Managing Change in Universities: A Sisyphean Task?

Science.gov (United States)

Brown, Sally

2012-01-01

Implementing change in higher education is complex and challenging and its results are difficult to measure. This article will argue that university senior management can make change happen but it is rarely straightforward and never easy. It reviews the ways in which leaders aiming to enhance practice can implement enhancement activities,…

Enabling universal memory by overcoming the contradictory speed and stability nature of phase-change materials.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Weijie; Loke, Desmond; Shi, Luping; Zhao, Rong; Yang, Hongxin; Law, Leong-Tat; Ng, Lung-Tat; Lim, Kian-Guan; Yeo, Yee-Chia; Chong, Tow-Chong; Lacaita, Andrea L

2012-01-01

The quest for universal memory is driving the rapid development of memories with superior all-round capabilities in non-volatility, high speed, high endurance and low power. Phase-change materials are highly promising in this respect. However, their contradictory speed and stability properties present a key challenge towards this ambition. We reveal that as the device size decreases, the phase-change mechanism changes from the material inherent crystallization mechanism (either nucleation- or growth-dominated), to the hetero-crystallization mechanism, which resulted in a significant increase in PCRAM speeds. Reducing the grain size can further increase the speed of phase-change. Such grain size effect on speed becomes increasingly significant at smaller device sizes. Together with the nano-thermal and electrical effects, fast phase-change, good stability and high endurance can be achieved. These findings lead to a feasible solution to achieve a universal memory.

Radical change of the university classroom: The views of some ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

With recent changes in higher education policies, the concept of the university classroom is undergoing change. This article explores the various aspects that make up the university classroom: the physical space, the resources available, the use of Information Communication Technology (ICT) and the type of intellectual ...

Introducing Change From the Top in Universities and Colleges. 10 Personal Accounts. Managing Innovation and Change in Universities and Colleges.

Science.gov (United States)

Weil, Susan, Ed.

Ten personal accounts by successful leaders of colleges and universities in the United Kingdom describe how these individuals are reshaping their roles to respond to and shape the rapid and profound changes in higher education today. The opening and closing papers are by the editor and review current changes in education, and the importance of…

The Process of Change in University Management: From the "Ivory Tower" to Entreprunialism

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Emerson Wagner MAINARDES

2011-06-01

Full Text Available The article aims to provide a retrospective overview of the changes experienced by the management of universities in their recent histories. In describing this type of organization, it was possible to understand the complexity inherent to universities. After briefly detailing the more traditional university management models, we proceed to discuss the need for organizational change based upon the most recent management approaches. Among the new types of university, the entrepreneurial university stands out as a good option for changing university organizations worldwide. However, university management has yet to be subject to sufficient research since there are a series of shortcomings that need answering. Finally, we set out a list of future research options with the objective of completing those answers as well as stimulating research on this theme important to the university itself or to society in general.

The Complexity of Leveraging University Program Change

Science.gov (United States)

Crow, Gary M.; Arnold, Noelle Witherspoon; Reed, Cynthia J.; Shoho, Alan R.

2012-01-01

This article identifies four elements of complexity that influence how university educational leadership programs can leverage program change: faculty reward systems, faculty governance, institutional resources, and state-level influence on leadership preparation. Following the discussion of the elements of complexity, the article provides a…

University Start-up Companies as a Response to Changing Federal Funding

Science.gov (United States)

Dehn, J.; Webley, P.

2013-12-01

In challenging financial times, science funding is often one of the first casualties in a federal budget. In some cases the unfunded research has market potential and many universities are adopting policies to allow faculty and staff to form companies to support continuing research. Though this is clearly not a replacement for federal support for basic science, it can augment science funding and support the university missions of education, research and service. When federal support for volcano remote sensing at the University of Alaska Fairbanks Geophysical Institute as part of the Alaska Volcano Observatory after 25 years, the PIs started a company called V-ADAPT (Volcanic-Ash Detection, Avoidance and Preparedness for Transportation). This presented a variety of challenges and changing relationships within the volcanic monitoring community. It also raised a series of important questions: (1) What is the role of a private company in providing something that was once publically available? (2) How will the marketplace influence the directions of the research at a university? (3) How can the restrictions placed on federal employees allow effective collaboration? (4) Can the Bayh-Dole and Stafford Acts exist in harmony in this environment? There are many successful examples of start-up companies working well within this environment, but much of this is dependent on the laws and regulations in each state, that vary widely. In addition, many universities have policies in place that are not always compatible with model. A flexible approach is needed to ensure that university missions are not compromised and that an effective business model can support research. Few scientists are not business-savvy, so utilizing the other expertise at a university in schools of business, finance, management and political science is recommended.

Statistical effect of interactions on particle creation in expanding universe

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kodama, Hideo

1982-01-01

The statistical effect of interactions which drives many-particle systems toward equilibrium is expected to change the qualitative and quantitative features of particle creation in expanding universe. To investigate this problem a simplified model called the finite-time reduction model is formulated and applied to the scalar particle creation in the radiation dominant Friedmann universe. The number density of created particles and the entropy production due to particle creation are estimated. The result for the number density is compared with that in the conventional free field theory. It is shown that the statistical effect increases the particle creation and lengthens the active creation period. As for the entropy production it is shown that it is negligible for scalar particles in the Friedmann universe. (author)

Change Management in Universities: More a Question of Balance than a Pathway

Science.gov (United States)

Rebora, Gianfranco; Turri, Matteo

2010-01-01

This paper focuses on assessing possible levers in the hands of a university's top management team for inducing or managing change when faced with environmental drives. The topic is discussed after analysing change in a university over a 20-year period. The case study underlines the opportunities and difficulties of linking external environmental…

Corporate Universities and Corporation- University Partnerships in Thailand: Complimenting Education in Learning, Leadership and Change

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Oliver S. Crocco

2017-04-01

Full Text Available With an estimated workforce of 285 million and the establishment of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN Economic Community in 2015, ASEAN faces vast challenges in human resource development (HRD and higher education. These challenges in Thailand have resulted in the rise of corporate universities and corporation-university partnerships. Corporate partnerships in education adapt quickly to industry needs and are increasingly popular and complimentary to traditional higher education. This research looks at one corporate university and one corporation-university partnership to investigate how, if at all, corporate universities and partnerships address HRD issues such as adult learning, leadership development, organisational change, corporate social responsibility (CSR, as well as ethical and global issues. This research finds initial evidence that corporate educational strategies address a variety of HRD issues and have the potential to revolutionise and compliment higher education in Thailand in a way that drives the nation toward a more sustainable future.

Collaboration Between Universities: An effective way of sustaining community-university partnerships?

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Jonathan Pratt

2011-11-01

Full Text Available This article highlights some of the opportunities and challenges that collaboration between higher education institutions (HEIs can bring to the development of sustainable community-university partnerships. In particular, it explores the potential for universities to collaborate on building effective engagement mechanisms (such as helpdesks, ‘hub and spoke’ contact models, and research groups to review ideas for activities that will support an ongoing flow of new projects and partnerships over time. It draws on evidence gathered from the evaluation and coordination of the South East Coastal Communities (SECC program, an almost unique experiment in collaboration between English universities. In an ‘age of austerity’, opportunities to reduce costs without damaging core services are of particular interest to public funding bodies. The article suggests that collaboration between universities may be an efficient and effective way of engaging with local communities, but that it is not cost-free, and high-level strategic buy-in within HEIs is required if community-university partnerships are to thrive in the current higher education funding environment. The article also suggests that there may be a geographic dimension to effective collaboration between universities in both community-university partnership work and the mechanisms that support community engagement. Inter-university collaboration across the whole region covered by the SECC program has been much weaker than collaboration at a subregional level and within ‘city-regions’ in particular. This raises a key question: does the natural geography for effective collaboration between universities need to reflect, at least in part, the geographies of communities themselves, in terms of lived experiences and/or community representation? Such a debate has interesting and timely parallels in the United Kingdom, where the new coalition government is bringing about a fundamental shift in the

Time change and universality in turbulence

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Barndorff-Nielsen, Ole Eiler; Schmiegel, Jürgen

of the probability densities of turbulent velocity increments. Furthermore, the application of a time change in terms of the scale parameter δ of the normal inverse Gaussian distribution results in a collapse of the densities of velocity increments onto Reynolds number independent distributions. We discuss this kind...... experiment. Taylor Reynolds numbers range from Rλ = 80 for the wind tunnel experiment up to Rλ = 17000 for the atmospheric boundary layer experiment. Empirical findings strongly support the appropriateness of normal inverse Gaussian distributions for a parsimonious and universal description...

The Strategically Manageable University: Perceptions of Strategic Choice and Strategic Change among Key Decision Makers

Science.gov (United States)

Frølich, Nicoline; Stensaker, Bjørn; Scordato, Lisa; Bótas, Paulo Charles Pimentel

2014-01-01

One common way of conceptualising recent changes in university governance is by stating that the universities are being pushed towards a market-like setting where the uniqueness of each university's strategy and capacity for introducing organizational change is seen as necessary to improve the functioning of the university. We argue that the…

The University of Oporto and the process of urban change: an ambiguous relationship

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Alves, Sonia; Vázquez, Isabel; Conceição, Paulo

2008-01-01

relationships and capacities. This argument emphasizes the ambiguous and contingent role played by the university in the process of urban development and recognizes that this role is not always explicitly incorporated into the strategy of the main urban agents, such as the local authority or the university......, the specific relationship between the University and the city of Oporto cannot be separated from the process of change taking place in the University itself, or the process of change in urban planning in the city. The relationship between the university, the state and the city therefore provides the backdrop...... of institutional relations in understanding these difficulties. The theme of the ambiguous relationship between the university and the city that emerges from these two case studies is examined in greater depth in the final section of the chapter....

[Eating habits and attitudes towards change in Spanish university students and workers].

Science.gov (United States)

Zazpe, Itziar; Marqués, María; Sánchez-Tainta, Ana; Rodríguez-Mourille, Ana; Beunza, Juan-José; Santiago, Susana; Fernández-Montero, Alejandro

2013-01-01

Universities and workplaces are important targets for the promotion of the nutritional interventions in adult population. The aim of this study was to assess the dietary habits and attitudes towards change in workers and university students from different academic fields. The study data came from a cross-sectional study of a Spanish University population of 1,429 participants. We analyzed the dietary habits and the attitudes toward dietary change. The mean age of workers and students was 37 and 23 years, respectively. Both groups reported eating four meals per day. Among students, the consumption of vegetables, wine, fish and nuts was less frequent whereas carbonated beverages, commercial bakery, fast food and red meat was higher. On the other hand, overall dietary pattern of science students was healthier than other students. Although no significant differences were found between students and workers in attitudes towards change, 32% of employees and 39% of students said they were seriously considering changing them. The dietary pattern was healthier among workers than among students, particularly those participants that studied social sciences degrees. They constituted the most vulnerable segment of the university population from a nutritional point of view. About a third of workers and students considered changing their habits. Copyright © AULA MEDICA EDICIONES 2013. Published by AULA MEDICA. All rights reserved.

A University-Level Curriculum in Climate Change for SE Asia and the Asian Pacific

Science.gov (United States)

Furniss, M. J.; Saah, D. S.; Hines, S. J.; Radel, C. A.; McGroddy, M. E.; Ganz, D. J.

2014-12-01

A university-level curriculum has been developed for the SE Asia and Asia Pacific region and is currently being implemented by 12+ universities; in Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, Thailand, Malaysia, and Papua New Guinea. The curriculum is supported by USAID (U.S. Agency for International Development) through the LEAF program (Lowering Emissions in Asian Forests), under the technical leadership of the U.S. Forest Service. Four modules have been developed: Basic Climate Change, Low-Emissions Land Use Planning, Social and Environmental Soundness, and Carbon Measurement and Monitoring. This presentation will focus on the Basic Climate Change module. This is a survey course that covers a wide range of climate change topics, including causes, effects, and responses. The level of detail in each of the covered topics is calibrated to current issues in the region. The module is elaborated in English and will be translated into the national language of the participating countries. The module is designed to be flexible and can be tailored to both degree and non-degree programs; as well as for trainings for natural resources professionals and policy-makers. Important training topics can be selected as short course trainings for practitioners and leaders working on climate change.

The University in Periods of Technological Change: A Historically Grounded Perspective

Science.gov (United States)

Amirault, Ray J.; Visser, Yusra L.

2009-01-01

The University has a remarkably enduring history that is due in no small part to its ability to adapt itself whenever intellectual, political, or technological change has occurred. Today's technology revolution, however, presents the University with one of the greatest adaptation challenges it has ever faced in its lengthy history, and the…

Entrepreneurialism at the University of Zagreb: Managing the Sustainability of Change

Science.gov (United States)

Vidovic, Vlasta Vizek; Bjelis, Aleksa

2006-01-01

This article presents a study of the different aspects of entrepreneurialism at the University of Zagreb in the context of Croatian higher education. The recent history of changes at the University of Zagreb is described using a temporal perspective from the beginning of the development of the European Higher Education Area to the implementation…

Changes and Emerging Trends in the CE Function on University Campuses.

Science.gov (United States)

Einsiedel, Albert A., Jr.

1998-01-01

Reviews global changes and the following strategies changing the definition of university extension and continuing education: (1) cost-recovery entrepreneurial model; (2) emphasis on professional continuing education; (3) diminishing focus on traditional service; (4) distance education; and (5) global marketing. (SK)

Measuring macro-level effects of the global economic recession on university-industry research cooperation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Azagra-Caro, J.M.; Tijssen, R.J.W.; Yegros-Yegros, A.

2016-07-01

The 2007/2008 financial crisis, and ensuing economic recession, had a direct negative effect on university-industry research cooperation in the OECD countries and other economies – it diminished the number of university-industry co-authored research publications (UICs) during the period 2008-13 by 7%. It also changed the relationship between national business expenditure on R&D and UIC output levels. Before the recession the relationship was negative, but became positive during the years 2008-2013. The few countries where business expenditure on R&D increased during recession saw UIC numbers rise. This moderating effect of the recession applies only to ‘domestic UICs’, where universities cooperated with business companies located in the same country. Micro-level research is needed to assess the contributing effects on large university-industry R&D consortia on both domestic and international collaboration patterns. (Author)

Change of "Habitus": The Young People and the Free Public University in Northeast of Brazil

Science.gov (United States)

Bandeira de Melo, Patricia; Romani Campos, Luís Henrique; Zarias, Alexandre; Gonçalves Ferreira, Suzy Luna Nobre

2016-01-01

This paper explores the results of the research "A interiorização recente das Instituições públicas e gratuitas de ensino superior no Nordeste: efeitos e mudanças" [The recent implementation of new federal universities in the Northeast of Brazil: effects and changes], performed by the Joaquim Nabuco Foundation. One of its main mottos is…

7.4 Attitude Change for Effective Natural Resource Management ...

International Development Research Centre (IDRC) Digital Library (Canada)

Management Research and Development: Who Should. Change? Mowo J.G., R. S. ... is proving to be an effective approach towards addressing the complex and integrated issues in natural ..... Principles and case studies. Oxford. University ...

Changing the Business Model of a Distance Teaching University

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Koper, Rob

2014-01-01

Reference: Koper, E.J.R. (2014) Changing the Business Model of a Distance Teaching University. In R. Huang, Kinshuk, Price, J.K. (eds.), ICT in Education in Global Context: emerging trends report 2013-2014, Lecture Notes in Educational Technology, Heidelberg: Springer Verlag, pp. 185-203 ISBN

Community-University Partnerships: Achieving continuity in the face of change

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Linda Silka

2008-09-01

Full Text Available A challenge that community-university partnerships everywhere will face is how to maintain continuity in the face of change. The problems besetting communities continually shift and the goals of the university partners often fluctuate. This article describes a decade-long strategy one university has successfully used to address this problem. Over the past ten years, a community-university partnership at the University of Massachusetts Lowell has used summer content funding to respond creativity to shifting priorities. Each summer a research-action project is developed that targets a different content issue that has emerged with unexpected urgency. Teams of graduate students and high school students are charged with investigating this issue under the auspices of the partnership. These highly varied topics have included immigrant businesses, youth asset mapping, women owned businesses, the housing crisis, social program cutbacks, sustainability, and economic development and the arts. Despite their obvious differences, these topics share underlying features that further partnership commitment and continuity. Each has an urgency: the information is needed quickly, often because some immediate policy change is under consideration. Each topic has the advantage of drawing on multiple domains: the topics are inherently interdisciplinary and because they do not “belong” to any single field, they lend themselves to disciplines pooling their efforts to achieve greater understanding. Each also has high visibility: their salience has meant that people were often willing to devote scarce resources to the issues and also that media attention could easily be gained to highlight the advantages of students, partners, and the university working together. And the topics themselves are generative: they have the potential to contribute in many different ways to teaching, research, and outreach. This paper ends with a broader consideration of how partnerships can

A Global Change in Higher Education: Entrepreneurial University Model

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Süreyya SAKINÇ

2012-01-01

Full Text Available Universities are affected by the social and economic diversity stemmed from globalization and internationalization, and its functions, area of responsibility, organizational structure, funding capability respond this diversity. In today's knowledge society, different new concepts regarding the university education system such as Entrepreneur University, Corporation University, virtual university etc. have been emerged with wave of globalization effect. The rising competition in academic education and the mass demands for education prompt to universities to get seeking new funds for fixing their financial situation, and hit them transforming into entrepreneurial identity. The reflections of neoliberal approach in education have transformed the universities into the corporations which are much more focused on entrepreneurial, student-oriented and aimed to appropriate education and producing creative human resources for global development. In this study, a comprehensive evaluation will be carried on regarding the entrepreneur university model through the litterateur research to investigate its causes and factors that impact and improve it. The aim of the paper is to generate a framework that identifies dynamic processes of entrepreneur university model, dependently the litterateur syntheses. The contribution of the paper will depend on its consequent argument that entrepreneur university model is viable for Turkey. In this paper, the entrepreneur university model will be analyzed by Triple Helix phenomenon with the comparative approach.

Reforming the University Sector: Effects on Teaching Efficiency--Evidence from Italy

Science.gov (United States)

Agasisti, Tommaso; Dal Bianco, Antonio

2009-01-01

In this article, we analyse the effects of teaching reforms in Italy. These were introduced in 1999, and changed the entire organization of university courses, where the Bachelor-Master (BA-MA) structure was adopted. The first step is to define the production process of higher education (HE). This process consists of several inputs (professors,…

Change in University Teachers' Elearning Beliefs and Practices: A Longitudinal Study

Science.gov (United States)

Scott, Karen M.

2016-01-01

Little longitudinal research has examined change in university teachers' elearning beliefs and practices after their initial experience with elearning. This study addresses this gap by focusing on six teachers who developed and implemented an elearning resource, and the changes they made to the resource and its implementation over two years. A…

Smoking restrictions on campus: changes and challenges at three Canadian universities, 1970-2010.

Science.gov (United States)

Procter-Scherdtel, Amy; Collins, Damian

2013-01-01

This article examines the restriction of smoking on university campuses in the Canadian context. Indoor smoking on campus is now completely prohibited by law, and universities are increasingly moving to restrict, or prohibit, outdoor smoking on their grounds. The research focuses on three case studies to identify changes in spatial restrictions on campus smoking over the last four decades (1970-2010), and to determine the challenges involved in establishing bans in outdoor areas of campus. The three universities were selected for their different approaches to the issue of outdoor smoking. Data collection involved semi-structured interviews with 36 key informants, conducted from September 2010 to January 2011, supplemented by documentary information. Interview data were analysed thematically. Protection against environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) on campus proceeded incrementally, via policy-making at the provincial, municipal and institutional levels. Historically, institutional bans on indoor smoking were particularly significant, but their health benefits could be limited by the presence of private property on campus. Universities continue to initiate smoking restrictions today, with respect to outdoor bans. However, respondents reported myriad challenges in developing, implementing and maintaining such bans. Five principal concerns were articulated: the need for ongoing policy communication; management of community relations as smokers are displaced from campus; enforcement to ensure that the policy has practical effect; safety concerns; and difficulties relating to campus layout. Because challenges are diverse and contextual, effective protection against outdoor ETS on campus is likely to require an ongoing commitment on the part of administrators. © 2012 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

Universality of the Unruh effect

Science.gov (United States)

Modesto, Leonardo; Myung, Yun Soo; Yi, Sang-Heon

2018-02-01

In this paper we prove the universal nature of the Unruh effect in a general class of weakly nonlocal field theories. At the same time we solve the tension between two conflicting claims published in literature. Our universality statement is based on two independent computations based on the canonical formulation as well as path integral formulation of the quantum theory.

Change Management A Tricky' Task in University Context: An Experience of a Mid-size Private University in Indonesia

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Abraham Simatupang

2016-02-01

Full Text Available Due to the rapid change of social, political and economic aspects in the national, regional and global context, universities must emphasize more the quality and the ability to adapt to the change. This paper discusses how UKI was imposed to the change through the process of developing and implementing of strategic planning and the changes that were instigated directly or indirectly. The dialogues among the faculty members apparently give a mutual benefit for all stakeholders to have a shared-vision and shared-mission.

Uncovering changes in university teachers' professional networks during an instructional development program

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Van Waes, Sara; Van den Bossche, Piet; Moolenaar, Nienke M.|info:eu-repo/dai/nl/304352802; Stes, Ann; Van Petegem, Peter

2015-01-01

This study examined (1) the extent to which university teachers' networks changed while they participated in an instructional development program, (2) which mechanisms supported or constrained network change, and (3) the extent to which value was created through networks. Longitudinal social network

Changing University Work, Freedom, Flexibility and Family

Science.gov (United States)

Nikunen, Minna

2012-01-01

This article investigates what Finnish academics on short fixed-term contracts consider to be the effects of having children on work and careers. The study is framed by the context of the current state of the university sector, its neoliberal and entrepreneurial tendencies and its claims to meritocracy. Informants express relative happiness with…

Awareness of Climate Change and Sustainable Development among Undergraduates from Two Selected Universities in Oyo State, Nigeria

Science.gov (United States)

Agboola, Omowunmi Sola; Emmanuel, Michael

2016-01-01

This study investigated awareness of climate change and sustainable development among undergraduates in two universities: University of Ibadan, Ibadan and Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, Ogbomoso in Oyo State of Nigeria. This was aimed at increasing the knowledge of undergraduates on climate change and sustainable development. The study…

Sex-related dietary changes of Portuguese university students after migration to London, UK

OpenAIRE

Santos, S.; Vilela, S.; Padrão, P.; Caraher, M.

2015-01-01

Aim: To assess the changes in eating habits and food choice motives of Portuguese university students after migration to London, according to sex.\\ud \\ud Methods: Fifty-five Portuguese university students (52.7% female) from 12 randomly selected London universities underwent a face-to-face interview. Trained interviewers administered a structured questionnaire comprising questions on socio-demographic characteristics, the frequency of consumption of selected food and beverage items, and the m...

Effect of curriculum changes to enhance generic skills proficiency of ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

African Journal of Health Professions Education ... Curriculum review is a dynamic, iterative process, and the effect of change may not always be wholly predictable. At Stellenbosch University, Cape Town, South Africa, revision of the MB,ChB ...

Changes in Academic Entrepreneurship among Japanese University Bioscientists, 1980-2012

Science.gov (United States)

Kameo, Nahoko

2014-01-01

The dissertation examines how Japanese university scientists in the biosciences responded to legal and institutional changes in academic entrepreneurship. Beginning in the 1990s, the Japanese government initiated a series of policy initiatives that attempted to imitate the U.S. academic environment's approach to promoting entrepreneurship. Using…

Policy Analyses on the Effectiveness of the National University Corporation Act: What Has Changed since 2004?

Science.gov (United States)

Mizuta, Kensuke; Yanagiura, Takeshi

2008-01-01

(Purpose) While numerous data and research indicate that the fiscal practice of institutions has been influenced by National University Corporation Act (NUCA), what exactly the effect NUCA has had on institutions is not known beyond anecdotal experiences and stories. The contribution of this paper is to provide hard evidence on such institutional…

An anisotropic universe due to dimension-changing vacuum decay

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Scargill, James H.C.

2015-01-01

In this paper we consider the question of observational signatures of a false vacuum decay event in the early universe followed by a period of inflation; in particular, motivated by the string landscape, we consider decays in which the parent vacuum has a smaller number of large dimensions than the current vacuum, which leads to an anisotropic universe. We go beyond previous studies, and examine the effects on the CMB temperature and polarisation power spectra, due to both scalar and tensor modes, and consider not only late-time effects but also the full cosmological perturbation theory at early times. We find that whilst the scalar mode behaves as one would expect, and the effects of anisotropy at early times are sub-dominant to the late-time effects already studied, for the tensor modes in fact the the early-time effects grow with multipole and can become much larger than one would expect, even dominating over the late-time effects. Thus these effects should be included if one is looking for such a signal in the tensor modes

The effect of changes in visibility and price on fruit purchasing at a university cafeteria in Lima, Peru.

Science.gov (United States)

Cárdenas, María Kathia; Benziger, Catherine P; Pillay, Timesh D; Miranda, J Jaime

2015-10-01

To determine the effect of increasing fruit visibility, adding information and lowering price on fruit purchasing at a university cafeteria in Lima, Peru. Quasi-experimental pilot study of a three-phase stepped intervention. In Phase 1, fruit was displayed >3 m from the point of purchase with no additional information. Phase 2 consisted in displaying the fruit near the point of purchase with added health and price information. Phase 3 added a 33% price reduction. The duration of each phase was 3 weeks and phases were separated by 2-week breaks. Primary outcomes were total pieces of fruit and number of meals sold daily. A university cafeteria in Lima, Peru. Approximately 150 people, students and non-student adults, who purchased food daily. Twelve students participated in post-intervention interviews. Fruit purchasing doubled from Phase 1 to Phase 3 (Pdaily (Pbuy unhealthy snack foods. Promoting fruit consumption by product placement close to the point of purchase, adding health information and price reduction had a positive effect on fruit purchasing in a university cafeteria, especially in males and non-student adults.

Stories of Change: e/merge @ the University of Cape Town

Science.gov (United States)

Carr, Tony

The Center for Educational Technology (CET) is located at the University of Cape Town, which is a leading South African research and teaching university. This implies great opportunities and challenges since we are poised between the experience of and conditions faced by colleagues in other parts of Africa and those of the colleagues in first-world countries. We have access to the intellectual and professional networks of the first world and our university features on global rankings, yet our resourcing, while generous in terms of most other universities in our continent, is a fraction of that enjoyed by first-world universities of similar size and scope. Both globalization and developmental imperatives require us to rapidly extend the effective use of educational technology in our university for teaching and learning. The received models of e-Learning integration developed mostly in first-world countries need to be adapted for contexts with scarce resources.

Changing Trends in Nutritional Behavior among University Students in Greece, between 2006 and 2016

Science.gov (United States)

Tsakoumaki, Foteini; Fotiou, Maria; Dimitropoulou, Aristea; Symeonidou, Maria; Menexes, Georgios; Biliaderis, Costas G.; Michaelidou, Alexandra-Maria

2018-01-01

The objective of the present survey was to study the dietary behavior of university students residing away from the family home. In this context, we (a) compared their dietary habits in two time periods, namely 2006 and 2016; and (b) explored the possible impact of gender on the behavioral changes in nutritional choices. A total of four hundred and five university students (2006, n = 242; 2016, n = 163) participated in the study. Dietary assessment was carried out using a qualitative Food Frequency Questionnaire, while data about demographic and lifestyle factors were also collected. Students’ dietary habits have been modified in a generally desirable direction, as reflected, e.g., in the elevated consumption of several plant-based foods. Gender was also significantly associated with Body Mass Index (BMI) and changes in dietary attitudes. Possible reasons for the transition towards healthier and more balanced dietary habits could involve the budgetary constraints facing Greece in the last decade, as well as increasing nutritional awareness and other socio-cultural factors characterizing this target group. A deeper understanding of these relations would be crucial to foster nutritional education and further enhance the effectiveness of health promotion campaigns. PMID:29320449

The Universal One-Loop Effective Action

CERN Document Server

Drozd, Aleksandra; Quevillon, Jérémie; You, Tevong

2016-01-01

We present the universal one-loop effective action for all operators of dimension up to six obtained by integrating out massive, non-degenerate multiplets. Our general expression may be applied to loops of heavy fermions or bosons, and has been checked against partial results available in the literature. The broad applicability of this approach simplifies one-loop matching from an ultraviolet model to a lower-energy effective field theory (EFT), a procedure which is now reduced to the evaluation of a combination of matrices in our universal expression, without any loop integrals to evaluate. We illustrate the relationship of our results to the Standard Model (SM) EFT, using as an example the supersymmetric stop and sbottom squark Lagrangian and extracting from our universal expression the Wilson coefficients of dimension-six operators composed of SM fields.

The universal one-loop effective action

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Drozd, Aleksandra; Ellis, John; Quevillon, Jérémie; You, Tevong

2016-01-01

We present the universal one-loop effective action for all operators of dimension up to six obtained by integrating out massive, non-degenerate multiplets. Our general expression may be applied to loops of heavy fermions or bosons, and has been checked against partial results available in the literature. The broad applicability of this approach simplifies one-loop matching from an ultraviolet model to a lower-energy effective field theory (EFT), a procedure which is now reduced to the evaluation of a combination of matrices in our universal expression, without any loop integrals to evaluate. We illustrate the relationship of our results to the Standard Model (SM) EFT, using as an example the supersymmetric stop and sbottom squark Lagrangian and extracting from our universal expression the Wilson coefficients of dimension-six operators composed of SM fields.

What Else after Behavior Was Changed? the Effects of a University's Policy on Student Participation in Motorcycle Emission Tests

Science.gov (United States)

Chao, Yu-Long

2014-01-01

With an attempt to realize the effectiveness of a university's policy on motorcycle emission, this study compared its students' participation behavior, associated knowledge, and attitudes toward relevant environmental issues with those of three other universities without similar measures. The results of a survey on a total of 504 students revealed…

Organizational transformation and scientific change the impact of institutional restructuring on universities and intellectual innovation

CERN Document Server

Glaser, Jochen

2014-01-01

Recent changes to the funding and governance of higher education and scientific research systems are affecting both the organisation of the sciences and the nature of universities as strategic actors in many countries. Transforming the organisational contexts in which research is carried out has altered the dynamics of scientific change through shifts in the authority relations that influence the development and implementation of organisational strategies. The first part of this book deals with the transformation of universities as strategic organisational actors - in some cases creating them as such - while the second shows how governance and authority shifts are affecting the kinds of research goals being pursued by academics in different public science systems. By bringing together the analysis of organisational change in universities with that of how institutional changes are affecting intellectual innovation in different fields, this volume integrates work in the sociology of organisations, science polic...

Using Appreciative Inquiry for an e-Learning Change Management Programme: The ENTICE Project at Brunel University

Science.gov (United States)

Murray, Linda A.; Alberts, Philip P.; Stephenson, Julia E.

Brunel University's e-Learning strategy provides direction for the teaching staff, but remains flexible. Although all Schools had engaged with e-Learning in the past, detailed consideration of effective e-Learning and the e-experience of students had not been generally in evidence. We sought to address this gap in the strategic work of schools by implementing a change management program, the major elements of which were the development of a local evidence-base of effectiveness of e-Learning practices and conversations for change. Our program was based on the Appreciative Inquiry (AI) method, which we adapted for this educational context. The aim was to identify the pedagogic value of the diverse range of e-Learning activities already being undertaken and to encourage more widespread use. There was also a longer-term objective of assisting schools to establish or review their own e-Learning strategies and action plans. In terms of the effectiveness of the process, it is evident that the AI methodology was very beneficial. There is greater awareness among academic staff of the range of e-Learning activities that are currently being used in teaching designs of teaching staff at the University and about student use and attitudes to those activities. The evidence provides inputs to the development/review of e-Learning action plans and strategies for each school, usually within the context of the overall school plan.

Development of a Behavior Change Intervention to Improve Sexual Health Service Use Among University Undergraduate Students: Mixed Methods Study Protocol.

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Cassidy, Christine; Steenbeek, Audrey; Langille, Donald; Martin-Misener, Ruth; Curran, Janet

2017-11-02

University students are at risk for acquiring sexually transmitted infections and suffering other negative health outcomes. Sexual health services offer preventive and treatment interventions that aim to reduce these infections and associated health consequences. However, university students often delay or avoid seeking sexual health services. An in-depth understanding of the factors that influence student use of sexual health services is needed to underpin effective sexual health interventions. In this study, we aim to design a behavior change intervention to address university undergraduate students' use of sexual health services at two universities in Nova Scotia, Canada. This mixed methods study consists of three phases that follow a systematic approach to intervention design outlined in the Behaviour Change Wheel. In Phase 1, we examine patterns of sexual health service use among university students in Nova Scotia, Canada, using an existing dataset. In Phase 2, we identify the perceived barriers and enablers to students' use of sexual health services. This will include focus groups with university undergraduate students, health care providers, and university administrators using a semistructured guide, informed by the Capability, Opportunity, Motivation-Behaviour Model and Theoretical Domains Framework. In Phase 3, we identify behavior change techniques and intervention components to develop a theory-based intervention to improve students' use of sexual health services. This study will be completed in March 2018. Results from each phase and the finalized intervention design will be reported in 2018. Previous intervention research to improve university students' use of sexual health services lacks a theoretical assessment of barriers. This study will employ a mixed methods research design to examine university students' use of sexual health service and apply behavior change theory to design a theory- and evidence-based sexual health service intervention. Our

Communicating climate change: Improving the effectiveness of public campaigns

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

María del Carmen Hidalgo Villodres

2014-08-01

Full Text Available Research on climate change highlights the need to develop more effective campaigns to increase citizens’ awareness of this issue, increase their willingness to accept the measures necessary to halt this phenomenon and change their behaviour. This paper describes a study which analyzed the effectiveness of an advertising message that combined informative and motivational variables on pro-environmental attitudes and intended behaviour. The study sample consisted of 180 university students, divided into two equivalent groups. The results supported the initial hypothesis,the participants in the group that received specific behaviour guidelines (to increase perceived control together with information on economic savings (motivational variable displayed more changes in self-efficacy, pro-environmental attitudes and intention of behaviour than the group that did not receive this information.

Explaining the effects of a point-of-purchase nutrition-information intervention in university canteens: a structural equation modelling analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Hoefkens, Christine; Pieniak, Zuzanna; Van Camp, John; Verbeke, Wim

2012-09-11

The importance of canteen meals in the diet of many university students makes the provision of simple point-of-purchase (POP) nutrition information in university canteens a potentially effective way to promote healthier diets in an important group of young adults. However, modifications to environments such as the posting of POP nutrition information in canteens may not cause an immediate change in meal choices and nutrient intakes. The present study aimed at understanding the process by which the POP nutrition information achieved its effects on the meal choice and energy intake, and whether the information was more effective in changing the meal choice of subgroups of university canteen customers. The POP nutrition-information intervention used a one-group pretest-posttest design. A sample of 224 customers of two university canteens completed the baseline and 6-months follow-up surveys. A multi-group structural equation modelling analysis was used to test mediation effects of individual difference variables (liking, understanding and use of the information, subjective knowledge and attitude) on the energy intake from canteen meals, moderated by the objective nutrition knowledge and motivation to change diet. Significant relations were identified between liking of the information and its use on one hand and a positive effect in attitude towards healthy canteen meals on the other hand. Motivation to change diet and sufficient objective nutrition knowledge were required to maintain a recommended energy intake from canteen meals or to lead to a decrease in energy intake. Participants with greater objective nutrition knowledge had a greater understanding of the POP nutrition information which also resulted in a more effective use of the information. The results suggest that nutrition-information interventions may be more effective when using nutrition information that is generally liked by the target population in combination with an educational intervention to

Undergraduate Students As Effective Climate Change Communicators

Science.gov (United States)

Sharif, H. O.; Joseph, J.; Mullendore, G. L.

2014-12-01

The University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA), San Antonio College (SAC), and the University of North Dakota (UND) have partnered with NASA to provide underrepresented undergraduates from UTSA, SAC, and other community colleges climate-related research and education experiences through the Climate Change Communication: Engineer, Environmental science, and Education (C3E3) project. The program aims to develop a robust response to climate change by providing K-16 climate change education; enhance the effectiveness of K-16 education particularly in engineering and other STEM disciplines by use of new instructional technologies; increase the enrollment in engineering programs and the number of engineering degrees awarded by showing engineering's usefulness in relation to the much-discussed contemporary issue of climate change; increase persistence in STEM degrees by providing student research opportunities; and increase the ethnic diversity of those receiving engineering degrees and help ensure an ethnically diverse response to climate change. Students participated in the second summer internship funded by the project. The program is in its third year. More than 75 students participated in a guided research experiences aligned with NASA Science Plan objectives for climate and Earth system science and the educational objectives of the three institutions. The students went through training in modern media technology (webcasts), and in using this technology to communicate the information on climate change to others, especially high school students, culminating in production of webcasts on investigating the aspects of climate change using NASA data. Content developed is leveraged by NASA Earth observation data and NASA Earth system models and tools. Three Colleges were involved in the program: Engineering, Education, and Science.

The effectiveness of universal parenting programmes: the CANparent trial.

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Lindsay, Geoff; Totsika, Vasiliki

2017-10-23

There is substantial evidence for the efficacy and effectiveness of targeted parenting programmes but much less evidence regarding universal parenting programmes. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the effectiveness of the CANparent Trial of 12 universal parenting programmes, which were made available to parents of all children aged 0-6 years in three local authorities in England. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study of universal parenting programmes on this scale. Parents accessed a voucher, value £100, to attend an accredited programme of parenting classes. Parents completed measures of their mental well-being, parenting efficacy, parenting satisfaction, and parenting stress, at pre- and post-course. Comparative data were derived from a sample of non-participant parents in 16 local authorities not providing CANparent programmes. A quasi-experimental design was adopted following estimation of propensity scores to balance the two groups on socio-demographic variables. Following their programme, changes in parenting stress were small and nonsignificant (Cohen's d frequency 0.07; intensity, 0.17). Participating parents showed significantly greater improvements than the comparison group for parenting efficacy (0.89) but not parenting satisfaction (-0.01). Mental well-being improved from 0.29 SD below the national norm to the national norm after the course. Parents were overwhelmingly positive about their course (88-94%) but this was lower for improvement in their relationship with their child (74%) and being a better parent (76%). The CANparent Trial demonstrated that universal parenting programmes can be effective in improving parents' sense of parenting efficacy and mental well-being when delivered to the full range of parents in community settings. However, there was no evidence of a reduction in levels of parenting stress; nor was there a significant improvement in satisfaction with being a parent. This is the first study of its kind

University-Government Partnerships and High Risk Research: The Last Stronghold for New Thinking About Coping with Climate Change

Science.gov (United States)

Easterling, W. E.

2014-12-01

The repurposing of Bell Laboratories by new owner Lucent Technologies to become a mission-focused applied research facility effectively terminated fundamental, high-risk research everywhere but in research universities. The now almost ten year old NAS study that produced the watershed report Rising Above the Gathering Storm warned that the US research establishment encompassing industry, government, academia and nongovernment organizations has lost its way in promoting fundamental high-risk research of the kind that has historically led to the transformational scientific breakthroughs that radically changed and improved our quality of life for more than a century. Low-risk, incremental research dominates industry and most government funding agendas, including NSF (and including NSF's "transformational research" agenda!). Unprecedented challenges such as understanding and dealing with the consequences of climate change will require fundamental new ideas and technologies that do not exist. Adapting future ecosystems and human systems to climate variability and change needs new social models of cooperation, new biotechnologies and new environmental mangement strategies that do not now exist. A case can be made that history provides no strong templates for such a future. I argue that research universities, working in close partnerships with government, provides a fertile seedbed for the kinds of scientific knowledge and thinking that could produce "game changing" strategies for dealing with climate change. Government has the resources and the ability to convert and scale new ideas into usable knowledge, research universities have the ingenuity and disciplinary spectra to think up new ideas and test them for proof of concept. Co-locating a government presence within a research university has the potential to integrate a research enterprise that is not afraid to fail a few times before potentially hitting paydirt with an institution that can accelerate the translation of

Some progress towards ''universal'' effective interactions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gomez, J.M.G.

1983-01-01

The approximation methods introduced to treat the nuclear many-body problem usually imply that the appropriate nuclear force is an effective interaction, different from the free nucleon-nucleon interaction. An effective interaction is thus intimately related to a given nuclear model and its scope is generally confined to the description of a limited number of nuclei or nuclear states. However, in recent years there has been some progress towards ''universal'' effective nucleon-nucleon interactions, in the sense that they may be reasonably suitable to describe bulk properties of nuclear ground states throughout the periodic table and also properties of excited states. The authors conclude that a finite-range density-dependent effective interaction of the Gogny's type is capable of describing a large number of static and dynamical nuclear properties throughout the periodic table, including open-shell nuclei. Hopefully it may provide clues for the definition of some ''universal'' effective force

The Effect of the Research Assessment Exercise on Organisational Culture in English Universities: Collegiality versus Managerialism

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Yokoyama, Keiko

2006-01-01

The purpose of the study is to identify the effect of the research assessment exercise (RAE) on the balance between collegiality and managerialism in English universities. The article examines the institutional strategies for the 2001 RAE and its effect on organisational culture, identifying change in governance, management and leadership in…

Acts of Reciprocity: Analyzing Social Exchange in a University Theater for Social Change Project

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Cloeren, Nicole Birgit

2010-01-01

In this study I sought to understand the complexities of the processes of reciprocity within a theater for social change service-learning project. My sample included three university students, one university faculty member, four high school students, one high school principal, and one high school teacher. As a participant- observer, I conducted an…

A Random Walk Down University Avenue: Life Paths, Life Events, and Personality Trait Change at the Transition to University Life

Science.gov (United States)

Lüdtke, Oliver; Roberts, Brent W.; Trautwein, Ulrich; Nagy, Gabriel

2013-01-01

This longitudinal study examined the relation between continuity and change in the Big Five personality traits and life events. Approximately 2,000 German students were tracked from high school to university or to vocational training or work, with 3 assessments over 4 years. Life events were reported retrospectively at the 2nd and 3rd assessment. Latent curve analyses were used to assess change in personality traits, revealing 3 main findings. First, mean-level changes in the Big Five factors over the 4 years were in line with the maturity principle, indicating increasing psychological maturity from adolescence to young adulthood. Second, personality development was characterized by substantive individual differences relating to the life path followed; participants on a more vocationally oriented path showed higher increases in conscientiousness and lower increases in agreeableness than their peers at university. Third, initial level and change in the Big Five factors (especially Neuroticism and Extraversion) were linked to the occurrence of aggregated as well as single positive and negative life events. The analyses suggest that individual differences in personality development are associated with life transitions and individual life experiences. PMID:21744977

Commentary: Outreach, Engagement, and the Changing Culture of the University--1998

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Byrne, John V.

