University-industry linkages in the UK: What are the factors underlying the variety of interactions with industry?

This paper examines the different channels through which academic researchers interact with industry and the factors that influence the researchers’ engagement in a variety of interactions. This study is based on a large scale survey of UK academic researchers. The results show that university researchers interact with industry using a wide variety of channels, and engage more frequently in the majority of the channels examined - such as consultancy & contract research, joint research, or training - as compared to patenting or spin-out activities. In explaining the variety and frequency of interactions, we find that individual characteristics of researchers have a stronger impact than the characteristics of their departments or universities. Finally, we argue that by paying greater attention to the broad range of knowledge transfer mechanisms (in addition to patenting and spin-outs), policy initiatives could contribute to building the researchers’ skills necessary to integrate the worlds of scientific research and application.     

Prostate specific antigen in patients of benign prostate hypertrophy and carcinoma prostate

Prostate Specific Antigen (PSA) has emerged as the most applicable and important tumor marker for carcinoma prostate. In the present study PSA was determined in serum of healthy subjects, patients of benign prostate hypertrophy (BPH) and Carcinoma Prostate (Ca−P) to evaluate its diagnostic efficiency in day to day management of prostate cancer patients and in differentiating patients of early prostate cancer from those with BPH. Receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC) revealed 2 ng/ml and 10 ng/ml cut off serum PSA level for BPH and untreated carcinoma prostate patients (Ca−P). An extremely significant increase (P<0.0001) was observed in mean PSA concentration in BPH patients and adenocarcinoma prostate patients when compared to healthy males. Clinical relevance of PSA was highlighted by a case study of cancer patient prior to any therapy till death.     

pre-operative serum potassium levels and peri-operative outcomes in patients undergoing cardiac surgery

Although potassium is critical for normal electro physiology, the associations between pre-operative serum potassium level and peri-operative adverse events such as arrhythmias in cardiac surgery have not been examined in detail. The objective of this study was to determine the prevalence of abnormal pre-operative serum potassium levels and whether such levels were associated with adverse peri-operative events in 50 patients undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting. Intra-operative and post-operative arrhythmias, the need for cardio-pulmonary resuscitation, cardiac death and death due to any cause prior to discharge from the post-operative intensive care unit were studied. The incidence for adverse outcome was 0.5% for death, 0.5% for cardiac death and 2% for cardio pulmonary resuscitation in patients with hypokalemia (serum potassium level <3.5 meq. L⁻¹). Hypokalemia was found to be a predictor of serious peri-operative (OR:2.2; 95% Cl: 1.2–4.1) and post-operative arrhythmias (OR: 1.7;95%Cl: 1.0–2.7). Pre-operative potassium repletion is low cost and low risk treatment measure and the data from this study suggests that screening and repletion be considered in patients scheduled for cardiac surgery.     

Using Research Based Assessment Tools in Professional Development in Current Electricity

We present a practical way of adapting and using four research-based assessments for different purposes in an electricity and magnetism course for K-8 science teachers. The course is designed to accomplish conceptual change toward accepted scientific conceptions as well as introducing teachers to materials and activities appropriate for their classrooms. Our data support that using the research-based tests to identify alternative conceptions and discuss test results with teachers is a promising way to use the knowledge of alternative conceptions in professional development. We also identify some mismatches between the research of conceptual change and its use in programs of professional development.

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Using the web to encourage student-generated questions in large-format introductory biology classes

Students rarely ask questions related to course content in large-format introductory classes. The use of a Web-based forum devoted to student-generated questions was explored in a second-semester introductory biology course. Approximately 80% of the enrolled students asked at least one question about course content during each of three semesters during which this approach was implemented. About 95% of the students who posted questions reported reading the instructor's response to their questions. Although doing so did not contribute to their grade in the course, approximately 75% of the students reported reading questions posted by other students in the class. Approximately 60% of the students reported that the Web-based question-asking activity contributed to their learning of biology.     

