E-Learning Strategy Development for Fully Aligned College Curricula

The background of this study is a well-established 21st century trend, leading education institutions towards diversifying their offer with e-learning. While top engineering institutions worldwide have developed e-learning, many others were still focusing on limited traditional offers until the COVID-19 pandemic of 2020 which has brought unprecedented upheaval and drastic change even for small local colleges. The aim of this study is to analyse the dimensions of this change and evaluate the change management processes across engineering departments in local UK colleges that have had to shift their teaching, learning and assessment from face-to-face delivery to an e-environment in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, and are considering moving onto e-learning wherever possible. The initial research for this study has been collected across 77 further education colleges in the North West of the UK that also have a higher education offer and that teach engineering at various levels. Key aspects of the move to e-learning as well as the wider context will be presented, followed by a contextualised literature review where examples of challenges from analysed institutions will be presented in relation to key concepts of change management. Some critical aspects of higher education across colleges are considered along with their challenges in the present COVID-19 context. This will be followed by recommendations. The basis for the recommendations is an extended market and change management analysis available in the appendices to this work. SWOT, Porter’s Five Forces as well as stakeholder analyses are complemented by Culture Web and McKinsey’s 7S models which have been used to analyse the current state of operations and present strategic positioning of UK colleges with an engineering further and higher education provision in order to identify which of these may need reinforcement and propose recommendations. Keywords: e-learning, higher education, strategy, colleges, engineering education DOI: 10.7176/JEP/11-36-01 Publication date: December 31st 202

Strategic Mergers and Acquisitions in Higher Education: A Case Study from the UK

A recent trend for higher education in the UK sees increased collaboration and partnerships between technical colleges and universities. This represents a significant step in the redesign of the educational landscape that aims to synergise the industry advantages of colleges with the academic strengths of universities. The initial research fort this paper consists in investigations into technical college mergers with universities and university acquisitions of the period 2018-2020, along with an analysis of the advice and guidance circulated by the Association of Colleges (AoC) since April 2016. A case study has then been chosen to illustrate the main features of such merges across higher education. SWOT, PESTLE and Porter’s Five Forces analyses of a merger case study are followed by stakeholder analysis of the Board and Trustees, the companies that are closely or remotely linked to the success of the trust and the links that exist between the various players in this emerging network of educational institutions and organisations. The paper examines published financial statements from Coventry University, analysing the economic and other effects of the mergers. This paper focuses on Better Futures Multi Academy Trust (BFMAT), a collective of sixth form colleges now part of Coventry University Group (CUG). The work examines the Trust institutions and the effects the mergers have had on strategic business development, analysing BFMAT colleges pre- and post- merger, utilising CATWOE and Balanced Scorecard analyses. Some of the benefits noted so far are the increase of the sphere of influence of CUG, a broader recruitment pool, with greater diversity and inclusivity potential, which leads to a better fit with Government policies, market trends and industry demand. Given current data made available by the institutions, the paper presents a range of recommendations for future development and concludes that overall performance is positive, and the alliance represents a good example of a valuable merge. Keywords: strategic business development, education business DOI: 10.7176/EJBM/12-33-01 Publication date: November 30th 202

Zdravstveno stanje drveća u dendroparku Šumarskog fakulteta – Skoplje sa posebnim osvrtom na gljivične bolesti i štetne kukce

The Dendropark at the Faculty of Forestry in Skopje, North Macedonia, was established as an ‘outdoor museum’ with a collection of forest trees and shrub vegetation. The collection was planted in 1950 on the area of 4.05 ha, and includes 336 taxa from native Macedonian and Balkan endemic dendroflora and introduced species from around the world. The Dendropark, like the other botanical gardens all over the world, offers a unique resource that facilitate earlier detection of the potential invasive threats to forest tree species. The inventoried population includes 444 trees belonging to 43 families. The three most represented families are Pinaceae with 21 species (19.4% of the inventoried plants), Cupressaceae with 16 species (15.8%) and Rosaceae with 18 species (7.4%). The 2014 survey indicated that 33.8% of the total number of trees were rated with good health status, 1.8% as very good, 31.1% rated as fair, while 24.5% were poor. Approximately 4.1% were rated to be in a critical state (in a state of decline), and 4.7% of trees were dead. The assessment of health status of plants in the Dendropark could be used as a valuable asset to planners and decision makers and provides information about the quality, quantity and location of natural resources in urban areas. Identifying changes in plant species composition and presence of invasive pests and diseases helps maintaining healthy urban forests.Dendropark Šumarskog fakulteta u Skoplju, Makedonija, osnovan je kao “muzej na otvorenom” sa zbirkom šumskog drveća i grmlja. Zbirka je zasađena 1950. godine na površini od 4,05 ha i obuhvaća 336 taksona iz autohtone makedonske i balkanske endemske dendroflore, zajedno sa novim vrstama iz različitih područja svijeta. Aktualni popis bio je napravljen kao osnovno sredstvo za monitoring. Dendropark, poput ostalih botaničkih vrtova širom svijeta izvanredan je resurs koji uveliko olakšava otkrivanje potencijalnih invazivnih prijetnji za zastupljene vrste šumskoga drveća. Popisana populacija obuhvatila je 444 stabala, koja pripadaju 43 porodicama. Tri najzastupljenije porodice bile su: Pinaceae s 21 vrstom (19,4 % popisanih biljaka), Cupressaceae sa 16 vrsta (15,8 %) i Rosaceae sa 18 vrsta (7,4 %). Provedeno istraživanje iz 2014. godine procijenilo je tadašnje zdravstveno stanje prema kojemu 33,8% ukupnog drveća ocijenjeno kao dobro, 1,8 % kao relativno dobro, 31,1 % kao prosječno, dok ih je 24,5 % ocijenjeno kao loše. Približno 4,1 % drveća je bilo ocijenjeno kritično, tj. u stanju propadanja, dok je 4,7 % stabala bilo mrtvo. Procjena zdravstvenog stanja drvenastih vrsta u Dendroparku mogla bi biti dragocjeno sredstvo i od velike koristi i osobama koje planiraju i donose odluke. Također, ona može pružiti i potrebne informacije o kvaliteti, količini i položaju prirodnih resursa u urbanim područjima. Utvrđivanje promjena u sastavu vrsta i prisutnosti štetnika i patogena pruža dodatan uvid, koji olakšava očuvanje zdravih urbanih šuma