2016-01-01

In this commentary, author John Byrne reflects on his 1998 "Journal of Public Service & Outreach" article, "Outreach, Engagement, and the Changing Culture of the University" reprinted in this 20th anniversary issue of "Journal of Higher Education Outreach and Engagement." Byrne's 1998 article was a call to modify…

Changing University Students’ Alternative Conceptions of Optics by Active Learning

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Zalkida Hadžibegović

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Active learning is individual and group participation in effective activities such as in-class observing, writing, experimenting, discussion, solving problems, and talking about to-be-learned topics. Some instructors believe that active learning is impossible, or at least extremely difficult to achieve in large lecture sessions. Nevertheless, the truly impressive implementation results of theSCALE-UP learning environment suggest that such beliefs are false (Beichner et al., 2000. In this study, we present a design of an active learning environment with positive effect on students. The design is based on the following elements: (1 helping students to learn from interactive lecture experiment; (2 guiding students to use justified explanation and prediction after observing and exploring a phenomenon; (3 developing a conceptual question sequencedesigned for use in an interactive lecture with students answering questions in worksheets by writing and drawing; (4 evaluating students’ conceptual change and gains by questions related to light reflection, refraction, and image formation in an exam held a week after the active learning session. Data were collected from 95 science freshmen with different secondary school backgrounds. They participated in geometrical optics classes organized for collecting research results during and after only one active learning session.The results have showed that around 60% of the students changed their initial alternative conceptions of vision and of image formation. It was also found that a large group of university students is likely to be engaged in active learning, shifting from a passive role they usually play during teacher’s lectures.

Universities in change managing higher education institutions in the age of globalization

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Ebersberger, Bernd

2013-01-01

Universities find themselves in dynamic change. They are confronted with growing expectations from their stakeholders, increasing international competition, and new technological challenges.  Featuring insights and in-depth case studies from leading researchers and university decision makers from around the world, this book argues that institutions of higher education, in order to be successful, have to actively reflect on circumstances, visions, and strategies to master the future.    Drawing from their experiences across a diverse array of institutions in Europe, Asia, and the Americas, the authors explore the pressures on today’s universities and the opportunities for excelling in the contest for resources.  They discuss operational issues, such as strategic management, IT governance, leadership development, and entrepreneurial culture, and broader concerns, such as the roles and responsibilities of universities in promoting technology transfer and economic and social development.  The result is a ...

The Effects of Information Technology on Functions of Planning and Organizing in the University Libraries and a Study on the Turkish case

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Mesut Kurulgan

2005-03-01

Full Text Available Rapid changes in information technology (IT and a growing downward tendency in the cost of computer hardware, involve the use of IT in the university libraries excessively. University libraries have to make some changes in their organisational processes and bodies in order to be able to use the technology effectively. In this sense, the aim of this study is to determine the university library managers' opinions in Turkey on the effects of ITs on planning and organisation which are the basic managing functions and is to determine if these effects have meaningful differences according to personal and organisational variables. This study aims to light the way for other studies in the field since it is the first example in this field.

Change Management at a Danish University: The Introduction of a Common Market for Education

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Bundgaard, Helle

2012-01-01

This article discusses the approach to the management of change taken by a Danish university when introducing a university-wide market for education and it explores the different positions taken by some of the central stakeholders in one of the faculties involved. I argue that neither the inadequacies of a popular management model nor insufficient…

Frequency of employer changes and their financial return: gender differences amongst German university graduates.

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Wieschke, Johannes

2018-01-01

Gender differences in the frequency of employer changes and their financial return were examined in a sample of Bavarian university graduates. The search and matching theories were used to develop hypotheses which were then tested against each other. The results show that in the first few years after graduation women change employer more frequently than men. In large part this can be explained by gender differences in labor market structures, in particular the fact that a woman's first job is less likely to be in a large company, in an executive position or on a permanent contract and women tend to be less satisfied with their first job. After controlling for variance in these factors the coefficient changes sign, indicating that under similar circumstances men change employer more often. Furthermore, both men and women benefit financially from changing employer. The absolute return is higher for men, but as men tend to have a higher starting salary there is no gender difference in the relative return and hence no effect on the gender gap. The results are also discussed in the light of the specifics of the structure of the German labor market.

Measuring effectiveness of a university by a parallel network DEA model

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Kashim, Rosmaini; Kasim, Maznah Mat; Rahman, Rosshairy Abd

2017-11-01

Universities contribute significantly to the development of human capital and socio-economic improvement of a country. Due to that, Malaysian universities carried out various initiatives to improve their performance. Most studies have used the Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) model to measure efficiency rather than effectiveness, even though, the measurement of effectiveness is important to realize how effective a university in achieving its ultimate goals. A university system has two major functions, namely teaching and research and every function has different resources based on its emphasis. Therefore, a university is actually structured as a parallel production system with its overall effectiveness is the aggregated effectiveness of teaching and research. Hence, this paper is proposing a parallel network DEA model to measure the effectiveness of a university. This model includes internal operations of both teaching and research functions into account in computing the effectiveness of a university system. In literature, the graduate and the number of program offered are defined as the outputs, then, the employed graduates and the numbers of programs accredited from professional bodies are considered as the outcomes for measuring the teaching effectiveness. Amount of grants is regarded as the output of research, while the different quality of publications considered as the outcomes of research. A system is considered effective if only all functions are effective. This model has been tested using a hypothetical set of data consisting of 14 faculties at a public university in Malaysia. The results show that none of the faculties is relatively effective for the overall performance. Three faculties are effective in teaching and two faculties are effective in research. The potential applications of the parallel network DEA model allow the top management of a university to identify weaknesses in any functions in their universities and take rational steps for improvement.

Management and Leadership in UK Universities: Exploring the Possibilities of Change

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Waring, Matt

2017-01-01

This paper considers the case for reform of management structures in UK universities and offers proposals for change. The model of top-down, performance-led management that characterises many institutions is both outmoded and ill-suited to the challenges of an increasingly turbulent higher education sector. Drawing on the experiences of a…

Change in the pace of universe expansion

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Palanque-Delabrouille, N.; Yeche, C.

2016-01-01

During the first 8 billion years the universe expansion was slowed down by gravity, at that time the universe was made up mostly of ordinary matter. The accelerating expansion phase we know dates back to 6 billion years ago and now the content of the universe can be divided into: dark energy (73%), dark matter (23%), gas (3.6%) and stars, planets... (0.4%). Quasars which are among the most luminous objects of the universe and whose light can be detected even after having travelled through the universe for 12 billion years, can be used as markers of the matter all along the history of the universe. 3 international projects (SDSS, DESI and LSST) will study, in a complementary way, the period when dark energy overtook ordinary matter. (A.C.)

Adaptability, Engagement and Academic Achievement at University

Science.gov (United States)

Collie, Rebecca J.; Holliman, Andrew J.; Martin, Andrew J.

2017-01-01

University entry is a time of great change for students. The extent to which students are able to effectively navigate such change likely has an impact on their success in university. In the current study, we examined this by way of adaptability, the extent to which students' adaptability is associated with their behavioural engagement at…

Explaining the effects of a point-of-purchase nutrition-information intervention in university canteens: a structural equation modelling analysis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hoefkens Christine

2012-09-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background The importance of canteen meals in the diet of many university students makes the provision of simple point-of-purchase (POP nutrition information in university canteens a potentially effective way to promote healthier diets in an important group of young adults. However, modifications to environments such as the posting of POP nutrition information in canteens may not cause an immediate change in meal choices and nutrient intakes. The present study aimed at understanding the process by which the POP nutrition information achieved its effects on the meal choice and energy intake, and whether the information was more effective in changing the meal choice of subgroups of university canteen customers. Methods The POP nutrition-information intervention used a one-group pretest-posttest design. A sample of 224 customers of two university canteens completed the baseline and 6-months follow-up surveys. A multi-group structural equation modelling analysis was used to test mediation effects of individual difference variables (liking, understanding and use of the information, subjective knowledge and attitude on the energy intake from canteen meals, moderated by the objective nutrition knowledge and motivation to change diet. Results Significant relations were identified between liking of the information and its use on one hand and a positive effect in attitude towards healthy canteen meals on the other hand. Motivation to change diet and sufficient objective nutrition knowledge were required to maintain a recommended energy intake from canteen meals or to lead to a decrease in energy intake. Participants with greater objective nutrition knowledge had a greater understanding of the POP nutrition information which also resulted in a more effective use of the information. Conclusions The results suggest that nutrition-information interventions may be more effective when using nutrition information that is generally liked by the target

Some effects of a modern university educational environment informatization

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T. N. Noskova

2016-01-01

Full Text Available The paper analyzes the effects that occur in the process of the educational environment informatization. The following effects were analyzed: information richness, openness, individualization of learning and collaboration. Examples of educational practice, illustrating the significant changes of the university educational environment associated with the manifestation of these effects, are presented. The aim of the pilot study carried out in Herzen University was to identify the attitude to the listed effects of teachers and students who are using information and communication technology in the educational interactions. The leading method of study were a series of surveys addressed to teachers and students. Groups of questions were related to basic information effects, manifested in the educational environment of the university. The total number of the survey participants is 200 students (bachelors and masters and 100 teachers, most actively using electronic environment for research, education and professional activities. Qualitative and quantitative analysis of the results showed that information richness, spatial and temporal freedom of educational interactions are demanded by students, but at the same time, the data indicated a lack of systematic pedagogical support for the information and educational activities of students. A large part of students show a high autonomy in the information educational environment, but also demands implementing individualized information and communication educational request. Students and teachers are actively using a variety of information and communication opportunities of the electronic environment, but students’ activeness in the electronic environment is largely determined by the recommendations of teachers, rather than by a free choice of educational opportunities. The participants of the educational environment acquire a significant degree of freedom in relation to the time and place of interaction with

Can changes in psychosocial factors and residency explain the decrease in physical activity during the transition from high school to college or university?

Science.gov (United States)

Van Dyck, Delfien; De Bourdeaudhuij, Ilse; Deliens, Tom; Deforche, Benedicte

2015-04-01

When students make the transition from high school to college or university, their physical activity (PA) levels decrease strongly. Consequently, it is of crucial importance to identify the determinants of this decline in PA. The study aims were to (1) examine changes in psychosocial factors in students during the transition from high school to college/university, (2) examine if changes in psychosocial factors and residency can predict changes in PA, and (3) investigate the moderating effects of residency on the relationship between changes in psychosocial factors and changes in PA. Between March 2008 and October 2010, 291 Flemish students participated in a longitudinal study, with baseline measurements during the final year of high school and follow-up measurements at the start of second year of college/university. At both time points, participants completed a questionnaire assessing demographics, active transportation, leisure-time sports, psychosocial variables, and residency. Repeated measures MANOVA analyses and multiple moderated hierarchic regression analyses were conducted. Modeling, self-efficacy, competition-related benefits, and health-related, external and social barriers decreased, while health-related benefits and time-related barriers increased from baseline to follow-up. Decreases in modeling and time-related barriers were associated with a decrease in active transportation (adjusted R(2) = 3.2%); residency, decreases in self-efficacy, competition-related benefits, and increases in health- and time-related barriers predicted a decrease in leisure-time sports (adjusted R(2) = 29.3%). Residency only moderated two associations between psychosocial factors and changes in PA. Residency and changes in psychosocial factors were mainly important to explain the decrease in leisure-time sports. Other factors such as distance to college/university are likely more important to explain the decrease in active transportation; these are worth exploring in

Study of the Effect of Brand Equity Drivers on University Brand Resonance (Case Study:Amir Kabir university, Sharif university, Tarbiat Modares university, Tehran university)

OpenAIRE

mojtaba karimian; Hamid khodadad hosseini; Asqar moshabaki

2015-01-01

Branding in business of institutions of higher education is one of the issues that recently have been attracted by many researchers and therefore administrators must conduct in depth studies and take effective steps in order to devise a brand strategy so that they can make a strong brand for universities. Thus, this article investigated the quality of branding and presented suggestions to improve the brand resonance of university. The main objective of the study is to show that how brand reso...

The effect of body weight changes and endurance training on 24h substrate oxidation

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Pasman, W.J.; Westerterp-Plantenga, M.S.; Saris, W.H.M.

1999-01-01

The effect of body weight changes and endurance training on 24h substrate oxidation. Pasman WJ, Westerterp MS, Saris WH. Maastricht University, Department of Human Biology, The Netherlands. Pasman@voeding.tno.nl OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effect of exercise training and dietary macronutrient

Desktop Publishing in the University.

Science.gov (United States)

Burstyn, Joan N., Ed.

Highlighting changes in the work of people within the university, this book presents nine essays that examine the effects of desktop publishing and electronic publishing on professors and students, librarians, and those who work at university presses and in publication departments. Essays in the book are: (1) "Introduction: The Promise of Desktop…

Intrinsic Changes: Energy Saving Behaviour among Resident University Students

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Black, Rosemary; Davidson, Penny; Retra, Karen

2010-01-01

This paper presents the results of a study that explored the effectiveness of three intervention strategies in facilitating energy saving behaviour among resident undergraduate university students. In contrast to a dominant practice of motivating with rewards or competition this study sought to appeal to students' intrinsic motivations. An…

University-Level Teaching of Anthropogenic Global Climate Change (AGCC) via Student Inquiry

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Bush, Drew; Sieber, Renee; Seiler, Gale; Chandler, Mark

2017-01-01

This paper reviews university-level efforts to improve understanding of anthropogenic global climate change (AGCC) through curricula that enable student scientific inquiry. We examined 152 refereed publications and proceedings from academic conferences and selected 26 cases of inquiry learning that overcome specific challenges to AGCC teaching.…

Are Universities Aware of the Changes that are Occurring in Higher Education?

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Francisco José GARCÍA PEÑALVO

2017-02-01

Full Text Available The editorial of this last issue of volume 17, corresponding to 2016, reflects about the vertiginous changes that are taking place in higher education, with management and business models based on online education and a labour market orientation that challenge the traditional concept of University. The underlying question is whether the University, as an institution, is aware of all these movements and is prepared to give a qualified response that allows it to adapt to the new realities of a Digital Society, without losing its hegemony as universal guarantor of the generation and transmission of scientific and humanistic knowledge; or, on the contrary, faithful to its more conservative tradition, it continúes to reinforce the scaffolding of its ivory tower, moving further and further from this reality, secure from a position of social privilege that it understands immovable.

ORGANIZATION OF MANAGEMENT ACCOUNTING AT THE UNIVERSITY AS A MECHANISM OF INNOVATIVE CHANGES

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E. V. Myalkina

2015-01-01

Full Text Available In article the questions connected with introduction of management accounting at university are considered, the interrelation of strategic development of quality of education and effective management of resources of higher education institution comes to light, tendencies of financial and economic mechanisms of management are analyzed, opportunities for increase of efficiency of activity of university are defined. Management accounting reveals as the effective mechanism of management of university allowing to plan, consider and analyze financial results of the educational organization in general and on kinds of activity, divisions, business processes, programs, projects, sources of the income and articles of expenses. Article describes the organization of the registration and analytical system binding information for an assessment and the analysis of financial and economic activity of university for the purpose of receiving reliable information and acceptance of operational administrative decisions. Work describes basic elements of system of management accounting, describes practice of realization of this system on the example of Mininsky university.

CHANGES IN HIGHER EDUCATION: A COMPARISON OF KEY FACTORS CONCERNING UNIVERSITIES IN AUSTRIA AND SWITZERLAND

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Robert Rybnicek

2016-10-01

Full Text Available Society has changed sustainably and universities have thus faced new requirements. As a result of competition and globalization, education and knowledge management had to be adapted. Universities were forced to establish a modern management system primarily known from the private sector and governments had to reconsider their legal and economic relationship to universities. In recent years, many countries have implemented new rules for their universities. Two of these countries were Austria and Switzerland. But even when they pursued the same goals, they have chosen quite different approaches and as a matter of fact achieved very differing results. The objective of this study was twofold. Firstly, we analyzed the challenges and contradictions when implementing a modern university model. Secondly, we investigated specific characteristics of the university systems of Austria and Switzerland to identify factors that may have impacted the performance and success of the universities. Referring to our first objective, a literature review has revealed severe contradictions between modern university management and the traditional understanding of it. While the traditional scheme has focused mainly on research, teaching is becoming more relevant in the new demand orientated university. Also, the freedom of science and teaching is limited by the strong orientation on goals that have been agreed upon with the government. Further contradictions can be identified in autonomy, budgeting, leadership, hierarchy, and employee participation. To examine the second research aim, we reviewed national and international databases and reports. Our results emphasize the importance of monetary aspects, the student-teacher-ratio, autonomy, and the relevance of the universities’ reputation and acceptance within society and politics. Our findings can help to understand the different approaches which have been chosen to cope with global changes in higher education. They

Cost-effectiveness analysis of neonatal hearing screening program in china: should universal screening be prioritized?

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Huang Li-Hui

2012-04-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Neonatal hearing screening (NHS has been routinely offered as a vital component of early childhood care in developed countries, whereas such a screening program is still at the pilot or preliminary stage as regards its nationwide implementation in developing countries. To provide significant evidence for health policy making in China, this study aims to determine the cost-effectiveness of NHS program implementation in case of eight provinces of China. Methods A cost-effectiveness model was conducted and all neonates annually born from 2007 to 2009 in eight provinces of China were simulated in this model. The model parameters were estimated from the established databases in the general hospitals or maternal and child health hospitals of these eight provinces, supplemented from the published literature. The model estimated changes in program implementation costs, disability-adjusted life years (DALYs, average cost-effectiveness ratio (ACER, and incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER for universal screening compared to targeted screening in eight provinces. Results and discussion A multivariate sensitivity analysis was performed to determine uncertainty in health effect estimates and cost-effectiveness ratios using a probabilistic modeling technique. Targeted strategy trended to be cost-effective in Guangxi, Jiangxi, Henan, Guangdong, Zhejiang, Hebei, Shandong, and Beijing from the level of 9%, 9%, 8%, 4%, 3%, 7%, 5%, and 2%, respectively; while universal strategy trended to be cost-effective in those provinces from the level of 70%, 70%, 48%, 10%, 8%, 28%, 15%, 4%, respectively. This study showed although there was a huge disparity in the implementation of the NHS program in the surveyed provinces, both universal strategy and targeted strategy showed cost-effectiveness in those relatively developed provinces, while neither of the screening strategy showed cost-effectiveness in those relatively developing provinces. This

The effect of a change in selection procedures on students' motivation to study dentistry.

Science.gov (United States)

Gardner, S P; Roberts-Thomson, K F

2014-03-01

The aim of this study was to determine whether changes in student selection criteria at The University of Adelaide effected a change in motivation and influencing factors to study dentistry by comparing cohorts. Online questionnaire completed by first-year dentistry students at The University of Adelaide between 1993-1996 and 1997-2005. All 666 students completed the questionnaire with 647 suitable for analysis. The likelihood of students being motivated for a career in dentistry because it 'fits with family' was greater for the 1997-2005 cohort (OR = 1.68, 95% CI = 1.14-2.49, p dentistry. © 2014 Australian Dental Association.

UNIVERSITY MANAGEMENT: A FEW PROBLEMATIC THINGS

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Vincentas Lamanauskas

2014-05-01

Full Text Available University activity and effective functioning is the object of constant discussions. This is taking place in all countries, having university education sector. It is understandable, that the context of every country is different, having individual traits and peculiarities. Lithuania is not an exception. The country’s higher education system experiences serious challenges, which are caused both by local socioeconomic changes and international global matters. Labour market dynamism and the changing society require flexible, innovative and creative lifelong learning possibilities. Higher education institutions do not limit themselves with basic specialist preparation, but search possibilities for the specialists and professionals to improve, change their specializations, train their personal abilities and develop high level professional competencies. Thus, continuing teaching (studies at universities becomes more and more urgent.

For whom does it work? Subgroup differences in the effects of a school-based universal prevention program

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Spilt, J.L.; Koot, H.M.; van Lier, P.A.C.

2013-01-01

This study examined subgroup differences in the effectiveness of a universal classroom-based preventive intervention. The Good Behavior Game (GBG) was delivered in Grade 1 and 2 in a randomized controlled trial including 759 students. Changes in externalizing and internalizing problems were modeled

Promoting Climate And Data Literacy: University Courses Engaging Students In Effective Teaching, Learning, Communication And Outreach Practices.

Science.gov (United States)

Halversen, C.; McDonnell, J. D.; Apple, J. K.; Weiss, E. L.

2016-02-01

Two university courses, 1) Promoting Climate Literacy and 2) Climate and Data Literacy, developed by the University of California Berkeley provide faculty across the country with course materials to help their students delve into the science underlying global environmental change. The courses include culturally responsive content, such as indigenous and place-based knowledge, and examine how people learn and consequently, how we should teach and communicate science. Promoting Climate Literacy was developed working with Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of Washington, and Western Washington University. Climate and Data Literacy was developed with Rutgers University and Padilla Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve, WA. The Climate and Data Literacy course also focuses on helping students in science majors participating in U-Teach programs and students in pre-service teacher education programs gain skills in using real and near-real time data through engaging in investigations using web-based and locally-relevant data resources. The course helps these students understand and apply the scientific practices, disciplinary concepts and big ideas described in the Framework for K-12 Science Education and the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS). This course focuses on students interested in teaching middle school science for three reasons: (1) teachers often have relatively weak understandings of the practices of science, and of complex Earth systems science and climate change; (2) the concepts that underlie climate change align well with the NGSS; and (3) middle school is a critical time for promoting student interest in science and for recruitment to STEM careers and lifelong climate literacy. This course is now being field tested in a number of U-Teach programs including Florida State University, Louisiana State University, as well as pre-service teacher education programs at California State University East Bay, and Western Washington University

How Nan Keohane Is Changing Duke: With a Focus on Building Consensus, She Is Transforming the University.

Science.gov (United States)

Basinger, Julianne

2000-01-01

Nannerl Keohane became president of Duke University in 1993, one of the first women to lead a top research university. This article details some of the changes that have taken place during her tenure as president. (JM)

Changing State-University Relations: The Experiences of Japan and Lessons for Malaysia

Science.gov (United States)

Sirat, Morshidi; Kaur, Sarjit

2010-01-01

This article investigates the changing state-university relations in Japan and Malaysia. Its main objective is to identify and examine possible lessons for Malaysia, based on the Japanese experience. Notably, since the late 1970s, Malaysia has been looking towards Japan as a model for socio-economic development (the "look-east" Policy)…

Student Oriented Approaches in the Teaching of Thermodynamics at Universities--Developing an Effective Course Structure

Science.gov (United States)

Partanen, Lauri

2016-01-01

The aim of this study was to apply current pedagogical research in order to develop an effective course and exercise structure for a physical chemistry thermodynamics course intended for second or third year university students of chemistry. A mixed-method approach was used to measure the impact the changes had on student learning. In its final…

A Study of Changes in German Learning Motivation by Chinese University Learners

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Meihua; Li, Mingming

2018-01-01

The present research examined the changes in Chinese university students' motivation to learn German during a 16-week semester. Analyses of the data showed that both at the beginning and toward the end of the semester, the participants held (fairly) positive attitudes towards German, were motivated to learn the language mainly for integrative and…

The effective factors on library anxiety of students in Isfahan University of Medical Sciences and Shiraz University of Medical Sciences.

Science.gov (United States)

Ashrafi-Rizi, Hasan; Sajad, Maryam Sadat; Rahmani, Sedigheh; Bahrami, Susan; Papi, Ahmad

2014-01-01

The efficient use of libraries can be an important factor in determining the educational quality of Universities. Therefore, investigation and identification of factors affecting library anxiety becomes increasingly necessary. The purpose of this research is to determine the factors effecting library anxiety of students in Isfahan University of Medical Sciences and Shiraz University of Medical Sciences. This was an applied survey research using Bostick's Library Anxiety questionnaire as data gathering tool. The statistical population consisted of all students of Isfahan University of Medical Sciences and Shiraz University of Medical Sciences (15011 students) with the sample size of 375 using stratified random sampling. The validity of data gathering tool was confirmed by experts in the library and information science and its reliability was determined by Cronbach's alpha (r = 0.92). Descriptive statistics (frequency, percentage, mean and standard deviation) and inferential statistics (t-test and ANOVA) were used for data analysis using SPSS 18 software. Findings showed that the mean of library anxiety score was 2.68 and 2.66 for students of Isfahan University of Medical Sciences and Shiraz University of Medical Sciences respectively which is above average (2.5). Furthermore, age and gender had no meaningful effect on the library anxiety of students of Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, but gender had a meaningful effect on library anxiety of students of Shiraz University of Medical Sciences while age had no such effect. The results showed that the mean of factors effecting library anxiety in students of Isfahan University of Medical Sciences and students of Shiraz University of Medical Sciences is higher than average and therefore not satisfactory and only factors relating to feeling comfortable in the library is lower than average and somewhat satisfactory.

ORGANIZATIONAL CHANGE READINNES PADA UNIVERSITAS X

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Azhar El Hami

2016-02-01

Full Text Available This study was aimed to capture the readiness to change of the “X” University as an organization regarding to the vision is becoming a world class university. Using the organizational change readiness concept by Sutanto (2008 that covering 7 aspects namely perception toward change, vision of change, mutual trust and respect, change initiative, management support, acceptance, and organization manages the change process. Respondent was 121 employees of the University „X‟ from two faculties who met the criterion. This was a quantitative research that using survey method. The result has shown that two aspects namely vision of change and acceptance were important ones that have effect on organizational change readiness of the “X” university.

A Tale of Two (or More Sustainabilities: A Q Methodology Study of University Professors’ Perspectives on Sustainable Universities

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Paul Sylvestre

2014-03-01

Full Text Available If change for sustainability in higher education is to be effective, change efforts must be sensitive to the institutional culture in which they will be applied. Therefore, gaining insight into how institutional stakeholders engage with the concept of sustainable universities is an important first step in understanding how to frame and communicate change. This study employed Q methodology to explore how a group of professors conceptualize sustainable universities. We developed a Q sample of 46 statements comprising common conceptions of sustainable universities and had 26 professors from Dalhousie University rank-order them over a quasi-normal distribution. Our analysis uncovered four statistically significant viewpoints amongst the participants: ranging from technocentric optimists who stress the importance of imbuing students with skills and values to more liberal arts minded faculty suspicious of the potential of sustainability to instrumentalize the university. An examination of how these viewpoints interact on a subjective level revealed a rotating series of alignments and antagonisms in relation to themes traditionally associated with sustainable universities and broader themes associated with the identity of the university in contemporary society. Finally, we conclude by discussing the potential implications that the nature of these alignments and antagonisms may hold for developing a culturally sensitive vision of a sustainable university.

Developing educational leaders: A partnership between two universities to bring about system-wide change

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Suraiya R Naicker

2015-05-01

Full Text Available This study investigated a system-wide change strategy in a South African school district, which sought to build the leadership capacity of principals and district officials to improve instruction. The three-year venture was called the Leadership for Learning Programme (LLP. A distinctive feature of the LLP was that it was based on a partnership between two universities, a local one with understanding of the local context of schools, and an international institution, which brought international expertise, experience and repute/branding. Both universities had a shared vision to contribute to the ailing South African school landscape by using leadership development to leverage change. The LLP was implemented in a single school district, where the overall learner performance was unsatisfactory. A qualitative approach was used to research this change intervention. One of the main findings was that collaboration between principals collectively and district officials, as well as among principals, was lacking. It is recommended that collaborative structures such as professional learning communities, networks and teams are established to reduce isolation and fragmented work practices in the school district. This may speed up system-wide change towards improved learner performance.

Changing Trends in Nutritional Behavior among University Students in Greece, between 2006 and 2016

OpenAIRE

Kyrkou, Charikleia; Tsakoumaki, Foteini; Fotiou, Maria; Dimitropoulou, Aristea; Symeonidou, Maria; Menexes, Georgios; Biliaderis, Costas G.; Michaelidou, Alexandra-Maria

2018-01-01

The objective of the present survey was to study the dietary behavior of university students residing away from the family home. In this context, we (a) compared their dietary habits in two time periods, namely 2006 and 2016; and (b) explored the possible impact of gender on the behavioral changes in nutritional choices. A total of four hundred and five university students (2006, n = 242; 2016, n = 163) participated in the study. Dietary assessment was carried out using a qualitative Food Fre...

Effects of sleep deprivation on cognitive and physical performance in university students.

Science.gov (United States)

Patrick, Yusuf; Lee, Alice; Raha, Oishik; Pillai, Kavya; Gupta, Shubham; Sethi, Sonika; Mukeshimana, Felicite; Gerard, Lothaire; Moghal, Mohammad U; Saleh, Sohag N; Smith, Susan F; Morrell, Mary J; Moss, James

2017-01-01

Sleep deprivation is common among university students, and has been associated with poor academic performance and physical dysfunction. However, current literature has a narrow focus in regard to domains tested, this study aimed to investigate the effects of a night of sleep deprivation on cognitive and physical performance in students. A randomized controlled crossover study was carried out with 64 participants [58% male ( n  = 37); 22 ± 4 years old (mean ± SD)]. Participants were randomized into two conditions: normal sleep or one night sleep deprivation. Sleep deprivation was monitored using an online time-stamped questionnaire at 45 min intervals, completed in the participants' homes. The outcomes were cognitive: working memory (Simon game© derivative), executive function (Stroop test); and physical: reaction time (ruler drop testing), lung function (spirometry), rate of perceived exertion, heart rate, and blood pressure during submaximal cardiopulmonary exercise testing. Data were analysed using paired two-tailed T tests and MANOVA. Reaction time and systolic blood pressure post-exercise were significantly increased following sleep deprivation (mean ± SD change: reaction time: 0.15 ± 0.04 s, p  = 0.003; systolic BP: 6 ± 17 mmHg, p  = 0.012). No significant differences were found in other variables. Reaction time and vascular response to exercise were significantly affected by sleep deprivation in university students, whilst other cognitive and cardiopulmonary measures showed no significant changes. These findings indicate that acute sleep deprivation can have an impact on physical but not cognitive ability in young healthy university students. Further research is needed to identify mechanisms of change and the impact of longer term sleep deprivation in this population.

CHANGES OF LEARNERS’ SOCIO-ECONOMIC CONTEXT AFTER COMPLETING A PROFESSIONAL EDUCATION FROM BANGLADESH OPEN UNIVERSITY

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

A. K. M. Iftekhar KHALID

2009-07-01

Full Text Available Creating same opportunity in term of social and economic context for the learners of distance education as the students from conventional education is a challenging task since professional education through distance method is a new genre in Bangladesh. This genre of professional education starts successfully with the establishment of the Bangladesh Open University (BOU in 1992. The university creates immense opportunities to study anytime and anywhere. This paper explains what social and economic changes happened to the students who completed a professional programme like B.Ag.Ed, MBA, CEMBA and CEMPA at the Bangladesh Open University. As BOU is the first and pioneer organization, which provides education in distance mode, a study has been necessary for BOU to know what contribution it provides to the nation in social and economic aspects. This paper should be able to elevate the morale of the organizations like BOU in involving more effort for expanding the organization and also to understand how successful these organization in imparting the knowledge and skill and how effectively the students are able to use those knowledge and skill in their professional life which in turn affects the learners’ income and social esteem. The university has been established with aims to raise the standard of education and to give the people educational opportunities by democratizing education and to create a class of competent people by raising the standard of education of the people generally. The paper also shows how the professional programmes of BOU supports to achieve the Millennium Development Goals in Bangladesh.

University Internationalization and University Autonomy

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Turcan, Romeo V.; Gulieva, Valeria

2016-01-01

Turcan and Gulieva deepen our theoretical understanding of the process of university internationalisation by exploring the relationship between university internationalisation and university autonomy. They conjecture that the process of university internationalisation and its sustainability are d......, dissimilar, and sometimes conflicting dimensions of the financial, legal, organisational, staffing, and academic autonomy of the host country, are compromising key aspects of their own autonomy and core mission?......Turcan and Gulieva deepen our theoretical understanding of the process of university internationalisation by exploring the relationship between university internationalisation and university autonomy. They conjecture that the process of university internationalisation and its sustainability...... are determined by the structure and exercise of university autonomy settings at home and in the host countries, and that the process itself cannot be successfully achieved and maintained without changes in the autonomy settings. The key question the authors ask is to what degree universities, in embracing new...

Cognitive mechanisms of change in delusions: an experimental investigation targeting reasoning to effect change in paranoia.

Science.gov (United States)

Garety, Philippa; Waller, Helen; Emsley, Richard; Jolley, Suzanne; Kuipers, Elizabeth; Bebbington, Paul; Dunn, Graham; Fowler, David; Hardy, Amy; Freeman, Daniel

2015-03-01

Given the evidence that reasoning biases contribute to delusional persistence and change, several research groups have made systematic efforts to modify them. The current experiment tested the hypothesis that targeting reasoning biases would result in change in delusions. One hundred and one participants with current delusions and schizophrenia spectrum psychosis were randomly allocated to a brief computerized reasoning training intervention or to a control condition involving computer-based activities of similar duration. The primary hypotheses tested were that the reasoning training intervention, would improve (1) data gathering and belief flexibility and (2) delusional thinking, specifically paranoia. We then tested whether the changes in paranoia were mediated by changes in data gathering and flexibility, and whether working memory and negative symptoms moderated any intervention effects. On an intention-to-treat analysis, there were significant improvements in state paranoia and reasoning in the experimental compared with the control condition. There was evidence that changes in reasoning mediated changes in paranoia, although this effect fell just outside the conventional level of significance after adjustment for baseline confounders. Working memory and negative symptoms significantly moderated the effects of the intervention on reasoning. The study demonstrated the effectiveness of a brief reasoning intervention in improving both reasoning processes and paranoia. It thereby provides proof-of-concept evidence that reasoning is a promising intermediary target in interventions to ameliorate delusions, and thus supports the value of developing this approach as a longer therapeutic intervention. © The Author 2014. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Maryland Psychiatric Research Center.

DOE life-span radiation effects studies in experimental animals at University of Utah Division of Radiobiology

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wrenn, M.E.; Taylor, G.N.; Stevens, W.

1986-01-01

The Radiobiology Laboratory at the University of Utah compared the long-term biological effects of 226 Ra and 239 Pu in adult beagles. The program includes the investigation of other radionuclides. More recently, groups of juvenile and aged beagles were added to the study to investigate the influence of age at exposure. These studies involved single intravenous injection of radionuclides to small groups of beagles, in graded doses from levels at which no effects were expected up to levels where a 100% incidence of bone tumors was sometimes found. Some of the principal effects were bone tumors, fractures, and other skeletal alterations observed radiographically and histologically; emphasis was placed on the detection of precancerous changes, hematological changes, and changes related to aging. Emphasis was also placed on metabolic and autoradiographic studies necessary for good radiation dosimetry

What University Governance Can Taiwan Learn from the United States?

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Lung-Sheng; Land, Ming H.

2010-01-01

Due to changes from centralization to marketization, Taiwan's university governance must increase its effectiveness. The purpose of this paper was to introduce trends in and issues of Taiwan's university governance, describe university governance in the United States, and draw implications that Taiwan's university governance needs to learn from…

Energy Choices and Climate Change: A New Interactive Feature on Windows to the Universe

Science.gov (United States)

Gardiner, L. S.; Russell, R. M.; Ward, D.; Johnson, R. M.; Henderson, S.; Foster, S. Q.

2009-12-01

We have developed a new, self-paced online module to foster understanding of how choices made about energy production and energy use affect greenhouse gas emissions and climate change. The module, entitled “Energy Choices and Climate Change” is available on Windows to the Universe (www.windows.ucar.edu), an extensive educational Web site used by over 20 million people each year. “Energy Choices and Climate Change” provides a new way to look at issues related to energy and climate change, emphasizing the climate implications of the choices we make. “Energy Choices and Climate Change” allows users to explore two different scenarios through which they make decisions about energy production or use. In the “Ruler of the World” scenario, the user is given the authority to make decisions about the mix of energy sources that will be used worldwide with the aim of reducing emissions while meeting global energy demand and monitoring costs and societal implications. In “The Joules Family” scenario, the user makes decisions about how to change the way a hypothetical family of four uses energy at home and for transportation with the aim of reducing the family’s carbon emissions and fossil fuel use while keeping costs less than long-term savings. While this module is intended for a general public audience, an associated teacher’s guide provides support for secondary educators using the module with students. Windows to the Universe is a project of the University Corporation for Atmospheric Research Office of Education and Outreach. Funding for the Energy Choices and Climate Change online module was provided by the National Center for Atmospheric Research.

Changing concerns of beginning Dutch university teachers

NARCIS (Netherlands)

van den Bos, Paul

2017-01-01

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to address the concerns of beginning university teachers about learning to teach in the context of an induction programme. Design/methodology/approach: The author asked 162 beginning teachers at Dutch universities of applied sciences to express their concerns

Changing the Education of Teachers.

Science.gov (United States)

Hawley, Willis D.; And Others

This study examines the changes that have occurred in the ways colleges and universities in the Southern Regional Education Board (SREB) seek to prepare teachers. Particular focus is on the effects of state policies and on the role of college and university leaders in bringing about change. The study describes and explains changes in the way…

Indirect Effects of Global Change: From Physiological and Behavioral Mechanisms to Ecological Consequences.

Science.gov (United States)

Gunderson, Alex R; Tsukimura, Brian; Stillman, Jonathon H

2017-07-01

A major focus of current ecological research is to understand how global change makes species vulnerable to extirpation. To date, mechanistic ecophysiological analyses of global change vulnerability have focused primarily on the direct effects of changing abiotic conditions on whole-organism physiological traits, such as metabolic rate, locomotor performance, cardiac function, and critical thermal limits. However, species do not live in isolation within their physical environments, and direct effects of climate change are likely to be compounded by indirect effects that result from altered interactions with other species, such as competitors and predators. The Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology 2017 Symposium "Indirect Effects of Global Change: From Physiological and Behavioral Mechanisms to Ecological Consequences" was designed to synthesize multiple approaches to investigating the indirect effects of global change by bringing together researchers that study the indirect effects of global change from multiple perspectives across habitat, type of anthropogenic change, and level of biological organization. Our goal in bringing together researchers from different backgrounds was to foster cross-disciplinary insights into the mechanistic bases and higher-order ecological consequences of indirect effects of global change, and to promote collaboration among fields. © The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology. All rights reserved. For permissions please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Provision of Effectiveness of University Education on the Market Economy

Science.gov (United States)

Kuznetsov, Nikolai; Usenko, Lyudmila; Ivanova, Olga; Kostoglodova, Elena

2017-01-01

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to evaluate and determine the effectiveness of university education on the economy of various countries. Design/methodology/approach: To determine the necessity and expedience of making provision for the effectiveness of university education on the market economy, this work uses the method of regression and…

[People, the environment and health: the "Oneness" of human health from the perspective of universal life presented in "Changes"].

Science.gov (United States)

Yang, Ke-Ping

2008-12-01

This paper aimed to expand the paradigm of nursing and expand the essential factors of nursing theories beyond "environment" to encompass universal life. While individuals live between the sky and earth, we are an inseparable part of the universe. "Health" is derived from a oneness that embraces the body, mind and spirit. The human body contains the wisdom of the universe, known in Chinese philosophy as the wisdom of "Changes". The body has its own consciousness and possesses great powers of self-healing. Healthiness is the original condition of life. Modern medicine assumes sickness to be a natural phenomenon, with the essential nature of "Changes" neglected as a universal law for maintaining health. Dr. Sun, a renowned physician from the Tang Dynasty, was quoted as saying "Knowing Changes is the prerequisite of knowing medicine." Another saying holds that, "Every word and every sentence in the Book of Changes is an indicator of medicine." Much emphasis has been placed on the relationship between "Changes" and "medicine" in the past. This paper elaborates the relationship between nature and human health in order to provide a clear understanding of the nature of true health, described from the perspectives of medicine and "Changes", an evaluation of modern medical science and the oneness of body-mind-spirit, which is the reality of health. The human body is thus a reflection of the mind and spirit, while the mind and spirit is the "inner body". The body is a highly intelligent organism that truly reflects our inner world. Our inner world is also displayed through physical symptoms. As human suffering is caused by separation from our inner life, the only path to enjoying a healthy and joyful life is to achieve a oneness between our body-mind-spirit. Such is a universal law, which is called "Changes" or "Oneness".

Effectiveness of Relationship Marketing Tactics in a University Setting

Science.gov (United States)

Trocchia, Philip J.; Finney, R. Zachary; Finney, Treena Gillespie

2013-01-01

We test the correlation between student perception of three university relationship-building tactics--commercial friendships, preferential treatment, and tangible rewards--with university student satisfaction. We also test whether two student characteristics--enduring involvement with education and sense of entitlement--have a moderating effect on…

Agility: A Crucial Capability for Universities in Times of Disruptive Change and Innovation

Science.gov (United States)

Mukerjee, Sheila

2014-01-01

Government funding cuts have provided a new impetus to Australian universities to re-examine their value proposition and corporate focus. While the sector has gone through waves of change in recent times, institutions are now scrambling for their place in a highly competitive market. Institutions explore new revenue opportunities and digital…

University Performance Management

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

For the last two decades the Danish Universities have felt the impact of the international trend towards implementation of New Public Management. The results are seen in the implementation of new hierarchical governance structures and contractual governance system including market based quantitat......For the last two decades the Danish Universities have felt the impact of the international trend towards implementation of New Public Management. The results are seen in the implementation of new hierarchical governance structures and contractual governance system including market based...... quantitative measurement systems for resource allocation and performance evaluation. Compared to other countries the changes in performance measurements and governance of the Danish universities are radical and the Minister of Science heralded them as "the greatest change in university management since...... the founding of Copenhagen University in 1479". The changes took place with surprisingly little resistance from university scholars. The articles in this anthology investigate the origins and rationales for the silent managerial revolution at Danish Universities and the radical implications for the identity...

