Kangaroo Seminars for Knowledge Transfer in Fast-Growing Research Fields

We introduce, discuss, and provide an empirical appraisal of kangaroo seminars as a new instrument for knowledge transfer in fast-growing research fields. By promoting active project-based and cooperative learning, kangaroo seminars combine educational goals with the institutional goal of fast knowledge transfer between academic institutions and private and public enterprises. The key feature that sets kangaroo seminars apart from other case-based and project-based educational formats is a two-phase concept with an intensive learning course updating the students\u27 abstract knowledge in phase one and a collaborative applied project in phase two. The project collaboration is realized by giving the student teams the opportunity to obtain an inside view of the cooperating enterprise in radically short, but highly focused internships. These internships inspired the term "kangaroo seminars," because we like to compare the role of the participating students to that of kangaroo offspring seeing the world from a position inside the pouch of the kangaroo mother, i.e. seeing the project case from a position inside the participating enterprise\u27s organization. Our empirical appraisal is based on four kangaroo seminars in online marketing that we conducted from 2008 to 2010 cooperating with 22 small and mid-sized enterprises. Our experience shows that the desired three-way knowledge transfer procedure can be established properly and that it leads to high levels of self-reported satisfaction amongst the participating students and firms. Furthermore, firms not only report high levels of compliance with the solution concepts developed in the seminars, but also record substantially higher growth rates of their workforce (about 16%) than the overall growth of employment in the region (under 1%). Combining the high level of satisfaction and the growth rates reported by the firms, we cautiously conclude that the kangaroo seminars may have played a positive role in the economic development of the participating enterprises

Kangaroo Seminars for Knowledge Transfer in Fast-Growing Research Fields

We introduce, discuss, and provide an empirical appraisal of kangaroo seminars as a new instrument for knowledge transfer in fast-growing research fields. By promoting active project-based and cooperative learning, kangaroo seminars combine educational goals with the institutional goal of fast knowledge transfer between academic institutions and private and public enterprises. The key feature that sets kangaroo seminars apart from other case-based and project-based educational formats is a two-phase concept with an intensive learning course updating the students' abstract knowledge in phase one and a collaborative applied project in phase two. The project collaboration is realized by giving the student teams the opportunity to obtain an inside view of the cooperating enterprise in radically short, but highly focused internships. These internships inspired the term "kangaroo seminars," because we like to compare the role of the participating students to that of kangaroo offspring seeing the world from a position inside the pouch of the kangaroo mother, i.e. seeing the project case from a position inside the participating enterprise's organization. Our empirical appraisal is based on four kangaroo seminars in online marketing that we conducted from 2008 to 2010 cooperating with 22 small and mid-sized enterprises. Our experience shows that the desired three-way knowledge transfer procedure can be established properly and that it leads to high levels of self-reported satisfaction amongst the participating students and firms. Furthermore, firms not only report high levels of compliance with the solution concepts developed in the seminars, but also record substantially higher growth rates of their workforce (about 16%) than the overall growth of employment in the region (under 1%). Combining the high level of satisfaction and the growth rates reported by the firms, we cautiously conclude that the kangaroo seminars may have played a positive role in the economic development of the participating enterprises.active teaching techniques, innovative teaching methods, alternative teaching approaches

Typologies in GPs’ referral practice

Background: GPs’ individual decisions to refer and the various ways of working when they refer are important determinants of secondary care use. The objective of this study was to explore and describe potential characteristics of GPs’ referral practice by investigating their opinions about referring and their self-reported experiences of what they do when they refer. Methods: Observational cross-sectional study using data from 128 Norwegian GPs who filled in a questionnaire with statements on how they regarded the referral process, and who were invited to collect data when they actually referred to hospital during one month. Only elective referrals were recorded. The 57 participants (44,5 %) recorded data from 691 referrals. The variables were included in a principal component analysis. A multiple linear regression analysis was conducted to identify typologies with GP’s age, gender, specialty in family medicine and location as independent variables. Results: Eight principal components describe the different ways GPs think and work when they refer. Two typologies summarize these components: confidence characterizing specialists in family medicine, mainly female, who reported a more patient-centred practice making priority decisions when they refer, who confer easily with hospital consultants and who complete the referrals during the consultation; uncertainty characterizing young, mainly male non-specialists in family medicine, experiencing patients’ pressure to be referred, heavy workload, having reluctance to cooperate with the patient and reporting sparse contact with hospital colleagues. Conclusions: Training specialists in family medicine in patient-centred method, easy conference with hospital consultant and cooperation with patients while making the referral may foster both self-reflections on own competences and increased levels of confidence.publishedVersio

