ICT development for social and rural connectedness

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Alias, Nor Aziah

2013-01-01

ICT Development for Social and Rural Connectedness provides an introduction to the concept of 'connectedness', and explores how this socio-psychological term has evolved during the age of the Internet. The book surveys the principles of ICT for development (ICTD), and closely examines how ICT has played a pivotal role in the rural community development of various countries. To highlight the continued benefits of ICT in these regions, the book presents an in-depth case study that analyzes the connectedness within the rural internet centers of Malaysia. The book is intended primarily for researc

Detecting connectedness

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Roelfsema, P. R.; Singer, W.

1998-01-01

Natural visual images are typically composed of multiple objects, which need to be segregated from each other and from the background. The visual system has evolved to capture a great variety of cues that allow a meaningful segmentation of the visual input. One of these cues is connectedness.

Social connectedness, stressful life events, and self-injurious thoughts and behaviors among young adults.

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Macrynikola, Natalia; Miranda, Regina; Soffer, Ariella

2018-01-01

Preventing self-injurious thoughts and behaviors (SITBs) is particularly challenging on commuter campuses, given lower social cohesion and higher levels of stress than among traditional college populations. The present study examined the relationship between stressful life events (SLEs) and risk for different forms of SITBs, along with the potential buffering role of social connectedness, in a diverse sample of young adults from a commuter college. Participants were 1712 (81% female; 61% racial/ethnic minority; 20% sexual minority) undergraduate and graduate students from a public commuter college in New York City. Participants completed an anonymous survey that inquired about lifetime and recent (past 12months) history of suicidal ideation, suicide attempts, and non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI), along with social connectedness and lifetime history of SLEs. Lower levels of social connectedness and exposure to a higher number of SLEs were associated with engaging in SITBs in the past year, particularly both suicide attempts and non-suicidal self-injury. However, social connectedness did not buffer against the impact of SLEs on SITBs. Data are cross-sectional, limiting conclusions about directionality, and females were overrepresented. Identifying ways to increase social connectedness on diverse commuter campuses may help decrease risk of SITBs. However, it may not buffer against the impact of SLEs on risk of SITBs. Future studies should examine contextual variables (e.g., type and timing of social support) that may play a role in protecting against SITBs, particularly for those with a history of adversity. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

A longitudinal study of school connectedness and academic outcomes across sixth grade.

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Niehaus, Kate; Rudasill, Kathleen Moritz; Rakes, Christopher R

2012-08-01

The current longitudinal study examines the extent to which school connectedness (i.e., students' perceptions of school support and the number of adults with whom they have a positive relationship) is associated with academic outcomes across sixth grade for students from high poverty neighborhoods. Data were collected from 330 sixth-grade students attending two middle schools in a large public school district. Specifically, students completed a survey to assess their perceived connection to the school environment, and academic information regarding students' grades, attendance, and discipline referrals was obtained from school records. Results from latent growth curve modeling showed that, on average, students' perceptions of school support declined significantly across the sixth-grade year. However, students who reported less decline, or growth, in school support across sixth grade had higher academic achievement at the end of the year than students who reported more decline in school support. Sixth-grade boys were at a greater risk for negative outcomes (i.e., lower school support, lower GPAs, and more discipline referrals) across the school year than girls. Results point to the importance of perceived connectedness to school in helping economically disadvantaged students experience a safe and successful transition to middle school. Copyright © 2012 Society for the Study of School Psychology. All rights reserved.

Development of a Cultural Connectedness Scale for First Nations youth.

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Snowshoe, Angela; Crooks, Claire V; Tremblay, Paul F; Craig, Wendy M; Hinson, Riley E

2015-03-01

Despite a growing recognition of cultural connectedness as an important protective factor for First Nations (FN) peoples' health, there remains a clear need for a conceptual model that organizes, explains, and leads to an understanding of the resiliency mechanisms underlying this concept for FN youth. The current study involved the development of the Cultural Connectedness Scale (CCS) to identify a new scale of cultural connectedness. A sample of 319 FN, Métis, and Inuit youths enrolled in Grades 8-12 from reserve and urban areas in Saskatchewan and Southwestern Ontario, Canada, participated in the current study. A combination of rational expert judgments and empirical data were used to refine the pool of items to a set that is a representative sample of the indicators of the cultural connectedness construct. Exploratory factor analysis (EFA) was used to examine the latent structure of the cultural connectedness items, and a confirmatory factor analysis was used to test the fit of a more parsimonious version of the final EFA model. The resulting 29-item inventory consisted of 3 dimensions: identity, traditions, and spirituality. Criterion validity was demonstrated with cultural connectedness dimensions correlating well with other youth well-being indicators. The conceptualization and operationalization of the cultural connectedness has a number of potential applications both for research and prevention. This study provides an orienting framework that guides measurement of cultural connectedness that researchers need to further explore the role of culture in enhancing resiliency and well-being among FN youth in Canada. 2015 APA, all rights reserved

Social connectedness as a source and consequence of meaning in life

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Stavrova, O.; Luhmann, Maike

2016-01-01

Multiple studies have shown that the sense of belonging and connectedness contribute to meaning in life, but does meaning also influence social connectedness? The present research examines the reciprocal relationships between meaning and different types of connectedness: intimate, relational, and

Predicting individual differences in autonomy-connectedness: the role of body awareness, alexithymia, and assertiveness.

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Bekker, Marrie H J; Croon, Marcel A; van Balkom, Esther G A; Vermee, Jennifer B G

2008-06-01

Autonomy-connectedness is the capacity for being on one's own as well as for satisfactorily engaging in interpersonal relationships. Associations have been shown between autonomy-connectedness components (self-awareness, sensitivity to others, and the capacity for managing new situations) and various indices of psychopathology. Both in a theoretical sense as well as for enhancing treatment and prevention, it is relevant to identify which factors most powerfully predict individual differences in autonomy-connectedness: body awareness, alexithymia, or assertiveness. The present study examined this question in a clinical sample of women who were diagnosed as having autonomy problems (N=52) and in a female nonclinical community sample (N=59). In line with expectations, assertiveness was a strong predictor of (all three components of) autonomy-connectedness, as was emotionalizing, one of the alexithymia-components, but the latter in an opposite direction than we had expected: the higher an individual's ability to emotionalize was, the less self-aware and capable to manage new situations that person was, and the more sensitive to others. Cognitive alexithymia contributed to self-awareness as well as to the capacity for managing new situations, and one of the components of body awareness appeared to predict capacity for managing new situations. Our results indicate that assertiveness training and the enhancement of emotion regulation are important elements of autonomy-connectedness targeted interventions. (c) 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Work-related change in residential elderly care: Trust, space and connectedness.

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van der Borg, Wieke E; Verdonk, Petra; Dauwerse, Linda; Abma, Tineke A

2017-07-01

Increasing care needs and a declining workforce put pressure on the quality and continuity of long-term elderly care. The need to attract and retain a solid workforce is increasingly acknowledged. This study reports about a change initiative that aimed to improve the quality of care and working life in residential elderly care. The research focus is on understanding the process of workforce change and development, by retrospectively exploring the experiences of care professionals. A responsive evaluation was conducted at a nursing home department in the Netherlands one year after participating in the change program. Data were gathered by participant observations, interviews and a focus and dialogue group. A thematic analysis was conducted. Care professionals reported changes in workplace climate and interpersonal interactions. We identified trust, space and connectedness as important concepts to understand perceived change. Findings suggest that the interplay between trust and space fostered interpersonal connectedness. Connectedness improved the quality of relationships, contributing to the well-being of the workforce. We consider the nature and contradictions within the process of change, and discuss how gained insights help to improve quality of working life in residential elderly care and how this may reflect in the quality of care provision.

Autonomy-connectedness mediates sex differences in symptoms of psychopathology

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Bekker, Marrie H.J.; Van Assen, Marcel A.L.M.

2017-01-01

Objectives: This study aimed to examine if autonomy-connectedness, capacity for self-governance under the condition of connectedness, would mediate sex differences in symptoms of various mental disorders (depression, anxiety, eating disorders, antisocial personality disorder). Method: Participants

Autonomy-connectedness mediates sex differences in symptoms of psychopathology

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Bekker, M.H.J.; van Assen, M.A.L.M.

2017-01-01

Objectives This study aimed to examine if autonomy-connectedness, capacity for self-governance under the condition of connectedness, would mediate sex differences in symptoms of various mental disorders (depression, anxiety, eating disorders, antisocial personality disorder). Method Participants (N

Smart technologies to enhance social connectedness in older people who live at home.

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Morris, Meg E; Adair, Brooke; Ozanne, Elizabeth; Kurowski, William; Miller, Kimberly J; Pearce, Alan J; Santamaria, Nick; Long, Maureen; Ventura, Cameron; Said, Catherine M

2014-09-01

To examine the effectiveness of smart technologies in improving or maintaining the social connectedness of older people living at home. We conducted a systematic review and critical evaluation of research articles published between 2000 and 2013. Article screening, data extraction and quality assessment (using the Downs and Black checklist) were conducted by two independent researchers. Eighteen publications were identified that evaluated the effect of smart technologies on dimensions of social connectedness. Fourteen studies reported positive outcomes in aspects such as social support, isolation and loneliness. There was emerging evidence that some technologies augmented the beneficial effects of more traditional aged-care services. Smart technologies, such as tailored internet programs, may help older people better manage and understand various health conditions, resulting in subsequent improvements in aspects of social connectedness. Further research is required regarding how technological innovations could be promoted, marketed and implemented to benefit older people. © 2014 ACOTA.

Autism in action: Reduced bodily connectedness during social interactions?

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

C. (Lieke E. Peper

2016-11-01

Full Text Available Autism is a lifelong disorder, defined by deficits in social interactions and flexibility. To date, diagnostic markers for autism primarily include limitations in social behavior and cognition. However, such tests have often shown to be inadequate for individuals with autism who are either more cognitively able or intellectually disabled. The assessment of the social limitations of autism would benefit from new tests that capture the dynamics of social initiative and reciprocity in interaction processes, and that are not dependent on intellectual or verbal skills. New entry points for the development of such assessments may be found in 'bodily connectedness', the attunement of bodily movement between two individuals. In typical development, bodily connectedness is related to psychological connectedness, including social skills and relation quality. Limitations in bodily connectedness could be a central mechanism underlying the social impairment in autism. While bodily connectedness can be minutely assessed with advanced techniques, our understanding of these skills in autism is limited. This Perspective provides examples of how the potential relation between bodily connectedness and specific characteristics of autism can be examined using methods from the coordination dynamics approach. Uncovering this relation is particularly important for developing sensitive tools to assess the tendency to initiate social interactions and the dynamics of mutual adjustments during social interactions, as current assessments are not suited to grasp ongoing dynamics and reciprocity in behavior. The outcomes of such research may yield valuable openings for the development of diagnostic markers for autism that can be applied across the lifespan.

Autism in Action: Reduced Bodily Connectedness during Social Interactions?

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Peper, C Lieke E; van der Wal, Sija J; Begeer, Sander

2016-01-01

Autism is a lifelong disorder, defined by deficits in social interactions and flexibility. To date, diagnostic markers for autism primarily include limitations in social behavior and cognition. However, such tests have often shown to be inadequate for individuals with autism who are either more cognitively able or intellectually disabled. The assessment of the social limitations of autism would benefit from new tests that capture the dynamics of social initiative and reciprocity in interaction processes, and that are not dependent on intellectual or verbal skills. New entry points for the development of such assessments may be found in 'bodily connectedness', the attunement of bodily movement between two individuals. In typical development, bodily connectedness is related to psychological connectedness, including social skills and relation quality. Limitations in bodily connectedness could be a central mechanism underlying the social impairment in autism. While bodily connectedness can be minutely assessed with advanced techniques, our understanding of these skills in autism is limited. This Perspective provides examples of how the potential relation between bodily connectedness and specific characteristics of autism can be examined using methods from the coordination dynamics approach. Uncovering this relation is particularly important for developing sensitive tools to assess the tendency to initiate social interactions and the dynamics of mutual adjustments during social interactions, as current assessments are not suited to grasp ongoing dynamics and reciprocity in behavior. The outcomes of such research may yield valuable openings for the development of diagnostic markers for autism that can be applied across the lifespan.

The Social Connectedness of Older Adults: A National Profile*

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Cornwell, Benjamin; Laumann, Edward O.; Schumm, L. Philip

2008-01-01

For decades, scholars have wrestled with the notion that old age is characterized by social isolation. However, there has been no systematic, nationally representative evaluation of this possibility in terms of social network connectedness. In this paper, the authors develop a profile of older adults’ social integration with respect to nine dimensions of connectedness to interpersonal networks and voluntary associations. The authors use new data from the National Social Life, Health, and Aging Project (NSHAP), a population-based study of non-institutionalized older Americans aged 57–85 conducted in 2005–2006. Findings suggest that among older adults, age is negatively related to network size, closeness to network members, and number of non-primary-group ties. On the other hand, age is positively related to frequency of socializing with neighbors, religious participation, and volunteering. In addition, it has a U-shaped relationship with volume of contact with network members. These findings are inconsistent with the notion that old age has a universal negative influence on social connectedness. Instead, life course factors have divergent consequences for different forms of social connectedness. Some later life transitions, like retirement and bereavement, may prompt greater connectedness. The authors close by urging increased dialogue between social gerontological and social network research. PMID:19018292

Social connectedness and the transition from work to retirement

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Lancee, B.; Radl, J.

2012-01-01

Objectives. Although there are numerous studies on the role of social connections in early working life, research that examines how social connectedness matters in the later stages of a career is scarce. The present study analyzes to what extent social connectedness affects the timing of the

Effects of participation in and connectedness to the LGBT community on substance use involvement of sexual minority young people.

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Demant, Daniel; Hides, Leanne; White, Katherine M; Kavanagh, David J

2018-06-01

Research shows disproportionate levels of substance use among sexual minority young people. A range of reasons for these disparities have been suggested, including connectedness to and participation in the LGBT community. Little is known about how these constructs are related to substance use involvement in sexual minority (sub)groups or how these relationships are affected by other factors. 1266 young sexual minority Australians completed a cross-sectional online survey. Multiple regressions were conducted to assess associations between connectedness to and participation in the LGBT community on substance use involvement, before and after controlling for other factors such as substance use motives, psychological distress, wellbeing, resilience, minority stress, and age. Most participants identified as homosexual (57%, n=726) and male (54%, n=683). In the overall sample, participation in and connectedness the LGBT community were significantly associated with increased substance use involvement before (F(2,1263)=35.930, p≤0.001, R 2 =0.052) and after controlling for other variables (F(8,1095)=33.538, p≤0.001, R 2 =0.191), with meaningfully higher effect sizes for participation than for connectedness. After controlling for other variables, connectedness only remained significant for homosexuals. Effect sizes for participation were higher for females than males, and bisexuals than homosexuals. However, participation in the LGBT Community was not associated with substance use in participants identifying with a non-binary gender identity. In conclusion, substance use involvement was associated with participation in the LGBT community, but connectedness to the LGBT community only had a weak association with substance use involvement in the homosexual subgroup. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

School connectedness and susceptibility to smoking among adolescents in Canada.

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Azagba, Sunday; Asbridge, Mark

2013-08-01

Smoking susceptibility in early adolescence is strongly predictive of subsequent smoking behavior in youth. As such, smoking susceptibility represents a key modifiable factor in reducing the onset of smoking in young people. A growing literature has documented a number of factors that influence susceptibility to smoking; however, there is limited amount of research examining associations of susceptibility to smoking and school connectedness. The current study examines whether school connectedness has an independent protective effect on smoking susceptibility among younger adolescents. A nationally representative sample of 12,894 Canadian students in grades 6-8 (11-14 years old), surveyed as part of the 2010-2011 Youth Smoking Survey, was analyzed. Multilevel logistic regression models examined unadjusted and adjusted associations between school connectedness and smoking susceptibility. The impacts of other covariates on smoking susceptibility were also explored. Approximately 29% of never-smokers students in grades 6-8 in Canada were susceptible to future smoking. Logistic regression analysis, controlling for standard covariates, found that school connectedness had strong protective effects on smoking susceptibility (odds ratio [OR] 0.91, 95% CI 0.89-0.94). The finding that school connectedness is protective of smoking susceptibility, together with previous research, provides further evidence that improving school conditions that promote school connectedness could reduce risky behavior in adolescents. While prevention efforts should be directed at youth of all ages, particular attention must be paid to younger adolescents in the formative period of 11-14 years of age.

Food Practices and School Connectedness: A Whole-School Approach

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Neely, Eva; Walton, Mat; Stephens, Christine

2016-01-01

Purpose: The health-promoting schools (HPSs) framework has emerged as a promising model for promoting school connectedness in the school setting. The purpose of this paper is to explore the potential for food practices to promote school connectedness within a HPSs framework. Design/methodology/approach: This study explores food practices within a…

The relationship between nature connectedness and happiness: a meta-analysis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Colin A. Capaldi

2014-09-01

Full Text Available Research suggests that contact with nature can be beneficial, for example leading to improvements in mood, cognition, and health. A distinct but related idea is the personality construct of subjective nature connectedness, a stable individual difference in cognitive, affective, and experiential connection with the natural environment. Subjective nature connectedness is a strong predictor of pro-environmental attitudes and behaviours that may also be positively associated with subjective well-being. This meta-analysis was conducted to examine the relationship between nature connectedness and happiness. Based on 30 samples (n = 8,523, a fixed-effect meta-analysis found a small but significant effect size (r = .19. Those who are more connected to nature tended to experience more positive affect, vitality, and life satisfaction compared to those less connected to nature. Publication status, year, average age, and percentage of females in the sample were not significant moderators. Vitality had the strongest relationship with nature connectedness (r = .24, followed by positive affect (r = .22 and life satisfaction (r = .17. In terms of specific nature connectedness measures, associations were the strongest between happiness and inclusion of nature in self (r = .27, compared to nature relatedness (r = .18 and connectedness to nature (r = .18. This research highlights the importance of considering personality when examining the psychological benefits of nature. The results suggest that closer human-nature relationships do not have to come at the expense of happiness. Rather, this meta-analysis shows that being connected to nature and feeling happy are, in fact, connected.

Parent-Child Connectedness and Long-Term Risk for Suicidal Ideation in a Nationally Representative Sample of US Adolescents.

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Kuramoto-Crawford, S Janet; Ali, Mir M; Wilcox, Holly C

2017-09-01

Few studies have addressed on the role of parent-child connectedness (PCC) on adolescents' risk for suicidal ideation from a longitudinal, developmental perspective. This study examined PCC during adolescence and risk of suicidal ideation into adulthood among a nationally representative sample of American adolescents. The study includes 13,234 adolescents aged 11-18 from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health (Add Health) who were surveyed during adolescence (1994-1995) and then again in early adulthood (2008-2009). Multinomial logistic regression estimated the association between PCC during adolescence and having ideation during the adolescence period only, in adulthood only, and in both adolescence and adulthood as compared with those without suicidal ideation. After adjusting for depressive symptoms and other parent and adolescent characteristics, adolescents in two-parent households who reported higher PCC during adolescence had lower relative risk of having ideation during adolescence alone and in both adolescence and adulthood. In mother-only households, higher mother connectedness was also associated with decreased risk of having adolescent ideation. PCC is an important modifiable target for the prevention of suicidal ideation from adolescence into adulthood.

The Uses of Institutional Culture: Strengthening Identification and Building Brand Equity in Higher Education. ASHE Higher Education Report, Volume 31, Number 2

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Toma, J. Douglas, Ed.; Dubrow, Greg, Ed.; Hartley, Matthew, Ed.

2005-01-01

Institutional culture matters in higher education, and universities and colleges commonly express the need to strengthen their culture. A strong culture is perceived, correctly so, to engender a needed sense of connectedness between and among the varied constituents associated with a campus. Linking organizational culture and social cohesion is…

Burnout and connectedness in the job demands-resources model: studying palliative care volunteers and their families.

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Huynh, Jasmine-Yan; Winefield, Anthony H; Xanthopoulou, Despoina; Metzer, Jacques C

2012-09-01

This study examined the role of burnout and connectedness in the job demands-resources (JD-R) model among palliative care volunteers. It was hypothesized that (a) exhaustion mediates the relationship between demands and depression, and between demands and retention; (b) cynicism mediates the relationship between resources and retention; and (c) connectedness mediates the relationship between resources and retention. Hypotheses were tested in 2 separate analyses: structural equation modeling (SEM) and path analyses. The first was based on volunteer self-reports (N = 204), while the second analysis concerned matched data from volunteers and their family members (N = 99). While strong support was found for cynicism and connectedness as mediators in both types of analyses, this was not altogether the case for exhaustion. Implications of these findings for the JD-R model and volunteer organizations are discussed.

Cultural Connectedness and Its Relation to Mental Wellness for First Nations Youth.

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Snowshoe, Angela; Crooks, Claire V; Tremblay, Paul F; Hinson, Riley E

2017-04-01

We explored the interrelationships among components of cultural connectedness (i.e., identity, traditions, and spirituality) and First Nations youth mental health using a brief version of the original Cultural Connectedness Scale. Participants included 290 First Nations youth (M age  = 14.4) who were recruited from both urban and rural school settings in Saskatchewan and Southwestern Ontario. We performed a confirmatory factor analysis of the Cultural Connectedness Scale-Short Version (CCS-S) items to investigate the factor stability of the construct in our sample. We examined the relationships between the CCS-S subscales and self-efficacy, sense of self (present and future), school connectedness, and life satisfaction using hierarchical multiple linear regression analyses to establish the validity of the abbreviated measure. The results revealed that cultural connectedness, as measured by the 10-item CCS-S, had strong associations with the mental health indicators assessed and, in some cases, was associated with First Nations youth mental health above and beyond other social determinants of health. Our results extend findings from previous research on cultural connectedness by elucidating the meaning of its components and demonstrate the importance of culture for positive youth development.

Does the quality of parent-child connectedness matter for adolescents' sexual behaviors in Nairobi informal settlements?

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Sidze, Estelle M; Elungata'a, Patricia; Maina, Beatrice W; Mutua, Michael M

2015-04-01

This study investigated the associations between parent-child connectedness and sexual behaviors among adolescents living in informal settlements in Nairobi, Kenya, a vulnerable group with respect to reproductive health outcomes. The study was based on data from the Transition to Adulthood project, a study designed to follow adolescents aged 12-22 for 3 years in the informal settlements of Korogocho and Viwandani. Direct face-to-face questions were asked to adolescents about parenting variables and sexual behaviors. This study used a subsample of 689 sexually experienced 12-22-years-olds at Wave 2. Bivariate analysis compared gender differences for three outcomes-sexual activity in the 12 months prior to the survey and, among those who had had sex in this period, multiple sexual partners and condom use at last sex. Multivariate logistic regressions were used to identify associations between these outcomes and the quality of parent-child connectedness. About 60% of adolescent females and males were sexually active in the 12 months prior to the survey. The multivariate results showed a strong association between the quality of parent-child connectedness and condom use among adolescent males. Living with related or unrelated guardians (versus living with biological parents) was also associated with higher odds of multiple sexual partners and lower odds of condom use at last sex among adolescent females and with higher odds of sexual activity among adolescent males. Sexual and reproductive health programs targeting adolescents living in Nairobi informal settlements would benefit from attention to assisting parents to improve their ability to play the connectedness role.

Between Constructivism and Connectedness

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Gordon, Mordechai

2008-01-01

Parker Palmer is correct in his claims that good teaching depends more on the capacity for connectedness than on technique and that helping teacher candidates cultivate a strong sense of personal identity is crucial. However, to what extent are Palmer's claims compatible with the various constructivist models of learning that are now prevalent in…

Social connectedness and the transition from work to retirement.

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Lancee, Bram; Radl, Jonas

2012-07-01

Although there are numerous studies on the role of social connections in early working life, research that examines how social connectedness matters in the later stages of a career is scarce. The present study analyzes to what extent social connectedness affects the timing of the transition from work to retirement. We draw on data from the German Socioeconomic Panel Study (GSOEP) from the years 1985-2009 (N = 10,225), and we apply techniques of event history analysis. Social connectedness includes social gatherings with friends, relatives, and neighbors (informal participation) as well as engagement in voluntary and civic associations and local politics (formal participation). The findings demonstrate that social connectedness matters for the transition from work to retirement, but its impact depends on the type of participation. Whereas informal participation results in earlier retirement, formal participation delays labor force withdrawal. The findings suggest a trade-off between informal participation and work in later life, which leads people with frequent social contacts to opt for early retirement. By contrast, the fact that formal participation is associated with postponed retirement points to employment benefits of volunteering and civic engagement among older workers.

I-sharing promotes social connectedness

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Bel, van D.T.; Smolders, K.C.H.J.; IJsselsteijn, W.A.; Kort, de Y.A.W.

2009-01-01

The current study demonstrates that I-sharing promotes social connectedness, a key outcome of mediated interaction. This implies that mobile communication applications, which provide the sense of having the same subjective experience as another person in response to a given stimulus may specifically

Relations among School Connectedness, Hope, Life Satisfaction, and Bully Victimization

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You, Sukkyung; Furlong, Michael J.; Felix, Erika; Sharkey, Jill D.; Tanigawa, Diane; Green, Jennifer Greif

2008-01-01

This study investigates the role of school connectedness in mediating the relation between students' sense of hope and life satisfaction for three groups: Bullied Victims, Peer Victims, and Nonvictims. Students in grades 5 to 12 (N = 866) completed the California Bully/Victim Scale, School Connectedness Scale, Children's Hope Scale, and Students'…

We'll stay in touch: Intuitive communication means for social connectedness

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Biemans, Margaretha Catharina Maria; van Halteren, Aart; van Dijk, Elisabeth M.A.G.; Rijckenberg, Gert-Jan; van Pelt, Xander; Poortinga, Remco

One of the dominant aspects in people’s well-being is social connectedness. Social connectedness refers to the subjective awareness of being in close interpersonal, meaningful, and positive social relationships and social contexts (Tilburg et al., 1998; Perlman & Paplau 1981). In our research

Deconstructing Peer Victimization: Relationships with Connectedness, Gender, Grade, and Race/Ethnicity

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La Salle, Tamika P.; Parris, Leandra; Morin, Melissa; Meyers, Joel

2016-01-01

School connectedness has been shown to be an integral part of students' perceptions of school climate, which in turn affects their mental health functioning. Research has suggested that student perceptions of school connectedness may be related to their experiences with peer victimization. However, there is limited evidence of the moderating…

Anxiety, depression and autonomy–connectedness : The mediating role of alexithymia and assertiveness

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Rutten, E.A.P.; Bachrach, N.; van Balkom, A.J.L.M.; Braeken, Johan; Ouwens, Machteld; Bekker, M.H.J.

2016-01-01

Objective Autonomy–connectedness (self-awareness, sensitivity to others, and capacity for managing new situations) reflects the capacity for self-governance, including in social relationships. Evidence showed that autonomy–connectedness is related to anxiety and depression. Little is known about the

Effects of Internet Connectedness and Information Literacy on Quality of Life

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Leung, Louis

2010-01-01

The goal of this exploratory research is to examine the inter-linkage among Internet connectedness, information literacy, and quality of life. Results from a telephone survey, based on a probability sample of 756 Internet users, found that Internet connectedness is not related to quality of life. However, there is a significant relationship…

Nostalgia as a repository of social connectedness: the role of attachment-related avoidance.

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Wildschut, Tim; Sedikides, Constantine; Routledge, Clay; Arndt, Jamie; Cordaro, Filippo

2010-04-01

Individuals who are low (compared with high) in attachment-related avoidance rely on social bonds to regulate distress, and the authors hypothesized that nostalgia can be a repository of such social connectedness. Studies 1-3 showed a positive association between loneliness and nostalgia when attachment-related avoidance was low, but not when it was high. Study 4 revealed that low-avoidance individuals derived more social connectedness from nostalgia than did high-avoidance individuals. Study 5 extended these findings and demonstrated that, in addition to being a source of social connectedness, nostalgia increased participants' perceived capacity to provide emotional support to others. As in the case of social connectedness, this beneficial effect of nostalgia was significantly stronger when attachment-related avoidance was low (compared with high).

Anxiety, depression and autonomy-connectedness: The mediating role of alexithymia and assertiveness.

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Rutten, Elisabeth A P; Bachrach, Nathan; van Balkom, Anton J L M; Braeken, Johan; Ouwens, Machteld A; Bekker, Marrie H J

2016-12-01

Autonomy-connectedness (self-awareness, sensitivity to others, and capacity for managing new situations) reflects the capacity for self-governance, including in social relationships. Evidence showed that autonomy-connectedness is related to anxiety and depression. Little is known about the underlying mechanisms. We hypothesized that alexithymia and assertiveness would mediate the relationships between autonomy-connectedness and anxiety and depression. Relationships among the variables were investigated in 100 patients with a mean age of 42.2 suffering from anxiety and/or depression using a cross-sectional design. The relationship between self-awareness and both anxiety and depression was mediated by alexithymia. For anxiety, there was also a direct effect of sensitivity to others that was not explained by either alexithymia or assertiveness. Assertiveness did not have any mediational effect. The results indicate that particularly alexithymia explains the association of autonomy-connectedness with anxiety and depression. The study confirmed the relevance of autonomy-connectedness in anxiety and depression. In treating symptoms of anxiety, it is advisable to give attention to normalizing the patient's sensitivity to others. Treatment of patients with symptoms of anxiety and depression should include assessment of emotional awareness and, in the case of impaired emotional awareness, should be tailored as to promote increased awareness. © 2015 The British Psychological Society.

Self-esteem mediates the relationship between connectedness to nature and body appreciation in women, but not men.

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Swami, Viren; von Nordheim, Laura; Barron, David

2016-03-01

Connectedness to nature (i.e., an affective and experiential connection to nature) is known to have a positive effect on psychological well-being, but its specific associations with body image have not been fully examined. To attend to this oversight, we conducted a preliminary investigation of associations between connectedness to nature and body appreciation. A total of 380 British adults completed measures of connectedness to nature, body appreciation, and self-esteem. Bivariate correlations revealed significant positive associations between all variables in women. In men, body appreciation was significantly correlated with self-esteem, but not connectedness to nature. Mediation analysis showed that, in women, self-esteem fully mediated the relationship between connectedness to nature and body appreciation. In men, body appreciation was significantly associated with self-esteem, but not connectedness to nature. These results point to a potential route for improving body image among women through connectedness to nature and self-esteem, but further research is necessary. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Autistic traits and internet gaming addiction in Chinese children: The mediating effect of emotion regulation and school connectedness.

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Sha; Yu, Chengfu; Conner, Bradley T; Wang, Suiping; Lai, Weiping; Zhang, Wei

2017-09-01

This report details an 18-month longitudinal study designed to investigate the influence of autistic traits' on internet gaming addiction (IGA) in children. A total of 420 Chinese children (220 boys, Mean age=9.74±0.45) participated in the research. Autistic traits were measured in the 4th grade and emotion regulation, school connectedness and IGA measured in both the 4th and 5th grades. After controlling for age, sex, and sensation seeking, results showed that autistic traits were related to decreased emotion regulation, which in turn was related to lower school connectedness, which was related to increased IGA. The results suggest that improving emotion regulation and school connectedness could reduce the risk of IGA. As a result, these findings may inform intervention and prevention programs targeting children with IGA, especially among those with high levels of autistic traits. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Autonomy-connectedness mediates sex differences in symptoms of psychopathology

Science.gov (United States)

Bekker, Marrie H. J.; van Assen, Marcel A. L. M.

2017-01-01

Objectives This study aimed to examine if autonomy-connectedness, capacity for self-governance under the condition of connectedness, would mediate sex differences in symptoms of various mental disorders (depression, anxiety, eating disorders, antisocial personality disorder). Method Participants (N = 5,525) from a representative community sample in the Netherlands filled out questionnaires regarding the variables under study. Results Autonomy-connectedness (self-awareness, SA; sensitivity to others, SO; capacity for managing new situations, CMNS) fully mediated the sex differences in depression and anxiety, and partly in eating disorder -(drive for thinness, bulimia, and body dissatisfaction) and anti-social personality disorder characteristics. The mediations followed the expected sex-specific patterns. SO related positively to the internalizing disorder indices, and negatively to the anti-social personality disorder. SA related negatively to all disorder indices; and CMNS to all internalizing disorder indices, but positively to the anti-social personality disorder. Conclusion Treatment of depression, anxiety, but also eating disorders and the antisocial personality disorder may benefit from a stronger focus on autonomy strengthening. PMID:28771498

Promoting or suppressing resilience to mental health outcomes in at risk young people: The role of parental and peer attachment and school connectedness.

Science.gov (United States)

Oldfield, Jeremy; Stevenson, Andrew; Ortiz, Emily; Haley, Bethany

2018-04-01

Adolescent attachment relationships formed with parents are salient predictors of mental health. Few studies, however, have demonstrated whether peer attachment or school connectedness can predict resilience to mental health difficulties when a young person is at risk due to poor parental attachment. Ninety adolescents (44 females and 46 males) living in economically disadvantaged areas and attending informal schooling projects in and around Guatemala City participated. Participants completed self-report measures of parental and peer attachment, school connectedness and mental health. Resilience to mental health difficulties was predicted by more secure school connectedness but lower levels of secure peer attachment. School connectedness may provide a role in promoting resilience for mental health for adolescents living in risk, whereas the potential negative influence that secure attachments to peers exerts, in context of poor parental attachment, needs to be explored further. Crown Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Genetic and environmental influences on the relationships between family connectedness, school connectedness, and adolescent depressed mood: sex differences.

Science.gov (United States)

Jacobson, K C; Rowe, D C

1999-07-01

This study investigated (a) genetic and environmental contributions to the relationship between family and school environment and depressed mood and (b) potential sex differences in genetic and environmental contributions to both variation in and covariation between family connectedness, school connectedness, and adolescent depressed mood. Data are from 2,302 adolescent sibling pairs (mean age = 16 years) who were part of the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health. Although genetic factors appeared to be important overall, model-fitting analyses revealed that the best-fitting model was a model that allowed for different parameters for male and female adolescents. Genetic contributions to variation in all 3 variables were greater among female adolescents than male adolescents, especially for depressed mood. Genetic factors also contributed to the correlations between family and school environment and adolescent depressed mood, although, again, these factors were stronger for female than for male adolescents.

The relative influence of different domains of social connectedness on self-directed violence in adolescence.

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Kaminski, Jennifer W; Puddy, Richard W; Hall, Diane M; Cashman, Sandra Y; Crosby, Alexander E; Ortega, Lavonne A G

2010-05-01

Previous research has linked greater social connectedness with a lowered risk of self-directed violence among adolescents. However, few studies have analyzed the comparative strength of different domains of connectedness (e.g., family, peers and school) to determine where limited resources might best be focused. Data to address that gap were taken from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Student Health and Safety Survey, administered to 4,131 7th-12th graders (51.5% female; 43.8% Hispanic; 22.6% African American or Black). Logistic regressions (controlling for age, gender, race/ethnicity, family structure, academic performance, and depressive symptoms) suggest that family connectedness was a stronger predictor than connectedness to peers, school, or adults at school for non-suicidal self-harm, suicidal ideation, suicide plans, and non-fatal suicidal behavior. In some analyses, peer connectedness was unexpectedly a risk factor. Results have implications for prevention of suicide in adolescence, especially in the context of the current trend towards school-based prevention programs.

Disparities in Mental Health Quality of Life Between Hispanic and Non-Hispanic White LGB Midlife and Older Adults and the Influence of Lifetime Discrimination, Social Connectedness, Socioeconomic Status, and Perceived Stress.

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Hyun-Jun; Fredriksen-Goldsen, Karen I

2017-10-01

We assessed factors contributing to ethnic and racial disparities in mental health quality of life (MHQOL) among lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) midlife and older adults. We utilized cross-sectional survey data from a sample of non-Hispanic White and Hispanic LGB adults aged 50 and older. Structural equation modeling was used to test the indirect effect of ethnicity/race on MHQOL via explanatory factors including social connectedness, lifetime discrimination, socioeconomic status (SES), and perceived stress. Hispanics reported significantly lower levels of MHQOL, compared to non-Hispanic Whites. In the final model, the association between ethnicity/race and MHQOL was explained by higher levels of perceived stress related to lower SES, higher frequency of lifetime discrimination, and lack of social connectedness among Hispanic LGB adults. This study suggests that perceived stress related to social disadvantage and marginalization plays an important role in MHQOL disparities among Hispanic LGB midlife and older adults.

Burnout and Connectedness among Australian Volunteers: A Test of the Job Demands-Resources Model

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Lewig, Kerry A.; Xanthopoulou, Despoina; Bakker, Arnold B.; Dollard, Maureen F.; Metzer, Jacques C.

2007-01-01

This study used the Job Demands-Resources (JD-R) model, developed in the context of occupational well-being in the paid workforce, to examine the antecedents of burnout and connectedness in the formal volunteer rural ambulance officer vocation (N=487). Structural equation modeling using self-reports provide strong evidence for the central…

Political connectedness, corporate governance, and firm performance

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Domadenik, P.; Prašnikar, J.; Švejnar, Jan

2016-01-01

Roč. 139, č. 2 (2016), s. 411-428 ISSN 0167-4544 R&D Projects: GA ČR GA15-24642S Institutional support: RVO:67985998 Keywords : political connectedness * political corruption * corporate governance Subject RIV: AH - Economics Impact factor: 2.354, year: 2016

School Connectedness and Protection from Symptoms of Depression in Sexual Minority Adolescents Attending School in Atlantic Canada

Science.gov (United States)

Wilson, Maria N.; Asbridge, Mark; Langille, Donald B.

2018-01-01

Background: In examining associations of sexual orientation, school connectedness (SC), and depression, no studies have used a continuum of sexual orientation. Additionally, no study has examined whether individuals with higher SC within subgroups of the continuum of sexual orientation are protected from symptoms of depression when compared to…

Quasiuniversal Connectedness Percolation of Polydisperse Rod Systems

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Nigro, B.; Grimaldi, C.; Chatterjee, A.P.; van der Schoot, P. P. A. M.

2013-01-01

The connectedness percolation threshold (ηc) and critical coordination number (Zc) of systems of penetrable spherocylinders characterized by a length polydispersity are studied by way of Monte Carlo simulations for several aspect ratio distributions. We find that (i) ηc is a nearly universal

Talking the talk, walking the walk: examining the effect of neighbourhood walkability and social connectedness on physical activity.

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Kaczynski, Andrew T; Glover, Troy D

2012-08-01

Few studies have considered the joint effects of social and physical environments on physical activity (PA). The primary purpose of this study was to examine the compounding effects of neighbourhood walkability and social connectedness on PA. Data were collected from adults (n = 380) in Waterloo, Ontario, Canada. Perceptions of neighbourhood social connectedness and walkability were measured via survey. Minutes of neighbourhood PA for recreation and transportation were captured with a detailed 7-day log booklet. Four groups were created (e.g. high walkability/low social connectedness) and two factorial ANOVAs examined group differences in minutes of recreational and transport-related PA. There were significant differences across the four walkability/social connectedness groups for both recreational (F = 11.36, P walkability and social connectedness displayed the greatest levels of both recreational (130.6 min) and transport-related PA (24.5 min). The high walkability/low social connectedness group had greater transport-related PA than the two low walkability groups, while the high social connectedness/low walkability group had greater recreational PA than the two low social connectedness groups. These findings underscore the relationship between physical and social dimensions of urban form and their association with health behaviours. PA promotion efforts should take into account both physical (e.g. land-use planning) and social (e.g. walking group) environments.

The protective influence of family connectedness, ethnic identity, and ethnic engagement for New Zealand Ma̅ori adolescents.

Science.gov (United States)

Stuart, Jaimee; Jose, Paul E

2014-06-01

The present study examined the associations among family connectedness, ethnic identity, and ethnic engagement on changes in well-being over time for the understudied population of Ma̅ori (indigenous New Zealand) youth. Data were collected as part of a longitudinal study of youth connectedness in New Zealand using self-report measures at 3 measurement occasions separated by 1 year each. Participants in the current study were 431 self-identified Ma̅ori (ages 10-15 years at Time 1). As expected, the variables of family connectedness, ethnic identity, and well-being were all positively related to each other. Results of a latent growth curve model showed that, following normative trends for adolescents of this age, well-being diminished over time for Ma̅ori youth; however, high levels of family connectedness were found to mitigate this general decline in well-being over time. Furthermore, in a longitudinal path analysis, ethnic engagement was found to exert a positive indirect effect on residualized Time 3 well-being through Time 2 ethnic identity. These findings indicate that the quality of family relationships and affiliation with one's ethnic group are important predictors of positive adjustment for Ma̅ori youth over time. These results are discussed in the context of positive youth development for ethnic minority and indigenous youth. PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2014 APA, all rights reserved.

Moderators of Negative Peer Influence on Early Adolescent Externalizing Behaviors: Individual Behavior, Parenting, and School Connectedness

Science.gov (United States)

Mrug, Sylvie; Windle, Michael

2009-01-01

This study examined the extent to which antisocial behavior, parenting, and school connectedness moderated the association between peer deviancy in preadolescence and externalizing problems in early adolescence. The participants included 500 boys and girls, most of them African Americans. Peer deviancy was measured with teacher reports of…

The Role of Social Connectedness and Sexual Orientation in the Prevention of Youth Suicide Ideation and Attempts Among Sexually Active Adolescents.

Science.gov (United States)

Stone, Deborah M; Luo, Feijun; Lippy, Caroline; McIntosh, Wendy LiKamWa

2015-08-01

The impact of types of social connectedness-family, other adult, and school-on suicide ideation and attempts among all youth, the relative impact of each type, and effect modification by sexual orientation was assessed. Data were from the 2007-2009 Milwaukee Youth Risk Behavior Surveys. Multivariable logistic regression analyses calculated the risk of suicide ideation and attempts by sexual orientation, types of social connectedness, and their interaction. Among all youth, each type of connectedness modeled singly conferred protective effects for suicide ideation. Family and other adult connectedness protected against suicide attempts. When modeled simultaneously, family connectedness protected against ideation and attempts. Sexual orientation modified the association between other adult connectedness and suicide ideation. Findings suggest that family connectedness confers the most consistent protection among all youth and sexual orientation does not generally modify the association between connectedness and suicidal behavior. © Published 2014. This article is a U.S. Government work and is in the public domain in the USA.

Misery loves company: when sadness increases the desire for social connectedness.

Science.gov (United States)

Gray, Heather M; Ishii, Keiko; Ambady, Nalini

2011-11-01

In three experiments, the authors investigated the effects of sadness on the desire for social connectedness. They hypothesized that sadness serves an adaptive function by motivating people to reach out to others and preferentially attend to information related to one's current level of social connectedness, but only when it is instigated by social loss. Consistent with this hypothesis, the authors observed that sadness induced by an emotional depiction of social loss enhanced (a) attention to nonverbal cues, an important source of information concerning an individual's current level of social connectedness (Experiment 1), and (b) the desire to engage in social behaviors (Experiment 2). In Experiment 3 the authors found that sadness that results from imagined social loss uniquely produced this pattern of effects. Sadness that resulted from imagined failure had different effects on motivation and no effect on sensitivity to nonverbal cues. These results support and refine functional explanations for the universality of sadness.

Boundaries to the articulation of possible selves through social networking sites: the case of Facebook profilers' social connectedness.

Science.gov (United States)

Zwier, Sandra; Araujo, Theo; Boukes, Mark; Willemsen, Lotte

2011-10-01

This study aims to contribute to an emerging literature that seeks to understand how identity markers on social networking sites (SNSs) shape interpersonal impressions, and particularly the boundaries that SNSs present for articulating unconstrained "hoped-for possible selves." An experiment employing mock-up Facebook profiles was conducted, showing that appearing with friends on a Facebook profile picture as well as increasingly higher number of Facebook friends strengthened perceptions of a profiler's hoped-for level of social connectedness. Excessive numbers of friends, however, weakened perceptions of a profiler's real-level social connectedness, particularly among participants with smaller social networks on Facebook themselves. The discussion focuses on when people come to find that reasonable boundaries of self-generated information on an SNS have been exceeded.

Social Connectedness, Discrimination, and Social Status as Mediators of Acculturation/Enculturation and Well-Being

Science.gov (United States)

Yoon, Eunju; Hacker, Jason; Hewitt, Amber; Abrams, Matthew; Cleary, Sarah

2012-01-01

The present study proposed and tested a conceptual model of acculturation/enculturation and subjective well-being (SWB) by including social connectedness in mainstream society, social connectedness in the ethnic community, perceived discrimination, and expected social status as mediators. Survey data from 273 Asian American college students in the…

Exploring the literature on music participation and social connectedness for young people with intellectual disability: A critical interpretive synthesis.

Science.gov (United States)

Murphy, Melissa Ai; McFerran, Katrina

2017-12-01

This article explores the literature on social connectedness and music for young people with disability. It then critically examines the level of congruence between the reported literature to date and current rights-based disability studies discourse. A critical interpretive synthesis was used to examine 27 articles referencing the use of music for social connectedness. Areas of focus in the review are the nature of connections being fostered in music programs, the use of voice and collaboration. The majority of music programs reported on closed groups. Outdated 'expert' models of working persist. The use of participants' voice in the literature is growing, although there is a lack of collaboration and negative reporting. A shift in thinking heralds greater collaboration with participants, although this could be broadened to include decisions on research agendas, planning and evaluation. There is also need for active fostering of broader socio-musical pathways.

Adolescent experiences of discrimination, harassment, connectedness to community and comfort with sexual orientation reported by adult men who have sex with men as a predictor of adult HIV status.

Science.gov (United States)

Raymond, H Fisher; Chen, Yea-Hung; Stall, Ron D; McFarland, Willi

2011-04-01

Using data from a probability based sample of adult men who have sex with men (MSM) we examined the association of negative life factors during adolescence and adult HIV status. 521 MSM reported on experiences of connectedness to community, comfort with sexuality, harassment and discrimination due to their sexual orientation at ages 12-18 years. HIV status was determined by serological testing. Overall, men reported moderate levels of being harassed, being discriminated against and high levels of feeling disconnected from gay communities while reporting high levels of being uncomfortable with their sexuality at those ages. However, in analyses of scores on these factors, higher experiences of harassment, higher levels of discrimination and more discomfort with sexuality at these ages are associated with HIV-negative status as adults. This study suggests that the relationship between negative adolescent experiences among MSM and adult HIV infection may not be straightforward, but may also dependent upon aspects of the intensity of the negative experiences, the relationship of the victim and the perpertrator(s), the sexual identity of the victim at the time and/or the number of these experiences or the length of time over which they occurred. Studies investigating specific multiple stressors in adolescent gay development and their effect on adult health outcomes are needed.

Parent-child relationships in Italian families: connectedness and autonomy in the transition to adulthood

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Eugenia Scabini

Full Text Available This contribution focuses on the changes in parent-child relationships during the transition to adulthood, that implies a modification of the balance of connectedness and autonomy. The principal aim was twofold: 1 to verify how relational support and style of decision making - respectively markers of family connectedness and autonomy - change from adolescence to young adulthood; 2 to compare the perceptions of parents and children through a measure of agreement. The sample was composed of 259 Italian families with a child between 17 and 25 years of age. Participants filled out a self report questionnaire including the Parent-Adolescent Support Scale and the Style of Decision Making Scale. Results highlighted that children perceived a significant increase in relational support and in autonomy from late adolescence to young adulthood. Furthermore, agreement between parents and children increased by aging. Therefore, near the transition to adulthood, parents and young adults are closer to each other than during late adolescence.

GPU-based relative fuzzy connectedness image segmentation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhuge Ying; Ciesielski, Krzysztof C.; Udupa, Jayaram K.; Miller, Robert W.

2013-01-01

Purpose:Recently, clinical radiological research and practice are becoming increasingly quantitative. Further, images continue to increase in size and volume. For quantitative radiology to become practical, it is crucial that image segmentation algorithms and their implementations are rapid and yield practical run time on very large data sets. The purpose of this paper is to present a parallel version of an algorithm that belongs to the family of fuzzy connectedness (FC) algorithms, to achieve an interactive speed for segmenting large medical image data sets. Methods: The most common FC segmentations, optimizing an ℓ ∞ -based energy, are known as relative fuzzy connectedness (RFC) and iterative relative fuzzy connectedness (IRFC). Both RFC and IRFC objects (of which IRFC contains RFC) can be found via linear time algorithms, linear with respect to the image size. The new algorithm, P-ORFC (for parallel optimal RFC), which is implemented by using NVIDIA’s Compute Unified Device Architecture (CUDA) platform, considerably improves the computational speed of the above mentioned CPU based IRFC algorithm. Results: Experiments based on four data sets of small, medium, large, and super data size, achieved speedup factors of 32.8×, 22.9×, 20.9×, and 17.5×, correspondingly, on the NVIDIA Tesla C1060 platform. Although the output of P-ORFC need not precisely match that of IRFC output, it is very close to it and, as the authors prove, always lies between the RFC and IRFC objects. Conclusions: A parallel version of a top-of-the-line algorithm in the family of FC has been developed on the NVIDIA GPUs. An interactive speed of segmentation has been achieved, even for the largest medical image data set. Such GPU implementations may play a crucial role in automatic anatomy recognition in clinical radiology.