Competencies, Roles and Effective Academic Leadership in World Class University

OpenAIRE

Elham Shahmandi; Abu Daud Silong; Ismi Arif Ismail; Bahaman Bin Abu Samah; Jamilah Othman

2011-01-01

How an academic leader can become more effective? This research question is examined in the context of middle level leadership in research universities that includes the Deans and Head of Departments. It is based on a review of literature that focuses on the investigation of effective academic leadership. In the present situation of globalization, academic excellence is often related to being World Class University. Leadership effectiveness is more related to situational leadership style in r...

Dissipative effects in Friedmann universes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lima, J.A.S. de; Waga, I.

1988-01-01

The relationship between the the different temperatures present in a radiative plasma is examined. In particular, the physical and the operational meanings of Eckart's temperature are discussed. An entropy density formula for the radiative component and its fractional rate are derived. We have also suggested a reformulation of Weinberg's conditions for maximum entropy production. The effect of radiative bulk viscosity in diluting monopoles in the very early universe is estimated. (author) [pt

Effects of Biodanza on Stress, Depression, and Sleep Quality in University Students.

Science.gov (United States)

López-Rodríguez, María Mar; Baldrich-Rodríguez, Ingrid; Ruiz-Muelle, Alicia; Cortés-Rodríguez, Alda Elena; Lopezosa-Estepa, Teresa; Roman, Pablo

2017-07-01

The existing literature shows dance to be an innovative and successful form of stress management. Previous research indicates that Biodanza is able to increase well-being and personal resources and prevent stress. However, Biodanza has not yet been empirically tested as a possible therapy for application outside the clinical context in young adults with perceived stress. This study aimed to determine the effectiveness of Biodanza in reducing symptoms of perceived stress and depression and in promoting sleep quality in young adults, comparing the changes with those observed in a control group. Randomized controlled trial. This study was carried out at the Faculty of Health Sciences of the University of Almería. One hundred and twenty-one university students with perceived stress were randomly placed into either a Biodanza group or a wait-list control group. Study participants attended Biodanza sessions for 90 min a week, over a period of 4 weeks. Depression, perceived stress, and sleep quality were assessed both before and after intervention. Ninety-five participants completed the program and were included in the statistical analysis. Significant differences in perceived stress [t (93) = 2.136; p = 0.015] and depression [t (93) = 2.738; p = 0.000] were observed after the Biodanza period. Pre/post analysis found that Biodanza also had a significant effect on depression (Cohen d = 1.88; p stress (Cohen d = 0.79; p stress management strategy for students. The results of this study showed Biodanza to have a positive effect on perceived stress and depression in young adults. This demonstrates how artistic, collaborative, and psychophysical interventions are an effective means of preventing and managing these problems in university students.

The Change of Attitude to the Profession of University Graduates and Young Specialists

Science.gov (United States)

Sarsenova, Assel Berikovna; Sadyrova, Mansya Sapargalievna; Montayev, Ardak Bazarbekovich; Imanbekova, Bibigul Iliyasovna

2016-01-01

The article studies the problem of attitude change towards the profession of university graduates and young specialists in Kazakhstan. The attitude to profession and professional motivation of students is considered as a form of human opportunities in the field of labor relations which is shaped only as a result of study in high education…

Motivation of university and non-university stakeholders to change medical education in Vietnam.

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Luu, H.N.; Nguyen, V.L.; van der Wilt, G.J.; Broerse, J.E.W.; Ruitenberg, E.J.; Wright, E.P.

2009-01-01

Background. Both university and non-university stakeholders should be involved in the process of curriculum development in medical schools, because all are concerned with the competencies of the graduates. That may be difficult unless appropriate strategies are used to motivate each stakeholder.

Motivation of university and non-university stakeholders to change medical education in Vietnam

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Lu, H.; Nguyen, V; van der Wilt, G.J.; Broerse, J.E.W.; Ruitenberg, E.J.; Wright, P.

2009-01-01

Background. Both university and non-university stakeholders should be involved in the process of curriculum development in medical schools, because all are concerned with the competencies of the graduates. That may be difficult unless appropriate strategies are used to motivate each stakeholder.

Vocal quality in university teachers: a pilot study.

Science.gov (United States)

D'haeseleer, E; Claeys, S; Wuyts, F; Van Lierde, K M

2009-01-01

The main purpose of this study was to determine the vocal quality of 20 male and 9 female university teachers using a multi-parameter approach. Secondly, the effect of an academic lecture on the voice profiles of the university teachers was measured. All groups underwent subjective voice evaluations (perceptual evaluation, Voice Handicap Index, anamnesis of vocal complaints and vocal abuse) and objective voice evaluations (aerodynamic and acoustic parameters, vocal performance, and the Dysphonia Severity Index). The same voice assessment was performed after an academic lecture with a mean length of one and a half hours. The mean DSI score was + 2.2 for the male teachers and + 4.0 for the female teachers. The mean VHI score was 13. Perceptually, all voice parameters were rated as normal. The questionnaire revealed a relatively high amount of vocal abuse. No changes in the objective vocal parameters were found after the lecture. Perceptually, however, the voices of the university teachers were significantly less instable after the lecture. Although no negative changes in objective vocal quality were observed, 48% of the university teachers experienced subjective vocal changes. The authors concluded that university teachers are professional voice users with good vocal quality who suffer no handicapping effect from possible voice disorders. No important changes in the vocal profile after a teaching activity of one and a half hours were found, despite the high prevalence of voice complaints.

The Effect of Leadership Courses and Programs on University Undergraduates' Self-Efficacy in Two Mid-Sized Christian Universities in West Texas

Science.gov (United States)

Majkowski, Jasmine Meg

2017-01-01

The globalization and diversification within the world led universities to try to address the problem with improved future leaders. Universities offer leadership classes and programs to prepare tomorrow's leaders to adapt to the ever-changing landscape the world now offers. This study built on the theoretical framework of Albert Bandura's…

Change in Language Policy in Malaysia: The Reality of Implementation in Public Universities

Science.gov (United States)

Gill, Saran Kaur

2006-01-01

In Malaysia, a sudden change in language policy, from Bahasa Melayu to English, has been instituted for the disciplines of science and technology at varying levels of the educational system. For this paper, it will be the domain of higher education that will be focused on. In 2005, the students who had their pre-university courses in English would…

Challenges and Changes in University Organization: Towards a New Model of Teaching and Learning

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Carlos Gómez Bahillo

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Globalization is producing a new world order that is affecting political, economic, social, cultural and educational institutions. Universities need to be the engine of this social change and to provide a dynamic, flexible and stable educational model which can generate a skilled workforce ready to face the new challenges of the information and knowledge society. The university must provide not only basic and specific knowledge that prepares students to embark upon a given profession but should develop students’ social and technical skills to facilitate their subsequent employment in a competitive and innovative production system that demands a skilled workforce.

Exploring the Effect of Geographical Proximity and University Quality on University-Industry Collaboration in the United Kingdom

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Laursen, Keld; Reichstein, Toke; Salter, Ammon

2011-01-01

Exploring the effect of geographical proximity and university quality on university–industry collaboration in the United Kingdom, Regional Studies. This paper concerns the geographical distance between a firm and the universities in its local area. It is argued that firms' decisions to collaborat...... collaboration. However, it is also found that if faced with the choice, firms appear to give preference to the research quality of the university partner over geographical closeness. This is particularly true for high-research and development intensive firms....

The conceptual map for university effectiveness | Nkata | Makerere ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

A model by Mintzberg (1979) and DeLeeuw (1986) is adopted to demonstrate interrelationship of the five basic elements of effectives – goals, organisational culture, structure, environment, and primary processes. Theoretical orientation that underpin the concept of university effectiveness are discussed under the themes of ...

Mixed heavy–light matching in the Universal One-Loop Effective Action

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ellis, Sebastian A.R.; Quevillon, Jérémie; You, Tevong; Zhang, Zhengkang

2016-01-01

Recently, a general result for evaluating the path integral at one loop was obtained in the form of the Universal One-Loop Effective Action. It may be used to derive effective field theory operators of dimensions up to six, by evaluating the traces of matrices in this expression, with the mass dependence encapsulated in the universal coefficients. Here we show that it can account for loops of mixed heavy–light particles in the matching procedure. Our prescription for computing these mixed contributions to the Wilson coefficients is conceptually simple. Moreover it has the advantage of maintaining the universal structure of the effective action, which we illustrate using the example of integrating out a heavy electroweak triplet scalar coupling to a light Higgs doublet. Finally we also identify new structures that were previously neglected in the universal results.

Where to Go for a Change: The Impact of Authority Structures in Universities and Public Research Institutes on Changes of Research Practices

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Gläser, Jochen; Aljets, Enno; Lettkemann, Eric; Laudel, Grit; Whitley, Richard; Gläser, Jochen

2014-01-01

In this article, we analyse how variations in organisational conditions for research affect researchers’ opportunities for changing individual-level or group-level research programmes. We contrast three innovations that were developed in universities and public research institutes in Germany and the

Origin(?) of the Universe

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

weaknesses of the big bang cosmology, conceptual as well as observational. ... They argue that this event marks the origin of the ... a change of the lowest energy state of matter, normally designated as ... Rapid expansion of this kind produces some lasting effects in the universe. .... This attitude coupled with attempted ...

Spurring climate-friendly behaviour change: a case study of the university of Grenoble

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Blanchard, Odile

2016-01-01

% of energy consumption. 'Energy vampires' at home (i.e. the standby power of all electric and electronic devices) represent almost 11% of US energy use. Two similar daily diets in terms of energy intake may differ by a factor of four in terms of life-cycle energy inputs, depending on the content of the diet. Although the cumulative potential gains drawn from individual actions are substantial, they may be hard to reach in reality, because barriers are numerous for individuals to change their behaviour and actually reduce their greenhouse gas emissions. Even individuals with positive attitudes may show much reluctance to behave in a climate-friendly way. Against this background, our paper aims to investigate how these barriers can be overcome so that individuals take action. The investigation that we carry out relies on a climate-friendly initiative that has been going on at the university of social sciences of Grenoble, France, for six years. The goal of the initiative is to stabilize the greenhouse gas emissions of the university in 2010 relative to 1999. Various actions have been taken, such as building a greenhouse gas emissions inventory to monitor those emissions, improving the efficiency of the heating system, organizing internal communication campaigns to help people reduce their carbon footprint. Only a few people are currently acting, although all members of the university could be contributing to reducing the university's emissions. Various barriers prevent them from acting. The first part of the paper presents the university actors, and their mission in the climate-friendly initiative. The second part identifies the university members' main motivations and barriers to a climate-friendly behaviour. Finally, the third part discusses potential ways of overcoming those barriers, calls for an inter-disciplinary research program to successfully address the issue. It should be noted that the methodology adopted in the paper, the barriers

Representing Clarity: Using Universal Design Principles to Create Effective Hybrid Course Learning Materials

Science.gov (United States)

Spiegel, Cheri Lemieux

2012-01-01

This article describes how the author applied principles of universal design to hybrid course materials to increase student understanding and, ultimately, success. Pulling the three principles of universal design--consistency, color, and icon representation--into the author's Blackboard course allowed her to change the types of reading skills…

Private Universities in Kenya Seek Alternative Ways to Manage Change in Teacher Education Curriculum in Compliance with the Commission for University Education Reforms

Science.gov (United States)

Amimo, Catherine Adhiambo

2016-01-01

This study investigated management of change in teacher education curriculum in Private universities in Kenya. The study employed a concurrent mixed methods design that is based on the use of both quantitative and qualitative approaches. A multi-stage sampling process which included purposive, convenience, cluster, and snowball sampling methods…

The use of mediation analysis to assess the effects of a behaviour change communication strategy on bed net ideation and household universal coverage in Tanzania.

Science.gov (United States)

Ricotta, Emily E; Boulay, Marc; Ainslie, Robert; Babalola, Stella; Fotheringham, Megan; Koenker, Hannah; Lynch, Matthew

2015-01-21

SBCC campaigns are designed to act on cognitive, social and emotional factors at the individual or community level. The combination of these factors, referred to as 'ideation', play a role in determining behaviour by reinforcing and confirming decisions about a particular health topic. This study introduces ideation theory and mediation analysis as a way to evaluate the impact of a malaria SBCC campaign in Tanzania, to determine whether exposure to a communication programme influenced universal coverage through mediating ideational variables. A household survey in three districts where community change agents (CCAs) were active was conducted to collect information on ITN use, number of ITNs in the household, and perceptions about ITN use and ownership. Variables relating to attitudes and beliefs were combined to make 'net ideation'. Using an ideational framework, a mediation analysis was conducted to see the impact exposure to a CCA only, mass media and community (M & C) messaging only, or exposure to both, had on household universal coverage, through the mediating variable net ideation. All three levels of exposure (CCA, M & C messaging, or exposure to both) were significantly associated with increased net ideation (CCA: 0.283, 95% CI: 0.136-0.429, p-value: mediation analysis is an applicable new tool to assess SBCC campaigns. Ideation as a mediator of the effects of communication exposure on household universal coverage has implications for designing SBCC to support both mass and continuous distribution efforts, since both heavily rely on consumer participation to obtain and maintain ITNs. Such systems can be strengthened by SBCC programming, generating demand through improving social norms about net ownership and use, perceived benefits of nets, and other behavioural constructs.

Knowledge Management as a Mechanism for Technological and Organizational Change Management in Israeli Universities

Science.gov (United States)

Shoham, Snunith; Perry, Milly

2009-01-01

During the last decade, the higher education sector has experienced many pressures and changes (Hanna, "Educause Review, 38"(4), 25-34, 2003; Scott, "Educause Review, 38", 64-80, 2003; Waterhouse, "The power of e-learning: The essential guide for teaching in the digital age", 2005). Universities around the world are…

Strategic agency and institutional change: investigating the role of universities in regional innovation systems (RISs)

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Benneworth, Paul; Pinheiro, Rómulo; Karlsen, James

2017-01-01

Strategic agency and institutional change: investigating the role of universities in regional innovation systems (RISs). Regional Studies. Past analyses rooted in the thick description of regions successful in constructing regional innovation systems have given way to analyses more focused on the

Country-specific determinants of world university rankings.

Science.gov (United States)

Pietrucha, Jacek

2018-01-01

This paper examines country-specific factors that affect the three most influential world university rankings (the Academic Ranking of World Universities, the QS World University Ranking, and the Times Higher Education World University Ranking). We run a cross sectional regression that covers 42-71 countries (depending on the ranking and data availability). We show that the position of universities from a country in the ranking is determined by the following country-specific variables: economic potential of the country, research and development expenditure, long-term political stability (freedom from war, occupation, coups and major changes in the political system), and institutional variables, including government effectiveness.

Scaling and universality in magnetocaloric materials

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Smith, Anders; Nielsen, Kaspar Kirstein; Bahl, Christian R. H.

2014-01-01

-order phase transition within the context of the theory of critical phenomena. Sufficiently close to the critical temperature of a second-order material, the scaling of the isothermal entropy change will be determined by the critical exponents and will be the same as that of the singular part of the entropy......The magnetocaloric effect of a magnetic material is characterized by two quantities, the isothermal entropy change and the adiabatic temperature change, both of which are functions of temperature and applied magnetic field. We discuss the scaling properties of these quantities close to a second...... fields are not universal, showing significant variation for models in the same universality class. As regards the adiabatic temperature change, it is not determined exclusively by the singular part of the free energy and its derivatives. We show that the field dependence of the adiabatic temperature...

University Infrastructure for Effective Work with Schools.

Science.gov (United States)

Teitel, Lee

1994-01-01

A "10% solution" to systematic coordination of university collaborations with local schools involves a decentralized approach with incentives and a focus for coordination. The overall effect is that the institution lays out no additional cash, redirects funds to support coordination, and intensifies and focuses scattered efforts for…

The Influence of Personal Well-Being on Learning Achievement in University Students Over Time: Mediating or Moderating Effects of Internal and External University Engagement

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lu Yu

2018-01-01

Full Text Available The current study examined the relationship between students' personal well-being and their learning achievement during university study, and whether such relationship would be mediated or moderated by university engagement. A total of 434 university students from one public university in Hong Kong participated in the study. The participants completed an online survey consisting of personal well-being (cognitive behavioral competence and general positive youth development, university engagement, and learning achievement measures (personal growth, and accumulated GPA as academic achievement at four time points with a 1-year interval. Results showed that personal well-being measured at the beginning of university study positively predicted students' personal growth and academic achievement after 3 years' study. While the internal dimensions of university engagement (academic challenge and learning with peers showed longitudinal significant mediational effect, the external dimensions (experience with faculty and campus environment did not have significant longitudinal moderating effect. Nevertheless, external dimensions of student engagement also showed direct effect on personal growth and academic achievement. The long-standing positive effects of personal well-being on university engagement and subsequently, learning achievement during university years call for more attention to the promotion of holistic development among university students in Hong Kong.

The Influence of Personal Well-Being on Learning Achievement in University Students Over Time: Mediating or Moderating Effects of Internal and External University Engagement

Science.gov (United States)

Yu, Lu; Shek, Daniel T. L.; Zhu, Xiaoqin

2018-01-01

The current study examined the relationship between students' personal well-being and their learning achievement during university study, and whether such relationship would be mediated or moderated by university engagement. A total of 434 university students from one public university in Hong Kong participated in the study. The participants completed an online survey consisting of personal well-being (cognitive behavioral competence and general positive youth development), university engagement, and learning achievement measures (personal growth, and accumulated GPA as academic achievement) at four time points with a 1-year interval. Results showed that personal well-being measured at the beginning of university study positively predicted students' personal growth and academic achievement after 3 years' study. While the internal dimensions of university engagement (academic challenge and learning with peers) showed longitudinal significant mediational effect, the external dimensions (experience with faculty and campus environment) did not have significant longitudinal moderating effect. Nevertheless, external dimensions of student engagement also showed direct effect on personal growth and academic achievement. The long-standing positive effects of personal well-being on university engagement and subsequently, learning achievement during university years call for more attention to the promotion of holistic development among university students in Hong Kong. PMID:29375421

Replication RCT of Early Universal Prevention Effects on Young Adult Substance Misuse

Science.gov (United States)

Spoth, Richard; Trudeau, Linda; Redmond, Cleve; Shin, Chungyeol

2014-01-01

Objective For many substances, more frequent and problematic use occurs in young adulthood; these types of use are predicted by the timing of initiation during adolescence. We replicated and extended an earlier study examining whether delayed substance initiation during adolescence, resulting from universal preventive interventions implemented in middle school, reduces problematic use in young adulthood. Method Participants were middle school students from 36 Iowa schools randomly assigned to the Strengthening Families Program plus Life Skills Training (SFP 10–14 + LST), LST-only, or a control condition. Self-report questionnaires were collected at 11 time points, including four during young adulthood. The intercept (average level) and rate of change (slope) in young adult frequency measures (drunkenness, alcohol-related problems, cigarettes, and illicit drugs) across ages 19–22 were modeled as outcomes influenced by growth factors describing substance initiation during adolescence. Analyses entailed testing a two-step hierarchical latent growth curve model; models included the effects of baseline risk, intervention condition assignment, and their interaction. Results Analyses showed significant indirect intervention effects on the average levels of all young adult outcomes, through effects on adolescent substance initiation growth factors, along with intervention by risk interaction effects favoring the higher-risk subsample. Additional direct effects on young adult use were observed in some cases. Relative reduction rates were larger for the higher-risk subsample at age 22, ranging from 5.8% to 36.4% on outcomes showing significant intervention effects. Conclusions Universal preventive interventions implemented during early adolescence have the potential to decrease the rates of substance use and associated problems, into young adulthood. PMID:24821095

Communication and Cultural Change in University Technology Transfer

Science.gov (United States)

Wright, David

2013-01-01

Faculty culture and communication networks are pivotal components of technology transfer on university campuses. Universities are focused upon diffusing technology to external clients and upon building structure and support systems to enhance technology transfer. However, engaging faculty members in technology transfer requires an internal…

The (non)sense of organizational change : An Essai about universal management hypes, sick consultancy metaphors, and healthy organization theories

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Sorge, A; van Witteloostuijn, A

The global business world is infected by a virus that induces a permanent need for organizational change, which is fed by the management consultancy industry. The nature of the organizational change hype changes colour frequently, through the emergence of new universal management fashions. An urge

Cognitive Counselling Intervention: Treatment Effectiveness in an Italian University Centre

Science.gov (United States)

Strepparava, Maria Grazia; Bani, Marco; Zorzi, Federico; Corrias, Deborah; Dolce, Rossella; Rezzonico, Giorgio

2016-01-01

Offering counselling to students is increasingly considered as a key academic service. However, the reduction of resources allocated to Italian universities emphasises the need to assess the quality of interventions. This paper presents data reporting the effectiveness of a university counselling service. A sample of 45 undergraduate students…

Do UK Universities Communicate Their Brands Effectively through Their Websites?

Science.gov (United States)

Chapleo, Chris; Duran, Maria Victoria Carrillo; Diaz, Ana Castillo

2011-01-01

This paper attempts to explore the effectiveness of UK universities' websites. The area of branding in higher education has received increasing academic investigation, but little work has researched how universities demonstrate their brand promises through their websites. The quest to differentiate through branding can be challenging in the…

"Somehow, I Don't Think 'They' Were Expecting 'Us'": The Changing Religious Landscapes for Universities

Science.gov (United States)

Cooper Nelson, Janet M.

2013-01-01

The sacred contours of the nation's colleges and universities changed dramatically since their founding--new human architecture and vocabulary compelled radical reformation of curriculum, policy, and accommodation. But institutional histories and culture remain eloquent and powerful. New competences in religious literacy and convictional identity…

Waveguiding and mirroring effects in stochastic self-similar and Cantorian ε(∞) universe

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Iovane, G.

2005-01-01

A waveguiding effect is considered with respect to the large scale structure of the Universe, where the structures formation appears as if it were a classically self-similar random process at all astrophysical scales. The result is that it seems we live in an El Naschie's ε (∞) Cantorian space-time, where gravitational lensing and waveguiding effects can explain the appearing Universe. In particular, we consider filamentary and planar large scale structures as possible refraction channels for electromagnetic radiation coming from cosmological structures. From this vision the Universe appears like a large self-similar adaptive mirrors set. Consequently, an infinite Universe is just an optical illusion that is produced by mirroring effects connected with the large scale structure of a finite and not so large Universe. Thanks to the presented analytical model supported by a numerical simulation, it is possible to explain the quasar luminosity distribution and the presence of 'twin' or 'brother' objects. More generally, the infinity and the abundance of astrophysical objects could be just a mirroring effect due to the peculiar self-similarity of the Universe

Pay Benefits and Workplace Milieu Effecting Job Satisfaction Level of University Teachers: A Case Study of Punjab University

OpenAIRE

Ali Nisar; Muhammad Iqbal Zafar; Babak Mahmood; Malik Muhammad Sohail; Falak Sher; Muhammad Rizwan Safdar

2012-01-01

The major concern of the study was to examine the influence of pay satisfaction and workplace milieu on job satisfaction levels in the teaching faculty members of University of Punjab. There were three major objectives of this study. First one was to examine the pay satisfaction level of teaching faculty members of University of the Punjab. Second objective was to examine the effect of workplace milieu on job satisfaction level of teaching faculty members of University of the Punjab. And the ...

Changes in abdominal obesity in Chilean university students stratified by body mass index.

Science.gov (United States)

Cossio-Bolaños, Marco; Vilchez-Avaca, Catalina; Contreras-Mellado, Victor; Andruske, Cynthia Lee; Gómez-Campos, Rossana

2016-01-13

Studies based on Body Mass Index (BMI) and waist circumference (WC) are generally used to examine the prevalence and tendency of overweight and obesity. These studies help determine the socioeconomic development of a country and improve public health policies. Therefore, the goal of this research was to determine the trend of change in abdominal obesity of Chilean university students according to the Body Mass Index (BMI) measured in intervals of three and six years. For this study, a total of 1598 students of both sexes ranging in age from 18 to 26 from a Chilean university were evaluated. Students were assessed commencing in 2007 (372 males and 315 females), 2010 (250 males and 330 females), and ending in 2013 (153 males and 178 females). During the three transversal assessments, weight, height, and waist circumference were evaluated. BMI was calculated for both sexes. No significant differences were found in age and BMI during the three years evaluated (2007, 2010, and 2013). In 2013, waist circumference (WC) increased significantly (p obese), the university students showed significant increases in WC (Females: p = 0.004; Males: p = 0.035) whereas in 2007 and 2010, the values remained relatively stable. BMI remained constant during 2007, 2010, and 2013. However, the university students of both sexes showed greater risk of abdominal obesity as a result of increased WC in 2013.

Building Effective Community-University Partnerships: Are Universities Truly Ready?

Science.gov (United States)

Curwood, Susan Eckerle; Munger, Felix; Mitchell, Terry; Mackeigan, Mary; Farrar, Ashley

2011-01-01

Community service learning and community-based research necessitate the development of strong community-university partnerships. In this paper, students, faculty, and a community partner critically reflect upon the process of establishing a long-term community-university partnership through the integration of a community service learning component…

The Nigerian University Teachers' Effectiveness as Perceived by Their Students

Science.gov (United States)

Okoye, Nnamdi S.

2008-01-01

The study investigated the Delta State University, Abraka, Students' concept of the "effective teacher". A sample of 200 second year university students selected from four faculties were asked to select three most important characteristics of a good teacher from a list of ten. The data obtained were analysed using the percentage…

[Stages of change related to fruit and vegetables consumption, physical activity, and weight control in Chilean university students].

Science.gov (United States)

Mardones H, María Angélica; Olivares C, Sonia; Araneda F, Jacqueline; Gómez F, Nelly

2009-09-01

In order to design effective health promotion interventions, nutritional status and the stages of change related to the consumption of fruit and vegetables, physical activity, and weight control were determined in 955 students of both genders at the University of Bio-Bio, Chile. The sample was randomly selected by campus, faculty, and career, with a level of confidence of 95% and a maximum error of 3%. Beside the descriptive analysis, to evaluate the association among nutritional status, fruit and vegetables consumption, physical activity and weight control, Chi2 test was applied. Nutritional status was determined by Body Mass Index and WHO reference standards for adults. A questionnaire previously validated by INTA was applied to evaluate the stages of change. The prevalence of overweight and obesity reached 48.2% in men and 25.5% in women (pphysical activity regularly (pphysical activity.

The science behind Kyoto: the role of universities in the climate change debate. Part I

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

O' Keefe, W.F. (American Petroleum Institute, Washington, DC (United States))

1999-01-01

In the debate over climate change pseudo-arguments have become more important than scientific evidence, as there is little evidence of fossil fuel burning affecting the climate. The lobbyists claims must be refuted by disinterested scientific analysis, and in this the universities must play their part.

The Impediments to the Change to UK University Accounting Education, a Comparison to the USA Pathways Commission

Science.gov (United States)

Ellington, Peter

2017-01-01

There is much debate in the literature concerning the changes necessary for university accounting education to meet the needs of the business environment and broader society. In the USA the Pathways Commission has responded by implementing a programme of evaluation and improvement. In the UK there is no formal agenda for change. This paper…

Prerequisite Change and Its Effect on Intermediate Accounting Performance

Science.gov (United States)

Huang, Jiunn; O'Shaughnessy, John; Wagner, Robin

2005-01-01

As of Fall 1996, San Francisco State University changed its introductory financial accounting course to focus on a "user's" perspective, de-emphasizing the accounting cycle. Anticipating that these changes could impair subsequent performance, the Department of Accounting instituted a new prerequisite for intermediate accounting: Students would…

Investigation of Exercise Self - Efficacy and Stage of Exercise Behavior Change in University Students

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Celal ORAL

2014-08-01

Full Text Available The aim of present study was to investigate self - efficacy and stage of exercise behavior change in students who were studying in school of physical education and sport (PES and students who were studying in other faculty and departments (OFD in Akdeniz University and to evaluate their sport participation habits. Par ticipants were 360 students who were studying in Akdeniz University. Stage of Exercise Behavior Change Questionnaire and Exercise Self - Efficacy Questionnaire were applied to the participants in classroom environment. Results: Results of statistical analyse s revealed that , 27.5 % of men and 19.2% of women were in preparation stage of exercise behavior. There were no significant differences between genders ( p>.05. According to the result of exercise self - efficacy analyses, there were no significant differen ces between male and female students ( p>.05. When examining exercise self - efficacy in student studying different department, there were significant differences between the PES and OFD students (p<.05. Discussion and According to the results o f present study, it was conclude that there were no significant gender differences in both exercise self - efficacy and stage of exercise behavior change. It was found that, PES students had significantly higher score in exercise self - efficacy and in highe r stage of exercise behavior than OFD students.

The effectiveness of a learning strategies program for university students.

Science.gov (United States)

Roces Montero, Cristina; Sierra Y Arizmendiarrieta, Beatriz

2017-11-01

University lecturers often complain about their students’ lack of learning strategies, but not many universities in Spain offer specific courses in this area. Studies on their effectiveness are also rare. This study presents the results of a Learning Strategies Course implemented at the School of Teacher Training and Education, University of Oviedo, Spain. A quasi-experimental design was used with an experi-mental (n = 60) and a control group (n = 57) of students on the Educational Psychology course. A Spanish adaptation of the Motivated Strategies for Learning Questionnaire (MSLQ): the CEAMR2 was used as a pre and post-test measure. Group A (EG) received training in learning strategies, while group B (CG) received no training. Post-test measures showed significant differences in five out of the ten learning strategies assessed: elaboration, organization, repetition, self-questioning and study space, and also an improvement in one out of the six motivational scales: control of learning beliefs. The results suggest that learning strategies courses with proven effectiveness should be offered to university students.

Hand hygiene compliance in a universal gloving setting.

Science.gov (United States)

Kuruno, Noriko; Kasahara, Kei; Mikasa, Keiichi

2017-08-01

The use of gloves for every patient contact (ie, universal gloving) has been suggested as an infection prevention adjunct and alternative to contact precautions. However, gloves may carry organisms unless they are changed properly. In addition, hand hygiene is required before donning and after removing gloves, and there are scarce data regarding glove changing and hand hygiene in a universal gloving setting. This nonrandomized observational before-after study evaluated the effect of education and feedback regarding hand hygiene. Compliance with hand hygiene and glove use was directly observed in a universal gloving setting at a 10-bed intensive care unit in a Japanese tertiary care university teaching hospital. A total of 6,050 hand hygiene opportunities were identified. Overall, hand hygiene compliance steadily increased from study period 1 (16.1%) to period 5 (56.8%), although there were indication-specific differences in the baseline compliance, the degree of improvement, and the reasons for noncompliance. There were decreases in the compliance with universal gloving and the incidence of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus. It is difficult to properly perform glove use and hand hygiene in a universal gloving setting, given its complexity. Direct observation with specific feedback and education may be effective in improving compliance. Copyright © 2017 Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology, Inc. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Perspectives of Increase of University Education Effectiveness: Use of Private Educational Resources

Science.gov (United States)

Tyurina, Yulia; Troyanskaya, Maria

2017-01-01

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to determine the perspectives of increase of effectiveness of university education, related to the use of private educational resources. Design/Methodology/ Approach: In order to determine the dependence of effectiveness of university education on the use of private educational resources, this work uses the…

How changes to Irish healthcare financing are affecting universal health coverage.

Science.gov (United States)

Briggs, Adam D M

2013-11-01

In 2010, the World Health Organisation (WHO) published the World Health Report - Health systems financing: the path to universal coverage. The Director-General of the WHO, Dr Margaret Chan, commissioned the report "in response to a need, expressed by rich and poor countries alike, for practical guidance on ways to finance health care". Given the current context of global economic hardship and difficult budgetary decisions, the report offered timely recommendations for achieving universal health coverage (UHC). This article analyses the current methods of healthcare financing in Ireland and their implications for UHC. Three questions are asked of the Irish healthcare system: firstly, how is the health system financed; secondly, how can the health system protect people from the financial consequences of ill-health and paying for health services; and finally, how can the health system encourage the optimum use of available resources? By answering these three questions, this article argues that the Irish healthcare system is not achieving UHC, and that it is unclear whether recent changes to financing are moving Ireland closer or further away from the WHO's ambition for healthcare for all. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Research-University Governance in Thailand: The Case of Chulalongkorn University

Science.gov (United States)

Rungfamai, Kreangchai

2017-01-01

This specific case of Chulalongkorn University (CU), Thailand, is useful to readers who are interested in comparative aspect of the experiences of research universities in the South East Asian context. This paper aims to provide a description of the environments, changes, and university stakeholders' perceptions in terms of governance arrangements…

Full effects of land use change in the representative concentration pathways

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Davies-Barnard, T; Valdes, P J; Singarayer, J S; Pacifico, F M; Jones, C D

2014-01-01

Future land use change (LUC) is an important component of the IPCC representative concentration pathways (RCPs), but in these scenarios’ radiative forcing targets the climate impact of LUC only includes greenhouse gases. However, climate effects due to physical changes of the land surface can be as large. Here we show the critical importance of including non-carbon impacts of LUC when considering the RCPs. Using an ensemble of climate model simulations with and without LUC, we show that the net climate effect is very different from the carbon-only effect. Despite opposite signs of LUC, all the RCPs assessed here have a small net warming from LUC because of varying biogeophysical effects, and in RCP4.5 the warming is outside of the expected variability. The afforestation in RCP4.5 decreases surface albedo, making the net global temperature anomaly over land around five times larger than RCPs 2.6 and 8.5, for around twice the amount of LUC. Consequent changes to circulation in RCP4.5 in turn reduce Arctic sea ice cover. The small net positive temperature effect from LUC could make RCP4.5’s universal carbon tax, which incentivizes retaining and growing forest, counter productive with respect to climate. However, there are spatial differences in the balance of impacts, and potential climate gains would need to be assessed against other environmental aims. (letter)

The changing role of universities in the German research system: engagement in regional networks, clusters and beyond

OpenAIRE

Koschatzky, Knut; Stahlecker, Thomas

2010-01-01

In Germany, but in other countries as well, a trend towards a regionalisation in technology and innovation policy is clearly evident. This triggers the expectation towards universities to establish regional ties and networks and to exploit the advantages of spatial proximity to other research institutes, to industry and to policy and regional administration. It is the objective of this paper to analyse the changing role of universities as driving force in the development of new modes and mode...

Self-accelerated Universe Induced by Repulsive Effects as an Alternative to Dark Energy and Modified Gravities

Science.gov (United States)

Luongo, Orlando; Quevedo, Hernando

2018-01-01

The existence of current-time universe's acceleration is usually modeled by means of two main strategies. The first makes use of a dark energy barotropic fluid entering by hand the energy-momentum tensor of Einstein's theory. The second lies on extending the Hilbert-Einstein action giving rise to the class of extended theories of gravity. In this work, we propose a third approach, derived as an intrinsic geometrical effect of space-time, which provides repulsive regions under certain circumstances. We demonstrate that the effects of repulsive gravity naturally emerge in the field of a homogeneous and isotropic universe. To this end, we use an invariant definition of repulsive gravity based upon the behavior of the curvature eigenvalues. Moreover, we show that repulsive gravity counterbalances the standard gravitational attraction influencing both late and early times of the universe evolution. This phenomenon leads to the present speed up and to the fast expansion due to the inflationary epoch. In so doing, we are able to unify both dark energy and inflation in a single scheme, showing that the universe changes its dynamics when {\\ddot{H}\\over H}=-2 \\dot{H}, at the repulsion onset time where this condition is satisfied. Further, we argue that the spatial scalar curvature can be taken as vanishing because it does not affect at all the emergence of repulsive gravity. We check the goodness of our approach through two cosmological fits involving the most recent union 2.1 supernova compilation.

Effect of Dentin Wetness on the Bond Strength of Universal Adhesives

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

An-Na Choi

2017-10-01

Full Text Available The effects of dentin wetness on the bond strength and adhesive interface morphology of universal adhesives have been investigated using micro-tensile bond strength (μTBS testing and confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM. Seventy-two human third molars were wet ground to expose flat dentin surfaces. They were divided into three groups according to the air-drying time of the dentin surfaces: 0 (without air drying, 5, and 10 s. The dentin surfaces were then treated with three universal adhesives: G-Premio Bond, Single Bond Universal, and All-Bond Universal in self-etch or etch-and-rinse mode. After composite build up, a μTBS test was performed. One additional tooth was prepared for each group by staining the adhesives with 0.01 wt % of Rhodamine B fluorescent dye for CLSM analysis. The data were analyzed statistically using ANOVA and Tukey’s post hoc tests (α = 0.05. Two-way ANOVA showed significant differences among the adhesive systems and dentin moisture conditions. An interaction effect was also observed (p < 0.05. One-way ANOVA showed that All-Bond Universal was the only material influenced by the wetness of the dentin surfaces. Wetness of the dentin surface is a factor influencing the micro-tensile bond strength of universal adhesives.

Trade-offs and synergies between universal electricity access and climate change mitigation in Sub-Saharan Africa

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Dagnachew, Anteneh G.; Lucas, Paul L.; Hof, Andries F.; van Vuuren, Detlef P.

2018-01-01

Access to electricity services is fundamental to development, as it enables improvements to the quality of human life. At the same time, increasing electricity access can have notable consequences for global climate change. This paper analyses trade-offs and synergies between achieving universal

MARKETING STRATEGY OF THE UNIVERSITY: FORMATION AND ITS EFFECTIVENESS EVALUATION REALIZATION

OpenAIRE

Natalia К. Shemetova

2015-01-01

The study is aimed at developing an algorithm of formation of university’s marketing strategy and the development of evaluating methods of its effectiveness realization. Despite the competitive expansion of the educational services market and the transition to a system of university self-financing, researchers have not paid due attention to the process of developing the marketing strategy of the university and the evaluation of its effectiveness yet. Methods. The applied methods include the m...

The Influence of Socioeconomic Status on Changes in Young People's Expectations of Applying to University

Science.gov (United States)

Anders, Jake

2017-01-01

A much larger proportion of English 14-year-olds expect to apply to university than ultimately make an application by age 21, but the proportion expecting to apply falls from age 14 onwards. In order to assess the role of socioeconomic status in explaining changes in expectations, this paper applies duration modelling techniques to the…

MANAGING CHANGE IN ACADEMIC LIBRARY: THE CASE OF VILNIUS UNIVERSITY LIBRARY

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Marija Prokopčik

2014-04-01

Full Text Available ABSTRACTPurpose: The main objective of this article is to ascertain some most significant fields of the academic library activities, which have (or could have an impact on strengthening the library’s role as a partner in academic community, as well as to perform assessment of Vilnius University Library (thereinafter VUL capacities in order to see what kind of current or future activities performed by the library may contribute to the building-up of such role in Vilnius University (thereinafter VU community.Methodology/approach: Analysis of LIS professional literature of the latter five years reveals the key trends in development of academic libraries, their innovative change and challenges – partnerships of open access, managing of research data; research support; research assessment, Library scientific research, as well as allows to perform situation analysis of one particular library in order to see if and at what scale these identified trends can be traced in VUL.Results: It was established that VUL contributes to the idea and practical implementation of open access, collaborates with VU and Lithuania’s academic community in the projects of research data management, takes an active part in carrying out bibliometric research, helps to form a range of research support services, promotes the Library’s scholarly research and contributes to formation of the institution’s research potential.Research limitation: This article focuses on analysis of one academic library (VUL and its activities. Such issues like studies support, library as a space for communication, professional assistance in research events organization, improvement of information and media literacy were deliberately not covered.Originality/practical implications: Identification of common trends and measures of their practical implementation in one particular institution may be useful for other libraries planning the strategy of change and (or implementing selected solutions.

From Ignoring to Leading Changes – What Role do Universities Play in Developing Countries? (Case of Croatia

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Slavica Singer

2010-12-01

Full Text Available Using the model of entrepreneurial university, the paper presents major blockages (university’s own institutional rigidity, fragmented organization, lack of mutual trust between the business sector and universities, no real benchmarks, legal framework not supportive of opening the university to new initiatives in Triple Helix interactions in Croatia. Comparing identified blockages with expectations (multidimensional campus, cooperation with the business sector and other stakeholders in designing new educational and research programs expressed by HEIs in developed countries around the world (2008 EIU survey indicates new challenges for universities in developing countries. With Triple Helix approach, not confined within national borders, but as an international networking opportunity, these challenges can be seen as opportunities, otherwise they are threats. On the scale of ignoring, observing, participating and leading positive changes in its surroundings, for the purpose of measuring vitality of Triple Helix interactions, Croatian universities are located more between ignoring and observing position. To move them towards a leading position, coordinated and consistent policies are needed in order to focus on eliminating identified blockages. Universities should take the lead in this process; otherwise they are losing credibility as desired partners in developing space for Triple Helix interactions.

Universal core model for multiple-gate field-effect transistors with short channel and quantum mechanical effects

Science.gov (United States)

Shin, Yong Hyeon; Bae, Min Soo; Park, Chuntaek; Park, Joung Won; Park, Hyunwoo; Lee, Yong Ju; Yun, Ilgu

2018-06-01

A universal core model for multiple-gate (MG) field-effect transistors (FETs) with short channel effects (SCEs) and quantum mechanical effects (QMEs) is proposed. By using a Young’s approximation based solution for one-dimensional Poisson’s equations the total inversion charge density (Q inv ) in the channel is modeled for double-gate (DG) and surrounding-gate SG (SG) FETs, following which a universal charge model is derived based on the similarity of the solutions, including for quadruple-gate (QG) FETs. For triple-gate (TG) FETs, the average of DG and QG FETs are used. A SCEs model is also proposed considering the potential difference between the channel’s surface and center. Finally, a QMEs model for MG FETs is developed using the quantum correction compact model. The proposed universal core model is validated on commercially available three-dimensional ATLAS numerical simulations.

