An integrative model for measuring graduates’ employability skills - A study in China

Employability is a key issue in graduates’ job-hunting, but little research has been done on that of the graduates in Chinese universities. These universities have been experiencing a decline in their graduate employment since the past decade. This paper attempts to tackle this issue. It reviews the relevant research on employability and develops a research-based theoretical framework to evaluate and analyze the graduates’ employability in China. It adopts multiple approaches to establish the skills that will enhance university students’ employability. Investigating around 100 employers and 200 undergraduates from the universities in Beijing, the paper explores the characteristics of and factors influencing the graduates’ employability. Subsequently, it proposes a qualitative model to measure graduates’ employability. Based on the findings, it discusses the theoretical and practical implications and provides advice for Chinese graduates to improve their employability

Systematic review of beliefs, behaviours and influencing factors associated with disclosure of a mental health problem in the workplace

Stigma and discrimination present an important barrier to finding and keeping work for individuals with a mental health problem. This paper reviews evidence on: 1) employment-related disclosure beliefs and behaviours of people with a mental health problem; 2) factors associated with the disclosure of a mental health problem in the employment setting; 3) whether employers are less likely to hire applicants who disclose a mental health problem; and 4) factors influencing employers' hiring beliefs and behaviours towards job applicants with a mental health problem

Synthesis of comb-type amphiphilic graft copolymers derived from chlorinated poly(?-caprolactone) via click reaction

This work refers to the synthesis of a series of novel chlorinated poly(?-caprolactone) (PCL) for further functionalization of PCL. For this aim, chlorine gas was passed through into the chloroform solution to obtain chlorinated polycaprolactone. The chlorine contents in chlorinated PCL were between 0.9 and 1.6 mol%. The molecular weights of the polymers (Mn) changed from 4853 to 9497 g/mol. As the amount of passing chlorine gas increases, the molecular weight of the chlorinated PCL was found to decrease. Pendant chloride groups of PCL were reacted with sodium azide to prepare PCL with pendant azide groups (PCL-N3). Poly-(ethylene glycol) methyl ether (mPEG) was reacted with propargyl chloride to achieve alkynyl mPEG (mPEG-alkyn). Click reaction was then carried out by the reaction between PCL-N3 and mPEG-alkyn to obtain PCL-g-PEG comb-type amphiphilic graft copolymer. Interestingly, SEM images of the PCL-g-PEG comb-type amphiphilic graft copolymers showed the highly microporous structure. The resulting products were characterized by 1H NMR, FT-IR, gel-permeation chromatography, SEM, surface tension, contact angle and water uptake measurements, differential scanning calorimeter and thermogravimetric analyses techniques. © 2016, Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg.-2012-10-03-13 2211??? 211T016This work was supported by B??lent Ecevit University Research Fund (#BEU-2012-10-03-13), TUBITAK (Grant # 211T016) and TUBITAK 2211???A National Scholarship Programme for Timur ?anal (PhD Student)

Redox polymerization of N-isopropylacrylamide by using hydroxylated soya oil polymer

Water soluble hydroxylated soya oil polymer was used in the redox polymerization of N-isopropylacrylamide (NIPAM) in order to obtain water-based hydroxylated-soya oil polymer-g-PNIPAM graft copolymer. For this purpose, soya oil was exposed to air under sunlight to obtain autoxidized soya oil polymer (PSy-ox). PSy-ox was allowed to react with diethanol amine to obtain hydroxylated soya oil polymer (hydroxylated-PSy). An ammonium persulfate with hydroxylated-PSy redox initiating system was used in the polymerization of NIPAM in order to obtain thermoresponsive hydroxylated-PSy-g-PNIPAM water-based graft copolymers. The graft copolymers were characterized using proton nuclear magnetic resonance, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, gel permeation chromatography, thermal gravimetric analysis, and differential scanning calorimetry techniques. The effects of hydroxylated-PSy on the thermal response rate of PNIPAM and the percentage of transmittance in the water of graft copolymers were studied by means of observing UV transmittance behaviors in response to changing temperature. This showed the temperature-responsive property, and exhibited a volume phase transition from 22 °C to 29 °C, while that of PNIPAM was 32 °C. © TÜBİTAK

Effect of Rater Nationality on the Relationships among Ratee Task, Contextual, and Counterproductive Behaviors and Salary Estimates

