Challenges faced by deans of engineering faculties, focusing on innovative management methods and organisational processes : a global perspective

Published ArticleThere have been numerous national- and international-level calls for the reform of engineering education. This includes the need for a shift to a knowledge economy - one that utilises knowledge as the key engine of competitive growth. However, despite several initiatives to address reform, relatively little has changed in the content and conduct of engineering education. It has been argued that engineering education has entered a period where changes are required, but that the management structures that are in place do not provide the needed support to encourage and facilitate these changes in order to promote innovation. The current study employed a multiple case study method to explore challenges faced by the deans of four engineering faculties in four non-adjacent countries and to explain the organisational structures and management processes employed to deal with these challenges in their unique contexts. The analysis identified four areas of challenges and innovative structures and management practices that can be transferred and implemented in other contexts

Scholarship of teaching and learning in the context of a University of Technology : a case of the central university of technology, Free State

Published ArticleThis article describes the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL) project at the Central University of Technology, Free State (CUT) to improve teaching and learning. Its focus is the genesis of the project, perceptions and perspectives of staff on SoTL, challenges facing SoTL, and the perceived significance and impact of the project. It is argued that SoTL has the potential of advancing teaching and learning generally and within one's disciplinary home. Thus, engagement in SoTL does not undermine one's disciplinary work, but rather enhances reflective practice and sharing practices with peers nationally and internationally. Quantitative data were collected by means of a questionnaire. The chi-squared test was applied and a p-value calculated for quantitative data of the survey. Only one area indicated significant frequency differences at the level of alpha (0.05). The qualitative data was elicited from written accounts by the participants and analysed in terms of emerging themes and issues. The article concludes that: engaging in SoTL encompasses scholarly teaching and meaningful learning; enhances scholars' contributions to their disciplines; involves a scholarly work not separated from everyday classroom practices; and that the teaching continuum, and perceived involvement, are critical aspects of improving one's practice at CUT and in specific disciplines

Tamoxifen use and potential effects on liver parenchyma:A long-term prospective transient elastographic evaluation

Tamoxifen is a commonly prescribed drug in both early and metastatic breast cancer. Prospective studies in Asian populations demonstrated that tamoxifen‐related liver steatosis occurred in more than 30% of the patients within 2 years after start of treatment. No well‐designed prospective studies on potential tamoxifen‐related liver steatosis have been conducted in Caucasian patients so far. Therefore, our prospective study aimed to assess the incidence of tamoxifen‐related liver steatosis for a period of 2 years in a population of Caucasian breast cancer patients treated with tamoxifen. Patients with an indication for adjuvant treatment with tamoxifen were included in this study. Data were collected at 3 months (T1) and at 2 years (T2) after start of tamoxifen treatment (follow‐up period of 21 months). For the quantification of liver steatosis, patients underwent liver stiffness measurement by transient elastography with simultaneous controlled attenuation parameter (CAP) determination using the FibroScan. A total of 95 Caucasian breast cancer patients were included in this evaluation. Liver steatosis was observed in 46 of 95 (48%) and 48 of 95 (51%) of the patients at T1 and T2, respectively. No clinically relevant increase in liver steatosis was observed during the treatment period of 2 years with tamoxifen (median CAP = 243 ± 49 dB/m (T1) and 253 ± 55 dB/m (T2), respectively; p = 0.038). Conclusion: In this prospective longitudinal study in Caucasian breast cancer patients, no clinically relevant alterations in liver steatosis in terms of CAP values and liver/lipid parameters were observed after 2 years of tamoxifen treatment. This study therefore demonstrates an absence of tamoxifen‐related adverse events such as steatosis and (early) development of fibrosis or cirrhosis during a treatment period of at least 2 years

Notitie Denktank Overlijdensschade. Nieuwe richting benadering en berekening overlijdensschade

In 2009 is een werkgroep onder de naam Denktank Overlijdensschade gestart met het bestuderen van een ander, aan de huidige tijd aangepast model voor de berekening van overlijdensschade. Doelstelling was te komen tot een, ook voor nabestaanden, transparantie systematiek welke recht doet aan de vorderingsgerechtigdheid van de nabestaanden. In 2014 heeft de Denktank Overlijdensschade haar werkzaamheden voltooid met het opleveren van een nieuwe rekenmethodiek. In deze Notitie wordt beschreven hoe de Denktank tot deze nieuwe benadering van het berekenen van overlijdensschade is gekomen, welke onderzoeken daaraan ten grondslag liggen en wat de uiteindelijke rekenregel is, die nu voorgesteld wordt. Kern van de nieuwe methodiek is het uitgangspunt dat het gezin als economische eenheid wordt beschouwd, voor én na het overlijden