GPU-based relative fuzzy connectedness image segmentation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zhuge Ying; Ciesielski, Krzysztof C.; Udupa, Jayaram K.; Miller, Robert W. [Radiation Oncology Branch, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland 20892 (United States); Department of Mathematics, West Virginia University, Morgantown, West Virginia 26506 (United States) and Medical Image Processing Group, Department of Radiology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104 (United States); Medical Image Processing Group, Department of Radiology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104 (United States); Radiation Oncology Branch, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland 20892 (United States)

2013-01-15

Purpose:Recently, clinical radiological research and practice are becoming increasingly quantitative. Further, images continue to increase in size and volume. For quantitative radiology to become practical, it is crucial that image segmentation algorithms and their implementations are rapid and yield practical run time on very large data sets. The purpose of this paper is to present a parallel version of an algorithm that belongs to the family of fuzzy connectedness (FC) algorithms, to achieve an interactive speed for segmenting large medical image data sets. Methods: The most common FC segmentations, optimizing an Script-Small-L {sub {infinity}}-based energy, are known as relative fuzzy connectedness (RFC) and iterative relative fuzzy connectedness (IRFC). Both RFC and IRFC objects (of which IRFC contains RFC) can be found via linear time algorithms, linear with respect to the image size. The new algorithm, P-ORFC (for parallel optimal RFC), which is implemented by using NVIDIA's Compute Unified Device Architecture (CUDA) platform, considerably improves the computational speed of the above mentioned CPU based IRFC algorithm. Results: Experiments based on four data sets of small, medium, large, and super data size, achieved speedup factors of 32.8 Multiplication-Sign , 22.9 Multiplication-Sign , 20.9 Multiplication-Sign , and 17.5 Multiplication-Sign , correspondingly, on the NVIDIA Tesla C1060 platform. Although the output of P-ORFC need not precisely match that of IRFC output, it is very close to it and, as the authors prove, always lies between the RFC and IRFC objects. Conclusions: A parallel version of a top-of-the-line algorithm in the family of FC has been developed on the NVIDIA GPUs. An interactive speed of segmentation has been achieved, even for the largest medical image data set. Such GPU implementations may play a crucial role in automatic anatomy recognition in clinical radiology.

GPU-based relative fuzzy connectedness image segmentation.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhuge, Ying; Ciesielski, Krzysztof C; Udupa, Jayaram K; Miller, Robert W

2013-01-01

Recently, clinical radiological research and practice are becoming increasingly quantitative. Further, images continue to increase in size and volume. For quantitative radiology to become practical, it is crucial that image segmentation algorithms and their implementations are rapid and yield practical run time on very large data sets. The purpose of this paper is to present a parallel version of an algorithm that belongs to the family of fuzzy connectedness (FC) algorithms, to achieve an interactive speed for segmenting large medical image data sets. The most common FC segmentations, optimizing an [script-l](∞)-based energy, are known as relative fuzzy connectedness (RFC) and iterative relative fuzzy connectedness (IRFC). Both RFC and IRFC objects (of which IRFC contains RFC) can be found via linear time algorithms, linear with respect to the image size. The new algorithm, P-ORFC (for parallel optimal RFC), which is implemented by using NVIDIA's Compute Unified Device Architecture (CUDA) platform, considerably improves the computational speed of the above mentioned CPU based IRFC algorithm. Experiments based on four data sets of small, medium, large, and super data size, achieved speedup factors of 32.8×, 22.9×, 20.9×, and 17.5×, correspondingly, on the NVIDIA Tesla C1060 platform. Although the output of P-ORFC need not precisely match that of IRFC output, it is very close to it and, as the authors prove, always lies between the RFC and IRFC objects. A parallel version of a top-of-the-line algorithm in the family of FC has been developed on the NVIDIA GPUs. An interactive speed of segmentation has been achieved, even for the largest medical image data set. Such GPU implementations may play a crucial role in automatic anatomy recognition in clinical radiology.

GPU-based relative fuzzy connectedness image segmentation

Science.gov (United States)

Zhuge, Ying; Ciesielski, Krzysztof C.; Udupa, Jayaram K.; Miller, Robert W.

2013-01-01

Purpose: Recently, clinical radiological research and practice are becoming increasingly quantitative. Further, images continue to increase in size and volume. For quantitative radiology to become practical, it is crucial that image segmentation algorithms and their implementations are rapid and yield practical run time on very large data sets. The purpose of this paper is to present a parallel version of an algorithm that belongs to the family of fuzzy connectedness (FC) algorithms, to achieve an interactive speed for segmenting large medical image data sets. Methods: The most common FC segmentations, optimizing an ℓ∞-based energy, are known as relative fuzzy connectedness (RFC) and iterative relative fuzzy connectedness (IRFC). Both RFC and IRFC objects (of which IRFC contains RFC) can be found via linear time algorithms, linear with respect to the image size. The new algorithm, P-ORFC (for parallel optimal RFC), which is implemented by using NVIDIA’s Compute Unified Device Architecture (CUDA) platform, considerably improves the computational speed of the above mentioned CPU based IRFC algorithm. Results: Experiments based on four data sets of small, medium, large, and super data size, achieved speedup factors of 32.8×, 22.9×, 20.9×, and 17.5×, correspondingly, on the NVIDIA Tesla C1060 platform. Although the output of P-ORFC need not precisely match that of IRFC output, it is very close to it and, as the authors prove, always lies between the RFC and IRFC objects. Conclusions: A parallel version of a top-of-the-line algorithm in the family of FC has been developed on the NVIDIA GPUs. An interactive speed of segmentation has been achieved, even for the largest medical image data set. Such GPU implementations may play a crucial role in automatic anatomy recognition in clinical radiology. PMID:23298094

Exploring Psychosocial Mechanisms and Interactions: Links Between Adolescent Emotional Distress, School Connectedness, and Educational Achievement

Science.gov (United States)

Pate, Christina M.; Maras, Melissa A.; Whitney, Stephen D.; Bradshaw, Catherine P.

2017-01-01

Internalizing mental health issues are a significant developmental and clinical concern during adolescence, but rarely identified as a problem among school staff. Using data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health, this study examined the associations between adolescent emotional distress, school connectedness, and educational achievement by exploring potential mechanistic and interactive roles of perceived school connectedness on the emotion–education association. Emotional distress was negatively associated with adolescents’ perceptions of belonging to school, which, in turn, may negatively influence educational achievement. School connectedness also had both additive and multiplicative interaction effects on the emotion–education relationship. Results support previous evidence of school connectedness as a protective factor for adolescents with internalizing mental health concerns, although much of the work to date has focused on externalizing problems. This study informs our understanding of how, why, and for whom emotional problems influence educational outcomes in light of social support in the school context. PMID:28947921

Digital Life and Youth Well-being, Social Connectedness, Empathy, and Narcissism.

Science.gov (United States)

James, Carrie; Davis, Katie; Charmaraman, Linda; Konrath, Sara; Slovak, Petr; Weinstein, Emily; Yarosh, Lana

2017-11-01

Youth well-being, social connectedness, and personality traits, such as empathy and narcissism, are at the crux of concerns often raised about the impacts of digital life. Understanding known impacts, and research gaps, in these areas is an important first step toward supporting media use that contributes positively to youth's happiness, life satisfaction, and prosocial attitudes and behaviors. By examining existing work addressing these issues across domains, we found that a complex interplay of individual factors, type of digital media engagement, and experiences in media contexts informs outcomes related to well-being, social connectedness, empathy, and narcissism. We argue that further research is needed to uncover how, where, when, and for whom digital media practices support positive well-being and social connectedness outcomes. Specifically, research needs to move beyond correlational studies to uncover causal connections between traits like narcissism and media use. Longitudinal studies are also needed to explore patterns of media use over time and related impacts. Further research is needed to explore how specific technologies can be designed to support positive well-being, social outcomes, and prosocial personality traits. Finally, research is needed regarding parenting, educational practices, and policies that support positive digital media use and related outcomes. Although existing research suggests that digital life has mixed potentials and effects for well-being, social connectedness, empathy, and narcissism, we provide recommendations for clinicians, policy makers, and educators in partnering with caregivers and youth to support media use that promotes positive outcomes in these areas. Copyright © 2017 by the American Academy of Pediatrics.

Social Connectedness and Perceived Listening Effort in Adult Cochlear Implant Users: A Grounded Theory to Establish Content Validity for a New Patient-Reported Outcome Measure.

Science.gov (United States)

Hughes, Sarah E; Hutchings, Hayley A; Rapport, Frances L; McMahon, Catherine M; Boisvert, Isabelle

2018-02-08

motivated by a need to maintain a sense of social connectedness (i.e., the subjective awareness of being in touch with one's social world). Before implantation, low social connectedness in the presence of high listening effort encouraged self-alienating behaviors and resulted in social isolation with adverse effects for participant's well-being and quality of life. A CI moderated but did not remove the requirement for listening effort. Listening effort, in combination with the improved auditory signal supplied by the CI, enabled most participants to listen and communicate more effectively. These participants reported a restored sense of social connectedness and an acceptance of the continued need for listening effort. Social connectedness, effort-reward balance, and listening effort as a multidimensional phenomenon were the core constructs identified as important to participants' experiences and understanding of listening effort. The study's findings suggest: (1) perceived listening effort is related to social and psychological factors and (2) these factors may influence how individuals with hearing loss report on the actual cognitive processing demands of listening. These findings provide evidence in support of the Framework for Understanding Effortful Listening a heuristic that describes listening effort as a function of both motivation and demands on cognitive capacity. This GT will inform item development and establish the content validity for a new PROM for measuring listening effort.

Asymmetric volatility connectedness on the forex market

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Baruník, Jozef; Kočenda, Evžen; Vácha, Lukáš

2017-01-01

Roč. 77, č. 1 (2017), s. 39-56 ISSN 0261-5606 R&D Projects: GA ČR(CZ) GA16-14179S Institutional support: RVO:67985556 Keywords : volatility * connectedness * asymmetric effects Subject RIV: AH - Economics OBOR OECD: Finance Impact factor: 1.853, year: 2016 http://library.utia.cas.cz/separaty/2017/E/barunik-0478477.pdf

Examining the Relationship between Self-Esteem, Mattering, School Connectedness, and Wellness among Middle School Students

Science.gov (United States)

Watson, Joshua C.

2018-01-01

With data collected from 254 middle grade (5-8) students enrolled in a rural, southern school district, this study sought to determine the influence of self-esteem, mattering, and school connectedness on students' overall wellness. Using a two-step hierarchical multiple regression analysis, the author found that school connectedness significantly…

School Connectedness for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Youth: In-School Victimization and Institutional Supports

Science.gov (United States)

Diaz, Elizabeth M.; Kosciw, Joseph G.; Greytak, Emily A.

2010-01-01

Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender students often face challenges that prevent them from developing a sense of connectedness to school. Many LGBT youth attend schools that are unwelcoming or even overtly hostile. For any student, being victimized at school can negatively impact their sense of school connectedness. This article discusses the…

Influence of social connectedness, commu-nication and monitoring ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

This paper examines connectedness to, communication with and monitoring of unmarried adolescents in Ghana by parents, other adults, friends and key social institutions and the roles these groups play with respect to adolescent sexual activity. The paper draws on 2004 nationally-representative survey data and ...

Child Maltreatment and Social Connectedness Among Formerly Institutionalized Females: Links With Depression.

Science.gov (United States)

van Delft, Ivanka; Finkenauer, Catrin; Verbruggen, Janna

2016-05-01

This study aimed to examine the effects of child maltreatment subtypes (physical abuse, sexual abuse, neglect, and exposure to domestic violence) and cumulative child maltreatment on depressive symptoms in adulthood, and examine the protective effects of social connectedness in a sample of formerly institutionalized females. The sample consisted of 124 females who were institutionalized in a Dutch juvenile justice institution during adolescence and were followed-up when they were on average 32 years old. Information about child maltreatment was extracted from treatment files. Retrospective data on social connectedness in young adulthood were established during interviews using a Life History Calendar. Relationship quality at follow-up was assessed with items derived from the Rochester Youth Development Study. The Center for Epidemiological Studies Scale for Depression (CES-D) was used to measure depressive symptoms in adulthood. Results showed that 85.5% of the females experienced child maltreatment, and co-occurrence of subtypes was high. Cumulative child maltreatment increased the risk of depression in adulthood. Furthermore, social connectedness, that is, more employment over time and the quality of the romantic relationship at follow-up, protected against the development of depression. However, social connectedness did not buffer the effect of maltreatment on depression. Our findings indicate that treatment of these girls should focus on improving the social-emotional development to promote positive interpersonal relationships and include educational and vocational components to guide these girls toward increased opportunities on the labor market. © The Author(s) 2015.

School Community Connectedness and Family Participation at School

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Dove, Meghan K.; Zorotovich, Jennifer; Gregg, Katy

2018-01-01

Family involvement in a child's education is a complex system that extends beyond the presence of partnerships between families, schools, and the community (Epstein, 2011). By measuring families' feelings of connectedness and membership to the school community, this study explores families' motivations for participating in their child's learning…

For Whom Money Matters Less: Social Connectedness as a Resilience Resource in the UK.

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Richards, Lindsay

The current literature shows that both absolute and relative income are important for happiness, but there is little work emphasising how the strength of the relationship is dependent on personal and social factors. I hypothesise that social connectedness influences the money-happiness relationship because the effect of money is in part felt through the acquisition of social status, whereas status (and associated psychological benefits such as self-worth) can alternatively be gained through social connectedness. In particular, it is theorised that 'weak ties' when co-existing with good quality informal ties have a separable and additional benefit to subjective well-being, and that it is the socially isolated who have the most to gain from doing well financially. Social connectedness is conceptualised as a 'resilience resource' which has a buffering effect on subjective well-being. Data from the British Household Panel Survey are used, first to establish a measurement schema of connectedness using latent class analysis, and secondly in a multilevel model of life satisfaction with observations from seven consecutive years nested within individuals. The results show that connectedness makes a larger difference to satisfaction in times of financial stress, and that the satisfaction of the socially isolated can 'catch up' to some degree with those with larger networks when things are going well financially. The findings also confirm that those for whom money makes the smallest contribution to happiness are those with both strong and weak ties. Weak ties have an additional benefit compared to having strong ties alone. In summary, connectedness has the power to narrow the well-being gap that exists between times of financial struggle and times of relative comfort. It suggests that the psychological benefits of social integration have the capacity to displace money as a source of status and self-worth, and similarly that the importance of money may be exaggerated where

'Mum never loved me.' How structural factors influence adolescent sexual and reproductive health through parent-child connectedness: a qualitative study in rural Tanzania.

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Wamoyi, Joyce; Wight, Daniel

2014-01-01

Research in high income countries shows parent-child connectedness to be protective against undesirable sexual and reproductive health (SRH) outcomes among young people. Little has been done to understand the nature of parent-child connectedness, the structural factors that impact on connectedness and parents' understanding of how connectedness affects their children's sexual behaviour in sub-Saharan Africa and Tanzania in particular. Ethnographic research involved 30 days of observation in 10 households, 9 focus group discussions and 60 in-depth interviews. Thematic analysis was conducted using NVIVO qualitative data analysis software. The structural factors with greatest influence on connectedness were economic circumstances, gender, social status, state education, and globalisation. Economic circumstances impacted on parent-child connectedness through parents' ability to provide for their children's material needs, and the time their occupation allowed for them to spend with their children and monitor their activities. Appropriate parent-child interactions were shaped by gender norms and by social status in the form of respectability, adolescents' adherence to norms of respect/obedience shaping their parents' affection. State education affected parents' preferences between children but also undermined parental authority, as did broader globalisation. Connectedness was related to SRH in a bi-directional way: lack of connectedness was linked to young people's low self-esteem and risky sexual behaviour while unplanned pregnancies seriously undermined young women's connectedness with their parents. Since material provision was perceived to be a central element of parent-child connectedness, structural factors limiting provision made transactional sex more likely both through direct material pathways and emotional ones. Motives for transactional sex were said to be material needs and to feel loved and cared for. An important pathway by which structural factors shape

Food for talk: Photo frames to support social connectedness for elderly people in a nursing home

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Biemans, Margaretha Catharina Maria; van Dijk, Elisabeth M.A.G.; Norros, L.; Koskinen, H.; Salo, S.; Savioja, P.

2009-01-01

Social connectedness is crucial to someone’s well-being. A case study is conducted to test whether the social connectedness of elderly people living in a nursing home and their family and friends can be improved through a photo frame. A SIM-based photo frame is used to keep the elderly people

Exploring the Relationship between Health Insurance, Social Connectedness, and Subjective Social Status among Residents of O'ahu.

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Thompson, Lisa M; Murray, Kate A; Jarvis, Sarah; Scarr, Ellen

2016-11-01

Relative position in a social hierarchy, or subjective social status, has been associated with indicators of socioeconomic status and may be influenced by social connectedness. The primary purpose of this study is to explore the relationship between health insurance status and subjective social status, using the MacArthur Scale of Subjective Social Status (SSS, community version), in the state of Hawai'i with its highly insured population. The secondary purpose is to examine other social determinants that influence social status, including social connectedness. Data were drawn from a convenience sample of 728 O'ahu residents in 2011-12. Social connectedness was measured if participants stated that family, friends, or community were strengths that could address their social and health concerns. In the final adjusted linear regression model, those with Medicaid/Quest insurance (β -0.40; P Social connectedness was highly valued, with over 30% of participants stating strong community and family ties as one of Hawai'i's greatest strengths. However, these strengths were not found to be statistically associated with subjective social status in our sample. Future studies should assess whether reinforcing social connectedness through public health and educational interventions improves subjective social status among low-income and ethnically diverse communities in Hawai'i.

Exploring the Literature on Music Participation and Social Connectedness for Young People with Intellectual Disability: A Critical Interpretive Synthesis

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Murphy, Melissa A. I.; McFerran, Katrina

2017-01-01

Background: This article explores the literature on social connectedness and music for young people with disability. It then critically examines the level of congruence between the reported literature to date and current rights-based disability studies discourse. Method: A critical interpretive synthesis was used to examine 27 articles referencing…

Cultural Communication Characteristics and Student Connectedness in an Online Environment: Perceptions and Preferences of Online Graduate Students

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Green, Tim; Hoffmann, Malia; Donovan, Loretta; Phuntsog, Nawang

2017-01-01

This multi-year exploratory research examined the perceptions of connectedness of students enrolled in an online cohort-based Master's program in educational technology. The research specifically examined the level of connectedness the graduate students from low-context and high-context cultures felt towards their peers, the professors, and the…

Promoting Connectedness through Whole-School Approaches: A Qualitative Study

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Rowe, Fiona; Stewart, Donald

2009-01-01

Purpose: School connectedness, or a sense of belonging to the school environment, is an established protective factor for child and adolescent health, education, and social well-being. While a comprehensive, whole-school approach that addresses the school organisational environment is increasingly endorsed as an effective approach to promote…

Connectedness to Nature and to Humanity: their association and personality correlates

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Lee, Kibeom; Ashton, Michael C.; Choi, Julie; Zachariassen, Kayla

2015-01-01

People differ in the extent to which they identify with humans beyond their ingroup and with non-human living things. We refer to the former as the Connectedness to Humanity (CH) and to the latter as the Connectedness to Nature (CN). In a sample of 324 undergraduate students, CH and CN were operationalized using the Identification with All Humanity Scale (McFarland et al., 2012) and the CN Scale (Mayer and Frantz, 2004), respectively. These variables correlated moderately with each other (r = 0.44) and shared Openness to Experience and Honesty–Humility as their primary personality correlates. CN was found to play an important role in mediating the relationships between the two personality variables and some specific pro-environmental/pro-animal attitudes and ecological behaviors. PMID:26257669

Feeling angry and acting angry: different effects of autonomy-connectedness in boys and girls.

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Karreman, Annemiek; Bekker, Marrie H J

2012-04-01

This study examined effects of the autonomy-connectedness components sensitivity to others, self-awareness and capacity for managing new situations on anger experience versus anger expression in adolescent boys and girls. One hundred thirty-one high school students were randomly assigned to an anger-inducing or neutral condition using the Dictator Game. Whereas after anger induction boys experienced and expressed anger independent of autonomy-connectedness, girls' anger experience depended on the level of sensitivity to others: girls experienced increased anger only when they scored high on sensitivity to others. However, girls' expression of anger did not depend on the level of sensitivity to others. Effects of self-awareness and capacity for managing new situations were found when anger was not induced. This study contributed to emotion regulation research by showing differences in anger experience and anger expression as a function of autonomy-connectedness in boys and girls. Copyright © 2011 The Foundation for Professionals in Services for Adolescents. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The role of sex, attachment and autonomy-connectedness in personality functioning.

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Bachrach, Nathan; Croon, Marcel A; Bekker, Marrie H J

2015-11-01

Previous studies have found significant relationships among sex, attachment and autonomy-connectedness and DSM-IV personality characteristics. In the present study, we aimed to add to the current knowledge about attachment-related aspects of personality pathology, by examining the relationships of these same variables with dimensions of pathological personality structure as conceptualized by Kernberg. The study was performed among 106 ambulatory patients from a Dutch mental healthcare institute. A path model based upon neo-analytical object relation theory and attachment theory was tested. We expected significant associations among sex, attachment, autonomy and aspects of personality functioning. Both insecure attachment styles as well as the autonomy-connectedness components of sensitivity to others (SO) and capacity of managing new situations predicted general personality dysfunctioning significantly. More specifically, reality testing was negatively predicted by the autonomy component of capacity of managing new situations, and aggression was significantly predicted by sex as well as both insecure attachment styles. We advise scientists as well as clinicians to be alert on sex differences in autonomy-connectedness and aspects of personality dysfunctioning. Taking sex-specific variations in attachment and autonomy into account next to a more explicit focus on insecure attachment styles and autonomy problems may enhance, the current relatively low, treatment effectiveness for personality pathology. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Hope, connectedness, and action: responses of adolescents and young adults to the threat of nuclear war

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Fernald, M.C.

1985-01-01

This study undertook to assess the degree to which a person's sense of interconnectedness with others may have a mediating effect on whether one reacts to the consciousness of nuclear threat with feelings of despair (helplessness and hopelessness) or with a sense of empowerment (hope, efficacy, and action for change). Subjects included 119 public high school students and 14 Friends' school students, ranging from 12-18 years of age; 58 university students ranging from 18-25 years of age; and 24 parents of public school students, 10 adult Friends, and 38 members of Physicians for Social Responsibility, ranging from 20-83 years of age. A self-rating questionnaire was administered to assess subjects' conscious level of concern about nuclear issues, feelings of connectedness with others in general and about nuclear concerns, feelings of hope and efficacy in general and with regard to nuclear issues, and participation in activities reflecting concerns about nuclear threat. Correlational analyses (multiple regression, Spearman Rho, Kendall's Tau) showed that general feelings of hope, level of activity, and feelings of connectedness about nuclear concerns were the best predictors of hope about nuclear concerns. Conscious level of concern and feelings of connectedness about nuclear concerns, along with age and SES were the best predictors of an active response to nuclear threat; additionally, parents' level of concern about nuclear issues was predictive of their children's degree of activity in response to nuclear threat. Adolescents' level of concern and degree of connectedness with others was predicted by their parents' degree of connectedness.

Goal orientation and well-being in college athletes: The importance of athletic social connectedness.

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Wayment, Heidi A; Walters, Andrew Schrack

2017-11-01

The present study examined the ability of an interpersonal construct called athletic connectedness to mediate the relationship between task and ego goal orientations and well-being. We operationalised athletic social connectedness as a sense of social belonging and sense of connection with teammates. We hypothesised that athletic social connectedness would be positively associated with task goals, negatively associated with ego goals, and would at least partially mediate the relationship between achievement goals and well-being. We administered questionnaires to female (N = 106; mean age = 20.47, SD = 1.12) and male (N = 100; mean age = 20.95, SD = 1.21) NCAA Division III college athletes. We tested our hypothesised model using structural equation modelling, which included testing a measurement model that specified four latent variables and then comparing the estimates generated by our hypothesised model with our data. We also tested three alternative models and found our hypothesised model to fit best. As predicted, there were significant indirect effects of task and ego motivation on well-being through athletic connectedness, demonstrating formal evidence of mediation. The r 2 coefficient indicated that the model explained 30% of the variance in well-being, a moderate effect size (Cohen, 1988). Discussion focuses on the importance of considering interpersonal constructs as a way to improve our understanding of relationship between task and ego goal orientations to well-being in athletes.

Challenges of connectedness in personal recovery for rural mothers with mental illness.

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Hine, Rochelle Helena; Maybery, Darryl; Goodyear, Melinda Jane

2018-04-01

Social connection is a fundamental human need, but challenging for individuals with characteristics that are socially stigmatized. Parenting with mental illness presents obstacles, as well as opportunities, for connection. In the present study, we examined connectedness within a personal recovery paradigm for rural mothers with a mental illness. In-depth interviews with 17 mothers with a mental illness, utilizing constructivist grounded theory, resulted in six categories of meaning, including 'yearning for connection', 'connecting intensely', 'encountering rejection and exclusion', 'choosing isolation', 'being known', and 'finding peers/helping others'. Women expressed a strong desire for connection, but for many, prior experiences of trauma and rejection created barriers to the development of trust, preventing some women from seeking opportunities for connection. Connectedness to self and significant others, and a broader life meaning and purpose can support and expedite personal recovery from mental illness for rural women. However the factors that contribute to the mental illness might also inhibit the development of trust needed to attain social connection. Increasing connectedness in mothers with mental illness is a complex endeavour requiring concerted focus as distinct from other service-delivery goals. The perinatal period could be a key time for intervention. © 2017 Australian College of Mental Health Nurses Inc.

Eliciting Challenges on Social Connectedness among Filipino Nurse Returnees: A Cross-Sectional Mixed-Method Research.

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Cortez, Mary Jane L; Del Rosario, Christian V; Diño, Michael Joseph S

2016-01-01

This cross-sectional study utilized a nested concurrent design to determine the association of Filipino nurse returnees' length of stay since they returned and their social connectedness as well as the essence of communication from their perspective. The respondents, who are Filipino nurses (n = 107) who worked abroad and returned to the Philippines for good, were employed from June to July of 2015 via referrals from colleges and institutions in Metro Manila and Bulacan areas in the Philippines. The quantitative results revealed, in one hand, significant but weak correlation between the respondent's length of stay and social connectedness (r = 0.224, p = 0.021, α = 0.05). On the other hand, three themes were generated from the qualitative analysis, namely, (1) Taking-In, (2) Taking-Hold, and (3) Letting-Go. The Social Connection System (SCS) provides a visual depiction of the social connectedness of a person. This research is geared towards the understanding of the interesting phenomenon of migration and social coherence of Filipino professionals.

The Impact of Social Connectedness and Internalized Transphobic Stigma on Self-Esteem Among Transgender and Gender Non-Conforming Adults.

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Austin, Ashley; Goodman, Revital

2017-01-01

The transgender and gender non-conforming (TGNC) community continues to represent a notably marginalized population exposed to pervasive discrimination, microaggressions, and victimization. Congruent with the minority stress model, TGNC individuals persistently experience barriers to wellbeing in contemporary society; however, research uncovering resilience-based pathways to health among this population is sparse. This study aimed to explore the impact and interaction between internalized transphobic stigma and a potential buffer against minority stress-social connectedness-on the self-esteem of TGNC identified adults. Data were collected from 65 TGNC identified adults during a national transgender conference. Multiple regression analysis reveals that self-esteem is negatively impacted by internalized transphobia and positively impacted by social connectedness. Social connectedness did not significantly moderate the relationship between internalized transphobia and self-esteem. Micro and macro interventions aimed at increasing social connectedness and decreasing internalized transphobic stigma may be paramount for enhancing resiliency and wellbeing in the TGNC community.

The role of sex and autonomy-connectedness in internalizing and externalizing personality pathology, coping and axis-I pathology: among psychiatric and healthy elderly.

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Bachrach, Nathan; Croon, Marcel; Bekker, Marrie

2017-06-01

In the current study we investigated the relationship of sex and autonomy-connectedness with internalizing and externalizing personality disorder symptoms (PDS), coping and axis-I pathology in older age. A path model was tested which was based on neo-analytical object relation, attachment- and primary-personality theory, among 100 clinical and 106 non-clinical elderly. In line with our model, autonomy-connectedness (self-awareness and capacity of managing new situations) was strongly associated to internalizing PDS in both groups. In both groups, neither sex nor autonomy-connectedness predicted externalizing PDS. Sex, internalizing as well as externalizing PDS and reactive defensive coping were associated to axis-I psychopathology. We conclude that sex and autonomy-connectedness were, similarly as in adult populations, associated to internalizing PDS and axis-I pathology. Treatment of elderly with internalizing PDS and axis-I psychopathology should therefore focus on enhancing autonomy-connectedness.

Gratefulness and subjective well-being: Social connectedness and presence of meaning as mediators.

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Liao, Kelly Yu-Hsin; Weng, Chih-Yuan

2018-04-01

The association between gratefulness and well-being is well established; however, few studies have examined the mechanisms that underlie this association. The broaden-and-build theory (Fredrickson, 1998, 2001) posits that positive emotions broaden individuals' momentary thought-action repertoires, which serve to build personal resources that can be drawn upon during future stressful encounters. Based on this theory, the current study examined whether gratefulness, a positive emotion, would build social and cognitive resources in terms of social connectedness and presence of meaning in life (i.e., mediators), which subsequently contribute to subjective well-being (SWB). A total of 232 students participated in an online survey at 2 different time points (3 months apart). The mediational hypothesis was tested by latent change score analyses using structural equation modeling techniques. The results showed that changes in gratefulness predicted changes in social connectedness and presence of meaning in life, which, in turn, predicted changes in SWB. The study's findings provided further support for the broaden-and-build theory and suggested that gratefulness is an important positive emotion that contributes to SWB through increased social connectedness and a greater presence of meaning in life. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2018 APA, all rights reserved).

Eliciting Challenges on Social Connectedness among Filipino Nurse Returnees: A Cross-Sectional Mixed-Method Research

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mary Jane L. Cortez

2016-01-01

Full Text Available This cross-sectional study utilized a nested concurrent design to determine the association of Filipino nurse returnees’ length of stay since they returned and their social connectedness as well as the essence of communication from their perspective. The respondents, who are Filipino nurses (n=107 who worked abroad and returned to the Philippines for good, were employed from June to July of 2015 via referrals from colleges and institutions in Metro Manila and Bulacan areas in the Philippines. The quantitative results revealed, in one hand, significant but weak correlation between the respondent’s length of stay and social connectedness (r=0.224, p=0.021, α=0.05. On the other hand, three themes were generated from the qualitative analysis, namely, (1 Taking-In, (2 Taking-Hold, and (3 Letting-Go. The Social Connection System (SCS provides a visual depiction of the social connectedness of a person. This research is geared towards the understanding of the interesting phenomenon of migration and social coherence of Filipino professionals.

Therapists' Perspectives on Suicide: A Conceptual Model of Connectedness.

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Aherne, Cian; Coughlan, Barry; Surgenor, Paul

2017-08-03

A sense of disconnection for people who are suicidal seems to be a key construct of previous literature. Therapists' ways of encountering and understanding people who are suicidal have not been previously researched in depth using qualitative methodologies. The current study aims to develop a theoretical framework for the role played by connectedness in relation to suicide based on the perspectives of psychotherapists working in the field of suicide intervention. Psychotherapists (N = 12) from a suicide intervention service in Ireland were interviewed in relation to connectedness and suicide. The interviews were analysed using Constructivist Grounded Theory. A tentative theoretical model for connectedness in relation to suicide was developed. Therapists view self-disconnect as at the core of suicidality and note that toxic relationships also play a critical role. Therapeutic connection can present as a life-saving paradox for people who are suicidal. Risk of death and therapeutic endeavour may present as challenging dynamics for working with people who are suicidal. Some discussion points include the worth of self-compassion development for people who are suicidal, the rephrasing of "psychotherapy" when trying to save someone's life and the emphasis on relationship skills for all healthcare professionals who encounter people who are suicidal. Clinical or methodological significance of this article: This article is one of the first in which therapists are interviewed about their understandings of suicide and the processes of suicide in the therapeutic space. It offers novel insights about how people who are suicidal present in therapy and what may be contributing to this presentation. The research also gives insights on the struggles for therapists working with people who are suicidal and who may be ambiguous about the prospect of therapy and connecting. The study also offers important direction for future studies in relation to what requires further discussion

Self-Esteem and Feelings of Community Connectedness of At-Risk Adolescents Attending Community-Based Afterschool Programs

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Tina Loughlin

2013-03-01

Full Text Available This research investigated the relationship between adolescent afterschool program attendance, self-esteem and feelings of community connectedness. Thirty-nine of the 61 at-risk adolescents enrolled in two federally funded, community based afterschool programs participated in the study. Participants completed a 10-item self-esteem questionnaire and a 5-item section of the Youth Involved in Community Issues Survey (YICI to measure perceptions of community connectedness. Attendance records were also collected from the sites. Data were analyzed using Pearson Correlations. Results indicated that there was not a significant relationship between the total variables. The individual item analysis, however, did find a significant relationship between adolescent community connectedness and self esteem items. Findings suggest that there is a relationship to be explored and strengthened through means of community outreach for adolescents. Conclusions from this study have important implications for youth practice. Specifically, program leaders need to help adolescents get involved in the community as contributing members.

School Connectedness and Suicidal Thoughts and Behaviors: A Systematic Meta-Analysis

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Marraccini, Marisa E.; Brier, Zoe M. F.

2017-01-01

Among the protective factors associated with reduced risk for suicide, scientific inquiries into school connectedness are especially important considering that schools are ideally situated to provide interventions reaching the vast majority of youth. Although there is a wealth of research that supports the association between school connectedness…

Associations of Housing First Configuration and Crime and Social Connectedness Among Persons With Chronic Homelessness Histories.

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Whittaker, Elizabeth; Flatau, Paul Robert; Swift, Wendy; Dobbins, Timothy A; Burns, Lucinda

2016-10-01

This study compared changes in criminal justice contact, quality of life, and social connectedness over a 12-month follow-up period between participants in two Housing First configurations (scattered site [SS] and congregate site [CS]). A longitudinal, quantitative design was utilized for this ecological study. Changes in individual outcomes over time were compared for SS and CS participants who completed both baseline and 12-month follow-up surveys (N=63). The number of contacts with various types of criminal justice system channels differed significantly between SS and CS participants, decreasing significantly among SS participants and increasing significantly among CS participants. The two groups did not differ on quality-of-life outcomes or social-connectedness measures, with the exception of case management engagement, whereby a greater proportion of SS participants disengaged from this service over time compared with CS participants. At follow-up, significant within-group changes over time emerged, with increased boredom reported among SS participants, whereas CS participants reported improvements in social relationships, with fewer reporting losing their temper. The findings supported the notion that the Housing First approach has the potential to significantly improve the lives of persons who have experienced chronic homelessness, a traditionally marginalized and vulnerable group. Over time, this may result in a reduction in the use of acute services, thereby reducing societal costs. The challenge remains to identify the suitability of particular configurations of housing and support and how service delivery can optimize individual outcomes so positive outcomes are maintained in the longer term.

Increasing Self-Esteem and School Connectedness through a Multidimensional Mentoring Program.

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King, Keith A.; Vidourek, Rebecca; Davis, Beth; McClellan, Warren

2002-01-01

Examines findings from a multidisciplinary mentoring program for fourth graders. Students were admitted to the program based on responses to a survey on self-esteem; school, peer, and family connectedness; and risk taking behavior. The program emphasized relationship building, self-esteem enhancement, goal setting, and academic assistance.…

The Reciprocal Relationship Between Social Connectedness and Mental Health Among Older European Adults: A SHARE-Based Analysis.

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Schwartz, Ella; Litwin, Howard

2017-11-04

The current study aimed to understand the reciprocal relationship between social networks and mental health in old age. It explored the dynamic aspects of that relationship and assessed the influence of social networks on mental health, as well as a concurrent influence of mental health on change in social connectedness. The data came from two measurement points in the Survey of Health, Aging and Retirement in Europe (SHARE). The analytic sample was composed of adults aged 65 years and above (N = 14,706). Analyses were conducted via latent change score models. Analyses showed a reciprocal association between social networks and mental health; baseline social connectedness led to mental health improvements and a better initial mental state led to richer social networks. The results further indicated that the relative effect of mental health on change in social network connectedness was greater than the corresponding effect of social network connectedness on change in mental health. No gender differences were found regarding the reciprocal associations. The results of this study demonstrate the dynamic inter-relationship of social networks and mental health. It highlights the need to take into account both directions of influence when studying the impact of social relationships on mental health. © The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of The Gerontological Society of America. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Working While in Middle School: Student Perceptions of School Climate & Connectedness

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Miller, Sabrena

2016-01-01

Does working during the school year result in lowered perceptions of school climate and connectedness for middle school students? According to outcomes from a Rocky Mountain Region School District's (RMRSD) school climate survey, 20% of their middle school student population works during the school year. Existing literature on youth employment…

Child maltreatment and social connectedness among formerly institutionalized females: Links with depression

NARCIS (Netherlands)

van Delft, I.; Finkenauer, C.; Verbruggen, J.

2015-01-01

This study aimed to examine the effects of child maltreatment subtypes (physical abuse, sexual abuse, neglect, and exposure to domestic violence) and cumulative child maltreatment on depressive symptoms in adulthood, and examine the protective effects of social connectedness in a sample of formerly

Particle connectedness and cluster formation in sequential depositions of particles: integral-equation theory.

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Danwanichakul, Panu; Glandt, Eduardo D

2004-11-15

We applied the integral-equation theory to the connectedness problem. The method originally applied to the study of continuum percolation in various equilibrium systems was modified for our sequential quenching model, a particular limit of an irreversible adsorption. The development of the theory based on the (quenched-annealed) binary-mixture approximation includes the Ornstein-Zernike equation, the Percus-Yevick closure, and an additional term involving the three-body connectedness function. This function is simplified by introducing a Kirkwood-like superposition approximation. We studied the three-dimensional (3D) system of randomly placed spheres and 2D systems of square-well particles, both with a narrow and with a wide well. The results from our integral-equation theory are in good accordance with simulation results within a certain range of densities.

Improving awareness and social connectedness through the social hue : insights and perspectives

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Davis, K.A.; Feijs, L.M.G.; Hu, J.; Marcenaro, L.; Regazzoni, C.S.

2016-01-01

The ability to maintain a high cognitive function, autonomy and social support are key factors to promote "successful" ageing. The Social Hue is an envisioned peripheral awareness lighting system, which seeks to enhance social connectedness between the elderly and their caregivers. We adopted a

Brain tumor segmentation in MRI by using the fuzzy connectedness method

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Liu, Jian-Guo; Udupa, Jayaram K.; Hackney, David; Moonis, Gul

2001-07-01

The aim of this paper is the precise and accurate quantification of brain tumor via MRI. This is very useful in evaluating disease progression, response to therapy, and the need for changes in treatment plans. We use multiple MRI protocols including FLAIR, T1, and T1 with Gd enhancement to gather information about different aspects of the tumor and its vicinity- edema, active regions, and scar left over due to surgical intervention. We have adapted the fuzzy connectedness framework to segment tumor and to measure its volume. The method requires only limited user interaction in routine clinical MRI. The first step in the process is to apply an intensity normalization method to the images so that the same body region has the same tissue meaning independent of the scanner and patient. Subsequently, a fuzzy connectedness algorithm is utilized to segment the different aspects of the tumor. The system has been tested, for its precision, accuracy, and efficiency, utilizing 40 patient studies. The percent coefficient of variation (% CV) in volume due to operator subjectivity in specifying seeds for fuzzy connectedness segmentation is less than 1%. The mean operator and computer time taken per study is 3 minutes. The package is designed to run under operator supervision. Delineation has been found to agree with the operators' visual inspection most of the time except in some cases when the tumor is close to the boundary of the brain. In the latter case, the scalp is included in the delineation and an operator has to exclude this manually. The methodology is rapid, robust, consistent, yielding highly reproducible measurements, and is likely to become part of the routine evaluation of brain tumor patients in our health system.

ɛ-connectedness, finite approximations, shape theory and coarse graining in hyperspaces

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Alonso-Morón, Manuel; Cuchillo-Ibanez, Eduardo; Luzón, Ana

2008-12-01

We use upper semifinite hyperspaces of compacta to describe ε-connectedness and to compute homology from finite approximations. We find a new connection between ε-connectedness and the so-called Shape Theory. We construct a geodesically complete R-tree, by means of ε-components at different resolutions, whose behavior at infinite captures the topological structure of the space of components of a given compact metric space. We also construct inverse sequences of finite spaces using internal finite approximations of compact metric spaces. These sequences can be converted into inverse sequences of polyhedra and simplicial maps by means of what we call the Alexandroff-McCord correspondence. This correspondence allows us to relate upper semifinite hyperspaces of finite approximation with the Vietoris-Rips complexes of such approximations at different resolutions. Two motivating examples are included in the introduction. We propose this procedure as a different mathematical foundation for problems on data analysis. This process is intrinsically related to the methodology of shape theory. This paper reinforces Robins’s idea of using methods from shape theory to compute homology from finite approximations.

Social connectedness and mobile phone use among refugee women in Australia.

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Walker, Rae; Koh, Lee; Wollersheim, Dennis; Liamputtong, Pranee

2015-05-01

The aim of this research was to inform the development of mobile phone-assisted health promotion programmes that support social connectedness among refuge women to enhance their mental, physical and social health. For refugees, relationship development during the early stages of resettlement is often difficult. Enhancing personal skills, and resources, can enhance relationships that provide social support. It can also contribute to the development of social relationships in communities and thence acculturation. Communication technologies can assist refugees, if their particular needs and capacities are taken into account. This paper reports a study of refugee women's experience of an intervention based on principles of empowerment and using peer support training and the provision of free mobile phones, and free calls, for at least 1 year. Potential participants were invited by the Afghan, Burmese and Sudanese community leaders to an information session, where the study was explained and invitations to participate extended. A snowball sampling technique was also used, where the first group of participants invited people they had relationships with to join the programme. One hundred and eleven participants were recruited from the three groups. All were from refugee backgrounds. Data collection consisted of: a pre- and post-intervention questionnaire; a log of outgoing phone calls; and in-depth interviews with a subgroup of the study population. The call logs described the patterns of interpersonal relationships facilitated by the mobile phones. In the interviews, characteristics of interpersonal social support, and relationships with heritage and host communities, were described. The quantitative data were analysed using descriptive statistics and the qualitative data using thematic analysis. By describing the conditions under which mobile phone technology can enhance interpersonal and community connectedness, we strengthen the evidence base for the use of mobile

Considering Positive Psychology Constructs of Life Satisfaction and School Connectedness When Assessing Symptoms Related to Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Emily B. Mancil

2013-06-01

Full Text Available Children and adolescents diagnosed with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD demonstrate significant difficulty with academic and behavioral functioning. This, in turn, can lead to lower educational attainment and vocational achievement, which has serious long-term consequences and costs to individuals and society (Barkley, 2002, 2006; Mannuzza, Klein, Bessler, Malloy, & LaPadula, 1993. Researchers from a positive psychology framework suggest that ADHD symptoms (i.e., inattention, hyperactivity/impulsivity alone may not fully explain academic impairment (Diener, Scollon, & Lucas, 2004. From the standpoint of positive psychology, life satisfaction and school connectedness are important constructs that examine positive life functioning; however, they have been understudied, particularly in the area of ADHD. The current study investigated the relationship between ADHD symptoms and these positive psychological constructs. Results indicate that as ADHD symptoms increase, life satisfaction decreases; however, no relationship between ADHD symptoms and school connectedness was found. Beyond our primary analysis, we examined the relationship between gender and these variables. Results suggest that gender significantly moderates the relationship between ADHD and life satisfaction, with life satisfaction ratings decreasing for males as ADHD symptoms increase, yet remaining stable for females. ADHD symptoms did not significantly predict changes in school connectedness. Furthermore, gender did not significantly moderate the relationship between school connectedness and ADHD symptoms.

The impact of an outdoor wilderness program on the participants' sense of connectedness to the natural world

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Nodurft, Susan Jennings Johnson

The main objective of this study was to determine the impact of an innovative, outdoor wilderness program on the participants' sense of connectedness with the natural world. Ancillary objectives looked at the impact of epistemological and pedagogical program elements, participants' people and place background experiences, and worldviews on this connectedness sense. The weekend program, based upon a philosophy of deep ecology, draws upon the Native American wisdom tradition and employs a pedagogy of myth, modeling and experiential learning. The researcher and fourteen volunteers primarily drawn from biology classes at a community college participated in the study. Snyder's (1988) four themes of connectedness and a heuristic qualitative design described by Moustakas (1990) were employed in determining the essence of impact. Data collection methods included pre- and post-questionnaires, audio and video tapes of the weekend, field notes, journals, and follow-up interviews. Upon completion of data gathering, three co-researchers were selected for focus study. Results of analysis are described in the form of in-depth profiles of the three co-researchers' experiences containing verbatim narration and common themes explicated from those profiles. Findings revealed that (1) the co-researchers experienced a deep and transforming sense of connectedness with the natural world, (2) a number of key program elements could be identified that facilitated connectedness, (3) childhood experiences played a significant role, and (4) pre-existing biocentric worldviews deepened as a result of the wilderness experience. Several important implications resulted from this study: (1) Transformative programs such as the outdoor program in this study, virtually nonexistent in mainstream environmental education, need to be taken seriously and efforts made to incorporate these types of programs in our public schools, (2) science educators need to examine and amend a belief structure which, in

Enhancing Connectedness Through Peer Training for Community-Dwelling Older People: A Person Centred Approach.

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Burmeister, Oliver K; Bernoth, Maree; Dietsch, Elaine; Cleary, Michelle

2016-06-01

Social interaction and connectedness is important to the mental health and wellbeing of older people. The aim of this research study was to facilitate and increase opportunities for social connectedness for older people living in regional areas through the use of technology training. Weekly technology training sessions were conducted at a Seniors Citizen's Club with a peer trainer (an experienced, retired computer teacher) and sessions were attended not only by the six study participants, but also by other club members, with up to 15 club members participating in sessions. Data analysis involved all documents generated by the project, including the individual interviews, researcher observations of training sessions, reports from the peer trainer and weekly diaries maintained by participants. Findings demonstrated that computer training at the Senior Citizens Club helped participants build group cohesion and to form tiered connections with partners, family, and friends with whom they no longer live. When the trainer is seen as a peer, and training is person-centred, older people are more receptive to learning, exploring, and experimenting with technology. Although only six people were involved in the in-depth evaluation part of the study, voluntary training with the trainer in the absence of any funding continues even to this present time. The outcome of this research reinforces the potential for technology facilitated tiered connectivity to enhance the quality of life for older people living in regional and rural Australia.

Social Connectedness, Self-Esteem, and Depression Symptomatology among Collegiate Athletes versus Nonathletes

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Armstrong, Shelley; Oomen-Early, Jody

2009-01-01

Objective: The authors compared collegiate athletes and nonathletes to see whether there were significant differences in the perceived levels of social connectedness, self-esteem, and depression and if an interaction among the variables of athlete status, gender, GPA, BMI, and levels of weekly exercise and sleep were associated with depression…

Influence Of Specialisation On Connectedness And Genetic Parameters In Dutch Warmblood Riding

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Rovere, Gabriel Alejandro; Madsen, Per; Norberg, Elise

During the last decades, a process of specialisation into show jumping (JH) and dressage (DH) has been taking place in the Dutch Warmblood studbook (KWPN). The objectives of this paper were to describe the evolution of the connectedness between JH and DH over the last 15 years and to analyse...

School Connectedness, Peer Attachment, and Self-Esteem as Predictors of Adolescent Depression

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Millings, Abigail; Buck, Rhiannon; Montgomery, Alan; Spears, Melissa; Stallard, Paul

2012-01-01

Recent literature suggests that school connectedness (SC) may be a key determinant of adolescent mental health. Specifically, SC has been found to have a negative relationship with adolescent depression. In the current, cross sectional study, we examine whether the relationship between SC and symptoms of low mood is dampened or moderated by…

Establishing Reliability and Construct Validity for an Instrument to Measure Environmental Connectedness

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Beery, Thomas H.