The Most Important Cog in the Machine: Business Analysis and 5S Implementation in an Engineering Company

The focus of this paper is the 5S process, incorporating a real working example of how this method can positively affect a business in terms of managing change and continuous improvement. The benefits that 5S implementation can bring to a manufacturing business focus on every-day work with a holistic approach that intends to bring order both in the material environment and in the ethical values that support it. There are many factors that should be addressed when introducing 5S into a company, including some less tangible ones like moral and ethical principles, environmental factors, sustainability, and risk management. The backgrounds of the project featured in this work is in the field of nuclear waste management. The development of 5S practices are significant to this field because the methodology is known to increase safety and improve overall performance. However, it is also important to analyse what other aspects 5S could impact in an engineering company in this business.This work will therefore investigate the wider aspects of engineering management practice before delving into more specific questions on manufacturing process improvement with a particular focus on the impact 5S will have on workshop organisation and changing operator and technician culture. This will include a discussion of an industry relevant project and how 5S has impacted it. The project in question is entitled Soffit Plate Project and is a batch production project where a quantity of 282 Soffit plates are assembled with over 100 components in each plate. In total there are thousands of components that need to be managed throughout the contract with added paperwork and manufacturing process management as required. The work evidences that a normal approach would not be sufficient or sustainable for profitability and that 5S should be implemented from the beginning. The discussion focuses on the implementation of 5S and its effect on engineering business management. Keywords: 5S, introducing lean, lean manufacturing, process improvement, kaizen, SWOT, McKinsey 7S DOI: 10.7176/IEL/11-2-04 Publication date:June 30th 202

Zinc Supplementation against Eimeria acervulina-Induced Oxidative Damage in Broiler Chickens

This study was undertaken to determine the dietary supplements of Zn containing diet on the antioxidant status in chickens experimentally infected with Eimeria acervulina. The antioxidant status was monitored via determination of MDA concentrations and erythrocyte SOD and CAT activities, as well as vitamin E, vitamin C, Cu, and Zn in liver, muscle, and serum. The results showed increased MDA (P < .05), CAT (P < .001), and decreased SOD (P < .001) in the infected birds. Significant changes in Cu and Zn concentrations and dramatically reduction of vitamin C and E concentrations in the infected chickens were found. The observed deviations in the studied enzymes and nonenzymatic parameters evidence the occurrence of oxidative stress following the infection and impaired antioxidant status of chickens, infected with Eimeria acervulina. Our results proved the ameliorating role of CuZn(OH)3Cl (0.170 g per kg food) against Eimeria acervulina-induced oxidative damage in infected chickens

Baryscapus transversalis Graham (Hymenoptera: Eulophidae) – NOVA VRSTA U FAUNI BOSNE I HERCEGOVINE\u27

Baryscapus transversalis (Hymenoptera: Eulophidae) was established for first time as an egg hyperparasitoid of Thaumetopoea pityocampa (Lepidoptera: Notodontidae) in Bosnia and Herzegovina. It was reared from egg batches of pine processionary moth collected on Pinus nigra in the region of Boracko jezero. In laboratory conditions, 80 specimens of B. transversalis were reared during emerging period of 20 days between 3 and 22 November 2013. In the eggs of T. pityocampa, both males and females of B. transversalis developed, in sex ratio (&#9792;&#9792;:&#9794;&#9794;) 3:1.Baryscapus transversalis (Hymenoptera: Eulophidae) je determiniran kao jajni hiperparazitoid Thaumetopoea pityocampa (Lepidoptera: Notodontidae) u Bosni i Hercegovini. Uzgojen je iz jajnih legla borovog četnjaka prikupljenih s lokaliteta Boračko jezero (Konjic) i time postao nova vrsta u entomofauni Bosne i Hercegovine. U laboratorijskim uvjetima uzgojeno je 80 jedinki B. transversalis u razdoblju od 3. do 22. studenog 2013. godine. Iz jaja T. pityocampa razvili su se i mužjaci i ženke B. transversalis u odnosu (&#9792;&#9792;:&#9794;&#9794;) 3:1

