Assessing efficiency in the Spanish public universities through comparative non-radial and radial data envelopment analysis

In this study we have used data from Spanish public universities to assess their efficiency in a longitudinal framework between 2008/9–2014/15. To carry out the analysis, two windows data envelopment analysis and intertemporal, non-radial and radial analysis methodologies were compared. The main results show a significant deterioration in university efficiency from the 2012/13 academic year for the three proposed frontiers, with both methodologies. Some factors may explain these results, such as the ageing of teaching force and its low replacement rate of 10%, and the lack of incentives for young researchers who wish to pursue a research career, influenced by the presence of endogamy, in hiring or promotion. Finally, the resources necessary for the good governance of the Spanish public university with the consequent accountability of these, in terms of teaching, research and its transfer to society, could become a strategic issue that should be taken into account by all the actors involved.

     

Video over IP using standard-compatible multiple description coding: an IETF proposal

INTRODUCTION Communication networks are growing quickly. Throughput, delays and losses become unpredictable because of heterogeneity and congestion. This results in lack of quality of service. Today’s solution is based on standard video codecs (as MPEG-2) that do not allow scalability and yield low quality at low bit-rates, complex forward error correction (FEC) codes that are not easily used with time-varying channels and must be set to face the worst case, and automatic repeat re- q…     

Fulfilling Their Dreams: Marginalized Urban Youths' Perspectives on a Culturally Sensitive Social and Emotional Learning Program

A growing body of research suggests educators need to focus on cultivating social and emotional competencies that youth will need to thrive in the new knowledge economy (Durlak, Weissberg, Dymnicki, Taylor, &; Schellinger, 2011 Durlak, J. A., Weissberg, R. P., Dymnicki, A. B., Taylor, R. D., &; Schellinger, K. B. (2011). The impact of enhancing student's social and emotional learning: A meta-analysis of school-based universal interventions. Child Development, 82, 405–432. doi: 10.1111/j.1467-8624.2010.01564.x.[Crossref], [PubMed], [Web of Science ®] , [Google Scholar]). For marginalized urban youth, in particular, few have derived programs and interventions to assist with these competencies. This study illuminates the perspectives of 9 African American youth at risk for academic failure taking part in the Fulfill the Dream (FTD) program. FTD is a social and emotional learning curriculum emphasizing social justice and critical consciousness through the utilization of hip-hop culture. Information regarding the nature of the collaboration of this research project and recommendations for education professionals working with marginalized youth are discussed.     

EDUCATIONAL POLICY AND ECONOMIC POLICY: THE CASE OF SOUTHERN ITALY

The aim of this article is to describe the role of educational policies in state intervention in southern Italy. Its point of departure is recognition of the fact that education policies, particularly those concerned with higher education, have been given increasing importance in the plans for government intervention for development in this area. However, the increased emphasis on higher education, as well as on policies of technological development and innovation, has not resulted in improvements in the effectiveness of intervention. Rather, what has occurred has been the result of inadequate implementation techniques and of a general approach which has caused an overloading of the role and functions of higher education in a situation of general impoverishment and crisis in the basic educational structures (compulsory and secondary education). At the same time, the changing of the educational background of new and old professions due to the contemporary organization of labour seems to coincide, to some extent, with the emphasis on the upgrading of the general level of education, perceived as being needed for long‐term modernization policies in developing areas (or countries).     

Wavelet-based deconvolution of ultrasonic signals in nondestructive evaluation

INTRODUCTION Deconvolution of ultrasonic signals is defined as the solution of the inverse problem of convolving an input signal, known as the system function h(n), with a medium reflectivity function x(n) and can be rep- resented by y(n)=h(n)*x(n) η(n), (1) where y(n) is the measured signal, * denotes the convolution operation and η(n) is the additive noise. Recovering x(n) from the observation y(n) leads to improving the appearance and the axial resolution of the RF-signals by removin…     

Absorptive capacity and knowledge management in small and medium enterprises

Studies on knowledge management have generated an awareness that it is fundamentally important for small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to be able to exploit sources of knowledge outside the firm by means of external relationships, but this understanding has not been followed up by an adequate theoretical and empirical research effort to analyse the role of relationships in an SME’s knowledge management processes. The present contribution first sketches this gap on the grounds of the available literature reviews. Then it proposes a framework – focusing the concept of absorptive capacity – with a view to filling this theoretical gap. Finally, based on the proposed framework, two specific topics of considerable importance to SMEs are discussed: (i) how capabilities are developed in the start-up phase of a new venture; and (ii) knowledge processes in geographical clusters.     

The origin of dimensional analysis

A paper by Macagno (3) in this Journal is discussed. The origin of the concept of physical dimensions is traced back to ideas previously used in analytic geometry. Descartes' use of the word “dimension” in the study of physical magnitudes is shown to have properties completely different from Fourier's dimensions, being therefore unimportant to the evolution of dimensional analysis. It is also shown that the principle of homogeneity was used in the derivation of physical equations sixty years prior to the publication of Fourier's work, and that the latter was aware of this paper, that may be considered the earliest publication on dimensional analysis.     

The effect of increasing written approval on Italian students’ academic performance in higher education

Increasing teacher verbal approval has been shown to produce both increased pupil “on-task” behaviour and academic achievement. The present study aimed to address gaps in current knowledge about the effect of different kinds of teacher approval, other than verbal approval, on students’ performance. An exploratory study, followed by an experimental study, was conducted with Italian undergraduate psychology students in order to investigate the effect of written approval on their academic performance. The results indicate that, whilst there is some suggestion that students appreciated receiving increased written approval comments on their work, the receipt of such comments was accompanied by poorer academic performance than that of a control group. Possible explanations are presented.     

A comparative study of the self-esteem,sociometric status,and insight of referred and nonreferred school children

Elementary-grade children referred to a school-based mental health program were compared with randomly selected classmates on measures of self-esteem, sociometric status, and insight. Interrelationships among criterion measures also were examined. Referred children had significantly lower self-esteem, peer acceptance, and insight than did the comparison group, even though these variables were modestly intercorrelated. Thus, the study lends support to the trend in prior research associating deficits in such variables with school maladjustment.