Symbiosis by Persons with Disabilities: Perspectives from Interviews

This study reports on an interview perspective on symbiosis by persons with disabilities. A main theme, Elements of Symbiotic Collaboration, emerged from the data, along with several subthemes. Symbioses described by participants are closely related to the concepts of independence and interdependence in the Disability Studies literature

VIPP2 interacts with VIPP1 and HSP22E/F at chloroplast membranes and modulates a retrograde signal for HSP22E/F gene expression

VIPP proteins aid thylakoid biogenesis and membrane maintenance in cyanobacteria, algae, and plants. Some members of the Chlorophyceae contain two VIPP paralogs termed VIPP1 and VIPP2, which originate from an early gene duplication event during the evolution of green algae. VIPP2 is barely expressed under nonstress conditions but accumulates in cells exposed to high light intensities or H2O2, during recovery from heat stress, and in mutants with defective integration (alb3.1) or translocation (secA) of thylakoid membrane proteins. Recombinant VIPP2 forms rod-like structures in vitro and shows a strong affinity for phosphatidylinositol phosphate. Under stress conditions, >70% of VIPP2 is present in membrane fractions and localizes to chloroplast membranes. A vipp2 knock-out mutant displays no growth phenotypes and no defects in the biogenesis or repair of photosystem II. However, after exposure to high light intensities, the vipp2 mutant accumulates less HSP22E/F and more LHCSR3 protein and transcript. This suggests that VIPP2 modulates a retrograde signal for the expression of nuclear genes HSP22E/F and LHCSR3. Immunoprecipitation of VIPP2 from solubilized cells and membrane-enriched fractions revealed major interactions with VIPP1 and minor interactions with HSP22E/F. Our data support a distinct role of VIPP2 in sensing and coping with chloroplast membrane stress

Handlungsoptionen für eine ökologische Gestaltung der Langstreckenmobilität im Personenverkehr

Das Vorhaben beschreibt auf Basis einer umfangreichen Literatur- und Datenanalyse sowie gestützt auf einen Modellansatz und eine ergänzende Befragung die Langstreckenmobilität von Personen in Deutschland. Aufbauend auf den Ergebnissen wird ein weites Spektrum möglicher Handlungsoptionen für die zukünftige ökologische Gestaltung der Langstreckenmobilität im Personenverkehr erarbeitet. Vor allem auf Grundlage der Daten der deutschlandweiten Befragung „Mobilität in Deutschland 2017“ und unter komplementärer Nutzung weiterer Datenquellen wird mithilfe eines Modells erstmalig ein konsistentes Nachfragebild geschaffen, das sowohl die Alltags- als auch die Langstreckenmobilität in Deutschland umfasst. Das Ergebnis zeigt deren große Bedeutung: Fast die Hälfte der Gesamtverkehrsleistung der deutschen Wohnbevölkerung (46 % der Personenkilometer) entfällt auf Wege mit einer Distanz von mindestens 100 km (einfache Wegstrecke). Die auf die Entscheidungsfindung rund um Langstreckenreisen fokussierte eigene Empirie liefert zudem eine Reihe von Ansatzpunkten für Handlungsempfehlungen. Zahlreiche Einzelmaßnahmen werden zusammengetragen, die sich insgesamt elf Maßnahmenbereichen zuordnen lassen. Die Maßnahmen reichen von monetären Ansätzen über die Stärkung von Bus und Bahn, die Beeinflussung des Luftverkehrs und die Stärkung von Urlaubsreisezielen ‚in der Nähe‘ bis hin zur Sozialisation junger Menschen. Ihre jeweiligen Wirkungspotenziale werden qualitativ bewertet. Es wird aufgezeigt, welche Akteure durch ihr Handeln maßgeblichen Einfluss auf die Implementierung und Ausschöpfung des Wirkungspotenzials haben. Abschließend werden Hinweise auf zukünftigen Forschungsbedarf gegeben