a clear executive summary that allows for focused guidance of the respondent. This system may be adapted to fit practices of varying size, measure performance differently based on years of experience, and can work with many different institutional values.

Loneliness is associated with sleep fragmentation in a communal society.

Science.gov (United States)

Kurina, Lianne M; Knutson, Kristen L; Hawkley, Louise C; Cacioppo, John T; Lauderdale, Diane S; Ober, Carole

2011-11-01

Loneliness has been shown to predict poor health. One hypothesized mechanism is that lonely individuals do not sleep as well as individuals who feel more connected to others. Our goal was to test whether loneliness is associated with sleep fragmentation or sleep duration. Cross-sectional study. Members of a traditional, communal, agrarian society living in South Dakota. Ninety-five participants (mean age 39.8 years, 55% female) who were ≥ 19 years of age at the study's inception. Not applicable. We conducted interviews querying loneliness, depression, anxiety, and stress, as well as subjective sleep quality and daytime sleepiness. Study participants wore a wrist actigraph for one week to measure objective sleep properties; the two studied here were sleep fragmentation and sleep duration. Higher loneliness scores were associated with significantly higher levels of sleep fragmentation (β = 0.073, t = 2.55, P = 0.01), controlling for age, sex, body mass index, risk of sleep apnea, and negative affect (a factor comprising symptoms of depression and anxiety, and perceived stress). Loneliness was not associated with sleep duration or with either subjective sleep measure. Loneliness was a significant predictor of sleep fragmentation. Humans' social nature may partly be manifest through our dependence on feeling secure in our social environment to sleep well.

Costs and benefits of biogas recovery from communal anaerobic digesters treating domestic wastewater: Evidence from peri-urban Zambia.

Science.gov (United States)

Laramee, Jeannette; Tilmans, Sebastien; Davis, Jennifer

2018-03-15

Communal anaerobic digesters (ADs) have been promoted as a waste-to-energy strategy that can provide sanitation and clean energy co-benefits. However, little empirical evidence is available regarding the performance of such systems in field conditions. This study assesses the wastewater treatment efficiency, energy production, greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, and financial costs and benefits of communal ADs used for domestic wastewater treatment in Zambia. Primary data on the technical performance of 15 ADs were collected over a 6-month period and in-person interviews were conducted with heads of 120 households. Findings from this study suggest that ADs offer comparable wastewater treatment efficiencies and greater GHG emission reduction benefits relative to conventional septic tanks (STs), with the greatest benefits in settings with reliable access to water, use of low efficiency solid fuels and with sufficient demand for biogas in proximity to supply. However, absent a mechanism to monetize additional benefits from biogas recovery, ADs in this context will not be a financially attractive investment relative to STs. Our financial analysis suggests that, under the conditions in this study, a carbon price of US$9 to $28 per tCO 2 e is necessary for positive investment in ADs relative to STs. Findings from this study contribute empirical evidence on ADs as a sanitation and clean energy strategy, identify conditions under which the greatest benefits are likely to accrue and inform international climate efforts on the carbon price required to attract investment in emissions reduction projects such as ADs. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The relation between perceived parental involvement and academic achievement: the roles of Taiwanese students' academic beliefs and filial piety.

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Wei-Wen; Ho, Hsiu-Zu

2012-01-01

The excellent academic performance among East-Asian students has drawn international attention from educators and psychologists. However, the process that underlies student academic achievement for this particular group has rarely been documented. The present study examines how the relation between perceived parental involvement and Taiwanese students' academic achievement is mediated by student academic beliefs (i.e., beliefs about effort, academic self-concept, and perceived control). The study further explores whether this mediating effect varies with types of filial piety. Participants were 468 first-year students from colleges and universities in Taiwan. Multiple-group mediating models were analyzed using structural equation modeling (SEM). Results indicated that, for the Taiwanese sample, students' academic beliefs mediated the relation between perceived parental involvement and academic achievement. Furthermore, the mediational effect was significant for the reciprocal filial type, but not for the authoritarian filial type. The importance of the quality of the parent-child relationship and the internalization process related to children's assumptions of their parents' educational values indicate the need for a contextual view when examining predictors of student academic achievement.

Time Spent by Breast Imaging Radiologists to Perform Value-Added Activities at an Academic Cancer Center.

Science.gov (United States)

Collado-Mesa, Fernando; Klevos, Geetika; Arheart, Kristopher; Banks, James; Yepes, Monica; Net, Jose

2017-04-01

Health care reform in the United States has generated a paradigm shift in the practice of radiology aimed at increasing the degree of patient-centered care. We conducted a study to quantify the amount of time breast imaging radiologists spend on value-added activities at an academic comprehensive cancer center located in Miami, Florida, and accredited by the American College of Radiology as a Breast Imaging Center of Excellence. A prospective, observational study was conducted during a period of 20 consecutive workdays. Three participating breast imaging radiologists maintained a real-time log of each activity performed. A generalized linear model was used to perform a 1-way analysis of variance. An alpha level of .05 was used to determine statistical significance. The average daily time dedicated to these activities was 92.1 minutes (range, 56.4-132.2). The amount of time significantly differed among breast imaging radiologists and correlated with their assigned daily role (P value-added activities to help improve patients' experience across the continuity of their care. We propose that similar studies be conducted at other institutions to better assess the magnitude of this finding across different breast imaging care settings.

Mosques As Lifelon g Values Education Institutions : Values Education In Khutbah

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hüseyin KAYGIN

2015-08-01

Full Text Available Various dazzling social, technological, scientific etc. developments of 21st century in which we are have affected societies radically and nowadays in which societies are shaken off its foundation values education has becom e more important than it has been at any period. The fact that values education is a lifelong lasting activity needed by societies requires it to be addressed on the basis of lifelong learning education. Today, there are numerous academic studies conduct ed on the subject of values education to be carried out at schools but there aren’t many academic studies about the functions of mosques and khutbah in terms of values education. In this context, the aim of this study is to examine delivering values educat ion in mosques and in khutbah one of the primary ways of presenting it in mosques as a lifelong educational activity with its various aspects. Based on the literature search, this compilation study addresses values education and lifelong learning concept ually, presents the studies carried out in the field of values education in Turkey and discusses the role played by mosques and khutbah in delivering values education. As a result, it has been found that values education is not limited to family life a nd schools and that mosques and khutbah are functional in delivering life - long values education as they appeal to anyone at any age .

The normative power of the international commission of radiation protection on the approval of the international and communal jurisprudence

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lajoinie, O.

2006-01-01

From an original synthesis of the jurisprudence given by the regular control agency of the international work organization concerning the Convention OIT 115 relative to the protection of workers against the ionizing radiations, as well as an alternative analysis of a communal jurisprudence (CJCE, C-376/90, 25 November 1992: Commission of the European Communities against the Belgium kingdom), this work aims to bring a new way to see the power that exerts a non governmental organization with a scientific character: the International Commission for Radiologic Protection (ICRP) when it gives its 'recommendations'. (O.M.)

Positive Illusions in the Academic Context: A Longitudinal Study of Academic Self-Enhancement in College.

Science.gov (United States)

Chung, Joanne; Schriber, Roberta A; Robins, Richard W

2016-10-01

In the present research, we examined academic self-enhancement in students (N = 264) followed longitudinally through 4 years of college. We used social comparison (i.e., better-than-average ratings) and self-insight (i.e., criterion-based) approaches to assess the degree to which students self-enhanced in their self-perceptions of academic ability, with SAT scores, high school grade point average (GPA), and college GPA used as criterion measures. We also examined ethnic variability in academic self-enhancement. We found that academic self-enhancement (a) increased or decreased over the 4 years of college, depending on its operationalization, (b) tended to be adaptive according to social comparison indices, and (c) demonstrated a trajectory that differed by ethnicity, but ethnicity did not moderate the effect of academic self-enhancement on outcomes. We discuss the implications of the findings for debates about the adaptive value of self-enhancement, the magnitude of cultural differences, and how best to conceptualize and operationalize the construct. © 2016 by the Society for Personality and Social Psychology, Inc.

Epidemiological studies of Schistosoma mattheei infections in cattle in the highveld and lowveld communal grazing areas of Zimbabwe

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

D.M. Pfukenyi

2006-09-01

Full Text Available During the period between January 1999 and December 2000, the distribution and seasonal patterns of Schistosoma mattheei infections in cattle in the highveld and lowveld communal grazing areas of Zimbabwe were determined through monthly coprological examination. Faecal samples of cattle were collected from 12 and nine dipping sites in the highveld and lowveld communal grazing areas, respectively. Patterns of distribution and seasonal fluctuations of the intermediate host-snail populations and the climatic factors influencing the distribution were also determined at monthly intervals from November 1998 to October 2000, a period of 24 months, in six dams and six streams in the highveld and nine dams in the lowveld communal grazing areas. Monthly, each site was sampled for relative snail density, the vegetation cover and type, and physical and chemical properties of the water. Mean monthly rainfall and temperature were recorded. Snails collected at the same time were individually examined for shedding of cercariae of S. mattheei and Schistosoma haematobium. A total of 16 264 (5 418 calves, 5 461 weaners and 5 385 adults faecal samples were collected during the entire period of study and 734 (4.5 % were positive for S. mattheei eggs. Significantly higher prevalences were found in the highveld compared to the lowveld (P < 0.001, calves compared to adult cattle (P < 0.01 and the wet season compared to the dry season (P < 0.01. Faecal egg output peaked from October/ November to March / April for both years of the study. Bulinus globosus, the snail intermediate host of S. mattheei was recorded from the study sites with the highveld having a significantly higher abundance of the snails than the lowveld (P < 0.01. Monthly densities of B. globosus did not show a clearcut pattern although there were peaks between March / May and September / November. The mean num ber of snails collected was positively correlated with the water plants Nymphaea caerulea and

Effects of Achievement Motivation, Social Identity, and Peer Group Norms on Academic Conformity

Science.gov (United States)

Masland, Lindsay C.; Lease, A. Michele

2013-01-01

This study investigated whether academic achievement motivation and social identity explain variation in children's conformity to positive academic behaviors (n = 455 children in grades three through five). Structural equation modeling suggested that academic value and peer group academic norms were positively related to academic conformity.…

Communally Nesting Migratory Birds Create Ecological Hot-Spots in Tropical Australia.

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Daniel J D Natusch

Full Text Available Large numbers of metallic starlings (Aplonis metallica migrate annually from New Guinea to the rainforests of tropical Australia, where they nest communally in single emergent trees (up to 1,000 birds. These aggregations create dense and species-rich faunal "hot-spots", attracting a diverse assemblage of local consumers that utilise this seasonal resource. The starlings nested primarily in poison-dart trees (Antiaris toxicaria near the rainforest-woodland boundary. Surveys underneath these colonies revealed that bird-derived nutrients massively increased densities of soil invertebrates and mammals (primarily wild pigs beneath trees, year-round. Flying invertebrates, nocturnal birds, reptiles, and amphibians congregated beneath the trees when starlings were nesting (the wet-season. Diurnal birds (primarily cockatoos and bush turkeys aggregated beneath the trees during the dry-season to utilise residual nutrients when the starlings were not nesting. The abundance of several taxa was considerably higher (to > 1000-fold under colony trees than under nearby trees. The system strikingly resembles utilisation of bird nesting colonies by predators in other parts of the world but this spectacular system has never been described, emphasizing the continuing need for detailed natural-history studies in tropical Australia.

Communally Nesting Migratory Birds Create Ecological Hot-Spots in Tropical Australia.

Science.gov (United States)

Natusch, Daniel J D; Lyons, Jessica A; Brown, Gregory; Shine, Richard

2016-01-01

Large numbers of metallic starlings (Aplonis metallica) migrate annually from New Guinea to the rainforests of tropical Australia, where they nest communally in single emergent trees (up to 1,000 birds). These aggregations create dense and species-rich faunal "hot-spots", attracting a diverse assemblage of local consumers that utilise this seasonal resource. The starlings nested primarily in poison-dart trees (Antiaris toxicaria) near the rainforest-woodland boundary. Surveys underneath these colonies revealed that bird-derived nutrients massively increased densities of soil invertebrates and mammals (primarily wild pigs) beneath trees, year-round. Flying invertebrates, nocturnal birds, reptiles, and amphibians congregated beneath the trees when starlings were nesting (the wet-season). Diurnal birds (primarily cockatoos and bush turkeys) aggregated beneath the trees during the dry-season to utilise residual nutrients when the starlings were not nesting. The abundance of several taxa was considerably higher (to > 1000-fold) under colony trees than under nearby trees. The system strikingly resembles utilisation of bird nesting colonies by predators in other parts of the world but this spectacular system has never been described, emphasizing the continuing need for detailed natural-history studies in tropical Australia.

The Use of Woodland Products to Cope with Climate Variability in Communal Areas in Zimbabwe

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Lotte S. Woittiez

2013-12-01

Full Text Available Common lands provide smallholder farmers in Africa with firewood, timber, and feed for livestock, and they are used to complement human diets through the collection of edible nontimber forest products (NTFPs. Farmers have developed coping mechanisms, which they deploy at times of climatic shocks. We aimed to analyze the importance of NTFPs in times of drought and to identify options that could increase the capacity to adapt to climate change. We used participatory techniques, livelihood analysis, observations, and measurements to quantify the use of NTFPs. Communities recognized NTFPs as a mechanism to cope with crop failure. We estimated that indigenous fruits contributed to approximately 20% of the energy intake of wealthier farmers and to approximately 40% of the energy intake of poor farmers in years of inadequate rainfall. Farmers needed to invest a considerable share of their time to collect wild fruits from deforested areas. They recognized that the effectiveness of NTFPs as an adaptation option had become threatened by severe deforestation and by illegal harvesting of fruits by urban traders. Farmers indicated the need to plan future land use to (1 intensify crop production, (2 cultivate trees for firewood, (3 keep orchards of indigenous fruit trees, and (4 improve the quality of grazing lands. Farmers were willing to cultivate trees and to organize communal conservation of indigenous fruits trees. Through participatory exercises, farmers elaborated maps, which were used during land use discussions. The process led to prioritization of pressing land use problems and identification of the support needed: fast-growing trees for firewood, inputs for crop production, knowledge on the cultivation of indigenous fruit trees, and clear regulations and compliance with rules for extraction of NTFPs. Important issues that remain to be addressed are best practices for regeneration and conservation, access rules and implementation, and the

Academic self-concept, autonomous academic motivation, and academic achievement : mediating and additive effects

OpenAIRE

Guay, Frédéric; Ratelle, Catherine; Roy, Amélie; Litalien, David

2010-01-01

Three conceptual models were tested to examine the relationships among academic self-concept, autonomous academic motivation, and academic achievement. This allowed us to determine whether 1) autonomous academic motivation mediates the relation between academic self-concept and achievement, 2) academic self-concept mediates the relation between autonomous academic motivation and achievement, or 3) both motivational constructs have an additive effect on academic achievement. A total of 925 hig...

Whistleblowing in academic medicine.

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Rhodes, R; Strain, J J

2004-02-01

Although medical centres have established boards, special committees, and offices for the review and redress of breaches in ethical behaviour, these mechanisms repeatedly prove themselves ineffective in addressing research misconduct within the institutions of academic medicine. As the authors see it, institutional design: (1) systematically ignores serious ethical problems, (2) makes whistleblowers into institutional enemies and punishes them, and (3) thereby fails to provide an ethical environment. The authors present and discuss cases of academic medicine failing to address unethical behaviour in academic science and, thereby, illustrate the scope and seriousness of the problem. The Olivieri/Apotex affair is just another instance of academic medicine's dereliction in a case of scientific fraud and misconduct. Instead of vigorously supporting their faculty member in her efforts to honestly communicate her findings and to protect patients from the risks associated with the use of the study drug, the University of Toronto collaborated with the Apotex company's "stalling tactics," closed down Dr Olivieri's laboratory, harassed her, and ultimately dismissed her. The authors argue that the incentives for addressing problematic behaviour have to be revised in order to effect a change in the current pattern of response that occurs in academic medicine. An externally imposed realignment of incentives could convert the perception of the whistleblower, from their present caste as the enemy within, into a new position, as valued friend of the institution. The authors explain how such a correction could encourage appropriate reactions to scientific misconduct from academic medicine.

Publications in academic medical centers: technology-facilitated culture clash.

Science.gov (United States)

Berner, Eta S

2014-05-01

Academic culture has a set of norms, expectations, and values that are sometimes tacit and sometimes very explicit. In medical school and other health professions educational settings, probably the most common norm includes placing a high value on peer-reviewed research publications, which are seen as the major evidence of scholarly productivity. Other features of academic culture include encouraging junior faculty and graduate students to share their research results at professional conferences and lecturing with slides as a major way to convey information. Major values that faculty share with journal editors include responsible conduct of research and proper attribution of others' words and ideas. Medical school faculty also value technology and are often quick to embrace technological advances that can assist them in their teaching and research. This article addresses the effects of technology on three aspects of academic culture: education, presentations at professional meetings, and research publications.The technologies discussed include online instruction, dissemination of conference proceedings on the Internet, plagiarism-detection software, and new technologies deployed by the National Center for Biotechnology Information, the home of PubMed. The author describes how the ease of deploying new technologies without faculty changing their norms and behavior in the areas of teaching and research can lead to conflicts of values among key stakeholders in the academic medical community, including faculty, journal editors, and professional associations. The implications of these conflicts and strategies for managing them are discussed.

Human predatory behavior and the social implications of communal hunting based on evidence from the TD10.2 bison bone bed at Gran Dolina (Atapuerca, Spain).

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Rodríguez-Hidalgo, Antonio; Saladié, Palmira; Ollé, Andreu; Arsuaga, Juan Luis; Bermúdez de Castro, José María; Carbonell, Eudald

2017-04-01

Zooarcheological research is an important tool in reconstructing subsistence, as well as for inferring relevant aspects regarding social behavior in the past. The organization of hunting parties, forms of predation (number and rate of animals slaughtered), and the technology used (tactics and tools) must be taken into account in the identification and classification of hunting methods in prehistory. The archeological recognition of communal hunting reflects an interest in evolutionary terms and their inherent implications for anticipatory capacities, social complexity, and the development of cognitive tools, such as articulated language. Late and Middle Paleolithic faunal assemblages in Europe have produced convincing evidence of communal hunting of large ungulates allowing for the formation of hypotheses concerning the skills of Neanderthals anatomically modern humans as social predators. However, the emergence of this cooperative behavior is not currently understood. Here, faunal analysis, based on traditional/long-established zooarcheological methods, of nearly 25,000 faunal remains from the "bison bone bed" layer of the TD10.2 sub-unit at Gran Dolina, Atapuerca (Spain) is presented. In addition, other datasets related to the archeo-stratigraphy, paleo-landscape, paleo-environmental proxies, lithic assemblage, and ethno-archeological information of communal hunting have been considered in order to adopt a holistic approach to an investigation of the subsistence strategies developed during deposition of the archeological remains. The results indicate a monospecific assemblage heavily dominated by axial bison elements. The abundance of anthropogenic modifications and the anatomical profile are in concordance with early primary access to carcasses and the development of systematic butchering focused on the exploitation of meat and fat for transportation of high-yield elements to somewhere out of the cave. Together with a catastrophic and seasonal mortality pattern

Facilities Management and Added Value

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jensen, Per Anker

2010-01-01

Aim: This paper aims to present different models of the concept of the added value of Facilities Management (FM), including the FM Value Map, which forms the basis of research group in EuroFM, and to present some of the results of this research collaboration. Approach and methodology: The paper...... is based on literature reviews of the most influential journals within the academic fields of FM, Corporate Real Estate Management and Business to Business Marketing and discussions between participants of the research group working on a further exploration and testing of the FM Value Map. Conclusions......: The research shows a number of different definitions and focus points of Added Value of FM, dependent on the academic field and the area of application. The different research perspectives explored a holistic view on the added value of FM by the integration of an external market based view (with a focus...