Denktank Overlijdensschade: nieuwe richting benadering en berekening overlijdensschade

De denktank overlijdensschade is ontstaan, omdat de rekenmethodiek voor overlijdensschade niet uit te leggen is aan nabestaanden en geen recht doet aan de maatschappelijke ontwikkelingen. Diverse professionals besloten niet langer slechts te ageren tegen de bestaande situatie, maar er werkelijk wat aan te doen. Dit heeft geresulteerd in een conceptnotitie ‘Nieuwe richting benadering en berekening overlijdensschade’. In dit artikel wordt deze notitie kort besproken

The interplay between tamoxifen and endoxifen plasma concentrations and coagulation parameters in patients with primary breast cancer

Background: Tamoxifen is an effective treatment for primary breast cancer but increases the risk for venous thromboembolism. Tamoxifen decreases anticoagulant proteins, including antithrombin (AT), protein C (PC) and tissue factor (TF) pathway inhibitor, and enhances thrombin generation (TG). However, the relation between plasma concentrations of both tamoxifen and its active metabolite endoxifen and coagulation remains unknown. Methods: Tamoxifen and endoxifen were measured in 141 patients from the prospective open-label intervention TOTAM-study after 3 months (m) and 6 m of tamoxifen treatment. Levels of AT and PC, the procoagulant TF, and TG parameters were determined at both timepoints if samples were available (n = 53–135 per analysis). Levels of coagulation proteins and TG parameters were correlated and compared between: 1) quartiles of tamoxifen and endoxifen levels, and 2) 3 m and 6 m of treatment. Results: At 3 m, levels of AT, PC, TF and TG parameters were not associated with tamoxifen nor endoxifen levels. At 6 m, median TF levels were lower in patients in the 3rd (56.6 [33] pg/mL), and 4th (50.1 [19] pg/mL) endoxifen quartiles compared to the 1st (lowest) quartile (76 [69] pg/mL) (P=0.027 and P=0.018, respectively), but no differences in anticoagulant proteins or TG parameters were observed. An increase in circulating TF levels (3 m: 46.0 [15] versus 6 m: 54.4 [39] pg/mL, P &lt; 0.001) and TG parameters was observed at the 6 m treatment timepoint, while AT and PC levels remained stable.Conclusions: Our results indicate that higher tamoxifen and endoxifen levels are not correlated with an increased procoagulant state, suggesting tamoxifen dose escalation does not further promote hypercoagulability.</p

Parity Violating Measurements of Neutron Densities

Parity violating electron nucleus scattering is a clean and powerful tool for measuring the spatial distributions of neutrons in nuclei with unprecedented accuracy. Parity violation arises from the interference of electromagnetic and weak neutral amplitudes, and the $Z^0$ of the Standard Model couples primarily to neutrons at low $Q^2$. The data can be interpreted with as much confidence as electromagnetic scattering. After briefly reviewing the present theoretical and experimental knowledge of neutron densities, we discuss possible parity violation measurements, their theoretical interpretation, and applications. The experiments are feasible at existing facilities. We show that theoretical corrections are either small or well understood, which makes the interpretation clean. The quantitative relationship to atomic parity nonconservation observables is examined, and we show that the electron scattering asymmetries can be directly applied to atomic PNC because the observables have approximately the same dependence on nuclear shape.Comment: 38 pages, 7 ps figures, very minor changes, submitted to Phys. Rev.

The Charge Form Factor of the Neutron from the Reaction \pol{2H}(\pol{e},e'n)p

We report on the first measurement of spin-correlation parameters in quasifree electron scattering from vector-polarized deuterium. Polarized electrons were injected into an electron storage ring at a beam energy of 720~MeV. A Siberian snake was employed to preserve longitudinal polarization at the interaction point. Vector-polarized deuterium was produced by an atomic beam source and injected into an open-ended cylindrical cell, internal to the electron storage ring. The spin correlation parameter A^V_{ed} was measured for the reaction \pol{2H}(\pol{e},e'n)p at a four-momentum transfer squared of 0.21 (GeV/c)^2 from which a value for the charge form factor of the neutron was extracted.Comment: 4 pages, 5 file