Effecting dietary change.

Science.gov (United States)

Adamson, Ashley J; Mathers, John C

2004-11-01

A world epidemic of diet-related chronic disease is currently being faced. In the UK incidence of obesity alone has tripled in the last 20 years and this trend is predicted to continue. Consensus exists for the urgent need for a change in diet and other lifestyle factors and for the direction and targets for this change. The evidence for how this change can be achieved is less certain. It has been established that disease processes begin in childhood. Recent evidence indicates that dietary habits too are established in childhood but that these habits are amenable to change. While establishing a healthy lifestyle in childhood is paramount, interventions have the potential to promote positive change throughout the life course. Success in reversing current trends in diet-related disease will depend on commitment from legislators, health professionals, industry and individuals, and this collaboration must seek to address not only the food choices of the individual but also the environment that influences such choices. Recent public health policy development in England, if fully supported and implemented, is a positive move towards this goal. Evidence for effective strategies to promote dietary change at the individual level is emerging and three reviews of this evidence are discussed. In addition, three recent dietary intervention studies, in three different settings and with different methods and aims, are presented to illustrate methods of effecting dietary change. Further work is required on what factors influence the eating behaviour and physical activity of individuals. There is a need for further theory-based research on which to develop more effective strategies to enable individuals to adopt healthier lifestyles.

Impact of Change Management on Employee Behavior in a University Administrative Office

Science.gov (United States)

Turner, Kendra

2017-01-01

This qualitative case study focused on the effect of a system implementation upgrade on employees' job performance within a central administration department of a major research university in the Southern United States. Review of literature revealed a lack of a specific model or process for system implementation upgrades and its impact on…

Strategic Leadership and Its Application in Egyptian Universities

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Hany R. Alalfy

2014-11-01

Full Text Available Today's universities operate in a climate of great change, along with increased responsibilities and accountability from Internal and external customers. This has resulted in calls for a new kind of leadership working to help the university to improve educational services and face more challenges, called strategic leadership, at the university level. Aim of study defining of Egyptian leadership universities pattern of modern leadership styles, named as Strategic leadership (concept, objectives, roles, requirements, and application obstacles. Relate to the suffering of the Egyptian universities of many problems that limit their efficiency and effectiveness. This led to the need to search for new approaches as strategic leadership for eliminate of these problems. The study used a descriptive approach for its suitability for the nature of the study. The study found multiple reasons for the application of strategic leadership style in Egyptian universities as a result of  the problems the leaderships of the Egyptian universities suffer from  which limits its efficiency and effectiveness. Study recommended starting applying this pattern quickly after all the positive results it achieved in many universities.   

Effective dynamics of the hybrid quantization of the Gowdy T3 universe

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Brizuela, David; Mena Marugan, Guillermo A.; Pawlowski, Tomasz

2011-01-01

The quantum dynamics of the linearly polarized Gowdy T 3 model (compact inhomogeneous universes admitting linearly polarized gravitational waves) is analyzed within loop quantum cosmology by means of an effective dynamics. The analysis, performed via analytical and numerical methods, proves that the behavior found in the evolution of vacuum (homogeneous) Bianchi I universes is preserved qualitatively also in the presence of inhomogeneities. More precisely, the initial singularity is replaced by a big bounce which joins deterministically two large classical universes. In addition, we show that the size of the universe at the bounce is at least of the same order of magnitude (roughly speaking) as the size of the corresponding homogeneous universe obtained in the absence of gravitational waves. In particular, a precise lower bound for the ratio of these two sizes is found. Finally, the comparison of the amplitudes of the gravitational wave modes in the distant future and past shows that, statistically (i.e., for large samples of universes), the difference in amplitude is enhanced for nearly homogeneous universes, whereas this difference vanishes in inhomogeneity-dominated cases. The presented analysis constitutes the first systematic effective study of an inhomogeneous system within loop quantum cosmology, and it proves the robustness of the results obtained for homogeneous cosmologies in this context.

The Quantum Effect on Friedmann Equation in FRW Universe

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Wei Zhang

2018-01-01

Full Text Available We study the modified Friedmann equation in the Friedmann-Robertson-Walker universe with quantum effect. Our modified results mainly stem from the new entropy-area relation and the novel idea of Padmanabhan, who considers the cosmic space to be emerging as the cosmic time progresses, so that the expansion rate of the universe is determined by the difference of degrees of freedom between the holographic surface and the bulk inside. We also discuss the possibility of having bounce cosmological solution from the modified Friedmann equation in spatially flat geometry.

University Students' Perceptions of the Life Effects of Stuttering

Science.gov (United States)

Hughes, Stephanie; Gabel, Rodney; Irani, Farzan; Schlagheck, Adam

2010-01-01

An open-ended, written survey was administered to 146 university students who did not stutter to obtain their impressions of the effects of stuttering on the lives of people who stutter (PWS). Participants first wrote about the general effects of stuttering and then considered how their lives would be different if they stuttered. Both types of…

Effect of Fees Policies on the Quality of University Education in ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

This paper reports on the findings of a study that was undertaken to analyse the effect of fees policy on the quality of university education in Uganda. It reports that every university in Uganda has a fees policy and that these fees policies differ in content and implementation. The paper confirms a significant relationship ...

Emergent universe model with dissipative effects

Science.gov (United States)

Debnath, P. S.; Paul, B. C.

2017-12-01

Emergent universe model is presented in general theory of relativity with isotropic fluid in addition to viscosity. We obtain cosmological solutions that permit emergent universe scenario in the presence of bulk viscosity that are described by either Eckart theory or Truncated Israel Stewart (TIS) theory. The stability of the solutions are also studied. In this case, the emergent universe (EU) model is analyzed with observational data. In the presence of viscosity, one obtains emergent universe scenario, which however is not permitted in the absence of viscosity. The EU model is compatible with cosmological observations.

University students with learning disabilities advocating for change.

Science.gov (United States)

Roer-Strier, D

2002-11-20

In recent decades Western psychology has conceptualized learning disabilities (LD) in terms of deficits and such related 'social emotional issues' as insecurity, low self-esteem and social isolation that can be rehabilitated through combined remedial teaching and psychological intervention. With increasing advocacy and legislation on behalf of people with disabilities in the US, UK and Australia, more resources are being made available to students with LD in institutions of higher education. Due to this increase in the quantity of services, written programmes and accommodations made to their needs, increased numbers of students with LD have been graduating successfully from institutions of higher education. This paper describes an option for treating students with LD that is based on a theoretical perspective that understands these students as an excluded population and emphasizes the importance of their empowerment. A project involving social work students with LD at Hebrew University in Jerusalem is presented as a case study. Case-study investigation, one of the common methods of qualitative research, explores social and human problems in their natural context. A 6-year evaluation of this project was conducted based on questionnaires, focus groups, documentation of all activities related to the project, in-depth interviews and outcome measures. The results suggest that the project developed in three stages: raising awareness, building partnerships, and lobbying for rights and services. Outcome measures indicate that the project was successful in lowering dropout rates and improving students' academic achievement. Analysis of interviews with students suggests that the project positively affected the students' perceptions by helping them reframe the social and emotional connotations of their learning disability. Students reported marked social and emotional change, including reduced stress and anxiety levels and increased self-esteem. Empowerment practices that are

Effect of Dentin Wetness on the Bond Strength of Universal Adhesives

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Ji-Hye; Son, Sung-Ae; Jung, Kyoung-Hwa; Kwon, Yong Hoon

2017-01-01

The effects of dentin wetness on the bond strength and adhesive interface morphology of universal adhesives have been investigated using micro-tensile bond strength (μTBS) testing and confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM). Seventy-two human third molars were wet ground to expose flat dentin surfaces. They were divided into three groups according to the air-drying time of the dentin surfaces: 0 (without air drying), 5, and 10 s. The dentin surfaces were then treated with three universal adhesives: G-Premio Bond, Single Bond Universal, and All-Bond Universal in self-etch or etch-and-rinse mode. After composite build up, a μTBS test was performed. One additional tooth was prepared for each group by staining the adhesives with 0.01 wt % of Rhodamine B fluorescent dye for CLSM analysis. The data were analyzed statistically using ANOVA and Tukey’s post hoc tests (α = 0.05). Two-way ANOVA showed significant differences among the adhesive systems and dentin moisture conditions. An interaction effect was also observed (p adhesives. PMID:29068404

Aligning Practice to Policies: Changing the Culture to Recognize and Reward Teaching at Research Universities

Science.gov (United States)

Dennin, Michael; Schultz, Zachary D.; Feig, Andrew; Finkelstein, Noah; Greenhoot, Andrea Follmer; Hildreth, Michael; Leibovich, Adam K.; Martin, James D.; Moldwin, Mark B.; O’Dowd, Diane K.; Posey, Lynmarie A.; Smith, Tobin L.; Miller, Emily R.

2017-01-01

Recent calls for improvement in undergraduate education within STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) disciplines are hampered by the methods used to evaluate teaching effectiveness. Faculty members at research universities are commonly assessed and promoted mainly on the basis of research success. To improve the quality of undergraduate teaching across all disciplines, not only STEM fields, requires creating an environment wherein continuous improvement of teaching is valued, assessed, and rewarded at various stages of a faculty member’s career. This requires consistent application of policies that reflect well-established best practices for evaluating teaching at the department, college, and university levels. Evidence shows most teaching evaluation practices do not reflect stated policies, even when the policies specifically espouse teaching as a value. Thus, alignment of practice to policy is a major barrier to establishing a culture in which teaching is valued. Situated in the context of current national efforts to improve undergraduate STEM education, including the Association of American Universities Undergraduate STEM Education Initiative, this essay discusses four guiding principles for aligning practice with stated priorities in formal policies: 1) enhancing the role of deans and chairs; 2) effectively using the hiring process; 3) improving communication; and 4) improving the understanding of teaching as a scholarly activity. In addition, three specific examples of efforts to improve the practice of evaluating teaching are presented as examples: 1) Three Bucket Model of merit review at the University of California, Irvine; (2) Evaluation of Teaching Rubric, University of Kansas; and (3) Teaching Quality Framework, University of Colorado, Boulder. These examples provide flexible criteria to holistically evaluate and improve the quality of teaching across the diverse institutions comprising modern higher education. PMID:29196430

The Effects of University-Industry Relationships and Academic Research on Scientific Performance: Synergy or Substitution?

Science.gov (United States)

Manjarres-Henriquez, Liney; Gutierrez-Gracia, Antonio; Carrion-Garcia, Andres; Vega-Jurado, Jaider

2009-01-01

This paper evaluates whether university-industry relationships (UIR) and academic research activities have complementary effects on the scientific production of university lecturers. The analysis is based on a case study of two Spanish universities. We find that the effects of R&D contracts with industry, and academic research activity on…

SuBSENSE: a universal change detection method with local adaptive sensitivity.

Science.gov (United States)

St-Charles, Pierre-Luc; Bilodeau, Guillaume-Alexandre; Bergevin, Robert

2015-01-01

Foreground/background segmentation via change detection in video sequences is often used as a stepping stone in high-level analytics and applications. Despite the wide variety of methods that have been proposed for this problem, none has been able to fully address the complex nature of dynamic scenes in real surveillance tasks. In this paper, we present a universal pixel-level segmentation method that relies on spatiotemporal binary features as well as color information to detect changes. This allows camouflaged foreground objects to be detected more easily while most illumination variations are ignored. Besides, instead of using manually set, frame-wide constants to dictate model sensitivity and adaptation speed, we use pixel-level feedback loops to dynamically adjust our method's internal parameters without user intervention. These adjustments are based on the continuous monitoring of model fidelity and local segmentation noise levels. This new approach enables us to outperform all 32 previously tested state-of-the-art methods on the 2012 and 2014 versions of the ChangeDetection.net dataset in terms of overall F-Measure. The use of local binary image descriptors for pixel-level modeling also facilitates high-speed parallel implementations: our own version, which used no low-level or architecture-specific instruction, reached real-time processing speed on a midlevel desktop CPU. A complete C++ implementation based on OpenCV is available online.

Effects of age, sex, and university status on life-satisfaction.

Science.gov (United States)

Hong, S M; Giannakopoulos, E

1994-02-01

Diener, et al.'s 1985 Satisfaction With Life Scale was administered to 1749 adult Australians to examine differences between men and women, university students and nonuniversity students, and among 17- to 22-, 23- to 29-, and 30- to 40-yr.-olds. No significant differences in life-satisfaction emerged in relation to sex or university status, but age showed a significant effect as higher life-satisfaction characterized older subjects. No interactions were found for any combination of the three variables. The results are interpreted in terms of egalitarian sex-role ideologies regarding sex, status-specific criteria in the assessment and conceptualisation of life-satisfaction for university status, and maturity trends in viewing life events concerning age.

An Investigation on Changing Behaviours of University Students Switching from Using Classical Cell Phones to Smartphones

Science.gov (United States)

Arslan, Yusuf

2016-01-01

In this study, it was tried to comprehend whether there occur any changes in behaviours of university students switching from classical cell phones to smartphones. The investigation was carried out according to quantitative research method. Questionnaire was employed as data collection tool. The datum of the study was limited with the information…

Project H.O.P.E.: Effective University Engagement with Community Afterschool Programs

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Barbara C. Jentleson

2009-09-01

Full Text Available Implemented in 2002 by the Duke-Durham Neighborhood Partnership, Project H.O.P.E. has improved the quantity and quality of afterschool programs for the youth of Durham, NC. Project H.O.P.E. provides tutoring programs, enrichment resources, and evaluation support to non-profit community partner organizations located in the low income Durham neighborhoods surrounding Duke University. Duke University undergraduates who provide tutoring services to the Durham youth in the afterschool programs gain from valuable reciprocal service learning experiences. Project H.O.P.E. is an effective model of the mutual benefits that can be gained from effective university and community engagement in the service of at-risk students.

Changing scene highlights III. [Iowa State University

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Fassel, V. A.; Harl, Neil E.; Legvold, Sam; Ruedenberg, Klaus; Swenson, Clayton A.; Burnet, George; Fisher, Ray W.; Gschneidner, Karl A.; Hansen, Robert S.; Kliewer, Kenneth L.; Wildman, Ruth

1979-01-01

The research programs in progress at Ames Laboratory, Iowa State University, are reviewed: hydrogen (storage), materials, catalysts, TRISTAN (their laboratory isotope separator), coal preparation, coal classification, land reclamation (after surface mining, nitinol, neutron radiography, grain dust explosions, biomass conversion, etc). (LTC)

Shifting Sands in the United Arab Emirates: Effecting Conceptual Change for Creativity in Early Childhood Teacher Education

Science.gov (United States)

Baker, Fiona S.

2013-01-01

This study examines the effectiveness of a four-stage conceptual change approach to creativity development in teacher education in the Emirate of Dubai, the United Arab Emirates. The participants were 32 student teachers studying at undergraduate level at an all-female university. The study examined participant preconceptions of creativity and how…

Universidad de Chile: Self-Assessment and Its Effects on University's Management

Science.gov (United States)

Busco, Carolina; Dooner, Cecilia; d'Alencon, Andrés

2018-01-01

This paper presents a brief approach to the results of a case study of a university within the Chilean higher education system, focusing on the effects of self-assessment on the university's management of undergraduate and postgraduate programs from 2011 to 2014. The research hypothesis is that the university's management, as a dependent variable,…

Hypersingular integral equations, waveguiding effects in Cantorian Universe and genesis of large scale structures

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Iovane, G.; Giordano, P.

2005-01-01

In this work we introduce the hypersingular integral equations and analyze a realistic model of gravitational waveguides on a cantorian space-time. A waveguiding effect is considered with respect to the large scale structure of the Universe, where the structure formation appears as if it were a classically self-similar random process at all astrophysical scales. The result is that it seems we live in an El Naschie's o (∞) Cantorian space-time, where gravitational lensing and waveguiding effects can explain the appearing Universe. In particular, we consider filamentary and planar large scale structures as possible refraction channels for electromagnetic radiation coming from cosmological structures. From this vision the Universe appears like a large self-similar adaptive mirrors set, thanks to three numerical simulations. Consequently, an infinite Universe is just an optical illusion that is produced by mirroring effects connected with the large scale structure of a finite and not a large Universe

[Effectiveness of cognitive-behavioral therapy in childhood anxiety disorders in a university psychiatric outpatient clinic].

Science.gov (United States)

Goletz, Hildegard; Yang, Young-Im; Suhr-Dachs, Lydia; Walter, Daniel; Döpfner, Manfred

2013-07-01

Only few studies have examined whether the efficacy of cognitive-behavioral therapy for childhood anxiety disorders as demonstrated in randomized controlled trials (RCTs) generalizes to clinical practice. This study examines the effectiveness of cognitive-behavioral therapy for juvenile anxiety disorders under routine care conditions in a university-based psychiatric outpatient clinic. 92 children and adolescents with parent-ratings regarding anxiety and comorbid symptoms and 61 children and adolescents with self-ratings regarding anxiety and comorbid symptoms were treated with cognitive-behavioral interventions. Pre/post mean comparisons, effect sizes, and the clinical significance of changes in symptoms were examined. The effect size for reduction of anxiety symptoms was .81 for children whose parents had completed the rating scale and .79 for children who had filled in a self-rating scale. Effect sizes for reduction of comorbid symptoms varied between .37 and .84 for parent ratings and between .21 and .62 for self-ratings. The percentage of children and adolescents who achieved clinically significant improvements in anxiety symptoms was 55.1 % according to the parent ratings and 65.7 % according to the children's self-ratings. More than 50 % of parents and children reported clinically significant improvements in comorbid symptoms. Significant reductions in both anxiety and comorbid symptoms were demonstrated over the course of cognitive-behavioral therapy of juvenile anxiety disorders in a university psychiatric outpatient clinic. The effect sizes for anxiety symptoms were found to be comparable to the effect sizes reported in RCTs. Similarly, clinically significant improvements were as frequent as the rates of remission of anxiety symptoms reported in RCTs.

The Effect of Public and Private Decisions on University Governance on the Transnational Relations of American-Associated Universities in the Middle East

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rasmus Bertelsen

2012-07-01

Full Text Available This paper analyzes the effect of public and private decisions on university governance on how historic and current American-associated universities in the Middle East have and continue to connect as transnational actors with a multitude of public, private and civil society actors in American society. These universities are the classic missionary universities in Beirut and Cairo (the American University of Beirut, Lebanese American University and the American University in Cairo as well as the many branch campuses and new universities with American accreditation or partnership which have appeared especially in the Gulf States. The ability of these universities to engage with actors in American society and the Middle Eastern host society is explained by their model of governance highlighting public and private decisions on primarily owner-ship structure and non- or for-profit status. Affiliated, non-profit status explains academic reputation, while proprietary, for-profit status is detrimental. Academic reputation is the basis of the relationships these universities maintain with American private, public and civil society actors.

The Responsive University: Restructuring for High Performance.

Science.gov (United States)

Tierney, William G., Ed.

This book describes how colleges and universities might respond more effectively to changing social, demographic, and political forces. An introductory chapter, "On the Road to Recovery and Renewal: Reinventing Academe" (William G. Tierney), advocates reorienting basic work structures and designing more creative organizations. In "Listening to the…

Effective Pedagogical Strategies for Millennial University Students in Communication Sciences and Disorders

Science.gov (United States)

Roseberry-McKibbin, Celeste; Pieretti, Robert; Haberstock, Keith; Estrada, Jovany

2016-01-01

University instructors nationwide have been recognizing the increased importance of updating classroom teaching strategies to accommodate the needs of the millennial student generation. This article shares results of surveys of 323 university students in communication sciences and disorders and what they view as effective pedagogical strategies…

Work stress and health effects among university personnel.

Science.gov (United States)

Donders, N C G M; van der Gulden, J W J; Furer, J W; Tax, B; Roscam Abbing, E W

2003-10-01

(1) To investigate the contribution of job characteristics and personal characteristics to the explanation of health effects among university personnel; (2) to investigate the differences between scientific personnel (SP) and non-scientific personnel (NSP); (3) to investigate whether health effects occurred one after another. The well being at work of employees at a Dutch university (n=2,522) was investigated by means of a questionnaire. A model was constructed in which several job and personal characteristics were set out against health effects. The latter were assumed to occur in phases: decreased "job satisfaction" as an early effect, followed by increased "tension" and "emotional exhaustion", and possibly also by increased "perceived health complaints". The contribution of job and personal characteristics to the explanation of health effects was investigated by means of linear regression analysis, with separate analyses for SP and NSP. Positive job characteristics, especially professional expertise and work variety, contributed to the explanation of "job satisfaction". The major contributors to "tension" and "emotional exhaustion" were negative characteristics, such as work pressure. Besides the negative aspects, the major contributors to the explanation of "perceived health complaints" were sex, age and other health effects. In NSP, social support contributed to the explanation of "tension" and "emotional exhaustion", but not in SP. The explained variance of "job satisfaction" by the positive job characteristics in NSP was much higher than that in SP. To investigate whether health effects occurred one after another, we considered explained variance. Explained variance in "job satisfaction" was much higher than in "perceived health complaints". "Emotional exhaustion" and "tension" were in between. Contrary to expectations, decision latitude and social support played only minor roles. Also, the differences between SP and NSP were smaller than expected. As

Relationship between Teachers' Effective Communication and Students' Academic Achievement at the Northern Border University

Science.gov (United States)

Al-Madani, Feras Mohammed

2015-01-01

Effective communication between faculty members and students is one of the concerns of the educational stakeholders at the Northern Border University, Saudi Arabia. This study investigates the relationship between teachers' effective communication and students' academic achievement at the Northern Border University. The survey questionnaire…

Eating behaviour of university students in Germany: Dietary intake, barriers to healthy eating and changes in eating behaviour since the time of matriculation.

Science.gov (United States)

Hilger, Jennifer; Loerbroks, Adrian; Diehl, Katharina

2017-02-01

A healthy diet plays a key role in preventing obesity and non-communicable diseases such as type 2 diabetes. This is true for all age groups, including young adults. While unhealthy eating habits among young adults, in particular university students, have been identified in former studies, this group has been neglected in existing health promotion strategies. Our aim was to explore baseline dietary intake, common barriers to healthy eating, and changes in eating behaviour among university students since the time of matriculation. We used data from the quantitative part of the Nutrition and Physical Activity Study (NuPhA), a cross-sectional online survey (data collection: 2014/10/31-2015/01/15). Students were recruited from all over Germany. Overall, 689 university students (30.5% male; mean age: 22.69) from more than 40 universities across Germany participated. We found that there is room for improvement with regard to the consumption of specific food groups, for example, fruits and vegetables. The main barriers to healthy eating were lack of time due to studies, lack of healthy meals at the university canteen, and high prices of healthy foods. Cluster analysis revealed that barriers to healthy eating might affect only specific subgroups, for instance freshmen. Changes in eating behaviour since matriculation were found in the consumption of meat, fish, and regular meals. Future qualitative studies may help to explore why university students change their eating behaviour since the time of matriculation. Such knowledge is necessary to inform health promotion strategies in the university setting. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The expanding universe

CERN Document Server

Lew, Kristi

2011-01-01

People have always been fascinated with the stars above and the universe that contains them. Over the years, astronomers have developed numerous theories to explain how the universe began, how it works, and what its ultimate fate will be. But all of the scientists' questions are far from answered. The Expanding Universe goes beyond the creation of the universe to explain how scientists think the universe works, grows, and changes, including what great thinkers Isaac Newton and Albert Einstein had to say about its fate. Readers will also learn about how researchers are slowly shedding light on

[Effects of the ISO 15189 accreditation on Nagoya University Hospital].

Science.gov (United States)

Yoshiko, Kenichi

2012-07-01

The Department of Clinical Laboratory, Nagoya University Hospital acquired ISO 15189 accreditation in November, 2009. The operation of our Quality Management System (QMS) was first surveyed in October, 2010. In this paper, we reported the activity for the preparation and operation of our QMS and the effects of ISO 15189 accreditation. We investigated the changes in the number and content on nonconformities, incident reports and complaints before and after accreditation as indicators to evaluate the effect of ISO 15189 accreditation. Post accreditation, the number of nonconformities and incident reports decreased, seeming to show an improvement of quality of the laboratory activity; however, the number of complaints increased. We identified the increase of complaints at the phlebotomy station. There had been some problems with blood sampling in the past, but it seemed that staff had a high level of concern regarding these problems at the phlebotomy station and took appropriate measures to resolve the complaints. We confirmed that the ISO 15189 accreditation was instrumental in the improvements of the safety and efficiency on laboratory works. However there was a problem that increase of overtime works to operate the QMS. We deal with development of a laboratory management system using IT recourses to solve the problem.

The supersymmetric Casimir effect and quantum creation of the universe with nontrivial topology

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Goncharov, Yu.P.; Bytsenko, A.A.

1985-01-01

We estimate the probability of quantum creation of the universe, having the spatial topology (S 1 ) 3 , and filled with the fields of minimal N=1 supergravity, in the semiclassical approximation. After creation, inflation of the universe occurs due to the topological Casimir effect. Creation of the universe with an isotropic topology is found to be the most preferable. (orig.)

The Scholarly Communication Process within the University Research Corridor (Michigan State University, the University of Michigan, and Wayne State University): A Case Study in Cooperation

Science.gov (United States)

Utter, Timothy; Holley, Robert P.

2009-01-01

The growth of open access publishing, the development of institutional repositories, and the availability of millions of digitized monographs and journals are rapidly changing scholarly communication. This case study looks at the current and possible uses of these tools by Michigan's three largest universities: Michigan State University, the…

Enterprising University Put to the Test: Transnational Education in the Middle East

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Fusilier, Marcelline; Munro, Douglas

2014-01-01

Educational leaders are increasingly required to become effective change agents as schools and universities are faced with pressures to cut costs and adapt to stakeholder demands. This case details the administrative challenges of restructuring a private-sector higher education provider from a traditional to an enterprising university capable of…

Effectiveness of suicide prevention gatekeeper-training for university administrative staff in Japan.

Science.gov (United States)

Hashimoto, Naoki; Suzuki, Yuriko; Kato, Takahiro A; Fujisawa, Daisuke; Sato, Ryoko; Aoyama-Uehara, Kumi; Fukasawa, Maiko; Asakura, Satoshi; Kusumi, Ichiro; Otsuka, Kotaro

2016-01-01

Suicide is a leading cause of death among Japanese college and university students. Gatekeeper-training programs have been shown to improve detection and referral of individuals who are at risk of suicide by training non-mental-health professional persons. However, no studies have investigated the effectiveness of such programs in university settings in Japan. The aim of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of the gatekeeper-training program for administrative staff in Japanese universities. We developed a 2.5-h gatekeeper-training program based on the Mental Health First Aid program, which was originally developed for the general public. Seventy-six administrative staff at Hokkaido University participated in the program. Competence and confidence in managing suicide intervention, behavioral intention as a gatekeeper and attitude while handling suicidal students were measured by a self-reported questionnaire before, immediately after and a month after the program. We found a significant improvement in competence in the management of suicidal students. We also found improvements in confidence in management of suicidal students and behavioral intention as a gatekeeper after training, though questionnaires for those secondary outcomes were not validated. These improvements continued for a month. About 95% of the participants rated the program as useful or very useful and one-third of the participants had one or more chances to utilize their skills within a month. The current results suggest the positive effects of the training program in university settings in Japan. Future evaluation that includes comparison with standard didactic trainings and an assessment of long-term effectiveness are warranted. © 2015 The Authors. Psychiatry and Clinical Neurosciences © 2015 Japanese Society of Psychiatry and Neurology.

Effective cosmological constant within the expanding axion universe

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Pierpoint, M.P., E-mail: M.Pierpoint@lboro.ac.uk; Kusmartsev, F.V., E-mail: F.Kusmartsev@lboro.ac.uk

2014-09-12

We show that the value of an effective cosmological constant, Λ{sub eff}, is influenced by the dimensionality of the space. Results were obtained in the framework of the axion model describing expansion of the inhomogeneous universe. Λ{sub eff} determines the tension of the space (i.e. elasticity), and is relaxed when extra dimensions are accessible. We demonstrate that the effective value of the cosmological constant may be tuned to be consistent with experimental observation. Inhomogeneities considered are representative of temperature fluctuations observed within the cosmic microwave background radiation.

The Effect of Diversity Climate Perception on Alienation of Students to University

Science.gov (United States)

Kurtulmus, Mehmet

2016-01-01

The aim of this research is to examine the effect of diversity climate perception on alienation of students to university. The research was carried out with relational survey model. 333 undergraduate students in Faculty of Education, Medical, and Faculty of Theology of Dicle University constituted the participant group. Research data were…

Large-scale innovation and change in UK higher education

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Stephen Brown

2013-09-01

Full Text Available This paper reflects on challenges universities face as they respond to change. It reviews current theories and models of change management, discusses why universities are particularly difficult environments in which to achieve large scale, lasting change and reports on a recent attempt by the UK JISC to enable a range of UK universities to employ technology to deliver such changes. Key lessons that emerged from these experiences are reviewed covering themes of pervasiveness, unofficial systems, project creep, opposition, pressure to deliver, personnel changes and technology issues. The paper argues that collaborative approaches to project management offer greater prospects of effective large-scale change in universities than either management-driven top-down or more champion-led bottom-up methods. It also argues that while some diminution of control over project outcomes is inherent in this approach, this is outweighed by potential benefits of lasting and widespread adoption of agreed changes.

Assessing the Relationship between Servant Leadership and Effective Teaching in a Private University Setting

Science.gov (United States)

Jacobs, Karen

2011-01-01

To address the competition for students, the demand for increasing student enrollments and the pressure for student satisfaction, teaching effectiveness has become an increasingly common discussion on university campuses. The competition for students among universities requires a new approach to teaching. As university campuses continue to compete…

Ethics in Community-University-Artist Partnered Research: Tensions, Contradictions and Gaps Identified in an 'Arts for Social Change' Project.

Science.gov (United States)

Yassi, Annalee; Spiegel, Jennifer Beth; Lockhart, Karen; Fels, Lynn; Boydell, Katherine; Marcuse, Judith

Academics from diverse disciplines are recognizing not only the procedural ethical issues involved in research, but also the complexity of everyday "micro" ethical issues that arise. While ethical guidelines are being developed for research in aboriginal populations and low-and-middle-income countries, multi-partnered research initiatives examining arts-based interventions to promote social change pose a unique set of ethical dilemmas not yet fully explored. Our research team, comprising health, education, and social scientists, critical theorists, artists and community-activists launched a five-year research partnership on arts-for-social change. Funded by the Social Science and Humanities Research Council in Canada and based in six universities, including over 40 community-based collaborators, and informed by five main field projects (circus with street youth, theatre by people with disabilities, dance for people with Parkinson's disease, participatory theatre with refugees and artsinfused dialogue), we set out to synthesize existing knowledge and lessons we learned. We summarized these learnings into 12 key points for reflection, grouped into three categories: community-university partnership concerns ( n  = 3), dilemmas related to the arts ( n  = 5), and team issues ( n  = 4). In addition to addressing previous concerns outlined in the literature (e.g., related to consent, anonymity, dangerous emotional terrain, etc.), we identified power dynamics (visible and hidden) hindering meaningful participation of community partners and university-based teams that need to be addressed within a reflective critical framework of ethical practice. We present how our team has been addressing these issues, as examples of how such concerns could be approached in community-university partnerships in arts for social change.

Some Aspects of Scaling and Universality in Magnetocaloric Materials

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Smith, Anders; Nielsen, Kaspar Kirstein; Bahl, Christian R.H.

2014-01-01

The magnetocaloric effect of a magnetic material is characterized by two quantities, the isothermal entropy change and the adiabatic temperature change, both of which are functions of temperature and applied magnetic field. We discuss the scaling properties of these quantities close to a second...... order phase transition within the context of critical scaling theory. In the critical region the isothermal entropy change will exhibit universal scaling exponents. However, this is only true close to Tc and for small fields; we show that for finite fields the scaling exponents in general become field...... dependent, even at Tc. Furthermore, the scaling exponents at finite fields are not universal: Two models with the same critical exponents can exhibit markedly different scaling behaviour even at relatively low fields. Turning to the adiabatic temperature change, we argue that it is not determined...

Taiwan Universities: Where to Go?

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yu-Ying Kuo

2016-02-01

Full Text Available The dramatic expansion of Taiwan universities/colleges from about 100 to 160 from the late 1980s has encountered problems due to social and global changes. What should Taiwan universities move toward and how? This research relies on secondary data to explore the issues Taiwan universities currently face—a low birth rate and global competition. The decreasing number of incoming students will result in a lower registration rate and less tuition revenue, which will make some universities struggle to survive. Hence, government policies, proposed by the Ministry of Education, have been implemented to assist Taiwan universities to adjust to external changes. The Innovative Transformation Policy, adopted in 2015, consists of strategies for university–industry cooperation, university mergers, university closures, and a re-shaping of the university paradigm. This policy has begun to be implemented and its initial outcome will be continually evaluated. In accordance with the Innovative Transformation Policy, this study encourages Taiwan universities to improve governance, set prominent unique characteristics of development, and enhance global competitiveness.

The Effect of Peer Support on University Level Students' English Language Achievements

Science.gov (United States)

Sari, Irfan; Çeliköz, Nadir; Ünal, Süleyman

2017-01-01

The purpose of the study is to investigate the effect of peer support on university level students' English language achievements. An experimental model with pretest-posttest experimental and control group was used with 800 students who were studying at a university in Istanbul vicinity. As experiment group, 400 students (200 of whom…

Creation, Phase Change and Evolution of the Universe Based on the "Convection Bang Hypothesis"

Science.gov (United States)

Gholibeigian, Hassan; Amirshahkarami, Abdolazim; Gholibeigian, Kazem

2016-04-01

In our vision, it is believed that creation and phase change of universe and their coupling began by the gigantic Large Scale Forced Convection System (LSFCS) in very high temperature including a swirling wild wind and energetic particles like gravitons. That wind as the creator of the inflation process was carrying many Quantum Convection Loops (QCLs). Those QCLs have been transformed to black holes as the cores of galaxies. Convection Bang (CB) Model for creation, phase change and evolution of the Universe is constituted based on three assumptions as follows: The first is: "Gravity Hypothesis" that describes the gravity fields generation by the LSFCSs of the heat and mass inside the planets, stars, galaxies and clusters. The LSFCS changes the material properties of the domain and produces coupling of the matched electromagnetic and gravity fields. Gravity hypothesis is a new way to understand gravitation phenomenon which is different from the both Newton's law of gravity and Einstein's theory of general relativity approaches [Gholibeigian et. al, AGU Fall Meeting 2015, P11A-2056 ]. The second is: "Substantial Motion" theory of Iranian philosopher, Mulla Sadra (1571/2-1640), which describes space-time, time's relativity for all atoms (bodies) which are different from each other [Gholibeigian, APS April Meeting 2015, abstract #L1.027], atom's (body) volume squeezing, black hole's mass lightening while increases the velocities of its involved masses inward (a paradox with general relativity), and changes of material properties and geometries in speed of near light speed [Gholibeigian, APS March Meeting 2016, abstract #]. The third is: "Animated Sub-particles" model. These sub-particles (sub-strings) are origin of life and creator of the momentums of the fundamental particles and forces, and basic link of the information transfer to them, [Gholibeigian, APS April Meeting 2015, abstract #L1.027]. In this model, there are four proposed animated sub-particles of mater

Sustainability of University Technology Transfer: Mediating Effect of Inventor’s Technology Service

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Fang Li

2018-06-01

Full Text Available Based on the perspective of knowledge transfer and the technology acceptance model (TAM, this paper constructs a university technology transfer sustainable development model that considers the inventor’s technology service from the perspective of the long-term cooperation of enterprise, and analyzes the mediating effect of the inventor’s technology service on university technology transfer sustainability. By using 270 questionnaires as survey data, it is found that the availability of an inventor’s technology service has a significant positive impact on the attitude tendency and practice tendency of enterprise long-term technological cooperation; enterprise technology absorption capacity and trust between a university and an enterprise also have significant influence on an inventor’s technical service availability. Therefore, the inventor’s technology service acts as a mediator in the relationship between university technology transfer sustainability and influence factors. Universities ought to establish the technology transfer model, which focuses on the inventor’s tacit knowledge transfer service, and promotes the sustainable development of the university.

Transfer of nurse education to universities under a model of person-centred care: A consequence of changes in Spanish society during the democratic transition.

Science.gov (United States)

Rodrigo, Olga; Caïs, Jordi; Monforte-Royo, Cristina

2017-07-01

In Spain the transfer of nurse education to universities was accompanied by a shift towards a model of person-centred care. To explore whether the change in nurses' professional profile (from physician assistant to providers of person-centred care) was a response to changing needs in Spanish society. Qualitative study. Theoretical sampling and in-depth interviews using an inductive analytical approach. Four categories described the nursing profession in Spain prior to the introduction of university training: the era of medical assistants; technologisation of hospitals; personal care of the patient based on Christian values; professional socialisation differentiated by gender. Further analysis showed that these categories could be subsumed under a broader core category: the transfer of nurse education to universities as part of Spain's transition to democracy. The transfer of nurse education to universities was one of several changes occurring in Spanish society during the country's transition to democratic government. The redefined public health system required a highly skilled workforce, with improved employment rights being given to female health professionals, notably nurses. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

[Cost-effectiveness analysis of universal screening for thyroid disease in pregnant women in Spain].

Science.gov (United States)

Donnay Candil, Sergio; Balsa Barro, José Antonio; Álvarez Hernández, Julia; Crespo Palomo, Carlos; Pérez-Alcántara, Ferrán; Polanco Sánchez, Carlos

2015-01-01

To assess the cost-effectiveness of universal screening for thyroid disease in pregnant women in Spain as compared to high risk screening and no screening. A decision-analytic model comparing the incremental cost per quality-adjusted life year (QALY) of universal screening versus high risk screening and versus no screening. was used for the pregnancy and postpartum period. Probabilities from randomized controlled trials were considered for adverse obstetrical outcomes. A Markov model was used to assess the lifetime period after the first postpartum year and account for development of overt hypothyroidism. The main assumptions in the model and use of resources were assessed by local clinical experts. The analysis considered direct healthcare costs only. Universal screening gained .011 QALYs over high risk screening and .014 QALYS over no screening. Total direct costs per patient were €5,786 for universal screening, €5,791 for high risk screening, and €5,781 for no screening. Universal screening was dominant compared to risk-based screening and a very cost-effective alternative as compared to no screening. Use of universal screening instead of high risk screening would result in €2,653,854 annual savings for the Spanish National Health System. Universal screening for thyroid disease in pregnant women in the first trimester is dominant in Spain as compared to risk-based screening, and is cost-effective as compared to no screening (incremental cost-effectiveness ratio of €374 per QALY). Moreover, it allows diagnosing and treating cases of clinical and subclinical hypothyroidism that may not be detected when only high-risk women are screened. Copyright © 2014 SEEN. Published by Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.

Climate Change Education at the University of Washington: Bridging Academic Degrees, Departments and Disciplines

Science.gov (United States)

Thompson, L.; Bertram, M. A.

2012-12-01

Education on climate change occurs in many departments at large research universities, but providing a coordinated educational experience for students in this topic is challenging. Departmental boundaries, accounting for student credit hours, and curricula inertia create roadblocks to the creation of interdisciplinary curriculum for both graduate and undergraduate students. We describe a hierarchy of interdisciplinary programs that reach students from seniors in high school to graduate students, targeting students from a variety of disciplines. The UWHS (University of Washington in the High School) program allows high school teachers to be trained to teach UW courses to their own high school students at their own school. The students who enroll receive a UW grade and credit for the course (as well as high school credit). A UWHS course on Climate and Climate Change (Atmospheric Sciences 211) was created in 2011 supported by training to high school science teachers on the fundamentals of climate science. For the 2012-13 academic year we anticipate at least 5 schools in Washington State will be offering this course. Once students matriculate at UW, 211 serves as a prerequisite for the Climate Minor that began in 2011. The minor is hosted by the departments of Atmospheric Sciences, Earth and Space Sciences and Oceanography, offering instruction in three focus areas: climate chemistry and biology, the physical climate, and past climate and ice. Students also take an integrative seminar where they are required to communicate to both scientific and non-scientific audiences some topic in climate science. Students enrolled in graduate programs at UW can participate in the Graduate Certificate in Climate Science that began 2008. The certificate gives students instruction in climate science covering the same topic areas as the minor and with a capstone project where student communicate some aspect of climate science to a non-physical science audience. Projects have included

Stakeholder Expectations of Service Quality in a University Web Portal

Science.gov (United States)

Tate, Mary; Evermann, Joerg; Hope, Beverley; Barnes, Stuart

Online service quality is a much-studied concept. There is considerable evidence that user expectations and perceptions of self-service and online service quality differ in different business domains. In addition, the nature of online services is continually changing and universities have been at the forefront of this change, with university websites increasingly acting as a portal for a wide range of online transactions for a wide range of stakeholders. In this qualitative study, we conduct focus groups with a range of stakeholders in a university web portal. Our study offers a number of insights into the changing nature of the relationship between organisations and customers. New technologies are influencing customer expectations. Customers increasingly expect organisations to have integrated information systems, and to utilise new technologies such as SMS and web portals. Organisations can be slow to adopt a customer-centric viewpoint, and persist in providing interfaces that are inconsistent or require inside knowledge of organisational structures and processes. This has a negative effect on customer perceptions.

Effect of Oxygen Inhibition Layer of Universal Adhesives on Enamel Bond Fatigue Durability and Interfacial Characteristics With Different Etching Modes.

Science.gov (United States)

Ouchi, H; Tsujimoto, A; Nojiri, K; Hirai, K; Takamizawa, T; Barkmeier, W W; Latta, M A; Miyazaki, M

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of the oxygen inhibition layer of universal adhesive on enamel bond fatigue durability and interfacial characteristics with different etching modes. The three universal adhesives used were Scotchbond Universal Adhesive (3M ESPE, St Paul, MN, USA), Adhese Universal (Ivoclar Vivadent, Schaan, Lichtenstein), and G-Premio Bond (GC, Tokyo, Japan). The initial shear bond strength and shear fatigue strength to enamel was determined in the presence and absence of the oxygen inhibition layer, with and without phosphoric acid pre-etching. The water contact angle was also measured in all groups using the sessile drop method. The enamel bonding specimens with an oxygen inhibition layer showed significantly higher (padhesive type and etching mode. Moreover, the water contact angles on the specimens with an oxygen inhibition layer were significantly lower (puniversal adhesives significantly increases the enamel bond fatigue durability and greatly changes interfacial characteristics, suggesting that the bond fatigue durability and interfacial characteristics of these adhesives strongly rely on its presence.