2013-01-01

The purpose of this preliminary study is to establish a reliable and valid measure of environmental connectedness (EC) to allow for further exploration of the Swedish Outdoor Recreation in Change national survey data. The Nordic concept of friluftsliv (nature-based outdoor recreation) and the environmental psychology concept of EC are explored to…

School connectedness and daily smoking among boys and girls: the influence of parental smoking norms

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Rasmussen, Mette; Damsgaard, Mogens T; Holstein, Bjørn E

2005-01-01

connectedness and smoking, although a modifying tendency was observed among girls. CONCLUSIONS: The smoking behaviour of Danish adolescents may be influenced by complicated interactions of varying sets of experienced smoking norms, and any research project or preventive programme focusing on the influence......BACKGROUND: The objective was to test whether an association between school connectedness and smoking exists among Danish school children, and if so, to examine whether parental smoking attitude and parental smoking behaviour influenced this association. METHODS: Data were collected by the Danish...... and smoking among both boys and girls. Parents' attitude to their children's smoking significantly modified this association among boys. Among girls the modifying effect was less marked. Neither among boys nor girls did parental smoking behaviour significantly modify the association between school...

Fitting in and feeling good: the relationships among peer alignment, instructor connectedness, and self-efficacy in undergraduate satisfaction with engineering

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Micari, Marina; Pazos, Pilar

2016-07-01

This study examined the relationships among peer alignment (the feeling that one is similar in important ways to one's engineering peers), instructor connectedness (the sense that one knows and looks up to academic staff/faculty members in the department), self-efficacy for engineering class work (confidence in one's ability to successfully complete engineering class work), and engineering students' satisfaction with the major. A total of 135 sophomore (second-year university students) and junior (third-year students) engineering students were surveyed to measure these three variables. A multiple regression analysis showed that self-efficacy, peer alignment, and instructor connectedness predicted student satisfaction with the major, and that self-efficacy acted as a mediator between both peer alignment and instructor connectedness on the one hand, and satisfaction on the other. The authors offer suggestions for practice based on the results.

Primary school students' mental health in Uganda and its association with school violence, connectedness, and school characteristics: a cross-sectional study.

Science.gov (United States)

Thumann, Barbara F; Nur, Ula; Naker, Dipak; Devries, Karen M

2016-07-29

Few studies have explored risk factors for poor mental health in Ugandan primary schools. This study investigated whether individual- and contextual-level school-related factors including violence from school staff and other students, connectedness to school and peers, as well as school size and urban/rural location, were associated with mental health difficulties in Ugandan children. We also examined whether associations between violence exposure at school and mental health were mediated by connectedness as well as whether associations were different for boys and girls. The analytic sample consisted of 3,565 students from 42 primary schools participating in the Good Schools Study. Data were collected through individual interviews conducted in June and July 2012. Mental health was measured using the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire. Multilevel logistic regression was applied to investigate factors associated with mental health difficulties. Experiences of violence from school staff and other students in the past week were strongly associated with mental health difficulties (OR = 1.58, 95 % CI 1.31 to 1.90 and 1.81, 1.47 to 2.23, respectively). Children with a low school connectedness had 1.43 times (1.11 to 1.83) the odds of mental health difficulties compared to those with a high school connectedness. The OR comparing children never feeling close to other students at their school with those always feeling close was 1.86 (1.18 to 2.93). The effect of violence on mental health was not mediated through the connectedness variables. School size was not related to mental health difficulties, but attending an urban school increased the odds of mental health difficulties after accounting for other factors. We did not find evidence that the effect of one or more of the exposures on the outcome differed between boys and girls. These findings suggest that violence in school and low connectedness to school and peers are independently associated with mental health

Embracing Connectedness and Change: A Complex Dynamic Systems Perspective for Applied Linguistic Research

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Cameron, Lynne

2015-01-01

Complex dynamic systems (CDS) theory offers a powerful metaphorical model of applied linguistic processes, allowing holistic descriptions of situated phenomena, and addressing the connectedness and change that often characterise issues in our field. A recent study of Kenyan conflict transformation illustrates application of a CDS perspective. Key…

Potential of telepresence robots to enhance social connectedness in older adults with dementia: an integrative review of feasibility.

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Moyle, Wendy; Arnautovska, Urska; Ownsworth, Tamara; Jones, Cindy

2017-12-01

Socially assistive robots are increasingly used as a therapeutic tool for people with dementia, as a means to improve quality of life through social connection. This paper presents a mixed-method integrative review of telepresence robots used to improve social connection of people with dementia by enabling real-time communication with their carers. A systematic search of Medline, ProQuest, PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, CINAHL, EMBASE, and the Cochrane library was conducted to gather available evidence on the use of telepresence robots, specifically videoconferencing, to improve social connectedness, in people with dementia. A narrative synthesis was used to analyze the included studies. A review of 1,035 records, identified four eligible peer-reviewed publications, reporting findings about three different mobile telepresence robots. The study designs included qualitative and mixed-methods approaches, focusing primarily on examining the feasibility and acceptability of the telepresence robots within the context of dementia care. These studies reported both positive outcomes of using telepresence robots to connect people with dementia to others, as well as barriers, such as a lack of experience in using a robot and technological issues. Although limited, the current literature suggests that telepresence robots have potential utility for improving social connectedness of people with dementia and their carers. However, more systematic feasibility studies are needed to inform the development of telepresence robots followed by clinical trials to establish efficacy within dementia care.

An Analysis of the Connectedness to Nature Scale Based on Item Response Theory.

Science.gov (United States)

Pasca, Laura; Aragonés, Juan I; Coello, María T

2017-01-01

The Connectedness to Nature Scale (CNS) is used as a measure of the subjective cognitive connection between individuals and nature. However, to date, it has not been analyzed at the item level to confirm its quality. In the present study, we conduct such an analysis based on Item Response Theory. We employed data from previous studies using the Spanish-language version of the CNS, analyzing a sample of 1008 participants. The results show that seven items presented appropriate indices of discrimination and difficulty, in addition to a good fit. The remaining six have inadequate discrimination indices and do not present a good fit. A second study with 321 participants shows that the seven-item scale has adequate levels of reliability and validity. Therefore, it would be appropriate to use a reduced version of the scale after eliminating the items that display inappropriate behavior, since they may interfere with research results on connectedness to nature.

Modeling the Connectedness Between best Management Practices and Vulnerability Assessments

Science.gov (United States)

Anandhi, A.; Bailey, N.; Thomas, M.; Bartnick, B.

2015-12-01

The overall goal of this study is to better understand the connectedness between Best management practices (BMPs) and vulnerability assessments (VA) in a changing landuse. Developing this connectedness will help understand key vulnerabilities and improve adaptive capacity important for ecosystem sustainability. BMPs are practical management practices or systems designed and installed in watersheds to provide a wide range of effects to protect or restore the physical, chemical, and biological condition of waterbodies (e.g. changing hydrology; improving vegetative habitat; mitigate adverse environmental change). VAs can be defined as "the degree to which the system is susceptible to and is unable to cope with adverse effects of change" and are often characterized as a function of exposure, sensitivity and adaptive capacity. There are many variables and factors used in calculating the impact of BMPs and VAs. The event mean concentration or load (e.g. nutrient, sediment,) associated with the specific landuse is an important variable. There is much data that predicts the loads associated with the major landuses (urban, agricultural). Loads greatly vary with region; rainfall characteristics (e.g. rainfall intensity, rainfall frequency); soil characteristics (e.g. soil type, hydrologic soil groups); hydrologic characteristics (e.g. runoff potential). A concern also exists that possibly all of the variables associated with changes in an individual land use have not been identified and distinguished for their impact on land use. For example, the loads associated with a high density residential with much green space may be more similar to medium density than loads associated with high rise apartment buildings. Other factors may include age of construction, % of families with children, % of families with pets, level of transiency, and construction activity The objective of our study is to develop an initial framework using multiple variables and factors to represent the

Connectedness and Separation in Parent-Adolescent Relationships: Indicators of a Successful Identity Development?

Science.gov (United States)

Masche, J. Gowert; Barber, Brian K.

On the basis of individuation approaches to the study of parent-adolescent relationships, this study hypothesized that connectedness and separation will be separately and jointly related to indicators of successful identity development. A sample of 968 students attending 7th and 10th grades was drawn to represent different German school tracks.…

Facebook's Effect on Learning in Higher Education: An Empirical Investigation

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Duncan, Doris G.; Barczyk, Casimir C.

2016-01-01

Due in part to its widespread acceptance, Facebook has been adopted as a tool for higher education courses. Proponents claim that Facebook-enhanced courses facilitate an increased community of practice, sense of learning and sense of connectedness compared to non-enhanced courses. This empirical study uses a survey methodology in an independent…

Perception of human activities : a means to support connectedness between the elderly and their caregivers

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Davis, Kadian; Owusu, E.B.; Regazzoni, C.S.; Marcenaro, Lucio; Feijs, Loe; Hu, Jun; Holzinger, Andreas; Röcker, Carsten; Fred, Ana; Helfert, Markus; O'Donoghue, John; Ziefle, Martina

2015-01-01

This position paper describes a smart-phone based activity recognition system for improving social connectedness between caregivers and their elderly relatives. Sensing technologies can enable real-time monitoring to provide activity recognition in order to support health and safety among the

Life Changes, Connection Stays: Photo Sharing and Social Connectedness for People with Special Needs

NARCIS (Netherlands)

van Dijk, Elisabeth M.A.G.; Dadlani, Pavan; van Halteren, Aart; Biemans, Margaretha Catharina Maria; Brinkman, W.P.; Neerincx, M.

We study the effects of digital photo sharing on social connectedness of people with special needs. We target people dealing with a transition in life that forced them to live away from their family and friends. Our study included four people with spinal-cord injury staying in a rehabilitation

Intertwining implicit and explicit awareness of wellbeing to support peace of mind and connectedness

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Dadlani Mahtani, Pavan; Markopoulos, P.; Aarts, E.H.L.; Tschlegi, M.

2009-01-01

An awareness system was designed to provide peace of mind and a sense of connectedness to adults who care for an elderly parent living alone. Our empirical research, including a field trial of six months, confirms the potential of awareness systems to support both generations suggesting that future

Let's stay in touch: Sharing photos for restoring social connectedness between rehabilitants, friends and family

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Biemans, Margaretha Catharina Maria; van Dijk, Elisabeth M.A.G.; Dadlani, Pavan; van Halteren, Aart

2009-01-01

A case study on the use of an existing photo sharing application in a spinal cord lesion rehabilitation centre is presented. The study focuses on enhancing social connectedness through sharing photos between rehabilitants and their families and friends. Four rehabilitants participated in this study

Connectedness between US industry level credit markets and determinants

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Shahzad, Syed Jawad Hussain; Kayani, Ghulam Mujtaba; Raza, Syed Ali; Shah, Nida; Al-Yahyaee, Khamis H.

2018-02-01

We examine the connectedness between US industry-level credit markets, using both Credit Default Spread (CDS) changes and volatilities, over the period from December 17, 2007, to November 13, 2015. The total, net directional and pairwise spillovers are estimated based on the generalized VAR framework developed by Diebold and Yilmaz (2012). The empirical analysis shows strong interactions for CDS spread change and volatility among all ten industries. Consumer Services and Basic Materials are the significant risk transmitters. Economic policy uncertainty and different market volatilities significantly determine credit market risk spillovers which also increase during market turbulence situations indicating a possible contagion effect. Implications of the findings are discussed.

The role of individual differences in particular autonomy-connectedness in women's and men's work-family balance.

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Bekker, Marrie H J; Willemse, Jolanda J P; De Goeij, Jacqueline W J M

2010-05-01

Individual differences are increasingly considered important in the relationship between work-family balance and health. The present study examined the role of autonomy-connectedness in positive and negative work-family interaction and family-work interaction. We also investigated the relationship of work-family interaction and family-work interaction with positive and negative affect, coping patterns, and demographic characteristics. All variables under study were measured with questionnaires in a Dutch sample of 205 respondents. As expected, the individual difference factors were substantially associated with work-family interaction and family-work interaction; together they accounted for 10 to 39% of their variance. In particular, negative affect and the autonomy-connectedness components Sensitivity to others and Capacity for managing new situations appeared to be strongly related to work-family interactions. Health implications of the findings are discussed and recommendations for further research are presented.

Evaluation of a surfing programme designed to increase personal well-being and connectedness to the natural environment among ‘at risk’ young people

OpenAIRE

Hignett, A; White, MP; Pahl, S; Jenkin, R; Froy, ML

2018-01-01

© 2017 Institute for Outdoor Learning. Outdoor activities can be an important complement to classroom learning, especially for children/young people excluded, or at risk of exclusion, from mainstream schooling. The current research explored the impact of a 12-week surfing programme among such a group in the UK. Pre-post data on physiological health (heart rate (HR)/blood pressure), self-reported well-being (life and domain satisfaction), connectedness (e.g. to nature, school), environmental a...

School Disorder, School Connectedness, and Psychosocial Outcomes: Moderation by a Supportive Figure in the School

Science.gov (United States)

Hurd, Noelle M.; Hussain, Saida; Bradshaw, Catherine P.

2018-01-01

The current study examined whether students' perceptions of school disorder influenced their psychosocial outcomes directly and indirectly via connectedness to school. The current study also explored moderation by the presence of a supportive figure in the school and investigated gender differences. Participants were 28,104 high school students.…

Boredom Proneness, Social Connectedness, and Sexual Addiction among Men Who Have Sex with Male Internet Users

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Chaney, Michael P.; Blalock, Andrew C.

2006-01-01

The authors collected surveys from 517 men who have sex with men (MSM) recruited from Internet chat rooms to examine the relationships among boredom, social connectedness, and sexual addiction. The results provide addictions professionals psychosocial factors to assess when working with sexually addicted MSM. (Contains 3 tables.)

Chinese International Students' Social Connectedness, Social and Academic Adaptation: The Mediating Role of Global Competence

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Meng, Qian; Zhu, Chang; Cao, Chun

2018-01-01

This study examined global competence of Chinese international students sojourning in a non-Anglophone European country as a mediator between foreign language proficiency (i.e., English and local language) and social and academic adaptation, and social connectedness in international community. A sample of 206 Chinese students in Belgium responded…

Does the television program connectedness explain the television viewership patterns in Pakistani housewives?

OpenAIRE

Hasan, Syed Akif; Subhani, Muhammad Imtiaz

2012-01-01

Media always helps to reveal the real face of the societies while it is also a source of entertainment besides portraying the various societal allegories to illuminate the various issues of various societies. This research aims at interrogating the viewership pattern of housewives while gauging and identifying the existence of any sort of relationship between the viewership and the connectedness of individuals (Housewives) with the TV programs. In order to interrogate the outlined relationshi...

Estimation of genetic connectedness diagnostics based on prediction errors without the prediction error variance-covariance matrix.

Science.gov (United States)

Holmes, John B; Dodds, Ken G; Lee, Michael A

2017-03-02

An important issue in genetic evaluation is the comparability of random effects (breeding values), particularly between pairs of animals in different contemporary groups. This is usually referred to as genetic connectedness. While various measures of connectedness have been proposed in the literature, there is general agreement that the most appropriate measure is some function of the prediction error variance-covariance matrix. However, obtaining the prediction error variance-covariance matrix is computationally demanding for large-scale genetic evaluations. Many alternative statistics have been proposed that avoid the computational cost of obtaining the prediction error variance-covariance matrix, such as counts of genetic links between contemporary groups, gene flow matrices, and functions of the variance-covariance matrix of estimated contemporary group fixed effects. In this paper, we show that a correction to the variance-covariance matrix of estimated contemporary group fixed effects will produce the exact prediction error variance-covariance matrix averaged by contemporary group for univariate models in the presence of single or multiple fixed effects and one random effect. We demonstrate the correction for a series of models and show that approximations to the prediction error matrix based solely on the variance-covariance matrix of estimated contemporary group fixed effects are inappropriate in certain circumstances. Our method allows for the calculation of a connectedness measure based on the prediction error variance-covariance matrix by calculating only the variance-covariance matrix of estimated fixed effects. Since the number of fixed effects in genetic evaluation is usually orders of magnitudes smaller than the number of random effect levels, the computational requirements for our method should be reduced.

The Role of Intercessory Prayer in Fostering Students' Sense of Connectedness in Distance Education Courses

Science.gov (United States)

LaBarbera, Robin

2016-01-01

Students in any classroom, whether online or in face-to-face settings, who feel a strong sense of community or connectedness are more likely to be successful and perceive satisfaction with the overall learning experience compared to those who feel separated from the community. The purpose of this study was to determine if there were significant…

Promoting Educational Resiliency in Youth with Incarcerated Parents: The Impact of Parental Incarceration, School Characteristics, and Connectedness on School Outcomes.

Science.gov (United States)

Nichols, Emily B; Loper, Ann B; Meyer, J Patrick

2016-06-01

The United States has the highest incarceration rate in the world, and as a result, one of the largest populations of incarcerated parents. Growing evidence suggests that the incarceration of a parent may be associated with a number of risk factors in adolescence, including school drop out. Taking a developmental ecological approach, this study used multilevel modeling to examine the association of parental incarceration on truancy, academic achievement, and lifetime educational attainment using the National Longitudinal Survey of Adolescent Health (48.3 % female; 46 % minority status). Individual characteristics, such as school and family connectedness, and school characteristics, such as school size and mental health services, were examined to determine whether they significantly reduced the risk associated with parental incarceration. Our results revealed small but significant risks associated with parental incarceration for all outcomes, above and beyond individual and school level characteristics. Family and school connectedness were identified as potential compensatory factors, regardless of parental incarceration history, for academic achievement and truancy. School connectedness did not reduce the risk associated with parental incarceration when examining highest level of education. This study describes the school related risks associated with parental incarceration, while revealing potential areas for school-based prevention and intervention for adolescents.

"Time Flies in California": Multiliteracies Bridging Local Diversity and Global Connectedness through a "Reggio"-Inspired Approach

Science.gov (United States)

Hesterman, Sandra

2017-01-01

A pedagogy of multiliteracies is based on the theoretical perspective that in order to find our way around our mass media, multimedia and electronic hypermedia communication environments and accommodate the realities of increasing local diversity and global connectedness, a broadened definition of literacy is required. New ways of making sense of…

Social Connectedness, Academic, Non-Academic Behaviors Related to Self-Regulation among University Students in Saudi Arabia

Science.gov (United States)

Jdaitawi, Malek

2015-01-01

Studies dedicated to examination of self-regulation posit a bi-directional association between self-regulation and other variables including social connectedness, self-efficacy and self-control. However, to date, studies of this caliber have only evidenced that self-regulation is a predictor of other variables. In the present study, the factors…

It could be worse: a study on the alleviating roles of trust and connectedness in intragroup conflict.

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Rispens, S.; Greer, L.L.; Jehn, K.A.

2007-01-01

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to introduce and test a model of group processes (e.g. conflict), emergent states (e.g. trust), and group context (e.g. connectedness) to better understand the mechanisms that underlie the traditionally negative effects of conflict. Design/methodology/approach

Academic Practices to Gain and Maintain Student-Teacher Connectedness and Classroom Behavioral Management, Related to Educator Demographics

Science.gov (United States)

Kendall, Leslie Threadgill

2015-01-01

Connectedness and classroom management has been defined as the ability to relate to students and keep order and maintain successful relationships with individuals. This qualitative study utilized surveys, questionnaires, interviews, and observations to examine the best practices implemented by educators to develop and maintain connections with…

Seeing and Being Green? The Effect of Money Priming on Willingness to Perform Sustainable Actions, Social Connectedness, and Prosociality.

Science.gov (United States)

Capaldi, Colin A; Zelenski, John M

2016-01-01

This investigation attempted to conceptually replicate/extend research that suggests that reminders of money can inhibit prosociality, promote self-sufficiency, and influence political beliefs. Based on these results, we hypothesized that money primes would decrease willingness to engage in sustainable actions. We also predicted that people would distribute points less prosocially and feel less socially connected when money was primed. Individuals were recruited from an undergraduate participant pool and MTurk. Meta-analytic results across the two samples revealed that money priming did not have a significant impact on willingness to act sustainably, but it did cause participants to distribute points less prosocially and report lower social connectedness than individuals in the control condition. While effects were smaller than those reported in Vohs, Mead, and Goode (2006), this study still offers support for the detrimental impact of reminders of money on interpersonal relations.

Modeling Age-Friendly Environment, Active Aging, and Social Connectedness in an Emerging Asian Economy

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ming-Ming Lai

2016-01-01

Full Text Available This paper empirically tested eight key features of WHO guidelines to age-friendly community by surveying 211 informal caregivers and 402 self-care adults (aged 45 to 85 and above in Malaysia. We examined the associations of these eight features with active aging and social connectedness through exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses. A structural model with satisfactory goodness-of-fit indices (CMIN/df = 1.11, RMSEA = 0.02, NFI = 0.97, TLI = 1.00, CFI = 1.00, and GFI = 0.96 indicates that transportation and housing, community support and health services, and outdoor spaces and buildings are statistically significant in creating an age-friendly environment. We found a statistically significant positive relationship between an age-friendly environment and active aging. This relationship is mediated by social connectedness. The results indicate that built environments such as accessible public transportations and housing, affordable and accessible healthcare services, and elderly friendly outdoor spaces and buildings have to be put into place before social environment in building an age-friendly environment. Otherwise, the structural barriers would hinder social interactions for the aged. The removal of the environmental barriers and improved public transportation services provide short-term solutions to meet the varied and growing needs of the older population.

Simultaneous Assessment of White Matter Changes in Microstructure and Connectedness in the Blind Brain

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nina Linde Reislev

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI of the human brain has provided converging evidence that visual deprivation induces regional changes in white matter (WM microstructure. It remains unclear how these changes modify network connections between brain regions. Here we used diffusion-weighted MRI to relate differences in microstructure and structural connectedness of WM in individuals with congenital or late-onset blindness relative to normally sighted controls. Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI provided voxel-specific microstructural features of the tissue, while anatomical connectivity mapping (ACM assessed the connectedness of each voxel with the rest of the brain. ACM yielded reduced anatomical connectivity in the corpus callosum in individuals with congenital but not late-onset blindness. ACM did not identify any brain region where blindness resulted in increased anatomical connectivity. DTI revealed widespread microstructural differences as indexed by a reduced regional fractional anisotropy (FA. Blind individuals showed lower FA in the primary visual and the ventral visual processing stream relative to sighted controls regardless of the blindness onset. The results show that visual deprivation shapes WM microstructure and anatomical connectivity, but these changes appear to be spatially dissociated as changes emerge in different WM tracts. They also indicate that regional differences in anatomical connectivity depend on the onset of blindness.

Family stressors, home demands and responsibilities, coping resources, social connectedness, and Thai older adult health problems: examining gender variations.

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Krishnakumar, Ambika; Narine, Lutchmie; Soonthorndhada, Amara; Thianlai, Kanchana

2015-03-01

To examine gender variations in the linkages among family stressors, home demands and responsibilities, coping resources, social connectedness, and older adult health problems. Data were collected from 3,800 elderly participants (1,654 men and 2,146 women) residing in Kanchanaburi province, Thailand. Findings indicated gender variations in the levels of these constructs and in the mediational pathways. Thai women indicated greater health problems than men. Emotional empathy was the central variable that linked financial strain, home demands and responsibilities, and older adult health problems through social connectedness. Financial strain (and negative life events for women) was associated with lowered coping self-efficacy and increased health problems. The model indicated greater strength in predicting female health problems. Findings support gender variations in the relationships between ecological factors and older adult health problems. © The Author(s) 2014.

Acculturation, gender, and mental health of Southeast Asian immigrant youth in Canada.

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Hilario, Carla T; Vo, Dzung X; Johnson, Joy L; Saewyc, Elizabeth M

2014-12-01

The relationships between mental health, protective factors and acculturation among Southeast Asian youth were examined in this study using a gender-based analysis. Population-based data from the 2008 British Columbia Adolescent Health Survey were used to examine differences in extreme stress and despair by acculturation. Associations between emotional distress and hypothesized protective factors were examined using logistic regression. Stratified analyses were performed to assess gender-related differences. Recent immigrant youth reported higher odds of emotional distress. Family connectedness and school connectedness were linked to lower odds of extreme stress and despair among girls. Family connectedness was associated with lower odds of extreme stress and despair among boys. Higher cultural connectedness was associated with lower odds of despair among boys but with higher odds of extreme stress among girls. Findings are discussed in relation to acculturation and gender-based patterns in protective factors for mental health among Southeast Asian immigrant youth.

Connectedness to nature and public (skin) health perspectives: results of a representative, population-based survey among Austrian residents.

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Haluza, Daniela; Simic, Stana; Höltge, Jan; Cervinka, Renate; Moshammer, Hanns

2014-01-20

Connectedness to nature (CN) influences motivation to have contact with outdoor natural environments. Spending leisure time in natural environments is beneficial for human health and well-being. Besides these positive effects, health risks of open-air activities are mainly related to unprotected sun light exposure-associated acute and chronic skin hazards. Thus, we conducted a cross-sectional, representative telephone survey among Austrian residents to study the association of perceived CN level with sun-exposure knowledge, tanning habits, and sun protective behaviour. In total, 1,500 study subjects (50.5% females) participated in this questionnaire survey. Although knowledge about tanning and motives to tan were similar among genders, females performed more photoprotective measures and were more connected to nature (all p nature connectedness and skin health-relevant recreational habits of Austrian residents. The findings suggest to integrate hitherto neglected gender-specific Public (Skin) Health promotion when counselling on the manifold health advantages of outdoor activities.

Perceived Intrafamilial Connectedness and Autonomy in Families with and without an Anxious Family Member: A Multiple Informant Approach

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de Albuquerque, Jiske E. G.; Schneider, Silvia

2012-01-01

Perceived intrafamilial "emotional connectedness" and "autonomy" were investigated within families with and without an anxious family member using a multiple informant approach. The sample consisted of 32 mothers with a current anxiety disorder and 56 controls, their partners, and their anxious and nonanxious teenage children. No differences were…

Pathways to Youth Empowerment and Community Connectedness: A Study of Youth-Adult Partnership in Malaysian After-School, Co-Curricular Programs.

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Zeldin, Shepherd; Krauss, Steven Eric; Kim, Taehan; Collura, Jessica; Abdullah, Haslinda

2016-08-01

After-school programs are prevalent across the world, but there is a paucity of research that examines quality within the "black box" of programs at the point of service. Grounded in current theory, this research examined hypothesized pathways between the experience of youth-adult partnership (youth voice in decision-making; supportive adult relationships), the mediators of program safety and engagement, and the developmental outcomes of youth empowerment (leadership competence, policy control) and community connectedness (community connections, school attachment). Surveys were administered to 207 ethnically diverse (47.3 % female; 63.3 % Malay) youth, age 15-16, attending after-school co-curricular programs in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Results showed that youth voice in program decision-making predicted both indicators of youth empowerment. Neither youth voice nor supportive adult relationships was directly associated with community connectedness, however. Program engagement mediated the associations between youth-adult partnership and empowerment. In contrast, program safety mediated the associations between youth-adult partnership and community connectedness. The findings indicate that the two core components of youth-adult partnership-youth voice and supportive adult relationships-may operate through different, yet complementary, pathways of program quality to predict developmental outcomes. Implications for future research are highlighted. For reasons of youth development and youth rights, the immediate challenge is to create opportunities for youth to speak on issues of program concern and to elevate those adults who are able and willing to help youth exercise their voice.

The importance of perceived care and connectedness with friends and parents for adolescent social anxiety.

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Van Zalk, Nejra; Van Zalk, Maarten

2015-06-01

Nonclinical social anxiety in adolescence can be highly problematic, as it likely affects current and especially new social interactions. Relationships with significant others, such as close friends, mothers, and fathers, could aid socially anxious adolescents' participation in social situations, thereby helping reduce feelings of social anxiety. We examined whether making friends as well as high friendship quality help reduce social anxiety over time, and whether friends', mothers', and fathers' care interact in reducing social anxiety. Using longitudinal data from 2,194 participants in a social network (48% girls; Mage  = 13.58) followed for 3 years, we estimated friendship selection and influence processes via a continuous time-modeling approach using SIENA. We controlled for the effects of depressive symptoms, self-esteem, gender, age, and family structure. Our findings suggest that perceived care by friends mediated the effect of making friends on social anxiety. Perceptions of mother and father, as well as friend care and connectedness, respectively, did not interact in decreasing social anxiety. Nonetheless, care and connectedness with mothers, fathers, and friends jointly predicted decreases in social anxiety. Caring relationships with friends and parents each play a role in mutually protecting early adolescents against increasing in social anxiety over time. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

The Wilderness Expedition: An Effective Life Course Intervention to Improve Young People's Well-Being and Connectedness to Nature

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Barton, Jo; Bragg, Rachel; Pretty, Jules; Roberts, Jo; Wood, Carly

2016-01-01

It is well understood that wilderness expeditions improve well-being; however, there is little supporting quantitative data. The aim of this study was to measure the impact of wilderness expeditions on self-esteem (SE) and connectedness to nature (CN) and assess whether benefits varied according to participant and expedition characteristics. SE…

Increases in Academic Connectedness and Self-Esteem among High School Students Who Serve as Cross-Age Peer Mentors

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Karcher, Michael

2009-01-01

Cross-age mentoring programs are peer helping programs in which high school students serve as mentors to younger children. The study in this article compared fall-to-spring changes on connectedness, attachment, and self-esteem between 46 teen mentors and 45 comparison classmates. Results revealed an association between serving as a cross-age peer…

Significant life events and social connectedness in Australian women’s gambling experiences

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Nuske Elaine Mary

2016-02-01

Full Text Available AIM - The aim is to examine significant life events and social connections that encourage some women to gamble. Specifically, how do these events and connections described as important for women who develop gambling-related problems differ for women who remain recreational gamblers? DESIGN - 20 women who were electronic gaming machine (EGMs, poker machines, slots players were interviewed using a brief interview guide. They also completed the nine question Problem Gambling Severity Index (PGSI from the Canadian Problem Gambling Index CPGI. 11 women self-identified as recreational gamblers (RG while 9 had sought and received help for their gambling problems (PG. Using a feminist, qualitative design and an adaptive grounded theory method to analyze their histories, a number of themes emerged indicating a progression to problem gambling for some and the ability to recognise when control over gambling was needed by others. RESULTS - Although both groups (RG and PG reported common gambling motivations differences appeared in the strength of their social support networks and ways of coping with stress, especially stress associated with a significant life event. CONCLUSIONS - The human need for social connectedness and personal bonds with others emphasised the usefulness of using social capital theories in gambling research with women.

Impact of Substance Messages in Music Videos on Youth: Beware the Influence of Connectedness and Its Potential Prevention-Shielding Effect.

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Russell, Cristel Antonia; Régnier-Denois, Véronique; Chapoton, Boris; Buhrau, Denise

2017-09-01

Two studies were conducted to investigate the role of connectedness with music videos in affecting youths' beliefs about substances (alcohol and tobacco) embedded therein and the potential for a prevention message to limit the impact of these images. The first study used cross-sectional data from a national sample of 1,023 adolescents (54.3% male) to evaluate the relationship between youths' consumption of music videos and their beliefs about the consequences of consuming alcohol and tobacco. A controlled experiment with 151 participants (57% male) then tested whether exposure to smoking in a video affects youths' smoking beliefs and the preventive potential of a pre-video warning. Connectedness to music videos, not overall amount of viewing, is the main correlate of beliefs about the positive outcomes of consuming alcohol/tobacco. A single exposure to a music video with smoking images can increase beliefs that smoking leads to positive consequences, and connected viewers are especially receptive to these images. Alerting youths to the presence of substance messages in a video leads to differential results as a function of connectedness. Many youths spend hours every day watching music videos in which positive visuals about drinking and smoking abound. Rather than the quantity of viewing, it is the degree to which youths immerse themselves in these music videos that enhances their beliefs that smoking and drinking have positive consequences. Interventions that warn youths about the presence of substances in music videos can minimize their influence, but youths highly connected with the music video content are especially resistant to warnings.

Towards a Sustainability Reporting Guideline in Higher Education

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Huber, Sandra; Bassen, Alexander

2018-01-01

Purpose: So far, sustainability reporting in higher education is in a very early stage--partly, because of the lack of an established and widely recognized sustainability reporting framework for higher education institutions (HEIs). Therefore, a modification of the sustainability code for the use in the higher education context was recently…

Examining the Role of Self-Disclosure and Connectedness in the Process of Instructional Dissent: A Test of the Instructional Beliefs Model

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Johnson, Zac D.; LaBelle, Sara

2015-01-01

The current study examined the relationship between student-to-student communicative behaviors and communication outcomes in the college classroom. The instructional beliefs model was used to examine student self-disclosures, student perceptions of connectedness, and student enactment of instructional dissent. Students (N = 351) completed…

Fitting in and Feeling Good: The Relationships among Peer Alignment, Instructor Connectedness, and Self-Efficacy in Undergraduate Satisfaction with Engineering

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Micari, Marina; Pazos, Pilar

2016-01-01

This study examined the relationships among peer alignment (the feeling that one is similar in important ways to one's engineering peers), instructor connectedness (the sense that one knows and looks up to academic staff/faculty members in the department), self-efficacy for engineering class work (confidence in one's ability to successfully…

Social Connectedness and Life Satisfaction: Comparing Mean Levels for 2 Undergraduate Samples and Testing for Improvement Based on Brief Counseling

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Blau, Gary; DiMino, John; DeMaria, Peter A.; Beverly, Clyde; Chessler, Marcy; Drennan, Rob

2016-01-01

Objectives: Comparing the mean levels of social connectedness and life satisfaction, and analyzing their relationship for 2 undergraduate samples, and testing for an increase in their means for a brief counseling sample. Participants: Between October 2013 and May 2015, 3 samples were collected: not-in-counseling (NIC; n = 941), initial counseling…

The connectedness of the levels of meta-cognitive student's abilities and educational outcomes in the cognitive area

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Bogdanović Ivana Z.

2016-01-01

Full Text Available The aim of the research presented in this paper is the analysis of the connection of the students' metacognitive levels and educational outcomes in the area of cognition. The research was performed with a sample of 746 respondents, both genders, first-year students in grammar schools in Novi Sad. The technique used was testing, the instrument was the test of metacognitive abilities of students, construed according the five levels Likert' scale and Physics knowledge test. The results of the questionnaire were processed by statistical procedure. The program used was IBM SPSS 20 Statistics, descriptive analysis, correlation analysis and simple linear regression. In this analysis the criterion was the score that the students got on the knowledge test and subtests on the levels of knowledge, understanding and application, and the predictor was the score obtained on the test of metacognitive abilities. The research enabled a valuable insight into the connectedness of metacognitive abilities and efficiency in learning physics. Statistically significant connectedness was found between metacognitive abilities and efficiency in learning physics on the levels of knowledge, understanding and application, and all three levels together. The paper ends with stating the importance and pedagogic implications of the research results.

Intertwining Implicit and Explicit Awareness of Wellbeing to Support Peace of Mind and Connectedness

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Dadlani, Pavan; Markopoulos, Panos; Aarts, Emile

An awareness system was designed to provide peace of mind and a sense of connectedness to adults who care for an elderly parent living alone. Our empirical research, including a field trial of six months, confirms the potential of awareness systems to support both generations suggesting that future research should examine, firstly, how to convey long-term trends regarding the wellbeing of the elderly and, secondly, how to intertwine the communication of awareness information with expressive forms of communication. We discuss implications of our studies for the design of ambient intelligent systems supporting awareness between elderly and their adult children.

The Racial School Climate Gap: Within-School Disparities in Students' Experiences of Safety, Support, and Connectedness.

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Voight, Adam; Hanson, Thomas; O'Malley, Meagan; Adekanye, Latifah

2015-12-01

This study used student and teacher survey data from over 400 middle schools in California to examine within-school racial disparities in students' experiences of school climate. It further examined the relationship between a school's racial climate gaps and achievement gaps and other school structures and norms that may help explain why some schools have larger or smaller racial disparities in student reports of climate than others. Multilevel regression results problematized the concept of a "school climate" by showing that, in an average middle school, Black and Hispanic students have less favorable experiences of safety, connectedness, relationships with adults, and opportunities for participation compared to White students. The results also show that certain racial school climate gaps vary in magnitude across middle schools, and in middle schools where these gaps are larger, the racial achievement gap is also larger. Finally, the socioeconomic status of students, student-teacher ratio, and geographic location help explain some cross-school variation in racial climate gaps. These findings have implications for how school climate in conceptualized, measured, and improved.

Hopelessness and Lack of Connectedness to Others as Risk Factors for Suicidal Behavior across the Lifespan: Implications for Cognitive-Behavioral Treatment

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Daniel, Stephanie S.; Goldston, David B.

2012-01-01

The rates of suicide attempts and death by suicide vary considerably over the lifespan, highlighting the influence of different contextual, risk, and protective factors at different points in development (Daniel & Goldston, 2009). Hopelessness and lack of connectedness to others are two factors that have been associated with increased risk for…

Exploring the Relationship between Health Insurance, Social Connectedness, and Subjective Social Status among Residents of O‘ahu

OpenAIRE

Thompson, Lisa M; Murray, Kate A; Jarvis, Sarah; Scarr, Ellen

2016-01-01

Relative position in a social hierarchy, or subjective social status, has been associated with indicators of socioeconomic status and may be influenced by social connectedness. The primary purpose of this study is to explore the relationship between health insurance status and subjective social status, using the MacArthur Scale of Subjective Social Status (SSS, community version), in the state of Hawai'i with its highly insured population. The secondary purpose is to examine other social dete...

The role of sex and autonomy-connectedness in internalizing and externalizing personality pathology, coping and axis-I pathology : Among psychiatric and healthy elderly

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Bachrach, N.; Croon, M.A.; Bekker, M.H.J.

2017-01-01

Objectives: In the current study we investigated the relationship of sex and autonomy-connectedness with internalizing and externalizing personality disorder symptoms (PDS), coping and axis-I pathology in older age. Method: A path model was tested which was based on neo-analytical object relation,

Who ‘marries' whom? The influence of societal connectedness, economic and political homogeneity, and population size on jurisdictional consolidations

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bhatti, Yosef; Hansen, Kasper Møller

2011-01-01

. In this article, the unique case of the Danish structural reform is utilised to overcome endogeneity due to migration-related sorting by studying patterns of municipal amalgamations. In the recent Danish reform, 239 of 271 municipal entities were forced to amalgamate simultaneously, while who actually amalgamated...... on the likelihood of amalgamation. Societal connectedness, population size and geography are important predictors of amalgamation patterns, while political and economic homogeneity between municipalities does not appear to matter much...

Autonomy-connectedness in collectivistic cultures: an exploratory cross-cultural study among portuguese natives, cape-verdean and chinese people residing in Portugal

OpenAIRE

Ratinho, Inês Pereira

2015-01-01

Dissertation submitted as a partial requirement for the conferral of Master in Psychology of Intercultural Relations / JEL: 2223 Personality Scales and Inventories 2930 Culture & Ethnology The present investigation focuses on a recent personality trait construct, Autonomy-connectedness. This concept has been proposed as a three-dimensional variable (self-awareness, sensitivity to others, and capacity to manage new situations), which intends to reflect a notion of autonomy more sensitive...

Trauma-informed care in the newborn intensive care unit: promoting safety, security and connectedness.

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Sanders, M R; Hall, S L

2018-01-01

Both babies and their parents may experience a stay in the newborn intensive care unit (NICU) as a traumatic or a 'toxic stress,' which can lead to dysregulation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis and ultimately to poorly controlled cortisol secretion. Toxic stresses in childhood or adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) are strongly linked to poor health outcomes across the lifespan and trauma-informed care is an approach to caregiving based on the recognition of this relationship. Practitioners of trauma-informed care seek to understand clients' or patients' behaviors in light of previous traumas they have experienced, including ACEs. Practitioners also provide supportive care that enhances the client's or patient's feelings of safety and security, to prevent their re-traumatization in a current situation that may potentially overwhelm their coping skills. This review will apply the principles of trauma-informed care, within the framework of the Polyvagal Theory as described by Porges, to care for the NICU baby, the baby's family and their professional caregivers, emphasizing the importance of social connectedness among all. The Polyvagal Theory explains how one's unconscious awareness of safety, danger or life threat (neuroception) is linked through the autonomic nervous system to their behavioral responses. A phylogenetic hierarchy of behaviors evolved over time, leveraging the mammalian ventral or 'smart' vagal nucleus into a repertoire of responses promoting mother-baby co-regulation and the sense of safety and security that supports health and well-being for both members of the dyad. Fostering social connectedness that is mutual and reciprocal among parents, their baby and the NICU staff creates a critical buffer to mitigate stress and improve outcomes of both baby and parents. Using techniques of trauma-informed care, as explained by the Polyvagal Theory, with both babies and their parents in the NICU setting will help to cement a secure relationship

Statistics Report on TEQSA Registered Higher Education Providers

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Australian Government Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency, 2015

2015-01-01

This statistics report provides a comprehensive snapshot of national statistics on all parts of the sector for the year 2013, by bringing together data collected directly by TEQSA with data sourced from the main higher education statistics collections managed by the Australian Government Department of Education and Training. The report provides…

Nostalgia fosters self-continuity: Uncovering the mechanism (social connectedness) and consequence (eudaimonic well-being).

Science.gov (United States)

Sedikides, Constantine; Wildschut, Tim; Cheung, Wing-Yee; Routledge, Clay; Hepper, Erica G; Arndt, Jamie; Vail, Kenneth; Zhou, Xinyue; Brackstone, Kenny; Vingerhoets, Ad J J M

2016-06-01

Nostalgia, a sentimental longing for one's past, is an emotion that arises from self-relevant and social memories. Nostalgia functions, in part, to foster self-continuity, that is, a sense of connection between one's past and one's present. This article examined, in 6 experiments, how nostalgia fosters self-continuity and the implications of that process for well-being. Nostalgia fosters self-continuity by augmenting social connectedness, that is, a sense of belongingness and acceptance (Experiments 1-4). Nostalgia-induced self-continuity, in turn, confers eudaimonic well-being, operationalized as subjective vitality (i.e., a feeling of aliveness and energy; Experiments 5-6). The findings clarify and expand the benefits of nostalgia for both the self-system and psychological adjustment. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved).

Simultaneous Assessment of White Matter Changes in Microstructure and Connectedness in the Blind Brain

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Reislev, Nina Linde; Dyrby, Tim Bjørn; Siebner, Hartwig Roman

2016-01-01

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the human brain has provided converging evidence that visual deprivation induces regional changes in white matter (WM) microstructure. It remains unclear how these changes modify network connections between brain regions. Here we used diffusion-weighted MRI......) assessed the connectedness of each voxel with the rest of the brain. ACM yielded reduced anatomical connectivity in the corpus callosum in individuals with congenital but not late-onset blindness. ACM did not identify any brain region where blindness resulted in increased anatomical connectivity. DTI...... revealed widespread microstructural differences as indexed by a reduced regional fractional anisotropy (FA). Blind individuals showed lower FA in the primary visual and the ventral visual processing stream relative to sighted controls regardless of the blindness onset. The results show that visual...

The HAT TRICK programme for improving physical activity, healthy eating and connectedness among overweight, inactive men: study protocol of a pragmatic feasibility trial.

Science.gov (United States)

Caperchione, Cristina M; Bottorff, Joan L; Oliffe, John L; Johnson, Steven T; Hunt, Kate; Sharp, Paul; Fitzpatrick, Kayla M; Price, Ryley; Goldenberg, S Larry

2017-09-06

Physical activity, healthy eating and maintaining a healthy weight are associated with reduced risk of cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes and cancer and with improved mental health. Despite these benefits, many men do not meet recommended physical activity guidelines and have poor eating behaviours. Many health promotion programmes hold little appeal to men and consequently fail to influence men's health practices. HAT TRICK was designed as a 12-week face-to-face, gender-sensitised intervention for overweight and inactive men focusing on physical activity, healthy eating and social connectedness and was delivered in collaboration with a major junior Canadian ice hockey team (age range 16-20 years). The programme was implemented and evaluated to assess its feasibility. This article describes the intervention design and study protocol of HAT TRICK. HAT TRICK participants (n=60) were men age 35 years, residing in the Okanagan Region of British Columbia, who accumulate 150 min of moderate to vigorous physical activity a week, with a body mass index of >25 kg/m 2 and a pant waist size of >38'. Each 90 min weekly session included targeted health education and theory-guided behavioural change techniques, as well as a progressive (ie, an increase in duration and intensity) group physical activity component. Outcome measures were collected at baseline, 12 weeks and 9 months and included the following: objectively measured anthropometrics, blood pressure, heart rate, physical activity and sedentary behaviour, as well as self-reported physical activity, sedentary behaviour, diet, smoking, alcohol consumption, sleep habits, risk of depression, health-related quality of life and social connectedness. Programme feasibility data (eg, recruitment, satisfaction, adherence, content delivery) were assessed at 12 weeks via interviews and self-report. Ethical approval was obtained from the University of British Columbia Okanagan Behavioural Research Ethics Board (reference no H

The Role of Parent Communication and Connectedness in Dating Violence Victimization among Latino Adolescents.

Science.gov (United States)

Kast, Nicole Rebecca; Eisenberg, Marla E; Sieving, Renee E

2016-06-01

Dating violence among U.S. adolescents is a substantial concern. Previous research indicates that Latino youth are at increased risk of dating violence victimization. This secondary data analysis examined the prevalence of physical and sexual dating violence victimization among subgroups of Latino adolescents and associations of parent communication, parent caring, and dating violence victimization using data from the 2010 Minnesota Student Survey (N = 4,814). Parallel analyses were conducted for Latino-only and multiple-race Latino adolescents, stratified by gender. Multivariate logistic regression models tested associations between race/ethnicity, parent communication, perceived parent caring, and adolescent dating violence experiences. Overall, 7.2% to 16.2% of Latinos reported physical or sexual dating violence. Both types of dating violence were more prevalent among multiple-race Latinos than among Latino-only adolescents, with prevalence rates highest among multiple-race Latino females (19.8% and 19.7% for physical and sexual dating violence victimization, respectively). In multivariate models, perceived parent caring was the most important protective factor against physical and sexual dating violence among males and females. High levels of mother and father communication were associated with less physical violence victimization among males and females and with less sexual violence victimization among females. Results highlight the importance of parent communication and parent caring as buffers against dating violence victimization for Latino youth. These findings indicate potential for preventive interventions with Latino adolescents targeting family connectedness to address dating violence victimization. © The Author(s) 2015.

Autonomy-connectedness in collectivistic cultures: an exploratory cross-cultural study among Portuguese natives, Cape-Verdean and Chinese people residing in Portugal

OpenAIRE

Moleiro, C.; Ratinho, I.; Bernardes, S.

2017-01-01

WOS:000386402400005 (Nº de Acesso Web of Science) The present investigation focuses on a recent personality trait construct, Autonomy-connectedness. This concept has been proposed as a three-dimensional variable (self-awareness, sensitivity to others, and capacity to manage new situations), which intends to reflect a more gender- and culture- sensitive notion of autonomy rather than a value based on individualism and hegemonic masculinity. Two studies were conducted. Study I (N = 185) aime...

Awareness of demands and unfairness and the importance of connectedness and security: Teenage girls’ lived experiences of their everyday lives

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Eva-Lena Einberg

2015-06-01

Full Text Available In recent years, a number of studies have demonstrated that stress and mental health problems have increased among adolescents and especially among girls, although little is still known concerning what girls experience in their everyday lives. The aim of this study was to describe the phenomenon of teenage girls’ everyday lives, as experienced by the girls themselves. A phenomenological approach of reflective lifeworld research was used, and the findings are based on eight qualitative interviews with girls aged 13–16 years. The essence of teenage girls’ everyday lives as experienced by the girls themselves can be described as consciousness regarding demands and unfairness and regarding the importance of connectedness and security. The girls are aware of the demands of appearance and success, and they are conscious of the gender differences in school and in the media that affect them. The girls are also conscious about the meaning of connectedness with friends and family, as well as the importance of the security of their confidence in friends and feeling safe where they stay. If teenage girls feel connected and secure, protective factors in the form of manageability and meaningfulness can act as a counterweight to the demands and unfairness of everyday life. For professionals who work with teenage girls, the results from this study can be important in their work to support these girls.

Awareness of demands and unfairness and the importance of connectedness and security: Teenage girls' lived experiences of their everyday lives.