La création d'une culture de controle? Les intentions politiques derrière la genèse des Sanctions Administratives Communales

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Devroe, E.

2015-01-01

C’est le 3 mars 1999, en fin de législature, qu’est introduit par les ministres de la Justice et de l’Intérieur de l’époque Tony Van Parijs et L. Van den Bossche, le projet de loi sur les sanctions administratives communales[1] (connue sous le nom de «Loi SAC). La loi devait être votée et il y avait

Family physicians' perceptions of academic detailing: a quantitative and qualitative study

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O'Connor Nicolette

2007-10-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background The efficacy of academic detailing in changing physicians' knowledge and practice has been the subject of many primary research publications and systematic reviews. However, there is little written about the features of academic detailing that physicians find valuable or that affect their use of it. The goal of our project was to explore family physicians' (FPs perceptions of academic detailing and the factors that affect their use of it. Methods We used 2 methods to collect data, a questionnaire and semi-structured telephone interviews. We mailed questionnaires to all FPs in the Dalhousie Office of Continuing Medical Education database and analyzed responses of non-users and users of academic detailing. After a preliminary analysis of questionnaire data, we conducted semi-structured interviews with 7 FPs who did not use academic detailing and 17 who did use it. Results Overall response rate to the questionnaire was 33% (289/869. Response rate of non-users of academic detailing was 15% (60/393, of users was 48% (229/476. The 3 factors that most encouraged use of academic detailing were the topics selected, the evidence-based approach adopted, and the handout material. The 3 factors that most discouraged the use of academic detailing were spending office time doing CME, scheduling time to see the academic detailer, and having CME provided by a non-physician. Users of academic detailing rated it as being more valuable than other forms of CME. Generally, interview data confirmed questionnaire data with the exception that interview informants did not view having CME provided by a non-physician as a barrier. Interview informants mentioned that the evidence-based approach adopted by academic detailing had led them to more critically evaluate information from other CME programs, pharmaceutical representatives, and journal articles, but not advice from specialists. Conclusion Users of academic detailing highly value its educational

School Values: A Comparison of Academic Motivation, Mental Health Promotion, and School Belonging with Student Achievement

Science.gov (United States)

Allen, Kelly-Ann; Kern, Margaret L.; Vella-Brodrick, Dianne; Waters, Lea

2017-01-01

School vision and mission statements are an explicit indication of a school's priorities. Research has found academic motivation, mental health promotion, and school belonging to be the most frequently cited themes in these statements. The present study sought to examine whether these themes relate to student academic achievement, as indicated by…

Competition for pollinators and intra-communal spectral dissimilarity of flowers.

Science.gov (United States)

van der Kooi, C J; Pen, I; Staal, M; Stavenga, D G; Elzenga, J T M

2016-01-01

Competition for pollinators occurs when, in a community of flowering plants, several simultaneously flowering plant species depend on the same pollinator. Competition for pollinators increases interspecific pollen transfer rates, thereby reducing the number of viable offspring. In order to decrease interspecific pollen transfer, plant species can distinguish themselves from competitors by having a divergent phenotype. Floral colour is an important signalling cue to attract potential pollinators and thus a major aspect of the flower phenotype. In this study, we analysed the amount of spectral dissimilarity of flowers among pollinator-competing plants in a Dutch nature reserve. We expected pollinator-competing plants to exhibit more spectral dissimilarity than non-competing plants. Using flower visitation data of 2 years, we determined the amount of competition for pollinators by different plant species. Plant species that were visited by the same pollinator were considered specialist and competing for that pollinator, whereas plant species visited by a broad array of pollinators were considered non-competing generalists. We used principal components analysis to quantify floral reflectance, and found evidence for enhanced spectral dissimilarity among plant species within specialist pollinator guilds (i.e. groups of plant species competing for the same pollinator). This is the first study that examined intra-communal dissimilarity in floral reflectance with a focus on the pollination system. © 2015 German Botanical Society and The Royal Botanical Society of the Netherlands.

Information Systems Education: The Case for the Academic Cloud

Science.gov (United States)

Mew, Lionel

2016-01-01

This paper discusses how cloud computing can be leveraged to add value to academic programs in information systems and other fields by improving financial sustainment models for institutional technology and academic departments, relieving the strain on overworked technology support resources, while adding richness and improving pedagogical…

The Unacknowledged Value of Female Academic Labour Power for Male Research Careers

Science.gov (United States)

Angervall, Petra; Beach, Dennis; Gustafsson, Jan

2015-01-01

Academic work in Sweden's higher education system is changing character. Distinctly different career pathways are emerging, as facilities for developing research careers and capital have become both more restricted and more dependent on external funding. These developments are in focus in the present article. Based on ethnographic research and a…

Evolving from academic to academic entrepreneur: overcoming barriers to scientific progress and finance.

Science.gov (United States)

Miller, Andrew D

2016-07-01

The overall goal of my career as an academic chemist has always been the design and creation of advanced therapeutics and diagnostics that address unmet medical need in the management of chronic diseases. Realising this goal has been an immensely difficult process involving multidisciplinary problem-driven research at the chemistry-biology-medicine interfaces. With success in the laboratory, I started seriously to question the value of remaining an academic whose career is spent in the pursuit of knowledge and understanding alone without making any significant effort to translate knowledge and understanding gained into products of genuine utility for public benefit. Therefore, I elected by choice to become an academic entrepreneur, seeking opportunities wherever possible for the translation of the best of my personal and collaborative academic research work into potentially valuable and useful products. This choice has brought with it many unexpected difficulties and challenges. Nevertheless, progress bas been made and sufficient learnt to suggest that this would be an appropriate moment to take stock and provide some personal reflections on what it takes to design and create advanced therapeutics and diagnostics in the laboratory then seek to develop, innovate and translate the best towards market.

Impact of communal land use and conservation on woody vegetation structure in the Lowveld savannas of South Africa – Lidar results

CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

Wessels, Konrad J

2011-04-01

Full Text Available use and conservation on woody vegetation structure in the Lowveld savannas of South Africa ? Lidar results. K.J. Wesselsa*, R. Mathieub, B.F.N. Erasmusc, G.P. Asnerd, I.P.J. Smite, J.A.N. Van Aardtf, R. Mainb, J. Fisherb,c a Remote Sensing... with related studies, suggest that communal land use have a higher impact on the woody cover below 5m than both elephants and fire. Keywords: Carnegie Airborne Observatory (CAO), Lidar, fuel wood, South Africa, Savannas, woody vegetation structure 1...

An Analysis of Academic Reputation as Perceived by Consumers of Higher Education.

Science.gov (United States)

Conard, Michael J.; Conard, Maureen A.

2000-01-01

Survey responses of college-bound high school seniors (n=198) found most respondents viewed successful postgraduate careers as very important to the perception of an institution's academic reputation. Three factors described student perception of academic reputation: academic concerns, campus ethos, and practical value. Also, three factors were…

Managing the academic talent void: Investigating factors in academic turnover and retention in South Africa

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Marguerite Theron

2014-04-01

Research purpose: This study aimed to investigate the factors that influence turnover and retention of academic and to validate the developed talent retention diagnostic tool for use in South African higher education institutions. Motivation for the study: Limited research currently exists on the retention factors of academic staff in the South African context. Research approach, design and method: Using an investigative quantitative research approach, the tool was administered to a convenience sample of academics (n = 153 in 13 higher education institutions. Main findings: The results showed an array of distinguishing turnover and retention factors and proved the tool to be a valid and reliable measure. Over half the respondents indicated slight to strong dissatisfaction with compensation and performance management practices. Significantly, 34% indicated that they considered exiting their academic institution, citing unhappiness about compensation, as the most likely reason, whilst 74.5% have previously looked for another job. Practical/managerial implications: The research highlights key areas (i.e. compensation, emotional recognition, a bonus structure that reflects employee contribution, performance management systems, mentorship and career development opportunities that higher education should attend to if they want to retain their key and talented academic staff. Contribution/value-add: The results contribute to new knowledge on the factors that contribute to turnover and retention of academic staff and present a valid and reliable measure to assess these retention factors.

The Concept of added value of FM

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Jensen, PA; van der Voordt, Theo; Coenen, C; von Felten, D; Balslev-Nielsen, S; Sarasoja, AL; Riratanaphong, C.; Pfenninger, M; Jensen, PA; van der Voordt, DJM; Coenen, C

2012-01-01

Purpose: This chapter presents research perspectives and theoretical reflections on the concept of added value of FM from a variety of academic fields.
Methodology: A literature review of the most influential journals within the academic fields of Facilities Management (FM), Corporate Real

Academic voice: On feminism, presence, and objectivity in writing.

Science.gov (United States)

Mitchell, Kim M

2017-10-01

Academic voice is an oft-discussed, yet variably defined concept, and confusion exists over its meaning, evaluation, and interpretation. This paper will explore perspectives on academic voice and counterarguments to the positivist origins of objectivity in academic writing. While many epistemological and methodological perspectives exist, the feminist literature on voice is explored here as the contrary position. From the feminist perspective, voice is a socially constructed concept that cannot be separated from the experiences, emotions, and identity of the writer and, thus, constitutes a reflection of an author's way of knowing. A case study of how author presence can enhance meaning in text is included. Subjective experience is imperative to a practice involving human interaction. Nursing practice, our intimate involvement in patient's lives, and the nature of our research are not value free. A view is presented that a visible presence of an author in academic writing is relevant to the nursing discipline. The continued valuing of an objective, colorless academic voice has consequences for student writers and the faculty who teach them. Thus, a strategically used multivoiced writing style is warranted. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

The relationship between psychological adjustment and social protection with academic self-concept and academic achievement among high school female students in Rasht

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kobra Dadarigashti

2016-07-01

Full Text Available The study conducted to examine the relationship between psychological adjustment and social protection with academic self-concept and academic achievement among high school female students in Rasht. The research is descriptive correlational. The target population includes all female students studying in Rasht in 2015. By random cluster sampling method and based on the variables, 180 subjects selected. In this study, to collect data, psychological adjustment and social support, academic self-concept and academic achievement questionnaire are used. To test the hypothesis of this research, the parametric statistical Pearson correlation and regression tests are used. Moreover, all statistical operations were analyzed by using SPSS software. The research results showed that the correlation values between psychological adjustment and social support with academic self-concept and academic achievement of high school female students is statistically significant ( 01/0 > p.

Abdominal injuries in communal crises: The Jos experience

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Emmanuel Olorundare Ojo

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Background: Abdominal injuries contribute significantly to battlefield trauma morbidity and mortality. This study sought to determine the incidence, demographics, clinical features, spectrum, severity, management, and outcome of abdominal trauma during a civilian conflict. Materials and Methods: A prospective analysis of patients treated for abdominal trauma during the Jos civil crises between December 2010 and May 2012 at the Jos University Teaching Hospital. Results: A total of 109 victims of communal conflicts with abdominal injuries were managed during the study period with 89 (81.7% males and 20 (18.3% females representing about 12.2% of the total 897 combat related injuries. The peak age incidence was between 21 and 40 years (range: 3–71 years. The most frequently injured intra-abdominal organs were the small intestine 69 (63.3%, colon 48 (44%, and liver 41 (37.6%. Forty-four (40.4% patients had extra-abdominal injuries involving the chest in 17 (15.6%, musculoskeletal 12 (11%, and the head in 9 (8.3%. The most prevalent weapon injuries were gunshot 76 (69.7%, explosives 12 (11%, stab injuries 11 (10.1%, and blunt abdominal trauma 10 (9.2%. The injury severity score varied from 8 to 52 (mean: 20.8 with a fatality rate of 11 (10.1% and morbidity rate of 29 (26.6%. Presence of irreversible shock, 3 or more injured intra-abdominal organs, severe head injuries, and delayed presentation were the main factors associated with mortality. Conclusion: Abdominal trauma is major life-threatening injuries during conflicts. Substantial mortality occurred with loss of nearly one in every 10 hospitalized victims despite aggressive emergency room resuscitation. The resources expenditure, propensity for death and expediency of timing reinforce the need for early access to the wounded in a concerted trauma care systems.

The Value of Family Routines for the Academic Success of Vulnerable Adolescents

Science.gov (United States)

Roche, Kathleen M.; Ghazarian, Sharon R.

2012-01-01

This study examined associations between mother reports of family routines and adolescent academic success. The authors used prospective data from "Welfare, Children, and Families: A Three City Study" (N = 1,147), a study of low-income urban youth and mothers. The vast majority of youth were African American (43%) or Latino (47%); youth were an…

Academic Words and Academic Capitalism Academic Words and Academic Capitalism

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Michael Billig

2013-03-01

Full Text Available

Este artículo sugiere que esta época es la mejor y peor para la labor académica. La mejor en cuanto hay más publicaciones académicas que nunca. Y la peor porque sobra mucho de estas publicaciones. Trabajando en las condiciones competitivas del capitalismo académico, los académicos se sienten en la necesidad de continuar publicando, independientemente de que tengan algo que decir. Las presiones de publicar continuamente y promover la propia perspectiva se reflejan en la manera en la que los científicos sociales están escribiendo. Y es que los académicos utilizan un lenguaje técnico basado en sustantivos, con una precisión menor a la del lenguaje ordinario. Los estudiantes de postgrado han sido educados en esta manera de escribir como una condición previa a iniciarse en las ciencias sociales. Así, la naturaleza misma del capitalismo académico no sólo determina las condiciones en las que los académicos trabajan, sino que también afecta su manera de escribir.

This paper suggests that it is the best and worst of times for academic work. It is the best of times because there are more academics publishing than ever before. It is the worst of times because there is much unnecessary publication. Working in the competitive conditions of academic capitalism, academics feel impelled to keep publishing, whether or not they have anything to say. The pressures to publish continually and to promote one’s own approach are reflected in the way that social scientists are writing. Academics use a noun-based technical language, which is less precise than ordinary language. Postgraduates are taught this way of writing as a precondition for entering the social sciences. In this way, the nature of academic capitalism not only determines the conditions under which academics are working but it affects the way that they are writing.

Academic Expectations as Sources of Stress in Asian Students

Science.gov (United States)

Tan, Joyce Beiyu; Yates, Shirley

2011-01-01

Education is highly valued in Confucian Heritage Culture (CHC) countries such as China, Taiwan, Singapore, Hong Kong, Japan and Korea but the expectations of parents, teachers and students themselves to excel academically can also be a source of intense stress for many students. The "Academic Expectations Stress Inventory" (AESI),…

Role of communally nesting ardeid birds in the epidemiology of West Nile virus revisited.

Science.gov (United States)

Reisen, William K; Wheeler, Sarah; Armijos, M Veronica; Fang, Ying; Garcia, Sandra; Kelley, Kara; Wright, Stan

2009-06-01

Although herons and egrets in the family Ardeidae frequently have been associated with viruses in the Japanese encephalitis virus serocomplex, communal nesting colonies do not appear to be a focus of early season and rapid amplification of West Nile virus (WNV) in California. Evidence for repeated WNV infection was found by testing living and dead nestlings collected under trees with mixed species ardeid colonies nesting above in an oak grove near the University of California arboretum in Davis and in a Eucalyptus grove at a rural farmstead. However, mosquito infection rates at both nesting sites were low and positive pools did not occur earlier than at comparison sites within the City of Davis or at the Yolo Bypass wetlands managed for rice production and waterfowl habitat. Black-crowned night herons (Nycticorax nycticorax) were the most abundant and frequently infected ardeid species, indicating that WNV may be an important cause of mortality among nestlings of this species.

Performance of draught cattle in communal farming areas in Zimbabwe after dry season supplementation.

Science.gov (United States)

Ndlovu, L R; Francis, J; Hove, E

1996-11-01

Sixty-four pairs of oxen owned by smallholders were randomly allocated to one of 3 supplementary treatments offered at one kg per head per day from July to October or to a control where no supplement was offered. The supplements were maize stover plus silverleaf hay (2:1 w/w), urea-treated maize stover (50 g urea/kg stover) and plain maize stover. Animals fed plain maize stover or no supplement lost weight (6 to 7% of initial weight), whilst those fed the other 2 supplements maintained their liveweights. Supplementation reduced time spent on feeding activities by 10 per cent. Animals fed on urea-treated maize stover or maize stover plus silverleaf hay ploughed at speeds that were 29% faster than oxen on the other treatments and covered 45% more area. Blood parameters indicated a general deficiency of nitrogen intake throughout the dry season. It was concluded that supplements of good quality have the potential to improve the working ability of communal area oxen.

DREAMING OF DISSENT: ROCHDALE COLLEGE AND THE FAILED DREAM OF COMMUNAL EDUCATION

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sean Steele

2018-06-01

Full Text Available The paper looks at experimental alternative education systems to explore different approaches to pedagogical theories of post-secondary education. The paper focuses on the story of Rochdale College, an experimental free-form college and communal housing project associated with the University of Toronto between 1968 and 1975. The aims, theories and methods of Rochdale College are contextualized by an examination of two theorists on alternative education: John Dewey and Paul Goodman. The theories of Dewey and Goodman are explored through a brief examination of two experimental colleges that preceded Rochdale: The Experimental College (at Tufts University from 1927-32 and Black Mountain College in North Carolina (active from 1933- 57. Ideas regarding alternative forms of education were integrated into socio-political ideas from the 1960s counterculture movement in America and Canada, and a major test site for a form of counterculture education was the controversial experiment called Rochdale College. The paper explores ideas of what an alternative post-secondary education system has looked like in the past, in order to pose questions about the ways it could take shape in the future.

Software Prototype Design for Managing Housing and Communal Services in Apartment Buildings

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Svetlana A.