Aligning Practice to Policies: Changing the Culture to Recognize and Reward Teaching at Research Universities.

Science.gov (United States)

Dennin, Michael; Schultz, Zachary D; Feig, Andrew; Finkelstein, Noah; Greenhoot, Andrea Follmer; Hildreth, Michael; Leibovich, Adam K; Martin, James D; Moldwin, Mark B; O'Dowd, Diane K; Posey, Lynmarie A; Smith, Tobin L; Miller, Emily R

2017-01-01

Recent calls for improvement in undergraduate education within STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) disciplines are hampered by the methods used to evaluate teaching effectiveness. Faculty members at research universities are commonly assessed and promoted mainly on the basis of research success. To improve the quality of undergraduate teaching across all disciplines, not only STEM fields, requires creating an environment wherein continuous improvement of teaching is valued, assessed, and rewarded at various stages of a faculty member's career. This requires consistent application of policies that reflect well-established best practices for evaluating teaching at the department, college, and university levels. Evidence shows most teaching evaluation practices do not reflect stated policies, even when the policies specifically espouse teaching as a value. Thus, alignment of practice to policy is a major barrier to establishing a culture in which teaching is valued. Situated in the context of current national efforts to improve undergraduate STEM education, including the Association of American Universities Undergraduate STEM Education Initiative, this essay discusses four guiding principles for aligning practice with stated priorities in formal policies: 1) enhancing the role of deans and chairs; 2) effectively using the hiring process; 3) improving communication; and 4) improving the understanding of teaching as a scholarly activity. In addition, three specific examples of efforts to improve the practice of evaluating teaching are presented as examples: 1) Three Bucket Model of merit review at the University of California, Irvine; (2) Evaluation of Teaching Rubric, University of Kansas; and (3) Teaching Quality Framework, University of Colorado, Boulder. These examples provide flexible criteria to holistically evaluate and improve the quality of teaching across the diverse institutions comprising modern higher education. © 2017 M. Dennin et

Dynamic Undergraduate Climate Change Affinity Program: University of Delaware Climate Program for Undergraduates (CPUG)

Science.gov (United States)

Merrill, J.

2017-12-01

Multidisciplinary undergraduate climate change education is critical for students entering any sector of the workforce. The University of Delaware has developed a new interdisciplinary affinity program—UD Climate Program for Undergraduates (CPUG)—open to undergraduate students of all majors to provide a comprehensive educational experience designed to educate skilled climate change problem-solvers for a wide range of professional careers. The program is designed to fulfill all General Education requirements, and includes a residential community commitment and experiential learning in community outreach and problem solving. Seminars will introduce current popular press and research materials and provide practice in confirming source credibility, communications training, and psychological support, as well as team building. As undergraduates, members of the UD CPUG team will define, describe, and develop a solution or solutions for a pressing local climate challenge that has the potential for global impact. The choice of a challenge and approach to addressing it will be guided by the student's advisor. Students are expected to develop a practical, multidisciplinary solution to address the challenge as defined, using their educational and experiential training. Solutions will be presented to the UD community during the spring semester of their senior year, as a collaborative team solution, with enhancement through individual portfolios from each team member. The logic model, structure, curricular and co-curricular supports for the CPUG will be provided. Mechanisms of support available through University administration will also be discussed.

Stories of Change: The University of Zurich, Switzerland

Science.gov (United States)

Schiedt, Eva Seiler

The University of Zurich (UZH) is the largest university with the broadest range of courses in Switzerland. The number of students in the Autumn Semester 2008 was 24,788, out of which, 56% students were women. They were studying at the Faculty of Theology (246), the Faculty of Law (3,519), the Faculty of Economy (3,055), the Faculty of Medicine (2,397), the Vetsuisse-Faculty (veterinary medicine, 650), the Faculty of Arts (12,015), and the Faculty of Science (2,906). The staff consists of 463 professors, 2,559 assistants and senior scientists, and 1,696 administrative and technical staff. They work in 160 institutes, seminars, and clinics in and around the city of Zurich, most of them concentrated on three main campuses.

View changes and educational demands on sexual/reproductive health of students at Shanghai Jiaotong University

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Hongxiang; Chen, Bin; Xu, Yong; Miao, Qing; Wu, Zhenming; Ju, Qiang; Huang, Yiran

2015-01-01

Objectives: To determine whether the attitudes to sexual and reproductive health of a cohort of university students had changed from 2005 to 2013. Methods: Questionnaires (1,000) on sexual and reproductive health attitudes were randomly distributed to students at Shanghai Jiaotong University in May 2013. All participants volunteered for the study and their answers were anonymous. The questionnaire contents included personal information and 72 MCQs, which covered four categories: knowledge about sexual/reproductive health and STDs; attitude to sexual behavior; attitudes to pornographic books/movies; desire of the participants for education on sexual/reproductive health. The participants had not received sexual/reproductive health education since their admission to the university. Their study majors were broadly similar to those participants in the April 2005 survey. The high sensitivity of the content of the questionnaire made it imperative to maintain anonymity and high security of the collected data. Results: The return rate of questionnaires were 98% (request age from 19~21 years). Personal hygiene was much greater in females than in males. The proportion of females and males who held a positive attitude to premarital sexual behavior was significantly increased (P < 0.0001). 80% of the participants understood the need to use condoms with strangers; however, still high proportion of participants lacked of this knowledge (P = 0.142). About one third of the participants still did not believe that unmarried pregnancy was acceptable (no significant change from 2005 to 2013). There was significantly improved knowledge about the way in which AIDS spreads. Conclusions: College students are more open today compared to the 2003 survey. A higher level of sexual knowledge has been achieved but there scope for further improvement. Sex education should be based on the actual needs of young people, teaching reforms, and special attention paid to practical teaching. PMID

The Effect of Visual of a Courseware towards Pre-University Students' Learning in Literature

Science.gov (United States)

Masri, Mazyrah; Wan Ahmad, Wan Fatimah; Nordin, Shahrina Md.; Sulaiman, Suziah

This paper highlights the effect of visual of a multimedia courseware, Black Cat Courseware (BC-C), developed for learning literature at a pre-university level in University Teknologi PETRONAS (UTP). The contents of the courseware are based on a Black Cat story which is covered in an English course at the university. The objective of this paper is to evaluate the usability and effectiveness of BC-C. A total of sixty foundation students were involved in the study. Quasi-experimental design was employed, forming two groups: experimental and control groups. The experimental group had to interact with BC-C as part of the learning activities while the control group used the conventional learning methods. The results indicate that the experimental group achieved a statistically significant compared to the control group in understanding the Black Cat story. The study result also proves that the effect of visual increases the students' performances in literature learning at a pre-university level.

Effects of Instructional Physical Activity Courses on Overall Physical Activity and Mood in University Students

Science.gov (United States)

Annesi, James J.; Porter, Kandice J.; Hill, Grant M.; Goldfine, Bernard D.

2017-01-01

Purpose: The aim of this research was to assess the association between university-based instructional physical activity (PA) courses and changes in overall PA levels and negative mood and their interrelations. The study also sought to determine the amount of change in PA required to significantly improve mood in course enrollees. Method:…

The role of social networking in the effectiveness of university ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

The role of social networking in the effectiveness of university education: exploratory ... new facts came to light, as it made people communicate in a virtual world. ... Keywords: social networks; e-Learning; online learning; Facebook; Web 2.0; ...

Performance management in universities : Effects of the transition to more quantitative measurement systems

NARCIS (Netherlands)

ter Bogt, H.J.; Scapens, R.W.

2012-01-01

The measurement of research and teaching performance is increasingly common within universities, driven probably by the rise of New Public Management (NPM). Although changing over time and varying from country to country, NPM involves the use of private sector methods in the public sector.

Improving the performance of flexibility and coordination abilities university girls-students in the process of hatha-yoga classes during the university year

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ganna Tolchieva

2015-02-01

Full Text Available Purpose: to determine the results of changes in terms of flexibility and coordination abilities of university students in the process of hatha-yoga developed by the program during the year. Material and methods: a pedagogical experiment was attended by 60 students of the university at the age of 17–20 years. Conducted pedagogical experiment and educational testing, the results were processed by methods of mathematical statistics. Results: the control group students only attended university studies in physical education, experimental – three times a week, hour and a half fitness classes on hatha-yoga. Conclusions: in the pedagogical experiment proved the effectiveness of the developed program on hatha-yoga in extracurricular work of students of the university; the average results recorded characteristics of flexibility and coordination abilities of university students and calculated at the end of the university year, the percentage improvement in these indicators.

Effects of the image universe on cosmic strings

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vachaspati, T.; Rees, M.

1990-01-01

We investigate some of the cosmological effects of the gravitational attraction of straight cosmic strings that arises due to the conical geometry of the string. Although this effect is second order in Newton's gravitational constant, its effects in the early universe can be significant. We find that the image masses responsible for this second order attraction effectively 'fill up' the volume deficit due to the conical geometry of a static straight string. A moving string also experiences a frictional force due to the images and this provides a mechanism for energy dissipation. The energy loss due to the image effect is comparable to the energy loss in gravitational radiation for strings on the size of the horizon scale but is probably not important when compared to the energy loss due to loop production. The image effect can also become important when a string comes close to a black hole. Our analysis of these effects is newtonian. (orig.)

Probing the dark side of the Universe with weak gravitational lensing effects

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fu Li-Ping; Fan Zu-Hui

2014-01-01

Arising from gravitational deflections of light rays by large-scale structures in the Universe, weak-lensing effects have been recognized as one of the most important probes in cosmological studies. In this paper, we review the main progress in weak-lensing analyses, and discuss the challenges in future investigations aiming to understand the dark side of the Universe with unprecedented precisions. (invited reviews)

Effect of Industrial and Organizational Psychology on Administrators' Perception of Entrepreneurial University in Higher Education Institutions

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

H. Tezcan UYSAL

2016-05-01

Full Text Available The purpose of this study is to determine the impact of industrial and organizational psychology on entrepreneurship university perceptions of academic personnel that maintain their duties as executives within the climate of university. In accordance with this purpose, a study for academicians that carry out their duties as executives virtually in two state universities one of which (Y takes place among entrepreneur and entrepreneurial university index while another (X doesn't take place within this index was conducted. The results of the questionnaires which tried to measure the entrepreneurial university perception and industrial and organizational psychology were analyzed with correlation analysis, multiple regression analysis, Kruskal-Wallis H Test and Mann-Whitney U test within the scope of SPSS program. As a result of the correlation analysis that was conducted for both of the samplings, a significant relationship was detected between negative and positive industrial and organizational psychology and entrepreneurial university perception. As a result of the regression analysis that was conducted for the sample obtained from X university, it was determined that the psychological output that had the most effect on the entrepreneurship university perception of the executives was motivation while the negative output that had the most effect was the intention to quit the job. As a result of the regression analysis that was conducted for the sample obtained from the Y University, it was detected that the positive output that had the most effect on the entrepreneurial university conception of the executives was motivation, while the negative output that had the most effect was job stress. As a result of the comparison of both examples, the fundamental psychological factor that intensified the entrepreneurial university perception was high motivation.

Research on the relationship of institutional innovation, organizational learning and synergistic effect: An empirical study of chineses university spin-offs

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Zhang Hao

2014-06-01

Full Text Available Purpose: At present, the Central Government of China pays more attention to the synergistic innovation, and the national strategy policy of “innovation driven development” are made to implementations. Thus, the university plays an important role in the national innovation system, so that how the university gets involved in innovative activities becomes the primary problem of innovation strategy. This paper utilizes Chinese university spin-offs survey data to identify the influence process from institutional innovation and organizational learning to synergistic effect of organization. Design/methodology/approach: Firstly, we found that following the procedural view, each one of these three elements can be divided into two parts. Then, we established structural equation modeling with the connections between these six subdivisions. Secondly, by taking 270 university Spin-offs in China as samples, we verified the fit of the model through statistical data on the questionnaire survey. Thirdly, we analyzed the relationship and influence path of the institutional innovation, organizational learning and synergistic effect. Findings: The results of empirical research show that institutional implementation process is positive correlation on both sides of synergistic effect, and, the intermediary role is obvious that external organizational learning played a regulatory role between institutional innovation synergistic effects. Research limitations/implications: A large-scale questionnaire survey showed that the influence path of “institutions -organization-innovation performance" are existed. Therefore, the system analysis framework should be introduced to the emergence and development of University spin-offs, and further explored the synergistic process of institutional change and organizational evolution. Practical implications: University spin-offs are a mode of university - industry cooperation, and it takes participation in market competition

Evaluation of information technology impact on effective internal control in the University system

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sanusi Fasilat, A., E-mail: Fasilat17@gmail.com; Hassan, Haslinda, E-mail: lynn@uum.edu.my [School of Accountancy, College of Business, Universiti Utara Malaysia, Sintok, Kedah (Malaysia)

2015-12-11

Information Technology (IT) plays a key role in internal control system in various organizations in terms of maintaining records and other internal services. Internal control system is defined as an efficient control procedures set up by firm to safeguard resources and to assure the reliability and accuracy of both financial and non-financial records in line with applicable governance and procedure to acquire the established goal and objectives. This paper focuses on the impact of IT on internal control system in the Nigerian universities. Data are collected from three different universities via questionnaire. Descriptive statistics is used to analyze the data; Chi-square is performed to test the hypothesis. The results of the hypothesis showed that IT has a positive relationship with the effective internal control activities in the University system. It is concluded that the adoption of IT will significantly improve the effectiveness of the internal control system operations in the University in terms of quality service delivery.

Evaluation of information technology impact on effective internal control in the University system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sanusi Fasilat, A.; Hassan, Haslinda

2015-01-01

Information Technology (IT) plays a key role in internal control system in various organizations in terms of maintaining records and other internal services. Internal control system is defined as an efficient control procedures set up by firm to safeguard resources and to assure the reliability and accuracy of both financial and non-financial records in line with applicable governance and procedure to acquire the established goal and objectives. This paper focuses on the impact of IT on internal control system in the Nigerian universities. Data are collected from three different universities via questionnaire. Descriptive statistics is used to analyze the data; Chi-square is performed to test the hypothesis. The results of the hypothesis showed that IT has a positive relationship with the effective internal control activities in the University system. It is concluded that the adoption of IT will significantly improve the effectiveness of the internal control system operations in the University in terms of quality service delivery

Evaluation of information technology impact on effective internal control in the University system

Science.gov (United States)

Sanusi Fasilat, A.; Hassan, Haslinda

2015-12-01

Information Technology (IT) plays a key role in internal control system in various organizations in terms of maintaining records and other internal services. Internal control system is defined as an efficient control procedures set up by firm to safeguard resources and to assure the reliability and accuracy of both financial and non-financial records in line with applicable governance and procedure to acquire the established goal and objectives. This paper focuses on the impact of IT on internal control system in the Nigerian universities. Data are collected from three different universities via questionnaire. Descriptive statistics is used to analyze the data; Chi-square is performed to test the hypothesis. The results of the hypothesis showed that IT has a positive relationship with the effective internal control activities in the University system. It is concluded that the adoption of IT will significantly improve the effectiveness of the internal control system operations in the University in terms of quality service delivery.

The Effect of Curricular and Extracurricular Activities on University Students' Entrepreneurial Intention and Competences

Science.gov (United States)

Arranz, Nieves; Ubierna, Francisco; Arroyabe, Marta. F.; Perez, Carlos; Fernandez de Arroyabe, J. C.

2017-01-01

This paper examines the effect of curricular and extracurricular activities on the entrepreneurial motivation and competences of university students. In order to address these issues, the authors have used Ajzen's model of planned behaviour, including curricular and extracurricular activities, analysing their effect on university students'…

Japanese Flagship Universities at a Crossroads

Science.gov (United States)

Yonezawa, Akiyoshi

2007-01-01

The increasing pace and scope of global structural change has left Japanese flagship universities at a crossroads. Reflecting upon historical trends, current policy changes and respective institutional strategies for global marketing among Japanese top research universities, the author discusses possible future directions for these institutions…

Professional Development Amid Change: Fostering Academic Excellence and Faculty Productivity at Teaching-Intensive Universities

Science.gov (United States)

Carney, Mary A.; Ng, Laura E; Cooper, Tom

2016-01-01

The future of faculty development rests, in part, on forming guided "communities of practice" to foster the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL), which may enhance both scholarly productivity and pedagogical effectiveness. This article will discuss University of North Georgia's SoTL Academy, which bridges geographic and scheduling…

Social and Cultural Factors That Effect University Women Managers

Science.gov (United States)

Arslan, Hasan; Sabo, Helena Maria; Siyli, Nese Aysin

2012-01-01

In this study, social and cultural effects of the low rate of woman managers at universities are tried to be identified. Women have been increasingly appearing in every field of business; on the other hand, although women compared to men constitute majority in educational organisations, they appear in the positions other than management. We will…

View changes and educational demands on sexual/reproductive health of students at Shanghai Jiaotong University.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Hongxiang; Chen, Bin; Xu, Yong; Miao, Qing; Wu, Zhenming; Ju, Qiang; Huang, Yiran

2015-01-01

To determine whether the attitudes to sexual and reproductive health of a cohort of university students had changed from 2005 to 2013. Questionnaires (1,000) on sexual and reproductive health attitudes were randomly distributed to students at Shanghai Jiaotong University in May 2013. All participants volunteered for the study and their answers were anonymous. The questionnaire contents included personal information and 72 MCQs, which covered four categories: knowledge about sexual/reproductive health and STDs; attitude to sexual behavior; attitudes to pornographic books/movies; desire of the participants for education on sexual/reproductive health. The participants had not received sexual/reproductive health education since their admission to the university. Their study majors were broadly similar to those participants in the April 2005 survey. The high sensitivity of the content of the questionnaire made it imperative to maintain anonymity and high security of the collected data. The return rate of questionnaires were 98% (request age from 19~21 years). Personal hygiene was much greater in females than in males. The proportion of females and males who held a positive attitude to premarital sexual behavior was significantly increased (P education should be based on the actual needs of young people, teaching reforms, and special attention paid to practical teaching.

Peer Effects in Exogenously Formed University Student Groups

OpenAIRE

Gregory Androushchak; Oleg Poldin; Maria Yudkevich

2012-01-01

We estimate the influence of classmates’ ability characteristics on student achievement in exogenously formed student groups. The study uses administrative data on undergraduate students at a large selective university in Russia. The presence of high-ability classmates has a positive effect on individual academic performance, and students at the top of the ability distribution derive the greatest benefit from their presence. An increase in the proportion of less able students has an insignifi...

University multi-user facility survey-2010.

Science.gov (United States)

Riley, Melissa B

2011-12-01

Multi-user facilities serve as a resource for many universities. In 2010, a survey was conducted investigating possible changes and successful characteristics of multi-user facilities, as well as identifying problems in facilities. Over 300 surveys were e-mailed to persons identified from university websites as being involved with multi-user facilities. Complete responses were received from 36 facilities with an average of 20 years of operation. Facilities were associated with specific departments (22%), colleges (22%), and university research centers (8.3%) or were not affiliated with any department or college within the university (47%). The five most important factors to succeed as a multi-user facility were: 1) maintaining an experienced, professional staff in an open atmosphere; 2) university-level support providing partial funding; 3) broad client base; 4) instrument training programs; and 5) an effective leader and engaged strategic advisory group. The most significant problems were: 1) inadequate university financial support and commitment; 2) problems recovering full service costs from university subsidies and user fees; 3) availability of funds to repair and upgrade equipment; 4) inability to retain highly qualified staff; and 5) unqualified users dirtying/damaging equipment. Further information related to these issues and to fee structure was solicited. Overall, there appeared to be a decline in university support for facilities and more emphasis on securing income by serving clients outside of the institution and by obtaining grants from entities outside of the university.

Planned Change in Higher Education.

Science.gov (United States)

Millin, Betty; Phelan, William T.

Using the Dunkin and Biddle model, this field study examined the effects of the application of the assessment and goal-setting stage of the Enhanced Normative Systems Model (ENSM) on change at a state university. The ENSM, a blending of the Normative Systems Model and Metanoic Principles, emphasizes participant decision making and cultural change.…

University Autonomy in the Context of University-Society, State and Market/Capital Relations

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Dicle ÖZCAN

2016-05-01

Full Text Available This study focuses on how the concept university autonomy which constitutes one of the most tangible indicators of academic freedom is positioned in the context of university's relations with state, society and market and concentrates on the possibility of university autonomy. From the emergence of universities in the Middle Age to the modern universities of the present, the concepts of university autonomy and academic freedom have been maintaining their actuality with a growing interest. In the light of studies in Turkey, the purpose of this study is to discuss the change of university autonomy in the historical process and where it can be positioned in the context of building blocks of university autonomy concept and the recent relationship between universities and market-industry-business world.

Development of public health program for type 1 diabetes in a university community: preliminary evaluation of behavioural change wheel.

Science.gov (United States)

Nwose, Ezekiel Uba; Digban, K A; Anyasodor, A E; Bwititi, P T; Richards, R S; Igumbor, E O

2017-10-23

Diabetes mellitus, including type 1 is a global public health problem among the young persons. While public health campaign and screening program is a potential strategy, but communication skills, knowledge and opinion of the healthcare personnel are indicated as variables that can impact patient's education, which will lead to better outcome of care. Thus, in designing or planning a program for public health, workforce development considers opinion and behavioural change wheel of prospective personnel. The purpose of this preliminary study was to evaluate if a university academic department has the behavioural change wheel to function as workforce infrastructure for an envisioned program. Survey of knowledge, attitude and practice (KAP) of a university community regarding diabetes type 1 was performed. The KAP were translated into behavioural change wheel comprising capacity, motivation and opportunity (CMO). There are baseline indications of the behavioural change wheel potential of the public health department to run a T1D screening program. The number of participants who knew someone with T1D was significantly higher than the subgroup with no such knowledge (pwheel or CMO to develop a workforce infrastructure for T1D screening program, the experience that comes with age of lecturers will be an important factor to enable such program to succeed.

Bringing together the work of subscription and open access specialists: challenges and changes at the University of Sussex

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Eleanor Craig

2017-03-01

Full Text Available The rise in open access (OA publishing has required library staff across many UK academic institutions to take on new roles and responsibilities to support academics. At the same time, the long-established work of negotiating with publishers around journal subscriptions is changing as such deals now usually include OA payment or discount plans in many different forms that vary from publisher to publisher. This article outlines some of the issues we encountered at the University of Sussex Library whilst trying to pull together the newer strand of OA advocacy and funder compliance work with existing responsibilities for managing subscription deals. It considers the challenges faced in effectively bringing together Library staff with knowledge in these areas, and outlines the steps we have taken so far to ensure OA publishing is taken into account wherever appropriate.

The Counterproductive Effects of Helicopter Universities

Science.gov (United States)

Von Bergen, C. W.; Bressler, Martin S.

2017-01-01

Perhaps universities have gone too far in their attempts to provide the best learning experience for our students? We have heard of helicopter parents who hover over their sons and daughters, removing all obstacles their student might face and solve problems for them. Have colleges and universities adopted this same kind of behavior in their…

What Factors Influence Vietnamese Students' Choice of University?

Science.gov (United States)

Dao, Mai Thi Ngoc; Thorpe, Anthony

2015-01-01

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to report the factors that influence Vietnamese students' choice of university in a little researched context where the effects of globalization and education reform are changing higher education. Design/methodology/approach: A quantitative survey was completed by 1,124 current or recently completed university…

Career effects of taking up parental leave. Evidence from a Dutch University

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Vlasblom, J.D.; Plantenga, J.

2010-01-01

In this paper we study the effect of parental leave on individual careers. We use individual registration data of a Dutch non-profit firm (Utrecht University). Our outcomes show that even with a short period of flexible leave there are career effects. More specifically, these effects are not

From Access to Excess: Changing Roles and Relationships for Distance Education, Continuing Education, and Academic Departments in American Universities

Science.gov (United States)

Ashcroft, Judy Copeland

2013-01-01

In American universities, early distance education needed both continuing education and academic departments for establishing institutional cooperation, developing quality standards, adapting to change, and finding a funding model. Today, the Internet and the need for additional revenue are driving new distance education models.

Effects of Using Problem of the Week in Teaching on Teacher Learning and Change in Algebraic Thinking and Algebra

Science.gov (United States)

Wu, Zhonghe

2017-01-01

The study investigated the effects of using the problem of the week in teaching (POWT) on teachers' learning and changes in knowledge and teaching skills, in algebraic thinking and algebra tasks, in the setting of a university mathematics education graduate program. The graduate students participated in learning POWT weekly in a mathematics…

Statistical mechanics and the description of the early universe I

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Pessah, Martin Elias; F. Torres, Diego; Vucetich, H.

2001-01-01

We analyze how the thermal history of the universe is influenced by the statistical description, assuming a deviation from the usual Bose-Einstein, Fermi-Dirac and Boltzmann-Gibbs distribution functions. These deviations represent the possible appearance of non-extensive effects related with the ......We analyze how the thermal history of the universe is influenced by the statistical description, assuming a deviation from the usual Bose-Einstein, Fermi-Dirac and Boltzmann-Gibbs distribution functions. These deviations represent the possible appearance of non-extensive effects related...... and to place limits to the range of its validity. The corrections obtained will change with temperature, and consequently, the bounds on the possible amount of non-extensivity will also change with time. We generalize results which can be used in other contexts as well, as the Boltzmann equation and the Saha...

A nordic charter for universal design.

Science.gov (United States)

Björk, Evastina

2014-02-01

The aim of this paper is to present the result of a pioneer project; A Nordic Charter for Universal Design, which was initiated by the Norwegian Directorate for Children, Youth and Family Affairs in 2011. The purpose of the Charter was to present rationales that stated prerequisites for successful investment in Universal Design, and to establish a platform for further research and good practice. It was also meant to contribute to spreading of information and knowledge about the importance of guidance by the concept of Universal Design of initiatives with effects on the public arena. A Nordic group of researchers and professionals in the field ended up after 8 months of work with a written document: "A Nordic Charter for Universal Design", which was presented at the International Conference in Universal Design in Oslo, Norway (UD 2012). A Nordic Charter for Universal Design. Persons with disabilities often experience the public arenas environments, products and services as poorly-designed to fit their abilities and/or their needs. Together with the demographic changes in the Nordic societies with an increasing number of elderly people, it needs initiatives to improve independence, accessibility and participation in society. A strategy which aims to make design and composition of different environments, products, communication, information technology and services accessible, usable and understandable to as many as possible is Universal Design.

The Effectiveness of Group Training of CBT-Based Stress Management on Anxiety, Psychological Hardiness and General Self-Efficacy Among University Students.

Science.gov (United States)

Molla Jafar, Hamdam; Salabifard, Seddigheh; Mousavi, Seyedeh Maryam; Sobhani, Zahra

2015-09-28

Admission to university is a very sensitive period of life for efficient, active, and young workforces in any country, and it is mostly associated with many changes in social and human relationships. These changes lead to anxiety in students. Moreover, humans need certain functions in order to adaptively deal with different life situations and challenges. By training stress management, these functions can help human acquire the required abilities. The present study was aimed at investigating the effectiveness of stress management training in anxiety, psychological hardiness, and general self-efficacy among university students. The study was a quasi-experimental intervention (pretest-posttest-follow-up) including a control group, it was a fundamental applied study. The statistical population consisted of all students of Islamic Azad University, Karaj, Iran. Convenient sampling was employed to select 30 students who were divided into an experimental group (n=15) and a control group (n=15). Before stress management training, both groups filled out Beck Anxiety Inventory, Long and Goulet scale of psychological hardiness, and General Self-efficacy Scale (GSE-10). Afterwards, the experimental group was provided with stress management training. And after the experiment, the abovementioned questionnaires and scales were responded by the two groups. Finally the collected data were analyzed and compared using one-way MANOVA. The results of MANOVA indicated that there was a significant difference between the two groups in terms of anxiety, hardiness, and general self-efficacy (pstress management among university students cause anxiety to drop; moreover, it enhances their psychological hardiness and self-efficacy. In regard with the role and importance of stress management, training this skill should be included in educational plans of university.

Behavior Change and the Freshman 15: Tracking Physical Activity and Dietary Patterns in 1st-Year University Women

Science.gov (United States)

Jung, Mary Elizabeth; Bray, Steven Russell; Ginis, Kathleen Anne Martin

2008-01-01

Objective and Participants: The authors assessed the stability of diet and physical activity and their relationship to weight changes in first-year university women. Methods: They collected anthropometric and body composition data from 101 resident women at the beginning of their first year of college and again at 12 months. The authors obtained…

The Study of Life Change Unit as Stressor Agents among Tehran University of Medical Sciences Hospitals' Employees

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hossein Dargahi

2010-08-01

Full Text Available Life crises as stressor agents can disrupt the best stress management regime. Different life crises have different impacts. A standard scale to rate change and its related stress impact has been developed commonly referred to as LCU (Life Change Unit Rating. This allocates a number of Life Crisis Units or Life Change Units (LCUs to different event and then evaluates them and takes action accordingly. This idea behind this approach of is to rundown the LCU table, totaling the LCUs for life crisis that have occurred in the previous one year. A Cross - sectional, descriptive and analytical study was conducted among 900 Tehran University of Medical Sciences (TUMS Employees by a Holms and Rahe LCU questionnaire at 15 hospitals. The respondents were asked to determine their demographic information, list of stress symptoms which suffered from these diseases in the previous one year and finally, responded to 45 Life Change Unit as stressful life events and the value of each in "stress units" which occurred in the previous one year. The results showed that there is significant correlation between the employees LCU rating by sex, educational degree and size of hospital. Also we found that there are significant correlations between the employees stress symptoms with their LCU rating. Totally, 40% of the employees have less than 150 LCU rating (normal range and 60% of them have 150-300 or more than 300 LCU rating (abnormal range. In conclusion most of TUMS hospitals' employees who had stress symptoms have more LCU rating. One third of these employees are not in danger of suffering the illness effect, while two third of them are in danger.

Radioastronomy changes our picture of the universe

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schwartz, R.; Witzel, A.

1982-01-01

Since the first operation of the 100 m-Radiotelescope in Bad Muenstereifel-Effelsberg in 1972, this instrument has contributed to a better understanding of the structure of the universe. The flexibility of the telescope, e.g. the use of different detection systems, has proved to be decisive for the scientific success of the instrument. With these detection systems the wavelength region between 90 cm and 7 mm could be studied. (orig.) [de

Time-Dependent Effects of Acute Exercise on University Students’ Cognitive Performance in Temperate and Cold Environments

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ling-Yu Ji

2017-07-01

Full Text Available Background: Few studies have examined the acute exercise-induced changes in cognitive performance in different thermal environments and the time course effects.Objective: Investigate the time-dependent effects of acute exercise on university students’ processing speed, working memory and cognitive flexibility in temperate and cold environments.Method: Twenty male university students (age 23.5 ± 2.0 years with moderate physical activity level participated in a repeated-measures within-subjects design. Processing speed, working memory and cognitive flexibility were assessed using CogState test battery at baseline (BASE, followed by a 45-min rest (REST, immediately after (EX and 30 min after (POST-EX 30-min moderate-intensity treadmill running in both temperate (TEMP; 25°C and cold (COLD; 10°C environments. Mean skin temperature (MST and thermal sensation (TS were also recorded. Two-way repeated measures ANOVA was performed to analyze each variable. Spearman’s rho was used to identify the correlations between MST, TS and cognitive performance.Results: Reaction time (RT of processing speed and working memory decreased immediately after exercise in both conditions (processing speed: p = 0.003; working memory: p = 0.007. The facilitating effects on processing speed disappeared within 30 min after exercise in TEMP (p = 0.163 and COLD (p = 0.667, while improvements on working memory remained 30 min after exercise in TEMP (p = 0.047, but not in COLD (p = 0.663. Though RT of cognitive flexibility reduced in both conditions (p = 0.003, no significance was found between EX and REST (p = 0.135. Increased MST and TS were significantly associated with reductions in processing speed RT (MST: r = -0.341, p < 0.001; TS: r = -0.262, p = 0.001 and working memory RT (MST: r = -0.282, p < 0.001; TS: r = -0.2229, p = 0.005, and improvements in working memory accuracy (MST: r = 0.249, p = 0.002; TS: r = 0.255, p = 0.001.Conclusion: The results demonstrate

Ethanol Values During College Football Season: University Policy Change and Emergency Department Blood Ethanol Values From 2006 Through 2014.

Science.gov (United States)

Fierro-Fine, Amelia C; Harland, Karisa; House, Hans R; Krasowski, Matthew D

2016-11-01

Tailgating is popular at many college football games. However, it is known to contribute to binge drinking and alcohol intoxication, which are common public health challenges. To use laboratory data to measure changes in plasma ethanol levels observed in a large state university emergency department after a series of reforms were enacted to reduce binge drinking. We performed a retrospective chart review on all serum ethanol levels measured at the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics on weekends from 2006 through 2014. Data were analyzed by multivariable logistic regression after controlling for significant covariates. A total of 5437 patients had ethanol levels recorded on weekends. After the implementation of policy changes, there was a significant reduction in the adjusted odds ratio (AOR) of ethanol values reported in the severe intoxication range (≥240 mg/dL; AOR = 0.77; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.64-0.92). The policy changes implemented in 2009 in an attempt to reduce binge drinking are associated with a decreased likelihood of an ethanol result being in the severe intoxication range. © American Society for Clinical Pathology, 2016. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Effect of Professional Development on Classroom Practices in Some Selected Saudi Universities

Science.gov (United States)

Alghamdi, AbdulKhaliq Hajjad; Bin Sihes, Ahmad Johari

2016-01-01

"Scientific studies found the impact of professional development on effective classroom practices in Higher Education." This paper hypothesizes no statistically significant effect of lecturers' professional development on classroom practices in some selected Saudi Universities not as highlighted in the model. Hierarchical multiple…

How to Run a University

Science.gov (United States)

Evans, G. R.

2006-01-01

The Lambert Review of Business-University Collaboration proposed a business model for universities in 2003. Pressure to change university governance to make it match the business model remains strong, and it is being most actively applied to Oxford and Cambridge. The Oxford and Cambridge governance debates (which began in the 1990s) open up the…

Gauge theories, time-dependence of the gravitational constant and antigravity in the early universe

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Linde, A.D.

1980-01-01

It is shown that the interaction of the gravitational field with matter leads to a strong modification of the effective gravitational constant in the early universe. In certain cases this leads even to the change of sign of the gravitational constant, i.e. to antigravity in the early universe. (orig.)

[The role of university hospital executive board members].

Science.gov (United States)

Debatin, J F; Rehr, J

2009-09-01

Demographic changes and medical progress in combination with vastly altered regulatory and economic environments have forced considerable change in the structure of German university hospitals in recent years. These changes have affected medical care as well as research and medical school training. To allow for more flexibility and a higher level of reactivity to the changing environment German university hospitals were transferred from state agencies to independent corporate structures. All but one remains wholly owned by the respective state governments. The governing structure of these independent medical hospitals consists of an executive board, generally made up of a medical director, a financial director, a director for nursing, and the dean of the medical faculty. In most hospitals, the medical director serves as chief executive officer. The regulations governing the composition and responsibility of the members of the executive board differ from state to state. These differences do affect to some degree the interactive effectiveness of the members of the executive boards. Modalities that stress the overall responsibility for all board members seem to work better than those that define clear portfolio limits. Even more than organizational and regulatory differences, the effectiveness of the work of the executive boards is influenced by the personality of the board members themselves. Success appears to be a clear function of the willingness of all members to work together.

Emotional effects on university choice behavior: The influence of experienced narrators and their characteristics

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Fernando E. eCallejas-Albiñana

2016-05-01

Full Text Available This study analyzes the influence that experienced users of university resources might have as narrative sources of information for other students in the process of choosing their schools. Informative videos about the benefits of studying at the university provide a reference model. In these videos, a group of young people present their views and explain their reasons for choosing the university in which they are pursuing their degrees; the various narrators detail all the resources available. This study investigates whether the individual identifiers of these narrators (e.g., gender, age, physical appearance, nonverbal gestures such as smiling, posture influence perceptions of the credibility of the information they provide. Among a sample of 150 students in their last year of pre-university training, the results demonstrate that the students’ ability to identify with the narrators provides information and arouses emotions that inform their perceptions of reliability and therefore their consumption choices. None of these predictors appear to serve as determinants that can be generalized, but if emotional attitudes in response to narratives about the topic (i.e., the university are positive, then they prompt a change in attitude toward that reference topic too.

Emotional Effects on University Choice Behavior: The Influence of Experienced Narrators and Their Characteristics

Science.gov (United States)

Callejas-Albiñana, Ana I.; Callejas-Albiñana, Fernando E.; Martínez-Rodríguez, Isabel

2016-01-01

This study analyzes the influence that experienced users of university resources might have as narrative sources of information for other students in the process of choosing their schools. Informative videos about the benefits of studying at the university provide a reference model. In these videos, a group of young people present their views and explain their reasons for choosing the university in which they are pursuing their degrees; the various narrators detail all the resources available. This study investigates whether the individual identifiers of these narrators (e.g., gender, age, physical appearance, nonverbal gestures such as smiling, posture) influence perceptions of the credibility of the information they provide. Among a sample of 150 students in their last year of pre-university training, the results demonstrate that the students' ability to identify with the narrators provides information and arouses emotions that inform their perceptions of reliability and therefore their consumption choices. None of these predictors appear to serve as determinants that can be generalized, but if emotional attitudes in response to narratives about the topic (i.e., the university) are positive, then they prompt a change in attitude toward that reference topic too. PMID:27252664

Emotional Effects on University Choice Behavior: The Influence of Experienced Narrators and Their Characteristics.

Science.gov (United States)

Callejas-Albiñana, Ana I; Callejas-Albiñana, Fernando E; Martínez-Rodríguez, Isabel

2016-01-01

This study analyzes the influence that experienced users of university resources might have as narrative sources of information for other students in the process of choosing their schools. Informative videos about the benefits of studying at the university provide a reference model. In these videos, a group of young people present their views and explain their reasons for choosing the university in which they are pursuing their degrees; the various narrators detail all the resources available. This study investigates whether the individual identifiers of these narrators (e.g., gender, age, physical appearance, nonverbal gestures such as smiling, posture) influence perceptions of the credibility of the information they provide. Among a sample of 150 students in their last year of pre-university training, the results demonstrate that the students' ability to identify with the narrators provides information and arouses emotions that inform their perceptions of reliability and therefore their consumption choices. None of these predictors appear to serve as determinants that can be generalized, but if emotional attitudes in response to narratives about the topic (i.e., the university) are positive, then they prompt a change in attitude toward that reference topic too.

Students are almost as effective as professors in university teaching

OpenAIRE

Feld, Jan; Salamanca, Nicolas; Zölitz, Ulf

2017-01-01

Many universities around the world rely on student instructors—current bachelor’s and master’s degree students—for tutorial teaching, yet we know nothing about their effectiveness. In a setting with random assignment of instructors to students, we show that student instructors are almost as effective as senior instructors at improving their students’ short- and longer-run academic achievement and labor market outcomes. We find little heterogeneity across different course types, student charac...

[The effects of pedagogical training on university teaching in the field of health].

Science.gov (United States)

Sáenz-Lozada, María L; Cárdenas-Muñoz, María L; Rojas-Soto, Edgar

2010-06-01

Evaluating changes in teaching adopted by teachers after participating in the Pedagogical Health Science Formation extension course taught by the National University of Colombia's Pedagogical Support and Teaching Formation Group from the Medicine Faculty. This was a part-time course; it dealt with topics such as didactics, curriculum, evaluation and the teacher's role. A qualitative, exploratory study was carried out, involving a personal interview formulated by the investigators; this was held in each participant's place of work. Fifty teachers who had taken the course between 2003 and 2004 were interviewed. The questionnaire consisted of ten semi-structured questions. After taking the course, 82 % of the participants considered that the quality of their communication with students was one of their most valued qualities, having understood that learning is a process which must be shared by both teachers and students. 64 % of the participants stated that they had acquired new concepts about evaluation and had increased their use of more participative pedagogical strategies. Teaching training courses had a positive effect on teaching, reflected in the quality of communication, teacher-student relationships and the pedagogic strategies used, all being very important elements in constructivist-orientated pedagogical models. The study's results agreed with other investigators' prior experience. The university must encourage this kind of intervention which will promote its own academic development by improving its teachers' performance.

A las puertas del cambio en la Formación Universitaria On the verge of change in University Education

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ana María Escayola Maranges

2005-06-01

Full Text Available Los cambios sociales conducen a un nuevo planteamiento en la docencia universitaria. Es necesario un modelo educativo abierto para formar nuevos profesionales competentes, basado en la capacidad de aprender del alumno, de obtener información y de adaptarse a las situaciones de cambio que presenta la profesión. La planificación de programas educativos plantea nuevos roles en la función del docente y del alumno, exige cambios metodológicos en el proceso de aprendizaje, conllevando cambios en las estrategias educativas. La nuevas tecnologías de la información y comunicación son un elemento indispensable para promover el cambio, aunque no suficientes. El aprendizaje basado en problemas (ABP ha resultado un elemento innovador en el ámbito universitario, demostrando un aumento de la motivación para aprender, potenciando el trabajo grupal, incentivando la búsqueda de información, aumentado la comprensión y la memorización del conocimiento. A su vez, el ABP pone énfasis en la interdisciplinariedad, aumenta el espíritu de colaboración del estudiante y su nivel de responsabilidad en el aprendizaje. En el ámbito de las Ciencias de la Salud, los métodos de aprendizaje son claves en el proceso formativo de profesionales competentes, dada la estrecha vinculación entre el ámbito laboral y formativo.Changes in society as a whole oblige University education to introduce changes as well. In order to train well-equipped professionals, an open educational model is necessary, based on the ability of the student to learn, to obtain information, and to adapt to the changes inside the profession. The planning of learning programs involves new roles for the teacher and new functions for the student. It requires changes in methodology and in educational strategies. The new information and communication technologies are indispensable instruments for promoting these changes, but they are not enough in isolation. Problem-based learning (PBL is an

Ethical concerns and contributions in response to climate change and the links to well-being: a study of university students in The Netherlands.