Science.gov (United States)

Einberg, Eva-Lena; Lidell, Evy; Clausson, Eva K

2015-01-01

In recent years, a number of studies have demonstrated that stress and mental health problems have increased among adolescents and especially among girls, although little is still known concerning what girls experience in their everyday lives. The aim of this study was to describe the phenomenon of teenage girls' everyday lives, as experienced by the girls themselves. A phenomenological approach of reflective lifeworld research was used, and the findings are based on eight qualitative interviews with girls aged 13-16 years. The essence of teenage girls' everyday lives as experienced by the girls themselves can be described as consciousness regarding demands and unfairness and regarding the importance of connectedness and security. The girls are aware of the demands of appearance and success, and they are conscious of the gender differences in school and in the media that affect them. The girls are also conscious about the meaning of connectedness with friends and family, as well as the importance of the security of their confidence in friends and feeling safe where they stay. If teenage girls feel connected and secure, protective factors in the form of manageability and meaningfulness can act as a counterweight to the demands and unfairness of everyday life. For professionals who work with teenage girls, the results from this study can be important in their work to support these girls.

Ethnic-connectedness and economic inequality: a persisting relationship

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kalbach, Madeline A.

2002-01-01

Full Text Available EnglishThis paper focuses on the relationship between the retention of ethnic andcultural distinctiveness and economic inequality for Ukrainians, Germans, Italians, Chinese, and southEast Asians. It uses Canadian census data to test predictions arising from assimilation theory byexamining the possible varying effects of religion on economic inequality for the five ethnic groupsin order to determine whether assimilation theory and the multidimensional effect of ethnicity canpredict within group variations. This analysis lends emphasis to the fact that retention of ethnic-connectedness and distinctiveness may create obstacles for the immigrant attempting to achieveeconomic success in Canada.FrenchCet article porte sur la relation entre le maintien du particularisme ethniques ou culturel et l'inégalité économique des Ukrainiens, des Allemands, des Italiens, des Chinois et des ressortissants du Sud-Est asiatique. Les auteurs utilisent des données de recensement canadiennes pour vérifier les prédictions relatives à la théorie de l'assimilation en examinant les divers effets éventuels de la religion sur l'inégalité économique de cinq groupes ethniques dans le but de déterminer si la théorie de l'assimilation et les effets multidimensionnels de l'ethnicité peuvent prédire les écarts au sein d'un groupe. Cette analyse vient renforcer le fait que le maintien de l'interdépendance et du particularisme ethniques peut créer des obstacles pour les immigrants canadiens qui désirent réussir sur le plan économique.

Utah System of Higher Education 2015-16 Annual Report

Science.gov (United States)

Utah System of Higher Education, 2016

2016-01-01

This annual report describes Utah System of Higher Education's progress in the 2015-2016 academic year in the following areas: (1) Strategic plan; (2) Enrollment and completion; (3) Paying for college; (4) Funding higher education; (5) College preparation; (6) Concurrent enrollment and math; (7) Outreach and access; and (8) Industry and the…

Are Differences Between Partners Always Detrimental? The Moderating Role of Future Connectedness

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Simon Andrew Moss

2014-12-01

Full Text Available Whether perceived differences between romantic partners compromises or enhances relationships may depend on the characteristics of individuals. This study explores the possibility that differences in capabilities but not motives enhance relationship satisfaction—but only when the individuals feel connected to their future identity. In particular, when individuals feel connected to their future identity, their primary motivation is to accrue capabilities and resources that could be useful in subsequent decades. They will thus seek partners with capabilities they have yet to acquire because, consistent with self-expansion theory, they tend to perceive these abilities as part of their own self-concept. To test this premise, 152 individuals rated the motives and capabilities of both themselves and their partners and also answered questions that gauge their relationship satisfaction and connectedness to their future identity. Perceived differences in motives and capabilities were inversely associated with relationship satisfaction. However, when participants felt connected to their future identity, the inverse association between differences in capabilities and relationship satisfaction diminished. Accordingly, if individuals perceive their lives as stable, they can embrace some differences between themselves and their partner.

Reducing barriers to energy efficiency in the German higher education sector. Final report

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Schleich, J.; Boede, U.

2000-12-01

This report describes the empirical research into barriers to energy efficiency in the German higher education (HE) sector. It is one of nine such reports in the BARRIERS project. The report contains description and analysis of six case studies of energy management in German universities. The results are analysed using the theoretical framework developed for the BARRIERS project (Sorrell et al., 2000). The report also provides brief recommendations on how these barriers to the rational use of energy (RUE) may be overcome and how energy efficiency within the sector may be improved. The results of the study for the higher education sector in Germany are summarised in this executive summary under the following headings: - Characterising the higher education sector; - Case studies of energy management in the German higher education sector; - Evidence of barriers in the German higher education sector; - The role of energy service companies in the higher education sector; - Policy implications. (orig.)

Parenting style, individuation, and mental health of Egyptian adolescents.

Science.gov (United States)

Dwairy, Marwan; Menshar, Kariman E

2006-02-01

Three questionnaires that measure parenting style, adolescent-family connectedness, and mental health were administered to 351 Egyptian adolescents. Results show that in rural communities the authoritarian style is more predominant in the parenting of male adolescents, while the authoritative style is more predominant in the parenting of female adolescents. In urban communities, on the other hand, the authoritarian style was more predominant in the parenting of female adolescents. The connectedness of all female adolescents with their family was stronger than that of male adolescents. The connectedness of girls was found to be more emotional and financial in villages and to be more functional in town. Female adolescents reported a higher frequency of psychological disorders. Mental health was associated with authoritative parenting, but not with authoritarian parenting. It seems that authoritarian parenting within an authoritarian culture is not as harmful as within a liberal culture.

Determinants of famous name processing speed: age of acquisition versus semantic connectedness.

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Smith-Spark, James H; Moore, Viv; Valentine, Tim

2013-02-01

The age of acquisition (AoA) and the amount of biographical information known about celebrities have been independently shown to influence the processing of famous people. In this experiment, we investigated the facilitative contribution of both factors to famous name processing. Twenty-four mature adults participated in a familiarity judgement task, in which the names of famous people were grouped orthogonally by AoA and by the number of bits of biographical information known about them (number of facts known; NoFK). Age of acquisition was found to have a significant effect on both reaction time (RT) and accuracy of response, but NoFK did not. The RT data also revealed a significant AoA×NoFK interaction. The amount of information known about a celebrity played a facilitative role in the processing of late-acquired, but not early-acquired, celebrities. Once AoA is controlled, it would appear that the semantic system ceases to have a significant overall influence on the processing of famous people. The pre-eminence of AoA over semantic connectedness is considered in the light of current theories of AoA and how their influence might interact. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Connectedness of land use, nutrients, primary production, and fish assemblages in oxbow lakes

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Miranda, Leandro E.; Andrews, Caroline S.; Kroger, Robert

2013-01-01

We explored the strength of connectedness among hierarchical system components associated with oxbow lakes in the alluvial valley of the Lower Mississippi River. Specifically, we examined the degree of canonical correlation between land use (agriculture and forests), lake morphometry (depth and size), nutrients (total nitrogen and total phosphorus), primary production (chlorophyll-a), and various fish assemblage descriptors. Watershed (p < 0.01) and riparian (p = 0.02) land use, and lake depth (p = 0.05) but not size (p = 0.28), were associated with nutrient concentrations. In turn, nutrients were associated with primary production (p < 0.01), and primary production was associated with sunfish (Centrarchidae) assemblages (p < 0.01) and fish biodiversity (p = 0.08), but not with those of other taxa and functional guilds. Multiple chemical and biological components of oxbow lake ecosystems are connected to landscape characteristics such as land use and lake depth. Therefore, a top-down hierarchical approach can be useful in developing management and conservation plans for oxbow lakes in a region impacted by widespread landscape changes due to agriculture.

Age-disparity, sexual connectedness and HIV infection in disadvantaged communities around Cape Town, South Africa: a study protocol

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Aerts Marc

2011-08-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Crucial connections between sexual network structure and the distribution of HIV remain inadequately understood, especially in regard to the role of concurrency and age disparity in relationships, and how these network characteristics correlate with each other and other risk factors. Social desirability bias and inaccurate recall are obstacles to obtaining valid, detailed information about sexual behaviour and relationship histories. Therefore, this study aims to use novel research methods in order to determine whether HIV status is associated with age-disparity and sexual connectedness as well as establish the primary behavioural and socio-demographic predictors of the egocentric and community sexual network structures. Method/Design We will conduct a cross-sectional survey that uses a questionnaire exploring one-year sexual histories, with a focus on timing and age disparity of relationships, as well as other risk factors such as unprotected intercourse and the use of alcohol and recreational drugs. The questionnaire will be administered in a safe and confidential mobile interview space, using audio computer-assisted self-interview (ACASI technology on touch screen computers. The ACASI features a choice of languages and visual feedback of temporal information. The survey will be administered in three peri-urban disadvantaged communities in the greater Cape Town area with a high burden of HIV. The study communities participated in a previous TB/HIV study, from which HIV test results will be anonymously linked to the survey dataset. Statistical analyses of the data will include descriptive statistics, linear mixed-effects models for the inter- and intra-subject variability in the age difference between sexual partners, survival analysis for correlated event times to model concurrency patterns, and logistic regression for association of HIV status with age disparity and sexual connectedness. Discussion This study design is

A Methodology for Sustainability Evaluation and Reporting in Higher Education Institutions

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Madeira, Ana C.; Carravilla, Maria Antonia; Oliveira, Jose F.; Costa, Carlos A. V.

2011-01-01

The purpose of this paper is to present a methodology that allows higher education institutions (HEIs) to promote, to evaluate and to report on sustainability. The ultimate goal of the afore-mentioned methodology is to help HEIs achieve sustainability. First, a model entitled Sustainability in Higher Education Institutions (SusHEI) that generally…

Statistics Report on TEQSA Registered Higher Education Providers, 2016

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Australian Government Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency, 2016

2016-01-01

This Statistics Report is the third release of selected higher education sector data held by the Australian Government Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency (TEQSA) for its quality assurance activities. It provides a snapshot of national statistics on all parts of the sector by bringing together data collected directly by TEQSA with data…

Using Author Bylines and Concept Maps to Illustrate the Connectedness of Scientists

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Min-Ken Liao

2013-02-01

Full Text Available Incorporating reading and discussing primary articles in undergraduate courses has been shown to enhance students’ learning, stimulate their interests in science, and retain them as science majors.  While instructors diligently coach students to scrutinize every section in an article thoroughly and critically, the author byline is often overlooked.  In this study, the author bylines of primary articles were used to illustrate the connectedness of scientists and the collaborative nature of science.  First year college students first learned how to construct a concept map and used concept maps to connect 14 scientists with 14 primary articles that these scientists authored.  In doing so, students visualized and understood science as human activity and science progresses as a community effort.  Pre- and post-activity questionnaires were used to evaluate whether the activity objectives were met.  Students further examined the structure and organization of a primary article after the activity and they were engaged in discussions such as how research ideas developed and evolved, the advantages and disadvantages of collaborative research, the ethics of authorships, graduate schools, and careers in science. Hopefully, perceiving the authors of primary articles as real people in a social network and science as the collaborative efforts may help students see themselves being a part of the scientific advancement and inspire them to pursue careers in science.

From Environmental Connectedness to Sustainable Futures: Topophilia and Human Affiliation with Nature

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Thomas Beery

2015-07-01

Full Text Available Human affiliation with nonhuman nature is an important dimension of environmental concern and support for pro-environmental attitudes. A significant theory of human connectedness with nature, the Biophilia Hypothesis, suggests that there exists a genetically based inclination for human affiliation with the biological world. Both support and challenge to the Biophilia Hypothesis are abundant in the literature of environmental psychology. One response that both challenges and builds upon the Biophilia Hypothesis is the Topophilia Hypothesis. The Topophilia Hypothesis has extended the ideas of biophilia to incorporate a broader conception of nonhuman nature and a co-evolutionary theory of genetic response and cultural learning. While the Topophilia Hypothesis is a new idea, it is built upon long-standing scholarship from humanistic geography and theories in human evolution. The Topophilia Hypothesis expands previous theory and provides a multidisciplinary consideration of how biological selection and cultural learning may have interacted during human evolution to promote adaptive mechanisms for human affiliation with nonhuman nature via specific place attachment. Support for this possible co-evolutionary foundation for place-based human affiliation with nonhuman nature is explored from multiple vantage points. We raise the question of whether this affiliation may have implications for multifunctional landscape management. Ultimately, we propose that nurturing potential topophilic tendencies may be a useful method to promote sustainable efforts at the local level with implications for the global.

The Supply of Part-Time Higher Education in the UK. Research Report

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Callender, Claire; Birkbeck, Anne Jamieson; Mason, Geoff

2010-01-01

This report explores the supply of part-time higher education in the UK, with particular consideration to the study of part-time undergraduate provision in England. It is the final publication in the series of reports on individual student markets that were commissioned by Universities UK following the publication of the reports on the Future size…

Quality Assurance in Transnational Higher Education. ENQA Workshop Report 11

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Bennett, Paul; Bergan, Sjur; Cassar, Daniela; Hamilton, Marlene; Soinila, Michele; Sursock, Andree; Uvalic-Trumbic, Stamenka; Williams, Peter

2010-01-01

The present report is the product of an ENQA (European Association for Quality Assurance in Higher Education) Bologna Seminar "Quality Assurance in Transnational Education: from words to action" hosted by the Quality Assurance Agency (QAA, UK) in London in December, 2008. The seminar discussed the current trends in Transnational…

Individuation in Slovene emerging adults: its associations with demographics, transitional markers, achieved criteria for adulthood, and life satisfaction.

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Zupančič, Maja; Komidar, Luka; Levpušček, Melita Puklek

2014-12-01

The study investigated associations of Slovene emerging adults' age, gender, living situation, romantic relationship, and employment status with aspects of individuation in relation to mother and father. Controlling for demographic variables and transitional markers of adulthood, we further explored the contribution of individuation measures to individuals' perceptions of achieved criteria for adulthood and life satisfaction. The participants provided self-reports on the Individuation Test for Emerging Adults, the Satisfaction With Life Scale, and the list of Achieved Criteria for Adulthood. Age and living out of parental home were positively associated with self-reliance in relation to both parents, whereas female gender was related to higher levels of connectedness and seeking parental support. Along with age and involvement in a romantic relationship, connectedness and self-reliance predicted adulthood criteria attainment and life satisfaction. The results support the models of individuation that emphasize growing autonomy and retaining connectedness to parents as pathways towards personal adjustments. Copyright © 2014 The Foundation for Professionals in Services for Adolescents. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The influence of gender and gender typicality on autobiographical memory across event types and age groups.

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Grysman, Azriel; Fivush, Robyn; Merrill, Natalie A; Graci, Matthew

2016-08-01

Gender differences in autobiographical memory emerge in some data collection paradigms and not others. The present study included an extensive analysis of gender differences in autobiographical narratives. Data were collected from 196 participants, evenly split by gender and by age group (emerging adults, ages 18-29, and young adults, ages 30-40). Each participant reported four narratives, including an event that had occurred in the last 2 years, a high point, a low point, and a self-defining memory. Additionally, all participants completed self-report measures of masculine and feminine gender typicality. The narratives were coded along six dimensions-namely coherence, connectedness, agency, affect, factual elaboration, and interpretive elaboration. The results indicated that females expressed more affect, connection, and factual elaboration than males across all narratives, and that feminine typicality predicted increased connectedness in narratives. Masculine typicality predicted higher agency, lower connectedness, and lower affect, but only for some narratives and not others. These findings support an approach that views autobiographical reminiscing as a feminine-typed activity and that identifies gender differences as being linked to categorical gender, but also to one's feminine gender typicality, whereas the influences of masculine gender typicality were more context-dependent. We suggest that implicit gendered socialization and more explicit gender typicality each contribute to gendered autobiographies.

Investigating mental fitness and school connectedness in Prince Edward Island and New Brunswick, Canada.

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Murnaghan, Donna; Morrison, William; Laurence, Courtney; Bell, Brandi

2014-07-01

As youth struggle with anxiety and depression, promoting positive mental fitness is a primary concern. Canadian school-based mental health programs that focus on positive psychology and positive mental health initiatives emphasize safe and supportive environments, student engagement, resilience, and self-determination. This study examined predictors of mental fitness and its 3 components (autonomy, competence, and relatedness). School Health Action Planning and Evaluation System-Prince Edward Island (SHAPES-PEI) and the New Brunswick Student Wellness Survey (NB SWS) are data collection and feedback systems that survey youth about 4 health behaviors. Grade 7-12 students in Prince Edward Island (N = 3318) and New Brunswick (N = 7314) completed a mental fitness questionnaire in 2008-2009 (PEI) and 2006-2007 (NB). Four linear regression models were conducted to examine student characteristics associated with mental fitness, autonomy, competence, and relatedness. Positive associations were found between school connectedness (p fitness, as well as autonomy, competence, and relatedness. There were also significant relationships between affect, pro-social and antisocial behaviors, tried smoking, and mental fitness. A better understanding of adolescent health and its predictors is needed. By identifying core parameters for mental fitness, we can inform how to address students' needs through appropriate programs and policies supporting healthy school environments. © 2014, American School Health Association.

Longitudinal prediction and concurrent functioning of adolescent girls demonstrating various profiles of dating violence and victimization.

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Chiodo, Debbie; Crooks, Claire V; Wolfe, David A; McIsaac, Caroline; Hughes, Ray; Jaffe, Peter G

2012-08-01

Adolescent girls are involved in physical dating violence as both perpetrators and victims, and there are negative consequences associated with each of these behaviors. This article used a prospective design with 519 girls dating in grade 9 to predict profiles of dating violence in grade 11 based on relationships with families of origin (child maltreatment experiences, harsh parenting), and peers (harassment, delinquency, relational aggression). In addition, dating violence profiles were compared on numerous indices of adjustment (school connectedness, grades, self-efficacy and community connectedness) and maladjustment (suicide attempts, distress, delinquency, sexual behavior) for descriptive purposes. The most common profile was no dating violence (n = 367) followed by mutual violence (n = 81). Smaller numbers of girls reported victimization or perpetration only (ns = 39 and 32, respectively). Predicting grade 11 dating violence profile membership from grade 9 relationships was limited, although delinquency, parental rejection, and sexual harassment perpetration predicted membership to the mutually violent group, and delinquency predicted the perpetrator-only group. Compared to the non-violent group, the mutually violent girls in grade 11 had lower grades, poorer self-efficacy, and lower school connectedness and community involvement. Furthermore, they had higher rates of peer aggression and delinquency, were less likely to use condoms and were much more likely to have considered suicide. There were fewer differences among the profiles for girls involved with dating violence. In addition, the victims-only group reported higher rates of sexual intercourse, comparable to the mutually violent group and those involved in nonviolent relationships. Implications for prevention and intervention are highlighted.

A literature review of connectedness to nature and its potential for environmental management.

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Restall, Brian; Conrad, Elisabeth

2015-08-15

Understanding how people's relationships with nature form, how they influence personal values and attitudes, and what behavioural implications they may have could provide more insight into how connectedness to nature (CNT) can effectively contribute to environmental management goals. This paper undertakes a review of literature published over the past decade (2002-2011) on SCOPUS; and describes the current state of knowledge regarding CNT, assesses any efforts towards the spatial mapping of CNT for environmental management, and identifies measures of CNT defined in the broader literature. This review suggests that there is quite some overlap in the literature on CNT concepts, and that more effort needs to be made towards multi-disciplinary research which explores how CNT can be useful to environmental planning and conservation research on the field. It also further corroborates the need and relevance of applying more social and affective strategies to promote conservation behaviour. The main progress in CNT theory seems to have been made in the development of measurement tools, and it is clear that there is a strong convergent validity amongst the different measures due to their similarity, and functional associations. Further efforts towards the exploration of multi-dimensional measures is recommended since they consistently stand out as showing better results. The geographic visualisation of CNT constructs is another area of research that deserves attention since it can provide a unique point of view towards guiding participatory protected area planning and management. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

When love hurts: assessing the intersectionality of ethnicity, socio-economic status, parental connectedness, child abuse, and gender attitudes in juvenile violent delinquency.

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Lahlah, Esmah; Lens, Kim M E; Bogaerts, Stefan; van der Knaap, Leontien M

2013-11-01

Researchers have not yet reached agreement about the validity of several competing explanations that seek to explain ethnic differences in juvenile violent offending. Ethnicity cannot solely explain why boys with an ethnic minority background commit more (violent) crimes. By assessing the intersectionality of structural, cultural and individual considerations, both the independent effects as well as the interplay between different factors can be examined. This study shows that aforementioned factors cumulatively play a role in severe violent offending, with parental connectedness and child abuse having the strongest associations. However, since most variables interact and ethnicity is associated with those specific factors, a conclusion to be drawn is that ethnicity may be relevant as an additional variable predicting severe violent offending although indirectly. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Exploration, Exploitation, and Organizational Coordination Mechanisms

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Silvio Popadiuk

2016-03-01

Full Text Available This paper presents an empirical relationship among exploration, exploitation, and organizational coordination mechanisms, classified as the centralization of decision-making, formalization, and connectedness. In order to analyze the findings of this survey, we used two techniques: Principal Component Analysis (PCA and Partial Least Squares Path Modeling (PLS-PM. Our analysis was supported by 249 answers from managers of companies located in Brazil (convenience sampling. Contrary to expectations, centralization and exploitation were negatively associated. Our data supports the research hypothesis that formalization is positively associated with exploitation. Although the relationship between formalization and exploration were significant, the result is contrary to the research hypothesis that we made. The relationships among connectedness and exploitation, and connectedness and exploration were both positive and significant. This relationship means that the more connectedness increases, the higher the likelihood of exploitation and exploration.

Environmental Reporting for Global Higher Education Institutions using the World Wide Web.

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Walton, J.; Alabaster, T.; Richardson, S.; Harrison, R.

1997-01-01

Proposes the value of voluntary environmental reporting by higher education institutions as an aid to implementing environmental policies. Suggests that the World Wide Web can provide a fast, up-to-date, flexible, participatory, multidimensional medium for information exchange and management. Contains 29 references. (PVD)

The study of mentoring in the learning environment (SMILE): a randomized evaluation of the effectiveness of school-based mentoring.

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Karcher, Michael J

2008-06-01

The effect of providing youth school-based mentoring (SBM), in addition to other school-based support services, was examined with a sample of 516 predominately Latino students across 19 schools. Participants in a multi-component, school-based intervention program run by a youth development agency were randomly assigned to one of two conditions: (1) supportive services alone or (2) supportive services plus SBM. Compared to community-based mentoring, the duration of the SBM was brief (averaging eight meetings), partly because the agency experienced barriers to retaining mentors. Intent-to-treat (ITT) main effects of SBM were tested using hierarchical linear modeling (HLM) and revealed small, positive main effects of mentoring on self-reported connectedness to peers, self-esteem (global and present-oriented), and social support from friends, but not on several other measures, including grades and social skills. Three-way cross-level interactions of sex and school level (elementary, middle, and high school) revealed that elementary school boys and high school girls benefited the most from mentoring. Among elementary school boys, those in the mentoring condition reported higher social skills (empathy and cooperation), hopefulness, and connectedness both to school and to culturally different peers. Among high school girls, those mentored reported greater connectedness to culturally different peers, self-esteem, and support from friends. Findings suggest no or iatrogenic effects of mentoring for older boys and younger girls. Therefore, practitioners coordinating multi-component programs that include SBM would be wise to provide mentors to the youth most likely to benefit from SBM and bolster program practices that help to support and retain mentors.

Records and Reports Guide

Science.gov (United States)

2017-07-01

Discrimination - Race (F) Discrimination - Disability (G) Discrimination - Age (H) Discrimination - Religion (I) Bullying (J) Hazing...K) Inclusion at Work (L) Connectedness (M) Engagement (N) Senior Leadership (O) Trust in Leadership (P) Job...Family Concerns (Z3) Communication Concerns This is not an all- inclusive list and other areas may be added based on the commander’s emphasis

Discrimination, religious and cultural factors, and Middle Eastern/Arab Americans' psychological distress.

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Ikizler, Ayse S; Szymanski, Dawn M

2018-01-11

We investigated (1) the moderating role of religiosity in the link between religious affiliation and ethnic discrimination and (2) the moderating roles of religiosity, ethnic identity, and family connectedness in the relations between ethnic discrimination and psychological distress. Our sample consisted of 122 (60% women, 40% men) Middle Eastern/Arab Americans (MEAAs), ranging in age from 18 to 82 years old, who completed an online survey. Muslim identification predicted discrimination for MEAAs with high but not low religiosity. Higher levels of discrimination, more family connectedness, the interaction of discrimination and religiosity, and the interaction of discrimination and family connectedness were unique predictors of psychological distress. Religiosity is a risk factor for experiencing ethnic discrimination among Muslim identified MEAAs. MEAAs who have high religiosity and low to moderate levels of family connectedness are vulnerable to psychological distress associated with ethnic discrimination. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Higher Ambitions Summit. Rapporteur Report

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Nash, Ian

2014-01-01

The Sutton Trust and Pearson two-day summit on higher ambitions in apprenticeships and vocational education drew more than 120 leaders in education, training and employment, policy makers, academics, and researchers to London. Delegates heard from political leaders stressing the importance they attach to high-quality apprenticeships. Presentations…

Public and Private Sectors in Asian Higher Education Systems: Issues and Prospects. Reports from the International Seminar on Higher Education in Asia (3rd, Hiroshima, Japan, 1987).

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Hiroshima Univ. (Japan). Research Inst. for Higher Education.

The roles of public and private sectors of higher education in Asia and relationships to national systems are explored in reports from the Third International Seminar on Higher Education in Asia. The focus was China, Indonesia, Korea, the Philippines, Japan, and Thailand. Patterns by which national systems of higher education are differentiated…

Reported credibility techniques in higher education evaluation studies that use qualitative methods: A research synthesis.

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Liao, Hongjing; Hitchcock, John

2018-06-01

This synthesis study examined the reported use of credibility techniques in higher education evaluation articles that use qualitative methods. The sample included 118 articles published in six leading higher education evaluation journals from 2003 to 2012. Mixed methods approaches were used to identify key credibility techniques reported across the articles, document the frequency of these techniques, and describe their use and properties. Two broad sets of techniques were of interest: primary design techniques (i.e., basic), such as sampling/participant recruitment strategies, data collection methods, analytic details, and additional qualitative credibility techniques (e.g., member checking, negative case analyses, peer debriefing). The majority of evaluation articles reported use of primary techniques although there was wide variation in the amount of supporting detail; most of the articles did not describe the use of additional credibility techniques. This suggests that editors of evaluation journals should encourage the reporting of qualitative design details and authors should develop strategies yielding fuller methodological description. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Consistent individual differences and population plasticity in network-derived sociality: An experimental manipulation of density in a gregarious ungulate

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O’Brien, Paul P.; Vander Wal, Eric

2018-01-01

In many taxa, individual social traits appear to be consistent across time and context, thus meeting the criteria for animal personality. How these differences are maintained in response to changes in population density is unknown, particularly in large mammals, such as ungulates. Using a behavioral reaction norm (BRN) framework, we examined how among- and within-individual variation in social connectedness, measured using social network analyses, change as a function of population density. We studied a captive herd of elk (Cervus canadensis) separated into a group of male elk and a group of female elk. Males and females were exposed to three different density treatments and we recorded social associations between individuals with proximity-detecting radio-collars fitted to elk. We constructed social networks using dyadic association data and calculated three social network metrics reflective of social connectedness: eigenvector centrality, graph strength, and degree. Elk exhibited consistent individual differences in social connectedness across densities; however, they showed little individual variation in their response to changes in density, i.e., individuals oftentimes responded plastically, but in the same manner to changes in density. Female elk had highest connectedness at an intermediate density. In contrast, male elk increased connectedness with increasing density. Whereas this may suggest that the benefits of social connectedness outweigh the costs of increased competition at higher density for males, females appear to exhibit a threshold in social benefits (e.g. predator detection and forage information). Our study illustrates the importance of viewing social connectedness as a density-dependent trait, particularly in the context of plasticity. Moreover, we highlight the need to revisit our understanding of density dependence as a population-level phenomenon by accounting for consistent individual differences not only in social connectedness, but likely

Social relationships and health: the meaning of social "connectedness" and how it relates to health concerns for rural Scottish adolescents.

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Hendry, L B; Reid, M

2000-12-01

Adolescence has been posited as an important period for the onset of mental health problems and for the need to adapt successfully to many psychosocial changes. The assumption has been made that social belonging is both a health-related goal and an antidote for other sorts of emotional crises, but there is little research on how normal adolescents themselves view connections between social relationships and their physical and mental health. This qualitative study examines how social connectedness represents both a content and process variable in northern Scottish young people's discussion of their health concerns, that is, it was both a source of distress and implicated as a helpful or harmful factor in relation to other health concerns. Analyses revealed both the potency of all of these concerns and participants' belief that skills acquired now could affect their future life goals and health. Suggestions are given for building new approaches for conceptualizing rural young people's health problems and helping them cope with the social contexts involved within and around them. Copyright 2000 The Association for Professionals in Services for Adolescents.

The Impact of Lecturer-Student Relationship on Self-Esteem and Academic Performance at Higher Education

OpenAIRE

Sylvester Dodzi Nyadanu; Mirrielle Yayra Garglo; Timothy Adampah; Rachel Libline Garglo

2015-01-01

This research examined the effects of lecturer-student relationship on the self-esteem and academic performance of nursing students at the University of Cape Coast, Ghana. The descriptive statistics on the level-clustered random samples indicated two of the lecturer-student relationships, more connectedness and non-threatening, to be positive while the other two, independent and conflicting, were negative relationships. Thus the student-lecturer relationship was an average. With the exception...

Modernisation of Higher Education in Europe 2014: Access, Retention and Employability. Eurydice Report

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Crosier, David; Horvath, Anna; Kerpanova, Viera; Kocanova, Daniela; Riiheläinen, Jari Matti

2014-01-01

The report sheds light on current national and institutional policies and practices aimed at increasing and widening access, reducing student dropout, and improving the employability of higher education graduates in Europe. The primary objective is to support Member States in their reform efforts by outlining and analysing national policies, and…

Diversity Leadership in Higher Education. ASHE Higher Education Report, Volume 32, Number 3

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Aguirre, Adalberto, Jr., Ed.; Martinez, Ruben O., Ed.

2006-01-01

This monograph examines and discusses the context for diversity leadership roles and practices in higher education by using research and theoretical and applied literatures from a variety of fields, including the social sciences, business, and higher education. Framing the discussion on leadership in this monograph is the perspective that American…

New Mexico Higher Education Department Annual Report, 2016

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New Mexico Higher Education Department, 2016

2016-01-01

The New Mexico Higher Education Department strives to bring leadership, guidance, and assistance to New Mexico's higher education stakeholders. The HED is committed to promoting best practices, institutional fiscal responsibility, and student achievement. Everything the agency does is through the lens of supporting New Mexico's higher education…

Employability: A Review of the Literature 2012 to 2016. A Report for the Higher Education Academy

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Artess, Jane; Hooley, Tristram; Mellors-Bourne, Robin

2017-01-01

This report for the Higher Education Academy, in partnership with the University of Derby and the Career Development Organisation, examined 187 pieces of research published between 2012 and 2016 that describe how the subject of employability has been addressed during this period. It draws out some of the key implications for higher education…

Charting the Future of US Higher Education: A Look at the Spellings Report Ten Years Later

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Neuman, W. Russell

2017-01-01

September marked the tenth anniversary of the release of "A Test of Leadership: Charting the Future of US Higher Education," the report of the Secretary of Education's Commission on the Future of Higher Education, also known as the Spellings Commission. Blue ribbon panels rarely say much that is new or stimulate much sustained attention,…

Report of the Two-Day National Seminar on New Directions in Higher Education, Organized by the Kerala State Higher Education Council on 12th and 13th July 2010

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Praveen, C.

2010-01-01

This is a report of the Two-Day National Seminar on New Directions in Higher Education, organized by the Kerala State Higher Education Council on 12th and 13th July 2010. The objective of the seminar was to deliberate upon the reforms being undertaken by the Government of India in Higher Education. Reputed scholars from within and outside the…

Autonomy and self-esteem of women who donate to an oocyte cryopreservation bank in the Netherlands.

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Bakker, Marjolein R; Maas, Joyce; Bekker, Marrie H; Bredenoord, Annelien L; Fauser, Bart C; Bos, Annelies M

2017-08-01

Worldwide, oocyte donors donate voluntarily or receive varying amounts of money for donation. This raises ethical questions regarding the appropriateness of financial compensation, and the possibility of undue inducement and exploitation of oocyte donors. Are these donors capable of making an independent, well-considered decision? Regarding this matter, it is important to examine aspects such as autonomy-connectedness and self-esteem. In this cross-sectional study, demographic characteristics and donation motivations were assessed in 92 women who attended the University Medical Center (UMC) Utrecht as potential oocyte donors between June 2012 and July 2016. Demographic characteristics were assessed. Motivations were recorded in semi-structured interviews (response rate 59%). The Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale was used to assess level of self-esteem. The Autonomy-Connectedness Scale was used to measure the level of autonomy-connectedness. The typical oocyte donor at the UMC Utrecht is a well-educated, employed, 31-year-old woman living with her partner in a completed family with two children, and donating on altruistic grounds. The donors showed higher autonomy-connectedness scores than the average female Dutch population and do not lack self-esteem (questionnaire response rate 66%). Concerns regarding exploitation and attraction of women with lower socioeconomic status, with shortcomings in autonomy-connectedness and self-esteem, could not be confirmed in this group. Copyright © 2017 Reproductive Healthcare Ltd. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

School Protective Factors and Substance Use Among Lesbian, Gay, and Bisexual Adolescents in California Public Schools.

Science.gov (United States)

De Pedro, Kris Tunac; Esqueda, Monica Christina; Gilreath, Tamika D

2017-06-01

The majority of studies examining substance use among lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) youth have focused on a wide array of risk factors (e.g., victimization). Few studies have explored the protective role of schools. This study aims to fill this gap in the literature and inform programs aimed at reducing substance use among LGB youth. More specifically, this study explores the extent to which school connectedness and support from teachers and other adults at school are associated with substance use among LGB youth in school and within the past 30 days. A secondary analysis of the 2013-2015 California Healthy Kids Survey (CHKS) was conducted to examine associations between school protective factors (i.e., school connectedness and adult support) and substance use among LGB youth, above and beyond a key risk factor, school victimization. The study outcomes were past 30-day and in-school use of cigarettes, alcohol, marijuana, inhalants, prescription pain medication, and other illegal drugs. Overall, school connectedness and school adult support were associated with lower odds of substance use. For example, higher levels of school connectedness were associated with 22% decreased odds of past 30-day inhalant use (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] = 0.78; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.72-0.86), and 25% decreased odds of past 30-day prescription pain medication use (AOR = 0.75; 95% CI = 0.69-0.82). Higher levels of adult support in school were also associated with 17% decreased odds of marijuana use on school property in the past 30 days (AOR = 0.83; 95% CI = 0.77-0.91). The results indicate a need for substance use prevention programs that integrate school connectedness and adult support in school.

The Changing Profile of College Students. ERIC/Higher Education Research Report No. 10, 1973.

Science.gov (United States)

Fenske, Robert H.; Scott, Craig S.

This report reviews recent literature concerning enrollment trends in higher education and also presents the results of a recently completed extensive survey of student characteristics. In general, there is a declining rate of enrollment, while at the same time diversity among students is on the increase. This study should be of value to those…

Equal Educational Opportunity. The Status of Black Americans in Higher Education, 1975-1977. ISEP Third Status Report.

Science.gov (United States)

Howard Univ., Washington, DC. Inst. for the Study of Educational Policy.

This report analyzes the status of black Americans in higher education from 1975-1977. The book opens with a review of basic concepts of equal educational opportunity and the Federal role in guaranteeing equal opportunity. The social and economic context for higher education is then examined with a focus on the national commitment to higher…

Overview: 2017 Professionals in Higher Education Salary Report

Science.gov (United States)

Bichsel, Jacqueline; McChesney, Jasper

2017-01-01

The "Faculty in Higher Education Survey" collects data from approximately 700 higher education institutions on nearly 250,000 full-time faculty (tenure track and non-tenure track), as well as academic department heads and adjunct (pay-per-course) faculty. Data collected for full-time faculty include: salary, supplemental salary and…

Social motivation in prospective memory: higher importance ratings and reported performance rates for social tasks.

Science.gov (United States)

Penningroth, Suzanna L; Scott, Walter D; Freuen, Margaret

2011-03-01

Few studies have addressed social motivation in prospective memory (PM). In a pilot study and two main studies, we examined whether social PM tasks possess a motivational advantage over nonsocial PM tasks. In the pilot study and Study 1, participants listed their real-life important and less important PM tasks. Independent raters categorized the PM tasks as social or nonsocial. Results from both studies showed a higher proportion of tasks rated as social when important tasks were requested than when less important tasks were requested. In Study 1, participants also reported whether they had remembered to perform each PM task. Reported performance rates were higher for tasks rated as social than for those rated as nonsocial. Finally, in Study 2, participants rated the importance of two hypothetical PM tasks, one social and one nonsocial. The social PM task was rated higher in importance. Overall, these findings suggest that social PM tasks are viewed as more important than nonsocial PM tasks and they are more likely to be performed. We propose that consideration of the social relevance of PM will lead to a more complete and ecologically valid theoretical description of PM performance. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved).

FY-2016 Methyl Iodide Higher NOx Adsorption Test Report

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Soelberg, Nicholas Ray [Idaho National Lab. (INL), Idaho Falls, ID (United States); Watson, Tony Leroy [Idaho National Lab. (INL), Idaho Falls, ID (United States)

2016-09-01

Deep-bed methyl iodide adsorption testing has continued in Fiscal Year 2016 under the Department of Energy (DOE) Fuel Cycle Technology (FCT) Program Offgas Sigma Team to further research and advance the technical maturity of solid sorbents for capturing iodine-129 in off-gas streams during used nuclear fuel reprocessing. Adsorption testing with higher levels of NO (approximately 3,300 ppm) and NO2 (up to about 10,000 ppm) indicate that high efficiency iodine capture by silver aerogel remains possible. Maximum iodine decontamination factors (DFs, or the ratio of iodine flowrate in the sorbent bed inlet gas compared to the iodine flowrate in the outlet gas) exceeded 3,000 until bed breakthrough rapidly decreased the DF levels to as low as about 2, when the adsorption capability was near depletion. After breakthrough, nearly all of the uncaptured iodine that remains in the bed outlet gas stream is no longer in the form of the original methyl iodide. The methyl iodide molecules are cleaved in the sorbent bed, even after iodine adsorption is no longer efficient, so that uncaptured iodine is in the form of iodine species soluble in caustic scrubber solutions, and detected and reported here as diatomic I2. The mass transfer zone depths were estimated at 8 inches, somewhat deeper than the 2-5 inch range estimated for both silver aerogels and silver zeolites in prior deep-bed tests, which had lower NOx levels. The maximum iodine adsorption capacity and silver utilization for these higher NOx tests, at about 5-15% of the original sorbent mass, and about 12-35% of the total silver, respectively, were lower than for trends from prior silver aerogel and silver zeolite tests with lower NOx levels. Additional deep-bed testing and analyses are recommended to expand the database for organic iodide adsorption and increase the technical maturity if iodine adsorption processes.

Exploring the relationship between nature sounds, connectedness to nature, mood and willingness to buy sustainable food: A retail field experiment.

Science.gov (United States)

Spendrup, Sara; Hunter, Erik; Isgren, Ellinor

2016-05-01

Nature sounds are increasingly used by some food retailers to enhance in-store ambiance and potentially even influence sustainable food choices. An in-store, 2 × 3 between-subject full factorial experiment conducted on 627 customers over 12 days tested whether nature sound directly and indirectly influenced willingness to buy (WTB) sustainable foods. The results show that nature sounds positively and directly influence WTB organic foods in groups of customers (men) that have relatively low initial intentions to buy. Indirectly, we did not find support for the effect of nature sound on influencing mood or connectedness to nature (CtN). However, we show that information on the product's sustainability characteristics moderates the relationship between CtN and WTB in certain groups. Namely, when CtN is high, sustainability information positively moderated WTB both organic and climate friendly foods in men. Conversely, when CtN was low, men expressed lower WTB organic and climate friendly foods than identical, albeit conventionally labelled products. Consequently, our study concludes that nature sounds might be an effective, yet subtle in-store tool to use on groups of consumers who might otherwise respond negatively to more overt forms of sustainable food information. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Librarian co-authors correlated with higher quality reported search strategies in general internal medicine systematic reviews.

Science.gov (United States)

Rethlefsen, Melissa L; Farrell, Ann M; Osterhaus Trzasko, Leah C; Brigham, Tara J

2015-06-01

To determine whether librarian and information specialist authorship was associated with better reported systematic review (SR) search quality. SRs from high-impact general internal medicine journals were reviewed for search quality characteristics and reporting quality by independent reviewers using three instruments, including a checklist of Institute of Medicine Recommended Standards for the Search Process and a scored modification of the Peer Review of Electronic Search Strategies instrument. The level of librarian and information specialist participation was significantly associated with search reproducibility from reported search strategies (Χ(2) = 23.5; P Librarian co-authored SRs had significantly higher odds of meeting 8 of 13 analyzed search standards than those with no librarian participation and six more than those with mentioned librarian participation. One-way ANOVA showed that differences in total search quality scores between all three groups were statistically significant (F2,267 = 10.1233; P librarian or information specialist co-authors are correlated with significantly higher quality reported search strategies. To minimize bias in SRs, authors and editors could encourage librarian engagement in SRs including authorship as a potential way to help improve documentation of the search strategy. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Enacted Stigma, Mental Health, and Protective Factors Among Transgender Youth in Canada

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Veale, Jaimie F.; Peter, Tracey; Travers, Robb; Saewyc, Elizabeth M.

2017-01-01

Abstract Purpose: We aimed to assess the Minority Stress Model which proposes that the stress of experiencing stigma leads to adverse mental health outcomes, but social supports (e.g., school and family connectedness) will reduce this negative effect. Methods: We measured stigma-related experiences, social supports, and mental health (self-injury, suicide, depression, and anxiety) among a sample of 923 Canadian transgender 14- to 25-year-old adolescents and young adults using a bilingual online survey. Logistic regression models were conducted to analyze the relationship between these risk and protective factors and dichotomous mental health outcomes among two separate age groups, 14- to 18-year-old and 19- to 25-year-old participants. Results: Experiences of discrimination, harassment, and violence (enacted stigma) were positively related to mental health problems and social support was negatively associated with mental health problems in all models among both age groups. Among 14–18 year olds, we examined school connectedness, family connectedness, and perception of friends caring separately, and family connectedness was always the strongest protective predictor in multivariate models. In all the mental health outcomes we examined, transgender youth reporting low levels of enacted stigma experiences and high levels of protective factors tended to report favorable mental health outcomes. Conversely, the majority of participants reporting high levels of enacted stigma and low levels of protective factors reported adverse mental health outcomes. Conclusion: While these findings are limited by nonprobability sampling procedures and potential additional unmeasured risk and protective factors, the results provide positive evidence for the Minority Stress Model in this population and affirm the need for policies and programs to support schools and families to support transgender youth. PMID:29279875

Nostalgia and Perceptions of Artwork.

Science.gov (United States)

Specht, Steven M; Kreiger, Tyson C

2016-02-01

A total of 179 participants completed the Nostalgia Proneness Scale, a measure of historical nostalgia, and the Nostalgia Inventory, a measure of personal nostalgia. Participants were also asked to indicate how much they "liked" four different artworks and to indicate how much the artworks "made them think." The results indicated that respondents with higher historical nostalgia reported liking artwork that included human figures more than artwork with no such inclusion; and that they found these artworks more thought-provoking. These findings are consistent with previous research suggesting that nostalgia involves some component of social connectedness.

Mit Expertenwissen zu Aussagen über künftige Entwicklungen — der Horizon Report Higher Education

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rudolf Mumenthaler

2014-03-01

Full Text Available Der Horizon Report Higher Education dient auch für Hochschulbibliotheken als wichtige Referenz zur Bewertung aktueller Trends und künftiger Entwicklungen. Der Autor stellt die dem Report zugrunde liegende Methode vor, beleuchtet diese kritisch und reflektiert die Aussagekraft der Prognosen. Die Stärken des Horizon Report liegen in der breiten Abstützung, der Offenheit des Verfahrens und der Publikation sowie der Ausarbeitung der von Expertinnen und Experten ausgewählten Themen. Gewisse Schwächen sieht der Autor in der Abhängigkeit von anderen Trendstudien sowie beim Auswahlverfahren der Trendthemen.

Dropout and completion in higher education in Europe: main report

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Vossensteyn, Johan J.; Kottmann, Andrea; Jongbloed, Benjamin W.A.; Kaiser, Franciscus; Cremonini, Leon; Stensaker, Bjorn; Hovdhaugen, Elisabeth; Wollscheid, Sabine

2015-01-01

Improving completion and reducing dropout in higher education are key concerns for higher education in Europe. This study on dropout and completion in higher education in Europe demonstrates that national governments and higher education institutions use three different study success objectives:

Stakeholder Engagement in Sustainability Reporting in Higher Education: An Analysis of Key Internal Stakeholders' Expectations

Science.gov (United States)

Ferrero-Ferrero, Idoya; Fernández-Izquierdo, María Ángeles; Muñoz-Torres, María Jesús; Bellés-Colomer, Lucía

2018-01-01

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to improve the understanding of stakeholder engagement in the context of sustainability reporting (SR) for higher education institutions (HEIs), together with the materiality principle and stakeholder expectations. Design/methodology/approach: This research uses an exploratory approach based on content…

Perspectives on and obstacles to the internal reporting reform at higher education institutions – Case of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia and Slovenia

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Martina Dragija Kostić

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Higher education institutions are going through a different reform processes that differ from country to country. However, the common challenge of higher education institutions is to assure the financial sustainability and only those institutions that have stable financial structure will be able to fulfil their missions and goals in conditions of limited financial resources. One of very important preconditions for assuring financial sustainability is a high quality reporting system, providing comprehensive and detailed information about all aspects of the activities, performed by an institution of higher education and, especially, its full costs. The objective of the paper is two-fold. On the one hand, its aim is to address reform processes regarding reporting systems at higher education institutions in selected countries; Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia and Slovenia, and on the other hand, to highlight most important obstacles for development of efficient internal reporting systems. The empirical research was conducted in 2016 and data collection was based on the survey method. The questionnaires were sent to all public higher education institutions in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia and Slovenia. The results of research have shown that, even though there is a positive perception regarding the need to improve existing internal reporting systems, there are significant differences in obstacles for development of efficient internal reporting systems in observed countries.

Quality of Higher Education: Organisational or Educational? A Content Analysis of Chinese University Self-Evaluation Reports

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Zou, Yihuan; Du, Xiangyun; Rasmussen, Palle

2012-01-01

Based on a study of Chinese university self-evaluation reports, this paper argues that higher education institutions are trying to manage the tensions between educational and organisational quality and the increasing and worldwide concerns about quality assurance. After 30 years of dramatic educational reform, China has established a nationwide…

Sustainability in Higher Education's Annual Reports: An Empirical Study on Australian and Austrian Universities

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Schaffhauser-Linzatti, Michaela Maria; Ossmann, Stefan F.

2018-01-01

Purpose: Higher education institutions are regarded as forerunners and pioneers of sustainability. However, it is to question whether they actually fulfill their role model function. This paper aims to reveal whether selected universities in Australia and Austria meet the reporting expectations about their activities on sustainability in very…

The Hunt Report and Higher Education Policy in the Republic of Ireland: "An International Solution to an Irish Problem?"

Science.gov (United States)

Walsh, John; Loxley, Andrew

2015-01-01

The "National Strategy for Higher Education to 2030" in the Republic of Ireland (universally known as the Hunt Report) represents the latest and most assertive attempt by the Irish state to re-construct higher education in accordance with economic utilitarian objectives. This paper sets out to analyse the historical context, key themes…

Structural higher education reform - design and evaluation: synthesis report

NARCIS (Netherlands)

File, Jonathan M.; Huisman, Jeroen; de Boer, Harry F.; Seeber, Marco; Vukasovic, Martina; Westerheijden, Donald F.

2016-01-01

This study analyses how different types of system-level (or ‘landscape’) structural reforms in higher education have been designed and implemented in selected higher education systems. In the 12 case studies that form the core of the project, the researchers examine reforms aimed at: - Increasing

O Impacto da Conexidade no Comportamento do Consumidor em Relação aos Programas de Televisão

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Jucelia Appio

2010-07-01

Full Text Available This paper analyzes the psychometric proprieties of the connectedness scale on consumer behavior. Consumers answered questions relating to television shows. Using exploratory, confirmatory, discriminant, convergent and nomological analyses, we found support for five dimensions out of the six initially proposed to reflect the scale. Furthermore, the results supported a positive relationship between connectedness and involvement, connectedness and hours watching TV and connectedness and brand community. Connectedness and social interaction were found to have a negative relationship.