2018-03-01

Full Text Available Introduction: The paper presents the disign and implementation of a computer program for the housing and utilities services. The Housing Code of the Russian Federation allows creating an apartment building council. The residents of a house choose the members this council to control providing services, manage an apartment building and represent their interests. The authors suggest using a special computer program for this purpose. Materials and Methods: The authors used the qualitative analysis of the data obtained from house bills and from the State housing and communal sector information system. The data processing and software development were performed through using the Ruby object-oriented language, the Ruby On Rails framework, the PostgreSQL database management system, the Slim templating, and Sass CSS extensions. Results: The authors developed a prototype software system to automate the activities of the apartment building council. This software helps to increase the quality of life of the apartment building residents. Discussion and Conclusions: This research provides an information framework for improving the quality of utilities services. The results of this study can be applied to the solution of many problems of housing and utilities sector.

Longitudinal Analysis of Academic Burnout in Korean Middle School Students.

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Boyoung; Lee, Minyoung; Kim, Keunhwa; Choi, Hyunju; Lee, Sang Min

2015-10-01

The purpose of the study was to investigate the longitudinal relationships between the initial values and slopes of three dimensions of burnout syndrome (i.e. emotional exhaustion, cynicism and academic inefficacy). The study utilized four-wave longitudinal data from a total of 367 (81.6% response rate) middle school students in South Korea. Comprising a 6-month interval survey, the first survey was conducted in June 2010, the second in December 2010, the third in June 2011 and the fourth in December 2011. All participants were 13-year-olds at the first and second surveys, and 14-year-olds at the third and fourth surveys. The Maslach Burnout Inventory-Student Survey was used for each survey to assess the level of academic burnout. The longitudinal data were analysed using latent growth modelling. The results of the study indicated that high initial values (intercept) for emotional exhaustion were associated with a higher rate of increase (slope) in cynicism and academic inefficacy. On the other hand, high initial values for cynicism and academic inefficacy were associated with a lower rate of increase in the other dimensions. This longitudinal study should promote understanding of burned-out students and contribute to the literature by informing the design of prevention programmes for academic burnout. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

ACADEMIC INTEGRITY SUPPORT SYSTEM FOR UKRAINIAN UNIVERSITIES

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V. G. Sherstjuk

2017-04-01

Full Text Available Purpose. Developing the methodology for providing academic integrity in the university. The methodology is based on Web-oriented academic integrity support system, developed by the authors, which enters into the information system of learning process control. Academic integrity support system is aimed at maintaining academic integrity as a basic institutional value, which will help to reduce corruption, plagiarism and other types of academic dishonesty. Methodology. The methodology of problem to solve is based on the development of the information system of education process control with the integral elements of quality control. The information subsystem of academic integrity support is its basic part. Findings. The proposed information system allows us to fulfill the following levels: educational process monitoring; audit of internal processes, which is necessary for developing the effective quality control system; assessment of achievements of educational process participants; formalization of the interaction of educational process participants. The system is aimed at the development of new academic society based on the following principles: open access to the information, at which the access of wide audience to the information provides participation, forming the sense of responsibility and social control; transparency of the information, by which its relevance, quality, reliability are meant; responsibility of all members of educational process; measurability, at which any action in educational process should be measured; detail of describing the actions, results and processes; support, which is meant by automatic tools of the realization of the principles of open access to the information, transparency of the information, responsibility of all participants of educational process, measurability, detail, support. The practical realization of information system is based on the development of a common repository of university information. The

Homophobia and communal coping for HIV risk management among gay men in relationships.

Science.gov (United States)

Stachowski, Courtney; Stephenson, Rob

2015-02-01

Men who have sex with men (MSM) remain disproportionately affected by the HIV epidemic in the US and estimates suggest that one to two-thirds of new infections occur among main partners. Previous research has focused on individual MSM and their risk for HIV, yet couples' ability to manage risk has been largely understudied. In particular, the role that homophobia plays in shaping the ability of gay male couples to cope with HIV risk is currently understudied. A sample of 447 gay/bisexual men with main partners was taken from a 2011 survey of gay and bisexual men in Atlanta. Linear regression models were fitted for three couples' coping outcome scales (outcome efficacy, couple efficacy, communal coping) and included indicators of homophobia (internalized homophobia and homophobic discrimination). Findings indicate that reporting of increased levels of internalized homophobia were consistently associated with decreased outcome measures of couples' coping ability regarding risk management. The results highlight the role that homophobia plays in gay male couples' relationships and HIV risk, extending the existing literature in the field of same-sex relationships as influenced by homophobia.

HARNESSING VALUES TO PROMOTE MOTIVATION IN EDUCATION

Science.gov (United States)

Harackiewicz, Judith M.; Tibbetts, Yoi; Canning, Elizabeth; Hyde, Janet S.

2017-01-01

Purpose We review the interventions that promote motivation in academic contexts, with a focus on two primary questions: How can we motivate students to take more STEM courses? Once in those STEM courses, how can we keep students motivated and promote their academic achievement? Design/methodology/approach We have approached these two motivational questions from several perspectives, examining the theoretical issues with basic laboratory research, conducting longitudinal questionnaire studies in classrooms, and developing interventions implemented in different STEM contexts. Our research is grounded in three theories that we believe are complementary: expectancy-value theory (Eccles & Wigfield, 2002), interest theory (Hidi & Renninger, 2006), and self-affirmation theory (Steele, 1988). As social psychologists, we have focused on motivational theory and used experimental methods, with an emphasis on values – students’ perceptions of the value of academic tasks and students’ personal values that shape their experiences in academic contexts. Findings We review the experimental field studies in high-school science and college psychology classes, in which utility-value interventions promoted interest and performance for high-school students in science classes and for undergraduate students in psychology courses. We also review a randomized intervention in which parents received information about the utility value of math and science for their teens in high school; this intervention led students to take nearly one semester more of science and mathematics, compared with the control group. Finally, we review an experimental study of values affirmation in a college biology course and found that the intervention improved performance and retention for first-generation college students, closing the social-class achievement gap by 50%. We conclude by discussing the mechanisms through which these interventions work. Originality/value These interventions are exciting for

Establishing the system of public communal utility on the river Danube and the river Sava on the territory of Belgrade

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Pušić Antonije

2007-01-01

Full Text Available Waste disposal and treatment problem consideration in the Republic of Serbia is making a pioneer steps. Main goal of this paper is to emphasize problems of waste disposal on waterways in urban areas, which consists of three aspects: uncontrolled disposal, possibilities of waste elimination and institutional model of collecting and recycling. Considering the fact that Draft version of Waste disposal law is not yet adopted by the national government (beside the fact that it contains the question of disposing and recycling municipal solid waste and that it is not elaborating the problem of dumping the municipal waste into rivers, this paper will give methodological and legislative recommendations for the solution of this problem. However, city of Belgrade and the other cities in Serbia are often facing serious problems (arranged riverfronts covered with municipal waste. Because of that, it is necessary to define methods of collecting and treatment of waste disposed in the water streams (in the area of technology. It is also important to determine legislative framework, and also to establish hierarchy in decision-making on the local level. One of the main goals is to determine new aspects of public communal utilities (so called "river communal utility", which will have jurisdiction in this area. International experiences must be analyzed separately and based on them is proposed new concept of elimination of waste from the rivers. Implementation of this pilot project is recommended on the river Danube and the river Sava on the territory of the city of Belgrade.

Communal egg laying by Gonatodes humeralis (Sauria, Gekkonidae in Manaus primary and secondary forest areas Desovas comunais de Gonatodes humeralis (Sauria, Gekkonidae em áreas de floresta primária e secundária de Manaus

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Welton Yudi ODA

2004-01-01

Full Text Available Communal nesting has been registered for a number of lizard species at different sites. Here it is described communal egg laying of Gonatodes humeralis at different sites near and in human buildings in the period between 1990 and 1998. All these communal nests have been found in the dry season, between April and July, suggesting that the nests of are more common in this season, when the activity of their predators is less intense and the reduction of humidity diminish the decomposition action of the fungi that may kill the eggs.Desovas comunais tem sido registradas para inúmeras espécies de lagartos em diferentes regiões. Neste estudo, estão descritas desovas comunais de Gonatodes humeralis em diferentes localidades próximas, no interior de construções humanas no período entre 1990 e 1998. Todas estas desovas comunais foram encontradas na estação seca, entre abril e julho, sugerindo que estas desovas são mais comuns neste período, quando a atividade dos predadores é menos intensa e a redução da umidade diminui a ação decompositora dos fungos que pode matar os ovos.

Dimensions of Academic Interest among Undergraduate Students: Passion, Confidence, Aspiration and Self-Expression

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Jihyun; Durksen, Tracy L.

2018-01-01

We investigated psychological dimensions of academic interest among undergraduate students (N = 325) using a global academic interest scale. The scale was administered together with measures of academic performance, educational aspiration, career planning, goal setting, life satisfaction, attitudes towards leisure, personality and value.…

Lib-Value: Values, Outcomes, and Return on Investment of Academic Libraries, Phase III: ROI of the Syracuse University Library

Science.gov (United States)

Kingma, Bruce; McClure, Kathleen

2015-01-01

This study measures the return on investment (ROI) of the Syracuse University library. Faculty and students at Syracuse University were surveyed using contingent valuation methodology to measure their willingness to pay in time and money for the services of the academic library. Their travel time and use of the online library was measured to…

Dishonest Academic Conduct: From the Perspective of the Utility Function.

Science.gov (United States)

Sun, Ying; Tian, Rui

Dishonest academic conduct has aroused extensive attention in academic circles. To explore how scholars make decisions according to the principle of maximal utility, the author has constructed the general utility function based on the expected utility theory. The concrete utility functions of different types of scholars were deduced. They are as follows: risk neutral, risk averse, and risk preference. Following this, the assignment method was adopted to analyze and compare the scholars' utilities of academic conduct. It was concluded that changing the values of risk costs, internal condemnation costs, academic benefits, and the subjective estimation of penalties following dishonest academic conduct can lead to changes in the utility of academic dishonesty. The results of the current study suggest that within scientific research, measures to prevent and govern dishonest academic conduct should be formulated according to the various effects of the above four variables.

Correlation of nutritional status with academic achievement in adolescents

Science.gov (United States)

Sinurat, R. S.; Sembiring, T.; Azlin, E.; Faranita, T.; Pratita, W.

2018-03-01

Malnutrition is considered a problem that limits learning ability (cognitive function), which is related to poor academic achievement results. This study aimed to determine the relationship of nutritional status with academic achievement in adolescents. A cross-sectional study was conducted on 126 junior high school students ranging from 12 to 15 years in Batubara, North Sumatra in January 2015. Nutritional status is determined by weight for height. Academic achievement was recorded from the final results of their school exams. The value of intelligence quotient (IQ) was assessed by using the Aptitude Test. Data were then analyzed by using Spearman correlation and Chi-Square test. In conclusion, there was no significant difference between nutritional status with IQ score (p=0,540) but showed a significant relationship (p=0.003) between normal nutritional status with the total value of the report card with positive weak correlation strength (r=0.342). There was also a significant difference (p=0.020) and moderate positive correlation (r=0.541) between overweight with academic achievement based on mathematics.

Academic managers in contemporary university: Challenges and learnings

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Marita Sánchez-Moreno

2016-04-01

Full Text Available Purpose: The article presents and discusses some findings derived from a research project about University academic management, and it is focused on the identification of principal clues –even related to subjects and methodology– for the design of training programmes on this task. Design/methodology/approach: The research design adopted a qualitative approach and contemplated the development of in-depth interviews to 71 academic managers at the university who were valued as good in that task, in three Spanish Universities –Universidad de Las Palmas de Gran Canaria (ULP, Universidad de Lleida (UdL y Universidad de Sevilla (US. Data were analyzed using MAXQDA.11 and their interpretations were contrasted with the opinions obtained in a second round of interviews with 15 of those managers. Findings: Results allows to identify some kind of “vital cycle” in academic managers, inform about their reasons to continue in their managing charges, about their worries related to interpersonal relationships and conflict management, as well as about the recognized need of receiving a specific training for academic management, based on an active an participative methodology which can promote a practical learning. Research limitations/implications: The most important limitations of the study have to do with two unrelated issues. First of them, from a methodological point of view, is related to the limited number of participants. Second of them derives of the changing environment in which management and government model of Spanish is changing. This could probably affect the value and the interest showed by a academics on University management. Practical implications: According to one of the original mains of the study, a training program for academics in university management was already designed and developed. Social implications: The development of training Programs on University management as the one derived from the commented study would represent a

Insomnia and Its Temporal Association with Academic Performance among University Students: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Science.gov (United States)

Haile, Yohannes Gebreegziabhere; Alemu, Sisay Mulugeta; Habtewold, Tesfa Dejenie

2017-01-01

Studies show that 9.4% to 38.2% of university students are suffering from insomnia. However, research data in developing countries is limited. Thus, the aim of the study was to assess insomnia and its temporal association with academic performance. Institution based cross-sectional study was conducted with 388 students at Debre Berhan University. Data were collected at the nine colleges. Logistic and linear regression analysis was performed for modeling insomnia and academic performance with a p value threshold of 0.05, respectively. Data were entered using EPI-data version 3.1 and analyzed using SPSS version 20. The prevalence of insomnia was 61.6%. Field of study ( p value = 0.01), worshiping frequency ( p value = 0.048), marital status ( p value = 0.03), and common mental disorder ( p value academic performance ( p value = 0.53, β = -0.04). Insomnia explained 1.2% ( r 2 = 0.012) of the difference in academic performance between students. Nearly 3 out of 5 students had insomnia. We recommended that universities would endorse sleep quality and mental health illness screening programs for students.

Designation differences and academic career progression

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Chris W. Callaghan

2015-05-01

Contribution/Value add: This study provides new insights into certain ‘crisis milestones’, or role conflicts or issues, that may need to be resolved or balanced before the career progression of academics can typically occur.

Bourgeois Tensions, Marxist Economics and Aphaeresis of Communal Spirit in Sembene Ousmane’s God’s Bits of Wood and Ngugi wa Thiong’o’s Devil on the Cross

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Emmanuel Idowu Adeniyi

2017-12-01

Full Text Available This article appraises the poetics of two of the foremost African creative writers whose literary sensibilities exhibit conspicuously Marxist conceptual models. The writers have poignantly deployed their creative ingenuities towards raising social consciousness against the bourgeois economy which imposes a politics of asymmetry, parasitism and stratification on the economic thought of the African society that once projected a communal spirit. Considering the precarious conditions of Africa’s economy due to the pernicious effects of capitalism, it is imperative to examine the sordidness of classism, alienated labour, commodification or thingification of the underclass and other bourgeois tensions in African literature, as portrayed by these writers. Marxist theoretical models of economic determinism and historical materialism are discussed as the simulacrum of Vilfredo Pareto’s 80/20 Rule or Pareto Principle. Though Marxists are fixated on revolution as the only solution to end the misery of the underclass and terminate the hegemony of the oligarchy that exploits sellers of labour, the paper advocates economic revivalism through the exploration of the opportunities offered by the communal mode of production.

A Cooperative Approach to Academic Entrepreneurial Initiatives

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Ping Zheng

2016-04-01

Full Text Available In this article we introduce a novel entrepreneurial model, the “Faculty Cooperative”, an eco-system for creating and managing academic entrepreneurial initiatives. The goal of this model is to promote academic entrepreneurism, by providing a guiding concept and tools that overcome the lack of alignment between individual academic attributes and faculty efforts in driving academic spin-out companies.  Through an empirical inquiry based on an academic spin-out company in a UK university context, we have explored the key activities, actors, organisational processes and outcomes related to the formation and development stages of the academic entrepreneurship process. The empirical evidence reveals that the key principles embodied by the “Faculty Cooperative Model” namely, openness, freedom and collective shareholding, are likely to promote the entrepreneurial culture within a university context. The paper argues for the importance of developing entrepreneurial culture in conventional research focused universities, which not only improves the traditional values of teaching and research, but also enhances the dynamic capabilities of universities in a global marketplace. It is suggested that the entrepreneurial ideal is not contradictory to the conventional university missions, rather it is complementary.

Academic Education Chain Operation Model

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Ruskov, Petko; Ruskov, Andrey

2007-01-01

This paper presents an approach for modelling the educational processes as a value added chain. It is an attempt to use a business approach to interpret and compile existing business and educational processes towards reference models and suggest an Academic Education Chain Operation Model. The model

HARNESSING VALUES TO PROMOTE MOTIVATION IN EDUCATION.

Science.gov (United States)

Harackiewicz, Judith M; Tibbetts, Yoi; Canning, Elizabeth; Hyde, Janet S

2014-01-01

We review the interventions that promote motivation in academic contexts, with a focus on two primary questions: How can we motivate students to take more STEM courses? Once in those STEM courses, how can we keep students motivated and promote their academic achievement? We have approached these two motivational questions from several perspectives, examining the theoretical issues with basic laboratory research, conducting longitudinal questionnaire studies in classrooms, and developing interventions implemented in different STEM contexts. Our research is grounded in three theories that we believe are complementary: expectancy-value theory (Eccles & Wigfield, 2002), interest theory (Hidi & Renninger, 2006), and self-affirmation theory (Steele, 1988). As social psychologists, we have focused on motivational theory and used experimental methods, with an emphasis on values - students' perceptions of the value of academic tasks and students' personal values that shape their experiences in academic contexts. We review the experimental field studies in high-school science and college psychology classes, in which utility-value interventions promoted interest and performance for high-school students in science classes and for undergraduate students in psychology courses. We also review a randomized intervention in which parents received information about the utility value of math and science for their teens in high school; this intervention led students to take nearly one semester more of science and mathematics, compared with the control group. Finally, we review an experimental study of values affirmation in a college biology course and found that the intervention improved performance and retention for first-generation college students, closing the social-class achievement gap by 50%. We conclude by discussing the mechanisms through which these interventions work. These interventions are exciting for their broad applicability in improving students' academic choices and

Emotional Intelligence, Academic Procrastination and Academic ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Itwas therefore recommended that efforts should be made to look into other pressing factors like self-esteem, teacher's attitude, student's attitude, parental background among others which may be influencing student's poor academic achievement. Key words: Emotional Intelligence, Academic Procrastination, Academic ...

Academic literacies: looking back in order to look forward

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Mary R Lea

2016-12-01

Full Text Available This paper argues that we need to reclaim the institutional perspective that was inherent in some of the early work in the field of academic literacies. It offers a brief overview of the emergence of the field and examines some key developments, including an examination of areas of tension with regard to the use of the term academic literacies. It also points to the ways in which the field is drawing in valuable and complementary theoretical and methodological frames, latterly with respect to significant developments in the digital landscape in higher education. The author concludes that academic literacies researchers have ongoing work to do with regard to the changing contexts of higher education and the need to push against the relentless redefinition of the university for its commercial and transfer value as opposed to its intellectual or critical value.

