The European university landscape: A micro characterization based on evidence from the Aquameth project

This paper provides a new and systematic characterization of 488 universities, from 11 European countries: Finland, France, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Switzerland and UK. Using micro indicators built on the integrated Aquameth database, we characterize the European university landscape according to the following dimensions: history/foundation of university, dynamics of growth, specialization pattern, subject mix, funding composition, offer profile and productivity.     

Optimizing kick rate and amplitude for Paralympic swimmers via net force measures

Kicking is a key component of freestyle swimming yet the optimum combination of kick rate and kick amplitude remains unknown. For Paralympic swimmers, with upper and lower limb disabilities, the influence of the kick plays an important role in net force production. To determine optimum kick characteristics, 12 Paralympic swimmers aged 19.8 ± 2.9 years (mean ± s) were towed at their individual peak freestyle speed. The experimental conditions were (i) a prone streamline glide for passive trials and (ii) maximal freestyle kicking in a prone streamline for active trials at different speeds and kick amplitudes. Kick rate was quantified using inertial sensor technology. Towing speed was assessed using a novel and validated dynamometer, and net force was assessed using a Kistler force-platform system. When peak speed was increased by 5%, the active force increased 24.2 ± 5.3% (90% confidence limits), while kick rate remained at approximately 150 kicks per minute. Larger amplitude kicking increased the net active force by 25.1 ± 10.6%, although kick rate decreased substantially by 13.6 ± 5.1%. Based on the current kick rate and amplitude profile adopted by Paralympic swimmers, these characteristics are appropriate for optimizing net force.     

Teachers’ dilemmatic decision-making: reconciling coexisting policies of increased student retention and performance

In recent years, many countries within the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development have formulated educational policies aimed at providing better education to more students. However, this may be perceived as constituting dilemmatic spaces, where teachers must make efforts to reconcile coexisting political demands in their everyday work. The purpose of this article is to provide insight into how teachers handle coexisting educational policies of increased student retention and performance. Empirical findings from a one-year field study at a Danish vocational school explore how teachers’ decision-making as response to coexisting demands of increased student retention and performance involves the development of various pedagogical approaches to the students: an active ‘caring’ approach, a passive ‘wait until this class is over’ approach, an active ‘vocational gate-keeping’ approach, and a passive ‘wait and see whether they drop out’ approach. Based on the findings, it is argued that the various pedagogical approaches are developed through social negotiations with leaders, students, and other teachers. Moreover, these pedagogical approaches lead to the development of further negotiated, dilemmatic decisions to be made. Thus, a dynamic approach to teachers’ dilemmatic decision-making is proposed.     

Verteilte Metadatenverwaltung und Anfragebearbeitung für Internet-Datenquellen

Zusammenfassung.   Wir pr?sentieren in dieser Arbeit das ObjectGlobe-System, ein offenes und verteiltes Anfragebearbeitungssystem auf Internet-Datenquellen. ObjectGlobe erweitert die begrenzten F?higkeiten des Internets bezüglich Anfragebearbeitung, indem es einen offenen Marktplatz schafft, in dem eine Vielzahl von Anbietern Rechenzeit, Daten und Anfrageoperatoren bereitstellen. Den Schwerpunkt dieses Beitrags bildet die im Rahmen des ObjectGlobe-Projekts entwickelte Metadatenverwaltung MDV, ein verteiltes Metadaten-Management-System. Es besitzt eine 3-schichtige Architektur und unterstützt Caching und Replikation in der Mittelschicht, so dass Anfragen lokal ausgewertet werden k?nnen. Benutzer spezifizieren die Informationen, die sie ben?tigen und die repliziert werden, mit Hilfe einer besonderen Regelsprache. Um Replikate aktuell zu halten und die Replikation von neuen und relevanten Informationen anzusto?en, verwendet das MDV-System einen neuartigen Publish & Subscribe-Algorithmus. Wir beschreiben diesen Algorithmus im Detail und zeigen, wie er mit Hilfe eines normalen relationalen Datenbanksystems implementiert werden kann. Eingegangen am 19. November 2001 / Angenommen am 30. Juli 2002     

Die Beweisentwicklungsumgebung W\Omega -Mkrp

Zusammenfassung. Die Beweisentwicklungsumgebung -Mkrpsoll Mathematiker bei einer ihrer Hauptt?tigkeiten, n?mlich dem Beweisen mathematischer Theoreme unterstützen. Diese Unterstützung mu? so komfortabel sein, da? die rechnergestützte Suche nach formalen Beweisen leichter und insbesondere weniger aufwendig ist, als ohne das System. Dazu mu? die verwendete Objektsprache ausdrucksstark sein, man mu? die M?glichkeit haben, abstrakt über Beweispl?ne zu reden, die gefundenen Beweise müssen in einer am Menschen orientierte Form pr?sentiert werden und vor allem mu? eine effiziente Unterstützung beim Füllen von Beweislücken zur Verfügung stehen. Das im folgenden vorgestellte $\Omega$-Mkrp-System ist der Versuch einer Synthese der Ans?tze des vollautomatischen, des interaktiven und des planbasierten Beweisens. Dieser Artikel soll eine übersicht über unsere Arbeit an diesem System geben. Eingegangen am 24. Juni 1994 / Angenommen am 3. November 1995     

Private Funding for University Research in Europe — Some Models and Conceptions*

Social scientists have discovered only recently that there exists between the two major forces of modern (Western) societies (that is the market on the one hand and government on the other hand) a third sector. This sector is characterized by forces like voluntarism, idealism, generosity, autonomy of action in the public interest, brotherhood, charity and institutions like private giving, free associations and societies, philanthropic foundations and charitable trusts. The third sector is helpful in achieving voluntaty social justice outside the enforced contributions of government. If government retreats even more the future from investing an adequate share of total revenue in the science community and higher education at large, this social sub-sector will need to look for alternative funding sources. Industry as contractor (naturally paying for the goods and services delivered by the higher education sector) may be one source. The third sector, known to many of the institutions of higher education for centuries, should be another. In the highly competitive environment of the future loyalties and other benign attitudes are no longer to be taken for granted, not even by alma mater. Therefore, higher education should invest some time and talents, as well as some ECUs in order to come to terms with this sector and to get a better share from its grant-making capacities. The opportunities are there.