Responses of agricultural bioenergy sectors in Brandenburg (Germany) to climate, economic and legal changes: An application of Holling's adaptive cycle

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Grundmann, Philipp; Ehlers, Melf-Hinrich; Uckert, Götz

2012-01-01

Agricultural bioenergy production is subject to dynamics such as yield fluctuations, volatile prices, resource competition, new regulation and policy, innovation and climate change. This raises questions, to what extent bioenergy production is able to adapt to changes and overcome critical events. These dynamics have important implications for effective policy development. Using a case study method, which draws on various data sources, we investigate in detail how agricultural bioenergy sectors in the German State of Brandenburg adapted to diverse past events. The case analysis rests on the adaptive-cycle concept and the system properties potential, connectedness and resilience as defined by . Our case study concludes that Brandenburg's biogas sector has a low potential and connectedness within the system, and a low resilience against crop failures. The biofuels sector displays similar properties in the short term. In the medium term the potential could increase in both sectors. The properties imply risks and opportunities for biogas production and the possibility to develop towards a stage with a higher potential and a higher connectedness. But adaptive capacity is limited and there are certain barriers for the agricultural bioenergy sectors to overcome potentially critical states. Policy needs to be tailored accordingly. - Highlights: ► Bioenergy sectors respond to climatic, economic and legal changes in different ways. ► Responses to changes expose critical features and bottlenecks of bioenergy sectors. ► Resilience, potential and connectedness are critical features for bioenergy sectors. ► Stages of development of the biogas and biofuel production sectors are identified. ► Effective policy design needs to match the sectors' features and development stages.

Flipped Classroom Implementation: A Case Report of Two Higher Education Institutions in the United States and Australia

Science.gov (United States)

McLaughlin, Jacqueline E.; White, Paul J.; Khanova, Julia; Yuriev, Elizabeth

2016-01-01

This case report explored the implementation of flipped classrooms at two higher education institutions. Experiences and publications from the institutions were used to identify and describe common themes, including successes and challenges encountered along with potential solutions to common misalignments, particularly as related to…

Higher prices, higher quality? Evidence from German nursing homes.

Science.gov (United States)

Herr, Annika; Hottenrott, Hanna

2016-02-01

This study investigates the relationship between prices and quality of 7400 German nursing homes. We use a cross section of public quality reports for all German nursing homes, which had been evaluated between 2010 and 2013 by external institutions. Our analysis is based on multivariate regressions in a two stage least squares framework, where we instrument prices to explain their effect on quality controlling for income, nursing home density, demographics, labour market characteristics, and infrastructure at the regional level. Descriptive analysis shows that prices and quality do not only vary across nursing homes, but also across counties and federal states and that quality and prices correlate positively. Second, the econometric analysis, which accounts for the endogenous relation between negotiated price and reported quality, shows that quality indeed positively depends on prices. In addition, more places in nursing homes per people in need are correlated with both lower prices and higher quality. Finally, unobserved factors at the federal state level capture some of the variation of reported quality across nursing homes. Our results suggest that higher prices increase quality. Furthermore, since reported quality and prices vary substantially across federal states, we conclude that the quality and prices of long-term care facilities may well be compared within federal states but not across. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Differential invariants for higher-rank tensors. A progress report

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tapial, V.

2004-07-01

We outline the construction of differential invariants for higher-rank tensors. In section 2 we outline the general method for the construction of differential invariants. A first result is that the simplest tensor differential invariant contains derivatives of the same order as the rank of the tensor. In section 3 we review the construction for the first-rank tensors (vectors) and second-rank tensors (metrics). In section 4 we outline the same construction for higher-rank tensors. (author)

The Process of Change in Higher Education Institutions. AAHE-ERIC/Higher Education Research Report, No. 7, 1982.

Science.gov (United States)

Nordvall, Robert C.

Conditions that inhibit change in higher education institutions and various models of the change process are described. Attention is also directed to: organizational character, structural features, planning procedures, key individuals in the change process, and practical advice about change. The major change models for higher education…

Higher Education.

Science.gov (United States)

Hendrickson, Robert M.

This chapter reports 1982 cases involving aspects of higher education. Interesting cases noted dealt with the federal government's authority to regulate state employees' retirement and raised the questions of whether Title IX covers employment, whether financial aid makes a college a program under Title IX, and whether sex segregated mortality…

Guiding the Process of Culturally Competent Care With Hispanic Patients: A Grounded Theory Study.

Science.gov (United States)

Sobel, Linda L; Metzler Sawin, Erika

2016-05-01

To explore nursing care actions that lead to culturally competent care for Hispanic patients. Nurses report apprehension when delivering nursing care because of language barriers and a lack of Hispanic cultural understanding. Research is needed to inform culturally aware nursing practice actions for Hispanic patients. The study used a qualitative, grounded theory design to address the questions: (a) What cultural knowledge should nurses have when caring for Hispanic patients and families and (b) What nursing actions should nurses take to provide culturally competent care? Hispanic lay health promoters and Hispanic community members were interviewed to make recommendations for care. A model was identified that informs culturally competent nursing care. "Connectedness," the central phenomenon, describes nursing actions and contains subthemes explaining influences on nursing care. "Up to You" and "At the Mercy of the System" are descriptive themes influencing connectedness. Connectedness is central to culturally well-informed nurse-patient interactions. © The Author(s) 2014.

Connected leadership: Jeremiah 8:18-9:3 – a case study

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W.J. Wessels

2010-07-01

Full Text Available The purpose of this article is to address the matter of connected leadership. The point of departure is a biblical passage from Jeremiah 8:18-9:3. The focus of this article is confined to the aspect of connectedness and related issues. The argument put forward is that the rhetorical nature of texts has the ability to engage many readers over time and generations. Not only did the poetic nature of Jeremiah 8:18-9:3 convey the words once spoken by a prophet, but the rhetoric also conveyed the passion of the prophet and of Yahweh for the wounded and broken people of Judah. Added to that is the fact that within the Christian tradition the belief is that the text will find meaning in new contexts as well. Jeremiah 8:18-9:3 brings to the table an element that leaders – especially religious and Christian leaders – need to take note of. Leaders should answer to a “higher power” and to ethical norms because of connectedness to this ‘‘higher power”. As a leader, Jeremiah identified with his people and their woeful condition. But because of his connectedness to Yahweh, he was willing to confront them and point out their wrongdoings. He was not prepared to sacrifice his beliefs and convictions for the sake of popularity.

Black American College Students Report Higher Memory of Love for Mothers in Childhood Than White Students.

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Patihis, Lawrence; Jackson, Corai E; Diaz, Jonathan C; Stepanova, Elena V; Herrera, Mario E

2018-01-01

Cultural differences between Black and White individuals in the South are connected to the inequitable history of the United States. We wondered if these cultural differences would translate to a particularly precious aspect of life: memories of love felt in childhood toward one's parents. Some past studies have shown that Whites score higher on parental attachment measures to parents than Blacks, while other studies show no significant differences. However, no previous study has ever measured memory of feelings of love in relation to differences between ethnicities. In this study, Black ( n = 124) and White ( n = 125) undergraduates self-reported the strength and frequency of their past feelings of love toward their mother and father in first, sixth, and ninth grade as well as their current feelings of love. Results suggested that Black students reported feeling more love for their mothers in first, sixth, and ninth grades compared to White students. These findings were not explained when we statistically adjusted for age, gender, socioeconomic status, education levels, income, number of years spent living with mother or father, stress, or personality. Therefore, this relationship may be explained by unmeasured or unmeasurable cultural differences. The direction of this effect was in the opposite direction from what we expected based on past attachment research. Given the inequities in U.S. history and the current discussions around ethnicity and race in the United States, the finding that Blacks reported higher remembered feelings of love for their mothers in childhood is intriguing and worthy of dissemination and discussion.

A new theoretical interpretation of Archie's saturation exponent

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P. W. J. Glover

2017-07-01

Full Text Available This paper describes the extension of the concepts of connectedness and conservation of connectedness that underlie the generalized Archie's law for n phases to the interpretation of the saturation exponent. It is shown that the saturation exponent as defined originally by Archie arises naturally from the generalized Archie's law. In the generalized Archie's law the saturation exponent of any given phase can be thought of as formally the same as the phase (i.e. cementation exponent, but with respect to a reference subset of phases in a larger n-phase medium. Furthermore, the connectedness of each of the phases occupying a reference subset of an n-phase medium can be related to the connectedness of the subset itself by Gi = GrefSini. This leads naturally to the idea of the term Sini for each phase i being a fractional connectedness, where the fractional connectednesses of any given reference subset sum to unity in the same way that the connectednesses sum to unity for the whole medium. One of the implications of this theory is that the saturation exponent of any phase can be now be interpreted as the rate of change of the fractional connectedness with saturation and connectivity within the reference subset.

24/7 Connectedness and its Potential Impact on Today’s Physics Students: Technology Use, Multitasking, and GenMe

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Teresa L. Larkin

2018-05-01

Full Text Available There is no question that the digital age is upon us. For many of us, the trans-formation to the digital age has been gradual; and, most often, welcomed. In the classroom, we have developed many useful and innovative applications technolo-gy-based pedagogies. Outside of the classroom, we use routinely rely on tech-nology to communicate with our students. However, not all of us grew up with 24/7 access to information that the internet and today’s technologies provide. Perhaps the impact of technology on those of us that teach is a bit different from the impact on our students. Many of our students today are members of the mil-lennial generation, which is sometimes referred to as Generation Me (GenMe. Members of GenMe have literally grown up with technology and the instantane-ous availability of information right at their fingertips. Computers, smart phones, iPads, and other technologies offer their users immediate access to information. Might these technologies be seen as a significant distraction to whatever the task at hand might be? Could these distractions be to blame for the perception of many in GenMe that they must multitask in order to get everything done? Might instant access to information be casting a cloud on student learning? If so, does this cloud have a silver lining? This paper addresses these and other questions through the use of a survey given to students in a second-level physics course in spring 2016. Results reveal that nearly all students feel the need to maintain this 24/7 connection using their smart phones. The impact that this level of connect-edness may have on our students will be discussed.

Disordered eating behaviors among transgender youth: Probability profiles from risk and protective factors.

Science.gov (United States)

Watson, Ryan J; Veale, Jaimie F; Saewyc, Elizabeth M

2017-05-01

Research has documented high rates of disordered eating for lesbian, gay, and bisexual youth, but prevalence and patterns of disordered eating among transgender youth remain unexplored. This is despite unique challenges faced by this group, including gender-related body image and the use of hormones. We explore the relationship between disordered eating and risk and protective factors for transgender youth. An online survey of 923 transgender youth (aged 14-25) across Canada was conducted, primarily using measures from existing youth health surveys. Analyses were stratified by gender identity and included logistic regressions with probability profiles to illustrate combinations of risk and protective factors for eating disordered behaviors. Enacted stigma (the higher rates of harassment and discrimination sexual minority youth experience) was linked to higher odds of reported past year binge eating and fasting or vomiting to lose weight, while protective factors, including family connectedness, school connectedness, caring friends, and social support, were linked to lower odds of past year disordered eating. Youth with the highest levels of enacted stigma and no protective factors had high probabilities of past year eating disordered behaviors. Our study found high prevalence of disorders. Risk for these behaviors was linked to stigma and violence exposure, but offset by social supports. Health professionals should assess transgender youth for disordered eating behaviors and supportive resources. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.(Int J Eat Disord 2017; 50:515-522). © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Higher Education in Further Education Colleges: Indirectly Funded Partnerships: Codes of Practice for Franchise and Consortia Arrangements. Report.

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Higher Education Funding Council for England, Bristol.

This report provides codes of practice for two types of indirectly funded partnerships entered into by higher education institutions and further education sector colleges: franchises and consortia. The codes of practice set out guidance on the principles that should be reflected in the franchise and consortia agreements that underpin indirectly…

Resilience in community: a social ecological development model for young adult sexual minority women.

Science.gov (United States)

Zimmerman, Lindsey; Darnell, Doyanne A; Rhew, Isaac C; Lee, Christine M; Kaysen, Debra

2015-03-01

Family support and rejection are associated with health outcomes among sexual minority women (SMW). We examined a social ecological development model among young adult SMW, testing whether identity risk factors or outness to family interacted with family rejection to predict community connectedness and collective self-esteem. Lesbian and bisexual women (N = 843; 57% bisexual) between the ages of 18-25 (M = 21.4; SD = 2.1) completed baseline and 12-month online surveys. The sample identified as White (54.2%), multiple racial backgrounds (16.6%), African American (9.6%) and Asian/Asian American (3.1%); 10.2% endorsed a Hispanic/Latina ethnicity. Rejection ranged from 18 to 41% across family relationships. Longitudinal regression indicated that when outness to family increased, SMW in highly rejecting families demonstrated resilience by finding connections and esteem in sexual minority communities to a greater extent than did non-rejected peers. But, when stigma concerns, concealment motivation, and other identity risk factors increased over the year, high family rejection did not impact community connectedness and SMW reported lower collective self-esteem. Racial minority SMW reported lower community connectedness, but not lower collective self-esteem. Families likely buffer or exacerbate societal risks for ill health. Findings highlight the protective role of LGBTQ communities and normative resilience among SMW and their families.

'Mum never loved me.' How structural factors influence adolescent ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Little has been done to understand the nature of parent–child connectedness, the structural factors that impact on connectedness and parents' understanding of how connectedness affects their children's sexual behaviour in sub-Saharan Africa and Tanzania in particular. Ethnographic research involved 30 days of ...

Quality of higher education: organisational or educational?

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Zou, Yihuan; Du, Xiangyun; Rasmussen, Palle

2012-01-01

Based on a study of Chinese university self-evaluation reports, this paper argues that higher education institutions are trying to manage the tensions between educational and organisational quality and the increasing and worldwide concerns about quality assurance. After 30 years of dramatic...... remain an important basis for external review. In an attempt to examine the institutional understanding of quality in higher education, the authors conducted a content analysis study of 53 self-evaluation reports written by a wide range of higher education institutions in China. This study concludes...... educational reform, China has established a nationwide evaluation system for assessing its higher education institutions. This comprehensive system includes a series of procedures for both internal self-evaluation and external peer reviewing, among which self-evaluation reports prepared by each institution...

Network Connectedness, Sense of Community, and Risk Perception of Climate Change Professionals in the Pacific Islands Region

Science.gov (United States)

Corlew, L. K.; Keener, V. W.; Finucane, M.

2013-12-01

analyses, scores are assigned for participant degree centrality, betweenness centrality, and Eigenvector centrality from the Part One Survey, as well as PSOC, control, responsibility, risk perceptions, concern, optimism, and policy preferences from the Part Two Survey. Statistical interaction analyses explore factors motivating connectedness within the network, as well as climate change research and adaptation needs and priorities of participants.

The Entrepreneurial Domains of American Higher Education. ASHE Higher Education Report, Volume 34, Number 5

Science.gov (United States)

Mars, Matthew M.; Metcalf, Amy Scott

2009-01-01

This volume draws on a diverse set of literatures to represent the various ways in which entrepreneurship is understood in and applied to higher education. It provides a platform for debate for those considering applications of entrepreneurial principles to academic research and practices. Using academic entrepreneurship in the United States as…

Adolescent Use of Mobile Phones: A Social Context

Science.gov (United States)

F, J.; Pullen, Darren; Swabey, Karen

2014-01-01

During adolescence (e.g. ages 13-15) communication and connectedness with peers is an essential part of adolescents' self-formation; mobiles phones are a conduit that maintains both communication and connectedness among adolescents whereby social interactions and connectedness are not limited by place, context or time. To study mobile phone usage…

Queering Transformation in Higher Education

Science.gov (United States)

Msibi, Thabo

2013-01-01

Transformation in higher education has tended to focus on race and sex, at the expense of other forms of discrimination. This article addresses the silencing of "queer" issues in higher education. Using queer theory as a framework, and drawing on current literature, popular media reports, two personal critical incidents and a project…

Higher Reported Levels of Depression, Stress, and Anxiety Are Associated with Increased Endorsement of ADHD Symptoms by Postsecondary Students

Science.gov (United States)

Harrison, Allyson G.; Alexander, Sandra J.; Armstrong, Irene T.

2013-01-01

This study examined the extent to which postsecondary students endorse symptoms of Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and whether experienced level of stress, depression, or anxiety are associated with higher reporting of ADHD symptoms. Students attending a combined health and counseling service completed the Conners Adult ADHD Rating…

Do Hostile School Environments Promote Social Deviance by Shaping Neural Responses to Social Exclusion?

Science.gov (United States)

Schriber, Roberta A; Rogers, Christina R; Ferrer, Emilio; Conger, Rand D; Robins, Richard W; Hastings, Paul D; Guyer, Amanda E

2018-03-01

The present study examined adolescents' neural responses to social exclusion as a mediator of past exposure to a hostile school environment (HSE) and later social deviance, and whether family connectedness buffered these associations. Participants (166 Mexican-origin adolescents, 54.4% female) reported on their HSE exposure and family connectedness across Grades 9-11. Six months later, neural responses to social exclusion were measured. Finally, social deviance was self-reported in Grades 9 and 12. The HSE-social deviance link was mediated by greater reactivity to social deviance in subgenual anterior cingulate cortex, a region from the social pain network also implicated in social susceptibility. However, youths with stronger family bonds were protected from this neurobiologically mediated path. These findings suggest a complex interplay of risk and protective factors that impact adolescent behavior through the brain. © 2018 Society for Research on Adolescence.

Improvement of the structure of reports of Ukrainian higher educational institutions in terms of deregulation and state authority decentralization

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

V.S. Ambarchian

2015-09-01

Full Text Available Improvement of the structure and content of financial and budgetary reports of domestic higher educational institutions, enhance of financial statements completeness in order to enable citizens to control a university activity. During the research both general scientific and specific scientific economic methods were implemented. The general methods include induction, deduction, analogy and comparison. Among specific methods of economic research grouping, table method, graphical method, method of informational and logical analysis were used. The paper characterizes legal documents which regulate the process of university financial statements preparation and presentation in different countries. Financial reports of Ukrainian, American and British universities are compared. The author determines the major directions of improvement of the structure and content of domestic university reports with the purpose of their completeness enhancing. As a result of the research performed the proper recommendations of improvement of domestic universities reporting are suggested. The author conforms the reporting information with the Managerial report which discloses the information about the reporting period achievements and the efficiency of budget resources expenditure.

A Replication of the Technical Adequacy of the Student Subjective Wellbeing Questionnaire

Science.gov (United States)

Renshaw, Tyler L.

2015-01-01

The present study reports on a replication of the technical adequacy of the Student Subjective Wellbeing Questionnaire (SSWQ), which is a 16-item self-report instrument for assessing youth's academic efficacy, educational purpose, joy of learning, and school connectedness, with a sample of adolescents in Grades 6 to 7 (N = 438). Findings confirmed…

Processes linking cultural ingroup bonds and mental health: the roles of social connection and emotion regulation.

Science.gov (United States)

Roberts, Nicole A; Burleson, Mary H

2013-01-01

Cultural and ethnic identities influence the relationships individuals seek out and how they feel and behave in these relationships, which can strongly affect mental and physical health through their impacts on emotions, physiology, and behavior. We proposed and tested a model in which ethnocultural identifications and ingroup affiliations were hypothesized explicitly to enhance social connectedness, which would in turn promote expectancy for effective regulation of negative emotions and reduce self-reported symptoms of depression and anxiety. Our sample comprised women aged 18-30 currently attending college in the Southwestern US, who self-identified as Hispanic of Mexican descent (MAs; n = 82) or as non-Hispanic White/European American (EAs; n = 234) and who completed an online survey. In the full sample and in each subgroup, stronger ethnocultural group identity and greater comfort with mainstream American culture were associated with higher social connectedness, which in turn was associated with expectancy for more effective regulation of negative emotions, fewer depressive symptoms, and less anxiety. Unexpectedly, preference for ingroup affiliation predicted lower social connectedness in both groups. In addition to indirect effects through social connection, direct paths from mainstream comfort and preference for ingroup affiliation to emotion regulation expectancy were found for EAs. Models of our data underscore that social connection is a central mechanism through which ethnocultural identities-including with one's own group and the mainstream cultural group-relate to mental health, and that emotion regulation may be a key aspect of this linkage. We use the term ethnocultural social connection to make explicit a process that, we believe, has been implied in the ethnic identity literature for many years, and that may have consequential implications for mental health and conceptualizations of processes underlying mental disorders.

Processes linking cultural ingroup bonds and mental health: the roles of social connection and emotion regulation

Science.gov (United States)

Roberts, Nicole A.; Burleson, Mary H.

2013-01-01

Cultural and ethnic identities influence the relationships individuals seek out and how they feel and behave in these relationships, which can strongly affect mental and physical health through their impacts on emotions, physiology, and behavior. We proposed and tested a model in which ethnocultural identifications and ingroup affiliations were hypothesized explicitly to enhance social connectedness, which would in turn promote expectancy for effective regulation of negative emotions and reduce self-reported symptoms of depression and anxiety. Our sample comprised women aged 18–30 currently attending college in the Southwestern US, who self-identified as Hispanic of Mexican descent (MAs; n = 82) or as non-Hispanic White/European American (EAs; n = 234) and who completed an online survey. In the full sample and in each subgroup, stronger ethnocultural group identity and greater comfort with mainstream American culture were associated with higher social connectedness, which in turn was associated with expectancy for more effective regulation of negative emotions, fewer depressive symptoms, and less anxiety. Unexpectedly, preference for ingroup affiliation predicted lower social connectedness in both groups. In addition to indirect effects through social connection, direct paths from mainstream comfort and preference for ingroup affiliation to emotion regulation expectancy were found for EAs. Models of our data underscore that social connection is a central mechanism through which ethnocultural identities—including with one's own group and the mainstream cultural group—relate to mental health, and that emotion regulation may be a key aspect of this linkage. We use the term ethnocultural social connection to make explicit a process that, we believe, has been implied in the ethnic identity literature for many years, and that may have consequential implications for mental health and conceptualizations of processes underlying mental disorders. PMID:23450647

Processes linking cultural ingroup bonds and mental health: The roles of social connection and emotion regulation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nicole A Roberts

2013-02-01

Full Text Available Cultural and ethnic identities influence the relationships individuals seek out and how they feel and behave in these relationships, which can strongly affect mental and physical health through their impacts on emotions, physiology, and behavior. We proposed and tested a model in which ethnocultural identifications and ingroup affiliations were hypothesized explicitly to enhance social connectedness, which would in turn promote expectancy for effective regulation of negative emotions and reduce self-reported symptoms of depression and anxiety. Our sample comprised women aged 18 to 30 currently attending college in the Southwestern US, who self-identified as Hispanic of Mexican descent (n=82; MAs or as non-Hispanic White/European American (EAs; n=234 and who completed an online survey. In the full sample and in each subgroup, stronger ethnocultural group identity and greater comfort with mainstream American culture were associated with higher social connectedness, which in turn was associated with expectancy for more effective regulation of negative emotions, fewer depressive symptoms, and less anxiety. Unexpectedly, preference for ingroup affiliation predicted lower social connectedness in both groups. In addition to indirect effects through social connection, direct paths from mainstream comfort and preference for ingroup affiliation to emotion regulation expectancy were found for EAs. Models of our data underscore that social connection is a central mechanism through which ethnocultural identities—including with one’s own group and the mainstream cultural group—relate to mental health, and that emotion regulation may be a key aspect of this linkage. We use the term ethnocultural social connection to make explicit a process that, we believe, has been implied in the ethnic identity literature for many years, and that may have consequential implications for mental health and conceptualizations of processes underlying mental disorders.

Higher order mode damping of a higher harmonic superconducting cavity for SSRF

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yu Haibo; Liu Jianfei; Hou Hongtao; Ma Zhenyu; Feng Xiqiang; Mao Dongqing

2012-01-01

Adopting a higher harmonic cavity on a synchrotron radiation facility can increase the beam lifetime and suppress the beam instability. In this paper, we report the simulation and preliminary design on higher order modes (HOMs) damping of the designed and fabricated higher harmonic superconducting cavity for Shanghai Synchrotron Radiation Facility (SSRF). The requirements for the HOM damping are analyzed, and the length and location of the HOM damper are optimized by using the SEAFISH code. The results show that the design can provide heavy damping for harmful HOMs with decreased impedance, and the beam instability requirement of SSRF can be satisfied. By using the ABCI code, the loss factor is obtained and the HOM power is estimated. (authors)

Comics as Research, Comics for Impact: The Case of Higher Fees, Higher Debts

OpenAIRE

Ernesto Priego

2016-01-01

Researchers have turned to comics as outputs incorporating their research findings. These comics are print and/or online publications that can lead to the wider adoption of research and enhance educational practices, widen public engagement, and improve the possibilities for research to influence public policy.  This article presents an interview with Professor Katy Vigurs about 'Higher Fees, Higher Debts: Greater Expectations of Graduate Futures?', a comic based on a research report produced...

Comparative Resilience in Five North Pacific Regional Salmon Fisheries

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Xanthippe Augerot

2010-06-01

Full Text Available Over the past century, regional fisheries for Pacific salmon (Oncorhynchus spp. have been managed primarily for their provisioning function, not for ecological support and cultural significance. We examine the resilience of the regional salmon fisheries of Japan, the Russian Far East, Alaska, British Columbia, and Washington-Oregon-California (WOC in terms of their provisioning function. Using the three dimensions of the adaptive cycle - capital, connectedness, and resilience - we infer the resilience of the five fisheries based on a qualitative assessment of capital accumulation and connectedness at the regional scale. In our assessment, we evaluate natural capital and connectedness and constructed capital and connectedness. The Russian Far East fishery is the most resilient, followed by Alaska, British Columbia, Japan, and WOC. Adaptive capacity in the fisheries is contingent upon high levels of natural capital and connectedness and moderate levels of constructed capital and connectedness. Cross-scale interactions and global market demand are significant factors in reduced resilience. Greater attention to ecological functioning and cultural signification has the potential to increase resilience in Pacific salmon ecosystems.

The Relationship of Organizational Identity and Alumni Participation Interest among Online, Non-Traditional, Undergraduate Students at a Southeastern Private Religious University

Science.gov (United States)

Hendrick, Mary Carol

2017-01-01

Colleges and universities depend heavily on alumni participation in the areas of financial contributions, positive advertising, and student recruitment. As higher education institutions increase the number of fully online programs, it is important to ensure that students feel a sense of connectedness to the university. The purpose of this study is…

Strategic Reporting Tool: Balanced Scorecards in Higher Education

Science.gov (United States)

Lyddon, Jan W.; McComb, Bruce E.

2008-01-01

In this toolbox article, the authors describe the recommended steps for creating a community college balanced scorecard that measures and reports on key performance indicators based on targets and signal values to end-users, college constituents and external stakeholders. Based on extensive experience in the field, the authors provide a…

[Unerupted first deciduous molar located higher to the first premolar: a case report].

Science.gov (United States)

Zhan, Y; Liu, H

2017-02-18

Tooth eruption is defined as the movement of a tooth from its site of development within the alveolar process to its functional position in the oral cavity. The process of tooth eruption can be divided into different phases: pre-eruptive bone stage, alveolar bone stage, mucosal stage, preocclusal stage, occlusal stage and maturation stage. Any disturbance in these phases can lead to eruptive anomalies. The incidence of unerupted teeth is usually higher among permanent teeth than among deciduous ones. Of the primary teeth reported as unerupted, second deciduous molars are the teeth most frequently involved, followed by primary central incisors. At present almost no coverage is seen about the impaction of the first deciduous molar. In this case, a 4-year-old boy who presented with an impacted left maxillary first deciduous molar came to the Department of Pediatric Dentistry, Peking University School and Hospital of Stomatology. This tooth, located higher to the left maxillary first premolar, was well near to the maxillary sinus. The family and medical histories were noncontributory and his physical findings were within normal limits. The mother was reported as having experienced no illness or other complications and taken no medications during pregnancy. His clinical extraoral examination was noncontributory. His clinical intra-oral examination revealed that the maxillary left first primary molar was not present. No enlargement of the area was apparent visually or on palpation. The remaining primary dentition was well aligned and in good condition. His oral hygiene was good, although there were incipient occlusal carious lesions in the mandibular second primary molars. There was no history or evidence of dental trauma. A diagnosis of a left maxillary first deciduous molar was made on the basis of the clinical and radiographic evidence. Numerous local etiologic factors have been described for impacted teeth. These include anomalous teeth, malposition, fusion with

Manpower Aspects of Higher Education in India.

Science.gov (United States)

Khan, Qamar Uddin

Using data from various published sources, this report reviews the growth of higher education in India over the last 30 years, analyzes employers' needs for higher education graduates since 1950, and suggests guidelines for involving educational planning with manpower planning. The author describes the growth of Indian higher education in the…

Connections with nature and environmental behaviors.

Science.gov (United States)

Geng, Liuna; Xu, Jingke; Ye, Lijuan; Zhou, Wenjun; Zhou, Kexin

2015-01-01

The influence of environmental attitudes on environmental behaviors has long been discussed. However, few studies have addressed the foundation of such attitudes. In the present study, we explored primitive belief underlying environmental attitudes, i.e., connections with nature, and its relationship with pro-environmental behaviors. Specifically, we used scales, a computerized Implicit Association Test, and a situational simulation experiment to examine both explicit and implicit connections with nature, both deliberate and spontaneous environmental behaviors, and to find correlations between environmental connectedness and environmental behaviors. Results showed that explicit connectedness was positively correlated with deliberate environmental behaviors, while implicit connectedness was positively correlated with spontaneous environmental behaviors. Additionally, explicit and implicit connectedness was independent of each other. In conclusion, the current study confirms the positive role played by connections with nature in promoting environmental behavior, and accordingly suggests means to encourage pro-environmental behavior by enhancing people's connectedness to nature.

The social impact of emotional tears

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Vingerhoets, A.J.J.M.; van de Ven, N.; van der Velden, Y.

2016-01-01

The question what specific functions the production of emotional tears fulfills has received only limited attention of behavioral scientists. We report the results of two studies on the social impact of emotional tears. In Study 1 (96 Dutch females), perceived helplessness and felt connectedness

Author Details

African Journals Online (AJOL)

8th All Africa Pre-Games' Scientific Congress - Report and Declaration ... Children\\'s perceptions of physical education and school sports at selected South ... The Effect of Participation in Competitive Sports on School Connectedness of Secondary School Students Abstract. ISSN: 1117-4315. AJOL African Journals Online.

The role of higher education in social and cultural transformation

OpenAIRE

Williams, Ruth; Cochrane, Allan

2010-01-01

This paper forms one of the contributions to CHERI's research report 'Higher education and society'. It reports on one of the centre's ESRC-funded research projects - Higher Education and Regional Transformation.

Entangled in the womb?

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jensen, Christian Gaden; Parker, Adrian

2012-01-01

Studies of synchronous physiological responses to startle stimuli between monozygotic twins and other paired subjects have suffered from methodological flaws such as post-hoc specifications of "connectedness" criteria. The mechanisms that affect any such connectedness are unknown. With the logistic...... and financial support of a television company, we conducted a methodological pilot study with predefined objective hit criteria in which we used four pairs of twins with frequent experiences of connectedness....

Are school-level factors associated with primary school students' experience of physical violence from school staff in Uganda?

Science.gov (United States)

Knight, Louise; Nakuti, Janet; Allen, Elizabeth; Gannett, Katherine R; Naker, Dipak; Devries, Karen M

2016-01-01

The nature and structure of the school environment has the potential to shape children's health and well being. Few studies have explored the importance of school-level factors in explaining a child's likelihood of experiencing violence from school staff, particularly in low-resource settings such as Uganda. To quantify to what extent a student's risk of violence is determined by school-level factors we fitted multilevel logistic regression models to investigate associations and present between-school variance partition coefficients. School structural factors, academic and supportive environment are explored. 53% of students reported physical violence from staff. Only 6% of variation in students' experience of violence was due to differences between schools and half the variation was explained by the school-level factors modelled. Schools with a higher proportion of girls are associated with increased odds of physical violence from staff. Students in schools with a high level of student perceptions of school connectedness have a 36% reduced odds of experiencing physical violence from staff, but no other school-level factor was significantly associated. Our findings suggest that physical violence by school staff is widespread across different types of schools in this setting, but interventions that improve students' school connectedness should be considered. © The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene.

Modified A{sup ++}-standard refrigerator with 30% reduction of energy consumption. Higher efficiency by compressor modification - Final report

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Siegrist, M.; Stahl, S.; Ganz, J.

2010-06-15

This final report for the Swiss Federal Office of Energy (SFOE) takes a look at how a modified refrigerator can be given a higher efficiency by modifying the compressor. The modified refrigerator was fitted with a variable-speed compressor. This compressor could be run at much lower speeds so that it was in operation for up to 90% of the time. It was shown that less electricity was consumed the more the compressor ran. The report discusses the aims of the work and presents details on the standard refrigerator used for the tests. The compressor normally used and the variable-speed compressor used in the test are described. Systems for temperature control and data acquisition during the tests are described. The results obtained are examined and the influence of various factors is discussed.

Physical Aggression in Higher Education: Student-Athletes' Perceptions and Reporting Behaviors

Science.gov (United States)

Pappas, Jason Christopher

2010-01-01

This study examined internal (personal) and external (situational) factors that previous research found affected perceptions of physical aggression and associated reporting behaviors among student-athletes. Results of this study suggested certain factors significantly impacted a student-athlete's decision to report and who received that report.…

Implications of Self-Deception for Self-Reported Intrinsic and Extrinsic Motivational Dispositions and Actual Learning Performance: A Higher Order Structural Model

Science.gov (United States)

Hirschfeld, Robert R.; Thomas, Christopher H.; McNatt, D. Brian

2008-01-01

The authors explored implications of individuals' self-deception (a trait) for their self-reported intrinsic and extrinsic motivational dispositions and their actual learning performance. In doing so, a higher order structural model was developed and tested in which intrinsic and extrinsic motivational dispositions were underlying factors that…

Equal Educational Opportunity Scoreboard: The Status of Black Americans in Higher Education, 1970-1979. Fourth ISEP Status Report, Part I.

Science.gov (United States)

Morris, Lorenzo; And Others

This fourth report of the Institute for the Study of Educational Policy examines the status of black Americans in higher education from 1970 to 1979, with special consideration to a discussion of a basis of parity which takes into account the rapid growth of the black population and to enrollment patterns in traditionally black institutions of…

Psychosocial problems among students in preparatory school, in ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

The study revealed that lower family connectedness and having a living arrangement separate from both biological parents (or living with friends, relatives or alone) were associated with increased odds of having a depressive symptom after controlling for observed covariates. Suicide attempts reported in the 12 months ...

Comics as Research, Comics for Impact: The Case of Higher Fees, Higher Debts

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ernesto Priego

2016-12-01

Full Text Available Researchers have turned to comics as outputs incorporating their research findings. These comics are print and/or online publications that can lead to the wider adoption of research and enhance educational practices, widen public engagement, and improve the possibilities for research to influence public policy.  This article presents an interview with Professor Katy Vigurs about 'Higher Fees, Higher Debts: Greater Expectations of Graduate Futures?', a comic based on a research report produced for the Society for Research into Higher Education (2016.  In order to contextualize the interview, this article also provides an introduction to non-fiction comics research, and concludes with reflections on comics as a way of doing research. This article seeks to document and encourage further knowledge-exchange between the higher education sector and comics practitioners, and between researchers using comics in their research or as a means to disseminate their own research and those scholars who research comics as their main object of study.

Spirituality as a protective health asset for young people: an international comparative analysis from three countries.

Science.gov (United States)

Brooks, Fiona; Michaelson, Valerie; King, Nathan; Inchley, Jo; Pickett, William

2018-04-01

Spirituality has been proposed as a potential health asset a 'developmental engine' that works by fostering the search for connectedness, meaning and purpose. The aim is to examine to what extent spiritual health might be protective of young people's overall health and well-being. In 2014, young people aged 11, 13, and 15 years in England, Scotland and Canada were surveyed as part of the HBSC study (n = 26,701). The perceived importance of spiritual health and domains (connections with self, others, nature, and the transcendent) was measured in these countries. Multi-level log-binomial models were used to explore relationships between spiritual health and three self-reported positive health outcomes: general health status, subjective life satisfaction and health complaints. Higher levels of perceptions of the importance of spiritual health, both overall and within the four domains, were associated with higher likelihoods of reporting each of the positive health outcomes. Spiritual health appears to operate as a protective health asset during adolescence and is significantly shaped by external relationships and connections.

Evaluation in Higher Education

Science.gov (United States)

Bognar, Branko; Bungic, Maja

2014-01-01

One of the means of transforming classroom experience is by conducting action research with students. This paper reports about the action research with university students. It has been carried out within a semester of the course "Methods of Upbringing". Its goal has been to improve evaluation of higher education teaching. Different forms…

Psychosocial characteristics of adolescents with different profiles of individuation in relation to parents

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Melita Puklek Levpušček

2003-12-01

Full Text Available Individuation in relation to parents represents an important developmental task during adolescence. The article focuses on the examination of different profiles of individuation in relation to parents and how these profiles manifest themselves in different periods of adolescence. We were also interested in the psychosocial characteristics that vary among adolescents with different profiles of individuation. The sample consisted of 593 adolescents in the age range of 13 to 18 years. The adolescents filled in the self-report questionnaires of individuation in relation to parents and friends, perceived parental behavior, and perceived self-efficacy in learning. They also reported about the frequency of psychological symptoms experienced in the last month. To identify the diverse groups of adolescents the scores on the scale of individuation in relation to parents were subjected to a cluster analysis. Finally, the four-cluster solution was chosen. The clusters were named: Good connectedness with parents with non-threatened autonomy, Highly harmonious relationship with parents with non-threatened autonomy, Cold relationship with parents with threatened autonomy and Ambivalent relationship with parents. The results confirmed the hypothesis, that most adolescents will be classified in the profiles of good relationship with parents with non-threatened autonomy. The results also showed that the combination of moderate emotional connectedness with parents, low parental idealization, ability to integrate autonomy and connectedness, low denial of dependency needs and low engulfment anxiety represent the most favorable individuation pattern for psychological adaptation of adolescents.

Factors associated with health risk behavior among school children in urban Vietnam

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tran Bich Phuong

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Background: Health risk behavior among young people is a public health problem in Vietnam. In addition, road traffic injuries are the leading cause of death for those aged 15–29 years. The consequences can be devastating for adolescents and their families, and can create a significant economic burden on society. Objective: The aim of this study was to identify protective and risk factors that may influence three health risk behaviors among school children: suicidal thinking (ST, drinking alcohol (DA, and underage motorbike driving (MD. Methods: A cross-sectional survey of 972 adolescents (aged 12–15 years was conducted in two secondary schools in Hanoi, Vietnam. The schools were purposely selected, one each from the inner city and a suburban area, from which classes (grade 6 to 8 were randomly selected. All students attending classes on survey days took part in the survey. The anonymous, self-completed questionnaire included measures of risk behavior, school connectedness, parental bonding, and other factors. Multivariable regression models were used to examine associations between the independent variables and the three health risk behaviors controlling for confounding factors. Results: Young people in the inner city school reported a higher prevalence of all three risk behaviors than those in the suburban area (ST: 16.1% [95% confidence interval, or CI, 12.9–19.3] versus 4.6% [95% CI 2.7–6.5], p<0.001; DA: 20.3% [95% CI 16.8–23.8] versus 8.3% [95% CI 5.8–10.8], p<0.001, and MD: 10.1% [95% CI 7.4–12.8] versus 5.7% [95% CI 3.6–7.8], p<0.01. School connectedness and mother and father care appeared to be significant protective factors. For males, bullying in school was associated with suicidal thoughts, whereas for both males and females, school connectedness may be protective against suicidal ideation. Conclusion: This study supports findings from other nations regarding suicidal thoughts and alcohol use, and appears to be one of

Federal Policies and Higher Education in the United States.

Science.gov (United States)

Prisco, Anne; Hurley, Alicia D.; Carton, Thomas C; Richardson, Richard C., Jr.

The purpose of this report is to describe U.S. federal policies that have helped to shape the context within which state systems of higher education operated during the past decade. It also presents descriptive statistics about the higher education enterprise in the United States, including available performance data. The report is based on the…

Governance and Adaptation to Innovative Modes of Higher Education Provision. Research Report

Science.gov (United States)

McGrath, Cecile Hoareau; Hofman, Joanna; Bajziková, Lubica; Harte, Emma; Lasakova, Anna; Pankowska, Paulina; Sasso, S.; Belanger, Julie; Florea, S.; Krivogra, J.

2016-01-01

At a time when more students than ever are attending higher education, its provision is becoming more fluid, global and competitive. For example, developments in new technologies mean that higher education institutions (HEIs) can make their courses available all over the world. These developments bring into question the traditional delivery model…

Public Policies, Prices, and Productivity in American Higher Education. Stretching the Higher Education Dollar. Special Report 3

Science.gov (United States)

Hauptman, Arthur M.

2013-01-01

Rapid increases in what colleges charge and what they spend per student have been and remain one of the most controversial aspects of American higher education. Tuition, fees, and other college charges have increased in both the public and private sectors at more than twice the rate of inflation for over a quarter century. Trends over time in what…

Medical Education for Tennessee. A Report of the Tennessee Higher Education Commission.

Science.gov (United States)

Boone, Jerry N.; Woods, Myra S.

This study of medical education was conducted as a part of the Tennessee Higher Education Commission's responsibility to design a master plan for higher education in Tennessee. It provides a background of information on Tennessee's needs for physicians and on the production of physicians by the three medical schools in the state. The study…

Suicidality and Intersectionality among Students Identifying as Nonheterosexual and with a Disability

Science.gov (United States)

King, Matthew T.; Merrin, Gabriel J.; Espelage, Dorothy L.; Grant, Nickholas J.; Bub, Kristen L.

2018-01-01

Research about students with disabilities and students identifying as LGBQ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, or questioning) reveals that both populations report more suicidality and peer victimization and less school connectedness than do their peers. No study has previously examined the intersection of these identities with regard to peer victimization,…

2014-2015 State of CRM Use in Higher Education Report

Science.gov (United States)

American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers (AACRAO), 2010

2010-01-01

The American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers (AACRAO) periodically undertakes research projects to keep themselves and the higher education community in general, informed about relevant current and emerging practices. The aim of this survey was to measure the extent of ownership of Constituent (or Customer)…

THE IMPACT OF SOCIAL NETWORKING SITES (SNSS) ON STUDENTS’ SOCIAL INTERACTION

OpenAIRE

Jesse John Lukindo

2016-01-01

This study explored the impact of Social Networking Sites (SNSs) on students’ social interaction at Northeast Normal University in China. The study was guided by three research questions; what are the levels of SNS time use and social connectedness in terms of gender?, what are the differences of university students SNS time use and social connectedness and what is the relationship between SNS time use and social connectedness. It involved a total sample of 79 students from various faculties ...

The Federal Role in Meeting the Education Needs of Chicanos and Puerto Ricans with Special Emphasis on Higher Education. Final Report.

Science.gov (United States)

Miranda (L.) and Associates, Bethesda, MD.

Federal efforts to meet higher educational needs of Chicanos and Puerto Ricans are analyzed in this report. As part of a study conducted by L. Miranda and Associates, 15 Federal agencies were surveyed to determine their programs and their financial commitment to Hispanic postsecondary education, and the participation of Hispanics in each agency's…

[Concordance between self-reported weight and height for nutritional assessment in adults aged between 25 and 50 years without higher education].

Science.gov (United States)

Matínez-Torres, Javier; Lee Osorno, Belinda Inés; Mendoza, Leylis; Mariotta, Sharom; López Epiayu, Yandra; Martínez, Yelitza; Jiménez, Nelly

2014-11-01

Overweight and obesity are metabolic disorders that have become a public health problem due to the current high prevalence; therefore, it is important to create simple monitoring systems to assess their trends. To determine the correlation between weight, height and body mass index reported by patients and the values measured directly in adults between 25 and 50 years old without higher education. A cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted with participation of 207 adults between 25 and 50 years old. Each participant was asked weight and height; and body mass index was calculated with these data. Moreover, a qualified person determined the real value of these variables. The coefficient of intra-class correlation between self-reported and measurements was obtained. The body mass index measured for men was 25.8±3.7 kg/m2 and for women 26.0±4.1 kg/m2. Intraclass correlation coefficients were for weight 0.962 (IC95%: 0.950-0.971), height 0.909 (IC95%: 0.882-0.930), and body mass index 0.929 (IC95% 0.907-0.945); the real prevalence of people with a body mass index greater than 25 kg/m2 was 52.1%, whereas the value obtained by self-reported data was 44%. Self-reported weight and height data are useful for obesity assessment in adults aged between 25 and 50 years without higher education at the population level. Copyright AULA MEDICA EDICIONES 2014. Published by AULA MEDICA. All rights reserved.

Student Support Funding for Higher Education Institutions, 2001-02. Report.

Science.gov (United States)

Higher Education Funding Council for England, Bristol.

This publication provides information about the allocation of funds for student support to higher education institutions in England in 2001-2002 and requests monitoring information on the use of these funds. Student support funds include a variety of services to students, including fee waivers, help with living costs in some cases, and child care…

A Four-Part Model of Autonomy during Emerging Adulthood: Associations with Adjustment

Science.gov (United States)

Lamborn, Susie D.; Groh, Kelly

2009-01-01

We found support for a four-part model of autonomy that links connectedness, separation, detachment, and agency to adjustment during emerging adulthood. Based on self-report surveys of 285 American college students, expected associations among the autonomy variables were found. In addition, agency, as measured by self-reliance, predicted lower…

Social Networking Sites and Cognitive Abilities: Do They Make You Smarter?

Science.gov (United States)

Alloway, Tracy Packiam; Horton, John; Alloway, Ross G.; Dawson, Clare

2013-01-01

The purpose of the present study was to investigate the impact of social networking sites (SNS) on cognitive abilities and reported levels of social connectedness in adolescents. In order to provide a reliable measure of cognitive skills, standardized tests of verbal ability, working memory, and academic attainment were administered. Students also…

Brief Report: Parent-Adolescent Informant Discrepancies of Social Skill Importance and Social Skill Engagement for Higher-Functioning Adolescents with Autism Spectrum Disorder

Science.gov (United States)

McMahon, Camilla M.; Solomon, Marjorie

2015-01-01

Parent- and adolescent-report of social skill importance and social skill engagement on the Social Skills Rating System (Gresham and Elliott in The social skills rating system, American Guidance Service, Circle Pines, 1990) were assessed in higher-functioning adolescents with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Compared to parents, adolescents…

Higher Drop in Speed during a Repeated Sprint Test in Soccer Players Reporting Former Hamstring Strain Injury

Science.gov (United States)

Røksund, Ola D.; Kristoffersen, Morten; Bogen, Bård E.; Wisnes, Alexander; Engeseth, Merete S.; Nilsen, Ann-Kristin; Iversen, Vegard V.; Mæland, Silje; Gundersen, Hilde

2017-01-01

Aim: Hamstring strain injury is common in soccer. The aim of this study was to evaluate the physical capacity of players who have and have not suffered from hamstring strain injury in a sample of semi-professional and professional Norwegian soccer players in order to evaluate characteristics and to identify possible indications of insufficient rehabilitation. Method: Seventy-five semi-professional and professional soccer players (19 ± 3 years) playing at the second and third level in the Norwegian league participated in the study. All players answered a questionnaire, including one question about hamstring strain injury (yes/no) during the previous 2 years. They also performed a 40 m maximal sprint test, a repeated sprint test (8 × 20 m), a countermovement jump, a maximal oxygen consumption (VO2max) test, strength tests and flexibility tests. Independent sample t-tests were used to evaluate differences in the physical capacity of the players who had suffered from hamstring strain injury and those who had not. Mixed between-within subject's analyses of variance was used to compare changes in speed during the repeated sprint test between groups. Results: Players who reported hamstring strain injury during the previous two years (16%) had a significantly higher drop in speed (0.07 vs. 0.02 s, p = 0.007) during the repeated sprint test, compared to players reporting no previous hamstring strain injury. In addition, there was a significant interaction (groups × time) (F = 3.22, p = 0.002), showing that speed in the two groups changed differently during the repeated sprint test. There were no significant differences in relations to age, weight, height, body fat, linear speed, countermovement jump height, leg strength, VO2max, or hamstring flexibility between the groups. Conclusion: Soccer players who reported hamstring strain injury during the previous 2 years showed significant higher drop in speed during the repeated sprint test compared to players with no hamstring

A theory-informed qualitative exploration of social and environmental determinants of physical activity and dietary choices in adolescents with intellectual disabilities in their final year of school.

