New Working Conditions for the SPS from 2000

After the long shutdown (December 2000 to May 2001), the SPS complex will work with the main water-cooling loop in closed circuit. This will affect the working conditions because of the higher temperature of the supplied water (24 ° C, i.e. 15 K higher) and therefore of the air in the tunnel. The cooling installations will consequently be upgraded or replaced to meet the new needs, and several new chilled-water stations will be installed to supply the present users. The author will thoroughly explain the main aspects of all these modifications and report the results of the preliminary tests carried out in September 1996. Finally, an overview of the global costs (operational and linked to the project) will be given, taking into account the different consumption of water, electricity and the effects on the magnet components

Construction Progress of the Cooling and Ventilation in the LHC Project

The Cooling and Ventilation Group has started the LHC construction work in September 1999 and will get into full activity when LEP will be stopped and dismantled: in total 12 major contracts for an amount of about 120 MCHF will be established to build the needed installations for the LHC. The author will report on the current works that are in progress on the different LEP Points distinguishing between the Ventilation and the Water Cooling installations. The Ventilation work, completed in the new surface buildings in Points 18, is currently held in Points 4 and 5. Point 1 will follow in the near future. The work for the Cooling plants comprehend the pumping stations, the cooling towers and the chilled water production stations in Points 1 and 5, the buried pipes in Points 1 and 4. For all of these activities, an updated report of the progress of the work, of the planning and of the expenses is given. Finally, a short overview of the future activities is presented

The gross motor skills of children with mild learning disabilities

Many international studies have examined the gross motor skills of children studying in special schools while local studies of such nature are limited. This study investigated the gross motor skills of children with Mild Learning Disabilities (MLD; n = 14, M age = 8.93 years, SD = .33) with the Test of Gross Motor Development-2 (TGMD-2, Ulrich, 2000). The TGMD-2 consists of 12 items equally divided into two subtests (locomotor and object control). The locomotor subtest includes run, gallop, hop, leap, horizontal jump and slide while the object control subtest includes strike a stationary ball, stationary dribble, kick, catch, overhand throw and underhand roll. The results revealed significant differences in 8 out of 12 test items: gallop, hop, leap, horizontal jump, slide, strike, dribble and roll at mastery level between children with MLD and TGMD-2 norm population. The authors suggest motor interventions for children with MLD to improve their gross motor skills

Threonine and lysine requirements for maintenance in chickens

In order to describe the response of broiler breeder hens to dietary amino acids and to develop an effective model for the precise feeding of these birds after sexual maturity, accurate estimates of the amounts of each amino acid required for maintenance and egg production are needed. The maintenance requirement for threonine and lysine were estimated in two different experiments by measuring the nitrogen balance of adult male cockerels. Measured amounts of a diet first-limiting in threonine or lysine were fed by intubation each day for 4 d to give a range of intakes (unbalanced series) of from 0 to 239 mg threonine/kg or 0 to 40 mg lysine/kg body weight. To confirm that threonine or lysine was first-limiting and that the response obtained was to threonine or lysine and not to protein, a second series of diets was used (balanced series) in which synthetic threonine or lysine was added to each diet in the unbalanced series. A nitrogen-free diet containing energy, vitamins and minerals was made available ad libitum during the balance period, to ensure that the birds remained in positive energy balance. The balance period was three days and excreta were collected in colostomy bags (threonine) or in trays (lysine) during that time. The nitrogen content of the excreta was determined on dried homogenised samples. The resultant linear regression equations describing the effect of threonine or lysine intakes on nitrogen retention were: N retention = -230.4 (± 27.6) + 4.134 (± 0.274) I (R2 = 91.9) and N retention = -256.8 (± 37.7) + 6.89 (± 1.37) I (R2 = 70.8), respectively, where I is the intake of threonine or lysine in mg/kg body weight day. The threonine and lysine required to maintain the body at zero nitrogen retention was therefore estimated to be 56 and 37 mg/kg body weight day, respectively. Keywords: Maintenance requirements, amino acids, cockerels South African Journal of Animal Science Vol. 38 (2) 2008: pp. 75-8

The impact of international computer driving license (icdl) training on classroom computer use by secondary school teachers

