The study pace among college students before and after a student aid reform: some Swedish results

In 2001, the Swedish system of student aid for college students was substantially re-formed; the grant-share of the total aid was increased, students were allowed to earn more without a reduction in student aid, and the repayment schedule of the loans was significantly tightened. In this paper, we examine the effects of the reform on individual study efficiency, measured as the number of credit points achieved each semester. We use all program students with a first registration at a Swedish college between 1995 and 2001(before the reform) and estimate a linear regression model including individual fixed effects. There is a slightly positive and significant effect of the reform on the ag-gregate level. However, dividing the sample conditionally on the parental educational level reveals that the individual study efficiency has increased only for students from a strong academic background. In other words, the relative study efficiency has decreased for students from a weak academic background. The different results between students from different parental backgrounds appear to be related to the reallocation of time be-tween work and studies.study efficiency; time-to-graduation; university education; student aid

Voronoi-based estimation of Minkowski tensors from finite point samples

Intrinsic volumes and Minkowski tensors have been used to describe the geometry of real world objects. This paper presents an estimator that allows to approximate these quantities from digital images. It is based on a generalized Steiner formula for Minkowski tensors of sets of positive reach. When the resolution goes to infinity, the estimator converges to the true value if the underlying object is a set of positive reach. The underlying algorithm is based on a simple expression in terms of the cells of a Voronoi decomposition associated with the image

Applying the water safety plan to water reuse: towards a conceptual risk management framework

The Water Safety Plan (WSP) is receiving increasing attention as a recommended risk management approach for water reuse through a range of research programmes, guidelines and standards. Numerous conceptual modifications of the approach – including the Sanitation Safety Plan, the Water Cycle Safety Plan, and even a dedicated Water Reuse Safety Plan – have been put forward for this purpose. However, these approaches have yet to encapsulate the full spectrum of possible water reuse applications, and evidence of their application to reuse remains limited. Through reviewing the existing evidence base, this paper investigates the potential for adapting the WSP into an approach for water reuse. The findings highlight a need for the management of risk to reflect on, and facilitate the inclusion of, broader contexts and objectives for water reuse schemes. We conclude that this could be addressed through a more integrated approach to risk management, encapsulated within an overarching risk management framework (adapted from the WHO's Framework for safe drinking water) and operationalised through the Water Reuse Safety Plan (WRSP). We also propose that the WRSP should be based on modifications to the existing WSP approach, including an increased emphasis on supporting communication and engagement, and improvements in decision support mechanisms to better account for uncertainty, risk interactions and risk prioritisation

Quality Assurance in Telehealth: Adherence to Evidence-Based Indicators.

Background: Value enhancing telehealth (TH) lacks a robust body of formal clinically focused quality assessment studies. Innovations such as telehealth must always demonstrate that it preserves or hopefully advances quality. Introduction: We sought to determine whether adherence to the evidence-based Choosing Wisely (CW) recommendations (antibiotic stewardship) for acute sinusitis differs for encounters through direct-to-consumer (DTC) telemedicine verses in-person care in an emergency department (ED) or an urgent care (UC) center. Materials and Methods: Study design was a retrospective review. Patients with a symptom complex consistent with acute sinusitis treated through DTC were matched with ED and UC patients, based upon time of visit. Charts were reviewed to determine patient characteristics, chief complaint, final diagnosis, presence or absence of criteria within the CW guidelines, and whether or not antibiotics were prescribed. The main outcome was adherence to the CW campaign recommendations. Results: A total of 570 visits were studied: 190 DTC, 190 ED, and 190 UC visits. The predominant chief complaints were upper respiratory infection (36%), sore throat (25%), and sinusitis (18%). Overall, there was a 67% (95% CI 62.3-71.7) adherence rate with the CW guidelines for sinusitis: DTC visits (71%), ED visits (68%), and UC visits (61%). There was a nonsignificant difference (p = 0.29) in adherence to CW guidelines based upon type of visit (DTC, UC, and ED). Discussion: The challenge is to demonstrate whether or not DTC TH compromises quality. Conclusion: In this study, DTC visits were associated with at least as good an adherence to the CW campaign recommendations as emergency medicine (EM) and UC in-person visits. © Daniel Halpren-Ruder et al

