The combined honours student experience survey data and the perceptions of staff and students

Data analysis from the University Student Survey (2016) at Canterbury Christ Church University revealed that combined honours students (n=780) were less satisfied than single honours students. The qualitative comments of the students referred to concerns about identifying with and belonging to the programme; and self confidence. In addition, on one programme (n=89), combined honours student were less satisfied than their single honours classmates on 18 of the 22 USS satisfaction measure statements. Three focus group with staff on this programme (n=18) and interviews with students (n=8) were undertaken to investigate the issues of lack of satisfaction further. This paper will report on the ongoing investigation and the potential development of learning and teaching interventions

What Explains the Variation in Estimates of Labour Supply Elasticities?

This paper performs a meta-analysis of empirical estimates of uncompensated labour supply elasticities. We find that much of the variation in elasticities can be explained by the variation in gender, participation rates, and country fixed effects. Country differences appear to be small though. There is no systematic impact of the model specification or marital status on reported elasticities. The decision to participate is more responsive than is the decision regarding hours worked. Even at the intensive margin, we find that the elasticity for women exceeds that for men. For men and women in the Netherlands, we predict an uncompensated labour supply elasticity of 0.1 and 0.5, respectively. These values are robust for alternative samples and specifications of the meta regression.labour supply, meta-analysis, uncompensated elasticity

Modelling Animal Systems Paper: Update of the Dutch protein evaluation system for ruminants: the DVE/OEB2010 system

In the current Dutch protein evaluation system (the DVE/OEB1991 system), two characteristics are calculated for each feed: true protein digested in the intestine (DVE) and the rumen degradable protein balance (OEB). Of these, DVE represents the protein value of a feed, while OEB is the difference between the potential microbial protein synthesis (MPS) on the basis of available rumen degradable protein and that on the basis of available rumen degradable energy. DVE can be separated into three components: (i) feed crude protein undegraded in the rumen but digested in the small intestine, (ii) microbial true protein synthesized in the rumen and digested in the small intestine, and (iii) endogenous protein lost in the digestive processes. Based on new research findings, the DVE/OEB1991 system has recently been updated to the DVE/OEB2010 system. More detail and differentiation is included concerning the representation of chemical components in feed, the rumen degradation characteristics of these components, the efficiency of MPS and the fractional passage rates. For each chemical component, the soluble, washout, potentially degradable and truly non-degradable fractions are defined with separate fractional degradation rates. Similarly, fractional passage rates for each of these fractions were identified and partly expressed as a function of fractional degradation rate. Efficiency of MPS is related to the various fractions of the chemical components and their associated fractional passage rates. Only minor changes were made with respect to the amount of DVE required for maintenance and production purposes of the animal. Differences from other current protein evaluation systems, viz. the Cornell Net Carbohydrate and Protein system and the Feed into Milk system, are discussed

Opvoeding en onderwys van verstandelik erg gestremde kinders : 'n histories-pedagogiese perspektief

Text in AfrikaansIn hierdie studie is die opvoedingspraktyke van verskillende samelewings met betrekking tot verstandelik erg gestremde kinders histories-analities ondersoek. Die tendense wat telkens onderliggend aan veranderinge was, is geidentifiseer en aan die hand van pedagogiese kriteria geevalueer. In die antieke Griekse en Romeinse beskawings is 'n praktyk van uitwissing gevplg. Die Christelike godsdiens bet 'n meer verdraagsame houding meegebring, maar in die Middeleeue bet onkunde en bygeloof nog steeds hoogty gevier. Eers vanaf die agtiende en negentiende eeu bet groter kennis en 'n nuwe kindbeeld tot 'n meer rasionele benadering tot die verskynsel van verstandelike gestremdheid gelei. Pioniers, veral medici, bet na vore getree en die weg gebaan vir 'n beter bedeling vir hierdie kinders. Dit was egter eers in die tweede helfte van die twintigste eeu dat onderwys aan verstandelik erg gestremdes 'n werklikheid geword bet. Die beginsel van normalisasie is toenemend op dienste wat aan hierdie kinders verskaf is, toegepas en het tot gevolg gehad dat wetgewing met betrekking tot die onderwys aan verstandelik erg gestremde kinders tans in die toonaangewende lande en in SuidAfrika op 'n handves vir menseregte geskoei is. Hierdie bevindings bet segwaarde vir die huidige situasie ten opsigte van die beplanning van onderwysvoorsieninge vir verstandelik erg gestremde kinders in die Republiek van Suid- Afrika.In this study the education practices with regard to severely mentally handicapped children of various societies have been investigated from a historic-analytical perspective. The trends related to a certain anthropologic view and a specific child image, which have been the cause of certain changes have also been identified and were evaluated according to pedagogic criteria. In the ancient Greek and Roman civilizations a trend of infanticide influenced the education of severely mentally handicapped children. The Christian religion brought a more tolerant attitude, but during the Middle Ages superstition and ignorance were still at the order of the day. It was only from the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries that more knowledge and a new child image brought about a more rational approach to this problem. Pioneers, mostly medical surgeons, came to the fore and paved the way for a better dispensation for these children. In the latter part of the twentieth century education for the severely mentally handicapped had for the first time become a reality. The normalization principle was increasingly applied to all services rendered to these children and this resulted in legislation regarding the education of severely mentally handicapped children in all leading countries and in South Africa being based on a declaration of human rights. These findings have an important meaning for the present situation with reference to the planning of education services for severely mentally handicapped children in South-Africa.Educational StudiesM. Ed. (Historiese Opvoedkunde

