Student satisfaction in the age of consumer driven higher education

The global Higher Education sector (HE) is undergoing a metamorphosis. No longer is HE the sole preserve of the privileged few but rather it is now accessible for the masses. The result of such an expansionist philosophy is here and today’s undergraduate students can expect to study at a university that is unrecognisable to higher education establishments of a few decades ago. This is not a one-sided affair and academic staff i.e.,the professoriate who encounter the results of such expansionism on a daily basis are also faced with a vastly complex working environment(see e.g., Knight & Senior, 2017).Phrases such as internationalisation, employability, work-based learning as well as the almost ephemeral notion of student satisfaction,among many other things,regular assail the collective consciousness of academic staff around the world. Yet despite such complexity a new model is emerging and this is one firmly embedded within consumer psychology and it firmly places the student as a customer. Here we highlight some negative issues that may arise when HE embraces consumerism. We also discuss a potential solution that may not only ameliorate these issues but actually facilitate excellence in the student learning journeys.Higher education can meet this vast array of modern day concepts face-to-face and still ensure that it serves its core mission and that is to provide students with a higher understanding of various conceptual issues

The Charitable Habits of Blood Donors

Introduction: There is a need for a constant supply of blood and blood products (e.g. plasma and platelets) in the American health care system. Common recipients of blood include: patients at risk for major hemorrhage, patients with sickle cell anemia, patients undergoing surgery, and thrombocytopenia in neonatal patients. This demand is met through nationwide blood banks, such as the American Red Cross, and their blood donation programs. The American Red Cross relies solely on volunteer donors; thus, one of the most pressing issues facing this institution is getting donors in the door. Through our survey questions we hope to uncover more factors that guide individuals in their philanthropic ways. The overall goal of this research is focused on unveiling new information that will supply the American Red Cross with valuable insight into their donor population and possible opportunities for joint publicity. We investigated the similarities and difference between how and why individuals undertake certain charitable activities.https://scholarworks.uvm.edu/comphp_gallery/1206/thumbnail.jp

Towards 5G Zero Trusted Air Interface Architecture

5G is destined to be supporting large deployment of Industrial IoT (IIoT) with the characteristics of ultra-high densification and low latency. 5G utilizes a more intelligent architecture, with Radio Access Networks (RANs) no longer constrained by base station proximity or proprietary infrastructure. The 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) covers telecommunication technologies including RAN, core transport networks and service capabilities. Open RAN Alliance (O-RAN) aims to define implementation and deployment architectures, focusing on open-source interfaces and functional units to further reduce the cost and complexity. O-RAN based 5G networks could use components from different hardware and software vendors, promoting vendor diversity, interchangeability and 5G supply chain resiliency. Both 3GPP and O-RAN 5G have to manage the security and privacy challenges that arose from the deployment. Many existing research studies have addressed the threats and vulnerabilities within each system. 5G also has the overwhelming challenges in compliance with privacy regulations and requirements which mandate the user identifiable information need to be protected. In this paper, we look into the 3GPP and O-RAN 5G security and privacy designs and the identified threats and vulnerabilities. We also discuss how to extend the Zero Trust Model to provide advanced protection over 5G air interfaces and network components

Competition as a Potential Motivator for Blood Donation

Introduction. Investigating motivational factors for blood donation is invaluable to understanding how to increase blood availability. Our study evaluates the perceived effect of competition as an intrinsic motivator for blood donation.https://scholarworks.uvm.edu/comphp_gallery/1193/thumbnail.jp

Association of Ambient Air Pollution with Respiratory Hospitalization in a Government-Designated “Area of Concern”: The Case of Windsor, Ontario

This study is part of a larger research program to examine the relationship between ambient air quality and health in Windsor, Ontario, Canada. We assessed the association between air pollution and daily respiratory hospitalization for different age and sex groups from 1995 to 2000. The pollutants included were nitrogen dioxide, sulfur dioxide, carbon monoxide, ozone, particulate matter ≤10 μm in diameter (PM(10)), coefficient of haze (COH), and total reduced sulfur (TRS). We calculated relative risk (RR) estimates using both time-series and case-crossover methods after controlling for appropriate confounders (temperature, humidity, and change in barometric pressure). The results of both analyses were consistent. We found associations between NO(2), SO(2), CO, COH, or PM(10) and daily hospital admission of respiratory diseases especially among females. For females 0–14 years of age, there was 1-day delayed effect of NO(2) (RR = 1.19, case-crossover method), a current-day SO(2) (RR = 1.11, time series), and current-day and 1- and 2-day delayed effects for CO by case crossover (RR = 1.15, 1.19, 1.22, respectively). Time-series analysis showed that 1-day delayed effect of PM(10) on respiratory admissions of adult males (15–64 years of age), with an RR of 1.18. COH had significant effects on female respiratory hospitalization, especially for 2-day delayed effects on adult females, with RRs of 1.15 and 1.29 using time-series and case-crossover analysis, respectively. There were no significant associations between O(3) and TRS with respiratory admissions. These findings provide policy makers with current risks estimates of respiratory hospitalization as a result of poor ambient air quality in a government designated “area of concern.

Tree management and the greening of the environment in Hong Kong : a study of collaborative governance

published_or_final_versionPolitics and Public AdministrationMasterMaster of Public Administratio