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El Zoghbi, Mona Betour; El Ansari, Walid

2014-06-01

This study explored the concerns and contributions of university students in response to the ethical dimensions of climate change, and the implications for their well-being. The study focused on university students as leaders of future society while facing complex environmental and socio-economic challenges. A total of 8 focus groups (FG) were conducted (66 participants from over 10 different universities across The Netherlands). In addition, 9 in-depth interviews with Dutch university students from different academic backgrounds, and 16 interviews with Dutch key informants in the environment, youth and public health fields were undertaken. The first author also attended (as participant-observer) three major events themed around youth and environmental issues across different regions in The Netherlands. University students in the Netherlands are mostly concerned about the increasing social and economic inequalities between the global North and South, and the implications for impoverished and uneducated communities. Participants raised concerns over the transfer of materialistic value systems and unsustainable practices from developed to developing countries. The participants' main contributions in response to climate change were largely driven by feelings of guilt and responsibility, an ecological worldview, and desire to play a positive role in society. Establishing formal youth platforms across academic, civic and political institutions could provide legitimate and empowering opportunities for university students to participate in consultations and debates of future environmental policies and development strategies. Such platforms could enhance the agency and well-being of university students for addressing their concerns over existing climate inequalities and other ethical dilemmas.

Identification during imposed change: the roles of personal values, type of change, and anxiety.

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Sverdlik, Noga; Oreg, Shaul

2015-06-01

Using a person-situation perspective, we explain what happens to individuals' identification with a collective in the context of a change. We propose that given the anxiety that often emerges during change, individuals' personal values (conservation and openness to change) interact with type of change (imposed vs. voluntary) in predicting identification following change. In a pilot, longitudinal field study (N = 61, 67% female) of an imposed university campus relocation, we measured employees' values and identification with the university before and several months after the relocation. In two lab experiments (Study 1: N = 104, 91.3% female; Study 2: N = 113, 75.2% female), we manipulated a change to be either imposed or voluntary and compared the relationships between values and identification across types of change. In Study 2, we also measured anxiety from the change. When change was imposed (all three studies), but not when voluntary (Studies 1 and 2), individuals' conservation was positively, and openness negatively, related to individuals' post-change identification. The effects emerged only for individuals who experienced change-related anxiety (Study 2). Our findings demonstrate that individuals' identification with a changing collective depends on the amount of anxiety change elicits and on the particular combination of their values and type of change. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Eating habits of university students living at, or away from home in Greece.

Science.gov (United States)

Papadaki, Angeliki; Hondros, George; A Scott, Jane; Kapsokefalou, Maria

2007-07-01

The aim of this study was to assess the effect of living away from, or in, the family home on the dietary habits of a group of Greek undergraduate University students. Eighty-four undergraduates at Athens Agricultural University, aged 20-24, completed a single, self-administered food habits questionnaire that asked about their current food practices and their food practices before they started University. Students living at home did not show major changes in their eating habits since starting University. Although students living away from the family home had made some positive changes, they decreased their weekly consumption of fresh fruit, cooked and raw vegetables, oily fish, seafood, pulses and olive oil, and increased their sugar, wine, alcohol and fast food intake. Between group comparisons of dietary changes showed that since starting University, students living away from home had developed more unfavourable eating habits than students living at the family home. These findings suggest that moving away from the family home and assuming responsibility for food preparation and purchasing for the first time affect dietary habits in this sample of Greek University students. Nutrition interventions in this young population should be encouraged to promote healthier diets and lifestyles, as well as adherence to the traditional Mediterranean diet.

What Does "International University" Mean at a European Bilingual University? the Role of Languages and Culture

Science.gov (United States)

Doiz, Aintzane; Lasagabaster, David; Sierra, Juan Manuel

2014-01-01

Internationalisation has brought about remarkable changes at universities all over the world. In the case of the University of the Basque Country (Spain) this is reflected in the increasing presence of English-medium instruction. This paper examines two issues: the university community's perception of (1) the term "international…

Aligning Practice to Policies: Changing the Culture to Recognize and Reward Teaching at Research Universities

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Dennin, Michael; Schultz, Zachary D.; Feig, Andrew; Finkelstein, Noah; Greenhoot, Andrea Follmer; Hildreth, Michael; Leibovich, Adam K.; Martin, James D.; Moldwin, Mark B.; O'Dowd, Diane K.; Posey, Lynmarie A.; Smith, Tobin L.; Miller, Emily R.

2017-01-01

Recent calls for improvement in undergraduate education within STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) disciplines are hampered by the methods used to evaluate teaching effectiveness. Faculty members at research universities are commonly assessed and promoted mainly on the basis of research success. To improve the quality of…

Assessment at North Carolina State University: Adapting to Change in the Workplace

Science.gov (United States)

Bresciani, Marilee J.; Griffiths, Jane H.; Rust, Jon P.

2009-01-01

Effectively introducing change in job responsibilities, particularly when dealing with tenured faculty, can be challenging. More often, additions or changes to work tasks, such as integrating assessment procedures into existing work tasks, requires employees to apply new and/or more complex knowledge, skill, and ability. When compared to…

Developing a Proposed Strategy for the Universities of Saudi Arabia to Meet Educational Changes and Challenges from the Perspective of the Teaching Staff at the Colleges of Education

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mohamed Ibrahim Alscati

2017-02-01

This study aimed to develop a proposed strategy at th Universities of Saudi Arabia to meet the educational changes and challenges in the light of the perspectives of the teaching staff at the colleges of education. The study sample consisted of all teaching staff members in the colleges of education in Saudi universities, which were (731. The study used survey analytical developmental method, represented by the construction of the questionnaire so as to design the proposed strategy of all stages. Statistical means, standard deviations, as well as the equation Cronbach alpha coefficient to find out the internal consistency were used. The results showed that the teaching staff’s estimations  of the manifestations of change in the Saudi community  were moderate (3.66, whereas their estimations of the challenges facing Saudi universities were high (3.72. In light of these findings, the study proposed a strategy for the Saudi universities to address the educational changes and challenges.  The mission of the strategy is centered around supporting members of the knowledge community and developing their leadership skills so as to be able to face educational changes. The vision of the strategy is to make universities the milestones for promising future.

Fostering Organizational Change through Deliberations: The Deliberative Jury in a University Setting

Science.gov (United States)

Lindell, Juha

2014-01-01

Universities in Europe face a variety of reform initiatives, and university reform can be seen as a wicked problem that should be resolved through collaborative efforts. In Finland, there has been considerable resistance to proposed reforms, with university personnel complaining that they have not been heard. Students, on the other hand, seem…

The Effects of Demographic, Internal and External University Environment Factors on Faculty Job Satisfaction in Vietnam

Science.gov (United States)

Duong, Minh-Quang

2016-01-01

University faculty members with higher job satisfaction are more productive, creative and positive attitude towards their job. Even less is known about university faculty job satisfaction in developing countries like Vietnam. This study examines the effects of demographic, internal and external university environment factors on faculty job…

THE EFFECTIVENESS OF PERSONAL TRAINING ON CHANGING ATTITUDES TOWARDS PHYSICAL ACTIVITY

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Steven R. McClaran

2003-03-01

Full Text Available More and more people seeking the expertise of personal trainers in recent years. With very few previous efforts evaluating the effectiveness of the personal training experience in the scientific literature, this study utilized movement in the Stages of the Transtheoretical Model (STM to determine the efficacy of personal training. One hundred twenty nine volunteer participants (clients (age range: 20 ' 65 years old were assigned a university senior personal trainer for a10-week program. At an initial meeting, the clients were given a form to self-assess their stage of motivational readiness for exercise adoption (STM choosing one of five stages: Pre-contemplation (not intending to make changes, Contemplation (considering a change, Preparation (getting ready to make a change, Action (actively engaged in making a change but only for a short while & Maintenance (sustaining the change over time. After the initial assessment, the clients and trainer then met once a week and had targeted discussions on problem solving techniques such as determining the Benefits of Physical Activity, Barriers/Obstacles to Exercise, Support System Recruitment, Goal Setting and Relapse Prevention in addition to providing specific suggestions for the client's other exercise days during the week. At the end of the 10-week personal training program, the clients then reassessed their stage of motivational readiness for exercise adoption. Of the 129 clients tested, 27 were in the maintenance (highest stage and therefore could not move up. None of these 27 clients moved down a stage. Of the remaining 102 clients, there was significant (p < 0.01 upward movement at the conclusion of the program. 61 clients (60% moved up one stage, 13 clients (13% moved up two stages, 27 clients stayed at the same stage (26% and one (1% moved down a stage. The results suggest that one-on-one personal training is an effective method for changing attitudes and thereby increasing the amount of

Effectiveness of pictorial health warnings on cigarette packs among Lebanese school and university students.

Science.gov (United States)

Alaouie, Hala; Afifi, Rema A; Haddad, Pascale; Mahfoud, Ziyad; Nakkash, Rima

2015-03-01

Pictorial health warnings are more effective than text warnings in enhancing motivation to quit and not to start smoking among youth. In Lebanon, packs still have only a very small text warning. The aim of this study was to evaluate the perceived effectiveness of pictorial health warnings on cigarette packs among Lebanese youth. This was a cross-sectional study including school students (n=1412) aged 13-18 years recruited from 28 schools and university students (n=1217) aged 18-25 years recruited from 7 universities. A variety of warnings were adapted from other countries. In all, 4 warnings were tested among school students and 18 among university students. All pictorial warnings were considered more effective than the current text warning on message-related and impact-related variables, including intentions to quit or not to start smoking among school and university students. Selected examples related to the top-ranked pictorial warnings are: among male non-smoking school students, 81% agreed that the 'lung' warning had more impact on their intentions not to start smoking as compared to 57% for the current text warning (pnegative economic consequences of smoking, and to find that such a warning was effective among specific sociodemographic groups. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://group.bmj.com/group/rights-licensing/permissions.

University of Aarhus - the stepping stones

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Nielsen, Kent T.

is currently facing major challenges. Changes in the Danish University Act and a strong political wish for closer partnerships between the private business community, the public sector and the country's universities have gradually altered the role of the universities in Denmark today. This paper looks more...... closely at the history of the University of Aarhus, the importance of the University for the Aarhus region, and the opportunities and barriers facing an "old" comprehensive University in its attempts to adapt to the new role of universities in the knowledge society....

Accounting for change: the micropolitics of university restructuring ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

This second article in a three-part series published in the South African Journal of Higher Education, describes the various ways in which "academic identity" informed the politics and shaped the outcomes of "restructuring" at the University of Durban Westville (UDW) in the late 1990s. The authors argue that while ...

Strategic Management Accounting in Universities: The Italian Experience

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Agasisti, Tommaso; Arnaboldi, Michela; Azzone, Giovanni

2008-01-01

This paper presents an investigation of management accounting in four major Italian universities, which have been struggling to build their strategy in a context of significant change. Following many OECD countries the Italian government has been changing its higher education system by giving more autonomy to universities. These changes pose a…

Effect of classic massage in quality of life of university students

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Nuno Miguel Lopes de Oliveira

Full Text Available Abstract Introduction : Due to often excessive academic activities, some university students are affected by stress, anxiety and depression, which can negatively influence quality of life. The classical massage was tested as a strategy for improving quality of life, since it presents psychogenic effects that contribute to this. Objective : To evaluate the effects of classical massage on quality of life, in stress, anxiety, depression and cardiorespiratory variables of university students. Methods : The sample consisted of an intervention group and a control group. While the intervention group (n = 10 received ten massage sessions, twice a week, for 30 minutes in the region of the cervical and thoracic spine, the control group (n = 12 received no intervention. For evaluating psychological variables, the Quality of Life Scale, the Lipp Inventory of Stress Symptoms for Adults, and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale were used. To assess cardiorespiratory variables, blood pressure, heart and respiratory rate were measured. Results : There was a significant improvement in quality of life and significant decrease in cardiorespiratory variables. Conclusion : The classic massage can be a strategy for the improvement of quality of life in university students who present symptoms of stress, anxiety, elevation of blood pressure, heart and respiratory rate.

Strategic Actions and Strategy Changes in European Universities: Clues from Institutional Evaluation Reports of the European University Association

Science.gov (United States)

Uslu, Baris

2018-01-01

This research examined strategic actions in European universities through the institutional evaluation reports of the EUA. EUA reports for 21 universities from seven European countries were included in the data set. Qualitative inquiry was carried out and six sub-sections in the reports were used as established themes. The findings were then…

 The effect of context in children's interpretations of universally-quantified sentences

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Drozd, Kenneth

2006-01-01

This chapter investigates the effects of perceptual and discourse context on children's Exhaustive Pairing interpretation of universally quantified sentences. Two experiments compared the predictions of two recent accounts of Exhaustive Pairing. In one account, Crain et al. (1996) arge that child......This chapter investigates the effects of perceptual and discourse context on children's Exhaustive Pairing interpretation of universally quantified sentences. Two experiments compared the predictions of two recent accounts of Exhaustive Pairing. In one account, Crain et al. (1996) arge...

Measuring the Long-Term Effectiveness of a Compulsory Approach to Behaviour Change: Analysis of the "Say No to Plastic Bag" Campaign at the Universiti Sains Malaysia

Science.gov (United States)

Mustafa, Hasrina; Yusoff, Ronzi Mohd

2011-01-01

This research looked into the effectiveness of a campaign at the Universiti Sains Malaysia for a compulsory ban on disposable plastics. Although there was high awareness of the "Say No to Plastic Bags" bags campaign, and moderate compliance on campus, we wondered whether a compulsory approach would maintain the desired behaviours off…

Leadership lessons from curricular change at the University of California, San Francisco, School of Medicine.

Science.gov (United States)

Loeser, Helen; O'Sullivan, Patricia; Irby, David M

2007-04-01

After successive Liaison Committee on Medical Education accreditation reports that criticized the University of California, San Francisco, School of Medicine for lack of instructional innovation and curriculum oversight, the dean issued a mandate for curriculum reform in 1997. Could a medical school that prided itself on innovation in research and health care do the same in education? The authors describe their five-phase curriculum change process and correlate this to an eight-step leadership model. The first phase of curricular change is to establish a compelling need for change; it requires leaders to create a sense of urgency and build a guiding coalition to achieve action. The second phase of curriculum reform is to envision a bold new curriculum; leaders must develop such a vision and communicate it broadly. The third phase is to design curriculum and obtain the necessary approvals; this requires leaders to empower broad-based action and generate short-term wins. In the fourth phase, specific courses are developed for the new curriculum, and leaders continue to empower broad-based action, generate short-term wins, consolidate gains, and produce more change. During the fifth phase of implementation and evaluation, leaders need to further consolidate gains, produce more change, and anchor new approaches in the institution. Arising from this experience and the correlation of curricular change phases with leadership steps, the authors identify 27 specific leadership strategies they employed in their curricular reform process.

The Mediator Role of Change Self-Efficacy in Relationship between Psychological Capital and Commitment to Change

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

adel zahed babalan

2017-07-01

Full Text Available The purpose of this study was to investigate the mediator role of change self-efficacy in relationship between psychological capital and commitment to change in Mohaghegh Ardebily University employment. The study is applied and the research method was descriptive correlational (sem. According to sampling morgan table and using available sampling method, 180 persons (136 males and 44 females were selected. Participants responded to, Luthans Psychological Capital Questionnaire, Chen, Guly, Eden Change Self-Efficacy Questionnaire, and Meyer, Herscovitch Commitment to Change Questionnaire. The results were analyzed by structural equation modeling. The results showed that psychological capital and change self-efficacy had direct effects on the employee commitment to change. Also psychological capital had direct effects on change self-efficacy. Moreover the psychological capital showed indirect effect on commitment to change. In general, hypothetical model showed good fit. Therefore, it can be concluded that psychological capital and change self-efficacy may be taken into account as one of the important factors leading commitment to change

Changes in University Students’ Perceptions towards a Two-Week Summer English Immersion Program

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Meihua Liu

2017-01-01

Full Text Available The present research examined how university students perceived a 2-week summer English immersion program organized and designated by Chinese teachers of English in a highly prestigious university in Beijing and whether their perceptions changed during the period. Data included 208 surveys and 19 informal interviews in week 1 and 207 surveys and 19 interviews in week 2 (the participants were largely the same in both weeks. Analyses of the data showed that in both weeks, most students considered the courses interesting and liked most of them for similar reasons (e.g., being interesting and having much participation, that the program improved students’ English abilities in listening, speaking, reading and writing as well as overall English proficiency, and that the program enhanced students’ interpersonal communication ability, confidence in using English, knowledge of the culture of English-speaking countries, interest in and motivation to learn English. The results also revealed that the participants tended to become more positive about the program, have a more comprehensive view of the program and assess it more objectively toward the end of the program. Evidently, the program helped the students in various aspects. To better help students, it is useful to do needs analyses prior to the program so that more acceptable courses and activities can be designed and offered.

An Effective Framework for Managing University Data using a Cloud based Environment

OpenAIRE

Shakil, Kashish Ara; Sethi, Shuchi; Alam, Mansaf

2015-01-01

Management of data in education sector particularly management of data for big universities with several employees, departments and students is a very challenging task. There are also problems such as lack of proper funds and manpower for management of such data in universities. Education sector can easily and effectively take advantage of cloud computing skills for management of data. It can enhance the learning experience as a whole and can add entirely new dimensions to the way in which ed...

A roadmap to effective urban climate change adaptation

Science.gov (United States)

Setiadi, R.

2018-03-01

This paper outlines a roadmap to effective urban climate change adaptation built from our practical understanding of the evidence and effects of climate change and the preparation of climate change adaptation strategies and plans. This roadmap aims to drive research in achieving fruitful knowledge and solution-based achievable recommendations in adapting to climate change in urban areas with effective and systematic manner. This paper underscores the importance of the interplay between local government initiatives and a national government for effective adaptation to climate change and takes into account the policy process and politics. This paper argues that effective urban climate change adaptation has a contribution to build urban resilience and helps the achievement of national government goals and targets in climate change adaptation.

Universal Cable Brackets

Science.gov (United States)

Vanvalkenburgh, C.

1985-01-01

Concept allows routing easily changed. No custom hardware required in concept. Instead, standard brackets cut to length and installed at selected locations along cable route. If cable route is changed, brackets simply moved to new locations. Concept for "universal" cable brackets make it easy to route electrical cable around and through virtually any structure.

Understanding the Effect of Loneliness on Academic Participation and Success among International University Students

Science.gov (United States)

Bek, Hafiz

2017-01-01

The purpose of this study was to assess the effect of loneliness on academic participation and success among 213 students studying at Usak University. A total of 213 international students studying at Usak University, including 151 males and 62 females, were selected and participated in the research voluntarily. In the study, feelings of…

Research on climate effects. Effects of climate changes. Proceedings

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fischer, W.; Stein, G.

1991-01-01

Global changes affecting the earth are at the forefront of public interest, possibly caused by climate alterations amongst other things. The public expects appropriate measures from politics to successfully adapt to unavoidable climate changes. As well as an investigation into the causes of climatic changes and the corollaries between the different scientific phenomena, the effects on the economy and society must also be examined. The Federal Minister for Research and Technology aims to make a valuable German contribution to international Global Change Research with the focal point ''Effects of Climate Changes on the Ecological and Civil System''. The aim of the workshop was to give an outline of current scientific knowledge, sketch out research requirements and give recommendations on the focal point with regard to the BMFT. (orig.) [de

Sealing effectiveness of fissure sealant bonded with universal adhesive systems on saliva-contaminated and noncontaminated enamel.

Science.gov (United States)

Memarpour, Mahtab; Shafiei, Fereshteh; Zarean, Mehran; Razmjoei, Faranak

2018-01-01

The effectiveness of sealants is dependent upon their adhesion to enamel surface. The aim of the study was to evaluate the sealing ability of a pit and fissure sealant used with a universal adhesive (etch-and-rinse vs. self-etch modes) when the site is contaminated with saliva. Adhesive properties were evaluated as microleakage and scanning electron microscopic (SEM) characteristics. A total of 72 mandibular third molars were randomly divided into 6 groups (n=12). Occlusal pits and fissures were sealed with an unfilled resin fissure sealant (FS) material with or without saliva contamination. The groups included: 1) phosphoric acid etching + FS (control), 2) phosphoric acid etching + Scotchbond Universal (etch-and-rinse) + FS, 3) phosphoric acid etching + saliva + Scotchbond Universal (etch-and-rinse) + FS, 4) Scotchbond Universal (self-etching) + FS,5) Scotchbond Universal (self-etching) + saliva + FS, and 6) Scotchbond Universal (self-etching) + saliva + Scotchbond Universal + FS. After thermocycling, the teeth were placed in 0.5% fuchsin, sectioned, and evaluated by digital microscopy. Two samples from each group were also observed by SEM. The data were analyzed with Kruskal-Wallis and Mann-Whitney tests for a significance of p universal adhesive in etch-and-rinse or self-etch modes was similar to that of conventional acid etching. Saliva contamination had a negative effect on sealant adhesion to pretreated enamel. Key words: Pit and fissure sealant, Universal adhesive, Saliva.

The need for a change in the paradigm of entrepreneurship at universities: differences between innovative spin-offs and technology-based spin-offs

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Enara Zarrabeitia

2016-05-01

Full Text Available This study seeks to analyse the main characteristics of and barriers to the growth and development of innovative university spin-offs (which originate mainly from the fields of social science and law and technology-based university spin-offs (which tend to originate from the experimental sciences, from technical studies and from health science. The idea is to examine whether there is a need to redirect university policies aimed in the field of entrepreneurship. The study is based on a sample of 40 university spin-offs originating from the University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU. A questionnaire was sent to entrepreneurs identified with the aid of the persons in charge of the university programmes for creating businesses at the UPV/EHU. To determine the main differences between innovative and technology-based spin-offs, once the replies were received a bivariate or contingent analysis was applied to characterise the two types of business. The main barriers to growth and development encountered by the two types were then identified. The data analysed reveal significant differences between the two types of business, and a need for a change in the paradigm of university entrepreneurship.

Effects of energy drink consumption on corrected QT interval and heart rate variability in young obese Saudi male university students.

Science.gov (United States)

Alsunni, Ahmed; Majeed, Farrukh; Yar, Talay; AlRahim, Ahmed; Alhawaj, Ali Fouad; Alzaki, Muneer

2015-01-01

Consumption of energy drinks has adverse effects on the heart that might be potentiated in obese individuals. Since the incidence of obesity and use of energy drinks is high among Saudi youth, we used non-invasive tests to study hemodynamic changes produced by altered autonomic cardiac activ.ity following consumption of energy drinks in obese male students. This cross-sectional study was carried out at Department of Physiology, College of Medicine, University of Dammam, Saudi Arabia, over a one-year period from December 2013 to December 2014. In Saudi male university students we measured continuous ECG recordings and a one-minute deep breathing maneuver to measure the expiratory-to-inspiratory ratio, the mean heart rate range (MHRR), the mean percentage variability. (M%VHR) and the corrected QT interval (QTc) at 0, 30 and 60 minutes after consumption of energy drink. We enrolled 31 students (18 overweight/obese and 13 normal weights. QTc was significantly in.creased at 60 min as compared with the resting state in overweight/obese subjects (P=.006). Heart rate variability was significantly less in obese as compared with normal weight subjects at 60 minutes as indicated by E:I ratio, (P=.037), MHRR (P=.012), M%VHR (P=.040) after energy drink consumption. Significant increases in diastolic (P=.020) and mean arterial blood pressure (P=.024) were observed at 30 minutes in the obese group. Hemodynamic changes after intake of energy drinks in obese subjects indicate that obesity and energy drinks could synergistically induce harmful effects. This finding warrants efforts to caution the obese on intake of energy drinks and timely intervention to motivate changes in lifestyle.

Factors Affecting University Teaching Team Effectiveness in Detached Working Environments

Science.gov (United States)

Bennett, Roger; Kane, Suzanne

2014-01-01

This paper presents the outcomes of a study of the factors that contribute to teaching team effectiveness in situations where team members rarely meet face to face. Academic faculty within a university Business School were asked to report the degrees to which they believed that the module teaching teams to which they belonged contained members who…

Nursing workloads in family health: implications for universal access.

Science.gov (United States)

de Pires, Denise Elvira Pires; Machado, Rosani Ramos; Soratto, Jacks; Scherer, Magda dos Anjos; Gonçalves, Ana Sofia Resque; Trindade, Letícia Lima

2016-01-01

to identify the workloads of nursing professionals of the Family Health Strategy, considering its implications for the effectiveness of universal access. qualitative study with nursing professionals of the Family Health Strategy of the South, Central West and North regions of Brazil, using methodological triangulation. For the analysis, resources of the Atlas.ti software and Thematic Content Analysis were associated; and the data were interpreted based on the labor process and workloads as theorical approaches. the way of working in the Family Health Strategy has predominantly resulted in an increase in the workloads of the nursing professionals, with emphasis on the work overload, excess of demand, problems in the physical infrastructure of the units and failures in the care network, which hinders its effectiveness as a preferred strategy to achieve universal access to health. On the other hand, teamwork, affinity for the work performed, bond with the user, and effectiveness of the assistance contributed to reduce their workloads. investments on elements that reduce the nursing workloads, such as changes in working conditions and management, can contribute to the effectiveness of the Family Health Strategy and achieving the goal of universal access to health.

The Study of Life Change Unit as Stressor Agents among Tehran University of Medical Sciences Hospitals' Employees

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hossein Dargahi

2010-07-01

Full Text Available "nLife crises as stressor agents can disrupt the best stress management regime. Different life crises have different impacts. A standard scale to rate change and its related stress impact has been developed commonly referred to as LCU (Life Change Unit Rating. This allocates a number of Life Crisis Units or Life Change Units (LCUs to different event and then evaluates them and takes action accordingly. This idea behind this approach of is to rundown the LCU table, totaling the LCUs for life crisis that have occurred in the previous one year. A Cross - sectional, descriptive and analytical study was conducted among 900 Tehran University of Medical Sciences (TUMS Employees by a Holms and Rahe LCU questionnaire at 15 hospitals. The respondents were asked to determine their demographic information, list of stress symptoms which suffered from these diseases in the previous one year and finally, responded to 45 Life Change Unit as stressful life events and the value of each in "stress units" which occurred in the previous one year. The results showed that there is significant correlation between the employees LCU rating by sex, educational degree and size of hospital. Also we found that there are significant correlations between the employees stress symptoms with their LCU rating. Totally, 40% of the employees have less than 150 LCU rating (normal range and 60% of them have 150-300 or more than 300 LCU rating (abnormal range. In conclusion most of TUMS hospitals' employees who had stress symptoms have more LCU rating. One third of these employees are not in danger of suffering the illness effect, while two third of them are in danger.

A "Prepaid Package" for Obstetrics: Effect on Teaching and Patient Care in a University Hospital

Science.gov (United States)

Young, Philip E.

1976-01-01

The changing social milieu has removed the charity patient but not the need for a teaching population. The University Hospital's program is described, in which patients prepaid a fixed, single fee for all obstetrics-related care through the third post partum day. (LBH)

Digital Labour in the University: Understanding the Transformations of Academic Work in the UK

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jamie Woodcock

2018-01-01

Full Text Available Universities have been the site of a variety of shifts and transformations in the previous few decades. Both the composition of students and academics are changing (to a lesser or greater extent, along with the ways in which teaching and research is supported, conducted, and delivered. The effects of neoliberalism, privatisation, precarious employment, debt, and digitalisation have been highlighted as important factors in understanding these changes. However, the ways in which these tendencies are expressed in universities – both in specific and general ways – remain fragmented and under-analysed. In particular, the role of academic labour processes, increasingly mediated through digital technology, remains in the background. There is a risk of viewing these transformations as abstracted, far removed from the day-to-day activities of academic labour on which universities rely. This article will therefore focus on connecting the broader changes in funding, organisation, and digital technology to the labour processes of academics. Rather than seeking a return to a romanticised pre-neoliberal university, this article explores the possibilities of resistance and alternatives to the university as it is now.

Ebooks at Bergen University Library?

OpenAIRE

Landøy, Ane; Mikki, Susanne; Skagen, Therese; Stangeland, Elin

2004-01-01

The ongoing quality reform in academia in Norway leads to changing user needs for Bergen University Library. This article discusses advantages and disadvantages of ebooks in an academic institution like the University of Bergen (UiB). Strategies for procurement, presentation and use are considered.

Terminal values and meaning in life among university students with varied levels of altruism in the present period of socio-cultural change

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Głaz Stanisław

2012-01-01

Full Text Available Abstract The author of this paper, interested in the issues of values preference, meaning in life and altruism among university students has attempted to show a relation between them in the present period of clearly noticeable socio-cultural change. The study was conducted in 2009-2010 in Kraków among university students. The age of the respondents ranged from 21 to 25. 200 sets of correctly completed questionnaires were used for the results analysis.

The Effects of Gender and Loneliness Levels on Ways of Coping among University Students

Science.gov (United States)

Cecen, A. Rezan

2008-01-01

The purpose of this study is to determine the effects of gender differences and levels of loneliness on ways of coping. The sample of the study is composed of 462 university students (245 male, 217 female) from different departments from the Education Faculty at Cukurova University. In this study to collect data related to loneliness as an…

Universe of constant

Science.gov (United States)

Yongquan, Han

2016-10-01

The ideal gas state equation is not applicable to ordinary gas, it should be applied to the Electromagnetic ``gas'' that is applied to the radiation, the radiation should be the ultimate state of matter changes or initial state, the universe is filled with radiation. That is, the ideal gas equation of state is suitable for the Singular point and the universe. Maybe someone consider that, there is no vessel can accommodate radiation, it is because the Ordinary container is too small to accommodate, if the radius of your container is the distance that Light through an hour, would you still think it can't accommodates radiation? Modern scientific determinate that the radius of the universe now is about 1027 m, assuming that the universe is a sphere whose volume is approximately: V = 4.19 × 1081 cubic meters, the temperature radiation of the universe (cosmic microwave background radiation temperature of the universe, should be the closest the average temperature of the universe) T = 3.15k, radiation pressure P = 5 × 10-6 N / m 2, according to the law of ideal gas state equation, PV / T = constant = 6 × 1075, the value of this constant is the universe, The singular point should also equal to the constant Author: hanyongquan

HAVE YOU READ THIS?: Life, the universe(s) and everything

Science.gov (United States)

Dobson, Ken

1998-09-01

philosophical for some (see the review by B Carr in Physics World 10 December 1997, p 39) but don't be put off by his adoration of Leibnitz compared, say, with Newton. He is strongly critical of a `mechanical' world view, and a major strand in the book is that physics may be more like biology than most of us might like to think. Smolin's key idea is that universes are created in black holes, a basis on which he builds a cosmology in which relationships are more important than abstract concepts like space and time. When a new universe forms from a black hole the laws and constants are changed: G, e, h and the critical things like the fine-structure constant that cosmic anthropicists put forward as evidence for a purposive universe get changed. Sometimes they change a lot, sometimes in ways too small to have much effect. A kind of Darwinian survival effect takes over: successful universes are good at producing black holes and mature stars that can build up the heavy elements which allow life to develop. So our values of G, e, h etc have evolved. The more black holes they produce, the more likely it is that some of the baby universes are reasonably successful. So our universe is not unique, but just one of a set that has cosmological and physical properties that allow people like us to develop. The improbably anthropic universe we live in is as improbable as an eye or a peacock's tail. Just as Stephen Jay Gould teaches us that life as we know it is not designed but the result of more or less simple rules applied in an accidental, contingent history, so Smolin considers the universe(s). Galaxies have ecologies: `... our life is situated inside a nested hierarchy of self-organized systems that begin with our local ecologies and extend upwards at least to the galaxy.' Our universe is really very young - not much older than a typical star. The theory has testable predictions, to do with the formation of spiral arms in galaxies, supernovae and the rate of production of black holes

Cost-effectiveness of universal rotavirus vaccination in reducing rotavirus gastroenteritis in Ireland.

LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

Tilson, L

2011-10-06

We evaluated the cost-effectiveness of universal infant rotavirus (RV) vaccination compared to current standard of care of "no vaccination". Two RV vaccines are currently licensed in Ireland: Rotarix and RotaTeq. A cohort model used in several European countries was adapted using Irish epidemiological, resource utilisation and cost data. The base case model considers the impact of Rotarix vaccination on health-related quality of life of children under five years old from a healthcare payer perspective. Other scenarios explored the use of RotaTeq, impact on one caregiver, on societal costs and on cases that do not seek medical attention. Cost was varied between the vaccine list price (€100\\/course) in the base case and an assumed tender price (€70\\/course). One-way and probabilistic sensitivity analyses were conducted. Implementing universal RV vaccination may prevent around 1970 GP visits, 3280 A&E attendances and 2490 hospitalisations. A vaccination programme was estimated to cost approximately €6.54 million per year but €4.65 million of this would be offset by reducing healthcare resource use. The baseline ICER was €112,048\\/QALY and €72,736\\/QALY from the healthcare payer and societal perspective, respectively, falling to €68,896 and €43,916\\/QALY, respectively, if the impact on one caregiver was considered. If the price fell to €70 per course, universal RV vaccination would be cost saving under all scenarios. Results were sensitive to vaccination costs, incidence of RV infection and direct medical costs. Universal RV vaccination would not be cost-effective under base case assumptions. However, it could be cost-effective at a lower vaccine price or from a wider societal perspective.

Engineering change management report 2012: Survey results on causes and effects, current practice, problems, and strategies in Brazil

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Chucholowski, Nepomuk; Langer, Stefan; Ferreira, Marcelo Gitirana Gomes

Engineering changes (ECs) are well known for generating additional costs and decreasing de-velopment efficiency. Yet, they are a fundamental part of product and service development and they are necessary to keep up with, for example, competitors, market trends or new technolo-gies. The effective...... management of engineering changes is a crucial precondition for Brazilian companies to successfully compete not only on the fast growing Brazilian market, but also on the world market which becomes more interesting due to the rising industrial power of Brazil. To achieve improvements in engineering change...... management practice, industry and universities need to work together. In this report the main findings of our study on Engineering Change Management (ECM) in Brazilian companies are presented, which indicate possible solution strategies and further research needs. Our survey aimed on the investigation...

Using Climate Change for Teaching Experimental Sciences in Teacher Education through Research Projects on Recycling at the University of Lleida (Western Catalonia)

Science.gov (United States)

Sebastia, M. T.; Verdú, N.

2016-12-01

Although climate change is one of the most pressing challenges faced by humankind, climate change illiteracy is frequent among primary school teacher college students reaching the second school year at the University of Lleida (UdL). Climate change was chosen to structure the course on Experimental Sciences of the bilingual group because this topic involves all sciences, and because of the importance of the subject for future educators. In the bilingual group of the Education Faculty, Experimental Sciences is taught in English, and there are usually 1-2 international students in addition to around 20 local students. To increase the awareness about climate change and make this topic closer to the students' daily experience, a research project on recycling at the University of Lleida was assigned per groups of 4 students. The assignment was semi-structured, the students received a reduced set of instructions and large freedom to focus their particular projects. Additional instructions were provided along the way. We present results from the comparisons among faculties at UdL, and among the different users: students, professors and researchers, and administration staff. We also discuss the impact that this project had in the learning ability of the students and their awareness about climate change.

The Utilization of University Students as an Effective Measure for Reducing STIs among Teens

Science.gov (United States)

Spain, Adam

2017-01-01

Nearly 50% of all new sexually transmitted infections were found in teen and young adult populations in 2015, with the number of new infections expected to keep rising. This study evaluated the knowledge and opinions of university students to determine if changes should be made to the current sexual health education curricula utilized in high…

Introduction to the Special Issue: Across the horizon: scale effects in global change research.

Science.gov (United States)

Gornish, Elise S; Leuzinger, Sebastian

2015-01-01

As a result of the increasing speed and magnitude in which habitats worldwide are experiencing environmental change, making accurate predictions of the effects of global change on ecosystems and the organisms that inhabit them have become an important goal for ecologists. Experimental and modelling approaches aimed at understanding the linkages between factors of global change and biotic responses have become numerous and increasingly complex in order to adequately capture the multifarious dynamics associated with these relationships. However, constrained by resources, experiments are often conducted at small spatiotemporal scales (e.g. looking at a plot of a few square metres over a few years) and at low organizational levels (looking at organisms rather than ecosystems) in spite of both theoretical and experimental work that suggests ecological dynamics across scales can be dissimilar. This phenomenon has been hypothesized to occur because the mechanisms that drive dynamics across scales differ. A good example is the effect of elevated CO2 on transpiration. While at the leaf level, transpiration can be reduced, at the stand level, transpiration can increase because leaf area per unit ground area increases. The reported net effect is then highly dependent on the spatiotemporal scale. This special issue considers the biological relevancy inherent in the patterns associated with the magnitude and type of response to changing environmental conditions, across scales. This collection of papers attempts to provide a comprehensive treatment of this phenomenon in order to help develop an understanding of the extent of, and mechanisms involved with, ecological response to global change. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Annals of Botany Company.

[Effectiveness of teaching gerontology and geriatrics in students of the 1st Faculty of Medicine, Charles University in Prague].

Science.gov (United States)

Mádlová, P; Neuwirth, J; Topinková, E

2006-01-01

Increasing number of seniors in the society requires more university-degree educated professionals--health care professionals, social care workers and managers with basic exposure to and knowledge of gerontology and geriatrics. The aim of our paper was to evaluate the effectiveness of undergraduate training of gerontology and geriatrics among students of the 1st Faculty of Medicine, Charles University in Prague. To get information about knowledge of medical students and students of ergotherapy and physiotherapy and about their attitudes towards senior citizens we conducted a survey using two anonymous questionnaires prepared in our department and piloted earlier. The survey ran during the academic year 2004/2005. Students completed identical questionnaires twice, first time before the start of the clinical rotation and second time after the training end (n=134). Evaluation of knowledge and attitudes confirmed that one to two weeks clinical rotation at Department of Geriatrics was effective and increased knowledge of students in the topic trained. The percentage of correct answers in all three evaluated training programmes increased after the completion of the clinical rotation and reached 83% and more. From 134 participating students, 54.5 % appreciated life experience and wisdom of seniors they met, 98.4 % of students were satisfied with the training programme and 67.2 % of students reported that after training they changed their attitude towards senior population. Our survey confirmed that clinical training in geriatric medicine at 1st Faculty of Medicine, Charles University in Prague, prepared in agreement with current European recommendations is sufficiently effective and well accepted by the students. Therefore we recommend introduction of formal geriatric training for students in all medical faculties in the Czech Republic.

On Effective Degrees of Freedom in the Early Universe

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lars Husdal

2016-12-01

Full Text Available We explore the effective degrees of freedom in the early Universe, from before the electroweak scale at a few femtoseconds after the Big Bang until the last positrons disappeared a few minutes later. We look at the established concepts of effective degrees of freedom for energy density, pressure, and entropy density, and introduce effective degrees of freedom for number density as well. We discuss what happens with particle species as their temperature cools down from relativistic to semi- and non-relativistic temperatures, and then annihilates completely. This will affect the pressure and the entropy per particle. We also look at the transition from a quark-gluon plasma to a hadron gas. Using a list a known hadrons, we use a “cross-over” temperature of 214 MeV, where the effective degrees of freedom for a quark-gluon plasma equals that of a hadron gas.

Strategies for Reforming University/State Relationships: Australia's Experience Sets Examples.

Science.gov (United States)

McGuire, Harriet C.

1997-01-01

The World Bank's recommendations for higher education policy in Africa offer an appropriate framework for comparison with recent educational policy changes in Australia, particularly in the area of university financing. Australia provides a case study of how national policies have had a dramatic and rapid effect on education and have quickly…

Can the acceleration of our universe be explained by the effects of inhomogeneities?

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ishibashi, Akihiro; Wald, Robert M

2006-01-01

No, it is simply not plausible that cosmic acceleration could arise within the context of general relativity from a back-reaction effect of inhomogeneities in our universe, without the presence of a cosmological constant or 'dark energy'. We point out that our universe appears to be described very accurately on all scales by a Newtonianly perturbed FLRW metric. (This assertion is entirely consistent with the fact that we commonly encounter δρ/ρ > 10 30 .) If the universe is accurately described by a Newtonianly perturbed FLRW metric, then the back-reaction of inhomogeneities on the dynamics of the universe is negligible. If not, then it is the burden of an alternative model to account for the observed properties of our universe. We emphasize with concrete examples that it is not adequate to attempt to justify a model by merely showing that some spatially averaged quantities behave the same way as in FLRW models with acceleration. A quantity representing the 'scale factor' may 'accelerate' without there being any physically observable consequences of this acceleration. It also is not adequate to calculate the second-order stress-energy tensor and show that it has a form similar to that of a cosmological constant of the appropriate magnitude. The second-order stress-energy tensor is gauge dependent, and if it were large, contributions of higher perturbative order could not be neglected. We attempt to clear up the apparent confusion between the second-order stress-energy tensor arising in perturbation theory and the 'effective stress-energy tensor' arising in the 'shortwave approximation'

India's Proposed Universal Health Coverage Policy: Evidence for Age Structure Transition Effect and Fiscal Sustainability.