Предисловие

This study provides a conceptual framework for exploring the bargaining space within international climate negotiations based on important economic, political and environmental considerations. Based on it, we analyse combinations of the proposed emission reduction ranges for Annex I countries as a group (25–40% below 1990 levels) and non-Annex I as a group (15–30% below baseline) by 2020 to limit global warming to 2 °C. We use results of the FAIR model with costs estimates based on two energy system models. We conclude that the range of targets that comply with a set of criteria for economic, political and environmental considerations is smaller than that by environmental considerations alone. More specifically, we find that according to our criteria, a 30% Annex I reduction target below 1990 levels, combined with a 20% non-Annex I reduction target below baseline emission levels (i.e. 20 to 30% above 2005 levels), is the only combination of targets fulfilling all our criteria for both energy system models. Otherwise, reaching the 2 °C target becomes less likely, technically infeasible, or non-Annex I abatement costs are likely to exceed those of Annex I, a result, which we consider less plausible from a political viewpoint in our conceptual framework

What do near-term observations tell us about long-term developments in greenhouse gas emissions? A letter

Long-term scenarios developed by integrated assessment models are used in climate research to provide an indication of plausible long-term emissions of greenhouse gases and other radiatively active substances based on developments in the global energy system, land-use and the emissions associated with these systems The phenomena that determine these long-term developments (several decades or even centuries) are very different than those that operate on a shorter time-scales (a few years) Nevertheless, in the literature, we still often find direct comparisons between short-term observations and long-term developments that do not take into account the differing dynamics over these time scales In this letter, we discuss some of the differences between the factors that operate in the short term and those that operate in the long term We use long-term historical emissions trends to show that short-term observations are very poor indicators of long-term future emissions developments Based on this, we conclude that the performance of long-term scenarios should be evaluated against the appropriate, corresponding long-term variables and trends The research community may facilitate this by developing appropriate data sets and protocols that can be used to test the performance of long-term scenarios and the models that produce the

Mental health in high-tech system

Stress and mental health at the place of work have received great attention by researchers. In spite of technology improvement in high-tech systems, the operators face new problems, which can affect mental health. There is hardly any published research about stress or mental health in such workplaces in developing countries. This paper presents the application of the self-rating scale General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-28) to study mental health of 160 controllers working in a part of Air Traffic Control (ATC) as a high tech system in Iran. Logistic regression analysis showed that demographic variables did not exhibit a statistically significant effect on scores of the test. In order to compare mental health of these operators with general population, an exposure / non-exposure study was designed. Three age groups (less than 29 years, 30 through 39 y, and more than 40 y) were compared in exposed and non-exposed groups. The results of Fisher’s exact test showed that mental distress symptoms were significantly higher in the exposed group. There were significant job effects on somatization, anxiety and depression as well as on the total score of GHQ-28 for the two first age groups (P<.05). No significant effects of the job were found on social dysfunction symptoms in any age groups. The risk ratio of expressing depression and anxiety symptoms were more than three times greater in these operators than general population

Evolutionary history of Carnivora (Mammalia, Laurasiatheria) inferred from mitochondrial genomes

The order Carnivora, which currently includes 296 species classified into 16 families, is dis- tributed across all continents. The phylogeny and the timing of diversification of members of the order are still a matter of debate. Here, complete mitochondrial genomes were analysed to reconstruct the phylogenetic relationships and to estimate divergence times among spe- cies of Carnivora. We assembled 51 new mitogenomes from 13 families, and aligned them with available mitogenomes by selecting only those showing more than 1% of nucleotide divergence and excluding those suspected to be of low-quality or from misidentified taxa. Our final alignment included 220 taxa representing 2,442 mitogenomes. Our analyses led to a robust resolution of suprafamilial and intrafamilial relationships. We identified 21 fossil cali- bration points to estimate a molecular timescale for carnivorans. According to our diver- gence time estimates, crown carnivorans appeared during or just after the Early Eocene Climatic Optimum; all major groups of Caniformia (Cynoidea/Arctoidea; Ursidae; Musteloi- dea/Pinnipedia) diverged from each other during the Eocene, while all major groups of Feli- formia (Nandiniidae; Feloidea; Viverroidea) diversified more recently during the Oligocene, with a basal divergence of Nandinia at the Eocene/Oligocene transition; intrafamilial diver- gences occurred during the Miocene, except for the Procyonidae, as Potos separated from other genera during the Oligocene