Anthelmintic resistance of nematodes in communally grazed goats in a semi-arid area of South Africa

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F.R. Bakunzi

2003-07-01

Full Text Available A survey was conducted on the occurrence of anthelmintic resistance of nematodes in communally grazed goats in a semi-arid area in SouthAfrica. In herds belonging to 10 smallholder goat farmers, the efficacies of fenbendazole, levamisole and rafoxanide were tested by faecal egg count reduction (FECR tests. Efficacies of 80 % were considered a threshold for anthelmintic resistance. The FECR tests showed that all drugs tested more than 80 % effective in most instances, but there were notable exceptions. In 1 case, rafoxanide was only 31 % effective and in another case fenbendazole was only 47 % effective. The occurrence of anthelmintic resistance in this farming sector is of concern. Steps should be taken to prevent its further spread and to avoid the development of a situation as onnumerous commercial sheep farms in South Africa where resistance is very common.

Preparing Graduate Students for Non-Academic Careers

Science.gov (United States)

Woolf, Lawrence

2014-03-01

One of the primary topics discussed at the conference concerned career development, since most graduate students will not have the academic careers of their advisors. Goals included reviewing the primary functions of physicists in industry, evaluating how students are currently prepared for these careers, and identifying how to fill gaps in preparation. A number of non-academic physicists provided insight into meeting these goals. Most physics graduate programs in general do not purposely prepare students for a non-academic career. Strategies for overcoming this shortcoming include advising students about these careers and providing training on broadly valued professional skills such as written and verbal communication, time and project management, leadership, working in teams, innovation, product development, and proposal writing. Alumni and others from industry could provide guidance on careers and skills and should be invited to talk to students. Academic training could also better prepare students for non-academic careers by including engineering and cross disciplinary problem solving as well as incorporating software and toolsets common in industry.

Myths & Facts about Value-Added Analysis

Science.gov (United States)

TNTP, 2011

2011-01-01

This paper presents myths as well as facts about value-added analysis. These myths include: (1) "Value-added isn't fair to teachers who work in high-need schools, where students tend to lag far behind academically"; (2) "Value-added scores are too volatile from year-to-year to be trusted"; (3) "There's no research behind value-added"; (4) "Using…

Information Seeking Behaviours of Business Students and the Development of Academic Digital Libraries

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Kelli WooShue

2006-12-01

Full Text Available Objectives ‐ To gain insight into the extent to which user information‐seeking behaviours should inform the design and development of Digital Libraries in an academic setting, a study was carried out at Dalhousie University, Canada to explore the information‐seeking behaviours of business students.Methods ‐ The students studied were drawn from the School of Business Administration at Dalhousie University, Canada. The study was based on qualitative and quantitative data collected through a survey, in‐depth semi‐structured interviews, observational study and document analysis. Qualitative case study data was coded using QSR N6 qualitative data analysis software. The data was categorized using Atkinson’s “Model of BusinessInformation Users’ Expectations” and Renda and Straccia‘s personalized collaborative DL model. Atkinson’s model defines the expectations of business students in terms of cost, time,effort required, pleasure and the avoidance of pain. Renda and Straccia’s model of a personalized and collaborative digital library centres around three concepts: actors, objects, and functionality. The survey data was analysed using the Zoomerang software.Results ‐ The study results revealed that students tend to select resources based on cost(free or for fee, accessibility, ease of use, speed of delivery (of results, and convenience. The results showed that similar to Atkinson’s findings, the business students’ information seeking behaviour is influenced by the concepts of cost‐benefit and break‐even analyses that underlie business education. Concerning speed of delivery and convenience, the organization of the resources was paramount. Students preferred user‐defined resource lists, alert services, and expert‐created business resource collections. When asked about the usefulness of potential digital library functionalities, students valued a personalized user interface and communal virtual spaces to share

How Danish communal heat planning empowers municipalities and benefits individual consumers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chittum, Anna; Østergaard, Poul Alberg

2014-01-01

Danish municipal heat planning empowers municipalities to implement locally appropriate energy solutions that are the best fit for the locality as a whole and the individual consumers served. Supportive policies and actions at the national and local levels have encouraged heat planning that confers significant autonomy to local governments. By examining how power is distributed and shared by different levels of governments in the planning process, this paper investigates how comprehensive energy planning in Denmark has supported the development of highly cost-effective district heating systems. Lessons from the Danish approach to heat planning are considered for their relevance to the United States, where significant technical district heating potential exists, yet remains well outside the typical energy policy discussions. While the specific Danish political context may not be transferable to other locations, the practical aspects of power sharing, socio-economic cost–benefit analyses, and communal decision-making may inform approaches to local heat planning around the world. - Highlights: • Danish district heating has cost-effectively reduced the country's emissions. • Danish heat planning has been critical to the district heating sector's success. • Danish heat planning confers substantial power to municipalities. • Empowering cities offers significant benefits to cities and consumers. • Danish planning practices can be implemented today in the U.S. and other locations

Academic Libraries in Greece: The Present Situation and Future Prospects.

Science.gov (United States)

Keller, Dean H., Ed.

The purpose of this collection of essays is to examine academic libraries in Greece at a time when the potential for changes and advance in librarianship is great. The 15 papers are as follows: "International Interlibrary Cooperation: Exchanging Goals, Values and Culture" (Don L. Tolliver); "Academic Libraries in Greece" (James…

Students' Persistence and Academic Success in a First-Year Professional Bachelor Program: The Influence of Students' Learning Strategies and Academic Motivation

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Gert Vanthournout

2012-01-01

Full Text Available The present study explores whether students' learning strategies and academic motivation predict persistence and academic success in the first year of higher education. Freshmen students in a professional bachelor program in teacher education were questioned on their learning strategy use and motivation at the start and at the end of the academic year. Students' learning strategies were assessed using the inventory of learning styles-SV. Motivation was measured using scales from the self-regulation questionnaire and the academic motivation scale. Gender and students' prior education were incorporated as control variables. Logistic regression analyses and general linear modelling were applied to predict persistence and academic success, respectively. In each case a stepwise approach in data analysis was used. Results on persistence indicate that lack of regulation and amotivation at the start of the year are significant predictors. For academic success, results showed that relating and structuring, lack of regulation, and lack of motivation at the end of the year are meaningful predictors. Overall, our study demonstrates that learning strategies and motivation have a moderate explanatory value regarding academic success and persistence, and that these effects remain even after controlling for the influence of background variables.

The Value of Nonmedical Academic Libraries to Medical Libraries: A Case in Point

Science.gov (United States)

Drake, Paul B.

2010-01-01

While the National Library of Medicine created the National Network of Libraries of Medicine (NN/LM) as a network to provide medical and health information, historically few nonmedical academic libraries have participated. University medical libraries and hospital libraries have been the major focus of the Network. Recently, the NNLM has…

Personality, Academic Self-Efficacy, Academic Locus of Control and Academic Procrastination Among University Students

OpenAIRE

Yazıcı, Hikmet; Albayrak, Elif; Reisoğlu, Serpil

2016-01-01

There are several variables to determine academic procrastination behavior among university students. The main aim of the present study was to investigate the relationships among big five personality, academic self-efficacy, academic locus of control and academic procrastination. Research group consisted of 885 university students (Female=496, Male=389) in 2012/2013 academic year in Karadeniz Technical University. Results from study indicated that responsibility and amenability subscales of b...

Author Details

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Akinsola, EF. Vol 18, No 2 (2010) - Articles Self-Esteem, Perceived Control and Communal Relationship Strength as Predictors of Emotional Distress in Nigerian University Students. Abstract · Vol 19, No 2 (2011) - Articles Relationship between parenting style, family type, personality dispositions and academic achievement ...

“What’s So Special about Special Collections?” Or, Assessing the Value Special Collections Bring to Academic Libraries

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Elizabeth Yakel

2013-06-01

Full Text Available Objective – The objective of this study was to examine and call attention to the current deficiency in standardized performance measures and usage metrics suited to assessing the value and impact of special collections and archives and their contributions to the mission of academic research libraries and to suggest possible approaches to overcoming the deficiency.Methods – The authors reviewed attempts over the past dozen years by the Association of Research Libraries (ARL and the Association of College and Research Libraries (ACRL to highlight the unique types of value that special collections and archival resources contribute to academic research libraries. They also examined the results of a large survey of special collections and archives conducted by OCLC Research in 2010. In addition, they investigated efforts by the Society of American Archivists (SAA dating back to the 1940s to define standardized metrics for gathering and comparing data about archival operations. Finding that the library and archival communities have thus far failed to develop and adopt common metrics and methods for gathering data about the activities of special collections and archives, the authors explored the potential benefits of borrowing concepts for developing user-centered value propositions and metrics from the business community.Results – This study found that there has been a lack of consensus and precision concerning the definition of “special collections” and the value propositions they offer, and that most attempts have been limited in their usefulness because they were collections-centric. The study likewise reaffirmed a lack of consensus regarding how to define and measure basic operations performed by special collections and archives, such as circulating materials to users in supervised reading rooms. The review of concepts and metrics for assessing value in the business community, however, suggested new approaches to defining metrics that

Valuing the human asset - the impact of university placements on academic performance and graduate employment amongst management students

Science.gov (United States)

Brooks, R.

2012-05-01

The employment market for graduates is competitive with employers requiring appropriate work experience in addition to academic qualifications. Sandwich courses, where up to a year is spent in industry, provide an opportunity for structured work experience to be gained alongside studying. Benefits of placements include improved academic performance and the development of transferable skills to increase employability. This paper evaluates the impact of placements on academic performance and graduate employment among management students. Analysing performance data and graduate destinations data, results indicate that management students completing a placement are more likely to perform better academically with improvements in their personal grades between year 2 and the final year. Additionally, a qualitative themed analysis of student experiences indicates placement students feel more confident in engaging with the graduate recruitment process, with a better understanding of their personal skills and an ability to articulate their experience in relation to the workplace.

Academic faculty governance and recruitment decisions

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Prüfer, J.; Walz, U.

2013-01-01

We analyze the implications of the governance structure in academic faculties for their recruitment decisions when competing for new researchers. The value to individual members through social interaction within the faculty depends on the average status of their fellow members. In recruitment

Academic Faculty Governance and Recruitment Decisions

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Prüfer, J.; Walz, U.

2009-01-01

We analyze the implications of the governance structure in academic faculties for their recruitment decisions when competing for new researchers. The value to individual members through social interaction within the faculty depends on the average status of their fellow members. In recruitment

Academic Leadership Development: A Case Study.

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Berman, Audrey

2015-01-01

A dean at a private school of nursing implemented a leadership development program for early- to mid-career nursing faculty consisting of one 4-hour evening session per academic quarter for 7 quarters. Eight faculty members who had expressed interest in assuming a leadership role or been recommended by their supervisors as having strong leadership potential were invited to join. Program topics included leadership pathways, legal issues, budgeting and governance, diversity, the political arena, human resources, and student issues. Interviews with participants revealed 6 themes: the support a peer cohort provided, a desire for real-life application, a lack of previous exposure to related content or experiences, new perceptions of themselves as academic nurse leaders, the value of the program as preparation for academic nursing leadership roles, and broad program applicability. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Academic Freedom: A Lawyer's Perspective

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Davies, Mark

2015-01-01

Academic freedom is central to ideas of higher education, yet in the United Kingdom it is facing challenges from changing managerial approaches within some universities and changing governmental expectations. Universities are increasingly expected to focus upon knowledge which can be shown to have value and to exploit the results of academic…

Leadership experiences and characteristics of chairs of academic departments of psychiatry.

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Keith, Samuel J; Buckley, Peter F

2011-01-01

Effective leadership in academic medicine requires a broad constellation of skills, experiences, and core values. The authors sought to describe and define these. The authors conducted a web-based survey among 132 Chairs of North American departments of psychiatry. Eighty-five Chairs (64%) responded to the survey, the majority of whom were first-time Chairs. Identified leadership attributes included strategic/visionary acumen, interpersonal communication skills, core administrative and academic/technical skills, motivational capacity, personal integrity, and altruism/tenacity. The identified values are consistent with the leadership attributes that are described as necessary for success in the business community. Developing the required skill-set among faculty who aspire to become a departmental Chair is an important commitment for Deans and extant psychiatry Chairs. Copyright © 2011 Academic Psychiatry

Academic Capitalism and Academic Culture: A Case Study

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Mendoza, Pilar; Berger, Joseph B.

2008-01-01

This case study investigated the impact of academic capitalism on academic culture by examining the perspectives of faculty members in an American academic department with significant industrial funding. The results of this study indicate that faculty members believe that the broad integrity of the academic culture remains unaffected in this…

The relationship between study strategies and academic performance.

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Zhou, Yuanyuan; Graham, Lori; West, Courtney

2016-10-07

To investigate if and to what extent the Learning and Study Strategy Inventory (LASSI) and the Self-Directed Learning Readiness Scale (SDLRS) yield academic performance predictors; To examine if LASSI findings are consistent with previous research. Medical school students completed the LASSI and SDLRS before their first and second years (n = 168). Correlational and regression analyses were used to determine the predictive value of the LASSI and the SDLRS. Paired t-tests were used to test if the two measurement points differed. Bivariate correlations and R 2 s were compared with five other relevant studies. The SDLRS was moderately correlated with all LASSI subscales in both measures (r (152) =.255, p=.001) to (r (152) =.592, p =.000). The first SDLRS, nor the first LASSI, were predictive of academic performance. The second LASSI measure was a significant predictor of academic performance (R 2 (138) = 0.188, p = .003). Six prior LASSI studies yielded a range of R 2 s from 10-49%. The SDLRS is moderately correlated with all LASSI subscales. However, the predictive value of the SDLRS and LASSI differ. The SDLRS does not appear to be directly related to academic performance, but LASSI subscales: Concentration, Motivation, Time Management, and Test Strategies tend to be correlated. The explained LASSI variance ranges from 10% to 49%, indicating a small to substantial effect. Utilizing the LASSI to provide medical school students with information about their strengths and weaknesses and implementing targeted support in specific study strategies may yield positive academic performance outcomes.

Academic Entitlement and Academic Performance in Graduating Pharmacy Students

OpenAIRE

Jeffres, Meghan N.; Barclay, Sean M.; Stolte, Scott K.

2014-01-01

Objectives. To determine a measurable definition of academic entitlement, measure academic entitlement in graduating doctor of pharmacy (PharmD) students, and compare the academic performance between students identified as more or less academically entitled.

Improving University Research Value

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Kelley O’Reilly

2012-07-01

Full Text Available This article investigates the current data management practices of university researchers at an Intermountain West land-grant research university in the United States. Key findings suggest that researchers are primarily focused on the collection and housing of research data. However, additional research value exists within the other life cycle stages for research data—specifically in the stages of delivery and maintenance. These stages are where most new demands and requirements exist for data management plans and policies that are conditional for external grant funding; therefore, these findings expose a “gap” in current research practice. These findings should be of interest to academics and practitioners alike as findings highlight key management gaps in the life cycle of research data. This study also suggests a course of action for academic institutions to coalesce campus-wide assets to assist researchers in improving research value.

Students' Academic Performance: Academic Effort Is an Intervening ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

PROMOTING ACCESS TO AFRICAN RESEARCH ... Students' Academic Performance: Academic Effort Is an Intervening Variable ... This study was designed to seek explanations for differences in academic performance among junior ...

Cultural variation in communal versus exchange norms: Implications for social support.

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Miller, Joan G; Akiyama, Hiroko; Kapadia, Shagufa

2017-07-01

Whereas an interdependent cultural view of self has been linked to communal norms and to socially supportive behavior, its relationship to social support has been called into question in research suggesting that discomfort in social support is associated with an interdependent cultural view of self (e.g., Taylor et al., 2004). These contrasting claims were addressed in 2 studies conducted among Japanese, Indian, and American adults. Assessing everyday social support, Study 1 showed that Japanese and Americans rely on exchange norms more frequently than Indians among friends, whereas American rely on exchange norms more frequently than Indians and Japanese among siblings. Assessing responses to vignettes, Study 2 demonstrated that Japanese and Americans rely more frequently on exchange norms than Indians, with greatest relational concerns and most negative outlooks on social support observed among Japanese, less among Americans, and least among Indians. Results further indicated that relational concerns mediated the link between exchange norms and negative social support outlooks. Supporting past claims that relational concerns explain cultural variation in discomfort in social support (e.g., Kim, Sherman, & Taylor, 2008), the findings underscore the need to take into account as well the role of exchange norms in explaining such discomfort. The findings also highlight the existence of culturally variable approaches to exchange and call into question claims that discomfort in social support can be explained in terms of the global concept of an interdependent cultural view of self. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2017 APA, all rights reserved).

"Living in a Communal Garden" Associated with Well-Being While Reducing Urban Sprawl by 40%: A Mixed-Methods Cross-Sectional Study.

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Anderson, Jamie

2015-01-01

The extent to which novel land-efficient neighborhood design can promote key health behaviors is examined, concentrating on communal outdoor space provision (COSP). To test whether a neighborhood (Accordia) with a higher ratio of communal to private outdoor space is associated with higher levels of resident's (a) self-reported local health behaviors and (b) observed engagement in local health behaviors, compared to a matched neighborhood with lower proportion of COSP. Health behaviors were examined via direct observation and postal survey. Bespoke observation codes and survey items represented key well-being behaviors including "connecting," "keeping active," "taking notice," "keep learning," and "giving." The questionnaire was validated using psychometric analyses and observed behaviors were mapped in real-time. General pursuit of health behaviors was very similar in both areas but Accordia residents reported substantially greater levels of local activity. Validated testing of survey dataset (n = 256) showed support for a stronger Attitude to Neighborhood Life (connecting and giving locally) in Accordia and partial support of greater physical activity. Analyses of the behavior observation dataset (n = 7,298) support the self-reported findings. Mapped observations revealed a proliferation of activity within Accordia's innovative outdoor hard spaces. Representation is limited to upper-middle class UK groups. However, Accordia was found to promote health behaviors compared a traditional neighborhood that demands considerably more land area. The positive role of home zone streets, hard-standing and semi-civic space highlights the principle of quality as well as quantity. The findings should be considered as part of three forthcoming locally led UK garden cities, to be built before 2020.

Insomnia and Its Temporal Association with Academic Performance among University Students: A Cross-Sectional Study

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Yohannes Gebreegziabhere Haile

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Introduction. Studies show that 9.4% to 38.2% of university students are suffering from insomnia. However, research data in developing countries is limited. Thus, the aim of the study was to assess insomnia and its temporal association with academic performance. Methods and Materials. Institution based cross-sectional study was conducted with 388 students at Debre Berhan University. Data were collected at the nine colleges. Logistic and linear regression analysis was performed for modeling insomnia and academic performance with a p value threshold of 0.05, respectively. Data were entered using EPI-data version 3.1 and analyzed using SPSS version 20. Results. The prevalence of insomnia was 61.6%. Field of study (p value = 0.01, worshiping frequency (p value = 0.048, marital status (p value = 0.03, and common mental disorder (p value < 0.001 were identified associated factors of insomnia. There was no significant association between insomnia and academic performance (p value = 0.53, β = −0.04. Insomnia explained 1.2% (r2 = 0.012 of the difference in academic performance between students. Conclusions. Nearly 3 out of 5 students had insomnia. We recommended that universities would endorse sleep quality and mental health illness screening programs for students.