Science.gov (United States)

Narayana, Muttur Ranganathan

2016-12-01

India's High Level Expert Group on Universal Health Coverage in 2011 recommended a universal, public-funded and national health coverage policy. As a plausible forward-looking macroeconomic reform in the health sector, this policy proposal on universal health coverage (UHC) needs to be evaluated for age structure transition effect and fiscal sustainability to strengthen its current design and future implementation. Macroeconomic analyses of the long-term implications of age structure transition and fiscal sustainability on India's proposed UHC policy. A new measure of age-specific UHC is developed by combining the age profile of public and private health consumption expenditure by using the National Transfer Accounts methodology. Different projections of age-specific public health expenditure are calculated over the period 2005-2100 to account for the age structure transition effect. The projections include changes in: (1) levels of the expenditure as gross domestic product grows, (2) levels and shape of the expenditure as gross domestic product grows and expenditure converges to that of developed countries (or convergence scenario) based on the Lee-Carter model of forecasting mortality rates, and (3) levels of the expenditure as India moves toward a UHC policy. Fiscal sustainability under each health expenditure projection is determined by using the measures of generational imbalance and sustainability gap in the Generational Accounting methodology. Public health expenditure is marked by age specificities and the elderly population is costlier to support for their healthcare needs in the future. Given the discount and productivity growth rates, the proposed UHC is not fiscally sustainable under India's current fiscal policies except for the convergence scenario. However, if the income elasticity of public expenditure on social welfare and health expenditure is less than one, fiscal sustainability of the UHC policy is attainable in all scenarios of projected public

Design Change Model for Effective Scheduling Change Propagation Paths

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Hai-Zhu; Ding, Guo-Fu; Li, Rong; Qin, Sheng-Feng; Yan, Kai-Yin

2017-09-01

Changes in requirements may result in the increasing of product development project cost and lead time, therefore, it is important to understand how requirement changes propagate in the design of complex product systems and be able to select best options to guide design. Currently, a most approach for design change is lack of take the multi-disciplinary coupling relationships and the number of parameters into account integrally. A new design change model is presented to systematically analyze and search change propagation paths. Firstly, a PDS-Behavior-Structure-based design change model is established to describe requirement changes causing the design change propagation in behavior and structure domains. Secondly, a multi-disciplinary oriented behavior matrix is utilized to support change propagation analysis of complex product systems, and the interaction relationships of the matrix elements are used to obtain an initial set of change paths. Finally, a rough set-based propagation space reducing tool is developed to assist in narrowing change propagation paths by computing the importance of the design change parameters. The proposed new design change model and its associated tools have been demonstrated by the scheduling change propagation paths of high speed train's bogie to show its feasibility and effectiveness. This model is not only supportive to response quickly to diversified market requirements, but also helpful to satisfy customer requirements and reduce product development lead time. The proposed new design change model can be applied in a wide range of engineering systems design with improved efficiency.

Learning biases predict a word order universal.

Science.gov (United States)

Culbertson, Jennifer; Smolensky, Paul; Legendre, Géraldine

2012-03-01

How recurrent typological patterns, or universals, emerge from the extensive diversity found across the world's languages constitutes a central question for linguistics and cognitive science. Recent challenges to a fundamental assumption of generative linguistics-that universal properties of the human language acquisition faculty constrain the types of grammatical systems which can occur-suggest the need for new types of empirical evidence connecting typology to biases of learners. Using an artificial language learning paradigm in which adult subjects are exposed to a mix of grammatical systems (similar to a period of linguistic change), we show that learners' biases mirror a word-order universal, first proposed by Joseph Greenberg, which constrains typological patterns of adjective, numeral, and noun ordering. We briefly summarize the results of a probabilistic model of the hypothesized biases and their effect on learning, and discuss the broader implications of the results for current theories of the origins of cross-linguistic word-order preferences. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Career effects of taking up parental leave. Evidence from a Dutch University

OpenAIRE

Vlasblom, J.D.; Plantenga, J.

2010-01-01

In this paper we study the effect of parental leave on individual careers. We use individual registration data of a Dutch non-profit firm (Utrecht University). Our outcomes show that even with a short period of flexible leave there are career effects. More specifically, these effects are not unambiguously positive: slightly longer job durations are found, but also a lower probability of wage increases. It also appears that there are differences in effects between men and women: for men the ef...

University Social Responsibility and Brand Image of Private Universities in Bangkok

Science.gov (United States)

Plungpongpan, Jirawan; Tiangsoongnern, Leela; Speece, Mark

2016-01-01

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to examine the effects of university social responsibility (USR) on the brand image of private universities in Thailand. Brand image is important for entry into the consideration set as prospective students evaluate options for university study. USR activities may be implicit or explicit, i.e., actively…

The Effectiveness of Fraud Prevention and Detection Methods at Universities in Indonesia

OpenAIRE

Zamzami, Faiz; Nusa, Nabella Duta; Timur, Rudi Prasetya

2016-01-01

Some cases of corruption have taken place in several universities in Indonesia. To prevent and handle the cases, internal auditors play pivotal roles in detecting and preventing fraud. Therefore, effective methods to detect and prevent fraud are needed. The methods are expected to set the appropriate measures to detect and prevent fraud effectively. This research proposed a question how the internal auditors perceive the effectiveness of fraud detection and prevention methods. The research ai...

Utilization of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Resources and Job Effectiveness among Library Staff in the University of Calabar and Cross River University of Technology, Nigeria

Science.gov (United States)

Ntui, Aniebiet Inyang; Inyang, Comfort Linus

2015-01-01

This study investigated utilization of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) resources and job effectiveness among library staff in the University of Calabar and Cross River University of Technology, Nigeria. To achieve the purpose of this study, four hypotheses were formulated to guide the study. Ex-post facto research design was adopted…

Leadership behaviors for successful university--community collaborations to change curricula.

Science.gov (United States)

Bland, C J; Starnaman, S; Hembroff, L; Perlstadt, H; Henry, R; Richards, R

1999-11-01

What constitutes effective leadership in a collaborative effort to achieve enduring curricular and student career changes? This question was investigated as part of a larger evaluation of the W. K. Kellogg Foundation's Community Partnership Health Professions Education, a five-year initiative involving projects at seven sites. The goal was to produce more primary care health providers by making enduring curricular change. Data were collected from participants with respect to predictors of project success and leaders' use of 16 behaviors via telephone interviews, mailed surveys, and focus groups. Focus groups also gathered project leaders' views of skills and knowledge necessary for effective leadership. Leadership strategies associated with positive outcomes were: consistent leader; use of multiple cognitive frames, especially a human resource frame; use of a broad range of leadership behaviors, particularly participative governance and cultural influence; and a majority of community representatives on the partnership board. The primary leader, compared with a leadership team, is most influential in achieving positive outcomes. Effective leaders use a broad array of behaviors, but particularly emphasize the use of participative governance and culture/value-influencing behaviors. In addition, the more frequent use of these behaviors compared with the use of organizational power behaviors is important. It is helpful to perceive the project from a human-relations frame and at least one other frame. Using a leadership team can be helpful, especially in building coalitions, but the importance of the primary leader's behaviors to project outcomes is striking.

Prevalence, side effects and awareness about energy drinks among the female university students in Saudi Arabia.

Science.gov (United States)

Rahamathulla, Mohamudha Parveen

2017-01-01

To evaluate the consumption, prevalence, side effects and awareness of energy drinks among female university students in Saudi Arabia. A quantitative research design was implied with sample size of 358 female students, recruited from Prince Sattam bin Abdulaziz University. The data, gathered through self-administered questionnaire, was analyzed through SPSS version 20.0 with p value energy drink consumers. The reasons for increased consumption of energy drinks mainly include giving company to friends (59.4%), better performance in exams (41.2%), and better concentration in studies (39.4%). The most common side effect was headache (32.3%), and the least was identified as allergy (2%). Only 39.4% and 29.9% of students acquired awareness regarding the harmful effects of energy drink consumption during pregnancy and breast feeding respectively. A significant proportion of female students at Prince Sattam bin Abdulaziz have reported to consume energy drinks regularly with several adverse effects. The government of Saudi Arabia should take serious initiatives towards organizing effective awareness programs specifically in universities and colleges to control the consumption of energy drinks and educate on the adverse effects.

Global climate change and California

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Knox, J.B.; Scheuring, A.F.

1991-01-01

In the fall of 1988 the University of California organized a new public-service initiative on global climate change in response to inquiries and requests from members of Congress and the Department of Energy (DOE). This new systemwide initiative involved all of the University of California campuses and the University's three national laboratories at Berkeley, Los Alamos, and Livermore. The goal of this Greenhouse Initiative was to focus the multidisciplinary resources of the UC campuses and the team-oriented research capabilities of the laboratories on the prospect of global warming and its associated effects on the planet and its nations. In consultation with the DOE, the organizers proposed a series of workshops to focus University of California research resources on the issue of global warming, to contribute to the congressionally mandated DOE studies on options for the US to reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 20% by the year 2000, and to begin building a long-term research base contributing to an improved understanding of global change in all of its complexity and diverse discipline implications. This volume contains papers from the first of these workshops. Individual papers are processed separately for inclusion in the appropriate data bases

Graphene and the universality of the quantum Hall effect

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Tzalenchuk, A.; Janssen, T. J.B.M.; Kazakova, O.

2013-01-01

The quantum Hall effect allows the standard for resistance to be defined in terms of the elementary charge and Planck's constant alone. The effect comprises the quantization of the Hall resistance in two-dimensional electron systems in rational fractions of RK=h/e2=25812.8074434(84) Ω (Mohr P. J....... the unconventional quantum Hall effect and then present in detail the route, which led to the most precise quantum Hall resistance universality test ever performed.......The quantum Hall effect allows the standard for resistance to be defined in terms of the elementary charge and Planck's constant alone. The effect comprises the quantization of the Hall resistance in two-dimensional electron systems in rational fractions of RK=h/e2=25812.8074434(84) Ω (Mohr P. J....... et al., Rev. Mod. Phys., 84 (2012) 1527), the resistance quantum. Despite 30 years of research into the quantum Hall effect, the level of precision necessary for metrology, a few parts per billion, has been achieved only in silicon and III-V heterostructure devices. In this lecture we show...

The RAE and University Efficiency.

Science.gov (United States)

Mace, John

2000-01-01

Evaluates effects of the new British funding formula for universities, based on the research assessment exercise (RAE). Compares effects of the RAE on two contrasting universities and finds the RAE has dramatically affected university organization, teaching, and research. RAE may have increased efficiency in teaching and research but encourages…

Giant magneto-optical Kerr effect and universal Faraday effect in thin-film topological insulators.

Science.gov (United States)

Tse, Wang-Kong; MacDonald, A H

2010-07-30

Topological insulators can exhibit strong magneto-electric effects when their time-reversal symmetry is broken. In this Letter we consider the magneto-optical Kerr and Faraday effects of a topological insulator thin film weakly exchange coupled to a ferromagnet. We find that its Faraday rotation has a universal value at low frequencies θF=tan(-1)α, where α is the vacuum fine structure constant, and that it has a giant Kerr rotation θK=π/2. These properties follow from a delicate interplay between thin-film cavity confinement and the surface Hall conductivity of a topological insulator's helical quasiparticles.

Swayed by the Logo and Name: Does University Branding Work?

Science.gov (United States)

Idris, Muhammad Zaffwan; Whitfield, T. W. Allan

2014-01-01

Over the last decade, many universities attempted to improve their public image by changing their corporate visual identity (CVI) and/or name. Despite the prevalence of such practices, little research has been conducted into their effectiveness. The research reported here focused upon one facet of the higher education branding debate, that of the…

Effects of the Transcendental Meditation Program on Substance Use among University Students

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

David A. F. Haaga

2011-01-01

Full Text Available A randomized wait-list controlled trial (=295 university students of the effects of the Transcendental Meditation program was conducted in an urban setting. Substance use was assessed by self-report at baseline and 3 months later. For smoking and illicit drug use, there were no significant differences between conditions. For alcohol use, sex X intervention condition interactions were significant; TM instruction lowered drinking rates among male but not female students. TM instruction could play a valuable role in reducing alcohol use among male university students. Limitations are noted, along with suggestions for further research.

Synergistic effect of energy drinks and overweight/obesity on cardiac autonomic testing using the Valsalva maneuver in university students.

Science.gov (United States)

Majeed, Farrukh; Yar, Talay; Alsunni, Ahmed; Alhawaj, Ali Fouad; AlRahim, Ahmed; Alzaki, Muneer

2017-01-01

Obesity and caffeine consumption may lead to autonomic disturbances that can result in a wide range of cardiovascular disorders. To determine autonomic disturbances produced by the synergistic effects of overweight or obesity (OW/OB) and energy drinks. Cross-sectional, analytical. Physiology department at a university in Saudi Arabia. University students, 18-22 years of age, of normal weight (NW) and OW/OB were recruited by convenience sampling. Autonomic testing by the Valsalva ratio (VR) along with systolic and diastolic blood pressure, pulse pressure, and mean arterial blood pressure were measured at baseline (0 minute) and 60 minutes after energy drink consumption. Autonomic disturbance, hemodynamic changes. In 50 (27 males and 23 females) subjects, 21 NW and 29 OW/OB, a significant decrease in VR was observed in OW/OB subjects and in NW and OW/OB females at 60 minutes after energy drink consumption. Values of systolic and diastolic blood pressure, pulse pressure and mean arterial blood pressure were also significantly higher in OW/OB and in females as compared to NW and males. BMI was negatively correlated with VR and diastolic blood pressure at 60 minutes. Obesity and energy drinks alter autonomic functions. In some individuals, OW/OB may augment these effects. Due to time and resource restraints, only the acute effects of energy drinks were examined.

Effect of the topology of the universe on the cosmic microwave background radiation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Caillerie, Samuel

2005-01-01

Whereas geometrical problems of cosmology related to the local shape of the Universe are well described, this research thesis, after some recalls on cosmology, addresses the issue of Universe topology. The author explains how topology can be described by using the conventional image of 'ghost objects', and then shows that topology intervenes at the level of Eigenmodes of different physical values which describe the content of the Universe by discretizing them. Thus, the author proposes a reinterpretation of the behaviour of the power spectrum, and notably the weak quadrupole, in a topological effect related to the lack of modes for this scale. However, the problem of the shape of the Universe remains open as few estimators are actually reliable with respect to present observations. But the author states that some models can be discarded (like non simply connected non Euclidean models), and that some strong constraints can be obtained on the remaining models [fr

Particle pollution changes the atmospheric circulation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kristjansson, Jon Egill; Iversen, Trond; Kirkevaag, Alf; Seland, Oeyvind; Debernard, Jens; Roeed, Lars Petter

2002-01-01

Industrial emissions and combustion of fossil fuels create large amounts of sulfate- and carbon containing soot particles. These mix with natural particles to change the natural aerosols. Such anthropogenic changes in the aerosols may have a great impact on the climate of the earth. Altered properties of the aerosols may change the atmosphere's absorption and reflection of solar radiation and contribute to heating or cooling. This is the direct effect. Changes in the properties of aerosols may also affect the number and size of recently formed cloud droplets. This may change the ability of the clouds to reflect solar radiation and to produce precipitation. This is the indirect effect. Recent research at the University of Oslo shows that anthropogenic particles significantly change the atmospheric circulation, in particular in the tropics, but also at European latitudes

Evaluating Instructional Effects of Flipped Classroom in University: A Case Study on Electronic Business Course

Science.gov (United States)

Zhu, Wenlong; Xie, Wenjing

2018-01-01

Flipped classroom provides the new ideas and ways for the innovation of university pedagogical mode. Nowadays instructors may apply this new approach to liberal arts majors in university class in order to make up for the problems of low instructional effects in traditional teaching method. From the subjective and objective perspectives, this…

Ethics Education In The University

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Nguyen K. Q. Trung

2015-08-01

Full Text Available Accounting faculty of universities in Vietnam takes an important role in the training of human resources for the society in the field of accounting auditing and taxation. All professors and lecturers who teaching in those faculties have participated in editing and changing the accounting curricular in order to meet the needs of the market labor and requirements of new internationally professional standards. The integration of professional ethics into the curriculum has raised the concern of many universities not only in Vietnam but also in the world. This paper presents the study on teaching and learning of professional ethics at Faculty of Accounting and Auditing of Banking University of HCMC. The results of the study do highlight some recommendations for improving the contents of courses used for the teaching and learning accounting effectively. The research is presented in this paper as follows a short literature review and then the methodology of interviewing the professors in accounting fields who have the best experiences in education of accounting. Also students who are studying accounting course will be interviewed. In addition to content Analysis research methods and a case study approach are used to investigate the whether it is necessary for teaching and learning of Professional Ethics in accounting at Banking University of HCMC. The paper aims to answer the following questions i Should ethics be taught in accounting classes at universities ii How professional ethics has been taught and learned as a separate course or integration into different accounting and auditing courses

MARKETING STRATEGY OF THE UNIVERSITY: FORMATION AND ITS EFFECTIVENESS EVALUATION REALIZATION

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Natalia К. Shemetova

2015-01-01

Full Text Available The study is aimed at developing an algorithm of formation of university’s marketing strategy and the development of evaluating methods of its effectiveness realization. Despite the competitive expansion of the educational services market and the transition to a system of university self-financing, researchers have not paid due attention to the process of developing the marketing strategy of the university and the evaluation of its effectiveness yet. Methods. The applied methods include the method of general systems theory, and the complex of specialized marketing tools (PEST-, SNWand SWOT-analysis. Results. The algorithm of university’s marketing strategy formation and methodology for its effectiveness assessing is given in five fields: economic, informational, social, integration, and demand stage. The set of criteria is worked out for every field listed above. The author has developed a formula for determining the total indicator or general index of the effectiveness of university’s marketing strategy. Scientific novelty. The prospects of using the algorithm of formation of university’s marketing strategy and the system of monitoring and evaluating the effectiveness of marketing in higher vocational education was proved and evaluated by the author in the Ural Institute of Management of RANEPA. Practical significance. The research results can be used by the experts in the field of management of the higher educational institutions, and also as teaching materials while preparing the experts in marketing. 

Technological Innovation and Beyond: Exploring Public Value of University Inventions Based on Contingent Effectiveness Model

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Milana, Evita; Li-Ying, Jason; Faria, Lourenco

2017-01-01

University inventions are traditionally seen as significant input into development of new technologies and innovations in the market as they generate growth and regional development. (REF) Yet, these inventions developed into new technologies can simultaneously create public values such as those...... that are related with sustainability goals. In this paper, we apply the Contingent Effectiveness Model by Bozeman et.al. (2015) as a framework to consider the effectiveness of technology transfer from university to industry via licensing, and examine what values derive during the commercialization process...... of university inventions. We define four main values: technological, economic, social and environmental, and place the latter two under the concept of public value. The aim of this paper is to expand the understanding of public value and incorporate it into technology transfer literature. We assign...

Computing Services Planning, Downsizing, and Organization at the University of Alberta.

Science.gov (United States)

Beltrametti, Monica

1993-01-01

In a six-month period, the University of Alberta (Canada) campus computing services department formulated a strategic plan, and downsized and reorganized to meet financial constraints and respond to changing technology, especially distributed computing. The new department is organized to react more effectively to trends in technology and user…

Effects of Perceived Social Support and Psychological Resilience on Social Media Addiction among University Students

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Bilgin, Okan; Tas, Ibrahim

2018-01-01

This research investigated the effects of perceived social support and psychological resilience on social media addiction among university students. The research group was composed of 503 university students. The ages of participant students varied between 17 and 31 years old. 340 (67.6%) of the participants are female and 163 (32.4%) of them are…

Supporting Academic Literacies: University Teachers in Collaboration for Change

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Bergman, Lotta

2016-01-01

This article deals with an action research project, where a group of university teachers from different disciplines reflected on and gradually extended their knowledge about how to support students' academic literacy development. The project was conducted within a "research circle" [Bergman, L. 2014. "The Research Circle as a…

Teaching Effectiveness of the Teacher Education Faculty Members in Pangasinan State University Asingan Campus, Philippines

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Priscilla L. Agsalud

2017-02-01

Full Text Available Teaching effectiveness of the faculty is one of the most critical areas that need to be considered. The success of the students will depend to a great extent, upon how well the teachers have trained them. This paper evaluated the faculty members’ level of teaching effectiveness in the teacher education program in Pangasinan State University Asingan Campus, Philippines. Their professional background was assessed. Their level of teaching effectiveness along commitment, knowledge of the subject matter, teaching for independent learning and management of learning were considered. The study used the descriptive and evaluative methods of research. Questionnaire Checklist was used to gather data. The Faculty Evaluation Instrument (QCE of the NBC No.461 was adopted to evaluate the faculty members’ level of teaching effectiveness. It further tested significant relationship between the faculty members’ level of teaching effectiveness and their professional background. Salient findings are as follows: the teacher education faculty members in Pangasinan State University Asingan Campus are qualified professionals who possessed the maximum educational qualifications and eligibility to work in a state-run university. Only few of them graduated with honors and attended training and conferences in the national and international level.; their level of teaching effectiveness is Very Satisfactory; the profile variable awards/honors received influences the faculty members’ level of teaching effectiveness.

Effect of universal adhesive etching modes on bond strength to dual-polymerizing composite resins.

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Michaud, Pierre-Luc; Brown, Matthew

2018-04-01

Information is lacking as to the effect on bond strength of the etching modes of universal adhesives when they are used to bond dual-polymerizing composite resins to dentin. The purpose of this in vitro study was to investigate the bonding of dual-polymerizing foundation composite resins to dentin when universal bonding agents are used in self-etch or etch-and-rinse modes. Sixty caries-free, extracted third molar teeth were sectioned transversely in the apical third of the crown and allocated to 12 groups (n=5). Three different bonding agents (Scotchbond Universal, OptiBond XTR, All-Bond Universal) were used to bond 2 different dual-polymerizing composite resins (CompCore AF or CoreFlo DC) to dentin, using 2 different etching approaches (etch-and-rinse or self-etch). The specimens were sectioned into sticks (1×1×8 mm) with a precision saw. The bond strength of the specimens was tested under microtensile force at a crosshead speed of 0.5 mm/min. The data were analyzed using a 3-way ANOVA, a Games-Howell post hoc comparisons model, and Student t tests with Bonferroni corrections (α=.05). In the overall model, the composite resin used had no effect on bond strength (P=.830). The etching protocol by itself also did not have a significant effect (P=.059), although a trend was present. The bonding agent, however, did have an effect (Pcomposite resins to dentin, no single etching protocol is better than another. Depending on which bonding agent is being used, one etching mode may perform better. Copyright © 2017 Editorial Council for the Journal of Prosthetic Dentistry. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Schooling Effects on Undergraduate Performance: Evidence from the University of Barcelona

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Mora, Toni; Escardibul, Josep-Oriol

2008-01-01

This study analyzes the effects of several factors related to high school, such as the kind of school (public or private), the type of education (general or vocational), school location and peers on undergraduate performance from students of the University of Barcelona (Spain). Particular attention is given to the functional form and to the…

Facilitating the Concept of Universal Design Among Design Students - Changes in Teaching in the Last Decade.

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Vavik, Tom

2016-01-01

This short paper describes and reflects on how the teaching of the concept of Universal Design (UD) has developed in the last decade at the Institute of Design at the Oslo School of Architecture and Design (AHO). Four main changes are described. Firstly, the curriculum has evolved from teaching guidelines and principles to focusing on design processes. Secondly, an increased emphasis is put on cognitive accessibility. Thirdly, non-stigmatizing aesthetics expressions and solutions that communicate through different senses have become more important subjects. Fourthly the teaching of UD has moved from the second to the first year curriculum.

Effects of climate changes in Norway

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sygna, Linda; O'Brien, Karen

2001-02-01

This report presents the conclusions of a seminar on ''Effects of climate changes'' held in Norway in Oct. 2000. Too little is known about how climatic changes affect nature and society. This type of research is not well supported economically and there has been a lack of coordinated and long-term funds. This may change, however, as the development of strategies to meet climatic changes in the future requires a unified understanding of their impacts

Positive Deviance during Organization Change: Researchers' Social Construction of Expanded University Goals

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Sutherland, Claire Euline

2013-01-01

Many universities have expanded from teaching only to include research goals, requiring shifts in organization behavior. An exploratory case study method was used to examine these dynamics among positive deviant researchers at the University of Technology, Jamaica (UTech), the single case examined, from a social construction perspective. As a…

Building Sustainability Change Management and Leadership Skills in Students: Lessons Learned from "Sustainability and the Campus" at the University of Michigan

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Shriberg, Michael; Harris, Kathryn

2012-01-01

Leading institutions of higher education are increasingly utilizing the campus as a laboratory not only for implementing "green projects" but also for developing the skill set of students to lead the deep organizational change necessary for sustainability. This case study of "Sustainability and the Campus" at the University of…

Long-term effect of a name change for schizophrenia on reducing stigma.

Science.gov (United States)

Koike, Shinsuke; Yamaguchi, Sosei; Ojio, Yasutaka; Shimada, Takafumi; Watanabe, Kei-ichiro; Ando, Shuntaro

2015-10-01

A name change for schizophrenia was first implemented in Japan for reducing stigma in 2002; however, little is known of its long-term impact. Total 259 students from 20 universities answered an anonymous self-administered questionnaire about their mental health-related experiences, and stigma scales including feasible knowledge and negative stereotypes for four specific diseases, including schizophrenia (old and new names), depression, and diabetes mellitus. We also asked to choose the old and new names of schizophrenia and dementia among ten names for mental and physical illnesses and conditions. The participants had more feasible knowledge and fewer negative stereotypes for the new name of schizophrenia than the old name, but were still significantly worse than for depression and diabetes mellitus (p stereotypes (β = 0.13, p = 0.020). The rate of correct responses for the old and new names of schizophrenia was significantly lower than that of dementia (41 vs. 87%, p media was associated with the recognition of name change for schizophrenia (p = 0.008), which was associated with less feasible knowledge for new name of schizophrenia. The name change of schizophrenia has reduced stigma since 12 years have passed. More effective campaigns, educational curricula, and policy making are needed to reduce stigma toward schizophrenia.

The university with conditions

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José María Ripalda Crespo

2013-03-01

Full Text Available The model of the national university is being substituted by that of the global university. At the same time, new dogmas that appear with economic labels are being imposed. All this is accompanied by important cultural changes. The Spanish university was one of the instances that was taken care of by the post-Francoist regime. Now, this regime feels strong against it, and on the other hand this university – as the whole of the productive structure – requires a reform. It is not expected that this reform will go in the direction of the university having more social presence, but rather more presence of companies. It is neither expected that it will imply more internal democracy, but more discipline. All resistance or alternative has to take into account the new situation and join the still dispersed forces that still have, however, a constitutive capacity.

The Usage Analysis of Databases at Ankara University Digital Library

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Sacit Arslantekin

2006-12-01

Full Text Available The development in information and communication technologies has changed and improved resources and services diversity in libraries. These changes continue to develop rapidly throughout the world. As for our country, remarkable developments, especially in university and special libraries, in this field are worth consideration. In order to take benefit of the existing and forthcoming developments in the field of electronic libraries the databases used by clients should be well-demonstrated and followed closely. The providing wide use of electronic databases leads to increasing the productivity of scientific and social information that that is the ultimate goal. The article points out electronic resources management and the effect of consortia developments in the field first, and then evaluates the results of the survey on the use of electronic libraries assessment questionnaires by faculty members at Ankara University.

Implementing Change from within Universities and Colleges: 10 Personal Accounts. Managing Innovation and Change in Universities and Colleges Series.

Science.gov (United States)

Slowey, Maria, Ed.

This book presents the personal accounts and reflections of 10 individuals who were given leadership responsibility for the implementation of certain aspects of change in institutions of higher education in Great Britain. The contributions illustrate key dimensions of these changes--the development of strategies aimed at widening access, the…

Internationalization Management in Japanese Universities: The Effects of Institutional Structures and Cultures

Science.gov (United States)

Yonezawa, Yukako

2017-01-01

This study examines approaches to the internationalization of Japanese universities by focusing on the effects of institutional structures and cultures. Using a qualitative case study method, the research examines the following question: "How do institutional structures and cultures affect the internationalization of education in Japanese…

University-Level Teaching of Anthropogenic Global Climate Change (AGCC) via Student Inquiry

Science.gov (United States)

Bush, Drew; Sieber, Renee; Seiler, Gale; Chandler, Mark

2017-01-01

This paper reviews university-level efforts to improve understanding of anthropogenic global climate change (AGCC) through curricula that enable student scientific inquiry. We examined 152 refereed publications and proceedings from academic conferences and selected 26 cases of inquiry learning that overcome specific challenges to AGCC teaching. This review identifies both the strengths and weaknesses of each of these case studies. It is the first to go beyond examining the impact of specific inquiry instructional approaches to offer a synthesis of cases. We find that inquiry teaching can succeed by concretising scientific processes, providing access to global data and evidence, imparting critical and higher order thinking about AGCC science policy and contextualising learning with places and scientific facts. We recommend educational researchers and scientists collaborate to create and refine curricula that utilise geospatial technologies, climate models and communication technologies to bring students into contact with scientists, climate data and authentic AGCC research processes. Many available science education technologies and curricula also require further research to maximise trade-offs between implementation and training costs and their educational value.

Minority Pre-service Teachers' and Faculty Training on Climate Change Education in Delaware State University

Science.gov (United States)

Ozbay, G.; Fox-Lykens, R.; Veron, D. E.; Rogers, M.; Merrill, J.; Harcourt, P.; Mead, H.

2015-12-01

Delaware State University is working toward infusing undergraduate education with climate change science and enhancing the climate change learning content of pre-service teacher preparation programs as part of the MADE-CLEAR project (www.madeclear.org). Faculty development workshops have been conducted to prepare and educate a cadre of faculty from different disciplines in global climate science literacy. Following the workshops, the faculty participants have integrated climate literacy tenets into their existing curriculum. Follow up meetings have helped the faculty members to use specific content in their curriculum such as greenhouse gases, atmospheric CO2, sea level rise, etc. Additional training provided to the faculty participants in pedagogical methods of climate change instruction to identify common misconceptions and barriers to student understanding. Some pre-service teachers were engaged in summer internships and learned how to become messenger of climate change science by the state parks staff during the summer. Workshops were offered to other pre-service teachers to teach them specific climate change topics with enhanced hands-on laboratory activities. The participants were provided examples of lesson plans and guided to develop their own lesson plans and present them. Various pedagogical methods have been explored for teaching climate change content to the participants. The pre-service teachers found the climate content very challenging and confusing. Training activities were modified to focus on targeted topics and modeling of pedagogical techniques for the faculty and pre-service teachers. Program evaluation confirms that the workshop participant show improved understanding of the workshop materials by the participants if they were introduced few climate topics. Learning how to use hands-on learning tools and preparing lesson plans are two of the challenges successfully implemented by the pre-service teachers. Our next activity includes pre

The Integrated Curriculum, University Teacher Identity and Teaching Culture: The Effects of an Interdisciplinary Activity

Science.gov (United States)

Sáez, Israel Alonso; Sancho, Naiara Berasategi

2017-01-01

The results of an investigative process are reported that centre on the impact that modular curricular organization and its interdisciplinary activity are having on the teaching culture in the Degree in Social Education at the University of the Basque Country (UPV/ EHU). This understanding of the curriculum is a seminal change for teaching staff…

University education: From Humbolt's model to the Bologna process

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Bodroški-Spariosu Biljana

2015-01-01

Full Text Available The characteristics of the European university education in the context of the Bologna process are the topic of this article. The aim is to analyze the key issues in university education in comparison to the classic or Humbolt's model. In the periods of extensive reforms of high education it is important to review the place and role of the university from the standpoint of institutional characteristics, a dominant educational orientation and attitudes towards society. The Bologna process initiated three key changes in the European system of university education: a the change of institutional framework - from the binary to the so called uniquely diversified system; b dominant orientation - instead of science the student is in the centre of education; c the social role of the university - from the development of science and impartial critique of the society towards providing educational services to the market. The pedagogic implications of these changes open the questions of the purpose of education, relations between professors and students and the identity of the modern university itself.

Making Sense of Academic Life: Academics, Universities and Change.

Science.gov (United States)

Taylor, Peter G.

Universities and academics today are facing challenges that require more active and self-interested management. The book argues that higher education in the future will not become any more ordered, but will actually become more complex, more fractured and less bounded, and that academics will have to respond with new ways of thinking. The book…

Faculty Members' Views of Effective Teaching: A Case Study of Qatar University

Science.gov (United States)

Al-Thani, Alanood Mubarak; Al-Meghaissib, Latifa A. Aziz A. A.; Nosair, Mohamed Ragab Abdelhakeem Ali

2016-01-01

Effective teaching (ET) has recently drawn attention within higher educational intuitions owing to the need for greater accountability, and high quality learning outcomes. The present study investigated Qatar University faculty member's (QUFM) perception of ET, characteristics, practices, and impediment, by assembling data from a cluster sample of…

A nudge in a healthy direction. The effect of nutrition labels on food purchasing behaviors in university dining facilities.

Science.gov (United States)

Cioffi, Catherine E; Levitsky, David A; Pacanowski, Carly R; Bertz, Fredrik

2015-09-01

Despite legislation that requires restaurants to post nutritional labels on their products or menu items, the scientific literature provides inconsistent support for the idea that adding labels to foods will change buying patterns. Lack of success of previous research may be that sample sizes have been too small and durations of studies too short. To assess the effect of nutrition labeling on pre-packaged food purchases in university dining facilities. Weekly sales data for a sample of pre-packaged food items were obtained and analyzed, spanning three semesters before and three semesters after nutritional labels were introduced on to the sample of foods. The labels summarized caloric content and nutrient composition information. Mean nutrient composition purchased were calculated for the sample of foods. Labeled food items were categorized as high-calorie, low-calorie, high-fat, or low-fat foods and analyzed for change as a function of the introduction of the labels. Data were obtained from all retail dining units located at Cornell University, Ithaca, NY where the pre-packaged food items were sold. Results indicated that the introduction of food labels resulted in a 7% reduction of the mean total kcals purchased per week (p < 0.001) from the labeled foods. Total fat purchased per week were also reduced by 7% (p < 0.001). Percent of sales from "low-calorie" and "low-fat" foods (p < 0.001) increased, while percent of sales from "high-calorie" and "high-fat" foods decreased (p < 0.001). The results suggest that nutrition labels on pre-packaged foods in a large university dining hall produces a small but significant reduction of labeled high calorie and high fat foods purchased and an increase in low calorie, low fat foods. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Assessing the effects of land-use changes on annual average gross erosion

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Armando Brath

2002-01-01

Full Text Available The effects of land-use changes on potential annual gross erosion in the uplands of the Emilia-Romagna administrative region, a broad geographical area of some 22 000 km2 in northern-central Italy, have been analysed by application of the Universal Soil Loss Equation (USLE. The presence of an extended mountain chain, particularly subject to soil erosion, makes the estimation of annual gross erosion relevant in defining regional soil-conservation strategies. The USLE, derived empirically for plots, is usually applied at the basin scale. In the present study, the method is implemented in a distributed framework for the hilly and mountainous portion of Emilia-Romagna through a discretisation of the region into elementary square cells. The annual gross erosion is evaluated by combining morphological, pedological and climatic information. The stream network and the tributary area drained by each elementary cell, which are needed for the local application of the USLE, are derived automatically from a Digital Elevation Model (DEM of grid size 250 x 250 m. The rainfall erosivity factor is evaluated from local estimates of rainfall of six-hour storm duration and two-year return period. The soil erodibility and slope length-steepness factors are derived from digital maps of land use, pedology and geomorphology. Furthermore, historical land-use maps of the district of Bologna (a large portion — 3720 km2 — of the area under study, allow the effect of actual land use changes on the soil erosion process to be assessed. The analysis shows the influence of land-use changes on annual gross erosion as well as the increasing vulnerability of upland areas to soil erosion processes during recent decades. Keywords: USLE, gross erosion, distributed modelling, land use changes, northern-central Italy

Participation and institutional Change

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Tofteng, Ditte Maria Børglum; Bladt, Mette; Madsen, Lisbeth

). Action research for educational change. Philadelphia, PA: Open University Press. Horton, Myles & P. Freire (1991): We make the road by walking. Conversations on education and social change: Temple University Marshall, J. (2001). Self-reflective inquiry practices. In P. Reason & H. Bradbury (Eds...

Global Change Effects on Plant-Soil Interactions

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Dam, Marie

of this dissertation has been to determine how soil food web structure and function is affected when the quantity and quality of plant input is altered under global change. By studying the abundance and composition of soil organisms, particularly those in the rhizosphere, closely associated with living plants, we...... (Paper III). Furthermore, by way of meta-analysis, the role of organisms in global change effects on ecosystem function is modelled (Paper IV). Among CO2, warming and summer drought, CO2 is the factor most consistently impacting soil organisms. CO2 increases abundance of microorganisms and nematodes...... suggest that not only the global change effects on established ecosystems, but also the global change effects on plant community composition as well as land use management may determine the composition and function of soil food webs in the future....

Building Human Resources Management Capacity for University Research: The Case at Four Leading Vietnamese Universities

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Nguyen, T. L.

2016-01-01

At research-intensive universities, building human resources management (HRM) capacity has become a key approach to enhancing a university's research performance. However, despite aspiring to become a research-intensive university, many teaching-intensive universities in developing countries may not have created effective research-promoted HRM…

The effects of climate change and land-use change on demographic rates and population viability.

Science.gov (United States)

Selwood, Katherine E; McGeoch, Melodie A; Mac Nally, Ralph

2015-08-01

Understanding the processes that lead to species extinctions is vital for lessening pressures on biodiversity. While species diversity, presence and abundance are most commonly used to measure the effects of human pressures, demographic responses give a more proximal indication of how pressures affect population viability and contribute to extinction risk. We reviewed how demographic rates are affected by the major anthropogenic pressures, changed landscape condition caused by human land use, and climate change. We synthesized the results of 147 empirical studies to compare the relative effect size of climate and landscape condition on birth, death, immigration and emigration rates in plant and animal populations. While changed landscape condition is recognized as the major driver of species declines and losses worldwide, we found that, on average, climate variables had equally strong effects on demographic rates in plant and animal populations. This is significant given that the pressures of climate change will continue to intensify in coming decades. The effects of climate change on some populations may be underestimated because changes in climate conditions during critical windows of species life cycles may have disproportionate effects on demographic rates. The combined pressures of land-use change and climate change may result in species declines and extinctions occurring faster than otherwise predicted, particularly if their effects are multiplicative. © 2014 The Authors. Biological Reviews © 2014 Cambridge Philosophical Society.

The Meta Analysis of the Effectiveness of the Prevention Programs of Students’ Attitude Change toward Substance Abuse in Iran

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Naderi Mehri

2012-11-01

Full Text Available Aim: the aim of current study was the study of the effectiveness of prevention programs of students’ attitude change toward substance abuse and its effective factors. Method: for this purpose, the studies which related to evaluation of prevention program were gathered. For gathering of these researches related keywords were used and search was done in sites and universities dissertations. Finally, the researches which were conformed to the entrance criterions, were selected and considered information for testing of hypothesizes was extracted by reverse questionnaire which provided by authors. Of 20 selected studies proper statistics for calculation of effect size and other required information were recorded and analyzed by CMA2. Results: the findings showed that altogether, prevention programs of substance abuse were successful on students’ attitude change. The pooled effect size was significant. Because of the amount of pooled effect size was placed in range of 0.6-0.7, and then according to Cohen’s opinion is classified as moderate effect size. The results also, showed the variables as having of theoretical base, transactional approach in program presentation, the severity of program, the using of diversity educational strategies in presentation, the using of peer instructors were affected significantly on the effectiveness of programs. Conclusion: For attaining of more effective programs on students’ attitude change toward substance abuse these results should be considered.

An Empirical Investigation of the Universal Effectiveness of Quality Management Practices: A Structural Equation Modeling Approach

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Young Sik Cho

2016-05-01

Full Text Available Institutional theory argues that the isomorphic nature of quality management (QM practices leads to similar QM implementation and performance among QM-embedded firms. However, contingency theory questions such 'universal effectiveness of QM practices'. Considering these conflicting arguments, this study tests samples from the U.S. and China to examine whether the 'universal effectiveness of QM practices’ across national boundaries actually exists. First, the confirmatory factor analysis was performed to examine the validity of the survey instruments developed in this study. Then, the hypotheses were tested using the structural equation modeling (SEM analysis. The SEM test results indicated that the positive effect of behavioral QM on firm performance was more significant in the U.S. sample than in the China sample. The test results also presented that the relative effect of behavioral QM versus technical QM on firm performance was noticeably different in service firms, according to national economic maturity. The study’s findings demonstrated that a firm's contingency factors, such as national economic maturity and industry type, could result in the heterogeneous implementation of the firm’s TQM program; consequently, the findings weakened the 'universal effectiveness of QM practices'.

Baby universes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Strominger, A.

1988-01-01

This paper discusses how the subject of baby universes and their effects on spacetime coupling constants is in its infancy and rapidly developing. The subject is based on the non-existent (even by physicists' standards) Euclidean formulation of quantum gravity, and it is therefore necessary to make a number of assumptions in order to proceed. Nevertheless, the picture which has emerged is quite appealing: all spacetime coupling constants become dynamical variables when the effects of baby universes are taken into account. This fact might even solve the puzzle of the cosmological constant. The subject therefore seems worth further investigation

Effective Segmentation of University Alumni: Mining Contribution Data with Finite-Mixture Models

Science.gov (United States)

Durango-Cohen, Elizabeth J.; Balasubramanian, Siva K.

2015-01-01

Having an effective segmentation strategy is key to the viability of any organization. This is particularly true for colleges, universities, and other nonprofit organizations--who have seen sharp declines in private contributions, endowment income, and government grants in the past few years, and face fierce competition for donor dollars…

The University in the Learning Economy

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Lundvall, Bengt-Åke

In all parts of the world, universities are exposed to a growing pressure to change. This is caused by the emergence of new relationship between the economic dynamics and the production of knowledge as well as by policy and administrative initiatives finding their rationale in interpretations...... of these changes. In this paper an attempt is made to specify some of the new challenges, and suggest appropriate responses. Under the heading 'the learning economy' changes in the context of universities are identified. One important conclusion is that traditional modes of organisation, characterised by sharp......' most significant contribution to society and the economy will remain well-educated graduates with critical minds and good learning skills....

Effectiveness of universal parental support interventions addressing children's dietary habits, physical activity and bodyweight: A systematic review.