Risk profile and hemodynamic characteristics in young subjects with high normal arterial blood pressure

Introduction: The European Society of Cardiology classifies arterial pressure bellow 140/90 mmHg as optimal (below 120/80 mmHg), normal (120-129 mmHg for systolic and/or 80-84 mmHg for diastolic) and high normal (130-139 mmHg for systolic and/or 85-89 mmHg for diastolic). The argument is concerned with different cardiovascular risk. The possibility for arterial hypertension (AH) to appear is higher in individuals with high normal arterial pressure (HNAP). Such individuals could be treated with non-drug therapy as the idea is the appearance of AH to be delayed and the cardiovascular risk to be reduced.The goal of the study was to examine the risk and hemodynamic profile of medical students with HNAP.Material and methods:  The object of the investigation was focused on medical students with HNAP. The two followed-up groups - with HNAP and with optimal arterial blood pressure (OBP) assumed this pattern on the base of inquiry and screening among 116 students (60 men and 56 women). Inquiry and anthropometric methods, arterial pressure monitoring and impedance cardiography were carried out.Results: The dominance of some factors, predisposing hypertension appearance as overweight, increased salt consumption, family history was registered in HNAP group. Hemodynamic evaluation manifested hyperkinetic type of circulation.Conclusion: Medical students` risk and hemodynamic profile within HNAP group is close to that of the hypertensive individuals. That makes them a special risk group and there is a necessity of non-drug treatment in order to delay AH expression

New parasitoid (Hymenoptera, Chalcidoidea) records of bark beetles (Coleoptera, Curculionidae, Scolytinae) in pine plantations in Bulgaria

In 2020 and 2021, chalcidoid parasitoids (Hymenoptera, Chalcidoidea) of bark beetles in pine (Pinus spp.) plantations were studied in Bulgaria. Samples (cuttings of stems and branches) of pine trees infested by bark beetles were collected from seven plantations of Pinus sylvestris and P. nigra in Bulgaria. From each sampling plot, five cuttings were collected and placed in photoeclectors in laboratory conditions (18-22ºC). Emerged bark beetles and parasitoids were regularly gathered and fixed in ethanol.Six parasitoid species - Dinotiscus colon, Metacolus azureus, M. unifasciatus, Rhopalicus quadratus, R. tutela (Chalcidoidea: Pteromalidae) and Heydenia pretiosa (Chalcidoidea, Heydeniidae) were reared from five bark beetle hosts (Ips acuminatus, Pityogenes bistridentatus, Pityophthorus pityographus, Tomicus piniperda and T. minor). Amongst them, three species (H. pretiosa, M. azureus and R. quadratus) are recorded as new for Bulgarian fauna

Bacterial pulmonary colonization with Pseudomonas aeruginosa in cystic fibrosis patients

Introduction: Cystic fibrosis (CF) is the most common life-limiting autosomal recessive condition in Caucasians. Lung damage is the main determinant of morbidity and mortality. The most important factor for chronic lung infection is the colonization with Pseudomonas aeruginosa.Aim: Understanding the nature of the infection with Pseudomonas aeruginosa and its factors of virulence and compiling statistics on age-related bacterial pulmonary colonization in patients with cystic fibrosis in Expert Center-Varna.Methods: Review of the medical literature and microbiological examination (sputum specimen, oropharyngeal swabs, BAL) of patients with cystic fibrosis at the Expert Center-Varna.Results: With increasing age of the patient with cystic fibrosis there has also been an increase in the rate of pulmonary colonization with Pseudomonas aeruginosa - up to 85% in patients over 18 years of age.Conclusion: Pseudomonas aeruginosa is largely responsible for morbidity and mortality in chronically infected cystic fibrosis patients. Therefore, prevention and early diagnosis are vital to the prognosis of these patients

First records of Sirococcus conigenus causing shoot blight on Pinus peuce in Bulgaria

Macedonian pine (Pinus peuce) is a southern Balkan Peninsula endemic, growing in high mountains of Bulgaria, between 1400 and 2100 m a.s.l. Stands of P. peuce form the upper tree line forest areas. During a survey in 2020-2022 on Macedonian pine natural stands and plantations in Bulgaria, symptoms of shoot blight were observed in the Pirin Mts, the Rila Mts and Mt Vitosha. The fungal pathogen Sirococcus conigenus was identified as the causal agent of the disease that appeared for the first time on Pinus peuce in Bulgaria and Balkan Peninsula. Incidence of blighted shoots on individual trees varied, but was as high as 70-80% in the Rila Mts and Mt Vitosha