Attitudes of Turkish Academics Regarding Violence Against Women in the Name of Honor.

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Yeşilçiçek Çalik, Kıymet

2017-11-01

Honor is an important concept that has a vital value in Turkey and affects many women's lives and even causes death. It is of utmost importance to know and scientifically demonstrate the value judgments of the academics that lead and pioneer the society in our country where honor culture is adopted. Therefore, in Turkey, where thousands of women are exposed to violence every year, 877 academics participated in this descriptive study to determine the attitudes of academics toward violence against women in the name of honor. The data were collected using "The Scale for Attitudes Towards Violence Against Women in the Name of Honor (SAVWNH)" in the form of electronic questionnaires through email addresses of the academics working at different faculties of the university in the official website of the university in September 1 to October 1, 2015. In our study, academics' "attitudes towards violence against women in the name of honor" were found low. That is, academics had negative attitudes toward the verbal or physical violence against women in the name of honor and opposed to the punishment of women for this reason. Nevertheless, the attitudes of those who were males; those who were not professors, associate professors, and assistant professors; those who were single; those who had lived in the district/village for a long time; those who had arranged marriages; those who used any kind of violence; and those who considered violence as a solution were found somewhat more conventional. These results showed that, for some academics, the traditional beliefs of the Turkish patriarchal society continued to be valid although they were included in university academic cultures. In fact, it is revealed here that social values, traditions, and customs are very effective and important on the formation of personality in socialization process.

Personality and academic performance of three cohorts of veterinary students in South Africa.

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van der Walt, H S; Pickworth, Glynis

2007-01-01

To aid in selecting students for admission to undergraduate veterinary training, admissions procedures often take into account students' previous academic performance as well as the results of an interview. The study reported here investigated the relationship between personality and academic success. Students from three entry cohorts to the second year of study of a six-year BVSc program at the University of Pretoria completed the 16 Personality Factor Questionnaire. A meta-analytic approach was used to estimate the relationship between academic performance in two major final-year subjects and academic performance on entry, an interview score, and the personality factors. The study confirmed the value of previous academic performance and the interview in selecting students for the veterinary degree program. The findings also indicate that the inclusion of a measure of intellectual ability could be of value. The value of various personality characteristics in predicting good study habits and examination performance is highlighted by the study results: students were more successful if they were conscientious, emotionally stable, socially adept, self-disciplined, practical rather than imaginative, and relaxed rather than anxious. It appears worthwhile to consider including an appropriate personality questionnaire in the selection process to improve the accuracy of predictions of students' success. A sound personality make-up will not only increase the likelihood of academic success but should also be beneficial in the successful management of a veterinary practice and in enjoying veterinary science as a career.

Writing Abilities Longitudinally Predict Academic Outcomes of Adolescents with ADHD

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Molitor, Stephen J.; Langberg, Joshuah M.; Bourchtein, Elizaveta; Eddy, Laura D.; Dvorsky, Melissa R.; Evans, Steven W.

2016-01-01

Students with ADHD often experience a host of negative academic outcomes and deficits in reading and mathematics abilities contribute to these academic impairments. Students with ADHD may also have difficulties with written expression but there has been minimal research in this area and it is not clear whether written expression abilities uniquely contribute to the academic functioning of students with ADHD. The current study included a sample of 104 middle school students diagnosed with ADHD (grades 6–8). Participants were followed longitudinally to evaluate whether written expression abilities at baseline predicted student GPA and parent ratings of academic impairment 18 months later, after controlling for reading ability and additional relevant covariates. Written expression abilities longitudinally predicted both academic outcomes above and beyond ADHD and ODD symptoms, medication use, reading ability, and baseline values of GPA and parent-rated academic impairment. Follow-up analyses revealed that no single aspect of written expression was demonstrably more impactful on academic outcomes than the others, suggesting that writing as an entire process should be the focus of intervention. PMID:26783650

Academic performance and correspondences with indicators of physical and psychological health

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Alberto Portoles Ariño

2015-05-01

Full Text Available Academic performance of the teenagers is influenced and determined by numerous factors. Life style and the conducts of health adopted in this period relate to the academic performance of direct form, in such a way that the teenagers with ways of life and more healthy conducts, can present a more adapted academic performance. Equally, to support correct indicators of psychological health relates to the academic adapted performance. The results obtained with a sample of 1210 teenagers of the Region of Murcia, with a normal age of 15.13 years it allows to value the importance of the indicators of health as determinants of the academic performance, for what they should develop programs directed to supporting positive levels of said

The Behavioral and Social Sciences: Contributions and Opportunities in Academic Medicine.

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Smith, Patrick O; Grigsby, R Kevin

2017-06-01

The Association of American Medical Colleges plays a leading role in supporting the expansion and evolution of academic medicine and medical science in North America, which are undergoing high-velocity change. Behavioral and social science concepts have great practical value when applied to the leadership practices and administrative structures that guide and support the rapid evolution of academic medicine and medical sciences. The authors are two behavioral and social science professionals who serve as academic administrators in academic medical centers. They outline their career development and describe the many ways activities have been shaped by their work with the Association of American Medical Colleges. Behavioral and social science professionals are encouraged to become change agents in the ongoing transformation of academic medicine.

Positive academic emotions moderate the relationship between self-regulation and academic achievement.

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Villavicencio, Felicidad T; Bernardo, Allan B I

2013-06-01

Research has shown how academic emotions are related to achievement and to cognitive/motivational variables that promote achievement. Mediated models have been proposed to account for the relationships among academic emotions, cognitive/motivational variables, and achievement, and research has supported such mediated models, particularly with negative emotions. The study tested the hypotheses: (1) self-regulation and the positive academic emotions of enjoyment and pride are positive predictors of achievement; and (2) enjoyment and pride both moderate the relationship between self-regulation and achievement. Participants were 1,345 students enrolled in various trigonometry classes in one university. Participants answered the Academic Emotions Questionnaire-Math (Pekrun, Goetz, & Frenzel, 2005) and a self-regulation scale (Pintrich, Smith, Garcia, & McKeachie, 1991) halfway through their trigonometry class. The students' final grades in the course were regressed to self-regulation, positive emotions, and the interaction terms to test the moderation effects. Enjoyment and pride were both positive predictors of grades; more importantly, both moderated the relationship between self-regulation and grades. For students who report higher levels of both positive emotions, self-regulation was positively associated with grades. However, for those who report lower levels of pride, self-regulation was not related to grades; and, for those who reported lower levels of enjoyment, self-regulation was negatively related to grades. The results are discussed in terms of how positive emotions indicate positive appraisals of task/outcome value, and thus enhance the positive links between cognitive/motivational variables and learning. ©2012 The British Psychological Society.

Epidemiological studies of amphistome infections in cattle in the highveld and lowveld communal grazing areas of Zimbabwe

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D.M. Pfukenyi

2005-09-01

Full Text Available During the period between January 1999 and December 2000, the distribution and seasonal patterns of amphistome infections in cattle in the highveld and lowveld communal grazing areas of Zimbabwe were determined through monthly coprological examination. Cattle faecal samples were collected from 12 and nine dipping sites in the highveld and lowveld communal grazing areas, respectively. Patterns of distribution and seasonal fluctuations of intermediate host-snail populations and the climatic factors influencing the distribution were also determined by sampling at monthly intervals for a period of 24 months (November 1998 to October 2000 in six dams and six streams in the highveld and in nine dams in the lowveld communal grazing areas. Each site was sampled for relative snail density and the vegetation cover and type, physical and chemical properties of water, and mean monthly rainfall and temperature were recorded. Aquatic vegetation and grass samples 0-1 m from the edges of the snail habitats were collected monthly to determine the presence or absence of amphistome metacercariae. Snails collected at the same time were individually checked for the emergence of larval stages of amphistomes. A total of 16 264 (calves 5 418, weaners 5 461 and adults 5 385 faecal samples were collected during the entire period of the study and 4 790 (29.5 % of the samples were positive for amphistome eggs. For both regions the number of animals positive for amphistome eggs differed significantly between the 2 years, with the second year having a significantly higher prevalence (P < 0.01 than the first year. Significantly higher prevalences were found in the highveld compared to the lowveld (P < 0.001, for adult cattle than calves (P < 0.01, and in the wet over the dry season (P < 0.01. Faecal egg output peaked from October to March in both years of the study. Bulinus tropicus, Bulinus forskalii and Biomphalaria pfeifferi were recorded from the study sites. The main

Leadership Styles of New Ireland High School Administrators: A Papua New Guinea Study

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Tivinarlik, Alfred; Wanat, Carolyn L.

2006-01-01

This yearlong ethnographic study of principals' leadership in Papua New Guinea high schools describes influences of imposing a bureaucratic school organization on principals' decision making in a communal society. Communal values of kinship relationships, "wantok" system, and "big men" leadership challenged principals'…

Academic capitalism and academic culture: A case study.

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Pilar Mendoza

2008-12-01

Full Text Available This case study investigated the impact of academic capitalism on academic culture by examining the perspectives of faculty members in an American academic department with significant industrial funding. The results of this study indicate that faculty members believe that the broad integrity of the academic culture remains unaffected in this department and they consider industrial sponsorship as a highly effective vehicle for enhancing the quality of education of students and pursuing their scientific interests. This study provides valuable insights to federal and institutional policiescreated to foster industry-academia partnerships and commercialization of academic research.

Development of Confucian Value Scale for Vietnamese Gifted Adolescents

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Nguyen, Thi Minh Phuong; Jin, Putai; Gross, Miraca

2010-01-01

The heritage of Confucianism has been immensely spread in East Asian countries, including Vietnam. This philosophy has been transferred from preceding generations and has influenced the Vietnamese way of life, especially the love for learning. Vietnamese gifted adolescents are part of the philosophically Confucian affected communal. This study…

The Value of a Brief Thought for the Day Reflection on an Academic Consult Service.

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O'Neil, Thomas; Lyndale, Patricia; Szakatis, Kathryn; Fitzgerald, Tom

2017-11-01

Work in hospice and palliative medicine can be stressful. A variety of methods have been used to mitigate workplace stress including mindfulness mediation, reflective writing, and physical activity. An intervention implemented at our institution is a "Thought for the Day," a short reflection on a piece of poetry, music, or religious writing. Although this practice may be commonplace in the field of hospice and palliative medicine, no literature has been published about its perceived utility by team members with various competing demands on their time. This study's objective was to obtain a better understanding about the perception and utility of a Thought for the Day held by clinicians rounding on an academic palliative medicine consult service. A survey, containing qualitative and quantitative elements was sent to faculty, staff, and learners who participated in a Thought for the Day over the 18 months between March 2013 and October 2014. Twenty-eight responses were returned and analyzed. Most participants (23 of the 28) felt that the Thought for the Day was an important use of their time on the academic consult service. Differences were seen by gender and team role. Additionally, it was reported that the Thought for the Day improved the participants' perception of teamwork. The use of a Thought for the Day reflection may be beneficial and constructive even for a busy academic consult service.

Academic Motivations and Academic Self-Efficacy of Nursing Students

OpenAIRE

Gamze Sarikoc

2017-01-01

Aim: Academic motivation and academic self-efficacy play important roles in the learning process. They increase academic achievement and the attainment of educational goals, thus providing opportunities in the training of qualified nurses. This study was conducted to determine nursing students%u2019 academic motivation and academic self-efficacy levels. Material and Method: This is a descriptive study. A total of 346 students who are attending a nursing school as either a first, second, third...

How Do Academically Successful Pasifika Students Perceive Task Value?

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Tait, Kirstin; Horsley, Jenny; Tait, Carolyn

2016-01-01

Pasifika students are a minority group in New Zealand education who are at risk of underachievement. This article examines how five high achieving Pasifika students reported the factors that contribute to the task value of the New Zealand Qualifications Authority (NZQA) Scholarship. It uses expectancy value theory to consider motivation through…

The extent of anthelmintic Resistance on Nematodes in communally grazed sheep and goats in a Semi-Arid area of North-west Province (RSA) / Tebogo Stanely Ramotshwane

OpenAIRE

Ramotshwane, Tebogo Stanely

2011-01-01

A survey was conducted to investigate the occurrence of anthelmintic resistance of nematodes in communally grazed sheep and goat herds in the Zeerust area of the North-West Province, Republic of South Africa. The fecal egg count reduction test (FECR%) tests were used to assess the sheep and goat small holder farmers. Efficacy of albendazole, ivermectin and closantel was done on both the treatment and control animals. Anthelmintic efficacy of 80% was considered a threshold for ...

Benchmarking Academic Anatomic Pathologists: The Association of Pathology Chairs Survey.

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Ducatman, Barbara S; Parslow, Tristram

2016-01-01

The most common benchmarks for faculty productivity are derived from Medical Group Management Association (MGMA) or Vizient-AAMC Faculty Practice Solutions Center ® (FPSC) databases. The Association of Pathology Chairs has also collected similar survey data for several years. We examined the Association of Pathology Chairs annual faculty productivity data and compared it with MGMA and FPSC data to understand the value, inherent flaws, and limitations of benchmarking data. We hypothesized that the variability in calculated faculty productivity is due to the type of practice model and clinical effort allocation. Data from the Association of Pathology Chairs survey on 629 surgical pathologists and/or anatomic pathologists from 51 programs were analyzed. From review of service assignments, we were able to assign each pathologist to a specific practice model: general anatomic pathologists/surgical pathologists, 1 or more subspecialties, or a hybrid of the 2 models. There were statistically significant differences among academic ranks and practice types. When we analyzed our data using each organization's methods, the median results for the anatomic pathologists/surgical pathologists general practice model compared to MGMA and FPSC results for anatomic and/or surgical pathology were quite close. Both MGMA and FPSC data exclude a significant proportion of academic pathologists with clinical duties. We used the more inclusive FPSC definition of clinical "full-time faculty" (0.60 clinical full-time equivalent and above). The correlation between clinical full-time equivalent effort allocation, annual days on service, and annual work relative value unit productivity was poor. This study demonstrates that effort allocations are variable across academic departments of pathology and do not correlate well with either work relative value unit effort or reported days on service. Although the Association of Pathology Chairs-reported median work relative value unit productivity

The Role of School Principals in Shaping Children's Values.

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Berson, Yair; Oreg, Shaul

2016-12-01

Instilling values in children is among the cornerstones of every society. There is wide agreement that beyond academic teaching, schools play an important role in shaping schoolchildren's character, imparting in them values such as curiosity, achievement, benevolence, and citizenship. Despite the importance of this topic, we know very little about whether and how schools affect children's values. In this large-scale longitudinal study, we examined school principals' roles in the development of children's values. We hypothesized that relationships exist between principals' values and changes in children's values through the mediating effect of the school climate. To test our predictions, we collected data from 252 school principals, 3,658 teachers, and 49,401 schoolchildren. A multilevel structural-equation-modeling analysis yielded overall support for our hypotheses. These findings contribute to understanding the development of children's values and the far-reaching impact of leaders' values. They also demonstrate effects of schools on children beyond those on academic achievement.

Productive procrastination: academic procrastination style predicts academic and alcohol outcomes

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Westgate, Erin C.; Wormington, Stephanie V.; Oleson, Kathryn C.; Lindgren, Kristen P.

2017-01-01

Productive procrastination replaces one adaptive behavior with another adaptive—albeit less important—behavior (e.g., organizing notes instead of studying for an exam). We identified adaptive and maladaptive procrastination styles associated with academic and alcohol outcomes in 1106 college undergraduates. Cluster analysis identified five academic procrastination styles—non-procrastinators, academic productive procrastinators, non-academic productive procrastinators, non-academic procrastinators, and classic procrastinators. Procrastination style differentially predicted alcohol-related problems, cravings, risk of alcohol use disorders, and GPA (all ps procrastination and academic productive procrastination were most adaptive overall; non-academic productive procrastination, non-academic procrastination, and classic procrastination were least adaptive. Productive procrastination differed from other procrastination strategies, and maladaptive procrastination styles may be a useful risk indicator for preventative and intervention efforts. PMID:28804158

Productive procrastination: academic procrastination style predicts academic and alcohol outcomes.

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Westgate, Erin C; Wormington, Stephanie V; Oleson, Kathryn C; Lindgren, Kristen P

2017-03-01

Productive procrastination replaces one adaptive behavior with another adaptive-albeit less important-behavior (e.g., organizing notes instead of studying for an exam). We identified adaptive and maladaptive procrastination styles associated with academic and alcohol outcomes in 1106 college undergraduates. Cluster analysis identified five academic procrastination styles- non-procrastinators , academic productive procrastinators , non-academic productive procrastinators, non-academic procrastinators , and classic procrastinators . Procrastination style differentially predicted alcohol-related problems, cravings, risk of alcohol use disorders, and GPA (all ps procrastination and academic productive procrastination were most adaptive overall; non-academic productive procrastination, non-academic procrastination, and classic procrastination were least adaptive. Productive procrastination differed from other procrastination strategies, and maladaptive procrastination styles may be a useful risk indicator for preventative and intervention efforts.

Academic Hospitality

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Phipps, Alison; Barnett, Ronald

2007-01-01

Academic hospitality is a feature of academic life. It takes many forms. It takes material form in the hosting of academics giving papers. It takes epistemological form in the welcome of new ideas. It takes linguistic form in the translation of academic work into other languages, and it takes touristic form through the welcome and generosity with…

Value of College Education Mediating the Predictive Effects of Causal Attributions on Academic Success

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Dong, Ying; Stupnisky, Robert H.; Obade, Masela; Gerszewski, Tammy; Ruthig, Joelle C.

2015-01-01

Causal attributions (explanations for outcomes) have been found to predict college students' academic success; however, not all students attributing success or failure to adaptive (i.e., controllable) causes perform well in university. Eccles et al.'s ("Achievement and achievement motives." W.H. Freeman, San Francisco, pp 75-145, 1983)…

Passion for Academics and Problematic Health Behaviors.