Do Children's Advocacy Centers improve families' experiences of child sexual abuse investigations?

OBJECTIVE: The Children's Advocacy Center (CAC) model of child abuse investigation is designed to be more child and family-friendly than traditional methods, but there have been no rigorous studies of their effect on children's and caregivers' experience. Data collected as part of the Multi-Site Evaluation of Children's Advocacy Centers were used to examine whether CACs improve caregivers' and children's satisfaction with investigations. METHODS: Nonoffending caregiver and child satisfaction were assessed during research interviews, including the administration of a 14-item Investigation Satisfaction Scale (ISS) for caregivers. Two hundred and twenty-nine sexual abuse cases investigated through a CAC were compared to 55 cases investigated in communities with no CAC. RESULTS: Hierarchical linear regression results indicated that caregivers in CAC cases were more satisfied with the investigation than those from comparison sites, even after controlling for a number of relevant variables. There were few differences between CAC and comparison samples on children's satisfaction. Children described moderate to high satisfaction with the investigation, while a minority expressed concerns about their experience. CONCLUSIONS: The CAC model shows promise for improving families' experiences, but to build upon this promise, agencies will need to systematize procedures for refining and adapting the model as new research becomes available.     

ISM-CMAP-Combine (ICMC) for hierarchical knowledge scenario in quality engineering education

Quality assurance in engineering education is a multifaceted problem further augmented by the stakeholders of engineering education. Students, parents and employers are rightfully questioning the quality of the curriculum, the instructional delivery, the learning environment, accessibility to learning technologies and equipment, employability as well as the possibilities of lifelong learning and the improvement of knowledge (Karapetrovic 2002 Karapetrovic, S. 2002. Why and how to develop a meaningful quality assurance system in engineering schools. Int. J. Engg. Educ, 18(3): 285–294. [Web of Science ®] [Google Scholar]). The purpose of the study is, therefore, to identify the parameters that influence the quality of an engineering education system and develop an integrated model of hierarchical structuring and a concept map for pre-identified concept elements through a process of iterative-interactive consensus-driven methodology, as advocated by second-generation system design paradigm for evolving knowledge scenario of concepts related to quality engineering education.     

An examination of gender and situational interest in multimedia learning environments

Existing research highlights conflicting results attempting to capture gender preferences with respect to unimodal versus multimodal designs in online learning. As online learning continues to expand, more research examining the role of gender in multimedia design holds considerable potential. However, the presence of multimedia in online learning contexts presents a more complex problem when taking into consideration the concept of learner interest. The current study sought to investigate gender differences in situational interest (SI) with respect to three different but related designs of an online, multimedia learning environment for continuing, professional education in emergency medical services. The content in these designs was identical, but applied different combinations of the redundancy and modality multimedia principles. A two-way analysis of variance was used to examine the types of SI by gender and type of multimedia design. While no significant difference or interaction effect was identified between gender and triggered SI, an interaction effect was observed for females and the different multimedia designs. Specifically, females reported a higher maintained SI when animation, narration and text were effectively combined. The findings of this study provide insight into best practices for instructional and media designers developing multimedia learning environments as well as future research implications.     

An Experimental Investigation of Antisocial Lie-Telling Among Children With Disruptive Behavior Disorders and Typically Developing Children

Children's lie-telling is surprisingly understudied among children with significant behavioral problems. In the present study, experimental paradigms were used to examine antisocial lie-telling among ethnically diverse 5- to 10-year-old children with disruptive behavior disorders (DBD; n = 71) and a typically developing (TD) comparison sample (n = 50) recruited from a southeastern state from 2013 to 2014. Children completed two games that measured the prevalence and skill of their lies: (a) for personal gain and (b) to conceal wrongdoing. Children with DBD were more likely to lie for personal gain than TD children. With age, children were more likely to lie to conceal wrongdoing, but the reverse was true regarding lies for personal gain. Results advance knowledge concerning individual differences in children's lie-telling.