Science.gov (United States)

Stevens, Gemma; Jahoda, Andrew; Matthews, Lynsay; Hankey, Catherine; Melville, Craig; Murray, Heather; Mitchell, Fiona

2018-01-01

The prevalence of obesity is higher in those with intellectual disabilities than the general population. The aim of the study was to understand the determinants of physical activity and dietary patterns in this population during their final year of school. Qualitative data were generated from 10 interviews with adolescents with mild-moderate intellectual disabilities. Data were analysed using deductive thematic analysis, employing Self-Determination Theory as a theoretical framework. Adolescents' environment and social interactions play a pivotal role in influencing physical activity and dietary patterns. Three themes emerged from the analysis: situatedness, motivation and wider environmental influences. School structure, high self-efficacy and social connectedness facilitate increased physical activity and healthier diet in adolescents with intellectual disabilities. Home life, low self-efficacy and a lack of social connectedness can serve as a barrier to PA and a healthy diet. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Leveraging Sustainability Reporting in Higher Education Institutions--A Multidimensional Research Agenda

Science.gov (United States)

Schoormann, Thorsten; Bührig, Jan; Behrens, Dennis; Knackstedt, Ralf

2017-01-01

Sustainability has become increasingly important to research and practice. In order to determine impacts, identify improvement potential and to disclose efforts towards sustainability, an organization needs appropriate reporting. Thus, sustainability reporting has become a topic of broader interest, for example, to assess own situations, enable…

A Novel Fuzzy Topological Approach to the Detection of Mammographic Lesions and Quantification of Parenchymal Density

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Udupa, Jayaram

2001-01-01

.... During this project period, the following have been accomplished: The development and validation of a new method of lesion and density detection based on fuzzy connectedness that utilizes the relative strength of connectedness among objects...

Health and school outcomes during children's transition into adolescence.

Science.gov (United States)

Forrest, Christopher B; Bevans, Katherine B; Riley, Anne W; Crespo, Richard; Louis, Thomas A

2013-02-01

Normative biopsychosocial stressors that occur during entry into adolescence can affect school performance.As a set of resources for adapting to life's challenges, good health may buffer a child from these potentially harmful stressors. This study examined the associations between health (measured as well-being, functioning, symptoms, and chronic conditions) and school outcomes among children aged 9-13 years in 4th-8th grades. We conducted a prospective cohort study of 1,479 children from 34 schools followed from 2006 to 2008. Survey data were obtained from children and their parents, and school records were abstracted. Measures of child self-reported health were dichotomized to indicate presence of a health asset. Outcomes included attendance, grade point average, state achievement test scores, and child-reported school engagement and teacher connectedness. Both the transition into middle school and puberty had independent negative influences on school outcomes. Chronic health conditions that affected children's functional status were associated with poorer academic achievement. The number of health assets that a child possessed was positively associated with school outcomes. Low levels of negative stress experiences and high physical comfort had positive effects on teacher connectedness, school engagement, and academic achievement, whereas bullying and bully victimization negatively affected these outcomes. Children with high life satisfaction were more connected with teachers, more engaged in schoolwork, and earned higher grades than those who were less satisfied. As children enter adolescence, good health may buffer them from the potentially negative effects of school and pubertal transitions on academic success. Copyright © 2013 Society for Adolescent Health and Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

An Integrated Approach to the Use of Complementary Visual Learning Tools in an Undergraduate Microbiology Class

Science.gov (United States)

McCabe, Bernadette

2011-01-01

The ability to appreciate the inter-connectedness of complex biological relationships can be difficult for many students. Graphical knowledge in the form of concept maps and flow charts are learning tools which can assist students to recognise the inter-connectivity. This report focuses on a trial which incorporates these two related visual…

A Question of Values(s)

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Meyer, Renate; Höllerer, Markus; Leixnering, Stephan

2015-01-01

the political and managerial sphere. Using data from Austrian public sector organizations, we test and confirm the causal relationship of political connectedness of board members and executive compensation. Differentiating between value-based and interest-based in-groups, we suggest that only value......-based political connectedness has the potential to restore patronage as a control instrument and governance tool. Self-interested and reward-driven patronage, on the other hand, indicated by a strong association of political connectedness and executive pay, refers to the type of politicization that previous...

EDITORIAL: Deeper, broader, higher, better?

Science.gov (United States)

Dobson, Ken

1998-07-01

Honorary Editor The standard of educational achievement in England and Wales is frequently criticized, and it seems to be an axiom of government that schools and teachers need to be shaken up, kept on a tight rein, copiously inspected, shamed and blamed as required: in general, subjected to the good old approach of: ' Find out what Johnny is doing and tell him to stop.' About the only exception to this somewhat severe attitude is at A-level, where the standard is simply golden. Often, comparisons are made between the performance of, say, English children and that of their coevals in other countries, with different customs, systems, aims and languages. But there has been a recent comparison of standards at A-level with a non-A-level system of pre-university education, in an English-speaking country that both sends students to English universities and accepts theirs into its own, and is, indeed, represented in the UK government at well above the level expected from its ethnical weighting in the population. This semi-foreign country is Scotland. The conclusions of the study are interesting. Scotland has had its own educational system, with `traditional breadth', and managed to escape much of the centralized authoritarianism that we have been through south of the border. It is interesting to note that, while for the past dozen years or so the trend in A-level Physics entries has been downwards, there has been an increase in the take-up of Scottish `Highers'. Highers is a one-year course. Is its popularity due to its being easier than A-level? Scottish students keen enough to do more can move on to the Certificate of Sixth Year Studies, and will shortly be able to upgrade a Higher Level into an Advanced Higher Level. A comparability study [ Comparability Study of Scottish Qualifications and GCE Advanced Levels: Report on Physics January 1998 (free from SQA)] was carried out by the Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA) with the aim (amongst others) of helping

Research on the Training of Higher Cognitive Learning and Thinking Skills. Final Report. Report No. 5560.

Science.gov (United States)

Nickerson, R. S.

The technical reports summarized in this paper were prepared as part of a project designed to determine what is known about the teaching of cognitive skills and to formulate questions relating to such teaching for further research. Topics discussed in the 22 reports include the following: (1) teaching thinking; (2) Aristotle's logic; (3) a…

Egyptian greenhouse cultivation at a higher level with Dutch Technology ; Annual Report 2013

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Elings, A.; Helm, van der F.P.M.; Blok, C.; Meijer, R.J.M.; Lahiani, Y.; Janmaat, A.; Zaki, M.; Hassan, H.

2014-01-01

The project ‘Egyptian greenhouse cultivation at a higher level with Dutch technology’ is co-funded under the Top Sector Programme Horticulture and Starting Materials. The project wants to realizes through the use of Dutch technology a higher level of sustainability of Egyptian protected cultivation,

Response to Adversity: Higher Education in a Harsh Climate. SRHE Monograph 53.

Science.gov (United States)

Williams, Gareth; Blackstone, Tessa

Issues pertaining to the prospect of decline in British higher education are considered. The following topics are addressed: The 1963 report of the Committee on Higher Education (Robbins Report), the pattern of change in higher education over the past 20 years; the basic issues of scope, diversity, access, and public service; patterns of…

Education for Sustainable Development in Higher Education Institutions

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

César Tapia-Fonllem

2017-01-01

Full Text Available The role that higher education plays in the promotion of sustainable development outstands in the declarations on Education for Sustainable Development (ESD, besides being a research priority in higher education. However, few studies exist that evaluate sustainable lifestyles among university students. The aim of this study was to analyze the mission and vision, processes and actions undertaken to promote sustainability in higher education institutions, and to compare the pro-sustainability orientation (PSO reported by 360 students coursing first or last semesters at college. The study was intended to evaluate the influence that four higher education institutions in Sonora, Mexico, have on students’ PSO. Results of the study indicate that a coherent PSO factor emerges from the interrelations among pro-environmental dispositional and behavioral variables reported by students. However, university programs and actions do not produce statistically significant differences between freshmen and senior students. Possible reasons explaining the lack of positive influence of those universities on students’ PSO are discussed.

A Multilevel, Statewide Investigation of School District Anti-Bullying Policy Quality and Student Bullying Involvement.

Science.gov (United States)

Gower, Amy L; Cousin, Molly; Borowsky, Iris W

2017-03-01

Although nearly all states in the United States require school districts to adopt anti-bullying policies, little research examines the effect of these policies on student bullying and health. Using a statewide sample, we investigated associations between the quality of school district anti-bullying policies and student bullying involvement and adjustment. School district anti-bullying policies (N = 208) were coded for their quality based on established criteria. District-level data were combined with student reports of bullying involvement, emotional distress, and school connectedness from a state surveillance survey of 6th, 9th, and 12th grade students (N = 93,437). Results indicated that policy quality was positively related to bullying victimization. Furthermore, students reporting frequent perpetration/victimization who also attended districts with high-quality policies reported more emotional distress and less school connectedness compared with students attending districts with low quality policies. Although statistically significant, the magnitude of these associations was small. Having a high-quality school district anti-bullying policy is not sufficient to reduce bullying and protect bullying-involved young people. Future studies examining policy implementation will inform best practices in bullying prevention. © 2017, American School Health Association.

Tourism as connectedness.

OpenAIRE

Gössling, S.; Cohen, S.A.; Hibbert, Julia F.

2016-01-01

Late modernity in developed nations is characterized by changing social and psychological conditions, including individualization, processes of competition and loneliness. Remaining socially connected is becoming increasingly important. In this situation, travel provides meaning through physical encounters, inclusion in traveller Gemeinschaft based on shared norms, beliefs and interests, and social status in societies increasingly defined by mobilities. As relationships are forged and found i...

Online Activity, Offline Sociability, and Life Satisfaction Among Israelis With and Without Disabilities.

Science.gov (United States)

Gur, Ayelet; Rimmerman, Arie

2017-11-01

The Internet has the power to enrich the lives of persons with and without disabilities, and increase independence and subjective well-being. Using path analysis, the study examines the role of Internet use, offline social participation, and connectedness in explaining life satisfaction among people with and without disabilities. Two mediating models have been examined: the first hypothesizes that social participation and connectedness are mediating variables between online use and life satisfaction; the second posits that the association between participation and connectedness to life satisfaction is mediated by Internet use. The secondary data utilized measures from the Kessler National Organization on Disability, 2000 and 2004-Harris survey on a national sample of 557 Israelis with disabilities and a parallel sample of 551 people without disabilities. Findings indicate that people with disabilities tend to participate less and have weaker level of connectedness, and consequently are less satisfied with their life, than persons without disabilities. No significant difference has been found between the two groups in social and other online activities. In terms of the mediating models, the first mediation model has been confirmed for people with disabilities-both connectedness and participation serve as mediators between online social activity and life satisfaction. Interestingly, among those without disabilities, only connectedness has been a mediator in the path between social and other online activities and life satisfaction. Findings are discussed is respect to future research and rehabilitation practice.

Impulsivity moderates promotive environmental influences on adolescent delinquency: A comparison across family, school, and neighborhood contexts

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Pan; Jacobson, Kristen C.

2013-01-01

The present study examined moderating effects of impulsivity on the relationships between promotive factors from family (family warmth, parental knowledge), school (school connectedness), and neighborhood (neighborhood cohesion) contexts with delinquency using data collected from N = 2,978 sixth to eighth graders from 16 schools surrounding a major city in the Midwestern United States. More than half of the respondents were non-Caucasian (Mage = 12.48; 41.0% male). Multilevel modeling analyses were conducted to take into account the clustering of the participants within schools. Impulsivity was positively associated with adolescent delinquency. Additionally, family warmth, parental knowledge, and school connectedness, but not neighborhood cohesion, were independently and inversely related to adolescent delinquency. Finally, impulsivity moderated relationships between family warmth and parental knowledge with delinquency but not relationships between school attachment and neighborhood cohesion with delinquency. Specifically, the negative relationship between family warmth and delinquency was significant for adolescents with high levels of, but not for those with below-average levels of, impulsivity. In addition, parental knowledge had a stronger association with decreased levels of delinquency for adolescents reporting higher levels of impulsivity. The moderating effects of impulsivity did not differ for males and females or for minority and non-minority participants. Findings indicate that impulsivity may have greater impact on adolescents’ susceptibility to positive family influences than on their susceptibility to promotive factors from school or neighborhood contexts. Implications for future research and practice are discussed. PMID:23673971

Verbal makes it positive, spatial makes it negative: working memory biases judgments, attention, and moods.

Science.gov (United States)

Storbeck, Justin; Watson, Philip

2014-12-01

Prior research has suggested that emotion and working memory domains are integrated, such that positive affect enhances verbal working memory, whereas negative affect enhances spatial working memory (Gray, 2004; Storbeck, 2012). Simon (1967) postulated that one feature of emotion and cognition integration would be reciprocal connectedness (i.e., emotion influences cognition and cognition influences emotion). We explored whether affective judgments and attention to affective qualities are biased by the activation of verbal and spatial working memory mind-sets. For all experiments, participants completed a 2-back verbal or spatial working memory task followed by an endorsement task (Experiments 1 & 2), word-pair selection task (Exp. 3), or attentional dot-probe task (Exp. 4). Participants who had an activated verbal, compared with spatial, working memory mind-set were more likely to endorse pictures (Exp. 1) and words (Exp. 2) as being more positive and to select the more positive word pair out of a set of word pairs that went 'together best' (Exp. 3). Additionally, people who completed the verbal working memory task took longer to disengage from positive stimuli, whereas those who completed the spatial working memory task took longer to disengage from negative stimuli (Exp. 4). Interestingly, across the 4 experiments, we observed higher levels of self-reported negative affect for people who completed the spatial working memory task, which was consistent with their endorsement and attentional bias toward negative stimuli. Therefore, emotion and working memory may have a reciprocal connectedness allowing for bidirectional influence.

Higher twist contributions to deep-inelastic structure functions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bluemlein, J.; Boettcher, H.

2008-07-01

We report on a recent extraction of the higher twist contributions to the deep inelastic structure functions F ep,ed 2 (x,Q 2 ) in the large x region. It is shown that the size of the extracted higher twist contributions is strongly correlated with the higher order corrections applied to the leading twist part. A gradual lowering of the higher twist contributions going from NLO to N 4 LO is observed, where in the latter case only the leading large x terms were considered. (orig.)

Cerebral amyloid angiopathy-related inflammation presenting with steroid-responsive higher brain dysfunction: case report and review of the literature

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Maeda Yasushi

2011-09-01

Full Text Available Abstract A 56-year-old man noticed discomfort in his left lower limb, followed by convulsion and numbness in the same area. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI showed white matter lesions in the right parietal lobe accompanied by leptomeningeal or leptomeningeal and cortical post-contrast enhancement along the parietal sulci. The patient also exhibited higher brain dysfunction corresponding with the lesions on MRI. Histological pathology disclosed β-amyloid in the blood vessels and perivascular inflammation, which highlights the diagnosis of cerebral amyloid angiopathy (CAA-related inflammation. Pulse steroid therapy was so effective that clinical and radiological findings immediately improved. CAA-related inflammation is a rare disease, defined by the deposition of amyloid proteins within the leptomeningeal and cortical arteries associated with vasculitis or perivasculitis. Here we report a patient with CAA-related inflammation who showed higher brain dysfunction that improved with steroid therapy. In cases with atypical radiological lesions like our case, cerebral biopsy with histological confirmation remains necessary for an accurate diagnosis.

Factor 10 Visions project: Higher Education Sector Towards Sustainable Higher Education: Environmental impacts of campus-based and distance higher education systems

OpenAIRE

Roy, Robin; Potter, Stephen; Yarrow, Karen; Smith, Mark

2005-01-01

This report gives the findings of a major UK study of the environmental impacts of four different methods of providing higher education (HE) courses: Conventional campus-based full-time courses; Conventional campus-based part-time courses; Print-based distance taught courses; Part electronically-delivered distance taught courses.\\ud This is an environmental assessment of these different HE systems and does not assess their educational effectiveness or socio-economic costs and benefits.\\ud KEY...

Higher cigarette prices influence cigarette purchase patterns.

Science.gov (United States)

Hyland, A; Bauer, J E; Li, Q; Abrams, S M; Higbee, C; Peppone, L; Cummings, K M

2005-04-01

To examine cigarette purchasing patterns of current smokers and to determine the effects of cigarette price on use of cheaper sources, discount/generic cigarettes, and coupons. Higher cigarette prices result in decreased cigarette consumption, but price sensitive smokers may seek lower priced or tax-free cigarette sources, especially if they are readily available. This price avoidance behaviour costs states excise tax money and dampens the health impact of higher cigarette prices. Telephone survey data from 3602 US smokers who were originally in the COMMIT (community intervention trial for smoking cessation) study were analysed to assess cigarette purchase patterns, use of discount/generic cigarettes, and use of coupons. 59% reported engaging in a high price avoidance strategy, including 34% who regularly purchase from a low or untaxed venue, 28% who smoke a discount/generic cigarette brand, and 18% who report using cigarette coupons more frequently that they did five years ago. The report of engaging in a price avoidance strategy was associated with living within 40 miles of a state or Indian reservation with lower cigarette excise taxes, higher average cigarette consumption, white, non-Hispanic race/ethnicity, and female sex. Data from this study indicate that most smokers are price sensitive and seek out measures to purchase less expensive cigarettes, which may decrease future cessation efforts.

Torsion tensor and covector in a unified field theory

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chernikov, N.A.

1976-01-01

The Einstein unified field theory is used to solve a tensor equation to provide the unambiguous definition of affine connectedness. In the process of solving the Einstein equation limitations imposed by symmetry on the tensor and the torsion covector as well as on affine connectedness are elucidated. It is demonstrated that in a symmetric case the connectedness is unambiguously determined by the Einstein equation. By means of the Riemann geometry a formula for the torsion covector is derived. The equivalence of Einstein equations to those of the nonlinear Born-Infeld electrodynamics is proved

Sexual Orientation, Parental Support, and Health during the Transition to Young Adulthood

Science.gov (United States)

Needham, Belinda L.; Austin, Erika L.

2010-01-01

Some recent studies suggest that sexual minorities may have worse health-related outcomes during adolescence because they report lower levels of family connectedness, a key protective resource. Using data from wave 3 of the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health (n = 11,153; 50.6% female; mean age = 21.8 years), this study extends prior…

Complementary Therapy for Addiction: “Drumming Out Drugs”

Science.gov (United States)

Winkelman, Michael

2003-01-01

Objectives. This article examines drumming activities as complementary addiction treatments and discusses their reported effects. Methods. I observed drumming circles for substance abuse (as a participant), interviewed counselors and Internet mailing list participants, initiated a pilot program, and reviewed literature on the effects of drumming. Results. Research reviews indicate that drumming enhances recovery through inducing relaxation and enhancing theta-wave production and brain-wave synchronization. Drumming produces pleasurable experiences, enhanced awareness of preconscious dynamics, release of emotional trauma, and reintegration of self. Drumming alleviates self-centeredness, isolation, and alienation, creating a sense of connectedness with self and others. Drumming provides a secular approach to accessing a higher power and applying spiritual perspectives. Conclusions. Drumming circles have applications as complementary addiction therapy, particularly for repeated relapse and when other counseling modalities have failed. PMID:12660212

Difference equations in massive higher order calculations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bierenbaum, I.; Bluemlein, J.; Klein, S.; Schneider, C.

2007-07-01

The calculation of massive 2-loop operator matrix elements, required for the higher order Wilson coefficients for heavy flavor production in deeply inelastic scattering, leads to new types of multiple infinite sums over harmonic sums and related functions, which depend on the Mellin parameter N. We report on the solution of these sums through higher order difference equations using the summation package Sigma. (orig.)

Formative process evaluation for implementing a social marketing intervention to increase walking among African Americans in the Positive Action for Today's Health trial.

Science.gov (United States)

Coulon, Sandra M; Wilson, Dawn K; Griffin, Sarah; St George, Sara M; Alia, Kassandra A; Trumpeter, Nevelyn N; Wandersman, Abraham K; Forthofer, Melinda; Robinson, Shamika; Gadson, Barney

2012-12-01

Evaluating programs targeting physical activity may help to reduce disparate rates of obesity among African Americans. We report formative process evaluation methods and implementation dose, fidelity, and reach in the Positive Action for Today's Health trial. We applied evaluation methods based on an ecological framework in 2 community-based police-patrolled walking programs targeting access and safety in underserved African American communities. One program also targeted social connectedness and motivation to walk using a social marketing approach. Process data were systematically collected from baseline to 12 months. Adequate implementation dose was achieved, with fidelity achieved but less stable in both programs. Monthly walkers increased to 424 in the walking-plus-social marketing program, indicating expanding program reach, in contrast to no increase in the walking-only program. Increased reach was correlated with peer-led Pride Strides (r = .92; P social marketing component, and program social interaction was the primary reason for which walkers reported participating. Formative process evaluation demonstrated that the walking programs were effectively implemented and that social marketing increased walking and perceived social connectedness in African American communities.

Greenery in the university environment: Students’ preferences and perceived restoration likelihood

Science.gov (United States)

2018-01-01

A large body of evidence shows that interaction with greenery can be beneficial for human stress reduction, emotional states, and improved cognitive function. It can, therefore, be expected that university students might benefit from greenery in the university environment. Before investing in real-life interventions in a university environment, it is necessary to first explore students’ perceptions of greenery in the university environment. This study examined (1) preference for university indoor and outdoor spaces with and without greenery (2) perceived restoration likelihood of university outdoor spaces with and without greenery and (3) if preference and perceived restoration likelihood ratings were modified by demographic characteristics or connectedness to nature in Dutch university students (N = 722). Digital photographic stimuli represented four university spaces (lecture hall, classroom, study area, university outdoor space). For each of the three indoor spaces there were four or five stimuli conditions: (1) the standard design (2) the standard design with a colorful poster (3) the standard design with a nature poster (4) the standard design with a green wall (5) the standard design with a green wall plus interior plants. The university outdoor space included: (1) the standard design (2) the standard design with seating (3) the standard design with colorful artifacts (4) the standard design with green elements (5) the standard design with extensive greenery. Multi-level analyses showed that students gave higher preference ratings to the indoor spaces with a nature poster, a green wall, or a green wall plus interior plants than to the standard designs and the designs with the colorful posters. Students also rated preference and perceived restoration likelihood of the outdoor spaces that included greenery higher than those without. Preference and perceived restoration likelihood were not modified by demographic characteristics, but students with strong

Greenery in the university environment: Students' preferences and perceived restoration likelihood.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nicole van den Bogerd

Full Text Available A large body of evidence shows that interaction with greenery can be beneficial for human stress reduction, emotional states, and improved cognitive function. It can, therefore, be expected that university students might benefit from greenery in the university environment. Before investing in real-life interventions in a university environment, it is necessary to first explore students' perceptions of greenery in the university environment. This study examined (1 preference for university indoor and outdoor spaces with and without greenery (2 perceived restoration likelihood of university outdoor spaces with and without greenery and (3 if preference and perceived restoration likelihood ratings were modified by demographic characteristics or connectedness to nature in Dutch university students (N = 722. Digital photographic stimuli represented four university spaces (lecture hall, classroom, study area, university outdoor space. For each of the three indoor spaces there were four or five stimuli conditions: (1 the standard design (2 the standard design with a colorful poster (3 the standard design with a nature poster (4 the standard design with a green wall (5 the standard design with a green wall plus interior plants. The university outdoor space included: (1 the standard design (2 the standard design with seating (3 the standard design with colorful artifacts (4 the standard design with green elements (5 the standard design with extensive greenery. Multi-level analyses showed that students gave higher preference ratings to the indoor spaces with a nature poster, a green wall, or a green wall plus interior plants than to the standard designs and the designs with the colorful posters. Students also rated preference and perceived restoration likelihood of the outdoor spaces that included greenery higher than those without. Preference and perceived restoration likelihood were not modified by demographic characteristics, but students with strong

Greenery in the university environment: Students' preferences and perceived restoration likelihood.

Science.gov (United States)

van den Bogerd, Nicole; Dijkstra, S Coosje; Seidell, Jacob C; Maas, Jolanda

2018-01-01

A large body of evidence shows that interaction with greenery can be beneficial for human stress reduction, emotional states, and improved cognitive function. It can, therefore, be expected that university students might benefit from greenery in the university environment. Before investing in real-life interventions in a university environment, it is necessary to first explore students' perceptions of greenery in the university environment. This study examined (1) preference for university indoor and outdoor spaces with and without greenery (2) perceived restoration likelihood of university outdoor spaces with and without greenery and (3) if preference and perceived restoration likelihood ratings were modified by demographic characteristics or connectedness to nature in Dutch university students (N = 722). Digital photographic stimuli represented four university spaces (lecture hall, classroom, study area, university outdoor space). For each of the three indoor spaces there were four or five stimuli conditions: (1) the standard design (2) the standard design with a colorful poster (3) the standard design with a nature poster (4) the standard design with a green wall (5) the standard design with a green wall plus interior plants. The university outdoor space included: (1) the standard design (2) the standard design with seating (3) the standard design with colorful artifacts (4) the standard design with green elements (5) the standard design with extensive greenery. Multi-level analyses showed that students gave higher preference ratings to the indoor spaces with a nature poster, a green wall, or a green wall plus interior plants than to the standard designs and the designs with the colorful posters. Students also rated preference and perceived restoration likelihood of the outdoor spaces that included greenery higher than those without. Preference and perceived restoration likelihood were not modified by demographic characteristics, but students with strong

A Digest of Reports of the Carnegie Commission on Higher Education. With an Index to Recommendations and Suggested Assignments of Responsibility for Action.

Science.gov (United States)

Carnegie Commission on Higher Education , Berkeley, CA.

In 21 reports issued over the span of almost six years, the Carnegie Commission on Higher Education has made available a massive resource of information for policymakers in colleges and universities, government agencies, and philanthropic and business organizations. The Commission has also offered nearly 300 individual recommendations for…

The System of Higher Education in Morocco: A Brief Introductory Report.

Science.gov (United States)

Meziani, Ahmed

1999-01-01

Describes higher education in Morocco, briefly touching on the country's socioeconomic history, then explaining Morocco's three types of postsecondary institutions: the public university system, the public non-university system, and the private system. Presents details about Moroccan universities, which are state institutions, focusing on…

Higher self-reported prevalence of hypertension among Moluccan-Dutch than among the general population of The Netherlands: results from a cross-sectional survey.

Science.gov (United States)

van der Wal, Junus M; Bodewes, Adee J; Agyemang, Charles O; Kunst, Anton E

2014-12-15

Several studies in The Netherlands revealed ethnic disparities in hypertension prevalence, but none have focused on the Moluccan-Dutch, a migrant group from Indonesia that settled in The Netherlands in 1951. The Moluccan-Dutch are considered to be fairly well integrated in Dutch society. The aim of this study was to compare hypertension prevalence among the Moluccan-Dutch to the native Dutch and to explore the contribution of known risk factors. A health interview survey was conducted from August 2012 till March 2013 among nineteen Moluccan neighborhoods, resulting in the inclusion of 708 participants. The primary outcome variable was self-reported prevalence of hypertension. Explanatory variables were BMI, exercise, smoking, alcohol intake and mental health status. Data on the control group was extracted from the Dutch National Health Survey 2011, using a similar questionnaire. Differences in risk factor exposure were explored using Chi-square tests and the contribution of risk factors, separately and combined, was explored using multivariate logistic regression analysis. Moluccan-Dutch showed higher odds for reporting hypertension when compared to native Dutch, after adjusting for age and level of education (OR = 1.38; 95% CI = 1.13-1.69) and additional risk factors (OR = 1.49; 95% CI = 1.19-1.88). A higher prevalence of hypertension was found in both Moluccan-Dutch men (26.4% vs. 16.7%; p Dutch men showed higher prevalence of hypertension. The Moluccan-Dutch may be at increased risk for reporting hypertension. These results suggest that long-term stay over several generations does not necessarily result in similar levels of hypertension prevalence as the host population.

Dry Eye Disease Patients with Xerostomia Report Higher Symptom Load and Have Poorer Meibum Expressibility.

Science.gov (United States)

Fostad, Ida G; Eidet, Jon R; Utheim, Tor P; Ræder, Sten; Lagali, Neil S; Messelt, Edvard B; Dartt, Darlene A

2016-01-01

The purpose of the study was to investigate if xerostomia (dry mouth) is associated with symptoms and signs of dry eye disease (DED). At the Norwegian Dry Eye Clinic, patients with symptomatic DED with different etiologies were consecutively included in the study. The patients underwent a comprehensive ophthalmological work-up and completed self-questionnaires on symptoms of ocular dryness (Ocular Surface Disease Index [OSDI] and McMonnies Dry Eye Questionnaire) and the Sjögren's syndrome (SS) questionnaire (SSQ). Three hundred and eighteen patients (52% women and 48% men) with DED were included. Patient demographics were: 0 to 19 years (1%), 20 to 39 (25%), 40 to 59 (34%), 60 to 79 (35%) and 80 to 99 (5%). Xerostomia, defined as "daily symptoms of dry mouth the last three months" (as presented in SSQ) was reported by 23% of the patients. Female sex was more common among patients with xerostomia (81%) than among non-xerostomia patients (44%; Pxerostomia (60 ± 15 years) were older than those without xerostomia (51 ± 17; Pxerostomia patients (65%) than among non-xerostomia patients (35%; Pxerostomia had a higher OSDI score (19.0 ± 10.0) than those without xerostomia (12.9 ± 8.0; Pxerostomia patients had more pathological meibum expressibility (0.9 ± 0.7) than those without xerostomia (0.7 ± 0.8; P = 0.046). Comparisons of OSDI and ocular signs were performed after controlling for the effects of sex, age and the number of systemic prescription drugs used. In conclusion, xerostomia patients demonstrated a higher DED symptom load and had poorer meibum expressibility than non-xerostomia patients.

The Need for Higher Education in Iran. Technical Report No. 16.

Science.gov (United States)

Lusignan, Bruce B.; And Others

The role of television in meeting the need for higher education in Iran is discussed. Topics covered in the first chapter include impact on a typical curriculum, transition characteristics, television production techniques, cost effectiveness, additional applications, and centralization or duplication. The second chapter presents a planning…

Reducing barriers to energy efficiency in the German higher education sector. Executive summary

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Schleich, J.; Boede, U.

2000-12-01

This report describes the empirical research into barriers to energy efficiency in the German higher education (HE) sector. It is one of nine such reports in the BARRIERS project. The report contains description and analysis of six case studies of energy management in German universities. The results are analysed using the theoretical framework developed for the BARRIERS project (Sorrell et al., 2000). The report also provides brief recommendations on how these barriers to the rational use of energy (RUE) may be overcome and how energy efficiency within the sector may be improved. The results of the study for the higher education sector in Germany are summarised in this executive summary under the following headings: - Characterising the higher education sector; - Case studies of energy management in the German higher education sector; - Evidence of barriers in the German higher education sector; - The role of energy service companies in the higher education sector; - Policy implications. (orig.)

The Opening of Higher Education

Science.gov (United States)

Matkin, Gary W.

2012-01-01

In a 1974 report presented to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), Martin Trow laid out a framework for understanding large-scale, worldwide changes in higher education. Trow's essay also pointed to the problems that "arise out of the transition from one phase to another in a broad pattern of development of higher…

Higher Education Profiles & Trends 2013

Science.gov (United States)

Tennessee Higher Education Commission, 2013

2013-01-01

The statute [T.C.A. Section 49-7-202(c)(7)] requires the Tennessee Higher Education Commission to prepare a biennial report for the governor and the general assembly, "commenting upon major developments, trends, new policies, budgets and financial considerations which in the judgment of the commission will be useful to the governor and to the…

Sustainability: Higher Education's New Fundamentalism

Science.gov (United States)

Peterson, Rachelle; Wood, Peter W.

2015-01-01

"Sustainability" is a key idea on college campuses in the United States and the rest of the Western world. To the unsuspecting, sustainability is just a new name for environmentalism. This report is the first in-depth critical study of the sustainability movement in higher education. The focus of this study is on how the sustainability…

Compendium on Financing of Higher Education: Final Report of the Financing the Students' Future Project

Science.gov (United States)

Payne, Bethan; Charonis, George-Konstantinos; Haaristo, Hanna-Stella; Maurer, Moritz; Kaiser, Florian; Siegrist, Rahel; McVitty, Debbie; Gruber, Angelika; Heerens, Nik; Xhomaqi, Brikena; Nötzl, Tina; Semjonov, Meeli; Primožic, Rok

2013-01-01

Higher education plays a vital role in society and the quality, accessibility, and form of higher education is highly dependent on financing. Financing of higher education is conceived to be of central importance for the future creation and dissemination of knowledge and research. Therefore, the financing of higher education is a topic that has…

Highlighting relatedness promotes prosocial motives and behavior.

Science.gov (United States)

Pavey, Louisa; Greitemeyer, Tobias; Sparks, Paul

2011-07-01

According to self-determination theory, people have three basic psychological needs: relatedness, competence, and autonomy. Of these, the authors reasoned that relatedness need satisfaction is particularly important for promoting prosocial behavior because of the increased sense of connectedness to others that this engenders. In Experiment 1, the authors manipulated relatedness, autonomy, competence, or gave participants a neutral task, and found that highlighting relatedness led to higher interest in volunteering and intentions to volunteer relative to the other conditions. Experiment 2 found that writing about relatedness experiences promoted feelings of connectedness to others, which in turn predicted greater prosocial intentions. Experiment 3 found that relatedness manipulation participants donated significantly more money to charity than did participants given a neutral task. The results suggest that highlighting relatedness increases engagement in prosocial activities and are discussed in relation to the conflict and compatibility between individual and social outcomes. © 2011 by the Society for Personality and Social Psychology, Inc

Family meals and the well-being of adolescents.

Science.gov (United States)

Utter, Jennifer; Denny, Simon; Robinson, Elizabeth; Fleming, Theresa; Ameratunga, Shanthi; Grant, Sue

2013-11-01

The current study describes the relationships between family meals and family connectedness, parental monitoring and parent-child communication and determines if frequent family meals are associated with better mental well-being and fewer risk-taking behaviours among adolescents. Data were collected as part of Youth'07, a nationally representative survey of the health and well-being of secondary school students in New Zealand (n = 9107). Frequent family meals were positively associated with better indicators of family relationships (P family meals were significantly associated with higher well-being scores (P family connectedness, parental monitoring and parental communication. Our findings suggest that family meals may provide a unique opportunity for building stronger families and young people. Creating environments where frequent family meals are normative, valued and feasible for families may result in benefits for young people that extend beyond good nutrition. © 2013 The Authors. Journal of Paediatrics and Child Health © 2013 Paediatrics and Child Health Division (Royal Australasian College of Physicians).

The State of Early Childhood Higher Education in California. Technical Report

Science.gov (United States)

Austin, Lea J. E.; Kipnis, Fran; Whitebook, Marcy; Sakai, Laura

2015-01-01

Teacher preparation in the field of early childhood education (ECE) has historically included a variety of higher education degree programs, in various child-related disciplines, all of which have generally been considered equally acceptable. And too often, these highly diverse degree programs are assumed to produce equivalent results. In…

The system of higher education in Morocco : a brief introductory report

OpenAIRE

Meziani, Ahmed

1999-01-01

Describes higher education in Morocco, briefly touching on the country's socioeconomic history, then explaining Morocco's three types of post secondary institutions: the public university system, the public non-university system, and the private system. Presents details about Moroccan universities, which are state institutions, focusing on autonomy, financing, and the teaching staff.

The State of Early Childhood Higher Education in Nebraska. Technical Report

Science.gov (United States)

Sakai, Laura; Austin, Lea J. E.; Bloechliger, Olivia; Whitebook, Marcy; Amanta, Felippa

2015-01-01

Teacher preparation in the field of early childhood education (ECE) has historically included a variety of higher education degree programs, in various child-related disciplines, all of which have generally been considered equally acceptable. And too often, these highly diverse degree programs are assumed to produce equivalent results (Maxwell,…

Volume higher; spot price ranges widen

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Anon.

1994-01-01

This article is the October 1994 uranium market summary. During this reporting period, volume on the spot concentrates market doubled. Twelve deals took place: three in the spot concentrates market, one in the medium and long-term market, four in the conversion market, and four in the enrichment market. The restricted price range widened due to higher prices at the top end of the range, while the unrestricted price range widened because of lower prices at the bottom end. Spot conversion prices were higher, and enrichment prices were unchanged

Social Isolation, Psychological Health, and Protective Factors in Adolescence

Science.gov (United States)

Hall-Lande, Jennifer A.; Eisenberg, Marla E.; Christenson, Sandra L.; Neumark-Sztainer, Dianne

2007-01-01

This study investigates the relationships among social isolation, psychological health, and protective factors in adolescents. Feelings of social isolation may influence psychological health in adolescents, but protective factors such as family connectedness, school connectedness, and academic achievement may also play a key role. The sample…

Connecting people through physiosocial technology

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Janssen, J.H.

2012-01-01

Social connectedness is one of the most important predictors of health and well-being. The goal of this dissertation is to investigate technologies that can support social connectedness. Such technologies can build upon the notion that disclosing emotional information has a strong positive influence

Assessing Tuition- and Debt-Free Higher Education. NASFAA Task Force Report

Science.gov (United States)

National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators, 2017

2017-01-01

The Assessing Tuition- and Debt-Free Higher Education Task Force was convened in July 2016. Charged by the National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators's (NASFAA's) Board of Directors with evaluating the existing landscape of state and local promise programs with a focus on scaling such models to the national level, the task force…

Characteristics of Youth With Combined Histories of Violent Behavior, Suicidal Ideation or Behavior, and Gun-Carrying.

Science.gov (United States)

Logan, Joseph E; Vagi, Kevin J; Gorman-Smith, Deborah

2016-11-01

Youth reporting combined histories of nonfatal violence, suicidal ideation/behavior, and gun-carrying (VSG) are at risk for perpetrating fatal interpersonal violence and self-harm. We characterized these youth to inform prevention efforts. We analyzed 2004 data from 3,931 seventh-, ninth-, and 11-12th-grade youth and compared VSG youth (n = 66) with non-gun carrying youth who either had no histories of violence or suicidal thoughts/behavior (n = 1,839), histories of violence (n = 884), histories of suicidal thoughts/behaviors (n = 552), or both (n = 590). We compared groups based on demographic factors, risk factors (i.e., friends who engage in delinquency, peer-violence victimization, depressive symptoms, illicit substance use), and protective factors (i.e., school connectedness, parental care and supervision). Regression models identified factors associated with VSG youth. Illicit substance use and having friends who engage in delinquency were more common among VSG youth in all comparisons; almost all VSG youth had high levels of these factors. Depressive symptoms were positively associated with VSG youth versus youth without either violent or suicide-related histories and youth with violent histories alone. School connectedness and parental supervision were negatively associated with VSG youth in most comparisons. Family-focused and school-based interventions that increase connectedness while reducing delinquency and substance use might prevent these violent tendencies.

Social Interaction and Market Reaction to Earnings News

OpenAIRE

Wang, Qiguang

2017-01-01

This study documents strong effects of social interaction on investors’ attention and interpretations of earnings news. I estimate the firm-level investor social network and find that higher connectedness increases the announcement price reaction, reduces post-announcement drift, and decreases the long-run impact of the news on return volatility. I also find that social interaction triggers persistent disagreement-driven volume during and after the announcement. The evidence combined highligh...

Institutional wide implementation of key advice for socially inclusive teaching in higher education. A Practice Report

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lisa Thomas

2014-03-01

Full Text Available Government policy and institutional initiatives have influenced increases in enrolment of non-traditional students to Australian universities. For these students, university culture is often incongruent with their own, making it difficult to understand the tacit requirements for participation and success. Academic teaching staff are important in creating socially inclusive learning experiences, particularly in first year subjects. This paper presents an institution-wide approach to enhancing socially inclusive teaching at one Australian university. Underpinned by a framework of ”bridging social-incongruity” the initiative was guided by six principles of socially inclusive teaching to support practice as proposed in the 2012 “Effective support of students from low socioeconomic backgrounds in higher education” report commissioned by the Australian Office of Learning and Teaching. Feedback from 150 academic teaching staff from various disciplines and campus locations, suggests this initiative was effective in increasing understanding of socially inclusive teaching practices with many participants indicating the teaching enhancements were applicable for their teaching context.

The impact of Chinese cultural values on Taiwan nursing leadership styles: comparing the self-assessments of staff nurses and head nurses.

Science.gov (United States)

Chang, Yuanmay

2008-06-01

The purpose of this study was to investigate the influence of Chinese culture on nursing leadership behavior in Taiwan nurses. A descriptive study compared staff nurses' assessment of Chinese value in the leadership behavior of their head nurses. Data analysis was made on a convenience sample in Taiwan of 214 head nurses and 2,127 staff nurses who had worked with their head nurse for at least one year. Six medical centers and regional hospitals in northern (Taipei), central (Taichung) and southern (Kaohsiung) Taiwan were recruited for this study. Instruments included the demographic questionnaire, Chinese Value Survey, and Kang's Chinese Leadership Behaviors Module Scale. Results indicated that head nurses scored significantly higher than staff nurses in terms of all cultural values and leadership behaviors. Both staff nurses and head nurses scored the highest mean scores in personal integrity (Yi) and human connectedness (Ren) and the lowest in moral discipline (Li). Staff nurse perceptions of leadership behavior indicated the role of parent to be higher than either the role of director or mentor. Head nurses perceptions of leadership behavior emphasized the role of the director more than either parent or mentor. There were no significant differences between the staff nurses and head nurses in terms of expectative leadership behavior, which gave the role of director higher mean scores than those of either the parent or mentor. Positive and significant associations (r = .266 to r = .334) were found between cultural values and perceptions of leadership behavior. Cultural values predicted 10.6% of leadership behavior variance. The three demographic characteristics of location in northern Taiwan (beta = .09), intention to leave (beta = -.14), and general unit (beta = .10) and the two cultural values of human connectedness (Ren) (beta = .16) and personal integrity (Yi) (beta = .16) together reported a cumulative R2 of 14.6% to explain variance in leadership behavior

Certified higher-order recursive path ordering

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Koprowski, A.; Pfenning, F.

2006-01-01

The paper reports on a formalization of a proof of wellfoundedness of the higher-order recursive path ordering (HORPO) in the proof checker Coq. The development is axiom-free and fully constructive. Three substantive parts that could be used also in other developments are the formalizations of the

Calibration of higher eigenmodes of cantilevers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Labuda, Aleksander; Kocun, Marta; Walsh, Tim; Meinhold, Jieh; Proksch, Tania; Meinhold, Waiman; Anderson, Caleb; Proksch, Roger; Lysy, Martin

2016-01-01

A method is presented for calibrating the higher eigenmodes (resonant modes) of atomic force microscopy cantilevers that can be performed prior to any tip-sample interaction. The method leverages recent efforts in accurately calibrating the first eigenmode by providing the higher-mode stiffness as a ratio to the first mode stiffness. A one-time calibration routine must be performed for every cantilever type to determine a power-law relationship between stiffness and frequency, which is then stored for future use on similar cantilevers. Then, future calibrations only require a measurement of the ratio of resonant frequencies and the stiffness of the first mode. This method is verified through stiffness measurements using three independent approaches: interferometric measurement, AC approach-curve calibration, and finite element analysis simulation. Power-law values for calibrating higher-mode stiffnesses are reported for several cantilever models. Once the higher-mode stiffnesses are known, the amplitude of each mode can also be calibrated from the thermal spectrum by application of the equipartition theorem.

Calibration of higher eigenmodes of cantilevers

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Labuda, Aleksander; Kocun, Marta; Walsh, Tim; Meinhold, Jieh; Proksch, Tania; Meinhold, Waiman; Anderson, Caleb; Proksch, Roger [Asylum Research, an Oxford Instruments Company, Santa Barbara, California 93117 (United States); Lysy, Martin [Department of Statistics and Actuarial Science, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario N2L 3G1 (Canada)

2016-07-15

A method is presented for calibrating the higher eigenmodes (resonant modes) of atomic force microscopy cantilevers that can be performed prior to any tip-sample interaction. The method leverages recent efforts in accurately calibrating the first eigenmode by providing the higher-mode stiffness as a ratio to the first mode stiffness. A one-time calibration routine must be performed for every cantilever type to determine a power-law relationship between stiffness and frequency, which is then stored for future use on similar cantilevers. Then, future calibrations only require a measurement of the ratio of resonant frequencies and the stiffness of the first mode. This method is verified through stiffness measurements using three independent approaches: interferometric measurement, AC approach-curve calibration, and finite element analysis simulation. Power-law values for calibrating higher-mode stiffnesses are reported for several cantilever models. Once the higher-mode stiffnesses are known, the amplitude of each mode can also be calibrated from the thermal spectrum by application of the equipartition theorem.

77 FR 36263 - Notice of Proposed Information Collection Requests; Office of Postsecondary Education; Higher...

Science.gov (United States)

2012-06-18

... Postsecondary Education; Higher Education Opportunity Act (HEOA) Title II Reporting Forms on Teacher Quality and Preparation SUMMARY: The Higher Education Opportunity Act of 2008 calls for annual reports from states and institutions of higher education (IHEs) on the quality of teacher preparation and state teacher certification...

Women in Leader Roles within Higher Education in Bangladesh

Science.gov (United States)

Ahad, Lamia Rahman; Gunter, Helen

2017-01-01

Women have long been under-represented in organization leader roles within higher education. Research has identified, mapped and examined the data, with recommendations for change. The research reported in this article adds to current knowledge, and raises methodological questions by focusing on senior female leaders in higher education in…

Embedding Ethics in Business and Higher Education: From Leadership to Management Imperative

Science.gov (United States)

Soule, Edward

2005-01-01

Prompted by reports of corporate corruption and unethical conduct on college campuses, and spurred by discussions at Forum meetings, the Business-Higher Education Forum (BHEF) committed to developing ideas and strategies to respond to the question of embedding ethics in our businesses and institutions of higher education. This report was framed…

Review of Australian Higher Education: An Australian Policy Perspective

Science.gov (United States)

Montague, Alan

2013-01-01

Higher education is one of the key foundations that economic prosperity is founded upon. Government policies, funding and strategic planning require a fine balance to stimulate growth, prosperity health and well-being. The key Australian government policies influenced by a Review of Australian Higher Education report include attracting many more…

Gender Segregation in the Employment of Higher Education Graduates

Science.gov (United States)

Vuorinen-Lampila, Päivi

2016-01-01

This article examines the employment and placement in the working life of Finnish higher education graduates (i.e. graduates from universities and polytechnics), focusing on gender equality. It reports a study on gender segregation in higher education and working life, considered in relation to Nordic gender equality policies. The data were…

Sustainability Curriculum in Higher Education: A Call to Action

Science.gov (United States)

Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education, 2010

2010-01-01

This report is a culmination of the ideas presented during AASHE's Summit on Sustainability in the Curriculum to address how higher education institutions can further infuse sustainability topics into college and university curricula. Recognizing the scale of the challenges faced by higher education and the urgency with which changes must be…

Clinton, Trump, and Higher Education:Where Washington Goes

OpenAIRE

Pelletier, Stephen G.

2016-01-01

During the time in which Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump vied for the presidency, they took a look at their stances on higher education— and at how federal education policy might play out after the election. This report examines Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump's insights on higher education and the federal policy path that the public agenda could take. American Association of State Colleges and Universities

Higher Education Sustainability Staffing Survey, 2010

Science.gov (United States)

Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education, 2011

2011-01-01

This paper shows that despite national unemployment rates that hovered near 10 percent in 2010, those with positions in the higher education sustainability workforce report a sense of job security and feel satisfied with the work they are doing. With 433 completed surveys, the results offer a comprehensive look at the demographics, roles, salaries…

Business Models Associated with Distance Learning in Higher Education

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Shouhong; Wang, Hai

2017-01-01

Textbook prices are continuously rising in higher education. This paper analyzes a business model which makes commercial textbooks more expensive, and explains why this issue tends to be more severe in the field of distance learning in higher education. It reports a case of adoption of open educational resources (OER) textbook for an online course…

Early Intervention Programs. Opening the Door to Higher Education. ASHE-ERIC Higher Education Report Vol. 25, No. 6.

Science.gov (United States)

Fenske, Robert H.; Geranios, Christine A.; Keller, Jonathan E.; Moore, David E.

This report addresses issues related to the increasing growth of early intervention programs to encourage high school graduation and college attendance among students from low-income and minority groups. It first presents a brief review of the societal goals of equality for the nation's education system. It then defines the programs "early…

Visual Biofeedback using trans-perineal ultrasound during the second stage of labor.