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Bureau, Alexander T; Razon, Selen; Saville, Bryan K; Tokac, Umit; Judge, Lawrence W

2017-01-01

According to the Dualistic Model of Passion (39), passion entails valuing, liking, and spending time on an activity. The Dualistic Model also posits two types of passion for activities: harmonious passion (individual voluntarily engages in the activity) and obsessive passion (individual is compelled to engage in the activity). The purpose of the present study was to examine the possible links between college students' passion for academic activities and problematic health behaviors including smoking, excessive drinking, exercise addiction, disordered eating, and sleepiness, which is a possible indicator of sleep deprivation. Participants (n = 502) completed a survey gauging passion type and health behaviors. Regression analyses revealed obsessive passion for academic activities was positively associated with scores on measures of excessive drinking (β = .15, p= .008), exercise addiction (β = .19, ppassion for academic activities, in contrast, was negatively associated with excessive drinking behavior (β = -.16, p = .002) and sleep deprivation (β = -.13, p = .007) but was not associated with exercise addiction (β = .002, p = .97) and disordered eating (β = -.04, p = .37). These findings provide further support for the Dualistic Model of Passion. Students who are obsessively passionate about their academic activities are more likely to engage in poor health behaviors and, in turn, may experience greater negative outcomes than students who are harmoniously passionate about their academics.

Human Value, Dignity, and the Presence of Others.

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Hernandez, Jill Graper

2015-09-01

In the health care professions, the meaning of--and implications for--'dignity' and 'value' are progressively more important, as scholars and practitioners increasingly have to make value judgments when making care decisions. This paper looks at the various arguments for competing sources of human value that medical professionals can consider--human rights, autonomy, and a higher-order moral value--and settles upon a foundational model that is related to (though distinct from) the Kantian model that is popular within the medical community: human value is foundational; human dignity, autonomy, and rights derive from the relational quality of human dignity. Moral dignity is expressed though the relationships we cultivate, the communal ends we pursue, and the rights we enjoy. Correlatively, human dignity is inseparable from its ground (i.e., morality), and the relationship between these two is best represented for Kant in the humanities formulation. The foundational model of dignity ensures that human value is non-circularly derived, but is ultimately tied to expressions of individual human dignity that comes from the dignity of morality. Linking Kant's dignity of humanity to the dignity of morality affords a unique and efficacious response to the discussion of human value. In one sense, dignity is amplificatory, since its worth is inextricable with that of autonomy and the rights afforded to the autonomous. But that isn't to say that the worth of dignity is merely amplificatory. Rather, human dignity indicates the absolute inner value (MM 6:435) found in each individual in virtue of being human (MM 6:435, 462). That inner worth engenders certain universal rights--derivable from the dignity and fundamental rational appeal of morality--just as it provides for the possibility for a community of beings to seek to live the moral life.

Academic Self-Perception and Its Relationship to Academic Performance

Science.gov (United States)

Stringer, Ronald W.; Heath, Nancy

2008-01-01

One hundred and fifty-five students (average age, 10 years 7 months) were initially tested on reading, arithmetic, and academic self-perception. One year later they were tested again. Initial academic scores accounted for a large proportion of the variance in later academic scores. The children's self-perceptions of academic competence accounted…

Building Brand Love and Gaining the Advocacy You Crave by Communicating Your Library's Value

Science.gov (United States)

Albert, Amanda B.

2017-01-01

Five years ago the Association of College and Research Libraries published "The Value of Academic Libraries" report, spurring academic libraries to action concerning assessment. Communicating library value is especially important when reaching distance learning populations outside the walls of the library. By employing marketing and…

Personal factors that influence deaf college students' academic success.

Science.gov (United States)

Albertini, John A; Kelly, Ronald R; Matchett, Mary Karol

2012-01-01

Research tells us that academic preparation is key to deaf students' success at college. Yet, that is not the whole story. Many academically prepared students drop out during their first year. This study identified entering deaf college students' personal factors as assessed by their individual responses to both the Noel-Levitz College Student Inventory Form B and the Learning and Study Strategies Inventory, second edition (LASSI). Entering students in 3 successive cohorts (total n =437) participated in this study. Results show that in addition to entry measurements of reading and mathematic skills, personal factors contributed to the academic performance of students in their first quarter in college. The Noel-Levitz provided the comparatively better predictive value of academic performance: Motivation for Academic Study Scale (e.g., desire to finish college). The LASSI also showed statistically significant predictors, the Self-Regulation Component (e.g., time management) and Will Component (e.g., self-discipline), but accounted for relatively less variability in the students' initial grade point averages. For this group of underprepared students, results show that personal factors can play a significant role in academic success. Deaf students' personal factors are discussed as they relate to other first-year college students and to their subsequent academic performance and persistence.

Value System and Standard of Education in Nigerian Third ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Nekky Umera

student's value orientation and his academic achievement. The variability in ... instruction. These include moral/spiritual values, dignity of human ..... Practices in the Universities Sains Malaysia (USM), Malaysia.” ... Economy and Management.

Academic Training: Academic Training Lectures-Questionnaire

CERN Multimedia

2004-01-01

ACADEMIC TRAINING Françoise Benz tel. 73127 academic.training@cern.ch SUGGEST AND WIN! Its time to plan the 2004-2005 lecture series. From today until March 19 you have the chance to give your contribution to planning for next year's Academic Training Lecture Series. At the web site: http://cern.ch/Academic.Training/questionnaire you will find questionnaires proposing topics in high energy physics, applied physics and science and society. Answering the questionnaire will help ensure that the selected topics are as close as possible to your interests. In particular requests and comments from students will be much appreciated. To encourage your contribution, the AT Committee will reward one lucky winner with a small prize, a 50 CHF coupon for a book purchase at the CERN bookshop.

assessing the relevance of academic research productivity in ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

DGS-FUTO

2018-06-01

Jun 1, 2018 ... research process relevant to their future development. ... value the opportunity to work with academics in a one- to- one relationship while ... professional researchers that are publicized in scholarly journals are perceived to be.

Epidemiological studies of parasitic gastrointestinal nematodes, cestodes and coccidia infections in cattle in the highveld and lowveld communal grazing areas of Zimbabwe

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D.M. Pfukenyi

2007-09-01

Full Text Available Between January 1999 and December 2000 faecal samples from 16 264 cattle at 12 dipping sites in the highveld and nine in the lowveld communal grazing areas of Zimbabwe were examined for gastrointestinal (GI nematode and cestodes eggs, and coccidia oocysts. Strongyle larvae were identified following culture of pooled faecal samples collected at monthly intervals. The effects of region, age, sex and season on the prevalence of GI nematodes, cestodes and coccidia were determined. Faecal egg and oocyst counts showed an overall prevalence of GI nematodes of 43 %, coccidia 19.8 % and cestodes 4.8 %. A significantly higher prevalence of infection with GI nematodes, cestodes and coccidia was recorded in calves (P < 0.01 than in adults. Pregnant and lactating cows had significantly higher prevalences than bulls, oxen and non-lactating (dry cows (P < 0.01. The general trend of eggs per gram (epg of faeces and oocysts per gram (opg of faeces was associated with the rainfall pattern in the two regions, with high epg and opg being recorded during the wet months. The most prevalent genera of GI nematodes were Cooperia, Haemonchus and Trichostrongylus in that order. Strongyloides papillosus was found exclusively in calves. Haemonchus was significantly more prevalent during the wet season than the dry season (P < 0.01. In contrast, Trichostrongylus was present in significantly (P < 0.01 higher numbers during the dry months than the wet months, while Cooperia and Oesophagostomum revealed no significant differences between the wet and dry season. These findings are discussed with reference to their relevance for strategic control of GI parasites in cattle in communal grazing areas of Zimbabwe.

The Effect of Self-Monitoring on Academics?

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Tartari, Valentina

characteristics. For high-status researchers who have already achieved high levels of visibility outside academia, the influence of their self-monitoring score is less pronounced. This applies also to academics who are extrinsically motivated in their jobs and who value tangible benefits. Individuals who operate...

Education for sustainability through academic freedom | Ekwueme ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Past researches are of the opinion that education for sustainable development and academic freedom could assist in solving these ethical menaces. Education for sustainable development allows every human being to acquire knowledge, skills, attitudes and values necessary to shape a sustainable future to make ...

Orientating eco-efficiency analysis. A tool for strategy assessment in communal waste management; Orientierende Oekoeffizienzanalyse. Ein Instrument zur Strategiebewertung in der kommunalen Abfallwirtschaft

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Woebbeking, Karl H.; Davis, Jennifer [Fachhochschule Mainz - Univ. of Applied Sciences (Germany). Forschungsgruppe Kommunal-/Umweltwirtschaft

2012-11-01

The model project is to provide a practicable controlling tool for communal waste management utilities which will enable them to reassess their strategies with regard to their economic and ecological goals. As a result of this orientating eco-efficiency analysis, an eco-efficiency portfolio is obtained which shows the interdependences of cost and environmental effects. (orig.) [German] Unser Modellprojekt hat zum Ziel, kommunalen Abfallwirtschaftsbetrieben ein praktikables Controllinginstrument zur Verfuegung zu stellen, mit dem sie ihre strategische Ausrichtung hinsichtlich oekonomischer und oekologischer Zielerreichung pruefen koennen. Ergebnis unserer orientierenden Oekoffizienzanalyse is ein Oekoeffizienzportfolio, in dem die wechselseitigen Abhaengigkeiten von Kosten und Umweltwirkungen dargestellt werden. (orig.)

Academic interventions for academic procrastination: A review of the literature.

Science.gov (United States)

Zacks, Shlomo; Hen, Meirav

2018-01-01

Procrastination is a widespread phenomenon in academic settings. It has been studied from many different theoretical angles, and a variety of causes and consequences have been suggested. Recent studies support the notion that academic procrastination can be seen from a situational perspective and as a failure in learning self-regulation. It suggests that interventions should address situational as well as deficits in self-regulation to help students overcome their procrastinating tendencies. The present review examined the recent literature on causes and consequences of academic procrastination and the limited number of studies of academic interventions for academic procrastination. Findings of this review strengthen the need to further study the topic of academic interventions for academic procrastination and to develop effective interventions. At the end of this review, several suggestions for the development of academic interventions are outlined.

Academic procrastination and academic performance: An initial basis for intervention.

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Goroshit, Marina

2018-01-01

Academic procrastination is a prevalent phenomenon with a range of negative outcomes. Many studies focused on causes and correlates of academic procrastination; however, the study of interventions for academic procrastination is scarce. The present study is an initial effort to study the relationship between academic procrastination, online course participation, and achievement, as a basis for developing an intervention for academic procrastination. Findings indicated that studying procrastination was negatively associated with final exam grade as well as with the three online course participation measures. Final exam grade was positively associated with two of the online course participation measures, and they positively correlated with each other. In addition, results indicated that studying procrastination, in combination with online course participation measures, explained about 50% of variance in final exam's grade. Frequency of activities in course Web site had the strongest positive effect on final exam's grade. These findings strengthen the notion that studying procrastination is an impediment to students' academic performance and outcomes and clarifies the need to develop and study academic interventions for academic procrastination as a means to decrease its prevalence in academic settings.

Psychometric Features of a Scale for Characterizing Motivation for Academic Reading

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Carla Muñoz Valenzuela

2012-11-01

Full Text Available The competencies associated with academic reading, especially the motivational aspects, are essential to undergraduate students’ academic success. Motivation is an emerging issue that has given rise to many studies, yet motivation for academic reading remains a subject rarely addressed or studied. To effectively support the learning process, a diagnostic that is capable of providing precise, valid and reliable information on the motivational aspects of reading in an academic context is necessary. This article presents the results of the process of construction and validation of the Motivation Scale for Academic Reading (EMLA-acronym in Spanish, which was based on the Expectancy & Value model of Jacqueline Eccles and Allan Wigfield (2002, hereinafter EyV. This instrument provides clues for motivational intervention to incentivize reading in an academic context. Likewise, we also report on the structure of the instrument, its theoretical foundations, its factor structure and reliability—psychometric characteristics that make EMLA a solid, valid and reliable instrument.

Schooling Background and Academic Academic Achievement of Agricultural Students

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N. Jayakumar

2016-05-01

Full Text Available In our society academic achievement is considered as a key criterion to judge one’s total potentiality and capability. Academic achievement is seen as a students’ grade point averages in many academic settings. Academic achievement has become an index of students’ future in this highly competitive world and Agricultural education is no exception.  Hence it becomes necessary to find out the factors that determine better academic performance. In this context the present study had been carried out to find out the possible relationship between schooling background and academic achievement of agriculture students. The students admitted in Adhiparasakthi Agricultural College, Kalavai, Vellore between 1999 and 2009 formed the subjects of the study. Findings of the study revealed that determinants like gender, type of school and stream of education had a significant role in the academic achievement of the students. Medium of instruction in HSC did influence the academic achievement but not significantly. It was also found that students who performed well in their HSC did perform well in their undergraduate programme also. This confirms that previous educational outcomes are the most important indicators of student’s future achievement and schooling background has a significant role in academic achievement of students.

Professional Values Among Female Nursing Students in Saudi Arabia.

Science.gov (United States)

Allari, Rabia S; Ismaile, Samantha; Househ, Mowafa

2017-01-01

Professional values are essential to nursing practice because they guide standards for working, provide a structure for evaluating behavior, and influence decisions making. The purpose of this study is to explore the perception of Saudi female nursing students on professional values and to assess the correlation between their perception of professional values in relation to their year of academic studies. We used a cross-sectional descriptive study where a survey was administered to 150 Saudi female nurses living in Riyadh. Results show that Saudi female nurses have a high perception of professional values relating to confidentiality, privacy, moral and legal rights, health and safety, and the work environment. Whereas Saudi nursing students have a low perception for participating in professional nursing activities, utilizing research in practice, peer review, public policy, and engaging in on-going self-evaluation. There was positive correlation between different professional values and academic years. The highest correlations were for the items related to caring and trust more than activism because nursing students at higher academic levels viewed the relationship with patients as more important than advancing health care systems through public policy, research, and professional organizations. In conclusion, nursing program administrators should put emphasis on improving the development of professional values through a role modeling approach to promote activism and professional values through the arrangement of meetings, exchange forums, and conferences with other nurses, managers, policy makers, innovators, and researchers within the nursing field.

Why Do Academics Use Academic Social Networking Sites?

Science.gov (United States)

Meishar-Tal, Hagit; Pieterse, Efrat

2017-01-01

Academic social-networking sites (ASNS) such as Academia.edu and ResearchGate are becoming very popular among academics. These sites allow uploading academic articles, abstracts, and links to published articles; track demand for published articles, and engage in professional interaction. This study investigates the nature of the use and the…

Generational Patterns in Mexican Americans' Academic Performance in an Unwelcoming Political Context

Science.gov (United States)

Moosmann, Danyel A. V.; Roosa, Mark W.; Knight, George P.

2014-01-01

Research has shown that immigrant students often do better academically than their U.S.-born peers from the same ethnic group but it is unclear whether this pattern holds for Mexican Americans. We examined the academic performance of four generations of Mexican American students from fifth to 10th grade looking for generation differences and explanations for them. Using data from 749 families, we tested a model with fifth grade variables that differed by generation as potential mediators linking student generation to 10th grade academic performance. Results showed that immigrants were academically behind at fifth grade but caught up by seventh. Only economic hardship mediated the long term relationship between student generation and 10th grade academic performance; maternal educational expectations and child language hassles, English usage, discrimination, and mainstream values helped explained the early academic deficit of immigrant children. The results identified potential targets for interventions to improve Mexican American students' academic performance. PMID:24578588

Identification with Academics, Intrinsic/Extrinsic Motivation, and Self-Efficacy as Predictors of Cognitive Engagement

Science.gov (United States)

Walker, Christopher O.; Greene, Barbara A.; Mansell, Robert A.

2006-01-01

Examined were several theoretically important relations among motivational characteristics of students that are malleable, or changeable with intervention. The motivational construct identification with academics, which includes perceptions of belonging and valuing within an academic context, was investigated along with intrinsic/extrinsic…

POSITIVE EDUCATION: EDUCATING FOR ACADEMIC SUCCESS AND FOR A FULFILLING LIFE

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Alejandro Adler

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Traditional education has focused on teaching individuals the tools to succeed academically and professionally, and students’ progress has been measured according to their performance within this limited paradigm of success. Various decades of rigorous international research have shown that skills exist for building the elements of well-being, and that these can be taught and learned. Furthermore, these skills should be taught, since well-being has both intrinsic value (human beings innately desire well-being as well as instrumental value (well-being generates desirable life outcomes, including physical health, professional and academic success, better relationships with others, less violence and drug consumption, among others. Based on the most rigorous scientific research, positive education teaches the skills and knowledge that individuals need to have successful academic and professional lives, as well as to flourish as human beings and live a fulfilling life.

The Role of Academic Self-Efficacy as a Mediator Variable between Perceived Academic Climate and Academic Performance

Science.gov (United States)

Abd-Elmotaleb, Moustafa; Saha, Sudhir K.

2013-01-01

This study examines the mediating influence of academic self-efficacy on the link between perceived academic climate and academic performance among university students. The participants in the study consist of 272 undergraduate students at the University of Assiut, Assiut, Egypt. A scale to measure perceived academic climate, was developed. To…

Epidemiological studies of Fasciola gigantica infections in cattle in the highveld and lowveld communal grazing areas of Zimbabwe

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D.M. Pfukenyi

2006-09-01

Full Text Available During the period between January 1999 and December 2000, the distribution and seasonal patterns of Fasciola gigantica infections in cattle in the highveld and lowveld communal grazing areas of Zimbabwe were determined through monthly coprological examination. Cattle faecal samples were collected from 12 and nine dipping sites in the highveld and lowveld communal grazing areas respectively. Patterns of distribution and seasonal fluctuations of the intermediate host-snail populations and the climatic factors influencing the distribution were also determined by sampling at monthly intervals for a period of 24 months (November 1998 to October 2000 in six dams and six streams in the highveld and in nine dams in the lowveld communal grazing areas. Each site was sampled for relative snail density and the vegetation cover and type, physical and chemical properties of water, and mean monthly rainfall and temperature were recorded. Aquatic vegetation and grass samples 0-1 m from the edges of the snail habitats were collected monthly to determine the presence or absence of F. gigantica metacercariae. Snails collected at the same time were individually checked for the emergence of larval stages of F. gigantica. A total of 16 264 (calves 5 418; weaners 5 461 and adults 5 385 faecal samples were collected during the entire period of the study and 2 500 (15.4 % of the samples were positive for F. gigantica eggs. Significantly higher prevalences were found in the highveld compared to the lowveld (P < 0.001, for adult cattle than calves ( P < 0.01 and in the wet season over the dry season (P < 0.01. Faecal egg output peaked from August / September to March / April for both years of the study. Lymnaea natalensis, the snail intermediate host of F. gigantica was recorded from the study sites with the highveld having a significantly higher abundance of the snail species than the lowveld (P < 0.01. The snail population was low between December and March and started

University Students' Satisfaction with their Academic Studies: Personality and Motivation Matter.

