Peer mentoring in Higher Education: a review of the current literature and recommendations for implementation of mentoring schemes

This paper aims to present an overview of how mentoring schemes could be applied to a University setting to assist with the transfer of direct entry students (those who join degree programmes in years 2 or 3) onto current courses. Heirdsfield, Walker, Walsh and Wilss (2008) highlight that money is invested into attracting students to study at Universities; however little is invested into retaining students. Direct entry students in particular can suffer from problems related to transition to a University setting. These may include „feelings of isolation and uncertainty‟ (Cantwell & Scevak, 2004). The application of a mentoring scheme could help reduce the problems which new and direct students may encounter. However, the concept of the student-mentor relationship is complex (Wilkes, 2006) and schemes need to be constructed with knowledge of current research and careful planning. Few University based mentoring schemes have published critical evaluations of their programmes, however research in other types of organisations and settings can provide insight into how such schemes could be applied to a University setting. It is important to have guidelines for those who wish to adopt such schemes. If the mentoring scheme is carried out inappropriately, it may have damaging effects on both the mentee and mentor (Tabbron, Macaulay & Cook, 1997)

Allocation of tasks to specialized processors: A planning approach

This paper addresses the problem of scheduling randomly arriving tasks of different types at a diversified service system. Servers at such a system differ in that each may specialize in one task type, but can also perform others perhaps less rapidly and adequately than does a specialist. We consider the issue of how much redirection of tasks from specialists to non-specialists may be desirable in such a system and propose a static model in which tasks are randomly assigned to servers. Two scheduling strategies for individual servers are also considered: one in which each server performs the tasks assigned to him or her in order of their arrival and the second in which each server schedules his or her workload optimally. The problems for finding the best random assignment probabilities are formulated as mathematical programs. Results from a numerical example provide information that is both informative and useful in decision-making

Dielectronic Recombination in Li+ Ions

This research was sponsored by the National Science Foundation Grant NSF PHY-931478

Superorbital expansion tube operation: estimates of flow conditions via numerical simulation

Two new operating conditions of the X3 superorbital expansion tube are studied experimentally and numerically. A two-stage numerical simulation is used to model the flow processes within the whole facility, from the compressed driver gas, through the initial shock-processing of the test gas and then through the unsteady expansion process to the final test flow state. Experimental measurements provide static pressure histories at particular points along the shock and acceleration tubes while the numerical simulations provide complementary information on gas density, temperature and composition. Operating condition properties such as shock speed are both observed in the experiment and produced as a result of the simulation are used to check the reliability of the numerical simulations

Relatie tussen microklimaat en vaasleven bij roos

Bij snijrozen is getracht een beeld te krijgen van het microklimaat in het gewas met sensoren die de temperatuur van knop en blad meten, aangevuld met metingen van RV en temperatuur van de omringende lucht. Gelijktijdig is bij 2 cultivars, ‘Passion’ en ‘Avalanche Peach’, en op twee plekken in de kas het vaasleven bepaald. Op die manier werd gehoopt een indicatie te vinden voor de invloed van het microklimaat op het optreden van met name botrytis. De meting bleek niet in staat om een direct verband aan te tonen tussen microklimaat en botrytis. Wel werd duidelijk dat de meest waarschijnlijke oorzaak gezocht moet worden in perioden dat niet belicht wordt in koude luchtstromen in de kas als gevolg van kieren in het scherm en van uitstraling van de knoppen naar een koude hemel. Meten van de temperaturen van knop en blad bleek door de kwetsbaarheid van het thermokoppel moeilijk uitvoerbaar, maar kan eenvoudig vervangen worden door een thermische camera. Aanvullend zal er echter een meetmethode ontwikkeld moeten worden om de RV in de grenslaag rondom knop of blad betrouwbaar te kunnen meten voordat een meting van het microklimaat praktische waarde kan hebben bij het voorspellen van de kans op natslag

Hospital admissions, transfers and costs of guillain-Barré syndrome

Background Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS) has a highly variable clinical course, leading to frequent transfers within and between hospitals and high associated costs. We defined the current admissions, transfers and costs in relation to disease severity of GBS. Methods Dutch neurologists were requested to report patients diagnosed with GBS between November 2009 and November 2010. Information regarding clinical course and transfers was obtained via neurologists and general practitioners. Results 87 GBS patients were included with maximal GBS disability score of 1 or 2 (28%), 3 or 4 (53%), 5 (18%) and 6 (1%). Four mildly affected GBS patients were not hospital admitted. Of the 83 hospitalized patients 68 (82%) were initially admitted at a neurology department, 4 (5%) at an ICU, 4 (5%) at pediatrics, 4 (5%) at pediatrics neurology and 3 (4%) at internal medicine. Median hospital stay was 17 days (IQR 11-26 days, absolute range 1-133 days). Transfers between departments or hospitals occurred in 33 (40%) patients and 25 (30%) were transferred 2 times or more. From a cost-effectiveness perspective 21 (25%) of the admissions was suboptimal. Median costs for hospital admission of GBS patients were 15,060 Euro (IQR 11,226-23,683). Maximal GBS disability score was significantly correlated with total length of stay, number of transfers, ICU admission and costs. Conclusions Hospital admissions for GBS patients are highly heterogeneous, with frequent transfers and higher costs for those with mo