Science.gov (United States)

Gilboa, Yinon; Frenkel, Tahl I; Schlesinger, Yael; Rousseau, Sofie; Hamiel, Daniel; Achiron, Reuven; Perlman, Sharon

2017-11-20

to assess the obstetrical and psychological effect of visual biofeedback using trans-perineal ultrasound (TPU) during the second stage of labor. Visual biofeedback using TPU was performed prospectively during the second stage of labor in twenty-six low risk nulliparous women. Pushing efficacy was assessed by the angle of progression at rest and during pushing efforts before and after observing the ultrasound screen. Obstetrical outcomes included level of perineal tearing, mode of delivery and length of the second stage. Psychological outcomes were assessed via self-report measures during the postnatal hospital stay. These included measures of perceived control and maternal satisfaction with childbirth as well as level of maternal feelings of connectedness toward her newborn. Obstetrical and psychological results were compared to a control group (n=69) who received standard obstetrical coaching by midwifes. Pushing efficacy significantly increased following visual biofeedback by TPU (p = 0.01). A significant association was found between the visual biofeedback and an intact perineum following delivery (p = 0.03). No significant differences were found in regard to mode of delivery or the length of the second stage. Feelings of maternal connectedness towards the newborn were significantly higher in the visual biofeedback group relative to non-biofeedback controls (p = 0.003). The results of this pilot study implicate that TPU may serve as a complementary tool to coached maternal pushing during the second stage of labor with obstetrical as well as psychological benefits. Further studies are required to confirm our findings and define the exact timing for optimal results. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

親との関わりが日中大学生の他者志向的動機づけに与える影響

OpenAIRE

周, 子康; Zhou, Zikang

2017-01-01

This study aimed at examining whether relations with parents affect the other-oriented motivation of Japanese and Chinese university students. 268 Japanese and 201 Chinese university students were contrasted via survey to explore cultural differences. The results suggested that Japanese and Chinese students with a mutual-negotiation father who was high on both individuality and connectedness scored higher on the students’ motivation types of emphasis on self-oriented motivation and the integr...

Higher order antibunching in intermediate states

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Verma, Amit; Sharma, Navneet K.; Pathak, Anirban

2008-01-01

Since the introduction of binomial state as an intermediate state, different intermediate states have been proposed. Different nonclassical effects have also been reported in these intermediate states. But till now higher order antibunching is predicted in only one type of intermediate state, which is known as shadowed negative binomial state. Recently we have shown that the higher order antibunching is not a rare phenomenon [P. Gupta, P. Pandey, A. Pathak, J. Phys. B 39 (2006) 1137]. To establish our earlier claim further, here we have shown that the higher order antibunching can be seen in different intermediate states, such as binomial state, reciprocal binomial state, hypergeometric state, generalized binomial state, negative binomial state and photon added coherent state. We have studied the possibility of observing the higher order subpoissonian photon statistics in different limits of intermediate states. The effects of different control parameters on the depth of non classicality have also been studied in this connection and it has been shown that the depth of nonclassicality can be tuned by controlling various physical parameters

[A 53-year-old man with herpes encephalitis showing acceleration of improvement in higher brain function after general anesthesia with sevoflurane: a case report].

Science.gov (United States)

Togashi, Naohiko; Kaida, Kenichi; Hongo, Yu; Ogawa, Go; Ishikawa, Yukinobu; Takeda, Katsuhiko; Kamakura, Keiko

2014-01-01

We experienced a right-handed 53-year-old man who presented with disturbance of consciousness and fever. Herpes simplex encephalitis (HSE) was diagnosed based on the detection of herpes simplex virus DNA in the cerebrospinal fluid. The administration of acyclovir for 42 days improved his consciousness level. Drowsiness, fever and seizures reappeared 20 days after stopping acyclovir treatment (day 67) and he responded well to vidarabine and methylprednisolone pulse therapy. An assessment of aphasia on day 98 revealed transcortical sensory aphasia. Brain MRI showed lesion in the left temporal lobe, bilateral insular cortexes and bilateral frontal lobe. His higher brain dysfunction continued. On day 156, he underwent hip replacement arthroplasty under general anesthesia sevoflurane. His higher brain dysfunction rapidly improved thereafter. We concluded that the accelerated improvement in our patient's higher brain function was related to the protective effect of sevoflurane. Some reports also show the protective effects of sevoflurane in experimental allergic encephalomyelitis by inhibition of T cell activation. These protective and anti-inflammatory effects may explain the accelerated improvement in higher brain function after general anesthesia.

Stress, health and quality of life of female migrant domestic workers in Singapore: a cross-sectional study.

Science.gov (United States)

Anjara, S G; Nellums, L B; Bonetto, C; Van Bortel, T

2017-10-10

There is a global increase in migrant workers. In Singapore, there are over 230,000 migrant domestic workers (MDWs). Female MDWs may experience high levels of stress and social isolation, which may negatively impact on their health and quality of life. There have also been documented cases of abuse and exploitation. However, there is a lack of empirical research with this population. This study aimed to investigate factors impacting on the health and quality of life of female MDWs in Singapore, including socio-demographic and job related characteristics, stress, social isolation, and working management style. A cross-sectional survey was carried out with 182 female MDWs in Singapore. The survey examined health and quality of life (WHOQoL-Bréf), social connectedness (the Friendship Scale), and preferred and experienced working management style (the Theory X and Theory Y Questionnaire). Descriptive analyses were carried out in addition to ANOVA, t-tests, and chi-square tests, followed by a multivariate analysis using linear regression. Participants were found to have good overall quality of life and satisfaction with health. Age and working experience were found to be significantly (p health). Agreement between experienced and preferred working management style was also found to be associated with higher quality of life scores (with the exception of the social relationships domain). Though women reported relatively good overall quality of life, more than half of participants reported feeling stressed. In addition, nearly 20% of participants reported being isolated or very isolated. Stress was identified to be associated with isolation. In the multivariate analysis, stress was found to contribute to worse quality of life in all domains except social relationships, after adjusting for confounders. Social connectedness was positively associated with all domains of quality of life, and agreement of working management style was positively associated with physical health

Video-mediated communication to support distant family connectedness.

Science.gov (United States)

Furukawa, Ryoko; Driessnack, Martha

2013-02-01

It can be difficult to maintain family connections with geographically distant members. However, advances in computer-human interaction (CHI) systems, including video-mediated communication (VMC) are emerging. While VMC does not completely substitute for physical face-to-face communication, it appears to provide a sense of virtual copresence through the addition of visual and contextual cues to verbal communication between family members. The purpose of this study was to explore current patterns of VMC use, experiences, and family functioning among self-identified VMC users separated geographically from their families. A total of 341 participants (ages 18 to above 70) completed an online survey and Family APGAR. Ninty-six percent of the participants reported that VMC was the most common communication method used and 60% used VMC at least once/week. The most common reason cited for using VMC over other methods of communication was the addition of visual cues. A significant difference between the Family APGAR scores and the number of positive comments about VMC experience was also found. This exploratory study provides insight into the acceptance of VMC and its usefulness in maintaining connections with distant family members.

Place, health, and community attachment: Is community capacity associated with self-rated health at the individual level?

Science.gov (United States)

Lovell, Sarah A; Gray, Andrew R; Boucher, Sara E

2017-12-01

Community-level interventions dominate contemporary public health responses to health inequalities as a lack of political will has discouraged action at a structural level. Health promoters commonly leverage community capacity to achieve programme goals, yet the health implications of low community capacity are unknown. In this study, we analyse perceptions of community capacity at the individual-level to explore how place-based understandings of identity and connectedness are associated with self-rated health. We examine associations between individual community capacity, self-rated health and income using a cross-sectional survey that was disseminated to 303 residents of four small (populations 1500-2000) New Zealand towns. Evidence indicating a relationship between individual community capacity and self-reported health was unconvincing once the effects of income were incorporated. That is, people who rated their community's capacity higher did not have better self-rated health. Much stronger evidence supported the relationship between income and both higher individual community capacity and higher self-rated health. We conclude that individual community capacity may mediate the positive association between income and health, however, overall we find no evidence suggesting that intervening to enhance individual community capacity is likely to improve health outcomes.

Sociality and intergenerational transfer of older adults' nostalgia.

Science.gov (United States)

Wildschut, Tim; Sedikides, Constantine; Robertson, Sara

2018-05-03

Interest in nostalgia has blossomed, yet its nature in older adulthood and potential for intergenerational transfer to younger adults has remained neglected. In Experiment 1, we focused on the content of older adults' nostalgic (vs. ordinary) recollections and asked whether older adults' nostalgia could be transferred to younger adults. We showed that nostalgia expressed in older adults' narratives was positively associated with nostalgia reported by young-adult readers. In Experiment 2, undergraduates read a nostalgic or ordinary narrative written by an older adult. Then they rated their own nostalgia as well as their perceived social connectedness, self-continuity, and meaning in life. Exposure to older adults' nostalgic (vs. ordinary) narratives promoted concurrent nostalgia among young adults, along with associated psychological benefits (social connectedness, self-continuity, meaning). The findings illustrate the potential for intergenerational transfer of nostalgia through written narratives, and attest to the universality of nostalgic themes across younger and older adults.

The relationship between frequency of family dinner and adolescent problem behaviors after adjusting for other family characteristics

OpenAIRE

Sen, Bisakha

2009-01-01

Objective: To examine the association between frequency of family dinners (FFD) and selected problem behaviors for adolescents after adjusting for family connectedness, parental awareness, other family activities, and other potentially confounding factors. Methods: Data are drawn from the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth, 1997. The primary variable of interest is self-reported FFD in a typical week. Problem behaviors studied are substance-use, physical violence, property-destruction, ...

Beyond Bushfires: Community, Resilience and Recovery - a longitudinal mixed method study of the medium to long term impacts of bushfires on mental health and social connectedness.

Science.gov (United States)

Gibbs, Lisa; Waters, Elizabeth; Bryant, Richard A; Pattison, Philippa; Lusher, Dean; Harms, Louise; Richardson, John; MacDougall, Colin; Block, Karen; Snowdon, Elyse; Gallagher, Hugh Colin; Sinnott, Vikki; Ireton, Greg; Forbes, David

2013-11-04

Natural disasters represent an increasing threat both in terms of incidence and severity as a result of climate change. Although much is known about individual responses to disasters, much less is known about the social and contextual response and how this interacts with individual trajectories in terms of mental health, wellbeing and social connectedness. The 2009 bushfires in Victoria, Australia caused much loss of life, property destruction, and community disturbance. In order to progress future preparedness, response and recovery, it is crucial to measure and understand the impact of disasters at both individual and community levels. This study aims to profile the range of mental health, wellbeing and social impacts of the Victorian 2009 bushfires over time using multiple methodologies and involving multiple community partners. A diversity of communities including bushfire affected and unaffected will be involved in the study and will include current and former residents (at the time of the Feb 2009 fires). Participants will be surveyed in 2012, 2014 and, funding permitting, in 2016 to map the predictors and outcomes of mental health, wellbeing and social functioning. Ongoing community visits, as well as interviews and focus group discussions in 2013 and 2014, will provide both contextual information and evidence of changing individual and community experiences in the medium to long term post disaster. The study will include adults, adolescents and children over the age of 5. Conducting the study over five years and focussing on the role of social networks will provide new insights into the interplay between individual and community factors and their influence on recovery from natural disaster over time. The study findings will thereby expand understanding of long term disaster recovery needs for individuals and communities.

Individuation in relation to parents as a predictor of career goals and career optimism in emerging adults.

Science.gov (United States)

Puklek Levpušček, Melita; Rauch, Victoria; Komidar, Luka

2018-04-01

The aim of this study was to examine the associations of Slovenian emerging adults' individuation characteristics (in relation to mother and father) with career goals and career optimism. We were interested in contributions of age, gender, certainty of study choice, and individuation dimensions when predicting intrinsic/extrinsic career goals and career optimism. The participants provided self-reports on the Individuation Test for Emerging Adults, the Career Goals Scale and the Career Futures Inventory. The results showed that age did not relate to emerging adults' career goals; however, older students reported lower career optimism than their younger counterparts. Furthermore, certainty of study choice was the most important predictor of career optimism, and, along with gender, of intrinsic career goals. Emerging adults who reported higher connectedness with both parents and self-reliance in relation to mother had higher intrinsic career goals, while self-reliance in relation to mother was positively associated with stronger optimism about an individual's future career. Fear of disappointing both parents significantly contributed to the prediction of extrinsic career goals and optimism, while parental intrusiveness did not add significantly to the prediction of the two measured career outcomes. The study confirmed the correlational effects of positive and negative aspects of individuation on career outcomes in emerging adulthood. © 2017 Scandinavian Psychological Associations and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

The Truth behind Higher Education Disclosure Laws

Science.gov (United States)

Carey, Kevin; Kelly, Andrew P.

2011-01-01

Recognizing that higher education is a market driven by consumer choice and reluctant to regulate college behavior directly, state and federal policymakers have created a host of college information disclosure and reporting requirements. Armed with better data, the theory goes, students and parents will vote with their wallets, putting pressure on…

WORK BASED HIGHER LEARNING FOR THE DANISH TOURISM SECTOR

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Lindegaard, Klaus; Voergård-Olesen, Rikke Karen

2012-01-01

programs for tourism. This is the basis for reflexive analysis of how demand and supply for higher education can be aligned for the sector. The research focuses on the role of WBL as a way to meet the needs for flexible competence building. Special emphasis is put on innovation and environmental management......The paper reports on an investigation of the business needs for work based higher learning in the Danish tourism sector and the match with the supply of higher education, emphasizing opportunities and barriers for work based learning (WBL) in the Danish University System. The Danish tourism sector...... need for development through further and higher education of employees is widely recognized, while Danish higher education is challenged to develop a more demand-led approach. The research done consists of completed empirical studies and literature review on Danish tourism and Danish higher education...

Factors identified with higher levels of career satisfaction of physicians in Andalusia, Spain

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Juan Nicolás Peña-Sánchez

2014-09-01

Full Text Available The satisfaction of physicians is a world-wide issue linked with the quality of health services; their satisfaction needs to be studied from a multi-dimensional perspective, considering lower- and higher-order needs. The objectives of this study were to: i measure the career satisfaction of physicians; ii identify differences in the dimensions of career satisfaction; and iii test factors that affect higher- and lower-order needs of satisfaction among physicians working in Andalusian hospitals (Spain. Forty-one percent of 299 eligible physicians participated in a study conducted in six selected hospitals. Physicians reported higher professional, inherent, and performance satisfaction than personal satisfaction. Foreign physicians reported higher levels of personal and performance satisfaction than local physicians, and those who received non-monetary incentives had higher professional and performance satisfaction. In conclusion, physicians in the selected Andalusian hospitals reported low levels of personal satisfaction. Non-monetary incentives were more relevant to influence their career satisfaction. Further investigations are recommended to study differences in the career satisfaction between foreign and local physicians.

The Professional Success of Higher Education Graduates

Science.gov (United States)

Schomburg, Harald

2007-01-01

Measures of professional success provided by surveys on higher education graduates can be divided into objective (e.g. income or professional position) and subjective (e.g. job satisfaction, reported use of knowledge and skills, work autonomy) indicators. In this article a broad range of measures of professional success is used to describe aspects…

Scent-evoked nostalgia.

Science.gov (United States)

Reid, Chelsea A; Green, Jeffrey D; Wildschut, Tim; Sedikides, Constantine

2015-01-01

Can scents evoke nostalgia; what might be the psychological implications of such an evocation? Participants sampled 12 scents and rated the extent to which each scent was familiar, arousing and autobiographically relevant, as well as the extent to which each scent elicited nostalgia. Participants who were high (compared to low) in nostalgia proneness reported more scent-evoked nostalgia, and scents elicited greater nostalgia to the extent that they were arousing, familiar and autobiographically relevant. Scent-evoked nostalgia predicted higher levels of positive affect, self-esteem, self-continuity, optimism, social connectedness and meaning in life. In addition, scent-evoked nostalgia was characterised by more positive emotions than either non-nostalgic autobiographical memories or non-nostalgic non-autobiographical memories. Finally, scent-evoked nostalgia predicted in-the-moment feelings of personal (general or object-specific) nostalgia. The findings represent a foray into understanding the triggers and affective signature of scent-evoked nostalgia.

The pervasiveness, connectedness, and intrusiveness of social network site use among young adolescents.

Science.gov (United States)

Espinoza, Guadalupe; Juvonen, Jaana

2011-12-01

Young adolescents are quickly becoming avid users of social networking sites (SNSs); however, little is known regarding how they use these sites. The goal of the present study was to examine the extent to which young adolescents use SNSs, with whom they connect via these sites, and whether SNS use disrupts daily functioning. Among 268 middle-school students surveyed, 63% reported having their own profile page on an SNS. On average, adolescents reported having 196 SNS contacts (friends), most of whom were known peers. Young adolescents with an SNS spent most of their time viewing and responding to comments written on their profile page. Among the SNS users, 39% reported getting behind on schoolwork and 37% reported losing sleep at least once because they were visiting an SNS. As SNS use becomes embedded in young teens' daily lives, it is important to better understand how such use affects their daily adaptive functioning.

Teaching Australian Aboriginal Higher Education Students: What Should Universities Do?

Science.gov (United States)

Rochecouste, Judith; Oliver, Rhonda; Bennell, Debra; Anderson, Roz; Cooper, Inala; Forrest, Simon

2017-01-01

This paper reports findings from a recent study of Australian Aboriginal higher education student experience. Reported here are extracts from a set of case studies of staff, specifically those working in Indigenous Centres, involved with these students in both teaching and support capacities. These participants provided a rich set of qualitative…

Hybrid Qualifications Country report Denmark

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jørgensen, Christian Helms

2010-01-01

The report explores the institutional and functional relations between the higher education (tertiary sector) and vocational education (higher secondary education) and the labour market. In the report are included descriptions of the history, funding, outcomes, institutional realisation and term ...... and range of hybrid qualifications in the national system. In addition some recommendations for constructive further developments are given.......The report explores the institutional and functional relations between the higher education (tertiary sector) and vocational education (higher secondary education) and the labour market. In the report are included descriptions of the history, funding, outcomes, institutional realisation and term...

Women and Gender Equality in Higher Education?

Science.gov (United States)

David, Miriam E.

2015-01-01

I look at the changes in higher education (HE) and women's lives over the last 50 years, drawing on my recent book "Feminism, Gender & Universities: Politics, Passion & Pedagogies" which is a life history of feminism entering academe. The Robbins Report (cmnd 2154 1963) on HE was published in the same year that I went to…

Higher Heart Failure Risk Seen in Some Cancers

Science.gov (United States)

Some people treated for breast cancer or lymphoma have a higher risk of developing congestive heart failure than people who haven’t had cancer, a new study shows. As this Cancer Currents blog post reports, the risk persisted for at least 20 years.

Mixed Messages: Public Communication about Higher Education and Non-Traditional Students in Australia

Science.gov (United States)

Snowden, Collette; Lewis, Sally

2015-01-01

Australian Government participation targets recommended in the Review of Australian Higher Education (Bradley In Review of Australian higher education: Final report, Commonwealth of Australia 2008) presented a complex public communication challenge to higher education participation. This research discusses the content of communication messages…

Key Financial Metrics on Australia's Higher Education Sector--December 2016

Science.gov (United States)

Australian Government Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency, 2016

2016-01-01

This report is the second release of financial information held by Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency (TEQSA). It provides a snapshot of selected key financial metrics across the Australian higher education sector. Data in this report has been sourced from TEQSA's 2015 data collection and relates to financial years ended 31 December…

A comparison of work stressors in higher and lower resourced emergency medicine health settings.

Science.gov (United States)

de Haan, Sebastian; Lamprecht, Hein; Howlett, Michael K; Fraser, Jacqueline; Sohi, Dylan; Adisesh, Anil; Atkinson, Paul R

2018-04-06

CLINICIAN'S CAPSULE What is known about the topic? Emergency physicians and trainees have high rates of stress and burnout. What did this study ask? How do reported stressors for emergency physicians and trainees differ between high and low resource settings? What did this study find? Trainees in the low resource setting reported higher stressors. Trainees reported higher levels of stressors than specialists in general. Why does this study matter to clinicians? High levels of reported stressors among trainees, and in low resource settings should be acknowledged and mitigated where possible.

Occupational Stress in UK Higher Education Institutions: A Comparative Study of All Staff Categories

Science.gov (United States)

Tytherleigh, M. Y.; Webb, C.; Cooper, C. L.; Ricketts, C.

2005-01-01

The higher education sector in the UK continues to experience significant change. This includes restructuring, use of short-term contracts, external scrutiny and accountability, and major reductions in funding. In line with this, reports of stress at work in higher education institutions have also increased. The study reported here was carried out…

Degrees of separation as a statistical tool for evaluating candidate genes.

Science.gov (United States)

Nelson, Ronald M; Pettersson, Mats E

2014-12-01

Selection of candidate genes is an important step in the exploration of complex genetic architecture. The number of gene networks available is increasing and these can provide information to help with candidate gene selection. It is currently common to use the degree of connectedness in gene networks as validation in Genome Wide Association (GWA) and Quantitative Trait Locus (QTL) mapping studies. However, it can cause misleading results if not validated properly. Here we present a method and tool for validating the gene pairs from GWA studies given the context of the network they co-occur in. It ensures that proposed interactions and gene associations are not statistical artefacts inherent to the specific gene network architecture. The CandidateBacon package provides an easy and efficient method to calculate the average degree of separation (DoS) between pairs of genes to currently available gene networks. We show how these empirical estimates of average connectedness are used to validate candidate gene pairs. Validation of interacting genes by comparing their connectedness with the average connectedness in the gene network will provide support for said interactions by utilising the growing amount of gene network information available. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Higher-order modulation instability in nonlinear fiber optics.

Science.gov (United States)

Erkintalo, Miro; Hammani, Kamal; Kibler, Bertrand; Finot, Christophe; Akhmediev, Nail; Dudley, John M; Genty, Goëry

2011-12-16

We report theoretical, numerical, and experimental studies of higher-order modulation instability in the focusing nonlinear Schrödinger equation. This higher-order instability arises from the nonlinear superposition of elementary instabilities, associated with initial single breather evolution followed by a regime of complex, yet deterministic, pulse splitting. We analytically describe the process using the Darboux transformation and compare with experiments in optical fiber. We show how a suitably low frequency modulation on a continuous wave field induces higher-order modulation instability splitting with the pulse characteristics at different phases of evolution related by a simple scaling relationship. We anticipate that similar processes are likely to be observed in many other systems including plasmas, Bose-Einstein condensates, and deep water waves. © 2011 American Physical Society

77 FR 58111 - Notice of Submission for OMB Review; Office of Postsecondary Education; Higher Education Act (HEA...

Science.gov (United States)

2012-09-19

...; Higher Education Act (HEA) Title II Report Cards on State Teacher Credentialing and Preparation SUMMARY: The Higher Education Opportunity Act of 2008 (HEOA) calls for annual reports from states and institutions of higher education (IHEs) on the quality of teacher preparation and state teacher certification...

Emissions characteristics of higher alcohol/gasoline blends

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gautam, M.; Martin, D.W.; Carder, D.

2000-01-01

An experimental investigation was conducted to determine the emissions characteristics of higher alcohols and gasoline (UTG96) blends. While lower alcohols (methanol and ethanol) have been used in blends with gasoline, very little work has been done or reported on higher alcohols (propanol, butanol and pentanol). Comparisons of emissions and fuel characteristics between higher alcohol/gasoline blends and neat gasoline were made to determine the advantages and disadvantages of blending higher alcohols with gasoline. All tests were conducted on a single-cylinder Waukesha Cooperative Fuel Research engine operating at steady state conditions and stoichiometric air-fuel (A/F) ratio. Emissions test were conducted at the optimum spark timing-knock limiting compression ratio combination for the particular blend being tested. The cycle emission [mass per unit time (g/h)] of CO, CO 2 and organic matter hydrocarbon equivalent (OMHCE) from the higher alcohol/gasoline blends were very similar to those from neat gasoline. Cycle emissions of NO x from the blends were higher than those from neat gasoline. However, for all the emissions species considered, the brake specific emissions (g/kW h) were significantly lower for the higher alcohol/gasoline blends than for neat gasoline. This was because the blends had greater resistance to knock and allowed higher compression ratios, which increased engine power output. The contribution of alcohols and aldehydes to the overall OMHCE emissions was found to be minimal. Cycle fuel consumption (g/h) of higher alcohol/gasoline blends was slightly higher than with neat gasoline due to the lower stoichiometric A/F ratios required by the blends. However, the brake specific fuel consumption (g/kW h) for the blends was significantly lower than that for neat gasoline. (Author)

Implementation of a Quality Improvement Process Aimed to Deliver Higher-Value Physical Therapy for Patients With Low Back Pain: Case Report.

Science.gov (United States)

Karlen, Emily; McCathie, Becky

2015-12-01

The current state of health care demands higher-value care. Due to many barriers, clinicians routinely do not implement evidence-based care even though it is known to improve quality and reduce cost of care. The purpose of this case report is to describe a theory-based, multitactic implementation of a quality improvement process aimed to deliver higher-value physical therapy for patients with low back pain. Patients were treated from January 2010 through December 2014 in 1 of 32 outpatient physical therapy clinics within an academic health care system. Data were examined from 47,755 patients (mean age=50.3 years) entering outpatient physical therapy for management of nonspecific low back pain, with or without radicular pain. Development and implementation tactics were constructed from adult learning and change management theory to enhance adherence to best practice care among 130 physical therapists. A quality improvement team implemented 4 tactics: establish care delivery expectations, facilitate peer-led clinical and operational teams, foster a learning environment focused on meeting a population's needs, and continuously collect and analyze outcomes data. Physical therapy utilization and change in functional disability were measured to assess relative cost and quality of care. Secondarily, charge data assessed change in physical therapists' application of evidence-based care. Implementation of a quality improvement process was measured by year-over-year improved clinical outcomes, decreased utilization, and increased adherence to evidence-based physical therapy, which was associated with higher-value care. When adult learning and change management theory are combined in quality improvement efforts, common barriers to implementing evidence-based care can be overcome, creating an environment supportive of delivering higher-value physical therapy for patients with low back pain. © 2015 American Physical Therapy Association.

Randomized trials published in higher vs. lower impact journals differ in design, conduct, and analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Bala, Malgorzata M; Akl, Elie A; Sun, Xin; Bassler, Dirk; Mertz, Dominik; Mejza, Filip; Vandvik, Per Olav; Malaga, German; Johnston, Bradley C; Dahm, Philipp; Alonso-Coello, Pablo; Diaz-Granados, Natalia; Srinathan, Sadeesh K; Hassouneh, Basil; Briel, Matthias; Busse, Jason W; You, John J; Walter, Stephen D; Altman, Douglas G; Guyatt, Gordon H

2013-03-01

To compare methodological characteristics of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) published in higher vs. lower impact Core Clinical Journals. We searched MEDLINE for RCTs published in 2007 in Core Clinical Journals. We randomly sampled 1,140 study reports in a 1:1 ratio in higher (five general medicine journals with the highest total citations in 2007) and lower impact journals. Four hundred sixty-nine RCTs proved eligible: 219 in higher and 250 in lower impact journals. RCTs in higher vs. lower impact journals had larger sample sizes (median, 285 vs. 39), were more likely to receive industry funding (53% vs. 28%), declare concealment of allocation (66% vs. 36%), declare blinding of health care providers (53% vs. 41%) and outcome adjudicators (72% vs. 54%), report a patient-important primary outcome (69% vs. 50%), report subgroup analyses (64% vs. 26%), prespecify subgroup hypotheses (42% vs. 20%), and report a test for interaction (54% vs. 27%); P journals were more likely to report methodological safeguards against bias and patient-important outcomes than those published in lower impact journals. However, sufficient limitations remain such that publication in a higher impact journal does not ensure low risk of bias. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Sex, Grades and Power in Higher Education in Ghana and Tanzania

Science.gov (United States)

Morley, Louise

2011-01-01

Quantitative increases tell a partial story about the quality of women's participation in higher education. Women students' reporting of sexual harassment has been noteworthy in a recent study that I directed on widening participation in higher education in Ghana and Tanzania. The hierarchical and gendered power relations within universities have…

French-language version of the World Health Organization quality of life spirituality, religiousness and personal beliefs instrument

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mandhouj Olfa

2012-04-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background A valid assessment of spirituality and religiousness is necessary for clinical and research purposes. We developed and assessed the validity of a French-language version of the World Health Organization Quality of Life Spirituality, Religiousness and Personal Beliefs Instrument (WHOQOL-SRPB. Methods The SRPB was translated into French according to the methods recommended by the WHOQOL group. An Internet survey was conducted in 561 people in 2010, with follow-up 2 weeks later (n = 231, 41%, to assess reliability, factor structure, social desirability bias and construct validity of this scale. Tests were performed based on item-response theory. Results A modal score of 1 (all answers=”not at all” was observed for Faith (in 34% of participants, Connectedness (27%, and Spiritual Strength (14%. All scales had test-retest reliability coefficients ≥0.7. Cronbach’s alpha coefficients were high for all subscales (0.74 to 0.98 and very high (>0.9 for three subscales (Connectedness, Spiritual Strength and Faith. Scores of Faith, Connectedness, Spiritual Strength and Meaning of Life were higher for respondents with religious practice than for those who had no religious practice. No association was found between SRPB and age or sex. The Awe subscale had a low information function for all levels of the Awe latent trait and may benefit from inclusion of an additional item. Conclusions The French language version of the SRPB retained many properties of the original version. However, the SRPB could be improved by trimming redundant items. The strength of SRPB relies on its multinational development and validation, allowing for cross-cultural comparisons.

French-language version of the World Health Organization quality of life spirituality, religiousness and personal beliefs instrument

Science.gov (United States)

2012-01-01

Background A valid assessment of spirituality and religiousness is necessary for clinical and research purposes. We developed and assessed the validity of a French-language version of the World Health Organization Quality of Life Spirituality, Religiousness and Personal Beliefs Instrument (WHOQOL-SRPB). Methods The SRPB was translated into French according to the methods recommended by the WHOQOL group. An Internet survey was conducted in 561 people in 2010, with follow-up 2 weeks later (n = 231, 41%), to assess reliability, factor structure, social desirability bias and construct validity of this scale. Tests were performed based on item-response theory. Results A modal score of 1 (all answers=”not at all”) was observed for Faith (in 34% of participants), Connectedness (27%), and Spiritual Strength (14%). All scales had test-retest reliability coefficients ≥0.7. Cronbach’s alpha coefficients were high for all subscales (0.74 to 0.98) and very high (>0.9) for three subscales (Connectedness, Spiritual Strength and Faith). Scores of Faith, Connectedness, Spiritual Strength and Meaning of Life were higher for respondents with religious practice than for those who had no religious practice. No association was found between SRPB and age or sex. The Awe subscale had a low information function for all levels of the Awe latent trait and may benefit from inclusion of an additional item. Conclusions The French language version of the SRPB retained many properties of the original version. However, the SRPB could be improved by trimming redundant items. The strength of SRPB relies on its multinational development and validation, allowing for cross-cultural comparisons. PMID:22515747

Contralateral delay activity tracks the influence of Gestalt grouping principles on active visual working memory representations.

Science.gov (United States)

Peterson, Dwight J; Gözenman, Filiz; Arciniega, Hector; Berryhill, Marian E

2015-10-01

Recent studies have demonstrated that factors influencing perception, such as Gestalt grouping cues, can influence the storage of information in visual working memory (VWM). In some cases, stationary cues, such as stimulus similarity, lead to superior VWM performance. However, the neural correlates underlying these benefits to VWM performance remain unclear. One neural index, the contralateral delay activity (CDA), is an event-related potential that shows increased amplitude according to the number of items held in VWM and asymptotes at an individual's VWM capacity limit. Here, we applied the CDA to determine whether previously reported behavioral benefits supplied by similarity, proximity, and uniform connectedness were reflected as a neural savings such that the CDA amplitude was reduced when these cues were present. We implemented VWM change-detection tasks with arrays including similarity and proximity (Experiment 1); uniform connectedness (Experiments 2a and 2b); and similarity/proximity and uniform connectedness (Experiment 3). The results indicated that when there was a behavioral benefit to VWM, this was echoed by a reduction in CDA amplitude, which suggests more efficient processing. However, not all perceptual grouping cues provided a VWM benefit in the same measure (e.g., accuracy) or of the same magnitude. We also found unexpected interactions between cues. We observed a mixed bag of effects, suggesting that these powerful perceptual grouping benefits are not as predictable in VWM. The current findings indicate that when grouping cues produce behavioral benefits, there is a parallel reduction in the neural resources required to maintain grouped items within VWM.

Fostering supportive community connections through mothers' groups and playgroups.

Science.gov (United States)

Strange, Cecily; Fisher, Colleen; Howat, Peter; Wood, Lisa

2014-12-01

The aim of this study was to explore the ways that mothers' groups and playgroups support families with children aged 0-5 years and foster community connectedness in newer residential communities in Perth, Western Australia. The transition to parenthood is a time of increased support need. Changing community demography has resulted in a loss of traditional support structures and an increased need for local community initiatives to support families with young children. A qualitative descriptive design was used for this initial phase of a mixed methods sequential exploratory study. Data were collected between December 2011-August 2012. Interviews and focus groups conducted with 39 mothers provided insights from 16 mothers' groups and 13 playgroups. In addition, interviews were undertaken with three child health nurses and four local government early childhood staff. For the participants in this study, mothers' groups and playgroups provided opportunities to learn about parenting, to build a supportive network, to forge friendships and a connectedness to the local community. The families who relocated often experienced isolation until new groups and social networks were found. In general, where participation in mothers' groups and playgroups facilitated relationships with others from the local community, connectedness to that community was reported by participants to be enhanced. Mothers' groups and playgroups provide important community development opportunities and appear to help reduce potential isolation for mothers with young children. The findings are of interest to nurses and other health professionals working with families with young children. © 2014 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

The Impossibility of Capitalist Markets in Higher Education

Science.gov (United States)

Marginson, Simon

2013-01-01

For more than two decades, governments around the world, led by the English-speaking polities, have moved higher education systems closer to the forms of textbook economic markets. Reforms include corporatisation, competitive funding, student charges, output formats and performance reporting. But, no country has established a bona fide economic…

Computer-aided voice training in higher education: participants ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

The training of performance singing in a multi lingual, multi cultural educational context presents unique problems and requires inventive teaching strategies. Computer-aided training offers objective visual feedback of the voice production that can be implemented as a teaching aid in higher education. This article reports on ...

Predictors of Career Adaptability Skill among Higher Education Students in Nigeria

Science.gov (United States)

Ebenehi, Amos Shaibu; Rashid, Abdullah Mat; Bakar, Ab Rahim

2016-01-01

This paper examined predictors of career adaptability skill among higher education students in Nigeria. A sample of 603 higher education students randomly selected from six colleges of education in Nigeria participated in this study. A set of self-reported questionnaire was used for data collection, and multiple linear regression analysis was used…

Higher Education Corruption in the World Media: Prevalence, Patterns, and Forms

Science.gov (United States)

Osipian, Ararat L.

2007-01-01

Corruption in higher education is a newly emerging topic in the field of education research. There is a phenomenal growth in the number of media reports on corruption in higher education over the last decade. However, the rigorous systematic research on education corruption is virtually nonexistent. This paper considers corruption in higher…

Implementing the Strategy for financial reform of higher education in Mozambique (EFES)

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Fonteyne, Bart; Jongbloed, B.W.A.

2018-01-01

This report describes the results of more than fifteen years of cooperation between the Government of Mozambique, the Government of the Netherlands, the Mozambican higher education institutions and the relevant stakeholders in designing and implementing reforms in the financing of higher education

The 2014 AGB Survey of Higher Education Governance

Science.gov (United States)

Hodge-Clark, Kristen

2014-01-01

"The 2014 AGB Survey of Higher Education Governance" is the fourth in AGB's studies of college and university governance. This report, based on survey responses from 592 public and independent boards, addresses a range of important governance topics that are receiving attention from boards and the news media, including presidential…

Where Do We Go from Here? The Future of English Higher Education

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Huisman, J.; de Boer, Harry F.; Botas, P.C.P.

2012-01-01

A Delphi study has been carried out, soliciting views from higher education experts on likely and desirable developments in English higher education until 2025. The paper reports the most salient findings of the Delphi questionnaire and presents two scenarios that focus largely on the institutional

Young adolescents who combine alcohol and energy drinks have a higher risk of reporting negative behavioural outcomes.

Science.gov (United States)

Holubcikova, Jana; Kolarcik, Peter; Madarasova Geckova, Andrea; Joppova, Eva; van Dijk, Jitse P; Reijneveld, Sijmen A

2017-04-01

To explore whether young adolescents consuming alcohol and energy drinks combined were more likely to report negative behavioural outcomes than their peers who drink only one type of these beverages or are abstinent. We analysed data on a representative sample of Slovak adolescents 8502 adolescents (mean age 13.21, 49.4 % boys) from the 2014 Health Behaviour in School-aged Children cross-sectional study. We assessed the associations of alcohol and energy drinks consumption with negative outcomes and their potential synergy, as measured by the synergy index (SI). Adolescents consuming both alcohol and energy drinks were at higher risk of negative behavioural outcomes than their peers who drank only alcohol or energy drinks or were non-consumers. Consumers of alcohol and energy drinks were highly prone to be involved in fighting-the joint association of alcohol and energy drinks consumption was greater than sum of its associations separately in relation to fighting (SI 1.49; 95 % confidence interval 1.03-2.16). Preventive strategies should aim at increasing awareness of negative behavioural outcomes-especially aggressive behaviour associated with alcohol and energy drinks consumption among young adolescents.

Report of the Integrated Program Planning Activity for the DOE Fusion Energy Sciences Program

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

None

2000-01-01

This report of the Integrated Program Planning Activity (IPPA) has been prepared in response to a recommendation by the Secretary of Energy Advisory Board that, ''Given the complex nature of the fusion effort, an integrated program planning process is an absolute necessity.'' We, therefore, undertook this activity in order to integrate the various elements of the program, to improve communication and performance accountability across the program, and to show the inter-connectedness and inter-dependency of the diverse parts of the national fusion energy sciences program. This report is based on the September 1999 Fusion Energy Sciences Advisory Committee's (FESAC) report ''Priorities and Balance within the Fusion Energy Sciences Program''. In its December 5,2000, letter to the Director of the Office of Science, the FESAC has reaffirmed the validity of the September 1999 report and stated that the IPPA presents a framework and process to guide the achievement of the 5-year goals listed in the 1999 report. The National Research Council's (NRC) Fusion Assessment Committee draft final report ''An Assessment of the Department of Energy's Office of Fusion Energy Sciences Program'', reviewing the quality of the science in the program, was made available after the IPPA report had been completed. The IPPA report is, nevertheless, consistent with the recommendations in the NRC report. In addition to program goals and the related 5-year, 10-year, and 15-year objectives, this report elaborates on the scientific issues associated with each of these objectives. The report also makes clear the relationships among the various program elements, and cites these relationships as the reason why integrated program planning is essential. In particular, while focusing on the science conducted by the program, the report addresses the important balances between the science and energy goals of the program, between the MFE and IFE approaches, and between the domestic and international aspects

The Chief Information Officer in Higher Education. Professional Paper Series, #4.

Science.gov (United States)

Penrod, James I.; And Others

The monograph examines the literature of the last decade on the rise and role of the Chief Information Officer (CIO) in higher education, business, and health care and reports results of a 1989 survey of higher education CIOs. After a discussion of the origins of the CIO position and concept, chapter 2 presents a survey of the literature,…

"The Balancing Act"--Irish Part-Time Undergraduate Students in Higher Education

Science.gov (United States)

Darmody, Merike; Fleming, Bairbre

2009-01-01

While the numbers of part-time students has increased in higher education in Ireland, little is known about these students or about how they balance their study and other commitments. Drawing on a larger study on Irish students' experiences in higher education, this article attempts to address this gap in research and reports on Irish part-time…

Factors Associated with Depression Among Male Casual Laborers in Urban Vietnam.

Science.gov (United States)

Van Huy, Nguyen; Dunne, Michael P; Debattista, Joseph

2015-07-01

This study examined the level, the prevalence of and the factors associated with depression among male casual laborers in Hanoi. Social mapping was done to recruit and interview 450 men aged over 18 years, mostly unskilled and unregistered laborers from 135 street venues across 13 districts of the city using a structured questionnaire . Most were from rural and mountainous provinces and did manual works such as motorbike taxi drivers, porters, construction workers, small traders and others in the current city. The prevalence of self-reported depressive symptoms (25 %) was high. Structural equation modeling showed that marriage, family separation and living with peers or partners were three significant distal risk factors, while illicit drug use and low social connectedness were proximal predictors of depression. Of all factors, social connectedness appeared to be the most important because it plays a mediating role. Drug use was an independent risk factor. This study provides a model to understand the mental health of male casual laborers and to develop culturally appropriate intervention programs for these men.

Volunteers in Circles of Support and Accountability Job Demands, Job Resources, and Outcome.

Science.gov (United States)

Höing, Mechtild; Bogaerts, Stefan; Vogelvang, Bas

2017-09-01

In Circles of Support and Accountability (CoSA), volunteers support a medium- to high-risk sex offender in his process toward desistance by developing a long-term empathic relationship. More knowledge is needed about the impact of this work on volunteers themselves. In a sample of 40 Dutch CoSA volunteers-at the time constituting 37% of the national population of 108 then active CoSA volunteers-we measured outcome in terms of volunteer satisfaction, determination to continue, compassion satisfaction, burnout and secondary stress, vicarious growth, civic capacities, and professional skills. We explored theoretically derived predictors of positive and negative outcome, and conceptualized them within the Job Demands-Resources model (JD-R). Volunteers reported mainly positive effects, especially high levels of volunteer satisfaction, compassion satisfaction, and determination to continue. Results indicated that job demands and most of the internal job resources were of minor importance. External job resources, especially social support and connectedness, were associated with positive outcome. Connectedness mediated the effect of social support on compassion satisfaction.

World Bank Okays Public Interest in Higher Education

Science.gov (United States)

Post, David; Clipper, Lutitia; Enkhbaatar, D.; Manning, Anitra; Riley, Thomas; Zaman, Husam

2004-01-01

This essay review discusses the report of The Task Force on Higher Education and Society (TFHES), convened in 1998 by the World Bank but independently financed and staffed in collaboration with UNESCO and several foundations. "Peril and Promise" marks an historic turning point in the framework for postsecondary educational planning. Rate-of-return…

Women Pursuing Higher Education in Ultra-Orthodox Society

Science.gov (United States)

Baum, Nehami; Yedidya, Tova; Schwartz, Chaya; Aran, Ofra

2014-01-01

The study reported in this article concerns the beginnings of higher education for women in the Haredi (ultra-Orthodox) enclave in Israel. Haredi Jews are a self-secluded fundamentalist group committed to particularly strict interpretation of Jewish religious law. In recent years, they have been compelled by poverty and other factors to allow…

Academic Freedom in Higher Education

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

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.

Place, health, and community attachment: Is community capacity associated with self-rated health at the individual level?

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sarah A. Lovell

2017-12-01

Full Text Available Community-level interventions dominate contemporary public health responses to health inequalities as a lack of political will has discouraged action at a structural level. Health promoters commonly leverage community capacity to achieve programme goals, yet the health implications of low community capacity are unknown. In this study, we analyse perceptions of community capacity at the individual-level to explore how place-based understandings of identity and connectedness are associated with self-rated health. We examine associations between individual community capacity, self-rated health and income using a cross-sectional survey that was disseminated to 303 residents of four small (populations 1500–2000 New Zealand towns. Evidence indicating a relationship between individual community capacity and self-reported health was unconvincing once the effects of income were incorporated. That is, people who rated their community's capacity higher did not have better self-rated health. Much stronger evidence supported the relationship between income and both higher individual community capacity and higher self-rated health. We conclude that individual community capacity may mediate the positive association between income and health, however, overall we find no evidence suggesting that intervening to enhance individual community capacity is likely to improve health outcomes.

Higher Education Civic Learning and Engagement: A Massachusetts Case Study. Promising Practices

Science.gov (United States)

Brennan, Jan

2017-01-01

This Promising Practices report explores the civic learning and engagement efforts of Massachusetts' public higher education system in five areas: vision of Preparing Citizens as a core educational commitment, development of a state higher education Policy on Civic Learning, creation of civic engagement and service-learning course designations,…

Measuring the Contribution of Higher Education to Innovation Capacity in the EU. Final Report: Revised Version

Science.gov (United States)

European Commission, 2017

2017-01-01

This current study is part of the actions taken aiming to analyse the links between the operations and effects of higher-education institutions on the capacity to innovate in the economies in Europe. Providing insights into the contribution of higher education to the innovative capacity of the EU economies is crucial for policy making and the…

Optimized Database of Higher Education Management Using Data Warehouse

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Spits Warnars

2010-04-01

Full Text Available The emergence of new higher education institutions has created the competition in higher education market, and data warehouse can be used as an effective technology tools for increasing competitiveness in the higher education market. Data warehouse produce reliable reports for the institution’s high-level management in short time for faster and better decision making, not only on increasing the admission number of students, but also on the possibility to find extraordinary, unconventional funds for the institution. Efficiency comparison was based on length and amount of processed records, total processed byte, amount of processed tables, time to run query and produced record on OLTP database and data warehouse. Efficiency percentages was measured by the formula for percentage increasing and the average efficiency percentage of 461.801,04% shows that using data warehouse is more powerful and efficient rather than using OLTP database. Data warehouse was modeled based on hypercube which is created by limited high demand reports which usually used by high level management. In every table of fact and dimension fields will be inserted which represent the loading constructive merge where the ETL (Extraction, Transformation and Loading process is run based on the old and new files.

The Typology of Organizational Effectiveness in Australian Higher Education.

Science.gov (United States)

Lysons, Art

1993-01-01

New developments emerging from a study of organizational effectiveness in Australia's system of higher education are reported, and a second study is also described. The results have established a four-group typology of institutions: classical universities, institutes of technology, colleges of advanced education, and other institutions.…

CEBAF at higher energies: Working group report on hadron spectroscopy and production

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Barnes, T. [Oak Ridge National Laboratory, TN (United States)]| [Univ. of Tennessee, Knoxville (United States); Napolitano, J. [Rensselaer Polytechnic Inst., Troy, NY (United States)

1994-04-01

This report summarizes topics in hadron spectroscopy and production which could be addressed at CEBAF with an energy upgrade to E{sub {gamma}} = 8 GeV and beyond. The topics discussed include conventional meson and baryon spectrocopy, spectroscopy of exotica (especially molecules and hybrids), CP and CPT tests using {phi} mesons, and new detector and accelerator options.

Looking for God in the University: Examining Trends in Christian Higher Education

Science.gov (United States)

Glanzer, Perry L.; Carpenter, Joel A.; Lantinga, Nick

2011-01-01

Amid the many recent treatments of the global growth of both Christianity and higher education, little to no attention has been given to distinctly Christian higher education. The survey reported in this essay uses an understanding of Christian education developed from analytical work by Robert Benne to examine the number and nature of colleges…

The expansion of higher education: A consideration of control, funding and quality

OpenAIRE

Bathmaker, A.-M.

2003-01-01

Since the Robbins Report of 1963, higher education in the UK has undergone major expansion, changing it from an elite to a mass system. This chapter explores the changing socio-economic context in which this transformation has taken place, and considers how the expansion of higher education has raised issues of control, quality and funding.

The Implicit Role of First-Years’ Higher Education Faculties

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Maurice Abi-Raad

2018-02-01

Full Text Available The higher education experience is a challenge for first-year students. One of the challenges facing a generation of youth is attaining professional skills, academic experience and occupational training. In order to have a clear picture of the challenges involved in first-year experiences it is important to examine elements impacting first-year students' adjustment to university and in particular on the dual faculty role. This opinion paper posits that higher education faculties play an important role in the successful adjustment of first-year students, not only in facilitating their learning, but in impacting students' well-being and their growth as better citizens. The findings from this paper were drawn from various studies looking at the importance of first-year faculties in higher education, which involved extensive literature reviews and reported interviews with university stakeholders. The paper offers higher education leadership insights into the complex factors at play and the dual role faculties hold.

Evaluation and Development of Administrators. AAHE-ERIC/Higher Education Research Report No. 6, 1979.

Science.gov (United States)

Nordvall, Robert C.

Needs and methods for the evaluation and development of higher education administrators are reviewed in this monograph. Three major reasons for evaluation are cited: external and internal pressure, improvement of performance of individual administrators, and improvement of performance of the institution. Different approaches to evaluation are…

HigherEd 2.0: Using social media in engineering education

OpenAIRE

Berger, Edward

2014-01-01

Social media (blogs, wikis, video, and a digital authoring culture) has emerged in the last decade as a dominant feature of the technology landscape, especially for our current generation of digital-native students. Leveraging these tools for higher education in general, and engineering education in particular, should be of immediate and pressing concern for engineering educators. This discussion summarizes the HigherEd 2.0 project, the creative convergence of higher education and “web 2.0” t...