This study examined the moderating effect of rater nationality on the relationships among ratee task, contextual, and counterproductive behaviors, and rater salary estimates gauging the dollar value of overall job performance. As hypothesized, rater nationality had a significant moderating effect, such that the Lebanese sample showed stronger relationships between each of the three types of job performance and their dollar value estimates than did the American sample. In other words, results indicated that Lebanese participants made stronger salary differentiations among the different levels of task, contextual, and counterproductive performance. These results seem to suggest that Lebanese participants provided salary estimates using more of an equity approach, whereas American participants provided salary estimates using more of an equality approach. Results contribute to the growing evidence that national culture is important in evaluating job performance

SYNTHESIS OF BLOCK COPOLYMERS VIA ANION-TO-RADICAL TRANSFORMATION

Synthesis of (methyl methacrylate)-styrene block copolymers was carried out using anion-to-radical transformation. For this purpose, living polystyryl anion, prepared by using a new anionic difunctional initiator, 1,5-di(2-(3,3-dimethyl butyl-1-lithio)naphthalene, was terminated by the addition of 4,4'-bromomethyl dibenzoyl peroxide. Polystyrene samples having peroxide terminal groups were then used as initiators in the polymerization of methyl methacrylate. Block copolymers were characterized by spectroscopic and fractional precipitation methods

Comparison of powerpoint and concrete teaching materials in terms of learning efficiency [PowerPoint Ögretim Materyalleri Ile Somut Ögretim Materyallerin Ögrenme Etkililigi Açisindan Karşilaştirilmasi]

The purpose of this study is to compare the 6th grade learning environments of Mathematics courses in which PowerPoint materials and concrete materials are used. More specifically, this research aims to determine whether there is a difference between employing the above mentioned material types in terms of students' learning levels. An experimental model with pretest-posttest comparison group was used and randomly formed three independent groups were compared with respect to learning levels. A total of 92 sixth grade elementary students participated in the study in the 2010-2011 academic year. The concrete teaching materials in the study included number scales and equation models that are specific to mathematics education and materials that are used in daily life such as sugar cube, purse, crackers or screws that are not specific to mathematics education. PowerPoint materials, on the other hand, included representations such as drawing, picture and animation and also presentations involving verbal information. Two tests that are composed of multiple-choice and open-ended questions were administered in order to measure students' learning levels. After 10 hours of instruction, there were statistically significant increases in students' learning in all the three groups. However, no significant difference was found among the groups in terms of their learning levels

Autoxidized Oleic Acid Bifunctional Macro Peroxide Initiators for Free Radical and Condensation Polymerization. Synthesis and Characterization of Multiblock Copolymers

Secilmis Canbay, Hale/0000-0002-3783-8064; Hazer, Baki/0000-0001-8770-805XWOS: 000491549500023TARAMASCOPUSIndex: SCI-E, WOS, ScopusTARAMAWOSAutoxidation of unsaturated fatty acids gives fatty acid macroperoxide initiators containing two functionalities which can lead to free radical and condensation polymerizations in a single pot. The oleic acid macroperoxide initiator obtained by ecofriendly autoxidation (Pole4m) was used in both the free radical polymerization of styrene and the condensation polymerization with amine-terminated polyethylene glycol (PEGNH2) to obtain triblock branched graft copolymers. The narrow molar masses of the poly oleic acid-g-styrene (PoleS) and poly oleic acid-g-styrene-g-PEG (PoSG) graft copolymers were successfully obtained. The inclusion of oleic acid decreased the glass transition temperature of the polystyrene segment because of the plasticizing effect of oleic acid. In addition, a mechanical property of the copolymer was improved when compared with the pure PS. Structural characterization, morphology of the fracture surface, micelle formation, thermal analysis and molar masses of the obtained products were also evaluated.Kapadokya University Research Fund [KUN.2018-BAGP-001]; Bulent Ecevit University Research FundBulent Ecevit University [BEU-2017-72118496-01]This work was supported by the Kapadokya University Research Fund (KUN.2018-BAGP-001) and Bulent Ecevit University Research Fund (#BEU-2017-72118496-01). The Authors thank to Koray Alper and Fatih Pekdemir for taking SEM and FTIR spectra, respectively. The Authors thank to Serdar Coban, Sidika Sarac Tabakli and Gulsen Darici (Cilas Kaucuk, Devrek, Zonguldak, Turkey) for taking stress-strain measurements