Optical illusion? The growth and development of the Optics Valley of China

The ‘cultivated’ nature of the Chinese science parks, against the background of a transitional economy, differentiates them from spontaneous and cooperative Western models, and is a phenomenon deserving close examination. We study the dynamics and features of the so-called Optics Valley of China (OVC) in Hubei, aiming to explore the characteristics of an embryonic local innovation system constructed in a less-favoured region. The results show that institutional factors are the leading forces in a cultivated science park like the OVC. However, along with the shifting focus of the local government, the OVC’s industrial scale has remained small and its industrial chain has remained incomplete. Moreover, the lack of trust and interactions between various components in this innovation system has been highly noticeable. All these features may be seen as warnings to the OVC that a revision of this innovation system is needed in order to avoid the fate of becoming an ‘optical illusion’

Flight Instructor Socio-Communicative Orientation and Perceptions of Cockpit Assertiveness

Little research has been conducted regarding communication in flight instruction settings. Additionally, much research has been conducted in the area of communication scholarship, however little empirical work has been done to apply communication theoretical frameworks to the study of communication in aviation. This survey of flight instructors (n = 102) sought to relate flight instructor socio-communicative orientation with perceptions of assertive communications constructed using Besco’s (1995, 1999) PACE framework of assertive cockpit communication. Relationships between flight instructor experience and perceptions of assertive cockpit were also explored. In addition, open-ended questions were asked to gather data about flight instructors’ perceptions of communication and crew resource management (CRM) training and experiences. No statistically significant relationships were found between flight instructor experience and perceptions of assertive cockpit communication, and no statistically significant relationships were found between flight instructor socio-communicative orientation and perceptions of assertive cockpit communication. Qualitative data gathered from open-ended survey questions yielded opinions about training and experiences in communication and CRM. This research has implications for further applications of communication theory in aviation research as well as curriculum design for training flight instructors and professional pilots

Self-Selection vs. Writing Prompts: A Study to Examine the Effects Topics Have on Elementary Students\u27 Writing

The purposes of this study were: 1) to evaluate the quality of writing in first, second, and third graders who were given a writing prompt, 2) to evaluate the quality of writing in first, second, and third graders who self-selected their own writing topic, and 3) to determine if there were any differences in the quality of writing between the two groups. The researcher was the instructor for all the students who participated in the study. Included in the study were first, second, and third grade students who were present on the day the researcher visited. Approximately half of the students wrote on a given prompt, while the remaining students wrote on a self-selected topic. Prior to writing, students and teachers were asked to complete a brief survey about writing. The writing samples were rated on four different criteria: paper\u27s focus, grammar, sentence structure, and capitalization and punctuation. Three raters individually rated each piece of writing and the results were compiled. Raters received instruction from the researcher prior to reading the samples. The following conclusions were based on the findings of the study: 1. There is a difference in the quality of writing samples, in the area of the paper\u27s focus, between giving a student a writing prompt and allowing a student to self-select a topic. 2. There is no significant difference in the quality of writing samples, in the area of grammar, between giving a student a writing prompt and allowing a student to self-select a topic. 3. There is no significant difference in the quality of writing samples, in the area of sentence structure, between giving a student a writing prompt and allowing a student to self-select a topic. 4. There is a difference in the quality of writing samples, in the area of capitalization and punctuation, between giving a student a writing prompt and allowing a student to self-select a topic

Relationships of Self-Direction and Attitude toward Continuing Education in Community College Allied Health Programs

Continuing education is a vital component in health care because professionals operate in a complex discipline that is continuously evolving. Ongoing social, technological, and medical changes present many trials and challenges to professionals in health care (Cadorin, Suter, Dante, Williamson, Devetti, & Palese, 2012). Additionally, health care professionals who acknowledge continuing education as a lifelong exercise are well suited to remain well-informed of innovative developments (Cadorin et al., 2012; Evans, Gallatin, Taylor, & Brodnik, 2008; El-Gilany & Abusaad, 2013; Levett-Jones, 2005). In health care, self-directed learning can contribute to increased confidence, independence, inspiration, and growth of skills (O’Shea, 2003; Yuan et al., 2012). Individuals with the capability to be highly self-directed can utilize this to discern any level of personal weakness then work to rectify the deficiency (Avdal, 2013; Yuan et al., 2012).The study’s purpose was to explore relationships among self-directed learning and attitude toward continuing education among students participating in community college Allied Health programs. For this study, 113 students in Allied Health degree programs at a southeastern community college participated. Respondents completed Stockdale’s (2003) Personal Responsibility Orientation-Self Directed Learning Scale (PRO-SDLS), Blunt and Yang’s (2002) Revised Attitude toward Continuing Education Scale (RAACES), as well as answered two demographic questions (age and class rank).The results revealed that level of self-direction has a significant relationship between several factors and items related to attitude toward continuing education. One of the strongest findings was that participants with high levels of self-direction viewed adult education as a way to make better use of their lives. The information resulting from this study will enhance the current literature and allow for better understanding of self-directed learning principles and their relationship with attitude toward continuing education. Applying this information in Allied Health programs may have a substantial effect on how faculty facilitates self-directed learning principles in their area of study (El-Gilnay & Abusaad, 2013). Future recommendations for research comprise of a duplication of the study using a more diverse and increased sample size across multiple community colleges and conducting other studies that would examine introducing self-directed learning principles into Allied Health programs

