Influence of dissociative recombination on the LTE of argon high-frequency plasmas at atmospheric pressure

This work presents a few preliminary results from a collisional-radiative (CR) model intended to describe an argon microwave (2.45 GHz) plasma at atmospheric pressure. This model aims to investigate the influence of dissociative recombination products on the Saha-Boltzmann plasma equilibrium. The model is tested through comparison with experimental results obtained in an argon plasma column generated by a traveling electromagnetic surface-wave, which is suitable to perform a parametric investigation of the plasma. It is shown that dissociative recombination predominantly populates the 4s levels and the ground state. It is further observed that it strongly influences the population of the levels, specially those of lower energy. However, the higher levels (close to the ionization limit) appear to be in equilibrium whatever the plasma density. This allows assuming that the excitation temperature Texc determined from the upper levels in the atomic system in the Boltzmann-plot is equal to Te.Comment: 12th International Congress on Plasma Physics, 25-29 October 2004, Nice (France

Influência do gênero e da idade: satisfação no trabalho de profissionais da saúde

OBJECTIVE: to analyze the influence of gender and age on the quality of the professional lives of health care professionals at a university hospital. METHOD: a total of 546 professionals completed a general questionnaire that measured sociodemographic variables and evaluated job satisfaction using a scale adopted from the NTP 394 Job Satisfaction scale and translated into Spanish. RESULTS: overall, 77.2% of the professionals surveyed were satisfied with the work they perform. With regards to gender, we found overwhelming evidence of the feminization of practically all health care professions included in the study, with higher levels of job satisfaction among women than men. Regarding age, 20-30-year-olds and professionals over 61 years old showed higher satisfaction levels than did middle-aged professionals. Higher levels of dissatisfaction were reported by professionals between 41 and 50 years old. CONCLUSIONS: we were able to detect the influence of gender and age on the level of job satisfaction, finding significant associations between job satisfaction and both of these variables. Generally, women expressed more satisfaction than men, and elderly professionals showed higher satisfaction compared to younger professionals. Management policies should focus on taking action to correct the conditions that produce dissatisfaction among certain groups of employees.OBJETIVO: analizar la influencia del género y edad en la satisfacción de la vida laboral en los profesionales sanitarios de un Hospital Universitario. MÉTODO: la muestra quedó constituida por 546 profesionales, administrándose un cuestionario general con variables sociodemográficas y otro específico, el NTP 394 Satisfacción Laboral: escala general de satisfacción adaptada y validada al castellano. RESULTADOS: en general un 77,2% se encuentra satisfecho con el trabajo que desempeña. En relación al género, se evidencia la feminización de prácticamente todas las profesiones sanitarias sin excepción, quedando patente niveles de satisfacción superior en las mujeres. La edad, presenta niveles más elevados de satisfacción en profesionales de edades entre 20 y 30 años y en los mayores de 61; en contrapartida los niveles de insatisfacción se presentan en los profesionales de edades comprendidas entre 41 y 50 años. CONCLUSIONES: podemos delimitar la influencia del género y la edad en los niveles de satisfacción laboral, obteniéndose asociaciones significativas en ambas variables; respecto al género, las mujeres se muestran más satisfechas y en cuanto a la edad los profesionales de mayor edad muestran mayor satisfacción. Así, las líneas de gestión deben orientarse al establecimiento de acciones de mejora en aquellas variables que producen insatisfacción.OBJETIVO: analisar a influência do gênero e da idade na satisfação no trabalho de profissionais da saúde num hospital universitário. MÉTODO: a amostra foi constituída por 546 profissionais, aos quais foi administrado um questionário genérico, contendo variáveis sociodemográficas e um questionário específico, o NTP 394: Satisfação no Trabalho: Escala de Satisfação Global adaptada e validada para o castelhano. RESULTADOS: de modo geral, 77,2% da amostra manifestou estar satisfeita com o trabalho que realiza. Quanto ao gênero, foi evidenciada a feminização de praticamente todas as profissões em saúde, sem exceções, sendo que as mulheres manifestaram níveis mais elevados de satisfação. Com relação à idade, as faixas etárias que manifestaram os níveis mais elevados de satisfação foram entre 20 e 30 anos e acima de 61 anos. Em contrapartida, os profissionais entre 41 e 50 anos de idade apresentaram níveis de insatisfação. CONCLUSÕES: pode-se estabelecer a influência do gênero e da idade nos níveis de satisfação no trabalho da amostra estudada, visto que foram identificadas associações significativas. Em relação ao gênero, as mulheres manifestaram estar mais satisfeitas e, com respeito à idade, os maiores níveis de satisfação foram manifestos pelos participantes mais idosos. Sendo assim, as políticas de gestão devem focar na implantação de ações destinadas a melhorar as variáveis que se associam à insatisfação