It has become mandatory that the teaching community acquire expertise in the computer to ensure that they cope effectively with the future demands of the knowledge society with respect to the class room set up. Therefore, The Ministry of Education of Sri Lanka urges all teachers to receive International Computer Driving License (ICDL) training. The ICDL training aims to improve teachers’ ICT proficiency at three levels: ICT skills, pedagogical skills, and curriculum training. The purpose of this study is to examine how teachers apply practical experiences from ICDL coursework to their teaching. It also examines whether ICDL training increased teachers’ professional, ICT and pedagogical skills in their day to day teaching and learning process, whether the ICDL training results in the teachers’ use of new software applications in the classroom and the factors that affects teacher use of ICT in the class room after ICDL training. Mixed method was selected as the research design. Purposive sampling has been used to select the teacher sample for this study. A sample of 85 teachers was selected from Badulla district. A questionnaire with attitude scales and interviews were the data collecting methods, and data were analyzed using both quantitative and qualitative methods, to achieve the objectives of the study. It was revealed that an average of the ICDL participants (51%) stated that ICDL training resulted in their use of new software applications in the classroom. Most of teachers can apply what they had learned in the Presentation module and a majority of the teachers can not apply data base applications and spreadsheet applications in their teaching learning process. However, the findings show that computer knowledge and skills have not affected them at all in the use of ICT in the teaching learning process among the teachers who had undergone ICDL training. It was recommended the duration for ICDL training needs to be extended. Additional vendor-specific training might be required for all teachers after obtaining ICDL certification. These findings, conclusions and recommendations would be useful to the authorities to improve ICDL training

Reconnecting, Rebuilding and Bridging - Surviving in-class and online experiences during a time of ongoing COVID

COVID has certainly enhanced the challenges experienced by university lecturers with both face to face and online delivery of information. As a consequence of the early days of COVID, face to face classes were reorganised to cater to needs of students to ensure continuance. Western Australia has uniquely been placed in an advantageous position with continued success of continuing face to face classes in 2021. However, this uniqueness is questioned with the ongoing changes with COVID variants that looms in the background. This paper aims to explore the challenges faced by lecturers as unit coordinator and lecture of a core unit. In this, the shared experience of reconnecting students and rebuilding their confidence to the completion of their studies. The paper will address the challenges and problems experienced by both students and lecturers alike. In addition, the authors will demonstrate how lecturers connected with students alike during collaborate sessions while also using a platform for connecting students work from a home-based learning and teaching environment. With the ongoing emergent COVID variants, the authors hope that the experiences shared will enhance a successful home-based learning environment and also assist in the transition to on-campus classrooms

National Culture, Education, and Antecedent Values of Corporate Social Responsibility

This study investigated the relationship national culture has on two antecedent values of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) operationalized as concern for the environment and trust in social institutions. Random samples from World Value Surveys (WVS) for the two countries Sweden and Taiwan were utilized. Results showed antecedent values of CSR to be different for the two countries that are at opposite ends of Hofstede’s (2001) cultural value dimensions. Results also demonstrated education to have significant influences on antecedent values of CSR for the Taiwanese sample but not for the Swedish sample. Implications and direction for future research are discussed

The Impact Of Consumer Attitudes About Bioengineering On Purchase Behavior Intentions: Moderating Effects Of Innate Consumer Innovativeness And Anxiety

Biotechnology is anticipated to be the next generation of innovations and is predicted to surpass the IT revolution in terms of economic prosperity (Darby and Zucher, 2003).  But available behavioral and social research relating to biotechnology is at its infant stage.  Most studies are qualitative in nature (i.e., focus groups) and are limited to public policy issues such as awareness, knowledge, and perception of risks (Bredahl, 1999; Frewer et al., 1997; Frewer, Howard, and Shepherd, 1997). According to Bredahl, 2001, few research projects have yet to determine how consumer attitudes can be expected to influence subsequent purchase behavior intentions with genetically modified products. As the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) continues to approve more and more inventions of biotechnology (i.e., foods such as genetically engineered potatoes and rice; industrial plastic from genetically modified organisms; and life saving pharmaceuticals for diseases such as cancer, HIV, and Alzheimer’s) there is a need for research that investigates how consumer attitudes about genetically modified products influence their purchase intentions and subsequent purchase behavior.  The primary purpose of this research is to investigate how consumer attitudes about bioengineering influence their purchase behavior intentions. Second, the influence of two personal variables innate consumer innovativeness and general anxiety about bioengineering as they relate to purchase behavior intentions will be investigated.  Finally, the study also makes an attempt to determine if the relationship between attitude and behavior intentions is moderated by the two personal variables innate consumer innovativeness and general anxiety about bioengineering.  Personal variables such as these can reasonably be expected to have a differential impact on the relationship between attitude about bioengineering and purchase behavior intentions.  That is, the strength of the relationship between attitude and purchase behavior intentions is likely to be stronger for consumers that are innovative and less anxious about bioengineering than others.  The study results have implications for both researchers and promoters of bioengineering. For researchers, it should be noted that an extensive literature search was unable to find any empirical research to date that have investigated the moderating effects on the relationship between attitude about bioengineering and purchase behavior intentions.  For practitioners, the study will aid biotechnology firms in their efforts in building a more positive attitude about biotechnology in general and to identify the profile of consumers that are more likely to purchase and use products of this technology

I Paradossi della comunicazione scientifica

La presentazione illustrata nel corso della giornata di studio sull'accesso aperto e la comunicazione scientifica tenutasi presso l'Ateneo di Sassari, affronta il problema del paradosso dei costi sostenuti dalle università per il finanziamento dei progetti di ricerca e della pubblicazione dei risultati in riviste scientifich