Aerosol chemistry and air-snow transfer in coastal Antarctica

The aims of this dissertation are to better understand the sources of aerosol particles reaching coastal Antarctica, and the processes that control aerosol deposition to the snow surface and inclusion into the ice.Daily collections of aerosol particles and surface snow samples were made from British Antarctic Survey base, Halley. Aerosol and snow sea salt were found to have maximum concentrations during the austral winter and non sea salt sulphate and methane sulphonic acid concentrations peaked during the summer, confirming previous work by other authors.These species were compared with local meterological events (such as wind speed and direction) to identify a source for particularly high concentration events. Winter sea salt was found to have a local source, consisting probably of concentrated brine pools on surfaces of freshly formed sea ice and needle-like structures, known as frost flowers, which form from the pools. The sea salt component of these high events was also found to be fractionated, with a deficit of sodium sulphate (mirabilite). Methane sulphonic acid and nonsea salt sulphate did not appear to have a local source. Instead, using back trajectories of air mass origins to identify a longer range aerosol source, high concentration events were associated with the air mass having passed over an area of open water several days before reaching Halley.The processes of aerosol deposition to the snow surface were then quantified. Dry, fog and wet deposition, sublimation, wind pumping, blowing and drifting snow were examined experimentally and theoretically. For this coastal Antarctic location, wet deposition was found to be highly dominant (80%). Dry deposition accounted for about 10% and drifting and blowing snow were found to be important in determining whether a snowfall event remained recorded in the accumulated snow record, and ultimately in any ice core.This thesis has suggested that for sea salt, methane sulphonic acid (MSA) and non sea salt sulphate, there may be an alternate way of interpreting concentrations of these species in coastal Antarctic ice cores. Rather than an indication of increased storminess and long range transport, high loadings of sea salt could actually give information on the extent of new, fresh sea ice and could therefore be used to infer the local temperature, sea ice extent and possible wind direction at the time of core formation. Elevated MSA and non sea salt sulphate concentrations in ice cores could also give us information on the extent of open water and not simply an increase in marine biogenic activity and DMS emissions

Self-Selection vs. Writing Prompts: A Study to Examine the Effects Topics Have on Elementary Students\u27 Writing

The purposes of this study were: 1) to evaluate the quality of writing in first, second, and third graders who were given a writing prompt, 2) to evaluate the quality of writing in first, second, and third graders who self-selected their own writing topic, and 3) to determine if there were any differences in the quality of writing between the two groups. The researcher was the instructor for all the students who participated in the study. Included in the study were first, second, and third grade students who were present on the day the researcher visited. Approximately half of the students wrote on a given prompt, while the remaining students wrote on a self-selected topic. Prior to writing, students and teachers were asked to complete a brief survey about writing. The writing samples were rated on four different criteria: paper\u27s focus, grammar, sentence structure, and capitalization and punctuation. Three raters individually rated each piece of writing and the results were compiled. Raters received instruction from the researcher prior to reading the samples. The following conclusions were based on the findings of the study: 1. There is a difference in the quality of writing samples, in the area of the paper\u27s focus, between giving a student a writing prompt and allowing a student to self-select a topic. 2. There is no significant difference in the quality of writing samples, in the area of grammar, between giving a student a writing prompt and allowing a student to self-select a topic. 3. There is no significant difference in the quality of writing samples, in the area of sentence structure, between giving a student a writing prompt and allowing a student to self-select a topic. 4. There is a difference in the quality of writing samples, in the area of capitalization and punctuation, between giving a student a writing prompt and allowing a student to self-select a topic

The cancer good news project

Abstract presented at the International Social Marketing Conference 2014, 17-18 July 2014, Melbourne, Australi

Consistency and Change: Districts’ Efforts to Engage Stakeholders Over Time

Background: Across families from all backgrounds, and for all students, when parents and the broader community engage in sustained systematic program improvements, schools and districts are more likely to focus on and maintain improvements. As a result, federal and state lawmakers have implemented engagement mandates. The ways in which these mandates are interpreted and implemented influence the success of the engagement practices. Research Design: We conducted a comparative case study and analyzed state representative survey data. Research Questions: How has Local Control Funding Formula (LCFF) local engagement played out over time? What has been learned? What may be facilitating and inhibiting “meaningful” engagement? Conclusions: Through the lens of democratic engagement, we find broad community and district leadership support for the ideals of community engagement. However, we also find that community engagement over time has generally lacked both depth and breadth and was specifically constrained for traditionally marginalized communities. Our analysis also identifies outlier districts that have established ways to implement broader and deeper engagement activities that focus on utilizing their communities as assets. Our research suggests that district leaders and educators need greater support to fully realize these democratic processes

A Qualitative Phenomenological Exploration of Teachers’ Experience with Nutrition Education

Background: Nutrition education delivered by classroom teachers has become a popular intervention designed to combat childhood obesity. However, few qualitative studies have explored nutrition education with teachers. Purpose: The purpose of this study was to explore how elementary teachers describe their experience with nutrition education. Methods: A qualitative phenomenological approach was used. Semistructured interviews, observations, and document analysis were conducted with 10 teachers who delivered nutrition education in their classrooms. Inductive coding was used to determine invariant constituents, reduce constituents to categories, and cluster categories into themes. Reliability and validity were accomplished through intercoder agreement, audio recording, triangulation, bracketing, and member checking. Results: Results identified 5 core themes related to roles teachers play in nutrition education, the importance placed upon nutrition, motivation for supplementary activities, barriers, and a triadic relationship between students, teachers, and curriculum. Discussion: Findings reveal interactions within the nutrition education experience in which teachers balance barriers with their value of nutrition education and motivation to help students make healthy choices. Translation to Health Education Practice: Health educators should work with classroom teachers at the program design, implementation, and evaluation stages of curriculum development to better address needs and facilitate the delivery of high-quality nutrition education for students