Academic Engagement, Cognitive Strategies, and Learning Outcomes: A Structural Equation Model

The quality of university education has never been more important. Academics and university administrators have paid significant attention to create the conditions that assure the quality of higher education. Measuring learning outcomes viewed as a relatively new method to assess the value of college education. Previous research indicates that student’s background characteristics, engagement in educationally purposeful activities, and cognitive or learning strategies are related to their perceived learning outcomes. The present study uses Astin’s Input-Environment-Outcome (I-E-O) model as a theoretical framework to determine the influences of students’ background characteristics, academic engagement, and cognitive strategies on the self-reported learning outcomes of Texas A&M undergraduate students using the Student Experience in the Research University (SERU) survey administered in 2015. The results indicate that academic engagement and learning outcomes differed based on background characteristics. Overall, my findings support that certain student background characteristics influence the student engagement in educationally purposeful activities, which consequently affects their learning. Moreover, the structural equation models tested in this study showed the effect of academic engagement and cognitive strategies on learning outcomes. Overall, academic involvement and critical reasoning are the best predictors of critical thinking skills and communication and research skills. In terms of cultural appreciation, there was a significant direct effect only for academic initiative and critical reasoning. It is reasonable to conclude that academic engagement and cognitive strategies predicted critical thinking and communication outcome best

Targeted and perceived service quality

Businesses that want to keep pace with the change and time are establishing new departments. Through those departments the business can take decisions and actions rapidly and so that they can keep themselves updated. However, this situation can cause inconsistencies between managers and departments working with multi-departments such as hotel businesses in service industry. This paper provides an extensive literature review aiming to present and discuss models and methods of how the perceived service quality has been and should be studied and handled. By doing so this paper supports both academia, by providing a review of the service quality literature, and industry, by summarizing landmark studies that can be used as benchmark for daily operations and/or company strategies

Targeted and perceived service quality

Businesses that want to keep pace with the change and time are establishing new departments. Through those departments the business can take decisions and actions rapidly and so that they can keep themselves updated. However, this situation can cause inconsistencies between managers and departments working with multi-departments such as hotel businesses in service industry. This paper provides an extensive literature review aiming to present and discuss models and methods of how the perceived service quality has been and should be studied and handled. By doing so this paper supports both academia, by providing a review of the service quality literature, and industry, by summarizing landmark studies that can be used as benchmark for daily operations and/or company strategies

Management der schweren Hyponatriämie: Evaluierung eines publizierten Algorithmus und Vergleich mit neuen, vereinfachten Algorithmen

Die Diagnostik und Therapie der Hyponatriämie (HN) gestaltet sich, trotz der auch heute noch aktuellen, im Jahr 2014 publizierten European Best Practice Guideline (EBPG), problematisch. Die vorgeschlagenen diagnostischen und therapeutischen Algorithmen der Leitlinie sind komplex, basieren zu großen Teilen auf Expertenmeinung und wurden bislang nicht wissenschaftlich evaluiert. Ziel der durchgeführten Studie war es daher, den EBPG-Algorithmus auf seine diagnostische sowie die sich aus diesem Algorithmus ableitenden Empfehlungen auf ihre therapeutische Wertigkeit zu untersuchen. Darüber hinaus stellen wir zwei vereinfachte Algorithmen vor, die eine frühe Therapieentscheidung ohne genaue Kenntnis der zugrundeliegenden Ursache der Hyponatriämie ermöglichen sollen, und vergleichen diese mit Blick auf die zu erwartende Therapieeffektivität mit dem EBPG-Algorithmus: Algorithmus 1: Hypervolämie => Flüssigkeitsrestriktion, sonst NaCl 0,9% Algorithmus 2: Non-Hypervolämie und Kreatinin >1 mg/dl => NaCl 0,9%, sonst Tolvaptan Für die retrospektive Arbeit wurde eine Datenbank mit allen zwischen dem 01.01.2008 und dem 03.03.2013 stationär in der Uniklinik Köln behandelten Patienten mit einem Plasmanatriumwert von ≤125 mmol/L erstellt, die ausreichende Informationen (Klinik, Labor, Verlaufsbeurteilung) boten, um sicher die ätiologische Einordnung der Hyponatriämie zu erlauben und dementsprechend geeignete Therapieoptionen zu formulieren. Die zu untersuchenden Algorithmen wurden als SPSS-Skript hinterlegt und auf die Patienten somit ohne Untersucherbias angewandt. Durch ein Expertenpanel, bestehend aus erfahrenen Nephrologen der Uniklinik Köln, wurde anhand aller vorliegenden Informationen die Ätiologie und die initial sinnvollste Therapieoption für jeden Patienten festgelegt. Insgesamt konnten so 294 Fälle detektiert und sicher ätiologisch eingeordnet werden. Diese Klassifizierung wurde als Referenz bezeichnet. Der EBPG-Algorithmus zeigte eine schlechte diagnostische Overall accuracy mit einem Übereinstimmungswert von nur 53% mit der Referenz (Cohen’s kappa: 0,41). Vor allem gelingt es dem Algorithmus nicht, Patienten, mit einen Urinnatrium >30 mmol/L, die Diuretika einnehmen oder ein Nierenversagen haben, korrekt zu klassifizieren. Weiterhin kann ein erheblicher Anteil durch den Algorithmus per se nicht eindeutig klassifiziert werden. Entfernt man diese Kategorien aus der Analyse liegt die Overall accuracy immer noch nur bei 68% (Cohen’s kappa: 0,53). Darüber hinaus zeigt sich, dass logische Inkonsistenzen innerhalb des Algorithmus weitere diagnostische Unsicherheiten bedingen. Während die entsprechenden Therapieempfehlungen der EBPG lediglich in 62% mit den laut Expertenmeinung effektiven Optionen übereinstimmten, war das bei der Anwendung von Algorithmus 1 in immerhin 76% der Fall. Algorithmus 2 war nur geringfügig der EBPG-Empfehlung überlegen. Die Analyse der Patienten, die tatsächlich die von Algorithmus 1 vorgeschlagenen Therapien erhalten hatte, erbrachte tatsächlich zumindest bei den Patienten mit nicht-hypervolämischer Hyponatriämie (die NaCl 0,9% erhielten) eine gute Effektivität (88%), allerdings auch eine recht hohe Überkorrekturrate (25%). Die hier vorgelegten Ergebnisse geben Anlass, den vereinfachten Algorithmus 1 in einer prospektiven Untersuchung zu validieren