Science.gov (United States)

Kader, Manzur; Sundblom, Elinor; Elinder, Liselotte Schäfer

2015-08-01

The evidence regarding effectiveness of parental support interventions targeting children's health behaviours is weak. We aimed to review: 1) effectiveness of universal parental support interventions to promote dietary habits, physical activity (PA) or prevent overweight and obesity among children 2-18years and 2) effectiveness in relation to family socio-economic position. Thirty five studies from 1990 to 2013 were identified from major databases. Quality was assessed by four criteria accounting for selection and attrition bias, fidelity to intervention, and outcome measurement methodology, categorizing studies as strong, moderate or weak. Four intervention types were identified: face-to-face counselling, group education, information sent home, and telephone counselling. Face-to-face or telephone counselling was effective in changing children's diet, while there was only weak evidence for improvement in PA. Sending home information was not effective. Concerning body weight, group education seemed more promising than counselling. Intervention effectiveness was generally higher in younger compared to older children. In groups with low socio-economic position, group-based approaches appeared promising. In the future efforts should be made to improve reporting of intervention content, include a power calculation for the main outcome, the use of high quality outcome assessment methodology, and a follow-up period of at least 6months. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Non-Performativity of University and Subjectification of Students: The Question of Equality and Diversity in UK Universities

Science.gov (United States)

Kimura, Maki

2014-01-01

Universities in the United Kingdom have experienced a transformation in the context of the government's initiatives to widen participation and rapid socio-economic changes locally and globally. With more diverse students entering higher education, universities need to consider how they can create an inclusive environment. Indeed, in order to…

A Universal Educational and Research Stand to Simulate Electrical Drive Loading

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

V. S. Grishin

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Universal educational and research stand was developed for analyzing an electrical drive’s behavior with different load disturbance effects. Major components of the stand are two electrical drives with rigidly coupled shafts. As a result, first electrical drive (loader has a capability to imitate effects of different loading types to another one (trial drive.Control software for the stand is developed. It allows us to combine a variety of loading types and change parameters of current loading such as joint moment, damping, additional inertia, and external torque. Also there is a capability to imitate effects of elasticity and backlash of mechanical transmissions. The paper considers the main challenge of creating the given system, i.e. discretization with a variable step. Some methods to decrease its negative effects on system stability are suggested.The given system allows to change loading parameters more rapidly and in a wider range as compared to a system with real mechanical outfit.These stands are currently used for laboratory classes within the course “Electrical robotic drives” at SM7 department in Bauman Moscow State Technical University. Also the system of interdepended stands for semi-realistic simulation of manipulation systems is under development.

Implementing Sustainability Co-Creation between Universities and Society: A Typology-Based Understanding

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Gregory Trencher

2017-04-01

Full Text Available Universities are under mounting pressure to partner with societal stakeholders and organizations to collaboratively create and implement sustainability-advancing knowledge, tools, and societal transformations. Simultaneously, an increasing number of societal organizations are reaching out to partner with universities to achieve organizational objectives and increase the effectiveness of strategies to further societal sustainability. Using a conceptual framework of “sustainability co-creation”, this study empirically examines the historical and ongoing experiences of five organizations in Japan that actively partner with universities to enhance sustainability activities and strategies to transform society. We examine motivations for partnering with universities, innovative models of practice, factors hampering the co-creative potential of the university, and desired changes to overcome these. Our empirical study leads to the proposal of a typology that might assist in categorizing and understanding key attributes of differing types of sustainability co-creation. We build our typology from two perspectives: First, in terms of the primary objective of the co-creation (ranging from knowledge production to the transformation of society, and second, in terms of the approach taken (ranging from either socially or technologically-centered. We then reflect on the organizations’ experiences to offer several strategies that could increase the effectiveness of the university when partnering with stakeholders in sustainability co-creation. We also highlight several factors effecting the university’s capacity to move beyond knowledge production towards implementation measures to transform society with external stakeholders.

Effects of a Brief Video Intervention on White University Students' Racial Attitudes

Science.gov (United States)

Soble, Jason R.; Spanierman, Lisa B.; Liao, Hsin-Ya

2011-01-01

The authors investigated the effects of a brief video intervention on the racial attitudes of White university students. One hundred thirty-eight self-identified White students were randomly assigned to either an experimental condition in which they viewed a video documenting the pervasiveness of institutional racism and White privilege in the…

A 10-year case study on the changing determinants of university student satisfaction in the UK.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Adrian Burgess

Full Text Available Higher Education (HE, once the prerogative of a tiny elite, is now accessible to larger numbers of people around the world than ever before yet despite the fact that an understanding of student satisfaction has never been more important for today's universities, the concept remains poorly understood. Here we use published data from the UK's National Student Survey (NSS, representing data from 2.3 million full-time students collected from 2007 to 2016, as a case study of the benefits and limitations of measuring student satisfaction that might have applicability for other countries, particularly those that, like the UK, have experienced significant growth in student numbers. The analyses showed that the factor structure of the NSS remained generally stable and that the ability of the NSS to discriminate between different subjects at different universities actually improved over the ten-year sample period. The best predictors of overall satisfaction were 'Teaching Quality' and 'Organisation & Management', with 'Assessment & Feedback' having relatively weak predictive ability, despite the sector's tangible efforts to improve on this metric. The tripling of student fees in 2012 for English students (but not the rest of the UK was used as a 'natural experiment' to investigate the sensitivity of student satisfaction ratings to the real economic costs of HE. The tuition fee increase had no identifiable negative effect, with student satisfaction steadily improving throughout the decade. Although the NSS was never designed to measure perceived value-for-money, its insensitivity to major changes in the economic costs of HE to the individual suggest that the conventional concept of student satisfaction is incomplete. As such we propose that the concept of student satisfaction: (i needs to be widened to take into account the broader economic benefits to the individual student by including measures of perceived value-for-money and (ii should measure students

A 10-year case study on the changing determinants of university student satisfaction in the UK.

Science.gov (United States)

Burgess, Adrian; Senior, Carl; Moores, Elisabeth

2018-01-01

Higher Education (HE), once the prerogative of a tiny elite, is now accessible to larger numbers of people around the world than ever before yet despite the fact that an understanding of student satisfaction has never been more important for today's universities, the concept remains poorly understood. Here we use published data from the UK's National Student Survey (NSS), representing data from 2.3 million full-time students collected from 2007 to 2016, as a case study of the benefits and limitations of measuring student satisfaction that might have applicability for other countries, particularly those that, like the UK, have experienced significant growth in student numbers. The analyses showed that the factor structure of the NSS remained generally stable and that the ability of the NSS to discriminate between different subjects at different universities actually improved over the ten-year sample period. The best predictors of overall satisfaction were 'Teaching Quality' and 'Organisation & Management', with 'Assessment & Feedback' having relatively weak predictive ability, despite the sector's tangible efforts to improve on this metric. The tripling of student fees in 2012 for English students (but not the rest of the UK) was used as a 'natural experiment' to investigate the sensitivity of student satisfaction ratings to the real economic costs of HE. The tuition fee increase had no identifiable negative effect, with student satisfaction steadily improving throughout the decade. Although the NSS was never designed to measure perceived value-for-money, its insensitivity to major changes in the economic costs of HE to the individual suggest that the conventional concept of student satisfaction is incomplete. As such we propose that the concept of student satisfaction: (i) needs to be widened to take into account the broader economic benefits to the individual student by including measures of perceived value-for-money and (ii) should measure students' level of

Effective strategies for behavior change.

Science.gov (United States)

Coleman, Mary Thoesen; Pasternak, Ryan H

2012-06-01

Strategies that are most effective in both prevention and management of chronic disease consider factors such as age, ethnicity, community, and technology. Most behavioral change strategies derive their components from application of the health belief model, the theory of reasoned action/theory of planned behavior, transtheoretical model, and social cognitive theory. Many tools such as the readiness ruler and personalized action plan form are available to assist health care teams to facilitate healthy behavior change. Primary care providers can support behavior changes by providing venues for peer interventions and family meetings and by making new partnerships with community organizations. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Innovation and Change in State Colleges and Universities. The G. Theodore Mitau Award, 1985.

Science.gov (United States)

American Association of State Colleges and Universities, Washington, DC.

An award winning program, the Teacher-Research Institute of the Maryland Writing Project at Towson State University, is described, along with six other state college programs that received special commendations by the American Association of State Colleges and Universities (AASCU). Towson State University won AASCU's G. Theodore Mitau Award for…

Surpluses and Deficits: How University Partners Perceive University-Community Partnerships at One Ivy League Institution

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Alison Klebanoff Cohen

2012-07-01

Full Text Available University-community partnerships are a critical method for how universities can serve the public interest.  Yet key questions remain: how do these partnerships work in practice, and how can university and fill reciprocal and mutual needs effectively?  A participatory evaluation of university-community partnerships in education at an Ivy League university found that university partners had a surplus perspective of the university and a deficit perspective of community partners; practitioners must shift our paradigm towards mutually beneficial, asset-driven university-community partnerships to ensure success.

Transition Communities and the Glass Ceiling of Environmental Sustainability Policies at Three Universities

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Pardellas Santiago, Miguel; Meira Cartea, Pablo; Iglesias da Cunha, Lucía

2017-01-01

Purpose: This paper deals with the experiences of three European universities that have implemented transition initiatives, using the Transition Network's methodology to promote their sustainability plans. The Transition Communities' model for change is presented from a socio-educational perspective as an effective methodology for encouraging…

Development and psychometric validation of the 'Parent Perspective University of Rhode Island Change Assessment-Short' (PURICA-S) Questionnaire for the application in parents of children with overweight and obesity.

Science.gov (United States)

Junne, Florian; Ziser, Katrin; Mander, Johannes; Martus, Peter; Denzer, Christian; Reinehr, Thomas; Wabitsch, Martin; Wiegand, Susanna; Renner, Tobias; Giel, Katrin E; Teufel, Martin; Zipfel, Stephan; Ehehalt, Stefan

2016-11-17

High prevalence rates of childhood obesity urgently call for improved effectiveness of intervention programmes for affected children and their families. One promising attempt can be seen in tailoring interventions according to the motivational stages of parents as 'agents of change' for their children. Evidence from other behavioural contexts (eg, addiction) clearly shows the superiority of motivational-stage dependent tailored (behavioural) interventions. For the time-efficient assessment of motivational stages of change, this study aims to develop and psychometrically validate a 'Parent Perspective Version' of the existing University of Rhode Island Change Assessment-Short, an instrument assessing the motivational stages based on the theoretical fundamentals of the Transtheoretical Model of Psychotherapy. In a multistep Delphi procedure, involving experts from the study context, the original items of the University of Rhode Island Change Assessment-Short Questionnaire will be transformed from the 'self-perspective' ('I am having a problem') to the parent perspective ('my child is having a problem'). Following item adaptation, the new version of the questionnaire will be psychometrically validated in a cohort of N=300 parents with overweight or obese children. Parents will be recruited within a multicentre and multisite approach involving private paediatric practices, specialised outpatient clinics as well as inpatient and rehabilitation sites. Analyses will include confirmatory factor analyses, internal consistencies (reliability) as well as convergent and criterion validity. Convergent validity will be analysed using subscales of the HAKEMP-90 Questionnaire, an instrument which has been shown to differentiate between 'state' and 'action' orientation of individuals. This study has been granted ethics committee approval by the University of Tuebingen (number 644/2014BO2). The results of this study will be released to the participating study centres and will be

MANAGING ORGANIZATIONAL CHANGE AND INNOVATION ON ROMANIAN SMES

OpenAIRE

Eduard Gabriel CEPTUREANU; Sebastian Ion CEPTUREANU

2014-01-01

The process of change occurs throughout the universe, including our private life or in the life of organizations. Knowledge of the change process in order to rule it possible, is a characteristic of an effective management that can generate organization competitiveness. Change of organizational and managerial paradigms involves crossing: 1. from the "rigid hierarchy" to "flexibility"; 2. use of new organizational models in flexible networks, clusters, technologies, in which an important role ...

Using International Accreditation in Higher Education to Effect Changes in Organisational Culture: A Case Study from a Turkish University

Science.gov (United States)

Collins, Ian

2015-01-01

International accreditation is now a significant yet controversial issue in global higher education. This case study looked at the experience of an intensive English language preparatory programme within a university in Turkey going through an accreditation by a foreign institution, and assessed to what extent the project managed to foster changes…

Determination of effective university-industry joint research for photovoltaic technology transfer (UIJRPTT) in Thailand

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sugandhavanija, Pornpimol; Sukchai, Sukruedee; Ketjoy, Nipon; Klongboonjit, Sakol

2011-01-01

Most of the literatures related to university-industry (U-I) and technology transfer assume that the collaboration particularly the U-I joint research is beneficial to both university and industry which as a result underpins the sustainable development of economics and living standards of developed and developing countries. The U-I joint research for photovoltaic technology transfer in a developing country like Thailand should have been increased considering the fact that (i) the government implemented various strategies to support the renewable energy research and market development, (ii) the university aimed to be ''research-based university and (iii) the Thai photovoltaic industry struggle for competitiveness and survival in the global market. However, evidence revealed that the university and industry conducted little number of U-I joint projects. In this paper, we investigate the factors influencing the effective U-I joint research for photovoltaic technology transfer (UIJRPTT). In an attempt to better understand the influence of the factors, the path model with factors related to characteristics and perspectives of the university and the industry as well as joint research mechanism and their linkages to higher growth and improved economic and quality performance of the U-I joint research is developed and validated. The developed model empirically explains interaction between the factors and the outcome factors and can assist the government, the university and the industry to devise target strategies to improve the growth and performance of UIJRPTT. (author)

New curriculum at Nuclear Science Department, National University of Malaysia

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shahidan bin Radiman; Ismail bin Bahari

1995-01-01

A new undergraduate curriculum at the Department of Nuclear Science, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia is discussed. It includes the rational and objective of the new curriculum, course content and expectations due to a rapidly changing job market. The major change was a move to implement only on one Nuclear Science module rather than the present three modules of Radiobiology, Radiochemistry and Nuclear Physics. This will optimise not only laboratory use of facilities but also effectiveness of co-supervision. Other related aspects like industrial training and research exposures for the undergraduates are also discussed

Provocative Encounters Reflecting Struggles with Change: Power and Coercion in a Japanese University Situation

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Toh, Glenn

2017-01-01

This article examines a case of what Olssen et al. (2004) call "managerial oppression" set in a faculty of international studies of a Japanese university. Japanese universities have, in recent times, been facing the financial pressures of a falling birthrate and dwindling enrolments. To remain solvent, some universities have had to…

Leading Change Step-by-Step: Tactics, Tools, and Tales

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Spiro, Jody

2010-01-01

"Leading Change Step-by-Step" offers a comprehensive and tactical guide for change leaders. Spiro's approach has been field-tested for more than a decade and proven effective in a wide variety of public sector organizations including K-12 schools, universities, international agencies and non-profits. The book is filled with proven tactics for…

Mediating the Effect of Gratitude in the Relationship between Forgiveness and Life Satisfaction among University Students

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Aricioglu, Ahu

2016-01-01

The purpose of this study was to examine the mediating effect of gratitude in the relationship between forgiveness and life satisfaction. A convenience sample of 396 (234 (59%) females, 162 (41%) males) university students was recruited from a University in Denizli, Turkey. The participants' ages ranged between 18 and 27 years, with an average of…

The cosmic microwave background how it changed our understanding of the universe

CERN Document Server

Evans, Rhodri

2015-01-01

Rhodri Evans tells the story of what we know about the universe, from Jacobus Kapteyn’s Island universe at the turn of the 20th Century, and the discovery by Hubble that the nebulae were external to our own galaxy, through Gamow’s early work on the cosmic microwave background (CMB) and its subsequent discovery by Penzias and Wilson, to modern day satellite-lead CMB research. Research results from the ground-based experiments DASI, BOOMERANG, and satellite missions COBE, WMAP and Planck are explained and interpreted to show how our current picture of the universe was arrived at, and the author looks at the future of CMB research and what we still need to learn. This account is enlivened by Dr Rhodri Evans' personal connections to the characters and places in the story.

Qualities of effective secondary science teachers: Perspectives of university biology students

Science.gov (United States)

McCall, Madelon J.

This research was an attempt to hear the student voice concerning secondary science teacher effectiveness and to share that voice with those who impact the educational process. It was a snapshot of university freshmen biology students' opinions of the qualities of effective secondary science teachers based on their high school science experiences. The purpose of this study was to compile a list of effective secondary science teacher qualities as determined through a purposeful sampling of university second semester biology students and determine the role of the secondary science teacher in promoting interest and achievement in science, as well as the teacher's influence on a students' choice of a science career. The research was a mixed methods design using both quantitative and qualitative data obtained through the use of a 24 question electronic survey. There were 125 participants who provided information concerning their high school science teachers. Respondents provided information concerning the qualities of effective secondary science teachers and influences on the students' present career choice. The quantitative data was used to construct a hierarchy of qualities of effective secondary science teachers, divided into personal, professional, and classroom management qualities. The qualitative data was used to examine individual student responses to questions concerning secondary science teacher effectiveness and student career choice. The results of the research indicated that students highly value teachers who are both passionate about the subject taught and passionate about their students. High school science students prefer teachers who teach science in a way that is both interesting and relevant to the student. It was determined that the greatest influence on a secondary student's career choice came from family members and not from teachers. The secondary teacher's role was to recognize the student's interest in the career and provide encouragement

The relationship between demographic variables and leisure perceptions of selected South African first year university students / J.T. Weilbach.

OpenAIRE

Weilbach, Johannes Theron

2013-01-01

Participation in campus leisure and recreation programmes can provide university students with various benefits, but the provision of effective leisure programmes are complicated by the changes that have taken place in the demographic composition of the student population attending South African universities. Increases in the proportion of black students attending university, and decreases in the proportion of white students means that current students possibly exhibit leisure behaviours that...

Europe's Southeastern Gateway: Responding to Rapidly Changing Patterns of World Shipping. The University's Role

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Roger E. HAMLIN

2012-12-01

Full Text Available World trade and transportation are changing dramatically. Energy prices and transport sustainability concerns are reinvigorating ocean freighter shipping. An ever-increasing portion of trade is in containers, and container ships are getting larger quickly. Many ports, nations and continents are not keeping up with ship size increases putting them at a trade disadvantage. Major canals and seaways must also upgrade or be rendered obsolete, causing a change in the pattern of world trade. Ports have to do more than expand vessel size limits. Port regions must also invest in infrastructure that improves multi-modal access to the port and augments hand-off of containers to smaller seaway ships, trains and trucks. With heightened security and evolving emphasis on flexible and efficient logistics, ports must become high-tech logistics hubs with improved real-time data about port throughput. Constanţa, Romania provides an example of an attempt to respond to this rapid change. Near the Danube Delta, on the Black Sea, Constanţa offers a potential southeastern gateway to Europe for the Black Sea, the Eastern Mediterranean and beyond. Ships from Asia, entering via the Suez Canal can easily access Constanţa, and thus save more than ten days of shipping time for destinations in southeastern Europe compared to shipping through Rotterdam or Hamburg. But Constanţa needs to make all the improvements mentioned above. Universities have several roles in this endeavor, including identifying and forecasting trends, providing the technical knowledge to develop high-tech logistics hubs, pursing publicprivate partnerships for infrastructure development and offering training.

Colleagues as Change Agents: How Department Networks and Opinion Leaders Influence Teaching at a Single Research University

Science.gov (United States)

Andrews, T. C.; Conaway, E. P.; Zhao, J.; Dolan, E. L.

2016-01-01

Relationships with colleagues have the potential to be a source of support for faculty to make meaningful change in how they teach, but the impact of these relationships is poorly understood. We used a mixed-methods approach to investigate the characteristics of faculty who provide colleagues with teaching resources and facilitate change in teaching, how faculty influence one another. Our exploratory investigation was informed by social network theory and research on the impact of opinion leaders within organizations. We used surveys and interviews to examine collegial interactions about undergraduate teaching in life sciences departments at one research university. Each department included discipline-based education researchers (DBERs). Quantitative and qualitative analyses indicate that DBERs promote changes in teaching to a greater degree than other departmental colleagues. The influence of DBERs derives, at least partly, from a perception that they have unique professional expertise in education. DBERs facilitated change through coteaching, offering ready and approachable access to education research, and providing teaching training and mentoring. Faculty who had participated in a team based–teaching professional development program were also credited with providing more support for teaching than nonparticipants. Further research will be necessary to determine whether these results generalize beyond the studied institution. PMID:27174582

The Changing Purposes of University Libraries

Science.gov (United States)

Evans, G. R.

2013-01-01

This article explores recent developments in national policy for academic libraries. It considers the shift from traditional to managerial academic librarianship; the move to "social space" and multi-use systems; changes in the balance between meeting teaching and research needs and in public funding priorities; the difficulty of making…

Dust Formation, Evolution, and Obscuration Effects in the Very High-Redshift Universe

Science.gov (United States)

Dwek, Eli; Staguhn, Johannes; Arendt, Richard G.; Kovacs, Attila; Su, Ting; Benford, Dominic J.

2014-01-01

The evolution of dust at redshifts z > or approx. 9, and consequently the dust properties, differs greatly from that in the local universe. In contrast to the local universe, core collapse supernovae (CCSNe) are the only source of thermally-condensed dust. Because of the low initial dust-to-gas mass ratio, grain destruction rates are low, so that CCSNe are net producers of interstellar dust. Galaxies with large initial gas mass or high mass infall rate will therefore have a more rapid net rate of dust production comported to galaxies with lower gas mass, even at the same star formation rate. The dust composition is dominated by silicates, which exhibit a strong rise in the UV opacity near the Lyman break. This "silicate-UV break" may be confused with the Lyman break, resulting in a misidentification of a galaxies' photometric redshift. In this paper we demonstrate these effects by analyzing the spectral energy distribution (SED) of MACS1149-JD, a lensed galaxy at z = 9.6. A potential 2mm counterpart of MACS1149-JD has been identified with GISMO. While additional observations are required to corroborate this identification, we use this possible association to illustrate the physical processes and the observational effects of dust in the very high redshift universe. Subject headings: galaxies: high-redshift - galaxies: evolution - galaxies: individual (MACS1149- JD) - Interstellar medium (ISM), nebulae: dust, extinction - physical data and processes: nuclear reactions, nucleosynthesis, abundances.

Effective Strategies to Enhance and Maintain University English Teacher Motivation in Japan

Science.gov (United States)

Harada, Rie

2017-01-01

This paper provides findings on a study which explored effective teacher motivation management strategies current university non-native EFL teachers in Japan utilize in their course of career. Teachers who have higher motivation can devote their lives more to give a lot to the learners and be productive on the education. Therefore, teacher…

The Effects of Locus of Control on University Students' Mobile Learning Adoption

Science.gov (United States)

Hsia, Jung-Wen

2016-01-01

Since mobile devices have become cheaper, easily accessible, powerful, and popular and the cost of wireless access has declined gradually, mobile learning (m-learning) has begun to spread rapidly. To further improve the effectiveness and efficiency of m-learning for university students, it is critical to understand whether they use m-learning.…

The effect of tertiary study at an English medium university on the ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

The effect of tertiary study at an English medium university on the written English. Jean Parkinson. Abstract. Increasing numbers of South African students speak a variety of English known as Black South African English (BSAfE). Lectures, notes and textbooks are in Standard English, and might be expected to influence the ...

The Effect of Note-Taking on University Students' Listening Comprehension of Lectures

Science.gov (United States)

Kiliçkaya, Ferit; Çokal Karadas, Derya

2009-01-01

The study investigated the effect of note-taking on comprehension of lectures by 44 undergraduate EFL students who are in the first year of their undergraduate level in the Department of Foreign Language Education in Middle East Technical University. The participants were divided into two groups, namely experimental and control groups. The…

Climate-smart agriculture: possible roles of agricultural universities in a strengthened Norwegian climate change engagement in Africa

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Synnevaag, Gry; Lambrou, Jayne Patricia

2012-02-15

The recent rise in the number of food insecure people in the world, coupled with incidences of crop failure due to adverse weather, have made world leaders increasingly aware that future climate change may severely limit our ability to feed the growing population towards 2050. So far, in addition to industrial emission control, Norwegian efforts to restrict climate change have focused on mitigation through forest protection (REDD+) and clean energy (Energy+). A third area of attention is climate-smart agriculture. Producing food in a more 'climate smart' way is seen as having three advantages: 1) Providing food for an increasing population, 2) maintaining food production under a changing climate, and 3) reducing greenhouse gas emission from agriculture while absorbing carbon in vegetation and soil. This report explores how Norway can support Africa's efforts to make agriculture more climate-smart through support to African universities.Among the three benefits of climate-smart agriculture, African farmers will be most inclined to focus on the two first, the production increase and the adaptation. Mitigation may require external support. African leaders are in the forefront of developing policies and institutional arrangements for climate-smart agriculture. Among other initiatives, the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme under the African Union is in the process of preparing member states for substantial investments in agriculture. Capacity building and the generation of new knowledge are essential for the achievement of climate-smart agriculture. Given the long history of Norwegian support to agricultural research and higher agricultural education in several African countries, Norway can, without doubt, make significant contributions to African food security, now and in the future.Norwegian support to climate-smart agriculture can be based on its experience with REDD+ and Energy+ initiatives. The possible roles include: 1) Human and institutional

Climate-smart agriculture: possible roles of agricultural universities in a strengthened Norwegian climate change engagement in Africa

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Synnevaag, Gry; Lambrou, Jayne Patricia

2012-02-15

The recent rise in the number of food insecure people in the world, coupled with incidences of crop failure due to adverse weather, have made world leaders increasingly aware that future climate change may severely limit our ability to feed the growing population towards 2050. So far, in addition to industrial emission control, Norwegian efforts to restrict climate change have focused on mitigation through forest protection (REDD+) and clean energy (Energy+). A third area of attention is climate-smart agriculture. Producing food in a more 'climate smart' way is seen as having three advantages: 1) Providing food for an increasing population, 2) maintaining food production under a changing climate, and 3) reducing greenhouse gas emission from agriculture while absorbing carbon in vegetation and soil. This report explores how Norway can support Africa's efforts to make agriculture more climate-smart through support to African universities.Among the three benefits of climate-smart agriculture, African farmers will be most inclined to focus on the two first, the production increase and the adaptation. Mitigation may require external support. African leaders are in the forefront of developing policies and institutional arrangements for climate-smart agriculture. Among other initiatives, the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme under the African Union is in the process of preparing member states for substantial investments in agriculture. Capacity building and the generation of new knowledge are essential for the achievement of climate-smart agriculture. Given the long history of Norwegian support to agricultural research and higher agricultural education in several African countries, Norway can, without doubt, make significant contributions to African food security, now and in the future.Norwegian support to climate-smart agriculture can be based on its experience with REDD+ and Energy+ initiatives. The possible roles include: 1) Human

Climate Change Effects on Respiratory Health: Implications for Nursing.

Science.gov (United States)

George, Maureen; Bruzzese, Jean-Marie; Matura, Lea Ann

2017-11-01

Greenhouse gases are driving climate change. This article explores the adverse health effects of climate change on a particularly vulnerable population: children and adults with respiratory conditions. This review provides a general overview of the effects of increasing temperatures, extreme weather, desertification, and flooding on asthma, chronic obstructive lung disease, and respiratory infections. We offer suggestions for future research to better understand climate change hazards, policies to support prevention and mitigation efforts targeting climate change, and clinical actions to reduce individual risk. Climate change produces a number of changes to the natural and built environments that may potentially increase respiratory disease prevalence, morbidity, and mortality. Nurses might consider focusing their research efforts on reducing the effects of greenhouse gases and in directing policy to mitigate the harmful effects of climate change. Nurses can also continue to direct educational and clinical actions to reduce risks for all populations, but most importantly, for our most vulnerable groups. While advancements have been made in understanding the impact of climate change on respiratory health, nurses can play an important role in reducing the deleterious effects of climate change. This will require a multipronged approach of research, policy, and clinical action. © 2017 Sigma Theta Tau International.

Thermodynamics of de Sitter universes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Huang Chaoguang; Liu Liao; Wang Bobo

2002-01-01

It is shown that the first law of thermodynamics can be applied to the de Sitter universe to relate its vacuum energy, pressure, entropy of horizon, chemical potential, etc., when the cosmological constant changes due to the fluctuation of the vacuum or other reasons. The second law should be reformulated in the form that the spontaneous decay of the vacuum never makes the entropy of the de Sitter universe decrease. The third law of thermodynamics, applying to the de Sitter universe, implies that the cosmological constant cannot reach zero by finite physical processes. The relation to the holographic principle is also briefly discussed

Critical Capability Pedagogies and University Education

Science.gov (United States)

Walker, Melanie

2010-01-01

The article argues for an alliance of the capability approach developed by Amartya Sen with ideas from critical pedagogy for undergraduate university education which develops student agency and well being on the one hand, and social change towards greater justice on the other. The purposes of a university education in this article are taken to…

PREMISES OF THE INTRAPRENEURIAL MANAGEMENT AT THE LEVEL OF UNIVERSITIES

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Amalia Venera TODORUŢ

2010-09-01

Full Text Available In this paper I proposed myself to approach issues related to the intrapreneuriat, which represents a powerful approach of the organizational change. Throughout the paper I tried to provide adequate answers to the requests concerning the intrapreneurial management approach and the concepts derived – intrapreneurial unit, intrapreneur manager, intrapreneurial – strategy – as an important factor of the work improvement on the grounds of efficiency and effectiveness, especially at the University because higher education institutions offer a variety of activities and opportunities for the intrapreneuriat. I also presented the specific features of the university intrapreneurial units and I detailed the intrapreneurial approach in higher education institutions. In the society based on knowledge, the universities as centers of innovation, creativity and critical thinking can successfully implement the intrapreneurial management as a progress and generating new value factor.

What topology could be the Universe created with?

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gurzadyan, V.G.; Kocharyan, A.A.

1987-01-01

In the framework of Hawking quantum cosmology the topological and geometrical properties of a created Universe with cosmological constant are considered. Probabilities for the Universe creation with different topologies (including torus, sphere, hyperbolic space) are calculated. These topologies turned out to be equally probable for the case of inflationary Universe. For the considered model the probability for the quantum change of topology during the Universe evolution is calculated

Energy drinks consumption pattern, perceived benefits and associated adverse effects amongst students of University of Dammam, Saudi Arabia.

Science.gov (United States)

Alsunni, Ahmed A; Badar, Ahmed

2011-01-01

There are safety concerns about energy drinks alongside marketing claims of physiological and behavioural benefits. There is no scientific data about usage of energy drinks in Saudi Arabia. This study determined consumption patterns of energy drinks as well as perceived benefits and side effects amongst students at a Saudi university. This study was carried out in students of University of Dammam from October to December 2010. A questionnaire about energy drink use, reasons for use, benefits and side effects experienced was distributed amongst the university students. Frequencies of responses and differences between male and female students were analysed. A total of 412 students (282 males and 130 females) responded, out of whom 54.60% males and 26.15% female students were energy drink users. Mean age at first use was significantly (pcompany of friends, to keep awake, for more energy and for better performance in driving, sports or exams. Amongst many the commonest (p<0.05) benefit reported was ability to stay awake longer. The students reported a number of adverse effects. Increased urination and insomnia were the commonest in males and females respectively. Only 36.70% males and 14.28% females never experienced an adverse effect. A significant proportion of students at university of Dammam use energy drinks, they have reported a number of effects (perceived as benefits) along with a variety of adverse effects.

Including land use, land-use change, and forestry in future climate change, agreements. Thinking outside the box

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Benndorf, R. [Federal Environment Agency, Bismarckplatz 1, D-1419 Berlin (Germany); Federici, S.; Somogyi, Z. [Joint Research Centre, European Commission, Via Enrico Fermi 1, I-21020 Ispra (Italy); Forner, C. [Center for International Forestry Research CIFOR, Jalan CIFOR Situ Gede, Bogor Barat 16680 (Indonesia); Pena, N. [Pew Center on Global Climate Change, 2101 Wilson Boulevard, Arlington, VA 22201 (United States); Rametsteiner, E. [IIASA, A-2361 Laxenburg (Austria); Sanz, M.J. [Fundacion CEAM, Charles H. Darwin 14, S-46980 Paterna, Valencia (Spain)

2007-06-15

This paper presents a framework that encompasses a full range of options for including land use, land-use change, and forestry (LULUCF) within future agreements under the United Nations Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). The intent is to provide options that can address the broad range of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and removals as well as to bring the broadest possible range of nations into undertaking mitigation efforts. We suggest that the approach taken for the Kyoto Protocol's first commitment period is only one within a much larger universe of possible approaches. This larger universe includes partially or completely 'de-linking' LULUCF commitments from those in other sectors, and allowing commitments specified in terms other than tonnes of greenhouse gases. Such approaches may provide clarity and transparency concerning the role of the various sectors in the agreements and encourage participation in agreements by a more inclusive, diverse set of countries, resulting in a more effective use of LULUCF in addressing climate change.

Including land use, land-use change, and forestry in future climate change, agreements: thinking outside the box

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Benndorf, R. [Federal Environment Agency, Bismarckplatz 1, D-1419 Berlin (Germany); Federici, S. [Joint Research Centre, European Commission, Via Enrico Fermi 1, I-21020 Ispra (Italy); Forner, C. [Center for International Forestry Research (CIFOR), Jalan CIFOR Situ Gede, Bogor Barat 16680 (Indonesia); Pena, N. [Pew Center on Global Climate Change, 2101 Wilson Boulevard, Arlington, VA 22201 (United States)]. E-mail: penan@pewclimate.org; Rametsteiner, E. [IIASA, A-2361 Laxenburg (Austria); Sanz, M.J. [Fundacion CEAM, Charles H. Darwin 14, S-46980 Paterna, Valencia (Spain); Somogyi, Z. [Joint Research Centre, European Commission, Via Enrico Fermi 1, I-21020 Ispra (Italy)

2007-06-15

This paper presents a framework that encompasses a full range of options for including land use, land-use change, and forestry (LULUCF) within future agreements under the United Nations Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). The intent is to provide options that can address the broad range of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and removals as well as to bring the broadest possible range of nations into undertaking mitigation efforts. We suggest that the approach taken for the Kyoto Protocol's first commitment period is only one within a much larger universe of possible approaches. This larger universe includes partially or completely 'de-linking' LULUCF commitments from those in other sectors, and allowing commitments specified in terms other than tonnes of greenhouse gases. Such approaches may provide clarity and transparency concerning the role of the various sectors in the agreements and encourage participation in agreements by a more inclusive, diverse set of countries, resulting in a more effective use of LULUCF in addressing climate change.

Including land use, land-use change, and forestry in future climate change, agreements: thinking outside the box

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Benndorf, R.; Federici, S.; Forner, C.; Pena, N.; Rametsteiner, E.; Sanz, M.J.; Somogyi, Z.

2007-01-01

This paper presents a framework that encompasses a full range of options for including land use, land-use change, and forestry (LULUCF) within future agreements under the United Nations Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). The intent is to provide options that can address the broad range of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and removals as well as to bring the broadest possible range of nations into undertaking mitigation efforts. We suggest that the approach taken for the Kyoto Protocol's first commitment period is only one within a much larger universe of possible approaches. This larger universe includes partially or completely 'de-linking' LULUCF commitments from those in other sectors, and allowing commitments specified in terms other than tonnes of greenhouse gases. Such approaches may provide clarity and transparency concerning the role of the various sectors in the agreements and encourage participation in agreements by a more inclusive, diverse set of countries, resulting in a more effective use of LULUCF in addressing climate change

Mutagenesis: Interactions with a parallel universe.

Science.gov (United States)

Miller, Jeffrey H

Unexpected observations in mutagenesis research have led to a new perspective in this personal reflection based on years of studying mutagenesis. Many mutagens have been thought to operate via a single principal mechanism, with secondary effects usually resulting in only minor changes in the observed mutation frequencies and spectra. For example, we conceive of base analogs as resulting in direct mispairing as their main mechanism of mutagenesis. Recent studies now show that in fact even these simple mutagens can cause very large and unanticipated effects both in mutation frequencies and in the mutational spectra when used in certain pair-wise combinations. Here we characterize this leap in mutation frequencies as a transport to an alternate universe of mutagenesis. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Landscape changes have greater effects than climate changes on six insect pests in China.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhao, Zihua; Sandhu, Hardev S; Ouyang, Fang; Ge, Feng

2016-06-01

In recent years, global changes are the major causes of frequent, widespread outbreaks of pests in mosaic landscapes, which have received substantial attention worldwide. We collected data on global changes (landscape and climate) and economic damage caused by six main insect pests during 1951-2010 in China. Landscape changes had significant effects on all six insect pests. Pest damage increased significantly with increasing arable land area in agricultural landscapes. However, climate changes had no effect on damage caused by pests, except for the rice leaf roller (Cnaphalocrocis medinalis Guenee) and armyworm (Mythimna separate (Walker)), which caused less damage to crops with increasing mean temperature. Our results indicate that there is slight evidence of possible offset effects of climate changes on the increasing damage from these two agricultural pests. Landscape changes have caused serious outbreaks of several species, which suggests the possibility of the use of landscape design for the control of pest populations through habitat rearrangement. Landscape manipulation may be used as a green method to achieve sustainable pest management with minimal use of insecticides and herbicides.

At What Cost? Examining the Cost Effectiveness of a Universal Social-Emotional Learning Program

Science.gov (United States)

Hunter, Leah J.; DiPerna, James C.; Hart, Susan Crandall; Crowley, Max

2018-01-01

Although implementation of universal social-emotional learning programs is becoming more common in schools, few studies have examined the cost-effectiveness of such programs. As such, the purpose of this article is two fold. First, we provide an overview of cost-effectiveness methods for school-based programs, and second, we share results of a…

Scientists Interacting With University Science Educators

Science.gov (United States)

Spector, B. S.

2004-12-01

Scientists with limited time to devote to educating the public about their work will get the greatest multiplier effect for their investment of time by successfully interacting with university science educators. These university professors are the smallest and least publicized group of professionals in the chain of people working to create science literate citizens. They connect to all aspects of formal and informal education, influencing everything from what and how youngsters and adults learn science to legislative rulings. They commonly teach methods of teaching science to undergraduates aspiring to teach in K-12 settings and experienced teachers. They serve as agents for change to improve science education inside schools and at the state level K-16, including what science content courses are acceptable for teacher licensure. University science educators are most often housed in a College of Education or Department of Education. Significant differences in culture exist in the world in which marine scientists function and that in which university science educators function, even when they are in the same university. Subsequently, communication and building relationships between the groups is often difficult. Barriers stem from not understanding each other's roles and responsibilities; and different reward systems, assumptions about teaching and learning, use of language, approaches to research, etc. This presentation will provide suggestions to mitigate the barriers and enable scientists to leverage the multiplier effect saving much time and energy while ensuring the authenticity of their message is maintained. Likelihood that a scientist's message will retain its authenticity stems from criteria for a university science education position. These professors have undergraduate degrees in a natural science (e.g., biology, chemistry, physics, geology), and usually a master's degree in one of the sciences, a combination of natural sciences, or a master's including

The effects of snow and salt on ice table stability in University Valley, Antarctica

Science.gov (United States)

Williams, Kaj; Heldmann, Jennifer L.; McKay, Christopher P.; Mellon, Michael T.

2018-01-01

The Antarctic Dry Valleys represent a unique environment where it is possible to study dry permafrost overlaying an ice-rich permafrost. In this paper, two opposing mechanisms for ice table stability in University Valley are addressed: i) diffusive recharge via thin seasonal snow deposits and ii) desiccation via salt deposits in the upper soil column. A high-resolution time-marching soil and snow model was constructed and applied to University Valley, driven by meteorological station atmospheric measurements. It was found that periodic thin surficial snow deposits (observed in University Valley) are capable of drastically slowing (if not completely eliminating) the underlying ice table ablation. The effects of NaCl, CaCl2 and perchlorate deposits were then modelled. Unlike the snow cover, however, the presence of salt in the soil surface (but no periodic snow) results in a slight increase in the ice table recession rate, due to the hygroscopic effects of salt sequestering vapour from the ice table below. Near-surface pore ice frequently forms when large amounts of salt are present in the soil due to the suppression of the saturation vapour pressure. Implications for Mars high latitudes are discussed.

The effectiveness of remedial computer use for mathematics in a university setting (Botswana)

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Plomp, T.; Pilon, J.; Pilon, Jacqueline; Janssen Reinen, I.A.M.

1991-01-01

This paper describes the evaluation of the effects of the Mathematics and Science Computer Assisted Remedial Teaching (MASCART) software on students from the Pre-Entry Science Course at the University of Botswana. A general significant improvement of basic algebra knowledge and skills could be

Exploring Societal Responses towards Managerial Prerogative in Entrepreneurial Universities

Science.gov (United States)

Callagher, Lisa; Horst, Maja; Husted, Kenneth

2015-01-01

Society's expectations for an increased role in science agenda setting and greater returns on public science investments shift university management practices. Entrepreneurial university, new public management, and sociology of science literature's inform the changing expectations about the roles and norms that govern university management and…

Baby universe theory

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nielsen, H.B.; Ninomiya, Masao

1989-12-01

We give an elementary review of the so called 'the theory of baby universes' which is a series of ideas or speculations about some effects in quantum gravity, viz. the effect of a certain type of wormholes, representing the exchange of small 3-space universes called baby universes. We consider this 'theory' as being physically and scientifically a very promising candidate for a theory of everything. It is, however, mathematically lacking any strong foundation at all. It solves several fine-tuning problems: First of all the cosmological constant problem, and also the strong CP-problem and the hierarchy problem. We also speculate that it might predict the possibility of influencing the probability distributions of the outcome of quantum mechanical measurements at one time by acts at a later time. (orig.)

Short-Term Effectiveness of Psychotherapy Treatments Delivered at a University Counselling Service

Science.gov (United States)

Monti, Fiorella; Tonetti, Lorenzo; Ricci Bitti, Pio Enrico

2016-01-01

This work aimed to evaluate the short-term effectiveness of psychotherapy delivered at the counselling service of the University of Bologna (Italy), by means of a single group longitudinal study including a 6-months follow-up. To this end, sixty-six students completed the 6-months follow-up and filled in the Symptom Questionnaire (SQ) three times,…