Dynaflow ™ 48, a microfluidic chip solution for increasing throughput and data quality in patch-clamp-based drug screening

Ion channels are transm embrane proteins, found in virtually all cell types throughout the human body. Ion channels underlie neural communication, memory, behavior, every movement and heartbeat, and are as such prone to cause disease if malfunctioning. Therefore ion channels are very important targets in drug discovery. The gold standard technique for obtaining information on ion channel function with high information content and temporal resolution is patch-clamp. The technique measures the minute currents originating from the movement of ions across the cellular membrane, and enables determination of the potency and efficacy of a drug. However, patch-clamp suffers from serious throughput restrictions due to its laborious nature. To address the throughput problems we have developed a microfluidic chip containing 48 microchannels for an extremely rapid, sequential delivery of a large number of completely controlled solution environments to a lifted, patch-clamped cell. In this way, throughput is increased drastically compared to classical patch-clamp perfusion set-ups, with uncompromised data quality. The 48-microchannel chip has been used for the characterization of drugs affecting ligand-gated ion channels including agonists, antagonists and positive modulators with positive effects on both throughput and data quality.Zadanie pt. „Digitalizacja i udostępnienie w Cyfrowym Repozytorium Uniwersytetu Łódzkiego kolekcji czasopism naukowych wydawanych przez Uniwersytet Łódzki” nr 885/P-DUN/2014 dofinansowane zostało ze środków MNiSW w ramach działalności upowszechniającej naukę

Assessing the Real-Time Informational Content of Macroeconomic Data Releases for Now-/Forecasting GDP: Evidence for Switzerland

This study utilizes the dynamic factor model of Giannone et al. (2008) in order to make now-/forecasts of GDP quarter-on-quarter growth rates in Switzerland. It also assesses the informational content of macroeconomic data releases for forecasting of the Swiss GDP. We find that the factor model offers a substantial improvement in forecast accuracy of GDP growth rates compared to a benchmark naive constant-growth model at all forecast horizons and at all data vintages. The largest forecast accuracy is achieved when GDP nowcasts for an actual quarter are made about three months ahead of the official data release. We also document that both business tendency surveys as well as stock market indices possess the largest informational content for GDP forecasting although their ranking depends on the underlying transformation of monthly indicators from which the common factors are extracted.Business tendency surveys, Forecasting, Nowcasting, Real-time data, Dynamic factor model

Orchisauvage.fr: an ambitious participatory science project supporting the knowledge and conservation of wild orchids

Orchisauvage.fr is a collaborative project which aims at collecting and sharing orchid data throughout France using ITC and Internet tools. It is coordinated by the French Orchid Society (SFO). Its main objectives are conservation and knowledge sharing on orchid's data. This project is open to everyone. It covers the whole country (France mainland and Corsica). The data collected by the members are uploaded on line. The web site is user friendly. Data can be shared between all participants. The use of recorded data is regulated. Uploaded data are checked out through a validation process (experts). Since its release in February 2014. It has encountered a significant success with more than 1 000 registered people and about 80 000 orchid observations. The data providers are new and much younger then the initial SFO members. More than 80 %, are new, with 5 times more people under 40 years old than in the initial membership. Motivations of these new contributors will be discussed, in order to adapt Orchisauvage to their needs and expectations and to enable them to take part into the whole process. Orchisauvage is managed by volunteers. The web site coordinators and data providers are working on ways to keep a high rate of participation, expand the involvement in all steps of the web based project and understand the benefit of such a participatory science project. The second part of the 217 session discussion will help us to explore future developments aiming at sharing and merging data between different NGO's and stakeholders. It will look at how to disseminate the recorded information and how to develop new on-line tools (GIS, stats, communication,…) made available to participants, such as links to conservation actions and members pages