Flocking of the Motsch-Tadmor Model with a Cut-Off Interaction Function

Science.gov (United States)

Jin, Chunyin

2018-04-01

In this paper, we study the flocking behavior of the Motsch-Tadmor model with a cut-off interaction function. Our analysis shows that connectedness is important for flocking of this kind of model. Fortunately, we get a sufficient condition imposed only on the model parameters and initial data to guarantee the connectedness of the neighbor graph associated with the system. Then we present a theoretical analysis for flocking, and show that the system achieves consensus at an exponential rate.

Green positive guidance and green positive life counseling for decent work and decent lives:Some empirical results

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Annamaria eDi Fabio

2016-03-01

Full Text Available This article discusses green positive guidance and green positive life counseling for decent work and decent lives. From a green guidance perspective, the connectedness to nature construct is important both in terms of the meaning of work and life construction. The study discussed in this article analyzed the relationship between empathy and connectedness to nature, controlling for the effects of fluid intelligence and personality traits. In this connection, the Advanced Progressive Matrices (APM, the Big Five Questionnaire (BFQ, and the Interpersonal Reactivity Index (IRI were administered to 144 Italian high school students. The study revealed that connecteness to nature was not associated with fluid intelligence and was only moderately associated with personality traits. It was empathy that showed the highest association with connectedness to nature. The results open new opportunities for future research and interventions in green positive guidance/life counseling and green positive decent work.

Social Identity in People with Multiple Sclerosis: An Examination of Family Identity and Mood.

Science.gov (United States)

Barker, Alex B; Lincoln, Nadina B; Hunt, Nigel; dasNair, Roshan

2018-01-01

Mood disorders are highly prevalent in people with multiple sclerosis (MS). MS causes changes to a person's sense of self. The Social Identity Model of Identity Change posits that group membership can have a positive effect on mood during identity change. The family is a social group implicated in adjustment to MS. The objectives of this study were to investigate whether family identity can predict mood in people with MS and to test whether this prediction was mediated by social support and connectedness to others. This cross-sectional survey of 195 participants comprised measures of family identity, family social support, connectedness to others, and mood. Family identity predicted mood both directly and indirectly through parallel mediators of family social support and connectedness to others. Family identity predicted mood as posited by the Social Identity Model of Identity Change. Involving the family in adjustment to MS could reduce low mood.

Resilience and Redirection: Information Literacy in Louisiana Higher Education

Science.gov (United States)

Hutchings, Jessica; Willey, Malia

2014-01-01

This article reports on a 2012 survey conducted by members of the Louisiana Academic Library and Information Network Consortium (LALINC) to determine the status of the curricular integration of information literacy instruction following numerous budget cuts to Louisiana higher education since 2008. The article also discusses the 2012 deletion of…

Cleaning Management in Higher Education: Value for Money Study.

Science.gov (United States)

Scottish Higher Education Funding Council, Edinburgh.

This report identifies key management issues for senior managers and heads of cleaning departments in developing and reviewing cleaning services to support improvement and enhance cost effectiveness. The cleaning costs incurred by higher education institutions (HEIs) represent 2.7 percent of the total spent nationally on cleaning services for both…

Regulation of chloroplast number and DNA synthesis in higher plants. Final report

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mullet, J.E.

1995-11-10

The long term objective of this research is to understand the process of chloroplast development and its coordination with leaf development in higher plants. This is important because the photosynthetic capacity of plants is directly related to leaf and chloroplast development. This research focuses on obtaining a detailed description of leaf development and the early steps in chloroplast development including activation of plastid DNA synthesis, changes in plastid DNA copy number, activation of chloroplast transcription and increases in plastid number per cell. The grant will also begin analysis of specific biochemical mechanisms by isolation of the plastid DNA polymerase, and identification of genetic mutants which are altered in their accumulation of plastid DNA and plastid number per cell.

Mental health help seeking patterns and associations among Australian same sex attracted women, trans and gender diverse people: a survey-based study.

Science.gov (United States)

McNair, Ruth P; Bush, Rachel

2016-07-04

Same sex attracted women (SSAW) are disproportionately affected by depression and anxiety, due to experiences of sexuality and gender based discrimination. They access mental health services at higher rates than heterosexual women, however with lower levels of satisfaction. This study examined the range of professional and social help seeking by same-sex attracted women, and patterns according to sexual orientation and gender identity subgroup. Eight key stakeholders were interviewed, and a convenience sample of 1628 Australian SSAW completed an online survey in 2015. This included several scales to measure mental health, community connectedness and resilience; and measured past 12 month help seeking behaviour, enablers, barriers and preferences for mental health care. Chi-square analyses and binary logistic regression analyses examined demographic associations with mental health. Correlations between help seeking, mental and physical health, and connectedness were run. A high proportion (80 %) of the total sample had perceived mental health problems over the past 12 months. Over half had depression, and over 96 % had anxiety. Trans and gender diverse participants were twice as likely as female participants to have mental health problems, and lesbians were least likely. High levels of past 12 month help seeking included 74.4 % seeing a GP, 44.3 % seeing a psychologist/counsellor, 74.7 % seeking family/friends support and 55.2 % using internet based support. Professional help was prioritised by those with higher mental health need. Trans participants were most likely to have sought professional help and participated in support groups, but least likely to have sought help from friends or family. The most common barriers to help seeking were discrimination and lack of LGBTI sensitivity of services, particularly for gender diverse, queer and pansexual participants. Enablers included mainstream community connectedness, having a trustworthy GP, and

Reforms, Leadership and Quality Management in Greek Higher Education

Science.gov (United States)

Papadimitriou, Antigoni

2011-01-01

This article reports on research to form an understanding of how to account whether and how quality management (QM) has been adopted in Greek higher education. Greece only recently introduced quality assurance policies. In this study, I will describe governmental reforms related to QM policies until 2010. An issue that is frequently addressed…

Portuguese Study in Higher Education in the United States

Science.gov (United States)

Milleret, Margo

2012-01-01

This study reports the results of a national survey of Portuguese instructors that investigates enrollment growth in regions and institutions of higher education in the United States. It details the reasons why Portuguese enrollments have grown steadily since 1998, while providing data on the numbers of students enrolled in classes and the number…

Crossing the Rubicon in higher education | du Plessis | South ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

This article reports on an empirical study conducted at a higher education institution that is offering programmes at multiple sites of delivery to determine the impact of mergers on an invitational ecosystem. Results indicate that access to learning resources that support teaching, as well as other social and personal factors in ...

Delivering Instruction via Streaming Media: A Higher Education Perspective.

Science.gov (United States)

Mortensen, Mark; Schlieve, Paul; Young, Jon

2000-01-01

Describes streaming media, an audio/video presentation that is delivered across a network so that it is viewed while being downloaded onto the user's computer, including a continuous stream of video that can be pre-recorded or live. Discusses its use for nontraditional students in higher education and reports on implementation experiences. (LRW)

Successful Applications of the Balanced Scorecard in Higher Education

Science.gov (United States)

Beard, Deborah F.

2009-01-01

Are there management tools that professionals use in business that academics have used successfully in higher education? The answer to that question is "yes", and the balanced scorecard (BSC) is one such tool. The author reports on measures that administrators chose for the BSCs of 2 educational institutions whose successes have been…

Dose calculation for photon-emitting brachytherapy sources with average energy higher than 50 keV: report of the AAPM and ESTRO.

Science.gov (United States)

Perez-Calatayud, Jose; Ballester, Facundo; Das, Rupak K; Dewerd, Larry A; Ibbott, Geoffrey S; Meigooni, Ali S; Ouhib, Zoubir; Rivard, Mark J; Sloboda, Ron S; Williamson, Jeffrey F

2012-05-01

Recommendations of the American Association of Physicists in Medicine (AAPM) and the European Society for Radiotherapy and Oncology (ESTRO) on dose calculations for high-energy (average energy higher than 50 keV) photon-emitting brachytherapy sources are presented, including the physical characteristics of specific (192)Ir, (137)Cs, and (60)Co source models. This report has been prepared by the High Energy Brachytherapy Source Dosimetry (HEBD) Working Group. This report includes considerations in the application of the TG-43U1 formalism to high-energy photon-emitting sources with particular attention to phantom size effects, interpolation accuracy dependence on dose calculation grid size, and dosimetry parameter dependence on source active length. Consensus datasets for commercially available high-energy photon sources are provided, along with recommended methods for evaluating these datasets. Recommendations on dosimetry characterization methods, mainly using experimental procedures and Monte Carlo, are established and discussed. Also included are methodological recommendations on detector choice, detector energy response characterization and phantom materials, and measurement specification methodology. Uncertainty analyses are discussed and recommendations for high-energy sources without consensus datasets are given. Recommended consensus datasets for high-energy sources have been derived for sources that were commercially available as of January 2010. Data are presented according to the AAPM TG-43U1 formalism, with modified interpolation and extrapolation techniques of the AAPM TG-43U1S1 report for the 2D anisotropy function and radial dose function.

Finding Higher Order Differentials of MISTY1

Science.gov (United States)

Tsunoo, Yukiyasu; Saito, Teruo; Kawabata, Takeshi; Nakagawa, Hirokatsu

MISTY1 is a 64-bit block cipher that has provable security against differential and linear cryptanalysis. MISTY1 is one of the algorithms selected in the European NESSIE project, and it is recommended for Japanese e-Government ciphers by the CRYPTREC project. In this paper, we report on 12th order differentials in 3-round MISTY1 with FL functions and 44th order differentials in 4-round MISTY1 with FL functions both previously unknown. We also report that both data complexity and computational complexity of higher order differential attacks on 6-round MISTY1 with FL functions and 7-round MISTY1 with FL functions using the 46th order differential can be reduced to as much as 1/22 of the previous values by using multiple 44th order differentials simultaneously.

Buying higher welfare poultry products? Profiling Flemish consumers who do and do not.

Science.gov (United States)

Vanhonacker, F; Verbeke, W

2009-12-01

A substantial number of studies has already investigated differences within the consumer market with regard to attitudes and perceptions in relation to farm animal welfare. Likewise, several studies focused on the gap that exists between positive attitudes and reported consumption or purchase intentions for sustainable food products in general and higher welfare products more specific, and on the factors influencing this attitude-behavior gap. Little or no studies, however, have started from reported pro-welfare behavior to distinguish between consumer groups and to explore the motivations of the respective behavior. With this study, we aim to group consumers according to their reported buying frequency of higher welfare eggs and higher welfare chicken meat. Similarities and dissimilarities between these groups are mapped in terms of individual characteristics, product attribute importance, perceived consumer effectiveness, perception of higher welfare products, and attitude toward a welfare label. The research methodology applied was a quantitative study with cross-sectional consumer survey data collected in Flanders in spring 2007 (n = 469). Pro-welfare behavior was unevenly distributed across different consumer segments, despite a general interest and concern for bird welfare. A consistent choice for standard (no welfare premium) poultry products was related to strong perceived price and availability barriers, to a low importance attached to ethical issues as product attributes, and to a low perceived consumer effectiveness. A consistent choice for products with higher welfare standards to the contrast associated with a high importance attached to ethical issues; a low effect of price and availability perception; a strong association of higher welfare products with product attributes like health, taste, and quality; and a high perceived consumer effectiveness. The identification of market segments with common characteristics is essential for positioning higher

Hearing the Voices of Disabled Students in Higher Education

Science.gov (United States)

Vickerman, Philip; Blundell, Milly

2010-01-01

Since the return of the Labour government to power in the UK in 1997 issues of social inclusion have risen up the political and statutory agenda within higher education (HE). This study reports the findings of disabled students lived experiences and views of transition from induction through to employability within one HE institution. The study…

Higher Education

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Kunle Amuwo: Higher Education Transformation: A Paradigm Shilt in South Africa? ... ty of such skills, especially at the middle management levels within the higher ... istics and virtues of differentiation and diversity. .... may be forced to close shop for lack of capacity to attract ..... necessarily lead to racial and gender equity,.

Nostalgia-Evoked Inspiration: Mediating Mechanisms and Motivational Implications.

Science.gov (United States)

Stephan, Elena; Sedikides, Constantine; Wildschut, Tim; Cheung, Wing-Yee; Routledge, Clay; Arndt, Jamie

2015-10-01

Six studies examined the nostalgia-inspiration link and its motivational implications. In Study 1, nostalgia proneness was positively associated with inspiration frequency and intensity. In Studies 2 and 3, the recollection of nostalgic (vs. ordinary) experiences increased both general inspiration and specific inspiration to engage in exploratory activities. In Study 4, serial mediational analyses supported a model in which nostalgia increases social connectedness, which subsequently fosters self-esteem, which then boosts inspiration. In Study 5, a rigorous evaluation of this serial mediational model (with a novel nostalgia induction controlling for positive affect) reinforced the idea that nostalgia-elicited social connectedness increases self-esteem, which then heightens inspiration. Study 6 extended the serial mediational model by demonstrating that nostalgia-evoked inspiration predicts goal pursuit (intentions to pursue an important goal). Nostalgia spawns inspiration via social connectedness and attendant self-esteem. In turn, nostalgia-evoked inspiration bolsters motivation. © 2015 by the Society for Personality and Social Psychology, Inc.

Exploring the role of social capital in urban citizens' initiatives in the Netherlands.

Science.gov (United States)

Wentink, Carlijn; Vaandrager, Lenneke; van Dam, Rosalie; Hassink, Jan; Salverda, Irini

2017-07-24

This research explores the role of social capital in urban citizens' initiatives in the Netherlands, by using in-depth interviews. Social capital was operationalized as shared norms and values, connectedness, trust and reciprocity. The findings show that initiatives form around a shared idea or ambition (shared norms and values). An existing network of relationships (connectedness) is needed for an idea to emerge and take form. Connectedness can also increase as a result of an initiative. Some level of trust between people needs to be present from the start of the initiative. For the initiative to persist, strong in-group connections seem important, as well as a good balance between investments and returns. This reciprocity is mainly about intangible assets, such as energy and friendship. This study concludes that social capital within citizens' initiatives is both a prerequisite for the formation of initiatives and a result of the existence of initiatives. Copyright © 2017 SESPAS. Publicado por Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.

Higher education and the labour market : international policy frameworks for regulating graduate employability

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Kottmann, Andrea; de Weert, Egbert

2013-01-01

This report “Higher Education and the Labour Market” builds upon the previous report and aims to digging a bit deeper into some themes in the countries Belgium, Denmark, England, Finland, Germany, Sweden and the United States, and update developments since the first review in 2011. The following

Higher groupoid bundles, higher spaces, and self-dual tensor field equations

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Jurco, Branislav [Charles University in Prague, Faculty of Mathematics and Physics, Mathematical Institute, Prague (Czech Republic); Saemann, Christian [Maxwell Institute for Mathematical Sciences, Department of Mathematics, Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh (United Kingdom); Wolf, Martin [Department of Mathematics, University of Surrey, Guildford (United Kingdom)

2016-08-15

We develop a description of higher gauge theory with higher groupoids as gauge structure from first principles. This approach captures ordinary gauge theories and gauged sigma models as well as their categorifications on a very general class of (higher) spaces comprising presentable differentiable stacks, as e.g. orbifolds. We start off with a self-contained review on simplicial sets as models of (∞, 1)-categories. We then discuss principal bundles in terms of simplicial maps and their homotopies. We explain in detail a differentiation procedure, suggested by Severa, that maps higher groupoids to L{sub ∞}-algebroids. Generalising this procedure, we define connections for higher groupoid bundles. As an application, we obtain six-dimensional superconformal field theories via a Penrose-Ward transform of higher groupoid bundles over a twistor space. This construction reduces the search for non-Abelian self-dual tensor field equations in six dimensions to a search for the appropriate (higher) gauge structure. The treatment aims to be accessible to theoretical physicists. (copyright 2016 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH and Co. KGaA, Weinheim)

Higher groupoid bundles, higher spaces, and self-dual tensor field equations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jurco, Branislav; Saemann, Christian; Wolf, Martin

2016-01-01

We develop a description of higher gauge theory with higher groupoids as gauge structure from first principles. This approach captures ordinary gauge theories and gauged sigma models as well as their categorifications on a very general class of (higher) spaces comprising presentable differentiable stacks, as e.g. orbifolds. We start off with a self-contained review on simplicial sets as models of (∞, 1)-categories. We then discuss principal bundles in terms of simplicial maps and their homotopies. We explain in detail a differentiation procedure, suggested by Severa, that maps higher groupoids to L ∞ -algebroids. Generalising this procedure, we define connections for higher groupoid bundles. As an application, we obtain six-dimensional superconformal field theories via a Penrose-Ward transform of higher groupoid bundles over a twistor space. This construction reduces the search for non-Abelian self-dual tensor field equations in six dimensions to a search for the appropriate (higher) gauge structure. The treatment aims to be accessible to theoretical physicists. (copyright 2016 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH and Co. KGaA, Weinheim)

Superpositions of higher-order bessel beams and nondiffracting speckle fields

CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

Dudley, Angela L

2009-08-01

Full Text Available speckle fields. The paper reports on illuminating a ring slit aperture with light which has an azimuthal phase dependence, such that the field produced is a superposition of two higher-order Bessel beams. In the case that the phase dependence of the light...

Quality Assurance Strategies of Higher Education in Iraq and Kurdistan: A Case Study

Science.gov (United States)

Kaghed, Nabeel; Dezaye, Ahmed

2009-01-01

This paper reports on two different strategies that have been implemented in Iraq to improve quality assurance in the higher education sector in Iraq. One strategy has been developed by the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research in Baghdad. It involved conducting a pilot study at the University of Babylon. This pilot included…

The health-related quality of life was not improved by targeting higher hemoglobin in the Normal Hematocrit Trial.

Science.gov (United States)

Coyne, Daniel W

2012-07-01

The Normal Hematocrit Trial (NHT) was the largest trial of epoetin randomizing 1265 hemodialysis patients with cardiac disease to lower (9-11 g/dl) or higher (13-15 g/dl) hemoglobin (Hgb), hypothesizing that higher Hgb would reduce mortality, and improve survival and quality of life. The trial was terminated early, and a 1998 publication reported that targeting higher hematocrit levels led to an insignificant increase in the primary end points (death or myocardial infarct), or risk ratio 1.3, 95% confidence interval (CI), 0.9-1.90, but the P-value was not given, and all-cause death risk was not reported. A higher target reportedly did not increase hospitalization rates, but did significantly improve the 'physical function' domain of quality of life. Comparing the 1996 Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-filed clinical trial report to the 1998 publication, however, found several discrepancies. Among these, the 1998 article reported interim trial results with only the adjusted CI but did not state that the unadjusted CIs were 99.912th percentile, and despite being a secondary end point, reported only the association of achieved Hgb with higher quality of life score. Randomization to the higher target had actually increased the risk for the primary end point (risk ratio 1.28, 95% CI=1.06-1.56; P=0.0112; 99.92% CI=0.92-1.78), the risk of death (risk ratio 1.27, 95% CI=1.04-1.54), non-access thrombotic events (P=0.041), and hospitalization rate (P=0.04), while 'physical function' did not improve (P=0.88). Hence, disclosure of these results in the 1998 publication or access to the FDA-filed report on the NHT in the late 1990s would likely have led to earlier concerns about epoetin safety and greater doubts about its benefits.

The Relationship between Reports of Psychological Capital and Reports of Job Satisfaction among Administrative Personnel at a Private Institution of Higher Education

Science.gov (United States)

Mello, James A.

2012-01-01

The purpose of this single-site case study was to investigate the relationship between administrative personnel's reports of psychological capital (Luthans, Youssef, & Avolio, 2007) and their reports of job satisfaction (Hackman & Oldham, 1980). Specifically, two surveys, the Psychological Capital Questionnaire (Luthans, Youssef, &…

Is there a crisis in American Higher Education?

Science.gov (United States)

Narayanan, M.; Crawford, L.

2015-12-01

According to the Spellings Commission, the answer to the above question is yes. The commission declared that a crisis exists in American higher education. In their report published in 2005, they claim that colleges and universities are becoming less accessible and less accountable. They indicate that colleges and universities are failing to prepare the students to meet the demanding challenges of the present day workforce and are struggling to maintain an international status (Johnson, K. 2013). The Spellings Report called for information about the quality and cost of college degrees. Authors, Richard Arum and Josipa Roksa claim that American students are learning very little during their first two years of college. Higher education in the United States is examined by these two authors. Josipa Roksa is an Associate Professor of Sociology and Education at the University of Virginia. She is currently serving as Special Advisor to the Provost and Associate Director of the Center for Advanced Study of Teaching and Learning in Higher Education. Richard Arum is an American sociologist who is currently professor of sociology and education at New York University. Arum is also a senior fellow at the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. Their research draws on transcript data, the Collegiate Learning Assessment, and survey responses from more than 2,300 undergraduates at twenty-four institutions in their first semester and again at the end of their second year. The analysis reveals that 45 percent of these students demonstrated no significant improvement in a range of skills--including critical thinking, complex reasoning, and writing--during their first two years of college (Arum and Roksa, 2011). (Co-author: Dr. Mysore Narayanan) References: Johnson, Kristine (2013) "Why Students Don't Write: Educating in the Era of Credentialing: Academically Adrift: Limited Learning on College Campuses," Conversations on Jesuit Higher Education: Vol. 43, Article 9. Available at: http

Workshop on CEBAF at higher energies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Isgur, N.; Stoler, P.

1994-04-01

Since the current parameters of CEBAF were defined almost a decade ago, there has been a remarkably fruitful evolution of our picture of the behavior of strongly interacting matter that apparently could be addressed by CEBAF at higher energies. Favorable technical developments coupled with foresight in initial laboratory planning have now made it feasible to consider approximately doubling CEBAF's current design energy of 4 GeV to approach 10 GeV at rather modest cost. The purpose of the workshop, sponsored by the CEBAF User Group, was to begin to develop the next phase of CEBAF's program by giving the entire community the opportunity to participate in defining the future of our field, and in particular the physics accessible with an upgraded CEBAF energy. It is intended that this report mark the first step toward an ultimate goal of defining a physics program that will form the basis for an upgrade of CEBAF. The report begins with a brief overview of the workshop's conclusions. Its body consists of sections corresponding to the workshop's Working Groups on Hadron Spectroscopy and Production, High Q 2 Form Factors and Exclusive Reactions, Inclusive and Semi-Inclusive Processes, and Hadrons in the Nuclear Medium. Each section begins with the working group summaries and is followed by associated plenary talks summarizing the outstanding physics issues addressable by an upgrade, which are in turn followed by individual contributions presenting specific physics programs. An appendix describes capabilities of CEBAF's current experimental equipment at higher energies; another appendix lists workshop participants. Selected papers have been processed separately for inclusion in the Energy Science and Technology Database

Workshop on CEBAF at higher energies

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Isgur, N.; Stoler, P. [eds.

1994-04-01

Since the current parameters of CEBAF were defined almost a decade ago, there has been a remarkably fruitful evolution of our picture of the behavior of strongly interacting matter that apparently could be addressed by CEBAF at higher energies. Favorable technical developments coupled with foresight in initial laboratory planning have now made it feasible to consider approximately doubling CEBAF`s current design energy of 4 GeV to approach 10 GeV at rather modest cost. The purpose of the workshop, sponsored by the CEBAF User Group, was to begin to develop the next phase of CEBAF`s program by giving the entire community the opportunity to participate in defining the future of our field, and in particular the physics accessible with an upgraded CEBAF energy. It is intended that this report mark the first step toward an ultimate goal of defining a physics program that will form the basis for an upgrade of CEBAF. The report begins with a brief overview of the workshop`s conclusions. Its body consists of sections corresponding to the workshop`s Working Groups on Hadron Spectroscopy and Production, High Q{sup 2} Form Factors and Exclusive Reactions, Inclusive and Semi-Inclusive Processes, and Hadrons in the Nuclear Medium. Each section begins with the working group summaries and is followed by associated plenary talks summarizing the outstanding physics issues addressable by an upgrade, which are in turn followed by individual contributions presenting specific physics programs. An appendix describes capabilities of CEBAF`s current experimental equipment at higher energies; another appendix lists workshop participants. Selected papers have been processed separately for inclusion in the Energy Science and Technology Database.

HR competencies at a merged Higher Education Institution

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Cecile M. Schultz

2010-06-01

Research purposes: The aim of this study was to determine the HR competencies at a merged higher education institution. Other objectives were to establish the satisfaction of academics, administrative staff and management regarding the HR competencies and the importance thereof. Motivation for the study: Human resource professionals require assistance by providing HR competencies necessary to add value at a merged higher education institution. Research designs, approaches and methods: A quantitative research design was employed as the research strategy. The questionnaire was based on the literature, the business plan and the HR balanced scorecard report. The target population was 1363 permanent staff on one campus and the response rate was 28%. A principal factor analysis, spider charts and box plots were utilised for data analysis. The results indicated business knowledge, HR practices, personal skills and management skills as the vital HR competencies. Practical implications: Staff were not satisfied with the current HR competencies and consequently this necessitated attention to improve the deficient areas. Contribution: This study shows that limited research was done with regard to HR competencies in the South African higher education backdrop.

Toward an Understanding of Higher-Order Thinking among Minority Students.

Science.gov (United States)

Armour-Thomas, Eleanor; And Others

1992-01-01

Used principal-factors extraction with varimax rotation analysis to clarify nature and function of higher-order thinking among minority high school students (n=107) from economically disadvantaged backgrounds. Results allowed for specification of mental processes associated with the construct and the extent to which students reported awareness and…

The Information Culture of Higher Education Institutions: The Estonian Case

Science.gov (United States)

Lauri, Liia; Heidmets, Mati; Virkus, Sirje

2016-01-01

Introduction: This paper focuses on the information culture of higher education institutions in Estonia. The aim of the study is to explore the relationship between information culture, information management and job satisfaction, leadership style, and self-reported individual performance. Method: A total of 160 faculty members from twelve…

Essentially stronger -1999 EPCOR annual report

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2000-01-01

This annual report provides details of the financial operations of EPCOR, the newly formed utility, combining together three essential elements of modern living --electric power, water and natural gas-- as a single entity. In addition to this report on financial management, there are two companion reports on environmental performance entitled E ssential Balance', and on contributions to the community with the title of 'Essential Spirit'. While this report focuses on the Corporation's financial performance, it also provides a summary on the Corporation's growth, operational excellence, regulatory matters, environmental achievements and management of the Corporation's people resources. The financial report includes the customary consolidated financial statements, the auditor's report, and management's discussion and analysis of the financial report. Revenues for 1999 totalled just over one billion dollars ($978 million in 1998); net income was $116 million ($121 million in 1998); operating expenses were higher than in 1998 ($765 million versus $642 million) due to higher natural gas prices; capital spending was $198 million, compared to $153 million in 1998. Operations, maintenance, and administrative costs were also higher in 1999 due to higher employee costs across the EPCOR Group, one-time costs associated with EPCOR's master branding initiative, Y2K testing and remediation, and increased business development costs

Financial Health of the Higher Education Sector: 2015-16 Financial Results. Data Analysis. March 2017/02

Science.gov (United States)

Higher Education Funding Council for England, 2016

2016-01-01

This report provides an overview of the financial health of the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) funded higher education sector in England. The analysis covers the financial results for 2015-16. This does not include further education or sixth-form colleges, or alternative providers of higher education.

Collaborative Inquiry: Expert Analysis of Blended Learning in Higher Education

Science.gov (United States)

Wold, Kari

2013-01-01

This paper reports on findings of a university focus group exploring blended learning in higher education. It first describes the findings regarding the amorphous definition of blended learning as well as whether and how universities might engage in the practice. This paper then explains the administrative, instructor, and student variables that…

South Carolina Higher Education Statistical Abstract, 2014. 36th Edition

Science.gov (United States)

Armour, Mim, Ed.

2014-01-01

The South Carolina Higher Education Statistical Abstract is a comprehensive, single-source compilation of tables and graphs which report data frequently requested by the Governor, Legislators, college and university staff, other state government officials, and the general public. The 2014 edition of the Statistical Abstract marks the 36th year of…

South Carolina Higher Education Statistical Abstract, 2015. 37th Edition

Science.gov (United States)

Armour, Mim, Ed.

2015-01-01

The South Carolina Higher Education Statistical Abstract is a comprehensive, single-source compilation of tables and graphs which report data frequently requested by the Governor, Legislators, college and university staff, other state government officials, and the general public. The 2015 edition of the Statistical Abstract marks the 37th year of…

Employee Benefits for Illinois Public Higher Education Faculty and Staff.

Science.gov (United States)

Illinois State Board of Higher Education, Springfield.

This report focuses on the group benefits available to Illinois public higher education employees. The study provides a perspective on the range of benefits and the differences in the administration of institutional benefits. Findings reveal the availability of retirement annuities that increase with each 10 years of service; optional retirement…

Expanding Horizons: A Pilot Mentoring Program Linking College/Graduate Students and Teens With ASD.

Science.gov (United States)

Curtin, Carol; Humphrey, Kristin; Vronsky, Kaela; Mattern, Kathryn; Nicastro, Susan; Perrin, Ellen C

2016-02-01

A small pilot program of 9 youth 13 to 18 years old with high-functioning autism spectrum disorder (ASD) or Asperger's syndrome assessed the feasibility, acceptability, and potential efficacy of an individualized mentoring program. Youth met weekly for 6 months with trained young adult mentors at a local boys and girls club. Participants reported improvements in self-esteem, social anxiety, and quality of life. Participants, parents, mentors, and staff reported that the program improved participants' social connectedness. Although the pilot study was small, it provides preliminary data that mentoring for youth with ASD has promise for increasing self-esteem, social skills, and quality of life. © The Author(s) 2015.

Social Relationships, Inflammation, and Cancer Survival.

Science.gov (United States)

Boen, Courtney E; Barrow, David A; Bensen, Jeannette T; Farnan, Laura; Gerstel, Adrian; Hendrix, Laura H; Yang, Yang Claire

2018-05-01

Background: Social stressors, such as social relationship deficits, have been increasingly linked to chronic disease outcomes, including cancer. However, critical gaps exist in our understanding of the nature and strength of such links, as well as the underlying biological mechanisms relating social relationships to cancer progression and survival. Methods: Utilizing novel questionnaire and biomarker data from the UNC Health Registry/Cancer Survivorship Cohort, this study examines the associations between diverse measures of social support and mortality risk among individuals with cancer ( N = 1,004). We further assess the role of multiple serum markers of inflammation, including high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (CRP), IL6, TNFα, and VEGF, as potential mediators in the social relationship-cancer link. Results: The findings revealed that one's appraisal of their social support was associated with cancer mortality, such that individuals reporting higher levels of social support satisfaction had lower mortality risk than individuals reporting lower levels of satisfaction. The amount of support received, on the other hand, was not predictive of cancer survival. We further found evidence that inflammatory processes may undergird the link between social support satisfaction and mortality among individuals with cancer, with individuals reporting higher levels of social support satisfaction having lower levels of CRP, IL6, and TNFα. Conclusions: These results provide new knowledge of the biosocial processes producing population disparities in cancer outcomes. Impact: Our study offers new insights for intervention efforts aimed at promoting social connectedness as a means for improving cancer survival. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev; 27(5); 541-9. ©2018 AACR . ©2018 American Association for Cancer Research.

Dominance dynamics of competition between intrinsic and extrinsic grouping cues.

Science.gov (United States)

Luna, Dolores; Villalba-García, Cristina; Montoro, Pedro R; Hinojosa, José A

2016-10-01

In the present study we examined the dominance dynamics of perceptual grouping cues. We used a paradigm in which participants selectively attended to perceptual groups based on several grouping cues in different blocks of trials. In each block, single and competing grouping cues were presented under different exposure durations (50, 150 or 350ms). Using this procedure, intrinsic vs. intrinsic cues (i.e. proximity and shape similarity) were compared in Experiment 1; extrinsic vs. extrinsic cues (i.e. common region and connectedness) in Experiment 2; and intrinsic vs. extrinsic cues (i.e. common region and shape similarity) in Experiment 3. The results showed that in Experiment 1, no dominance of any grouping cue was found: shape similarity and proximity grouping cues showed similar reaction times (RTs) and interference effects. In contrast, in Experiments 2 and 3, common region dominated processing: (i) RTs to common region were shorter than those to connectedness (Exp. 2) or shape similarity (Exp. 3); and (ii) when the grouping cues competed, common region interfered with connectedness (Exp. 2) and shape similarity (Exp. 3) more than vice versa. The results showed that the exposure duration of stimuli only affected the connectedness grouping cue. An important result of our experiments indicates that when two grouping cues compete, both the non-attended intrinsic cue in Experiment 1, and the non-dominant extrinsic cue in Experiments 2 and 3, are still perceived and they are not completely lost. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Toward a Definition of Verbal Reasoning in Higher Education. Research Report. ETS RR-09-33

Science.gov (United States)

Burton, Nancy W.; Welsh, Cynthia; Kostin, Irene; VanEssen, Thomas

2009-01-01

This paper briefly summarizes the literatures of reading and reasoning in the last quarter century, focusing mainly on the disciplines of cognitive science, cognitive developmental psychology, linguistics, and educational psychology. These literatures were synthesized to create a framework for defining verbal reasoning in higher education. Eight…

Analyzing Networked Learning Practices in HigherEducation and Continuing Professional Development

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Dirckinck-Holmfeld, Lone

Deliverable 28.5.4 reports on the preparation of the book "Analysing Networked Learning Practices in Higher Education and Continuing Professional Development", which consists of an Introduction, case studies and a concluding section, which presents the theoretical work and empirical work conducte...

Perturbative theory of higher-order collision-enhanced wave mixing

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Trebino, R.; Rahn, L.A.

1989-01-01

This paper reports on collision-enhanced resonances which represent an interesting class of nonlinear- optical processes. They occur because collisional dephasing can rephase quantum-mechanical amplitudes that ordinarily cancel out exactly, thereby allowing otherwise unobservable wave-mixing resonances to be seen. This is an especially interesting phenomenon because these resonances are coherent effects that are induced by an incoherent process (collisional dephasing). First predicted in the late 1970s and eventually observed in 1981, these novel effects have now been seen in a wide variety of four-wave-mixing experiments, ranging from self-focusing to coherent anti-Stokes Raman spectroscopy. Recently, the authors have extended these observations to higher order, where the authors have shown both experimentally and theoretically the higher-order, collision-enhanced effects exist in nonlinear optics, appearing as subharmonics of two-photon resonances. Indeed, the authors have found that collision-enhanced processes are ideal systems for studying higher-order, nonlinear-optical effects because very high orders can be made to contribute with little or no saturation braodening. Experiments on sodium in a flame using six- and eight-wave-mixing geometries have revealed still higher-order effects (at least as high- order as χ (13) )

Signature Pedagogies for E-Learning in Higher Education and Beyond

Science.gov (United States)

Eaton, Sarah Elaine; Brown, Barbara; Schroeder, Meadow; Lock, Jennifer; Jacobsen, Michele

2017-01-01

Purpose: This report explores the notion of signature pedagogies within the field of e-learning for higher education. Methodology: We build on previous work that examined signature pedagogies in education, linking the concepts of signature pedagogies, the profession of education and e-learning as a means to help educators develop their practice…

Higher Education Technology and Research: Creating Excellence through State Investments

Science.gov (United States)

New Jersey Commission on Higher Education, 2004

2004-01-01

Colleges and universities in New Jersey play a critical role in building and sustaining economic prosperity and quality of life in the state and beyond. Through advancements in technology and research, higher education helps to create new jobs, improve the workforce, develop new knowledge, and boost the overall economy. This report summarizes…

Factors Affecting English Language Teaching and Learning in Higher Education

Science.gov (United States)

Nguyen, Hong Thi; Warren, Wendy; Fehring, Heather

2014-01-01

This paper reports part of a study that aims to explore factors affecting the efficacy of non-major English teaching and learning in Vietnamese higher education through an investigation of classroom practices. Eight non-participant class observations were conducted at HUTECH University, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. The study's findings show that…

Applying to Higher Education: Comparisons of Independent and State Schools

Science.gov (United States)

Dunne, Máiréad; King, Russell; Ahrens, Jill

2014-01-01

This paper reports on research into the ways that schools engage in university application processes. Questionnaire and interview data were collected from 1400 Year 13 students from 18 independent and state schools in England and 15 in-depth interviews were carried out with school teacher higher education (HE) advisors. The analysis compares…

Conflict at Higher Education Institutions: Factors and Solutions for Yemen

Science.gov (United States)

Muthanna, Abdulghani; Sang, Guoyuan

2018-01-01

This is a qualitative case study focusing on reporting the dynamics that cause conflicts between academics and administrators in higher education in Yemen. Drawing upon a critical review of two policy documents, observational research and in-depth interviews with 59 administrators and academics, the article presents the key factors for conflict in…

$L$-Topological Spaces

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ali Bajravani

2018-04-01

Full Text Available ‎By substituting the usual notion of open sets in a topological space $X$ with a suitable collection of maps from $X$ to a frame $L$, we introduce the notion of L-topological spaces. Then, we proceed to study the classical notions and properties of usual topological spaces to the newly defined mathematical notion. Our emphasis would be concentrated on the well understood classical connectedness, quotient and compactness notions, where we prove the Thychonoff's theorem and connectedness property for ultra product of $L$-compact and $L$-connected topological spaces, respectively.

Essentially stronger -1999 EPCOR annual report

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

2000-07-01

This annual report provides details of the financial operations of EPCOR, the newly formed utility, combining together three essential elements of modern living --electric power, water and natural gas-- as a single entity. In addition to this report on financial management, there are two companion reports on environmental performance entitled {sup E}ssential Balance', and on contributions to the community with the title of 'Essential Spirit'. While this report focuses on the Corporation's financial performance, it also provides a summary on the Corporation's growth, operational excellence, regulatory matters, environmental achievements and management of the Corporation's people resources. The financial report includes the customary consolidated financial statements, the auditor's report, and management's discussion and analysis of the financial report. Revenues for 1999 totalled just over one billion dollars ($978 million in 1998); net income was $116 million ($121 million in 1998); operating expenses were higher than in 1998 ($765 million versus $642 million) due to higher natural gas prices; capital spending was $198 million, compared to $153 million in 1998. Operations, maintenance, and administrative costs were also higher in 1999 due to higher employee costs across the EPCOR Group, one-time costs associated with EPCOR's master branding initiative, Y2K testing and remediation, and increased business development costs.

Financial Health of the Higher Education Sector: 2015-16 to 2018-19 Forecasts. Data Analysis. November 2016/34

Science.gov (United States)

Higher Education Funding Council for England, 2016

2016-01-01

This report provides an overview of the forecast financial health of the HEFCE-funded higher education (HE) sector in England. The analysis covers the financial forecasts for the period 2015-16 to 2018-19, based on information submitted by higher education institutions (HEIs) to HEFCE in July 2016. Financial Reporting Standard (FRS) 102 is the new…

Qatari Women in a Corporatized Higher Education Setting: International Reforms and Their Local Bearings

Science.gov (United States)

Al-Muftah, Esraa

2017-01-01

Discussions of the difficulties Qatari women experience in higher educational settings are unlikely to be found in international organization or government reports on the State of Qatar. Instead, recent reports have tended to gloss over gender inequalities raising a "successful girl discourse." Drawing on my own teaching experience at…

Student Plagiarism in Higher Education in Vietnam: An Empirical Study

Science.gov (United States)

Do Ba, Khang; Do Ba, Khai; Lam, Quoc Dung; Le, Dao Thanh Binh An; Nguyen, Phuong Lien; Nguyen, Phuong Quynh; Pham, Quoc Loc

2017-01-01

This paper assesses and compares the prevalence of plagiarism across different student and assignment characteristics at a university in Vietnam, using the similarity index reported by the text-matching software Turnitin as a proxy measure of plagiarism on a sample of 681 student papers. The findings present a level of match higher than reported…

Mutuality, Metaphor and Micropolitics in Collaborative Governance: A Joint Venture in UK Higher Education

Science.gov (United States)

Ross, Fiona; Woodfield, Steve

2017-01-01

As market-led higher education systems become the "new normal", a wider variety of organisational forms is likely to emerge. This paper reports on the findings of a qualitative and historical study that aimed to explore the meaning of collaborative governance in a unique and long-standing higher education joint venture in England.…

Progress report on the influence of higher interpass temperatures on the integrity of austenitic stainless steel welded joints

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Yarmuch, M.; Choi, L. [Alberta Research Council, Edmonton, AB (Canada); Armstrong, K.; Radu, I. [PCL Industrial Constructors Inc., Nisku, AB (Canada)

2008-07-01

This report discussed the progress of the Welding Productivity Group (TWPG) interpass temperature assessment project (ITAP). The project was initiated to evaluate the influence of interpass temperatures on the metallurgical, corrosive, and mechanical properties of austenitic stainless steel, carbon steel, and low-alloy pressure weldments. To date, the project has conducted experiments to determine if interpass temperatures in austenitic stainless steel weldments are higher than temperatures recommended by API requirements. Elevated interpass temperatures for various base materials have been evaluated. Preliminary metallurgical, mechanical, and laboratory corrosion data from 3 experiments with 304/304L and 316/316L stainless steel weldment test specimens has shown that no significant changes occur as a result of elevated interpass temperatures. Results from side bend specimens have demonstrated that elevated interpass temperatures produce acceptable weldment ductility. No intergranular cracking was observed during oxalic acid etch tests conducted for the 316/316L samples. Huey tests performed on the 304/304L specimens indicated that elevated interpass temperatures did not adversely affect the intergranular corrosion resistance of weldments with less than 3 weld passes. Huey tests performed on the 316 specimens showed a marked increase in corrosion rates and normalized weight losses. It was concluded that rates of attack correlate with the maximum interpass temperature and not the average weld metal ferrite number. 22 refs., 11 tabs., 12 figs.

Higher Order Differential Attack on 6-Round MISTY1

Science.gov (United States)

Tsunoo, Yukiyasu; Saito, Teruo; Nakashima, Hiroki; Shigeri, Maki

MISTY1 is a 64-bit block cipher that has provable security against differential and linear cryptanalysis. MISTY1 is one of the algorithms selected in the European NESSIE project, and it has been recommended for Japanese e-Government ciphers by the CRYPTREC project. This paper reports a previously unknown higher order differential characteristic of 4-round MISTY1 with the FL functions. It also shows that a higher order differential attack that utilizes this newly discovered characteristic is successful against 6-round MISTY1 with the FL functions. This attack can recover a partial subkey with a data complexity of 253.7 and a computational complexity of 264.4, which is better than any previous cryptanalysis of MISTY1.

Higher order mode damping in Kaon factory RF cavities

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Enegren, T.; Poirier, R.; Griffin, J.; Walling, L.; Thiessen, H.A.; Smythe, W.R.

1989-05-01

Proposed designs for Kaon factory accelerators require that the rf cavities support beam currents on the order of several amperes. The beam current has Fourier components at all multiples of the rf frequency. Empty rf buckets produce additional components at all multiples of the revolution frequency. If a Fourier component of the beam coincides with the resonant frequency of a higher order mode of the cavity, which is inevitable if the cavity has a large frequency swing, significant excitation of this mode can occur. The induced voltage may then excite coupled bunch mode instabilities. Effective means are required to damp higher order modes without significantly affecting the fundamental mode. A mode damping scheme based on coupled transmission lines has been investigated and is report

2015 Global Information Technology Report: Consequences on Knowledge Management in Higher Education Institutions in Nigeria

Science.gov (United States)

Ololube, Nwachukwu Prince; Agbor, Comfort Nkogho; Major, Nanighe Baldwin; Agabi, Chinyere O.; Wali, Worlu I.

2016-01-01

This research is a continuation of a theoretical review that evaluated ICT Policy Outcomes for National Development in relation to Networked Readiness Index (NRI) and the impact it has on knowledge integration and management in higher education institutions in Nigeria. A new dawn in information technology (IT) has initiated new trends in…

Brief Report: Joint Attention and Information Processing in Children with Higher Functioning Autism Spectrum Disorder

Science.gov (United States)

Mundy, Peter; Kim, Kwnanguk; McIntyre, Nancy; Lerro, Lindsay; Jarrold, William

2016-01-01

Theory suggests that information processing during joint attention may be atypical in children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). This hypothesis was tested in a study of school-aged children with higher functioning ASD and groups of children with symptoms of ADHD or typical development. The results indicated that the control groups displayed…

Brief Report: Joint Attention and Information Processing in Children with Higher Functioning Autism Spectrum Disorders

Science.gov (United States)

Mundy, Peter; Kim, Kwanguk; McIntyre, Nancy; Lerro, Lindsay; Jarrold, William

2016-01-01

Theory suggests that information processing during joint attention may be atypical in children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). This hypothesis was tested in a study of school-aged children with higher functioning ASD and groups of children with symptoms of ADHD or typical development. The results indicated that the control groups displayed…

The Impact of Premature Childbirth on Parental Bonding

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Hannah N. Hoffenkamp

2012-07-01

Full Text Available The development of an affectionate parent-infant bond is essential for a newborn infant's survival and development. However, from evolutionary theory it can be derived that parental bonding is not an automatic process, but dependent on infants' cues to reproductive potential and parents' access to resources. The purpose of the present study was to examine the process of bonding in a sample of Dutch mothers (n = 200 and fathers (n = 193 of full-term (n = 69, moderately premature (n = 68, and very premature infants (n = 63. During the first month postpartum parents completed the Pictorial Representation of Attachment Measure (PRAM and Postpartum Bonding Questionnaire (PBQ. Longitudinal analyses revealed that mothers' PRAM scores decreased after moderately preterm delivery, whereas decreases in PRAM scores occurred in both parents after very preterm delivery. As lower PRAM scores represent stronger feelings of parent-infant connectedness, our findings suggest a higher degree of bonding after premature childbirth. Results of the PBQ analysis were in line with PRAM outcomes, as parents of preterm infants reported less bonding problems compared to parents of full-terms. These findings support the hypothesis that in affluent countries with adequate resources, bonding in parents of preterm infants on average may be higher than in parents of full-term infants.

"Spiritual but not religious": Cognition, schizotypy, and conversion in alternative beliefs.

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Willard, Aiyana K; Norenzayan, Ara

2017-08-01

The spiritual but not religious (SBNR) are a growing population in secularizing societies. Yet, we know little about the underlying psychology of this group or their belief profile. Based on an individual difference approach, we address this knowledge gap by comparing SBNR with religious and non-religious participants. In a sample of Americans (n=1013), we find that the SBNR differ from non-religious and religious participants in a number of ways. SBNR participants are more likely to hold paranormal beliefs and to have an experiential relationship to the supernatural (e.g. have mystical experiences and feelings of universal connectedness), but are similar to religious participants in their profile of cognitive biases. SBNR participants score higher on measures of schizotypy than the religious or non-religious. Reported conversions from one group (religious, SBNR, or non-religious) to another since childhood corresponds with predictable differences in cognitive biases, with dualism predicting conversion to religion and schizotypy predicting conversion to SBNR. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Challenging Conventions of Bullying Thresholds: Exploring Differences between Low and High Levels of Bully-Only, Victim-Only, and Bully-Victim Roles.

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Goldbach, Jeremy T; Sterzing, Paul R; Stuart, Marla J

2018-03-01

Using a commonly accepted threshold of 2 to 3 times per month as a marker of bullying-involvement from noninvolvement, approximately 30% of U.S. students report being a bully, victim, or both. Although variation in the frequency of involvement exists, infrequent engagement (less than 2 to 3 times a month) is generally considered noninvolved. However, the question remains: Do these differences have implications for behavioral health patterns, including substance use, depression and school connectedness? The present study used a district-wide random cluster sample of 66 middle and high schools in a mid-size city. The study population consisted of 3,221 middle school (53.4%) and high school (45.6%) students, with 48.7% females, 44.6 males, and 6.7% youth identifying with another gender category. These youth were racially diverse, with the modal category being Black (36.0%). Based on student survey response, we report, (a) the frequency and intensity of bullying behaviors, (b) common patterns of involvement, and (c) demographic and individual-level risk factors associated with these patterns. Analyses resulted in nine bully types, with substantial differences in bullying-involvement intensity based on gender, race, school connectedness, and mental health. Perhaps most striking, the majority of youth (70.9%) were involved in some level of bullying perpetration, victimization, or both, when accounting for the accumulation of low frequency involvement (e.g., once, twice, or a few times) across multiple bullying behaviors. Implications for adolescent development and prevention are described.

Measuring the Contribution of Higher Education to Innovation Capacity in the EU. Executive Summary of the Final Report

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European Commission, 2017

2017-01-01

This current study is part of the actions taken aiming to analyse the links between the operations and effects of higher-education institutions on the capacity to innovate in the economies in Europe. Providing insights into the contribution of higher education to the innovative capacity of the EU economies is crucial for policy making and the…