Science.gov (United States)

Wach, F-Sophie; Karbach, Julia; Ruffing, Stephanie; Brünken, Roland; Spinath, Frank M

2016-01-01

Although there is consensus about the importance of students' satisfaction with their academic studies as one facet of academic success, little is known about the determinants of this significant outcome variable. Past research rarely investigated the predictive power of multiple predictors simultaneously. Hence, we examined how demographic variables, personality, cognitive and achievement-related variables (intelligence, academic achievement), as well as various motivational constructs were associated with three different dimensions of satisfaction (satisfaction with study content, satisfaction with the conditions of the academic program, satisfaction with the ability to cope with academic stress) assessed approximately 2 years apart. Analyzing data of a sample of university students (N = 620; M age = 20.77; SD age = 3.22) using structural equation modeling, our results underline the significance of personality and motivational variables: Neuroticism predicted satisfaction with academic studies, but its relevance varied between outcome dimensions. Regarding the predictive validity of motivational variables, the initial motivation for enrolling in a particular major was correlated with two dimensions of subsequent satisfaction with academic studies. In contrast, the predictive value of cognitive and achievement-related variables was relatively low, with academic achievement only related to satisfaction with the conditions of the academic program after controlling for the prior satisfaction level.

Academic Satisfaction Level and Academic Achievement among Students at Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences: Academic Year 2015-2016

OpenAIRE

Khadijeh Jamshidi; Babak Mohammadi; Zahra Mohammadi; Mohammad Karimi Parviz; Roghayeh Poursaberi; Mohammad Mehdi Mohammadi

2017-01-01

Background: Academic satisfaction is considered one of the most important factors affecting academic achievement among students. The purpose of the present study was to determine the relationship between academic satisfaction and academic achievement among students at Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences in Iran. Methods: The present cross-sectional study was conducted with 346 student participants using stratified random sampling. The research instrument included the Student Academic Sa...

Ways of giving benefits in marriage: norm use, relationship satisfaction, and attachment-related variability.

Science.gov (United States)

Clark, Margaret S; Lemay, Edward P; Graham, Steven M; Pataki, Sherri P; Finkel, Eli J

2010-07-01

Couples reported on bases for giving support and on relationship satisfaction just prior to and approximately 2 years into marriage. Overall, a need-based, noncontingent (communal) norm was seen as ideal and was followed, and greater use of this norm was linked to higher relationship satisfaction. An exchange norm was seen as not ideal and was followed significantly less frequently than was a communal norm; by 2 years into marriage, greater use of an exchange norm was linked with lower satisfaction. Insecure attachment predicted greater adherence to an exchange norm. Idealization of and adherence to a communal norm dropped slightly across time. As idealization of a communal norm and own use and partner use of a communal norm decreased, people high in avoidance increased their use of an exchange norm, whereas people low in avoidance decreased their use of an exchange norm. Anxious individuals evidenced tighter links between norm use and marital satisfaction relative to nonanxious individuals. Overall, a picture of people valuing a communal norm and striving toward adherence to a communal norm emerged, with secure individuals doing so with more success and equanimity across time than insecure individuals.

Predicting problem behaviors with multiple expectancies: expanding expectancy-value theory.

Science.gov (United States)

Borders, Ashley; Earleywine, Mitchell; Huey, Stanley J

2004-01-01

Expectancy-value theory emphasizes the importance of outcome expectancies for behavioral decisions, but most tests of the theory focus on a single behavior and a single expectancy. However, the matching law suggests that individuals consider expected outcomes for both the target behavior and alternative behaviors when making decisions. In this study, we expanded expectancy-value theory to evaluate the contributions of two competing expectancies to adolescent behavior problems. One hundred twenty-one high school students completed measures of behavior problems, expectancies for both acting out and academic effort, and perceived academic competence. Students' self-reported behavior problems covaried mostly with perceived competence and academic expectancies and only nominally with problem behavior expectancies. We suggest that behavior problems may result from students perceiving a lack of valued or feasible alternative behaviors, such as studying. We discuss implications for interventions and suggest that future research continue to investigate the contribution of alternative expectancies to behavioral decisions.

Correlation among academic stress, academic burnout, and academic performance in nursing and paramedic students of Qom University of Medical Sciences, Iran

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hamid Asayesh

2016-09-01

Full Text Available Background and Objectives: Learning is a stressful experience of human life; reduced adaption to stressors causes academic burnout which is a reason for academic failure among students. This study investigated the correlation among academic stress, academic burnout, and academic performance in nursing and paramedic students of Qom University of Medical Sciences. Methods: In this descriptive, cross-sectional study, 264 nursing and paramedic students were randomly selected. Demographic characteristics checklist, academic burnout questionnaire, and academic stress scale were used to gather data, and grade point average was considered to be the indicator of academic performance. Linear regression analysis was used to analyze the data. The level of significance was considered to be p<0.05. Results: The mean score for students' academic burnout was 28.52±15.84. Univariate regression analysis showed that the students' employment, years of education, academic performance, and all academic stress subscales had a significant correlation with academic burnout. According to multivariate regression analysis, having a field of study-related occupation was a protective factor and academic stress a risk factor for academic burnout. Conclusion: The findings of this study showed that a large proportion of students experienced academic burnout, and students with higher levels of stress experienced more severe academic burnout and had poorer performance. Therefore, training ways to cope with stress can cause reduction in academic burnout and improvement of performance.

[The relationship between academic self-efficacy and academic burnout in medical students].

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Su Hyun; Jeon, Woo Taek

2015-03-01

The purpose of this study was to examine the correlation between academic burnout and academic self-efficacy in medical students. The study group comprised 446 students in years 1 to 4 of medical school. They were asked to rate their academic burnout and academic self-efficacy on a scale. The data were analyzed by multivariate analysis of variance and regression analysis. Academic self-efficacy was correlated negatively with academic burnout explaining 37% of academic burnout. Academic self-efficacy (especially self-confidence) had the greatest effect on academic burnout. The implications of these results are discussed in terms of an evaluation and support system for students.

Among nurses, how does education level impact professional values? A systematic review.

Science.gov (United States)

Sibandze, B T; Scafide, K N

2018-03-01

Professional nursing values have been acknowledged globally as the foundation of daily nursing care practice. Understanding how nurses identify, comprehend and apply their professional nursing values is an important step towards improving nursing practice and patient care quality. Research has demonstrated that nurses' professional values are cultivated during prelicensure academic education. The aim of this systematic review was to determine how level of education affects professional nursing values of clinical practising nurses. A systematic search of quantitative research published through December 2015 was performed in the following five electronic databases: CINAHL, Cochrane Library, MEDLINE, Web of Science and Religion and Philosophy Collection. The search was not limited to country of origin. The studies were assessed for methodological quality using established criteria. Of 1501 articles identified through the literature search, only seven studies met the inclusion criteria with the majority being of good to high quality. Most of the studies found registered nurses pursuing a bachelor of science in nursing or higher had a greater awareness and application of professional values than nurses with lower levels of academic or non-academic education. Nurses with higher education also embraced professional values as fundamental for quality nursing care practice. Health and academic institutions should support nurses through quality continuing and higher education that reinforces professional values, thus improving the quality of patient care. The level of nurses' education appears to play an important role in developing both an awareness and an integration of professional values into practice. More research is needed to discover methods that may be used to promote nurses' professional values among nurses already practising clinically. © 2017 International Council of Nurses.

Academic writing

Science.gov (United States)

Eremina, Svetlana V.

2003-10-01

The series of workshops on academic writing have been developed by academic writing instructors from Language Teaching Centre, Central European University and presented at the Samara Academic Writing Workshops in November 2001. This paper presents only the part dealing with strucutre of an argumentative essay.

Gender Differences in the Relationship between Academic Procrastination, Satisfaction with Academic Life and Academic Performance

Science.gov (United States)

Balkis, Murat; Duru, Erdinç

2017-01-01

Introduction: Procrastination has become one of the most researched topics due its adverse effects on the both general and student population in social sciences. The general tendency toward delaying academic tasks has been conceptualized as academic procrastination in academic setting. It is a prevalent issue among students and a numerous students…

Self-regulated Learning Behavior of College Students of Art and Their Academic Achievement

Science.gov (United States)

Peng, Cuixin

This study focuses on the relationship between self-regulated learning behavior and their academic achievement of college students of art. The results show that for students of art, the involvements in self-efficacy, intrinsic value and cognitive strategies are closely tied to their performance in the examination. However, test anxiety, as a negative emotional factor is negatively correlated with academic performance. And among the five variables, self-efficacy has the strongest influence on students of art's academic performance.

What Works in Values Education

Science.gov (United States)

Berkowitz, Marvin W.

2011-01-01

Values education (alternatively, moral education, character education) is the attempt, within schools, to craft pedagogies and supportive structures to foster the development of positive, ethical, pro-social inclinations and competencies in youth, including around strengthening their academic focus and achievement. Recent research has uncovered…

The Relative Age Effect and Its Influence on Academic Performance.

Science.gov (United States)

Navarro, Juan-José; García-Rubio, Javier; Olivares, Pedro R

2015-01-01

The policy of school organisation for grouping students in the same academic year is based on date of birth. The differences in the experiences and maturation of older students involve a relatively better performance in academic settings, which is known as the relative age effect (RAE). This effect is more important the younger the student is. The goal of this study is to identify the connections of influence that RAE, socioeconomic status (SES), and type of institution have on academic performance in a school population of eighth graders. The study is based on a population-based, representative sample of 15,234 8th graders (50.4% female; average age = 13.61 years) in the 2011 National System of Quality Assessment in Education Survey (SIMCE) from Chile. The SIMCE for global academic performance consists of 4 tests: reading, mathematics, social studies, and science. All tests consist of multiple-choice and closed questions. In addition, in order to have the information of general academic performance, an extra variable expressing the average score of each student was created. Also, the SIMCE includes additional variables for the evaluation process such as SES or type of school. Students were assigned to one of five age groups in terms of date of birth (G1, G2, G3, G4, and G5), in which students belonging to G1 are the oldest and students belonging to G5 are the youngest. The results achieved in the structural equation modelling indicate a good global fit. Individual relationships show significant effects of the three variables observed on academic performance, although SES received the highest values. The influence of RAE took place both in the full sample and sub-samples composed according to the SES and academic performance, showing higher values for students with lower scores. Although the influence of RAE decreases when SES is controlled, its effect is still significant and contributes to additionally explain the performance. The RAE remains, even with residual

The Relative Age Effect and Its Influence on Academic Performance.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Juan-José Navarro

Full Text Available The policy of school organisation for grouping students in the same academic year is based on date of birth. The differences in the experiences and maturation of older students involve a relatively better performance in academic settings, which is known as the relative age effect (RAE. This effect is more important the younger the student is. The goal of this study is to identify the connections of influence that RAE, socioeconomic status (SES, and type of institution have on academic performance in a school population of eighth graders.The study is based on a population-based, representative sample of 15,234 8th graders (50.4% female; average age = 13.61 years in the 2011 National System of Quality Assessment in Education Survey (SIMCE from Chile. The SIMCE for global academic performance consists of 4 tests: reading, mathematics, social studies, and science. All tests consist of multiple-choice and closed questions. In addition, in order to have the information of general academic performance, an extra variable expressing the average score of each student was created. Also, the SIMCE includes additional variables for the evaluation process such as SES or type of school. Students were assigned to one of five age groups in terms of date of birth (G1, G2, G3, G4, and G5, in which students belonging to G1 are the oldest and students belonging to G5 are the youngest.The results achieved in the structural equation modelling indicate a good global fit. Individual relationships show significant effects of the three variables observed on academic performance, although SES received the highest values. The influence of RAE took place both in the full sample and sub-samples composed according to the SES and academic performance, showing higher values for students with lower scores. Although the influence of RAE decreases when SES is controlled, its effect is still significant and contributes to additionally explain the performance.The RAE remains, even

A Begrudging, Recalcitrant Academic Observes What She's Learning: Distance Learning in Leadership Formation

Science.gov (United States)

Hess, Lisa M.

2014-01-01

Neither advocacy nor condemnation of distance learning, this essay offers observations and critical reflection on four years' longitudinal engagement with distance learning pedagogies for formation in higher theological education. Instead, readers are invited to curiosity, communal-institutional discernment, and intense ambivalence.…

Academic staff involvement and openness to diversity in international educational organisations

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Selmer, Jan; Lauring, Jakob; Jonasson, Charlotte

2013-01-01

Joint work among academic staff is important for solving the ever-increasing number of complex tasks that are becoming part of everyday activities in higher education. At the same time, diversification and internationalisation may challenge collaboration processes and communication demands. Speak...... level types of diversity (linguistic and visible) but no effect on openness to deep-level types of diversity (informational and value).......Joint work among academic staff is important for solving the ever-increasing number of complex tasks that are becoming part of everyday activities in higher education. At the same time, diversification and internationalisation may challenge collaboration processes and communication demands....... Speaking a shared language consistently could be a way of overcoming problems. Hence, this study focuses on the effect of shared language among academic staff on the relation between academic staff involvement in work processes and openness to diversity. This study draws on data from 489 Danish academic...

Toward late career transitioning: a proposal for academic surgeons.

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Richards, Robin; McLeod, Robin; Latter, David; Keshavjee, Shaf; Rotstein, Ori; Fehlings, Michael G; Ahmed, Najma; Nathens, Avery; Rutka, James

2017-09-01

In the absence of a defined retirement age, academic surgeons need to develop plans for transition as they approach the end of their academic surgical careers. The development of a plan for late career transition represents an opportunity for departments of surgery across Canada to initiate a constructive process in cooperation with the key stakeholders in the hospital or institution. The goal of the process is to develop an individual plan for each faculty member that is agreeable to the academic surgeon; informs the surgical leadership; and allows the late career surgeon, the hospital, the division and the department to make plans for the future. In this commentary, the literature on the science of aging is reviewed as it pertains to surgeons, and guidelines for late career transition planning are shared. It is hoped that these guidelines will be of some value to academic programs and surgeons across the country as late career transition models are developed and adopted.

An investigation of the efficacy of acceptance-based behavioral therapy for academic procrastination.

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Glick, Debra M; Orsillo, Susan M

2015-04-01

Procrastination among college students is both prevalent and troublesome, harming both academic performance and physical health. Unfortunately, no "gold standard" intervention exists. Research suggests that psychological inflexibility may drive procrastination. Accordingly, interventions using acceptance and mindfulness methods to increase psychological flexibility may decrease procrastination. This study compared time management and acceptance-based behavioral interventions. College students' predictions of how much assigned reading they should complete were compared to what they did complete. Procrastination, anxiety, psychological flexibility, and academic values were also measured. Although a trend suggested that time management intervention participants completed more reading, no group differences in procrastination were revealed. The acceptance-based behavioral intervention was most effective for participants who highly valued academics. Clinical implications and future research are discussed. (c) 2015 APA, all rights reserved).

Factors Influencing American Plastic Surgery Residents Toward an Academic Career.

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Chetta, Matthew D; Sugg, Kristoffer B; Diaz-Garcia, Rafael J; Kasten, Steven J

2018-02-01

Plastic surgery residency program directors have an interest in recruiting applicants who show an interest in an academic practice. Medical school achievements (ie, United States Medical Licensing Examination® scores, publications, and Alpha Omega Alpha status) are metrics assessed to grade applicants but may not correlate with ultimately choosing an academic career. This study was designed to investigate factors influencing residents' choices for or against academic careers. A 25-item online questionnaire was designed to measure baseline interest in academic plastic surgery and factors that influence decisions to continue on or abandon that career path. This questionnaire was disseminated to the integrated/combined plastic surgery residents during the 2013 to 2014 academic year. One hundred twenty-five respondents indicated that they were currently interested in pursuing academic practice (n = 78) or had lost interest in academic practice (n = 47). Among all respondents, 92.8% (n = 116) stated they were interested in academic careers at the time of residency application, but one-third (n = 41) subsequently lost interest. Those residents who retained interest in academic careers indicated resident/medical student educational opportunities (57%) and complexity of patients (52%) as reasons. Those who lost interest cited a lack of autonomy (43%), publishing requirements (32%), and income discrepancy (26%) as reasons. Many residents report losing interest in academics during residency. Traditional metrics valued in the recruitment process may not serve as positive predictors of an academic career path. Reasons why residents lose interest are not easily correctable, but mentorship, adequate career counseling, and research opportunities during training remain factors that can be addressed across all residency programs.

Facilities Management and Corporate Real Estate Management as Value Drivers: How to Manage and Measure Adding Value

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Facilities Management (FM) and Corporate Real Estate Management (CREM) are two closely related and relatively new management disciplines with developing international professions and increasing academic attention. Both disciplines have from the outset a strong focus on controlling and reducing cost...... for real estate, facilities and related services. In recent years there has been a change towards putting more focus on how FM/CREM can add value to the organisation. The book is research based with a focus on guidance to practice. It offers a transdisciplinary approach, integrating academic knowledge from...

Computer Anxiety, Academic Stress, and Academic Procrastination on College Students

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Wahyu Rahardjo

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Academic procrastination is fairly and commonly found among college students. The lack of understanding in making the best use of computer technology may lead to anxiety in terms of operating computer hence cause postponement in completing course assignments related to computer operation. On the other hand, failure in achieving certain academic targets as expected by parents and/or the students themselves also makes students less focused and leads to tendency of postponing many completions of course assignments. The aim of this research is to investigate contribution of anxiety in operating computer and academic stress toward procrastination on students. As much as 65 students majoring in psychology became participants in this study. The results showed that anxiety in operating computer and academic stress play significant role in influencing academic procrastination among social sciences students. In terms of academic procrastination tendencies, anxiety in operating computer and academic stress, male students have higher percentage than female students.

Academic Self-Concept and Academic Self-Efficacy: Self-Beliefs Enable Academic Achievement of Twice-Exceptional Students

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Wang, Clare Wen; Neihart, Maureen

2015-01-01

Many studies have reported that twice-exceptional (2e) students were vulnerable in psychological traits and exhibited low-academic self-concept and academic self-efficacy. Such vulnerability may cause their academic failures. This study applied interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA), a qualitative approach to investigate the perceptions of…

Academic Mobility, Transnational Identity Capital, and Stratification under Conditions of Academic Capitalism

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Kim, Terri

2017-01-01

Academic mobility has existed since ancient times. Recently, however, academic mobility--the crossing of international borders by academics who then work "overseas"--has increased. Academics and the careers of academics have been affected by governments and institutions that have an interest in coordinating and accelerating knowledge…

Promoting Health Through Policy and Systems Change: Public Health Students and Mentors on the Value of Policy Advocacy Experience in Academic Internships.

