Social networks in (slow) motion: A complexity perspective on network change in the context of educational reform

This paper highlights key elements of the research proposal for which I received a Rubicon grant from the Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research (NWO). With this grant, I will be conducting a 2-year study at the University of California, San Diego. The study is aimed at exploring how changes in teachers' social networks support or constrain the implementation of educational reform. Social networks change over time. In schools, social networks among teachers reflect a web of relationships through which teachers exchange valuable resources, such as instructional materials, information, knowledge, and social support. Availability of these resources, or a lack thereof, can support or hinder both teachers’ instructional practice and student achievement, especially in times of educational reform (for instance, the implementation of a new reading curriculum). However, empirical knowledge on social network change during educational reform and its association with educational outcomes is limited. Drawing on complexity theory, and using a mixed method longitudinal design, this study aims to understand how teachers’ social networks change during educational reform and how this network change enhances school improvement in terms of teachers’ instructional practice and student achievement. Understanding the dynamics of social networks in the context of educational reform promises valuable insights for educational theory and practice as these networks may be leveraged to better create, use, and diffuse resources in support of school improvement. Rubicon grant awarded by the Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research (NWO) (grant # 446-10-023)

Pitfalls and Potentials of Knowledge Management

Organizations are interested in actively using knowledge / past experiences to improve their business processes. In this paper, we address some of the major issues in obtaining this goal. We discuss the importance of codifying and representing knowledge in computerized information systems, the distribution of knowledge to knowledge workers, and the interaction between knowledge workers via computer systems for knowledge management. We signal the pitfalls and potentials involved in these issues for knowledge management

Multiple actions of lysophosphatidic acid on fibroblasts revealed by transcriptional profiling

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Lysophosphatidic acid (LPA) is a lipid mediator that acts through specific G protein-coupled receptors to stimulate the proliferation, migration and survival of many cell types. LPA signaling has been implicated in development, wound healing and cancer. While LPA signaling pathways have been studied extensively, it remains unknown how LPA affects global gene expression in its target cells.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>We have examined the temporal program of global gene expression in quiescent mouse embryonic fibroblasts stimulated with LPA using 32 k oligonucleotide microarrays. In addition to genes involved in growth stimulation and cytoskeletal reorganization, LPA induced many genes that encode secreted factors, including chemokines, growth factors, cytokines, pro-angiogenic and pro-fibrotic factors, components of the plasminogen activator system and metalloproteases. Strikingly, epidermal growth factor induced a broadly overlapping expression pattern, but some 7% of the genes (105 out of 1508 transcripts) showed differential regulation by LPA. The subset of LPA-specific genes was enriched for those associated with cytoskeletal remodeling, in keeping with LPA's ability to regulate cell shape and motility.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>This study highlights the importance of LPA in programming fibroblasts not only to proliferate and migrate but also to produce many paracrine mediators of tissue remodeling, angiogenesis, inflammation and tumor progression. Furthermore, our results show that G protein-coupled receptors and receptor tyrosine kinases can signal independently to regulate broadly overlapping sets of genes in the same cell type.</p

Expenditure on Crime in the Netherlands

In order to increase safety and maintain the rule of law the government needs to respond to crime. This carries a cost. The government’s response to crime is accompanied by a corresponding response from the corporate sector and private individuals. Citizens and businesses that (expect to) sustain damage, are taking initiatives to limit this damage. This too carries a cost. In this report, we will attempt to gain more of an insight into the costs incurred. There are three key questions: • How much does the government spend on combating crime and on enforcing criminal law, and how has this developed in the period 1995-2004? • How much are citizens and the corporate sector spending on prevention in 2004? • How high is the financial damage caused by crime in 2004? Government expenditure for combating crime and law enforcement has increased from 2.5 billion euro in 1995 to 4.2 billion euro in 2004. This is an increase of 70%. Per capita this amounts to € 260, which is approximately € 100 euro more than in 1995. Most money is spent on investigation and prevention, the least on victim care. Execution also claims a large part of the budget. In 2004, expenditure per recorded crime amounts to almost 3,200 euro as opposed to more than 2,000 euro in 1995. This is an increase of 57%. The Ministry of the Interior is responsible for approximately 30% of all expenditure. The Ministry of Justice is accountable for approximately 60% of expenditure on combating crime and law enforcement. The greatest part of this total goes to the Correctional Institutions Service. Other major sources of expenditure for the Ministry of Justice are the Public Prosecution Service, the Council for the Judiciary, subsidized legal aid and the Probation and After-Care Service. The remaining 10% of expenditure is attributed to other ministries, municipalities and provinces. Prevention measures taken by households, companies and institutions are found to be 3.3 billion euro on an annual basis. This is over 200 euro per capita. This figure does not include government expenditure on prevention. In total the damage sustained as a result of crime amounts to 12.6 billion euro on an annual basis. This is approximately 775 euro per capita. The total cost of crime in the Netherlands is 20 billion euro on an annual basis. This is more than € 1,200 per capita. In this respect the Dutch expenditure on the combating of crime and law enforcement does not differ very much from other countries

Convergence of vitamin D and lysophosphatidic acid signaling in stimulating human osteoblast maturation

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