Teacher as Social Context (TASC) questionnaire in the Spanish setting:Teacher version

Resumen basado en el de la publicaciónTítulo, resumen y palabras clave en inglés y españolSe realiza por primera vez la construcción o adaptación de una versión en español del cuestionario Teacher as Social Context (TASC). Se incluyó una muestra de 410 profesores de educación secundaria en España. Se realizó un análisis factorial confirmatorio utilizando la estimación de máxima verosimilitud; la invarianza factorial de la versión española del cuestionario TASC entre géneros se analizó utilizando un análisis factorial confirmatorio multigrupo. Por último, se realizaron análisis correlacionales entre las tres escalas TASC (participación, estructura y apoyo a la autonomía) y el compromiso conductual y emocional. Los resultados de esta investigación confirmaron la estructura del instrumento original manteniendo las tres dimensiones básicas. El modelo de medición también demostró ser invariable en función del género. Además, sustenta la suposición de que la percepción de los profesores sobre su propia actividad en relación con la satisfacción de las necesidades psicológicas básicas de los estudiantes muestra una relación con el compromiso emocional y conductual de estos, siendo la implicación de los profesores la dimensión más determinante.ES

Are Men And Women Different In European Higher Education Area?

One of the principles of universities is to include and promote teaching and research in gender equality and non discrimination in all academic fields of training. But this is not easy to measure. This paper proposes a qualitative methodology to measure the problem and applies it to the University of Castilla-La Mancha (Spain)

Pollution And Environmental Indicators Using A Multicriteria Analysis

Pollution and environmental factors are a core topic because they influence in air quality of the different areas of a city. This is why in this article we propose to apply a multicriteria decision aid method (the Promethee) to establish a ranking among twenty one districts of Madrid city. To develop this ranking we use objective and subjective criteria that contain information about pollution and environmental indicators in these districts. The results show that some districts are the worse and the best regardless the used criteria

Teamwork Competence Professor s Self-Assessment, a Study Case in the Universidad Politecnica de Madrid

Teamwork Competence Professors Self-Assessment, a Study Case in the Universidad Politecnica de Madri

Soft Skills: A Comparative Analysis Between Online and Classroom Teaching

Currently the Spanish universities are making a great effort to effectively incorporate the development and assessment of generic skills in their training programs. Information and communications technologies (ICT) offer a wide range of possibilities but create uncertainty among teachers about the process and results. It is considered of interest to conduct a study to analyze the extent to which social skills like commitment, communication and teamwork are acquired by students and teachers. It seeks to ascertain the influence of the learning context, online or classroom training, in the development of these personal skills among the participants in the sample. For this study two universities have been chosen, Universidad a Distancia de Madrid (UDIMA) offering online training environment, and Universidad Politécnica de Madrid (UPM) with classroom training modality. A total of 257 individuals, 230 students and 27 teachers have answered the survey called Evalsoft. This instrument was designed in the project with the same name by a research team from Universidad Complutense of Madrid (UCM). Some interesting conclusions can be highlighted: it is in the online context where there are higher levels of commitment and teamwork than in the classroom modality; teachers have higher social skills that students and these improve with age. Sex and the training program appear to influence these social skills

The Discrete Multicriteria Decision Methods And ARSV Model Used To Choice The Best Exchange Rate

The exchange rate is a variable that economic agents have in consideration. For this reason, in this paper we suggest a decision method to compare several exchange rates. This method is the Promethee Method and it is a Multicriteria Decision Method used to order the preference between returns of the different exchange rates. We have used different statistic criteria to rank these exchange rates. To obtain the pay-off matrix it has been used one econometric model: Autoregressive Stochastic Volatility (ARSV) Model. We have proposed different generalized criteria and their corresponding thresholds. Both are used to evaluate the different exchange rate returns in the decision matrix or the pay-off matrix. These thresholds are suggested according to the obtained results in the decision matrix. Finally, we have obtained the best solution of the problem when all the criteria have the same importance for the decision-maker

The Use of Technologies in Second Language Learning: The Case of a Mexican University

Introduction: This research is about the use of technology in learning English as a Foreign Language at higher education in a public University in Mexico. This study is focused on how students use the technology for academic and non-academic issues to learn English. The object of the study a sample of twenty five percent of English language students (375 students) were considered. Students’ average age was 18-25. Methodology: For this research two instruments were used to gather data the first one a questionnaire designed for this purpose, the second one an interview to know what kind of gadgets students use to learn English in higher education and how this technology could be introduced in second language learning classrooms. The results: allowed concluding that most technological gadgets used by students were Cells and Laptops to surf the net and chat through social networks for non-academic issues and laptops and desktop computers to work on school duties with specific software