Türkiye İşgücü Piyasasının Değerlendirilmesi ve Ulusal İstihdam Stratejisi Hedefleri İle Uyumu

Çalışma ve Sosyal Güvenlik Bakanlığı tarafından, işgücü piyasasındaki yapısal problemlerin çözümü ve özellikle işsizlik ve istihdama katılımın artırılması yönünde çözümler geliştirmek amacı ile 2014’te Ulusal İstihdam Stratejisi hazırlanmıştır. Bu kapsamda makroekonomik olarak üç, temel politika eksenli olarak dört başlık altında toplam yirmi adet somut hedef bulunmaktadır Bu çalışmada 2014’te Çalışma ve Sosyal Güvenlik Bakanlığı tarafından yayınlanan Ulusal İstihdam Stratejisi’nin makroekonomik ve temel politika hedefleri ile işgücü piyasalarının 2000 ve sonrası durumunun karşılaştırmalı analizi yapılmıştır.İşgücü piyasalarının temel göstergelerinden olan; işgücüne katılma, işsizlik, istihdam ve kayıt dışı çalışma oranları ile ilgili veriler, Türkiye İstatistik Kurumu ve ilgili bakanlıklardan derlenerek, Ulusal İstihdam Stratejisi’nin makroekonomik ve temel politika hedefleri ile karşılaştırılmıştır

EWV-FRM - Emissionsarme Wirtschaftsverkehre in FrankfurtRheinMain : E-Lieferzonen

Abschlussbericht des Forschungsprojekts über emissionsarme Wirtschaftsverkehre in der Metropolregion Frankfurt/Rhein-Main

ON GENERALIZED SARMANOV BIVARIATE DISTRIBUTIONS

Abstract. A class of bivariate distributions which generalizes the Sarmanov class is introduced. This class possesses a simple analytical form and desirable dependence properties. The admissible range for association parameter for given bivariate distributions are derived and the range for correlation coefficients are also presented

Some properties of Cu-B4C composites manufactured by powder metallurgy

In this study, some properties of cold pressed Cu-B4C composites were investigated. Commercial copper powders with 40 µm particle size were reinforced with B4C in a 40µm particle size at ratios of 0, 1, 2, 3 wt.% for improving mechanical properties of copper used for electrical conductivity. Cu-B4C composites have been fabricated by powder metallurgy method and sintered at 700C for 2h in open atmosphere and then subjected to cold pressing following sintering process.  The presence of Cu and B4C which are dominant components in the sintered composites were confirmed by X-ray diffraction analyses technique and SEM-EDS.  Scanning electron microscope (SEM-EDS) was showed that B4C particles are distributed homogenously in the copper matrix. The relative densities of Cu and Cu-B4C composites sintered at 700°C are ranged from 97.5% to 90.19%. Microhardness of composites ranged from 80.65 to 87.5 HB and the electrical conductivity of composites changed between 90.04 %IACS and 68.87 %IACS. It was observed that cold pressed Cu - 1 wt.% B4C composites revealed promising physical properties

Graphene-based wearable temperature sensors: A review

The paper presents a comprehensive review of the use of graphene to develop wearable temperature sensors. The detection of temperature over a wide range has been a growing interest in multidisciplinary sectors in the sensing world. Different kinds of flexible temperature sensors have been fabricated with a range of polymers and nanomaterials. With the additional attribute of wearable nature, these temperature sensors are used ubiquitously to determine the effect of physiochemical variations happening in the environment of the chosen biomedical and industrial applications. Graphene, owing to its exceptional electrical, mechanical, and thermal properties, has been extensively used for the development of wearable temperature sensors. The prototypes have been deployed with certain wireless communication protocols to transfer the experimental data obtained under both controlled environments and real-time scenarios. This paper underlines some of the significant works done on the use of graphene to fabricate and implement wearable temperature sensors, along with the possible remedial steps that can be considered to deal with the challenges existing in the current literature

Influence of medical gloves on fingerpad friction and feel

Friction experiments were carried out sliding a fingerpad, in both a bare state and with a latex glove donned, across a force plate to determine friction levels for different contact surface conditions (dry/wet; steel/glass). Donning a glove was found to increase the friction in dry conditions, but reduce it in wet conditions. A range of vibration frequencies were found to occur during sliding and the pronounced stick-slip behaviour for a bare finger sliding on wet glass was not found to occur when a latex glove was donned. These frequencies, along with those measured in a previous study, were used to inform the design of a tactile vibration perception study utilising a vibrating platform to replicate the sensation of finger sliding. The use of gloves was found to reduce the amplitude threshold at which participants were able to perceive vibrations. This effect was more extreme for double glove use, compared to single glove use. Glove donning also reduced the ability of participants to perceive differences in the frequency of vibrations. These findings have implications for surgeons' ability to carry out tactile explorations and the protocol described in this paper can be used for future studies on the effect of glove use on feel