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Marquez, Daniela; Pell, Dylan; Forster-Cox, Sue; Garcia, Evelyn; Ornelas, Sophia; Bandstra, Brenna; Mata, Holly

2017-05-01

Emerging professionals and new Certified Health Education Specialists often lack academic training in and actual experience in National Commission for Health Education Credentialing Area of Responsibility VII: Communicate, Promote, and Advocate for Health, Health Education/Promotion, and the Profession. For undergraduate and graduate students who have an opportunity to complete an internship or practicum experience, gaining experience in Competencies 7.2: Engage in advocacy for health and health education/promotion and 7.3: Influence policy and/or systems change to promote health and health education can have a profound impact on their career development and their ability to advocate for policies that promote health and health equity. Compelling evidence suggests that interventions that address social determinants of health such as poverty and education and those that change the context through improved policy or healthier environments have the greatest impact on public health, making it vital for emerging public health professionals to gain experience in policy advocacy and systems change. In this commentary, students and faculty from two large universities in the U.S.-Mexico border region reflect on the value of policy advocacy in academic internship/fieldwork experiences. Based on their experiences, they highly recommend that students seek out internship opportunities where they can participate in policy advocacy, and they encourage university faculty and practicum preceptors to provide more opportunities for policy advocacy in both classroom and fieldwork settings.

The Longitudinal Relation between Academic Support and Latino Adolescents' Academic Motivation

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Alfaro, Edna C.; Umaña-Taylor, Adriana J.

2015-01-01

This study examined whether longitudinal trajectories of academic support from mothers, fathers, and teachers predicted trajectories of Latino adolescents' (N = 323) academic motivation. Findings indicated those boys' perceptions of mothers' and fathers' academic support and girls' perceptions of mothers' academic support declined throughout high…

Critical Care Organizations: Building and Integrating Academic Programs.

Science.gov (United States)

Moore, Jason E; Oropello, John M; Stoltzfus, Daniel; Masur, Henry; Coopersmith, Craig M; Nates, Joseph; Doig, Christopher; Christman, John; Hite, R Duncan; Angus, Derek C; Pastores, Stephen M; Kvetan, Vladimir

2018-04-01

Academic medical centers in North America are expanding their missions from the traditional triad of patient care, research, and education to include the broader issue of healthcare delivery improvement. In recent years, integrated Critical Care Organizations have developed within academic centers to better meet the challenges of this broadening mission. The goal of this article was to provide interested administrators and intensivists with the proper resources, lines of communication, and organizational approach to accomplish integration and Critical Care Organization formation effectively. The Academic Critical Care Organization Building section workgroup of the taskforce established regular monthly conference calls to reach consensus on the development of a toolkit utilizing methods proven to advance the development of their own academic Critical Care Organizations. Relevant medical literature was reviewed by literature search. Materials from federal agencies and other national organizations were accessed through the Internet. The Society of Critical Care Medicine convened a taskforce entitled "Academic Leaders in Critical Care Medicine" on February 22, 2016 at the 45th Critical Care Congress using the expertise of successful leaders of advanced governance Critical Care Organizations in North America to develop a toolkit for advancing Critical Care Organizations. Key elements of an academic Critical Care Organization are outlined. The vital missions of multidisciplinary patient care, safety, and quality are linked to the research, education, and professional development missions that enhance the value of such organizations. Core features, benefits, barriers, and recommendations for integration of academic programs within Critical Care Organizations are described. Selected readings and resources to successfully implement the recommendations are provided. Communication with medical school and hospital leadership is discussed. We present the rationale for critical

The Effect of Academic Advising on Academic Performance of ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Although academic advising in Kenyan universities exists, no research has been done to find out how it impacts on students' educational and career goals. This research aimed at establishing the effect of academic advising on academic performance and the influence of year of study and gender on students' tendency to ...

Academic Self-Efficacy, Emotional Intelligence, GPA and Academic Procrastination in Higher Education

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Meirav Hen

2014-05-01

Full Text Available Academic procrastination has been seen as an impediment to students' academic success because it decreases the quality and quantity of learning while increasing the severity of negative outcomes in students’ lives. Research findings suggest that academic procrastination is closely related to motivation variables such as self-efficacy and self-regulated learning, and with higher levels of anxiety, stress, and illness. Emotional Intelligence is the ability to assess, regulate, and utilize emotions. It has been found to be associated with academic self-efficacy and a variety of better outcomes, including academic performance. The purpose of the present study was to explore and provide an initial understanding to the relationships between emotional intelligence, academic procrastination and GPA, as mediated by academic selfefficacy. A convenience sampling of 287 college students was collected. Structural equation modeling analysis using AMOS was conducted to examine the mediation role of academic selfefficacy between emotional intelligence, procrastination and GPA. Findings indicated that Emotional intelligence has a negative indirect effect on academic procrastination and a positive indirect effect on academic performance. Further research is needed to explore the effect of emotional intelligence on academic procrastination and performance, and to further understand its implications for academic settings.

The Added Value of FM : Different Research Perspectives

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Jensen, P; van der Voordt, Theo; Coenen, C; von Felten, D; Lindholm, A

2010-01-01

Purpose: This paper aims to present and compare research perspectives and theoretical reflections from a variety of academic fields on the concept of Added Value of Facilities Management (FM).
Theory: The starting point is the so-called FM Value Map, which was presented in a paper by Jensen

Webpages on copyright in Canadian academic libraries

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tony G Horava

2008-12-01

Full Text Available Academic libraries value the web as being a vital channel for communicating information and policies to their user community. Designing a webpage on copyright is a challenging task that requires a consideration of the medium and the message. This article proposes a conceptual model and proactive approach for integrating policy objective and goals into the development of a copyright webpage, based on key elements of the library’s involvement in academia. To complement this theoretical approach, an analysis of Canadian academic library websites was conducted in order to gage the effectiveness of copyright webpages, in the Canadian legal context, according to the model as well as related design issues of visibility and access.

Bullying and Mobbing in Academe: Challenges for Distance Education and Social Media Applications

Science.gov (United States)

Oravec, Jo Ann

2012-01-01

Bullying and mobbing are migrating to online realms, intensifying the damage involved and increasing the complexities of these issues. Social media (such as Facebook and Twitter) are intensely communal in many senses; they may serve to increase the negative aspects of bullying and mobbing as well as provide community-oriented tools for mitigation.…

Is Your Academic Library Pinning? Academic Libraries and Pinterest

Science.gov (United States)

Thornton, Elaine

2012-01-01

Academic libraries are flocking to online social networking sites in an effort to meet users where they are. Pinterest is the latest of these rapidly growing online social networking tools. The author of this article reports results from a survey on academic libraries' presence on Pinterest. The survey found most academic library pinboards are in…

Is cost-effective healthcare compatible with publicly financed academic medical centres?

Science.gov (United States)

Chia, Whay Kuang; Toh, Han Chong

2013-01-01

Probably more than any country, Singapore has made significant investment into the biomedical enterprise as a proportion of its economy and size. This focus recently witnessed a shift towards a greater emphasis on translational and clinical development. Key to the realisation of this strategy will be Academic Medical Centres (AMCs), as a principal tool to developing and applying useful products for the market and further improving health outcomes. Here, we explore the principal value proposition of the AMC to Singapore society and its healthcare system. We question if the values inherent within academic medicine--that of inquiry, innovation, pedagogy and clinical exceptionalism--can be compatible with the seemingly paradoxical mandate of providing cost-effective or rationed healthcare.

Pattern of leisure-time physical activity involvement of Academic and non-Academic staff in tertiary Institutions in Ondo State, Nigeria

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Ajibua M.A.

2012-01-01

Full Text Available Leisure signifies individual’s choice to spend his/her discretionary time fulfilling certain interest or needs or performing a gratifying experience for the sake of wellness or personal development. The aim of this study was to look into the pattern of leisure-time physical activity involvement among academic and non-academic staff in tertiary institution in Ondo State. For the purpose of the study, 40 academic and 40 non-academic staff were selected from the five Government-owned tertiary institutions in the state using convenience sampling techniques. Thus, total respondents were 400. The instrument employed in the study was a structured and validated questionnaire, Pattern of Leisure Involvement Questionnaire (PLIQ to collect information on the pattern of leisure-time physical activity involvement among staff. The reliability test of the instrument was carried out by obtaining Cronbach’s Alpha statistic which is a measure of how reliable and consistent the instrument was. The result showed that Cronbach’s Alpha was 0.896. Since the value was above 0.5 which was the average, it showed that the research instrument was reliable and consistent. The information gathered from the subjects through the questionnaire was analyzedusing descriptive (mean, standard deviation and standard error and inferential statistics (t-test. The findings showed that academic and non-academic staff in tertiary institutions in Ondo State participate in leisure-time physical activity differently. It thus suggested that variety of leisure-time physical activities must be provided for members of tertiary institutions so that some groups will not be taken care of, while others will be isolated.

Academic Locus of Control, Tendencies Towards Academic Dishonesty and Test Anxiety Levels as the Predictors of Academic Self-Efficacy

Science.gov (United States)

Yesilyurt, Etem

2014-01-01

Many studies have focused on finding the level of effect that academic locus of control, tendencies towards academic dishonesty, and test anxiety levels have had on academic self-efficacy, and providing a separate explanation ratio for each. The relationship among the effects of the academic locus of control, tendencies towards academic…

Gender-related academic and occupational interests and goals.

Science.gov (United States)

Petersen, Jennifer; Hyde, Janet Shibley

2014-01-01

This chapter reviews the theories and empirical evidence concerning whether gender differences in academic and occupational goals and interests exist, and if so, why those differences may be present. Expectancy-value theory, stereotype threat, sociocultural theory, and the gender similarities hypothesis lay the theoretical framework for this chapter. Following a brief review of these theories, we describe the evidence for gender differences in academic ability and occupational interests and goals, using meta-analytic reviews wherever possible. Although there are few gender differences in academic ability, some gender differences in occupational goals and interests persist, particularly in science and mathematics. These gender differences may be due to parental or cultural expectations, changes in developmental trends, stereotypes and discrimination, or gendered-expectations to achieve work-family balance. Overall, the pathways to adult occupations are complex, involving many factors that affect occupational goals, interests, and self-concept.

Assuring Academic Achievement Standards: From Moderation to Calibration

Science.gov (United States)

Sadler, D. Royce

2013-01-01

The course (module) grades entered on higher education academic records (transcripts) purportedly represent substantive levels of student achievement. They are often taken at face value and accepted as comparable across courses. Research undertaken over several decades has shown that the underlying standards against which student works are…

Why geriatrics? Academic geriatricians' perceptions of the positive, attractive aspects of geriatrics.

Science.gov (United States)

Cravens, D D; Campbell, J D; Mehr, D R

2000-01-01

Recruitment of geriatrics trainees has been poor, and the current shortage of academic geriatricians is expected to worsen. Although barriers to entering geriatrics practice have been identified, a review of the literature found few studies about why people choose to enter geriatrics. We used qualitative methods to investigate the positive, attractive aspects of geriatrics. Long interviews with six academic geriatricians were taped and transcribed. Transcripts were entered into a textual database computer program and reviewed independently by two investigators. Six themes emerged: 1) traditional learning experiences, 2) value on personal relationships, 3) a perception of distinctive differences, 4) a desire to feel needed personally and societally, 5) prefer democracy versus autocracy, and 6) desire intellectual challenges. Academic geriatrics, therefore, is particularly attractive to people who value enduring relationships, see challenges in complexity, practice social responsibility, prefer working within a multidisciplinary team, and derive satisfaction from making seemingly small but nonetheless important changes in peoples' lives. If further studies validate these findings, they could promote geriatrics as a career, by, for example, identifying students and family practice and internal medicine residents who share these values, beliefs, and attitudes and encouraging them to consider this important field.

Perceptions of Academic Fieldwork Coordinators Regarding the Value of Fieldwork in Emerging Areas of Practice

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Victoria G. Wilburn

2016-10-01

Full Text Available This study investigated the perceptions of academic fieldwork coordinators (AFWCs regarding emerging areas of practice as fieldwork experiences for entry-level occupational therapy (OT students. Further, this study explored several aspects of fieldwork experiences in emerging areas of practice on student personal and professional development, academic curriculum, partnering community agencies, and the profession at large. A survey designed through Qualtrics®, an electronic survey system, was sent to 163 AFWCs of fully accredited master’s and doctoral entry-level OT programs. Forty-four participants (27% completed the 16-question survey. Significance at p < .05 was found in higher levels of Bloom’s taxonomy student performance when compared to traditional areas of practice. Common perceptions found among the AFWCs related to emerging areas of practice fieldwork experiences included: improved student professional and personal skills, increased connections and collaborations across and in health care disciplines, an enhanced ability to define and understand OT. Continued opportunities for fieldwork in emerging areas of practice are essential as the profession contemplates new markets and avenues in a changing health care environment.

The Symbolic Role of Academic Boards in University Academic Quality Assurance

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Rowlands, Julie

2013-01-01

While much research on quality assurance in higher education has centred on issues related to the impact on teaching and learning and academic staff, there is a significant gap in the area of quality assurance and academic governance. Within Australia the roles of university academic boards (also known as academic senates or faculty senates) have…

Expectancy-Value Theory of Achievement Motivation.

Science.gov (United States)

Wigfield; Eccles

2000-01-01

We discuss the expectancy-value theory of motivation, focusing on an expectancy-value model developed and researched by Eccles, Wigfield, and their colleagues. Definitions of crucial constructs in the model, including ability beliefs, expectancies for success, and the components of subjective task values, are provided. These definitions are compared to those of related constructs, including self-efficacy, intrinsic and extrinsic motivation, and interest. Research is reviewed dealing with two issues: (1) change in children's and adolescents' ability beliefs, expectancies for success, and subjective values, and (2) relations of children's and adolescents' ability-expectancy beliefs and subjective task values to their performance and choice of activities. Copyright 2000 Academic Press.

Improving healthcare value through clinical community and supply chain collaboration.

Science.gov (United States)

Ishii, Lisa; Demski, Renee; Ken Lee, K H; Mustafa, Zishan; Frank, Steve; Wolisnky, Jean Paul; Cohen, David; Khanna, Jay; Ammerman, Joshua; Khanuja, Harpal S; Unger, Anthony S; Gould, Lois; Wachter, Patricia Ann; Stearns, Lauren; Werthman, Ronald; Pronovost, Peter

2017-03-01

We hypothesized that integrating supply chain with clinical communities would allow for clinician-led supply cost reduction and improved value in an academic health system. Three clinical communities (spine, joint, blood management) and one clinical community-like physician led team of surgeon stakeholders partnered with the supply chain team on specific supply cost initiatives. The teams reviewed their specific utilization and cost data, and the physicians led consensus-building conversations over a series of team meetings to agree to standard supply utilization. The spine and joint clinical communities each agreed upon a vendor capping model that led to cost savings of $3 million dollars and $1.5 million dollars respectively. The blood management decreased blood product utilization and achieved $1.2 million dollars savings. $5.6 million dollars in savings was achieved by a clinical community-like group of surgeon stakeholders through standardization of sutures and endomechanicals. Physician led clinical teams empowered to lead change achieved substantial supply chain cost savings in an academic health system. The model of combining clinical communities with supply chain offers hope for an effective, practical, and scalable approach to improving value and engaging physicians in other academic health systems. This clinician led model could benefit both private and academic health systems engaging in value optimization efforts. N/A. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

[International academic mobility program in nursing experience report].

Science.gov (United States)

de Oliveira, Mariana Gonçalves; Pagliuca, Lorita Marlena Freitag

2012-03-01

An experience of studying abroad or of academic exchange, really adds value to the professional and personal development of exchange students. This report aims to describe a student's experience in an international academic mobility program. It was developed from 2008 to 2009 in Brazil and Spain. The experiences, observations and activities of the student were emphasized believing that the training of students and researchers is not only restricted to the university and the students' home country, and that it is important to have possibilities of new experiences and differentiated knowledge. The conclusion is that this opportunity promoted a profound effect on psychological, cultural social and scientific development of the exchange student.

Supporting Academic Persistence in Low-Skilled Adult Learners

Science.gov (United States)

O'Neill, Susan; Thomson, Margareta Maria

2013-01-01

The current literature review explores the factors that contribute to academic persistence for adult learners. The aim of the study is to identify current research-based strategies aimed at supporting learner persistence, particularly for low-skilled adults. Elements of three theoretical frameworks, namely, expectancy-value theory (EVT), goal…

Wind energy development and perceived real estate values in Ontario, Canada

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Chad Walker

2014-11-01

Full Text Available This paper focuses on public concerns about real estate value loss in communities in the vicinity of wind turbines. There are some conflicting results in recent academic and non-academic literatures on the issue of property values in general—yet little has been studied about how residents near turbines view the value of their own properties. Using both face-to-face interviews (n = 26 and community survey results (n = 152 from two adjacent communities, this exploratory mixed-method study contextualizes perceived property value loss. Interview results suggest a potential connection between perceived property value loss and actual property value loss, whereby assumed property degradation from turbines seem to lower both asking and selling prices. This idea is reinforced by regression results which suggest that felt property value loss is predicted by health concerns, visual annoyances and community-based variables. Overall, the findings point to the need for greater attention to micro-level local, and interconnected impacts of wind energy development.

An Institutional Code of Ethics--A Response to Attitude of Israeli Teachers' Education College Students towards Academic Plagiarism

Science.gov (United States)

Reingold,, Roni; Baratz, Lea

2011-01-01

Academic plagiarism becomes very easy due to new opportunities provided by the Internet era (Scrinber, 2003; Underwood & Sazabo, 2003; Ross, 2005). We believe that academic dishonesty is a major issue, because it strikes at the heart of the academic and social values: honesty, trust and integrity. When dealing with education students, the…

Academic knowing in/through double perspectives

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Margareta Melin

2015-12-01

Full Text Available This article explores the cultures and learning practices of four academic schools with an expressed wish to bridge the gap between traditional academic and arts or journalistic practices. Pierre Bourdieu, the French sociologist, termed them allodoxic, in that they challenge the traditional academic way of thinking and doing. Results from two research projects, spanning over 5 years, employing a multitude of methods, have been used in this article. The results show that these challenging bridging attempts create conflictual cultures. First, faculties with different backgrounds are employed and they bring with them their respective habitus and doxa (Bourdieu, which is manifested in their different epistemologies, doxas. Despite a strong will to work interdisciplinarily, conflicts (destructive arise particularly around epistemological and pedagogic issues. Second, I show that students at these schools have had double-perspective learning, through theoretical and practice-based methods, despite little help from their lecturers who have high ideals but little actual knowledge themselves of working in/through a double perspective. In many cases, through trial-and-error processes, students have appropriated embodied knowledge of a double perspective, which has given them surplus value when compared with learning through only traditional academic learning practices. It gives reflexive insights and understandings as well as transferrable skills highly useful in professional life. I finally argue that allodoxic conflictual cultures actually construct new ways of knowing through continuous discussions and meetings between faculties with different competences.

Reflections on academic video